Chapter 52

Sam, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c all gathered in the hallway on their way to the briefing room. They chatted as they walked.

"How was your weekend off?" asked Daniel.

Jack spouted, "Carter spent most of it in the basement with Jackie."

Daniel gave a funny look.

Sam explained excited, "Jackie got one of those wooden dollhouse kits and I'm helping her build it. It's a three story farmhouse with lots of peaks, a porch and it's the size of a table."

Daniel chuckled, "Getting into miniatures, Sam?"

She slowly nodded, "I took her to the craft store. Wow, those are expensive." She mentioned, "It's quite the project, Daniel. Those houses are far more difficult than I thought they would be."

Daniel asked Jack, "What did you do all weekend?"

"Laid around on the couch and watched TV," he shrugged.

"Sounds exciting, Jack!" he smirked.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I read Plato's account of Atlantis." he replied. "I think I might have found something."

"We already know where it is," Jack told him. He glanced at Teal'c, "We already know where it is, right?"

"Indeed," the Jaffa agreed.

"Not Atlantis…Athens," he smirked. "Plato's account spoke of a sister city to Atlantis that also is underwater. He called it old Athens. He said old Athens was more powerful. We lost control of the device on Atlantis. Athens could hold a counter device," he suggested.

"Seriously?" asked Jack.

"We need to find the other city in the legend," he figured. He walked into the briefing room and his eyes landed on Landry, McKay, Sheppard and Mitchell all sitting at the table. Sheppard and Mitchell wore their dress blue uniforms with ribbon bars. Rodney on the other hand was dressed as his normal self in jeans and a t-shirt. He gasped, "Landry was exposed too?"

Hammond walked out of his office with papers in hand. He informed, "I recruited Colonel Landry myself." He then looked at Rodney and handed him a paper, "As civilian I need you to sign this disclosure agreement."

"What's this about?" he asked unsure.

"I can't tell ya unless you sign it, Dr. McKay." Hammond told him.

McKay stated, "You really need to read these things closely." He started to read before him.

Rodney looked more youthful and had far more hair and Sam took notice. "You looked really good," she mentioned of hand.

Rodney glanced up at Sam. She was the prettiest Captain he ever saw. He quickly signed figuring she was flirting with him. He smiled at her, "I'm Dr. Rodney McKay! I'm a quantum physicist and quantum mechanics specialist."

Sam replied, "I know." She then sighed and took a seat as she realized Rodney had not gone into recall.

Captain Sheppard smiled at her, "I'm Captain John Sheppard. I'm a combat pilot and I've had Special Forces training."

Mitchell then introduced himself to Sam, "Captain Cameron Mitchell. I'm also a combat pilot and Special Forces training."

She smiled at them, "I know who you are."

Jack took a seat next to Sam and asked, "What's going on, General?"

"I'm taking the initiative and bringing in some key people, Colonel." he replied. "With our recent advancements in the field we have positions to fill. Colonel Kawalsky is being transferred as a Pentagon liaison for the SGC. Colonel Landry will be leading a team, SG-2."

Jack looked at his team and then stated, "That's not supposed to happen like that."

"It is now," Hammond replied. "Captains Sheppard and Mitchell have been debriefed about the Gate along with Colonel Landry. Dr. McKay what you are about to find out is classified information."

McKay gave a nod, "I understand."

"In 1928 a large ring was found in an Egyptian dig. For many years is sat in storage for we were unable to work it. A year ago we made first contact with Colonel Kawalsky and Dr. Jackson. The ring creates a wormhole. Captain Carter can fill you in on the technical aspects after the briefing. After fist contact the ring sat silent for last year. This year it was activated again and guards were taken and killed. After that attack we activated this program. This is called Star Gate Command. We are to protect Earth from alien invaders, establish alliances and make new friends. This is SG-1. Colonel O'Neill is in charge of that team's safety and security. SG-2 will be headed by Colonel Landry. He will be in command of Captains Mitchell and Sheppard. Dr. McKay you are on as an advisor and will be working under Captain Carter's supervision. Do you have any questions?"

Rodney nodded, "Plenty! What kind of power source…"

Hammond held up a hand, "Captain Carter will answer any technical questions."

Rodney replied, "I understand."

Sheppard asked, "We've been invaded by aliens?"

Daniel shook his head, "Not yet! We were attacked by Apophis. When we made first contact we found a real baddy named Ra…These are fake Egyptian gods, Apophis is a Goa'uld, a symbiotic species that takes a host against his will…Then likes to play god, enslave humans and Jaffa and be an all-around pain in the ass."

Rodney asked, "Jaffa?"

Daniel mentioned, "Teal'c! He's Jaffa."

He asked, "You're from another planet?"

Teal'c replied, "Indeed."

Rodney sat and looked at his new friends, "Okay then!"

Short Time Later

SG-1 stood before the Gate is the wormhole established for their next mission. They sported white heavy winter gear and were ready for cold weather.

