Category: Encoded (Page 2 of 3)

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Ford asked as they got ready for an off-world mission.

Glancing up from where he was re-lacing his boots, John nodded. He had a feeling he knew what this was about, considering Elizabeth’s announcement had gone out the day before.

“Sir, I read the e-mail from Dr. Weir, but…” he paused, eyes shifting between John and Rodney. “What does it all mean? It’s got to be some kind of joke, right?”

Rodney snorted, and John barely managed to refrain from doing the same. Straightening, he cocked an eyebrow at his junior officer and teammate. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Teyla giving the boy a disapproving look. “Sorry, Ford, but this isn’t a joke. The soul bonds are very real, and we’re still learning what it all entails. All ATA carriers have a soulmate, though not everyone’s match is currently on Atlantis. We’re not sure what that means yet, either.”

Ford clipped his P90 to his vest with a scowl. “Even you, sir?”

John’s brow furrowed, not much liking the tone of voice the young man was using. He wasn’t entirely sure whether it was jealousy he heard or something else, but… “Yes, Ford. Even me. In fact, McKay and I are bonded,” he stated with quiet self-assurance.

Ford’s head snapped up as he stared hard at his commanding officer. “But, sir!”

“Aiden,” Teyla intervened before either John or Rodney could react. “If Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay have been graced with a bonding of the soul then that is something to celebrate. Among my people, soul bonds are a thing of legend, much like the Ancestors themselves. It is not your place to question something so precious.”

Rodney had an odd little smile on his face as he looked at Teyla. John smiled at her, feeling a surge of affection for his Athosian friend. “Thank you, Teyla.”

She inclined her head gracefully. “I am pleased for you both.”

Shifting his focus back to Ford, John hardened his features. “Now, Lieutenant, unless you have something significant to add, I would say we are done with this conversation. Soul bonds exist and they are a private matter. The regulations have been adjusted to allow for this new reality. Accept it and move on.” John paused long enough to ensure he had his lieutenant’s attention. Jerking his head to the door, he ordered, “Good. Now move out, we have a mission to attend to.”

John didn’t miss the sour look in Ford’s eyes as he saluted and have a crisp, “Yes, sir!”

Sighing, John shook his head as he watched the lieutenant walk out of the ready room. Grabbing his P90, John clipped it to his tac-vest and made to follow when Teyla placed her hand gently on his arm. He quirked an eyebrow in question, surprised by her touch.

She tilted her head and released a slow breath. “I have not had a chance to speak with you before now, but when we come back, I believe we need to have a conversation about Aiden. I feel there is something you need to know.”

John frowned and opened his mouth to ask what was going on when Rodney asked, “If it’s serious, maybe you should tell us now before we head through the gate.”

Teyla shook her head. “No. I do not believe that is necessary, but I feel that as his commanding officer, Major Sheppard needs to be aware of certain things. I trust Aiden, but I know that if I were his leader, I would wish to understand him better. As I am sure Major Sheppard would, too.”

John had no idea what Teyla was alluding to, but he trusted her judgment. “Alright. Let’s get this over with then so we can have that chat, shall we?”

Rodney grumbled all the way to the gate, but Teyla merely smiled serenely at him. Shaking his head, John firmly pushed his concerns aside and focused on the task at hand, which was trying to find a new trading partner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Alert medical,” Ioan called out as soon as he stepped through the gate with an armful of Kimberly, the rest of their team following close behind.

Elizabeth had Chuck call for a gurney as she hurried down the steps, wincing when she noticed the other woman’s leg sporting a field brace and bloody bandages. “What happened?” she demanded.

Kimberly waved off her concern with a grimace. “Nothing. Just had a minor disagreement with a ledge and it won.”

Elizabeth blinked questioningly at Ioan who rolled his eyes and sighed, adjusting the burden in his arms. “The path we were on to the village goes through some rather rough terrain. The ledge gave out under her, and she fell several feet and broke her leg pretty bad. It took a while to reach her and get her back on the path. We headed straight home. I’m afraid you’ll have to send another team to complete the mission, Dr. Weir.”

Mac and a nurse came rushing into the gateroom, and Ioan gently placed Kimberly on it before stepping back to allow them to do their jobs. Elizabeth watched them for a moment then nodded at Ioan. “Alright. You go with her and get your medical taken care of. We’ll debrief later.”

Saluting her, Ioan was relieved to be back. He had carried Kimberly the whole way back to the gate, refusing the offers of help from his team. Jerking his head to the retreating medical team, Ioan told his men to follow. Quickening his step, he caught up with them and when he was level with the gurney, he placed a comforting hand on Kimberly’s shoulder. “You’ll be alright now. Mac’ll take good care of you, right, Mac?”

Mac grinned. “Aye, of course. Even if it does mean Carson’ll be her favorite doctor again.”

Kimberly huffed. “Trust me, Mac, if you give me the good stuff, you’ll be my favorite doctor. This hurts!”

Ioan suppressed a smile. “First broken bone?” he inquired.

“Yes,” she ground out. “And if it’s the last one I’ll ever have, it’ll be too soon.”

Ioan and Mac shared an amused glance as they rolled her into the infirmary. “Alright, Ioan, you and your team stay here. Carson’ll be along shortly to see to your post-mission medical. I need to get this girl in for surgery so we can fix her up.”

Reluctantly, Ioan nodded. Squeezing Kimberly’s hand, he stared at her. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be right here when you get back, okay?”

She gave him a tremulous smile as she squeezed him back. “Thanks, Ioan. Mac! For the love of all that is holy, please get me some painkillers,” she cried out.

Ioan watched her being taken to the OR with a heavy feeling in his gut, his mind’s eye replaying her fall over and over. For a second, he had been afraid that she had been lost to him forever, she had been so still. By the time he had made it down to her side, she had come to again and cried out, which had filled him with such stark relief he had swayed on his feet. Running a hand through his hair, Ioan sighed.

“She’ll be fine, lad,” Carson assured him as he walked up to them. He patted the bed and Ioan dutifully hopped on and subjected himself to the string of tests that were part of post-mission protocol.

Elizabeth stopped by the infirmary to do the debriefing, which surprised Ioan. He and the rest of the team were fine, after all, but Ioan appreciated the consideration she showed. The meeting didn’t take very long at all, and soon Ioan was left alone to wait for Kimberly to make it out of surgery. He watched from the observation deck, arms tight around his chest. His head knew she would be perfectly fine, but he couldn’t get rid of the knot of worry that had taken residence in his stomach.

Their first kiss had happened only a few days ago, and he was still shaken up by her fall. The thought that that kiss might have been all they’d get to share tore at him. They hadn’t talked much – hadn’t had a chance, really, between one thing and another – about their burgeoning relationship. They definitely hadn’t had the opportunity to discuss the announcement from Dr. Weir about soul bonds yet. He wanted to ask Carson about it, but he was hesitant. Not because he didn’t want to know the answer but because part of him didn’t feel right to do it without Kimberly. He very much wanted her to be his soulmate.

One of the nurses finally rolled Kimberly out of OR, and Ioan rushed over to help move her to a bed then stood aside to let the nurse check her vitals and make sure everything was as it should be. By the time she was done, Kimberly was starting to come to.

She gave him a dopey smile and reached to pat his arm awkwardly. “There’s m’hero,” she mumbled, causing Ioan to blush and the nurse to laugh. Kimberly turned to face the nurse with a frown. “He saved me, you know.”

Amused, the nurse tucked Kimberly’s arm over her chest. “I know,” she said kindly. To Ioan, she said quietly, “She needs to rest. She’ll be in and out of it for a while, so don’t be surprised if she comes out with some strange notions. You’re welcome to sit with her for now, but don’t stay too long.”

Ioan nodded. “Thank you.” He waited until the nurse was out of sight to gently take Kimberly’s hand in his. Smiling down at her, he reached out and moved a lock of hair from her forehead so it wouldn’t fall into her eyes. “Hey, you.”

Kimberly giggled. “Hi!”

Ioan’s grin widened at the open, childlike expression on her face. “You had me worried there for a while,” he admonished gently.

Her mouth puckered. “I know. ‘M sorry.”

Heedless of their surroundings, Ioan gave into the impulse and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Try not to make a habit of it,” he murmured.

She closed her eyes and hummed, leaning into his touch. “Won’t. Promise.” Her brow furrowed. “’M tired.”

“Get some sleep. I’ll stop by again later to check on you.”

“’Mkay. Bring jello?” she mumbled, already half-asleep.

Ioan chuckled. “Sure.” He watched her for a few minutes as she slept, his thumb rubbing gently back and forth over the back of her hand. He hoped he was right and that they were bonded because Ioan could not even begin to imagine not having her in his life. He promised himself he would broach the subject once she was fully coherent again. Not knowing for sure was doing his head in. With one final brush of a kiss, Ioan left her to rest.

When Ioan made his way back to the infirmary hours later, he dutifully brought Kimberly a cup of jello, as well as a cup of diced fruit. Kimberly’s face lit up when she saw him and she struggled to get into a more comfortable position. “Ioan!”

Grinning, he placed his offering on the tray by her bed and helped her into a reclining position. “Hey you. You’re looking better.”

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. “Mac’s still my favorite doctor,” she proclaimed with a glint in her eyes.

He laughed. “I take it he has you on the good drugs, then?”

She nodded. “Better believe it.” Kimberly grinned and made grabby hands. “Jello! You’re the best. Ohhh and a fruit cup? Why, Ioan, you shouldn’t have. A girl might think you’re up to something,” she teased.

Chuckling, Ioan dutifully handed her the jello. “Actually, I am. Sort of.”

She stared up at him in surprise. “You are?” She took a bite, watching him curiously.

Blushing, Ioan scratched the back of his head. “I…” He huffed, feeling ten kinds of a fool, but he had to know. “I was wondering whether you’d talked to Carson at all about the whole soul bond thing?” he asked quietly.

Lowering the cup to her lap, she reached out to grab his hand. “No, not yet. You?”

He shook his head. “It… it didn’t feel right to do it without talking to you first. Is that weird?”’

She shrugged. “No, not really. Did you want to do it now?”

Nodding, Ioan tapped his comms. “Dr. Beckett?”

“Aye?” came a voice from around the corner, startling them both. Turning, Ioan saw the man walking toward them with an unreadable expression.

“Doc, where did you come from?” Ioan asked.

Carson waved the question off dismissively. “I was in my office. Now, what can I do for you, then, Lieutenant?”

Sharing a quick look with Kimberly, Ioan took a deep breath. “We were wondering about who our soulmate was.” Kimberly squeezed his hand lightly. He both wanted to and couldn’t quite look at her, so he kept his gaze locked on Carson.

Carson’s eyes twinkled with mischief, Ioan thought. The man cleared his throat and attempted a stern look as he crossed his arms. “Now, you two. You oughta know better than to come to me like this. Dr. Weir stated quite clearly that it was a private matter.”

“Oh,” Ioan said lamely, his stomach dropping to somewhere around his knees. That must mean it wasn’t Kimberly, then. He stared down at their hands, feeling more devastated than he would ever care to admit to.

At Carson’s chuckle, Ioan’s head snapped up. Carson schooled his face and offered them both an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, lad. I shouldn’t have done that.” He pointed between the two of them and grinned. “I think you both know the answer to your question already, but if it makes you feel better, then yes, Ioan, Kimberly is your bonded.”

Ioan laughed shakily as relief washed over him. Gazing down at Kimberly, his smile widened when he took in her obvious elation at the news. “I get to keep you?” he whispered without meaning to.

Kimberly’s look turned mischievous, her eyes dancing with delight. “You’d better. I certainly have no intention of letting you go now.”

Coughing softly, Carson murmured, “Aye, I’ll leave you two to it then, shall I? And Ioan?” Ioan looked up questioningly. “Please remember that she’s still in recovery,” Carson teased.

Holding up both hands in mock surrender, Ioan grinned. “No worries, doc. I’ll behave.”

“See that you do,” Carson murmured.

At the same time Kimberly said quietly, “Wish you wouldn’t,” earning her a warning glare from Carson.

“Now, lass!” Carson intoned with a wagging finger.

“Alright, alright. We’ll behave. Don’t worry, I remember who wields the big needles,” she quipped, causing both men to laugh.

As soon as Carson was gone, Kimberly beckoned Ioan to her. Leaning in, Ioan kissed her tenderly, savoring the knowledge that she was really his.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For days now, Carson had been fielding requests from people who wanted to know who their soulmate was. Most of the ATA carriers had come forward, though not all. During that time, it had warmed Carson’s heart to see the reactions to the news, as more often than not, it had been well received. There had been a few occasions, like with Major Lorne, where the person receiving the name of their soulmate was met with distress, but thankfully those were in the minority.

Then there were those few who flat out refused to know who their bonded were. Kavanagh had been one marked example, adamantly proclaiming the whole idea of a soulmate was preposterous and that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with ‘that claptrap,’ as he had put it. Carson wished he could say that his outburst had been a shock to those around him, but… well, it was Kavanagh.

Staring out over the ocean, Carson sighed as he leaned on the railing of the balcony nearest the mess hall. Of course, there was one person whose absence in the long line of people requesting the name of their mate he most keenly felt. So far, one Dr. Miko Kusanagi had not come forward. He knew from Kimberly that she had no wish to know, not because she didn’t believe in the soul bond, but precisely because she did. “If it is meant to be, then it will happen,” she had told Kimberly.

Still, a part of him wished she had sought him out. It would make everything so much easier. Everywhere he looked, it seemed to him that relationships were flourishing and he had to admit that he felt a stab of jealousy. “You’d think that knowing who you’re meant to be with would make the whole matter of asking someone out simpler,” he muttered under his breath.

“Hmm, you would think, wouldn’t you?” Mac’s voice sounded from behind him, causing Carson to jump out of his skin.

“Bloody hell, Mac! When did you become so sneaky?” Carson panted, covering his chest as he tried to regulate his heartbeat.

Mac’s wry amusement was apparent as he shrugged. “Natural talent?” His eyes roamed past him, taking in the vastness of the ocean before focusing back on Carson. “Why are you waiting, Carson?”

Carson contemplated pretending that he didn’t know what Mac was talking about but quickly discarded the thought. Turning around, he once again leaned against the railing and stared out onto the large expanse of water. “I don’t want to push myself on her.”

“Bull,” was Mac’s response as he settled in next to him.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Carson nodded. “Aye, you’re probably right,” he admitted quietly. They had both read enough about the soul bonds by now to know that while the markers indicated a person had a soulmate, it did not negate free will. If Miko truly did not want Carson, she could reject him and they both would move on with their lives, though neither would be fully complete without the other.

Straightening, Mac glowered at him. Carson winced. Despite the fact the man was here, talking to him about Miko, he knew full well that he still hadn’t fully forgiven him for keeping his soulmate a secret. He hoped that one day soon, Mac could find it in him to get past it because he missed the easy friendship they used to have. Still, he knew that was all on him so he couldn’t really say much about that. “Carson, sometimes you are an idiot to the extreme. You know she is your soulmate. You know she wishes any relationship to form naturally. Obviously, you can’t un-learn about the bond, but you can respect her wish. So. Ask. Her. Out.”

Dropping his head onto his folded arms, Carson groaned. He had always been terrible at the whole dating thing. Even knowing that Miko and he shared a soul bond, he wasn’t sure he could pull it off and not send the poor girl running for the hills.

Mac nudged his arm. “Stop that,” he scolded. “Letting your insecurities rule you isn’t going to help matters and you know it. I’m serious. Ask her out on an actual date. I know the options are limited here, but you aren’t without any, and you have people who would help if you asked them.”

Carson huffed a laugh in spite of himself. “Kimberly.”

“Aye,” Mac said, grinning. “You know she’s been trying to get you both to see sense for ages. I’m pretty sure she can help cook up something special even from her sickbed, so you have no excuses.” He paused. “Or you could just try to do it on your own, you might surprise yourself.”

Carson nodded thoughtfully. They stood in silence for a while, each lost to their own thoughts until Mac got called to the infirmary. “Think about it,” the man said as he turned to leave.

“I will,” Carson promised. He remained on the balcony for a while longer, going over possible plans until he settled on a course of action. Gathering his resolve, he squared his shoulders and headed to the kitchen to see about organizing a picnic. His next stop was Major Sheppard to request the use of a jumper in the event Miko accepted his invitation. If she declined, he figured there was no harm done other than to his pride, since the food would last him a few days. Thankfully, John was more than happy to give him the use of a jumper under the premise of it being flight practice.

“Any pilot needs to get his flight time in,” John said with a wink.

Carson’s face flushed slightly as he nodded. “Aye. Thank you, Major.”

“You’re welcome. And… good luck.”

All that was left now was to ask Miko, so bidding the major good day, Carson went down to the labs. It took him a bit longer to locate the woman as she had been sent to another part of the city for maintenance of some machine or other, but when he finally found her, he almost thought better of asking her. Before he could escape, however, Miko spotted him and smiled warmly at him.

“Err.. hello, Miko,” he stammered, blushing. Breathe, Carson, he reminded himself. Just breathe. “I was wondering whether-” He swallowed hard. Why had his throat gone so dry suddenly?

“Yes?” she prodded gently. Her eyes held mild curiosity.

You can do this, Carson, he told himself firmly. Taking a steadying breath, he offered her a small smile. “I was hoping maybe you would like to go out with me? On a picnic?”

The smile that lit her face took Carson’s breath away. God, but she was beautiful. “Hai,” she whispered. “I would like that, very much.”

Carson let out a long sigh of relief. He’d finally asked her out, and Miko had said yes! “When can you go?”

She glanced at her watch and seemed to do some quick thinking. “One hour?”

“Great. Meet me in the jumper bay?”

“Hai.”

Carson nodded and left her to finish her work. Heading to his office with a bounce in his step, he thought that perhaps things might work out alright after all.

 

next

John tried to focus on debriefing Evan, but his head wasn’t really in it. Too much had happened over the last twenty-four hours for him to really process and there was the whole ‘discussion’ with Elizabeth still looming over his head. He knew he had screwed up big time when he inadvertently outed his and Rodney’s relationship, and he dreaded the fallout. He knew her options for punishments were limited, after all. He couldn’t be court marshalled, couldn’t be reassigned or fired, and neither could Rodney. But there were still plenty of other ways to reprimand them and none of them were good.

“They had guards on us at all times but no overtures were made, sir. I have to think that, considering what you’ve just told me about the Genii, they were there to make sure we didn’t try to go back to Atlantis too early,” Evan said with a speculative look.

Leaning back in his chair, John swiveled back and forth as he considered that. He nodded. “Seems plausible. Either way, I think we are done with the Manarians. Their hand in this whole fiasco means I feel absolutely no qualms about reneging on our deal.”

“Yes, sir,” Evan agreed. Clearing his throat, Evan tilted his head. “Permission to speak freely?”

John nodded, eyebrow raised in question.

“With all due respect, John, you look like hell. Why don’t you go get some rest. Ioan and I will get everyone settled back in.”

He smiled softly. “Thank you, Evan. I think I will do just that. It’s been a long, long day.” Getting to his feet, he stretched his arms over his head and groaned at the satisfying pop it produced. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Evan grinned. “Yes, sir.” He followed John out of his office.

“John? My office,” Elizabeth called as he headed toward the stairs.

He winced but did as ordered. His heart sank when he saw Rodney and Carson already there. He wondered why the doctor was present and, for a moment, concern for Rodney spiked in him. Had he been hurt worse than he had thought?

“Have a seat, Major,” Elizabeth said, pointing to the empty chair next to Rodney.

Fighting the urge to grab Rodney’s hand, John sat down and tried to mask his expression. A sidelong glance at Rodney nearly undid him, though. The poor guy looked wretched and nervous. Clearing his throat, he frowned. “Look, Elizabeth, I get that we need to talk, but maybe this could wait until after we’ve had some rest?”

She held up a hand to stop him. John’s eyes flickered to Carson as he stood behind her. What the hell was going on here? “John,” Elizabeth murmured, catching his attention again. She folded her hands on the table and leaned forward slightly, her gaze intent on his for a moment. “This can’t wait. I promise, you and Rodney can have some time soon to think over things, but this is too important to put on hold. I’m sure you’ll understand why when you hear what we have to say.”

What we have to say? What did that mean? John shared a confused look with Rodney before focusing back on her. Shifting in his seat, he attempted to appear casual, but he was feeling anything but. “Okay.”

Elizabeth nodded. Seeming to steel herself, she looked at both of them. “During his attempts to perfect the ATA gene therapy, Carson ran across some… information in the Ancient database that will have an impact on you. On all gene carriers, actually.”

“What are you talking about?” Rodney asked then looked sharply at Carson. “What is she talking about?”

“Rodney,” Elizabeth intoned patiently. John just caught the twitch of Rodney’s jaw out of the corner of his eye, but he kept his focus on Elizabeth and Carson. There was something going on here, and he wasn’t sure he liked the sound of it. With a sigh, Elizabeth glanced at her hands briefly before meeting their gaze again. “According to the data Carson found, the Ancients had… They had soulmates.”

“They had what?” Rodney cried out, incredulous. “That is the biggest load of crock I’ve ever heard. Soulmates are a fantasy. It’s something that the entertainment industry uses to sell books and movies. Soulmates aren’t real.”

“Rodney,” Carson said quietly, eyes fixed on Rodney. “She’s telling the truth, lad.”

Rodney shook his head. John wasn’t sure what to believe just then. He was inclined to agree with Rodney. Soulmates were the stuff of romance novels, not real life. Elizabeth shifted her laptop so the screen faced them. “See for yourself. Carson discovered strange markers in your genome. At first, he simply wrote it off as a quirk of Ancient genes. But as he checked the other ATA carriers, he noticed the markers came in pairs, and no pairs were alike from one to the next. According to the information he found, those markers indicate a soul bond.”

Rodney leaned forward, peering intently at the screen with his mouth agape. John shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so… what does that mean?”

“Whose results are these?” Rodney cut in before anyone could answer.

Carson coughed nervously. “Yours.” At Rodney’s narrowed eyes, he added, “Yours and Major Sheppard’s.”

Rodney turned to face him and they stared at each other wide-eyed. They were soulmates? Taking a steadying breath, John shifted his gaze to Carson. “What does that mean, exactly?” he asked quietly.

“We’re not entirely sure, to be honest. I wasn’t able to find much more on the markers than the fact that they indicate a soul bond,” Carson admitted. “There’s got to be more information on the database, but it’ll take time to sift through it all.”

Rodney settled back in his seat, and John couldn’t help but think he seemed… small. Like he had shrunk in on himself somehow. “Okay, but what does this mean for us?” Rodney asked, staring intently at Elizabeth.

She cleared her throat and cast her eyes down at her hands again briefly before meeting his gaze again. “I don’t know what it means for you as far as your… relationship goes, Rodney. That is between the two of you. As for what it means for your relative positions on the expedition… I think it’s safe to say that we will have to make some changes.”

John’s stomach turned to ice. What kinds of changes did she mean? Clenching his jaw, he squared his shoulders, but before he could argue with her one way or the other, she held up her hand and continued, “You two are far from the only soul bonded on the city. Most of the ATA carriers that came with us, whether they got the gene naturally or through the therapy, have a mate on Atlantis. If we are to function at all as a society, that means we will need to adjust.”

He nodded, relaxing slightly as he let out a long, slow breath. “Okay, yeah… So..?”

She offered him a small smile. “I’m calling a meeting tomorrow morning at nine so we can discuss the finer details. I need you both here, as well as Major Lorne, and Dr. MacTavish.”

John frowned at the wince Carson failed to hide at the mention of his colleague. He wondered what that was about. Elizabeth sighed. “Gentlemen, I suggest you get some rest. I have a feeling we will be in for some strenuous times starting tomorrow.”

Rodney scoffed and John just caught his muttered, “As if everything has been sunshine and daisies so far.”

John nodded, getting to his feet. Helping Rodney to his, he glanced at Carson and jerked his head to Rodney. “He gonna be okay or does he need to stop by the infirmary first?”

Carson shook his head. “I’ve looked at his arm already. No showers or manual labor for a while until his stitches are out, but aside from that, he’s fine,” Carson promised.

John nodded and guided Rodney to the door. The man looked dead on his feet and John wasn’t doing much better himself. “We’ll see you at nine, then.” He didn’t wait for their reply as he and Rodney made their way to the transporter in silence. Without discussion, they headed to John’s quarters, and as soon as they were behind the locked door, they wrapped their arms around each other. Holding Rodney grounded John, allowed him to think about what they had just been told.

“Do you believe them?” Rodney whispered into his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

John allowed himself a moment to let his mind wrap itself around the information before nodding. “Yeah, I think I do. Rodney…” He pulled away just far enough to be able to look the other man in the eye. “Have you ever felt anything like this?”

Searching John’s eyes, Rodney shook his head. “No, but you know my history,” he said quietly.

