Coming Home

By Draggon Flye

 

 

George Hammond had been waiting for the phone call that came late one rainy Tuesday afternoon for nearly twenty years. Since he had first encountered SG-1 and the existence of the Stargate program while transporting the time-traveling SG-1 as a young airman in 1969, he had been on a mission to bring the team together. He had very nearly succeeded. Jack O’Neill had been transferred to his command, at his insistence, shortly after being rescued from an Iraqi P.O.W compound during the Gulf War. Sam Carter had joined the team soon afterward. She and Katherine Langford had headed the team that got the Stargate up and operational. They’d gone on a few limited missions, after one of which Teal’c had joined them. However, without their resident linguist, their first contact capabilities were severely limited. Hammond had tried everything to find him, even going so far as to tell Katherine about him in hopes she might hear someone in the university circles buzzing about a 15-17 year-old prodigy. So far, despite all of their best efforts, Daniel Jackson was the one member of their team still proving to be the most elusive.

 

One phone call, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, changed everything.

 

“Hammond!” he barked into the phone absently, barely looking up from the expense report he was reviewing.

 

“George, it’s Katherine, I think I’ve found him.”

 

“Found who?” the General asked, still only half listening.

 

“The Cookie Monster, George. Who do you think? I’ve found Daniel.”

 

“Daniel,” he repeated, giving Katherine his full attention. “Where? How?”

 

“He’s in New York. My friend with social services finally tracked him down.”

         

“Great!” The excitement was clear in George Hammond’s voice, though rank and station forbad him from expressing it fully. “When can we get him here?”

 

“I’m working on that now, but we have a problem.”

 

“Problem? What sort of problem?”

 

“He’s ten.”

 

“Ten!” Hammond nearly shouted the word. “That’s impossible. That means he would have been barely twenty when… He can’t possibly be that young.”

 

“Yes,” Katherine said simply, “he can. I know it’s younger than you thought, but I’m telling you, my best sources tell me Daniel Nicholas Melbourne Jackson is currently living in a small rural upstate group home in the custody of the state of New York. He was placed there after the deaths of both his parents two years ago in a museum accident. I’ve seen the photos, George. The resemblance to that sketch you made for me is unmistakable. This is Daniel.”

 

“Damn,” Hammond swore softly despite the excitement humming in his bones. “That’s a big problem. We can’t just recruit a child into a top-secret government project.”

 

“On the contrary, George,” Katherine said, “I think we have to.”

 

“What?!” This time Hammond did shout, shock overcoming good manners. “Have you lost your mind?”

 

“No, George, I haven’t,” Katherine said patiently. “Hear me out. The boy could be a great asset. Even at ten, he knows more about languages and cultures than most people ever will. More than that, the boy needs a home. He needs a family. We simply cannot let him languish in the system for another eight to ten years and then pluck him out whenever it’s convenient. If he is as important to this team as you believe him to be, then we owe the man he will become, more than that.”

 

“And just how the hell are we supposed to do that?” Hammond asked.

 

“That’s simple,” Katherine said, “he’s just become available for adoption. We have someone from SGC adopt him.”

 

“Just like that, huh,” Hammond said dryly.

 

“Yes,” Katherine told him, “just like that. There’s just one small complication.”

         

“Only one,” Hammond’s sarcasm was thick enough to cut with a knife. “And that would be…”

 

“The social worker’s looking for an experienced parent.”

 

“Well,” Hammond said slowly, “that narrows the field quite a bit. There’s just me and Janet and Jack. And before you say it, Katherine, there is no way I can take Daniel. I’ve got grandchildren his age, and my wife would never understand. She puts up with a lot from Cheyenne Mountain, but the sudden appearance of a mystery child is too much even for her.”

 

Katherine sighed. “I knew you’d say that, but, George, we can’t ask Janet to take another child. She’s just barely gotten Cassie settled.” Janet Fraiser, the SGC’s chief medical officer adopted their last mystery child, Cassandra, an eleven-year-old alien refugee who’d been the sole survivor of a viral epidemic on her home planet, after SG-1’s mission there a year ago.

 

“So that leaves…” Hammond trailed off.

         

“Jack,” they said in unison. And Jack was one hell of a complication.

 

 

“No!” Jack’s reply was immediate and vehement. “There is absolutely no way I can take this kid. I can’t believe you’d even ask, not after…” he trailed off. Even after two years, he couldn’t speak of the accidental shooting that killed his son. He left it unsaid, hanging in the air between them like a raw pulsing wound.

 

George Hammond didn’t to be reminded. He knew well enough the ghosts haunting Jack O’Neill. Hell, sometimes they still haunted him. For the rest of his life, he’d probably never forget the god-awful cold that had washed over him the day he’d learned Charlie O’Neill was dead. And he knew for sure he’d never forget the black, dark days that followed. Jack’s already fragile marriage fell apart, ripped to shreds by grief, and Jack tumbled into an abyss, depressed, suicidal, and damn near murderous. George had never felt so helpless. He was struggling with his own grief, for losing Charlie had been like loosing one of his own grandchildren, and in the midst of it all, he’d been desperately afraid they would lose Jack too, that he’d be swallowed up by the great black cloud surrounding him. By the grace of God and sheer bullheaded stubbornness, they had managed to pull him out, though that had been a near thing at times, but both George and Jack still carried the scars. Yes, George Hammond knew better than most just what he was asking would cost Jack O’Neill, but this was Daniel, dammit, and he didn’t have a choice.

 

“I have to ask,” Hammond said bluntly. “I know this is hard for you. It’s hard for me, too, but we need this boy. Believe me when I tell you he will be vitally important to this program”

 

“He’s ten for god’s sake, how can you bring him into the program at that age?” Jack was pacing now, nearly vibrating with pent up frustration.

Hammond fought a smile. Jack might be furious, but even now he was concerned for the boy and asking many of the same questions Hammond, himself, had asked. Hammond told Jack the same thing he’d been telling himself all day. “He’s a genius, Jack. He’ll crave the challenge.”

 

“Fine. Have someone else adopt him.” Jack, like all of SG-1, was at least vaguely familiar with the General’s quest to bring them all together. Though only Katherine knew the whole story, he knew enough to understand this was very important to George. Normally, that would be enough to make Jack do most anything, anything except this. It would have to be someone else.

“Who, Jack?” the general asked, “Who has the security clearance needed to raise him?”

Jack paused long enough to pin him with a heated glare. “You do, George. You take him.”

“Aside from the fact I have grandchildren almost his age, do you really think it would be fair to saddle a ten year old with an old man ready for retirement? Besides, just how would I explain him to Betty? She’s an understanding woman, but that’s a little much.”

Like any good soldier, Jack latched onto the one part of the argument where he felt he had a chance. “You’re not that old.”

