Daughter
Chapter 3 – Return to Base
Teal'c eventually sent word via the Hak'tyl that they were to meet on another planet. Saying goodbye with regrets had long lost its appeal for Gracie. So when time was up with their generous Jaffa hosts, she didn't shed any tears. She simply pretended that she'd see them again someday at her leisure, and not just because they were hiding out from the latest hunter on their trail.
Both Gracie and Vala donned their standard traveling outfits of black leather, complete with numerous pockets and mag-boots. The shuttle was right where they left it in a clearing just outside of the settlement's borders.
Jack knocked on the hull of it, near the open hatch. It clanked sturdily. "How long you had this thing?" he said, examining a particularly nasty scorch mark on the side.
"Why? You wanna buy it?" Vala joked.
"I dunno about that. Looks like it needs a wash."
"What? That?" She scratched her fingernail along the mark. "That's decorative." Vala disappeared into the open hatch.
Jack's eye twitched as he turned to look at her retreating form. Daniel followed her in, chuckling. Gracie leaned in behind him. "We got that one running away from Vidian mercenaries."
Jack swung his head around to look at her now, brow raised. "Oh?" He pointed at a random dent on another part of the hull. "What about this?"
She stared at it, recalling a memory. She squinted one eye at it. "Remnant loyal-Ba'al Jaffa." Jack smirked, taking it as a joke. "She wouldn't let a body shop hammer that out even if they offered to do it for free." She quirked a smile as he actually took a closer look.
"So these are badges of honor?"
Gracie shrugged, climbing into the hatch now.
"You two are a regular bunch of Girl Scouts," Jack said as he boarded last.
The young blonde hit the panel and prompted the hatch to swing closed. "Huh?" Jack took his seat and began fussing with its harness.
"No Girl Scout cookies here, Jack," Daniel deadpanned. He turned to Gracie, "Hard to explain."
She grimaced. "I'll take your word for it." She shook her head as she moved up front to sit in the co-pilot's seat.
"Where are we going to, anyway?" Jack called out toward the cockpit.
Vala was already busy preparing the ship for a non-emergency liftoff. "Another planet," she responded nonchalantly.
"Wanna be more specific?"
"Nope."
Jack looked at Daniel, as if he could do anything about her non-answer. He simply shrugged. "Ride gonna be long?"
"Not really." The ship lifted off the ground. They rose higher than the surrounding trees and remained parallel with the ground. Jack and Daniel watched through the viewport as forest now zipped by at a steady speed.
Gracie opened up a lid in the console before her. She began to hit a series of buttons. Vala flew the ship toward a clearing, where a stargate appeared to be activating. Daniel looked up and around the cabin, realizing the size of their shuttle was just right to fit through the ring. Jack must have been doing the same because he made eye contact with Daniel.
Vala flew them straight into the open wormhole.
"It's a puddle jumper," Jack realized with awe.
They were on the other side in seconds. A glowing red sunset greeted them as Vala swung the ship around in a wide arc about the gate. Gracie entered another address into what Daniel now presumed to be a DHD built into the cockpit. The previous wormhole was soon replaced with a fresh one, and Vala brought them through it.
This time they found their ship skimming the upper atmosphere of a planet. Gravity instantly escaped them. Vala and Gracie's loose hair began floating wildly about. Jack looked down as his arms now hovered in front of him. Daniel took in a slow breath, hoping not to get sick from the ride.
Vala circled the gate gracefully, bringing them through yet another new wormhole in the space gate they had just exited. Once the ship traversed to the other side, weightlessness was replaced by gravity again. A dark night seemed to be their new surroundings now. This time, though, Vala found a place to set down.
Their ship made gentle contact with the ground. The shuttle hissed as it powered down. The two pilots unbuckled and got up. Jack and Daniel took that as a sign to follow. Vala pulled a trench coat out of a storage rack near the hatch and handed it to Gracie. Then she grabbed another for herself. The pair collected a number of weapons from their storage compartment, loading them all into their specialized pockets. The men watched patiently as the women got ready. Soon the ladies nodded to each other and turned toward the hatch with weapons raised. At no point did they offer to share any of the goodies with Jack or Daniel, who remained unarmed.
Gracie hit the panel. They stayed in place until the door completely opened and both were satisfied that no one was within view. As the women exited, swinging their weapons round either side to catch would-be ambushers, Daniel found himself bewildered by their paranoia. He whispered to Jack, "This is what 17 years does to you."
"Damn straight."
