Okay, here we go, another chapter. This chapter is the longest one so far for this story and also marks the first time I have written something even remotely to do with some form of romance so tell me how I did there. And as always, review!

P3X-429, UNSC Makeshift Camp, Residence of Dr Robert McLees Junior, 2003

Inside the building James walked up to a makeshift reception desk manned by an elderly lady who looked old enough to be James' great-grandmother. Apparently the people here were trying their best to retain some sense of normality that they would have had back in UNSC space, be that with reception desks, games, drills, anything from from back home that could be replicated here in some form.

"Excuse me, I need to speak to Dr McLees," James said, causing the woman to look up from what she was doing and look at him. She offered a kind smile before replying.

"Well, your not from around here are you sergeant? Does that mean we're finally being rescued? Dr McLees is just through that door at the far end of the hall, you can't miss it. Although I don't know why you want to speak to him first if your here to rescue us," she said, her accent held the remains of a Harvest tilt, 'not many people around with an accent like that any more' James thought to himself before Gage Yevgenny's story repeated itself in his head.

"Things have changed since you left Reach, not all of it is good. But rest assured, humanity won, Earth is safe and the Covenant is gone for the most part," James said. "But other things have changed, not all of it is easy to understand, hence why we need to see Dr McLees." He said, waving a hand between him and SG-1. The lady gave an understanding nod with a very happy, if confused, smile. James was the one that led them to it and was the one to knock and opened the simple push door.

"Dr Robert McLees?" James asked upon entering, a stupid question really but he didn't know where else to start.

"That's me, now I know all the faces in this little town of ours and I do not recognise any of yours, so I can only assume the UNSC has finally found us." McLees turned out to be short man with a round belly and short greasy black hair with thin framed glasses perched on the edge of an upturned nose. Not exactly the image of a brilliant ship designer. Closing the door behind SG-1 was a sign that this was a serious conversation, not some sort of game.

"Sergeant James Darrow, it's a pleasure Doc, but there is something we have to tell you and as you are apparently the leader of the people here we came to you first so it'll be up to you on how you tell everyone here." James began.

"Hmm, okay, this is serious if your not already making a show of rescuing us." McLees said and offered the five of them seats in the small room.

"It is. The main reason the UNSC isn't making a show if rescuing you is because the UNSC doesn't exist here," James held up a hand before the doctor could interrupt. "It never existed here, we are, all of us, in another universe and the past where the UNSC doesn't exist, or at least it hasn't been formed yet." James said.

"Okay, say I believe you about the different universe thing sergeant, and I'm not saying I do, but time travel as well? That's not possible, not even Slip-space works like that son." McLees said.

"Well, it did. I don't know what happened, I was in an ancient alien structure inside a giant alien metal planet when I was sent here through some sort of portal. That was four years after the war." James said and doctor McLees' eyes widened with the ramifications of what he'd just said.

"After the war? We won?" he whispered. James nodded.

"They found Earth, had us under siege for damn near three months before we finished it." James said, leaving out most of the finer details like how they teamed up with the Covenant Elites and nearly lost the planet to the Flood and sent a Frigate and the last Spartan through an ancient alien portal buried under the sands of Africa which led them to an installation beyond the borders of the Galaxy.

"Three months? That's impressive. But... we're not there any more are we? So where are we exactly? And more importantly when?" He asked and it was Major Carter that responded after Colonel O'Neill made a remark about her being 'the one with the techno-babble'.

"The planet your on is called P3X-429, as for when, it's 2003 on Earth." she said. McLees looked her over in a manner that reminded her of Dr Rodney McKay.

"If it's 2003 how the hell did you get all the way out here...Ms?"

"Carter, Major Samantha Carter, and we used a device called the stargate-"

"Which is what makes this a different universe than our doctor," James interrupted. "Because we sure as hell didn't have these back home. Nor did we have the bad guy's we have here either." McLees nodded but said nothing for some time.

"Okay, I'll be blunt here, I have no idea what to say," McLees started, "everyone here, myself included, wants to go home, to see family and loved ones. I honestly don't know how most of them are going to react, sure they'll celebrate winning the war, but most of these people are just normal civilians; bankers, shop workers, merchants, a couple are from my personal staff that was with me on Reach, a fair few are the Marines that got us out of there but most of them are normal people. And judging from the way you mentioned enemies here, I don't know what good they'll be to your program, I seriously doubt it's public knowledge."

