Babes in Arms

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01078642egerdp.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=428 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <B>Babes in Arms</B></div> <div>  <A NAME="babes_in_arms"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>"I think we can get it out of here," Daniel said as he scraped along the bottom of the monument.  Sand mounded up along each side of the piece.  "Yeah, here's bottom."</div> <bR> <div> Jack knelt down beside him.  "Any idea what this thing does?"</div> <bR> <div> "The dialect's pretty obscure.  Much more ancient than other writings we've found."</div> <bR> <div> "Ancient Ancient?" Jack quipped.</div> <bR> <div> "You're not funny," Daniel mumbled distractedly as he braced one hand on the back of the stone and dug with the other.</div> <bR> <div> "I am so," Jack said as he knelt down to assist, bracing his hand in the same way Daniel did.  "You just don't appreciate the various layers of subtlety in my humor."</div> <bR> <div> "There is no subtlety," Daniel grumbled as he dug down farther.  "No, no, lean it away from us, Jack!  Ow!  Dammit!"</div> <bR> <div> "Sorry, sorry," Jack said as he readjusted the weight so it was tipping away from Daniel's digging hand.</div> <bR> <div> "You probably did that on purpose," Daniel snarled as he lay down more on his side to continue feeling underneath the stone.</div> <bR> <div> "Christ, you're pissy today," Jack sighed heavily.  "You not getting enough at home?"</div> <bR> <div> "I'm getting twice as much as you," Daniel shot back.</div> <bR> <div> "So, nothing then," Jack sneered.  "Carter, come in," Jack said, keying his com.</div> <bR> <div> "Go ahead, sir."</div> <bR> <div> "Come give us a hand here at the ruins.  Daniel's just about got this thing out of the dirt."</div> <bR> <div> "We're on our way," Carter answered.</div> <bR> <div> "We'll need to build some sort of travois to get this down to the FRED."  Daniel scooped more sand away.</div> <bR> <div> "Ah yes, cowboys and Indians time."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel shot him a withering look.  "Will you just help me ease this down, please?"</div> <bR> <div> "Alright, alright."  Jack put both hands on the back side of the carved rock.</div> <bR> <div> "Not so fast!" Daniel yelped, fearing the angle would break the artifact.</div> <bR> <div> "What?  I'm just lowering it down!"</div> <bR> <div> Coming over the rise at the edge of the sand, Carter shook her head as she looked at the two men.  She glanced at Teal'c.   "They look like two little boys fighting over a toy in a sand box."</div> <bR> <div> "Indeed they do," Teal'c said, obvious displeasure in his voice.</div> <bR> <div> A brilliant white flash of light temporarily blinded both.</div> <bR> <div> "Teal'c!" Sam called.</div> <bR> <div> "My sight has been impaired," Teal'c said.  "It seems to be temporary and is clearing."</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, mine too," Sam agreed.  "Do you hear that?"</div> <bR> <div> "It sounds likethe crying of infants," Teal'c said.  Turning in a slow circle, he squinted.  "It would appear to be coming from the direction of O'Neill and DanielJackson."</div> <bR> <div> "Sir, are you and Daniel alright?"</div> <bR> <div> The crying only got louder.</div> <bR> <div> "Sir?"  Sam was moving forward now, her sight only slightly blurry.  "Oh my God."</div> <bR> <div> "O'Neill?"  Teal'c knelt down and reached out one large hand.  The fat, chubby fingers of one of the babies gripped frantically at his forefinger.</div> <bR> <div> Sam fell to her knees beside the other baby sitting amid a puddle of greet BDUs.  "Daniel?"</div> <bR> <div> The child turned large, distressed blue eyes up to her, threw his mouth opened and wailed.</div> <bR> <div> "Oh shit," Sam whispered, reaching out to the baby and gathering him close.  "Teal'c, we have got a real problem here."</div> <bR> <div> Teal'c's frown only intensified as the child in front of him began hitting his hand in frustration.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "Major Carter!" Hammond called from the doorway to the gateroom.  "Do you mind telling me how this happened?"</div> <bR> <div> "We're not sure, sir," Sam said as she shifted the infant Daniel from one hip to the other.  "One second Daniel and the Colonel were digging the artifact out of the sand, and the next -"</div> <div> Teal'c walked stoically down the ramp, his own charge held tightly in his arm but facing away from him.  The reason was clear.  The baby was pitching a fit and Teal'c had had enough kicking and baby punches from the child.  "I believe this to be O'Neill," he said with great distaste, handing the child to an awaiting corpsman.  "He is also in need of changing."  The makeshift diaper, made from torn t-shirt, was saggy and moist in back to underscore the comment.</div> <bR> <div> "I'll see to it," said the corpsman, wrinkling his nose as he took possession of the screaming baby.</div> <bR> <div> "Daniel was very insistent that we bring the monolith with us," Sam said, seeing Janet rush into the gateroom.</div> <bR> <div> "Sam, what on earth?" Janet gasped as she saw the two children.  "Put them here on the gurney," she instructed.</div> <bR> <div> "Ma'am, this one needs . . . a bath."  The corpsman grimaced as he gave O'Neill a small heft in the air.</div> <bR> <div> "Alright, well, let's . . ."  Fraiser held out her hands and took charge of O'Neill and made sure Daniel was seated firmly on the gurney before hustling them both to the infirmary.</div> <bR> <div> "We're going to need someone who reads Ancient as well as Daniel," Sam informed Hammond as they watched the two children being carted away.  "Whatever happened, we think it's directly tied to that."  She motioned behind her as the FRED lumbered down the ramp.  "Get that to Lab 6," she instructed Siler.</div> <bR> <div> He nodded grimly and got his men to work.</div> <bR> <div> "Briefing room.  Now," Hammond ground out and strode out of the gate room.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "MajorCarter received the call from O'Neill that they required assistance in removing the artifact," Teal'c explained.  "When we arrived at the sand pit, we saw both men working to free the stone."</div> <bR> <div> "Suddenly there was a flash of light and then . . ."  Sam let the sentence trail off.</div> <bR> <div> "That's all?  Nothing else happened?  No one was there, no inhabitants?"</div> <bR> <div> "No sir," Sam said, shaking her head.  "That planet was uninhabited and had been for thousands of years."</div> <bR> <div> "There was one other thing," Teal'c said, turning thoughtful.</div> <bR> <div> "Teal'c?" inquired Hammond.</div> <bR> <div> "MajorCarter and I observed O'Neill and DanielJackson bickering as they excavated the stone."</div> <bR> <div> "They always do that," Sam said.</div> <bR> <div> "Indeed.  But in this instance, you made the comment that they appeared as two children fighting over a toy."</div> <bR> <div> "Well, they did," Sam asked, not seeing the point.</div> <bR> <div> "And I did concur.  Immediately after, there was the light, and both men were transformed."</div> <bR> <div> "You think what we said made it happen?" Sam asked.</div> <bR> <div> "We have seen several cases where Ancient technology has had unexpected results."</div> <bR> <div> "We've got Doctor Borders being recalled from off-world.  Next to Doctor Jackson, he's the one most fluent in the Ancient language.  He was on an extended dig and is still some days from the gate.  Until he can get here and figure out the writing on that stone, we'll just have to make Doctor Jackson and Colonel O'Neill as comfortable as we can."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> From the observation window of the isolation room, Janet watched the two children playing in the sandbox, shaking her head in exasperation.  "They are the most infuriating babies I have ever seen," she told Sam.</div> <bR> <div> "Oh come on," Sam chided.  "Look at them.  They're so cute."</div> <bR> <div> "They're impossible.  Colonel O'Neill won't eat anything green, Daniel will scream for hours unless he gets dessert after he finishes his food.  And they fight constantly, but if you separate them, they go absolutely out of their minds in a temper."  Janet rubbed the back of her neck.  "Medically they're perfectly fine."</div> <bR> <div> "Are we certain it's really them?" Sam asked, watching Daniel dig happily in the sand and Jack push a truck through the piles of dirt Daniel mounded up.</div> <bR> <div> "Blood tests have all come back identical.  DNA testing will take a few days before we get the results back."</div> <bR> <div> Sam watched as Daniel began to laugh at Jack's antics.  Jack looked at him and broke into his own fit of giggles, waving his arms happily at the smiles of his companion.  Without warning, Daniel hit Jack on the head with his plastic shovel then went back to digging.  Jack scowled and kicked sand over Daniel's legs.</div> <bR> <div> "They'll go on like that for hours," Janet said.</div> <bR> <div> "It's the most basic version of their actual friendship," Sam said, feeling as though she was eavesdropping on a very private moment.  "They're so dynamic with each other."</div> <bR> <div> "Amazing they're friends at all," Janet agreed quietly.  "We've tried to separate them and that's resulted in . . . well, let's just say the human ear was not designed to register that many decibels."