Hey guys, sorry this is late coming out i've been pretty sick the past few days, so there's no proof reading of this chapter, i'm just posting and I will also answer reviews next week with the next chapter and not this one!

Breaking Ranks - Genesis

This had been going on for hours, it reminded me of Afghanistan, the loud explosions, the weapons fire. I got thrown into a trance as I worked on autopilot. My job, according to Everett was to be on call for the rail guns incase they got busted up and needed repairing. I was currently working on one of the rail guns down on one of the piers that had jammed. Marines all around me were firing off their machine guns into the air, it was all so loud I thought my eardrums were going to burst. Darts were exploding here and there; some were performing kamikaze runs into the city. I gritted my teeth as I pushed down on the wrench hard, finally it moved as I unfurled the components and readjusted the gears inside.

"Hurry up, Sumner!" Captain Radner screamed at me.

"It's a lot harder then it looks!" I screamed back as I tightened the gears once more. A dart crashed into the city very close to our position as I felt the vibrations under my feet. "It's done! Go, go!" I screamed at the Marine as he jumped back into the seat and begun firing again. I didn't spare a glance as I ran from the pier. After this one I needed to go up to the one near the control room. Apparently there was a delay with the aiming and I needed to fix it ASAP. I ran as fast as I could, taking a transporter and running up three flights of stairs. As I was running along the corridor I felt a massive explosion on the side of the city as I rocked the tower. I stumbled around and fell onto my knees from the force of it as suddenly all the remaining lights went out.

"Shit." I mumbled as I pushed myself up and sprinted into the control room. I ran up the stairs and saw Everett and Elizabeth with Chuck at the controls. Elizabeth saw me.

"Oh, thank god." She said to me as I looked to Chuck.

"What happened?" I asked him. Chuck seemed relieved that I was here as well. I knew how to repair most of the Ancient systems now.

"We've lost primary systems, the explosion was near that control panel room."

"I'm on it." I said, nodding to both Elizabeth and Everett as I ran down the stairs leading towards the room. As I came to the room I had to shield my face, the window in the room had been blown in and parts of the crashed dart had made their way in and were on fire. Causing other objects in the room to catch fire also. I looked to the large control systems on the back wall as I groaned. Most of them were sparked out as I hurried in and began shutting them all off.

I spent a good hour in this room, pulling out various crystals and transferring them to try and reroute power to the internal systems. I could still hear the battle going on outside as I flinched every time I heard a dart crash into the city. I looked out of the open window when I heard one of the drones fly past and hit a dart that exploded near me. I looked back to the crystals as I moved a few more and shoved the tray back in. Lights come back on as I sighed in relief. I frowned as I glanced out the window once more; it was silent outside. I hurried over and stuck my head out and looked around. Parts of the city were on fire and smoking heavily but the sky was clear as the pre-dawn light was creeping over the horizon. I couldn't believe it, we had managed to hold them off for now. A grin spread over my face as I headed back up to the control room, I had done all that I could down here. Rodney would have to finish my work, and I needed to know what systems I had managed to get back online and the ones that I hadn't. As I walked up the stairs, I passed by a few Marines, some were injured and others looked exhausted. I know I probably looked like shit, I was tired and hungry and I had been doing nothing but running around and repairing large guns and control systems. My stomach growled as I climbed up the stairs behind the control room as I came in to see nearly all the important people here. Rodney was walking around with a data pad in his hand as I sat down at one of the computers and began to go through most of the system logs to see which ones I had managed to power back up. Someone sat next to me as I looked over at them and saw it was John, he nodded to me as I sent him a smile. Telling him that I was glad he was ok.

"Power's out in sections of the city. The long range scanners and the internal sensors are down but thanks to Mia's quick thinking she managed to get most of the other primary systems back online, including the Stargate." Rodney glanced over at me as I waved with a grin.

"I want to know the status of the hive ships ASAP." Everett ordered as Rodney sent him a glare.

"They're coming, that's their status! Tomorrow, the day after—the day after that, eventually they'll get here. Whether we're here to greet them or not is another matter." Rodney spat out.

"Rodney…" Elizabeth said in a warning tone for him to calm down.

"Look," Rodney said exasperated, "the chair is out of drones. How do you expect to handle the next wave?"

