Back in her office, Ville's not convinced. Sheppard's too distant, distracted, not like himself at all. "John, what are you doing?"

"Sitting. Thinking. Mostly sitting," he confesses.

She watches him closely. "I need to leave the city for awhile. I'm confident you and Rodney can handle anything that might come up?"

"No promises," he quips absently. "Where're you going?"

She's evasive, "Just something I need to see for myself."

His expression tightens, his eyes narrow, "Really?" Folding her arms, she cynically welcomes him back. "Thank you. You know I was just having the most fascinating conversation with General O'Neill." With an explosive motion, she springs from her seat and walks away. "About a ship named Destiny," Sheppard continues speaking to her back, "launched hundreds of millions of years ago by the Gate builders."

She gazes out over the Stargate, calculating power requirements. "You can understand my interest then."

"This is what your father did, isn't it? Sacrificing himself and leaving everything, including you, behind."

Turning, she asks him incredulously, "How dare you?"

"There are less than a hundred people aboard that ship," Sheppard points out cold-bloodedly.

"We've had this conversation before, you and I. Who to help, who not to help."

"And knowing who you can save and who you can't. That ship is billions of light years away. Even you would have a hard time getting there, let alone being able to do anything for them in their lifetime when we need you here..."

"No, John, you don't..."

"...Atlantis needs you here..."

"You're their Protector. Use your resources. You have Rodney and Jennifer and Richard - you're not alone; you don't have do everything yourself."

"...and Earth needs you here. I can protect Atlantis, hell, I can almost run Atlantis but you are the one that inspires those people out there," he points beyond the shield. "You give them hope. You cannot abandon these people, billions of people right here on this planet. I won't let you."

"My choice, John. I'm going and you can't stop me." She relocates to the gate room.

He places himself between her and the Stargate. "Doesn't mean I can't try."

The gate begins dialing to the consternation of the tech staff. They can't override the DHD. Someone summons McKay and Lorne.

Sheppard focuses on trying to stop the chevrons from locking. She gently pushes his efforts aside and continues. "Stop this. I'm stronger than you."

He reaches out to her, concentrating his thoughts, his emotions, his will, the fury deep inside...

"What do you want from me?!" she demands, "You were willing to let me go once before."

"That was when you running to something, to someone."

"I am going to Destiny to help those people!"

His voice rises, "No, you're not. You're running away. Again. Just like you always do, isn't that right?"

"Don't you dare," she warns him dangerously.

"Only where you're going this time - there's no pay phones," Sheppard presses forward. "I'm not gonna let you do it."

"What the hell is going on here?" McKay storms down the steps toward them and the gate as the ninth chevron engages.

"Rodney!" Sheppard makes a sweeping motion. McKay's body flies across the floor. Too late to activate the shield, Sheppard turns to the gate and raises his hand, attempting to block the vortex which sweeps over him.

"Oh, my god. Sheppard!" McKay yells and struggles to his feet.

Flat on his back. Again. The white cloud washes over him. There's no clouds in his city. She appears and places her hand over his chest. Again.

He groans, "This is the worst case of deja vue EVER."

"Sheppard! Are you alright?" McKay bends down next to him.

Sheppard grimaces as he struggles to get his elbows under him. The gate attempts to activate but disengages for lack of power. He flops over on his back again.

Ville stands over him. "That was foolish, John. And risky."

"Yeah," he agrees. "Remind me not to do that again."

McKay asks, "Can you get up?"

"I think so. Give me a hand, will ya?" McKay steadies him as he stumbles to his feet. "I feel like I've got a hangover from a party I don't even remember getting invited to," he complains.

"Why aren't you vaporised or something?" McKay demands to know.

"Thanks, Rodney, I appreciate the concern."

Ville answers McKay's question. "He absorbed the energy from the vortex."

Sheppard points an accusing finger at her, or in her general direction anyway. "That's what you were planning to do, wasn't it? Use the energy from the vortex as a boost?"

"Yes. I was," she admits frankly.

Queasy, Sheppard mumbles, "I think I need to see Beckett." He moves in an unsteady fashion.

"Rodney, please, go with him."

Sheppard turns back slightly even as he walks forward. "This isn't over. Lorne, stay with her and don't let her out of your sight." McKay grabs him as he veers too close to the wall. Facing the right direction again, he staggers off with McKay, "I feel terrible."

Lorne comes to stand beside her. They exchange expressions and knowing full well Sheppard's instructions are impossible, Lorne says, "You're not going to give me any trouble are you?"

"No." She promises not to leave his sight. The McKay/Sheppard bickering recedes into the distance.

"How can you be hungover..."

"I said I feel hungover."

"...when you're not even corporeal - Ow!"

"Did that feel corporeal to you?"

"Well, you don't have to hit me! What do you expect Beckett to do?"

"A scan for one thing. I think my molecules got scrambled or something."

"That's ridiculous..."