Author's Note:

Opening the door in the time machine to nine days ago now ... we're getting there! Same note re potential errors - hopefully I caught most of them. Thanks for reading :)

December 12th

Being transported from Atlantis was an instance of nothingness for Jennifer. It felt good when her vision cleared to find herself standing on the bridge of the Daedalus. Finally she was doing something to help get Evan back.

"Colonel, welcome aboard," Colonel Caldwell greeted them, directing his words to John. Jennifer tried not to read too much into his tone even though it sounded like he was somewhat put out at having his arrival to Atlantis hijacked as soon as they'd made orbit. Colonel Carter had spoken to the Daedalus commander as soon as they'd been in range of course, and they'd taken some time to discuss the situation on Olesia before leaving. She was just being silly - of course Colonel Caldwell would be just as eager as anyone else to rescue their people.

"Thank you Sir," John replied.

"We've assigned quarters for the duration," Caldwell continued. "Given the time difference I'm assuming you'll all want to get some sleep."

It had been a long day and Jennifer was more than ready for it to be done. Gratefully following the young airman Colonel Caldwell assigned to escort her, Jennifer barely took in her surroundings. She hadn't been on the Daedalus since her trip to Atlantis and it brought back memories to be there again.

"Ma'am," the young airman motioned respectfully to her door once they arrived.

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully.

"The mess is just down this hall," the airman added helpfully. "We weren't able to fully unload supplies for Atlantis but we did beam down essentials – including mail. We took the liberty of locating anything for Colonel Sheppard's team and yourself first Ma'am. Yours is on the desk in your quarters."

"Oh," Jennifer nodded. "Well, thank you again."

"You're welcome Ma'am," the young man nodded respectfully before taking his leave.

Jenn walked into the small room, looking around for a moment before the lure of bed and a chance to switch off her mind drew her forward. She'd read her mail tomorrow.

After starting her day by reading Evan's twelfth message and her mail, Jennifer was struck again with how uncanny it was that each day's advent so closely followed her thoughts or the events going on around her. If she didn't know better she'd think somehow that Evan was psychic – that he'd known in advance they'd be separated and his messages had been his way of helping her get through the separation.

That was crazy thinking though … laughing at herself she imagined how different things would have been if they'd both been back in Atlantis, reading each day's messages together. Probably at the end of each day they'd sit on the couch in her quarters. Evan would watch in that quiet way of his as she searched for the right number, and then put his arm around her as she settled against his chest to read what he'd written for her. It would be warm and romantic and a good deal more light hearted than reading them alone had been.

For today's message she'd have teased him by being outwardly remonstrative while being secretly touched by his old fashioned sentiments. She reread the message again, a sweet smile crossing over her face as it had the first time she'd read it.

"If I thought you'd take it the right way I'd go the whole road and ask for your hand in marriage from your Dad (from Carson too if he were here). It's not a reason to say Yes as such but … I'd like to think they'd both approve."

How could Evan have known that she'd have a letter from her Dad to read the very same day? Of course the letter wasn't about Evan's proposal - her Dad would have written it weeks ago. She'd emailed Tom Keller full of joy and excitement as soon as she could, the message part of the regular update to the SGC a few days later. Her father knew she was marrying Evan as soon as she could arrange it, but since the Daedalus was already on its way by then and they'd left Atlantis before the next check-in, she'd have to wait to get her Dad's reaction to the news.

Instead Tom Keller had written about general events and responded to questions she'd asked in her prior letter. He'd finished as he usually did with some words of hope.

"I hope you're looking after Evan just as I know he'll be looking after you. I know I've said it before honey but it does my heart good to know that you have someone so capable watching out for you. I've never gotten used to the secrecy – I still stumble every time I have to tell someone asking after you that I don't know where you are. I don't say that to bring forth any guilt, you know that. I say it because you'll appreciate even more that your absence and the distance has been easier on me since you've had Evan Lorne in your life, because I don't worry about you the same way anymore. Evan loves you, anyone can see that, and you love him too. You're happy, wherever you are, with him … I saw that so clearly when you visited your old Dad last July. I hope it won't be long until you can come back and visit again.

I don't worry like I used to but I do still miss you … every day.

Love Dad."

She'd introduced the two most important men in her life to each other about six months after her first date with Evan, taking advantage of a rare few weeks leave when they could go back to Earth together.

Evan and Tom Keller had hit it off as well as she'd dared hope and the last small kernel of unwanted space inside her had been filled. Her family had always been her Dad – they were closer because it had been just the two of them for a long time. Evan understood that because he had the same kind of relationship with his Mom, for very similar reasons. When she'd met his Mom on that same trip home she'd felt an instant connection to Grace Lorne too, seeing so much of Evan's demeanour and personality in the woman who'd raised him. She knew many people complained about their 'in-laws' – for form or with reason – but there was no way either she or Evan would ever speak with anything but respect and genuine regard for theirs. That made her doubly lucky, to have Evan and to have found something more in the family that came with him.

That bond of history was just another reason why they were so perfect for each other. It made it easy to add to her small family for the first time, to include Evan into the space that had previously been just her and her Dad, as though he'd always been a part of it.

Smiling, she carefully folded away her Dad's letter and Evan's advent message, determined she'd do as her Dad hoped. Somehow she'd find a way to look after Evan, even if all she could do right then was pray for his safety and for an uneventful journey to Olesia.