Chapter 1: Secrets
Chapter Text
Sheppard slowly returned to consciousness and scanned the dark bedroom, looking for what had awoken him. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and to realize his lover was no longer beside him. He immediately sat up and spotted her at the foot of the bed, getting dressed. “Sweetheart?” Blank eyes looked him over, then she went back to putting her clothes on. He was startled and concerned. He reached across the bed and nudged the other occupant. “Lorne, wake up.”
“What?” Evan slurred as he slowly opened one eye and looked at the other man.
“Something’s wrong with Mariah.”
Coming completely awake, the Major bolted upright and spotted the linguist. “Beautiful?” She didn’t even acknowledge him as she exited the bedroom.
“We have to stop her.” John stated and rolled out of bed, quickly putting on pants and a t-shirt. He grabbed his radio off the nightstand and was almost to the doorway when a hand on his arm stopped him. Hazel met blue. “What?”
“I think she’s having one of her blackout episodes. She’s acting like I do when I sleepwalk.”
“You sleepwalk? How did I not know you sleepwalk?”
“I haven’t since I was a kid, but my parents described to me how I acted and she’s even further gone than I get. Her subconscious is guiding her. If we try to wake her, she could react violently or we could inadvertently hurt her.” He let his CO go, heading towards the door. “But all the same, we should stay with her to see where she goes and what she does.”
The two men hurried out of the bedroom and into the corridor outside their apartment. They ran down the hall and reached the transporter just as she was getting in. They still received no acknowledgement. Mariah hit the map and once they reached their destination, she slid out the doors. They were in the hallway of the science section. She walked down the hall, her gait different than normal, more purposeful and commanding.
Dr. Gray entered the main physics lab and startled the sole occupant, Dr. Zelenka. “Mariah, why are you up at this hour?” He then noticed the two men behind her and their worried expressions.
“Come with me.” She said, her voice monotone and without its normal warmth. She turned and exited, her lovers jumping back to avoid disturbing her.
“Come on, Radek.” Evan said to the Czech scientist, as he motioned him forward.
Scampering across the lab, Zelenka joined the two men as they followed after the linguist. “What is going on? She is acting strangely.”
“We think she’s reacting subconsciously to some memory of Altheria’s. We need to stay with her.” Lorne answered.
The three men piled into the transporter after the young woman and soon they were all getting out near the Control Room. When Dr. Gray started to enter, John hit his radio. “Sheppard to Beckett. I need you in the Control Room, ASAP.” He paused and waited for a response. “Mariah’s having an episode. This is where she led us.” Another pause. “See you in a few.” He hit his radio off.
“Sirs?” Sgt. Banks looked at her two COs, confused by their presence in the Control Room so late.
“Not now, Banks.” The Colonel growled. He watched as his lover headed to a console in the back of the room. She stopped in front of it, waiting.
Radek hurried to her side. “Co to je, Mariah?”
Turning blank eyes to look at him, she said. “Fix it.” Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she staggered.
Lorne rushed forward and steadied her. “I’ve got you. You’re okay.”
“What happened?” Dr. Gray moaned as she held a hand to her head, before looking around. “What? How’d I get here? What’s going on?” Her eyes were filled with fear as she looked at John.
Before anyone could speak, Carson was running into the room and headed straight for the linguist. “Let’s sit the lass down and get her a glass of water.” He helped the Major get her into the closest free chair and knelt next to her, holding her wrist. “It’s all right, love. You’re going to be just fine.”
“Did I blackout?” She accepted the glass of water John had gotten from somewhere. Taking a few sips, she set the glass aside and met the Scotsman’s eyes. “I haven’t had an episode in over two years.” Her whole body was trembling.
Sheppard squatted down beside the physician and took her free hand. “It’s okay. We were with you the whole time.”
“What did I do?” She looked around the Control Room and noticed all the night-shift technicians staring at her. Mariah ducked her head and tried to pull her hands into her lap.
“Everyone, back to your duties.” The base XO barked at the marines. They all quickly turned back to their consoles and returned to work. He addressed their little group. “Let’s move some place more private.” He grabbed Radek’s arm and led him to the expedition leader’s office, the doors opening and the lights coming on when he approached.
The linguist allowed Carson and the Colonel to help her up and they followed after the others. Once everyone was inside and the doors had closed, Evan thought the walls and doors opaque, allowing them complete privacy.
Beckett got Mariah situated on the couch and sat down beside her, retaking hold of her hand. “How are you feeling, love?”
“Embarrassed, confused, tired.” She shook her head. “I’d really like to know what I did.”
Sheppard squatted back down in front of her again. “You got up, got dressed and left our quarters. Then Evan and I followed you to the transporter and we went to the science area. You walked into Rodney’s lab and told Zelenka to come with you. Then we all went to the Control Room. You stopped in front of a console and told Radek to fix it. Then you came out of it.” He thought it best to be completely honest with her. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms snaked around her and he held her close. He turned his head and caught Lorne’s eyes.
“Any idea what that console does?” The Major was addressing Zelenka.
“No. Rodney ordered it shut off since it appeared to be damaged and was drawing large quantities of power.” The Czech scientist answered simply as he looked at the young woman, his eyes filled with worry.
“Can you and McKay take a look at it tomorrow? Maybe connect it to one of the portable generators and get it working?” The Colonel asked as he stroked Mariah’s back. Her head was buried in his neck and her hands were gripping the back of his shirt tightly. He knew there was something important about that console, otherwise her subconscious wouldn’t have led her there, but right now, he just wanted to take her home. He whispered to her. “You ready to go home?” She nodded against him. He bit back a chuckle. “Do you want me to carry you?” He did chuckle when she vehemently shook her head no and pulled away from him.
Zelenka did his best to ignore the linguist and her emotional state. He didn’t want to make her self-conscious. He locked eyes with John. “Ano, Colonel. I will move it to number one on my to-do list. General O’Neill will need to be informed.”
“We’ll do that first thing in the morning, doc.” Evan answered. “He’s planning to scope out one of the apartments near ours in the morning. Seems he’d like the extra space, especially for when SG-1 is visiting.” He scanned their little group and decided it was time for them all to get some sleep. He moved over to his CO and helped him to his feet.
“Love, are you going to be okay?” Beckett crooned at the young woman.
“Yeah…. I’m so embarrassed. I’ve never had an episode in front of people before.” She looked around Jack’s office. “Any chance I could just sleep in here? I’m not sure I can face the people out there.”
“None of that, love.” The physician placed a hand under her elbow and they stood together. “Let’s get you home.” He guided her to the door and straight out, across the Control Room and into the corridor beyond. The others trailed after them. The Scotsman got her into the transporter and motioned for her lovers to follow. “I want you to go home and rest. Gentleman, let her sleep as long as she needs and wake up naturally.” The two men nodded and smiled at the two doctors. John hit the map for their corridor and they were engulfed in white.
Mariah led them out of the transporter and down the hall to their apartment. Trouble was waiting for them just inside the front door and pawed at her leg. She stooped down and picked him up. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m okay now.” She sighed happily when the little animal rubbed his face against hers. Setting him on the end of the bed, she took off her pants and hoodie, before picking him back up. She crawled into bed, placing the cat next to her while she got comfortable enough to sleep.
“Sweetheart….” Sheppard trailed off and looked at his XO.
“I don’t see a problem. He isn’t in my spot.” Evan laughed at the glare he received from the other man and stripped down to his boxers. He joined the linguist in bed and curled around her.
John muttered under his breath, while he undressed and slid into bed. The cat eyed him apprehensively as he moved as close to his lover as he could. He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb back and forth, taking whatever connection he could with her. Trouble hissed at him and he sighed. “Oh, come on. Why aren’t you hissing at Lorne for touching her?”
“Please tell me you aren’t arguing with a cat.” The linguist whispered, her eyes still closed, but a smile across her face.
“He started it.”
She gave a sigh. “Trouble, be nice to John and move up by my pillow.”
The little animal gave the military commander of Atlantis a look and slowly uncurled, doing as his owner instructed. He kept his eyes on the human who shifted into his vacated spot and laid down above Mariah’s pillow, going to sleep quickly.
“Your cat is starting to creep me out.” Sheppard whispered to the young woman.
“He’s our cat.” She sighed contentedly as she got comfortable in the arms of her lovers.
Evan interjected before they could start bickering. “Let’s go to sleep. It’ll be morning before we know it and we all have things we need to do.” He kissed the linguist’s neck. “Night, beautiful.”
“Night. Love you.” She murmured happily when he kissed her neck again. “Love you, too, John.”
“Love you, sweetheart.” He smiled as he let sleep claim him.
*****
“Why the hell am I wasting my very valuable time fixing a machine that doesn’t do anything and burns precious power?”
“Because it must be important, if Altheria wants us to fix it. Plus, it’s hooked up to a generator, not the City power.” He pondered his teammate’s feet, which were sticking out from under the console. “Why isn’t Radek here fixing this? He said he’d be working on it.”
“Because I’m the Chief Scientist and I’m not letting him make any great discoveries.” A hand reached out a grabbed another tool, then disappeared. He added. “Anyway, Altheria’s dead and why wait three years to tell us it’s important?”
“I don’t know, Rodney. Just fix it.” Sheppard sighed at the antics of his friend. He sort of wished he had taken escort duty for the General instead of Evan. But his XO was more likely to kill the CSO than he was, so he sighed again. “And don’t talk about Altheria that way, especially not around Mariah.”
The physicist gave a heavy sigh of his own and moved out from under the console where he was working. He looked up at his team leader. “Sorry. I’m just frustrated. This hunk of junk should be working. It has power and all the crystals are good. It just won’t do anything.” He grumbled as he went back under the console to continue checking.
“Maybe Radek could-.” John was interrupted.
“How’s it looking, McKay?” O’Neill asked as he approached them along with Lorne. He had a big grin on his face.
Rodney cursed and grunted, but stayed under the console. His language was very colorful and the Colonel chuckled as he looked at the expedition leader. “It has power and all the connections look good, but it won’t come on, sir. He’s still trying to figure it out.” He looked from his boss to his XO and back. “Did you find an apartment you liked?”
“Yup, other end of the hall from you all. Allows us to maintain our privacy.” Jack was still grinning and added. “But that reminds me, the next time Dr. Gray has an episode, wake me. I don’t like hearing things secondhand.”
“Sorry, sir. I didn’t think it warranted waking you since the console wasn’t operational and may never be if a certain genius doesn’t figure out what’s wrong.” The Colonel was amused and started to laugh when he heard a thud. His teammate crawled out from under the console, glaring at him.
“I’ll have you know repairman is not in my job description.” McKay rubbed his head where he hit it. “If you think you can do better, be my guest.” He struggled to his feet and hit a couple buttons on the console. Nothing happened and he growled. “It should be working.”
“Did you initialize it?” A new voice asked.
The four men turned and spotted the linguist approaching them. The physicist replied. “Of course, I did. I have the gene and it still won’t do anything.” He attempted to stop himself from yelling at her, but all three military men still gave him disapproving looks.
“Let me try.” She walked between them and right over to the console. Placing a hand on it, the screen immediately lit up as did all the displays and buttons. Mariah tilted her head and studied the screen. It seemed to be a map of galaxy, but nothing else was showing. She frowned. “That’s disappointing.”
“How’d you do that?” Rodney sidled up to her and began to inspect the displays, trying to figure out what the console was for.
“Ancient level of the gene, McKay. It must need a natural gene to operate.” John joined them, looking between the display and the screen. “What’s it for?” He set a hand on the small of his lover’s back
“Don’t know yet and it didn’t work for you either.” The CSO had his head down, focusing on the words on the display.
Evan and the General moved closer to them. The base XO pointed at the screen. “What’s that?”
“What’s what?” Rodney looked up and scanned the map. “I don’t see anything.”
“I saw it, too.” Jack stated. “A light blinked on and off.” He pointed at the same spot at the Major. “There it is again.”
Dr. Gray studied the map again, then something clicked. “It’s a locator beacon.”
“It can’t be. That would show up on the regular sensors.” McKay said as he watched the map. “Aha, I saw it, too.” He went back to the display. There had to be an explanation.
“Not if it was a specialized beacon for military use only. Altheria was a general. She would’ve been privy to more top secret and eyes only stuff than most people in the City. Might be why the console didn’t work for Sheppard.” O’Neill posited. “Mariah, any idea why Altheria would want us to see this?”
“Sorry, no. I just know it’s important.” She ducked her head and added. ”I’ll help Rodney with translating the displays and data.”
“Okay, and call Dr. Z. I’m sure McKay could use some help.” The General grinned at the angry look he received from the physicist. “Sheppard, Lorne, with me. I want to discuss the training schedule for the marines and coordinate my move to my new quarters.”
“Yes, sir.” The Colonel responded and followed the expedition leader towards his office.
Evan lingered for a minute and lightly touched the young woman’s hand. She looked up at him, still clearly embarrassed. “It’s going to be okay, beautiful. We’ll figure out what it is and go investigate. Don’t forget, we have a lunch date.”
She beamed at him. “I haven’t.” She laughed when Jack bellowed her lover’s name, causing him to blush. “Go before he gets mad.” She watched as he ran off and disappeared into the expedition leader’s office. Turning back to the console, she saw Rodney was watching her. “What?”
“Are you really going to call Zelenka?”
“Yes, but only to figure out where that is.” She pointed at the little blip of light. “You get to figure out the super-secret, military, generals-only console.” He gave her a smile and she hit her radio. “Gray to Zelenka.” She waited for a response. “Radek, Rodney needs your help with something. Can you come to the Control Room?” She paused and smirked. “Great. See you in a minute. Gray out.” She hit her radio off and saw McKay gaping at her. She laughed. “Oh, come on. That was funny.”
*****
“What’s the blinking light, McKay?”
“Mariah was right. It’s a locator beacon.” Dr. Gray smiled at him and he grinned back. “It’s a special encrypted locator beacon that was only used by the Lantean military. If you don’t have the decryption key, it comes off as subspace noise and anyone who intercepts it would just ignore it. Thankfully, the console has the decryption key and correctly interpreted the signal. With a little digging, I determined the locator beacon in question was assigned to the Selene, an Aurora-class battleship under the command of General Altheria.” A murmur of excitement went through the group.
“Do we know where it is and why it was abandoned?” Sheppard asked the physicist.
“I was just getting to that before you interrupted.” He cleared his throat. “Altheria and her crew were forced to abandon the ship after they were attacked by three hives and the ship sustained heavy damage. The ship was manned by a very small crew and they escaped in cloaked Jumpers with no loss of life. It would seem the Wraith didn’t bother to completely destroy the Selene since the beacon is still active. This incident happened shortly before the siege of Atlantis and they were forced to submerge the City. They never went back.” Rodney stopped talking and let that information sink in.
Evan broke the silence. “So the beacon’s been active for 10,000 years?”
“I think that was implied by what I said already. If you can’t infer the obvious-.” McKay started, but stopped when a hand was placed on his arm. He looked at the person next to him.
Teyla gave a frustrated sigh. “Rodney, do not berate the Major for asking a clarifying question. He was simply asking for verification.”
“Fine. Yes, it’s been active for 10,000 years, but it’s also dying. That’s why the blinking is so faint and slow. By my calculations, we have a couple of weeks until it stops transmitting.” He harrumphed and sat back in his chair. It always rubbed him the wrong way when he didn’t get to enjoy a good argument.
“So where is it?” John asked again.
Radek spoke up. “I can answer that, Colonel. It’s in a barren expansive of space about ten hours away through hyperspace. From the closest gate, it would take two days to reach by Jumper. Thus we must go by ship to investigate.”
The General tapped his steepled fingers against his lips and thought. He had options, but not all of them would be popular. “When’s the Daedalus set to arrive back at the City?”
“In three days, sir. It’s mostly a supply run. We have a couple of returning personnel and a handful of new recruits.” Lorne answered with his usual efficiency.
“All right, people. I want a mission planned to happen in four days’ time. Sheppard, Lorne work out what personnel is available to go along. We’ll need people with spacewalk experience, at the very least.” Jack turned to the scientists. “Dr. Z and McKay, gather whatever supplies you’ll need to effect repairs to a damaged Ancient ship. I want that ship flight worthy if at all possible. The Athena is still at the shipyards, undergoing repairs, but we have another whole hanger we can put the Selene in. Three Ancient ships are better than two. Let’s get to it.”
Everyone immediately got up and exited the Conference Room, until only O’Neill and Dr. Gray remained. He had noticed she was quiet throughout the meeting and bowed her head when he started to come up with a plan. There was something on her mind and he respected her enough to hear her out. He sat back in his chair and waited. It wasn’t a long wait.
“Jack, I’ll liked permission to go on the mission….”
“I assumed you’d want to tag along.” He smirked at her.
“…On the Orion.”
“Why?” He leaned forward on the table, allowing their eyes to meet.
She sighed. “Because if the Selene is structurally sound, the Orion will be able to dock with it and stabilize it for repairs. Also while they’re docked, we’ll be able to start reviewing the systems as well as any data stored in its database. I know Altheria was probably partial to her own ship, but there has to be another reason why she wanted me to find it.”
“Sounds reasonable. AR-3 and 4 can provide escort.”
“No, leave AR-4 here. Major Teldy can be acting military commander while Lorne and Sheppard are out of the City and you’ll be here to get in the chair if Atlantis comes under attack. Teldy is a good marine and can handle herself under pressure. Let her be in charge again. I’ll take AR-3, Zelenka and the military members of AR-2. AR-1 can be on the Daedalus.”
“Agreed.” He grinned at her. “That’s some pretty strategic thinking.”
“Blame Altheria. She likes to pop up when I’m in potential combat situations.” She stood. “I assume you’ll let everyone know.”
“Sure.” He stood as well, still grinning at her. “Afraid of how the boys will react?”
“No, because if you make it an order, they’ll have no choice. Anyway, Evan will be with me, plus Stacks and his team. They’ll have no grounds to complain.” She moved towards the doors, which opened as she approached. She thought for a minute. “Why wasn’t Woolsey here?”
The General joined her and answered. “Because I didn’t want him messing things up before we planned it out. He’s getting a briefing from the Botany staff right now. Dr. Parrish will keep him entertained for a while. I’ll make sure he attends the pre-mission briefing when Caldwell gets here. If we already have it completely planned, he’s less likely to complain or try to change the whole thing.”
Mariah chuckled. “That’s pretty strategic on your part, too.” She turned to him with a smile. “Thanks, Jack.”
“You’re welcome.”
*****
“Wow…. I can see why they had to abandon ship.” Caldwell stated from the bridge of the Daedalus. He looked at the people standing next to him. “Is that fixable, McKay?”
“Maybe, but I won’t know for sure until we get aboard.” The physicist answered as he stepped closer to the viewport.
They had just reached the location of the encrypted beacon, dropping out of hyperspace alongside the Orion. There was nothing there except the wreckage of the Selene. No stars, no planets, no other ships. Just a badly damaged Aurora-class Ancient battleship and debris, likely from the battle with the three Wraith hives. The ship had three gaping holes in its hull as well as extensive damage where drone storage and the weapon arrays resided on the top of the ship. The doors to one of the hanger bays was still open, marking the escape point of the crew when they realized they didn’t stand a chance.
“Open comms to the Orion.” Steven barked and when he received a nod from one of his crew, he spoke again. “Orion, this is the Daedalus. Are you going to be able to dock with the Selene?”
The linguist’s voice filled the bridge. “We should be able to. Radek says the ship still has emergency power, so the docking procedures should automatically complete. The issue is matching our rotation with the Selene. But as soon as we successfully dock, AR-1 needs to start the external inspection and see if closing the open hanger bay doors is viable. It may allow us to repressurize a large section of the ship. AR-2 will be doing that from our end. I’m set to start the docking process. Standby.” The radio connection cut out.
Everyone on the bridge watched as the Orion approached the damaged ship and slowly matched its position and rotation speed. Seeing the two ships side-by-side really showed the extent of the damage and the work that lay ahead to get it flight-worthy. Ronon gave a low whistle when he stepped forward to stand beside Rodney. Teyla and Sheppard followed suit. The two Aurora-class battleships almost appeared to be dancing in space as the Orion inched closer to its sister-ship. A cheer broke out as they watched them successfully dock.
As the volume level rose, Mariah’s voice broke through the din. “Daedalus, we’ve successfully docked with the Selene. We are slowly stabilizing her. I recommend Sheppard get his team in gear and start the external inspection of the damage. The sooner they do, the sooner they can get on board.”
Steven chuckled at the scowl that appeared on his fellow Colonel’s face and responded. “Will do. I’m going to have Hermiod and Novak start their own scans from here as well.”
“Sounds good. Zelenka and AR-2 just left to put on their spacesuits, then they’ll head to the airlock to start their examination of the ship. I’d like to suggest that AR-1 and 2 maintain an open radio link with AR-3 and myself, plus your ship. The actions of one team could affect the other. Plus, I need to be aware when they attempt repressurization of any section of the ship as it could result in a change to the Selene’s momentum. I’ll need to be prepared to course correct.”
John responded to his lover. “Copy, Dr. Gray. Make sure you start the data download and reviewing the system statuses. McKay and Radek may need your assistance to bring things online.” He had a smug smile on his face. He’d see how she felt about being given orders. His smile fell away when she answered.
“The download has already commenced, Colonel and all the Selene’s available systems have already synched up with the Orion’s. I’m ready to support the teams as needed.”
“You better go, Sheppard. The good doctor already has everything well in hand.” Caldwell was grinning and trying not to laugh at the dejected look on the other man’s face.
The military commander of Atlantis turned on his heels and left the bridge without a word. His team followed after him and Teyla set a calming hand on his arm. He turned his head towards her and saw she was smiling. He began to mutter under his breath. “I’ll show her getting it in gear…. Little know-it-all….”
“I do not believe Mariah meant any harm by her words. She is simply eager to discover what is so important about her Ancestor’s ship. Altheria has sent us here with an unknown purpose. We will be the ones to answer this mystery and allay her worries.” The Athosian kept her words hushed so the rest of their team wouldn’t hear.
“I know you’re right. I just hate it when she throws barbs at me in situations where I can’t respond like I want. She-.”
“Suck it up, Sheppard.” Ronon interrupted and slapped his team leader on the back. “She’s winning.”
“Winning what?” The physicist, as usually, was the last to catch on.
The rest of their journey to the F302 Bay was completed with their usual team banter and soothed John’s raw nerves. He wasn’t actually mad at his lover, just worried that she was taking on a lot of responsibility during this mission. O’Neill had told Caldwell to follow the linguist’s lead, but emphasized that the two Colonels were in charge. The expedition leader was well aware of Mariah’s discomfort with showing off her abilities with Ancient technology. And now she was doing so in front of the entire crew of the Daedalus. John and Lorne had given her a pep talk before they left the City. She had smiled brightly at the efforts of her lovers and promised to reward them for their kindness when they returned home. Thoughts of his coming reward filled his mind and he smirked.
Before too long, AR-1 was aboard their Jumper and left the Daedalus. The external inspection of the Selene was worse up-close. McKay bemoaned all the work that would be needed to get the battleship in any kind of shape to travel through hyperspace. It took them close to two hours to complete their visual review of the damage. Through the open radio link, they heard AR-2 and Radek starting their own slow journey through the interior. They had to perform detailed reviews of each hallway section before they entered and couldn’t pressurize the section they were in until they reviewed the next and entered it. During the two hours, they had pressurized the airlock room and two hallway sections, but the process was speeding up as they went and the further they got into the ship.
As soon as the two ships had connected, the linguist had requested someone stand guard at the docked airlocks in case they needed to sever the connection suddenly. She also said they would have to wear spacesuits, because if they weren’t fast enough and a portion of the ship was ripped away, they would be exposed to the vacuum of space and die within seconds. She knew all too well how that worked. The eager Corporal Kreis had volunteered to go first on the Orion, while Lt. Reed had been left outside the airlock on the Selene when AR-2 entered the ship. They were standing by to assist with an emergency escape from the damaged ship, if there was time, or to initiate the undocking sequence, if it became necessary. Hermiod also had locks on everyone on the Selene to beam them out if needed (in case of Wraith attack or structural failure of the Selene).
Rodney was bouncing in his seat when their Jumper finally entered the open hanger bay of the Selene. “Finally…. I can’t wait to see what’s here.”
“Damage and more damage, McKay.” Lorne’s voice sounded over the open radio.
“That’s because you have no imagination, Major.” The physicist growled, then he shouted. “Radek, you better not be making any discoveries without me.”
“Samozřejmě ne. Proč byste mi dovolili mít nějaký kredit?” Zelenka muttered in Czech, before adding. “I am simply pressurizing corridors. We are on our way to auxiliary control room.”
Dr. Gray joined the conversation. “Milý Radek, don’t let him get to you.” She opted to get the conversation back on track. “How’s the hanger looking?”
“Minimal damage, most likely due to being exposed to space. I’m setting us down by the control panel for the doors. Rodney and I will suit up and get out there to close the doors.” John reported as he landed the Jumper on the bay floor.
“That should not be necessary, Colonel. Mariah has created a link between the two ships and has some control over the Selene’s systems. She should be able to power up the bay using the emergency power and close the doors. Rodney can assess the status of the hanger from the HUD in the Jumper. However, you will still need your suits. Then you may start the same process as AR-2 and I.” The Czech scientist shared.
McKay grumbled. “I would have thought of that on my own.”
“Do not be petty.” Teyla chided her teammate. “Let us don our spacesuits and have Mariah commence the powering up process.” The foursome quickly did so and she spoke to her friend. “Mariah, begin when ready.”
“Copy, Teyla. Reed, Kreis, stand-by for emergency undocking.” The linguist’s voice ordered.
AR-1 watched through the front window of the Jumper as the power to the hanger bay came on. Lights first then the hum of systems coming online. The bay was in surprisingly good shape considering it had been floating in space for 10,000 years, exposed to absolute zero and no gravity. The mechanical whir of the hanger doors reverberated through them as the doors closed. They felt the ship list a little as the pressurization began, but everything stabilized after a minute or so. Then there was silence.
McKay brought up the HUD and began scanning the space. “We’re good. The hanger bay is pressurized and there are no leaks, but there isn’t any oxygen so we’ll have to keep our suits on.”
“I can’t bring life support on remotely. You’ll need to head to the power distribution center and see if you can bring main power online. Then Radek can initialize life support systems from auxiliary control.” Mariah shared with them.
“Copy.” Sheppard responded. “We’ll head there first. Stacks, are you on?”
“I’m here, sir.” The Sergeant answered his CO.
“Take over for Dr. Gray and let her get some rest. Once my team and AR-2 reach our destinations, she can retake command.” John knew that staying connected so long with the Orion was draining her energy. She would need to be sharp for the next part of the mission. It was an ideal time to let her rest while they completed the monotonous job of pressurizing sections of corridors.
“Understood, sir.” There was a definite smile in the marine’s voice.
A sigh came over the radio. “This really isn’t necessary. All I’ve been doing is sitting in one spot.” The linguist sounded perturbed.
“Yeah, for over 12 hours, while constantly interacting with Ancient tech.” The Colonel said back to his lover. “Take a nap. We’ll need you back once we reach the control room and the power distribution center.”
“Fine, but I’m not leaving the bridge.”
“Copy, Doctor.” John grinned at his teammates. He was up one. “Caldwell, did you get all that?”
“We did, Sheppard. I’m sending out a few F302s to do a little recon of the area. We have locks on all your life signs and are prepared to beam you out if needed. We’ll wait to do our next shift change when Dr. Gray takes back command of the Orion.” Steven was fighting a laugh as he relayed the information. The Atlantis expedition members were entertaining.
Still smiling, John addressed his team. “Let’s head out.” They all put on their helmets and the ramp for the Jumper descended. AR-1 moved cautiously into the hanger bay and headed towards the door into the ship.
Ronon sidled up to his team leader and said with a grin of his face. “She’s still winning.” He laughed uproariously as a frown appeared on the Colonel’s face. The former Runner was pretty sure he was going to enjoy this mission.
*****
Mariah slowly woke up and thought back to how she got into her current position. As soon as Sheppard had given Stackhouse his orders, the marine was helping her from the command chair and taking her place. Once she agreed to rest, Petrov appeared with a bedroll, blanket and pillow and helped her get situated along one of the walls, plus he took her radio so she wasn’t disturbed. It would seem they were all in on this plan. She gave a heavy sigh and laid down. But before she went to sleep, she asked the Russian to monitor the systems from the front console and told Yeager to swap out with Kreis in an hour. Once everyone acknowledged her orders, she had turned over and fallen asleep.
It irked her that John was right, she was utterly exhausted after 12 hours sitting in the same spot. Evan had stayed by her side for almost the full 10 hours they were in hyperspace, so she knew he was tired, too. But the ship needed constant attention from her, asking for things and alerting her to others, plus she had been reviewing the plan for when they reached the Selene with Lorne and Zelenka. Also during the ten hours of flying, the Czech scientist gave AR-3 a tutorial of all the systems they would need to monitor while he and AR-2 were on the other ship, because while their team leader had the gene, the Security Chief could only get the Orion to obey basic commands. It wasn’t a perfect situation, however they were making it work.
The young woman sat up and pulled her hair out of its ponytail. Her hair was surely sticking out in every direction. Everyone was where she expected them to be. Petrov was at the front console, Stackhouse was in the command chair and Kreis was down the wall from her, resting his eyes. No one was in a panic and no alarms were blaring. Everything was fine.
The leader of AR-3 saw her beginning to rise and smiled at her. “Hey, doc. Did you have a nice rest?”
“Yes, even if it was forced.” She headed right for the front console, holding out her hand. “Radio, please.” Petrov turned it over without a word and went back to what he was doing. As Mariah approached the command chair, she put her radio back in and Stacks vacated the chair. She sat down. “Can everyone give me a status, please?”
Radek’s voice came over the radio first. “Výborný, you have perfect timing. We have just reached the auxiliary control room.”
“That’s great news….” She smiled. “And AR-1?”
“Busy.” McKay snapped.
A sigh came next and Sheppard responded. “We’re working on the corridor outside the power distribution center. Once Rodney gives the okay, we’ll move into that section of hall and be able to assess our ability to get in there. Then we can get power back to the ship.” He paused and sighed again. He really want to see how she was doing, but couldn’t with an open radio.
“This is Caldwell. We’re going off comms for the next fifteen while we conduct a shift change. I’ll advise when we’re back with you.” The Colonel’s voice cut out and that just left the three teams on the radio.
John took the opportunity he was given. “Mariah, how are you feeling?”
“Better, Colonel. Thank you for insisting I rest.” She paused and tilted her head at Stacks. “How long was I out?”
“Two and a half hours, doc.”
The linguist pondered that. She felt very refreshed and was amazed that she was able to sleep that long. She was sure her lovers had something to do with it, but pushed all that away. She asked everyone. “So what did I miss?”
“A slow, painful, repetitive process of fixing one corridor after another with just emergency power.” The CSO sniped, then he gave a cry. “Got it. We’re entering the hallway outside the power distribution center.”
Before anyone on the Orion could even comment, Radek gave a similar cry. “We are entering the auxiliary control room. I will do my best to assess the systems without main power.” The Czech was happy he was able to get a little dig in at his boss.
There was a little more grumbling over the radio, then silence. Mariah sat back and waited. The Orion’s systems were linked with the Selene’s, but only peripherally. She could probably dive deeper into her connection with the ship and learn more, but was wary of doing so without her lovers or Carson to keep an eye on her. So she sat in silence.
But after fifteen minutes, another cry of accomplishment came over the radio. “We’re in luck. Seems they sealed the power distribution center before they abandoned ship. I’m going to pressurize the hall we’re in right now so we can open the doors.” McKay was excited and eager.
The linguist felt the minute change in the Selene’s equilibrium and adjusted the Orion’s position to match. Then the two scientist started to go back and forth about the proper way to bring the power back on. She pushed it from her mind and let the systems continue with their updates. As the power came online, she knew instantly and sat up a little straighter. There were now two power systems giving her reports and even though they were both basically the same system, she could tell them apart without issue. It was weird.
“Výborný. The control room has full power now. I will attempt to pressurize all parts of the ship I can. It will make it much easier to assess the ship. Once completed, I will activate life support for the pressurized sections.” Zelenka seemed very excited, as well.
Before Dr. Gray could respond, Caldwell rejoined them. “This is the Daedalus. We heard that last part. Gives us a minute to regain locks on AR-1 and 2.”
“Copy, Colonel. Yeager, Reed, stand-by to undock, if needed. This is going to be worse than the hanger bay.” Dr. Gray looked around the bridge and added for them. “You all might want to brace yourselves.” She watched Petrov grab onto the console he was at and Stacks gripped the arm of the command chair. Hopefully, Kreis was holding onto something behind her.
“Locks confirmed. You’re on, Dr. Zelenka.” Steven’s voice echoed over the radios.
The Orion felt the shift in positions almost instantly as the Selene regained pressure to all undamaged sections. Mariah immediately began to correct, but she saw the two marines stumble as they fought to keep their balance. It was over within a couple of minutes. She let out the breath she had been holding and spoke. “How’s it looking, Radek?”
“Good, life support is coming online.” He paused. “Normal atmosphere is present and the temperature has risen to a comfortable level. We can remove our helmets now.”
“I’d recommend keeping your suits on.” Dr. Gray was worried about her friends and her lovers. “You don’t know when something might go wrong.”
“Agreed.” Sheppard stated. “Full suits on when moving through the halls, but when we reach secure rooms, helmets can come off.”
“Copy, sir. The doc is going to start powering up other systems that appear to be in working order. We plan to stay here for the time being.”
“Sounds good, Major. We’re going to start looking around and see where we can go. Rodney wants to see if we can get to the engine room and the bridge. He wants to determine if we can safely get the ship to the shipyards in its current state.” John said to his XO.
“Let us know if you need any assistance, sir. One of us can come help you, while the other stays with Radek.”
The conversation between the two men continued to go back and forth, but the young woman pushed it from her mind. She was fully connected with both ships now and it was very taxing. She asked the Orion to stop reporting for a moment and focused on what the Selene wanted to tell her. It was amazing, considering the damage, how good of shape the other ship’s systems were in. Several systems were nonexistent because of the damage, but those that remained were at 80% and up. Then something caught her mind’s eye, the captain’s logs.
The data in the logs started to run through her head and she tried her best to take it all in. She caught words here and there: top-secret, vital to survival, must succeed…. On and on, then something clicked.
*****
Stackhouse always enjoyed being on the Orion with the expedition’s linguist. She was kind and considerate to his team and had such an amazing way with Ancient technology that it was cool to watch. This mission to another Ancient battleship was no different. He was the only member of his team who knew her background, but he could honestly say his team respected and admired her. They all knew about her relationship with their two COs, but only he had ever said anything to her about his knowledge. None of them had any plans to get the trio in trouble and they believed Atlantis was better for their presence.
His COs had given him very clear guidance about how to take care of Mariah. He was supposed to keep both eyes on her at all times, make sure she rested if she showed any signs of fatigue and follow her orders without question, unless she put herself at risk. The Sergeant made his team pack gear to ensure she was able to rest in as much comfort as possible, since he doubted she would want to leave the bridge. He had to restrain a laugh when she did just that. During the time she was resting, he had to make minor adjustments to their position as AR-1 and 2 moved further into the Selene. All the same, he was glad when Dr. Gray had woken up and retaken command.
He watched her as she sat in the command chair and he immediately noticed when something changed. “Doc?” He asked tentatively. Blank eyes looked at him. He tried again. “Mariah?”
She stood, stepping to the side and said in a strange voice. “Sit.”
Stackhouse did as she directed, but called out to his COs. “Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne, Dr. Gray is behaving strangely and she just had me retake the command chair.” He continued to follow her with his eyes and watched as she walked to the door, exiting the bridge. “She just left the bridge.”
“Shit.” He heard the military commander of Atlantis say. “Daedalus, cut your radio connection now. We’ll contact you when you can reconnect.”
“Copy.” Colonel Caldwell responded.
Then Sheppard was back in his ear. “Stacks, stay where you are, but someone needs to follow her.”
“Kreis, go after her.” Stacks ordered the Corporal.
“Yes, sir.” He gave his team leader a nod and hurried out of the bridge.
The Corporal was young and fast, plus he had just come off an hour nap. He wouldn’t let his COs down. The Colonel’s voice came over the radio. “Kreis, do not touch her under any circumstance, unless she does something that will get her hurt. Keep me apprised of what she’s doing.”
“Yes, sir. I’ve just caught up with her, sir.” He could see the linguist down the hall from him and continued to run after her.
“Where’s she going, Corporal?” Major Lorne joined the conversation.
Kreis thought carefully. He wasn’t completely familiar with all the parts of the ship, but this section looked familiar. “I think we’re headed for the airlock, sir.”
“Crap. Reed, if she comes through the airlock to the Selene, you take over tailing her. That clear, Kreis?”
“Yes, sir.” The Corporal reached her just as she went through the door to the airlock room. He nodded at Yeager. She stepped through the outer door of the Orion’s airlock and after a minute walked through to the Selene’s. His job was done. “She’s boarded the Selene, sirs.”
Lt. Reed watched as Dr. Gray stepped onto the Selene. Her face was blank and her stride was different, longer and more deliberate. He had already heard the orders from his CO and was following the conversation. All the same, he reported in. “I’ve got her, sirs. Should I be concerned she isn’t wearing a spacesuit?”
Both his COs cursed over the radio, but Sheppard spoke first. “I didn’t even think about that. Radek, can you see where she’s going?”
“It is not yet clear. We will have to wait until she comes to an inaccessible corridor, then I can better determine where she is trying to go.” There was a pause and a cry. “Ano, she is coming to a dead end.”
Mariah got to a door and it didn’t open at her approach. Her hand flew over the crystal, but with the same result. Reed watched as she turned around and came back towards him. “She’s backtracking, sirs.”
“Which way is she headed?” Rodney asked.
“We’re going towards the starboard side of the ship.” The Lieutenant supplied.
“That is good, she is coming towards the side of the ship we are on.” Zelenka stated.
“Coughlin, stay with the doc. Reed, I’m heading towards the two of you.” Lorne said, anxiously.
Reed breathed a sigh of relief. He really liked the young woman, but didn’t want to be solely responsible for her safety. He knew what she meant to the Colonel and the Major and if he failed to protect her…. He didn’t want to think about it. “Copy, sir.”
The marine listened over the radio as the Czech scientist guided the base XO through the corridors. Then he heard steps behind him and Lorne was jogging up beside him, unhindered by his spacesuit. Reed sighed again. “I’m glad you’re here, sir.”
“Has she said anything?”
“No, sir.”
His team leader tried talking to her. “Mariah?” He received no response. Then he tried another name. “Altheria?” The woman stopped and looked back at him. Her face was still blank, but she appeared to be studying him. Reed had heard that name before, however he wasn’t privy to who it was. The Major barked at him. “Lieutenant, head back to the airlock and resume your post. I’ll stay with her.”
“Yes, sir.” He really wanted to stay and find out what was going on, but he was a good marine and would do as ordered. He turned on his heels and made his way back through the maze of hallways.
Evan met the eyes of his lover, but he could see she wasn’t there right now, just the remnants of a dead woman. He went with it. “What are you looking for, General?”
“I must secure the cargo. We did not have time to collect it before we escaped. Saving lives was more important, but now I can retrieve it and help Atlantis.” The dull, flat tones of her voice rubbed Lorne the wrong way, almost like nails on a chalkboard.
“Let me help you. Where’s the cargo?” He hoped it was in a section of the ship that was accessible.
She was still studying him. “Secure cargo bay two.”
“Radek?”
“I am looking, Major.” Mutterings sounded over the radio. “Ano, it is two corridors over and down three levels. It appears to be in an area we pressurized.”
“Can me and my team access it from where we are?” Sheppard rejoined them.
“Ano, Colonel. I will guide you while the Major follows Mariah.” He began to give John directions.
“Let’s go.” Lorne said to her. She turned around and started to walk again. He came up alongside her and did his best to keep up. She was walking with purpose and didn’t take a single wrong step. So different from his lover, who had a habit of stumbling if she walked too fast or was overly excited. He really hoped Mariah returned soon.
They walked for roughly ten minutes and the Major saw parts of an Ancient battleship he never had, but soon they reached their destination. He watched as she placed her hand on an access pad by the door and underwent some type of security scan. The doors started to open right when AR-1 came running down the corridor, struggling to keep up with their team leader. Mariah didn’t even pause as she went into the room, her five friends following after her.
It wasn’t a large room and was basically empty, save for a table placed in the center of the room. On the table, there was a large box, held down by clamps. They watched as she set both hands on the box and started to speak in Ancient. When she finished, the clamps released and she hefted the box off the table. She walked towards them.
“Chewie.” Sheppard directed the Satedan.
Ronon stepped forward and held out his arms. She set the box down on them and turned her head back to Evan. “Use them wisely.” She stated simply. Placing a finger on the top of the box, it opened under her hand, then her eyes rolled back into her head and she started to fall.
John and Evan both rushed forward and caught her before she could hit the floor. They heard gasps behind them and looked over at the others. They saw what Ronon, Teyla and Rodney saw and couldn’t believe their eyes.
*****
“Are those what I think they are?”
“If you think those are four fully charged ZPMs, sir, then you’d be right.” Sheppard smiled at his superior.
Woolsey came alongside the General and stared at the open box. “It’s remarkable. Do we know where they came from?”
“Drs. McKay and Zelenka are going through the logs, looking for details, but haven’t found anything yet.” Evan answered.
“Is Dr. Gray assisting?” The IOA rep asked.
John shared a look with his XO and grimaced, before replying. “No, when she regained consciousness, she had a complete meltdown. Lorne tried to calm her, but we had to sedate her using the emergency medical kit.”
Jack frowned. “Where is she now?”
“We took her to the infirmary as soon as we got back. Caldwell offered the use of his infirmary, but we thought it best to keep her on the Orion, away from the Daedalus crew. My team and I flew back with AR-2 and 3. I needed to control the ship and maintain the connection with the Selene at the same time. There wasn’t any way Lorne or Stacks could’ve done it. I was barely able to. We had to drop out of hyperspace three times so I could have a break.” The Colonel’s exhaustion was apparent.
“Did you keep her sedated the whole way home?” O’Neill was concerned about his young friend.
“No, sir.” Evan said. “With some help from Teyla and Ronon, we found the Commander’s quarters and did our best to get her comfortable. Teyla, Ronon and I stayed there with her. She came around after about four hours and just laid there shaking. We did our best to reassure her, but she didn’t say a word or even acknowledge our presence.”
“The two of you are dismissed. We’ll have a full debriefing in a couple of days, but I expect your mission reports before then. I want to know exactly what happened and what was said. Go check on your girl and take her home. I’ll try to swing by later to check on her.” Jack was still frowning as the two men left and looked at the man beside him. “Any comments you’d like to make, Richard?”
“Not really, General. I’d call the mission a success, though I am worried about Dr. Gray. This blackout business is very disconcerting. She seems to be having longer episodes and a more adverse reactions to each one. Perhaps she could talk to Dr. Heightmeyer about them.” Woolsey stated calmly. He hadn’t been in the City long, but he thought he was acclimating well. He was surprised at the kindness of the linguist after their previous interactions, but it warmed him and made him feel welcome. He was shocked to learn that she was in a relationship with two men, the two military commanders of the City, to be exact. But they all seemed happy and who was he to judge them. Their relationship worked for them. It wasn’t any of his business and definitely wasn’t the IOA’s. He kept that tidbit to himself, omitting it from all his reports back to Earth.
O’Neill sat on the edge of his desk. “I’ll suggest it to her, but she’ll only go if she wants to. So what about the ZPMs?” He was curious how the bureaucrat would respond.
Richard smiled. “I’ll leave that up to you. You have a better understanding of their strategic value and will give them to who is most deserving.”
“Good answer. I’m thinking about keeping two here and sending the other two back to Earth. One will probably go to Antarctica, as a back-up to power the chair, the other held in reserve at the SGC for whichever of our ships might need one. Plus Carter and Bill will want to study it.” Jack was chuckling inside. Woolsey was learning how things worked in Atlantis.
“Can I make a request, General?”
“Sure….”
“Would it be possible to get a tour of the Orion and/or the Selene? I’d really like to see how these ships are laid out and work.”
“That’s a great idea.” The General slid off the desk. “I’ve been meaning to take a better look at them myself. This’ll be fun, plus maybe we can annoy McKay.” He started out of his office.
The IOA rep followed after him and shook his head. He had great respect for General O’Neill. He was a hero several times over, but he acted like such a child sometimes….
*****
The Atlantis infirmary was quiet when the two men entered and they zeroed in on the curtained off bed. They slid between the curtains and were greeted by the rest of AR-1 and Dr. Beckett. Mariah laid in the bed they surrounded and was sleeping, probably courtesy of the Scotsman and a sedative. Everyone looked up at their arrival.
