Title: Family and Home
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Sheppard/Keller, Lorne/Keller friendship
Notes and summary: See part one
Richard Woosley leaned against the railing a few meters from the control room. The gate was dormant the last team of the day having just gone through. He had heard Dr. Weir often stood watching the gate waiting for teams to return.
Now having been here awhile…..in this position……in this galaxy Richard understood why she had.
It wasn't so much about being a sentry……this place also had a certain comfort to it.
Almost as if everyone who had stood there before you was there also….offering solace….support.
Woosley watched the gate for several more minutes before turning and walking back into his office.
*********
The others raced into the smaller lab joining Matthews and Conners.
McKay glared at the two young Lieutenants. "Do we really have to have a refresher course on Gateology 101 look but no touch?"
Despite everything John smirked. "Does that refresher course apply to you McKay?"
"Cute."Rodney replied before turning his attention to his tablet. "It's definitely transmitting a signal….."
Before anyone could react the wall at the main entrance slammed shut leaving a cloud of dirt and dust.
"Should've seen that one coming."Evan muttered as he tossed the cold compress aside.
Adrenaline kicked in helping him focus…..helping him ignore the pain and dizziness.
"Lorne you and Ronon start on the front door……Rodney can we disable the beacon?"
Dex and Lorne quickly moved to the front wall.
McKay's fingers flew over the screen as he shook his head. "No….at least not now…..a couple hours maybe……this is nothing I've seen before……"
"Something tells me we don't have a couple hours."John stated quietly as he looked at Lorne and Ronon trying to manually open the front entrance.
As if on cue the small cylinder changed color and was now an angry red.
"Rodney……"John ordered as he motioned Matthews and Conners out of the lab.
McKay paled as he looked at the readings on his tablet.
"Rodney…..what!"Sheppard prompted the sinking feeling in his gut turning into a cold knot.
"Nothing like having a combo device……"McKay replied shakily as he backed up. "Whoever built this lab really didn't want anybody in here. That's not only a homing beacon it's also activated a self destruct."
Ronon and Evan glanced back at McKay's statement before redoubling their efforts.
"Shit."John cursed as his mind scrambled to come up with a plan. As he did his heart was acutely aware that his wife was trapped somewhere beyond the walls……. There had to be a way out of this……for everybody.
"Rodney…..how long?"
"How the hell am I supposed to know?"
"You're the resident genius."
"Genius not mind reader……I'm not Jackson I can't decipher this language in time."
"Give me an exit then."
Rodney turned the tablet toward the front of the cave.
After several tense minutes Sheppard heard the one word from McKay he didn't want to hear.
"Crap."
***********
The baby reached for Jennifer's hair which had long since fallen out of its normal pony tail.
Jennifer's heartbeat had returned to it's normal rhythm and her breathing had slowed.
"It's alright."Jennifer soothed as she shifted the baby's weight.
It was only when she shifted the baby that she noticed the mark on the infant's outstretched arm.
At first Jennifer thought it was a burn but as she gripped the tiny wrist gently and turned it over Jennifer saw it was ink.
Pegasus's version of a tattoo.
What the tattoo was Jennifer couldn't see in the limited light…..it'd have to wait for later.
If there was a later.
Jennifer shook her head wearily. She couldn't think like that.
She had to keep hoping.
Jennifer knew with more certainty than the sun coming up in the morning that her husband would find her.
Come hell or high water.
**********
John spun on his heel to face his friend. It was taking every ounce of training and every bit of will power that John had left to keep calm.
To keep them all calm.
But that one little word from Rodney was not helping.
"What?"John asked through gritted teeth as he cast a wary glance at the glowing cylinder object….it was still an angry red.
Rodney shook his head as he kept his gaze focused on the screen his fingers flying. "There's some kind of security system……it went into protective mode as soon as it was activated….I can't get in to access the door."
"You can get into anything."
"Not this…..they've got guard dogs on every circuit…..on every way in I could try it's blocked."
"What about the Scooby Doo wall?"Matthews asked wanting to do anything to make up for the situation they were in.
Though he still wasn't sure how they had set the thing off.
"There are a million possible sound……"Rodney replied then broke off at the look on Sheppard's face. "I'll work on it."
John nodded before he turned back to the others.
/Work your magic, Rodney./Sheppard thought as he moved over to Lorne and Ronon to give the manual plan one last shot. /If they ever needed a little luck it was now./
