A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this one out. Ladygris did the Beta though she hasn't read the previous story that this tags.

Thanks,

~Sandy

Making Amends

The Tag

John and Dave

Previously in Making Amends

The Tag - Part 4

Memento Mori

"John, where are you taking me?" Dave followed his brother out the back door toward the darkness of a grove of trees beyond the pool house. John didn't answer so he clamped a hand on his shoulder and dug his heels in bringing them to a stop, crossing his arms stubbornly. "This isn't another snipe hunt, is it? I slept with a nightlight for six months after you left me out here alone that time. And what's that in your ear? A Bluetooth?"

John ignored the last question as he walked over to a table and pulled out folded papers and a pen from the back pocket of his jeans. "And I was grounded for two weeks. It's nothing like that." When Dave stayed put he grabbed his brother's arm, dragging him forward and handing him the pen. He pointed to the papers, flipping the pages as he spoke. "Initial here, here and here then sign on the last page."

"What am I signing?"

"It's a surprise." Dave looked at him with a cynical stare. "It's not like when you were nine and I stuck a snake in your underwear drawer. This one won't make you scream like a little girl…" John shrugged deprecatingly "…probably."

"Okay, I'm gonna trust you, but if we get thrown in jail, Blaire will kill both of us."

John was starting to get frustrated with his brother. "We're not gonna go to jail."

"Then…where…are…we…going?" Dave put emphasis on each word.

They finally arrived at the spot John had chosen earlier. It was dark and far enough from the house that no one would be able to see them. He and Dave faced each other in the gloom, John's hand still clamped on his brother's arm. "It's take-your-brother-to-work day, uh, night."

"Excuse me?"

"You wanna know what I do?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So…I'm taking you to work with me." John tapped his headset. "Sheppard to Hammond. Two to transport." Less than a second later, both men were gone.

~~O~~

Just as the transporter beam took him and his brother, John let a smirk lift the corners of his mouth and create a glint in his hazel eyes. They arrived on the bridge of the Hammond, Caldwell standing in front of them with the disapproving stare he always shot at John.

"Welcome aboard, Colonel Sheppard. I see you've brought a guest."

"Yes, sir." He passed the signed non-disclosure agreement to Caldwell. "Colonel Caldwell, this is my brother…"

To John's shock, Caldwell smiled. "Dave."

The shock increased when Dave returned the smile as the men shook hands. "Stephen. It's good to see you again, but I thought your command was the Daedalus."

"It is. I'm just visiting."

"Ah. How is…" Dave cut off turning to face his brother. "Wait! What are you doing here? How do you know about…"

"What do you mean what am I doing here? I work here. Well, sort of."

The shock gave way to more shock. "You work for…this is why you barely made it back for Dad's funeral?"

"Yeah. It's also why I had to leave in the middle of his memorial service." John stood in front of his brother, hands on his hips. "You're being awfully calm about being on a spaceship."

Dave spread his hands with a "duh" expression. "Who do you think makes most of the components for the ships?"

"We do?"

Rodney entered the bridge, catching only the last couple of sentences. "What's this we business?"

"Sheppard Industries makes most of the components for the SGC."

Looking from John to Dave, Rodney's wide-eyed stare looked comical. "Wait-wait-wait! You," he pointed to John, "are related to SI?"

John and Dave answered together. "We areSI!"

Rodney's shoulders slumped. "Look. I always knew your family was well off, but not," he waved to indicate the ship, "this well off. SI could fund the entire expedition to the island all by itself."

John shot a disbelieving look at Dave who shrugged and grinned. "Really? Dave!"

"I'm kidding." The look on John's face made Dave laugh. "We only contribute about thirty-two percent."

"So that means…" John started.

"…you're Richard Woolsey's boss instead of the other way around."

Samantha Carter joined them, her head down over a tablet until Caldwell brought her attention to their guest. "Colonel Carter, this is Dave Sheppard, the CEO of Sheppard Industries." Then the commander of the Daedalus crossed his arms and waited for the fireworks to start.

Sam looked first at John then at Dave over and over again as if at a very strange tennis tournament. "But you…he…what are…" she huffed, her blue eyes rolling to the heavens, "Oh, great! Two of you. I should've known. The hair is a dead giveaway."

As one, the Sheppard brothers ran a hand through their unruly hair, grinned and made eerily identical sheepish shrugs, and speaking at the same time. "Sorry."

~~O~~

A creak in the hall brought Melissa's nose out of the book she was reading. She shoved it under the covers so her mom wouldn't see the title, Pride and Prejudice. Sappy historical love stories were her personal guilty pleasure. That and chocolate.

Slipping out of bed, she tiptoed to the door and eased it open. A shadow separated from the nighttime blackness and moved toward the back stairs. Moving carefully, she followed the other person down the back stairs and through the kitchen. In the moon's light she saw exactly who she expected to see.

Her brother, Jason went into the pantry where she heard him moving cans and boxes. A moment later he came back out and went out the back door.

Her curiosity got the better of her as she watched him cross the yard into the grove of trees near the pool. She opened the door and scurried after her brother.

~~O~~

Jason heard someone behind him as he settled into the fort he'd built when he was ten. It was his sanctuary. A place to go to get away from everyone and everything. He placed the object in his hand in the corner out of the way then slipped outside again.

As the person passed him, he reached and wrapped both arms around the upper torso and dragged him or her inside.

"Lemme go!"

"Melissa! What the hell are you doing? I thought you were Dad." Jason released his sister and she turned to face him.

"I wanted to see what you're up to when you come out here at night."

Jason threw himself down on the old mattress he'd used to cushion the hard ground. It also made sitting on the cold ground easier in winter. He pulled out his stash, a nearly empty box of cookies. Taking one, he passed the box to Melissa. "Here."

Melissa fished one out holding it between two fingers as if it would bite. "Where'd you get these?"

"Found 'em in the cook's stash."

"Why're you out here?"

He shrugged. "Just to get out. Sit in here and just think." Scooting over to one side, he made room for her. "Lay down and look up. You can see the stars through the trees and when the moon is full, it makes everything glow."

"Huh. Didn't know my big brother was a poet."

"Very funny. In August you can see the Perseids meteor shower. It lights up the entire sky."

"I'll have to come out here then and…what?"

Jason held up a hand for quiet then gestured for Melissa to come with him. They got to their feet, Jason still holding the cookies as they witnessed one of the most amazing sights of their young lives.

Next to the pool, their father and uncle appeared in a flash of light. One second no one was there and the next…

Melissa's only comment was, "O…M…G!"

An expression of wonder and awe came over Jason's face. "It's true. Everything he told us about spaceships and aliens and going to other planets. It's all TRUE!"

The two Sheppard kids looked at each other and said, "Cool!"

The End