A/N:
As I am waiting for Sanctuary's third season premiere I decided to prepare another chapter for release So here you have a new chapter.
1Answers givenJohn awoke in the infirmary bed with Elizabeth in his arms. The bed, however, seemed much bigger than he remembered. Then he discovered that there were two beds joined together. Someone must have merged them when he and Elizabeth were sleeping.
"John?" Elizabeth mumbled.
"Hey…" he soothed when he saw her grimace. "It's okay. You're safe."
"My head hurts. The lights…" She tried to cover her eyes, but John willed the lights to dim. "Thank you." She mumbled again and gone back into slumber.
It was a sure sign she was getting her memories back. She just accepted that he dimmed the lights without even moving. She knew that he was able to do that with a single thought when they were both on Atlantis.
He listened to Atlantis' song. The countless and continous sounds of the ancestral city. It seemed a little different from what he remembered. At first he thought it was just his feeling but Lorne seemed to notice the difference too, from what little they talked during the night when the man came to check on him and Elizabeth. The great city sang with joy and… anticipation? The first would be understandable considering Atlantis was 'sad' when Elizabeth was captured. But the latter was a mystery.
"John, what's the sound?" Asked sleepily Elizabeth.
"Are you awake?"
"Yes."
"John, I…"
"What?" John looked at her face with worry. "Is something wrong?"
"I remember…" She closed her eyes and hid her head against his chest. "Not everything, but enough. And I feel that the rest is there, that I just need to give enough time."
"I guess we know now why your head hurts" he joked. He was happy to feel her laughing.
After she changed from the scrubs he took her to the mess hall for something to eat. There was no one there besides them since the hour was really early. The only person that saw them was a man working there and he seemed very happy to see the former leader there. Surprisingly she remembered the guy's name. John didn't. They sat at the table on the balcony overlooking the Golden Gate bridge. Elizabeth looked silently at the view.
"What are you thinking about?" Asked John after a long silence.
"How much happened without me knowing about it…" She said playing with her food on the plate. "Almost three years now and I have only a vague information about the expedition's fate."
He had nothing to say to that. It was a summary, not a question.
"There you are, lass." They heard Beckett's voice. "You shouldn't be out of bed, no matter how good you're feeling!" He scolded approaching.
"Carson…" Elizabeth whispered and threw herself into his arms with tears.
Then there was an awful lot of people entering the mess, each and every one of them greeted in the same way, the name and a powerful hug. There were even some of them that got a hug with a talk.
"My God, Miko Kusanagi…" Elizabeth looked at the little woman with a smile. "The SGC tried to tell me you'll not be able to stay more than a week, that you were too fragile. I'm so glad they were wrong."
"It's not Kusanagi anymore" the little woman shyly said. "It's …"
"Zelenka. It's Miko Zelenka now." Radek interrupted proudly.
„Ok., what else did I miss?" Elizabeth asked with a smile and tears. Then she saw Jennifer entering the mess. "Jennifer Keller." She enveloped the young doctor in the hug as well.
"Actually, Jennifer Keller-McKay." Smiled Rodney.
Elizabeth looked overwhelmed.
"We just like to brag about our spouses." Commented Radek, looking at John. "It's that time in a marriage."
John and Elizabeth looked at each other for a second.
"Oh, come on!" Spoke Evan Lorne entering. "Eye-sex again?"
"Eye-sex?" Asked Elizabeth surprised just after hugging Evan.
"The thing the two of you do and did just now…" he explained. "It was a topic of conversation and the base for any and all betting pools concerning the two of you, you know." He smiled. "By the way, I've heard that some payments are due, aren't they, Chuck?"
Chuck, who was in the first group of 'visitors' grimaced and handed Lorne a few banknotes.
"Chuck, Evan?" John asked. "Is there something I should know?"
"Not really, but I bet they" Lorne indicated the rest of the group "would appreciate you tell them."
"Tell us what exactly?" Asked Rodney.
Beckett just smiled. John supposed the doctor guessed it very soon. It was the time. Sheppard looked Elizabeth in the eyes again. It was time to uncover the truth. They deserved to know. John stepped closer to Elizabeth, enveloped her in a hug and kissed quickly on the lips. He was always more of a man of action than words.
"Oh, don't!" Spoke Rodney. "It's like watching your parents make out…"
"Actually, it's a nice comparison, Rodney" Lorne smiled. Radek laughed openly and Chuck was also merrier than usually.
"We married about a month ago." Explained Elizabeth getting free of John's hold.
Then there was a long round of congratulations and hugs and, also, scolding from friends that the event was kept secret from them. The party was interrupted by another guest. He stood at the door and watched the whole gathering with a smile and waited for an opportune moment to come into Elizabeth's sight.
"Richard Woolsey." Said Elizabeth and approached him. "It's really good to see you… and remember you."
"It's good to have good old Elizabeth Weir back." Said the man. "Can we talk in the office, alone?"
"Of course."
"Oh yeah… 'Kids, please, play by yourselves, adults have to talk'" joked Lorne when Elizabeth and Richard left.
"I really AM happy that you are back here, with your memories back." Declared Woolsey after he and Elizabeth entered the glass office and took seats on the opposite sides of the table. "It was worth the effort. It was mainly doctor Zelenka, with doctor's Kusanagi help, of course."
