SG1 in Atlantis
Disclaimer: they don't belong to me, though I really wish they did. Neither does the whole concept of Atlantis or a city control mentally, I'm just playing with it.
AN: ok, this is a future fic, only three years but still in the future. As any of you who have read any of my fics know, I'm a shipper. So, here I'm making a couple of assumption that should really come as no surprise to anyone that has read my other fic: Sam and Jack are together and so are Tayla and John. Ok, that's it for author's note.
AN2: Again, sorry for the delay, though I don't think it's been as long as before. This is a bit longer that the ohter chapters, though not by much. I hope you like it and please review.
Chapter 10: Exams and Dinner
The silence was finally broken by Rodney, who rubbed his hands and said in a chipper voice, "Well, I guess we have a lot of work to do so we better get started."
"Yes, it's a lot of information we'd have to go through," John added.
"Since it seems only Jack, John and Carson can do the actual research in the city, we better think of someway we can also help out," added Elizabeth.
"It might be best if we divide the city into sections, that way we won't work at cross purposes," Jack advised as they all move to leave the room.
One good thing about working with people that were utter professionals was that they were always ready to get things done, regardless of what surprises they've been dealt. In Sam's opinion, that was also the one bad thing about working with utter professionals.
"Hold it!" She cried standing in front of Jack and stopping him with a hand on his chest. "You're not going anywhere, unless it be the infirmary or maybe to have a look around. You're certainly not going to go off and start to work." She decreed.
"Sam," Jack began to protest but Sam didn't let him.
"No, don't you Sam me," Sam stopped him. "We're here for you to recuperate and that it's exactly what you're going to do."
"Sam," Rodney said. "He's the one that seems to have the most control over things. We need him to help us with the research. We have to find what ever it is that can help us with the Ori and the Wraith. It's important."
"I know it's important," Sam said impatiently. "But so it's his health and frankly that comes first."
"Come on, Sam," Jack tried to cajole her. "You heard Melia. I'm not really sick just a bit run down. I'll be as good as new soon."
"Yes, but you need to rest and have the proper nutrition before that happens. And until you get a clean bill of health you're not doing anything more strenuous that walking and talking."
"Sam," Mitchell said. "The Ori," but Sam didn't let him finish either.
"The Ori are not a threat at this time, Mitchell. They might be at a later date but I think we have enough time for Jack to really recuperate. And as for the Wraith," she added as she saw Rodney and John opened their mouths to protest. "You've been able to hold them off for this many years, I sincerely doubt that Jack taking a few days to rest and relax will make that much of a difference. And anyway," she added as she saw that they weren't really convinced. "John and Carson can begin to do the research. And since John is the second heir," she said for a lack of a better term. "I'm sure he'll be able to get anywhere you need to."
They didn't really like it, especially Jack, but they had no other choice but to nod their heads in agreement. What could they say after all? Everything she'd said was true.
"And don't worry," she turned and told Elizabeth. "I'm sure that we could get permission to stay here indefinitely after our vacation is over. With the Ori gone, there is no immediate threat back home and looking for the way to stop them and the Wraith for good is more than a good enough reason to be posted here for as long as needed."
Jack nodded his agreement, he'd already thought about it. "Sam's right. I won't have any problem getting our transfers to Atlantis." Jack also privately thought that it might be a good idea if Sam spent her pregnancy in Atlantis; despite the threat of the Wraith, something told him that it'd be the best place for her. Not only wouldn't she have to go off-world but he somehow knew that the city would look out for her.
"There you guys are," everyone turned to the door and there stood Dr. Janet Frazier. "I'd wonder where you all disappeared to."
"Jan," Vala who was closer to the door said as she walked over and put her arm around Janet's. "You won't believe everything that's been going on. Turns out that Jack is like the king of Atlantis or something . . ."
Jack looked at Sam and rolled his eyes, he then looked at Daniel but Daniel just shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'what can I don?', so he just sighed and let her go on as she led Janet out of the room.
Jack looked at Daniel again, but he just shrugged again and turned to follow the women out. With a shake of his head, Jack put his hand on Sam's back and started to lead her out but she stopped and turned to look at Carson, who was a bit behind.
"Dr. Beckett, would it be ok for you to see us now?" She asked him as Jack grimaced at the thought of more tests.
