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“Carter, what exactly are we looking at?” Jack asked as he leaned over her shoulder to get a better look at the computer monitor showing a live video feed. All he could see was a beige wall with what looked like part of an Egyptian hieroglyph painted blue in the far right upper corner.
Carter's laptop was connected by a multitude of wires to some kind of oblong black box, about 18 inches in height and 8 inches thick. A large part of a corner had broken off at one time and it had been glued back on, the cracks of which clearly marred the shiny surface. The wires were connected to a variety of small bumps with holes in them which were found all over the box. Several bumps near the broken corner had obviously also broken off and had since been jury rigged. Red, green, blue, yellow and white wires stuck out of said holes. A large portable battery powered the device.
“Well, Sir, we think that this is another type of quantum mirror, and what we're seeing here is, well, a parallel universe.”
“Oh great, here we go again,” Jack sighed.
“Sam, is there any way to change the angle of the view on this thing?” Daniel asked as he leaned over Carter's other shoulder.
“Nope. We're limited to whatever direction the front of the device is pointing towards,” she answered as she tapped one of the indistinct bumps on their device.
“That's obviously Egyptian,” Daniel said of the partial hieroglyph.
“Well, even I knew that,” Jack snarked.
Daniel turned away from the computer and looked at Jack, eyebrows raised.
“Well, it looks Egyptian. Don't you think I've been exposed to enough of the stuff in all the years I've been hanging around you?”
Although he didn't smile, Jack saw the amusement reflected in Daniel's eyes.
“Right, Jack. Maybe next mission, I'll let you do the translations,” Daniel said before turning back to the screen. Jack straightened up and stood staring at the backs of his two team mates, both staring intently at a computer monitor which showed nothing but a boring beige wall. And part of a hieroglyph. He glanced at Teal'c, who was standing beside him, watching silently.
He turned his attention to the strange device, trying to recall what he'd read about it in the latest memos. It had been discovered two years ago in the basement of a museum, obviously broken, in a box with several other artefacts that had held cryptic references to the Goa'uld. It had been possessed by the NID, who had ignored it up until a few months ago when someone had figured out how to get it charged up. Carter had been contacted a few days ago and she and a team of scientists had eventually gotten it working. Obviously. So now here they were, staring at a wall.
“Whoa, what was that?” Jack asked as something white flashed across the bottom part of the screen.
“Looked like someone's head,” Daniel said. “Either someone quite short, or else the device is pretty high up.”
“Are we recording this?” Jack asked.
“Yes Sir,” she answered distractedly, her attention back on the screen, waiting for the movement to be repeated. Jack shook his head and stepped back. “Let me know when you guys see something interesting.” Rolling his eyes at Teal'c, Jack returned to his office.
- - - - - -
Two days later, the plain beige wall had been transformed into a museum piece. Large black and white snapshots of what appeared to be ancient tombs were hung, a collection of artefacts were on display, and a decorated sarcophagus had been stood up against the wall. The view of that part of the room was still very limited, but it was obvious that it was a showroom.
Hammond had been reluctant at first to allow SG1 to cross into the other universe seeing as the room was obviously occupied. He had eventually given his permission due to pressure from his higher ups to try and explore the quantum mirror and see just why it was associated with other Goa'uld-related artefacts. So Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were now waiting in the lab while Carter made some final adjustments to her laptop.
“You sure you're gonna be able to connect your computer to that thingamajig out there, Carter?” Jack asked as she closed her laptop and placed it in her pack.
“Yes Sir, it'll only take a couple of seconds. Since the remote control is missing, if there even was one, the programme I've written essentially acts as the remote. I just need to plug the device into the portable battery and charge it up and give it the command to turn itself on. It'll hold the command and the charge for sixty seconds. I've more or less managed to figure everything out so I can get us home in no time.”
Jack nodded, realizing that if they appeared suddenly in a room full of people, they might have to make a quick escape back home. “Wait a minute, more or less managed? Is there something you're not telling me?”
“Well, there was one button that we haven't been able to figure out yet. I have a couple of theories but they're still unproven.”
“That won't affect our getting back home, will it?” Daniel asked worriedly.
Carter smiled. “No, it shouldn't. There's some kind of energy field being given off by the device; I think that that unknown piece is what's causing it. It might have been damaged when the device was broken. I'll know for sure when I examine the one on the other side.”
General Hammond entered the room as SG1 stood ready to depart. Teal'c picked up the portable battery that would be used to power up the device in the other reality. Jack was uneasy with this mission; he didn't like the fact that they'd be materializing in a room which had people in it, at least part of the time. But the fact that a child had been glimpsed on a few occasions gave him hope that the people there were at least peaceful.
“Good luck, SG1,” Hammond announced. “We'll be expecting you back in three hours.”
Sam nodded, and hit a key on the laptop. A faint hum arose from the machine as its surface turned reflective. She motioned quickly for them to approach. They all placed a hand on her shoulders, and she touched the machine.
The next second Jack was standing close to the same picture-strewn wall they'd been glimpsing for the past three days. He was aware of urgent screams and yells, and the sounds of people running. He raised his weapon as a precaution, but to his surprise, nobody was paying them any attention. They all seemed to be running towards some broken pillars in the right hand corner of the large room, which looked strangely familiar to Jack.
A man ran by and bumped the display case before them. As it began tipping over, Jack recognized the device that had brought them to this dimension. Before he could make a move, Teal'c reached over and plucked the quantum mirror from the air as it fell to the floor.
Jack was going to commend Teal'c on his quick reflexes when Daniel's voice distracted him.
“Oh my God!” Daniel exclaimed hoarsely. Jack turned towards the man as he heard his stricken voice, seeing his face pale and his eyes widen in shock. Jack looked to see what Daniel was staring at and saw a blond, eight year old child screaming and kicking while being held by what appeared to be a museum employee.
“Daniel,” Sam's soft voice confused Jack. She placed a hand to his shoulder, but the younger man shrugged it off. He began striding towards the woman holding the struggling child. Jack and the others followed more slowly.