</div> <bR> <div> Sam chuckled.  She watched as Daniel rubbed his eyes tiredly.  "Looks like it's nap time."</div> <bR> <div> Janet let out a long sigh.  "Let's hope this goes better than lunch did."</div> <bR> <div> Sam followed her down into the room and watched as Janet approached the two boys.  "Okay, Colonel.  You've worn Daniel out enough for one day.  How about we get you two to lay down and take a little nap?"  She clapped and held up her hands.</div> <bR> <div> Sam came over and reached down for Daniel who immediately held out his arms for her.</div> <bR> <div> Not to be outdone, Jack raised his arms to Janet.</div> <bR> <div> "That wasn't so hard," Sam smiled as she brushed the remaining sand from Daniel's chubby legs.  Daniel extended his hand toward the rocking chairs in the corner and made a rapid clasping motion.  "You want to sit in the rocker with me for awhile?"</div> <bR> <div> Daniel nodded twice and grasped at the rocker again.</div> <bR> <div> "Shall we, Colonel?" Janet asked.  She took a seat in one glider rocker, Sam in the other.</div> <bR> <div> The women shifted the babies around until they were comfortable; Daniel draped over Sam's chest and shoulder, Jack held snugly in a compact parcel in the crook of Janet's arm.</div> <bR> <div> "Ah, peace," Janet smiled as both boys fell asleep.</div> <bR> <div> "Look at them," Sam said wistfully.  "They're so adorable."</div> <bR> <div> "You wouldn't have thought so if you'd had to change this one's diapers," Janet chuckled.  "He may only be the equivalent of a year old, but he can hurl poop like a pro baseball pitcher."</div> <bR> <div> "He didn't," Sam laughed.</div> <bR> <div> "Oh yes," Janet nodded, pushing a lock of soft brown hair off Jack's forehead.  "Hit poor Siler right in the eye."</div> <bR> <div> Sam watched as Daniel snuggled in closer to her, his small mouth working silently as though he were trying to speak even while asleep.  "You know, he still looks like this when he sleeps," Sam said fondly as she watched the long eyelashes flutter over rosy cheeks.  "Peaceful and innocent.  I've seen him so stressed, so concerned out in the field when we're on a mission, but as soon as he goes to sleep, he looks just like this."</div> <bR> <div> Janet looked down at the baby in her arms.  "What about the Colonel?"</div> <bR> <div> Sam shook her head.  "He never seems peaceful," she said, her voice tinged with sadness.  "Even when he sleeps, his brow is furrowed and his mouth's turned down into a frown."</div> <bR> <div> "He's a conflicted man," she said, rubbing her finger gently along Jack's bottom lip, making him pout in his sleep.  "You almost wish they could retain this innocence once they get back to normal."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Sam looked over the magnetic imaging scans of the artifact, shaking her head in consternation.  "It's obviously technological, but there's nothing in there to suggest how it works.  It's just a mass of interlocking crystals.  You can see here and here where the bottom was attached but other than that, there's no indication of a power source or any sort of mechanization."  She rubbed her eyes.</div> <bR> <div> "Doctor Jackson didn't mention anything about what he thought it was?" Doctor Borders asked tiredly as he scrubbed a hand through his hair.</div> <bR> <div> "No, he didn't have a chance."</div> <bR> <div> "Alright," said the man tiredly.  "Let me grab a shower, get some clean clothes on and I'll get started."</div> <bR> <div> "Doctor," Sam said, "I know this is a serious situation, but I think we can wait long enough for you to get some sleep.  Making a three day march in two days, that's a lot of energy to expend and we're going to need you as sharp as possible."</div> <bR> <div> "Right."  Borders nodded his head and shuffled off.</div> <bR> <div> Janet came in several minutes later and leaned her hip against Sam's work table.  "I heard Doctor Borders was already back."</div> <bR> <div> "Yes, he is.  He practically killed himself getting back here."</div> <bR> <div> "Is he alright?"</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, just a little tired and hungry.  I told him to get some sleep first."</div> <bR> <div> Janet nodded.  "It's feeding time.  Did you want to help?"</div> <bR> <div> Sam couldn't hide her smile.  "Of course."</div> <bR> <div> "I thought so," Janet said, her nose crinkling playfully.  "After last night's dinner fiasco, we're going with something a little more upscale."</div> <bR> <div> "Oh?" Sam asked.</div> <bR> <div> "I had Sergeant Siler run into town.  He brought back some Kentucky Fried Chicken."</div> <bR> <div> Sam laughed.  "Janet!  They're just babies."</div> <bR> <div> "I remember my aunt Martha helping with my baby sister and me.  Whenever Grace got fussy, Martha broke out the KFC.  Worked like a charm.  And I don't think a little will hurt now and then."</div> <bR> <div> As they entered the make-shift nursery, Sam smelled the mouth watering scent of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy.  "You have some for us, too, right?"</div> <bR> <div> "Yes, Sam," Janet laughed.  Two high chairs were set up and were filled with the squirming, energetic babies.  "Hi guys," she smiled and received smiles and arm waves in return.  "Ready for lunch?"</div> <bR> <div> "Mmmmmmmmmmm," came Daniel's response as he clapped his hands.</div> <bR> <div> Two small plates with piles of warm chicken, a small scoop of potatoes and a dab of gravy were set in front of the boys along with some corn and a biscuit.  Eager hands reached out eagerly, pushing food into mouths in a juicy, messy glob.</div> <bR> <div> "Looks like this is going to be a big hit," Janet laughed as Jack licked his hand before reaching for his biscuit.</div> <bR> <div> Daniel, surprisingly, was working on the small round corn on the cob, grinning happily between bites.</div> <bR> <div> Jack made a little grunt and Daniel turned toward him and accepted a piece of chicken that was held out in offering.  Daniel, in turn, offered Jack a finger covered in mashed potatoes.</div> <bR> <div> "Just like out in the field," Sam sad as she bit into her own chicken thigh.</div> <bR> <div> "They feed each other?" Janet teased.</div> <bR> <div> Sam chuckled.  "No, not that.  It's just the way they always look out for one another, making sure the other is okay."</div> <bR> <div> "They do that with you, too," Janet said.</div> <bR> <div> "Well sure, we all do," Sam said, shredding up a little more chicken for Daniel who was devouring his meal with gusto.  "But these two, no matter how much they bicker, always look out for each other."  She smiled indulgently as Daniel held out his corn for Jack, who instead reached for Daniel's pile of chicken.</div> <bR> <div> It took a bit of time, but eventually each boy had eaten enough food for Janet to be satisfied.  Daniel began to wriggle and fuss, causing Jack to become concerned.</div> <bR> <div> "Don't worry," Janet soothed, "I know what you want."  She went to a small refrigerator/freezer in the corner and removed two orange sherbet/vanilla ice cream cups.  As soon as she turned around, Daniel squealed with joy and Jack grinned in response, his eyes fixed on Daniel.</div> <bR> <div> "For Jack, it's all about Daniel's comfort, isn't it?" Sam asked, watching the interaction with fascination.</div> <bR> <div> "Quite mutual, actually," Janet confirmed.  "Jack tried a jail break earlier and pinched his hand in the door.  I don't know who was crying harder, Jack from his little bruise, or Daniel because Jack got hurt.  The bond between these two is pretty astounding."</div> <bR> <div> Sam's smile turned thoughtful.  "Yes, it is."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Sam stepped into Daniel's office, seeing Doctor Borders leafing through some volumes of reference books.  "Hey."</div> <bR> <div> Borders looked up, his eyes red and tired.  "Major," he said before covering his mouth as he yawned.  "How are they?"</div> <bR> <div> "Well, Jack is currently recovering from a beating with a stuffed turtle while Daniel is still sulking over Jack stealing his last baby sausage."</div> <bR> <div> "So life goes on as normal only on a smaller scale?"</div> <bR> <div> "Exactly," Sam smiled.  "How are you doing?"</div> <bR> <div> "I'm making a little bit of headway," Borders said, "but it's slow going.  This dialect is much older than anything we've found before.  There are a few words that I've cracked, and a few more I'm close with.  If I can get those I think I can get a general idea of what that thing was made for."</div> <bR> <div> "Any educated guesses?"</div> <bR> <div> "Not unless you can make sense of the words <I>hidden</I>, <I>exposition</I> and <I>perception</I>."</div> <bR> <div> "Not a lot to go on."</div> <bR> <div> "No," he said, making a note of something.  "But we're getting there.  We're getting there."  Borders scratched his chin.  "Slowly."</div> <bR> <div> "I'll let you get back to work."  Sam said.  "Keep up the good work, Doctor.  I know you're doing all you can."</div> <bR> <div> Sam stopped by the nursery before going home for the night, her day of frustrating, dead-end testing leaving her with a headache and a sense of futility.  With a nod to the guard on duty, she slipped quietly into the room and went over to the double crib, smiling when she saw the two babies curled around each other.  