Disclaimer: I do not own 'Stargate: SG-1', 'The 4400' or any of the characters associated with either show.

Author's Note I: The scene at the end of this part is taken from the 4400 episode, "White Light". For those who don't watch the show, it may give you a better idea of how the land lies. Parts in italic are communications between Tom and the representative of the people responsible for the abductions of the 4400.

Author's Note II: I'd like to thank SionnachOghma for his help in this story. He has been an invaluable creative consultant, especially in matters military.

Epilogue

One week later

"Carter?" Jack shook his head ruefully when she didn't even seem to register his presence. How writing a report could possibly be so engrossing, he had no idea. He never noticed that as she was sitting there watching the screen fill with text, none of the keys were moving. "Carter!"

"Sir?" Startled a little at his apparently sudden appearance, she jumped back a little, and the screen on her laptop flickered. "Sorry, sir."

"Everyone's going to lunch." He nodded towards the door. "Come on, even you have to eat some time. Someday we might even catch you sleeping. And wouldn't that be something!" He exclaimed brightly.

"I just want to finish this up first. I'm almost done. Five minutes?"

Jack shrugged. "Fair enough. In six, Teal'c's coming down here with a Zat."

"I'll be ready for him."

"No powers, Sam," he warned sternly. "He deserves a fair fight."

"But I can't take him in a fair fight. What's fair about that?!"

Grinning a little, Jack made for the door. "You now have four minutes!" he called over his shoulder.

Sam smiled as he left, then turned back to her computer, concentration showing clearly in her eyes. She watched the screen intently, and text again began appearing onscreen. After a few moments, as if at its own accord, the finished document saved, and the computer shut down. Rising to leave, she stopped at the door, telekinetically folded the laptop shut, and hit the light switch.

Highland Beach

"That's their car. Let's go." Lytell ordered. Lytell himself screeched to a halt and hopped out of the driver's seat.

"Now, listen," Ryland warned him, "these are not criminals. They're two of our own. Keep your gun holstered. There's no cause for anybody to get hurt."

Hearing their approach, Tom grabbed his son by the arm, shaking him slightly. "Kyle, they're coming for you. They're gonna want to take you away."

"They're too late." His son's tone was tranquil.

As Tom and Diana watched, Kyle looked upwards and gasped as a light began to emanate from his chest, bathing the whole shore in an unearthly glow. Moving on instinct, Tom dashed forward.

"Kyle!"

"No! Tom, don't!"

Neither man even heard Diana's warning cry as they were both enveloped in a white light.

They were still standing on Highland Beach but it was no longer night. There was no sign of Diana, or of anyone else. They were alone.

"Kyle?"

"Tom." His voice sounded like a chorus line, like a dozen people speaking in unison.

"You're not my son, are you?" How had he not realized it before now?

The being who wore his son's face shook his head slightly by way of confirmation. "No. Kyle was meant to be a channel, a way to communicate."

"Communicate with who?"

"With you." The response was matter of fact. "To guide you in your dealings with the returnees. But something went wrong. Your nephew, Shawn interrupted the process."

"That's what put him in a coma. He was like that for three years, because of you." Tom said accusingly. "Who are you? What are you?"

"I'm human. Like you."

"No. You're nothing like me." He spat furiously.

"I come from a different time. That is all. Your future."

"Is that where you took them? My nephew and all the others?" He asked disbelievingly. Although there had been plenty of theories about who had taken the 4400 and where they had been all this time, he was pretty sure that nobody had guessed this one.

"We needed them."

"For what?"

"To survive."

Diana wasn't entirely sure what had happened. As soon as Tom had touched his son the pair had been surrounded by a cylinder of white light. She had nearly been knocked off her feet when she tried to touch it.

"Skouris. Skouris!" Ryland called as he jogged towards her, stopping dead in his tracks as he approached and got a close look at Tom and Kyle. "What the hell is going on?"

"Kyle brought us out here. It's like he knew it was going to happen." She explained, half-surprised that she sounded so calm.

