FIC: Transliteration 10- The Past is Prologue by Catsmeow
This takes place immediately after the events in T-9: From The Mouths of Babes. G-rated and 1,733 words, this is the universe where Daniel is a partially aware toddler with Jack as his guardian. Daniel is about 2 years old, but his linguistic and fine motor skills are advanced well beyond that age. Even though Transliteration is set in Season 7, Janet is alive and you may see her in some of the stories. One of the things I have enjoyed about these vignettes is the chance to play with different POV's. I've done one from Cassie, Janet, Teal'c and now - Sara O'Neill. I have plans for a longer action fic wherein Bad Guys try to take Daniel and both Janet and Sara will play major roles along with SG-1 in keeping him safe
Synopsis: An innocent trip to the park takes a bewildering turn for Sara O'Neill.
The Past is Prologue
Transliteration 10
by Catsmeow
Autumn was Sara O'Neil's favorite time of year because of days like this. Crisp weather that was warm in the sunshine and brisk in the shade combined with colorful foliage made it a perfect day for a walk in the park. The contrast of warm sun and cold breeze was invigorating. She was particularly fond of this park, even though it was a bit far from her house. Sprawling over acres of hillside, it had everything from ball fields to playgrounds and picnic areas, open fields to heavy woods, paved paths and unpaved trails. Whether she felt like packing a lunch and settling in the sun with a good book, or vigorously treading the paths, there was always something to do. She used to come here a lot back when...well, years ago. After IT happened, she couldn't even drive by the park. One day, she found herself not only driving by, but driving through. The next time she came, she parked the car, but couldn't get out. Now, she was a regular visitor again.
Today she ambled along the paths, watching the people as much as the scenery. The park was always busier on the weekends and this Saturday was no exception. There were people walking, jogging and running on the paths or sitting on the benches. All of the playgrounds and sports fields were full. Yet another young couple, arms around each other, were walking toward her so wrapped up in each other that they never noticed the woman in running gear trying to pass them. Up ahead another path crossed hers. There was only one person on it - a man jogging along, coming from the right pushing a bright red stroller with large wheels. With a quick glance as she approached the juncture, she judged his speed to be sure they wouldn't collide in the intersection. Jogging at an easy pace, he would cross the intersection a few seconds before she got there. Dressed in long gym shorts and a tee shirt with a battered baseball cap on his head, from his profile the man resembled...no, he WAS. That WAS Jack pushing a stroller with a blonde toddler riding in it.
She was hit with an overwhelming sense of deja vu. For a moment, just a moment, she thought Jack had Charlie in that stroller and thought, no - Charlie isn't a baby anymore. Then she remembered that her boy was long dead and the pain of that memory hit her full force.
Weak-kneed, she stumbled to a nearby bench, needing to sit down before she fell down. Head bowed, hands shaking, she stared at the ground trying to regain her composure. She felt as though she had been punched in the chest. It hurt to see Jack with a little boy so similar to Charlie at that age. Was it possible to will a racing heart to beat slower? She'd soon find out. A pair of men's running shoes stepped into her field of vision. Jack crouched down, placing a hand on her knee, wheeling the stroller next to him. She should have known he'd see her. He always noticed everything around him, particularly when he didn't seem to be looking.
His gentle voice asked, "Monkey? You okay?"
She raised her face to meet brown eyes full of concern. Ever since that...thing had come to her wearing his face, she and Jack had started talking again. First there was the occasional phone call as he checked to see how she was doing. The phone calls became more frequent then segued into meeting for coffee. She knew that, as always, his job precluded him from sharing certain information. But this...she'd thought they'd moved to a level where they could discuss personal things again. Sara wanted Jack to be happy but paradoxically, it hurt to see that he'd moved on. It hurt even more than he hadn't cared enough to tell her. She stuffed down the irrational feeling and tried to smile for him. Nodding to indicate the toddler, she said, "You haven't mentioned seeing anyone but...I guess congratulations are in order?
Jack hastily interrupted. "Oh, no. He's not mine."
"Thack?" The pacifier clenched in his teeth garbled the toddler's speech as his blue eyes peered anxiously from under pinched brows. "I not your boy? You don' wan' me anymore?"
