Jessica Sheppard woke from a restless sleep and grabbed her radio before looking at her clock, she'd only managed three hours sleep due to those damned nightmares she suffered. Especially the one twenty years ago tomorrow, Jessica rarely celebrated her birthday because of that incident which strained the already non-existent relationship with her father.
"Sheppard to Weir"
"Weir here, Jess I thought you were sleeping"
Jessica groaned "I was, just woke up. We got company today?" She asked, knowing the answer wouldn't be a good one. "Yes, we have a few mutants coming to Atlantis with General O'Neill and a General Sheppard" Elizabeth barely got it out before Jess groaned.
"Thomas J. Sheppard?"
"Yes, a relation to you?"
"Unfortunately, I'll explain later, can you let me know when they're here, I might know a few of the mutants that're coming"
Elizabeth told her she would and Jess tried to get back to sleep, she was to be on light duty for three days then it was back to normal for the cheeky Lt. Colonel. Jess held a few things secret from the SGC, mainly the fact she was a mutant. Jess had the senses and wings of the British Red Kite, her wings looked like tattoos when they were folded in on her back.
Sometimes when she was alone on a balcony, she would step onto the edge and leap off letting herself fall and then spreading her wings and flying around the top of the city for a while. Atlantis was sentient, she knew that her beloved Lt. Colonel was different altogether. But how was Jessica going to cope three months with her father in Atlantis? She wouldn't be able to let her guard down or act the careless young Lt. Colonel that everyone knew about.
She hadn't realised she'd fallen asleep again until she was shaken awake by Elizabeth "I called you radio three times, then came in to see you mumbling in your sleep" she said, Jess nodded and stretched, she told Elizabeth she'd meet her in the 'Gate room in a few minutes. Elizabeth nodded and walked out to let Jess get dressed, she sighed and grabbed her clothes to get dressed. But every morning she liked to let her wings unfurl a little just so she could see the colours of her wings, the soft browns, coppers and reds in her feathers.
She sighed and folded her wings back in and pulled on her Dress Blues, she had to get this over and done with. Maybe then she could go out for a stretch of her wings later. The only other person on Atlantis who'd known about Jess' mutation had been Lt. Aiden Ford, but he's tried to tell everyone and it lost him her respect and trust on the day of the Wraith siege when she'd been thrown from a balcony, using her wings to try to save Aiden from a Wraith.
She shook her head and walked up to the 'Gate room, Steven had beamed down the mutant delegation and Jess grinned as she saw a familiar face "Logan! Welcome to Atlantis!" The said man looked up and grinned at the black haired Colonel "you too, Kite!" She grinned and ran down to see her old friends "Ororo, Hank, Marie, Kitty, Bobby, Peter" she said to them.
Kitty Pryde grinned "it's Shadowcat" she said, Jess rolled her eyes and introduced her old friends to her 'family' on Atlantis "Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Dr. Rodney McKay, Specialist Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagen, they're practically my family. There's also Dr. Carson Beckett, our Chief Medical Officer, he's patching up Sgt Stackhouse at the moment" she added, Carson was like a mother hen and a concerned older brother at the same time, that's why she liked him. That's why she felt safe around these people and Brigadier General Jack O'Neill too.
Jack was the father she always wanted, but never had. That's why Jack virtually adopted her, he took the young girl under his wing when she enlisted in the Air Force and practically raised her in the force to the girl she was today. The cheeky Lt. Colonel that defied orders to go and get her men out of trouble and wouldn't leave anyone behind on an off-world mission.
Meanwhile, Jack was talking to Colonel Caldwell and Steven asked "Jack, send him back through the Stargate, please. I can't take the tension he brings anymore amongst my crew. Lord knows how Jess put up with him growing up" he complained, Jack pitied the Colonel. He and Jess hadn't seen eye to eye as when she was a Major, but she'd been willing and argued with him about her near death to stop the Wraith, that he'd grown to respect Jessica. "Have you told her? That her father's here?" He asked, Jack nodded. He had a frown on his face whenever anyone mentioned that Lt. Colonel Sheppard and General Sheppard were related as father and daughter, Jessica was the exact polar opposite of Thomas Sheppard.
When he walked down to the cargo bay, he saw Thomas checking the list of suggestions and recommendations that he'd drawn up to check in Atlantis "Thomas!" He looked up, disgust written over his face, to think Jessica was the spawn of this controlling person. Jessica was so laid back, kind caring, compassionate. A little on the wild side of things and life, but that came from her father ignoring her for most of her life. Only speaking to reprimand her for something she does that's not 'appropriate procedure' in the Marines. Thankfully Jess was Air Force, she was Jack's jurisdiction and not Thomas'. Everyone in the Force liked Jess, mainly for the wild parties and discos she would throw in Atlantis on Friday nights and over the weekend when the off-duty marines and scientists could get hammered.
