Four
"So why don't we get started," Elizabeth smiled.
D'argo stared back, a solid knot in his stomach. She and Kate sat in two chairs side by side next to his bed and there was a guard on the door. D'argo wasn't supposed to know about him but his hearing was better than they thought.
"I don't have to tell you anything," he said.
"Dee, we're trying to help you. We can't help you if we don't know what's going on." Elizabeth shifted forward in her seat. "Please. Maybe we can help you get back to your parents."
They'd been nice. Carson had done the medical exam last night and been gentle and then given him stuff for the pain. They'd fed him and one of the women helpers had even asked if he wanted company. She hadn't smiled when she asked either and D'argo had almost said yes. Now that he was back in medical care and nothing had happened, D'argo didn't know what to think about these people.
"You can't," he said flatly.
"Let us try?"
"You don't even know what we can and can't do," said Kate. "We might surprise you."
D'argo half shrugged. He really didn't know. Things were all different from what he'd expected of humans and he was confused about where they were. He'd seen an ocean outside the endless buildings and no sign of land. Everything looked too unlike what he knew about Earth, or what he thought he knew. He'd gone down a wormhole and he knew anything could happen when you did that. Dad had told him about Alice and the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Twill. Chiana had told him about the real time they'd all ended up at Halloween and met his Dad as a kid which was way more than D'argo had ever wanted to know about her and Dad.
"Fine," he said because he had gone back to them and sort of agreed to all this. "Ask. Can I ask questions too?"
"Of course." Elizabeth smiled again and so did Kate.
"Anything you want to ask first?" asked Kate.
"Well, you never said what planet we're on," D'argo ventured.
"That's because we haven't named it yet or found a name for it that the Ancient's used," said Elizabeth. "They always referred to the city itself."
"Which is called Atlantis?"
"Yes."
"So what sector are we in?"
The two adults looked at each other. "Sector?" asked Kate.
"Of space," said D'argo, trying to orient himself. "You know, where we are."
"Well, we call where we are the Pegasus Galaxy," said Elizabeth.
"But you're not from here." D'argo was certain of it, and the certainty felt like a weight on his chest that only got worse when she said, "No. We're from a different galaxy we call the Milky Way."
"Oh." D'argo tried to breathe; he really did, and finally managed it after a second.
"Dee?" Elizabeth laid a hand on the bedrail. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah. I'm just . . ." He took another deep breath. He knew about fifteen names for his galaxy, and Milky Way was his Dad's. He was really far from home.
"Take your time," said Kate. "I know this is a surprise. It's nothing to be frightened of. We're human just like you."
"You don't understand," said D'argo as the realization that he was really far from home and all alone made him lose track of all breathing again. "I'm in the wrong one." How was he getting out of this? Would they even be able to find him? Would he have to grow up here bound to a rock for the rest of his life? His skin pricked with the thought of never seeing his family again.
"Hey, it's all right," Elizabeth soothed. "Look at me, Dee. That's good. It'll be all right." Her certainty was enough to help. If people could go through wormholes, so could signals. "That's it. Can you tell us what you mean by wrong one? Do you mean the wrong galaxy? Our names don't necessarily mean – "
"I'm in the wrong one," D'argo insisted, frustrated that she was so dense. "And if you're here I'm in the wrong reality too and my parents will still kill you if you hurt me!"
"Dee, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you," Kate leaned forward and said in a calming voice. D'argo was quickly losing his grip on calm again but fought off the panic. "Why don't we start at the beginning. I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. What happened to bring you here?"
"It wasn't my fault." D'argo began with a deep breath. He believed them about not hurting him, at least more than he did yesterday.
"What wasn't your fault?" prompted Elizabeth.
"I got kidnapped." It was shameful to remember. "Mom recognized her species and they wanted Moya for me. She had a needle to my throat and something that knocked me out before Mom could get me back." He'd been too small to fight properly and it had happened so fast. "I woke up in the shuttle and we went through a wormhole and then I woke up here. In the wrong everything." D'argo hoped he hadn't said too much, but didn't know what else to tell them. Neither of them was smiling now.
"I'm so sorry, Dee," said Elizabeth. She reached forward and put her hand on the rail again, reaching out to him. "Who's Moya?"
"Home," said D'argo. He closed his eyes wishing not for the first time that when he opened them he would see golden light instead of blue and gray. But opening them did not wake him up.
"So that's it? He's as clueless as we are?" asked John.
"Wait, can we back up to where he thinks he's in the wrong reality? Because I think that's just a little more important here," Rodney interrupted with his hands trying to grasp the concept. "And how does he even know about alternate realities, anyway? And wormholes! He didn't even know what a stargate was!"
"He lives on a ship." Weir dropped this little bombshell on Rodney who actually gaped for a whole second giving enough time for her to add, "And he thinks he's in the wrong galaxy too."
