Epilogue

OOOOOOOOOO

Ian woke up from his light doze when Cassie joined him in bed. Still sleepy, he moved automatically to give her room and pulled her against him once she was settled.

“Boys are asleep?” he asked, his eyes still closed and more than ready to go back to sleep once he was sure everything was okay with his world.

She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder instead of the pillow.

“Someone’s going to have to fish that football out of the ocean tomorrow.”

Ian smiled; it hadn’t taken long for the twins to lose the football off one of the many balconies of Atlantis. They’d been very vocal in their grief but Cassie had warned them several times about playing where they’d been and they’d ignored her warnings and had lost the ball because of it. Which meant that they didn’t get it back until the next day.

“If they can find it,” Ian said. “Big ocean, little football.”

“Radek put a transmitter in it before the boys started playing with it,” Cassie told him.

What was the point of having technology coming out of their ears if they didn’t use it? And Radek was very good at looking ahead and fixing certain problems before they actually came up.

“River can find it tomorrow, then,” Ian mumbled, sleepily. “We’ll make it a training exercise.”

She chuckled, but then was quiet for a moment. Quiet enough that Ian actually woke up a little more and looked over at her.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded, her expression one he couldn’t quite read – and it had nothing to do with the fact that the room was dimly lit.

“I talked to Carson yesterday…”

He frowned.

“Problem with the Wraith virus?”

If there was a problem with it then he’d given the Ancients in the other reality a possibly faulty-

“No, it looks fine. It’s working as well as we thought it would…”

“Then-“

“I had him give me a physical,” she interrupted. “I wasn’t sure, but-“

Worried about her, he was already putting his hand on her to check for himself, but Cassie smiled and took his hand in hers before he could take a peek.

“I’m pregnant.”

His eyes grew wide.

“You’re sure?”

She smiled.

“I’m a very good doctor, Ian. I recognized the signs immediately. Carson confirmed it.”

His own smile echoed hers, and he squeezed her hand before pulling her into a hard hug.

“That’s great, baby. When is he due?”

“She…” Cassie corrected. Of course, Ian had wanted a girl last time and they’d ended up with two boys, so this time she was going to root for a girl – only one though, hopefully. “She is due in about seven and a half months. Give or take.”

He grinned, looking up at the ceiling in their bedroom and trying to imagine life with another baby. Of course, they’d survived twin boys, so only one baby wouldn’t be all that bad – especially with all the people around Atlantis who would help them.

“Who all knows?”

“Carson. And he won’t tell anyone.”

“Hayden’s going to go ape-shit.”

She smiled, cuddling against him.

“A new God-daughter will do that every time, huh?”

OOOOOOOOO

“So how’s it going?”

Sam Carter looked up from her laptop, which was sitting on her worktable in her lab. She smiled at Jaffer, who immediately came over for some attention, and shook her head.

“This stuff is incredible, Jack.”

He smiled at the amazement in her voice.

“Stuff we can use?”

She nodded.

“Eventually, yes. As soon as I can figure it all out.”

“And the ZPMs?”

“They’re exactly what McKay and Ian said they were. Power sources of so much magnitude that I don’t dare try to hook it up to anything to judge just how much power they possess. Not yet, anyway. We might have to wait and see what happens when we put one in the Antarctica weapon and try it out.”

“It’s not going to zap me or something is it?”

She smiled.

“I wouldn’t let you try out something that might zap you, you know that.”

“Good, because-“

“Unscheduled offworld activation! Security teams to the gate room! Repeat, unscheduled offworld activation!”

They were both on their feet in a hurry, and rushed to the gate room just as Teal’c, Jack (the dog) and Daniel were arriving from another direction.

Security teams were already assembled, guns up and facing the gate – which was still dialing in, and they took the stairs to the control room quickly. Hammond was already there – no big surprise to any of them.

“What do we have?” Jack asked as they entered the room.

The general shook his head, looking at the technician who was sitting at the dialing computer. Just then the gate activated behind the iris and there was almost immediately a beep from the computer. Carter frowned, sitting in the chair beside the dialing computer.

“We’re getting a signal, sir.” She looked over at the technician, who looked a little surprised. “It’s the code that Colonel Brooks gave the Ancients on Atlantis.”

“Really?” Daniel couldn’t hide the sudden excitement in his voice.

“That didn’t take long,” Jack commented – with just a hunt of suspicion. Now that Ian Brooks and Rodney McKay and all their knowledge of the technology were gone, who knew what the Ancients might have planned for Earth.

“Audio signal only, sir,” Sam told him, not as suspicious as her husband.

“Let’s hear it, Major.”

“Earth’s Stargate Command, this is Sander, leader of the Atlantis group in the Pegasus galaxy. Can you hear us?”

