| Jack returned to his house later that night. Daniel was gone, dead, ascended, who knew what had happened to him. All he knew was that his friend was around anymore. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge, went to his bedroom and laid down, almost downing the whole bottle in one gulp. Damn Daniel for making him tell them to stop treating him. |
| Week 1 |
| In the control room at the SGC, Sgt. Davis was monitoring the action of the Stargate, or rather the inaction. Nobody had been in a good mood since Daniel had, well, whatever had happened to Daniel had happened. Col. O'Neill was shorter-tempered than normal. Carter secluded herself in her lab and Teal'c had barely restrained himself from severely harm two sparring opponents. In an instant, all seven chevrons glowed and the Stargate activated. He hit the emergency button. "Unscheduled off-world activation!!" the sirens blared. After trying unsuccessfully to close the iris, Davis yelled for General Hammond. "Sir, the iris will not shut. Incoming traveler!" |
| The security forces flowed into the gate room, weapons drawn. Jack, Carter and Teal'c arrived in the control room at the same time. As everyone looked through the glass, a glowy energy being arrived through the wormhole. What was left of SG-1 ran down to the gate room hoping against hope Daniel had returned. |
| Jack was the first to approach as the glowy being became corporeal. Unfortunately, it wasn't Daniel. However, it was Oma. Once she took human form, another form took shape in her arms. A very small newborn child was cradled against her. She approached O'Neill. "It has not been so very long since I have seen you." |
| "No, it hasn't," Jack replied warily. "Is there a reason you're here?" He kept eyeing the baby in her arms. It was sleeping peacefully. The short flyaway hair was blonde. |
| "Yes, there is," Oma answered. She held out the baby to Jack who took it reluctantly. "Daniel's ascension didn't go as well as I had hoped. The others were unhappy with my decision to assist him. This was the best solution I could come up with." |
| After being transferred to Jack, the baby woke up and stared at him with bright blue eyes. Immediately, the child began to cry. Jack carefully shifted the baby onto his shoulder and began to soothe it, rubbing it's back. "And what solution is that?" The crying began to ease. |
| "I have returned him to his family," she told him, indicating the baby. Then her human form began to return to the glowy energy being and the Stargate reengaged. |
| "Wait!" Jack yelled as Oma headed towards the Stargate. "What do you mean you returned him to us? Where is he?" |
| Oma continued through the 'gate without saying anything else. |
| Ask and you shall receive, Domino. Hope your finger gets better soon. No warnings. |
| The moment Jack yelled, the crying restarted and he had to again comfort the baby lying on his shoulder. |
| "O'Neill," Teal'c said, gaining his attention. "I believe you are holding Daniel Jackson at this moment." |
| "This is a baby, not a thirty-seven year old. Daniel's thirty-seven," Jack said, not able to wrap his brain around the idea. |
| Carter stepped in and her hand across the fuzzy blonde hair and smiling. "I think Teal'c's right, sir. There's only one way to be sure though." |
| "Dr. Fraiser's needles, oi." Jack didn't like the thought of needles poking this baby. Sara had always been the one to take Charlie to the doctor. "Permission to go to the infirmary, sir?" |
| "Permission granted," Hammond answered, as perplexed as everyone else. |
| Janet was all ready for them, having being alerted by Davis. Not a pediatrician, she still had enough knowledge to deal with an emergency situation. Jack walked in quickly holding the baby. "Is that my patient, colonel?" |
| Jack nodded, but didn't release the child. The baby had grown quiet in his arms and he didn't want to disturb it. |
| Janet held out her arms. "I'm going to need the baby if I'm going to find out if it's healthy and whether or not it really is Daniel Jackson." |
| He acquiesced and carefully handed the baby over. |
| As soon as Janet held the child, it started screaming again. "Shh, shh, little one. It's okay," she cooed. She placed the baby on an exam table and unwrapped the blanket. "Well, it is a boy," she told the nervously waiting team. "And he still has his umbilical cord stump." After warming the cold stethoscope in her hands, she listened to the heart and lungs. "Sounds healthy enough." Finally she weighed him. "Eight pounds four ounces. That's a healthy weight for a newborn. Now to find out if it's really Dr. Jackson." |
| When she placed the baby back on the bed and pulled out a needle, Jack intervened. "Is that the only way to do it? Can't you use his cheek cells or something? I saw that on CSI one time." He placed his hand on the boy's chest and was rubbing it in comforting circles. The crying immediately lessened. |
| Janet smiled. "You're right about the cheek cells, colonel. However I still need to take blood to see how healthy he is." She watched the interaction between the adult and child. "You may hold him if you want. It might keep him calmer." |
| "Yeahsureyoubetcha," Jack quipped. |
| He started to wrap the baby up in the blanket when Janet interrupted him. "I need to have access, colonel." |
| "For crying out loud, Doc. he's cold." Jack didn't want to unwrap his bundle. "Where are you going to take the blood?" |
| "His thigh." |
| Jack removed the blanket from that part of the baby. Then he held him tight. Janet carefully removed a sample of blood and Jack quickly wrapped the leg back up. "I'll be able to tell you if the baby has the same blood type as Dr. Jackson, but I won't have final results for a couple of days." She handed the vial to a nurse with instructions for the testing. "He seems to be a happy and healthy newborn though." |
| Jack felt a warmth on his shirt as he cradled the baby against his chest. "A baby who needs clothes and diapers," he told them. "Carter?" |
| "Sir?" Sam didn't know much about babies. She'd been too interested in school to want to baby-sit. |
