Christmas Rescue 2

Treenapped

by Riantiata

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asr/riantiata/rescue02.php
Summary: One year on, all is not well

(This is an unusual angle. Reminds me of that awful day last year, before Daniel found me. The view is quite interesting though. The snow from last night has almost gone and I am lying on the damp lawn. Most refreshing.)

Jack was calling impatiently.

"Come on, Daniel. Get the lead out. We've gotta get these roots back in the tub before we join Cassie's ice skating party."

"As if I didn't know. Why do you have to do things so early. It was crack of dawn when we dug the tree up. I need my coffee - I'm cold and tired."

"You're always cold, and you're tired because you were burning the midnight oil. Again."

"Yeah. Well I had a breakthrough on that video we brought back. So I thought I'd run with it."

"Yeah, yeah. Yadda, yadda. Always some excuse."

The two men bickered as Jack gave way and followed Daniel into the house to make coffee.

(Those two! I'm glad I have a home with them. They even gave me a name! It happened on New Year's eve after they'd had a party with all their SGC friends. They were sitting alone drinking their favorite malt whisky, Talisker, when Daniel looked through the open door at me in the hall and said slurringly,

"We must name our tree."

Jack turned his face to look in Daniel's left ear,

"Wha..?"

Daniel turned his face to Jack's and went cross-eyed,

"Name...gotta name...tree."

Jack looked befuddled,

"Daniel. It's a tree. Not a puppy or kitten. You dont ant... anthropomorphize a tree."

Daniel's eyes grew large in astonishment.

Jack said, defensively "I know words."

Daniel grinned but simply said,

"We rescued it. We've had the pleasure of its company all Christmas. It belongs to us...part of the family." he slurped down another drink "It needs a name."

Jack looked at him indulgently,

"Okay, you get to choose. What sort of quirky name have you in mind?"

Daniel rolled his eyes,

"You're a genius."

Jack looked worried,

"No, that's you."

"I mean...that's exactly right."

"What is?

"Jack, pay attention. You hit the nail on the head."

Jack blurrily looked for the hammer, then poured another drink.

"I did?"

"Yes. Quirky is perfect."

"Ah." Finally clued in, Jack looked out into the hall and both men raised their glasses to me. Daniel called out,

"Slainte, Quirky."

"Wha...?"

"Scots for good health, Jack"

"Oh. Slawnja, Quirky."

"Near enough."

I had a warm feeling inside, something I'm not supposed to feel but it was as if I was in a patch of sunlight on a summer's day. Next morning they carried me out onto the front lawn and planted me beside the door.)

Daniel came to the door his hands wrapped around his coffee mug.

"Got some new decorations for you, Quirky. They were on special when I went to the store..."

A phone went inside the house and, shortly after, Jack shouted.

Daniel turned as Jack came tearing out of the house slamming the door behind him. Daniel's mug flew from his hands as Jack grabbed him, thrusting him ahead towards his truck.

"Jack...?"

"Cassie...accident." That was all Jack needed to say. They piled into the truck and pulled away with a squeal of tires.

(Oh, dear. I hope it's not serious. I like Cassie. She dressed me up in the spring, with twigs and grasses, for my bird friends to make nests. She made necklaces of nuts and seeds for them...

Good heavens, what are all these boys doing? They're pointing at me and coming across the lawn. They're pulling me...what's happening? They're lifting me onto this truck with a lot of other trees. Help! I'm not supposed to leave. Surely they aren't getting rid of me. I know Daniel said that is what happens to trees but...but...No. He said they had new decorations for me. Oh, where are they taking me?)

***

Jack's truck skidded to a halt beside the park. They vaulted the fence and ran to the lake's edge. Out on the ice Cassie's friends were trying to pull her from the water. Carefully, for the ice was brittle, they made their way to the group. They could see the ice breaking as the attempt was made to lift her.

Daniel made a flying leap and entered the water behind Cassie. Turning he grasped her waist, lifted, and threw her at Jack. Jack staggered as he caught her, his weight doubled and he felt the ice shift under his feet. He moved back towards the shore shouting at Daniel to get out. Daniel was having trouble. His boots had filled with water so he kicked them off. His feet, now on the freezing lake bed, pushed off but as he flung himself up onto the ice it cracked and dunked him back in the water. The cold was biting into his body through his saturated clothes and he knew he wouldn't last much longer - he would pass out. The children around were trying to help but they were frightened.

