A/n: I'm fairly new to writing and this is my first SGA fic. Takes place around Season 3 because Elizabeth is mentioned. Reviews and criticism are welcomed.
Family
Colonel Sheppard felt another blow to his gut. They had been at it for hours, at least that's what he thought, he had lost track of time. They thought they would break him but he knew that would never happen. He wouldn't give in, he would never give in. He would protect his team even if it meant giving up his life.
He thought about his team, his family: Teyla, Ronon, Elizabeth, Carson, hell even Rodney, they had become his family and he was sure that they would come for him. With those thoughts in his head he finally succumbed to the darkness that had threatened to envelop him some time before.
Teyla, Ronon and Rodney sat at the foot of the bed on their chairs, none saying a word. They weren't quite sure when Sheppard would wake up but they had insisted that they would stay until he did.
For now he was sleeping peacefully, or so it appeared and he seemed to look better than when they had found him.
They weren't sure how the enemy had caught them off-guard but when they came to, Sheppard was gone. They had searched for days but for the team it had seem like an eternity. They had finally found him, barely conscious, his limp body on the floor of what appeared to be a cell. The place had been deserted.
No one knew what had happened to him exactly, not even Carson who could only speculate based on his injuries. He mentioned cuts, bruises, cracked ribs and the team was sure he mentioned more but they had zoned out, thinking about the ordeal that Sheppard might have gone through.
By the bruising around his wrists they knew that he had been bound, beaten and probably tortured but that was the extent of what they knew. They would have to find out the rest after he woke up, at least that's what Elizabeth and Carson had hoped for.
His team knew otherwise, he would never tell exactly what had been done to him. He would keep the pain hidden inside, not wanting to burden others. He would hide behind jokes and try to assure everyone that he was well but they knew otherwise.
There were times when the façade would disappear, even for a split second and they could see the heavy burden that he would carry. The horrors that their friend had seen before he had met them still seemed to weigh heavily on him but he refused to share anything with them.
No one could get him to open up, not even his team. There were times when it would seem that he would but he would catch himself before he did.
Everyone in the city greatly admired the Colonel, he was brave, loyal and put other's well being before his own. In the eyes of those around him he was a great leader, but that was the extent of what people knew about him.
Sheppard slowly opened his eyes, ignoring the pounding headache, waiting for his vision to adjust. He was a little disoriented but as he looked up at the ceiling he was relieved to see that he was back in Atlantis. He mentally checked to see that he was in one piece, everything hurt like hell but he was good.
His eyes turned toward the foot of his bed and he smiled at the scene before him. His three teammates were sitting on their chairs, sleeping. Rodney, as always with a tablet on his lap which was dangerously close to falling. Ronon looked like he was about to fall at any moment, John didn't think he wanted to be awake for that or maybe he did, he could use a laugh. Teyla had a book in her hand which was on her lap, she seemed to be the only one that wasn't dangerously close to dropping something or falling herself. Elizabeth was probably in her office and Carson somewhere around here checking up on other patients.
His team, his family had rescued him, they had come for him.
They were safe, he thought as he settled back more comfortably against the pillow and he dropped into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.