Rating is T – sometimes more adult themes
Summary: Romance, adventure, emotional and physical whump with John Sheppard and now established O/C Cat
Season: Becoming more AU as time progresses, though still very firmly in the canon. Set about 3 years after Enemy at the Gate.
Spoilers: Season 5, if any.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Though John Sheppard is in my guilty imagination

A/N: - This is a follow up to my story When All Else Fails and all my other John/Cat stories. You don't need to have read the others to understand this one, though it might help with some of the characters and events referred to.

The suns shone down on the gleaming frosted ocean, sparkling like diamonds fractured into a million pieces as the waves broke at the edges of the soft beach. From way up in the sky the shapes on the sand were many limbed and multi-coloured, occasionally shifting and gyrating. There was something intimate and special about the little scene unfolding, and a closer look would identify two bodies entwined in an embrace, loosely covered with a bright red and blue quilt. Sounds rippled up from the couple, laughter mostly, showing they were clearly very happy and comfortable with each other. Indeed, looking closer, there was a remarkable familiarity between the two along with, what was quite clear from their current position, a powerful physical attraction. Some might be jealous of them: the man, dark and handsome, though hair speckled with grey, and physically lean and athletic; the woman, blonde and curvaceous, with a tinkling and infectious laugh. But it would be a hard-hearted person who did less than smile at the display of love.

Cat lay back on the soft sand and breathed a contented sigh. It wasn't often that she and John had time away from everything. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time. Not for this long anyway. This was their third day, their tent standing a little back from what could sometimes be powerful breezes that hit the coastline. She looked up to the blue sky, trying to breathe in every second of the last few hours before they had to head back to Atlantis. A large hand casually stroked her belly with hypnotic little movements then stopped heavily, its owner having fallen asleep yet again. She didn't think she'd ever seen John sleep as much as he had in the last few days. In fact, there were many things they'd done more of than they'd found time for years and she smiled at some of the recent and pleasurable memories.

She shut her eyes but sleep wouldn't take her, thinking about how little time they had left in this paradise. In the last three years much had happened and there were things they both needed to go back for, but she just wished she could freeze time for a moment. Most of all, there was a certain five year old who would be missing her mum and dad and no doubt running rings around her many aunts and uncles back in the city. It had been hard to leave Mona, but honestly it had also been a fantastic feeling of freedom and a little bit of Cat had to admit that the pressure of looking after the feisty little girl could be both tiring and aggravating at times. Still, she was looking forward to holding her daughter in her arms again and sitting down quietly at night, reading Mona's latest favourite book. Her daughter had a voracious appetite for stories and had already worked her way through all the books intended for children twice her age. And then there was the matter of her other 'role'.

Since her return 'from the dead' three years ago, life had veered in an interesting direction. It had taken a while for her to recover fully from the ordeal, her back needing (and still so even now) physiotherapy and her leg having to be re-broken and set properly , but eventually she'd felt up to thinking about her future. Her job as Chief Archivist had been very well filled by Janet Donaldson and she wasn't about to force the issue there: that really wouldn't have been right after all the woman had done to bring her and Mona back. As well, Cat had never been the kind of archivist who sat in a darkened room and simply catalogued contentedly. Instead, she loved to get out and about, to meet those who were connected to the artefacts she found and she had become quite adept at talking to people who were charmed by her wit, intelligence and openness. Her 'new' role, now two years in, was as a kind of roving ambassador, going into possibly awkward situations and smoothing the way for The Atlantians. It had been exciting, sometimes dangerous, and John had been bitterly opposed to it for several months. But, what Cat wanted she usually got and, though there had been some sticky moments, she had never felt in real danger.

Of the mysterious sect of women who'd been so involved in her and Mona's kidnapping, nothing had been heard and she sincerely hoped rather than believed that it would remain that way. Mona's third birthday had come and gone with a flurry of security and worry, especially by Rodney who was still, in some way, trying to make up for what he saw as his mistakes a year previously. But, no strange ship appeared and no attempt was made to take her daughter or her again. As for The Asgard, there'd been no sight or sound. Maybe they really had all been destroyed, in this reality at any rate?

