Hello!
Many thanks to mkoepp63026, Armand, Forahr and VividVideoGeek for the reviews!
There's a wee bit of a development in this chapter that I've got a funny feeling you won't particularly like (it certainly shocked my beta!), but stick with me - As I've told a few of you this particularly storyline's got a bit more to it!
Atlantis, San Francisco Bay
September 6th, 2012
Chuck was still down about Evan not extending an invite to join his team, so after getting settled into his new quarters, which he had to admit were nicer and more spacious than his old ones, he'd spent the evening in the mess getting to know the first of the newbies, or Space Virgins as he'd heard Lieutenant Bakewell call them, and he'd not really spoken to his friend.
He knew he was being childish, but he was just a bit deflated. Had Radek really shown any more zeal for going offworld than he had? He didn't think so.
Chuck had been a loyal gate technician for most of his time on Atlantis. He'd started as part of the inventory team in the city before becoming a relief Gate technician a few months in when the most urgent cataloguing had been completed. He'd then stepped into Grodin's job after his death at the start of the Siege of Atlantis. From that point on he'd stayed where he was, and even after Atlantis had returned to Earth and the rest of expedition had left, both he and Amelia had stayed behind, monitoring the city's systems while the entire city was catalogued and analysed by the IOA and the SGC. Chuck loved being in the city, but after nearly eight years, and with three of them being completely without any sort of accident or incident, he was bored to tears.
But maybe the lack of an offer to join a team, even from one of his closest friends, was his own fault – he'd been happy to stay in his job just so he could stay in the city. But maybe he'd just made himself look really happy in his role.
No, if Chuck wanted to be on an SG Team he'd have to prove that he really wanted it. He'd need to think of a way to make Evan see that this was what he wanted.
Amelia materialised in the Gate Room along with a group of Atlantis' old support staff. There was no welcoming fanfare for them, and the group melted away, going in search of their respective departments. Amelia didn't know whether to head up to the control room, or if she should find out if her quarters had been moved when she spotted a sad-looking Chuck sat at the main control console.
She jogged up the stairs, and was happy to see a smile on her friend's face when he noticed her coming towards him. They quickly enveloped each other in a hug.
"You're here!" she smiled happily.
"And so are you!" He chuckled.
"They could never keep me away from this place."
"Same...How's your family?" he asked.
"Physically they're absolutely fine...Mentally I...I don't know. But they'll get there...We all will...How about your lot? You looked pretty down when I beamed in."
"Well you know me – not much in the way of family, but what I have is fine. Halifax got hit, but not half as bad as most places...As for my face tripping me, well it's just me being silly really."
Amelia gave her friend a quizzical look before sitting at the adjacent console.
"Silly?...Spill."
Chuck sighed and avoided making eye contact with the kickboxer for a moment, "I don't want you to take this the wrong way...I mean, I love working with you...We have a great laugh but...Maybe I don't want to be a gate tech anymore."
"You can't honestly be thinking about leaving."
"No...No of course not! I just...I don't want to be sending people out on missions...I want to be one getting sent out on missions...I want to be on a team, but not even Evan's figured that out yet."
Amelia took hold of her friend's hands, "Make them see that you really want it. Your five years with the expedition will help you get there. Most people only last about a year here, so they can't doubt your commitment to the city! Plus you're the only gate tech that's military. Show them you want to utilise some of the skills you've not used in a long while...I'm sure they'll get the message."
Amelia stopped talking and the pair felt eyes on them. It was Woolsey, looking at both techs quizzically, especially their interlocked hands.
"Between people coming out and people having babies all over the place...you two getting together really shouldn't surprise me," their ex-boss murmured then walked away before they could explain themselves.
Vancouver, British Columbia
"You sure you're up to doing this alone Mer?" Jeannie asked her brother.
Rodney for his part nodded, "Even if I weren't, I wouldn't have a choice."
Jeannie sighed in sad agreement with Rodney.
The McKay-Millers were back at Rodney's, where everything was ready to be beamed to the city. Madison and the twins had been beamed to join them so that Maddie could arrive in Atlantis along with her parents, and so that Rodney and the twins could make a visit to Wisconsin before departing for the city.
