A Stargate SG-1/Merlin crossover story by Yuchtar

       Merlin was bone tired. His long brown hair was slick with sweat and matted uncomfortably to his neck. His clothing stuck to his body and his shoulders sagged under the weight of the Jaffa suit of armour. He’d been searching for his son for almost a year now and would give anything just to be able to sit down for a while. An idle Jaffa, however, was noticeable, so he forced himself to march around as if he knew exactly where he was going and what he was doing with an air of urgency that warned others away.
       The sad fact was, he had no idea what he was doing. He had a tip that his son could be found on a planet called Midlothian. He knew this was the planet, but that’s all he knew – so far he hadn’t even been able to figure out which Goa’uld ruled this world. He’d managed to search every square inch of the planet’s only land mass except the temple that sat at the middle of the city. It was very heavily guarded and would not be easy to get into. If Gareth was indeed on this world, he would be inside that temple. But how to get himself in without ending up crucified like the twenty or thirty sad bastards lining the path from the stargate? He knew from experience that crucifixion was not the easiest way to go – especially when it was done by spiking the hands to the cross. Merlin was a hand wizard, which means he needed his hands to use his magic.
       Weary beyond measure, he slowly made his way back to the hut he shared with a wild-eyed woman named Clara. She had no idea who or what he really was, but she knew he was powerful and she liked to bask in his glow. He knew he couldn’t trust her, but for now, she served a purpose. He needed to blend in and to be seen with a local woman was a plus.
       She was not Jaffa, but she knew what being Jaffa meant and he had to be careful not to let her see his smooth stomach. Something like a non existent pouch would be too obvious, but the symbol he’d made on his forehead was convincing enough. There were so many different Jaffa on this world, he had a plethora of symbols to choose from. With a wry sense of irony, he chose the stag symbol of Diana.
       He pulled off the armour and eased his aching body onto his bed. He closed his eyes and thought about Diana. The Goa’uld bitch had taken his lover as host – just another way for her to torment him. He’d killed her. It was just a few months ago, but it felt like years since he’d stood in the gate room of the SGC on Earth and crushed the life out of Diana. In so doing, he’d killed Brigitte as well. She had been the gentlest and most beautiful woman he’d known since losing his Nimue.
       Thoughts of Nimue and Brigitte led him to memories of Sam. Samantha Carter was the mother of his one and only child. Gareth had been stolen from them as they’d prepared to be married and he’d been searching for the baby ever since. Traveling the stargate system from world to world with little sleep and less nourishment – nothing but his magic and desperation to sustain him, he was growing dangerously weak. If he didn’t find the boy soon, he risked not having the power to do what may have to be done.
       Gareth was a powerful wizard. He even displayed incredible power from the womb. If the Goa’uld had managed to twist him to their designs, Merlin may have to destroy the boy. Even at his peak, he wasn’t sure he could do it. Not just because the boy was his son, but because the boy was his son. Merlin was a wizard, but he’d fought against his powers for centuries. The ability Gareth demonstrated while still in the womb was inconceivable to Merlin. He drifted off to a troubled sleep with thoughts of dying by his own son’s hand.

       Merlin awoke with a realization. It wasn’t a vision and thankfully, there was no residual headache that followed his visions. It was more like a bulb snapping on in his tired brain. He’d seen him: a boy lounging on a balcony of the temple; tall, lean, fair-haired and at least 15 years old. He’d read SG-1’s mission reports and knew the Goa’uld were capable of rapidly aging a human. His son was no longer an infant. Question was, could they rapidly enhance his magical powers as well? The boy could already be beyond his control. He sighed quietly and rose. There was only one way to find out.
       “Finally,” came the shrill voice of Clara. “Thought you would never wake up.” She tried to sound sultry but never could manage it. Her coal black hair was piled on top of her head with several long ringlets hanging down here and there. She thought the style made her look younger, but nothing could do that. She was not unattractive, but her age was clearly etched across her leathery face. Like the poet said, she led a life of quiet desperation and he felt pity for her, but he knew damned well she wouldn’t hesitate to knife him in the back if she thought it would get her something.
       “Hard day,” he said quietly. They were speaking a bastardized form of Latin mixed with Gaelic – he’d picked it up easily enough and had no trouble keeping to it.
       “Want something to eat, Emrys?” she asked.
       One last meal? He grimly thought to himself. “No, thank you, Clara,” he said quietly. He rose and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Something I must do.”
       “I’ll keep it warm for you.” She smiled.
       He smiled back as he pulled on his amour again, but he knew he would never be eating another meal here. If all went well, he and Gareth would be back on Earth in a matter of hours. If all went wrong, he’d be dying a slow and painful death instead.
       For the first time since arriving on this wretched world, he really did have a definite purpose. His Jaffa armour gleamed in the red glow of the setting suns. His gnarled wooden staff was now a Jaffa staff weapon, but the blast it would deliver was more powerful than any ordinary staff weapon. As he walked towards the center of town, he wove a complicated spell and by the time he reached the temple, he was invisible. Not actually invisible so much as totally and completely ordinary. Anyone who saw him would see exactly what they should see – be it a high-ranking official, a priestess or a trash can. It was a powerful spell and cost him dearly to cast it, but if it worked, it would be worth it.
       Up the temple steps (all 112 of them), through the ornate doors, across the floor, past the altar, up the spiral stairs – so far, so good. He had to search twenty or thirty rooms before he found him. The boy was lounging on a sofa. He was wearing a gown of purple silk with long blond hair brushed back. One arm was visible and the long fingers idly drummed the arm of the sofa. He couldn’t see the boy’s face, but he knew he would have Sam’s eyes.
       “Be gone, pig!” the boy said in disgust.
       Merlin wondered who the boy thought he was. “Gareth,” he said.
       Gareth tossed his head slightly and a wave of energy roiled across the room. If Merlin hadn’t blocked it, the force of the blast could easily have killed him.
       The boy didn’t need his hands. Merlin had figured as much, but having his suspicions confirmed was both heartening and disquieting. With a wave of a hand, he dispersed the glamour and rid himself of the Jaffa armour. He stepped before the boy now wearing leathers and feathers. “I’m Merlin, Gareth,” he said quietly. “I’m your father.”
       The piercing green eyes turned towards the newcomer and Gareth looked him up and down. A well built man of indeterminate age wearing leather boots and a feathered cape stood where a smouldering mass of quivering flesh should have been. He’d survived the blast, so maybe this man really was his father. Anubis had said his father was dead, but Anubis lied habitually.
       “If I believed every man who said that to me, I’d have dozens of fathers,” he said.
       “I’ve come to bring you home.” Up close, the boy looked older – maybe 19 or 20.
       “And where is home, praytell?”
       “Earth, where you were born. Your mother is waiting.”
       Mother – that was new. No one had ever mentioned a mother before. He had started to wonder if he even had one. “I don’t have a mother.”
       “Yes, you do. And she’s worried about you.”
       He began to have a glimmer of hope, but then he turned his head away and said, “There’s no way off this world without Anubis – you’ll only get yourself killed. Go away.”
       “We can leave through the stargate.”
       The boy turned back and furrowed his brow.
       “The Chappa Eye,” Merlin explained. “We can leave through the Chappa Eye – go where Anubis can’t get you.”
       Gareth sat up now. “You know how to activate the Chappa Eye?” he asked excitedly. “I’ve never been allowed near it.”
       “Yes, I can activate it and I can get us back home to your mother – to your world. But we must hurry.”
       Could it be true? What the hell? It wasn’t like Gareth had much to lose. “Okay,” he said simply. “How do you propose to get us to the Chappa Eye?”
       “The same way I got in here – with a …” Merlin was interrupted by an alarm claxon. “Damn, I’ve been discovered. We’ll have to fight our way out. Are you up to it, son?” He held his hand out and waited hopefully.
       Gareth shrugged, clasped the outstretched arm and said, “Sure.” A smile spread across his face and Merlin smiled too – the first genuine smile he’d managed to muster in a long time.

       The two wizards leapt from the top floor of the temple and landed gently on the ground below. Merlin took the right and Gareth the left – both blasting anything in their way. Their powers meshed perfectly and Merlin found himself buoyed by the boy's magic. They made it to the Stargate with relative ease and Gareth held the Jaffa off while Merlin dialed home.
       Home. The thought made him smile again.

       “Off world activation!” came the announcement by Sergeant Davis as the stargate burst open. General George Hammond was first to arrive in the command booth, followed closely by Colonel Jack O’Neill who was on base for a medical checkup.
       “Wassup?” O’Neill asked amiably. He’d been cleared for active duty again and was therefore in a decent mood.
       “It’s Merlin’s call sign, General,” Davis said excitedly.
       “Open the iris,” Hammond ordered. To O’Neill, he said, “Get …”
       “Carter, I’m on it, sir.” O’Neill immediately got on the phone and tracked down Major Samantha Carter in the lab with Daniel Jackson.

