"Yes, sir," Hammond said, "I understand. I'll try and hold them off as long as I can." As he replaced the red
receiver in its cradle the lights in his office went out. He sighed and waited for the emergency lighting to kick
in before rising and heading for the gateroom.

On the way he met Grey and Jones, both of whom were managing to pull off looks of angry confusion.

"General Hammond to the control room," the PA system blared unnecessarily.

Rather than going to the control room, Hammond proceeded to the gate room, Jones and Grey at his heels.

Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Carter were standing on the ramp leading up to the stargate. Teal'c and Dr Jackson
were at the base of the ramp, holding off the SFs who didn't look all that eager to stop Sam and Jack doing
whatever they were doing.

"Colonel O'Neill?" Hammond asked softly. "What are you doing?"

"Carter and I thought we should take a short break from the SGC, sir," Jack replied, his eyes on Grey and
Jones.

"How have you done this?" Grey demanded.

"Now that would be telling," Jack retorted. He rubbed his wrist absently and behind him the stargate flared
immediately to life, somehow managing it without going through the usual dialling sequence.

"If you step through that gate you're finished, O'Neill!" Colonel Grey snarled. "That goes for all of you," he
said, looking at Sam, Daniel and Teal'c.

Jack ignored him, and looked at General Hammond, "Any news, sir?"

Hammond shook his head sadly, watching the four of them closely. He hadn't often had the chance to see
SG-1 in action. They were good. He knew for damn sure that as long as Dr Jackson and Teal'c could stand
no one short of an army would be getting up that ramp. His eyes flicked to Jack and Sam. Over the last
year they hadn't changed, if he hadn't known about the children and the fact that they were in a relationship,
he could have sworn nothing was going on between them. Looking at them now, he could still say they were
the epitome of propriety. Though Sam was no longer in the Air Force her stance was pure military fight-or-
flight. He looked at Jack. The man was clearly exhausted, unsurprising, considering what Hammond
suspected he'd been through the last few days.

And yet Jack was still standing, his gaze on Sam silently asking her something.

Looking up at him, Sam could see the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him. His eyes were dull, but
the cocky façade he'd perfected didn't waver. She nodded almost imperceptibly. They turned and began to
walk up the ramp towards the stargate.

"Security!" Jones yelled.

Things began to happen very quickly after that. Sam heard the thud of boots on the floor of the gateroom.
Daniel shouted "Jack!" and she and Jack turned to see the room suddenly full of NID security all holding
weapons and aiming them at Sam and Jack. She heard a zat activate and saw the guard holding it take aim
at her. Then something hit her hard in the chest and forced her backwards through the event horizon. Before
she fell completely through she was aware of a brilliant white light filling her vision.

She landed on a hard surface that knocked the wind out of her. She opened her eyes and found the air
immediately above her crowded with familiar faces.

"Sam, what are you doing here? We were about to come to you."

"Hi dad," she greeted, "kids. Help me up?"

--�

Jack was still wired from the zat blast when he realised his surroundings had changed. There was still the
grey-on-grey theme, but whoever had decorated this room appeared to have had more knowledge of the
grey spectrum. Jack shook his head to clear it of the foggy thoughts and decided to try something.

"Thor?" he called.

"I am here O'Neill."

"Cool." Jack groaned as he pushed himself to his feet and looked around the room, which was surprisingly
full. Hammond was there, as were the more unwelcome figures of Grey and Jones. Jack turned to Thor.
"What's goin' on?"

"We are en route to pick up Dr Carter and your children, O'Neill. I assume that is where you sent Dr Carter?"

"Yeah," Jack said, still confused. "Two questions. One, what are you doing here? And two, what are they
doing here?" He waved a hand in the direction of Grey and Jones, careful not to encompass General Hammond.

"I'd like the answer to that myself," Hammond said.

"I demand to know why-" Jones began.

"Hey!" Jack yelled, rounding on the man and stalking over to him. "That is the supreme commander of
the Asgard fleet, so unless you want to spend some time in deep space, I suggest you be more polite."

The man swallowed convulsively as he looked up at Jack, who, though only a couple of inches taller,
seemed to be towering over him.

"Thank you, O'Neill," Thor said, and Jack couldn't help but think his friend sounded amused.

"No problem. You were saying?"

"As you know I had to return to my own galaxy, however, I had not gone far when I received a signal
telling me that your son was in trouble."

"My son? Are they-" Jack began, panic speeding his words.

"They are fine, O'Neill," Thor said reassuringly. "Jacob merely activated the long range device I gave him
after General Carter received word that all was not well at the SGC."

"So that's what you gave Jake," Jack said, understanding dawning. "I was wondering."

Thor inclined his large head regally. "I reached the Tok'ra world, only to find that Jacob wished for me to
come to Earth. Since he and Grace seemed significantly worried about yourself and Dr Carter, I complied."

"And you beamed us out of the gateroom," Jack finished.

Thor nodded. "We will reach the Tok'ra world in a little under an hour. "General Hammond, would you be so
kind as to explain exactly what has transpired, and who these people are?"

--�

"These people wished to do harm to the children of O'Neill and Dr Carter?" Thor asked, once Hammond had
gone through everything.

"Not harm-" Grey cut in.

"I did not address my question to you," Thor said.

"Go Thor," Jack muttered. Only General Hammond heard and he looked at Jack, eyes twinkling.

"They wanted to study the children," Hammond said, diplomatically.

"I see," Thor said. He glanced down at his console, "We have arrived." He moved some stones around on
the console and Sam, Jacob, Jake and Gracie appeared on the bridge, blinking in the light of the transporter.

"Daddy!" Gracie said happily, running over and throwing her arms around Jack. Jake looked around
warily, his eyes coming to rest on Grey and Jones.

For their part, the NID operatives looked at the children with something akin to greed in their eyes. Hammond
saw Sam pull Jake to her side at the same time as Jack reached down and hauled Gracie into his arms.

"I have sent a communication to your president," Thor said, his voice cutting through the tension in the room.
"I have informed him and your other world leaders that the Asgard cannot ally themselves with a planet that
would do harm to little children. Especially these children. I will receive their answer when we reach Earth,
until then, I have had rooms prepared for all of you." He pressed a small button on his console and two Asgard
appeared from the corridor. "Please escort Colonel Grey and Mr Jones to their rooms," Thor said, adding, "lock
their doors."

--