Archive of Our Own ^beta

Closure

• Spoilers: Crystal Skull (slightly)(definitely after season 3)
• Summary: Daniel is reunited with his Grandfather, but all is not as it seems.
• PG-13 [A] [CD] [HC]

It was a quiet time for the SGC, a rarity in itself. Daniel Jackson was off-world with SG-11, looking at some ruins they’d found while exploring a new planet, and General Hammond had ordered leave for the remaining members of SG-1 until the archaeologists’ return, while he himself caught up with the pile of paperwork that was threatening to spill from his desk onto the floor. Major Samantha Carter was off world visiting her father, having once again refused an offer of a fishing trip from Colonel Jack O’Neill. Teal’c had also "politely" refused to go fishing, and was also off world. O’Neill, on the other hand was at a loose end. Not being able to find a willing victim to go fishing with, and realising that he was missing his best friend, and not really wanting to write any more mission reports, he was aimlessly wandering the corridors of the SGC. At one point he’d almost gone to see Hammond to request permission to join Daniel on P3X whatever it was, but then decided against it. Daniel would be totally absorbed in his work, and Jack would only feel like the third wheel on a bicycle.

At that moment the alarm claxon sounded indicating an in-coming traveller. Jack ran to the control room, wondering absently to himself what Daniel had gotten himself into this time. In the control room the duty sergeant was busy talking with the General.

"What’s going on" asked O’Neill, looking down into the embarkation room and seeing armed guards standing ready at end of the ramp.

"The gate just activated, Sir, and we appear to have an in-coming traveller," replied the Sergeant

"SG-11?" Jack asked

"No Sir," the sergeant replied, "there’s no signal, although, chevron seven gives the location as P7X377" O’Neill and General Hammond looked at each other.

"Open the iris" the General ordered

The room was quiet except for the gentle swishing of the event horizon. At that moment a figure emerged, and stood looking somewhat surprised at all the activity below before collapsing to the floor. O’Neill had rushed from the control room and was half way down the stairs before General Hammond had finished summoning the medical team. He ran through the sliding doors, up the ramp, and knelt down beside the still form of Daniel’s grandfather, Nicholas Ballard.

At that point the medical team arrived, with Janet Frasier taking charge as usual, barking out orders, and generally trying to do two or more things at once. Within a few minutes the patient had been loaded onto a gurney and was on his way to the infirmary.

******

"How is he?" Jack O’Neill asked on entering the infirmary. Janet Frasier had her serious face on.

"Not very good I’m afraid Colonel" Jack looked stunned. "He’s suffered a severe heart attack, and it’s not his first either by the looks of the tests we’ve just run. He’s in a very weakened state, another attack like this last one and…" Jack understood what she was implying.

"I’ll speak to Hammond, we’ll try to contact Daniel, get him to return early…"

"No" a weak voice spoke. Frasier and O’Neill turned to the bed, and came face to face with the blue eyes of Nick Ballard. "I don’t want Daniel to know I’m ill" Jack glared at the old man, remembering the way he casually walked out of Daniel’s life the last time they’d met. Jack had been furious then, and although he hadn’t said anything, Daniel was very quiet for days after they’d returned. He wasn’t at all sure that Daniel would be pleased to have Nick back in his life, for however long that would be this time.

"Isn’t that being rather selfish?" Jack asked sharply "Don’t you think Daniel has a right to know" The older man smiled weakly

"You’re very protective of Daniel, Colonel, I remember that from our last meeting"

"Let’s just say, I don’t like it when people I care about get a raw deal" Jack replied. The older man smiled.

"Surprisingly neither do I Colonel. Sit down, and you too Doctor, I need you to understand why I’ve come back, and to help me" They did as they were instructed at sat one each side of the bed.

"I’ve come back to make my peace with my grandson", the old man began. "I don’t suppose Daniel has ever told you about his childhood, I know it’s not a time he cares to remember" Jack nodded, that much was true, in the years he’d known him Daniel had never once mentioned his childhood, just bits and pieces about his parents being dead, his college days, digs he’d been on, but nothing at all about his childhood, or his grandfather for that matter. Jack recalled his surprise when Daniel had first mentioned the existence of Nick Ballard, Jack had always assumed he was an orphan. His attention returned to the old man.

