Disclaimer: I don't own the rights, characters, locations or plots from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Stargate SG1; they belong to their respective owners without whom this fanfiction would not have been possible. All reviews are welcome.

One month later.

A month.

That's how long it took for a cover story for Ella's presence to be created, followed by the paperwork; that's how long it had taken to start and then finish a deep background check into Mark Carter and his wife, Lily, as well as Betty. Immediately after arriving at Colorado Springs, Ella was taken home with Major Carter and Faith… with the latter having to lie occasionally to Betty on why she hadn't been around much.

Faith hated lying to Betty, but she also knew that explaining someone like Ella would be difficult no matter what the cover story. A month ago, the first night at the Major's house for Ella was something that Major Carter and Faith couldn't forget. They saw the wide grin on the little girl's face as she ran to see the pictures in the living room, and then the sound system, and then back to the pictures, and then to the DVD's while she was clapping her hands. Ella then turned and ran to the Major and hugged her legs while looking up at her, grinning, and then screaming in happiness.

The Major crouched down while Ella kept on repeating to herself that it wasn't a dream, that everything around her was real.

"It is real," said Faith as she stood with her hands in her pockets. The Major grabbed a hold of the little girl's hand and took her up the stairs, and then into another hallway. Major Carter and Faith showed Ella her own room first, and then Faith's, and finally they took Ella to the guest room. The Major turned on the lights, and Ella looked at a room that was completely barren, save for a few boxes stacked in a corner, and a desk and chair. Ella looked up at the Major who then told her that she and Faith would move the boxes out the next day.

A smile slowly came on Ella's face when the Major said that she and Faith had no idea about her when they left for Sunnydale, and they hadn't even time to prepare everything before leaving Sunnydale. Instead, as the Major crouched down and gently held her youngest daughter by the shoulders, the blonde officer told Ella that they would be heading out tomorrow to get some furniture with the help of Colonel O'Neill and the others.

It was something that brought a squeal of delight from Ella as she jumped up and down while clapping her hands. She then hugged the Major, who in turn was looking up at Faith smiling back at her. Looking at Faith while stroking Ella's back, Major Carter couldn't help but imagine that Ella's reaction was exactly what she thought the dark haired Slayer would have had if she had known about Faith.

'Nothing would change,' thought the Major to herself as Faith leaned forward and kissed the top of her mother's head, 'I'd have held you just as tight, I'd have held you close, and if I had my way… you would never leave my side again.'

"Ella," said Faith as she crouched down and stroked the back of the little girl's head while she was hugging the Major, "it's way early in the morning, we need to get to sleep. We're gonna have a really busy day tomorrow."

"That's right, Ella," whispered the Major into her ear.

"Mommy," said Ella as she broke the hug and then looked on her mother's eyes, "can I sleep with you and Ellie tonight?"

Ella then looked at Faith with a pleading look on her face; and then at the Major again who just smiled at her and nodded her head. That early morning, Major Carter held on tight to her two daughters while they slept. The Major slept long after Ella and Faith had gone to sleep; she had been looking on, while wiping tears that welled in her eyes, as Faith and Ella slept soundly. She remembered having looked through Faith's memories using the memory recall device, and was glad that Ella would never have to go through that in her life. She brushed her finger's on Faith's cheek, an act that made the dark haired Slayer stir… without awakening, while at the same time Faith tightened her hold around Ella.

It was something that made the officer smile before she closed her eyes.

Over the next month, Ella had her new room furnished with hanging posters of stars, planets, and Disney princesses. She had new clothes, and was even going to a new school. It was a few days after their arrival from Sunnydale that the Major, Faith, and Ella were seated in the living room having a discussion about their future. The Major told her two daughters, with Ella seated on her lap while they were on the couch, that she was thinking about retiring from the SGC… at least as far as going off-world was concerned.

"Mom, don't," said Faith while Ella was just playing with her fingers while she leaned back against the Major's body.

"I'll be just off the team, and lead the scientific teams at the SGC," said Major Carter, "I mean… going through the Stargate has its risks, and… and now we have Ella. Ellie, I never got to see you grow up… it's something I've wanted ever since I've found out that you're my daughter. This is a second chance for me."

"I know, mom," replied Faith as she leaned on the back of the couch while she reached for, and then held Ella's hands. Ella looked at Faith, and gave a small smile before looking down at the carpet while Faith gently told Major Carter that she can look after Ellie; that she can take her to school, and even pick her up once she was done with her own classes, "and then, when Aunt Betty finds out the truth… she could help watch Ellie too."

