Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine.

Tallis never thought her bonding ceremony would be something like this. She was dressed in a clean set of BDUs, and her hair was hanging loosely down past her shoulders. Her husband-to-be was lying in a hospital bed, too weak to move, much less stand up, but his eyes were shining and he was sitting up, with the aid of the mechanical bed. The cleric overseeing the ceremony was dressed in black BDUs and didn't carry the holy book that was accepted as the book of truth. Another girl might have been disappointed, but Tallis had grown up in three years, and she didn't need the fancy clothes, elaborate meals or anything. She just needed to be bound to Makran, and she could be happy. She smiled brightly as Daniel walked in the door, and Makran's hand found hers.

He smiled gently at the two. "Are you ready?" He asked them, and was about to start when another voice interrupted.

"Kellan ceremonies require a witness." Tallis looked up to see Peryn, and would have flinched if he didn't look so different.

It was still Peryn, and he still had black hair and stunning green eyes. He still had his angular features and muscular body, but he was different. He didn't wear a permanent scowl on his face, and was even smiling slightly as he leaned against the threshold. It had been months since either she or Makran had seen him, since he was living on the mainland with the Athosians. Time with another people had changed him.

"I'm sorry for questioning you, Tallis. It was… wrong of me." He seemed to have some trouble forcing the words out and swallowing his pride, but he managed it, along with a deep bow.

Tallis, unable to find words, looked down at Makran. Her friend looked at Peryn and then nodded. "We do need a witness. Please, come and sit." Makran's voice was weak, but Peryn seemed to notice the challenge and the warning in his tone and stood at the foot of the bed, at Daniel's left.

Daniel glanced at Tallis and she nodded tightly. The archaeologist cleared his throat and began. "The bond that can exist between two people can accomplish great things, and cause them to weather things others cannot. The bond between Makran and Tallis has done just this, but a bond can only last forever if it is set into place by words of love and devotion. Speak those words now, to each other, to begin your life together."

Tallis looked down at Makran, as it was custom for the man to begin. He cleared his throat as well and held both of her hands. "Tallis, I have loved you for many years, and I will seek to love you more, to protect you to the best of my ability, and to always care for you, to the end of my days."

Tallis tried to contain her tears, but they made her eyes glassy, and she blinked at them, and they slipped down her cheeks. Her voice was shaky and uncertain, but she was no less sure of herself than she had been when she had discovered she loved him. She wanted to be with him. "Makran, I am very new to this great love I have for you, but I know, beyond a doubt, that I wish to share my life with you. You have always been there for me, and I will forever seek to help you carry your burdens. I do love you."

Daniel smiled, and continued the ceremony. "Makran, do you swear to protect this woman and share everything you have and you are with her?"

"I so swear." He answered strongly.

Daniel turned to Tallis. "Do you also swear to share everything you have and you are with him, and enrich his life in every way?"

Tallis' smile was watery, and she seemed to be every inch the blushing, teary-eyed bride. She nodded. "I so swear this."

"Then, let the rest of your days together be filled with joy and prosperity. May the Kellan spirit cloak you, and let the stars in the night sky be your blanket when you have nothing. Let the wind be your guide when you have no destination, and let your love for one another be your foundation when all else crumbles around you. Remember my words and heed them, and your bond will last until the end of time. I say, in front of this witness, that you are bound to one another, never to be apart, and let it be so." Daniel finished and his smile turned to a full grin when Makran pulled Tallis down for a kiss, her cheeks stained with a blush.

Tallis grinned at the memory as she watched Makran sleep peacefully. His condition was once again deteriorating, and it pained her to think of it. It all seemed so unfair, that he would die just as soon as they were bound, but she would not have had it any other way. If he was to die, she would have him for what little time they were allowed. She held his bandaged arm as the pale blue vein on the underside of his forearm had burst through and sang quietly. He stirred slightly, but settled into a deeper state of sleep, unconsciously aware of her presence and her safety.

Her stomach rumbled, and she stood up, knowing a meal would be good for her. She had been nervous for the ceremony (odd as that was) and hadn't eaten breakfast. The mess hall at the SGC was notorious for its delicious Jell-O, and she thought that Jell-O, with a sandwich and chocolate milk (her new obsession), would be perfect.

