Disclaimier: Jenny is ours but the rest belongs to lucky rich men.
A/N Tinuviel Undomiel: I was a little worried about posting this one. It's one of my favorites, one of my babies I call it. Anyways, it's similar to some of out others where we destroy the Wraith and create a new enemy, except this one focuses more on the characters than the enemy. It's Shweir, Teyla/Ronon and Lorne/OC. Sorry girls, but we had to give him someone, please don't be too jealous.
A/N Nerwen Aldarion: All you fans of Tinuviel owe me one, it took me forever to get her to finally start this story and in my opinion it is one of her best, combining a brandnew enemy along with a mystery that will have all of you wondering what exactly happend. It's got some great humor that will be alot of the TeylaRonon stuff and alot of cuteness on the character Jenny's part. So read on and enjoy.
Uprising
Chapter One: A New Beginning
The stars were winking over a quiet neighborhood in a suburban town south of Colorado Springs as a sleek black car pulled up in front of a two story brick house. General Jack O'Neill stepped out of the car and looked in surprise at the lovely home. A house like that was meant for housewives with families to raise, not a diplomat and former leader of an expedition to another galaxy. However, he didn't have time to wonder over this question.
Elizabeth Weir pushed back the curtain to peek through the window after the doorbell rang. She frowned in confusion and shock as she unlocked the door, "General O'Neill, what are you doing here?"
Jack gave her a smile, "Now is that a proper greeting?"
Elizabeth relaxed and returned the smile and opened the door wider to let him in. He followed her into the living room where she began to pick up some scattered magazines and…toys?
"I watch my neighbor's kids sometimes," she replied when she saw his expression.
"Oh," Jack accepted the excuse and sat down on the sofa.
"Would you like anything to drink?"
"How about we skip the manners and cut right to the chase," O'Neill suggested, "I'll bet you're dying to know why I'm here."
"Not much of a bet since I already asked you that," Elizabeth replied, taking a seat on the arm chair.
Jack opened his briefcase and pulled out two pictures. After setting one down on the table he said, "This is Lt. Dawns before he was sent to Atlantis. He was sent on a mission to P3X-267 a week ago." Elizabeth picked up the picture of an unfamiliar black man and gave him a quizzical look.
"This is him when he was found two days after his team was late checking in," he laid down the next picture. This time it showed an old man with dark grey hair and saggy brown skin. The former leader gasped and she finally understood what Jack was trying to tell her, "The Wraith…?"
Jack nodded, "They are the only ones we know who could do this."
"But that's impossible," Elizabeth protested, "He…"
"Apparently not," Jack cut her off, "They're back, doesn't matter how or why, but they're back. The president wants to gather as many of the old expedition members as possible and send them back to Atlantis. Captain Cadman, Dr. Beckett, and Dr. McKay have already signed on."
"And you want to know if I will return," Elizabeth finished.
"Will you?"
"General, I have priorities keeping me here," she informed him.
"And what could they possibly be?" Jack asked.
"Mommy!" a little sing-song voice sounded from behind Jack at the bottom of the stairs. Jack turned and saw an adorable little girl with dark curly hair in Winnie the Pooh pajamas rubbing her sleeping eyes as she peeked out at them through the bars on the staircase. Of all the bizarre things he had seen, a little girl calling Elizabeth Weir mommy was one of the most shocking.
"What is it, Jenny?" Elizabeth smiled at the girl.
"I'm thirsty."
"I'll get you a glass of water, but then you have to go back to bed, okay?"
"Okay," Jenny said as she spied Jack sitting on the sofa.
Jack smiled, "Hello there, Jenny right?"
She came down the steps and looked at him with curiosity, "Who are you?"
"I'm a friend of your mommy," Jack explained, "I have a son about two years younger than you, I call him Little Jack."
Jenny's hazel eyes lit up, "Can I see him? Is he here?"
"I'm afraid he won't fit in my briefcase," Jack said, "but a picture of him does."
