A/N: This is a note of the most profuse apologies for how long it has taken for me to post this chapter. It has been a tough time. Things like severe illness of both myself and my child, school holidays, work and some life changing news all contributed. Perhaps I was too eager in my initial goal setting as well, stating a chapter a week. It seems with my life that will not be possible. I can at least say that Chapter 10 is already written and checked so should be up very soon. After that, it will most likely be every three weeks. But I don't plan to stop. There is still too much going on in my head for that to happen.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys Chapter 9.
Note: Stargate: Atlantis is NOT mine.
Chapter 9
Richard Woolsey called all the senior staff into the conference room. John Sheppard and his team sat around the mahogany table, along with Doctors Keller and Beckett, Lieutenant Colonel Lorne and Woolsey himself. The walls were also lined with all the various department heads, as well as Colonels Caldwell, Carter and Ellis, commanders of the three present Earth ships.
Woolsey stood from his chair at the head of the table. "Thank you for coming. I felt it was important that you all know as soon as possible." He paused, though John was fairly certain it was for dramatic effect. "General O'Neill has informed me that the International Oversight Advisory, the military and Homeworld Security have agreed that Atlantis should return to the Pegasus Galaxy as soon as all repairs have been completed."
The revelation was greeted by a number of somewhat unprofessional whoops and cheers. John – who had known since the day before – kept his focus on Ronon and, particularly, Teyla. He hid a smile as Ronon slammed the table with his fist, a huge grin on his face. Teyla was somewhere between laughing and crying, joyful tears rolling down her cheeks as she listened to something Keller was whispering to her. John was happy for her; no one deserved this more than she.
Woolsey raised his hands in a silent plea for calm. "Now, there are still a large number of debriefings to be completed and everyone will be given a few days' leave after their debriefing." At Rodney's raised hand, "Yes, Doctor, you are clear to start your leave as soon as this meeting is over."
He cleared his throat and continued. "However, this is important. I understand that whilst everyone agrees that Atlantis belongs in Pegasus, there may well be some who wish to remain here on Earth. Therefore, I want all department heads to speak to your teams and ask if there is anyone who would like to stay. I want everyone's answer in seven days' time." There was quiet murmuring around the room.
Woolsey sat down. "Thank you. Dismissed." He started writing on his notepad as everyone started filing out. "Colonel, if you and your team can stay."
John hadn't even started to get up. The others had, however. Ronon, Teyla and McKay sat back down. Rodney was muttering under his breath. They waited patiently.
Sheppard did not know that Woolsey was going to give everyone the choice of whether to remain with Expedition. He was pleased when he heard him say it. These people had been through so much, some since the beginning. Every one of them deserved the chance to start afresh or go back to their old lives. It wasn't an option he planned to take up of course; his place was on Atlantis – at least for the time being. Woolsey looked up. "Colonel, I understand General O'Neill told you the news yesterday."
The members of his team all turned to him.
"You already knew?" questioned Teyla.
"Why didn't you say something?" demanded Rodney.
John noted Ronon's stern glare and shrugged. "He told me before it was official. I couldn't say anything."
Rodney sat back. "Military!" he snorted. Ronon and Teyla also accepted the explanation.
"What else did you discuss?" Woolsey asked.
It felt as though all the air had been sucked from the room. What was Woolsey asking? What did he know? He couldn't believe that General O'Neill would have told him about the mission. He had expressly ordered Sheppard to keep quiet, to not tell anyone until Atlantis was home. Less chance of the IOA finding out and putting a stop to it. But if Woolsey knew, then the IOA did as well. Part of Sheppard wanted to panic. However, the military man won out and he remained calm. It was not a certainty that Woolsey knew anything. And he wasn't going to incriminate himself. So he answered the question in another way – they did, in fact, discuss more than the mission. "We may have talked about a new Expedition member." John stated evenly.
Woolsey's eyes lit up and he nodded. "And what is your opinion on the new addition?" Woolsey's eyes moved to the side slightly and John could see he was glancing at McKay.
That's what this is about? John thought, incredulously. He felt his heart rate slow down again and he exhaled heavily in relief, though it would look like a sigh at Woolsey's question. It was all right. Woolsey didn't know about Elizabeth.