It was hard to tell because of the pacifier in the way, but it seemed as though his bottom lip was quivering. His eyes were certainly welling up and Sara felt the urge to comfort the little tyke. Jack beat her to it, quickly unbuckling him from the stroller. Sitting on the bench next to Sara, he settled the boy on his lap.
"Hey, hey." High pitched, light, and soothing - Jack was using the Daddy voice she remembered so well. "Of course I want you, Daniel. I'll always want you." Feather light kisses brushed across the boy's head as Jack hugged him close. "I just meant that you didn't always live with me, okay?"
"P'omith?" Little hands clutched Jack's shirt.
"Promise."
Obviously relieved, the little boy cuddled against Jack, resting his head just under Jack's chin. The binky moved rhythmically as he turned his attention to her, big blue eyes looking at her curiously. The little boy - Daniel? - might be adopted but Sara could see that Jack loved him very much. She had seen him comfort Charlie many times in much the same way, with kisses, hugs, and that consoling voice.
Who was this child? Daniel...that was the name of that friend of Jack's from the mountain. The first time she had seen Daniel was when that imposter had shown up her door, looking like Jack first then Charlie. Jack himself had come to see her afterwards with the nondisclosure papers required by the government. He'd given her the cock and bull cover story, told her it WAS cock and bull but that he wasn't at liberty to say more. What he did do was reassure her at length that the imposter wouldn't return. The whole time Daniel had hovered just out of ear shot, obviously as worried about Jack's well-being as he was hers. She had seen the young man around town over the years, sometimes in Jack's company, sometimes on his own. From the way Jack often spoke of him, it was clear they were the best of friends.
"Who is he?" She reached out with one finger to stroke the back of the child's hand where it gripped Jack's shirt. "Did...did something happen to your friend? To Daniel?"
She could see the calculation in Jack's eyes as he hesitated.
"Okay," she said quietly, "there's something about his parents that's classified enough you can't even tell me who they are or what happened to them. What's the cover story?"
He sighed, "His parents are in the diplomatic corps, got a dangerous and classified posting and left him with me for safety."
Sara nodded. "So. Whoever they are, you're not sure if they really are -" her gaze flicked to the baby watching her and she changed her next word - "unable to return or not and have to leave the door open for their reappearance." She put her finger under the boy's hand. Tiny fingers transferred their grip from the shirt to her and she smiled at him. "Do you think they'll be back?"
Jack hugged the boy, kissed his head and looked away from her. "No." He sounded defeated. "No, I don't that's going to happen."
Taking a deep breath, she asked, "If they don't, will you keep him?" There was the barest tremor in her voice.
Jack looked back at her, searching her face. "Yeah. Yeah, I will." He raised the hand nearest her, cupping her face. "I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure this was permanent. I didn't want to..." She leaned into the touch as his thumb swept across her cheek. "I didn't want to dredge up any painful emotions for you."
She put her hand atop his and gave him a small smile. "I understand, Jack. It must be hard for you in many ways. If you need help with anything, just ask, okay?"
Mindful of the child on his lap, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, hon. I appreciate that. And now," he continued in a more cheerful tone, "I think it's high time you two were introduced. Sara, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Miss Sara."
The boy suddenly sat upright on Jack's lap, binky in one hand, his baby face expressionless. He had a far away stare as though he were looking through her instead of at her. The hair on the back of her neck prickled at the eerie air of not-quite-rightness the boy was exuding. When he spoke, his words were distinct and perfectly understandable.
"Sara wore a yellow dress with a blue jacket at the hospital. The entity had changed and was beginning to break down, but we were able to get to it in time and send it back through the stargate." His eyes closed, head drooping forward for a second and he shook himself. When he looked back up again, the moment had passed. He was a happy little boy once again, nothing more.
Sara let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and exchanged glances with Jack, who looked stricken and clutched at the boy. "Daniel..." she whispered, "that IS Daniel, isn't it?" She stared at him, wide-eyed. "But how-"
"Honey," a shake of his head stopped her questions, "you know I can't tell you." He sounded tired.
She lifted her hands in acknowledgement. "Yes, of course. Sorry. Tell you what. How about we get some lunch and you tell me what you can?"
Some of the worry lines smoothed out of his face. "I'd like that, Sara," he said softly.