"The US Air force will take care of them, get them jobs and cover up anything that needs covering up. Anyone that could be of use to the Stargate Programme would be offered a job with it, especially those Marines of yours, which is saying something because I hate Marines. But to be frank doc, we need you as well. Earth needs a fleet to protect it from the baddies out there and right now it's been down to pure luck we haven't already been blown to smithereens already." O'Neill said, once again causing McLees to go silent as he contemplated what he had been told.

"And what about everything here? Because I am sure that the computer systems aboard the Frigate is far more powerful than anything you have on Earth at the moment and would be wasted if it was just left here." He said.

"We'll have people come and recover it, or you could bring it with you, wither way." O'Neill responded.

"Hmm, we could use the Pelicans but, the computer core is fairly substantial, there's hundreds of terabytes of data on the Shipnet alone. If we used the heavy lift gear and transported the heavy stuff we could carry the remainder of the stuff but we would still be leaving a lot of stuff, mainly the hull here," he said, waving a hand towards the wreckage. "We could use that, if you don't mind, we could use it, the fusion cores, slip-space drive, MAC gun, armour- what's left of it anyways."

"The device Major Carter briefly mentioned, the stargate, you would have to dismantle most of the stuff going through it, Warthogs and trailer will go through but one at a time and slowly because we'd have to dismantle them on the other side. Moving most of the heavy gear will be a lot of work, it'll take us days to dismantle things, transport it and get through again. We might have to leave some stuff here." James said. Doctor McLees looked thoughtful for a moment before responding.

"Right, let me talk to some of the people, get an estimate of how long it'll take us to move just the civilians and people who we won't need to move this stuff and I'll get back to you. In the mean time why don't you mingle with the people, don't tell them too much just yet." McLees said. SG-1 took the offer of going outside and James disappeared almost instantly. An hour later Carter and O'Neill found him in a shabby bar with the man they met at the gates. From the looks of things they were sharing stories and catching up with each other.

"It's the same wherever you go." O'Neill said flippantly.

"Sir?"

"They always build a bar and make alcohol to let people forget about everything." O'Neill said. Taking off his sun glasses and stretching his back. Before they could interrupt James' conversation Jack caught the tail end of what the other man was saying.

"- she's alive buddy, here in the camp too. That's what I was trying to say before that ass hole interrupted. I've already told her to meet me here but I didn't say why." He said.

"She's alive? She's coming here? Now? I got these scars after the war during a raid on a pirate base somewhere outside of Eridnus, she's gonna flip when she sees them." James replied, not saying anything to reprimand his friend for speaking ill about the Colonel. Jack and Sam shared a look between them and retreated to the other end of the bar to leave him with some room. As they sat down a red head walked into the bar, she looked tired and ragged with dark circles under her green eyes.

"Dave, what the hell is so urgent you had to call me here. You know I have a hard enough time dealing with Lyra... James?" The woman faltered mid stride and sentence when James reactively turned to face her.

"Alex?" James said in a whisper so low he wasn't sure he'd said it out loud.

"How?" Alex asked, barely getting the word out.

"Much the same way as you lot, only more alien technology and with better aim." James replied. He stood up and reached for her but instead of leaning into his touch she recoiled away from it.

"Is this some sort of sick joke Dave? Seriously? I- I have to go." With that she left without waiting for a reply, tears falling down her face as she left. James rushed after her, calling her name as he went.

"Alex! Alex! Wait!" He shouted, ignoring the glares being sent his way by other people in the muddy street as he pushed through them not all that gently. She turned to face him and slapped him as he got close enough.

"Fuck you! I thought you were DEAD!" She shouted at him. James stood up rubbing his face where she hit him.

"Yeah? Well so did I! When I heard Reach was gone I though I'd lost you. Because of that I ended up with some annoying ass ONI special response squad. And how on earth did you think I was dead? The ship I was stationed aboard was on the other end of UNSC space, no where near Reach." James said as calmly as possible.

"Dave said everything was gone, after Reach fell nothing was between the Covenant and Earth and that by now... everything would be gone. You included." She said, her voice just above a whisper. He reached for her again and this time she leaned into him. He didn't say anything as she started sobbing into his armoured chest as the fight left her.

"Did we lose it all?" she asked quietly.

"No, we won. The Elites, they rebelled against the Covenant. Some sort of schism in the hierarchy and they joined us. For the most part." James said, a small but happy smile in his face. He looked down at her and saw her playing with a little pink stuffed rabbit he kept tied to the belt of his gear.

"The hinge heads? Really?"

"Yep, they're not too bad once you get to know them. Half of them don't even know what to do with their lives any more now they aren't killing us. Some of them are desperate to make amends with us, even going as far as seeking asylum with us. One small clan worship us as gods now, that was really cool actually. A fair few still hate us but they don't have the capability to go to war with us any more, ONI made sure of that." James said. He spied Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter with Teal'c and Jonas and Dave standing not too far away, he also noticed SG-1 looked ready to help him while Dave looked ready to move in the opposite direction.