"I'm open to suggestions." Everett said as I glared at him.

"Really?" Rodney said sarcastically as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We target the hive ships." John announced from beside me.

"With what?" Everett asked him, loathing in his voice.

"We fly the Puddle Jumper in stealth mode right down their throats." John said as I frowned, he wanted someone to go and kill themselves?

"Are you volunteering for a suicide mission?" Everett asked him, though he didn't sound too concerned about John doing it.

"It won't be a suicide mission if McKay and Zelenka can figure out a way to remote control the Jumpers." John said to Rodney and Zelenka. The two scientists looked at each other with skeptic looks. Everett looks at them both.

"Can you do it?" He asked them.

"I knew this was going to happen," Rodney grumbled under his breath.

"Is that a fact?"

"Yes, it's a fact!" Rodney exclaimed. "Look, you show up here with your guns and your brush cuts, but when it actually comes to saving the city, you turn to the scientists!" Rodney goes to one of the computers and mumbles something under his breath.

"When was the last time you slept, Doctor?" Everett said mockingly as Rodney held up a finger.

"Shut up, I have an idea." Rodney looks at Zelenka.

"The chair." Zelenka says, "Mia already hooked it into the jumper systems."

"Yes and the generators overloaded, if we can somehow create a buffer…" Rodney and Zelenka prattled on as they walked further away.

"Is that a yes?" Everett asked them. Rodney turns back to look at Everett in irritation.

"No, it's a possibly." Rodney deadpanned.

"I'll take it!" Everett exclaimed, he turned to look at John and I, "how much damage can one Puddle Jumper do?" He asked.

"I've got an idea about that too," John said, looking at Elizabeth. "I think I know where we can get another nuke." Elizabeth and I immediately understood what he meant and I wanted to voice my opinion that I thought he was crazy about asking the Genii for help.

"Major, I don't know how sympathetic the Genii will be to our situation." Elizabeth said with apprehension.

"They want to test their weapon, now's their chance." John said.

"Let me pass!" A familiar voice cried out as the four of us hurry over to the balcony. Teyla is below us struggling with two Marines who were holding her back. "I need to talk to Doctor Weir!" She cried out again.

"Teyla? What's the matter?" Elizabeth asked her as Teyla shook off the Marines.

"The Wraith, they are in Atlantis." She told us as John turned around to look at me as I matched his worried expression. Everett suddenly spun around as he turned his gaze to John.

"Major, assemble strike teams. Lieutenant I want you working on getting those internal sensors back up." I nodded to Everett but John spoke up.

"Lieutenant Sumner is one of the best fighters we have, we need her out there dispatching the Wraith." John said. Everett honed in on him.

"With Doctors' McKay and Zelenka working on the Jumpers the only person capable to fix those systems is Sumner, now, assemble those strike teams." Everett said as John gritted his teeth but nodded and hurried away.

Chuck handed me the data pad as I sat down underneath the internal sensor machine and began clicking away and hooking it up to the tablet. I didn't even know how long I had been awake for now, all I knew was that I was tired and hungry, Chuck managed to get me a power bar as I scoffed it down quickly and then resumed my repairs. I could hear the teams heading out to go and track and eliminate the Wraith from below and then Elizabeth came and walked over to me, she crouched down next to my head.

"How's it coming?" She asked me. I sighed.

"Some of the circuits have been fried. When the power went out, just as the dart crashed into the room it created a massive power surge that went through some of the systems. I'm going to need to replace the damaged one's and try and find a way to reroute some power around minor systems."

"Do what you can." Elizabeth said to me as I nodded and asked Chuck to fetch me the replacement circuits.

It was a short while later when Elizabeth dialed up the gate to the Genii homeworld; I listened as I continued my repairs. She told them how the Wraith were here and that she would offer them as much C4 as they needed to build their bombs. It disengaged as I heard a familiar beep.

"We've got internal sensors back up." Chuck said. I clambered up from underneath the console as I looked at the screen and frowned.

"Only in the control room, let me try…" I mumbled as I ducked back under again. I hooked up the data pad and rerouted some more power from systems that we didn't exactly need right now. It beeped again as Chuck whooped.