She sighed again and turned towards John, propping herself up on one elbow and doing what he would call 'perusing'. She still loved to look at him when he was asleep and loved it even more when he was naked as he was right now. His stomach was so tempting that she couldn't resist bending forward and kissing it, causing him to jump at first before his mind caught up with his body and he decided to do something else about the beautiful woman who was paying him so much intimate attention.

A hand began to stroke her hair and he whispered, 'You're so beautiful. I'm very lucky, you know.'

'Mmmm...I know,' she murmured back, burying a tongue in his belly button. She felt him squirm underneath her and his body was most definitely responding to her ministrations now. In the distance, she heard a gently vibration like a insect on a lazy summer's afternoon in the English countryside but it seemed so far away that she dismissed it as nothing.

It was John who recognised the unfamiliar sound and groaned. 'Damn it! That's my radio. What the hell do they want? I bet it's Rodney.' He lifted her head and kissed her gently on the lips then rose and walked over to the tent, allowing her a full view of his pert bottom and well-muscled back, to find the source of the irritating buzz that would undoubtedly bring real life back to them with a bang. She heard his voice and registered the annoyance in it, smiling at the thought of Rodney Mckay getting a firm telling off.

Suddenly, John's tone changed to one of alarm. She heard him shout from the tent. 'What? McKay, tell me what's happening. McKay!'

When he reappeared, his expression was stern and he'd lost the colour from his face. To her questioning gaze he replied, 'It was Rodney. He said something about Atlantis being in trouble and then there was a huge explosion in the background. I heard him shout and the radio went dead. I think something bad has happened, Cat. We have to go back. Now!'

Her mind was in turmoil, thoughts of Atlantis, and Mona, and all their friends in trouble worrying them both beyond belief. However, as ever, John was back in military mode, expressionless apart from a worried frown that occasionally flitted across his face. Within minutes their temporary 'nest' had been stowed away into the back packs, and they were jogging back to the jumper, parked a little distance from the shore line. Very little had been said between them since the radio call was so unceremoniously cut off and she allowed herself one last glimpse back at the little place they'd called home for the last three days, wondering if they'd see it again. The silence between them would have been oppressive had they not have developed an almost telepathic understanding of each other; nothing needed to be said until it needed to be.

John ran ahead into the jumper, throwing his pack into the corner and Cat flung herself in behind, fully expecting to be launched fairly quickly into the air. What they were met with was absolute stillness and silence. He busied himself by industriously twiddling a few knobs and pressing some buttons, but the ship remained steadfastly dead. With a sudden thought he clicked his radio but nothing happened and he was met only with static then he smacked the cockpit with frustration and shouted 'crap', causing the little ship to rattle lifelessly.

'What is it? Why won't the ship fly?' Yes, it did seem like a stupid question, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

John turned, concern written over his features. With someone else, he might have thrown a sarcastic comment back, but he'd never been like that with her. Humour yes, sarcasm absolutely not. 'I don't know. But this could be a problem. We have to get back to Atlantis and that means walking, which is a long way and not that easy. ' The look on his face spoke of his concern for her and she knew then what she had to do. He paused again, once more trying the controls and once more nothing happened.

'Well then! What are we waiting for? You know what they say, the sooner we leave, the soon we'll arrive.' She tried a brave smile, but suspected that it looked more like a grimace. Cat wasn't stupid and John didn't need to tell her what the dangers would be. The planet was safe in pockets, but in others the dense undergrowth and intemperate weather, as well as some of the more unpleasant creatures to be found in The Galaxy, were what lay between them and the city. Almost as an afterthought she added,' and, just how far is it and how long is this little journey going to take?'

