Sandy Shoes
(#7 in Shoelaces LD universe)
by Jennamajig

SUMMARY: Daniel and Jack try to deal with Daniel being little Daniel. Inspired by the DJsSG-1Lverse yahoo list.

SEASON/SPOILERS: None.

NOTE: I'm not sure and couldn't find the ages of Hammond's grandkids, so they are what ages work best for this story and I'm sticking to that.

DISCLAIMER: 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.

He looked at the sandbox with distain.

"Jack, why are you making me do this?"

"Because it's fun."

"But there are little kids playing in there."

"Yes, there are. They're Hammond's grandkids. You've met them before."

He swallowed. "But I was ... you know, big, then."

Jack crouched down to his level. "So what? They just want to play. Besides, you survived way worse, and may I remind you, you *like* playing in the sand?"

"A dig is so not the same thing, Jack."

Jack shrugged. "You'll still end up digging up rocks. Tessa likes to hide them in there."

Daniel crossed his arms, realizing that with the slight pout on his face he probably looked adorable. That irked him. He didn't need to be adorable. Adorable earned "awwws" and stares.

"This isn't just an excuse to pity me about my lack of a childhood is it?"

Jack gave him a look that said 'I can't believe you asked that.' He sighed. "You're physically five, and although you hate to admit, you're also somewhat mentally five. Five-year-olds need to experience a sandbox, plain and simple. There's a life beyond Matchbox cars, you know." He pushed Daniel gently forward. "If it turns out to be the nightmare you're imagining, which I'm sure it won't, you can leave and I won't make you do again."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Still wary, he let Jack guide him in the direction of the sandbox. It was something he'd been dreading since his transformation - social interaction. The first time around it had not been a pleasant experience. When he was in Egypt and on digs with his parents, there were no other children, so he made friends with the adults. By the time they died, he'd been too smart and too traumatized to realize how important a first impression was to children. It branded you for life in the social scene.

Which was why he'd rather stay away from the sandbox. Jack was correct - he'd interacted with Hammond's grandchildren before. This was General Hammond's annual "welcome to spring" barbecue and the whole base and their families were invited. Hammond's property was overrun with people, including several children. Lou Ferretti's daughter, Laurie, sat in the sandbox with Keyla and Tessa and he knew the child had turned five shortly before his change. He'd discussed it with Lou, actually. Lou'd gone on about how she was so excited because they'd gotten her an ice cream cake this year.

Sure, he'd interacted with kids before, played with them, had fun. He figured he had an okay repartee with them, though Jack was far better when it came to those things. But that was an adult level.

And his status as an adult had officially been revoked.

Okay, he still worked for the SGC, following Jack into work, attending a few meetings and translating whatever was put in front of him. He'd taught SG-8 basic Latin the other day standing on a step stool in front of chalkboard so he could conjugate verbs. But there was no mistaking his childlike handwriting and the smirks he saw the men giving him now and then. If Jack hadn't been present, he figured the lesson might not have gone as well.

His house was gone - sold, the money tucked away into a savings account. Household items were scattered to friends; sacred items, like his picture of Sha're, were tucked in his current room, along side the new additions of Mummy coloring books and Matchbox cars. He still got a salary, but that too went into the bank. He offered his checkbook up when Jack bought him things, even when he bought groceries, but the man refused to take it. Jack told him that it was his money and that he should save it for rainy days. He wasn't sure what he'd ever need it for, but Jack pointed out that he'd get older and maybe would want to pursue another degree or two and college did cost the big bucks.

He'd frowned. He didn't think he could see himself doing anything but archaeology and languages, but he would admit the opportunity was nice.

Of course, all the degrees in the world would still not help him now.

They reached the sandbox. Kayla brightened when she saw Jack.

"Colonel Jack! You came!" she proclaimed, then Daniel saw her notice him. She pointed. "Who's he?"

Little kids sure got right to chase, Daniel realized, his own mind starting to make those leaps.

Jack smiled and patted him on the head. "This is Daniel."

Tessa looked up this time from the hole she was digging. "Like Dr. Daniel?"

He swallowed at her words. If only she knew. Jack snaked his hand down to Daniel's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

"Yep. They share the same name. But this Daniel here is my son."

Daniel swallowed again. It wasn't the first time Jack had referred to him as such, but it still felt wrong and right at the same time and still left him with that lump in his throat that never went away. His thumb crept toward his mouth.

Kayla frowned. "But you're not married," she accused and Jack laughed.

"You're right, I'm not. I adopted Daniel."

"What happened to his parents?" Tessa asked, dropping a rock into her now completed hole. She dumped a shovel full of sand on top of it.

Daniel looked at Jack. In the thumb went. Jack leaned down and carefully sat on the edge of the sandbox, pulling Daniel close to him.

"Well, honey, they died."

"Oh," Tessa said simply. "He must be sad."

He chewed down on the thumb, wishing this conversation would end. Why did he let Jack lead him to the sandbox?

"He is," Jack agreed. "But he's got me. Right, kiddo?" Jack meet his eyes, and while he was smiling, the gaze was serious. It offered him comfort and an out all in one glance.

