A/N: 12/26/06

So here's another Atlantis fic. My first, so be gentle. I love the series, so I hope to do it some justice. Please let me know of any errors, whether it's spelling, grammar, or the character is out of wack. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this!

I do not own anything Stargate Atlantis, aside from my love and devotion to it. So there!

Chapter 1: When I Didn't Look

So basically after two years of searching, I gave up my fruitless search for them. The people from Atlantis had all but vanished; I had searched everywhere I could imagine. Even places I couldn't.

It was rather annoying, as I was somewhat like them. Kind of. I was almost 22 at the time, and was considered a rebel amongst my people, the Hoffans.

You see, my people were rather obsessed with creating a drug to ward off the Wraith, since our forefathers had done the same, and came painsakingly close. Then the Wraith would come.

I was branded a rebel for thinking them mad for sticking to the drug and not trying to find more suitable, modern ways to keep them at bay, whenever they'd return.

No. I understood perfectly well that the drug could work, but each time we came close, our people fell victim to the Wraith. That is, until the people from Atlantis arrived.

With their advanced technology, they were able to get decades of work done in a much shorter time. My sister, Perna, was the head of research for the drug when they came.

I personally thought the drug might work now that we had these new, smarter people helping us—but when the drug was introduced to the public, a lot of people fell ill. My sister was one of the first to take it.

My fiancée at the time, Thorne, wanted to get it strait away, and took me with him.

Kicking and screaming.

A good friend of mine got it before we did and I had seen her the day before—she wasn't feeling well, and I knew it was that drug.

No matter how hard I tried, I ended up getting injected with the drug that later took the lives of my best friend, only sister and fiancée.

For some cruel reason, I was spared; a representation of the half of the Hoffans that didn't die. I voted against sending the drug to other planets.

After I learned the results, I promptly packed my things and left.

I doubt my family misses me.

If they're even alive, that is.

Since her search was over, she decided to stay on the recent planet she came across, for a few extra days. She hadn't taken the time to enjoy the scenery she had surrounded herself with.

It was a lovely planet, with rolling green hills and endless blue sky. As of now, she was resting beside a river, cooling her feet off by the river's edge.

Suddenly, she had a feeling she wasn't alone. Snapping twigs confirmed it. Yanking her feet out of the river was the only move she was able to make before she felt cold skin wrap around her forearm, jerking her to her feet.

"Ouch! Hey, what's the—"

The wrong end of a gun was aimed at her face, cutting her off. The man holding her arm—rather tightly—and the gun, wasn't very friendly looking. He had dark, cold eyes, and an attitude to match.

"Who are you, and what brings you here?"

She would have responded, yet the barrel of the gun seemed to be daring her to even blink. When she did part her lips, all that escaped was a petrified squeak.

Her eyes were trained on his gun out of fear. He gruffly demanded her name again.

When she whimpered, she was shoved onto the ground. Hitting a root from a nearby tree, she yelped.

"What planet are you from, girl?"

Arching her back and holding a hand to her now bruised back, she gritted her teeth. Her vocal chords somehow found one another and functioned.

"Hoff. I...I'm from Hoff..."

The creepy looking man looked down his abnormally large nose at her. "I suggest you leave here immediately."

When the terrified Hoffan girl didn't move fast enough, he cocked the gun as she swallowed the grapefruit-sized lump in her throat.

24 seemed like such a young age to die. Too young...she had to think of something...and quick.

"Look, I...I can tell I'm not wanted here and—" Pausing, she looked past him, with furrowed brows. When the creep and his men looked behind them, she leapt to her feet and ran for it.

The bullet that grazed her shoulder alerted her that her ingenious plan wasn't so ingenious after all.

The force from the bullet's impact jerked her rapidly-moving body around, where another pierced her Hoffan skin, causing blood to spill forth. A pained yelp escaped her lips as her hands instinctly twitched to cover her wound, feeling her life-blood seep in between her fingers.

She came to a dip in the landscape and fell over, her bare shoulder grating painfully against the rough dirt. Moaning in pain, her attackers caught up with her.

Yet she did not die.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing, Kolya?"

This now-named 'Kolya' creep and his men looked up, meeting the eye of a man she did not know. She selfishly didn't care as she curled in on herself, trying to stave off the blood she was losing; a pair of legs in dark pants stepped in front of her as another body crouched down next to her, placing a warm, reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Well, look who came by to visit—none other than John Sheppard."