"Mommy?" whispered Ella as she looked back at the Major, "are you a hero?"

"Yes," said Faith before the Major could answer. Ella looked at Faith who told her that the Major had an important job to do… that she was helping to keep the planet safe.

"Like you?" asked Ella while she was looking at Faith.

"I'll be here if any danger makes the mistake of coming by our house," said Faith with a grin on her face as she looked at her clone, "I'll protect you, Ella. And it's not like mom's going for good. Right?"

"Of course not," said the Major reassuringly as she held on tight to the little girl, "but I…"

"Mommy should go and save the world," said Ella as she looked up at the Major with a smile on her face. It would be later that day, the day after arriving back in Colorado Springs, that Ella would meet her Uncle George, who was carrying her the whole day while Colonel O'Neill was running the barbeque at the Major's house.

Gateroom, SGC, four days later.

While Major Carter and Ella were in General Hammond's office, Faith was down in the Gateroom watching as the unstable vortex settled back into the blue 'puddle' of the event horizon. She could help but grin at the thought of General Carter's reaction to finding out he had another granddaughter, and she wondered what Selmak was going to say. Standing there with a smile on her face, Faith also remembered the video chats she had with Tara ever since returning to Colorado Spring.

Tara had also gotten close to Ella, who in turn was excited to talk to Willow and Xander… the little girl would later tell Faith that she had a crush on the young man; it was something that Faith didn't know what to say. While she was on speaking terms with Buffy, Faith always looked forward to her chats with Tara who asked if she could visit during the university break.

"Yeah, sure," replied Faith as Tara gave her a wide smile.

'She's supposed to be coming at the end of next month,' thought Faith to herself as she smiled at her grandfather hugging her after he had come through the Stargate. Major Carter had wanted to tell the General everything about Ella in person, but with him being on a secret mission for the Tok'ra council, she wasn't able to until now.

"What's up, kiddo," said the General as he parted from the hug, and then held onto Faith's hand as they walked out of the Gateroom, and up the stairs into the Control Room.

"We wanted this to be a surprise for you, and Selmak," said Faith as they headed up the stairs to the briefing room, "that's why we didn't leave a message with the Tok'ra."

"What surprise?" asked the General as he took the last step and his foot hit the briefing room floor. General Carter saw Faith rush off to Major Carter who was holding onto a little girl, while General Hammond stood up and told him 'congratulations'.

The General looked at the nervous look on the little girl's face as she held onto the Major by wrapping her arms around her neck. The General was flabbergasted at the similarity between Faith, and this little girl. It was as if she could have been Faith's daughter.

Selmak: "Jacob… Is.. is that?"

General Carter stared at the little girl still couldn't believe how similar she and Faith looked. The General had a mental conversation with his symbiote on how they had to be a reasonable explanation for what was going on.. that Faith would have told them if she had a daughter out in the world. While the General was rooted in one sport, he watched the Major walked around the table with Faith and the little girl. Selmak tried to take control and say something, but the Tok'ra was speechless. The Major was the first to speak by saying that this wasn't what he was thinking.

"It's not, Grandpa," said Faith as General Hammond walked up to General Carter and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at General Hammond, and then at Faith, and then the Major, and finally at the little girl whose eyes were wide open in wonder.

"Dad," said the Major as Faith stroked the back of Ella's head, "this is Ellie's clone."

'Clone?" asked the confused General, "I…"

"The Asgard… well, one of them. Goes by Loki," said Faith waving her hands, "he though there was something in my blood that could help with a cure to their disease, so that cloned me. Except that same irregularity in my blood also prevented the munchkin here from growing older."

"And she doesn't have Ellie's memories, dad," said the Major as Ella smiled at the older balding man, "she has memories of when she was five years old, but nothing after that. I know this is big but… I'd like for you to meet Ella."

"Hi, Ella," gasped General Carter as he stepped forward and lifted Ella into his arms.

"Hi Gramppie," cooed Ella before she gave a wide smile that showed her baby teeth.

The General didn't say anything as both man and symbiote remained speechless. All he did was hug Ella tightly while stroking her back. He could hear the little girl giggling on his shoulder as her arms tightened around his neck while he looked back at Major Carter, and then at Faith.