“Jack!” Hammond nearly bellowed the word in his frustration. He had expected this to be a hard won fight, but this was becoming ridiculous. Jack was grasping at straws.

“What about J...”

The general raised a hand, cutting him off. “And before you say ‘What about Janet?’ you know as well as I do, raising one child is enough for her to handle. She’s already uprooted her life once for Cassie, and it wouldn’t be fair to either one of them to ask her to do it again.”

“I can’t do this, George,” Jack said, his voice rough with emotion. He’s not safe with me.” No child would ever be safe with him again, he thought, but the thought went unvoiced.

 

“The hell he’s not,” Hammond said, coming around the desk to stand nose to nose with Jack. “Son, if you think for one minute I’d let this boy near you, much less ask you to take him, if I didn’t think he’d be safe, you don’t know me very well.”

 

“I killed my son, George.” The words were choked and raw with pain.

 

“No, you didn’t,” Hammond said quietly, lacing the words with a hint of steel. “It was an accident. A tragic and horrible accident, but an accident nonetheless. It won’t happen again. You’d never allow it to happen again. You’d cut off your own hand before you’d see this boy hurt. I know you, Jack.”

“If you know me so well, you should know this won’t work. What about my work schedule?” Jack grasped at his characteristic irreverent flippancy like a life preserver, desperate to pull out of the pain.

 

“We do have Norad daycare topside, Jack. And since Daniel’s being trained for the program, I expect he’ll spend a lot of time in the mountain as well. Other parents make it work, so could you.”

“Parents, George, the operative word there is parents. Maybe someone could make it work with two people, but I’d be alone. What happens when I have to go off-world? And before you say it, I’m not giving up my team for this kid. I don’t give a damn how important he is.”

 

“No, of course not Jack, I’d never ask you to do that. You’re as important to the team as Daniel is. There are other options. The Norad facility does short-term overnight care. He could stay there for a night or two. And Jack, just because I can’t raise him doesn’t mean I can’t watch him, he’d always be welcome at my house, and I’m sure Janet would say the same. You do have friends, you know.

 

“Even if it could work, is it fair to him?” Jack asked. “He needs two parents.”

“One parent is better than none, Jack. Right now, this little boy has nobody. He’s just a child. He’s lost and alone, and he needs you, Jack.” Hammond’s gaze drifted to a manila file folder lying on his desk. It held a few faxed pages containing the meager and tragic life story of young Daniel Jackson, and a stock 5 X 7 school photo of a skinny, sad kid with sandy blonde hair and old, old eyes.

 
Jack followed the direction of Hammond’s gaze, but stopped just short of actually looking at the folder. He’d looked at it once, at Hammond’s insistence, earlier, but the photo had stopped him cold. The kid looked enough like Charlie to have been his brother. One look at that picture and he’d thought his heart would blow up in his chest. “Don’t go there, George. Don’t lay a guilt trip on me. He’ll be better off without my baggage.”

“Jack, there aren’t any other options. Besides, you need him as much as he needs you. Accept it.”

“You’re wrong,” Jack insisted stubbornly, shaking his head. “You push me into this and it’ll blow up in our faces.”

“I’ll take the risk,” the General put in quietly.

 

“Well I won’t,” Jack said. No matter what George said, he simply could not go down that road again. Even the thought of it was nearly suffocating him. “And now, General, unless you’re prepared to order me to take this child and make me take my chances with a court martial, I’m going home.” Jack reached to snatch open the door, but George slapped a hand flat against it, holding it closed.

 

“No, Jack, it’s not an order. As much as this program, and you, needs Daniel, I’m not quite prepared to go that far, but I want you to think about one thing before you go. This boy is one of your men, or will be someday, and, dammit, Jack, everyone who knows you, knows you never leave a man behind. Do you really mean to leave this one behind now?”

 

“I don’t have a choice,” Jack said simply, reaching for the door. This time, the General let him flee. 

 

 

 

“He’s a child, Jack, lost and alone…He’s one of your men, or will be, and dammit, Jack, everybody who knows you, knows you never leave a man behind. Do you mean to leave this one behind now?” Jack swore furiously under his breath as the General’s words echoed through his mind. He’d flown out of the Mountain and sped home, swearing with all of his being he wouldn’t give another thought to the boy. However, he’d thought of little else. Even now, perched on his roof in the wee hours of the morning, the words haunted him.

 

Jack felt like a man torn. On the one hand, the guilt of leaving a child, one who would someday be one of his own team, nipped at his insides like a nagging pain. On the other hand, the constant crushing fear and guilt that had dogged him since Charlie’s death, threatened to swallow him whole.  Since his meeting with the general, he’d been flooded with memories of the day of Charlie’s death and the pain and grief that followed. Nothing, not even the Jack-Daniels he’d used to numb himself after the divorce, would turn it off, but now, surrounded by the quiet and dark of the night, other memories began to creep in. Memories of teaching Charlie to ride a bike, of cradling a sleepy, cranky little boy, covered in chicken pox—the heavy, soft weight seemed imprinted in his arms—memories of countless Saturday mornings when a giggly, happy Charlie would crawl into bed with him and Sarah to watch cartoons. God, he missed that. He’d loved being a father, and he wanted it again with a fierceness that nearly bowled him over. But the pain was too great. He couldn’t go through that again for anything, not for all the happy memories in the world.

 

Then, another thought hit him broadside and brought him up short. What if it had been Charlie? Lord knows he’d wished a thousand times after Charlie’s death it’d been him instead of Charlie. What if it had been? Of course, Charlie would have had Sarah, right? But what if something had happened to her, too? Some freak accident, like the one that had killed Daniel’s parents. God, what if that poor boy had been Charlie? The thought of his little boy out there, scared and alone, with no one to take care of him shook Jack to his very core. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do.

 

Sometime after five the next morning, he woke the General without so much as an apology. “George, it’s Jack, how soon can you get me to New York?”

 

 

 

Jack pulled his rental car into the parking lot of the Catholic Children’s Services Boy’s Home. Once he’d made his decision, he’d thrown himself into preparations for the trip without much conscious thought. Now that he was here though, Jack was humming with adrenaline, though whether from excitement or fear, he couldn’t tell. Stepping out of his car and shrugging on his coat, Jack hurried across the parking lot, hunched against the bite of the wind, and knocked on the door to the facility. An older lady in a stern black dress answered it. “Hello, you must be Mr. O'Neill.”

“Colonel O'Neill, ma'am,” Jack corrected, ignoring his twinge of annoyance and extending his hand.

“Oh yes, sorry about that,” she said, waving it off as though it were an afterthought. She took Jack’s hand and shook it quickly. “I’m Bernice Holman. I’m the onsite administrator and housemother here. Please come in. We can talk in my office.”

