Author's Note: First of all, let me say that I apologize for this chapter being so late. I completely forgot to post earlier today! So, all that said, hope you enjoy! ~lg

oOo

"She is Dr. Elizabeth Weir." Keller's voice seemed to echo in the quiet briefing room even though she didn't speak loudly. The effect of her announcement was instantaneous, however. Eyes turned in the direction of Carson Beckett, who sat quietly next to Jackson. Sheppard watched the two men and saw the determination on their faces. Keller continued, "And she's not Dr. Elizabeth Weir."

"What?" McKay gave voice to the question on everyone's mind. "How is that possible?"

Keller met her husband's eyes, not the least bit put off by his seemingly caustic remark. "Well, as you know, Michael had a sample of Dr. Beckett's DNA as well as his memories. That resulted in nearly an exact copy of his DNA. With Dr. Weir, I have no idea what 'duplication process' was used. She looks and sounds identical to the original Elizabeth Weir, but her DNA is different. In that sense, she is not Dr. Weir."

Sheppard sat forward in his seat, easily grasping what the doctor had said. "And how is she Dr. Weir?"

"Her EEG pattern, brain scans, everything that makes up personality and who we are mentally is the exact same as what we have on file." Keller shrugged. "It's as if her entire personality and everything was downloaded into a new body."

Sheppard fell silent as he absorbed this new piece of information. Somehow, in a galactic twist of fate, they had found the woman who once led Atlantis. He sat while conversation swirled around him, McKay's conjectures about how Elizabeth could have been returned to them blending with Woolsey's comments about how Elizabeth would never return to the position she'd once held. The former IOA politician meant no disrespect with his comments, and Sheppard agreed. Too much had changed. Elizabeth, this Elizabeth, had been in enemy hands for too long. But that didn't mean they couldn't find a place for her in Atlantis.

Sheppard's eyes were drawn to Ronon and Teyla. When Carson had first returned, Ronon had treated him with distance and gruffness, the result of losing a good friend causing the Satedan to withdraw. Now, Ronon sat next to Teyla, his glare directed to the table. Teyla, however, had no expression on her face. It was as if she'd completely shut down. John straightened at that. He remembered few times when Teyla went completely silent. He didn't like what he was seeing at this moment.

The briefing broke up before Sheppard had a chance to even hear the rest of it. Teyla bolted for the door. Her pace seemed unhurried, but Sheppard saw the eagerness to get out of this room reflected in her eyes. He stood to follow her, but Mr. Woolsey's voice interrupted. "Colonel Sheppard, a word?"

Sheppard stayed behind regretfully, knowing Woolsey wanted to discuss their options and debriefing Elizabeth. He let the rest of the group slip out of the room and turned from the door. Jackson also remained in the room.

Woolsey turned to the archaeologist. "Dr. Jackson?"

"Mr. Woolsey, I'd like to sit in on Dr. Weir's debriefing." Jackson's announcement didn't surprise either man. And, for the first time since Jackson started sharing morning tea with Teyla, Sheppard agreed with the archaeologist. Elizabeth needed a sympathetic ear in the room with her.

Woolsey lifted his chin. "May I ask why?"

"With all due respect, Mr. Woolsey, Dr. Beckett and I are the only two on this base who can fully understand what Elizabeth's going through right now." Jackson got this little smile on his face, one that said he wouldn't take "no" for an answer. "As the one member of this expedition who has come back from the dead more times than I care to count, I know how awkward it can be to try to settle into your home. The stares, the questions, the perceived whispers behind your back, the way the medical community looks at you like a marvel, how you question every comment directed toward you. Are they just glad I'm back, or are they going to push me away? Furthermore, I know what it's like to have been an enemy combatant and come back home."

Sheppard watched Woolsey's eyes widen and knew there was a story there. He leaned forward. "What story?"

Jackson raised his eyebrows at Woolsey, silently asking permission. Woolsey sighed and turned to Sheppard. "A few years ago, Dr. Jackson was captured by Ori forces and turned into a prior. He returned to Earth, abducted General O'Neill, and stole the Odyssey to complete his mission. At the time, I and the rest of the IOA didn't believe it was possible to come back from what had happened to him."

Sheppard shifted his frown to Jackson. "But you did?"