Jack realized what was happening and laid the unconscious Cassie down on the shore and went back to help his lover. He told the boys to hold on to his legs and pull as he stretched his long frame out on the ice distributing his weight. He gave a nod and Daniel surged up again. Jack caught his jacket and wriggled back sliding Daniel with him. Daniel starfished his arms and legs to spread his weight on the cracking ice, and they all slowly moved back to the shore. Meanwhile the girls of Cassie's group had sat her up; she was shivering and coughing but conscious. Jack picked her up and ran to the truck. He handed her to Daniel who was close behind and they climbed in.

The children clustered round the truck so Jack said,

"Go home. You've all had a fright. Call us later, we'll let you know how she is. Which one of you phoned me?"

A boy put his hand up.

"Ah. Kyle. Good man. You did the right thing. Now off you go."

The children moved away and Jack took off for the mountain.

"Not.t.t the h...ospital?" Daniel's teeth were chattering.

"No. In case they want to do internal probing. Janet has always told Cassie to go to the the complex if she has problems. Here..." he passed over his cell phone "Yours is probably defunct. Call Janet - let her know we're coming in."

***

Jack parked his truck, glad to be home. Daniel was shivering despite drying off and changing his clothes at the complex.

"Come on, Daniel. Let's get some hot soup inside you."

Jack trudged around the truck to help, but Daniel slid out of the seat and froze...

"Daniel..."

"Where's Quirky?"

"What...?" Jack turned, to see the tracks where the tree had been dragged out to the road "What the hell...?"

The men stared dumbfoundedly at the empty lawn.

A swish of tyres and squeal of brakes announced the arrival of Scott Ferretti, an ardent admirer of Cassie Fraiser.

"Hallo, sir. I met Matt at the mall. He said Cassie had an accident. Is she okay?"

He got off his bike and hopped on the bandaged ankle that had prevented him from joining the ice skating group.

"Yeah." Jack answered distractedly "She'll be fine. Her Mom's got her at the mountain."

'Good. I'd like to see her. Say - what made you get rid of that tree? I thought it was cool."

"I didn't. I don't know what happened. It was here before we went for Cassie."

The boy looked thoughtful "Well, Colonel, I came by here on the way to the mall..."

Daniel smiled despite his discomfort. Scott always detoured in the hopes that Cassie was visiting.

"...and there were boys from school and...and... a truck with a pile of trees. They pulled your tree out and loaded it on the truck."

"Who were the boys?" Daniel's voice was gentle as Scott was looking worried, probably about telling on his friends.

"Well...Benny Singleton seemed to be in charge. He...um...had a clipboard with him." Scott seemed undecided whether to stay and find out what was going on or escaping from the scene in case he was in trouble.

"I think we'd better go and find Benny Singleton. Where does he live?" Jack's voice was in firm Colonel mode and Scott was unable to avoid answering.

"Er...Mesa Avenue,sir. By the park. It's the one with the pink door." The disparaging tone raised a small smile on the colonel's face.

"Okay. Thanks for the intel, Scott. Give me a call later, I'll let you know about Cassie."

Scott rode off.

"I'll do this, Danny. You get in the house."

"No way. I want my tree back."

They rode in silence to the house on Mesa Avenue where a small flustered woman explained that Benny was doing his Saturday job at the nursery.

At the nursery Mac Hollis, the manager, said "I haven't seen him since this morning. He's a science geek - knows all the latin names of plants but he works well. Knows a deal about conservation, not many of our helpers are so knowledgeable. He's a friend of Dilly Simons, one of our drivers. I'll see if he knows where he is."

He activated his cell phone and was soon talking, looking puzzled.

"Well, I don't understand it. Dilly is not the brightest on the block but he says he and Benny are in the park. Monument Valley park. We have a small plot there for growing trees."

Jack thanked him and climbed back in the truck worrying about Daniel. He wanted to take him home but, intransigent as usual, his lover was adamant about finding Quirky.