Jack followed her into a dark hall, painted fading industrial beige. The living area opened to his left, a drafty, cavernous room cluttered with a mismatched hodgepodge of faded sofas and chairs, some ripped and spilling stuffing into the open air. A cluster of young boys sprawled across the floor, staring slack-jawed at the television. At the end of the hall, a door stood open, revealing a cramped bedroom bursting to the seams with aging metal bunks. Ms. Holman opened the door to the office area on his left, and he followed her inside, desperate to escape the chill of apathy and neglect that had settled into his bones. With every step Jack took, his resolve to take Daniel home strengthened. He had to get that poor boy out of here, fast.  

“So, you're interested in fostering Daniel Jackson,” Ms. Holman said, when he’d stepped inside and closed the door.

“Actually, I'm interested in adopting him,” Jack told her, taking a seat in the chair she gestured him to, “but I understand I'll have to foster him first.”

“Yes, you will,” Ms. Holman put in brusquely, peering at him over her glasses. “That is state policy, here and in Colorado. I assume all your paperwork is in order?”

“Of course,” Jack said, bristling at her tone. “My home study and accompanying documentation were approved by Daniel’s social worker several days ago, but I have a copy here if you’d like to see them for yourself.” He removed a sheaf of papers from his jacket pocket and offered them to her.  The home study was, in fact, forged, since Jack had neither the time nor the patience to go through the two months of training and inspections normally required, but all of the basic information about his home and family was true, and since it was created by the same people who had helped manufacture documentation for Cassie when Janet adopted her, Jack had no doubt it was impeccable.

 

Ms. Holman barely spared the paperwork a cursory glance. “You do understand any permanent decisions regarding Daniel’s future placement will be dependant on the outcome of this weekend’s visitation?”

“That was my understanding,” Jack said tightly. “That is, after all, why I’m here.” He unconsciously covered his growing irritation by standing and falling back into the familiar parade rest stance; feet spread wide, arms folded behind his back. Damn, but this was awkward. He’d have been more comfortable in dress blues on parade ground than he was under Ms. Holman’s beady stare. He almost regretted not coming in uniform. He’d chosen civilian clothes to avoid intimidating the kid, but the authority the uniform lent him would have been useful in battling the old bat. Her run around was getting older and older by the minute. “Now, may I see Daniel?”

“Of course,” Ms. Holman said airily. “But first I need to tell you a little about him.”

Jack fought the urge to scream by curling his fingers tighter around his own wrist. “Yes ma'am, I've been given his file.”

Ms. Holman leveled him with a well-we’ll-see-about-that look. “Yes, well, you can't tell everything from a file. Daniel has some problems. He has severe allergies that require many medications. He’s also been a troublemaker here.”

“Oh?” Jack said, fighting hard not to spit the word out through gritted teeth. He’d never been much of a diplomat, despite all the training the Air Force had subjected him to, and this condescending old bat was pushing every button he had.

“Yes, he doesn't play well with the other children. Tends to be a loner.”

So, Jack thought, the same thing had been said about him throughout much of his childhood. He didn’t think he’d turned out too bad. Aloud, he asked, “How does that make him a troublemaker?”

“He isn't where he's supposed to be,” Ms. Holman replied, in a tone that suggested the answer should be obvious. “He finds a place to hide out and read and then we can't find him. We've had to confine him to his room for that many times.”

Jack mentally rolled his eyes at the sheer irony of confining a child to his room, presumably alone, for trying to find a place to be alone. The utter stupidity of it was enough to breed rebellion, but he kept his thoughts to himself. His mother and the USAF had drilled too many manners into him for him to say it aloud. Instead, he simply said, “I see.”

 

A knock at the door interrupted them, and a young blonde woman walked in, smiling broadly. Jack nodded politely to her. “Good morning, ma'am.”

“Oh, good morning. You must be Colonel O'Neill,” she said, bubbling over with enthusiasm. “Please call me Sheila. I’m Daniel’s caseworker. It is so nice to see you. Good to put a face with the voice on the phone, you know. I'm sure Ms. Holman has been telling you all sorts of wonderful things about Danny.”

“Um, yes, ma’am,” Jack said hesitantly.

“Yes, I've been letting him know about Daniel,” Ms. Holman broke in shortly, “Will you please find him and escort him to my office?

If the bat’s tone bothered Sheila, it didn’t show. Her ultra bright smile never wavered. “Of course. I'll bring him right in. So nice to meet you, Colonel”.

“Nice to meet you too, ma’am,” Jack replied, and then she was gone.

 

 

 

Danny Jackson stabbed angrily at his glasses, shoving them back up over the bridge of his nose. God, he hated these stupid glasses, especially since Ms. Holman had so helpfully “repaired” them by wrapping a gob of white medical tape around the fracture on the nosepiece where Billy-the-Moron had broken them trying to smash his face into a flagpole. It was bad enough the other kids called him a four-eyed geek because he was three years ahead of all the other kids his age in school. He didn’t need to look like one too.

 

Of course, it was only supposed to be a temporary repair until they got some glitch in his state health insurance worked out; then, he could get a new pair. That had been months ago. Danny wasn’t surprised, he had long ago learned that in the “system” temporary glitches went on forever and permanent homes got more and more temporary by the day. He’d seen kids come and go and come and go, again and again. No one ever wanted him. No one knew quite what to do with the shy, sickly kid with a big brain and more allergies than should have been humanly possible. He was too smart, too young, too mouthy, too small, too withdrawn, and just plain strange. He simply didn’t fit. Anywhere.

 

He wondered how long it would take the new guy to figure that out. Danny gave him two months, tops, but at least it would get him out of the home and away from Billy-the-Moron for a while.

 

He flopped heavily onto his creaky metal bunk and picked up the book on the pyramids he’d gotten on last week’s trip to the library, pretending to read. He’d already read it so many times he could nearly quote it from memory, but at least this way, everyone would leave him alone and let him think.

 

As it had done almost constantly since his social worker had called him yesterday, his mind turned instantly to his new foster dad. What had Sheila said his name was? O’Neill. Mr. O’Neill. No, no that wasn’t right. Colonel O’Neill. That was it. He was a colonel in the Air Force. He’d never lived with a military family before, or with a single dad. It would be an interesting change. Most of the house parents here were women. He hadn’t had a dad in a long time. No, he brought the thought up short by sheer force of will. Don’t go thinking of him as a dad. You get your hopes up you get hurt. Foster parents weren’t really your parents. You were a tolerated outsider at best. He’d be better off not hoping for anything more.

 

Still, he couldn’t help wondering what life with Col. O’Neill would be like. His bunkmate, Tevin, said that since Col. O’Neill was in the military, he’d be real strict. That thought made Daniel a little nervous. He wasn’t always so good with rules. Besides, sometimes when people said strict, they really meant mean. On the other hand, his dad had been pretty strict and that hadn’t been so bad. He hadn’t liked it at the time, but he’d always known his dad loved him. That kind of strict he could deal with.

