I haven't felt this boneless since . . . since . . . nothing comes to mind. I've never felt this good. Not in three marriages and a handful of affairs have I ever felt the waves of contentment I'm feeling right this minute. And the minute before or the one before that or the . . . I'm smiling like an idiot.

"Good look on you, Boss." Tony's voice is right by my ear, and I shiver all the way down to my toes at the hot breath against my skin. "Happy?"

Is there a twinge of uncertainty in his voice? I have to nip that right in the bud. "I'm happier than I've ever been in my life, Tony. And you're the reason."

I can almost hear a sigh of relief. "Good, I like making you happy."

Turning my head just far enough so I can look into those beautiful green eyes, I let myself smile. "You make me very happy. How about you?"

His eyelashes flutter, first hiding then revealing his eyes. "I never thought I had a chance. This had better not be a dream."

Ah, there is some uncertainty. "Rule twelve is hereby rescinded permanently. I'm not giving you up, not even if the Devil himself tries to make me. Although, I do have a much better use for that smart mouth of yours, Tony."

His smile starts small then grows into a beam of pure light. He's kissing me like there's no tomorrow, and I'm drowning in his sweet taste. When we have to breathe, he keeps on scattering kisses over my face. I've never felt so . . . cherished before. Why the hell it took me 45 years to figure out I swing both ways, I may never know. But nothing is going to keep me from finding out everything that makes him happy when we make love.

So far we've only traded blow jobs and some hand to hand but I'm more satisfied than if we'd fucked our brains out. I swallow hard, that's coming up and I'm not sure how to broach the subject without blushing like an idiot. I know the how, it's the getting there that worries me. I don't want to fuck or be fucked. But I do want to love and be loved.

At least that hasn't changed - I'm still making love only it's to a man, a very special man. My hands trace the scar on his right shoulder where a suspect got in a lucky stab two months ago. I went Old Testament on the bad guy and only Ducky managed to calm me down. I should have known then when staunching the wound and keeping my hands on Tony that I was hooked.

But it took an alien and an old friend to get me to finally acknowledge what I wanted. I have to be the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet that he wants me back.

//bright ones//

I blink and look down into Tony's eyes. He catches on first.

"Mother Earth, are you talking to us?"

//yes// her thought is like liquid sunshine in my brain //love you, want you to stay//

Our eyes meet again, and I clear my voice. "Ah, we love you too, Mother. We want to stay but sometimes two men who love each other are in danger when that becomes known. And there are rules governing what a supervisor and subordinate can do off the job."

//silly rules// she sounds really decisive //change that soon//

Tony is biting his lip and all of a sudden, I have the strongest urge to laugh out loud.

"That . . . that would be great, Mother. Um, how about the thing with males getting pregnant? Do you think you could maybe make some changes inside of those men who want to?" His voice goes from laughing to serious in the space of two sentences.

I blink at him. Pregnant males . . . like Jack?

//working on it, my bright ones// her thought sounds even more satisfied if that is possible

"Tony, what are you thinking?" I'm not sure I'm ready to find out what he's thinking.

"My family wasn't the greatest, Jethro but I knew one growing up that was." His eyes are dark green now, and I can hardly bear to see the sadness in them. "I always knew I wanted kids. But I only want them if I'm with someone I love and that's you. Seeing Jack hold Sebal'c," he dashes sudden tears away, "I want that. I want to carry your child, give birth and watch him grow."

Dear god, I'd never thought about kids, mainly because I married women who didn't want them. It was safer that way. Had I ever had such a dream with any of them? Searching my memories, I can't come up with a single one.

"It's . . . okay, Jethro, I know it's not for everyone." His smile trembles just a little, the shadow of old sorrow present in his eyes. He's good at hiding what he's feeling, and I hate that now. "I'm just happy to be with you. Loving you will be a full time job anyway."

I kiss him softly. He tastes of salt and I realize some of the tears reached his mouth. I lick them all away and suck on his tongue. When we break apart to breathe, I can see him cover up his wish with that mask he wears, the devil-may-care one. Ah, Tony, what the hell do you want with me? That second 'b' really does stand for bastard. Am I going to hurt you? God, I hope not.

********* Jack *********

Tony gets me to one side while we're showing them around Home. "Jack, ah, how does the pregnancy thing work?"