They quietly climbed out when Vala called the all-clear. Forest surrounded them. Vala had parked the vessel in the most opaque space she could find, with just barely enough clearance for it to break through the trees without disturbing large branches.
In what little moonlight they had, Vala gestured for everyone to follow. She used a handheld device to pick her way through the forest like a GPS. Meanwhile, the ship's hatch closed itself behind them and sealed with an audible lock.
Jack whispered to Vala, "What about your money back there?"
She glanced at him. "We already moved it to the Bank of Hak'tyl. Even if someone manages to break into our ship, they won't find anything useful. They won't even be able to fly it without our DNA."
Jack looked back to Daniel with a look of worry. They had just taken a very scenic route to get here as if it were old hat. And by the looks of things, it was indeed a very familiar routine for them. Their steady assumption that someone could be waiting outside the door, when it was already clear to begin with, spoke volumes about what they must have been through. And now here they were, sneaking through a forest in the dead of night to God knows where.
After a few minutes of trudging through the brush and one mud-soaked boot later, Jack noticed a dark figure up ahead. He tapped on Vala's shoulder. She turned and nodded toward the figure without worry. "It's alright."
She led them closer to find Teal'c waiting for them. Daniel let out a small breath of relief. The Jaffa made no sounds of acknowledgement, but rather, waved them along to follow him. As they walked further into the forest, he produced a standard military-issue radio from his robes. He clicked on it. A sound seemed to click back in response. Jack arched his brow.
They came upon a clearing. Only the palest of moonlight was available, but it was just enough to shine across the metal surface of a waiting ship. This vessel was larger than Vala's puddle jumper. It had visible rail guns racked on its hull and circular bays for the unloading of other weaponry, presumably warheads. Jack's eyes took in its magnificence as Teal'c led them to a rear door. As they came round, a serial number became visible on the hull: SGC-1701.
Vala immediately paused. Teal'c noticed this and turned around. He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Fear not, my friend," he whispered. "I have already vetted this ship's pilot. No harm shall come to you."
"Mom?" Gracie asked uneasily, hand hovering near one of her weapons. This did not go unnoticed by Jack nor Daniel. While the two of them found the label on the hull reassuring, clearly neither of the women agreed.
Vala took in a breath to steady herself while placing a calming hand over Gracie's. She trusted the Jaffa instinctively. She just had to go with this, despite her apprehension. Teal'c knocked rhythmically on the hatch. In response, it began to quietly whine as it opened. They ventured in, door automatically closing behind them. It was an airlock. Once the rear door was sealed shut with a click, they waited just another beat for the forward door to let them into the main cabin.
And when it did, none other than Cameron Mitchell stood waiting for them to enter.
The hands he was resting casually on his hips dropped at the sight of them. His mouth hung open as he struggled for words.
Vala's eyes filled with tears. She let out a quiet cry as she ran to him and hugged him fiercely.
He embraced her fully, becoming just as emotional. "I never thought I'd see you again," he whispered shakily.
Gracie stood frozen. Except for Teal'c, she'd never seen her mother react with such strong emotion toward a man from her past. She'd certainly never seen this person before. She couldn't even guess as to who he might be. Her mother didn't share details about anyone from Earth other than her parents, who were long dead by now.
The young blonde tried to catch Teal'c's eyes now for reassurance, but they were glued to the display of emotion before them. He looked very sentimental.
The man kissed her mother on the forehead and on both cheeks. He wiped at her tears gently. "Look at you." He grinned. "Just as beautiful as the day you left," he said with genuine admiration.
Daniel coughed with arms crossed. Gracie noted his impatience. She curiously wondered why he seemed to have the exact opposite reaction to the scene compared to Teal'c.
It was then that the new man finally acknowledged the others in the room. He took in the sight of a young Daniel and began to laugh heartily. "Sorry, Jackson." He graciously let go of Vala. "Teal'c," he called out, expecting an explanation.
"GeneralMitchell, these are the VIPs that DanielJackson wishes you to collect." The Jaffa gestured toward the group. "You may be able to discern why he insisted this be kept secret."
"Yep, I think I'm starting to figure it out, old man."
"Mitchell?" Jack inquired. "General? Mitchell?"
"Yes, sir." He saluted. He hardly seemed shocked that a dead man was addressing him.
"Guess I'm not surprised," Daniel commented.
"Cameron, I want you to meet Gracie." Vala pulled on his hand to bring him closer to the young blonde.
She wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder. "Gracie, this is Cameron Mitchell, my former commanding officer on Earth, and my dear good friend."
