Summary: Sequel of sorts to “Every Year”, but can stand alone. Daniel is an unaware four –year-old, living with Jack.

Pairing: Jack/Sara (big surprise, I know)

Warnings: None

Spoilers: “Cold Lazarus” (vague)

A/N: It´s a four – plus – one story because apparently I´m too lazy to come up with anything else. And I realize that some of the “differences” are really similarities, but that´s sort of the point. Any way, hope you enjoy and Happy New Year (better late than never).

 

One

She was tidying the kitchen when Daniel called to her. When Jack had asked her to look after Daniel because he had to work late and the girl that usually babysat for him had come down with a stomach bug he had been very explicit. ´And for crying out loud, don´t clean the house or anything. Just order pizza, and leave everything as it is.´ But she thought he could probably overlook her wiping the table and setting the dishwasher.

“Sara!” Daniel´s voice sounded a little wobbly, and when he came into the kitchen his eyes looked wet.

“What´s the matter, honey?” Cold, cold panic came storming at her. “Are you hurt?”

He shook his head. “Kasuf can´t come out.”

Sara wondered if one of the neighbors had had an accident until she remembered. The toy camel.

“Oh! Where is he, then?”

Daniel looked down at his feet and mumbled “sbehindthewashingmachine”. He dared a look at Sara and, deciding that she didn´t look angry, added “He was exploring.”

“Was he, now? Let´s see if I can´t make him come out.”

Kasuf was successfully retrieved (dusty, but unharmed) and Sara pulled the washing machine out from the wall for awhile so that boy and camel could study it properly.

Charlie had had a toy rabbit. His name was Rabbit, or Rabbit O´Neill if they were feeling formal. He still sat on Sara´s nightstand, because sometimes she needed to touch him to be able to sleep.

 

Two

She was amazed that Daniel could be so still. He was playing with a Lego pyramid, muttering to himself as little Lego men went in and out, finding things. It looked complex, he had showed her that you could lift the top off. “Daddy helped me build it.” There was no mistaking the pride in his voice.

Charlie was only still when he slept.

 

Three

She was getting Daniel´s room ready for bedtime, straightening the bed and picking stray Lego pieces off the floor (those things hurt to step on). This time Daniel didn´t call her, he just ran from the living room, grabbed her leg and sobbed into it. Sara ran a default check. Camel – yes. Surely he couldn´t have hurt himself just sitting in front of the TV? She twisted a bit to sit on his bed and pull him onto her lap.

“Please tell me what´s wrong, Daniel.”

“The little gorilla couldn´t find his mother and – sniff – the mean men had shot her.”

Damn documentaries and their dedication to reality. With Charlie it had been a dead baby seal.  

 

Four

”…and now Ted was sitting on the roof of the igloo. His mother promised him a frozen fish but he still didn´t want to come down for his bath.”

“He should do as his mommy told him” Daniel said primly. “You – yawn – have to take a bath when you´re dirty.” He squirmed a bit on Sara´s knee, grabbing her shirt and snuggling closer. “Even – yawn– if you´re a polar bear.”

“I know, sweetie.”

She had always been terrible at making up stories. Charlie had actually had to help her come up with the ones about Ted the baby polar bear who did everyday things with his mother. But he had liked them anyway and even when he was much too old for storytelling he sometimes demanded a “Ted story” when he was ill, or they were both feeling a little down after Jack had just shipped out. And boring stories put kids to sleep, Daniel´s breathing had evened out and he was boneless as an uncooperative cat in her arms.

She ignored the way her body protested at her half-sitting position in Daniel´s bed and held him closer. He was warm against her and he made those little child noises that aren´t quite snoring.

Daniel was alive.

 

And one

Jack came home just after ten pm. He gave her a hug and then went straight to check on Daniel. She watched as he pulled the comforter back up around the boy and leant down to kiss him.

He wrinkled his nose at her suggestion of tea and got a beer instead. It felt absurd - no, normal - no, absurd to sit next to him on the sofa and talk about the day.

“It was really great of you to help me. I didn´t want…you know…you didn´t have to, but…when Cassie got sick I didn´t know who else to ask. I can´t bring him to the mountain because he remembers…ah, uh…coming there…with his dad, and…”

She put her hand on his arm. “It´s no trouble. Really.”

He looked at her as if searching for something and covered her hand with his own. “Yeah, I just thought…thanks…”

They sat for a while. Sara knew that she should be going home, but she found herself staring at their hands. Hers, on his arm. His, covering hers. She swallowed. Jack didn´t say a word, she felt his eyes still on her face.

Jack cleared his throat. “So, everything go OK?”

She was so far away in her thoughts that she had to actually think back.

“Yeah, sure. Um…asleep by eight… Animal Planet is evil. Short burst of panic when the camel went AWOL.”

“Fridge?”

“Behind the washing machine. Oh, and maybe you should take Daniel to a doctor.” She regretted the words when Jacks head shot up, eyes wide with worry. Damn, she had forgotten that Daniel had been ill. She waved her hand apologetically. “No, no, sorry, a bad joke. I just meant, he ate all of his broccoli.”

“Oh!“

The comfortable silence was suddenly interrupted by inarticulate screams and sobs from Daniel´s room. Jack was on his feet before Sara had even understood what was going on. He ran straight to Daniel´s room where they found him sobbing and murmuring, English mixed with foreign words. Jack sat on his bed and pulled the half-asleep boy into his arms.

“Hey, hey…ssh…easy, it´s just a bad dream…I´ve got you…” After a while the mumbling came to a halt and Daniel lifted his head from Jack´s – now wet – shirt.

 “Dad?”

“Yeah, Danny, I´m here. I´ve got you. S´okay now.”

“The – sob – monster took the pretty lady. She, she said I had to remember her, but I couldn´t and the monster took her.”

Jack tightened his grip on Daniel and looked into the distance, his eyes dark with something Sara didn´t understand, didn´t want to understand.

“S´okay. Just a dream. S´okay.” He buried his face in Daniel´s hair. “I´m here now. You´re safe. I´ve got you.”

Sara watched from the doorway as Daniel slowly relaxed. Daniel saw Jack O´Neill as his father and Jack made him feel safe. Just like Charlie.

 

End