Chapter 9

SG-1 and the Avengers returned to base after relocating the people of Abydos to the beta site. As they walked down the ramp Sam spied her father waiting beside General Hammond. She grinned at him, "Dad!"

"Sammy!" he greeted warmly her in return. His eyes then settled on Peggy. Tears started to swell, "I couldn't believe it when George told me you were here."

"Jacob?" she asked wondering is he knew her.

Sam did a double take. "Dad?"

"Sammy! This is your aunt. My older sister, Peggy. She died when I was in high school. I know you never met her and I hardly spoke about her." He felt guilty for pushing the memory of his sister away. "I guess I should have spoke more about you, Peg. Just…it was so sudden…that accident…" he gulped feeling guilty for not spending time to tell his children about their deceased aunt.

Peggy gave a warm smile, "So I did exist here after all. Oh, Jacob…" she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. "I just lost you in my world. You fell ill and passed…"

"Selmak helps me." he soothed her as he realized they lost each other in the different realities.

Peggy figured, "We got a second chance."

"We do." he agreed holding her tight. He released the embrace and looked upon Sam. "This is your Aunt Peggy, Sammy. I always wished you got a chance to meet her. She was a WAC during World War Two."

Sam stood rather shocked. "You are my aunt? That's why you asked if I had an aunt."

"I assumed I was never born here and that's why you never knew me." she confessed. "In my reality you came to live with me and Steve after your mom died. You, in my world, are a lot like you are here. You are a Major in the Air Force and just as stubborn. You don't want my help for anything and you don't want anyone to know that Captain America is your uncle."

Sam figured, "You both know me and have known me all my life." She wondered, "Why didn't you just tell me? I would have understood more than anyone. I mean…I met myself from another reality once. I'm more than qualified."

Steve mentioned, "Daniel was telling us about that. You were married to the Colonel in that one. Way better than Rodney."

She squinted, "I'm married to Rodney McKay in your reality?" The news made her head spin.

Peggy assured, "You only went on one date with him. You had a miserable time and never went out again." She added, "Though Rodney is a top scientist for SHIELD. Brilliant man but…" she winced trying to find the words.

Jack suggested, "Little annoying?"

"Just a tad." Peggy agreed.

Daniel tried to help sooth his friend. He assured, "You did better than me, Sam. I was hit by a car and died after I gave my presentation."

Peggy admitted, "That was such a shame. I was going recruit you into SHIELD and fix you up on a date with Sam."

Sam gasped, "What?" She wondered if her alternate had to deal with an aunt and uncle who were constantly trying to fix her up on dates.

Daniel assured, "Like I said, Sam is like my sister to me." He found Jack standing off to the side, arms crossed looking nearly peeved at the idea of Sam and Daniel as a couple. He assured, "I wasn't her husband in that other reality. And let's not forget about that time when we all got exposed to the virus on the dark side of that planet and you hit me thinking Sam and I had something going on."

Jack rebutted, "I was infected by an alien virus." He then countered, "And I was one of the few who still managed to not go completely froot loops. Unlike you after your medication wore off and you turned caveman and joined a tribe."

He rebutted, "The only one not affected was Teal'c."

"Exactly!" Jack agreed with a grin. He looked to his friend, "He's our Avenger."

The Jaffa looked on amused at the banter.

Steve spoke to Sam, "I like Jack."

She huffed, "He's my C.O.!" She grew angry, "Do you two do this to the other me too? Do you stick your nose in her love life?"

Steve and Peggy traded glanced feeling a bit guilty. Peggy confessed, "You are like our daughter to us and we just want you to be happy."

"What makes you think I'm not happy?" she wondered.

Peggy figured, "I just don't want you to be alone."

Sam rolled her eyes, "Some people are perfectly fine being alone. I don't need a man. I don't need to date. I'm fine."

Peggy assured, "I see that. You are an amazing woman, Sam. You are not only a fighter pilot and Air Force Major you also go to other planets and explore old ruins left behind by some long gone ancient civilization. You do all these amazing things and I don't want you to settle for less." She looked to Steve for backup.

He repeated, "I like Jack."

Tony smirked, "What about me, Cap? Would I be good enough for your niece.?" He was rather amused at how Steve and Peggy turned into the annoying aunt and uncle who were butting into Sam's non existent love life.

He growled, "Over my dead body."

Tony teased his friend, "She's my type. Smart, good looking, blonde…" he smirked back.

