Title: The Enabled
Summary: John leaves Atlantis on an undercover mission to help rid the galaxy of the Wraith. But will become of him and the power he holds? Will Atlantis be able to survive without their strongest link?
Characters: Everyone
Pairing: Teyla/Kanaan, Teyla-John, Other
Rating: T/PG-15
A/N: This is an AU that I'm not quite sure about... Some of the 'magic' references have been taken liberally from Harry Potter but don't worry; John's not a wizard, lol.
In the bleak grey room of yet another underground secret facility, John sat at the opposite end of a table from General Jack O'Neill and a mound of folders and pictures and sheets of paper. He'd read them over countless times and still couldn't quite be sure what he'd read.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" O'Neill asked him, for the third time and for the third time John nodded quickly.
"Every little helps, doesn't it?"
The General shifted uncomfortably – something John wasn't used to seeing – and shuffled the sheets of paper in front of him again and again. He sighed and looked up to meet his eyes.
"We don't even know if it will-"
"We don't know that it won't."
O'Neill conceded with a nod and half a smile before laying the papers in front of him to rest.
"We wouldn't ask you to do this if-"
"It has to be me, I know."
There was a cold resolution in his tone that even O'Neill flinched at and John took a breath, glancing around the room again before settling on the General. If he didn't know any better, he would think the General was trying to talk him out of the mission. He probably was. It was dangerous but it was also necessary.
"You're the only one who is Enabled that they will trust." John's eyebrows shifted at that and he tried to keep any emotion from showing on his face, even though they were warring in his gut. But one question kept flashing across his mind with burning intensity, the only one that O'Neill couldn't - or wouldn't – answer: 'Why me?'. There was another poignant pause and John shifted slightly, drawing O'Neill's attention. The General watched him for a moment before leaning forward heavily onto his elbows. "If you go through with this, you'll not be able to go back to Atlantis for a while. Maybe not ever."
John flinched at that and thought about his home. They'd been at war with the Wraith for three years, were under constant threat and had to change planet almost every week to keep even half a step ahead of the Wraith who always seemed to know where they were. They'd had a huge turnover of staff in the past few months, trying to flush out any moles but if there was one, they'd never found them. He had the chance, now, to try and turn the tide of the war in favour of Atlantis, for once. It wasn't even a question of whether to go through with it.
"I know." He looked away from O'Neill's unusually emotive face and concentrated on the wall behind him. "I can live with that."
"With leaving everyone behind?"
John snapped his eyes back to the General and had to hold back the instant glare the words brought to his eyes.
"I'm not leaving them behind!"
O'Neill flinched slightly at that.
"I didn't mean it that way. I know what they want you to do... if you have any regret, anything – they will use it against you. It might use itself against you and you wouldn't even know it."
"I've made my choice."
O'Neill finally nodded. John sank back into his chair. Had he really? The last thing they would need was for him to turn to the so called dark side. What then? What would happen – not only to Atlantis and the war but to him? He shook his head slightly. He couldn't think that way.
"I will be your contact," O'Neill said as he slipped something from his pocket, sliding it across the table to him. He reached out and picked up the small oval device; it was cool in his hand and he looked up to O'Neill with a frown on his face. "You'll know what to do with it." John nodded and slipped it into his pocket. "We don't know how long the... initial change will take but you need to contact us as soon as possible." John nodded. "We made sure that was part of the deal, so they know to make sure you get in touch with us, just in case."
At that moment, the door slid open and a hooded figure stepped into the room and John glanced back to O'Neill before turning back to the cloaked figure. Dressed in dark gray, the figure was at least six foot five; there was no skin visible amidst the swath of robes, not even hands. He didn't speak.
"Hey," John murmured caustically and the hood twitched but the face remained invisible.
"He's an Unspeakable," O'Neill informed him with a quirk of his eyebrow.
John looked back to the figure and couldn't help but snigger slightly.
"Fitting." O'Neill and John shared a half-hearted smile at that.
"He's here to take you away then alter my memory so I forget what they told me to tell you."
John turned back to O'Neill, shocked.
"And you agreed to that?"
"Part of the deal," he said with a shrug but John could see that the nonchalance behind it was forced. "It was either that or they took me and I think we both know my knees aren't really up to the job."
John couldn't bring the expected smile to his lips, so he settled for a stare instead. O'Neill shrugged again.
"Have you finished?" The cloak asked and O'Neill glanced once more to John who nodded again then O'Neill mirrored the movement. The Unspeakable stepped forward and lifted his arm, a long, pale hand extending from inside the wide sleeve to touch O'Neill's forehead. John listened as he murmured a few words in an undistinguishable language for a few seconds before a small glow swept from his finger across the General's face before sinking into his skin. O'Neill's eyes fluttered shut for a moment before he blinked a few times, glancing around the room. "You may leave," the Unspeakable dismissed him.
