Chapter 8: Waiting

SGU

"Sisters, are you there?" Destiny asked.

"We are, we have heard you have survivors from another universe, one being an ascended being

who came back to our plane of existence to visit our universe." Auratora and Atlantis both spoke up at the same time.

"Yes, that is so. How though come the preparations to connect us tougher so I maybe repaired and what of Uncle?" Destiny replied.

"Uncle is with me still and is working hard to get the connection ready. He will be coming through to stay with you and help repair you. He is the most capable and knowledgeable too." Auratora spoke.

"Also, the Tau'ri on Earth and here in me, are readying supplies, staff and upgrades for you, so we all maybe closer again, as was originally planned. The ones called McKay and Carter are remarkable for Tau'ri. Janus and Merdyn would have both found them worthy students. McKay is rude, Carter though is very good." Atlantis chimed in.

"Two Tau'ri weeks are expected to be how long to wait until the connection is ready. It is planned to be from me that it is made." Atlantis spoke up again.

"That is wise, as they only found me and haven't powered my fully up yet." Auratora replied.

"Thank you sisters. I will be waiting." Destiny trailed off.

SGA

The two weeks it took for the ZPMs to be installed, supplies and other preparations to be made as well as staffing to arrive, was hectic. Not to mention the retirement of former President O'Neill and General Carter, to Atlantis, the various promotions of military personnel and the return of Dr. Weir. Richard Woolsey was also abit on edge, having his former boss on base both the President and General Carter, as well as former base Head, Elizabeth Weir. But all was working it's way along fairly smoothly.

"Elizabeth, can I talk with you?" Came the lightly breathy voice of now General John Sheppard, as he finally was getting time to speak with Elizabeth Weir for the first time in relative private.

"John, please come in, I was just thinking of you. The extra grey hair suits you, you know." Elizabeth said, with a smile crossing her lips. Oh how she'd missed looking at this man, seeing him now older than her was both painful and also sexy.

"I know I've been away and that coming back isn't easy, especially having been gone for a decade and you've gone on with your life. But I wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten you." Elizabeth said, a hint of sadness in her voice, maybe signs that she worried he didn't feel the same as she did now, as time had gone on for her.

"Time may have aged me; but I am still the same John and still missed you. I was worried that you'd changed so much that you didn't still feel the way we did years ago. Especially when you became an Asuran, then embodied FRAN and finally sacrificed yourself through that space gate. I didn't know what had happened to you. I still can't quite figure it out; but know that I love you and am glad you're back." John responded.

Then they both left Elizabeth's quarters the next morning, it was as if time hadn't passed and their relationship was there again.

"Jack, Drs. Carter, McKay and Jackson, how are things progressing for the Destiny resupply?" Asked Woolsey, as they all sat down in the conference room, rooms shutting behind them.

"Dick, all is going well. We are ready whenever Sam and Rodney give the word." O'Neill responded. He had to admit, though he originally didn't like Richard Woolsey, he learned to respect and understand him. Now that he was not President, it made things easier to deal with.

"Mr. Pres… Jack, please I prefer Richard. But a that said, good to hear." Woolsey replied.

"So, where is Mr. R'oss, he being the star of this whole thing?" O'Neill asked, Woolsey nodding agreement.

"I'm here, in a manner of speaking." Came my reply, though I didn't appear.

"Where are you exactly?" O'Neill asked.

"In Janus and Merdyn's lab in Auratora, no, in the Atlantis part of it now. We are ready to go from my end as well." I replied.

"Uncle, are you sure we are ready to help our sister?" The two voices of Atlantis and Auratora asked in unison.

"Who were those voices?" Asked Woolsey, O'Neill and Carter at the same time. McKay was looking wide-eyed at no one in particular.

"We are the AIs of Atlantis and Auratora speaking. We are the sisters to Destiny, she being our elder sibling AI." They replied.

"Wait, so it was you, Atlantis, that I've been sensing over the past years, also as if you're watching over me and all here. That feeling in the back of my head…" Sheppard said.

"Yes, I was that. But only when Auratora was awoken, did I feel comfortable in starting to show myself, in a way. I thought I was alone, not knowing if even Destiny was still aware of herself. But since uncle has been around, things are improving." Atlantis continued.

"It was once all three of us were awakened and reconnected that I asked what could done about Elizabeth Weir and restoring her to human life and Auratora, regarding getting to Destiny and repairing her." Atlantis spoke.

SGU

"Okay 5 minutes till the connection attempt, everyone to your places." Captain Scott yelled.

Rushing around in the embarkation room to get last minute things out of the way of the unstable wormhole and also, all transfers back to Atlantis, and space available for the new supplies to be initially held before relocation around the ship were being readied.

"Scott, we have 150 transfers going back to Atlantis, 25 from our original crew and 125 from the 300 off the Arcturus that we rescued. You ready for them?" Captain Johnson commed in, via the walkie-talkies.

"Copy that TJ, thanks." Scott replied.

"Sir, you coming down for this?" Scott called into his walkie-talkie to General Young.

"Scott, if I were any closer, the squelch would hurt my old ears…" Came Young's reply, walking up behind Scott.

"Oh, hi sir. Didn't hear you coming in, must be the noise of everyone and thing getting ready?" Scott answered.

"This is a great day, one of many I hope." Young replied.

"Amen to that, sir!" Scott was replying when suddenly the star gate indicated an incoming connection.

"Everyone, get out of the way NOW!" Young yelled.

Chevrons 1 through 7 were already locked when everything was out of the way. Chevron 8 locked and then the room started to shake. With the 9th chevron locked the whoosh of the vortex was felt and the walkie-talkies chirped.

"Destiny, this is Atlantis, are you ready to go?" O'Neill asked.

"Sir, we are ready to start sending through the 150 transfers." Young replied.

"Good, let's get the show on the road then folks." O'Neill could be heard to say, as an arm suddenly appeared from out of the now stable vortex.

The materialization of the transferees was going well and slightly ahead of schedule, when the final ground came through.

"Okay, all through on this end, 3 minutes to spare on that part. Let's get Destiny all her supplies and new crew. Come on folks, we don't have all day here. I could move faster and look, I'm a retiree…" Came a very sarcastic shout from O'Neill as the people and supplies started to transit from Atlantis to Destiny.

20 minutes later, all things were done. With a few minutes to spare too.

"Everett, everything okay on your end?" O'Neill asked, sticking his face through the vortex.

"Sir, don't do that. And yes we're good. Thank you for everything and best of luck with the new finds at Auratora and in your retirement." Young replied.

"Thank you and Sam is like a kid in a very nerdy candy store, her and Jackson are having a ball of it there. Keep in touch and again, best of luck." O'Neill replied, before stepping back though into Atlantis fully. Turning round, he picked up a bottle of champagne and rolled in through the vortex, then turned and signalled to the Control Room to close the connection.

Into the Embarkation room on Destiny rolled a bottle of champagne with a note attached.