| "Can you go buy some things for this child?" |
| "I'm not sure I'd know what to get," she said, then added, "sir." |
| Siler sat up from the exam table he was lying on. "If doc will release me, I'll go shopping with you. I have a little one of my own." |
| Jack looked at Siler in shock. First, he hadn't even realized he was in the room. Second, he had no idea Siler had a child. "Doc?" |
| "You're released, sergeant. Just take it easy with your wrist, understood?" |
| "Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Major, are you coming?" |
| "Um, yes. Right away," Sam answered. |
| "Colonel, why don't you put the baby down and we'll make a temporary diaper for it." Janet had noticed the spreading stain. |
| Reluctantly, Jack again placed the child on the table. Janet grabbed a hand towel and folded it up to make a diaper. She cleaned, powdered and put on the new diaper. "That should last until the major returns. Why don't you let us take care of him and go take a shower and change clothes?" |
| The baby started to cry again and Jack said, "Just give me a scrub. I'll be fine." He started to take off his shirt and Janet grabbed a scrub for him. Once he quickly changed he picked the boy back up and the crying ceased. |
| "You seem to have a way with him, colonel," Janet mentioned. "He will be fine with us if you need a break though." |
| Jack sat down on a chair. "I'm fine." He was enjoying the feel of this baby in his arms. He placed his pinky on the small quivering lip and felt the strong pull as the baby sucked it in. "Do we have anything to feed him? He seems hungry." |
| "I'll see what I can do." She left them alone and went to check on the test results and to see if she could find something to feed the baby. |
| Jack began talking to the baby. "You need a name and since I'm pretty sure you are Daniel Jackson, might as well call you Danny. I like to find whoever did this to you and strangle them," he said in a singsong voice. "You shouldn't have to grow up twice in one lifetime. Shouldn't have to die more than once in a lifetime either, but that doesn't seem to bother you." Jack shifted to get more comfortable. "We'll take care of you though. Don't worry about that." |
| Janet came back with a small baby bottle of milk. "Here you go. We have emergency stock on hand." |
| Removing his finger noisily, Jack inserted the nipple. "Whoa, slow down Danny. There's more." The small child greedily sucked down the whole bottle. Jack held up the now empty bottle. "Any more, doc?" |
| "I think he needs to be burped first, colonel. I can do that if you want." Janet reached out to take the baby only to be brushed off. |
| "I've got it, doc." He placed the baby against his shoulder and gently patted the back. A short time later a loud burp erupted, followed by some spittle. Jack wasn't fazed. Lowering the baby back to a cradled position, Danny quickly fell asleep. "Eat, sleep, and poop. That's all babies do if I remember right. Hope Carter gets here with those diapers soon. |
| Sam and Siler arrived none too soon. A warmth had settled on Jack's lap and it wasn't just the sleeping baby. He placed the boy back on the table. "Hand me one of those diapers, Carter." He started unwrapping the blankets and unpinning the makeshift diaper. "Whew! You're a stinker in more ways than one, Danny Boy." After cleaning the mess he started putting on the diaper Sam handed him. It didn't fit. It was too small. "Carter, you didn't get preemie diapers, did you?" |
| "No, sir," she answered. "These are for newborns. Seven to nine pounds. Maybe you're putting them on wrong." |
| "I know how to put on a diaper, major," Jack chastised. "And this one is too small." He threw it aside and grabbed another cloth. |
| "Just a minute, colonel," Janet said, stepping in. "Let me see something." She picked Danny up and placed him on the scale again. She had a nurse come over and check her measurements. Once they were confirmed, she announced, "He's gained two pounds three ounces and has grown two inches." |
| Taking the baby from Janet and holding him up in front of him, he said, "He does look bigger, but that's impossible." Finally he finished diapering the child and held him again. "Then again," he muttered. |
| Janet called over the nurse, whispered something to her and sent her off again. |
| "What?" Jack asked. |
| "I'm having the blood sample checked for nanobots, colonel. Just in case," she explained. |
| "Oh," Jack responded. He didn't want Danny to have nanobots in his system. Too many things went wrong with them. |
| Finally Jack allowed the nurses to care for Danny while he went to the briefing Janet arranged. The remaining members of SG-1, Janet and General Hammond sat around the large table. |
| Dr. Fraiser began. "The preliminary tests indicate the boy has the same genetic structure as Dr. Daniel Jackson. However, he is growing at a rate far in advance of normal human physiology." |
| "Nanobots?" Hammond questioned. "Like Col. O'Neill experienced on Argos?" |
| "As far as we can tell, no," Dr. Fraiser answered. Jack sighed in relief. "At the moment we don't know what is causing the rapid growth." |
| "Just how quickly is he growing, doctor?" |
| "In a week, we are predicting he will be a year old," Janet explained. "And he should grow a year for every week after that." |
| "So he'll die of old age in a little over a year?" Sam exclaimed in dismay. If this was really Daniel, and they had him back, she didn't want to just lose him so quickly again. |
| "If the process does not slow down or stop, or we are able to stop it ourselves, yes, he'll grow to old age very quickly." |
| "Then you'll just have to find a way to stop it," Jack insisted, hitting the table with his fist in frustration. "We are not losing him again." |
| "We will do everything in our power to keep it from happening, sir," Janet responded stiffly. "But without understanding what's causing the growth, we're flying blind, sir." |
| "What shall happen to Daniel Jackson in the meantime?" Teal'c asked in his deep voice. "Who shall take care of him?" |