Damn, Teal'c is right again. Tony really wants to get pregnant. And I just bet Jethro doesn't have a clue what he wants. DiNozzo is special, and I decide right then and there to work on my old buddy to make him see the light. But for now, I'm taking this conversation to the beach. "Let's get comfortable, Tony."

Once at the beach, I sit back to nurse Sebal'c while Tony watches me with his heart in his eyes. I tell him everything, finishing up with, "and there's pain, Tony, a lot of pain during labor. It felt like I was trying to pass a bowling ball through my sphincter."

He grimaces then shrugs, his eyes full of old trauma. "I know pain, Jack. Nothing worth having isn't also worth some pain. But if Gibbs doesn't want kids, I won't nag him. I can hardly believe he let me in this far. I'm more grateful than I can ever say that you pushed the issue."

"Kids aren't for everybody." I feel my nipple fall from my son's lips while he yawns. Moving him to my shoulder, I start the gentle patting that will release any gas. "I always knew I wanted them and . . . when my son from my first marriage died, I truly thought that dream was over for good."

"You lost a son?" Tony's eyes widen.

So I tell him about Charlie and somewhere in the process, I start to really heal from what had been a gaping hole in my soul. Jethro is a very lucky man to have such a healing mate, and I plan on making sure he knows it.

It's late that night while we're sitting around a campfire with full stomachs that I finally get a chance to talk to Jethro, one on one. Teal'c and Tony are back in the mountain putting Sebal'c to bed. Tony is such a curious soul, and he's getting all his questions about the Jaffa answered by my mate.

"Jack?" Jethro is pensive while he throws another dead branch on the fire. "This whole having babies scenario? Who decided, and when did you decide to do it?"

"When Teal'c told me I was growing a membrane like his and if I wished, we could start a baby and I could carry it." I turn my glass of tea around and around while I gather my thoughts. "I always wanted kids but when I lost Charlie, something inside of me shriveled up and died. I thought it was my fault - a judgment for my sins."

I make sure he's looking at me before I continue. "But when Teal'c first told me, the only thing I really thought was 'yes'. My brain leaped immediately to thinking 'I can have a baby'. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to show my love by helping create a child. And it turned out I was right. It was the most natural - best thing I've ever done."

"No second thoughts about the loss of control over your own body?" Jethro's eyes are haunted.

"No." I can see where he's coming from though. "I was sharing my body with my son. I did do a little moaning and groaning about the aches and pains that came while my body adapted to the new parts.. But Teal'c was right there to give me massages, and hold me through the worst of it. Are you going to seriously think on it or reject it out of hand?"

He snorts and runs his fingers through his hair hard enough to make me wince. "I have a hard time denying Tony anything but I just don't get this. I'm afraid I'll hurt him when we . . . ah, go all the way."

X-rated pictures choose that moment to race through my mind. Now, I know how Janet felt when she first pictured us making love. Clearing my throat, I beat back the images of an almost naked Tony rising out of the surf, all wet and glistening. "So, you're taking it slow, that's good, Jethro. I'm guessing it's not Tony's first rodeo but it obviously is for you."

He blushes again. "It never even occurred to me until a few months ago when I realized I could lose him to the stupid plague. Ducky tells me I'm a slow learner."

I have to laugh at that and he finally grins across the leaping flames at me. "I miss the Duck-man, Jethro. I've missed his stories and that sharp mind of his. But getting back to the mechanics, I'd let him lead for a while. I know losing control is hard for you but I got to tell you, it's worth it. I've never felt so relaxed as when I first took Teal'c into my body. A little pain for sure but mostly there was just so much damn pleasure I passed right out."

His gaze is abstracted. "The oral sex is fantastic although I have a lot to learn. None of my wives had a clue when it came to cock-sucking. Tony is a master."

I smile gleefully at him. "Then, he's probably going to be as good with his cock as he is with his mouth. Let him in, Jethro. Experience everything before you decide what roles you want to play. As Teal'c so delicately puts it, I made love to him to 'complete our circle of bonding'. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but I'm pretty much a slut for my lover so I go on my back every chance I get."

He's blushing again, and I figure this is some kind of record. Too bad I can't tell anyone but Teal'c about it.

********* Tony *********

Teal'c lets me put Sebal'c down in his crib and cover him with a blanket. The little guy yawns once and falls asleep, just like that. I can still feel the weight of him in my arms; smell the sweet scent of powdered baby. We lean over the railing, watching him for several moments before heading to the other room. He pours me some tea and looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Thanks, Teal'c. I mean for letting me help with bedtime." I drink the citrus tea and ponder asking him what I really want to know.