"I’m not proud of what I did back then, I was a lousy father, and an even lousier grandfather. I was selfish, Daniel needed me, but I was just too busy. There was always another expedition, another discovery to be made. It was a year before I was able to return home, and I didn’t want to be bothered with an eight year old with severe emotional problems, not to mention multiple allergies. That, and the fact that every time I looked at him, I was reminded of his mother. Daniel is the image of his mother, you know. Same colour hair, same blue eyes, same smile, even the way he lowers his head and looks at you over the top of his glasses, Claire was just the same. I couldn’t cope with it, so I did what I thought was best, I left the boy in the care of social workers." The man coughed and Frasier went to get him some water.

"So you basically rejected him" Jack got in, before the older man had a chance to continue. He wondered about the little boy Daniel had once been, how had he felt at being abandoned to strangers, wondered what story he had been told to cover up for the fact that his only living relative didn’t want to be bothered with him. He remembered how withdrawn Daniel had been after the death of Sha’re and could only imagine how as a child he must have felt after witnessing the death of both parents in such tragic circumstances.

"I didn’t see it that way" the older man countered "Daniel’s parents were always on the move, dragging the boy from one country to another, I barely knew him. He had no stability in his life at all, the only friends he had were his parents’ age, he’d rarely mixed with other children other than the children of what ever community they happened to be in at the time. True, he saw countries and places that other people could only dream of, but as I said, I wasn’t willing to drag him around the globe with me." He took a sip from the glass of water Frasier had brought.

"I kept in touch with Daniel as often as possible" Jack was growing angrier by the second.

"So you figured that a few postcards would make everything all right, while Daniel was being subjected to God knows what, by God knows who!" The old man looked at Jack sadly.

"I can imagine that not all of the foster parents he stayed with were kind to him. When he was eleven, I received a letter from one of his social workers. They’d received an application from a family who wanted to adopt the boy. They were leaving the area, and wanted to take Daniel with them. The husband had been offered a job as department head at a college near San Francisco, the mother had been a school teacher, they seemed to care very much for Daniel, and could easily provide for him"

"But…" Jack interrupted.

"I realised that I wasn’t getting any younger, and Daniel was my only living relative, I didn’t want to lose him. I knew that if I gave him up for adoption that I would probably never see him again, I didn’t want that."

"But you didn’t want Daniel with you either" Janet replied.

"No, I didn’t. So I refused the application purely on selfish grounds, and condemned my grandson to a life foster homes and orphanages."

"You bastard" Jack muttered quietly under his breath, but not so quiet as not to be heard.

"I’m not proud of what I did Colonel, I regret so much of what has passed between Daniel and I. I’m amazed he doesn’t hate me, but somehow Daniel has an inbred capacity to forgive, and I confess I took advantage of that" Jack remembered only too well Daniel’s ability to forgive anyone and everyone who hurt him, in fact the only person Daniel could never forgive was himself, for things he felt he himself was responsible for. In fact the only person Daniel seemed to show any hatred towards was Apophis.

"When I had my breakdown, and committed myself, I asked him to visit, even though he was very busy with College work, or out on digs. He had very little money, but he always came, and for a while we got along well. Even then, I could see how intelligent he was, I was so proud of him, but somehow I never got round to telling him so. Then of course we had our big fight."

Jack remembered the events of a few years ago when Daniel had disappeared while on P7X377. The discovery that he had a living relative had come as a total surprise, but on meeting this relative, Jack wasn’t surprised to learn that the two hadn’t spoken for over four years due to an argument about who’s theories had been right, as little as he knew Nicholas Ballard, Jack could see he was just as stubborn as Daniel. Jack’s attention returned to the man in the bed.

