THERE IS A SEASON (Part Four) BY DARCY & KALIMYRE

Ice skating at the Twin Rinks. Yuck. Jack always planned things for them to do together on the weekends. Last weekend had been horseback riding. What a disaster. Daniel hated it. He had been allergic to something in the barn or maybe even to the horse itself. The only good thing was the allergy had forced them to leave early. Skating wasn't any better. This wasn't the first time they'd tried it. Daniel clearly remembered the previous outing--it had been cold, he'd fallen down a lot and his ankles were sore when the day had finally ended. He'd be cold this time too and his ankles would hurt again. Jack tried to pick fun things, he really did, but they were fun things for other kids. Daniel reasoned that maybe they were fun things Charlie had liked, so he tried hard not to complain and to like them too.

"You ready to go, champ?" Jack appeared in the kitchen with his normal enthusiasm.

"It's pretty cold out," Daniel tried slowly. "Do you think my chest will be okay?"

"Why? Are you having trouble?" Jack crossed the room to rest a hand on Daniel's shoulder, his head cocked to the side listening for telltale signs of distress.

It was clear by Jack's reaction that a small white lie could get him out of the dreaded field trip. Daniel hesitated, knowing how angry Jack would be if he found out. "No, I'm fine," he conceded, deciding Jack was right; it wasn't fair to use his asthma to get what he wanted.

"You sure?" Jack's hand moved from his shoulder to his head and settled on ruffling his hair.

"I'm fine," Daniel nodded, suddenly feeling very guilty. "It's okay, the skating is inside."

Jack pulled out a chair and sat beside him. "Yeah, but it is damp in there. Would you be disappointed if we didn't go today?"

"No, I won't be," Daniel eagerly promised. What luck! And he didn't even lie.

"Is there any place you'd like to go that's inside?" Jack questioned, clearly trying to make up for the cancelled skate date.

It was now or never. Daniel took a deep breath and tried for an air of indifference. "Hm... Dudley told me about the Discovery Science Center he went to with his mom last summer. We could go there." He paused for a second to check Jack's reaction before continuing. "It sounded very, very cool," he blurted out, his voice suddenly losing all pretense of casualness. "I know you don't really like science, Jack, but..." he held his index finger to his lips and tapped it in thought, his eyes bright with excitement.  "But, he said they also have astronomy presentations and a Starlab Planetarium show, so I think you'd have fun there too!"

Jack gave him an odd look. "Me? I to try pick things that are fun for you. Saturday is your day, Danny. If you ever don't like something, let me know."

Guilt welled up inside. "I do have fun," he amended hurriedly. Jack must think he was selfish and ungrateful; no wonder people didn't always like him. And, in all fairness, Jack often asked if he had any places in mind.

Daniel made a quick decision in an effort to put things right. "I feel fine," he said, grabbing Jack's hand and pressing it to his chest. "See, all clear. We can go skating now," he said as enthusiastically as possible.

"No," Jack said slowly. "I think it's too cold out for that. What do you say we go on the Internet and look up this Science Discovery place of yours?"

"Only if you want to," Daniel answered cautiously.

Daniel stood beside the chair using Jack's thigh as an armrest while Jack ran a Google search. They found the web page no problem and the pictures of the interactive exhibits had Daniel exuberant again. After ten minutes of constant chattering he remembered Jack was beside him and pointed out the Astronomy themes. To Daniel's relief, Jack chuckled and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"It looks great, Danny, it really does and I'm glad you thought of it. The only problem is it's pretty far away. It's almost noon so we've missed a few of the presentations already. What do you say we make of day of it and take an early drive up there next Saturday? You can 'discover' to your heart's content. Maybe we can invite Carter and Teal'c."

"Yes!" Daniel beamed excitedly. "Sam's a scientist; she'll love this place, won't she?"

"Oh, I'm sure she will," Jack agreed as he printed out the map and a quick review of the exhibits for his friends to take a look at.

They searched for more points of interest in the area and found other places Daniel enthused over. "You like airplanes, right?" Jack asked hopefully.

Daniel nodded excitedly, still thinking about next week's trip.

"Well, how about today we take a ride out to Petersen Air Force Base? They have an air and space museum there and being a colonel, I can probably sneak you into some secret places you're not supposed to be."

Daniel giggled at that, relieved Jack looked so happy. He wasn't mad about skipping skating after all.

"I don't know why I didn't think to look here before," Jack said, still scanning the net.

"And, we can go skating or horseback riding the week after the Discovery Center," Daniel offered generously.

"No," Jack answered thoughtfully. "Now that the weather's colder let's put skating and horseback riding on hold and do more inside things together. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, if you think it’s best." Daniel leaned back into Jack's lap, hoping for the strong, reassuring hand to ruffle through his hair.

"Yeah, I really do." Jack's hand went first to his chest and then to his head, tousling the blond mop fondly.

"Jack?"

"What?"

He wanted to say it, to tell Jack he loved him because he thought maybe he did. "I always have fun with you," he amended, chickening out, afraid of the ramifications.

"I have fun with you too, kiddo."

Maybe someday. One thing was certain; if Jack told him first it would be a heck of a lot easier.

Daniel tugged his shirt collar again, swallowing past the tightly buttoned, stiff fabric. He fiddled with his cuffs, twisting his wrists inside them, and wriggled his toes inside his new, clunky leather shoes. His pants were made of something scratchy and hot, and his back was already prickling with sweat.

“Stop fidgeting,” Jack said, running the comb through his hair again.

Daniel nodded, taking a deep breath and holding it, making himself still. Jack didn’t look happy in his dress shirt and slacks either, which was some consolation. He let out the breath in a rush and batted Jack’s hand away, wrinkling his nose. “My hair is fine.”

“It’s sticking up in back,” Jack protested. He licked the palm of his hand and smoothed Daniel’s hair, while Daniel squirmed and winced and tried not to think about Jack’s spit in his hair.

“It always does that. Nobody cares what my hair looks like,” Daniel pointed out.

“I want you to look nice,” Jack replied absently. He straightened Daniel’s collar, then smoothed his shirtsleeves and adjusted the way the hem tucked into his pants.

Daniel sighed and bore the adjustments with as much stoicism as he could muster. When Jack finished straightening his belt buckle, he stepped back, out of reach. “It’s fine,” he muttered. “Really. Please stop.”

Jack stood and surveyed him head to toe, his eyes narrowed in appraisal. “Yeah, you’re looking pretty sharp, Danny. You’ll be a big hit.”

Daniel doubted that, but he kept his mouth shut. Jack had been tense and distracted all day, and he figured it was best to go with the flow and not give him any trouble. If he wanted them to dress up in stiff, uncomfortable clothes for the dinner at General Hammond’s house, then Daniel would cooperate. Maybe Jack was nervous because the General was his boss. He knew adults had to be especially nice to their bosses. Even if they didn’t want to.

Daniel sat on the couch, glad to take the weight off his pinched toes--those shoes might look nice and shiny, but they certainly weren’t made for comfort. He watched Jack fuss with the cuffs of his own shirt, awkwardly trying to bend his wrist backward to fasten the buttons. He considered offering to help, but decided against it. There seemed to be a certain way to do things today, and that was Jack’s way. Daniel’s way had been wrong so many times already that the idea of messing up again was highly discouraging.

First he’d tried to wear his tennis shoes with the outfit Jack had chosen for him. They were fairly new, not dirty, and quite comfortable. Jack had turned him right back around and sent him upstairs to put on the brown leather dress shoes sitting in their box at the foot of the bed. “And don’t pretend you didn’t see them, mister.”

Well, in fact, he hadn’t seen them, but Jack seemed so busy and frowned so much that he hadn’t said anything. He’d come down the stairs wearing them, wincing at the way they pinched and rubbed through the thin dress socks, only to be confronted by Jack’s aghast expression at his uncombed hair. “March yourself right back up there and fix that mess. I put gel on the counter for a reason.”

So Daniel had done so, frowning in puzzlement over Jack’s sudden obsession with his appearance. Jack usually didn’t care if his hair was messy, and he’d certainly never insisted on gel before. Daniel had peered at the small squeeze bottle of hair gel and read the instructions twice before shrugging and applying it liberally to both palms. He’d actually started having fun with it, sculpting interesting designs into his hair, making the middle spike up like some kids he’d seen at school, and then puffing the sides out into spiny ridges. He’d used more and more gel, chuckling at the goofy images he was creating in the mirror.

Then Jack had walked in, asking if he was done yet.

Daniel sank a little lower in the couch, remembering that particular fiasco. Jack had not been pleased. He’d had to lean over the sink with a towel around his neck, protecting his shirt, while Jack rinsed all the gel out. The water had been cold and had gotten in his ears, but Jack had at least been gentle despite his obvious impatience.

Once his hair was damp and only slightly sticky with gel, Jack had combed it for him and told him sternly not to touch it. Apparently, that rule didn’t apply to Jack, who had touched and fiddled relentlessly ever since then. Mutterings of how he needed a haircut had accompanied the fiddling, and numerous impatient sighs had filled any muttering-free moments.

Daniel was aware today was Thanksgiving. He understood the history of the holiday, and had a basic knowledge of what most people did to celebrate it. Living in Egypt Before, his family had never observed the holiday, as it was primarily an American tradition and they embraced the culture of wherever they lived. This was his third November in America. His third Thanksgiving.

The first had been spent with the Peterson family, and the less said about that, the better. He’d been between homes for the second, and the state facility where he’d been staying had observed the day with an especially large meal. There had been no dressing up, as he recalled. He remembered wanting to try the sweet potatoes, with the marshmallows on top, but they had been all gone by the time he got to the front of the food line. He remembered how the food servers had looked, irritated to be working on the holiday.

He decided those days hadn’t counted. This was his first real Thanksgiving. They were going to a real dinner, with turkey and all of Jack’s friends. Sam and Teal’c and Janet would be there, and General Hammond’s family, his daughter and son-in-law and granddaughters. They were dressing up. That made it official.

Jack was tying his own shoes now, his fingers making quick work of the laces as he stared off into space, distracted. He’d had that look several times over the morning. Maybe he was thinking of his own past holidays? Maybe his last Thanksgiving with Charlie. Daniel nodded to himself, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. That was probably why Jack had been so short with him. He’d rather be spending a family holiday with his real family.

“Hey,” Jack said, disrupting his thoughts. “You ready?”

“Sure.” Daniel slid off the couch, tugging self-consciously at his shirt. He’d wrinkled it again when he folded his arms.

“Grab the wine from the fridge, would you?” Jack asked. He was patting his pockets, murmuring to himself, a habit Daniel saw frequently just before they left the house.

“Okay.” Daniel went into the kitchen and very carefully removed the tall bottle of wine. He didn’t know a lot about wine, but he knew that the older it was, the more it cost. Going by the label on this bottle, it must have cost Jack a great deal. He carried it with both hands, cradling it gently. He read the label again as he walked, smiling over the French words, his head down as he walked. He was startled when the bottle suddenly lifted from his hands and he looked up, finding a wall directly in front of him.

“Watch where you’re going,” Jack said, standing over him and holding the wine. “Just about walked right into the wall.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Daniel ducked, scooting around Jack and out into the living room. Once his back was turned, he closed his eyes for a long moment and took a deep breath. He hadn’t dropped it. He hadn’t messed up again. It was fine.

“Get your coat,” Jack said, brushing past him. “Let’s go, we’re running late.”

“Okay.” Daniel eyed his coat distastefully. It was his big winter coat--at least he wasn’t required to wear a suit jacket--and it was very warm. He already felt uncomfortably hot, his cheeks flushed and the middle of his back prickling with heat. He picked the coat up and slung it over his arm, hoping that would be an acceptable compromise.

“Put it on.” Jack was by the front door, keys in one hand, wine in the other. He raised his eyebrows and tapped the doorknob, waiting.

Daniel sighed and did as he was told. At least it would be cool outside. Glad Jack didn’t insist that he zip the coat up, he slipped out the front door as soon as it was open, taking a deep breath of chilly late November air. It didn’t help the growing sense of heaviness in his chest, but it did instantly cool him, and he spread his arms, flapping his coat wide to get air through to his skin.

“Knock that off,” Jack said firmly, pushing his arms down. He crouched in front of Daniel and held him still, zipping the coat shut all the way to his chin. “Are you trying to get sick?”

Daniel couldn’t help a resentful look. He never tried to get sick. He was just hot. “Sorry,” he mumbled, dropping his gaze. He reminded himself that he was going with the flow. He wasn’t being any trouble.

Jack sighed and reached one hand up, stopping short of his hair. He diverted to his shoulder, squeezing gently. “It’s okay. I...” He paused, and then shook his head. “Come on. It’s cold out here.”

They climbed into the truck, and Jack started it, letting the engine warm up while they buckled in. He glanced over his shoulder at Daniel, frowning slightly. Daniel hunched his shoulders, caught in the process of unzipping his coat. He pulled the zip back up, flashing an apologetic little smile in Jack’s general direction.

“Hot?” Jack asked.

Daniel blinked, surprised at the suddenly patient tone. He nodded cautiously.

Jack sighed, bringing one hand to his forehead and rubbing. “Then just say so. I can’t read your mind, okay?”

Daniel shifted, touching his coat zipper. Did that mean he could take the coat off? Was he supposed to respond? “I’m sorry,” he said. When in doubt, apologize.

“No, I didn’t mean...” Jack sighed again. “Okay, listen. I need you to tell me things. If you’re worried or uncomfortable or you need something, tell me. I know I’ve said this before.”