“Give him to me,” Daniel ordered. The woman gladly handed the boy over, having trouble keeping him from running towards the crowd of people surrounding the damaged section of the room. Jack glanced towards the group and spotted a large pool of blood coming from underneath one of the pillars. Again, the scene was very familiar, but Jack couldn't quite place it.
Hugging the young child to his chest, Daniel almost ran from the room. Jack followed, noting that the boy was staring wide-eyed at the blood as he was carried away. He glanced over at Carter who had a very worried expression on her face. She said only one word when everything fell into place.
“Gamekeeper.”
‘Goddamn', Jack thought. That little boy; that was Daniel!
- - - - - -
Daniel almost ran out the door, trying to get away from the sounds and sights that had haunted his dreams for the past 26 years. He ran down some stairs and rushed along a long hallway, his footsteps echoing while he searched for a quiet place to hide. He could hear the rest of his team following behind, but his attention was mostly on the boy in his arms. He'd felt the slight body stop struggling once they'd gotten out of earshot of the rescue attempt. The boy had begun shivering and had gone very quiet. Seeing what appeared to be a storage room, Daniel opened the door and went inside. Jack and the others joined him seconds later.
His legs suddenly had trouble holding him up and Daniel sagged against the wall. The boy was now a dead weight, and Daniel knew that he'd gone into shock. He himself couldn't recall much else of that ill-fated day or even the ones immediately following it. He had been told that he'd been brought to a hospital, and had slowly begun coming back to himself at the orphanage a few days later.
As he let himself slide down the wall, cradling the limp body in his arms, Daniel remembered those days of loneliness. He'd been mostly ignored as he had been totally unresponsive. He'd craved human touch but couldn't seem to remember how to ask for comfort in his devastation, and so first the medical staff and then the people in the orphanage had left him alone. His world had been turned upside down with the death of his parents, as had this young Daniel Jackson's.
Jack knelt beside them, a worried look on his face. Daniel opened his mouth to explain what had just happened, but he was too choked up. He took a shaky breath and lowered his face into the soft hair cradled against his chest.
Jack's gentle touch on his nape was the trigger that set the tears flowing. He sobbed for the pain that this young boy had just experienced, for the memories that had just been revived and the still agonizing memories that the Gamekeeper had inflicted on him last year.
- - - - - -
Jack pulled Daniel sideways against his chest, and held both warm bodies against him, both hurting in different ways but for the same reasons. Carter came around to their team mate's other side and laid a hand on his shoulder while Teal'c stood guard at the door. After a few minutes, Daniel finally calmed and pulled away from Jack. He straightened up slightly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He sniffed, trying to clear his clogged sinuses. His breath was still shaky, but Jack could see he had control over his emotions once again.
Jack was worried about both Daniels. The youngster was staring ahead blankly, oblivious to the emotions which had overcome the adult Daniel. The older Daniel was hugging the young child to him, and Jack didn't know whether he was trying to comfort the boy or was taking comfort from the boy's presence. He slid his jacket off and wrapped it around the young, shivering body.
Jack now recalled Daniel's pained face when the Gamekeeper had transported Teal'c and himself to the museum. He'd known that Daniel had been shocked by the memories, but he was pretty sure that his reaction then hadn't been this bad. Carter had said he'd been upset, but even she had seemed surprised by his reaction upstairs. It must have to do with seeing himself as a young, traumatized child.
Jack eyed the young boy lying still in Daniel's arms. He reached over and raised the small face towards him, noting that the dull blue eyes weren't tracking. His long blond hair was reminiscent of Daniel's when Jack had first met him. He obviously needed a haircut; his bangs were falling into his eyes.
“We have to bring the boy back,” Jack began softly.
“His name's Daniel,” Daniel interrupted in an unsteady voice.
“We have to bring Daniel back so that he can be taken care of,” he repeated, eyeing the boy with worry. “He's obviously in shock and needs medical treatment.”
Daniel shook his head, holding the boy tighter against him. “They'll dope him up and leave him alone with his memories and his fear. He needs someone with him right now, Jack. He needs someone to hold him, to tell him everything will be okay.” Daniel's voice broke and he wiped newly formed tears from his eyes.
“Daniel, he's not aware of anything or anyone right now,” Sam said gently. “The Colonel's right, he needs medical attention.”
“Then let's take him home. Janet can look after him,” he mumbled against the boy's hair.
Teal'c moved a step forward into the small space. “That is unadvisable, DanielJackson. This is an alternate reality. To bring the boy to ours will cause him to experience Entropic Cascade Failure.”
“Well I'm not leaving him here alone,” Daniel said. The determined look on his face conveyed to Jack that they'd have to knock him out to take the youngster away from him.
Jack threw up his hands in frustration and looked at Carter. “Okay, power up that thing,” he waved towards the black box that Teal'c had rescued from the showroom, “and let's go home. We'll bring the kid with us,” he added, hoping that Fraiser could treat him before the 48 hour deadline.
Carter shook her head. “Sir, I don't think I can.” At Jack's shocked look, she continued quickly. “I mean, I can get us home, but I need time to check my calculations. We've not only moved into another reality, but we've changed timelines. Remember that one control I said I couldn't figure out? It must be the one controlling *when* we travel to. If we go back now, we chance coming into this same time in our reality.”
Jack was feeling a headache coming on. “Okay, how long?”
“A few hours,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe more, if I have to adjust for the timeline shift in my calculations.”
“Well, we can't stay here,” Jack said as he heard someone running down the hallway. “They'll know the kid…” he saw Daniel glare at him and began again. “They'll figure out that Danny here is missing and will probably start searching the place. Teal'c, Carter, start looking for another way out, there must be more than one exit out of here. The fewer people who see us leave, the better.”
Jack began gathering their weapons and tied the larger ones together, covering them with one of the emergency blankets. Teal'c's staff weapon could be carried openly; no one would know it was a weapon. Jack figured that was all they needed, to be caught carrying arms and a kidnapped child in the middle of New York City .
“You okay?” Jack asked as he watched Daniel close his eyes tiredly. They snapped open and stared at him, bloodshot and swollen.