"That'd be fine, lass." Carson answered cheerfully, ignoring the General's response. He was, after all, used to how much the big, macho, military types reverted back to children whenever faced with needles and medical tests. "We could also start some of the tests I'd like to do to study the ATA gene." He turned and stopped John, just as he was about to leave the room. "Colonel, I expect you in the infirmary as soon as possible."
John had the same grimace as Jack as he nodded to Carson. "I'll be there as soon as I'm done with some paper work."
Since everyone present knew John dislike paperwork as much as Jack did, Carson put on his stern face and said, "I expect you in the infirmary within the hour, Colonel. Don't make me have to go look for you."
John nodded again but something in his face made Jack said, "Colonel, be in the infirmary in thirty minutes. That's an order." If he was going to suffer, he wasn't going to suffer alone, Jack thought.
John looked back at Jack and something much of his thoughts must have shown in his eyes, because John sighed and nodded, "Aye, sir."
With a last nod, he left the room with his team behind him. "Thank you, General." Carson said. "It'd take me days to get him to the infirmary otherwise."
"No problem," Jack answered.
"Well, I'll see you there soon?"
"As soon as we've settled in, we'll be there," Sam answered.
With a final nod, Carson left too.
Jack turned to Sam and with a wave of his arm motioned her forward but she just looked at him with her arms crossed and one toe tapping. "What?" He asked with his most innocent expression.
"Don't give that look," she answered. "You know very well what. I don't want you doing anything about his situation right now."
"I'm not," he protested, eyes wide.
"Really?" She asked, disbelief dripping from the words. "You're telling me that you're not, right now, exploring every nook and cranny you can find in this mental network," the last was said with her arms waving around as if to encompass that network, "of yours?"
Jack started to deny it, but she stopped him. "Please, don't lie to me. I may not be privy to this network, yet, but I do know how your mind works. And I know that you're all over that place."
Jack opened his mouth to speak but then thought better of saying whatever it was that had been in his mind and with a shake of his head, admitted, "Come on, Sam. This is important, you know that. If I could find something that can help us win this war with the Wraith, the Atlantis people can finally go back to exploring. And we need to find something that will stop the Ori the next time they want to show their faces back here." His mouth thinned and his eyes went flat as he continued, "I do not want any of our children to have to fight them later on."
Sam sighed and said in a softer tone of voice, "I know Jack and I don't want that either. And I'd like nothing more than for you to find a weapon that can stop the Wraith; I'll love an opportunity to examined it," she flashed a quick grin, but promptly went back to serious. "But none of that would mean much of anything if something were to happen to you."
"Come on, Sam," he said again and his tone was more irritated than before. "I'm fine. And you heard Melia, I'm not really sick; I'm just helping you carrying the baby."
"Yes, I heard her. I also heard that you had to recuperate because you had been spending much more energy that you were replacing. Jack, I love that you can help me with this pregnancy and I know how much it means to you that can help, but don't you see Jack? You won't help anyone, least of all me, if you don't take proper care of yourself. All I'm asking is that you take a couple of days to rest and relax and then you can do whatever you want. I mean, weren't you the one that was always telling me to get a life? Well, sir, I went and got one and now I want to spend a couple of days with the someone I got that life with. What do you say? Two days with just the two of us."
Jack looked into her eyes and knew he could never deny her anything that was really important to her and what she was asking was not unreasonable, after all. He gave a long suffering sigh and said, "Well, I guess that that'll be ok."
"Oh, you guess, do you?" Sam asked and punched him lightly on the arm.
"Ouch," Jack said as he rubbed his arm. "You better be careful; I'm still recuperating, you know?"
Sam glared at him for a moment and then gave in and grinned. "Oh, come on, you clown. Let's get settle in before going to find Dr. Beckett."
Jack laughed, put his arms around her shoulders and led her from the room.
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A few hours later, after having been subjected to some endless medical exams - which in his opinion, both Carson and Janet had enjoyed way too much, Jack led Sam into the commissary for some dinner. They looked around when they entered it and spotted the rest of the team plus Colonel's Sheppard's team in a table together. Without having to talk about it, they headed there.
"Hello, kids," Jack greeted the people at the table as he pulled the chair out for Sam. As Sam sat and the others gave a variation of 'hello', Cam and John got up and said, 'sir."
Jack waved them down and said, "At ease, kids. I'm on leave, remember?" He then leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek and said, "I'll be right back."
"Ok," she said. As he walked away from the table, she turned around and called out, "Hey, Jack. You think you could grab me some grapes and maybe some peaches. I think they would go great with the pot roast. Oh, and see if they have some pickles and chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce."
