A/N: Triple Theat, I own. SGA, not so much. Nikki, Alex, Kira, Becca, Jayden, Carrigan…um…select others…those are my own personal charries. John, Teyla, Elizabeth, Carson…them, not so much.

I'm trying to make it up to you all for not updating in forever and a day by updating twice in a short amount of time. I have the next four chapters planned out. As it is now, there will be at least four more chapters, including this one, to this series. Probably five or six. And then it is on to the sequel.

I hope I can continue to get readers on the sequel as well as the collection of short stories I have been writing for this story. Again, those are under the title Just Another Day on Atlantis. Enjoy!

**By the way, I skipped ahead to when people are finally moving to the city because that'd be an awful lot of filler chapters between them searching the city, informing people, getting security clearance, yada yada yada…So..sorry about the skip. This takes place about a month after Chapter 22. And for those of you who don't know, Major Lorne is in the Air Force as well.**

Chapter 23

Jessie stared at the papers she held in her hands. The words just couldn't be true, but a part of her knew they were. Her entire life, she felt like she didn't belong. Of course, everyone told her that was just a teenager thing and that it would pass. It didn't.

Now she was sitting across from her…from the people she called her parents. She was staring down at her own adoption papers and a letter from her…from her real mother saying she wanted nothing to do with her. "Why wasn't I told this before?" She looked up at them with piercing hazel eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that I was adopted?"

They looked at each other, and then back at her. "We didn't know how to tell you. But you're an adult now. You deserved to know. It's up to you on what you do with the information."

Jessie shook her head. "This letter is telling me my mother wants nothing to do with me. What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Your mother may not, but it doesn't say anything about your father not wanting anything to do with you. From what we were told, he wasn't given a decision in the matter. You should find him."

She nodded and stared down at the papers some more. The name of her father was written on the paper. That's all her parents were. Just names on a piece of paper. She was determined to find him, no matter what it took.

SGA

Dave looked around the SGC. This was the last time he and his family would be on Earth for a while. They were finally moving to Atlantis. Along with several other people including McKay's sister and her family.

Carrigan was probably the most excited out of all of them. She hadn't stopped talking about moving to Atlantis since they had asked her and Jayden. Jayden was just excited to be able to use all the technology and fly in the puddle jumpers. The last time they had been there, John had taken him for a ride in one of the jumpers and he had loved every second of it. Now he knew why his uncle loved to fly so much.

His father had explained to them what John had told him about them all having some gene that would allow them to use the technology. That had been his selling point on the matter.

The stargate started to dial and the chevrons locked into place. Dave looked down at his children. "Okay, it's time to go to our new home." General O'Neill's voice came over the speakers. "Good luck to everyone on Atlantis and…have fun. You have a go."

They picked up their bags and moved up the ramp and through the stargate. Most of their belongings would be coming on the Daedalus.

John and Dr. Weir were standing in the gate room to meet everyone who would be moving there. As soon as John saw Dave and his family emerge through the gate, he smiled at them and nodded.

Dave nodded and moved his family out of the way of the people still coming through the gate. He moved them off to the side of the room. John stepped closer to them and greeted his family. "Welcome to Atlantis." Carrigan was jumping up and down in excitement and ran up to her uncle, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Uncle John! I missed you! I can't believe we're moving here! Where's Aunt Nikki? Is she here too?"

John looked up at Becca and Dave when she had called Nikki her aunt. Becca started laughing and shrugged. "She asked us what to call her and since you're marrying her…" John looked down at Carrigan and smiled. "Yes, she's here. She's in her lab right now though. You'll see her in a little bit, if that's okay with you." Carrigan nodded and let go of John, moving to stand next to her brother.

Jayden was quiet as he took in his surroundings. It had been a while since they'd been there, but he remembered it like it had been yesterday. It's hard to forget what something like the lost city of Atlantis looks like. Even if you try.

John turned and looked as the stargate disengaged. "I'll be right back." He moved back over to stand next to Elizabeth as she began talking to everyone who had just arrived.

"Hello, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Weir. I'm in charge of this expedition. This is Colonel John Sheppard. He's the Commanding Military Officer here and in charge of everyone's safety. I'm glad that you all decided to come live in this beautiful city and that you made it here safely. We have assigned living quarters for all of you in different areas of the city. I hope that you find living here as wonderful as we have. Tonight, we have prepared a party to reunite you with your loved ones. Many of them are on-duty or off-world right now so you'll be using this time to get settled into your new home. The party will be held in the mess hall. We'll show you where the mess hall and infirmary are and each of you will be given a radio in case you need to get ahold of anyone. If there are any questions, the Colonel will be more than happy to answer them for you. My office is just up there in case anyone needs me. Welcome to Atlantis."

She smiled at John and then moved out of the gate room, and up to her office. He reached up and hit his com as people started to gather their belongings from having set them down after coming through the gate. "Dr. McKay and assigned military personnel, please report to the gate room. They have arrived."

"Several military personnel will be showing you where each of your quarters are and giving you a radio. In each set of quarters, there is a display that will show you where everything is, including the mess hall, the infirmary, and all of the recreational rooms. They should be able to answer any questions you may have. If not, I'm sure I or any of the senior staff will be able to answer your questions. If you have any questions at any time, please radio or e-mail myself, Dr. Weir, Teyla Emmagen, Drs. Beckett or Keller from the infirmary, or Drs. McKay, Zalenka, or Teagan from the Science department. We are more than willing to help. And if you get lost, don't worry about it. We all have two or three times."

John turned as McKay and the officers walked into the gate room. "Ah, here they are. Rodney, you'll obviously be showing your family where their quarters are. As for the rest of you, you've all been assigned who you'll be escorting. Any problems, let me know. Have fun."

John turned and walked back to his family as Rodney walked over to his sister, brother-in-law and niece.

"Nice speech, little brother." John smirked and nodded. "Thanks. Well, I have the easiest job. Well, besides McKay that is. Do you all remember where everything is?"