Mere seconds after she left the infirmary and was in the hall, she heard the comforting sound of Makran's heart monitor stop. She paused, her face blank. No… he couldn't be… he couldn't be. Then chaos erupted behind her as Dr. Lam and her assistants tried to save Makran, but Tallis feared that it would be impossible. She collapsed against the wall, staring at the opposite wall, but seeing nothing.

XXX

John was in a blank white room. There really wasn't anything special about it, except it made him feel like he was in a psych ward of some hospital, but as far as he knew, he wasn't crazy and he wasn't even on Earth, so there was no reason for him to be in a white room. He looked around and tried to take a step, and found himself frozen. It reminded him of some nightmares where something terrible was happening, but he couldn't stop it or yell out for help. That didn't bode well for him.

"Why are you here, John Sheppard?" Came an eerie voice, somewhere inside of his head. "Why do you seek to take control over the weapons of Atlantis?" The voice chuckled humorlessly. "Why do you try to take power over what you could hardly take responsibility for?"

"I'm not trying to take power over it, and I'm not trying to control it. I just need to use them for a little bit so Atlantis doesn't get destroyed." John snapped angrily. "Whatever the hell this is, let me go!" He struggled as best he could with his mind against whatever was holding him still, but he didn't move at all. He wanted to scream, but found all breath had been stolen from his lungs.

"Atlantis is in no danger. Well, not danger that you could stop. Evil like those you face is not destroyed or turned away. It is merely stemmed, as a dam stops a river and diverts it elsewhere. Danger will return again and again, and there will come a time when you cannot stop it." The voice easily pulled out John's fears of inadequacy and his own inability to protect Elizabeth and everyone he cared about.

But John had once told Teyla that he would do anything for those he cared about, and right now, Elizabeth would be in danger if he didn't do something, and he wasn't about to let whatever this was get in his way.

"Let me go!" He tried to yell, but it came out as the barest whisper.

"I am under no oath to you, John Sheppard; I do not have to do as you say." The voice seemed to be taunting him, and it was pissing him off. He had things to do.

"Just show yourself. This voice-in-my-head crap just won't fly." He ground out.

"Very well." In front of John appeared a man dressed in what John could only assumed what was Lantean fashion. "Who are you?"

John furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, United States Air Force." He answered hesitantly. "But you knew that."

The man nodded, dry humor apparent in his eyes. "True." The man paused. "What is your purpose here in my city?"

"We're explorers." John began, but the man cut him off.

"No, that is why the others are here. They are here to explore, to learn and to understand more about the universe and themselves. But you… you were not brought here for that. Another overlooked your past and brought you here, and I sense you know you will never find another home."

John was rendered speechless for a moment, wondering how this man could know that, and the man continued speaking. "You remind me of myself, in some ways, John Sheppard. I once was as angry and violent as you are now. I sought my enemies, those who would endanger those that I loved, and I ended the threat in any way I could. And the moment you truly believed the one you loved was gone… just as I did, you tried to save everything she ever cared about. Unlike me, however, you were lucky, and she wasn't really gone."

John was reminded of a stormy night, and the memories of it threatened to overturn whatever was left of his calm. Tears burned behind his eyes as he thought of how he had nearly lost Elizabeth. Now, he could lose her if he didn't move fast enough.

"If you know so much about me, let me go. I have the city to protect, and I will not misuse the weapons." He nearly begged. He was desperate. If he awoke in the chair and Elizabeth had been killed… he wouldn't be the same. He would really lose it without her.

"Misuse is not what I worry about." The man stated, his voice once more composed and condescending. "I cannot simply give you permission to use all of our terrible and powerful weapons. You must past the test."

"What test?" John had time to ask that one question before all went dark for him once more.

XXX

It was only Rodney's gentle, though awkward, hand on her shoulder that kept Elizabeth Weir from bursting out into girlish sobs. John wasn't answering his comlink, and no weapons were being fired. She shouldn't have allowed him to sit on that blasted chair! She had seen what it had done to him, but she still let him take such a stupid risk when they could have found a way to get around the necessity of the chair… this was all her fault. However, now was not the time to dwell on her guilt, and she took several deep breaths.