Jack nodded and turned quickly to hide his grimace at the odd combination of foods. The others in the table looked at each other and either shuddered or winced but all smoothed their faces when she turned back to face the table.
"So," she began as she looked around and settled her gaze on the rest of her team. "Has everyone settled in ok?"
"Yes," Daniel answered as he put his glass of soda down. "You should see the view from our bedroom. It's amazing."
Sam smiled at his enthusiasm as Cameron and Teal'c answered. And soon they were all comparing notes on their bedrooms and what they've seen of the city. Jack got back with both of their dinners and sat down next to Sam.
"And you should see the view from the balconies." Vala was saying. "The view of the sunset was so amazing and romantic." She finished with a sigh as she leaned her head briefly on Daniel's shoulder. "Did you get a chance to see any of the balconies, yet?"
"No," Jack answered a bit grumpily. "We haven't really seen anything of the city except the control and holo room, our bedroom and the infirmary. The doc's had me there all afternoon. They just let me out a few moments ago."
"That long?" Daniel asked surprised. "I thought it was just a check up?"
"It started with that," Sam explained as Jack was too busy making faces to answer. "But then Carson and Janet started on the tests they wanted to run to determine whether and how the ATA gene is changing."
"That's right." Daniel nodded. "But I thought they'd wait a bit on that. Maybe do some more research."
"Yeah, right." John scoffed. "Like Carson needs time to do more research into the gene thing. That's been his pet project since we got to this city. And every time he finds something new, he comes up with more tests he just had to run. Though, I have to admit today was one of longest session in a while."
"Did they find anything new?" Cameron asked as he finished his dinner.
"Don't know." Jack answered with a shrug. "Maybe. They seemed to be a bit excited there, at the end. But they were talking about all this medical stuff; frankly I didn't understand heads or tails of it."
Daniel looked at Sam, knowing that Jack often exaggerated his lack of knowledge, to see if she was better informed but she shook her head. "It was all pretty technical stuff. I'm sure they'll let us know as soon as they can."
"What I can't believe," Cam began as he pushed his tray away and leaned back in his chair. "Is how you could have lived here for so long and not notice that a city was invading you brain."
"Because it's not like that," John protested. "Atlantis was never invading my brain."
"Ok," Cam acknowledged but went on. "Still, you have a city in your head even if it is not invading it, how can you not notice it?"
"Because it has never been as strong as it got when the General arrived. And besides, it wasn't like I didn't notice it, I did but it's like the hum of the fridge or the AC – you know it's there and if you pay attention you hear it but most of the time, it just gets lost in the background." With a shrug, he added, "I just got used to it, I guess, so I rarely noticed it."
"Yeah well," Ronon said as he worked through the remaining plates on his tray. "You might have gotten used to it but it can still be surprising to the rest of us."
"What do you mean?" John asked as he looked at the former runner eat his way through what would have been dinner for three on any other tray.
"He means," Rodney answered as he picked up his dessert to sniff it and make sure it did not have lemons. "that while you might have taken to talking to the city like a duck to water, for the rest of us," he waved his arm around to encompass the rest of the team, "it still seems damn weird at times."
"Rodney, that doesn't have any lemon, for God's sake," John told him exasperatedly. "Just eat it, will you?"
"Just checking," Rodney muttered but started to eat it.
"Now, what do you mean I talk to the city and you guys find it weird?"
"Just that," Rodney gestured with his spoon and Sam had to lean out of the way to avoid being splattered with the food. "Oops, sorry," he apologized.
"That's ok," Sam waved the apology off with a smile. The weird thing was that it was ok. Since they've gotten to Atlantis, she'd seen Rodney in another light. He was like another person when he was around his team; still as arrogant as ever but now it was more endearing somehow. He just seemed more human. 'Guess being in Atlantis and in a team that's in constant danger has been good for him,' mused Sam. God knew having been in SG1 had changed her.
"Rodney, stop waving your utensils around and answer my question," John ordered and thought Rodney made a face, he nonetheless answered.
"It's just that sometimes the stuff you can do still takes us back and you don't even seem to notice it, you know," Rodney explained between mouthfuls of pudding.
John looked around at Ronon and Teyla to see what they thought of what Rodney had just said. Ronon nodded as he stuffed more food into his mouth and Teyla said, "Rodney is right, John. Your use of the city can sometimes be quite disconcerting."
"What? Why?" John asked bewildered; he didn't know what the others were talking about.
