Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis and its characters aren't mine and will never be mine. But the characters that Kate, my muse, came up with are mine.
Archive: ask and you will receive...
Author's notes: My very first Atlantis-fic... and I really hope you'll like it so please leave a message when you're done reading. Thank you!
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The Atlantis Gate started zooming frantically, locking the 7 chevrons at a steady pace. As soon as the seventh symbol was locked the Stargate sprung to life, the force field went up immediately, protecting the city from any unwanted visitors. Doctor Elizabeth Weir hurried into the control area overlooking the gate area, waiting for a code or a transmission indicating it was a familiar someone.
Major Sheppard's frantic voice sounded over the radio before they received any codes. "Atlantis, this is Major Sheppard. We're coming in hot."
"Lower the shield!" Weir quickly instructed Peter Grodin to lower the force field and allow the off-world team to come through safely.
"We have wounded." Weir frowned, realizing the Major was bringing people from the planet back with him and his team.
"Call for Dr. Beckett and his medical team!"
"Yes Ma'am!" Peter nodded and immediately called for the resident Doctor to report to the gate area. The order had barely been given when the first few people came through the open wormhole.
McKay was the first one to appear, followed by a couple of very frightened people, mostly women and children. Teyla was next, pulling a youngster with her who was effortlessly trying to break free from her grip, visibly wanting something that was more than likely on the other side of the wormhole. Few long seconds passed before both Sheppard and Ford, accompanied by several men, came through. Their backs appeared first, indicating they had been fighting off enemies till they had fully disappeared in the event horizon.
"Get the shield up!" Sheppard looked from the control area to the gate and nodded content as the shield went up, just in time to see a few sparks of people who had bumped right into it. The moment the Gate closed down, Weir made her way down into the gate area where chaos was ruling until Beckett turned up and rounded up the wounded.
"Major?" Elizabeth needed an explanation about what had happened and why John had found it necessary to bring along half a village.
"It's all her fault!" One of the men lunged forward and tried to grab the youngster still in place in Teyla's grip. "We should have killed her when we had the chance!" In an attempt of getting away from the angry men and freeing herself from Teyla's grip, the youngster dropped herself on the floor and crawled as far away as possible.
"Nobody is going to kill anyone while being here!" Both Weir and Sheppard placed themselves protectively in front of the youngster, effectively shielding her from the men. "Lt. Ford, why don't you show these people to some quarters!" Aiden nodded and motioned for the men to follow him but the largest of them all remained exactly where he stood, glaring at the two people who kept him from his satisfaction.
"I am Torgil and I will not allow for the cursed one to stay with us." He gave the duo, still standing protectively in front of the youngster, another glare before turning around and follow his men down the hallway.
"That was different." Sheppard stepped aside so he could have a better look at the frightened youngster. He noticed she was gifted with the most beautiful bright blue eyes he had ever seen. She had shoulder length light brown hair, going towards dark blond, framing her somewhat round face. She was wearing simple white trousers which had been dirtied a lot in the chaos, and a white shirt. She was wearing no shoes whatsoever, and a small amulet was visible around her neck. She looked to be a little under 6 feet tall, which was rather tall for a girl. Sheppard guessed she couldn't be much older than 16 years old.
"She's injured." McKay pointed slightly at the girl's forehead where they noticed a small gash surrounded by a larger bruise. "Shouldn't we take her to see Carson?"
"And risk the villagers attacking her again?" Weir shook her head. "I don't think so. Which brings us to the following ... what happened out there?" She gave a little wave in the direction of the Gate.
"Shouldn't we take this up to the briefing room?" Sheppard glanced from his teammates to Weir.
"Yes, we should but I don't think she is going anywhere at the moment." Elizabeth looked down at the youngster and back up to Teyla. "Teyla, you said you knew these people. Have they ever been in a war or dispute while you were there?"
"No, something like this has never happened before. I do not understand why we were suddenly attacked. One moment we're having a peaceful conversation with Torgil and the next we're under attack from a neighboring tribe."
"And what's the problem they have with her?"
"I do not know exactly why they don't like her. She has never spoken a word, nor makes any sound." They realized for the first time that she had indeed been silent all the time, even when Torgil had attempted to hurt her she hadn't made a sound.
"So, she's a mute." McKay glanced at the young girl who was staring at him with such intensity he thought she was boring holes in his body.
