A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH [insert kermit flail here] I MADE IT! I finished this story (I checked. The last time I finished a multi-chapter was two years ago fucking hell)! It's over, it's done, and I can get to writing the aftermath four-parter and then on to S2 of Off The Screen (lalez pointed out a typo to me, and she was right. I'm not going to jump to S4, I'll definitely be doing the seasons in order, don't worry!). Wooooooooooooo!

Ten

Reece

Honestly, I can't believe this is even happening. After doing nothing but bringing in people who are one of us for several hours, I'm suddenly supposed to let one of them run around while the rest of us hole up in a battle ship to weather whatever storm Rodney McKay is planning to sic on this city? No. Way.

I don't even care if the Major meant that insubordination charge thing he yelled after me – I'm also not sure he even has a leg to stand on, considering that technically, he's not really my boss right now – or not, I'm just really fucking pissed that anyone who lived here for a year like Mats would even consider leaving one of us to fend for himself. You know, additionally to the fact that that Marine I'm talking about is compromised and apparently has gone rogue.

There is honestly so much wrong with this and… "Wait!" Oh, hell, really? Really? He came after me? "Fucking hell, Maureen, just wait."

I keep walking but I do pay him the small courtesy of turning around. "Unless you're here to tell me that you have decided to join me: hell no."

He makes a small, decidedly German sound of frustration and then speeds up to next to me. "We really have to go to the Daedalus, Maureen. Control wasn't joking that we really need to get somewhere safe."

Yes, and that's exactly why I'm here? "He's one of us, Mats! We can't just leave him behind!"

He shakes his head. "We aren't. Sheppard is on it." As if Sheppard could do this all on his own. Really, he's good but not that good. "Seriously, we have to go."

Now I'm annoyed enough to stop after all and argue with him over something I thought was so clear that we didn't have to argue about it. "Dammit, Mats, there's a damn rogue Marine somewhere in this city and…"

"No, listen. I just had a short chat with one of the engineers." What? When? "This is a John Sheppard and Rodney McKay plan."

Oh.

Oh no.

I blink, and then the only thing I can come up with is, "Fucking hell."

"Exactly." See, that's the thing about all the people who have been living here for a year: we have seen our fair share of John Sheppard and Rodney McKay plans executed. Enough of them to know immediately what that means. I mean, obviously, they all ended reasonably well for us or we wouldn't be here. But honestly, some of those were the craziest shit I have ever seen, and I served at the damn SGC. "Maureen, dammit, come on, we really have to get out of here."

And the worst thing is, "You're right. Fuck, you're right."

He nods. "I know. Now let's get the hell back to where the rest is waiting and take them back to the Daedalus."

Right. Yes. Okay. Fine. I sigh and turn back, falling into a light jog. I'd really like to speed it up but for some reason, my legs just feel way too heavy for that by now. And now that I've finally come around, I realize that my decision was let's say not the smartest and I can't help asking Mats, who fell into step next to me, "So… do you think he meant that thing about the insubordination charge?"

It makes him snort. "You know him better than I do. What do you think?"

Yeah, good question. I roll my eyes, "Probably not." I think. "I hope." He grins at me and I hate it when he does that. Because he's just waiting for me to say it and damn, he knows I will. "I really made an ass out of myself, didn't I?"

Now he laughs. Not really loud, but loud enough for me to give him a frown. "Fuck, yes. And I did tell you to get back to the safe zone and take a break."

He did, that's the thing. I just roll my eyes again and nearly ask him if he saw that weird freeze moment the Major had after I told him I wouldn't leave a fellow Marine behind. But then I remember that my first thought was, inexplicably, that that had to have something to do with Laura's death and that most probably no one told Mats about that yet and that I'm not about to do so now because honestly, this is not the moment to do it. I hated – and, to be honest, still do – having to learn about it the way I did, so I'm not going to subject one of my best friends to it.

And anyway, we're back at the point where I left the Major and Dee and oh God, I can't even look him in the eye. Which is probably why both Mats and Dee, the traitors, walk ahead, putting some distance between them and the Major and me. I hate how well both of them know me.