"Yes." Jackson laced his fingers together. "At the time, I was host to the consciousness of Merlin, also known as Myrddin, who was one of the Ancients who came back from Atlantis. He ascended, retook human form, and eventually wound up in stasis. He was dying when we woke him, so he uploaded his consciousness into an Ancient device and let me download it into my. . .mind." Jackson shrugged. "Point is, I know what those briefings are like. I know how it feels to be strapped into a chair, your friends staring at you like they don't believe you. Given all she's been through, I think Dr. Weir deserves some respect and to have at least one sympathetic ear in the room who can put a stop to things if it goes too far." The final bit of that comment was directed completely at Woolsey. Sheppard watched the byplay between the two men, realizing that Woolsey had obviously lobbied for something that would have destroyed Jackson's life and career. While he read SG-1's mission reports, this incident had likely been "sanitized" in the interest of preserving Dr. Jackson's role at the SGC.

Woolsey swallowed and fingered his collar as if it was a bit too tight. "Dr. Jackson, at the time, you had some pretty impressive powers. Dr. Weir doesn't."

"That doesn't mean she deserves any less," Jackson replied. "Besides, who knows what Replicator knowledge she still has? If we have any chance of helping her remember anything, shouldn't she feel safe to tell us?"

Woolsey sighed again and nodded once. "Alright, Dr. Jackson. I'll agree on one condition: you're there as moral support alone. Dr. Beckett will monitor Dr. Weir's health, and she has the authority to determine when Dr. Weir is strong enough to go through with the debriefing."

Jackson let out a deep breath. "Thank you." He stood and left the conference room, his mission complete.

Sheppard watched the man go, mentally thanking him for standing up to Woolsey. Not that Sheppard wouldn't, but Jackson had the unique ability to get his way without seeming like he was forcing the issue. Turning back to Woolsey, he sighed. "Now what?"

oOo

Teyla left the briefing room and went directly to the isolation room's observation deck. No one was present at the moment, for which she was grateful. She needed the time here to think.

Somehow, another friend she had thought lost had been returned to her. First, Carson had been cloned. Now, Elizabeth's consciousness was downloaded into a new body. Looking at the woman in the room below, Teyla wondered how she had been created to look identical to Elizabeth Weir but not have the same DNA. She knew that Jennifer could explain it in greater detail, as could Carson, but Teyla did not want their explanations. She wanted answers, peace, and something that seemed so far out of reach at this moment: companionship.

The isolation room's door opened, and Daniel walked through, his hands in his pockets. He looked so comfortable with Elizabeth that Teyla sighed. She withdrew to the side of the observation deck, where curtains hid her presence but she could see what was taking place below her. Elizabeth had stood to pace around the room although she should have been resting. Now, she turned sharply when Daniel arrived. "So?" she asked with that characteristic eyebrow raise.

Daniel leaned his hip against the hospital bed, not approaching Elizabeth. "They've agreed to let me sit in on your debriefing as 'moral support.'"

Elizabeth let out a relieved smile. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, me, too." Daniel fell silent, the tinny sound of his voice through the speakers making Teyla smile. After a moment, he stirred. "Elizabeth, it's not going to be easy."

"I know." Elizabeth slowly walked toward him, smiling at him when he allowed her to sit on the edge of the bed under her own power. She looked around again. "Being here again has brought it all back to me. I missed this place so much. Even on Asuras, it wasn't the same. It was. . . .Atlantis is. . . ."

Daniel nodded. "I know."

At that moment, Teyla withdrew. She wanted to be reunited with her friend, but she saw how much Elizabeth needed this time with Daniel. There was something between them, an understanding that went deeper than Teyla could ever hope to know. She figured it had something to do with Daniel's past at the SGC, but he had not told her every single story of his time there. When they'd spent time together, they had focused on Athosian culture.

Leaving the observation room, Teyla wandered aimlessly as she tried to put her life into perspective. Alison Porter and Dusty Mehra had volunteered to watch Torren for her, giving her "mommy time," as they put it. Given the revelations of the last twenty-four hours, Teyla appreciated it. The thought of tough Marine Sergeant Mehra babysitting was humorous, but Teyla couldn't find the strength to smile right now.

One of the best friends she'd ever had had returned to her. But she was changed. Teyla saw the weight that Elizabeth carried, saw the way Daniel obviously cared for her, and saw how Elizabeth leaned on him. It went beyond any physical attraction. Somehow, Daniel and Elizabeth were connected through shared experiences. It made Teyla ache for the companionship she'd felt with Kanaan. Somehow, in witnessing her newly-returned friend's confidence in Daniel Jackson, Teyla's feelings of inadequacy, failure, and betrayal were rekindled.