John smiled ruefully. “Yeah, I know. Thing is, Rodney… I’ve never felt for anyone like I do for you. How I feel… it came on so quickly, so strongly… I didn’t understand it. Hell, I still don’t, but if what Carson and Elizabeth said is true, it would explain so much.”

He frowned as he touched Rodney’s bandaged arm lightly. John sighed, remembering. “I think… I think I felt it – sort of – when he did this.” Caressing the bruise on Rodney’s jaw from Kolya’s backhand, he added, “And this. How could I have, Rodney? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know,” Rodney murmured, eyes glistening. Blinking, he shook his head. “I’m so tired, John.”

“Stay?”

Rodney nodded. “Please. I really don’t want to be alone right now. Not after-” He gulped, unable to finish his sentence, but John understood. Rodney had seriously feared for his life, and that of Elizabeth and John. The adrenaline surge he had experienced was making him crash now, and on top of everything else, they had just had a new reality dumped on them. Yeah, John didn’t want to be alone, either. Not now.

Not ever again if he had his way.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mac watched from across the infirmary as Carson rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes. He was still pissed at the man for keeping his secrets, but he was also concerned for his friend. He had had quite a blow to the head and as a result was suffering from a mild concussion. Why was he here when he should be in his quarters resting? Walking over to stand in front of Carson’s desk, he crossed his arms over his chest. “You shouldn’t be here, Carson.”

“I know.” Carson’s voice was muffled. He sounded exhausted.

Quirking a brow, Mac sighed. “Then why are you here instead of your bed?”

Lifting his head, Carson looked up at him with a drawn expression. “Because I have too much to do. Speaking of which, we have a nine o’clock meeting with Elizabeth in the morning.”

Mac blinked in surprise. “Why?”

Carson’s gaze shied away from him and his cheeks flushed, raising Mac’s suspicion. “It’s regarding the DNA markers we discovered, among other things.”

Temper flaring, Mac took a deep breath. For days, he had been keeping himself in check, processing what he had learned and trying to decide how to approach Carson. And when he had finally decided to broach the subject with him, the storm had put a halt to it. There had been no time, and when he had returned to Atlantis it was to find Carson concussed. He had intended to wait until the man felt better, but now he had brought the matter up himself and he was still avoiding the issue!

“You mean about the soul bonds?” he ground out.

Carson’s head swiveled to look at him with wide-eyed shock. “How did you know about that, lad?”

This time it was Mac’s turn to flush. “I did some research on the markers while you were on the mainland a few days ago, using the new program Kimberly’s been working on. Figured it would be a good test case for it.”

“You did what?” Carson exclaimed, wincing at the pain his own raised voice brought on. “I thought I told you to stop looking into that, Mac?”

“Aye, you did. I wasn’t exactly expecting to find much. Her program is still in beta, after all.”

“In beta?” Carson mumbled then shook his head. “Never mind that. Obviously you found out about the existence of the soul bonds, what else did you find?”

Taking a deep breath, Mac stared at the ceiling while counting to ten before meeting Carson’s gaze again. “I found out a fair bit. Including the fact that you withheld the fact that I have a soulmate and who that person is!” Mac ended on a roar, slamming his palms on the man’s desk as he leaned toward him, glaring. “How could you, Carson?! I thought we were friends.” His voice broke on the last word.

Carson blanched, and he had to swallow several times before he found his voice again, eyes glistening with emotion. “I’m sorry, lad. I didn’t really know what to do, and when I talked to Elizabeth, she thought it was best if we kept it between us for the time being.”

Disgusted, Mac pushed off from the desk and paced around the room, his fingers laced behind his head. He gave a mirthless laugh as he shook his head. “Right. Because withholding something as important as a soul bond is always the right thing to do. Seriously, Carson, what were you thinking? Both of you? This is about our lives. It throws everything we thought we knew into a different perspective. Everything!”

Scrubbing his face, Carson groaned. “I know, Mac. I know, alright. I’ve been carrying this knowledge for weeks now and I still don’t know how to handle it.” Sighing, Carson added, “Please, Mac. What did you find out about the soul bonds? I’d like to have all the information I can get before the meeting with Elizabeth tomorrow.”

With a huff, Mac stalked around Carson’s desk, pulled the man’s laptop to him and pulled up the folder he had secured on the system. “Read for yourself,” he said curtly as he made his way to the door. Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t know how long it’ll be before I can forgive you for this Carson.”

Carson shot him a sorrowful look. “I know, lad. For what it’s worth, I am very sorry.”

Mac nodded. “I know.” With that, he left in search of his own quarters.

The following morning, Mac was one of the first to arrive for the meeting. He was exhausted, not having slept very well after his confrontation with Carson the night before. Though he was trying to kick the habit, he carefully doctored a cup of coffee and took a seat. He needed the boost of caffeine today.

Elizabeth greeted him with a smile as she took her usual seat, soon followed by Carson who looked as tired as Mac felt, and Evan who seemed a little confused. Mac shot him a small smile, unable to muster more for the heavy feeling that settled in his stomach. From the look of him, Evan had no clue what this meeting was about, and Mac didn’t relish what he was certain would follow.

John and Rodney straggled in last, closing the door behind them. Mac tilted his head slightly as he took in their body language. They gravitated toward each other even more so than normal. Both men looked beyond worn out, yet there was something nearly palpable between them that had Mac sitting up a little straighter. They knew they were soulmates. That had to be it. It would explain so much, knowing Rodney as he did.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Alright, gentlemen. I think we can begin.”

Throughout the explanation of the soul bond discoveries, Mac kept a furtive eye on the others, though most of his focus was on his major. He was unsurprised to see the color drain from Evan’s face upon hearing that all ATA carriers had a soul bond. What did surprise him was the way both Rodney and John seemed to come to attention when Carson talked about the things a soul bond did. They shared a knowing look between them that confirmed Mac’s suspicions.

Once Carson had relayed all the information that Mac had managed to find, Elizabeth took up the mantle again, meeting each man’s eyes in turn. “Well, gentlemen. As you’ve heard, we’ve had some pretty amazing discoveries already and I’m sure there’s bound to be more, if you’ll pardon the pun. However, my main concern is the people of this expedition. It seems obvious to me that the regulations we’ve been working under can no longer apply, considering the fact that our military commander and our CSO are bonded. That said, how are we to change them without losing what structure we currently have?”

Mac thought Evan looked a little piqued, yet the man did his best to try to come up with suggestions. Something that made Mac proud of him even as he worried for him. They bounced ideas around for a while, agreeing that the fraternization regs had to go, even for those of the expedition who weren’t bonded. They couldn’t have two sets of rules if they were to make it in Pegasus.

Carson stared down at his hands. “That’s all well and good, but how are we going to get word out there?”

Mac cleared his throat, sitting up so he could lean on the table. “I was thinking about that, actually. We have to let people know about the soul bonds. That’s a given. To do otherwise is cruel,” he said with a sidelong glance at Carson, who flushed but remained silent. “That said,” Mac continued, “I feel that a soul bond is an extremely personal matter. I suggest that we make the general idea public, and if people wish to know who their soulmates are, they need to come to talk to Carson. Only when both bonded express an interest in finding out who their mate is, will that information be released. I think it’s the only fair thing to do.”

Elizabeth nodded, but before she could say anything Rodney chimed in, “That’s actually a good idea. Carson, we need to take all the results offline so no one can try to hack into your system to find out. I really don’t think it’s a good idea for it to be public. There’s too much room for abuse that way, and I refuse to allow that to happen. If Elizabeth’s agreeable, I’ll stop by the infirmary after we’re done, pull everything off the servers, and set you up with a non-networked laptop for all of this.”

“Excellent idea, Rodney,” Elizabeth said with a smile, though it faltered when she looked at him and John. “That leaves one more thing. How do you want to tackle the soul bond issue? I know it’s currently just a few people in the know, but given your positions in the city, I doubt it will remain a secret for long.”

John and Rodney shared a look as they reached for each other and held hands. John looked Elizabeth square in the eye. “We’ve talked about it and think it’s best if we become the ‘poster boys’ of this shindig, so to speak. Like you said, there’s really no hiding it for us in the long run, and at least this way we can set an example for everyone else,” John said quietly.

Mac glanced at Evan who was staring at his CO with an unreadable look. Mac didn’t think it was negative in any way, at least not toward John or Rodney, but Mac wasn’t so sure about that in relation to Evan himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Alright, that settles it, then,” Elizabeth concluded. “I will have a city-wide announcement ready later today and post it to the server, though I’ll hold off on doing so until Rodney tells me all the DNA results have been secured.” Rodney nodded, already taking notes on his pad even as she continued. “Now, unless there was anything else that you feel should be addressed? No? Then I think we’re done here. Better get busy, gentlemen.”

Evan nodded, still feeling slightly nauseated as he made his way out of her office on auto-pilot. He was vaguely aware of Mac calling after him but waved him off. He needed to be alone to think. All through the meeting, his thoughts had been spinning out of control and it had been all he could do to follow along with the discussion.

How he ended up on the east pier, Evan had no clue. He had absolutely no memory of making his way through the city. Sliding down against the wall, he stared out over the ocean and let his thoughts drift. He had a soulmate. Evan’s ATA gene was natural, so he’d had the marker his whole life. Ioan, too.

Evan’s thoughts kept circling back to his Jim. Had Jim been his soulmate? Their love had been so strong, and Evan had always been so sure of the man. Jim had been the love of his life, so surely… Evan pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, burying his face between them and let the tears flow. The thought of Jim having been his mate somehow made the loss of him come to the forefront and he felt it keenly. Evan wasn’t sure he really wanted the answer. He thought he already knew the answer and it was lying in a grave back on Earth. Yet a tiny voice in the back of his mind kept nudging him with ‘what if?’

What if it hadn’t been Jim?

What if he had a soulmate, but he was one of those who didn’t have their bonded on the city?

What if he did?

What if? What if? What if?

A shiver roused Evan from his thoughts as the wind picked up. A quick glance at the sky told him he had been out here longer than he had intended. He was certain to be in trouble for dereliction of duty as he was supposed to be taking care of drills, but he found he didn’t care. He got stiffly to his feet, wiping his hands on his fatigues before scrubbing his face and taking a deep, calming breath. He needed to know. One way or the other. There was nothing for it.

When he made his way to the infirmary he made a beeline for Carson’s office, ignoring the friendly greetings of the nurses as he passed them. Thankfully, the man was alone in his office. He knocked and Carson looked up, flinching slightly when he saw who it was. “Ah. Major Lorne,” he said with a sigh.

Stepping into the little room, Evan let his eyes roam, unable to meet the man’s gaze. “I…” He cleared his throat and tried again. “I was wondering about… about my soulmate.”

Carson looked helplessly around. “Ah, lad,” he said softly. “I don’t think-”

A hand on his shoulder startled Evan and he spun around, surprised to see Mac smiling sadly at him. “It’s alright, Carson. I’ll handle this.”

Evan frowned, wondering what Mac meant. He barely registered Carson’s, “Aye, if you’re sure, lad,” as Mac guided him to his own office and into a chair.

“Mac?” Evan asked shakily with a sudden feeling of trepidation.

Mac kneeled in front of him and took both Evan’s hands in his. Taking a deep breath, he stared into Evan’s eyes and whispered, “I’m sorry, love. I-” Closing his eyes briefly, Mac huffed and tried again. “Evan, I’m your soulmate.”

For a second, Evan thought his heart was torn in two and he couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Blinking rapidly, Mac’s words echoed through his brain: I’m your soulmate.

“But…” No more words would come, even though his mind was racing. Spiraling further and further downward until he had to get away. Had to get air. He had to-

Shaking his head, he jumped to his feet, knocking Mac off-balance as he all but ran out of the infirmary. No. No, it wasn’t possible. It wasn’t right. Jim had been his soulmate. He had to have been. If it was Mac, then what had his love for Jim meant? What did that say about Evan?

“Evan?!” Mac called over the comms. Evan ignored him, tearing the earpiece away from him before shutting it off. Throwing himself onto his bed, he curled up into a ball, silently begging Jim’s forgiveness.

He must have dozed off because the next thing Evan became aware of was Ioan running a hand over his back just like their mom used to do when they were kids and they’d been upset. When Evan turned his face toward him, Ioan smiled sadly at him. “Oh, Ev,” he murmured.

Never had Evan been so glad to be stationed with his brother as he was in that moment. It didn’t matter that they were both grown men in the military and living on another planet in another galaxy. No, in that moment, they were just Evan and Ioan, brothers and best friends as Evan filled Ioan in on everything and sharing his inner turmoil over it all. No one knew Evan better than Ioan did, understood how he worked. When he needed to just vent his spleen and when he needed a talking to. This time, he got a little bit of both as he had known he would.

“It’ll be alright, Ev,” Ioan promised. “Just… give it time. Give yourself time. Mac’s a good guy. He understands.”

Evan rolled his eyes, huffing as he wrapped his arms around his knees again. “I know he is, but after-”

Ioan shook his head. “Who do you think called me to come check on you, doofus?”

Shocked, Evan turned to his brother, who sat grinning at him.

“And he took Major Sheppard aside and explained what was going on with you. No details, but enough to make sure the major rearranged the schedule and covered the drills. You were officially taken off duty for the day.”

Evan gaped. “Mac did that?” he asked quietly.

Ioan nodded. “Yes, he did.”

Dropping his chin on his knees, Evan stared out of his window, mumbling, “I don’t think I deserve him.”

“Seems like he disagrees with that, and so do I, for that matter.”

He glanced back at his brother with a wan smile. “What? No digs?”

“Nope. Not this time. I told you before, Ev, it’s about time you found someone again. You deserve love in your life. Now you have Mac. Go for it, I say.”

“Thanks, Ioan.”

“You’re welcome. You gonna be okay now?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just need some time to think. Sort stuff out for myself.”

Ioan nodded and hugged him. “You know where to find me,” he said as he left Evan alone to his thoughts which were a lot more hopeful than they had been earlier. His brother was right. If this whole soulmate thing was true then he did have Mac.

He sat staring out over the ocean for a while before putting his earpiece in again and tapping the comms. “Mac?” he said softly.

“Evan!” Mac sounded relieved, which sent a pang of guilt through Evan.

“Hey,” he said stupidly. “I was wondering… have you got a minute?” He bit his lip nervously, though he didn’t have to wait long for his answer.

“I’ll be right there.”

 

next

“This plan of yours had better work, Rodney,” John muttered as he ran through the city toward grounding station three. He was beginning to think that maybe they should have had one more person stay behind to help out, but it did him no good to worry about that now. Besides, Ford, Carson, and Teyla were still inbound with the last Athosians, so if push came to shove, he could always get one of them to lend a hand.

Slowing to a walk, he regulated his breathing as he checked his watch. Damn, that had taken longer than he would have liked, but at least he was here. When he opened the door, he paused, momentarily stunned by the sheer power of the storm, and it wasn’t even hitting the city yet. “Yeah, Rodney had better be right about this, or we are in deep trouble,” he murmured, stepping to the railing to look out over the ocean. The storm was moving pretty fast.

Tapping his comms, John had to shout to be heard over the roaring wind. “I’m here!”

“I told you to contact me when you got to the first one, Major,” Rodney scolded over the radio.

What the hell? Who did he think he was? Roadrunner? Speedy Gonzalez? “I am at the first one, Rodney!”

“Oh. Sorry. I’m already done.”

Of course he was. He had taken the station closest to the labs. John rolled his eyes. “Oh great, good for you.”

“Me, too,” chimed Elizabeth.

“Good for everyone!” John groused, throwing his hands up. Great. Well, he was here. Now what was he supposed to do?

“Where are you now?” Rodney asked.

“I’m at the damned grounding station!” John said, starting to get irritated. Hadn’t they already covered that?

“No no no no, not you, I meant Elizabeth.”

“I’m in the transporter,” she replied.

John closed his eyes briefly to fight the urge to remind the scientist they were on a tight schedule. John listened as Elizabeth bumped into Rodney. He took a deep breath. “Glad everybody’s having such a good time, now what do I do?”

“There should be a keypad on the console of the station,” came Rodney’s voice.

Keypad on the console of the station. Okay. Should be easy enough to find. Scanning the walls, he saw nothing so he moved toward the pillar in the middle of the space he was in. Keypad. Okay, now what? “Got it.”

“Punch in the Ancient equivalent of oh-three-one-five-four-seven.”

Silently thanking Dr. Jackson for the information packet he had sent along on the Ancients, including everything he had managed to translate, John did as he was told. Well, it seemed to be doing something, at least.

“That do it?” Rodney asked.

John watched closely as he put in the last digit and sighed in relief when the grounding station disconnected. “Yep!”

“Good.” Rodney sounded pleased. “Three down, one to go. They all seem to have the same separation code, so err, get to the next one, repeat the procedure and we’ll meet you in the control room.”

“Roger that,” John said, already running again. He had to make it to that fourth station in time. This was going to work, he was sure of it now. It had to. He was over halfway to it when Lieutenant Mills called over the comms, “Dr. Weir, there’s been some sort of an attack on Manara. We have an Athosian party incoming with wounded.”

What the hell? That didn’t sound right. The hairs on the back of John’s neck wanted to stand up. He had had a bad feeling about the deal he had made with Smeadon. Could this be it? Had they attacked his people?

“Apparently there’s wounded incoming,” Elizabeth said, sounding worried.

John stopped running, conflicting needs warring in him. “That doesn’t make any sense. They said it was Wraith related?” He hadn’t heard that, but he had to ask. For all he knew, they had contacted Elizabeth on a different channel and filled her in.

Her, “We’ll ask them ourselves in a second, hold on,” had his stomach sink a little, then it dropped to his feet when he overheard a scuffle and the conversation that followed. “What the hell?”

“Dr. Elizabeth Weir, I presume,” said a man. “And you must be Dr. Rodney McKay.”

John’s heart skipped a beat when he recognized the voice that answered tersely, “Yes, that is him.”

That was Sora. The Genii had invaded the city.

The male voice spoke again. “Where is Major Sheppard?”

John wondered why their leader was so interested specifically in him? The voice didn’t sound familiar at all, so he was pretty sure he hadn’t had dealings with the man before.

Deciding the grounding station would have to wait, John changed course and headed to the jumper bay instead, since it was closer than the armory. He needed weapons and any tactical advantage he could get his hands on. As he ran, he promised himself that after this whole mess was over with, he would create some bolt-holes with arsenal, in case anyone else in Pegasus got it into their heads to invade them. There was no doubt in John’s mind that he would have the chance to do that. There was no way the Genii were getting his city. Failure was not an option, John thought. Not today.

He firmly pushed his fears for Rodney and Elizabeth aside. He had to focus or he would be of no use to them. John reminded himself as he stepped into jumper one that Rodney had been in the field with him many times now and had learned to hold his own. He had to trust that. Have faith in Rodney’s abilities or he would lose it.

Tapping the comms as he started rummaging through the inventory of the jumper, John called, “Jumper two, this is Sheppard.” Nothing. John frowned and tried again. “Jumper two, do you copy?”

“This is Ford, sir. We decided to wait out the storm in the jumper.”

Ah, hell. “You’re still on the mainland?” So much for backup.

“Yes, sir.”

Sighing heavily, John reassessed what he would need as he filled Ford in on the situation. The young lieutenant wanted to come to the city right then and seemed prepared to risk everyone’s lives to do it, but thankfully both Carson and Teyla had better sense. John wasn’t sure whether to commend the boy on his eagerness, or smack him upside the head for being too gung-ho and risking lives – especially civilians.

“It’s okay, Lieutenant. Just get here as soon as you can, I could use a little backup,” John assured him. He sincerely hoped that Ford wouldn’t do anything foolish. Grabbing the LSD, John scanned it to see if anyone was nearby. Clear. Good. The Genii had Rodney and Elizabeth, so the most likely place for them to be would be the control tower. He would start there and take out as many people as he could.

“-give him what he needs. He needs the C-4, all the medical supplies, and the Wraith data device. Just give it to him. None of that is worth dying for,” came Rodney’s voice over the comms.

“Thank you, Rodney,” John whispered. “Good thinking. Now stay safe and don’t do anything stupid until I can get to you.” He hurried off to the armory. He had some C-4 to hide.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Step away from the console!” the leader of the Genii raiding party, Kolya, said, voice soft and hard all at once.

Rodney’s stomach twisted. He had a feeling that this man was very, very dangerous. “I was leaning. I was just leaning!” he said hurriedly as he straightened up. Please let John have gotten the message. Please.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. Not now, not ever. Atlantis was supposed to be safe. They had the IDC’s to prevent anyone from coming in. How the hell had the Genii gotten ahold of one, much less gotten the correct code? Was whoever they had taken it from still alive, or had they killed them? Rodney’s mind kept spinning on all the possibilities while Elizabeth tried to argue with Kolya. Tried to buy time, but it was of no use. Kolya had the upperhand and he knew it.

Elizabeth was taken away, forced to show them where the Wraith data device was being kept, leaving Rodney with Kolya. His stomach turned to ice at the speculative look in the other man’s eyes. Squaring his shoulders, Rodney shored up his nerve as best he could and met the man’s gaze.

“Why are you here?” Kolya asked quietly.

“To my understanding, I’m being held hostage,” Rodney replied, heart thudding in his chest.

“No. I mean what are you doing here. On Atlantis. Why did some of you stay behind?”

“Oh.” Crap. He sucked at lying, but he knew he had to try. “Err, tie up some loose ends.”

Raising an eyebrow, Kolya wondered, “Oh? Like what?”

“Make sure everyone got out okay,” Rodney bluffed. Oh crap, oh crap, he wasn’t buying it. He could see it in his narrowed eyes.

“Isn’t that the work of someone less important?” Kolya ventured, his voice growing softer with each question.

Rodney huffed, putting up all the false bravado he could muster. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” He swallowed hard.

“You have a plan, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“I got lots of plans about lots of things,” Rodney tried, knowing it was futile. Oh man, what was he going to do? He wasn’t brave like John, or as smooth a talker as Elizabeth.

Kolya’s stare turned ice cold. “I’m interested in the plan you have to save the city.”

“I never said anything about saving anything.” Rodney’s heart raced, his palms were sweaty, and he knew he was in serious trouble. His stomach dropped when Kolya gave a little smile and stepped into his space.

Grasping Rodney’s shoulder, Kolya murmured, “Not yet.”

Rodney’s eyes widened when he saw Kolya give a little nod to one of his men. He heard a knife being unsheathed and he began to hyperventilate. Oh crap, he was a dead man, he just knew it. What would John do?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I will ask you one more time, Dr. McKay. What are your plans to save this city?” Kolya’s voice sent shivers through Rodney’s spine, and for not-fun reasons. The man was silk-on-steel and Rodney was terrified of him.

The knife against his arm cut a little deeper still. Each time he had been asked, the Genii soldier slid the knife further into his flesh. A small part of Rodney’s brain marveled at the amount of skill he had with it. Minimal blood loss and, as far as he could tell, little damage – yet – but Rodney was certain that he would not remain so lucky much longer. He cried out, tears brimming his eyes as he tried to struggle against the hands that held him. He wasn’t strong enough for this. Not brave enough. Oh God, but he hurt.

“The plan, Doctor,” Kolya insisted.

Closing his eyes, Rodney silently begged John’s forgiveness as he told Kolya everything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

John’s stomach lurched and his heart constricted, though it was more like an echo of something than anything else, causing him to stumble. Steadying himself with a hand against the wall, John frowned, wondering what the hell was going on. Never in his life had he felt anything like this before and he had no words to describe it. It was over almost as soon as it began, and in its wake, John felt dread.

Rodney. Something had happened to Rodney. He was sure of it. Taking a deep breath, he forced the burgeoning panic down and started to run. The C4 was hidden and with a little luck Kolya would contact him soon via the radio he had left behind in the crate the C4 had been in. John had Genii to hunt. He figured the Wraith data device the Genii wanted was the least important to the expedition’s mission. They had taken everything they could from it so it was basically useless to them now. The medicine, however, they would need so he headed toward the infirmary with the intent of preventing them from raiding it all.

He was halfway there when the radio activated. “This is Commander Kolya.”

Nope. Definitely not familiar, John thought. “Kolya, that’s a hard name to pronounce. Is that a first name?” John replied glibly. It took some effort, but he couldn’t afford to let the man know he was rattled. “My name is Major John Sheppard, and I have hidden the C4 where you will never – I repeat, never – find it. Now, when I get confirmation that the prisoners have been safely released and allowed to gate off Atlantis, I will help you find it.” The C4 would be a small price to pay to guarantee Rodney’s safety, and Elizabeth’s.

“Your offer is very generous, Major.”

Damn straight it was. He would just as happily kill every single Genii on his city, but he could not risk Rodney and Elizabeth’s lives. “Yes, it is.”

“However, Dr. McKay recently shared with me there’s a plan in action to save the city.”