He almost chuckled at the situation. It was ridiculous. Richard Woolsey, leader of the greatest endeavour of humankind, was afraid of revealing to a subordinate – a grown man – a particular person was joining the Expedition and wanted John's help to break the news.
However, given Rodney McKay's tempestuous nature and immature attitude, not to mention his massive-yet-sensitive ego, John could understand Woolsey's apprehension. Daniel Jackson's knowledge of the Ancients possibly surpassed McKay's own – certainly in relation to the language and culture. His impending arrival would make the scientist very unhappy and when he was unhappy, John and everyone else heard about it – a lot. He did not like being seen as anything less than the most important person on Atlantis. To him, Jackson would not be a colleague, but a rival. Perhaps the fact that Rodney was literally about to leave the base meant now was the best time to tell him – at least he would have a few days' peace before the diatribes began.
John finally answered Woolsey's question, thereby agreeing to assist in the matter. Truth be told, he and Teyla were perhaps the only ones who could keep him calm. Well, besides Carson who had already left the room, and Elizabeth. "I think he'll fit in great."
Rodney was looking at both of them with a look of impatience on his face. "Would you stop playing 'Mystery Guest' already? Who are you talking about?" he demanded.
Oh, John was enjoying this. A few days ago, this would have only given him a fraction of the pleasure he was feeling now. Funny how quickly things changed. Nothing had changed for him for a long time – not within. It felt good.
Woolsey leaned forward and spoke gently. "Daniel Jackson."
Rodney looked around the table. John could see everyone holding their breath as they waited for him to explode.
"Oh."
John started talking, trying to soothe him. "Rodney, I know that you had a problem with him the last time he was here but he is an expert on the…" He trailed off. McKay was sitting beside him, perfectly calm. He wasn't pacing the room, swinging his arms or ranting. "Wait a minute. Are you okay, Rodney?"
"I'm fine," he said pleasantly.
John exchanged looks with Ronon, Teyla and Woolsey, all of whom looked as bewildered as he felt. "So, you're okay with this?" he asked warily.
Rodney shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?" he said cheerfully. "Doctor Jackson is an expert on the Ancients and their language and we could really do with one of those. Plus, after the whole getting-kidnapped-by-renegade-Asgard-nearly-dying thing, I think we'll get on fine."
Sheppard wanted to say something, anything. Nothing sprang to mind. The man he paradoxically considered to be the biggest pain in his backside as well as one of his best friends was behaving incredibly rationally and it was confusing the hell out of him. He briefly entertained the idea that Rodney was being like this on purpose to annoy him but dismissed it. His ego would never allow room for that. God, he was actually dumbfounded. "Uh… great."
McKay pointed at the conference room doors. "Can I…?"
Woolsey's head dipped. "Of course."
McKay got up, grinning and rubbing his hands together. "Well… see you guys in five days." He waved and all but ran out of the room.
They all watched him leave.
Woolsey broke the silence. "That was…"
"Wow," was all Sheppard could find in his vocabulary to describe what had just happened.
Teyla followed. "Good?"
Ronon completed the thought in his own succinct way. "Weird."
John Sheppard strode purposefully down the corridors of his home. It was a hive of activity with people working to make the final preparations for Atlantis' departure from Earth.
Now, six weeks since the authorisation of his mission (which John had unofficially dubbed Operation Sedgewick – only a few would know that was the name of Elizabeth's dog), John was still getting used to feeling happy. It had been so long since he had felt an honest-to-God positive emotion. But he had done everything he could to keep himself in check. He didn't want anyone realising he was hiding something. However, everyone now and then he caught himself out – singing in the shower, laughing at some curt remark Rodney had made, having fun when Ronon was beating the crap out of him. Yesterday, he had drawn strange looks in McKay's laboratory whilst looking at a mysterious Ancient device. It was at that moment he noticed he was whistling. Whistling! He had quietly apologised and exited in a hurry.