Before he could retrieve the photo Elizabeth walked back into the room with a plastic cup of water. "Here you go," she handed the cup to Jenny, "now go on back to sleep."
"Okay, bye," she waved at Jack as she went up the stairs.
Now Jack grinned at Elizabeth, "Something you want to share with the class?"
"I didn't lie, I just didn't tell the whole truth."
"Spoken like a true guilty person," Jack teased, "So how come I wasn't invited to the wedding?"
"Because there was no wedding, I'm not married," Elizabeth replied, "Jenny's father is…away."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Jack sympathized, taking the hint, "Now about Atlantis."
Elizabeth sighed, "Can I have 24 hours to think about it?"
"Sure," Jack got up from the couch, "but I think I already know what your answer is." He opened the door, but turned back and smiled at her before leaving, "I'll wait for your call."
Elizabeth watched O'Neill's car leave the street and disappear as quickly as it arrived. They're back, she headed up the stairs to her bedroom, how did they come back? She peeked inside Jenny's room and saw that he daughter was still awake, "I told you go to sleep."
"I'm not sleepy," Jenny replied and then gave a big yawn.
Elizabeth smiled, "Oh you're not huh?
"Please, mommy, tell me a story?" Jenny begged.
"It's too late for a story."
"Please, mommy, please," the pleading look in her eyes was one Elizabeth could never deny.
"Oh alright," she gave in, sitting down on the end of the bed. "Now where did we leave off?"
"The chair was out of drones," Jenny said, "and the Wraith were starting their second attack on the city."
"That's right," Elizabeth said, "The plan was to remote control the jumpers and fly them straight into the hive ships with atomic bombs inside, but something went wrong…"
"They're sending in another wave, Major we need to go!" Elizabeth shouted into her radio.
Back in the chair room John looked over at Rodney, "McKay!"
"There's something wrong!" Rodney shouted back as sparks flew from the generator, "Power levels are dropping!"
Zelenka's voice came in from the radio, "Rodney, nothing's happening.
Elizabeth looked at the monitor to see a myriad of darts surrounding the city, "Why are there not jumpers in the air!" she demanded to know.
"We must have exhausted the Mark II's energy output." Rodney explained, "It's dead."
The chair couldn't be powered. The jumpers couldn't be activated. It was over. But for John Sheppard, it wasn't over, not by a long shot. Without a second thought, he accepted what needed to be done. "So long, Rodney," he said as he leapt from the chair and ran out of the room.
"There's got to be a way to—Major!" Rodney called after him, but he was already gone.
In the control room, Elizabeth relayed the bad news to Colonel Everett, "Colonel, we have a problem. We may have to give the order to evacuate."
John came into the room from behind her and started up the stairs, "Elizabeth, wait."
She turned around and saw him on the stairs that led to the jumper bay. She knew his intentions right away; everything was mirrored in those perfect eyes.
"You can't!" she half shouted at him.
"I have to and you know it," he stated with determination.
Elizabeth softly shook her head, "John…" She wanted to scream at him 'No! You can't do this, you can't leave us. You can't leave me!' But he was right; he'd always been right. "Go," her last order for him.
He gave her a slight nod as he ran up the stairs to carry out his duty. She continued to stare at the spot he'd just left, a part of her wanting to run after him. There were no tears, just emptiness and disbelief that she'd just ordered him to die.
"What's the status on that damn jumper!" Everett growled in her earpiece.
Elizabeth's eyes were still locked on that same spot as she told him with words that blanketed the churning ocean of heartache inside her, "It's on its way."
Elizabeth choked up as the memory of that day came flooding back to her. She could remember the air was so thick with fear that you could smell. She saw herself standing in the control room as she watched John's jumper crash into the hive ship. Every eye had been on her, knowing that she gave the order for him to go. Tears had nearly fallen as she realized how much she truly cared for him. Then she felt joy when he radioed in from the Daedalus alive.