Daniel nodded. He considered pointing out that it should go both ways, but didn’t. Because Jack was worried and tense and distracted, but he certainly wasn’t talking about it. He could ask what was wrong, but maybe he wasn’t meant to know. It probably wasn’t his business. So he settled for his reliable fallback. “Sorry,” he repeated. “About the shoes and the gel and... and the wine even though I didn’t drop it. I was just reading the label.”

Jack gave him a brief look and put the truck in gear, pulling carefully out of the driveway. “That’s okay, buddy. No biggie.”

They drove quietly for about five minutes, Daniel trying to flap the front of his coat in a subtle way so Jack wouldn’t notice. His hand crept up to the zipper again and he eyed Jack nervously in the front seat. He seemed to be concentrating on driving. Maybe he could sneak the coat open, and then close it again really fast when they got there. He looked at his closed window longingly. If he rolled it down, cold air would blast into the car. But Jack wouldn’t like that. He had the heat on. He wasn’t wearing a coat.

Daniel sighed and slouched down, out of the line of sight for the rear view mirror. He carefully undid the top two inches of the zipper, pulling the coat away from his throat. He was used to heat from the desert, but there had always been air, loose robes allowing circulation over his skin. He felt swaddled, stifled in the thick layers of material he now wore. He dared another couple inches, pulling the coat as far from his skin as it would go.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked, glancing back at him when they stopped at a red light.

Daniel froze, and quickly zipped back up. “Uh...”

“You’re still hot?”

He hesitated, and then nodded. “I’m not trying to get sick.”

Jack opened his mouth, and then shut it again. “I know you’re not... look, just take the coat off if you’re hot. There’s no need to sit back there and bake.”

Daniel quickly complied, wriggling out of the bulky material and pushing it aside. He immediately felt cooler, his skin damp with sweat. He wiped his forehead, remembering just in time to not touch his hair. He lowered his hand quickly, hoping Jack hadn’t noticed his near mistake.

There was a low hum and whir, and the power window beside him lowered a couple inches, sending cold air swirling around him. It lifted the hair on the back of his neck and soothed his hot cheeks and he turned into the current automatically, lifting his arms so the air could touch him all over. He glanced up at Jack, and quickly lowered his arms. He offered a thin, placatory smile.

“Daniel...” Jack shook his head. “Why didn’t you say you were too warm? Didn’t I just tell you to talk to me if you needed something?”

Daniel shrugged, looking down nervously. He plucked at his shirt cuffs, wrinkling his nose at the stiff, starched cloth. “Sorry.”

There was quiet for a long moment, and then the truck slowed, pulling on to the soft shoulder of the road. Jack put it in park and twisted in his seat, frowning. Daniel shifted uneasily.

“No, I’m sorry,” Jack said. “I’m being a jerk today, aren’t I?”

Daniel’s head shot up, his mouth hanging open. “I didn’t... I’d never say that, Jack.”

Jack smiled wryly. “No, of course you wouldn’t. Doesn’t make it any less true. I don’t mean to be so short with you, Danny. I’m just...” He waved one hand, shaking his head slowly. “Holidays are kind of hard.”

Daniel nodded in what he hoped was an agreeable, understanding way. As far as he knew, holidays were mostly about eating and not going to work. That seemed fairly easy. Except for the dressing up part. He could have done without that part.

“Every year that I’ve known Hammond, he’s invited me to his big Thanksgiving dinner, and every year, I’ve turned him down. It’s... it’s a family thing.” He gave Daniel a brief look, and Daniel swallowed, biting his lip. It was unsettling to see Jack--invincible, fearless Jack--seem so lost. “But this year I agreed to go. Mostly because of you. I wanted to give you that tradition.”

When he paused, Daniel assumed some kind of response was required. “You don’t have to,” he said quickly. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Jack sighed, giving him another wry look. “Of course you don’t. You’re ever so accommodating and easy to get along with, aren’t you?”

Daniel shrugged. He tried to be that way, but he got the feeling from Jack’s tone of voice that he wasn’t supposed to be accommodating. “Um...”

“Don’t apologize,” Jack said flatly. “I’m not... you haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just trying to explain--and probably screwing it all up,” he added, snorting. “It’s like this. I thought, here’s my chance to start a new tradition. One with you and me. So if I started it just right, got the right clothes and the really good wine and did everything just perfectly...” He gave a little laugh, his eyes twinkling at Daniel. “Hell, I don’t know. Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“You did good,” Daniel assured him, nodding earnestly. “The clothes are really nice.” Even if the shoes pinched his toes, he added mentally. Even if the collar was too tight. “And I bet that wine is good. Wine is better when it’s really old.”

“Hmm.” Jack pursed his lips in the way that suggested he was trying not to laugh. “One of the few things that improves with age, I’m afraid.”

“I’m sure your boss will like it,” Daniel said. “And I’ll be very good and I won’t mess my hair up or spill anything. You don’t have to worry, Jack.”

“No, since you seem to be doing enough for both of us.”

Daniel blinked, and then tried to smile, because Jack was smiling. “Yeah,” he said uncertainly.

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. “Do me a favor, Daniel?”

“Sure.”

“Try to have a good time today. Don’t think about how your hair looks or which fork you’re using or if you’re getting stains on your shirt. Just try to relax and enjoy the day. Can you do that for me?”

Daniel nodded immediately. He would certainly try. He considered asking what Jack had meant by using the right fork, but decided against it. Maybe it was just one of those things Jack sometimes said, one of those odd things that he wasn’t supposed to take seriously.

“Thanks, buddy,” Jack said. He turned back to the front and pulled into traffic. Apparently, the matter was closed.

“Sure,” Daniel replied. He always tried. There was just so much to think about, so much to be aware of. Relaxing and enjoying the day seemed like a nice idea, but it was really quite improbable. For Jack, though, he would try.

Daniel’s first impression of General Hammond’s home was a rush of warm air and bright colors, followed by a swirling mix of voices all exclaiming and tangling in each other, burying him in sound. He closed his eyes for a long moment and when he opened them, the confusing array of light and color had settled into recognizable faces and cheerful holiday decorations.

“Jack,” the General greeted him warmly, shaking his hand. “Glad you could come.”

“George,” Jack replied in kind. He nudged Daniel forward. Daniel fought down the impulse to cling to Jack’s leg and hide behind him like a four year old.

“Hello,” he said softly. Hammond leaned down and shook his hand firmly, pumping hard enough to move Daniel’s whole arm. “Thank you for inviting us, sir.”

“George is fine today,” he replied, giving Daniel a twinkling smile. “Come on in! Everyone is quite eager to meet you.”

Daniel trailed along behind Jack as they entered the house proper, taking in everything with wide eyes. Everyone wanted to meet him? Who was everyone? He’d already met a lot of the people Jack worked with. And they all seemed to be in the living room. There was Sam, shining and beautiful in a clean, simple dress, dark green and sparkling. Teal’c was ensconced in a big chair, and Daniel was somewhat reassured to see his slacks and button down shirt. Everyone seemed to be dressed nicely. He’d been a little afraid that he and Jack would be the only ones.

There was Janet, her dark hair loose and silky around her shoulders, speaking animatedly to a teenage girl who sat beside her. Two smaller girls were running back and forth and playing together, soaking up the attention lavished on them by the adults, bright-eyed and excited. An unfamiliar man and woman sat together on the couch, watching the girls indulgently, and Daniel could see the clear resemblance between the pretty woman with the auburn hair and General Hammond.

“Look who’s here,” Hammond announced, ushering Jack and Daniel into the room. As one, everyone turned to look at them. Daniel felt Jack’s hand fumble for his shoulder and then grip it hard.

“Hey folks,” Jack said, giving a little wave. “Carter, nice dress. Didn’t know you owned one.”

She rolled her eyes at the laughter of the other guests. “Thank you, sir,” she said dryly.

“Colonel Jack!” the youngest girl shrieked, running forward. Her sister quickly joined the rush, both of them hugging Jack’s legs and clamoring to be picked up. They chattered at the same time, pointing out their pretty dresses and the special turkey picture they’d made together and “Grandpa George” had put on the mantle and how they had gotten to sample the pies for later and recommendations of which ones to eat and the older one claiming she had helped with making everything because she was big now and she could help.

Jack chuckled and crouched down and gave them both hugs, and allowed himself to be pulled into the living room. Daniel stayed in the doorway, absently wiping the condensation off the bottle of wine they had brought. Jack had allowed him to carry it in, but he wasn’t sure what to do with it. He had a vague understanding that really good wine wasn’t supposed to be stuck in a fridge, but he hadn’t wanted to tell Jack that. Maybe he should leave it on a counter somewhere?

“Is that for us?”

Daniel jumped and nearly dropped the bottle, the slick glass sliding through nervous fingers, but he caught it in time and held it tight against his chest. He looked up to find General Hammond smiling down at him. “This?” he asked, holding the wine up. “Um, Jack got it to share with everyone. I mean, not everyone, because he said I couldn’t have any except for maybe a tiny taste but not very much and it was only for grown ups and... um, he had it in the fridge but I think maybe it shouldn’t be cold? It’s very old and I know he wanted to bring something good because holidays are hard...” Daniel trailed off, ducking. He probably shouldn’t have said that. It was probably a secret.

“I’ll take it, son,” Hammond said gently. “Thank you.”

Daniel nodded and allowed the bottle to be plucked from his hands. He watched the General carry it into the kitchen and blinked twice, taking a deep breath. It had been a very long time since anyone had called him son.

“Daniel! Come on in here,” Jack called, waving him forward. He was perched in the middle of a loveseat, Hammond’s granddaughters to either side of him, the smaller one still tugging his sleeve and trying to tell him about something.

Daniel came forward slowly, aware of everyone’s eyes on him. He stood in front of Jack, wishing he could sit beside him. Those spaces were taken by the girls, though, so he could only hover uncertainly. “I gave General Hammond the wine,” he said. At least he’d accomplished that without breaking anything or messing it up.

“Great,” Jack said absently. “Here, I want you to meet everyone. These are George’s granddaughters, Tessa and Kayla.” The girls nodded and smiled at him, and Daniel gave a little wave, shifting uncomfortably. It was very warm in the house, full of people and a crackling fire in the fireplace and things cooking in the kitchen.

“These are their parents. That’s Caroline and Mason,” Jack nodded toward the couple on the couch.

“Hello,” Daniel murmured.

“Hello, Daniel,” Caroline said, waving him forward. “I’ve heard so much about you. Dad just can’t stop talking about how much you’ve changed Jack. And I hear you’re very bright, too?”

Daniel shrugged, looking over his shoulder at Jack. But Jack was listening to Tessa whisper something in his ear and didn’t see him. He was startled by hands suddenly touching his shirt and looked forward again, to find Caroline leaning in and adjusting his collar.

“How old are you?” she asked, pulling him a little closer.

“Ten.” He shifted, ducking when she reached for his hair.

“Carol, come on,” her husband chided. “Stop mauling the poor kid. He’s obviously shy.”

Daniel bristled slightly. “I’m fine,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.

Mason chuckled and clapped a wide hand on his shoulder, making him stagger slightly. “I bet you are. You must be a pretty tough cookie if you’ve got the infamous Colonel Jack O’Neill wrapped around your little finger.”

Jack snorted and rolled his eyes, but made no argument. Daniel tried to smile, since apparently Mason had been funny. “I guess,” he said, edging away.

“Daniel, come over here,” Janet called, reaching out and tugging on his wrist. “I’d like you to meet my daughter.”

Relieved to be speaking to someone he knew better, Daniel turned obediently. He was a bit startled to see Janet wearing makeup, and when he got close, he was swathed in the scent of her perfume, so unlike her usual aura of antiseptic and latex. She gave him a hug, pulling him and patting his back. Her perfume made his nose itch, and he could feel his sinuses beginning to protest.

“Hi,” he said when she let him go. Then he sneezed explosively, twice. Everyone chuckled and called out gesundheit and bless you.

Janet gave him a conspirator’s smile. “Guess you’ll have to watch those allergies,” she said.

Daniel nodded, feeling his cheeks heat up and his ears burn. He quickly wiped his nose on his sleeve and then hoped no one had seen him do it.

“This is Cassie,” Janet continued, putting her arm around the teenager’s shoulders.

“Hey,” Cassie said. She looked to be about fifteen, with long brown hair, straight and sleek, and a tall, slim frame. Daniel thought she didn’t look at all like Janet, but maybe she resembled her father. Who apparently wasn’t here. He briefly entertained the notion of asking where her father was, but decided against it. It probably wasn’t his business.

“Hey,” Daniel echoed. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Janet beamed at him and squeezed his shoulder. “You’re so polite.” She shot a pointed look at her daughter. Cassie rolled her eyes.

Daniel smiled thinly, offering Cassie an apologetic shrug. He didn’t want to get anyone in trouble.

“Daniel, you look very nice,” Sam said. She waved him over and gave him a quick hug. Daniel held his breath just in case she was wearing perfume too. He certainly didn’t want to sneeze again and make everyone laugh.

“Thanks,” he mumbled. He stepped to one side, away from the fire. The room was entirely too hot, and everyone seemed to want to touch him. “Your dress is very pretty.”

Sam looked startled, but smiled, squeezing his upper arm gently. “Thank you.”

Hammond came back into the room, bringing a wash of turkey scented air from the kitchen in with him. “Looks like dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes,” he announced.