Dave and Becca nodded. "Okay, then let's head on over to your quarters. They're actually not that far from the new quarters that Nikki and I have found, so we'll be close in case you need anything."

Dave nodded as he matched pace with his brother. Becca was helping the kids behind them. "So, how have you been since the last time we talked?"

John looked sideways at his brother. "Okay. It's been hectic around here trying to get things done before everyone showed up. People have been a little on edge, but that should ease tonight at the party." Dave nodded. They made small talk as they walked through the hallways to their new home.

SGA

"There isn't much information on this name. We've run it through several filters and have only come up with little information. The last filter we're going to run it through is a military one. Are you or your adopted parents associated with any branch of the military?"

Jessie looked down at the papers she held in her hand. "Yes, I joined the Air Force last year." The woman nodded and continued to make small talk as she ran the name through a military filter. "Ah, here we go. Your father is also in the military. Actually, he's in the Air Force. What a coincidence."

Jessie looked up at the woman who was helping her find her father. "Really? Does it say where he's stationed?" The woman read over all of the information she was able to pull up. "No, it doesn't. It says he was station-." The phone started to ring, cutting her off mid-sentence.

She frowned and picked up the phone. "Hello?" After a moment, her brow furrowed and she looked up at the girl sitting in front of her. "I am an adoption agent trying to find a young girl's father. She recently came across her adoption papers and is trying to find him."

Another moment passed and the woman grew more confused. "Jessica Samuels. Yes, Air Force. Yes, that is his name. Do you know how I can get ahold of him?" Jessie was becoming very impatient. She was never very good at waiting.

The woman nodded and started scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Yes. Yes, I'll be sure to send her that way. Thank you, General. Mhm. Have a nice-." She looked at the phone and shook her head. She set the phone down and looked up at the girl.

"That was General Jack O'Neill of the Air Force. He wants you to report to Cheyenne Mountain complex immediately. That's all he would tell me." She nodded her thanks and stood to leave.

She was one-step closer to finding her father.

SGA

John walked into Nikki's lab and watched her work. She hadn't noticed him come in and continued to pour over the readings they had just received about the power levels in the city. It seemed to be holding up nicely just as they had hoped.

He smiled and moved to stand behind her. "Whatcha workin' on?" She jumped a little and spun to look at him. She relaxed and rolled her eyes when she saw that it was him. "Just looking over the power readings. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with Dave and his family."

John nodded. "I was. I just left there, actually. I left to let them get settled in. Carri kept asking me when she'd get to see Aunt Nikki though."

Nikki's face lit up. "She calls me Aunt Nikki?" John smiled and nodded. "Apparently she asked Becca what to call you and she told her to call you Aunt Nikki since we're getting married. That was one of the first things she said to me when they got here too."

Nikki's smile widened. "I don't think there's anything you could possibly say to make my day more than that did." John wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. "Not even if I say that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on and that I'm the luckiest man alive to have you all to myself?"

Nikki giggled. "Okay, maybe that can too." John's smile widened and he leaned in to kiss her. No one else was in the lab, so he wasn't too worried about on-lookers. He broke away after a few moments. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have a meeting I'm probably late for. I'll see you at lunch?" Nikki smiled and pecked him on the lips one last time before he left the lab. She turned back to the readings, but not before wishing it were lunchtime already.

SGA

The guard stopped her at the entrance to Cheyenne Mountain. "ID?" She pulled out her wallet and handed him her military ID. "I was told to meet General Jack O'Neill here."

The guard nodded and gave her directions on where to go. She moved into the complex and entered the elevator. She hit the button the man had told her to hit and waited as the elevator brought her down farther into the mountain.

The doors opened and there was another guard sitting at a desk. She moved to stand in front of the desk and handed him her ID. He looked it over and then looked back up at her. "The general is waiting for you in his office. Follow the corridor down that way. You're going to take a left, two rights, another left, and then you're at his office. If you need help, stop and ask someone."

She nodded as she took her ID back from him and moved in the direction he had told her to go. Surprisingly, she didn't get lost. She arrived in front of a door that had a plaque next to it reading General Jack O'Neill. She knocked once on the door before she heard a man calling her in.

Jessie opened the door and stepped inside. A man with gray-white hair in uniform stood up from behind his desk. She immediately saluted him. "At ease, Sergeant. Have a seat."

She complied and sat down in the chair in front of his desk as he sat back down. "So, I'm assuming you're Jessica Samuels?" She nodded and waited for him to continue. "From what I've been told, you recently found out you were adopted as a baby, found out who your father is, and are attempting to find him. Is that correct?"

"That's correct, sir." He nodded and looked down at some papers that were on his desk. "I don't normally do this with the lower ranks, but under these circumstances…I'll let it pass. I'm giving you security clearance, Ssgt. There are things here that you'll need to be made aware of before you'll be able to be introduced to your father."

"Sir, is he here?" He looked up at her. "No, he's stationed on a base somewhere else, but we'll get to that in a minute. Right now I'm going to inform you on what exactly happens in this facility. You are not to discuss anything I tell you with anyone who doesn't have high enough security clearance. Everyone on this base and the base you'll be going to require security clearance just to know that either place exist, is that understood?" She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, let's start with the basics. Welcome to Stargate Command." He proceeded to explain to her what a stargate is and what exactly they do on the base.

"So…what you're telling me is that you have a device called a…stargate that allows you to travel to other worlds…? I feel like I'm in an episode of Star Trek." He nodded and watched her reaction. "Let me ask you something, why did you become a pilot?"

"Because I think people who don't want to fly are crazy." O'Neill smiled. "And I think people who don't want to go through the Stargate are equally as whacked."

O'Neill through briefly back to the first time he had said that. It was like deja vu.

"Your father is stationed on a base in another galaxy. The stargate allows us to get there with the help of a device called a ZPM. Don't ask me to go into detail about that, you'd have to ask a scientist. Not my area of expertise. Have you ever heard of the Lost City of Atlantis?"