John’s stomach dropped. “He did?” He couldn’t believe Rodney would have just given the information up willingly, which meant that he had been tortured. Questions tried to bubble to the surface but he ruthlessly pushed them down. Focus. He had to focus.

“He did. My understanding is there’s one final grounding station that needs to be deactivated. Uncouple the grounding rods at station four, assist with the reactivation of the shield, and you and your friends can leave here, unharmed.”

What? That didn’t make any sense! Why would the Genii want to remain on Atlantis? They’d never be able to use it, they didn’t have the gene. They had to know that. “Wait a minute, I thought all you wanted was C4 and a jumper?”

Kolya sounded amused. “Why raid a city when you can seize it, Major?” John ground his teeth. “Atlantis will be ours or the ocean’s,” Kolya added with conviction. “You choose.”

Great. Just great. John weighed his options for a moment. There really wasn’t much choice. If Kolya could be trusted to keep his word, then saving the city was his best shot at getting Rodney and Elizabeth out of here. With the city saved, they would at least stand a chance at getting it back. Something that would be impossible if he allowed the city to weather the storm without the shield. John hoped Rodney was okay. “Hold on, Rodney. I’m coming,” he promised as he altered course and headed to grounding station four.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kolya stalked out of Elizabeth’s office with Elizabeth and Sora following close behind. Rodney met Elizabeth’s gaze, but she shook her head. Swallowing hard, Rodney nodded. He hadn’t believed her appeal would work, but he couldn’t help feeling disappointed all the same. Rodney listened closely as the men on the radio reported to Kolya. Elizabeth squeezed his good arm gently but before he could wonder what she was trying to say, he heard Kolya give the order to use lethal force if necessary.

Rodney’s eyes widened. No! No, that wasn’t right. He had promised he would let them go unharmed, though a not-so tiny voice in the back of his mind reminded him that that had been a lie from the start. After all, he had been harmed already, hadn’t he. He clutched his arm a little tighter to his chest reflexively.

Sora seemed just as shocked at the order, and she protested. The cold look Kolya gave her made Rodney’s throat tighten. A silent mantra began to play in his head, willing John to be safe. To be careful. God, but he hated the Genii. He really did.

“He’s stopped. He’s not at the control panel anymore,” came over the radio.

Rodney’s breath quickened. Come on, John, he thought. What was he doing? If he wasn’t at the panel that had to mean he was aware of the soldiers close by. Right? He shared a panicked look with Elizabeth, who seemed to be holding on to her stoicism by a thread. Mind racing, he tried to think of anything that might stall the Genii. That would keep John safe. Blinking, he stepped forward without meaning to. “Those control panels are pretty fragile,” he said quickly. “You might not want to-,” he cut off when one of the soldiers grabbed his wounded arm, pressing hard. “Ow!”

Breathing hard, he squeezed his eyes shut a moment, jaw clenching as he fought to remain as calm as he could. Not an easy task, since he could feel his distress increasing by the second. Rodney’s knees nearly gave out when John’s voice sounded over the Genii radio. “Let me tell you what you did wrong here, Kolya!” John! He was okay, right? This had to mean he was okay. He sounded pissed.

“A: you lost two of your men.” Rodney glanced at Kolya who seemed shocked, though that was rapidly disappearing and being replaced by anger as John continued, “B: you damaged the switch before I could separate the grounding rods. Which I’m sure you’re gonna get an earful from McKay for!”

Rodney’s lips twitched in spite of himself at hearing John’s confidence in him. Weird as it was, it helped bolster him. Then the rest of what he had said sunk in and he had to stomp down on the despair that tried to overtake him. Without that grounding station deactivated, the plan was doomed to fail. His mind started to race, automatically trying to come up with a contingency plan.

“And C: you lost all of what little credibility you had with me!” Oh yeah, John was pissed. Unfortunately, so was Kolya, and between the two, Rodney was not at all sure what the outcome might be. He shared a worried look with Elizabeth as Kolya stalked around the control room like a predator about to pounce its cornered prey. Rodney definitely didn’t care for that feeling – or the comparison and knowledge that he was the prey.

Squaring his shoulders, Rodney attempted to divert Kolya’s attention. “Do you have any idea how big of a setback that is? I may not be able to activate the shields, I can’t possibly-” he paused when two soldiers grabbed him, trying to yank him back from Kolya. “Get off of me,” Rodney ground out, starting to get mad himself. Elizabeth stood quietly a couple of paces away, not making any move to help. He wasn’t sure what to make of that.

Kolya picked up the radio. “You killed two of my men.”

“I guess we’re even.”

Kolya’s eyes blazed and his voice turned colder than Rodney had heard yet. “I don’t like even,” Kolya said as he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Elizabeth. Oh God, no. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening.

“I’m not finished yet!” came John’s voice.

“Neither am I,” was Kolya’s icy reply. “Say goodbye to Dr. Weir.”

Rodney’s breath caught in his throat. What was he supposed to do now?

“The city has a self-destruct button. If you hurt her, I’ll activate it! Nobody’ll get Atlantis!” John threatened. Rodney watched Kolya’s reaction carefully, but the man didn’t seem fazed in the slightest.

“Even if it exists, Major, you need at least two senior personnel to activate it, and I’m about to take one of them out of the equation.”

Elizabeth’s mouth opened several times, but nothing came out. Rodney’s mind worked frantically to think of a way out of this. A way to save her.

“Kolya!” John shouted, but the man ignored him. “Kolya!! I’ll give you a ship! I’ll fly you out of here myself!” No, John couldn’t. Kolya would kill him, Rodney was certain. The thought of that made Rodney’s stomach turn worse than it already was at the thought of having to watch Elizabeth get killed in front of him. “Kolyaaaaa!!! Kolya, don’t do this!”

“How is this going to help you get what you want?” Elizabeth asked.

“Sheppard put you in this position, not me,” Kolya ground out.

Shaking, Rodney stepped in front of Elizabeth. Heart hammering in his throat, he tried to stare the other man down. “You can’t do this. This is crazy. You need her.” Yeah, but what he was doing was crazier. Was he insane to step into the line of fire?

Sora piped up. “She’s right, Commander.”

Okay, good. Maybe he’d listen to her, because Rodney wasn’t sure the man would listen to him. Thinking quickly, he gave one last ditch effort, putting as much bluster as he could manage into his voice. “I’m not kidding. There are codes required to activate the shield. Codes that only she knows. You can’t do this without her!” Kolya’s gaze turned to flint and his gun hand twitched. Gulping, Rodney held up his hands and added, “You can’t do this without me, either. I mean… we’re a package deal.” Oh, he was going to die. He was going to die and it would be his own damn fault.

He started to babble. “You take us out of the equation andandand you don’t have an endgame!” The silence in the room grew unbearable and Rodney realized the term wouldn’t mean anything to the Genii. Scrambling, he tried again. “Granted, that’s a chess term. I’m… I’m…” Taking a deep breath, he tried again, talking faster as he went. “My point is, we’re the only ones that can fix the grounding stations. We’re the only ones that can activate the shield. We’re the only ones that can solve problems I can’t even think of yet! You kill either one of us, and you don’t get what you want! That’s how important we are.” Rodney hated hearing the fear in his voice. The tears that were threatening to to spill at the thought of leaving John behind.

“Rodney,” Elizabeth said quietly from behind him. “Rodney, he gets it.”

It took Rodney a moment to realize that while he had been rambling, Kolya had lowered his gun. The stark relief he felt at the threat of death being lifted – temporary though that might be – had Rodney nearly collapsing in on himself. He’d done it. He had saved Elizabeth and himself, and John was still out there.

“I appreciate y-” Elizabeth started, but Sora cut across her harshly. “You’re an asset we need to complete this mission.”

As she stormed out of the room, Rodney turned toward Elizabeth to make sure she was alright. “You stood in front of a gun for me,” she said quietly.

Turning his head slightly, he muttered, “Don’t thank me just yet. We have two and a half hours until the storm hits and unless our luck changes drastically the city is going to be obliterated.” He was going to be sick, he just knew it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Report, Sergeant,” Ioan ordered when he went to relieve Bates of duty.

Bates shook his head, eyes darting to the Manarians several feet away. “No activity, sir. They seem to be content to just stand there and watch us. A few of the Athosians wanted to go hunting, but Halling convinced them otherwise.”

Ioan nodded. “When I explained to him why we were concerned, he didn’t seem particularly surprised. I think there’s some history there, but he wasn’t very forthcoming.”

Bates frowned. “History? Then why did they suggest trade with the Manarians?”

Ioan shrugged. “Better the devil you know, maybe? I don’t know. Could just be it’s a personal matter for Halling, not an Athosian one. Like I said, he wasn’t very forthcoming.”

Bates nodded, casting a suspicious look at the guard. “Still don’t like it, sir.”

Ioan huffed. “None of us do, Sarge. Go get some rest.”

“Yes, sir,” Bates said, saluting smartly before heading toward his tent.

Sighing, Ioan took up position and focused on the task at hand, pushing his worries about Atlantis aside. He knew the storm was due to hit in a couple of hours and they had no hope of news before at least another hour after that, and that was being overly optimistic, Kimberly had told him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Major Sheppard. How is this for credibility? Weir is dead.”

Anger roiled in John’s gut. He’d failed Elizabeth, and now she was gone and it was his fault. Pressing the Genii comm to his mouth, he ground out, “I. Will. Kill. You.”

“Maybe. Stay out of my way or McKay will join her.”

Rodney! John’s stomach threatened to revolt at the thought of Kolya laying a hand on him. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths in an attempt to squash the sudden helplessness that washed over him. If Rodney died… No. He couldn’t think on that. The only way to save Rodney was to take the Genii out. Nodding to himself, he set off running with grim determination.

He made his way carefully through the city, keeping a sharp eye on the LSD. He had to be smart about this. Going in guns blazing, however appealing that sounded just then, would only get Rodney killed, and losing him was not an option. A few corridors down, John noticed a small cluster of blips on the screen moving toward him from a level below. Slowing his pace, he approached them soundlessly until he was right above them. Dropping a couple of smoke bombs, he silently set about creating an ambush.

He could hear one of the Genii giving them directions to his location. Damn, that meant they had figured out how to use the city’s scanners. Well, maybe he could use that against them. For now, he needed to take out this group and they were headed his way fast. Scrambling up the rafters, John got into position and waited. It didn’t take very long at all before a group of four Genii stood under him. He grinned darkly as he listened to their confusion, knowing the scanners would show him in the same room.

Very carefully, he set his sights on the first one and, after taking a slow breath, opened fire. The room filled with the sound of gunfire and their shouts, which were abruptly ended in short order. Four down, however many left to go, John thought as he climbed down. Checking the LSD again, he allowed himself a brief respite. “What would McKay do?” he muttered to himself. When it hit him, he almost wanted to laugh it was so simple. With renewed vigor, John made his way to the naquedah generator that powered the control room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Teyla, I’m scared.”

Kneeling down beside the young boy who had been on his first hunting party when the storm hit, she took his hands in hers and smiled reassuringly up at him. “We are safe here, Degan. The storm will pass and we will see our people again,” she promised gently.

He shook his head, his eyes wide with fear. “We’ll get blown away!”

“We will not. Dr. Beckett has made the jumper heavier. No wind can lift us if we do not wish it to.”

“But-” Degan started, only to stare open-mouthed out of the window. Teyla turned her head to look and got to her feet instantly. The sky had cleared, the sun was shining, and the wind had stopped almost completely. Was it over?

Aiden and Carson both moved to the back where Aiden slapped the button to lower the ramp. They all three stepped outside in disbelief. Never had she experienced a storm so fierce, only to have it die down so abruptly.

Aiden exhaled sharply. “We’re in the eye.”

Teyla looked at him in confusion, then at Carson as he agreed with him. “The eye?” she asked.

“Dead center of the storm,” Carson explained, his eyes scanning the sky above. “The storm swirls around it, twenty to forty kilometer-wide area.”

She nodded. “Then this calm will not last.”

Turning to her, Carson inclined his head. “No, it won’t. In fact, in about ten minutes it’s going to get very ugly again.”

Aiden spun on his heel and began to push Carson back into the jumper. Teyla watched in astonishment as he said, “Come on, we have to help the major.”

Carson put a restraining hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “Aye. We can take off, but landing’s going to be twice as hard, believe me. What if the storm’s reached Atlantis?”

She watched to two face off, unsure which – if any – side she should take. She knew nothing of weather like this and these men seemed to have more experience with it. To her, they both had valid points, yet she could not deny wanting to assist the major. Aiden forced Carson inside and into his seat even as the man protested vehemently that attempting to fly was insane.

“This is a spaceship,” Aiden reminded him. “We can fly up and over.”

“Oh, straight up and down,” Carson said incredulously.

“Yes, straight up and down,” Aiden said firmly. “We have to help the major, doc.”

“I’m a bloody medical doctor,” Carson argued. “Not a bloody magician!”

“You can do it,” Aiden assured, though Teyla sensed he was not as confident as he wanted to appear.

Carson turned helplessly to her. “Teyla?” he pleaded.

“If we can help, then we must.” If Aiden said they could avoid the storm entirely during the eye, then she had to believe him. She had to have faith that Carson could fly them to Atlantis in one piece. She chanced a quick glance over her shoulders to the three young Athosians and flashed them a smile. They were staring at them with wide eyes. She hoped she would be able to keep them safe.

Carson flung his seat around and began his pre-flight, anxiety pouring off the man in waves. “Oh crap,” he mumbled as they took off. Placing a steadying hand on his shoulder, she offered what support she could to her friend. She hoped the major, Rodney, and Elizabeth were alright. At least now they were on their way to lend assistance.

The flight to the city was shorter than she had ever known before. Carson had managed to land them safely in the city, if barely. The winds had barreled at them and Carson’s own fears did not help their approach. However, they were in the jumper bay, all in one piece. She and Aiden scouted the immediate vicinity and once it was cleared, went back to the jumper where Carson was waiting with the young ones. As Aiden offered Carson a gun, she warned the others to stay inside the jumper and to be still. It was the only thing she could think of to keep them out of harm’s way.

“Remember how you’re always saying you’re not military and you don’t have to take orders?” Aiden groused.

Carson nodded. “Aye.”

“Well, now you do. Follow me.” Aiden ordered gruffly, an air of pomposity practically shimmering around him.

Teyla frowned at the lieutenant. She and Aiden had been on the same team for months now. She liked him. He appeared to have a ready smile, and he had not yet been jaded by the Pegasus galaxy as so many of its inhabitants had. She had found him to be easy-going while on missions, quick to obey orders, as well as to take suggestions from her when it came to dealing with the people of this galaxy. Yet now, she saw an entirely different side to him and it was one she could not reconcile with the boy she had come to know. When this was all over, she intended to have a word with Major Sheppard about their youngest teammate, because his current attitude would not do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Really, really dangerous!

Don’t touch!

Mckay.

John eyed the sign Rodney had left on top of the generator with trepidation, weighing the pros and cons of going through with his plan. If this worked the way he hoped, then the most he would get from the scientist was a lecture. If something went wrong though, then this could end up being his worst decision yet. Swallowing hard, he stared the generator down as if it held the answers. “Okay, Sheppard. Quit it. This will work, and when it does, you have to haul ass to the control room before the Genii reinforcements gate in.”

He mentally went over everything he had read about the naquadah generators, but he had to admit he hadn’t paid as much attention as he probably should have. Still he hoped he was remembering correctly as he gripped the top and twisted, lifting the cap off. The generator died instantly and John sighed in relief. Okay, next step, he thought as he double-timed it to the control room.

It filled John with satisfaction to hear the communications between the Genii as they tried to figure out what he had done. The scanners were down, so he was free to move about the city without risk of discovery, which was a very good thing considering what he was about to do. Stepping into the transporter he took a deep breath. John hit the pad just off from the control room, very glad that the process was virtually soundless.

John crept closer, keeping his eyes and ears peeled as he went. He didn’t need their radios now to hear their conversation. He just had to stay out of sight until just the right moment.

“How many can we expect?” Sora asked.

John ducked a little further behind the console as she walked by it. “A full complement. Sixty, or more,” came the answer from a Genii John didn’t recognize. “I don’t know how we were expected to take a facility this size with any less,” the man said as the gate activated. He got up and walked to the balcony.

“We’re supposed to be a raid. The retrieval was rightfully ours,” Sora offered curtly. John thought she sounded disapproving. Interesting. “With me,” she said as she headed down the stairs to meet the reinforcements. Two Genii followed her, leaving the guy on the balcony alone.

Good. This was his chance, then. “Reinforcements are arriving now, Commander,” the man relayed.

“Have them secure Stargate operations and report back to me.” Sorry to disappoint, Kolya, John thought as he noiselessly made his way toward the soldier.

“Yes Commander,” the man said and turned around. Right into John’s right hook. He went down instantly and John had to move quickly to catch him in order to avoid anyone hearing the racket.

Once the man was on the floor, John slipped over to the dialing device and activated the shield, inputting a personal code to prevent it being lifted without his explicit permission. There would be no more Genii coming onto his city. Before he could escape unseen, Sora spun to yell at her accomplice and spotted him. “Get him!”

Crap. Jumping to his feet, John ran across to the other side of the control room, firing as he went. He thought he killed at least one more, and wounded a few others, but he was too busy evading bullets himself to pay too close attention to his marks. He all but dove into the transporter, randomly hitting a spot on the map in order to get away. John listened to Sora update Kolya on the situation. The thrill of knowing the blow he had dealt them shot through John, but he pushed it down. Yes, he had won a battle, but the war was still going and it was one he had to win.

Taking care to avoid running into more Genii, John decided to take out more generators, figuring the less power the Genii had to work with, the better for him. If nothing else, it would keep them busy, and if they did as he hoped and sent guards, they would be easy pickings. John was evading a couple of Genii when Kolya’s icy rage piped into his ear. “Major Sheppard, I have a proposition for you.”

Crap! If that patrol overheard him, he would be in trouble. The LSD showed him he was way too close to another group of Genii to risk a firefight. Doubling back, John decided to go down a few levels. “Kolya. I’m having a hard time keeping up. What’s the score again?” He had to keep the man on edge. If Kolya was unbalanced enough, he might be able to surprise him.

“My men have informed me that not only have you disabled some crucial generators, but you have stolen key components which make it impossible for them to be restored.”

“Yeah, I did that.” Keep talking, Kolya, John thought. The man had to slip up sometime, and John was determined to catch him at it.

“There are two flaws in your plan.”

John snorted. Probably more than two if he were honest, but he was working with what he had, which wasn’t much. “Always open to constructive criticism,” John quipped.

“One: the assumption that I would believe you would rather destroy the city than have it fall to us, is childish.”

“That doesn’t sound like me,” John retorted as he continued down several flights of stairs.

“Second: if and when I determine Atlantis unsalvageable, Drs. Weir and McKay become obsolete.”

John stopped so suddenly he nearly tripped down the last step. “Weir’s alive?” His heart pounded in his chest.

“Dr. McKay was able to make a strong case for keeping her alive.”

John smiled in spite of himself. Way to go, Rodney. “Let me talk to her,” he demanded, needing to be absolutely sure Kolya was speaking the truth this time.

“Sheppard, we’re both here,” came Elizabeth’s voice, and John breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s good to hear your voice.” He closed his eyes briefly, mentally reordering what he knew now that Elizabeth was alive.

“Yeah, it’s good to hear you, too,” she replied before Kolya came back on the line.

“We have less than one hour before the storm hits full force. If the power is not returned to grounding station four within the next ten minutes, Dr. Weir dies.”

John blinked. How could he be sure Kolya’s threat was real this time. He had bluffed before, could he be doing so now, John wondered? “Again, you mean?”

“Her death will buy you another ten minutes, after which, should the power still be out, Dr. McKay dies.”

John’s gut clenched with fear as he checked his watch, tallying how long it would take him to get back to the generator. He could not risk Rodney. He couldn’t. The very thought of being the cause of Rodney’s death… it was worse than when he had been unable to rescue Holland and forced to watch his friend die. That incident had nearly unglued John. Losing Rodney would be the end of him, he was certain.

Kolya continued, “We will then leave with what we can and the city will be destroyed.”

John shook his head. “But that’s not enough time!” He had to try, but there was no way he would make it from where he was at without cutting it real close.

“If you don’t mind destroying Atlantis, stay where you are for the next twenty minutes. Starting now,” Kolya challenged.

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! John raced down the stairs, putting everything he had in getting to his destination on time, praying he wouldn’t run into any patrols. He made it to the generator with less than a minute to spare. Dropping to his knees, he grabbed the cable and reattached it to the machine before fumbling in his bag for the missing piece. He was about to put it in the generator when a voice behind him ordered him to stop.

“You have got to be kidding me,” John muttered under his breath. He didn’t have time for this shit. Raising his hands in the air, he took slow, steadying breaths to keep his temper in check. If he didn’t get the power back on, like now, Elizabeth would die. “Look. Your boss wanted me to turn this thing back on, so I think we should do as he says,” he tried, knowing it was probably a wasted effort.

Sure enough… “Be quiet.”

Great. Now what was he going to do? Hanging his head, he listened with fading hope as the man reported to Sora and was told to keep him there until she got there. At least they were under orders to keep him alive, which was something.

“I don’t mean to be a bad prisoner or anything, but Kolya’s going to kill one of my people if I don’t get this thing turned back on in time, so…” John gritted his teeth. If it came down to it, he would take the chance and try to activate it anyway, even if it meant getting shot.

“Turn. Around.”

Taking a steadying breath, John weighed his options. On his knees as he was, he was vulnerable. On his feet, he could try to overpower them or at the very least get out of their line of fire. He stood up slowly and did as ordered. It took him a second to register what he was seeing. A grin spread on his lips. Things had just taken a turn for the better. “You turn around,” he said casually.

The two Genii shared a confused look. “What?”

John half-shrugged, hands still in the air. “Well, if I have to turn around, you should turn around.”

They stared stupidly at him for all of three seconds before Ford stunned them and they dropped to the ground. About time they got here, John thought. “What the hell took you so long?” he asked no one in particular even as he turned his attention back to the generator.

“Well there’s the storm, you know, and-” Ford began, but John cut him off.

“Just… hold that thought,” he muttered as he checked he had the top aligned correctly and pushed down. His knees shook with relief when the generator lit up. Checking his watch, he ran a hand over his face. He had made it, just in the nick of time.

Right. They had to move fast now. Rodney would no doubt have the grounding station working again soon, which meant that the corridors would not be a good place to be. John filled Ford, Teyla, and Carson in on what had been going on, all the way from Rodney’s plan to save the city, to what had happened with the Genii up until they had found him. Well, he gave them the CliffsNotes version as they headed to the control tower. There was no time for details.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

John was alive. Elizabeth was still here, and for the moment, they were both safe. Rodney had to keep reminding himself of that as he sat hunched over the console. He had tried as hard as he could to stall, but they were running out of time. The storm was going to hit any moment, but if he could just give John a little more time… Just one more chance to come and save the day. Rodney was absolutely terrified of Kolya. Back at the grounding station when Kolya had gotten word of what John had done with the gate shield, Rodney had been certain that that would be it for him. The man had been deranged and Rodney believed the only reason he hadn’t killed Rodney that instant was because it took him too long to decide whether to strangle him or throw him into the ocean.

Rodney’s heart was alternately in his throat or somewhere around his toes, depending on where Kolya was in relation to him. Elizabeth hovered over his shoulder, whispering in his ear. “We have to keep stalling. Sheppard is still out there.”

Yes, thank you, he was aware of that. All too aware. Still, she hissed, “If you activate it now, he’ll-”

Kolya called from the window. “Now, McKay.”

“It’s done,” Rodney said, ignoring Elizabeth, as well as the sickening feeling in his gut. Squaring his shoulders, he shot her a meaningful look. “Dr. Weir, I need to enter codes now.”

She blinked in confusion, so he willed her to understand. Straightening, she gave the tiniest of head bobs. “Yes, of course.” She rattled off a set of numbers which Rodney typed in as judiciously as possible before prompting her for more. They were all nonsense, anyway, but the Genii didn’t know that. It was the only thing he could think of to do, and it would hopefully work toward convincing Kolya when the shield failed. Which it would, only by virtue of Rodney having set it up to do so. There was a slim chance his desperate plan would work, but he had to take it.

One of the Genii shouted, “A massive wave is approaching. Without the shield…”

Kolya roared, “McKay!”

Okay, Rodney. Breathe. He just had to stay calm. Had to play his part. He could do this. Eyes roving the readouts the console was spitting out, Rodney reported, “We’re starting to get hits to the northern pier. Reverting power to the corridor… now.” He punched the button which made a sorrowful noise, but nothing happened. Okay, so far, so good, Rodney thought. He took a steadying breath and hit it again. “Now!” Again the noise and again nothing. A third time. And a fourth. “Okay, this is a problem,” he said, turning to Kolya who stalked over to his console.

