The Family Business

by sissybear

Sequel to A Little Piece of Me. Sort of a how certain missions would go w Sean instead of Sam, w their own adventures along the way. The family gets BIGGER! more clues to the charlie mystery Epilogue up!

1. Crystal Skull

The Family Business

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except my original characters! All Stargate characters, episodes, and related everything else belongs to them! i don't make any money off this it's just to satisfy my overly busy mind!

A/N: Okay this is the sequel to A Little Piece of Me. Takes place after Jack and Sam's honeymoon. Sorry for hte long wait. If some of it sounds familiar, i put this chapter around crystal skull, so the dialogue that is not mine, belongs to MGM, Gekko, Double Secret, the writers, all them, i'm just using it for fun creativity. Oh, and did anyone happen to notice that the guy who played the Sheriff up at Jack's Cabin when Landry and Mitchell were up there looked a LOT like the little glance of Mark we got back in the 2nd season? lol. oh, and i am pout! i can't believe SCIFI, but actually at the rate they've been going lately, i can. they're holding Stargate hostage! and personally, as different as S9 and 10 are, i actually still like them!

Ch. 1 - Crystal Skull

Jack strolled down the hallway of the SGC, delightfully happy to be back. Not that he hadn't fun during his week long vacation, far from it, but it was about time he'd gotten back in the swing of things. He had just dropped Sam and Rico off at her lab and it was just about time for their 0800 mission briefing.

They'd been on a few missions since Sean had joined the team, but they hadn't been anything worthy of a frontline team. He felt his son was ready by now for a more serious mission, something more like they'd done before Sam's accident. Besides, when Sean had been admitted into the SGC, it wasn't like he'd been completely green in the field.

His team was already waiting for him in the briefing room when he walked in and stood next to Sean, who was looking out the window, down on the Gateroom. He had two cups of coffee in his hands and handed one to his father.

The two stood in silence, looking over the Gateroom, drinking their coffee. Jack still couldn't believe any kid of his was a scientist. Both of them even! As he'd gotten to know Sean, Jay had been slowly letting him in as well. The weekend of Sam and his wedding had been wonderful, and he'd gotten to see Lilly again.

He'd actually been able to talk to Jay more than he had that little time Jay had had off from work to go up to the cabin. He'd been surprised to learn Jay had just graduated the year before as a forensic scientist. It was a big cosmic joke, surrounding him with scientists, but he had to admit, he loved all of them.

"How was the Honeymoon?" Sean finally spoke, awake enough to actually speak now that he'd had his third cup of coffee. That was the hardest part of the day, leaving the house without any coffee in the morning. Out of straight courtesy, he hadn't been making any, knowing Trish couldn't have any herself, and he didn't want to make her feel bad.

"Nice," Jack replied, a sly grin plastered on his face.

"Have fun?"

Jack's mind drifted back to the wonderful week they'd spent together off the coast of Texas. Sam had wanted to visit a beach, somewhere in the US, it didn't matter to her, so they'd written down every state that bordered the water and taped them to the dartboard. He laughed as he thought of how they'd finally chosen a spot for their honeymoon.

"Oh, yeah," he smirked.

Sean took another drink from his mug. "Are we getting any siblings yet?"

"This is soooo not a conversation I want to be having with my son." Jack sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"You do realize you have grandchildren, right?" Sean asked, smirking.

Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. Despite their circumstances, Sean was every bit his father's son, especially with the wit and sarcasm.

"And I thought you were the one more like your mother." He shook his head, smiling. "How'd that mission go last week?"

Sean shuddered, thinking about his first experience being captured by unfriendlies. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, according to some of SG-1's previous mission reports, but it still wasn't something he'd volunteer to do again.

"Oh, you know how it goes. Pop into the middle of a holy war, get captured, solve the religious debate with an answer neither side likes, and come home with a new scientist." He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but it really had freaked him out and he couldn't vent to Trish about anything they were doing. It was a new experience for him, but he knew he'd have to get used to it eventually. If any of their enemies ever found out who he was, there was no doubt he'd be captured and held alive.

"Ah, yes, one of those." Jack took another sip of his coffee. "So, where we goin'?"

"Actually, we're sending a MALP to P7X-377," Daniel said, coming up behind the two.

"And I need to be here, why?"

"Because you're 2IC of this base, Colonel." Hammond entered the briefing room, the mission folder in his hands.

Jack and Sean downed their coffee and followed the older man down to the control room where the technicians were working to set up the MALP. The Gate was already dialing in the background.

"Chevron Six, encoded."

Jack stood behind Walter and Sean took the seat next to the technician. Daniel had followed at a more sedate pace, still sipping his coffee, while Teal'c came in behind him.

"Chevron Seven, Locked."

Sean and Daniel kept their eyes glued to the monitor as the MALP exited the wormhole on the other side of the Gate. The two scientists gasped at the sight in front of them, the pyramid standing out against the dark atmosphere of the planet.

Sean glanced over the readings from the MALP on the other monitor then swiveled his chair back.

"Dad, this is over a thousand meters high," he said, never taking his eyes off the monitor.

"And as pyramids go, that's... big?"

Teal'c spoke up. "I know of no Goa'uld structure of that magnitude."

"Definitely Mayan," Daniel broke in. "This is a major find; I have to see this."

Jack cocked his head to the side. "Anything… dangerous? Creepy creatures or the like?"

"There's a breathable atmosphere, but no complex life signs."

Sean hit the controls to push the MALP into the pyramid, watching the readings as they came in. His eyes widened.

"This is a major find. I have to see this."

"Oh great. You too?"

"Well look at these readings. These are leptons."

"Get out."

"Okay," Sean started somewhat exasperated. "Normally neutrinos pass right through ordinary matter no matter how dense. I mean something like 500 million billion just passed through you."

"No matter how dense?"

Sean rolled his eyes and grinned. "The presence of leptons means that there's something there slowing down those neutrinos. A material that slows neutrinos could change everything we know about physics, the formation of the universe. Sam needs to see this."

Daniel squinted to get a closer look at the screen. "Wait a minute, Sean. Get, ah, get closer."

"I can't, the MALP's too big to cross the span."

"Then zoom in. On that," he said, pointing to a speck in the distance.

As the camera zoomed in on the object, Teal'c peered over the scientists' shoulders. "It appears to be a human skull."

"No," Daniel shook his head. "That's a crystal skull."

Sean swiveled to face the man. "How do you know?"

"Because it's exactly like the one found in 1971 in Belize. By my grandfather."

Jack turned to General Hammond, hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Sir?"

Hammond nodded. "Briefing in an hour."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack strolled into Sam's lab, knocking briefly on the doorframe so as not to startle her. Of course, Rico had heard Jack coming down the hall long before he'd actually reached the lab and had suitably warned Sam all the same.

"Hey, Jack," she said without looking up from the current alien doohickey she was working on.

"Hey. Sean found something he thought you might be interested in. Something about Leopards and Nintendo's? Anyway, you're wanted at the briefing."

