Epilogue

The convertible pulled up to the main gate of Cheyenne mountain, and to the amusement of the Marines there, they saw that the top was down – even though it was February 13th – and pretty much the coldest freaking day of the year so far. The young man behind the wheel didn't seem to mind the cold at all, though, and he stopped when the Sergeant of the guard waved for him to. Wearing a set of crisp BDUs and sunglasses – and no coat – he looked as if he thought it was the middle of summer.

Ian smiled, despite the annoyance at having the same motherfucker pull him to a stop every day for the last week and a half, and handed over his brand new clearance ID – stating his name (Ian Michael Brooks), his rank (Cadet) and his clearance level, which was as high as they came, giving him access to any part of Cheyenne Mountain that he wanted to go to.

"Good morning, Cadet Brooks," the Sergeant told him, returning Ian's salute.

"Good morning, Sergeant."

The Sergeant looked at the ID, even though he'd seen it the morning before, and handed it back to Ian.

"You may pass, Cadet."

"Thank you."

Ian put the car in gear and waited for the Corporal who was on guard duty with the Sergeant open the gate, then drove through. Stupid bastards. Eventually they'd get tired of stopping him every day, he was sure. Probably just trying to teach him who was in charge around there. He snorted, and drove into the parking lot, spotting Jack's truck in its spot and pulling Sam's convertible into the spot that was labeled Major O'Neill. Yet another perk of driving her car, he thought smugly as he raised the top and rolled the windows up, then got out of the car and headed for the entrance to the SGC.

Several checkpoints later, he found himself coming out of the elevator and heading for Jack's office, feeling a thrill of excitement that he just couldn't suppress. Today was going to be his first trip offworld – his first official trip as a member of SG-1 – and he was stoked, as River would have said.

He'd actually been with the SGC for a week and a half now, but the first week had been setting up and getting him used to the way things worked around the base – including introducing him to the members of various other SG teams and the personnel that supported those teams, showing him the parts of the base that he hadn't yet seen, and acclimating him to the schedule, which was much different than the one at the Academy.

He was also given a physical by Janet Fraiser, who wasn't really all that happy with him, since he'd finally decided that he'd take Cassandra to her Valentines' Formal – which had made Cassie happy, and Janet immediately suspicious. She'd been polite, but barely civil, which had annoyed Ian, who had no intention of doing anything that Janet wouldn't approve of. He couldn't blame her for wanting to protect her daughter, but she had taken to giving him suspicious looks every time he was near her, and while she didn't intimidate him any more than anyone else did, it was getting old.

One thing that had pleased and surprised Ian had happened the very first day he'd gone to the SGC. A relatively small box had been delivered to him by Jack, personally, who told him it was from Nathan. Curious, Ian had opened it and found his the Glock he'd liberated (stolen wasn't nearly as nice sounding) from Major Clay – the guy who had been in charge of the team that had kidnapped he and his roommates from the academy so many months before. Along with it were two boxes of ammunition for the weapon – something that Nathan had to have gone and purchased for Ian, because he knew he hadn't had ammunition for the gun when he'd sent it home with his father.

Ian had looked at the gun, and then at Jack.

"What-?"

"I told Nate you might need your gun," Jack had explained. "Actually, what I told him was that if it was going to become your primary weapon, then you'd better have it here where you can learn to shoot with it instead of a smaller caliber handgun. I told him it was for target practice – although I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me. He sent it out on the next flight."

Ian had smiled and checked the action. His father had obviously oiled it and prepared it for him as well, because the weapon was in perfect condition. Jack handed him a sidearm holster and told Ian that he'd better keep track of it, because he didn't want to have to go ask Major Clay where he'd gotten it so it could be replaced.

Ian had simply grinned, and nodded. And Jack and Teal'c had taken him to the range that morning to make sure he knew how to fire it – and to make sure he could qualify with other weapons that he'd need to use offworld that they knew he hadn't used before. A P-90, for example, as well as giving him a chance to fire Teal'c's staff weapon – although Ian had told them that Bra'tac had already taught him to use one. Sure enough, he proved more than competent with the staff weapon – although he wouldn't carry one – and quickly managed to kill several paper targets with a P-90. The Glock wasn't a problem, nor were the rifles that they'd tried him out with. Ian had been raised by a Special Forces officer, who had a brother who enjoyed hunting. What Nathan hadn't taught him, his Uncle Ray had.

He was ready to go offworld, now they just needed a mission.

OOOOOO

Jack looked up when Ian knocked on the door, and waved him in.

"Hey! How's the hand?"

Ian scowled, and looked down at his hand – which he'd burnt putting out the kitchen fire he'd started the morning before.

"It's fine."

"You can hold a weapon?"

"Of course."

"Good. Let's go join the others."

They headed for the door, and Ian looked around for Jaffer.

"He's with Sam," Jack told him. "She's a bit nervous this morning, and he does a better job of calming her down than I do sometimes."

"Nervous because of the mission?"

Jack nodded, "Not only is it your first time through the gate on a mission, but it's her first time not coming with us, and it has her edgy. So if she keeps double-checking with you to make sure you have everything, be nice, okay?"

"Of course."

Like he'd be anything but when it came to Sam?

"Sure your hand's okay?"

"Are you double-checking me, Jack?" Ian asked, smiling slightly. Maybe Sam wasn't the only one nervous this morning?

O'Neill scowled, realizing what Ian meant immediately, and shook his head.

"I'm your commanding officer – it's my job."

He smiled, though, and slapped Ian on the back as the two headed for the briefing room. This was going to be an adventure, all right.

The End!

Author's Note: Okay! So, obviously that's the end of this story – and a beginning to another. Let me know what you think of this one, huh? My posting will undoubtedly slow down a bit the next few days, because my vacation ends tonight. Sigh. The next one will start soon, I promise!