Tomorrow was the big day. Rodney had left for his break incredibly excited to see his family. Five days later, he returned having seen his sister Jeannie and her family, as well as meeting his girlfriend's father for the first time (which according to Rodney was more terrifying than confronting a Wraith Queen. Jennifer seemed quite happy when he asked, saying it could have been worse). He was grumpy as ever and ready to lead the repair effort. In the weeks that followed he and his teams had practically worked around the clock. Fixing the star drive had been difficult, until McKay remembered the Ancient deep sea diving suits they had appropriated from the underwater drilling platform on Lantea three years before.
Of course, keeping San Francisco Bay off limits for this long was becoming a real headache for everyone, especially the President. Boats, planes and people were out of bounds. Unsurprisingly, attempts were made to breach the perimeter, but so far, so good. The military had kept the gawkers out.
John arrived at his destination and used the sensor panel to signal his presence. The doors were opened from within by Doctor Daniel Jackson.
"Hi, John," he said as he rushed back into his new quarters.
"Doctor," replied John, following him in. The room was chockfull of cardboard boxes and grey crates. The newest member of the Expedition obviously hadn't had time to unpack yet, but then he had just arrived.
"Please, it's Daniel," Jackson said. He moved a box from a chair by the desk and put it on the single bed. He gestured to John to take the chair whilst he sat on the bed by the box.
John picked up the proffered chair and moved it to sit opposite Daniel. "So," he started, "like your new digs?"
Daniel looked around. "Oh, they're nice." He pointed to a pile of crates that all but obscured the window. "Certainly got a great view."
"Most rooms here do," agreed John, smiling proudly. His city was beautiful, no one could deny that.
Daniel leaned forward and spoke quietly. "You told anyone yet?"
John felt compelled to keep his voice at a similar level. "Told anyone what?"
"About the mission."
John shook his head. "General O'Neill ordered me not to say anything until we were back on New Lantea."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, Jack said he was worried you might mention it to your team."
John was surprised that he felt a little injured by that. He was career military, keeping secrets was part of the job. However, if he was completely honest with himself, it had been difficult keeping his mood under control. He was sure that Teyla would have noticed, if not Rodney and Ronon. It was part of the reason he was keeping his distance from her now. It had been so hard when he arrived back on Atlantis six weeks ago to not run straight to Teyla's quarters and tell her everything about Operation Sedgewick. Originally, he had been avoiding her because he didn't want to talk about Elizabeth. Now he was avoiding her because he was desperate to. "General O'Neill does know that I work in a top secret programme, right?" he said, sarcastically.
Daniel responded with a small smile. "But, they're your team. You're close to them." At this, John nodded, knowing that Daniel understood the dynamics of working as part of a team – a team that travelled to different planets and ran into all sorts of dangers. That sort of life bonded you in ways no one could imagine unless they had been through it themselves. "Anyway," Daniel continued, "they're going to be part of the rescue mission, aren't they?"
"They are," said John, "if they want to be."
"I don't understand."
"This is my mission and it might be dangerous." He paused, not wanting to say it but he couldn't ignore the possibility. "She might be dangerous. I'm not going to order anyone to take that risk." He felt a surge of pride as he thought of the people he was going to ask. "But, I think they'll want to help Eliz – Doctor Weir." He knew he shouldn't have, but he let his eyes drop to the floor. "They're good people."
John was aware it was a risky strategy, asking the people he had in mind to volunteer. The fact was he needed them, couldn't do it without them. Particularly one annoying, arrogant Replicator expert. McKay was the one who could revive Elizabeth and help build her new body. Ronon, Teyla and Lorne would assist in destroying the other Replicators and be there in case things got… messy. He was almost one hundred per cent sure that they would all say yes. But if McKay didn't co-operate he didn't really have a fall back option. The mere thought, however unlikely, scared him more than he would admit. McKay, unfortunately, was the key.
"Have you figured it all out yet?" asked Daniel.
John grinned. Having Daniel Jackson on Atlantis was going to be a good thing. He would never forget that the man before him had been instrumental in getting Operation Sedgewick authorised and now he was here. Someone who knew John's intentions and was able to discuss the finer points with him until a full-blown plan was formed. This would make it easier to carry the secret – he was not alone.
"For the most part," he said. "I do have one problem though."
"What's that?"
"Woolsey."
