Even after every single surreal thing that had happened to them since they'd arrived in the lost city of Atlantis, ranging from awakening a race of space vampires to a missing team member returning after being believed to be dead for two years, this really beat all.

The Ancients, the ones who had built Atlantis and who had disappeared after being defeated by the Wraith and sinking the City, had been found again. Instead of that being a cause for celebration though, the Ancients had immediately demanded that they leave Atlantis and return to Earth. Despite there being a large number of protestations being made they really had no choice in the matter and were given forty-eight hours to pack up and return through the Stargate to Earth.

All the doors to people's quarters were open as they packed up their belongings getting ready to say goodbye to the city they now called home and the sort of extended family that they had gained over the past few years.

Adam had been trying to fold and refold his clothes to fit back into his backpack when Jamie appeared in his doorway.

"Hey." He greeted, "You all packed?"

Jamie smiled wryly, "I didn't exactly have much to pack."

Adam nodded. Most of Jamie's own belongings had been packed up and shipped back to Earth following his death; what he had now was borrowed from other members of the expedition until they could get some stuff he could call his own from Earth…not that that was an issue now.

"It seems strange to be going back." He remarked, to which Jamie nodded, coming fully into the room.

"Yeah, I can be interrogated on Earth sooner rather than later."

The SGC and IOA were waiting to 'talk' with Jamie following Doctor Weir reporting his return, supposedly from the dead, to them. It wasn't something that Jamie was particularly looking forward to, especially since they sort of had the power to control whether he ever left the SGC again.

"You'll be Ok. Sheppard and Doctor Weir wont let them lock you up."

"I know." Jamie replied quietly "I just don't know what I'll do afterwards…I can't go home."

"We'll think of something."

Jamie stared at him for a moment before smiling, "Thanks."

He nodded. They weren't quite on the track back to where they were before but maybe, eventually, they'd find a better track to be on. They were friends again though which was at least a start.

"So you want some company while you pack?" Jamie asked.

Adam smirked, "Well I certainly wouldn't ask for your help. I remember that mess you called packing when we came here."

"Hey!" Jamie reacted indignantly.

"Company is good though." He replied hastily, hoping to cut off any argument Jamie might attempt to come up with regarding, well anything.

Jamie shook his head with a smile and was about to say something when Tim Kagan appeared in the doorway, mildly out of breath and glancing over his shoulder.

"Everything alright Kages?" Adam asked with a small frown.

Kagan nodded, "Just to warn you Crosby has been off talking with the Language department again and has come up with a new poem, so I'd hide if I were you." He paused looking back into the corridor again, "There's Kemp I'd better tell him."

With that the dark haired marine disappeared shouting "Niall! Code six. Crap poem alert!"

Adam looked to Jamie with a smirk. "Thank God. I thought he was going to tell us he'd finished that song re-write he was working on."

Jamie smirked back, "No matter how much has changed it's quite…disturbing that some things never ever change."

Adam laughed, before sobering up. "I'm going to miss this place." He said looking around his quarters.

"I'm really glad you found me before all this." Jamie said softly.

"Me too." Adam replied. He didn't want to even imagine what it would have been like leaving Atlantis, if Jamie really had died, or what would have happened if it had been the Ancients there to pick up his distress call and not them.

In less than twenty-four hours they would be back on Earth, far away from their newfound friends and allies as well as their enemies. It was doubtful they would be allowed back to the great city, not by the Ancients at least. It was another one way trip, just as the trip to Atlantis had almost been, but this time it somehow seemed harder to leave.

So much had happened in such a relatively short space of time, but they had survived and even though they were now going back to Earth earlier than they had wanted to they would surely survive that too.

Times were changing, new stories were beginning, and whatever happened next at least Adam knew that he had Jamie back and that they would face things together, as friends or whatever.

Who knows what the future will bring?