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The Supernatural characters belong to Kripke Enterprises and the CW, not me. Stargate Atlantis belongs to MGM and its creators, Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, again, not me. No money is being made from this story. It is for entertainment only.
Star Born
Chapter 12
An Angel in Atlantis
The travelers returned to Atlantis. First there appeared Marie with San in her arms; then De, Teyla and Ronon individually. Ronon was holding his gun at ready and the usually placid Teyla appeared disturbed. There was one more ripple on the billowing surface of the Gate and the Atlantis crew braced for unexpected arrivals. Nothing happened. The surface of the Gate, disturbed momentarily, settled back into its normal placid rippling effect. In the space of a few more heartbeats the wormhole collapsed.
Dr. Weir was standing behind Chuck the Gatekeeper up in the control room. She noticed that when the unusual 'empty bubble' appeared on the face of the Gate, Chuck had rapidly checked a number of his dials and indicators.
"What was that?" she asked. "I've never seen the Gate act like that before."
Chuck agreed. "I haven't either. It was almost like something arrived but we could not see it."
The technician leaned back in his chair. "Just to be on the safe side I'm going to run a series of diagnostics. I want to make sure nothings been added to the air. I would hate to see everyone suddenly pass out."
Castiel, the unseen visitor, stood silently absorbing this new place. The glowing blue surface of the Gate fascinated him. He wanted to run his fingers through the power radiating against his intangible body. The power soothed him, bathed him in energy. It was very much like standing near the Throne in Heaven's Vault. He was pleased.
"That would suppose some kind of attack on Atlantis through Cheyanne Mountain. Surely that's not possible." Elizabeth Weir replied to Chuck's comment.
Down below on the floor of the Gate room John Shepard entered along with Doctors Zelenka and McKay and a few of John's soldiers. As Dr. Weir watched the travelers were escorted to debriefing. She descended from Chuck's perch and headed for the conference room herself. Another also followed the group but Castiel was both unseen and unknown except by a couple of momentarily banished avatars.
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Once in the conference room the debriefing began. The travelers had been gone for months. Both De and San had birthdays off planet and Elizabeth was disturbed to hear that the children had been kept essentially in lock up during the entire period. Teyla was very angry about their trip to Earth and their treatment there. SG-1 had not made a good impression on either Teyla or Ronon in spite of Jack O'Neill's affable overtures. It was the armed guards that the Athosian leader and the Satedan had seen the most often.
When Ronon began to describe the attempt by the Tok'ra to seize the children and the Goa'uld incursion for the same reason, John Sheppard rose to order armed guards to the Gate Room.
Dr. Weir was very aware of Chuck's voice in her ear piece. Star Gate command was pinging the Gate over and over; an annoying 'knocking at the door' done electronically. Normally the Atlantis officers flew to answer that summons but currently there was some question as to the breach of trust between the installations. Technically Jack O'Neill was their boss however Jack was currently a galaxy away. If Atlantis refused to open the Gate there was little that Star Gate Command could do about it.
Elizabeth chose a compromise. She ordered Chuck to open the Gate to communications only. The iris was to remain closed and Chuck was to inform Earth that the iris was going to remain closed until such time as the safety of Atlantis could be assured.
While Chuck was setting up the link Elizabeth returned her attention to the group in the conference room. She noticed that the children were not sitting between Teyla and Ronon as they usually did. The boys had moved away from the adults and were sitting alone at the end of the table. Elizabeth smiled at the little ones and interrupted the adult's conversation to ask if they wanted anything; juice perhaps or maybe some food?
De whispered in San's ear and the little one spoke up. "Could I have juice, please?" San said.
"He probably needs food too." De added.
"What about you De?" Teyla asked, "Don't you want food and juice too?"
"OK, that would be good," the little boy answered while rubbing his hand against the edge of the table "but San first, OK? Then me."
Teyla rose and went to the door to instruct the guards to have something sent up from the kitchens. She was re-establishing her position as the boys' guardian, somewhat disturbed that the one who thought first of the boys' welfare was Dr. Weir.
Elisabeth observed the boys as they all waited. Even though the children had moved away from their normal protectors it seemed as if they were somehow still safe. After a few moments the debriefing continued.
The Atlantis personnel were trying to get as clear a picture a possible of the events that had occurred on Earth but Teyla and Ronon were growing impatient. They simply wanted to be returned immediately to the main land with the children.
Elizabeth's feelings were better indicators than she knew. She was correct in the supposition that the children felt safe at the other end of the room. De and Sam were well aware of the Man with Wings. They could not see him fully. He was like a thin film in the light but they recognized their protector from the Earth Gate Room and they felt safely enfolded in his wings.