"They're back online." Chuck said as I sighed and fell back onto the floor. I could hear Chuck talking to the strike teams telling them where the Wraith are as suddenly the Stargate activated. I jumped up and hurried over to the control panel and activated the shield.

"Doctor Weir we have an incoming Wormhole." I said into my radio.

"On my way." Came her reply. The Wormhole established as Chuck notified me that we were receiving a radio transmission.

"Record it." I told him. After it was sent the Stargate shutdown and Elizabeth came walking up the stairs. Chuck met her.

"We just received a response from the Genii." He told her.

"Let's hear it." Elizabeth said as I joined her next to the console as Chuck played the message back.

"This is Prenum of the Genii. We welcome the opportunity to open a dialogue between our two people. Send you representative, one person—unarmed."

"Is that all?" Elizabeth asked Chuck as he nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Colonel Everett," Elizabeth said into her radio, "this is Weir. As we hoped the Genii have asked us to send a representative. I'm set to go."

"I can't imagine anyone more qualified. Pull this off, and I'll buy you a drink." Came Everett's reply.

"You got a deal," she looked at Chuck, "dial the gate." She walked off as I caught up to her.

"Doctor Weir." I said to her as she stopped. "I'm coming with you." I said to her. Elizabeth shook her head.

"They asked for one person."

"I'm not letting you go alone." I said with a frown. She pursed her lips.

"They might kill you." She said, trying to deter me.

"They can try. I'm not letting you go to the Genii alone, Elizabeth. I know what they're like." She seemed to think on it as the gate connected. "It's your decision." I said to her.

"Let's go." She said as I nodded and unstrapped my side arm and removed my vest and p-90. I handed them to a Marine as Elizabeth and I stepped through the gate.

We emerged onto the planet as we were both immediately grabbed from all sides. I didn't resist, I didn't want to give them a reason to kill either one of us.

"We said one person!" The Genii on my left exclaimed as I glared at him.

"You did, we're a package deal." I snapped back. "I wont hurt you if you don't hurt her." I said threateningly to them as I saw Elizabeth watching me with wide eyes. I know she was worried that I was going to get myself killed.

"Take them both to Prenum, he can decide what to do with them." Another Genii man said as our hands were then bound behind our backs and a cloth was tied around my eyes. My vision went dark as the Genii marched us forwards.

We were taken underground, I knew tat because they made us climb down a ladder, blindfolded I might add. I hit the ground as I was taken into Genii hands once more.

"Doctor Weir?" I called out.

"I'm here." She replied to me, as we were taken deeper into the complex. I listened out for any threatening noises, like guns cocking or the sound of someone going to attack me. My ears were prickling with every sound that I heard around me. I could hear Elizabeth's deep breathing behind me, she was nervous. They stopped us as I heard a large metal door open and we were both brought inside the room. I was thrust into a hard chair and I heard Elizabeth next to me grunt as she was forced into her chair also. We waited for a few seconds, the door closed.

"Doctor Weir. I am Prenum of the Genii. I'm rather surprised," Prenum chuckled, "no, astonished that you would have the audacity to come here. And break the one rule we gave you."

"You must have heard of Mia Sumner, she's not exactly fond of you guys and wouldn't let me come alone."

"Yes we know of her." Prenum said bitterly, I had a sneaking suspicion that Prenum must have been Genii that I attacked on our visit here.

"You heard our message. The Wraith our at our doorstep."

"And we are understandably delighted at the prospect of your demise." Prenum said cheerfully. I frowned.

"That may be so. But, sill we have something that you want." Elizabeth said to him.

"C4." Prenum said in a hateful tone.

"More then that. We have an opportunity for you to test your weapon, at no risk to yourselves, and a chance to strike at the Wraith. You have no idea how close they are." Elizabeth said, I could hear a smirk in her voice as I sat there silently.

"The Wraith have come, Doctor," Prenum said sadly, and I couldn't help it but I grinned, I wasn't exactly disappointed. "Six days ago. Fortunately, we detected their approach, and we were able to shut down our reactors in time. Hundreds of lives were lost on the surface, but thousands more were saved because our underground complex went undetected."

"Maybe everyone could've been saved if your guys hadn't been such assholes to us in the first place." I snapped at him. I heard Prenum chuckle.

