CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Cassie had a ball babysitting Danny.  The two of them got along famously and had lots of fun together.  The teenager was amazed by how much information was already stored in the boy's head.  She knew that Daniel was brilliant, but she hadn't realized how early in his life he had begun amassing the staggering amount of stuff he had in his brain.  Actually, it made her a little jealous.  She was no dummy, but she'd give a lot to have the level of memory retention that Daniel – and Danny – did.  She considered herself lucky when she remembered everything for a test.  She just hoped that she'd do all right in college.  Her goal was to pursue a career in medicine, though she hadn't decided yet exactly what field.

Cassie couldn't babysit Danny the next day, so Daniel took the boy with him on his appointments.  When they got back from the second one, they found a call from Jack on the answering machine.  Daniel called the colonel and managed to get him in his office.

"Hi.  You guys are back, huh?"

"Yep," Jack replied.  "Got back this morning.  So, how are things going with you and Mini-Daniel?"

"Pretty good, actually.  We found a house."

"You did?  That's great."

"You're going to love it.  It's got a great big veranda in back, perfect for barbeques and get-togethers."

"Sweet."

"So, how did the mission go?"

Jack filled Daniel in on what happened, the sabotage to Warrick's ship, the unmentioned fact that there were no rules to the race, and it was not uncommon for people to get killed during one, Teal'c and Warrick's brother being held against their will by one of the men behind the sabotage, and Warrick not winning the race even after everything they went through, but managing to stop the guy in the race who was also a part of the sabotage.

"Sure wish you'd been there to help me negotiate with those guys about getting one of the ion drives."

"You got one, didn't you?"

"Yeah, we got one, in exchange for us helping them get a Stargate and make it work," Jack replied.  "We have to give it back, of course, which doesn't seem quite fair to me.  After all, they'll get to keep the Stargate."

"Yes, but we didn't build the Stargate.  They did build the ion drive."

"I guess you've got a point there.  So, what are your plans for tomorrow?"

"Besides more stuff to do with buying the house?  Nothing specific."

"Good.  We've got the weekend off and were thinking that we could spend it with you guys."

"That would be nice.  I know that Danny would love it."

"Then it's a plan.  How about if you two come over to my place tomorrow?  We can have a barbeque."

"Sure, that would be fine."

That evening, the two Daniels were watching a rented movie when there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, Sam," Daniel greeted with a smile, letting her in.

"Sam!" Danny cried, running up to hug her.  "I missed you."

Sam gave him a squeeze.  "I missed you, too.  The SGC just isn't the same without you there."  She grinned.  "I think Sergeant Harriman misses being a horse."

"We're gonna have a barbeque at Jack's house tomorrow.  You and Teal'c are going to be there, too, right?"

"Yes, we sure are.  The colonel told us all about it.  And Janet can be there, too.  Cassie as well."

"And Grandpa George?"

"Grandpa George?"

"I'm his pretend grandson, now, so I get to call him Grandpa."

Sam smiled.  "That's neat."  Her smiled faded.  "No, I'm afraid that he needs to work, Danny."  Seeing the disappointment on his face, she added, "but I'll tell him that you're going to miss him.  I'm sure that he'll be at the next barbeque.  We usually have a really big one on the Fourth of July with lots of people from the SGC."

Danny frowned.  "But there's already been a Fourth of July this year.  It comes four days before my birthday."

Sam met Daniel's eyes.  The archeologist hadn't thought about explaining the time difference in regards to the month, and Danny had apparently not noticed the date on the newspaper.

"Actually, it's only June, Danny," he explained.

"It is?  So, does that mean that I'm going to get two birthdays this year?"

Daniel smiled.  "No, I'm afraid not."

"Oh.  Yeah.  Because the birthday I remember didn't really happen.  I keep forgetting that."

"Well, it did really happen, just thirty years ago."

"Do you remember what birthday presents you got?"

"Yes, I do."  Because they were the last presents his parents gave him, they were gifts that he'd never forgotten, as were the last Christmas presents received from them.

