Well that was a largely unplanned absence, but I'm back and hope a few of you are still with the story!

Many many thanks as always to my Beta, The Mind of the Dragon!

And thank you to Armand, stargatesg1973, Guest 64, VividVideoGeek, Forahr, charmingskyblue304, sheppardlover928, JodyMarie, YOURLORDANDMASTEROFINTERESTING and Jim for the reviews!


Atlantis, San Francisco Bay

2 pm PST

All non-essential staff had been recalled to the Control Spire during launch, and having heard about Elizabeth Weir's more or less life-ending injuries in another take-off years earlier, Jeannie had ensured that Kaleb, the children and herself were ensconced somewhere deep within the tower, but she found herself wishing she could watch the view.


Jack watched the video feed of Atlantis' launch from a variety of monitors from Homeworld Security's operations centre at the Pentagon. It was quite the site as the lower bulk of the city rose from the water and the whole city left the bay behind in a manner which looked like it ought to be impossible.

"Quite the sight," Daniel murmured as he joined Jack in his vigil.


"The city's designed to engage boosters at a height of five thousand feet, but we've calculated that the shockwave might cause some problems on the ground, so we're taking her to ten thousand, which should limit any damage," Rodney explained hurriedly down the radio to an overly-wrought technician at Homeworld Security.

"Everything is going exactly as we'd expect Sergeant."

Not waiting for the nosy technician to respond Rodney clicked his radio off and turned his attention to John.

"We're at six thousand feet, not long till we need to engage the boosters, how is she feeling?"

"Atlantis feels great, nothing wrong at all, and I'm getting a feed from outside. The view is incredible!"

"Well that's nice, but for now please just focus solely on achieving orbit," Rodney gently chastised the pilot.

"Aye aye Captain."


A few lucky people on the ground were able to see the take-off up close having risked a trip to the edge of the heavily guarded evacuation zone. Most of the crowd were made up of the military and the world media, watching the city's every move as she ascended higher and higher.

The city shone as the light hit her in different angles from through the cloud and it was a mesmerising sight, but all too soon Atlantis hit ten thousand feet and her boosters deployed sending her upwards through all the cloud and out of sight, leaving behind her a pretty strong gust of wind that whipped against the crowd a number of second later.


With the boosters deployed, the rest of the launch went without a hitch and Atlantis made a textbook insertion into orbit.

"Pretty impressive flying John," Rodney said, a small smile on his face as he flicked his radio back on.

"Still got it," John grinned.

Seconds later they heard O'Neill's voice over the intercom.

"Exceptionally well done Colonel."

"Why thank you sir," John responded..

"When I get out to Pegasus you're going to need to give me some lessons."

"It's just kind of like a big Jumper sir," John added to a scathing look from Rodney.

"Having had to bring the city to the surface I'd highly doubt that Sheppard,"

O'Neill ended communications, leaving the three colleagues to do their work.

"'Like a big jumper', oh please. There's like two dozen jumper pilots and maybe a dozen people who can even work a chair."

"Well the principle's the same. You tell the interface what you want and the ship no matter how big or small responds. Piece of cake!"

"Mmm hmm," Rodney picked up his tablet, "I need to go get ready for the docking sequence, so you and Radek radio if you need me."

As Rodney turned and left Radek let a small smile cross his features, secretly glad the ATA therapy hadn't worked on him.


Atlantis, Earth Orbit

3.30 PM

"Textbook," Colonel Li announced suddenly as he arrived in the control centre.

"Hm?" Asked Woolsey.

"The docking of our ships went very well. Like it would in a textbook," the Chinese Colonel elaborated.

"Yes it did," agreed Woolsey. "Thank you all," he continued, smiling at the assembled ship captains, Sam and Rodney.

"Ha. As if you expected any less from us?" Rodney said, smugness edging into his voice.

"Well one might have wondered if you might have lost your edge given your lack of participation in the scientific community in the last couple of years," Woolsey responded, earning a glare from the Canadian.

"Never in a million years. Physics is my lifeblood. Plus for your information I have in fact been working on a number of papers for publication. Being out of the Stargate game does not equal being out of the game altogether."

"Of course not Doctor McKay," Woolsey smiled, walking away.

Sam bit back a full grin at Woolsey's subtle needling, "C'mon McKay. Back down to Sheppard. We're only ready to leave orbit when he is."

"Fine fine fine," Rodney grumbled, "back to the chair room I go."

With Rodney out of earshot, Woolsey returned.

"Must tame the beast before he arises once more," Dick said pragmatically, earning a chuckle from Carter.

"Nah...He wouldn't be himself unless we wanted to strangle him."


A few minutes after the ships had successfully docked, Sheppard and Carter asked for permission to leave Earth orbit for Pegasus. Permission was granted by President Robins and Atlantis left, leaving the world in awed silence at the stunning show of lights created in the sky by the city's hyperspace window.


Carson had taken over control of the Chair as soon as Atlantis had left Earth orbit as lift-off was the most taxing part of city-ship control and Sheppard needed a rest. His four hour shift had gone off without a hitch, but a headache had been building the whole time, so he'd jumped for joy when a grumpy Miko had arrived to relieve him.

Now he was joining many other expedition members for a surprise mail call.

Carson followed the military expedition members up to the main jumper bay where deliveries had been sent for all the military staff and the ranking expedition members. The civilians had to trek down to the main mess for their deliveries.

It was like Christmas day when he walked in, as marines, airmen and soldiers opened boxes and parcels. Some were ripping open carefully wrapped parcels with bows and ribbons while other tugged at the masking tape on boxes from Amazon.