"I told Daniel he was a fool, to risk his reputation and everything he had to gain by trying to prove his theory that aliens built the Egyptian pyramids, and of course, he brought up my claim to have been taken to meet those giant aliens when I was in Central America. But the argument got out of hand Colonel. I should have stopped myself, given in to him perhaps, but I didn’t, and it all got personal. I blamed Daniel for his parents’ deaths. I implied that perhaps if he hadn’t been with them, that if they had been able to give their full attention to what they were doing, instead of having to pay attention to his needs, they might still be alive today" Jack looked stunned

"You what…!" he yelled

"I know, I know, and the moment the words were out of my mouth I regretted them, but it was too late. By then Daniel was in a terrible state, and I didn’t want to be bothered with it all, so rather than try to calm things down, I threw him out of my life again. I didn’t see him again until the last time we met here."

"When you walked out on him again" Jack added

"Quetzacoatl and his people taught me a lot about family and responsibility, things I should have known all along. I’m dying, Colonel, and this is my last chance to try and make things better between Daniel and myself. Maybe even reach a kind of mutual respect."

"Perhaps," Jack replied, "although he was quite upset when you went off with Quetza what’s his name."

"I hoped Daniel would understand, I’d spent nearly thirty years trying to prove my theory. Was I wrong Colonel, was I wrong to want to complete my life’s work? Wouldn’t Daniel have done the same in my position? Didn’t he also spend years trying to prove his theories before the SGC came along and gave him the chance of a lifetime?"

"Daniel can be a little obsessive at times, we all can." Jack started protectively, he knew full well that given the chance, Daniel would have gone off with the giant aliens without a second thought "but you’ve been gone for years. Daniel didn’t say anything, but I think he hoped you would be back after a few weeks, especially after you’d just been reunited. Now I’m not sure how he’s going to react when he sees you, especially in this state."

"I assume Daniel is away?" the old man asked. Jack nodded

"He’s due back in a couple of days"

"Good, then that gives the good doctor here plenty of time to patch me up" Jack and Frasier looked at each other puzzled. "Like I said, I don’t want Daniel to know I’m dying, I want to see if there’s anything left between us, a basic foundation on which to build a loving friendship, if nothing else, in what time I have left. I don’t want him feeling sorry for me, or putting on an act of affection just because I’m ill. I think we can learn a lot from each other and gain a lot too. I guess I’m just being selfish again, but I’m frightened that I’ll go to my grave with my grandson hating me, and you know, the last time I saw Daniel, he called me Grandpa, and I realised I liked it" Janet took the old man’s hand and squeezed it gently.

"I’ll see what I can do" Frasier replied "But what you need right now is rest"

For the next two days, Nick Ballard rested. Jack had been given permission by General Hammond to show him SG-1’s mission logs, and had given him Daniel’s reports to read, including all of the video footage and photographs Daniel had taken over the years. Nick was fascinated. Every now and then a photograph or clip of Daniel would appear. Nick looked at each one, noticing how much Daniel seem to have grown. The hair was shorter, but there was also a look of maturity about Daniel that hadn’t been there before. He guessed he had Jack O’Neill to thank for that, and it didn’t go unnoticed how highly respected Daniel was at the SGC. He learned about Sha’re, and the battles the SGC had fought in order to keep Earth safe. He also spent his time hand-writing a report about his adventures, General Hammond considered it would be a useful addition to the SGC database, especially as the radiation levels were too high, and made a return trip to P7X377 virtually impossible.

Suddenly an alarm rang throughout the complex. Nick got up from behind Daniel’s desk and began to walk slowly towards the embarkation room. Daniel was returning.

The event horizon hissed, and a group of people dressed in combats appeared carrying boxes, crates and the equipment that had accompanied them on their journey. Nick and Jack watched the men walk down the ramp, handing their guns and other personal equipment to the soldiers standing ready. Daniel removed his helmet and gun and handed them absently to the waiting hands, old, wrinkled hands. He looked up.

"Nick!"

"Hello Daniel" the old man spoke.

"Surprise!" Jack joined in. Daniel stood rooted to the floor, mouth open slightly.

"What’s going on?" he asked.

"I’ve come back" Nick replied. Daniel’s look of shock changed to one of anger.

"Sure you can spare the time?"

"Daniel…" Jack started. But the younger man started to move away from the ramp.

