| "Yo, Daniel, come on, let's go," Jack O'Neill said as he blew into Daniel Jackson's apartment like a tornado. |
| Living in Daniel's old apartment had been weird to say the least, but under the circumstances, Jack didn't feel he had any other choice, not for now at least. |
| "Do we have to go, Jack?" The miserable teen looked up as he sat on the couch twiddling with his I-Pod and reading a movie magazine. |
| "Yes, Danny, we have to go. You knew we had to go see Fraiser about this week's ago," Jack was running around switching off lights and stewing coffee pots. |
| Daniel slouched further into the chair, sliding his dog eared magazine into his new 'O'Neill' back pack. Jack had thought it highly amusing when he'd found it in the sports shop and knew that Daniel would love the irony of it. Daniel had accepted the gift with a grin that had made Jack warm to his heart. |
| "I don't wanna go, Jack." |
| Jack wandered up to the teens back and tugged the hood on the lime green baggy sweater. He lent forward and breathed into Daniel's ear, "Daniel, move, now. It's not debatable. Fraiser's waiting." |
| Daniel jumped slightly and threw Jack a disgusted look over his shoulder. He sighed and got to his feet with the agility of a fifteen year old boy, throwing his bag on his shoulder and sliding his I-Pod into his worn jean pocket. |
| Jack observed his young friend with a small smile. Dark blonde hair, mussed, slightly too long, sticking out in every direction. Gold wire glasses framed his brilliant blue eyes and a fresh face that currently wore a petulant frown. Daniel wore his jeans too low and far too baggy with scuffed Vans sneakers, (skate boarders wear, if Jack recalled correctly.) |
| 'Yep,' thought Jack, 'a teenager in every way.' |
| Daniel dawdled to the front door as slowly as he dare with Jack on his heels. |
| "I still don't wanna go," he mumbled into his chest as he gnawed on his bottom lip. |
| Jack sighed as he followed in the boys wake. "I think we've established that, Danny. Now come on, get a move on, our favorite doc's waiting." |
| Jack placed a firm hand on Daniels shoulder and partially propelled him down the corridor towards the elevator. |
| 'Another wonderful day in my rich life,' Jack sighed inwardly. |
| ~o0o~ |
| Daniel sat on the gurney, absently swinging his gangly legs. A five foot five inch Daniel was as annoying when he was in a mood as the adult had been before him. |
| "Daniel, can you please sit still. I need to take blood. You're not making my job any easier here," Janet growled, while giving her best pointed stare. |
| Jack stood back at a very safe distance, so safe in fact he was peering around the door to the infirmary well out of sight and ear shot of his currently petulant young friend. |
| "Sir, what are you doing?" |
| Carter appeared at his back, making him jump. |
| Jack turned sharply, raised his index finger to his mouth and tried to hush her as he hissed through his teeth, "Why'd ya creep up on me like that, S...Carter. You frightened the hell outta me!" |
| "Sorry, Sir," she smiled, leaning forward to take his place and peer around the door. "What's going on?" |
| Jack pulled her arm, bringing her to face him. "Daniel's having his check up with Janet; he's been like a bear with a sore head since my upsizing. He's driving me nuts!" |
| Sam looked at him attentively as Jack's features twisted and eyebrows rose in mock sternness. She couldn't help the small smile that crept across her face. His facial expressions were so similar to the teen version she'd took so much crap from for the last few months before he was upsized. |
| "Is he, Sir," she stated now adding raised eyebrows to her soft smile. |
| "Oh, give me a break here, Carter. I've said sorry." He waved his hand in the air and lifted his chin trying to shrug off the small meaningful statement. |
| "Yes, Sir," she nodded, still smiling. "Maybe you should give *him* a break…Sir." Her head tilted towards infirmary door from where an argument was now emitting. |
| "Give *him* a break?! Are you kidding?!" Jack looked shocked at the suggestion as his eyebrows crept further up his forehead. "In the last two weeks I've had nothing but moaning and arguments, I thought we were buddy's?" |
| "You are sir, but he feels abandoned, you must realize that. It worked for you and not him. Now he has a constant reminder that he's not an adult any more and that he's got to grow up all over again and he also has no friend to do it with. Not one the same age at least." Sam had a sad look in her eyes. "Give him time, sir, he'll make new friends and adjust and you have to remember, he did ask to stay with you, sir." |
| Jack had gone from offensive to defensive in the space of the statement. He'd recoiled, was looking down and had now dug his hands deep into his fatigue pockets. |