O'Neill stood on command, glanced from the Unspeakable to the papers spread out on the table and then to Sheppard. He met Sheppard's eye and nodded once.
"Good luck."
John smiled faintly and nodded. O'Neill was out the door before he could murmur his thanks.
"Are you prepared, John Sheppard?"
John had suddenly lost his voice so he nodded instead. The Unspeakable reached into an invisible pocket and pulled out a small cup-like device and held it in the palm of his hand. With a flick of his other wrist, the Unspeakable had made the papers on the desk disappear. John's eyebrows lifted and he turned back to the Unspeakable.
"Cool?"
"Touch this," the figure said and held out the device, still tucked into his upturned hand. John hesitated but lifted his hand anyway. "Your transformation will begin momentarily."
John wanted to ask what transformation because he sure as hell hadn't been told about any transformation but his finger had already skimmed the edge of the cup before he could even think about pulling it back. There was a flash of light, a burning pain and then darkness.
--
In the mess hall, Teyla sat around a table with her team mates sipping on a cup of morning tea. It was quieter than normal, as it had been for the last three days, around the table and Teyla's eyes continued to wander to the empty space her team leader normally occupied.
Seeing the direction of her gaze, Rodney set down his own cup of coffee and asked no one in particular-
"Where is he? He's been gone for days!"
Ronon shrugged and Teyla smiled weakly over to him but mirrored Ronon's shrug.
"I am sure whatever your people wanted with him, it was important."
"We're supposed to be moving the City today – what could be more important than that?"
Teyla couldn't hide the deep sigh that made its way out of her lips. They had never had to move the City without John Sheppard and despite practice, Carson could not sustain the necessary concentration to move the City very far. If the Colonel did not return today, it would seem that their journey today would not be long distance. After the attack from a Wraith hive ship two nights before, she only hoped it was far enough.
"I do not know, Rodney."
"Well it's ridiculous keeping him from doing-"
"All key and military personnel to the Gate room. All key and military personnel t the Gate room."
The team shared a worried glance, wondering at the odd summons but rose anyway and followed the thick throng of airmen and marines through the corridors to the Gate room. Once there, Kanaan stepped to her side from the control room and she looked up to him puzzled.
"What is happening?" She asked and he shrugged in a very Earth like manner.
"General O'Neill arrived moment ago and asked that he have an audience with-"
"Yes, yes, yes but what does he want?"
Teyla turned her scolding gaze on Rodney who simply brushed it off with a huff.
"I am unsure."
"Is Sheppard with him?"
Kanaan met her eyes for a moment before answering in the negative.
"He is alone."
"Hey," Major Lorne said as he appeared in front of Teyla, looking around the buzzing room. "What's going on?"
"Don't know," Ronon responded and Lorne nodded, turning to face the control room where General O'Neill had appeared at the overlook. Teyla could not explain the tightness in her stomach and reached instinctively for Kanaan's hand. He turned to her and smiled, squeezing her hand in return. It was no comfort.
"Hey!" O'Neill shouted over the din in the Gate room and Teyla smiled at his unorthodox approach at garnering attention, though she knew she should not have been surprised – it was the same whenever he addressed them. Doctor Weir stepped to his side, ready to step in but the din had dropped and silence fell over the group. "I have some good news and some bad news." Teyla closed her eyes for a moment. "Colonel Sheppard has been reassigned."
There was a chorus of "What!" around the room and Teyla watched as Elizabeth turned to the General, obviously hearing this news for the first time, too. Teyla watched their interaction for a moment before she felt a tug on her arm. She turned to Rodney who was babbling and to Ronon who was frowning but unspeaking.
"Did he mention this to you?" Lorne asked her and she turned back to find his confused expression. She was sure hers mirrored his and shook her head. Lorne looked like he wanted to say something else but O'Neill called for their attention once again and he turned away.
"Because of this, as Executive Officer, Major Lorne will take over military command of Atlantis." There was a pause as O'Neill searched Lorne out in the crowd. "Congratulations, Lieutenant Colonel."
The silence rung loudly for a few long moments and Teyla broke it by stepping forward and pressing a hand to Lorne's back.
"Congratulations, Evan."
She stepped away as others stepped up to him, and she looked up to where O'Neill had been but he nowhere to be seen. She followed the tunnel to Elizabeth's office where she saw her commander and General O'Neill in what appeared to be a heated argument. She stepped away, pushing her way through the crowd, aware of a group of people following her. In the corridor she stopped and her team and Kanaan surrounded her, firing questions without really expecting answers.
"Reassigned?"
"What did he do?"
"Where to?"
"Why didn't he tell us?"
"What does this mean?"
It was Ronon who voiced her own unasked question.
"Did he ask for this?"
As the others quieted at the question, she couldn't help but wonder how much of this was her fault.