"Woolsey?"
"I don't really want to take a jumper and some ARGs –"
"ARGs?"
"Anti-Replicator Guns."
"Ah."
John continued. "And go through the 'Gate without Woolsey knowing why."
"Would it be possible to do that?"
John's head bobbed up and down as he spoke. "Oh, yeah, the Control Room is skeleton-crewed during the night. It would be easy to go then."
"So… what's stopping you doing that?"
"Firstly, Woolsey probably wouldn't be too happy to let us back through, especially once he finds out we've got… an extra passenger." He sighed. "Plus, I kind of like the guy. I don't really wanna deceive him."
"You don't?" Daniel sounded surprised by that.
"No." John couldn't really blame Daniel for his reaction. It surprised him too. A couple of years ago he had wanted to punch the balding man for his apparent disrespect for Elizabeth and her position as leader of Atlantis. When he heard that this person was going to be taking charge he had been horrified, had even considered for a moment resigning his post. But time had shown him that Richard Woolsey was a capable, if somewhat cautious leader. He respected him. But nothing could get in the way of this mission and if he had to lie to Woolsey he would. He wished he could think of another way.
"There is another way," said Daniel.
John did a double take. Did Jackson read his mind? "What's that?"
"Tell Woolsey the truth."
John looked at him to confirm he was serious. When he could see only a straight face, he couldn't help but scoff. "I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"He'll never allow it. He'll probably tell the IOA."
"Look," Daniel began, his voice rational. "This is a military mission that's already been authorised by the Head of Homeworld Security. The IOA have no control over military matters, so Woolsey can't stop you. It's more a matter of telling him so you can get what you need to complete the mission."
"So why tell him at all?" asked John. While lying to Woolsey didn't sit well with him, pulling the whole "classified information" thing seemed easier. He could tell him what he required but not the reasons. Though was there the chance that that was a lie of omission? Still it was an option.
"Well, I think he needs to know."
"Why?" Although he wasn't sure he wanted to go down that road, he still wanted to know Daniel's rationale for telling Woolsey everything. He was playing Devil's Advocate, he supposed, asking the questions so he could hear all the arguments before making as fully informed a decision as possible – working with her for three years had rubbed off on him.
"Well, the fact is he is in charge and whilst rescuing Doctor Weir is a military operation, giving her a human body is a scientific one and – "
John realised what Daniel was saying. "The scientists are employed by the IOA."
"Not to mention the fact that you're going to be using a part of the city he runs to house her and create that body."
Daniel was right, completely and utterly right. He had to tell Woosley before Operation Sedgewick was put into action.
He put his face in his hands and groaned. Dammit, why did he have to be right? Maybe this was what General O'Neill meant when he told him Daniel Jackson could be a "moralistic, self-righteous pain in the ass."
He had only a pessimistic idea of how the conversation with Woolsey would go – and it was not a conversation he wanted to have. Maybe it would go better if he was able to tell him he had a plan and volunteers. Which meant – "Okay, I'll tell him, but, only after I've talked to the others."
Daniel nodded his agreement. "Sure. You know, Woolsey may surprise you."
"You think?" John couldn't keep the curt edge out of his voice.
"Maybe."
John stood. All this debating was making him hungry. He checked his watch and noted it was lunchtime.
Daniel started opening the box on his bed. Sheppard knew he was a good person before all this but it wasn't until the last month or so that he realised how true that was. He was also knowledgeable, had a strong sense of right and wrong and wasn't afraid to stand up for what he believed in. Not unlike someone else he knew. He could see why Elizabeth held him in such high regard. He recalled her saying once that she wished Daniel had been able to join the Expedition, both because of his area of expertise and also to have him as non-military support when she butted heads with the SGC and the IOA. At the time John had been a little put out, perhaps irrationally, but he wondered if she had felt he wasn't giving her enough support for her to start requiring it from elsewhere.
Now he understood. Daniel would have agreed with her assessment of the plan to destroy the Replicator shipyards, stood at her side as she fought it, unlike John himself. He had turned away from her, even partaking in the mission to which she had strongly objected. This was what he had pinpointed as the moment where things started to go wrong. It was followed by the Replicators' reprisal attack on Atlantis, leaving Lantea, Elizabeth being severely injured and eventually leading to her loss. Perhaps if Daniel had been here he would have supported her in the way John should have.