"All right. I need to talk to him," Rodney sat back frowning. "Something here is not right –"
"Does he know if his kidnappers can follow him here?" asked John over Rodney's mutterings.
"He still insists that his parents will come for him and 'kill us' should any harm come to him," said Weir. "If they can follow him, I think we better assumed that his kidnappers can too."
"Para-noid."
"Dr. McKay," said Heightmeyer. "He was just forcibly separated from his parents."
"Yes, yes, sorry," Rodney only sounded vaguely apologetic.
"So Kate, any luck with finding a guardian?" Weir turned to Heightmeyer.
"I've gotten a few responses from the scientists. None of them seemed very enthusiastic," Heightmeyer said. "They all wanted to know how it would affect their work time. We'll probably need to set up a rotation."
"What about the military personnel?" asked John, wondering if any of his own people had volunteered.
"Dee asked that I not ask soldiers or medical personnel," said Heightmeyer. John sat back at that and squashed the bit of resentment that for the first time a kid didn't like him. The door opening distracted him however and he turned as Teyla joined them. She was dressed in her shaggy coat with a bag on her shoulder, obviously just back from her trip to the mainland.
"I am sorry I am late," she said sitting and setting her bag at her feet. "I brought the clothing for Dee."
"Good," Weir smiled. "We we're just discussing a guardian for him while he's with us."
"Or lack there of," muttered John.
"No one here will take him?" asked Teyla with that little head tilt she did when she was surprised by their customs.
"He refuses soldiers and doctors and none of the scientists want to take time off from work," John explained.
"Yes, because what we do is so unimportant," snapped Rodney.
"I'm just saying he could probably hang out with the linguists and not get into any trouble."
"This is the kid who was attached to an IV and managed to seal himself in a wall," Rodney replied. "I don't think trouble's going to be a problem for him. It's a wonder he doesn't like you given how similar you two are."
"You know, he wanted to stay with you. Shouldn't we be honoring his wishes about that?" John asked Elizabeth enjoying Rodney's sputtering out of the corner of his eye.
"Me!" Rodney demanded. "That's got to be the worst idea I've heard out of you yet, Sheppard."
"Yeah, you're right," John smiled pleasantly at McKay. "You'd probably blow him up within a day.
"Oh, ha ha, I think I could manage to avoid that, thank you very much."
"Are you volunteering?"
"No! What makes you think –"
"I'll take him, Dr. Weir," Teyla said loudly over their bickering. "I have enough time between missions and it'll be a distraction from these two."
"See," John leaned over and hissed at Rodney. "Now you've made Teyla mad at us."
"Thank you, Teyla," Weir said with a pointed look in John's direction. He gave her his best impersonation of innocence that she wasn't buying for a second and grinned at the comments Rodney was making under his breath. "Dr. Beckett wants him to remain on Atlantis until he's healed," she turned back to Teyla. "If you need any help don't hesitate to ask. And Rodney, if you want to talk to Dee, I suggest you ask Teyla first. Thank you." They all got to their feet, the meeting over. Teyla joined John and Rodney at the door.
"What do you wish to talk to Dee about?" she asked. Rodney filled her in on what she'd missed while she'd been on the mainland checking in with her people for the last two days. He started with the grave interruption if his work by Dee running off and went from there with great detail given to the fact that Dee would only come down after Rodney had talked to him. John rolled his eyes at the retelling and couldn't help but wonder just why Dee liked Rodney. He was mean to the kid, called him an idiot, stole his pudding, and treated him like an annoyance. John just didn't get it. Hell, half the time, he didn't know how he ended up friends with McKay.
By the time Rodney had distracted himself with the whole alternate universe and wrong galaxy thing, the three of them were about three halls from the infirmary. John took the time Rodney spent asking someone for a laptop over the radio to ask Teyla if she knew what she was getting into.
She smiled. "I have spent much time with children among my people, Colonel. I believe I will manage just fine."
"No school or day care, no parents to pick him up later." John's one babysitting job, an emergency for his neighbors when he was sixteen, had entailed six hours of counting the seconds until the mom got home.
"I'm sure we will come up with ways to pass the day. You forget that we do not have schools as you do."
"If you say so," John wisely let it go. They had reached the infirmary and being the concerned CO that he was, John shamelessly used the excuse that he needed to talk to Carson about the medical status of a couple of his soldiers as an excuse to follow them in and eavesdrop. In fact when he heard Rodney start grilling the poor kid behind the curtain, he did go see Carson.
"Two more days of PT and then light duty for a week," said Carson about Hughes. "Galton's more or less in one piece. I've given him instructions and put him on light duty but he should be back in form in two weeks."
"Good to hear," John nodded.
Carson shrugged. "You're waiting on Rodney and Teyla?"