Sam stared at her husband, confusion clearly written across her face. "Oookay?"

Jack shrugged and sat down across the lab table from her. "Don't ask me, you guys are the eggheads." He picked up a pencil and started twirling it between his fingers.

"Is there anything you need to be working on?" Sam asked, turning back to the contraption.

Jack feigned hurt. "That eager to get rid of me?"

Sam sighed, laying her pen on the table. "Jack, I have more work to do now, and we may be married, but it's business as usual when we're on base."

"I was joking, Sam," Jack replied, a slight smirk on his face. He stepped over to her side of the table and wrapped her in a quick hug, releasing her before she could become uncomfortable. "Nobody's going to think anything of it. I've always spent more time in your lab or the commissary than any other area of this entire base. This is business as usual."

Rico whined below the table and nudged his way between the couple, licking at their fingers. Jack smiled at the dog, patting his head and moved back across the table.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

In the briefing room, Daniel was standing by a projection screen showing pictures of various crystal skulls. Jack, Sean, Teal'c, Sam, Janet and Hammond were sitting around the table waiting for him to start.

"I could name at least a dozen different crystal skulls from various parts of the world but the skull that Nick discovered in Belize was unique."

Jack cocked an eyebrow. "Nick?"

Daniel looked down at his hands before addressing the group. "Ah yeah. The, ah, great explorer. The not so great grandfather Nicholas Ballard. He preferred being called Nick, even when I was a kid. It was. anyway ah the point is that no one can explain how the skull Nick discovered was carved, from a single piece of crystal, against the grain, given the technology of the day. He claimed that it possessed a certain power."

Hammond leaned forward. "What kind of power?"

"That if one were to look into the eyes of the skull, one would be teleported to see aliens."

"Your grandfather saw these aliens," Teal'c said.

"So he insisted to the entire academic community."

"I take it his claim didn't go over very well?" Janet asked. She knew a little of Nicholas Ballard, mostly just that he was Daniel's grandfather, but Daniel hadn't liked talking about his family other than before his parents had died.

"As you might imagine, no. He tried for years under controlled conditions to make the skull teleport him again but he never could."

"Doesn't mean he wasn't right," Jack pointed out, a slight smirk across his face.

Sam nodded. "The academic community didn't believe your theory that the pyramids were landing sites for alien space ships either."

"We have to see this," Jack said, eager to hopefully meet potential allies.

General Hammond nodded and pushed himself backwards to stand. "I'll authorize a standard recon mission."

Janet quickly intervened, worried for the teams safety. "Colonel, I can only guess at the effect this type of radiation may have on the human body. I recommend limited exposure, ten, fifteen minutes at most."

"Wait a minute," Daniel said, just a little put out. "That's not enough time. I mean there has to be some sort of radiation suit or…"

"Hey! If you'd been listening you know that Nintendo's pass through everything," Jack said, waving his pen in the air.

"I heard."

"Everything. And those leopards are everywhere."

Sam giggled, finally realizing what Jack had been talking about.

"Uh, Dad?" Sean said, raising the pen in his hand. "That would be leptons and neutrinos."

"Right," he nodded. "Leopards and Nintendo's."

He winked at Sam and grinned, taking her hand as he stood.

Sean watched his father walk out of the room and shook his head. Life was definitely interesting.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

SG-1 plus Sam walked into the pyramid, each amazed in their own way. Daniel's eyes went straight for the skull as he walked forward. For Sean, the O'Neill in him just wanted to peer down the side of the pathway, wondering how far down it went, while the scientist in him was studying the gadget in his hand.

"Whoa!" Jack said, looking around

Sam looked up from the device in her hand. "Muon radiation is increasing."

"Unhealthy?"

"I don't think so." She shook her head. "Not if it stays at these levels."

Teal'c stared stoically at the walls and up to the ceiling of the cavern. "Whoever the builders are, they would appear to be a formidable race."

Daniel looked around in awe. "You could fit every pyramid on earth inside this thing and still have room to spare."

"Could you imagine heating this place?" Sean said, causing his father to grin.

The five of them crossed the narrow walkway, Sean and Daniel, the "Eager Beavers" in the lead. Jack looked ahead at his son. "Sean, start the clock."

Sean just nodded and started the countdown. They had ten minutes to start with and if Sam determined their readings were still in the black, they'd stay another five before booking it out of there.

He and Daniel approached the skull, staring at it intently. Sean's job was to register any readings it gave off in the event it actually did anything while Sam observed the atmosphere and radiation within the pyramid.

Daniel squinted his eyes. "It's identical to the one Nick discovered in Belize."

"Can you determine if it is a means of transport, as your grandfather believed?" Teal'c asked.

"Ahh, I can't be sure, there's no writings of any kind on the pedestal."

"This cavern must act like some sort of containment bottle," Sam said, looking around.

"It's no wonder Nick was so fascinated by…"

"If I can get a sample of the substance that's slowing down these neutrinos, we can change the face of physics."

"It's like a living thing, it's…"

Jack peered over the edge of the pathway. "Wonder how far down that is?"

As Daniel and Sean stared at the skull, it started to glow.

"Daniel Jackson!"

"Sean!" Teal'c and Jack shouted in warning.

"Jack, radiation is spiking. It's at 300." The worry in Sam's voice betrayed the calm she tried to portray.

"What?" Jack whipped around and stared at her.

"400."

"All right, that's it. We're out of here. Daniel? Sean? Let's go!"

The skull started to emit light, actually more like a million little lightning bugs, that seems to envelop Daniel and Sean. Neither seemed to notice any difference. Teal'c zatted the skull, throwing Daniel and Sean backwards and the light shut down.

Jack spun in circles. "Where'd they go?"

Teal'c walked to the pedestal and straight through Daniel and Sean's bodies lying on the ground.

"They seem to have disappeared, O'Neill."

"Jack, these readings are off the scale now. If we don't leave here soon, we're…"

Sam collapsed, keeling forward. Jack caught her just in time and turned to run back out of the pyramid, to the Stargate.

"Teal'c, get outta there!"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Incoming traveler, Sir. It's SG-1," Sgt. Harriman said as General Hammond walked into the control room behind him.

"Open the iris," he replied.

Jack stepped through the Gate first, Sam cradled in his arms, and promptly collapsed onto the ramp, directing his fall backwards in hopes to prevent Sam from hitting the metal grid. Teal'c followed a moment later, took two steps and fell down beside Jack and Sam.

Hammond ran into the Gateroom and stared down at his premier team minus two. "Get a medical team in here. Where're Doctor Jackson and Lt. O'Neill?"

No one answered.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Janet stood above Jack's infirmary bed, checking his vitals as his eyelids started fluttering. "He's coming to Sir," she said to General Hammond, who'd come down to check on them. It'd been almost an hour since they'd come through the Gate and everybody was eager for answers.

"Sean? Daniel?" he just barely croaked out. His eyes widened in realization at that point. "Sam? Where's Sam?"