| "We will," Jack insisted. "We're his team. It's our job." |
| "You have other responsibilities, Col. O'Neill," Hammond reminded him. |
| "With all due respect, sir. Those responsibilities can wait." Jack knew where his loyalties lied at the moment, and it wasn't with the Air Force. "Put me on leave or retire me again, but I will be taking care of him. For as long as he needs me." |
| "I also request time off to continue Daniel Jackson's care," Teal'c added. |
| "As do I, sir," Sam piped in, unwilling to be left out. Daniel was also her best friend. |
| Hammond groaned. This was blackmail and everyone knew it. However if he didn't give in, he could lose his best team permanently. "You know he can not be allowed off base. There would be no way to explain his rapid growth." |
| "We can set up something in one of the VIP rooms," Janet suggested. "That way SG-1 could take care of him but still be able to work on base as needed." |
| "We are not shutting him up underground his whole life," Jack argued. "That's no way for a kid to grow up." |
| "You can take him anywhere on the mountain, colonel," Hammond agreed. "And perhaps you'll be able to take him on additional field trips." |
| "Fine," Jack said a little too severely. When he noticed Hammond's glare, he added, "Sir." |
| "He's going to need supplies, general," Sam pointed out. "Furniture, clothes, lots of clothes, and toys." |
| "Teal'c and you can go shopping," Jack told them. |
| He started to pull out his credit card when Hammond stopped him and said, "And charge it to the SGC. I'll explain it to the money crunchers somehow." |
| "Thank you, sir," Jack said a little more pleasantly. "If the meeting's over, I'd like to get back to him." |
| "Dismissed," Hammond told them. "And take good care of him, colonel." |
| "I will, sir." Jack stood up and walked back to the infirmary. Danny was waiting for him. |
| Danny had been sleeping until the moment Jack walked into the infirmary. After that everyone could tell how strong his little lungs were until he was picked up and cradled in Jack's strong arms. "Shh, little one," he cooed. "It looks like you and I are going to be roomies for awhile. I'll get you out of this boring infirmary and into a nicer room." One of the nurses gave him a dirty look. He ignored it. If Danny was only going to have a short time with them again, he was going to do the best by him. He already knew which VIP room he wanted. It was the largest one with the most comfortable bed. Gathering up what little Danny already had, he walked out of the infirmary, down the hall to the elevator and then down another hall to the VIP quarters. After he swiped his card he opened the door turned on the light and looked around. It wasn't much of a room for a baby, but he could change that. He laid Danny down on the bed and placed the two pillows on either side of him in case he'd learned to roll over already. Clearing the dresser of the items placed on it left room for him to lay down a folded blanket, which then transformed it into a changing table. Danny gurgled away at him while he worked. A short time later Danny was grunting and turning red. A short time after that, Jack was happy he'd set up the changing table. He'd just cleaned Danny up and was ready to put on another makeshift diaper when Sam walked in the room with Siler and a few other airmen loaded down with the shopping they'd done. |
| "Sir," Carter said as she caught a whiff of the smell. "I think you'll be needing these." She handed him a bag of diapers. "We decided to get a bag of each size they had." |
| "Thanks, Carter," Jack replied, his hand holding Danny on the table. "How about getting one ready for me?" |
| "Oh, right sir." Sam opened up the bag of diapers, pulled one out and unfolded it. Then she stepped up next to Jack and right into Danny's line of fire. |
| Jack couldn't help laughing as he handed her a washcloth and cleaned Danny up again before putting on the new diaper. "Why don't you get changed while we set things up here. You'll learn where to stand when changing little boys." |
| "Yes, sir," Carter agreed, wiping at her shirt. |
| In the meantime Siler had started assembling the crib and the other airmen were putting the rest of the things away. |
| "Did you buy out the store, Siler?" Jack asked him after noticing the mounds of packages. |
| "A baby needs a lot of things," Siler told him without turning from his work. "Especially a baby that's growing this fast." |
| Jack saw some wall decorations and picked them up. "You have good taste." |
| "Thank you, sir. My wife says the same thing." He had already finished with the crib. "All set, sir. I lowered the mattress so he can't get out too easily. Do you want me to put the decorations up, sir?" |
| "I'd appreciate it. Danny really likes to be held." |
| "Not a problem, sir. Glad to help." Siler started putting up the pictures and puffy wall hangings. |
| Jack sat down on the chair, put his feet on the footstool and laid Danny along his long legs. He gave Danny a tickle and received a laugh in response. Another tickle and another laugh. |
| "Dr. Jackson has a nice laugh," commented Siler. "It's too bad I've never heard it before this." |
| Jack was stunned by this comment. He realized Siler was right. Daniel rarely laughed. Determined things would be different this time, he tickled Danny once more eliciting another laugh. |
| Teal'c finally arrived through the doorway, pushing a sporty bicycle with training wheels. "I apologize for being late, O'Neill. I had to assemble this mode of transportation for Daniel Jackson." |
| "A bike, Teal'c?" Jack asked in astonishment. "He's just a baby." |
| "According to Doctor Fraiser, Daniel Jackson will not be a baby for long. I do have something for him until he is old enough for this bicycle." Teal'c left the room and returned with a Hot Wheels tricycle. "Major Carter said this would be a first mode of transportation." |
| "Ya think?" Danny started fussing. Jack stood up with the baby in his arms. "I think he needs feeding. Why don't you put the bikes in the corner and hold Danny for a little bit while I get his bottle ready?" |
