Epilogue

Daniel strode through the Star Gate about one step ahead of Mallory and Davidson. He didn't need to look up to know that Jillian and Scotty and Hammond were up in the Control Room anxiously looking down. But he did look up. He needed to see Jillian as much as she needed to see them. Their eyes met through the window, so heated he was shocked they didn't melt the glass. He often wondered how his glasses survived the looks they gave each other. He saw the relief flooding her features and then she turned, put her hand in the middle of Scotty's back and urged him towards the stairs. They vanished from view as Hammond's voice came over the intercom.

"Welcome back, Dr. Jackson, Mallory, Davidson. Where is the rest of SG1?"

"They're fine, sir," Daniel answered. The ramp clanked heavily under their feet as they descended. "Well, Sam's a little banged up. But she'll be fine." He added the disclaimer quickly because Jack had been fussing over Sam in his own snarly, rough-edged way – Carter! Quit lifting stuff with that shoulder or I'll tie you to the Gate until we're ready to go! - and Sam was holding back her temper about it with sheer military discipline. Yes, sir. I'm fine, sir.

Can he do that? Daniel had whispered to Teal'c.

If he does not, Teal'c's voice was a lion's purr, I will restrain her myself.

He understood their rabid need to take care of each other. Jack and Teal'c had snapped and snarled at him often enough in the past. But Daniel didn't want Sam to come back home and walk straight into Hammond's paternal concern on top of all that. He went on quickly, "They're packing up the F.R.E.D. We need to contact the Tok'ra right away. We made some new allies but there's a Goa'uld extraction we need to take care of to seal the deal."

From his position at the control console, Harriman spoke up,

"I'll get right on that, General." His hands were already moving. Daniel took a moment to wonder if Walter ever went home. It seemed like no matter when they came back, Walter was there.

He was almost more reliable than Hammond.

"New allies are always welcome, especially with the endorsement of SG1," Hammond said. "SG8, I want you in the Infirmary."

"Respectfully, sir," Mallory said, "We'd both really like to call our wives first."

Hammond nodded but said, "I've already let them know you were both all right and on your way home."

"Thank you, sir," both men said at the same time. Then Mallory said, "I still better call her myself, sir, or there will be hell to pay."

"Umm, me too," Davidson admitted sheepishly.

Hammond had too much self control to smile out right but they all saw the amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"I understand."

At that moment Scotty and Jillian burst through the doors. Scotty – who still looked exactly like the sun bronzed, blue-eyed, blond California surfer he had once been – was grinning from ear to ear. He looked like he wanted to hug everyone in the room but settled for a disciplined and enthusiastic military salute.

"Sirs," he said.

"Airman," Davidson grinned back.

Mallory didn't get to say anything. Unashamedly a female civilian, Jillian launched at him and wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck.

"Mal! Oh, thank god."

Looking pleased and embarrassed all at the same time, Mal laughed a little, hugged her back and then stood her forcefully away from him. He swept a disgruntled eye from her bruised face to the arm she still had in a sling while her shoulder healed. He shot an equally disapproving look at Scotty's butterfly stitched cuts and bruises.

"You both okay?"

"Still standing, sir," Scotty answered.

Jillian had switched from Mal to Rusty, hugging him fiercely.

"You both scared the hell out of us," Jillian said and Scotty nodded.

"Well you sent the best team of St. Bernards after us that you could," Mal said.

Jillian looked at last at Daniel. Her heart skidded to a halt, lurched and then leapt into a mad, unsteady rhythm. He looked tired. His face was streaked with dried sweat and dust. His hair was stiff and spiky as a hedgehog.

But he was grinning too, blue eyes gleaming as if he had just given her the best present ever.

Which he had.

"Daniel," she whispered and a dozen different emotions colored those simple syllables; beginning with relief, running through gratitude and awe, and ending somewhere near happiness.

Green eyes bright with passion, Jillian walked straight into Daniel's arms. He tucked her under his chin, wrapped his arms around her shoulders and closed his eyes.

"I thought I asked you to go read some ancient writing," Jillian's voice was muffled against his shoulder. She tilted her head up to look at him. "I don't remember asking you to march into a Goa'uld stronghold."

Daniel smiled at her, but didn't really meet her eyes.

"Well" he hedged, looking briefly at the gray floor. "We didn't exactly march." He paused and shrugged and held her tighter, mindful of her injured shoulder. "You asked me to go get your team. That's where they were."

He pulled her close again, avoiding the anxious look in her eyes – the look that searched for hurt he wasn't admitting to, for injuries he might be hiding. He was immediate and real, enfolding her in warmth and strength. The scents of a foreign world and hard work rose from him.

It took them a moment to realize they were suddenly alone in the Gate Room.

"I need a shower," he said, but made no move to let her go.

"Want some company?" she asked.

His breath hitched in his chest. A warm, delicious shiver trembled down his spine.

"What about your shoulder?" he asked.

"It could use a nice massage," she answered.

He nuzzled her hair for a moment, inhaling.

"Then….ummmm. Yeah," he said, "That would be nice."

(0)

Sam stood next to her father, Jacob, and his blended symbiote Selmac, at the observation window overlooking the isolation room. The woman in the bed was still incredibly lovely, even with her heavy Egyptian make up removed and wearing only a utilitarian green infirmary gown. She was lying on her side since, as they had learned, it was difficult for Trevithians to lie on their backs. Her black wings were folded tightly and she was holding onto Solivar as if she would never let him go.

"You did what your father calls a 'good thing'," Selmac said. His deep voice reverberated.

