Disclaimer: Not mine

Note: Flashbacks in Italics

Atlantis

4 Months later

Elizabeth rested her hand on her stomach. Her bump was there, it was impossible to ignore it. Her feelings about it were still conflicted, part of her knew that this baby was hers genetically. It was growing inside of her and she felt it's every movement. Sighing Elizabeth rested back on the bed behind her. Her back was killing her, her ankles were swollen and she was tired all the time, but the thing that was hurting the most was the overwhelming tension surrounding SGA-1. When Rodney had found out about the pregnancy he had been just as pissed off as John and took pleasure in shouting at Aiden and Teyla about being so stupid. The one thing they that hadn't been found out yet was why they had done it. Elizabeth had tried to figure out why but she never came up with a suitable answer and she just couldn't talk about it with them.

Elizabeth sighed when there was a knock at the door but knowing it was Carson she answered.

"Come in"

The door opened and Carson came into the room. He walked over to her.

"How are we doing Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked up at him and shrugged.

"I'm tired."

Carson sat down next to her and felt around her bump.

"He was a little small but I think he's right on track now."

Elizabeth barely nodded.

"Good."

Carson looked at her with both concern and pity. He knew how difficult this was for her but he also knew it was difficult for both Aiden and Teyla. He knew how much Aiden wanted to talk with Elizabeth. She hadn't talked to him in anything professional tones since finding out four months ago.

"Elizabeth, Aiden wants to talk to you"

Elizabeth turned away from him

"I don't want to talk to him"

Carson placed his hand back on her bump.

"It's his child"

Elizabeth turned to him

"And he can have this child because I don't want it"

"Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth cut him off

"No Carson, I don't want to discuss this anymore. All I want to know is why they did it, why he did that to me"

Carson rubbed his forehead and looked at Elizabeth.

"If you don't talk to him Elizabeth you'll never find out"

Elizabeth sighed and turned her head and stared out of the window and Carson continued

"Elizabeth you give birth in just under three months and I can tell you right now, how you feel about this child will change and you will want it. I'll take a guess that you already have feelings for it. It's your child, that's not wrong or unexpected."

Carson put his hand of Elizabeth's shoulder affectionately and sighed

"You can't put this off any longer"

Carson stood up and walked over to the door, taking one last look at Elizabeth before he left the room. What he would have realised if he had stuck around a minute longer was that Elizabeth had broken down into tears and she had placed her hand protectively on her bump.

Aiden walked around the corridors of Atlantis. By now, most people on Atlantis knew what was going on and while none of them had said anything directly to him and Teyla, he knew what they were thinking. As Aiden neared the gym, he decided that he would go and see if Teyla were there. She'd been the only one he'd actually had conversations with in four months.

When he entered the gym he saw John in there training. He was about to turn back round when John called to me.

"What do you want?"

Aiden stuttered before answering.

"I was...I was just looking for Teyla."

John nodded and turned to him, throwing him a set of sparing sticks.

"Think you can take me"

Aiden hesitated

"I don't think I should"

John walked over to him and pulled him by his arm into the main part of the gym floor.

"Yeah, you should"

Aiden barely had time to take off his jacket when John took a shot at him. Aiden fell to the floor and stared up at John. Aiden stood up and faced John, securing his sparing sticks in his hands.

John took another shot at him, which Aiden deflected. And it carried on like that. John attacking him and Aiden defending himself and if Aiden was honest, he knew why it was happening. John was trying to hurt him the only way he knew how and Aiden knew he had to give John this chance to get it out of his system, and that was all fine until John took it too far. John hit Aiden to the floor with his sparing sticks before throwing them down and hitting Aiden.

"You bastard. You destroyed everything"

Aiden tried to push him off but John was true strong and engaged with rage.

"Major...sir"

Aiden struggled but there was very little he could do to stop John's fists connect with his face. At around the same time Elizabeth was walking around the corridors and happened to stop by the gym where she knew John was going to be. When she stepped into the gym, she could barely believe what she was seeing. She had known John was pissed but she never imagined he'd try beating the shit out of Aiden.

Elizabeth rushed into the room and pulled John off Aiden with strength that came from the thought of John killing the father of her child.

"John, what the hell are you thinking?"

