A knock at the door brought the two black labs scrambling to their feet and rushing to see who was visiting. Nathan Brooks went a little slower, the baby in his arms squirming enough that he had to shift his grip several times before he could actually open the door.

Ian Piper grinned when he saw the slightly harried expression on his best friend's face.

"Long night?"

"Did you get what I need?" Nate asked, ignoring the question – and the smirk.

Piper held up a large bag – which Bubba and Jaffer were both trying to get their heads into to see what was there.

"I've got everything and more."

"Then come in."

"Want me to take him?" Piper offered as he walked into the foyer.

"Nah. He's squirming and you'll just drop him."

"No I won't."

"You dropped Ian."

"Only once – and you know that was an accident."

Nate smiled, and handed Jake off to Piper.

"The guy holding him has to change him."

"Like I'm afraid of a little baby poop?"

"It's more than a little. Believe me."

Free of the baby, Nathan had both hands free to look through the bag, and was glad to see that not only had Piper brought a large package of diapers and wipes, he'd also brought all sorts of other baby supplies, including a couple of bottles, some formula identical to the stuff that Sam had in Jake's diaper bag, a couple of outfits which would be too large, but oh well they were clean, and even a few baby toys.

"Was he good last night?" Ian asked, smiling down at the baby and making faces at him – which set Jake to gurgling happily.

"He was up a lot," Nathan said. "Either the strange surroundings or because he missed Sam… who knows?"

It'd been a long time since Nathan had been woken in the middle of the night to screams of displeasure like those, though, and he'd been a long time cuddling and cooing before Jake had gone back to sleep. And even then, they'd ended up on the sofa, where Nate could watch the news and see what was happening, and hope for a call from Maggie – just to make sure she was doing okay.

She hadn't called, and the news programs hadn't had anything new to say. Only that there were reports that several world leaders were heading to an undisclosed location in the states for a conference before making any type of public statement. Nathan had his own idea where they were heading – especially with aliens involved.

"Want me to change him?" Ian offered, breaking Nathan out of his reverie.

Brooks shook his head, reaching over and taking Jake back.

"You can let the dogs out, though, while I change him – and keep an eye on Jaffer."

He knew Bubba wasn't going to go anywhere and could be trusted outside on his own, but Nate wasn't going to put himself in a position where he'd have to tell Jack that he lost his dog.

"I can do that," Piper agreed.

He headed for the door, while Nathan set Jake on a towel on the sofa and started to change him.

"We'll have breakfast, Stinky Boy," he crooned gently to the baby, "and then maybe we'll watch the sun come up and call Maggie…"

Jake didn't answer. He just stuck his fist in his mouth and gurgled cheerfully.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Not surprisingly, the room was silent for a moment, and then erupted into a cacophony of various startled statements, exclamations and surprised questions. Ian didn't even try to separate the voices, and had known something like this would happen – so he didn't bother to try and say anything, either, until the initial shock had died down.

"Why don't you head for the Lost City of Gold and hang out with the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause while you're at it?" McKay asked sarcastically, his voice coming clear in a lull.

Ian scowled, but still held his tongue – which was remarkable for him.

Hammond finally called order to the briefing.

"I thought you didn't know the point of origin…"

"I don't."

Daniel frowned.

"Then how do you expect to get back?"

"It's probably there somewhere. I just have to find it."

"And if you don't?" Jack asked.

"I will."

"But if you don't…?"

"I will."

Hammond shook his head.

"Out of the question, Lieutenant. I won't risk you and a group of men on a slight chance that you might find-"

"It's worth the risk," Ian said, interrupting. "And I don't need a group of men. Atlantis is deserted."

"What are you talking about?" McKay asked. "Atlantis is a myth."

"It's real," Daniel said. "Sam and Ian have both been there."

"Ian thinks it was Atlantis," Jack corrected. He didn't like Ian's idea any more than Hammond did. "It might not have been."

"It was."

"You don't know that for certain."

"I do, now."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"Where is it?" McKay asked, suddenly interested.

"How-"

"Look," Ian interrupted, again. "I know it sounds risky, but it isn't. I can find the return coordinates. There is technology there that we can use – that we have to get back here. And the only way we can do that is to go there and get it – it's not going to come to us on its own."

"I will accompany you, Ian Brooks," Teal'c offered.

"You can't," Sam said, before Ian could.

"Not if the Ancients were already engineering anti-Goa'uld technology. Chances are they engineered something on their Stargate – or in their gate room or whatever they called it – to keep the Goa'uld from entering their city. And chances are it works against Jaffa as well."

Ian nodded.

"I'm almost positive they have, Teal'c."

"Which leaves me out, too," Jacob said.

"You have to go get a ship to work on the ice problem," Ian reminded him. "You couldn't have gone, anyways."

"I can go," Daniel said, eagerly.

Ian shook his head.

"You need to help Jack with the weapon. Chances are everything around it is written in Ancient, and you're the only one who reads Ancient well enough to-"

"You're not going," Hammond interrupted. "It's too risky."

"As risky as leaving Anubis free to do whatever he wants?" Ian asked. "Say he doesn't get the Asgard to come here – or he misses his shot at them for some reason, and we don't get that weapon up and running… he's going to blow our world to shit – or take it over and have unlimited access to a whole slew of new hosts – and then move on to another world and start the whole thing over until the Asgard eventually notice and come to help and fall into his ambush. And then it's really going to get bad."

"You're exaggerating the danger," Hammond accused.

"I'm simplifying it, really. I'm the only one who can go to Atlantis. I read the language fluently and can access their computers – and I know their technology will work for me. Sam is needed to help Thor and Jacob with the ring device that will hopefully get them into the glacier base – or whatever you'll want to call it – and Jack doesn't need me to help him with the Antarctica weapon, because he'll have Daniel. The only other person I'm certain can use the Ancient's technology is Shawn, and he doesn't read the language. Right?"

Shawn shook his head.

"No."

He'd never had a reason to learn – and had been too busy helping the Asgard to even ask, really.

Jack scowled.

"You can't go alone. What if something happened?"

"How-"

"You can take McKay," Hammond said.

McKay and Ian both looked surprised – and it was hard to tell who thought less of the idea.

"What?"

"He reads a little of the language," Hammond said. "And he's second only to Major O'Neill here in knowledge of the Stargate and how it operates – in case you run into some kind of problems when-"

"I'm not second to anyone," McKay interrupted. "But I'm not going to go anywhere with-"

"You'll go where you're sent, Doctor," Hammond interrupted. "Your country needs you, and I'm sure if you'd like to discuss the Federal grants you've been receiving – and any continued funding you'd like to receive – with the President here when you get back, he'd be more than willing to chat about them…"

McKay frowned.

"That's not fair…"

Hammond ignored him.

"Lieutenant?"

Ian scowled.

"I don't want him. He can't help me."

"It's him or you don't go."

Which only made Ian's scowl deepen, but there wasn't anything he could do or say, really. Not when it was obvious Hammond wasn't going to change his mind.

"Fine. He can come."