Carter nodded to Hammond, telling him that he only needed to speak for the Ancient to hear him, and Hammond cleared his throat.

“We hear you, Sander. This is General Hammond of Stargate Command.”

Jack nodded, his own motion telling them that it really was Sander’s voice they were hearing.

“Good! We request permission to send a representative to your planet, General Hammond.”

Jack frowned, looking over at Hammond, who was more diplomatic in his expression – even though the Ancients weren’t there to see it.

“A representative?” he repeated.

“Yes. Ian Brooks and I discussed it while waiting for the Stargate to reestablish, and he suggested we send someone to your world to help you incorporate the technology he and my people imparted to yours. I understand that you may need to discuss this with your people, so we will contact you again in a short while to hear your reply.”

The gate shut down and Hammond looked over at the others.

“Thoughts?”

“We have to let them come,” Daniel said, almost immediately. “Think of what they could teach us.”

Since the general had pretty much expected this from the archeologist, he wasn’t surprised. He turned to Teal’c, whose expression was blank – as usual.

“The Ancients are a highly advanced race. To have actual Ancients on Earth could be an invaluable asset to your planet, General.”

“And if they’re trying to trick us?” Jack asked.

“What do we have that they don’t?” Sam countered. “They don’t have any reason to trick us.”

“Not to mention if they wanted to they could probably get here without asking…” Daniel added.

Hammond looked at Jack, waiting for another argument, but he really didn’t have one. He was just being the way he was and he couldn’t help it. Instead he shrugged.

“We’ll keep a guard on whoever comes – without making it too obvious.”

He looked over at Teal’c while he said it and the Jaffa nodded. Between him and O’Neill – and Jack – the dog) and Jaffer, there would be constant surveillance on the Ancient.

“I’ll have quarters prepared,” Hammond said, reaching for the phone.

OOOOOOOOO

Less than an hour later, they were all standing before the gate – which had just activated. Sam could feel how tense Jack was standing beside her, and it was amazing at the difference between him and Daniel, who was practically wriggling with excitement and eagerness.

Hammond walked over with Teal’c, straightening his uniform automatically.

“Look ready, people…”

The tenseness in the room doubled and then some, but Sam only felt a rush of excitement. She was going to meet an Ancient!

A moment later a form emerged from the gate, carrying a small bag. She stopped at the top of the ramp and looked around as the gate shut off behind her, and her gaze rested on Jack.

“Colonel O’Neill.”

O’Neill gave a slight smile; surprised that Sander would send his second in command. Clearly he wanted to reassure them that there was nothing more sinister going on than what he’d already told them.

“Nijay,” he answered, walking over to the bottom of the ramp.

“It is good to see you again.”

The Ancient was looking around with interest, but clearly at ease and not nervous at all about being in the middle of a group of strangers.

“Likewise,” Jack replied.

“Please introduce me,” she said, walking down the ramp and setting her bag down.

Jaffer came over and sniffed it curiously, and Jack picked it up before he could do more than get a good sniff.

“Rule number one here on Earth,” he told her with a wry smile. “Don’t leave anything you want in one piece on the ground where Jaffer can reach it.”

She looked down at the lab curiously, and he looked cheerfully up at her.

“Jaffer?”

“He’s my dog,” Jack replied. “And that’s Jack, Teal’c’s dog.”

The yellow lab wagged his tail, just as cheerful as Jaffer. Both of them had clearly decided that this Ancient wasn’t an enemy to them.

Before they could get sidetracked talking about the dogs, however – something that Jack could do all day – he turned to the others.

“This is my commanding officer, General Hammond, Daniel Jackson, Teal’c and Sam Carter.”

“Your wife.”

He nodded, and Nijay smiled to all of them.

“It is an honor to be here, General Hammond.”

Hammond nodded; feeling a lot more relaxed about having an alien on his base.

“The honor is ours,” he told her.

Nijay turned to Sam, who now felt as excited as Daniel had been.

“I would like to start with your shield,” she told Carter. “The one you have is adequate, but the one Ian Brooks suggested is similar to the one that protects Atlantis, and is far more secure – and safer for your allies and your own people who may need to return here and have lost their codes.”

Sam nodded.

“McKay was telling me a little about the one that they have in their reality – which seems a lot like-“

“Do you ladies need me for anything?” Jack asked, interrupting.

Sam smiled, realizing she’d just taken over the conversation.

“Sorry…”

Hammond shook his head.

“Don’t be, Major. Just get me a new shield. If you need anything, let us know and we’ll get it.”

With that, secure in the knowledge that his base – and planet – was safe, Hammond turned and headed back for his office.

The END