Five years after the near-disaster with Earth and the super-powered Hiveship the IOA and SGC pulled the plug on the Atlantis expedition. Woolsey had fought them, hell, every single member of the expedition had fought them but to no avail.
The arguments of the IOA were sound. After all they were still fighting a resource heavy war in their own galaxy and they still hadn't given up on the lost crew of the Destiny but still, for most of them Atlantis had become home. And now they wouldn't only lose that but also the friends they had made here. Thanks to the Coalition Atlantis had become an important part of Pegasus' politics and society.
Rumours of a mutiny, an independence revolution were everywhere.
Lorne tried not to listen to them but it was hard because losing Atlantis would mean losing Teyla and Torren. Teyla would never leave Pegasus, never and the thought of leaving her felt like ripping his heart out.
But then nobody had ever said leaving would be easy.
/
"Why are you going, Evan?" Torren asked him with a sad face: "Don't you like us anymore?" Evan hoisted Torren up with one arm and ruffled his hair with his free hand.
"Of course I like you. I like you and your mum more than anyone else." Lorne told him sincerely. From the corner of his eye Lorne could see John and Ronon looking at each other without taking notice of anyone else and Kavanagh solemnly saying goodbye to Halling and Jinto. Dozens of other were saying goodbye, too, to their friends and teammates and lovers. None of them would see each other ever again. It was a heartbreaking scene.
"I don't want you to go." Torren sniffled and wrapped his small arms around Lorne's neck while burying his face in his neck. Lorne would have like to comfort him but there was really nothing he could say. His eyes found Teyla's and she carefully tried to extract Torren from Lorne.
Lorne wrapped his free arm around her waist and held her close, their foreheads touching in the traditional Athosian greeting.
They had nothing left to say to each other.
The wormhole to New Athos was opened and slowly everyone who would not leave with the Daedalus for Earth left the gateroom.
John and Ronon held their gazes for as long as possible and Lorne tried to smile and wave at Torren before he and Teyla entered the Stargate when in truth he would have given everything for not having to let them go.
"Colonel Sheppard, this is the Daedalus. Ready to beam."
The self-destruct was set for the second the last human had left Atlantis. As soon as they sat foot on the Daedalus there was no going back.
John's voice sounded heavy when he said:
"Ready."
3...2...1...
Evan stepped away, breaking the contact with the Daedalus and shooting John a last, pained look when he said:
"Sorry, sir."
The next moment he was alone. He took a deep breath, facing the colossal consequences of his decision. He just deserted, abandoned his sister and his nephews and nieces. He knew that every member of the Atlantis expedition hated him now, he knew that with absolute certainty. Ronon would probably hate him, too for not pulling John along but that hadn't been Evan's decision to make.
With a last look around the city, he dealt the address of New Athos.
The Athosians had taken cover when the Stargate opened but when only Evan stepped through it Torren was the first one to break cover.
"Evan!" He shouted and flung himself at Evan's waist: "I thought you weren't coming back!"
"Can't leave you alone, can I?" Evan asked and hoisted the boy up in his arms: "Somebody needs to get you out of trouble so your mum can sleep now and then."
"Evan." Teyla looked genuinely surprised to see him. She hesitated for a second before she asked:
"Did the others come back, too?" He silently shook his head and saw her smile falter a bit. He put Torren down again and said:
"I would like to join you."
She crossed the distance between them and leaned her forehead against his. Her acceptance soothed his reeling thoughts a bit. Still, he knew the fallout from his decision would follow. For now it was enough to walk back with Teyla and Torren to the settlement.
They had only walked for a few minutes when the Stargate opened again. Evan ducked into the woods like everyone else, Teyla and Torren side by side with him. The characteristic noises the Darts made, however, never came. Instead a man came jogging down the road. A man Evan recognised.
"Sir?" He asked and broke cover just like Torren had done for him. The other Athosians followed. He noticed the dark, angry look on John's face only for a fraction before John knocked him down with a fist to the face.
