Epilogue

Hope

~Three Years Later~

The bright sound of a child's laughter rang through the halls of Atlantis, accompanied by a much deeper rumble of a laugh. Two pairs of footsteps could be heard, one heavy and the other light. A small child no older than four rounded one of the corners of a hallway, her dark brown hair falling in loose waves across her shoulders. Her father chased after her, skidding mildly as he turned the corner but managing to right himself as he continued to move, using his momentum to gain traction against the slippery floors of Atlantis.

'Tessa, come back here!' Radek called, feigning exasperation. Tessa looked back, and as she did so, ran full tilt into a lanky figure coming down the hall. Peter managed to steady both of them as Tessa wrapped her arms around his legs, putting one hand out to brace against the nearest wall.

'Ah. Hello, there, Tessa.' He said, looking down to see what was currently doing a rather good impression of a jellyfish entangling itself about his legs. 'You're running away from your dad again, aren't you?'

'Yep.' Tessa replied, looking up at Peter. 'You're really tall, Mister Peter.'

'I know, Tess.' Peter said, smiling amusedly. 'I can't help it, unfortunately.'

'Oh.' Tessa stayed where she was for a minute and then let go of Peter, launching herself at Radek and nearly bowling him over as well. Peter chuckled, shaking his head.

'You know, neither you nor Jess is that energetic. Where on earth did she get that much energy from?' he commented. Radek raised an eyebrow and managed to hoist Tessa up so that she was perched on one of his hips.

'Honestly, I have no idea. I would blame Anora, but that's not exactly fair to her, now is it? Anyways, thanks for catching my little runaway here. We're due at the infirmary in ten minutes for her bi-yearly check-up, but she managed to escape from me on the way from our quarters.'

'Well, good luck with that.' Peter said with an amused smile. 'Sasha and I are due at the Denver Sanctuary. Apparently there's a dispute going on between some of the residents there that only we can resolve.'

'Good luck to you as well, then. It sounds like you'll need it.'

'Thanks.'

The two men went their separate ways, Radek readjusting Tessa's positioning so that both he and the little girl were more comfortable. As they made their way to the infirmary, Tessa shifted in her father's grasp so that she could lean against him better. 'Papa, why doesn't Mister Peter have any kids?' she asked, surprising Radek.

Radek blinked, trying to figure out the best way to answer his inquisitive daughter's question. 'Well, Tess, not everyone can have children,' he began. 'But some choose not to. I believe that this is the case for Mister Peter and Missus Sasha, since their jobs mean that they have to travel a lot. It wouldn't be fair to a baby.'

'Oh.' Tessa took this in, looking as if she were considering the matter deeply. 'They should get some fish, then.'

'Really?'

Tessa nodded. 'And I'd help feed them when they're away, too.'

'I see. This is another request for a pet of your own, yes?'

'I really want one, papa.' Tessa said as they neared the infirmary. 'Doctor Rodney's got his kitty, and Missus Sheppard's got a doggy.'

'Yes, but Teyla also keeps her pet in the village. Where would you keep a dog in this city?'

'Doctor Katie says she found a park yesterday.'

'I see. Well, you'll have to talk to your mother about it; keep in mind, I'm not saying yes or no to this, alright?'

Tessa nodded as Radek set her down on a nearby examination table, and then took a seat next to her as they waited for Carson or Jennifer to join them. Radek watched Tessa swing her legs back and forth as she softly sang a song she had learned in the informal pre-school that had been set up a few years back when the first children who had either been born in Atlantis or who had come to Atlantis with their parents were of the right age to attend. Kaleb and Jeannie Miller helped teach it, with several of the other civilians pitching in for the teaching of the older students. Radek was content in just listening to Tessa sing, enjoying the sound of his daughter's voice.

It was almost hard to believe that only five years ago, the world had been under the harsh rule of the Wraith. The global population had started to rise once more, though it would be quite some time before it reached the pre-Invasion levels it had been at. It certainly wouldn't happen in the rest of Radek's lifetime, and he highly doubted it would even occur in Tessa's. Even now, there were scattered reports of Wraith being sighted, though that was mainly in the more remote portions of the world, and any sightings were quickly verified and taken care of, should they prove to be true.

Radek was torn from his musings about the state of the world by Carson's arrival, especially when Tessa broke off from her song and made a delighted noise. 'Hiya, Doctor Carson!' she said, nearly bouncing off the examination table. Radek slid off the table and returned to a standing position, staying nearby just in case, but keeping out of Carson's way.

'Hello, love.' Carson replied, grinning warmly back at Tessa. 'You're a bundle of energy today, aren't you?'

'She always is, Carson.' Radek said with a laugh. 'I wouldn't have her any other way, though.'

'Aye, I know what you mean. Laura's got her hands full with Donnie at the moment. Alright, lass, let's see how your heart sounds.' As Carson began his check-up, Radek's thoughts drifted back to their previous course, and the notion that he was very lucky indeed crossed his mind. He stood there, watching his daughter and friend interact, and wondered if, out there somewhere in some alternate universe, as Jess had once experienced, the Wraith had never attacked Earth. Would he still have met his wife and had a daughter?

He shook his head, clearing his mind of those thoughts. That didn't matter. What mattered was that his child was alive and free, as was the rest of the world. Right now, that was the most important thing in the universe, and that was all he truly cared about.