Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the idea of Harry Potter or any of the money making forms of it, and that sadly goes the same with Stargate SG-1 and anything else that happens to pop up.
A/N: Sorry it has taken me a while for me to post this part. Halfway through I had hit a minor wall, and life in general has gotten busy. College started back up for me, but hopefully I will have time to post again soon. Thanks so much for the reviews and patience :)
Questions concerning:
Sabin and Jack being unable to ring down: The rings' system had been entirely deactivated. They did not have time to turn them back on and definitely didn't have time to poof to all of the explosives to reset them so they would have time. The rings' system is like a computer, once you shut it down, it takes a moment to start it back up.
Sirius/Jolinar and Martouf: There will not be any slash relationship there, for anyone who doesn't already know I do not write or read slash.
Sabin and Jack taking the 'unnecessary risk' of personally killing Apophis: First of all, it was necessary, they didn't want to take the risk of him escaping... again. So they felt the best and only way to really do that was to personally kill him before blowing up his ship.
Sabin's future schooling: Don't worry; I'm not going to pull any obscure, cockamamie, things with that. There is very little earth (muggle or magical) can truly offer to him education-wise. The only things that he is missing at the moment is Earth's geography and history after the Ancients, but Daniel and Sam will no doubt provide enough knowledge on that later.
Previously:
"Sabin?" he asked.
Sabin didn't answer, just immediately hugged him, Jack just barely catching the look of solid determination on his young face.
--POOF--
O o O
"Colonel, what's going on up there?!" Sam shouted into the radio, fear in her voice.
They only got static as a reply, just as a second explosion became visible in the sky above them.
"Oh no..." Daniel breathed.
- - - Part 24: The Beliskner
Thor was concerned.
He had received a message from Sabin, requesting for assistance in former Goa'uld territory. He was glad Sabin had informed him of Apophis' plans of trying to claim Heru'ur's space, but feared he would not be able to make it in time to make much of a difference.
He made the Beliskner go faster, heading to the coordinates Sabin had sent to him.
He just hoped he wouldn't be too late in helping, if his help was needed. He and his people were allied to him, after all, and not only that, he liked Sabin, as well as that odd Tau'ri 'fellow,' Jack or something?
O o O o O
Jack's feet landed on something solid, but not exactly level. Soon after, he realized that, wherever he was, it was dark but not completely. There were stars twinkling above him and a fading fire in the sky far off in the horizon. He was unbelievably cold, but not from the temperature or weather of the area. His very core felt as if it had been submerged in icy water, and his whole body felt as if he had tumbled down a steep hill of unforgiving concrete. He was out of breath and could feel himself shaking, even before his legs gave way.
Hitting the grassy ground on his side, he suddenly felt a small form land against his legs.
Sabin.
Looking down, immediately realizing they were in a valley of some kind, Jack found what made his heart nearly stop.
"Sabin!"
Now on his knees, he waved his hand over Sabin, muttering lumos at the same time to see him more clearly.
He was silent and still and Jack could see that his lips were dark blue and he was not breathing. He was very cold, colder than Jack.
"Oh please no," he breathed. "Sabin, come on, buddy."
He laid him down straight before quickly searching for a pulse. He found none.
"No, no, come on," he said, immediately checking his airway and beginning CPR.
"One-two-three-four-five," he said, before giving one breath. He continued cycling through this for a number of minutes.
"Please, not again, please," he said, desperation thick in his voice as he continued CPR. "I already lost one son, please don't take another..." His voice dispersed into the night air as he gave Sabin another breath.
O o O o O
"How do you end up in these situations?" Jovon asked, shaking his head down at Sabin.
They were in a vast, brightly lit, plain.
Sabin turned and looked up, a little sheepishly.
"Well, I need to tell you something anyways. Something is coming, well, several things," Jovon said. "Because of this, you need to prepare. I see that you've already begun teaching your dad a few things. His quick grasp of his Mind Force is quite impressive, but no need to stop there - and you shouldn't."
Jovon had clearly embraced Jack's new title as 'dad' to Sabin.
"I'm sorry that I can't tell you more, but you need to be going, before it is too late. Even now, you are cutting it a little close...and I am sorry to say that you will not escape unscathed either way," Jovon said. "It was good seeing you again, Sabin. Until we meet again."