Daniel was using Jack's thumb as a binky, his small sighs the only sound in the nursery.  Sam leaned on the railing and put a hand on each small stomach.  "Hey guys, how're you doing?" she whispered, feeling the steady breathing and beating hearts under her palms.  "We're working on it.  Just hang in there a little longer, okay?  We'll get this figured out pretty soon and get you back to normal.  I have to say though, you two are impossibly cute.  I'm sort of going to miss this when it's all over."  She tucked the soft blankets more securely around them.  "And we are taking pictures for blackmail purposes, so don't think this is all deadly serious around here."  Sitting down in one of the rockers, she watched the two sleep, wondering what it was she was missing in trying to find a solution to it all.  General Hammond's entrance surprised her out of her ruminations.</div> <bR> <div> "Sir," she whispered.</div> <bR> <div> He waved her to remain seated.  "I just came in to check on them.  How're they doing?" he asked, moving to the crib and chuckling when he saw them.</div> <bR> <div> "Fine.  Healthy, growing, eating well."  Sam watched her commander dote slightly over the boys.  "Remind you of your granddaughters, sir?"</div> <bR> <div> Hammond smiled and nodded.  "Raising up children is one of God's greatest gifts," he said quietly.  "I'd prefer it not to be two of my most important staff."</div> <bR> <div> "I understand, sir."</div> <bR> <div> "You know Major, everyone sees the same behavior in these two now as before.  Albeit, it's on a bit more of an infantile level."  He turned to see Jack attempting to suck Daniel's ear into his mouth.  "They're always there for each other.  Better together than they are separately."</div> <bR> <div> "Yes sir, we've all noticed that."  She stood up.  "I was just on my way out.  Did you want to sit with them for a while?"</div> <bR> <div> "I just might do that," Hammond said.</div> <bR> <div> "Yes, sir," Sam smiled as she left them alone.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <div> Teal'c entered the nursery early in the morning before the first rounds had been done.  Moving to the crib he saw Daniel quietly playing with a stuffed toy, gnawing happily on its ear.  The toddler smiled up at Teal'c.</div> <bR> <div> "Ja' poopy," he giggled.</div> <bR> <div> Teal'c couldn't help but smile.  "O'Neill will be amused to know those were your first spoken words to us, DanielJackson.  I will alleviate both his discomfort and yours."  He lifted Daniel carefully out of the crib and set him into the playpen, then gathered the supplies to change Jack's diapers.  As he busied himself with the task, he hearkened back to doing the same thing with Ry'ac.  "My son was not nearly as odorous as you, O'Neill."  Jack began to whimper and whine as Teal'c's gentle hands cleaned him, applied the lotion Doctor Fraiser insisted on using, and redressed him.  Teal'c disposed of the dirty diaper then turned his attention to Daniel.  "And what of you, DanielJackson?"  He picked the second boy up, walked to the changing table and began repeating the process.  Just as Teal'c thought he would finish the task quickly and without incident, Daniel pushed aside the front of his loose diaper and let loose a stream of urine, hitting the large man directly under the chin.  Peals of childish laughter echoed through the room.</div> <bR> <div> "I am not amused," Teal'c said, a deep frown on his face.  He began the procedure with another diaper. </div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Janet watched as the large stone was brought into the nursery.  "Are you sure about this?" she asked Sam.</div> <bR> <div> "Doctor Borders said that this happened when they were both in direct contact with the artifact.  He's working on the catalyst, but in order for it to reverse the process, they need to be in contact with it again.  We'll secure it down so it doesn't fall over."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel slapped his hands on the floor, a joyous look on his face.  Jack scuttled over on hands and knees and began pushing against the flat surface.  He put his lips against it and blew a loud raspberry then sat back and applauded himself.</div> <bR> <div> "Tell me you had that thing scrubbed down," Janet groaned.</div> <bR> <div> "Yes, we did," Sam laughed.  "Leave it to the Colonel to cut to the heart of the matter."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Hammond read through Doctor Borders' report.  In the quiet of the base at night is when he did his best thinking.  This was going to require some thought - long hard thought.