"The threat to the Genii has come and gone. So far as the Wraith are concerned, this planet is no longer of interest to them. We have the design the Doctor McKay provided for us, and our prototype bombs are nearly complete."

"So then why ask me to come here?" Elizabeth asked. I heard Prenum walk closer to Elizabeth as I struggled against my restraints.

"So that we may trade the C4 for your lives." I heard Elizabeth suck in a deep breath as I glared roughly in the direction of Prenum.

"You asshole. The Wraith are going to figure out sooner or later that you are still here, and when that happens, I'll be sitting back watching as this whole complex goes up in flames."

"You joke about it now but some of the Genii are rejoicing at the fact that we have you both in custody. A man by the name of Kolya almost returned from his mission after hearing we have you in custody." Prenum said as I felt my stomach drop.

"I have already offered you the C4." Elizabeth cut in.

"And you want our prototype weapons in exchange. That's not a bargain for the Genii."

"What would you do if you had the C4 right now? Incorporate it into your weapons?"

"Yes," Prenum replied bitterly.

"And you would test them?"

"Of course."

"I am offering you the chance to test your weapon design on a Wraith hive ship at no risk to your own people, and still have enough to build dozens more! Now if you are too proud or too stupid to see the—"

"Be careful, Doctor." Prenum said warningly.

"I am way past careful! Now you know what the deal is, and it's a damn good one, so take it or leave it!" She yelled at him as I waited with baited breath.

"Very well." Prenum said as I let out a sigh of relief. The cloth was removed from my eyes as I looked around the room and let my eye readjust to the light here. Elizabeth glanced over at me as Prenum spoke into his radio on his wrist, ordering his men to bring two prototypes to the gate.

The large doors opened once more as Genii streamed in, I backed away from them, glaring but they circled and cut the roped that bound my hands together.

"Please," Prenum said as I did actually recognize him as one of the men I had disarmed the last time I was here, "follow me back up to the surface."

We stepped through the Stargate and back into Atlantis, the two Genii following behind with the prototypes. I felt relieved to be back home, when Prenum had told us about his plans I was worried that I'd never see this place again. Although, I still might never see it again if this plan doesn't work or when John finds out that I went to the Genii home planet unarmed. I was not looking forward to that conversation. Elizabeth told Rodney that she had the weapons and she dismissed me, after thanking me for going with her. I collected my things from the same Marine I had given them too as I headed out of the control room to head to the mess hall to get some dinner and a few hours of sleep. I was dragging my feet across the floor as I rubbed at my eyes and yawned loudly. I couldn't wait to hit my bed and pass out. As I was walking I suddenly felt something grab my upper arm and drag me into one of the alcoves. I wasn't surprised when John pinned me against the wall.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He hissed at me. I shrugged.

"I didn't want Elizabeth to go alone."

"So you went unarmed? What if Kolya had been waiting on the other side? He would've killed you." He said to me. I bit my bottom lip.

"I came back, didn't I?" I said to him. John sighed.

"From what Elizabeth told me you almost didn't." He said. I rolled my eyes at him, which didn't impress him.

"John, I'm safe. We got the prototypes, yes I should have concealed something but if they found any kind of weapon what do you think they would've done?" He didn't say anything, knowing that I meant they probably would've killed me had they found something. John pulled me into his arms as I wrapped my arms around him.

"When they told me you had gone there, I was livid, I didn't know if you were going to come back. I told myself that if you did come back I was going to beat your head against the wall to hopefully bang some sense into you." He chuckled.

"You could always bang me in some other way." I said slyly as John laughed.

"Only you would think of that in a time like this." He joked as he pulled away from me; I felt a shiver come over me as I yawned again.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"I was heading there now." I said to him.

"Let's go." He said as he kissed me quickly. I didn't protest about being seen together in the mess hall, no one was going to care right now.

I was only asleep for two hours when my radio buzzed in my ear. I jumped awake, rubbing my face, which had gone numb from sleeping face down on my bed.

"Sumner." I said tiredly into it as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I still had all of my gear on, including my shoes.

"Lieutenant Sumner, we need your assistance with some maintenance repairs with the rail guns." A voice said in my ear as I rubbed my face once more and yawned.