Caught, John nodded. "It's nice to have the update though."
"Right." Carson usually sent him an email with all the pertinent information and wasn't buying it.
"How's he doing?" John went ahead and asked.
Carson shrugged again, a grimace passing in place of his smile. "Physically he's well enough. Didn't hurt himself beyond bruising and cramping on his walkabout." John sensed a 'but' in there and waited for Carson to go on. "He's quiet. I can't get a sense of how he is mentally. I know he was kidnapped and after this whole fiasco he trusts us less than he did, but normally I'm not this bad with kids."
"Yeah, same here," said John. "I don't get why he likes Rodney."
"If you figure it out, tell me. Maybe being an arrogant arse is the answer. Maybe I should check again for head trauma. To think he wanted to stay with him."
John grinned. "I would have bought tickets to see that. Teyla's taking him."
"Good luck to her."
"She'll be fine. She probably has more experience with kids than the rest of us put together." John thought about those 21600 seconds and was only grateful it wasn't him, jolt to his ego or not. "Well, I better go rustle up some marines to move another bed into her room. See you later."
Carson nodded and John left. Despite his own assurances, he hoped Teyla could handle him. Dee was a smart kid, and from the sound of it, from a world completely different from Teyla's and the Athosians. He just hoped that Rodney was right about the tracking necklace.
Teyla watched from the door as Dee wandered around her room. He was silent as he had been since Dr. Beckett had released him into her care, and he didn't touch anything. It took him a few minutes to take in the candles and home-woven cloth Teyla used to blunt Atlantis's abstract beauty. Finished, he sat on the bed that had appeared in Teyla's room since she'd been gone and eyed her up and down.
"You have a lot of candles," he said with a vague hand wave at all the ones behind her bed.
"Yes. I find their light calming." Teyla came and sat facing him from her own bed. "I grew up on the land and under the sky."
"Do you miss it?"
"Yes. But I have found a new life here that I would also miss if I left." She hoped that her own otherness would show him that he was safe here. He had gone quiet when she'd told him that she was his guardian, a marked contrast from how he'd reacted to Rodney's inquisition. The scientist had first demanded an explanation of what Dee thought had happened then proceeded to enumerate just how wrong it was in an argument that neither Teyla nor Dee had followed. The boy hadn't been cowed however.
"Well, you're wrong," he declared without flinching. "Cause I'm here and I know I'm in the wrong galaxy and the wrong reality, and if all you have is that stargate thing then you've never seen a real wormhole anyway."
"'Never seen a real wormhole?' I'm sorry, I guess what we've been working with for years has been a figment of our collective imaginations," Rodney snapped. "So please, professor, enlighten me."
"You don't know everything you think you do. Your wormholes and the one I came through are not the same and I don't know how, okay? I didn't even know someone was stupid enough to put a wormhole on a planet."
That had only brought on another thousand questions from Rodney whose answers were clearly unknown by the child, so Teyla put an end to it, stared Rodney down, and finally been left alone with Dee. Beckett released him after dinner and Teyla had brought him back to her quarters to begin getting to know him. So far it seemed to be going well.
"And you. I'm sure you must miss your home," said Teyla.
"My parents will come for me," said Dee, and Teyla wondered who he was reminding.
"Of course," she smiled reassuringly. "In the meantime I hope that you will feel safe here."
"Yeah, I heard. No one's gonna hurt me." Dee rolled his eyes. "Is that how this guardian thing works? You keep people from hurting me?"
"No one will hurt you here, and you do us a disservice by assuming we would." Teyla waited until he met her eyes, defiant and disbelieving. "You are safe here."
Dee looked away and shrugged. "So you say."
"Then tomorrow I shall show you."
He looked up, hesitance and caution writ across his features but curious as well. "Okay,' he said. "Okay." He took a deep breath and sat up straighter. "Okay. So how does this guardian thing work?"
Teyla smiled, broad and relieved. "It is my job to take care of you," she began. "You stay with me here at night and during the day I make sure you eat and have things to do and that you are not going to hurt yourself by wandering into dangerous areas. Or by crawling into ventilation shafts."
Dee actually smiled a bit at that. "Do I have to do what you say?"
Teyla thought a moment before answering. "I will not order you around needlessly. But I must request that you listen to me. I know this city and her customs. Is that acceptable?"
"Yeah." Dee nodded. "Okay. But I reserve the right to run away if I think you're putting me in danger."
"Very well," Teyla agreed. She leaned in close. "Just do not tell Dr. Weir."
In answer Dee stuck out his hand and Teyla shook it.