In one smooth motion he stood and put Daniel back in the stroller then got him ready to go. Sara couldn't help noticing how much more adept Jack was at this with Daniel. Then again, with Charlie, he'd spent much of the toddler years on deployment so the lion's share of their son's care fell to Sara. As they strolled along the path discussing their choices for lunch, the feeling of deja vu enveloped her again only this time it made her smile.
Finis
Synopsis: An innocent trip to the park takes a bewildering turn for Sara O'Neill.
The Past is Prologue
Transliteration 10
by Catsmeow
Autumn was Sara O'Neil's favorite time of year because of days like this. Crisp weather that was warm in the sunshine and brisk in the shade combined with colorful foliage made it a perfect day for a walk in the park. The contrast of warm sun and cold breeze was invigorating. She was particularly fond of this park, even though it was a bit far from her house. Sprawling over acres of hillside, it had everything from ball fields to playgrounds and picnic areas, open fields to heavy woods, paved paths and unpaved trails. Whether she felt like packing a lunch and settling in the sun with a good book, or vigorously treading the paths, there was always something to do. She used to come here a lot back when...well, years ago. After IT happened, she couldn't even drive by the park. One day, she found herself not only driving by, but driving through. The next time she came, she parked the car, but couldn't get out. Now, she was a regular visitor again.
Today she ambled along the paths, watching the people as much as the scenery. The park was always busier on the weekends and this Saturday was no exception. There were people walking, jogging and running on the paths or sitting on the benches. All of the playgrounds and sports fields were full. Yet another young couple, arms around each other, were walking toward her so wrapped up in each other that they never noticed the woman in running gear trying to pass them. Up ahead another path crossed hers. There was only one person on it - a man jogging along, coming from the right pushing a bright red stroller with large wheels. With a quick glance as she approached the juncture, she judged his speed to be sure they wouldn't collide in the intersection. Jogging at an easy pace, he would cross the intersection a few seconds before she got there. Dressed in long gym shorts and a tee shirt with a battered baseball cap on his head, from his profile the man resembled...no, he WAS. That WAS Jack pushing a stroller with a blonde toddler riding in it.
She was hit with an overwhelming sense of deja vu. For a moment, just a moment, she thought Jack had Charlie in that stroller and thought, no - Charlie isn't a baby anymore. Then she remembered that her boy was long dead and the pain of that memory hit her full force.
Weak-kneed, she stumbled to a nearby bench, needing to sit down before she fell down. Head bowed, hands shaking, she stared at the ground trying to regain her composure. She felt as though she had been punched in the chest. It hurt to see Jack with a little boy so similar to Charlie at that age. Was it possible to will a racing heart to beat slower? She'd soon find out. A pair of men's running shoes stepped into her field of vision. Jack crouched down, placing a hand on her knee, wheeling the stroller next to him. She should have known he'd see her. He always noticed everything around him, particularly when he didn't seem to be looking.
His gentle voice asked, "Monkey? You okay?"
She raised her face to meet brown eyes full of concern. Ever since that...thing had come to her wearing his face, she and Jack had started talking again. First there was the occasional phone call as he checked to see how she was doing. The phone calls became more frequent then segued into meeting for coffee. She knew that, as always, his job precluded him from sharing certain information. But this...she'd thought they'd moved to a level where they could discuss personal things again. Sara wanted Jack to be happy but paradoxically, it hurt to see that he'd moved on. It hurt even more than he hadn't cared enough to tell her. She stuffed down the irrational feeling and tried to smile for him. Nodding to indicate the toddler, she said, "You haven't mentioned seeing anyone but...I guess congratulations are in order?
Jack hastily interrupted. "Oh, no. He's not mine."
"Thack?" The pacifier clenched in his teeth garbled the toddler's speech as his blue eyes peered anxiously from under pinched brows. "I not your boy? You don' wan' me anymore?"
It was hard to tell because of the pacifier in the way, but it seemed as though his bottom lip was quivering. His eyes were certainly welling up and Sara felt the urge to comfort the little tyke. Jack beat her to it, quickly unbuckling him from the stroller. Sitting on the bench next to Sara, he settled the boy on his lap.
"Hey, hey." High pitched, light, and soothing - Jack was using the Daddy voice she remembered so well. "Of course I want you, Daniel. I'll always want you." Feather light kisses brushed across the boy's head as Jack hugged him close. "I just meant that you didn't always live with me, okay?"
