Fic - Stargate SG-1 - K is for Kindness - (PG) - Gen
Title: K is for Kindness
Author: milanthruil
Beta: magnavox_23
Genre: Angst
Rating: PG
Words: 2525
Characters: Daniel Jackson, Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Teal'c, Danny Jackson
Pairings: None
Warnings: So much sad Daniel.
Summary: The team gets beamed into the past just in time for a traumatic event in Daniel's life.
The team looked around them and blinked as their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of a thankfully empty auditorium. A bright light had surrounded them just seconds before.
“Carter! Where the hell are we and what the hell happened?” Jack griped.
“I’m not sure, sir.” Sam frowned as she realized she had left her gadgets behind on the desk in Daniel’s office at the SGC.
“We appear to have been transported, O’Neill.” Teal’c supplied less-then helpfully.
“I can see that, Teal’c, thanks.” Jack turned to Daniel. “What happened to your office, Daniel?”
Daniel continued to look around the room, a sinking feeling in his gut.
“Daniel!” Jack snapped his fingers in Daniel’s face.
“Sorry, what?” Daniel looked at his friend.
“What happened?”
Daniel scratched at the back of his head. “This artifact I’ve been studying.” He held up a small granite cube with Ancient writing on it. “It says something about granting ‘desires of the past’. I didn’t really get a chance to examine it before you all showed up. I must have accidentally activated it somehow while we were talking.”
Jack sighed. “All right, folks. Let’s do a bit of recon and find out where we are. And more importantly, how do we get back home.”
The team made their way out of the darkened auditorium and came face to face with a wall of Egyptian artefacts. The crease between Daniel’s eyebrows deepened and the knot he’d been feeling in his gut grew colder.
Sam looked around at the architecture and pursed her lips. “Something feels vaguely familiar about this place.”
Daniel took a few step to the left to examine a placard next to one of the artefacts. He noticed the logo and the name of the museum in the corner of the white rectangle. He whipped his head around to look more closely at the other statues and works of art. “It can’t be.” He let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Daniel?” Sam asked.
“Nineteen seventy-three.” Jack spoke.
“What?” Daniel eyes widened and he looked at his team leader.
Jack pointed to the list of events posted outside the auditorium. “The year. We’ve gone back in time. Again.”
Daniel flagged down a passerby who raised her eyebrow at their BDUs. “Excuse me.” He smiled his most charming smile. “My friends and I are visiting from out of town and we might have gotten a little confused as to our itinerary. Could you please tell us what the date is?”
The woman smiled back and Daniel noticed she was wearing a badge with the same logo as the placard he’d been looking at. “It’s the 23rd. Of August,” she clarified when she was met with confused glances.
Daniel stepped back as if burned. “Thank you. Pardon me.” He started off down the corridor at a brisk walk, searching for something.
Sam caught up to him first. “Daniel? What’s going on?”
“My parents, Sam. They’re here.” Daniel kept walking as Teal’c and Jack closed the distance behind them.
“Daniel?” Jack grabbed Daniel’s bicep to get him to slow down. “Sit rep.”
“There’s no time.” Daniel argued and tried to pull away from Jack’s grip.
Jack frowned. “No time for what?”
“My parents are here, Jack.” Daniel gestured to indicate the museum. “I need to find them before-” he released a shaky breath, “Today is the day they die.”
Sam placed a hand on her friend’s arm. “Whoa, Daniel, we’ve gone through this with the Keeper, remember?”
“Of course I do.” Daniel spat.
“You can’t do anything to alter the timeline, Daniel.” Sam argued. “You don’t know what the repercussions will be.”
“Jack, let me do this.”
“Daniel-”
“Please?” Asked a small voice down the hall behind them.
“Let’s go ask your parents and maybe they’ll buy you the camel when they’re finished.” A female staff member walked past them with a little boy following her.
Sam watched them round the corner to their left. “Was that you?” She asked.
Daniel nodded, never breaking eye contact with Jack.
“Daniel.” Jack warned.
“They’re my parents, Jack, please.” Daniel pleaded in a whisper. “I just want to see the again.”
“Alright.” Jack let Daniel lead the way but kept a grip on his friend’s arm.
“Sir?” Sam frowned.
Jack shrugged with one shoulder. “I’d want to see Charlie.” He murmured.The others followed Daniel to the exhibit room where they were all stopped a few feet past the doorway.
“I’m sorry. This area isn’t open to the public.” A blond woman told them.