       Two men stepped through the event horizon and onto the ramp at SGC. Before anyone could speak, Carter was running across the room and into Merlin’s arms.
       “Oh my God, Merlin,” she said into his chest. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
       They clung in silence for a long moment until Gareth cleared his throat.
       “Sam,” Merlin finally said. “Your son would like to meet you.”
       She turned to the other man and gawked. “What?”
       “Hi, Mom,” Gareth grinned awkwardly.
       Carter disengaged from Merlin’s arms and looked at the young man before her. He was as tall as Merlin, rail thin and fair-haired. “Gareth?” she asked. “You’re not even a year old yet.”
       “I’m big for my age?”
       “A Goa’uld named Anubis rapidly aged him, Sam,” Merlin explained.
       Carter grinned and hugged the boy tightly – something he wasn’t exactly used to.
       “It’s okay to hug back, son,” Merlin said.
       “Er, yeah.” He gently touched her back. “I never had a Mom before.” He actually blushed.
       The throat clearing now was O’Neill who was standing nearby with Jackson, Teal’c and Hammond. “Welcome home, Merlin,” he said. He took the wizard’s hand, but Merlin pulled him into a hug.
       Merlin hugged the other three men as well. “It’s good to see you all again,” he said. He looked around and added, “Where’s Doctor Frasier? I would have thought she’d have had us in the infirmary already.”
       No one answered for a long moment. Merlin looked from one long face to another. “Not Janet,” he finally said.
       “Off world,” Hammond answered.
       Carter looked on the verge of tears, so the wizard took her in his arms again. “I’m sorry, Sam. She was one in a million.”
       There was another awkward silence before Gareth cleared his throat again.
       “Sorry, son,” Merlin said. “Janet Frasier was a feisty little woman and I was quite fond of her.”
       Gareth shrugged. “People live, people die, people get over it – anything to eat round here?” Everyone stared at him. “What?” he asked. “I’m hungry.”
       General Hammond grinned a small wry grin and said, “It’s good to have you back, Merlin, but I have some paperwork to tend to.”
       “Of course, General,” Merlin bowed.
       “Chow hall is this way,” O’Neill said before turning on his heal and starting off with hands in his pockets.
       Gareth and Teal’c followed O’Neill while Jackson hovered around Merlin and Carter who were now kissing most passionately.
       “Danny!” O’Neill called over his shoulder.
       “Er,” Jackson stammered. “Right.” He blushed and ran to catch up to the others on their way to the cafeteria. “We were working on something rather important,” He explained.
       “It can wait,” O’Neill told him.

       Merlin effortlessly lifted Carter up into his arms and carried her to what had been his room when he’d been there last. It was still the same. She was tearing his clothes off before he’d even dropped her onto the cot.
       “A little impatient, aren’t you?” he said with a grin.
       “God yes, I’ve missed you so much.” She swallowed his reply as she pulled him into her and the next few hours were lost to sexual bliss.

       “We need to find the lost city,” Jackson was still grousing.
       “Lost city?” Gareth asked, working on his third hamburger.
       “Perhaps Merlin and Gareth can help you with the translations,” Teal’c offered.
       “Yeah, maybe you can even tell us what Anubis has planned, Gareth,” O’Neill suggested.
       “He didn’t exactly confide in me,” Gareth said with his mouth full. “But I can certainly help with any translations you need – I’m a wiz with languages.” He beamed and it was obvious to all who his parents were.

       By the time Merlin and Carter made their way to the cafeteria, Gareth had everyone laughing.
       “Looks like our son is a charmer,” Carter whispered to Merlin. “Like his daddy.” She leaned up and kissed him softly. “Having a good time?” she asked out loud.
       “Ice cream,” Gareth said, holding up his bowl. “Great stuff.”
       “He’s gonna be sick as a dog tonight,” O’Neill said. “After four burgers, a pound of fries and three ice cream sundaes.”
       “Damn, boy, where do you put it all?” Merlin wanted to know.
       “Was good!” Gareth insisted.
       “Okay,” Merlin said with a grin. “We’d better go pay a visit to the new doctor before you need a purging.”
       “How’d you know General Hammond wanted us to see the doctor?” the young man wanted to know.
       “I’m a wizard, remember? C’mon.”

       There was a Doctor Frank LeBraun running the infirmary now – at least until a permanent chief surgeon could be assigned. A tall, heavy black man, he was no where near as cute as Janet Frasier, but he was amiable and seemed competent.
       “Ah, the infamous Merlin,” he said when they’d arrived. “And … the infant?” He looked Gareth up and down like he was a specimen.
       “Rapid aging,” Carter explained.
       “Yes, I heard they could do that.” He pushed his eyeglasses up on his nose and peered closely at the boy’s face. “I have some questions for you, young man, yes I do.” He turned to the others and shooed them away. “Okay, out, out, all of you. Won’t be long. You too, Major – won’t keep them long – out, all of you out.”
       Once they were alone, the doctor gave them both thorough physicals, chattering away all the while. He asked Gareth an endless array of questions about being aged rapidly, but he really didn’t give the boy a chance to get a word in edgewise.

       “So, this was a happy surprise, huh?” O’Neill said to Carter.
       “Yeah,” Carter answered with a grin, but she was obviously preoccupied and staring at the closed door.
       “Just in time to get blown up by Anubis with the rest of Earth.”
       “Yeah.” She turned to O’Neill and frowned. “What?”
       “Merlin and the kid – just in time …”
       “I heard you, sir.”
       “Then why’d you ask, Major?”
       “Actually,” Jackson interrupted. “We think we may have a way to find the Lost City quickly.”
       “Really?” O’Neill folded his arms across his chest and looked to Teal’c, who raised an eyebrow.
       “Yeah,” Carter agreed, but the door opened before any elaboration could be attempted.

       “They’re fine,” Doctor LeBraun told the others as he walked through the door. “They’re both in remarkably good shape, as a matter of fact. And preliminary blood tests confirm that the young man is indeed your son, Major – just in case there were any doubts.”
       Merlin raised his eyebrows and, before any other comment could made, he said, “Okay, I don’t know about the rest of you, but Gareth and I have had a hard day and we could use some down time. Your place, Sam?”
       “But what about …?” Jackson began, but O’Neill interrupted the younger man with an arm around his shoulder.
       “Why don’t you tell me all about it, Danny?” he said as he gently forced the archeologist away. Over his shoulder, he threw Carter a you-owe-me-one glance before tilting his head to Teal’c.
       Quicker on the uptake than usual, the big Jaffa turned and said, “Yes, Daniel Jackson, I would like to hear about it too.”
       With the rest of the team away, Merlin grinned and put an arm around each of his loved ones and they headed towards the exit. “What’s up with Daniel?” he asked.
       “He thinks he has a way to find the Lost City,” Carter said.
       “Yeah,” Gareth added. “It’s a City of the Ancients that is full of technology and weaponry that can defeat the Goa’uld.”
       “Really? Sounds like you’ve been busy.”
       “They talked, I ate,” the young man shrugged.

       When they arrived at the house Merlin and Carter had shared with their infant Gareth, a light was on inside. “Did you leave a light on?” Merlin asked, concern etched across his features.
       “No,” Carter answered as she reached for her gun.
       Merlin put a restraining hand over her own and motioned for her and the boy to remain where they were as he approached the house in a cautious crouch. Neither Carter nor Gareth even hesitated and Merlin knew they were right behind him.
       When the door creaked open, they found an all but naked man standing there wearing nothing but a skimpy red g-string and carrying a dozen red roses and a bottle of champagne.
       “Surprise!” Pete Shanahan exclaimed before noticing the other men and frowning. “Ut-oh,” he muttered, but while his arms slumped, he made no attempt to cover himself. “Bad time, Sam?” he asked, not sure if he should be embarrassed or angry.
       “Pete!” Carter said, obviously embarrassed. “Er, let me introduce you to …”
       Her introduction trailed off, so Merlin grinned radiantly, bowed graciously and said, “I’m Merlin – Sam’s husband. And this is our son, Gareth.”
       Gareth knew exactly what was going on and his green eyes twinkled with amusement. “Hi,” he said with a broad grin.
       Shanahan looked from one face to another and finally settled on Carter. “Husband and teenage son,” he said. “Funny, they never cropped up in conversation before now, Sam.”
       “I can explain,” she said, but she didn’t know how.
       Merlin spoke up. “Technically, we’re not actually married, so …”
       “Does that mean I’m a bastard?” Gareth asked.
       Merlin said “Yes,” and Carter said “No,” in unison. They both looked at each other and then Merlin said “No,” and Carter said “Yes,” and Merlin waved his hand dismissively and said, “Look, I can see this is all a bit awkward, so Gareth and I will make ourselves scarce while you two … discuss matters. C’mon, Gareth.”
       “But this is interesting.”
       “I know it is, but it’s none of our business. C’mon.” He took his son’s arm and steered him towards the bedroom. “By the way, Pete? Nice cod piece,” he added with a grin before shutting the bedroom door.
       Shanahan raised an eyebrow at that, but then he turned back to Carter. “Okay, so explain,” he said.
       Carter sighed heavily. Where to begin? “I’m sorry, Pete. Gareth was stolen from us by a Goa’uld.”
       “A glowing-eyed thing?”
       “Right. Anyway, Merlin went after them and I really never expected to see either of them again. They returned today.”
       “Through the, uh, Stargate, right?”
       “Right.”
       “You don’t look old enough to have a teenaged son.”
       “He’s barely a year old.” At his raised eyebrow, she grinned and explained, “Anubis rapidly aged him.”
       “What kind of a name is Merlin, anyway?”
       She hadn’t expected that and had to laugh. “It’s a Welsh name.”
       He grinned. She was pretty when she laughed. “Thought he had an accent, but it didn’t sound Welsh. Anyway, where does this leave us? I mean, I was hoping …”
       “I don’t know, Pete. I haven’t had a chance to talk it over with Merlin yet. I don’t know if he still wants to get married. Hell, I don’t know if I still want to get married.”

       Once the door closed, Gareth spoke up. “I wanted to hear that,” he said.
       “Me too, but some things are best kept private. Anyway, you were having too much fun.”
       The boy smiled. “So were you.”
       Merlin grinned back. “I know, that’s why I suggested we leave. Anyway, this is where you spent the first several weeks of your life – in this room.”
       “Oh yeah?”
       “Yep. You used to levitate your toys right over there.”
       “I levitated my toys? What toys?”
       “All of them. Anything and everything. Stuffed animals, your little plastic keys, pillows, beer bottles …”
       “I had toys?”
       “Sure, you did.” There was a pause before Merlin said, “You didn’t have any play time on that planet, did you?”
       “No. Wouldn’t know a toy if it bit me on the ass.”
       Merlin blinked and then laughed. “Well, you’ll just have to learn,” he said.