Kolya growled, “What?”

Steeling himself, Rodney pushed through. He was in no doubt that he would pay for his little charade even if Kolya believed him. All the more if he did not. “I told you this was a longshot from the beginning.”

“We already have serious flooding on the north and west piers,” came the Genii who had warned of the approaching wave.

Rodney felt as if his heart was about to race out of his chest and his palms were starting to sweat. “Look, it’s no use. The corridors just can’t handle this kind of raw power.” Please, oh please, let them buy it. Let them cut their losses and just leave while there’s still time, Rodney thought.

Elizabeth sounded genuinely concerned, which was good. “Is there any power getting to the shield generator?”

Rodney shook his head. “Not enough. Minimal amounts, nowhere near enough.” He avoided Kolya’s eyes, focusing on his screen as he pretended to attempt to find a way around it.

Kolya loomed over the console, cold fury in his voice. “You said this would work!”

Gathering every bit of the arrogance and anger he was most known for, Rodney faced the man. “I don’t know if you noticed or not, but I’m an extremely arrogant man who tends to think all his plans will work.” Kolya didn’t disappoint in his reaction as he backhanded Rodney, nearly knocking him out of his chair. Yeah, he had known something like that was coming. Didn’t make it hurt any less, though, he thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Open the stargate,” Kolya ordered. “Start evacuating the remaining men.”

“You’re making the right decision,” Elizabeth said.

John’s relief was short lived as Kolya’s next words filtered down to them. “You’re coming with us.”

Oh, hell no. He glanced around the pillar he was hiding behind and tried to decide the best course of action. Carson and Teyla should have been there already, which meant something had happened to them and it would be up to him and Ford to stage a rescue on their own. Genii were leaving the city with their loot in tow. John took small pleasure in knowing that they were not taking any C4, but he was certain Carson would be less than happy knowing his already limited medical supplies were now severely diminished.

He only half paid attention to what was happening above them, only dimly aware of Kolya and Rodney arguing. He wished he could tell Rodney to shut up and not make the man any madder than he already was. John was still reeling slightly from when Kolya had hurt Rodney. He had no idea what had actually happened up there, but he had heard the impact and he had… felt that same feeling from before again. That weird echo-y twisting of his stomach and tightening of his heart. Not nearly as bad as it had been then, but enough to take him by surprise. He had to figure out what that was about, but it would have to be later.

Turning to Ford, he indicated where he wanted the man to go as he told him to protect Elizabeth. Rodney was his. John would trust no other to save the man at this point. Stepping out from behind the pillar, John shot at the men trying to get through the gate. The one holding Elizabeth let her go in an attempt to flee, but Ford took care of him. Kolya had Rodney in his grip, using him as a shield as he backed them slowly toward the gate. Forcing his breath to remain steady, John took careful aim. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Kolya grinned, certain of his victory as he took another step backward, forcing Rodney to arch slightly as Kolya tightened the pressure on his wounded arm.

“I will shoot you if you don’t let him go,” John said, only somewhat surprised at how calm he sounded.

“And risk hurting Dr. McKay?” Kolya challenged.

John briefly met Rodney’s eyes who seemed to be silently begging him to get it over with. To save him. It tore at John to see the fear in his lover’s eyes. John stepped forward, securing his sight. “I’m not aiming at him,” he assured, his attention once more laser focused on Kolya. When the man took another step back, John pulled the trigger and Kolya released Rodney even as he fell through the event horizon.

Rodney was on all fours, shaking and panting as John rushed over to him. He dropped to his knees, letting the gun slip from his hands as he reached to cradle Rodney’s face in them instead. He stared intently into Rodney’s eyes for a moment, whispering, “You’re okay. I’m here, Rodney. You’re okay, you’re okay,” before crashing his lips to Rodney’s. Rodney wrapped his arms around him and John did the same, holding onto him for dear life. Nothing mattered except Rodney.

That was, until Elizabeth placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him. “John,” she urged. “John!”

Reluctantly, they separated and he glanced up at Elizabeth who watched them with an unreadable expression. John’s stomach dropped when he realized what he had just done, certain they were in even more trouble, but Elizabeth shook her head. “We can discuss this later. For now, let’s try to save the city first.”

“Right. Yes. Of course,” Rodney rambled as he got to his feet and ran up the stairs, John following close behind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Carson, come on. Faster, we have to make it to the control room in time,” Teyla urged as she and Sora carried him between them. He and Teyla had gone to the jumper bay to retrieve the three Athosian stragglers they had left there, and they were supposed to have gone to help the major rescue Elizabeth and Rodney. Instead, Sora had knocked Carson out briefly and he had woken to see Teyla and the Genii girl fighting.

When Kolya’s order to evacuate came over the radio, Teyla had used the distraction and pinned Sora to the wall, telling her plainly that she was going to get those hunters to safety. Sora could either help or die in the corridors of Atlantis. Sora had opted for helping, which is how they found their way stumbling to the control room.

“Aye, lass, I’m trying,” he assured. He frowned slightly when he realized he was slurring his words.

Together, they hobbled into the room and Elizabeth yelled, “Rodney, go!”

Carson limped over to the console, needing to hold onto it to stay upright. Oh, but his head hurt. Carson wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, vaguely remembering the plan Major Sheppard had laid out, but he wasn’t sure it was working. He did notice Major Sheppard hovering at Rodney’s side with a look of concern.

Rodney glanced up and nodded to him. “Carson.”

“Rodney,” Carson replied, wondering what that was about.

“Just in time to see how this ends, huh?”

Aye, he supposed he was, at that. Carson sent up a quiet prayer to whoever was listening that Rodney’s crazy plan would work. “Now!” exclaimed Rodney, punching a button. Carson turned to look out the window and joined the collective sigh of relief when he saw the shield go up just in time to block the massive wave that surely would have swallowed the city whole.

“Nice work, Rodney,” Elizabeth said with a smile.

Rodney leaned heavily on the console, head drooping, but he glanced up at her. “Did you ever doubt me?”

Her lips twisted briefly. “Yes. Several times,” she admitted.

“Oh…” Rodney nodded, but before he could do or say anything else, Major Sheppard enveloped him in a hug.

Carson’s eyes widened at the unexpected, not to mention unusual, display. His gaze met Elizabeth’s and she nodded. Yeah, they would definitely need to have a talk about the regulations, and soon. Life on Atlantis was about to change.

 

next

“It shouldn’t be too difficult,” Rodney noted as they headed toward the transporter. “Radek found some artifacts that require a stronger gene than what any of us has to make them work. At least, that’s his guess, since not even Miko or Carson could make it do anything. They’re both certain it is Ancient, though.”

“Yeah, okay. Been awhile since I had to play lightswitch,” John said, amused. “I’ve already cleared a block of time this morning.” He was actually looking forward to spending time in the labs. Aside from the fact that it meant being near Rodney, he enjoyed hanging out with the geeks. Some people thought it strange, but he didn’t care. Not even Rodney knew that John could have been in Mensa, and while Rodney had read his file and was aware of John’s masters in math, he still hadn’t quite caught on to the fact that he liked math. It was one of John’s guilty pleasures to secretly correct the scientists’ math behind their backs. It amused him greatly to have them return from a break and find their work changed for the better and no one being the wiser. It was almost a sport to him.

Rodney shot him a pleased smile that warmed John’s insides. He looked so unguarded in that moment that it took some effort for John to not drag him into a closet or empty room and kiss the man senseless. They were rounding the corner to Rodney’s lab when Teyla called from behind them. “Major Sheppard!”

Both Rodney and John turned, surprised to find their friend and teammate trotting down the corridor toward them. When she reached them, she offered them each a smile. “Teyla, everything okay?” John asked, wondering why she had sought him out rather than radio him.

“Dr. McKay, Major Sheppard. I apologize. I tried to catch you in the mess hall but you had already left by the time I got there,” she explained.

Sharing a look of confusion with Rodney, John murmured, “Okaaaaay. So what’s going on?”

Taking a steadying breath, Teyla focused on John. “I was hoping you would be willing to fly me to the mainland.”

Tilting his head, John took a moment to observe his friend. Even after months since the debacle with the transmitter and everything that had happened, her relationship with her people was still strained. She loved them dearly, fought for them every single day, but the fact that she had chosen to remain on Atlantis and had stood by Elizabeth, rather than side with her people and leave had cost her a great deal.

Casting a sideways look at Rodney, he nodded. “Sure, Teyla. You don’t mind, do you, Rodney?”

Rodney blinked at him in surprise. “What? Mind? No, no, of course not. Radek can wait, it isn’t like he doesn’t have ten other projects that need his attention. Go! Say hello to Jinto for me.”

Teyla’s relief was plain to see, as was her genuine amusement and pleasure at Rodney’s inclusion of Jinto. The boy held a special place in their hearts since that time he had gotten lost in the city and released the energy being the Ancients had captured. John wasn’t entirely sure how that had ended up making Rodney warm to the boy, but it had. Teyla inclined her head gratefully. “Thank you. I will meet you in the jumper bay in fifteen minutes?”

“I’ll be there,” John assured, smiling. They watched her leave, and as soon as she was out of sight, John grabbed Rodney’s arm and pulled him into an empty lab, the door immediately locking behind them.

“You sure you’re alright with me ditching?” John met his gaze searchingly. He didn’t doubt that Rodney was as concerned for Teyla as he was, or that he hadn’t been truthful in saying it was okay, but a part of him still needed the reassurance.

“Of course. I mean, if it had been anyone else, I would have told them what they could do with their request, but this was Teyla. She doesn’t get to spend nearly as much time with her people. You really think I’d get in the way of her actually going?” Rodney asked incredulously.

Cupping Rodney’s face in his hands, John pressed a gentle kiss to the man’s lips. “No, I don’t. But I’m not the only pilot and I did promise to help out today.”

Huffing, Rodney crossed his arms as he gave him a narrow look. “John Sheppard, just what do you take me for? Teyla came to you for help. She asked you. Teyla rarely if ever asks anyone anything for herself, and she’s always there for us. I might not be very good at this whole ‘friends’ thing and new to the whole ‘team’ thing, but Teyla is both and that counts for something.” He frowned, suddenly seeming unsure. “Right?”

John grinned. “You’re absolutely right. I am sorry though, was looking forward to hanging out in the labs today.”

Rodney surprised him by fisting his shirt and pulling him in for a searing kiss that left John kind of dizzy. With a look of satisfaction on his face, Rodney whispered roughly, “I know, me too. Now get the hell out of here before we make a liar out of you.”

John’s lips twitched in amusement. “Sir, yes, sir,” he mumbled, causing Rodney to blush. The sudden gleam in his eyes nearly made John reconsider, but the door suddenly opening was enough to douse his arousal. That was going to be something they would have to explore at some point, he promised himself as he hurried to the jumper bay.

When he got to the jumper, Teyla was already loading things she had traded for on behalf of her people. It wasn’t much and it didn’t take them long to finish the task. John couldn’t help but wonder whether this was a normal haul for her or not. Once in the air, Teyla busied herself rearranging the wares while John only half paid attention to flying. After a few minutes, John prodded cautiously, “You haven’t been to the mainland for a while. How is everybody settling in?”

Leaning on the console next to him, Teyla smiled tentatively. “Halling believes the first crops will have a good yield.”

Okay… not exactly the kind of answer he had hoped for. He knew evasion when he saw it and debated whether to call her out on it. Deciding to leave it for now, he asked instead, “Do they still miss home?” He carefully kept his eyes on his flying in order to give her space.

“There is…” Teyla hesitated, then sighed. “Still talk of returning. Even though I’ve told them the Wraith have scorched Athos bare in revenge for our resistance.”

John’s heart went out to his friend. He could hear the longing for the place she had lived her whole life. Hear how much she missed her people. Her friends, and those she considered family. “Well, maybe given time, this will start to feel like home,” he offered hopefully with a sideways glance at Teyla before checking their course.

Teyla’s worried, “Do you see that?” had him looking up. It took him a moment for what his eyes were seeing to compute. What in the world was that? “That can’t be a storm. It stretches across the whole horizon,” he mumbled in disbelief.

Teyla frowned, sounding awed. “I’ve never seen something like that from so high.”

He couldn’t help but smile a little at her amazement. He had to remind himself that the Athosians didn’t have flight capability, and that flying was still new to Teyla and her people. For John, it was old hat, even if the jumpers were nothing like any aircraft he’d flown on Earth. Still, he was pretty awed himself at what he was seeing now. “I’ve seen a lot of things from this altitude, but nothing like that,” he admitted.

Hitting the comms, John said, “Atlantis base, this is jumper one. We’re gonna change our heading to investigate a storm.”

Weir’s voice crackled in response. “Major, this is …. copy that…. breaking up.”

John shared a concerned look with Teyla as she slipped into the co-pilot’s seat. “Atlantis, I said we’re going to investigate a storm. It looks to be headed your way, so we’re going to do a little weather forecasting. Sheppard out.”

Figuring the best way to get a clear idea of the scale of the storm was to see it from above, John took them into low orbit. He blinked at the scope of the storm. The damned thing took up most of the viewscreen from up here.That could not be a good thing.

Teyla’s concern seeped into his already growing alarm. “Do all storms look like this from above?” She sounded almost hopeful.

He hated to burst that bubble. He shook his head, eyes fixed on the storm. “No.” Pulling up the HUD, he scanned the readings. Dread filled him as he eyed the darkening sky ahead. “This one’s supposed to cover twenty percent of the planet,” he said incredulously. That couldn’t possibly be right, could it?

Taking a steadying breath, Teyla tried to read the HUD. “Is it headed toward the mainland?”

“It’s tracking right toward the settlement,” he confirmed. Oh yeah, that was very, very bad news. There was no way that the Athosians would be able to make it through a storm that big in one piece. Crap. Taking in the readings that continued to pour in, John’s stomach plummeted.

“And after that?” asked Teyla, sounding resigned.

Glancing at her, John swallowed. “Straight to Atlantis.” Taking a few last readings in order to give the scientists a more complete picture, John turned to Teyla. “We have to get back to the city. Warn them so we can prepare.” Teyla opened her mouth, but John went on. “As soon as we have more information, I’m sending out every jumper to collect your people. We’ll keep them safe, Teyla.”

She nodded jerkily, her eyes fixed on the viewscreen.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Alright, people. Listen up. I want everyone with the gene to man a jumper. I don’t care if you’re an expert pilot or not. Your job is to head to the mainland and help the Athosians with their evacuation. We have four hours to get this done, so let’s go!” Evan ordered.

Ioan nodded. Turning to Teyla, he touched her arm. “You can ride with me,” he said softly. Evan would be one of the few gene carriers staying behind on the city, since Sheppard was off-world looking for a place they could bunker down for the duration of this storm, and someone had to organize the evacuation from the city.

Teyla inclined her head and followed him. Taking a seat next to Ioan, she swallowed hard, her face a mask of worry. Going over his pre-flight, Ioan cleared his throat. “They’ll be alright, Teyla. We’ll have them all out of there before the storm hits.”

She offered him a wan smile. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I’m sure we will. I just…” she trailed off with a shrug.

Flashing a comforting smile, he dipped his head. “I know. I get it, believe me. And please, call me Ioan, okay?”

“Thank you. Ioan.”

“Alright, here we go. It’s already pretty windy, so it might get a little bumpy before we get to the mainland,” he cautioned.

It took them almost twenty minutes to have every one of the jumpers flown over and parked at a safe distance. Teyla immediately went to find Halling and Ioan saw them argue briefly before Teyla came rushing back. “We need to do what we can to secure the settlement, and take that which cannot be safely left behind with us. Halling if spreading word of the evacuation, but he says there are several hunting parties out at the moment. He is not sure they all can be reached in time.”

Everyone set to work, though some with less grace than others. Ioan shook his head at Carson’s grumbling about not having the right boots for this kind of work. Carson had already been on the mainland in order to inoculate several babies when news of the storm had arrived, and he was not keen to be drawn away from his duties. Ioan really liked the man, but there were those times when he felt the good doctor got a little too one-track minded. Still, a few quick words from Teyla set him to rights.

Ioan was hot and sweaty by the time they had everything as ready as they were going to be, and the wind had picked up considerably. Ioan ordered everyone else to head back to the city. “Carson, I need you to stay here and wait with Teyla for the last stragglers. According to Halling, there are still three people missing.”

“But I should go see to my staff,” he protested.

“Carson, Mac has everything well in hand. Your people are trained well and know what to do. I need you here in case one of the hunters is injured. They should have been back by now.”

Running his fingers through his hair, Carson nodded. “Right. Okay.”

“I’m leaving Lieutenant Ford with you, just in case. Come back as soon as you can and let me know if you run into any trouble.”

“Will do. Good luck, lad.”

“You, too, doc. Teyla.” Ioan hurried off after a quick word with Ford. Ioan had a few months on the guy, but even so, he bristled at the order to stay and babysit the others, though once Ioan repeated the order, a look of determination came over the man. Ioan shook his head as he made his way to the jumper. Ford was overall a likeable guy, but one thing that bugged Ioan was how uppity he got when he thought he was in charge. He almost felt sorry for Carson and Teyla, but they would just have to deal.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rodney’s head was starting to throb. Massaging his temples, he peered at his screen, hoping a solution would come to him. All he had to do was the impossible, as usual, and save the city from this massively huge storm from hell so that the expedition wouldn’t be completely stranded and at the mercy of the Manarians. No pressure there. Breathing in deeply through his nose, he murmured to himself, “Come on, McKay. Focus. Like Sheppard said, this city has survived thousands of years. You can not let it be destroyed now, especially not by something as stupid as a bit of wind.” Okay, a lot of very, very powerful wind.

He and his team had been at it for hours already. Well, those of his minions he hadn’t set to begin evacuation procedures, at least. Tapping his earpiece, he grumbled, “Simpson, status.”

Simpson promptly relayed where they were at, informing Rodney they were almost done battening down the hatches and had corralled all non-essential personnel toward the gate room. As soon as he signed off, Rodney drained his cold coffee with a grimace. Scrubbing his face with his hands, he sighed.

“You know, in Czech Republic we don’t have to deal with hurricanes,” Radek piped up from the other desk.

Rolling his eyes, Rodney huffed as he prodded at his pad. “Yeah well, we don’t get that many in Canada, either. Except one called Hazel.”

“Hazel?”

“Hm, yeah, about forty years ago,” Rodney replied distractedly. There just had to be an answer to their problem. There had to be.

“That’s interesting.”

“Not really,” Rodney murmured.

Radek paced in front of his desk. “No, not really,” he admitted.

Mind only minimally on the conversation, Rodney added, “I was once almost struck by lightning.”

Radek came to a halt. “Lightning?”

Rodney froze, then jumped to his feet, sharing a look of excited hope with his colleague and friend. “That just might do it.”

They hurried off to talk to Elizabeth to tell her of their tentative plan. If they could get the grounding stations offline, they should be able to reroute the power from any lightning strikes to the shields. There was a slim chance they would be able to pull it off and survive, he was sure. A better chance they would save the city but die in the process, he thought, but he was wise enough to not voice that. He certainly was willing to do what it took, and he was positive that he could improve the odds of their survival with just a little more time. So between them, Radek and Rodney explained what they had just come up with and got the okay.

Snapping his fingers, Rodney said, “Okay, Right. To the grounding stations, then,” he said to Radek, who shook his head.

“No, I think we should do the power distribution station first,” he corrected.

Ah, yes, of course. Rodney should have thought of that himself. “Ah, good point. Good call,” he praised. Not something he got to do very often around his minions. Radek was one of the few people he knew that could keep up with him. Miko and Kimberly coming very close after him. They also happened to be some of the few people who understood how Rodney worked and were able to handle his abrasiveness.

As Radek headed to the stairs, Rodney followed. “I tend to get ahead of myself,” he mused.

Radek chuckled. “Yes, you do. Now we must hurry, or else we run out of time.”

It took them a little longer than Rodney would have preferred to get done, but he insisted they double check everything. They would only get one shot at this, so they couldn’t afford to screw up. The only thing left to do was to uncouple the grounding stations, which Rodney figured that he, Elizabeth, and John should be able to handle alone.

Tapping his earpiece, he called John. “We’re done, Major.”

“Alright. Head back to the gateroom. I want all non-essential personnel off-world stat. We have one jumper still inbound, but other than that, we’re good to go. Let’s not push the envelope too much, timewise.”

“Copy that. Meet you there.” Rodney replied, jerking his head to Radek. “C’mon. Time to get you to safety.”

Radek shot him a bemused look. “You sure you wish to stay? I could do this, too, you know. Is not difficult.”

Shaking his head, Rodney led the way to the transporter. “No, I’m staying here. If anything were to go wrong, I want to be here to try to fix it.” And he would never leave John to deal with this himself. He couldn’t stand the idea of being safely on Manar, knowing what John was facing here. He knew himself well enough to realize that his own imagination would be his worst enemy. No, best he stay close to his major and do whatever he could to keep both him and the city safe.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Rodney stood next to John on the balcony, overseeing the evacuation. “This feels wrong, somehow,” he said quietly.

Frowning, John turned to him. “Wrong, how?”

“Hm? Oh, not wrong in the sense that the plan isn’t going to work. I’m sure it will,” he said, waving off John’s concerned look. “No, I meant wrong to have to abandon the city after everything we’ve been through. Even if it is only for a couple of days.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

Once the last person had gone through the gate, it deactivated and Rodney straightened. “Right. Let’s head to the labs so we can get started.” He stared into John’s eyes for a moment, drawing strength. John nodded, smiling softly.

Time to get to work.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Evan’s gut itched, which was never a good sign. John had taken him aside before Evan had stepped through the gate and informed him of the ‘agreement’ he had come to with Smeadon. Evan hadn’t liked the sound of it at all, and he could tell that John, too, felt something was off. They didn’t have much choice, however, so they would hold up their end of the bargain.

He glanced around, taking in the Manarian guards around their camp, which they had been allowed to put up a mile west of the gate. Yeah, something was definitely not quite right, he just had no idea what. “Ioan, Bates,” he called out, jerking his head. When the two men were in front of him, he stepped a little closer and lowered his voice so no one could overhear. “Bates, I want you to gather some men and set up a perimeter, work in shifts so that we have it covered at all times until we can go home. Something is up and I do not trust the Manarians. You take first shift, Ioan, you take second, I’ll do third.”

Both men nodded, and Bates left to do as ordered. Evan kept a sharp eye out and was pleased to see that Bates took care to have security tight, but not too obvious. It wouldn’t do to invite problems by being blatant in their suspicions, after all.

“What brought this on?” Ioan asked quietly.

Shaking his head, Evan sighed. “Something Sheppard said, mostly.” He conveyed Sheppard’s thoughts about Smeadon not having been on the up and up, then added, “Coupled with those guards…” He trailed off upon seeing the look of comprehension on his brother’s face.

“Alright. I’ll make sure everyone knows to be on alert, including the civilians. No wandering to town for any reason. Keep everyone in the camp, just in case,” Ioan murmured, eyes roaming the area. Evan nodded his approval. Ioan looked at his brother, worried. “Do you think they’ll manage it?”

Evan cocked an eyebrow. “What? Save the city? Yeah, I think they just might. I hope, anyway. We’ll find out in a day or so, I guess. No sense in fretting about it when we can’t do anything to help them. Focus on the here and now, and go from there.”

“Right,” Ioan agreed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rodney bent over his computer, pulling up the schematics on Atlantis and putting it on the large screen. His mind half on double-checking the information on the grounding stations codes, half on trying to explain what they would be doing and how it would work. “There are dozens, possibly hundreds of lightning rods placed strategically around the city.”

“Wait a sec,” John said suddenly, startling Rodney.

“What?” asked Rodney.

“Why?”

Confused, Rodney looked at him. “Why, what?” What was he on about now? Rodney scrambled to refocus completely on his major.

John leaned against the desk. “Why are there hundreds of lightning rods on the city? Wouldn’t the shield protect against lightning?”

Rodney stared at John, wondering whether he was being serious, because really? “Yes,” he said, shaking his head in bafflement. “Yes, it would. But running the shield all the time is only good for one thing: draining power.”

John inclined his head. “Right,” he said, though to Rodney it almost sounded more like a question.

He blinked at John, not quite able to comprehend why they were having this conversation. Now, or ever! Surely John should be able to figure this all out for himself, he wasn’t that stupid, he was sure. Taking a steadying breath, Rodney had to work hard to keep his tone level and to not scrub his face in frustration. “You are aware that there’s a time element to what we’re doing here? Right?”

Rolling his eyes, John stepped closer. “Yes, it’s been brought to my attention,” he snarked.

