New life, Old problems
Lt Colonel Jessica Sheppard woke from another fresh batch of nightmares, but these she couldn't tell anyone about as they were linked to a past that she never spoke of anymore. She swung herself out of bed and got dressed in her usual black BDU's and grabbed her gun and radio, here was another usual eventful day in Atlantis and the Pegasus Galaxy.
Jessica hadn't always been a USAF Officer, once she was a young girl who did nothing but fight through her childhood and never got a chance of normalcy. Jessica Sheppard only existed on paper and in rank, her biological name was Holly Johanna Potter, a young witch and the famous saviour of the Wizarding world that vanished when the second war ended.
She thought back on when she left the magical world of Britain behind and headed to America with a few changes to her features. Gone were her round glasses, scar and signature eye colour, in place of the emerald green she had inherited from her mother was a beautiful Hazel colour, she used a glamour charm to cover her lightning bolt scar and had laser eye surgery to fix her long damaged eyesight. She mentally snorted about her eyesight.
Rodney wouldn't believe that a flygirl jock of a pilot used to be a glasses wearer, he'd only just discovered her major in mathematics as he saw her with Radek Zelenka in the lab the previous night working on some equations that Radek was struggling with "Radek, you need Pythagoras for that" Rodney was stunned "Colonel, how do you know this?" Radek had asked "I'm not a dumb as I make to believe, I did go to college and get a major in mathematics. The only thing I found I was good at as well as flying an F-14 Tomcat and an F-302" the Lt Colonel had said, Rodney had gone in and snapped at her for keeping it a secret "hey, I like to be a dumb jock, I don't like bragging about the fact I'm a math geek!"
She smiled as she joined the rest of her team, but Teyla looked as if she barely had any sleep "hey, you okay?" She asked, Teyla shook her head "I am fine, I just did not sleep well last night" Teyla assure her, Jessica didn't look convinced "Teyla, if you're having nightmares, I find it better to talk to people you trust with them" she said to the Athosian. Teyla looked at her "it involved you, but not the Jessica Sheppard I know of. It was as if you were unlike yourself" she said, Jessica looked over at Rodney "hey, I told you not to touch that crystal!" He protested "you think I caused it?" Jessica snapped, getting up and walking off to the control centre of Atlantis "what happened?" Sam Carter asked her as she came up.
Jessica told Sam about Teyla's nightmare and Sam looked concerned "Jennifer had a similar dream, as did Ronon" Jessica was getting more and more worried "does this have something to do with that crystal I touched?" She asked, Sam shook her head "I don't know, Radek and Kavanagh are bringing that dead one back and a live one to see what caused it" she said, Jessica nodded and looked wary "is that a good idea to bring a live one on Atlantis?" She asked, Sam shook her head "it may be the only way to know what's happening" she assured the panicked Lt Colonel.
Jessica walked down to the lab where Radek and Kavanagh were, not that she or Radek liked the long-haired scientist, which hatched an idea in the Lt Colonel. Major Lorne had just been a victim of the nightmare entity and the only member of the military that was affected.
Jessica knew that it was a long shot, but she called Rodney down to the lab and told him her idea "this is a very bad idea" he said, Jessica looked at him "you say that all the time about my ideas" she said, lightly snapping in a joking manner. Rodney rolled his eyes, he'd been in a rubber walled room as everyone (including himself) had the alien entity inside of him.
When the two were hooked up and Rodney was sedated, he woke in his usual nightmare and saw Jessica sitting before him in her usual clothes "I thought you were helping me?" He said, Jessica sneered "who'd want to help you?" "Don't listen to her, Rodney" he looked at the hand on his left shoulder and sitting behind him was another Jessica Sheppard, she looked worried and concerned for him instead of herself "you're gonna die out here" the other Jessica sneered at the two as they rowed to Atlantis "when you said it was crazy?" Jessica said to her best friend "oh yeah? Explain that" the two saw a clown behind them.
Jessica made a face "I hate clowns" she shuddered as a ginormous whale with teeth snapped up the boat they were in and woke Jessica up. She was shaken and scared, she glanced over as Jennifer was trying to restart Rodney's heart but was unsuccessful. Jessica unhooked herself and ran off in tears, she was crying for her best friend who was now dead because of her actions. Then Sam, Ronon and Teyla surrounded her and told her every negative feeling that Jessica had in her heart, her deepest fears, but she didn't believe them.
Then she saw the other Jessica smirking at her, which was when Jessica lost her cool "you bitch!" She snarled as she pushed past 'Teyla' and 'Ronon', grabbed the other Jessica and pulled them both through the wall and into the 'Gate room of Atlantis with an active Stargate.