       The two wizards were stretched out on the bed, side by side, with several stuffed animals floating above them when Shanahan popped in for his clothes. “Er, nice meeting you, I guess,” he said as if nothing at all strange was happening. “Gotta go.” He grabbed his clothes and ducked out quickly.
       A slight frown tugged at the Detective’s lips as he pulled his clothes on. His normally open round face seemed closed off and his eager brown eyes were clouded. “What is it, Pete?” Carter asked.
       “Is there something about your almost husband you’d like to tell me?”
       “Why?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
       “There are, um, stuffed animals floating around in there.”
       Carter should have been angry about the blatant display of magic, but all she could do was laugh. “That’s probably Gareth – he used to do that when he was … young.”
       Shanahan gawked and waited for further explanation. Carter laughed again. “They’re, um,” she began. “Merlin and Gareth are, uh – well, they’re wizards.”
       He blinked, waited for the punch line, and blinked again. “You’re serious.”
       She nodded. “Uh-huh.”
       He stared off at nothing for a bit and then shook his head. “I don’t want to know,” he finally said as he slipped into his jacket. “Not right now, anyway. An almost husband and a teenage one year old son are enough to absorb for starters. Give me a call, will you?” He kissed her deeply and added, “But don’t wait too long,” and then he was out the door and gone.

       “Levitating toys?” Carter said with her hands on her hips as the men sat up.
       “He’s had no childhood, Sam,” Merlin said. “He didn’t even know what toys were.”
       “So, was I a cute baby?” Gareth wanted to know.
       Carter sat on the edge of the bed and started to say yes, but Merlin said, “Nah, tiny, wrinkled little thing – all shriveled up.”
       Carter slapped his shoulder and they all laughed.
       “You looked just like me,” Merlin said with a grin. “So of course, you were a cute baby.”
       “Okay, so we’re both cute,” the young man said with a grin. “I can see you’d both like some time alone, so if there’s another room for me, I’ll get out of your hair.”
       “But we have so much to talk about,” Carter whined.
       “Tomorrow, Mother.” The boy rose and kissed her on top of her head. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a rather tiring day.” He started out, stopped at the doorway and turned back to say, “Room?”
       Carter smiled and gestured vaguely. “Down the hall on your left,” she told him.
       “Night.”
       “G’night, son.”

       When he’d gone, Carter still smiled. “What?” Merlin asked.
       “Seems strange – calling someone son.”
       Merlin smiled now too. “Well, get used to it, cause he’s home now.”
       “I missed you,” she said as she wrapped herself around him and pushed him back on the bed. She straddled his waist and gazed happily down into his icy blue eyes.
       “Oh?” he said with an eyebrow raised. “Pete didn’t distract you at all?”
       “We can talk about Pete later. Right now, I want you naked.”
       With a slight flick of his wrist, their clothes vanished. Carter glanced over to the dresser where the clothing had appeared all neatly folded. She grinned and then chuckled as his erection sprang up to slap her backside. She twined her fingers through his hair and held his head down as she leaned down to kiss him hard.
       As she stretched herself out atop his body, he rolled her over and pinned her to the bed. Without breaking the kiss, he slid easily inside her. She groaned and pushed him back over, sat up to force him deeper and raked her nails across his chest. He moaned and bucked his hips, driving himself even further inside her.
       She rode him like that for a while until he pushed her off and repositioned himself behind her so he could caress her swelling breasts as he pumped her slow and deliberately. She leaned her head back against his well muscled chest (he’d beefed up some during his search) and nibbled at his neck.

       Gareth watched discreetly from the hallway for a while before smiling a thin smile and silently exiting the house. They were good together – maybe they were even his parents, if that meant anything. In any case, they’d be busy for a while yet, so he had time to explore this new world.
       It was nice outside. It was night, but not completely dark. There was a large moon giving off a considerable amount of illumination, but there were also lights on poles along the streets. The vehicle he’d ridden in back to the house was called a car and there had been a bunch of them on the roads then, but now, there were hardly any at all. He walked through a residential area which was mostly quiet. He could see through an occasional window to find a family sitting before a flickering video screen.
       He soon found himself in a livelier part of town, though. More lights with neon colours, shops and taverns, restaurants and dance clubs, what absolutely had to be a brothel … The sight of Sam and Merlin going at it had made him a little frisky himself as well as thirsty, so he ambled inside, sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. He got something they called scotch, which was smooth going down, but had a bite afterwards. There was a floor show: a thin woman and an effeminate man gyrating to some horrible music, removing their skimpy clothing one piece at a time. An equal opportunity whore house. He downed another drink before going in search of companionship.
       He found the house madam, who had to be a man in drag. She was heavy set with a gorgeous gown and purple hair. Her bosom certainly looked real, but so did the five-o’clock shadow. “Lookin’ for work, hon?” she said, running a hand up the inside of his thigh. “I can always use a young looker like you – the clientele would go wild.”
       “No, thanks,” he answered, shoving the hand away. “I just want a little meaningless sex. How much?”
       “Depends what ya want, sugar.”
       “One of each for a couple hours.”
       “Take yer pick, 200 bucks.”
       He created the two hundred dollar bills just before he pulled them from his pocket and handed them over. He felt a slap to his ass as he walked away and had to bite his lip to keep from disintegrating the stupid bitch there and then.
       He found the skinny girl and the effeminate guy who’d been strutting around the stage and they brought him to a back room. The room was nice and clean with a slight perfumed scent about it. The bed was large and soft and had a post at each corner for easy binding. He smiled and started to disrobe.

       Merlin and Carter were awakened by a loud knocking on the front door. Their limbs were entangled and they were warm and sleepy and certainly didn’t want to get up. But the knocking was persistent. They both sighed and rose. Carter wrapped herself in her robe as Merlin pulled on his jeans.
       The door opened just as Detective Shanahan was about to knock again and his fist hit empty air. “Bout damned time,” he said with a little hostility. “Interrupting something, am I?”
       “Yeah, Pete,” Carter said. “Our sleep. It’s 5 o’clock in the morning.” She squinted at the breeze coming in the door and ran a hand through her tangled hair.
       “Well, this is not a social call, Sam. Where’s Gareth?”
       “In bed, why?” Merlin said with narrowed eyes.
       “Because there was an incident last night and the description fits your boy perfectly."
       “What kind of incident?” Carter wanted to know, suddenly wide awake.
       Shanahan shoved his way inside but was prevented from going any further by Merlin’s bulk. “Don’t you need a warrant?” Merlin asked.
       “I don’t know, do I?” Shanahan narrowed his own eyes and the tension crackled between them.
       “Okay, put away the testosterone and explain, please, before I have to deck the both of you.”
       Merlin grinned at her, his tension gone, but Shanahan was not amused. “I’ll explain, sure,” he said. “Last night, two prostitutes were horribly mutilated at a local club and several witnesses described your boy Gareth to a tee, so where is he?”
       “Wait a minute,” Carter said, her own hostility showing. “You think my son murdered two people? Are you crazy?”
       “Here’s the artist sketch.” He pulled out a photo copy of a pencil sketch that did look a whole lot like Gareth.
       Carter looked at it and frowned. She handed it to Merlin who also frowned.
       “He’s been here all night,” Merlin said. “Sleeping.”
       “He’s just a kid, for crying out loud – how could he even get into a place like that?” Carter said. But she led the way to the guest room and slowly pushed the door open enough to peek inside.
       The boy was sprawled across the bed, tangled in his sheets the way his father often got. His breathing was even and his features soft and childlike. Shanahan stared a moment and then the door was eased closed. They walked back to the living room and he shook his head. “Damn, he looks like a baby,” he said.
       “Of course, he does,” Carter replied. “He is a baby.”
       “You have to admit, that sketch looks an awfully lot like him.”
       “Yes, it does,” Merlin said as he took the detective by the shoulder and led him to the door. “Your suspicions are quite understandable, but perhaps you should go now and search for the real culprit, hmm?” They reached the door and Merlin opened it.
       Shanahan sighed. “Sorry to have bothered you,” he said, and lost for any other comment, he simply turned and left.
       Once the door was closed, Carter rushed into Merlin’s arms. “You don’t think he could really have done it, do you?”
       “Unfortunately, we know nothing about him, Sam. Physically, with his powers, he is most certainly capable, but emotionally? We have to face the fact that he’s been with the Goa’uld since his birth – he may be capable of anything.”
       Gareth wandered out in his boxers, bleary-eyed and disoriented. He yawned and stretched and ran a hand through his disheveled blond hair. “What’s for breakfast?” he asked.
       Merlin and Carter looked at each other. Merlin grinned and looked back to his son. “Do you ever stop eating?” he asked.
       “I’m a growin’ boy,” Gareth replied, running a hand over his empty stomach.
       “Where the hell do you put it all?” Carter wanted to know. “You’re a stick figure.”
       “I have a fast metabolism.”
       The boy grinned radiantly and all doubts fled. “Let’s get dressed and we’ll go out for breakfast,” Carter said.

       “You’re here early,” O’Neill said when Carter, Merlin and Gareth arrived on base.
       Carter looked surprised. “No, sir, you’re here early,” she told him.
       He had his hands in his pants pockets and his fatigue shirt open to reveal his black t-shirt. “Oh,” he said, raising one scarred eyebrow. “I knew one of us was early.”
       “We need to call Sam,” Jackson was saying before he got close enough to the doorway to see her standing there. “Wow, that was fast.”
       “What’s all the fuss?” Carter wanted to know.
       “General Hammond is waiting in the conference room,” came Teal’c’s booming voice from the hall way.
       “Meeting?”
       “Yep,” O’Neill said. “Might as well bring Merlin along.”
       “What about me?” Gareth wanted to know.
       “Chow hall’s open.”
       “Okay!”
       “We just ate!”
       “I told ya, mom, I’m a growing boy!” He grinned winningly and turned to go. “I know the way,” he called back.
       O’Neill and Merlin grinned while Carter shook her head. “Must be a guy thing,” she mumbled.

