The Daedalus arrived before the end of the week and brought a surprise. Jack, Sam, Vala, Daniel and Teal'C. Jack had another surprise, one that touched Xander and Cordelia deeply, his family's crib. The one his grandfather hand made. Three generations of O'Neill babies had slept in that crib, including Charlie.
Jack, Daniel and Xander worked to put it together, while Sam, Vala and Cordelia spent time going thru the baby supplies they'd brought with. Both Sam and Vala had had a ball shopping for those adorable clothes. Teal'C and Ronan were meeting for the first time and ended up in the gym beating each other up, with lots of betting going on around them. Everyone had a good visit and all too soon it was time for them to go back to Earth. The Daedalus could only wait so long and they all had duties back on Earth.
"You got this, kid." Jack told Xander before they left. "The most important part is to love them, everything else comes from that. You need anything, call."
"Sure, Grandpa Jack." The look on Jack's face was so worth it and Sam and Vala couldn't stop giggling. Daniel was openly laughing and Teal'C looked amused.
"Laugh it up, Daniela." Jack answered.
Daniel glared at him. "Daniela is the baby!"
"I knew he'd be teasing him about that." Cordelia was giggling too.
"Just call her D. J., I do." Xander told them.
Once they'd departed, everyone returned to their duties. McKay could be heard berating two scientists who activated a machine without knowing what it was. But aside from that everything seemed fine. A mandatory rest day had Xander and Cordelia taking D. J. to the mainland for a family outing and fresh air. Consequently, they weren't there when an explosion rocked Atlantis. But Atlantis did notify Xander of the damage and injuries, which included Teyla. Anxious for his teammate, Xander told Atlantis to keep him informed and the small family packed up and quickly flew the jumper back.
"What happened?" Xander asked Sheppard. He and Ronan were standing vigil in the infirmary while one of the doctors operated on Teyla to remove a shard of metal that had pierced her side.
"We don't know yet. McKay and Zalenka are evaluating a device they found in a lab. The explosion seems to have come from inside Dr. Hewston. She and Teyla had just finished a sparring session. And Beckett's operating on another scientist who has a tumor."
"The explosion came from inside Dr. Hewston? How? She certainly doesn't strike me as a suicide bomber."
"Me either. It may have something to do with the device McKay is checking out. She and another scientist accidentally activated it this morning."
Just then a call came from McKay.
"We've got a big problem. This is yet another stupid experiment of yet another stupid Ancient. It creates explosive tumors."
"If that's a joke, it's a really bad one." Sheppard answered.
"I so wish it was." McKay shot back.
"Wait, didn't you say Beckett is operating on someone with a tumor?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, Dr. Watson." Sheppard answered.
"Watson was the other idiot who activated this thing." McKay said.
"Crap. Atlantis, notify Dr. Beckett about that machine and its effects." Xander ordered.
"Yes, Captain Harris." Atlantis answered.
Carson was wrist deep in Dr. Watson's cracked open chest cavity when the Atlantis hologram appeared beside him.
"Dr. Beckett, Captain Harris has asked me to inform you that the tumor Dr. Watson has developed is the result of the activation of a device in a lab. It is explosive in nature."
Carson froze. "Explosive?"
"Yes, Dr. Beckett. Captain Harris and Colonel Sheppard are arranging a safe transport for it. They will have it brought to the infirmary."
"Aye. Tell them I've nearly got it out. I'll bring it out as soon as I can."
"Acknowledged."
Once he had it safely out and wanting that thing out of his infirmary as soon as possible, Beckett brought it out himself. As he was turning away from the officer sent to retrieve it, it exploded, killing him and severely injuring the officer sent to retrieve it. Fortunately for that officer, he was wearing protective gear and survived.
Xander had attended his share of funerals in his time at the SGC, you can't be in the military and not lose people. But this was the first time, Cordelia had been to one for someone she worked with. Carson was a friend as well and Cordelia was as much in shock as everyone else was.
After Elizabeth completed the eulogy, Captain Alexander Harris, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, Specialist Ronan Dex, Dr. Rodney McKay, Lt. Colonel Evan Lorne and Dr. Radak Zalenka carried his casket thru the Stargate back to Earth, were McKay himself, informed Carson's mother of his death.
Later McKay stood on a balcony looking out over the ocean.
"I should have gone fishing with you. If I had, you'd still be alive."
"It was my time, Rodney."
"But you're my best friend. I should've made time for you. Now it's too late."
"You don't need to worry about me. I'm just fine, I promise. Thank you for talking to my mother."
"She's an amazing person."
"Aye, she is."
"I'm going to miss you, Carson."
"You'll see me again."
"Yeah, after I die."
McKay turned to look back at the ocean and sighed, thinking he was simply imaging this conversation. He never saw Carson Beckett become a glowing ball and disappear, reappearing in front of a group of other glowing balls. Two of them became people.
"Welcome to the team."
"Aye. I think I'm going to like being apart of your team. So, why did you start calling yourselves Lex and Cor?"
"Oh, that's quite a story."
"We've got time. All the time in the world." Carson smiled.