Daniel peered past her to the temple at the far end of the room.
“Careful with that cover stone.” A familiar voice warned.
“Yes, Doctor Jackson.”
Sam placed a hand on Daniel’s arm. “Daniel?”
“Sir?” The woman from earlier attempted to gain Daniel’s attention. “You can’t be in here.”
Jack fished his military ID out of his pocket and showed it to her. “We’re just here to supervise, Ma’am. Matter of national security.”
“All right,” the woman frowned but stepped aside, allowing the team to enter the room, “but you have to stay back here for safety reasons.” She moved away and focused her attention back on a little blond-haired boy who was seated on one of the museum’s benches, kicking his feet.
“Thank you.” Jack put his ID back in his pocket
“Jake, it’s swinging a bit.” A woman inside the temple cautioned.
“Mom.” Daniel breathed.
“Careful. Careful.”
“Dad.” Daniel watched his parents direct the placement of the cover stone from inside the temple.
“When can I ask them about the camel?” The little boy asked.
“Shush, Danny.” The woman told him. “Your parents need to concentrate.”
Jack eyed the little boy. That little kid shouldn’t be in the room to watch his parents die. But it had already happened, and Jack couldn’t do anything about it no matter how much he wanted to save those innocent eyes from seeing this horrific accident.
Daniel took a step forward, but was stopped by Sam’s hand on his arm. He blinked furiously, trying to fight back the tears that wanted to spill down his cheeks.
“Daniel,” Sam whispered, “are you going to be okay?”
Daniel shook his head. “Promise me.” He choked on his own voice. “Promise me you won’t let me save them. As much as I want to, I can’t change anything.”
Sam tightened her grip.
Jack placed his hand on the back of Daniel’s neck. “We’re here for you, buddy.” He stroked his thumb over the base of Daniel’s skull.
“It’s swinging.” Daniel’s mom eyed the cover stone warily.
Daniel reached back and Jack grabbed his hand with the one that wasn’t resting on Daniel’s nape. “Mom.” Daniel took another step forward.
Teal’c put his hand on Daniel’s chest to hold him back.
They all watched in horror as the chain holding the cover stone broke and the heavy slab fell onto the walls and pillars, knocking them over and crushing the two people inside.
“MOMMY! DADDY!” Daniel’s younger self screamed from their right.
“NO!” Daniel fought against his friends, trying to reach his parents.
His teammates maneuvered him back out of the room and into another that was out of the way and where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Daniel sank to his knees amid the glass cases and finally allowed the tears he’d been holding back to fall.
“God, Daniel.” Jack crouched down and pulled Daniel into his arms.
Daniel sobbed into Jack’s shoulder as Sam and Teal’c gathered close to offer their own silent support.
In the next room they could hear shouting from the workers as they tried to clear the heavy stones while a young Daniel screamed for his parents.
Jack closed his eyes. “Why the hell were you allowed in there to see that, Danny? You were just a kid.” He whispered.
“I’d just wanted to ask them a question.” Daniel said into the fabric of Jack’s BDU shirt. He lifted his head. “I wanted a stuffed camel I saw in the gift shop, but I didn’t have enough money for it myself.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I was going to ask if they’d give me a bit of extra money or if they’d buy it for me. God, it was so stupid.”
“You were eight!” Jack argued.
“I was a distraction!” Daniel let out a shaky sob.
“Hey,” Jack placed his hands on either side of Daniel’s face, “it wasn’t your fault. Okay? It was an accident.”
Daniel stood and rubbed his hands over his face to wipe away the tears. “I-I need a moment.” He exited the room and wandered down the halls and exhibits, past the commotion of people running towards the temple room, until he got to the gift shop.
The frantic undertones were only just starting to spread there. People were looking out toward the Egyptian wing in confusion and thankfully ignoring Daniel’s strange military clothes.
Daniel wandered toward the back of the shop where there was a row of stuffed camels sitting at what would have been eye height to an eight year old. He picked one up and squished it gently in his hands. And then a thought occurred to him. He patted down his pockets before realizing he’d left his wallet in his locker back at the SGC several year in the future. He hung his head. “Wait,” he whispered to himself. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Thankfully Sam had lost the bet they’d had that morning about Jack’s weekend crossword puzzle.
Daniel walked to the register and placed the camel on the counter and handed the money to the clerk. After receiving his change, he left the store and headed back toward the temple. He found his younger self in the room he had been in earlier surrounded by a couple workers and the lady who had been watching him that day. The woman looked up and opened her mouth the tell him to leave, but was interrupted.