       General Hammond was at the head of the table sipping coffee patiently when SG-1 walked into the conference room. “You’re a go,” he said before they’d even had a chance to sit.
       “A go for what?” Carter asked, then added, “Sir.”
       “That Ancient suppository thing,” O’Neill said, sitting down.
       Jackson smirked as he sat and made the correction, “Depository.”
       “Yeah, that.”
       “You made the pitch already?”
       “Well, somebody has to be on the ball while you two love birds are off …. Doing whatever you were doing.”
       O’Neill smiled with all his teeth and reminded Carter why she found him so infuriatingly attractive. She blushed and sat down next to Merlin who was already pouring himself some coffee.
       “If we can safely access the knowledge of the Ancients,” Teal’c said. “It would indeed be a great advantage.”
       “And may lead us to the Lost City,” Jackson nodded.
       “But Anubis will have the same idea, so we need to hurry,” Carter said.
       “And that’s why you’re a go,” Hammond said. “As soon as you can suit up and get ready.”
       Merlin waved his hands gracefully and his clothing morphed into the basic black fatigues usually worn by SG teams. “I’m ready,” he said.
       Everyone turned their eyes towards the wizard and then SG-1 turned to look at General Hammond.
       “Yeah, Merlin can go too,” Hammond said.

       “Where ya going?” Gareth wanted to know.
       “On a mission,” Carter said.
       “Through the stargate,” Merlin clarified. “We’ll be back soon.”
       “Can I come?”
       “No,” O’Neill said without hesitation.
       “Sooooo, what do I do? I’m kind of new here.”
       “I’ve been assigned to escort you.” The voice was soft and came from a slight young Air Force Corporal. She was petite, red haired and rather busty with an impossibly slim waist. “Corporal Emma Cooper reporting,” she said with a sharp salute to the two officers.
       “At ease,” O’Neill said and she stood at parade rest. “Where have you been hiding?” He’d never seen her before.
       “Research,” Jackson said with a grin. “How ya doing, Emma?” He leaned over with his hand out and she took it firmly.
       “Great, Daniel,” she answered with a smile showing lots of white teeth. “Never better.”
       “Looks like you’re in good hands,” Merlin said, but Gareth never heard. His jaw had dropped for a moment and now he was grinning crookedly. He clearly liked what he was seeing.
       Carter gave Merlin a sideways glance as if to say This is all your fault.
       Merlin looked at her, raised his eyebrows and said, “What?”
       She shook her head and headed towards the ramp.
       He looked to O’Neill, who just shrugged.
       “It’s a female thing,” Teal’c informed him.
       All of SG-1 shook their heads slightly and waited at the end of the ramp while the last chevron locked into place and the gate whooshed open. Gareth and the young corporal were out of the gate room before the wormhole had even stabilized.

       She was exquisite. In every way. Much better than anything he’d ever had on Midlothian. She showed him around the base and then was all too happy to bring him to a discreet visitor’s room – he made sure of that. It wasn’t difficult. Her mind was completely open. She wasn’t the slightest bit suspicious and therefore, she wasn’t the slightest bit cautious. His manipulation of her was complete.
       First thing he did was lock the door and sound proof the room. He did it with a mere thought – instinctively – even before he’d decided just what he was going to do with her.
       “You’re very beautiful,” Gareth said.
       “So are you,” she grinned.
       She wanted him. Did she really want him, though or was it his magical influence? It didn’t matter – was all the same to him.
       He pulled her clothing off one piece at a time and then she did the same for him. He pulled the tie from her hair and she shook her head till her long red curls cascaded over her shoulders. He smiled, pushed her down onto the cot and crawled on top of her, kissed her long and hard. She tasted good – like honey. And she smelled good – like lavender.
       He continued to kiss her as he kneaded her wonderful breasts. They were the perfect size for his hands. He was fully erect now, so he pushed her legs apart with his knees and entered her. She was young and inexperienced, tight and dry. The friction was delicious.
       She felt the pain. He was biting her lips and tongue, squeezing her breasts like they were lumps of clay. He was quite large and forceful and the pain shot through her entire body. She felt it and she knew it hurt, but something else seemed to be controlling her body. Part of her wanted to scream, but the part in control moaned and writhed in wanton sexuality instead.
       Like a wild animal, she roared and pushed him over, pulled herself off him and slid down his body to take him into her mouth. She used her teeth to great effect and had him groaning in response. Oh yes, he thought. Much better than anything he’d had on Midlothian.
       He was close to losing control, so he pushed her off him and got her onto her hands and knees. Gripping one slender hip in each of his hands, he drove himself into her virgin ass and laughed when she cried out in pain.
       She wanted to fight - to break free and beat the crap out of this kid, but her body would not react the way she wanted it to. He was tearing her apart, and yet she was acting like she loved every moment!
       He took a handful of her hair and yanked her up so her back rested against his smooth chest. He continued to pound her bloody rectum as he ran his free hand down her throat. She had a long milky white throat. Still gripping her hair, his other hand traveled down to cup one breast, hefting it in his palm like he was judging the weight. A wicked blade appeared in his hand and he handled it as if it were a part of him. With fluid motions, he sliced her right breast from nipple to chest – five slices so it would open like a flower, spilling blood and tissue down her body.
       Her screams were a symphony. He did the same to her left breast. Two budding red roses on her chest – a beautiful sight. She continued to scream, but her body refused to move. He knew she wanted to fight back and he grinned at her futility.
       He pulled out of her and tied her spread-eagled to the cot on her back. The strain of keeping her immobile was becoming a chore and he liked to see them struggle anyway. And struggle she did. She was a real fighter. And a screamer. She had him so damned hard, it hurt.
       He straddled her waist and gripped each carved breast at the base, squeezed till they opened as far as they would and more blood welled up and over his hands. She bucked and yelled and pushed him to the peak of his arousal. He entered her again and pounded her hard.
       Now that her body was her own again, she could speak her mind. Trying to push the pain aside, she yelled at him. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” she wanted to know. “Why are you doing this?”
       “There’s nothing wrong with me,” he answered calmly. “I’m doing it because I can. It’s so easy. And you’re exquisite, my dear Emma. Perfect in every way.” She wanted to pass out – he could sense it. Keeping her conscious was a simple enough task.
       “Let me die, damn you,” she begged.
       “Not yet.” He was still pumping in and out of her, but the plea for her death was bringing him to the edge. He closed his eyes for a moment and pounded her fast and hard, rapidly approaching climax. Breathless, he told her, “Don’t worry, Emma, I’ll let you die.” He held the knife poised in his hand and grinned charmingly. “Eventually.”

       “Off world activation!”
       The stargate whirred into position and whooshed open. A half dozen armed guards were already in position when SG-1’s ID Code was transmitted.
       “Open the iris!” General Hammond ordered and the metal shield protecting the stargate was opened.
       Several energy bolts immediately shot through the gate. The shock doors protecting the command room were closed and the guards took cover, ready for whatever may charge at them.
       The members of SG-1 flew out from the shimmering vortex one at a time, rolling to a stop on the ramp and dodging more energy bolts. When they were all through, Colonel O’Neill yelled, “Shut it down!” and the iris was closed. There were several metallic thumps before the wormhole was disengaged.
       They were all disheveled. Doctor Jackson had lost his glasses. Merlin stood brushing himself off a moment. He turned to Carter and smiled before collapsing. Teal’c and O’Neill caught him before he hit the floor.
       “Just like old times,” O’Neill said as they lifted the limp form onto a gurney waiting nearby.
       “What happened?” General Hammond wanted to know.
       “Jaffa attack,” O’Neill said.
       “We got there just moments before they did, Sir,” Carter said.
       “And Merlin?”
       “Stupid bastard got his head sucked.”
       “What?”
       Jackson shook his head. “He … Well, while Jack and I were arguing about who would take the knowledge from that … thing, Merlin went and did it himself.”
       “He seemed fine at first,” Carter said, the concern evident in her voice.
       They were on their way to the infirmary now, where Doctor LeBraun was ready and waiting.

       Gareth found the others in the infirmary. “What happened?” he asked, his hands resting in his jeans pockets.
       “Nothing, son,” Merlin said.
       “Your father had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain,” Carter said.
       “And we were just about to hear exactly why,” O’Neill added.
       The young man grinned and said, “Cool. How’s it feel?”
       Merlin grinned back, but everyone else in the room looked at the boy as if he’d grown a second head.
       “What?” he asked, taking his hands out of his pockets and gesturing helplessly. “It is cool.”
       “Yes, it is. And I did it because I had a vision.”
       “Way cool.”
       Merlin chuckled and continued. “I saw that if Jack were to do it, he would be destroyed and I couldn’t let that happen.”
       “So, now you’ll be destroyed,” Carter said.
       “No, I should be able to expunge the data easily.”
       “You’re not always able to heal yourself,” Jackson reminded him.
       “Removing foreign objects is simple. Like a bullet – I can sense the foreign object and force it out easily.”
       “Or like a Goa’uld,” Gareth said matter of factly.
       Merlin nodded knowingly.
       “But these are … ideas,” Carter said. “Not a solid object.”
       “But it is solid, in a way. I can feel it – like a weight.”
       “Like a pressure,” O’Neill said.
       Merlin looked at him and nodded. “I can tell you exactly where it is.” He touched the back of his head while O’Neill felt the same spot at the back of his own head. They looked at each other and Merlin continued. “There’s a sort of …”
       “Tingle,” O’Neill finished.
       “Right. A tingle.”
       O’Neill sighed and put his hands in his pockets.
       There was a silent pause.
       “Okay,” Jackson spoke up. “Gareth, want to come see my office and maybe help with some translations?”
       “Um, actually …” The boy looked somewhat sheepish. “Actually, I’d kind of like to spend some time with Teal’c if I may?” He looked to the big Jaffa hopefully.
       Teal’c bowed his head slightly and said, “Of course.” He stood to the side of the door so the young man could exit and then he turned and stuck his tongue out at Jackson before following Gareth out.
       “Did he just stick his tongue out at me?”
       Merlin and Carter tried not to smile, but O’Neill laughed and slapped the Archeologist on the back. “Just that ol’ Jaffa sense of humour rearing it’s ugly head, Danny boy. Let’s go – the lovebirds wanna be alone.” He winked back at the couple before ushering Jackson out.