Gathering his thoughts, Rodney took a steadying breath and attempted to explain his intentions again. This time, making sure he was using small words, so the major could understand it, even if it made Rodney roll his eyes at him. “Like I was saying, there are lightning rods – a lot of them – placed all over the city. Now, as it stands right now, all the energy they capture is routed into four main grounding stations. In turn, those stations ground all that energy into the ocean below us.”

Rodney watched John’s face closely, pleased to see that he was grasping it finally. “So,” said John with a slight frown. “Instead of sending the electricity into the ground-,”

Grinning, Rodney pointed his fingers at John. “We use it to power the shield.”

“How?” asked Elizabeth, who seemed unsure this would work.

Oh, come on, people! This wasn’t rocket science, why was it so difficult for them to follow along? Turning to her, Rodney attempted to expand on what he had already said, his hands ‘speaking’ as much as his mouth, as he tended to do when he was agitated. “By directing it right down the corridors of Atlantis and into the shield generators.” Really, the whole thing was very clever if Rodney said so himself.

Elizabeth looked dubious. “The city can handle this?”

“Yes,” Rodney answered emphatically, then added, “theoretically.” Well, it should! Radek and he had been over it several times, and everything indicated their idea should work.

John tilted his head, brow furrowed. “Like ‘dinosaurs turned into birds’ theoretical, or ‘theory of relativity’ theoretical?”

Rodney blinked at him. “What?” Where did the man come up with this stuff? And what did it matter? “Err, somewhere between,” he replied absently, his mind already spinning back to the matter at hand. Turning back to his computer, he started typing. “Elizabeth, you take grounding station two, I’ll take grounding station one, and Major, you take grounding stations three and four.”

They both nodded, then John shook his head, looking mildly confused. “Whoa whoa whoa, wait a second. Where are grounding stations three and four?”

Rodney pointed out the two furthest away on the map. “Here, and here.”

“And we are..?”

“Here, yes,” Rodney said, pointing to the approximate middle of the city, wondering why it mattered. “I need to get done quickly so I can start working on the subroutines, and Elizabeth was complaining about her knee the other day,” he explained. See, he knew how to be courteous and considerate. He wasn’t going to make her walk any more than he had to. Perfect gentleman, here. Besides, John was military for crying out loud, and in great shape. The exercise would be good for him.

Elizabeth didn’t quite manage to hide her smile as she shrugged. John, however, balked slightly. “Wait a second. Are these things even close to a transporter?”

“Err, yes? Elizabeth’s is.”

John tilted his head. “And mine?”

“It’s a… brisk walk away,” Rodney hedged, not quite able to meet John’s eyes.

Narrowing his eyes, John asked, “And by brisk you mean far?”

“By walk, I mean ‘run’,” Rodney admitted. Seriously, he ran all the time. For fun! This should be a cakewalk for the man.

John slowly nodded. “Okay,” he said softly, making Rodney wonder what was going through his mind.

“You’ll need to radio once you get to your first station.”

John nodded again and sighed, turning to go. “Alright, let’s do it.”

Rodney headed toward his grounding station, mentally going over everything they would need to do in order for his plans to succeed. God, but he hoped they would.

 

next

“Hello, Kate,” Mac said as he looked up from his pad. “What brings you to the infirmary?”

She smiled, handing him a folder. “Actually, I need you or Carson to sign off on a script for one of my patients, since they’re on medication for a chronic condition as well.”

Taking the folder from her, he walked into his office and sat down to read it, Kate following behind and sitting opposite him. “Right,” he murmured, grabbing a pen to scribble a note and handing the folder back to her. “What you have shouldn’t interact with the prescription he’s already on, but all the same I would prefer if he popped by for a check up.”

Kate nodded. “Of course. I’ll pass it along.” Mac’s laptop beeped. Quirking a brow, she glanced at it. “Something important?”

Mac shrugged. “Not particularly. Kimberly is working on a search program for the Ancient database and I’m testing it out for her. It was just letting me know it hit results.”

“Ah. Yes, I imagine it would make life a lot easier for the departments if the database were easier to navigate. I’ve heard Dr. McKay offer his opinion often enough on the state of it,” she said, grinning.

Mac chuckled. “Aye, he has.” Leaning back in his chair, he eyed her carefully. “So how are you doing, Kate?”

Kate’s eyebrows rose further, her smile bemused now. “Shrinking the shrink?” she quipped. “I’m doing alright. I’m still getting used to having the Ancient technology work for me, to be honest. I find it slightly disconcerting to be able to lock a door by merely thinking about it, for example. Don’t get me wrong, it comes in handy at times, but with my line of work, you can’t help but ponder on what some of the consequences could be under certain circumstances.”

Narrowing his eyes, Mac leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “Do you think that’s something we need to worry about?” Mac knew that Kate referred to the potential of the control being used against someone. As thorough as the screening had been for the expedition, he was well aware that there were some things that couldn’t always be caught until it was too late. Mac certainly hoped that they never would have to deal with any form of abuse among their people. They had more than enough to deal with in the day-to-day life in Pegasus, in his opinion, without adding that to the mix.

Kate inclined her head slightly. “It’s something I’ll always be wary of. I’ve seen too much not to, truth be told.”

Sighing, Mac nodded in understanding. “Aye, I know.” The laptop chimed again and Mac smiled apologetically.

Kate got to her feet. “I’ll let you get back to work. It sounds like you’ve got some reading to do,” she said easily.

“You let us know if something happens, won’t you?” Mac understood patient/doctor confidentiality, but there were things that he felt needed addressing ASAP if they ever cropped up.

“Of course, Mac. And that goes for you, too.”

“But of course.” Mac agreed readily. “It’s our duty to see to the health and safety of the expedition, after all. In every capacity.”

“So it is.” Kate smiled as she came around the desk and patted his shoulder. “Hope you find whatever it is you were looking for,” she said with a tilt of her head toward the screen.

He grinned. “Thanks. I’ll see you later, okay?”

With a nod of acknowledgement she headed out the door, leaving Mac to pore over his findings. He was rather glad that Carson was out on the mainland today because he had put Kimberly’s program to work looking for anything related to the DNA markers they had discovered, despite Carson’s insistence they stop looking. As he read over the results, his stomach flipped and his mind started to race. The markers were indicators of a soul bond? How was that even possible! Yet it seemed like that was the case.

Needing to confirm what he had read, Mac pulled up the results of the tests again and began to compile a list of matches. It took him a couple of hours to complete it, and, as he read over the names, it dawned on him that the list was incomplete. Every single ATA-carrier was on it – with or without a match in the system – except for Mac and one other.

Evan Lorne.

Mac’s heart beat wildly as he searched for their results. He frowned when he found them in a folder Carson had created and which included at least one of the logs that Mac’s search had brought up. Hand shaking, he clicked open the files and stared at his screen. They were a match. Evan was his soulmate, whatever that meant.

Worse, Carson had known and he had kept it from them. He had asked for Mac’s help, even. Stunned, Mac cupped his hands, covering his nose and mouth, eyes fixed on the markers. He couldn’t have looked away if he wanted to. His mind was spinning like mad on what this might mean for him. For Evan – especially for Evan. Growing up, he had heard people talk of soulmates, of course, but it had always been an over-romanticized notion to him. Something that simply meant two people feeling a profound love for each other, but this? This implied there was so much more to it than that.

Mac felt uneasy, almost unwilling as he minimized the screen when the search chimed again. Pulling up the latest logs, he started reading. The leaden feeling in his stomach got worse the more he read, eventually feeling more like molten lava than lead. The log contained the findings of a researcher into the soulbond, showing some of the core attributes of soulmates.

On the whole, it seemed as the two bonded were – and for some reason Mary Poppins popped in his head – ‘practically perfect in every way’. On some levels, they provided a yin/yang balance, on others, they were equally matched. They would always be drawn to each other and, though they could certainly find love outside of a soulbond if for some reason they never met their mate, they would never be complete without them.

Once a soul bond had been connected and fully consummated, they would gain a sense of each other much like one would with Ancient tech. You would know they were near, if they were hurt, and when they died, it was devastating to the mate left behind. Often, they would follow soon after, but there were a few cases mentioned where the surviving mate lived on, though it didn’t mention details.

Pushing away from his desk, Mac stumbled to his feet and began pacing his office. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real! Yet Mac couldn’t deny that he could feel the truth of it down to his bones. Scrubbing his face, he stared at the back of his laptop.

Evan was his soulmate, and Carson had known. Those were the two things Mac kept coming back to, unable to truly reconcile either. He was beyond pissed with Carson for the lack of honesty – or even outright betrayal – for keeping something as important as this from him. Why had the man not told him? Why had he insisted on stopping the search for further information? It didn’t make sense to him, and it hurt him on a level he couldn’t even begin to name.

And then there was Evan. What was Mac supposed to do now? How on Earth could he tell Evan they were soulmates after learning about Jim? He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that it wouldn’t mess with Evan’s head and heart to learn that the love of his life was not the mate of his soul. Yet how could he not tell? Keeping it from Evan would put him just as much at fault as Carson. Mac couldn’t see how either scenario would be a good thing for them. It would be a blow to Evan no matter what he ended up doing, and he wasn’t entirely certain their relationship, if one could call it that yet, could stand that sort of trial. Even if they were mates.

“Oh, fuck me,” he muttered desperately, lodging his fingers in his hair as he stared up at the ceiling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“So,” Ioan said quietly while he waited for Kimberly to be done for the day. Casting a furtive glance around the room to ensure no one was within earshot, Ioan added, “It’s movie night tonight.”

Kimberly’s mouth twitched. “You don’t say?” She was falling hard for Ioan, she knew that, but she couldn’t resist teasing him.

The glare that came her way was mild at best and it had her stifling a chuckle. “They’re showing The Wizard of Oz. I thought maybe we could go see it together?”

Kimberly cast him a sideways look, taking in the faux-casual stance he was trying to convey, but she could see the underlying tension by the way his fingers twitched against his thigh. Like he was trying to keep from touching her. It made her smile. “Another date?” she whispered.

Ioan nodded, chewing the inside of his lip. She tapped her chin. “Which version?” she asked, attempting to keep a straight face.

“The Judy Garland one. Mitchell insisted,” Ioan said, sounding amused.

Grinning, she leaned against her desk. “Did he? Well, well, well, fancy that. Alright, then. The Wizard of Oz, it is.” She had the sense to not add ‘it’s a date’. “What time does it start?”

Checking his watch, Ioan shrugged. “About an hour and a half from now, so we’ll have time to grab a bite to eat beforehand.”

Turning back to what she was doing, she nodded. “Guess I’d better hurry up then. I would like to change into something not uniform-ish, if that’s okay with you.”

She could tell he was grinning as he stepped back. “Okay. I’ll leave you to it. Mess hall in fifteen?”

Kimberly nodded. “I’ll see you then.” She looked up to watch Ioan leave. She really was in trouble with him. Ioan appeared to be everything she’d ever wanted in a guy. Handsome, intelligent, loyal, brave, to name a few. And he seemed as taken with her as she was with him. She had never felt such a connection with anyone before, not that she had had a ton of boyfriends. She had been busy with either her studies or work, after all, but she wasn’t a virgin either.

Sighing, she shook her head at herself. It was all well and good, but the fact that they worked together bothered her. Not so much from her own sense of mores on the issue, but because of the regulations they had to work under. Still, she couldn’t wish for things to be different because if either of them hadn’t worked for the SGA, they would never have met at all. And life without Ioan in it seemed to be unfathomable to her already and they hadn’t even so much as kissed yet.

Hurrying through the process of logging out and putting the few things away that needed to be, she made it back to her apartment with just enough time to change into her favorite blue jeans and black knit sweater. Suppressing the nervous flutters in her stomach as she entered the mess hall, she scanned the room for Ioan. Kimberly frowned, feeling a little disappointed when she couldn’t find him.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she turned to find Ioan standing behind her, grinning. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I bumped into Evan on my way down and got held up. You ready to grab a bite?”

Eyeing him carefully, she tilted her head. “Everything alright with Evan?”

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Ioan nodded. “Yeah, he just needed to check on something for tomorrow’s mission is all.”

Good. She was glad. She had seen Mac earlier and he had seemed upset, though he refused to talk to her about it. She had gone to check on what he thought of her program now that he had used it for a couple of days. She always liked to have other people check on things like that, because while she knew how something was supposed to work and found it easy to use a program she had created, she had realized early on in her career that the same could not be said for someone not as skilled with computers. Which is why she had given access to Mac, Major Sheppard, and Elizabeth for them to give her input.

Putting on her brightest smile to cover her worry for her friend, she nodded. “Then let’s eat, shall we? We can’t be late for the movie,” she added with a wink as she made her way to the line. They spent dinner talking, mostly about her new search program and Ioan’s upcoming mission to a potential trade world. They were so engrossed, they almost didn’t make it to the makeshift theater on time. The theater was basically a large room that had a blank wall and enough space to place several rows of chairs. Not the most comfortable of ways to watch a movie, but it gave a bit of normalcy and nostalgia that everyone was willing to put up with.

Sliding into their seats, Kimberly noticed Carson and Miko a couple of rows in front of them. Good for them, she thought. As the music started, she leaned into Ioan and whispered in his ear, “I have a feeling we’re not the only ones here on a date.”

Ioan shivered, turning to look at her questioningly. Jerking her head to indicate Carson and Miko, she grinned up at Ioan. “Carson’s been in love with Miko for ages, and she him. They just keep tap dancing around each other. Looks like one of them finally asked the other out.”

There was an unreadable look in Ioan’s eye as he shook his head. “I’m not so sure. I heard Carson talk about the movie at lunch. Miko overheard him and asked about it. She said something about loving old movies and when Carson suggested they go together the man all but stumbled all over himself to reassure her there was no hidden agenda.”

Kimberly groaned, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against Ioan’s shoulder. “Please tell me you’re joking,” she mumbled.

Briefly reaching up to touch her cheek, Ioan chuckled softly. “Sorry.”

Straightening, Kimberly sighed and shrugged with a ‘well, what can you do?’ look at Ioan. Their eyes met and it took all her willpower not to lean in and kiss him there and then. Oh, how she wanted to feel his lips against hers. Ioan, too, appeared to be struggling before shaking his head and clearing his throat. “Movie?” he asked hoarsely.

Shifting, she sat as close to him as she dared without it being inappropriate and tried to pay attention to the movie. Maybe she could convince Ioan to come to her apartment afterward, and they could finally have that kiss. Or even more.

 

next

“So how are you going to explain this one to Elizabeth?” Rodney wondered as they trudged back toward the gate. “I mean, you just basically offered the Genii weapons, John, and with how you always seem to imitate Kirk, I’m really surprised you have never heard of a little something called the ‘Prime Directive.’”

John snorted, shaking his head. “Oh, please. The only person I know that’s anything like the characters from Star Trek is Beckett. I am nothing like Kirk.”

“Ha! Says the man who flirts with every alien person he comes across. Case in point, Sera.”

“Sora,” John corrected him.

“See! See! That’s exactly what I mean,” Rodney argued, snapping his fingers before jabbing one in John’s chest. “Anyway, so not the point right now. The point is, it is a bad idea to give weapons and technology to a people less advanced than yourself. Every episode where they do that in Star Trek is evidence of it.”

Shaking his head, John began dialing the gate. “Rodney, we’re not in Star Trek. And they don’t want to have the C4 to use as weapons, they’re going to use it to clear fields.”

Folding his arms over his P90, Rodney shot him an incredulous look. “Please, tell me you are not that gullible.” Seriously, he had to be joking, right? There was just no way that John would be stupid enough to believe what the Genii seemed to be selling – and Rodney wasn’t talking about tava beans. He still felt a small pang of disappointment that it hadn’t been javabeans. His supply of coffee was running dangerously low.

Sounding calm and with a look of extreme patience, John met his eyes. “They will get the C4, enough to clear a few fields, and along with the C4 will be a few Marines to ensure that is all it’ll be used for, because they will be the ones that have the detonators. And to make sure we get our Marines back the way we sent them out, I’ll be sending along a cloaked jumper for back up.”

Rodney blinked. “You don’t trust them.”

“I don’t trust them,” John intoned quietly with a slight dip of the head.

“But then, why-?” He was confused, head swiveling between John and back toward the village where Teyla and Ford were staying behind for the harvest festival. Teyla’s reaction to the invitation had been more than enough incentive for Rodney to not want to hang around, but now he began to wonder if he should have stayed with them. Were they safe?

Pulling Rodney toward the gate, John explained, “It’s a simple quid pro quo, Rodney. They have something we need, we have something they want. We scratch their back and hopefully, they will scratch ours. Or as the case may be, they’ll give us a large share of their crop. And that is exactly what I’ll tell Elizabeth, too.”

Rodney felt oddly proud as they stepped through the gate. Once back in Atlantis, he grinned at John. “You know, you’re a lot more devious than you look.”

John snorted. “Thanks? But let’s just keep that between you and me, okay? Our little secret.”

“What will be your little secret?” Elizabeth asked with a curious grin.

Eyes widened, Rodney scrambled to think of an excuse, but John beat him to the punch. “Well if I told you that, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore, now would it?”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing them. Folding her arms, she tried to keep from smiling. “Fair enough. So where’s the rest of your team, Major?”

John and Rodney shared a glance, then John jerked his head toward her office. As soon as they were inside, he started to explain what had happened, but once the words ‘give them some C4’ passed his lips, Elizabeth held up her hand. “Rodney, would you mind stepping outside for a moment. I need a word alone with Major Sheppard.”

Her eyes were hard and never left John, who gazed steadily back at her, though he did cast a brief, reassuring smile at Rodney. After a moment’s hesitation, Rodney cleared his throat and with one last look over his shoulder, he left the office. As soon as the door closed behind him, he could hear Elizabeth’s raised voice, “Give them C4? Major, what were you thinking?”

Rodney wanted to cringe but he held his head up, daring anyone to say anything. Grodin gave him a sympathetic look as he walked past him. Sighing, Rodney headed down the stairs, figuring he might as well swing by the mess hall for a snack. He had a feeling Elizabeth and John would be a little while.

Ioan fell into step as he walked toward the transporter. “Everything alright?” he asked quietly.

Shrugging, Rodney hit the control panel as soon as he was inside, sending them near the mess hall. “I don’t think Elizabeth’s too keen on Major Sheppard’s negotiation skills.”

Rodney told Ioan what had happened over coffee, and, when he was done, Ioan barked a laugh. “So he basically just violated the Prime Directive?”

Snapping his fingers, Rodney grinned with satisfaction. “See! That’s exactly what I told him, too! I think we need to give him a refresher course on all things Trek because the man is obviously way too much like Kirk and he doesn’t even realize it.”

Ioan laughed, twisting his empty cup back and forth. “Well, that shouldn’t be a problem. I think Teal’c made sure to add the entirety of Star Trek to the library, so we could totally have a themed movie night for the next few weeks.”

“Oh, I’m all for that. Seriously, the man needs to be better educated.”

“I do, huh?” John drawled from behind Rodney, causing him to jump.

Blushing slightly, Rodney put up a faux-confident front. “Major! Yes, you really do. Ioan’s already said he’ll help me-,” he started.

Ioan threw up his hands, interrupting him. “Hey, you leave me out of this. I have no desire to be on KP duty for the next two months – or worse.”

Rodney narrowed his eyes at Ioan, who grinned back unabashed. “Traitor,” Rodney hissed under his breath. “Just you remember who’s in charge of your hot water.”

“Relax, Lieutenant. I’ll let you off the hook. This time,” John said, amusement clear in his voice. “Well, Rodney, you ready to head back?”

Eyes widening, Rodney got to his feet. “Did she okay the deal?”

“Yes, Rodney,” John said patiently, “she okayed the deal, now come on. We gotta go or we’ll miss the whole harvest party.”

And wouldn’t that be a shame, Rodney thought. Casting a wary eye at John, Rodney wasn’t entirely sure the man was serious or not, but decided to just go with it. It was usually best, he’d found, to pretend he understood what people were doing and why, even if he didn’t have a clue. Though lately, he found himself actually wanting to understand the inner workings of one Major Sheppard.

As they made their way back to the gate, John led them away from the path they had been told to use. After about half an hour of walking, Rodney was certain they were lost. It had taken him that long to figure it out because he had been focusing on his handheld out of long habit. Looking up, he shook his head. “You have no idea which way to go, do you?” he asked, somewhat amused. It had become apparent over time that while John had a great sense of direction when flying, he was less able to figure out where to go when on foot.

John looked a little affronted as he always did upon being reminded of that particular failing. “I’m just trying to get my bearings.”

Rodney’s mouth twisted as he suppressed a smirk. “Translation: I’m lost.” He tried to keep his amusement out of his voice, he really did. Barely stifling a chuckle, Rodney flailed his arm in the general direction of the village – at least, he thought it was the direction of the village. “They were very clear on which route to take,” he reminded John.

“I prefer a straight line,” he grumped, stubbornly continuing along their path.

Rodney huffed softly. “Of course, because everything’s a shortcut in Sheppard’s world,” he murmured, peering at his handheld again. “Huh.” Well that was decidedly odd. “Okay, here it is again,” he muttered, frowning at the spike in energy he was reading.

“What?” John came to a halt, eyeing him expectantly.

Glancing up, Rodney pointed ahead. “I’m picking up a strange reading from right over there.” A barn? That just made no sense.

“Define ‘strange’,” John cut through Rodney’s thoughts.

Rodney blinked stupidly at him. “You don’t know what ‘strange’ means?” Seriously?”

Rolling his eyes, John pressed, “I know what ‘strange’ means, Rodney.”

“Weird, freakish, off,” Rodney spoke over him, even as John continued, “I’m just trying to determine whether it’s worth getting off the route back to the village.”

Waving his handheld, Rodney gave him an exasperated look. “It’s a radioactive reading and we’re in Amish world. Your call.” And the fact he was even putting the words ‘Amish’ and ‘radioactive’ in the same sentence was enough to weird Rodney out. There was something really ‘off’ about these people, he decided. Shaking his head, he added, “We’re lost anyway, what difference does it make?”

“I am not lost,” John insisted, squaring his shoulders a little. Rodney watched John’s face closely, wondering who the man was trying to fool. It was both an endearing and decidedly frustrating aspect of Sheppard, Rodney decided even as John said, “Alright. Let’s check it out.”

Yeah, Rodney was so not surprised by that. Sighing, he followed John. He had the sinking feeling their day was about to take a turn for the worse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Major Sheppard took Ioan and Evan aside, leaving their teams to prepare for the mission, and met their eyes in turn. “I need for you to stay under the radar. Do not announce your presence until you hear from me. Is that clear?”

Ioan and Evan shared a glance, then both nodded. “Yes, sir.” It wouldn’t do to give their hand away too quickly to the Genii, Evan knew. Not after the briefing they had just had about them holding half of AR-1 hostage – and that was after them having threatened to kill the entire team outright. Allies, they were not. However, the Genii were the closest thing they had in Pegasus to a potential aid in taking out the Wraith and they were definitely determined to wipe them out, as evidenced by this little trip to blow up one of the Hive ships with one of the prototype nuclear bombs the Genii had created.

“Good. Evan, you’ll follow me on to the Hive ship.”

“Comms as usual? Ears only?” Evan asked, just to make sure.

“Affirmative,” Sheppard acknowledged. “Ioan, I want you to stay on the Genii homeworld and keep an eye on things. Once the mission is over, I fully expect them to double cross us, so when I say, you decloak immediately and be ready to fire a warning shot.”

Evan inclined his head. “Yes, sir. We have your six, sir.”

“Excellent. Alright, let’s move out,” Major Sheppard ordered, heading to jumper one.

Before Ioan could walk away, Evan grabbed his arm, frowning. “Be careful out there. I really don’t like the sound of those people,” he urged. He didn’t much care for the idea of leaving his little brother behind on that planet, but he trusted him to do his job, and he knew Sheppard was right.

Ioan smiled reassuringly. “Of course, Ev. As long as you’re careful, too. I’m not the one searching out a Hive ship.”

Flashing Ioan a grin, he let go. “You know me, Ioan. I don’t go looking for trouble.”

Ioan huffed. “Yeah, but it always seems to find you anyway,” he retorted.

Evan smiled at the old, familiar exchange. “Go on. Before we’re both reprimanded.”

With a brief salute and a laugh Ioan went to join his team in jumper two, while Evan went to jumper three. Going through the motions of pre-flight – not that the jumpers had a whole lot to do in that regard, not compared to Earth vessels at any rate – Evan allowed himself a moment to marvel at everything they had discovered since coming to Atlantis. He would readily admit that the jumpers were by far his favorite part.

Timing their departure carefully, they made it through the gate without being detected by the Genii. His scanners showed no signs of life in the immediate vicinity of the stargate, which was all the better. They also showed the Genii underground complex Major Sheppard had mentioned. Evan glanced to the left where he knew Ioan and his team were, even though he couldn’t see them.