Jessie nodded, remembering the Greek mythology about the city. "The city that was struck down by Zeus?" Jack shrugged. "Sure, I don't know the mythology, but the city is real, believe it or not. Our theory is that the Greeks heard about it from some surviving Ancients. Ancients are the ones who built the stargate and Atlantis. The Greeks got it wrong though, the city is in a galaxy called Pegasus."

Jessie let all the information sink in. She had always been fascinated by Greek mythology, especially the stories of Atlantis and its mysterious disappearance. "Okay, so you're saying that my father is in another galaxy serving on a base made my people who designed a device that allows people to move between galaxies. Interesting. If you don't mind me asking, why was he assigned something like that?"

"Your father has a certain gene that we've found is quite rare. We call it the ATA gene, or Ancient Technology Activation. There is a lot of technology that the Ancients made that requires this gene to operate it. Your father possesses that gene and was needed on the expedition."

She nodded. "How do you know if you have the gene?" "Before you leave for Atlantis, the doctors here at the SGC will take a blood test and run it to see if you have the gene."

She paused. "You're sending me to Atlantis? I'm going to travel to another galaxy?" He nodded. "That is, if you still wish to meet your father. I can tell you he's an incredible man and you'd be missing out if you don't go, but it's your choice."

Jessie nodded. She had already made up her mind that she would find him no matter what. Even if it meant traveling to another galaxy.

SGA

John was sitting in the mess hall with Ronon and Teyla. They were the only ones from their group that had showed up for lunch so far. There was a lot to do around the city with a lot of new people arriving and settling into their new home.

"So, John, how are Dave and his family settling into their quarters?" John looked up from his sandwich. "Fine. I was there for a while, but I left them alone to get settled. I told them how to reach me on the radio if they needed me, but so far it's been silent."

Teyla nodded. "I am glad to hear that. Will they be a part of the festivities tonight?" He nodded as he finished his sandwich and washed it down with some water. "Nikki and I are meeting them in their quarters and coming together. She thought it would be nice to come as a family."

Teyla smiled. "I think that is a wonderful idea." She turned and looked at Ronon. "What about Amelia? Will she be joining us?" Ronon nodded around his sandwich. "She's off-duty right as it starts, so we'll be late." Teyla nodded. John and Ronon were quiet and she was trying to keep a conversation going. She was about to say something else when John's hand went up to his com.

"Sheppard here." Ronon and Teyla exchanged glances. It was rare that Sheppard got through a meal without getting a call on his radio.

"Sir, General O'Neill and someone else are here for you. They said to meet them in Dr. Weir's office." Sheppard's brow furrowed. "Copy that. I'm on my way. Sheppard out."

He looked up at his friends. "O'Neill is here and wants to see me. I guess he has someone with him. I gotta go. Tell Nikki I'll see her back in our quarters later." Teyla nodded as he left the table.

SGA

Jessie sat in the infirmary, waiting for the doctor to get the test results back. She walked into the room and walked straight over to the bed Jessie was sitting on. "Well, we got the results back. You do have the ATA gene and a quite powerful one at that. I've only met two others whose gene was as strong as yours."

She nodded and looked up as O'Neill walked in. "So, what's the verdict?" The doctor turned and looked at him. "She has the gene. And it's very powerful."

Jack nodded and looked at Jessie. "Yeah, I figured it would be." Jessie's brow furrowed, but before she could ask him what he meant by that, he had started talking. "Okay, I'm hoping you brought a bag with you?" She nodded. She had moved out of her parent's house earlier that day and was in the process of trying to find somewhere to live.

"Everything I own is in my car outside." He nodded. "Well, go pack a bag with enough for a few days at least, and meet me in my office when you're done." She nodded and left the infirmary.

Somehow she managed to get back to the surface without getting lost. She had always had a good sense of direction. Jessie walked over to her car, unlocked it, and threw everything she would need for a few days into one bag. She shut the door, locked it, and made her way back to the SGC.

Of course, they had to check her bag for weapons and such before she could go back in, but she finally made it down into the base and into O'Neill's office. When she walked in, he was just getting off the phone.

"Well, looks like you're all set. Let's head down to the control room."

They walked down to the control room in silence. Neither really knew what to say. Jack walked up the stairs to the control room and looked at Samantha Carter who was sitting in front of a computer. "Sam, dial Atlantis. I'll be escorting the Staff Sergeant and should be back soon."

She nodded and started the dialing sequence as they moved down into the gate room. He looked down at Jessie as she watched the Stargate. "Do you know what he looks like?"

Jessie looked up at him. "No. All I have to go on is his name."

He nodded and looked up at the stargate as the chevrons locked. "I'm sure you'll recognize him as soon as you see him."

She smiled and watched the gate settle to what looked like a puddle of water. "Dr. Weir has been informed of your arrival, sir. You have a go." "Thank you, Sam! See you in a bit!"

They walked up the ramp together, but she stopped right before they went through. "Does it hurt?"

"Not at all. I actually enjoy it myself." He stepped through the gate and she followed him.

They emerged through the gate and she took in the site before her. It was amazing. A woman was walking down the stairs directly ahead of them towards them.

"General, it's nice to see you again. What do I owe the pleasure?" General smiled at the woman. "Likewise, Dr. I'm here to introduce this young lady to her father. She recently found out that she was adopted as a baby. An adoption agent ran his name and flags popped up in the SGC. She's been given security clearance and briefed on the Stargate Program."

The woman nodded and turned to look at Jessie. "Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Weir. I'm in charge of this expedition." Jessie stuck out her hand, which Elizabeth accepted and shook. "Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels. It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "Well, Dr., would you mind escorting the sergeant to the conference room while I go inform the control room to have her father sent up? You mind if I use your office to debrief him before the introduction?"

Elizabeth nodded and walked with Jessie up the stairs. They turned to the left and walked into the conference room. She set her bag down next to the wall and then sat down on the end of the table. Elizabeth sat down next to Jessie and answered her questions about Atlantis and the Stargate Program.

Jack stood in Weir's office, waiting for him to get there. He heard the door slide open and turned to see who had walked in. "Ah, Sheppard. Just the man I wanted to see."