"I am not sure. I believe Torgil told me once that the girl is an outcast." Teyla didn't know much about the girl but she knew enough to realize the girl was lucky to have been rescued by them. Maybe they could find out where she came from and help her find her way home or at least give her a place she could call home and where she would be welcomed as an equal and not an outcast. Teyla was pretty sure that her people, the Athosians, would take her in into their little community on the main land.
"Okay then... Teyla, take her to see Dr. Beckett and make sure the villagers can't get to her. Major, I suggest you go and talk with Torgil and find out why that neighboring village attacked you and if there's a possibility for them to return home in safety." Weir nodded and excused herself to retreat into her office, leaving them to their duties.
-----S T Ǻ R G Ǻ T E -- Ǻ T L Ǻ N T I S-----
Major Sheppard came bouncing down the stairs, even though he didn't actually feel like being in a good mood. He had been talking to Torgil and various other members of the village about the youngster and why they had been under attack but most had refused to talk about one of the two subjects and it hadn't been the attack. He had gone to bed, frustrated about his little progress in the matter. He really hoped he would have more luck in the following few hours. He jogged past the gate and almost bumped into McKay, who was lost in something new he had found lying around the city. Rodney didn't even seem to notice the Major had brushed by him as he continued his way mumbling softly to himself.
"Major Sheppard! Sir!" John stopped and didn't know where he should turn to as Weir was coming from his left and Ford from his right.
I'm popular today. He smiled inwardly and waited for the two to catch up with him. "Doctor Weir! Lieutenant Ford! What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping you could tell me more about Torgil and our nameless youngster."
"Sorry boss, no such luck." Weir rolled her eyes while Sheppard merely sighed, recalling his failed conversations of the previous day. "I tried talking to the people but either they were too busy or they just didn't want to discuss the youngster. Not even the kids wanted to talk about ... what did they call her again?" John frowned as he tried to recall which colorful expression the kids had used again to describe the youngster. "Anyway, when I started talking about going back home they were more than enthusiastic but the youngster can't go back with them. Torgil openly threatened to kill her on sight."
"So, the kid stays and they go back." Ford wouldn't mind denying Torgil the pleasure of killing the youngster. What kind of a human being was he anyway, killing children just like that?
"I believe we'd do better if we allow for the youngster to remain here. My people can take care of her." Teyla appeared around the corner, but the youngster wasn't with her so they assumed she was still with Beckett in the infirmary.
"Teyla, what did Carson say about the cut on the youngster's forehead?" Weir glanced sideways at the younger woman.
"He stitched it and said that it will heal in no time. She stayed in my quarters during the night and I left her with McKay about an hour ago as she seemed to be quite fascinated with his lab. The villagers don't know where she is, I made sure of that."
"And he aloud her to touch his precious stuff?" Ford looked at Teyla surprised McKay would allow someone in his lab who could actually touch the things he didn't want anybody else touching but himself.
"Err ... Teyla, I just bumped into McKay and there was no youngster with him."
"What!" An alarmed look crossed Teyla's features. "He left her alone?"
"Maybe he forgot she was there with him." Ford glanced back and forth between John, Elizabeth and Teyla. The Athosian leader didn't wait a moment longer and set off for McKay's lab, the other three following suit.
Arriving at McKay's lab they noticed it was empty. Neither Rodney or the youngster were present anywhere in the neighborhood, unlike a few of Torgil's men, who were lurking around one of the corners in the hallway.
"What have I done?" A slight hint of panic sounded through in Teyla's voice.
"It's okay, Teyla, we'll find her." John quickly placed a reassuring hand on the younger woman's shoulder.
"We're being watched and followed." Ford glanced down the hallway, towards the villagers who weren't showing any immediate signs of retreating.
"Doctor Weir?" Carson's heavy Scottish accent sounded through the communications-system.
"Go ahead, Carson!"
"Remember the room I found the hologram in. I think there's something you would like to see."
"We're on our way!" The foursome jogged off, not entirely noticing the few men keeping close on their heels following them all the way down to the room Carson had spoken of.
Doctor Carson Beckett was standing in the doorway, gazing inside at something wonderful and breathtaking as he was clearly in an awe. He turned only when he was on the receiving end of a soft nudge.
"Carson?" All he did in response was point inside. "What the..."
The youngster was lying in the middle of the room, gazing up at a star chart, similar to the one Major Sheppard had conjured up back on Earth. Once in a while she would point at a star or planet which resulted in a clear image of the appointed star or planet. She turned her gaze to the doorway acknowledging the people currently staring at her. She got up without hesitation and moved towards the small group. When close enough she grabbed onto one of Elizabeth's sleeves and pulled her inside to the center of the room, effectively bringing her in the middle of the map. The youngster pointed at one particular planet, her expression taking on a sad and melancholic look as she did so. The image showed a planet which looked somewhat similar like Earth seen from space.