They listened as Sheppard, who had his comms open so they could all hear, and a Genii called Cowan went over the plan again. Cowan insisted on coming along, stating that he had memorized the layout of the Hive ship and that he would not trust the Lanteans to do their part without him present.

Evan’s jaw twitched in annoyance at the disdain and distrust evident in the man’s voice and he shared a determined look with his team as they listened to Sheppard and the rest of AR-1 returned to their jumper with Cowan and another Genii in tow, and as soon as they were on board, the gate began to spin. Checking that everything was still as it should be, Evan prepared to follow them. No one had spoken, aside from a terse, “Have a seat,” from Sheppard.

Once they arrived on the other side, Evan scowled when they heard one of the Genii – Cowan, Evan thought – say, “How many of these ships do you have?” Evan didn’t care for the man’s tone at all. It sounded almost proprietary to his ears, and judging by Sheppard’s curt, “Just the one,” Evan thought he felt the same.

“Alright. Same as last time. Through the front door,” came Sheppard’s voice not long after. Evan checked his screen, adjusting his course slightly to match the major’s and followed him inside, straight through the main entrance. It still baffled Evan that the Wraith had no security in that respect, but then he supposed they probably never had to deal with anyone with the technology or the brass to just go waltzing into a Hive ship before.

Evan and his men watched as the other team disembarked, and John turned to Ford. “Okay. Hold down the fort,” he said with a brief glance to where he knew jumper three to be.

That was another thing that never ceased to amaze Evan. Because of how strong his gene was, John could sense Ancient technology like the jumpers when they were within a certain range. “That’s one thing we really should test one of these days,” he muttered quietly to himself.

“What was that, Major?” Stevenson asked from the co-pilot’s seat.

Evan shook his head. “Nothing. Keep an eye on things. I want to be ready in case they need our help.”

“Yes, sir,” echoed quietly through the jumper as his team acknowledged his order.

They sat in silence as they listened to the other team make their way through the Hive ship. Evan’s stomach flipped at Teyla’s, “These people were cocooned for later feeding.” He shuddered at the mental image that brought forth. He wasn’t sure whether it was a curse or a blessing that he didn’t have an actual visual.

“We don’t have time for this.” Cowan again, thought Evan.

“They could be your people for all you know,” John ground out, disgust clear in his voice. He ordered Teyla to take care of this, which Evan thought likely meant trying to save whomever they had found. Sheppard and McKay went with Cowan. With a jerk of the head Evan had Stevenson monitor Teyla while he remained focused on the others.

Cowan’s, “This is it, but the ship’s plans I memorized did not include how to operate this door,” had Evan paying even closer attention. There was a pause, and then Sheppard’s, “Trying to blow this door’ll make too much noise.” Damn, that couldn’t be good. But Sheppard had said to stay cloaked unless ordered, so all he could do was listen.

McKay’s, “Hm. So, find another way. Okay,” made Evan smile. Back in the mountain, Evan hadn’t much cared for the man. In truth, he hadn’t really known him, but he had heard stories about him and none had been good. The few times he had had dealings with him, McKay’s abrasive behaviour had confirmed the rumors and Evan had decided to steer clear of the man as much as possible.

Ioan, on the other hand, had had more opportunity to spend time with McKay and genuinely liked him. Something that at the time had positively baffled Evan. Now, though, he could see why his brother had taken to the man. Though he supposed it helped that Mac always spoke highly of McKay, and his opinion carried more weight than Evan would ever admit to anyone aside from his brother.

Evan was vaguely aware of Teyla and the other Genii arguing when gunfire erupted. Evan and Stevenson shared a look of horror, then exhaled in relief when they heard Teyla’s consternation over the radio. She didn’t sound hurt, just shocked and pissed. A dangerous combination with her, Evan had learned. Teyla’s voice came over the comms, “Major, we have been discovered.”

A piercing alarm sounded. Outside, Ford straightened, his gun ready. Evan held up a hand when his team made to head out. “Not yet,” he said, hating the thought as much as they did. Sheppard’s voice chimed, “We gotta get outta here. Ford, we’re on our way, hold tight.”

His team breathed as one. While Sheppard had spoken to Ford, the message had been for them. The next few minutes seemed to crawl by as they waited for them to return to the jumper. Thankfully, there were no more sounds of gunfire, and before too long, they came running toward them. Evan wondered where the other Genii was, but wasted no time following John out of the Hive and back to the planet.

As Sheppard had predicted, the minute they had set foot on the Genii homeworld again, Cowan turned on them. Soldiers poured out of the surrounding area, armed to the teeth and trigger-happy. Stevenson huffed. “Well didn’t see that one a mile off, eh?”

The others chuckled. None of them were particularly worried as Cowan attempted to bully AR-1 into giving up their weapons, the jumper, and their C-4. Evan noticed how Teyla seemed to bristle at the betrayal of the Genii. “This is what your father died for? In the name of a people who would lie and steal from those they would call friends?” he heard her say.

“Yeah, well, I lied, too,” Sheppard said. “Jumpers two and three, execute.”

Evan decloaked at once, relieved to see Ioan do the same. He had to admit, it was rather rewarding to see the Genii startle at the sudden appearance of two jumpers hovering close by.

“You didn’t really think we had one ship, did you?” John asked Cowan. Evan snorted at the murderous look that earned Sheppard. John continued,” Tell your people to get back, nobody gets hurt.” When Cowan didn’t budge, the major straightened. “Jumper two, prepare to fire on my mark.”

Evan could just see his brother in the other cockpit. Their eyes met and he gave him a terse nod. Either the Genii would back off, or things were about to get dicey. Sheppard raised his hand to give the order, but paused when Cowan took a step forward. “Wait!”

Stevenson grunted. When Evan glanced at him, he merely shrugged. “The guy’s a coward.”

They could hear Cowan’s warning to Sheppard. “You do not want to make an enemy of the Genii.” Evan hummed in agreement with John’s assurance that it went both ways.

Once AR-1 was back in their jumper, John said, “Time to go home, gentlemen.”

With one last glance at the crowd they were leaving behind, Evan had the terrible feeling that they had not seen the last of the Genii. He really hoped he was wrong, because he didn’t think the Genii were a people who took defeat lightly, and they looked as if they could carry a grudge for a very, very long time.

 

next

“No. No. No! A thousand times no! How many times do I need to tell you, Kavanagh, I don’t want you anywhere near the power distribution systems! The last time you touched them, you nearly blew up the city!” Rodney yelled, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. “God, why did the stupid therapy have to take on you?” he muttered under his breath, then raised his voice again. “You’re a menace, and I do not have the time to babysit you to ensure the safety of this city, so just do as you are told like a good little minion and save us all the trouble of having to fix your screw ups. Again.”

Rodney was vaguely aware of the other scientists huddled in groups as he reamed Kavanagh for once again attempting to go behind his back because the idiot thought he knew better than Rodney did. These were the moments Rodney fervently wished he could just space the man, since rotating him back to Earth was not an option. Eyes narrowing, Rodney pointed an accusing finger at Kavanagh. “As I recall, you were happy enough to try to save your own ass when my team and I were stuck in the gate. So it really astounds me that your sense of self-preservation seems to have disappeared.”

Kavanagh, red-faced, fuming, and mouth working soundlessly, glared back at Rodney. Finally, he ground out through his teeth, “I did not sign up for this expedition to become a glorified plumber!”

Not even bothering to hide his contempt for the man, Rodney crossed his arms and shot him a smug look. “Maybe not, but I am the CSO, not you, and I decide who gets to work on which projects. The desalination tanks need going over thoroughly, and you and Simpson get to do the honors. And for the record, I don’t hear him complain about it, so why should you?”

When Kavanagh opened his mouth, Rodney held up a hand to stop him. “No. I don’t want to hear any more of your whining. Now, I hear that you were offered a one-way trip to a nice, solitary planet. I’m sure Chuck can be convinced to dial the address if you continue to go against my orders, putting the entire expedition at risk.” Pausing just long enough to ensure Kavanagh got the point, he continued. “No? Okay then. Do the job I tell you to do. Now.”

Rodney ignored the mutterings of the other scientists while he stood watching Kavanagh grab his gear in a huff. Simpson rolled his eyes as Kavanagh stomped past him on his way out the door. With one hard look around the room, the others scurried off to tend to their own duties, leaving Rodney alone in the lab. At least, he thought he was alone, right up until someone cleared their throat behind him.

Spinning around, Rodney flushed when John stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind him as he stalked toward him. Crowding Rodney against the opposite wall, John claimed his lips in a hard, brief kiss that stole the breath right out of Rodney. He was panting when John pulled away only to pepper his jaw with kisses. Nipping at his lobe, John whispered, “That should not have been as hot as it was.”

Clutching at John’s shoulders, Rodney chuckled hoarsely. “Hot, huh?”

John pulled back, grinning, eyes dancing. “Oh yeah.”

Rolling his eyes, Rodney huffed. “I swear to God, those kids were easier to deal with than Kavanagh. And that is saying something!”

John laughed, cupping his cheek. “Coming from you, yeah, it is.”

A snort escaped him before he could stop himself. Clearing his throat, he pushed John back a little, needing some space. Anyone could walk in, after all, and they had promised each other to be careful. John gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself,” he muttered, mussing his hair.

“Yes, well, no one ever said flyboys were known for their restraint, now did they?” Rodney teased, folding his arms as he watched him fondly.

A funny little smile played on John’s lips. “Funny you should mention flying,” he said playfully. At Rodney’s quirked brow, John continued, “I actually came by to see whether you still wanted to have flying lessons before our mission tomorrow. What do you say?”

Eyes widening, Rodney dropped his arms to his side. “What? Now?”

John shrugged. “I’ve got time, and you did say you didn’t have anything major on your plate today.”

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Rodney grinned. “Really?”

Laughing, John nodded. “Yes, Rodney, really. Now, are you coming or not?”

In answer, Rodney grabbed John’s arm and manhandled him to the door. “Not yet, but soon,” he said sotto voce, blushing when he caught the glint in John’s eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Glancing over at Rodney, John bit his lip. The man was fully engrossed in his pad, taking in readings of the planet they were visiting. Shifting slightly in his seat, John tried to focus on his flying. Try being the operative word, because his thoughts kept circling back to the previous day. He wished Ford and Teyla weren’t sitting right behind them so he could tease McKay about joining the mile-high club. Though that would have been a case of the pot calling the kettle black, since his own ticket for that got punched at the same time Rodney’s did. Not that the man had believed him when he had told him.

“There’s some interesting power readings here,” Rodney muttered distractedly.

“Interesting, how?” John asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Huh? Oh. No ZedPM’s, unfortunately, but they’re more advanced than any civilization we’ve come across so far, judging by these,” Rodney said, pointing to the readouts on his pad. “Curious to see what’s down there.”

John had to admit that he was, too. From what he could tell of the landscape as he tried to find a good landing spot for the jumper, they seemed to be near to Earth’s industrial age. It never ceased to amaze John, the things they came across on their missions.

“Major, it seems as if they are aware of our arrival,” Teyla said quietly, pointing toward movement coming toward the plaza he was headed for.

“Great. A welcoming committee,” Rodney grumbled.

Ford chimed in, “Aww come on, McKay. They seem friendly enough.”

If by friendly, Ford meant they hadn’t fired on them yet, then John supposed the lieutenant had a point. John wasn’t going to ignore the fact that the man walking toward them was surrounded by men who had their weapons at the ready. Not hostile, but they were definitely prepared.

John cleared his throat. “Alright, kids, let’s remember to play nice with others, okay?” He was only half-teasing as he side-eyed Rodney, who scowled down at his pad, jabbing at the screen with more vehemence than John thought was strictly necessary.

Putting on his most charming ‘I’m harmless, honest!’ smile, John exited the jumper with the others close behind. “Hey folks,” he said, adding a jaunty little wave for good measure. “Hope it’s alright if I park here. If not, I can move to a better spot.”

The leader – at least, John was pretty sure the man was the leader – seemed amused as he inclined his head. “Welcome to Hoff. I am Chancellor Druhin, leader of our people.”

Grin widening, John introduced his team as usual, explaining that they were peaceful explorers. The Chancellor seemed to assess them for a moment, then nodded. “You are welcome to stay as our guests. I believe there is much our people can offer each other. Please, if you would follow me?”

It was apparent to John that the man was used to being obeyed. He turned and headed toward one of the larger buildings off the plaza, his entourage in tow. With one look to his team, John set to follow them. He knew he needn’t remind Rodney to be careful anymore, especially since they were in an urban setting. Ford and Teyla would both be on alert, too, just in case the Hoffans proved to be less welcoming than they appeared.

They spent the rest of that day and the next as guests of the Chancellor, after contacting Atlantis to let Elizabeth know what was going on. As missions went, this one was going okay. The Chancellor seemed to be willing to discuss possible trade options, which was always a plus in John’s book. They were currently on a guided tour of the facility where Rodney had gotten the energy readings from and John was doing his best to pay attention as the Chancellor explained, “Reliable power generation is one of our greatest concerns.”

John and Rodney shared a look. “With this project we soon hope to convert and utilize the intense heat trapped beneath the surface of our planet,” Druhin went on.

“Geothermal energy,” Rodney muttered, frowning. John could tell that Rodney wasn’t overly impressed with what he was seeing as they were shown into a room full of machines. Rodney didn’t disappoint, either. At least not in showing his disbelief as John had known he would. “Using this? Do you have any idea how complex geothermal energy is?”

John took a steadying breath, briefly closing his eyes. God love the man, but there were times that John wished he would learn when to keep his mouth shut in order not to offend potential allies. Now obviously being one of those times. “McKay,” he cautioned.

“I mean-,” Rodney started, then seemed to catch the warning in John’s voice and he turned around, looking slightly abashed. One of these days, John thought, Rodney would learn to better mind his manners. At least, he hoped he would. Though John couldn’t deny that the other man’s antics were entertaining at times, and probably more often than was healthy in the long run.

Clearing his throat, Rodney cast a furtive glance at John, then addressed Druhin. “Oh, err… I’m sure it’ll work like a charm.”

John looked at Druhin just in time to notice the look of disbelief on his face, though he didn’t say anything about it. Maybe Druhin had a few scientists of his own who weren’t that stellar in the interpersonal department, John thought. Hoping to smooth things over, John flashed him a brief smile. “Looks like you’re accomplishing great things here, Chancellor.”

Druhin nodded in acknowledgement. “Since the last culling we have worked diligently to rebuild our society.”

Teyla frowned slightly in worry. “Are you not concerned that your actions will attract the attention of the Wraith?”

“Yes,” Druhin said with a benevolent little smile, sticking his hands into his pockets as he turned to Teyla. “But we refuse to let that stop us from striving to reach our potential. To do otherwise would simply mean victory for them.”

The man sounded like he was explaining something so basic a child would understand. It was a little irritating, but John could sort of see his point. He didn’t much like the thought of giving up, either. It just wasn’t a word that was in his personal vocabulary, really.

“However, we are currently working on a viable defense,” Druhin said, side-eyeing John to gauge his reaction.

John’s attention was well and truly grabbed with the word ‘defense’, though. Straightening slightly, he faced the Chancellor. “Defense? Really?” He glanced back at Rodney who stepped up to John’s side. “We’ve been here two days before you mention that?” John asked, quirking a brow. He tried to keep any sense of challenge out of his voice, but he wasn’t sure how successful he was.

The Chancellor leaned against the door, shrugging unapologetically. “I had to learn that you could be trusted.”

John gave a quiet huff, as did Rodney. John supposed he couldn’t really fault the man that, but still! A defense against the Wraith? His mind was already spinning on what possible weapon the Hoffans could have devised to fight the Wraith. From what he had seen thus far, he doubted they would have anything capable of surface-to-air attacks.

Ford apparently was just as doubtful. “You’re talking about some kind of defensive weapon?”

Druhin seemed to be gloating a little as he answered slyly. “You could call it that. Something that we hope will protect us from the next Wraith culling.”

Rodney tilted his head, looking speculatively at the Chancellor. “So you’re expecting it to happen again.”

The man nodded. “Of course. But if the Wraith return as they have historically, they won’t be here for at least another fifty years.”

John cringed. Crap. Yeah, he was pretty certain that that timetable was out the window. Rodney shot him a knowing glare, muttering, “Fifty years, you say?”

Trying not to look too guilty, John took a deep breath. “How about that weapon?”

Druhin headed off even as he began to explain what they were working on. John and Rodney lagged behind and with every step they took, John’s stomach fell just a little lower. Especially when Rodney admonished him. “You haven’t told him we practically woke the Wraith from hibernation, have you?”

John swallowed hard past the lump of guilt stuck in his throat. “No, I haven’t. I really… haven’t had the chance,” he hedged, knowing it for the lie it was.

“We’ve been here for two days!” Rodney whispered reprovingly.

Cringing again, John gave a half-shrug. “More like a day-and-a-half.” Okay, and now he was definitely trying to grasp at straws. God, he needed an antacid or something, the way his stomach was starting to churn. He very much doubted the Hoffans would thank him for the knowledge of the Wraith awakening, especially since it was at his own hand.

“Major!” John flinched. It was never a good sign when Rodney used his title in that tone. “They’re not expecting the Wraith for another fifty. Years. We have to let them know they could show up at any time now,” Rodney continued, staring hard at John.

Heart beating nearly in his throat, John half-turned as they kept walking, his voice pitched low as he swept an arm out toward the Chancellor. “If you’re so eager, why don’t you tell them?!” The scowl that earned him was deserved, John knew, and he regretted his outburst the moment it had left his lips. Neither man spoke further as they hurried to catch up to the rest of the group, John praying all the way that coming clean wouldn’t mean losing a potential ally and having to fight their way back to the jumper.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mac scowled down at his laptop, his fingers hitting the keyboard harder than was wise due to his frustration. “Mac?” Evan asked, placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Mac jumped, startled.

“Bloody hell, Ev, you nearly scared me to death,” Mac said, pulling his earbuds out, the sound of Aerosmith pouring out of them until Mac hurriedly turned the music off.

Chuckling, Evan squeezed his shoulder. “Sorry, you were in your own little world and you didn’t react when I called your name just now.” Brow furrowing, Evan leaned against the desk. “What’s going on? You seem upset.”

Mac huffed. “Aye, you could say that. You haven’t heard yet, then?”

Eyes wide, Evan shook his head. “Heard what? I’ve only just got back from off-world.”

Leaning back in his chair, Mac briefly stared at the ceiling as he tried to regroup. Scrubbing his face, he met Evan’s eyes. “You know about the mission AR-1 is on? Well, apparently the major has volunteered us to help them with a drug that they hope will keep the Wraith from feeding on them.”

Crossing his arms, Evan nodded. “That’s good, though, isn’t it? If they have a way to-” he started, but Mac cut him off.

“No, it’s not. I was here when Sheppard explained everything to Carson. They’ve been working on this thing for over a hundred and fifty years, Evan. Even if, and I stress ‘if’, such a thing were feasible, it wouldn’t be right. Carson’s gone over their findings and sent a sample of the drug here. I’ve looked at it, and there’s just something about it that doesn’t sit right. I mean, it looks good on the surface, but… I’ve tried to tell Carson, but he’s got blinders on. He sees the pure science of it and isn’t…”

Mac let out a growl. “They’re talking about testing it already.”

Evan shifted, watching Mac carefully. “Testing? How are they going to do that?”

Mac gave a gruesome smile. “Oh, this is where things get really bad, if you ask me. The Hoffans have a so-called volunteer for the ‘procedure’. They’re going to give him the drug, and then turn around and, for all intents and purposes, give the man to our friend ‘Steve’, as Major Sheppard has dubbed him.”

Evan straightened in shock. “They’re going to what?”

“You heard me.” Mac seemed to deflate. “First, do no harm. That’s a code we as doctors have to go by. This just isn’t right, Ev. I can’t see this ending well. I just can’t.”

Evan kneeled down beside Mac, resting one hand on his chair, the other cupping Mac’s neck. “Have you spoken to Dr. Weir about this?”

Mac closed his eyes and sighed. “Aye. I’ve gone on record, not that it did any good.”

“Then there’s little more you can do. Sometimes, following orders, it’s…” Evan trailed off with an awkward shrug, but Mac understood what he wasn’t saying. He wholeheartedly agreed.

Chuck’s voice came over the com a few hours later. “Dr. MacTavish to the gateroom. Bring a medical team for off-world travel.”

Mac tapped his com. “Chuck, any idea what we’re walking into? Do we need hazmat?”

“No need for hazmat, doc,” Chuck assured. “We just got a call from Lieutenant Ford. Apparently, the Hoffans pushed ahead on the drug and it’s backfired. They’re facing a pandemic among the population. Lieutenant Ford said to bring extra oxygen.”

Rubbing his eyes, Mac nodded. “Copy that. We’re on our way.”

It was a testament to Carson’s people that the medical team was through the gate not fifteen minutes later. Evan’s team was escorting the medical team. Apparently they had volunteered. The thought made Mac smile despite the situation they found themselves in. When they arrived at the hospital, Mac was more than touched by Evan’s support, he was bloody grateful. He had thought he was prepared for what he would be facing, but one look at the overcrowded rooms filled with people in various stages of dying… He had worked in the medical field for several years now. Had even worked for Médecins Sans Frontières for a year, something that he had believed adequate preparation for the Atlantis expedition, but this?

“Good God,” Evan murmured as he stood next to Mac.

Shaking his head, he shared a brief look with Evan. “Right. I’ll go find Carson. You and the rest of the team see what you can do to relieve the staff.”

Evan nodded, then went on his way after a quick squeeze of Mac’s shoulder. Trying to ignore the numerous death rattles, he went in search of Carson so he could be brought up to speed. Carson was trying to administer oxygen to a patient, but by the time Mac had rounded the bed the patient had perished. Taking a steadying breath, Carson glanced up at Mac with such a look of brokenness that Mac didn’t have it in him to say ‘I told you so’ to his friend. Instead, he asked, “What do you need?”

Carson offered a wan smile, then brought him up to speed, and before long both doctors were hip-deep in trying to save lives. Though, in truth, it was more a matter of easing people’s suffering, because no matter what they tried, they could find no cure. Nothing to even slow down the onslaught of death once the side effects of the drugs had the patients in its grasp.

Every so often, Evan checked in with Mac, offering support in whatever way he could. Making sure he remembered to eat and drink so he would not end up collapsing from exhaustion. They all worked for hours without pause, aside from necessities, and still it seemed there was no stemming the tide of the dying.

At one point, Mac realized that he hadn’t seen Carson in a while. “Hey, Ev, have you seen where Carson went?”

“Yeah, I think he got called to check on that lady doctor he worked with.” Evan pointed in the general direction of where he thought Carson had gone to.

Allowing himself a moment, Mac moved close to Evan, touching his shoulder. The contact helped ground him and he offered the other man a weak smile. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot to have you here like this.”

Reaching up, Evan patted Mac’s hand. “You’re welcome,” he said simply.

With a nod, Mac walked off, once again in search of his friend. Mac’s steps faltered when he discovered Carson at the bedside of the pretty blond doctor. Even with his back to Mac, Carson looked utterly devastated. A closer look told Mac why. Perna had passed away, and the weight of the guilt his friend felt for her death was painfully obvious.

Kneeling next to Carson, Mac placed a gentle hand on the man’s back and said quietly, “I’m so sorry, Carson.”

Seemingly unable to speak, Carson nodded jerkily as he stared at the woman’s face. Mac wasn’t sure what his friend’s feelings for the woman had been, but it didn’t really matter. Carson felt her loss keenly, and that was all that mattered. They sat by her bed for several minutes, letting the rest of the world pass by. The death rattles that had so shaken Mac upon first arriving had drifted to background noise – something that Mac tried not to think too much on.

It was Carson that roused first, carefully placing Perna’s hand down so she almost looked as if she was peacefully sleeping. Carson cleared his throat, scrubbing at his face before turning to face Mac. “Thanks.”

Mac gave him a small smile. “No need.”

Nodding, Carson got to his feet and glanced around with grief and determination clear on his face. Mac thought it would be a long, long time before the events of this day would stop haunting his friend.

“Right,” said Carson gruffly. “I think we’re done here.”

Quirking a brow, Mac silently asked if Carson was sure. People were still dying all around them, more sick coming in every minute. Carson set his jaw. “It’s time to go home. These people have made up their minds and there isn’t anything we can do for them. Not anymore.”

“Alright. I’ll pass the word,” Mac said, and putting deed to word he went to find his major.

 

next

“AR-1 and 2, coming in hot,” Chuck announced as he lowered the shield.

Ioan’s heart tripped as it always did when his brother’s team was in trouble but he pushed it down and got into position. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Bates do the same. Ioan frowned at the fierceness he read in the other man’s posture. He didn’t care for it one bit. If he were honest, he didn’t much like the man in general. Not many on the city did. Bates was a hardass with a temper. He was the one in charge of base security and, to Ioan’s mind, the responsibility had not done the man any favors to his attitude.