“There you are.” Jack said from behind Daniel. “Been looking all over for you.” He glanced down at the stuffed camel in Daniel’s hands. “What’cha got there?”
Daniel held up the camel. “I just wanted to-” he gestured behind him at his younger self.
Jack raised an eyebrow. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“What harm could a stuffed camel do?” Daniel looked at Jack and his familiar face. A face he had always taken comfort in. And now he was beginning to realize why. He held the camel out to his friend. “You do it.”
“What?” Jack blinked in surprise.
“Just… trust me…”
Jack frowned.
Daniel leaned closer to Jack and glanced at his younger self. “I know your face,” he whispered. “I know it because I saw you here all those years ago. It’s why I trusted you so quickly.” He placed the camel in Jack’s hands. “Please, Jack. Go to him. He needs this right now.”
Jack searched Daniel eyes and then nodded. “Okay.” He approached the younger version of his friend and squatted down in front of him. “Hey there, kiddo,” he said softly.
Eight-year-old Danny Jackson lifted his head and eyed Jack warily. He sniffed.
“My name is Jack.”
Danny wiped his nose on his sleeve. “I’m Danny.” He said in a tear-clogged voice.
“Well, Danny, I have a friend who’s feeling kinda lonely, and he told me he really would like to be friends with you.” Jack held up the stuffed camel. “What’d’ya say?”
Danny’s eyes widened. He reached out his small hand and carefully took the camel from Jack. “I can keep him?” He asked quietly.
Jack nodded. “He told me you looked sad and he wanted to cheer you up.”
Danny’s lip trembled and he buried his face against the camel’s soft fur.
Jack shifted his weight to stand and suddenly found himself with an armful of grateful little boy.
“Thanks, Mister Jack.”
Jack ruffled Danny’s hair and hugged him close. “You take good care of Lumpy for me, okay?”
Danny nodded.
Jack let him go and stood up. He walked back to the older Daniel and put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder.
Daniel pursed his lips. “Thanks, Jack,” he whispered.
“No problem.” He clapped Daniel on the back and walked with his friend back to the auditorium to meet up with the others. “Now let’s figure out how to get home.”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that,” Daniel said as they slipped into the auditorium. “The artefact mentioned the number ‘sixty’ and, given the context, I think it might have something to do with time. Maybe how long the effect lasts?”
“So we may end up just returning home to where we’re supposed to be?”
Daniel shrugged. “It’s possible.”
“So, sixty what? Minutes? Hours, Days?” Jack frowned. “Years?”
“Years doesn’t really makes sense from a mission objective stand point.” Daniel looked around at the others. “I mean if this thing sends you back in time to re-live an event, why would it stick you here for sixty years?”
Jack conceded. “All right, so how long until-”
“-we’re back.” Jack blinked and looked around at the familiar walls of Daniel office at the SGC. “…we’re back! We are back, right?”
Sam moved to the computer and checked the date. “Yes, sir.”
“All right then. I don’t know about you, but I say we get out of here and go let General Hammond know what happened.”
“You realize that we’ll probably have to go to the infirmary because of this, right?” Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose.
“Thank you, Daniel.” Jack griped.
“I’m just saying that there could be side effects. They’ll have to make sure we came back with everything in the right place.”
“Thank you, Daniel.” Jack said again as the four of them made their way to report to General Hammond.
_+_+_+_
Daniel let Jack into his apartment later that evening. “Thanks for coming over, Jack.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Jack hugged his friend and then made his way to the living room.
“You want a beer or anything?” Daniel asked as he gestured to the kitchen.
Jack stopped short when he noticed a familiar face staring at him from the coffee table. “Daniel?”
Daniel walked over to the coffee table and picked up the stuffed camel. “Remember when I asked you to trust me?”
Jack nodded.
“This is why. I made the connection while I was standing there. About why your face was so familiar.” Daniel held the camel close. The stuffed toy was considerably more worn and a little duller in color, but his face was the same as it had been when Jack had left it in the arms of a grieving boy just hours ago. “Lumpy’s hardly ever left my side since you gave him to me, Jack. It was the only good thing that had happened to me that day.” Daniel’s voice cracked.
Jack pulled Daniel into a hug and held him tight.
Daniel clung to him. “Thank you for giving that younger me something to hold onto, Jack.” Daniel murmured into Jack’s jacket.
“Anytime, Daniel.” Jack whispered. He gave Daniel an extra squeeze. “Anytime.”