"Aya." She pointed at the planet once again. "Home." While the others stared wide-eyed at her, as she spoke up for the very first time, a single tear escaped her eyes and slipped down her cheek.
"Major Sheppard..." Elizabeth didn't take her gaze away from the youngster as she spoke to John. "...Find McKay! He'll want to see this too, I guess."
"Yes Ma'am!" He turned around at once and left to find McKay and bring him back to the room.
"Aya?" The youngster's gaze turned from the map and the planet to Weir. "How did you do this? How did you make this map appear?" Aya shrugged lightly, not really knowing or understanding she had conjured up the map.
"Do you think she has the ancient gene, like some of us?" Carson frowned slightly. "I could always check her DNA." Weir nodded and Dr. Beckett excused himself quickly to get some research done in his lab.
"What to do with you in the meantime?" Elizabeth felt the grip on her sleeve loosen and noticed Aya drift towards one of the consoles present in the room. It appeared to be the memory module, storing the map. Without giving it a second thought she touched a few symbols on the control path making the map disappear, leaving only her home world. Information about the planet appeared next to the image, all in Ancient. Weir stepped aside as she noticed she was more or less covered in holographic text. She noticed the youngster skimming through the text and before she or anyone else could stop her, Aya started running in the direction of the control area.
Dr. Peter Grodin was busy checking something on his computer when he heard quick footsteps coming his way. As he looked up from his keyboard to find the source of the noise he noticed the youngster running into the gate area, up the stairs and making a dash for the dialing panel. Before he could prevent her from doing the one thing he did not want her to do, dial out, she started punching in a to the computer unknown address.
"Hey, stop that!" He managed to pull her away from the console but not before she had entered the last symbol to the sequence. "Security to the control room!" As the Gate sprung to life she wriggled herself free and made an immediate dash for the open wormhole, taking three steps at once almost tumbling down the staircase. As fast as Grodin could act he had the shield in place, preventing the youngster from getting away. She hadn't seen the slight shimmering and as a result bumped right into it. She was thrown backwards and slid down the floor ending up in a crumpled heap.
"NOW!" Grodin looked up, just as security entered the control room. They saw some of the men, that had come back with Major Sheppard's team, attack the stunned youngster still in place on the floor. She was completely defenseless against Torgil's angry men.
"GO!" He looked at the security team and immediately send them down into the gate area, allowing them to try and defend the youngster from any harm. But as they came down the stairs they saw they had already failed in that department. The attack had been most efficient, maximal damage in minimal time. "Medical team to the gate room!" One of the men signaled Grodin he had to get Beckett ASAP.
"What is going on?" Weir skidded to a halt in front of the still open Gate, looking up at Grodin, who was staring down at the unconscious youngster. "Oh my god!"
"Aya!" Teyla had barely missed Elizabeth and made her way down to the youngster, who she noticed wasn't looking all too good.
"Get them to a holding cell!" Major Sheppard looked at the security team who had managed to restrain most of Torgil's men. "Lieutenant, find Torgil and have him arrested!"
"Yes Sir!" Ford glanced at one of the members of the security team and took him along.
"And Aiden..." Ford stopped at the start of the hallway, turning back to Weir. "...Have the rest of them placed under guard. They cannot leave their quarters until they are to be send back to their planet!"
"Yes Ma'am!"
"Out of my way!" Carson came rushing into the gate area, his medical team following him suit. "Oh, this looks bad!" He and his team managed to stabilize the youngster before they rushed her off to the infirmary.
"Rodney, get a MALP ready! I want to know what's on the other side of that wormhole." McKay gave a short nod before he disappeared, getting a MALP ready as fast as he could possibly manage.
-----S T Ǻ R G Ǻ T E -- Ǻ T L Ǻ N T I S-----
Major Sheppard's team and Dr. Weir were sitting in the briefing room, looking through the images and readings the MALP had send back from Aya's home planet to Atlantis. There wasn't much talking and if one had something to say it was short or at least not in many words.
"Breathable air. No immediate visible danger. Friendly environment." McKay placed the readings he was holding back in the middle of the table.
"It's worth checking out." John nodded confidently.
"If not for our sake, then for Aya's." Teyla glanced from Sheppard to Weir on the opposite side of the table.