"Oh! There you are!" Rodney McKay's voice intruded on Teyla's thoughts, the tone suggesting she should have been some place else. She looked up to see him walking toward her, his tablet tucked into one elbow as he motioned over his shoulder. "I missed lunch. Wanna get something to eat with me?"

Teyla stared at Rodney's expectant face, about to decline the offer, when she realized what providence had done. Or could it be Jennifer's influence on him? "I would love to, Rodney."

"Good!" He turned and fell into step with her, his eyes going back to the tablet in his hand as Teyla watched light glitter from his plain gold wedding band. It seemed like such a small token, but it made all the difference in the world to the McKay-Keller household. Jennifer no longer dealt with Marines who could not take "no" for an answer, and Rodney had tamed considerably.

In the mess hall, Teyla gathered a bowl of fruit and some water for a snack while Rodney loaded his tray with two sandwiches, salad, fruit, muffin, two cookies, and coffee. He chattered on about a project he and Zelenka were working on, blaming Zelenka in his customary manner. But Teyla felt his assessing gaze on her more often than not and knew that the physicist was trying to find a way to help her. She settled at their normal team table and met his eyes. "Rodney, when Carson returned, how did you handle it?"

Startled by her outright question, Rodney blinked. "Well. . .um. . .I didn't. I mean, he was Carson. I didn't have to think about it."

Teyla lowered her eyes to the fruit bowl, something she'd grabbed just to make Rodney feel more comfortable. She speared a piece of cantaloupe with her fork and twirled it as she spoke. "I have not yet had the opportunity to speak with Elizabeth. But, from what I can see, she is the same."

For once, Rodney did not dismiss her words. He touched her hand awkwardly and then pulled back. "You should go see her."

That recommendation, more than anything, convinced Teyla. She fell silent and ate her fruit while allowing Rodney to go back to his meal. Another question popped into her head, and she regretfully brought up the subject of Elizabeth again. "Rodney, how could she look like she does?"

McKay blinked, the sudden change in Teyla's thoughts momentarily confusing him. "Elizabeth?" At her nod, he shrugged. "Well, we know that her consciousness was somehow uploaded into a Replicator body. When we met our Replicator doubles, she was Elizabeth. Then, when Fran came around, she even acted like Elizabeth. But, as far as her body. . . .Maybe whoever did this had some way of determining how she remembered looking? Otherwise, why didn't they just stick her into a body that looked like Fran?"

It made sense to Teyla, so she let Rodney continue his one-sided conversation about the probabilities. He was dealing with the same shock that all of them had been given, so she knew it would help him to have a listening ear.

A bit of static in her radio startled Teyla from her thoughts. Alison's voice came over the open channel. "Porter to Teyla."

Teyla regretfully touched her earpiece. "I am on my way, Alison. Thank you." She turned back to Rodney. "Duty calls, I am afraid."

"Hmm?" He frowned, and then his face cleared. "Oh, right. Um. . .thanks for lunch."

Teyla smiled. "Thank you, Rodney." She walked away from the table with a bit more peace in her heart. She still had a lot of issues, as John put it, to work out. But Rodney's experiences with Carson's return had helped Teyla put Elizabeth's return into perspective. Her teammate was seen as difficult by others, but she gratefully thanked John for forcing her to put up with the cranky, arrogant, loveable physicist.

oOo

Elizabeth's first debrief was exhausting. She had expected no less than to be raked over the coals, especially since Woolsey was now in command of Atlantis. When she first walked into that briefing room, she had felt her heart break at the suspicious look she received from Woolsey. John, Rodney, and Major Teldy seemed closed and understandably wary. Teyla and Ronon were absent, but Carson was there to monitor her health. The biggest help, however, came from Daniel's compassionate presence next to her. He motioned her into a chair and, without missing a beat, settled next to her. While Carson stayed close, Daniel was the only one to sit on her side of the table.

Then the questions began. She again told the story of the Soura, trying her hardest to clear up any confusion. Rodney had a lot of questions about her current appearance and why she looked the way she remembered looking all her life. Unfortunately, Elizabeth couldn't answer those questions and grew frustrated along with Rodney. Woolsey eyed her with understandable suspicion, and John simply listened without a saying a word. She remembered moments when he had shut down emotionally as a way to cope, and she suspected he had done so now. Of course, having Carson alive and Daniel at her side made the process a lot easier to swallow. Both of those men had come back from the dead through various alien means, though only Daniel truly understood what it was like to once have been an enemy combatant. By the time Woolsey called a halt to the briefing for the day, Elizabeth simply wanted to escape the conference room.

