Sorry this took me so long, but I was having trouble with the flashbacks and stuff, I wanted to get it just right. I hope you like it and please review! :)
"Daniel? Danny, where are you? It's time for dinner, sweetheart!"
A little head poked up from in between several small sand dunes nearby the woman, the adorable child breaking out in a smile and running forward, leaping into the waiting arms. "What we're eating mommy?"
The woman only smiled, and the child's eyes widened. "No way…"
"Yep! We're having your favorite, Danny!"
Darkness again, wave of nausea, flash of bright light.
"MOMMY! DADDY!"
The loud crash shook the room, his parent's screams echoing through the hall. The child's eyes were wide, and he felt frozen, unable to move, unable to even breathe. He was left there, leaning against the wall, crying, all alone, for hours before someone remembered that the Jackson's had a son.
Darkness, nausea, flash.
"Get up you stupid, lazy runt! I want a beer!"
"Steve, don't talk to him like that, he's just a kid and he did just lose his parents."
"Shut up, Caroline." A sharp smack, flesh hitting flesh, then a child's cry.
"Don't hurt her, please, don't hurt her! She didn't do anything!"
"Dang it, kid, didn't I tell you to get your worthless butt out of here and get me a freakin' beer?" Another smack, louder, sharper, then the soft sound of a child crying. "Please stop." The child begged, desperately.
"Don't beg, Jackson, and don't cry. You're a boy and you're going to act like it! Only the weak cry and beg. You'll take what I give you and you will stop complaining right now!"
The child curled up in a ball as the large drunk kicked out at him, painfully connecting with his ribs. A sharp crack was heard and the child's muffled scream, almost covering the whimper from the woman on the floor.
"Now get me a beer, Daniel, and be quick about it."
Jack was gonna be sick. He opened his eyes only to see brown, wood ceiling and he sat up with a groan.
Nearby, Carter and Teal'c were picking themselves up off the floor, both paler than usual and looking disgusted and sick.
"Carter, what the heck was that?"
She looked confused, but gave the only answer she could. "Daniel, sir…it must be part of his new power or maybe something's wr-"
That was as far as she got before Jack was pushing himself to his feet and, pushing aside the nausea and beginnings of a headache, stumbling forward, towards where Daniel had disappeared to several hours previously. Despite all the questions swimming around in his mind, Jack only had one thought he was going to focus on. Daniel. Where's Daniel?
"Sir?"
He ignored Carter's call, stopping in the doorway of the room.
Daniel was stretched out on the bed, stirring slightly, looking pale under the streak of moonlight that illuminated his face.
Ah, Danny. I forget sometimes you were there for your parent's deaths. But….that last one….was that actually a memory? Gosh, if I ever get my hands on that man….
"Carter, come help me check on Daniel." Before Jack could move another inch, another wave of nausea hit him and his vision blacked out again.
"Hey, Daniel, what are you working on?" The voice was kind and open, perhaps slightly cautious, but inviting. The smile that greeted her was nothing like it had been two or three years ago, but the brightness was still there, if hidden slightly by years of hardship and pain that no child should have had to experience.
"I'm reading. I finished my homework and decided to read up a bit more on Egyptian gods. They have so many, I think it would be impossible to ever know everything about them. It's fascinating." Daniel was tentative, as if expecting to get rebuked for being excited, but the woman only smiled happily.
"It's nice to see you getting into something so enthusiastically, Daniel! Tell me if you ever want to go to a library or something, okay? We can get you as many books as you can carry and read!"
Daniel flashed her a bright smile, his eyes lighter than they had been in years. "Thank you!"
Darkness, nausea, light.
"Hey geek!"
Daniel kept walking, determined not to let them get to him. Not this time.
"Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you, four-eyes!"
"Shut up." Daniel mumbled.
Immediately, he regretted speaking, as he felt hands against his back and he was pushed forward. "Gonna go cry to mommy, Jackson? Huh?"
Daniel felt a flash of anger, a part of him warning against his immediate instinct (knowing it would only cause more pain), but he never had been one to back down when it came to a fight he had a reason for participating in. "I said, shut up!" he cried, pushing back against the bully that had been haunting him.
The bully stumbled back, but regained his footing, his face darkening, motioning to several of his friends. "Alright, Jackson. You want to do it that way? Fine." He cracked his knuckles, ominously.
Darkness, nausea, flash.
"Sha're."
"Sha're? My name is Daniel."
