With Friends Like These…

Part 4

Author: MacGateFan

Disclaimers in part 1

Mary could tell her Father was worried about something. She didn't understand why, though. The paternity test had proven that she belonged to him. She decided to ask him. All her life had been a lie and she wanted to make sure it wasn't going to happen again.

"Dad, are you okay?" she asked, sitting next to him. She was a bit surprised to see a tear fall down his face. "What's wrong?"

"Mary, there's something I need to talk to you about. Something really important." The young girl took a deep breath, worried that he was changing his mind about keeping her.

"You already know I'm in the Air Force." At her nod, he continued. "Well, I'm part of a classified mission. The only problem with that is if I continue to work for them, we won't be living together. That doesn't mean I wouldn't see you at all, though."

Mary didn't know what to think. Here she was, believing they were actually going to be a family and now he was talking about leaving her all alone.

John hadn't seen such a look of horror on someone's face since Emma realized she would never see Mary again. He watched as she stood up, completely avoiding him. She would not answer his attempts to apologize.

He sighed as she headed out to the balcony and decided it was best to leave her for the time being while he collected his thoughts. John leaned back on the couch and closed his, silently asking Emma for strength.

"What happened now?"

John's eyes snapped open. He hadn't even heard the door open. "I tried to tell her what I could about my job."

Jack nodded, handing John a beer. "Something tells me it didn't go over too well."

"That's the understatement of the year."

"Well, I may have a solution to that."

"I'm all ears."

"I had a meeting with the President today," Jack told him. "In fact, someone else joined me, but she's currently indisposed," he added, pointing to the restroom.

Before John could ask whom, 'she' emerged. "Elizabeth."

She smiled. "Hi, John."

"What's going on?" he asked in confusion.

"John, the President has agreed to let Mary come to Atlantis," Elizabeth said.

He stared at them in stunned silence. When he finally got his voice back, he asked, "How the hell did you convince him?"

Jack smiled. "Well, I kind of reminded him how hard a job you've been doing over there and we also told him what happened with your daughter. He decided that as long as it was all right with Dr. Weir, Mary could go with you. Who knows, she just might possess the Ancient gene."

"Thanks," he told them. "Just saying that doesn't seem like enough, but I promise I'll repay you guys somehow."

"Just keep the Wraith out of the Milky Way and your expedition team safe and we'll call it even," Jack replied.

"John, you should probably go out and talk to her," Elizabeth suggested.

He nodded and was about to go out, when he went over to Elizabeth and gave her a hug, surprising her and himself. "When I lost Mary, I never thought I'd get her back and now that I have a chance to be with her again, thank you for allowing this."

"You're welcome, John."

John joined Mary out on the balcony a few minutes later. "You know, the view from my room is 100 times better than this. Do you wanna come?"

"What are you talking about?" Mary asked, turning to face him.

"General O'Neill received permission for me to take you. So, do you wanna come?"

Mary squealed and leapt into her Father's arms. "I do!"

"Before you get all carried away, let me tell about what I do," John said. "I want you to make a rational decision about this. Where we're going can be very dangerous, but it will also be a learning experience for everyone."

Mary nodded and listened as John told her tales of Atlantis. She could hardly believe her ears. The city of Atlantis actually existed and it was in a whole other galaxy! She wouldn't be able to tell Jenna about it, but wanted to make certain the girl knew she would be all right.

"Dad, I know we need to leave soon, but I really want you to meet my friend, Jenna. I know that I can't tell her anything, but she's probably worried sick about me."

John smiled. "I'm sure Elizabeth won't mind if make a pit stop at Jenna's."

"Thanks," she replied, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Now, introduce me to this 'Elizabeth'."

"That's Dr. Weir to you, young lady."

Mary smiled sheepishly. "Yes, Dad."

Elizabeth smiled at the pair as they chatted aimlessly about their lives. They had the same mannerisms it was almost scary. She had never seen John Sheppard so carefree. She knew he was going to be a nervous wreck though with an almost teenage daughter to deal with.

They had just left Jenna, who swore up and down that Elizabeth should hook up with John (not that they told him that). She would like to think it would happen some day, but right now it was going to be next to impossible to convince the military it would be all right. They would end up sending one of them home and she had a feeling it would be John.

"Aw, do I have to?" Mary whined.

"It's protocol, everyone has to," John replied. "In fact, Dr. Weir and I will have to do it."

Elizabeth blinked, feeling slightly embarrassed that her thoughts went in a bad direction. Good thing people can't hear thoughts... "What will we have to do?"

He glanced up at her through the rearview mirror. "Visit the infirmary."

"That's right," she replied, hoping her face wasn't beet red. She couldn't believe that she was thinking about that! Especially in front of a 12 year old.

"Dr. Weir, are you all right?" Mary asked.

She nodded. "Just fine. What about you, are you ready for another galaxy?"

Mary glanced at John and smiled. "Definitely."

As soon as the trio checked out, they were heading to the briefing room where they were going to be picked up by the Daedalus. "Sheppard!" a voice called out.

"Hey, Mitchell," John replied, shaking Cameron's hand. "What's going on?"

"Just thought I'd see you off and give you this."

John laughed and took the lemon that was offered to him. "Rodney will love it."

Mary would have asked about the lemon and why someone would love it (personally she hated anything sour), but she became distracted as the Stargate began to spin. Dr. Weir had told about the device that could send you to other planets, but it still seemed unreal to her.

She jumped when the wormhole swooshed outward and became a ripple of water-like blueness. Mary then watched as a team headed up the ramp and disappeared. Her Dad said they had to take a ship because the Earth didn't have enough power to send them all the way out to the Pegasus Galaxy.

"Ready, sweetheart?"

Mary took a deep breath. She was a little nervous about being transported up to a spaceship in orbit, but she pushed down the fear and nodded. "Let's go!"

"Colonel Caldwell, this is Weir, we're ready."