AN: Ok so I was thinking that Laura should know about Carson dying, and then I was mad about how Rodney and Katie ended up. Thinking back through some episodes and landing on Duet, this is what came up. And I was wondering, did Laura ask John to stay because of the bomb thing, or was it supposed to be something else? (I opted for the 'something else' one here…)

Keep in my mind Laura left early season 3, Katie left late season 4 (but before Kindred). Hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.

Lt. Laura Cadman opened the door to her apartment and slowly stepped in. The place could be considered cozy, but it wasn't much. Plain white walls and brown carpet to keep it neutral for whoever decided to move in next. She'd found this apartment in North Carolina quickly after coming home from Atlantis. She hadn't had a home, merely living in military barracks before, but decided this time she would get her own place.

She had requested not to be posted at the SGC and so was now in Jacksonville, North Carolina, stationed at the Marine Corps base there. She'd been there for a week or so.

She sighed and sat on the couch, the exact opposite of her normal upbeat, laughing self. It wasn't the fact that she missed Atlantis that had her so down. She'd been there for only about a year. To her it was just another duty station she'd been assigned to. Unlike Colonel Sheppard and some others who had learned to call the city home, she had just…been there.

No, what really made her sad, was a doctor by the name of Carson Beckett. The more reserved man had caught her affection almost immediately. And through some, well scary, circumstances, they had gotten together. A few dates, walking together in the halls. She thought they had been good for each other. She even had gotten permission from Colonel Sheppard to stay a bit longer.

But then only a few months later and their relationship was over. She wasn't quite sure how it happened, she just knows it did. She really had liked him a lot.

But that wasn't going to stop her happy attitude, she thought. She was back on earth – with plenty of men.

Laura stood up and walked over to the phone hanging on the wall, deciding it was probably time to call her parents to tell them she was back. Not that they knew where she was back from.

Two Years Later

Dr. Katie Brown sat in her temporary quarters on the Daedalus. She was going home. And as much as perhaps she should be happy, it was hard when she was leaving so much behind. An amazing job, her friends, and someone else.

Rodney McKay. One of the most confident yet insecure men she'd ever met. And she'd fallen in love. That was the problem. Maybe she should have told him. Her heart had swelled and then fallen fast that day. How could it not matter anymore what her answer would have been to him asking her to spend the rest of her life with him?

She told him she wasn't ready either. A lie for him. Because she would have said yes in a heartbeat.

He was smart, caring, but it seemed it just wasn't meant to be for the two of them. No matter how much he cared for her, she had known it was best to leave. He needed his time; she'd give it to him. Even though whenever she closed her eyes she saw him watching over her in the infirmary…

But he would find someone else who would fit him well. And in the meantime, she was going home. She would see her family again. And she'd missed Earth's plant life. She'd be much happier back on Earth. No strained relationship and not so much death near her. Dr. Beckett, Kate Heightmeyer, Dr. Weir…

Oh. She should contact Laura. It had been about two years since they last saw each other, but they knew each other well from the women's poker night they used to have and become fast friends. They had promised to see each other whenever around.

When the expedition had had to come back to Earth because the Ancients had reclaimed their city, she had gotten Laura's address and number. Laura had found a place near Katie's old home, but Katie was working at the SGC at that time and had only been able to call. Laura had been doing well.

Now she had decided not to take a position at the SGC. So she was headed for her old home. Once she got back, she'd definitely go visit Laura. To see her friend, and also because she needed to know about Carson.

It was just a normal weekend for Laura, if not a bit boring because all her friends had had places to be, when her door bell rang. To her surprise, when she opened the door there was her friend Katie, her only connection with Atlantis.

"Katie!" she exclaimed. When the city had – somehow – been taken back, Katie had gone back to it after being at the SGC for just a few months.

"Hi." She said, in her naturally soft voice and the two women embraced each other.

Laura led her in to the small living and brought out drinks. As she handed the coke to the red-haired woman, she asked, "So are you back on Earth for a visit?"

Katie shook her head. "No, I put in for a transfer. I'm back permanently." She let out a sigh. After that first day on the Daedalus she hadn't let herself feel bad about it, trying to be optimistic, something she had learned to do well while on Atlantis.

Laura studied her, noticing the glint of sadness etching her eyes.

"Why? You were happy there, weren't you? It hasn't really been all that long…"

"Well it was time for me to leave. Really I came back because Rodney and I broke up."

"Oh Katie, I'm sorry." She had never understood how Katie could stand the man, let alone be his girlfriend, but yet she had, and it must hurt.

"It's alright, really. I'll be fine I suppose. If I had stayed things wouldn't have been well."

"So whose decision was it?"

Katie bit her lip. "His. He...he was going to propose to me."

Laura gasped. "What!?"

Smiling sadly, Katie said, "Yeah, we were stuck in my lab, and the ring fell out of his pocket. He had been going to propose to me that day, but we got trapped in the lab apparently with a disease going around. When I asked him if he wanted to hear my answer, he said what did it matter, that we were dead anyway. It was a stressful day…"

Laura said nothing while her friend looked close to tears.

"Later that day he told me he wasn't ready to get married."

Laura nodded her head understandingly and patted her hand. Katie brushed her tears away and smiled reassuringly.

"But I'm Ok and I really came to see how you were doing."

"I'm good, I really am. I've been enjoying myself here."

"Good, I'm glad. The plant life is beautiful here."

Laura laughed. "So, I know I don't exactly have full security clearance anymore, but what can you tell me? How've things been on Atlantis?"

Katie frowned. "Not so good actually."

"Wraith?"

"No, it's just that…" she really didn't want to have to tell Laura this, but it was a reason she had come.

"Just what?" Laura prompted.

"We've had a lot of good people die recently." She looked down before adding, "Including Carson."

After a beat of silence she brought her head up. Laura was staring at her in shock. Despite having been over him for a while now, it hurt to know that he was…She could barely even comprehend it.

"I'm sorry, Laura. I thought you should know."

She looked away. "Yeah. Thanks." Her voice caught but when she faced Katie again she was composed.

"How?" she asked softly.

"Heroically," Katie responded simply. "He sacrificed himself to save someone else."

Laura nodded. It was comfort at least to know it was how he would have wanted it to happen.

They sat in silence for a bit and Katie cleared her throat but couldn't think of anything to say. Finally Laura spoke.

"Did you ever get Dr. Weir to join poker night?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. Unfortunately it didn't work.

Katie just shook her head, one again smiling sadly. "She had planned to come to one, but she…she got captured by one our enemies. She's dead too, Laura."

Laura's eyes widened. "Dr. Weir is - ?"

Katie nodded.

"Wow." Laura breathed, feeling respect for the Atlantean leader wash over her as it had when she was in the city. "Anyone else I should know about?" she sounded strained.

Katie sighed. God this was hard. What had happened to the city that last year? Everything had turned so wrong.

"Kate. Kate Heightmeyer died."

"Damn," was all Laura could say.

"After that poker night kind of collapsed."

They lapsed into a place of brooding once more until Laura became fed up with it. She stood up, almost angrily.

"Come on." She pulled Katie up. "We're going out to have some fun." She didn't give Katie a chance to say anything but dragged her out of the apartment so they could forget Atlantis, at least for the night.