"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?" "You may want to take a seat, Sheppard. What I'm about to tell you is one hell of a story."

John's brow furrowed, but he sat down in one of the chairs. "Earlier today at the SGC, we got a flag that someone was searching the military database for information regarding you. I made a call and found out a story that lead someone to my office where I gave them security clearance and briefed them on everything Stargate. Before they got to my office, I did some digging. It turns out that her story is accurate and I highly doubt you knew anything about it."

"Sir, what are you talking about?" Jack glanced towards the conference room, and then looked back at John. "John, there's a young woman in the conference room by the name of Jessica Samuels. Does that name ring a bell to you at all?"

John sat there and wracked his mind for that name. "No, it doesn't. Should it?" Jack sighed. "Well, Colonel, she's a staff sergeant in the Air Force and she's also your daughter."

John's mouth opened slightly and eyes widened. He was speechless for a moment trying to wrap his mind around that chunk of information. "Sir, with all due respect, the only children I have haven't been born yet." O'Neill shook his head. "Nineteen years ago, Nancy got pregnant. From what I was able to dig up, she was in high school when it happened. Around the same time, her and her parents moved out of the country for about a year and then moved back to where they had lived previously. During that time, she had the baby and put her up for adoption. She made sure the baby was born in the States and was adopted in the States. She also made sure not to have anything to do with the baby once she was born. Your name was put on the birth certificate."

John thought back to that year during high school when he and Nancy were dating. One day she had told him that her dad had been transferred so she had to move out of the country for a while. Not even a year later, they moved back. She had been a little different, but he figured it was from living in Europe for almost a year. They had continued dating and a few years later, he joined the Air Force and then asked her to marry him.

"She never told me. I never knew…" He looked away and tried to process everything. "Yesterday her adopted parents told her she was adopted. They handed her the adoption papers along with her birth certificate that had your name on it. This morning she went to an adoption agency and tried to track you down. That's when the flags went up and I brought her here. She wanted to meet you and I figured you would want to meet her."

He nodded slowly, still not fully understanding what was happening. "What's going to happen now?"

"Well, that's up to you two. She's waiting to meet you in the conference room right now. If she wants to stay and if want her to as well, I'll get her assigned to the expedition. For now, why don't we go over there and you meet your daughter. She's eighteen-years-old and is pretty eager to meet you."

He looked up at Jack. "I don't even know what to say to her. How do I…I didn't even know she existed." Jack nodded. "I know. And she knows that too. Just…try to get to know her. Spend some time with her. She's a lot like you."

A small smile appeared on his face. "I have a daughter whom I've never met. An eighteen-year-old daughter. Wow."

"Yeah. That's what I thought too. Trust me, you'll see the family resemblance. Come on, let's go meet your daughter."

John nodded and followed O'Neill out of Weir's office. He was still in shock and didn't even register Ronon standing in the control room talking to Amelia until he literally ran into him.

"Whoah, Shep, watch where you're goin'." John looked up at Ronon. "Sorry, buddy. Didn't see you there."

Ronon stepped in front of him. "Didn't see me? What's going on?" John looked away from Ronon and over to the conference room. Jack stopped and looked back at John, watching him talk to his friend and giving him a minute.

John looked back up at Ronon. "I just found out…I'm still in shock. Listen, can we talk about this later? There's kind of something I need to do right now."

Ronon nodded and watched John walk away towards the conference room. He hit his com. "Nikki this is Ronon."

There was a pause before her voice came over his com. "What's up?" "Something's up with Shep. You know what it is?"

"What do you mean there's something up with him? Is he okay?" "He ran into me. Said he didn't see me. I asked what was going on and said he found something out that he was still in shock over. Said there was something he needed to do and walked away with O'Neill."

There was silence for a few moments. "I have no idea. He was fine earlier when he came to the lab. I'll talk to him about it when I see him."

John stopped outside the closed conference room doors. He still wasn't quite sure what to say. Jack looked over at him. "I'll get Dr. Weir and give the two of you some privacy." John nodded, still staring at the door. "Um, sir, who all knows about this?"

"You, me, and the Staff Sergeant." Sheppard finally looked over at Jack. "Elizabeth doesn't even know?" "Well, she probably knew once I told her that the girl's father is here."

Before John could ask him what he meant, he opened one of the doors and stepped through. He looked up at Elizabeth. "Dr. Weir, can you step outside please? I thought we'd give the two of them some privacy." Elizabeth nodded and looked down at Jessie before she got up. "It was nice to meet you, Jessie. If you need anything, my office is just across the walk from the control room." Jessie nodded, thanking her, and watched the two of them leave.

Dr. Weir stepped outside the conference room and looked up at a very nervous John. "Colonel. I had a feeling she was your daughter."

O'Neill and Elizabeth walked away before he could ask what she meant. They seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. He took a deep breath and then moved through the door and into the conference room.

When John walked into the conference room, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Jessie sitting there. She was a spitting image of him. She had chin-length black hair with hazel eyes. She had his nose, cheekbones, chin, you name it. She didn't look anything like Nancy. She was a female version of John Sheppard.

There was definitely no mistaking the relation. Jessie looked up as he walked in and gasped. It was like looking into a mirror. Her adopted parents had looked nothing like her and she had always wondered where she got her looks. Now she knew.

Their eyes met and locked. Neither really knew what to say. John was first to break the silence. He stepped closer to her and extended his hand. "Colonel John Sheppard." Her eyes widened when she heard colonel. She accepted his hand and shook, but she didn't let go. "Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels. But you can call me Jessie."

John smiled his crooked smile and nodded. "Well, it's nice to…finally meet you." She smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is. I'm sorry to surprise you like this, but I just found out myself." He nodded in understanding. "It's quite alright. I'm glad you came." She stood up, still holding his hand. After a moment, she dropped it and then wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close.

Slowly, he lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist. "I know I only just met you…but this seems right. I feel like I finally belong somewhere." John's smile grew and he hugged her tighter. He didn't say it, but it felt right to him too.