 

He wondered what life in Colorado would be like. He’d never lived anywhere except Egypt and New York. New York was nothing like Egypt. Would Colorado be anything like New York? Would they live on a military base or in a normal neighborhood? Where would he go to school? Would the kids there be nice, or would they tease him, like the kids here? What would Col. O’Neill do if they did? What would he be like?

 

Sheila appeared in the doorway, bringing his racing thoughts to a sudden and abrupt halt. “There you are, Danny,” she said. “We didn’t know where you had gotten off to. You need to come with me. Col. O’Neill is here.”

 

Danny took a deep breath to steel himself and pushed up off the mattress. Guess it was time to go find out what his new life would be like.

 

 

 

Daniel rounded the corner at a fast clip, struggling to keep up with Sheila’s hurried pace, then spotted the man waiting there and stopped in his tracks. ’God, he’s big,’ the thought popped unbidden into his mind before he even registered he had stopped moving. It wasn’t that Col. O’Neill was a physically large man, though he topped both Mrs. Holman and his social worker, Sheila, by several inches. It was more that he simply felt big. He seemed to fill the room just by being in it.

 

“Daniel,” Sheila said, with the false cheerfulness that was her normal tone. “This is Col. O’Neill.”

 

Jack turned to the boy then, and had to fight hard to keep the child he saw from melding into the memory of the child he carried in his heart. This was not Charlie. He was a little smaller, lacking Charlie’s robust, healthy glow. His hair was a lighter version of Charlie’s light brown, more of a sandy blonde, and the eyes that hid behind those awful geeky glasses were bright blue, not brown, and as old as time. Grasping at anything to anchor him in the present, Jack stepped forward to introduce himself, but the kid never moved.

Respecting the boy’s right to set his own pace, Jack drew back the handshake he’d been prepared to offer, calmly refolding his arm behind his back and saying, “It's nice to meet you, Daniel.”

“It's Danny,” he said softly, without rudeness.

“I'm sorry, Danny then,” Jack corrected quickly, remembering another little boy who hated to use his full name. “It's nice to meet you, Danny.”

Danny made no move to answer, but Jack could tell it was shyness, not rudeness, that prompted his silence. He was going to have to take this slow and easy. Putting Danny at ease would take awhile.

Ms. Holman had no such insights. “Daniel, tell the colonel it's nice to meet him,” she ordered huffily.

“Nice to meet you,” Danny repeated automatically, never taking his eyes off the floor.

 

Jack rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, fighting for patience. For crying out loud, couldn’t the woman just please shut up? Didn’t she see she was only making matters worse?

Sensing the growing tension in the room, Sheila piped up, “Danny's interested in a lot of different things, Colonel.”

“Oh, like what?” Jack asked, latching onto the opening like a life preserver. “I was hoping you could give me an idea of what we could do today. I’ve never been here before so I don’t have any idea of what the cool things are to do around here.”

 

Danny didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure what to say. Most of the stuff he liked to do wasn’t considered cool, and he didn’t want to make Col. O’Neill mad by suggesting something he’d think was dumb.

“Daniel,” Ms. Holman snapped sternly, making Danny jump, “Stop being rude and answer Mr. O'Neill.”

“Colonel O'Neill,” Jack corrected automatically, barely resisting the urge to throttle the woman.

“Sorry,” Ms. Holman muttered, never taking her eyes off Danny. To Danny, she barked, “Answer Colonel O'Neill.”

“Museums,” Danny said in a small voice, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“Danny just loves anything Egyptian, Colonel O'Neill,” Sheila gushed. “He could probably live at the museum if it were allowed. He's such a bright child.”

“A museum it is, then,” Jack agreed gratefully. He wasn’t fond of museums himself, but by now, he’d do anything to get out of here. He had to get Danny away from the bat if he wanted to have any hope of getting him to talk freely. “Is it alright if we leave immediately?”

Ms. Holman nodded, passing Jack a clipboard and pen. “You just need to sign him out and take an inhaler with you. He knows when he needs to use it.” Pulling a key from her pocket, she opened a locked cabinet and removed an inhaler in a plastic bag labeled with Danny’s name.

“Thank you,” Jack said, returning the clipboard and pocketing the inhaler.

 

“If you want him to get dinner here, he needs to be back by six,” Ms. Holman informed Jack. “If you feed him dinner, you can keep him until seven.”

“I'll feed him dinner, ma'am,” Jack assured her. “Don't worry.” There was no way he was making Danny spend any more time than necessary in this place. Turning to Danny, he asked, “Where’s your coat, Sport? It’s too cold to go out without it.”

 

Ms. Holman whipped around to look at Danny, as though realizing for the first time that he wasn’t dressed appropriately for the weather. “Yes, child, where is your coat?” she demanded. “Don’t you know you can’t go out in this weather without a coat? Have you no sense at all.”

 

“Sorry,” Danny said sheepishly, hanging his head further. “I’ll get it.” He disappeared into the hallway and returned a few minutes later wearing a worn jacket that was way too big for him.

 

Not wanting to antagonize the bat any more than necessary for Daniel’s sake, Jack refrained from further protest, even though the jacket was far to light for the weather, and Danny still had neither hat nor gloves. He’d simply have to make sure he found Danny more appropriate clothing before they went home to Colorado. “Okay, kiddo, let’s move out,” he said, steering Danny out of the office and down the hall. As far as Jack was concerned, they couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

 

 

 

Daniel knew the way to a small local children’s museum and, with a little coaxing from Jack, was able to give pretty good directions. Jack had hoped that being out from under the bat would help Danny to come out of his shell, but apart from answering specific questions, Danny seemed disinclined to make conversation, and Jack finally gave up and decided to let it go for awhile, having seen already that pushing Danny would only make matters worse.

 

The children’s museum was a stark contrast to Danny’s group home, pulsing with bright, kid-friendly colors and alive with energy. Jack knew immediately why Danny loved it.

 

“Ok, kiddo,” Jack said as they stepped inside, “you’ve been here before. What should we do first?”

 

Danny only shrugged, but Jack noticed his eyes kept drifting in the direction of what looked to be a science area with lots of hands on interactive activities so he suggested they head that way first.

 

The science area turned out to be a great idea. Jack had as much, if not more fun than Danny. Their favorite activity by far was a sand-water table. The exhibit was meant to explain erosion, but the preferred usage seemed to be building sand castles, an activity Jack endorsed whole-heartedly.

 

At first, Danny didn’t seem interested in building anything particular, content simply to trail his hands along the table and let the sand slide through his fingers, but after a few moments, his listless movements took on more focus, and a structure began to emerge.