"What's all this?" Carson asked Evan.

"The military had multiple requests from expedition members' families to be allowed to send us some items last minute. I've seen people unwrapping all sorts so far. Everything from mugs and swiss army knives to designer watches to packs to multivitamins. Someone even got a segway."

"And you?"

Evan bit his bottom lip. "I've been afraid to look. Someone leaked details of the mail drop on the internet and between my rather public coming out and Maggie becoming an internet celebrity...That pile up there is mines," he pointed to the second level of the Jumper bay at a massive heap of packages almost as big as a jumper, many of them wrapped in LGBT flag-inspired wrapping paper.

"You'll need new quarters to fit all those boxes in the front door," Carson chuckled.

"Yeah, and I need security with me while I open everything. In case anyone's sent me something nasty or dangerous."

"That makes sense I guess. What a world we live in," Carson sighed.

"They've not found anything so far with Chuck's," Evan chuckled, pointing to where the sergeant sat on the floor surrounded by his own mass of boxes.

"Hey look Evan!" the cheery Canadian suddenly shouted, holding up a large piece of card with his service picture on it. "It says 'Good Luck Chucknician'. Chucknician. I have a nickname and my fan club thought it up!" Chuck lowered the card and looked at the pile of boxes in horror, "My God I have a fan club. That is so fucked up."

"The Canadian Government asked Chuck to record a regular vlog for the Canadian public," Evan said quietly to Carson, "Hence his stack of gifts."

"I've also received cameras from a million and one different companies. Sergeant Sherry's counting up what they're all worth. I've had parcels from GoPro, Nikon, Canon, and loads of others, all wanting me to record my vlog using their products."

Carson smiled at the Canadian's excitement and horror, "Ah well knowing my family I'll have some thermals for the winter and some novelty socks."

"You've got a big pile of stuff we'll need to go through as well sir," Sergeant Sherry said, looking up from Chuck's tally sheet, "but your mother sent you a hamper from your local butcher...She left a note, something about a 'Lorne sausage and tattie scones'?"

"Oh I always moan about how I miss them when I'm away from home!" Carson grinned, missing Evan's horrified face "I'll need to put that in my freezer!"

"Lorne sausage?"


"How did mail call go?" Sam asked Sheppard as he arrived in the control room.

"I got some fan mail, if you can believe that," Sheppard smirked, sounding pleased with himself.

"Me too," Sam grinned, "along with a rather bad-humoured letter from Malcolm Tunney. When I say letter I mean a tirade, aimed at myself along with Rodney, Radek, Jeannie, Miko, Bill and every other leading scientist in the program...It must suck for him not being the centre of attention in the scientific community for once."

"I've never met the man, but Rodney's never painted a good picture."

"Take McKay, remove the brilliance, increase the arrogance, apply a magnifying glass and you have Malcolm Tunney."

"You also paint a lovely picture Colonel."

"I try," she smiled, "Anyway it's only about seven hours until your next chair shift. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Can't sleep," Sheppard admitted, "Better keeping busy."


"I talked to Chuck. I think between us all we now have enough maple syrup to re-enact the Great Maple Syrup Heist," Jeannie deadpanned.

"He got sent a shed load of the stuff too?" Rodney asked as he helped his sister and brother-in-law find places for all the things they'd been sent as gifts. Both their quarters and his own looked like Toys "R" Us had thrown up all over the place given the bulk of gifts the family had received from well-wishers.

"I'll never understand why some people need to give gifts to people they don't know," Kaleb sighed, "The world's just suffered something so horrific words can barely describe it, yet some people managed to get it together enough to send us stuff. They should be out giving things to people that have lost everything."

"Well I'm not complaining," Madison smiled, "I got tons of make up and stuff from lots of companies. And since I just lost like everything I owned and got my face smashed up I don't really care."

"Not the right attitude Madison," Jeannie said in a disapproving tone, "Especially since those companies only sent you gifts so you'd advertise what they're selling. My daughter is not a Kardashian."

"Chuck got all those cameras."

"You're not Chuck either."

"Don't let people buy your opinions Madison. Don't go thinking those companies are great because they gave you stuff," Rodney chimed in.

"Listen to your mom and your uncle," Kaleb said, while putting several boxes of Timbits into a cupboard.

"I'll get rid of the stuff I got if you get rid of all the stuff Tim Hortons sent you."

Jeannie, Kaleb and Rodney grew quiet and shifted about uncomfortably.

"And Timbits aren't even vegan, are they Dad."

"No," Kaleb mumbled.

"Okay," Jeannie sighed, "Keep the stuff, but no gloating, and no advertising for anyone."

"And enough of this talk about material possessions, I need a walk before my Chair shift if you two don't mind watching the twins," Rodney asked.

"No problem."

"I haven't seen much of the city, could I go with you?" asked Madison.


"How cool is this?" Amelia grinned, holding up a signed Chicago Blackhawks jersey as Chuck arrived back on duty.

"Nice!"

"The team sent it. Apparently the Chicago Tribune did some profiles on everyone from Chicago they knew had a connection to the Stargate Programme. The Blackhawks noticed I was a fan and here we are!"

"I'm an Edmonton Oilers man myself. No jersey from them."

"Aw, life's tough," Amelia chuckled, "And the Oilers? Why the Oilers? Aren't you from Halifax?"

"You can blame an old girlfriend for that," he smiled wistfully, "Anyway, anything happened since we broke orbit?"

"The galactic void is just that. A void. Nothing to report and I don't suppose there will be until we're planet-side."