Author's Notes: Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Enjoy.
Daniel lay watching his wife as she slept.
He very rarely woke before she did so loved watching her sleep; there were so many years when he woke up alone.
They had originally just come to Atlantis to visit for a few weeks before they continued on their travels through the colonies but then Rodney had asked if he'd take over the archaeology department while they waited for Dr Kwan's replacement.
After about a week and a half Sha're told him it was alright for him to take the job permanently if he wanted to. Rodney had been more than happy, his exact words being 'At least I know you can do it'.
They'd left Earth to give Ari the space to be brilliant without him hovering making her self-conscious about what she was doing but Daniel missed his daughter. It wasn't a secret how close he was to Ari, he had raised her alone until she was sixteen, so in some ways it frustrated the hell out of him that Sha're could just close her eyes and sense their girl.
"You're awake early," Sha're murmured.
Daniel shrugged slightly, "Finding it hard to sleep. Can you sense her just now?"
Sha're took a deep breath and cuddled close to him while she closed her eyes again.
"She's fine," Sha're assured him, "I can feel excitement and camaraderie."
Daniel smiled in relief holding her close to him.
"I think that once Arianna is home," Sha're said softly not moving from his arms, "Then we return to Earth and spend some time with her."
Daniel kissed her softly, "I think that is a great idea."
x
"Good morning, gentlemen," Sha're walked into the main office beside the control room where John and Rodney were sitting already sniping at each other, "If possible I would like to get through this morning's meeting quickly."
Both men nodded and focussed on the agenda Sha're set out in front of them having learned quickly not to cross her.
When Woolsey had left Atlantis the year before due to ill health there had been a few replacements but none had lasted. After Dr Edison had quit the month before the Jacksons arrived John and Rodney had split the work between them as before hoping they didn't have to be in charge for long because it wasn't good for the friendship or anyone else's sanity.
When Sha're and Daniel had decided to stay she'd stumbled across them trying to hammer out the gate schedule and intervened before the two men began throwing things at each other. She mediated and took control of the day to day running of Atlantis, supposedly until the new leader arrived. Impressed by how smoothly Atlantis was now running, no one was sent to take over from them.
"That was not too painful was it?" Sha're chuckled as they finished the meeting.
John nodded before asking, "So, how you guys doing?"
"I know she's safe," Sha're sighed softly, "But until I can talk to her I won't be able to fully rela…" Sha're trailed off suddenly her eyes becoming distant before she turned to Rodney, "Check the sensors."
Miguel shaded his eyes watching Tim, Lucas and Ari, as she told him to call her, while they discussed connecting the strange crystal boxes to the 'Jumper'. It hadn't been easy getting the mangled ship to the mainland but finally they had it set up in a field far enough away from the rest of the crew.
"So," he interrupted them, "Do we know what we're doing?"
Lucas spun to him, "We're getting there. Ari, can you check this?"
Miguel chuckled watching the young woman lean over and start talking with Lucas. Looking round to find Tim he frowned seeing his friend staring into space gently rubbing at his temple. Miguel frowned knowing what that gesture meant. Walking over to Tim he moved his friend to one side far enough away so that Lucas and Ari didn't hear.
"What is it?" Miguel demanded.
Tim blinked owlishly beneath his glasses, "What?"
"You're rubbing the scar," Miguel told him, "Which means something is bugging you. So, what is it?"
Tim shrugged, "I told Ari about my past."
"Why would you do that?" Miguel demanded incredulously.
Tim shrugged, "Because she told me her story. Quid pro quo."
"But…" Miguel encouraged.
Tim sighed, "But now I've talked about it I'm just dwelling."
"Hey," Miguel clapped his friend's shoulder, "Your parents were deadbeats. You're not. Look at what you've done, look at where we are."
Tim let out a noise of disgust, "Okay. Just stop being so positive."
"Guys," Lucas called to them, "We're about to do this."
Miguel patted him on the shoulder once more and they headed back to the Jumper.
x
Tim chewed his lip as he watched Lucas make the final connections nodding as Captain Bridger joined them.
"Lucas," Bridger asked, "Are we ready?"
The teenager nodded with a grin, "Here we go. Ari, start making your call."
Ari closed her eyes and Tim heard her murmur, "Mom, look for me."
They all watched the small screen on the Jumper, listening to the generators as they powered up.
"Do not blow up," Lucas murmured, "Do not blow up."
"Lucas," Bridger admonished softly without taking his eyes off the screen which remained blank.
Nothing happened and they all turned to Ari who was grinning.
"Give them ten minutes and try again," she told them.
As the four men looked at her confused she shrugged, "I'm assuming the signal was picked up in a lab nowhere near the control centre. If it's only ten minutes then presumably it'll be near one of the transporters."
"Transporters?" they all asked in unison.
Ari chuckled at the stunned faces, "You guys are going to love Atlantis."
x
"Dan'iel?"
"We're almost there, honey," Daniel's voice came over the radio while Sha're paced the main office, "Let Ari know, two minutes."
Sha're closed her eyes and tapped twice on her wrist, she smiled slightly sensing her daughter had received the message.
A sudden need to check for any unusual signals had surprised her but Sha're knew it was Arianna sending her a message. Rodney had managed to track the weak signal to a lab in the outer city, thankfully close enough to one of the transporters so she wouldn't have to wait too long to find out where her daughter was.
"Sha're," Rodney's voice came almost two minutes later, "Let Ari know to call us again."
Closing her eyes Sha're reached out to her daughter.
x
"Okay," Ari turned to Lucas, "Try it again. They're waiting for us."