Evan spoke first. “How is she?”
“In shock. I was able to get a few words out of her during my examination but she wouldn’t or couldn’t stop shaking. I finally had to give her something, then we piled on the warm blankets to try to soothe her. She’s still shivering minutely.” The physician studied his patient and sighed.
“How can she still be cold, Carson? The Major, Ronon and I did our best to warm her on the return journey and now she is covered in half a dozen blankets.” The Athosian woman was gravely concerned for the other woman.
“She experienced a trauma, lass, and this is the body’s reaction to it. It will take time and patience for her to recover properly.” He brushed hair off the linguist’s face and checked her IV.
Sheppard was getting antsy. “Can we take her home?”
“I’d rather you didn’t, Colonel. She needs to be monitored and….” Beckett trailed off as he took in the faces of Mariah’s lovers. It was obvious they wanted to be alone with her and take care of her in their own way. He gave a heavy sigh. “I’ll let you take her home, IF you promise to let her sleep, to keep her warm and to call me the minute there’s an issue. I know the lass will feel better in a safe place, but she’s fragile right now.”
Despite the situation, John smiled. “Thanks, Carson.” He looked at his XO, then over at the linguist. How were they going to do this? It was taken out of their hands.
Ronon stood and said. “Unhook her, doc. I’ll carry her home.” The Scotsman quickly got to work and stepped back as the former Runner scooped his patient up, blankets and all. Ronon looked at Teyla. “I’ll see you in our quarters.”
The Athosian bowed her head and looked at her friends. “I bid you all good night. I, too, would like to rest. It was a very long mission.” She strode to the exit.
“I’m going to get back to the logs. Radek’s working on them right now. We’re making some progress, but it’s slow going without….” McKay shrugged his shoulder towards his teammate’s cargo.
“Thanks, Rodney. Come on, Chewie.” Sheppard led the other two men away from the bed and waved at the CMO as they left.
It was a quick trip to the transporter, then over to their corridor. The doors to the apartment opened as they approached and Trouble was waiting for them when they entered. The little cat meowed and studied the people before him. He dashed into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed. They followed. As soon as Ronon set his owner down, he started to rub his face against hers, then he licked her a couple times. Finally he curled up between her shoulder and head and cuddled close.
The Satedan waved as he headed out and the two men looked at each other, then at their lover. They wanted to make her more comfortable, but they were loath to disturb her. Evan acted first, pealing the blankets away from her. She started to shiver a bit more as the colder air hit her, then the room started to warm up. The City was on top of that. Together they undressed her before struggling to get her into a sleep shirt, a pair of lounge pants and some fuzzy socks. Sheppard lifted her as the other man pulled the comforter and sheets back. Trouble didn’t appreciate all the disruptions, but took it in stride.
John carefully set her back on the bed and Lorne settled the sheets over her. Then they covered her up with the blankets and Trouble returned to his previous position. The temperature dropped down to its normal level and after a little cleanup of the bedroom, the two men began to get ready for bed themselves. It had been a long day and the stress of watching the woman they love collapse hadn’t helped. They both just wanted to sleep and be close to her. They were asleep as soon as they fell into bed and curled around her.
Several hours passed before they awoke. Something had disturbed them. Dr. Gray was stirring beside them. Her eyes opened and she took in the two blurry faces above her. “Why can’t I move?” She whispered.
“You’re covered in blankets. Carson said we were supposed to keep you warm.” John whispered back as he cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He was happy to see her awake and hear her speak.
“How do you feel, beautiful?”
“Groggy…. What happened?” She tried to shift, but the blankets were so heavy, then she felt something fuzzy by her head and neck. She wiggled a hand up through the blankets and sheets and felt what was there. She heard a meow and smiled. Trouble’s face joined those above hers and she giggled when the cat started to lick her. His tongue was rough and it tickled.
Both men brightened when they heard her laugh. She was okay. Evan addressed her question. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Sitting in the command chair…. Though I have a vague memory of Carson talking to me.” She looked at both men. “Can you get some of these blankets off me? I’m hot and can’t move.”
The two men sat up a peeled back four of the blankets. They wanted her to be able to move, but still stay warm. “That better?” Lorne asked.
“Yup, thanks, Evan.” She giggled again as her cat resumed licking her. “Trouble, stop. Please lay back down.” He did as directed and she sighed contentedly. She was surrounded by people (and creatures) who loved her. “Tell me what happened and what I did.”
“Why don’t you tell us about what happened in the command chair first?” Sheppard asked.
“Well, I felt the power come on for the Selene, then system after system. I told the Orion to stop reporting and I focused on what the Selene was telling me. The systems that came on were in good shape, then I noticed the captain’s logs and started scrolling through them. I only caught bits and pieces. The next thing I know I heard Scottish brogue, then I was here with you.” She looked at each of them. “Your turn.”
“You told Stacks to sit in the command chair and walked from the Orion to the Selene. We made sure someone was with you the whole time. Eventually, I got there and I addressed you as Altheria. You responded to that and I asked the General what was going on. She said she had to retrieve the cargo to help Atlantis. We went to the secure cargo bay together and AR-1 joined us. Once inside, you took a box off a table, handed it to Ronon, told me to use them wisely, opened it and collapsed.” Lorne told her plainly what happened as he gazed down at her. He was happy to note she stayed very calm during his short summary of events and seemed to be thinking it over.
“What about the Daedalus? Did they hear any of this? And what was in the box?” She got one of her hands free of the blankets and reached up to comb her fingers through Evan’s hair.
John answered her questions. “As soon as I realized what was going on, I told the Daedalus to get off the comms. I spoke to Caldwell later on a secure channel and told him what happened. He was fine with it and understands I wanted to maintain your privacy. The only people who know what happened are AR-1, 2 and 3, plus Radek, Carson, O’Neill and Woolsey.”
“I bet AR-2 and 3 have questions.” She gave a heavy sigh. “What about the box?”
“Four fully charged ZPMs, beautiful.” Lorne gave her a big grin as her eyes got huge.
The linguist struggled to sit up, however her lovers immediately started to help her. She grabbed Trouble as she did and set him in her lap. He purred and rubbed against her. “Really?”
“Yup.” John was ecstatic that she was sitting up and had color in her cheeks again. He leaned forward to give her a gentle kiss. Then he frowned, they needed to tell her the rest of the story. “There’s more we need to tell you.”
“I don’t think we-.” The Major started.
Sheppard wasn’t having it. “We promised to always be truthful with each other when we can. Not telling her is almost as bad as lying to her. You ready to hear the rest?”
“Probably not, but go ahead.” Dr. Gray leaned on Lorne once he moved to sit beside her.
“After you collapsed, we talked about what to do next. Rodney and I went to the engine room, while Ronon, Teyla and Evan took you and the box back to the Orion. We couldn’t get the engines to initialize, so we joined Radek. He and Rodney were able to get the shields online and we decided to try to fly the Orion back here while still attached to the Selene. Going in and out of hyperspace was the only part of the trip that was concerning, but with two geniuses, I knew we could do it. We all headed back to the Orion and I radioed Caldwell with the plan.” He paused and bowed his head. He wasn’t sure if she could handle what happened next.
A hand appeared on his arm and he looked up at the smiling face of the woman he loved. “Just tell me.” Lorne pressed a kiss to her temple.
“When we reached the bridge of the Orion, you were having a meltdown, crying and screaming. You didn’t want anyone to touch you. Evan eventually got his arms around you and you quieted some, but not enough. Teyla got the sedative out of her med kit and injected you with it. You went to sleep.” The Colonel was concerned when he saw her frown. He moved closer to her and gave her another kiss.
The base XO took over the story. “Teyla and Ronon then went to find some place where you could rest in private. The four of us ended up in Commander’s quarters. Teyla and I worked on getting you comfortable, then she sat cross-legged on the bed, putting your head in her lap. Ronon and I joined you. He curled up behind you and I laid in front of you. We wanted you to feel safe. After about four hours, you woke up, but you didn’t respond when we spoke to you and just laid there shivering. We took you to the infirmary as soon as we got back.”
“And the flight home?”
“It was rough, sweetheart. Exhausting. I had to drop out of hyperspace three times because controlling both ships was just too much. But we got both ships home. The Selene is on the South Pier. Rodney wants to fix the hyperdrive before taking it to the shipyards. He insists the ship needs to get there under its own power. He’s going to assign a couple of teams to start working on it tomorrow.” He wrapped an arm around her and gave her a squeeze.
They sat in silence for a few minutes while the linguist processed what she had heard. She didn’t remember the meltdown or screaming at her friends. She didn’t remember Teyla and Ronon helping her along with her lover. It was very confusing. Then she realized something and sat up a little straighter.
Evan noticed the change right away. “What’s wrong?”
“Altheria’s memories are fainter than they used to be. I usually can look around this room and half a dozen memories assail me, but I just did that and only a couple came to mind. Her consciousness must be fading or it faded because whatever’s there used itself up to help me remember about the Selene and its cargo.” Mariah shook her head. “I have no idea what I’m talking about. I’m just trying to make sense of something that’s outside my understanding.”
“Maybe you can ask Janus about it the next time you see him. He did say you would meet again, sweetheart.” John nuzzled her ear and dropped a kiss behind it.
She turned towards Lorne and pulled him into a deep kiss, which he readily reciprocated. The young woman allowed herself to get lost in the sensation. While Altheria’s memories were useful and had accomplished great things for the expedition, they didn’t matter right now. She was alive and with the men she loved. She pulled away, panting and spoke in a husky voice. “Trouble, go to your bed.” The little cat didn’t even flinch as he moved away and quickly did as his owner requested. With her lap free, Mariah shifted and straddled the Major’s lap. She whispered to him. “I want you.”
“You should be resting.” He whispered back, then kissed along her jaw and down her neck.
Sheppard got into the action and pulled her shirt up and off her. “I think you should do what she wants, Major, or do I need to make it an order?” He shifted away to give them room and not be in the way. He watched them together, a smirk on his face.
“No, sir.” Evan didn’t need any further motivation. He flipped them into the space between them and his CO, letting himself get lost in the taste and the feel of this amazing woman, who gave so freely of herself and asked for so little. She was okay, they had another Ancient battleship and acquired four ZPMs to defend the expedition and Earth with. They deserved to celebrate. The CMO couldn’t get mad at them about that.
Chapter 2: Families
Notes:
Tiny little crossover in this chapter. And thanks to lukymiko, who kudos'ed and bookmarked this story in record time. Hope you enjoy all the rest of the chapters.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“I can’t believe the General signed off on both John and I being away from the City, plus let you go off without a team of marines with you.”
“We just got a new battleship and four ZPMS…. We deserve some time off. Could you check on Trouble? He’s been awful quiet for the last ten minutes.”
“He’s fine, though if John doesn’t hurry up, we may have to let him out for a bathroom break.”
“What do you think is taking so long?”
“Beautiful… this is Lt. Colonel John Sheppard we’re talking about. He and personal/emotional matters don’t mix and he’s being forced to discuss his relationship with his dad and brother, who have the same aversion to emotions as him, according to John.”
“Maybe I should go check on them.” She went to open the car door, but a hand on her arm gave her pause. She looked back over her shoulder at her lover.
“No. Let him do this his way. It has to come from him.” His blue eyes met her brown ones and he smiled.
“Fine.” She twisted around to kneel on her seat, getting a better look at him. Then she started to climb into the backseat of the car.
Evan started laughing as she struggled to join him, helping her where he could, until she was firmly seated in his lap, her back against the car door. He dropped a kiss on her nose. “This is much better.”
“Behave yourself. We CANNOT make out in the car while we’re sitting in front of Mr. Sheppard’s house.” All the same, Mariah gave him a gentle kiss, which he returned.
It was a month after the retrieval of the Selene and things in Atlantis had been busy. Extensive repairs had started on the damaged ship and the engineering teams were solely focused on that. Missions had been cut back to allow for the work to be completed, with only missions to their allies and trading partners taking place. The senior staff had numerous meetings about the mission to review what happened during and after it. The General ended up briefing AR-2 and 3 about the linguist and what she had done to save the Milky Way. The expedition leader thought they deserved to know after what they had witnessed. They all took it very well and their respect for the young woman grew.
Dr. Gray had started to see Dr. Heightmeyer at Jack’s urging. She was trying to figure out what was going on with her blackouts and all the memories she still had that weren’t hers. Plus she had gobs of translations to get through to help understand her Ancestor’s mission and maybe find out where the ZPMs came from. The IOA were ecstatic about the four ZPMs and after a bit of bitching and moaning, agreed to O’Neill’s suggestions about where they should go. With two and half ZPMs installed in the City, mountains of new data and systems had become accessible. This added to the senior staff’s workload and the number of translations to work on.
Thankfully, the General saw how overworked the senior staff was getting and ordered them all to take some time off to decompress and relax. The timing was fortunate since Patrick Sheppard’s 70th birthday party was quickly approaching and now it seemed the trio could go without issue. O’Neill voiced no complaints about the three of them all going back to Earth at the same time and since the SGC now had one and half ZPMs of their own, they could head home as soon as their vacation was over. So they packed their bags and headed to Earth. A short flight got them close to their destination and they rented a car. They came up with a plan while they drove. John would go in first and talk to his father and brother, alone, explaining to them about the three person relationship and how it worked. Evan and Mariah would only come in once Sheppard came out to get them and would help with any questions. Sheppard grumbled about the plan, but agreed.
The Major and Dr. Gray had been sitting in the car for almost 45 minutes and the young woman was growing concerned. She stared at the cat carrying case. “I should really let him out for a little bit to stretch his legs and do his business.”
“Yes, you should. Slide next to me. I’ll get out and you can hand me the case.” Lorne helped her shift into the middle back seat and opened the door. He stepped out and leaned back in to get the case from her. She quickly joined him. Together they opened it and let her pet out.
Trouble looked around while stretching, then ran over to a nearby tree, slipping behind it. Mariah laughed. “That’s adorable, he wants privacy.”
“Who does?” A voice asked from behind them.
The pair swung around and saw John. The linguist hurried over and gave him a fast kiss. “How’d it go?”
“I have no idea.” He gave a heavy sigh and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her snug against him. “They want to meet Evan, then Dad wants to speak with you alone.”
“That sounds ominous.” Lorne added as he moved closer to them. Trouble hurried back over to them and meowed. He bent down and picked the cat up, rubbing him under the chin. He set the animal back in the carrier, closed the top and lifted it.
“Come on. I’d like to get this over with, so we can determine if we’re staying for the party or heading to San Francisco.” The linguist stepped away from the Colonel, but grabbed his hand. She led her lovers up the stairs into the house. She immediately spotted Patrick Sheppard in the sitting room and headed straight for him, letting go of John’s hand. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Mr. Sheppard.” She gave him a hug.
The older man chuckled and hugged her back. “It’s lovely to see you again as well, Mariah. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me, Patrick?” He looked beyond her at his son and the man who was with him. “Evan?”
“Yes, sir. Evan Lorne, it’s very nice to meet you.” The Major scanned the room and saw another man standing off to the side. “You must be Dave.”
“Yes.” His tone was hard and unwelcoming. Evan took it in stride.
Patrick let the young woman go and moved over to offer his hand to his guest. “I’m happy all of you could come for my birthday, though I am a tad bit confused about your relationship.”
“It’s odd, there’s no denying it, but it seems to work for the three of us.” Lorne shook hands with his host. He was still keeping an eye on the other Sheppard. John’s brother did not look happy.
The linguist approached Dave and smiled at him. “You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep that up.”
He couldn’t seem to help himself as he smiled down at her. “I’m hoping you can help us understand. John’s explanation was….” Dave couldn’t seem to find the right word.
“Unintelligible, emotionally stunted, embarrassing, all of the above…?” She offered helpfully.
Everyone, but the Colonel, laughed at her words. Patrick responded. “All of the above, definitely.” He paused when he heard a sound. “Did anyone else hear that?”
“That’s just Trouble.” Evan answered and gestured to the case in his hand. “Mariah’s cat. We couldn’t leave him out in the car alone.”
“John’s never been much of a cat person.” Dave shared.
“Trouble grows on you. Though I still think he’s plotting to kill me.” John responded.
Dr. Gray hurried over to the case and with a little help, got her pet out. He purred happily as soon as she touched him. She set him on her shoulder and addressed her lovers. “John, why don’t you show Evan the house, while I talk to your dad and brother? Make sure he sees the painting in the study and meets Sarah.”
“Come on, Ev. I’ll give you the tour.” He gave Mariah a half smile and herded his XO out of the room.
“Why don’t we all sit down and I’ll do my best to explain?” The young woman suggested as she sat on the settee. Dave came around and sat beside her, while Mr. Sheppard took the high back chair he sat in during her previous visit. “Where would you like me to start?”
“I think the beginning would be best. Also I’d like to know why you didn’t tell me last time, since I gather you were already involved with both of them.” The elder Sheppard requested.
“I’ll start with the second part of that. John hadn’t been in your life for so long, we agreed that we didn’t want to detract from you reconnecting. It’s confusing to most people who don’t see us together all the time. It’s even confusing to us at times. I love them both equally and they love me. As to their relationship, they’re like brothers, best friends and a slew of other things. This relationship makes all of us better than when we’re apart.”
“How did it come about?” Dave asked.
“As you both know, I came to the base where John is military commander after a traumatic experience and was curling in on myself to avoid being hurt again. John and Evan both saw that and did their best to help me, each in their own way. They helped me when I didn’t think anyone cared and I fell in love with them both because of it. Then one day, they came to me and kissed me, one after the other. They explained to me that their superior had given them unofficial approval to both be involved with me since they made me happy. I was confused at first, but we opted to take it one day at a time. We’ve had issues as we learn to balance the wants and needs of each other. And even now, after almost three years together, we’re still learning and adjusting.” Mariah stopped speaking and looked at the two men in turn. They both seemed to be thinking over her words.
“So John and Evan aren’t…?” Patrick was obviously embarrassed.
“They’re just friends, brothers, like I said before. Nothing more. We do all live together and share a bed.” She blushed a little at this, but pressed on. “It’s not a true polyamorous relationship. I’m just a woman with two lovers, who know and care about each other.”
Dave still seemed unsure. “It’s not because John’s deficient in some way, is it?”
“DAVID!!” His father bellowed at him.
“It’s okay. I can understand why you might think that, but no, he’s not. And neither is Evan. Sometimes I think the two of them are trying to kill me. If they weren’t the two military commanders at an FOB and very busy with military matters or away on missions, they would probably be too much for me to handle, but even then I don’t want to imagine my life without them in it. I know this is a lot to digest, but we wanted to be honest with you. We wanted Evan to be able to come to your party and not be a dirty little secret from either of you.”
“I can appreciate that and thank you for telling us. But about the party….” Mr. Sheppard wasn’t sure how to express his concerns.
She smiled at him. “Evan will be playing John’s and my best friend, which he is among other things. We don’t want to cause a scene or give anyone the wrong idea, but the two of you deserve to know.” She looked at both men again. She could see they were moving towards acceptance. “Are we good now?”
“I think we are, young lady.” He gave her an odd look. “Your cat is very well behaved.”
“I’m his favorite, so if he can spend time near me, he’s happy.” Mariah scratched Trouble’s head. While they were talking, he had curled around the back of her neck, his head on one shoulder, his rear on the other. His tail was swishing back and forth, tickling her ear. She looked at Dave. “You okay?”
“Yeah…. I should probably go apologize to Evan. I was a bit rude.”
“You were, but he understands.” She stood and the two men followed suit. “We better find them before John gets them both in trouble.” The cat’s ears perked up. “Not you, baby.” She grabbed him off her shoulder and set him on the floor. “Go find John.” He looked at her a second, then ran off.
The two Sheppards shared a look, then started to laugh when they heard a scream and an angry shout. “Mariah! Come and get your demon cat. He just tried to kill me.”
“He loves Trouble. I swear.” She winked at the men and smiled, before heading off to save her lover from her cat.
*****
“Did I wake you?”
“No, but why are you staring at me this time?”
“I was wondering how I lucked out and found such an amazing woman, who not only can sweet talk my dad and brother, but also had a Senator eating out of her hand.”
“Senators are easy to impress.” She shifted forward into his arms and gave him a gentle kiss.
John returned the kiss and sighed in contentment. After an uncomfortable start to their visit, things had settled down and had been going relatively smoothly. They had a couple days of just interacting with their hosts, letting Patrick and Dave (plus Sarah) get used to the idea of their three person relationship. Then set-up for the party had begun and they all got very busy helping out and/or staying out of the way. An extra bed was also put in John’s room to give people the impression that the trio were just sharing a room, but in actuality, they shared John’s old bed (it was a king after all). Then finally, the day of the party arrived. Tons of people descended on the house, family, friends, colleagues, employees, rivals and more.
Patrick Sheppard was ecstatic at the turnout and happily bragged about his two very accomplished sons. John did his best to smile and shake hands with everyone he was introduced to. Thankfully, Mariah stayed by his side during most of it and took a little of the pressure off him. An overeager Senator, who was on the Armed Services Committee as well as the Select Committee for Intelligence, had started asking the Colonel questions he couldn’t or wouldn’t answer. The linguist, though, came to his rescue, deflecting the questions and started to ask the Senator about where he came from in his home state and if he was running for reelection. He started talking about himself as soon as he was asked and John smiled down at his lover, appreciatively. The party was a great success and John’s father had a delightful time. As soon as the last guest left, they all headed to bed, exhausted from all the schmoozing and handshaking.
They should’ve all been asleep, but John couldn’t seem to stop himself from staring adoringly at the young woman. She awoke to him gazing at her.
“How are you doing, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you. You had to deal with emotional stuff a few days ago and today, you were surrounded by nosy people, who all wanted to shake your hand and ask you questions.” She cuddled closer and kissed his chest.
He held her tightly against him and savored having her close. “I’m okay. I appreciate the fact you stayed with me the whole time. I monopolized you and we abandoned Evan.”
“He understands. Your dad is very prominent in the community and we had to keep up appearances. I got to spend a little time with him, plus we’re going to see his family the day after tomorrow. It’ll all balance out.” She bit back a yawn. “We should really get some sleep. Tomorrow’s our last day here and I want you to enjoy it.”
“I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you, John.” She fell asleep a couple of minutes later.
Sheppard, on the other hand, just laid there, holding her. He looked past her and saw his XO looking back at him. He wasn’t really surprised he had awoken. He and Mariah hadn’t exactly been quiet while they talked. “You okay, Ev?”
“Yeah…. How about you? That party was pretty crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many VIPs in one place.” Lorne stroked their lover’s back and smiled when she murmured happily in her sleep.
“You’ve pretty much described my childhood. Fancy parties, lots of people, constantly being on display.” John sighed and pulled back a little to look at his lover. He kissed her forehead lightly before pulling her back against him. “Now you can probably figure out why I don’t like to be the center of attention or being touched.”
Evan chuckled. “Your childhood was vastly different from mine.”
“I’m excited to meet your mom and sister for that exact reason. I kind of want to see what normal looks like.”
“I’m not sure my childhood was normal, but it was filled with love and fun. I’m really close to my sister and her boys.” He shifted closer to Mariah and the other man. “But now, I think we should follow her example and get some sleep. Night, John.”
“Night, Ev.”
*****
“John Sheppard, do not drop my grandson.” She shook her head as she set the pitcher of lemonade on the table and looked at the other woman there. “How do you put up with him?”
“He’s very much like a little boy. You have to scold him and put him in his place.” Mariah shifted in her chair and looked from one lover to another. “Evan is very well behaved, but I’m sure he got up to mischief all the time with his sister, when they were little.”
“Oh, he did. But boys will be boys.” She sat down in one of the chairs around the table.
“Mrs. Lorne-.”
“It’s June, dear. You’re family and we don’t stand on formalities in this house.” She studied her son. “What are you painting, Evan?”
“I’m trying to capture my CO like he is right now. No one back on base is going to believe this. He’s never this relaxed.” He chuckled as he watched his friend roughhouse with his two nephews. They were yelling and running around the backyard of his childhood home.
The trio had been in San Francisco for almost two days and Sheppard had been completely embraced by the Lornes. Mrs. Lorne loved him, as did Evan’s sister, Ellen and her two sons thought he was even cooler than Uncle Evan. It had taken John less than two hours to relax after the stress of visiting his father and brother and talking about his relationship with them. Trouble, on the other hand, was shell-shocked and currently hiding up one of the trees in the backyard. The cat had no experience with little boys and hadn’t liked being squeezed or having his tail pulled.
One of the boys ran up onto the back porch and straight over to the linguist. “Aunt Mariah, can you get Trouble to come down? Billy and I want to play with him.”
She was trying her best not to laugh. “I’m sorry, Henry. I think you may have scared him. There aren’t any children on the base where we work and you guys were a little rough with him. I think you should let him calm down.” She pulled him into a hug when he pouted.
His mother arrived at that moment and her eyes sought out her sons. “Billy, Henry, let’s go. We need to get home before your dad. Say goodbye to everyone.”
“Aw, mom.” The boys whined in unison.
“None of that. Listen to your mother.” Their grandmother chided.
The two boys quickly ran around and gave everyone hugs, before heading inside to collect their stuff so they could leave. Ellen looked at all the adults. “I appreciate you keeping an eye on them while I ran a couple errands. It’s much easier to get stuff done without them there.”
“Not a problem, sis. John and Trouble did most of the entertaining.” Evan said as he cleaned off his brush and went over to give his sibling a hug.
“Don’t start on the cat again. All they did last night was ask for a pet.” She looked around. “Where is he?”
“In a tree.” Sheppard answered as he came up on the porch and perched himself on the arm of Dr. Gray’s chair. He dropped a kiss on her head.
“Oh, no. Did they-?”
Mariah cut her off. “It’s fine. It was a learning experience for all of them. I spoil Trouble and the boys have never interacted with a cat before. Trouble will recover, but I may leave him up in our room tomorrow, if the boys are coming over.”
“They won’t be. They have school and soccer practice. So the cat’s safe.” Ellen gave her mother a quick hug and waved as she headed back into the house. “Bye. See you later.”
They heard the front door open, a clamor of stampeding feet and the door closed. Then silence. They all gave a sigh of relief. June rested for a moment before starting to pour lemonade out for them. They sat and enjoyed the quiet, while sipping their drinks.
The linguist broke the silence first and nudged her lover. “John, can you go get Trouble out of the tree?”
“Make Evan do it. Your cat probably thinks I’m in cahoots with the boys. I have no desire to be hissed at or clawed.”
“He’s our cat and fine. Ev, could you?”
“Sure thing, beautiful.” Lorne bounded down the stairs of the porch and over to the tree. He looked up and spotted the little animal perched on the lowest branch, about two feet above his head. He reached up his hands and said in a calm voice. “Hey, buddy. They’re gone. You can come down now.” The cat stood and looked around. Once he was positive there were no demon children around, he carefully started to climb down the tree trunk and leapt into Evan’s hands. He purred happily as the human held him and carried him towards the house and his owner.
Seeing Mariah, Trouble squirmed free and sprinted over to her, jumping up into her lap. He rubbed against her, before curling up in her lap and falling asleep. She pet him lovingly and leaned against Sheppard. Lorne took the chair next to her. June studied her son and her guests. When Evan had brought Dr. Gray the first time, she was injured and recovering from an attack, but Mrs. Lorne had seen the obvious feelings her child had for her. Then he had told her and Ellen about the fact he shared the young woman with another man. It had been shocking, but she did her best to keep an open mind. It was an odd relationship and most people wouldn’t understand it, however she had seen enough of the world to know that she couldn’t judge, not if it worked for them. Mariah had patiently answered all of Ellen’s questions, even the more intimate ones, and shared that they were still working out how things worked. Since then, Evan kept her up-to-date on his relationship with Mariah and she could see the real love and affection they had for each other. Now with meeting John, she had the last piece to the puzzle and it all made sense. Her son and the Colonel were very different men, but together they fulfilled the needs of the linguist. She was happy that they had all found each other. June smiled as she watched them interact.
“You stink. Go take a shower.”
John gave his lover a wounded look. “That’s mean, but fine. Wanna join me?” He waggled an eyebrow at her.
Lorne laughed when Mariah blushed. “No, but I’m going to take Trouble up so he can decompress after his trauma.” She leaned over and gave Evan a kiss on the cheek, before whispering something in his ear.
It was his turn to blush. “I’ll be up in a minute.” Dr. Gray and the Colonel stood and went inside together, Trouble curled in the young woman’s arms.
Mother and son studied each other. The Major was patient from years of practice in the military and could wait out the woman who raised him. He smiled at her and drank more of his lemonade.
“Are you happy?”
“Yeah, mom. I’m madly in love with a sweet, kind, beautiful woman and happen to share her with a man who’s like a brother to me. My job’s dangerous, but I work with the best and the brightest in a place that’s now home to me. I’m beyond happy. Why do you ask?”
“Because I want the best for you. We live in a world that isn’t accepting of relationships outside the norm, but the three of you seem to have found a balance. I noticed you’re very affectionate in private, but much more subdued in public. It must be quite the strain.”
“It can be and most people we work with don’t know about our relationship. It has to be that way because John’s my CO. I report directly to him and if anyone sees any favoritism, everything we have together could be ruined. So in public, we maintain as much professionalism as we can, but getting to come home to Mariah is the best thing in the world.” He stopped speaking and took another swig of his lemonade, all while keeping his eyes locked with his mother’s.
June smiled at her son. “That’s all I wanted to hear. I love Mariah. She’s everything you said she is and more. And while I’ve only known John for a couple of days, he’s growing on me. He’s quite the charmer.”
“Mom….”
“What, Evan? It’s the truth.” She shook her head and chuckled when her son groaned. “Go on upstairs and see to your young lady. Dinner’s at 6pm sharp. We’re having a pot roast, with potatoes and salad.”
The Major stood and came over to his mother. He dropped a kiss on her head and hurried inside. Mrs. Lorne chuckled again. It was a mother’s prerogative to embarrass her children. She hadn’t had many opportunities once Evan left home and joined the Air Force. He had always been a private person and working for the military hadn’t helped, but she was happy she was getting to share in part of his life now. She just hoped everything worked out the way he wanted. They all deserved that.
*****
“Why are you up at this hour?”
“I was curious.”
He saw what she was looking at and quickly tried to snatch the notebook away from her, but she twisted in the window seat so he couldn’t. Instead, he took a seat next to her, being careful not to sit on Trouble. “Where’d you find that?
“Where you hid it, of course.”
“I hid it for a reason.”
“I can’t see why. These are amazing, Evan. You are so talented and should be showing these off.” She flipped back a few pages. “Did you do these during the party?”
“Yeah…. I thought it was a good time to sketch you and John together. I’m not sure I fully captured you. That dress you had on was pretty sexy.”
Mariah blushed at his words and kept looking through all the sketches he had done. Of her, of John, of Dave and Mr. Sheppard. There were even a few of John with Billy and Henry, wrestling in the backyard. They were so life-like. She stopped on one of her, sitting with Trouble in her lap as she stared off into the distance. “I don’t look like this.”
“Actually, that’s one of the better ones I’ve done of you, but I still don’t think it does you justice.” He chuckled when she blushed again and leaned forward to give her a gentle kiss. She reciprocated and deepened the kiss, but inadvertently disturbed Trouble. The little cat immediately wanted attention from both humans, coiling around them and climbing into their laps. Evan took the opportunity to draw nearer to her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her as close as he could get her without being in his lap. Actually that wasn’t a bad idea, but he restrained himself.
“Is this how you see me?” The linguist asked when they broke for air. She picked up her cat with a hand under him and pulled him against her chest. He purred happily and settled down to nap.
Lorne cupped her face and gave her another gentle kiss. “That’s part of how I see you. Not everything translates on to the page. You’re kind and gentle, understanding and brave, protective and vulnerable. You care about people with every fiber of your being and you give John and I so much love every day. All of that combined makes you the most beautiful woman in the world to me.” He gave her another kiss. “But this sketch is the best I can do to show you how beautiful you are to me. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.”
“Are you sure you’re not a linguist, because you have quite the way with worlds?” She smiled brightly at him and kissed his cheek, before nuzzling it. “I love you, Evan. Thank you.” She whispered to him, then pulled back. “But why hide it for me?”
“Because some people considering being an artist unmanly and I never want you to think any less of me.”
“Never. I like everything about you. Love it in fact.”
“Are you guys having a party without me?” A new voice joined their conversation. They looked up to see John padding over to them and he sidled up on the linguist’s other side. He kissed the back of her head. “What’d I miss?”
Dr. Gray carefully handed Lorne her pet and opened the notebook for Sheppard to see. “Look at all these sketches Evan did. He’s really talented.”
“Wow, these are really good, almost like photographs. I knew you were artistic, but not to this level. Evan, why didn’t you tell me?”
The Major blushed at the praise from his lover and his friend. “Painting and drawing have always been the things I do when I have free time or when I’m home with my mom. I just never thought any of the people I served with would appreciate it as much as me. It was always my way to stay connected with my family. But I keep forgetting that you guys are my family, too, and I need to share this kind of stuff with you as well.” His head was bowed as he gently pet the little cat. He spoke before he could change his mind. “Would you like to see some of my older stuff?”
“Yes, please.” Mariah stated eagerly and grinned at him, closing the notebook she held in her hands.
“Here, John, take Trouble.” Evan handed the cat over to his CO.
“Why do I have to hold him?” Sheppard whined as he reluctantly grabbed the cat and set him in his lap. He looked down at him, fearfully.
“Because I’m going to hold the books so we can all look at the drawings.” She kissed his cheek as Lorne hurried off to grab a couple more notebooks. Trouble quickly curled up and went to sleep, apparently happy with where he ended up. “See he likes you.”
“He only likes me because you do, sweetheart.” He kissed her temple.
Evan came back at that moment and sat back down beside the young woman, offering her the two notebooks he grabbed. She flipped open the first one and began to slow turn the pages as her two lovers made comments and shared the stories behind the images, respectively. They were all content to share the time together. Sleep was overrated.
*****
“Miss, are you all right?”
“Oh, what?” Startled eyes looked up at the man. Then a smile graced her face. “Sorry, I was lost in thought and didn’t realize you were there.”
“I’m quite familiar with that sensation. Brother Theo is always complaining that I’m not focusing when I meditate at the monastery.”
“Are you a monk?”
“No…. Just a man looking for a little grounding after being lost amongst the stars.”
“So what do you do?”
“I’m a cosmologist.”
“Ahh…. That explains your stars comment. I’m friends with two, actually three physicists. You remind me a little of one of them.”
He smiled at her. “That’s nice to hear. I’ve been remiss. Dr. Larry Fleinhardt.” He sat beside her and offered his hand.
She took his hand and shook. “Dr. Mariah Gray.”
“A doctor of what, if I may ask?”
“Linguistics.” The young woman laughed at his puzzled look. “My boyfriend is visiting his cousin, who teaches here, and Trouble and I thought it best to wait outside.”
“Trouble?”
She gestured to the cat who was laying prone next to her. The little animal was watching a fuzzy caterpillar crawl along in front of him, completely enraptured. “Where we live there isn’t a lot of wild life and he’s fascinated by everything. He likes butterflies and squirrels most, especially after he figured out he could climb up the trees after them.”
Larry watched the cat and smiled. “Living things are fascinating. Each one is different, but still has the same requirements for life.”
“Exactly.” She pet Trouble and he looked over at her. Standing up, he walked into her lap, then over to the man beside her. He was surprised, but stroked his new friend all the same. Mariah spoke again. “You must be a good person. He’s picky about strangers.”
“I’m happy I have his stamp of approval. Do you know who your boyfriend’s cousin is?”
“Not really. I was distracted, because my other boyfriend was talking about visiting a buddy of his near here. I don’t know anyone in LA, so I just opted to tag along to see CalSci. Didn’t really want to go hang out at a bar.”
“Two boyfriends? That’s most unusual.”
“Have I scandalized you?”
“No, indeed you have not. I study the very foundation of our universe. Very little surprises me, except what human beings do to one another.” He watched as Trouble jumped off his lap and slowly approached a nearby bird. It flew away before he could get too close. “You implied you lived somewhere other than the United States. What are you doing back?”
“Visiting family or at least the guys were. Mine lives on the other coast.” She watched her cat as he found a ray of sunshine. He rolled around happily in it and she smiled.
“Family. It’s an interesting concept. The family we are born into and the family we surround ourselves with. All my blood relations are gone, but I’m very happy with the family I’ve chosen.” He pointed away from them. “Trouble appears to be escaping.”
“Shoot.” Mariah stood and smiled at him again. “It was lovely to talk to you, but I better make sure he doesn’t go up another tree. Goodbye, Dr. Fleinhardt.” She waved at him and chased after the little animal.
Larry watched her as she and the cat started a little game of tag. He laughed as the young woman kept losing to her pet and finally laid down in the grassy quad, letting Trouble curl up on her chest. It was a touching scene, but also very odd. Then he noticed a handsome man with gravity-defying hair approaching her. He picked up the cat, then helped her to stand. They shared a sweet kiss and once his arm was wrapped around her shoulders, wandered off.
“Lawrence, what are you staring at?”
“Hello, Charles. Young love and animalistic oddities.” He looked up at his colleague and friend and smiled. “What have you been up to this afternoon? Another case for Don?”
“No, my cousin stopped by to say hi. Haven’t seen him in years.” He sat beside the other man and pointed to where the couple had gone. “He just left with that woman over there. Have to assume that was his girlfriend. He said she was waiting outside for him.”
“Very interesting. But I should have known. The crazy good hair was a clue. Must run in the Eppes family.” He ruffled Charles’s curls.
The younger Eppes swatted at his mentor’s hand and glared at him. “The hair’s from my mother’s side of the family, if you must know.” He gave Larry a look. “Didn’t you have some equations you wanted me to look at?”
“Indeed, I do.” He stood and started into the building. “Come along, Charles, and let us try to solve the mysteries of the universe.”
*****
“One piece of chocolate?”
“Yes, Rodney.”
“ONE piece of chocolate!”
“One piece of Ghirardelli chocolate.”
“But only one piece?”
“Most people would say thank you and it was kind of you to think of me on your vacation.”
“Fine, thanks.” McKay harrumphed, flopped onto the couch, ripped open the chocolate and devoured it in one bite.
Mariah shook her head and looked at everyone else. They all seemed to like the gifts they brought back from their vacation. The physicist was just unhappy about the quantity. She leaned over and whispered in the Major’s ear. “How much more chocolate is there?”
“A couple bags. John wants to ration it out to him.”
“He’s going to be insufferable. And even worse when he figures out what we’re doing.”
“Isn’t it great?” Sheppard whispered as he came over to them.
She shook her head and sighed. “You get to deal with him then. I don’t appreciate being yelled at.” Before she could say anything else, Mariah was pulled into a hug and lifted off her feet. She shrieked, then laughed as Ronon swung her around the room. After a minute or so, he set her back on her feet and held onto her until she was steady. “I take it you like your gift.”
“These are cool.” The former Runner pulled out the two knives he had received and twirled them around in his hands and fingers.
“John and Evan picked them out. I know nothing about knives.”
The Satedan slapped each man on the shoulder, once he put his gift away. “Thanks.” He hurried away to show his knives to Reed and Coughlin. The two marines had gotten a new holster and a book on Alcatraz, respectively.
Teyla shook her head as she watched her lover acting like a little boy. She greeted each of the trio in the way of her people and smiled at them. “You have made him most happy. I, too, am excited to partake of my gift. I have never heard of biluochun tea.”
“It’s from China. We picked it up in a little shop in Chinatown. It’s considered one of the best green teas on Earth.” Lorne shared.
“That is most exciting to hear. I will share with you how I find it.” She caught Ronon’s eye before she looked back at her friends. “Now if you will excuse me, I am leading a bantos class shortly and must prepare. Thank you again.”
“Later, Teyla, Chewie.” The Colonel waved at his teammates.
The CSO stomped over to them. “I need to go, too. Lots of work to do.” He caught the linguist’s eyes. “I sent you some translations that need to be done ASAP. I think they may mention where the ZPMs came from.”
“Tomorrow, Rodney. And don’t forget to tell Radek to swing by. We got him something, too.”
“What’s he getting?” McKay crossed his arms and pouted.
“Some coffee.” John answered.
The physicist glared and stopped himself from saying anything. He stormed out of the apartment and the trio chuckled. Reed and Coughlin stood from their spots and said their farewells, heading out. The only other person in the apartment with them was Dr. Parrish.
The botanist scurried over to them. “Thank you so much for the plant clippings. I’ll add them to the Earth-based greenhouse we’ve been developing. I’m looking forward to seeing how they do in a controlled environment.”
“Glad you like them, David. My mom’s a member of the San Francisco Garden Club and she got them from a few different places. She wants a full report on how they do.” The Major shared with his teammate
“Of course.” He moved to the door, muttering to himself. “I can’t wait to show Katie and the others.” Then he was gone.
“Who else do you have gifts for?” Evan asked while he wrapped an arm around Mariah’s waist, pulling her against him.
“Well, we gave Jack and Carson theirs when we saw them. You boys did good with their gifts.
“Golf balls and scotch, how could we go wrong?” John said as he moved behind his lover, positioning her snuggly between him and his XO. “Who else?”
“Radek and the coffee, Stackhouse and the naval history book and Mr. Woolsey.” She paused for a minute. “I think that’s everyone.”
“You got Woolsey a gift?” Lorne was a touch incredulous. He did not like the IOA bureaucrat and he knew his CO didn’t either.
“Of course, the biography on Walt Disney. I thought it might inspire him.” She gave him a quick kiss. “I’m killing him with kindness. It can’t hurt.”
“Still don’t like it.” Evan shared before leaning forward to give her an even deeper kiss.
“Me neither.” Sheppard added after he kissed her neck.
“Aren’t you guys tired?” Mariah was coming apart under their skilled hands.
“No and don’t change the subject.” The Colonel answered before giving her one more kiss on the neck and pulling her back against him. “Why’d you get Woolsey a gift?”
“Because I wanted to. He’s been very friendly since he got here and other than asking a million questions, has done nothing to jeopardize us, our relationship or our status in Atlantis. Could you guys try to be nice to him? For me?”
“Under protest, but okay.” Lorne cupped her face and really looked at her. “Are you tired? Do you want to lay down, beautiful?”
The linguist gave him a weak smile. “A little. There was the flight, then catching up with everyone at the SGC and finally dealing with our family here. It’s been a long day.”
“Family, sweetheart?” The Colonel ushered her into their bedroom.
“Of course. I heard something recently. They said ‘everyone has two families, the one you’re born into and the one you choose.’ I’m of the opinion that we chose a pretty awesome family, aren’t you?” She sat wearily on the bed and started to take off her shoes and so forth. Once she was comfortable, she crawled up the bed and in. Her lovers joined her.
Evan pulled her securely against him and Sheppard curled up behind her. The Major answered her. “Yeah…. Even if you do seem hell-bent on including Woolsey in that family.”
She chuckled and sighed in contentment. “Think of him as the crazy uncle no one wants to sit with.” She was wrapped in warmth and finally home, where she and the men she loved belonged. Who wouldn’t be happy? Crazy uncle not withstanding….
Notes:
I'd like to note I named Evan's mother, June, after Kavan Smith's actual mother (based on his IMDB record). Sorry again for the delay in getting this posted. I hope to do better next week. Kudos and Comments are appreciated.
Chapter 3: Thieves
Notes:
Getting this out early so the day doesn't get away from me. Please enjoy.
Chapter Text
“How’s Rodney?”
“He’s fine, Dr. Gray. The fever has dissipated, but we’re going to keep him overnight, just in case. He doesn’t appear to have suffered any ill-effects, though he offered me his fruit cup and-.” The physician didn’t look up from the pad she was working on, but stopped speaking before she said too much. It wasn’t anyone’s business if McKay had asked her to dinner.
The linguist sighed. “Dr. Keller, I know you don’t like me, but the icy tone isn’t necessary.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth months ago?” Jennifer met the other woman’s eyes and her anger was apparent.
“Because you’ve shown me nothing but contempt and distrust since you got here. Carson trusts me without question as does Marie and she doesn’t even know the truth. I think you need to get over yourself and stop having a tantrum.” Mariah took a calming breath. “Can I see him, please?”
Without a word, Dr. Keller led her over to the physicist’s bed and stormed off. She knew she wasn’t acting rationally, but being lied to hurt. She gave a heavy sigh. She hadn’t been lied to exactly, however no one had deemed her worthy of hearing the truth, not during the Kirsan fever incident and not until after the mistaken quarantine lockdown. Jennifer knew she should be thanking Dr. Gray for the action she had taken. She had saved the entire Milky Way from the Ori, plus many members of the expedition, by all accounts. Still, it hurt to have been out of the loop. She would need to think over her actions and see what she could do in an attempt to be more civil to the linguist. She took a seat at her desk and got back to work.
