Hierarchy

Gold.

Moira Sheppard was staring at the color. At the gold wedding band she had removed from her finger. She turned it round and round, staring at the brilliant metal. The lights bouncing off it, causing the gold to sparkle, to shine. She could discern the Gaelic words engraved on the inside of the ring. Gra anois agus godeo. Love now and forever. She sighed. Turned it round and round again. It felt odd to have the ring off her finger. As if she was severing the connection to her husband. As if the mere removal of a piece of jewelry could erase him from her mind, from her heart. She sighed again. Briefly touched the baby bump concealed under her bulky blue sweater. Very tangible evidence of their union.

She raised the ring to the light. To gaze through the circle, like a miniature Stargate. She stared as the circle was filled by John Sheppard. Was overwhelmed by the black of his t-shirt as he stepped through the doorway and approached her.

John stared at his wife as she sat at a computer console. The soft glow of blue and green walls surrounded her. Water bubbled in the Lantean decorations. The soft hum of power purred at his feet as he neared. She wore the bulky blue sweater, hiding her curves. Concealing her pregnancy. Her long brown hair was tied back from her pensive face. She was holding up her wedding ring like an offering. Or a rejection. "Moira?" he asked, standing near her. His gaze flicked to the computer screen. Back to her. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Huh?" He indicated the ring. "Oh. No." She hesitated, a smirk on her lips. She slipped it back onto her finger. "I was just thinking." She turned to the computer screen.

"Thinking? Of what?" He stepped closer, touched her shoulders. Eyed the screen as she brought up a star chart. "Moira? Migratory patterns?"

"Yes. John...I'm close." She turned to him as he released her shoulders. "Real close. You, you can't send me away. Not when I'm this close, John. Okay?"

"No. I've decided, Moira. Not now, but soon. It's the only way to keep both you and the baby safe. Too much is at stake. Hell, I can't even keep you safe in the city, much less out there. So I'm going to make the arrangements for–"

"No. No! John, I won't go! You can't–"

"I can and I will, Moira! So...how close are you to–"

"No!" She stood, shoving the chair out of her way. "John! I won't go! You do keep me safe! Here and out there! There's no reason to send me away! None! Unless, unless you want to be rid of me! Is that it? Are you tired of me, John? Tired of your pregnant wife?"

"Of course not, Moira, don't be silly," he reasoned, frowning. "How close are you to identifying the location of that planet? Moira?"

She glared. Turned away from him, feeling sick. "I'm not telling you." She shut down the computer. "It's locked to my password. And I'll never tell you that either."

"I'll just have McKay crack it, Moy. Not a problem. So just tell me."

"No." She felt a surge of tears. Fought them. Touched her stomach as a queasiness assaulted. The thought of leaving John, of being so far from him like an injury. A permanent severing of his affections.

"Fine. I'm not changing my mind, Moira, no matter what you say or do. It's for the best. I'm doing this for you and for my son."

"For yourself, you mean," she muttered darkly. Refusing to face him.

"Fine," he repeated. "You think what you want, but you know the truth. I'm making the arrangements so you better decide what to take with you and what to leave behind. And keep that damn ring on your finger, baby, because it doesn't belong anywhere else. I want that intel before you leave." He hesitated, voice harsh as his own reluctance hit him. Knew he was hurting her but couldn't see any other way. Without another word he spun on his heels, left the room.

Just in time as Moira whirled, lurched and promptly vomited all over the floor.

"John! John!" Rodney McKay ran towards his friend, slowing to a jog as John reluctantly paused in the hallway. "I've found something. A glitch, well, a power surge. Here." He displayed his data pad. A grid of the city. "Down two levels. It's very discreet, but there's a power surge where no power should be. A restricted zone, a place we haven't even been able to access much less–"

"Bio two. It's all right. I authorized it," John recognized. Lied smoothly.

Rodney met his gaze, startled. "Excuse me? Bio who? What? I'm telling you, John, this part of the city hasn't been cleared for any kind of activity or research. We couldn't get the systems to initialize and we Moira." Realizing he stared. John briskly nodded. Rodney frowned. "Well, why didn't you say so? Wait! She initialized this? It's up and running?"

"Yes. I needed her to pursue something away from the main labs. Why?"

"Why? You ask why?" Rodney shook his head. "Well, for one thing this means that I have to start all over checking any discrepancies in the mission rosters and systems since this isn't a marker. More importantly it means that Moira is able to access systems we can't. That her double gene is able to activate whole sections of the city that heretofore have remained dormant."

"Heretofore?" John asked, moving down the hallway.

"Yes! Oh sorry! My Canadian education is showing," Rodney snapped to John's mockery. "John, we need her! I need her! We could open up whole new sections, whole new labs! John, we could potentially bring this city to the same capacity it once held when the Ancients were here! We could operate all kinds of–"

"Potentially. And the answer is no," he said, halting his friend's enthusiasm with a dour tone.