But anyway, just better get it over with, while we're on our way to the Daedalus. I take a deep breath. "Sir?"

He doesn't look at me, just keeps looking ahead, ostensibly to make sure he doesn't lose sight of Dee and Mats. "What?"

Yeah, I deserved that. "I'm sorry for yelling at you and disobeying your order. That was uncalled for, and I had no right to challenge your decision in both form and content."

He keeps quiet for a few more yards, and yeah, I deserve that, too. Then he takes a deep breath and stops, and being a little surprised, I can't do anything but stop, too. Mats somehow must have heard or sensed that, and throws a look over his shoulder. Apparently, he must have seen my small gesture for him to go on because after a moment, he gestures for Dee to follow him.

The Major must have registered that, too but doesn't comment on it. Instead, he says, "You're right, you didn't." Uh-oh. "And that's really not your standard performance, and we both know it." Oh God. He did mean that thing about the insubordination… "But… it's not like it's not part my fault, too."

Huh? "Uh, sir, I'm not sure I can foll…"

"You need a break." Yes, by now everyone has made that clear to me, multiple… "You really need a break, and I should have seen just how badly you need one and told Control to shove their order to accompany Morsberg on CSAR where it's dark." Um. What? "I should have taken both you and the Doc to the safe zone and made sure you were taken out of the fight and got a real break." What is happening? "Sorry I failed you, Kid. Seems I'm more rusty than I thought."

I blink. Um. Uh. "It's… okay, sir."

That makes him laugh, a small, cynical laugh. I immediately decide that I hate it. "No, it's not, and we both know it. I sucked at commanding, and that's why this nearly ended in a clusterfuck."

"No, sir. You don't suck at commanding. I just suck at obeying." Oh God, why did I just say that? And why did I smile at him like that? You know, friendly and encouraging and oh God, was I flirty, too?

But that's not even the worst thing about it. The worst thing is that this right here, is the first time I get to see him smile since we were reunited, and it looks like he got a little rusty at that, too. "Nah, it's definitely a bit of both." Then he rolls his eyes, probably more at himself than anything else and says in a conciliatory tone, "Ceasefire, Kid?"

Oh. Okay. I didn't exactly expect this to be the outcome of our little one-on-one but yeah, okay, I can live with that. I nod. "Ceasefire, sir."

That makes him smile, again, and I wish I he wouldn't do that because when Thomas Moore smiles, really smiles, not grins or smirks or leers, I melt a little inside and I hate that that still keeps happening. "Good." After that, he's thankfully back to all business and adds, "Okay, let's catch up with Dee and the Doc. Sure as hell don't want to get caught out here when whatever Command has planned goes down."

We take up jogging again and I can see that he'd rather up the speed but doesn't do so purely in consideration for me and if that's not embarrassing I don't know what is. Maybe I'll just tell myself that's not because he knows very well that by now, I don't really have the physical resources left for anything faster than a light trot but because he's almost half a head – and that's a very optimistic estimate here, no, I'm not tiny, okay? – taller than I am and has unfairly long legs.

Anyway, after about five more minutes, we make it to Dee's and Mats's position and carry on to the Daedalus. I can see the looks both of them are sneaking me – why just me? It's not like I could have ripped him a new one, too? – and just answer them with a quick eye-roll and thankfully, both of them decide to just let it go, at least for now and keep running.

When we finally make it to the Daedalus, I can't help but stop and stare because holy shit that is a really big ship. I have never seen either a 303 or 304 up close – in fact, I haven't even briefly been on one before – but I have seen my share of aircraft carriers and even though most of them are actually bigger than this ship, for some reason it's something completely different to see a ship at a pier than a ship on a pier.

"Yeah," I hear the Major next to me, a smirk evident in his voice, "that was about my reaction when I saw her for the first time."

Huh? "Weren't you beamed aboard?"

"Oh, I was." So how… "But I happened to get a ride in one of the 302s stationed aboard while we were waiting for the go ahead."