"She's still unconscious," Janet answered with a comforting hand on his upper arm. "Teal'c is better off than both of you, his symbiote is helping him. It was close Colonel, if you hadn't left when you did…"

"Hot."

"Yes, I know. We're trying to keep your temperature down. The muon radiation affected your hypothalamus. Essentially your internal thermostat went haywire. Your respiration, heartbeat and your temperature have been fluctuating wildly."

"No kidding," Jack tried to joke.

"As for Doctor Jackson and Lt. O'Neill, Colonel, neither returned with you." General Hammond stepped forward from where he'd been holding back, letting Dr. Fraiser work.

Teal'c answered from the bed he was sitting on. "They are no longer there General Hammond. The skull enveloped them in an energy field. I fired my zatnikatel but it was too late. They seemed to disappear."

"What?"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

In the control room, Hammond had already had the tech's dial the Gate and activate the MALP still on the other side.

"Pan the camera left again. Do the infra red sensors detect any sign of Doctor Jackson or Lt. O'Neill?"

"No Sir," the Tech answered.

Teal'c walked in and stood by Hammond.

"You should be in the infirmary."

"I am well again General Hammond."

"Not according to Doctor Fraiser."

"Nicholas Ballard believed the crystal skull to be a teleportation device. Recovering the skull may help us to determine the location to which he was teleported."

"The MALP telemetry suggests the radiation levels are still too high."

"My symbiote provides me with a greater tolerance against the effects of radiation."

"And if that thing zaps you to wherever it sent Doctor Jackson?"

"Then I will have succeeded in locating him."

Hammond nodded, giving the stoic Jaffa silent permission.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his mind. The last thing he remembered was staring into the crystal skull, Sean next to him. Did it work? Were they actually transported away from P7X-377?

He turned his head to see Sean, still unconscious, lying next to him. He reached out and nudged him gently on the shoulder. The young man groaned and rolled over, his hand shooting to his forehead.

"Sean, you okay?"

"Ugh, what happened?"

"I'm not sure," he said, looking around. This looked like the same planet, but, really, could he be sure wherever they would be transported to would look any different?

"Where is everybody?" Sean got to his feet and spun in a circle, looking around him. "They just left us?"

At the other end of the pathway, Daniel spotted Teal'c running across the bridge, the large, yellow box in his hand, to collect the crystal skull.

"Teal'c! What happened? Where is everybody?" Daniel turned around following the Jaffa, but he seemed to be ignoring them. Teal'c packed the skull into the case and turned around, intent on spending as little time as possible on the radioactive planet. As he headed back the way he came, he ran straight through Daniel. "You just ran right through me. TEAL'C!"

Teal'c stopped and looked back.

"What the hell is going on?" Sean asked, jumping out of Teal'c's way as he continued back to the Gate.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Teal'c exited the Gate, Sean and Daniel hot on his heels. The iris slid shut as the two stumbled forward, Sean whipping around to stare at the trinium alloy protective barrier.

"Hey!" Daniel shouted, still trying to get the attention of somebody!

Hammond greeted Teal'c at the end of the ramp. "Well done Teal'c."

"Regrettably there was no sign of either Daniel Jackson or Lieutenant O'Neill."

"So, nobody can see us?" Daniel said, looking over at a disgruntled Sean, who waved his arms through

Hammond turned to Sgt. Siler. "Doctor Rothman is awaiting the artifact in Lab 3c."

"Yes Sir." Siler took the case from Teal'c and swiftly walked out.

Teal'c bowed slightly. "Samantha will also want to study it."

"As soon as she's fully recovered," Hammond answered.

Sean's eyes grew wide. "Recovered from what?"

"What happened?" Daniel asked.

The two of them followed Teal'c to the infirmary where the big man led them directly to Sam's bedside.

Janet approached them from behind. "She hasn't woken yet, Teal'c. We've found some anomalies in her blood samples. I won't lie to you, this is cause for concern."

Sean frowned at the petite doctor, walking up to stand next to the woman he felt was more his friend and colleague than his stepmother. He smiled, though, when he heard his father shouting out from the bed next to them.

"DOC!"

Janet rolled her eyes and turned to her other patient. "You can protest all you want Colonel but it will be a while till you get your strength back. So relax."

"Oh, come on."

"Ah. Doctors orders."

"Napoleonic power monger," he muttered though secretly he appreciated all that she did for them. He was laying on the infirmary bed in a set of pajamas, a thick blanket wrapped tightly around him. "How's Sam?"

"She's still unconscious, Colonel."

Jack coughed, squinting as the pounding in his head increased. "What's wrong?" As worried as he was about his missing son and friend, the fact that Sam was still out cold just plain scared him.

"She hasn't been feeling well," he croaked before she could answer. "She agreed to come see you if it didn't get better soon."

"There were some odd readings, Jack," Janet answered, her tone going from doctor to friend. "I've ordered more tests, mostly ones we wouldn't normally run, so hopefully we'll have some answers for you soon."

She rested one comforting hand on his shoulder. He nodded, but didn't look at her. His eyes were locked on his wife, lying in the bed next to his. As far as he was concerned they weren't anywhere near close enough to each other.

"Any news?" Jack suddenly turned his head towards Teal'c.

"Neither Daniel Jackson nor Lieutenant O'Neill anywhere in the vicinity of the pyramid."

Janet left the men to observe the test results and see if she could find anything out for them.

"What the hell happened to them?"

"I do not believe the skull is a weapon O'Neill."

"Well you're right about that, it's not a weapon," Daniel said, still standing back from everyone else.

"It is indeed a teleportation device. I believe the artifact itself…"

Daniel shook his head. "No something else happened."

"You got that right," Sean snorted.

"Doctor Rothman is now studying it," Teal'c informed them.

Jack made a weak attempt at rolling his eyes. "Rothman couldn't figure out an ashtray. The guy we need working on that skull is Daniel."

"It is he whom we endeavor to locate, O'Neill."

"Look I'm sick of laying around. Help me up."

"Doctor Fraiser believes you are not strong enough to undertake such a mission."

"Yeah, whatever." Jack ignored the man's warning, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. What he didn't anticipate, however, was exactly how weak he really was. He unceremoniously collapsed onto the floor like a marionette with its strings cut.

"Doctor Fraiser is usually correct in such matters." Teal'c picked him up by the collar and dropped him onto the bed face first.

"Thank you," he muttered into the mattress.

"You are welcome O'Neill."

Sean laughed, knowing his father couldn't hear him, but remained behind as Daniel left to check on Rothman's progress.

"C'mon, T. Help me slide over." Jack weakly pushed off on the floor with his toes, not moving an inch. Teal'c's eyebrows rose in amusement and without much effort on his part, pushed Jack's bed so it was touching Sam's.

Jack reached out, his fingertips brushing his wife's forearm. He needed the touch to comfort himself, to know she was at least still alive. She'd get better, no matter what, and he'd be there throughout.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Daniel was watching Dr. Rothman study the crystal skull, hoping in some weird way that his influence would help them discover what exactly had gone on.