***

(It's getting late. We've been picking up more trees and now it's nearly dark we've come to this quiet spot. I know this place. I lived here before. This is where they dug me up last year. What am I doing here? They have unloaded us and now I'm at the bottom and I can't see very well. It looks as if they are planting us. Whatever for...I mean I'm glad not to be thrown away but I was happy where I was. I don't believe Daniel meant this to happen. He saved me he wouldn't just abandon me. What's that noise - oooh it's Jack's truck. I'd know that sound anywhere. The boys are all running as the headlights sweep the clearing.)

Jack launched himself at the youngster with the clipboard.

"Benny Singleton." he raged "Where's my tree?"

The boy looked singularly unfazed "You are interrupting Arbor Salve."

"Save the trees?" interpreted Jack which surprized the boy and made Daniel smile as he exited the truck. Jack's Ancient download served him well. "You're not saving mine. Give it back."

The boy waved a hand at the pile of trees "Do you know which is yours?"

"Oh,yes. I'll find it."

Jack moved to the pile lit by his headlights.

Daniel took the clipboard from the protesting youngster and checked the pile of address tags that had been torn off.

"So you want to put these back in the ground?" he asked.

"Yes. That's where they belong." Benny looked at Daniel earnestly "You're a scientist, Dr. Jackson. You understand why we should not be denuding the earth of her trees. Miss Sorensen says too much has been culled already and soon the deforestation will ruin our atmosphere. We have to conserve."

Daniel was aware, from Cassie, that the new biology teacher had her converts and this was obviously a fan in the early stages of worship.

"Benny. These trees have been grown for a specific purpose. Some people will plant theirs as we did, so they will thrive, not all will perish. We are not talking about the rape of the Amazon rainforest. People have paid for these trees to celebrate Christmas - and you are cheating them out of their money and their celebration. Do you want to be branded a thief?"

The boy blanched and shook his head.

A cry of triumph from Jack indicated he had found Quirky. Hefting the tree onto his truck he announced to Daniel,

"Okay, I've found him. Can we go now?"

At that moment Dilly, who had been silently watching the proceedings, said "I've been told to take the truck back."

Without further ado he climbed into his truck and drove off.

"No Jack." Daniel gestured to the pile "These have all got to go back to the homes they were taken from. I have the list here, and fortunately" he glanced at Benny "the labels. All we have to do is match the labels to the trees..."

"But they are all different sizes." protested Benny.

"But the labels attest to the sizes," Daniel smiled kindly, "Jack - your tape measure. Meanwhile Benny, how many trees were actually replanted?"

"Er..." Benny turned round and counted. The sites could easily be seen by the disturbed earth "Erm...six."

"Right. You dig those up again and we will measure and label the others."

Regretting the loss of the friends he had persuaded to join him Benny dug the trees up.

Jack was concerned about Daniel but obviously the activity had warmed him up and he was measuring and tying with a small smile on his face.

As they finished loading the trees onto Jack's truck, Benny brought the last one to them. He looked tired and Jack said, "You want a lift home?"

He shook his head "I have a shortcut that takes me into my backyard." He wearily waved a hand and cut through the trees.

Jack and Daniel climbed into the truck and went into delivery mode.

***

Hours later they parked and silently entered the house.

Jack poured two generous glasses of eggnog and they collapsed on the couch.

"I cannot believe I was ever that idealistic." Daniel threw back his drink and held the glass out for another.

Jack laughed "Don't you believe it Dannyboy. When I first met you I couldn't believe you were true. Starry eyed, stuttering with wonderment - you were the personification of geek. Shows what a few years of O'Neill teaching can do."

"And what about the Jackson teaching?" Daniel took his second glass and drained that too.

"Ah, yes. You've taught me a thing or two." Jack looked at the empty glass "You gonna be a cheap date tonight?"

"Yup. Aren't I always?"

"Not the way you're swilling my eggnog. Anyway we have work to do."

"No."

"Yes."

"No. Whatever it is, no."

"Quirky must be planted. He's been out..."

"'Nuff said."

(I am being carried inside at last. I was worried when they laid me on the lawn, in case it happened again. But I know I am safe. Rescued again! What a lucky tree I am. Now if they would only call me Quirky Jackson-O'Neill....)