"Where are we? In the galaxy I mean?"

"Some backwater planet that I would never have known existed before today. But that's not all. We aren't in the same galaxy any more, or the same universe for that matter." he said. She looked up at him inquisitively.

"I wasn't joking when I said I got here the same way as you. Only I got thrown, literally, into an ancient alien portal device by an ancient alien robot and I landed in a mountain on Earth. My guess is the ship got hit as it was transitioning into slip-space, it's the only thing I can think of to explain how you got here as well. Although, I am technically older than you now, I was sent here four years after the war." rather than slap him again for being ridiculous she laughed gently.

"Four years? Seriously?" He nodded with a cheeky smile that caused her to role her eyes.

"So, who's Lyra? I hope you don't mean my mother because she was still on Luna when I left." James said, chuckling slightly. She gazed back down at the little rabbit and started playing with it again.

"There's a reason I made it off Reach in one peace." James raised an eyebrow but said nothing, prompting her to continue. "I was never on the planet, I wasn't cleared for duty after my last medical." She said.

"Why not?"

"Because there are certain circumstances in which a soldier in perfectly good health fails their medical. Oneofthemwasiwaspregnant." She said the last sentence so quickly James wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

"What? Say that again. Did you just say..."

"I was pregnant. Your fault idiot." she mumbled into his chest plate, her pale face burning red.

For SG-1 and David Fritz something extraordinary happened. Something none of them had seen, thought they would see or would see again, happened. James Darrow fainted.

Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, Earth, 2003

"Sergeant, I'm pulling you off of SG-1. Now before you start," General Hammond began with an open palm in halting motion to stop any unwanted protests. "I think you could do with some time to spend with your wife and daughter, it's not often things like this happen so make the most of it son but when you get back I'm afraid you won't be on SG-1 any more, you'll be leading your own team comprised of these ODSTs of yours." Hammond said. James didn't reply, only nod in understanding before being allowed to leave. He said good bye to SG-1 on his way up the mountain.

"I wish you luck with your endeavours into parent hood James Darrow." Teal'c had said with an almost evil looking smile.

"Uh, thanks T, you know I won't be gone too long right? Just long enough to get Alex and Lyra settled and sorted." James replied but Teal'c only bowed his head and returned to his meditation.

The vehicle bay was packed, mainly because most of the room was taken up by the sole Grizzly tank the UNSC crew had rescued and transported back to Earth, it had been reassembled in the vehicle bay but it was waiting transport to a different military base where it could be looked after properly and put to use, Warthogs and transport vehicles dominated most of the room while the rest was filled with parked cars from staff working inside the mountain.

James made a beeline for a flat bed Warthog, the only car he felt comfortable driving. Although he got some incredulous looks on the drive to his and Alex's new home. He wasn't sure of how he felt about that, he was happy sure, but they had always been in the military, the both of them. But now she had to look after Lyra she couldn't continue her service, and even then it wouldn't be with him.

Arriving at the small suburban house he noticed Air Force personal moving things about and even from the drive he could hear Alex giving orders on where things should go. She always did like to take charge over domestic things. He sneaked in without her noticing and saw her giving the orders from the living room while holding a wriggling blanket. Lyra had gotten her mothers green eyes but his hair, unruly short black tuffs of hair stuck up from her head at all angles.

"Come on, let the poor guys put the stuff down and get out of here. I'm sure the poor kids didn't join the Air Force to move a couch for a marines wife." James said, alerting her to his presence. A small face popped up out of the blankets as well.

"Who is also a marine, one that could kick all their asses if they don't hurry up!" She replied, "Here hold Lyra while I kick these kids into shape." James took the infant but rested a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Let them be, you've got me to move things anyway." James said.

"Not while your at the mountain and with you there most of the time I can't arrange the entire house myself so I'm using them."

"I've got leave until you and Lyra are settled and everything, at least. So let them be." He said. Looking down at the bundle in his arms that was making a happy sound. "You know I have no idea what to do regarding children right?"

"Well, it's a good thing you have me isn't it? And just so you know, she can already crawl, she's working on walking. She's also damn fast so be careful."

Four months later, Area 51, Nevada, Earth, 2003

Four months later and they had successfully brought back most of the materials from the Dawn and had started implementing them in various places. The powerful fusion reactor's design was copied before being reassembled at the heart of Earth's first inter-stellar warship. The Prometheus. The Slip-space drive was also taken apart, albeit vary carefully after it had been disconnected from everything and later reassembled for the Prometheus. Doctor McLees had almost completely re-designed the ship, making it larger, stronger and far more powerful.