"John." Teyla said but before she or anyone else could intervene, John had grabbed Evan by the shoulder and pulled him into a short hug.
"Sir?" Evan asked again because he was not sure what exactly was going on here.
"You started a mutiny." John told him: "The whole team is back in the city. Caldwell is going to tan your hide from here to Earth." For the record Evan really tried to suppress the grin that was threatening to split his face. He really did.
"And Woolsey?" He asked because for an IOA member Richard Woolsey had become a well-adjusted Pegasus inhabitant.
"He's going to give you a lecture. And then give Caldwell a message for the IOA and the SGC where he tells them in political correct terms to leave us the fuck alone."
He looked around through the crowd around him and while John's eyes stayed on Ronon he addressed everyone when he said:
"So, anyone here who wants to help us unpack some boxes on Atlantis?"
Everyone followed him.
/
Even though the separation had only taken place half an hour ago, the reunion scene was just as heartbreaking but in a good way, in a perfect way.
Caldwell and Woolsey both lectured him, Caldwell more sternly than Woolsey because the later was obviously trying not to congratulate Evan on his catalytic decision to desert.
His team, however, had no such reservations and Laura, David and Reed buried him under hugs and kisses at the first opportunity they had.
If the happy and cheerful atmosphere was anything to go by deserting was the best thing he had ever done.
/
Several things changed, of course. On a smaller scale of things Evan moved into quarters with Teyla and Torren. On the bigger scale Atlantis was more or less cut off from Earth and the supplies that had come in every two months. Lorne supposed that this was how the first year had felt like but they had made it then and they would make it now, especially with their established position as a political and economical power in Pegasus.
The whole expedition was assembled in the gateroom when they opened a channel to Earth to face the IOA for once and for all. Woolsey stood next to Sheppard and McKay, as their seconds in command Radek and Evan waited behind them together with Chuck who as usually manned the controls. Woolsey had thought it more prudent to keep the non-earth personnel as he had voiced it out of sight because they could never know who the SGC and the IOA would blame for the mutiny.
Surprisingly, or maybe not, no one had voiced a complaint about the mutiny yet. No one had demanded to be sent back to Earth but maybe that was because the SGC didn't send people with close family attachments out to Atlantis in the first place. He looked for Teyla's face in the crowd and felt reassured by her calm smile.
"Open the gate, please, Sergeant." Woolsey said to Chuck. A few seconds later the whole gateroom was bathed in a blue-ish glow and Colonel Carter's voice came through the loudspeakers.
"Atlantis? This is Stargate Command, please respond."
"Stargate Command this is Atlantis." Woolsey answered: "I take it that the Daedalus has arrived back on Earth?"
"Yes, they are here. Colonel Caldwell brought your message to us. I take it that ordering you back to Earth will be futile?"
"Yes, it is."
"And all of you are aware of the consequences of this action?"
"Believe me, we are." Woolsey assured her calmly.
"Can I speak with Major Lorne for a moment?"
"Of course." Woolsey looked to Lorne who stepped forward.
"Colonel Carter." He greeted her.
"Major Lorne." He waited for her to continue: "Are you still standing by your decision?"
"Yes, I am."
"You know that you and every other military member of this expedition will be charged with mutiny and desertion as soon as you set a foot on Earth?" He felt a short stab of pain in his heart. He would never see his parents, or his sister or his nephews again. For a moment he had to look away from the screen until he found Teyla in the crowd. She held Torren in her arms who waved at him with a big smile. Lorne smiled tentatively back before he turned to Carter again.
"We were all aware of that, but no one chose to stay on the Daedalus even when Colonel Caldwell offered it. We belong here, Colonel." He caught Teyla's eyes again and added: "This is home."
"Fine, Major." Carter sighed: "Good luck." And with that the screen went black.
"Well, "Woolsey was the first one to break the silence: "I believe we have lots of work to do. Back to what you were doing before everyone."
They were alone.
Again.
Somehow Lorne couldn't bring himself to mind that. Not if it meant that he could stay.