Mariah gave a heavy sigh after Keller left, then looked at her friend. McKay was sitting up in bed, devouring the meal he’d been given. His head came up when she walked alongside the bed and he smiled brightly at her.
“Hi, Mariah. Thanks for coming to visit me.”
“Of course, Rodney. You’re my friend. How are you feeling?”
“Good. I don’t have a fever anymore and this food is really good for once.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” She studied him. Something seemed off. She needed more info. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“We went to M44-5Y9 to check on Dr. Nichols and his team and walked on to a planet completely flooded due to global warming. The Gate was submerged, but we got on top of it. Sheppard dove down and dialed the Gate again. We alerted Atlantis to what happened and waited for the Gate to disconnect, so they could send a Jumper for us. Nichols and the others probably died when the flooding started.” He started to get teary-eyed, which startled the linguist. She grabbed his hand and took a seat on the stool by his bed.
Dr. Gray focused all her energy into the connection between her and the physicist. “It’s okay, Rodney. This isn’t you fault. You can’t control the weather-.” She stopped speaking suddenly as excruciating pain reverberated through her head. Her grip on Rodney’s hand increased and he winced. She raised her other hand to her head and fell forward off the stool on to her knees. She screamed in agony. People rushed towards her, but she called for who she needed. “CARSON!”
The Scotsman appeared out of thin air and fell to his knees beside her. “What’s wrong, love?” He studied her and the death grip she had on McKay’s hand. “You need to let go, Mariah, or you’ll break Rodney’s hand.” She let go at his command, her now free hand joining the other one on her head, and she collapsed against Beckett. He looked up with startled eyes at Dr. Keller, who had come out of the office when the linguist yelled. “Jennifer, get Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne and General O’Neill. I need them here, right now.” She hit her radio and asked Control to summon all three men to the infirmary.
“Let’s get her on a bed, Dr. Beckett.” Marie was there by his side, easing the young woman away from him. The nurse and a couple orderlies lifted the unconscious woman on to the bed next to Rodney. Carson started to hook her up to the monitoring equipment as soon as she was settled, while Marie inserted an IV.
“Everyone back to work.” Beckett barked at his staff, who were milling about and staring at McKay and Dr. Gray. The physician pulled the privacy curtains around both beds. He looked at the physicist. “Are you all right?”
“That was scary. What happened to her?”
“I don’t know yet, Rodney. Let’s wait for the others to arrive, before we speculate.”
They didn’t have to wait long. Lorne and the General came in first, probably both having been in the Control Room. A few seconds later, John and his other two teammates arrived, as well. The Scotsman met them outside the curtained off area. His lips were set in a thin line and concern radiated off him.
“What’s the emergency, doc?” Jack asked.
“Mariah came to visit Rodney. She was holding his hand when she screamed and collapsed to the floor. I had to order her to release his hand since she was on the verge of breaking it, then she passed out. Rodney doesn’t know what prompted it. Marie and I got her up in a bed. Her blood pressure is extremely high, but I have to assume it’s due to the pain she's in.” Beckett held the curtain back and let the others enter before him.
Nodding his head towards their lover, John directed his XO over to her, while he went to his friend’s bedside. “What happened, Rodney?”
“She came in and asked me how I was and about the mission. I told her and she started to tell me something, then she was squeezing my hand hard. It hurt.” He looked around his team leader. “Is she okay?” He gestured at the other bed and Dr. Keller slid through the curtains. She went to check on Rodney.
“I don’t know yet, buddy.” Sheppard patted his friend’s shoulder and turned to look at Mariah. “You have no idea what happened?”
“None, lad. She was holding his hand, so maybe she was trying to heal him.”
“But he’s fine. I examined him.” Jennifer offered.
A groan came from the linguist’s bed and her lovers each grabbed one of her hands. Her eyes blinked a few times and she finally zeroed in on the Colonel’s face. She whispered. “What happened?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
Carson bustled up to the head of the bed and raised it so she was sitting up and could see everyone. She blushed when she realized she had quite an audience, then she looked at the person in the bed next to her and everything came rushing back. “There’s something wrong with Rodney.”
“Not according to all the scans, love.” The physician adjusted her IV.
“I know what I felt. He was acting strangely, so I grabbed his hand to try to heal him. Then I felt something… something alive inside of him that was fighting me. I’ve never felt anything like it before.” She looked up and everyone had startled expressions on their faces, except Jack.
The expedition leader was more contemplative. “Do another scan, doc. Of his head this time.”
“General, what are you-?”
“I’m praying that Pegasus doesn’t have parasites like the Goa’uld. I want to be sure.” He shuddered. He knew what having a symbiote had almost done to him. He didn’t want anyone else experiencing what he had, not if he could help it.
Beckett and Keller both looked dismayed, but quickly unhooked Rodney, helping him off the bed and over to the Ancient scanner. Teyla and Sheppard went with them. The General and Ronon moved closer to Mariah’s bed. She squeezed Lorne’s hand which was still holding hers. “He’s acting so strange, almost child-like, with none of his usual crankiness. I just know something’s wrong.”
“We’ll figure it out, beautiful. Carson’s the best.” Evan squeezed her hand back.
Before anything else could be said, they heard a loud gasp from near the scanner. O’Neill patted Dr. Gray’s leg and stated. “I’ll go see what’s going on.” He started to walk away.
“Unhook me. I want to see, too.” Mariah complained as she switched off the monitoring equipment and started to take out her IV. The Major looked torn, but sighed when the former Runner started to help her. Together they assisted her off the bed.
“Lean on me.” Ronon said when he noticed she was a little unsteady. They joined the others by the scanner display.
“Right there.” Beckett was pointing at a black mass on the screen. It wasn’t very large but had tendrils reaching out from it. “It’s some type of parasite, not Goa’uld, but concerning none the less. It’s in the area of the brain that’s responsible for the long-term memory and is expanding into the area in charge of motor function.”
“Can you get it out, doc?” Jack might not get along with McKay, but he didn’t deserve whatever was happening to him.
The Scotsman gave a heavy sigh and his colleague answered. “Not in its current state. It’s spread out and imbedded in his brain.” Jennifer looked at the linguist with tear-filled eyes. “Can’t you… get it out?”
“Not without ripping out a section of brain and skull. My telekinetic abilities aren’t refined enough. I can only do big movements or motions.” Mariah looked away from the other woman. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s called the second childhood….”
“What was that, Chewie?”
“What’s wrong with Rodney, it’s called the second childhood. At least, I think that’s what he has….” The Satedan looked away from everyone. They were all staring at him. Teyla moved to his side, supporting him, and the linguist slid her hand into his. “This is the early stages. My grandfather had it.”
“Is there a cure?” Evan asked.
Ronon shook his head. “No, it killed him…. It takes two or three weeks, but when it started to get bad, we took him to this place, the Shrine of Talus, where he got to be himself again for one day. Then he died.”
Jack groaned and rubbed his hands down his face. They had already lost a whole team of people due to the flooding on M44-5Y9 and now there was a good chance their CSO was going to die. He needed to take charge. “Sheppard, get up to Control and dial Earth. We need to get McKay’s sister here, ASAP. If he’s dying, I want her to have as much time with him as she can. Beckett, Keller, keep trying to figure out a way to get that thing out of his head. Ronon, I want the Gate address for the place they took your grandfather. If we can’t fix this, I want everyone to have a chance to say goodbye. Lorne, get Mariah back in bed. Teyla-.”
“Hey! Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” The physicist bellowed from the scanner bed. Everyone had forgotten about him.
“Come, Rodney. We need to get you back into bed.” The Athosian woman went to her teammate’s side and helped him up. Together they walked back to his bed.
Lorne and Ronon started to lead Dr. Gray back to bed, but she resisted and grabbed O’Neill’s arm. He looked down at her and almost buckled under the intensity of her gaze. “You need to take him to the Shrine.”
“What?” The expedition leader didn’t understand. “The docs are going to work on a solution. We don’t need to head there until there aren’t any options left.”
“Jack, the solution is the Shrine. I don’t understand how. But I know he needs to go there as soon as possible. Once Jeannie is here, they need to go with as much medical equipment as they can safely take.” Sheppard joined Evan by her side, having heard the urgency in her voice when he started to leave the infirmary for the Control Room.
“How can you be sure?” Jennifer wasn’t one for gut-feelings or believing in old wives’ tales.
“All I know is I was filled with hope as soon as Ronon mentioned the Shrine, just like I was filled with dread when I heard Carson was doing surgery on someone with explosive tumors. I know some of the Ascended have visions of the future and while I’ve never had such a vision, I’ve learned over the last few years to trust these feelings.” She took a deep breath and added. “If you don’t agree to take him to the Shrine, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands and the IOA be damned. I’m not going to let Rodney die, not if I have the ability to save him.” While she spoke, her eyes stayed locked with the General’s. She fought not to smile when he nodded his head minutely.
“Sheppard, do what I told you. I want Mrs. Miller here in time to go with you. Docs, pack what you need to treat McKay in the field. Lorne, get the Gate address from Ronon and send a MALP or a drone to the planet. We’ll need a course of action based on what the planet looks like. Ronon, I hope you remember how to get there, because this all relies on you.” He scanned the group, they were all just standing there, staring at him. Jack clapped his hands together, loudly. “Hop to it, people! Lots to do!” Everyone scattered to follow the orders they received, except Jennifer.
“General, I don’t think-.”
“Dr. Keller, I understand you don’t trust, Mariah. But I do and so does everyone else. If she says this is the solution, then this is what we’re going to do. McKay is still pretty much himself, which means he can consent to our plan. But I know him well enough to know he’ll take whatever chance he’s given to survive. In a few more days, he might not be competent, so we need to act quickly. Start preparing to go.” He was giving the Assistant CMO a hard look. She turned on her heels and hurried off to do as instructed. O’Neill turned and saw Dr. Gray still standing there. He grabbed her arm and led her back over to the bed by the physicist. “You won’t be going.”
“I know, Jack. I’d just be in the way. All that matters is that he lives.” The young woman hopped up into the bed. She looked over at Teyla and McKay. She addressed the Canadian. “It’s going to be okay, Rodney. I know it.”
*****
The next couple of day were filled with worry, tension and concern. The SGC was able to contact Jeannie quickly and she got to the Mountain in less than an hour. Use of the ZPM had been authorized (by General O’Neill) and she was in the City 90 minutes after John contacted Earth. She was shocked and dismayed to hear what appeared to be going on and rushed to her brother’s side. She noticed the slight difference in his personality right away and thanked Dr. Gray for pointing it out to everyone else.
Ronon was able to show Lorne the Gate address for the Shrine. He had it on an old leather armband that belonged to his family. However, when the drone went through the Gate to do recon, they discovered a Wraith outpost containing two hive ships and thousands of Wraith. It took some doing, but they were able to come up with a plan. It was risky and could very well get them all killed, so Sheppard asked for volunteers to accompany his team and the two doctors. Over half the marines on base volunteered. The military commander smiled. It was good to know the CSO was so highly regarded. Jeannie was uncertain if their plan was the wisest, but she wasn’t going to give up on her brother. She agreed and so did McKay. He was scared about losing his mind and trusted that Mariah knew what she was talking about.
The plan was simple, send a MALP through as a distraction, both to draw fire away from the Gate and to deploy a smoke grenade. Then they would go through the Gate in a Jumper and cloak, using the smoke as cover. From there, they would search for the Shrine and a landing position, before taking McKay to the waterfall and the cave behind it. Surprisingly, to everyone, the plan worked like they had expected and they discovered that the shrine emitted ionizing radiation. The parasite recoiled from the radiation and shrank. This led the doctors to believe they could do surgery and save Rodney from dying. It wasn’t the best environment to perform brain surgery in, but they didn’t have a choice. Convincing McKay was another matter entirely, but after little cajoling, he was ready. It went fairly well and Ronon had the honor of blasting the parasite into kingdom come. It was rough getting Rodney back to the Jumper since Beckett wanted to keep him prone, but they were able to do it without the Wraith spotting them.
Now, they were all back in Atlantis and Rodney was in recovery, Jeannie and Jennifer by his side, waiting for him to wake up.
“How’s he doing?” A voice asked the two woman. They looked over and spotted the linguist approaching them.
Without uttering a word, Jeannie got out of her chair, walked over to the young woman and pulled her into a vise-like hug. “Thank you so much for insisting he go to the Shrine.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Him being alive is all I need.” She freed herself from Rodney’s sister and looked at the physician. “So how is he?”
“Pretty good, considering Dr. Beckett and I performed brain surgery on the floor of a dirty cave. His brain appears to be fine and his body responds to stimuli, but we won’t know for sure until he wakes up.” She adjusted the sheet covering McKay.
“Let me see if I can help with all of that.” Mariah walked over to the bed and lifted one of his hands in hers. Her eyes slid closed and she thought about her friend. He took some getting used to, but always tried to be kind and considerate to her, being the first to truly understand the pain she was feeling, only to a lesser degree. Her life wouldn’t be quite as entertaining without him in it and she was happy she had tried to heal him a few days earlier. If she hadn’t, things could’ve been so much worse. However her lovers, her friends, her family had trusted her and there was a good chance he was going to be all right. She smiled.
“You’re not going to try to break my hand again, are you?”
“Only if you decide pitching a fit is a good idea.” Dr. Gray responded as her eyes opened. Brown met bluish-grey. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah, though my head itches.” He reached up to scratch and encountered the bandages wrapped around his head. “Can you get these off me?”
“You just had brain surgery, Mer. They have to stay on until Dr. Keller says otherwise.”
“I don’t need them anymore, not with Mariah here.” He turned and looked at Jennifer. “Take them off… please?”
The physicist was rarely polite, so the young doctor went ahead and unwrapped his head. As soon as his scalp became visible, his sister gasped. Gone were the incisions and holes that had marked his skull. There wasn’t a mark on him, even his hair had grown back. Mrs. Miller leaned forward to touch his head. “How? I can’t….” She was at a loss.
“Like I said, nothing to worry about with Mariah in my corner.” He scratched his head. “Thanks for trying to heal me a few days ago and again today. You know I hate being in the infirmary.” McKay started to get out of the bed.
Jennifer and his sister weren’t having it. The physician took charge. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re my patient and can’t leave until I say so. You’ll be here overnight, at the very least. I’ll do some tests in the morning and only if you pass them all will you be leaving.”
“But-.”
“That’s the last I’m going to say on the matter.” She looked at the other two woman. “If you’ll excuse us, I’d like to give him a quick exam and get him settled for the night.”
Jeanine chuckled, even though she was confused. “Night, Mer.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Try not to complain too much, Rodney or Dr. Keller will get out the big needles.” Mariah squeezed his hand and let go of it. She turned and looked at his sister. “Come along, Mrs. Miller. We need to find General O’Neill, then I’ll do my best to explain what just happened.” She ushered Jeannie from the infirmary and gave her friend a final wave as they exited.
Rodney glared at the last woman by his bed. “I don’t need to stay here.”
“Not your choice right now. You belong to me until I discharge you.”
He pouted. “She healed me completely, I swear.”
“Tough.” She drew the curtain around the bed and did a prelim exam and a cognitive test. McKay begrudgingly went along with it. “Well, I’m happy to say everything looks good. If it’s still good in the morning, I’ll release you.”
“This is pointless. I have work to do.” He glared at her.
“Please, Rodney.” She perched herself on the edge of his bed and met his eyes.
He swallowed hard and looked away. “Fine.” Uncrossing his arms, he picked at lint on the blanket and added. “Thanks for going along with the plan. Carson may be my friend, but I always feel better when you’re my doctor.” He looked up and caught her smiling at him. He grinned back.
“You’re welcome.” It was her turn to swallow hard. “Did you mean what you said a few days ago?”
“What’d I say?”
“Never mind.” She started to stand, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She looked at Rodney and sighed. “The dinner invitation? Did you mean it?”
McKay blushed deeply. “Well, yeah…. I’ve been scared to ask you.” He threw up his hands. “I can’t believe it took me almost dying to ask you out.” She chuckled. He looked back up at her and tried to regain his composure. “Jennifer Keller, will you have dinner with me? Some place other than the infirmary, of course.”
She laughed and leaned forward, kissing his cheek. “I thought you’d never ask.”
*****
“How do you want to handle this?”
“We need to tell her what happened, calmly and coolly. It wasn’t our fault and we did our best to get out of it.” He took a deep breath and hung his head. “We are so screwed, Ev.”
“Like you said, it wasn’t our fault. She’ll see that.” The doors to their apartment slid open and they entered together.
Scanning the living space, they spotted the linguist in the kitchen, stirring something in a large stock pot. She looked up at them and smiled when they drew nearer to her. Trouble made his way over to the two men, but stopped a few feet away and hissed. The little cat turned tail and ran back into the kitchen area. Mariah gave her lovers a strange look.
Thinking the burner down to its lowest setting, she leaned down and picked up her pet before approaching them. She knew immediately what set her cat off. “I was surprised Trouble hissed at both of you, because he always gets along with Evan. But now I know why he reacted that way. You guys smell like perfume, which I don’t wear.” She looked at each man in turn, waiting for an explanation.
“Sweetheart, we ran into a little issue….”
“A bottle of tacky perfume exploded on you?”
Lorne chuckled despite the situation. “Um, no…. You’re aware the Daedalus arrived today, right?”
“Yup. That’s where my fancy stock pot came from. My parents sent me a set of high-end pots and pans. But I digress. Continue.” She stayed a few feet away from them. They really didn’t smell appealing.
“There was a group of new personnel on board and we gave them the dangers of Pegasus briefing. At the end, we introduced ourselves to everyone, so they would be aware that we were approachable and available to help as needed….” John looked at his XO. He really didn’t want to be the one to tell her.
“Any way….” Evan glared at his CO and took over. “There were a few scientists in the group and we asked about their areas of expertise, letting them know who they would be reporting to and so forth. One of the scientists, a Dr. Deanna Hill, was a bit overly friendly with us and….” He wasn’t quite sure how to put it.
“Rubbed herself all over the both of you like a cat in heat?”
“Kind of….” The Major looked at John for help.
“Seems she has a thing for military officers. We tried to stop her, even told her we were both taken, but she wouldn’t be deterred. Finally, we turned her over to Rodney and escaped. We found out about the military officer thing later, when Caldwell came by to see us. She tried to hit on him too, but well… he’s Caldwell. Probably glared at her until she was cowering in the corner.” Sheppard finished up the story and smiled at her.
Mariah wasn’t happy, however she knew they weren’t to blame, not really. She’d forgive them and appreciated them telling her what happened as soon as they came home. There was still one issue. “I understand and am ecstatic you told her you were taken, but until you shower and change, I don’t want either of you anywhere near me.” She went back to the kitchen, Trouble still in her arms. “I’m making soup. It should be ready in about 20 minutes, so hurry up.”
The men shared a look and started for the master bedroom, but stopped before they got too far. Better to use the other bedrooms to clean up since they knew their lover didn’t like the smell. They each hurried into a different bedroom on the other side of the apartment. Dr. Gray chuckled to herself and got back to her soup.
Just as she was taking the soup off the stove, they both emerged. John’s hair was still wet, but already drying into its normal spikes and Lorne was carrying one of his sketchpads. He set the pad on the table and walked into the kitchen. Mariah smiled up at him when he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple.
“Better?” Evan chuckled when she nodded and gave her neck a kiss. “Need any help?”
“There’s fresh bread in the oven and someone needs to set the table.”
“I’ll get the bread, beautiful. John?”
“I’ve got table duty, copy.” Sheppard entered the kitchen and got out silverware, plates, glasses and napkins.
The linguist was already ladling the soup into bowls and smiled at her boys. “There’s some meat and cheese in the fridge for the bread, if you want.”
They were all so used to working together that it only took them a few minutes to have everything out and on the table with everyone in their seats. They ate, chatted and talked about everything but the encounter with the new scientist.
Dr. Gray finished eating first and sat back to watch them. She smiled as they ate the last of their dinner. “So what did you think?”
“I think we really lucked out. You can cook and bake, plus have a very forgiving heart.” The Colonel answered while he gathered up the empty bowls to carry them into the kitchen.
She laughed. “Well, I’m involved with the two sexist men in Atlantis, so I’m used to women ogling you, at the very least. It was only a matter of time until one of them threw themselves at you. I just didn’t expect it to be the both of you.” Mariah collected the plates and silverware and followed him to the kitchen. As soon as she set them down, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her. When he pulled back, she eyed him. “Do you need something, Colonel?”
He gave her a smug smile. “Nope, I’m good right now.” He gave her another soft kiss and chuckled when Evan entered the kitchen with the glasses, shaking his head. “Got a problem, Ev?”
“Don’t hog her.” He smiled at the two of them.
The linguist laughed and pushed out of John’s arms, only to walk right into the Major’s. He gave her a gentle kiss and held her close. Life was good.
*****
“So you’re going to M33-985 with Dr. Keller on your day off?”
“Yeah. I’m trying to show interest in her work.”
“But it’s your day off and you don’t like sick people.”
“It’s just a mild version of the flu. Everybody gets a shot and an examination, then we head home.” The physicist sighed. “I’m trying to do better than I did with Katie. Medicine is easier for me to get behind than plants, since….” He trailed off.
“You spend a quarter of each week in the infirmary thinking you have some type of deadly disease?” She grinned when he glared at her. “I’m proud of you, Rodney. You’re putting in real effort.” She paused and thought for a minute. “Ask Ronon to tag along with you.”
“Why?”
“No reason. Just thought it might be a good idea and it relieves some of the pressure of an all day and night date. Plus he can stop you from rambling.” He glared at her again and elicited a laugh from her. She started to speak again, only to stop when she heard an increase in the noise level behind her. She turned in her chair, trying to figure out the source. “What’s going on?”
McKay looked up from his tray of food and looked around. “Oh, it’s just Dr. Hill. She seems to cause a hubbub any time she walks into a room.” He went back to his food.
“Dr. Deanna Hill?”
“Yeah…. New electrical engineer, specializing in Ancient tech. Not sure what the appeal is….”
The linguist scanned the crowd in the Mess Hall and finally spotted the focus of all the attention. Rodney really had to be in love with Dr. Keller, because Dr. Hill was gorgeous and just his type. She was about Mariah’s age, give or take a year or two, and tall with legs that went on forever. Her platinum blonde tresses were pulled back into a bun, but a few strategic strands were loose, framing the porcelain skin of her face. She was dressed in the standard uniform, sans the jacket. Her t-shirt was sculpted to her body, showing off her double-D assets. Dr. Gray’s mouth fell open.
“She’s like an Amazonian.”
“She’s a little too perfect for my taste and really smug.”
“You know those are fake, right?”
“What?” He looked up and studied the engineer, who was standing in the food line, seemingly oblivious to the attention she was getting.
“Her boobs. They’re never that perky naturally.”
Rodney studied the woman across the table from him and started to smile. “You’re jealous.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” He paled a little when she glared at him this time, but pushed ahead. “You don’t have to worry about anything. Sheppard would never cheat on you.”
“Not the point. She was all over him and Evan on her first day. I doubt she gives up easily.” She watched as her ‘rival’ exited the line and looked for a place to sit. “I’ll show her.” She whispered. With her eyes firmly fixed on Dr. Hill, she waited until the blonde approached a table and started to sit down. Mariah flicked a finger out and the chair behind Deanna slid away a few more inches. Everyone in the cafeteria watched as Dr. Deanna Hill fell backwards, missing the chair and flipping her tray forward. She was probably regretting her choice of food when it came flying towards her. Spaghetti with red sauce and a glass of fruit punch was probably a nice choice until she was coated in it.
The silence in the Mess was deafening and you could’ve heard a pin drop. Dr. Hill looked at herself, coated in liquid and sticky noodles. She screamed in disgust and tried to get it off herself, but only made things worse. A couple of marines started to laugh and it spread through the room. At that moment, Colonel Sheppard and Lorne entered and tried to figure out what was going on. They laughed along when the spotted the now very red scientist, sitting on the floor by a table.
Mariah, however, paled and quickly turned around. Rodney was laughing in his chair across from her and gave her a grin. “Feel better?”
She groaned and set her head on the table, whispering. “I’m a horrible person and am going to Hell.”
*****
Sheppard took stock of the room as he entered. Evan was sitting on the sofa, feet up on the coffee table with Trouble in his lap. He was sketching something in a notepad and sporadically petting the cat. Soft music was playing throughout the apartment. Beyond his XO, their lover sat at the dining room table, her laptop and pad in front of her. She was hard at work and didn’t even spare him a glance when he entered. This was a definite warning sign that something was amiss. She always looked up and smiled at him and Lorne when they came home.
He addressed the Major. “What’s wrong with Mariah?”
“No idea.” He sighed.
“Did you ask her? And did she tell you why she didn’t join us for dinner in the Mess?” John approached the sofa.
“I did, but she wouldn’t answer me. Just kept working. Trouble was frantic when I got here, but calmed down as soon as I got him settled in my lap.”
The little animal looked up at his name and looked from one man to another, before hopping out of Evan’s lap, walking over to Sheppard and pawing at his leg. The Colonel stooped down and picked him up, scratching him under the chin and behind the ears. “Is she ignoring you too, buddy?” He got a meow in response and the cat rubbed his face against John’s chin. He walked over to the table with Trouble in his arms and took a seat beside the linguist. “Sweetheart?”
Receiving no response, Sheppard leaned forward and nuzzled the young woman’s cheek, dropping kisses here and there before he found the magic spot behind her ear. Mariah gave an involuntary groan and tried her hardest to keep working. That was all the encouragement he needed. John set Trouble on the table, where he wasn’t allowed, and shifted closer to her. He started paying an unhealthy amount of attention to her ear with the occasional kiss to ‘that’ spot. He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled when he saw Evan moving around the table to sit on their lover’s other side. It wouldn’t take long for her to crack now.
A louder groan emanated from Mariah’s lips and she squeezed her eyes shut, the translation in front of her the furthest thing from her mind. She needed to make them stop. “Please….” It came out as barely a whisper.
“Please what, beautiful?” Evan was paying attention to her neck while he wormed a hand under her shirt and stroked the bare skin of her back.
“Stop….” She gasped.
“I think you picked the wrong word, sweetheart, because your reactions are the opposite of stop.” Since Lorne was taking her back, John’s hand inched up the front of her shirt.
The linguist was losing control, but was still aware enough to notice Trouble starting to walk over her laptop. She pushed the little animal away and closed the top. He curled up on top of it and watched his owner come apart at the seams. Mariah turned her head and caught Evan’s lips with hers. She groaned once more as she got lost in the sensation. “Bedroom….” She moaned.
The two men didn’t need any further encouragement and stood as one, pulling her along with them. Somehow the three of them never broke contact as they slowly made their way to their room and the massive bed inside, a trail of clothing laying in their wake. The linguist emptied her mind and just felt as her lovers pleasured her. Soon they were all naked and spent in bed, trying their best to enjoy the afterglow… at least the guys were.
As soon as she caught her breath, Mariah started to untangle herself and crawled to the foot of the bed. She was standing before the two men could even comprehend what she was doing. They sat up and watched as she started to redress, following her clothes back into the living area of the apartment
Something was definitely wrong. The guys followed her example and dressed, going out of the bedroom after her. “Sweetheart… Mariah, tell us what’s wrong.” John sat beside her again. She had shooed Trouble off the table and was typing away at her laptop again, her cat meowing at her feet. He turned her head towards him and caught her eyes. She was upset. “Please?”
Dr. Gray gave a little cry and fell into his arms, sobs tearing through her. His arms went around her and his concerned eyes met his XO’s. Words were tumbling from her mouth. “I’m a horrible person…. The Others are going to regret letting me have powers…. They’re going to punish me…. The IOA is going to send me back to Earth….”
“Beautiful…. We don’t understand.” Evan stroked the back of her head. “You need to tell us what happened.”
Her words started to make more sense. “In the Mess… at lunch… Dr. Hill… her accident….”
“What about it?” Sheppard wanted to pull her closer, but needed to see her face, her eyes, to better discern what she meant.
“I caused it.”
“No, you were on the other side of the room with McKay.” Lorne still wasn’t getting it.
“I moved her chair… so she’d fall…. The spaghetti and punch was just a happy bonus….” She started to laugh, then must have thought better of it. Her sobs were back and louder.
John thought over what she said and started to laugh. Evan was right there with him. It had been hilarious when they walked into the Mess Hall and seen what happened to the scientist. She wasn’t getting the message about the two military commanders being taken and was still trying to flirt with them every chance she got. It had been great to see her get a bit of a comeuppance in front of half the expedition. Knowing their girl had caused it out of jealousy or some sense of righteous revenge made them happy Mariah belonged to them.
“Come here.” Evan pulled her up onto her feet and enfolded her in his arms. He kissed her temple and her cheek. “You’re human, beautiful. The Others can’t fault you for reacting and it wasn’t like you blatantly used your powers. The fact that you feel so bad about it will show them they weren’t wrong about you. Plus the bimbo deserved it. John and I aren’t going to tell the IOA what you did and neither will McKay, if he knows.”
“He does.” She sniffled. “He thought it was funny, too, especially that I was jealous.”
“It was. You could tell by everyone’s reaction, plus the marines were talking about it all afternoon. Ronon had to kick some serious ass to get people to focus in the sparring room, but when I told him what happened, he was laughing so hard he was crying. Teyla chuckled, too, but was overall less amused.” Sheppard stood as well and wedged her firmly between him and the Major. “Have you been here all afternoon? Since lunch?”
“Yeah…. I couldn’t face anyone. I kept thinking Janus was going to show up and yell at me.” She rubbed her cheek against Evan’s chest.
The base XO grew concerned. “Did you skip dinner?”
“Yeah…. Wasn’t hungry and I got lost in my work.”
“Not acceptable, beautiful. Let’s get you and Trouble fed. Then we’ll draw you a bath and watch a movie together. We missed our post-sex cuddles with you.”
She chuckled and let him lead her into the kitchen, while John gathered up the cat and carried him in after them. After an omelet for the lady and some treats for their pet, Evan took care of the dishes and Sheppard took her to the bathroom for a bubble bath. The linguist let the warm water and the care of her lovers wash away her concerns. Janus hadn’t appeared after hours of her being alone, so the Others probably weren’t too upset with her. Plus only people she trusted knew what she had done, meaning the IOA wouldn’t have grounds to send her home. Plus it didn’t hurt that Mr. Woolsey seemed to be in her corner along with Jack.
All too soon the water started to cool and John was helping her from the tub. They both got distracted as he dried her off and led her into the bedroom to dress. The Major laughed when they joined him on the bed and smiled when he was on the receiving end of a happy kiss from the young woman. A movie started on Evan’s laptop and the three of them cuddled up together, enjoying the contact and warmth they provided each other. They would protect each other from any threat, even a thief disguised as a blonde bimbo with a set of double-Ds.
Chapter 4: Extensions
Chapter Text
“Dr. Gray, thank you for sending Ronon along with Rodney and me to M33-985.”
“I wasn’t expecting him to have to rescue you from another Runner, Dr. Keller, but I’m happy it worked out.”
The blonde swallowed hard and said. “Call me Jennifer. So you didn’t send him along because you sensed something was going to happen?”
The linguist gave the Assistant CMO a wary look. “No, I thought he would relieve the pressure on Rodney. He can get a little intense unless he has something to distract him. How’s the girl doing?”
“Her name’s Celise. Since you’re here….” It almost hurt to ask. “Do you think you could maybe help her?”
“With her wound?”
“Yes, and maybe you could find Kiryk.”
“Let me see her.”
The physician led Mariah across the room. A young girl sat in one of the infirmary beds, covered in a blanket with her injured leg elevated. She had lovely light brown hair and stunning sapphire eyes. Dr. Gray smiled brightly when the patient scanned her, wary of another stranger.
“Celise, this is Dr. Mariah Gray. She’s a friend of Rodney’s and Ronon’s. I thought you might like to meet her.”
“Hello, Celise. How are you feeling?”
The little girl ducked her head, suddenly shy. Her voice was faint as she spoke. “Hello…. Are you a healer, too?”
“No… I study languages among another things.” Mariah stepped closer to the bed until she was right alongside. The girl was scared. She was in unfamiliar surroundings and had lost her protector. The linguist glanced at the doctor, who stepped away, but remained visible to her patient. “I’m sorry about your friend… Kirky?
“No…. His name is Kiryk.” She giggled at the mispronunciation.
“Sorry….” She laughed too, but then grew serious. “You know, he only left to keep you safe. He drew the Wraith away, so Dr. Keller could get you back here where she could treat you.”
“Yeah…. But I miss him.” Her blue eyes filled with tears.
Mariah leaned forward and hugged her, whispering. “It’s okay, sweetie. We’re going to find him.”
Taking the comfort offered, Celise returned the hug and asked. “How?”
“Well… I’d like to try something.” Dr. Gray pulled back and offered her hand to the girl. “I’d like you to hold my hand and think about Kiryk. Happy memories of your time together. His face, his smile, his laugh. Anything you can remember about him. Can you do that?”
“Yes.” She took the hand offered and Mariah covered her tiny hand with her own.
“Good…. Now close your eyes and think about him.”
The linguist watched as she did as she asked, her own eyes closing as well. Going through her meditative process, her mind mingled with Celise’s. Images of a tall, brown-haired man assaulted her. If she wasn’t already madly in love with two men, she would’ve been tempted by this handsome stranger. Quickly pushing away her slightly carnal thoughts, she focused on the task at hand. She let Celise’s memories lead her up and away from the City. Having never searched for someone she didn’t know, it was a tad disconcerting not knowing where she was heading or how she would be met.
Flying across the stars, she came to a lush green planet. Her mind floated to the surface and looked for her quarry. She didn’t have to look far. He was hiding in some heavy brush. She looked around and saw no one else. She knew from Rodney and Ronon that his tracker had been disabled. He didn’t need to fear the Wraith, not if he had lost them, but years of instinct were hard to overcome. She approached him and brushed her mind against his.
*Hello, Kiryk.*
The Runner jumped to his feet and looked around wildly. He was speaking, but she couldn’t hear his words. Mariah gave a heavy sigh in her mind. She had to try again.
*I’m in your mind, Kiryk. I can’t hear you unless you think it.*
He crouched back in the bushes, stilling looking around. He was stubborn. New approach.
*I’m here with Celise. Dr. Keller says her leg is doing well, but she misses you.*
A tentative voice responded. *How are you doing this?*
*The Ancestors can be very generous at times, but that’s a conversation for another day.* She paused and took a deep breath. *Celise needs you.*
*She is safer now than she could ever be with me.*
*Safety has nothing to do with it, plus your tracker has been disabled. The Wraith can’t hunt you anymore.*
*They’ll never stop searching for me. I cannot condemn her to a life like that.*
A wild thought occurred to her. Still communicating in her mind, she spoke to someone else, hoping he would hear her. *Janus, may I?*
A soft chuckle reverberated in Kiryk and Mariah’s minds. *As you wish…. However the next time we meet, we need to discuss the meaning of no more….*
The Runner was confused. *What’s going on?*
*What if I could offer you a safe place? For you and Celise? Where the Wraith can’t harm you?*
*No such place exists.*
*There is one place out there. Even safer than Atlantis. I’m offering you a chance at safety with a little girl, who wants nothing more than to be with you.*
*How do I get there?*
*You can’t access it through the Gate…. Well, not exactly.* The Gate symbols for Athos flashed from her mind to his. *Go there. I’ll send Ronon and some others to get you. They’ll bring you to Atlantis, then you and Celise can go to your new home together.*
There was a long pause. Mariah was concerned that she had lost the connection. Then he spoke again. *I don’t know why, but I trust you. I’ll go there.*
*Wonderful. I’ll tell the others. We’ll get some people to meet you and bring you to your little girl. See you soon, Kiryk.*
Her mind left his and she watched as he stood. The Runner started to hike back to the Gate. It would probably take him an hour or so to get there and travel to Athos, unless he used his fancy transportation device. Hopefully, she would have enough time to convince Jack, John and Ronon about what needed to happen. She let her body call her mind back and she opened her eyes. She was back in the infirmary and Celise was still holding her hand, her eyes closed.
The linguist wavered on her feet, but strong arms steadied her. She turned and spotted Evan just behind her. Leaning into him, she enjoyed the connection for a moment, then spoke. “Celise, you can open your eyes.” She smiled at her. “If everything works out, I may have a surprise for you in a little bit. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Mariah released the girl’s hand and stepped away, letting Lorne help her. They walked over to Jennifer. “Dr. Keller, I think you should check her leg. I need to speak with General O’Neill.”
“Yes, of course.” The physician started to walk over to her patient, but paused. “You’re never going to call me Jennifer, are you?”
“Really not the time.” The linguist sighed and the blonde hurried away. The young woman leaned heavily against her lover and whispered to him. “Where did you come from?”
“The doc called and asked for me to come support you.” He rubbed his face against her temple. “Do you need to go lay down?”
“Nope, not tired in the least. Just enjoying an excuse to be in physical contact with you in public.” She laughed when he rolled his eyes, then added. “I need to speak with Jack, John and Ronon. We have someone to collect.”
“Sure thing, beautiful. Just keep leaning on me.”
*****
It didn’t take much convincing to get O’Neill and Sheppard on board. Ronon had said yes after only hearing half the story. The one setback was the General insisted Teyla needed to speak with her people before they sent the Runner and Celise to Proculus. The Athosian was invited to the meeting as was Woolsey. The IOA rep needed to be aware of what happened. He was a bit put out, but didn’t see any real harm had been done. But he shared a look with the linguist and she knew she was on thin ice. Teyla did not foresee her people having an issue, but agreed to visit them immediately to get their acceptance. The Colonel offered to take her and they left.
Jack then ordered Lorne, along with his teammates Reed and Coughlin, to take a Jumper to Athos and pick-up Kiryk. A little back and forth ensued and Mariah, Ronon and Jennifer were added to the roster for the mission. They argued that the Runner would appreciate some familiar faces as well as meeting the person who contacted him in the first place. After a quick radio call to Drs. Beckett and Keller about the plan, everyone left to gear up and depart. Dr. Gray hung back for a few minutes to explain to O’Neill and Woolsey about exactly what she had done and said. In the end, it was agreed the specifics would be kept out of the mission reports and she was reminded again about discretion.
The linguist was the last person to report to the armory and with a little help from Ronon and Evan, was geared up in no time. Carson drew her aside once she had on her vest. It didn’t even register when Evan clipped her blaster and holster on her belt. She was completely focused on the doctor.
“Love, did you see any injuries when you spoke to him? Anything I need to be aware of?”
“Not that I saw, but I wasn’t really looking. Dr. Keller basically killed him to disable the tracker, so I think that’s more than enough for you to worry about.”
“Aye.” The Scotsman dropped his voice to a whisper. “I know the lass told you to call her Jennifer. She’s trying to reconcile.” Everyone started for the Jumper Bay, leaving the two to talk while the Major hovered by the door.
“Not really in the mood to discuss this right now. Okay?”
“All right, love. Be safe.” He smiled as she turned and joined her lover to depart.
Evan brushed his shoulder against hers and she looked up at him. “Anything I need to know about?”
“Nope, except everyone thinks I’m being unfair to Keller. They seem to be forgetting how she’s been treating me for months.”
“Your feelings are justified….” He trailed off when they walked up into the Jumper. He added. “We’ll talk later.”
The linguist nodded and followed him into the forward compartment. He sat in the pilot seat, while she took up position behind his chair. Dr. Keller was already in the co-pilot seat and Ronon was seated just behind her, the other members of AR-2 had stayed in the rear section of the ship. In no time at all, the Jumper was lowering into the Gate Room and sliding through the event horizon. Athos was just as Mariah remembered it, still she scanned the landscape looking for something out of place. There was nothing.
“Let’s land near the tree line, then Ronon can get out and see if Kiryk is nearby.” Dr. Gray suggested.
“Exactly what I was thinking.” Lorne responded while he landed the ship. He needed to stay in the Jumper since he and his lover were the only people who could fly it, but all the same, he didn’t want Ronon going out alone. “Coughlin, go with Ronon. Stay alert, but only shoot if you have no other choice.”
“He’s not a threat, Major.” Jennifer stated, startled by his orders.
“I appreciate that, doc, but we don’t know this guy, not really. And if it comes down to him or us, I want all of us to get home, alive and in one piece.” He nodded his head at the former Runner and his teammate. They headed down the ramp and out into the sunshine.
The two ladies went into the rear compartment and stopped at the top of the ramp. Lt. Reed was already there, providing overwatch for their people outside and scanning for threats. It didn’t take long for their target to appear, stepping out of the forest as if by magic. The eyes of the two Runners met and with a slight head nod from the Satedan, Kiryk approached him.
“Where’s the person who told me to come here?”
“Here.” Mariah answered as she walked down the ramp, the Lieutenant hovering by her side. He knew better than to let her venture out alone.
The Runner scanned her, trying to see if she was the right person and/or a threat. He walked over to her, ignoring the guns that were suddenly directed at him, but still stopped a couple of feet away. He smiled at her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Kiryk. I’m just happy you trusted me.” She gestured behind her into the Jumper. “Dr. Keller wants to have a look at you, then we’ll take you back to the City. Our Chief Medical Officer wants to give you a thorough exam when you get there, but I think you need to see someone first.”
“She’s okay?”
“Yes, Kiryk. The infection’s all gone and the wound is already healing nicely. Why don’t you come in and I’ll give you a once over. I need to ensure the tracker is still inactive before we leave.” The physician spoke kindly to him and smiled when he moved up the ramp to join her.
Everyone got back into the Jumper with Mariah heading back to the forward compartment. Lorne frowned at her and she sighed as she took the co-pilot seat. The Major retook the pilot seat and gave her a look.
“Beautiful…. You shouldn’t have gone out there.”
“I had to. He trusted me. I needed to show I trusted him.”
“I get that, but he still could’ve hurt you.”
“Well, he didn’t…. Can’t we forget about it?”
He chuckled. “No, I’ll have to tell John.”
“He’s just going to get overprotective like you.”
“I’m not being overprotective. I want to keep you safe. If I was being overprotective, I wouldn’t have let you come along. If you got hurt, I’d-.” He was cut off by a voice from the back of the Jumper.
“Major, we’re set to head back to Atlantis. The tracker is still disabled.” Dr. Keller stated.
“Copy, doc. I’ll have us home in a few.” With a thought, the Jumper lifted off and swung around to head back towards the Gate. Dr. Gray started dialing the Gate without prompting and Evan smiled. Once it was connected, he hit his radio. “Atlantis, this is Jumper 2. We have Kiryk and the doc confirmed the tracker is still disabled.”
“Copy, Major. Beckett is standing by. Please make sure our guest is relieved of his weapons and the transportation device.” O’Neill responded.
“Yes, sir. I’ll do that as soon as we land.” Lorne stated as he slid the Jumper through the event horizon. They were in the Jumper Bay moments later. He stood from his seat and headed towards the back, the rear ramp descending as he approached. He looked at the Runner, who was seated beside Jennifer. “Kiryk, I need your weapons and the transportation device. They’ll be returned to you, but we need to take precautions right now.”
“Understood.” Their guest stood and unstrapped the transportation device, handing it to the man before him, however his weapons were put into the hands of his fellow Runner. “I assume you’ll hold on to these for me.”
“Yeah….” Ronon grinned. “They did the same thing to me when I first came here. They just want everyone to be safe.”
Kiryk grinned. “Then they should know, I don’t need those to defend myself.”
“Exactly….” The Satedan slapped him on the back and led him out of the Jumper, everyone else following after them.
The CMO was waiting for them. Carson had opted to forgo a gurney since he doubted this Runner was that different from their own. He smiled at their visitor. “Welcome, lad. I’m Dr. Beckett. If you’ll just follow me, I’ll take you to the infirmary. There’s someone who’d like to see you, then I can examine you and see if maybe we can get that tracker out of your back, permanently.”
“Dr. Keller said it was fused to my spine and my brain. She said removing it would kill me. I-.”
“I understand that, lad. But now that you’re here and we have access to a surgical suite, we might be able to extract it. Come along.” He turned and gestured towards the exit.
It was a quiet walk to the infirmary and as they made their way there, they were joined by Teyla, Sheppard and the General. Kiryk kept scanning the area, looking for threats or subterfuge. He was obviously on edge, but as soon as he entered the infirmary, all that changed. His eyes immediately spotted Celise and he hurried to her side.
The little girl looked up at the movement and started to cry as soon as she saw him. “Kiryk!!”