"I believe we should indeed check this one out and see if it is possible for Aya to return home. If her people still inhabit the planet." Dr. Weir was confident the youngster was going to survive her ordeal of that morning. She didn't think it was wise not to believe that. "You'll leave in an hour." Weir got up, indicating the meeting was over. "I should check on Carson, see how Aya's doing."
"Can I come with?" Teyla turned to Elizabeth, who nodded in silence.
Dr. Beckett stood still, watching his only patient sleep peacefully. He sighed as he knew they had come too close on loosing her that morning. She was suffering from multiple stab wounds and had lost a considerable amount of blood. They had placed her on a respirator, a heart monitor and an IV-line, constantly pumping painkillers, antibiotics and fluids into her bloodstream. At the moment he had her sedated, knowing the pain and suffering would be somewhat lesser that way. Carson sighed again and turned his attention back to his research and some of his paperwork.
"Carson?" He looked up from his desk, finding both Teyla and Elizabeth standing in the doorway of his infirmary.
"Dr. Weir, Teyla, come in!" The doctor waved them over but did gesture to be silent and pointed at the sleeping youngster for good measure.
"How is she doing?" Elizabeth turned her attention away from Carson to the youngster. In doing so she noticed the shock of seeing the youngster in a condition like this one on Teyla's face.
"She's suffering from multiple stab wounds and has lost a considerable amount of blood. We're pumping her with antibiotics to fend any infections off. She's on heavy painkillers, making the pain more bearable for her." Carson just hated to be the bringer of not such good news. That's why he liked to be a researcher more than an actual doctor.
"Will she be okay?" Teyla had turned her gaze away from Aya, focusing her full attention on Beckett.
"In due time she will be." Carson gave the Athosian leader a confident smile.
"I should get ready for the mission." Teyla made her way over to the door, sparing one more glance at the youngster hesitating in her step.
"It's okay, Teyla, I'll stay with her." Teyla gave Weir a large smile in return to her offer. "She'll be safe."
"Thank you, Dr. Weir." With that Teyla left to get herself ready for the upcoming mission.
"Dr. Weir, I did a check on her DNA and I can say with absolute certainty that she has the ancient gene. Better yet, she's closer in relationship to the Ancients than we will ever be."
"What do you mean, Doctor?" Elizabeth graced Carson with her most confusing look she could muster that moment.
"Well, I had to take a scan of her head to see if her skull was still intact with that bruise on her forehead. I mean, it did look like she had been beaten with a stick or something. I discovered that she uses about 90 of her brain. The scans show us a very large amount of brain activity. It's like something I have never encountered before."
"Can I see the scans?" Dr. Beckett nodded and retrieved them from a file that was lying around his desk. "They look similar to the ones that were taken from General O'Neill when he had the Ancient's database downloaded into his brain. But I thought all the Ancients went back to Earth when Atlantis was under attack by the Wraith."
"Then I guess, she's proof that some went their separate ways. Maybe some of them couldn't say goodbye to the Pegasus Galaxy and..." Carson stopped talking as they were interrupted by a soft moan coming from the youngster. He and Weir immediately made their way over to the bed and while Carson started checking some of Aya's vitals, Elizabeth took one of her hands in hers, giving her the feeling she was safe.
"Aya?" The youngster's eyes only half opened while a grimace of pain appeared on her face at much the same time. She moaned softly and slipped back into unconscious as Dr. Beckett injected something soothing in her IV-line. "She feels warm to the touch." Weir had her hand on Aya's forehead.
"She's running a slight fever. Her body is going through hell right now." Beckett returned to his desk and noted a few things down on a piece of paper, which belonged to the youngster's medical file.
"I should check on Major Sheppard. I'll be back afterwards." Weir disappeared out of the infirmary, wanting to wish her first team a safe journey.
-----S T Ǻ R G Ǻ T E -- Ǻ T L Ǻ N T I S-----
Major Sheppard looked around in awe as he and his team stepped through the open wormhole. The pictures hadn't been half as wonderful as the real thing. A clear blue sky and one bright yellow sun welcomed the four on the planet. They could hear birds singing in the distance, a little behind the tree line. A dense pine forest bordered the grassy plain, where the Gate was situated and they were currently standing. He turned to McKay who was holding his doohickey again, trying to find the ever present energy readings.
"McKay, which way?" The doctor looked up at the Major, mumbling something only he could hear.
"I have yet to pick up energy readings so no idea where to go to next."
