Cassandra was standing in the control booth next to Lif'kel and Shifu when the Stargate activated.
"Unathorized off-world activation" a nameless tech stated in a mandatory tone. "Receiving IDC"
Cassie bounced on her heels impatiently and looked over at Shifu, "Are you sure they'll remember everything when they get here?" she asked.
The man nodded, "Yes. Once they step through the gate, they will then gain the memories of everything that occurred in order to preserve their fathers' presence in this timeline"
"Then they will contain the memories of lives led without the death of their parents?" Lif'kel asked for clarification.
"Yes, but they will also still hold, as we do, the memories of their lives up to the point when they were sent back to change things" Shifu said.
"It's SG-1's Iris code, ma'am" the tech confirmed to Cassandra what she already knew.
She gave the order to open the Iris, and was relieved when the familiar forms of Jacob and Amanda walked through the distorting pool of matter.
Cassie bounded down the stairs with Lif'kel following at a more contained rate behind her.
"It's about time," the Administrator complained to the previously missing members of her flagship team.
Amanda's eyes were a bit dilated and she paused in the middle of the ramp as a slew of information assaulted her brain. Jacob froze next to her in much the same manner as new images and memories flooded his head as well.
Once the onslaught stopped, they glanced at each other with silly grins on their faces.
"We did it!" Amanda said gleefully, and threw her arms around Jacob, who nearly fell over from the sudden impact she made against his body.
She raced down the ramp and embraced Cassie and Lif'kel as well.
"They're safe" she muttered, "They're okay"
Cassandra sighed and pulled away from her younger friend, "And they're waiting for you at the Alpha site so can we hurry up and debrief?"
-------------------------------------------------------
Amanda's mind was still reeling with the new memories and different events that had taken place in her life once their futures had been changed, when her and her teammates arrived at the Alpha site.
Her father had managed to save Jack from getting shot on earth by using the device he had received from her and Jacob twenty-seven years ago.
She was finally told about the rogue Ancient and why her mother had to leave her the first time in order to find that same artifact and make it safe for Daniel to reclaim human form.
Now she remembered instead that Jack and Daniel had returned to the Alpha site from earth in one piece on that would've been fateful day, and Daniel used his expertise to figure out the device his future daughter had given him.
Jackson Seniormanaged to find and defeat the Ancient before he could do anything.
So Vala and Daniel and Amanda continued their family fare galactic travels and Samantha Carter stayed commander of the Alpha site, remaining there with her son and husband.
Lif'kel and Ishta still lived at Keb, and Cassandra still tugged Jacob away to the SGC where Amanda, him, and Lif'kel became SG-1.
"It's great, isn't it?" she asked Jacob as they greeted their intact family upon arriving at the Alpha site.
"A little mushy if you ask me," he grumbled, pretending to be put off by the underlying happy ending routine.
"Better than the alternative" she said, exchanging kisses and hugs with both her parents, who all seemed surprised at the particularly vigorous greeting they were receiving.
To them, there had never been another outcome, another timeline. They did remember getting a visit from their children so many years ago, and the story Amanda and Jacob had told their younger selves about a grim future, but none of them had had to actually live through those events.
--------------------------------
That night, Lif'kel, Amanda, and Jacob camped out at the Alpha site, in the wooded area a few yards away from the SGC off-world establishments where their parents were sleeping soundly.
The three of them needed to process the change of pace. The lifestyle they'd only had fifteen hours so far to acquaint themselves with and become accustomed to. So they decided to take a tent and some night gear, and sleep under the stars.
All three of them did their best thinking at night when they were away from earth. The conditions were so much more serene somehow.
Amanda also liked to chat at night, when they were on missions. Sam, Jack, and Teal'c complained that she got that habit from her father, and proceeded to recount details of endless evenings spent having to listen to Daniel ramble for hours.
Vala had a different view of her husband's want to stay awake and talk through the night. She found it comforting in a way, and liked the deeper conversations they were able to have when he was relaxed.
Jacob felt similarly when Amanda talked to him at night. He didn't find it a disturbance like his parents had with her father. He actually had a preference for it like Vala did.
"It's kind of surreal" Amanda began now with her evening discussion, "I keep expecting someone to tell me the last few hours have been a pleasant dream, but it's time to get back to reality now"
"I know" Jacob said, "It's going to take a lot of getting used to. I have an almost completely different set of memories that are playing through my head"
Lif'kel was silent, as he always was: listening and thinking, but not offering any opinion of his own.
Amanda turned on her side to face Jacob and scooted closer to him, "This may sound weird, but I'm actually looking forward to waking up tomorrow" she said, "Ever since my parents died, I haven't felt like there was any reason for me to…well, live…it was like I had lost most of the purpose for me existing in the universe…now I'm excited again…I'm ready to get to work and feel the awe that traveling to different places used to make me feel when I was a child…"
Jacob smiled at her excited tone, letting her enthusiastic attitude pour over him.
Amanda sighed with whimsical pleasure, "That sounds…well, like something you read in adventure romance novels" she commented, wrinkling her nose.
Jacob shook his head, "I like seeing you happy. After the childhood you went through I don't blame you for the sappiness"
She smiled in response to him, "I do kind of deserve it, don't I?" she said.
Jacob nodded his agreement.
"Now how do you feel about me pushing those stones that pissed off the alien?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm still mad at you for that…making me run backwards shooting for five miles until we got to the gate"
"Quit exaggerating, it wasn't five miles"
"Was"
"Was not"
"Was"
"Was not"
"Was"
A pillow promptly hit them both in the face.
They sat up and looked at an annoyed Lif'kel.
"Oh, now you've done it" Jacob commented, "Gone and got Mister Stoic Warrior here all angry at us…now we have to retaliate" and with that, he slammed his pillow into his friend's stomach.
Before long, the current SG-1 was reduced to the state of giggling and pillow fighting.
It was an odd feeling of frivolousness that descended upon the three, antics that they hadn't felt the urge to indulge in since they were children suddenly sprung into existence.
Things were good. They're parents were alive and well. And they could appreciate the family they would always have in one another.
The End