This brought up an issue that he hadn't talked to Danny about yet.

"Um, Danny, since you weren't really born on July 8th, I decided that we should have a different birth date for you," he said.  "I would have asked what date you'd like to have, but, when I had to make the decision, you didn't know that you were a clone.  I picked February 28."

"Why?"

"Because, when you came out of the machine, you would have been a little over eight years and three months old, the same age I was when Mom and Dad died.  You came out of the machine on either May 29th or 30th.  I'm not sure which."

Danny frowned.  "But that means that I won't have a real birthday this year."

"How about if, when we celebrate Daniel's birthday this year, we have a little celebration for yours, too?" Sam suggested.  She looked at her best friend.  "This birthday for Daniel is going to be a very special one for all of us."

"Why?"

The two adults shared a long gaze.  Danny had no knowledge of Daniel's ascension, and it was unlikely that they'd ever tell him.  Not only would it upset the boy to know that Daniel suffered and died that way, the concept of ascension and higher planes of existence might be too complex and confusing for him.

"I went away for a year, Danny," Daniel explained.  "I was very far away, no longer on Earth.  It hasn't been very long since I came back."

"We didn't get to celebrate his last birthday with him," Sam said, sounding a bit upset.

"And not Christmas either?" Danny asked.

Sam's eyes started stinging.  "No, not Christmas either."  She looked at Daniel.  "We missed him very much."

Danny looked at the older version of himself.  "How come you couldn't come back through the Stargate for Christmas and your birthday?"

"It's really hard to explain, Danny.  It just wasn't possible."

Sam linked an arm with Daniel's.  "But, now, we have him back, and we're going to have a really nice birthday party to celebrate it."

Daniel made a face.  "Jack had better not take us to a restaurant and have the entire staff sing happy birthday to me."

Sam smiled.  "I'll let him know that."

Sam stayed the rest of the evening with them, watching the remainder of the movie that they'd started.  It happened to be the cartoon Atlantis, which amused Sam because the leading man was a linguist who wore glasses.

Danny told the major all about their new house, how it looked like the house that Daniel's parents had owned.  Sam immediately guessed that was why Daniel picked it.

Since she was going to be staying a while longer, when Danny's bedtime came, Daniel decided it would be best for him to sleep in the bedroom.  He let Sam tuck the boy into bed while he washed the dishes from dinner.

Sam stayed with the boy until he fell asleep.  When she looked up and turned around, she saw Daniel standing in the doorway, a tender smile on his face.

"He didn't talk your ear off, did he?" he asked.  "He's usually pretty good about going to bed, but, sometimes, he's a little chatterbox and doesn't want to go to sleep."

"Nope, he was fine."

"Not that I'm complaining.  It's great that he's talking.  It really shows how much better he's doing than I did this early on."

"How about the nightmares?" Sam asked.

"He still has them some nights, but they're a lot less intense.  He's not waking up screaming anymore."

They walked out into the living room and sat on the couch.

"Any more incidences with the mind reading?" Sam asked.

"Not on Danny's side, that I know of, but. . . ."

Sam studied his expression as they sat down on the couch.  "But what?"

"This morning, while we were eating breakfast, I got an image in my mind of making a smiley face on my pancakes with syrup."

Sam grinned.  "A smiley face, huh?  You're inner child coming out, Daniel?"

Daniel smiled, too.  "I'm kind of doubting it."

"You think it came from Danny's mind?"

The archeologist nodded.  "We already suspected that this thing worked both ways.  I think this proves it."

"So, not only can Danny pick up thoughts from your mind, you can pick them up from his."

"Yeah.  I just hope it doesn't start happening more often.  Our thoughts are the one true privacy we have.  If we lose that privacy. . . ."  He didn't finish the statement.  "And from how far away will this work?  Will he sense my thoughts while I'm on another planet?  If I was on a mission, and we got into trouble. . . ."  Daniel shook his head.  "I don't like the idea of Danny having a ringside seat into my head while we're fighting for our lives."