“Need any help in there, Dad?” Caroline asked, half rising from the couch.

“Nonsense.” Hammond waved dismissively, sinking into the recliner by the fire. Daniel surmised it had been left empty just for him.

The room was quiet for a moment, and Daniel realized he was the only person not sitting down. Jack, Tessa and Kayla filled the loveseat and the others were all in chairs, except for Caroline and Mason, who had the other couch. The only spare space was next to them. Daniel hesitated, hoping that one of the little girls would get up so he could sit beside Jack.

“Have a seat, dear,” Caroline said, indicating the cushion beside her.

Daniel nodded and crossed the room, very aware of everyone watching him. He sat gingerly on the edge of the couch, fiddling with one cuff and keeping his head down. Caroline patted him on the shoulder and he sat very still, gritting his teeth. Pulling away would be rude. He was not going to be any trouble. Jack was already having a hard day. Daniel would not add to it.

“Are you going to tell us your Thanksgiving story, Grandpa?” Tessa asked.

“Oh, I don’t know...”

“Come on, Dad,” Caroline urged. “It’s tradition.”

Hammond chuckled. “I suppose.” He laced his fingers behind his head and gazed at the fire for a moment. “Alright. Many, many years ago, there was a man who lived with his daughter, her husband, and their two little girls. They lived in a very small cabin way up in the woods. The winter was long and hard, and they had to store food for months, because once the snow came they couldn’t get into town. It was late November, and Thanksgiving was coming. But that year, something different happened.” He paused, and then nodded to Caroline.

She grinned and took up the story with the ease of long practice. “There was a sneaky fox that lived in the woods.”

“Was it Swiper, mom?” Tessa interrupted.

Caroline laughed. “Yes, Swiper the fox. He broke into their storehouse and stole all their Thanksgiving food. He took the stuffing and the green beans and the rolls. The sweet potatoes and the corn on the cob and even the cranberry sauce. And then,” she paused and widened her eyes, lowering her voice for effect, “he took the big giant turkey.”

“Oh no!” Kayla said, putting a hand to her mouth. “Not the big giant turkey!”

Hammond nodded. “I’m afraid so.” He pointed to Mason to take up the story.

“Well,” Mason began. “The family was very upset when they saw the food was missing. The little girls’ father went into the woods to find the fox. He had left a trail of food, because he couldn’t carry everything. So the man found the cranberry sauce, which was in cans, so it was okay. And he found the sweet potatoes, a little bit frosty, but mostly fine. But the fox was very sneaky, and he hid all the other food where the man couldn’t find it. He looked and looked, tramping through the cold snow, but that fox was nowhere to be found. So he brought the cranberry sauce and potatoes back to the house.”

Hammond caught Janet’s eye next, and she smiled. “There was a doctor in the woods that day,” she said. “A brave country doctor who went out in the snow and cold to make sure the people in the little cabins were healthy in the winter. She was out doing her rounds on her dog sled when the dogs suddenly started barking! They saw the fox. The fox was scared of the dogs and he ran away, but he was going so fast that he dropped some food. The dogs sniffed out the food for the doctor, and she picked it up. There was a big bag of stuffing and a bunch of green beans.”

She tapped Cassie, who sighed and gave the distinct impression that she was far too old and sophisticated for such silliness. But once she’d made that clear, she took up the tale eagerly. “The doctor’s daughter was with her, learning how to be a doctor, too. But she didn’t have a dog sled. She had a snowmobile.”

“In your dreams,” Janet muttered. Everyone laughed, and Daniel even chuckled a little. He hadn’t been expecting this. The story was interesting, and all he had to do was sit back and listen.

“Anyway,” Cassie said pointedly. “She was riding her snowmobile, and she went over a big pile of snow, jumping through the air. The noise of the engine startled the fox, and he ran out of the hole he’d been hiding in. He left behind a big package of dinner rolls in their special cold-proof package. The girl zipped by on her snowmobile, leaning down and grabbing them off the ground without even slowing down.” She demonstrated, leaning off her chair and snatching imaginary rolls from the carpet.

“Wow!” Tessa said, bouncing. “Can I be next? I have a good part.”

“Okay, you’re next,” Hammond replied. “Go ahead.”

“Yeah!” Tessa paused for a moment and then tugged her sister close, whispering in her ear. They conferred, and then came to an agreement. “Okay,” Tessa said. “We’re doing our part together. Meanwhile, back at the cabin, the two girls were keeping track of everything. They knew a bunch of food was coming but they still didn’t have a turkey.”

“So they got on the internet,” Kayla continued. “And they found the biggest, best turkeys anywhere and ordered one. For super fast special delivery. Plus they ordered some corn on the cob and some of that apple cider that comes in a bottle and has bubbles. And pie! You have to have pie.”

“Of course,” the General said, chuckling. “Major?”

“Right.” Sam nodded, frowning thoughtfully for a moment. “Okay. The girls’ order came through to Thanksgiving Express, a special online company that delivered food anywhere, even on a holiday. It was run by a sharp business lady and her... uh, silent partner.” She raised her eyebrows toward Teal’c. He inclined his head. “Anyway,” she continued. “They got the order, and put all the food together. The silent partner went out and found the biggest, hugest turkey ever. It was good that he was so big and strong, because the turkey weighed a hundred pounds. The business lady got the other food and started looking for delivery people. Because the cabin was way out in the woods and it was snowing, and the food had to be there very fast, she needed a pilot. A really, really good pilot.”

“Fortunately, she knew of just such a man,” Teal’c said. “He had been missing for years, but had recently been recovered to join the Thanksgiving Express.” And he cast a pointed look in Jack’s direction.

“Right,” Jack said, snorting. “Well, it turns out there was this pilot. He was very busy but when he heard about the little cabin and the fox that stole all the food, he dropped everything and got in his jet. He had a Harrier jet that could take off and land without an airstrip, so he could go very fast and still land in the tiny clearing behind the cabin. He brought the food and the super huge turkey with him, and also the business lady and her partner. When he landed the jet, the big engines and the noise scared the fox so much that he ran right out of the woods and all the way to Canada and never came back.”

Hammond was chortling and shaking his head. “Okay,” he said. “So the doctor and her daughter came up on their sled--and snowmobile,” he added, grinning. “And the jet arrived with the cider and pie and corn on the cob, and of course, the big, huge turkey. Everyone had to help to get all the food ready, especially the turkey. The grandfather had to build a special big fire to roast it, because it wouldn’t fit in the oven. Possibly because no oven maker had ever heard of such a thing as a hundred pound turkey.” He gave Sam a little smile, and she shrugged. “Anyway, soon they all had a huge dinner in the little cabin, with the doctor and her daughter, and the little girls and their parents and the grandfather, and the pilot and the business lady and her partner. They decided that the fox had done them all a favor, and they were glad that they got to spend Thanksgiving together. The end.”

Daniel listened to everyone’s laughter and approval of the story--according to Tessa, it was the best one ever--and told himself he was glad. He hadn’t wanted a turn. He didn’t know what his part was supposed to be. The story was complete and just fine without him.

“Ah, George,” Jack said. He raised his eyebrows and indicated Daniel with a wave.

“Oh, right! Sorry, Daniel, didn’t mean to skip over you,” Hammond said. “You can add an epilogue, alright?”

“No, no, that’s okay,” Daniel said hastily. “Really. The story is just fine. I liked listening to it.”

“Go on,” Jack urged. “Think of it as one of your mythology things. I know you can come up with something good.”

Daniel could feel his face heating up again. Now he had to live up to Jack’s expectation of ‘something good.’ The story was over. What was he supposed to add? “Um...”

He was saved by a beeping coming from the kitchen. General Hammond rose from his chair. “That’ll be the turkey. I could use a little help getting everything on the table.”

“I’ll help!” Daniel volunteered immediately, hopping up. Here was something he could do. He slipped into the kitchen ahead of the General, startled by the blast of heat. It was even warmer in there, with the oven on and several hot plates keeping the side dishes warm. He reached up for a casserole dish but his hands were batted away.

“That’s hot,” George cautioned. “Let me just check and see if the bird is done all the way through.” He opened the oven and pulled out a rack, and Daniel gaped at what was indeed a big, huge turkey. It smelled delicious and he was reminded that they’d had a light breakfast and no lunch in preparation for stuffing themselves in the afternoon. He watched as the General inserted a long meat thermometer and frowned at the reading. Then he pulled it out and pushed the turkey back into the oven.

“Isn’t it done?” Daniel asked.

“Almost. Better a tad overcooked than giving everyone salmonella,” Hammond said, winking at him. “We’ll give it another fifteen minutes. Come on back in the living room, son.”

Daniel gripped the doorframe as Hammond walked past him. There was that word again. He decided the General must just call all boys that. It was generic. It didn’t mean anything.

Fortunately, those gathered in the living room seemed to have forgotten about Daniel’s contribution to the story. The girls were running and playing again, Cassie was talking to Teal’c about something, Sam speaking to Caroline and Mason, and Janet was flirting outrageously with Jack. Daniel stayed in the doorway for a moment while the General told everyone it would be just a little while longer and sank back into his chair.

Tessa and Kayla immediately went over and climbed up on him, much to his bemusement. Daniel folded his arms and took half a step back.

“Look, Grandpa, I think my tooth is loose!” Tessa announced proudly, lisping past the fingertip in her mouth, prodding at the tooth in question.

“You’re always losing teeth,” Kayla said. “I’ve lost lots of teeth. It’s no big deal.”

Tessa stuck her tongue out, and Daniel saw that she was, indeed, missing two front teeth. “You’re just jealous,” she said.

“Alright, girls,” Hammond interrupted. “That’s enough. I think I have another story about a certain pair of sisters in a cabin, but I don’t tell stories to little girls who fight.”

Of course, the girls clamored to hear the story, and amid earnest promises to be good, Hammond curled one arm around each of them and began to speak quietly. Daniel closed his eyes for a moment.

He remembered the last time he saw his grandfather. There had been no stories, unless he counted Nick’s excuses about his upcoming trip to Belize and the inconvenience of carting a kid around. There had certainly been no cuddling. As he recalled, Nick had patted him awkwardly on the head and told him he would be fine. He’d promised to write. He’d just finish up his current project, and then he’d send for Daniel. Really.

Two years later, Daniel was no longer checking the mail with any great anticipation.

“Hey, Danny, come tell me about this mythology stuff,” Caroline called from the living room.

Daniel briefly considered pretending he hadn’t heard and running for some quiet, empty, cool room, but it was too late. They could all see that he’d heard.

“Okay,” he said, perching on the far edge of the couch beside Caroline and her husband. He glanced over at Jack, but he was playing with Cassie now, their heads together over a deck of cards. Daniel recognized some of the card tricks Jack had taught him, and he smiled faintly. Those were fun. He was sure Cassie would like them.

“So, I understand you’re quite the little genius,” Caroline said brightly.

Daniel lifted one shoulder, and then the other, trying to shift his collar. His face felt hot again, his back sticky and prickly, his palms damp. He never knew how to answer this question. Saying yes seemed like bragging, and saying no was being argumentative, and also probably lying. He settled on a shrug and a polite little smile.

“Jack must be very proud of you,” she said.

That was highly unlikely. Jack was no fan of scientists. He got the feeling that he and his parents were the kind of people that Jack would normally refer to as geeks. Not that Jack had ever said anything like that directly to him, but he knew the type. Jack was just... cool. So he said nothing, shrugging again.

“Oh, don’t be shy, honey,” Caroline chided. She slung an arm around his shoulders and tugged him close. She smelled of some kind of lotion, something fruity and green, and he wrinkled his nose. She was wearing a sweater, and it was very warm on his neck, her arm heavy around him. The noise level of the room seemed to kick up a notch, Tessa squealing laughter as her grandfather tickled her and Sam debating some point with Janet, her voice raised in good natured argument.

“So, champ,” Mason said, reaching across his wife to give Daniel a light punch on his arm. “Has Jack taught you ice hockey yet? You oughta see him every year at the Cheyenne Mountain games. I still say he missed his calling being in the Air Force. Man was born to play hockey.”

Daniel glanced at Jack again. They had gone ice skating. Once. Daniel was not a natural athlete by any stretch of the imagination. Between the cold and the crowded rink and the unsettling way everyone kept whooshing past him and his own wobbly, barely there balance--well, he had not been born to play hockey. Jack hadn’t seemed upset at the time; he’d just patiently helped Daniel stay upright and guided him around the rink. Had he really been hiding his disappointment?

“Daniel?” Mason prodded when he didn’t answer.

“Um,” Daniel said. “Um... we went skating once.” He wriggled his shoulders, but Caroline’s arm seemed glued in place. She was very warm beside him. Pushing her away would be rude and entirely uncalled for. She was just trying to be nice. But it was so noisy and everyone kept touching him and talking to him and he wasn’t sure what the right answers were. He didn’t know these people and Jack was busy having fun and he knew he was supposed to have fun too but everyone kept sticking so close to him and it would be a lot easier to relax if they would just let him breathe a little.

“Yeah? I love skating. Grew up in Toronto, you know, where most kids can skate as soon as they can walk. How about you?”

Daniel blinked at him. There had been a question, but everyone was talking and laughing and it was just so hot and he hadn’t quite caught it. “What?” His own voice sounded weak to him, distant and thready.

“Where did you grow up?” Caroline asked, squeezing him a little more. Mason nodded encouragingly.