"Okay Doctors...Everything on the lawn is ready to be beamed to the city. We're beaming everything to Dr. McKay's quarters for now," advised Captain Reynolds.
"Okay," said Jeannie.
Knowing Reynolds from their security detail was about to beam everything on the front lawn to the city, Maddie walked up to the window to get the best view of their disappearing belongings. As everything was beamed away, Madison let out an amazed gasp.
"Well Madison, if you think that's amazing, just wait till you get to Atlantis," Rodney smiled at his niece.
"Dr. Miller, Mr Miller, Miss Miller. Are you all ready?"
Maddie nodded vigorously before Kaleb confirmed they were good to go, "Ready when you are."
"Mer," Jeannie said before they were beamed, "Give Darren our love."
West Hartford, Connecticut
"Hey Wendy...I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, but I just wanted to check you were okay, and...I need for us to arrange a meeting about Patrick. So if you could please call me, time is of the essence. I'm at Dave's house and will be till tomorrow if necessary. If getting here's an issue I can get the Air Force to speed things up...Hope I hear from you very soon, and hope you're well."
John sighed and put down his phone before turning to his brother and sister-in-law, "I have to at least try."
"I don't know why you even bother being civil with her John," April sighed, "You have custody so you should just go. She had the chance to play more of a part in his life and she didn't take it."
"She's not well-"
"John...This can't all be post-natal depression. I've been there. Either there's something else going on you don't know about or...Or I don't know."
"I agree with April," Dave added, "She's had every opportunity to be a mother to that boy and she's failed every time. I never thought I'd tell you this but as a single father, you're doing an amazing job."
"Was that praise David?" John quipped.
"Why yes Jonathan, it was," Dave smiled back.
John chuckled at the old joke. Dave had went through life explaining that he wasn't a David – his birth certificate said Dave. But a young John had thought it was funny to call his brother David all the time, so Dave had responded in kind, calling John Jonathan at every opportunity as they grew up.
Their split second of reminiscing was brought to an end when Lieutenant McColm walked into the living room.
"Colonel Sheppard, I believe your ex-wife and her lawyer are at the gate. They say they need to talk to you."
Balmaha, Scotland
"Mother, please...really. You do know Irn Bru's banned in America. They'll probably confiscate it all from me if they find it in the city!" Carson whined as his mother dragged another palette of the sugary orange-coloured drink into the room where his belongings were, ready to be beamed to the city.
"You're going to another galaxy. Surely they'll leave it be," she tried to reason.
"Aye mibbe." he sighed.
Carson sat down on the arm of his sofa, letting the lack of sleep he'd endured play across his features – he was exhausted. He'd spent the previous day in Edinburgh as a guest of the First Minister, and while he hadn't been mercilessly grilled for information like he'd been worried he would, it had still been a long and stressful day. Contrary to the treatment Rodney and his family had received, Carson had been treated like a hero, and had received a standing ovation from the press pack when he'd given his press conference. He'd also made a quick publicity stop at Edinburgh Medical School where he'd addressed a group of first year students. It wasn't the first time he'd been back at his alma mater to give a talk or a guest lecture, but it was the first visit to generate any sort of publicity. As his day in Edinburgh had wound down, he'd also been advised that Glasgow were going to award him the Freedom of the City, an honour that had previously been given to the likes of Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. But Carson knew it would probably be awarded to him in absentia – he'd likely be well on his way to Pegasus by the time it was announced.
Now he sat back in his house in Balmaha, where he'd hastily packed what possessions he'd kept there, while some people from the SGC picked up some belongings from his house in Sendai.
"You're certain you're happy for anyone in the family to take your house in Japan?" his mother asked.
"Absolutely, but I think it'll be James who'll be most interested – I promised him first dibs if he agreed not to join the expedition."
"Got you," Mary Beckett sighed sadly.
"I don't know why he wanted to...This family more than most others understands just how dangerous it is out there."
"Aye, well let's not dwell," she said, clutching her son's hand for the briefest of seconds, shutting down the line of conversation like she always did.
Carson wondered if she'd ever be able to come to terms with the fact he was a clone.
"About that," she said suddenly, "James and your sisters and I have agreed that we won't say a word about the...the clone thing, to the rest of the family. I don't think any of the us could handle that right now."
"Thank you," Carson all but whispered, amazed she'd even brought the subject up.