“No,” he answered in a small voice. “This brought back a lot of emotions I thought I'd buried.” He looked down at the boy. “I can't let him go through what I did, Jack. I just can't.”
Reaching for his canteen, he uncapped it and handed it to Daniel. The distraught man stared at him blankly until Jack nudged his arm. He accepted the canteen and took a couple of sips before handing it back. Jack motioned towards the boy and understanding, Daniel raised the child's head.
“Danny,” Jack said in a gentle voice. “Do you want some water?” He waited a moment for a reaction, and seeing none, he placed the mouth of the canteen against the boy's lips. As he tipped the container, he was relieved when he swallowed a few mouthfuls.
“Atta boy,” Jack praised, reaching over and brushing his hair out of his eyes.
Danny blinked, but kept staring blankly. Jack took the opportunity to examine the boy, noting that although his hair was much lighter than the adult Daniel's, there was no mistaking the resemblance. He was still shivering slightly, even enveloped in Jack's jacket and cuddled against Daniel's bulk.
Having stuffed everything into their packs, they were ready to leave when Teal'c and Carter returned with an escape route. Jack tossed Teal'c his black knit hat, which he placed on top of his head to hide his tattoo. They made their way out of the museum without encountering anyone; everyone obviously having gone to the accident site to check it out. Jack seethed inwardly at their morbid curiosity while at the same time he was relieved that they wouldn't have to try to explain why they were kidnapping a child. With any luck, they'd have forgotten about young Danny Jackson in all of the confusion.
They walked the few blocks towards Central Park without drawing a second glance from any passersby. Where else but New York City could four adults walk around in BDUs without attracting undue attention? He caught Carter grinning at him when a teenager commented on their neat clothes.
Daniel walked alongside them in a daze, young Danny clutched in his arms. The boy hung limply, not even attempting to anchor himself to Daniel. He was a dead weight and when Jack offered to relieve Daniel of his burden, the younger man shook his head emphatically. His friend hadn't uttered a word since they'd left the New York Museum of Art and Jack was beginning to worry about him.
They entered the park as the sun was low in the sky, and they made for a large copse of trees by a small lake. They made camp under the trees; Jack wishing he could dare a campfire but they had to ensure that they remained unseen. Although it was early summer, the night was cooling off quickly.
As Daniel settled down with the boy in his lap once more, Jack took out an emergency blanket and wrapped it around the both of them. Daniel was shivering slightly, and Jack thought it was from more than the damp air. He didn't look at Jack; he simply sat there with his cheek resting against Danny's head. Jack was becoming a little worried at Daniel's obsession with his younger self.
Jack took out another blanket and wrapped it around his own shoulders. He missed the warmth of his jacket, but the child needed it more than he did. Carter went to the lake to gather water to heat their MREs. Teal'c checked their perimeter, ensuring that they were alone. Jack heard a couple of squawks and squeals when Teal'c ran off a drunk who had decided to party too close to their campsite.
“Daniel,” Jack said softly as he knelt beside his friend, placing a hand on his knee. Daniel looked up at Jack slowly, his eyes a little glazed in the dimming light.
“You should put him down,” Jack urged, putting a hand on the child's shoulder. “He'll be more comfortable lying down.”
Daniel shook his head before raising his knees and bringing Danny closer to him. He lowered his head once more.
Jack opened his mouth to protest, then gave up, realizing that Daniel was probably in shock. He sat beside his friend and patted his knee, feeling the slight tremors beneath his hand.
By now the sun had set but the sky still retained a pink glow, illuminating their camp with a cosy warm radiance. A streetlamp situated not far would allow enough light so they wouldn't be totally in the dark.
When Carter returned and handed him his supper, Daniel ignored the proffered meal. “Daniel,” Carter called gently. She ran a hand through his hair, but his only reaction was a shaky inhalation. She pulled out her medkit and removed three Benedryl tablets, snapping one in half. Familiar with the sedating effects of the antihistamines, Jack accepted the half pill and unclipped his canteen.
“I need you to take these,” she coaxed as she placed a hand underneath her friend's chin. When Daniel raised his head compliantly, Jack saw the wet tracks on his cheeks. Daniel stared blankly at the pills.
“They're antihistamines. They'll help unstuff your head,” Carter told him; which was true because he could hear Daniel's difficulty breathing through his clogged up sinuses. After a moment Daniel reached a hand out and accepted the tablets, swallowing them with a few sips of water from Carter's canteen. Jack hoped that they'd also knock Daniel out. The best thing for him right now was sleep. For both Daniels.
While Daniel was drinking the water and before he could huddle against the boy, Jack took the half pill that Carter had given him and popped it into young Danny's mouth. He dribbled some water against his lips and the boy once again swallowed automatically. Jack patiently coaxed until Danny had taken in enough water to satisfy him.
He picked up his cooling supper as Daniel gathered the young body and hugged him against his chest once more. They ate their supper in silence; three pairs of eyes watching with concern as their team mate sat huddled over young Danny, lost in his memories. Jack could see the boy's face as he stared blankly into the depth of the night.
Soon the dull, blue eyes began to droop. Jack looked at his friend and noted that his body appeared to be a little more relaxed. Placing a hand on Daniel's nape, Jack said softly, “The boy's getting sleepy. How about lying down?”
Without a word, Daniel stretched his length along the ground while Jack helped settle Danny beside him. Jack tucked a pack under his friend's head as Daniel pulled the young boy against him, pillowing Danny's head on his shoulder and pressing his face against his chest. As much as Daniel was trying to comfort Danny, Jack ached to see his friend so obviously hurting. He curled up around the boy, effectively shutting himself off from his friends.
Soon Daniel's body relaxed as the pills took effect. Both man and child fell into a deep sleep, Daniel's hands finally loosening their grip on the boy as he relaxed into slumber.
At Jack's request, Teal'c settled into kel-no-reem while Jack kept first watch. Carter had opened her laptop, the light illuminating her face as she lost herself in numbers and equations.