“Um.” There had been Egypt, of course, but also Greece and trips up to Britain when they were looking for funding, and that summer in France, and then there was India and Algeria and Libya and some other places he didn’t remember because he was very small then. “Lots of places,” he said finally. He never knew how to answer that question.

“Aren’t you mysterious,” Caroline said with a wink. Mason chuckled and gave his arm another soft punch.

“So, are you looking forward to dinner?”

Daniel closed his eyes for a moment. Trying to think about food when there was so much light and color and noise was a recipe for disaster. “Sure,” he said, frowning when his voice was a bare whisper.

“Are you alright?” Caroline asked. She leaned closer, peering at him, lifting his chin. Her fingernails were long and manicured. Like claws.

“I’m fine.”

“You seem a little flushed,” Mason added. He was leaning in too, frowning at Daniel.

Daniel took a deep breath, dismayed when all he got was more hot, thick air, heavy with the scent of Caroline’s lotion, whatever it was. “I’m fine,” he repeated. “Excuse me please.” He slipped out from under her arm, quickly dodged around the end of the couch, and headed straight for the way out.

He got halfway down the hall and paused, expecting to hear protests, someone giving chase, but there was only the constant happy babble of conversation. He went past the kitchen as quickly as he could, wincing at the blast of heated, aromatic air. His appetite had fled.

When he came to the back door, he saw a small patio past the sliding glass, and he immediately pushed the door open. He slipped out and shut it behind him, crossing to the weathered wood railing and leaning on it. He took a long, deep breath, closing his eyes. It was wonderfully cool. Quiet. He spread his arms out, tilting his head back and staring up at the sky. Much better.

It was a cool, damp day, and the trees in the large back yard dripped with recent rain. The railing he leaned against was saturated, and when he pulled back, he saw that it had left a wet mark across his waist. Daniel sighed and wiped ineffectually at the mark. It didn’t matter, really. Nobody would notice. They were all too busy with their fun and their stories.

“Oh, stop it,” he muttered. There was no need to whine or feel sorry for himself. Everyone had been very kind and gone out of their way to include him. Caroline and Mason had been friendly and warm. And Jack... well, okay, Jack did seem to be ignoring him a little, but that was fine. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. He didn’t need Jack hovering all the time.

Daniel nodded and folded his arms, standing up as straight and tall as he could. He was fine. He’d just needed a break, that was all. A little air. He wasn’t used to people touching him all the time with such familiarity, especially people he’d just met. He would go back in there, and he’d smile and eat turkey and stop with the ridiculous self-pity. He would not ruin everyone else’s good time. Especially not Jack’s.

In a minute, he decided. He’d go in soon. He really would. He just needed a little bit more quiet first.

When he heard the soft snick of the sliding glass door, he was oddly pleased. That would be Jack, coming for him. And he shouldn’t be happy about that, because he’d worried Jack, he’d run off and left the group and he was standing out in the cold wet without a coat and that was all wrong, but... but it was nice that someone noticed, and cared enough to come after him.

Daniel turned, an apology and an “I’m fine” already in his mouth, but he swallowed the words when he saw it wasn’t Jack after all. It was the tall, pretty teenager, Cassie.

“Hey,” she said. She came to stand beside him, bracing her hands on the railing and looking out at the backyard.

“Hi,” Daniel replied numbly. He glanced at the house, wondering if he should go back inside. Had she come to talk to him? He shook his head, giving a soft little huff of a laugh. Of course she hadn’t. She probably wanted to come out here and... do whatever teenage girls did. That subject was a mystery to him. However, it was a safe bet that whatever she wanted to do, it didn’t include him.

He was halfway to the door when she said, “So you’re living with Jack.”

“Yeah.” Daniel hesitated, and then came back to the railing. Cassie still wasn’t looking at him. He followed her gaze to the tall, bare tree in one corner of the yard, where a few brown leaves were hanging on stubbornly.

“He’s a really great guy,” she said.

“Yeah,” Daniel repeated. He gave her a little sidelong glance. She met his eyes briefly, looking thoughtful and a bit sad.

“You think he’ll adopt you?”

Daniel blinked, and then folded his arms. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

She turned, resting one hip against the railing and matching his closed stance. “It’s not bad, really, being adopted. I like it.”

“You’re adopted?” Daniel blurted before he could stop himself. “I mean... sorry, never mind, that’s none of my business,” he continued hastily. “You don’t have to...”

“It’s okay.” She was smiling a little now, but he thought she still looked sad. “Mom... Janet, I mean... she adopted me three years ago, when my parents died.”

Daniel felt his eyebrows shoot up. He’d met other orphans before, of course. There was no shortage of them in the foster system. It was just strange to talk to one who’d actually made it out. Someone who had made the transition from foster child to real. “Oh,” he finally said. “My parents died too.” Which seemed like a singularly dumb thing to say, but he had lost control of the conversation somehow. The whole thing felt surreal.

She nodded. “Yeah, I heard. Sucks, doesn’t it?”

That startled a brief laugh out of him. “Yes, actually. I, ah... I was eight.”

“I was twelve.”

“They were in an accident,” Daniel said. He shook his head slightly, wondering if he’d lost his mouth-brain connection. Why was he telling all this to someone he’d just met? Why on earth would she care, anyway?

“My parents got sick,” she replied. She looked down, frowning at the sodden deck boards for a moment. “I tried to help, but...”

“You were there?” Daniel guessed. “You saw it?” At her nod, he took a step forward, words welling up from a place he had kept carefully locked away. He never talked about it, not to the other foster kids, not to the state psychologist, not even to Jack. But here he was, spilling things to this girl he didn’t even know. “I saw it, too,” he said. “I tried to help, but everyone pushed me out of the way and the doctors were trying but... they wouldn’t let me touch them. I always hated that. Even after they stopped trying to... to fix things, they kept me away. I just wanted to touch them. Just once.”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “Here.” She dug in her pocket and handed over a tissue, rumpled but clean.

Daniel took it and quickly scrubbed his face, feeling his cheeks heat up again. Stupid to be sniffling in front of this girl. He’d learned long ago that getting upset made other people uncomfortable. She’d probably just come out for some fresh air and he was crying all over the place and babbling about his parents. He shook his head, swallowing hard. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

Cassie shrugged. “No big. I bet dinner’s ready. You want to go in?”

Daniel’s stomach rumbled, answering for him, and she laughed. He ducked his head, smiling sheepishly. “I think that’s a yes,” he said.

“Yeah.” She opened the door, and then paused, standing in the warm stream of air coming from inside. “Hey,” she said, touching him lightly on the shoulder. “It gets better, you know.”

Daniel looked down for a moment, thinking of Jack, who smiled and listened and ruffled his hair, and Dudley, his first real friend since Before, and the sure knowledge that if he somehow managed to get the words out and asked Jack to sit with him, to hold him and read to him, his request would be gladly granted. He met her eyes, relieved to see understanding without pity. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I know.”

“Okay.” She grinned, and then nudged him into the house. “Come on! It’s time to eat.”

Daniel walked inside, letting the warmth and good smells and happy, bubbling voices wash over him. The kitchen was a hive of activity, everyone up and moving hot dishes to the table and pouring drinks. Jack was directing traffic, supervising, and generally not carrying anything himself. He looked up and grinned as Daniel approached.

“Hey, buddy, there you are. Ready to eat?”

“Sure,” Daniel said.

Jack extricated himself from the busy hallway and came to his side, slinging a warm arm around his shoulders and squeezing him. “You’re a little chilly,” he noted. “You went outside?”

Daniel shrugged. “Just for a minute.”

“Yeah?” Jack crouched, putting his hands on Daniel’s upper arms and looking at him intently. “Everything okay?” As he spoke, he leaned in close enough to hear Daniel’s breathing over the hubbub in the kitchen.

Daniel took an extra deep breath for Jack’s benefit, inhaling a rich mixture of turkey, stuffing, butter and wine and too many other foods to recognize. He was surprised at how easy it was; the vague tightness that had been in his chest all day loosening to the point of disappearance. “Yeah,” he said, grinning at Jack. “Everything is fine.”

Jack raised his eyebrows, then shrugged. “Well okay then. We better hustle before Teal’c eats all the food.”

Daniel laughed and followed Jack back toward the table. “Hey, are we having sweet potatoes?”

“You betcha.”

“With marshmallows?”

Jack smiled over his shoulder. “Is there any other way to have them?”

“Nope,” Daniel replied cheerfully. “Jack?”

“Hmm?”

“There’s enough, right? Everybody will get some?”

Jack paused and gave him an odd look. “There’s plenty,” he said. “And you know what? I’ll make sure you get extra marshmallows.”

“Well...” Daniel was unable to suppress a wide grin. “Okay. As long as everyone else gets some too.”

Jack nodded and tugged him close, thoroughly messing up his neatly combed hair with one hand. “Deal. Now, shall we?” He indicated the table, where everyone else had already settled, except for General Hammond. He was bringing in the turkey, arranged on a platter in a bed of roasted vegetables.

Daniel surveyed the table. Most everyone was chattering and making impressed sounds at the vast array of food, but Cassie caught his eye and winked at him. He ducked, feeling suddenly shy, but snuck her a small smile. There were two chairs waiting for him and Jack, near the head of the table. They had made a place for him.

Jack gave him a little nudge, his hand squeezing Daniel’s shoulder again, but not the tight, clutching way he’d been doing it when they first arrived. Jack looked calm and happy, and Daniel figured that was good enough for him.

He settled into his place, eyed the wine bottles, and began preparing his arguments for being allowed to taste each one.

The airport was a zoo with all the holiday travelers and Jack breathed an anxious sigh of relief when he and Danny were finally settled in their seats on the jumbo 747. He was nervous, because he still wasn't sure if this trip was a good idea. He hadn't visited his mom at Christmas time in quite a few years and to be honest, he had hoped she would have been a bit more enthused than she'd sounded on the phone. Jack had to admit visiting her was a last resort, his only option left to avoid spending the holiday alone. Sam and Jacob had left for San Francisco, and Teal'c had gone off to God knows where with Rya’c and Bra’tac. Even the gentle giant, Dudley Wainwright, had been reluctantly whisked off to visit an out of state aunt.

The trip was insurance that Daniel wouldn't be bored to tears with just the two of them on their first Christmas together. Okay, if he were being honest, Daniel was jumpy, and a bit wheezy to boot, the cold weather and the break from the normal routine was definitely not a good combination for an asthmatic kid. Daniel wanted to stay home, but Christmas was an excruciatingly difficult holiday and Jack had to admit he was the one who desperately needed the distraction. Besides, there was no turning back now--they were in the air.

"I'm going to get out your nebulizer," Jack decided after concentrating on the finer points of Daniel's breathing; the chaotic airport scene had taken its toll.

"No, Jack, not here," Daniel pleaded, obviously appalled at the idea.

Jack looked around in confusion; there wasn't anybody that could see them with the exception of an elderly woman across the aisle who looked to be down for the count, sleeping soundly. Ah, paranoid ten year olds.

"Okay, then, the inhaler," Jack compromised, getting a dirty look for his trouble. He took the look as a yes and rooted around in the carryon until he found what he was searching for, handing the medication to its owner.

The quick breath Daniel took off the inhaler was nowhere near deep enough to do any good. Jack covered the small hand with his own before Daniel could take the next hit. "No one's looking, Danny," he said quietly. "Take your time, nice and slow and get that medicine where it needs to be." He took his hand off the inhaler and pointed a finger into the raspy chest to make his point.

Daniel nodded his agreement, a sure sign he wasn't feeling up to par, and took two deep pulls that were to Jack's satisfaction. "Better?" Jack asked as he wiped off the inhaler and put it back into the bag.

This time Daniel barely nodded.

After a few quiet minutes Jack tried again. "Hey, you going to tell me what's up, buddy?" He hoped the silence could be attributed to the inhaler, the long lines and the bumping, jostling, maddening airport crowd.

"Nothing."

Getting Daniel to talk about feelings or problems was always a struggle. Jack reached over to jiggle the boy’s knee. "Remember what we talked about? I don’t want you telling me 'nothing' when something's wrong."

"I remember."

"So?" Jack prodded.

"Nothing's wrong!" Daniel snapped irritably before thinking the better of it and adding, "I'm just nervous, that's all."

Under the circumstances, Jack decided to let the disrespectful attitude slide. "Would you relax? There's nothing to be nervous about. My mom is going to love you." Jack took his hand off the knee to tousle the blonde hair.

"She won't."

"Of course, she will. What's not to love?" Jack joked, trying to coax a smile.

"She won't," Daniel stubbornly maintained, clearly not seeing any humor.

"Daniel," Jack warned, wondering why the boy was being so difficult.

"She'll wish I was Charlie."

"No," Jack managed, reaching over to give Daniel's knee another reassuring shake, secretly praying there wasn't any truth to that statement. His own relationship with his mother was strained since Charlie's death. The guilt of robbing her of her only grandchild had been almost more than Jack could bear. Eventually, they'd arrived at a shaky truce, settling into a pattern of avoidance on all topics related to Charlie's death, his divorce from Sara and various other past, painful ghosts.

Jack let out a sigh as Daniel turned completely away from him to look out the window.

"You wish I was Charlie."

The accusation was spoken so softly Jack almost missed it. Almost. Too stunned to speak, he kept his eyes fixed on the seat in front of him. "No," he finally answered. "I don't."

In Daniel's mind, the hesitation and the reluctance to pursue the subject spoke volumes.