At breakfast, D'argo met the rest of Atlantis for the first time though none of them met him back. They went early because Teyla said it was more peaceful and fewer people were about. The early and late shift workers would be there but the majority of the soldiers and scientists would come later. D'argo wore the clothing Teyla had given him, brown home woven pants and long shirt with a colorful belted vest to keep him warm. It was loose on him and unfamiliar, the kind of clothing like Grandma's that just begged to get caught in valves and uneven surfaces. D'argo knew he didn't have to worry about that here since he didn't have any chores to do or lessons that involved tight spaces and machine guts, but it still felt like he was wearing the wrong skin.
D'argo followed Teyla through the blue and gray halls. It was very pretty, but like any other city he'd visited. The ceilings were tall and the windows elegant and everything was just a little bit cold and unwelcoming. The mess hall was a big open room with tall windows and tables everywhere. Sunlight poured in bright and welcoming and people were scattered about, often alone but sometimes together. No one looked up when they came in and went to the long table that held the food. Teyla handed him a tray with little partitions in it and started talking about what everything was. Most of it was grain based and there was a lot of bread and a couple different spreads. There was one platter of meat and lots of hot drinks. D'argo took what Teyla did – toast, a couple slices of meat, and oatmeal that looked nothing like what Dad called oatmeal – and followed her to a table off to the side.
That was when other people started to notice him. At first it was just a few glances and double takes, then conversation stopped for a second before people went back to their own business, sneaking glances every once in a while. It was a little odd but D'argo preferred it to outright staring. Some places they went people stared either because of his family or because they were strangers or sebacean. The best places were the well traveled ones where odd was normal. It was actually a little weird to see so many people who looked sebacean; they didn't go to places like that very often, especially after D'argo's almost-conscription.
D'argo scooped up some of the oatmeal and tentatively licked a little off his spoon. It was a little sweeter but otherwise much like what Grandma made sometimes, a little bland and a little pasty. Reassured, he finished off the spoonful.
"How do you like it?" asked Teyla who'd been watching him.
D'argo nodded and ate another spoonful.
"My people make something similar but I like the added sweetness of the oatmeal from Earth," Teyla returned to her own meal.
"Yeah," D'argo agreed without looking up. He focused on his oatmeal trying to pinpoint differences but he didn't recognize the other flavors in it. When he tried the bread it too was both very familiar and just a little different. It was good.
"So," said Teyla brightly when D'argo had eaten about half of everything including the meat stuff that was chewier than he was used to but still okay, if not nearly spicy enough.
"How would you like to spend the day? I'm afraid there is not much available for children here and I can't take you to the mainland until Dr. Beckett clears your injuries."
D'argo looked up and shrugged. He stabbed another piece of meat with his fork and bit off smaller bites from the edges.
"Well what do you like to do? What did you do on your ship?"
"Chores and lessons," D'argo shrugged again. He spent a lot of time crawling around Moya like a DRD with his notebook checking on synapses and connections and general functioning. Dad made him write down what he saw and draw pictures even when there wasn't anything wrong. It was so boring but he couldn't play or do other stuff until the section for the day was done. He thought about crawling around this city and what he'd seen of the crystals and stuff that made the doors work, so very different from Moya's fibers and fluids.
"The people of Atlantis went to schools when they were young," said Teyla. "Among my people we teach our children the family crafts and they help in the fields."
"I only go to school when were on Hyneria," said D'argo. It was the ambassadors' school and that was sometimes more boring than drawing dormant systems. The stuff about other species was cool though and almost made up for the histories and etiquette. He liked Jothee's and Grandma's stories much better.
"Is that your homeworld?"
He shrugged again.
Movement beside him attracted D'argo's attention. A man with thick ropy hair stood with his tray piled high. He wasn't in a uniform and dressed kinda like Teyla, although like her he was also clearly a fighter. "Hi," he said, "Teyla. May I join you?"
"Ronon," Teyla smiled. "Please. Is that all right, Dee?"
D'argo decided that it would be. He clearly didn't belong to the soldiers and he looked pretty badass, like Jothee, and he also had a tattoo on his neck. He tried to get a better look at it when Ronon sat down, straining forward until Ronon raised questioning brows at him.
"What's it mean? Your tattoo?" he asked. It was geometric and not symbolic.
Ronon grinned a little. "It shows my rank and regiment. In my old service," he added.
"So you were actually a soldier?" D'argo sat back a little. "But you're not from Earth."
"On my homeworld, Seteda. Specialist Ronon Dex." He nodded amicably and bit off half a piece of toast.
"Specialist in what?"
"Everything," said Ronon with another smile.
"Fine." D'argo rolled his eyes and turned back to his food. Ronon wasn't worth talking to if he thought D'argo was just some dumb kid. Ronon and Teyla looked at each other over his head which only irritated D'argo more. "You're tattoo's real small for someone who specializes in everything."
"It's for small arms and close combat," said Ronon.