She looked down at Jenny who had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the story; her little girl who worshipped the heroes of Atlantis, not knowing how close she really was to them. Her child who had grown up for four years not even knowing her father's name.
Maybe I could find him, she thought to herself as she tucked the blankets in around the sleeping girl, if I go back, I could find him for her.
Elizabeth gently shut the door to Jenny's room and entered her own. She smiled at the photo's on her nightstand: a picture of Jenny when she was two years old in nothing but a diaper and hugging a teddy bear, another was of the expedition team that was a gift to her on her last birthday on Atlantis, the last was a picture of Jenny's father.
Staring at that man frozen in time, Elizabeth made her decision. With no regrets, she picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"About flipping time," Jack said on the other end of the line.
"What time do you want me?"
"Noon."
"I'll see you then," Elizabeth told him and then hung up. She looked back at the smiling man, "I'm coming."
Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a secret from the public. No one save the Air Force and certain branches of the U.S. Government knows what really goes on in there. Elizabeth arrived on time as was expected, what was a surprise was that a four year old girl followed her inside Stargate Command. Jenny was gazing around in awe at all the things in the secret base. Her mother has said to be on her best behavior, but that could stop her from gaping at everything.
Mother and daughter stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the conference room. Just leaving Elizabeth's destination were two men, one with short brown hair and glasses to other a black man with a gold stamp on his forehead. Jenny stopped walking to stare at the men coming towards them.
"Elizabeth," Daniel Jackson greeted her with a smile when she saw her.
"Daniel," Elizabeth said, "Teal'c."
"Mommy, look at it," Jenny pointed to Teal'c's forehead.
"I do believe that the Tau'ri child is curious about the symbol on my brow," Teal'c said,
"That's one way to put it," Elizabeth replied.
"You have a daughter?" Daniel asked.
"I'm getting that a lot lately," She nodded.
"Does it hurt?" Jenny asked, still wanting to know about the gold object on the big man's head.
"No, I feel no pain from it," Teal'c told her, almost smiling.
"We really must be going," Elizabeth said, "but do you think you could take her to Rodney for me? I need to speak to General Landry."
"Sure," Daniel said.
"Will you carry me?" Jenny asked Teal'c and held out her arms.
"No, Teal'c you don't…" Elizabeth watched in horror when Teal'c lifted her daughter high over his head and planted her on his shoulder while she giggled the whole time.
"I will allow no harm to come to her," Teal'c assured her when he saw her face.
"Alright," Elizabeth relaxed a bit, "Bye Jenny I won't be gone long."
"Bye mommy!" Jenny waved as she was carried off down the hallway with Daniel and Teal'c.
General Landry and Jack were waiting for her in Landry's office, "Dr. Weir, take a seat," Landry said as she entered the office.
"Thank you," Elizabeth pulled up a chair next to Jack, "when will the Daedalus depart?"
"Tomorrow at 1000," Landry said, "Here is a list of all the expedition members going with you and those currently stationed there." Elizabeth accepted the list and glanced at all the names. "A new military leader will have to be appointed."
"I want Lt. Colonel Lorne to be the military commander," Elizabeth said.
"I told you so," Jack said smugly at Landry.
"Funny, Jack," Landry replied, "Is that all?" he asked Elizabeth.
"No, I request that my daughter go with me."
"Out of the question."
"I'm not leaving her behind, General."
"Atlantis does not need a child running around while there is a war going on."
"I'm not suggesting we give her front line duty," Elizabeth said, "Obviously, there will be restricted areas she can't go to, but I'm taking her with me. Either she goes, or I won't."
"I understand, doctor," Landry said, "but the IOA would never allow it unless you have a good reason."
"She has the ATA gene."
"Does she now?" Jack said with a grin, "I wonder who she got that from."
"It's a small world, I guess," she replied nervously.
Landry sighed, "What do you think Jack?"
"I'm sold. I'm sure the teams would love having a mascot."
"Alright, I'll speak with the President and the IOA," Landry promised.
"Thank you, General," Elizabeth said as she got up to leave.