Daniel shifted his feet as he watched Jack pop the trunk of the rented car and pull out the suitcases, making two quick trips to unload the pile onto his mother's doorstep. Between Jack's stuff, Daniel's stuff and Daniel's asthma equipment it felt like they were moving in permanently instead of the planned six days.

"Come on, get up here," Jack encouraged. Daniel obediently stepped up to Jack's side. "Ready?" It was a moot question. Jack had already told him no one was ever truly prepared to meet his mother. "Here goes, ring the doorbell."

A few seconds after he obeyed, Rose Hennessy O'Neill threw the door open and dragged both of them inside from the cold. Daniel breathed in the warmth of the house and instantly relaxed to the smell of candles and Christmas and cookies.

"Jack!" Her hands went to her son's face as Jack wrapped his arms around his mother's waist and picked her up off the ground to deliver a loud kiss. Daniel couldn't help giggling as Rose laughed in delight.

"Put me down, I'm an old woman," Rose complained after she'd had her fill.

Jack snorted at that, but set Rose back on her feet. "Now who's this young rascal you have with you?" she asked, smoothing down the blouse that had gotten disheveled in the monstrous hug.

"Mom, this is Daniel Jackson, Danny, this is my mother." Daniel was grateful Jack stood behind him and squeezed his shoulders for support when the introductions were made.

"Hello, Danny. A nice Irish name if ever there was one." Rose smiled and offered her hand.

"H-Hello..." Daniel stumbled as he politely shook it, frantically wondering what he was supposed to call her. He'd go with Mrs. O'Neill if he had to.

"You can call me Rose for now, how's that, honey?"

"Okay, Rose," he answered, eternally grateful she had sensed his dilemma. The way she held on to his hand longer than necessary reminded him of Jack.

Hoping to pass inspection, Daniel fidgeted nervously as Rose eyed him up and down. "Do you feed this child?" She finally asked, turning an accusing eye on Jack. "He's nothing but skin and bones."

"He feeds me," Daniel piped up, happy when Jack gave him a wink to express his gratitude.

Rose ignored the comment and plowed ahead. "And, he sounds like he has the beginnings of a cold, poor thing. I'll make him some of my famous honey orange tea to try and ward it off and chicken soup for tomorrow."

"Ma, he doesn't have a cold, he has asthma. He's fine. Really." Jack took Rose's arm and led her to the kitchen table to sit down. He was almost successful. She pulled away at the last minute to grab a plate of cookies off the counter and a gallon of milk from the refrigerator.

"Oatmeal with raisins," she stated with a flourish taking three large tumblers out of the cupboard before sitting down to join them. She poured the milk with practiced efficiency. "Do you like oatmeal raisin?" she asked at Daniel's hesitation to dig in.

"I-I don't really like raisins," Daniel said apologetically. "The milk is good though," he added brightly after a big sip.

Rose gave a 'hmpf'. "What kind of cookies do you like, Danny? Chocolate chip? Peanut butter?"

"I like both of those," Daniel ventured thoughtfully. "But, I'd really like chocolate chips in peanut butter cookies."

Both Rose and Jack chuckled at that. "You got it. Peanut butter with chocolate chips before you leave," Rose promised. "I made oatmeal raisin because they're Jack's favorites. They were Charlie's favorites too."

Daniel immediately froze and snuck a glance at Jack, surprised that Jack's own mom didn't know enough not to talk about Charlie. It made Jack so sad.

When Daniel was certain Jack had no reaction, he continued drinking his milk and shyly reached for a cookie. If they were Jack and Charlie's favorites Daniel desperately wanted them to be his favorites too. He took a bite and made a face. "Is it okay if I take the raisins out?" He looked to both Jack and Rose, unsure who to ask.

"Of course." Rose endorsed the idea wholeheartedly.

"You don't have to eat them at all, Danny. It's fine." Jack patted his thigh reassuringly.

"No, I really like them," Daniel enthused after removing the few raisins he'd spotted and lining them up on his napkin. "I think they might be my new favorites!"

Daniel woke up early with the familiar, disconcerting tightness in his chest. It took him a second to quell the initial panic of figuring out where he was. For one horrible instant he imagined he was back at the Peterson's house in Brooklyn. Some of the pressure subsided as soon as he remembered he was at Rose's house in Minnesota, with Jack. The disastrous Peterson placement was nothing more that a bad, best-forgotten memory.

Rose's house was quiet and after finding his way to the bathroom Daniel decided to do his asthma treatment immediately in hopes of keeping an attack at bay. He really didn't want to ruin Jack's Christmas and the rare visit with his mom. Getting himself situated on the bed with the nebulizer didn't take very long, sitting still for twenty minutes was the most difficult part of the treatment, and even that was faster since Jack had secured all the new equipment from Dr. Fraiser.

With nothing to do but hold the mask and breathe in and out, Daniel took the time to check out his surroundings. He'd been so tired last night he barely remembered going to bed, now he looked around in wonder at all the little boy things in the room. This must have been Charlie's room when he stayed with his grandma!

Rose didn't seem at all sad because unlike Jack's house, pictures of Charlie filled the room, pictures of Jack and Sara too. Daniel scanned the walls and for the first time, noticed the black and white photos of another little boy he assumed was Jack. He couldn't wait for the stupid treatment to end so he could further explore. Some of the toys in the room were for younger kids; maybe they were Charlie's when he was little. Daniel frowned at the hockey stick and baseball bat in the corner--why did Charlie have to like things he wasn't good at? Daniel was well aware of his own intelligence and superior grades, but still, Charlie was a tough act to follow.

"Danny." There was a slight knock before Rose opened the door slowly. "I was going to make..." her voice trailed off.  "Daniel! What's wrong, Mhuirnin? I'll get Jack!"

"No, it's okay, Rose." Daniel pulled off the mask and tried to explain. It was too late she was already gone. He sighed and resumed his breathing, deciding to finish up and be done with it.

It took about two minutes before he heard Jack thundering down the hall at full steam. The bed creaked beside him as Jack's hand went first to his forehead and then to his chest. Rose hovered in the doorway, her hand pressed firmly against her heart.

"How bad is it?" Jack asked, slipping in behind him, taking hold of the mask and positioning his head at a slight, upward angle.

Annoyed at the unwanted attention, Daniel pushed Jack's hand away to explain. "I'm fine; I was just doing my morning meds when Rose came in. I tried to tell her I was okay but she wanted to get you."

Daniel recognized the look Jack gave his mom; it was the one that usually made him think twice. Rose didn't seem to notice.

"His morning meds? He does this every morning?" She sounded a bit shocked.

Daniel squirmed under her sympathetic eyes.

"Two to three times a day in the dead of winter." Jack ruffled his hair to lessen the impact and gave him a hug before unwrapping himself and standing up.

"Finish up and get dressed, buddy," Jack winked at him. "Come down when you're ready. Rose makes a mean pancake."

Mean? Daniel furrowed his brow in thought.

"Doesn't he need help with that?" Rose asked as Jack steered her toward the door.

"No, ma, he doesn't. He's lived with it for a long time. He's fine." Daniel heard them still discussing him in the hallway.

Pancakes, mean or otherwise were his favorite! Five minutes later Daniel put away the annoying machine and dressed in a flash bounding down the stairs to the kitchen. He froze to listen when he heard Rose's concerned voice.

"I didn't realize he was such a sickly child." She was rustling around probably making the mean pancakes.

His stomach rolled over. He hadn't realized he was sickly. He tiptoed closer to hear without being seen. Jack would tell her he was okay.

"He's not sickly, exactly. He has asthma." From the sound of Jack's voice Daniel guessed he was sitting at the kitchen table.

'Not sickly', that was better, but he wished Jack had not used the word 'exactly'. He closed his eyes and crossed his fingers, hoping Jack would not tell Rose how much work he was.

"You were never sick when you a boy, Jonathan. You used to complain that you never missed a day of school like the other kids. Everyone in town would come down with the flu, but not you."

Daniel could hear the pride in her voice. He peeked into the kitchen just in time to see Jack roll his eyes and say, "I know, ma." Obviously, Jack had heard that story before.

"Charlie took after you," Rose continued. "That boy was healthy as a horse. Except for the time he had the chicken pox. You and Sara were so worried, calling me every couple of hours. Remember that?"

"Hey, Danny!" Jack enthused, sounding relieved to end the stroll down memory lane.

Rose jumped up immediately and poured the pancake batter onto the griddle while Jack called him over to feel his forehead and chest. The scrutiny annoyed Daniel no end. He pulled away immediately. "Don't Jack, I'm fine."

"Just checking, "Jack said, sounding surprised at the defensive attitude.

"I'm not sick," Daniel declared, sitting down at the table and picking up his fork in anticipation. "As a matter of fact, I feel really great!" he exaggerated. That wasn't exactly true, but he didn't care. He decided from now on he was going to be as healthy as a horse. Mind over matter.

"Good," Jack said with a smile. "Because we're going sledding on Roger's Hill today. That's where I went sledding when I was a kid."

"Really, Jack? Do we have a sled?" Daniel's smile lit up the room.

"Yep, fastest sled in Minnesota right here in the garage."

Rose tsk tsk'd as she flipped the pancakes. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Jack?" I still think Danny might be coming down with something. Do you both want cinnamon on these?"

"Yes," they chorused together.

Before Jack could agree with his mom about nixing the sledding adventure, Daniel decided to take the bull by the horns. "I'm not sick, Rose, look!" With that he jumped to his feet and twirled around and then did a few jumping jacks to prove his fortitude. Both Rose and Jack chuckled at the silliness.

"He's fine," Jack said.

Rose wasn't easily deterred. "I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt to wait a day or two, the snow's not going anywhere." She set the stack of pancakes in front of them. "What would it hurt to wait and see how it goes?"

"Don't do that, Mom."

Daniel looked up nervously, recognizing Jack's business tone.

Rose sat down to her own plate. "Do what? Express my opinion in my own house?" Rose didn't seem nervous at all.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Express your opinion on things that's really aren’t any of your... concern."

Rose scoffed at that. "Well, pardon me, but I am concerned. About you and about Daniel."

"I'm fine," Daniel said very quietly.

"You have a cold, sweetheart," Rose said gently, patting his thigh.

Jack dropped his fork loudly onto his plate and gritted his teeth. "He does not have a cold. He has asthma. I've been living with him for four months, Ma, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of him and I certainly know when he can go outside and when he needs to stay in. It's up to me. I decide."

"Of course, you decide and I wasn't questioning your ability to take care of him. I'm not trying to upset you. I'm merely voicing my opinion," Rose said calmly. "I don't know why you're making such a fuss about it," she added lightly, giving Daniel a reassuring wink.

"I'm making a fuss?" Jack rolled his eyes heavenward. "You used to do the same thing with Sara. Always telling her what was best for Charlie, it used to drive her absolutely crazy. Bet you didn't know that, did ya?" Jack folded his arms triumphantly.

"No," Rose said a little more quietly. "I didn't know that."

Daniel stared down at his plate; the pancakes didn't taste very good since the angry exchange began, especially since he was the cause of it. Rose sounded sad.

Only when he heard Jack get up did Daniel raise his eyes. He watched Jack stand behind Rose and lean over to wrap his arms around her slumping shoulders, resting his cheek against hers. "I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered. "Sara loved you, still does, you know that."

"I know, honey," she sighed and patted his hand. "I understand. I just worry."

Things went better after that and the pancakes tasted really good again. Daniel was afraid to ask if the sledding trip was on or off. Despite the nebulizer, his chest felt tight and heavy but he definitely wasn't going to mention it and reopen that can of worms.

"These were delicious, Mom," Jack proclaimed, patting his stomach. "I can't eat another bite."

"How about you, Danny? Do you want more?" Rose hovered over him with the last pancake on the spatula at the ready.

"No, I'm too full, Rose, I'll bust," Daniel enthused, patting his belly, mimicking Jack.

"But you're so skinny, Mhuirnin. You really should try to eat more."

"Mom." That was the only word Jack spoke, but it made Rose shake her head and mumble as she reluctantly wrapped up the lone pancake and stuck it in the fridge.

Jack stood up and announced he was going outside to chop some of the ice that had built up on the steps and porch. Relief coursed through Daniel when Jack kissed Rose's cheek after putting his dirty dish in the sink, the angry words forgotten. "Danny, I want you to clear the table and help Rose clean up."

"Okay." That settled it; the sledding must be out.

"When we're both finished we'll hit the hill," Jack continued with a grin.

"Yay!" Daniel stopped himself and looked at Rose to be sure there wouldn't be another argument, plus he really didn't want to hurt her feelings. Rose didn't seem the least bit perturbed.

"Be good," Jack ordered as he threw on his winter gear.

Daniel made a face. He hated when Jack said things like that in front of other people. Rose might think he was a brat that needed constant reminding on how to behave.

He made quick work of the table while Rose loaded the dishwasher. "Now I'm going to make a few sandwiches for you two to take to the hill," she said. You boys always tend to lose track of the time out there. This way you'll have some lunch."

The thought of Jack being called a boy made Daniel smile. Rose was nice, even if she did think he was skinny and fragile. "Name your pleasure," she coaxed. "We have turkey, ham, tuna, peanut butter and jelly... I could even whip up a batch of egg salad if you like. I stocked up."

"What's Jack's favorite?" Daniel hemmed and hawed. He knew Jack liked turkey and ham with cheese, and did not like tuna, but he wasn't sure about the egg salad. He leaned up against the kitchen counter waiting for a clue.

"I know what Jack's favorite is," Rose winked. "I want to know your favorite."

