The city that had lost so much already had lost one more. John found the birthday present he'd given Elizabeth so many years earlier while he, Abbie, and Jonathan were going through her room. It somehow seemed fitting that they once again use the little clay pot as an urn. John and the twins took it down to the balcony where they'd had dinner together. Their one and only dinner together.

As they watched the ashes float away into to sea, John couldn't help feeling detached from it all. 'His Elizabeth' was still fine, back in their past. As long as they figured out some way to send him back to his time, he hadn't really lost her. Of course, that didn't help Abbie and Jonathan.

"Anyone feel like talking?" John asked as they stared out at the view. He didn't receive a response for a long moment.

"We should have done something," Jonathan finally gritted out. "We should have…we should have figured it out sooner. We knew something was wrong, she just…"

"I'm sure she didn't want you to know. She never let anyone see when she was hurt or sick. It's not your fault."

"Then whose fault is it? Why did everything happen to her?"

Abbie couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and John pulled her into his arms. "I don't know," he quietly said. "But something must have gone right for her, because she got you two. And I know how much she loved you because I see who you've grown up to be."

"I miss her," Abbie whimpered into his shoulder.

"I know," John told her. "I know you do. Come here," he said to Jonathan, who was also on the edge of breaking down, and held both of them as they cried.

Things were pretty quiet after they returned from the north pier. Abbie had gone to Elizabeth's room, curled up on her bed, and fallen asleep. Jonathan had disappeared into his own quarters and locked the door behind him.

John was pacing up and down the hallway between the two rooms when Tagan rounded the corner. "How are they?" the boy asked.

"About as good as you would expect. Abbie's asleep, but Jon might talk to you. You probably understand better than anyone else."

"He doesn't like to talk," Tagan told him. " Jonathan could convince a person to eat their own shoes, but he doesn't talk to anyone about himself. That's why I brought these." He held up a set of fighting sticks. "When my parents were taken, I destroyed my room. Completely. Even set a few things on fire."

"Are you suggesting that he do the same?" John asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Anger doesn't disappear when you push it away. It has to be let out, or else it grows and grows…until you wreck something."

"Like a room." He gave a nod.

So Tagan and Jonathan went off in search of a training room so they could beat up on a few defenseless punching bags. John checked on Abbie, who was still soundly asleep and wrapped up in her mother's team jacket, and then made his way up to the control room.

"You have a minute, Sir?" he asked Colonel Garrett as he came into his office.

"I do. I was just going to send someone to check on you. How are you doing?"

"I don't think it's sinking in. Jonathan and Abbie are the ones that I'm worried about."

"They're tough kids."

"They are just kids, though."

Garrett considered that, and nodded. "Yes, they are. Seems like they grew up years ago. Maybe they just grew up too fast."

"There's a lot changing for them right now, so I just wanted to let you know that…if the science team actually comes up with a way to send me back, I think it would be better to wait a little bit before we do it."

"That's not going to be an issue, Sheppard."

John frowned. "What do you mean?"

"They've finished initial calculations. It seems going backward in time is a bit more complicated than going forwards. The only artificial thing that would be able to supply enough power is the city's ZPM, and no one's sure how much juice it would have left afterwards, but it wouldn't be much."

"Th-they're sure?"

"Yes. I hope you can understand the fact that I can't put this city at risk, especially since we have no idea what the chance of success would be."

"Yes, sir."

Garrett tried to offer a smile. "Why don't you go be with your children, Colonel? We'll talk later about what comes next."

Abbie was awake when John returned to Elizabeth's room. He tried to get her to come along with him to the mess hall, but she declined, instead escaping to the science labs in the hopes that keeping busy might help her forget.

Mac looked up from her tablet PC as she saw her best friend enter the lab where she was working. "Hey, Abbie. How are you doing?"

"What are you working on?" Abbie countered without answering her question.

"Just looking over some numbers. I know Colonel Garrett doesn't think this will work, but I'm pretty sure it will. It just won't be easy."

"He doesn't think what will work?" Abbie asked.

Mac looked up. "Your Dad didn't tell you?"

"No. Tell me what?"

"The Colonel stopped us from trying to get your dad back to his time. He's staying here."

Abbie frowned. "What?"

"Colonel Garrett thinks it'll take too much power to risk it, and it WILL take a lot, but I KNOW it'll work. I can't believe we're not even going to try. If it was up to your mom – " Mac stopped, her eyes wide. "Oh, God, Abbie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean – "

"It's okay. You're right. If my mom was…still here and in charge of the city, we would try. But she's not here. She's in the past."

Mac raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

"I don't want to have to say good-bye to my dad, too, but maybe…maybe if he goes back and he knows what's going to happen, he'll be able to make sure Mom doesn't get so sick in the first place."

"But the Colonel – "

"We have to send him back, Mac," Abbie cut her off, "Whether Colonel Garrett approves it or not."

"You expect us to be able to modify the city power systems, modify gate control systems, and get access to the Stargate without the Colonel's approval?"

"Yeah. Are you in or out?"

TBC...