| He nodded and looked thoughtfully at Sam, "I know, I know. It's just difficult, that's all. He wants a friend and I'm not the same now…" |
| Carter quirked an eyebrow at him and grinned a little. |
| "Hey! Don't look at me like that, Carter. Maybe I'm not that much different, but he needs adult guidance too. I'm struggling with being both." |
| "Well maybe he should come back to me, sir? It would mean your relationship would be easier, you get the fun stuff and to be his friend?" |
| Jack sighed and shook his head, "I don't know Carter, he wants to be with me. I'm sure we'll work it out and Uncle George has offered to give me a break too." |
| Sam had to laugh at that, "Old habits," she mumbled. |
| "Yeah, yeah. It's not funny, Carter," he accused as she wandered away chuckling. |
| "I'll be back later, sir," she threw over her shoulder as she wandered back down the corridor, "Have fun." |
| With that she disappeared around the corner and Jack dropped back against the wall, folding his arms and sighing. |
| "NO!!" The voice resounded into the corridor, Jack knew he had to go and rescue Fraiser before she killed the kid. |
| "Daniel, you have to have the jab, and that's it!! Without it the fever could potentially get unbearable." Janet appeared to be wavering between trying to be understanding and being on the brink of losing her famous short temper very imminently. |
| "Hey," Jack strolled in casually offering a small smile, "What's going on?" |
| The small doctor turned and glared at Jack, "I see you kept your distance, sir?" |
| Well, that was as a good an accusation as any he'd heard, but he couldn't deny it. Jack looked down and rolled back on his heels, his hands making their way back to their comfortable place in his pants pockets. He smiled before looking at Janet, intending to work his charms on the small doctor. |
| "And that's not going to work, sir. I'm a doctor, not a childminder." With that she turned and left the stunned Colonel observing her very annoyed wake. |
| He glanced at Daniel, who had returned a fixed stare to his feet. Jack tilted his head towards the rapidly retreating doctor and catching the boys gaze, asked the obvious question, "So what's the problem, Danny?" |
| Daniel swung his legs more vigorously than before, dropping his hands dramatically into his hoody pocket, "I don't wanna be here and Janet hates me like this and I hate me being like this." |
| Jack took in the miserable look that was now plastered across the kids face as his heart broke. It hadn't really struck him what a horrible situation this was for Daniel until now. He'd thought Daniel was just obstinate and head strong. In truth the kid was hurting...his kid was hurting. Daniel, after all, had always been his kid. |
| Jack mentally kicked himself for his self absorbed stupidity. After all, his life was back as it had been. Bar a few embarrassing situations with his friends and colleagues, he'd had it easy. He was back, big again and none the worse for his experience. Daniel was stuck with this though. The alien device hadn't worked for him. They'd gone in together, expecting to come out side by side as they once had been and it hadn't worked for Daniel. The aliens had said it was meant to be and that there was nothing more that they could do. Daniel had been stoic at the time and merely laughed it off, but not any more. He'd retreated back into himself and all his worst teen traits had flooded to the surface. |
| Maybe Sam had a point, Daniel may be better with her, but Jack felt obliged...no, more than that. This was his best friend, most valued colleague and previously almost a son in everything but blood. Jack felt responsible and needed to make this right in the best way that he could. |
| He once more took in the forlorn look of his friend before stepping over and draping an arm around his shoulder, "Come on Danny, lets go get pizza. I think you've had enough for one day and so have I." Jack smiled when the tear filled blue eyes looked up at him hopefully. |
| "Don't worry buddy, we'll work this out, but for now, it's just me and you, okay?" Jack pulled Daniel closed and squeezed to reiterate his sentiment. For his trouble, Jack received a silent nod and a small smile before Daniel slipped from the gurney. |
| "Thanks, Jack," the nearly whispered appreciation was bestowed on the older man, making Jacks gut clench, but reassuring the older man he was doing the right thing for once. |
| Daniel shrugged his back pack back on his shoulder, staying in Jacks grasp. |
| "Are you telling George we're going?" |
| "I'll ring from my mobile, Danny, don't worry." Jack reassured before dragging his charge around the corner and through the infirmary door, "Come on kid, let's split this joint!" And with that they both left, Jack more determined than ever that he'd make Daniel's new life as normal as possible. |