She let go and stepped back. "So, shall we sit and talk for a while?" He nodded and sat down next to her where Dr. Weir had been sitting.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Jessie looked down at her hands. "Um, if you don't mind, I'd to know about my mom. And please, don't sugarcoat it. I'll know if you're lying. I just want to know why she would just put me up for adoption with a note saying she wants nothing to do with me."

John nodded and tried to find a place to start. "I met your mother in high school. We started dating not too long afterwards. She was my high school sweetheart. She was sixteen when she left. She told me that her dad got transferred out of the country. Almost a year later, she was back. We had stayed in touch the entire time she was gone and immediately started dating again. She didn't tell me the real reason why she had left. Never even hinted at it. While she was gone, I had joined the Air Force. About two years later, I asked her to marry me. But that only lasted a few years. We tried to have kids, but nothing would work. I told her that if she got pregnant, I would leave the Air Force like she wanted me to, but she never did. She blamed me for it and it tore apart our marriage. She asked me for a divorce and I accepted. All the fighting we did…there was nothing to fix."

Jessie nodded, taking it all in. "So what happened to her after the divorce? Do you know?"

John took a breath and wondered if he should tell her everything that had happened to her mother. Finally, he decided it was best she know the truth and she was old enough to understand.

"She married a guy named Grant. They were happy for a while, or so she told me. After the divorce I didn't see her for about ten years. The next time I saw her was at my father's wake. She decided to pay her respects. She seemed happy. And then a few months later I ran into her again when my brother, your uncle, Dave, got into an accident and went into a coma. I went back to Earth and ran into her at the hospital. We argued and she blamed me for her and Grant's divorce and then again for never having children. About four months later, I went back to Earth with…with my fiancée, Nikki. Nancy had her and my sister-in-law, Dave's wife, Becca, kidnapped. We got there right as she was injecting Nikki with a drug call diphenhydramine. It knocked her unconscious and we almost lost her. She woke up a few days later with a mild case of amnesia which she recovered from a few days later. Nancy went to prison for child endangerment, kidnapping, and some other charges. That was just over a month ago."

Jessie sat back in her chair. "Wow. My mother had two people kidnapped and then almost killed them. Wait, you said child endangerment?"

John smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Nikki's pregnant. With twins." Jessie's jaw dropped. "So, wait, does that mean I'll be a big sister or…?" His smile grew and he nodded. "She's five months along." "You said she was your fiancée when this all happened? When's the wedding?"

"In a month. We want to be married before the twins are born." Jessie nodded and a smile graced her face. "So, tell me about Nikki. She has to be better than Nancy." John nodded. "Yes, definitely. Nikki is an astrophysicist and has a medical degree. She's the third top scientist here, but that's only because she hasn't been here long. She has a twin sister named Kira and an older brother named Alex. Kira is a major in the Air Force, and Alex is a botanist. Both of them are here as well. She's incredible. You're going to love her."

Jessie nodded. "I'm sure I will. Is there anyone else I need to know about?"

"My brother Dave recently moved to the city with his wife, Becca, and their children, Carrigan and Jayden. Actually, they just got here today. Major Evan Lorne is my second in command and practically my brother. My team, Dr. Rodney McKay-top scientist, Ronon Dex-um…from a planet here in the Pegasus galaxy, you'll like him, and Teyla Emmagen-also from the Pegasus galaxy. She's the leader of her people, called the Athosians. You'll like her too. Dr. Carson Beckett and Dr. Jennifer Keller are the chief medical officers, and good friends. Rodney's kind of obnoxious and arrogant, but you'll get used to him. Ronon…he's intimidating at first, but he's a great guy. Teyla is one of the kindest people you'll ever meet. Kira, well, she's a lot like Nikki, very outspoken too. Our group is like a family. You'll fit right in here. That is, if you decide to stay."

She looked up at her father. "I want to, but if you don't want me to, I understand." He shook his head. "Jess, I just met you. I just found out I have an eighteen-year-old daughter who's in the Air Force. Of course I want you to stay."

Her smile grew. She never let anyone call her Jess because it annoyed the hell out of her, but she kind of liked it when he called her that.

"So, what do I call you? I mean…it's kind of weird to call you sir or Colonel…" John chuckled. "Yeah, that'd be weird. Call me anything you feel comfortable with."

"What about dad?" His chest swelled at her question. "I would love that." "Okay then, Dad, is there a mess hall or something around here where we can get some food? I haven't eaten since this morning."

"Yeah, we can go to the mess hall. Maybe some of the people I mentioned will be there still. You can meet them." She nodded. "I'd love that." She moved to pick up her bag, but he beat her to it. He slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the conference room.

She followed him as they walked over to the control room. Amelia looked up as he got closer. "Amelia, can you have this brought to my quarters, please?" She nodded and stared at the girl behind him, in shock. "Oh, Amelia, this is Jess. Jess, this is Amelia. Ronon's girlfriend."

She nodded and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Amelia." Amelia shook her hand and smiled. "Same to you. I'll have it brought to your quarters right away, sir."

He nodded his thanks and they moved out of the control room and towards the mess hall. "So, she calls you sir and you have a second in command? But, Dr. Weir said she's in charge here. So what does that make you?"

"I'm the Commanding Military Officer here. Dr. Weir is in charge of everything else."

Jessie stopped and stared at her father. "My father is the commanding military officer of an alien base in another galaxy. This day just keeps getting weirder. And cooler. I still feel like I'm in an episode of Star Trek."

His face brightened. "Which series?" They continued on to the mess hall talking about Star Trek and different things about Atlantis. They walked in and got in line for food. He had already eaten, so all he got was a cup of coffee. They walked out of line and John spotted his group towards the back of the mess hall, right where he had left them.

Nikki, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Lorne, and Kira were all sitting around the tables talking and finishing up their lunch. John guessed that Ronon had gone back to the mess hall to ask them about his mysterious behavior a little bit ago in the control room.

"Okay, none of them know about you. Ronon is suspicious because I ran into him right before I walked into the conference room and I was still in shock, hell I'm still in shock now. Most of the people I told you about are over there. Are you ready for this? You don't have to meet them now." She nodded. "I want to meet them. Let's go."