Jack asked, "You guys went to this address in the second timeline? I don't remember this one."

Sam shook her head, "No actually we never dialed it at all. It was too far down on the list."

"We dialed it because?" he wondered.

Daniel told him, "There was a reference to it in the Atlantis database that I remember reading about. It referenced a sister ship that was older than Atlantis. It's the last known whereabouts and it in our galaxy."

"You think we will find old Athens?" asked Jack.

"More like clues," Daniel told him. "I don't expect to find much to be honest.

Sam added, "The MALP sent back readings of temperatures below freezing and it's dark. It's gonna be a chilly one." She then noticed Jack gazing at her in thought. "What?"

"Amazing how you can just go right back into this," he noted. "I got use to not going off world over the years." He looked at Daniel and Teal'c, "It's been a while for you guys, right?"

Daniel smiled, "You know what they say. Once you learn how you never forget."

"You miss it being just us?" he asked him.

Daniel nodded, "More than you know, Jack."

Jack looked at Sam, "You miss it too?"

She smiled, "I remember two timelines: One with you on SG-1 and one without you. You really did make the difference. Going off world with you, Daniel and Teal'c is something I will always cherish no matter how many times I have to go back and do it all over again."

Jack smirked, "I'm way better than Captain blue eyes there." He motioned towards the control room with SG-2 overlooking the dial out from above.

Sam glanced up at Cameron Mitchell, "I'm glad he's here from the first year. He really did kind of get shafted even in both timelines."

Daniel replied, "He did better in the second timeline. The first one…Yeah he got shafted. He kept getting compared to Jack all the time. Then there was that time you teased him about when we all ended up in 1969 because he was born a year later."

Jack asked, "What did she say to him?"

"I suggested the timing," she smirked.

Jack stood baffled, "Timing about what?"

"You being sent back to 1969 and him being born a year later." she hinted.

He looked befuddled, "Nothing happened like that."

"I know," she grinned. "I was teasing him."

"Oh," he gave a nod. "I did know his mom before she married his dad. I was a cadet…" he then became tightlipped as he decided not to say anything else.

Sam cocked her head, "You knew Cam's mom when you were a cadet?"

"She was a cadet too," he nodded. "It was our final year."

Daniel paused, "You and Mitchell's mother were cadets together!" He looked and gasped, "Tell me that you didn't have an affair with her."

Jack quipped, "It was a fling! After we graduated she married his father." He glanced back up, "You don't think?"

Sam bit her bottom lip, "I'm sure it was just a fling and his father is his father. I was just kidding him when I suggested that. I knew you were with us…" she then admitted, "I didn't know you had a fling with his mom when you were cadet though."

Daniel patted his shoulder and smirked, "I'm sure there is nothing to worry about, Jack. So, he could be your illegitimate kid. He kind of acts like ya and all but…I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Sam assured, "Both Charlie and Jackie have the gene that Jack has. Cam doesn't. That kind of proves he's not any relation right there." Then she figured, "Of course their mother, Sarah could have it too and that would make the gene dominate…" she bit her lip once more.

Daniel asked, "Does Mitchell know you and his mom had a fling when you were cadets?"

"I don't go around telling everyone who my old girlfriends are!" Jack huffed.

Daniel smirked, "Maybe you should make a list!"

"Funny Daniel," he snorted. "Can we get this over with?"

"Sure," he chuckled to himself. He wasn't sure if Jack had an illegitimate child or not but he found the whole situation hilarious after Sam made the joke. He walked up the ramp and walked through the event horizon after Teal'c.

Sam stood pondering, "You could get a genetic testing done if you're not sure."

"I know his parents," Jack told her. "His father was a hell of a pilot who lost both his legs in a crash. I don't think I want to be the man who brings any question between him and his father. If even for a minute I doubted either of my kids being mine, I would hit the roof. I don't want to do that to his family."

"I understand," she gave a nod. They walked up the ramp together. She mentioned, "I can't imagine what it has to be like for men who end up having paternity battles over kids. I mean as a woman I know the kid would be mine. But for men…You can actually not know. That would drive me crazy."

"Or having kids that you never see," he added. "I know a number of guys that happened too. They got shipped off and then wife divorced them…Then pay for child support and never see their kids."

"I'm glad we had Livy later so you were there for her," she mentioned not thinking.

Jack paused and asked, "Livy?"

She gave him an assuring smile, "Our daughter."

He came to a stop before the event horizon and asked, "We have a daughter in the future?"

"In the second timeline," she nodded.

"We name her Livy?" he asked in wonder.

"Olivia," she nodded.

"Olivia O'Neill!" he grinned. "I like that."

"You do?" she asked.

He nodded, "Has a nice ring to it."

She smirked, "Because you wanted to name her George after General Hammond. You thought a girl named George would be cool."

Jack pondered, "George is a cool name for a girl."

"No!" she shook her head and then walked through the Gate.

Jack stood pondering, "Maybe I should name her 'Carter?'" He then walked into the event horizon hoping for his future family.