       “I used to spar with the Jaffa on Midlothian,’ Gareth said. “I’m pretty good, if I do say so myself.”
       Teal’c raised an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”
       “Yep.” The boy grinned.
       Teal’c led the way to the gym. Not bothering with any protective gear, they used wooden staffs and neither was able to touch the other for half an hour straight. Finally, Gareth managed to sweep the big man’s legs out from under him. They were both winded and the boy joined Teal’c on the floor, where they both lay grinning on their backs.
       Once he’d caught his breath, Teal’c said, “You have learned well, Gareth.”
       “Thanks. Had a lot of time to practice.”
       They lay in silence a while longer until Gareth finally asked, “Are Merlin and Sam really my parents?”
       “Indeed they are.”
       “Have you met Pete Shanahan?”
       “Yes, have you?”
       “Last night. Was rather an amusing moment, really.”
       They both grinned up at the ceiling. “Pete is a brave man.”
       “Looks pretty good in a G-string too.”
       Teal’c looked sideways at the boy, but he was still grinning up at the ceiling and Teal’c wasn’t sure he wanted to know, so he didn’t ask.
       There was another moment of silence before Gareth broke it again. “Are you the one they call Shova?”
       “Yes, I am.”
       “A lot of Jaffa hate you.”
       Teal’c said nothing.
       “A lot of them think you’re a hero, too.”
       “You know what the Goa’uld are, don’t you?”
       “Anubis tried to make me a host. Nasty snake things. I killed two of them before Anubis gave up trying.”
       Another pause. Neither of them felt embarrassed by the silence.
       “I hate Anubis.”
       Teal’c said nothing.
       “I tried to destroy him, but he’s different somehow.”
       “He is partially ascended.”
       “Partially what?”
       “Ascended. Daniel Jackson ascended, but then he came back. Anubis apparently did not come all the way back and is still partially ascended.”
       More silence as Gareth absorbed that.
       “I tried to learn how to use the stargate, but Anubis refused to let me close to it. I understood the theory, but couldn’t find out any viable addresses. None of the locals knew anything about it and the few Jaffa with knowledge were very stubborn and impossible to read.”
       “Can you read minds?”
       “Not exactly, but I can sometimes extract information. And I can sometimes sense emotions.”
       “A useful skill.”
       “Sometimes.”
       A long pause.
       “Are Jack and Sam aware that they love each other?”
       “I think so, but O’Neill is Carter’s commanding officer, so they don’t want to acknowledge their feelings.”
       “Does Jack know Daniel is in love with him?”
       “I’m not sure.”
       “Have you got anyone special?”
       “My wife died some time ago.”
       “Oh.”
       Pause.
       “You’re very attractive, you know.”
       Teal’c raised an eyebrow, but made no other response.
       “I feel close to you, Teal’c. A sort of kindred … ness.”
       The big man wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he said nothing.
       Gareth rolled over onto his side and ran a hand up under Teal’c’s T-shirt, traced a finger lightly along the pouch opening. “I’ve been very lonely on Midlothian, Teal’c,” he said. “My own fault, I suppose – I was pretty angry all the time and everyone was pretty well afraid of me. But I feel comfortable with you.” He climbed up to straddle Teal’c’s waist.
       “Are you suggesting we …?”
       The boy placed a finger over the man’s lips and said, “Shhhh. I know you all think of me as a child, but I’m a man now and I have a man’s needs and desires. And what I need and desire right now, is you.”
       Their clothing suddenly vanished. Before Teal’c could try to say anything more, Gareth leaned down into a passionate kiss.
       Teal’c did nothing at first, but then he placed one big hand behind the young man’s head and the other on his back and returned the kiss in kind. What the hell? Kel’noreem could only go so far in alleviating sexual tension and he couldn’t go with just anyone because how would he explain his all too obvious stomach pouch? No, possible partners for him were few and far between, so why shouldn’t he take advantage of the opportunity to be with a sexy young man who knew exactly who and what he was and who obviously wanted him?
       It didn’t take long for the very idea to make Teal’c harden. Gareth felt the erection slap his back and smiled. With a thought, he lubed himself up and slid onto the big black cock. He’d never had a man inside him before and the experience was … different. He felt vulnerable and empowered at the same time. He leaned back as the big hips beneath him rocked him slowly up and down.
       Teal’c ran his callused hands along the boy’s hairless chest, closed his eyes and moaned softly as he rhythmically pumped himself in and out of the young wizard.
       Gareth suddenly bent back down into a fierce kiss which lasted a good long time. He’d become stiff himself and his firm erection was now trapped between them, pre-cum leaking and slicking their bellies. As Teal’c’s thrusts became more frantic, Gareth’s kiss became more fierce and they both exploded at almost the same instant. With Teal’c still resting inside him, the young wizard collapsed across the big chest and they both released a winded chuckle.
       Once they’d managed to even out their breathing again, Teal’c observed, “You’re multi-talented, Gareth.”
       They both laughed and then Gareth sighed. “This was the most satisfactory Human connection I’ve ever had.” What he didn’t say was that it was the first time he had ever come without blood being spilt.
       “But neither of us is strictly Human.”
       “Ironic, huh?”
       They lay in exhausted silence for a while.
       “You have no symbiote,” Gareth suddenly said.
       “No.”
       He leaned up to look down at the Jaffa’s face. “How is that possible?”
       “I take a serum that enables me to do without a symbiote.”
       “That’s great,” the boy said with a genuine grin. “Freedom from the Goa’uld!”
       Teal’c nodded slightly. “Not quite, but it’s a start.”
       Gareth pulled himself off the now flaccid cock, stood and stretched his lanky frame. “Well,” he said. “I had a good workout.”
       They both laughed and then Teal’c wanted to know, “My clothes?”
       “Oh, sorry.” They were both suddenly fully dressed again.

       Gareth found his parents in an embrace at the infirmary and stood smirking till they were done.
       “Excellent timing,” Carter said. “I was just about to go looking for you.”
       “Where’s Emma?” Merlin wanted to know.
       “She went off duty and had to go home.”
       “Well, we’re heading home now too. Your father will be staying the night here just to be sure he’s okay.”
       Merlin yawned in sudden fatigue. “Wow, guess I am pretty worn out.”
       Carter kissed him and then Gareth bent down to hug him. The wizard was asleep before they were even out the door.

       Carter was silent most of the way home. Gareth finally told her, “Merlin will be fine, ya know.”
       “What? Oh, yeah, I know.” She coloured slightly and tried to sound cheerful. “What did you and Teal’c get up to?”
       “Oh, we sparred for a while and then we had sex.”
       Carter’s jaw dropped and her brow furrowed, but she kept her eyes on the road as she tried to decide if he was kidding or not. Finally, she said, “Okay, what?”
       “I know you think of me as a baby, but I have the body of a man and I have desires, Mom.”
       “Teal’c?”
       “He’s a good looking guy.”
       “Yes, he is.” She grinned. “How was he?”
       “Great.” He grinned too.
       “And he let you …”
       “He was the top, which was a first for me.”
       She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with her one year old son.

       O’Neill wandered into the infirmary and sat down next to Merlin.
       The wizard stirred and opened his eyes. “What are you still doing here?” Merlin asked with a yawn. He hadn’t felt tired before Gareth had entered.
       O’Neill shrugged. “Don’t really feel like going back home right now, I guess.”
       “I’ll be alright, ya know.”
       “Sure. I would have done it, though.”
       “I know, which is why I did it first.”
       O’Neill narrowed his eyes a bit and asked, “Was it bad?”
       “What?”
       “Ya know, my death …”
       “Ah. Well, it wasn’t pretty.”
       O’Neill nodded.
       “Don’t you have a home to go to, Jack?” General Hammond asked as he entered the room.
       “I could ask the same of you, sir,” O’Neill responded.
       “I’m on my way out now. I’m, uh, being replaced, by the way.”
       “What?” the other two men said in unison.
       “The SGC is being turned over to civilian control.”
       “Oh joy,” O’Neill said sarcastically.
       “Sorry, Jack.” Hammond placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder as he turned back towards the door. “I’m not gone yet, though, so don’t get any ideas,” he said over his shoulder as he left.
       Merlin grinned and O’Neill had to grin back. “He knows me so well,” O’Neill explained.
       Suddenly, an alarm claxon sounded and a trembling young voice came over the loud speaker. “Security to corridor 12, sub level 25.” There was some coughing and sputtering as the young man obviously vomited before he repeated his plea and then the speaker went silent.
       Merlin threw his sheet off and got out of bed, followed O’Neill out to the lift, where they met Daniel Jackson. When they got off at floor Sub25, General Hammond was already there with a security team. They were all a sickly shade of green.
       “What?” O’Neill asked.
       “Corporal Cooper,” Hammond said with a gesture towards one of the open doors.
       “Emma?” Daniel went in first and was not ready for what greeted him.
       The young woman was hardly recognizable as human – the dog tags still around her neck the only indication of identity. She was naked and tied to the cot. Her breasts had been mutilated, she’d been disemboweled and her eyes had been gouged out – they were resting on a table near by along with a hunk of her red hair that had been pulled out by the roots. Her throat had been slashed and semen was everywhere – inside her abdominal cavity and even filling her empty eye sockets. Blood covered the floor like flood waters and was splattered all over the walls and even the ceiling.
       Jackson placed a hand on the wall and was violently sick. He’d seen a lot of senseless death since joining the SGC, but this was horrific. He realized his hand was resting in a congealed mass of blood and was sick again as he went back out to the hall.
       O’Neill and Merlin were more experienced with horror, but they both felt the bile rise up into their throats as well.
       “What the hell could have done this?” O’Neill wanted to know, his jaw set firm and his eyes hard. He placed a hand on Jackson’s shoulder as Merlin entered the room and investigated the scene.
       “There’s too much blood,” Merlin said. “The human body doesn’t contain this much blood – her heart kept beating long after she should have bled to death.” He waved a hand close to the body, trying to feel what other damage had been done. “She drowned,” he revealed. “Her lungs are filled with semen – that’s what finally killed her. She was alive and conscious throughout everything else.”
       “How is that possible?” O’Neill wanted to know. Jackson was next to him, bent over with his hands on his knees, trying not to vomit again.
       “She was kept alive.” Merlin met O’Neill’s eyes and added quietly, “By a wizard.”
       “What?”
       “You stay here in case he returns,” Merlin said. “He’s gone home with Sam.”
       “Take a security detail,” Hammond suggested.
       The Lieutenant in charge of the detail standing in the hall stepped up and volunteered his team – eager to get the bastard who could do such a thing.
       “It’s best I go alone,” Merlin said. O’Neill threw him the keys to his Jeep without a word and then the wizard was gone – running for the lift. He had to sign out and change elevators at sub level 11 and then he had to sign out again at the ground floor. He searched three levels of the garage before he found O’Neill’s vehicle, had to wait in line to exit through the blast doors and almost hit another car on his way down the 1400 foot long tunnel. He impatiently signed out at the gate and then promptly got stuck in rush hour traffic. As he swore in several different languages under his breath, he wished he had mastered some sort of teleportation spell.