She started in their direction and all John could do was roll his eyes, chuckle and follow her. Everyone looked up as they approached the table. Kira's mouth practically dropped when she saw the resemblance between the two and the rest tried, and failed, to hide their shock.

John shifted uncomfortably and took a seat next to Nikki. Jessie sat down next to him and looked at him. "Jess, this is Rodney, Ronon, Teyla, Kira, Lorne, and Nikki. Guys, this is Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels. My daughter."

Everyone stayed silent as they stared at John. Nikki was the first one to break the silence. "Wait, what?" John turned and looked at her. "I know, I just found out. Hell, both of us just found out. It turns out Nancy got pregnant back in high school, moved out of the country to hide it from me, put her up for adoption, and never told me about it. O'Neill just brought her here a little bit ago."

Nikki nodded and looked at Jess. She smiled at her. "This is quite a surprise. It's nice to meet you." Jess smiled at the woman. "You must be dad's fiancée." Nikki's smile widened and she nodded. Rodney kept looking back and forth between Jessie and John. John caught him staring.

"Okay, McKay. Let's have it." Rodney's eyes locked on John's. "You have a long-lost daughter who looks exactly like you. The female version of John Sheppard. She's in the military, just like you. Talks just like you. Walks just like you. She's your mini me."

"You done?" McKay started sputtering but stopped when Ronon kicked him underneath the table. "Yeah. I'm done." "Good." Ronon looked up at him. "So, Shep, this is what was going on when you ran into me." John nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that, buddy. I was kind of distracted." "I noticed."

John nodded and took a sip of his coffee. Teyla smiled at Jessie. "It is a pleasure to meet anyone in John's family. We have become like a family ourselves and you are more than welcome here."

Jessie smiled "Thank you." And then looked up at John. "You were right. I do like her." Teyla's smile grew as she looked at John with a raised eyebrow. "What? I was right, wasn't I?" She simply rolled her eyes and sipped her tea.

"Well, it's nice to meet the people that dad calls family. He spoke highly of all of you." John kind of blushed as everyone looked at him. Ronon smiled. "What'd you say about me, Shep?"

John looked up at him. "Guess you'll never know, Chewie." "You call him Chewie? I can see it."

Rodney snorted and Lorne started laughing. "She's definitely a Sheppard!" John smiled at Lorne and nodded. "You should hear her talk about Star Trek. She makes her old man proud." Evan started laughing again and looked at Jessie. "This is going to be really interesting getting to know you and having two Sheppards around. I'm looking forward to this." She smiled and looked around at all of them. Kira still hadn't said anything, but Jessie could tell she was just trying to get a feel for her before she jumped into the conversation.

"So, when do I get to meet Uncle Dave?" John turned and looked at her. "Well, there's going to be a party tonight. We're going to their quarters before, so you can meet him then."

She nodded and started to eat her lunch. Their food was way better than the food she'd been living on her entire life. Her adopted mom wasn't the best cook.

Kira sat forward. "So, tell us about yourself." Jessie looked up at Kira. "Well, um…I graduated from high school when I was sixteen. I went to Stanford for a couple of years. I joined the Air Force when I turned seventeen. I love to read and am actually trying to get through War and Peace right now."

John almost choked on his coffee. "Seriously?" She nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's a good book."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm reading it right now too. And I went to Stanford. And graduated early. And…joined when I was seventeen." His brow furrowed and their eyes locked. Nikki chuckled. "Looks like we really do have a mini Sheppard." John nodded again, his eyes still locked with Jessie's.

"Is there anything different about us?" She shrugged. "Guess you'll have to keep me around and find out."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "I was already planning on it, remember?" She nodded. "Sure do! So, tell me more about you guys. I mean, I'm pretty much a younger version of my dad and it seems like you know him pretty well. So, what about you guys?"

They continued the rest of their lunch break talking about John's family and allowing Jessie to get to know them, feel comfortable with them. She now knew why her father was with Nikki. She was pretty cool.

"Okay, well, I have to get back to work. There are some things I need to take care of and a couple of meetings to attend." Jessie nodded and looked up at her dad. "What should I do? I don't really know my way around the city." Nikki leaned forward and smiled. "You can come hang out with me for a while if you want. I have to go back to my lab to check a few readings, but then I'm off-duty for the day." Jessie looked around John and smiled. "I would really love that, Nikki." Nikki nodded. "Well, it's settled then. Have you been to the infirmary yet?"

She shook her head. "I went to the infirmary at the SGC for them to see if I have the ATA gene, but as soon as I got here, I went to the conference room." John looked at her. "Do you have the gene?" She looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, the doctor said she's only seen two people have it as powerful as I do? General O'Neill said that it didn't surprise him." Rodney snorted and shook his head. "Like I said." Nikki nodded. "Okay, well I have to go to the infirmary for a quick check-up. Beckett and Keller will have John's head if you don't get one too. They'll want a blood sample on record and you'll have to get a subdermal transmitter if you're going to stay."

"A subdermal transmitter?" Nikki nodded, but before she could go into detail, John interrupted. "Well, I'd love to stay in chat, but duty calls. I'll see you all later. And have fun you two." He leaned over and pecked Nikki on the lips before he got up and walked away, shooting Jessie a quick smile as well.

Nikki looked back at Jessie. "Everyone on Atlantis has a subdermal transmitter in case something happens and we can track them or for sensor readings in the city. Like, if someone's not responding on the radio, we just have to calibrate the sensors properly and we can find out where they are. It's merely for safety purposes."

Jessie nodded. "I understand. Definitely smart too. Sounds good." Nikki smiled and looked at the group. "Well, we'll see you all later tonight." They nodded their goodbyes and left the mess hall.

They walked to Nikki's lab and she went over to her laptop to check the readings. "So, this is your lab?" Nikki glanced over at her and nodded. "Yep, that and my team's. I just have to check the readings from the zpms. We've been using them non-stop with all the people just moving in today and we've been trying to keep an eye on the levels just in case. We've never had the city at full power, so we don't want to overload anything, especially with so many people here now."