Time passed slowly as the night wore on. Jack alternated between walking around their camp and sitting watching Carter's face as she worked doggedly through the late evening. Upon returning from what he'd decided to be his last survey before waking Teal'c, he saw Carter fiddling with her computer. Finally, she swore and closed the laptop, rubbing a hand tiredly over her face.
“So, did you figure how to get us back?” Jack asked in a low voice.
She exhaled loudly before shaking her head. “The variables are very complicated,” she explained as she settled the blanket around her shoulders. “It's going to take me a little longer to figure them out; but that's not the problem. My battery's running low and the spare isn't working.” She raised a hand and waved it at the recalcitrant machine. “I can't do anything more until we find a place where I can plug it in.”
Jack nodded, and ordered her to get some sleep. He roused Teal'c and curled up on the hard ground, hoping to get a few hours' sleep before morning. He knew they couldn't stay in the park, and tried to think of an obscure place where Carter could go work with her laptop. The problem was… laptops weren't exactly a common thing in 1972. It would have to be a quiet place where she could work uninterrupted for a couple of hours, at least. They needed that computer charged and working if they were to get home as it was in actuality the remote control device for the mirror.
Jack's mind was churning with these thoughts. Normally he could will them aside and easily fall asleep; his life as a soldier had taught him to do so years ago. But tonight his mind kept returning to the look on Daniel's face when he first spotted his younger self. He felt bad for the boy, but Daniel's actions had put them in a situation which would be difficult to explain now as to why they'd kidnapped a child who was clearly traumatized, and had him sleeping in the middle of Central Park .
He must have dozed off when he became aware of a soft whimpering next to him. Thinking it was Daniel, he was a little surprised to see that young Daniel was crying in his sleep. He could hear him murmuring as he called out for his mom and dad.
Daniel had rolled onto his back in his sleep, and the boy was curled up beside him. Motioning to Teal'c that he'd comfort the boy, Jack reached over and picked up the child, surprised at the slight weight. At the movement, Danny cried out “Laa!”
“Shhhh,” Jack crooned, “it's all right.” He glanced over at Daniel, glad to see that the boy's cry hadn't woken him up.
“Sir?” Carter asked sleepily, raising herself up on an elbow.
“S'okay, kid's having a nightmare,” Jack explained as he straightened his jacket around the boy's shoulders and then tucking his blanket around the both of them.
Still whimpering, Danny looked up at Jack in alarm. Jack smiled down at him, seeing the exact same look Daniel gave him sometimes. “You're safe. Why don't you go back to sleep,” Jack coaxed. Still feeling the effects of the antihistamines, the boy's eyes closed involuntarily. He snuggled up against Jack, looking for heat and comfort. As Danny leaned against him, Jack felt the boy's wet pants against his hip. Placing a hand on the boy's head, he stroked the soft silky hair as the boy relaxed against him.
He sighed as he lowered himself back onto the ground, trying not to wake Danny. The boy moaned slightly when Jack's movement disturbed him and he clutched at Jack's shirt, his fingers loosening when Jack rubbed his back. Jack lay on his back with Danny lying on his side. The warm body reminded him of Charlie and Jack fell asleep with memories of his son snuggled up against him.
- - - - - -
The touch of a cool hand on his forehead woke Daniel out of a light sleep. He'd been drowsing on and off for the past hour, a splitting headache keeping him from falling back into a deeper sleep. He shivered suddenly, his stomach was churning sourly and he felt very tired.
“Are you awake?” Sam asked in a low voice.
He nodded, the pain in his head worsening with the movement.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. How are you feeling?” She brushed back the short bangs from his forehead.
Daniel opened his eyes and turned to look at Sam. It was dawn, the sun not quite up yet. It was light enough that Daniel could make out objects around him, and he suspected that as soon as the sun rose, his headache would go up a notch or two.
“Headache,” he admitted, hoping she'd give him something for the pain so he wouldn't have to get up and rummage through his pack. To his relief, she moved away and then returned shortly with two pills and some water. He turned onto his side and raised himself on an elbow before accepting the medicine. He took the proffered canteen and swallowed some water.
“You've got a fever,” Sam said as she took the canteen from him. “Try to get a bit more sleep.”
As he lay back down, Daniel was surprised to see Danny curled up against Jack, both sleeping soundly. The sight of the small form huddled beneath the blanket brought back all of yesterday's horrible memories, and he swallowed convulsively to keep the meagre contents of his stomach down where they belonged.
Daniel ached to go to the child and take him in his arms. He had had a bad time dealing with the aftermath of the Gamekeeper's actions last year, but actually seeing himself yesterday after witnessing his parents die a third time in his life had tripled the strength of his emotions. He lay there on the hard ground and stared at Danny, remembering the fear and confusion he'd experienced as a child after that awful accident.
He shivered and pulled the blanket up to his chin, trying to keep warm. He started when he felt someone touch his back, realizing belatedly that it was Teal'c. For all of the man's bulk, he could move more silently than any of them when necessary. The Jaffa spread another blanket over him, for which Daniel was grateful for its warmth.
Sam and Teal'c moved off a ways and sat together, talking quietly so as not to disturb their sleeping team mates. Somehow today their actions felt deliberate to Daniel, leaving him feeling lonely and miserable. Even Danny had distanced himself from Daniel in his sleep and had turned to Jack.
He closed his eyes and tried to rest, trying to ignore the aches and discomforts of his body. The pounding footsteps of an early jogger roused him from an uneasy doze. Another jogger went by a few minutes later, and the sharp bark of an accompanying dog startled him.
Danny made a sound of protest but before Daniel could sit up and go comfort the child, Jack had pulled him close. He could see the boy's hands clutching at Jack's shirt, and Jack's hand gently rubbing his back as he spoke softly to him. Daniel couldn't hear the words, but heard the tone of voice. He lay back down, feeling more and more alone.
He knew deep down that these feelings weren't normal, and were probably exacerbated by his fever. But knowing there was an explanation for his emotions didn't necessarily help make him feel better. He huddled under the blankets, shivering, listening to Jack soothe his younger self and wishing it was him that Jack was comforting.
