Title: Eternal
Author: Cindy Ryan
Notes and Summary: See part one

Reluctantly Dean followed Ronon back to Atlantis's command center. It still seemed surreal to him that the wind ruffling his hair wasn't Earth's. That the waves crashing weren't from any ocean he knew.

They found Sheppard and Sam talking on the balcony they had been on earlier.

"Hey."Sam greeted his brother. "You okay?"

"You get us a ticket home?"Dean asked sidestepping the question.

"No."

Dean glanced at Sheppard. "Can I have a minute with my brother?"

Sheppard nodded and motioned to Ronon. "We'll be inside. Stay in view."


Weir found Rodney in his lab gaze intent on the computer in front of him.

"Rodney….."

"Haven't been able to get down there yet."McKay replied without looking up. "The last of the water was just drained out."

"How long?"Elizabeth asked as she moved to stand next to him.

"Probably another ten minutes. I want to make sure the shield is stabilized enough before we go back in there."

"Keep me posted. I want to know how our guests got into my city."

"Where are our new friends anyway?"McKay asked finally looking up from the screen.

"John should be explaining the gate to them about now."

"Elizabeth……"McKay protested.

"Trust me,Rodney. I know what I'm doing."Weir replied as she left.

Rodney watched her leave with a worried frown. It wasn't that he didn't trust Weir's instincts. He'd trust them no matter what. She'd saved his life more times than he cared to count.

But his own instincts were screaming at him that sharing something like the Gate with less than trustworthy individuals seemed too much of a risk.

Rodney sighed and exited out of the screens he'd been working on. It was time to go meet Teyla and see what they could find.


"There's something here that can help you, Dean, I know it."Sam argued his hands tightening on the balcony rail.

"All we're doing is wasting time,Sammy."

"I refuse to believe that."

"Not to deny whatever physic whammy you have going on, but you need to let this go."Dean pleaded after everything he wasn't loosing Sam to his own stubbornness. "There is no way to get me out of this."

"Dean,please….."Sam replied he just couldn't understand why his brother wasn't fighting. Dean always fought.

Dean rubbed a hand across his face. "Sam, we've been over this and over this."

Sam moved so he was toe to toe with his brother. "And we'll go over it again."He paused his voice cracking slightly. "I'm not going to be the only one left. They've taken everyone I love, Dean…….everyone…..don't make me add you to that list….not without a fight."

"It's already done, Sammy."

Sheppard cleared his throat as he and Ronon stepped back onto the balcony. "Sorry to interrupt, but there are some things here I need to show you. Weir has cleared it and I can't promise anything but they may hold the answers you need."

Sam stared at Sheppard struggling to quell the hope that was flooding him. There was a way to save his family, there just had to be.