Title: A Storybook Childhood
Author's LJ/DWJ: None known
Categories: Friendship
Warnings: mentions of child abuse
Author's Webpage/Fic list: The Grove
Why this should be read:

Set post-Crystal Skull, this is Daniel explaining to Sam what his childhood was like.  an interesting and believable look at what went into making Daniel Jackson the person he grew up to be.

"Feeling solid again?" she asked, joking a little. She'd noticed him touching things with an almost surprised reverence after they got him back, reminding himself he wouldn't just pass through. The Colonel had made a point of hanging onto Daniel's arm the whole trip back to the Stargate, but whether it was for Daniel's comfort or his own Sam couldn't say.
Daniel gave a little smile and took a sip of his coffee. Sam sipped her own and blinked. It was almost strong enough to make her eyes water.
"It must be nice, that Nick knows you were right," she said. She was feeling her way. She remembered the touch of bitterness in his voice when he talked about Nick during the briefing and the toneless way he'd recounted his experiences while invisible, and wondered what it must have felt like to be discarded a second time in favor of the old man's quest. Frankly, she was surprised that Nick had gotten such civil treatment from the Colonel. They had talked briefly before Daniel's disappearance, mostly just to make sure Daniel had never said anything to either of them about a grandfather before, and she knew the Colonel tended to take a very dim view of people who mistreated children. Abandonment apparently ranked high on his mistreatment list.
Daniel frowned and didn't answer for a few minutes, just stood there and finished his coffee. Finally he turned to look at her.
"Can I show you something?" he asked.
"Sure," she said. He vanished into the apartment and she could hear thumps and bangs coming from his bedroom. She leaned against the balcony door, cradling the hot mug in her hands. She was more interested in the smell of the coffee than the taste, anyway. It was a Daniel smell. Eau de Coffee.

He came back into the living room and set something down on the coffee table, seating himself on the couch. She went over and settled herself next to him, looking at his quarry. It was an old green file folder, the kind with a string that wrapped around a little cardboard circle on the cover to keep it closed. JACKSON, DANIEL was written in authoritative blue ball-point pen right below a string of numbers and a New York Social Services stamp. Daniel traced the string with one finger and then rested his forearms on his knees and clasped his hands, so after a moment Sam set down her mug and opened the folder herself.

A Storybook Childhood