Author's Note: I've been trying to put this up for 4 days now, so while I am really sorry you guys had to wait, please be assured, it wasn't because I wasn't trying!

OOOOOOOO

"Is it them?" Shawn asked the moment Jack emerged from the recovery room.

"Yeah. McKay's in there babbling like a brook…" Jack turned to the guards who were right by the door. "No one goes in there except my people."

"What about the medical staff?" Lee asked.

"We brought our own with us. They can take care of him for now."

She didn't look like she agreed with that, but was also aware that it wasn't her decision to make, and Jack turned to Enbom.

"I want to see the other one."

The older man frowned.

"As far as I know, he's still under the knife…"

"Then I want to talk to one of the surgeons."

"I'll see if I can get one," Enbom said, realizing from Jack's tone of voice that he wasn't in the mood to be argued with. He gestured to Inspector Reid, who nodded and went off down the hallway.

"Is McKay okay?" Daniel asked.

Jack nodded.

"He's pretty beat up, but Fraiser says he'll be all right eventually."

"What did he say?" Shawn asked, hoping for word about Ian.

"Says that he saved the world," Jack replied, rolling his eyes. "Come on, let's go see what the doctors say."

At that moment Fraiser came out the door of the recovery room with Sam, and the two joined them as they all headed down the hallway the same direction Reid had gone.

Before they'd gone too far, though, they were intercepted by the Federal Agent, who was coming back to see them.

"They said they'll have someone meet with you in the OR waiting room," he said, gesturing to a door at the end of the corridor.

It looked like he might argue with Reid about that for a moment, but Jack nodded, finally, and headed for the door that had been indicated, with the others following. The room was small and empty, but held several small couches and padded seats – with one television that was mercifully off and not showing any news footage.

"Did they give any indication how long we would have to wait?" Teal'c asked.

Reid shook his head.

"Sorry…"

He looked sorry, too, if only to keep the huge man from getting annoyed with him.

Jack couldn't help his amused smile at that, but he hid it well and sat down in one of the small couches and reached for a magazine. They'd find out about Ian, then he'd report to Hammond, who was receiving other intelligence briefings and would be able to brief the President, who could get together with the other diplomats and decide what to tell the world. He was just glad that wasn't his decision.

OOOOOOOOOO

It wasn't as hard to get a flight as Maggie might have thought. Of course, Nathan had three things that kept people from giving him too many hassles when it came to doing what he wanted them to. He was big and intimidating, he had a sharp temper, and he had enough rank to get things done when they had to be. Even better, in this case he was good friends with the commanding officer of the closest Air base, and was able to convince him to get him on the first flight going west – and to divert that flight to Iowa.

The only problem was that the first flight wasn't leaving for several hours and couldn't be bumped up. Which meant that while Bubba would go to Ian Piper's for the next few days, Nathan, Maggie, Jake and Jaffer were going to be the guests of the base commander for the next several hours. But it was better than sitting at home – even Maggie agreed with that.

OOOOOOOOOO

"You cannot do this yourself?"

"No. And don't heal it too completely, because I don't want them to send me off to somewhere in the boontoolies while I'm supposed to be recovering…"

There was a moment's hesitation – mainly because Chelani had no idea where the boontoolies were, or why anyone would send him there – but he was in intimate contact with Ian's mind, and the New Yorker was thinking about the time Dotty had healed him and he'd been sent offworld.

"You've met an Ancient before?" he asked, impressed and a little excited. Newly Ascended, he hadn't had a chance for more than a cursory introduction to those around him, and before he'd Ascended he'd never met an Ancient. Aside from his mother.

"Don't get distracted," Ian chided. "It's not that big of a deal. You'll meet plenty of them, now."

"Thanks to you."

"Whatever."

Ian wasn't above telling the guy that he owed him in order to get him to heal him, but he wasn't going to allow any sort of extended thank you. That was worse than no thank you, really.

"You do not know what Anubis was planning…" Chelani said, stung, as he finished what he was doing, under the watchful 'eye' of Ian. "It was awful."

"Yes, I do."

He'd been inside the symbiote's mind, after all, and had seen everything – and wouldn't forget any of it. All the evil already done, and everything that was planned – including the destruction of the Earth, whether the Asgard came or not. The bastard.

Chelani knew this, too, now, again because of his own intimate contact with Ian's mind. He also knew then of all the counter-attacks that had been planned by those the New Yorker knew, and was once more amazed.

"A weapon like that will protect your planet forever…"

"That's the idea." Ian had seen enough, and had been with Chelani far too long, really. The guy wasn't a bad person or anything, but Ian didn't like being so close to anyone – and hated the idea of having anyone so close to his thoughts. Which was another reason he' had no desire to Ascend and be with an entire population of mind readers. "You've done enough, Chelani. Any more than that, and they'll start dissecting me to figure out what's going on…"

He'd already been healed far more than was probably prudent – but he didn't like the idea of being permanently crippled, or spending several years in physical therapy. As it was, he'd hurt and be tender in several spots, but should recover just fine on his own from there on out.

The two of them separated, then, and Chelani hesitated. He owed Ian plenty, whether he thought so or not, and was loathe to part from his company.

"Will I see you again?"

Ian shrugged.

"You're the Ascended one. You tell me."

Now there was the humor that he normally felt when Alexander was around, and it made him smile, because he knew it was the first time Chelani had laughed or been amused in far too long.

"We will meet again some day, Ian Brooks. Until then, you have my thanks – whether you want it or not."

Before Ian could say anything, the Presence was gone, taking the last word with him.