"On my way." I said mid yawn as I clicked my radio and stood from my bed and stretched. John wasn't with me, we thought it was best with all the Marines and Everett here that it was too risky to be seen together so we had each gone to our own rooms. I went into my bathroom and turned on the sink as I quickly splashed water onto my face to wake myself up. As I dried my face with the towel I gazed at my own reflection, seeing the dark purple bags under my eyes, my skin was extremely pale from my lack of sleep and my hair was limp around my shoulders. I sighed as I headed out to the control room.

I arrived and saw Radner waiting for me. He walked over to me. "Rail guns three, six, seven and ten need to be looked at." I nodded.

"Affirmative, I'll see to it all now." I said as I waved at him and walked off to the first location. As I walked through the corridors I could see all the injured soldiers and Athosian's being tended to out here. The infirmary must be jam packed with all the casualties; Carson must be worked to the bone right now.

I spent nearly six hours repairing the rail guns, my arms were aching and my head was pounding, I needed sleep desperately. Those measly two hours that I had did nothing for me; they didn't even give me an energy boost. After I finished the final rail gun I slumped down the wall in a nearby corridor and tucked my knees up to my chest and rested my head on them. I was so tired; I just needed a quick sleep.

"This is Everett." I jumped in surprise at hearing his voice over the comms, as suddenly I was wide-awake. "Jumper four has just informed us the Wraith hive ships are approaching the planet. Defense team to your positions." I groan and steadily get to my feet, I was walking to the control room to ask Everett where he wanted me when I heard another voice over the comms system.

"This is Weir. Now I know how tired you all are, and how much we have asked of you these past few days. Hopefully the Daedalus will arrive soon, but until that happens our fate is in our own hands. If, during the course of this battle, our mission fails, I will give the order to evacuate. Now we all hope it wont come to that. But if it does, don't hesitate. That is all." Elizabeth said as the radio went dead. I stopped walking and looked around me, there were soldiers running all around, barking our orders to get to their positions as Scientists stood huddled together holding their weapons looking petrified. One Marine bumped into me as I recoiled back, but I didn't mind. I took one more look at the scared scientists as I hurried on to the control room.

Everett and Elizabeth were talking as I approached them. "Where do you want me?" I asked Everett as he glanced over at me.

"Defend the Chair room. Major Sheppard is our only hope of defeating these Wraith, protect him with your life." Everett ordered.

"Yes, sir." I said to him. I glanced over at Elizabeth as she gave me a weak smile as I spun around on my heel and quickly hurried over to one of the transporters and took it to the chair room.

When I arrived Rodney was typing away on the computer connected to the control panel, John wasn't here yet. "What are you doing here?" Rodney asked me when he saw me.

"I'm here to defend both of you." I explained to him just as John came running into the room. He faltered for a second when he saw me here but recovered and jumped into the chair. I hit the safety off my gun as I stood at the entrance to the room.

"Sheppard are you ready?" I heard Elizabeth say over the radio. I glance over my shoulder at them, John is looking at Rodney as the scientist is frowning and working away furiously at the console.

"Rodney?" John calls his name as Rodney looks over his shoulder at him.

"The generator's not powering up like it should be!" Rodney yelled as he ran over to the generator. He motioned for me to go to the console as I hurried over and accessed his computer.

"They're sending in another wave! Major, we need to go!" Elizabeth yelled through the radio as I hear the gunfire all around me. I flinched when I heard an explosion near us as I continued my work on the laptop. I could hear Rodney trying to get the chair working.

"McKay!" John hollers.

"There's something wrong! Power levels are dropping!" Rodney says as the screen on the laptop informs me that the Mark Two is practically dead.

"Rodney, nothing is happening!" I hear Zelenka in my radio. My heart starts to pump faster and I begin to hear the beating in my ears as I look over at John desperately.

"Why are there no Jumpers in the air?" Elizabeth calls out.

"We must have exhausted the Mark Two's energy output. It's dead." Rodney informs us as I held my head in my hands. We were screwed, royally screwed. John and I met gazes as I saw in his expression that he knew we were doomed. I turned back to the laptop and began to work at it, hoping somehow I could magically bring it back online.