O o O o O
Jack was now officially hysterical, beyond it actually. It had been over fifteen minutes since Sabin had poofed them off the ship, not that he knew that - to him it felt like hours, days even (except for the fact it was still dark).
"Four-five..."
Jack nearly jumped when Sabin took in a ragged breath.
"Sabin! Thank you, Lord!" Jack said, lifting his eyes slightly to the sky before looking back down to Sabin.
Sabin's lips were still blue and it was clear that he was struggling to take each breath, but he was alive!
Jack felt like crying in relief and nearly did.
"Jack?" Sabin mumbled as Jack bent down and kissed him on the forehead.
"I'm here," Jack said, "It's okay, every-"
Whatever was okay, Sabin never heard, for in that instant, they were consumed by a blue and white pillar of light.
O o O o O
"Colonel! Come in, Colonel!" Sam shouted into her radio again.
"Sam..." Daniel said, trying in vain to get her attention as he took hold of her arm.
"Colonel! Jack, come in, please!"
"Sam!" Daniel shouted, giving her arm a shake.
Sam jumped, tears in her eyes.
"They can't-they can't be..." Sam managed.
"Sam, we need to get to the gate," Daniel said. "The others are waiting for us."
He didn't know what else to say or do.
"What-what if Sabin managed to poof them down here? What if they're hurt?"
"We'll come back and search for them, okay, but right now, we need to tell the others what has happened."
Sam shut her eyes before giving a shaky nod, knowing Jack would not want her to lose her composure, no matter the situation.
O o O o O
Jack found himself standing in a large odd metal . . . ship? His eyes focused on a huge window. Dark space was on the other side, but he wasn't concerned about that, he was more concerned about the fact that Sabin was no longer with him.
"Colonel O'Neill."
Turning around and raising his gun in one swift motion, Jack found himself aiming at a little gray Roswell fellow.
"Where's Sabin!" Jack shouted.
"Here," he said. "I apologize, but I felt it best to place him immediately into the stasis pod to help him heal. I see that you resuscitated him, but he is still very weak."
Jack wasn't positive who the guy was, but knew he was an Asgard.
"Thor?" Jack asked, slowly moving to the pod, not completely at ease yet.
"It is I. I had received a message from Guardian Sabin, informing me that you all were attempting to take down Apophis. I am glad you have succeeded, though I wish I had arrived in time to prevent Sabin from injuring himself," he said regretfully. He moved something on the control panel.
"Will he be okay?" Jack asked, now lowering his weapon and approaching the 'pod'.
He found Sabin sleeping within, his lips not so blue anymore.
"Yes, though the ship's systems are trying to find the cause of the problem. Could you tell me what happened?" he asked.
Jack told him what had happened, and that they had not anticipated Apophis shutting down the rings and that they quickly learned it would take too long to recharge the crystals since they had been shut down. It wasn't that Sabin didn't know how to restart the rings, just that he didn't have time to. It was like shutting down a computer and waiting for it to reboot. Some things nobody can rush.
Jack felt stupid for not having thought of that response from the Goa'uld.
He then told Thor about how Sabin had poofed them to the planet's surface.
Thor's eyes grew wide.
"Yes, that would have caused his body a great deal of stress, traveling through space, and with a companion no less. How are you feeling, O'Neill?" he asked, now looking at him in concern.
"Good. I was a little shaky and cold at first, but I'm fine now," Jack said.
"You are very lucky. If Sabin had been any weaker, you would have been in the same condition as Sabin, if not worse."
"How bad is he?" Jack asked, turning the conversation back onto Sabin.
"I'm reading extreme exhaustion, but not exactly where his physical condition is concerned, though his body is tired. It's like there's a separate system besides his physical one," Thor said, appearing a little confused.
"I think I may know what you are referring to. All people like him, well, magic users, have a magical core. Sam read all about it and told me. We are sure he has exhausted it before, like after Zoning Cheyenne Mountain and escaping from Ban-Azka."
"How long did it take him to recover after those events?"
"A few days, the Zoning didn't take as long."
"So this?" Thor prompted.
"I don't know, two days at least, probably," Jack admitted. "But then, what is this pod thingy doing, exactly?"
"The stasis pod is putting nutrients and energy directly into his body. I don't know how this will affect his magical core, but perhaps it will allow more of his energy to focus there."
