Stargate Second Lives

Summary: Prompt: Nicholas Ballard and Daniel Jackson: A final meeting

Fandom: Stargate SG-1

Spoilers: Gamekeeper, Crystal Skull

Rating: G

Word Count: 1282

Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em, wish I did, you know who does, yadda, yadda, yadda

To Rise in the Mist

Despite Janet’s admonishing, Daniel had broken the speed limit driving back to the SGC and by the time he got to level twenty-one, he was running.

“Daniel,” Dr. Frasier met him at the infirmary entrance, with a completely expressionless face. “In my office, please.”

“I want to see him first.”

“My office, then I’ll take you to see your grandfather.” He impatiently followed her, allowed her to shut the door behind him before he sat with a sense of foreboding.

“This isn’t good news, is it?” He took a deep breath. “Just tell me.”

“I’m sorry but it looks like emphysema, Daniel. And the prognosis isn’t good. He’s eighty-seven years old and he hasn’t taken care of himself.”

It took Daniel a few moments to get his brain in gear. “He’s…he’s dying?”

She walked around to sit in the chair beside him, put her hand on his arm. “I know this is a shock and I wish I could give you better news. The best treatment for advanced emphysema is a lung transplant but given his age and his condition, he’s not a viable candidate. I am sorry. I think he’s been sick for awhile.”

“Why didn’t he come back earlier then?” The words burst out.

“That’s something you’ll need to ask him yourself. We’ll do everything we can to make him comfortable, see that he isn’t in pain. If there’s anything you can think of he might like, let us know, okay? And remember that you don’t have to do this alone, Daniel.”

Daniel swallowed hard. “I know. Thank you, Janet. Now can I go see him?”

“I’ll take you.”

*

Janet left him at the door with a pat on his back. Daniel straightened his spine before he pushed his way into the isolation room. “Hey,” he fumbled his words, “how are you feeling?” Pulling the stool over, he seated himself at his grandfather’s bedside, almost afraid to look.

“I am glad to see you, Daniel, although I wish the circumstances were different.” He wheezed the words out through the oxygen mask.

“Yeah, so why did you wait so long?” Daniel finally met the pale blue eyes and realized with a shock that Nick looked very much like he had four years ago. Of course, Daniel reminded himself, the man had been old then.

“Oh, Daniel, I didn’t want to be a burden to you. And we haven’t always been on the best of terms.”

“We might have been, if you’d let me know a little sooner.” Daniel pointed out. “I’d have come to see you, Nick.”

“I wish…well, it is of no importance.”

“What, Nick, what can I do for you?”

He smiled bitterly. “Would you call me ‘grandpa’? Like you used to a long time ago.”

“I can do that…Grandpa.” He reached down, took the thin, lined hand in his.

They sat in silence for several minutes. “Do you remember when you were four? Your parents came to spend the summer at Oxford; your mother had been commissioned to translate a script for the University. They were renting an old farmhouse and I would drive over from London. Even at that age, you were brilliant.”

“I…I don’t remember.”

“Claire would often take you with her and you would engage some of the professors in conversation. Your mother would laugh at how surprised they were. Even then, we knew. You were no ordinary child, Daniel. You had such a hunger; you had to know everything you could possibly learn.”

He forced himself to smile. “That sounds like me.”

“When your parents were killed, I wanted to take you with me, Daniel.” His voice rose.

“Come on, don’t get upset.” Daniel tried to calm him down.

“You have to know, to understand. I did want that life for you. At first. I wanted you to be an archaeologist like me and your parents. Then after Belize…” He struggled to breathe. “I would never have wanted you to suffer like I had suffered, to lose all standing, everything you had worked for…simply gone.”

Daniel closed his eyes. “That’s why you argued with me, after I presented my theory.”

“Do you think I wanted people to look at you the way they had looked at me? You were smarter than I was, smarter even than your mother. You were the best part of all of us.”

“So how could I do anything but follow in your footsteps?” Daniel smiled.

“It might have been best for you if you hadn’t. I thought…if I gave you up, let you be raised by normal people, you might have a chance at a normal life.” He grasped Daniel’s hand harder. “It wasn’t your fault, what happened to your parents.”

“You already told me that.”

“Yes, but I don’t think I told you when you were eight. I think you needed to know that it was nothing you had done.” He abruptly changed the subject. “Tell me about your foster parents, Daniel.”

“They were good people. I don’t know if I had a normal life, but they loved me and saw to it I got a good education. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“So I made the right choice by not adopting you?”

Even if it hadn’t been true, Daniel would have lied. “All in all, I suppose it worked out for the best.”

Nick squeezed his hand. “I see so much of your mother in you, Daniel. She would have been so proud of the man I see before me.”

“When you’ve rested, when you’re feeling better, will you tell me about her? What she was like? I have so few memories of her.”

“Of course, Daniel. I just need to rest for a few minutes.”

*

Dr. Fraiser finally talked Daniel into finding a bed and getting some real sleep, promising to send for him if Nick worsened.

“Doctor.” 

She gazed down at her patient. “Hey, you’re supposed to be asleep.”

“Was faking it, trying to get Daniel to rest.”

“He’s gone to get some sleep. I’d like for you to do the same.”

“He is a good man, yes?”

“Dr. Jackson?” Nick nodded. “He’s a very good man but I don’t think you need me to tell you that, do you? And you still need to get some rest, save your strength.”

“I know that I am dying but I wanted to see him one last time, to know I did the right thing.”

“I’m sure you did the best you could for Daniel.”

“I hope so, Dr. Fraiser. I truly hope so.”

*

Less than a month later, SG-1 and an SGC honor guard stood silently as Daniel spread his grandfather’s ashes in a deep cavern on P7X-377. Jack put a gentle hand on Daniel’s shoulder, watched as the ashes drifted, caught on an invisible breeze.

“I think he would have preferred this to being buried.” Daniel remarked quietly.

“I want my ashes scattered over some lake where they have really big fish. Carter, that’s your assignment. Find me such a planet.”

“Yes, sir, I’ll get right on that.” She replied with a slight smile.

“So,” Jack turned Daniel with his hand. “Ready to head home?”

“Yeah, I am.” Daniel stopped to look over his shoulder one last time before he followed Teal’c across the narrow walkway. He liked to think the next time the giant aliens appeared out of the mist, a bit of his grandfather would be with them.