- - - - - -
Jack had seen Daniel looking his way when he lifted Danny into his arms. The boy clutched at Jack as if he was a lifeline and Jack bent his head as he soothed him. The next time he'd looked over, Daniel had his eyes closed. The barking dog had woken the boy up, startling him. Jack presumed that the memories had come rushing back, but at least he was more alert this morning than he'd been last evening. He had actually looked at Jack twice; the first time during the night and again just now.
When Danny had calmed down and lay quietly against him, Jack tightened his grip and warned him that he was going to sit up. Danny grabbed at him as Jack put a hand onto the ground to push them up into a sitting position. He pulled the boy up into his lap, wrapping the blanket up and around Danny's shoulders.
Carter and Teal'c glanced over and got up to join them. Teal'c removed a Power bar from his pack and tore the wrapping before handing it to Jack. Jack offered it to Danny, who turned his head away and pressed up against Jack's chest.
“Aren't you hungry?” Jack asked Danny. He didn't expect an answer and didn't receive one, but bit into the bar instead. Chewing the soft food, he wished he had coffee to go with it. Swallowing the bite, he offered the bar to the boy once more. Danny pulled away from it, so Jack relented.
“So, Danny,” Jack started. The boy turned his head to look at Jack curiously. “I guess you're a little confused, huh? I'm Jack, by the way. That's Carter over there, but I guess you could call her Sam. The big guy is Teal'c, and that's Daniel.”
He watched as Danny eyed each person as Jack named them. His eyes widened slightly when he named Daniel, and Jack chuckled. “Yup, there are two of you,” he said, thinking how that was true in more ways than one.
He finished off his breakfast, swallowing the last mouthful with some water. He offered the canteen to Danny, who after a slight hesitation, reached out and accepted it. He took a few swallows before returning it to Jack.
“I'll go fill these up,” Carter offered as she gathered all of their canteens. “There's a water fountain over that way,” she said, pointing to the right with a cant of her head. “Do you want to come with me, Danny?” Danny turned towards Jack, throwing his arms around him. “Okay, I'll try not to take it personally,” she said with a smile as she met Jack's eyes.
She walked over to kneel beside Daniel, talking to him softly. It wasn't normal for Daniel to remain abed while the rest of the team had gotten up. Daniel hadn't been himself since yesterday after witnessing his parent's deaths once more, and Jack hoped that the sleep had done him some good.
“Hey, you gonna lie there all day,” Jack said once Carter had gotten Daniel's canteen and was making her way to the water fountain.
“DanielJackson is ill, O'Neill.”
Teal'c's softly spoken words shocked Jack. “Why the hell didn't someone say something,” Jack groused. “Daniel, what's wrong?” He made to put Danny down but the boy grabbed onto Jack's shoulders, reluctant to be separated from him.
“I'm fine, Jack. It's just a headache,” Daniel said to him. “Sam gave me something earlier, I'm feeling better.”
Jack looked at his friend and saw his pale, sweaty face. “His temperature is also elevated,” Teal'c added. Jack leaned over and put a hand to Daniel's cheek, registering the higher skin temperature. Daniel pulled away from his touch, turning onto his back.
Jack pulled his hand back and watched his friend a moment. “Daniel,” Jack said softly. Daniel turned his head back towards Jack. “By any chance would you remember the hotel where you stayed before your…” Jack was suddenly very aware of the small body in his arms. “I know it was a long time ago, but…”
“I remember,” Daniel interrupted. “There were gargoyles above the entrance,” he continued in a toneless voice. “And the doorman always wore a red hat. It was pretty close to the museum, I remember we would walk there.”
“Would you be able to find it? Danny needs a change of clothes and a bath. It's still early, possibly the authorities haven't notified the hotel yet.” Jack also hoped that Danny's parents had left some cash in the room. They might be stuck here all day and they were running out of food. They had a few articles that they could pawn, but Jack preferred not doing so if at all possible.
“I can find it,” Daniel said dully. “I can even get you to the door. Room 403,” he said with a sharp laugh. “Funny the things you remember no matter how hard you try to forget.” Jack felt Danny stiffen beneath him. So much for trying to talk over the boy's head. He tightened his hold on the boy and rubbed his arm, letting him know it was okay.
“Carter,” Jack said as she handed back the water bottles on her return. “How much more time do you need to figure out how to get us back?”
“Several hours,” she answered. “I hope,” she continued in a lower voice. At Jack's confused look, she added, “by adding in the time shift variable, it's thrown everything else off. I need to double and triple check everything, Sir. One tiny error and we could either end up in a totally different universe, or miss our own time and land several years too early or too late. There's another problem, I've just discovered that the device will only permit a few jumps into each universe. So in essence if I make a mistake, we may only have one more try to get back home. I think it's a failsafe so that the users don't try and inflict too much damage on the timeline.”
“That doesn't make sense,” Jack said. “You just need to go back and kill off someone's grandfather and the damage is done.”
Carter shrugged. “And then someone comes back and kills your great grandfather and you cease to exist before you kill off the grandfather.” Jack wasn't about to go into discussing the concept of altering history through time travel, because he knew hands down she'd win the argument.
Jack looked over at Daniel, who hadn't moved since Carter had returned. He hated to wake him, but they couldn't stay here during the day, and the sooner Carter got busy on her laptop, the sooner he'd get Daniel… both Daniels, to Fraiser.
“Daniel,” Jack called softly. His friend's eyes popped open and he looked at Jack wearily. “We gotta go,” he said apologetically. Daniel nodded, and sat up slowly. He began folding the blanket. Carter took the blanket from Jack, and put it away. Jack kept his jacket wrapped around Danny; his pants were almost dry but still a little damp to the touch.
“Sir, do you think it's a good idea for Danny to go… I mean, the memories…” She looked at the boy who still had his arms wrapped around Jack's torso. The thin arms tightened minutely at her words.
“I won't leave you, don't worry,” Jack whispered, and the arms relaxed. “What about the Benadryl?” Jack asked. “It might ease the shock.”