"P'omith?" Little hands clutched Jack's shirt.
"Promise."
Obviously relieved, the little boy cuddled against Jack, resting his head just under Jack's chin. The binky moved rhythmically as he turned his attention to her, big blue eyes looking at her curiously. The little boy - Daniel? - might be adopted but Sara could see that Jack loved him very much. She had seen him comfort Charlie many times in much the same way, with kisses, hugs, and that consoling voice.
Who was this child? Daniel...that was the name of that friend of Jack's from the mountain. The first time she had seen Daniel was when that imposter had shown up her door, looking like Jack first then Charlie. Jack himself had come to see her afterwards with the nondisclosure papers required by the government. He'd given her the cock and bull cover story, told her it WAS cock and bull but that he wasn't at liberty to say more. What he did do was reassure her at length that the imposter wouldn't return. The whole time Daniel had hovered just out of ear shot, obviously as worried about Jack's well-being as he was hers. She had seen the young man around town over the years, sometimes in Jack's company, sometimes on his own. From the way Jack often spoke of him, it was clear they were the best of friends.
"Who is he?" She reached out with one finger to stroke the back of the child's hand where it gripped Jack's shirt. "Did...did something happen to your friend? To Daniel?"
She could see the calculation in Jack's eyes as he hesitated.
"Okay," she said quietly, "there's something about his parents that's classified enough you can't even tell me who they are or what happened to them. What's the cover story?"
He sighed, "His parents are in the diplomatic corps, got a dangerous and classified posting and left him with me for safety."
Sara nodded. "So. Whoever they are, you're not sure if they really are -" her gaze flicked to the baby watching her and she changed her next word - "unable to return or not and have to leave the door open for their reappearance." She put her finger under the boy's hand. Tiny fingers transferred their grip from the shirt to her and she smiled at him. "Do you think they'll be back?"
Jack hugged the boy, kissed his head and looked away from her. "No." He sounded defeated. "No, I don't that's going to happen."
Taking a deep breath, she asked, "If they don't, will you keep him?" There was the barest tremor in her voice.
Jack looked back at her, searching her face. "Yeah. Yeah, I will." He raised the hand nearest her, cupping her face. "I didn't want to say anything until I knew for sure this was permanent. I didn't want to..." She leaned into the touch as his thumb swept across her cheek. "I didn't want to dredge up any painful emotions for you."
She put her hand atop his and gave him a small smile. "I understand, Jack. It must be hard for you in many ways. If you need help with anything, just ask, okay?"
Mindful of the child on his lap, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, hon. I appreciate that. And now," he continued in a more cheerful tone, "I think it's high time you two were introduced. Sara, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Miss Sara."
The boy suddenly sat upright on Jack's lap, binky in one hand, his baby face expressionless. He had a far away stare as though he were looking through her instead of at her. The hair on the back of her neck prickled at the eerie air of not-quite-rightness the boy was exuding. When he spoke, his words were distinct and perfectly understandable.
"Sara wore a yellow dress with a blue jacket at the hospital. The entity had changed and was beginning to break down, but we were able to get to it in time and send it back through the stargate." His eyes closed, head drooping forward for a second and he shook himself. When he looked back up again, the moment had passed. He was a happy little boy once again, nothing more.
Sara let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and exchanged glances with Jack, who looked stricken and clutched at the boy. "Daniel..." she whispered, "that IS Daniel, isn't it?" She stared at him, wide-eyed. "But how-"
"Honey," a shake of his head stopped her questions, "you know I can't tell you." He sounded tired.
She lifted her hands in acknowledgement. "Yes, of course. Sorry. Tell you what. How about we get some lunch and you tell me what you can?"
Some of the worry lines smoothed out of his face. "I'd like that, Sara," he said softly.
In one smooth motion he stood and put Daniel back in the stroller then got him ready to go. Sara couldn't help noticing how much more adept Jack was at this with Daniel. Then again, with Charlie, he'd spent much of the toddler years on deployment so the lion's share of their son's care fell to Sara. As they strolled along the path discussing their choices for lunch, the feeling of deja vu enveloped her again only this time it made her smile.
Finis