Author Notes: It's the end! I can't believe it's taken me so long, and I bet you can't either! It's nice to finally get this completed, after so many year in my head, and so many months in the works. Thanks for all the reviews and silent support you guys have given me since I started this project, and I hope you like the conclusion!
Chapter 14
Jonas was exhausted. He sat alone, in the relative seclusion of his and Daniel's office. Today had been the day of the funeral, and every time he closed his eyes, he saw Kera and Renn's faces, or heard Juma and the other Sinaians' mourning wails. It had almost been too much.
They had stood on the outskirts of the little tent-village, as if an age had passed rather than the reality of two weeks since he had last been there. Juma had taken the torch from the Sinaian Elder, and walked to the rise in the outcrop. In lieu of bodies to bury, a tent had been erected, filled with the worldly possessions of the siblings, and it was soon alight with flames, flickering the dusk air as the desert temperature began to drop with the oncoming night.
It was the second time these people had done this for the pair. And Jonas knew that this time would be infinitely worse.
Juma and the others had been polite, but Jonas had known they were happy to see them leave. It didn't seem right anyway. He couldn't connect the Kera, or even the Renn he knew with that dead place. It was literally worlds away from how he knew them. Had known them...
"Jonas?" A soft voice spoke from the doorway, and he looked up to see Sam tentatively smiling over at him.
"Hey." He couldn't muster much more than that.
"Can I come in?" He nodded, and she sat down opposite him, separated by a comforting table of cluttered books and random artefacts catalogued only under Daniel's haphazard 'order', "How're you doing?"
He paused for a second, before actually meeting her gaze, "I have no idea."
She smiled crookedly, "Good answer."
He smiled weakly in return, and wasn't sure how long Sam let the silence stretch for his sake, just being there without pressing him to talk. She had always been surprisingly good at that, despite the scientist in her. He knew it had been a while when Jack had come looking, "You guys up for some food? Teal'c is planning on stealing some for Beren – the Doc's confined him to bed since his 'exertion' this morning." The young man had stubbornly refused to miss the ceremony, something Jonas had been both annoyed and thankful for. Vala had sided with Janet more on the matter, and had just been annoyed about Beren's disregard for his healing leg.
"Sure, sir, we'll be right there." Jack nodded, and went ahead, recognising his 2IC's tone.
"I think I'll stay here." Jonas murmured.
"No, I think you need to eat. If you don't, I'm not protecting you when Daniel, Vala and Janet come looking." Jonas winced at the last threat, and found himself grinning slightly with Sam. She sobered a little, "We're your family, Jonas. We're still here."
He paused at her words as she stood up, waiting for him to rise as well. His lips twitched slightly at the sentiment, "Thanks Sam."
She smiled, "No problem."
Jack had left Carter to deal with Jonas – she had always been the closest person to the Kelownan, back when Daniel had been going through his 'glowy phase', as Jack dubbed it, and that had never really stopped. He paused as he entered the cafeteria. Teal'c wasn't there yet, but someone else was. Daniel sat alone in a corner, staring at his plate intently without any indication that he had actually eaten anything. Jack was more annoyed that this sight didn't surprise him, than anything else.
Jack sat pointedly down with a tray, directly opposite Daniel. The other man raised his eyes from his plate, staring at Jack with faint amusement, before quietly acknowledging, "Hey Jack."
"No Vala?" Jack questioned.
"She's keeping Beren company in a way only she can." Daniel informed him dryly. Jack snorted, knowing full well what that could be like.
"You actually going to eat that?" Jack nodded his head to what was, no doubt, very cold chicken.
Daniel shrugged, "It looked more appetising on the shelf."
"Uh huh."
Daniel placed his fork down, leaving his food be for the moment, "I'm fine, Jack."
"Never said you weren't. You seem to need to justify yourself though."
"Jack..."
"Daniel." Jack met his friend's gaze, and smiled slightly to match Daniel's exasperated grin, brought out from the comfortingly familiar exchange.
There was a silence between them for a moment, as both turned to the noise of the rest of SG-1, minus Vala, enter and head over to the food, Teal'c cutting a determined path. "Will it get better?" Daniel asked quietly, keeping his voice low enough so that even Jonas wouldn't hear his words.
Jack shifted, speaking slowly, "The guilt won't go away. But yeah, it'll get better."
"How did you do it all those years? All those times we nearly died, hell, when we did die?"
Jack shrugged, "I just did. You're back, Hammond's reinstating Jonas, Vala's sticking around and another snakehead is dead."
"Positive thinking is your advice then?" Daniel asked dubiously.
Jack eyed his best friend carefully, "I don't know, that was always your job."
Daniel cast his gaze to the table, waiting a while before speaking, "I think I might have to delegate that job to Vala now."
Jack winced internally, the realisation of how much had changed hitting him full on for yet another time since things had really gone to hell – and when was that exactly? Instead, he replied, as the rest of the team came over, "Whatever works."
"If we don't hear from you once a week, I'm coming after you." Vala threatened, her arms folded as she stared down Beren.
Daniel rolled his eyes, slipping a hand onto her shoulder, "She means once a month."
Beren snorted, "If only I was as positive as you. Vala – I am going to be very busy, but I will try and remember to let you know I'm still walking once in a while."
SG-1 stood with General Hammond at the base of the open Stargate. In the back of his mind, George mused that perhaps he should think about doing something about his now six person strong flagship team, but decided he couldn't really be bothered.
Beren stood on the ramp, flanked and supported by two of his people, the new bodyguards for the King of Kerma, a concept Beren found beyond distasteful, and Vala just found funny. Nirrti had left a path of destruction behind her, but the Kermans were resilient, and would follow the king who helped them narrowly avoid the fate their last king tried to deal them. Beren, while still a little unsteady on his leg, was determined that he had been away too long. He belonged with his people, but unlike last time, he was not abandoning his other family, an IDC safe in his bag.
"Good luck kid." Jack nodded, a smile on his face as he pictured all the bureaucracy Beren was going to have to deal with.
"I'll need it." Beren responded wryly, "General, thank you for everything. As soon as my people are back on our feet, I would be interested in establishing trade relation with your people. We were quite the trade planet in my youngest days, and have many links I hope to re-establish across the galaxy."
"Yeah, the planet's loaded." Vala interjected, earning a light slap on the arm from Jonas. Daniel sighed in exasperation.
General Hammond nodded diplomatically despite Vala's words, "I look forward to hearing from you son."
Beren grinned and, ignoring the twitchy looks of his bodyguards, embraced the remains of his family in turn. He was loath to leave them, but knew it was for the best. It was not like the last time. They weren't in denial of what had happened; they weren't trying to forget. They were just moving on. He shook hands with the rest of SG-1 and General Hammond, accepting a hug from Sam.
It was going to be okay. Not great, not perfect, and most definitely not painless. But they had a hope.
FIN
Author Notes: It's finally done! Are you in as much disbelief as I am? It's almost been a year. Oops. Well, I hope you enjoyed it, and the conclusion. I'd love to hear any closing thoughts you have on this, or anything that's been bugging you during the story. I look forward to hearing from you this last time, and thank you for reading!