</div> <bR> <div> Major Carter and Teal'c had said that just previous to the transformation a comment was made and agreed to; according to the report from Doctor Borders, this is what catalyzed the change.  In order for the change to reverse, the same thing had to happen.  But it wasn't that which bothered Hammond.  This wasn't a 'wishing will make it true' situation.  This entire thing was brought about based on perceptions and views from the heart.  The mechanism, sensing that these viewpoints were, at their heart, detrimental to the group as a whole, devised an environment where the 'actual' truth was presented in such a way that anyone who saw it wouldn't be able to deny it.</div> <bR> <div> This was where Hammond's dilemma lay.  Anyone who'd seen the infant versions of Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson had seen the way O'Neill's entire world revolved around Daniel.  Daniel ate first, he went to sleep first, he got the toys first.  If he cried, Jack was inconsolable until Daniel's needs had been tended to and he was calm and settled.  If Jack became upset, Daniel refused to leave his side until he was again comforted and happy.</div> <bR> <div> Doctor Borders had said that the truth of the matter in question was reduced to its most basic components.  Hammond knew, upon reflection, that what he was seeing was, at its most primal and simple level .... love.</div> <bR> <div> In children this age, under normal conditions, this would be a perfectly natural situation; a deep, brotherly love where one sibling took responsibility for the other.  But Hammond had been around the block a time or two and he was not so blind as to not see that the closeness between the members of SG-1 was far too deep.  In any other command, he would have dissolved the team and made some transfers.  What he was seeing here was no sibling affection.  To take this level of connection and transfer it into two adult males and look at it from that angle . . . Hammond shook his head and sighed deeply.</div> <bR> <div> Love between Colonel Jack O'Neill and Doctor Daniel Jackson was probably far from brotherly and he was privy to it whether he wanted to be or not.  </div> <bR> <div> How the hell would he resolve this when things got back to normal?</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Jack was cold.  He didn't like cold.  He liked warm.  Daniel was warm.  He smiled.  He liked Daniel.  Daniel was his friend.  Rolling over, he climbed partially on top of his nice, warm friend.  He turned his head slightly and something rubbed against his mouth.  Opening his lips, he closed them around whatever it was.  <I>Tastes funny</I>, he thought in his little baby mind, but he sucked on it nevertheless because it smelled like Daniel and he liked Daniel.  Even when Daniel cried.  Or stole his snack.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> General Hammond watched Jack happily suck on Daniel's nose as the two boys slept.  He pulled the blanket Jack had kicked aside up around the tot's shoulder before gently patting him quiet.  "We'll figure all this out, Colonel, don't you worry."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "MajorCarter," Teal'c said as he entered the nursery.  "I thought you had left the mountain several hours ago."</div> <bR> <div> Sam sat with her feet up on the footstool, both babies in her arms.  They were grasping their bottles and sleeping quietly while she rocked them.  "I couldn't leave," she said.  "I just . . . I feel so damned responsible for all this."</div> <bR> <div> "We did not know the Ancient's artifact would result in this," Teal'c said, taking his place in the chair beside her.  "To quote O'Neill, we have often found their technology to be ... hinky."</div> <bR> <div> Sam laughed quietly.  "Hinky?  Is that the scientific term?"</div> <bR> <div> Teal'c allowed himself a small smile and bowed his head slightly.  "While the phrase may trivialize the situation, I believe O'Neill to be correct in his assessment that very little of the technology the Ancients left behind functions as we hope it will."</div> <bR> <div> "Are we talking time loops here?" she asked.</div> <bR> <div> "Indeed," Teal intoned with a great deal of distaste.  "Among other things."</div> <bR> <div> "You know," she said after a moment's thought, "it's been so amazing to see the two of them like this.  I mean, even as infants, they still care for each other, look out after each other, fight, bicker, just like they always have.  It's like it's . . . innate, built in."</div> <bR> <div> "I have also noticed this.  It is a bond that goes very deep."</div> <bR> <div> "I was watching them today when we took them outside.  Daniel was fascinated by this stick.  He picked it up, and went to put it in his mouth.  