I know I really should stop mouthing off but I just can't help it. "Do I really want to know how that happened?"

To his credit, he doesn't even miss a beat – probably getting used again to my damn tendency to be sarcastic first, think later – and just laughs. "You just have to know who to ask, Kid." For some reason, I really don't want to know who he "asked". "Come on, before all the good seats are taken."

And that is how we end up wandering around the decks, trying to find a place with a little peace and quiet. Finally, after what feels like an eternity and were probably twenty or thirty minutes, we find an intersection that's a little out of the way and just each plop ourselves down on the ground, as if by some inaudible order. And oh God, it's just. So. Nice. To be sitting again and knowing you don't have to get up any time soon.

Or at least I hope I don't have to get up anytime soon.

I don't even care what's going on, just close my eyes and lean my head back against the wall, just for a moment and for that moment, the sounds of too many in too close quarters – you'd think a Marine would be right at home in the bowels of a damn ship but I guess by now, the SGC and Atlantis have spoiled me for life for "real" Marine stuff – just kind of fade into the background and… "Okay, so I have just checked back with Lorne…"

What? I open my eyes and look at the Major, frowning. "Major Lorne's here, too?"

He shrugs. "Sure. He flew one of the 302s when we had a little run-in with the Wraith earlier."

From the look on Dee's face, it was probably more than just "a little run-in", but hey, I guess that explains how he managed to score a ride in one of the 302s. Literally no one else would let themselves get pestered into something like that by the Major than Evan Lorne. That man is just too nice for his own good, honestly.

Or maybe they just wanted to relive their glory days from flight school or something. Those two are really weird.

And anyway, there are more important things. Wondering for how long Mats next to me will be able to keep his eyes open, for example. Mh.

"What did he say, sir?" Yeah, okay, or that. Good question, Dee. Thanks for asking.

The Major shrugs. "Apparently, the plan is, get this…" But before he gets to the really interesting part, he starts laughing and actually needs a minute or two to compose himself enough to continue speaking and sir, I'm getting a little sleepy here. I think. "Fuck, this is some really crazy shit, even by SGC standards." Sir. "Okay. So, what I could get is that they want to make the city "disappear"." Disappear how? That makes no sense. Also, oh God, urge to close eyes getting insurmountable. Must. Keep. Eyes. Open. "I'm not really sure how it's supposed to go. Kinda like this: they want to…" Must. Keep. Eyes…

Moore

"…detonate a nuke in the atmo…"

"Sir."

Hey, I was just about to explain the absolute most harebrained stunt I have ever heard… oh.

Oh.

I look at Dee again, first blinking, than incredulous. "Did those two just fall asleep on me?"

Dee… looks very much like he'd really like to laugh. Oh, to everyone who doesn't actually know him, he looks absolutely, totally straight-faced. But I do know him. And this guy is about to break out laughing. His version of it, anyway. "In all fairness, sir," yep, all ready to laugh his ass off, "they have been awake for almost all of four days."

God, I hate it when he's right. "Still could have finished listening first?" Oh, and now I sound like a sulking idiot. Most because I am a sulking idiot.

My sergeant looks very much like he would like to point that out to me but only keeps it to himself because he's not in the mood for any stupid discussions and honestly, I can't even fault him for that. Still, "It was a good story, Dee. They're planning to detonate a nuke above the city. That's gotta be the most harebrained stunt I have ever heard of."

He clears his throat. What? What? "With all due respect, sir, but… someone once blew up an entire planet just to get us back to our own reality."

Dammit. He just had to go and point that out, didn't he? "I hate it when you're being correct."

"Sorry, sir." Oh please.

"No, you're not." And in all fairness, he really doesn't have to be. Because he is correct and because that's not actually a crime.

Dee, for his part, wisely refrains from confirming my assumption and instead says, "Honestly, sir, I really don't think either of them planned falling asleep right in the middle of your explanation."

Yes, okay, of course they didn't. But… did they have to do it like that? You know, as close as that, and Reece's head on Morsberg's shoulder and all that? Really?