"Okay, you can do this Robert, I know you can. Focus on the Mayan legends. The lost pyramids of Belize. The Ballard skull. That's where the answer is."

"Well, it's a crystal skull."

"We knew that Doctor," General Hammond said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the scientist.

"It's almost identical to the Nicholas Ballard skull in the Smithsonian."

Daniel shook his head and looked towards Hammond. "He doesn't know it was found on P7X 377."

"Actually," Rothman said, an impressed tone in his voice. "The craftsmanship is very impressive. It's probably made in Germany, early 1900's. What I don't understand is what it has to do with Daniel being missing."

"We believe it to be a teleportation device," Teal'c answered him.

"Are you serious?"

"That's good Robert. Be skeptical." Daniel knew that and not knowing where the skull came from could help him in an unbiased analysis.

Hammond tapped his finger impatiently on the desk. "We were hoping your archaeological expertise could help provide insight into where he may have been sent."

"It's a skull," Rothman said, pointing out the obvious and shooting nasal spray up his nose.

Daniel winced. "Not that skeptical."

"I myself witnessed the artifact create a tremendous field of energy that engulfed Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"It's made of crystal not plutonium. I don't see how this could…"

"Humor me Doctor," the General interrupted, quickly loosing patience with the man. "I want a full report within 12 hours."

"Yes Sir, I was just…"

Teal'c could not resist a parting shot, and warned the doctor. "Do not look directly into its eyes."

"Okay."

"Don't let me down Robert," Daniel said, following the other men out.

Rothman turned to Sgt. Siler. "Teleportation device? I… What do you think?"

"I think you're gonna get fired."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack was lying in the bed lightly dozing, his fingers still tracing lazy circles on his wife's arm. Janet still hadn't come back, and there really wasn't anything for him to do while he was stuck in bed. Rico was up in the kennels where General Hammond wanted him when Sam went off world, and therefore couldn't get his Game boy or yoyo out of his desk drawer.

Sean was perched on the bed on the other side of Sam's keeping a watchful eye over her. What he really wanted to do was leave and go home to see his own wife.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The arm under his father's fingers moved and jolted him out of the light sleep he'd drifted into.

Sam's eyes blinked open as she tried to focus on her surroundings. Jack sat up just a little and reached down to hold her hand.

"Hey, welcome back."

"How," she coughed, her throat too dry to get the words out properly. Jack reached over to the other side of his bed and handed her the water he'd had on the table beside his bed.

"How long was I out?"

"Too long, Sweetheart." He scootched as far over as he could and tried to pull her into his arms. "You had us all scared there for a while."

A nurse had noticed Sam's return from unconsciousness and called Janet over.

"Hey, Sam, how are you feeling?" she asked as she started taking down the woman's vital signs.

"Not so great," Sam answered. "My, uh, stomach's a little upset."

"Well, that's to be expected," Janet answered.

Jack just looked at her, his head tilted to the side.

"We just finished your test results and I'll tell you this, it was a close one."

"What are you talking about, Doc?" Jack made no pretense of hiding his fear this time.

Instead of answering him, Janet looked directly at Sam, a slight smile showing in her eyes. "How long have you been feeling sick, Sam?"

She thought for a moment, trying to remember that far back. She'd been popping Tums like candy for a while now, something that had Jack concerned, but she hadn't thought anything of it. It felt no more serious than acid reflux.

"Maybe since right before we got back from the cabin."

"Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

She shrugged. "It didn't really seem important."

"Sam," Janet paused. "You're pregnant."

Sean jumped off the bed, pumping his hand in the air. "YES! I knew it."

"Did you feel that?" Jack asked looking around. Sam didn't have a clue what he was talking about and Janet was still trying to talk to the couple.

"I'd like to do an ultrasound to find out more accurately how far along you are and to make sure this little episode didn't do any damage."

Sam gasped and laid her hand over her abdomen. Her little jaunt through the Gate could have cost them their child. Jack had shifted over to her bed when she woke up and draped one arm around her shoulders. She leaned into Jack, seeking his comfort as tears formed in her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall, of course, maybe later that night, but not now.

Janet left the two alone while she went to get the ultrasound machine. They had one on base to help diagnose internal injuries, but she was much happier to be having a good reason to use the machine.

"Hey, it's okay," Jack whispered, wrapping his strong arms around her. He murmured soothing words of love and comfort as she tried to calm herself down. Sam nodded into his shoulder and sat up a little straighter.

"Sammy, we did it. We've got a little one growin' in there," he said, resting his hand on her flat stomach. He couldn't keep the grin away, lighting up his entire face.

"What if something's wrong?" she asked nervously. "I could've lost the baby."

Jack shook his head. "But we didn't, and nothing's going to go wrong. Besides, remember that cool trick your dad does? We can always have him check, but I, for one, trust our little Napoleon."

"You're right," Sam nodded. A smile slowly crept it's way onto her face. "We're going to have a baby, Jack."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Teal'c was meditating in his quarters, Daniel sitting cross-legged on the floor across from him.

"Teal'c… In case I don't ever get the chance to say this, if you hadn't have come back for us, we might have been stuck in that place forever. Thank you."

Teal'c opened his eyes and stared right through Daniel.

"Is there someone present?" he asked, standing up.

Daniel jumped to his feet. "Yes. It's me. It's Daniel. I'm right here. I'm right here. Just don't walk…" Teal'c stepped right through Daniel and out the door to the hall. "…through me. It's very disconcerting."

Daniel followed him out into the hall. "You sensed I was in the room, you just can't see or hear me which is a little frustrating as you may imagine."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack moved back over sit on his own bed when Janet came back, rolling the cart with the ultrasound machine over to the side of Sam's bed. The nurse helped set up the machine, while Janet sat Sam up into a little more comfortable position. She pulled up the bottom of Sam's shirt and lowered the waistband of her pants.

"Okay, Sam. The transducer gel's going to be a little cold," she warned. Sam nodded and Janet squeezed the gel over her stomach. Sam jumped and smiled sheepishly at her husband, grabbing his hand. He smiled back, just as anxious to see their baby as she.

Janet rubbed the wand through the gel over Sam's stomach and in no time the image popped up on the monitor.

Jack's eyes were frozen on the screen in wonder, fascinated by the lines and squiggles in front of him. "Will ya look at that?"

"That is your baby," Janet told them, smiling softly at the parents. "And from what I can tell…" She checked the readouts and the measurements the computer was coming up with. "You're about 12 weeks along."

Sam mentally did the math real quick and her eyes widened. "Jack, that means I was pregnant before Selmak checked us over. Dad knows!" Her voice rose in what most people would be an accusatory tone, but Jack could hear the amusement in her voice.

"You know, he did give us a sort of odd smile," Jack replied, grinning. "Don't be upset with him, he probably wanted us to find out on our own."

Sam shook her head. "Jack, if I'd known, you know I would never have gone into that sort of situation."

"Hey," he said, drawing his fingers across her forehead. "It's over and done with, finito. On the other hand, you really had no idea? Not an inkling?"