"Major Sheppard..." Teyla was staring at something in the distance. "...Could that be buildings?" John took the offered binoculars and glanced in the direction Teyla was pointing. He nodded and immediately they started making their way towards the buildings.
"Bingo!" McKay looked up from his doohickey. "Strong energy readings that way." He strayed away from the team, forcing the others to follow him.
"McKay!" Sheppard immediately hurried to the scientist's side and stopped in awe as they had reached the edge of a really large sparkling city. "Wow!" The city stretched out into the entire valley and as far as they could see. Tall buildings touching the sky above, their sparkling outsides catching the sun, blinding any one that would look directly at them. "Emerald City compares to nothing."
"Emerald City?" Teyla turned her gaze to Sheppard, wondering whether he was talking about a city on Earth or something else she didn't know about.
"Emerald City is where the Wizard of Oz lives. It's a movie and I'll make sure you'll see it when we can get back to Earth." Sheppard glanced at his team and then started descending into the city. "McKay, any more readings?"
"Straight ahead!" The Major nodded and let McKay take point so that he was sure they were going straight ahead to the point where the energy was originating from.
They had walked for over an hour and had to still meet the local residents if there were any. McKay hadn't taken one turn just had followed what he had thought and voiced to be one of the main roads in the city. As they moved further down the road they realized they weren't going to bump into many residents as it looked like they had left the city in a hurry a long time ago. Vehicles, resembling cars, came into view and looked as if they had been left just where they had stopped. Plants were the only living things that were now present in the entire city.
"You'd almost think they vaporized where they stood." Ford glanced sideways and quickly caught up as his team continued walking.
"McKay, how much further?" Sheppard was seriously feeling like he was walking through a ghost city and on top of that he wondered how exactly these people had seemed to vanish into thin air.
"The readings are getting stronger. It's almost as if..." Rodney stopped and noticed they were standing in front of a circular structure, build out of glass. Inside he noticed a strange yellow glow, right in the middle of the place.
"It's almost as if... What?"
"That yellow glow, Sir!" Ford looked from his CO to the yellow glow. "It's a ZPM."
"No kidding!" McKay started to make his way over to what looked like the entrance of the building. "McKay!" The rest of the team quickly followed their scientist and soon found themselves in a very futuristic looking entrance hall.
"This way!" Rodney took the lead and started to make his way into another large room. This one looked nothing like the entrance hall where they had found sofas lining the wall. There were drawings on the floor and on the walls, depicting something that had most likely, or at least what they hoped, happened a very long time ago. The yellow glow was now a little less and was coming from a see-through container in the middle of the room.
"Major, these symbols... It's Ancient, Sir!" Lt. Ford was looking at a text that was written next to the door and was probably the beginning of the story drawn on the walls and floor.
"Shouldn't we tape this or something?" Teyla was looking at the drawings trying to understand what they were telling. "Maybe Aya can tell us what it means?"
"If she lived here, you mean?"
"She did know how to read the Ancient's database so I'm thinking she knows the language. I'm sure she could at least give us a view on the city if she..." McKay didn't finish his sentence as he knew they couldn't think the worst possible scenario for the youngster.
"Ford ... Teyla, start taping! McKay, focus your attention on the alleged ZPM!" The young Lieutenant gave Sheppard a short nod before starting recording the writings on the walls.
-----S T Ǻ R G Ǻ T E -- Ǻ T L Ǻ N T I S-----
Elizabeth turned to the next page in her book, while checking if the youngster was till peacefully asleep. Beckett had left some time ago as he had some tests to run in one of the labs. She took the opportunity to replace the cool cloth on Aya's forehead before continuing Tolstoy's War & Peace. Sheppard had leaned her the book, knowing she would finish it earlier than he, and it wouldn't be much of a surprise to him if she hadn't already read it more than once.
"Dr. Weir?" She looked up surprised to find one of the airmen standing in the doorway. She could just distinguish a female form standing behind the broad shouldered man. "This woman wishes to talk to you about the youngster, Ma'am." That got her full attention. She quickly debated whether she would receive the woman in the infirmary or her office when the woman interrupted her thoughts.
"Ma'am, I am her caretaker. I will not harm her." The woman looked in her mid forties, long brown hair loosely falling over her shoulders. Hazel-brown eyes looked directly at Weir, giving her a very unsettling feeling.
"Come on in." The young guard stepped aside and allowed the woman to enter the room.
"Thank you, Ma'am. I am Erika and have been Kaia's caretaker since the day she arrived in our village." The woman moved in the direction of the injured youngster but Weir immediately prevented her from getting too close.