Walking through the corridors with Daniel near her, Elizabeth took in the warm colors and familiar contours of Atlantis. She had been stuck in the isolation chamber for so long that she needed to see something other than rust-red walls. Ignoring the two armed security guards that dogged her every step, Daniel snagged Elizabeth's hand between two of his fingers and led her to the mess hall. She gave him a grateful smile even as the stares in the room seemed to become oppressive. Rather than allowing her to escape, he simply glared back at anyone near enough to get the point and then escorted her out onto the thankfully empty balcony.

Elizabeth left his side for the first time since the briefing. She had traded her white scrubs and bare feet for a drab uniform and boots. While her hair fell limply around her face, it was clean for the first time in days, and she closed her eyes as the sea breeze lifted those strands from her neck and cooled her embarrassed face. She had missed the freedom that was Atlantis. Standing on this balcony, the two security guards tactfully preserving her privacy by asking anyone who tried to come outside to remain inside, Elizabeth was able to stare at Atlantis for the first time since her return. The sight brought tears to her eyes, and she struggled to contain them.

Daniel waited at the table, not eating but sitting in his seat and giving her the time she needed. While he didn't openly watch her, he kept an eye on how she was doing. After a long time, she turned from the view and dropped into a chair. "I missed this."

"I know." Those two words spoke volumes. Elizabeth stared at his profile, seeing the lines that had been etched into his face from years of fighting the Goa'uld, the Replicators, and the Ori.

"How can you. . . .I mean, how do you cope with the fact that I was once a Replicator?"

Daniel turned to smile at her. "How do you cope with the fact that I was once an Ori prior?" He shrugged. "I guess it's an acquired skill after working at the SGC. That and I kind of had to learn to separate the alien influence from the person."

Elizabeth nearly asked what he meant, and then she remembered. Daniel wasn't just a man who had fought the Goa'uld because they were evil. He'd had a personal stake in the war, and he had lost more than just his scholarly innocence to that war. His wife and, if she recalled, her entire family had all been destroyed by the Goa'uld. "Of course. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He draped a paper napkin over his knee and picked up his fork. "I understand."

They ate in silence, and then Daniel led her to one of Atlantis's guest quarters. The rooms had a bit more privacy than the isolation chamber, and Elizabeth was grateful for the windows that overlooked the city. The planet's sun had begun to set, and Atlantis glittered in the twilight. Daniel said goodnight and left her to her thoughts for the evening.

Elizabeth moved to the window, looking out as her thoughts turned inward. She had made the right decision in coming to Atlantis, and she knew it. Diem was a threat, one that could not be ignored. Because she had been out of touch for so long, she didn't fully understand all of the ramifications of Diem's actions, but she refused to allow Atlantis to be placed in even more danger because she didn't want to face the questions and veiled suspicions.

An entry request pulled her from her thoughts as night fully settled. Elizabeth turned and moved to the door, opening it to find Teyla hesitantly waiting. "Teyla."

The Athosian looked hesitant, as if a single word could break her resolve. Not many would have seen it, but Elizabeth knew her better than most. Teyla met her eyes. "I hope I am not interrupting."

"No, not at all." Elizabeth stepped back to allow the woman inside. Teyla had changed in recent years. Her eyes were haunted, almost as if she had also lost too much.

Teyla smiled and walked into the room. She tugged a small boy, not more than two years old, with her. "I thought you would like to meet Torren."

Elizabeth tore her eyes from the boy's cherubic features and shy stare. "He's your son?"

"Yes."

Elizabeth knelt down so she could be on eye-level with Torren. The boy had one finger in his mouth as he clung to his mother's leg. "Hello, Torren."

Teyla extricated herself from her son's grip long enough to crouch next to him. "Torren, this is Elizabeth. She is a very good friend of mine."

Torren stared at Elizabeth for another long moment and then, with one final look at his mother's encouraging face, toddled over to her. She held out her hands to him, and he allowed her to pick him up, grinning when she stood. His hands went to her hair, and Elizabeth smiled. "Teyla, he's beautiful!"

Teyla nodded, but her eyes surprisingly filled with tears. "Elizabeth, it is good to have you back!"

Feeling accepted from yet another friend, Elizabeth blinked away her own tears. "It is good to be back." She winced slightly when Torren yanked at a piece of her hair as he reached for his mother. She regretfully let the child go and motioned Teyla to the couch in her guest quarters. "As strange as it is, I'm glad to be home."

~TBC