Jack nodded, looking back to Sabin.
O o O o O
Teal'c, Bra'tac, Sirius, Martouf, Alice and Frank and the others part of their teams (including some individuals who appeared to have been Goa'uld prisoners) met up in front of the gate, the rendezvous point.
"Where is O'Neill's team?" Bra'tac asked. "They should have been here before now."
Before someone could speculate where they were, they saw Sam and Daniel approaching from the shadows.
It didn't take long for them to realize something was wrong.
"Where's Jack and Sabin?" Sirius asked.
Sam kept her head bowed, while Daniel slowly looked up and sadly shook his head as Sirius began demanding to be told what happened.
O o O o O
"Sabin?" Jack whispered before turning to Thor. "Hey, I think he's waking up!"
Thor hurried over.
"Guardian Sabin, can you hear us?" Thor asked.
Sabin frowned, wondering why he was laying in a glass tube-like thing before he nodded a little.
"Good. Now don't move much, just relax. The pod is helping you," Thor said.
"W-where am I?" Sabin asked, his voice distorted by the glass between them.
"You are on the Beliskner, my vessel," Thor answered. "I detected both of your life signs on the surface and brought you up as soon as I could. We are now going to Earth, where I will leave you. I am certain my assistance will be needed to secure the new territory you and the others have taken, which was a great help to us. Because of the previous arrangement, our border of space was warped inward, but now it has flattened out, which will allow us to send more ships to where we really need them."
"You having problems or something?" Jack asked, wondering why the Asgard would be so concerned about gaining a few more ships for use other than border patrol.
"We have an enemy that has been gathering in force, the Replicators, but now that you and your people have shifted the territories, we can focus more of our strength elsewhere. We will be forever grateful. Your actions may have turned the tide in our war with the Replicators," Thor explained as Sabin closed his eyes again.
Jack could almost swear the little gray dude smiled.
"How long until we get to Earth?" Jack asked, Sabin now asleep.
"A few hours. I'll be able to send a holographic transmission in a few minutes," Thor said.
"That's good. I can only imagine what they're thinking right now..." Jack said, feeling bad about making them worry like that. "They might think we're... gone."
"It is a possibility, but soon that belief will be corrected," Thor said.
O o O o O
General Hammond watched as Sam, Daniel, Sirius (and Jolinar), the Longbottom's (with their symbiotes: Loflin and Jean) and Teal'c took their seats in the briefing room.
Many of the Tok'ra were looking on the planet, hoping for a miracle, but they had already said their recent scans had found nothing.
Sirius was close to tears. Sam had already been crying, and now she was trying to put up a brave front. Teal'c was as sad as Hammond had ever seen him, and the Longbottom's appeared lost. Probably imagining what it would feel like if their own son was gone, since Sabin and Neville were the same age.
Hammond cleared his throat, trying to get past his own emotions and trying to figure out what to say; however, he was interrupted.
A bright column of light appeared right beside him, a transparent figure of a Roswell-like alien materializing.
"Friends of Jack O'Neill and Guardian Sabin," he greeted.
"Thor?!" Daniel gasped. Thor nodded.
"I have decided it best to send out this holographic transmission as soon as I could, assuming you had come to the conclusion that Jack O'Neill and Guardian Sabin had suffered a terrible fate. I am informing you that is not the case. Jack O'Neill and Guardian Sabin are both on my vessel, the Beliskner, and we will be within Earth's orbit in three hours."
Hammond and the other took several seconds to absorb what Thor had just told them.
"They are alive?" Sirius asked.
"Very much so," Thor answered with a slight nod.
Sirius and Daniel began laughing in hysterical thankfulness as Sam and Alice Longbottom gave a grateful half choked sob and embraced each other. The others looked utterly relieved.
"What happened? Are they both alright?" Hammond asked.
"They are both tired, but Sabin seems to be suffering a little more from fatigue than O'Neill. I have placed him in a stasis pod to help in his recovery. O'Neill told me the last time he expended his... magic, he was out for a few days."
"Has he woken up at all?" Sam asked.
"He woke a few minutes ago, just long enough to ask where he was and to learn that O'Neill was with him," Thor answered. "He is sleeping again at the moment."
"Could we speak to O'Neill?" Hammond asked.
"Certainly."
