Begin Transmission

Lacy here. Holy mother of crap, I'm updating Grace again. *looks over at Harry Potter books* I think I'll take a whack at Heidi next. *turns back to readers* But for now! Last chapter, we had the beginning of all things Stargate. So now, we're stepping into the world of Atlantis, one more time, to see how it all started for Grace. And just how happy she was to send Rodney McKay to another galaxy.

Oh! By the way, those of you familiar with Grace will recall her meeting Dr. Beckett in Pegasus Project, for what appeared to be the first time. That was an oversight on my part, as Grace was part of the Arctic post from the start. So, clearly, she knew Carson before SG-1 went to Atlantis. Small oops! Read on and have fun!

Disclaimer: I own only Grace and Cera.

End Transmission

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Grace smiled at the next folder. "It seems to be a day of firsts, Cera." she opened the folder. "The beginning of Atlantis."

"Torren!" Cera grinned.

Grace laughed. "Yes, Torren. And?"

"Uncle John! Rodney! Ronan!" Cera rattled off her favorite people in the Pegasus galaxy. "Aunt Teyla! And Evan!"

"Right." Grace kissed her head. "Wanna hear how it all started? At least, the parts Mommy was involved in?"

"Yeah!" Cera nodded rapidly.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"Dr. Beckett should be proud he's genetically advanced."

"It's not more advanced. It is a random characteristic."

"Actually Rodney," Grace walked into the chair room. "those who carry the gene are more advanced." she smiled at the perturbed scientist. "Unless you'd like to argue the point with Thor."

Elizabeth cleared her throat, clearing covering her laugh. "How's the research going, Grace?"

"Slowly." Grace answered. "The technology is responding better to me than others, but at the same time, it's old and worn down." she touched one of the walls. "Saving Dad's life was the first major thing it had to do in centuries. It's gonna take time to get everything back in proper working order."

"Ah," Daniel appeared behind Grace. "just the people I need to see." then vanished again.

Grace shook her head. "I swear, we taught him manners."

As if hearing Grace, Daniel reappeared. "Come with me."

The trio followed Daniel back to the lab he'd set up in the outpost, where he had boards and computer screens filled with gate symbols.

"We've gotten closer and closer to finding the location of the Lost City," Daniel started talking before they even caught up. "but it turns out, we've been looking in the wrong place all along." he moved to a white board and grabbed a marker. "Now, we thought we had a Stargate address, six symbols representing coordinates in space that determined the location of the planet the Ancients went to after they left Antarctica. Now, recently we determined the seventh symbol." He drew it out.

"The point of origin," Elizabeth said. "Earth."

"That's not it." Daniel denied.

"Then your address must be incorrect." Rodney stated.

Grace shook her head, seeing where Daniel was going. "Not incorrect. Incomplete."

"What are you saying, Dr. Jackson?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's an eight symbol address." Daniel said proudly. "What we're looking for may be further away than we ever imagined, but it's not out of reach."

"Atlantis." Rodney connected the dots.

"Atlantis." Daniel nodded. "I think we can go there."

Grace leaned back against the work bench. "Holy hannah."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"Look, we've been through this." Dr. Carson Beckett could be heard complaining throughout the complex. "I'm not your man."

"Keep moving." The ever charming Rodney was pushing him towards the chair room.

"I'm a doctor." Carson kept going. "A medical doctor."

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

"You don't understand. I break things like this."

"This device has survived for millions of years intact. It will survive you. Now, six down, close your eyes and concentrate."

Grace shook her head as she leaned against the wall beside the elevator, waiting for her father to arrive.

"Again, nothing."

"This time, try to imagine an image of where we are in the solar system."

"I think I feel something. It could be lunch related."

"Shut up and concentrate."

Grace felt it the moment Carson was able to connect with the chair. And the moment he accidentally took control of the drone. She ducked to the side and hugged the wall as the drone bounced around and finally shot up the elevator shaft. Ignoring her cracked data pad, Grace ran over to Carson and Rodney.

"What happened?" Grace asked.

"What did I do?" Carson asked.

