Title: Fatherhood
Summary: John never thought his coming to Atlantis would lead to him becoming a father of sorts, not that he's complaining.
Paring: None really but if any of you want to think of this as pre-Weir/Sheppard then by all means go for it.
Season: AU/ Possibly season two or three.
Spoilers: Nothing really huge I don't think, but anything from season one is fair game.
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis is not mine. Only the story line and any made up characters that may appear in the story belong to me.
Not Betaed
Tightly secured to a cold hard chair John sluggishly became aware of his senses; the blurry sight of the barren room he'd started to become oh so familiar with, the smell of his sweat and blood, the taste of his blood in his mouth…the pain that radiated through out his whole body as it protested the abuse it'd been put through the last few weeks.
Shutting his eyes against the bright harsh light coming from above him John strained his hearing listening for anything that might provide him away out of his current predicament. After about an hour of listening, as well as moving around to see if he could get free John heard the door open. Looking up he spotted the two people he despised more than the Wraith or even Kolya.
John had no clue what their real names were - they hadn't deemed him worthy of knowing - so he merely called them mini-Hitler (M.H.) and Grunt. M.H. was the man in charge, the one giving the orders and asking questions; while Grunt was the muscle man who did all the physical work. The way Grunt was holding some kind of metal pipe looking like a kid at Christmas told John he wasn't in for any spa treatment.
"You're strong I'll give you that Major, but not even you can hold out forever. Tell me what I want to know and this can all end for you...for the both of you." M.H. spoke in a deadly tone.
Before John could reply shouting and what sounded like gun fire was heard coming from the corridor. It wasn't long before the cause of the commotion came busting through the door. Never in his life would John have thought he'd be so happy to see Bates as he was right then. Bates was soon followed by Ford, Stackhouse, and Markham. After the room was quickly secured Ford cut John loose.
"You know if I could lift my arms I'd hug and kiss all of you right now." John muttered as Bates and Ford helped him to his feet.
"Uh...take a rain check on that one sir." Ford answered as the group left the room.
Entering the corridor John wasn't the least bit surprised to find Teyla and Rodney there, along with two other sargents he couldn't name at the moment. Quietly the group moved down the corridor meeting little resistence, only stopping briefly when they came to a four way intersection in the corridor.
"Wait." John haulted the group as they started to turn left. "Ford, Teyla with me. The rest of you get to the jumper and be ready to go as soon as we get there." With that John started down the corridor on the right.
"Major where are you going?" Teyla questioned placing a gental hand on John's shoulder. John's slight wince of pain didn't go unnoticed. "We must leave and you are in need of medical attention."
"She's right John we should all be going." Rodney agreed.
"Look I don't have time to argue damn it. The six of you get to the jumper that's an order, we'll be right behind you." John once again began walking away.
"Sir?" Ford was quickly at his CO's side as the three moved down the corridor.
"Nobody get's left behind Lieutenant." John knew he'd confused his friends as well as had them worried but at the moment he didn't care, he was on a mission and pitty anyone who got in his way.
The rest of the walk was spent in silence. Ford and Teyla weren't sure what exactly John was up to, but the shear look of determination on his face to keep going even though he looked like a feather could knock him over at the moment told the two whatever it was it was important.
Soon the trio came upon a small holding cell. Grabbing a small device off a near by desk like thing John hurried to the cell door using the device to open it and entered. At first to Ford and Teyla the cell looked empty but a slight movement in the far corner near John caught their attention. Moving closer to where John was crouched the two spotted a small shivering and bloodied form curled into a small ball clutching John's jacket around it. Carefully scooping the bundle into his arms John exited the cell.
Once the three were back at the jumper Stackhouse quickly took off for the gate. As soon as they were close enough to the gate Markham dialed Atlantis while Bates sent the IDC and radioed for a medical team to meet them in the Jumper Bay.
