The Price of Knowledge

 

Story Notes:

See Chapter One

Epilogue

 

             Jack stood beside the patio doors and looked out at Daniel.  The kid was stretched out on a plastic lawn chair in the middle of the backyard.  He didn’t even twitch at the butterflies that kept landing on his body.  A squirrel sat calmly beneath the empty lawn chair beside Daniel’s, and three birds were perched on the chair’s arm.  Mr. Wilson’s dog had slipped out of its own yard once again and was curled up under Daniel’s chair.  Daniel stared at the clouds, completely oblivious to the animals’ presence.  Since his experience with the Others, Daniel wasn’t quite… normal.

             Like the days when Daniel’s knowledge was just awakening, Jack noticed the little things most.  The instant attraction of any animal within six feet.  Daniel’s ability to know when someone was approaching and who it was, even with his eyes closed.  The way he would suddenly become quiet and look inward as if something else had caught his attention.  There were times when Daniel was off in a world only he could see.  Jack reminded himself he had a gifted kid and tried not to let it freak him out.

             Other times, Daniel was so much like his adult self, Jack had to double check and make sure he had a kid in tow.  Daniel had gained back all the memories he’d hidden in his subconscious, and while there would always be huge gaps, he now tended to sound older than he looked.  Yesterday, Jack had overheard Daniel and Nyan discussing an article they’d both read about the sexual taboos of some culture, and Jack had been forced to bite his tongue.  It was just so wrong to hear words like that come out of a kid’s mouth.

             Mostly, though, Daniel was six.  He wanted hugs and bedtime stories.  He wanted to play more than work.  He loved the swings and pretend-lightsaber fights with Teal’c and coloring.  And he laughed.  A lot.  Of all the things that made up Daniel’s second childhood, Jack’s favorite was Daniel’s abundant, uninhibited, joyous laughter.

             Jack slid open the patio door.  The squirrel scampered away, and the birds took flight.  The dog opened one eye, watched Jack approach, and then closed the eye without making a sound.

             “Hey, Jack.”  Daniel turned his head and smiled.

             “Whatcha doing?”

             “Looking at clouds.”  He turned his gaze back to the sky and pointed.  “See?  That one there?  It looks like a Sphinx.  Ally showed me a picture of the Sphinx.  It’s in Egypt.  She said I usedta live there, but I don’t remember that.  We should go to Egypt sometime, Jack.  With Sam and Teal’c.  I want to see the Sphinx and the pyramids and the camels.  That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?”

             Jack offered a noncommittal grunt as he settled into the chair next to Daniel.  The sun felt too warm.  Daniel’s miraculous intervention on Jack’s hands hadn’t extended to Jack’s face, and his skin was still sensitive.  He latched his hands behind his head and leaned back.

             “I thought you were playing.”

             “I was.  Then I got to thinking, so I sat down for a while, so I could think harder.”

             Daniel was thinking.  What a surprise.  Jack grinned to himself.  When all was said and done, some things never changed.

             “Thinking, huh?  What about?”

             Daniel was silent for a moment.  Then he said in a rush, “I can make myself big again.”

             Jack sat up slowly.  He was certain he hadn’t heard that one correctly.  “What?”

             “I know how to make myself a big person.”  Daniel crooked a finger, and one of the butterflies settled on it.

             Jack had to swallow twice before he could speak.  “There’s a catch, isn’t there?”

             “Well…yeah.”  Daniel sighed, and his heavy gust of air sent the butterfly flitting away.  “I’d be big, but I still wouldn’t remember any more stuff.  I probably couldn’t help you on missions or anything.  But I thought, maybe if I was big, you wouldn’t have to take care of me so much.”

             “We always take care of you,” Jack said.  His voice sounded suspiciously gruff.  He cleared his throat.  “Big, little, doesn’t matter.  That’s what we do.  You said so yourself.”

             Daniel peeked at him under lowered eyelashes and grinned shyly.  “Yeah.  I like having you take care of me.”

             “Do you…want to be big?”

             Daniel went back to staring at the sky, gnawing on his lower lip as he mulled the question.  “Not really.  I like being a kid.  It’s kinda funny.  I don’t remember a lot about me being big, not as much as I remember stuff about you guys.  But I know I wasn’t very happy.  Not happy like I am now, I mean, so happy that I can’t hold it in sometimes.  I think I shoulda been more happy.  Maybe it’s easier to be happy when you’re a kid.”  Daniel turned his head so he could see Jack.  “Are you happy, Jack?”

             “Are you sticking around?”

             Daniel scrunched his face, confused by the question.  “Yeah.”

             “Forever and ever?”

             A smile tugged at Daniel’s lips.  “Yeah.”

             “Then I’m happy.”

             Daniel’s smile broadened to become brighter than the sun.  Jack reached out a hand and scattered butterflies as he ruffled Daniel’s hair.

             “You should go on missions though,” Daniel said, turning earnest.  “That made you happy too.”

             “What about you?”

             “I can stay with Doctor Janet.  Cassie’s gonna teach me how to play chess, which is funny, too, because she says I teached her.”

             This, from the kid who days ago wouldn’t let Jack out of his sight.  Jack hadn’t gotten used to this independent, not-so-clingy version of Daniel.

             “I’m not sure the NID’s going to give up on you.  Face it, Daniel, you’re acting a little glowy.”

             Daniel did that inward-look thing again.  “Yeah.  It’s like when I was ascended, but I was still connected to you guys.  Now it’s backwards.  Don’t worry, Jack.  I’ll get better at hiding it.  And some of it, I’ll probably forget as I grow up.”

             “The NID doesn’t know that.”

             Daniel shrugged and looked back at the sky with a slight smile.

             “Why do I get the feeling you could just throw fireballs at anyone who looks at you wrong?”

             Daniel’s smile widened.  “Because I can?”

             “Right.”  Jack settled in his own chair again.  Raising Daniel was definitely going to be a challenge.  It surprised him how much he was looking forward to it.  He grinned and glanced over at Daniel.  “I better not catch you throwing fireballs at anyone who’s not Goa’uld or NID.”

             Daniel rolled his eyes.  “As if.”

             “I’m just saying…”

             “No fireballs.  Got it.”  Daniel paused and then turned his head so he could meet Jack’s gaze.  His lips twitched into a smirk.  “How about lightning bolts?”

 

The End.

 

 

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Disclaimer:  The Stargate characters all belong to Gekko Film Company, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions, MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Showtime, Sci Fi Channel, and Stargate SG-1 Prod. Ltd. Partnership.  This fanfic is not intended to infringe on any of those rights and is meant solely for the purpose of entertainment.  All other characters, the story idea, and the story itself are the sole property of the author.