Insanity
AU- Last Man and Ark of Truth.
Rodney stepped through the gate expecting no one to greet him there in the dead of night, and so when he saw Teyla coming towards him he almost stepped back into the event horizon in shock. "Why are you up? Is something wrong?"
She tried to force a smile to her face but failed, "I heard that you were due back sometime yesterday and so I waited for you."
"Teyla its 4am and I was due back early last night so how long have you been here exactly?"
"I arrived shortly before you were originally due but how is John?" the even tone she had been keeping during their short exchange evaporated at the mention of his name.
Rodney looked down remembering his friend and why he was returning to Atlantis, "I'm sorry Teyla he won't be coming back."
"He is no threat to the city so why can he not return?" her eyes were dark and lifeless as she realized that she would never see him again, never understand what he had undergone, never hear anymore of his jokes.
"It's this place he got better the moment he left whatever happened to him its worse when he's here," Rodney knew she had no idea what had happened but the difference was incredible.
She directed them over into the darkest hallway around hoping to shroud herself in it, "Would it be possible for me to visit him?"
Rodney thought for a moment before answering, "I'm sure I can get you access."
"How long? Normally she would have exhibited patience but this was John and she was worried that if she didn't say goodbye to him soon she never would.
"I'll send the request form now and a few bureaucrats owe me favors so if it's really important to you maybe by the end of the day."
Even in the darkness Rodney could see the visible effect his words had on her. She moved away quickly after whispering a thank you.
She smiled at Rodney as the first chevron lit up, "Thank you, I did not expect that you would be able to get my clearance so quickly."
"You'll be arriving Earthside around 0300 ma'am," a technician informed her as another chevron lit up.
Rodney smiled at her, "Yeah make the most of the time I only got you a week before you have to get back."
She smiled with determination, "I intend to."
"Uh Teyla he's not what he used to be. He isn't the John you…" they'd never said or done anything that'd made Rodney believe something more was going between the two teammates but some of what John had said caused Rodney to question their relationship. When he had learned that Teyla had locked herself in her room and had waited for all those hours for him to return he was virtually certain that something else was going on.
"I know Rodney but I need to say goodbye to him and there are other things I must say to him." She walked down towards the open wormhole as Chuck sent a message through the gate to Stargate Command.
Her trip through Stargate Command had been pretty quick and she was already en route to John's current residence.
Teyla's eyes were glued to the surrounding countryside, "Your planet is quite beautiful."
The driver smiled, "Thank you I actually hardly notice it anymore. I really should considering the number of times we've nearly lost it."
"Did you know Colonel Sheppard?"
"No I haven't worked here for long," The driver answered as they lapsed into silence.
"Just call if you need us," the man told her as he shut the door leaving her alone.
She nodded and turned to take in the rest of John's new quarters. They were white and smelt like the infirmary something she knew would drive him crazy. She saw him over in the far corner of the room he was huddled in the corner whispering to himself. "John… I…How are you?"
He looked up at her with a start, "Teyla? What is Teyla doing here? No it can't be her she's…she's…she's." His voice broke her she'd known he wasn't his usual self but this was far worse than she'd imagined.
She felt tears forming in her eyes, "John I'm right here and I'm safe."
"NO I saw you…you, NO TEYLA…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." She heard him sob but decided that it was whatever medication he was on.
She reached out to him hoping that physical touch might help him, "You did I'm safe."
He looked up at her and the physical touch seemed to help him so she kneeled down next to him brushing her arm up against his. "No…No but I…I saw…I…You…You and Atlantis…Atlantis…You and Atlantis burnt."
Her heart broke. She knew that Atlantis and his teammates meant a great deal to him but he appeared to have been driven insane by seeing them and his city die. "We are safe John," she stroked a hand through his hair hoping to soothe him.
"Teyla…You burnt I saw you…I saw you burn, how?"
"You traveled into the future John, but you need to tell us what happened so we…so I can be safe."
"I…I…NO you died I can't let that happen again," she wrapped both arms around him and rested her head in his shoulder as her own tears slid down her face.
He rambled on for several more minutes as they sat there each experiencing a very different kind of pain and yet it was similar in many ways. After some time and more of his incoherent ramblings she realized what Rodney had tried to tell her, that John was gone and all that remained was a shell of his former self. "John I need to leave I should return to Atlantis."
She stood up and turned to leave when his hand shot out and grabbed hers in a death grip holding her in place. "Atlantis not safe," he managed to get out in a pained sentence.
"Why is Atlantis not safe?" she sank back down next to him.
"It burnt," he chocked the words out. She knew they meant something to him and were powerful but she was unable to understand how it applied to Atlantis.
"John I need to know more."
"Have I told you?"
"Told me what?"
"No, no I can't Carter told me that I need to avoid changing the timeline."
"John please I need you," she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
"Wraith attack, expansion, you were hot."