John simply looked at her for a long moment then almost imperceptibly nodded and Cat realised that she was now firmly in the 'crewman who I must keep safe' role rather than 'wife who is quite crap at managing uncomfortable situations' position that she took in real life. It would just be easier for him to take the professional and soldierly route. Despite her ability to meet new people in strange situations and the many adventures she'd already had since arriving in this galaxy, these days she was definitely a home comforts kind of girl and she wasn't kidding herself that the next few days would be very difficult.

'If we keep up a good pace, we should be at the ocean's edge in three days. Then, there's the tricky job of finding a way across to the city. There's a little cove where Carson used to go fishing: hopefully, his fishing boat is still there.' He carefully left out all mention of tides, storms and sea monsters and instead attempted a confident smile which didn't really come off.

They packed as many provisions and weapons as they could and donned the BDU's that were kept in the jumper. John always insisted upon a spare kit for him whenever he travelled and she had automatically done the same, which was just as well because she knew that standard issue spares were way to small for her more ample than most curves. At least the activity stopped her thinking about home and what might have happened. Fears for Mona had left a tight and painful knot in her stomach that threatened to rise to a debilitating panic if she let it, and that wouldn't do either of them any good. She knew him too well not to understand that he was struggling with similar emotions but also that he would do his utmost not to show them. Only once did he make direct eye contact with her and the barely contained distress was lurking close to the surface. Then, he'd turned away and busied himself once again with packing the bare minimum. Cat's back pack was agonisingly heavy but she suspected it was nothing to his. Left behind were his surf board and the tent and quilts which were both Athosian and not designed for trekking. And then, after he had taken one more reading on his detector which clearly indicated, with the absence of a compass, the direction of Atlantis, they were off, walking at as fast a pace as she could muster, in a tense silence.

Occasionally, he glanced at his watch, no doubt assessing how long they'd been travelling and worrying about their slow progress. He'd said very little in the last couple of hours staying focussed on the task and trying to avoid destructive thoughts about the city and all that it housed. Cat envied his ability to fall back on his training, but also to compartmentalise and put away the kind of worry which could quickly derail his calm control. So, instead of attempting what she knew would be a useless attempt at conversation, she concentrated on the landscape around her. Once away from the coastline, a wide open plain stretched far into the shimmering haze everywhere she looked with only a rare suggestion of undergrowth poking through the hardened earth. It didn't seem possible that they would ever leave this heat-battered place or be able to find somewhere to rest at night. Sometimes, a distant scurrying or the sound of a hunter finding its prey suggested other dangers than the powerful suns and at one point there had been a high-up swirl of large birds; she hadn't wanted to think about what was beneath them on the ground. At regular intervals, John indicated they should pause and take a sip of water, but he never allowed them to stay too long.

It was just about as the suns were setting when they began to feel under their feet rather than see that they were heading into a different landscape. Cat breathed a sigh of relief and touched John's arm for the first time since they'd set out. He turned and gave her a small smile, giving away the concern that he too had felt but had not expressed. They really needed to get out of the open and find some kind of shelter for the night and somewhere to light a fire and stay warm. Without a tent, they would need to rely on their sleeping bags and each other's warmth, which under normal circumstances she'd be more than happy to do. Nearby was a small copse, no not really that, more a small bunch of bushes, but it was enough to give them some shelter from the elements and they would be able to light a fire in front of it if necessary.

So, in the cold midnight air, Cat and John slipped under the zipped together sleeping bag, not really satisfied by the power bars they'd allowed themselves to consume and both sick with worry about Mona and Atlantis. They hadn't spoken about what might have happened, it just wasn't their way, but needed desperately to find the soothing companionship of the other. Strange and eerie sounds filled the darkness and, as John put a strong protective arm around her shoulders and drew her close, she wondered how much sleep either of them would have. Instead, she allowed herself to focus on his breathing and the warmth rising from his chest: it never ceased to amaze her how much heat the man could emit as though he had some kind of internal generator. Against her left cheek she could feel the comforting tickle of his chest hair, soothing her as he inhaled and stroking her as he let his breath out. In need of more of the closeness that might keep away the night fears, she moved her arm underneath his t-shirt, making gentle but firm circles across his belly, and she felt him take an intake of breath, his arm tightening around her shoulder. This wasn't the time for sex; she knew that; she just wanted to feel him and to know that he was there.

