AN: Thanks for the alerts and reviews! Here's chapter two. And I think Once season five is over I'll add a third chapter. We'll have to see what it holds. And it may not be out for a bit, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy this one, it was really hard to write, I was getting so depressed.

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"Umm Major!" Radek caught up to Evan Lorne as he was heading off down a hallway. Was that an easel he was carrying?

"Hey," Evan greeted.

"So are you planning on anything for today's day off?"

"Actually I was off to paint." He gestured with his free arm to the easel and Radek noticed that he was also holding a paint brush.

"Oh I see. I was just coming to ask if you wanted to join our chess tournament?"

"Ah Doc, you know I'd lose."

Radek grinned. "Yes, we're playing for trades. That's why I thought I'd ask," he responded, though in truth they both knew it was an invitation for him as a friend.

Evan laughed. "Well I think I'm going to have to pass Radek."

"Ah too bad. Ok then, enjoy your day."

"You too." They both turned to walk to their respective destinations but Evan spun back around. "Hey Doc, what say we get some lunch together later?"

"How about we meet in the mess hall in about two hours?"

"Sounds good."

And with their plans made they left.

XXXX

When Evan was mostly done with his painting, he set down his palette and gave the canvas a once over. To many it may have looked finished, but there were several details to get right. And he wanted this picture to be captured perfectly.

Deciding it would be Ok to leave out there for a little while, he set off for the mess hall. When he got there he saw Radek waiting by the entrance.

"Hey!"

Zelenka smiled and nodded. "How is the painting going?"

"Very well if I say so myself. I'm glad to be getting back the hobby. I'll show it to you when I'm finished."

"Yes, then I can determine whether you're any good," he teased. "Though I suppose you must be if your mom was an art teacher."

"Yeah, you know I'd love to give her the painting. Unfortunately the brass probably wouldn't let me." Radek looked at him questioningly so he elaborated. "I'm painting part of the city."

"Oh I see. Yes all that security clearance. That term was hard for me to understand at first." He chuckled ruefully. "When we sent tapes back home in our first year they had to edit much of what I said."

Evan grinned at the scientist. "So how's the betting going?"

Radek's whole face brightened. "Oh very well! I've won a desk pen, and Dr. Mallozzi's anime collection."

Evan gave a fake impressed look. Not that that wasn't all good and dandy for Radek, but did he care for a desk pen and a cartoon collection? Not so much. However, the next thing Radek said did earn a look of approval.

"After lunch I'm going for a coupon for a free Swedish massage…from Doctor Ambrose." He raised his eyebrows suggestively, clearly enjoying the look on Evan's face.

Hey just because he had a great girlfriend didn't mean he could appreciate a rubdown from a very attractive woman.

He continued talking as they stood in the line for their food. "So you should look back to that table." He jerked his head surreptitiouslybehind him to a table where Dr. Weir and another man sat. Funny, Evan hadn't seen them together before.

He raised an eyebrow curiously at Radek. Now, he knew he shouldn't ask for gossip, but this? This he had to know about. "What's up there?"

"Well I'll tell you, I don't think it is a business lunch."

XXXX

The six pallbearers stepped through the gate with heavy hearts. Tomorrow they would all be flying to Scotland for Carson's service. That thought weighed them all down. None wanted to say goodbye to their friend yet. Teyla had not been strong enough from her injury to come, and Elizabeth had had to say as leader of the city. So the five men and Dr. Cole were the only ones that came through.

When they did, not one of them fully registered the condolences that the General was given. They merely set down the coffin lightly and stood there until realizing they had to leave the gate room.

Evan and Radek headed off together to the mess hall, the only place they could think of to go. It had been late on Atlantis, and even later at the SGC considering the five extra hours Lantea's days had, so it should be relatively empty.

John and Ronon would comfort Rodney, who had been hit by the loss harder than anyone, as well as they could. It looked like they headed towards a lab. None of them really knew Dr. Cole well, but she seemed to be holding up well, and Evan had given her a reassuring, if not somewhat small and sad, smile. She seemed to appreciate the gesture.

Evan and Radek sat down at a secluded table, holding on to the warmth of their hot chocolate mugs.

"Tomorrow is going to be horrible," Radek stated simply.

Evan nodded, gaining a lump in his throat. Besides Colonel Sheppard's team, his was in the infirmary rather a lot. Carson had taken good care of them. Of everyone. And he'd been there at the SGC with him when they had been back on Earth.

"You know, he helped me pull a prank on Rodney once." He smiled at the fun memory.

"Yeah?" Evan asked.

The two spent most of the rest of the night sharing their stories, a lot of which they both knew already, but it was nice to talk about it. They figured they'd get some sleep on the long plane trip there.

Radek sat in his lab dejectedly. He was trying to work but couldn't focus. Evan came in and sighed sadly, looking as forlorn as the other.

"Hey Radek."

"Hello."

"So uh, what is it you're working on?" He sat down in a chair across from Radek, who launched into an unenthusiastic explanation to something Evan had no chance of understanding.

After a moment of silence Radek asked, "No offense Evan, but what are you doing here?"

Evan looked down. "I just kinda wanted company at the moment, you know?"

Radek nodded, suddenly understanding.

"She was a good leader," Evan said, "It – It hurts."

"Yes, I know. The city won't quite be the same without her."

"Yeah, it sure won't. She cared a lot about all of us."

"Yes. But we will get through it. It's what we do. She was strong and we'll be strong for her and show her we care about our city and our friends." He smiled sadly, remembering their brilliant, compassionate leader, whom he had been a bit infatuated with.

Evan stood up. "So how about I help you down to the mess and we get something to eat?"