Grace stood in front of him. "Dr. Beckett, listen to me. I know you're scared but you need to focus or that thing is going to hurt people, including my dad." she saw Carson nod as Elizabeth and Daniel ran back into the room. "Focus on shutting it down. Just close your eyes and let the chair know the drone needs to stop and shut off."

"How can she-"

"Shh!" Elizabeth and Daniel snapped at Rodney. They saw the concentration on Carson's face and the hand Grace had resting on the chair. The doctor wasn't the only one interfaced with it.

Grace felt the drone as it zipped through the air of the Arctic and around the chopper carrying her father. She could almost see through the device as its target was landed, both occupants still inside. She also felt when Carson finally got it to shut down, inches from her father's hand.

Opening her eyes and taking a step back, Grace smiled at Carson. "Good job, Doctor."

Lieutenant Ford ran over. "Major Sheppard is reporting the drone appears to have been incapacitated. General O'Neill's helicopter is unharmed, and on its way again. Seven minutes out."

"Thank god." Elizabeth breathed.

"Holy crap." Caron was clearly traumatized.

Daniel saw Grace wobble and reached out. "Gracie,"

Grace shook her head. "Just took a bit more than I was expecting after a full day of interfacing with the computers."

Daniel sighed. "You were told to take it easy, Grace."

Grace waved a hand at him. "Go greet Dad. I'm fine."

Elizabeth saw the look Daniel gave her. "I'll keep an eye on her."

Daniel mouthed a silent 'thank you' before marching from the room to prepare what he needed for Jack's arrival.

"Come on," Elizabeth put an arm around Grace. "let's get you something to eat so you at least don't look like you're going to pass out when your father arrives."

"Oh, he'll know, no matter what." Grace commented. "But, points for trying."

"Thank you."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Grace felt the chair activate again and took off running. She watched Carson dart from the chair room and entered to find her father's pilot sitting in the interface.

"Why do people always touch things?" Grace complained. She stepped up to the chair, again. "Major, you alright?"

The man, Major John Sheppard, glanced at Grace. "You're a kid."

"A general's kid." Grace corrected. "The general you flew in, in fact. Now, are you alright?"

"I think so."

"Good." Grace turned as Elizabeth, Carson, Rodney, Jack and Daniel came running in. "He's alright."

"I said not to touch anything." Jack scolded John.

"I just sat down." the Major argued.

"Major," Rodney focused the room. "think about where we are in the solar system."

Apparently John did as he was told, this time, because a hologram appeared above their heads.

"Did I do that?" John asked.

"You did." Grace confirmed. "And you're only the third person who could do it so easily."

"Who else did?"

"Me and my dad." Grace crossed her arms and looked at Jack. "He needs to be tested, Dad. His gene could be as strong as yours."

Jack nodded. "Do it."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Once the expedition was back at the SGC and making final preparations for the travel to Atlantis, Grace took it upon herself to give John a crash course in all things Stargate. By the time she was finished, he had the same look her father usually had after Sam or Daniel were done talking.

"Where'd I lose you?" Grace asked, leaning on the table between them.

John ran a hand over his face. "Honestly, I heard it all. I just can't wrap my head around it."

Grace nodded. "That's how most people react."

"You're what? Ten? Eleven?" John questioned. Grace nodded again. "How are you so calm about all this? Or even privy to it?"

Grace chuckled. "As I told you in the outpost, I'm General O'Neill's daughter and my mother is leader of the SGC's flagship team. A place my dad used to hold. I've been around all this since it started back when I was three."

John's eyes widened. "Three."

"Three." Grace repeated. "Before I could even ride a two-wheeler, I was learning about other planets, races and cultures."

"And you're okay with that?" John asked.

"I wouldn't trade it for anything." Grace said honestly. She remembered when her father's clone had questioned whether she ever resented her parents for not having a normal life. For living in such high anxiety for so long. But like she'd told him, "Even if I never knew about all this, I'm not normal, myself. This is where I belong."

John sat back with a soft laugh. "You're a lot braver than some of the men I've served with, Grace."

"You're definitely not the first person to tell me that." Grace smiled. "But thank you."

John shook his head. "No thanks needed." he leaned forward. "Let's go over this one more time."