Jessie stepped closer. "What exactly is a zpm? General O'Neill told me to ask a scientist." Nikki laughed. "Yeah, he's not that knowledgeable about those things. A zpm is a zero-point module. The Ancients created them as their power source. They're rare to find, but somehow your father managed to stumble across ten of them. Well, I guess I shouldn't say stumble upon. More like fall through a floor into a hallway that lead right to them."

"He fell through a floor into a hallway that lead to ten of these zpms? Huh. Is he some kind of lucky charm or something?"

Nikki snorted. "Quite the opposite, actually. John and Evan are trouble magnets. Trouble follows those two around wherever they go. Makes things interesting with them being the top two military officers. Let's just say that it's rarely boring around here."

"Does he ever get hurt?" Nikki looked up at her. "Yeah, all the time. He puts his life on the line for everyone on his team, everyone on this base, and pretty much everyone in this galaxy as well as the milky way. He and Lorne have been in the infirmary more times than I can count. But they always get better. No matter what stupid, self-sacrificing stunt they pull. They always come back."

"You must worry about him a lot." She nodded. "Yeah, I do. But he promised me he'll always come back, and I'm holding him to that promise."

Jessie smiled and nodded, looking down at her hands. "So, tell me about him. What kind of leader is he?" Nikki closed her laptop and turned to look at her.
"He's an amazing leader. The people who serve under him respect him more than I've ever seen anyone respect their commanding officer. He's more laidback than a lot of commanders, and that definitely earns him a lot of points being way out here and so far from home. He expects them to give one hundred percent when it's needed and he gives the same. He doesn't let his people pick up his slack. If anything, he picks up others' slack sometimes. In life and death situations, he keeps calm and thinks his way through the situation instead of going in guns blazing or having the mentality of shoot first, ask questions later. He actually uses his brain to solve problems. You should have seen the look on Rodney's face when he found out that John passed the Mensa test. It was priceless."

Jessie's eyes widened. "Dad passed the Mensa test?" Nikki smiled and nodded. "Yeah, back when he was in Stanford, I think. His dad made him take it, but he never joined."

Jessie nodded and looked down at her hands. "I took the test too. Last year. My…adopted parents kept telling me that it would help me get into a better school. Earn me more opportunities. I gave in and took it. And I passed even. I never joined either. It seemed kind of lame to me."

Nikki nodded. "So what about them? You don't really talk about them. And when you do…did something happen?"

She stayed quiet for a few moments. Nikki let her open up in her own time. Whatever it was, she didn't want to rush Jessie into talking about it. "My dad…my adopted dad…he's a real piece of work. He's an alcoholic. And not a friendly one either."

Nikki took a closer look at Jessie. That's when she noticed the scar going from just under her right ear and stretched under her shirt. She looked back up and met Jessie's eyes.

Jessie knew that Nikki had noticed the scar. She was surprised no one had noticed it this long.

"I was sixteen. He got drunk one night. Really drunk. He came home from the bar completely smashed and smelled like cheap perfume. Mom was furious. They got into an argument. It started out just as yelling, but then he shoved her against the wall. I ran around the corner when I heard the thud. He had pulled his knife out by the time I got into the room, but he had crossed the room, waving the knife around. Mom was sitting on the floor, scared, so I stepped in between them. He flipped and lunged for me. I dodged, and we fought. Mom got up and called 9-1-1 while he was distracted. I tried to get the knife away from him before he hurt someone or himself. He got me before I was able to move out of the way. Mom flipped when she saw the blood. Don't blame her, there was a lot of it.

I collapsed to the floor and tried to stop the bleeding. That didn't stop him though. He got my arm while I tried to defend myself. I lost too much blood by that point and I passed out. When I woke up in the hospital a couple of days later, I found out that he had also made a deep gash on my stomach. I almost died. The cops arrested him, but…my mom didn't even press charges. She let them release him and come live with us again. He told me if I ever told anyone, he would make sure I was dead before the cops showed up. A few months later, I turned seventeen, joined the Air Force, and got the hell out of there. I went back yesterday for the first time because mom begged me. Said she had things I needed to see. Things she needed to tell me. That's when I found out I had a real father. And not some drunk. I don't plan on going back either. A part of me is terrified that he'll hurt her. Like, really hurt her. But, another part of me…wonders if it's really my place to do anything about it, you know? I mean…she bailed him out of jail. She allowed him to threaten me. I don't know…I've never been in the position where I could actually do something about it and not get killed because of it."

Nikki's eyes were locked on hers. "You are now, Jessie. You're with your real family now and you're an entire galaxy away from him. If you want to press charges, make sure he goes away, just tell me."

Jessie looked up with fear glinting in her eye. "He threatened to kill me." "I know, but you're on Atlantis now. With your real dad and with a family that does anything and everything to protect each other. And that means you too. You're John's daughter. Even though we all just met you today, I can guarantee you that every one of those people you just met would do anything to protect you. If not for you, for John. And I am one of those people. I won't let anything happen to you. I don't know if John told you, but I can kick some ass myself. Well, when I'm not as big as a whale, that is. But John's a damn good fighter and has a lot of persuasion in the military because of his position here. You're safe, Jessie, I promise you that. John won't let anything happen to you. If anyone should know that, it should be you. You two are practically the same person."

She nodded and looked down at her hands. "This is the first time in years I actually feel safe. Okay. What do I do?" Nikki paused, thinking. "Do I have your permission to tell someone about this story?" Jessie's head snapped up and her eyes locked with Nikki's. "What do you mean?"

"I won't tell anyone this story unless you give me your consent. But if you give me your consent, I can get your mom the protection she needs. So, what do you say? Do I have your consent?"

Jessie nodded. "Okay, then I have an idea." She reached up and hit her com. "Teyla, this is Nikki, please come in."

"This is Teyla." "Teyla, can you meet me in my lab please? I need you to stay with Jessie for a while. There are some things I need to take care of immediately." "Of course. I will be right there. Teyla out."

