Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

Part 12/?

-Chapter 11-

War and Peace

Charin became accustomed to finding quiet places to curl up and read while her parents were gone. These included anywhere from either of her parents' quarters to a quiet corner of the Jumper bay.

She made her way methodically through War and Peace. Of all the books she'd read so far, this was the hardest for her. The concept was so difficult, she was having trouble understanding it – even with the help of the nanites. How did her Uncle John read this? Did he understand it?

Charin paused in her reading every time a Jumper came or went. In her small protected corner, she could watch the comings and goings without being in any danger. After a while, though, she got tired of the Jumper bay and went in search of another quiet place to read.

She greeted some familiar faces she saw in her wandering. Chuck the technician, with whom she discussed the workings of the Gate and philosophies of life. Tiny Angie Nakamori, who was teaching Charin how to speak Japanese. (Though quite complicated, it was a fun language.) And, as she turned her steps toward her Aunt Elizabeth's office, she paused to talk to Bryan, the Hawaiian technician who was teaching her how to sing lullabies in his native language. He taught her another one very quickly (with the nanites, she was able to learn and memorize vast amounts of information in a short amount of time, and only required hearing or reading things once or twice). She looked around for Heather, the young woman from Holland who was teaching her Dutch, but didn't see her. Disappointed, she crept into her aunt's office and settled down in the corner to read. Elizabeth wasn't there at the moment, so the place was filled with the quiet and solitude she longed for.

Once more she immersed herself in War and Peace. She was going to understand this book if it was the last thing she ever did.

-MKR852-

"It's so beautiful and peaceful here," Teyla sighed. "It is nice to have a quiet mission."

Ronon shifted his position against the tree he leaned casually against. "Tell me about it. I was beginning to think we were forever cursed."

Sheppard snickered. "Well, I think McKay is."

"Bloodsuckers," the scientist complained. He slapped at his neck, then his arm, then his knee. "These things are biting me through my clothes! Why aren't they bothering you?"

"I guess it's your sweet disposition, McKay," Sheppard said, deadpan.

Ronon chuckled. The sound was rich, deep. It warmed Teyla's insides like a cup of her favorite Athosian brew. Again, she felt amazement at the fact that Ronon had asked her to be his. She swallowed back the flutter in her throat when he glanced at her and winked.

McKay glared, sputtered, and then stalked off with his nose in the air. "I'm going elsewhere. Even the trees would be better company than you people."

John glanced at them, mouthed "Yikes" and took off after the scientist. "Hey, McKay, wait up! You can't go wandering off on your own!"

Ronon shifted to watch another part of the area as Teyla leaned against the tree next to him and focused on their surroundings. Even though they'd determined this planet was empty of threats, it didn't hurt to be careful. "I can't believe Charin's reading already. She's only three."

Teyla nodded briefly. "It was quite a surprise to me, as well. It seems to be taking her a while to get through War and Peace, though. So. . . I do not know for sure, but I think it is helping her. Before this book, she has been able to read and understanding everything almost instantly. With the struggle she is having with War and Peace—"

"It makes her feel more human?" Ronon asked softly. His voice overflowed with sorrow. "No matter how many times we try to tell her she's fine. . . She won't believe us."

"She knows she is different. Charin is determined that her gifts can be bad. She is terrified she will one day accidentally use them for that purpose. So she refuses to use them at all."

"Maybe it's just as well," Ronon said thoughtfully. "When she first came to us, I was sure there would be some people out there – particularly in the IOA – who would want to exploit her gifts. And that was before we knew about her touch-telepathy, or rapid growth."

Teyla opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Sheppard and McKay coming back. However, they were running. And shooting. And there were arrows following them.

"Run!"

-Atlantis-

Elizabeth Weir was beginning to wonder if this day would never end. She'd no sooner finished her morning coffee when she received a radio hail from Dr. Zelenka: the power had gone out in the Science and Research tower. She had to intermediate while Radek and Rodney worked to find the problem. She was sure she'd never heard two people argue so much, and she'd learned at least four new Czech swear words.

She'd just returned to her office after that incident when she received another call, this one from the cafeteria. The Daedalus had shipped in too much food, and the cooks were wondering what to do with the extra so it wouldn't spoil. Elizabeth told them to make whatever they wanted.

By the time mid-afternoon arrived, she was just glad to be able to return her office and hopefully some solitude. On the way past, she paused to ask Chuck to give her the itinerary for the rest of the day. She listened distractedly as the Gate technician gave her an update on when all the teams off-world were due back. As soon as that duty was completed, she refocused her attention on her data pad and headed for her office.

It wasn't until she'd settled into her seat when she noticed the young girl curled up in the corner of her office, a thick book in her hands.

"Charin!" Elizabeth was used to seeing her around. But not in her office, and certainly not reading a book!

Charin looked up with the toothy grin of a three-year-old. "Uncle John gave me this to read. It's War and Peace."

Elizabeth had already had a day full of disbeliefs and frustrations. This was quite nearly the last straw. "You understand it? You can read it?"