Sam shook her head, but Janet replied for her. "Some women don't get any symptoms other than a missed period. The heartburn is normal; it was her way of getting morning sickness."

"But I never missed-"

"Ack!" Jack waved his hands in front of him. "Okay, way more info than I wanted."

He turned back to look at Janet and the ultrasound monitor. "So, Doc, any idea whether we've got a Scarecrow or a Dorothy yet?"

Janet smiled at his unusual reference, but it was totally Jack and she shook her head. "It's too early to tell, Colonel. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"

Sam and Jack nodded eagerly, their heads bouncing up and down in sync. Janet reached over and hit the volume button. She would have had to check the heartbeat anyway, but it always made the expectant parents feel better if they got some warning.

"It's so fast," Sam said, the awe evident in her voice.

Jack laughed softly. "It's a tiny being, Sam. It's supposed to be fast."

"I know, I just…"

"It's okay."

Janet finished her examination and wiped the gel off Sam's stomach. "Well, so far, everything look's great, but because of both your ages, I'd like to do an amniocentesis next month. I won't lie to you, it carries a risk of miscarriage, but it can test for a number of chromosomal diseases and will give us a head's up if there's anything we should keep our eye on."

Sam and Jack exchanged a quick glance and Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um, Doc, if, uh, Jacob could use the healing device with no risk to the baby…"

"I wouldn't be opposed to that, Colonel, but I want a detailed report from Selmak." She noticed Sam's eyes starting to droop. "Now, I want you to get some rest now, Sam."

She nodded and pushed her self down into the bed, curling up under the blanket. Jack stayed next to her until he was sure she was back asleep and turned to Janet.

The doctor smiled at him and walked over, slipping the blood pressure cuff over his arm. When she finished taking his vitals, she hung the stethoscope around her neck and looked straight at him. "Well, you seem to be back to normal and you seem to have gotten your strength back. I'm going to release you from the infirmary."

Jack smiled happily, but looked over apprehensively at his wife. As much as he hated the infirmary, he really couldn't stand to leave Sam's side right now.

Janet caught the look and was quick to reassure him. "She's only sleeping, Jack, and I won't leave her alone."

He nodded and stood. "Thanks, Doc. I should go take Rico out for some fresh air, maybe stop in on Trish."

Sean's eyes lit up from where he'd been sitting on the same bed he'd been on when he first heard the news. This was his chance to get out of there and see his wife, even if only for a little while.

"Well, you're free to go, Colonel."

He stood, tugging on the hem of his pajama shirt and started to head out the door. "Oh, and Doc?"

"Hmm?"

"We'll get them back. You know the Space Monkey can't stay away from you for long."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack pulled up outside his son and daughter-in-law's house and climbed out of the cab, letting Rico out before he closed the door. He knocked once and slowly opened the front door. It was an open door policy they all pretty much instituted with each other a while ago.

Sean slid out of the truck, walking right through the truck door. That was definitely an advantage to this whole thing, he could walk through solid objects. On the other hand, he couldn't hold his wife or rub his hand along her bulging belly.

"Hey, Trish! It's Jack," the older man called out, closing the door behind him.

"I'm in the nursery!" Trish called back down the stairs.

Sean bounded up the stairs and stood in the doorway, completely unprepared for his father walking through his chest.

"Hey Trish," Jack said, trying to sound more upbeat than he really felt.

"Hi, Jack. Sean's still at the Base." Trish turned around, her hand on her stomach, a folded up onsie in the other hand.

"Uh, I know. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. Something came up at work, and he's going to have to stay there until further notice."

She smiled kindly back at her father-in-law. "You could have called me. Sean could have called me, for that matter."

"You're so beautiful, my Trishy," Sean whispered, taking the chance to observe her without her being able to know.

"I needed to get out of the base for a while and figured I could use this as an excuse." He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets and quickly changed the subject. "So how's the little guy doin?"

"Good. We're starting to get a little impatient, but we definitely don't want him getting here any sooner than he has to."

"No," he laughed. "We wouldn't want that." He so wanted to tell her exactly what had happened across the galaxy, but that wasn't a possibility.

"So, where's Sam?"

"She's asleep, in the infirmary."

Trish's eyes widened in concern. "What? Is she okay? What happened?"

"She's fine," Jack rushed to comfort her, smiling. "She just passed out. She'll be okay once I can get her home."

"What caused it? Do you guys know yet?"

"Yeah." That sly grin was back. "In about four months she'll look just like you."

"She's pregnant?" she squealed, rushing over to wrap him in her arms. "That's so wonderful."

Jack kept one arm around her and turned around back towards the door, leading her through Sean and into the hallway. "Why don't we grab something to eat?"

Trish giggled and walked with him to their kitchen.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack had returned back to the base an hour ago to find Sam up and about. Janet had checked her out when she woke up had released her from the infirmary. She was determined to figure out what had happened to Daniel and Sean. He was okay with that, as long as she paced herself and made sure she was sitting down as much as possible. He left her outside the labs and headed to his office to finish up some old reports.

When Sam walked into the lab Rothman was looking into the eyes of the skull, trying to figure out what the thing did. He wasn't having much success.

"STOP!" Sam shouted. "That's exactly what Daniel was doing when he and Sean were absorbed by the energy field."

Daniel and Sean were sitting next to each other on one of the lab counters watching Robert work. "That's what we've been trying to tell him," they said in unison.

"I know that. I was trying to prove something."

"Prove what?" Janet asked, walking in behind Sam.

"That the skull didn't do this," Daniel muttered.

Sam stared at the man. "You don't think the skull is responsible for what happened to them, do you?"

"I'm still here."

"There was intense muon radiation at the time the energy..."

"There's no residual radiation..."

"Look I saw what that thing is capable of."

"Hey. I wish it was a teleportation device. I could use it to go find Daniel. He's my friend too you know. I don't think that's what we've got here. I think what we've got here is a paperweight," Rothman practically shouted. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. "I'm sorry, that's my opinion."

"It's all right, I'll take over from here." She turned to Sgt. Siler. "There may be properties in the crystalline structure that are invisible to the naked eye. We should run some diagnostic tests."

Janet walked across the room to pour Sam a glass of water as she sat down at the lab table.

Daniel turned to Sean. "Wait a minute, I'm not hungry or thirsty. Why not?"

"Thank you," Sam said to Janet.

Sean's eyes widened in fear. "Because we're dead?"

Sam coughed on the water, feeling a slight chill go through the air.

"What?" Rothman asked, seeing the look on Sam's face.

"Did anybody else feel that?"

"What?"

Daniel and Sean were still facing each other. "What if we're ghosts?"

"I just got a shiver."

"You're still feeling the after effects of the radiation," Janet said. "And you're overtired. You know I'm here to keep an eye on you.

"No I think that was us," Sean said, turning to Daniel. "My dad felt something when I got a little excited in the infirmary earlier."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

In the Control room, Daniel and Sean sat perched atop some equipment while they watched the rest of SG-1, Sam, Janet and Hammond observe the Gate.