"I have told O'Neill you are curious about getting pregnant," he says calmly while I try not to snort tea through my nose.

He hands me a napkin and I mop up while thinking furiously. "Ah, yeah, I am curious about what it would take. Jack explained the how but will it only work between Jaffa mates?"

"So far, this is so, Anthony. I can ask at the temple when next I visit Chulak but to the best of my knowledge no symbiont has ever bitten a human before O'Neill. And I did not think to ask him if he wanted to become like me, which brings up the problem of percentages. O'Neill is half-Jaffa and half-human while I am full Jaffa."

"Damn, you're right. I'd be half and half but Gibbs would be 100% human . . . if we could even get that far. I really don't have a problem with the changes since most of them seem to be enhancements like better hearing and sight." I finish my tea over the lump in my throat, and say goodbye to the impossible dream. "Well, it was nice to think about. We'll have to go the old fashioned route of adoption if he ever decides kids are an option."

Teal'c's eyes are kind when they look into mine. "You have asked Earth if there is a way, and I think she will be working on a solution that will work with humans. But both of you must desire this with all your hearts to make a child of love as we made our Sebal'c."

My smile is real this time. "Yeah, he's something else, Teal'c. He's the perfect little boy made up of bits and pieces of both of you; Jack's hair and your nose; and when he tries to focus on something, his gaze is so much like yours."

He nods. "Very true, Anthony, his giggle reminds me of O'Neill when I am tickling him. I wish everyone could have the joy he brings to our lives. I will ask Home and Chulak if they will help Earth work on a solution."

I nod my thanks, too choked up to speak further. When I can finally say goodnight to Teal'c, Home takes me back to the beach. When I arrive, Jack says his goodbyes and leaves for the mountain. Jethro and I are spending the night in one of the beach huts.

My lover looks amazing in the firelight, relaxed and happy. Not the way I normally get to see him, and I cherish the images of his laughter and flirty glances.

Stripping off our clothes, we wade into the still warm ocean waves for a quick wash. I love the feel of wet Jethro. He's not a bear by any means but I like the hair he reveals without his shirt. Salt and pepper curls climb all over his chest and down to his groin. His cock rises up out of a thatch of hair, and I lick my lips in anticipation of sucking him off again.

"Tonight I want something more." He blushes and practically shuffles his feet in the sandy bottom.

"Great!" I pull him close to kiss those thin lips. "I've got some lube in my bag. It's called Wet and works like a charm."

The deer in the headlights look isn't one I get to see often. "Ah . . . good, good, you're always thinking ahead, Tony."

"I have to plan well if I'm going to keep up with you." I wink at him before pulling him out of the water, and back to the fire. "We better put this out now and use the flashlight to find our way to the hut."

But before I can grab a bucket of sand, the fire is out.

//sweet dreams, bright ones//

Jethro's grip on my hand tightens. "Thank you, Home."

I manage my own 'good night', and wonder if talking to sentient planets will ever become 'ho-hum'. Nah, I don't think so. Jethro's little chuckle tells me our thoughts are probably the same.

We walk naked back to the hut and I revel in the feel of the cooler evening breeze on my skin. The freedom here is intoxicating. This three day visit is like a honeymoon, and I hug it to me like a miser hugs his gold.

Never in my wildest dreams did I picture this. Pulling the covers down, I watch Jethro light two candles on the bedside table. The candlelight softens all his hard edges and turns those beautiful eyes into blue coals. I hate to look away but I need the tube of Wet so I grab my bag to pull it out.

A little sigh brings my eyes up in time to catch Jethro looking at my ass. An excellent reaction and I smile at him before sliding into bed. He joins me hastily so we end up in each other's arms for another soul-destroying kiss. All those ex-wives had to be crazy to give this up, I think breathlessly while sucking on his tasty tongue.

"Tony," his choked off laugh makes me smile. "You are so damn good at this."

I could definitely hear that everyday for the rest of my life. "No better than you, Jethro. Now, let's play a little." I leer playfully at him and he laughs harder until the moment I smooth some Wet over his cock.

"Ah, damn that's slick." He's got that unsure look that makes me melt. "Tony, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I've wanted you in me for forever and it's finally going to happen." I don't need any more prep since I fingered myself open earlier. I couldn't bear it if he says no so I'm not taking the chance. Straddling him, I sit back and take him inside of me. Oh god, he's bigger than anything I've taken in years. I'm panting but triumphant when I finally sit on his thighs. Mine, he's finally mine.