       When Carter got home with her son, there was a message waiting on her machine to call into Stargate Command. As she picked up the phone to dial, she asked Gareth, “What do you want for dinner?”
       “Anything, I’m not choosey,” he answered, flopping down on the sofa. He felt her mood change as she listened to whoever was on the phone. He looked at her and she smiled, but he knew it was false. They must have found Emma’s body, he figured. She was doing a good job of not letting on, but he was a wizard, after all.
       “How bout pizza?” she asked when she’d hung up.
       “Sit down, Mom.”
       “What?”
       “Have a seat.” He pat the seat of a nearby chair. “We need to talk.”
       O’Neill had explained in no uncertain terms that Gareth was a murdering lunatic. Looking at his handsome face and his winsome smile, it was hard to believe. She sat down across from him. “What is it, Gareth?”
       “Whatever they told you is true.”
       She furrowed her brow in confusion. “What?”
       “That phone call. I assume they found Emma? She was great, ya know. Best I ever had.”
       Carter stared at him a moment. Finally, she said, “Gareth?”
       “Yes, Mother?”
       “I can’t move.”
       “Oh yeah, I know. Can’t have you running off before I’m finished with you.”
       “You killed that Corporal?”
       “Yeah.”
       “Why?”
       “Well, basically because I could, but specifically, because that’s how Anubis taught me to have sex.”
       The thought struck her. “Teal’c?”
       “He’s okay. Somehow, I feel close to the Shova. It was interesting reaching orgasm without bloodshed.”
       Another thought struck her. “Those two prostitutes?”
       Surprised, Gareth raised his eyebrows. “You know about them, then?”
       Carter said nothing.
       “Your police friend Pete, huh?” He shrugged. “They were a pleasant diversion. Nothing like Emma.”
       There was a pause before Carter asked, “What now?”
       “Ah, that’s the question of the hour, isn’t it?” He knelt before her and gently ran his fingers down her cheek.
       She couldn’t move away from his touch.
       “You’re a lovely woman … Sam. I find myself wondering if you’d be as good as Emma.”
       He ran his fingers down her other cheek and her jaw set more firmly.
       “But you’re also probably my Mom and somehow, incest doesn’t interest me.”
       She relaxed somewhat as she willed every passing car to pull in with Merlin at the wheel.
       He grinned and produced the wicked blade again. “Don’t get too complacent, Mom,” he said. “I’m not gonna fuck you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna kill you.”
       “Gareth, don’t be foolish.”
       “Never.”
       “You can have a happy life here, free of Anubis.”
       “Maybe, maybe not.” He used the blade to gently cut each button of her blouse off. One by one they popped off and went flying across the room.

       Detective Pete Shanahan had knocked several times on Carter’s door and was standing with hands on hips trying to decide whether to kick it in or leave when a Jeep screeched to a halt at the curb and Merlin jumped out. “Hey …” he started to say, but Merlin waved a hand and the door splintered into tiny fragments. He ducked the flying debris, but then the smell of blood almost knocked him over.
       Merlin rushed by and collapsed to his knees by Carter’s body.
       “Oh … my … God.” Shanahan stood stunned in the middle of the room while Merlin held his wife’s head in his lap. He had seen the two prostitutes and this was nowhere near as bad, but this was the woman he loved. This couldn’t be happening. “You can heal her, right?” he asked hopefully.
       “I can heal, not resurrect,” Merlin snapped back. He was silent a moment before adding “No, I can’t heal her.”
       “Gareth?” He couldn’t believe they were speaking rationally like this while they were standing ankle deep in blood.
       “Sorry I didn’t believe you, Pete.”
       “How could … how could he do this to his own mother?”
       Suddenly, Merlin stood. “He’ll be headed back to the mountain. C’mon.”
       Shanahan was all too happy to leave the scene of such horror and ran back to the Jeep with Merlin. The tires squealed as they took off.

       When they arrived back at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, they found chaos. The impenetrable blast doors were a twisted molted mess. It looked like a war zone. Soldiers were rushing around everywhere, tending to the dead and dying.
       They made it down to Sub Level 28 where SGC HQ was located. The blast doors were lowered over the control room windows, but there was no other sign of trouble there. No damage, no bodies, no personnel at all.
       “I figured he would use the Stargate to escape,” Merlin said. “But it doesn’t look like he’s been in here at all.”
       “Where to now, then?” Shanahan wanted to know.
       “Crew quarters?”
       They didn’t make it to the crew quarters, though, as they found more bodies near the service elevator. Among the dead was Daniel Jackson, who’d been slammed against the wall so hard, he’d bled to death internally in moments. Teal’c was badly injured and unconscious near by. Further along, they found Colonel O’Neill. He was seriously injured as well, but was still partially conscious.
       “Jack,” Merlin said, kneeling down. “Where did he go?”
       “Down,” O’Neill croaked. “Lowest …”
       The rest was lost in a coughing fit, but Merlin understood. “Stay with him,” he told Shanahan.
       “What? No, I’m coming with you.”
       “He’s a powerful wizard, Pete. You’ll be more of a hindrance than anything else. Take care of Jack.”
       Merlin made his way down to the lowest level of the complex. Gareth was sitting in the middle of a large empty storeroom, with a sort of spotlight shining on him, which was obviously of his own making.
       “A little egoistical, isn’t it, son?” he said quietly. “The spotlight, I mean.”
       “Over the top, you think?”
       “A bit, yeah.”
       “I was waiting for you.”
       “Why?”
       “I figured you could appreciate the power required to do what I’m about to do.”
       “Why everything, Gareth? Why all the bloodshed? Why your mother?”
       The young man shrugged his shoulders. “It’s what I am. It’s what Anubis made me. Besides, it was fun.”
       “Fun? FUN?!” Merlin became enraged and threw a fireball at his son.
       Gareth easily deflected it and smiled. “You can’t defeat me, Merlin. You haven’t got the power.”
       Merlin threw everything he had at him, but Gareth sat relaxed, a protective shield of magic surrounding him.
       When the old man had tired himself out, the young wizard flung him back against the wall and pinned him there. It required little effort to hold him.
       “You require your hands, don’t you? To wield your magic? It’s a disadvantage I don’t have.”
       “So what now?” Merlin was a little breathless, but not surprised by this turn of events. He knew his power was probably no match for that of his son.
       The boy stood and slowly walked closer. “What do you think would happen if a tremendous force were directed down towards the center of this planet?”
       “Considering the amount of force you can summon, I’d say the planet would probably explode.”
       “That’s what I thought too.”
       “Why would you want to do such a thing?”
       “Because I can.”
       “You’re insane, son.”
       “Probably.” The boy stepped back to the center of the room. “It’s highly likely, actually.” He drew himself up, summoned every ounce of magical power he possessed and with Merlin’s scream echoing around the walls, he released it all down at his feet.
       A slight rumbling began from below and a chasm formed as Merlin fell to the floor, freed from his bonds.
       “How long do you think it will take?” Gareth asked.
       “Does it matter?” Merlin was spent – defeated.
       “No, guess not.”
       There was a loud explosion and the boy’s chest erupted with a spray of blood and bone. He looked down at the ragged hole and the growing stain and then looked back at his father as he fell to his knees. Pete Shanahan was standing behind him, gun in hand.
       Gareth laughed and then coughed up blood. He’d used all his magical power and had nothing left to heal himself. The planet was about to explode anyway, so what did it matter how he died? He fell over and into the chasm he’d created, presumably down to the center of the planet.
       “What now?” Shanahan asked.
       Wearily, Merlin said, “Now we wait – for the end of the world.”

       “We can leave through the stargate,” Merlin said.
       The boy turned back and furrowed his brow.
       “The Chappa Eye,” Merlin explained. “We can leave through the Chappa Eye – go where Anubis can’t get you.”
       Gareth sat up now. “You know how to activate the Chappa Eye?” he asked excitedly. “I’ve never been allowed near it.”
       “Yes, I can activate it and I can get us back home to your mother – to your world. But we must hurry.”
       Could it be true? What the hell? It wasn’t like Gareth had much to lose. “Okay,” he said simply. “How do you propose to get us to the Chappa Eye?”
       “The same way I got in here – with a …” Merlin was interrupted by an alarm claxon. “Damn, I’ve been discovered. We’ll have to fight our way out. Are you up to it, son?” He held his hand out and waited hopefully.
       Gareth shrugged, clasped the outstretched arm and said, “Sure.” A smile spread across his face and Merlin smiled too – the first genuine smile he’d managed to muster in a long time.
       But the smile was quickly forgotten as a shearing pain raced across his temple. The vision was brutal, but quick. He knew he couldn’t bring this boy back to Earth and this would be the only chance he’d have to do what had to be done. He directed all his magical force through his hand into the boy.
       Gareth’s eyes grew wide in shock as the power hit him. How stupid he’d been to let his guard down. A split second later, his body exploded into a fine red mist. Not even a sarcophagus could heal that kind of damage.
       “That’s him!”
       It was Clara’s voice. He’d known she would be his downfall. Merlin had used all the power he’d had available to destroy the boy and had nothing left to save himself. A blow to the back of his head knocked him to his knees and then he blacked out.