John mentally shook himself out of those thoughts. He had spent a very long time brooding over those events, wondering if he had done things differently, would she have been hurt. He had let her down. It wasn't the first time and it definitely wasn't the last. But he had committed to memory the expression on her face as she wished him luck for the mission. It was not difficult to see the feelings of betrayal and disappointment directed at him. Of all the times he had let her down (and there were far too many of them), he suspected that was the one that hurt her the most. It still tore at his soul when remembered it.
But it didn't matter now. He was going to get her back. And he was going to spend the rest of his life making it up to her – if she allowed him to.
As he watched the other man remove some books from the box he made a decision. Elizabeth considered Daniel Jackson a friend. He was going to do so as well. "Do you want to get something to eat?"
Daniel looked around the room and dropped the books back in the box as he got up, smiling. "Sure, why not?"
Teyla Emmagan slowly chewed her food as she watched Rodney McKay shovel his down, as he described how much he still had to do in order to make sure that Atlantis was fully prepared to leave Earth tomorrow. She had learned long ago how to tune out the verbal tornado that was Doctor McKay without him realising, whilst also being able to pick out the things she did need to know.
This time, however, she was not paying enough attention to pick out anything. Her stomach was aflutter as she contemplated her reunion with her partner and son. She missed Kanaan and Torren greatly but it had been the right decision for them to remain in Pegasus, going to New Athos to be with their people. The mission had been far too dangerous and she did not regret it. But her dreams were filled with her family. Torren would have changed so much in the time that had passed. She felt a small pang of fear as she wondered if Torren would recognise his mother. She pushed the fear down and turned her attention to her eating companions to divert her mind.
Ronon was sitting next to her, having just returned with his second serving of… everything. He never listened to what McKay was saying either. Ronon had been a good friend to her since they had met five years ago but especially in the last seven weeks. In spite of his developing relationship with Amelia Banks he had been there to provide her with whatever it was she required, whether it was a shoulder to cry on, a sparring session or, on a few occasions, someone to talk to – not that he had done a lot of talking but the listening was helpful anyway.
Rodney had tried to be supportive. At first, he had tried to talk to her about how she felt but it was awkward. After the second attempt he fell back on what he knew best – a progress report. After that, he would visit her wherever she was in the evening to give her daily updates on how the repairs to Atlantis were going and the timeframe for completion. And with each report, in which the Doctor's estimated time of completion shrunk, she felt her anticipation grow. Until yesterday, when he had come to the gym and confirmed that Atlantis would be departing on schedule. Amazingly, Rodney had given her more comfort than anyone.
Teyla had been overjoyed at the time. But since then the nerves had grown and her normally calm mind was creating all sorts of worries and concerns. She was doing her best to keep her thoughts off them but it was not easy.
Teyla looked up to see John Sheppard and Doctor Jackson moving towards their table on the balcony off the Mess Hall.
There was something different about John. Since his return from his leave he was … better. Of course he had barely spoken to Teyla unless others were around – she had expected as much given the way their conversation had gone at the party all that time ago. But it was obvious that something had changed for him. Gone was the slight slouch she had become accustomed to seeing, he walked taller now and his tone of voice had taken on a more cheerful lilt. The differences were subtle and she doubted Rodney or Ronon would have seen them. But she did. These were remnants of the old John Sheppard and Teyla was glad to see it. Her curiosity as to what had brought about this change was piqued but she dared not ask. His misdirected anger after his revelation to her led to the decision to heed his wishes and not discuss Elizabeth – or anything else personal to him. Not that he had given her the opportunity to do so. But, this was only temporary. One day they would talk about her. They would also talk about the way he had been avoiding her at a time when she really needed his friendship. She had to acknowledge a certain amount of disappointment in him. She had hoped he would be able to put what happened between them aside and give her some level of comfort or distraction, as Rodney, Ronon and many others had. It was a surprise to her as in the past this had not been the case. As part of the team, they were close, very close, and looked after each other.