Gracie glanced back and forth between her mother and this man. At her mother's insistence, she greeted him. "Hello," she said timidly. He held out a hand from an arm's length away, hoping to be as nonthreatening as possible. He could easily see she was skeptical of him. She shook his hand, unsure of this man's actual significance to her mother.
"Teal'c, you hitchin' a ride with us? Or you need me to drop you off somewhere?"
"I will take my leave, GeneralMitchell. I have work to continue elsewhere. But I wish you all well as you journey to Earth."
Vala's head whipped around. "What?" She let out a sigh and a nervous laugh. "You mean just those two," she assumed aloud, pointing at Jack and Daniel.
"Well, Princess, here's the thing," Cameron cut in. "I didn't know it would be you. I just got told to expect about four to five passengers for this boat ride." He pretended to count each other individual present. "And from what I'm seeing, this tracks."
Gracie narrowed her eyes at the 'Princess' nickname being thrown around at her mother again. Vala's grip on Gracie's shoulder tightened. "Mom?" She looked back and forth between Vala and the man. "What's he talking about?"
Vala locked eyes with him. "Cameron." It was a silent question.
He smiled gently at her. "Wanna come back home?"
Her heart skipped a beat. She didn't dare think this would have happened. Not anymore. And thus, Vala hesitated. Gracie tensed, suddenly fearful. The urge to run invaded her legs.
A calming hand reached out to grasp hers. It was Jack's. He smiled at her, too. "I'll be right here with you, kid."
Daniel similarly reached out to comfort Vala. He placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "I think it's time," he said softly.
Teal'c stood next to Mitchell. "ValaMalDoran, I spoke to DanielJackson personally. He wishes me to tell you that he looks forward to your return to Earth."
Vala looked between Cameron and her trusted Jaffa friend, searching their eyes for answers. And what she found there were safety and honesty, two of the most elusive things to have ever been captured in her life. She turned around to grasp both of Gracie's shoulders now and look her in the eyes. "What do you want to do?"
Gracie was shivering. Her mouth hung open as she gaped at her mother's hopeful eyes. She shook her head. "I…" she started. All of the men exchanged glances with each other in suspense. She took in a shuddering breath. "Is it safe?"
Cameron nodded. "Safe enough. I'll get you onworld quietly. The only person who really knows you're coming is Jackson." He glanced at the younger version. "Well, my Jackson."
"When you say quietly, you mean…" Jack queried.
"Quiet as a mouse running up the side of a clock, sir. Hickory dickory dock."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow, and Gracie scrunched up her face. "Does he always talk in riddles?" she asked her mother. Vala simply shook her head at him.
"It means," Cameron clarified, "I have General privileges and I'm not afraid to use 'em. If I wanna have a little flight off the books, then no one has to know." He flashed a charming smile at the women. "So, what do ya say?"
"Welp, I'm in," Daniel responded, stepping up to Mitchell's other side. He clasped hands with Mitchell in greeting.
Gracie observed this carefully. Was it a friendly competition between them, then?
Soon Jack was stepping forward as well. He, too, shook hands with Mitchell. When he turned around, he encouraged her with his expression. "If the other Daniel says it's okay, I'd believe him." Jack offered out his hand to her.
"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.
She stared at Jack's hand. This is what she'd dreamed about since she was a little girl. She shut her eyes tight then reopened them to assure herself that this was real. Gracie took in a deep breath and grabbed her father's hand.
Cameron grinned. He clapped his hands together loudly. "Alright, getting' the band back together!" He turned right around to start walking. "Come on, everyone, I'll show you to your seats." Then he stopped short and turned around again. "Oh, right, Teal'c. You sure you don't need a ride?"
Amused, Teal'c bowed his head. "I will be fine, GeneralMitchell." They clasped forearms as the Jaffa would do and bid each other farewell. Both Jack and Daniel thanked the Jaffa, then followed Mitchell into a more forward compartment. Vala placed a chaste kiss on Teal'c's cheek. She stood aside to let him address Gracie. "You have far to go, young one. I wish you luck on your journey."
She hugged him. "I'm scared, Teal'c," she whispered.
"You are still loved by people on Earth who promise to protect you," he reassured her. "Trust DanielJackson's plan." Then he added, "Have patience with GeneralMitchell. He means well." Vala snorted at this. Teal'c carefully extricated himself from Gracie's strong hug and left the ship with no further fanfare.
Vala grasped her daughter's hand. "You ready?"
"No. But let's go before I change my mind and jump out of the airlock."
