The two Ancients frowned slightly.

"You don't seem all that surprised to see us," Alexander said.

"I'm surprised," Ian told him. "But I had hoped that you'd make an appearance somehow. I didn't exactly expect my gate to be hijacked, but considering that it's happened to me before, it's not as much of a shock this time." He looked over at Dotty, who was watching him intently, even curiously. "And I didn't expect to be in a different reality…"

They didn't show any surprise that he'd figured that out himself; after all, Dotty was dead in his reality and most likely they knew that.

"Dotty is the one who altered Jack O'Neill's mind," Alexander replied. "Since I have no idea what she did – and neither does my alternate in your reality – there was no sense in him talking to you."

"Am I alive in this reality?" Ian asked, morbidly curious.

"No. So there won't be any uncomfortable reaction to you being here."

"Not that we will keep you any longer than necessary, at any rate," Dotty told him.

"Tell me that you did something to keep the people waiting for me in Atlantis from worrying…"

That was actually more important to him than any discomfort to himself.

"We haven't yet, but we will," Alexander assured him. "We'll make it so that no time at all has gone by between when you left Earth and arrived at your home."

Ian nodded his appreciation of that, and then looked back to Dotty.

"So you altered Jack's mind?"

"Well, not the same Jack that lives in your reality, but yes, that's what I did to make him aware of the Ashrak menace when Shawn was a child."

"How?"

"It's not something you can do, Ian," Dotty told him. "It's an ability of my people-"

"I learned to heal," he interrupted.

"It's not the same," Dotty said. "And you didn't learn it overnight, I imagine."

"Tell me how it's different."

"Only the females have the innate ability, Ian," Alexander told him, patiently. "No male could ever do what Dotty did – and there's no way that she could teach you how to do it. Not only because you're not Ancient, but also because you're not female."

The hope Ian had felt when he'd first realized that he'd been accosted by Ancients faded, and it must have shown in his expression, because Dotty gave him a sympathetic look – one that made him think of her alternate self in his reality.

"Don't look so down, Ian," Dotty told him, reaching out and putting her hand on his forearm. "It's not hopeless. Otherwise we wouldn't be here."

"What do you mean?"

"Come with us," Alexander told him, moving toward the front of the Gateship once more – this time on the other side. Ian followed, with Dotty walking beside him, and saw that they had a small pavilion set up, complete with four low-slung chairs all around a small table that held glasses and a pitcher of something light red. Two of the glasses were already being used – no doubt by Dotty and Alexander – but the others were empty.

"Four chairs?" Ian asked, curiously, as he sat in the chair Alexander beckoned to.

"We weren't sure if you were going to be alone," Dotty explained. She didn't say any more than that, though, and Ian let the subject drop. She filled his glass for him and Alexander leaned forward slightly in his chair as she sat in hers.

"Tell us about the Ashrak," he requested.

"Don't you already know a-"

"The Ashrak are a very secretive people," Alexander interrupted. "We don't know as much as you might think we do – and it's better that you just assume we don't know anything, to make sure you don't skip over something that might help us."

That made sense, really. Assured that no one back home was worrying about him, he leaned back in his chair and told them everything that had happened since he'd left Atlantis for Shawn's birthday party.

"So you used one of the devices that had been left to you and managed to get into the mind of the Ashrak?" Dotty asked him when he'd finished.

"Yes."

"And with your memory, you remember what you see there," Alexander said.

Ian nodded, even though it was more of a statement than a question.

"That's how we figured out who the Goa'uld was that was sending the Ashrak."

"My initial thought would be to simply send someone back to when Shawn created the device and destroy it before the Goa'uld finds it," Alexander said. "The problem with that is that then you run the risk of changing your relationship with Shawn – considering that the Ashrak attack at the Academy is the way you two start to bond."

"Yeah, we can't risk anything in the past getting changed," Ian replied.

"And Jack has decided that the Goa'uld is off-limits for assassination?" Dotty asked so matter-of-factly that Ian knew suddenly why the Ancients were so willing to help him with something that didn't even include their reality. Dotty – any Dotty – was a mother, and her son (and granddaughter, now) was in danger. She could – and would – be ruthless in protecting Shawn, even when it wasn't officially her Shawn that needed the help.

"Yes. The concern being that it'll cause more trouble than it will solve by leaving a void in the Goa'uld presence in that area."

"Understandable," Alexander murmured, even though Dotty looked slightly rebellious and Ian knew that she, at least, was all for the assassination of the Goa'uld as an easy fix to the problem. "I don't think the solution to the Ashrak problem lies in the Ashrak, though," he told Ian.

"No?"

"No. From what you say, they are practically bred to kill – and definitely would react aggressively if you were to threaten them. Aggressively enough that it wouldn't be prudent to try to change their minds about accepting the bounty on Shawn."

"I can't go after the Goa'uld, though."

"You can't kill the Goa'uld," Alexander corrected him. "Jack didn't say you couldn't go talk to him – and maybe teach him the errors of his ways… Get him to stop the bounty altogether."

Ian frowned. He wasn't concerned about getting to the Goa'uld. But handled wrong, it could cause a lot more problems than just attempts on Shawn.

"And if that doesn't do the trick?"

"Then you use this." Alexander gestured to Dotty, who reached down behind her chair and handed him a small wooden box, which he handed over to Ian. The New Yorker opened it and frowned at the little device that was set into a form-fitting mold inside the box.

"What is it?"

"A device that will enhance the one you already have – the one that lets you see into a person's mind. With that one, you can find his memory of why he hates Shawn... and with this one, you can erase it."

Ian looked up at Alexander.

"Erase it?"

The Ancient nodded.

"Completely."