Jessie looked at Nikki. "What are you going to do?" Nikki took a breath and locked eyes with her again. "I'm going to go make sure your story is heard by the right people and that things start happening to protect your mom." Jessie looked down at her hands. "She's not my mom. I don't have a mom. My adopted mom put my life in danger for God knows why. And my real mother…well, Dad told me. So, that's even worse."

Nikki reached over and grabbed her hand. "If you allow me to be, I would love to be your mom in time once you get to know me. I can guarantee you that I will never hurt you, your father, or your siblings. I love your father with all of my heart. I love the twins I'm carrying so much already and they're not even born yet. And I already love you. You're a part of my family now and from what I've gathered so far, you're an amazing young woman. And I'm proud to say you're in this family. And am so glad you found your father and came here."

A tear escaped down Jessie's cheek. She had never felt so welcome before. "Thank you. That means a lot." Nikki smiled and nodded. She looked up as Teyla walked in. "Teyla, thank you so much for coming." She looked down at Jessie. "If you need me, radio me, okay? If you remember anything more that they need to know, let me know. I'll be your voice through this so you're not put in danger. I'll be back as soon as I can." Jessie nodded her thanks again and watched Nikki get up and quickly leave the room.

Nikki walked as quickly as she could through the city towards Elizabeth's office. She entered the control room and went straight for her office. Only Elizabeth and John were in her office. She opened the door and they both turned to look at her.

"Nikki?" She focused on Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, we have a problem." They both tensed and stared at her. She finally looked at John. "It's Jessie. Yes, she's fine, don't freak out." Elizabeth beat John to ask the question.

"Nikki, what happened?" She looked up at Elizabeth. "We got to talking about things and I asked about her adopted parents." She looked at John with a look on her face that he couldn't quite read. "She told me a story about something that happened to her just over a year ago. Something that she's been trying to escape. And now she's here. In another galaxy. And I promised her that we'd keep her safe."

Her eyes locked with John's. "Have you noticed the scar the runs from her right ear to down under her shirt?" His brow furrowed, trying to remember. "Now that you mention it…I remember seeing it, but I guess I didn't think anything of it. I was more focused on the fact that I have a daughter, I guess."

She nodded. "I hadn't noticed it until I took a closer look at her after she hesitated to talk about them. She told me how she got that scar and two others. She almost died getting those scars."

"Almost died? What happened?" Nikki sat down in the chair next to John and grabbed his hand.

"Her adopted father is an alcoholic. One night, he came home drunk from the bar and got into a fight with her mom. He pushed her into the wall and Jessie stepped in between them. He pulled out his knife and they fought. The mom got away and called the cops. He cut her on the neck, on her arm, and there was a deep gas on her stomach. Her mom…she bailed that man out of jail. She didn't press charges. He told Jessie that if she ever told anyone, he'd make sure she was dead before the cops got there. As soon as she turned seventeen, she joined the Air Force and got out of there. She said that this is the first time in years she feels safe. John, she's worried that something will happen to that woman. We need to do something."

John nodded and looked at Elizabeth. She nodded as well. "What do you want to do, John?" He thought for a couple of minutes, trying to figure out what to do.

He reached up and hit his com. "Ronon, this is Sheppard. I need you to meet me in the gate room immediately." He stood up and started toward the control room. Nikki and Elizabeth shared a look and then followed him out of the office and into the control room. He had already given Amelia the order to dial the SGC. The gate dialed and the chevrons locked.

"Open a channel." She nodded when the channel opened. "This is Colonel John Sheppard. SGC, please come in."

There was a moment before the radio crackled. "This is Colonel Samantha Carter. What can I do for you, Colonel?"

"I need to speak with General O'Neill." "He's on his way." He turned and looked at Nikki. "If the General gives me permission, I'll be back as soon as I can, promise." She looked up at him and stepped closer. "Where are you going?"

"To protect my daughter." She nodded. "I understand. I'll tell her where you went. Just…don't be gone for too long. She needs her real father, John." He nodded and kissed her on the lips.

"General Jack O'Neill here. What can I do for you, Sheppard?" John pulled away. "Requesting permission for myself and Ronon to come through the gate, sir."

"Sure. Why not. This should be interesting. Iris is open. Come on through, Sheppard." John pecked Nikki's lips one more time before turning and going down the stairs. Ronon was standing in the middle of the gate room. John met up with him and they walked through together.

They walked through the gate and into the SGC. The gate shut down behind him as they walked down the ramp and met O'Neill and Mitchell at the bottom of the ramp. Jack nodded in their direction. "Colonel. May I ask what is the nature of this surprise visit?"

"General, Colonel. I have two favors to ask of you, sir." "You had to come all the way here to ask for favors?" He nodded. "Yes, sir." O'Neill looked at Mitchell and then back at John. "Well? What are they?"

"Sir, I want to put in a request that Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels be transferred to Atlantis." Jack nodded. "Done. Actually, I put in the paperwork as soon as I got back from there."

John smiled. "Yes, sir. Also, I would like to request…that the Ssgt's adopted father be arrested and that I could be there for that."

Jack was about to say something, but John's request completely threw him off guard. "I'm sorry. What?"

"Sir, Jessie told us about what he did to her and to her adopted mother and that man deserves to be behind bars. And I would like to be the one to put him there, sir." Jack looked at Mitchell. Mitchell shrugged and looked back at John. "Well, let's go do it then." John smiled, "Thank you, sir." "I expect you to fill me in on the way, Sheppard."

He nodded. "Yes, sir. As long as I get to be the one to put that sick bastard behind bars, I'll do just about anything."

They left the gate room and were on their way to go put John's daughter's adopted father behind bars and help John protect his family.

So...what did you think about the twist I threw in there? I wasn't planning on throwing in the whole adopted father story, but it just happened. It threw in another twist and it showed just how loyal John and his family are and how protective John is. And it showed a lot about Nikki's personality. I hoped you liked it! I made it super long...haha! Review please! =)