With obvious reluctance, John waited for Sam to sit down, he was the one with the gene, and he was the one who might activate the machine. He looked up at Phreyas, gave one last curse, and then sat down.

Nothing happened, and both John and Sam relaxed in their seated posture. Just as they both smiled at each other though for dodging the bullet, both suddenly felt a massive jolt in their heads.

Seconds seemingly turned to minutes, and those minutes turned to fictional hours, the chairs lit up and the consoles quickly began to show information scrolling across dust covered screens. Both John and Sam went ramrod straight on the chairs, both drawing in deep desperate gasps of air, their eyes open as information began to flood into their minds.

In 5 seconds, the prearranged selection on the consoles which Sam hadn't had enough time to check flashed across their eyes.

Once it ended, John leaped off the chair with Phreyas in shock and awe that the consoles had lit up. Sam jumped off as well and found herself suddenly panting as if she'd just run a marathon. John was doubled over, taking ragged breaths as he tried to recompose his senses. Each had felt the other… each had had the same memory downloaded to them.

"Ascended Ancestors… never has such a thing happened! You two are truly blessed! I doubted you for a time but after this, I shall never again doubt your words!"

John and Sam didn't care, they looked to each other in a similar level of shock, but at the same time horror. Sam couldn't help it and blurted. "Oh fuck."

John groaned involuntarily at her wording and struggled to regain control. Just as quickly as it happened, they turned to Phreyas and spat fire similar pleas not to say anything to anyone about what had happened.


Once Phreyas had been convinced not to talk about what had happened using arguments of leaving the Ancestors decisions to the Ancestors, Sam had taken a very long minute to figure out what the machine was while John uncomfortably stayed a few feet away, struggling not to look at her.

She reviewed the logs now that the machine was activated, and her suspicion was confirmed. It was an Ancient Memory Sharing device. It was originally meant to be a learning device, but the last Lantean who had survived on this planet had done many modifications to it.

Sam grimaced in horror as she saw the name of the Lantean. 'Avroditus'. Too similar… too obvious… if only she'd had the time to check first.

Further research led to more, Avroditus had found that the Wraith had used a virus on these people to sterilize those who had the ancient gene, Avroditus herself included. Even more, it spread by sexual transmission to those who didn't have the gene.

So she'd used the last few years she had turning this place into a sanctuary for the Binthu, allowing them to use the machine to let those afflicted with the virus still have relationships with their loved ones. There was little precious information on the actual mechanics of the sharing, and Sam nearly snapped as she reached the end of the logs. It had mentioned something about a problem, but didn't elaborate on it. Sam felt alright except for the memory burning a hole through her head and sensibility. She felt like smashing that same head into the console in frustration.

The facility had been used for quite awhile according to the logs, a few generations in order to isolate the virus and prevent any further spread beyond what few cases emerged. Once the virus was gone, the facility had gone dark given that without anyone that had the Ancient gene, the machine no longer worked. Thus the legend and tradition of using the chairs as a bonding ceremony had begun, but it had always remained offline.

Until Sam and John had just accidentally turned it on, and it ran the last programmed subroutine, a honeymoon night on a virtual spire of Atlantis.

AR-1 along with Sam began the long trek back to the Stargate and Atlantis. The walk back to the gate had been awkward, and the arrangement of the group as they strolled wasn't much of a surprise.

On each end, Sam and John stood with a good amount of space between them. Ronon and Teyla stood between them, encapsulating Rodney who hadn't said a word to either since the strange sight of John and Sam kissing the day before.

When they finally made it back to Atlantis, John and Sam did a quick debrief and separated, neither really wanting to talk about what happened. It had been so vivid and intense that it was taking time to process completely.

John tried to continue with his regular day, nearing the shooting range they'd set up so the Marines could get some practice without fear of damaging anything important. He had no idea how bad his aim would be considering that all he could think of was…

"You hair gel abusing son of Kirk! " Despite expecting some form of ambush, John was still surprised by the ferocity of Rodney's tone as he jumped out from a transporter on his way to the gym. "Aren't you and her against like a million and a half regulations?!"

John ignored the obvious hostility, and cocked his head to him. He had to be very calm if he was going to talk his way out of this one without explaining anything. "Why yes, Rodney. It is."

Rodney only got more furious. "How could you!? You know I've had a thing for her since I first laid eyes on her, which I'll just clarify, was years before you knew her!"

John nodded, keeping his face stony. Rodney knew nothing of the Ancient Machine thankfully, but with any luck, when he found it on his next trip there, he wouldn't be suspicious… at least that's if Sam's deleting of the logs worked the way she said it would. "Of course, but aren't you dating Katie?"

Rodney ignored the obvious roadblock, and continued his rant. "What is it with you and trying to get into the pants of every woman in this galaxy!? Don't you already have enough of a harem to not include… her?"

John again nodded, now finding Rodney's rant unbelievably funny despite being reminded of the fact that in a way, he did get into Sam's pants. His harem that Rodney mentioned though included a feisty woman who beat him senseless, a young slightly insane woman who forced herself on him, and two women who ended up being comprised entirely of energy. He never got tired of Rodney's constant belief that he was Casanova reincarnated. "Sometimes I prefer quality to quantity." It was difficult to not snap and simply admit what had happened. The role had to be played, he had to keep calm.

Rodney shook his fist in ire, and completely ignored the now two or three people who had heard his screaming and turned to pay attention. "You're damn right she's quality! And if I ever see you doing anything to hurt her in anyway I'm… I'll… I'd…!"