He disappeared for a moment, and then Jack focused into view, as if he had stepped onto a platform.
"Good morning, campers!" Jack said. "It is morning over there, right?"
"Yes, Jack, it is," Daniel said, too happy to see Jack alive to be annoyed with his enthusiasm.
"It is very good to see you well, Colonel," Hammond said.
"Indeed it is, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed.
"So how is Sabin doing, really? I suspect Frasier will want to take a look at him once you both arrive," Hammond said.
"I think he drained his magic a great deal, more than his warding of the base and even that whole incident at Ban Azka and at Hogwarts." Jack sighed, for some reason feeling as if he was missing something.
"So he's just really tired, right?" Daniel asked.
"I think so, but I think it would be wise to get a second opinion, just to be safe," Jack muttered.
"Jack is actually requesting an examination by another doctor?" Daniel asked, stunned.
"I don't want to take any chances. Right now... I don't know, right now his magic just feels different," Jack said.
"Different?" Sirius asked, now growing concerned after feeling such relief.
"I can't really explain it, and didn't know I could sense his magic until I felt the difference."
"General, I think we should get Madam Pomfrey up here or something," Sirius said. "It could be nothing and just that he's tired, but a shift in magic that causes it to actually feel different can be serious."
"I agree with Mr. Black," Frank Longbottom said. "We can floo Dumbledore and get Madam Pomfrey over here before the Beliskner arrives."
"The President has already allowed the secret of the Stargate Program be told to a number of people. I don't know how much he would appreciate another request, however, because Sabin's life may be at risk, I do not see how he can refuse," Hammond said.
They all nodded.
"I'm going to go back and sit with Sabin. Thor will probably beam us down into the infirmary when we arrive," Jack said.
"We'll be waiting," Hammond said as Jack's form faded.
It took a moment for them all to refocus, but knowing that Jack and Sabin were alive was an immense relief and now they were able to focus on other matters.
"--The Tok'ra have rescued several people from one of the Goa'uld ships. Apparently they had been moving a small number of future hosts. One of them has agreed to take a host of ours--" Jolinar said through Sirius.
"I assume that would be yourself?" Daniel asked.
"--Yes--"
"When are you going to do this?" Hammond asked.
"--I was hoping for today, mainly because my future host is not well at the moment. Nothing life threatening, but I can't stand the thought of my future host being uncomfortable when I could help her--" she said.
"Very well. I assume Sirius will be okay afterwards?" he asked.
"--Yes, though he may feel sluggish and a little lonely, putting it bluntly, but because we both understand I am leaving, and have already come to terms with it, it will not be as traumatic for him if something happened to cause me to leave suddenly--"
Hammond and the others nodded.
"Whenever you wish to leave Sirius, just tell Dr. Fraiser so she can monitor it all, make sure you both are alright," Hammond said.
"I think we'll go ahead and do this before Sabin and Jack arrive, then," Sirius said. "That woman has a nasty cough and there's no point in letting her stay sick if we can do something about it."
"Very well. Is there anything else?" Hammond asked.
They all shook their heads, the Longbottom's already getting up to floo Pomfrey and Dumbledore to get in contact with their family again. . . .
O o O o O
Dumbledore was in his office, working on a few papers for the upcoming school year when his fireplace suddenly flared.
Thinking it was Augusta or someone else from the Ministry, he stood up to welcome them; however, he quickly learned this was not the case as the fireplace alerted him that the firecall was from out of the country. Far out of the country.
"Headmaster?" a voice asked.
Looking into the flames, Dumbledore could hardly believe his eyes.
"Frank Longbottom?"
"Professor, you may want to sit down."
O o O o O
"Thor, come here! Something's wrong!" Jack shouted, skidding across the floor onto the bridge of the ship where Thor was.
Thor quickly left the console, hurrying in behind Jack to find Sabin sitting up and clearly upset in the pod he was supposed to be resting in.
"What is wrong Guardian Sabin? Are you in pain?" Thor asked, trying to understand the readings he was now seeing.
"Core's damaged; can't fix it," Sabin nearly rambled, sounding scared and disoriented. "Jovon said - not unscathed, b-but this!?"
"Sabin, calm down. How do you know your core is damaged? How bad is it?" Jack asked, taking his little hands in his.