       Sergeant Davis knocked gently and poked his head into General Hammond’s office. “General?” he said. “There’s something you should see. And SG-1 too, since they’re here, sir.”
       O’Neill, Carter, Teal’c and Jackson looked at each other and then followed the General and the Sergeant out to the Stargate control room where the video feed from the latest MALP was being shown.
       “Oh my God,” Carter said. “That’s Merlin!”
       The video feed showed a line of wooden crosses stretching either side of the stargate, a man or woman crucified on each one. The battered form of Merlin could plainly be seen nailed and tied to the third one on the left.
       “That’s what I thought,” Davis said.
       “General, request permission …”
       “Go.” Hammond didn’t even hesitate. “Suit up and bring him home. Make it quick – the natives are obviously hostile. Take SG-12 with you.”

       Five minutes later, SG-1 and SG-12 were ready at the bottom of the ramp, ladder and stretcher in hand. When they got to PQH-493, SG-12 stood guard while SG-1 used the ladder to cut Merlin down.
       The wizard was unconscious and in bad shape. “He’s barely breathing,” Jackson said.
       “No hostiles yet,” Lieutenant Ford said. “But let’s not press our luck, huh?”
       “Workin’ on it,” Jackson said from the top of the ladder where he was now trying to pry the spikes out of the wizard’s hands. “This is not as easy at it looks.”
       “Get down, Danny,” O’Neill said. “Let me do it.”
       Jackson got down and handed O’Neill the knife he was using.
       O’Neill climbed up and said, “No point trying to do this without cutting him further.” When he’d removed the spikes and cut the ropes, Teal’c caught the inert body as it toppled down and gently placed it onto the stretcher. “Dial home,” O’Neill said as he climbed back down and folded the ladder.
       Jackson dialed the coordinates of Earth while Teal’c and Ford carried the stretcher and Carter entered the ID code for SG-1 to open the iris. SG-12 continued to watch the area for hostiles.

       Colonel Frank LeBraun was serving as SGC chief medical officer since the death of Janet Frasier. It was a temporary position, but he enjoyed the diversity and excitement of the Stargate program. Where else could someone meet an actual 1500 year old wizard?
       “Ah, the infamous Merlin,” he said when they’d brought the half dead man into his office. “Crucified, huh? Barbaric form of execution. Lay him down there and leave us – go on – shoo. There’s nothing you can do to help right now.” He shoved everyone out the door and called his nurse in to help with his examination.
       His findings were what everyone pretty much knew already. “Well, he’s healing quickly, but he’d been through the ringer,” he told them an hour later. “He was severely beaten before crucifixion and was probably hanging there for days before you found him.
       “There’s not much I can do for him other than make him comfortable. Hopefully, his own remarkable healing powers will bring him round. All we can do is wait.”

       Carter was restless. She had half expected never to see Merlin again, but to have him back like this – only to lose him again – it was too much. O’Neill found her slamming a punching bag in the gym.
       “Damn, Carter,” he said. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
       “Oh, but you do it so well, sir,” she replied.
       O’Neill grinned. “Is that insubordination I detect, Major?”
       “Sorry, must have spent too much time around you, sir.”
       “That’s probably it, yeah.”
       There was silence for a while, save for the sound of the bag.
       “Okay, you gonna relax or not?”
       “Not.”
       “Fine. Then, might as well do it right. C’mon.” He slipped on padded gloves and walked out to the middle of the mat. Bouncing a little on the balls of his feet, he was ready to fight. “You and me, right now, let’s go.”
       Carter stopped and looked at him a moment, judging whether he meant it or not. “Okay, you’re on.” She grinned.
       They sparred hard for quite a while, but O’Neill finally got her down on the mat, straddled her chest and looked down at her. “Feel better now that you’ve knocked the tar out of me, Sam?”
       She sighed heavily and then relaxed her body beneath him. “Actually, yes, I do. He’ll be okay, right?”
       “Sure, even if I have to punch him in the face a few times like last time.”
       She grinned. “Best to keep that as a last resort.”
       There was a long pause until Carter shifted beneath his weight and said, “Let me up now, will you?”
       “Hmm? Oh, yeah, I guess. I was having fun, though.” He smiled broadly and she blushed. He rolled off her, but she rolled with him and kissed him deeply. When his mouth was free, he said, “Major, is this …?”
       “Shut up, Jack,” she told him and locked lips with him again as she clawed at his sweaty T-shirt
       What the hell, he thought and helped remove her clothing as well as his own.
       She rode him long and hard. She had always been attracted to the Colonel, but had never dared act on it until that vacation she had taken with Merlin at O’Neill’s cabin. Merlin was very sexually open and they had ended up in a ménage a trois. She loved Merlin very much, but often found herself fantasizing about her Commanding Officer instead. Having him inside her now eased the pain of having the father of her one and only son lying near death once again.

       Freshly showered, O’Neill and Carter joined Jackson and Teal’c in the cafeteria. The Archeologist and the Jaffa were speaking when the other two arrived, but they became silent and grinned knowingly at them as they sat down.
       “What?” O’Neill wanted to know.
       “Hmmm?” Jackson said. “What, what?”
       “Why the grins?”
       “I dunno,” Jackson mumbled as he sipped his coffee.
       Teal’c silently slid a video tape across the table to his commanding officer and friend.
       “What’s this?”
       Carter was afraid she knew, but said nothing.
       “Security tape,” Teal’c said.
       Carter sighed quietly.
       “Security tape of what?” O’Neill wanted to know.
       “Gym,” Jackson said.
       “Jim who?”
       Carter nudged O’Neill’s leg with her own and gave him an are you stupid? glare.
       The light dawned as O’Neill muttered, “Shit,” and snatched the tape off the table. “You didn’t see this.”
       “Yes, we did,” Teal’c said.
       O’Neill leaned close and emphatically said, “No, you didn’t.”
       “Yes, we …”
       Jackson leaned over to the Jaffa and explained, “He means forget about it, Teal’c.”
       “Does that mean I should destroy my copy?”
       Jackson snickered while Carter sunk lower in her chair and O’Neill glared at his friend. Teal’c raised an eyebrow and O’Neill knew he was joking.
       “Oh. Getting’ the hang of that sense of humour, aren’t you, T?”
       “Am I?” Teal’c raised the other eyebrow and Jackson snorted coffee through his nose.

       “Off world activation!”
       The announcement interrupted the discussion the SG-1 team members were having in the cafeteria. O’Neill slid the video tape into the right side pocket of his fatigues and they all went to the observation room to see who was arriving.
       “It’s the Tok’ra, General,” Sergeant Davis announced.
       “Open the iris,” Hammond ordered.
       Jacob Carter and another man walked through the stargate onto the ramp.
       “Dad,” Carter said and headed down to the gate room. General Hammond and the rest of SG-1 followed.
       “Sam, how are you,” Jacob said as he embraced his daughter.
       “Fine, Dad. How bout you and Selmak?” General Jacob Carter had been dying of cancer when he was blended with the Tok’ra symbiote named Selmak.
       He grinned and said they were fine also. “We have news of Gareth, is there somewhere we can talk?”
       “Conference room, this way,” Hammond said and led the way to the conference room.
       Before everyone could sit down, Carter was asking, “What is it, Dad? What have you heard?”
       “Kaldorn here just got back from one of the planets once held by Apophis – now ruled by Anubis. Kaldorn?”
       The other man spoke in the deep resonating voice of the Goa’uld/Tok’ra. “I heard news from a High Priestess about a special child. No name was mentioned, but from the description, it could be none other than your Gareth – the young wizard.
       “Seems Anubis has been trying to clone the child in an effort to make the ultimate host, but it has not gone well. The clones are proving too willful and all attempts to weed out self will also nullifies any magical powers. Experimentation is ongoing, but it sounded like maybe the infant may outlive his usefulness soon.”
       “Where is he?” Carter asked anxiously.
       “We don’t know,” Jacob said. “Kaldorn couldn’t find out, but we will keep looking and let you know whatever we find.”
       “But, he … Gareth is still alive? You’re sure?”
       “He was as of yesterday,” Kaldorn confirmed. “And he is still an infant.”
       “Er,” Jackson mumbled. “Why wouldn’t he be?”
       “The clones have been rapidly aged, but the child has not been altered. From what I’ve heard, the child has been well treated.”
       There was an audible sigh from all present.
       “Thank you, Kaldorn,” Hammond said. “We appreciate anything you can dig up on this matter. Jacob, you should visit more often.”
       “Yes, you should,” Carter said. “Can I see you alone before you rush off again?”
       “Of course, Sam. Lead the way.”
       Hammond and Jackson stayed to speak with Kaldorn while Teal’c and O’Neill wandered off.

       “What is it, Sam?” Jacob said when they were alone.”
       “Merlin is here.”
       “Is he?” Jacob raised an eyebrow and was about to ask where.
       “He’s in the infirmary. We found him … crucified on PQH-493. He’s been in a coma for weeks.”
       “I’m sorry, Sam. Is there anything I can do?”
       Carter shrugged. “Hold me?”
       Jacob smiled and held his arms out. “Of course, baby.”
       She fell into his arms and sobbed quietly for a while. Then she stood back and wiped her eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”
       He smiled tenderly. “Any time, Sam.”