Both men sat down.
"Hi, guys," said Doctor Jackson happily.
Ronon grunted a greeting as he continued eating. Rodney picked up his tablet from beside his empty plate and muttered "hello" as he left the table.
John and Doctor Jackson stared after the departing scientist for a moment, then looked at each other. John shrugged and picked up his sandwich. Jackson looked as though he wanted to say something but did not.
"Hello, Doctor Jackson," greeted Teyla, hoping that if she showed the man some courtesy it would make up for her friends' less than polite behaviour. "Welcome to Atlantis."
"Thanks, Teyla," said Doctor Jackson, a relieved expression on his face. "It's great to be here. It's Daniel by the way."
Teyla bowed her head slightly. "Very well…Daniel."
"Is McKay pissed about something?" asked John, as he took a sip from a bottle of water.
Ronon shrugged. "Dunno, he seemed fine before you got here." He looked pointedly at Sheppard.
Teyla shot Ronon a glare. She had previously overheard Rodney and Ronon discussing Sheppard's evasion of Teyla and were quite angry about it, though neither had confronted him. Rodney had chosen to express his dissatisfaction in more – what was it Kate Heightmeyer called it? – passive-aggressive ways: not staying at the table when John joined them for a meal, constant sniping remarks. John, however, barely noticed the difference. Ronon's display of frustration was more aggressive and much less passive. He simply gave Sheppard far harder beatings during their sparring sessions and said very little to him. Again, John was unaware of the shift in behaviour. No, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Teyla chose not to explain to them the true circumstances surrounding the tension between herself and John. It would have been a violation of the trust he had placed in her when he had told her of his feelings for Elizabeth. Unfortunately, this meant that she had to allow them to believe that he was staying away from her because he was uncomfortable with her situation. Yet, she was quite certain he would prefer they thought that than she tell them the truth.
She watched John as he laughed and joked with Doctor Jackson. It had been a long time since she had seen him so relaxed. He looked over and smiled. And there it was. A sparkle in his hazel eyes. It was the first time she had seen that for over two years. Something had definitely changed. Teyla wondered if it could possibly be related to Elizabeth but she could not figure out how. She dispensed with attempting to guess the reason. If and when John was ready to talk about it, he would.
And, as his friend, Teyla would be there to listen.
Daniel walked slowly back to his quarters, making mental notes of the route he was taking from the transporter. It was going to take a good while for him to learn how to get around Atlantis. He could envisage himself getting lost. A lot.
He was in a good mood. For so long, he had wanted to be here in this city, to be one of those unlocking the secrets it held. He had honestly believed Jack was playing a trick on him when he asked him if he wanted to join the Expedition. He had held his nerve as he narrowed his eyes and calmly answered that he would and then waited for Jack to deliver the punchline. Instead, his best friend had smiled at him and shook his hand, saying one word, "Done!" Despite the grin, Daniel could see that his eyes were tinged with sadness and he could understand why. He was going to miss him too. He was going to miss everyone. But with Sam rarely on Earth these last couple of years and now taking command of the General Hammond, Teal'c spending more and more time with the Jaffa and Jack now based in Washington D.C, the only people he saw regularly whom he considered as close friends were Cameron Mitchell and Vala. Oh, and General Landry and Doctor Lam. But he would miss them all – even Sergeant Harriman.
This, though, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How could he pass it up? The excitement within him was threatening to cause his heart to beat so fast until it burst out of his chest. He wasn't sure what excited him the most. Was it finding technology and discovering its purpose? Was it learning more about the Ancients' history? Was it meeting new races and cultures in another galaxy?
No, frankly, what he was looking forward to most right now was the journey. He was going to be here when the city lifted off from Earth and began the long trip back to the Pegasus Galaxy. He had spent twenty minutes of lunch asking Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla what it was like. Ronon said it was fine. Teyla told him that being in the City of the Ancestors as it travelled through space was awe-inspiring. Sheppard had not answered the question, instead finishing his sandwich and excusing himself from the table.
Where am I? Daniel turned back the way he came.
John Sheppard had been very welcoming. Daniel suspected it was partially because he was the only other person in Atlantis who knew. He was grateful anyway.