"I need you to meet with the Commanding Officer of the Military and the Leader of the Expedition" Jack said, thanking god he hadn't told Thomas who the CO of Atlantis really was. He figured a high ranking Marine, but it was in fact his wild, wayward, crazy daughter. Jack walked with Thomas as they met the Mutant delegation and Thomas saw a familiar black haired girl standing amongst them dressed in Air Force blues and the rank of Lt. Colonel on her uniform proudly "Lieutenant Colonel? Damn it, Kite, you've gone and out done yourself" one of the men said, she shrugged "yeah, a lot of people, including myself, thought I wouldn't get past Major because of Afghanistan. When the two of us met" she said.
"General O'Neill, General Sheppard, welcome to Atlantis" a brown haired woman dressed in grey and red approached them, she dragged the girl in Dress Blues along with her "come on, Elizabeth!" She complained, then saw Thomas J. Sheppard and the colour drained from her beautiful face, Thomas noticed three scars on her face and one on the left side of her neck. Her eyes were the exact same as his, but her features were of his late wife, a living mirror.
"General O'Neill, General Sheppard. Lt. Colonel Jessica Sheppard, our Commanding Officer of the Stargate Command Military on Atlantis"
Thomas Sheppard was looking at the Military Commander of Atlantis, who was in fact his estranged daughter, Jessica Rosemary Angelina Sheppard. She saluted him politely and respectfully, then sent a pathetic face at General O'Neill "really funny Jack" she grumbled. Jack smirked "thought it would've been a nice surprise" Jack said sarcastically to Jessica.
Jessica rolled her eyes and looked at her dad, she was just the same pathetic girl he remembered, but there was something in her eyes. Something had happened that nearly killed her. But she still murdered her mother, she caused her own mother's untimely death.
Jack noticed the unease between the best pilot and military commander in Atlantis and the man who refused to acknowledge himself as her own father. "Jess, can you take the X-Men to their quarters and find Carson, we're having a dinner to get to know our guests" Elizabeth said, she nodded and turned her back on her father, but gave O'Neill a fatherly kiss on the cheek and skipped off "that girl never changes" O'Neill said to Dr. Weir "it's Jess. She'll never grow up, Jack, and you know it" she replied, a motherly smile and fondness to her.
Jess took the X-Men to their quarters and let them get settled "Carson, you there?" She asked into her radio "aye, lass. What d'ye need?" A familiar Scottish accent answered "Elizabeth's having a dinner with the X-Men and the Generals, she wants you to be there" she said "aye, I'll be there. How's your head?" Jess had forgotten about her migraine "better, but still thumping like hell" she replied. Carson told her to stop by the infirmary if it wouldn't leave her alone. Nurse Wilkins would give her some Paracetomol to help ease the thudding.
Jess stood and the others followed her to the briefing room where they would be having dinner "go ahead, I just need to sort something" she said as they went in "Major Lorne?" "Lorne here, sir. What d'you need?" "nine com sets, one for each of the X-Men and two for Generals O'Neill and Sheppard, yeah he's a relation to me" she said and answered Evan's question before he asked it "oh, get in your Dress Blues, you're coming up too. No arguing."
Evan was grumbling as he came up with nine coms and was in his Dress uniform, Jess looked at him in sympathy. They both preferred their BDU's to their Dress uniform any day. The two walked in and Elizabeth knew Evan could keep Jessica in line, especially with General Sheppard. Teyla, Ronon, Rodney, Carson and Elizabeth had made their own private analysis of General Sheppard, they wondered how the hell Jess was related to him?
Elizabeth introduced the X-Men to each of the Atlantis personnel "I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir, these are Lt. Colonel Jessica Sheppard, Major Evan Lorne, her second in command, Dr, Rodney McKay, Dr. Carson Beckett, Teyla Emmagen and Ronon Dex, you know Generals O'Neill and Sheppard from your journey on the Daedalus" she said as Jess stood up and introduced her old friends "Dr. Hank McCoy, Ororo Monro, Robert 'Bobby' Drake, Logan Howlett, Kitty Pryde, Marie St John and Peter Rasputin" she kindly said, Ororo looked fondly at her like a mother would, Elizabeth knew she'd like Storm. She looked out for her Jessica.
Jess was sat with Jack and Evan, but unfortunately opposite her father who kept glaring at her for her promotion "hey Jess!" She looked at Rodney "yeah?" "How'd you and Logan meet?" Jess smiled "we met in Afghanistan, ironically on the day I disobeyed orders to get my friends out of that compound. I'd gotten blasted with shrapnel as my helicopter crashed and Logan had found me. He dragged us three into a cave until I knew it was safe to leave."