"Because we are not always prepared for when you use it, you take us by surprise." Teyla tried to explain.
SG1, former and present, looked at each other somewhat amused at John's confused expression; Sam, Daniel and Teal'c remembering another who always wore such a face and wondering if John really was confused or like Jack was putting on an act. Jack, for his part, was quite enjoying the show; he, unlike his team, knew that John was not faking the confusion – he had done so enough himself to know the signs; that wasn't to say that he didn't think the other man wasn't quite capable of faking it, they were family after all.
"What? But I only use it when we're on the jumper, and you know I'm doing it or when there's something we need – and you know what I'm doing! Besides, McKay, you have the gene – you use it too."
"Not with the ease or frequency you do, I don't. I have to really think and concentrate to use it but you just use it naturally." Rodney protested and when he saw John's still confused face, he asked with some surprise in his tone, "You don't even know what we're talking about, do you?"
"No, I don't," John answered through gritted teeth. "And if you don't start talking, so help me . . ."
"Alright, alright," Rodney said, putting his hands up. "No need to get testy."
"McKay," John growled threateningly.
"Rodney," Teyla said, putting her hand on John's arm. "Perhaps you'd best explain."
"Ok, ok. It's all the little things you do, that you apparently do without even knowing."
"Like what?" John asked perplexed.
"Like turning on all the lights in every room you enter as soon as you entered it." Rodney began.
"What?" John again looked around the group. "That doesn't happen automatically all around the city?"
"No," Said Teyla.
Ronon shook his head and asked, "You mean you don't turn them on using your mind," and he motioned to his head, "like you do with jumper?"
John shook his head, "No, the lights just come on by themselves. They always have; I've never thought anything about it."
"No," Rodney argued. "They don't come on by themselves; they never have. Whether you realized it or not, you turn them on."
"How can you not notice?" Cam asked again. John just grimaced and waved him off as Rodney continued talking.
"I bet you don't even know about the temp control, do you?" Rodney asked with something close to a smirk.
"No, Rodney," John answered with forced patience. "I don't know, why don't you tell me about it?" He invited with a wave of his hands.
"Well, you adjust the temperature in every room you enter – just like the lights."
"No, I don't," John automatically denied.
"Yes, you do." Rodney persisted.
"No, I don't," John insisted.
Sam smirked into her glass of water. The banter between John and Rodney was very similar to the banter that usually went on between Jack and Daniel, Cam and Daniel and even Vala and Daniel – though that one was, of course, sexually charged.
"John, you do," Teyla said quietly, effectively ending the childish word play that she knew from experience could go on indefinitely.
"I do?" John asked again, looking at Teyla.
"Yes," she answered simply, knowing Rodney would explain further.
"I thought that the control room regulated room temperature," John protested.
Rodney scoffed. "Please, you know what it would take for one computer to regulate the temperature of every room in this place?" He waved his hand around. "It'd be a full time job."
"Then how are the rooms kept so comfy?" He asked, looking somewhat confused.
Rodney, Teyla and Ronon shared looks. "By using the temp controls in every room. That way rooms that are unoccupied don't use our power for heating or cooling."
"There are temp controls in the rooms?" John asked surprised.
"Yes, there are," Teyla answered with a small smile.
"Huh, I've never seen them," John commented.
"That's because you've never needed them," Rodney said somewhat scathingly. "They are not exposed if they're not needed. And you've never needed them; hell, every time you come into my lab you mess up the temperature without moving a finger."
"Why haven't you said anything?" John asked.
"Because at first I didn't know what was going on. When I figured it out, I meant to say something but never found the time and then I thought you were doing it to mess with me and if I said something you would just keep doing it." Rodney explained.
John grunted and had to privately agree that that did sound like something he would do.
"Anything else he's been doing that he doesn't know about?" Vala asked from her seat by Daniel's side.
Rodney thought for a second and then said, "He's programmed every piece of Ancient technology he's used for his preference."
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked as John looked somewhat confused.
"I mean that every time he touches a piece of Ancient technology, he somehow . . ." He paused, looking for the correct word. "Imprints himself on them. It's like once he's touched them, they remember him. Actually, now that I think about it, I think that all the computers in Atlantis have his imprint. It's incredibly annoying, actually. The only way to change it is to do a complete reboot."
"Um. You know what this means, right?" Daniel asked and Jack nodded his head, John looked thoughtful and everyone else looked curious. "It means that Melia was right. If John hadn't been here, you wouldn't have been able access any of the city's computers." He explained and then added, "In fact, if he hadn't been part of the expedition you would all most likely had drown hours after you got here."