She nodded and took out the half pill from her pack.
“Danny, I'd like you to take this,” Jack said to the boy, pulling him away from him. Danny looked at the pill and then up at Jack, a perplexed look on his face.
“The medicine will make you a little sleepy, that's all. I promise I won't leave you alone.” Danny stared up at Jack, obviously trying to figure out what was going on. Jack pushed back the heavy bangs from the boy's eyes, and asked, “Trust me?” Danny took the proffered pill and with a grimace, swallowed it with a few swallows of water. “Sure you don't want to eat something?” Jack asked. The boy rested his head against Jack's shoulder.
They made their way slowly to the museum. Daniel wasn't in much better shape than yesterday. He was uncommunicative, answering in as few words as possible when they spoke to him. Jack could tell his head was still hurting just by the way he held it slightly tilted to the side.
The medication had kicked in and Danny was dozing in Jack's arms. Teal'c had offered to carry him but Jack was reluctant to let go of him.
At the museum, Daniel stood a moment to get his bearings, eyes closed. He began walking north, and after a few wrong turns, they found a small hotel with gargoyles perched on top of the entrance. Instead of entering, Jack ordered them to continue on down the block. They stopped and he sat down on a wooden bench, gratefully taking Danny's weight off his arms.
“Carter, you and Daniel go inside and check out the room.” Jack had no doubts in Carter's abilities to pick a lock. “Teal'c and I will wait here and you can radio us with the all clear. I'll go up with Danny; Teal'c, you stay in front of the hotel and make sure to warn up if anybody suspicious comes in.”
- - - - - -
Sam and Daniel brazenly walked to the elevator and punched the button to the fourth floor. Walking to room 403, after knocking on the door, she knelt and made short work of opening the locked door. She peeked inside, noting immediately that the room was empty. They entered and shut the door behind them. She flicked on the light and rifled through a stack of papers. When she found a snapshot of a man and a woman kneeling beside Danny, she radio'd the Colonel, telling him to come on up.
Daniel sat down listlessly on the bed, staring into space. She thought that he'd have been anxious to look at his family's belongings, but realized that she'd been wrong. She sat down beside him and placed a hand on his arm.
“You all right?” she asked. He turned pain filled eyes towards her and she realized that he was still feeling sick. She tested for fever and wasn't surprised to find that his temperature still hadn't gone down. She dug out two more Tylenol and handed them to him. He swallowed them dry, grimacing at the acrid taste.
“I guess we should start packing,” she suggested as they waited for Colonel O'Neill to arrive.
“There's no rush, Sam,” Daniel said in a weary voice. “We'll be lucky if they remember that there was a kid in the museum when the accident happened.”
“Daniel,” Sam started, but he continued as if he hadn't heard her.
“They locked me up in an office, and forgot about me. Apparently a janitor came in at three in the morning and found me sitting on the floor in shock. They'd put me there to keep me out of the way while the police investigated the accident, and they were all caught up in the horror of it all that they forgot about me.”
Sam brought her arms up to give Daniel a hug when he got up suddenly and walked to the bathroom. She heard water running, then the sound of a glass being lowered to the counter. He came out a few seconds later. He stayed there, leaning against the door jamb. Sam ached to go to him but he obviously didn't want her comfort. His low voice barely reached her ears as he continued to speak.
“I was in shock for days, totally unresponsive. That Danny is reacting to Jack is amazing. I wonder if someone had stayed with me that night…”
Whatever Daniel was going to say next was interrupted by the Colonel's light knock on the door.
- - - - - -
Jack saw Carter's stricken face and wondered what had just happened. He looked from her to Daniel, but nobody spoke. Carter suddenly got busy setting up her laptop. Remembering the boy in his arms, Jack headed directly for the bathroom.
“Wanna give me a hand here?” he asked Daniel as he walked by. He sat Danny on the toilet seat and had Daniel make sure he didn't fall off. Danny leaned up against Daniel, wanting to sleep. Jack busied himself running the bath, then with Daniel's help, they undressed the unresisting child. He made quick work of the bath, and wrapping him up in a large bath towel, he carried him out to one of the beds and laid him down. After towelling him dry and dressing him in clean clothes, he covered him with the bedspread and let him sleep in peace.
He found a small valise and asked Daniel to start packing clothes for Danny. Jack began going through the Jackson 's personal papers, finding Danny's birth certificate. He was also relieved to find a few hundred dollars in cash. At least they'd had money to keep them going, and even pay for a hotel room for the night if they were still stuck here.
Jack had no qualms about taking the money; he'd return it to the boy as soon as they got home. But they needed it now, it was survival.
Pocketing the papers and the cash, Jack turned to see Daniel holding a cream coloured sweater in his hands. It had obviously been the father's, it was too big for the child. Daniel held it up to his face and took a deep breath. Jack wanted to look away as Daniel's eyes filled up with unshed tears, but instead he walked up to Daniel, intending to comfort. Seeing Jack approach him, Daniel put the sweater back into the drawer.
“Why don't you take it,” Jack said softly. He saw Daniel swallow before passing a shaking hand over the soft material. Jack reached over and picked up the sweater, placing it in the valise. He patted Daniel's arm before moving off to check on Carter. She was busily typing in data, so he let her be.
Spotting a few picture albums, Jack leafed through them. They were all family pictures, so he packed those up too. A tattered beige teddy bear with a torn ear was placed on top of the albums. Jack could see nothing else that might be needed, so he checked in with Teal'c.
After ascertaining that Teal'c had no problem waiting outside for the next few hours, Jack urged Daniel to lie down beside Danny. He was worried about Daniel's fever; it hadn't abated even with the Tylenol that Carter had told him she'd given him.
Jack leaned back against the headboard, patiently waiting. The hours passed slowly; Carter worked non stop, laptop balanced on her lap. Daniel lay on his side, staring blindly at the bedspread. He wasn't sure what was going on in that brilliant mind of his, the only thing Jack knew was that Daniel was pulling away from them. He had always allowed his friends to comfort him; his distancing himself from them wasn't typical Daniel behaviour. Jack wasn't sure what to do, but certainly forcing himself on Daniel wouldn't help. Danny, on the other hand, seemed to be responding fairly well to Jack. Poor little guy. If seeing his parents die did this to the adult Daniel, he couldn't begin to imagine what young Danny was going through.