 

“What are you building?” Jack asked. Though Danny was clearly building something, Jack couldn’t tell what. It certainly didn’t look like your typical sand castle.

 

“A sphinx,” Danny answered, never taking his eyes off his work.

 

The answer surprised Jack, who’d been expecting something more along the lines of a fort, or even a pyramid, given the boy’s interest in all things Egyptian, but now that he knew Danny’s intent, Jack could clearly see the lines of head and body emerge. “That’s really good,” Jack commented, “I’m not sure I could do that well from a picture.”

 

“It’s not from a picture,” Danny replied quietly. “I’ve seen the real thing.” Then, his silent shell descended again, and Jack, knowing from his file the ghost Egypt held for Danny, let the matter lie, and entertained himself with building his own fort.

 

The rest of the day passed quickly enough. Danny finished his sphinx, which turned out surprisingly well, and Jack finished his fort. They had time to wander through a few of the other exhibits, but before long it was time for them to go. Jack wanted to be sure they had time to stop and get dinner and still get Danny back on time. One round with the bat was enough for one day.

 

“There’s a Denny’s™ down the road,” Jack said as they were getting in the car. “Will that be okay for dinner?” Danny nodded. Jack had the impression he would have agreed to anything he suggested without so much as word, but he decided to let it go. Denny’s™ should be easy enough.

 

It was early yet for the dinner rush so they were able to get in and seated without a problem. “So, Danny,” Jack said, looking over the menu, “anything look good to you.” Danny just shrugged. Jack mentally cursed whatever fates had drawn this child so far inside, and tried to remember what boys his age usually liked to eat. It’d been a long time since he’d had to order for a child. Finally, he settled on what seemed to be a safe bet, and said, “I have an idea, why don’t we both get hamburgers?”

 

“Ok,” Danny said noncommittally.

 

The waitress came by and Jack gave her both their orders. Turning back to Danny, he tried again to draw him into conversation. “What was your favorite part at the museum?”

 

“The sand,” Danny said quietly.

 

Jack smiled. “I liked that part, too. Your sphinx was really good.” Danny blushed and ducked his head, but his eyes were smiling. “That fort I built was pretty awful. I should have had you help me.”

 

“No, it wasn’t,” Danny put in softly, “The bridge part was pretty cool.”

 

“Thanks,” Jack replied. He was thrilled with this small bit of progress, but tempered his reaction carefully for fear of scaring Danny back into his shell. “Maybe next time we could build a bridge from mine to yours.”

 

“That would be good,” Danny agreed, worrying at his bottom lip.

 

The waitress arrived with their food then, and they both fell silent for a moment, eating.

 

After a bit, Jack realized that Danny was only picking at his food. “How’s your burger?” he asked, trying to sound casual.

 

“It’s fine,” Danny said, but Jack wasn’t convinced.

 

“Do you need more ketchup?” Jack questioned, trying again to find the root of the problem. Danny shook his head. “Would you rather have something else?” Again, Danny shook his head. Danny was beginning to look nervous so Jack decided to let the matter drop. Making him even more nervous certainly wasn’t going to solve anything.

 

Changing the subject completely, Jack commented, “I saw a great hockey game the other night.” Danny gave him a blank look and began worrying anxiously at his thumb. “Have you ever been to a hockey game?” Jack was pretty sure from Danny’s expression that he already knew the answer. Danny shook his head. “It’s too bad there aren’t any games we could go to tomorrow,” Jack went on. “It’s a great game.” Jack thought for a minute. “I have an idea. I saw a skating rink on the way to where you live. Why don’t we go skating tomorrow?”

 

“Ok,” Daniel agreed.

 

There was a hesitancy in Daniel’s voice that Jack wasn’t sure he liked, but he decided to let it go for now. He went back to eating for a while, finishing up his burger. Deciding trying to get Danny to eat the burger was a hopeless cause, he went on, “Danny, have you finished your dinner?”

 

Danny nodded, giving up the pretense of eating.

 

“I don’t know about you,” Jack continued, “but I saved room for dessert.” Danny didn’t say anything, but his eyes lit up. Jack smiled to himself. He had him now, he hadn’t met a kid yet who didn’t like dessert. “Ah, you did, good. What should we have? Brownies or ice cream? Or brownies with ice cream?”

 

From the way that Danny’s eyes went round at the last suggestion, Jack could tell that was really what he wanted, but Danny said, “Brownies.”

 

Not wanting to discourage even that small effort at communication, Jack said, “Brownies it is then. With ice cream and hot fudge?” Danny nodded with such enthusiasm Jack had to fight hard to keep from laughing. He snagged the waitress on her next trip though, and gave her their order. When she left, he turned to Danny and said, “Great idea you had there.” Danny ducked his head shyly.

 

While they were waiting, Jack decided it was time to take the bull by the horns and deal with the white elephant in the room they’d both been avoiding, Danny’s impending move.

 

“So,” Jack began, trying to sound nonchalant, “I know a little bit about you. Is there anything you want to know about me?”

 

Danny studied him silently, worrying at his bottom lip, but Jack could see a million questions in his eyes. He thought a minute; trying to think of things a kid in Danny’s position would want to know. “Let’s see. I live in Colorado, but I bet they told you that.”

 

“Yes,” Danny said. The waitress had arrived with dessert and Danny was distracted enough with eating, that for once, he answered without hesitation.

 

“Good. I work for the Air Force, but I bet they told you that, too.”

 

“They did,” Danny replied, between bites of brownie.

 

Jack chuckled. “Boy, looks like we should have skipped the burgers and went straight to dessert,” he said teasingly, hoping it wouldn’t backfire.

 

Danny blushed, but smiled despite himself.

 

Jack smiled back, hoping to show he meant no harm with the tease. “Anyway, I live by myself, and I work at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Ever heard of it?”

 

“No,” Danny said, shaking his head.

 

“I’m not surprised,” Jack said, “not many people have.” He dropped his voice to just above a whisper and leaned in to Danny conspiratorially. “It’s this really cool military base. It’s built inside a mountain and goes way down underground.”

 

Danny’s eyes went wide. “Cool.”

 

Jack had finished his own dessert, and he decided to take a chance and take advantage of the moment to nab a bite of Danny’s.

 

“Hey!” Danny yelped, forgetting his shyness.

 

Jack gave him a bland, innocent look. “Oh, sorry, you don’t mind do you?”

 

Danny bit down on his bottom lip, but despite his best efforts, he couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled forth.

 

Jack grinned. “Good, didn’t think so.” Getting back to their earlier conversation, Jack continued, “I could probably make arrangements to get you on base sometime. Would you like that?” Actually, probably was a bit of an understatement. The necessary paperwork was already sitting half-completed on his desk at the mountain, waiting for him to return with Danny.

 

“Yeah,” Danny said, beginning for the first time to come alive with normal little boy energy.