Darkness, nausea, flash.
"NO!"
His heart was beating too fast, the pain too much. His beloved was gone, was overtaken. Her eyes were flashing and his heart broke. No…..
Faster now. Dark, nauseous, bright light.
"Shut up, Daniel! Is that clear enough for you?"
Darkness, nausea, flash of bright light.
Osiris stood in front of him, in the form of his beloved Sara, a knife flashing in her hand, to his throat before he could react. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, his heart crying out at the cruelty of it all.
Dark, nausea, light.
There was blood everywhere. It hurt so bad. He couldn't move, the bandages cutting him off from the rest of the world. He had vague memories of Carter, Teal'c, Jack, standing beside him, one by one. Goodbye. They were all saying goodbye. Maybe he should take Oma up on her offer. Maybe he really could make a bigger difference there than he ever had here. Maybe people he loved would stop dying.
Jack moaned as he returned to the real world. Gosh, he was going to be sick. He felt like crap. But if I feel like this, what's Daniel feel like? Jack forced himself to his feet, vaguely hearing the others do the same in the other room. He staggered forward to Daniel's side.
Daniel looked troubled, as he often did in sleep, and suddenly Jack knew why and he had never felt such strong sympathy for his friend.
"Daniel? Hey, buddy, can you wake up for me?" Jack shook Daniel, who's eyes immediately flew open.
"Jack?" his voice sounded slightly hoarse. "What's wrong?"
…
"You…..you what?" Daniel looked upset by their revelation of what they had seen. He hadn't talked about much of his past with them and to hear that they had suddenly seen some of his hardest times, the moments that plagued him every night for years.
"Daniel, those were just nightmares? You remember those things every night?" Sam sounded upset by this and Daniel sighed.
"Yeah." He mumbled, not able to look up at her.
"Alright, well, why are we seeing them?" Jack asked, his voice gentle.
"Must be the new power…..perhaps with practice I could broadcast my thoughts, just like I can read yours." Daniel suggested.
Hmm. That sounds handy. "Okay. Well….we can play with this more in the morning. I, for one, am exhausted and would like to get some sleep."
…
Daniel leaned against the railing, looking out over the dark forest around him, strangely soothed by the sounds of the night.
"Hey, Daniel."
Daniel turned to see Jack walking up to him, holding two steaming coffees in his hand. Offering one of them to Daniel, Jack leaned against the railing beside him.
"What you doin'?" It was said casually, but it seemed to be asking so much at the same time.
"Trying to let you guys get some proper sleep." Daniel responded.
You mean trying to avoid remembering.
Daniel grimaced at Jack's unspoken addition, but nodded. He had realized fairly quickly that once the others had seen his dreams his previous abilities had returned. He had a bad feeling that he wasn't past the worst of the adjustment to his new ability yet, though. The two of them were silent for a moment, before Daniel finally got up the courage to speak. "I'm scared, Jack. I wouldn't admit this to anyone else, but…all of these….these abilities that keep cropping up…...I mean, when are they going to stop? How….how much can my brain and body handle before…..I don't know, I overload? How….how do I keep all of this hidden?" Now that that he had started, Daniel found himself unable to stop, knowing that if he could ever tell anyone his true fears, that Jack would be that person. "What do we do if the Trust does get wind of all this? I really don't want to be their guinea pig. But I…..I just don't know what to do…..This is too much…..I knew I'd reach a limit eventually and I suppose I've found it. I'm scared, Jack, and I don't know what to do."
Jack was silent for a minute and Daniel left his thoughts to him, almost afraid to know if Jack thought him weak now, or if perhaps Jack was overwhelmed by it all too. "You aren't alone, Daniel. The team has your back, heck, even Hammond and Frasier have your back. And there are others that I know would help if we asked them to. You have a whole lot of people on your side and ready to do what it takes to keep you away from the Trust's filthy mitts and….well, if necessary, find some way to stop these powers from multiplying."
Jack suddenly turned to Daniel, his face serious and completely honest.
"Daniel, if I have to go knocking on Oma's door personally, to save you, I will. I don't care what it takes. If this becomes too much, we will save you." Jack paused, then threw Daniel a small smile, clapping him on the back. Turning towards the door, as if to leave, Jack stopped, his hand lingering on Daniel's shoulder. "And for the record?" He took a few more steps towards the door, pausing again to finish. "You're stronger than you think you are." A hesitation, then, "Good night, Daniel." And like that he was gone.