He had spent the last month replaying the conversation in which Jack authorised the mission in his head. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it seemed to him that John had omitted one thing in his reasons for saving Doctor Weir. He had called her a miracle for God's sake! He was in love with her, of that he had no doubt.
He had considered asking John about it, but years of experience taught him that when it came to military officers and their feelings for others, it was better to leave it alone. He had watched two of his best friends wrestle with the "unspoken love quandary" for years. But they always put the Stargate Programme first and so it was not resolved. Jack O'Neill always went into denial if Daniel even approached the general area of the topic, while Samantha Carter just went quiet.
It took Jack's relocation to D.C. and another eight months before they decided to take the chance. It was a long distance relationship but they were both happy. And Daniel was happy for them, as was Teal'c, who had even smiled when they announced the news – a little anyway. Daniel liked to think that General George Hammond and Doctor Janet Frasier would have been pleased for them too.
He stopped at a dead end. "This isn't right," he mumbled and retraced his steps.
However, though Daniel was aware of Jack and Sam's feelings for each other, in this case he could only say that John Sheppard loved Elizabeth. He had no idea if she had reciprocated. It was strange. Before her involvement in the Stargate Programme Doctor Elizabeth Weir was a world-renowned diplomat and negotiator and part of her philosophy was that the way to stop the military of any country having too much power was to stop the need for having a military in the first the place. Seeing her working with the military for as long as she did was a surprise. Could he imagine her falling in love with a man in the military? He knew from discussions with her that she was fond of John and that she deeply respected him. And having worked with the military himself for many years now, he knew that Colonel John Sheppard was not a typical officer. So, yes, ironically, he could see the possibility. But he knew Elizabeth well enough to know that if she did feel the same, she would not have told him, choosing instead to put Atlantis before herself and probably expecting that if she did acknowledge those feelings publically, the IOA would have removed her as leader. They probably would have.
It was all like an Ancient Greek tragedy when one put it together. Two people in love but unable to be together due to their roles in the city and then one being taken away from the other, neither of them ever knowing the truth of each other's feelings.
Finally arriving at his quarters, Daniel entered and went immediately to the bathroom to wash his face.
Upon exiting, he jumped back in shock, holding back a yelp of pain as his right shoulder hit the doorframe behind him. "What the hell?"
A woman was sitting on his bed. A very familiar, incredibly annoying woman. Her long black, wavy hair was loose around her shoulders. She wore a tight green low cut knee length dress and her bare legs were crossed. Her facial expression was one of complete innocence.
Straightening up in an effort to retain a small measure of dignity after the initial horror and stumble, he spoke sternly. "How did you get in here?"
Vala Mal Doran smiled seductively. "I have my ways."
Daniel changed tack, still livid that she had come into his room without permission – yet again. "What do you want?"
Vala got up slowly. "I came to say goodbye." She walked towards him, her hips swaying, nicely accentuated by her attire.
"Yeah, well, you didn't come to see me off with the others," replied Daniel, "so I didn't think you wanted to say goodbye."
Vala stopped in front of him, close enough to make him uncomfortable, but not enough to cause him to back away.
He wasn't expecting the extremely hard slap that connected with his left cheek, sending his glasses askew. He rubbed his cheek with one hand and repositioned his glasses with the other. "Ow! What was that for?" he shouted as he glared.
He really wasn't expecting her to take hold of his face (including his sore cheek) with both her hands and kiss him on the lips, hard. Surprise prevented him from stopping her.
She pulled back. Daniel, eyes locked with hers, repeated, though more huskily, "What was that for?" Before she could answer he realised that he was gripping her elbows, keeping her body inches from his own. He quickly let go but Vala made no move to create more distance between them. Instead she moved even closer and he felt her breath by his right ear as she whispered, "I'll miss you."
With that, Vala Mal Doran stepped back, turned and sashayed to the doors. As they opened, she looked back. He could see her eyes were glistening with tears. "Goodbye, Daniel."
Daniel, in something of a speechless daze, raised his hand to wave as she walked out. The doors automatically closed behind her. He stayed rooted to the spot for a few minutes, hand still up. Did that just happen?
