Urr...okay. I'm sorry this has been absolutey forever and I am working on finishing this series off now...my sincere apologies and i hope you enjoy, hugs natxx

"Jack?"

"What?" The voice that greeted Daniel was low and resigned, not the usual enthusiastic tone that greeted him on sunny mornings like this one, but then there was a reason for that… High School…

"I can't find those jeans, Jack." Daniel had taken to the floor on his hands and knees, while yanking long forgotten items of clothing and chess pieces from under his bed.

"Annnnnd?"

As Daniel lifted his head and glanced back, he could see the unenthusiastic stance of his friend who was pulling on a blue hooded sweater over his head, violently.

"We have to go, Jack," Daniel offered sympathetically before returning to rummaging through other old socks and t-shirts.

"It's crap," came the flat reply.

Daniel finally spotted the leg of the jeans he'd been searching for under Jack's hockey outfit. He was sure the clothes had sat there for over a week, untouched and quite possibly requiring washing.

Grabbing the crumpled garments, Daniel shook them out, pushed his glasses back onto his nose and then looked over the jeans quickly, making sure there were no obvious mucky patches to worry about. As he slid his leg into the pants he looked back at Jack and gave a weak smile, "I know it sucks, but we can't do anything about it, just make the best of it."

Jack finished tying up the laces on his rogue sneakers before grabbing his backpack and throwing it, unceremoniously onto the bed.

Daniel finished wrestling a clean t-shirt over his head and sat down to pull on his socks, "Didn't Uncle George say we weren't allowed those sneakers up here after the oil on the stair carpet incident?"

Jack finished throwing various pens, pencils and rulers into his bag before zipping it shut. He then sat heavily on his own bed and frowned at Daniel, "Tell someone who gives a stuff, Daniel."

"Hey!" Daniel sat up straight, looking affronted at the response he'd received, "I was only saying! There's no need to be moody with me!"

Jack was already on his feet and making for the doorway, "Yeah, yeah," he huffed, slamming the door behind him.

Daniel's mouth dropped open as he watched in his friend's wake; he was sure gonna be a barrel of laughs today.

Sighing with exasperation, Daniel hurled himself back on the bed to look at the ceiling. He wasn't that thrilled with the idea of going to High School again either, but he couldn't see the point of making life hard work for himself. He'd just go and make the best of it, it was going to be easier for them than most considering the fleeting memories he and Jack had of what they used to be and Sam was always telling them both how clever they were.

As Daniel sat back up he heard a deep Texan holler emit from the bottom of the stairs, "JackO'Neill, how many times have I told you not to wear those sneakers in the house!"

Oops, so it appeared the old General was on the ball this morning, Daniel smiled to himself.

o0o

"Get in the car." George growled his annoyance.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Jack threw a disgusted look at the General as he slid into the front of the truck.

"Don't give me attitude, Jack," warned George as he watched his wayward Colonel yank the belt over his shoulder.

Jack didn't look back at the General as he grasped his iPod from amongst the pocket full of candy papers in his sweater. Jack pushed the pods into his ears and dialed up the volume as loud as it would go in an effort to block out the world at large.

The next thing he knew, an earphone was rudely yanked from his ear and he felt a large hand on his shoulder, "Jack, I don't want any trouble. Do you understand me?"

Jack shrugged, frowning as his wandering vision returned back to his music selection.

George returned his hand to the steering wheel as he sighed, "I mean it and the same thing goes for you, son."

Jack chanced a quick glance at the object of his annoyance to see a reflection of Daniel's blank gaze regarding George in the review mirror.

Jack turned away, grabbing his ear piece and undid the passenger door.

"Any trouble, either of you and you'll be grounded, STAT. Do I make myself clear?"

Now George had managed to get Jack's attention. He heard Daniel mumble 'yes, sir,' as his own feet hit the floor. Turning, he looked the older man in the eye, "Got you loud and clear, sir." Jack hissed.

George held up two fingers and raised his eyebrows, grasping the steering wheel a little harder than normal, "That's two strikes, mister. Another one and you're grounded for the weekend."

Jack sighed and made himself not roll his eyes, "Yes, Sir," he muttered before turning and wandering up the sidewalk.

"Jack?"

As the passenger door slammed, there was a call from behind. Daniel was just getting out of the car. Throwing his backpack over his shoulder, Jack squinted at his friend over his shoulder in the bright early autumn sunshine.

"C4, Jack?" Daniel halfheartedly grinned.

The door to the truck was just about shut when Jack grinned and caught the look on George's face, "So help me you two will be the death of me!" the General hollered as Daniel slammed the door and scampered after his friend.