When she went to the fridge he waited to see what she'd pull out, but all she grabbed was a loaf of bread.

"I'll have whatever Jack's having," he declared, congratulating himself on his ingenuity. That tactic should work.

"Why?" Rose turned from the counter to face him.

Daniel blushed slightly. "That way you won't have to go to too much trouble. You can just make one thing." He hoped the one thing wouldn’t be smelly old egg salad.

Instead of being happy, Rose looked a little sad. She leaned over and whispered, "'I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm usually here alone. I like cooking and making sandwiches for people. I hope you don't like the same kind as Jack. That way I can make two different ones."

"Really?" Daniel brightened considerably.

"Yes, really. So what will it be?"

"Is Jack's favorite peanut butter and jelly?" Even though he knew it was a silly superstition, he kept his fingers crossed behind his back.

"No, it's not," Rose answered, already grabbing the jar of peanut butter down from the cupboard. "Is that your favorite?"

"Yep," Daniel nodded happily. "Now you can make two different kinds. Rose. What is Jack's favorite?"

"Grab the jelly from the fridge for me, will ya, hon, and the eggs in the door. I boiled them yesterday afternoon. Jack loves my egg salad with a little bit of mayo and some green olives chopped in as well."

Daniel wrinkled his nose at that. Thank goodness Rose wanted to make two different sandwiches. He was even happier when she packed them in paper bags with Oreos and a few cans of soda.

"There you go, now tell me, little one, why do you want to eat what Jack eats?"

Wasn't it obvious? "I-I don't want to be any trouble," Daniel said, reverting back to his old habit of stuttering and staring at floor. "Because I l-like staying with Jack and I want him to keep me for a while longer."

"Is he planning to get rid of you?" Rose's eyes widened in horror.

"I don't know if he's p-planning it, but it's not a permanent placement. It's temporary, so I could have to go at any time."

"Have you talked to Jack about this?" Rose asked suspiciously.

"No, but when it's not permanent you never know what will happen," Daniel reported sadly. Tears sprung to his eyes when Rose grabbed him and wrapped him in a firm hug. He hugged her back, reveling in the embrace of a real live grandma, just like a real, regular, well-loved kid.

"Push me really fast this time, Jack!"

"You asked for it," Jack chuckled, as he pulled the sled back a few paces and then took a running start to give it a push and a full head of steam before letting go to watch it speed down the hill. He could hear Danny laughing all the way to the bottom.

"Push me, Jack, push me," the other kids begged after watching Daniel's thrill ride. Jack had been trekking halfway down to meet Danny to help pull the sled back up to the top but the neighborhood kids were a distraction. In an effort to appease the clamoring masses with faster rides, Jack temporarily lost track of his own charge. After a few minutes he looked around at the colorful snowsuits and bright scarves but didn't spot the one he was most familiar with. His heart thudded in his chest.

"Daniel!" he suddenly roared.

"I'm right here, Jack."

Jack turned and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Danny trudging towards him, pulling his sled behind him. He noted the bright rosy cheeks and the heavy breathing and decided it was time to go, they'd been at it for hours, the packed lunch long since eaten. "I'm getting tired, sport. What do you say we call it a day?"

A jumbled chorus of 'no's' rustled through the kid crowd. "Sorry, guys." Jack smiled, remembering how fun it was to have a dad on the hill to monitor turns and push sleds to new speed records.

"Danny could stay and play with us," one of the boys offered.

It was tempting. Nothing had warmed Jack's heart more than the sight of Danny laughing, playing and having fun this afternoon. On Roger's Hill Daniel Jackson was no longer the poor, abandoned orphan or the genius boy wonder, he was just one of the gang. It was obvious Danny loved it too.

"I'll stay and play."

The eager face looked up anxiously for permission but the slight wheeze made the decision easy. "It's time to go, buddy." Jack squeezed Daniel's shoulder and hoped for painless agreement.

"Okay. I gotta go guys."

That was easy.

"Are you coming tomorrow, Danny?" one of the kids asked.

"Can I, Jack? Pleeeease?" A pair of excited, pleading eyes turned on him.

"We'll see," Jack said lightly. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve." He picked up the sled and tried to steer Daniel away from the kids.

"We always come to the hill on Christmas Eve. All the kids do," the mini mob insisted.

It was true. Roger's hill was a Christmas Eve tradition. Jack's father had pushed him down this very hill and twice he had been out here on Christmas Eve with Charlie. He had all intentions of bringing Danny, but only asthma permitting.

"Please, Jack?" Despite the begging, Daniel slowly responded to Jack's urgings and began to walk back toward the car.

"Bye, Danny. Bye."

Daniel waved his goodbyes to his new friends and fell in step with Jack.

"How do you feel?" As soon as they were out of sight of the kids Jack began the familiar checklist to Daniel's head and chest.

Daniel brushed his hand away. "I'm fine," he insisted stubbornly. "I'm not sickly, Jack."

"How's your chest? Any pressure?"

"I'm healthy as a horse," he answered, shaking his head and folding his arms across his chest.

Jack chuckled at the phrase. "Rose isn't used to asthma, that's all," he said, seriously impressed at Daniel's determination. "I know you're not sickly, but it's still important to tell me when you don't feel good, right?"

"I'm fine" was the only response to each and every inquiry.

By the time they arrived at the house the 'fine' chest was starting to sound like a rusty old engine. Daniel ran ahead to the door while Jack stuck the sled in the garage, sadly confident it was not likely to be called into service any time soon. He could hear Danny's already raspy voice calling out Rose's name, anxious to share his adventures. Cringing at the thought of Rose's reaction to the depth of the wheeze, Jack slowly went inside.

"I was... really f-flying, Rose! Jack can..." There was a pause and hitch after every few words as Daniel struggled and huffed in his excitement. "Push really fast!"

"Well, it sounds like you certainly had a good time." Rose was at the stove stirring the cure all chicken soup. If the clatter of Daniel's breathing was any indication, they were going to need it.

"I did, I had a great time! And g-guess w-what, Rose?" Daniel was pulling off his gloves and snowsuit and boots and strewing them about the floor. Jack didn't have the heart to interrupt the enthusiasm with a reprimand.

"What, sweetie?" She set a cover on the pot and wiped her hands on a dishtowel.

"All the kids l-liked me," he said proudly. "Didn't they, Jack?" He followed up the question with a deep, hoarse cough.

Before Jack could answer, Rose rushed over and swallowed the small boy up in a big bear hug. "Of course, they liked you, Mhuirnin." Jack was immensely proud that Daniel no longer flinched from every touch.

"You feel cold," Rose suddenly observed, shooting Jack a look.

"I'm fine," Danny answered by rote as Rose released him from the warm, extra long lasting hug.

Jack finished hanging up his jacket and turned to face the music. "Yeah. Actually, Danny, after the neb I'm going to run you a warm bath and then you can put your PJ's on. How's that sound?" He had a feeling he knew exactly how that sounded but was hoping Daniel would agree, not wanting to make a scene in front of Rose.

A horrified expression graced Daniel's face as he glanced up at the clock. "It's only four, Jack."

Jack sighed and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, motioning the boy over. When Daniel stood before him he tried to explain. "This isn't a punishment, Danny. You don't sound too good, kiddo." Jack gently stuck his index finger into the problematic chest. "I just want to get you warmed up."

"No," Daniel practically whispered. "I'm fine. I don't want to wear pajamas in the daytime."

"How about your sweats then?" Jack ran his hand through the blonde hair. He hated the thought of ruining the fun day. There was no need to make an issue out of pajamas if that was the only sticking point.

"Okay, sweats."

When Daniel willingly agreed to the compromise Jack stood up and rested his hands on Daniel's shoulders giving him a gentle push through the doorway leading to the stairs. "Nebulizer, now."

"But, Jack..." Daniel whined.

That's as far as he got before Jack interrupted him. "I know... you're fine. Let's go." While Daniel reluctantly made his way towards the stairs Jack paused in the kitchen doorway and turned back to thank Rose for not interrupting or saying 'I told you so'.

He was confused for a second until he spotted her in the entranceway picking up the errant snow gear. The snow had melted off the clothing and boots, and the water had made quite a mess.

"Ma, leave that, I'll get it later," he said guiltily.

Rose shooed him away with the flick of her hand. "You go take care of Danny. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of this myself. I had a little boy once too, you know."

Jack smiled his gratitude and followed Daniel up the stairs.

Despite the nebulizer, the bath and a steaming bowl of the medicinal soup, Jack was worried. He had thought the rosy cheeks were from the cold but they'd been home for hours and the redness hadn't subsided. A quick check with the thermometer revealed a 101 temperature and Daniel's breathing showed no signs of getting any easier.

To make matters worse, Rose was in full-blown mom mode and hovering as much as he was, they had bumped into each other more than once with Rose muttering about cold weather and colds being a bad combination. It was all starting to wear Jack down. Daniel had grown very quiet but took all the medication offered and didn't complain of any discomfort which gave Jack a flicker of hope that maybe the boy wasn't feeling as bad as he looked and sounded.

At 8:00PM Jack put Daniel to bed without so much as a whimper of protest. That spoke volumes. Tucking a compliant Danny under the sheets, Jack sat down beside him on top of the blankets, leaning against the headboard. He reached over for the book he'd found in the nightstand. "How about a story?" Daniel's head was propped up on two pillows and Jack kissed the golden hair just in time to catch the slight affirmative nod. "It's a little kid's book but it's all I could find." His gut involuntarily clenched as he proceeded to read, "Goodnight, Moon", Charlie's preschool favorite.

Jack's fingers combed through the blond hair in between turning the pages. The words must have been soothing despite the rhyming nonsense because Daniel rolled onto his side, cuddled up against Jack's thigh and began to doze.

"You doing okay?" Jack cursed the pleading tone of his question as he closed the book.

"I'm fine, Jack," Daniel whispered reassuringly before drifting off to sleep.

Not wanting to face Rose on the 'cold' issue, Jack said a quick goodnight to his mom and hung out in his room to read. It was only ten when he decided to call it a night; the sledding had done him in. A quick check on Daniel and he'd be ready to hit the hay.

As soon as he opened Daniel's bedroom door he could hear the battle the boy was waging with his asthmatic lungs. And this time it wasn't just the frightening labored breathing, Daniel looked as white as a ghost, the rosy cheeks completely gone. Jack hoped it was the eerie glow of the nightlight so he switched on the bedside lamp, unfortunately, better lightening only confirmed the alarmingly pale skin.

"Mom, could you come up here and bring the phone, please," he called down the stairs, amazed at how calm his voice sounded; he could just as well have been on the verge of ordering out for a pizza. Once the nebulizer was ready, he sat down on the bed and held the mask over the slightly bluish lips and said a silent prayer. Daniel didn't stir.

"What do you need the phone for?" Rose was in the doorway dressed in her plaid flannels. A sharp intake of breath at the sight of Daniel made the question moot. "Jack? Is he okay?"

"Give him a minute." Daniel took that moment to wake up and push at the mask. "Jack," he croaked out panting, heavily clutching and twisting Jack's shirt in a death grip.

"It's okay, relax. Breathe slowly, in and out. You can do it." Jack was aware of Rose's horrified expression as she stood frozen in the doorway but he kept his voice neutral and confident, Daniel's breathing his number one priority.

But Daniel couldn't relax; his hand went first to his chest and then to his throat, his eyes filling with unadulterated fear at the inability to fill his lungs with air.

Jack made a quick decision. "Call 911. Tell them there's an asthmatic child in distress."

"No," Daniel sputtered weakly. He pulled the mask off completely and tried to talk but wasn't capable of stringing more than a few words together while panting for precious air. "Don't want to."

"Ma, call 911, now!"

Even Rose jumped at his command voice.

Three hours in the waiting room with nothing but Rose's speculation was driving Jack stark raving mad. He was no stranger to waiting for medical reports on friends and loved ones but in the infirmary at SGC he was usually kept apprised and updated at regular intervals. This waiting in the dark was wearing thin, his patience was all but gone and he was fast approaching breaking point with Rose by the time a young doctor entered the near empty room and called out Daniel's name.

"Here." Relief flooded through Jack as he met the doctor head on and recognized the confidence in the resident's eyes. There was no recognizable hint of dread or unease and at that moment Jack knew Daniel would be fine.

"I know he gave you quite a scare, Mr. Jackson, but we gave him a shot of steroids and ran an IV of antibiotics and he's breathing much easier. He has a chest infection, which in turn caused the asthma to flare up. He'll be fine--tired, but fine. Would you like to see him now?"

Jack didn't bother correcting the name error. "Yes, I want to be there when he wakes up." He checked his watch; it was after one in the morning.

"No problem. He's on the children's ward. Visitors are allowed 24 hours a day, but only one at a time after nine." He glanced sympathetically at Rose.

"You go ahead." Rose patted Jack's arm and picked up her jacket, she zipped it up before fumbling for her gloves. "Give me the keys to the car and I'll come back in the morning."

Jack nodded his appreciation and handed over the keys. "How long does he need to be in here, Doc?"

"Barring any complications there's no reason he can't go home tomorrow for Christmas Eve." The doctor smiled, probably wishing all his cases ended with such good outcomes.

"Doctor..." He checked the nametag before continuing. "Doctor Hartman was this trip necessary, or did I jump the gun?" He felt compelled to ask.

"It’s a tough call. He may have calmed and settled with the nebulizer or he may not have. He would have needed the antibiotics for the infection anyway so you did the right thing. Better safe than sorry."