"Sleeping, looked at it, felt weird. Crack in it . . . tried repairing it, b-but I can't!" Jack gently hugged him, looking to Thor and hoping he would know how to fix this. "Doesn't feel good, hurts some."
"It'll be alright, Sabin, just rest on me," Jack said.
"I don't understand much about your core, Guardian, but I believe the stress you were under while transporting yourself and O'Neill to the planet's surface is the cause of this. I am sorry to say I do not know how to help you, but perhaps the Tau'ri magic users can help you where I cannot," Thor said.
Sabin nodded against Jack's chest, one of his hands loosely gripping onto Jack's vest as he fell into a restless sleep.
"How much longer until we arrive?" Jack asked.
"Less than ten minutes."
O o O o O
"Everyone ready?" Fraiser asked, Pomfrey and Dumbledore trying not to appear too overwhelmed from everything while standing next to Sirius and the others in the Infirmary.
"Yeah," Sirius said.
The Longbottom's had felt it best to go to the Longbottom mansion because they did not wish to be in the way if Sabin needed to be treated for whatever reason, and they also wanted to see their son again - most of all.
Sirius and Jolinar were no longer together, Jolinar now with a new host, for which Martouf was especially grateful. Sirius felt understandably empty, and though a part of him would always miss Jolinar's companionship, a greater part of himself was actually happy to have his thoughts be completely his own. The Tok'ra had all left, not wanting to get in the way, but made Hammond swear to keep them updated about the condition of Jack and Sabin.
After Dumbledore had been told a brief summary of the Stargate program, the President actually insisting the old head of the Wizengamot be told the truth, Dumbledore arrived at the base via portkey through the Legion of American Wizards with Madam Pomfrey.
Pomfrey was understandably concerned when she was told about Sabin's apparent 'shift' in magic Jack had described, and did not understand why time felt as if it was mocking her by how slow it seemed to be going.
She, of course, was more focused on wondering what Sabin's true condition was than the fact aliens existed and how the Americans had a doorway into other worlds.
Dumbledore's thoughts were jumbled between the Longbottom's, the Stargate Program, and Sabin. He couldn't help but be worried, for the same reasons as Pomfrey, knowing what a 'shift' in magic could mean.
A damaged core.
If Dumbledore wasn't such a skilled Occlumens, he probably wouldn't be able to form a coherent sentence.
He had once experienced a damaged core himself a long time ago, and it was something he wouldn't wish on anyone. If that was what had befallen Sabin. . . .
He didn't even want to think about it.
A cracked core was beyond uncomfortable, and it made one feel as if they had a chunk of their very being misplaced. It was enough to make anyone go mad, and for some cases, if left untreated, could.
If something was wrong with Sabin, he hoped this was not the problem, for if it was, drastic measures would need to be taken, and the very magic and life of the Guardian would be at risk.
A bed had been readied, Fraiser hopeful that Thor would know which bed to place Sabin on. Finally, after a few more agonizing minutes, two pillars of light took over the room, one on the bed they had prepared, the other right next to it.
Jack and Sabin appeared, many in the room giving a small gasp, never having seen something like that before. Dumbledore and the others stayed back, Fraiser already having dished out death threats if any of them got too close, or, heaven forbid, got in the way.
Barely after the light dissipated, Fraiser was taking Sabin's pulse and readying her penlight, ignoring Jack for the moment as Pomfrey waved her wand over Sabin's semi-conscious form, before Sabin flailed, suddenly wondering why he felt surrounded.
Too tired to be truly conscious of what was happening or where he was, Sabin focused on one goal, finding Jack.
"Dad!?" he shouted out, batting Fraiser's penlight away before reaching toward where he instinctively knew Jack was.
"We're in the infirmary, Sabin; back on Earth. Terra," Jack said, forcing Sabin back onto the bed and taking Sabin's hand that was waving about and battling Janet Fraiser's penlight that had yet to directly shine in his eyes - Fraiser's attempts of soothing him utterly failing.
"Too bright and dark!" Sabin practically yelled, his other hand somehow snatching Fraiser's penlight as Pomfrey gathered readings with her wand.
Jack couldn't help but feel bad for practically siccing two doctors on Sabin, but with how he was acting now, worry beat back guilt.
Tightly holding the penlight he had just taken from Fraiser and was barely keeping from her, a loud bang rocked their ear drums.