The Col . . . Jack . . . grabbed it away and looked at it, keeping it away from Daniel until he could look the whole thing over.  Of course, Daniel got it back and hit Jack over the head with it.  They both just laughed."</div> <bR> <div> Teal'c seemed greatly amused by this.  "DanielJackson provides someone for O'Neill to care for, someone whom he may watch over.  O'Neill provides security for DanielJackson, a constant in an ever-changing universe."</div> <bR> <div> "And yet it works for them, doesn't it?" Sam asked.  "They can go at each other like cats and dogs one minute, then sit and drink a beer while watching a game the next.  It makes my head spin how they keep it all in balance."</div> <bR> <div> "We must find a way to restore that balance," Teal'c said.  "It is of utmost importance to the future of the Tau'ri and Stargate Command."</div> <bR> <div> "On that, I couldn't agree more," Sam said, yawning suddenly.  "Help me get these two back down to bed?"</div> <bR> <div> Teal'c stood and gently took Jack from Sam's arms, then snuggled him beside his friend in the crib.  He smiled as he saw Daniel immediately reach for Jack and the two boys settle in close to each other.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Daniel awoke first, a strange buzzing in his head.  He began to pout, and then to cry softly.  He stretched his arms above his head, his small fingers poking through the mesh netting of their crib, making contact with the stone slab.  Jack, awakened by the distressed sounds of his crib mate, rolled over and looked at the scratching noises Daniel was making as he ran his hands over the symbols on the stone.  Daniel had quieted and was happily kicking at his blankets.  Jack scooted up and poked his fingers through the mesh to see what Daniel was playing with.</div> <bR> <div> The flash of light was dazzling.  As were Jack's choice of words when the crib collapsed under he and Daniel and they wound up naked on the floor among the ruin of their former sleeping place.</div> <bR> <div> "What the fuck is going on?" Jack bellowed as he noticed a small diaper draped casually across his groin.</div> <bR> <div> "Jack," Daniel grunted.  "Get the hell off me."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "Major Carter," Sam grunted out as she lay half out of her bed.  "What?  What?!  When?  Tell the General I'll be right there."</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Sam came to a skidding halt in the locker room, her leather jacket dangling from her fingers.  "Sir?"</div> <bR> <div> Jack turned around, still toweling his hair, t-shirt not tucked into his pants and his feet bare.  "Carter."</div> <bR> <div> "Jack, did you use the last of my shampoo?" Daniel asked as he walked from the showers, dripping wet and wrapped in his ratty blue bathrobe.  He grabbed the bottle from Jack's locker.  "Dammit, I told you to buy your own if you like this so well.  Oh, hey Sam."  He turned and re-entered the showers.</div> <bR> <div> Jack smirked.  "I do that just to piss him off.  Hey, what are you doing here so late?"</div> <bR> <div> "I got the call that you were . . . that you . . . you grew up," she stammered.</div> <bR> <div> Jack scowled at her briefly.  "Did not," Jack said, slightly confused.</div> <bR> <div> "Sir, not five hours ago you were a baby - around a year old."</div> <bR> <div> "Was not," Jack said, his eyes narrowing.  "What the hell is everyone talking about?  Daniel and I woke up in an isolation room."</div> <bR> <div> "You don't remember any of it?" Sam asked, stunned.</div> <bR> <div> "You know, I remember having something - strange - in my mouth that tasted a little . . . nasty, but I figured, hey, alien techno whammy - it happens."  Jack began to shove his shirt inside his pants, turning around to fasten them and continue to get dressed.</div> <bR> <div> "Sir, you and Daniel have been babies for the past few weeks!" Sam exclaimed.</div> <bR> <div> "No need to get snippy, Carter.  I know we bicker, but it doesn't mean anything."  Jack grabbed a clean pair of socks and sat down, his stomach gurgling dangerously.  "Did we eat something on that planet, because my gut's acting like I've eaten my way through a gallon of ice cream and we're all aware of my recent venture into lactose intolerance."</div> <bR> <div> "You gassy again?" Daniel asked as he came out of the showers a second time.  "I'm supposed to be catching a ride home with you and if you're gonna be doing . . ."</div> <bR> <div> "I'm fine," Jack sniped.  "Carter," he said, turning his eyes on her.  "What are you doing here at this hour?"</div> <bR> <div> "General Hammond just called us to a briefing, sir," she said dully, not nearly awake enough to deal with Jack O'Neill on his level.