They joined the others further into the ship, finding a variety of seating available to them. They had a choice between forward-facing seats with consoles or center-facing seats along the sides. Racks and storage cases lined the floor and walls. There even seemed to be empty racks for weapons up on the ceiling. Cameron was already at the furthest seat forward, presumably the pilot's station, powering up the vessel.
Gracie gawked at the sheer amount of space available inside. Jack mirrored her expression. "Pretty cool, huh?" he asked her. He whispered quietly as he leaned in. "I think it's a troop transport."
"Folks, please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts," Cameron's voice sounded off from up front. "The ride will be three hours and 20 minutes long. We have a variety of light beverages aboard for your refreshment: water, water, and… oh ho, this is a treat today, water."
Daniel rolled his eyes at Vala while getting strapped into a forward-facing seat behind Cameron. She picked a similar seat next to him and smiled in amusement. Jack and Gracie picked the seats behind them.
Cameron continued on playfully. "For your entertainment during this flight, we have available a scenic view out the forward port, or your choice of polite conversation. Lavatories are available on both sides of the vessel. However, we please ask that you do not congregate outside the doors."
"Seriously," Daniel muttered in annoyance.
"Mitchell! Get on with it!" Jack yelled.
Vala covered her mouth to keep her laugh quiet. Gracie just seemed confused.
Cameron chuckled to himself. "Tough crowd, tonight." The ship rose up off the ground smoothly. It barely vibrated as Cameron maneuvered the vessel over the trees. He made a pass over the stargate, allowing everyone to note that a wormhole had just dissipated. They assumed Teal'c left safely. Cameron refrained from calling him to check, as this was a radio-silent mission.
Soon the ship broke atmosphere. Gracie prepared to activate her mag-boots but hesitated when she noted the pilot was not doing the same. She tested her feet. They were still planted firmly to the floor without the aid of her boots. She looked around, noting that neither Jack nor Daniel seemed to be worried as they left the influence of the planet.
"We still have gravity," she mumbled to herself in incredulity.
Jack looked over to her, but didn't hear what she said. He smiled at her reassuringly.
Once the ship had flown far enough away from the planet and any of its orbiting moons, Cameron made it jump into hyperspace. Gracie was surprised that it didn't even shudder. If she wasn't staring at swirling blue through the viewport, she would have thought they were still in normal space. She glanced at her mother, who was calm and unsurprised by any of this. Gracie watched as the pilot swiveled his chair around to grin at the group.
"We can move about the cabin now." He unhooked his harness and got up. Gracie noted that his boots were not mag-boots at all as he easily stepped forward. Everyone decided to follow suit.
She hovered closer to her mother. "Gravity while in hyperspace?" she asked her quietly.
"This is how their ships are, Darling. Remember that Al'kesh we once took a ride in?" Gracie nodded. "It's like that."
Gracie looked around, finding herself impressed so far with an Earth-made ship. Cameron must have caught her expression. He invited her over to the pilot's station with a gesture. "Wanna check it out?"
"You bet I do," Jack answered instead with enthusiasm. He went straight to the pilot's chair and sat down to gawk at all the controls.
"Of course he nerds out over this," Daniel ribbed. Vala grinned. She lightly pushed Gracie to join the Generals. She watched her daughter regard Cameron with obvious suspicion. He tried to be friendly despite this. Daniel drew closer to her. "How are you feeling?"
She turned toward him and drew in a breath. "Nervous." She looked around the ship, from floor to ceiling. "It's been 17 years, Daniel."
"A long time."
"So long, that I didn't think this would ever be possible again. I'm sure a lot has changed on Earth by now."
He nodded. "I wouldn't doubt it. But hopefully not too much," he said as he tried to smile encouragingly at her.
"What do you think's going to happen when we arrive?"
"Honestly? No idea. If what I'm understanding is correct, the SGC isn't even in Colorado anymore. I can't even imagine what we're going to be walking into."
"Antarctica."
"What?"
"The SGC. It was moved to Antarctica."
Daniel's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Really?"
She shook her head affirmatively. "That's what I was told."
"That sounds… cold."
"Vala! Check this out!" Cameron called her over. "You're gonna love this," he said as he continued to show off the ship.
Jack graciously gave up his spot to Vala. As he did so, he noticed Gracie's uneasiness. He decided to invite her to join him further away from the cockpit. Jack hoped she would be comfortable enough with him now to give her mother some space. He was certain Vala would appreciate the chance to catch up with Mitchell, judging by their emotional meeting earlier. She at least deserved that much. "Come on, kid," he suggested, tilting his head toward the middle of the ship.