Oh hell, if I mention any of that now, Dee will immediately recognize it for what it is – jealousy, goddammit – and very carefully and respectfully lecture me on how that is absolutely uncalled for and definitely at least bordering on Conduct Unbecoming and he'd be right and because I can only stomach being called an idiot by my sergeant so many times a day, I swallow my original reply and instead go with, "I know that, don't worry. I just…"

"They'll be fine, sir. Nothing sleep and food won't fix." Right. Of course.

And hey, here's a funny thing: I just know that when Dee says "they'll be fine" to reassure me, he actually means "she'll be fine" because he thinks that's what I want to hear and what I'm most interested in and that's not exactly wrong but for some reason, I feel some kind of responsibility for the German, too.

We're not even actually on the same team, and quite honestly, he just really somehow rubs me the wrong way but… I know that he used to be Laura's friend. And Laura had good taste in people, except maybe with me, and there must have been something to him to make her like him and even recommend him to the Atlantis staff selection board. So, I guess I just somehow feel some kind of obligation because Laura would have wanted me to make sure he came out of this entire clusterfuck alive.

But damn, it does rankle just how cozy he and Reece are with each other.

Fuck, I just can't help it, I have to laugh; that weird cynical resigned laugh that kind of became a staple of my repertoire after Laura died. Dee looks at me, a little weird. "You know, I just realized… if they go through with that plan, and it works, we're pretty much screwed, Dee."

He just raises an eyebrow, "Why, sir?"

Because I'll be forced to live and work and train in the same city as Maureen Reece. Because I thought I was finally over her and just sitting here and watching her sleep, all that tough as nails attitude gone, making her look exactly like that young officer sleeping on my couch, made me realize that I'm not even close to being "over her". Because she's not ever gonna want me the same way I want her and that's gonna hurt.

I take a deep breath. "Because this city is a really messed up place and there's not even an option to live off-base."

"Yeah," I hear Dee say after some consideration, when he no doubt worked through what I just said and found that to be not exactly a lie but not even half the truth, either, "I can see what you mean, sir."

He does, that's the worst about it. I'm reasonably sure he doesn't know the extent of my little problem with Reece – as sure as you can be when you still have lingering doubts that your sergeant may or may not be a mind-reader – but he sure as hell is smart enough to know that there's something not exactly right.

"The view's nice, though." Was he… just being sarcastic?

I turn to him, and he sits there, completely straight-faced and I can't believe I still have no idea how to tell whether he's being serious or just bullshitting me. "The… view, Sergeant?"

Shrugging, he tells me, absolutely earnestly, "Sure. Kinda feels like home."

Home? He's been living in a lot of places and not that many of them have featured ocean views and I also had the distinct feeling that he didn't consider any of them ho… oh, I get it. We tend not to talk about it – as we tend not to talk about a lot of things – but I remember it. This guy's originally from Nebraska. Flat, boring landscape, big sky… yeah. I get it. But also, "You're fucking with me, aren't you?"

He smirks. He actually smirks. "Only a little, sir."

Goddammit. I should have known he would say that and because the day has been mostly shitty up to now, I decide that I'm just not in the mood to dignify that with a reply and instead give him a dirty look and keep my trap shut. I'm pretty sure that this has the potential to look like sulking but fuck, so be it.

Which is how we end up sitting silently next to each other, taking care they all leave Reece and Morsberg alone and waiting for either the all clear or instant annihilation. When it comes – the all clear, kind of surprisingly, not the annihilation – it takes a moment to reach us and funny enough it seems that it also takes a moment for the people coming through our little intersection to realize that we really won. I guess that's what a year of constantly being under threat, topped by four days of literally being on the brink of getting blown up, sank or going out in a blaze of glory does to people.

When it finally registers, the big exodus begins and this is where it gets tricky. Because, you know, someone has to make sure that the two Sleeping Beauties here don't get left behind and have to sleep off this battle somewhere in the bowels of a space ship instead of an actual bed. And I have no idea where either of them are quartered or if those quarters even still exist and what do to with people who don't have quarters any… "Hey, is the LT I mean the Cap okay? Is the Doc?"