D'argo looked him over critically. He was a tall guy and his muscles stood out under his sleeveless vest. The even and amused look he gave D'argo in return was confident and a little challenging back. Strong and powerful and utterly fearless. D'argo looked him in the eye and said, "It's still real small."
Ronon actually laughed, the smile cracking his face. "And how big should it be?" he asked.
"Jothee's cover his forehead and half his chest. He's a lot dradder than you. And I bet he's a better fighter."
"I'd like to meet him," said Ronon easily. "Is he your brother?"
"No," D'argo scoffed. "But we visit him when he's free. He's a Luxan warrior." But neither Teyla nor Ronon knew what that meant. And like that he was back in the wrong place, all alone. "Never mind," he said.
"No, please," said Teyla. "We'd like to know more."
"You're just saying that," D'argo replied, because she was and Ronon, who was swallowing another piece of toast whole didn't look interested. Besides, how could he describe Jothee to these humans? Ignoring them, D'argo finished his oatmeal and tried not to think about home. He was here now and he'd agreed to be in their care and wanting Jothee to come rescue him wasn't going to help.
"I assure you I'm not," said Teyla. "We would like to get to know you better."
"Is this an interrogation?" D'argo demanded to shut her up. It worked; Teyla sat up straighter, bristling. Before she could respond, however, Ronon broke the tension by laughing again.
"What do you know about interrogations?" he asked.
"Ronon," said Teyla disapprovingly.
He waved a hand at her dismissively and spooned up more oatmeal, regarding D'argo with amusement. D'argo shifted uncomfortably and looked away.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," Teyla apologized. "I want you to feel safe with me."
D'argo nodded slightly but didn't say anything. He tried to ignore Ronon but his gaze was like an itch in his head. It was true, he didn't know much about interrogations. He'd never seen one or heard one, but he'd heard plenty of stories. Every one heard stories or knew them or told them. D'argo had seen a lot of places, though. He knew what was out there in the universe. He'd been there and this guy hadn't. What did he know of interrogations?
"Dee?"
D'argo realized he'd been asked a question. "What?"
"Any thoughts on what you would like to do today?"
"No."
Teyla began suggesting things then, but D'argo ignored her, uninterested. He wouldn't have any real choice. Whatever they said, he was still sort of their prisoner, even if they were trying to be nice. And he shouldn't forget that.
By lunch, Teyla had taken Dee around most of the city. He'd been summarily unimpressed with both the ocean all around them and the majestic rise of the towers and elegant architecture. He hadn't been interested in Athosian stories once he'd learned that her people were agrarian and nomadic, and her hushed description of the wraith had been met with a shrug. Teyla found his apathy frustrating but further questions about what he liked or studied in school were also shrugged off accompanied by suspicion of her motives. Surly and quiet, nothing Teyla said or did was correct.
At lunch, Teyla nodded to Colonel Sheppard as he detoured past their table to sit with McKay and a few other scientists. The mess was crowded as usual and Dee spent more time watching everyone else than eating. After a few attempts at conversation that received a startled "what?" Teyla let the quiet stand and watched Dee watch everyone else. They got more stares in return and from some, especially the soldiers, smiles and waves. Dee didn't return them but he was surprised. He looked at Teyla briefly but didn't ask what was on his mind. Instead he turned back to the room thoughtfully, his eyes settling on McKay and Sheppard.
After lunch, Teyla still didn't know what he was thinking. Dee however was paying more attention now as they walked through the halls toward the rec room. Teyla figured there would be something in there that would interest him and at the very least they could watch one of the movies available. Indeed when they arrived, Dee stopped short at the door when he saw the TV and the two shelves of movies, books, and games.
"You have a TV," he said, clearly surprised as Teyla was that he recognized it.
"You know what it is?"
"We had one till it was destroyed when we were boarded once. I was little. Dad couldn't fix it." He walked slowly toward it, touching it lightly. "Can we watch it?" he turned and asked.
Teyla nodded. "We must select a DVD first." Dee grinned for the first time all day and turned to the shelf. He fingered the thin boxes.
"What do they say?" he asked excitedly. Teyla joined him and set about deciphering the text that she was still learning and telling him what the movies were about. After hearing them all, Dee picked Gladiator and sat raptly through the tale, cheering at the battles and telling the emperor how he was crazy. So caught up was he that he didn't notice when two off-duty soldiers came in and joined them.
Teyla nodded to the marines who grinned back and nudged each other at Dee's obvious delight.
"Wow!" Dee collapsed back against the couch when the credits began. "That was so drad! Does that still happen?" he turned to the marines with no trace of wariness.
"No, that was set about two thousand years ago on Earth," said Ryan Farr.
"So you can't fight like that?" Dee sounded disappointed.
"Teyla could, I bet," said Gears with a grin in her direction. "I bet she'd teach you if you ask real nice."
"If you wish, I can show you how my people fight," Teyla agreed.