"Did you ever think that maybe he's not Kyle Baldwin?" Lytell demanded. "He kept claiming he wasn't. Maybe he's telling the truth."

"Tom? Tom, are you all right?" Ryland approached warily, not daring to touch him.

"We can't just stand around, we've got to do something." Lytell protested. "He could take Baldwin with him. Or kill him."

"Hey!" Despite the fact that he was aware that Lytell's mandate superseded his own authority, Ryland wasn't planning on letting him run the show. "Nobody is gonna do anything until we know what's going on in there."

"In my time, humanity is dying out." 'Kyle' explained, his tone calm, utterly emotionless.

"You mean it's all going to end? Everything?"

'Kyle' nodded slightly. "Only those we took could prevent the catastrophe from happening. That's why they've been altered and seeded back into the timeline."

"Why here? Why now?"

"Because history tells us this is where the path to oblivion began."

"And the people you took are gonna stop that from happening?" He shook his head, unable to process half of what he was being told. "How?" He demanded.

"They've already begun their work. And you have begun yours."

"Tom, come on." Diana pleaded, willing her partner to hear her and snap out of it.

Lytell paced in front of them like a lion on the prowl. Behind him, Ryland noticed the other man's right hand slip under his jacket, and heard a distinctive click. "Do something or I will."

"I don't understand." Tom protested. "What is their work? What are we supposed to do?"

"You have to help them."

"Help them? How?" If the alternative was the end of the human race, Tom was open to suggestions, but answers weren't forthcoming. "How?!" His eyes drifted to a red patch spreading out on 'Kyle's chest. "You're bleeding."

As the light faded, Tom and Kyle collapsed to the ground. Diana ran quickly towards them, and Tom turned and saw Ryland kicking Lytell's feet out from under him and grabbing his gun. Gun?!

"Oh, God," Skouris breathed. "Get an ambulance," she called to Ryland. "Now!"

"Kyle!" Tom scooped his son into his arms. Pulling a small, folded knife from his pocket, he sliced open Kyle's shirt, revealing the small, hemorrhaging wound. Diana slipped her hand under Kyle's back and grimaced. She knew as soon as she felt the exit wound.

"Kyle!" Tom cried again. "Stay with me, Kyle! Kyle, look at me!" Kyle choked and spluttered, squeezing his father's hand in his own. "Come on. Come on! No!"

The choking ceased suddenly, and Kyle's grip on Tom's hand slackened. He fell limp in his father's arms.

Diane moved behind her partner, gingerly placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tom…"

Gasping suddenly, Kyle seemed to spring back to life and began convulsing wildly. Diana leapt back in fright, but Tom held his son tightly.

A brilliant white light erupted from Kyle's chest, hovering over them briefly. Diana stood frozen as the light seemed almost to take shape. For a split second, she was certain it was looking right at her.

Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the light fled.

"Dad?"

"Kyle!" Tom exclaimed, halfway between laughing and crying.

"What are you doing here?" Kyle sat up, looking around him in confusion. "Where's Shawn?"

"Kyle?" Now it was Tom's turn to be confused.

Slightly worried now, Kyle scrambled shakily to his feet. "Um…Dad? I can explain about the beer."

He clearly didn't remember anything that had happened since the last time he'd been on Highland Beach with his cousin over three years ago.

"No!" Tom grabbed Kyle and hugged him tightly. "No, forget the beer. You don't have anything to explain."

"What the hell is going on here?" Diana finally managed to get out.

"Tom?" Ryland was coming back from his car. An unconscious Lytell lay forgotten on the damp sand. "Tom." Diana felt a little bit better at noticing that her boss looked even more confused than she felt. "What did you see?"

Baldwin didn't hear either one of them. "I got you, Kyle."

It had been more than three years since his son had been found comatose on the beach, almost two weeks since he had regained consciousness, but it was only now that his son had finally been returned to him.

THE END

Author's Note: While this story is over, the series is not. The second story in this series has begun, titled "The Enemy Within". In the meantime, don't forget to review.

Story ID: 3750356