Standing on the small balcony over looking the gate Elizabeth silently watched the gate praying for the safty of her people off world and that they would finally bring John home. Three weeks, it'd been three weeks since AR-1 had been ambushed by an unknown enemy and Major Sheppard had been taken. Luckily Rodney had got a good look at the DHD before the gate had shut down. Unfortunitly they'd come up with several possible gate adresses, all inhabitable, that used the symbols Rodney had seen.
Teams had been sent to search each address in hopes of finding the major. The planet Ford and the others were on was the last planet on the list, if they didn't find John on this palnet they were out of options and back to square one. Elizabeth wasn't sure what they'd do if they didn't find John on the planet.
The sound of the gate activating brought Elizabeth out of her thoughts. Looking over at Peter she let out a small sigh of relief as he nodded yes it was the team returning. A moment later she heard Sgt. Bates' request for a medical team in the Jumper Bay. Trusting Peter to call Carson and his team Elizabeth made her way to the Jumper Bay.
Reacthing the Jumper Bay Elizabeth watched as the jumper landed and John, carrying something in his arms, shuffled out of the jumper closely follwed by his team mates. Hearing the door open Elizabeth stepped aside to let the medical team by.
Meeting the med team partway John gently placed his load on the gurney. When the bundle had been set down the jacket slipped slightly and it was then everyone got a good look at what John had been carrying; a small boy no more than five or six.
"Kid first doc." John informed Carson in a tone that left no room for arguement when he saw the doctor eyeing them both trying to diagnoues who had the more life threatening injuries.
Nodding his head in understanding Carson gave John a look that said he'd better be right behind them, before he and his team left the Jumper Bay with the boy. When John didn't immediately start following the med team Elizabeth moved to his side laying a gental hand on his arm.
"John?" The way John was just standing there had Elizabeth worried.
"I'm good." John absently responded after a second, shaking his head slightly finally starting to move out of the Jumper Bay.
Not willing to let John out of their sights just yet Elizabeth, Rodney, Teyla, and Aiden followed after him. Once in the infirmary John sat silently on one of the beds letting one of the on duty doctors look him over. The fact that John was being so silent and still - no fidgiting, no playful banter and flirting with the nureses, no trying to weasel his way out of the infirmary - had the others more worried than anything else at that moment.
As soon as the doctor looking John over was satisfied his patient wouldn't die on him Elizabeth pulled him aside so she and John's team could get an update.
"He'll recover." The doctor started. "He's a bit malnurished, has a mild concussion, lots of bruising; some minor, some sevear, several cuts that are going to require stiches, a dislocated left shoulder, and several bruised ribs possibly even a few cracked or broken, I'll have to take some X-rays though to be sure."
"Thank you doctor." Elizabeth let the doctor get back to work. In the end John ended up with three broken and four cracked ribs.
An hour later John was settled into an infirmary bed surrounded by his friends. The five sat silently waiting to hear from Carson. As much as the group wanted some answers they know they wouldn't be getting anything out of John until after he knew how the kid was doing. As if on cue the Scottsman came walking into the main room of the infirmary.
"Easy there Major, the boy will be fine." Carson reassured John when he tried jumping out of bed only to be held down by Teyla and Rodney both placing a hand on his shoulders. "We managed to stop the internal bleeding. Aside from that and being severly malnurished he had a few broken ribs, a broken right arm, sevear bruising and lacerations, but it's nothing me and my staff can't handle."
John's sigh of relief and the release of tension in his shoulders didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"Good, Kilik deserves a break for once." John mumbled as he closed his eyes and finally gave into the meds he'd been given.
"We'll that was helpful." Rodney complained as he flopped back into his chair.
"At least we now know the boy's name." Elizabeth spoke up from where she was perched on the bed next to John's.
"Aye. Has he said anything else?" Carson inquired.
"He has not." Teyla answred.
"Yeah he's been quiet as a mouse and to be honest it's starting to creep me out a bit. The major being so quiet is almost as bad as Mckay in full rant mode." Ford added in.
"Hey!" Before Rodney could say anything more Elizabeth suggested taking the conversation elsewhere so John could rest.