"There are somethings we need to talk about, Jacob," said the General as he motioned towards the briefing table. He then leaned on the railing and called for Walter to come upstairs. In the meantime, the General and his newest granddaughter just remained silent. The older man held onto Faith and kissed the side of her head, while Major Carter was holding onto Ella's arms at the back of the General's neck. It wasn't long before Walter stepped into the briefing room, leading to General Hammond asking him to take Ella to the Mess Hall.

"Can't I stay, Uncle George," asked Ella in a sweet voice.

"Sorry, Ella," replied the bald man as Ella pouted while General Carter crouched down and placed her feet onto the floor, "but your grandfather, Major Carter, and Ellie have to talk about something important."

Ella just pouted as Major Carter led her to Walter, who reached down his hand. The little girl took the man's hand, and then a smile replaced the pout on her face when Walter said that he'll get her some chocolate pudding. Excitedly nodding her head, the little girl waved at the Major, Faith, and the others before she was led though the hallways by Walter. As she disappeared down the hallway, General Carter wiped his face with his hands before asking if he was having a dream.

"It's not a dream, dad," said the Major as all of them took their seats, "at first we thought it was magic, that somehow Ellie was really de-aged to when she was five years old. But it was just the Asgard."

"This is unbelievable," murmured Generals Carter, "even for what we've seen, this is.. wow. I'm excited as… wow… this… give me a second."

"Ella was one surprise," said General Hammond as General Carter looked at him, and then at the others, "the other is that Betty, Mark and his wife have been cleared to find out the truth about the Stargate Program."

"You're kidding me," said General Carter as Major Carter and the others shook their heads from one side to the other, "but… but how are we explaining Ella?"

"All the paperwork will show she's my daughter," said the Major as Faith stood next to her with her hands buried in her pockets, "I had her in Colorado Springs after I was transferred to the SGC, so my reports of being off-world during particular missions had to be edited after this idea was approved by the President. And let's be honest, I don't have any people I really know outside of the SGC, and this is something I couldn't have hid from Aunt Betty."

"Which is why she's being told the truth," continued the Major, "I've met her a few times after being transferred to the SGC, and she would have known that I was hiding a pregnancy from her. She won't believe any cover story we tell her about Ella."

"Does Mark and his family need to know the truth?" asked General Carter.

"They have to meet Ella sometime, Dad," said Major Carter, "and it's going to be difficult to explain why we never mentioned her, or brought her over, when we last saw them. That's something that we can't cover up. The kids will get the cover story that Ella's really Ellie's daughter."

"Yep, the cover story's that Ella's my kid," said Faith with a smirk, "I mean this is just for Uncle Mark's kids, I mean what are the odds of Ben and Kelsie ever meeting with any of Ella's friends and discussing her parentage? I think they'd be busy with other games, and stuff."

"I get it," nodded General Carter with a smile on his face.

"So the kids will know that Ella's my kid," said Faith who was trying her best not to laugh when she thought about the cover story, "I gave her up after I was knocked up by… well, my background's a bit messy so I'm not getting in with the details. Anyway, I gave her up for adoption, and I just found that she wasn't adopted by any family and… well… I got her back."

"Ella already knows what to tell Ben and Kelsie," said General Hammond chuckling, "but she refuses to call Ellie, mommy."

"That's just creepy," shuddered Faith, "can't wait for those two to become adults so that they can know the truth."

"We'll talk about that when the time comes," said General Hammond as he turned to look at Faith, and then later at General Carter, "you have a new grand-daughter to spoil, Jacob."

"Believe me when I say that Selmak and I are still in disbelief," said the General, "I think she's still in shock and…. Oh, that reminds me. Does Ella know about Selmak?"

"No," said General Hammond as General Carter closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes and spoke again, it was through the gravelly voice of the symbiote.

"That is well and good, General Hammond," said Selmak as he nodded his head. He then turned to look at Major Carter and congratulated her before saying that he was excited about getting to know Ella, "until such time she is able to understand that I am inhabiting Jacob's body. But for now, I believe that it is right she not know the truth about our shared existence. What of Betty, Mark, and Lily? Will they know the truth about Jacob and I?"

"They've been cleared to know," said the General, "but it's up to you and Jacob to reveal the truth about.. well… the both of you. I mean it's your choice."

"Very well," said Selmak as he bowed his head slightly before giving up control to General Carter.

"So, when do we go to Betty's place?" asked General Carter.

"This evening, Grandpa," said Faith.

"This is going to be one interesting night," replied the General nodding his head.

TBC.