A/N: Thank you all so much for the encouraging reviews. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations. Thanks again, this one is for the mysteriously disappearing readers who have this on alert but don't review - you know who you are.


The Stargate activated from off-world and Walter looked at the list of who was due back – no one. "Unscheduled off-world activation!" he shouted into the microphone. Less than a minute later General Jack O'Neill was running into the control room with, Jacob Carter, Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Daniel Jackson and Teal'c close on his heels.

"Whatta we got, Walter?" Jack asked immediately.

"We're not receiving an IDC, sir," he said as the sixth chevron locked.

"Close the iris!" Jack ordered.

"Yes, sir. Close the iris," Walter said with his palm on the control pad. A few seconds later the wormhole locked and a holograph of Ba'al appeared at the base of the ramp.

"It is urgent that I address the Generals in charge of this facility immediately!" he said in a booming voice to the SF's in the 'Gate room.

Jack rolled his eyes, "Oh, for cryin' out loud!"

Seconds later Ba'al was confronted with Jack O'Neill and Jacob Carter, the other men having been sent back to keep an eye on Todd. "What is it, Ball?" Jack said, purposefully mispronouncing the villain's name.

The overly dressed, over-the-top villain sneered, "I thought you would like some advice, O'Neill. The Ori are coming."

"How do you know that?" Jacob asked, dubious as to why the ex-System Lord was telling them this.

Ba'al looked at him with contempt, "My mate told me."

"And who, pray tell, is you're 'mate'?" Jack was sickened by the thought of anyone willingly sleeping with that asshole.

"Qu'tesh."


"Oh, come on!" Kristie whined to Dr. Brightman, "It's not like I'm going to be getting up or anything! But it's their birthday – can't I go to the party? Pretty please?"

Dr. Brightman was beginning to realize why O'Neill's were always released early – and why Kristie had only stayed three days in the infirmary after she had given birth to the quads. "Alright, fine. But you have to stay in your wheelchair, and if you start getting tired, you have to come straight back here, okay?"

Kristie rolled her eyes, "Fine." She was at a point where she'd say anything to get to the room her four children were celebrating their birthday. "But I want to take Raesha for a few minutes."

"I'll have to come with you to bring her back here after a few minutes, Kristie," Anne Brightman said, trying to compromise with the young woman.

"Okay."

"Bye! Send Jack and Daniel back here if you see them, okay?" Janet said as Sam waved from her perch on the bed where she was feeding her very hungry son.

A few minutes later Kristie (being wheeled by a nurse from the infirmary) and Dr. Brightman, who was holding Raesha, approached the room that had been designated the SGC Nursery three and a half years before. It had all really started when the SGC went public: schools started calling home about the children of SGC personnel; spouses not involved with the SGC left their children and their spouses because the secrecy was too much; housewives suddenly wanted their husbands to take the kids to work with them…ergo: SGC Nursery.

Camilla opened the door right as the group of four showed up. "Oh, Kristie, there's a slight problem."

"What is it, Camilla?" Kristie asked, her mind already reaching out to see if her children's life signs were safe. "What's wrong?"

"Todd's here."

"What?" Kristie, shocked and livid, "Who let him in?"

"He was with his parents and sister…and Jeff let him into the Nursery. Todd said that he just wanted to see his kids."

"Get out of my way." When Camilla didn't move, Kristie glared at her, "He made his choice four years ago. Get. Out. Of. My. Way." This time the Jaffa moved immediately following her words.

Nurse Bingley rolled the wheelchair into the room, uncertain of what lay on the other side, but trusting that the young woman in the wheelchair knew what she was doing. What they found was surprising to the nurse, but not to the mother: The four children celebrating their birthday were all clinging to their father (Jeff) and sending scared glancing at Todd who was on the other side of the room with his parents and sister trying to figure out what he did.

The parents of the other children present were trying to figure out what was going on when Kristie showed up. "Move out of the doorway, Carl," Carl Bingley immediately complied. Kristie turned to the parents, "I think this party's over. You might want to take your children home or to your on base quarters for a while."

Lt. Colonel Ferretti, who was there with his wife and three sons, nodded and started ushering people out. When the room was clear, he let Camilla come back in to join Justin and Jeff in their attempts to calm the children and told Dr. Brightman that she could either go in or go back to the infirmary with the baby – she chose to go in.

Justin calmed Kristie down by reminding her that her state of mind would have an effect on all of her children. Calmly she asked, "What are you doing here, Todd?"

The slightly older man stammered, "I just wanted to see them."

Kristie no longer felt anger as she looked at him and reached into his mind. He'd been through a lot in the past few years since Jack told her he was dead. She could feel the pain, see the light, hear the sorrow of all that he went through. "Why? You made your choice four years ago when you said 'no'. You made your choice four years ago when I said 'no'. Why now?"

Todd's eyes traveled to Kristie's side, where Cosette was standing with a death grip on Kristie's hand. He watched as Kristie turned to her daughter and nodded. He watched as Cosette closed her eyes and was magically lifted off the floor and into her mother's lap. He watched as the little girl shed silent tears against her mother's breast.

"Because I don't want to be a monster anymore," he whispered, his eyes meeting Kristie's again.


A/N: Ooohhh! I must confess something, though. The only reason Todd's still in this is because 'Jack's Family' still says he had that damn scar from Kristie breaking his nose until he's thirty...as he's NOT thirty yet, he must remain a character...damn wording.

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