Sam gave him an affectionate smile.

"I think it was the Tok'ra that did the good thing here; and thank you for not insisting on the removal ceremony. I'm not sure the Trevithians would have understood the delay. They've been without Gabrielan for quite a long time. I think the Tok'ra have a valuable ally now," she paused, losing the military 'distance' in her voice, "And I'm glad it was you that they sent."

Selmac's answering smile was just as affectionate.

"Deny Jacob a chance to see his daughter? I'd have never heard the end of it; and considering our relationship I do mean never."

Sam laughed. Selmac closed his eyes briefly, which Sam knew he didn't have to do. But it had become a signal that Selmac was surrendering control back to her father and she appreciated it.

"He's right," Jacob said. "I'd have made his life a living hell."

The door clicked open to admit Daniel and Jillian. Jillian went to stand next to Sam. Daniel moved in behind her, wrapped his arms around her and leaned his chin on her hair.

"How are they doing?" he asked.

"Fine, it seems. They haven't asked for anything. Solivar hasn't left her, even when she was asleep. I've been told there is a whole bunch of Trevithians demanding to come through the Gate to see her," Sam answered.

"Just two of them have caused a sizable uproar," Jacob observed, "Imagine a whole bunch."

"Just when you think you've seen everything," Daniel said.

"I don't think I'll ever say that again," Sam said.

She and Daniel shared a communicative glance. For all its dangers and mysteries, it was actually a big, wide, wonderful Galaxy when all was said and done and they got to play in it. She smiled. Daniel looked serene for a moment.

She looked hopefully at her father, "You'll go to 328 when we go back? To help with the beginning of the alliance?

"I think we could spare some time for that," Jacob answered.

Sam looked at Daniel. "Are Gareth and Faelan still with the General and Col. O'Neill?"

"Yes," Daniel answered.

"Is that good?"

"I hope so," Daniel said.

Drily, Jillian said, "They better work something out! He's already got a rough draft of the treaty started."

Sam shot Daniel a look, but he only shrugged and smiled a bit sheepishly. He looked back through the window at the brother and sister who were holding hands and speaking earnestly to each other, oblivious of the rest of the world.

Jillian reached behind her to brush her fingertips against Daniel's cheek.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She could feel his heart pounding against her back, beating in a rhythm that mixed joy with sorrow. So many they had saved from the Goa'uld; so many they had recovered. Only one they – he! – had lost.

The muscles in his arms tightened just enough for the movement to show, squeezing her in gratitude for her understanding.

"Yes," he said.

Sam saw the exchange between them and offered Daniel her own sympathetic look.

The door snicked open again so that Teal'c and O'Neill could join them. Moments later, Gareth and Faelan appeared in the room below them to exchange clasped hands with Solivar and relieved embraces with Gabrielan.

"How's the shoulder, Carter?" Jack asked.

Through gritted teeth, Sam answered, "It's fine, sir."

"What happened to your shoulder?" Jacob demanded.

Sam rolled her eyes and stared fixedly at the Trevithians.

"First she smacked it on the floor during her escape, and I'm pretty sure it was the only part of her that didn't land on me when she jumped nine feet off a burning tower," Daniel said.

Sam's head whipped around and speared Daniel with a look that clearly said traitor.

"You want to tell me about that, Sam?" Jacob asked, trying to sound casual.

"No," Sam replied, shortly, then added, "sir."

Jack stared at her for a few minutes, but she refused to look back. Then he asked,

"Where's the rest of your team, Jillian?"

"They've all gone home, sir," Jillian replied. "Even Scotty, though I think he was going out to O'Malley's with some friends first."

Daniel snorted. "When did you start calling him sir?"

"Since he rescued half my team."

"Hey," Daniel said, with a hurt expression Jillian hoped was faked, "He didn't do it alone."

She twisted in his arms to look up at him.

"You want me to start calling you sir?"

Daniel whispered something in her ear that was most likely not in English, given the little the other occupants of the room managed to catch. Jillian laughed and then blushed like a summer sunrise.

"Daniel," Jack said, drawing his attention.

Curious eyes blinked at him from behind the owlish glasses.

"Take the last member of SG8 home for a while." Jack said it softly but it had the flavor of an order.

"But," Daniel looked slightly panic stricken, " but, we might still be in negotiations with 328. What if we get called to go back there?"

"Then I'll call you," Jack said, "Nothing will fall apart if you go home."

Daniel started to argue a little more, then caught the hopeful look in Jillian's eyes.

"I'd like to go home," she said, "All this underground living has destroyed my circadian rhythms. I'm not even sure if it's day or night right now."

Looking into her exhausted eyes and the bruises just fading on her pale skin, Daniel was utterly undone. Surrendering he said,

"My place or yours?"

Jillian shrugged. "Either. You pick."

She turned and gave Sam a brief hug.

"Thank you," she said.

Sam nodded and smiled a little.

Then Jack, and even Teal'c, got the same treatment – a brief hug and words filled with sincere gratitude. But they all knew there were just no words for making certain that no one got left behind. They had all become more than military teams. They were family.

Daniel and Jillian left the room. After a moment, Jack clapped his hands together and said,

"Okay, who else thinks O'Malley's sounds good? Steaks. A few pitchers of beer?"

"Selmac is intrigued."

"I bet," Jack said.

"I'd be up for a game of pool," Sam said, as they filed out of the room, "What do you say, Dad? We haven't played in a while."

"Won't your shoulder be a handicap?"

"Are you kidding?" Sam asked."I'm going to kick your butt…. Sir."

(0)

Finis