No, Daniel knew. Jack was right. Time to take another step. He nodded and Jack reached up to take the thumb out of his mouth. Daniel's attention moved to his feet and second delaying tactic - playing with his Velcro straps.

"That's good," Tessa said. She turned to him. "Colonel Jack's the bestest! He plays with me and Kayla every time he comes over. You'll like him. He's almost as fun as Grandpa George. Do you know him? He's my grandpa." She smiled with satisfaction at her statement.

Daniel nodded again. He wasn't sure if he was really for verbal communication. Mentally, he kicked him. He was a linguist who'd opened the lines of communication with several planets and he was having trouble uttering one word to a four-year-old.

"Good, then Grandpa George and Colonel Jack and me and Kayla and you and Laurie could play." Laurie had yet to enter the conversation. She sat at the far end of the sandbox, determined to fill her pail. Tessa pointed, then kept right on going. Daniel wondered when she stopped to breathe. "That's Laurie. She's five. Kayla's six and I'm this many." She held up four fingers proudly. "How old are you?"

Oh, she wanted an answer. He looked at Jack. Jack just nodded. "Five," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Then you're in the middle like Laurie. That's good."

Good for what, he thought as she continued.

"Do you like to dig? Kayla thinks it's stupid, but I like to find rocks and bury them and then dig them up later 'cause it's like finding buried treasure like in the movies or ar-ti-facts," she carefully pronounced the word like she'd been practicing, "like in Egypt, like Dr. Daniel told us."

She remembered, he realized. At last year's barbecue he'd mentioned Egypt when he saw Tessa liked to bury things in the sand.

He felt excited at the news. Before he could process the thought further, Tessa put a shovel in his hand and dragged him off of Jack's lap and into the sand. He felt a few grain creep into his shoes.

"Laurie!" she cried. "Daniel is gonna dig it up!"

Dig what up? He was confused and looked at Jack was grinning ear to ear.

Laurie looked up. "Really?" She scrambled the few feet toward Tessa. "I wanna see." She turned to him. "You're lucky, you know. She never lets anybody dig it up."

Tessa took his hand with the shovel and guided the shovel to a spot in the sand. "Dig there," she commanded and Daniel discovered he didn't really how an option.

He had dug about ten shovelfuls when he hit something. Tessa brightened. "You finded it," she told him.

Still confused at what it was, Daniel reached in and closed his small fingers around what he sound discovered was smooth and round. He pulled it out and found himself looking at a polished grey stone. In the middle was a small carving of a horse.

Tessa loved digging and horses General Hammond had told him at one barbecue. When he'd discovered the then three-year-old girl had pneumonia and was in the hospital, he'd found the stone at a local store, and thought of her. He'd presented it to Hammond and told him to tell her to get well soon.

"It's my favoritest," Tessa told him. "The buried treasure!"

It was a treasure, indeed.

"It's beautiful," he told her.

"Dr. Daniel gave it to Grandpa George and Grandpa George gave it to me when I was feeling yucky and had to go the hospital. It made me loads better. And you finded it and since you're sad 'cause your parents died and all it will make you feel loads better, too. It's magic," she said matter-of-factly.

He blinked and swallowed.

"Magic?' he whispered, barely able to get the word through his lips.

She nodded. "Yep."

"But it's yours," he insisted, but the little girl wouldn't take no for an answer.

"You need it more."

The lump was back. How could she know? She couldn't know. The brown haired girl just stared him in the eye and smiled.

"I have to bury all these." She pointed to a small group of rocks on the edge of the sandbox. "Wanna help?"

He felt Jack pat his head again. "I think I'll leave you guys to play. I'll be over by grill, Danny."

"Bye Colonel Jack!" chorused Tessa and Kayla. Tessa looked back his way.

"I'll dig one hole and you can dig another. Okay?"

"Okay," he found himself agreeing and soon was throwing himself into the task. In fact when Jack came back an hour later to persuade him to eat a hotdog, he was reluctant to leave the sandbox. But Tessa wanted a hot dog, too, so he ate and as dusk approached, found himself running along the lawn chasing fireflies with the rest of the children. He'd let his go free, much to Tessa's dismay. In the distance, he could see Jack sharing a smile with Hammond.

"I think Tessa has a crush on you," Jack teased a half hour later as he drove home.

"She does not," he countered, feeling the blush creeping up into his cheeks. In his palm lay the stone and he fingered its surface. He liked Tessa a lot, though he'd never admit it.

"Uh huh. You're a charmer, Daniel. When you were thirty-eight you were one, but now, well, you're irresistible."

"No way."

"Yes way." They stopped a red light and Jack turned back to look at him.

"Did you have fun?"

He paused and thought about it a moment. "I guess I did."

"Not so bad, then, being a kid. Not with a world full of Matchbox cars, sandboxes, and little girls, of course."

"Jack, that's dirty."

Jack just grinned. "Nah, most of you is five, remember? Lose a lot, gain a lot. And get a rock."

"Artifact," he automatically corrected.

"Artifact," Jack agreed. The light turned green and they continued on home. Daniel looked again at the stone in his hands.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"Can Tessa come over tomorrow?"

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