"Her name is Aya."
"She looks so peaceful and yet so fragile." Erika turned her gaze back to Elizabeth. "I am truly sorry for what Torgil and his men have done to her but there was nothing I could have done to prevent it. I am merely her caretaker."
"You were her caretaker. And some caretaker you were!" Have we been spending too much time with Major Sheppard again? Weir could hear the proverbial angel on the shoulder. She half expected the proverbial devil to arrive on her other shoulder and tell her to swiftly kick the woman out and punish her severely for not taking better care of Aya. "Why don't you tell me whatever it is you wish to share with me?"
"Kaia came through the Gate of Darkness when she was only a little girl. Torgil had brought her along as a gift to his sister who couldn't have children but not much after she arrived his sister died in mysterious circumstances and Kaia was blamed for this. Torgil wanted to kill her right at the spot but I could convince him to let the girl live in exile, out of the village. He agreed and as a punishment for killing his sister Kaia was brought to a cave about half a day travel from the village. I was aloud to take care of her until she would be old enough to stand trial for her crimes. Torgil believes she is cursed and must pay for what she did to his beloved sister."
"You're saying the only reason she happened to be in the village when my team was there was because of her trial for something she probably didn't even do?" Weir couldn't believe what the woman was telling her. How cruel and primitive could you be to believe a toddler could kill someone?
"Kaia had to stand trial that day. We couldn't have known the Dark Ones would attack our village. They do so every few moons but only if they are in need of something. They do not trade as normal people, they just take what they need and leave. But still it means a battle and death every time they do." Erika glanced from Elizabeth to Aya who was murmuring softly.
"I can't believe this." Elizabeth knew one thing for sure, the youngster wasn't going back with the rest of the villagers. "And why do you keep calling her Kaia, her name is Aya. She told us that much."
"I named her Kaia. It was the name of Torgil's sister. It's the law to call the murderer after his or her victim so that guilt may consume them."
"Right."
"Chaya..." Aya's murmuring grew in volume and soon she was crying out for someone.
"Aya! Aya, calm down!" Weir immediately got to the youngster's side, closely followed by Erika who still had the decency to remain at a certain distance feeling she wasn't welcome to join in the soothing of the clearly distressed youngster. "Beckett!" The Scottish doctor immediately responded upon hearing his name. "Get back to the infirmary ASAP!"
"Yes Ma'am!"
As soon as Carson had returned he had injected a sedative in the youngster's IV, causing her to fall into a deep unconscious state of mind. He checked her vitals and noted them down in her file. He assured Elizabeth Aya was doing fine and left again to continue his research. Erika hadn't left her spot by the wall and wasn't about to, if it hadn't been for an incoming wormhole.
"I have to go and see if that's Major Sheppard and his team. I cannot permit you to stay here." Elizabeth called the airman at the door and politely asked him to escort the woman back to her temporary quarters.
"Please, take good care of her." Erika looked once again directly at Elizabeth. As she received a curt nod the woman turned and followed the airman away from the infirmary and back to her quarters.
Major Sheppard was the first one to come through the open wormhole, a grin plastered on his face. McKay was directly behind him, sporting an even bigger grin. Ford and Teyla came through together smiling widely as well, giving Dr. Weir every reason to assume the mission had gone well.
"Major Sheppard?" Weir couldn't help but smile too, with so much smiles around it was kind of hard not too. "Why the smiles?"
"McKay!" Rodney unhooked his backpack and immediately reached for his precious cargo, pulling the ZPM out for everybody to see.
"Where..." Elizabeth gazed at the object, flabbergasted.
"We found a big empty city. No people though, so they won't miss it all that much." Sheppard's smile grew in force.
"There were writings on the walls and floors. We taped them so you could have a look at them." Teyla added.
"What about Aya's people?" Dr. Weir looked from one to the other, seeing their smiles fade as snow in the sun.
"Picked up and left, Ma'am." Lieutenant Ford started. "Or..."
"Or what, Lieutenant?"
"Or the Wraith visited that planet a while ago and had a little dinner party." Sheppard finished Ford's thought, since it was in all of their minds.
"How is Aya?" Teyla wisely steered the conversation into another direction.
"Let's move to the briefing room, shall we!" The team immediately glanced at each other, already expecting the worst. "Aya is still alive ... if barely." Weir had picked up on their train of thoughts. "There's something else, involving her that I wish to discuss with you in private." Elizabeth smiled as she could hear the collective smile.