John looked at her and than down at Aiden who was bleeding from various cuts on his face inflicted by his fists. He looked back at Elizabeth and rubbed his hand across his forehead.

"I'm sorry Liz"

With that, John grabbed his stuff and left the gym. Elizabeth watched John leave before bending down, as best she could, next to Aiden.

"Aiden are you okay?"

Aiden looked up at her and than at her bump.

"Yeah, I'm...I'm fine. Thanks for stopping him"

Elizabeth nodded and than looked at his face.

"We should get you to the infirmary"

She helped Aiden to his feet and walked with him to the infirmary.

Once they had got to the infirmary Elizabeth had left Aiden there and gone to find John. When Aiden had told Carson what had happened he could hardly believe it. On some level, Carson could understand why it had happened. John had been holding in his anger for four months and it was understandable that eventually John would snap and Aiden would suffer.

Carson had found that Aiden's wounds were not as bad as they looked and managed fix them up without the need for stitches.

"I suggest you stay away from John for a while"

Aiden nodded

"You don't have to tell me twice"

Carson finished cleaning Aiden's last wound on his face.

"Did you talk to Elizabeth?"

Aiden shook his head

"No, she just brought me here."

Carson nodded and sat next to him.

"She wants answers Aiden. She wants to know why you did it"

Aiden took a deep breath and sighed

"I don't know. I wish I knew. It's a blur; I can barely remember a thing."

Elizabeth walked into the Jumper Bay and into Jumper One where John was sat in the pilots' seat. Elizabeth went and sat next to him in the passenger seat.

"What were you thinking John?"

John shrugged and started up the Jumper.

"Base this is Jumper One, I'm taking her out for a spin."

"Roger that Jumper One"

The Jumper took to the air as John retracted the roof before flying out.

John left the atmosphere and entered deep space. They flew like that for a moment before re-entering the atmosphere and landing on a small island just off the mainland.

He opened the Jumper door, stood up and helped Elizabeth to her feet. He then led her outside the Jumper where they stepped, almost immediately, onto the yellow sandy beach. Elizabeth sipped off her shoes off beside the Jumper and let the sand slide between her toes. John took her arm and walked her towards the waters edge where he slipped an arm around her waist.

"I don't know what came over me. I just wanted to hurt him, make him feel some of the pain he's put us through."

Elizabeth sighed

"You could have killed him John. I don't condone violence you know that"

John nodded and moved away from her walking towards the water. Elizabeth waited for a moment before walking up behind him and placing her forehead to his back.

John turned round and wrapping one of his arms while using his other hand to touch her bump.

"I want you to be happy. Elizabeth, if you want to keep this baby, we can make it work. You, me and the baby. Ford, if you want him involved."

Elizabeth looked up at him. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes as she answered him.

"John."

Elizabeth paused. She didn't know what to say, what to do. She didn't know what she wanted.

"I don't know what I want John. It's...it's so damn difficult."

She moved away from him, walked back up to the Jumper and sat on the bench in the back. John eventually followed her a few minutes later. He sat next to her sighing.

"What do you want Liz?"

Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair

"I told you I don't know"

John shook his head

"Elizabeth I'm not blind. I know you want the baby. It's your baby."

Elizabeth shook her head

"Maybe a part of me does. Did you see the cradle that one of the Athosian's made, for the baby. I saw it when I was on the mainland last week. It's beautiful. Teyla, despite feeling guilty, she's excited about the baby. She's excited about her first child, and it is her child John. I can't take that from her."

John closed his eyes and drew a sharp breath.

"You don't owe her anything"

Elizabeth nodded

"You're right about that. I don't owe her anything"

John assumed she was going to continue but she didn't, instead she stood up and walked to the passenger seat of the Jumper.

"We should get back to Atlantis."

John nodded and walked to the pilot seat.

Back on Atlantis, the Stargate activated and Rodney walked into the control. The technician turned to him.

"It's St Bates Team Sir, they say they have the Aeroan representative with them."

Rodney nodded at the technician.

"Let them through"

Rodney walked down the stairs to wait in front of the Stargate. St Bates and his team walked through the representative.

"Dr McKay"

Bates walked over to Rodney and whispered quietly.

"Where's Weir?"

Rodney shrugged

"What am I? Her keeper."