"It will be a conversation that we'll need to have at some point though...But we'll wait."
Carson nodded before rising to his feet enveloping his mother in a hug which was returned without hesitation.
Carson couldn't hold off the inevitable goodbyes indefinitely however, so he soon made his way to the decking at the back of the house and said goodbye to his brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and in-laws before being beamed to Atlantis.
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Rodney set the jumper down a short distance away from the log cabin near the shore of Lake Wissota that Darren Keller called home.
Rodney remembered when he's first been introduced to Darren Keller, just a couple of days after Atlantis had splashed down in the Pacific. He'd been petrified, but Darren was so easygoing and welcoming that pretty soon the two men were getting along famously. Darren had been an architect, but had always stayed in the small town of Chippewa Falls. Jennifer had surmised this was to do with remaining close to memories of her mother who had died when Jennifer was very young, less than a year after the death of her younger brother. Now Darren spent his time in his log cabin, making wood carvings and painting and volunteering in the community. For someone who had lost so much – both his wife and his two children – he seemed remarkably resilient and he'd helped Rodney more than he could have hoped since Jennifer's death.
Rodney had wanted to tell Darren exactly how Jennifer had died, but the SGC wouldn't let him at the time. But he'd be damned if the SGC would stop him now.
With the jumper parked, and with the security detail giving the all clear, Rodney asked Captain Reynolds to watch the twins for a little while to allow Rodney to talk to the man without interruption.
Rodney knew he's already been spotted when he saw Darren's confused face at one of the windows facing the jumper, so he didn't have to knock. After waiting for a second the door opened and his father-in-law enveloped him in a hug.
"It's so good to see Meredith," he smiled.
"Likewise Darren,"
West Hartford, Connecticut
"You...You what? You can't do that!" John shouted in shock and hurt.
"I sent you a letter John," Nancy said calmly.
"I thought it was about the divorce so I hadn't read it yet," John said, his voice surprisingly shaky.
"Where's the letter?" April asked John while glaring at Nancy.
"At the bottom of my bag."
"What my client and I have done is perfectly reasonable given the circumstances," Nancy's lawyer deadpanned as Dave rummaged through the bag to retrieve the letter.
"We had custody arrangements agreed as part of the divorce!" John shouted, "You can't just swoop in and take Patrick."
"You want to take him to another galaxy where human-eating aliens are top of the food chain! I might not be a hands-on mother but I want to keep my child safe!"
Dave had retrieved the letter and handed it to his shocked and upset brother to read.
John skimmed the letter before setting it down and remaining silent for several seconds.
"You filed for emergency custody," he whispered.
"How could you do that Nancy," April said, "That boy is John's life and you've never shown any interest! Are you doing this out of spite?!"
"I believe Patrick's safer on Earth...And if you read the letter John, you'll see the law's in agreement with me."
"My client had a strong case for gaining temporary custody – she is gainfully employed and is in a stable relationship and the child is acquainted with Ms Corrigan's partner," stated the lawyer.
"Wait...hang on...You have a new boyfriend, and you've let him be around my son without my knowledge or permission?"
"He's my son too...I shouldn't need permission."
"Dr Simpson is also gainfully employed and has a teenage daughter which also helped the courts come to a decision, especially when compared to your patchy high-risk military career and lack of a steady job for the last couple of years."
Dave was getting angry listening to this and leaned over the table into the lawyer's face, "My brother is an excellent father who only has Patrick's best interests at heart. He should stay with his dad!"
"That may indeed be the ruling in the future, but for now Ms Corrigan has custody. The other two people in our car are from Child Protection Services and it's their job to see that this court order is adhered to. Your son will be living with Ms Corrigan in Washington D.C. For at least the next month."
"Dr. Simpson...That's your other ex-husband Grant, isn't it Nancy? Is that what you do? Jump from one ex to the other?!" John raised his voice.
Nancy stood up, "Hand him over John, or you won't get any access to him this month,"
"No! No I won't hand him over!"
"What happened to you Nancy?" Dave said loudly, "Our dad was so fond of you...He treated you like you were his daughter and now you do this to us? Wasn't divorcing John twice enough damage already?"
"I'll do what I have to," Nancy said stoically, "And now I want my son."