'Hey sis?' Flt Off Louise Sahara acidly spat at Flt Off Michael Charleston as he lay on the ground clutching his broken nose, 'The moment you sided with that creature you ceased to be family. The hell she put dad and I through caused the fucking heart attack that killed him!'

'What in the blue hell is going on here.' Lt Col John Sheppard bellowed as he pushed his way through the group.

'Ask that little bugger,' and with that Louise stormed off barging her way past Ronon who had wandered over to see what the noise was.

'Not here John,' Mike mumbled through the pain as he was helped to his feet. 'She's broken it again.'

'Again?' Sheppard frowned.

'Long story Sheppard,' Flt Lt James Johnson replied. 'Richard, go find Lou make sure she calms down then bring her to the gate room.'

'Will do.' Flt Off Richard McLaren replied before scurrying after the angry woman.

'Right then,' James sighed. 'I need to make a report to your boss, but once that is done I'll ask you to assist me in sorting this feud out once and for all.'

'That sounds like a good idea,' Sheppard frowned. 'Mike, you head to see the doc then I want you in on this meeting.' With that he walked off muttering.

'What did I miss?' Ronon just stood there staring at the door he'd just come through.

CHAPTER

It wasn't hard for Richard to track Lou's path through the twists and turns of Atlantis, all he had to do was follow the trail of spilled papers and questioning stares.

A five full minutes after setting off after his team mate Richard found the woman sat on the edge of a balcony, her long legs dangling off the edge as she flicked at the ocean below.

Sliding down beside her he let out a small chuckle.

'Nice right hook Lou, I think you broke his nose,' He laughed openly before adding. 'Again'

Getting no response Richard gently nudged her shoulder before leaning over. 'You ok now?'

'Not really no,' she replied quietly as she stared out at the horizon. 'Why does he have to be here?'

'Why are we all here?' Richard quipped only to get seared by a glare from Louise. 'Look I know what happened, and I can understand the anger you have for your brother and mother, it's inexcusable what she did, but as I've said before I could see why he did what he did.'

'It still doesn't make it right.' Lou muttered.

Richard nodded. 'No it doesn't, but your beef is with her not him, well not entirely him.'

Getting up he headed towards the entranceway. 'Listen, Colonel Sheppard wanted me to bring you up to the gate room once I found you.' Richard spoke up after a few minutes of silence.

'Guess I was going to have to face the music sooner rather than later,' Louise grumbled as she stood up. 'Um, which way is the gate room?'

'You know,' Richard laughed sheepishly. 'I've no clue.'

'Then we just nab the first person we see.' Lou shrugged and proceeded back into the City.

Stepping off the balcony and into the corridor after his friend Richard looked around for someone to point the way. The first person he collared sported a Scottish patch on their arm.

'Thank god!,' Richard sighed. 'A fellow Brit.'

'Aye,' responded the man, his voice distinctly Scottish. 'Though I would call myself Scottish not British.'

'To each their own I guess,' Lou smiled. 'We need your help. We literally just got here and we don't know which way is which.'

'Ah!,' The man smiled. 'The freighter, lovely to see you all safe and well after the wee emergency. Going up to the gate room?

'That we are.' Richard replied.

'As luck would have it I'm going the same way, what with the medical situation up there.'

'I'm told Mike's broken his nose again,' the man replied at the slight quizzical looks he received. 'Though how he could do that in the gate room I'll never know.'

Holding out his hand the man introduced himself. 'Carson Beckett, co-CMO of this place.'

'Louise and Richard,' Lou pointed between herself and Richard. 'Though I prefer Lou to Louise.'

'Pleasure to meet the two of ye,' Carson beamed. 'Now, if you'll follow me.' Carson turned and started to stiffly walk down the corridor. Lou and Richard traded confused glances.

'Had a wee accident a month ago,' Carson had picked up on the glances and proceeded to explain. 'Got a bit too close to an exploding tumor. Severed my spinal cord at the L1-L2 region.'

'Fuck,' Lou blurted. 'But how….?'

''Our guilty genius constructed a plate that screws onto my spine and enables the nerve signals to bypass the severed area.'

'Guilty?' Richard raised an eyebrow.

'Rodney assigned a pair of new techs onto the machine that caused all the kerfuffle,' Carson spoke as he led the pair into a small closet. Turning he touched a screen and the doors closed before the trio were bathed in white light. When the doors opened Carson chuckled as he looked out onto a different scene than before the doors had shut. 'No matter how many times I tell him it wasn't his fault he cannae accept it.'

'Guilt is a hard thing to over come Doc,' Lou replied somberly as they walked up the large staircase that was the focal point of the gate room. 'Deservedly or not.'

Stepping into the console area of the control room Richard spotted the small office just off the busy space. A small office that was already containing James, Sheppard, Charleston and a dark haired woman that Richard assumed was Dr Elizabeth Weir.

Approaching the room all heads inside turned to the group.

'Oh boy.' Lou muttered as she saw the stony looks from some of the occupants of the room.