Castiel was fascinated by his new surroundings. He could feel the Vault of Heaven above but it felt empty; empty and somehow fresh and new. There were no voices in his head and no matter how he tried he could not find angel voices on this world. The oceans were full of life. The land was home to an amazing variety of plants and animals he had never seen before. The signs of his Father's proliferate hand were everywhere and the very air sang with life but the Vault was pure and unoccupied.
Castiel was content. He and his friends appeared to be beyond the reach of Earth's angels. The Angels of Heaven imagined Earth without humans as a paradise. In this world God had expressed the idea that a world without angels could also be a type of paradise.
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The children had been safely tucked up in their bed by Marie. They were not yet asleep. San was coloring a book of Athosian animals and De was 'helping'. He was, of course, much too old to color like a baby but even so he was very involved in picking out the colors for little brother to use.
The adult meeting had broken up with demands on each side. The Atlantians wanted promises that the children would be available to do their type of exorcism on Goa'uld selected by SG-1 at the request of their allies, the Tok'ra. Atlantis wanted to retain their protection against the Wraith. Teyla and Ronon simply wanted to be sent back to the mainland with the children and be allowed to carry on their regular day-to- day existence. It was obvious that no one was going to get everything they demanded.
Dr. Weir had sat through the meeting with Jack O'Neill and occasionally others, pouring suggestions and occasionally orders into her ear. The entire three way conversation had given her a headache. Currently everyone had retired to their individual quarters with a promise of picking up the meeting again after everyone got some rest.
Castiel had stood guard over the children, his only responsibility. He had absorbed the conflicts in the room and was well aware of the dispute over the custody of the children. He sincerely hoped that these humans could settle their differences and would not resort to violence to advance their claims.
He had desired to speak, to reveal himself as the children's ultimate protector but decided finally to remain concealed. Another set of conflicting claims added to the stew already cooking was likely to cause a resort to force to advance one of the viewpoints. The 800 pound gorilla was Stargate Command. The Atlantis personnel were predominately soldiers; soldiers bond by a military code of conduct to obey the chain of command culminating in the Earth Command structure.
Teyla was being deferred to as the head of the Athosian people and the guardian of the children but only courtesy held back the hand of the military people. Ronon held the children's hearts but those fragile objects and his gun were all the cards he had to play.
Castiel was also a solder, one of Heaven's Warriors in his past life but he had stepped away from his post and gone over to the side of the Winchesters. An argument could be made in Heaven that he was a traitor.
The Angel wondered if God would be pleased with one of his retinue consorting with principals from the beginnings of time. After all, God was only one of the principals. There was also Death and here were the Winchesters carrying on through time as the divided soul. There was also Fate, the ancient sisters, Nature, the Mother who was the protector of new life and other archetypes among which God was only one voice. These thoughts if expressed openly could expel the Seraph from his place in the Heavenly hierarchy. He valued that place in the Vault of Heaven even if lately he had been derided and cast down.
Cas made sure his Wards were comfortable and safe and then left to wander the corridors of Atlantis. The first thing he discovered, to his surprise, was that the City itself was sentient. The humans traveling the corridors never noticed the Warrior of God striding through the passages but Atlantis was very aware. Visible or not she treated Cas as simply another visitor, deserving of light and heat and the automatic opening of doors. This amused the Angel and also helped him understand a little more about the people who had built this city.
The City was essentially blind. It did not 'see' the creatures that it sheltered, it felt them. Cas suspected that a corpse would simply be treated as inconvenient trash. It was the life force or the ever present electrical charge that indicated a living being that seemed to draw the City's attention.
He wandered the large installation without direction. Just like Atlantis itself he was drawn to life. He found Dr. Weir resting in her cabin on the bed. Passing close to her he could feel the pain she was trying to hide during the meeting. In a moment of purity he brushed her forehead with extended fingers and the headache died. She relaxed into a real sleep.
Further along the same corridor he came upon John Sheppard, hunching over maps of Atlantis, listing items on an electronic pad and generally fulfilling his military responsibilities for the next day. He was assigning posts, checking inventory, estimating the state of the weapons designed to keep the station safe. Here Cas learned of the enemies of Atlantis as he sat in background listening to various reports being made verbally to the stations' military commander. As Captain of his own Garrison previously he recognized exactly what Shepard was doing.
There did not appear to be any threat in this Galaxy from Demons but there was threat from some creatures called Wraith who were once human but had been infected and modified by a type of insect. It could be regarded as a type of genetic possession and Cas could understand why Exorcisms, spells and protection developed on Earth long ago could work on these creatures also,
Shepard finally turned off his devices, stretched and started getting ready for bed. Cas moved along. He was amused when Atlantis opened the door for him, surprising an almost naked Shepard. The man was frozen in confusion and the door closed on his startled face.