Gracie seemed silently grateful for the reprieve. She and Jack both joined Daniel, taking up seats together in the troop transport compartment. Her eyes never strayed from her mother, though, watching her protectively.
Cameron leaned over Vala briefly to tap some buttons. "Aaaaaaaaand bam!"
The heads-up display showed her a schematic of phantom ships appearing ahead of theirs on the grid. She laughed. "You didn't."
"Oh but I did. I couldn't not include this on our latest class of vessels. I gave you all the credit, Princess."
She pursed her lips at him, stifling a proud smile. He pinched her cheek affectionately. He leaned casually against the console as he began to converse with her.
"Who is he, exactly?" Gracie asked suspiciously.
"Vala didn't tell you anything, did she?" Jack realized.
"Only about you and my birth mother."
Daniel grumbled, "Apparently, I'm only a helpless prince. Wonder what role he got in the stories."
Gracie looked over to him, amused. "I'll get back to you on that." She turned to look at Vala and Cameron again. "But really, who is he?" she repeated curiously. They all watched as Vala grabbed at Cameron's left hand to stare down at it excitedly. Cameron then adopted a smug look, answering some unheard question.
"Uhh remember the part of the story where we go on a quest to find riches?" Daniel prompted. Gracie nodded. "He was there."
She looked between him and Cameron in surprise. "One of the marks," she murmured.
"Well, no…" Daniel sputtered.
She scrunched her nose, scrutinizing the scene as Vala placed her hands on Cameron's chest while they snorted together. "She taught me never to fall for a mark," Gracie griped.
Jack started laughing, directing his amusement toward Daniel, who happened to be watching the others touch each other with a frown on his face.
"So what's so great about him?"
Daniel grunted. Jack answered, "I chose him as my replacement on SG-1." His eyes twinkled as he noted Daniel's disdain over Vala and Cameron's affectionate camaraderie. "Did your mom explain what that was?"
"Briefly. It made her sad to think back on those times, which is probably why I don't know much." She turned to Jack now. "Tell me about it," she requested eagerly.
His heart swelled at her willingness to talk to him and learn about her past. "It started with me, your birth mother Sam, Teal'c, and this guy," Jack said, gesturing at Daniel. Gracie nodded, understanding better now why Daniel was an important piece in all this. "We did a lot of… stuff… together."
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Real eloquent, Jack."
"Ay, that's your department, not mine." Gracie waited patiently. "Anyways," he continued, glaring at Daniel, "there came a point where I had to become the man. And after a while, SG-1 needed new blood."
"The man?"
"He got promoted," Daniel explained.
She nodded confusedly. "So then him?" she asked, gesturing to Cameron.
"Yep."
"And when does my mom come in?"
Daniel answered now. "Well, for a while there, it was just Mitchell. He was trying to form a completely new team while the rest of us were moving on. And then, I got sidetracked." He coughed. "By Vala." Gracie could read the expression on his face. It belied a mixture of exasperation, fond memories, and affection all written into one. She quirked a tentative smile. "Cameron jumped in to help. Roped Teal'c into the mess. Then the four of us went on that little 'quest' you heard about."
"So all of you were marks?"
Daniel huffed and let his chin drop to his chest. "No, no, she was just after…" Jack looked at him dubiously. "Yeah, okay, we were marks," he admitted.
"Right then, so what happened next?"
"Well, uhh, we did find the treasure," he said, shrugging.
"Aaaaaaand, why didn't she leave?"
Daniel paused, eyes wandering away as he ran through the memories. "It got complicated," he responded slowly.
"Oh yes, very eloquent there, Daniel."
"Shut up, Jack."
They were temporarily distracted when Vala let out a laugh at something Cameron said. Gracie looked perturbed by this.
"Long story short," Daniel went on, "I convinced your mom to give 'not running' a try. And I'm pretty sure she liked it. Meanwhile, Sam, your birth mom, also rejoined SG-1 for a while."
"And we've all been one big, happy extended family, ever since," Jack bookended. Daniel nodded.
Gracie settled upon something as she studied Cameron. "Sidekick."
"I'm sorry?"
"He was the sidekick in all her stories." The two men stared at Cameron. Daniel burst out laughing.
This had Cameron and Vala turning to look at them from the cockpit. "What the hell are those three talking about and why is he laughing at me," Cameron muttered. Vala stayed silent, mashing her lips together.
Antarctica was shrouded in darkness when the ship broke atmosphere. This was the half of the year when the sun never rose over the tundra. Cameron didn't communicate with anyone as he brought the ship down slowly toward a landing pad. While they hovered above the ground, they could see through the viewport blinking lights illuminating a large hangar. Its massive doors retracted open, with a rush of snow and icy air blowing about. He maneuvered the ship through the opening carefully, following another series of blinking lights along the ground.