Lucas nodded and began the power up sequence once more. Ari crossed her fingers hoping that this worked because this was the only chance they had to get off this planet.
"It's connected," Lucas cried suddenly.
They all crowded round the screen seeing a picture form, Tim took over and began to work on making the connection stronger.
"…Atlantis…" a voice said, "…your…"
"Can you clean it up any more?" Bridger asked.
Tim nodded, "Give me a minute."
A picture began to form on the screen and the static disappeared.
"Rodney," Ari cried happily as the picture became clear.
The man who appeared on the screen smiled back, "Ari, I see you're still causing trouble."
Before she could retort Bridger stepped forward.
"I'm Captain Nathan Bridger," he introduced himself.
Rodney nodded, "There are a lot of people looking for you, Captain. Do you know where you are?"
"According to Doctor Jackson we're on the original planet that Atlantis was," Bridger told him.
"Ari?"
"Hi Dad," she leaned over Bridger's shoulder as her father appeared on the screen.
He smiled at her relieved before asking, "Are you sure?"
She rolled her eyes at him, "Yes. We're in the Jumper that crashed into the sea with Rodney in it."
"Oh-kay," Daniel winced glancing back at Rodney, "How did you get there?"
x
Rodney listened intently as Ari explained how the Seaquest ended up on the original Lantea.
"Ari," he interrupted, "Can you describe the boxes?"
"Lucas is sending you pictures," Ari told him, "I'm hoping that these are our ticket to Atlantis. Tell me I'm right?"
Rodney frowned in thought as he looked at the pictures they'd been sent while Daniel took over to talk to his daughter some more. It took him a few minutes but finally he realised where he'd seen them.
"Ari, Captain," Rodney took over from Daniel, "I have an idea about these boxes. I'll need some time so we will call you back in three hours."
Bridger nodded, "Thank you, Dr McKay."
The connection terminated and Rodney turned to where Daniel was standing.
"Really annoying when she's right," he said with a smile before turning his attention back to the matter at hand, "I think these are from Aldershan's lab. We found them a few years ago but there was nothing interesting about them other than, to quote Cadman, looking pretty."
"Then let's go," Daniel told him.
Daniel smiled as Sha're rushed over to him, "She's fine. Personally I think she's having the time of her life."
"You talked to her," Sha're breathed in relief.
Daniel hugged his wife close, "Yeah. I talked with her and hopefully if Rodney can find a way to get them here then you'll be able to as well."
"If he cannot?"
"We know where they are," Daniel soothed, "We just send one of the ships to pick them up."
Sha're sighed in relief not moving from her husband's embrace for several minutes until Rodney called to them.
"Sha're, can you let Ari know we're ready to contact them again?" he asked.
She looked at him hopefully, "Can you bring them here?"
Rodney nodded, "I think so. I need to talk with the Seaquest crew who Dr Westphalen assures me are more than capable before I can be sure though."
Closing her eyes Sha're reached out to her daughter.
x
Ari sat on a spare seat across from Tim as they waited. It had taken them a while to get the ship back to the Seaquest and reconnect everything on the bridge but they'd finally managed it.
"So," Miguel said from his spot on the floor, "We're hoping that they can somehow use the boxes to get us off this planet to the one they're on."
"Yep," Lucas nodded absently from beside the moon pool as he put back together the vocoder he'd been fixing.
"What if they can't?" Miguel asked.
Ari shrugged, "They know where we are now. They'll send a ship."
Everyone on the bridge stared at her in astonishment.
"They'll send a ship?" Miguel asked first.
Ari nodded with a smile, "We have the Daedalus, the Orion, the Hammond which is my personal favourite since Sam commands that one. We'll just have to sit and wait until one gets here," she looked at them confused at the way they were all staring at her, "What?"
"There are ships?" Tim demanded.
"Yeah," she shrugged slightly, "Did you think we relied on the Stargate network alone? The SGC has been up and running for almost thirty years, did you think we didn't do anything in that time but wander?"
x
"I've hopefully managed to strengthen the connection," Lucas told them when Ari told them Atlantis was about to try and call.
"Good work, Lucas," Nathan told him just before the main view-screen jumped to life.
"Seaquest, this is Atlantis," a different voice than they'd heard before called just as a man appeared on the screen hazel eyes with salt and pepper hair that stuck up in all directions, "I'm Colonel John Sheppard and I have some good news."
"Colonel," Nathan greeted him, "We could do with some."
Sheppard chuckled, "Rodney has found the lab of the Ancient who created the boxes, we also have instructions on how to connect it up so that we can open a wormhole to bring you here."
"That's excellent," Nathan stated a little stunned.
Dr Jackson stepped forward, "John, what aren't you telling us?"
"Arianna, your mother wants to talk to you," Sheppard replied with a smirk.
The young woman rolled her eyes giving him an annoyed grimace, "John."
"Ari, you know what the Ancients were like," he said, "But your dad has translated everything. I'm sending it with Rodney's instructions."
Nathan glanced at the young woman who was smiling slightly; she gave Nathan a quick nod before turning her attention back to the man on the screen.
"We're waiting for that," she told him.
Sheppard smiled at her, "Rodney wants to know if he needs to go through the instructions with whoever is working on this."
Nathan took over again, "Colonel, my people are more than capable."
"Let me put it this way, John," Jackson took over again, "I'm trying to poach them."
Sheppard laughed, "Alright. Captain Bridger, I am sending through the instructions now. We'll call back in six hours."
Nathan glanced over to O'Neill who nodded he had received the instructions, "Thank you, Colonel. We'll talk to you soon."
The screen went blank again and Nathan turned to his team, "Alright people prove me right."