| Teal'c put the bikes away and relieved Jack of his charge. He cradled the baby in one arm and talked to him. "Do not worry young Daniel Jackson. We will take very good care of you for as long as you need it." Danny grabbed onto Teal'c's large finger and pulled it towards his mouth. "O'Neill will soon have nourishment for you little one. Do not fear. Your hunger will be satisfied." |
| Jack finished making the bottle and handed it to Teal'c. "Why don't you feed him? I need some time to get things settled." |
| "I would be happy to feed Daniel Jackson, O'Neill." Teal'c took the bottle and sat down in the chair Jack had vacated. Danny immediately sucked in the nipple and ate vigorously. |
| "Um, do you know how to change a diaper?" Jack asked. |
| "I have changed diapers, O'Neill. However, these plastic pants are new to me." |
| "I can show him how, colonel. That is if he needs changing before you get back," Siler told them. |
| "Thanks, Siler," Jack replied. "I'll be gone about an hour." He had to get his own belongings from his on base quarters so he could move into this room with Danny. |
| Teal'c continued to feed Danny as he talked to him. "I do not know what will happen to you, Daniel Jackson. However, I know you will grow into a great man. A man who has touched a great many lives." Danny reached up latched onto Teal'c's wrist while he ate. Once he'd finished the bottle, Teal'c sat him up and patted his back, eliciting a rather loud and long burp. |
| "Just be glad he's not a barfer," Siler commented, having finished his decorating. The room had a whole new feel to it. There was a crib in the corner next to the bed with a fabric pyramid hanging on the wall above it. A large area rug covered the floor to give Danny a place to play. A small climbing gym filled another corner and a ball pit was in the final corner. A child's wall hanging covered one of the bland gray walls. Siler had even fashioned a fake window to provide Danny the illusion he wasn't hundreds of feet underground. |
| Teal'c laid Danny against his shoulder and soon the deep, even breathing that only an innocent child can have sounded in the room. "The crib's ready for him, Teal'c. That is if you want to lay him down," Siler told him. |
| Not wanting to release the baby, but knowing he couldn't hold him forever, Teal'c laid Danny on his back. The baby continued to sleep on peacefully. |
| A short time later, Jack returned to the room with his belongings. Teal'c signaled him to be quiet by pointing at the crib. "Ah," Jack said quietly. "Did he finish his bottle?" |
| "All of it, O'Neill. Then he released the air he had swallowed and fell to sleep," Teal'c informed him. "Also, Siler returned to his duties." |
| "The room looks great. Danny'll love it." Jack put away his things and settled in. "I'm fine with him if you want to go get something to eat." |
| "Very well, O'Neill. Should I return with food for you?" |
| "Thanks. A sandwich would be great." Jack lay down on the bed. It's been a long day. |
| When Teal'c returned with the food, Jack was as sound asleep as Danny was. He put the tray on the end table and left them alone. |
| ~#~ |
| Jack woke up to a whining and whimpering baby. When he went to check on his whiny bundle of joy, he found the diaper had grown tight around Danny's middle as he'd slept. Jack would have to remember to leave them a little loose when he was put to bed. Gathering Danny up in his arms, he carried him over to the changing table and grabbed the new diaper. Once cleaned and changed, Danny needed fed. Jack made up a bottle and fed his little charge. |
| Sam walked in as Danny was finishing his bottle. "How's Daniel doing, sir?" she asked as she walked over to him and tickled Danny's belly, causing him to spit up on Jack. |
| "He's doing just fine, Carter. Growing a little to quickly, but we knew that would happen." He wiped the mess up with a diaper rag. "Do you want to hold him while I clean up?" |
| "Um, sure, sir." Jack handed Danny to her and she held him with both hands out in front of her. "Is he going to spit up again?" |
| "Probably," Jack told her. "Just wipe it up if he does. You'll probably want to hold him a little closer or your arms are going to get tired." He grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom leaving them alone. |
| Sam continued to hold Danny at arms length. He hung there looking at her, then he gave her a great big smile. She couldn't resist and pulled him closer. "I don't have much experience with babies, you know." Danny grabbed her nose. She sat on the rocker and pulled his hand away. "I could get used to this though." Sitting Danny on her lap facing her, she took both his hands and clapped them together. He giggled and she did it again. Again he giggled. This isn't too hard, she thought. Then the baby reached out and yanked her hair hard. "Ouch!" she said loudly as she pulled his hand away. |
| Danny's little face scrunched up and she knew what was coming next. "Waaaahhhhhhhhh!" The screams were loud and shrill. Sam pulled Danny up to her chest and tried to quiet him. "It's okay, Daniel. It just hurt when you pulled my hair." She patted his back awkwardly. "Come on, baby. It's okay." |
| Jack came out of the bathroom still buttoning his shirt. "Danny a little upset, Carter?" |
| "Yes, sir." Sam handed Danny back to Jack and he immediately quieted. "I don't think he likes me, sir." She tried to not show her hurt, but failed. |
| "For crying out loud, Carter. He's just a baby. You need to relax a little around him and he'll relax." Jack laid Danny on the carpet on his belly so he could finish putting his boots on. |
| Danny cooed and wriggled and turned himself onto his back. Then looked really surprised at himself. |
| "Whoa, big guy. We're going to have to keep a better eye on you if you're already turning over." Jack told Carter, "Put that gym thingy over him so he has something to occupy himself and he won't start crying." |