 

“It’s a plan then.” Jack was enjoying Danny’s slow emergence immensely. “Sure there isn’t anything else you’d like to know?”

 

Danny went quiet for a moment, and Jack was afraid he’d lost him again, but curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, “What’s your house like?”

 

Jack hesitated, not quite sure how to answer the question. He’d never given much thought to his own house; it was just a house. “Well,” he said slowly, “there are two bedrooms so you’ll have your own room, and I have some land so you’ll be able to play outside…” He broke off, suddenly remembering the pictures Sheila had suggested he bring. “I have pictures in my coat pocket,” he said, reaching around to retrieve them from where the coat hung on the back of his chair. “Would you like to see?”

 

“Yes, please,” Danny said, eyes alight with interest.

 

They had gone through the pictures twice by the time the waitress arrived with the check, and Danny was the most relaxed he’d been all day, peppering Jack with questions.

 

The waitress smiled fondly at him as Jack took the check. “Nice looking son you’ve got there,” she told Jack.

 

Jack flashed her a slow, lopsided grin. “Ya think?” 

 

Daniel was too stunned by Jack’s response to say anything for a moment, but by the time they had gotten to the car, his shock had turned into a burning curiosity, “Colonel O’Neill,” he asked softly as Jack turned onto the road, “why didn’t you correct the waitress?”

 

Jack was surprised enough by the fact Danny had actually called him by name of his own choice for the first time, that it took Jack a minute to register the question, but when he did, the answer came without a second thought. “Because, Danny, if everything works out like I’m hoping, you’ll be my son soon anyway, and I didn’t see any reason to tell her any different.”

 

Part of Danny’s mind urged Danny to discard the words even as Jack said them. Sure he could say he wanted Danny now. He didn’t really know him. He’d change his mind soon enough, but another part, buried deep inside Danny’s heart, clung desperately to the words, hoping maybe, just maybe, this time they’d be true.

 

 

 

When the time came for Jack to pick Danny up the next morning, Danny’s hope had been eclipsed by an entirely different emotion. He was worried sick. Why had he agreed to go skating? He was a klutz, and everybody knew it. Besides, he’d never been near a pair of skates before. Ice-skating wasn’t exactly a popular thing to do in Egypt. Why didn’t he just tell Col. O’Neill? This was going to be such a disaster.

 

By the time Jack arrived, Danny had worked himself into a state and gone nearly silent again. He mumbled a “Good morning” in answer to Jack’s greeting, but barely lifted his eyes off the floor. The silence worried Jack, but he decided to let it go for now, thinking perhaps it was for the best. He had his own agenda this morning, and the less fuss Danny raised about it the better.

 

Jack waited until they were in the car and on the road before he put his plan into action. Fumbling in his pockets, he pretended to search frantically for something, then exclaimed, “Oh great, forgot my gloves.” Turning to Danny, he said, “I can’t find my gloves. I think I must have forgotten to bring them. We’ll have to find a store along the way and pick some up. It’s too cold to be out on the ice all day without them.” Danny nodded noncommittally, and Jack turned his focus back to the road, satisfied the first stage of his plan had fallen into place.

 

They found a department store not far down the road, so Jack pulled in and they went inside. Jack picked up the gloves that had provided his cover, feeling foolish as he did so because his own gloves were, in fact, right there in his coat pocket where he’d left them. Then, he made his way surreptitiously toward the children’s department in search of the real target for this mission; winter wear for Danny. Jack almost had to laugh at himself. He’d never expected to have to pull a covert operation in the children’s department, but Danny desperately needed proper winter clothes, and Jack meant to get them with as little embarrassment for Danny as possible. Finding not only a coat, but also a hat and gloves that looked like they would fit, Jack added them to the gloves he had chosen for himself and went to make his purchases, snagging some thick socks for both of them along the way.

 

Danny trailed silently behind, puzzling over Jack’s purchases. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out what Col. O’Neill wanted with a kid’s coat, but he was too nervous over the upcoming disaster at the skating rink to ask.

 

When they got to the skating rink, he got his answer. Jack took out the gloves he’d bought for himself, stuck the socks in his coat pocket, and handed the rest to Daniel. “Bundle up,” Jack told him. “It’s cold out there.”

 

Danny stared dumbly at him. “But I have a coat,” he protested.

 

“Yes,” Jack agreed, “you do, but it’s not nearly heavy enough to keep you warm out on the ice. You need something heavier like this one for skating.”

 

“But…” Danny began.

 

“Danny,” Jack broke in, in a warning tone. “Put on the coat.”

 

Danny responded to the tone almost immediately, even adding the hat and gloves for good measure, though he was clearly still confused.

 

“Besides,” Jack added as they got out of the car and made their way to the skate rental stand, trudging through the previous night’s snow, “you’ll need them when we go back to Colorado anyway.”

 

Danny walked silently at his side, mind whirling with hundreds of questions. He had to admit he was a lot warmer in these clothes, but he was confused. Didn’t Col. O’Neill know nobody got new clothes for foster kids? Foster kids got hand-me-downs. Always. Besides, what did Col. O’Neill want to buy him stuff for? He wasn’t even really his foster dad yet. He wouldn’t get his first reimbursement check from the state for weeks. He was also becoming more and more worried about trying to skate. He didn’t even know how to put on a pair of skates. As they stepped up to get their skates, Danny searched frantically for a way to tell Col. O’Neill the truth, but the words wouldn’t come, so he just told the man behind the counter what size shoes he wore and hoped skate sizes would be close.

 

In the end, Daniel didn’t need to explain. Jack had grown more and more worried about his silence, and had been going over the morning in his mind, trying to figure out what might have brought it on. When they sat down with their skates and he noticed Danny fiddling idly with his skates, a blank look on his face, the answer finally dawned on him. For crying out loud, why hadn’t Danny just said he couldn’t skate? However, he didn’t voice his thoughts. Instead, he asked casually, “Can I help?” Danny nodded shyly. Jack took the skates and handed Danny one of the extra pairs of socks he’d put in his pocket earlier. “Take off your shoes and put on the extra socks,” he said, moving around to kneel in front of Danny. Jack loosened the laces on the skates as much as he could. When Danny had finished, Jack held out the right skate and told him to put his foot inside. Then, he did the same with the left. “These need to be really tight to hold your foot stable,” Jack warned, grabbing the laces, “but I don’t want it to hurt, so let me know if it’s too much. Okay?” Jack tied the laces with an ease born of years of experience. He was surprised at how easily it all came back to him. He hadn’t put skates on another person in years, not since he’d taught Charlie to skate.

 

With Danny situated, Jack sat down on the bench to put on his own skates and was surprised to find the pair he’d been given was too small. “I think you need a bigger pair,” Danny offered hesitantly.