The Runner was crying as well as he enveloped her in a hug and held her close. They were all touched by the scene playing out before them. It was nice when they could do something for another person that didn’t involve death or suffering. It was an oddity in Pegasus, but they would take it all the same.
John and Evan looked down at their lover. She was smiling brightly at the scene before them. Lorne whispered to her as his arm went around her waist. “Good job, beautiful.”
*****
“What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“Around your neck?”
Mariah looked down and cursed. Her necklace had popped out from under her shirt. Not breaking stride, she tucked it back inside and focused on their path as she answered. “Something I got from the boys. A symbol of their commitment to me, since we can’t get married.”
“Why not?”
“On Earth, you can’t have multiple spouses. It’s against the law and we could be jailed.”
“But you would marry them if you could?”
The linguist stopped running and looked at Ronon. She and the former Runner were working out together. She couldn’t spar with him for a number of reasons and this was something she enjoyed. Usually, they mostly did it in silence, but the Satedan was chatty today for some reason. “Yes…. I love them and want to be with them always. Normally, we’d exchange rings, but that would lead to questions none of us could answer. So they got me this.” She stroked the necklace through her shirt. “Why the interest?”
“No reason.” He started running again.
She cursed and sprinted to catch up. Mariah set a hand on his arm and got him to stop again. “There’s always a reason behind why you do things.” She studied him. “Are you thinking about making things more official with Teyla?”
“Don’t know.” He shrugged.
“Come on.” Mariah grabbed his arm and pulled him out onto a nearby balcony. She pushed him down on a bench and sat beside him. “Do you love Teyla?”
“Maybe…. I don’t know. It’s different than with Melena.”
“That’s the woman you were involved with on Sateda, right?”
“Yeah….”
She studied her friend. “Love is different every time it happens. What I felt for Daniel is vastly different than what I feel for John and Evan. Hell, what I feel for the two of them is even different. Doesn’t matter in the long run. It’s love either way.”
“How can I be sure?”
“Well…, what happens when she isn’t around?”
“I think about her a lot, except when I’m fighting.”
“That’s a good sign. I know you’re protective of her, especially after the whole Michael thing. I think the big question is, do you see a future with her?”
“I think so. I find myself thinking about, maybe, having children with her. Seeing Kiryk with Celise just increased it.”
“Then I think you’re in love with her.” She leaned against him. “I’m so happy for you, for both of you.”
He looked down at her. “But what if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
“I think you need to tell her how you feel and see if she reciprocates. Honestly, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
“Thanks.” He lifted his arm and wrapped it around her in a hug. She snuggled up against his side and looked at the view.
The linguist stayed there for a few minutes, then patted his thigh. “Come on. We need to finish our run. The boys are probably wondering where I disappeared to. I’d like to get back before they start a manhunt.”
Ronon chuckled. “Warn me if I ever get like them with Teyla. She’ll kick my ass.”
“Promise, but if you could maybe knock some sense into the two of them the next time you spar, I’d appreciate it.” She smiled at the former Runner and he smiled back. Then they resumed their run.
*****
“What is troubling you, Ronon?” Teyla asked as she looked down at her bedmate. She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. He pulled her closer and deepened it.
“Nothing.” He answered when she pulled back.
The Athosian woman’s breasts brushed against the bare chest of her lover and she studied him. He was not the best at articulating his feelings, but she was very adept at reading him. He squirmed under her watchful eyes. “It would be best for you to simply tell me.”
“I was talking with Mariah.”
“About what?” She knew that she would have to coax each response from him, but she would know everything before they finally slept.
“Did you know she can’t marry Sheppard and Lorne?”
“I do. It is against the laws of their people to have two spouses.”
“It sucks.”
She chuckled at his use of Earth slang. He really spent too much time with the marines. “It does, but they are content with their relationship. That is all that really matters.”
“They gave her a necklace as a symbol of their commitment.”
“I know. Mariah showed it to me the day after she received it. It is quite lovely.”
Ronon brushed the hair off of her face and met her eyes. “Do you want that level of commitment? One day?”
She studied him again. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, but it would be best not to rush him. “Yes…. All people long to love and be loved and commitment is a natural evolution of that love.”
“You know I care about you a lot, right?” He looked away.
“I do. I care about you greatly, as well. We have been teammates for over three years and have shared a bed for more than half that time. I would not give myself to you if I did not care.” She leaned down and kissed his cheek.
He turned his head and caught her lips with his. His arms encircled her bare torso and pulled her snug against him. His desire for her was fueled by her words. But he had more to say and he hoped it didn’t ruin everything. “What would you say if I felt more?”
She smiled down at him. “I would be touched and reciprocate, saying I too feel more.”
“And what if I said I think I love you?”
“Ronon, do you love me?”
“Yeah….” His voice dropped to a whisper.
Teyla straddled his waist and sat up, cupping his face between her hands. “And I love you, Ronon. You make me very happy and I know you would never do anything to harm me.”
“Really?” He gave her a goofy smile. When she nodded, he covered her hands with his and flipped them on the bed. His body covered hers and he dove in for a kiss. They each battled for control, two warriors locked in combat of a different kind. “What would you say if I want more with you? Children? A family?”
“I would say I am proud to be with you and happily embark on this journey with you.” She craned her neck up and gave him another kiss. As she broke away, she added. “Now I think we have talked enough.”
“Me too.” The Satedan surged forward and captured her lips with his own. His happiness and his passion for this amazing woman consumed him as he tasted and touched her naked skin. They would still face struggles as the war against the Wraith had no end in sight. But having Teyla by his side, fighting with him against a common enemy, he knew it didn’t matter…. Only she did.
Chapter Text
Daniel was smiling when he exited the Gate. He looked around the Gate Room and as during his previous visit, marveled at the architecture. Atlantis was a wondrous place and he was looking forward to finally exploring the City. During his examination of the room, he noticed his welcoming committee. Three people stood at the bottom of the stairs up to the Control Room and two stood at the top. The trio was distinctly unhappy, while the duo was grinning at him. Best to deal with the situation head on. He thought, before he strode over to the stairs and looked at the three men.
“Colonel, Major, Rodney, I appreciate you being here to welcome me. I’m-.”
“We aren’t welcoming you, Jackson. We’re warning you. You hurt her or upset her in any way, I’ll make your visit a living hell.” The physicist gave him an icy glare.
“McKay!!” Sheppard snapped at his teammate, before looking back at their guest. “We promised Mariah we wouldn’t threaten you, but I can’t say I disagree with Rodney’s comment.”
The archeologist gave a heavy sigh and looked at the last man. “Anything you wish to add, Evan?”
“She’s forgiven you, so I really have no grounds to be mad at you. Plus your breakup led her to us. Just don’t hurt her.”
“I have no intentions of doing so. She’s my friend and I care about her. I will always care about her and simply want her to be happy. Can we drop this for now?” Jackson eyed his two friends coming down the stairs towards them. Lorne’s face became a neutral mask, while John and Rodney still looked angry.
Mariah whacked her lover and his teammate on the shoulder. “Behave, you two.” She smiled at her boss. “Hey, Daniel.” She moved forward and gave him a hug. He returned it and his smile returned.
“Danny, good to see you.” Jack said as he offered his hand to his former teammate. They shook. The expedition leader looked at the CSO and his two military commanders. “Don’t you boys have work to do?”
“Yes, sir.” The Major replied and hurried up the stairs. Sheppard gave his lover’s ex one final look and followed his XO.
The physicist started to leave, but O’Neill grabbed his collar. “Not so fast, McKay. You and Mariah are being tasked with helping Daniel. He has some secret lab he wants to find before he does some general looking around. I expect you to play nice while I’m away.” Rodney just glared, but held his tongue.
“Where exactly are you going, Jack?” Daniel asked.
“We’re meeting with our sometime-ally, Todd, about some research Michael was doing. Dr. Keller found it in the data we took from him. Seems he discovered a way to curb the Wraith’s need to feed. We wanna see if Todd might be willing to help us test it. I’m leaving on the Daedalus in a couple hours.”
Jackson smiled. “Speaking of the Daedalus, I appreciate you authorizing the use of the ZPM, instead of forcing me to spend three weeks in hyperspace.”
“The privilege of command….” He rocked on his heels. “Anyhoo, you’ll be staying in my guest room. I’ll help you get settled, then I have to gather up everyone who’s going on the mission.” O’Neill ushered him towards the exit, Mariah and McKay trailing after them.
Before they went very far, Rodney got a radio call from Radek and excused himself. He was leaping for joy in his head and would have to thank the Czech scientist later. He scurried off. With the physicist gone, Dr. Gray moved between the two men and hooked her arms through theirs. They both smiled down at her and stepped into the transporter. When they came to the corridor where Mariah lived, instead of turning left, they turned right and headed to the far end. Jack had selected the apartment at the very end of the corridor.
When they entered his place, the archeologist and the linguist looked around. The layout was slightly different from the one the young woman shared with her lovers. It still entered into the living space, but instead of going across the apartment, it went lengthwise and lead directly to a huge balcony with a majestic view of the ocean and a section of the city. The dining room was right next to it and had two huge windows that allowed anyone eating at the table to enjoy the view while they ate. Back towards the front of the apartment was the kitchenette. Off the dining room, there were two doors that led to guest rooms. Across the apartment, off the living space, was the master bedroom and bath. The bedroom has its own private balcony and so did one of the guest rooms. It was a very nice apartment.
“This place is amazing.” Daniel stated as he looked around.
“I set up the guest room over here for you.” He gestured to the furthest door in. “It’s got its own balcony and bath. You even get the view from the bathroom.” Jack pointed at the kitchen. “You’re welcome to use the kitchen. There’s a little food in the fridge, but you can get more from the Mess, if you can’t find what you’re looking for. Or you can just go eat with the masses.” He looked at his watch. “I need to go. We’ll talk more when I get back, Danny.” He smiled. “It’s good to have you here.” He hurried towards the door and said to the young woman. “Keep him out of trouble, Mariah.”
“Will do.” She waved at the General as he left. She waited patiently while her boss dropped his bags and enjoyed the view for a few minutes, then ushered him out of Jack’s apartment and down the hall to hers.
The archeologist looked around, apprehensively. “I’m not sure I should be here.”
“Don’t worry about it. Say hi to Trouble.” She gestured to her cat while she headed into the kitchen.
“Hey there.” Daniel reached down and picked up the little animal, who was wrapping around his feet, eager as always for attention. The feline purred happily as he curled up in the man’s arms. He carried the cat with him into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, watching her. “Thanks.” He said when she set a glass of water in front of him.
“So, what’s up, Daniel? Your visit was super-secret. I didn’t know about it until Jack told me yesterday and he wouldn’t tell me anything further.”
He took a sip of water and continued to watch her. “What can you tell me about Janus?”
“He saved my life. Has a habit of pulling me up into the white place to chat or freezing time when it suits him. Was a scientist of some sort and was in love with Altheria. Beyond that, nada.” She sipped some water from her own glass.
“Well, I think I may know the location of his secret lab.”
“Secret lab?”
“The place where he conducted and subsequently hid a significant portion of his unauthorized research. It’s here in Atlantis.”
“All right, so why do you need Rodney’s and my help?”
“Well, I’m not a physicist or an engineer. McKay is probably the best qualified person to determine what we find.”
“And me?”
“Well, you’ve talked to Janus and by your own admission, he was in love with your Ancestor. I thought you might be able to help us find it. Plus I need help combing through the database to see if he left any clues behind.” He scratched Trouble behind the ears.
“I’m game, but Rodney’s going to be cranky as a warning.”
“When isn’t he?”
“You need to be nice, too. I’m not playing referee the entire time we’re working.” Mariah came over to him and took her pet from him. The cat rubbed his face against hers and purred loudly. She set him on the ground and grabbed Dr. Jackson’s arm. “Let’s go find Rodney and start on this research. Sooner we do, the sooner we find it.”
“Lead the way, Mariah.”
*****
“Rodney!!! You did that on purpose.”
“What?? I didn’t know how the wall would react.” The physicist looked away and added. “It was his idea in the first place.”
Mariah helped Daniel off the floor and looked around. The monitors and consoles in the room started to light up, illuminating many devices and control consoles. She gasped. “Wow.”
“We found it. Janus’s secret lab.” McKay was excited and immediately headed to one of the consoles to begin looking through the available data.
Their little adventure hadn’t exactly started off well. The CSO was incredulous about the whole secret lab idea and seemed more intrigued by Janus having lovers than finding a lab full of Ancient technology. But once Dr. Jackson brought up the account of one of Janus’s lab assistance, which provided an actual location to search, Rodney appeared to be more on board with the idea and off they went to find Janus’s ‘isle of solitude within the city walls.’ After a little starting and stopping, they had all the pieces in place and now they were there, in Janus’s secret lab.
“Do you know what all this stuff is?” The linguist started to look around the room. She went to examine a piece of tech, but a hand on her arm stopped her.
“I wouldn’t touch anything.” Daniel whispered to her. “There’s no telling what any of this does. This was all research the Council didn’t approve of.”
“Right.” She nodded at him, pulling her hands against her chest, and went over to the physicist. “Shouldn’t we call someone, Rodney? I’m sure you could use some help figuring out what all of this is.”
“Yes, yes.” He responded, distractedly. He was completely engrossed in the data he was reviewing.
She gave a heavy sigh and looked at her boss. “Can you stay with him and make sure he doesn’t blow us all up?”
“Sure… What are you going to do?”
“I need to go out and radio Radek and John. Rodney needs help to review all this and I think we should have a security detail while we’re down here.”
“Why not just radio from here?” Daniel tapped the radio in his ear and got static. “How did you-?”
“For the same reason you said Janus wouldn’t have put anything in the official records. He wanted this place to stay secret, so he probably shielded it to stop transmissions from going in and out.” She smiled at him and stepped back through the wall. She hit her radio as soon as she was clear. “Gray to Control.” She didn’t have to wait long.
Chuck responded. “Control here. What can I do for you, Dr. Gray?”
“We found Janus’s lab. I need you to alert Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne and Dr. Zelenka. I’m requesting a full science team and a security detail. We are in a formally flooded section of the City and you may only see my life sign. I’ll standby at my current location until the others arrive. There’s a trick to get into the lab.”
“Will do, Doc. I’ll alert them all now.”
“Thank you, Sergeant.” Her radio went dead as the Control Room signed off and started to reach out to the others. After about five minutes, her radio chirped. She hit it again. “Gray here.”
“Mariah, I cannot contact Rodney. Can you tell me what we are looking at?” Zelenka’s voice sounded in her ear.
“I think the lab’s shielded. The entrance is a… controlled… magnetic resonance….”
“A controlled magnetic harmonic resonance?”
“Yes, that. Plus there’s a bunch of consoles and devices all over the room.”
“I will get something to hold open the entrance, which should also deal with the shielding issue, and bring a few others with me. We shall be there shortly.” Her radio went dead again. After about ten more minutes, she heard footsteps coming towards her and a group of marines appeared, led by Evan. She smiled at her lover. “Good of you to join us, Major. Did our fearless acting leader send you?”
“Yup.” He smiled back at her. “He’s busy being in charge, so I thought I’d see what’s going on.” He looked around. “Where’s the lab?”
She pointed at the three light fixtures on the wall. “I hit these three lights in order and you can walk through the wall down there. Radek’s going to bring something to hold it open. Your men can probably go through two at a time.”
The base XO turned around and started to bark out orders. Four of the marines would be stationed inside and four would be stationed in the hall, at least until the doorway was open, then the numbers would decrease. Mariah let the four marines in and watched as the other four took up positions, in pairs, at either end of the dead-end hallway. She stayed in the middle with Lorne, but before she could even talk to him, they heard a ruckus. Zelenka appeared from around the corner, his arms full and a half dozen other scientists trailing after him.
“Mariah, would you be so kind as to show us where we must go?” The Czech scientist asked as he tried to stop from dropping anything and everything he carried.
The young woman chuckled and hurried over to help her friend. She’d just have to talk to her boyfriend later. “Right this way, Radek.” She gave Evan a final smile and got back to work.
*****
McKay yawned and looked around the room. He, Jackson and Mariah were the only people left in the lab. Sheppard had been by earlier to see how things were going, but was too busy being in charge to help with any of the math ciphers or mind games Janus used to lock down his research. But his science and engineering team had been eager to help and they got through a small portion of the data before they started bailing on him. He was loathe to admit it, but Dr. Jackson had actually been helpful with some of the puzzles and postulating the purpose of some of the inventions. It didn’t hurt that the linguist was there to smooth things over and keep both men in check.
The physicist studied his friend. Her head was down on one of the consoles and he was pretty sure she was asleep. Daniel spoke up. “You know, it's almost dawn. If you want to call it a night, it's uh….” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
“What? No, no, no. I'm fine. Fine. But, you know, if you need to rest, I'll completely understand.” Rodney would never leave before the archeologist.
Putting his glasses back on, Jackson sighed. “Seriously? I-i-is everything a competition with you?”
“I'm not sure what you're talking about.”
“I-I just found you a secret lab full of really cool Ancient stuff. I kind of think that should score me some points here!” Daniel said incredulously.
McKay was ready with a comeback, when a soft voice spoke. “Do I need to separate the two of you?” The linguist lifted her head and looked at her friends.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“No, Rodney, just resting my eyes.” She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “What time is it?” She asked as her hands fell away.
“Almost dawn. Go get some sleep. I’m sure Colonel Sheppard and Evan are wondering where you are.” Her boss smiled at her.
“Kay…. Don’t kill each other and try to get some sleep yourselves.” Mariah stood and gave each man a kiss on the cheek, before slowly exiting the lab. Radek and Rodney had set up a sub-sonic tone generator outside, which ensured the wall stayed open and allowed their radios to work inside. She ambled down the corridor, listening to the two men continue their conversation. She just started to turn the corner, when she heard an alarmed shout from back in the lab.
Dr. Gray swung around and saw Rodney and Daniel both standing up. Then two mechanical suits walked through the wall and zapped them. She screamed and ran back down the hall. “Get away from them.”
One of the suits or aliens, she surmised, turned towards her while the other grabbed a device with a blinking red light. The one facing her raised his weapon, but she wasn’t having it. She flung her hand to the side and the alien flew against the wall of the lab. The other alien, the one with the device, quirked his head at her and moved to grab Daniel off the floor. She wasn’t going to let him take either man. As she reached the entrance to the lab, she stopped and held her arms out in front of her, drawing them back sharply. Jackson and Rodney slid across the floor and out of the lab.
Suddenly, there was a voice in her head. *Do not let him take that device.*
Mariah didn’t have time to process what Janus was telling her, because the alien with the device walked back through the wall and disappeared. She heard distant gunfire, but she didn’t have time to worry about it. There was still one alien in the lab. She crossed the threshold of the room and looked at the suit, which was still laying on the floor. It was just starting to stir. Thinking back to the sci-fi and fantasy films of her youth, she twisted her hand up and the suit rose up. Flattening her hand out, she pressed it towards the alien. He was secured against the wall about six inches off the ground.
“Who are you?”
No response.
“Who are you? Why did you attack us?”
Still no response. Pounding feet sounded in the hallway. Mariah heard John calling for a medical team and turned her head towards the entryway. Her lover and Teyla came into the lab, guns at the ready.
She ignored them and looked back at the intruder. “What was the device your friend took?”
“What’s going on, Mariah? John asked.
“My new friend and I are just having a chat. He’s being a little shy.” She looked over at the Colonel. “What was the gunfire I heard?”
“There was a third guy, guarding their escape route. We got him, but the other one escaped on their ship. He was carrying some device.”
“I know. Janus told me to stop him, but he went through the wall before I could react.” She studied Sheppard’s face. “Are Rodney and Daniel okay?”
Before he could respond, another voice joined the conversation. “You know of Janus?”
The linguist’s head whipped around and scanned the alien. “Now you speak. Yes, I know Janus. Why did you come here? What is that device?”
“It is a means of survival for our species. It will allow us to stop the Wraith. Our planet is dying. It can no longer sustain us. For the first time in countless generations, we must venture out into this galaxy again, a galaxy controlled by the Wraith. If we do not destroy them, they will destroy us. This is the way it must be.” The alien responded.
“Wanting to kill the Wraith is something we have in common. You could’ve just asked for our help.” John stated.
“There has to be a catch. Otherwise, Janus wouldn’t have told me to stop you from taking the device.” Mariah was angry. These aliens had come into her home, attacked her friends and were talking as cryptically as the Others. She really wanted to know what was going on.
The alien was able to shift his head to the side and even though he was held in place, the suit began to retract and open up, revealing its occupant. An Asgard was inside the suit. He responded to her. “The device has a side effect the Ancients could not live with, however my people have no concern for the lives of the people of this galaxy. We must be able to continue our research in order to ensure our species’ survival.”
*It is called the Attero device. What they took is the key to activate it. If it is activated, it will cause a build-up of power within an activated Stargate, causing it to explode. They must be stopped before they can harm the people of this galaxy.* Janus spoke to her again and she gave a heavy sigh. Then coordinates flashed in her head.
She addressed her captive. “You’re an Asgard and I’m pretty sure what you’re doing violates the laws of your people.” She turned her head and looked at Sheppard. “I need my communication stone, so I can contact Thor. He can deal with our friend here and maybe make use of his illicit research.”
The Colonel nodded his head and hit his radio. He had a quick conversation with his XO, who agreed to find the stone and bring it to their lover. “Lorne’s on his way. We need to get this guy in a holding cell… without his suit.”
“Agreed. The thing they took is the key to activate something called the Attero device. If they get it activated, Gates are going to start exploding. We need to warn our allies and get to it before people start dying.”
Teyla and John both looked alarmed. Things were getting more and more interesting. The Colonel rubbed a hand down his face. So much for an easy stint of being in charge.
*****
“Why do I always get knocked unconscious?”
“You’re just lucky that way.” The linguist smiled at Daniel. They were sitting in the Mess Hall together, over a cup of tea and coffee, respectively.
It was a couple days after the incident in Janus’s lab. The expedition had been able to contact a number of their allies, warning them to not use their Gates until the all-clear was given. The evil Asgard were somehow able to get the device working without an ATA gene carrier and because of that, Todd’s hive was destroyed. Thinking it was Atlantis’s doing, Todd and his men took over the Daedalus and after briefly contacting the City, took the Earth ship to deal with the device in their own way. Thankfully, Sheppard and the Orion were able to get there before the Daedalus could crash into the planet’s surface. John created a hyperspace window through the planet and they regained control of the Daedalus. Then the Orion bombarded the planet, destroying the device. Todd and his men escaped in F302s. General O’Neill and Colonel Caldwell were not pleased.
McKay woke up before Sheppard had departed the City to go after Todd and destroy the device. He tagged along and was able to create a remote link with the Asgard ship on the planet’s surface, partially uploading their research before everything was wiped out. Thor had arrived that morning and took their intruder prisoner. The Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet was currently in McKay’s lab going over the downloaded data, seeing if there was anything of use. Mariah and Jackson really hoped there was. They were both very fond of Thor and his people.
“Do you really have to go home?”
“Yes. Jack says I need to go for my own safety. Seems to think I’m a trouble magnet.”
“You are, but, to be honest, so am I.” She chuckled and took a sip of her tea. She was disappointed Daniel wasn’t going to get to do any further exploring.
The archeologist studied the young woman and smiled. He was happy to see her thriving in her new home and she appeared to have gotten past all the pain he and his team had caused her. “I sent you an email a little while ago. It contains some queries I’d like done in the Ancient database. Get to them whenever you have time. They’re related to some things I’m working on back on Earth.”
“Can do. I don’t want you to leave.”
“Tough.” Jack said as he joined the pair. They searched around and didn’t see Thor.
“Did you lose someone?” Dr. Gray asked as she looked up at the expedition leader.
“Nope, Thor and McKay are arguing over the data. I decided it best to leave them alone. Thor was getting that look in his eyes.” O’Neill stated as he took a seat at the end of the table.
Jackson chuckled. “The one that says stupid humans think they know everything?”
“That’s the one.” He looked at the two scientists. “What are you two plotting?”
“Nothing, Jack. Daniel just wants me to do some searches in the Ancient database, since he can’t stay.” Mariah smirked at the General.
“Hey!! He attracts too much trouble. Let him be Hank’s problem. I’ve got enough of my own.” The expedition leader crossed his arms and pouted, though merely in jest. He kept his eyes locked on the linguist and added. “I heard you were a badass against our intruder.”
“Well, I was angry, which made it easy. But I think I’m starting to refine my ability. I’ve been able to make more subtle moves the last two times I’ve used it.” She was keeping her comments vague in case someone overheard them. “Mostly, I was concerned about Daniel and Rodney. I wasn’t sure what they did to them, then the one guy tried to grab Daniel. Keeping them safe was my priority.”
“Thanks for that. They didn’t seem to be the friendliest folks. Nothing like Thor.” The archeologist stated.
“That is most gratifying to hear, Dr. Jackson.” The Asgard said as he walked over to their table, McKay a few feet behind him. “This group of our people broke away many generations ago because they did not believe we were doing enough to stop the cellular degeneration cloning has done to our species. The High Council would not approve experiments on other species just to ensure our survival.”
“Except for Loki….” Rodney added to the discussion.
Thor looked back and glared at the physicist. “You are indeed correct, Dr. McKay. However as soon as we were made aware of his actions, I personally took him into custody and the High Council punished him. He was attempting to help, but his methods were flawed.” Turning back towards the table, he addressed the young woman. “I am thankful you were able to stop their leader, Mariah. He has valuable information that may assist our scientists with resolving our cloning issues. While we do not condone their actions, we will not allow their work to go to waste. Their exo-skeleton suits are also most interesting.”
“That’s actually why we’re here. Thor wants the suit we took off the one in custody, plus the one with the dead Asgard in it. Your trained monkeys wouldn’t let us take them out of the armory.” The physicist glared at the General as he spoke.
“They’re not monkeys, McKay.” Jack stated as he shook his head and hit his radio. “O’Neill to Stackhouse.” He paused. “Thor wants the two suits from the armory. Can you see that they’re released to him?” Another pause. “Thanks, Stacks. O’Neil out.” He looked at his friend. “They’re all yours.”
“Thank you, O’Neill. I must leave as soon as possible. This research is most vital.” Thor looked at the linguist again. “Thank you for contacting me, Mariah. The High Council wished for me to extend you an invitation to visit Orilla. We would be most honored to welcome you.”
Daniel gasped. “Wow…. That’s quite the invitation.”
“Thank the Council for me. When I do come, could Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne accompany me?”
“They may. However, they will not be allowed to the surface.”
“Great. I’ll call, when I’m ready.”
He nodded his head and blinked at her. Looking over at the General and Dr. Jackson, he stated. “I bid you farewell.” He turned around and looked Rodney up and down. “Let us go collect the exo-skeleton suits and as you humans say, I will get out of your hair.”
“Great. The sooner, the better.” Rodney twisted around and stormed out of the Mess, the little alien trailing after him.
The General chuckled. “McKay needs to learn he’ll never win against Thor. He’s been around a long time and is way smarter.”
“He likes the challenge.” Dr. Gray stood and gave her boss a poignant look. “Make sure you say goodbye before you go. I gotta go start dinner for the boys. You’re both welcome to come by for food. We eat at 1800. Bye.” She smiled at them and strolled out of the room.
“Why exactly did you dump her? She’s a gem.”
“I know that, Jack, and I didn’t dump her. I thought she was dead. Anyway, Vala’s great. You just need to get to know her better.”
“She’s a little too mischievous for me. Plus the comments that start with ‘if I was still a god’ are disconcerting.”
The archeologist shook his head and smiled at his old friend. “You’re just jealous that I can have a relationship with a teammate and nobody cares.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” O’Neill was fighting a grin.
“Yeah, right….”
Jack did grin then and added. “It’s good to have you here, Danny, even if you are a trouble magnet.” His friend started to speak, but O’Neill stopped him. “And no, that doesn’t mean you can stay.”
Notes:
The next chapter, Chapter Six, is my favorite of this story, so please stick around. I will post as early as possible next Wednesday.
Chapter 6: Victims
Notes:
Sorry for the delay. The day got away from me. Please read and enjoy.
Chapter Text
“Have I told you yet how proud I am of you? Of both of you?”
“Not in the last ten minutes, sweetheart, so please go ahead.” John wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close for a kiss.
Mariah kissed him back, then pushed away. “If you keep this up, I’m going to be late.”
“We wouldn’t want that.” Lorne came over with her pack, handing it to her and stealing himself a quick kiss. “Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the main area of the apartment.
Trouble rubbed against her legs and she stopped briefly, setting her pack aside. She let her lover keep her hand, but squatted down to pet the little animal. He climbed on to her knees and gave her a quick head butt. “I’ll be back this afternoon, baby. You behave for the boys.” He meowed in response. The linguist stood and picked her pack back up, only to have the Colonel take it from her.
“I’ll carry it.” He took her now free hand.
“You guys are not going to the armory with me. I can gear up on my own. Go to the Control Room and behave yourselves.” They exited the apartment together.
Evan responded. “Yes, beautiful. We will not smother or hover, we promise.”
“Good. I assume you already gave Stacks the ‘protect her at all cost’ speech?” She looked at them each in turn.
“No idea what you’re talking about.” Sheppard answered when they reached the transporter. His grin told her otherwise.
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not….” She looked at the base XO as they got in. The transporter flashed and they were just outside the Control Room.
“Yes, we did. But it’s his job… actually it’s the job of all the military personnel to protect the civilians at all cost.” They exited.
“Excellent recovery, Major.” She got her hands free and took her pack from the Colonel. Dr. Gray smiled at her lovers. “I’ll see you both later.”
“Count on it, sweetheart.” John whispered as she walked away. He and Lorne headed to the Control Room and were met by the General. “Sir.”
“Sheppard, Lorne, I had a feeling you were going to be seeing the team off.” The older man grinned and rocked back on his heels.
“Of course, sir. A mission to an Ancient facility with only the access door visible at the base of a mountain seems important enough to have three members of the senior staff present for the exploration team’s departure.” Evan answered matter-a-factually.
“Five, here comes McKay and Woolsey.” Jack nodded at the two civilians. “Richard, I wasn’t expecting you to join us.”
“I thought it would be wise for me to see more of how things work here in Atlantis. Maybe one day, I’ll get to go out with one of the teams.” The IOA rep stated.
The expedition leader responded. “We’ll see.” Then he glared at the physicist, who was starting to open his mouth. “I don’t want to hear it. A front-line team is investigating. It just doesn’t happen to be yours.”
“Well, it should be.” Rodney pouted and crossed his arms. “Our team is the most qualified to undertake this mission. I’m the foremost expert on Ancient technology and should be there to make any discoveries.” He watched along with the others as AR-3 and the linguist entered the Gate Room.
O’Neill motioned to Chuck and the Gate began to dial. “Tough, McKay. Mariah did the translation and all the research. Following that research, Major Teldy and her team did the initial recon and found the facility right where it was supposed to be. It’s only fair for Mariah to go and investigate the interior. If it turns out to be anything, you can go with a whole science team as back-up.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” The physicist went silent as the event horizon formed.
Stackhouse and his team were given the okay to depart and slowly walked through the Gate. Dr. Gray looked up and waved as she disappeared along with the others. A couple minutes later, the Gate disconnected. The five men then departed, getting back to their duties. The two military commanders headed to their office, while the CSO went to his lab to make grown men cry. Jack had some paperwork to do and Richard was still working his way through all the reports, documents and other official records for the expedition. It was a normal day in the City.
Until it wasn’t…. Two hours later, alarms started to go off in the Control Room as the Gate began to connect. Sheppard and his XO were the first out of their offices and were soon joined by the General. They looked at the Canadian Gate tech, waiting to hear who it was.
“It’s AR-3. They are requesting medical and search teams.”
Jack gave the Sergeant an odd look. “Search teams?” He questioned and added. “Call for a medical team, but hold on the search teams until we know what’s going.” He joined the others as the top of the stairs and waited.
Cpls. Kreis and Yeager were first. They were both sporting cuts and scrapes, but seemed mostly okay. Next was Petrov, who had a bullet graze on his left leg, but a pressure bandage had already been applied. Finally came their team leader. He was carrying a GDO and radio in one hand while the other carried a pack. They knew none of the items were his since they could see his pack still on his back and his radio in his ear.
The three Air Force officers hurried down the stairs and looked around as the Gate disconnected. Lorne broke the silence. “Sergeant, where’s Dr. Gray?”
“I don’t know, sir.” Stacks couldn’t look at his superiors. He had failed them. “I told her to run, then we all got hit by stunner blasts. When we woke up, her pack, radio and GDO were laying on the ground next to us. They took her.”
“Who? Who took her?” The Colonel was trying not to get angry at the Security Chief, but he needed to know what had happened.
“We don’t know, sir. We never got a good look at them.” Stackhouse stopped as medical rushed into the room and took his three teammates away to be treated. He remained with his COs.
Jack groaned. This was going to go downhill fast. “Sergeant!” He barked. The marine stood at attention and met his eyes. He could see that the younger man was crushed and sighed. “Let’s go to my office.” The foursome walked up the stairs and headed to the expedition leader’s office, but the General made a quick stop to speak with Chuck. “Call AR-4, 5 and 6. I want them to go back to the planet to do a search. Captain Freidman on AR-6 has the gene, right?”
“Yes, sir.” The Gate tech responded. He looked almost as upset as Stacks was.
“Good. AR-6 will go in a Jumper, the others on foot. Major Teldy’s in charge. Advise her about the situation. Have them leave as soon as they report.” O’Neill didn’t wait for a response and strode into his office, the doors closing behind him. “Start at the beginning, Sergeant.”
“Yes, sir.” The Security Chief cleared his throat. “After we arrived on the planet, we walked to the facility. It took us about 30 minutes, then Dr. Gray started to work on translating the writing around the door. Seems the place was a storage facility of some kind. She was able to get the outer door open and it revealed a small antechamber with a lot more writing. She had just started on that when we came under fire. There was no cover by the facility, so we retreated back into the forest. We were about halfway back to the Gate when we began taking fire from the front as well. We got boxed it. The trees were not the best cover or concealment, so I told Dr. Gray to run and hide and we would find her later. As soon as she was gone, they changed tactics and went from guns to stunners. We all eventually went down.” He stopped speaking and worked on getting himself under control.
The Major came over to him and set a hand on his arm. “Then what?”
“When we came around, sir, Mariah’s pack, radio and GDO were next to us and she wasn’t anywhere to be found. We looked around for a few minutes, but thought it best to get back to the Gate and ask for search teams. That’s it.”
“Any idea who they were?” Jack asked. He’d heard the other man’s earlier response, but needed to be sure, now that he was calmer.
“No. We never got a look at them.” The Sergeant swallowed hard and caught the eyes of the Colonel. “I’m so sorry, sir. I thought she would be safer away from us. I should’ve had her stay.”
John’s face was grim and he responded with steel-laced words. “This isn’t your fault, Stacks. We’re going to find her and bring her home…. We have to….”
*****
Three days…. Three days without a sign or a single idea where Mariah was. Or even who her kidnappers were. The three teams had headed to the planet and could find no one. They returned after a couple hours of searching. The only signs of people they found were spent shell casings and damaged foliage along the edge of a ravine. It looked like someone had fallen down into it and was dragged back up. There was no way to know who.
At that point, the focus of the expedition became finding their missing person. It was apparent to everyone Dr. Gray had been the target of the attack and someone had to know why, plus hopefully where she was now. All twelve of the reconnaissance teams were tasked with visiting populated worlds and gathering any information they could about the incident. A security team went along with each of the front-line teams. They didn’t want to lose any more of their people.
General O’Neill stayed on Atlantis and coordinated the search efforts, allowing his two military commanders to be actively involved in the search for their lost lover. Visit after visit, planet after planet, people either had no idea what had happened or were too afraid to tell the expedition members anything, even under threat of losing Atlantis’s protection and trade. After two days and once the senior staff realized what was going on, they changed their game plan. Teyla and Ronon, plus a few of the Athosians, who had joined the search, headed out and started to talk to their friends and allies. Sadly, they were well-known to be working with the Lanteans and they made no headway.
With each failed attempt to gather information, Colonel Sheppard became angrier and angrier and it took all of his XO’s patience to keep him in check. He was snapping at his men and friends alike. No one wanted to deal with him, not even McKay. Any discretion about his feelings for the linguist had gone out the window. Evan felt everyone knew about their three-person relationship by now. It was weighing heavily on him. On top of all that, Trouble grew more frantic each hour that passed and his owner had not returned. The little cat clung to the Major and even to John. He didn’t want to lose them on top of Mariah.
Currently, Lorne was standing in the Control Room, waiting for Teyla and Ronon to return from another attempt to gather information. Trouble had a vice grip on his shoulder and John was standing next to him, scowling. He gave a heavy sigh. “Sir, you need to take a break.”
“I’ll take a break once she’s home.”
“Sir, I’m the only person who’s even willing to speak with you. You’ve alienated every military officer in the City. Even the General doesn’t want to deal with you. Please… try to get a couple of hours of shuteye.”
“No, Major.” He ground out his friend’s rank, a reminder that he was the superior officer, not Evan.
Lorne gave another sigh, then noticed movement behind them. O’Neill was joining them. “Sir.”
“Major, where did Teyla and Ronon go this time?”
“To one of the market worlds, they thought they might have better luck with a diverse group of people. Also there’s a lot of gossip and talk. If nothing else, they might hear something that gives us a clue.” The base XO pulled Trouble off his shoulder and cradled him in his arms. The cat rubbed against him and gave a sad meow. “Hang in there, buddy. We’ll find her.”
Jack looked at the man beside him, holding the linguist’s pet, a gift from Jack to Mariah. He was probably almost as angry as his military commander about Dr. Gray being taken, but he was better at hiding his emotions. He scanned the man in question and dropped his voice to a whisper. “How’s he doing?”
“Not well.” He sighed yet again. “He isn’t sleeping, barely eats…. The only thing he does is hold and pet Trouble, usually late at night.” Evan looked sadly at his superior. “We need to find her and soon.”
“I know.” O’Neill voice was filled with sorrow. Then the Gate began to dial. The two members of AR-1 would be returning, hopefully with news.
In no time at all, Teyla and the Satedan were walking through the Gate and heading up the stairs to the three men. There was a grim look on the former Runner’s face and Teyla looked equally troubled. She headed right over to John and set her hands on his shoulders, giving him the greeting of her people. “We have some news, but it is not what we hoped for.”
“Tell us.” Sheppard said, his voice cracking.
“Those at the market were as tight-lipped as the others we have visited, however we overheard a hushed conversation that gives me hope.” The Athosian looked at her team leader and the Major. “Two men I did not know were speaking about a person being for sale, a Lantean female with the Ancestral gene. They could only be speaking of Mariah.”
“She’s for sale?” The Colonel stated through clenched teeth. “How does that give you hope?”
“Means she’s still alive.” Ronon answered simply. “As long as she’s alive, we have a chance to find her.”
“What Ronon says is correct. We did attempt to approach those we heard talking, however they spotted us and escaped into the crowd of the market.” She gave a heavy sigh of her own. “We and the people of the expedition are too well known. We will be unable to gather more information.”
Everyone looked up and around as the Gate began to dial again. Jack smirked. “I might be able to help with that.” He headed down the stairs. He had already warned Chuck about the dial-in, so he’d let them through without needing confirmation from the expedition leader.
The event horizon rippled as eight people stepped through, the members of SG-1 and SG-11. Colonels Mitchell and Edwards came straight over to the General and shifted into parade rest, hands on the butts of their P90s. They knew O’Neill didn’t stand of ceremony. Cam took the lead. “Sir, our teams are reporting as ordered. We’re ready to help with the search.” The country boy smiled when John, Evan, Teyla and Ronon joined them.
“Good to hear, Mitchell, but right now I need Vala and Teal’c to go with Teyla and Ronon to get briefed and ready to go out. We need someone who isn’t known to be part of the expedition to gather information. Plus those two have ways of making people talk that the U.S. Military frowns upon.”
The leader of SG-1 called his teammates over and handed them off to the Pegasus natives. They quickly left the room. Edwards took the opportunity to speak. “What about my team, sir?”
“Martin, I want you and your guys to meet with Major Teldy and her team. They did the initial recon on the planet where Dr. Gray was taken and led the search team back to the planet afterwards. I think we need a fresh set of eyes. Maybe you’ll see something they missed.” The General looked at Evan. “Lorne, can you help your former team get up to speed?”
“Yes, sir.” The Major smiled and motioned towards the stairs. He let SG-11 go first and made to follow, but first handed off the cat to his CO. He whispered to the other man. “Try not to get him anymore wound up than he is.” He dashed up the stairs.
That left Sheppard, Mitchell, Daniel and Jack standing in the Gate Room. The archeologist drew closer to his ex’s lover and scratched Trouble under the chin. “We’re going to find her, John. She’s been lost before and somehow made her way back to us. She can do it again.”
“I hope you’re right, Jackson.” Sheppard looked down at Mariah’s cat and made him a solemn promise. I’m not going to stop looking until I find her and kill the people who took her. You have my word. He thought. Almost as if he could hear the man holding him, Trouble rubbed against his chest and purred.
*****
Her eyes flew open and she scanned the room. The room was just as dark and dank as when she shut her eyes, hoping to catch a catnap before she resumed her vigil. Mariah was thankful her watch hadn’t broken because it allowed her to know how long she had been a captive. It had been five days since she and AR-3 had come under attack and Stacks had told her to run. She had done as he asked and seemed to be okay. She had found a ravine and had started to run along the edge of it, looking for a hiding place, when she stepped wrong and tumbled down the steep hill. At the bottom, she was in excruciating pain and figured out it was emanating from her ankle. It must have broken on the way down. She looked up in time to see two men standing at the edge of the ravine, then she was engulfed in electricity and lost consciousness.
When she awoke, she was in the dark, dank little room, alone. There was enough light from a small window high in the wall that she was able to crawl to the corner furthest from the door. With her back wedged there, she could see the whole room and anyone who entered. She thought about using her powers to try to escape, but she knew she didn’t stand a chance with her injury. She realized in that moment she no longer had her radio, GDO or pack. So even if she did escape, she had no way to get home. Then she waited.
After a few hours, an ugly, angry man entered her cell, leering at her. He came right over to her and when she started to ask him what was going on, he backhanded her, hard. Pain radiated through her head and it took all her willpower to focus on what he was saying. Seems he and some of his friends were going to sell her to the highest bidder. A Lantean female with the Ancestral gene was a hot commodity in Pegasus. He warned her to behave and keep quiet. Then he left.
The four ensuing days followed a pattern. The linguist stayed firmly wedged in the corner of the room, doing her best to stay awake. She only fell asleep when exhaustion took hold and her body gave her no choice. But even then, she tried to only sleep for fifteen or twenty minutes. She needed to stay aware of what was going on. Twice a day, another man, much younger and better looking than the other, came in and left a mug of water and a plate of food. He tried to speak to her, but she never responded. When he left, she would crawl across the room and drink a little of the water, never very much since it could be drugged. She didn’t eat the food for the same reason. She could survive for a while without food, but only 2-3 days without water. Then she returned to her corner. She had hope that Atlantis was searching for her.
So catnaps and sips of water, plus listening to every sound she could hear became her routine. Her head whipped around when she heard the jangle of the door. It was thrown open and in walked the ugly, angry man. He scanned the room and chuckled when he saw her. She tried to wedge herself further into the corner. She didn’t like the look he was giving her.
“I just thought I would let you know, we have gotten a few very high bids for the honor of owning you. Even some Wraith have gotten in to it.”
She did her best to not react, but kept both eyes locked on him.
“The nice thing is that none of them seem to care about your condition other than that you are alive. That means I can finally have my fun.” He started to unfasten his pants.
Mariah shut her eyes and turned her head away, burying it in her shoulder. He was going to rape her. She was going to have to use her powers, because she didn’t want his disgusting hands anywhere near her. Then she heard something, distant shouting and the discharge of energy weapons. She heard the man groan with frustration and start to walk away. Then he gave a shout of surprise and there was a blast from a Wraith stunner and a thud. She squeezed her eyes shut, awaiting the blast she knew had to be coming.
“Mariah?” A deep, familiar voice said.
Turning her head, she opened her eyes and immediately spotted who spoke. He was squatting down a few feet away from her. “Guide?”
“Yes, Mariah. Are you injured?”
“Yes. My ankle’s broken and maybe my cheek. He hit me really hard.” She scanned the room and spotted her captor lying in front of the door, unconscious, and another Wraith standing over him.
“Can you stand?”
Instead of answering, the linguist braced herself against the wall and slowly stood, her right foot firmly on the ground, while her left stayed a few inches above it. She looked at her captor again and shuddered when she saw his pants were still undone, leaving him partially exposed.