She must have fallen asleep at some point and in her dreams she was in a dark room, coldness lapping at her feet. As she looked down, water started to fill the room, running then rushing in from some unseen opening, climbing up her legs to her chest and up her chin. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe and in a panic she opened her eyes, trying to shout for help but unable to. In the darkness, she became aware of a weight on top of her and a hand over her mouth.

'Shush! It's okay. Just keep quiet. Something's out there,' John whispered.

In the distance, she heard the sound of a large animal growling menacingly and of something else much closer. John took away his hand and raised himself silently to a crouching position, gun pointing into the darkness. There was a sound much nearer, something in the undergrowth, then a huge roar as a large body came hurtling towards them.

***

Rodney Mckay stirred to the sound of his youngest daughter climbing into bed with them. Little Janie was now almost two years old and quite different to Rosie who had become quite the little lady, very serious and studious. Janie was hyper energetic and loved to play games; a really beautiful little girl with red hair and blue eyes just like her mother. The trouble was that her 'games' usually started at some ungodly hour in the morning and, given the half-light in the bedroom right now, it was clearly to be one of her early awakenings. He felt Katie stir and attempt to fend off the morning attack, but knew before it started that there was no point: Janie was a daddy's girl and it was daddy's hugs and daddy's attention that she required this time of the day.

He sighed, not sure whether to be content or exasperated. If someone had told Rodney Mckay ten years ago that he would be married with two daughters by the time he hit his mid-forties, he would have undoubtedly thrown some cutting comment back. And yet, he was really happier than he'd ever been. Not only that, but his Atlantis family was an extended one and his friendships were firm and deep-rooted. And yet, sometimes he longed for some space and isolation, some time to think and be. To give her due, Katie knew this and did try to find him some room to be by himself, but it was becoming less and less possible with the responsibilities of fatherhood.

By the time he had extracted himself from Janie's arms and pacified her by taking her to breakfast, his older daughter sitting in dignified silence at the table all the while, it was gone 9 o'clock and he was anxious to get on with the day. With Sheppard off-world, or at least off-city, there had been a little extra pressure on him. Not that Lorne wasn't a very good substitute, but he didn't have John's intuition nor, and here was something that Rodney would only ever admit in private, his intelligence, so that he had been called upon to manage even minor events and send out the appropriate repair crews. Yesterday, a defect in the lighting for a distant and not very used corridor had caused something of a panic with the 'B' team and Rodney had needed to take control of the situation and send of the electricians to the site. Of course, being Rodney McKay he made damn sure everyone knew about it too, which even after just a couple of days was not exactly endearing him to the generally amicable Lorne whose temper was becoming somewhat frayed.

Thankfully, it had been Teyla's turn to look after Mona the previous night or he might be feeling even more grumpy that he was at present. How John and Cat managed the little creature he couldn't imagine: she was probably the most energetic, fiery and, again he hated to say it, intelligent child he'd ever met and was also the most exhausting. He knew that, when Teyla did surface with the little Sheppard, she would look as though she'd been running a marathon – and that was also saying something given Teyla's level of fitness!

He headed towards his labs. Perhaps this morning he might have an uninterrupted few hours working on his latest pet project: another update to the sensors. Even though The Genii threat was now virtually non-existent apart from a few scattered insurgents, and The Wraith under Todd's leadership were still intent on feeding upon each other, the retro-virus having successfully been utilised by his leading faction against the his less fortunate enemies, there were still threats that occasionally surfaced and always the fear that some new 'big-bad' as John would call it, might be ready to surface. Also, there had been a number of little and unexplained glitches recently, nothing consistent but unnerving all the same and although he would never claim to be intuitive, something just felt a little 'off'.