Rodney woke with a start and panicked "hey, hey, it's okay. You were going into cardiac arrest" Jennifer soothed him, Rodney looked confused "the entity?" He asked them both, Radek looked concerned "it's in Colonel Sheppard" he told Jennifer and a scared Roney.
Jessica pinned the other version down on the floor, she was in such a fury at the other version of 'herself', and she'd killed one of her closest friends and the only person in Atlantis who knew Jessica's real identity. 'Jessica' shoved her off and they both scrambled to their feet, Jessica knew this was a visual and physical form of all the fears she held within her, 'Jessica' sneered at the real Sheppard "I'm not afraid of you" Jessica told her doppelganger "oh yes you are, I'm the one thing you are afraid of" 'Jessica' sneered at Jessica, who lost it.
She swung her fists and began fighting her psychotic doppelganger, but her doppelganger was stronger, more agile and quicker than Jessica herself. Jessica was thrown around the 'Gate room and beaten savagely by her 'ganger. 'Jessica' threw her up the steps of the room and Jessica landed in agony on her wounded side. Jessica winced as she stood up, only to be knocked down again by her doppelganger. When her 'ganger tried to hit her again, she easily dodged and managed to get in a couple of punches herself, but she was too weak.
Jennifer looked at Jessica's heart rate "her heart rate's too high" she said, looking concerned at Rodney and Radek "hook me up to her again" Rodney said, he needed to help his friend.
Jessica took more hits and punches until 'Jessica' threw her off the balcony, she landed in agony again next to the Stargate as the other Jessica landed behind the real Jessica "get up!" She sneered at the fallen Military Commander of Atlantis "come on, Jessica, FIGHT!"
Jessica barely managed to get the words out "no, it's what you want" she gasped for breath, the other leered at her "it's your fault Heightmeyer's dead, your fault McKay's dead" she hadn't seen Rodney appear behind her or felt his presence in Jessica's dream "I'm not dead!" He called, 'Jessica' turned and saw Rodney McKay walking down the steps of the 'Gate room, her face contorted in fury as she stormed over and shoved him against a wall.
"You. Can't. Win" she snarled, Rodney looked impassive, he knew this entity was wearing the face of his best friend and she knew all Jessica's moves "yes we can. You're vulnerable to electric shock, that's why I'm still alive. You left before you could finish the job. So you could torture my best friend" Rodney said as an electric current hit the alien masquerading as Jessica, who looked shocked and surprised at what was happening "what the hell's that?"
Jennifer was using the paddles on Jessica and weakening the entity's hold on her in real life.
As 'Jessica' weakened, the real Jessica walked over and threw her doppelganger through the Stargate "which one are you?" Rodney asked her "me" Jessica replied, confused at him. "Good you or Bad you?" He clarified "me-me, are you-you?" She asked him "think so" he said "thanks" Jessica said, tears streaming down her face as she hugged her best friend "hey, it's alright Jess, you're safe" he calmed her down. It was rare Rodney had to do this. Jessica was the strongest person he'd met and the most closed off with her emotions as too.
The two woke up and Jessica looked over at her best friend, giving him a small smile of gratitude. Rodney was always there for her, unlike Ron and Hermione who would ignore her if she was crying as a teenager, but she never told Rodney what he meant to herself. Barely anyone had Jessica's trust as no-one had been worthy of her trust until she went to Atlantis. They returned the crystals to the planet and went back to Atlantis, Jessica was sitting at a table in the Mess Hall with her old photo album from Hogwarts, she missed a lot of her friends, but now she had new friends who wouldn't turn their backs on her if something happened, which it often did, and stayed by her side when the going got tough for Jessica.
Teyla joined her, then came Rodney and Ronon, then Jennifer and Sam. They all mourned Kate, but Jennifer noticed the photos that Jessica had in her album "uh…Jess?" Jessica looked over at her from laughing with Teyla at Rodney "yeah Jen?" "Did those pictures just move or was it just me?" Jessica smirked and knew this day had to come sooner than later. "That's kinda hard to explain" she said, looking at them "Jess…" Sam said, then the six saw a silver flash in the 'Gate room, but no-one thankfully was around to see a young woman appear there "oh boy" Jessica moaned "Holly?" "Hey Ginny" Jessica walked down to her.