A bespectacled grinning face met his own smiling face as Jack wound the lead to his player up, ready to stash it in his bag.

Jack smiled at Daniel and patted his arm, "Nice one, Danny, but we're not in Kansas anymore, kiddo," he chuckled.

0o0

An annoying ring jolted Sam Carter from her work in the lab. Reaching over she unhooked the phone from its cradle before tucking it between her chin and her shoulder as she typed another sentence on her laptop, examining the screen before her intently.

"Major Carter," she muttered blandly, her attention still held by the report she was typing up.

"Sir?" Slowly Sam's attention was pulled away from her screen as she took more notice of what was being explained to her on the phone.

"Oh my," she breathed and shut the laptop with out thinking. She was now seeking out anything she needed to pick up and moving towards the door as the telephone's wire stretched to its limit, a concerned look creasing her brow.

"Oh no, sir, I'll go now, don't worry. I'll ring you when we're back." Dropping the phone hurriedly back on the cradle, Sam disappeared, slamming the door behind her…

0o0

"Danny."

"What,"

"It's not your fault."

Daniel looked up from his current position of sitting, hands grasped between splayed knees as he slumped forward inspecting the floor intently.

"How can you say that, Jack?" Daniel frowned from behind his slightly bent glasses.

Jack smiled, but it was one of his warm smiles that came from deep within. Daniel didn't see that smile very often.

"Well, you just lost it, that's all."

Daniel snorted, shook his head and returned back to his previous position, "I hit him, Jack."

Jack grinned, "You did good, Danny."

"I knocked him out." Daniel muttered flatly.

"Hey, at least you didn't go into peaceful explorer mode. These kids are all alien to me," chuckled Jack.

Daniel had to admit, this was the most cheerful he'd seen his friend all day. Sitting outside the principal's office because Daniel obviously amused him.

He turned and squinted at Jack, "You didn't have to charge in, Jack."

Jack shrugged his shoulders and leaned forward to inspect his own sneakers, "Well, apparently I wasn't needed, Action Jackson had decked the kid before I could get near him."

Daniel sighed, "Leaning over and threatening him after I'd bloodied his nose wasn't exactly a smart move either."

Jack's head popped up, "Hey, he called my buddy a geek! I can't just let that pass!"

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Guys?"

Oh no, Daniel shrank away and felt Jack move slightly beside him.

"Carter."

Feeling Sam hovering near by, Daniel looked up sheepishly, "Hey, Sam."

She frowned and gave them both a withering look.

"Miss Carter?"

A call came from the office; it was Mrs. Hobart, the frumpy, short, principal woman. Her bark was harsh and Daniel certainly had no intention of feeling her bite.

"Hag," hissed Jack under his breath, only to receive a piercing stare from both Sam and the principal.

Sam turned back, "Yes, that's me. I'm their legal guardian."

"Come in Miss Carter…" Sam walked towards the door before Mrs. Hobart looked at her hostages, squinting…"And you two, quiet. You're in enough trouble as it is."

With that the door firmly shut. Daniel glanced at Jack who was shrugging at his friend's worried, questioning look.

"Well she is!" Jack huffed.

Not long after, Sam emerged from the office looking extraordinarily annoyed and glaring at her charges. She turned and nodded, giving the principal a small, thin lipped smile before gesturing to Jack and Daniel, "Out! We're going home."

Nope, she definitely wasn't a happy camper, mused Jack.

They all walked silently outside, following Sam. Not a word uttered.

Reaching the car, Sam clicked the central locking and Daniel skulked away around to the back door before Jack had a chance. Jack frowned at his friend, but Daniel never looked up, finding his shoes overly interesting.

Jack had to admit, he'd never seen Carter this annoyed and he was wondering where she was going to take them. It was fairly obvious that George was probably busy at the mountain, but it didn't look like they were going to his place.

"Where we going then, Carter?"

"Leavenworth?" she hissed without looking at her ex CO.

"That's a low blow, Sam. Come on," sighed Jack.

"Shut up, Jack." The order was low and to the point.

Jack regarded her with a sideways glance, raising his eyebrows before looking away and mouthing, 'Alrighty then…'

Daniel, for his part, hadn't moved an inch in the back of the car; he looked every bit like the condemned kid. It was pitiful when Jack thought it had been one of Daniel's great victories. Jack was sure that the first time around Daniel would never have had the guts to punch someone like that for some stupid name calling.

Mind you, that wouldn't matter in the least to Sam or the general. They were toast!