</div> <bR> <div> Jack looked down at himself.  "I just got dressed," he said.</div> <bR> <div> "I'm sure civilian clothes are fine," Sam said as she left.  It was going to be a long briefing.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> "Okay, that's just . . . disgusting," Jack said with a pained face.  "I'm sucking on his <I>nose</I>."</div> <bR> <div> Sam tried to hide a snicker but failed.  She was greeted with two flinty gazes.  "You were cute," she offered weakly.</div> <bR> <div> "Colonel, are you sure you don't remember anything that happened after you and Doctor Jackson excavated the artifact?"</div> <bR> <div> "Not a thing, sir," Jack said firmly.  "This is all news to me.  Horrifying though it is."</div> <bR> <div> Daniel was rubbing his nose hesitantly.</div> <bR> <div> "Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked.</div> <bR> <div> "Uh, no, sir.  Not a thing.  I remember Jack and I sort of - arguing - back and forth while we were trying to dig the stone out of the sand, and then we woke up in the isolation room."  He licked his lips slowly.  "And rice.  I remember the taste of . . . rice pudding?"</div> <bR> <div> "That's it," Jack said, snapping his fingers.  "I hate rice pudding."</div> <bR> <div> "That's good because Daniel ate all of yours, sir," Sam said quietly.</div> <bR> <div> "I don't doubt it," Jack said with a sneer in Daniel's direction.  "General Hammond, Daniel and I feel perfectly fine.  Permission to commence with what, I take it, is the weekend?"</div> <bR> <div> Hammond shook his head with a chuckle.  "Permission granted, Colonel.  Welcome back."</div> <bR> <div> "Thank you, sir," Jack said and stood as Hammond left the room.  He looked down to his side to see Daniel still rubbing his nose between thumb and forefinger.  "Daniel?"</div> <bR> <div> "You . . . sucked . . . on my nose," Daniel said, rising slowly to his feet.  "That's . . . disturbing."  He gave Jack a wary glance and exited the briefing room.</div> <bR> <div> ++++</div> <bR> <div> Daniel pulled the door open on the truck and jumped inside, splattering the drops of rain on his coat onto Jack and the surrounding dash.  "Really coming down," he said with a small laugh as he pulled his glasses off and fished a cloth from inside his coat pocket.</div> <bR> <div> Jack shook his head and pulled away.  "You okay?"</div> <bR> <div> "Yeah, fine," Daniel said, settling back in the seat.  "Sam's burning me a copy of all the video they took of us."</div> <bR> <div> "Oh, fer cryin' out loud," Jack muttered.  "How sentimental are you, anyway?"</div> <bR> <div> Daniel smiled and turned to look out at the blackness of the early morning.  "Good thing they didn't have us sleeping head to foot."</div> <bR> <div> The blush on Jack's face was visible even in the low light of the cab.  "Jesus, Daniel."</div> <bR> <div> "Who knows what you would have found to suck on then," Daniel said before breaking out into broad, loud laughter.</div> <bR> <div> Jack couldn't help himself and he began to grin.  "I plan on doing that once we get to the house," he muttered.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ~finis~</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:claforce@plotexpo.com"><U>Give the author's ego a marshmallow . . . please feed the bear.</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3_sg1_slash.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Stargate SG1 Slash Fiction"><U>Back to Fic List</U></A>     <A HREF="id2_directory.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directory Listing"><U>Back to Directory</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=120 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="01178643.jpg"> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=52 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="00f64643.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="161" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 45 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="29"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plotexpo.com"><U><IMG SRC="0181d270.jpg" border=0 width="29" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="15"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="45" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="15" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id195.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Getting Personal"><U><IMG SRC="017271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id196.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hot Summer Nights"><U><IMG SRC="016271d0.jpg" border=0 width="39" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>