Teal'c arrived at Atlantis Stargate Command only ten minutes or so after the call went out to Earth that they needed him. He emerged from the gate already in armor and carrying his staff weapon, which told Weir that he'd probably been on his way elsewhere – hence the quick reaction to her call.

"You made good time," she said as she met him at the gate.

"I was on my way here," he replied, confirming her guess. "What has happened?"

She gestured to the two Jaffa that had been on the away team originally with Mitchell and the others, and they came over.

"Colonel Mitchell took a team to check out the large planet that the small planet we want to use to ambush the Wraith orbits. She left these two guarding the gate when they went exploring, and a few hours later they received a radio transmission from her telling them there was danger, to leave and get help rather than try to rescue the team themselves."

Teal'c's normally stoic face deepened in a scowl and he looked over at the two as they arrived beside him. Both Jaffa lowered their eyes, well aware they had failed in their responsibility to keep their goddess safe.

Mitchell's First Prime asked them a couple of questions in Goa'uld, listened to their replies, and then turned to look at the armed men and Jaffa standing ready at the side of the gate room.

"This is the rescue party?" he asked.

Weir nodded.

"We were just waiting on you."

They'd only assembled a few minutes before, so it wasn't like they'd been waiting all that long. The majority of the group of thirty were Jaffa, with a spattering of Marines and Air Force personnel mixed in. All of them were now watching Teal'c, and Sergeant Sanders (Duck) stepped up to receive orders.

"Are you ready to go, Sergeant?" Weir asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

He was always ready.

She looked at Teal'c.

"Find them, Teal'c."

He nodded, and turned toward the Stargate as Grodin started dialing the address.

OOOOOOOOO

There was a flurry of activity on one of the wide ledges, and this was where Kale led the four humans. Rodney and Sheppard were walking a few steps ahead of Ford and Beckett, but it was their kids they were coming to see so it was only right, after all, and they were looking more and more uncomfortable with each step they took.

The crowd of naked Light Ones moved as the humans approached, revealing the two females who had only just arrived. Both were carrying two infants – one in each arm – and they smiled at McKay and Sheppard.

"John… come see your offspring…" Aron said.

Sheppard cleared his throat and walked up, looking at the bundles in her arms with a pale face. One of them moved as he approached, wiggling an arm, and he looked down at it, and was relieved to see that it was pretty much a normal looking baby. It was pink, like all babies seemed to be, but its eyes were pale gray and what little hair it had was so light it was almost translucent. The infant looked up at him with a glassy eyed interest, and he smiled, genuinely awed by the little being that he'd actually helped create.

Aron smiled at his reaction.

"This one is your daughter," she said, gesturing with her chin to the one he'd been looking at. "This one is your son."

He moved the blanket back to look at the other infant – which looked exactly like his sister – but the baby was asleep and not at all impressed at meeting his sire.

Derna moved forward to stand beside Aron, but she was looking at McKay, who had been looking over Sheppard's shoulder at the babies.

"These are your offspring," she announced formally to the Astrophysicist. She gestured with her chin to the baby in her left arm. "This one is your son, and this one is your daughter."

Rodney found his hand was actually shaking as he moved the blanket back to look at the little girl. She looked up at him with huge pale eyes that seemed to pierce right into his soul and he felt himself turn gooey inside.

"What…" he cleared his throat and tried again. "What's her name?"

Derna smiled.

"She does not have one, yet."

"We thought you might like the honor of choosing names for them," Aron said, looking at Sheppard. "Normally the sire is given the option – if he wishes."

"Name them?" John repeated, surprised.

"Would you like to hold her?" Derna asked Rodney, who couldn't take his eyes off the baby.

He shook his head vigorously.

"No." As bad as his hands were shaking? "I mean, I'd probably drop her… I shouldn't."

Derna smiled.

"Come," Kale said. "Let us go inside where it is warmer."

The crowd didn't disburse at all. Babies weren't so common to the Light Ones that they were a routine thing – especially ones that were the first mix of human stock that anyone knew about – although there had been tales from long before. They all went into the cavern that served as a meeting room and eating area, and Derna and Aron were given large padded cushions to sit on in the front of the room so everyone could still come by and have a peek at the babies.

"Can I see them?" Ford asked Kale.

The Light One smiled.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind. Go have a look."

John was crouched next to Aron, holding one of the bundles carefully in his arms and smiling down at it, and Ford walked over.

"Can I see it?"

"Him," Sheppard corrected, turning the blanket back. "He's a him, not an it, Lieutenant."

"Sorry, sir."

Ford grinned and looked down at the baby, surprised to see that it – he – had pale hair. He'd have figured Sheppard's darker hair would have proven dominant. Of course, Kale had mentioned something about the Light One's coloring breeding true, so that probably had something to do with it, but still…

"He's cute."

Sheppard smiled softly down at the baby.

"Yes, he is."

"But mine are cuter," McKay said, smugly, standing close by Derna. "Tell him, Carson."

Beckett rolled his eyes, and took the baby that Derna offered up for him to hold – since Rodney still showed no inclination or desire to hold one himself.

"They're adorable buggers," he said, cuddling the baby when it started to fuss and soothing it with a gentle touch. "When do they start changing form?" he asked, curiously.

"Not until they are several years old," Derna said. "Which is just as well, since they must learn to fly and must be able to concentrate on lessons."

Otherwise they'd plummet, of course.

"We will teach them the canine form first," Aron said, looking over. "It is safer for them to learn when they are young. Then we will move on to their flying form once they prove they are mature enough to handle the more difficult lessons."

"Mine are little geniuses," McKay said. "They'll probably be flying in only a few years."

He might not want to hold them, but it was obvious he couldn't pass up the chance to brag about them.

Carson just rolled his eyes again and smiled down at the infant he was holding. Too bad Melony wasn't here, she'd probably have liked to have seen them.