Once they were seated and the doors were closed Elizabeth told the others about Erika and what she had told about Aya. She could see the conflicted emotions flicker across their faces as she told them about the strange rituals and the way they trialed people in general, or at least the ones who had committed murder.
"They think she's a murderer?" Aiden blinked rather confused.
"Cursed..." Teyla muttered silently, nodding as she finally understood why the villagers had never been eager to discuss the youngster, or allow her presence for too long.
"There's something else." Weir continued. "Earlier she woke up and called out for Chaya." Elizabeth took a moment to fix John with a pointed stare before continuing. "She was clearly feverish at the moment but still..."
"Chaya?" Rodney looked at from Elizabeth to John and back, since he figured both of them apparently knew what Weir was talking about.
"The ascended being?" Teyla remembered the woman vaguely, since she hadn't been the one to have so much time together with the lady.
"You know any other Chaya's?" It finally started to dawn on Sheppard as he shrugged, while Weir continued. "I think we should ask her if she knows Aya or her people."
"Oh, that one." Rodney remembered the priestess that had turned Sheppard into a Kirk-clone. "Anyway, I can't go along on this merry little trip. No time!" He pointed at the ZPM, still firmly in place in his backpack.
"Who says you could come along anyway?" McKay shot Sheppard a dirty look before he disappeared in a whirlwind of scientific muttering. "I guess we're off then."
"We'll leave you the tapes with the writings." Teyla fished them out of her backpack and handed them over to Elizabeth, who accepted them gratefully.
-----S T Ǻ R G Ǻ T E -- Ǻ T L Ǻ N T I S-----
Remembering the last time he had set foot on Chaya's home-world he knew exactly where he had to be, and as soon as they exited the wormhole he set course for the small sanctuary Chaya called home.
The moment he landed the small puddle-jumper he could feel her presence, and unlike Teyla or Ford he wasn't at all surprised to find her waiting for them outside the jumper.
"John!" She enveloped him in a hug, which he gladly accepted. "What brings you here?"
"Do I need a reason?" She blushed and gave him a shy smile in return.
"We came here to ask you if by any chance you know Aya?" Teyla immediately went down to business, ignoring Sheppard's innocent flirting with the ancient.
"Aya?" Chaya immediately turned her attention towards Teyla. "Yes, I know her. Where is she?" She gazed at the trio in front of her, seeing that something was wrong. "Where is she?" She was almost pleading.
"Aya's in Atlantis." John immediately knew by the way Chaya reacted so intensely to Aya's name that the girl currently stuck in their good care was special.
"I need to see her." Chaya was already moving towards the door of the jumper, but John stopped her midway.
"What about your people? What if the Wraith come?" That wasn't exactly what he had wanted to say but he settled with it.
"I will know. Now please, take me to Aya." The Major nodded curtly and opened the hatch of the jumper so they could get back in and be on their way, the sooner the better.
Weir had reclaimed her seat at Aya's bedside, not expecting her first team to return any time soon. She was sure Chaya would be happy to see the Major again and would without a doubt offer them some tea while they talked about what she hoped would be Aya.
"Dr. Weir?" A voice came over the radio, which she easily identified as Grodin's. "Major Sheppard and his team have returned. They will meet you in the infirmary."
"What!" She got up but noticed the team entering, accompanied by the one person she thought wasn't going to leave her planet alone ever again.
"Aya!" Chaya immediately made her way over to the youngster. "Oh no..." The young woman stopped dead in her tracks as she got a better view on the young girl. She closed the distance between herself and the bed in a rather gentle way. Chaya stretched her hand out, gently touching Aya's warm cheeks. She shifted her hand to the girl's forehead and her other she placed over the youngster's chest.
"Chaya?" Sheppard had stopped right behind her but Elizabeth prevented him from interfering with whatever the woman was about to do.
They watched in wonder as a bright white glow surrounded both Chaya and Aya. They had to shield their eyes as the glow grew in strength. As soon as the glow decreased in strength, they opened their eyes again, only to see a very healthy Aya sitting up straight. She blinked a few times before acknowledging Chaya's presence.
"Chaya!" Aya almost jumped into Chaya's open arms, embracing her for dear life.
"Sister of mine..." Tears of joy ran down both faces while the others were blinking in surprise and looking at each other as if the other knew the answer.
"Sister?" Sheppard looked at Weir, who gave him an equally surprised look back. "I think this deserves an explanation, Chaya?"
