Picking up the Pieces Chapter 5 (WiP)
This story is my version of Daniel's life following the deaths of his parents. I tend to write as I go so I can't say how long this will be until it's done. What can I say?::shrugs:: Characters talk to me and when they've finished with what they need me to say for them, then it's usually time for the story to end. I'd be interested in hearing what you think if you feel so moved.
As far as I know this should remain under a PG-13 rating, if a chapter seems to break that rule I'll post it as such.
Insert standard ownership disclaimer here...cross-posted to stargate_fanfic
Picking up the Pieces
Chapter Five
By J.D.
With the sudden onslaught of the small boy's hysteria no one in the squadroom noticed the woman who had entered behind them. Margaret Hastings had only received the casefile on her latest child half an hour before, she'd had no chance to read up on the boy, and she had certainly not expected her first sighting of him to be what was before her now.
Daniel's crying had not lessened since Sean Campbell had picked him up, if anything it only seemed to have worsened and the Detective was rapidly beginning to think he might never get the boy to stop.
For Daniel it was not much better, and his continued hysteria had begun to make it difficult for him to catch his breath. Even with Sean rubbing his back and offering reassurances that he would be taken care of he found no comfort, and his tears were soon mixed with choked coughing as he tried to find his breath within it all.
It took Margaret only mere moments to decide she had seen enough and dropping her folder on the nearest desk she strode across the room to where the detective was trying to console the child. "I'll take him..." She grasped one of Daniel's arms in an attempt to release the vice like hold he seemed to have on the man's neck.
"No..!" The boy's hold tightened as the strange woman reached for him, panic at the unknown feeding into the flames that were already consuming him. "No..!"
"He's alright...I don't mind." Campbell stepped back hoping the woman would get the hint that she was only making matters worse.
"He needs to stop...and I don't see you doing anything to make that happen."
"Just who the hell are you lady?" Lou Jacobs moved towards the group, ready to offer back-up to his partner if needed.
"Margaret Hastings, Child Protective Services...I'm here to pick up a Daniel Jackson, who I believe this must be...now if you'll hand him over to me." The woman's tone was all business and if the behavior of the boy in front of her had any affect on her she wasn't showing it.
"Give me time to let him calm down, he just woke up from nightmare and ..."Sean paused, not really wanting to say aloud what they all knew. "He just needs some time." He rubbed Daniel's back as the boy calmed slightly and buried his face against the detective's shoulder. "I've got you Daniel, I'm not letting anyone hurt you..." He walked a short distance away as he whispered to the boy.
"I don't have time for this, I need to take him and get him in the system so I can get a placement found for him." She moved back over into the detective's space before again reaching to take Daniel from him.
"Maybe you need to get somebody here then who has the time...the kid sure doesn't need this." Lou Jacobs again interceded on his partner's behalf. "What if we bring him down ourselves..give him a chance to get used to the idea?"
"He's had all night to get used to the idea." She paused in mid sentence and looked between the two men. "You did tell him we were taking him?"
"Uh...not really..." Sean offered her an apologetic shrug before returning his attention to Daniel.
"We thought it might be better to wait...he was pretty upset and...well...it seemed better to not dump something else on him." Lou finished the explanation for his partner.
"This is better? " Margaret's face settled into a frown before she glanced at her watch and sighed. "Alright, here's what we can do, I have an appointment in an hour, I'll be tied up until about 11:00, at 11:15 I want you to have him in my office." She walked back over to the desk and picked up the files she had laid down then pulled a card from her binder and passed it over. "No later, do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah, we hear you, we'll be there." Sean Campbell smiled down at the boy on his shoulder as he finally quieted to soft sniffles.
"Don't make me have to come looking for you, Detectives." She offered the warning before approaching Sean and Daniel. "I'll see you later at my office Daniel, and we'll get you all taken care of." Her words offered a semblance of comfort in them before she looked between the men again. "11:15...no later." Without even giving the men a chance to reply she turned on her heels and a moment later she was gone.
"That was fun." Jacobs offered the comment sarcastically as he stared at the woman's disappearing form.
His partner's concerns laid elsewhere and he simply nodded as he tried to encourage Daniel to look at him. "You hungry? How about we go get us some pancakes, you do like pancakes right?"