John finally had enough, a crowd was gathering and he didn't want the rumors to spread even faster, especially if someone found out about the machine. "Rodney, what's this?" He held up his hand, and showed the now perfectly exposed tattoo that his wristband had obscured.

Rodney, still fuming, leaned in and suddenly did a double take. "What the…? Why do you have a Bessel Function tattooed on your wrist!?"

John didn't answer, and instead motioned for Rodney to come closer. Maths and Technology always distracted Rodney, and he needed every advantage possible to keep this quiet.

Rodney moved closer, suddenly much more confused than angry. "Rodney, you're making a fool out of yourself. There's a perfectly logical explanation for why Sam did what she did and I'll tell you if you just shut up and listen!"

John shook his head as he kept moving. He head on met the gaze of anyone looking at him, thoroughly intimidating any rumors that might surface into submission. Rodney followed, but still with an air of anger.


John found Sam at her desk, hard at work on the details of the science team and mining survey team they were going to set up. When she saw him standing at the edge of her office, she turned beet red. "Oh God…" She clenched her fists, now furiously trying to forget what had happened. "Please give me good news." John hesitated, and then Sam pointed at the chair almost furiously. "Just… sit!"

John shrugged awkwardly and plopped down on the chair opposite her, all he could think about was… Well, it was expected wasn't it? "Just the fake marriage. No one knows about…" He self-consciously wrang his hands together, keeping far enough away from Sam that maybe he couldn't sense her beyond vision and hearing, it was futile though, she'd been in this office so long he'd recognize it easily now from his other senses. "…Rodney already attacked me."

Sam raised her eyebrows and then winced in embarrassment. "We knew that was coming… so he doesn't know about…?" She couldn't say it. It had always been a slight fear in her mind, but to have it actually happen was a complete shock to her system. 12 years and nothing had happened and finally… Well technically nothing had actually happened, just a shared memory created by a computer.

John shook his head and sighed as he palmed his brow. "No… no one except the Chief… I-I don't think he understood what happened either."

Sam groaned, she'd had to carry a lot of secrets before, but this was beyond mortifying. "That's good… Maybe…" she couldn't finish that sentence either. So instead she pressed on. "What umm… what did Rodney do?"

John grinned nervously, struggling to focus on something else beyond Sam. "Jealous act. no biggie. Once I explained the whole marriage thing he uhh… seemed pretty pissed off you didn't choose him. The sleeping in the same tent really got him though."

Sam snorted with a hint of hesitation and wondered what Rodney would think if he knew that she and John had unwittingly hooked themselves into an ancient machine that simulated a night of the most passionate and satisfying sex she could have imagined. That thought made her blush even more and she sealed it into the vault in her memories. "Look John… I…" She looked up at John and saw the same face look back. "It happened. We need to move on. Neither of us can leave and…" She gulped, it would be hell for a while, but maybe they could get over it. "Say something. Anything."

John grunted. "I uhh…" Gritting his teeth, John bowed his head and nodded. "I saw Keller, she says my scans came back normal… guess they came back normal for you too huh?"

Sam nodded, still mortified. "Yeah, I uhh… I saw her too. Nothing." Sam couldn't look at him, she just stared down at her desk. "Uhmm… just to be sure… top level tower…?"

"…Two moons…"

"…Silk…"

"…all night…" Now their eyes met, and it was proven beyond a doubt, the memory was exactly the same. John sighed and continued. "I guess we can't forget… but… maybe we can ignore it." He didn't want to think about it, John wanted to just ignore it long enough that he'd be able to look at Sam and not remember.

Sam closed her eyes and sighed. "I guess that's the best we can do." She had no intention of telling John what her body was saying. She'd had a fantasy every now and again like any other human being, but this wasn't at all what her childish daydreams were like. "So we're… fine?"

John contemplated for a moment to add what he was feeling to his reply, but decided he'd be safer just agreeing. "Yeah… just uhh…"

Sam worried for a second, what could John possibly say now? "What?"

John wanted to ask if the tattoo he'd remembered of E=MC2 was really there or not, but decided he liked his spine inside his body rather than where Sam would put it. "…Nothing."

Sam for that matter was glad he'd shut up, obviously he was about to ask something personal. She for one was curious if the ancient program modified any… parameters or personality traits as it hadn't been at all what she'd expected, not that her body had complained. But that was so outside of regulations that she felt like beating herself with a Banto Rod just for thinking it as some kind of purifying ritual. "So… briefing tomorrow?"

John caught the hint instantly, and got up quickly. "Tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

John hesitated for a second, this felt like he was just running away from a one night stand. "I'll uhh… I'll see you later… Colonel Carter."

Smiling nervously back at him, showing her embarrassment through her face, Sam nodded. "Later… Colonel Sheppard."

Sam didn't watch as John moved away, this was going to be hell to try and explain should it come out, or even worse, when people noticed how awkward her and her very friendly second in command were. They'd get the right idea, but under the wrong circumstances. She could only breath a sigh of relief that the IOA wasn't scheduled for another visit in a few months.

Yet something bugged her. Had they really just managed to salvage their friendship? Did this mean that life could go on for the two of them and the battle against the Wraith? What did that say about them? Sam didn't want to think about it, and instead filed it away in her list of things to eventually get to…

Learn the Cello…

Write her autobiography for when the SGC was made public…

Give Cassie away at her wedding…

Decide whether she was really okay with having had the best sex of her life even if it was virtual with her second in command…

Nothing was simple anymore, and unknown to Sam, John was asking himself the same questions.