Rodney turned to the representative and smiled

"Representative Phlas. It's good to see you again"

Phlas nodded and smiled

"Dr McKay, the pleasure is all mine."

The two men shook hands and Bates had to hand it to him. The scientist could be very diplomatically charming at times. That was something he'd obviously learnt from Elizabeth, and as if on cue Elizabeth walked in, with John, from the Jumper Bay.

Elizabeth put on her diplomatic smile as she walked over to them and stood next to Rodney. John staying a safe distance back, he partly blamed the Aeroan's for Elizabeth current position.

"Representative Phlas, it's good to see you again"

Phlas nodded and than smiled at Elizabeth's bump.

"Dr Weir, you are pregnant. Congratulations, the God's must be looking down on you."

Elizabeth swollen hard and looked at him, straining to smile

"They must be"

Rodney slowly and discreetly placed his hand on her back and rubbed it gently as if she was a child. Elizabeth turn to Bates

"St Bates will you please take Representative Phlas to the briefing room and wait for me there"

Bates nodded and led Phlas to the control room as Elizabeth stayed back; his hand was still rubbing her back. He spoke softly to her as she swallowed hard again.

"You okay?"

Elizabeth looked up to where John was and than back down at Rodney.

"I'm fine"

Elizabeth broke from Rodney's grip and than walked up to the briefing room with him following her. John watched them enter the briefing room with the door sliding shut behind them. John was going to stay well out of it. He'd even given Bates the authority to take his place in the briefing, and that rarely happened.

Teyla walked with Aiden back to his room. She could hardly believe what John had done to him.

"This is getting out of hand Aiden"

Aiden shook his head and than looked down as he opened the door to his quarters. He walked in, followed by Teyla.

"He's been raging for the last four months Teyla. This..." He pointed to his face. "...this was inevitable"

Teyla walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. Aiden slowly wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her neck.

It took a second but Teyla eventually realised that she could feel Aiden's tears falling onto her neck.

Teyla wasn't taken back, she'd never seen him cry before. She held him tighter. She knew how much emotional pain he was in. She knew how he just wished he had never screwed up. Teyla wished the same thing everyday. She also knew that part of Aiden didn't want the baby, she knew a part of him wished that it had never been conceived. After all it had screwed everything up. If Elizabeth hadn't got pregnant she would have never known.

Aiden pulled away from her and turned round to the small window, which was on the far wall of his room. He walked towards it and looked out at the deep blue ocean.

Teyla followed him.

"Aiden..."

"I saw Dr Weir today. She actually talked to me, I didn't tell Carson that. You know how he feels about this whole thing."

Teyla nodded slowly feeling a pang of jealously that the expedition leader was carrying her lovers child, but she had to remember, she was part of the reason Elizabeth was pregnant to begin with.

Teyla closed her eyes for a moment.

"What did you talk about?"

Aiden shrugged

"She was the one who stopped Major Sheppard and took me to the infirmary. I just asked her how she was and how the baby was. She just said they were both fine."

Aiden tried not lean against Elizabeth has she led him to the infirmary. She was silent and she didn't look at him, but he couldn't help but look at her, look at the bump which cradled his child.

"How are you?"

Elizabeth looked round at him slightly surprised that he spoke to her.

"...yeah, I'm okay"

Aiden nodded slowly

"And the baby?"

Elizabeth stopped jerkily and stared at Aiden. They stared at each other, their breathing increased and Aiden realised that he shouldn't have said that. He turned away from her and started to hobble up the corridor.

"Forget I asked"

"He's fine."

Aiden slowly turned round to see her standing there as she continued

"Carson said he's a little small to begin with but he's growing well now"

Aiden smiled slightly

"So it's a boy?"

Elizabeth shook her head

"We don't know. He's just gained that title."

Aiden nodded and sighed

"I'm sor..."

Elizabeth shook her head and stopped him

"No Aiden. I don't want to hear that. I won't change what happened. All you have to say to me is that you will take care of our child when it's born"

Aiden heard her use to word 'our', he was sure she hadn't even realised and he was right. She didn't even know.

"Come on; let's get you to the infirmary"

Aiden nodded and Elizabeth joined him where he was now stood. Just she was about to keep walking he stopped her by placing a hand to her bump, as he did he could feel the baby, his baby, kick. Aiden smiled when he felt it.