Yeah, you're only the tenth or so person to ask that. I'm about to tell the Atlantis Marine off but Dee is faster. "Yes, they're fine. Just exhausted is all."

The Marine nods. "Good. I got a little worried after the Cap sent me off to the infirmary back in that stairway." Huh, what… "Anyway, you're Daedalus people, right?"

Dee nods. "Yes. Senior Master Sergeant Simon DeLisle, Major Thomas Moore." Hey, I didn't give you any leave to just introduce me to any… "We're part of the relief contingent."

"Oh, right, now I remember where I've seen you before! SGC, right? One of the Gate Teams, lower two-digs, wasn't it?" We nod warily, and I think I might actually recognize her from one of the Gate Security Teams? "Ah, damn, sorry. Lance Corporal uh Sergeant Amy Strickland. And… wait… you were on the Cap's team."

Yup. Time to take this over. "Captain Reece was on my team, yes, Sergeant."

The sergeant now deigns to register my presence, too – in all fairness, to a newly minted sergeant, a seasoned senior master sergeant is probably a lot more significant than some boring major – and gives me a weird look. "The hell did she do that you let her go?" What the… What? "Captain's one of the good ones, sir. Not a whole lotta company grades like her out there."

Okay, whatever Reece did in her year here, it must have been something worthwhile, if it managed to impress a US Marine Corps lance corporal like that. I frown. "You worked with her?"

"Kinda regularly, yeah. She's got guts, sir." That much is true. She already had them back at the SGC, she only didn't know it, yet. "Doc's okay, too, by the way. For," a German? "An Army guy, anyway." Wow, high praise from a US Marine.

Okay, enough chit-chat. "So… you do know where they're quartered, Sergeant?"

That actually makes her miss a beat and blink at me, wondering what the weird major who let "one of the good ones" go just like that is on to now but then she seems to have decided to get along with it. "Sure. Just… hey, can I have that? Thanks." And just like that, she snatches a tablet from a randomly passing and now slightly consternated Daedalus crew member and types around, before handing it to the crew member and telling us, "Good news and bad news, sir. Which one do you want first?"

What now? I barely keep from rolling my eyes. "Either one is fine, Sergeant. I'm not picky."

"Okay," she says, "good news is, the Cap's quarters are fully intact, in the structurally safe zone and accessible." Okay, that is good news. "Bad news is, the Doc's aren't." My first instinct is to tell her that I couldn't care less but not only would that be a lie – because for some completely unfathomable reason I do care where Morsberg ends up, God help me – it would probably also incur the wrath of a newly minted US Marine Corps sergeant. She did say she considers him an "okay guy" which basically translates to her being willing to physically fighting me for disagreeing.

Okay, fine. I sigh. "Is there any word yet on where people who lost their quarters are supposed to go?"

Surprisingly, she nods, now realizing where I was going with my questions. "Mess hall's the word." Then she frowns, looking at Morsberg again. "But honestly, if I were you, I'd rather try the infirmary. Don't let them send you away, just put him in the ready room. He's been pulling so many twenty-six-hour shifts, I just bet there's a bunk with his name on it there."

Err, okay, so… "How about Sergeant Strickland and I take… Stabsarzt Morsberg to the infirmary and you take Captain Reece to her quarters, sir?"

Yeah, you know, I'm not sure that's a good idea. After everything that went down today, I'm really not sure she'd want me in her quarters and uh… "Sounds like a plan to me, sir. Only… we gotta take our time. Docs are gonna go ballistic if they see me running around this place." Huh? "Sprained my ankle pretty badly doing Wraith search and destroy with the Captain, sir."

Right. The fact that she even mentioned it tells me she's not the freshest member of the contingent, either but to her credit, she's still awake when Reece and Morsberg aren't. Okay, then. "Alright. There's just flaw in this plan, Sergeant."

She blinks at me. "Huh?"