On another level Cas inadvertently walked into an electronics lab and set off flashing lights and chiming alarms. Several scientists rushed into the room and Cas backed away. From the grumbled remarks he gathered that he had disturbed several experiments in progress. Most of the lab coated personnel were concerned with only their own matters but one man stood in the middle of the room and tried to understand what had affected all these experiments at the same time.
The man's eyes swept from side to side and then he extended a type of meter in his hand and methodically scanned the entire room. Cas was standing near the door, purposely not close enough to trigger Atlantis's all too willing desire to open it for him. The man's device flashed when he passed it over Cas's position and the scientist stepped closer. Cs decided to trigger the door and carry on his exploring elsewhere. Waving his hand caused the door to open and the scientist rushed forward as if to stop him.
"Look here," the man shouted. "There's something here. Help me stop it."
"Dr. McKay," answered another of the men, "There's nothing there to stop. What do you want us to do?"
Cas was through the door and on his way. Atlantis closed the door in Rodney McKay's angry face.
Continuing with his wandering Castiel found himself back near the children's rooms. He heard voices and recognized the ones called Teyla and Ronon. Making a decision he passed into the room, Atlantis overriding the lock that Teyla had put on the door. Once again surprised faces were displayed at the city's "mistake."
Ronon rose from a couch and peered out though the now open door. He scanned the corridor for someone and no one was there. Both the Satedan and the Athosian thought the event was unusual but they didn't live on Atlantis so didn't know that the City didn't make those kind of mistakes.
Cas settled on the back of a couch with his feet on the seat and let his wings drop down over the back of the piece of furniture. He leaned forward, put his elbows on his knees, clasped his hands and became visible.
Ronon immediately dived for his gun and Teyla back rapidly away from the stranger. Cas waved his hand and Ronon's weapon was suspended in the air, close to the ceiling.
"Do not fear." Cas announced. "Peace be with you both."
This ancient greeting didn't seem to work as well on the aliens as it did on shepherds in the hills above Bethlehem. These people were not soothed. Ronon attempted to leap upwards for his gun.
"I mean you no harm.' Cas said softly. "I only wish to speak to you about the children."
"What do you know about the children?" Teyla hissed. "And what are you? How did you get in here?" The woman was quite tense and the man looked furious.
Cas extended his wings. They almost touched the walls of Teyla's cabin. "I am an Angel." Cas tried again. "I have been assigned as guardian of the children by the Winchesters. There is nothing to fear. I am here to help you succeed in your desire to remove the children from potential harm."
Just the sight of an Angel's wings could sooth anxiety. There were beautiful and shined with Grace. Ripples of pale color moved over the feathers and painted reflections on the walls of the room. Teyla sat down on her bed and watched the play of colors.
Ronon backed down and also sat. "I'm sorry," the Satedan said. "The word "Angel means nothing to us. How did you get here? Was it you that came through when the door opened?"
Cas considered how much of the Satedan's question he could answer without going into a long explanation of Earth based religious mythology. Not much he decided. Just the statement 'I am an Angel of the Lord' was fraught with difficulties. The word Angel needed definition and context and the word Lord was even worse.
Cas sighed. He tilted his head to one side, a habit Dean had often laughed at. Dena said it made Cas look like a bird. Dean was a man of war and Ronon was a man of war. Maybe Ronon would think it was funny too.
Cas sighed again. That didn't work. "Look,' he tried again. "I came here through the Star Gate with you both and the Children. I have a responsibility to keep those children safe. I have walked all over this place tonight and listened to many conversations. You two are the only ones who are concerned about the children as children. All the other interested parties are thinking of them only as weapons."
Teyla nodded. "That is very true. I wish that we never found out about De's Signs of Protection. They have saved my people's lives and we would not want to destroy the ones we have but the children are being pursued by so many now. I know we will not be able to keep them safe. One of these groups will take them from us."
"That's what I can prevent." Cas told her. "I am a Warrior," he allowed his sword to drop into his hand. Ronon stood up and moved in Teyla's direction.
"Don't worry," Cas said. ""I'm not going to attack either of you but you should know that I am armed. The Angel sword is only one of my weapons. Not even you, Ronon, could stand before me."
"My worth to you lies not in my ability to fight. " Cas went on. "I can move you all in a moment anywhere on this planet you would want to be. I can take you all, all at once to the mainland, to your homes or even to the other side of the planet. You only have to indicate where you want to go."
"That's not possible," Ronon objected.
Cas stood up. "Where would you like to be, Ronon?"
"Just move me to the children's room." the Satedan said. "That should be proof enough."
Cas touched Ronon's arm and the Angel and the warrior disappeared. In a moment they were back. Teyla didn't even have time to take a second breath."
Ronon looked at the Athosian. "It's true."
"Very well," Teyla said. "Tomorrow we will give the Atlantians another chance to let us go. If we can't come to terms then we will asked you, Angel, to take us home."
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