Title: Duty Bound

Author: Angel Leviathan

Spoilers: Anything, everything, Season 1.

Season: 1

Disclaimer: Characters, concept, etc of Stargate Atlantis aren't mine.

Notes: No idea where this came from. I'm still getting to grips with the Atlantis things, so I hope this is okay. Just had to get the first part of this out of my head. Please bear in mind I've had no sleep in 48 hours, so I apologise if there are mistakes. Advance warning; most likely going to be Weir/Sheppard in later chapters.

-

So far, she'd had a brilliant morning.

Absolutely brilliant.

Right.

So far she'd already had to try and resolve a dispute over a translation of an ancient text, assure several of her staff that they weren't going to run out of supplies any time soon, and lie through her teeth and assure Carson that she would be along for her medical check-up sometime that week. Honestly.

So, having somebody dash up to her, in her one moment of peace, sitting on the stairs, staring at the 'Gate, and start babbling in an over excited manner was the last thing she needed.

"Okay, woah, woah, slow down," Elizabeth interrupted, "One word at a time."

The man before her caught his breath and exhaled before starting again, barely slower, "You know there are some parts of the city we haven't fully explored yet?"

"…Yes…" she wasn't sure she liked the sound of this.

"Well, earlier this morning, Doctor McKay-"

Really didn't like the sound of this.

"- decided it was time to take a look around. Major Sheppard and Teyla went with him."

"And…?" she pressed.

"Teyla's just returned and is reporting-"

"Doctor Weir," the woman in question walked slowly into view, in a much more dignified manner than the 'messenger'.

"Thank you," Elizabeth nodded a dismissal and turned to greet Teyla, "What's this I hear about an early morning expedition?" she questioned.

"Doctor McKay would not listen to reason. It was only sensible that Major Sheppard and I accompany him," she answered.

"No chocolate for a week for him," the doctor joked, "What's so urgent?"

"We have found someone," Teyla seemed rather proud of this fact.

"Someone?" Elizabeth's eyes widened, "Don't you mean something?" Somehow the latter sounded more appealing…and less dangerous.

"No, Doctor Weir, we have found what appears to be a person of human appearance in some form of clear pod."

She frowned, "…We would have been able to detect any life-signs…are you sure its not some piece of art or something?"

"There are inscriptions on the walls beside the figure. The pod is sealed behind several clear doors," Teyla paused, "…Nobody has dared touch it yet."

"Well at least he's not that stupid…" Weir thought, having had visions of a certain Major going ahead without backup, "So I assume we need a translator…"

"And a medical team," the Athosian insisted.

"A medical team?"

"Do you not wish to rescue this individual? They could be one of the ancestors!"

"All the more reason to not disturb them," she shook her head, "Are you sure this isn't some kind of trick? Surely we would have discovered something like this by now."

"The room was well hidden. And Major Sheppard was the only one able open it to allow access."

Elizabeth sighed; she should have had her main team fitted with collars and bells, "Alright, Teyla. But I'm returning with you."

"As I believed you would," she nodded.

Weir turned and jogged up the stairs, "Get me Doctor Williams and Doctor Beckett," she called, running a hand through her hair. So much for a few minutes peace.

-

When they finally set eyes on the small 'room' Teyla led them to, the scene before her was not what Weir wanted to see, the aforementioned pod empty and her second in command crouched on the floor "What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, running in after Teyla.

"I don't know!" Sheppard insisted, "I just touched the panel and-"

"You touched the panel? I thought we were agreed that nobody should get too close!" Teyla exclaimed.

"I reached out and McKay crashed into me," he tried, looking up at those around him in desperation.

"I did not!" McKay protested

"It doesn't matter!" Sheppard snapped.

What, or rather, who, had previously been inside the now empty pod was lying in John's arms, small figure limp and gasping for breath. The person was clearly female, and, as Teyla had claimed, appeared to be of human form. The doors before the pod had opened and moved the container and its occupant forward, eventually tipping the being into the Major's arms.

"She's just a kid, will somebody do something!?" he shouted.

Beckett was already on the floor beside him, taking the child from his arms and lying her flat on the floor, "What happened?" he asked quietly, as he quickly checked his new patient's airways.