"With swords? You'd let me hold a sword?"
"Staves," said Teyla. "One in each hand and as effective."
"So how come they didn't have guns? We're they primitive?" Dee turned back to Farr and Gears. "And how did the Coliseum work with all the traps and what were those creatures? They were so drad!"
And as soon as one question was answered another three took its place. Farr and Gears did their best but Teyla could tell they were blundering through their answers about the functioning of the Coliseum and the intricacies of the Roman Empire and why the Senate was powerless to stop Commodus. Listening, Teyla decided that tomorrow they would pay a visit to the linguists and anthropologists.
Elizabeth listened to the report from the alpha site then called Sheppard, Lorne, and Rodney to the conference room. "The Eseasans called," she said when they all settled into their seats. "They say they've got a ship in low orbit that has made several passes over the crash site."
"Not wraith." John said and it was not a question.
"There have been no cullings and they don't recognize the design," Elizabeth confirmed. "They're asking that we send a team to help them in case they are hostile." An understandable request for the low tech Eseasans and one that Elizabeth had every intention of granting. "Major Lorne, I'd like you to take you team. Rodney, I want an engineer to go along to asses their ship and technology."
"Dr. Weir, maybe –"
"Colonel, you're team is off this week and Teyla is unavailable in any case." Elizabeth arched an eyebrow meaningfully. They'd had this conversation before.
Sheppard looked to the side but nodded. "We should send an extra squad just in case," he said. "I want someone guarding the gate and hourly check-ins."
Lorne and Elizabeth both nodded, the former getting up, already calling his team and backup together. John and Rodney rose as well but paused when they noticed Elizabeth in her seat.
"So," said John. "We taking bets?"
"Bets?"
"Kidnappers or parents."
Elizabeth smiled. "Let's hope it's parents."
John walked into the mess for dinner with still no word on the ship from Lorne. The Major and his men were bunking down in the village for the night and there wasn't anything else to do but wait. Dr. Weir was doing enough worrying for the two of them, so John decided to grab dinner and hopefully a distraction for a little while before heading back to the control room and forcing Elizabeth to take a break and eat.
It looked like fish-surprise was on the menu along with canned corn and rehydrated potatoes. John was getting really sick of the potatoes. Desert was jello which was about the only good thing in large supplied.
Looking for a place to sit, he saw Teyla and Dee sitting with a couple of his men and one of the scientists he didn't know. The physicists weren't in evidence yet so John headed for a table by the wall where he could see the rest of the room. As he passed by Teyla's table however, Dee's eyes caught him and he stopped, the world reduced to the boy's gaze. The others at the table stilled.
"Ryan says Teyla always beats you in a sword fight," said Dee.
"Yes, she does," John agreed.
"And Rodney likes you."
"We're friends."
Dee nodded. "I'm not afraid of you."
John grinned, happy at progress. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. Do you mind if I join you?"
"You can if you get Rodney to sit with us later," Dee twisted back to his meal and Teyla who smiled as the others tried to hide their grins. John took the empty seat by her across from Dee and grinned again at the boy who had propped his head on his hand.
"Farr, Gears," he greeted the marines and Teyla quickly introduced him to Dr. Hiro the anthropologist. "So what did you do all day? Something fun I hope."
"Your smile's creepy." Dee managed to stop John's fork halfway to his mouth. He cut a look at Gears who had choked on his drink.
While John was still frozen, Dee turned to Dr. Hiro and asked something about horses and then proceeded to ignore John's existence at the table – pointedly when John tried to add something. John got the message after the third display of the cold shoulder. Farr and Gears were more than welcome to join in as was Teyla who added questions rather than answers, but John felt the traces of grade school ostracism.
He was about to say something when Teyla placed a hand on his arm. "Please," she murmured. "He was silent and withdrawn for most of the day. Take this as progress."
John sighed and nodded. He wasn't a child after all, and it was true that Dee had come a long way from running from them just yesterday. He was relieved when Rodney and Radek came in though. The two of them were talking rapidly with no eyes for anything but food. They almost absently honed in on John and Teyla, joining them and nodding hello. It was only after Rodney had taken his first bite that he noticed Dee staring at him; his face fell, just a little, before rallying and grimacing.
"Haven't run off again, I see. Given up the lam for better food?"
"Obviously, since I'm here," Dee retorted in such a Rodney manner that John couldn't help the laugh that burst out of him. Rodney glared and Dee ignored him and said, "Teyla said you knew how the Coliseum worked."
"The Coliseum?" Rodney looked at Teyla in confusion.
"We watched Gladiator this afternoon," she explained.
"What do you want to know about it?" asked Rodney cautiously. It was like opening the floodgates.
Dee's eyes positively lit up. "How many tigers could they keep down there? Did they eat other people? How did they keep them on the trap doors!"