"No Jack." Daniel replied. "I…" He looked at his grandfather, nodded his head, waved his hand at nothing in particular, and left the room. Jack decided to escort Nick back to Daniel’s office, and then go in search of his friend. He found him in the locker room, freshly showered.

"That wasn’t very nice" Jack started

"Well perhaps I don’t feel very nice Jack" Daniel replied "I don’t need this right now OK. I’m tired, my head feels like it’s in a vice, and if I don’t get some coffee inside me soon…"

"OK, OK, I get the message" Jack replied as Daniel closed his locker. "I know how you feel about him, but…"

"But what Jack?" Daniel asked angrily. "The only thing that man ever did for me was to walk out of my life, over and over again" Jack noticed Daniel’s hands were shaking, and sat Daniel down on the bench. "It took the authorities more than a year to locate him when my parents died, and even then he didn’t come home straight away, and when he did finally turn up he couldn’t wait to dump me and go off again." Daniel sat down on one of the benches his head in his hands. Jack reached out and put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder

"Give him a chance Daniel, he’s an old man. Maybe he’s changed"

"What makes you say that?" Daniel snorted, looking directly at Jack as if searching for something.

"Just because, Daniel. He’s not the same person he was last time you spoke, neither are you. What you fought about all those years ago is irrelevant now, both of you were right. He’s the only family you have. Besides I bet you’re itching to know what he got up to with those giant aliens"

"Well, I admit I would like to know all about them" Daniel replied smiling.

"Well what are you waiting for, get yourself dressed, he’s waiting in your office" Jack replied.

******

Daniel walked slowly towards his office, coffee cup in hand, mulling over his conversation with Jack, and what he was going to say to his grandfather, several greetings ran through his mind, none of which seemed appropriate somehow. He supposed he should just see how things played out.

His office was empty when he arrived, but he could see evidence that someone had been working at his desk, hand written notes were scattered over the surface. Daniel picked them up, put them in order, sat down, and started to read, thinking to himself that one day he’d have to show Nick how to use a computer. Within minutes he was totally absorbed. So much so that he didn’t notice the figure standing smiling in the doorway.

Nick had been standing watching Daniel for sometime, not really sure of what to say. He smiled as he watched the expressions on Daniel’s face.

"Just like your mother" he said, not expecting the words to come out loud. Daniel looked up from what he was reading, a puzzled look on his face. "She always got lost when she was reading as well" Daniel smiled and nodded. "You know" Nick continued "You’re the image of her, same colouring, same eyes, same smile. I don’t suppose anyone has ever told you that before"

"No they haven’t" Daniel answered "there was no-one around to tell me" Nick nodded in understanding.

"I’m sorry Daniel, so sorry for everything. I’ve not exactly been a doting grandfather have I? I wish I could have been the kind of grandfather you wanted me to be, but I was never any good at that kind of thing. I wish I had adopted you after your parents died, I wish I could take back everything I did and said, but I can’t, and all I can do now is ask your forgiveness, and try to make it up to you." He dropped his head sadly. Daniel got up from his chair and walked over to his grandfather.

"I’m sorry Nick," Daniel began, "but that little boy can never forgive you, he needed you, and you abandoned him, and I don’t understand how anyone could do that, no matter what their circumstances are." Daniel found himself thinking of Shi’fu. Even knowing the boy was Sha’re’s by the man he hated didn’t stop Daniel caring about him, and wishing that the child could have stayed with him on Earth. "But I can forgive you," Daniel continued "I have a family now, people I can trust who trust me, people to care for who care for me. I can forgive you Nick, but that little boy just isn’t ready, and I don’t think he ever will be" The older man nodded in understanding.

They stood looking at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and a silent message of understanding seemed to pass between them. Daniel reached out his hands towards his grandfather, and Nick did the same until the hands touched, and the two men hugged.

"Did I tell you how proud I am of you?" Nick asked

"Not in the last few years" Daniel replied smiling, remembering their last meeting on P7X377. Nick continued.

"General Hammond gave me copies of your mission logs to read while I waited for you to return home, and Colonel O’Neill has been bringing me up to date" Nick suddenly clutched his chest.