"What?" Rodney asked. "What do you mean? It was Elizabeth that went back in time and prevented us from drowning." He protested.
"Yes, but who was it that flew the jumper?" Daniel asked with a knowing look in Rodney's direction.
"Ok, that was Shepard, but anyone with the gene could have flown it," Rodney argued, moving his arms about and almost bumping Ronon.
"Yes, anyone could have flown it but not anyone could have activated the time travel device," surprisingly, it was Jack that made that observation.
Everyone looked at him surprised, with the exception of John, Daniel and Sam. This time it was Cam that asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean that the time travel device, like every piece of sensitive technology in the city, could have only been activated by the person that invented or by the ruling families – or their descendant, in this case John." Jack explained. "No one else would have been able to initiate it. If John hadn't been here, Elizabeth wouldn't have been able to go back in time." He said with finality. What he didn't say but everyone knew was that if Elizabeth hadn't gone back in time, everyone would have died.
There was absolute silence as everyone, but John and Jack, looked at everyone else and thought about the implications of what had just been said. Jack looked at John as John closed his eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. The thought that he was responsible for every person in Atlantis being alive was overwhelming, thought he wasn't sure why because he had been the military leader and responsible for everyone's safety since practically the first day they've arrived. But this was somehow different; people's live had depended on him but not on what he did or didn't do but on him just being there – and for some reason that was just much more unnerving that knowing people's life depended on his actions.
He looked up after taking a big breath and his gaze collided with Jack's. Something in the General's eyes made John think that the older man knew just what had been going on in his mind. And then he realized that the Jack did know what was going on in his mind because the same things must have gone through his the first time he realized the fate of the world was on his shoulders not because of what he had done but because of something he had inherited and had had no say about. This realization really took the concept of being at the right place at the right time to a whole new level and was almost enough to make a person believe in fate.
But John was not someone who believed in fate, your life was what you make of it. And as he thought that this later information could only affect him as much as he let it, John started to calm down. It really didn't change things; he was still the military leader of Atlantis (though if General O'Neill was staying for any length of time, who knew how much longer that would be true), and the safety on everyone in the city was his priority. The fact that he was somehow the spare (and wasn't it weird to have that term apply to him?) heir to the Ancients had no impact on that – except that maybe now they could find an effective weapon to deal with the Wraith once and for all.
As Jack saw the burden that had descended on John's shoulders with his revelation, lightened, he nodded his head and went back to eating satisfied that the younger man wouldn't take on more than he had to. It was a lesson that had taken a lot of years for Jack to learn, but one was only responsible for one's actions and those things we could control. Things that were out of our control were best accepted and taken as they were; blaming oneself for them was pointless and a waste of time and energy that could be use in much better ways.
Jack was happy to see that it wouldn't take John as long as it took him to learn that lesson. He would hate to see him agonized over things he could have done nothing about. He shook his head as he mused that the others were right; the two of them really were a lot alike. But then, he had always thought so. There had been something in the other man's eyes when they first met that had spoken to Jack. The easy way in which he flew the helicopter, even when the drone was on their tail; the nonchalant acceptance of what to everyone else would have been unbelievable and the almost insubordinate, 'don't really care what you think' way he had stated that whether he went on to Atlantis was up to him had all reminded Jack of himself. And that was just why he had challenged him and dared him to accept the assignment instead of guilting him into it; Jack had known that the other man had enough guilt already and hadn't wanted to add any more.
He had his fork halfway to his mouth when he realized that the contact he's been having with John since they found the 'Atlantis highway' was somehow stronger and that he was actually starting to feel some of John's emotions and thoughts without looking for him. He brought his surprised eyes up and once again clashed gazes with John, who also had a surprise look on his face – more than that both of them realized that they could actually feel the other's surprise. Thankfully, as soon as they realized they were feeling the other one, they pull up barriers that were surprisingly easy to construct and keep up. They drew a sigh of relief when they realized the contact had happened because they had unconsciously dropped their shields.
Just as Jack and John were hinking how useful full blown telepathy between them would be, Jack felt Sam's eyes on him and with a sigh and an imperceptible movement to anyone else he let John know that they'd get back to exploring it later, John understood and turned his attention to Teyla as Jack turned his attention to Sam. For the moment, both heirs of Atlantis had much better things to do.