"Very good Kolya, your memory isn't as bad as I figured. Now why are you trying to kill the newest member of my team?"

...what the hell...?

"Perhaps for that reason alone, which she failed to mention."

"Yeah, well, we told her not to speak to strangers."

...whoever this man is, he's fucking insane...

The body next to her had a voice—it was that of a comforting woman.

"Do not worry—you will be fine."

All she could do was moan as this Sheppard fellow and the Kolya freak exchanged witty remarks and insults. After a few minutes, the voices became raised and it was clear there wasn't going to be an easy way out of this.

She heard heavy footsteps rush over to her and hoist her up as gun shots rang out once more. Her scraped and bleeding shoulder pressed against whoever was holding her, causing her to hiss in pain; it soon became too much for her as her world shifted to that of darkness.

When she came to, she was nowhere near rolling fields and vast blue skies.

She had no idea where she was.

Turning her head slightly, she saw a few people in white coats walking around. A man with short brown hair and gentle eyes walked over as soon as he noticed she was awake.

"Ah, it's good to see you awake, love. Are you in any pain?"

Blinking slowly, she tried not to smile at the effortless charm that radiated from him.

"I...don't know..."

"The medication must be working, then—oh, my name is Dr. Carson Beckett—but you can call me Carson. D'you remember what happened?"

She blinked. His name seemed familiar somehow...

"...there was a creepy man who...was probably going to kill me, and...a guy with messy hair who lied through his teeth."

Carson furrowed his brows, and then arched them with a smile.

"Ah, you must mean the Major—John Sheppard."

"...where am I?"

The man with the odd accent laughed. "You're in the infirmary in Atlantis, love—oh, what was your name? We never learned it before they brought you here."

Her violet eyes widened.

"...I'm in Atlantis?"

It hit her.

Carson? Carson Beckett...he's a doctor—he's that doctor!

"I know you! Well—kind of...not exactly...well...I've heard about you."

Carson furrowed his brow once again. Maybe the morphine was working too well. He tried not to recall how loopy a certain astrophysicist became after he got shot in the rear...

"I know I sound crazy, but no matter what my family says, I'm not. ...okay, maybe a little, but that's beside the point. I doubt you remember me—hell, you don't even know me. But—my sister did. You worked with her. On that drug a few years back."

She paused to take a breather, not fazed by the confused look on the doctor's face.

"Do you mean—"

"I'm from Hoff—you knew my sister, Perna. You helped with that drug that was going to keep the Wraith away..."

Carson now took the time to look his patient over. True enough, she did resemble Perna, with her soft blonde hair and fair skin.

Yet, going off what she had said thus far, was a bit of an outcast in her family. Must be why Perna never brought her up while they worked on that drug since Perna believed so strongly in its success...

She then noticed a sad look cross his face. Fidgeting with her blankets, she glanced away.

"...it wasn't a total failure...I mean, I got injected and I'm fine."

He looked up, surprised. "You took that drug...?"

"Not by choice, if that's what you're getting at. My fiancée—who I didn't even want to marry—made me take it. I voted against sending it to other planets. They're all insane."

"Look—uh, what did you say your name was, love?"

"OH! Violet—my name's..."

Her eyelids drooped a little.

"...name's Violet..."

Carson smiled a little.

"Alrigh' then, Violet. You should get some rest."

"...hey Carson? Tell Major Lies Through His Teeth that I like his pants..."

The doctor chuckled. "Will do, Violet."

"So, who's the girl?"

"Apparently a new member of the team..."

Sheppard scowled at McKay. "Hey, she was in trouble, we had to help her out."

The team was seated in the cafeteria, waiting for Beckett to update them on the girl's health. Teyla cocked her head at the Sedetan. "Ronon, were you able to get her name?"

"No. I just picked her up then ran for the Stargate."

The Athosian sighed, as she was worried about her—the poor girl looked terrified. Carson walked into the cafeteria and found them, explaining Violet's condition.

"Wait wait wait—you're saying this girl actually took that drug?" A shocked McKay asked.

"Yes, and she said she was fine."

McKay furrowed his brow and shared a look with Sheppard.

"As for her other injuries," Carson continued, "She'll be fine—of course she'll need time to rest but otherwise, she's out of the woods."

McKay had been pondering something, and decided to be vocal about it.

"So...what're we gonna do with her after that?"