Author: milanthruil
Beta: magnavox_23
Genre: Angst
Rating: PG
Words: 2525
Characters: Daniel Jackson, Jack O'Neill, Sam Carter, Teal'c, Danny Jackson
Pairings: None
Warnings: So much sad Daniel.
Summary: The team gets beamed into the past just in time for a traumatic event in Daniel's life.
The team looked around them and blinked as their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of a thankfully empty auditorium. A bright light had surrounded them just seconds before.
“Carter! Where the hell are we and what the hell happened?” Jack griped.
“I’m not sure, sir.” Sam frowned as she realized she had left her gadgets behind on the desk in Daniel’s office at the SGC.
“We appear to have been transported, O’Neill.” Teal’c supplied less-then helpfully.
“I can see that, Teal’c, thanks.” Jack turned to Daniel. “What happened to your office, Daniel?”
Daniel continued to look around the room, a sinking feeling in his gut.
“Daniel!” Jack snapped his fingers in Daniel’s face.
“Sorry, what?” Daniel looked at his friend.
“What happened?”
Daniel scratched at the back of his head. “This artifact I’ve been studying.” He held up a small granite cube with Ancient writing on it. “It says something about granting ‘desires of the past’. I didn’t really get a chance to examine it before you all showed up. I must have accidentally activated it somehow while we were talking.”
Jack sighed. “All right, folks. Let’s do a bit of recon and find out where we are. And more importantly, how do we get back home.”
The team made their way out of the darkened auditorium and came face to face with a wall of Egyptian artefacts. The crease between Daniel’s eyebrows deepened and the knot he’d been feeling in his gut grew colder.
Sam looked around at the architecture and pursed her lips. “Something feels vaguely familiar about this place.”
Daniel took a few step to the left to examine a placard next to one of the artefacts. He noticed the logo and the name of the museum in the corner of the white rectangle. He whipped his head around to look more closely at the other statues and works of art. “It can’t be.” He let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Daniel?” Sam asked.
“Nineteen seventy-three.” Jack spoke.
“What?” Daniel eyes widened and he looked at his team leader.
Jack pointed to the list of events posted outside the auditorium. “The year. We’ve gone back in time. Again.”
Daniel flagged down a passerby who raised her eyebrow at their BDUs. “Excuse me.” He smiled his most charming smile. “My friends and I are visiting from out of town and we might have gotten a little confused as to our itinerary. Could you please tell us what the date is?”
The woman smiled back and Daniel noticed she was wearing a badge with the same logo as the placard he’d been looking at. “It’s the 23rd. Of August,” she clarified when she was met with confused glances.
Daniel stepped back as if burned. “Thank you. Pardon me.” He started off down the corridor at a brisk walk, searching for something.
Sam caught up to him first. “Daniel? What’s going on?”
“My parents, Sam. They’re here.” Daniel kept walking as Teal’c and Jack closed the distance behind them.
“Daniel?” Jack grabbed Daniel’s bicep to get him to slow down. “Sit rep.”
“There’s no time.” Daniel argued and tried to pull away from Jack’s grip.
Jack frowned. “No time for what?”
“My parents are here, Jack.” Daniel gestured to indicate the museum. “I need to find them before-” he released a shaky breath, “Today is the day they die.”
Sam placed a hand on her friend’s arm. “Whoa, Daniel, we’ve gone through this with the Keeper, remember?”
“Of course I do.” Daniel spat.
“You can’t do anything to alter the timeline, Daniel.” Sam argued. “You don’t know what the repercussions will be.”
“Jack, let me do this.”
“Daniel-”
“Please?” Asked a small voice down the hall behind them.
“Let’s go ask your parents and maybe they’ll buy you the camel when they’re finished.” A female staff member walked past them with a little boy following her.
Sam watched them round the corner to their left. “Was that you?” She asked.
Daniel nodded, never breaking eye contact with Jack.
“Daniel.” Jack warned.
“They’re my parents, Jack, please.” Daniel pleaded in a whisper. “I just want to see the again.”
“Alright.” Jack let Daniel lead the way but kept a grip on his friend’s arm.
“Sir?” Sam frowned.
Jack shrugged with one shoulder. “I’d want to see Charlie.” He murmured.The others followed Daniel to the exhibit room where they were all stopped a few feet past the doorway.
“I’m sorry. This area isn’t open to the public.” A blond woman told them.
Daniel peered past her to the temple at the far end of the room.