The Wraith took note of this and moved into her line of vision. “That human shall do no further harm to you. If you permit it, I will carry you into the outer room.” At her nod, he stepped closer and scooped her up. He added. “Close your eyes.” Once she had, he turned and looked at the other Wraith. “Wake up the human. I wish him to truly experience his punishment.” Then he strode out of the room.
The outer room was sparsely furnished with just a large table and a couple chairs under it. Todd set her carefully on the table, making sure her injured leg wasn’t jostled. As soon as she was safely deposited, he walked back into the cell. The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed in the two rooms, then the man’s cries for mercy. Finally, there was only screaming. Mariah squeezed her eyes more firmly shut and turned away. She heard footsteps and felt a presence hovering over her. She opened her eyes and looked up.
“I am sorry I did not get here sooner. These humans were most secretive about where they were hiding.”
“How did you even know to look for me? And why are you rescuing me?”
“Word of a Lantean female for sale has been spreading across multiple worlds. Some humans I am acquainted with informed me. When I heard the female had the Ancestral gene, I feared it was you.”
She warily eyed him. “You mean Wraith-worshippers told you?”
“Yes.”
“But why rescue me?”
He looked behind him and spoke to the other Wraith. “Go and find out our status. If everything is secure, add the address of this world to the data crystal. I shall be out shortly.” The Wraith nodded and exited without a word. “My new Second is much easier to work with than his predecessor.” He looked back at her. “As I told you before, you interest me. You are not afraid of me and are kind and trusting. After our last meeting, my interest has grown. I have many questions I wish to ask you, however today is not the day to do so. May I carry you again?”
Mariah nodded her head and said. “Sure.” Once she was back in his arms, she asked. “What happened to your previous Second?”
“He became more troublesome than he was worth.” Guide said nothing further as they exited the structure and walked into the daylight. The linguist basked in the sunshine and looked around. There were about a dozen Wraith milling about as well as dead and dying humans laying on the ground. Being able to see them better, she immediately realized they were Genii, or more likely former Genii. Their uniforms were worn and tattered. Her kidnapping must have been a means of survival for them.
“What now?” She asked.
“I take you to a planet of your choosing and contact Atlantis. Sheppard usually comes when I ask and I do not foresee this instance being any different. But be warned, I will not tell them I have you until they agree to come. I must be sure Sheppard will not kill me on sight, thinking I am behind your capture.” Todd motioned to his Second and a data crystal was placed in her lap.
“What’s this?” She picked up the crystal and studied it.
“It contains the location of this world as well as where I have left the Daedalus’s F302s. We have no use for them and wish to return them, now that the Attero device has been destroyed.” He addressed his men. “Return to our base of operation. I will meet you at the rendezvous point in two days.” The Wraith left without question. “Let us go.”
It wasn’t a long walk from the structure to the Gate. Mariah was set on her good foot, while leaning against Todd, and used the DHD. “I’m taking us to a planet we call Athos. It’s where Teyla and her people used to live.” The Gate connected.
“I am familiar with it.” He picked her back up and walked through.
Athos was just as she remembered it from her two previous visits. The Wraith carried her over to an outcropping of rocks and set her behind it. “You are to remain here until I tell you to come out.”
“Okay.” She nodded and smiled up at him. He gave her a toothy grin and walked away, back towards the Gate.
Sliding something from his pocket, he put it in his ear. He had acquired one of the human’s radio during his takeover of the Daedalus. It would come in handy during this encounter and in the future. He dialed the Gate. He knew the address for Atlantis well. It connected without issue. He hit the little radio in his ear.
“Atlantis, this is the Wraith you call Todd.”
After a couple of minutes, a voice responded. “What do you want, Todd? I don’t have time for your games.” The Colonel’s angry voice sounded in his ear.
“Sheppard…. I have something that belongs to you. I am on the planet Athos. I will await your arrival here. I would suggest you come quickly or I may be inclined to keep what I have found.” If these humans were as smart as they thought, they would understand his meaning.
Another voice responded. “Todd, this is O’Neill. How do we know this isn’t a trap?”
“I can only give you my word. I am the only Wraith here and I am unarmed.” He grinned. He had given them another clue to his purpose.
“Fine. We’ll be there shortly. Atlantis out.” John all but shouted through the radio, before it went dead and the Gate disconnected.
The Wraith shook his head and walked back to the rocks. The linguist looked up at him, expectantly. He answered her unspoken question. “They are coming.” She nodded and he studied her, then spoke again. “I forgot to ask. Are you hungry?”
“Famished. They gave me water and food, but I only took a little of the water at a time. I didn’t trust them not to drug it.”
“I do not have water to give you, however I did think to bring this with me.” He pulled something out of a pocket and handed it to her.
She gasped in surprise. “Where’d you get a power bar?” Ripping open the package, she took a bite and made a yummy noise. “Cookies and cream, my favorite.”
He chuckled. “I found it in the F302 I flew. Its pilot must have left it there. I am happy it turned out to be useful.” Guide continued to study her. He was going to ask her another question, but the Gate began to dial. Instead, he reminded her. “Remain here until I call for you. Understood?”
“Yes….” Tears filled her eyes. “I just want to go home.”
“And you shall….” He walked back towards the Gate, but stopped about halfway between it and the rocks. Then he waited.
Almost as soon as the Gate connected, people started to come through. The Wraith recognized Sheppard and his team, though Dr. McKay was missing. There were also several others whom seemed familiar to him from his many interactions with these humans. There were, however, four people who stood out. They wore different uniforms and while they had the same weapons as the others, they also carried weapons he had never seen. A large dark man with a gold emblem on his forehead carried a strange staff. He eyed them all warily, but quickly focused on Sheppard, who was fast approaching.
“What the hell do you want?”
Todd chuckled. “I can see you are not in the mood for pleasantries, Sheppard. I will hopefully alleviate some of what is bothering you. I wish to return the F302s to you. I am sure Colonel Caldwell and your superiors will appreciate having them back.”
“I have more important things to worry about than a few fighters.” John growled.
One of the differently dressed men came over and set a hand on the Colonel’s shoulder. “Shep, you need to calm down. You’re making your guys nervous.”
“Can it, Shaft. I want to get this over with. We need to get back to the search.”
“Have you lost something, Sheppard?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“But it is. Word has been spreading through some of the more unsavory planets in the galaxy about a Lantean female with the Ancestral gene, who is for sale. There has been a frenzy of bidding, by all accounts. The only person I know who fits that description is your mate.” He gave the human before him a grin.
John lunged for him, even as Todd stepped away, but his motion was halted by strong arms wrapping around him. “Sheppard.” Ronon growled in his ear.
Todd took a few more steps backwards, drawing closer to the rocks. He spoke loudly. “You may come out now.”
Movement from behind the rocks had everyone pointing their weapons at the figure that emerged. It took them all a moment to recognize who it was as they hopped around, holding on to the rock for balance. A smile appeared on the linguist’s face even as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Hey….”
The guns dropped away when Dr. Gray was identified and John started to move towards her, but another touch to his arm stopped him. Mitchell gave him a hard look. “You deal with our friend here. My team will take care of Mariah.” When he received a nod from his fellow Colonel, Cam strode over to her. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Mar. Ready to go home?”
“Yeah….” She wiped the wetness away, but seeing so many familiar faces, broke her and the tears wouldn’t stop. She still called out. “Colonel, please don’t hurt Todd. He saved me before they could sell me.” She held up the data crystal for him to see. “The Gate addresses for the fighters and the place where I was held are on here.”
“Shaft, get her back to the City and see that Rodney gets the crystal.”
“Copy, Shep.” The leader of SG-1 took note of her injuries and called out. “T, get over here.”
The Jaffa warrior handed his staff to Daniel and strode over to his team leader. He picked up the young woman, effortlessly and smiled down at her. “It is good to have you back, Mariah. We have been most worried.”
“I was worried for a while, too.” She put her head on his shoulder and let herself drift. She was safe and with her family again. She could finally rest.
The two men (and the linguist) walked back towards the DHD and were met by their teammates. Vala smiled brightly at the other woman and Jackson dialed the Gate. As soon as the Gate connected and their IDC was acknowledged, SG-1 and their friend headed through.
John watched them depart, then turned back to study the Wraith before him. “Okay, Todd. Tell me everything and I may not shoot you.”
Guide grinned again. “As you wish, Sheppard.”
*****
Evan was pacing the length of the infirmary while he waited to hear how his lover was. SG-1 had radioed in when the Gate connected and alerted the Control Room they had recovered Dr. Gray. It took all the Major’s control to not hurry down the steps to greet her. He stayed by the General’s side as Teal’c came through the Gate carrying Mariah. A medical team was there in a flash and she was whisked away.
O’Neill had Colonel Mitchell and his team report to the Conference Room where he, the base XO, and Dr. McKay received a breakdown of exactly what happened. There wasn’t a lot to tell, so the meeting wasn’t very long. It was apparent the General was intrigued by the sequence of events and he ordered Rodney to review the data crystal (on a non-networked computer) to see what Todd had given them. It would be quite the windfall to get their F302s back and the General wanted to send a team to investigate the planet where Mariah had been held, but that could wait until after they knew she was going to be all right.
As soon as O’Neill had dismissed the assembled group, Lorne sprinted from the room and down to the infirmary. Dr. Keller was there waiting for him and gave him a quick rundown. Mariah had a broken cheekbone and a badly fractured ankle, plus was dehydrated and mildly malnourished. Dr. Beckett and a team had her in the isolation room (for privacy) and were doing a reduction of the broken bones. It was quite a painful procedure and the linguist would be unconscious for a while afterwards, due to the amount of sedation and pain meds needed. Once the bones were back in place, they would have to wait a day or two for the swelling to go down before she was fitted with a cast. Mariah would be in the infirmary until at least then.
Now he waited and paced. Evan knew John was back, but could only assume he was meeting with the General. He had already seen SG-1 when they came by for their post-mission exams and the marines who had gone with AR-1 had just started to trickle in. Cam and Dr. Jackson were actually still in the infirmary, waiting for word on Mariah’s condition, but had opted for chairs instead of the pacing like the Major.
Before Evan knew it, Sheppard was striding into the infirmary and straight over to him. “How is she?” He blurted out.
“Broken cheekbone and broken ankle. Carson is still treating the ankle. I’ve been waiting for him to come out to give me an update.” He studied his friend and saw the rage coming off him in waves. It wasn’t new, but it was out of place given the fact she was safely home. “What’s wrong?”
“Seems Todd got there right before one of her captors could assault her. It wasn’t enough the guy kidnapped and hit her, he was going to rape her, too.” Saying the words out loud seem to deflate him.
“Hey…. The guy didn’t and she’s home. She can’t see you like this. It won’t help her.”
John sighed and tried to relax his posture. “I know. But I can’t stop thinking about what would’ve happened if Todd hadn’t decided to rescue her.”
“Thankfully, we don’t have to. He did and he gave her back to us. Focus on that.”
Anything further to be said was interrupted by the doors to the isolation room opening and the CMO exiting along with Marie and a couple others. The Scotsman spotted Lorne and the Colonel right away and made his way over to them. He was smiling. “She’s going to be just fine, lads. Getting her ankle bones set was tricky, but we managed. She’s still under, but should be coming around soon. You can head in and sit with her, but do not touch or jar her left leg. We have it elevated and the swelling is still pretty bad. We haven’t put the cast on yet. Maybe tomorrow.” He patted John’s arm and approached Mitchell and Daniel. He knew they would want to hear how the linguist was as well.
The two men needed no further inducement and headed into the isolation room. Smiles broke out on their faces when they finally saw her. She was here and alive. They almost couldn’t believe it. They each moved to a different side and pulled up a chair. Grabbing her hands, they waited. She would be awake soon and they wanted to be the first things she saw. The men studied her as they sat. Her right cheek was slightly swollen and her skin was pale. She seemed almost thinner, even after only five days. Though those five days were the longest of their lives. Not knowing where she was or her condition had almost killed the two men. And they were sure by this point, the whole expedition knew about their three-person relationship, but they didn’t care. Mariah was the only thing that mattered.
The beeping of the monitoring equipment was the only sound in the room as they waited. After what seemed like an eternity, a whispered voice reached their ears. “My lovers…. Tell me this isn’t a dream.”
They were on their feet and hovering over her in seconds. Evan dropped a kiss on her temple and responded. “Not a dream. You’re home and safe. How do you feel?”
“Numb.” She turned her head to look at Sheppard. “I really hope you didn’t shoot Todd. He saved me, before….” She trailed off as tears started to slide down her face again.
“Hey, now. Don’t cry. I didn’t shoot him. I told him I owe him.” He cooed at her as he went to cup her cheek. She hissed and turned away. John had forgotten. “Shit…. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“S’okay…. Kiss me, please.” Mariah turned back to look at him.
He didn’t need to be told twice and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss, her left hand firmly held between both of his. He groaned a little when she started to deepen their connection. It took all his willpower to pull away. “You need to rest.”
“Yeah…. So do both of you.” She turned her head to look at Lorne. He leaned down and gave her a kiss as well. She added. “I doubt either of you have slept since I was taken. Get some sleep. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Beautiful…. We don’t want to-.”
“Ev, please. I’m safe. Atlantis won’t let anything happen to me. She’ll only let people I trust in here. I want you both rested, then I can hear about everything I missed.” She did her best to smile at her boys, then giggled when she received a kiss on the temple from each of them.
The door to the isolation room opened right then. Carson and the General entered and immediately saw she was awake. The physician tutted and hurried over to his patient.
“You should’ve let me know the lass was awake.” He met her eyes and smiled. “How do you feel, love?”
Mariah smiled. “Mostly numb. My cheek hurts some and I really want to get some sleep. Fifteen minute catnaps are not restful.” She looked at her lovers. “I’m trying to get them to go sleep… in the apartment. Jack, could you make it an order?”
The expedition leader chuckled at the hurt looks on the two men’s faces. “Sure. Boys?” He gave them each a stern glare, but was interrupted by a meow and a furry head popping out under his chin. Trouble was in his jacket.
“Oh, baby.” The linguist got her hands free and reached for the cat. O’Neill was trying to get his jacket unzipped as the little animal wiggled and squirmed, trying to get to his owner. John caught the feline as he leapt towards the bed and carefully handed him to the young woman. She cuddled him close as he purred and pawed at her. He rubbed his face along her jaw, but pulled back and meowed when she winced. He had pressed on the injured side of her face. “It’s okay. My cheek’s a little tender.” Trouble seemed to understand. He tucked his head under her chin and continued to purr against her chest.
The Scotsman glared at the General. “I thought we talked about that cat being in my infirmary.”
“Come on, doc. She’s had a rough few days and Trouble’s been on edge. They deserve to reconnect. Plus this way, Sheppard and Lorne can actually get some sleep, instead of dealing with a strung-out cat.” Jack grinned at Beckett.
The doctor hung his head and caved. “Fine. One night. I’m only allowing this because she’s in the isolation room.” He pointed at the young woman’s lovers. “Out, both of you. If you don’t leave of your own volition, I’ll sedate you and have you carried back to your apartment. That clear?”
“Crystal, doc.” Evan leaned down again and gave Mariah a quick peck. “See you in the morning, beautiful. But you call if you need us.” He stepped away from the bed and headed to the door, where he waited for his CO.
“We’ll be back first thing, sweetheart, with some breakfast. Then we can give you all the gossip.” The Colonel kissed her on the lips, the nose and her uninjured cheek, before scratching Trouble behind the ears. He joined his XO and the two men left.
“Mariah….” O’Neill stated as he stepped closer to the bed. She looked up at him, expectantly. “I know you’ve been through a lot and from what the doc told me, you’ll be okay, physically, with a little time. All the same, I want you to speak with Dr. Heightmeyer in the next couple of days. Let’s get ahead of this, before it’s too late. Okay?”
“Sure, Jack. Can you ask her to come by tomorrow morning? I’d like to get it out of the way.” She reached for her ear and added. “Can I get a new radio? I think they must’ve taken it off me before they transported me to where I was held.”
“I’ll bring one by tomorrow. For your awareness, SG-1 and AR-4 will be heading to the planet where you were held to do a little recon. They’ll head out tomorrow or maybe the day after. Anything you want to tell me before they go?”
“General….” The Scotsman warned.
“It’s okay, Carson.” She smiled at the doctor, before looking back at the expedition leader. “They were Genii, most likely deserters if the state of their uniforms was anything to go by. I didn’t know that until G… Todd carried me out of the building I was in. My cell wasn’t very well lit.”
The two men frowned at her words, but Beckett took charge. “All right. That’s enough of all that. You need to rest, love, and you, General, need to let her. You can come back tomorrow.” He pushed the older man towards the door.
“I’m going, I’m going. Night, Mariah.” He waved over his shoulder as he exited.
“Night, Jack.” She shouted before the door closed behind him. She looked at her friend. “Carson?” He came over to her and grabbed her hand. “My ankle is going to heal, right?”
“Aye, love. I hope to get the cast on tomorrow, but you canna put any weight on it for at least a month. It is a very bad break and went untreated for five days. If you do as I say, you’ll get back full range of motion and should have no lingering issues.” He fiddled with her IV. “Now go to sleep, love. If you need anything, hit the call button. The night nurse or I will come right in. Good night.”
“Good night, Carson.” Dr. Gray gave him a smile while he exited and she thought the lights down. She pet her cat and gave a little sigh. It felt so good to be home and to not be in pain. She let her eyes close and listened to the sounds around her. The hum of power flowing through the City, Atlantis tickling the back of her mind, Trouble purring in her arms, the beeping of the medical equipment. She let it lull her to sleep, when suddenly all the noises faded away, save her pet in her arms. She gave a heavy sigh. “I’m held captive for five days and get nothing from you or the Others, but now that I’m home, you deign to visit me. I’m not amused, Janus.”
“I wished to visit you during your captivity, but I was not permitted to. My only consolation was that I knew you would be rescued.”
Her eyes slowly opened and she looked at the man before her. Mariah wanted to be angry, however she was honored he was visiting her. “Did you stop time again?”
“Yes, but just long enough to see you and apologize.”
“You don’t owe me anything, Janus. I’m the only person I know that gets visits from an Ascended Ancient.” She spoke softly. Trouble sat up in her lap and meowed at the strange man.
The Ancient stepped closer to the bed and pet the feline on the head. “Greetings, Trouble. You are lucky to have such a kind and caring owner.” The cat pushed into his hand and purred happily. Janus met her eyes and said, solemnly. “I am sorry.”
“Apology accepted, though it isn’t needed. I survived with just a broken ankle and a busted cheek. I’ll be back to normal in a month or two.”
“Perhaps I can help.” With one hand, he continued to pet the little animal in her lap, while the other hovered over her head.
A soft glow spread over her and she felt cozy and warm. All too soon the feeling dissipated. She lifted a hand to her face and touched her injured cheek. The swelling was gone and it didn’t hurt anymore. She shifted her leg a little and felt a dull pain radiate towards her torso. She grimaced and Trouble rubbed against her again. “One out of two ain’t bad.”
“Healing your ankle would arouse suspicion, but I did reduce the swelling and set the smaller bones a bit better. You will heal properly now.” Janus leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “Sleep, Mariah. Tomorrow will be a better day.”
The linguist smiled at him and let her eyes close. Her cat cuddled close and she whispered into the darkness. “Good night, Janus, and thank you.”
The hum of the City and the steady beeping of the machines returned just as she drifted off to sleep.
*****
Mariah swatted at the hands that were trying to help her. “Stop it. I can get my own fat ass off this bed and into the wheelchair.”
“Your ass is definitely not fat, but I’ll tell you what I think about it when we’re alone.” John winked at her and Evan rolled his eyes.
“Lads, step away from my patient. One of the requirements for her leaving is her ability to get out of bed by herself and into the chair. If she can’t do that, she stays.” Beckett pulled the two men further back and came over to the linguist. “I’m going to be right here. Grab on to me if you lose your balance and need my help.”
“Thanks, Carson.” Dr. Gray was sitting on the edge of her bed in the isolation room. She had stayed in the infirmary for two nights. The CMO had been baffled about her miraculous healing, then scowled when she told him what happened. He didn’t trust Ascended healing, so he kept her an extra night to be safe.
Over the course of her two nights and one full day, she had been quite the social butterfly. After her lovers brought her breakfast and left to catch-up on paperwork, Kate had come by to speak with her. It was an emotional conversation and left Mariah feeling raw, but overall better. The psychologist provided her with techniques to help her deal with the trauma of her kidnapping and imprisonment, however, more importantly, she listened.
After Dr. Heightmeyer left, others trickled by to visit. The members of AR-1 and 2 were first plus SG-1, then a few other people. However, one person didn’t visit, Sgt. Stackhouse. Dr. Gray knew from her lovers AR-3 had returned to the City with only minor wounds after she was taken and Cpls. Kreis and Yeager had popped in to say hello (Petrov was on the range getting requalified), but the Security Chief was noticeably absent. Thus Mariah came up with a plan of action while Carson was putting her cast on (the Scotsman simply shook his head and agreed to help her), then she had dinner with John and Evan. She slept well, even though she was sitting up. Morning had not come soon enough.
Phase one of the plan was supposed to happen any time. The young woman slid off the bed and landed on her right foot, while leaning back against the bed for support. She found her balance and hopped the couple of steps to the chair. Her lovers were eyeing her and looked ready to jump to her aid at any moment. She glared and pivoted, plopping herself down into the wheelchair. Getting her injured limb into the leg rest properly, she sat up and smiled at the physician.
“Ta-da.”
“Very good, love.”
“I can leave now, right?”
The Scotsman chuckled. “Aye, love. Let me show you how everything works.” He stepped forward, but she waved him off.
“No need.” She pointed at the chair. “Brakes.” She released them and held her arms up. “Propulsion.”
The three men laughed. “You win, love. Come back if you feel any discomfort.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills, offering it to her. “Here are your pain meds. Take them as needed, but remember they will make you sleepy.”
“Thanks, Carson.” She looked at her lovers. “Let’s get out of here before he changes his mind.”
John moved behind her and pushed her through the door, out into the infirmary. “We’ll get you home, then you can take a nap. Ev and I plan to work from the apartment today.”
Scanning the infirmary, she spotted phase two of the plan and sighed. Phase one needed to hurry itself up. Mariah looked up at the Colonel. “That’s not necessary. I’m going to take a nap like you said and read a little. You need to get back to your normal routine.”
“We can do most of our work from the apartment, beautiful. We were worried and want to stay close. We promise not to-.” Lorne stopped speaking abruptly as the lights went out in the room. “What the hell?”
“I’m going to say either Rodney broke something while he was arguing with Daniel or Vala’s loose without supervision.” The linguist posited. She was fighting a grin. The emergency lights came on.
The military CO hit his radio. “Sheppard to McKay. Did you and Jackson break something?” He paused. “Fine, then ask him where his girlfriend is. I told him and Mitchell she needed to be supervised at all times.” Another pause. “Okay, Lorne and I will meet you in the Control Room.” He hit his radio off and squatted down next to her. “Sweetheart, we need to-.”
“Go, save the City from mischievous space pirates.” She shooed the two men away and waved at them as they left. She finally let the grin break out on her face. The CMO came up alongside her. “Time for phase two, Carson.”
“Aye, love.” He called across the room. “Sergeant, can I ask a favor?”
The marine excused himself from talking with Marie and headed over. He paled when he saw who was next to the physician and swallowed hard. He kept his composure. “Sure, doc, what’s up?”
“Dr. Gray’s lost her escort home. Could you take her there and help her get settled?”
“Um, sure.” He gave the linguist a pained smile. “Ready?”
“When you are. Thanks for this, Stacks.” She grabbed Beckett’s hand while the marine moved behind her chair. “Thanks… for everything.”
“You’re welcome, love.” He squeezed her hand, before letting go and stepping away. “Remember to rest.”
“Will do.” She waved back at him and was rolled out of the dimly lit infirmary. She knew Carson was radioing Vala, letting her know she could restore power in about ten minutes. It hadn’t taken a lot of convincing to get the morally-challenged woman to agree to the plan. She was eager to help and earn back a little of Mariah’s trust, plus she was always up for some high jinx.
The transporters were not affected by the power outage, so it was a quick ride from the infirmary to her corridor. The whole journey was done in silence, but the young woman knew her friend was nervous. Phase three would begin as soon as they entered the apartment. She knew what was wrong with him, she just needed him to realize she didn’t blame him.
As the doors to her apartment opened, the pair were greeted by Trouble. The little animal studied the strange chair his owner was in and slowly approached. The Sergeant stopped their forward motion and let the linguist pick up her pet.
“Hey, baby. I’m home now.” She held him up over her head. “Say hi to Nate.”
The cat meowed and head bumped the man. He laughed and took the cat from her. “Hey, bud.” He held the animal for a minute before offering him back to her. He spoke tentatively. “Where would you like to go?”
“Over by the sofa. Then I want you to sit down. We’re going to have a chat.”
“I really need to go. I have to-.”
“All you have to do right now, Nate, is sit on that couch and listen for a minute.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Please?”
“Okay.” He rolled her over and set the brakes on the chair. He then sat on the edge of the sofa and averted his eyes. He was nervous. She covered his hands with hers and Stacks looked up at her. He was miserable.
“You did your best to protect me. We were pinned down with them attacking from both directions, plus there were a lot more of them than us. If what the General told me is true, as soon as I ran away, they went to non-lethal weapons. They were after me and they would’ve killed you and your team to get me. Running was the best option since even though I can shoot, I won’t and I couldn’t use my powers. If I had, I face the wrath of the IOA.” She pointed at her cast. “My broken ankle is my own fault. I didn’t look where I was going and fell down that hill. They captured me because I’m a klutz, not because you didn’t do your job. I need you to realize I don’t blame you.”
“The Colonel and the Major… they told me to keep you safe and I failed….” His eyes were getting watery. “They were going to sell you…. I… I….”
“Nate.” She waited while he pulled himself together. “Did Sheppard or the General yell at you or reprimand you?”
“No….” He whispered.
“They don’t blame you and neither do I. You’re my friend and seeing you like this hurts me. I need you to be your goofy, sarcastic self, plus the hard-ass Security Chief when needed.” He laughed and she smiled at him. “Can you accept it wasn’t your fault?”
“Yeah…, but I still feel bad.”
“Get over it.” He looked confused, but laughed when she started to giggle. “Everything worked out. Though I was about to use my powers before Todd showed up. IOA be damned.”
He laughed again. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit you.”
“It’s okay. I understand. However, you may need to let Vala out of a holding cell if she doesn’t talk her way out of cutting power to the infirmary.”
“What?” He pulled back a little and looked at her.
“Carson and Vala helped me get you to the infirmary and got your COs to go elsewhere, respectively. It worked rather well, if I do say so myself.” Mariah leaned further forward and pulled the marine into a hug. “I can’t have one of my friends hiding from me and I’ll go to whatever lengths necessary to help them.”
Stackhouse hugged her back. “I’m very lucky.” He pulled away. “Since you conned me into bringing you here, you need anything before I go spring Vala?”
“Actually…. In my old quarters, out on the balcony, there’s this amazing Ancient easy chair. Could you and your team move it up here?” She gestured to the sofa he sat on. “That isn’t the most comfortable and I don’t want to spend the next month sitting in bed.”
The Sergeant laughed and stood. “I think I can arrange that. I’ll even see if I can find you some sort of foot rest. Maybe one of the other rooms has one.”
“Great.” She released the brakes on her chair and rolled herself out of the way. “You get the chair and I’ll make some pancakes for your team as a thank you.”
“Deal.”
*****
“Where the hell did that come from?”
“I have no idea.”
“But we agree, it wasn’t here when we left this morning, right?”
“Right. There were no dishes out either.” Evan gestured to the kitchen where several plates, a couple of pans and a mixing bowl were drying in the rack. “She really shouldn’t be sleeping in that chair.”
“No, she shouldn’t….” John sighed. “I’ll put the dishes away, you go check on her.”
Lorne headed out onto the balcony, while his CO headed into the kitchen. He studied their lover and was surprised at how comfortable she looked. Not only was her chair from her old quarters there, but someone had found a matching ottoman. Her casted foot was propped up on it, using a couple of pillows. She had a blanket over her legs and Trouble was curled up in her lap. She was resting against the side of the chair and was dead to the world. He stroked the back of her head and smiled. He was so happy she was home.
“You’re thinking too loud….” She whispered.
“Sorry, but you should be in bed napping, not out here.”
“But it’s warm and sunny with a pleasant breeze. I was trapped in a dark, dank little cell for five days and the infirmary for two nights. It’s nice out here.” She snuggled into the corner of the chair more. Her eyes were still closed.
He frowned. She hadn’t shared a lot about her capture, but the more he heard, the more upset he became. He walked around the chair on her uninjured side and squatted down in front of her. Evan lifted one of her hands and rubbed circles into the palm with his thumb. “So how’d the chair get here?”
“For a man who wants me to rest, you’re awful chatty.” Mariah cracked open one eye and looked at him. “Stacks and his team brought it by and found the foot stool in an empty room.”
“And the dishes?”
“I made pancakes as a thank you.”
“You shouldn’t be standing for extended periods. Your ankle is still slightly swollen.” He sighed and bowed his head.
Opening both eyes and lifting her head, she tugged on his hand and got him to look back at her. “I mixed the batter while in my chair and only stood to make the first few, then Kreis took over, with my supervision.” The linguist gave him a big smile. “The leftovers are in the fridge.”
“They’re good, sweetheart.” John said from the doorway. He had a plate in one hand and a fork in the other. He was enjoying a small stack of pancakes with syrup. Walking over to them, he jabbed another bite and offered it to his XO.
Instead of taking the utensil from the other man, Lorne ate off the offered fork. He was surprised by his own actions and so was Sheppard. All the same, they were really good. “Those are awesome, beautiful.”
“The secret is separating the yolks and the whites and getting the whites beaten to soft peaks before adding to the batter. Makes them fluffy. Plus Mrs. Miller sent me some real Canadian maple syrup.” Mariah sat up straighter in the chair, but kept her hold on Evan’s hand.
“Jeannie sent you something?” The Colonel was confused.
“Yup… a thank you for saving Rodney.” She looked at both men and smiled. “Did you catch Vala?”
“Yes, and she shared a very interesting tale, which was confirmed by Beckett.” Evan stated and gave her a stern look, but inside he was smiling. “You are no longer allowed to plot with her. We discussed it with Daniel and he agreed. He told us about your pick-pocket lessons.”
“That was fun. Cam is hilarious when he’s confused. Took him five hours to figure out I swiped his car keys.” She chuckled. “Tell me she isn’t in a cell.”
“Nope…. Once she told us what was going on, we let her go.” Sheppard finished off the pancakes.
“Good, means Stacks didn’t have to spring her behind your backs.” A thought occurred to her. “Since you’re both here, could one of you help me take a shower? Carson said I can’t take one unsupervised and while Marie kindly washed my hair yesterday, I still have a week’s worth of grime all over me.”
“Sure, sweetheart. Ev will help you. I’ll heat up some pancakes for him while he does. What do you want for lunch?”
“Not hungry.”
“Not an option. I’ll get some of the turkey soup you made after the party defrosted and you can try to eat a little of it before your next nap.” John stated, then he ambled back into the apartment, effectively ending the discussion.
“He’s aggravating.”
“Yes, but he’s not wrong. You need to eat, beautiful. It’ll help you heal faster. Don’t think I didn’t notice you only having a few bites yesterday at breakfast and dinner, then you just pushed the food around. You can’t skip meals.” Lorne stood, but kept hold of her hand. “Do you want your chair or can I carry you?”
“Carry me, please.” Mariah was still very sleepy and grinned when he released her hand and bent down to pick her up. The change in position woke Trouble, who yawned before climbing up onto the Major’s shoulder.
He winced. “Hey, buddy, your claws are starting to dig in there.” His only response was the cat rubbing against the side of his head and purring loudly. The man groaned and called out when he entered the apartment. “John, a little help here.”
Sheppard laughed and hurried out of the kitchen, grabbing the cat and rubbing his stomach. “No clawing Evan, bud. We talked about this.” The little animal batted at the man’s hands, playfully and they retreated into the kitchen together.
“What!?” The linguist looked at her lover and pet together, before looking at the man holding her. “Did I end up in some weird alternate reality?”
“Nope.” The XO responded as they went into the bedroom and he set her down on the bed. “They bonded while you were missing. John sat up most nights and held Trouble, petting and talking to him.”
“He really didn’t sleep.” She sniffed the air. “It’s a little stuffy in here.”
“We didn’t come in here while you were gone, except the first night. It felt wrong to be here without you. We used our rooms across the way. All right, enough about that. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Lorne carefully helped her undress and handed her a plastic bag to cover her cast. While she worked on that, he disrobed and got the balcony doors open to air out the room. Then he carried her into the bathroom and helped her into the shower. It felt amazing to be clean all over. With both hands against the wall, Mariah braced herself under the powerful streams of water and just let it wash away some of the pain of her captivity. She gave a sigh of contentment when Evan started to shampoo her hair. It was wonderful to be taken care of. All too soon, her lover tapped her hip and helped her hop out of the shower.
A seat projected itself out of the wall and once she was wrapped in a towel, she sat down to fix her hair. Lorne hurried into the bedroom to get himself a change of clothes and reentered the bathroom dressed in his off-duty attire. He scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. Sheppard was there and with help from both her lovers, she was soon dressed in lounge pants and one of John’s shirts. She was propped up in the middle of the bed, her injured leg up on pillows and had a bowl of hot soup in her lap. She took a few bites and suddenly realized how hungry she was. Before too long, all her soup was gone and Evan was taking the bowl away from her, setting it atop his empty plate.
“The soup seems to have hit the spot.” There was a twinkle of amusement in the military commander’s eyes as he smiled at her.
“Don’t be smug.” She studied Trouble, who was seated in his lap. “So you two bonded while I was gone?”
“Yup. We have a truce, but we’ll have to see how long it lasts.” He stroked the little animal, who rubbed against him. Then seeing his owner’s lap was now empty, Trouble scurried over to her and purred happily as she pet him.
“Seems he still likes her best though.” Lorne joked.
“Like the General said, just means he has good taste.” John added, before leaning over to kiss her temple. When she turned to look at him, he gave her a deep kiss. “We missed you, sweetheart.”
Tears entered her eyes. “I missed you guys, too. The only thing that got me through was knowing you were looking for me.”
“Always, beautiful.” Evan was soon getting his own kiss and smiled into it. He cupped her face when he pulled back. “Now you need to rest.” She nodded at him.
The two men helped the young woman lay down, her cat curled up on her chest. Throwing a blanket over her, they watched as she fell asleep. Pulling out their laptops, they got to work. SG-1 and 11 were still in the City to help out where needed, allowing the two military commanders the opportunity to stay with the linguist as she started on her path to recovery. They wanted to be with her as she processed what she had been through. But really, there was no place they’d rather be than with her.
Chapter 7: Recoveries
Chapter Text
“Jackson.”
“Rodney, what can I do for you?”
“I need your help.”
“Wow, don’t sound so happy about it.”
“Hey, I’m only here because Sheppard thinks I’m overreacting.”
“What are you overreacting about?”
“She’s only been out of the infirmary for a day and half and I know she mainly slept yesterday…. Still she is a workaholic like me… so I can understand the desire to-.”
“Do I need to be here for this?”
“Just wait a second and I’ll get to my point. Mariah’s already sent me three translations this morning.”
The archeologist sighed and sat back in his chair. He was sitting in the Mess Hall, working on a data pad. Having direct access to the Ancient database was a dream come true and he was taking this chance to do a few queries he was interested in, which Dr. Gray hadn’t gotten to yet. All his previous attempts to work in the database had been thwarted. He studied the man standing next to him. He knew the physicist didn’t like him, for numerous reasons, and was surprised he had even come to him for help.
“What do you want me to do about it, Rodney? She’s a linguist, translating is her job.”
“She should be resting. She has broken bones and was held prisoner. She shouldn’t be jumping back into work so quickly.”
“She’s getting back to her routine. I’m sure you do the same thing after a mission goes side-ways. I know I do.”
“Yeah…. But I’m me, trying to stem my brilliance is actually painful. And you’re, well…. That’s not the point, she shouldn’t be working this hard. She needs to rest.” McKay looked down at his feet. He was loathe to do it, but for his friend, he would. “Since she works for you, could you go talk to her? Make sure she’s okay?”
Daniel gaped at the man standing before him. “Wow, Dr. Rodney McKay, PhD, PhD asking for help and caring about other people. Did I step through a quantum mirror or something?”
His head flew back up and he glared. “HEY!! Ridicule me all you want, but will you go see her?”
“Okay.” He stood and smiled at the CSO. “It’s kind of sweet you’re so concerned about her.”
“Don’t go getting all sappy. I have work to do.” Rodney turned on his heels and stomped out of the Mess.
Chuckling, the archeologist gathered up his pad and books and strolled out of the room. It was a quick transporter ride to Mariah’s corridor and soon he was standing outside her apartment. He rang the chime and in seconds, the door was sliding open. Trouble ran across the room, greeting him when he entered. He scooped up the little cat and pet him.
“Hey, Trouble. Where’s Mariah?” Wiggling free and dropping to the floor, the cat sprinted back across the living area and through the open balcony doors. Daniel followed after him and smiled when he saw her. “Whatcha doing?”
“Working…. You’re my boss. You should be able to figure that out.”
“But you’re on medical leave.”
“Since when has that stopped you?”
“Touché.” Jackson went over to her wheelchair, released the brakes and rolled it closer to her, on her uninjured side. Relocking the brakes, he sat down and set his stuff on the floor beside him. He watched her type for a few minutes and once he saw her save her work, grabbed the laptop. He shut the lid and set it on top of his stuff on the ground.
“Hey, give that back.”
“Nope. You need to concentrate on healing and recovering from what you went through. Have you set up an appointment with the base psychologist?”
“I saw her my first day back. Give me my laptop.”
“No. One appointment isn’t enough.” Daniel gave a heavy sigh. “Have you talked with Sheppard or Evan about what happened?”
“No. I don’t need them to freak out any more than they already have.” Dr. Gray crossed her arms and glared. Trouble was climbing up her uninjured leg and quickly made himself comfortable in her lap. She ignored him. Her sole focus was on her ex.
He smiled. “You know that glare doesn’t work on me. I care about you, Mariah, and I want you to get better. You need to talk about what happened and have a cathartic release of your emotions.” He put a hand on her arm. “If you can’t talk to the psychologist or your boyfriends, then talk to me.”
“There isn’t anything to talk about. I ran away. I got captured. I was held prisoner. I was rescued. The end.”
“I’m going to bet that lots of things happened between each of those. I saw your tears when we brought you back to the City. Vala and I talked about it. We’re both worried about you.”
“Where is Vala?”
“She’s with Mitchell and Teal’c in the sparring room and don’t change the subject. Mariah, honey, I’m worried about you.”
She gaped at him. “Wow…. It’s been a while since you called me honey.”
“Yeah, but that will always be my pet name for you.”
“Really, you don’t use it for Vala?”
“No….” He chuckled. “I have a variety of names for her, not all of them flattering, but I never call her honey. Whenever I see honey or someone mentions it, I always think of you.”
The linguist blushed and ducked her head. “That’s nice to know.”
“Mariah….” He moved his hand under her chin and got her to look at him. “Vala may be the person I’m meant to be with, but you’ll always have a place in my heart. I’ll always care about and love you. Nothing can change that.”
“Thanks…. I love you, too, Daniel.” She set her hand on his wrist and smiled, her eyes filling with tears when she looked at him. “Would you like to hear what happened?”
“Not exactly, but I’m willing to listen and help you come to terms with it.” He sat back in the wheelchair and pulled his hand away, but not before he grabbed her hand and held it tightly.
“So we were under fire and running back to the Gate, when more of them cut off our retreat. We took cover and….” Mariah slowly shared with him everything that happened to her over the five days she was missing, from the moment she ran away and fell down the ravine to when her captor was unfastening his pants and she heard distant weapons fire. By the end, tears were streaming down her face. “… then I heard a thud and Todd was saying my name. If he hadn’t arrived when he did….” She trailed off as she started to sob.
Dr. Jackson moved to the edge of his seat and pulled her forward, wrapping his arms around her. “Well, he did and you’re safe now.” He stroked her back. “Why didn’t you use your powers?”
“Because the… the IOA has me on probation…. I’d get Woolsey… Woolsey and myself in trouble if I showed off my abilities.” She was trying to control her crying and was failing miserably.
“What?” He pulled back and looked at her. “You’re on probation? Why?”
“For using my powers in front of Todd and his men during the incursion.” Mariah wiped at her wet cheeks.
“That’s ridiculous.” He shook his head and met her eyes. “How do you feel?”
“Little rough around the edges, but lighter. Thanks for being here.”
“Always….” He tilted his head and thought for a minute. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but there’s a meeting this afternoon to go over SG-11’s findings from the planet where you were taken and from the recon mission my team did on the planet where you were held. I think you deserve to be there, plus you might be able to provide some context. Do you want to go?”
Dr. Gray thought for a minute. “Sure…. Hopefully, the boys don’t get too cranky about it.” She sat back in the chair. “I just need to splash some water on my face and we can go have lunch.”
“You ready for everyone to see you?”
“I think so…. Over the last year, they’ve stopped with the strange looks and whispering behind my back. Hopefully, they’re going to be supportive.”
He stood from the wheelchair and smiled down at her. “If not, I’ll sic Vala on them. She can do a lot of damage if she’s unsupervised.”
“Better not.” She laughed. “Jack, John and Evan would never forgive us.”
*****
“Colonel Edwards!”
“Dr. Gray. It’s good to see you out and about. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to thank you for coming to help with the search.”
“Well, you’re welcome, but General O’Neill ordered us to assist.”
She smiled up at him. Martin Edwards was a gruff career Air Force officer. He was tough on his men, but only in an effort to help them shine. Lorne had only glowing things to say about him. Her lover greatly respected his former team leader. “We both know that isn’t true. Jack would’ve asked you to come help and you probably accepted on behalf of your team because of Evan. So thank you.”
“Again, you’re welcome and you’re not wrong. From what I heard, the IOA wasn’t happy about the resources being expended to find you, but all I have to say is screw them. You’re an asset to the expedition and you make Lorne happy.” He smirked at her. “Though you must be pretty special if you’re willing to take Sheppard on, too.”
She didn’t question how he knew, but simply answered. “I’m patient and don’t let him give me too much crap.” When he started to move across the Control Room again, she followed, rolling along beside him. It was obvious he was heading to the Conference Room and the meeting.
“I didn’t realize you were coming to the debriefing.”
“You’re the second to know. I thought it best to surprise certain people.” The doors to the room fanned open when they approached and she was happy to see they were the first to arrive.
“Where do you want to sit? I’ll get the chair out of your way.” She rolled over to her normal seat for the senior staff meeting and the Colonel lifted the chair out of the way and moved it to the front corner of the room.
Mariah got herself settled and peeked under the blanket on her lap. Trouble was there, sound asleep. She wanted him close to provide comfort if she needed it. She saw Edwards looking around the room, unsure of where to sit. She pointed to the other side of the table. “The military folks usually sit on that side of the room. I don’t let the boys sit next to me.”
“Good to know.” He took a seat and made himself comfortable.
During the time they waited for the others to arrive, the linguist thought over how her day was going. She had gotten a lot of work completed once her lovers left for their days, after she promised to rest. However, she was all sleep’ed out and the pain meds made her brain fuzzy. Instead, she got herself comfortable on the balcony and went through her emails. During her captivity and time in the infirmary, translation requests seemed to have grown exponentially. Her backlog was now huge, so she got to work. Trouble kept her company while she did, first on her shoulder, then on the arm of the chair, meowing when he wanted a little attention. Then Daniel came to visit.
Having SG-1 in the City was always interesting, since while she had forgiven them, her friends were still a bit angry on her behalf. All the same, it was good to see them, at least until her ex appeared and wanted to talk about what happened. She had been resistant, but he knew her better than most and was able to get past her defenses. A warm feeling had spread through her when he called her ‘honey’ and said he still loved her. His care and kindness broke her and she told him everything. It hurt to share, but also made her feel so much better, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Still she knew she would need to tell Evan and John exactly what happened. They would get angry, but she was home and that was all that mattered.
After she had cleaned her face, Mariah and the archeologist had gone to lunch together. A few dozen people had stopped them both in the corridor and in the Mess Hall. It was nice to know the expedition had finally accepted her and was grateful she was okay. The pair had gotten a table together and were soon joined by some of her close friends as well as Vala (she’d escaped from Mitchell’s clutches). She caught up with them and everyone was careful to not talk about her kidnapping. When they had finished, Daniel helped her out of the Mess, but then went with his girlfriend to collect the rest of their team for the meeting. This allowed her to make her way to the Control Room without anyone being the wiser, though she had seen Chuck giving her and Colonel Edwards a funny look.
