Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or any of its characters. I do, however, own the original characters. Any similarity between these original characters and any other person, living or fictional, is entirely coincidental and not the intent of the author.

Author's Foreword: First of all, this is a companion, not a sequel. A sequel follows the characters through various story lines or continues story lines throughout several stories. This one, however, simply adds to the universe of "Unexpected." Lorne might seem a little OOC in parts of this, and that was by design. I wanted to explore the more personal and slightly darker side of his personality that was never truly seen on SGA. I hope that, by the time you get to that portion of the story, I will have built enough tension and danger to show an adequate change in how he thinks and feels. So, without further ado, here is the first chapter of "Unnoticed." Review and let me know what you think! ~lg

oOo

Loss

Colorado Springs, late 2005. . . .

The stand-off began around 0700 with a domestic disturbance. Officer Mark Davies crouched behind the hood of his squad car, weapon at the ready. In the three hours since the original call to 911, the domestic violence situation had devolved into a stand-off, with the irate, now-hung-over husband holding his wife and step-children hostage. Very cliché, in Mark's mind. Only the arrival of the children's birth father could have made it any more cliché.

"Uh, oh."

Mark glanced at the detective next to him and saw a new face on the scene. "The real dad?"

"Yep."

"Great." Mark readjusted his position to keep an eye on the house and the newcomer. Other officers had cornered the man, who frantically tried to get to his children. From what Mark had been able to surmise, the woman had divorced this guy due to several infidelities and married someone far more faithful but very abusive. Too bad these children experienced something like this.

The shooting began shortly after the birth father's arrival. While the man struggled with the other officers, a single bullet whizzed through a broken window, narrowly missing one of the officers detaining the frantic man. Shouts of "Shots fired!" and "Hold your fire!" echoed around the neighborhood. Mark had never been in a hostage situation, and his training took over. He dropped behind the car for a moment and then looked around to assess the situation.

The hostage negotiator held up his hands and called out, "What's going on in there? We don't want anyone hurt from an accident. Just let us know what we can do for you."

A moment later, a shout came from the house. "Get him away from us!" Well, that was the gist of the demand. It was delivered in a lot more colorful and violent language. Mark's senses honed, and he felt the rush of adrenaline that his military buddies described as occurring just before a firefight.

Several things happened at once. The officers restraining the birth father began to remove him from the scene. The birth father screamed and cursed, swearing that he'd kill anyone who hurt his kids. As a father, Mark couldn't blame him. If anyone tried to hurt his little Jessie, he'd rip the man apart. Screaming and cursing weren't enough for this father, however, and he managed to break free from the officers. In his mad dash for the front of the house, he passed right by Mark. Mark never thought about it. He jumped from his position and tackled the guy, ignoring the gunshots and searing pain shooting through his body. He landed on top of the father and groaned. How had that happened? His vest was supposed to protect him.

The stand-off ended shortly after that when the abused wife reacted instinctively to protect her children. She also managed to get shot in the process, but no other officers went down.

Mark lay on the pavement as EMTs from a nearby ambulance worked over him. The bullet had apparently entered under his arm and penetrated a lung. He felt the blood pooling under him and coughed. "God!"

"Stay calm," an EMT advised.

Yeah, right. Mark wanted to tell the man that he couldn't stay calm. He knew what had happened. Rather than dwelling, he stared at the sky. "Lea. . . ."

The detective who had been next to him hovered just in his line of sight. "I'll let her know what happened. She'll be with you at the hospital as soon as they get there. And don't you worry about that little girl. We'll see that she's cared for 'til you get better. You just hang in there, Mark. You hear me? Hang in there!"

Mark tried. He blinked and held on to consciousness as long as possible. In the end, however, he couldn't hold his eyes open. As they closed, he muttered, "Lea. . . .Jessie. . . .Daddy loves you. . . .I love you. . . ."

oOo

Why had she ever decided to have children? Lea Davies dropped into her chair at ten in the morning, already exhausted. At one year old, Jessica had her father's energy and stubborn will. She'd awakened with a slight cold and fever but refused to slow down enough to heal. She had finally collapsed into a much-needed nap about ten minutes ago. Lea intended to enjoy the quiet.

As soon as the coffee pot finished its work, she poured a cup, adding sugar and French vanilla creamer. Then, she settled into the recliner next to a window. Soft piano music filled the house, partially for Jessie's benefit. Lea picked up her book and began to read.

The knock sounded a few moments later. Lea jumped up and glanced into Jessie's room. The little girl never stirred. Grateful that the visitors had thought to knock softly, she cracked the door. One of the detectives from her husband's station and another man she'd never seen before waited for her. She stared. "Oh, no."

"May we come in, Mrs. Davies?"

Lea swung the door wide, ignoring the introductions as she waited for the news. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Davies." The detective took her elbow when she staggered. "I am so sorry to inform you that your husband was killed this morning in the line of duty."

"No!" she moaned as her knees buckled. "No, no, no, no!"

The other man, probably a new detective based on his suit, moved to catch her as she fell. He winced slightly, and Lea noticed it only because her senses had sharpened with the rush of adrenaline. The tears came after that, and she turned her face into his shoulder and wept bitterly.

oOo

A week later, Lea stood in the living room of her home, staring and listening to the silence. Her mother had come for the funeral and taken Jessie to the hotel with her. The little girl asked for her father daily. Mark made a habit of racing around the house, playing with his daughter right after he came home. She hadn't been able to play that game in several days. Lea had tried, but Jessie refused and asked for her daddy.

Now, Lea moved through the empty house. She hadn't truly slept in days. That first night, she'd sat on the couch, her husband's pillow in her arms as she cried. Jessie found her the next morning, sleeping on the couch out of pure exhaustion. After that, Lea had tried to keep to a normal bed time. She bathed her daughter and put her to bed, going through the same ritual for the sake of the little girl. But, as soon as Jessie's breathing evened out, she always rose and wandered to the living room. She tried to read. She surfed the 'net. She did everything she knew to find some measure of rest. But nothing filled the ache inside. When Mark's funeral came, she was so exhausted that she relied on the information he'd written down the day he'd entered the police academy. The threat of death had always been in the background, but Lea had never really considered it until now.

The pressure building in her chest became too great, and she let out a long wail. The wail turned into aching sobs, and she let her knees buckle. How was she to get through this? She curled into a ball and wept until she fell asleep.

~TBC