"I believe we should take this conversation to your briefing room." Elizabeth nodded and together they left the infirmary, while Aya was aided in removing all unnecessary IV's and bandages. As soon as she got rid of them she jumped of the bed and sprinted out of the infirmary, though still wearing her blue hospital clothes.
Aya arrived at the briefing room at much the same time as the other, taking the stairs two at the time. She slipped through the closing doors, almost tripping over her own feet in her hurry to find a seat. She smiled and blushed as she noticed they were all looking at her.
"Chaya, whenever you're ready." Elizabeth smiled at Aya before turning her attention to the ancient.
"I shall begin where Aya's life started. As you already know my people ascended a long time ago, as did I. As you also know I broke the rules of not interfering when I defended my home world from a Wraith attack, thereby finding myself exiled to this very planet. My parents were also among the ascended and it is from their love for one another that Aya came." Aya's face immediately turned sad, just like it had looked when she had conjured up the map of her home world.
"Err... Don't you have to be corporeal to ... err..." Ford gave Chaya his most confused look. "...Well, you know."
"Not in this case. Aya is a creation of pure love and energy. The only reason she's corporeal now, is because my parents were punished for her conception."
"Seems to be a family trait, I reckon." Chaya rolled her eyes and smiled knowing the Major was right about their little family habit.
"They were banished to a distant planet, where they were to live out the remainder of their lives as mortals. Aya was send with them. I tried to stay in contact but unfortunately I lost it many years ago."
"I'm afraid the Wraith visited them a while ago. We were there this morning and only found an empty city..."
"With a nearly depleted ZPM." McKay stood in the doorway, balancing a few discs and a laptop.
"Dr. McKay." Chaya smiled at him.
"What about the writings we found?" Teyla questioned while he was finally able to take a seat without dropping anything he was holding.
"Just a minute." As soon as his laptop was up and running, he inserted one of the discs and projected the whole thing on the big screen. A few minutes later the writings and drawings, Teyla and Ford had taped, appeared for all to see.
"Chaya, do these look familiar to... Aya?" Elizabeth turned to Aya, who had gone extremely pale and was visibly trembling, clearly remembering some very scary event.
"Aya?" Chaya's soothing voice made the youngster turn away from the screen, showing tears running down her face. "The writings are a warning to future generations, a warning concerning the Wraith."
"Aya was taken from her home world long before the Wraith arrived. She was kidnapped by people from another world." Elizabeth informed Chaya.
"It probably saved her life, yet she was not treated with the respect she deserves." Chaya was holding Aya's gaze as she spoke, sending calming waves towards her.
"She was a suspect in a murder case. They wanted her to stand trial when we arrived on the planet." Teyla felt like she should inform Chaya concerning Aya's so-called saviors.
"If you wish to know, they are being send back as we speak and won't be on our list for aid any time soon." Sheppard smiled at Chaya, making her blush a little.
"Thank you!"
"So, what will happen with Aya now?" Weir glanced at the girl, smiling as she noticed she was doodling on a piece of paper.
"With your permission I'd like her to stay in Atlantis and learn what she can from you and your people. And everything there is to know about this city of course, and her ancestors. I would love to have her over for visits at my home world every so often."
"Aya, what do you think about staying here a little longer and learn? Or do you want to go home with Chaya?" Dr. Weir glanced at the youngster, as did the others.
She looked up and smiled widely, "Chaya first, then learn!" Aya's mind was clearly set.
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Dr. Weir and Major Sheppard were waiting near the jumper, waiting for Aya. She and Chaya were standing a few feet away, silently talking in what Weir recognized as Ancient. Aya laughed out loud with something Chaya said, her laughter carrying through the valley.
"They seem to be having fun." John glanced sideways at Elizabeth, who smiled and nodded.
"We will have our hands full with Aya." Elizabeth had just made the statement she knew was true, when the two young women made their way over to the jumper.
"Aya is ready." Chaya released Aya's hand and hugged her one last time before leaving her sister in the good care of John and Elizabeth.
"Aya?" Elizabeth stretched her hand out, inviting Aya to take it in her own. The girl smiled brightly and locked hands with Weir.
"Bye John!" Chaya hugged Sheppard and stepped back to allow the trio to enter the jumper and take off.
As the jumper disappeared in the distance, Chaya entered her small sanctuary smiling widely, knowing Aya was safe and sound. As soon as they were ready for it, they would learn of Aya's true destiny and meaning of her existence. For now, it was enough to offer her a good home, lots of friendship and tons of knowledge. Chaya couldn't think of a better place for Aya to be then in the City of the Ancients, Atlantis.
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