"What’s wrong, you OK?" Daniel asked, his eyes full of concern.

"Just indigestion, the food here could use some improvement." Nick said once the pain had subsided. Daniel laughed in agreement.

"You should let me take you to the infirmary" Daniel offered, Nick refused. The pain was passing and he was already feeling a lot better, although Daniel didn’t look too convinced of that.

"I’m fine, really"

******

General Hammond had arranged for Daniel to take some much deserved time off, and for once the younger man hadn’t argued. It would give Daniel and his grandfather a chance to chew on a few rocks, and perhaps build a few bridges along the way. God knows the young man had been through enough already to fill ten lifetimes.

Daniel had arranged for Nick to move in with him, at least for the time being. After their last encounter Daniel had arranged for Nick’s belongings to be shipped to the base, and now Nick’s personal belongings were sitting in the back of Daniel’s car as the two men drove across town to Daniel’s apartment.

After parking the car, they collected Nick’s things from the back, and Daniel introduced his grandfather to the apartment building security guard, a precaution should Nick need to enter or leave the building without him. The elevator stopped at the top of the shaft, and the two men exited. They reached Daniel’s front door, and after unlocking it the two men entered.

"You really live here?" Nick asked, taking in his surroundings, "maybe I should get a job with the Air Force." Daniel smiled, and showed his grandfather where everything was, before disappearing to make some coffee. "Do you play?" Nick asked noticing the piano in the lounge, and realising at the same time just how little he knew about his grandson.

"The perfect way to encourage a gifted child" Daniel called from the kitchen. Nick looked puzzled, Daniel continued "One of my school teachers thought it would be a good idea for me to learn, I like to play, but I don’t practice as often as I should what with work and everything…"

"You sketch too," Nick observed looking at some of the art work on the walls "these are good" He noticed one particular sketch, it was of a young woman with tousled dark hair, and striking features, quite beautiful Nick thought.

"That’s Sha’re. She was my wife" Daniel said quietly as he emerged from the kitchen carrying coffee.

"Colonel O’Neill told me what happened to her." Daniel raised his eyebrows "he told me there were a few areas you might be a little sensitive about" Nick continued "Sha’re was one of them" Daniel nodded in understanding. Although it had been several years since his soul mate had died, he still yearned for her every day. Nick noticed Daniel’s face as they looked at the picture. "She was very beautiful"

"Yes she was, and spirited too. You would have loved her, everyone did" Daniel walked across the room to the balcony and stepped out into the air. Getting to know Nick all over again wasn’t going to be easy he decided.

******

The next few weeks were spent mostly at Daniel’s apartment, sometimes working at the base, sometimes on outings, and sometimes with the other members of SG-1 at their local watering hole O’Malley’s. Jack noticed that during that time Daniel seemed more at ease, less tense. Jack was pleased, although he was annoyed that Daniel was being kept in the dark about Nick’s heart condition. Several times he thought about breaking his promise and telling Daniel, but when he saw how close Daniel and Nick had grown he decided he couldn’t do it. He’d probably regret it, but he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.

Daniel though had noticed how frail his grandfather was, and how he would sometimes wince as if in pain, and then try to hide the fact from him. He made a mental note to take Nick to visit Janet next time they were on base.

"I’m an old man Daniel, how am I supposed to look" Nick asked his grandson, when once again Daniel found Nick looking pale.

"I’m just concerned Nick, I’ve only just got you back in my life, I don’t want you leaving any time soon – there are so many things I want to show you and tell you about, so many things I want to ask, especially about Mom and Dad"

"We’ll make time soon" the old man replied "then I’ll tell you everything I can, although there’s so much I don’t know"

"Do you have any photographs of them?" Daniel asked, "I don’t have any"

"No," Nick replied, "other than this one." He opened his wallet and produced a faded and much creased photograph. The people featured on it were hardly recognisable as people any more. "I was never one for mementoes Daniel, I never really knew your mother when she was growing up, I was always on the move, it was amazing your grandmother put up with me all those years, but maybe there are a few stories I can tell you."