Rodney looked shocked on how Jess knew if somewhere was safe or not, but he'd seen that for real in the field on off-world missions. How did she know that? Was Sheppard a mutant? They finished the meal with Ororo's tale on how Jess met the rest of the X-Men in New York when the Air Force sent her to live with them for some experience with working with mutants.
"Whoa, I didn't know you once lived with mutants" Evan said as they left, Jess shrugged "I don't really talk about it. One of them, John Allerdyce or Pyro, hated my guts and repeatedly tried to get me killed until Logan and Scott Summers, he's called Cyclops, stepped in and told him to back the hell off. Logan, his name is Wolverine, just threatened him and John backed off when Scott appeared as well" she said, then looked around nervously with Evan.
Evan looked at his CO in concern "Jess?" He asked, she looked at him "you keep a secret?" She asked, Evan looked at her confused "yeah, why?" He asked. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the balcony that she called her own "I'm gonna show you something I've been keeping from everyone" she said, she let go of him and climbed up onto the edge of the balcony "Jess, get down!" Evan said in fear, Jess smiled and dropped back "JESS!" Evan looked stunned as he saw his CO with a pair of brown, copper and red wings. Like a Bird of Prey "whoa! You're-You're a mutant?" He stammered, Jess flew back onto the balcony and folded her wings back. She kept them out as she stood in front of her Second in Command.
"Yeah, I mutated when I was sixteen, just after I enlisted in the force. They knew, that's why I lived with the X-Men for a while as well as learning everything about flying in the Force. Not just with a pair of wings naturally on my back" she said, then heard a gasp of shock. The two saw Elizabeth behind them with Jess' team "uh oh" Jess looked embarrassed "uh…Elizabeth, I can explain" she began. She looked stunned when Elizabeth nodded at her "I understand, Jess" Teyla walked over to her team leader "may I?" She asked Jessica.
Jess nodded and Teyla felt the feathers on her wings "they are so soft" she said, stroking Jess' feathery wings "what type are they?" Jack asked as he walked out to see them "British Red Kite, I've got heightened senses as well, not just the wings" she said. Rodney made a small squeak and fainted on the floor "Rodney's gone" Jess grinned, Evan choked back a laugh while Jack burst out laughing "Rodney, Rodney? (Sighs) Coffee" Rodney shot awake. He looked into the concerned, yet grinning, face of his best friend in her Dress Blues and a pair of beautiful wings on her back "I wasn't dreaming" he muttered as she helped him up.
"Nope, but I don't mind anyone knowing, but tell everyone to keep it from my dad. He finds me freaky enough with my ATA gene. He respects you, Jack. Because you're a General. Me? He just finds a freak" she admitted. Jack placed a hand on her shoulder "well, maybe that's the reason he doesn't have your respect or admiration. He doesn't deserve it" he said. Jess nodded and turned to Evan when he asked "how'd you manage to hide them?" Jess looked at the others "you wondered what those tattoos were on my back?" She asked them. Ronon had noticed them when he and Jess went on a morning run. She often wore a sports bra and a pair of jogging bottoms with bright pink trainers, he'd always wondered what the marks on her back were, but he'd figured Jess would tell him when she was ready to tell him.
"They look like tattoos on my back when they're folded in. Ronon's seen them plenty of times when we go on a run together" she said, folding her wings back into the tattoos on her back.
The group split up and went back to their quarters, Jess stayed with Evan on the balcony "fancy a flight?" She asked him, he looked at her "seriously?" He asked, she nodded, unfurling her wings again. That was the strangest thing Evan had been asked by his CO, but the stranger thing was the face he was in love with her, she was also in love with him too. Evan nodded, he wouldn't mind to feel what it was like to fly without the walls of an F-302 or a Puddlejumper, Jess held him close to her and he held on tight to her waist as she took off and flew briefly around the tops of the city. Evan loved the feel of the wind on his face as his girlfriend flew around the city, the feeling was amazing, but Evan needed to keep her secret.
Jess landed them back on the balcony and folded her wings back into the tattoos on her back, she dreaded the day her father found out. But she was terrified that he'd find out Evan and her were together! The Military Commander and her Second in Command were in a relationship. They walked back to their quarters and changed out of their Dress Blues and into their night things, Jess loved it when she was just able to curl up beside her boyfriend and just be at ease knowing he'd be there to comfort her when she had a nightmare again.
Evan woke the next morning and saw Jessica with her head on his chest, the girl was so peaceful when she was sleeping. Well…when she wasn't having another nightmare. That happened often nearly every night because of the horrors that Jess liked to watch and that she saw every day in the Pegasus Galaxy.