It's Good To Be Home
Summary: Set at the end of 'Common Ground'. Just my idea of what happened between the last two scenes of the episode and what happened after the episode finished. I know this sort of thing has been done before but I just wanted to share my thoughts on what happened after the episode.
Major spoilers for S3 episode 'Common Ground'.
Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or its characters.
Some dialogue taken directly from the episode and belongs to the talented Ken Cuperus.
A/N: In the episode it's most likely that the team radioed ahead to let Atlantis know they had Sheppard but for the sake of the story I didn't write any in. I hope it doesn't bother anyone too much.
This isn't a John/Elizabeth fic but there may be a few moments that seem a bit shippy though not much more than what the show sometimes implies.
That said, please enjoy...
oOo
"Thanks for showing up," John said as he passed his team in the direction that they had appeared from, assuming that this was where the jumper was parked.
"Yeah but..." he heard Rodney start, but he didn't stop, he didn't feel like explaining what had happened just yet. He waited for someone else to join him and show him the way back to the jumper. Soon enough the rest of his team joined him along with some marines, four of whom were carrying the wraith. His team didn't say anything, understanding that he wanted some time to consider what had happened and to cool off a bit; however, there was a sense of relief that hung in the air around them as they made their silent trek back to the jumper.
John was thinking about Kolya. Even though he had saved that bastards life he still did his best to kill him. John was furious that he had gotten away, again, and swore that next time he would leave him no room to escape. He looked at the people around him, the people who had saved his life again, who hadn't left him behind and he felt some of his anger slide away as they reached the jumper.
John automatically walked up to the pilots chair but before he could sit down he heard a Scottish voice call him back. "And exactly where do you think you're going?"
John turned at the sound of Carson's voice; which was soft but had an underlying sternness about it, as he watched him from the rear compartment. "Where do you think?" John stated casually causing the doctor to shake his head slightly.
"Certainly not where you should be that's for sure," Carson indicated to the bench that ran along the side of the rear compartment.
John sighed, "But I'm fine."
"I'd like to be the judge of that, thank you," Carson left no room for argument and John conceded to taking a seat in the rear compartment opposite to where the wraith now sat unconscious, carefully watched by three marines. Rodney stepped up to the now vacant pilot seat and sat down as he started up the controls. In the meantime, Carson had pulled out his medical bag and was shining his torch into John's eyes.
"Pupils normal," Carson was muttering more to himself than to John as the jumper swayed as it took off. As the stargate came into sight through the front window Teyla, who sat in the co-pilot seat, reached for the DHD and began to dial Atlantis' address, however, John stopped her.
"Wait!" He called from the backseat where Carson was beginning to attach a blood pressure cuff to John's arm. "We should drop him off somewhere first," John indicated to the unconscious wraith. John didn't know why, but he felt as though this should happen before returning to Atlantis, like a part of him just wanted this to be over so he wouldn't have to think about it again once back to Atlantis. That and he wasn't sure how long the wraith would stay unconscious for.
"But protocol," Teyla began before she was cut off by John.
"I know, but I think this should be done now." John dismissed the protocol that required them to check in with Atlantis before travelling to another planet.
Teyla nodded her understanding. "What planet then?"
John thought for a moment, realising that he had no idea where they should drop him off; somewhere with wraith was as far as he had gotten in the thought process. It was Ronon who answered though, albeit silently, as he reached forward and started dialling an address.
"Wait, wait, wait," Rodney protested from the pilot seat, "I don't recognise that address."
Ronon looked up at him and gave him one of his looks, "Trust me," was all he said. Fortunately, however, this seemed to satisfy the scientist who headed towards the 'gate as the vortex subsided and carefully guided the jumper through the event-horizon. It was night when they emerged on the other side and they flew over a small body of water to come to rest on the shores of what looked like a lake.
"You'd better cloak," Ronon suggested and Rodney was only too eager to do so.
Carson began removing the cuff from John's arm after having taken his blood pressure and pulse which had been slightly elevated, "Understandably," the doctor had muttered. John stood up as the jumper's rear hatch began to open, this time Carson didn't protest as John was given a vest and his P-90 by one of his marines, as two others dragged the still unconscious wraith outside. John walked down the ramp to join them, ordering them to return to the jumper when they had finished. The stargate had remained open to keep the scene at the rear of the jumper illuminated and it created an odd reflection across the surface of the water.
John stared down at the wraith as he started to show signs that he may wake soon. If a few days ago he knew that he would be releasing a wraith back to its people he'd have thought that he had gone nuts, but now as the wraith started to wake up he knew he had made the right decision.
John raised his P-90 as the wraith let out a cry and sat bolt upright on the ground, however, it calmed upon realising what had happened.
"Ah Sheppard, I thought you..."
"There's a lot you don't know about humans," John managed to use the same line that the wraith had used himself.
A hint of a smile seemed to cross the wraiths lips momentarily as he started to get up and take in his surroundings, "Ah, I see," he said before looking back to Sheppard. "Next time we meet?"
John considered the wraith for a moment, "All bets are off." John seriously doubted that they would meet again but he wanted to be sure that he wouldn't regret the decision of still having a debt to a wraith if he ever did see him again.
