Nathan Brooks was sitting listlessly on the sofa in the Brooks' family living room. On either side of him was a black lab, both cuddled close to him; Jaffer with his head on Nate's right leg, and Bubba with his head on Nate's left shoulder, whuffling occasionally in the retired general's ear. On the floor in a nest of blankets and cushions from the other sofa and a chair Jacob O'Neill was sleeping, blissfully unaware of the pain of the man who was his temporary guardian.

It was a sign of just how much the dogs were trying to soothe him when neither moved at the sound of the doorbell – and they only looked over when a minute later Ian Piper walked into the living room.

"Have you heard anything?" the colonel asked, quietly, coming over to stand behind Nate.

"No. I can't get through to anyone. All the lines are busy everywhere."

"You don't know that she's hurt, Nate," Piper said, resting his hand on Nathan's right shoulder and squeezing it, reassuringly.

"I sent her there…"

They both looked at the TV in front of them. Like all the other networks, this channel was only showing news just then, and the American Embassy in Paris burning in the aftermath of the alien attack was still their preferred video to replay. Now, however, they were also showing the videos of the bodies that were being recovered. Not as many as there could have been, of course – Paris was a huge city and the casualties could have been catastrophic if the attack had been pressed – but more than enough. Enough for Nathan, anyways.

"Don't do this to yourself, Nate…" Piper said, reaching over and picking up the remote control and turning it off. "You don't know anything."

"And I can't find anything out, either!" he snapped, throwing his cell phone across the room where it crashed into the wall and shattered into several pieces.

Both dogs whined and the baby in his nest jerked awake at the sound, brown eyes wide and startled.

"Shit…"

His voice far softer than it had been, Nathan stood up and went over to pick Jacob up, cuddling his head under his chin.

"I'm sorry, big guy…" he crooned, walking over and sitting back down on the sofa. "It's okay…"

Jake wasn't so certain that it was. He'd been sleeping fairly well, after all, and now he was wide awake. His lower lip came out, and his eyes started to get watery. Then Jaffer shoved his nose against the tiny cheek and instead of crying Jake giggled.

"Do you want me to take him?" Piper offered.

Nathan shook his head.

"I want you to go down to the State Department. I want to know about Maggie and I don't-"

He was interrupted when both labs jerked their heads around. Bubba gave a bark and vaulted over the back of the couch they were sitting on, and Jaffer was right behind him as they bolted to the front door. The two men heard the sound of the front door opening, and a very familiar voice calling his name.

"Nathan?"

His heart gave a glad leap, and Nate was off of the couch almost as quickly as the labs had been.

"Maggie!"

A bewildered Jake suddenly found himself smooshed in between Nathan and Maggie, who caught her husband's frantic embrace willingly, even though she was confused by it.

After a long moment, she pulled back just a little, aware of the baby and not wanting to squish him.

"Nathan…"

"Give me that baby," Ian Piper said, stepping up and smoothly taking Jake from Nate, who was only looking at his wife. Jake stared, uncertainly, but Maggie only smiled.

"Don't be angry, Nathan," she said, reaching up and touching his cheek. "I couldn't stay at the Embassy when there was a way for me to get home."

He crushed her against him, holding her close and sobbing quietly in relief. Maggie frowned, holding him just as tightly as he was holding her, but completely baffled by his behavior. She'd expected to be chewed out – and her speech had been rehearsed several times on her journey home – but not only was he apparently not angry, but he was relieved, for some reason.

"What's going on Ian?" she asked, softly, knowing that Nathan wouldn't be able to answer even if he'd heard the question.

Piper smiled, just as relieved as Nathan – well, probably not that relieved, but close.

"The American Embassy in Paris was attacked by the alien ships, Maggie," he explained, bouncing Jake lightly to reassure him that everything was okay. "There were several casualties and we weren't able to get through to anyone to find out what was going on…"

She made a surprised noise, and hugged Nathan tighter, understanding, now.

"I'm sorry, Nathan," she said, kissing his cheek with a series of tender kisses. "I tried to get through but all the lines are busy…"

His ever-tightening grip was all the answer she received, but it was enough.

OOOOOOOO

He went through two floors of rooms – all of them small and clearly just for living purposes – before Ian actually found something he recognized. As he passed yet another large window with an aquarium-like view, he saw a dead plant in an odd-looking planter that triggered a memory of the time he'd been here with Alexander and Dotty – in the other reality. The planter was just outside a lab. A lab that Ian knew belonged to Alexander in the other reality and probably did here as well.

He moved unerringly toward that lab, and opened the door with a touch. Sure enough, the lab was there as he'd expected, and that meant he could find the Gateship bay by backtracking the journey he'd made then. After all, the realities were different, but the city was identical.

He left the lab, closing the door behind him and headed for the control room. He knew where the Gateships were, now he and McKay (if McKay was any help) needed to figure out the point of origin so they could head for home.

OOOOOOOOOO

McKay had given up looking at the technology of the room. Not only was it all broken, but he was convinced that someone or something was in the room with him – even though he couldn't see anything and didn't hear anything after the initial noise he thought he'd heard. He had his gun out, now, and was crouched a little behind one of the consoles, pointing it everywhere he looked, and wishing that Ian would get his butt back. This place was just too creepy to be alone in, and he was definitely going to make sure Hammond knew that.

That was assuming, of course, that the young lieutenant hadn't been captured by something – or someone – or even worse, killed outright. McKay had read a couple of mission reports from SG-1 and the others, and he knew that aliens weren't always willing to ask first and shoot later. For all he knew Ian had been caught, killed and left lying in one of the corridors. And who knew? Maybe what had killed him was now looking for McKay – assuming Ian hadn't told them where to find him before he'd been snuffed.

That was the problem with being intelligent. A vivid imagination that only amplified his own uncertainties.

When the door behind him whooshed open without warning, McKay jumped, whirled and pulled the trigger on his gun several times before he even looked to see who it was.

With a startled shout, Ian tumbled to the floor.