Deciding to put it out of his mind, Daniel changed the subject.  "So, Jack told me about the mission."  He smiled.  "Did you enjoy the race?"

"Well, it was certainly exciting, especially when we had no engines and were being pulled into the gravity well of the sun."  She frowned slightly.

Daniel immediately guessed the reason for it.  "You're sorry that you lost, aren't you."

"Well, come on!  It wasn't fair!  Bunch of cheaters."

Daniel smiled at the comment.  "So, what are you gonna do?"

Sam gave him a cheeky grin.  "Next year, I'm gonna kick butt."

Daniel's own smile widened into a grin.  "Yes, I bet you will."

"That is if the general lets me race again, of course."

"Maybe we can work in another diplomatic mission, see what other technology we can talk the Hebridans into sharing with us."

"That's an idea."

"Jack said that you got one of the ion drives to study."

"Yes, we did, which is very cool."  Sam studied her friend's features.  "So, how is the stuff with the house coming along?  I bet you already feel like pulling your hair out with everything that's involved in buying a home."

"You're not kidding.  I had no idea it was that involved.  I should have gotten pointers from you and Jack."

"It is a hassle, and, by the time everything's done, you'll feel like you have a permanent case of writer's cramp from all the times you've signed your name, but that day the final papers are signed, and they give you the keys to your new house, you'll feel fantastic."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"How have things been going with you and Danny?"

"Fine, although, what with all this house stuff, it's been a little tough.  I hated having to drag him along.  It's not all that much fun, especially for an eight-year-old.  General Hammond watched him on one day, Cassie on another, but I'm beginning to realize how tough being a single parent can be.  I can't possibly put him in daycare, not until he's fully adjusted to everything and is a whole lot further along in his recovery.  The same thing goes for a babysitter that doesn't know the whole story.  I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when I go back to work.  I really don't think that the military will allow Danny to stay on base during the day while I'm working."

"No, probably not.  When I was toying with the idea of adopting Cassie, I thought about how it would affect everything, and I have to admit that it was a little daunting.  The difference with Cassie, though, was that she was twelve, not eight, which made her a lot more capable of handling the changes in her life and the whole secrecy issue.  And, being that old, it would have been okay to leave her at home alone sometimes.  I have nothing but admiration for you and how you've accepted this responsibility.  I can only imagine how overwhelming it must seem sometimes."

Daniel didn't reply right away.  "There have been a couple of times when I wondered what the hell I was getting myself into," he admitted.  "But I know that it's worth it.  I feel like. . . ."

"Like what?" Sam prompted encouragingly.

"Like . . . I'm getting a second chance at a real childhood through him.  He is getting what I never had after my parents' death: a stable life and people who love him.  It makes me feel good that I can give him that, that we can give him that."

Sam gave his hand a squeeze.  "I'm glad that you've been given this chance, Daniel."  She glanced at her watch.  "I need to get going."  Sam rose from the sofa and headed for the door.  "Oh, I was thinking that we might want to bring an alternate food source for tomorrow in case the colonel burns all the steaks and hamburgers again, like last time."

Daniel grinned.  "Actually, I recall Teal'c saying that he intended to monitor the grill the next time we had a barbeque to make sure that didn't happen again."  The smile faltered.  "Oh, but that was before I ascended.  What happened at the last barbeque?"

Sam's smile was completely gone.  "There was no other barbeque, Daniel."

The archeologist stared at her.  "What?  What do you mean?"

"We didn't have any team barbeques while you were gone.  The only barbeque was at the Fourth of July party, and the colonel didn't cook.  In fact, he almost didn't go to it at all.  The same goes for me and Teal'c.  We weren't in much of a mood to celebrate anything.   The colonel had too many beers, and General Hammond had to have somebody drive him home.  Teal'c frowned throughout almost the whole thing, and I tried to stay as busy as I possibly could.  Jonas was the only one of the four of us who had any fun, and I think that even his mood was doused because he could tell that we were upset, and he knew why."

Daniel's gaze was on the floor.  "I didn't realize."