********* Teal'c *********

The cry of a newborn echoes through Samantha and Daniel's bedroom.

"Jack was right. It's a girl, guys." Janet rests the baby on Samantha's stomach.

"Welcome to our world, Cheyenne Jackson." Samantha's tired smile is beautiful to see.

"She's gorgeous, Sam." O'Neill praises the tired mother. "Look at all that hair. She's going to be another beautiful blonde like her mama. Danny, you're going to be beating them off with a stick when she hits puberty."

Daniel is still laughing at O'Neill's remark when he cuts the umbilical cord and Janet clamps it off. My mate tenderly takes the small infant while the Doctor delivers the afterbirth. O'Neill washes the baby in the nearby basin with warm water.

Terry takes her next and measures her before giving her back to our friends. "She's 21 inches long and weighs 6 and a half pounds, Sam."

I am glad our Sebal'c was smaller or my One could have never birthed him. O'Neill and I hug the new parents before taking our leave. If they are as tired as we were after having a baby then they need their sleep.

We walk down to Mel'tic and Gaal'c's suite where we will pick up our son. When Daniel and Samantha asked us to be present at their delivery, we'd arranged for them to watch Sebal'c. My old friend is very close to delivering their child so they are sticking close to our base.

"It was a girl," O'Neill announces the moment we enter their room. "She's beautiful, of course."

"We shall visit later with our gifts. I expect Samantha is sleeping now." Mel'tic smiles from the low couch where he reclines on his side with a pillow to help prop up his front. His stomach is as large as O'Neill's was and Gaal'c is busy massaging his back while our son waves his arms at us from the cradle nearby.

My One immediately goes to pick him up. Perhaps it is simply because we are new parents but he is almost always held by one or the other of us. Sebal'c thrives and that is all that is important. He is hungry, and pats my One's chest in an unmistakable request. My mate sits in a side chair, and bares his breast for our child.

Sebal'c latches on and begins to suck. O'Neill's eyes slit in pleasure, and I find I must touch him at once. Sitting next to him, I slide an arm around his waist. He leans into me with a beautiful smile that tells me we shall be making love very soon. We converse with our friends until Sebal'c finishes eating, then we take our leave for an afternoon at the beach.

Home whisks us to our cove, and Sebal'c is changed and asleep before much longer. We have almost an hour before he will awake again so we swim out our normal three miles before returning to shore. Sharing water flavored kisses, I take O'Neill in our hammock. The slight swinging sensation is addicting, and our lovemaking is slow but very satisfying.

"We need to check up on Jethro and Tony tomorrow." O'Neill lifts his hips a little to get me deeper and I oblige with a small thrust. "Ah-h-h, that's good, my own. We need to make sure they're okay with each other. Gibbs is not known for his romantic side and I like Tony."

"Anthony is a gentle soul for a warrior. Jethro hides his true nature from everyone." I glide deep before pulling out past his membrane, sparking another groan from his lips.

"So good, Teal'c, you feel so good inside of me. Deeper, my own, go deeper." His hand is leisurely stroking his shaft, and my symbiont trills happily at the thought of his afternoon treat of seed.

"My One," I lean down to kiss him, and his other hand pulls my head even closer while his legs tighten around my waist. Nothing is better than this, and I thank all the gods of my old world for letting me find my mate.

But all good things must end, and we climax together with matching moans. He is boneless in my arms, and even I feel the need for a brief rest. His heartbeat under my ear is very reassuring. A tiny whimper from Sebal'c's nest brings us both awake instantly. I slowly leave my mate's body, and move to pick up our son. His smile is as beautiful as my One's, and I cradle him to my chest to breathe deeply of his sweet scent.

O'Neill moves aside when I return, and we cuddle together in the hammock while the sun slowly moves toward the horizon.

Two days later, we are bundled into Earth clothing and braving the headquarters of NCIS. We arrive at Gibbs' house only to find him gone, even though it is a Saturday. A call to his office confirms they are just finishing a case but an invitation to come there is tendered instead.

With no transportation readily available, we are going to call a cab but instead Mother Earth moves us to the parking garage near Gibbs' vehicle. We thank her most sincerely, and her mental touch is cooler than Home's but still welcoming. We are stopped at the main entrance by security but Anthony arrives a moment later and gets us signed in.