Again he wasn't sure what to do with the boy, bringing him back to their own reality was only a short-term solution. They'd have to return here within 48 hours of leaving to prevent those tremors.
Jack was a little uneasy staying in the hotel room; he was afraid that the authorities would arrive any moment searching for Danny or to pick up the Jackson 's belongings.
“Shit!”
Carter's expletive startled Jack. Strangely, he'd been watching Daniel and the man hadn't twitched at the unexpected sound. Jack turned questioningly to his second in command.
She raised her hands to either side in frustration as she looked up from her work. “I need to get some information, Sir. I'm afraid I don't have everything here on hand, and since there's no internet in this time, I'm going to have to go to the library.”
Jack raised an eyebrow and couldn't help his grin. “Library, Carter?” Somehow he was used to seeing her sitting at a computer; the picture of her walking through rows upon rows of books didn't quite fit in with his mental image of his Second. Daniel, on the other hand… The thought of his friend sobered him once more.
“Well, I didn't exactly learn everything I know by watching The Learning Channel, Sir.” She smiled back at him tiredly. “I did spend a lot of hours in libraries. I think I know what books I'll need. It shouldn't take too long.”
“Can you get us home today?” Jack asked.
She shook her head. “Not for another several hours. And Colonel, we need to put the device back where we found it. The museum is probably the safest place for it, that way nobody will know what it is and it'll hopefully remain undiscovered for many years. Which means that we have to return to the museum, and it'll most likely be closed by the time I'm ready to activate it.”
“Fine, let's get a hotel room not far from the museum. We'll settle in, get something to eat and then you and Teal'c can go to the library. I'll guess I'll be babysitting Daniels.”
As Carter got up and stretched her stiff muscles, Jack slid his legs over to the side of the bed and checked on Daniel. A hand to his forehead revealed that he was still running a temperature. He didn't react to Jack's touch, and Jack gently shook his shoulder.
“Daniel, you awake?” Jack asked. His friend blinked before raising his eyes to Jack's. Motioning with his head, Jack said, “Come on, we're leaving.” He watched as Daniel looked around a moment before sitting up. He shivered slightly as the bedspread fell from his body. As Daniel stood, Jack reached over and smoothed the rumpled covers, erasing any sign that someone had been here. Carter did the same for the bed that they'd been sitting on.
Danny didn't quite wake as Jack lifted him into his arms. He clutched at Jack and whimpered slightly, but didn't open his eyes. Holding him against his shoulder, the boy laid his head trustingly against Jack's neck.
Daniel and Jack waited by the door while Carter made sure the room looked exactly as it had when they had entered. Then picking up her laptop and the valise, she joined the men at the door. Jack radio'd Teal'c, warning him that they were coming down.
- - - - - -
Jack and Teal'c had gone out in search of lunch. They'd found a Hunan restaurant nearby and had returned to their hotel room with takeout. Both Daniels refused to eat until Jack snapped at Daniel and held a cup of broth to Danny's lips. Daniel finally accepted the plate Jack had prepared for him, and although he barely touched it, he did manage to swallow a few bites at Carter's coaxing. Danny sipped the broth whenever Jack urged him to, otherwise he'd forget he was holding the sytrofoam cup and would lapse into whatever fugue world he was escaping into.
When Carter and Teal'c left for the library, Jack tried turning on the television to entertain Danny, but it didn't hold his attention. Both Daniels each sat on a bed, staring into space. Danny only reacted whenever Jack touched him and spoke to him. Daniel's reaction still made Jack uneasy, he would only speak when spoken to and Jack wasn't sure if he wasn't totally aware of where he was at times. After a while, Daniel slid down on the bed and lay on his side, his back to Jack. His fever had never left him, and Jack was worried.
Jack was marginally aware of the television droning on in the corner. He was a little bored and was feeling helpless. He walked to the window and stared outside, hoping that Carter would quickly finish whatever it was she was researching and return back to the room.
It wasn't until one of the TV characters began screaming hysterically that Jack heard Daniel rush to the bathroom. Sounds of retching reached him, and when he turned to go check on him, he saw that Danny was lying with his hands over his ears, eyes wide and terrified, panting with fear.
Swearing, Jack fumbled for the remote and clicked off the TV. He gathered the boy in his arms, rocking him gently. He could still hear Daniel being sick, and he was torn between the boy and his friend. He desperately didn't want Danny to return to that catatonic state he'd been in last night so he spoke to him softly, coaxing him out of his memories and panic. Daniel would be all right once his stomach settled, although Jack felt guilty for having to choose between the two.
Belatedly recalling the toy that he'd packed, Jack walked to the valise with Danny in his arms and searched one handed until he found the soft teddy bear. When he placed it in the boy's hand, he clutched it tightly and brought it up to his face, rubbing his cheek in the matted fur. Jack paced back and forth before the window with Danny in his arms. The small body was more relaxed now, his breathing back to normal.
There was no noise coming from the bathroom and for a moment Jack got worried, until he heard the toilet flush, then the sound of running water. A few moments later, Daniel stepped out, pale and unsteady. As he made his way back to the bed, Jack asked, “You okay?”
Daniel nodded without looking at Jack. As he slipped back under the covers, Jack put Danny down on the other bed and the boy curled up with the stuffed toy clutched in his hand.
Daniel pushed the blankets off moments later. Jack walked over and sat down beside his friend, who had his back turned to Jack once again. Jack was aware of Danny's eyes tracking him and he looked over at him and smiled. The boy's cheek dimpled slightly as he nearly smiled back.
Jack reached over and put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. He felt his friend tense up beneath his fingers.
“Danny,” Jack said quietly, aware of the heat coming through the cotton tee-shirt. “Let me help, tell me what's going on.” For a moment Jack thought Daniel wouldn't respond, but then Daniel said quietly, “I don't know.”
