She had Talon's help with the language on the wall. Even though neither of them had ever seen it before, there were certain things that were similar in all languages – and in this case it was the Stargate addresses. All they needed were the addresses, not the name of the planet that the address went to. Once they established which direction the writing went – which turned out to be from the bottom up – it was a simple matter of finding the repeating symbol, and that would be their point of origin. Beyond that, all they needed was the address to Atlantis, and Melony knew that.

While she (and Talon) were checking out the walls, making absolute sure that they knew which symbol they needed, Kale sat off in a corner with his eyes closed. She pulled out a notebook to write down a few of the other addresses, knowing that she was going to want them later, and then walked over and sat close by Kale, waiting to hear what the Council was telling him.

When he opened his eyes a little less than an hour later, he smiled.

"They say we can go."

"Good."

"As long as your device works, that is."

She nodded.

"When do you need to be back?"

"When I return."

Meaning he had free rein to come and go as he pleased, apparently. That was good, because she didn't want to have to answer to anyone, and if she needed Kale and he needed to answer to the Council, then it was the same as her needing to answer to them. It'd be faster this way, once they actually got around to looking for the planet – and then the Wraith.

"Great. Are you ready, then?"

He nodded.

"I am interested in seeing you world, I admit."

"My people are going to be interested in seeing you, as well." She told him with a smile. "The ones we told of you were... a little skeptical when we told them what your people could do."

"You mean the transformations?"

She nodded.

You do realize that he doesn't have any clothes with him?

She hadn't. Not until that minute.

It's amazing what you can get used to, no?

Indeed. Apparently the axiom that says a person can get used to anything was true, because she'd been walking around the last two days with an eight foot tall naked alien, and hadn't even thought about it – except the few times Talon made a smart comment, or certain parts of Kale's anatomy came close to her in the course of the day's events.

"We'll have to get you clothes once we get to Atlantis," Melony told him, wondering what they'd say when she came through the gate with a naked alien. She debated having him change forms, but she wasn't positive his wings would make it through the gate in his bird form and there were several reasons she could think of to not have him go through in wolf form. Mainly she was pretty certain that he'd get shot before the few people that might know who he was recognized him. No, it was better that he went through naked, and stay safe. It wasn't like there were any kids in the city anymore now that the Athosians had moved to the mainland.

"We could return to my colony if you feel we should get me appropriate –"

She shook her head.

"They'll get over it, Kale."

She did, after all.

"If you say so."

She grinned and rested her hand on his arm.

"Let's get the pack together, and get going. I want to see if this remote device works."

He nodded and helped her gather what little supplies they'd used from the pack since they'd discovered the Stargate – mainly the canteen and writing utensils – and Mitchell strapped both the remote Dialing device and the IDC code generator to her wrist.

"Ready?" She asked him.

He nodded.

She activated the device; dialing the address for Atlantis and a second later the gate swooshed open.

"Yes!"

It worked.

Kale started for the Stargate, but Mitchell took his arm and held him back.

"Not yet, Kale. We have to do one more thing."

She entered in her ID number – it was actually SG-2's code – which meant that there would be no doubt who was coming in, and the Atlantis base would lower the protective shield and allow her access to the city.

"We'll give them a few moments to give them a chance to realize who's coming, and then we'll head through – but let me go just a step ahead of you, okay?"

"To allow them to see you before they see me?"

She nodded.

"You're taller than anyone else and that might frighten them."

Not to mention he's naked as a jaybird

Yeah, that, too.

"I will do whatever you wish, Colonel."

She smiled, reassuringly, and rested her hand on his arm for just a moment.

"Let's go," she said, stepping through the gate.

OOOOOOOO

"Who is it?"

Grodin turned to Weir, who had entered the command center the moment she realized the sound she was hearing was the Stargate activating.

"We're receiving Colonel Mitchell's code."

"Lower the shield."

Weir wasn't the only one who'd been alerted to the activated gate, and Sheppard and Carson Beckett – who had been hovering close by the gateroom every time he had any free time – both entered the room as well, just in time to see the shield drop.

"Who is it?" John asked.

"It's Colonel Mitchell."

Sheppard looked at Carson and saw a relieved expression cross the doctor's features. Yeah, there wasn't any doubt there about how he felt about Mitchell, was there?

He turned back to the Stargate just in time to see Mitchell walk through, looking fit and fine. He started forward to welcome her back – with Beckett and Weir right beside him – when a moment later another form emerged from the gate. Sheppard realized it was Kale. All eight feet of him. And he wasn't wearing a stitch.

Sheppard looked over at Weir, to see her reaction, and grinned at the utter shock on her face. He wondered what she was most surprised about; the fact that Mitchell had brought company with her, or the fact that the company was butt naked, and completely unaware of just how... impressive... he was in a frontal view. Sheppard glanced at Beckett to see his reaction and the grin faded, slightly.

Carson looked shocked – so pale, in fact, that Sheppard wondered if he was going to pass out.

For her own part, Mitchell acted as if she were simply returning with a regular ole visitor. She smiled, her hand going to Kale's arm once more to show the guards who were training weapons on them that he was an ally, and spoke into the stunned silence.

"I'm back. And I brought company."

No shit...