Chapter 21: I just imagined a big blanket and hid the two of us under it.

I hoped that after more sleep and food than I'd had for a while I'd make some progress with the sensors but the whole morning was spent getting more and more frustrated.

"Why isn't this working?" I angrily pushed away from the ancient console.

"Don't give up," Dr McKay reassured me. "I mean the fact that you can block out the sensors the way you do is just amazing. Have you tried to do anything else like that?"

"Well, I tried to block Major Sheppard's signal when the Genii took over,' I admitted. "It worked for a few seconds I think but I couldn't maintain my control because Sheppard was moving too fast. I thought at the time that I'd have to be physically there with him to make it work but I haven't had the chance to test that out."

"Let's get Sheppard down here," Rodney suggested. "You're not making progress going straight at the problem - maybe this will help."

"Rodney," Major Sheppard complained as he arrived. "This better be good - I'm in the middle of planning our mission to Dagan.

"Oh right, one of the ZedPM planets from Ancient Elizabeth's list," Rodney nodded distractedly. "Well this won't take long and then you can get back to counting your ammo or whatever it is you do to plan a mission."

Although the comment was biting I knew that Sheppard and Rodney shared a strange but close friendship so I just smiled as Sheppard raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'm not making any progress," I admitted. "Rodney thinks if I do something else it might help. When the Genii took over I tried to block your sensor signal like I do my own. I thought I might be succeeding here and there but it was too hard because you were just moving around too damn fast."

"Okay, so you want to try that now?" he guessed why we'd called him down there.

"If you don't mind?' I acknowledged.

"What do I do?" he asked, stepping closer to me.

"Just stand still for now," I said distractedly, turning to Rodney and asking him to get the sensor map to display this room. Three life signs registered, then two as I put up my own block with the ease of much practice.

"That is so cool," Dr McKay breathed before registering my annoyance at his interruption. "Okay, now try to get rid of Major Sheppard's signal."

In my head I'd developed the method of spreading a mental blanket over myself as the trigger for hiding my signal. Now I tried to make the blanket bigger and spread it over Major Sheppard as well. As I watched a second life sign dimmed and then went out. I smiled in relief but it was short lived because as soon as I took my concentration off him for a second, Sheppard's signal reappeared.

"Damn," I grumbled.

"It's okay Sabina," Major Sheppard said, while at the same time Dr McKay said "Touch him!"

"What?" we both turned to Rodney.

"You have the gene, he has the gene. Maybe touching him will reduce the burden of hiding him? After all, he's always saying how much Atlantis likes him!" Rodney said in that voice he uses when he thinks something should be completely obvious.

"Oh, right" I commented, putting my hand on Major Sheppard's arm and trying again. This time it was easier to keep my blanket over the both of us. No one said anything as I held the block for minutes. I was amazed at how quickly I found a way to put the block on both of us to the back of my mind and free up some of my mental capacity. When I was first learning the technique it had taken days to achieve the same thing for myself.

"What now?" I asked, noting that both of them looked impressed when I managed to hold the block while speaking to them.

"Can you do that if we move around a bit?" Major Sheppard tone suggested he could see the value of this from a tactical point of view.

"Shall we go for a walk and try it out?" I asked, turning to Rodney. "Can you let us know when Major Sheppard's life sign reappears?" I requested.

It was a little awkward walking with my hand on Sheppard's arm and we did get a few looks as we turned away from Rodney's lab and headed for the control room.

"How are you doing this?" Major Sheppard asked.

"I just imagined a big blanket and hid the two of us under it," I admitted reluctantly.

"Cosy," Sheppard grinned, clearly enjoying making me uncomfortable.

I had been expecting Rodney to tell us he could see Sheppard's signal but we made it to the control room with no word from him.

"McKay?" Sheppard barked into his radio. "Are you reading us?"

"Wouldn't I have said something if I was?" Rodney complained. "Where are you? Because I couldn't track you once you left the room. I can't tell your signal from anyone else's so I don't know if you're being picked up or not!"

"Oh right," Sheppard said quickly. "Well can you tell me how many people there are in the control room right now?"

"Two," Rodney said immediately.

"Sabina and I are both here so there should be four," Sheppard informed Rodney. "Not bad Sabina," he acknowledged.

"Take your hand off him," Rodney instructed me "but try to maintain your block."

I did what he said and waited to hear the result.

"Still only picking up two life signs," Rodney congratulated me. "How does it feel from your end?"

"I had to concentrate hard when I first let go," I said cautiously. "But now it doesn't feel that much harder than what I do for myself."

"Nice,' Sheppard commented. "What about if I'm not in the same room? This won't be much help if you have to be with me."

"Rodney?" I asked.

"Go for a walk Sheppard," Rodney's voice came back over the radio. 'But this time can you tell me where you're going? Do it quietly though because I don't want Sabina to hear you."

"Okay," Sheppard agreed readily, giving me a smile before he turned and left the room. I sat and concentrated on maintaining my link with the sensor system - my theory was that I didn't have to be with Sheppard because I now knew what his signal 'felt' like to Atlantis. I could find that feeling in the system and put a separate blanket over that. I started to shake a little at the effort I was putting in and eventually I had to let go.

"Sorry Rodney,' I apologised weakly. "I couldn't maintain it but with practice I probably could."

Overall we agreed it had been a successful morning. I was so tired I didn't even argue when Major Sheppard instructed me to have some lunch and take a nap.