"How the hell did you get here?" She asked her ex-best friend's little sister "take a wild guess, even you're not that stupid without Ron around and he's an idiot" Ginny said, folding her arms "really, how did you find my magical signature in another galaxy?" Jessica asked. "Another galaxy?" Jessica nodded with a small smirk on her face "welcome to Atlantis, Ginny. We're in the Pegasus Galaxy, watch out for the Wraiths, but other than that and a few other cretins, it's positively nice" she said, smiling. Ginny rolled her eyes "we need you again, Holly" Jessica shook her head "I'm not leaving Atlantis for those idiots, never again."
"Voldermort's back" that stunned Jessica "not again" she huffed, dragging Ginny up the steps to the meeting room in the 'Gate room "you sure? I mean, last I remember, I destroyed the Horcruxes and killed him myself" Ginny nodded as the two explained who Jessica was.
The Atlantis team were shocked to learn their Military Commander was a famed witch, but Jessica didn't want to remember that part of her life. It was in the past where she liked it to be, she'd moved on and gotten a better life "look, Ginny, I told you I'll never forgive your brother and Hermione for what they tried to do" she said, Ginny knew Jessica/Holly never had much patience and her ability to trust people had been shattered by Ron and Hermione.
"Please Holly, we need you" Ginny begged, Jessica shook her head "I don't care, Voldermort can rule Britain for all I care, I'm not even British anymore. I'm American" she glared, folding her arms "he's coming for you" she said, Jessica arched an eyebrow "and here I was thinking I could have a peaceful night's sleep" she grumbled, she was bloody exhausted from that alien entity that had taken her form and tormented the people she loved and cared for, killing their resident psychologist in her dreams. Ginny looked desperately at Jessica.
Jessica groaned irritably "alright, but leave Ron and Hermione out of this, I don't want them disrupting my life anymore" she sighed, Ginny looked at her like she was crazy "I thought you loved my brother" she said, Jessica shook her head and showed Ginny her left hand. There on the ring finger was a silver ring with a green emerald in the centre "I'm married, second marriage and by far, my happiest" she said, Ginny grinned "who's the lucky guy?"
Jessica heard a man call her name, she grinned at Ginny and pointed up at the man in his night clothes "Major Evan Lorne, my second in command and my second husband" she said, walking up to meet her husband and he looked confused at his wife "Jess, what's going on?" He asked, Evan looked like he hadn't any sleep for a week because of their recant 'visitor'. Jess looked at her friends/family "I've got to explain something to you all" she said to them.
They all met in the briefing room and Jessica admitted the fact she wasn't' born who they thought she was. Evan was a little shocked he'd married a witch, but he liked the Jessica he'd grown to love and admire in Atlantis, the girl who wouldn't back off from a fight, the girl who was fed upon by a Wraith and lived to be young again. That girl was loved and hated by everyone in the Air Force and the SGC, nearly every marine had wanted to be with her, yet she chose her second in command and they were perfectly happy with each other and life.
When Evan and Jessica had married, they had a ceremony in Atlantis with the Expedition and several personnel from Stargate Command. Jack O'Neill had been a father/mentor to Jessica when she joined the Air Force and when she came onto the Atlantis Expedition, he gave her away to Evan as they walked up the aisle in Atlantis at the top of the 'Gate room. Jessica had also forgone the traditional white wedding dress, instead she'd had a specially made skirt to go with the top half of her dress blues while Evan was also wearing his dress blues with Rodney as his best man and Jessica had Sam, Teyla and Kate Heightmeyer as her bridesmaids. They all wore pale blue and the colour of their department while Rodney wore a strip of blue and tan in his lapel for the Scientist division of Atlantis. Jessica's black hair had been swept up into an elegant style and Jack had said it himself "you look beautiful." Lt Colonel Jessica Sheppard had blushed and hugged him hard, she was ready and content to spend the rest of her life with one Major Evan Lorne.
Author note: responses to my fic are greatly accepted and considered.
Sakura Lisel: The only reason Holly/Jessica's agreeing is so that the Wizarding world would leave her alone to live her life after this. She's happily married and wants to have a life away from them, but she'd still help them if they chose to leave her be when she's not in England on business or R&R with Evan. Set during Season 4 with Sam running Atlantis, never really liked Elizabeth, but thought it was more fun and I'm bringing Carson back into the story when they have to go off-world.
Hope that clears up any confusion that people are finding with Jessica's relationship with Magical Britain, she just hated being idolized as the precious Golden Girl of the magical world. The Girl Who Lived, so to speak, Evan doesn't see her that way. He loves the girl he met in McMurdo and the woman she is on Atlantis. Cocky, Sarcastic, won't be told what to do (mostly, Loving, Caring, temperamental and won't back off from a fight.