Part 5
The two boys got changed into dry clothes. "Now this time do you two think you can stay out of trouble?" Jack said. He saw Daniel about to answer. "Don't bother. I know you can't help it. One of these days Danny I'm going to have to teach you how to stay out of trouble."
"You had him on your team for years Jack. If you couldn't manage it then how are you going to manage it now," Cameron said.
Daniel laughed," He's got you there."
"Yes but before I couldn't send him to his room or smack his butt for him, now I can."
"What? You can't do that. I ...."
Mitchell laughed.
"Don't know what you're laughing at, same rules apply to you."
"What?"
"Now go play, nicely," Jack said.
The two boys left.
They walked to wards the centre of the village. The rest of the young people were playing a game that looked like soccer. "Can we join in?" Mitchell asked.
"Yes." Daniel was glad it was like soccer. It was the one game he had been quite good at having played it when he was at Oxford University.
Jack, Sam and Teal'c went round the village taking samples of water and soil. Sam was going to send them back to be tested. "They've all been tested before sir," she said.
"Well it won't hurt to do them again," Jack commented.
They went over to where the children were playing. Darium was sitting watching them. "They are happy," he said to Jack.
"Not really. They are making the best of it. What else can they do? They're both worried about what is going to happen to them."
"You do not look after your young?" Darium questioned.
"Of course we do but neither of them have any family to look after them. Daniel's are dead and Cameron's are too old."
"But they have you?"
Jack looked at the man. It seemed so simple to this man and maybe it was. What was to stop him looking after them? He really wasn't enjoying living and working in Washington. He was sure he could work at Cheyenne Mountain as a consultant. He didn't think the boys would want to move anywhere else. "Yes they have me."
"Then they will be fine," Darium said.
"I'd still like to know what you did to them."
"I did not do anything to them."
Jack did not quite believe that. The ball came towards him and he kicked it to Cameron. "Not fair, Jack," Daniel shouted running after the ball.
Jack was glad to see they were both laughing and getting on at least for now. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but he was going to see they had a good time being teenagers.
Children's names were being called and soon Daniel and Cameron were the only ones left. "It is time for the evening meal," Darium said. "You are all welcome to join us."
Jack agreed. They all sat down to a lovely meal. It was as they were offered something to drink that Daniel said," The drink!"
"What?"
"Remember Cam when we were at dinner the first night, he asked us if we wanted a drink and we said yes. We were the only ones to have it."
"I remember. What was in that drink?" Cameron said turning to face Darium.
"It is called Uisge Beatha. I told you that."
"Yes, whiskey."
"Whiskey? What is whiskey?" Darium looked puzzled.
"That's what Uisge Beatha means." Then Daniel hit his forehead with his hand. "Shit! I forgot its literal meaning."
"Which is?" Cameron asked.
"Water of life," Jack said. "It's the same in Irish Gaelic as Scots Gaelic. I'm from an Irish /Scots family," he said when Teal'c and Sam looked at him.
"Then it was my fault," Daniel said. "I'm sorry Cam. I didn't realise." Daniel looked miserable.
Cameron got up and sat beside Daniel. "It's not your fault. Neither of us knew."
"But I'm the linguist. I should have known."
"Can we do anything to change what happened?" Jack asked.
"No," Darium said. "I asked them if they wanted it and they accepted."
"But they didn't know what would happen," Sam said angrily.
"We thought that was why they were here. That is why the others came. Then when we saw how angry your people became we were frightened. We did not know what to do."
"Next time don't offer it unless people ask for it."
"I really am sorry, we did not mean to cause any harm to them."
"At least they'll grow," Teal'c said.
"And that's meant to make us feel better?" Cameron said.
"It is better than being dead," Teal'c said with his usual logic.
"And who is going to look after us, has anyone thought about that?"
"I will," Jack said. "I'm going to give up my job in Washington and move back here. We'll take one day at a time."
"You'll take us both?" Cameron asked.
"Yep. You look like brothers so we can say I adopted you."
"He's a flyboy Jack," Daniel complained although everyone could see he was trying not to laugh.
"And you're a geek," Cameron retorted laughing as well.
"Aht! Aht!" Jack said. "That's enough. We'd best get back to the SGC and get this sorted. I have a resignation to write and a house to buy."
"I need my own room," Daniel said as they walked towards the Stargate. "I am not sharing."
"You've got a brother now, you'll need to learn to share," Jack said.
"But what about my things? He'll break them."
"I was thinking bunk beds."
"No way!" both boys said at once.
Jack smiled as he walked along. He hadn't felt this alive in a long time. Who knew what the future would bring?
The End