A crashing thump sounded off around them, presumably from the hangar bay closing itself now that they had entered.
After a time, the pilot settled on a spot. Before fully making contact with the ground, he slowly rotated them 180 degrees, giving them a good view of the darkened bay they were now in. The vessel was being parked so that it could speed forward through the doors when it was needed again. The group barely felt it touch solid ground when Cameron made final contact. He hit more buttons and soon a whirring sound began to whine in the back. It shook the ship when something crashed into the airlock.
Cameron unbuckled as the ship powered down. He went straight to the rear door and commanded it to open. Both it and the outer airlock hatch yielded a well-lit walkway. Apparently a jetway of sorts had automatically docked itself to the ship, giving them a direct connection to the larger facility. He turned around to smile as the group gathered at the opening. He made eye contact with Vala and Gracie. "Welcome home," he said meaningfully. Vala bit her lip nervously as she grabbed one of Gracie's trembling hands. Gracie's other hand hovered near a weapon sheathed on her thigh.
"General O'Neill." Cameron gestured, allowing him the privilege of entering first. Jack led them through the walkway, looking up and about. It was a plain and simple accordion-like structure. At its other end was a set of blast doors. When they all reached them, Cameron stepped forward. A green eye at the top released a series of matching lasers to envelop Cameron, scanning him.
"Welcome, General Mitchell," a robotic voice intoned from an unseen speaker. The blast doors retracted sideways, revealing a massive outer room devoid of people. It seemed wide enough to fit hundreds of souls should the need arise. Jack observed various crates strategically placed around the large room, good enough to provide cover if ever they had to defend this bay against intruders.
Cameron led them through the maze, deeper and deeper into the facility. The group passed through a number of doors which only he could open via body scan.
They stared about in wonder as they walked. The walls were painted Lantian white, a stark contrast to the original SGC's drab concrete grey. Even the lighting resembled wall sconces from Atlantis. Here and there, a mural occupied a large section of wall, featuring various natural landscapes found on Earth. Daniel gazed at what appeared to be an emergency closet. They had already passed several of them, evenly spaced apart by about 25 feet. Each was labeled with the same symbol, a giant snowflake, and the words "Emergency Cold Weather Gear" in multiple languages. He surmised they were there to account for a sudden, random exposure to the frozen continent's deadly cold. The facility could easily be targeted from orbit. A hole could be blown right through the ceiling if a ship chose to fire upon it.
"Kind of a ghost town," Daniel commented.
"That's on purpose, Jackson," Cameron acknowledged. "Looks like your future self cleared the path for us to walk in undetected. I'll bet he even had all the security cameras deactivated." Vala looked up at the foreboding eyes strategically placed in every ceiling corner.
"But the facility knows you're here," Daniel pointed out.
"Yep, that it does. But it's not abnormal for me to be here. I'm here all the time."
Vala and Gracie remained quiet, soaking in their new surroundings, watching for unseen dangers around every corner. Eventually, Cameron led them to a simple hallway with a set of double doors set onto one side. A simple placard on the side labeled the purpose of the room in several languages. In English, it read: Base Commander. He pressed a buzzer. The lock clicked.
He grabbed the handle and opened one door just enough to peek his head through. "Jackson?" he called out. He nodded, then addressed the group. "Come on in." Cameron opened both doors wide to allow them entry. He peeked out into the hallway to see that no one was there, then re-closed the doors.
The group found themselves in a gleaming office. A small conference table inhabited the left side of the large room. Shelves decorated with artifacts and books from all sorts of cultures artfully lined the walls. Another set of doors rested opposite the ones they just entered. And on the other side of the room was a large desk, with monitors inset into the wall behind.
Daniel Jackson stood in front of that desk expectantly.
"Cam," he acknowledged.
"Daniel," the pilot responded kindly.
The older man locked eyes with Vala. He slowly smiled, heavy wrinkles evident around his eyes as he did so. "Welcome home," he said quietly. Vala's eyes shined. He then made eye contact with the young blonde among them. "Welcome back to Earth, Gracie."
Gracie was trembling and begged herself to stop. She nodded as best she could, but was speechless. She glanced over to the other Daniel Jackson, the younger and friendly one she'd been getting to know. Then she stared at the white-haired one who represented a demon in the night who terrorized her mother. She was reminded again of the fear he induced in her every time she watched him leave. Gracie blinked furiously to clear her mind of such impressions. She was realizing now that none of that was based on fact. He had been trying to help them this whole time, just in mysterious ways.