Something called Rodney from Elizabeth's side, and Jack took his place. He put a reassuring arm around her briefly and then looked at her as Rodney yelped, "They've entered Atlantis!"

Jack's face was unreadable, and he was already in battle mode. "We have to go."

"Good luck." She whispered, and Jack nodded. He led his team – Sam, Mitchell, Daniel, Teal'c and Vala – out of the control room.

Daniel hesitated before leaving. "Don't give up hope." He told her, and then picked up his P-90 and followed Jack.

If only it was as easy as Daniel made it seem, Elizabeth thought as she sighed. She gathered her composure and crossed her arms over her chest. Though she didn't carry a gun, she was as much a part of this fight as SG-1 was. She kept a stiff upper lip and turned to Rodney.

"Open a channel with the Wraith Hive ship." She ordered, her voice unshaking.

He nodded, and did as she asked. An image of the Wraith queen and what was probably an ambassador from the Asuran fleet came up on the screen and she straightened up. Her face was stern and commanding, and she knew exactly who she was. She was the leader of Atlantis, and they were not going to fall to the Wraith and the Replicators.

"Cease this attack on Atlantis, now, and we will not destroy the rest of your ships here, as well as the wave that arrives in three weeks." She stated simply, not needing a speech to get her point across. She had been a negotiator for so long, but right now, the Wraith were the cause of John's death, and she wasn't in a negotiating mood. It was either: the Wraith surrender, or they were all destroyed. There was no room for mercy in her heart.

The Wraith queen laughed, and hissed. "You think that we cannot destroy you now, even with so few ships?"

"That is exactly what I think, because I know your puny forces are nothing compared to ours. With one blow, we destroyed most of your fleet, and we can do the same with the rest of you." Elizabeth spat, though she was still well controlled. The amount of venom in her voice would have made anyone less than a stereotypical evil leader cringe.

The Replicator laughed mirthlessly. "You are hopelessly weak. You will not survive." He stated haughtily. "You will lower your shield or we will unleash all of our fury onto you."

Elizabeth smirked darkly, and the only emotion on her face was condescension. "Very well." She nodded to Rodney, who cut the channel. She walked to the railing and leaned against it, feeling exhausted, all of the sudden.

"That was intimidating, Elizabeth." Rodney commented with a tiny smile.

She gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and wondered if anything would matter to her anymore, now that John was gone. She did love him, and she needed him more than anything. She needed his carefree smile, his dry humor, and his ability to bolster her strength with his never-ending well of determination. She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to remain strong, because that's what she needed to do.

XXX

"Mitchell, take Daniel and Vala. Go left." Jack ordered easily as Sam fell into step behind him as they went right.

"Come on, Jackson." Mitchell's accent was slightly thicker, as he was under stress.

The two teams separated as they crept down the hallways. Jack had gotten a moment's look at the relative positions of the Wraith and Replicators, and he knew that two people could better ambush the larger group than all five of them. He glanced over his shoulder at Sam once, and she gave him a grim look. Right now, she wasn't the woman he was in love with. She was a fellow soldier, and he needed to make sure she was in fighting condition. She was, as she always was, as she nodded to him.

Using a hand signal, he told her to stay there and wait for him to take the first shot. He noiselessly climbed the nearest staircase and peeked over the railing where the Wraith were waiting. Apparently, one had been looking to see if anyone was there, and he ducked as one tried to shoot him. He pushed himself to his feet and quickly shot down one. Carter saw his shot, and took down a Wraith before moving from her position to behind another pillar. She moved around and let another Wraith have it. One appeared behind her and hit the back of her head. She let out a cry and fell down, but landed on her side and managed to kill the Wraith before it could shoot her. She stood up, closing her eyes briefly against the pain and turned her attention back to the battle.

Within a few more minutes, she and Jack had taken down all ten Wraith with no injuries to either of them, except for when she had been hit. Her head felt like it was swimming, and she was incomparably dizzy, but she would manage. She let out a sigh of relief as Jack joined her.