Any further thought was pushed aside when stunners came through the gate, followed closely by both teams. Ioan had only enough time to register no major casualties when one final stunner came through the gate just before the shield came back up, hitting McKay square in the face who immediately crumpled to the floor.

“McKay!” Sheppard yelled, dropping to his knees.

Ioan stared in abject horror at the still form of Rodney, as Sheppard frantically checked for a pulse. Ioan knew he had found it when the Major’s body seemed to go lax with relief.

Hitting his com, Ioan barked, “Medical team to the gate room, stat! Man down.” Hurrying over, Ioan’s eyes roamed over the others before resting on his brother. Only then did he notice that Evan was limping. Slipping an arm around his waist, Ioan helped him to the stairs so he could sit down. “You okay? What happened?” he asked quietly.

Evan shook his head. “Nothing. Just tripped over a loose rock on the way to the gate. I’ll be fine.”

“And the mission? You weren’t due back until tonight,” Ioan pressed.

“The Wraith arrived about two hours after we got to the planet. They kept the gate open for a while before we finally managed to dial out. We can scratch that address off the list for possible Alpha sites, obviously,” Evan said with a groan as he attempted to stretch his leg.

Ioan frowned. Another Wraith attack? How many did that make now, where AR-1’s team had encountered them shortly after arriving on a planet, Ioan wondered.

Carson stopped in front of them to check on Evan. “You alright, lad? Think you can make your way to the infirmary on your own?”

Evan glanced at Ioan, then nodded even as Ioan said, “Don’t worry, doc, I’ll make sure he gets there.”

Carson flashed a brief smile, then hurried back to Rodney who was being put on a gurney. Glancing behind them, Ioan frowned at a scowling Bates. The man looked like he was about to explode. He radiated suspicion and anger – not a good combination in Ioan’s book. He shared a knowing look with his brother as he helped him to his feet. They both agreed that trouble was brewing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I’m sorry about this, Halling,” Evan said quietly as he prepared to take off. They were ferrying the Athosians to the mainland – a compromise between Weir and the Athosians while they figured out how the Wraith got their intel that continuously seemed to jeopardise their missions.

It didn’t sit well with Evan that the Athosians had been treated more like prisoners than friends, or that Bates had been stoking the fire behind the paranoia that seemed to have come over Weir. Granted, he could see as well as the next person that there was something going on, but his gut told him that Sheppard was right about the Athosians and that there were no spies among them.

Halling sighed, shaking his head. “As am I, Major Lorne. I truly hope that one day your Dr. Weir will find her trust in us again. Perhaps our settling on the mainland will aid with that.”

Offering the man a small smile, Evan nodded. “Perhaps.”

The trip to where the Athosians would be putting up camp took less than half an hour. Evan offered to help get everything moved, but Halling waved him off. “No need, Major Lorne. We will manage. This is not the first time we have had to start again.”

“Alright. Remember, if you or your people need anything, call us. We will be there,” he stressed, though he could tell from some of the faces around him that not all the Athosians shared his belief.

Halling, however, nodded. “Thank you, Major.” Evan was touched when Halling made to do the Athosian greeting – though Evan had long since learned it was used both in greetings and goodbyes, as well as offers of support and comfort.

Touching his forehead to Halling’s, Evan murmured, “Be safe, my friend.”

“And you,” Halling replied softly.

With one final glance over the first friends they had made in Pegasus, Evan went back to the jumper and made his way back to the city.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rodney glowered, arms crossed over his chest as Bates dumped the contents of the bag on his desk. Rodney knew full well that John would never have ordered Teyla’s belongings searched and that he would be pissed once he found out Bates had gone behind his back. “You want me to go through her stuff?” he asked incredulously.

Bates, who had already turned to head out the door, glanced over his shoulder with a determined look in his eye. “We’re looking for weapons, transmitters, recording devices. Anything that looks like it’s beyond the Athosian level of technology.”

Taking a deep breath, Rodney stared at the ceiling, trying to keep a tight rein on his temper. “And if I don’t find anything, do we move on to a strip search?” He was feeling queasy. Teyla was his friend, too, and there was just no way she would betray them.

Glaring at him, Bates ordered, “Just do it,” and walked away.

“This isn’t right,” Rodney muttered to himself as he reluctantly began sorting through his friend’s belongings. He continued talking to himself as he methodically poured over everything. “See, there’s nothing here. I can’t believe Bates could be so-.” He cut off as he fingered Teyla’s necklace. Something seemed off about it, so he carried it over to his computer and began to do a search through the database. His stomach dropped down to his toes as a single, condemning entry popped up on his screen.

He knew Bates would want to know as soon as possible, but Rodney just could not bring himself to radio the sergeant. Instead, he hurried over to the infirmary, certain he would find John there. His thoughts kept snarling, twisting him up inside. Regardless of what the database said, he couldn’t believe Teyla capable of working for the Wraith. John trusted her implicitly. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

The relief Rodney felt at seeing John sitting next to Ford as he walked into the infirmary was instant. “Major! I err… Oh, Ford. How are you feeling? Pins and needles everywhere?” he asked, genuinely concerned for his teammate. He remembered only too well what it felt like to get hit by a stunner, and not just because he was still dealing with the aftereffects of it off and on.

Ford looked bashful as he explained he had managed to dodge the stunner only to hit his head on a rock on his way down. So merely concussed, Rodney thought, his mind already spinning back to Teyla and what he had uncovered. “Er, Major, there’s something I need you to see,” he urged, walking off without waiting to see whether John followed. He was only vaguely aware of Ford calling after them, but his actual words never registered.

The closer they came to his lab, the worse Rodney felt because it meant he would soon be the one to provide immutable proof that Bates had been right about their friend. “What the hell is this?” John asked as soon as he spotted Teyla’s things on Rodney’s desk.

Taking a deep breath, Rodney briefly closed his eyes before meeting John’s. “I know how it looks. Special request from Sergeant Bates.” Oh, how he hated that look in John’s eyes. The one that said he was hurt by his betrayal.

“I’m gonna bust that son of a bitch,” John growled.

Rodney didn’t doubt that. He sighed. “Major.” He needed to keep a level head. Rodney couldn’t appeal to John right now, so he used his title instead, hoping to get through to him.

“Teyla has nothing to do with this,” John protested vehemently.

Jaw clenching, Rodney steeled himself. “Thing is, he was right,” he said quietly.

The anger in John was replaced by shocked disbelief as he gaped at Rodney, who wished he didn’t have to deliver the news. “I know, I was as surprised as you are,” he murmured, unable to keep eye contact. Turning to his computer, he pulled up the information on the necklace. “Look at this.”

He beckoned John over. “It’s her locket,” he said, holding it up to compare it to the image on the screen. “It’s a transmitter. It’s been broadcasting a continuous signal. I wouldn’t even have noticed if I hadn’t been looking for it specifically,” he confessed, his gut churning.

John released a long breath of relief, much to Rodney’s surprise. “I found it,” John admitted.

Rodney stared at him, dumbfounded. “What?”

Meeting his gaze, John confided, “I found it. On her planet, the first time we met. Teyla took me to the old ruins. That,” he said, pointing to the locket, “was half buried in dirt. I gave it to her.”

Mind racing over the implications, Rodney snapped his fingers. “But that means-,” he paused, then snapped his fingers again, already walking at a clipped pace, clutching the necklace. “We need to talk to Elizabeth. Now.”

Bates was already with Elizabeth when he and John entered the room she had been using to ‘interview’ the Athosians. Rodney tried not to dwell on that as it still made him uneasy to know just how quickly the light of suspicion had been cast on an innocent people. On their friends. Still, with Bates here, it would be easier to allay any further concerns regarding Teyla. He hoped.

Tossing the necklace on the table in front of Elizabeth, Rodney walked back to stand next to John. “The locket’s signal isn’t strong enough to travel very far, certainly not through subspace. Now, my guess is there are probably relay devices on certain planets that pick up the transmission and then alert the nearest hive ship. Those were the planets where we were attacked.”

“Boy do we owe a few people an apology,” John said with a pointed glance at Bates, who still seemed determined to be right no matter the evidence laid before him. Rodney felt oddly pleased that John was remaining so calm.

Elizabeth shook her head and sighed, relief at Teyla’s innocence apparent. “Teyla had no idea that she was giving away your position.”

Rodney smiled, happy that she at least was finally beginning to understand and accept what was going on. John nodded, murmuring, “She said it was a present from her father. She lost it when she was a kid.”

Putting the last pieces of the puzzle together, Rodney nodded to himself. “It was probably dormant until Major Sheppard picked it up, activating it.” Well didn’t that make perfect sense. Everything John touched that was Lantean seemed to work for him, so why not that locket.

Bates looked less convinced. “If she wore it as a kid, how come they weren’t attacked back then?”

Rodney stared at the sergeant, only barely refraining from asking the man if he was really that stupid. “Didn’t I just say it was dormant?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Bates shrugged, apparently really as dumb as he looked. “But if it’s activated by touch, then-.”

“You’re not listening,” Rodney retorted, counting silently to ten in order to keep his cool as he gave the sergeant a look that plainly said he was too stupid to breathe the same air as him. “Major Sheppard activated it.”

Elizabeth seemed to get it as she leaned forward. “As far as the Wraith are concerned, Teyla is just another human being.”

Rodney nodded. “They would have no interest in tracking her. Now Major Sheppard on the other hand,” he said, jerking his thumb to the man in question.

Elizabeth finished his sentence. “Has the Ancient gene.”

Grinning, Rodney nodded. “Exactly. Now at one point, the Wraith and the Ancients were at war. The Wraith created or adapted this device to detect Ancients,” he explained, noting that Bates finally seemed to be getting with the program.

John grimaced. “So some Athosian thought this would make a nice little necklace?”

Blinking, Rodney stared at John. Was he kidding? “How could I possibly know that? What am I? Answer man?” As much as the question irked him, it took Rodney a few seconds to realize that it had been rhetorical and that John was trying to hold back a grin. Right. Of course. Giving himself a shake, he tried to let it go. “The point is-.”

Elizabeth interrupted him. “It wasn’t Teyla. Or any of the Athosians.”

A light bulb seemed to suddenly go off for John. He leaned on the table, eyes focused on Elizabeth. “If that’s the case,” he intoned carefully, “then we can use that against them.”

Rodney was equal parts proud and horrified as John laid out his plan. If he were completely honest with himself, the Wraith terrified him more than anything he had ever encountered. Beings that would steal your life from you by essentially ‘eating’ your energy and that looked like tricked out Marilyn Mansons to boot? Yeah, that was the stuff of nightmares. Right up there with clowns and Moby Dick.

An hour later his team along with AR 2 and 3 had gathered and they were going over John’s plan again. Rodney was wringing his hands, trying to control the nervous jitters coursing through him – or was that still the aftereffect of that stunner? He wasn’t sure.

John frowned at him, his hand on his hip. “You seem nervous.”

What? What did he mean he didn’t have to do this, Rodney wondered. Lifting his chin stubbornly, he forced his body to still. “No. No, I’m part of this team. I’m doing this.”

Bemused, John smiled at him. “Yes, you are. I just said you seem nervous.”

Rodney blinked in confusion. “Oh. I thought you said I didn’t have to do this,” he confessed. Wishful thinking, he supposed. “Damn right I’m doing this,” he added, as much to convince himself as John. He might still be new at this whole ‘team’ thing and having one another’s backs, but there was no way in hell he would let John go on this mission without him there.

John grinned. “Yes, you are.” Rodney couldn’t quite keep from smiling at the obvious approval in John’s voice.

Shaking his head, Rodney tried to focus on what Ford was saying and before long he and the rest of AR-1, 2, and 3 were back on the planet, preparing their ambush. Rodney had to consciously remember how to breathe, fighting the rising fear as Ford radioed John to let him know they had four Wraith incoming. John pressed lightly against his side. “You still look nervous.”

Swallowing hard, Rodney tried to put forth as much confidence as he could. He knew John was worried about him and he had to do what he could to alleviate his concern. He would not be the reason this mission would fail, and he would most definitely not be the reason John got hurt. “No. No, I’m good. I can do this.”

Eyeing him carefully for a moment, John finally nodded. “I know you can,” he said reassuringly. Oddly enough, it made Rodney feel a little better. And then there was no more time for worrying. No more time for fear as they launched their attack. Everything went as planned, much to Rodney’s astonishment. At least right up until the Wraith they had taken down activated his self-destruct and blew up, nearly taking them with him.

Rodney was momentarily stunned from the blast. John appeared to fare little better but his experience in the field seemed to help him recover much quicker. John grabbed his wrist, his tone urgent. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” he croaked. “This is fun for me.” It wasn’t, but no need to tell John that. They still had to finish what they came to do. “Go. Help the once-over’ll be fine.”

With a worried look, John got to his knees and touched his cheek briefly before getting to his feet. Once he was gone, Rodney allowed himself a few moments to regain his breath. Once he was sure everything was still functioning as it should, he followed after John. He was glad to see that Ioan, Evan, and the rest of their teams were largely okay. The Lorne brothers were standing on either side of John, all three with guns – or in John’s case, a Wraith stunner – trained on their captive.

Helping Teyla to her feet, he patted her arms as he gave her a quick once-over. “You hurt?”

Smiling tiredly, she shook her head. “I am fine, thank you, Rodney.”

Rodney grinned or tried to. They had done it. They had captured a Wraith and without any casualties.

 

next

“Bloody hell,” Carson muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He checked his screen again, shaking his head. Well didn’t that just beat all. Soulmates. He and Mac had been searching the database for days without much luck until he had run across the information currently on his screen. It didn’t mention much, made no explanation of the why or how of it all, but there was enough there to confirm that the markers they had discovered were those of a soul bond.

“Right.” Carson saved the data on a thumbdrive, closed out of the log, then copied some of the DNA results after stripping the identifiers from them to preserve his patients’ privacy. Tapping his earpiece, he sighed. “Elizabeth, have you got a moment? I have something I need to discuss with you.”

“Of course, Carson. My office? Or do you want me to come there?”

“Your office, I think. I’m on my way.” Closing his com, Carson headed out of the infirmary. When he passed Mac, he pulled him aside and spoke in low tones. “I need you to take over for a while, I have a meeting with Weir.” Pausing, he pondered what – if anything – to tell the young man.  Mac, I think we should put the research on hold for now. There’s no rush, after all, and I don’t want the other projects to fall behind, alright?”

Mac looked puzzled, but nodded in agreement. “You’re the boss.”

Patting his arm, Carson tried to smile. “There’s a good lad.” He felt a little sick to his stomach, keeping what he’d learned from his friend and colleague, but he needed to figure this out first.

Of course, that feeling wasn’t helped by the knowledge that Miko was his soulmate. It made him question everything. As he made his way to Elizabeth’s office, Carson couldn’t stop cataloging his feelings for Miko. Was he truly infatuated with her because of who she was – a beautiful, smart, kind-hearted woman – or because they were soulbound?

Carson knocked on the door. “Elizabeth?”

Smiling warmly up at him, Elizabeth put her pad down and gestured for him to take a seat. “Carson! What was it you wanted to talk about? Is everything alright?”

With some reluctance, Carson thought the door closed, then locked. He didn’t want any interruptions for this because he wasn’t certain he would be able to get it all out otherwise. Handing her the thumb drive, Carson cleared his throat and sat down. “Have a look for yourself,” he said quietly. He watched her carefully as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

“What exactly am I looking at?” she asked, glancing up at him.

“A potential problem, I think. Mac and I have been trying to figure out why the gene therapy didn’t take on everyone. While doing so, we stumbled across an anomaly in the DNA of those with the ATA gene – both the natural and the therapy induced ones. What you’re looking at are the markers we found.” Leaning forward, he pointed them out for her. “The thing that caught our attention was the fact they seemed to mostly come in pairs, and that no two pairs were alike.”

Frowning, Elizabeth sat back in her chair, steepling her fingers as she watched Carson carefully. “Okay. So what have you found out?”

Taking a deep breath, Carson laid his cards on the table. “After some digging in the database, I discovered that those markers indicate a soulbond. The pairs in question are soulmates.”

Eyes wide, Elizabeth gaped at him. “And what does that mean, exactly?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. All I know for sure is that I have one, and that I’ve been attracted to her for as long as I’ve known her. I’ve also noticed some patterns among the members of the expedition.”

“What kind of patterns?” she asked, but from the speculative way she was eyeing him, Carson thought she had a good idea already.

“There have been friendships that have formed in fast order. Attachments are becoming apparent in several cases. To my knowledge, no one has flaunted regulations yet, but if the soulbonds have the effect I think they do, then that can’t last much longer.”

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. “Right.”

Wringing his hands, Carson gazed at them a moment before meeting her eyes again. “The thing that bothers me is, do we tell them? Do we have the right to tell anyone they have a soulmate. Or for that matter, do we have the right to withhold that information?” His stomach churned at that, knowing he already had withheld it from at least a few people. “Is it cruel to do either? I just don’t know.”

Humming under her breath, Elizabeth nodded. “I see your point. Quite the dilemma.” Tapping her fingers on her desk, she frowned as her eyes drifted toward the control room. After a minute or two, she sighed and turned her attention back to Carson. “I don’t think there are any easy answers here, Carson. For now, let’s keep this to ourselves while we figure it out. We’ll both try to think on how best to handle the situation and then we can discuss it further. Fair enough?”

Carson smiled grimly and nodded. It would have to do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Get this off of me,” John ground out, panting with the effort of trying to move with Ford and McKay as they carried him between them toward the jumper. “Soon as we get inside.”

Clenching his jaw, John refused to acknowledge the look the lieutenant shared with Rodney. They had tried to remove the giant tick that had latched onto his neck already. John shuddered at the memory of it. He had never hurt as badly as he had after Ford had tried shooting it off.

“Go, go, go!” Ford yelled at Teyla who stood waiting by the hatch. “Tell Markham to take off the second we’re inside!” Teyla nodded grimly and disappeared from view to relay the order.

Rodney grunted with the effort of hauling John over the ramp while Ford covered their six and closed the rear hatch. As soon as it was up, they lowered John to the floor, back resting against the hatch. He was exhausted, hurting everywhere, could barely move, and he was decidedly not. Happy.

Ford went up to the front to talk to Markham, urging him to fly faster. The jumper jolted and John groaned, “Taking fire! Taking fire. Get some altitude.”

Oh God, why? Why did this have to happen? Just his stupid luck to run into the stupid bug’s… web… and have it latch onto him. John’s gut twisted as he recalled the Wraith walking calmly up to him, watching him while John struggled to remain semi-upright. He had thought for sure he was dead, that the Wraith would seize the opportunity and feed on him then and there, but after a minute it had simply walked away. That’s when John knew he was in serious trouble – as if the excruciating pain lancing through his body hadn’t been clue enough.

“Okay,” Ford called back. “I think we’re close enough to dial the gate.”

Rodney huffed in annoyance as he paced back and forth before kneeling by John’s side. “Yes, yes! Hurry up and get us back!”

Fuck, he hurt, and he couldn’t move properly. He couldn’t get remotely comfortable either, giant tick around his neck notwithstanding. He kept trying to sit up, to grab at the thing to pull it off. To do something – anything – to help, but nothing did. His throat felt thick when he saw the worry written on the astrophysicist’s face. John wished he could hold the man, reassure him. Since he couldn’t, he took a shallow breath and repeated his earlier demand. “Get this damn thing off of me.”

“We can’t,” Teyla said firmly, looking as worried as Rodney.

Gaze fixed on Rodney, John tried again. “Cut it off!”

Rodney, however, put his hand on John’s shoulder and ignored his plea as he called to Stackhouse, “As soon as we’ve established a connection, radio ahead and tell them we have a medical emergency!”

John could just tell out of the corners of his eyes that both Teyla and Rodney had firm grips on his shoulders, but he couldn’t feel them. It took him a second to realize that he couldn’t really feel anything anymore from the neck down, aside from the lingering pain that emanated from where the damned bug was latched on.

He heard Teyla take a wavering breath as she looked to Rodney with something close to panic in her eyes. And that scared John more than he would ever admit. He might not have known Teyla for very long, but he was pretty certain that there was little that truly frightened or even phased the woman, yet John’s predicament had her flustered beyond anything he had seen yet. Not even when she had been taken captive by the Wraith had she been this rattled. “There must be something we can do for him?” she asked Rodney.

John could see the gears going full speed behind Rodney’s eyes as he thought over their options. “There’s an emergency first aid kit behind the pilot’s seat. Get it.”

How that was going to help, John had no idea, but he kept his mouth shut and his eyes locked on the man next to him. Rodney met his gaze, and John could see how much the stoic resolve cost his friend. “Major, everything we do to try to remove it makes the pain worse, now try to stay still,” Rodney admonished. John didn’t have the heart to tell him that not moving wasn’t going to be much of an issue pretty soon, so he just nodded.

“Is there no way to go faster?” Teyla asked, stepping up between Markham and Stackhouse.

Without bothering to turn around Stackhouse said tersely, “He’s just trying to get us back in one piece.”

John had the fleeting thought that Stackhouse seemed oddly protective of Markham. The tick tightened its hold on John’s throat and John tried again to shift. It was getting harder and harder to move. Rodney dug frantically through the medical kit, discarding item after item as he grumbled, “What am I expecting to find in here that’s gonna get rid of that thing?”

“Something for the pain,” Teyla replied with strained patience.

Sitting up, Rodney held up a bottle of pills and huffed. “I doubt Tylenol is going to do it,” he said, tossing it aside. “He needs a doctor! How much longer?” he yelled at the three up front.

John wanted to tell Rodney to calm down, to tell him everything would be okay, but it was taking everything he had just then to not cry out. That damned thing just seemed to be burrowing its claws in deeper with every breath he took. He was vaguely aware of Ford telling Atlantis they were inbound and to be ready for a medical emergency, and of him telling Elizabeth in brief terms what had happened. All he could think about, though, was for them to hurry up already.

Suddenly there was a scraping sound and the jumper lurched hard enough to bounce John’s head against the ramp, knocking him unconscious.

How long John was out, he had no idea. Keeping his eyes closed, he did a quick assessment of his situation. The bug was still attached, apparently not going anywhere, but at least it wasn’t trying to throttle John anymore so there was that. He tried to wiggle his toes. Nothing. Same with his fingers. Well, crap. That was not a good sign. On the bright side – and by ‘bright side’ he meant ‘definitely a bad thing’ – the pain was gone. He was still in the same position as before he blacked out, which meant they hadn’t gone through the gate yet.

Carefully opening his eyes, he spotted Teyla about a foot from him, rifling through the medical kit again. What had happened? Did someone get hurt? Well, besides him, of course. “Hi, Teyla.”

Teyla’s head whipped up, relief stark on her face as she rushed to his side. With effort, John turned his head to face her. “Are you alright?” he muttered.

She blinked, apparently surprised at his concern for her. “I’m fine,” she assured him.

Grunting, John tried – and failed – to shift. “Something tells me we haven’t made it to Atlantis yet,” he said, hoping to deflect the question he saw in her eyes.

“No,” she murmured, seemingly deflating.

Taking a breath, John started to ask why when his eye caught the shimmering blue of the event horizon and he froze for several heartbeats. Ford and Rodney were standing in front of it as if they had been arguing. At the moment, though, Rodney was staring at him with such heartbreak in his eyes that it tore at John. “Ford?”

The lieutenant came to his side, but John’s focus remained on the event horizon and on Rodney, who looked hurt that it wasn’t him John had called on. Despite the fact John could see for himself, he couldn’t help asking Ford, “What is that?” Though he meant it more in a ‘what the hell happened and why are we here’-way.

“We’re stuck, sir,” Ford muttered.

“We’re what?” John couldn’t quite figure out how that was possible.

“In the gate,” Ford added curtly.

Taking a deep breath, John tried to remain calm. “You mean my day just got worse?” The looks of guilt and pity that flitted across his teammates’ faces struck John hard. Especially the despair in Rodney’s. It made John feel awful. Worse than he already was feeling, because he hated that he was putting his friends through this.

He had always hated to be the cause of grief for those he cared about but this was ten times worse for the simple reason that over the past several weeks – or was it months? – Rodney had come to mean so much more to him than just a friend. Part of him was kicking himself for never having acted on his feelings, and now it would be too late. John was going to die and Rodney would be left behind, never knowing how much he had meant to John.

Then again, it was probably for the best that Rodney was unaware. It would be totally unfair for him to have it taken away. They had been spending a lot of time together lately and had talked about basically every subject under the horizon. John knew how few true friends Rodney had always had, though it had gotten a little better since coming to Atlantis. He also knew the kind of luck the other man had had with relationships of any kind and for a wonder, it was worse than John’s own – ex-wife notwithstanding.

