Title: Retrace Your Steps

Author: Angel Leviathan

Disclaimer: Atlantis, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine.

Spoilers: Common Ground.

Notes: This was written for Angel of Fire SG1's birthday.

"Well, I can tell you, I don't relish the idea of staying this way forever."

"It wouldn't be forever," her older companion replied.

"Okay, I'll rephrase it – I don't like the idea of having to go through puberty again!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She was balanced precariously on the railings of the balcony off the command centre, clinging to one of the support struts.

John sighed, concerned, "Are you sure that's safe?"

Twelve year old Elizabeth Weir glanced back at him, smiling, "No. But whilst I can get away with it, I'm going to do it," when he narrowed his eyes and evidently thought about pulling her off the railings, she inched away, "Be thankful you're still an adult."

"I'm eighteen years old! That's hardly adult," he shot back.

"Estimated eighteen years old," she corrected.

"Well we should all be thankful that we're not mentally the age we seem," John commented.

"Yes, because being my twelve year old self would be awful, certainly not as bad as having the body of a twelve year old and the memories and mental capabilities of my adult self!"

"…You were sarcastic as a kid, weren't you?" he raised an eyebrow.

She balanced a little more dangerously, just to see his reaction, "Maybe."

"We just have to figure out a way to get ourselves back to how we were. Carson's working on it, and so are Rodney and Zelenka. We have a chance. We never knew the Wraith could give back years until a few months ago – maybe this can be reversed in the same way."

Elizabeth hugged the support strut with one arm and dragged the sleeve of the oversized jumper she wore back up her other arm with her teeth. She suddenly grinned, "…I have to admit I'm finding five year old Ronon a little funny…when I'm not worried, that is."

"Still ready to go charging into battle…except he doesn't understand that half his weaponry is bigger than he is," he smirked, "An army defeated by a five year old…actually, I can see it…"

"Let's hope Rodney comes up with something to fix us fast…"

John laughed incredulously, "He's only five years younger than he was, he's still himself, just a bit younger. Probably what all of us would've wanted. He has no reason to hurry up!"

"He will do when he finds out how annoying I was at twelve years old…"

"But you're not…"

"I can pretend…"

He was thankful that most of his clothes still fit as he heard Elizabeth mutter a curse and drag the sleeve of her jumper back up again, "I'm not beyond going back to beg for help on this one."

"I sincerely doubt the people who did this to us would be willing to flip whatever switch they flipped again and restore us to normal," she blew a tangle of ridiculously curly hair from her eyes, "Unless we gave up something of great importance."

John blinked, "…What about the Wraith…?"

Her eyes widened and she looked back again, "The Wraith? We can't just imprison one, give it a number and tell it to aim for it…and I don't think it would work like that…we just don't know…" Elizabeth sighed, "Anyway, I don't think anyone would be willing to step up even if it was a reasonable plan. From what you've said…"

"Let's not go there again," he almost shuddered, "No, its not something I'd care to repeat."

The door to the balcony slid open to reveal a teenage version of Teyla. She headed across to join her friends, nearly tripping over the ends of her trousers as she did so.

"Rodney and Doctor Beckett do not seem to be making great progress…" she said. She had managed to fit into one of her regular tops, but had drawn all the adjustable strings as tight as she could in an attempt to cover her fourteen year old form.

"Its Ronon I'm worried about…" Elizabeth replied, leaning back to turn and greet her.

Teyla frowned, "Should you…"

The girl sighed and hopped down from the edge, "If it's going to worry you both so much…" her hands rested on her hips, "Now I have to look up at you…"

"Thank you," John murmured.

"He's gone through the worst of this," Elizabeth continued, "Both of you, and Rodney, even myself, we can fend for ourselves, as it were. I might be a child, but he's…he's ended up as little more than a baby. I can't imagine how frustrating that is for him. I can see him doing real damage to himself if this isn't reversed, and soon."

"He is becoming rather…annoyed…" Teyla confirmed, "And he keeps forgetting that he is not himself anymore."

"If we don't get changed back, Rodney's about the only one of us who's even going to be allowed to stay here, let alone do anything else," John said.

"Nobody can tell me to leave," Teyla stated, determinedly.

"But anyone who takes over will try and send you over to the mainland," Elizabeth corrected.

"I'm just glad Caldwell's not here…he'd be having a good laugh over this…" John muttered.

"Yes, well, at least that's something to be thankful for…"

"This problem must be solved," Teyla sighed and leant back against the railings, "I…find being this young…uncomfortable…I could be easily overpowered in this state…"

"If I remember correctly I was obeying…or disobeying…every order snapped at me in the Academy when I was eighteen. Feels good to be slacking," John replied. He coughed awkwardly when Elizabeth glared up at him, "Not that I want to stay like this!"

"Well I was being pushed through an advance program at school and I have no intention of doing it again!"

He narrowed his eyes, "I take sarcastic back…you were a scary kid, weren't you?"

Teyla smiled slightly, "Should we not go check on the Doctors' progress? And young Ronon?"

"'Young Ronon'," John smirked and tried not to laugh, "Yeah, we probably should."

Elizabeth agreed, "Let's go."

Teyla started off ahead of them, whilst John was a little startled when Elizabeth grabbed at his T-shirt.

"What?" he asked, almost snapping, as he forgot, for a moment, who the girl really was.

"Down here," she ordered.

"Huh?" he bent a little way down to her level.

"Closer."

"What the…"

"Closer!" Elizabeth insisted.

He knelt beside her, realising she was rather short for the age she was supposed to be.

She smiled sweetly and kissed him innocently on the cheek, "Thank you."

John stared, "…For what?"

"For looking out for me when I know I've been taking a stupid amount of risks since this happened," she smiled again and headed off after Teyla.

Eighteen year old John Sheppard nearly blushed, before grinning and stumbling after the two girls.

Several weeks later, the Atlantis personnel not present during the incident often wondered why Doctor Weir was seen to smile fondly at a photo on the wall of her office in which stood Rodney McKay, a raven haired USAF cadet, a teenage girl in Athosian dress, and a curly haired young girl, holding an even younger boy, who looked suspiciously like Ronon Dex, in her arms.

Fin