| Sam found the play gym and settled it within Danny's reach. Soon the sounds of rattles and music chimes could be heard as Danny kicked and grabbed at the items hanging over him. |
| "Thanks. That'll keep him busy for awhile." Jack had finished putting his boots on. "I think we need to get him some fresh air today. Want to go topside with us?" |
| ~#~ |
| Sam shook her head. "No thank you, sir. I have some work to do." Mostly she was a little worried about the colonel leaving her alone with Daniel again. Maybe she'd be able to handle it better when he was older. She just wasn't the baby type of person. |
| "Okay. Do you know where Teal'c is?" Jack grabbed a bag and started loading it with a blanket and diapers and other things he thought they might need. |
| "He said he'd be back shortly." Sam looked at all the stuff. "Are you really going to need all that just to go outside?" |
| "Probably not, but with a baby you'd rather be prepared." Jack finished packing and slung the bag over his shoulder. Then he looked down at Danny who was still kicking the play gym. "Ready to go, big guy?" Danny looked at him and smiled. Jack moved the play gym out of the way and picked Danny up. |
| Teal'c opened the door before Sam had a chance. "Teal'c, glad you're here. We're going topside. Want to come?" Jack asked. |
| "Certainly, O'Neill." Teal'c stepped out of the way to allow Sam to exit. |
| "I'll see you later, sir," she said as she walked out the door. |
| "Ya think?" Jack handed the baby bag to Teal'c and shifted Danny in his arms. "And we're walking," he sing-songed. |
| Once they reached the outside, they hiked up the mountain a ways. Then Teal'c laid the blanket on the ground and Jack laid Danny on his back. He sat down with his back against a tree watching his best friend kick and wriggle. "I don't want to watch Danny die again," he said quietly. |
| "Nor do I, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed. "Therefore we must rely on Dr. Fraiser to come up with a solution to Daniel Jackson's rapid growth." |
| "If she doesn't," Jack said sadly, "he'll die in less than two years. I can't go through that again." |
| There was nothing Teal'c could say, so he didn't say anything. |
| "Do you think this Danny will be like our Daniel, Teal'c?" Danny rolled over and lifted his head to look at Jack. |
| "I do not understand the question," Teal'c stated. |
| "Daniel was Daniel because of everything he'd gone through in his life, good and bad. If he has to live his life over, will he still be the same person?" |
| "I believe what made Daniel Jackson the man he was, will still be there. However, he will have differences." |
| "Ya think?" Jack said flippantly. This whole situation was so frustrating for him. He never thought his friend would have to relive his life. This time though, he would make sure Danny felt loved and safe, whatever it took. |
| Danny kept lifting his head and then letting it fall as if it took too much effort. Then his tiny little face scrunched up and turned red for a while. Not too long after that, both men were glad they had the baby bag. "Want to learn how to change one of these disposable diapers, Teal'c?" Jack asked as he took what he needed out of the bag. |
| "I believe I can learn by watching you," Teal'c explained, although he did help by picking Danny up and laying him on the changing pad. |
| "Yeahsureyoubetcha," Jack quipped. He went ahead and changed the dirty diaper, explaining how the tabs worked as he went. He rolled up the diaper and handed it to Teal'c. "Put it in a plastic bag and we'll throw it away when we get back down." |
| Teal'c held the diaper carefully and did what Jack said. |
| Jack picked Danny up and held him close. He missed the smell of a baby, never thinking he'd be doing this again. "Let's head back," he told Teal'c. Taking his time, Jack hiked back down the mountain letting Danny take in everything around him. |
| ~#~ |
| That night Jack remembered to leave a little bit of room in the diaper for Danny to grow. The next morning, Jack went to get Danny out of the crib and found him rocking back and forth on all fours. He wasn't crawling yet, but it wouldn't be long now. |
| Danny looked up at Jack when he noticed the movement and smiled. Then he promptly fell over on his side. Jack laughed and reached down to pick him up. The diaper was now snug, but not too tight. Danny reached up and grabbed Jack's bottom lip pulling it towards him. |
| Prying the hand away, Jack commented, "You have a good grip there, kiddo. Did you sleep well?" Danny just smiled back. "I think you need a bath this morning though. I also think you're already too big for the baby tub Carter got you. How about you and I take a shower together?" Danny was already holding himself up in Jack's arms. Deciding the head tilt Danny gave him was a nod of agreement; Jack carried him over to the changing table and stripped him. Then he laid a naked Daniel on the bed and stripped also. He again picked up the baby and held him close. After walking into the bathroom, he reached into the shower and adjusted the head to the gentlest spray and found the correct temperature. Finally he stepped into the shower with Danny and closed the curtain. Danny yelped in surprise and clung to Jack. keeping him out of the direct spray, Jack got Danny wet and washed his hair and body then took care of himself. Gasping in shock when the water caught him off guard, Danny wiped at his eyes and Jack decided the shower was over. He turned off the water and reached out to grab the towel so Danny wouldn't get cold. |
| Once the baby was bundled up, he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself then opened the door to the bedroom. "Carter!" he exclaimed, standing there with Danny, both dressed only in a towel. |
| "Sir!" Sam yelled back. "Sorry. I knocked and no one answered so I thought I'd wait for you. I-I'll just wait outside for you to get dressed." She started toward the door when Jack stopped her. |