"I look forward to hearing them"

******

Daniel had been at the base for most of the day in meetings, and working on the artefacts that had been brought back from his recent trip through the gate. Nick had decided to stay at the apartment, and finish writing his report for General Hammond, and he had promised to cook supper that evening and tell Daniel some more stories of his life as an explorer. Daniel had been worried about leaving him, Nick had looked so tired these past few days, perhaps staying at home would be the best thing. Besides Nick wasn’t going to be argued with.

A sudden glance at his watch told him it was 10 o’clock. Daniel stretched his arms over his head, he’d been huddled over his desk for too long, it was time to go home. He logged off his computer, and put everything away for the night.

He pulled up outside his building, and was surprised to see his apartment in darkness. Perhaps Nick had gone out for something, he thought to himself. The security guard greeted Daniel as he entered the building, but when asked, mentioned that he hadn’t seen Nick all day. Daniel began to get worried. He ran out of the elevator as soon as it reached his floor, and practically knocked his front door of its hinges. He switched the lights on. Nick was lying curled up on the kitchen floor. Daniel felt for a pulse, it was there, but faint and irregular. He grabbed his mobile and called for an ambulance, then returned to his grandfather.

"Nick?" he called "can you hear me?" his grandfather made no response "No, please, don’t leave me now" Daniel fought back the tears as he called Jack’s number. Jack wasn’t home, nor was he at the base. Daniel left messages at all the places Jack might be.

******

The hospital was busy even though it was past midnight. Daniel was pacing up and down the corridor outside the room where Nick had been taken. His mind was in turmoil.

"Doctor Jackson?" a quiet voice called. Daniel stopped pacing, and faced the nurse calling his name. "Doctor Freeman would like to see you" She led the way into the treatment room. Nick was lying on a bed in the middle of the room, wires and tubes everywhere; the only sound the irregular pinging of the heart monitor. Daniel sat on the chair next to the bed, and gently touched his grandfather’s face.

"I’m sorry Doctor Jackson, I’m afraid he’s dying" a voice spoke. Daniel looked up.

"How long does he have?"

"It’s just a matter of time. He’s been ill for years, and has had several previous heart attacks, I’m amazed he’s lived this long." The doctor continued.

"I didn’t know" Daniel quietly replied, quickly adding "he’s been out of the country for a number of years, he’s only just returned."

"Well," the doctor continued "he’s obviously seen a doctor recently, we found several types of medication on him, painkillers and…"

"Medication?" Daniel asked, looking stunned. The doctor produced several small containers and packets of pills. Daniel recognised with writing on the labels. Janet. Daniel realised. Janet had prescribed medication to Nick, but why hadn’t she said anything to him, it didn’t make any sense.

"Very stong medication" the doctor replied.

"I noticed he was sometimes in pain, but my grandfather is a stubborn man, doctor" The doctor smiled.

"Just like a lot of old people" he replied "So proud" Daniel nodded. "Well, I’ll leave you in private" and with that the doctor left the room.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Daniel whispered, to no-one in particular. He was answered mockingly by the irregular pinging of the monitor.

******

Several hours later, Daniel was still sitting with his grandfather. He’d fallen asleep holding his hand. He heard someone call his name, and awoke with a start. The room was silent.

"I’m afraid he’s gone, Doctor Jackson, I’m so sorry" He looked up to see the nurse he’d spoken to earlier. His eyes moved down to his grandfather, who was lying peacefully in the bed, he reached out his hand and gently brushed his grandfather’s face.

"I love you grandpa"

******

Daniel continued to sit by the bedside holding Nick’s hand as the nurses switched off the monitors and removed the wiring and tubes from Nick’s body. Eventually he got up to leave, and found Jack sitting on a chair in the corridor.

"Hey, I got your messages, how’s he doing?" Jack asked continuing on "I met Sarah, and we got talking…"

"Nick died Jack, about half an hour ago" Daniel replied looking directly into Jack’s eyes.

"I’m sorry Daniel. I knew he was on borrowed time but I thought he’d be around a little longer…" Daniel looked at Jack in disbelief. The expression on Jack’s face told Daniel all he needed to know.