Their conversation was interrupted by a series of high pitched beeps "Oops, that's me." Doctor Hartman turned off his pager, gave Jack Danny's room number, and made his exit.

"He'll be okay, honey." Rose wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed. Jack had to bend down to return the hug properly. "I love you," she whispered into his neck.

"Love you too, Ma." Jack hugged her back hard, suddenly grateful he hadn't been alone.

"Drive careful." He smiled and waved when she turned at the double doors.

"I'll be fine. You worry about Danny."

The children's ward was on the eighth floor and although it was quiet Jack could see a few scattered parents sitting vigil at their child's bedside. The sight caused a dull, vague nameless ache in his chest.

Jack opened the door to Danny's room and froze. Hospital beds have a way of making people appear small and vulnerable but Danny looked particularly fragile. He was lying on his side curled up in a tight, compact little ball; Jack imagined the pose was an attempt to become as small as humanly possible. An oxygen tube was in his nose and a drip was securely taped to the back of one of the small, still hands. Jack's stomach lurched and his heart sank at the sight. His hand automatically reached for a golden stray lock of hair that had fallen across the warm forehead. After gently pushing back the strand Jack lightly leaned down and kissed the spot. "Oh, Danny, I'm sorry," he murmured, sinking down into the bedside chair.

The comfort level of the room was far better than Jack was accustomed to at the SGC. The chair he sank into was soft and cushiony, nothing like the cold, hard plastic of the infirmary. It crossed his mind to bring the subject up to Fraiser at the next quarterly business meeting, his neck and back would surely be thankful in the morning. After a few minutes of guilty analysis of the day's events, Jack succumbed to exhaustion and closed his eyes to the rhythmic, rattling wheeze of Daniel's struggling chest.

"Mama?"

Shit! He had fallen asleep in the damn comfy chair. Jack rubbed his eyes for a second then heard the scared, rusty voice again. "Mama? W-where are you?"

Jack's hand went immediately to the sweat soaked hair. "Hey, buddy, it's me." He pulled the bulky chair as closed to the bed as possible to get into Daniel's line of vision.

"Daddy?"

"No, Danny. Open your eyes, it's me, Jack." He stood up and leaned over the bed so there could be no mistake.

A few seconds later a hint of blue appeared under the droopy lid.

"Oh, h-hi, Jack." The words were croaked out, hoarse and sleepy, but Jack was relieved for the recognition and ridiculously happy that the blue eyes didn't express disappointment at the sight of him.

"I'm t-tired."

Jack strained to hear the mumbled words and reached for Danny's hand under the blanket. "I know. It's okay, baby. Just go back to sleep."

"D-don't..." Daniel paused to cough, every word a struggle. "L-leave me here."

"No, of course I won't leave you here." Jack stroked the pink cheek and squeezed the small hand. "I'll be right here when you wake up, buddy. I promise."

The answer must have satisfied Daniel because he fell back into a loud, raspy sleep.

"Sir, sir?"

"Huh?" Jack jerked awake to the sight of two nurses poking at him. Damn he must have been tired. "Danny?" He glanced to his left and there was Daniel sitting upright in bed waving shyly at him, a half eaten breakfast tray on the table beside him. He was still pale and attached to machinery but the change from last night was remarkable.

"We brought you a tray too," one of the nurses commented with a wink. "Thanks," Jack mumbled, avoiding their amused looks by glancing at his watch. It was almost 8:00. He figured he had a good ten minutes before Rose came storming in.

He bounced out of the chair in an effort to showoff his agility. Big mistake. Screw the comfy chair idea; even though he had slept soundly his body wasn't registering any noticeable difference in the morning stiffness factor. The knees, the back, the neck... the chairs might be more trouble than they were worth. Covering the grimace with a fake smile, Jack turned his attention to Danny.

"Hey, how ya doing, sport?"

"You s-stayed with me." Daniel was beaming.

"Of course, I stayed with you. Where else would I be?" Jack reached for Daniel's right hand, the drip free one.

"I guess we c-can't go to the h-hill today." The shine went out of the blue eyes and his hands began to pick at the tape holding in the drip.

Jack put his hand over Danny's to quiet them. "No, sorry, sport. No more sledding on this trip."

"Hey, J-Jack." Daniel waved his arms animatedly. "You could still g-go if you want to." The heavy breathing made it hard for Daniel to talk with out panting, coughing or stuttering.

Jack made a face. "It's no fun without you, silly."

"It's not?"

Jack sighed at the doubt and confusion in Daniel's voice, but before he could offer any more reassurance, Rose burst in.

"Mhuirnin!" Her eyes went first to Danny and then to Jack. "How is he?"

"Much better. He's okay, ma."

"I was so worried." She hustled over to the bed to touch Danny's cheek.

"I'm okay," he said sadly.

"He needs rest." Jack took Rose's hands and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I found some books in your bag," she said brushing past Jack to get to Danny. "Would you like me to read to you, little one?" Rose made herself comfortable in the chair near the bed. His chair. He fought off a wave of annoyance.

"Uh, ma, he needs to rest."

"Don't be silly, Jack. He'll rest while I read." She flashed Daniel a smile and turned back to Jack. "Why don't you find a bathroom and take care of yourself, honey."

"Take care of what?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"I brought your toothbrush and a change of clothes. Go on, I'll sit with Danny." Yep, give her another day and she'd be revising nursing schedules, supervising surgeries and running the whole damn ward.

"You okay, Danny?"

A solemn nod was the only response. The poor kid looked whipped from the effort of eating breakfast and Jack surmised he'd be asleep in minutes. "I'll be right back," he winked.

"Get yourself some coffee too," Rose advised as Jack picked up the care bag and headed for the nearest men's room.

Whoa! What the hell? Jack gazed in the mirror in amusement. His hair was standing up in irregular tufts, with one particularly stubborn clump sticking straight out the side of his head. There was a deep crease line down the side of his right cheek, an imprint from the piping of the upholstery. And, as if that weren't enough, a conspicuous still-wet drool spot made a rather large perfect circle on his right shoulder. No wonder those nurses were on the verge of busting a gut. Damn those comfy chairs to hell.

He took Rose's advice and grabbed a cup of coffee from the nearest machine before getting back to Daniel. The little guy was fast asleep and Rose had taken over the task of stroking the blond hair and whispering soothing nonsense. He had a feeling it was going to be a long day

He was right.

The only thing worse than a full-blown asthma attack was trying to check out of a hospital on Christmas Eve. No forms, no doctors to sign them, not many nurses on duty, damn, he hated this. He couldn't imagine how Danny felt. The cannula and the drip were gone after lunch and the LPN smiled wearily that they were still trying to track down someone who could prescribe meds and sign them out.

It was late afternoon by the time the elusive Dr. Hartman cleared Daniel to leave. In order to avoid an inquisition from Rose, Jack followed the doctor out of the room to ask his next question. "Can he travel?"

"I don't see why not. Just be sure he gets his medications. What he needs most is rest. If he'll rest better at home, that's fine."

"Thanks, Doc." After shaking hands, Jack left to collect Danny and Rose. He was anxious to get Daniel back home, not to Rose's, but to Colorado in his own house with his own things. Routine, ample rest and proper diet were three necessities for asthmatics.

It was dark by the time Jack pulled into the drive and even though Daniel had nodded off in the car he was more than agreeable to go to bed. Attacks wore him out as it was, but coupled with the chest infection he was thoroughly exhausted. The pale skin, dark circles under his eyes and the constant rattling wheeze left no doubt about the severity of this one.

After Daniel was settled and resting comfortably, Jack went downstairs for coffee. He was worn out but didn't plan on sleeping any time soon. He would spend most of the night sitting vigil over Danny and monitoring his breathing sounds. It was a welcome sight when he spotted Rose manning an already full pot in the kitchen. She motioned for him to sit down so he collapsed on the sofa, glad for the company. The coffee she handed him felt warm and comforting after choking down the bitter hospital brew served in the cheap Styrofoam cups. Rose took a seat on the sofa beside him, her fingers wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate dotted with an abundance of floating mini marshmallows.

"I don't know why he didn’t tell me it was that bad... a chest infection. He had to have known before the attack." Jack wanted to get that in, childishly wanting to be sure Rose understood Danny's condition was due to a chest infection rather than the common cold she had predicted, a slight distinction, but still... he felt guilty enough.

"I'm sure the cold weather didn't help," Rose murmured.

That was as close as she'd come to placing blame and Jack let it slide, at least she hadn't specifically said 'sledding'. He snuck a peek at his mother over the rim of his cup. She was wearing her long blue flannel robe and a pair of lined boot slippers. The same type she'd worn for the last forty years. If Jack closed his eyes he could imagine he was back in grade school drinking hot chocolate with his mom on Christmas Eve without a care in the world.

"He didn’t tell you because he doesn’t want to upset you. He's afraid of rocking the boat." The memory was ruined as soon as Rose opened her mouth. She rarely cooperated with his fantasies.

Her words rankled him. "Danny is not afraid of me. He's been with me since August; I've never raised a hand to him. He knows I'd never hurt him." Jack took a sip of the hot liquid and tried to push down his anger. "And I can't believe you said that to me."

"Jack," Rose set her mug down on the coffee table and reached for his hand, gently sandwiching it between her own. "Of course you would never hurt him. That's not what I said. I only meant that he tries so hard to please you, even at the expense of his own wants and needs. He didn't want to ruin your holiday. He's afraid if he's too much trouble he'll be sent back to foster care."

"He told you this?" Jack asked, struggling for civility.

"Not in so many words, no. But he was pretending to be well for your benefit," she explained quietly. "You are serious about keeping him, aren't you? You're not just trying to fill a void from Charlie, because that hole will always be there, even if you do manage to make peace with it. And I'm not sure that poor boy could stand another disappointment."

Jack jerked his hand out of hers. "Who have you been talking to, Sara?" he asked angrily. He didn't wait for an answer. "You two think you know everything, don't you? Newsflash, Ma. Danny was pretending he was well for you, for your benefit, not mine. He's never hid his asthma from me." After the trauma of the last few days, the angry words flowed easily. "He told me he didn't want to appear 'sickly' and that he was 'healthy as a horse', sound familiar? You said that, not me. You said Charlie was healthy as a horse. So who's trying to fill a void? You tell me."

Jack stared hard at his mom in a moment of perceived, albeit temporary, victory.

"I'm not wrong." Rose said stubbornly, raising her hand to touch his face. It took everything Jack had to allow it and not turn away.

"No, you're never wrong, are you?" he mumbled in a sigh of defeat. The anger was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

Rose paid him no mind. "That's foolishness and beside the point. Danny loves you, Jack. He loves you. Has he told you that yet? More importantly, have you told him?" She kept her hand on his cheek, her eyes bright with determination to bring everything out into the open.

A few strained seconds passed.

"We're leaving in the morning," Jack finally declared. As a child he had been defenseless against her relentless digging for words and emotions. Years of military training had leveled the playing field. Diversionary tactics worked wonders in a pinch.

"Jack!" Her hand finally left his face and joined the other one in her lap.

"It has nothing to do with this discussion, Mom, really. Danny will be tired out from an attack this bad; it drains him. There are things he can do at home to keep occupied, videos, games, books; he'll be more comfortable. And I'll feel better knowing his regular doctors are within reach, just in case."

"You do what you think is best." The resigned answer surprised Jack and he was even more surprised when she leaned in to place a kiss on his forehead like he was five years old.

"It's okay. Really it is." When Rose didn't respond he continued. "I'm going upstairs to check on him. I'll be sleeping in his room tonight." Before she could agree or protest, he leaned over and returned the kiss with one of his own to her cheek. "Night, Mom."

"Goodnight, Jonathan," she said quietly.

Rose was subdued in the morning, and all Jack wanted to do was get the hell out of Dodge. He was an ass for dragging Daniel out here in the first place. Sara hadn't been wrong about everything. Some of it was for him. What the hell had he been thinking? He'd ride into town with a new, lovable little boy and he and Rose would patch up all their differences and live happily ever after? Carry on like they had before life had blindsided him with the loss of Charlie and then Sara? Rose had loved his wife and son deeply and he had yet to come to terms with what she had lost. It was too painful. Asthma aside, his expectations of this visit were a foolish, selfish idea from the start.

The car was packed and running, ready to go. All that was left were the awkward goodbyes.

"I'm s-sorry, Rose..." Daniel paused, he still sounded out of breath when he talked, as if he'd just jogged around the block a few times. "I'm sorry I ruined C-Christmas," he finished up, a look of misery plastered on his face.

Rose responded immediately. "Daniel Jackson you did no such thing! I haven't had a child in this house in quite a while and I enjoyed every minute of it." Rose hugged him furiously. "I don't want to hear another word about you ruining anything. Do you hear me?"

Even though Daniel nodded Jack could see the kid didn't buy it. It would be a tough sell in light of the fact Rose had been so quiet and restrained all morning. How could Jack explain to a ten year old that the tense atmosphere had nothing at all to do with a severe Christmas asthma attack? Without Sara and Charlie, Rose was no longer a grandma and Jack was no longer a husband and father. Stripped of their roles, the two had no easy answers on how to go back to being mother and son.

"Look what I have for you, Mhuirnin." Rose enthusiastically held out a tin with a snowman etched in the lid.

Daniel accepted the gift with little energy. He was totally drained. Getting dressed this morning had practically done him in and Jack hoped he'd have the stamina to make the trip home. If Jack had his way, he would love to carry the boy or arrange for a wheelchair at the airport but he knew Daniel's stubbornness would never allow it.