| "Wait a minute, Carter," he said. "Here, take Danny and get him dressed. It'll give me a chance to get dressed and shaved without worrying about him." He handed the boy off to Sam and grabbed his clothes. "Be out in a minute." He disappeared into the bathroom leaving them alone. |
| ~#~ |
| Sam held Danny at arms length again, but them pulled him in close. "Why does the colonel keep leaving you all alone with me? I don't know how to take care of babies." She laid Danny on changing table and he started fussing. "See what I mean," she said, rubbing his chest. Danny gurgled at her. "Oh, you like that." She gave his belly a little tickle and Danny laughed this time. "Maybe babies aren't so bad," she commented. |
| "The colonel said to dress you, so I guess I should. I'm not sure it was an order though." After she unwrapped the towel she remembered what happened the last time and covered his privates with it. "I don't need another shower, young man." Sam thought Danny looked smugly at her. "Don't get any ideas, okay?" Keeping her hand on his chest she grabbed the diaper and then unfolded it. "I think I know how to do this." Not moving the towel until the last possible moment, she managed to get Danny diapered. |
| Now to decide what he should wear. There was a cute little hockey shirt that looked to be the right size in the drawer, so she put that on him and then found a pair of shorts that went with it. "How's that, Daniel? Do you feel better now?" Picking him up again, she took him over to the chair and sat down to wait for Jack. "We are going to figure out a way to stop you from growing too old, Daniel. Understood?" Danny just started at her and then grabbed her hair again. This time she was fast enough to intercept his hand and started to play patty-cake with him. |
| "I see you two are doing better today, Carter," Jack commented from the doorway. His hair was still wet, but he was clean-shaven and dressed in blue BDUs. |
| "Yes, sir. I guess I just needed to relax around him," Sam replied. |
| "Ya think?" Jack quipped. "He may be a baby, but he's still our Daniel. I can't believe Oma would do anything to harm him." |
| "But what if it was Oma that did this to him, sir?" Sam looked worriedly at her young charge. "What if it was one of the others? What if this is a punishment for something he did? Make him live his life over and then let him die again." Danny got a frown on his face and looked like he was going to cry, so she tried to put a smile back on her face and hoped Danny couldn't read her feelings. He leaned against her and snuggled. |
| "No way could Daniel have done anything that bad, Carter. He's too good a person." |
| "Yes, sir," Sam agreed. "Are you ready to take him back?" She was getting used to Danny, but was still a little uncomfortable with him. "I should get back to work." She stood up and handed Danny to Jack. |
| He easily held Danny on his hip. "We will figure out how to keep him from dying, Carter. We've done it before." Jack couldn't let himself believe any differently. |
| "Yes, sir." Sam walked to the door and opened it. "Call me if you need anything, sir. I'll be in my lab." |
| ~#~ |
| Jack decided to take Danny on a tour of the SGC since both of them were wide awake with nothing to do. He settled his cap on his head and Danny on his hip and left the room. First stop, the commissary. All eyes turned toward him when he entered. He knew it wasn't his magnetic personality though which drew their attention. Ignoring the stares, he grabbed a tray and stepped into line. He grabbed a bowl and some Cheerios® for Danny and a plate of hotcakes and sausage. Then he settled them at a table with Danny sitting on his lap and set the cereal down in the baby's reach. He couldn't quite remember when Charlie had started mouthing cereal, but he figured either Danny would like it or he wouldn't. |
| Danny reached out for the cereal and managed to get one to stick to his hand, wasn't exactly holding onto it, but it still worked. Immediately the hand with the cereal went into his mouth and he pushed back against Jack. Mouthing the food, he reached for some more, promptly scattering them all over the floor. |
| "Danny!" Jack said a little too quickly and loudly. Danny's little face screwed up and he let out a wail. Jack put down his fork with the uneaten sausage still attached and turned the baby so his head was settled on Jack's shoulder. "It's okay, Danny. I didn't mean to yell. You just surprised me. Relax, kiddo," he said soothingly as he rubbed Danny's back. Danny settled in and started sucking his hand. |
| "Seems you have your hands full, Colonel," someone commented while pulling out a chair and sitting down. Jack looked over to find General Hammond calmly staring at him. "Yes, sir. I was just trying to eat some breakfast." |
| George held out his hands. "Let me have Daniel while you eat." |
| Not sure rather it was a request or an order, not that it mattered, Jack handed Danny over. George put Danny on his knee, held the boy's hands and played horsey with him. Danny giggled and laughed. |
| Jack quickly went to work finishing his breakfast. "You have a way with him, sir," he commented between bites. |
| "I have two granddaughters, remember. I really enjoy the baby stage." Danny seemed to tire of horsey and the general turned him around and only put two pieces of cereal in front of him. Danny managed to capture one and send one flying to the floor. Once that one was eaten Hammond put out two more. "See, Colonel. If you only put out a few at a time, he can't make such a mess," George explained. |
| Jack couldn't help but smiling. "Yes, sir. I'll have to remember that." Finished with his meal, he stood up to get rid of his tray. As he was walking away, Danny let out a howl and reached out for him. |
| "Doesn't look like Daniel is going to let you get too far from him yet, Colonel," Hammond said, standing up with Danny so he wouldn't be too far away. Once Jack's hands were empty, they were quickly filled with his small friend. |