"Radek was always a great, skilled scientist."
"I think generals Landry and O'Neill will also be very happy about this success." Richard smiled. "I think doctor Jackson will we very happy to speak with you after you leave here. He is really waiting to share his thoughts about ascention with someone who actually has lived through it."
"Speaking of which…" Elizabeth stopped for a while to gather the right words. "How many people were involved in this?"
"Over twenty, at least."
"And how many of them can we keep out of the harm's way?" She looked straight at him with worry in her eyes. "I will do whatever it takes to minimize the number of people that will have to pay. Because I don't think the IOA will take it lightly."
"No, they would not." Said Woolsey. "I made sure Zelenka's work was not reported as standard work, Kusanagi will not be held responsible. The generals are safe, they would deny any knowledge about it and the crew of Atlantis is safe. Carter will be heading on some mission in two hours or something close, so she will be safe from the wrath."
"This leaves Zelenka," said Elizabeth. "And you, Richard. You will be their scapegoat."
"I knew what I was doing, Elizabeth."
"Why?" She asked after a long silent moment. "Why did you risk everything for me?"
"Because this was the right thing to do. It's something I learned from you."
Jennifer Keller was waiting for Elizabeth outside the office and led her straight for the infirmary after Elizabeth got out. She was called when Elizabeth nearly collapsed after feeling dizzy and nauseous for some time. Woolsey was a little worried and didn't let Elizabeth go by herself.
"How are you feeling?" Asked Jennifer when they were walking together towards the infirmary. "Still dizzy?"
"Still dizzy, but not so nauseous as before." Elizabeth tried to smile. "I guess that classifies as 'good'."
"Elizabeth, we need to talk when we get to the infirmary."
"Ok, that sounds serious…"
"It's nothing bad, don't worry." Jennifer tried to calm Elizabeth down. "It's just something you will have to take into account from now. And I will want John to be there too."
Elizabeth was laying on the bed in the infirmary when John came in. He sat on the bed and covered her closer with a blanket.
"Are you better?" He asked stroking her hair. "I was worried when I heard you were sick."
"I am a little better. We need to hear what Jennifer says."
"Do you have any idea what is it all about?"
"No. She told me not to worry, that it's nothing bad, but I'm still…" She
"It's okay to be scared, Liz. I AM afraid, a little." He pulled Elizabeth up and into his arms.
"Oh, good, you're both here." Said Keller entering the room. "I need to show you something."
It had to be okay since the doctor was grinning when she handed the a folder with a ultrasound pictures.
"It looks like a…" Whispered Elizabeth.
"A baby. You're pregnant, Elizabeth." Informed Jennifer.
Meanwhile, in the mess, there was a small gathering sitting over the mysterious machine for storing memories.
"I thought that it needs the ATA to operate…" commented Rodney. "It should work only with the Ancients."
"She 'used' it first when she was descending, it could have confused the machine enough to work." Theorized Daniel Jackson.
"Wait, what about wiping the memory in the process of descending?" Asked Radek. "She shouldn't have anything to store in the device."
"Actually it all makes sense that way." Said Jackson. "When you descend it's like remaking your body from the energy you were."
"And you can only 'erase or modify the memory' when it is there." Said Beckett. "Means to do this all the connections between the brain cells have to be made. With only part of them remade and descending still in the process she might have confused the machine to be activated and transferred the memories to it as they were formed."
"That's very possible." Answered Daniel.
"Hey, guys, there is one question I think remains unanswered." Said Rodney. "How the hell did Elizabeth manage to activate the machine this time if it is triggered by the ATA gene?"
"Oh, I think I have some idea how it might have happened…" teased Carson.
"And you have been right, Carson." Said Jennifer coming to them. "I've just talked with them about it."
"Is everything okay with Elizabeth and…?"
"Yes, as far as I can tell."
"That brings me to you, lass." Said Beckett turning around and standing up. "Will you accompany me to the infirmary?"
Rodney was a little scared and wanted to accompany his wife and the doctor, but Beckett just told him to stay and wait. So he waited. He knew that Jennifer has been feeling a little sick for a week or so, but there was nothing she found wrong with her. That's why she asked Beckett for a consultation after he arrived.
The scientist was very much shaken when Jennifer run into the mess and threw herself into his arms. She started a deep kiss.
"I'm pregnant, Rodney." She whispered.
"What?" Asked stunned McKay.
"You're going to be a daddy."
"I'm a little worried, you know…" said Keller sitting on the edge of the infirmary bed. "I would like to stay at my job, but now, with a kid on the way…"
"Not a problem." Answered Elizabeth rearranging pillows under her head.
"It's not like pregnant women were allowed to stay on such posts."
"I spoke with Richard yesterday." Said Elizabeth. "He has no problem with your situation. It is not a base in another galaxy anymore. It's Earth and we have peace here."
"I don't think it changes anything."
"It does." Elizabeth took Jennifer's hand. "You will stay here, on your post, as long as you like it. Just like I am probably going to."
"You're not happy to continue teaching?"
"Atlantis was my home." She confessed. "I knew I was missing something for all that time and now I know what it was. What it is. I know what I have lost."
"Maybe there is a way…"
"You think?"
"I don't know, it's you who was floating as pure energy with almost all-knowing beings." Keller smiled. "But if anybody can do this it's you."