"Ahh!"
The penlight was broken and they all could suddenly feel hot magic rippling off of Sabin.
"Merlin! Tell him to stop using magic!" Pomfrey suddenly yelled. "It'll make the fracture worse!"
Sabin was clearly not coherent, falling back to his first mission of finding and getting to Jack.
Jack was suddenly there, unapologetically pushing Fraiser aside, not caring if he'd pay for it later, and pulled Sabin off the bed and into his arms while kneeling on the floor to comfortably cradle Sabin.
"Dad," Sabin sighed, unimaginable relief radiating from such a tiny word.
"I'm here, just calm down, Sabin; you're safe."
"I can't fix it, I can't fix it. Please fix it," he said, before loosing what small grasp he had on consciousness.
"Everyone but Jack, move away from him!" Dumbledore suddenly ordered, stepping up and pulling out his wand.
Everyone did as they were told, too stunned by the power from the old man to question him. They took a few steps back and made as much room as they could for Dumbledore as he went to his knees beside Jack and placed his old hand on Sabin's chest.
"Place your wand hand over my hand," Dumbledore told Jack, before closing his eyes and muttering a few words under his breath. "If you can, enter his mind and let him know everything will be alright."
Jack did that, becoming even more shaken when Sabin's Mind Force barely responded.
"Direct as much magic as you can into my hand. I will try to mold it over the fracture to help close it," Dumbledore directed.
Jack barely nodded, the scars on his hand growing hot as the magic was then absorbed and guided by Dumbledore. Dumbledore ignored the burning sensation on the back of his hand as Jack continued giving him his magic to use.
Dumbledore finished muttering and was now completely focused and still, no doubt repairing what he could.
The others in the room waited anxiously, Sam and Daniel barely breathing by the door, while Hammond, Sirius, and Teal'c stared at the scene from the opposite wall. Fraiser and Pomfrey stood frozen at the foot of Sabin's bed.
Finally, Dumbledore pulled his hand away from under Jack's, Sabin now resting peacefully.
"Did it work?" Jack asked.
"Yes, but he must not use any magic for at least two weeks. Think of what I have done as clay in a crack. It needs to dry and stiffen before he can use his core again, otherwise he will morph his magic into something he may not be able to control, or even use. What I have done is something I wish had not been necessary, but because it was, I did it. The other options would not have been wise."
"What were the other options?" Sam asked.
"The next best option would have been to lock his magic, and wait for his core to possibly heal. It would not have been a guarantee, and unnaturally locking a person's magic can be extremely dangerous, especially in one so young. His magic is still developing, and though it has developed more than even my own, it is still adjusting, and will continue to as he grows. Locking it would have brought another set of risks I did not want to place on Sabin."
"So will he be okay?" Sirius asked, slowly approaching.
"As long as he lets his core heal by not using any magic, he should be. A few slip ups of using magic might be okay, but I wouldn't advise pushing it at all. I'm seriously stunned what he did to the flashlight did not cause more harm to his core, though I do not know what the fracture looked like before."
Taking a collective sigh of relief, Pomfrey and Fraiser went back into action.
Pomfrey helped Jack tuck Sabin into bed, while Fraiser prepared a bed for Jack, which for the first time he would not object to. Soon after, Pomfrey checked Dumbledore over, making sure he hadn't over exerted himself. After getting her readings, she 'strongly advised' him to sleep in the next day.
Not wishing to risk Pomfrey slipping something into his food or drink later, Dumbledore promised to do as she said.
Now that everything had quieted down, Sirius, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c approached Jack and Sabin's beds, the others having stepped out into the hall.
Seeing the looks of his team, Jack knew they were trying not to burst about something.
"What?" he finally asked.
Teal'c's smile nearly broke his face as he answered, "Guardian Sabin has designated a new title for you."
Jack relaxed into his pillow, a soft smile reaching his lips as he closed his eyes, missing the faces of the rest of his team as he surrendered to sleep.
Sam had a dreamy grin, Daniel had an amused and happy smirk, and Sirius had an expression torn between jealousy, gratitude, and joy.
Next Part: The Ancients
A/N: Again, sorry it took so long for me to finish this part, and I hope it didn't seem too rushed. I honestly do not know how soon I will be able to post the next, but at least this part does not have such a horrible cliff hanger...