"…I…I don't know, I got too close to the wall, hit the panel…" John shook his head and fell silent.

"Next thing we knew the whole thing lit up and beeped," McKay shrugged.

"It 'beeped'?" Weir echoed.

"It beeped! Wasn't a fancy ringtone or anything, what do you want from me!?"

"We need to get her to the Infirmary," Beckett stood up, carrying the child.

Elizabeth nodded, "Let's go."

"I guess you want me to find out who she is?" Doctor Williams stared after the girl for a moment, before turning her attention to the glowing symbols on the wall. The young woman tucked a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear and peered more closely at the 'text'.

"Teyla, stay with her," she called after her, following Beckett from the room, "McKay, Major," continued, "You're with us."

McKay followed immediately, whilst Sheppard still appeared stunned, still crouching on the floor.

"Major!" Elizabeth called again, "John!"

He looked up, stood, and broke into a jog to catch up, "…I didn't mean…I mean…is she…"

"She's in good hands."

-

"She's not human."

"Excuse me?" Weir frowned.

"She's not human," Beckett repeated, glancing down at the now sleeping child, "…She displays all the signs, from her mind to her body chemistry, of being of the Ancient race."

"…But they fled here…" McKay began, "…Why-"

"Why abandon a child?" Sheppard finished.

"Exactly."

"Why leave a little girl in the depths of Atlantis?" Elizabeth reached out to sweep a stray lock of hair from the child's eyes, nearly snatching her hand back as the girl moved with surprising speed, to lock her hand around Weir's wrist.

"…Mother…?" dark blue eyes opened, disappointment instantly registering as the girl realised that the woman looking down at her wasn't her mother.

"Hello?" Beckett said softly, "…Do you know where you are?"

"I'm home."

"Can you tell me your name?"

She paused in thought, eyes narrowing in frustration as she came up with a blank, "…I…don't know…why don't I know…I have a name…I must have a name…" her eyes fell shut as she lost the battle for consciousness, hand still curled around Elizabeth's wrist.

John smiled, "Looks like you've made a friend there."

Weir's glared at him for a moment, before she shook her head, "You're telling me this girl's an Ancient?"

"Every piece of equipment I have says so," Carson nodded, "What I don't understand is how she can talk so soon. The Ancient woman SG-1 found wasn't able to communicate well…"

"She was frozen in ice," Mckay commented, "This girl was found in her own technology."

"True. There's just one other thing…"

"What?" Sheppard asked.

"Something in her genetic makeup-"

"What's going on? Heard here was a panic," Ford strode into the infirmary, halting at the sight of the child, "…Since when do we have kids in Atlantis? Althosian stowaway?"

"See, this is what happens when you don't get up in the morning," John smirked.

"As I was saying," Beckett continued, "Something in her genetic makeup is different to that of your average ancient, or human. I can't quite figure it out yet…but it looks like she's going to age a lot faster than a normal child. Maybe even in just a matter of days…"

"You're kidding."

"No, Major, I wish I were."

"So we've got a Ancient child who's going to age far too rapidly just left here?" McKay glanced from person to person, "I mean, maybe she didn't have any friends or something, but this is just a little creepy."

"…Well, what are we going to do with her? She doesn't know who she is and we can't tell her…" Elizabeth sighed.

The four men present all regarded her with a certain 'look' that made her all too uneasy…

"Oh no," she shook her head, holding up the hand that wasn't linked to the child, "I am not playing mother to an Ancient child. I can't!"

John grinned, "But she likes you."

"If you were standing here she would've grabbed you!"

"But she didn't."

"Major, I cannot look after this child and run-"

"Don't you want to be a mother someday?"

She glared, "That's not the point."

"Can't hurt to try, can it?" he goaded.

"Congratulations, Elizabeth," McKay took the opportunity to escape before he was made to have anything to do with the girl.

"Just a temporary arrangement, Doctor," Beckett proposed, "For the girl's sake."

"She's all alone, with no family, no memories…" John began.

"Alright!" Elizabeth snapped, "You win."

He grinned, again, "Thought we might."

-