Protective Instincts part one.
Prologue.
The weather outside was stormy; the wind hurled rain against the windows, but inside Councillor Jacq'an's rooms it was comfortable, a haven against the inclement weather. A large fire burned in the hearth, amply warming the room, and the two men sat in comfortable armchairs one on each side of the fireplace, facing each other. They sipped at the locally produced spirit that filled their glasses as they conversed.
"And you are sure they will come here?" questioned the Councillor, inhaling the herbal fragrance of his drink.
"I am only surprised they haven't been here already," replied Commander Cowen of the Genii.
"And what will we receive for performing this – service on your behalf?"
"Preferential trading status with the Genii. And protection from the Wraith once we have perfected our weapon, of course." Cowen assured the councillor, sipping from his own glass.
"Of course," echoed Jaq'an. There was a pause while the Councillor considered his reply. Eventually he looked up with a calculating smile and said, "It will be a pleasure to assist the Genii in this matter. As you know, we Suventans consider ourselves something of experts with this kind of ...persuasion. In fact, we have just developed a new device for providing the kind of control you are looking for, and have been searching for a subject upon whom to test it."
"Then Major Sheppard will be your first success." Cowen raised his glass. Jaq'an followed suit.
"To co-operation," toasted Cowen.
"Indeed," responded the Councillor. The two men touched glasses, then drank deeply to seal the agreement.
oOo
Dr Elizabeth Weir paced anxiously at the foot of the ramp to the Stargate as she waited for the return of Major Sheppard. Her mouth was dry, and her stomach was knotted with anxiety, because she didn't know what she would be getting back. She had sent SGA-1 on a simple trading mission, but it had been doomed from the start. The Suventans weren't interested in trading, except for one thing –John Sheppard. The team hadn't realised the duplicity of the Suventans until they had walked through the Stargate when they had been quickly surrounded and disarmed without a single shot being fired.
Dr. Weir had worked tirelessly to secure their release, and her years as a negotiator on Earth had paid off when finally Ford, Teyla and McKay had been returned. Battered, bruised and the worse for wear, but safe. Not so Major Sheppard, and it had become apparent that he was the one they had really wanted from the start.
The mission debriefing had been held in the infirmary where the three remaining members of the team were resting and recovering from their ordeal. Teyla had had dealings with the Suventans in the past, though her contact with them was infrequent, and she had not known them well. She certainly had not known of their close trading links with the Genii, but continued to feel guilty that her recommendations were what had put the Major in harms way.
It seemed that they had been separated immediately; the Major had been missing from the very beginning, although the three couldn't say that their stay had been a pleasant one. Dr. McKay's persistent questions about the whereabouts of the Major and his wellbeing had resulted in a beating that had left him with a concussion severe enough to keep him as a guest in the infirmary for a while longer. That had been two days ago, and there was still no sign of the Major.
While Ford, Teyla and McKay were recovering, Elizabeth had continued to bargain for Sheppard's release, and then suddenly, when it had seemed hopeless, the Suventans had agreed to return him. The price they had set was steep, but not as high as she had imagined, and now here she was, waiting to welcome him back.
The gate came to life, and her heart rate accelerated. Beside her, she felt Dr. Beckett tense in anticipation, neither of them knowing quite what to expect. She had known that John was going to look rough when he finally did arrive home, but still… the first sight of him took her breath away. She heard Beckett take a breath in consternation .Teyla and Ford were virtually holding the Major up as they came through. They had insisted on being part of the retrieval team, despite their still healing bruises: McKay had been most vociferous in his protests when Carson had told him he couldn't go, as his concussion was severe enough for the doctor to want to observe him for a while longer.
Elizabeth tried to school her expression so that the shock she felt on seeing Sheppard for the first time wasn't evident, but she knew she had been only partially successful. Gone was the cheerful, confident, happy-go-lucky expression he'd had as he stepped through the event horizon all those days ago. Instead, the man standing in front of her might almost have been a stranger. His face was covered in dried blood and ground in dirt, one eye partially swollen closed. His hair was sticky and filthy, not the ebullient finger-in-the-socket style he usually had; instead, matted and unkempt, more dried blood evident in its strands. But it was his eyes that almost were her undoing. The expression in them was haunted, devoid of humour, and was that-fear? His face was gaunt and shadowed, cheeks hollow: his clothing ripped and dirty, and God alone knew what the torn uniform was concealing.
She went forward, words of welcome tripping out of her mouth, raising a hand to touch his face in a gesture of caring, but he flinched back involuntarily, and so she allowed her hand to drop, gesture incomplete. It was at this point that she realised that his wrists were still bound.
"Why is he restrained?" she demanded more harshly than she had intended.
"The Major won't let us take them off," replied Ford expressionlessly, obviously as unhappy about it as she was.
"What?" she said incredulously. "Get them off him, now."
"Please…don't take them off." It was the first thing John had said. His voice sounded hoarse, as if from not enough use, or maybe too much. Tears pricked at the back of Elizabeth's eyes, and she told herself sternly to pull herself together, not to go there, not now, not when she was in full view of everyone in the control room.
"Why?" she began, when Beckett decided to take part in the conversation. He had noticed that Sheppard was barely able to hold himself upright, and that standing there in the control room, everyone gawping at him wasn't helping.
"They can stay for now," he said sharply. Then he gently took hold of John's arm, assisting him to the waiting gurney. "C'mon, lad, let's get you to the infirmary –"
"No!" The vehemence in John's voice took them all by surprise.
"No," repeated the Major more quietly. "Not the infirmary. Please. I want you to take me to the brig."
There was a stunned silence. Elizabeth was the first to recover.
"John," she said quietly, "We've only just got you out of a prison. The last thing you need is to go to another one. Besides, you're hurt. Let us take you to the infirmary where Carson can – "
"Beckett can see to me in the brig just as well," interrupted the Major. "Put a mattress, or something in there if you want, just – just I can't be loose right now."
Elizabeth looked at him again, and saw the fear was back, lurking in his eyes.
"Please, " he asked, putting a filthy hand on her arm, "Please, I can't trust myself, you shouldn't trust me, not now." He stopped.
"Very well," she acquiesced, "But only as a temporary measure." She nodded to Beckett, who didn't look happy, but just nodded.
The group made its way to the brig, where a mattress had been placed per Dr.Weir's instructions. There was a tension evident in the Major that could be felt by those supporting him, but they felt him relax as he was enclosed by the cell.
"Turn on the shield," he said hoarsely.
Elizabeth nodded, and once Beckett was inside with John, Ford complied. Sheppard lay down gratefully against the pillows.
"Ok, son, let's have a look at you," said Beckett approaching him. "Then maybe you can tell me why we're here and not in the infirmary." He turned to look at Elizabeth, Teyla and Ford, along with other assorted members of soldiery who had drawn guard duty that day.
"D'you think we can have a bit of privacy here?" he asked pointedly. A weak grip on his arm caused him to look down.
"Don't let them go too far away," whispered an exhausted Sheppard.
"Don't worry, Major, Ford and Teyla will stay within earshot. I just want to have a quick look at you, then we can have that wee chat."
Elizabeth came over to say goodbye. John had his eyes closed. She looked at Beckett. "I'll be in my office when you're done," she said. "Take care of him," and she was gone.
TBC