"Jack," the white-haired man now addressed her father. "It's good to see you."
"Daniel," Jack responded much more easily than his daughter. "Did well for yourself, eh?"
The older-looking man quirked a smile and shrugged humbly. He made eye contact with the other version of himself in the room. "Self," he acknowledged.
Daniel was quite shocked to see such a well-aged version of himself. "Hi." He looked around at the artifacts decorating the office to save himself the awkwardness of staring into a very distorted mirror.
Vala stepped forward to be closer to the elder Daniel. They gazed at each other quietly, him with a gentle smile and her with a calculating stare. "Took you long enough."
"I know," he responded apologetically. Daniel reached out to brush a loose curl away from her eyes. Gracie's hand automatically hovered near her thigh holster. Jack surreptitiously reached out to calm her hand.
The pair would have ogled each other longer had they not been interrupted by an encroaching pilot. "Y'all can get a room later. Jackson, there's a little matter of 'something-you-owe-me' that we need to settle up," Cameron said without apology. The younger Daniel blinked in confusion in the background.
Without moving his head, Daniel's eyes focused on Cameron, unamused. "Right." He turned around to his desk to press a buzzer.
The other set of double doors, the ones they did not use to come in, clicked in response. The sound signaled that they were now unlocked. One of them opened and a female voice called out. "Daniel?"
"Come on in," he invited.
A woman with dark hair and a few grey streaks stepped in. She closed the door and turned around. Her eyes widened at the sight of them all. "Cam?"
"Babe," the pilot said in surprise. He turned on Daniel and pointed at him accusingly. "Not what I meant." The woman raised an eyebrow at him. Cameron walked over to give her a kiss on the lips.
She accepted the chaste show of affection, then pushed him aside. "Vala!"
Vala's hands were already over her mouth, covering the gaping hole that had opened up once she saw the newcomer enter the room. "Carolyn," she whispered into her hands.
They reached for each other immediately, crumpling into an embrace filled with tears. Both Jack and the younger Daniel gazed at Cameron. Jack seemed impressed. Daniel a little less so, but not as surprised, either. The pilot shrugged with both hands gesturing outward, a gold ring shining on the left. He grinned.
Gracie stared as her mother, yet again, met an old friend she'd never heard of nor seen before. She wondered how many more of these would appear. Pulling away and wiping at her tear-soaked eyes, Vala reached for Gracie. "This is Gracie," she announced.
When the young blonde made eye contact with this new woman, she felt a twinge of familiarity. She just couldn't remember how she might know her.
Carolyn briefly covered her mouth with her hands as she expressed surprise. "Look at her. She looks just like Sam." Jack grinned proudly at this. Carolyn didn't hesitate to pull the younger girl into a warm, maternal hug. Gracie didn't quite know how to respond. Her hands floated aimlessly in the air behind Carolyn. The woman stepped back, keeping her hands on the younger one's upper arms. "I delivered you," she said meaningfully.
"Uhh, from where?"
Cameron's face twisted slightly in confusion. The younger Daniel was unsurprised by Gracie's misunderstanding, though, having learned how her upbringing limited her understanding of Earth phrases and colored her perspective.
Vala explained, "When your mother gave birth to you, this is the doctor that was there."
"You're a doctor?"
Carolyn nodded, smiling at her.
Gracie studied her face. She struggled to grasp at a memory tied to an emotion. Jack stepped closer to join them. "Gracie, when you were little, Dr. Lam here took care of you a lot of times."
"The bear," she said quietly.
Realization dawned on Vala's face. "Yes, Darling, that was from her." She smiled happily with tears brimming in her eyes.
"Uhh, it's Dr. Mitchell, now," Cameron tried to point out.
"Cam, shut up," the older Daniel ordered.
His wife ignored him. "You remember the teddy bear?" Carolyn asked hopefully.
"It was the last thing I owned that came from Earth," Gracie said with emotion. Her eyes welled with tears. "I lost it once, when we had to… well, anyway, yes, I remember it."
"She was devastated when we lost it," Vala explained. "She was still just a little girl at the time." The women gathered together into a group hug.
Carolyn began to cry more now. "Oh, she remembers the bear," she sobbed.
"The little brown thing with the lab coat and the toy stethoscope?" the younger Daniel clarified. "The doctor teddy bear?" Vala nodded. He smiled pitifully. "Gracie loves that thing," he commented, thinking of the three-year-old version of her.
