***

There was a truck parked outside the cabin. Daniel sighed in relief and called Sam.

“He’s at his cabin,” he informed her. “No, let me handle this. Whatever it is. You know his moods. I’ll call you later.”

He found Jack exactly where he thought he would –on the dock. Daniel took a pole from the side of the cabin, quietly pulled out a chair and helped himself to a beer from the cooler. Jack was ignoring him. He was also ignoring his own fishing pole that was lying on the deck next to him.

Daniel finished his beer and reached for another. He popped it open and held it out to Jack who took it after a moment. Daniel opened one for himself.

“Wanna tell me what you did to your hands?” Daniel asked, sending out a cast. Jack’s hands were wrapped in white gauze.

“Fell,” came a grunt.

Daniel found that interesting; Jack wasn’t a clumsy person. Jack was also a normally neat and tidy kinda person, but he was looking a little scraggly around the gills. Whatever he did to his hands was probably hindering the shaving process, Daniel guessed.

“Anything for lunch in there?” Daniel asked.

“Go for it.”

Daniel went into the cabin and rummaged around. He found makings for sandwiches and fixed a couple. He quartered one for Jack and brought them outside. Jack lifted an eyebrow at the quarters but he could hold them and nothing fell out.

“Things are piling up in there, Jack, why didn’t you hire a housekeeper until your hands were better?” Daniel asked.

“Don’t start, Daniel.”

Daniel shoved the rest of his sandwich into his mouth and washed it down.

“I will start, Jack, do you know why? Because you’re a stubborn son of a bitch who doesn’t know when to ask for help when he needs it. Everyone’s been worried about you. All you had to do is let one of us in on this and allow us to help you. I may be lacking the family experience, but even I know what family is for.”

Jack’s jaw was ticking and Daniel didn’t care.

“I’m going in there and starting a load of laundry and then I’m doing the dishes. If you want me out, you’ll have to call the Sheriff.”

He opened another beer and set it before Jack. Tortured by System Lords, gunned down, zatted, broken bones, invasion of the body snatchers -something more than a fall and scraped hands was itching at Jack.

He stripped the bed, remade it, gathered towels, and started the first load before going into the kitchen. He made quick work of the dishes and looked around in the cupboards. There were makings for dessert, so he whipped it together, did those dishes, and went into the living room. The place wasn’t filthy, it was just a little cluttered, which for Jack was filthy. By the time the third load of laundry was in, the cake had set. Daniel sliced it up and took it outside. He set it on the small table next to Jack who was slouched in his chair, his face at the sky, eyes closed. Daniel was startled to see that Jack’s face was wet.

“Jack, you’re scaring me,” Daniel said softly. “Please talk to me.” He stroked Jack’s face with a napkin.

“I was hiking,” Jack finally said, clearing his throat. He didn’t move. “I suddenly remembered that it was Charlie’s birthday. I slipped and scraped my hands on some sharp rocks. I forgot his birthday.”

Daniel pushed the table out of the way and knelt down. Whether Jack wanted it or not, he was going to be held. It took a while for Jack to calm down after soaking Daniel’s shirt. Fair was fair, Daniel had balled in Jack’s arms on more than one occasion. Jack finally sat back, sniffed, and took the napkin to blow his nose. Daniel stayed at his feet.

“He would be what? 18?” Daniel asked. Jack nodded. “Jack, I know you don’t want to hear this one more time….it wasn’t your fault.”

“It was my gun!” Jack shouted. His voice echoed across the pond, startling the birds.

Daniel nodded. “Yes, it was,” he quietly responded. “You made a mistake, Jack, you left it not only loaded but within his reach. Charlie was 8 years old. He was old enough to know better. He chose to disobey.”

Jack responded on automatic, picking up his fist. Daniel didn’t move. Jack hesitated and slid out of his chair and onto the deck, burying his face in his knees. Daniel put his arms around the man and let him cry. It had been a long time since Jack mourned his son. Eighteen. Charlie would be graduating high school and starting his own life, having lovers, making Jack a grandfather.

“Did he like to hike?” Daniel asked when Jack had quieted again. Jack allowed himself to be held, his hair, shoulders, and back stroked. He nodded shakily. “Then I’d say he wanted to spend his birthday hiking, so that’s exactly what you did. Jack, just because he’s gone, doesn’t mean he’s gone. You think the rules are different just because we’re on this planet instead of another?”

He lifted Jack’s head and wiped his thumbs over Jack’s cheeks. “You’re a good dad, Jack. You love him so much and he adored you. Would he want you to be celebrating his birthday like this?”

“I forgot, Daniel,” Jack whispered hoarsely.

“No, you didn’t,” Daniel told him. “You took him hiking. And look, there’s cake.” He reached up to the table and brought the plate down. Jack looked at it.

“I had cheesecake in there?”

“No, but you had the ingredients.” He took a piece and held the fork out. Jack was suddenly conscious of their physical position and the intimacy of it all. He tried to take the fork but couldn’t manage something that thin with his bandaged hands.

“Come on, you messed yourself up pretty good,” Daniel informed him. “Just eat it.”

“This is weird,” Jack sniffed. He took the cheesecake from the fork, feeling embarrassed about being fed by Daniel.

“What is?”

“This,” Jack indicated them.

“Jack, we’ve shared sleeping bags on cold off-worlds,” Daniel reminded him. “And you’ve held me when I wigged out. This is what friends are for, so get over the macho thing.”

Jack took another bit of cake. “You can be pushy, when you want to be,” he accused Daniel.

“So I’ve been told,” Daniel chuckled. “Tell me about Charlie.”

They shared the cheesecake as Jack told Daniel about his son. The birth, the feeling of awe as he held the small naked body against his chest, the translucent fingers curling around his, the tiny toes that begged to be kissed, falling in love with his baby. Panicking to child-proof the house when Charlie began to climb to his feet, taping down every dangling cord and rug corner, covering all the unused power sockets, and putting latches on the lower cupboards. Gates went across the stairs, and drumming on pots and pans was an exciting event. Bath and bedtime was father and son time when Daddy was home. Charlie was an active child, loving sports, throwing tantrums when Daddy didn’t have time to play with him. Jack took a guilt-trip on that one, too. He admitted to pushing when it came to schoolwork, pushing for the next grade, making the C a B, and the B an A, the A an A+.

“Don’t do that, Jack,” Daniel stopped him. “Too many parents don’t care enough about school. Look at me.” He dragged Jack’s chin up. “It was Charlie’s birthday and you took him hiking. A father-son day. I’d say you’re a damned good dad. Did he know you loved him?”

“I hope he did,” Jack said. “I think he did.”

“Jack, give him some credit.”

“Good night, Daddy, I love you…..” and a sweet kiss on the cheek….”I love you, too, son.”

A small breeze brushed by him and brought him a heart-achingly familiar scent. “Yes, he knew,” Jack whispered.

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