Time To Say Goodbye by Babs
Jack/Daniel, Angst. Spoilers for Crystal Skull.
Rating: PG-13
The re-appearance of Nick causes some questions for Daniel.

Time To Say Goodbye by babs

The ringing phone pulled Daniel out of his contemplation of the glyphs SG-12 had photographed on P2E-003.

"Jackson," he answered, still keeping his eyes on the computer screen, unable to figure out the fourth glyph.

"Doctor Jackson, you are needed in the Gateroom immediately."

"Coming," Daniel said, glancing at the monitor one last time. Either he'd be working very late or glyphs would be haunting his dreams until he puzzled things through. He left his office, mentally running through the teams that were off-world and thinking of possible scenarios requiring his input. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been called to the Gateroom to do some translating through the wormhole to settle a misunderstanding. He decided to focus on those possibilities instead of the chance Jack, Sam or Teal'c, all at the Alpha Site doing trainings with some new recruits, were injured.

"Doctor Jackson," General Hammond met him in the hall. Daniel tried to read the commander's expression. Hammond didn't look worried, but concern was evident in his eyes. Daniel felt his stomach do a little flip-flop.

"What's wrong, sir?" he asked.

"I think there is someone you need to see." Hammond said before motioning for Daniel to enter the Gateroom.

Daniel went in the room, noticing little activity, certainly no medics moving in the organized chaos signifying someone was gravely injured. He looked to the Gate, noticing it wasn't active.

A man stood at the base of the ramp--a man Daniel thought he'd never see again, a man he'd said goodbye to four years before.

"Nick? Grandpa?" he whispered, unsure of how to react.

"Hello, Daniel." Nick looked at him and Daniel felt as if he was five again, being scrutinized by the man for the first time in his young life. But just as it had happened all those years ago, Nick's neutral expression changed and the old man smiled. "It is good to see you."

"Um, you too." Daniel said, pushing up his glasses and shifting his weight to his other foot. "Uh, Nick, I mean Grandpa, is there a reason you, you know." Daniel gestured to the Gate and made a spiral with his finger.

"I wanted to see my only grandson one last time," Nick said, "to say goodbye."

"We seem to do that a lot," Daniel was aware how frosty his voice sounded. He felt petty for the anger.

"Yes we do," Nick agreed. The old man sighed and Daniel looked at him again. Nick looked--for lack of a better word--frail. He hadn't thought about Nick aging during the time he'd been off doing whatever it was he did with those giant aliens, but here Nick was and he looked as if he'd aged twenty years instead of the four he'd been gone. Daniel didn't want to feel sympathy; he wanted to hang onto an anger he thought he'd dealt with years ago. But he couldn't, at least not now.

"I'm dying," Nick said even as Daniel thought it.
 

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