Rodney blinked and looked at John a bit shell shocked. "You're the one who claims to know everything," said John, enjoying this very much.
"Well, I don't know about this! I'm a physicist! And yes, an engineering genius too –" Radek huffed "– but all I ever cared about the Romans was that they invented concrete and hygiene."
"So you don't know about the tigers?" asked Dee still hopeful. "Have you seen a real tiger?"
"In the zoo." Rodney shifted in his seat and tried to hide behind a huge forkful of fish.
"Really!" Dee almost whispered. "So what do you think? Would it die if it fell on all those levers and screw things?"
"Levers and screw things?"
"That's what they looked like."
"They probably used a system of pulleys and counterweights," said Radek. He looked just as wary as Rodney did about talking to Dee, but the survival of the others seemed to give him courage when Dee asked what he meant. Slowly, the engineer described how the elevators and trap probably worked. Rodney, never one to be left behind, joined in and pretty soon the three of them were designing a new coliseum with better traps and more tigers.
Dee told them where to put stuff and asked a lot of 'how's' and 'why's' about physics and structural engineering that was way over his head. He would scrunch his forehead and frown, pretending to follow along before shrugging and moving on to the next "draddest" thing that usually involved a gory death for any man stupid enough to walk into the building. Rodney and Radek seemed to forget they were talking to a child, and Radek was looking both smug and amused that his diagrams – drawn on paper napkins – were better than Rodney's. Farr and Gears threw in suggestions, getting lions and komodo dragons added to the list of dangerous beasts despite much derision and scorn from Rodney until Dee told him to "shut up, frogface."
Amazingly, it managed to shut him up long enough for Dee to add, "We're throwing in Charrids so it doesn't matter if the dragons don't belong there. Ooh! and we should put in Blood Trackers! We'll make it dark so they can't see and have obstacles for them to get around like cat-and-mouse!"
Dee was talking so fast, they barely got two words on Charrids – allied with the equally mysterious Scarrens and stupid enough to be their battle fodder – and Blood Trackers – they track people by smell – before he was off again.
John, a fierce young glare letting him know he was still unwanted, sat back and watched with Teyla and Dr. Hiro. It was fun listening to the new coliseum unfold. Radek and Rodney ate absently talking over one another with mouths full as they argued and rearranged walls and systems. Dee was pure excitement, thinking up things as fast as they were drawn. He was a different kid than the one John had chased yesterday and it was good to see.
"Good luck getting him to sleep tonight," he said to Teyla.
She smiled knowingly at him in reply. "I had forgotten how tiring it is to care for a child all day."
"Looks like you're doing fine."
"Thank you. I hope it is enough."
John nodded then stood and collected his tray. "Well, I better get back to the Control Room. I'll send Dr. Weir down to supervise this bunch. If you need to beat someone up tomorrow. . ."
"I will find you. Good night, Colonel."
With a light wave, John turned and took his tray in and headed to the nearest transporter, hoping like hell that Charrids and Blood Trackers would not be waiting for him when he got there.
Elizabeth looked up when Sheppard walked into her office. "You should get dinner," he said.
"Lorne reported back," she told him. "Another shuttle landed on the planet near the crash site. They're the same aliens as the pilot we found. So far they haven't made any hostile moves though the Major and his men were warned off by their soldiers. He says they look like they're just investigating what happened."
"How many of them?" Sheppard took the chair on the other side of her desk.
"Ten, though only four are armed and standing guard. I told Lorne to let them know we have the body of their pilot and then leave them to it."
"Not telling them about Dee?" John lifted his eyebrows.
Elizabeth sighed. "He says he was kidnapped. I want to wait and see what they have to say first."
"So we're back to waiting."
"As always." Elizabeth quirked a wry smile. It sometimes seemed like that was all she ever did. The lack of hostilities was a great weight off her mind though, and now dinner sounded like an excellent suggestion. "How's dinner?"
"Okay," John shrugged. "Dee and Teyla were there when I left."
"I better go now then." As Elizabeth stood so did John.
"Be sure to ask about the tigers," he said cryptically.
"Tigers," she repeated dubiously, but John just grinned as he followed her to the door.
"But Teyla – "
"Please, Rodney," she interrupted him. They were standing in the hall outside his lab after she'd ambushed him coming back from the bathroom. Over her shoulder, he could see Dee twenty feet away looking generally miserable. "Nothing I do interests him, not even the movies in the rec room." Teyla kept her voice low. "I took him to Dr. Hiro but he complained and wouldn't stay. He wants to see you."
"Well tell him 'no'! I'm not your babysitter." Rodney had work to do. "Leave him with the marines. He can watch them beat each other up."