"You okay, Carter?" He asked briefly, and when she nodded, he didn't press her further. "Good. Let's go." He tapped on his radio. "McKay, location!" He snapped.

"The west pier is littered with life signs. If they're Replicators, there's not much we can do." McKay reminded them.

"McKay, dial Earth and ask Landry how the new ARGs are coming. Ask him to send anything… even prototypes that haven't been tested. We'll need everything we can get." Sam told Rodney, rubbing her forehead in stress. It had been a great day when they'd known they'd never have to face Replicators again… and then they came to the Pegasus galaxy.

Jack took a second to look at Sam, and all he had needed to know that something was really wrong was to hear her voice. Another might not have realized anything, but he did. Her voice trembled slightly, and had almost cracked twice. Her eyes weren't focusing on anything, and he was worried for her.

"Carter, can you do this? If not, you need to be out of action so you don't get hurt or hurt anyone else. You know that." He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.

Sam took a deep breath and assessed her pain level. She then shook her head. "I'll be fine." She assured him.

"Good," His voice was, for a moment, light. "Because we have some Wraith to dispatch." His eyes hardened, and together, they ran off to the west pier.

XXX

Unfortunately, Cameron, Daniel and Vala didn't have such an easy time with the group of enemies they ran into. Usually, it would have been easy, if the enemies weren't Replicators. Vala was trying to find a way to fend on particularly mean brute off, and Daniel was trying to help her. That left Cam with two to take down himself, but considering they were Replicators, he was trying to find a way to run away without having them pursue him.

"Mitchell, we need to get out of here!" Daniel ground out as he shot several more bullets into the Replicator.

"I know that, Jackson!" Cam snapped in return. "Get yourself and Vala to the nearest transporter; I'll cover you." As Daniel and Vala started to run off, he let loose on the Replicators, but found one took hold of the barrel of his gun and smashed it. He swore, right as a Replicator fist smashed into his face, and blood spurted down his face, staining his clothes. That was the least of his worries as he quickly went unconscious as he was slammed against the wall.

XXX

"Seventy-five percent of his body is covered in burns, and burn injuries get infected very quickly. He might not last the night with the way he's reacting…"

"… she hasn't woken up… might never…"

"… four Replicator ships… most of the Wraith…"

Brian Leeds floated in and out of consciousness, and then into the land of the living once more. His eyes opened fractionally, and the first thing he saw was a nurse. She had been watching over him, and had obviously noticed his lucidity. She knelt down by his bed so he wouldn't have to move his head, as his head and neck were severely burned. She smiled worriedly at him, and said something he couldn't quite understand.

"What?" He croaked, and she gently touched his hand and repeated her words.

"You're on the Daedalus, Captain Leeds… you're going to be okay."

He nodded slightly, and closed his eyes, fully prepared to fall asleep and stay that way throughout his entire healing process, but then he nearly had a heart attack from fear. His eyes shot open once more. "Where's… where's Cadman?" His dry throat was screaming in protest, but he had to know. If she was dead… he didn't know what he'd do. He'd sworn to protect her.

The nurse smiled once more at him. "She's absolutely fine. Thanks to you, she was hardly injured before we managed to beam you both out. You took the brunt of the blast, and she has second degree burns on her legs, and some of her hair was singed." She replied with a soft, comforting voice that assured Brian that everything was going to be fine. "You, on the other hand, captain, are very burned and you need a lot of rest. Now, go back to sleep."

"At-atlan…" His throat just couldn't take it, and he couldn't speak anymore.

The nurse picked up a glass of water and a straw and put the straw to his lips. He drank as much as his nauseated stomach could handle as she talked. "Atlantis? The battle is still going on, and the Wraith and Replicators have beamed down, but SG-1 is leading a strike against them. We're having problems with the Replicators, but once Area 51 brings the ARGs, everything's going to be fine." When he was done drinking, she put the glass down. "Now, sleep."

"Mmm…'kay." He murmured sleepily as he obediently closed his eyes and felt the nurse's gentle hand touch some of his unburned skin as he floated through peaceful dreams of summer days and lakes from his childhood.