The wraith gave a slight smile before both of them were distracted by the sound of a dart flying not far above them. John took this distraction to give the wraith one last glance before stepping back into the cloaked jumper and disappearing from the wraith's sight.
He took a seat once more in the rear compartment next to Carson, half wishing he would be in the pilot's seat to see Elizabeth's face when he steered the jumper into the 'gate room. His stomach gave a half flip when he thought of the expedition leader; he hadn't stopped to consider what her reaction would be to find her military advisor back to his normal self. He had no time to now though, as the jumper once more slid through the event-horizon and they emerged into the large atrium of Atlantis.
oOo
Elizabeth sat in her office, subconsciously tapping her fingers nervously against her desk chair. They had been gone for over an hour now, surely it wouldn't take that long to fly to a planet, pick up their missing colonel and come back? She couldn't shake the sight of John after being fed on for the third time; the old, wrinkled and weak man that hardly resembled him at all. Even if they were to bring him back, could they even expect him to survive?
"We know that a large percentage of those who survive a partial feeding die anyway due to complications as a result of strain on the system..."
Carson's words seemed to haunt her thoughts. He will survive, he's a fighter, he always pulls through...somehow. Her positive thoughts were sabotaged by the knowing that he would never be able to resume his duties as military advisor to Atlantis. After seeing the look Carson had given her when she asked if he would recover she knew he could never go back to the young pilot he had been when she had last seen him.
Somehow, her thoughts had prevented her from hearing the noise that she had been waiting for, for over an hour as she was roused only at the sound of the 'gate disengaging. She jumped from her seat and ran to the railing overlooking the 'gate room as the jumper began to ascend into the jumper bay above. She had not arrived in time to see the faces of the people inside, appearing in time only to see the bottom of the jumper.
"I'll be in the jumper bay," she said breathlessly to Chuck before practically running towards the staircase that led to the jumper bay. Elizabeth mentally prepared herself for what she was about to see; an old, frail Sheppard being wheeled away on a gurney...
She reached the doors that led into the jumper bay and passed her hand over the sensor to admit herself. The first thing she noticed was the medical team that stood waiting by jumper one ready to assist Carson as the rear hatch of the jumper began to open. Holding her breath, Elizabeth waited to see the stretcher carrying John emerge, but none came. Instead, looking as young as he had when he had left several hours ago, John walked down the ramp into the jumper bay, grinning at her surprise. I must have fallen asleep in my office, she concluded as she watched him walk over to her, wondering when she was going to wake up, hoping that she wouldn't.
John's smile faltered when he saw that Elizabeth just stood there, not moving or saying anything. It wasn't until he was gripping both her arms, his hazel eyes staring into hers when she noticed that his mouth was moving and that she wasn't asleep; that this was real. His face was just as she remembered; any lines that were visible were merely from exhaustion or of concern for her.
"Elizabeth, are you ok?" John repeated, a little concerned by her reaction, but this time realization seemed to dawn across her face as she gazed back at him.
"What? How..?" Her voice seemed to trail off as she tried to understand what she was seeing. The smile returned to his lips at her reply.
"It seems that there's a lot we don't know about the wraith," John repeated the words that he had heard so often in the last few hours, but they seemed only to add to Elizabeth's confusion. The rest of the team had now emerged from the jumper and were watching the scene in front of them with interest. Elizabeth's eyes seemed to drift onto the feeding mark on his chest for a second before answering.
"You mean the wraith did this?" Even as she said it she didn't believe it and was shocked as John nodded. John saw relief wash across her face as she was given an explanation and she finally seemed to accept that this was real. He was surprised when she leant forward and hugged him tightly, like the time he had been beamed back to Atlantis during the wraith siege of the city. Aware that the rest of his team, not to mention several marines and a medical team, were watching, John awkwardly returned the hug, though he too was relieved to see her. As she pulled back away from him John noticed a glisten in her eyes which disappeared as she blinked several times.
"How though?" She repeated her earlier question, still not sure what would prompt a wraith to do this.
"It's a long story," John started, not too keen to recount it in a jumper bay surrounded by at least twenty people. Elizabeth nodded, understanding, instead she turned to where the onlookers stood near the jumper.
"Carson," she called, "I expect you'd like to see Colonel Sheppard to the infirmary?"
John groaned, "I told you I'm fine," he lied, knowing that he could do with a stay in the infirmary, but all he wanted to do was be alone in his quarters.
"Absolutely not!" Carson protested, nodding to one of the medics to wheel the gurney over, "you need to be under observation for at least a night or two to help you rest. And I'd like to give you a more thorough check-up."
John sighed, knowing that there was no avoiding it, "Can I at least walk?" He requested as the gurney was pushed over. Carson considered this a moment then, after deciding that it was a fair enough deal, he nodded.
"Right then, after you Colonel," he indicated to the door leading from the jumper bay.
John looked around again at the people who had done everything to bring him home, in particular to his team and Elizabeth, "Thank you." The statement was short but full of sincerity, and the team knew that it wasn't just them glad to have brought him back. As John walked through the corridors on his way to the infirmary he couldn't help but think; it's good to be home.
The End
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A/N: What did you think? Please R&R and let me know your thoughts on it! :) (No flames please!) Constructive criticism is always welcome though, as long as it's constructive. Thanks!