Radek blinked at him and then nodded, accepting the crutches Evan had picked up from the corner.

"Maybe we should go see Colonel Sheppard and Rodney," he suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea."

Radek saw Evan exit Colonel Sheppard's office. Everyone having been told to take it easy, the military commander had apparently decided to do some paperwork. Radek noticed Evan seemed relieved when he came out, a lot more relaxed in his posture.

He quickly caught up to him, giving a small greeting.

"Hey," Evan said, smiling at the small man.

"So that was a weird experience, not remembering anything."

"Yeah, not something I want to happen again." For a moment a small amount of guilt played across his features before it was gone.

"Uh I think I should apologize for hitting that man over the head."

"Maybe you should be apologizing to him, not me?"

"Er, yes, well, I wasn't really paying attention to who it was. Just BAM and I made it out of there."

Evan laughed. "Yeah, I gotta say, you're slippery. You did an amazing job at staying safe and not getting captured."

Radek chuckled gleefully. "Yes, I did not know I could do that wither. I've never been in a situation where I felt the need to run from an enemy."

Evan grinned. "Maybe you should give lessons to Colonel Sheppard and his team."

"Yes they certainly get captured far too often," he said then asked, "Did you remember everything right away?" He sounded thoughtful.

Evan shook his head. "I know some did," he stated and added bitterly, "I think it was all the pills I took. You?"

"No I did not at first. Before these events the last thing I remembered was being back on Earth. I mean after those Ancients kicked us out."

They continued on, both now thinking back to that time. With how his students had been, smart but very disrespectful to him, Radek was very glad to be back, even with Rodney. Evan thought back to the 

promise he had made himself. Next time he got back to Earth permanently he was asking Stina to marry him.

Walking the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, they came up to Radek's lab and they parted ways.

"I'll see you later Doc."

Evan left to go find Lt. Branson, the one Radek had managed to knock out, to tease him about losing to his friend.

Evan walked into Radek's lab as he had become accustomed to. He first noticed that Radek looked somber, just like the last time he had come in the same situation. This time however, Radek was not even trying to work. He was only sitting there, staring hard, brows furrowed, at a closed laptop.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked sadly.

Radek sighed. "I'm not doing so bad. It's just, I came from Rodney's lab. He's burying himself in work."

"Yeah it's been a while since we lost Dr. Weir and I hate to say it, but I'm used to this you know? I hate that I'm pretty much already over it. It's worse for Colonel Sheppard, McKay, and Teyla. They were all pretty close to her. Even Ronon liked her a lot I think."

"It's not really fair, but we have to move on."

Evan smiled slightly. "Heard we were the bad guys. You me, and Dr. Keller." He attempted to lighten the mood. He accomplished it somewhat. They were just there for each other as they launched into a semi-happy conversation about who would make the better bad guy.

"I still can't believe you fit in that vent." Evan laughed.

"Yes unfortunately I am a small man," Radek muttered, but with a smile. This was one moment in a long time where they were completely happy. After so many bad things happening, events were hopefully starting to settle down. Well, hopefully they would find the Athosians soon.

"I think Colonel Sheppard said something about you being a hamster?" he teased. Radek rolled his eyes as he continued. "You really would be a great secret agent or something. Sneaky, smart, and small."

"Oh yes, I will call myself 'Triple S'."

Evan laughed. "So how was it stuck in that transporter? With Colonel Carter?"

"Very hot."

"Is that so?" He grinned mischievously, amusement lacing his tone.

Radek was oblivious to the innuendo he had just placed on the sentence. "Yes, it was a small space, and…Oh! No no that is not what I meant. I – I mean I could never – Colonel Carter – er, no. No."

Evan just smiled wider. "Sure Doc, sure."

General Evan Lorne picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number after sixty four year old Rodney McKay left his office at the SGC.

After all this time, twenty five years to be exact, could everything that happened really be fixed? Colonel Sheppard's disappearance? Teyla's death? Ronon's? Sam's? Woolsey in charge, Michael dominating the galaxy?

His own career had gone very well after all that. For a little while he'd been in charge of Atlantis and he'd had a good job there as military commander once Woolsey had come in. But it wasn't an easy job. And for all the things that had gone wrong, he would be glad even to be dishonorably discharged from the military. And he would risk it now and let McKay into Atlantis. Because he was right, this couldn't be how it was meant to be. If there was a way to mend everything, why not? Just because he didn't have the right to change history didn't mean he wasn't going to.

It might not even work, but Rodney deserved the right to at least try. McKay had been through hell these last twenty five years. It had been horrible out there in the Pegasus galaxy for Evan, only coming to an end when he stepped back to Earth, decidedly forgetting everything.

He had gone on with his life. Made new happy memories, with old friends, new friends, his wife, Stina Lorne. He had kept in touch with a few people from his Atlantean days, including Radek Zelenka.

Lost on that thought, he came back to reality when the man in question's weary voice answered the ring on the other line.

"Hello?"

"Radek!" These years had definitely changed them. They looked older of course, Evan gaining wrinkles and gray hair, and not looking as lean as he used too. Radek seemed the same except for a few wrinkles and the age around his eyes. His hair had become wilder too.

Over the time they had become really good friends.

"Evan! How are things going?"

Evan was glad this was a private line, he probably shouldn't tell the Doc about Rodney's plan, but hey, if it worked then this never happened right?

"Really good. In fact, McKay just came to visit. Confused the hell out of me, but I think things are gonna be better than they have been in a long time." He smiled into the phone as he glanced at the painting of the wondrous Ancient city he had made that was hanging on the wall beside him.