"What is it, Rose?" Daniel shook the box gently.

"It's your peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips." Rose reached out and touched his nose.

"I thought you forgot." Daniel smiled his first smile of the day.

"Grandmas never forget," Rose declared, shooting Jack a defiant look.

Daniel looked hesitantly at Jack, no doubt checking at how that comment was going over.

Neither Rose nor Daniel's glances bothered Jack. He was relieved Rose's spunkiness was reemerging. You couldn't keep the woman down.

"What do say, Danny?" Jack said lightly, when nothing else came to mind.

"Thank you, Rose."

"You're welcome, little one."

Daniel clutched his cookie tin in one hand while Jack and Rose embraced in a quick, uncomfortable hug. Jack felt like he was suffocating when Rose squeezed him tight and whispered, "I love you" for the second time in two days. Nodding stiffly he grabbed the last suitcase with one hand and tugged on Daniel's jacket with the other. "Let's go, sport."

"Call me when you get home," Rose yelled from the doorway as Jack ushered Danny into the already heated up car.

"I will, ma," he promised as he backed out of the drive and made a quick getaway.

Daniel's recuperation was slow but steady; he was back to school and pretty much back to normal, although he still tired easily. To Daniel's great disappointment the three-day class field trip to Crow Canyon was definitely out or the question. Some of the planned activities would take place outdoors and Jack didn't dare allow it. Leaving Daniel home with Carla would have been too depressing so after months of begging and cajoling, Daniel finally got his wish of accompanying Jack to work at the SGC, at least for the next three days.

Meetings were the order of the day, including a big one with Hammond, so Jack left Danny roaming curiously through Carter's lab. When he returned around lunchtime, Carter was still hunched over her monitor hard at work, but Daniel was nowhere to be seen.

"Carter, where's Daniel?" Jack glanced around. The lab gave no evidence of the recent presence of an active ten year old.

"Oh, don't worry, Colonel, he's with Siler." The major looked up from the computer, a slight, barely noticeable blush coloring her cheeks.

"Why?" Jack raised his eyebrows at that.

"He was a little..." Her voice trailed off as she made a show of checking the colorful graph on the screen.

"Bored?" Jack ventured, glancing around at the high tech toys, his mind shuddering at the thought of lengthy, in depth, droning explanations.

"I was going to say restless, sir," she corrected sharply. "I thought he'd be interested in this new virtual engine model I'm working on, it mimics a naquada enhanced reactor. But when Siler came in to let me know the water would be off for about an hour and Daniel asked if he could help... well, I didn't think you'd mind, sir."

"Help with what exactly?" Jack made a confused face.

"He was fixing the plumbing in the men's room," Carter practically pouted.

"Siler is working on plumbing?"

"Slow week, sir." She definitely had a bee in her bonnet about something.

"Do I detect a note of sarcasm, Carter?"

"I was just surprised that Daniel found plumbing interesting."

"Ah. Far more interesting than the virtual... doohickey?" Jack motioned toward the computer screen.

"Apparently."

"So, he's... with Siler?"

"Siler." She confirmed, still grimacing in disbelief at Daniel's choice.

"Right," Jack nodded, wisely backing out the door. After a pit stop, where the water seemed to be working just fine, Jack returned to his office and paged the ever popular, though oft-injured, jack-of-all-trades, Sergeant Siler.

Siler appeared a few minutes later with Daniel at his heels carrying a toolbox and looking as serious as the sergeant himself. Jack stifled a smile.

"Need something, sir?"

"Yes, your assistant. Can you spare him?"

'I think so." Siler didn't smile. He wore the impassive look that always confused Jack. "You don't mind him working with me do you, Colonel?"

"No, as long as he's not a nuisance."

"Actually, Daniel had some very helpful suggestions, sir," Siler commented neutrally.

"Really?" Jack tried to imagine what Daniel could possibly suggest about plumbing. Nothing came to mind.

"Yes, sir. Very interesting ideas," the super handyman repeated without a trace of sarcasm. “Apparently the Romans knew a great deal about plumbing.”

Then again, Siler always played the straight man. Jack didn't buy the act for a second. He had long held the belief that in private, Sergeant Siler was laughing his ass off at the lot of them.

"Thank you, Sergeant."

"No, problem, sir."

Daniel said his goodbyes and reluctantly gave up the toolbox, while Jack cleared his desk. "I thought you might be ready for lunch, and I have something important I want to talk to you about."

"Okay, Jack," Daniel answered happily as the two of them headed off for the commissary.

While Daniel was busy fixing toilets Jack had spent the morning meeting with General Hammond. The general had asked about the possibility of allowing Daniel to take a look at some of the difficult ancient Goa'uld text and transcripts that had been giving the SGC linguistic experts fits lately. They discussed the pros and cons at length and Jack was once again eternally grateful for integrity of his CO. Hammond clarified it was not an order and if Daniel became the least bit stressed, the experiment would end. He emphasized the decision on Daniel's workload, the day to day, 'what, when and how much,' would ultimately be Jack's decision.

"So, what did you and Sil... Sergeant Siler do all morning?" Jack asked, deciding to take it slow.

"Fixed stuff," Daniel said alternately shoving in a hotdog and a disgusting mound of baked beans.

"What kind of stuff?" Jack probed curiously.

"Whatever was broken," Daniel shrugged matter of factly. Jack swore the deadpan answer was a perfect imitation of the sergeant himself.

It took more than Special Ops training to get info out of a ten year old. Jack decided to move on. "Danny, I want to ask you about something."

That garnered his attention. Daniel stopped eating and glanced up the serious tone.

"Remember how you were so interested in the 'dead' language your parents taught you?"

The boy's eyes brightened eagerly as he nodded but didn't interrupt.

"Well, the SGC has some papers and devices written with those words and we don't have very many people that can translate them. General Hammond thought maybe..."

"I can help, Jack. I can translate them!"

The ferocity of the words startled him. Excitement didn't begin to describe it. Jack was sure he'd never seen Danny so animated.

"Slow down, buddy."

"Can I help, Jack? Please, please say yes!" The passion in the blue eyes was striking in such a young child and Jack fairly melted under the glow.

"Yes," he agreed to Daniel's utter delight. "You can help. But first I'm going to set down some rules to make sure this doesn't get to be too much for you."

"It won't, but..." Daniel begged. "Can you tell me the rules later? I want to see the writings." The exuberant boy was already out of his seat and picking up his tray.

"Sit down." Jack had never seen a more startling transformation. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing.

"I'm done," Daniel announced taking a few steps toward the trash bin.

"Daniel, sit down. Now."

He must have recognized the no nonsense tone because Daniel sat, fidgeting restlessly.

"You finish eating and I'll finish talking."

"I'm not hungry anymore," Daniel insisted.

Jack had no desire to squelch the fire ignited in Daniel's spirit but he needed to go over a few simple rules and guidelines. He decided not to make an issue out of lunch. "I spoke with Dr. Lee, Dr. Rothman and Dr. Mills, they're the scientists working on the translation projects right now. They said they'd be willing to show you what they have." Daniel nodded vigorously, his leg jiggling impatiently beneath the table. "This is very serious stuff, Danny. First of all it's top secret, you can't share what you see and learn with anyone, no one at school, not Dudley, no one... you have to understand that."

"I won't, Jack." The solemn promise was enough. The secrecy issue didn't worry Jack in the least. For some reason, he instinctively knew Daniel could be trusted with the knowledge of the SGC, and, if his translations were successful, the Stargate as well.

"I know you're excited about this." Jack rubbed Daniel's arm and then gently squeezed the thin wrist to calm him down and get his attention. "This is a big responsibility and a lot of work. You don't have to do this. I didn't tell Carter or Teal'c yet so you don't have to feel like you're letting anyone down. If you don't want to, you don't have to. It's strictly up to you."

"I want to do it, Jack. I really do." The anxious jittery movements were testament to that. The kid could barely remain in the chair.

Raising his hand from Daniel's forearm, Jack's index finger went to Danny's lips to shush him. "Let me finish. Once you have permission to work on a translation it's strictly up to you to say yes or no. But, and this is the part I want you to understand, it's strictly up to me to give you that permission, not the other scientists, me. And, if it becomes too stressful, or sets off your asthma, or tires you out, or your schoolwork suffers then I'm going to say no and I don't want any arguments. Understand?"

There wasn't a hope in hell of Daniel ever accepting that scenario without a fight but Jack felt the need to say it anyway.

"I understand." Daniel was already on his feet and Jack had the feeling he'd have agreed to just about anything to get at a look at those writings.

The elevator never moved so slowly. Daniel must have agreed because he bounced nervously from foot to foot in anxious anticipation of entering the offices on the coveted, sacred, nineteenth floor. With a hand on Danny's shoulder, Jack steered his young genius toward the archaeology department for the preplanned, one o'clock meeting with the senior staff. Jack wasn't the least bit surprised when all three men greeted them with warm, friendly, over the top smiles; he had read them the riot act just before lunch. The crux of his lecture had been that Daniel was ten years old, and that fact needed to remain uppermost in their minds at all times. None of the three men had children and Jack had briefly wondered what that said about the profession in general. He had given them other helpful hints as well. Daniel was only allowed to work with Jack's knowledge and consent. He couldn't just wander into the lab and spend the entire day hunched over a desk like they did, no matter how much he begged. He could only work for two hours at a time and he absolutely had to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. If his breathing or chest sounds were off or wheezy, Jack was to be notified immediately. After those points were crystal clear Jack left them with a friendly reminder that the new linguist's guardian was the 2IC of the entire facility and needed to be kept apprised of everything remotely related to Daniel Jackson. He’d also managed to imply he had not forgotten a single one of his special ops skills and would not hesitate to employ them should the scientists slip up in their treatment of Daniel.

"Can I see the writings now?" Daniel could barely contain himself.

Jack felt secure his lecture had not been in vain when Dr. Mills eyed him nervously for confirmation.

"Go ahead, guys. Show him what ya got." They had already decided to start out slow with a somewhat easy text that had already been translated. The purpose was twofold; it would not only test Daniel's skill level but would help avoid the trauma of translating something potentially upsetting.

It only took Daniel a few minutes. "It's just a greeting." The excitement was gone, replaced with disappointment. "It says, 'I am Ra, the ruler of the day. All will kneel at my feet and worship at my altar'. That's all it says. Is that all, is that all the writings?"

Huge, genuine smiles broke out on all three linguists. Jack knew exactly what they were thinking, 'the kid's the real deal'.

"Nope," Dr. Lee said happily. He unlocked a file cabinet and waved his hand. "There's all this."

"Wow! I wonder what it all says." The thousand-watt smile of wonder was back. "Let's get started!"

Rothman sneezed and brought out an inhaler and Daniel's smile widened further. Relegated to the background, Jack stood in awe of Daniel's countenance and demeanor and his ability to hold his own as the four geniuses immersed themselves in derivatives and root words and other such crap he knew nothing about. He had planned to stay the entire two hours but could see it wasn't necessary. "Bye, Danny. See you at four." He pointed to his watch for the adults’ benefit and Dr. Lee waved his hand in the air as an acknowledgement with nary a break in the flow of animated conversation.

Once in the hallway, Jack marveled at Daniel's intelligence. It was disconcerting. Just how smart was Danny? He wandered down to Carter's office to get some perspective.

"Knock, knock."

Carter finished typing in her calculations, saved her work and then sat down on a stool to give Jack her undivided attention. "So, Daniel's doing translations?" she questioned after listening intently.

"Do you think that's bad?" Jack took the empty stool beside her.

"No, I'm just surprised. You were so opposed to the idea initially."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that Hammond asked and right now the lack of translators is probably our biggest weakness. I didn't see the harm in trying it."

Carter nodded slowly. "And he seemed to be enjoying it?"

Enjoying it? That was an understatement. "Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever seen him so wired."

She wrinkled her nose in thought. "I'm not sure I understand the problem, sir."

"I knew he was smart, Carter, but I had no idea. Maybe I'm not the right person, maybe I'm holding him back." He maintained eye contact to get her honest reaction.

"Colonel! That's ridiculous. You're perfect for him. You're not holding him back; you're protecting him. He probably wouldn't have been ready to handle something like this before now. You might be too close to the situation to notice, sir, but he's made tremendous strides. He's a great kid, thoughtful and caring... he's come a long way."

"You're sure?" Jack hated sounding so indecisive, but she was a child prodigy herself and he trusted her to tell him the truth.

"Positive. He's happy, Colonel. There's no better measure than that. Besides, it's too late now. He's yours."

That was true enough. Jack stood up, satisfied with her reasoning. "Do me a favor, Carter..." he didn't wait for the automatic 'yes, sir'.  "Could you check up on him in an hour or so? He'll be annoyed if I do it."

"No problem. I'd love to see him in action." She was practically drooling. "How's he getting along with the other scientists?"

"Well, Mills, seemed a bit hesitant, Dr. Lee was, as always, open to anything, and Rothman, well, amazingly, Danny and Rothman are hitting it off famously. When I left they were discussing pollen counts and exchanging inhalers."

"Ah." Sam nodded with a grin.

"Call me with a full report," Jack winked.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine, sir," she chuckled. "Us geeky scientist stick together."

Jack stopped in the doorway. "Hey, I never said the word geeky."

"You didn't have to, sir."

"Thanks, Carter. I better get back to work."

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