She blushed she'd once heard a marine refer to her as "hot" and when she'd asked John what it meant he'd awkwardly told her.
"I love you," she was taken off guard by his impromptu declaration.
"What?"
"I'm in love with you."
"I…John are you sure?"
"Yes, and I know you don't feel the same but I had to tell you."
A silent nod was her only response. For now as it always was with them it was duty first, "What will happen to Atlantis?"
"Annihilation."
The way he said it indicated that it meant more than simple destruction. She knew she wouldn't be able to remain for much longer she was dead tired having been up for well over twenty-four hours.
Teyla sat in her room at the SGC contemplating what she had learned from John. He was apparently in love with her and Atlantis was facing some sort of danger. Her thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked on the door. She opened it and allowed Colonel Carter in, "How was John?"
"Not well he indicated that Atlantis was in danger."
"From what?"
"I do not know he frequently mentioned it burning."
"Not very useful."
"He also said Annihilation does it mean anything specific to you?"
"Well it's used to describe what happens when matter and anti-matter come into contact with each where they annihilate each other destroying both but I fail to see how that would harm Atlantis they aren't conducting any anti-matter experiments there."
"Both are destroyed?"
"Yes."
Teyla smiled realizing what he meant, "Both Atlantis and the Wraith will be destroyed." Realizing what that meant her smile dropped. "John also mentioned expansion and made several references to heat."
"That I don't know. How is Atlantis?"
Her eyes dropped sadness replacing the excitement of discovery, "It is not the same without John."
"Torren?"
"He is well."
Carter sensed that Teyla was tired and headed to the control room to send Atlantis a message.
Atlantis
"Radek get down here."
"What is it Rodney?"
"I think I just found what the Aurora's data was."
"Rodney what you talking about?"
"The Ancient ship we found years ago that had some sort of intel on a Wraith weakness we thought they never reported back turns out the captain sent out a message which I just picked up."
Radek sprinted to the teleporter ignoring the rest of Rodney's comm. signals.
Teyla entered the room for the 7th time, "John I am sorry but after today I must return to Atlantis."
He nodded, "How is…How is Torr…Torren?"
"He is well Kanaan is taking care of him." she winced at her mention of her lovers name she knew John did not like him.
"Good…Good but...you should be with…him."
She moved over next to him sitting in her customary spot, "You are important to me as well John and what you know is vital to Torren's survival."
"Torren was sent to Earth," Teyla was surprised by John's normal speech and did not respond for several seconds.
"Good I am glad that Torren was safe even if I was not."
"Pegasus safe."
"I know John you made Pegasus safe from the Wraith."
"Atlantis gone."
"Along with the Wraith."
"Solar…Solar would work."
Her tears clouded her vision as she continued to see how far gone John truly was. No longer able to focus on anything but the pain and destruction he'd experienced in the future.
She stood up and made for the door, "Goodbye John." She was sad leaving him like that when he was making so much progress.
He grabbed her hand with a look of desperation on his face, "Take me back."
"To Atlantis?"
"I must return and…and save the city." She nodded and left intent on bringing him back with her.
"Incoming wormhole," Chuck said calmly as Teyla's access code came through. She stepped through and was quickly followed by John who as soon as he stepped through bolted for the exit; he escaped Teyla's grasp before she had even realized what happened and was halfway to the teleporter before Teyla even started after him.
"Teyla, John? What is going on?"
Teyla paused and turned to face Woolsey, "I don't know sir." She sped off after John.
Woolsey tapped his earpiece as a message appeared on his laptop, "Doctor McKay the IOA has also sent permission for you to activate your research."
"Thanks I'll start trials later today."
Teyla was barely able to keep pace with John as he followed a seemingly random path through the city which was slowly spiraling downward. Suddenly she slammed into his back as he stood frozen in his spot waiting for something.
Suddenly without any warning or seemingly any external stimuli John took off in another direction. As they made their way closer to their destination they encountered increased traffic causing them to slow their progress slightly. "John where are we going?" Teyla asked when she caught up to him.
"I must save Atlantis." He muttered to himself distantly.
"From what John?"
"Rodney…destroy…wraith…retaliation."
"John I do not understand."
He stopped, turned, locked eyes with her, "There isn't time to explain." And with that he ran off again leaving Teyla behind. She stood stunned for a moment surprised by the underlying sanity in his statement; unlike everything else he had said that statement lacked the distance and incoherence most others did it was obviously a specific response to her question.
She eventually caught up to him when he reached his destination. He was in one of Atlantis's labs deep below the main tower and close to the chair room. Inside the lab had sprung to life. John moved about with a silently with a purpose that was lost on Teyla as she stood in the doorway watching him manipulating the various machines and consoles. "Teyla you there?"
She tapped her radio, "Yes Rodney."
"I'm picking up some massive power readings in that room."
