My Son, The Alien 1

My Son, The Alien -prologue

by Belladonna

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asb/belladonna/mysont01.php
Summary: Shifu decides to visit Daniel and Jack, making a profound change in his life

Voices made Jack rouse from sleep. He opened his eyes and frowned at a sleeping Daniel, definitely not the one who was talking, then a glow caught his attention and he sat up and stared with confusion at the scene at the end of his bed.

"Skaara, I need to ~do~ this! It's my path," a teenaged boy said, hands on his hips in a way that forcibly reminded Jack of Daniel. He looked to be about 15 or 16, he still had that lanky, not grown all of the way look with the olive skin and dark eyes and of someone of Middle Eastern descent, but his hair was all rebellious teen.

"Oma does not agree," the light filled tentacled blob said as it gradually cleared to show an unhappy Skaara. The teen, who Jack had figured out was Shifu, flipped the long hair out of his face and continued to argue with his uncle.

"Daniel," Jack said, shoving his lover.

Daniel grunted and rolled over to squint at Jack. "What? Trying to sleep here."

Jack jerked his head towards the foot of their bed. "We've got company."

Surprised, Daniel sat up and squinted at their unexpected guests and reached over to snag his glasses from the bedside table. "Um, guys? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing in our bedroom?" he enquired loudly enough to break into the argument.

"Daniel!" Shifu beamed.

"O'Neill," Skaara said with a wan smile.

Jack raised an eyebrow at the longsuffering tone of his old friend. "Hey, Skaara. I'm gonna have to agree with Daniel. What's up?" he asked.

"I want to be human and grow up and see this world that Daniel has left the Ascended for," Shifu said sincerely.

This explanation made Skaara cross his arms. "We believe that his path is with us."

Daniel pulled off his glass to rub his eyes, then slipped them back on. He eyed the two ascended men, the two closest people to his wife Shar'e, and sighed. "I can't make the decision for you, Shifu," he said but held up his hand when Skaara smiled in triumph. "But you are welcome to stay with Jack and I if you decide to walk this path."

Now Shifu smiled and Skaara sighed with disappointment, but not surprise.

"He is?" Jack said, remembering the hard lesson that Shifu had given Daniel and the corresponding nightmares, but sighed when Shifu's face fell in disappointment. "Okay, okay, fine. Just no mystical lessons of 'how evil is harcesis knowledge' crap, okay?"

"Oh no," Shifu shook his head eagerly, brushing his hair out of his face again. "I will not have that knowledge. I promise."

Skaara looked at Daniel solemnly, and Daniel met his gaze. "It's his choice, Skaara. Just as it was mine to come back."

"Twice," Jack said under his breath. Take that, you old fuddy duddy Ascended, he thought irreverently.

Shifu beamed and suddenly the room was filled with a bright flash of light, and then when Jack blinked the spots clear, a naked young man was on his floor, Daniel already up and looking for something for Shifu to wear.

Skaara gave them a sad smile. "Be well, Shifu."

"We'll take care of him, Skaara," Daniel assured his brother in law and the other man nodded, smiled a good-bye to Jack and disappeared.

"So," Jack began, watching with a slight smile as Daniel helped the younger man figure out buttons. "What's the plan?"

"Sleep," Daniel said immediately. "Then in the morning I guess we'll make a plan."

"We're gonna need to go shopping," Jack warned and was spitefully satisfied to see Daniel wince.

"I would like to go shopping!" Shifu said brightly.

"You say that now," Daniel warned. He looked at Jack. "Which room do want you Shifu in?"

"Take your pick," Jack said with a handwave and an enormous yawn. He'd almost fallen back to sleep when Daniel came back to bed. "He okay?"

"He fell right to sleep," Daniel said with a sigh as he set his glasses down on the bedside table and flopped back beside Jack. "Are we crazy?"

"Whaaat?" Jack drawled slightly. "Becoming instant parents to a teenager? Someone who the NID would love to get their hands on. Living through the perils of high school, pimples and girls? What makes you think we're crazy?"

"Gee," Daniel sighed. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"No problem," Jack chuckled. "Sleep, Daniel. We've got a lot to do tomorrow." Stuff like making a new identity for a kid who'd been glowy, getting him a damn haircut-that flipping thing was driving Jack crazy, and explaining to the Pentagon that the kid wasn't a danger, or a weapon.

Just another day in paradise.

Next: My Son, The Alien