Dragging his hand across his nose the boy nodded before laying his head back on the man's shoulder. He latched onto the sense of safety he found with the detective, while all the while wishing he would wake from the nightmare that he seemed trapped in so he could go back home to his mother and father.
To be continued...
As far as I know this should remain under a PG-13 rating, if a chapter seems to break that rule I'll post it as such.
Insert standard ownership disclaimer here...cross-posted to stargate_fanfic
Picking up the Pieces
Chapter Five
By J.D.
With the sudden onslaught of the small boy's hysteria no one in the squadroom noticed the woman who had entered behind them. Margaret Hastings had only received the casefile on her latest child half an hour before, she'd had no chance to read up on the boy, and she had certainly not expected her first sighting of him to be what was before her now.
Daniel's crying had not lessened since Sean Campbell had picked him up, if anything it only seemed to have worsened and the Detective was rapidly beginning to think he might never get the boy to stop.
For Daniel it was not much better, and his continued hysteria had begun to make it difficult for him to catch his breath. Even with Sean rubbing his back and offering reassurances that he would be taken care of he found no comfort, and his tears were soon mixed with choked coughing as he tried to find his breath within it all.
It took Margaret only mere moments to decide she had seen enough and dropping her folder on the nearest desk she strode across the room to where the detective was trying to console the child. "I'll take him..." She grasped one of Daniel's arms in an attempt to release the vice like hold he seemed to have on the man's neck.
"No..!" The boy's hold tightened as the strange woman reached for him, panic at the unknown feeding into the flames that were already consuming him. "No..!"
"He's alright...I don't mind." Campbell stepped back hoping the woman would get the hint that she was only making matters worse.
"He needs to stop...and I don't see you doing anything to make that happen."
"Just who the hell are you lady?" Lou Jacobs moved towards the group, ready to offer back-up to his partner if needed.
"Margaret Hastings, Child Protective Services...I'm here to pick up a Daniel Jackson, who I believe this must be...now if you'll hand him over to me." The woman's tone was all business and if the behavior of the boy in front of her had any affect on her she wasn't showing it.
"Give me time to let him calm down, he just woke up from nightmare and ..."Sean paused, not really wanting to say aloud what they all knew. "He just needs some time." He rubbed Daniel's back as the boy calmed slightly and buried his face against the detective's shoulder. "I've got you Daniel, I'm not letting anyone hurt you..." He walked a short distance away as he whispered to the boy.
"I don't have time for this, I need to take him and get him in the system so I can get a placement found for him." She moved back over into the detective's space before again reaching to take Daniel from him.
"Maybe you need to get somebody here then who has the time...the kid sure doesn't need this." Lou Jacobs again interceded on his partner's behalf. "What if we bring him down ourselves..give him a chance to get used to the idea?"
"He's had all night to get used to the idea." She paused in mid sentence and looked between the two men. "You did tell him we were taking him?"
"Uh...not really..." Sean offered her an apologetic shrug before returning his attention to Daniel.
"We thought it might be better to wait...he was pretty upset and...well...it seemed better to not dump something else on him." Lou finished the explanation for his partner.
"This is better? " Margaret's face settled into a frown before she glanced at her watch and sighed. "Alright, here's what we can do, I have an appointment in an hour, I'll be tied up until about 11:00, at 11:15 I want you to have him in my office." She walked back over to the desk and picked up the files she had laid down then pulled a card from her binder and passed it over. "No later, do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah, we hear you, we'll be there." Sean Campbell smiled down at the boy on his shoulder as he finally quieted to soft sniffles.
"Don't make me have to come looking for you, Detectives." She offered the warning before approaching Sean and Daniel. "I'll see you later at my office Daniel, and we'll get you all taken care of." Her words offered a semblance of comfort in them before she looked between the men again. "11:15...no later." Without even giving the men a chance to reply she turned on her heels and a moment later she was gone.
"That was fun." Jacobs offered the comment sarcastically as he stared at the woman's disappearing form.
His partner's concerns laid elsewhere and he simply nodded as he tried to encourage Daniel to look at him. "You hungry? How about we go get us some pancakes, you do like pancakes right?"
Dragging his hand across his nose the boy nodded before laying his head back on the man's shoulder. He latched onto the sense of safety he found with the detective, while all the while wishing he would wake from the nightmare that he seemed trapped in so he could go back home to his mother and father.
To be continued...