"This," he said, holding up a data chip that was still inert. "Is the only one of it's kind until we can set up the correct facilities to produce some more."

"What is it though? It can't be that useful, its like the size of an old memory card and they're dead easy to produce." The weasel of a man known as Rodney McKay said, waving a hand in dismissal of the little chip. Robert McLees shook his head.

"Oh it is a lot harder to produce than your little memory cards. This is a fifth generation UNSC A.I and it is far smarter and far more valuable to this project than you mister McKay."

"It's Doctor McKay. I have a doctorate thank you. Two to be precise. And I highly doubt that some little bit of code would be able to best me." The Canadian replied indignantly.

"When you get a doctorate in the twenty sixth century we'll talk. And I know for a fact that this A.I right here is far more powerful than you. An A.I like this is born knowing all of human history and can sift through all that data in less than two hours. They can also run over a trillion different calculations a second while piloting a UNSC warship while co-ordinating an entire fleet and create a firing solution for the ships weapons. So, when you can do all that in the same second, tell me. Until then get the hell out of my way and stay away from the Prometheus, she doesn't need your grubby little paws anywhere near her." McLees said before pushing past the small man and walking towards a platform that would allow him to oversee the entire ship.

"Now listen here," McKay said, following the Mars born man. "I am technically the head of this project and I say we don't need that little A.I of yours. Also as head of the project you are meant to present any changes to the design to me. No one else, just me."

"Oh for the love of god will you shut up. I have been designing warships like this since I was four years old. I know what I'm doing and the only reason you are 'in charge' is because the government felt it was safer than letting me be in charge just in case the other countries found out. They might not like someone form the future being in charge of a crucial project like this, hence why they gave the title to a little divot like yourself." McLees said before moving again, leaving the Canadian scientist to brood by himself.

Walking into his office McLees found the President of the United States and a General from the Pentagon.

"President, General, I wasn't expecting to see you here." He said, shaking their hands.

"Yes well, we thought it would be best if we saw the ship in person. Reading about it doesn't do it any justice." The General replied. Nodding McLees led them out the office and to the platform he was originally going to before being cornered by McKay. He patted the A.I chip in his pocket just make sure it was still there.

Looking down at the dark grey titanium-A armour plates and still exposed decks he couldn't help the smile that came to his face.

"This right here is what we've done. We've made her bigger, big enough to move the MAC system from the Stalwart Dawn and place it directly on her bow. We had do some major overhauls to the ships computer system and power supply, mainly replacing the electrical wires to make sure they could handle the amount of power they needed to. We got rid of that stupid tower on the stern and added a meter of armour, more than a UNSC frigate would have had. The hangers are in the same place, haven't moved them, but we have made some changes to the F-302 design. It's now more akin to a design I saw from Misirah armouries, the F-41 Broadsword, it still has some features but the Broadsword is superior in nearly every way, like it had shields, but the F-302 has better weapons so we rigged them onto the F-41's frame and synced the targeting computer to the weapons. Nothing will be better than one of those in space.

"We also have forty broadside guns- these are powerful guns, smaller versions of the MAC, twenty on each side. It also has a vastly improved CIWS system and targeting computer, we also added enough missile pods to put a UNSC Heavy Destroyer to shame, a total of around three thousand six hundred missiles, along with five nuclear weapon tubes. See that hole there?" He asked pointing down to an open hole in the structure. The two men nodded. "That'll be where we the most powerful nuke goes. A Hyperion missile with a naquadah tipped warhead. The only thing more powerful than that blast would be a NOVA bomb with naquadah and that would be bad. Very bad." McLees finished. Looking over he saw the two men looking at the half completed ship in awe.

"Were all the UNSCs ships this powerful?" The General asked.

"No," McLees shook his head. "The Broadside guns are my own design input but most of that is Destroyer grade, except a destroyer would have two MACs, not one."

"And this ship will be able to defend Earth?"

"Sure, as long as it isn't against an entire fleet. It's shields aren't strong enough to withstand that type of fire power." McLees responded. "We also have one last thing to install once the ship is complete, something that'll make it unmatched in this universe, for the most part at least." He said, pulling the data chip.

"A UNSC A.I, it'll help run the ship and plot FTL courses." He explained after the two older men gave confused looks.

He gave the men a brief tour of the completed sections before showing them off. Later that day he ended up back in his office contemplating any more design changes he might make.