Colonel Edward Lang was sitting at his desk in the only permanent building at the Alpha site. He was a slight man of fifty-two, with a neatly trimmed mustache and an almost constant look of annoyance on his face. At the moment, he was going over a training list – a list that should have been completed the evening before, but things hadn't gone as planned – and they never did in the Air Force, he knew.

"Sir?"

He looked up to see his Second in Command standing at the door to his office.

"Yes, Major?"

"We're getting company."

Meaning that someone was coming through the gate. Since they didn't have an iris on their gate, Lang was on his feet immediately, heading to the door and out, brushing past the Major. Only moments later, he was standing by the Alpha Site command center, watching as a security team formed up with their guns all facing the now active gate.

"It's Bra'tac's ID, Sir," The Lieutenant at the controls told him.

Since there was very little chance that some system lord even knew that Bra'tac knew where the Alpha Site was, much less that he had an ID code to get through the gate, Lang relaxed a little – although he didn't tell his security force to stand down. He wasn't stupid, after all, and he didn't make Colonel by making stupid decisions. There was, after all, always the chance that just that had happened – as small as it was.

"Look alive…" Lang told his people, his hand resting on the butt of his sidearm.

A moment later, a form came through the Stargate, and everyone relaxed visibly when they recognized the old Jaffa Master as he stepped down from the gate pedestal. Lang stepped forward, signaling his men to stand down, and he moved to intercept Bra'tac.

"Master Bra'tac. It's a pleasure to see you again."

"And you," Bra'tac said, giving a slight bow, and then looking around. "Where is my pupil?"

"We received word from Colonel O'Neill several hours ago. They're running behind, but he'll be sending Ian Brooks through the gate as soon as they can."

Bra'tac frowned in annoyance – he'd been looking forward to having Brooks to himself for the next couple of weeks – and Lang shrugged in apology.

"It shouldn't take long, I'm sure. Until then, you're welcomed to spend the time with us – would you like a cup of coffee?"

The old Jaffa lost his scowl, aware that it wasn't this man's fault that the plans were skewed. Besides, he was sure it wouldn't be that long. Jack O'Neill had his faults, but the man was dependable, and Bra'tac was sure he'd bring the cadet to him as soon as he could. He could wait.

"I accept, with thanks."

The two men walked back towards the Colonel's office, and the security force went back to their other duties.

OOOOOOOOO

Sander was waiting for them when they returned to the lab. The old Ancient – and didn't Ian's mind come up with a million ways to make fun of that description? – was leaning against one of the three work tables in the room, his face troubled, although the expression cleared up when he saw that the Cadet was with Dotty and Alexander when they returned.

"Get it worked out?" He asked Alexander.

"More or less. He's agreed to let us finish the tests at least."

"Good, because we're running out of time."

Ian was going to ask what he'd meant by that, but before he could, Alexander handed him the little box once more, and again Ian took it without thinking. It started vibrating in his hand again, but this time he was ready for it. He looked at it as he held it, trying to figure out how it worked. All he could see, though, was a little metal box. He couldn't even see a mechanism that would explain why it vibrated.

"What is this thing?"

"A molecular scanner – it's just reading through your DNA to see if there is anything else we need to be aware of."

"Is there?"

Alexander looked at the readout that he'd looked at before, and shrugged.

"Nothing that you need to be concerned with."

"I'm not an alien? Really?"

The Ancient shook his head.

"You're human, Ian."

"With an alien gene and an alien ancestor from somewhere way back when…?" He started to cross his arms but couldn't comfortably do it with the box in his hand. "I don't-"

"You're more human than we are."

"Oh, big deal. You guys are aliens. My dog is more human than you are."

Dotty smiled.

"You're not going to grow tentacles or scales," she told him. "You just have an odd gene – and what really is a remarkable ability."

"What about Shawn?"

Dotty hesitated.

"What about him?"

"He's your son, right?"

She nodded.

"And Jack's son?"

"Yes."

"So he's an alien?"

"Half of him is," she agreed. There was no sense hiding it, since she knew she wouldn't be able to. "Is that going to be an issue with you?"

He shrugged.

"Nah, I always knew there was something odd about him – he's too much of a do-gooder to be completely human."

"Do-gooder?"

Ian shrugged.

"He's a nice guy – and polite as hell. Even with people you can tell annoy him."

"And that's bad?"

"I can't do it." He turned the subject away from himself and back to where it had started. "So does Shawn have this gene?"

"Probably – although I'm sure it's not active in him. And I know he doesn't have a photographic memory."

"Maybe he doesn't in this reality, but does in the others?"

She shook her head.

"It doesn't work like that. What he was here, he is in your reality – and all the other ones. The only thing that changes is the circumstances."

"Like me being dead here…"

She nodded.

"Yes."

Then Ian realized what she'd said.

"What he was here?" He repeated. "What do you mean?"

There was a flash of sorrow in Dotty's eyes that Ian couldn't miss, even though it was obvious she tried to hide it immediately. And Alexander stepped forward, putting his arm around his daughter's shoulders and hugging her close.

"Like yourself, Ian, Shawn isn't alive in this reality."

"What? He's dead? How?"

"The Ashrak killed him," Alexander said, softly.

"No, they-"

"In your reality, they didn't," Alexander told him, "Because you were there to stop them. Here, you weren't in the Academy that night, and didn't interrupt the assassination."

Ian felt a stab of guilt, although he didn't know if it was because he had let Shawn down, or because he'd brought up something so painful for Dotty.

"I'm sorry…"

Dotty sniffed, and gave him a slightly forced smile, pulling away from her father's embrace.

"Don't be, Ian. You haven't failed him in your reality – and that's the reality that matters."