Annoyingly, Zelenka was already at work, busy over his computer. Though Rodney wasn't especially insightful about other people's moods, he could tell from the hunched shoulders and taught neck that something wasn't quite right. He coughed loudly, hoping to attract the Czech's attention, but to no avail, so instead he did what he liked to call a 'Sheppard' and crept up behind him, peering over his shoulder. What he saw put aside all attempt at stealth. The readings on the screen in front of him made worrying viewing and he roughly pushed Zelenka aside to have a better look.

'What the hell is this?' he growled, 'Why didn't you call me earlier about this?'

Zelenka looked both irritated and slightly sheepish. 'I wanted to be sure before I did. It is very worrying, is it not?'

Rodney fell into silence, checking through the files and running every analysis he could think of. 'Okay, we need to call Woolsey at once and we need to get Sheppard back from the mainland. This is not good.' At that, he grabbed his tablet, clicking his radio as he did. 'Woolsey? We have an emergency. I'll be in the control room.'

There was no doubt about it but he didn't know why it was happening. The systems were overloading and if he couldn't find a way to reverse it, there would be a cataclysmic explosion. The nagging that had been pecking on his shoulder for the last couple of days like some agitated parakeet now began to make some kind of sense. Something or someone had caused a range of smaller systems to malfunction, but like a snowball the effect had built exponentially to a crisis before they even knew it was happening. And, honestly, despite the fact that all eyes and hopes were now on him to magically save the day, yet again, he had no idea how to stop it.

Woolsey was stalking anxiously behind him as Ronon and Teyla arrived. 'What is it?' queried the big Satedan.

The look on Rodney's face told Ronon all he needed to know. They were in big trouble.

Suddenly, Rodney's face cleared in one of those oh-so-familiar moments, the ones that usually came before he saved the day, and he pressed the button on the com. 'Sheppard. Colonel Sheppard, come in please? Sheppard! Whatever you're doing, and quite frankly I don't want to know, put it down and come to the damn radio straight away. Sheppard! John!'

A tired and irritated voice responded. 'Yes, McKay. I'm here. You don't have to shout, but this had better be good or I'll be thinking up some new and painful revenge.'

'We have an emergency here. We need you back straight away. I think I have a solution, but we need you and possibly Cat here to help. I don't know how much time we have. You have to leave now.'

He heard John's voice turn from irritation to businesslike concern. 'What is it, McKay. What's happening?'

'It's the city, John. To not put too fine a word on it, it's in imminent danger of blowing up. I don't know what's the cause yet, but I think we can.....' The levels began to spike in his monitor, orange turning to red. 'John, it might be too late, I........................'

***

Cat heard rather than saw the body stampeding towards them. John attempted to cover her protectively with his body and she could feel the rapid beat of his heart as he braced himself for whatever impact was about to come. 'Stay still, sweetheart,' he managed to whisper in her ear. 'I love you.' Then the ground shook beneath them and she could smell the pungent odour of a large animal, a smell that reminded her powerfully of visits to the zoo as a child. 'I love you back,' she said, then buried her head in his shoulder, briefly able to wonder at the irony of this, that after all they'd been through, they were likely to be stampeded to death by some giant alien rhinoceros. Just at the moment when she was certain the animal was upon them there was a loud crack, a loud scream and a thunderous thud and, as the dust settled, she was able to see about ten metres away from them the prone body of the creature, panting with steamy breaths that were becoming ever more erratic. Then it stilled, lifeless.

There was a long moment of silence as they tried to take in what happened. Then John said, 'What the hell?'

TBC

Well, there it is folks. First chapter of a new adventure for John and Cat. Do hope you like it enough to carry on reading. Please R & R – you know how much I appreciate it.