Jack rubbed Daniel's arm a moment then placed a hand on his cheek. Damn, his fever had risen.
“Get up,” Jack said. He pulled at Daniel's arm until he was sitting. “First thing, let's try and get your temperature down.” He led Daniel into the bathroom where he told him to strip while he turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature.
Jack stepped outside to check on Danny while Daniel finished undressing; he was watching the bathroom door with wide eyes. Jack walked to the bed and knelt beside the boy.
“I'll just be in there a short while. You'll hear me talking, okay? I won't be far.” The boy's eyes never left Jack's face and Jack's heart tightened when he had to step out of his view.
Daniel had removed his pants and tee shirt, and was standing shivering in his shorts and socks. Jack helped hold him steady as he took off the last items. When Daniel stepped under the tepid water, Jack heard him gasp with the shock to his overheated system. He stood shivering under the flowing stream, arms clasped around his chest. His teeth soon were chattering as his body attempted to maintain the feverish heat.
When Jack deemed that Daniel had been in there long enough, he turned off the water and wrapped his friend in a large towel. He helped Daniel step out of the tub and sat him down on the lowered toilet seat cover. Daniel felt cooler to the touch, although he was still shivering. He quickly towelled him off and helped him back into his clothes. Daniel stumbled as he made his way out of the bathroom, Jack's hand on his arm holding him steady.
Danny still appeared to be alert, following their progress around the bed. Jack settled Daniel back under the covers, and got some more Tylenol and water. As he'd swallowed the pills, Daniel had looked up at Jack. He'd seen the same hurt mirrored in his friend's eyes as he'd seen in the boy's.
Jack placed a hand on Daniel's forehead, noting that his temperature had gone down some. He stroked the wet hair back, and saw that Daniel relaxed at his touch. He slid a hand down and massaged his nape gently. Daniel sighed.
“Headache still bad?” Jack asked. Daniel nodded.
Jack got up from the side of the bed and circled it, sitting up against the headboard beside Daniel. He motioned for Danny to come and the boy quickly slid off the bed and crossed over to theirs. Jack took the boy in his arms, teddy bear and all. He kept one hand on Daniel and one arm around Danny. Taking a deep breath, Jack decided it was time to talk to his friend.
“Is this about what happened at the museum?” Jack asked, his hand continuing the gentle massage of nape and back of skull. Again, Daniel nodded. Jack glanced down at the boy who was fiddling with the stuffed toy's torn ear.
“I don't pretend to understand what you went through, Daniel, but it seems to me your reaction is a little different that when Shau're…” Jack let the words lapse as he recalled how sad and dejected Daniel had been during the days following his wife's death. The difference was that Daniel hadn't turned away from his friends then. He hadn't contained his grief; once Fraiser had permitted Daniel to leave the infirmary, Jack had taken him to his house to recuperate and had gotten Daniel talking with little prompting. Daniel had broken down in Jack's arms, and they had spent the night talking about lost loves, pain, and death. It had been cathartic for both of them, and the next day Daniel's eyes were a little less haunted.
But Daniel's current actions were very similar to Danny's. Jack understood shock; he'd seen plenty of it from soldiers who hadn't been ready to see battle. Danny was definitely still in shock, but was obviously fighting to recover. His friend, on the other hand, appeared to also be suffering from shock but wasn't making any moves to help himself. If anything, he appeared to be worse off than Danny.
The tight muscles beneath his hand had begun to relax, and his friend's deep and rhythmic breathing indicated that he'd fallen asleep. Jack removed his hand and turned his attention to the boy.
“So, does the bear have a name?” Jack asked Danny, who was still fingering the toy's ear. Clear blue eyes looked up at Jack, and the small forehead frowned slightly as he contemplated Jack's words. “Oursie,” he finally said in a shy voice. Jack grinned at hearing the first words out of the boy's mouth.
“Horsie? Now what kind of name is that for a bear?” Jack teased. “I'd think something a little more proper, like Mr. Bear, or even Teddy, but Horsie?”
Danny giggled softly. “Not Horsie, Oursie. It's French. Ourson means a baby bear, and I've had Oursie for ever and ever,” Daniel explained, looking a little nervous.
“Well in that case, hello Oursie. Nice to meetcha,” Jack said with a smile as he gave the bear a pat on the head. Danny smiled as he relaxed and laid his head back on Jack's shoulder. The boy had spoken! Jack remembered Daniel telling him that he'd been uncommunicative for weeks, unable or unwilling to talk. He hugged Danny close for a moment, glad that the boy was coming out of his shell.
“Are you and Oursie hungry?” Jack asked, remembering that the boy had had nothing to eat except a few sips of water and broth. “There's some leftovers if you want.” He felt Danny nod, so Jack slid out from beneath Danny. He put some rice, vegetables and chicken onto a plate and handed it to him. As Jack sat down on at foot of the bed, Danny had already placed a bite of chicken in his mouth and was chewing on it experimentally. Before he knew it, the boy had emptied the plate.
“Want some more?” he asked as he took the dirty plastic dish from Danny. The boy shook his head, his hair flopping down into his eyes. He threaded a hand through his hair, pushing it back irritably. Jack smiled, remembering how Daniel had constantly made that same action when his hair was longer.
Jack busied himself at picking up and discarding the leftover food. As he walked into the bathroom to wash him hands of the sticky residue, he felt Danny's eyes following him. When Jack came out of the bathroom, the boy was nervously playing with the teddy bear, looking up at him furtively. Jack sat back down on the bed, and the boy leaned forward slightly. When he saw that Jack wasn't approaching, he began chewing on his lower lip.
“Need a hug, kiddo?” Jack asked softly, realizing that the boy was craving physical comforting. When his eyes came up slowly to look at Jack, Jack motioned him to scoot over. As Danny moved closer to Daniel, Jack sat down in Danny's place. He wrapped an arm around the boy and pulled him close against his chest. Danny snuggled close to Jack, one arm going around Jack's torso and his teddy bear clutched close against his face.
ON TO PART TWO >>
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