A/N: Well, it's been fun! I know it's short, but I couldn't think of anything else to wrap this up with. :) Yay! On to my next project with glee!

When John slowly opened his eyes, he saw a white, sterile ceiling above him. His head and sinuses felt as if they were stuffed with cotton, but at least there was no pain. He also heard familiar voices around him; the voices were blurred together in a soft, quiet murmur, but were beginning to become clearer. Two voices in particular could be distinguished above the rest, and he smiled when he turned his head to watch.

"What the hell were your orderlies thinking?" Rodney McKay complained from the bed next to his as he shoveled a forkful of chocolate pudding into his mouth. "I've told them before that I can't eat using a spoon any more, but they keep bringing one with my meals, and no fork is ever in sight. You're going to have to talk with them about proper consideration for their patients."

Carson rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, and placed the medical chart he was holding onto Rodney's bed. "Give it a rest, Rodney. I brought ye a fork now, didn't I?"

"Well, I wouldn't be complaining if the spoons they keep bringing fit between these stupid fangs I have now," Rodney snapped angrily, then pushed his tray across the table away from him. He rubbed his aching jaw. "And it still hurts like hell if the silverware touches my teeth."

"I'll get more ibuprofen," Carson said as he strode over to the drug cabinet in the corner of the infirmary. "But really, Rodney, it's not that bad. I nay had any ibuprofen while I was out there. Maybe Nia might have some more o' that mint-like root."

When Carson returned to Rodney's side and handed him a couple of pills with a glass of water, he glanced over at John and smiled at him warmly, revealing his fangs in a wide grin, still framed in a furry, but kindly face. "Colonel! Good, you're awake!"

John rubbed his face sleepily, trying to blink away some of the tiredness. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid they injected ye with the same thing they injected us," Carson said solemnly as he came to stand at John's bedside. "The Wraith lab has been destroyed, and I've developed a treatment for the drug using my original retrovirus research on the ATA gene for the people we're lookin' after. But unfortunately, a slightly different strain was used on us later on because of our gene, and that new strain was designed ta overcome our natural resistance to it. I'm workin' on it, though. I think I can weed out the cheeky li'l bugger usin' the same stem cell induction procedure that we used ta stop your transformation into an Iratus bug."

John scratched his head. "So, that means you can cure us, right?"

"Aye, it does," Carson assured him with another toothy grin. "I'll probably end up scarin' ta death any poor wee lads or lassies needin' ta be vaccinated until we're finally completely cured, though."

Rodney snickered with amusement at the thought of all the little children that were going to be absolutely terrified. He knew that poor Carson would feel bad about knowing he made them cry.

"And just what do ye think you're laughin' at, Rodney?" Carson asked with annoyance, folding his arms with mock indignation. "Ye don't really think all the scientists in the city will be any less fearful of ye than the wee babies will be of me, do ye? An' Colonel Sheppard will have a grand time frightenin' the lot of new trainees comin' in next week as well, I'd wager."

"What do you mean by that?" John asked with bewilderment. "I thought you said you had a cure."

"Aye, I do, son," Carson assured him. "Don't you worry about that. But it has ta wait until the drug the Wraith used on us has completely taken effect on ye."

John groaned, Rodney snickered again, and Carson simply continued to smile smugly. It was going to be a long week of recovery, and not one of them intended to let the other two live it down.

Lo'Nan sighed lazily as he laid back against the grassy hill, watching the last rays of sunlight streaming across the horizon fade into a dark amber sky. Rubbing his face again, he frowned. It still itched. The itch had not gone away after he'd been turned into a beast, and for some reason, it still plagued him even after their new friends in Atlantis had finally cured him and his people of their likeness to beasts. He smiled at the memory of seeing the grand city of the Ancestors in all its glory from the window of the Puddle Jumper.

With Jol'Nan cuddled up sleepily at his side, he marveled at how much more quickly the boy had recovered from the ordeal that they had been put through, and how quickly he had taken to making new friends among the Athosians that were now their neighbors. Tousling the boy's hair with his palm, Lo'Nan smiled again. Simply waiting for the stars to appear in the sky was something he'd not had time for, but was glad that, with all the bad memories burying themselves in the deepest recesses of his mind, there was time for such trivial things now.

"Lo'Nan," someone behind him spoke softly.

With his once-powerful hearing now much weaker than it was, Lo'Nan was surprised by the sudden presence, and whirled around to see who it was that had spoken. Behind him stood a plainly clothed dark-haired man and woman whom he felt like he had not seen in ages. Jol'Nan stirred at his side, prying open his sleepy eyes, and then looked around at the two people who'd approached so silently.

"Uncle Noraan! Aunt Nia!" Jol'Nan shouted gleefully, and then ran up to them excitedly.

Slinging his arms around each of their legs in turn, Jol'Nan hugged them happily until Noraan picked him up and embraced him affectionately with a low chuckle. He handed the boy off to Nia after a moment, and then turned to Lo'Nan, who tentatively approached them.

"Well," Noraan began softly, his expression hardening. "It seems you finally managed to come through for us after all."

Lo'Nan frowned and looked away, but forced his eyes to return to Noraan. "I've always tried to do right by everyone I've ever had to protect. I may not always succeed, but I always try."

For the first time that Lo'Nan had ever seen, Noraan was speechless and lowered his gaze sadly. His lips trembled, and as much as Noraan seemed to want to say something, to utter words of forgiveness to his only brother, he could not.

Lo'Nan was content with the gesture, though. He knew his brother, and it was the closest Noraan would probably ever come to showing his true feelings. He never could admit that he was wrong. Lo'Nan gently placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing gently.

And then Noraan did what Lo'Nan would never have thought was possible. He reached out to Lo'Nan and caught him in a firm hug. They embraced each other tightly, and Lo'Nan felt tears stinging his eyes. Nia and Jol'Nan then joined in the moment and wrapped their arms around everyone.

Silent tears of joy were shed by all, and if Lo'Nan could have frozen time at that very moment, he would have.

"Anara is waiting for us to get back," Lo'Nan said happily, taking Jol'Nan from Nia's arms. "Why don't you both join us for dinner?"

Nia grinned happily, and even one sly corner of Noraan's mouth twisted into a faint smile.

Jol'Nan cheered happily, running in hyperactive circles around the adults as Lo'Nan led the way back to their new home. He was hopeful for once that things might actually go alright.