"Didn't realize what, Daniel?  That we missed you like crazy all that time you were gone?  That every holiday celebration was painful because it seemed wrong that you weren't there to celebrate with us?  Christmas and your birthday were the worst.  I stayed home and cried all day on your birthday, and I think the colonel got roaring drunk.  He definitely looked like he had a hangover the next morning.  None of us wanted to go to the Christmas party.  We only did because Hammond insisted.  I visited with my brother's family for Christmas, and they could tell that something was wrong.  All I could tell them was that I'd lost a very good friend and co-worker," Sam's voice cracked a little, "not that he was my best friend and that I watched him suffer a slow, awful death."

Daniel crossed the room to Sam's side.  "I'm sorry, Sam," he murmured.  "I didn't mean to hurt any of you."

Sam looked at him.  "Didn't you realize how much it would hurt us when you left like that?"

Daniel's couldn't meet her eyes.  "I . . . I guess I just figured that you'd miss me for a while and then move on."

Sam felt her anger kindle.  "How could you think that?  How could you not know how much it would hurt us?  The colonel pretended it didn't, that you were just another casualty, but I could tell that it was all an act, just 'way of the warrior' crap.  And Teal'c.  In all the time we've known him, I've only seen him closer to crying one other time, when he thought that his wife and son had been killed in their home on Chulak.  It hurt us, Daniel, and it makes me mad that you didn't think it would."

Feeling utterly ashamed, Daniel said, "I am so sorry, Sam.  It's just . . . that last year or so I felt like . . . like we were drifting apart.  Things between Jack and me weren't so good, and none of us spent much time with each other outside of work anymore.  And on missions, I felt like. . . ."  He halted.  Now was not the time to talk about how he had no longer felt like he belonged on the team, that his skills and knowledge were no longer needed.  "I just didn't want to think that it would hurt you guys like that.  It was easier to leave believing that you'd all be fine without me."

"There were times when I was so mad at you for leaving," Sam told him.  "And then I'd think about what your life would have been like if you had stayed and Dad couldn't heal you completely.  I wouldn't have wanted that."  She met his eyes.  "I do know that you made the right decision, Daniel.  It was just really hard going through that year without you.  But you're right.  It tears me up to admit it, but we did start drifting apart that last year or so, and I am so sorry for that.  I'm so sorry if that's what made you believe it wouldn't matter all that much to us if you left."  Tears filled Sam's eyes.  "I wish I had known.  I would have told you that it wasn't true, that we loved you."

The two friends went into each other's arms and shared a long, tight hug.

"I'm not mad at you, Daniel," Sam told him as they drew apart.  "Being without you for that year was far better than watching you suffer for the rest of your life with the pain and disabilities you'd have been left with if you couldn't be healed completely.  The only thing that really matters now is that you're back with us."

"I'm glad that I'm back, Sam.  I'd rather be here with you guys, actually accomplishing something with my life, than out there unable to do anything to help."

Giving him a little smile, Sam said, "I'll see you tomorrow.  Try to get some sleep.  You'll probably need your energy tomorrow."

After Sam left, Daniel spent an hour doing stuff around the house, picking up the toys Danny left on the floor, taking care of some of the cleaning that he hadn't had time for during these days since he got home.

He was getting ready to go to bed when he heard Danny begin to whimper, a clear indication that the boy was having a nightmare.  He went into the room and sat on the bed.  As he began speaking to Danny soothingly, the child woke up and started to cry.  Daniel held onto him.

"I don't ever want you to die," Danny sobbed.  "Not ever."

Daniel closed his eyes, knowing that he could not give the boy what he wanted.  Holding him tighter, Daniel soothed Danny until he slipped back into sleep.

After tucking the boy back in, Daniel returned to the couch, his mind returning to the decision he'd been putting off these past three weeks, a decision he really didn't want to make.  But there was no point in putting it off any longer.  He knew what he had to do.  Remaining on an SG team would continually put his life at risk.  For Danny's sake, he had to leave SG-1.

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