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

"Can I have everyone's attention please?"

Grace stood beside Daniel and Jack in the control room as Elizabeth moved to stand before her expedition crew in the gate room.

"Alright, here we go." Elizabeth spoke. "We're about to try to make a connection. We have been unable to predict exactly how much power this is going to take, and we may only get the one chance at this, so if we're able to achieve a stable wormhole, we're not going to risk shutting the gate down. We'll send in the MALP robot probe, check for viability and go. Everything in one shot. Now, every one of you volunteered for this mission, and you represent over a dozen countries. You are the world's best and brightest, and in light of the adventure we are about to embark on, you're also the bravest. I hope we all return one day having discovered a whole new realm for humanity to explore, but as all of you know, we may never be able to return home. I'd like to offer you all one last chance to withdraw your participation."

Grace was proud to see not a single person move or speak. She could feel how sure they were.

"Begin the dialing sequence."

Grace watched as the gate begun spinning and the eight symbol address was started. She was nervous about it working, about whether or not the wormhole would be stable. About what would happen to the expedition team when they reached the other side. She felt Jack place a hand on her shoulder and knew he felt her anxiety.

"Chevron eight is locked."

The wormhole opened, stable, and the expedition team broke into cheers in the gateroom below.

"Send the MALP." Elizabeth ordered.

Grace turned to Rodney. "You know, McKay. I may actually miss you."

The scientist looked shocked. "Really?"

Grace shook her head. "Probably not but I figured the sentiment would be appreciated."

Jack and Daniel snorted while Elizabeth laughed softly under her breath.

"We have MALP telemetry." the tech spoke.

"Alright," Elizabeth looked up at the monitors. "what is it we're looking at?"

"Switching to zero locks."

"The radar indicates a large room." Rodney said.

"Structurally intact?" Daniel questioned.

"Environmental sensors say there's oxygen," Rodney rattled off. "no measurable toxins. We have viable life support." he stood. "Looks like we're not getting out of this."

Elizabeth looked at Jack, who was standing proudly beside her.

"Dr. Weir," he said. "you have a go."

"Thank you," Elizabeth nodded. "sir."

Colonel Marshall Sumner could be heard down in the gate room, giving orders.

"Let's go people! We don't know how much power we've got! Security teams one and two, you're up first! All other personnel will follow on our signal! Once on the other side, keep moving, clear the debarkation area! On my lead-"

"Hold on, Colonel." Elizabeth pushed her way through and grabbed her pack. "We go through together."

Grace saw Sumner speak the words 'fair enough' before leading his team and Elizabeth up the ramp. Sumner and his men vanished through while Elizabeth turned back, earning a final nod from Jack and encouraging smile from Grace. Then she, too, stepped through.

"Jack," Daniel spoke. "its not too late for me-"

"No." Jack cut him off without looking away.

"I could just grab my-"

"No."

Grace watched Lieutenant Ford and John head up the ramp next, waiting for the go ahead from Sumner.

"All clear," the colonel spoke from the other side. "it looks good."

Jack leaned down to the mic. "Expedition team, move out."

As Rodney moved closer to the event horizon, Grace nodded to herself.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"Rodney McKay in another galaxy." Grace turned to the two men. "Dreams really do come true."

Jack and Daniel laughed, along with other members of the control room crew while the expedition team continued to move through the gate. Once the last ones were heading up, Jack grabbed a large bottle of champagne and motioned for Grace to follow him. They entered the gate room and started up the ramp once the last expedition member was through.

"You do the honors, Gracie." Jack said, handing her the bottle."

"General O'Neill?" Elizabeth's voice came over the radio. "Atlantis base offers greetings from the Pegasus galaxy. You may cut power to the gate."

Grace knelt down and set the bottle on its side. "Good luck, guys." Then rolled it through and watched the gate shut down.

~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~'~

Begin Transmission

I know, no ending scene but it felt complete to me, without adding Cera and Grace to it. Hope you agree! And yes, dreams really do come true when Rodney McKay gets sent to Pegasus. Probably the happiest moment of Sam's life. Let me know what you think, flame policy stands and thank you so much for reading!

End Transmission