Charin gave her a look that questioned her sanity; in hindsight, perhaps she was right to do so. "Of course I can read it." She smiled again and turned back to the novel.

The shaken doctor had to draw in a deep breath and remind herself that Charin was far from normal. Carson had mentioned something about the nanites helping Ronon and Teyla's daughter learn at a much faster rate than normal children – but she had not expected a three-year-old to be able to be halfway through War and Peace! "How long have you been able to read?"

Charin shrugged and returned her gaze to the book. "I don't know – a few weeks?"

Elizabeth could imagine the look of consternation on Teyla's usually composed face when she'd found the young girl placidly reading such a thick book. "I see."

Charin shrugged again and went back to reading. It was clear she didn't find anything unusual with the situation, and Elizabeth didn't feel like pushing it.

Elizabeth had just managed to turn her attention from Charin back to her data pad when an alarm blared and Chuck called, "Dr. Weir!"

She shot to her feet and ran to the control room, hearing Charin's light footsteps pattering behind her. "What's going on?" Her gaze darted to the Stargate, which had activated. The shield glowed over it, a thin protection to keep whatever was on the other side out. "Are there any teams due back?" As soon as she asked the question she knew what the answer was going to be.

"No, ma'am." Chuck's attention was riveted on the laptop screen before him. Elizabeth heard him let out an audible sigh when a recognized IDC code flashed. "Receiving the code now. It's Dr. McKay." He looked up at her, worried. "They're coming in hot!"

"Let them in!" Elizabeth ran to the railing of the balcony overlooking the Gateroom, wondering what else could possibly have gone wrong in this already awful day. "Security team to the Gateroom! Repeat: Security team to the Gateroom!"

-To Be Continued-

Dia: Thanks? LOL No, I think you have named a couple of your things – like "Lions and Tigers," that was yours. And there was something else, but I don't remember what it is right now. Thank you! I guess I'm just integrating little bits and pieces of myself into Charin, with her earlier complaint about being short and now with her reading. Because you know me, I've always got my nose stuck in a book. LOL Nightmares isn't the only thing Charin can cause either. . . But we'll leave that alone until later. -wink- Thank you – I love writing Charin and Ronon together! She's just his little warrior. And I guarantee you, as she gets older, you'll start seeing more and more of her papa in her. Thanks so much for the review (wow, long one!), and the compliments, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

Bellkie: Thank you! Here's the next chapter: I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for the reviews, they really brighten up my day (and encourage me to write faster! LOL)!

SpaceMonkey0941: Thank you! No, not just her. I thought: "Hmm, since the replicators can stick their hands into people's heads and manipulate their thoughts, I wonder if the same principle would apply to manipulating dreams even without the hand in the head." So I ran with the idea. LOL She can do other things, too. . . But those will come at a later time. Thank you so much for your review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -hugs-

lia-finn: Definitely poor Charin – I hated writing that scene! I'm one of those people who try to crawl into my characters and write through them (as strange as that sounds LOL), and by the time I finished, I was just ready to sit down and cry myself! Wow, thank you! I think I know what you mean – it was kind of like watching the dream, like seeing it happen on the show? Actually, there's a little bit of John and Rodney in this chapter (and John will play a key part in the next chapter), and an Elizabeth POV at the end of this chapter. And Carson will also be in the next chapter. I know I've been focusing a lot on Ronon, Teyla, and Charin lately, but I'm planning on bringing more of her "family" in from now on. No, Ronon and Teyla aren't living together just yet, but I promise they will be soon. Here's the update, I really hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for the review!

TubaPrincess: Thank you! Yes, she is. Like you said, right now Charin feels like her "gifts" are nothing but evil, so she's very afraid of them. She's going to be struggling with that, especially in the next chapter. And thank you! I'd had that engagement up my sleeve for a while, now, and it was very exciting to write it. I'm sorry! I wish writing was a release for you, too. -hugs- I like to write when I need a stress-reliever, but I also like to read, too, when I just want to relax. A good book can never be beat. LOL Thank you so much for your reviews, my day always gets a little brighter when I see reviews waiting in my e-mail box. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Mistryja: I'm so sorry! I'm glad to know your internet is fixed now – I know I go crazy without mine! Thank you! I'd had that scene where Ronon proposed to Teyla in my head for a little while now, so it was a lot of fun to be able to write it at last. I'm really glad you loved it! Thanks so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Bunnylass: I think children are so adorable – especially when they know they are! And yes, you're right – that's exactly it. Charin's abilities and her longing to use her gifts for good are going to come into play very soon – and she sure needs to know that she can do it! I'm sorry I made you sad. I hope you feel a little more well-rested now – I know everything seems so much of an effort when I'm tired. And that's okay – I liked your rambling, you made perfect sense! Thank you so much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

TeylaFan: Thank you! I love writing Charin interacting with both her parents – but I positively love writing them all together (like I will in the next chapter)! And thank you! I'm really glad you're enjoying this story, I think it's one of my favorites so far to write. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!