| "It sure seems that way, sir. I'm sure he'll get tired of me though." Jack held Danny close and he calmed down again. 'He did before,' he thought ruefully. Then he shook his head to clear it of those thoughts. It wasn't Daniel's fault they'd grown apart. It had just happened. "I was thinking of taking Danny on a tour of the base," he told the general. "If that's not a problem, sir." |
| "Not at all. It's his home for now after all." George tickled Danny's belly and he giggled, grabbing at the general's hand. "Have a good time with Jack, Daniel. Don't let him get in trouble." |
| "We won't, sir," Jack replied. "Let me know if you need anything." |
| "I will, Colonel. Take care." Once they were in the hallway, Hammond turned towards the briefing room and Jack towards the gym. |
| In the gym, Jack found Teal'c and Siler working out with the weight. "How are things going, sir?" Siler asked. "Is young Dr. Jackson there behaving himself?" |
| Jack smiled. "Dr. Jackson get into trouble? What would make you think that, Siler?" He sat down on the bench. "Danny's doing just fine. Growing too fast," he added a little sadly, "but he seems to be having a great time." |
| "Want me to hold him for a while and give you a break?" Dave Siler asked holding out his arms. |
| "Ya think?" Jack handed Danny over to Siler who then lifted him up in the air and gave him a little toss. "You might want to take it a little easy with him," he said in warning, but it was too late. Danny had already thrown up his cereal all over Siler's face. "He just had breakfast," he finished lamely. Jack took Danny back. |
| "I think I'll go take a shower, sir," Siler told him. "The offer is always open though. Throw up or not." |
| After Siler left, Teal'c asked, "Is DanielJackson healthy?" |
| "He's fine," Jack answered. "Babies just can't handle being tossed around after they eat. Didn't Ry'ac have that problem?" |
| "Sadly I was not able to be with my son during his babyhood," Teal'c explained. "Apophis did not concern himself with the family life of his Jaffa." |
| "I'm sorry to hear that Teal'c," Jack replied. "I got lucky, sort of. I was injured shortly after Charlie was born so I was able to stay home with him for a couple of months before I had to return to duty. I really like the baby time. It goes by too fast, even for a normal child." He saw Teal'c watching Danny play with Jack's dog-tags. "Do you want to hold him for a while? I don't think he's going to throw up again." |
| "Bodily fluids do not concern me, O'Neill. I would be happy to hold him." Teal'c took Danny from Jack and stood him on his thighs. "He seems to be very strong already." |
| "I've noticed that," Jack agreed stretching his back. |
| Danny stared at Teal'c's face then he reached up and touched the gold tattoo. His little chubby, baby hands patted it a few times and smiled. "I was curious, O'Neill. Do you believe this baby will have the memories of the adult Daniel Jackson?" |
| "For crying out loud, Teal'c. What made you think of that?" Jack couldn't comprehend this baby already having the memories of an adult. |
| "Is this child not the same as the adult? Therefore the memories should be there inside of him," Teal'c explained. |
| "I certainly hope not, T. Although I wouldn't mind him remembering us, there are a lot of things I'd rather he'd never known about in the first place. If he did have to be changed into a baby, I want him to only have new experiences. Hopefully happy ones." Jack hadn't even considered this child would have Daniel's past inside of him. |
| "I can understand that, O'Neill." Danny continued to play with Teal'c's tattoo, then lost his balance and fell against Teal'c's chest. Wrapping his arms around the baby, Teal'c began to rock him. "Perhaps he will not remember." Danny fell asleep lying against him so Teal'c carried him back to his room and laid him in his crib. |
| ~#~ |
| Late that night while Jack was trying to get some sleep, Danny woke up, crying hard. Groggily, Jack walked over to his crib and picked him up. "Come on, sport. A little sleep is good for a person, or a baby." Jack changed Danny's diaper and tried to feed him, but nothing quieted him. While he was cradling the baby, Danny pulled Jack's finger into his mouth and bit down. "Ow," Jack exclaimed, pulling his hand away. "I think I know why you're fussy." He looked at the tooth mark left in his finger. "Let's go see if the doc has anything to help with your teething." Jack laid Danny on the floor where he continued to cry and whine. Then he quickly threw on his BDUs and picked Danny up again. "You sure have a strong set of lungs on you, but let's go see the doc and get you settled." |
| Janet had been stuck on base due to an accident SG-6 had off world. She was in her office finishing off the paperwork when Jack walked in with the crying baby. Quickly she left the office and met him in the infirmary. "What's wrong with Daniel, Colonel?" she asked, ready to take him from Jack. |
| "Relax, doc," Jack told her, not letting go. "It's just a simple case of teething. I was hoping you had something here for him. Otherwise I thought I'd use Grandma O'Neill's remedy." |
| "And what exactly is this remedy, Colonel?" Despite Jack not wanting to let Daniel go, she managed to gather him into her arms and began to check him over. His crying never completely stopped. |
| "Um," Jack stalled, not sure if he should've brought up Grandma O'Neill's remedy. |
| "Spill, Colonel," Janet insisted. Danny's new teeth were as obvious to her as they'd been to Jack. |
| "Frozenwhiskeywashcloth," Jack said rather quickly. |
| "Colonel O'Neill!" Janet cried. "You are not giving this child whiskey for teething problems. Understood?" |
| "Yes, ma'am," Jack agreed. "It works though," he added in his defense. |
| "Be that as it may, I have safer methods for treating teething." She walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of topical anesthetic. "This will be better for him." She placed a small amount on her finger and rubbed Danny's gums. First he made a face, but then he stopped crying and started sucking his thumb. "Hopefully he'll be able to sleep now," she said as she handed Danny back to Jack. |
| "Thanks, doc," Jack said, taking back the baby and the medicine. "If he sleeps, I get to sleep." |