"What? Why? She's–"

"Leaving, so even if she does initiate any new systems she won't be here to operate them," John explained, glaring. The words spoken out loud made them official. Cold.

Rodney stared, taken aback. "Excuse me? She's...huh?"

John ignored him. Ignored his own anger, his reluctance. The twisting regret in his gut as he strode along the hallway. His grim expression clearing the way as people parted. Marines straightened.

"John!" Rodney hastened after him. "What the hell do you mean she's leaving? What, you're going to ship Moira off now that you've gotten what you wanted from her?"

John whirled so fast that Rodney almost bumped into him. He froze, but did not take a step back from his friend. Facing him defiantly. Stubbornly. John's gaze narrowed. He forced down his flash of temper, of fury. "No. I am sending her to safety, where she and the baby can be perfectly safe and secure and not in constant danger!"

"Seriously? You think she'll be better off alone on Earth raising a baby by herself then here with you and me?"

"She won't be by herself, she–"

"Really? As I recall she has no family, except an uncle in Ireland and an awful curmudgeon of an aunt, or so you said."

"She won't be alone, and I'll be with her as soon as..."

"As soon as what? Things settle down here? Yeah, right. You'd ship off your wife and your kid without so much as a thought, would you?"

"No! It's not like that! I'm doing it for–"

"Yourself, sounds like!" Rodney argued, uncountably angry. "You have everything, John, and now you're just going to throw it all away? Idiot." He shoved past his friend, leaving John to stare after him. Startled by the vehemence, the anger.

Moira shyly entered the infirmary. She walked slowly towards Carson Beckett, who was busily engaged in cataloging a list of supplies. Pen moving along a clipboard as he ticked off what was needed and what was not. She touched the baby bump, dropped her hand to her side as he turned to her. Smiled.

"Moira, love, I was just going to...what's wrong?" His blue eyes studied her.

"I...I don't know, Carson. I got, I got sick. Threw up all over the lab. I couldn't stop it. I don't feel sick but, but...I feel...uneasy. I..something's wrong with the baby."

"What? Nonsense! Here, love." He took her arm, guided her to a bed. "Lay back and relax. I'll take a scan and we'll see how wee Sheppard is doing this morning. Do you want me to send for John?"

"No! No," she softened her voice. "Just check, please." She settled back on the bed. Opened her heavy sweater. Tense. Worried.

Carson ran the scanner over her. "Relax, love. We've all been through quite a lot recently. Very recently. But we're all fine. Only minor injuries. And no more nightmares. There we are." He checked the scanner. "The baby is fine. Steady heartbeat. Developing nicely. It's not the baby. He's in no distress whatsoever. It must be you, Moira. What's wrong? The last thing you need is stress. And you need to eat."

Moira sighed. She sat, relieved. Closed the sweater over her. "I...John."

"John?" Carson inquired.

"He.." She felt tears, clutched the sweater around her. "He, he doesn't love me any more."

"What? Nonsense, Moira." Carson sat near her on the bed. Took her hand into his. Patted it gently. "I've never seen a man more in love than John is with–"

"Not now. He, he wants to send me to Earth. Now, not later when I have the baby as we agreed. But now! To send me away. He, he says it's to protect me, to keep me safe, to keep the baby safe, but what if there is more? I mean, I mean, he doesn't really want a, a pregnant wife now does he? Soon, soon I'll be so big he won't want me. Oh sure, he wants me now, he can't seem to get enough of me but soon...he wants me out of the way for some, some slender blonde woman who isn't pregnant or emotional or stressed I know it!"

Carson tried not to smile as tears filled her eyes. "Now, love, you know perfectly well none of that is true. He only wants you, Moira. Now and probably up until the birth of the baby, knowing John. There's no blonde waiting in the wings. As for Earth, that's utter nonsense. You will be much safer here with your husband and your friends until you go there for the birth. There's no need for you to leave Atlantis."

"I, I told him that but he won't listen! He won't! Once he makes up his mind there's no shifting it! Which proves that he doesn't love me!" She sighed, wiped her eyes. "Sorry! These damn hormones. I mean, I know he loves me but he, he wants to send me away and I can't go. I won't go, Carson! I won't!" She eyed him fiercely. Brown eyes sparking with determination.

"No, you won't, Moira," Carson agreed. "Rest assured. As your doctor it is my direct order that you remain here in Atlantis. Now, why don't you go lie down for awhile, hmm? Then have some lunch. You need to eat properly. For the baby. You're not going anywhere, Moira, I promise you."

She relaxed. "Okay, Carson. I...sorry. I..."

"Go on, love. Relax. Everything will be fine."