 

Jack grinned, standing up to return the skates. “Ya think?”

 

When Jack was finally suited up properly, he moved around in front of Danny to pull him up. “You’re going to be real wobbly at first,” he told Danny, “but just stand still, I’ll help you get your balance.” Danny nodded and allowed Jack to pull him onto his feet. He was surprised he was able to stay up. His ankles felt so shaky he was sure his legs would collapse out from under him, but they didn’t. After a moment, Jack said, “Ready to head for the ice?”

 

Danny eyed the entrance opening in the fence warily. It seemed miles away. “That’s a long way,” Danny commented uncertainly.

 

Jack chuckled. “It seems that way the first time, but you’ll be fine. Just pick your feet straight up and put them straight back down. I’ll help you.” Slowly, carefully, one cautious step at the time, they made their way onto the ice. “Don’t try to move on your own yet,” Jack told Danny as they stepped on the ice. “Just let me pull you. You need to get your balance and get a feel for the ice first.”

 

Danny nodded, worrying at his bottom lip. Even with Jack skating backwards in front of him, pulling him along, he still felt like he would fall at any second. He just hoped he wouldn’t bring Col. O’Neill down with him. He was sure Col. O’Neill would be furious if he made him fall, and that was the last thing he wanted.

 

“I’m kinda clumsy,” Daniel admitted, feeling sure he was going to take a spill any second. “I’ll probably make us fall a lot.”

 

“Ya think?” Jack quipped, eyes twinkling. “Everybody falls when they’re learning.” As if on cue, a wrong move brought both Jack and Danny down in a tangle of arms and legs. Danny froze, sure he was about to face Jack’s wrath at any second, but Jack came up laughing. “See what I mean,” he said, getting to his feet and putting out a hand to help Danny. Jack was a little surprised when Danny stiffened at his touch, but he tried not to react. He simply pulled Danny to his feet in a matter-of-fact manner, and kept going.

 

After that, Danny felt as if a weight of nervousness had been lifted off his shoulders, and he finally began to relax and enjoy the day. Jack’s words turned out to be a bit prophetic. They fell almost as much as they skated, but neither cared. They laughed and teased, then got back to their feet and kept going. By the end of the day, their clothes were damp, they were chilled to the bone, and exhausted, but they both had to admit this was the most fun they’d had in a long time.

 

They laughed about their antics all the way back to Daniel’s foster home, even sitting in the car in the parking lot for a while talking, but finally, the time came that they had to go inside. “I hate to say it, kiddo, but we’ve got to get you inside. It won’t look good at the placement meeting tomorrow if I get you back late tonight.”

 

“I know,” Daniel said, sighing. Jack started to get out of the car, but Daniel stopped him. “Hang on a second,” Danny said, taking off his new winter clothes carefully and handing them to Jack.

 

Jack stared at him, stunned. “Danny, these are yours. I meant for you to keep them.”

 

“I know,” Danny said softly, lowering his eyes. “That’s why I want you to keep them, so no one else will take them.”

 

Jack was floored by the idea someone might actually take Danny’s clothes, but the look in Danny’s eyes convinced him the boy was dead serious. “Okay,” he agreed finally, taking the clothes and putting them away, “but I’ll bring them tomorrow. You can wear them home, okay?”

 

The light in Danny’s eyes was all the answer Jack needed.

 

 

 

They met for the placement meeting in Ms. Holman’s office first thing the next morning. Jack was waiting in the foyer by 0745. He was surprised to find himself even more nervous than he had been just two days earlier. Then, he had agreed to do this because he felt like it was the right thing to do. Now, he knew Danny, and there was no way on earth he was leaving him behind.

 

Unfortunately, the decision wasn’t really his to make. In the end, the final say was Sheila’s. She would, of course, take Jack, Danny and Ms. Holman’s opinions into account, but as Danny’s caseworker, the decision was ultimately in her hands. Jack supposed he should be grateful the decision rested with her and not the bat. She, at least, did seem to genuinely want to help Danny, even if she was an airhead. Still, he’d be damn glad when the whole thing was over, and he could take Danny home.

 

As if summoned by his thoughts, Sheila stepped through the door behind him. “Good Morning, Col. O’Neill,” she said brightly. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

 

“Morning, ma’am,” Jack said politely, turning to greet her.

 

“Have you seen Danny or Ms. Holman yet this morning?” Sheila asked.

 

“I believe they’re still at breakfast,” Jack told her. At least, that was what the boy who’d answered the door had told him when he’d arrived.

 

Sheila glanced at her watch. “Breakfast usually ends at eight. They should be along any minute. Then we can get started.”

 

As far as Jack was concerned, they couldn’t get started fast enough.

 

Danny and Ms. Holman appeared a few minutes later. Danny lit up at the sight of Jack, but mindful of Ms. Holman’s presence, he only offered a quiet greeting. Ms. Holman opened the office door and everyone trooped inside.

 

“Good morning, everyone,” Sheila said when they were seated. “As you all know, we are here this morning to make some final decisions about Danny’s placement with Col. O’Neill.”

 

“Some of us,” Ms. Holman broke in bitterly, “should feel lucky to be here. Children are not usually allowed to be involved in important decisions like this.”

 

Danny flushed and looked at the floor, but it was Sheila who spoke. “That’s true,” Sheila said, with more strength than Jack thought she possessed, “but as we’ve already discussed, I feel it’s important for Danny to be here, since this would be such a big move.”

 

Jack silently cheered her. Of course it was important for Danny to be here. It was his life they were talking about, for crying out loud. Maybe she wasn’t such an airhead, after all.

 

When she turned to Jack, all trace of the airhead was gone. She was all business. “I’m going to be honest with you, Col. O’Neill. Like Ms. Holman, I had major concerns about placing Danny with you. I’m really concerned about placing Danny so far away and not being able to monitor the progress of the placement myself. Add to that the fact you are a single parent in an extremely high-risk occupation, and quite frankly, I had some serious doubts about whether this was really a suitable placement.”

 

Jack’s heart sank. This didn’t sound good at all. He’d never even considered the possibility he might not be allowed to adopt Danny. God, what would he do if they made him leave Danny behind?

 

“However,” Sheila went on, blissfully unaware of Jack’s rising panic, “anyone in this field will tell you that making a successful placement is as much art, as science. Sometimes, despite all odds to the contrary, something just clicks, and after talking to both you and Danny at various points over this weekend, I’m convinced that’s happening here. Therefore, I’m going to approve Danny’s placement with you in a foster/adoptive placement, with the expectation the placement will end in the finalization of Danny’s adoption in six months time.”