Rodney seemed to grasp for something to hold onto, mentally. An anchor that would keep him from going adrift as he seemed to be in danger of doing. So John wasn’t at all surprised when Rodney began explaining what he believed had happened with the drive pods, ending with, “There’s no way of knowing really, but… if you know some way of manually retracting the mechanism?” He sounded almost hopeful in spite of himself. It was nearly enough to make John smile. Nearly.

John took a moment to really consider, but he already knew the answer. He sighed, eyes fixed on where the cockpit was supposed to be. “Yeah. Cockpit on the left,” he said, his heart sinking to somewhere around his navel.

Rodney’s jaw flexed, jerking a thumb to the event horizon. “The cockpit is regrettably de-molecularized at the moment, but uh, what about somewhere back here?”

John shook his head. “No.”

“No. Didn’t think so. I’ll just be over here taking some readings. Feel free to talk among yourselves.” Rodney sounded terse, closed off, as he grabbed a pad and turned his back on them. John didn’t care for it one bit. He could tell how much it frightened the other man to see John hurt and Rodney not have the answers, but there was nothing John could do so he remained quiet.

Teyla stayed by his side, offering what comfort she could, though John knew she was feeling helpless and that she was growing more worried by the moment. Not so much for her own predicament but for his. Ford went to sit opposite Rodney, as if trying to will the other man to succeed. John for his part, lay watching Rodney as he poked at his pad. Not just because he wanted him to find a solution, either. No, John couldn’t not take his fill of this man while he still had the chance.

Suddenly, Rodney got to his feet and reached past Ford, closing the bulkhead doors and pitching them in darkness. “Ah, sorry,” he mumbled, flicking on his flashlight. John managed a small smile, already getting why he had done it even before Rodney explained it to the others.

Ford apparently wasn’t grasping it quite as quickly, and Rodney’s panic and fear which had been bubbling just below the surface came to the forefront. He got into an argument with Ford. “McKay,” John said quietly, trying to get his attention. “McKay! Knock it off.”

Rodney turned on him, angry and hurt and frightened. “Oh, excuse me if I’m the only one that comprehends just how screwed we are!”

Shooting him a level look, John ground out, “Don’t talk to me about screwed!”

That brought Rodney up short. He looked crestfallen as what he said and John’s reality sunk in on him. “Right. Right. Sorry,” he mumbled, unable to look at John.

John’s heart went out to the man. Taking a calming breath, John added with as much confidence as he could muster, “And let’s not give up on Markham and Stackhouse either. There’s plenty of time to solve this thing, but you’ve got to stop using your mouth and start using your brain.”

Rodney swallowed hard a few times before apparently finding his voice again. “I’m sorry. I react to certain doom a certain way, and-.” Pausing, he took a steadying breath and began to look around the compartment. “Maybe there’s a way to manually retract the pods.”

John doubted it, but he would sooner die than say so. “Maybe there is.” He had to try to keep his team’s hopes up. It was the least he could do. Hell, it might be the only thing he could do just then. He wasn’t sure he would make it much longer, but if there was even the slightest chance that his team would make it through, then it was John’s responsibility to try as hard as he could to get them there.

Teyla placed her folded jacket behind John’s head, cushioning it. “You seem stronger.”

“No, it’s…” He hesitated, then decided to tell them the truth. It was one thing to keep their hopes up, it was another to lie to them altogether. “It’s that the pain’s not so bad now.”

“Well, that’s good isn’t it?” came Ford’s response.

“No, it isn’t, Lieutenant. My hands and feet are numb, I can barely move them. I’ve lost all feeling in my extremities, and the feeling is creeping up.” Closing his eyes briefly so he wouldn’t have to see the sickening fear in Rodney’s eyes as he stared at John, he continued, “What I’m trying to say, Lieutenant, is that if you don’t get this damned thing off me, I have even less time than you do.”

Chancing a glance at Rodney, John’s throat tightened with regret. Maybe he shouldn’t have been as blunt. Maybe he should have spared them the knowledge after all. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

While Rodney set to work with a look of grim determination, John had Ford contact Atlantis. He spoke to Carson about the bug, wanting to know if there was anything they could do that they hadn’t already tried in order to remove the thing. Teyla chimed in at one point, sharing her belief that the bug was related in some way to the Wraith and that it shared their ability to heal itself.

In the end, Carson had gotten a kit similar to the one they had in the jumper as well as what they had in their personal inventory from their tac vests, and he and Ford worked their way through. As Ford attempted again and again to find something that would affect the bug, John was starting to lose hope. His thoughts were starting to feel sluggish and he could feel his time running out.

Ford poured water on the creature and it reacted with the salt he had sprinkled on it on the previous attempt. Suddenly the pain that had gone came rushing back with a vengeance and John cried out, his body going rigid. He couldn’t speak, and for a moment he couldn’t move. Next thing he knew, it felt as if the creature had taken control over his motor functions and he practically threw Lieutenant Ford across the jumper, startling Rodney into shorting something, which in turn caused the jumper to move forward just enough for the event horizon to breach the bulkhead doors.

John lay panting, his body once more immovable as the pain ebbed away. “Please don’t do that again,” he croaked, grimacing.

Elizabeth’s voice came over the coms, “How’s Major Sheppard?”

“I’m still here.”

“Hang in there, Major. We’re working on the problem.”

“I know you are.” And he did, he just wasn’t confident it would do him any good. Especially not after what had just happened. John felt absolutely wretched, everything hurt, and he had almost no energy left. Glancing to Rodney, he felt his resolve crumble. If this was his only chance to tell Rodney he was in love with him, then he had to take it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, part of an old Tennyson poem came to him: ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. Maybe there was some truth to that.

“Listen, er… I’d like to say something while I still can.”

“Don’t!” Elizabeth cut him off. “You’re gonna get through this.”

John chuckled hoarsely. He had meant to just talk to Rodney, forgetting he was still on the coms. Showed how out of it he was getting, really. “If I was,” he managed, “then the Wraith wouldn’t have let me go.” He was so tired. He could barely keep his eyes open anymore. “I guess he just saw me as good as dead,” he admitted, his speech beginning to slur every couple of words, “because he just walked away. So,” he cleared his throat, trying to focus on Rodney, “what I wanted to say, was-,”

Again, Elizabeth cut him off, telling him to save it for later. He really needed to not be on the com right now, he thought fuzzily. How was he to tell Rodney how he felt if people kept interrupting him? And why was Elizabeth assuming it was her he was trying to say something to? Oh. Right. She was who was on the com, which was still on. John opened his mouth to clarify his intent when Ford cut in, “We should send him through the event horizon.”

Was everyone intent on not letting him speak? He glowered at his lieutenant, but he didn’t seem to notice. John was vaguely aware of Carson vetoing the idea of sending him through the gate with the bug still attached when a thought occurred to him. “Hit me with the defibrillator.”

Ford gave him an incredulous look. “But the doc said that would kill you.”

Glancing up at Ford, John nodded. “That’s the idea.”

The look of consternation on the lieutenant’s face was almost worth it, John thought. He was starting to feel the blackness creeping up around the edges of his mind even as Carson explained what John meant. Finally, Teyla and Ford were ready to hit him with the defibrillator. Ford hesitated for a moment, and while John gazed on Rodney, he summoned all the strength he had left and turning to Ford, ordered, “Do it!” putting as much bite into it as he could muster.

Pain lanced through him as the electricity jolted him and then he knew no more.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An annoying beeping sound woke John up much sooner than he would have liked. He gasped when the realization he had survived hit him. A hand grasped his tightly, followed by a whispered, “John?”

He opened his eyes slowly, wincing at the brightness and the light immediately dimmed. Ah, one of the perks of being on Atlantis, he mused, a smile playing on his lips. He turned his head to Rodney who was still holding his hand as he hovered over him. “Hey, Rodney,” John croaked, throat parched.

Jaw set stubbornly, Rodney glared down at him. “Don’t you ever put me through that again, John Sheppard,” he ground out.

John blinked in surprise at the vehemence in Rodney’s voice. “Good to see you, too, Rodney,” he said, not quite sure how to react.

Rodney harrumphed, then appeared to relax a little. His eyes softened as he gazed at John, making him feel warm and cared for. John squeezed Rodney’s hand, murmuring, “We made it.” Way to state the obvious, but what else could he say?

Giving him a crooked smile, Rodney nodded. “Yes, we did, no thanks to you.”

Putting on a hurt face, John pouted. “Not my fault that tick-,” he started, only to have Rodney cut him off with a quiet, “I almost lost you.”

John’s heart tripped at the pain in his friend’s voice. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Before John knew what was happening, Rodney leaned down and brushed his lips over John’s forehead. “Rodney,” he rasped as he reached up to pull the man’s head down for a kiss, oblivious to their surroundings.

It was soft, sweet, and over far too quickly. Rodney pulled away with a goofy smile on his lips, one that John was fairly sure was mirrored on his own. “Regulations,” Rodney reminded him regretfully.

Casting a quick look around the thankfully empty infirmary, John locked eyes with Rodney. “Hang them. We’ll be careful.”

“You sure?” Rodney asked, a touch of insecurity lacing his voice.

Threading their fingers together, John nodded. “Positive.”

 

next

Radek shifted uncomfortably as he watched Carson administer the therapy to Kavanagh. He wasn’t looking forward to receiving the treatment himself – the very idea that his DNA would be rewritten gave him fits, never mind the fact that Radek hated needles – but he couldn’t quite hide his amusement when Kavanagh whined like a baby as he was injected.

Sometimes he wondered just how Kavanagh had managed to be placed on the expedition. Thus far, he had made no favorable impression on Radek. The man was self-centered, foolish, and complained about everything while taking blame for nothing. Radek rolled his eyes at the man’s, “Ow! What are you trying to do? Jam the needle in until it comes out the other side?”

Carson scoffed. “It was barely a pinch and you’re already done, so off with you.”

Scowling – Kavanagh’s default setting, in Radek’s opinion – Kavanagh rolled his sleeve down. “So how long before I know this worked?”

Carson had already explained this several times that Radek had heard as he had waited, which meant Kavanagh had as well. Still, Carson went over it once more, and with more patience than Radek would have believed possible. “There’s no way to be sure. With Dr. McKay, it took a few hours, but I haven’t heard back from everyone yet. Just be careful around Ancient technology for a day or so until we can be sure the therapy took, or not. And before you ask, the gene therapy either takes, or it doesn’t. Far as I can tell, there is no middle ground.”

Still grumbling, Kavanagh left the infirmary. Radek let out a sigh of relief. “Finally, he is gone.”

Grinning, Carson patted the bed and Radek dutifully took a seat. “Aye, he is a bit of a handful, isn’t he?”

“You do not even know half of it,” Radek assured as he held out his bare arm. Turning his face away as Carson picked up the syringe, he tried to relax. “Please, be quick.” A pinch, and a feeling of pressure as Carson gave him his dose and it was over. “Thank you,” Radek sighed, flexing his fingers. Giving Carson a conspiratorial look, he added, “I am glad I do not have to go off world. Would hate to always be poked and prodded.”

Clasping Radek’s arm, Carson chuckled. “No worries, lad. As long as you stay out of trouble, we will keep the poking to a minimum. Afraid of needles?”

Radek nodded emphatically. “Unreasonable, I know. I cannot help it.” Hopping down, he couldn’t quite contain his curiosity. “How many have received treatment now?

Carson cleaned up after himself and sighed. “Well, Elizabeth’s had her shot, but it didn’t take. You’re the last of the science departments to get one, and this afternoon Mac and I are starting on the military contingent. We felt it best to have you lot done first, since you are the ones who are dealing with Ancient technology the most. Major Sheppard agreed, mostly because there are several of his men who have the gene naturally, so he has a few pilots already. He’s eager for more, though, and understandably so.”

Radek nodded. “Makes sense. What is ratio so far, do you know?”

Carson shook his head. “No idea, lad. It seems to be completely random, and like I told Kavanagh, we haven’t heard back from everyone that’s received the therapy yet.”

“Will let you know if anything changes,” Radek promised.

“Thank you, lad. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to finish before lunch.”

“Of course. Must go back to lab, too, before Rodney explodes,” Radek quipped.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I just heard back from Sergeant Stackhouse,” Mac said, poking his head into Carson’s office. “His ATA took, so since he was the last to receive the therapy, anyone who hasn’t noticed any changes probably won’t.”

Putting his pen down, Carson sighed and stretched his arms over his head. “Right then. Thanks, Mac.”

Nodding, Mac headed back to work, leaving Carson to his thoughts. Tapping his earpiece, he began the arduous task of calling in people to come in to draw blood so he could attempt to figure out why the therapy was only partially effective.

Deciding to get a head start, Carson pulled up the results of the tests he’d already run. He was looking at each of the three ATA groups: natural carriers, those with successful gene therapy, and those who had rejected the ATA gene. It was a very small pool, but it was a start. He methodically poured over each strand, taking careful notes as he went.

Carson spent the next few days immersed in his data, only pausing long enough to eat and sleep, leaving the day-to-day medical care to his staff. A thought was niggling at the back of his brain that wouldn’t quite form but bothered him all the same. All around him, ever since they had arrived in Pegasus, he had noticed changes in the members of the expedition. Some were relatively minor and understandable, considering their situation. And it wasn’t something that was really blatant, either. He wondered whether he ought to discuss things with Kate to see if she had noticed anything, or whether it was his own imagination. After all, they were a long way from home and it was only natural that people would form bonds of friendship under their circumstances. But was that all it was? Carson wasn’t at all sure anymore.

Especially when he kept stumbling over that particular marker he had found. Several times now, he had found matches in that DNA mutation. So far, they appeared to come mostly in identical pairs, and were never the same from one pair to the next. He was baffled as to what that might mean, but his gut was telling him he was on to something. Something important.

Could those markers have anything to do with what he was seeing all over the city? Hearing Mac’s laughter from the other side of the infirmary, Carson looked up to see the man talking to Major Lorne. He smiled, then suddenly remembered an article Rodney had given him just prior to their leaving Earth. Pushing his chair back, he hurried to his desk and rifled through the drawers in search of that paper. After a couple of minutes of rummaging, Carson finally found it and sat down to read. He had only glanced at it before, but as his eyes roved over the pages, he knew he was on the right track. If friendship was partially determined by DNA, then perhaps those markers he had found determined a deeper connection.

Putting the paper back in the drawer, Carson got to his feet. “Mac,” he called out, getting his attention.

“Aye? What is it, Carson?” Mac was still smiling widely, his focus still partially on Major Lorne who had turned around, too.

“Would you mind terribly giving these results a look? I need a second pair of eyes to make sure I’m not missing anything,” Carson hedged.

“Sure, I’ll be right there.” Mac sighed and shot Evan an apologetic look. “Sorry, Evan, but it looks like I have to get back to work. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Of course,” Evan replied, then added to Carson, “Later, doc.”

Carson waved him off, his mind already back on his data. He felt a little uneasy, pulling Mac into this, as one of the pairs Carson had found was for Mac and Evan, whatever it meant. Clearing his throat, he came to a decision and hurriedly pulled the results of their tests from the group. Better be sure of the findings, he figured, before potentially messing with their lives.

Mac settled behind the computer Carson had been working at and immediately got to work, Carson hovering close by. “Well that’s weird,” Mac said after a while. Glancing at Carson, he frowned. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. Are they all like that?”

Carson nodded grimly. “Aye, seems so. Did you notice any pattern?” he asked as nonchalantly as he knew how.

For an answer, Mac pulled up four sets of results, which happened to be Rodney’s and John’s, Miko’s and Carson’s own. Pointing at the markers, Mac said thoughtfully, “The marker here is new to me, though it appears to have a mutation of some sort. The mutation between Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay is the same, as is the one between Dr. Kusanagi and yourself. But the two pairs are completely different from each other. Far as I can tell, there’s several that match up, but also a few of the ATAs, be it natural or therapy, that have a marker but no one with a matching mutation. It’s rather disconcerting, to be honest.”

“You’re not wrong, there,” Carson muttered under his breath. With a sigh, he added, “Any thoughts on what it means?”

Mac shook his head. “No, but since it’s related to the ATA gene, I wonder whether the Ancients mentioned it in one of their logs.”

“Aye, I was wondering that myself. You up for helping me research?”

Flashing a grin, Mac nodded. “Of course. This is a mystery that needs solving because not knowing is killing me.”

“There’s one more I’d like you to look at before we begin,” Carson said as he reached over Mac to pull up Teyla’s results. He had asked her permission to run a DNA test on her as well, in hopes of finding some answers, but he hadn’t had much luck. He had found something odd with hers, however, that had him just as stumped as the mystery markers.

Peering back at the screen, Mac frowned. “What are these?” he asked, pointing at the very spots that Carson had noticed. Teyla had mostly human DNA, but there was something there that was both completely foreign and vaguely familiar to Carson. He just couldn’t pinpoint why or how.

“I was hoping you might have an idea. Maybe this is what is normal for Pegasus humans, who knows. It just seemed strange to me to have the Athosians look so similar to us – or the Ancients for that matter – and yet have these discrepancies. So far, I haven’t managed to convince any of the other Athosians to part with their blood, so I have nothing to compare it to.”

Mac frowned, seemingly trying to remember something, then shook his head. “No, we don’t. I was trying to think if we did any bloodwork on the Athosians who were injured during the rising, but all we had was a few bumps and bruises, and a broken bone or two.”

“Aye, well, maybe in time then, eh?” Carson sighed, feeling weary. Perhaps it was time for a break.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Evan put down his tray and sat down opposite Mac. “So what did Carson want?” he asked, popping a french fry into his mouth. They were starting to run low on the perishable foods, so unless they came across some potatoes on one of their trade missions, this might be the last chance for them. Evan sincerely hoped they would find something comparable, because fries were one of his guilty pleasures.

Mac grinned and his eyes lit up. “It seems we have a bit of a mystery on our hands with the ATA gene. Carson found some oddities that we can’t explain, so we’re going to go through the Ancient database to see if there are answers to be had there.”

Evan chuckled. “You seem pretty into the whole mystery thing.”

“Aye, but of course! That’s what science is all about, isn’t it? Solving the great mysteries? Finding answers where there were none?”

Evan quirked his brows. “Always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes,” he quipped. “So the game’s afoot, huh?”

Mac’s laughter reached his eyes, and the sound thrilled Evan. “Indeed it is, Watson, indeed it is,” Mac said with a wink that made Evan’s cheeks flush. “Starting tomorrow, at any rate.”

Evan nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, Kimberly all but fell into Mac’s lap. “Hey, you two,” she said with a grin as she wrapped her arms around Mac’s shoulders. Evan felt a stab of jealousy at the easy interaction between them, but he firmly stamped it down. He had no right to feel any such thing, after all.

Mac put his arm around Kimberly’s waist as she said, “How’s my favorite doctor?”

Laughing, Mac rolled his eyes conspiratorially at Evan. “You only say that now, Kim, because it was Carson who did your last post-mission exam. When it’s my turn, he’ll be your favorite again.”

Kimberly shrugged, an unrepentant smile on her face. “You have a point.”

Ioan joined their table, carrying both her tray and his. He mouthed, ‘Sorry,’ as he tilted his head toward Kimberly and Mac, who bantered easily. Evan gave a shrug and a ‘What can you do,” look, to which Ioan grinned knowingly.

Leaning in, Evan whispered, “How’d it go?” Ioan and Kimberly had taken a jumper to the mainland earlier that day, ostensibly to do some reconnaissance, but Evan knew better.

Ioan’s eyes cut to Kimberly. “She’s really something,” he said sotto voce. “We found a little beach not too far from here and talked for hours.”

Raising a skeptical brow, Evan murmured, “Just talk?”

Shooting his brother a narrowed glance, he shook his head. “Yes, Evan,” he said, half-annoyed, half-exasperated. “Just talk. I don’t want to screw this up by going too fast. It already feels like I’m on a fast train here,” he admitted.

That, Evan could understand all too well. Their attention was drawn by Mac’s, “So do you guys have any plans for tonight?”

Ioan shook his head. “No, not really. Well, nothing beyond typing a quick report on the recon we did earlier,” he said.

Kimberly groaned. “Yes. I have to finish the report for Rodney. It’ll take me most of the night to finish.”

“How about you, Evan?” Mac asked, sounding hopeful.

Meeting the other man’s eyes, Evan found it difficult to look away, so he didn’t. “No plans as of yet, why?”

Mac shrugged. “I thought perhaps we could watch a movie? Relax for an evening while we can before we get swept away in either research or some emergency or other.”

Kimberly slipped off Mac’s lap and began eating her dinner. From the corner of his eye, Evan could just see her looking between him and Mac with amused interest. He did his best to ignore her. To not let his thoughts dwell on why she might be amused, or why she had that knowing look on her face. Clearing his throat, Evan smiled. “Sounds like fun. What did you have in mind?”

Mac waved his hand. “Whatever you want to watch, really. I’m open to anything.”

And couldn’t that be taken up for interpretation, Evan thought. Casting his memory back to the extensive library that Vala and the rest of SG-1 had managed to put together before they left, Evan grinned. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

The four of them chatted easily over the rest of dinner until Ioan and Kimberly had to get back to work, leaving Mac and Evan alone at the table. Mac leaned back in his chair as he watched Evan closely. “So have you figured out what you want to watch yet?”

Evan shook his head. “No, not really,” he admitted.

Getting to his feet, Mac chuckled. “Well, come on then. Why don’t we go to my room and we’ll figure it out from there?”

Swallowing hard, Evan nodded. Up until now, they had only spent time together in public areas. They hadn’t ventured to apartments at all, and while the prospect of being alone with the man enticed Evan, it also made him nervous. The pull he felt toward Mac, though, seemed to trump everything, and Evan found himself nodding agreement before he could think better of it.

Mac grabbed his laptop and booted it up as soon as they got to his room, then handed it to Evan. “Be my guest. I’ll be right back,” he said before disappearing to the bathroom, leaving Evan to his thoughts. Scrolling through the library of movies on the central database that everyone had been hooked up to, Evan tried to focus on just finding a movie.

He had just settled on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when Mac returned. Glancing at the screen, Mac grinned. “Ohh, good one. Haven’t seen that in a while.”

Offering him a pleased smile, Evan relaxed a little. At least he had made a good choice. Placing the laptop on the small table in front of the sofa, they watched in companionable silence for a while. It took Evan a bit to realize that Mac was paying more attention to him than he was the movie. Shifting, he shot a questioning look at Mac.

Mac shrugged. “Nothing. Was just thinking I’m glad you’re here.” Ducking his head, Evan twisted his fingers in his lap as Mac continued, “I’d like to get to know you better, Evan.” The man sounded sincere and his voice was so tender that it made Evan raise his eyes to find Mac smiling at him in a way that had something inside Evan melt away.

Clearing his throat, Evan gave a small smile of his own. “I think I’d like that, Mac, but…” At Mac’s concern, Evan hurriedly added, “I’d appreciate it if we could take things slow. It’s… been a while.”

Mac shifted in his seat so he faced Evan and leaned forward, reaching for his hand. With his thumb stroking the back of Evan’s hand, he met Evan’s eyes thoughtfully. “Tell me about him,” Mac prodded gently.

Surprised, Evan gaped at him. “How did you know it was a ‘him’?”

Light laughter spilled from Mac’s lips and he looked genuinely amused as he teased, “Because unless I’m very much mistaken, and that rarely happens, you are as gay as I am.” Turning more serious again, he gave Evan’s hand a squeeze. “So what happened to him?”

Swallowing hard, Evan fought back the emotions that welled up inside of him. Both those that still belonged to Jim, and those that had started to be all Mac’s. His voice barely above a whisper, Evan told Mac everything about Jim. How they had been together for three years before he had asked Jim to marry him. How they had planned out their future, only for it to be snatched away one night by a drunk driver, two months before their wedding.

“Oh, Ev, I’m so sorry.” Mac released Evan’s hand only to pull him into a comforting hug. “I’m so, so sorry. How long ago was that?” Mac murmured in his ear as he held him.

Evan closed his eyes, breathing deep. He felt completely overwhelmed by it all. The way Mac smelled, how it felt to hold him in his arms, and to be held? “Five years,” Evan croaked, clenching his eyes shut. Had being in Jim’s arms ever felt like this? Evan couldn’t remember and that made it all worse.

They sat like that for a long time and the credits were rolling when they let go. Scrubbing his face, Evan cleared his throat several times in hopes of pulling himself together. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Cupping Evan’s cheek, Mac smiled sadly. “You have nothing to be sorry for, love.” Evan blinked in surprise. “Ah, sorry. I probably shouldn’t have,” Mac said quietly as he pulled his hand away.

Shaking his head, Evan quickly stopped Mac’s movement. “Don’t. It’s… it’s okay.” And it was. More so than Evan was willing to admit. Ioan was right. No matter what happened between him and Mac, it was time for Evan to take a chance and risk his heart again. Carefully and slowly, baby steps all the way, but still a chance.

 

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