Elizabeth looked down at his hand and looked away quickly.

"We should go"

Elizabeth removed his hand and started to walk slowly up the corridor. Aiden cursed himself silently before following, still in a limp.

Teyla nodded and smiled.

"I am glad to hear that the baby is well."

Aiden turned to her and smiled slightly

"You're happy about the baby right. I mean you want it, don't you?"

Teyla nodded and walked over to Aiden and placed her hand on his arms.

"Physically it may not be my child, but it feels like my child and I love it"

Elizabeth rubbed her eyes as she continued to listen to Representative Phlas, Bates and Rodney. At times, she would add some input but mostly she just sat there and listened. She was tired, she wasn't really in the mood for this but she put on her best diplomatic smile and did her job. It took several hours but eventually they were done.

Elizabeth being the perfect host that she was Elizabeth even offered him a tour around the less sensitive parts of Atlantis.

While Elizabeth, Phlas and Bates (Rodney had made up some excuse to get out of the tour) were walking around the area of Atlantis living quarters which were not in use, Phlas turned to Elizabeth.

"So tell me Dr Weir, when will this city be blessed with your child?"

Elizabeth sighed inwardly before smiling

"Dr Beckett tells me three months."

Phlas smiled

"Children are a blessing. I can tell now you will make a wonderful mother and Lt Ford will be a wonderful father"

Elizabeth stopped dead in her tracks, as did Bates. They both heard it. They looked at each other and Bates swore he could see the tears already forming in her emerald green eyes. There was no way Phlas should have known that Aiden was the father. No one had even mentioned him.

As far as he should have known, she was with John and Aiden was with Teyla.

"How did you know?"

Her voice was hard, stern and it caused Phlas to look at her.

"Excuse me?"

Elizabeth walked forward to him

"How did you know Ford was the father? I never told you"

Phlas stood there stammering for a moment, realising what he had just done and knowing there was no way to turn the clock back,

Elizabeth though stood her ground

"How did you know?"

Bates knew exactly what she was thinking; he was thinking the same thing. If they had already drugged her and Teyla to make them swap bodies. They could have done something to Aiden to make him...

Phlas rubbed a hand across his head and sighed.

"I am sorry Dr Weir. I was against from the start you must believe me, but I was overruled."

Elizabeth stared deep into his eyes. Her expression was dangerous, very dangerous.

"What did you do?"

Phlas shook his head as Commander Luton offered the proposal.

"No. I refuse to take part in this. Dr Weir will have no consent. No say in what happens. We will be defiling her"

Luton shook his head

"No Phlas, we won't"

Phlas sighed and sat down rubbing his tired eyes

"What will we achieve? We have already proven that Chamalim root works. Dr Weir and Teyla have shown us that."

"The committee wants to see if the Molinee root works as well. It is essential. They won't even remember what happened. It will be a black out to them."

Phlas sighed.

"What do we do?"

Luton smiled

"We expose both Major Sheppard and Lt Ford to the Molinee root, different doses. It will begin to work on them and then they will pass it unconsciously to their respective partners through an intimate act such as a kiss and than we will see how well it works."

Phlas shook his head

"How will we know?"

Luton smiled and motioned to a spiritual man and a spiritual woman.

"These will stayed channelled to Sheppard and Ford at all times, thanks to Folmolly extract to see if the experiment works."

Luton could still see how unconvinced Phlas was and touched his shoulder

"Phlas it is a harmless experiment. No one will get hurt. They won't even remember it"

Elizabeth shuddered as she listened to his story.

"It was just supposed to be and harmless experiment. We never knew you would get pregnant. When we found out, we feared it might have bee Lt Ford's. Our spiritual man saw everything and confirmed that it was."

Elizabeth stepped away from him and covered her mouth.

None of it had been Aiden and Teyla's fault. They'd had no control over it.

Bates suddenly stepped forward and placed his hands on Elizabeth shoulders.

"Dr Weir?"

Elizabeth stayed silent, not even hearing him. He tried again, this time a little louder.

"Dr Weir"

Elizabeth didn't heard him but didn't even have time turn round before she blacked out and fell to the floor with Bates catching her just in time.

­TBC…