But, Daniel knew he would miss her as well. A lot more than he thought he should. Over the last three years or so, she had proven herself and she had grown on him, to the point that he would notice the lack of her presence.
It wasn't that he had trouble with comprehending his own emotions. Unlike some of his friends, he usually knew what he was feeling. However, when it came to Vala he was often just confused. She got on his nerves but he liked having her around. He hated how she flirted with him all the time but there were pangs of jealousy when he saw her do it with anyone else. What did this mean?
Perhaps John Sheppard was not the only one keeping his feelings to himself. Perhaps some distance would allow Daniel to work out everything that was going on in his head. And his heart.
John stood in front of the Ancient control chair, suddenly nervous about sitting down in it. This was it. It was time. All repairs had been completed, all three ZPMs were online and the entire area surrounding Atlantis on the ground, in and on the water and in the skies were heavily guarded by all factions of the United States military. Everything was ready.
Except for John himself. Flying the city all the way back to New Lantea was a huge task. Sure, he had flown the city before, but that was a relatively short trip from one planet to another in the same galaxy, and, as he recalled, it was disastrous. Almost anything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Plus, he lost Elizabeth.
Now, everyone expected him to just sit down in this chair, close his eyes and fly Atlantis home. As if it was that easy. No one understood what he had lost last time.
Three weeks of flying a spaceship the size of a city through hyperspace from one galaxy to another would be a challenge for anyone. Hell, he wasn't even the one who brought Atlantis to Earth. That was Carson Beckett (using the highly experimental but far quicker wormhole drive). And now that he and Keller were jointly in charge of the Infirmary (their official titles being Joint Chiefs of Medicine and Medical Investigation), Beckett was just too busy re-establishing himself as a permanent member of the senior staff. But, maybe he could help out. McKay said that once they were in hyperspace, he could leave the chair and only go back if there were complications. That didn't sit well with John, it seemed to make more sense to him to have someone in control of the chair until they were home. Maybe Carson, Lorne, himself and – no, not McKay – could take turns. They were the ones most proficient in the use of the ATA-activated technology. Then he would make the landing.
He became aware of a presence beside him. Turning his head, he noticed Rodney standing next to him, tapping the screen of his tablet.
"Aren't you going to sit down, Colonel?" he asked. He sounded more irate than usual.
"Are you sure the star drive is ready for this?" John queried, trying his best to hide his nerves. "I mean, we're talking about a long trip here."
Rodney stopped tapping and looked at John. "Of course it's ready," he answered impatiently. "Everything's ready, so let's go already!" He gestured to the chair before them.
"And why is it we can't use the wormhole drive?"
Rodney rolled his eyes. "Not this again. Look, the wormhole drive will get us there faster but it will severely deplete the ZedPMs, possibly to the point where they are completely drained by the time we get back, maybe even before. So, we do it the old fashioned way – so to speak."
John licked his lips and slowly descended until he felt the seat beneath him. He glanced up at McKay. "Are you absolutely sure that –?"
"Oh, come on, just get on with it!" snapped the scientist.
He sat back in the chair and it lit up. Immediately, John's mind was filled with Atlantis as he became aware of all its systems and its state of readiness. Rodney and his teams had done a good job of fixing up Atlantis – the city felt in better condition than it ever had before.
Zelenka had already input the course, all he had to do was follow it. He reached out with his mind and found the navigation system. He discovered Zelenka's course, then opened up the star drive and engaged it. The city rose, the cloak still activated so no one outside could see it. He knew Rodney was monitoring the altitude along with the Control Room. At the appropriate moment, Rodney ordered that the cloak be switched to the shield.
As they left the upper atmosphere, John mentally gasped as mind's eye saw the beauty of the space surrounding them. Earth's moon was visible and the Sun was in the distance. It was breathtaking. Although he had flown many ships in space many times now, this was different. It was as though Atlantis was connected to the space around it and he was connected to Atlantis. He made himself concentrate on the plotted course and followed it exactly. As they reached the edge of the solar system, John activated the hyperdrive. He saw the hyperspace window open ahead and guided them towards it. Once they entered hyperspace, he smiled.
They were going home.