"Chevron 4 encoded."

"Sir, we've subjected the skull to every piece of diagnostic equipment we have," Sam reported to Hammond.

"Chevron 5 encoded."

"What have you found out?"

"Nothing."

"We could take another look at that planet Sir," Jack said.

"I'd strongly recommend against it." Janet turned to look between Jack and Sam. "We're still getting periodic readings from the MALP. The radiation levels have dropped slightly but they're still elevated."

"Chevron 6 encoded."

"We're preparing a UAV for a long-range search around the pyramid. I don't see any point in risking another SG team unless that search turns up something."

"Chevron 7 locked."

"Launch when ready Sergeant," Hammond ordered.

"Launching UAV in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 mark."

Sam rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I'm gonna suggest this but what about Daniel's grandfather?"

"Nick?" Jack, Daniel and Sean all asked at the same time.

"He claimed that the skull teleported him somewhere. Maybe he's the only person who actually knows where Daniel is?"

Janet shook her head. "I'm not so sure, Sam. I've already taken the liberty of looking him up."

"Oh you didn't," Daniel groaned.

"What's so bad about that?" Sean asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"His current address is a psychiatric institution in Oregon."

"Psychiatric?" Jack asked.

"Apparently his failure to prove the crystal skull was more than just a curiosity caused a severe mental breakdown from which he's never recovered. Nick checked himself in."

Sam looked momentarily hurt. "Why wouldn't Daniel have told us that?"

"Oh yes, by the way, he's insane," Daniel remarked sarcastically.

Janet continued. "Daniel was a regular visitor there up until 4 years ago, right before he joined the Stargate program."

"Oh please, he kicked me out, we had a huge fight."

"Apparently Nick still talks about him all the time."

"He doesn't want anything to do with me."

"The doctor I spoke to says any friends of Doctor Jackson's are welcome."

"What?"

Sam looked over at Hammond, shrugging her shoulders. "We don't have much else to go on."

"Find out what you can but I needn't remind you that the details of this matter will have to remain classified. That means you won't be able to tell him what happened to Doctor Jackson or where the skull was found."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack and Teal'c paced back and forth across the waiting room, itching to get in to see Nick. They'd already been there for half an hour and Jack was getting impatient. Sean and Daniel stood leaning against the wall, watching the two pace.

A nurse came out with a clipboard in her hands. "Sorry for the wait. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You may take us to Nicholas Ballard immediately," Teal'c said, nodding his fedora covered head.

Jack winced. "He's just a little anxious to see ol' Nick."

"Oh, are you close?"

"No," Teal'c and Daniel said at the same time Jack said, "Yes."

Teal'c just looked back over at Jack. "Yes, extremely."

"Well, I'll just check and see if he's ready for you."

Daniel and Sean glanced at each other, both feeling ridiculously empty headed. "What are we waiting for?"

They shrugged and followed the nurse through the doors and down the hall to a room where the doctor was talking to Nick. "Colonel O'Neill and his party are here," she said to the doctor.

The doctor nodded at her and turned to Nick. "Friends of Daniel I told you about are here just outside. Would you like to see them now?"

"I miss him," Nick replied.

"Hi Nick, long time no see."

Sean rolled his eyes at Daniel and leaned against the wall by the window, folding his arms over his chest.

The doctor looked back at the nurse. "Would you show them in please?"

Daniel squatted down in front of his grandfather, looking him straight in the eyes. If he didn't know better, he'd swear he could see him because he looked back. "Nick, I need your help. Friends of mine want to ask you about the skull you found in Belize. Tell them everything, trust them."

Jack walked into the room with Teal'c following, and faced Nick. The doctor introduced them. "Nick, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill. He's a friend of Daniel's."

"Doctor would you mind if we…"

The doctor nodded and left them alone with Nick so they could get down to business. He'd been told the military needed to talk to his patient and that the matter was classified, so as long as nothing went wrong he was fine with leaving.

"Nick."

"Jack." He held out his hand, but Nick just stared at it. "O'Neill. Colonel."

"Daniel followed my footsteps."

"You must be very proud."

"He made a fool of himself."

"Oh here we go." Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Wow," Sean said, shocked.

Nick just kept talking. "He staked his entire academic career on this belief that that the great pyramids of Egypt were made by aliens."

"Yes, well that's…"

"He was more insane than I was. I told him to forget all that nonsense."

"It wasn't nonsense, I was right," Daniel defended himself.

"He lost his apartment, his research grant. He hasn't published a paper in two years. Now where is he? Where is he now?"

"That is what we wish to discus with you at this time, Nicholas Ballard. We would like to hear your story of the skull you found," Teal'c said.

"Nothing happened. There were no aliens."

"Oh, c'mon!" Sean threw his hands in the air and paced behind Daniel and his father.

"Trust them Nick," Daniel pleaded with him.

"No one believed me."

"Daniel believed you," Jack pointed out.

"Oh no. No no don't."

"He didn't. He wanted to, he did listen. In the end he did not believe in my theories of the skull just as I did not believe his theories of the pyramids and the aliens."

"I guess we were both right."

"Nick, can you tell us what happened when you found that skull?" Jack asked.

"Why?"

"Because we found another skull. Identical to the one you found in Belize."

"Show me."

"We can't. It's in a classified location."

"Then take me there."

"We can't do that."

Daniel and Sean both looked at Jack, practically yelling at him. "You have to."

"If you don't then I won't tell you anything. It is up to you."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

In Hammond's office, Jack stood in front of the man, tapping his fingers on the desk. Daniel was leaning in the doorway, listening in, while Sean went to see if he could figure anything out with the skull. It was getting frustrating not being able to talk to anybody.

"Colonel, there is no greater secret in this nation than the Stargate."

"So we keep him away from Level 28."

"A civilian who's spent the last 20 years of his life in a psychiatric institution?"

"Exactly, who's gonna believe him if he says anything?"

"Colonel you walk a fine line."

"Thank you Sir."

Jack turned to leave.

"Colonel?"

"Yes, Sir?"

"We've contacted the Tok'ra, Jacob should be here within the week. He's currently undercover. Oh, and congratulations, Jack."

"Thank you, Sir."

Jack left the office just as the phone rang.

"Hammond," the General answered.

Daniel stood in the doorway, looking thoughtfully at the older man. There was so much he was doing for them, just to get them back. "General, I know you can't hear me but thank you."

"Absolutely, put her through… Kayla, sweetheart, this is grandpa. Isn't this past your bedtime?... You lost another tooth? Well you put it under your pilla tonight… I bet your big sister Tessa wishes she lost a tooth… I'd love to come and see you in your school play tomorrow night sweetheart, but I can't… Well a very close friend of mine is lost and he needs my help… Yes he's a very close friend… I hope so too."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Nick walked into the lab and immediately walked toward the table, reaching for the skull.

"I don't think you should touch that, sir," Siler said.