"I tried," Teyla gritted out. "Despite yesterday's progress, he seems to be afraid of the soldiers again." She paused and looked away. When she met Rodney's eyes, she said softly, "He is also afraid of me. We went to the gym so I could teach him staves and he looked at me like . . . He refused. And has been difficult and silent since. Please," she asked again. "He is willing to stay with you."
The look in her eye was one that Rodney didn't often see in her face. It wasn't quite pleading because Teyla never begged with anything except dignity, but it wasn't something Rodney could ignore. The kid he could. "Fine," he frowned. "As long as he stays quiet and in the corner." Teyla smiled gratefully and he added, "You owe me so much chocolate for this."
"I know. Thank you." She turned and beckoned Dee over. The boy gave her the evil eye but came and stood pointedly beside Rodney. "Dr. McKay says you may stay, but you must do as he tells you."
"Or you'll beat me with your staves?" Dee was a far cry from the excited boy who had created the coliseum last night.
"No," said Teyla sadly. "And I am sorry that you think that. I am your protector and I would not see harm come to you. I will see you at lunch. Please do not be difficult."
"I don't want to meet you for lunch."
"Regardless, you will be meeting me for lunch." Teyla bent down so she was at his eyelevel. If looks could kill . . .
"Why? You're not my mom." Dee's arms were crossed across his chest. "And I'm not afraid of you and your sticks."
Teyla sighed and took a step back. "No, I am not your mother. But she is not here and I am."
"Well you can go frell yourself!" Dee yelled and spun away from her, arms wrapped tight around his body.
Teyla took another step back and looked at Rodney who was just as shocked and clueless about the outburst as she was. And Teyla was going to leave him with this mess? Rodney stood helplessly as she took a deep breath and left. Dee remained with his back turned away, a few steps down the hall. Rodney couldn't tell if he was crying or not. God, he hoped not. He didn't know what to do as it was. What was he supposed to do with a homesick boy?
Deciding that ignoring it for the moment was the best policy, Rodney cleared his throat. "Are you coming in or not?"
Dee, not crying but obviously fighting tears, followed him into the lab and over to a piece of wall, away from breakable things. Rodney cast about for something for him to do but there were no spare laptops and he really didn't have anything on hand that wouldn't be dangerous. Finally, Simpson slapped a legal pad and a black pen into his chest. Rodney blinked at them then went to his own desk and grabbed a red and a blue sharpie. On impulse, he also grabbed a powerbar from his cabinet and took it all over.
"Here, you can draw something."
Dee accepted everything without looking up and still looking miserable. Rodney watched him settle on the floor and figure out the pens. "Why me?" he asked before he realized he was going to.
The boy finally looked up all black hair and wide blue eyes, small in Athosian clothing too big for him. "You don't smile at me," he said going back to the things in his lap. Taken aback, Rodney stared while Dee picked up the powerbar, twisting it around. "What's this?" he asked.
Automatically, Rodney took it and opened it for him. "You eat it." Flustered, he added, "Don't bother anyone," and turned back to his work. He scowled at everyone else who was looking at him. "Is work getting done by itself now?" he demanded. "This is not a soap opera." Although it felt like one.
Rodney was in over his head. Yes, he was ignoring the kid, but what else was he supposed to do? Dee liked him. Rodney hated kids, perhaps not as much as Radek did, but he definitely didn't go about treating them like the cute, adorable . . . creatures they pretended to be. And Dee, for some reason, liked him because of it. Because he didn't smile. Rodney didn't want to touch that trauma with a ten foot pole.
He snuck a look over his shoulder where Dee sat curled against the wall. The half eaten powerbar was in the hand that held the pad still against his knees while his right hand drew. He was focused, and calm had replaced the earlier disquiet. Rodney had enough trouble understanding children so most of the time he didn't bother. Most of the time they avoided him right back. Now, however, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on in that little brain that had no problem talking back and putting Komodo dragons and aliens in a structurally sound coliseum. He wondered about the wormholes and realities. The boy lived on a ship, was as conversant with technology as they were on Atlantis, and yet terrified of people.
Rodney turned back to his screen, determined to get some work done. He could talk to the boy when he wasn't having a breakdown. Or when lunch rolled around. Whichever came first.
"They want to meet with us." Lorne's voice was a little crackly through the wormhole. "They say their superiors on their ship want to reclaim their dead. They weren't too specific on when their ship's supposed to get here."
"Tell them we await their arrival," said Elizabeth. She looked at John who smirked at her. She wondered how much of her excitement showed on her face. Their first aliens that weren't trying to kill them. Civil and polite, according to Lorne. They'd meet on the Alpha site of course, but the thought was still intoxicating. It resparked the spirit of adventure and discovery that had led them to Atlantis in the first place. Elizabeth took a deep breath and chided herself that these people had kidnapped Dee, that they were potential enemies as dangerous as the wraith.
But she had a good feeling about this.