Reversal of Fortune: Part 11
By
Gemsong

Jack's nap lasted well into the afternoon. He hadn't awakened when Daniel removed him from his booster seat and carried him inside, nor did he when he was tucked into his bed. He seemed exhausted and Daniel didn't feel it was necessary to wake him. As it was, it was likely that Jack would be up well past his bedtime tonight. He honestly couldn't see Jack docilely taking his bath and going to bed while a group of his friends and family were visiting. No. That would not be happening

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when Sam and Teal'c arrived with their arms full of grocery bags. Sam immediately banned Daniel from the kitchen while proclaiming that she and Teal'c were in charge of dinner and Daniel's help would not be required. Grinning, Daniel surrendered and left the kitchen in their full control.

Jack was still sleeping, so Daniel went back to the den and turned on his laptop. Jack's picture folder was easy to find, since he found a shortcut on the desktop that took him directly to it. Settling down in the chair, he took a deep breath, then double clicked on the icon. Waiting for him were a dozen more pictures waiting to be viewed. He activated a program to view them as a slide show, then sat back to watch.

As the pictures were displayed on the screen he noticed that the dates displayed in the lower left corner of the photos matched their cover story, covering the past 6 years. Again, they were pictures of things that had never happened, or things that had happened but not in the way the picture portrayed them. There were baby pictures of Jack, which he was sure were identical to the ones in Jack's old photo albums.

There were additional pictures that he chose to print at this time. There was a picture of Cassie holding Jack's hands as he tried to learn to walk. Another of him sitting on Teal'c's shoulders. Another of an infant Jack and himself, sound asleep on the couch. None of these things at happened. Yet his mind could come up with a story around each picture as if they had happened.

So caught up in going through the pictures he lost all track of time. He didn't hear Jack wake up and go bother Sam and Teal'c. He didn't hear the arrival of General Hammond, or Janet and Cassie. He didn't hear Sam come into the room until she touched him on the shoulder, startling him.

He looked up at her, eyes wet with tears he couldn't control.

"Daniel, what's wrong?" Sam asked worried.

"I'll explain after dinner," Daniel replied, taking a moment to wipe his eyes. He then shifted the photos into a folder.

Sam didn't get a clear view of the pictures he printed, but she decided to be patient. "Dinner's ready," she said. Then she smiled. "Teal'c has been studying cookbooks. I think you'll be impressed."

Daniel went to greet the rest of his guests while Sam finished setting the table in the dining room. Jack was happily making his rounds with the visitors. Cassie was struggling to realize this used to be her 'Uncle' Jack. But he was too sweet and playful to resist as he dragged her off to show her his room.

Daniel shook the general's hand. "How are you holding up, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked.

Daniel smiled. "I'll let you know when my head stops spinning," he replied.

Hammond chuckled. "So Major Carter's threats to hook him to a naquada generator are not just threats," he said.

That made Daniel laugh. "That would fit," he said. "He's got a lot of energy. Sitting quietly is not something he does on a regular basis."

He then turned to Janet to give her a hug of greeting. He noticed she had a folder under her arm. He gestured toward it. "Bad news?" he asked.

"It's hard to describe," Janet replied. "But we can talk about it later."

At this point Jack bounded back into the room and went straight to the general. Stopping in front of him he stood straight at attention and saluted smartly. Hammond grinned and returned the salute just as smartly. Jack then held up his arms to be picked up and the general smilingly obliged him.

"How are you doing, Jack?" he asked as the boy wound on arm around his neck.

"I am good," Jack replied with a grin.

Hammond held up a wrapped package. "Are you sure you are good?" he asked, teasing.

Jack's eyes widened. "I have been very good," Jack insisted. "Ask Daddy. I have been most good of all."

Hammond raised an eyebrow at Daniel, who nodded slightly, amused. Hammond handed the package to Jack, then set him down so he could open it. Jack tore off the wrapping paper with wild abandon, then stared in wonder at what he had uncoverd within the wrappings. It was a stuffed monkey. It was wearing a 60's era space suit with a removable helmet.

"A space monkey," he said in a hushed voice.

Daniel gave the general a pained looked. Hammond just smiled, unrepentant. Space Monkey was the nickname Jack had pinned to Daniel years ago. When he saw it in a toy store, he couldn't help himself. As Jack removed the helmet, from the monkey's head a tuft of blond hair was revealed. Janet started choking in effort to hide her giggles while Daniel contemplated the consequences for murdering generals.

Jack looked up at Hammond, his expression quite serious. His big brown eyes were penetrating and intense. Hammond found himself caught by the look. He had seen it before in the adult version of Jack. The expression of deep emotion without a word being said. It only lasted a moment before the smile lit up Jack's face.

"Thank you grandpa George," he chirped.

Hammond felt a sudden lump in his throat. "You're welcome, son," he replied, his voice a little rough.

"What are you going to name him?" Cassie asked, kneeling down on the floor with him.

"Homer," Jack replied hugging the little monkey. "Donuts.... Mmmmmmm..." he intoned in imitation of the cartoon character Jack had been fond of. That drew a laugh from the adults.

"Dinner's ready," Sam called.

Jack jumped to his feet. "Aunt Sam!" he crowed. "I have a space monkey!"