The first to join them was SG-1. Teal’c and Mitchell moved to sit next to the leader of SG-11, nodding and smiling at Mariah, respectively. Vala gave the linguist an energetic hug before letting Dr. Jackson take the seat next to his ex. He wanted to be close on hand to support her, if needed. Next was Teyla and Ronon. The former Runner gave her a gentle (bear) hug while the Athosian greeted her in the way of her people. Teyla sat beside the young woman, while the Satedan leaned against the wall behind them, the best place to protect his lover and the little doctor. Then came AR-4, well at least Major Teldy and Sergeant Mehra. Captain Vega was putting some of the new marines through their paces, while Dr. Porter was meeting with her colleagues for their weekly staff meeting. Her team leader didn’t feel she should miss her department’s meeting when they could cover the debriefing.
Next, two pairs arrived at the same time, Drs. Beckett and McKay and General O’Neill and Mr. Woolsey. Rodney was very surprised to see Dr. Gray in attendance and Carson glared at his patient, but neither of them said anything. The physicist took the chair beside his teammate and the CMO was next to him. Richard was also shocked to see the linguist, while Jack scowled. The IOA rep took a seat next to the one used by the expedition leader, however O’Neill made his way around the head of the table. John and Lorne were just coming in when Mariah felt someone release the brakes on her wheelchair and started to push her out of the room.
“Hey…. Stop that.”
“No!” The General barked as he took her out of the room and thought the doors closed behind them. He rolled her all the way over to the military command office, stopped and locked the brakes again. Coming around the chair, he squatted before her with a grunt. “How did you know about the meeting?”
“How do you think?”
“I’ll yell at Daniel later. You need to go home and rest. You don’t need to be here for this.”
“Yes, I do. I deserve to know what they found and might be able to provide some insight.” Tears entered her eyes without warning and she looked him right in the eyes. “Please, Jack?”
He sighed and bowed his head. He couldn’t deny her this. She did deserve to know what the teams had found on each planet, but it didn’t mean he was happy about it. “All right, but if you need to leave, tell Danny or Teyla and they’ll get you out of there. You’ve been through a lot and you don’t need any additional trauma if it’s avoidable. Understood?”
“Yes, and thank you. I have my emotional support right here.” She pointed at her lap.
O’Neill chuckled and peeled back the blanket, spotting the little cat right away. “I know I bought him for you, but Trouble is the oddest cat I’ve ever run across.”
“But he’s perfect for me.”
“Yes, he is.” The General stood, groaning when his knees complained, and moved behind her to roll her back into the Conference Room, the linguist having unlocked the brakes. The doors opened when they approached and they were met by several pairs of concerned eyes. The expedition leader addressed the gathered group. “Everything’s fine. Mariah and I just needed to lay out some ground rules for the meeting.” He got her back into her spot and Dr. Jackson and Teyla relocked the wheelchair brakes. Jack headed to his chair, but remained standing. “Major Teldy, start us off with the initial recon mission and the rescue mission you led.” He sat as she began to speak.
“Yes, sir.” The marine cleared her throat and swept her eyes around the table. “Per the research completed by Dr. Gray, my team visited M6H-18J to investigate the possibility of an Ancient facility being there. We emerged into a clearing of a forest and took stock of the area. There were three paths leading from the Gate, but per the mission packet, the facility was supposed to be in or near a mountain, so we headed towards the mountains directly in front of the Gate. It was roughly a 30 minute hike when we came to the base of a sheer cliff. Sergeant Mehra spotted Ancient architecture and we approached. There was a door there. Per the orders I was given, we took photos of the doorway and left to come back to the Gate. We saw no signs of life either coming or going. We reported the same at the original debriefing.” She paused and looked at Jack. He was about to nod when someone asked a question.
“Why didn’t you attempt to access the facility?” Woolsey asked.
Anne turned hard eyes to the IOA rep and answered. “First, those were not my orders. We were only there to see if we could find the facility and if there was any signs of life. Second, no one on my team has the ATA gene, so attempting to access the facility would have been pointless.” She looked back at the General. “Sir?”
“Go ahead, Major.”
“Thank you, sir.” Teldy cleared her throat again. “Following the attack on AR-3 and the kidnapping of Dr. Gray, my team along with AR-5 and 6 went back to M6H-18J to see if we could find any trace of her or the people who attacked AR-3. AR-6 was in a Jumper and did an orbital scan of the planet and remained in radio contact with my team and AR-5. My team headed on the path to the facility, while AR-5 took one of the other paths. AR-6 found no trace of any human life within a 200 mile radius. We surmised that whoever attacked AR-3 and took Dr. Gray escaped through the Gate. Finding the position where AR-3 was pinned down, all three teams initiated a spiral search from that point to see what we could find. The end result was spent rounds in four locations and some disturbed underbrush along a ravine.”
Dr. Gray interjected. “The underbrush was me.” Everyone turned and looked at her. She ducked her head.
“Can you elaborate?” Daniel asked, putting a hand on her arm.
She looked up at him, then scanned around the table. She locked eyes with John and smiled at him. He smiled back. She answered. “When Sergeant Stackhouse told me to run, I went through the woods until I came to the ravine. I decided to run along the edge to see if there was some way to get to down. I must not have been paying enough attention because I tripped and tumbled down the hill. That’s how I broke my ankle. Once my senses returned, I looked up and saw two men on the ridge. They must have stunned me, since the next thing I knew, I was in a cell.”
“Thank you for the clarification, Mariah. Colonel Edwards, how about your trip to M6H-18J with AR-4?” Jack could see the pained look on the young woman’s face and wanted to keep things moving.
“Of course, General.” Martin cleared his throat. “AR-4 met with my team to go over what they had already seen and found on the planet, so when we visited, I thought another course of action was called for. Our two teams headed straight to the facility, then paired off, going in different directions to see what we could find.”
“But why, Colonel?” The IOA rep interjected, again.
“Because the people who attacked AR-3 had to have been surveilling the facility, waiting for someone with the gene to open the door.” Edwards answered with a glare at the bureaucrat.
Jack chuckled. “Good thinking, Martin. And?”
“Well, sir, we found two locations. The first was a vantage point about 1.5 clicks from the facility. The other is what I believe was their base about a click further away. The vantage point was at a higher elevation. The base camp had an extinguished fire and some litter, but nothing that gave us an idea who they were. I made sure Major Teldy’s team was present for the review of the camp, since they’re more familiar with the people of Pegasus.” Edwards leaned back in his chair, scanning everyone around the table. It didn’t appear that anyone had any further questions.
“You did well, Colonel.” O’Neill looked over at Cam, who was a couple seats further down the table from the leader of SG-11. “Mitchell, I know AR-4 went with you to the planet where Mariah was recovered, but I want your impressions.”
“Of course, sir.” Cam spared Mariah a brief look, before turning his eyes to the expedition leader and keeping them locked there. “Per the information Sheppard got from the Wraith, the facility was a short walk from the Gate. It wasn’t a large structure, but was partially built into a hill to allow for some protection. When we arrived, there were ten bodies outside on the ground, in various states of feeding. Major Teldy informed us they were Genii based on the uniforms. We then swept the interior. There were a few living quarters, some storage rooms, a communal room and two cells, one of which had its door open. Inside, we discovered….”
The linguist was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea at the thought of what they found in the cell. She touched Daniel’s arm and whispered. “I need to leave.” He nodded at her and unlocked the brake on his side while she did the one on the other. When he started to stand, she waved him off. “Stay. I just need some air.” Keeping her head down, she started to roll towards the doors, which fanned open for her. She could hear people standing up from the table, but thought the doors closed before anyone could join her. She was in a panic and breathing heavy. She tried to calm herself.
A hand on her shoulder startled her and she looked up into the concerned eyes of Chuck. “Are you all right, Dr. Gray?”
“I will be, Sergeant. The room was getting a little stuffy and I thought it best to leave. Let me get out of your way.” She tried to roll away, but he grabbed the handles of her wheelchair.
“I can take you where you want to go.” He smiled at her. “And remember, you can call me, Chuck.”
She smiled despite how she was feeling. “Thank you, Chuck, but I don’t want to take you away from your duties.”
“I have someone covering my console and I’m due for a break.” He blushed and asked. “Would you like me to take you home?”
“That would be great.” She smiled again and turned to face forward when he began to roll her out of the Control Room. It was a quick trip, done in silence, however it wasn’t uncomfortable. Right before they reached her apartment, Trouble woke up and Mariah pet him lovingly as he sought attention.
The doors to her quarters opened and they headed right in. The Gate technician looked around, suddenly unsure. “Where would you like to go?”
“This is just fine.” Once he let go and stepped back, she swung the chair around and looked up at him. “Thank you again for bringing me back.”
“Not a problem, doc.” He shifted from foot to foot, his head down. “I want to say something and I really hope you don’t think I’m out of line, but we’re all really glad you’re back and relatively unscathed. The Colonel was acting like a lion with a thorn in his paw.”
The linguist chuckled. “I can imagine.” She touched his arm and he looked up, meeting her eyes. “Does the whole Control Room staff know about our relationship?”
“Yes, ma’am. All three shifts. We’re happy for all three of you.” Sgt. Campbell blushed again and stammered out. “Well, I need to get back. Goodbye, Dr. Gray.”
“Goodbye, Chuck.” She beamed when he bolted from the apartment. Looking around the living room and over at the balcony, she decided that she didn’t want to work anymore today. Her ankle was throbbing, which meant it was time for a pill and a nap. Mariah rolled into the bedroom and headed straight to the bedside table, grabbing her pain meds. She dry-swallowed the proper dosage, then locked the brakes on the wheelchair. Setting her cat on the bed, she pushed herself up and swung around, plopping herself back onto the bed. She got herself comfortable with her leg propped up and let the medicine pull her into sleep.
It was unclear how much time passed when she slowly returned to consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around. She wasn’t alone any longer. She turned her head to the side to study her lover. He seemed to be hard at work, but she couldn’t quite see the screen of his laptop to determine what he was doing. Sensing her movement, he looked down and saw she was awake. John smiled at her. “Hey there, sweetheart. Nice nap?”
“Yeah…. My ankle hurt, so I took a pill. Where’s Evan?”
“He went to grab us some dinner.” Sheppard set his laptop aside and shifted to lay down beside her. Hovering over her, he gave her a gentle kiss. “How are you?”
“Good, just a little groggy.” She cupped his face and gave him another kiss.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. The General wouldn’t let Ev or I go after you, plus you pretty much sealed those doors shut after you. Wanna talk about it?”
Releasing his face, Mariah looked away for a second and took a couple of calming breaths, before looking back up at him. “Knowing what Cam found in my cell made me nauseous and the air in the room was suddenly stale. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t need to see pity and concern in people’s eyes when they heard.” Tears started to stream down her face.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He sat up and helped her up as well. Enfolding her in his arms, he let her get her sorrow out. He didn’t know everything and knew better than to push her. All the same, he would be there for her. John looked up when he sensed motion out of the corner of his eye. Lorne was standing in the doorway to the bedroom, a tray of food in his hands and concern all over his face. He came into the room and set the tray on his bedside table. He joined them on the bed.
Evan rubbed the linguist’s back. Her sobs had abated and she turned to look at him. He smiled at her. “Hey, beautiful. I brought some dinner. You hungry?”
“A little.” She wiped her face and shifted herself back on the bed. Mariah chuckled when both men quickly moved her pillow mound and lifted her casted foot on top of it. She leaned against John while they waited for Lorne to pass out the food. She turned down the sandwich she was offered, taking just a bowl of soup to eat. Her nausea was back with a vengeance.
The trio ate in silence as the two men could sense her unease. It was obvious she was mulling something over. She would let them know in her own time. She smiled when the Major took away her empty bowl. She really appreciated how they were treating her and she came to a decision. She looked at each of them in turn.
“Do you want to hear what happened?”
“Only if you want to tell us.” Evan answered. He lifted her right hand and held it in both of his. Sheppard did the same with her left hand.
“Well, I told Daniel earlier, so I need to tell you, too.” The men shared a look, which she didn’t notice. She took a deep breath and started. First came her escape from the gunfire and her tumble down the ravine. The stunner blast led to her waking up in a cell and meeting the ugly, angry man for the first time. She gripped their hands tighter when she mentioned the backhand she got and him saying she was for sale. Then came the four days of monotony and vigilance and finally the return of the ugly, angry man. She squeezed her eyes firmly shut when she told them about his plan to have a little fun with her. Mariah fought back another wave of nausea and took a few cleansing breaths. The urge to cry or throw up was less than earlier. Each time she told the story, it seemed easier. Sharing her burden was helping her heal. Maybe she should speak to Kate again. She’d ask Daniel what he thought tomorrow, since she knew what the boys would say. She looked at her lovers and smiled at them.
There was anger mixed with concern on the faces of the two military commanders. They were glad they now knew what happened, but livid about what she went through. Also, they were both a little miffed she shared with her ex before them, but they knew her connection with Dr. Jackson was stronger since they had reconciled. Neither of them was going to harp on it, especially not now.
“We’re so sorry you had to go through all that, beautiful. I know I speak for both of us when I say if we could change it, we would.” Lorne leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. “We’re here for you if you need us. Be it to cry, share or scream. We’ll get through this together.”
“Thanks, Ev.” She smiled and gave him another, deeper kiss.
“Don’t forget about me, sweetheart.” John tugged on her hand and gave her a cheeky grin.
The linguist laughed. “Never.” She turned and leaned towards him. They shared an emotion filled kiss. Her lovers were incredible and so supportive. They had come a long way from their overprotective and over-reactive days. She knew they were still upset by what she went through, but were focusing on helping her heal, not wrapping her in cotton. Mariah leaned against Evan and listened to them tell her about their day and everything that had happened in the City. And as she dozed off, she smiled, feeling them help her to lay down and covering her in blankets. It had been a rough, but good day over all.
*****
“How are you doing?”
“I wish people would stop asking me that.”
“Just shows that they care.”
“You’ve read my mission report. You know exactly what happened to me.”
“I was actually a little surprised to get that.”
“Evan and Daniel helped me write it up. Well, actually, Daniel typed, while Evan held me. My reaction to telling the whole story is a little less severe each time I retell it.” Mariah scrutinized the expedition leader. “And before you ask, I’ve had two more sessions with Dr. Heightmeyer at Daniel’s urging.”
“Good for Danny.” He smiled and leaned on his desk, studying her. “How’s the ankle?”
“Better. Itches like crazy. Every time I try to stick something inside the cast, people take my weapon of choice away from me, so I’ve stopped trying. Carson is actually going to put a new cast on in a couple of days. Wants it to be a little snugger, now that all the swelling is gone.” She realized he was getting at something. “What’s up, Jack?”
“I have a crazy idea, which the boys are going to hate, but I think will be really good for you.”
“What pray-tell is this idea?”
“A mission back to M6H-18J.”
Mariah recoiled. She was sitting in her wheelchair in front of the General’s desk in his office and had reported there after getting a cryptic radio call. She had been back in the City for two weeks and was slowly getting better on all fronts. Jack was definitely up to something. “How is that good for me?”
“I want you to tag along.”
She laughed, then saw that he was serious. “You realize if you let me go back there, John’s going to insist on half the marines going with me.”
“I know he isn’t going to like it, but it won’t be that bad… since I’m going to let him tag along. Saves me from having to listen to McKay bitch and moan about not getting to investigate the facility.” He was still studying her.
“Say I agree….” He grinned widely when she said that. “Who’s going besides AR-1?”
“Well, SG-11 is heading back to Earth with tomorrow’s data burst, but SG-1 is going to stick around for a bit longer. I thought it might be nice to see how my old team handles a real mission in Pegasus, plus Daniel loves Ancient facilities almost as much as McKay.”
“So now we have AR-1 and SG-1. Anyone else?”
“AR-3, but they’ll stay in the Jumper.”
“So you’re sending us in a Jumper?” It was like pulling teeth to get him to reveal his whole plan.
“Your wheelchair can’t handle a 30 minute hike on uneven terrain. Jumper seems like the best option. So what do you say?”
The linguist looked down and rubbed her hands across the blanket on her lap. She did kind of want to see what was in the facility. M6H-18J was listed in the captain’s logs of the Selene and that was why she went to the planet in the first place. It might be a good idea to go back, if only to see if she could handle it. Having her friends with her would be a blessing, if she reacted badly. “Okay, I’ll go, if you let Radek come along, too.”
O’Neill had a puzzled look on his face and asked. “Why Dr. Z?”
“Because he never gets to go on exploration missions, only the follow-up ones after Rodney finds something. And SG-1 doesn’t currently have a scientist on their roster with Sam commanding the George Hammond. Daniel is excellent at figure out what things are, but he’s an archeologist, not a physicist or an engineer.” She saw Jack fighting not to laugh. “You better not tell him I said that or I’ll fling you against a wall for the hell of it.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I’ll agree to Dr. Z. If nothing else, it’ll piss McKay off and bring a little joy to my day.” He paused and added. “You actually brought up something we need to address.” He hit his radio. “O’Neill to Woolsey. Come to my office as soon as possible. I have Dr. Gray with me.” Not waiting for a response, he hit his radio off. “Richard has something to tell you.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“It’s a good thing. I promise.” He pointed at her lap, where she was still rubbing the blanket. “No Trouble?”
“Um… no. John fell asleep watching a movie with me, right before you called. Trouble decided that his chest was the perfect place for his own nap. I left them together, though I really wish I had a camera to capture the moment for posterity.”
“Glad to see that they’re learning to play nice with each other.” The door chimed before he could say anything further and the expedition leader thought it open. Mr. Woolsey hurried into the room.
Taking the chair next to the young woman, he smiled at her. “Dr. Gray, I’m happy to see you out and about. If I may say, you are looking much better than the last time I saw you.”
“I’m feeling better, too. It took me a couple days to realize I needed to process what happened, not ignore it and pretend I was okay.” She looked back at O’Neill. “So?”
“Richard, I think you have some information to relay to Mariah?”
The IOA rep nodded and locked eyes with the linguist. “I received word in the last data burst that the IOA has ended your probation. They will no longer be scrutinizing every use of your abilities. However….” He wasn’t sure how to word it.
“They’ll still be keeping an eye on me to make sure I use them appropriately?”
“Exactly….” He tried to smile and failed. Woolsey looked over at the General for guidance.
Jack stood and came around the desk. He grabbed the visitor chair he had moved earlier to accommodate her wheelchair and sat in front of her. “We trust you. Minor uses won’t be reported back, but if you use them in front of a group, there’s no way to avoid telling them.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“I know that and so does Richard. But only a few people here know about your abilities and if you show them off to people outside that group….”
Mariah sighed and hung her head. “I understand. I’ll do my best. Just know I was ready to use them before Todd saved me and I will use them in the future if it’s going to save lives. I don’t care what they say or do to me because of it.”
“I get that and I’ll defend you. So will the President.” He smiled when she looked up at him. “You’re leaving Atlantis over my dead body.”
Smiling brightly, the linguist grabbed his hand and pulled him forward into a hug. It was great to have a friend with connections in high places.
*****
“You remember the ground rules, right?”
“John, I’m stuck in a wheelchair.”
“You remember, right?” The Colonel stated again, a little more firmly. He wasn’t giving up.
Mariah sighed and rolled her eyes at her lover. Lorne was standing beside his CO, chuckling. She was sitting in her chair in the living room of their apartment, waiting to go gear up for the mission. It was three days after her conversation with Jack and yesterday, they had the pre-mission briefing. It had gone smoothly and no one seemed overly concerned about her going along with the three teams. That was at least until the trio got home. As soon as the doors shut behind them, John started telling her what she could and couldn’t do on the mission. She and Evan patiently listened and let him get his worry out in his own way. She agreed to his rules if for no other reason than to calm him down. She was happy her new cast was already in place, having been put on by the CMO two days prior. She was sure John would use it as a reason she couldn’t go.
“I won’t go anywhere without someone, preferably with a gun, going with me. I won’t touch anything unless Rodney or Radek gives the okay. If I don’t feel well, I’m to let you or Cam know immediately so I can be taken back to the Jumper. I’m not allowed to be alone with Vala.” She gave another sigh. “Did I forget anything?” She looked at him with sad eyes. He was taking all the fun out of the mission.
“Sweetheart….” He squatted down next to her and grab one of her hands. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me. Jack has three teams and a Jumper going with me to the facility, so I can explore and feel safe. Your ‘rules’ are annoying and killing my good mood.” She tried to pull her hand away, but he tightened his grip. “I have rules, as well. Just to be fair.” He frowned, which made her smile.
Evan was fighting to stop himself from laughing out loud at the two of them. “Go ahead, beautiful. I agree, it’s only fair.”
“You, Lt. Colonel John Patrick Sheppard, cannot hover or ask Ronon to hover. You cannot radio me every five, ten or fifteen minutes to see how I’m doing. If I need protection or comfort, I’ll contact you. I’m hoping to explore with SG-1 and Radek, since none of them have the gene.”
“But-.”
“No buts, John. If you can’t agree, I’ll go find Jack and ask for AR-2 to come along instead of your team. You’re turning this into another horrible experience for me and I’m not sure how much more I can take before I just throw my hands up and stay here.”
“I’m game.” The Major commented and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. He groaned as she deepened it, her tongue gliding along his lower lip. He pulled back. She knew just how to turn him on. “Not fair, beautiful.”
“Who says I play fair?” She smiled up at him. Then she looked back over at Sheppard. “Can you agree to my rules?”
“Fine.” Standing up, he surged forward and gave her a hungry kiss. He started to get lost in the feel of her lips against his, well at least until she jabbed him in the stomach. The Colonel stepped back and looked at her, while he rubbed the spot she hit. “What was that for?”
“No getting distracted.” She looked at her watch. “We need to go or we’ll be late.” Somehow, Trouble knew they were leaving and rushed over to his owner. She scooped him up and gave him some love. “You be good for Evan, baby. I promise, this time, I’ll be back in a few hours.” He rubbed his face along the edge of her face and purred happily. She laughed when he licked her face a couple times for good measure. Setting him down on the ground, she faced forward as Sheppard grabbed the handles of her chair and pushed her out of the apartment.
Before almost any time had passed, they were at the armory to pick up her and the Colonel’s gear. AR-1 was waiting for their team leader, the other two teams had already headed up to the Jumper Bay. Getting her TAC vest on while seated proved to be difficult, so with some help from Teyla, Mariah stood and let her lovers get it on her properly. As she retook her seat, Lorne grabbed her blaster and she balked.
“Sorry, but you have to wear it off-world.” Evan stated matter-a-factually.
The linguist swatted his hand when he reached for her. “The grip is just going to dig in the whole time.” She grabbed it from him and set it next to her under her blanket. “I’ll take it, but I won’t wear it.”
“All right.” The base XO squatted down next to her, but refrained from kissing her, though the urge was there. “I’ll be watching from the Control Room. You come back if you need to. No one will think any less of you.”
“It’s going to be fine.” She cupped one of his cheeks, then waved when she was rolled away. Time to get down to business. Everyone but John on AR-1 took the stairs up, while Mariah and her lover made a short transporter trip to outside the Jumper Bay. Everyone was inside when they arrived. No one said anything, but Mariah received smiles and nods for the gathered group. She was taken to the forward compartment and parked next to Ronon. Sheppard took the pilot seat, with McKay as his co-pilot. Sgt. Stackhouse stood behind his CO to guide him to the facility.
The Jumper lifted off the Bay floor with a thought, then lowered through the hatch to the Gate Room. The Gate was already connected and they received the all-clear through their radios. The little ship slid through the event horizon. Seconds later, they were in the clearing around the Gate. The Security Chief leaned forward and pointed towards the mountains in front of them.
“It’s just over the trees at the edge of that cliff. There’s another clearing there where we can land.” Nate stated.
“How close can I get the Jumper to the doorway?” John asked as they flew up and over the forest.
“Right up close to it. If you do, it’ll make it easier to guard the facility and evacuate, if needed.” Stacks answered.
“Exactly what I was thinking.” The Colonel turned his head and smiled at the marine.
It was a short flight to the facility and Sheppard swung the Jumper around to set it down at the base of the cliff. He left enough space for the rear hatch to lower. They landed with minimal disturbance. Everyone stood and gathered together to go over the game plan.
“Nice flying, Shep.” Cam complimented his fellow pilot.
“Thanks, Shaft.” John looked at his lover and sighed. He needed to do what she asked. “AR-3, you’re staying with the Jumper. Provide overwatch and security for us. SG-1, I’d like you to take Zelenka and Dr. Gray with you once we start exploring. Mariah has the gene and should be able to get you into any rooms.”
“But that leaves us without a translator.” McKay griped.
Daniel smiled at the physicist. “I could tag along with your team, if you like. Then I can help you make great discoveries.”
Rodney gaped and looked at his team. Sheppard took it out of his hands. “That would be great and it evens the numbers out.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I only got the outer door open last time. We might not be able to get in. I had just started on the antechamber when we were attacked.” Mariah paled a little, but stayed as calm as she could.
The Atlantis CO nodded. “Right, let’s get you and Dr. Jackson to work.”
Without being prompted, Vala grabbed the handles of Mariah’s chair and pushed her towards the rear of the Jumper. Everyone but AR-3 followed along and the rear hatch slowly descended. Stackhouse slid into the pilot’s chair and Cpl. Kreis into the co-pilot seat. Petrov and Yeager guarded the rear hatch. The exterior door to the facility was just how the linguist remembered it. She looked over her shoulder at her lover.
“Can I have my laptop, please?” She asked him.
“Sure.” Sheppard slung his pack around and pulled the computer out, handing it to her. He gestured to the door. “I’m surprised it’s closed.”
“I thought it closed as soon as we started running. I didn’t want anyone else getting inside.” She smiled and added. “Daniel and I already reviewed my work on the exterior door and we translated what we could see of the photos I took of the antechamber. This shouldn’t take very long.”
“Do you know what this place is?” Rodney asked.
“We think so, but some of the text was obscured in the photos. We need to check a couple things, then we can say for sure.” The archeologist responded. “Where do you want to start?”
“The section near the bottom of the interior door.” Dr. Gray smiled up at her ex and thought the exterior door open.
The whole of the antechamber was visible, so no security measures were needed. Vala rolled her chair down the ramp into the room, Daniel a step behind them. The others stayed back and watched the two translators work together. It was interesting to see their dynamic as they bounced ideas off each other and seemed to know what the other was thinking without words. After about twenty minutes, Dr. Jackson walked back up the ramp.
“We’ve confirmed our theory. This place appears to be a supply depot, used to bring products, technology, and weapons from a variety of locations across the galaxy to an easy access point. This is depot number four so there are at least three others out there, or probably more accurately, were. There’s really no telling what we’ll find inside.” The scholar addressed the two Colonels, watching as comprehension dawned.
Cam smiled at his teammate. “Good work, Jackson.” He motioned towards the door. “Let’s get in there and sweep the place for threats.” He stepped forward, but was stopped by a hand on the arm. “What?”
“Mariah has to go in first.” He stated simply.
John was shocked. “I’m not letting her go first into an uncleared Ancient facility while she’s in a wheelchair.”
“I understand that, but access is restricted. Only military commanders, Council members or specially designated individuals can access the depots.” Daniel responded.
Teyla spoke up since she could see her team leader was losing his temper. “Will it be safe for us to enter along with her?”
“Yes, the people I listed can bring whoever they need with them, but only they can open the door and request supplies.” The archeologist smiled at the Athosian woman.
“Great, let her open the door. I just want to get inside and see if there are more ZPMs.” McKay was chomping at the bit.
Sheppard set his jaw and nodded. “Fine…. Chewie, I want you right behind Mariah and Vala. Push ahead as soon as you can and sweep whatever room we end up in. We’ll join you as soon as we can get through the door.”
The Runner nodded and headed down the ramp. The linguist twisted in her chair and smiled as the two teams joined her and Vala in the antechamber. They all fit, but it was a little tight. She closed her laptop and spoke. “Let’s do this.” She closed her eyes and felt her chair roll closer to the interior door. She thought the door open and it responded without hesitation. Then they entered the facility.
The lights came on when the facility sensed her presence and she scanned the space. It was a large room with two central consoles, as well as consoles lining the walls with large monitors above them. She could see Ronon, Teal’c and Teyla starting to sweep the room out of the corner of her eye, but she was soon distracted by a hologram that appeared in front of her. It was of an unfamiliar man and he was speaking to her in Ancient.
Mariah translated for the group. “He’s welcoming General Altheria to the facility and advising her she can request whatever she needs from the main console or by accessing the supply rooms directly. The facility’s AI is standing by to assist her with anything she needs. Requests can also be made verbally if she prefers not to use the consoles here or in the rooms.”
“Doctors, why don’t you see what the consoles say? Also, bring up a map of the facility, then we can figure out how big this place is and where each team is going.” Sheppard suggested to the foursome.
McKay and Zelenka hurried over to the two central consoles, while Jackson stayed by the linguist’s side as Vala pushed her over to join them. After a few minutes, a map appeared on one of the monitors and gave the rest of their group something to focus on, while the academics worked. After fifteen minutes, the CSO of Atlantis screamed in frustration. His teammates turned towards him, while Radek and Daniel rolled their eyes. Mariah and Vala were trying very hard not to laugh.
“What’s up, buddy?” John asked as he approached.
“All the rooms are labeled as to the types of things stored there and there are quantities of each item, but instead of just say what each thing is, they use a numeric code for identification. There are 150 of item 49682, but I have no idea what 49682 is.” McKay bemoaned. He threw his hands up and stalked away from the console to the other side of the room.
The Czech scientist shook his head. His boss was aggravating, however he had good news to share with the group. “I have found the facility is powered like the shipyards, by geothermal energy from the planet’s core and the facility seems to be completely intact and structural sound. The whole place should have power and be accessible. Since Rodney cannot tell us what is here, we can begin to explore.” He gave the other scientist a smug smile and received a glare in return.
Hoping to avoid an argument between the two men, John stepped forward. “Just what I was thinking, doc. According to the map, there are two corridors with numerous rooms off each. Let’s get into our teams and we can start.” He paused and added. “Everyone needs to open their radio connection. I want us to be in constant contact while we look around. Saves time if there’s an emergency or an issue.” They all followed his orders and tapped their radios on. The group split up, Sheppard leading his people and Mitchell doing the same.
The leader of SG-1 opted to let the linguist decide how they would do things. “So, Mar, we’re taking this corridor over here. How do you want to do it?”
“How about we go to the far end and work our way back?”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll lead. T, take our six.”
“Indeed, Colonel Mitchell.” The Jaffa moved to the back of the group, but paused to speak with Dr. Gray for a moment. “I wished to let you know that if there is an emergency and we must evacuate, I will carry you back to the Jumper, Mariah.”
“Thanks, Teal’c.” With Radek happily scrolling through his data pad and the others protecting their group, this left the linguist with Vala. It broke one of John’s rules, but it wasn’t like they were completely alone. She addressed the other woman. “Thanks for playing chauffeur, Vala. We haven’t got to spend much time together since everything blew over, I’m sorry about that. Also I know you’d much rather be with Daniel than me.”
“My Daniel needs a little time away from me. Makes coming back together all the sweeter.” The former space pirate laughed when the younger woman blushed. “Also, I like spending any time I can with you. You’re so much fun. You let me do naughty things and show you how to be devious.”
“Just don’t mention any of that to John.” She knew her lover could hear the two of them.
“Well, fine.” She smiled brightly and leaned down to whisper. “Your two men are absolutely delicious. Later, you’ll have to tell me how they stack up to my Daniel.”
“VALA!” Dr. Gray blushed a deep shade of red and did her best to calm her breathing. The dark-haired woman had forgotten their radios were all live. Everyone had heard her comment.
Sheppard’s voice sounded in all of their ears. “Shaft, get your teammate away from Mariah, now or I may be forced to shoot her.”
Cam chuckled and brought their group to a halt. He motioned to Teal’c, who grabbed the space pirate by the arm, pulling her back to stand next to him. “There isn’t any reason to get physical, Muscles, unless you’d like to play.” She wrapped one of her legs around his and plastered herself against him.
Looking down at her with stony eyes, the Jaffa pried her off his side and kept a hold of her arm. “I would not. You are to remain here next to me and may no longer plot with Mariah.”
“But who’s going to push her? You can’t expect her to-.”
“Je to v pořádku. I will tend to Mariah.” Zelenka put his pad away and hurried to get behind the linguist’s chair, pushing her along when their group began to move again.
“All taken care of, Shep.” Mitchell stated.
“Thanks.” John responded and they all heard him sigh.
It didn’t take them long to get to the end of the corridor, where there was a large door, twice as wide as any of the others they passed. There was a standard door crystal and a small display to the right of it. Making sure the wheelchair wasn’t going anywhere, Radek hurried to the display to see what he could discover.
“All this display shows is the room number, the identification numbers for the items stored here and their quantities. We will have to enter.” Zelenka gestured back down the hall. “It will most likely be the same for all the other rooms as well.”
“Thanks, doc.” Cam smiled at the little man, then turned to see Dr. Gray, rolling closer to the door. “Whatcha doing?” He asked.
“I’ll have to open the door and the lights won’t come on until I cross the threshold, so I need to go in with you.”
He wasn’t happy, but he knew she was right. “Okay, you go first, but I’m going to be right behind you. Roll out of my way to the left when you get in there. Doc?” He called to the Czech scientist. When he saw that he was paying attention, he continued. “You join her off to the left. Don’t touch or do anything else, unless you think you’re in danger.” He got a nod in response. Mitchell positioned himself right behind Mariah. He had clear line of sight over her and had his gun at the ready.
The linguist thought the door open and rolled inside, the lights flickering to life when she did. Cameron, Teal’c and Vala surged into the room guns at the ready, looking for any threat, while Radek moved to stand beside his colleague. The two doctors scanned the room, their mouths falling open. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It took a minute for the three members of SG-1 to catch on.
The Colonel swept his gaze over the room and was flabbergasted, whispering. “Sweet Jesus.”
“Oh, my God.” Mariah added at normal volume. While Cam’s words got no reaction over the radio, hers did. John shouted her name over the radio, but receiving no response, called out to the others. It was obvious to everyone listening he was running.
No one in the room realized how much time had passed, when Sheppard burst into the room, gun raised and his team steps behind him. Seeing no hostiles or anyone bleeding, AR-1 and Daniel scanned the room. They all gaped at what they were seeing. John spoke first. “What the hell?”
“Anyone need a Gate?” The linguist asked. Along one wall of the massive room was roughly a hundred Stargates, lined up almost like a tunnel. On the other was shelf after shelf of DHDs. All of them looked brand new and ready to use. No one could understand why there were so many.
Rodney hurried over to Zelenka and grabbed his shoulders. “This place could solve all our problems. This is better than Christmas.”
*****
The bedroom was dark. The only illumination was the waning sunlight coming in through the open balcony doors along with the smell of sea air. Dr. Gray was laying on her side in the bed, napping, with Trouble curled up in front of her, also asleep. The doors to the room opened, letting more light in and awakening the little cat. Popping his head up, his feline eyes zeroed in on the intruder and he gave a soft meow. The person entering shushed him and lifted a blanket from the foot of the bed, gently draping it over the young woman. She stirred and looked up at the person bending over her.
“Hey, Ev.”
“Sorry, I woke you, beautiful.” He sat beside her and brushed hair off her face. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. I didn’t think I’d be this tired, just sitting with other people pushing me around.”
“Your body is still healing. You need rest and to eat. I started dinner, but wanted to check on you.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “How was the facility?”
“You went to the debriefing. The others should’ve told you all about it.” She sat up and stretched. “I’m just happy Jack let me beg off.”
“He wanted you to relax.” Lorne grabbed one of her hands and threaded their fingers together. “And yes, I did hear about what was found, but I wanted your impression.”
Mariah thought back over her day. After finding the room full of Gates and DHDs, Sheppard made the decision to keep the group together. They went from room to room, finding each one full of Ancient technology and toys. It took everyone’s patience to keep McKay in check and to stop him from trying to take everything back to the City. Thankfully, Dr. Zelenka kept his head and updated the facility inventory he had downloaded with the actually names of items instead of numbers. It saved the group the time of counting and was something tangible to show the General and Mr. Woolsey, plus they could send it back to Earth, appeasing both the SGC and the IOA.
“We found rooms of stuff from Gates and DHDs to control crystals and personal shields, but no more ZPMs. There was a plethora of things we’ve never seen before. Like…” She reached over to John’s bedside table with her free hand and picked up a fist-sized grey stone. It lit up when she grabbed it. She held it out to the Major. “This.”
“You brought something back without permission?” He was smirking at her.
“No, Vala did. She gave it to me on the Jumper ride back. She said she couldn’t help herself and wanted me to give it to John as a peace offering. She drove him crazy the whole time we were there. He tried to keep her away from me and stop her from pocketing things. She must have grabbed this when John was complaining to Cam and Daniel about her.” She smiled when he picked it up. It stayed lit in his hand.
Evan studied if for a minute, looking at the lit up symbols. Then he figured it out. “It’s a DHD.”
“Yup, a handheld one.”
“These could be useful. We can give these to all the teams and even share some with the SGC. You would be surprised at how often the big ones get blown up. Plus when you’re running from bad guys, stopping to dial the Gate can be hazardous.” He had a huge grin on his face.
She took it back from him. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but it only works for gene carriers. It didn’t light up for Vala. When she handed it to me, she got all excited and called it a much prettier bauble in my hands. Also, we don’t know if it’ll work with the Milky Way Gates. They and their DHDs are a different design. But it would be something to test.”
He leaned over again and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. “You really do spend too much time with McKay and Radek. That was very scientific thinking.” He thought the lights up a little. “Wanna come in the kitchen with me while I work on dinner?”
“Sure. I can set the table while you cook.” Mariah laughed when he scooped her up, blanket and all and set her in her wheelchair. Trouble meowed loudly and leapt from the bed into her lap. Unlocking the brakes on the chair, Lorne pushed owner and pet into the living room and over to the kitchen.
Leaving her to take care of the table, the Major stood in front of the stove and got back to his cooking. They both did their assigned jobs, but Evan stole a kiss or two every time she rolled back into the kitchen. They were sharing one such kiss when the door to the apartment opened and Sheppard came in. The Colonel was in his workout clothes and was sweaty and hot. He chuckled at the scene that welcomed him. Trouble, spotting someone to play with, jumped off the linguist’s lap and rushed over to John.
“Hey, buddy.” He said as he picked the cat up, but held him away from his body. “I’m a little smelly right now.” He walked closer to the others. “I think something’s burning.” He joked, then laughed when Evan pulled back from their lover and frantically scanned the stove.
The base XO scowled at his CO. “That wasn’t very nice.” He gave Mariah another fast kiss and went back to the food.
“Just having some fun.” John handed Trouble to Mariah and gave her a fast kiss. “I don’t want to get too close. I need to clean up.”
The linguist wrinkled her nose. “Use lots of soap. I have something for you when you get back.”
He smiled and gave her another peck. “I’ll be quick.” He jogged away and into the bedroom.
By the time the Colonel came out, all cleaned up and dressed in his normal off-duty clothes, the food was on the table and Lorne was getting Dr. Gray situated. The two men took their chairs and they started eating. Mariah and Sheppard shared more about the mission with the Major and overall, they had an enjoyable time.
When she saw that John was finished eating, she reached under her blanket, grabbed the device she had shown Evan earlier and offered it to him. Her lover took it from her and studied it just as the other man had. He figured it out a bit quicker. “Where the hell did you get this?”
“It’s an apology gift from Vala to you. She must’ve grabbed it when you weren’t paying attention.”
“We’ll have to see if there are more when we go back the next time.” He set the mini DHD on the table, the lights going out. “Only works for people with the gene?”
“Yup.” She smiled at him.
“Still useful.” He smirked. “You get to tell McKay and Zelenka you brought something back without permission.”
“Rodney’s going to love it, especially if it works for him. Now, Jack, on the other hand, might glare at me, but then I’ll just say it was Vala and he’ll go yell at Daniel.”
“Good thinking, beautiful.” Evan really looked at her. “How was it being back there?”
She ducked her head. “It was good. I was surrounded by my friends and our family, so I felt safe. Not going through the woods helped. I didn’t have to think about the running or the shooting part of the first mission. And I don’t have to go back, at least right away.”
“How’s that?” Lorne asked.
“She added Rodney, Stackhouse and me to the access list at the facility. It took a few tries to get the AI to agree to add Rodney. We think it must have sensed his gene wasn’t natural, but we tested it. He can open and close the two entry doors and was able to requests items through both the consoles and the AI hologram. However, at some point, I want you and the General to get access too, then she shouldn’t have to go back, ever.” He stood and started to gather up the dirty dishes.
Evan stood as well and took the uneaten food into the kitchen to put away. Mariah followed the two men into the kitchen and did her best to stay out of their way. She and Trouble played a little, before the cat ran off, back into the bedroom. She caught Sheppard’s arm as he went by and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. He pulled back when he needed to catch his breath.
“You need something, sweetheart?”
“You.” She said breathlessly.
He groaned and dove in for another kiss, before stepping back out of reach. John glanced over and saw his XO watching them with interest. “Sweetheart, you’re still recovering.
“If I’m well enough to go on a mission, than I’m well enough to do other things.” She rolled a little closer and eyed Lorne. “Ev?”
“Beautiful.” He stated simply. He stepped forward and lifted her out of her chair. He started towards the bedroom and gave her an intense kiss as he did. The pair felt more than heard John join them. Placing her carefully on the bed, Evan covered her body with his and continued what she had started that morning before she left on the mission. It was wonderful to have her home and safe.
Feeling a hand trail down her arm, Mariah turned her head to the side and moaned as Evan began kissing her neck. She locked eyes with Sheppard. “You game now?”
“Yeah…. But I can wait my turn.”
Chapter 8: Strides
Chapter Text
“How does it feel, love?”
“Weak and sore. Are you sure it’s time for the cast to come off?”
Carson smiled at his patient and held up something. “Yes, love. But you’ll need to wear this brace all the time, except when you shower or at night, until I tell you otherwise. The time with the brace will help you build up your strength, but still give you the support your ankle needs while it finishes healing. You’ll also have physical therapy three afternoons a week.” He grabbed something leaning against the bed. “Plus you’ll need to use this.”
“No.”
“Love?”
“No…. Though I could use it to whack John with when he’s being a pain.” The linguist took the offending object and gave it a disgusted look. “Do I really need a cane?”
“It’s either that or you have to have someone walk with you until your stability increases.” The physician put the brace on her ankle. It was six weeks after her kidnapping and the CMO had decided it was time for the cast to come off permanently. Two weeks earlier, SG-1 had returned to Earth after almost a month in Atlantis and Mariah had been sad to see them go. With their departure, her lovers had returned to full duty, while she was still working part-time. Everything was back to normal, almost. Losing her cast was her last hurdle or more accurately, her last defense. Jack had been hinting about a mission to the shipyards to check on the progress of repairs to the Athena and the Selene. She would have to go with whichever team was selected for the mission and her wheelchair was the perfect excuse. A brace was less so.
She pushed all of that from her mind. There was a special senior staff meeting taking place this morning and she and Dr. Beckett needed to get up there. “All right.” She kept the cane in one hand while she swung her legs off the bed. She held out her free hand. “Can you give me my other shoe? I left it on the seat of the wheelchair.”
“Aye, love.” He grabbed the shoe and carefully helped her put it on. It was snug, but that was expected with the brace.
“It’s the big day, is it?” A third voice joined their conversation. Richard Woolsey was walking over to them, a smile on his face. During his time in Atlantis, he had grown fond of the linguist and was happy to see her healing from her ordeal.
Mariah smiled back. “Yup…. Now we just have to see how I do walking.” She slid off the edge of the bed and put weight on her hurt ankle. She could feel the weakness, so she leaned on the cane as she stepped forward with her left leg. Her leg started to buckle. Both men rushed forward to steady her. She let out a heavy sigh and did her best to remain calm. She really didn’t want to collapse in front of witnesses. “Maybe the cane is a good idea, after all.”
“I was sure you’d see it my way, love. Now, let’s get up to the meeting. You’ll need the-.” The CMO stopped speaking when he spotted two marines hobbling into the infirmary, eliciting a heavy sigh of his own. “If you can wait just one or two minutes, I’ll triage these lads and help you up to the meeting.”
“I think they’re going to need more than a few minutes, Carson. The one guy’s face looks like ground beef.” The young woman was looking at the two men and trying not to laugh. They looked horrible and miserable as well as embarrassed. Dusty and the recently returned Captain Cadman were leading a combat techniques class in the sparring room. These guys had gotten their asses handed to them by a couple of women. True, those women were seasoned marines and could kick most men’s asses on base, but usually they refrained. These two must have said or done something to upset the ladies.