Security seems very tight, and Anthony has the headache wrinkle I'd noticed before in my One. He explains quietly their latest case involved bombs and an old adversary. A member of their team has been shot, and is currently in the hospital. O'Neill suddenly tenses, his hands coming up instinctively to cradle our son's body. Sebal'c is close held to his chest in a sling Samantha found in San Francisco.

"We got him, Jack." Anthony notices his movement, and hastens to reassure us. "I promise he's dead. Ducky has him on his autopsy table, right where he wanted him. We've been after Ari for a long time. It feels good to finally be finished with the bastard."

********* McGee *********

I look up when Tony comes back with his visitors. Two men and a baby, I blink, that wasn't what I was expecting. And Gibbs is smiling, getting up and hugging the one carrying the kid. Wow, what next, an alien invasion? The ringing phone breaks my concentration, and the weirdness just keeps growing.

Ducky is demanding we come down to his lab. I don't even get a word in before his receiver bangs down.

"Um, Gibbs, Ducky wants us down there right now." I hesitate to interrupt them but Ducky sounded excited.

Gibbs' goes from a smile to a frown in an instant. "Okay, I'll head down. Tony, you want to show the guys around?"

"Um, Ducky wants all of us, Gibbs." I speak up with a wince at my own temerity.

But Gibbs' friend is smiling. "Hi, Special Agent McGee, I'm Jack and this is Teal'c. It's been ages since I've seen Ducky. Why don't we start our tour down there?"

Interestingly, Gibbs agrees and we head for the boss' elevator. It's a bit of a squeeze with five grown men and a baby but we all fit. The big black guy still hasn't said a word but I notice he's glued to the side of his . . . um, I haven't figured out what their relationship is. And what kind of name is Tea…something? There's something on his forehead. Stealing a couple of quick glances, I can see what may be a tat under the brim of his baseball cap right in the middle of his forehead. Weird.

Conversation mainly figures around a barbeque the new guys want to invite us to. That's cool and just what we need after the last few days. My heart skips a beat again when that horrible moment of Kate falling to the roof grabs me hard. Closing my eyes, I see the blood and the awful despair of thinking we'd failed.

Warm hands shake me and I hear Tony's voice. "Come on back, Tim. We're all safe now."

Opening my eyes, I nod shortly. It's been a couple of hours since the last flashback, and I hope that means I'm getting better. It was just way too close this time. So much has happened, what with one event piling on top of another with no time in between. I start hyperventilating just thinking about it. Getting off the elevator, I'm the last one to walk into the lab only to find Ducky in a full yellow decontamination suit clucking over Ari's corpse.

The black guy immediately halts all of us from getting closer. "O'Neill, take our son from here. That is a Gryshan body."

Jack doesn't waste any time moving back, and Tony and I move with him instinctively. Ducky is nodding and Gibbs is moving towards him when Tea stops him. "Gibbs, it is not safe for one not in full gear. Dr. Mallard, I suggest full contamination procedures. The body you are looking into is alien."

"Ah, I suspected as much. It's good to see you again, Colonel." Ducky smiles at Jack from behind the clear glass of his hood. "What gave it away? The smell? I went into safe mode on principal and the moment I cut into him . . . well, it was obvious, with the double heart, no liver and the strange bowel arrangement. What planet are the Gryshans from?"

By now, Gibbs has joined us and we are listening to them converse through the intercom system. Jack is patting the baby's back, his eyes anxious on the other man. I'm getting a really strange feeling so I pinch myself hard. Ow, that hurts. Okay, I'm awake and not dreaming so what the hell is going on?

"Teal'c, please come out of there. You know Gryshans make you sneeze," Jack says rather plaintively, and the baby babbles a little.

And with a bow to Ducky that looks kind of regal, the big guy comes on out. "It is all right, my One. It's only when I touch one that I sneeze." He strokes the side of Jack's face and my eyes widen even more. Then he pats the baby's face gently. "Sebal'c, you are just fine."

"Actually, he's wet. Do your bathrooms have changing tables in them?" Jack looks at Tony who shakes his head no. "Great, how about a conference room for a little privacy?"

"You can come to my lab. Nothing hinky going on there so far today." Abby's voice comes from over our shoulders. "Abby Sciuto at your service, and did I hear somebody say aliens?"

I close my eyes briefly and say a little prayer. Abby and aliens just naturally go together like caffeine and coffee. Somehow I just know things are going to get even weirder.

*******************************
The end of part eleven