"It's all right Sergeant thank you. Nick, this is Doctor Robert Rothman, and I'm Doctor Samantha O'Neill,"

Rothman looked up at the man, enamored with the archeological legend. "It's a pleasure to meet you…" he trailed off when it was obvious Nick wasn't paying attention to him.

"It's exactly the same as the one I found in Belize. Where did you find it?"

"We can't tell you that," Jack answered, entering the room behind them.

Daniel looked at his friend. "You're gonna have to tell him eventually Jack."

"The skull stood on a stone pedestal. You have been there haven't you?"

"You mean Belize?" Sam asked.

"No, no, no, no. That was the ruins of the temple where I found the skull, all gone, collapsed. I am talking about a cavern."

Teal'c spoke up. "You know the location of this cavern?"

"Nowhere on this earth. It was so enormous that the light of my torch never reached the bottom."

"Yes, but how'd you get there?" Sean asked impatiently,

"I don't know how I got there, a field of energy surrounded me and suddenly I was simply there. And then they came."

"They?" Sam looked at him questioningly.

"The giants."

"Giants?"

"The giant aliens. They rose up as if they were made of mist; they flew around me like specters."

Daniel shared a look with Sean. "Now you know why no one believed him."

"They spoke, 'Oo ya wolin wolin we tayil.'"

"That's Mayan," Rothman pointed out. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"But what does it mean?" Daniel was starting to get frustrated with all the circles they seemed to be going in.

"I was afraid to answer, I just closed my eyes and suddenly I found myself back again under the temple in Belize. The ground was shaking as in an earthquake and I just grabbed the skull and climbed out and everything collapsed."

"Wow," Jack said. "That's, erm… giants?"

"So you were sent to this cavern and back again without ever knowing where it was? And the ruins where you found the skull?" Sam asked, shooting her husband a look.

"I spent years trying to find it again but it was as if the temple never existed."

"So I guess you couldn't take us there either?"

"Can you imagine what it feels like to go on the most incredible journey of your life and have no one believe you?"

"Ahh Teal'c, you wanna escort Nick down to the VIP room?" Jack asked, knowing the late hour since they'd returned from Oregon.

"Nicholas Ballard, would you come with me please." Sean followed Teal'c out of the room with Nick.

Jack turned to Rothman. "So tell you anything?"

"Maybe… I mean, no."

"Work on it." He slapped the man on the bag and turned to his wife, grasping her arm gently. "C'mon Sam, we should get you to bed."

"Jack, we need to work on this."

"Oh, no, you need sleep. Doc's orders. You've been through a lot today and Janet doesn't want you overworked. I want to find them, too, but we need you at a hundred percent to do that. Look, we won't go home, just to our quarters."

Sam nodded, knowing he was right and followed him out of the lab, saying goodbye to Rothman and Siler as she left. Daniel chose to leave and head to his grandfather's room.

"He described the cavern perfectly, Jack. He had to have been there."

"Ahh giants?"

"Yes that's weird, I admit," Daniel said.

"Somebody built that place," Sam pointed out.

"Doesn't help us."

"But if he really was transported to P7X 377 maybe the skull was trying to send us somewhere and something interrupted the process."

Sam entered the elevator first and held it open while Jack stepped in.

"You get the feeling Daniel's still around?"

Daniel stared at his friends. "We have to go back there."

"Kinda."

"I guess it's cos we miss him."

"And we have to talk to those giant aliens."

"Or radiation sickness?"

Sam smiled at her husband. "C'mon, Jack, let's go to bed."

The elevator doors shut in front of him, but all Daniel wanted to do was pound his fists through the metal.

"What? That's it?" he yelled. "Whatever happened to working through the night? I'd do it for you."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sean sat on top of the bookshelf in Nick's room. This invisible thing had a few perks. Wonder how high up I can get? He'd already thought about climbing the Gate, but then again, he didn't exactly know what would happen to him if he fell.

"There will be a guard posted outside your door should you require assistance," Teal'c told Nick, bowing his head.

"When you see Daniel would you tell him. Never mind. It's something I should tell him myself."

"Very well."

Teal'c walked out of the room, leaving Nick alone in the room with Sean. Daniel walked through the door and perched on the bookshelf next to the young man.

"I am sorry," Nick said.

Daniel looked over at him, confused. "For what?"

"For not adopting you when your parents died."

"You were traveling all over the world."

"That wasn't your fault."

"I was 8 years old, how could it be my fault?"

"I am sorry for allowing my obsession to drive me into madness." Nick turned and looked directly at Daniel. "Would you forgive me?"

"You can see me?"

Nick sighed. "Yes, Daniel. I can see you, but that quiet one is a little odd."

"Why didn't you say something?" Daniel practically yelled.

"Hey!" Sean jumped off the bookshelf. "I'm not 'weird'."

"You're not real so it doesn't mean anything."

"No we're real. I'm real. You're not hallucinating."

"Hallucinations always say that."

"Not this time Nick. The skull, the skull did this to us. We're trapped, in another dimension, out of phase, something. Look all I know is we need your help. If you don't help us I don't know how we're gonna get home.

"So what do you want me to do?"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack rubbed his eyes tiredly as he stood in the briefing room waiting for this all important meeting he'd been called into. He was still in his sweats and an old Air Force T-shirt. He figured whatever would get him out of bed at 2345 wouldn't allow for time to change.

Janet had been working in the infirmary and thankfully was on base when needed.

An SF walked in with Nick right behind him. Of course, Daniel and Sean were following closely. "Sirs, Mr. Ballard insisted on seeing both of you immediately."

"Forgive me, he insisted," Nick said. "Daniel is here."

Hammond looked at him skeptically. "Here?"

"Repeat what I'm saying. I'm standing right beside you."

"Standing right beside me."

"He's lost a few pounds," Jack quipped.

Sean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dad, don't be an ass."

"Dad, don't be an ass."

"Sean's there, too?"

"Yes," Daniel said. "We have to go back to the planet and we have to let the skull finish what it started."

Nick repeated after him, "We must go back to the planet."

"Planet?" Hammond glared at Jack.

"Not a word Sir, I swear."

" Daniel told me all about the Stargate. We must replace the skull on the pedestal so that the giant aliens will come. Something must have interrupted the process."

"Teal's fired a Zat. That's all I could imagine it would be, Sir." Jack shrugged at him.

"That's it. That's what interrupted the process. We have to, we have to let it happen. We have to, we have to trust it."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Hammond asked.

"I thought I was hearing voices. It wouldn't have been for the first time."

"Forgive me," Janet interrupted, "but why are you the only person who can see them?"

"Perhaps because I went through the same experience."

"Tell General Hammond if we go back right now he might be able to see his granddaughter's school play after all."

"General Hammond, if you let us go now you might be able to see your granddaughter's play."

"I was alone in my office when Kayla phoned." He looked around as if expecting to see Daniel and Sean somewhere in the room. "Doctor Jackson, are you absolutely certain you and SG-1 can safely return to the planet?"

"Say yes."

"Yes."

"What does Sean have to say about it?" Jack asked.

"Yes! I want to get back to normal, let's go!"