"There's got to be a way to…Major!" Rodney screaming caught my attention, I looked up just in time to see John dart out of the room as I look to Rodney, and the look on his face says everything. And then I realize what he's going to do; he's going to pilot one of the Jumpers. As Rodney turns his back I sprint from the room, I can hear John's footstep ahead of me as I catch up to him. I was the faster runner here. I catch him just as he reaches a set of stairs.

"John!" I call out, not caring if anyone is around. "Don't do this!" I cried. He stops and turns on the stairs to face me.

"It's the only way." He says to me. I shake my head; I could feel the tears building up and the tightness in my throat.

"You can't leave me!" I sob. John looked torn as I wiped at my eyes furiously. He hurried down the stairs and quickly planted a hard kiss on my lips. I pressed myself against him, holding him to me, never wanting to let him go. My own tears streamed down my face as his hands caressed the sides of my face. He pulled away slowly, his warm breath ghosting over my face as his hazel eyes gazed into mine.

"You're the best damn thing that's ever happened to me." John said lovingly as I broke down. He kissed me one more time as my hands slipped through his clothes. Before he reached the top I called out once more.

"John!" He stopped, turning to look at me. "I love you." I said to him. He looked stunned for a second and then he smirked at me.

"I know." He replied as he disappeared. I felt a strong ache in my chest as I clamped my hand over it and sunk down to the floor in a watery mess. I sobbed loudly and uncontrollably as I banged my fists on the floor. Why did I let him leave! I should have gone with him! Why does everyone I ever care about leave me? Why me? What did I do that was so terrible that can cause this much heartbreak? He was gone; he had left me, just like Liam, just like dad, like my mother.

Movement out of the corner of my ear made me jerk my head in the direction as I swore loudly. "Shit!" I rolled out of the way as a Wraith stunner went flying by my head. There were three Wraiths bearing down on me as I pushed myself up onto my feet and behind a pillar. They continued to fire at me as I tried to control my breathing. I pulled out a flash bang from my vest as I unclipped it and threw it down the corridor. I clamped my eyes shut as I heard the bang and then spun around. I fired everything I had into those bastards that had caused this mess. Two of them had been taken by surprise as I quickly dispatched them, the last Wraith ducked to the side as my p-90 ran out of bullets. I had to duck down to avoid a stunner; in my anger-fueled rage I hurled the p-90 at him. "I am so not in the mood for this!" I screamed as I took out my handgun and fired off all of my shots into his chest. He screeched and continued to fire at me, I reloaded my handgun and dived to the floor and emptied the last of my bullets into him as he fell to the ground, hissing as he went. I breathed a sigh of relief as I lay back on the floor and then started to laugh hysterically.

"Attention everyone, please proceed to the Stargate! We are evacuating! I repeat; we are evacuating!" Elizabeth said over the comms as I pushed myself into a sitting position. The control room was just above me as I heard the Stargate activate as I left my empty weapons on the ground and headed up the stairs. I wiped my eyes from any lasting tears that had been shed as I approached Elizabeth. She was staring at a screen as Rodney appeared from behind me. Carson comes running up the stairs.

"We can't stay here, Elizabeth." Carson said to her.

"He's right, they're beaming in all over the place." Rodney said; I could hear gunfire all around us. The Wraith was drawing nearer to us.

"We're not going anywhere—not yet." Elizabeth said to Rodney as she turns and looks at the large screen again. I look over at it and see the shape of the two hive ships, with little red dots flying all over it, then one small blue one ascends towards them. I feel my throat tightening once more as I slowly back away, I didn't want anyone to see me if I cried. I couldn't cry, but John was going to die, if they found out now I don't think it really mattered anymore.

"You know, if this works, somebody might have to do it again," John said as hearing his voice tore me up inside as I clamped a hand over my mouth to stop me from sobbing.

"Understood." Elizabeth replied sadly. I knew full well that I would be the person taking up that second Jumper if it worked.

"You let Sheppard fly that Jumper?" Rodney said in shock as he looked at Elizabeth. I couldn't see her expression, but I knew she was bound to doubt herself.

"Help me arm the self destruct in case this fails." Elizabeth says as she spins around to go to one of the laptops. I turn around and walk further into the control room; I didn't want anyone to see me as I held my face in my hands. I can hear the sounds of their codes being put into as the alarm blares through the city, making me flinch.