“Careful with that cover stone.” A familiar voice warned.
“Yes, Doctor Jackson.”
Sam placed a hand on Daniel’s arm. “Daniel?”
“Sir?” The woman from earlier attempted to gain Daniel’s attention. “You can’t be in here.”
Jack fished his military ID out of his pocket and showed it to her. “We’re just here to supervise, Ma’am. Matter of national security.”
“All right,” the woman frowned but stepped aside, allowing the team to enter the room, “but you have to stay back here for safety reasons.” She moved away and focused her attention back on a little blond-haired boy who was seated on one of the museum’s benches, kicking his feet.
“Thank you.” Jack put his ID back in his pocket
“Jake, it’s swinging a bit.” A woman inside the temple cautioned.
“Mom.” Daniel breathed.
“Careful. Careful.”
“Dad.” Daniel watched his parents direct the placement of the cover stone from inside the temple.
“When can I ask them about the camel?” The little boy asked.
“Shush, Danny.” The woman told him. “Your parents need to concentrate.”
Jack eyed the little boy. That little kid shouldn’t be in the room to watch his parents die. But it had already happened, and Jack couldn’t do anything about it no matter how much he wanted to save those innocent eyes from seeing this horrific accident.
Daniel took a step forward, but was stopped by Sam’s hand on his arm. He blinked furiously, trying to fight back the tears that wanted to spill down his cheeks.
“Daniel,” Sam whispered, “are you going to be okay?”
Daniel shook his head. “Promise me.” He choked on his own voice. “Promise me you won’t let me save them. As much as I want to, I can’t change anything.”
Sam tightened her grip.
Jack placed his hand on the back of Daniel’s neck. “We’re here for you, buddy.” He stroked his thumb over the base of Daniel’s skull.
“It’s swinging.” Daniel’s mom eyed the cover stone warily.
Daniel reached back and Jack grabbed his hand with the one that wasn’t resting on Daniel’s nape. “Mom.” Daniel took another step forward.
Teal’c put his hand on Daniel’s chest to hold him back.
They all watched in horror as the chain holding the cover stone broke and the heavy slab fell onto the walls and pillars, knocking them over and crushing the two people inside.
“MOMMY! DADDY!” Daniel’s younger self screamed from their right.
“NO!” Daniel fought against his friends, trying to reach his parents.
His teammates maneuvered him back out of the room and into another that was out of the way and where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Daniel sank to his knees amid the glass cases and finally allowed the tears he’d been holding back to fall.
“God, Daniel.” Jack crouched down and pulled Daniel into his arms.
Daniel sobbed into Jack’s shoulder as Sam and Teal’c gathered close to offer their own silent support.
In the next room they could hear shouting from the workers as they tried to clear the heavy stones while a young Daniel screamed for his parents.
Jack closed his eyes. “Why the hell were you allowed in there to see that, Danny? You were just a kid.” He whispered.
“I’d just wanted to ask them a question.” Daniel said into the fabric of Jack’s BDU shirt. He lifted his head. “I wanted a stuffed camel I saw in the gift shop, but I didn’t have enough money for it myself.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I was going to ask if they’d give me a bit of extra money or if they’d buy it for me. God, it was so stupid.”
“You were eight!” Jack argued.
“I was a distraction!” Daniel let out a shaky sob.
“Hey,” Jack placed his hands on either side of Daniel’s face, “it wasn’t your fault. Okay? It was an accident.”
Daniel stood and rubbed his hands over his face to wipe away the tears. “I-I need a moment.” He exited the room and wandered down the halls and exhibits, past the commotion of people running towards the temple room, until he got to the gift shop.
The frantic undertones were only just starting to spread there. People were looking out toward the Egyptian wing in confusion and thankfully ignoring Daniel’s strange military clothes.
Daniel wandered toward the back of the shop where there was a row of stuffed camels sitting at what would have been eye height to an eight year old. He picked one up and squished it gently in his hands. And then a thought occurred to him. He patted down his pockets before realizing he’d left his wallet in his locker back at the SGC several year in the future. He hung his head. “Wait,” he whispered to himself. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Thankfully Sam had lost the bet they’d had that morning about Jack’s weekend crossword puzzle.
Daniel walked to the register and placed the camel on the counter and handed the money to the clerk. After receiving his change, he left the store and headed back toward the temple. He found his younger self in the room he had been in earlier surrounded by a couple workers and the lady who had been watching him that day. The woman looked up and opened her mouth the tell him to leave, but was interrupted.