"I think I remember it," the older Daniel added, nodding to his counterpart.
Cameron seemed bewildered at the sight and sound of three crying women huddled in Daniel's office. He tried to make eye contact with Jack and the younger Daniel, but both were swallowing lumps in their throats just watching them. When he looked at contemporary Daniel, the white-haired fellow seemed regretful. He moved to stand with him. "Hey, what's next, huh?"
The base commander drew in a long, slow breath. "We went over this."
"Yeah. But they don't know it, yet."
"They will." He turned to an alcove built into the wall with a mini-bar. He grabbed glasses from a cabinet and filled them with cold, clear water. He offered one to each of the ladies. They gratefully accepted them and used the water to calm themselves down from their joyous reunion. He made sure to offer cups to everyone else, who politely declined. He approached the ladies now with a suggestion. "So it is still standard procedure to have all newcomers to the base go through a medical examination." He looked at Carolyn directly. "You mind…"
She drew in a quick breath. "Oh yes, of course!" She handed the empty glass back to him. Cameron collected the cups from the other two.
"Thank you, Carolyn. I've had an entire section of medical cleared out for you. I'm sorry I can't spare you a nurse. We need to keep this close to the vest."
"Oh Daniel, don't worry about it. I'll be fine. And I understand." She turned to Vala and Gracie. "You girls okay with me having a look at you, medically?"
Vala looked at her daughter with an expression that seemed to say, we need this. With Gracie implicitly trusting Carolyn now, she nodded easily. Vala turned to the doctor. "Yes, please. Thank you."
Carolyn smiled. She glanced at the somehow-alive Jack and the younger Daniel. "And what about them?" she asked, directing her question to the base commander. The doctor was surprisingly calm about their presence.
"You can come around to them later. The ladies need you first."
She accepted this in full agreement. "Okay, come on, you two. I think I know which part of medical to go to. It was completely empty," she announced, looking at the white-haired Daniel for confirmation. "Now I understand why."
He tilted his head and gestured toward the door in acknowledgement of her assumption. The doctor led her two newest patients out of Daniel's office, shutting the door behind them.
"That's some clout you got there, Daniel," Jack commented. He only got a humble smile in response. The base commander gestured for the remaining occupants of the room to sit at the conference table. He brought over a pitcher of water and some glasses to set in the center.
Once they settled in, Cameron took a good look at both Daniels. "Man, this is weird."
"You're telling me," both Daniels replied simultaneously. They gave each other the same strange look.
Jack waggled his eyebrows. "I remember when this happened to me. Good times. Good times."
"No, they weren't," the younger Daniel said.
"Nope. They weren't."
The older Daniel smiled. "Jack, it really is good to see you again. You're exactly the way I remember."
The General in question leaned forward. "Really?" He gestured at the man's very white hair. "Who'd a thunk?"
The younger Daniel squinted at him. "What do you mean?" he queried suspiciously.
"That he'd become base commander, sir?" Cameron offered.
"Nah, that he'd have a full head of gray before he was 65."
The younger Daniel dropped his chin to his chest in complete annoyance.
But the older one just smiled good-naturedly. "Yeah, I knew I missed you." Cameron leaned back and laughed. He sighed. "Right, so…" Daniel struggled now for how to begin.
Cameron seemed to catch on to this and cut in to help. "How was the trip?"
Jack looked at the pilot thoughtfully. "Smooth like butter. Although I have notes on the jetway docking. Kinda bumpy."
Exasperated yet amused, the older Daniel said, "He meant the wormhole."
The younger one sat up. "You know about the wormhole?"
"He was responsible for that wormhole," Cameron explained. He looked at his contemporary with an expression of slight disapproval.
"Well," Jack answered, "it was, let's just say, irregular." His nose crinkled as he said it.
"And it worked," the base commander declared. "I wasn't sure it would. But then Teal'c called and… I knew it was time."
"To bring our girls home?" Jack asked.
"Yes."
"About that," the younger one said. "Why hasn't Earth been safe for them before now?" His face hardened into a cloud of suspicion directed toward his older self. The anger he felt about how Vala had been mistreated came to the forefront.
Cameron sighed loudly. The other Daniel said, "It's been very, very complicated."
"Gee, that sounds oddly familiar," Jack noted, looking at the younger version.
"I'll tell you everything you need to know. And you need to promise, that when I send you back, you follow my instructions, exactly. To the letter." The older Daniel made full eye contact with Jack to emphasize his seriousness.
"Yes, sir," Jack answered. He was more than ready to fix everything and get his family back.