"They haven't detected my approach. Weapon is armed and ready. I'm going in." Those were the final words that John said as I slowly slumped down on the stairs that led to the Jumper bay. I wasn't crying, I was just numb.

"Detonation in five, four, three, two…one." Rodney said as I hung my head down. He was gone.

"Target has been neutralized." Chuck said.

"He did it." Elizabeth said, I could hear the emotion in her voice as she spoke; she was upset about John dying also. I wiped my eyes as I saw Rodney looking over at me quickly. I averted my gaze, I didn't want him to see me cry. I heard an alarm beeping.

"Doctor Weir, I'm picking up another ship," Chuck said as I looked back at them.

"Another hive ship?" Elizabeth asked in concern.

"Negative. I'm reading I.F.F." Chuck replied. I didn't register what that meant when the comms crackled.

"Atlantis this is Sheppard." I felt my breath leave me in one swoop as I jumped up from the stairs.

"John?" Elizabeth exclaimed, looking around at all of us.

"What other Sheppard's do you know?" I couldn't believe it was him, it wasn't, he had died taking out the Wraith ship, I was imagining this.

"Oh, thank God!" Beckett cried out in relief.

"No, no that can't be, we saw the hive ship go up." Rodney said in disbelief.

"I assure you, Doctor McKay, that Major Sheppard is alive and well." An unfamiliar voice said to us as I frowned. But wait; was John actually alive? I couldn't wrap my head around it; John was alive.

"Who is this?" Elizabeth asked, guarded.

"Colonel Steven Caldwell, commander of the Daedalus. We are ready to assist you." Caldwell said to us.

"Oh, thank you!" Rodney said in relief as he slumped into the nearest chair and put his head down. Once the shock had worn off on me it finally dawned on me that we were going to be ok, John was alive and we now had a ZPM.

"We are very glad to hear it, Colonel." Elizabeth said as she moved over to the laptop and entered her code in to disable the self-destruct. "And I assume we have you to thank for saving Major Sheppard."

"We were monitoring your transmissions as soon as we came out of Hyperspace. We couldn't beam him in until he de-cloaked his Jumper." Caldwell explained.

"Didn't take much convincing." John said as I broke out into a grin.

"Doctor McKay?" Caldwell said, jolting Rodney up, as he stood straight, like he hadn't just fallen asleep on the console.

"Present, yes." Rodney said.

"I'll trust you'll know what to do with this?" Caldwell said as the four of us looked confused. A bright beam of light appeared on the balcony as two Marines suddenly appeared holding a metal box.

"Your ZPM, sir." One of the Marines said as Rodney practically ran over to them. I was beaming, this was amazing, we were going to get through this.

"How did they do that?" Carson asked in amazement, pointing at the Marines. Rodney was opening up the box and examining the ZPM with a large grin.

"Well, the Daedalus is loaded with Asgard technology. The beaming technology's the first part of it. They've got things like—"

"Rodney! What say we get the shields back up?" John cut off his rambling as Rodney held up the ZPM.

"Yeah, what say we?"

"We still have Wraith all over the city." Elizabeth said into her radio.

"After we deal with this other hive ship, we'll assist you as soon as we can. Caldwell out." The radio went silent. I looked to Rodney as he shoved the ZPM back in the box and hurried over to one of the computers while radioing Zelenka to get down here from the Jumper Bay. Elizabeth was speaking to the Marines and leading them down to the stairs as I headed over to one of the Armory bins and grabbed another p-90 and walked up to Elizabeth and the two Marines.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa. What is this? This is my security detail?" Rodney said in outrage.

"Well, we are spread a little bit thin right now." Elizabeth explained to him as Rodney rolled his eyes. I nudged him lightly.

"Don't worry, you got me Rodney."

"Great, Lieutenant psycho," Rodney turned to the Marines, "Ok, you need to know that if we come under fire, you're going to have to put your life on the line to protect me."

"Rodney!" Elizabeth chastised him with a stern look.

"I mean the ZPM. You need to protect the ZPM at all costs…and me," he said as the four of us began to move out, Rodney glanced over his shoulder at Elizabeth, "Am I wrong?" He said to her as Elizabeth shook her head at him.

Thank you everyone! Again i'll reply to all your reviews next weeks as i'm not able to this week. Hope you all enjoyed!