Jack followed her, "We've got to talk," he pulled her to one side of the conference room, "I was doing a background check on Jenny…"
"A background check!"
"It's standard procedure."
"She's four years old! Do you honestly think she'd be hiding a machine gun under her skirt!"
"It could happen," Jack said, knowing it was a flimsy excuse, "I was surprised to find that her name on her birth certificate isn't Weir." All of the color drained from Elizabeth's face, but that didn't stop him, "However, I was even more amazed to see who her father is."
Elizabeth hissed something in another language that Jack was certain didn't mean 'You are the greatest man I know'. "I probably deserved that," he replied, "When did it happen?"
She sighed and rested her elbows on the table to put her head in her hands, "The night before the attack."
"Wow, he must have really good swimmers," Jack said jokingly. Elizabeth shot him a murderous look, "Sorry. Does she know?"
"I tell her bedtime stories about Atlantis," She said, "But no, Jenny doesn't know."
"You should tell her."
"Tell her what?" Elizabeth asked, "That I got knocked up by my second in command? That her father is somewhere in the Pegasus galaxy? For all I know he could be dead."
"He's too stubborn to die," Jack said, "Just tell her that her dad's a hero. He saved everyone's lives that day. She has a right to know what her father did."
Elizabeth sighed again and then nodded, "I'll tell her."
"Good," Jack said, "Now that my work is done, I need to call Sam and make sure Little Jack didn't tear up the whole house."
Elizabeth laughed a little and let him go. A part of her wanted to find Jenny and tell her now, but another part held back. How could she tell her only child that she'd hidden a secret from her? Jack was right, though, she still deserved to know. I'll tell her tonight. Instead of telling a bedtime story, I'll tell her about him.
Jenny was in a bed in one of the rooms in the SGC when her mother walked in to tell her nightly bedtime story. Elizabeth was clutching a picture to her chest as if the photo would save her from harm. Why am I so scared?She's only four!
"Are you going to tell me a story, mommy?" Jenny asked.
"No, Jenny, not tonight. I have something more important to tell you." Elizabeth sat down next to Jenny, but didn't show her the picture, "These bedtime stories I tell you, I know you think they are just fairy tales I invented about myself, Uncle Rodney, Uncle Carson and Aunt Laura, but they're not. Jenny, those things really happened. I was the commander of Atlantis. We really did travel to another galaxy and lived there for years."
Jenny's hazel eyes mirrored her surprise, "Really?"
"Really," Elizabeth said, "Jenny, I never told you about your daddy, and I know you have to be curious." She took a deep breath, "John is your father. I loved him very much…in fact, I still do."
"John is my daddy?" Jenny repeated.
Her mother nodded, "Here is a picture of him."
She handed Jenny the photograph someone had taken years ago of the two of them together at his promotion ceremony. He was devilishly handsome in his blue uniform and wearing a cocky smile. Jenny looked at familiar features on his face, things she saw when she looked in the mirror. In the picture, her mother was smiling happily. Her emerald eyes were absent the sadness her daughter saw often.
"What happened to him?" Jenny asked.
Tears were forming in Elizabeth's eyes, "I don't know. He was dying and…I had to let him go. I gave him over to people who could help him. I'm not sure if it worked."
Jenny looked down at the picture in her hands, "Do you think he would have liked me?"
The tears spilled over onto her cheeks as she smiled, "Oh honey, I know he would have loved you."
Her daughter smiled and asked, "Can I keep it, mommy?"
"Of course," Elizabeth wiped the moisture from her eyes, "I'll even have it framed for you so you can keep it by your bed."
Jenny smiled at the photo and then at her mother, "Can you tell me more stories about daddy?"
Elizabeth nodded, settled down next to her daughter and began another tale of John Sheppard's adventures on Atlantis.
The next morning, Elizabeth held Jenny's hand as they waited to be beamed on board the Daedalus along with many of her old friends. Those who didn't know that Elizabeth Weir was now a mother looked at them with curiosity. Those who did knew that she wanted to keep this hidden for as long as possible.