The Scotsman looked torn, but then it was taken out of his hands. “I can assist Dr. Gray upstairs and let the General know you’ll be a few minutes late.” The IOA rep offered.
“Thank you, lad.” He looked at the linguist. “Off with you, love. And don’t rush. Take all the time you need.” He hurried over to the injured men and ushered them to beds to be treated, a couple of nurses coming over to help.
“Shall we?” Richard offered Mariah his right arm.
Transferring her cane to her right hand, she hooked her left arm through his and leaned on him as she got her footing. It was slow going since her ankle needed time to get used to holding up her weight again. She studied her escort. She was pretty sure he came to the infirmary specifically looking for her, but she would let him explain in his own time.
When they reached the transporter, he spoke. “Could we walk on to the next transporter? I’d like a few minutes to speak with you.”
“Sure. Plus it’ll be good practice for my ankle.” She smiled over at him.
“I wanted to apologize.” He said once they were further down the hall.
“For what?”
“For the constraints the IOA put on you.”
“That isn’t your fault, Mr. Woolsey.”
“Please call me, Richard.”
“Then call me, Mariah. As I said, you’re not responsible for me being on probation. That was the IOA’s decision because I made the choice to use my abilities in front of Todd and his men.”
“But still…. Because you couldn’t use your powers, you were kidnapped and injured. I feel guilty.”
The linguist stopped, pulling the IOA rep to a halt. “You shouldn’t. Now, if that man had put his hands on me again and/or turned me over to someone else, I would have used them, consequences be damned. Then I would’ve given the IOA a piece of my mind, if they decided to censure me. Nothing that happened to me is your fault. The people actually responsible are dead. Can you accept that?”
“Yes, I believe I can.”
“Good.” She looked at her watch. “Come on. We’re going to be late.” It took them a few more minutes to get to the next transporter, then they were walking out near the Control Room. When they entered, they noted the doors to the Conference Room were still open, hopefully that meant they weren’t the last to arrive. All eyes turned towards the doors when the linguist and her escort entered. They were the last, save the CMO.
“Dr. Beckett will be a few minutes late. He had a couple of patients come in right as he was going to help Mariah up to the meeting.” Woolsey stated while he led Dr. Gray to her seat. The young woman was greeted warmly by Teyla, hands on her shoulders and their foreheads meeting. She even got a smile out of Rodney. Ronon grinned at her from the other side of his lover.
O’Neill smiled at the bureaucrat. “Thanks, Richard. We were just about to get started.” He paused, waiting for the other man to take his seat, and thought the doors closed. The Scotsman would just have to open them when he finally arrived. “I appreciate everyone’s willingness to come to this meeting, considering we just had a staff meeting a few days ago. But there are three matters I wish to discuss. The first is something that came to light while SG-1 and 11 were here in the City. I had an idea and after some back and forth with General Landry and the President, we’re ready to roll it out.” He cleared his throat. “In about a month, we’re going to start a training program for SGC personnel.”
Everyone gave the expedition leader a confused look. McKay spoke first. “Why are we training Earth-based personnel?” He asked. “Shouldn’t they be getting their training at the SGC?”
“If you let me finish….” Jack glared at the Canadian and Mariah set her hand of her friend’s arm, doing her best to calm him. “We are going to be training them about how things work in Pegasus. I spoke with Mitchell and Edwards after they went off-world for the first time here and they both stated they were unprepared for it. At any point in time, we may need one of the SG teams to come out here to assist us and we can’t always give them an escort to do so.”
“The Wraith do take some getting used to.” Lorne offered. He met his lover’s eyes and they smiled at each other.
“So do the Genii.” John added. He really wished Mariah was sitting between him and his XO. He knew what the second and third items the General wished to discuss were and he feared her reaction.
“Before anyone gets bent out of shape, this isn’t going to be for every team. Only seasoned SG teams with combat experience will be coming out here and going on missions to other worlds. We will also be bringing out senior scientists, medical personnel and support staff from the SGC, however they will be remaining in the City for the duration of their stay. Many of the people on Bill Lee’s staff haven’t gotten much exposure to Ancient technology and most of the ATA gene carriers come directly out here, so they don’t have people to play light switch for them. We also have a host of diseases Dr. Lam and her people have never had the chance to study or treat. As to the support staff, I really want Walter and Siler to get the chance to experience Atlantis.” He grinned like a little boy. He got a few odd looks.
Dr. Gray clarified. “Walter is Sgt. Harriman, whose Chuck’s counterpart and MSgt. Siler is in charge of Gate maintenance and repair, plus is an all-round tech expert. Does everything but lightbulbs.” That earned her a couple chuckles. She smiled.
Rodney groaned. “Like I don’t already have enough work to do, now you want me to babysit inept scientists, who I wouldn’t even consider hiring to come out here in the first place.”
“Can it, McKay. Only a couple scientists will be coming out at a time. Same goes for the support and medical staff. And only one SG team. Those coming out here will arrive on the Daedalus and go home through the Gate. Caldwell will be doing similar training with all the selected personnel during their three weeks trapped on board.” Jack clarified. He scanned the assembled group. He saw Radek bouncing in his chair. “Dr. Z?”
“I believe this will be an excellent opportunity to increase interest in the expedition and avert issues that the SGC runs into with handling technology they are not familiar with. I look forward to teaching our colleagues about what Atlantis has to offer.” He grinned at the others around the table. The CSO, sitting next to him, scowled back.
“Glad to have you on board, doc. Anyone else?” The expedition leader asked, before locking eyes with his military commander.
“I believe you’re right, sir. We have a lot to teach the SG teams. I’d like to suggest that only AR-1, 2, 3 and 4 be allowed to take these teams out. We have the most experience here in Pegasus and have all been part of an SG team at one time or another, with a few exceptions.” John offered.
“Basically your whole team, sir, if we’re being honest.” Lorne offered, getting a glare from his CO and a laugh from the other members of AR-1 and Mariah.
O’Neill smiled and scanned the room. The mood had lightened up a bit and no one else seemed to have any more comments. He had one more thing to add, then he could move on to the next topic. “I’m glad to see most of you are willing to give this a try. During this initial attempt, I need all of you to take notes regarding what’s working and what isn’t. We’ll need to refine this as we go or scrap it, if it isn’t working. If the program is a success, we may expand it to include our international partners.” He cleared his throat again and continued. “The second item for discussion is a return trip to the shipyards.”
Evan and Sheppard sat up straighter. The base XO took the lead. “Sir, Dr. Gray has only just gotten her cast off and she’ll have to-.”
“I know that, Major, however we have two ships sitting in hangers and haven’t been back since the Selene was moved there. At the very least, a team needs to visit to see if any of the repairs need to be approved and to get an overall status. This isn’t up for discussion. She has to go, since she’s the only one who can open the facility. The standard grouping of AR-3, Dr. Z and Mariah will be going.” Seeing his fellow Air Force officers were going to argue, Jack added. “I’ll be accompanying them, in case either ship is ready to be flown back and to placate the two of you, Ronon will go as personal security for her. Everyone happy?” He glanced around the room and locked eyes with the linguist. Just then, the doors fanned open and Dr. Beckett raced into the room, taking his normal seat between Woolsey and Radek. O’Neill returned his focus to Mariah.
“I have nothing to say, General, other than I might need to be carried at some point. I’m not sure I can walk the 20-25 minutes it takes to get to the facility and it’s going to take me a lot longer than that to get there under my own steam. When are we going?” She asked. She avoided looking at her lovers. She was positive they would be discussing the mission with her later.
“In two days.” He looked at the Security chief. “Can your team be ready by then, Stacks?”
“Yes, sir. We have no other missions scheduled this week. My team’s been assisting with City security. I have a couple teams out of commission due to injuries and illness. Looks like something is spreading through the marine barracks.” The Sergeant stated. He was happy the expedition leader trusted him with the linguist’s safety, even if he and Ronon were tagging along to keep an eye on her.
The CMO spoke up. “Aye, General. Looks like the flu might be going around. My staff has been treating a lot of people with chills, body aches, coughs and stuffy noses. We’re dealing with it as best we can. Dr. Keller is back on Earth for R&R and Dr. Biro seems to be fighting if off herself. I recommend that anyone feeling poorly try to stick to their quarters and refrain from gathering with others.”
“Now that you mention it, Carson, I have been-.” McKay started, but was cut off.
“You’re not sick, Rodney, so don’t start.” Beckett responded to his friend before he could get started.
“But-.”
“NO!”
“McKay!” Jack ground out. He did not need them to start bickering. He rubbed a hand down his face and pressed on. “The final item for discussion is the Genii.” Several people sat up. “I reached out yesterday and have invited Ladon Radim to come back to the City for a chat. I’m limiting the number of people coming with him to two. He was given the address of an uninhabited world, where he’ll be met, before he’s taken to the Alpha Site. There, he and his two escorts will have their weapons confiscated, before they’re brought to the City.” He looked at the base XO. “Lorne, I want your team to provide escort, along with a security team. Work out what you need done with Stacks and Captain Markus at the Alpha Site. They’re coming a week from today.”
Sheppard spoke up. “Sir, what about Dr. Gray?”
“Ladon asked about Mariah when we talked, but I advised him that she was unavailable on the day of the meet. She’ll stay in her quarters with you, Colonel. I don’t want you anywhere near Ladon, since I doubt you’ll be able to keep yourself from starting an interplanetary incident.” He gave a heavy sigh and looked at everyone around the table. “Anyone else?” He received no response. “Good. You’re all dismissed. Major, come to my office for a minute. I’d like to talk about the meet.”
When the doors opened, O’Neill strode out of the room, Evan and Woolsey on his heels. Zelenka hurried around the table and grabbed Stackhouse to discuss the return to the shipyards and what he wanted to take. They left, too. Rodney cornered Dr. Beckett when the Scotsman started to exit and began to list off his symptoms. Their argument could be heard by everyone as they departed the Control Room area. Teyla and Ronon helped Mariah stand and get her footing, before the couple slipped away as well. The Athosian was slated to run a bantos class, while the former Runner was off to beat up marines.
Dr. Gray leaned heavily on her cane as she slowly made her way across the Control Room to the door. A hand on her elbow alerted her to her lover’s presence. “I’m good. I don’t need help.” She stated.
“I can see that, however I’d like to speak to you, if you have a moment, Dr. Gray.”
“Of course, Colonel.” The young woman allowed the military commander to lead her over to his office. Even as the doors opened, the glass walls darkened and when they entered, he steered her over to the left side of the room. The doors closed and she gave him an odd look while he maneuvered her into the front corner of the room. Once she was wedged there, he cradled the nape of her neck with both hands and angled her face up towards his. He began to kiss her. Mariah smiled when she caught on. Leaning her cane against the wall, her hands settled on his waist.
“I’ve missed kissing you when you’re vertical.” John whispered when he pulled back a fraction to catch his breath.
“Me, too.”
He gave a hungry growl and dove back in to kiss her again. They were so lost in each other, they missed the doors opening and someone entering. They only became aware when the doors shut and the distinctive sound of the lock engaging met their ears. They turned their heads and met the amused eyes of Major Lorne.
“Did someone forget they were in an unlocked room?”
“Maybe.” Sheppard answered, before turning back to resume his attentions to their lover. However, she dug her fingers into his sides, causing him to wince and pull back. “Yes?”
“We shouldn’t be doing this in your office.”
“You weren’t complaining a minute ago.” He whined.
She kissed his chin. “Evan makes a valid point and I need to get back to work.” Mariah reached for her cane, but accidentally knocked it over. She cursed.
Lorne hurried over and picked it up, nudging his CO to the side when he did. He gave their lover a quick kiss and handed her the cane. “I’ll take you, beautiful. We can talk about the mission to the shipyards.” He grinned when she groaned. “You knew we’d want to discuss it.”
“Yes, but not right this second.” She slowly walked towards the doors.
“The sooner we discuss it, the sooner we can focus on other things.” John waggled his eyebrows at her. She shook her head and thought the doors open.
Mariah started towards the door out of the Control Room again, the Major at her side, then realized Sheppard was on her other side. “I don’t need you both there to discuss this. Don’t you have work to do?” She asked John.
“Yes, he does. The performance reviews for all the commissioned officers need to be completed. I sent him my initial thoughts, but he keeps putting it off.” Evan answered for his CO, earning him a glare.
“Colonel, go do your work. The Major will rejoin you once he escorts me home. I’ll see you later.” She chuckled when he pouted. She added. “Please.”
“Fine, but I want to continue what we were discussing when we do.”
“Of course.” She waved as he walked backwards towards his office and disappeared inside. She looked at her other lover and smiled. “Why exactly do I put up with his antics?”
“Because you secretly love them.” He grinned and winked at her.
The linguist laughed. “I do. I really do.”
*****
“I’m surprised the Athena was ready to come back, sir.” John stated to his superior.
“Dr. Z was, as well, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Having two Ancient warships here to defend the City and go out on missions is better than one. Makes us less reliant on the Daedalus, the Apollo and the George Hammond. Plus, I got to fly it the whole way back to Atlantis, which was a treat.” Jack smiled at the three men sitting in his office.
Woolsey and Sheppard were sitting in the two guest chairs across his desk from him and Lorne was on the couch. He had just successfully flown the Athena back to the City from the Ancient shipyards and gotten his medical checks. He had let AR-3, Ronon and Dr. Zelenka go, stating he would debrief his military commanders and the IOA rep. Mariah was sadly still trapped in the infirmary. Dr. Beckett had insisted on giving her a full exam, then she was going to have a physical therapy session. She hadn’t looked enthused when O’Neill bid her farewell and bolted from the room.
“How’d the mission go overall, sir?” Evan asked.
Jack thought over his question. “It was uneventful. No hive ships and no disasters.”
“Did it look like anyone had been to the planet since our last visit, General?” The Colonel questioned. They had been going to the planet very regularly. He hoped that other people hadn’t caught on and endangered their discovery.
“We carefully inspected the clearing and didn’t see any disturbances that would say someone else had been there. We took a slightly different path through the underbrush so we aren’t at risk of making a discernible path. Took us about 45 minutes to get to the facility and get inside.” O’Neill responded.
Lorne nodded and enquired. “And our ships, sir? Was the Athena fully repaired when you arrived? We had a lot of issues with the Orion. It was frustrating.”
The General grinned. “The Athena needed a couple of things approved in the system and while we waited for those to finish up, we checked on the Selene. Progress has been made, one of the holes in the hull has been completely fixed and the second is about a third of the way repaired. The one bright spot is that all primary systems were online and had varying degrees of functionality. Then as soon as the Athena was completed, I brought us home.”
“And how did Dr. Gray do?” Woolsey asked. He knew the Colonel and the Major were curious and thought he’d save them the hassle of asking.
“Mariah did great.” The General smiled. “Getting through the underbrush was pretty easy since she had stuff to hold on to and help keep her steady. Then when we got outside of the dampening field around the Gate, she got to the facility under her own steam. That’s why it took us 45 minutes to get there.” He chuckled. “Ronon tried to pick her up at one point, but she whacked him with her cane.”
The Colonel chuckled and interrupted. “How’d Chewie take that, sir?”
“He pouted at her, then growled at me when I laughed at him. But after she opened the facility, he had to carry her, she was too exhausted to move. She fell asleep while he carried her to the hanger and since we knew the Athena was going to be ready for us to take back, I had him take her on board along with Sgt. Petrov. The rest of us went to check on the Selene. She was awake and in the command chair, when we joined them on board. Got the drives initializing and was bringing the defensive systems online. Didn’t even complain when I told her I’d fly us home. She napped against the wall with Ronon on the return flight.”
Sheppard and Lorne were both amused. They could picture their lover leaning against the Satedan, zonked out after a rough day. It was excellent fodder to harass both the linguist and the former Runner with. The Colonel addressed the expedition leader. “Glad the mission was a success, sir.”
“Me, too.” Jack eyed his military commanders and shook his head. “Get out of here, both of you. Mariah probably needs to be rescued from Beckett’s clutches.”
“Thank you, sir.” Evan didn’t need to be told twice and stood from his seat on the couch. He waited for his CO to rise as well and they headed to the doors.
As the doors shut behind them, they heard Woolsey say. “Was Dr. Zelenka able to determine a completion date for the Selene?”
“Do you think we should’ve stayed and heard the rest?” The base XO asked, even as they exited the Control Room.
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Major.”
“No, sir.”
It didn’t take them long to get to the infirmary. They immediately spotted the CMO and headed straight for him. The Scotsman looked up at the two men and smiled. “Lads, what can I do for you?”
“We came to get Mariah.” John responded.
“She isn’t here.”
“She isn’t here?” Lorne was confused. “We thought she had a physical therapy session.”
“Aye, lad, she did, but it only lasted about fifteen minutes.” Carson shook his head. “She had a little bit of a meltdown. Edward called me in. Seems she called him a sadist, slid down a wall and started crying. The lad isn’t good with tears. I calmed her down and examined her ankle. It was swollen and she was in a lot of pain. I gave her some ice packs and pain pills and sent her home.”
“Why didn’t you call us?” Sheppard was upset. They should’ve been notified.
“She asked me not to. Said you were in a meeting with General O’Neill. I called Sgt. Stackhouse. He and Lt. Reed helped her. The lass refused to be carried or to use a wheelchair. She wanted to get home on her own two feet.” He looked at the men in turn and with a final shake of his head, added. “Make sure you let her rest. If the swelling isn’t gone by morning, bring her back to see me.” And with that, he turned and walked away.
Evan shouted after him. “Thanks, doc.” He eyed his CO. “Should we grab some dinner for later?”
“Nah. I want to check on her first. Then we can figure out the food situation.” The Colonel strode from the infirmary, his XO by his side. They were both concerned about their lover, but were doing their best to contain their worry. If Beckett let her go home, then she couldn’t be in too bad of shape. Still they wanted to see her as soon as they could.
It didn’t take long to get to their corridor and when the doors to the apartment opened, they spotted the Security Chief sitting on the couch, Trouble in his lap. The cat was in a wrestling match with one of the marine’s hands. They seemed to be very evenly matched. Stackhouse stood as soon as he saw the two men and shushed the little feline in his grasp.
“Sirs.” Stacks’s back was ramrod straight as he spoke.
“At ease, Sergeant.” Lorne responded. He looked around, but the Security Chief was the only person present. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”
“Well, sir….” He trailed off as he set the cat on the floor and smiled when Trouble rush over to Sheppard for attention. He watched his CO pick the animal up and start petting him. Nate continued. “The doc asked Reed and I to bring her home, but she was in a lot of pain. I offered to stay in case she needed something. I helped her get the ice packs situated and made sure she took a pain pill, then she passed out. At that point, Trouble started to climb all over her, so I grabbed him, thought the bedroom door closed and tried my best to keep him occupied.” It was obvious that the marine was scared he had overstepped, but he really like Dr. Gray and wanted to make sure she was okay.
The Colonel smiled. “We appreciate it, Stacks. Thanks for looking out for her. We’ll take care of her and Trouble. I’m sure you have other things to do.”
“Not really, sir, but I… I’ll just go. Excuse me.” He gave his COs a quick salute and ran from the apartment. It was one thing to be the guest of the linguist, it was another thing to face off with his commanders without her there as a buffer.
The two men chuckled and headed towards the bedroom, the doors opening at their approach. The sight that greeted them was almost comical. Mariah was spread-eagle on her stomach in the middle of the bed, still dressed in her off-world uniform, save her boots. Her left ankle was encased in ice packs, which were held in place by duct tape. They had to assume that was the doing of the marine, though they weren’t sure where the tape could’ve come from.
John set Trouble on the bed, where he immediately moved to curl up against Mariah’s neck, content to be close to his owner. The Colonel swept his eyes over their lover and sighed. “We should really get her out of her uniform.”
“I know, but she needs to rest. She pushed herself and needs to heal.” Evan studied her. “Let’s remove the ice packs, then we might be able to at least get her pants off.”
“Good plan. Might want to grab some extra pillows too, then we can prop her ankle up.” Sheppard looked at his XO. “You get them untaped, while I grab the pillows.” He received a nod in response and left the bedroom.
It was surprisingly easy to get the tape unstuck from the ice packs, though Mariah winced in her sleep, but thankfully didn’t wake, as he took them off her ankle. The swelling was readily apparent, but nowhere near as bad as when she broke it. Lorne was just starting to reach under her to unbutton her pants, when John returned with three pillows. Together, the two men carefully got her pants off, remaining cognizant of her ankle the whole time. She only winced twice more during the removal process. Then they reapplied the ice packs, finding the roll of tape sitting on the dresser, and propped her ankle up on the pillows. Finally, they covered her in a couple of blankets. They grabbed their laptops and opted to work remotely, sitting beside her on the bed.
A few hours passed and she began to stir. Her lovers set their laptops aside and laid down on either side of her. Mariah groaned as she came awake. She saw John first. “How long have I been out?”
“Well, it’s almost dinnertime, sweetheart, so you tell me.”
“I didn’t mean to sleep that long.”
“Means you needed it. The pain pill didn’t hurt either.” Lorne added.
She turned her head and looked at him. “Hey, Ev.”
“Hey, yourself.” He kissed her cheek.
“Help me flip over. Twisting my head like this is hurting my neck.” She pushed herself up and swung her injured leg towards Sheppard, flipping herself over. The men helped her shift back so she was sitting up and moved her pillow mound so her ankle was on it. Trouble took the disruption in stride and climbed into her lap, once she was settled. Then she looked at her ankle. “Is that duct tape?”
“Yeah… seems Stacks got inventive.” John answered before stealing a quick kiss.
She looked under the blankets. “And what happened to my pants?”
“We took them off so you’d be comfortable.” Lorne shared.
“Was that before or after the creative engineering?”
“In between.” They said in unison.
Evan quickly clarified at her confused look. “I took the ice packs off. Then we got your pants off and put the ice packs back on.”
“Okay….” She still wasn’t quite sure what happened.
The Colonel decided to distract her. “O’Neill told us all about the mission.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Sounds like it was a success. We got another ship here to defend the City.” The base XO was trying to make her feel better about what had happened.
“That’s good.” She couldn’t seem to meet their eyes.
Maybe comedy would work better to lighten her mood. John spoke. “O’Neill mentioned that you hit Chewie with your cane. Why didn’t you just let him carry you?”
“It’s one thing to ask for help, it’s another thing to have someone pick you up against your will. He could’ve just waited for me to ask. I was almost ready to, but since he didn’t, it became a point of pride. I was going to get there on my own, just to prove I could.” She seemed a little surer of herself.
“You did that, beautiful, but at detriment to your health.” Lorne brushed some hair away from her face. “You’ve set back your recovery and you upset the physical therapist.”
“The man’s a sadist. I told him it was a bad idea to have a session, but he wouldn’t listen. His exercises made it hurt more, then I snapped.” She sighed. “Maybe I should’ve pushed back about going on the mission.” Her mood dropped again.
“The General didn’t give you much choice. I think you did great, beautiful. But you need to rest for a couple days, then you’ll be back on the road to recovery.” Lorne slid off the bed and stood. “Now enough about that. John and I are going to fix some dinner. We can eat, watch a movie and make an early night of it. Sound good?” The other man shifted and stood as well. He was carefully watching the linguist.
“Great….” Mariah forced a smile on her face and watched her lovers leave the bedroom. As soon as they left, her face fell. Her ankle really hurt and she knew it was swollen. She had hoped going back to the shipyards, even with a cane, would mean that everything was back to normal. The whole mission had been far harder than she anticipated. Her own pride hadn’t helped any. All the same, she chuckled when she remembered the hurt look on Ronon’s face and the murderous look he had given Jack. She would focus on the bright spots. Falling into a depression wouldn’t help her any.
*****
“How are the performance reviews coming?”
“Great….”
Mariah gave him a closer look. “You’re working on them, right?”
“Of course.”
A skeptical look was all he got back.
“Maybe….”
The look was still there.
“No…. They’re so boring. Why can’t I just say everyone is exceptional and above average? Elizabeth let me do it that way.”
She sighed. “Because, John, without these reviews, your people can’t get promoted or get pay increases. You can’t say the same thing for all of them. You have to highlight their individual achievements, then Jack and General Landry can see how you feel about your officers and how they do their jobs.”
“When you put it like that….” He gave her sad puppy-dog eyes.
“Don’t pout, especially when I’m confined to bed and Carson refuses to give me the wheelchair back.”
“Why exactly did he do that?”
“He said, and I quote, ‘I need to ensure you rest, love. It’s either bed rest in your room or I sedate you and keep you in the infirmary. You choose.’ It wasn’t much of a choice. I’d rather be here with you, Evan and Trouble.” She looked around. “Where is he…? Trouble!” The little cat sprinted into the room and jumped on to the bed. She gave him a close look. “You better go see what he’s been up to out there. He’s got something all over his face.” Setting her laptop aside, she grabbed her pet and put him in her lap. He purred contentedly.
John sighed and got up to investigate. “That cat’s going to be the death of me….” He muttered. “Worse than a child….”
“Baby, what did you get yourself into?” Brushing off his face, the linguist’s hand got all dirty. Then it dawned on her what he had been messing with. “You were investigating that, weren’t you?” She chuckled and looked up when her lover came back into the room. “How big of a mess did he make with the soil?”
“Just a little on the floor. I got it cleaned up.” He sat back down. “It was nice of Parrish to give you that big fern.”
“It’s lovely and refreshing to have a little green in the apartment. But little kitties should not be digging in the dirt.” She cuddled her pet close. He meowed and rubbed against her.
“Don’t coddle him.”
“I’m not.”
“You are. He needs to learn to behave.”
“Just like a certain human does.” She gave the Colonel a poignant look.
“I’m the model of behaved.”
“Only in your mind.” She pointed at his laptop. “Get to work on those reviews. Remember to be objective.”
“Yes, sweetheart.” He kissed her cheek, grabbed his computer and got back to work.
Dr. Gray moved Trouble off her lap and got back to her own work. Her cat curled up against her leg and went to sleep. The couple sat in quiet companionship, but every time she glanced over at Sheppard, she smiled. He really seemed to be doing the work, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he wrote about the officers he commanded. She was happy her comments had gotten through to him. The men and women serving under him deserved to be rewarded for their hard work. Her own work was also going well. There were quite a few logs from the supply depot to go through and she had found one that was very interesting. She really hoped it panned out to actually be something.
John paused in his typing and hit his radio. “Sheppard here.” He listened for a minute and responded. “Thank you for letting me know, sir. You’re welcome to come by or we can wait for Lorne to tell us about it.” He listened again. “We’re sitting in bed, both hard at work, sir.” He chuckled and nodded. “I am, sir and probably a good idea. You’ll make her blush.” A final pause. “Thank you, sir. Sheppard out.” He hit his radio off.
“What did Jack say?”
“Ladon and his people just left with AR-2 and the security team. They’re taking them to the Alpha site to get their stuff, then they’ll be sent to an uninhabited world to go home.”
“And what was that about me blushing?”
“He wanted to come by to tell us what happened, asked what we were doing and when he heard we were in bed, he said he wouldn’t come by since he didn’t want to embarrass you.”
She blushed all the same when she heard what the other half of the conversation had been. He laughed again. Mariah shoved him. “You’re mean.”
“No, I’m honest.” John reached over and pulled her into his arms, giving her a passionate kiss. They lost themselves for a moment. He pulled back first and was breathing heavy. “Let’s get a little more work done, then we can take a break when Evan gets back.
“Great.” Her translation was coming along and after twenty more minutes, she cried. “Hot damn, it’s what I thought it was.”
“Huh? What?” The Colonel was baffled. His lover seemed very excited. He looked over at her laptop, trying to determine what had her so excited. “What did you find?”
“I’ve been working on the data we downloaded at the supply depot and found some type of log. Turns out it’s a delivery log. Lots of the entries are vague, just mentioning times, dates and what was delivered. They only used the item numbers and there was no mention of where the stuff came from. However, I didn’t give up and finally found mention of a planet name. Little more digging and I found the address.” She smiled brightly over at him.
John couldn’t resist and moved over to kiss her. The linguist giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her computer slid out of her lap and hit Trouble. The cat gave a little hiss and got out from under it. Giving his humans a glare, he hopped off the bed and went out into the living room. Sheppard pulled her over on top of him and laid down as best he could, keeping a careful eye on her hurt ankle. “This is more what I had in mind for my day at home with you.” He muttered between kisses.
All thought started to flee her mind and she let herself get lost. It was nice to have a little break, though she wasn’t quite sure how much work her lover had actually completed. She groaned when he moved from her lips to her neck. That was enough trying to think. They were so focused on each other they missed the apartment door opening and someone joining them in the bedroom.
“I thought you guys said you were going to be working while I was busy playing escort. I don’t think this is fair.” Lorne bemoaned, even though he had a grin on his face. He was leaning against the door jamb.
“Stop, John.” Dr. Gray stated as she pushed herself up and away from the Colonel and back to her spot sitting in the middle of the bed. She tried her best to smooth her rumbled hair and poked Sheppard in the stomach for good measure. “We were working until someone got distracted.”
“Hey…. You shared good news and you know I can’t resist your smile. But could you stop with the stomach pokes? You’re making me feel fat.” He rubbed his belly and smiled over at his XO. “So we’re Genii free again?”
“Yes, sir. Got them out of the City and to the Alpha site for their weapons, then sent them to another planet where they could gate home from.” He set his pack down outside the closet, then walked over to the bed, sitting down with a sigh. Dealing with the Genii always exhausted him.
Mariah leaned over and gave him a kiss. “All that matters is you’re home now with the two of us. Go clean up, then we want to hear about the meeting.
“Sounds good, beautiful.” He gave her another quick kiss, stood, and grabbed a change of clothes, before heading into the bathroom.
“Don’t even think about it.” The young woman held up a hand towards her other lover. “You either need to finish your reviews or go find Trouble while we wait. You choose.”
John grumbled. “I’ll work on the reviews.” He grabbed his laptop from where it fell and started typing again, once he found his place.
“Good.” She smiled at him, even though he wasn’t looking. Then she called out. “Trouble, baby, come here.” The feline sprinted into the bedroom and gave her a wary look. She sighed at him. “I’m sorry my laptop fell on you. It won’t happen again. Now come here.” That was all the prodding the little animal needed and soon he was in her lap, getting some love. He even stayed in her lap when she got back to her own work.
Evan chuckled when he came out of the bathroom. “This is more what I expected.” He returned to his side of the bed and sat beside his lover. He gave her another quick kiss. “What’s this good news John mentioned?”
“After… I want to hear about Ladon first.” The linguist stated as she saved her work, then closed the lid of her laptop, setting it aside. She smiled when Lorne grabbed it and set it on his bedside table. She pet Trouble, who purred happily, all resentment towards falling computers forgotten.
“Where do you want me to start?” The Major asked.
“From the pick-up.” John stated, his own worked saved and put away. His sole focus was on his friend, though he did rub a hand up and down Mariah’s back for good measure. She shook her head at him, but said nothing.
“Well, Ladon and his guys were at the rendezvous planet when we arrived. I used the life signs detector and determined it was just the three of them. Reed dialed the Gate while we kept our guests away from the DHD so they wouldn’t see the address. Then we stepped through.” Evan was giving a very clinical description of the events.
The linguist wasn’t satisfied. “How did he seem when you met up? Did he ask any questions or did he just come along quietly?” Her lovers gave her funny looks. “Don’t look at me like that. I want more than what you’re going to put in your mission report.”
“You’re right, beautiful. Okay…. Ladon was nervous as were his escorts. He kept asking questions, like why was he being invited back to the City and even if you were okay. Actually he seemed almost obsessed with finding out if you were okay.” Lorne shared.
“What did you say?” Sheppard asked. He was genuinely interested.
“I simply stated that Dr. Gray was busy with other duties in the City and couldn’t participate in his meeting with the General this time around.” The base XO tamped down on the anger he felt towards the Genii leader. He knew he and his CO agreed on the fact that their lover would never be in Ladon’s company again if it was in their power to stop it.
“Good, Ev.” John was proud of the other man, not only for how he answered, but for controlling his rage. The linguist didn’t need that right now.
“What happened next?” Mariah wanted to know everything. Her cat wandered off, having lost the attention of his owner, and went to find someplace quieter to take a nap.
“The General was waiting for us in the Gate Room along with two more security teams. Ladon and O’Neill had a tense back and forth, then they headed up to his office to continue their discussion. I hurried to drop off my gear and joined them.” Evan answered.
“And?” Dr. Gray was going to know what was going on even if it killed her. Both her lovers were so stubborn. That or they liked drawing things out and making her beg for more. Actually she really wouldn’t put it past them.
“The gist of it was… there’s a bit of civil unrest on the Genii homeward. People don’t agree with how Ladon’s handling things. There’s some in-fighting amongst his cabinet and factions are forming. A few groups have even broken away and left. He’s heard rumors about what these groups have been doing. Similar to the group of Genii Lucius hired, some have become mercenaries, while others are just trying to survive. He can’t tell us which this group was.”
“I think they were just trying to survive.” Mariah said. She shook her head when they gave her funny looks again. She held her hand out and counted off on her fingers. “Their uniforms were old and tattered. The ugly, angry man was almost giddy about the bidding and how much he was going to make. The amount of food they gave me was minimal, but that could’ve just been in an attempt to keep me weak and helpless.”
Lorne kissed her temple. “All good points, beautiful. You’re probably right, but it seems the Genii have a lot of issues going on and somehow we got stuck in the middle.”
“It’s understandable. We’ve made lots of allies and enemies since coming to Pegasus. All these different worlds are fighting to survive against the Wrath. They need every advantage they can get.” John offered, before looking at his watch. “It’s lunchtime. I’ll run and get us all something to eat. I’ll let you two have a few minutes alone.” He stood and added. “But only a few. We did spend most of the morning working, no matter what you walked in on.” Then he was gone.
“He spent all morning with you and only got distracted once?”
“Yes….” Mariah turned her head and leaned forward to kiss him. “Are you going to waste our few minutes talking or evening the score?”
The Major didn’t need any further prompting and surged forward to kiss her soundly on the lips. He helped her lay down, covering her side with his body. A little time with her made him forget all his worries and his crappy morning of playing escort. He would have to ask about her good news later…. He had better things to do.
Chapter 9: Ramifications
Chapter Text
“So are you leading AR-2 with a new line-up or have you taken control of AR-3 from Stacks?”
“Neither. Kreis and Yeager are back on Earth and O’Neill wanted another gene carrier on the mission. You and I are just supplementing AR-3.”
“It’s the latter then.” She gave him a little grin.
“Mariah….” His voice held a note of warning, but also a lot of amusement. He was happy she was in such a good mood about going off-world again. Evan checked his watched. “C’mon, beautiful. Shoes, now. We’re going to be late.”
Sliding her boots on, she quickly tied them up, then gave Trouble a little love. “Be good, baby. John will check on you throughout the day.” She kissed the cat’s head and got a happy purr and a meow in return. The linguist stood, putting her pack on as she did, and grabbed Lorne’s hand. They exited the apartment together and she asked. “Where’s John?”
“Early meeting with the General. He said he would be in the Control Room to see us off.” They hopped in the transporter and were soon outside the armory, where everyone was waiting for them. The young woman had released her lover’s hand before the doors opened.
It took them a couple minutes to finish getting geared up, then they all headed up to the Jumper Bay. Evan took the pilot’s seat and Stackhouse sat in the co-pilot’s chair. Dr. Gray sat behind her lover and Dimitri was across the aisle from her. The ladies of AR-4 stayed in the rear compartment, sitting on the benches there. Soon they were in the air and lowering into the Gate Room.
Colonel Sheppard’s voice came over the radio. “Jumper 2, you are cleared to depart. Good luck.”
“You guys better find the facility, or McKay will never let me hear the end of it.” Jack added.
The occupants of the Jumper chuckled. Lorne responded for the group. “We’ll do our best, sir. We wouldn’t want you to be on McKay’s shit list.”
“That’s right, Major.” He responded, before adding. “Teldy, make sure you keep the boys out of trouble.”
The marine was smiling in her seat, which was a rarity and replied. “Yes, sir. That’s what we’re here for.” Her teammates laughed as did the linguist, while the three men all frowned. The Jumper flew through the event horizon, effectively ending the conversation.
The world they arrived on was bright and sunny and they were in the middle of a small field, completely surrounded by forest. Taking the Jumper up to a reasonable height, the base XO began to scan the area for any signs of Ancient technology or energy signatures. It didn’t take long for something to pop up on the HUD.
“I’m getting an energy signature to the West. Let’s see what we find.” No one commented and the little ship banked to the left, flying over the trees. Ten minutes later the Jumper stopped and they hovered above the forest. “There’s the start of a slight rise here and the initial scans are showing ancient architecture. It would seem the facility must be underground. We need to find a place to land, then walk back to investigate.”
“There’s probably a ship access point somewhere. Some of the items at the supply depot were too large to go through the Gate.” Mariah stated as she stood and moved behind her lover.
“You’re probably right, but I don’t want to chance it being unstable or inaccessible. I think it would be best to do some initial recon and see if we can even get into the facility. On the return trip, they can look for another access point. All right?” He asked when he turned his head so he could see her. He saw her nod and spoke to the man beside him. “Stacks, see if you can find a place for me to set down. I want to be as close to this rise as I can get.”
“There a small clearing about a click and half North of our position, sir. It’s the best I could find.” The Sergeant reported.
“Copy.” In no time at all, the Jumper landed and the group gathered in the rear of the ship. The XO assessed everyone and quickly came to his decision. “I’ve cloaked the Jumper, but I still want to leave someone behind to protect it and guide us back. Petrov, I want you to do that.”
“But, sir, he-.”
“I know, Stacks. He doesn’t have the gene, but I want all the gene carriers with the group going to investigate the signal. You, Dr. Gray and I are all natural gene carriers and should be able to open doors and turn on the lights.” He handed a little box to the Russian marine. “This will allow you to uncloak the ship, close the hatch and power up the shields without needing the gene. Do not give away this position unless you have no choice. Understood, Sergeant?”
“Da, Major.” Dimitri took the little remote and stepped away from the group.
Lorne surveyed the remaining people and spoke again. “I’ll take the lead since I have the life signs detector. Vega, Mehra, you take our six. Teldy, you and Stackhouse will be in the middle with Drs. Porter and Gray. For the entirety of the mission, they are your responsibility. If anything happens, you are to get them to safety, by whatever means necessary. Is that clear?”
“Crystal, sir.” Anne answered. She and Evan might be the same rank but he was in charge of their mission and had seniority. She’d show him the respect he deserved, especially when he was handing out assignments. She eyed the Sergeant and he gave her a nod. “I’ll take Dr. Gray, while the Sergeant takes Alison. That leaves a gene carrier in each pair.” She shifted to stand next to the linguist while Nate moved next to Dr. Porter.
“Good thinking. Let’s move out.” Lorne moved down the ramp and stepped out of the Jumper into the sunshine.
The temperature was moderate, but with the thick cover from the canopy of trees, it was like a walk through the woods in spring. The terrain was flat with rocks and boulders littered between the trees. It took them about 15-20 minutes to get to the point where the signal had led them. In front of them, there was the edge of a rise, just like the Major had mentioned. Captain Vega and Dusty took up watch while the others investigated the rise, looking for some sign of Ancient technology.
“Over here, Lorne.” Teldy called to her fellow Major. She and the linguist were working to clear the overgrowth off a section of the rise. The others joined in and after a few minutes, an Ancient door was revealed. Words were carved along the frame.
“Doctors, why don’t you see what you can tell us, then we’ll try to get in.” Evan addressed his lover and the scientist on AR-4. Alison immediately started to examine a small screen on the right-hand side of the door, while Mariah started to work on translating the words on the frame. Anne and Stacks stayed close to their charges while Lorne watched the two marines patrol the area in front of the rise.
After several minutes, Sergeant Mehra froze and began inspecting the area of woods in front of her. She spoke in a whisper. “Sir, I have movement.”
The Major moved towards her, holding out the life signs detector as he did. He cursed. “Crap, I have a dozen life signs heading straight for us.” He turned back to the others. Mariah was looking at him with fear in her eyes. He couldn’t let anything happen to her, but he had a job to do. “Anne, you remember the way back?”
“Yes, but I can help. We should be able to-.” She started to argue.
“No. Our job is to protect the civilians. You and Stackhouse get the doctors back to the Jumper. The three of us….” He motioned to Alicia and Mehra. “We’ll protect your flank. Got it?”
“Yeah….” She didn’t look happy, but nodded at him. Teldy turned and hurried to Mariah’s side, grabbing her arm and starting back the way they came. “Grab Alison and let’s move, Stacks.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He ushered the scientist in front of him and followed after the leader of AR-4. Nate took one final glance over his shoulder, where his CO and the other two marines continued to scan the forest.
They hadn’t got more than a few hundred feet, when gunfire erupted behind them. Teldy picked up the pace, the two doctors and the Security Chief speeding up to match. Their radios came alive.
They all heard Lorne’s voice. “Petrov, we’re taking fire. Major Teldy and Sgt. Stackhouse are bringing Drs. Gray and Porter back to the Jumper. Keep your eyes out for them. Do you copy?”
“Da, sir. I am standing by to lead them into the Jumper. Then I will come to assist you, sir.”
“Negative, Sergeant. You hold your position unless I say otherwise. Got it?”
“Da….” Dimitri didn’t sound happy.
Evan wasn’t finished. “Teldy, be sure to scan the clearing before you even think of crossing it with our civilians. Make sure you’re clear before you move.”
“Yes, sir.” Anne responded and went from a jog to a run. The gunfire seemed to be getting closer and she wanted to get the other women to safety, before she went back to help. The base XO hadn’t said anything about her not coming back.
The clearing came into sight and the Major brought her group to a halt. Seeing nothing in the clearing, or anywhere along the perimeter, she whispered to the others. “Everyone, keep your heads down. Just keep moving, even if someone starts shooting at us.” She hit her radio. “Petrov, we’re at the edge of the clearing. Show yourself.”
A disembodied arm waved at them from across the clearing and the foursome started to move as fast as they could to the safety their ship provided. They disappeared inside, all breathing sighs of relief when they saw Dimitri standing there.
Dr. Gray looked at Anne. “We need to help Major Lorne and the others.”
“You aren’t going to do anything.” She looked at the Security Chief. “Stacks, get up front and be ready to fly us out of here the second the others get on board and be sure to switch from cloak to shield when you do.” He nodded at her and moved towards the front. “Alison, I want you up there as well.” Expecting her teammate to do as she asked, she turned to the other marine. “Sergeant, you make sure Dr. Gray stays in this Jumper. I’m going to go back and see if I can help. That clear?”
“Da, ma’am.” The Russian responded with a nod.
The Major started back out of the Jumper, but stopped short. She could see the others on the edge of the clearing, firing back into the woods. All of a sudden, gunfire started from another section of the forest. It would seem whoever was shooting at them had circled around, pinning them down at the tree line. If they entered the clearing, they would be cut down. She cursed. “Damn it.”
Mariah stood at the back of the cloaked Jumper, watching the firefight along with Major Teldy and Sgt. Petrov. There wasn’t anything they could do for Lorne, Dusty or Captain Vega now. If they left the safety of the jumper or returned fire, they would give their position away and have to switch from cloak to shield, cutting off the escape route for their people.
Suddenly, there was a lull in the shooting and the linguist watched as her lover moved from cover and started towards their position. Two shots rang out and Evan’s body twisted and fell to the ground. Dr. Gray stepped forward and yelled. “EVAN!” Arms around her waist stopped her from rushing to his side.
“Nyet. You cannot put yourself at risk to help him. He would not want that.” Dimitri said into her ear.
“And you’d give away our position.” Anne stated firmly. The marine eyed her CO and could see he was bleeding from his right shoulder and his belly. Their foes were either exceptional marksmen or had gotten incredibly lucky, having missed the TAC vest with both shots.
“Fine.” Mariah responded. When the Russian let her go, she saw the blood seeping from her lover and his chest barely moving. She took two deep breaths and did her best to calm herself. A hardness entered her eyes and she added. “We’ll do this another way.”
The young woman thrust her arms forward, intent to use her telepathic powers to push the enemy away and give the others time to get to safety, instead she got more than she bargained for. The ground itself rippled, appearing almost like a brown and green wave as it rolled up and away from her, violently. Trees were uprooted and rocks exploded. It seemed like minutes passed when it was over in seconds. The aftermath made it look like a bomb had exploded. But she wasn’t done yet. With her arms still extended, Dr. Gray turned towards Lorne and drew her arms back. He slid across the ground, like a rock skipping over a pond. He stopped at the base of the ramp.
