"What the hell is that?"

The object in question was in the little lab the Asgard were using when the humans rejoined the aliens the next morning. It looked like a human being – somewhat – asleep or maybe recently dead, lying in a stasis chamber of some sort that kept it (him?) from being contaminated by those around it.

Thor looked at Jack.

"It is all we have left of what we once were, O'Neill."

"You mean, you guys used to look like that?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"Yes. More human than this, even," Thor told him, while the other Asgard looked on with varying expressions of disapproval at Thor revealing all their secrets – although it was completely necessary, of course. "There was a time when my people looked very much like yours. This specimen is merely the best we have left."

"You make your clones from that?" Sam asked.

Thor shook his head.

"Regrettably, we cannot. The DNA we have now is too different from this one's. We are more unstable, and the gap is too great – even for our scientists."

"But you think you can use Shawn's DNA as a bridge for that gap?" Janet asked. She, of all of them, had been able to understand what was going on, because she understood the molecular sciences and the genetics behind it better than the others.

Jack scowled at that, but Thor and Shawn both nodded.

"They should be able to," Shawn said.

"Unless the two are incompatible to each other – or to our own," One of the other Asgard said.

"When will you know that?" Hammond asked.

"It will take some time to study the variables in the DNA samples we have and compare them," Thor said. "We are uncertain how long."

"Well, we'd better let you get to work, then…" Hammond said, dubiously. He wasn't so sure he wanted the Asgard there for any extended amount of time, after all, and he didn't like the thought of them experimenting on something that looked so… human.

"How long did you guys use this… um… guy?" Jack asked, looking at the specimen with an odd sort of interest.

"Many, many generations," Thor replied as the rest of the Asgard started to get to work.

"And you'd used it to clone way before that?"

"It is a result of cloning for several hundred generations, O'Neill," Thor said.

Jack nodded, and took another look at the thing, before heading for the door with the others.

"Why the curiosity, Jack?" Daniel asked after they'd left the room and started down the hall. Jack had a baby to feed, and Daniel always had something that needed to be done.

"I was just thinking about the term use it or lose it," O'Neill replied. "And thinking how well that applied to the Asgard…"

Daniel nodded his agreement with that, definitely glad that his people didn't rely on cloning. Their way was much more entertaining, at least!

OOOOOOOOOO

Ian was already at the breakfast table when his mom and dad walked into the dining room. The room wasn't actually the dining room – that was a much more formal room just off of the living room. This dining room was a small nook just off the kitchen where there was a small table for the far more intimate meals when it was just the family eating.

The smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the kitchen when Maggie entered, and she smiled when she saw Ian in the process of wolfing down a huge meal.

"You're up early," she told him, coming over and brushing her hand along his cheek. He'd already showered and shaved, she knew, because when she'd hugged him after he'd arrived, she'd felt stubble on his jaw, and now there was none.

"I was hungry," he admitted, standing up and gesturing for her to sit down. "You want some breakfast?"

"You cooked?" Nate asked, walking in as well. Both his parents were dressed for the day, Nate wearing jeans and a white polo shirt that showed off his tan nicely, and Maggie wearing a light summer dress that showed off her dancer's figure without being skimpy.

"Bacon and eggs," Ian said.

"Without help?" Maggie teased.

"It's my new specialty," Ian said. "The first time I almost burned down Daniel's apartment trying to make something to eat, Sam came over and gave me some lessons."

"And how many fires have you set since then?" Nate asked, pouring a cup of coffee from the pot Ian had made – but hadn't sampled.

"I don't remember."

Nate snorted in amusement, and handed Maggie his cup of coffee.

"Bullshit."

"Nathan."

Maggie was just as amused, though, and it showed. Of course, she was also happy to have her son home – even if it was only for a short visit.

Her husband didn't look contrite at the gentle reprimand. Instead, he smiled, and settled into the spot beside Maggie, watching Ian as he sat down once more.

"Where did you get all the bruises?"

"Summer camp."

Maggie frowned.

"Ian, if you don't want to tell us, that's fine sweetheart, but it was an honest question and the sarcasm wasn't necessary."

She was so happy that her son and husband were finally getting along; she hated to see that fledgling relationship get setback with such a sarcastic response to an innocent question – and one she'd planned on asking herself.

He looked surprised and then realized what she was talking about. And shook his head.

"Really. I got them at summer camp. Hammond got some wild hair up his-" he stopped, abruptly, realizing what he was going to say and who he was going to say it to. "He said they were short-handed on counselors, and sent me – along with Hayden and Adams."

Nathan grinned.

"Summer camp? Really?"

Now Ian scowled, even as Maggie started to smile, herself, although she tried to hide it in her cup of coffee.

"How did you get so beat up?" she asked, more to give herself a little more time to rein in her amusement.

"A lot of ways." He didn't want to mention the rescue operation, but he didn't need to. There were plenty of stories about the kids beating him up – and the horses, and all the other things – and Ian remembered all of them. While his parents eventually made and ate their breakfast, Ian describe with painful detail some of those adventures, and even managed to not be too annoyed when they laughed about them.

On the plus side, it did ease his mother's concerns about him – and that right there was worth everything.

"So what would you like to do while you're home?" Maggie finally asked when he finished telling about the disagreement between Ian's horse and River's. "We could take a trip to Martha's Vineyard, or maybe go sailing?"

"Or we could go fishing," Nate added.

"I'd like to stick around here," Ian said. "I don't have a lot of time before I have to go back, and I want to do as little traveling as possible…"

Not to mention, he wasn't feeling up to a lot of socializing with others just then.

Maggie smiled.

"There is plenty of yard work that needs done…"

Nate scowled, glancing at his son, who looked chagrined.

Bah.