"John is doing something; he said that he needed to protect Atlantis, something to do with your project."
"Well if he drains the ZPM I won't be able to complete my work."
"Just finish Rodney." He cut the comm. and began his work again.
John continued working for several hours while Rodney brought his project online.
Teyla eventually decided to ask Rodney what he was actually planning on doing.
"Rodney what are you planning to do?"
"I'm introducing a signal in subspace which will act like a virus to Wraith ships."
"Like the retrovirus."
"No that turned the wraith into humans this will kill the Wraith ships themselves. Remember the whales? It's like that I'm going to blast subspace with this causing the Wraith ships to eventually disintegrate. "
"Are there any problems with this?"
"Well with the defeat of the replicators we're the only advanced society left and this will take upwards of a week to destroy the Hives."
Teyla started to feel the pieces click into place, Rodney would defeat the wraith but they would realize Atlantis was the cause of their downfall and somehow devise a way of destroying them. "Rodney can the wraith ships come here and shut it down in that time?"
"No, engaging their hyper-drives would accelerate the process they wouldn't be able to get here in time."
"Could they send something here?"
"If it wasn't made of Wraith parts I suppose they could open a hyper-space window and send it through that, but I mean what are the chances that would happen?"
"I believe John is working to prevent that from happening now."
"Well he's wasting his time than because it won't."
The Next Day
Rodney tapped his radio, "I'm ready."
"I do not think John is," Teyla added from John's lab.
"Teyla we don't know what John is doing and every minute we wait another world could be culled, are you really willing to risk all those lives on the chance that John might be doing something to prevent the wraith from doing something?" Woolsey retorted signaling Rodney to begin.
"Bringing it online…now."
John shook his head angrily, "I do not believe John is happy about this Rodney."
"Wait how did he know I turned it on?"
"Perhaps you drew some power that he noticed?"
"No, we're not using the central power grid."
Teyla turned to John who was once again working, "Can you sense what is happening in the city?"
"Ye…Yes."
"How much longer?"
John shrugged and continued his work.
"What is happening?" the Wraith queen snarled at her workers.
"We do not know."
"Find out and fix the problem."
"All other Wraith ships are reporting the problem; only one planet has this capability."
"Atlantis."
"Contact the others we must destroy the city."
"Entering hyper-space will destroy us."
She hissed at him.
John suddenly stopped in the middle of his work. He walked over to her, placed his hand on her cheek, and gently rubbing his thumb up and down her face in a circular motion whispered to her, "safe."
He turned back and activated a switch. Teyla activated her radio, "Rodney has anything happened?"
"No noth…wait…hang on…Yes…call you back later."
She turned to John, "I believe you have given Rodney his newest puzzle." He turned his head facing her, their eyes locked, "Did you mean it?" He didn't respond quickly but she saw in his eyes that part of his former self was returning, he was returning to sanity again and was probably trying to understand what had happened.
"Yes, every word of it although some things have changed."
"Atlantis is safe?"
"The Wraith were planning on doing what Earth did to Apophis many years ago."
"What was that?"
"Cause the star to go supernova; the planet and everyone on it would be burnt."
"How?"
"It is complicated but in simple terms they use an orbiting Stargate to cause it to go supernova."
"The Wraith?"
"Rodney's signal would persist long enough to kill them."
"Annihilation."
"Both sides destroyed."
"Why are you?"
"Sane? I no longer see you dying over, and over, and over, and over again in my mind. It is nice to be able to close my eyes and not see you being incinerated; that helps a great deal along with feeling the timeline being corrected and becoming better."
"You seem…different."
"The Ancients were forced to give me some of their knowledge, so I am different."
"It's good to have you back."
John smiled faintly; they both knew he still carried many burdens from both the past and future.
"Would you have ever told me otherwise?"
"What?" He had an idea of what she was talking about but wasn't entirely sure.
She paused unsure if she his question was a warning or he genuinely didn't know what she was talking about, "You mentioned several things about me back on Earth."
"You mean how I said I loved you? No I wouldn't have told you."
She nodded disappointed in him. She assumed he meant he didn't love her and stepped back through the door nearly missing his final statement, "But I don't regret it."
"You tortured him," Ganos whispered to her old friend.
"I had no choice, I fulfilled my charge." They looked down upon the great city that he had designed.
"They might even execute you for it."
"It matters not my duty was to protect Atlantis, he shall protect the city for many years to come.
"Sending him to the future was understandable, but why did you have to torture him with those visions?" Daniel Jackson had changed her mind about the lowers greatly they were truly the inheritors of the Ancient legacy.
"I thought he deserved a reward for his service. But I must go now my judge and jury await."
"Good luck Plato," She said turning and heading in the opposite direction.
A/N Questions? Comments? Concerns? Reviews? Come on you know you want to. Feel free to let me know if you're were totally confused.