“Help me.” Mariah pleaded as she stepped down and grabbed one of Evan’s arms. Petrov joined her and took the other. They pulled him into the back of the Jumper and worked together to get to his wounds. They missed the startled look Teldy had all over her face.
Anne shook her head and turned back to the ramp, seeing her two teammates running to the Jumper. Once they were inside, she shouted. “Stacks, get us the hell out of here. As soon as the Gate connects, request a medical team meet us in the Jumper Bay.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The Sergeant responded even as the ship lifted off and raced back towards the Gate. He had seen what the linguist did and the leader of AR-4’s reaction. He would need to let the General and Colonel Sheppard know without giving too much away over the radio.
“Evan, stay with me.” Dr. Gray pleaded as she cupped her lover’s face, leaving bloody marks on his pale skin.
“Hey, beautiful.” He responded weakly.
“Focus on me, Ev. You can’t leave me.”
“Never, I love you too much.” His voice seemed to be getting weaker.
While the couple spoke, Dimitri and the three marines on AR-4 tended to Major Lorne’s wounds. He was losing a lot of blood from the belly wound. He needed immediate medical attention. There was only so much they could do with a field kit. Suddenly, a soft white light engulfed the wounded man and the four marines sat back, in awe and confusion. Evan and Dr. Gray didn’t seem to notice, since she was solely focused on keeping the Major conscious and he had his eyes locked on her. The blood flow lessened and he appeared to be out of danger for the moment
Major Teldy pushed to her feet and strode into the forward compartment. She saw they were approaching the Gate and watched Alison dial. When the Gate connected, Anne hit her radio. “Atlantis, this is Jumper 2. We have a wounded man and need….” She trailed off. She knew the linguist had done ‘something’ and saved the lives of her teammates, but she wasn’t sure how or who knew. She had no idea who she should ask to meet them in the Jumper Bay. A hand tapping on her arm had her looking down at the Security Chief.
“O’Neill, Sheppard, Beckett, Keller and Marie.” Nate whispered to her. She nodded at him.
“We have a wounded man and need General O’Neill, Colonel Sheppard, Drs. Beckett and Keller, along with Marie to meet us in the Jumper Bay. No one else. We’re coming through now.” The Major took a deep breath and looked back into the rear compartment. Petrov had gotten over his amazement and was working to bandage Lorne’s wounds as best he could, apparently unfazed by what was going on. Vega and Sgt. Mehra were still gaping at the white light surrounding the base XO and Dr. Gray, but they had moved to sit on one of the benches, out of the way. Anne concluded AR-3 knew what was going on. She would have to ask the General about it when this was all over.
“Copy, Jumper 2. They’ll meet you in the bay.” Chuck responded over the radio.
The Jumper slid through the event horizon and exited into the Gate Room of Atlantis. The automatic controls took over and the Jumper lifted up through the open door into the Bay. The ship set down and the rear hatch was lowering before anyone had time to react. The leader of AR-4 was again unsure what to do next. Stacks saved her.
“Major, I think it would be best for us to get off the ship and let the medical team in to work on Major Lorne. General O’Neill will need to know what happened. That should give Beckett time to get his patient to the infirmary to be treated.” Noting how frozen the Major was, he stood from the pilot’s chair and spoke to her again, setting a hand on her arm. “Ma’am, are you ok?”
“Yeah, Stacks. I’m just hoping someone can explain what’s going on.”
“I’m with you, Anne.” Dr. Porter added as the scientist in her took over and she began to study the light surrounding the injured man.
Nothing else could be said or done as people appeared at the end of the ramp and were peering inside. Jack started to curse as soon as he saw what was going on, while Keller and Marie gasped and stared. The CMO, on the other hand, rushed forward and fell to his knees next to Mariah, examining the Major’s belly wound first. The Colonel also entered the Jumper and dropped to the floor next to Dimitri, lifting the bandage on the shoulder wound.
“Looks like a through-and-through. Should just need to be sewn up.” John told the Scotsman.
“That’s good, lad. This stomach wound is much worse. I think it hit an artery. We need to get him to the OR.” Beckett looked back outside the Jumper and barked at his colleagues. “Don’t just stand there. Marie, he needs an IV, now. Jennifer, get the backboard, so we can get him out of here and to the infirmary.” His shouts broke the women out of their stupors and they sprang into action. Seeing that they were doing their jobs, the physician turned to Mariah. “Love, you need to let him go so we can move him.”
“No.”
“Love….”
“I’ve got it, doc.” Sheppard crawled over to his lover and cupped her face, tilting it up so she would look at him. “You need to let Carson take care of him, sweetheart.”
“I can’t let him die.” She twisted her head out of his grasp and looked back down at the man she held. “You need to hold on, Ev. They’re going to patch you up and you’ll be just fine.”
“I know, beautiful.” He responded, his voice cracking from the blood loss and the pain. “Let John take care of you, while I go to the infirmary.” He smiled at her and sighed when she let his face go. The white light dissipated and the full agony of his wounds returned. He cut back a scream.
The military commander helped Dr. Gray stand and shifted her away from the Major, towards the front of the ship. The couple watched as the three medical professionals shifted and lifted Evan up and out of the Jumper. As soon as he was on the gurney, they bolted from the room, heading to the OR.
The General strode into the Jumper and looked at who was left. He could see there was confusion on the parts of AR-4, while Stacks and Sgt. Petrov looked concerned. Finally, his gaze fell on Mariah and the utter devastation all over her face. He sighed. “Sheppard, get Dr. Gray to the infirmary. I think you might want to ask someone to give her something.”
“Copy, sir.” John ushered his lover out of the Jumper and they left for the infirmary.
“All right, Teldy. I want to know exactly what happened, who attacked you and what Mariah did.”
“Yes, sir.” The marine replied. She began her story of the mission.
Jack shook his head. He knew this whole debacle was not going to end well for him, the linguist or the expedition. There was no way they could keep this out of the reports and that could have ramifications some of them might just not be able to handle. He gave a heavy sigh and did his best to pay attention. What a cluster-f….
*****
“General, I’m sorry, but we can’t avoid reporting this incident to the IOA. She killed ten people.”
“Ten people who were trying to kill our people.” Jack hung his head when he got a stern look from the other man.
The whole incident was going from bad to worse. The expedition leader had received a full report on the mission from AR-4, Stacks and Petrov. While the four ladies seemed baffled, they weren’t outraged or scared by what Mariah had apparently done. This gave him hope they could resolve this without reporting it back to Earth. He sent the five marines back to the planet (he didn’t want Dr. Porter in any more danger) to see what had happened to the people who attacked them. When they returned the second time, his hopes were dashed, since they had found all their attackers dead, crushed by the rocks, trees and dirt Dr. Gray had pushed towards them. Teldy had recovered one of the bodies and brought it back to the City. The man’s uniform was Genii, but tattered and torn like the men who kidnapped the linguist a few months earlier. O’Neill was going to need to have another chat with Ladon. That thought worsened his mood even more.
“I have no issue omitting exactly what happened from my report, sir. All they need to know is the bad guys are dead and we got home safe.” Major Teldy offered.
Jack smiled and looked at Woolsey. The stern look was still there, so he knew that wouldn’t work. “Thanks for the offer, Major, but I don’t think we can sweep this under the rug.” He studied the marine and added. “Once everything calms down a bit, I’ll brief you and your team about Mariah. After what happened, I think you deserve to know.” Anne nodded at her superior. He shook his head. “At this rate, the entire expedition is going to know.” The door chimed and he thought it open. John strode into the office. “Sheppard, what are you doing here? Where’s Mariah?”
“Evan just got out of surgery and is in recovery. He’s going to be okay, but is stuck in the infirmary for the duration. He lost a lot of blood.” He smiled at them. “Mariah wouldn’t let any of the medical personnel near her. She wanted Carson to examine her, so we waited for him to be free. She stayed surprisingly calm while we waited. The doc wanted to sedate her, but she wanted to be with Evan. They reached a compromise. She crawled into bed with him, then Carson sedated her. They were both asleep when I left. Chewie and Teyla are standing watch.” He really looked at the other occupants of the office and saw their serious faces. “What’s wrong?”
“I was informing General O’Neill and Major Teldy that I would have to report what happened to my superiors. Dr. Gray killed ten people.” Woolsey saw the Colonel’s face fall and lifted a hand when he went to speak. “I understand they were enemy combatants, however her powers are growing and she took more severe action than she ever has before. They need to know. I don’t wish for her to be punished or removed from the expedition. I believe Atlantis is the best place for her, but the IOA must weigh in. It’s their job.” The bureaucrat was firm, but his features softened and he added. “I don’t want her to leave any more than you do. She’s my friend and has welcomed me here. But I can’t ignore what happened… not this time.”
“I understand, Richard, but can we wait until Lorne is out of the woods? I don’t want to add to Mariah’s distress.” Jack asked.
“I have no issues with that. With Major Lorne out of commission, I know it’ll take a little while to get the completed mission reports reviewed and signed off on. The Colonel has other work that takes priority. That means that the entire report on the incident will need to be delayed. It doesn’t make sense to send back bits and pieces.” The IOA rep was on the receiving end of two grins and a half smile (Major Teldy wasn’t overly expressive he had learned).
“Means we have time to prep Mariah for what’s going to happen.” John offered.
“Exactly, Sheppard.” O’Neill stated and turned towards the marine. “Major, go get your medical checks and you have the next 12 hours off. Then you’ll need to assume the role of base XO until Lorne is cleared for light duty. Mission reports will be handled by the Colonel and myself, so don’t worry about them.”
“Yes, sir.” She snapped to attention, then turned on her heels and exited the office.
Richard cleared his throat and the other two men looked at him, again. “I’m going to go draft my report for the IOA. I’ll send it to you both for review, before I finalize it. I’m hoping to speak with Dr. Gray, as well. I feel I need as much information as I can get, so my superiors have all the information before they make a decision.”
“Thank you, Mr. Woolsey.” John said.
“You’re welcome, Colonel. Gentleman.” He nodded and quickly left.
The expedition leader gave a heavy sigh. These rogue Genii were really starting to piss him off. One group kidnaps Mariah, then another group shoots Lorne. He was going to have to be less diplomatic and more blunt with Ladon. The leader of the Genii either had a serious problem with dissenters or was about to be at war with Atlantis. He really hoped it was the former, not the latter. Jack eyed his military commander. “How are you doing?”
“I’m worried about Lorne and Mariah’s reaction to what happened to him. But more than anything, sir, I’m worried about what the IOA is going to do. If they make her leave the City, Ev and I will go with her. It’ll kill me, but not as much as not being with her. I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Me, too, John. Me, too.”
*****
“General O’Neill, your presence was not requested.”
“Tough.” Jack looked around the dark little room. “Since you picked an interrogation room over the conference room, I’m not leaving her alone with you.” He looked back out the door and spotted the airman who had served as their escort. “Norwell, go find me a chair. It would appear the IOA can’t count.” He barked at the young man.
“Yes, sir.” He snapped a salute and scurried off. He was back in less than a minute with a chair, probably from one of the other interview rooms. Norwell set it by the table, saluted again and left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.
O’Neill held out a chair for Mariah and once she was seated, he sat beside her, giving a heavy sigh. He eyed the three IOA representatives across the table from them and shook his head. This wasn’t going to be good.
The Atlantis expedition leader and Dr. Gray had only arrived in the SGC fifteen minutes earlier, after a few stressful weeks. As soon as Major Lorne had been given the news he was out of the woods, after a week in the infirmary, the full mission report from the incident on M3L-973 had been sent to the SGC and the IOA. A week after that, they received word that Mariah was to report to Earth during the following week’s data burst. Her stay would be for an indefinite period of time. Sheppard had wanted to tag along as had all of his teammates as well as several other members of the expedition, but the linguist was adamant that she could handle this on her own. Then Jack told her plainly he would be going along for her safety and the mental well-being of the senior staff. When she tried to argue, he glared at her. She shut her mouth and accepted his company for the trip.
Leaving McKay and Sheppard in charge of the City, O’Neill stepped through the Gate back to Earth with Mariah by his side. They were greeted by Landry and Daniel and advised the IOA was waiting for them. They handed their bags to Dr. Jackson and followed the waiting airman, Norwell, to their meeting. Jack had been livid when he saw where they were taken. He would have to keep his wits about him, since it appeared they were trying to play mind games with his friend. Her last visit to this room hadn’t gone so well and he wasn’t going to let it happen again.
There were two men sitting across the table from them. One of them the General recognized as James Coolidge, who had conducted the interviews of Teyla and Ronon and had deemed them worthy to remain part of the expedition. The other man he didn’t know. The third person was the woman who had told him he shouldn’t be there. She was Asian, most likely Chinese, since China was the only Asian country that was part of the IOA. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t remember her name. Then she started to speak and he did his best to focus on the matter at hand.
“Dr. Gray, thank you very much for agreeing to meet with us. We know it is a great inconvenience to be pulled away from your work in Atlantis.” The woman stated with a friendly smile on her face.
The linguist wasn’t falling for it. “I wasn’t given much choice.”
“Yes, of course.” The woman was slightly flustered, or it could have been an act to put Mariah at ease. She quickly continued. “Just so you are aware, my colleagues here are James Coolidge and Gregory Stone, representing the US and UK, respectively. And I am Shen Xiaoyi, the Chinese delegate to the IOA.”
“In essence, an ambassador, correct?” Mariah asked.
“Yes, Doctor.”
“Well, then Madam Ambassador, let’s begin, shall we?”
“As you wish….” Shen looked through the papers sitting before her for a couple of minutes, then asked. “Please give a detailed account of the mission to M3L-973, from the moment you left the City to when you returned.”
Mariah cleared her throat and began. “At 0800 hours on the day in question, AR-4, Major Lorne, Sgts. Stackhouse and Petrov and myself boarded Jumper 2 in order to gate to M3L-973 to investigate the possibility of an Ancient facility being there. The address for the planet was found in the data we downloaded from the supply depot on M6H-18J. It was posited that the facility on M3L-973 could be a manufacturing plant. We arrived on the planet and….” She went over everything that happened that day from the moment the Jumper flew through the Gate, to the discovery of the facility, to the attack and finally to what she did to save her lover and two members of AR-4, though she was careful to omit her relationship with Evan.
“Why did you decide to use your powers?” Mr. Coolidge asked.
“Because Major Lorne was hit and bleeding heavily. If we didn’t get him back to Atlantis, he would’ve bled to death. Not to mention, Captain Vega and Sergeant Mehra were pinned down and unable to get back to the Jumper. I had no choice. I couldn’t let him die, not when I had the power to save him.” She tried to keep the anger out of her words, but she was pretty sure she failed if the look on Jack’s face told her anything. That or he was worried about something else. She didn’t have time to figure it out.
“There is always a choice. And your choice led to the death of ten men.” Shen stated, her face a blank mask.
“I didn’t intend for that to happen. My only focus was on saving Evan, I mean, Major Lorne.” She paled at her slip up. Sadly, they noticed.
“Do you have a personal relationship with Major Lorne?” The UK rep asked.
“He’s my friend… probably my best friend in Atlantis.” It wasn’t a lie, Evan was her friend, but she wasn’t going to share it went beyond that.
“So your personal feelings clouded your judgement?” Coolidge asked.
“No, I would’ve done what I did for any member of the expedition.” Mariah thought she made a nice recovery there.
The ambassador interjected. “Let’s go back, you said you didn’t intend to kill the ten men. What did you intend?”
“To push them away, maybe knock them out, so they would stop shooting and everyone could get back to the Jumper.”
“That is exactly the point, Dr. Gray. Your powers are beyond your control and need to be carefully monitored. What if you were trying to do something to ‘help’ the expedition and hurt one of your own people instead?” The Asian woman asked.
“I would never do that.”
“Just like you would never kill ten people.” Shen countered
“That was an accident.” Mariah’s calm facade was crumbling. She couldn’t let these people win. They would take her away from her home, her family and the men she loved. She ducked her head and tried to regain control.
Jack tried to interject. “What she did was-.”
The Chinese rep interrupted. “General, you are here as an observer. You are not a part of these proceedings.” He clamped his mouth shut and glared. If they kept browbeating the linguist, he would intercede. “Dr. Gray, accident or not, ten people are dead.”
“People who were trying to kill us.”
“That is not the point. The IOA is now forced to take action, but we are willing to give you a choice. Either you can return to Earth where the Committee can more closely observe you or a stronger IOA presence is needed in the City. My country has nominated-.” It was Shen’s turn to be interrupted.
“No.” The linguist stated with a strength she didn’t know she had in her.
“Excuse me?” Coolidge asked.
“You heard me. No. The IOA gets no say in what I can or cannot do.”
“That is actually the IOA’s mandate and you can’t-.” Mr. Stone started.
Mariah spoke over him. “NO.” She stated more forcefully and the table between the expedition members and the IOA reps shook. The trio fell silent and sat back. “The IOA has no control over me. These powers, MY powers, were given to me by my Ascended Ancestor in order to save the galaxy, hell, the universe, from the threat of the Ori. And I did exactly that, sacrificing myself for the greater good. The Ascended, aka the Others, saved me and made the decision to let me keep the powers I gained as a thank you. They deemed me worthy, out of every other living creature. I think at the end of the day, the only people who can control, monitor or punish me is them. Not you and your Committee.” She took a deep breath and looked at the man beside her.
“Keep going, you’re on a roll.” Jack whispered to her.
“I came here as a courtesy to hear what you had to say and I don’t appreciate any of it. You each owe me your life.” Three sets of startled eyes gazed at her in wonder. “If I hadn’t killed the Ori, you would all be dead or enslaved. And while I have called in favors from the IOA and the SGC, we are nowhere close to even, plus I have the backing of the President of the United States. I’m more than sure he’ll back my play and speak to his counterparts in the UK, France, Germany, Russia, and of course, China.” Her eyes locked with Shen’s. “Your bosses all still owe me.”
Her full attention was focused on the Chinese woman for her next comments. “And you, Madam Ambassador, are a lot dumber than I was led to believe. I don’t even need to read your mind to know what you’re plotting. You know I don’t want to leave Atlantis and you got yourself nominated to be my probation officer, for lack of a better word, all in the hopes that you can find some fault with Mr. Woolsey and his performance and take his job. Well, too bad… not going to happen. Richard is an asset to the expedition and isn’t going anywhere. I’ll be sure to let the President know about your conniving little plot of a takeover. I’m sure your boss will deny everything and lay it at your feet.” The other woman paled at the words of the linguist.
With another deep breath, she wrapped up what she had to say, while she scanned her three opponents. “I may be a pacifist, but my Ancestor was a general and the remnants of her have a tendency to come to the forefront when I need protection. However know this, this strength is all me. I will always stand up for what I believe in. The fear in your eyes shows me just how much power I have and how little you know you have. Rest assured, I will let the President know what happened here today. Keep your eyes out for your pink slips.” She stood as did General O’Neill. Lifting her hand up, she flicked her wrist and the door swung open, startling the airmen in the hall. “Good day, gentlemen, Madam Ambassador.” Quickly turning, the linguist strode from the room, Jack a step behind her. She kept going until they rounded a corner, where she collapsed against the wall. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
“I can.” He chuckled. “That was hella impressive. The boys aren’t going to believe it when I tell them.”
“I still can’t believe it and I’m the one who did it.”
“C’mon, Mariah. You have a phone call to make.” He set a hand at the small of her back and gently ushered her to the elevator, where they headed down to level 27. They entered the empty conference room and went straight over to Landry’s office. He knocked, then opened the door, sticking his head in. “Hank?”
“Jack.” The commander of the SGC stood and rounded his desk, opening the door all the way. “Finished with the IOA already?”
“Yup. Mariah told them where they could stick it, but now she needs to talk to the President. Can we use the phone?” He gestured to the red phone of the desk.
“Of course.” Landry ushered the pair in.
Dr. Gray was blushing a dark shade of red. “I didn’t tell them off. Well, not exactly…. They shouldn’t have threatened me.”
Hank chuckled. “I’m glad you stood up for yourself. Hopefully, they’ll leave before the day is out. They’ve been driving everyone crazy with their demands.”
“Well, after Mariah is through with them, they probably aren’t going to have jobs.” O’Neill added, then perched himself on the edge of the desk and lifted the receiver of the phone. He paused for a second and smiled. “Mr. President, Jack O’Neill. Dr. Gray would like to speak with you, if you have a moment.” He chuckled. “Of course, sir.” He held out the phone to the young woman. “You’re on.”
*****
“Be careful of my belly wound, beautiful.”
“Mmmm hmmm….”
“Jesus.”
“Stop moving around so much. You’re messing up my rhythm.”
“Sorry.” Evan’s eyes rolled back into his head. He was laying on their bed in just his boxers and Mariah was in one of John’s shirts on her hands and knees over him, paying an unhealthy amount of attention to his chest with her lips, teeth and tongue. She was working her way down, kissing, nipping and licking every inch of him. His hands were holding her head, his fingers occasionally combing through her mocha tresses. He was coming apart at the seams. One correction though. She was on her hand and knees. Her left hand wasn’t holding her up, it was pressed against the wound in his right shoulder, doing what, he wasn’t sure. He was having a difficult time thinking straight.
“Do you need to be rescued, Major?”
“No, sir.” Lorne groaned and held her head to the spot she just found. What she was doing felt amazing.
General O’Neill and Dr. Gray had returned to the City a few hours earlier after four days on Earth. Following their meeting with the IOA and the linguist’s chat on the phone with the President, the leader of the free world had deigned to visit the SGC and sit down with Mariah and the two generals. It had been an interesting meeting, but everyone agreed the IOA was out of line and only the Others could regulate the young woman and her powers, going forward. The President was very interested in Ms. Shen’s attempt to get to Atlantis and assured everyone that he would be talking to his Chinese counterpart as well as the other world leaders involved with the IOA. It had been a good conversation, overall.
After the President left, Mariah and O’Neill spent some time with SG-1 and decompressed from the stress of dealing with the IOA. It had been good for both of them, but the linguist was eager to return home. Approving use of the Earth-based ZPM, Jack okayed their trip straight back to the City and they were met by AR-1, 2 and 3 as well as Mr. Woolsey, Drs. Beckett and Zelenka and a few others. Ronon bolted down the stairs as soon as he saw the little doctor, scooped her up and carried her back up to her friends and family. She laughed the whole way. Exchanging hugs and smiles with everyone, her eyes filled with tears when she spotted her lovers, standing there with grins across their faces. She hugged them both with whispered promises of more later.
Eventually, Jack ushered everyone into the main Conference Room where he told the story of what happened at the SGC, of Mariah’s interrogation and her finding her strength to stand up to them and telling them exactly what they could do with their punishment. Dr. Gray blushed at the laughs and smiles of friends. She was happy to be home. Then the expedition leader dismissed everyone, telling Sheppard and McKay they would meet in the morning to go over what he missed. Saying goodbye to everyone, the young woman was soon alone with the men she loved and they were on their way to the apartment, several bags in hand (she had bought a lot of stuff on Earth). She greeted Trouble with pets and kisses, then asked John to join her for a shower while Lorne rested. He had only been released from the infirmary the day before.
In the shower, Mariah told the Colonel her plan for the next hour or so and only got distracted by him a handful of times. When they exited the bathroom, all her focus was on Evan. She undressed him and began her ministrations, Sheppard laughing as he left them alone. That was thirty minutes ago and she was nowhere close to finished.
“Do I have to get hurt to get this sort of attention from you?” John asked from his place lounging in the doorway, Trouble on his shoulder.
The linguist lifted her head a little and mumbled. “Don’t you dare.” Kiss. “Did you….” Lick. “Unbag the….” Nip. “Groceries?” Mariah moved her hand off Lorne’s shoulder onto the bed.
“Yup. Everything is either on the counter or in the fridge. And I got out all the things you told me to.”
“Good.” She pulled away and sat back on Evan’s thighs, giving him a self-satisfied little smirk. “Check your shoulder. Tell me how it feels.”
The man under her carefully moved, flexed and rotated his shoulder. He smiled up at her. “Like new, beautiful.”
“Then you don’t need this.” She reached over with her right hand and pulled the bandage off his right shoulder. It was completely healed. “I need about fifteen more minutes.” She turned her head and looked at the Colonel. “Can you preheat the oven, dice one of the onions and cut up the fresh herbs? The recipe’s on my laptop, a file called June’s Secret Recipe.”
Evan’s eyes got big. “You mean my mom’s-?”
“Her secret lasagna recipe. I asked her to send it to me and got it while I was back on Earth. I thought it would be a great treat for you once you were out of the infirmary. And now you are. John, please?”
“Sure thing, sweetheart. Just don’t break my XO.”
“No promises.” She smiled brightly when he chuckled and left them in the bedroom, the doors sliding shut after him. Mariah looked back at Lorne. “So where was I?”
“Right about here.” He pointed to a spot near his upper abdomen. “Is fifteen minutes enough time to finish, heal me and take care of the new problem you created?”
“There will be no funny business until Carson clears you for such activities.” He frowned up at her. “I plan to heal your other wound a little, so you’re at least able to sit up without wincing, like you did in the Conference Room. Don’t think I didn’t notice that.” The linguist leaned forward to resume her attention to his chest, however her right hand sneaked between them and she rubbed him through his boxers. “I will take care of this, but not the fun way.” He arched into her hand.
“You’re going to kill me.”
“I didn’t go through all this trouble to kill you.” The next fifteen minutes were a lesson in torture and teasing for them, respectively.
At the twenty minutes mark, they both emerged into the living room, dressed in their around-the-house clothes. The Major had a spring in his step. Mariah’s healing powers sure came in handy. He could sit up and bend over without wanting to scream, but he knew he still had a ways to go before he was 100%. Evan had the linguist’s hand firmly in his and led them both into the kitchen where John was trying to get started on the cooking and keep their pet out of the food.
“Perfect timing, you guys. Either take over or grab the cat. I don’t have enough hands.” The Colonel was sautéing the onions in a pan, while Trouble climbed up his leg, trying to get to the food.
Mariah grabbed her pet and cuddled him close. “Baby, that’s not for you.” He purred against her chest and licked the underside of her chin. She dropped a kiss on his head and handed him off to Lorne. “Go with Evan, baby. Keep him out of the kitchen, while John and I work.”
The cat cuddled against the human and the two went off to the living room to be out of the way. Dr. Gray turned and looked up at Sheppard. He was frowning at her. “I don’t cook. Be happy I haven’t destroyed anything while you weren’t in the kitchen.”
“Please help. I want to make this as close to his mom’s as I can, plus if you’re good, I may have gotten a recipe from Sarah to try.”
His eyes got big. “Is that why you got the strawberries?”
“Yup.” She smiled.
“Just tell me what to do.”
With that, the two got to work. Soon they had all the pieces ready and assembled the lasagna, popping it into the oven to finish cooking. This gave them time to set the table and get everything else together. After an hour of work, the food was on the table and the trio was eating and joking around, the men doing their best to avoid talking about their lover’s face-off with the IOA. Then it was clean-up time and finally, a movie in bed with cuddles and reconnecting.
When they laid down to sleep, Evan curled up against her back and John her front, the linguist murmured. “I’m so happy I didn’t lose this.”
“Never, sweetheart. We’d follow you to hell and back.” Sheppard kissed the top of her head.
“You mean more to us than our jobs and Atlantis combined. Where you go, we’ll always follow. Now go to sleep, beautiful.”
Giving a contented sigh, she fell asleep, her boys following after her.
Chapter 10: Moments
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Morning, Rodney.”
The physicist’s head popped up and he looked at his visitor. “I thought you’d be sequestered in your apartment for the duration.”
“You have a dirty mind, sir.”
“No…. I just know Sheppard and have to assume Lorne is just like him. Thinks with his little head, not his big head, even if he could be in Mensa.”
Mariah blushed scarlet and bowed her head. She cleared her throat and got herself under control. “How was being in charge while Jack and I were away?”
“Fine, but your… whatever you want to call him decided I couldn’t go back to the manufacturing plant with a team of marines. Seems to think I should wait for you.” He had continued to work while he talked, but looked up at her again and smiled. “I saw his point. Let me know when you’re ready to go. Radek and I have been figuring out what we should take along.”
“You do remember that while we found the facility, we didn’t actually get inside?”
“Yeah, but the theory you posited is likely.”
“Which theory?” She quirked her head at him.
“Soft sciences….” He muttered before adding. “The one where you suggested there might be a ship access point into the facility. I want to go back in a Jumper and do a scan of the area where you found the door. If we can get a detailed scan of the facility, I might be able to figure out how we can get in without getting out of the Jumper. Then people won’t be able to shoot at us.”
“That would be a definite improvement. The getting shot at part of missions is getting old.”
“Tell me about it.” He stopped working all together and walked over to her. McKay had noticed the container she held in her hands and was curious. “What’s that?”
“Oh this?” She held the container up, looking at its contents, then thrust it at him. “I made lasagna last night. It’s Evan’s favorite and I thought you might like some. There’s a large piece for you and a smaller one for Dr. Keller, if you feel inclined to share.”
“You’re giving me food to share with Jen?” It was the physicist’s turn to be confused. “But you don’t like her.”
“I don’t not like her, I just don’t appreciate how she treated me for months after she found out about me. However, you’re part of my family, Rodney, and since you like her, I have to at least try to get along with her.” Mariah’s eyes were on the ground and she scuffed the toe of her boot back and forth on the floor. She added. “On that note, the boys and I wanted to ask you and Dr. Keller to come by after dinner for drinks and dessert. I’m making John’s favorite, strawberry shortcake. Teyla and Ronon are coming, I hope. Think of it as a couple’s night.”
“Couple’s night?” His confusion hadn’t dissipated.
“Yes.” She looked up at him. “Will you come? You and Dr.… I mean, you and Jen?”
“Okay. I’ll ask her. What time?”
“Between 1900 and 1930 hours.” She smiled. “Thanks for agreeing.”
“I’ll come either way, but Jen has to make her own decision.” He was trying to not be a pushy boyfriend.
The linguist bowed her head again. “Oh….” It was her turn to be disappointed.
“Hey, all I can do is ask.” He smirked. “I think I’ll be able to convince her, especially after I ply her with homemade lasagna.”
Mariah beamed and surged forward to give McKay a hug. He awkwardly hugged her back. “Thanks, Rodney. If you have a change of plans, just radio, otherwise see you then.” She stepped back and jogged out of the room, waving as she left.
The CSO shook his head and headed back to his workbench. He had been in the middle of writing out some equations when Dr. Gray had interrupted him. He finished them up, then eyed the container he set down in front of him. A sniff wouldn’t hurt. He grabbed the box and popped the corner up, taking a whiff. “Oh my God, that smells good.” He slammed the lid back on and walked over to Radek’s desk to set it down. He headed back to his space.
Hitting his radio, he said. “McKay to Keller.” He only had to wait a second for a response. “Jen, I have a treat for lunch. Could you swing by my lab?” He paused and smiled. “Great. McKay out.” Rodney began to hum and muttered. “Operation Con My Girlfriend is a go.” He chuckled and resumed his work.
*****
“Ronon, I must speak with you.”
“Sure.” The Satedan looked around the sparring room. “Coughlin, can you keep an eye on everyone?”
“No problem.” The marine responded and started walking between the sparring partners, just like Ronon had been doing. The former Runner was conducting one of his regularly sparring lessons, a mix of military and civilians participating.
Following his lover out into the hall, Ronon studied Teyla. It was barely noticeable, but she seemed worried about something. “What’s wrong?”
“Let us go out on the balcony, so we may speak in private.”
His anxiety level increased, but he did his best to remain calm and followed her out on to the balcony. It was the balcony the Athosian woman and Dr. Gray used to meet on for morning meditation. Since the two woman were now both in relationships, they did not meet there often. Thankfully, it was still not frequently used. He asked again. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, well, not exactly.” She moved to the railing and looked out across the water.
“Talk to me, please.” He stood beside her.
“I met with Dr. Keller not long ago and had a routine examination done, something the Earthers call a woman’s wellness exam. She found something out of the ordinary….” She couldn’t look at him.
“What?”
“It would appear… It would appear I am with child.” A silence hung between them and Teyla finally looked over at her lover. He had a goofy grin on his face. Their eyes met. She was still unsure. “I know we spoke of one day starting a family, but this is sooner than I thought it would happen.”
“Are you really pregnant?”
“Yes, Ronon, I am.”
The Satedan said nothing further, just lunged forward and enveloped her in a tight hug. He had been on his own for so long. Coming to Atlantis after being on the run for years had taken a lot of adjustments on his part, but he had been able to make friends and a pseudo-family of sorts. Then he got involved with Teyla, falling in love with her over time. But now, he had something more, a true family, a child of his own with a woman he cared about even more than fighting the Wraith. He was elated. Ronon wanted to tell everyone he knew. Pulling back, looked down at his lover, his goofy smile still there. “Everything’s okay, right? With you and the baby?”
“Yes, we are both well.” She smiled up at him. “Jennifer advised me I would need to tell John as soon as possible. I will not be able to go off-world in my current state.”
“Why not? You’ll be even more badass, carrying our child…. Wow, our child. I can’t believe this.” He hugged her again and she hugged him back. Pulling away again, the former Runner added. “We can tell the team tonight.”
“Tonight?” Teyla was confused.
“Yeah…. Sheppard invited us to come over for drinks and dessert after dinner tonight. He called it a couple’s night. They’re inviting Rodney and the doc to come, too.” He was still beaming.
“You can share our news with the men, while I inform Mariah with Dr. Keller’s assistance.”
He frowned down at her. “Coward.” He didn’t really mean it.
Her answer was serious. “No. I believe I should tell Mariah without John and Major Lorne there, since they lost a child almost two years ago. I am unsure of Mariah’s reaction.”
“Oh….” His comical outrage dissipated when he remembered the explosion that had harmed the little doctor and almost killed Beckett.
“Do not despair. I believe she will take it well.” It was her turn to beam. “Our news is happy and our friends, our family will be happy for us.” She was engulfed in another hug and clung to her lover. Teyla should’ve never doubted him. Together they could face anything.
*****
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“Yes.”
“But-.”
“Stop.” Rodney halted in the middle of the hallway and looked at the woman standing next to him. “Jen…. Mariah invited both of us. I told her I would come regardless, but that you would have to make your own decision. She’s trying, just like you are. Come on. We’re going to be late and I might miss the food.” He continued down the hall to the linguist’s apartment
Dr. Keller laughed, despite her uncertainty and followed him. She watched him ring the chime and her nervousness returned with a vengeance. Her eyes were on the floor, when the doors slid open. She looked up when someone cleared their throat and she did her best to smile at her host.
“Doc, McKay. Welcome. Please come in.” Evan said, stepping to the side and showing them in.
“Major, you shouldn’t be standing. You’re going to strain your belly wound.” The physician in her came out.
Lorne smiled. “I’m on the road to recovery. Between Carson and Mariah, I’m significantly better. Carson’s clearing me for light duty at the end of the week.” He led the couple to the bar. “John’s handling the drinks portion of our evening, while Mariah finishes up in the kitchen.” He heard giggles and a comical cry for help from the kitchen. He started towards it and added. “I need to corral a certain feline. I’ll be right back.” Evan sprinted away.
“Rodney, Keller. What do you want to drink?” The Colonel asked. He gestured to the couch. “Chewie’s on his second beer, while Teyla’s just drinking water.”
“What do you think I want, Sheppard?” The CSO grumbled and continued without waiting for an answer. “A beer.”
“A beer what?” He grinned at his teammate.
“Who are you, my mother?” He glared at his friend, but the other man didn’t bend. “Fine… a beer, please.”
“Here you go.” John popped the cap off a bottle of beer and handed it to the physicist. Then he looked at the Assistant CMO. “And you, doc?”
“Colonel, do you think you could call me, Jennifer or Jen, tonight?”
“Only if you call me, John.”
“Deal. Do you have any white wine?”
Before Sheppard could respond, a new voice joined the conversation. “There should be a bottle of Chardonnay there. I put it out before everyone arrived.” Mariah smiled at the new arrivals, while she handed plates to Ronon and Teyla. “Once you guys have your drinks and take a seat, I’ll get you some dessert.” Her smile was a bit forced, but at least she was trying.
McKay didn’t need to be told twice and bolted to sit in the chair next to the couch. Everyone laughed at him and his food obsession. After getting her wine, Keller moved to another chair, but stopped when the Athosian woman spoke. “Please sit beside me, Jen. The couch is much more comfortable.” She then moved to sit beside the other woman. She sipped her wine and had just set it down when a plate appeared in her line of vision.
“I hope you like strawberry shortcake.” Mariah stated as she offered the plate to the young doctor.
“I do. Thank you.” She studied the decadent concoction and lifted her fork, breaking off a bite sized piece. She looked over at Rodney. He was already halfway through his portion and Ronon was done. She knew the two men would eat anything, but her boyfriend was making yummy noises and the lasagna she had eaten earlier, which Rodney said was made by the linguist, was delicious. She took a hesitant bite. She was pleasantly surprised. “This is amazing.”
“Thank you.” Dr. Gray blushed as Lorne wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “It’s a Sheppard family recipe and, supposedly, John’s favorite dessert. I’ve never made it before, so I’m glad everyone seems to like it.”
“It’s just like Sarah makes, sweetheart. Reminds me of summer back home.” The Colonel was standing next to McKay, indulging in his own dessert.
The group ate their desserts, drank and chatted. It was nice to unwind as a group with no imminent threats. One of the hot topics of discussion was the belated arrival of the Daedalus. The battleship underwent an unscheduled retrofit, which delayed its departure from Earth and meant a delay in the SGC Pegasus training program. The Daedalus was set to arrive in a couple of days and would bring with it SG-5 (a marine combat team), Dr. Lam, an orderly, a nurse, one of the scientists working for Bill Lee and MSgt. Siler. Rodney bemoaned the arrival of the scientist, who he seemed to know, at least by reputation, and he definitely didn’t have anything nice to say. His teammates ribbed him and wound him up as best they could. Everyone was very relaxed by the time they finished up their food.
While John and Evan cleared away the dishes, Teyla caught the linguist’s eye. “Mariah, let us go out on the balcony and get some fresh air. Jen will accompany us.”
“Okay….” Dr. Gray was a little apprehensive about being almost alone with the physician, but she could see the Athosian woman was tense and wanted to see what was wrong. “Hope you don’t mind Trouble joining us. He is being a little bit of a brat tonight and I don’t want to leave him with the boys.”
“It is quite all right.” Teyla responded with a forced smile. The three women headed to the balcony, leaving their men alone.
Ronon watched the women walk away and his eyes stayed on them even after the doors shut behind them. He wanted to give his lover time to share before he did the same. He turned back and saw Rodney giving him a funny look. “What?”
“You seem nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Are so”
“Are not.”
“Are.”
Ronon growled and Rodney shrank back from him.
“Do I need to separate the two of you?” John stated when he and Lorne rejoined them. The Colonel sat beside his teammate and Evan in one of the chairs. The men sat and finished up their drinks, not talking. Then a cry of surprise came from the balcony and they all looked over. Dr. Gray was giving the Athosian woman a hug and Jennifer was laughing.
“What do you think that’s about?” The Major asked.
“Teyla’s just sharing our news.”
Three sets of eyes fell on the former Runner, full of questions. McKay asked for the group. “What news?”
“Teyla’s with child….” Ronon grinned. “We’re having a baby. I’m going to be a father.”
There was a silent pause as the others processed the news. Surprisingly, Sheppard recovered first and slapped his friend on the back. “Congrats, Chewie.” Then realization dawned. “This means I have to bench her.” He groaned. “We’re going to have to break in someone new.”
“Laura’s available.” Evan offered. “Congratulations, by the way, Ronon. You and Teyla are going to make great parents.” He got a grin and a nod from the former Runner.
“Who?” The CSO asked, more concerned with who was on his team than his friend’s big announcement.
The Major grinned. “Captain Cadman. She can handle herself in the field.” Rodney began to bitch and moan, but no one paid him any mind. Evan continued. “Plus she’s smart and likes to blow stuff up.”
“Sounds good to me.” The Satedan said with a smirk. McKay was on a roll and his face was turning red. No one listened.
“I agree. I’ll talk with her tomorrow about it and run it by O’Neill.” John said, his enjoyment evident.
Rodney stood and stomped over to his team leader. “I will NOT work with that woman. She took control of my body, made me work out and worst of all, kissed Carson, using me as a vessel.”
The three women returned at that moment and gave their significant others odd looks. The three seated men were all chuckling and laughing, while McKay looked about ready to have a stroke. Mariah broke in. “What’d we miss?”
*****
“You do realize Trouble is watching the two of you, right?”
Lorne turned his head to the side and saw the cat laying on his side, his tail swishing back and forth. The cat’s green eyes were watching the human with his owner. The Major sighed and looked back down at the woman beneath him. They were both changed and ready for bed. Their guests had left an hour or so ago and the kitchen was all cleaned up. He and the linguist had finished getting ready for bed first and he took their time alone as a sign. He had rolled on top of her and they were sharing passionate kisses, completely oblivious to the fact that their pet was watching them. “Beautiful?”
“What?” She giggled up at him. “He’s just keeping an eye on us, making sure you don’t do anything he doesn’t like.” Mariah smiled and shook her head when he looked at her sternly. Turning her head to the side, she spoke to the little animal. “Go to your bed, baby. Evan’s not going to hurt me.” With a final swish of his tail, Trouble gracefully stood and hopped off the bed, heading to his spot in the corner of the room. She looked back up at her lover. “Better?”
“Much.” Lorne got back to kissing her, at least until he felt the bed shift. He looked at the other man, who was sitting next to them and now watching them much like the cat had been a few moments earlier. “Yes?”
“Nothing… just enjoying the show.” John laughed, when his XO rolled off their lover and sat on her other side. He helped Mariah sit up and kissed her cheek. He sighed happily when she cuddled close. “Thanks for the special dessert, sweetheart. I can’t wait to tell Sarah how good it was.”
“I’m just happy it came out right.” She went to return his kiss on the cheek with one of her own, but he turned his head quickly and caught her lips with his. She smiled into the kiss. “I think our couple’s night was a great success. We’ll have to do it again.”
“We’re not exactly a couple, beautiful.” Evan corrected with a smirk.
“Fine…. People in committed relationships night. You know what I meant.” She gave the smirking man a gentle shove.
Lorne laughed and picked up her right hand. “What did you think of Teyla and Ronon’s news?”
“I’m so happy for the both of them. Teyla’s going to be a great mom and Ronon’s finally getting some of what he lost back.” She gave the Major a quick kiss and smiled over at John.
Sheppard gave her a serious look. “It doesn’t bring up any bad memories, does it?”
“That was two years ago.” She sighed and looked at her lap. “I’ve moved passed that and love the life we have.” Mariah looked up at him shyly. “Does it for you?”
“It has me thinking, sweetheart.” The Colonel cradled her head, drawing it towards him, and pressed a kiss to her temple. “We haven’t talked about it since the miscarriage. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but having a kid seems right after everything we’ve been through. Like the last piece of the puzzle. Ev?” He looked at the other man, inquisitively.
“I love children. And I love being an uncle. I want kids of my own someday, but the choice is yours, beautiful. You’re the one who felt the loss the most the first time around and have the hard job of carrying the baby.” He squeezed her hand.
Mariah sighed again. “The three of us having a baby is complicated. I don’t want any baby I have to be treated like less than by one of you because you know it isn’t yours. On the other hand, I don’t want the one of you who is the father to get all territorial about the baby being his and getting to make all the decisions. There’s a lot to think about.”
“Sweetheart, I didn’t think you need to worry about either of those situations happening. We had problems at the beginning of our relationship, which would’ve probably seen those things happening, but not now.” John kissed her temple again. “Why don’t you think about it and come to a decision on your own? We’ve got time. None of us is going anywhere.”
“Thanks, John.” She turned her head and gave him a quick peck, before turning and giving Evan one, too. “Thanks, Ev.” She yawned.
“Enough talk, beautiful. A busy hostess needs her beauty sleep, though if you get any more beautiful, we may never let you outside again.” He laughed when she groaned. Evan and his CO helped her to lay down and both got kisses for their efforts.
The two men got themselves comfortable and thought the lights down. Sheppard curled around the young woman’s back, while she cuddled against the Major’s chest. She gave sigh of contentment and added a final comment to the discussion. “We also have to think about how a certain feline would react to us having a baby. You think he’s a brat now, just imagine what happens when he gets usurped by a tiny, crying infant.”
Her lovers chuckled and held her close. They fell asleep all together, happy with how their lives were playing out and looking forward to their futures together.
The End?
Notes:
Sorry for the delay in posting this last chapter. You have reached the end of the fifth story in the Hero Series. There are three more completed stories to go and one completed one-shot with another on the drawing board. I appreciate all my loyal readers, but also greatly appreciate kudos and comments. Thanks.
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