       “So, T,” O’Neill said, hands in pockets. “You’ve been pretty quiet about all this baby wizard stuff, whattaya think?”
       “It is a wondrous thing, O’Neill. I never believed in magic before, but Merlin’s powers can be explained no other way. The thought of an immature infant with such power, however …”
       “I get ya – I had the same thought. Merlin knew he might have to kill the kid when he went after him, but that’s a hard thing.”
       “For a father to destroy his own son …” Teal’c shook his head sadly. “A hard thing, indeed.”
       O’Neill knew Teal’c had faced that prospect himself once. He nodded and lost himself in the brief but overwhelming feeling that he had destroyed his own son by leaving his sidearm unlocked.
       After an awkward silence, O’Neill turned to his friend and asked, “Cake?”
       Teal’c grinned. “Sounds good,” he answered, and the two men made their way to the cafeteria.

       About a week later, Carter was sitting vigil at Merlin’s bedside when the wizard stirred and groaned. He opened his eyes and when he realized where he was, he groaned again. But then Carter came into focus and he smiled.
       “Hey, you,” he croaked.
       “Hey, you, yourself,” she smiled back.
       “Been a while.”
       “Yep.”
       “Sorry about Janet.”
       “What? How’d you …? Okay, I don’t guess I really need to ask, do I?”
       He reached over and feebly took her hand in his. “I have some bad news, Sam.”
       “Okay, I have some good news, so you go first.”
       “I …” He didn’t know how to proceed. “I was forced to destroy Gareth, Sam.” She blinked at him. “He’s dead.”
       Carter blinked again. “No,” she said. “No, he isn’t.”
       “I had no choice, Sam. I had a vision and clearly saw how evil he was. I had one chance and I took it. I’m so sorry.”
       “Okay, wait. Was he aged or still a baby?”
       It was Merlin’s turn to blink. “He had been aged; how’d you know that?”
       She breathed a sigh of relief. “No, Merlin, it’s okay. We heard from the Tok’ra that Anubis had cloned Gareth. The clones were aged, but our son is still a baby.” She gripped his hands tightly. “You destroyed a clone, Merlin.”
       “I …” He turned his thoughts inward and was lost in the horror of what he’d done – what he had thought he’d done – and couldn’t quite grasp the possibility that his son was still alive somewhere. Part of him had been somewhat relieved that his search was over and that part of him was a little piqued now to find out otherwise. And yet, there was still a chance to get his boy back; he should be ecstatic. He was frowning.
       “Merlin?” Carter furrowed her brow at him and prodded. “Merlin, what is it?”
       “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head clear. “I was just … well, a little surprised, I guess. I had thought the hunt was ended – and badly at that, and now I find … well, nothing has changed. Or everything has changed, I don’t know yet.” He closed his eyes and sighed.
       Carter smiled and leaned down to hug him. “I’m glad you’re back, Merlin,” she whispered. “I missed you.”
       “I missed you, too, Sam.” He returned the hug. “But this means I have to leave again.”
       “Maybe, but not right now.” She climbed onto the small bed and snuggled close. “Right now, you’re here with me and I’m gonna hang on tight.”
       “Not too tight, I’m still a little …”
       “Lose the clothes and lock the door.”
       “Yes, dear.”

       Doctor LeBraun was standing with his arms folded and his toe tapping just outside the infirmary door when it was finally opened. “Bout damned time,” he said. “Next time, get your own damned room.” He was smiling when he said it.
       “Sorry, Doc,” Merlin said, now dressed in his usual eclectic style and leaning heavily on his intricately carved staff. “Been a while – you understand.”
       The big man chuckled. “No, but you can tell me about it later. For now, there are some people who would like to see you, I’m sure.”
       “Thank you, Doctor LeBraun,” Merlin said as he shook hands. “Thank you for everything.”
       “My pleasure. Not every day I get to bandage a wizard.”

       The rest of SG-1 was found in General Hammond’s office. Merlin hugged Jackson and then shook hands with O’Neill, Teal’c and the General. “It’s good to have you back, Merlin,” Hammond said.
       “It’s good to be back, sir, but I can’t stay for long.”
       O’Neill noticed how much the wizard was depending on his staff and said, “You have to at least stay until you’re fit again.”
       Merlin grinned. “One trip up top should handle that.”
       “Why were you crucified?” Daniel asked.
       “Yeah, I was wondering that myself,” O’Neill added.
       “I, uh, had become a nuisance.”
       “You’ve always been a nuisance, but you’ve never been crucified before.”
       It was General Hammond who had said it and everyone turned to look at him in mild surprise. He just grinned silently back at them.
       “Actually, I have, but that’s a completely different story.” The wizard ran a trembling hand through his tangled hair. “I had destroyed … well, who I thought at the time was my son. They weren’t happy about that.”
       “You killed one of the clones?” O’Neill asked in surprise.
       “I had a vision and saw how utterly evil he was. It took all I had left to destroy him, so I was easily taken prisoner. Hell, truth is, I thought I’d killed my son, so I didn’t really want to fight. How did you find me, anyway?”
       “By accident,” Jackson said.
       “Lucky accident,” Carter added, pulling him to her with an arm around his waist. Looking towards the General, she asked, “Permission to bring Merlin up to the surface for a while, Sir?”
       “Go ahead.”
       “Thank you, sir.” She smiled and practically dragged Merlin out behind her.

       Up top, Carter watched quietly as Merlin was rejuvenated by the Earth Sprites. Sometimes, she could see them, but usually she couldn’t. They were invisible to her now, so she just waited patiently for Merlin to turn back to her, hopefully whole once more.
       When he turned, she smiled at him and he smiled back. He really had missed her. He hadn’t realized just how much till this moment. He took her in his arms and held her tight. Nothing was said. Nothing had to be said. They both knew they would have to part again soon, but they didn’t have to think about that now. They made sweet love there in the woods, magically hidden from all but the whispering Sprites.

       Later that night, as they both lay in her bed at home, she clung tightly to him as he ran a hand over her back in small circles.
       “He’s a good man,” Merlin said.
       “What?” She was sleepy and not sure what she’d heard.
       “Pete. He’s a good man. I approve.”
       She leaned away and stared at him. “What? How could you …?”
       “He doesn’t look as good as me in a g-string, but then, who does?”
       She couldn’t help but grin at that mental image. “G-string? Are you mad?”
       “Maybe, but Pete is too – he’s mad about you. You should hang onto him.”
       “But you …”
       “I have to leave again, Sam. We both know that. And we both know I may never get back.”
       Carter sighed heavily and lay her head back down on his chest. “When will you go?”
       “As soon as possible, I think. The longer I wait, the colder the trail gets.”
       She groaned and dove under the sheets to find what she was looking for between his legs.

       The following morning, Merlin prepared to exit through the gate again while a bleary-eyed Carter sulked nearby.
       “Did you get any sleep at all, Major?” O’Neill was holding a steaming cup of coffee out for her as he said it.
       “Hmm?” She took a good long gulp of the coffee and sighed. “Thanks, sir.”
       He grinned as he sipped from his own cup. “Maybe you should take the rest of the day off.”
       “No. Sir, I would rather keep busy. Besides, Daniel and I have a few ideas about how to find the Lost City – we need to keep at it.”
       Merlin was ready and the gate was dialing. SG-1, General Hammond and Dr. LeBraun gathered around to see him off.
       “Doctor,” Merlin said, shaking the big man’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”
       “Oh, the pleasure was all mine, I assure you.”
       “General, good luck, and rest assured the future will be in good hands.”
       Hammond half grinned and half frowned as he shook the wizard’s hand. What did the man know?
       “Daniel, you’ll be tempted to go … You’ll be sorely tempted to go, but you’re needed here.”
       “What …?”
       “You’ll know.”
       Turning to the Jaffa, he said with a wry grin, “Teal’c, you’ll look good with hair.”
       Teal’c raised an eyebrow and ran a big hand over his shaved head.
       “Jack.” Merlin suddenly became very serious. “Listen closely – if I’m not here or if you can’t get a hold of Thor, there’s a chamber about 20 yards from the Command Chair – use it. When the time comes, you’ll know how, but you must use it before it’s too late, understand?”
       “No.”
       The wizard grinned. “It’s okay, you will. Just don’t wait too long.”
       “Er, okay.”
       “Sam …”
       “Don’t say anything, Merlin.” Carter hugged him tight. “Just come back.”
       “I’ll do what I can.” He kissed her tenderly as the wormhole whooshed open. Then he turned and stepped through to another world in search of his only son.
       Carter brushed aside a single tear and then headed for her office.
       The rest of SG-1 exchanged glances with General Hammond. “Keep an eye on her, will you, Daniel?”
       “Sure, Jack.”
       As the Archeologist followed the Major out, the other three men sighed. “Well, I can use a workout,” O’Neill said.
       “Me too,” Teal’c said, eager to escape the awkward silence.
       “Carry on,” Hammond said.

       It was early evening when Jackson and Carter informed the General of their idea to extract the information from the Repository of the Ancients SG-1 had encountered before. At that time, O’Neill had inadvertently gotten all the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain and it had almost killed him, but this time, they would try to interface and download the info into a computer. Everyone agreed it was worth a try and SG-1 was scheduled to go the following morning.
       Carter felt good as she logged out and headed home. Merlin was gone again, but it was nice seeing him again – being with him again, and she was certain she would see him again. And the Ancient Databank could be the answer to all their problems.
       She was tired and thinking only of bed when she pulled into her driveway. Sleepiness turned to caution when she saw a light on in her front window, though, and her hand went to her side arm as she approached the door. She should not have been surprised by what she found inside, but she was.
       “Surprise!” Pete Shanahan was standing in her living room with a dozen red roses and a bottle of champagne, wearing nothing but a big smile and a red g-string.
       Carter wasn’t sure Merlin was right – Pete looked pretty good in a g-string. She was laughing as she closed the door behind her.