General Landry walked over to her and smiled, "I had to make a deal with the devil to allow your daughter to go."
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth apologized, "I hope the wolves didn't bite hard."
"Woolsey backed me up, although he wasn't too happy when I told them who her father is."
"I figured that wouldn't go over well," She said and then smiled, "Thank you."
Landry returned to smile, "Good luck, Doctor."
Colonel Caldwell had been stuck on the Daedalus for over seven years now. When he'd first been given the job, he had been so proud, but when Atlantis contacted Earth saying that Colonel Sumner had been killed, Caldwell fancied the idea of being military commander. Unfortunately he never got his wish. Due to the request of Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Major John Sheppard was promoted to Lt. Colonel and given the position of second in command. He knew he had screwed up by pursuing too hard; showing how desperately he wanted the job. When the Goa'uld took over his body and then was removed, he had been given a second chance. He acted like he never wanted the position, and worked on regaining Weir's trust. It seemed to be working, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he got what he wanted. After a few years of waiting his chance finally came. Once the Wraith were destroyed and Sheppard had disappeared, Caldwell began pursuing what should have been his. However, Dr. Weir was smarter than he thought and convinced General Landry that only a low rank officer was needed to run Atlantis. Caldwell found himself beaten again with no chance of a higher command.
"Colonel Caldwell, are you ready to take on passengers?" General O'Neill's voice came in from the radio.
"Yes, sir," Caldwell replied.
"You have a go."
"Ready the transport beam," Caldwell ordered the technician.
"By the way, Colonel," Jack said, "You wouldn't happen to have any designated play areas on board would you?"
"Play areas?" Caldwell asked as the passengers were beamed onboard.
Elizabeth Weir was at the head of group; beside her was a little girl who was apparently amazed by the ship.
Caldwell left his seat and stomped over to her, "Dr. Weir, why is there a child on this ship?"
"Colonel Caldwell, may I introduce my daughter Jenny," Elizabeth said.
Now Jenny looked at Caldwell with a spark of recognition, "Hey! It's Colonel Meaney Head!"
From behind them, several on the crew and the fellow passengers started laughing.
"How colorful," Caldwell stated, "This," he pointed to Jenny, "was not mentioned to me."
"It wasn't important for you to know about this." Elizabeth replied.
"I will not allow a child on this ship."
"By orders of Generals Landry and O'Neill you have to," She informed him, "You needn't worry about her. I'll make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."
"Make sure you do," Caldwell said coldly.
Elizabeth gave him a fake smile, "It was a pleasure seeing you again, Colonel." She tugged her daughter by the hand, "Let's go to our quarters and then we'll have some lunch."
Jenny waved to Caldwell, "Bye Colonel Meaney Head." As the left the room, Jenny stopped and grabbed her mother's sleeve and pointed to Hermiod, "Look mommy, he's not wearing any pants."
Hermiod looked at the girl and her mother, "I'll explain later," Elizabeth told her daughter as she pulled her out of the room.
The Asgard muttered something in his own tongue, "My sentiments exactly," Caldwell agreed even though he had no idea what Hermiod just said. His day had just gotten worse.
The eighteen day trip was a long one for Elizabeth even though she'd taken many before. Jenny was excited since she was on an alien ship bound for an alien city. Rodney had taken her exploring on the ship for several days. But once that was over, her daughter found herself rather bored.
At last the wait was over. The Daedalus was entering the planets atmosphere and soaring over the sapphire blue ocean. She picked up her daughter and pointed to the shining jewel resting on the surface of the sea. "There it is."
"Wow," Jenny exclaimed as she got her first look at Atlantis, "it's pretty."
Elizabeth smiled and watched as the place she once called home grew closer and closer. She was back, and this time it was a new beginning.
A/N: So what did you think about this chapter, do you want more to come, are you anxious to find out what happened? If so review the rest of the gang will be coming next chapter. Oh and douse all flames please.