“There you are.” Jack said from behind Daniel. “Been looking all over for you.” He glanced down at the stuffed camel in Daniel’s hands. “What’cha got there?”
Daniel held up the camel. “I just wanted to-” he gestured behind him at his younger self.
Jack raised an eyebrow. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“What harm could a stuffed camel do?” Daniel looked at Jack and his familiar face. A face he had always taken comfort in. And now he was beginning to realize why. He held the camel out to his friend. “You do it.”
“What?” Jack blinked in surprise.
“Just… trust me…”
Jack frowned.
Daniel leaned closer to Jack and glanced at his younger self. “I know your face,” he whispered. “I know it because I saw you here all those years ago. It’s why I trusted you so quickly.” He placed the camel in Jack’s hands. “Please, Jack. Go to him. He needs this right now.”
Jack searched Daniel eyes and then nodded. “Okay.” He approached the younger version of his friend and squatted down in front of him. “Hey there, kiddo,” he said softly.
Eight-year-old Danny Jackson lifted his head and eyed Jack warily. He sniffed.
“My name is Jack.”
Danny wiped his nose on his sleeve. “I’m Danny.” He said in a tear-clogged voice.
“Well, Danny, I have a friend who’s feeling kinda lonely, and he told me he really would like to be friends with you.” Jack held up the stuffed camel. “What’d’ya say?”
Danny’s eyes widened. He reached out his small hand and carefully took the camel from Jack. “I can keep him?” He asked quietly.
Jack nodded. “He told me you looked sad and he wanted to cheer you up.”
Danny’s lip trembled and he buried his face against the camel’s soft fur.
Jack shifted his weight to stand and suddenly found himself with an armful of grateful little boy.
“Thanks, Mister Jack.”
Jack ruffled Danny’s hair and hugged him close. “You take good care of Lumpy for me, okay?”
Danny nodded.
Jack let him go and stood up. He walked back to the older Daniel and put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder.
Daniel pursed his lips. “Thanks, Jack,” he whispered.
“No problem.” He clapped Daniel on the back and walked with his friend back to the auditorium to meet up with the others. “Now let’s figure out how to get home.”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that,” Daniel said as they slipped into the auditorium. “The artefact mentioned the number ‘sixty’ and, given the context, I think it might have something to do with time. Maybe how long the effect lasts?”
“So we may end up just returning home to where we’re supposed to be?”
Daniel shrugged. “It’s possible.”
“So, sixty what? Minutes? Hours, Days?” Jack frowned. “Years?”
“Years doesn’t really makes sense from a mission objective stand point.” Daniel looked around at the others. “I mean if this thing sends you back in time to re-live an event, why would it stick you here for sixty years?”
Jack conceded. “All right, so how long until-”
“-we’re back.” Jack blinked and looked around at the familiar walls of Daniel office at the SGC. “…we’re back! We are back, right?”
Sam moved to the computer and checked the date. “Yes, sir.”
“All right then. I don’t know about you, but I say we get out of here and go let General Hammond know what happened.”
“You realize that we’ll probably have to go to the infirmary because of this, right?” Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose.
“Thank you, Daniel.” Jack griped.
“I’m just saying that there could be side effects. They’ll have to make sure we came back with everything in the right place.”
“Thank you, Daniel.” Jack said again as the four of them made their way to report to General Hammond.
_+_+_+_
Daniel let Jack into his apartment later that evening. “Thanks for coming over, Jack.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Jack hugged his friend and then made his way to the living room.
“You want a beer or anything?” Daniel asked as he gestured to the kitchen.
Jack stopped short when he noticed a familiar face staring at him from the coffee table. “Daniel?”
Daniel walked over to the coffee table and picked up the stuffed camel. “Remember when I asked you to trust me?”
Jack nodded.
“This is why. I made the connection while I was standing there. About why your face was so familiar.” Daniel held the camel close. The stuffed toy was considerably more worn and a little duller in color, but his face was the same as it had been when Jack had left it in the arms of a grieving boy just hours ago. “Lumpy’s hardly ever left my side since you gave him to me, Jack. It was the only good thing that had happened to me that day.” Daniel’s voice cracked.
Jack pulled Daniel into a hug and held him tight.
Daniel clung to him. “Thank you for giving that younger me something to hold onto, Jack.” Daniel murmured into Jack’s jacket.
“Anytime, Daniel.” Jack whispered. He gave Daniel an extra squeeze. “Anytime.”