Jack reached out to put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, a gesture that at any other time Daniel would have found touching and comforting, but not this time. Daniel was angry and shrugging the hand away, started to walk back up the corridor. Jack followed at a discrete distance.

"Daniel, wait" Jack called. Daniel stopped and turned to face Jack, his eyes brimming with tears.

"How many people Jack? How many of you knew Nick was so ill? Why wasn’t I told? Didn’t you think I had a right to know?" Daniel walked away, leaving Jack in the corridor. He felt like hell, he knew Nick was wrong to hide his illness from Daniel. Nick hadn’t known Daniel as well as Jack did. Nick had no idea how Daniel would react, like Jack did. Once again Nick had left Daniel, and once again Jack would have to pick up the pieces. He knew it was coming, but still felt helpless, and at this precise moment hated Nicholas Ballard and wished he’d never set eyes on him.

Jack followed Daniel into the car park, saw him get into his car and slump over the steering wheel. He walked over to the car, leaned in and removed the ignition key. He knelt down and placed an arm around Daniel who was crying.

"Why, Jack? Why?" Daniel asked through his sobs. Jack gently squeezed his shoulder

"He swore us to secrecy, Daniel. But only Janet and I knew. He wanted to die knowing you didn’t hate him. If you had known how ill he was you would have forgiven him anything, and he didn’t want that. It wouldn’t have been fair, or genuine. Would you have taken him to meet Kasuf on Abydos if you’d known? No you wouldn’t have. Nick messed up badly years ago, his life was so full of regret, and he saw this as his last chance to give something of himself to you. He was so proud of you, always remember that, Daniel." Daniel raised his head, and nodded. Jack was right, as usual.

"Want to come back to my place?" Jack asked "I’ve got coffee" Daniel nodded smiling. Jack’s house was like a second home to Daniel. When he wasn’t at his own apartment, Jack’s place was always next on the list of places to find him. Jack handed Daniel back his car keys, and the two men headed off for Jack’s place.

Within an hour Daniel had fallen asleep on Jack’s sofa, which was what Jack had hoped would happen. He had to admit, Daniel had been in a state in the hospital car park, certainly in no fit state to drive, and he was glad Daniel was at his place, he could keep an eye on him, it was the least he could do. He phoned the SGC and brought Janet and General Hammond up to date. Later in the day, he would drive them both to the SGC, Daniel still needed to sort things out with Janet.

******

The day of the funeral was bright and sunny, a warm breeze causing the cherry blossom to fall from the trees like huge pink snowflakes. Daniel had chosen a quiet cemetery just outside of town, and was standing at the head of the small group of people gathered. Jack absently looked round, he noticed Daniel was wearing a dark blue suit, new for the occasion he guessed. It looked good on him. He noticed the way Daniel was standing, silent and tall, and felt a sense of pride flow through him. The man standing before him was no longer the geeky archaeologist of years ago, but a man full-grown, respected and loved by all who knew him.

The sermon finished, and the small crowd began to break up. Several people shook hands with Daniel, a couple of people from the mental home where Nick had lived for many years Jack assumed, plus another two or three who were probably fellow explorers. Jack and the others walked over to Daniel, who was now standing on his own staring at the coffin.

"It was a nice service" Sam started

"Indeed" Teal’c replied

"You OK Daniel?" Jack asked

"Yeah" Daniel replied.

"So, did you two manage to resolve everything?" Jack asked. Daniel nodded.

"I think so, in the end." Daniel replied "it wasn’t easy, but I think we finally reached an understanding. I’m going to miss him"

"You still have your family at the SGC, Daniel Jackson" Teal’c added

"Yes, yes I do, and thanks for being there for me guys" Daniel replied

"That’s what families are for Daniel," Jack answered "and there’s just one more thing…"

"What?"

"Can I be your big brother?" Daniel laughed

"Only if you keep me supplied with candy bars." With the exception of Teal’c they all laughed, but even he smiled.

There is a sequel, but you’ll have to wait - be patient!

© December, 2002 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp.
The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters
who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names,
titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and
solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.