| "You do know you have ready and willing help," Janet reminded him. |
| "I know, Doc. It's hard to not take care of him myself though," Jack admitted. "He seems to need me." |
| "We all need you, Colonel," Janet pointed out. "If you get too tired, you won't be any good for anyone, including Daniel." |
| "I'll keep that in mind, Doc. For now, I think I'll take him back to our room so we can both get to sleep." Danny was already falling asleep in Jack's arms, having worn himself out with his crying. "I'll let people help me more tomorrow. I promise." |
| "Very well, Colonel. I want to give him a physical tomorrow so bring him by around 1500." It was time to check the rate of his growth. |
| "Yes, ma'am," Jack agreed. He went back to their room, laid Danny back in his crib, and they both slept a few more hours. |
| ~#~ |
| The next morning, Danny woke up with two more teeth. Whatever Janet gave Jack to use worked great. This time Jack locked the door before he and Danny took a shower. After they were ready, Jack decided to continue the tour of the base. He was walking with Danny to Sam's lab when the klaxon went off, blaring 'unscheduled off world activation'. Poor little Danny started crying and covering his ears with his pudgy hands. Not being able to do anything about the noise, he just held Danny close and wrapped his shirt around Danny. |
| Detouring from Sam's lab, he instead headed to the control room. Sgt. Davis announced, "It's a Tok'ra IDC, sir." |
| "Open the iris," the general ordered. |
| The iris spun clear and Jacob Carter exited the wormhole. He stared up at the control room and waited until he got the go ahead to move forward, mindful of the security guards with the rifles pointed at him. |
| "Airmen, stand down," Hammond ordered through the loudspeaker. Then he and Jack walked down the stairs and into the gate room. "Jacob, I'm so glad you could make it," the general said as he greeted him. |
| "I had to come when you informed me of your problem," Jacob replied, looking over at the baby in Jack's arms. "I'm not sure I can be of any help, but I'll do my best." |
| "That's all we can ask, Jacob," Hammond said. |
| "Is this Dr. Jackson?" Jacob reached out and tickled Danny's foot. Danny pulled his foot up, smiling, but grabbed onto Jack tighter. |
| "Yes, it is," Jack answered, trying to turn Danny around so he'd look at Jacob. Danny didn't seem to want to be turned around. Instead, he buried his face into Jack's shirt. |
| "May I hold him, Jack?" Jacob asked, holding out his arms. |
| Jack pried Danny away from his shirt and handed him to Jacob. |
| Jacob held Danny on his hip and looked him over. |
| Danny stared up at Jacob. Then turn his head back toward Jack and held his arms out, crying. Jack took him back and held him close. |
| Jacob just smiled at Jack. "Seems like you're the one he wants." |
| Jack shrugged. |
| "Why don't you get settled in, Jacob. Then we'll meet in the conference room in an hour," Hammond told him. |
| "I'll do that, George," Jacob replied, picking up his bag. |
| ~#~ |
| Jack and Jacob walked to another VIP room near the one Jack and Danny were sharing. Jack opened the door and let Jacob enter first. Danny had stopped fussing and was now intently watching the man who had tried to hold him. |
| "So can you tell me what happened to Daniel?" Jacob asked as he sat his bag on the bed and opened it up. He'd worn his soft but durable Tok'ra clothes through the wormhole, but he'd brought his BDU's to wear around the base knowing he'd attract less attention that way. He started to change as Jack answered his question. "All I know is Oma came through the gate with a baby, handed him to me and then told me it hadn't worked out," Jack explained. "The next day we realized he was growing at a rate of a year a week. Oma didn't give us any other information. We don't know if he'll continue to age, or stop or anything. That's the problem." Danny played with Jack's chin as he was talking. |
| "And he doesn't have any technology inside him?" Jacob had almost finished tucking in his shirt. |
| "Not that we could find, but then Shifu aged quickly without any technology also." Danny started fidgeting, so Jack sat him on the floor. |
| Jacob sat in the chair to put on his boots. "I don't know what to tell you, Jack. I don't know too much about this sort of thing. I probably should've brought Anise with me." |
| "Anise?" Jack said in shock. "No thank you, Jacob. I'm sure we can figure it out without her help." |
| Jacob was bent over tying his laces when he looked over at Danny who had crawled over to him. "Hi there, young man," he said when Danny looked up at him. "Did you come over to see me?" |
| Jack was startled. He'd been so involved in worrying about whether Anise would come or not, that he hadn't been watching Danny. |
| Noticing Jack's surprised, Jacob asked, "Is something wrong?" |
| "Um, not really," Jack answered. "It's just this is the first time Danny crawled. I wasn't expecting it." |
| Danny's head had been ping-ponging between the two of them talking. Jacob reached his arms out to see if Danny would allow himself to be picked up this time. Apparently time worked to Jacob's advantage as Danny sat back on his bottom and also held his arms out. Jacob picked him up and sat him on his lap. "A little happier to see me this time, aren't you?" He bounced Danny on his knee and the baby smiled at him. "He seems happy enough." |
| "He's a very happy baby, Jacob. And I want him to stay that way, but it won't happen if he dies of old age in less than two years." |
| "Like I said, Jack, I'll see what I can do." Jacob stood up with Danny in his arms. "Why don't we head to the briefing? Will Sam be there?" |
| Jack opened the door for him and Danny reached out, wanting Jack back. Apparently sitting in a chair with Jacob was fine, but moving around was not. Jack gladly took him back. "I'm sure she will be," he answered. "She was in the middle of an experiment the last I heard." |
| Closing the door behind him, they headed to the briefing room. |