I manage not to smirk and instead keep my face straight. "I have no idea where Captain Reece's quarters are located and how to get there."

It takes her a tiny moment to compute this – another tell that our perky sergeant here is only marginally fresher than the two Sleeping Beauties we're debating over – then she… goes and grabs another crew member's touchpad and I have a feeling we should get her off this ship as soon as possible because at this rate, half the crew will probably hate her in about twenty minutes or so. She shows me the tablet. "Okay, so we're here… and you have to get here." She then proceeds to tell me where to go, offhandedly asks me if I have the gene, shortly explains to me how to communicate with the city without that damn gene and then hands the tablet back. Something tells me this Marine would have gotten promoted even without Sheppard's let's say odd way of problem solving.

After that, I bend down to lift Reece up and… "Oh, you know what? I got an idea." With that, Strickland crouches down and swiftly works to relieve Reece of her P90, Beretta and remaining flash bangs, somehow managing to stow all the excess ordnance somewhere in or on her own flak vest, then tells me, "Someone's gotta check the Cap's stuff back into the armory, sir."

Huh. "Good thinking, Sergeant." At that, she grins. "Seriously. You're gonna go places." An even brighter grin. "But first, you and Sergeant DeLisle here go to the infirmary and I go to Captain Reece's quarters." An eye-roll now, and not even a discreet one. For some reason, I'm actually starting to like this one. "Alright, move out, everyone."

There's a nice chorus of "Yes, sir" from both her and Dee, and it's even semi-serious, while they somehow manage to get Morsberg upright enough so Dee can lift him up in a fireman's carry and then manage to slowly make their way off the Daedalus while I trail along in their wake, carrying Reece in a more classical cradle and damn, she may be tiny but she sure weighs a bit in full battle rattle.

At some point, our ways finally part and I tell Dee to meet me back in our quarters aboard the Daedalus before continuing alone towards Reece's quarters and I'm pretty proud to say that I did find them on first try and only went sideways once due to accidentally punching the wrong button in one of the transporters and managed to make Atlantis let me in without completely losing my shit at the city being one uncooperative bastard.

In the end, I just lay Reece down on her bed, flak vest and combat boots and all but something tells me she's not gonna like waking up geared up like that so I take it upon myself to at least pull off her combat boots and even manage to get off her flak vest without her making so much as a peep. Considering how she used to make those little sleepy sounds when someone so much as looked at her while she was sleeping, this tells me better than anything else that she's really out cold.

And damn, I know I should just leave but something makes me sit down on her bed, in the little crook made by her lying on her side, her legs slightly drawn towards her. Here we are, somewhere high above the ocean, her window open for some reason, a light breeze wafting through it and the sound of the waves rolling in in the distance. Outside, the sun is rising, painting Reece's quarters in soft pastel toned light and suddenly, I just feel so damn tired.

Tired enough that I'd love to do nothing more than to just lie down next to her and fall asleep, too and I can't help leaning forward and rubbing my hands over my face. It's kind of ridiculous, me sitting here in the light of the new day, after the battle and thinking this is gonna be a really crappy year but that's exactly what happens.

Well, then. Nothing to do about it but soldier on and make the best of it, huh?

"Been a hell of a first day, huh?" I hear myself telling her in a low voice and resisting the temptation to pat her thigh. Instead, I make myself get up, pull out the bottle of water I noticed when I pulled off her flak vest and put it on the nightstand next to her. Take it from me, when she wakes up, she's not gonna want anything as much as she's gonna want that bottle of water.

But oh God, I know I should but I just can't resist taking one of the post-it notes I found on her desk and using one of the pens in the neatly organized pen stand to write down You did good today, Kid. on it and stick it on the bottle.

And then I finally beat a retreat and make my way out of her quarters and back to my own on the Daedalus, telling myself that I'm just making everything sound worse than it really is and that it's actually not that bad, after all and trying to ignore that little voice in my head that sounds suspiciously like Laura, telling me to just suck it up and be honest, at least to myself.

Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen.

Hell of a first day, indeed.