"Yes, he's sure."

"It's good enough for me, Sir."

Jack had headed down to the locker room to get ready for the mission and was now heading down to the Gateroom with Nick to meet Teal'c. There was no way he was letting Sam go on this mission. And if she really knew he felt like that she'd probably kick his ass. Daniel and Sean were following them down, ready to get back to the real world.

"So it wasn't the skull alone that did this, it's its connection to the cavern?"

Daniel answered, "Yes, I think the skull is just the icon…"

"Can you imagine the technology it takes to do that?" Sean asked.

"Yes," Nick simply answered.

"Daniel said you should come along to make it work?"

"Wait, I never said that."

"You're taking advantage of us."

Nick smiled. "Yes."

They walked through the Gateroom doors where Teal'c was waiting for them. The Gate activated and Nick's eyes widened.

"So this is what you have been doing these past few years?"

Daniel nodded. "Exploring planets."

Hammond triggered the intercom. "SG-1 you have a go. Maintain radio contact."

Jack walked up the ramp, Sean following close behind.

"Then, behind that there's another world? You must tell me everything," Nick begged.

"As soon as we get back, I promise."

"After you Nicholas Ballard." Teal'c followed the man through the Gate to P7X-377.

"It's just as I remembered it. This is where they live," Nick said as they entered the pyramid.

Nick walked across the bridge ahead of Jack and Teal'c and put the skull on the pedestal.

"Now we must wait for the giant aliens."

"That just has a nice ring to it," Jack smirked, then spoke into his radio. "General Hammond, we're in position."

"Understood Colonel, proceed."

Daniel stepped forward and looked into the eyes of the skull. Sean hung back, not really sure what he should do. If he was up there, something could go wrong, but if he stayed out of the way and it worked, he could always do it again. The energy "bugs" appeared around Daniel then spread to the rest of the group.

"O'Neill, the radiation seems to be climbing again," Teal'c said, looking down at the hand held device.

Nick spun in circles, looking around. "This is incredible."

"Daniel said to let it happen." Jack shrugged.

The energy reached out and enveloped them all, including Sean.

"Daniel!" Jack shouted as his friend appeared before him.

"Jack! It worked."

"Dad?" Sean asked, trying to determine whether it worked for him as well.

"Sean!" Jack ran up, enveloping his son in a hug. "Holy shit, kid. I thought we'd lost you."

"O'Neill? Nicholas Ballard?"

"Sean?"

"You must be out of phase like us but Teal'c isn't."

"Why?" Daniel asked, looking at Jack.

"You're asking me?"

Teal'c looked around and spoke into his radio. "General Hammond. I was not teleported with the others."

"Return to base immediately."

Teal'c turned and ran back toward the Stargate. The pyramid started to shake and a mist rose up from the depths of the cavern. Before their very eyes the mist transformed into the giant alien Nick had described.

"Holy smoke Bullwinkle!" Jack gasped. "Hello! What's your name?"

The alien spoke in a loud booming voice. "Oo ya wolin wolin we tayil."

"Daniel?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"I know what it's saying." Jack rolled his eyes. "Why's it saying that?"

"It didn't affect Teal'c. Why?"

"Because he's Jaffa," Sean pointed out.

"He's carrying a symbiote. The Goa'uld." Daniel turned and faced the alien. "We are enemies of the Goa'uld."

"Then you are welcome here," the alien replied.

"Keep talking," Jack hissed.

"We're travelers, we come in search of friendship. We'd like to exchange our knowledge and culture."

"We accept your proposition." He pointed at Nick. "You may remain."

"Me?" Nick asked pointing to himself.

"Him?" Jack asked.

"This is not the first time you have journeyed here."

"You remember."

"There are others among our people who would gladly return," Daniel broke in.

"No Daniel. Let me."

"Nick…"

"This was my life's work. I've been hoping for another chance at this for 20 years. Please."

"You just came back into my life…"

"I'll be back again. Please." He patted Daniel on the shoulder.

"Look again into the eyes of the skull," the alien boomed.

"Well, Nick, take notes." Jack smiled at the man.

"I will."

Sean approached the man and held out his hand. "Thank you, for helping us."

Nick just shook his hand not really sure what to say and Sean walked over to where his father was waiting for them.

Daniel turned to his grandfather. "You have to tell me everything."

"I promise. Daniel, I am proud of you."

"Goodbye, Grandpa."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Jack, Daniel, and Sean exited the wormhole, Jack handing off his weapon to one of the SF's standing guard.

"Where's Mr. Ballard, Colonel?" Hammond asked, walking into the Gateroom.

Daniel stepped forward. "The aliens asked him to stay."

Hammond nodded. "Infirmary. Briefing in one hour."

Daniel rushed out of the room, heading straight for the infirmary. He couldn't wait to get down there and hold Janet in his arms again.

Sean stayed back with his father, the two walking at a more sedate pace. "Hey, uh, congratulations," he smiled, nudging Jack with his elbow. "I knew it was gonna happen soon."

"What?"

"The baby. I was in the infirmary when Doc Fraiser told you."

"That was you?"

Sean shrugged. "The same thing happened with Sam in the lab. Daniel and I thought it was because we were dead or something."

"I'm glad you weren't. It's a ton of paperwork. Besides, I'd hate to have to tell Trish I lost you."

"About that…" Sean looked at his father seriously. "Thanks for going over there and talking to her."

"How'd you…"

"I tagged along. I just… needed to see her again."

Jack nodded, knowing the feeling.

"You know, it could happen any day now," Sean said, the silly grin plastered on his face.

Jack smiled back. He knew exactly what Sean was talking about and was actually excited with him. It made him feel old sometimes to think about it, but the fact that he and Sam now had their own child on the way invigorated him.

"She'd still be early, but the doctor said they could safely handle it." Sean pushed the door to the locker room open, the two of them deciding to give Daniel a little extra time with the good doctor. "Hey, why don't you and Sam come over tonight. The girls can talk baby."

"Sure," Jack said, slapping his son on the back.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Trish, Hun? I'm home," Sean announced walking in through the front door of their house. He could smell the delicious dinner from the kitchen.

Trish came out wiping her hands on a towel. "Hi, did you get everything straightened out?"

He wrapped his arms around her and planted a deep kiss on her lips. He kneeled down and kissed her belly gently, rubbing his hand over their son. "I missed you guys," he whispered softly.

"We missed you, too." Trish smiled. "I just put dinner in the oven, it should be ready shortly."

"Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I invited Dad and Sam over for super." He winced, not really sure how she'd react. He stood back up and kept one arm on her.

"Well, we'll have enough. I made lasagna."

"Good. Now, I have a bone to pick with you, Missy. You're supposed to be relaxing," he said, in mock aggravation. He nuzzled her neck lovingly and wrapped his other arm around her. "You go sit down and I'll finish dinner. Dad should be over in about an hour."

tbc

A/N: so i hope you liked this, Nemesis is next, hopefully it won't take that long! ok, please review and tell me what you think, i really need to know what to fix and all!