Sam dropped the silverware she was holding as she laughed. Daniel groaned. But he wasn't upset. He couldn't be. Not when that bright happy face turned toward him.

Teal'c contribution to the meal was a spicy sausage and chicken gumbo he had found in a cookbook. Sitting down they all dug in with a will, expressing pleasure and compliments to his skill. Teal'c just smiled faintly, deeply pleased with their reactions. Then, as he watched Jack dig into the his portion with noisy grunts of pleasure, his smile widened.

After dinner and a dessert of peach pie that Sam had brought, Cassie took Jack into the living room to watch television while the adults cleaned up after the meal and then settled around the table with cups of coffee.

For a long moment none of them spoke. Then Daniel pushed the folder he brought from the den to the center of the table. Sam opened it and then gasped, spreading out the pictures for all of them to see. Pictures they all knew were never taken.

"Where did you get these?" Sam asked, her voice hushed.

"Jack," Daniel replied. All eyes turned to him and stared.

"How....?" Janet asked. She was staring at a picture of Cassie helping Jack take his first steps. An incident that never happened.

Daniel sighed, pushing up his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. "Friday night... I had a visitor," he said. "Skar'ra." He paused as he straightened his glasses. "He said... we wouldn't be able to change Jack back."

"But the Asgard... the Tok'ra..." Sam protested.

Daniel shook his head. "They won't be able to do anything," he said. "He confirmed that this was because of the Ancients' gene Jack carries. Oh," Daniel added, almost as an afterthought, "the knowledge he had been given by the Ancients has been reactivated."

A giggle from the living room caught their attention as they tried to wrap their minds around the idea of all that knowledge in that small but sturdy little body.

"There's more," Daniel said. "Jack knew Skar'ra was here. He's also having nightmares, but she's helping him with it."

"She who?" Sam asked. "Oma Desala?" It would be likely since she was the one who had helped Daniel to ascend.

"Shau're." Daniel said. The table was silent. It all sounded a bit unreal, but at the same time, not. Janet's hand touched his wrist in wordless comfort.

"She and Jack made the pictures last night," Daniel continued.

"How?" Asked Sam, her eyes wide.

"Jack said... they mixed the memories together and when they had it right they put them on the computer," Daniel replied.

Sam's mouth was open as her brain kicked in to try to figure out how it was done. Daniel knew she would asked Jack, but he had the feeling the five-year-old wouldn't be able to explain it to her any better than he had to him.

"Did you learn anything else, Doctor Jackson?" Hammond asked.

Daniel nodded. "Skar'ra confirmed that Jack will have to grow up again," he said. "He also said that the Ancients were interested in him. Why I don't know."

"Do they intend to take him from us?" Teal'c asked. There was an edge in the deep voice.

Daniel shook his head. "No... I don't know what or if they are planning anything," he said. "But he said Jack would need me... us..."

Teal'c nodded. "It will not be an easy task," he said gesturing at the pictures lying on the table. "Not with the skills he is exhibiting at such an age."

"I believe this is just the beginning," Janet said. She opened the folder she had brought with her. "These are the MRI and CAT scans I took of Jack. I sent them out to some experts to confirm what I was seeing."

Daniel looked at the charts, but it was meaningless to him. "Is there something wrong with them?" he asked, feeling a clench of fear around his heart at the thought of anything being wrong with his son.

"I don't know...." Janet replied. "In this situation.... I just don't know. They thought it was a hoax." She felt the eyes of the others on her intently. "Jack's brain activity is beyond anything I've ever seen. We use maybe thirty percent of our brain capacity. Jack is using twice that, at least. With the knowledge of the Ancients in his brain, he may need it. I talked to McKenzie about my findings considering how sketchy Jack's memory seems to be on some things. He believes that Jack is compartmentalizing the information in order to function. To give himself time to deal with it. Something that could take years."

"Then O'Neill.... Jack," Teal'c said, correcting himself, "will have the time he needs as he grows again to adulthood," Teal'c said. "He will need our support."

"Then it's official," Hammond said, opening the folder he brought and sliding it over to Daniel. "This is a new birth certificate and other official records for Jack," he said as Daniel took the folder and opened it.

Daniel looked down at the first document. He was surprised to see his hands were trembling as he lifted it to better make out the information on the birth certificate. Jonathan Charles O'Neill Jackson. Father: Daniel Nicholas Jackson. Mother: Shau're Kasof Jackson. The stamp was from a military hospital in Egypt. All the details they needed but never discussed. He looked up at the general, surprise registering in his face.

Hammond shook his head slowly. "I don't know. It was in my inbox this morning," he said. Then he gestured at the pictures. "But I think I now know how it got there."

There was silence around the table. There was still much to discuss, especially about the future. That was a touchy subject in and of itself, as they all were still trying to come to terms with the unreality of the situation they were trying to deal with.

"Daddy?" a soft voice spoke at Daniel's elbow.

He looked down, startled to see Jack beside him. No one had seen him come in. Without a word, he turned and lifted the boy into his arms, hugging him tightly. Jack patted his cheek, then put his arms around Daniel's neck.

"Do not worry, Daddy," Jack said. "We will figure it out. We have time now."

Daniel pressed his face against Jack's hair. Inhaling the unique scent that was all Jack's alone. "I know," he said quietly. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you too, Daddy," came the small warm breathed answer against his neck.