Sam rolled her eyes annoyed, "Should play up the ditzy blonde and go all bambi?"

Tony assured, "You remind me of Pepper a bit, Sam." He looked to Steve who stood thinking and had to nod in agreement.

"Sam is a bit like Pepper." he agreed. He realized how much Tony was missing his family. "If there is a way to get you back home, Tony…we will find it."

Tony asked him, "And you?"

"My home is with Peggy." he declared. "Anyone can be Captain America." He pondered, "Sam in our reality could do it…" he glanced to his niece, "You would make a pretty good Avenger, Sammy."

"Thank you for that." she replied still comprehending that Steve was her uncle by marriage.

Tony had to agree, "Her and Pepper…the new Captain America and Iron Man." he suggested.

Sam gave him an amused smile, "I hope someday I can meet Pepper."

"Report!" Hammond interrupted.

Jack replied, "Moved the kids to the beta site. We got the red stone and apparently Daniel is a celestial being. He can touch it."

Daniel figured, "I'm sure there is a logical explanation. Maybe because I had been ascended for last year and thus that rule doesn't apply to me."

SG-1 nodded in agreement.

Steve asked, "Ascended? What is that?"

Daniel explained, "The Ancients didn't all die out. Many escaped death by ascension. It's when you reach a level of consciousness that allows you to leave your body behind. An Ancient named Oma helped me ascend when I was exposed to a lethal level of radiation. I spent a year with the ascended but when I was sent back, they wiped my memories clean. I didn't even know my name at first. Some would call them angels. They don't get involved with us lower life forms. We're like bugs to them."

Peggy countered, "But they got involved with you."

"Just one." he shook his head.

"All it takes is a single voice." she reminded him.

Tony wondered, "Did you come back with any…angle like…abilities, Daniel?"

"I don't think so." he countered.

Tony disagreed, "Something put you in a position to handle that stone."

Thor declared, "Indeed! In my reality we do know of these ascended beings. They are considered beings with true power…gods. They are like celestials expect unlike a celestial they were once human and had evolved past the point of needing a body. When you came back they did not de-evolve you, Daniel. They merely sent back an ascended being in a human body. Once you reach that level you are immortal. Your body may die but you will continue and if you are powerful enough, even repair and bring that body back to life to posses." Thor theorized, "The reason you could hold the stone is due to you being an ascended being in a mortal body. Your mind allowed your mortal flesh to withstand the power of the stone."

Daniel sighed, "I suppose that theory is possible."

Tony stated, "So…Daniel had the power of a god…but…what?" He looked to his friends.

Thor explained, "The knowledge of that power is suppressed and in his subconscious mind."

Tony wondered, "So can he use it?"

"Subconsciously." Thor informed.

Steve asked, "And if…god forbid…Daniel dies?"

Thor stated, "He would return to his ascended form." Thor looked upon the mild mannered man, "I would not want to be on your bad side, Daniel. You hold untold power inside your mind."

"I'm sure the other ascended would keep me in check, Thor." he assured him.

He countered, "Are you sure they even sent you here or why you returned in mortal form?"

"I think I wanted to help my friends but they wouldn't let me." he figured.

"Are you sure it was they who sent you back and not you who sent you back?" he asked.

"Um," he pondered, "I don't know."

Thor suggested, "Perhaps taking a mortal form was a way around the rules the other ascended had in place."

He slowly nodded, "Could be."

Thor figured, "Then Daniel is the one man that Thanos will not kill."

He squinted unsure what Thor meant.

Steve asked, "Why won't Thanos try to kill Daniel?"

Thor explained, "He would release Daniel from his mortal shell and would then be forced to deal with an ascended being with power that my brother could only dream of."

His eyes grew wide, "Oh!"

Daniel soothed, "I'm still me. I'm not going to do anything…evil."

Tony explained, "Thanos doesn't consider himself evil. He thinks that is the population was cut in half then all would be right with the universe. He cannot see beyond his own arrogance. He actually thought he was doing good."

"That's the most dangerous kind of enemy." Hammond spoke up. "When you have an enemy who thinks they are right then in their minds, to them you are the evil ones."

Thor declared, "The only way to stop Thanos is to take his head. And I intend to do just that."

SG-1 looked on a bit surprised by Thor's intentions. For the Thor they knew always looked for peaceful solutions.

Tony mentioned, "That did work the first time."

Thor agreed "Indeed."