 

Both Jack and Danny let out breaths they didn’t realize they’d been holding, but Sheila wasn’t quite finished. “This is, of course, still considered a temporary placement at this point and must continue to be monitored by a social worker in Colorado.” Jack nodded. General Hammond had already made arrangements for someone from Air Force Family Services to handle that. “If at any point prior to finalization, you, Danny, or the caseworker feel the placement is not working out, it can be terminated.” She smiled then, and the ultra cheerfulness was back, “But I’m sure that’s not going to happen here. You’re going to be just fine.” She handed Jack some paperwork. “I just need your signature on a few of these forms, Col. O’Neill, and we’ll make it official.” Turning to Danny, she added, “You can go ahead and start packing if you want. This won’t take long.”

 

Jack smiled encouragingly at him. “Go on, Sport. I’ll come help in a minute.”

 

“Please be sure you get everything you need,” Ms. Holman piped up as Daniel started to leave. “Remember that Col. O’Neill lives halfway across the country. He won’t be able to retrieve things left behind by an absent-minded little boy.”

 

“Ya think,” Danny replied dryly, rolling his eyes.

 

Jack whirled around, shocked. “Danny!” he said sternly, giving Danny a disapproving look. Even though part of him found it amusing to hear his own words come out of Danny’s mouth, he didn’t put up with disrespect, and Danny might as well learn that now.

 

Danny looked to Jack. “Sorry,” Danny said softly, lowering his eyes. He’d known he shouldn’t say it, but he couldn’t resist, especially now that he was leaving. Besides, did she think he was completely stupid?

 

“I'm not the one you need to apologize to, Danny,” Jack reprimanded.

 

Danny looked chastened, but didn’t balk at the reprimand. He turned to face Ms. Holman and said, “I’m sorry, Ms. Holman,” in a quiet but clear voice.

 

Ms. Holman didn’t say anything, but Jack decided Danny had done all he needed to do. “Go on and pack,” he told Danny. “I’ll be there in a minute and we’ll make sure you don’t forget anything.”

 

Danny nodded and disappeared down the hall.

 

It didn’t take long to gather Danny’s belongings. He didn’t have much, a few clothes, a few books, and a tattered and well-loved stuffed camel, his one link to his early childhood in Egypt. There was no one for Danny to say goodbye to since all the children were at school, so they packed his things in the car and headed out.

 

Danny’s school was their first stop. Since Jack didn’t yet know what school Danny would be attending when they got home, he opted to pick up Danny’s records, rather than having them mailed. He also wanted to give Danny a chance to say goodbye to his friends and teachers. However, Danny surprised him by saying there was no one he wanted to say goodbye to. Jack tried to get him to reconsider, but Danny insisted. He simply followed Jack into the office and waited quietly while Jack collected the paperwork. Jack was shocked. He simply couldn’t believe Danny could be quite so alone.

 

 

 

Later, when they were on the plane and Danny was napping beside him, he took a look at Danny’s school records and found out why. Danny had been placed in classes three years ahead of other kids his age. The information astounded Jack. He’d known Danny was extremely smart, but he hadn’t realized the school had coped with it by shoving him in with teenagers. He must have been miserable. There was no way Jack was letting it happen again. They’d have to find another way. Maybe Janet would have some ideas. She’d had to pull some pretty creative tricks to get Cassie educated too. He’d ask her first thing tomorrow.

 

Tonight, however, the goal was to get them home and in bed. They were both exhausted. When they made it home, Jack showed Danny his room. It was still pretty empty, but Jack promised him they’d fix it up later in the week, after they’d both gotten some rest. He left Danny unpacking while he fixed them a quick dinner of soup and sandwiches. As soon as they’d eaten, he sent Danny off to take his bath and went into the den to watch the sports channel and catch his breath.  

 

Jack had gotten most of the scores, when he heard Daniel come padding barefoot down the hallway. Daniel stopped in the doorway and stood there in awkward silence, as if unsure what to say or do next. “Um, goodnight, I guess,” he said finally.

 

When Jack looked up, he found Daniel clad in only his boxers, skinny arms wrapped tightly around his waist, covered in gooseflesh. “Good grief, kid, you’re freezing. Where are your pajamas?” he blurted.

 

Daniel shrugged. “Don’t have any. Ms. Holman said I had to leave ‘em for the next kid.”

 

Jack bit back the blistering words that formed unbidden in his mind, knowing Danny would not understand they weren’t meant for him. Christ, they’d taken the clothes right off his back. “Hang on,” Jack said, disappearing down the hall into his bedroom and rummaging around. He returned a moment later and tossed a battered USAF Academy t-shirt at Daniel. “It’s mine, so it’ll swallow you, but it’ll do until we can get something better tomorrow.”

 

By sheer dumb luck, Daniel caught the shirt, barely, in a fumbling grasp, but he didn’t put it on. Instead, he stood motionless, staring at Jack as though he’d suddenly grown two heads. “No, it’s okay. I’m not that c-c-cold,” he said, though the tremor on the last word clearly betrayed the lie.

 

“We both know better than that, kid. Put on the shirt.”

 

It was clearly an order, and Danny moved quickly to obey. Once he did, he was glad he had. The shirt fell to his knees and relieved the chill almost immediately. “Thanks,” he said shyly, peering up at Jack through his eyelashes.

 

“You’re welcome,” Jack said, reaching out to tousle Danny’s hair. Danny seemed surprised at his touch, but for once he didn’t stiffen up. In fact, after one motionless moment, he actually began to lean into Jack’s touch. Jack relished the small victory, but there was one more thing they had to deal with yet. “Danny, look at me,” Jack said gently.  Danny’s head shot up, wide-eyed with apprehension. “Hey, it’s ok. Calm down. You’re not in trouble. I just want to make sure you understand something.” Jack let his arm slide slowly down from Danny’s head and drape gently over his shoulders. “It’s always ok to tell me what you need or want or think. I may not always agree with you, but I’ll always listen. Don’t ever lie to me, no matter how small a lie, no matter what the reason. I can’t help you, if you’re not honest with me. Understand?” Danny nodded mutely, worrying at his bottom lip with his teeth.  “Hey, none of that,” Jack said, rubbing his thumb gently over Danny’s lip to make him stop. “I’m not mad at you. I just want to make sure we understand each other from the start. Okay?” Again, Danny nodded. “Excuse me, didn’t quite hear that?” Jack said. It was a reprimand clearly enough, but given so gently it had no bite.

 

“Okay.” This time Danny’s answer was quiet but clear.

 

Jack pulled him into a quick one-armed hug. “Go get into bed. I’ll be in to tuck you in, in a minute.” Jack hesitated then, realizing that at Danny’s age, he might find such things babyish. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t.”

 

Danny looked like he might protest for a minute, but remembering Jack’s earlier admonition, just flashed Jack a small smile and whispered, “No that’s okay, I’d like that,” before disappearing down the hall. 

 

That smile lit Jack’s soul. Small though it was, it was a start, and that was enough.