I think my Muse has finally sorted this one out. Don't everybody freak out from this chapter…I promise there will be a happy fluffy ever after ending…always do. Just have to have a little fun whumping John along the way. :)

Title: Family and Home
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Sheppard/Keller
Notes: Many thanks to Nika and Sobz for being a sounding board

As deep of a sleep as she'd been in Jennifer Sheppard wasn't sure what had awoken her. She listened but did not hear Melanie crying.
Yawning Jennifer opened her eyes and stretched. She should check on her anyway just to be certain.

Glancing at the clock Jennifer realized she'd only slept a few hours. Padding barefoot into the living room a smile crossed Jennifer's face as she saw Melanie fast asleep. One tiny hand clutched to the small brown bear John had given her.

The blanket had fallen off and Jennifer pulled it back up around the infant. As she stood a flash of light caught Jennifer's attention.
She looked around the darkened quarters with a frown.

The young doctor didn't have the same honed instincts as her husband or Evan. But something was telling her to move.
Something was screaming at her that things were about to go bad.

Snatching Melanie up on her arms Jennifer moved quickly away from the crib. Unfortunately it wasn't quick enough.
The flash of light she'd seen earlier had reappeared less than two feet from them.
Blocking the path to the door.

With a shaking hand Jennifer reached for her com and mentally kicked herself when she realized she'd taken it off before falling asleep.

Sensing Jennifer's tension Melanie began to scream.

Racing for the bedroom Jennifer nearly tripped over her own discarded shoes as she slid around the bed.

Her hand had just landed on the com piece when she saw the green light had followed them and was now hovering in the bedroom doorway.

"Not good."Jennifer muttered her heart beating triple time as her fingers fought to put the com over her right ear.

Not good being an understatement.
Not good that some alien ship had broken Atlantis's defense shield.
Not good that said ship was searching for her daughter.
Not good that the city's alarms hadn't gone off yet.

"Sheppard to Woosley."Jennifer said shakily as she backed towards the left corner of the room.

A sleepy voice replied back. "Go ahead though I'm sure you're aware of what time it is."

Just as Woosley's sarcastic retort came through the city wide alarms finally activated.
Whatever defenses the ship was using to hide were finally compromised enough to be detected.

"Dr. Sheppard?"Woosley prompted with concern when she didn't answer.

"There's….."

That was the only word Jennifer was able to say before another beam of green light suddenly appeared next to her.
It flickered once and an alien could be briefly seen.
Long enough for Jennifer to see it was tall and dark green or brown in color.
Absolutely no humanoid features that she could see.

Through her fear Jennifer could make out other voices over the com now.

She couldn't respond.
Couldn't make her feet move.

The light flashed again and suddenly Melanie was ripped away.

"No!"Jennifer yelled as she dove for where the alien had been.

If felt like she'd hit a wave of electricity.
And went through it.
Her whole body felt like it was on fire.
Jennifer's vision faded just before she crashed hard into the wall.

**********

SGA-2's mission had ended early.
They'd stepped back onto Atlantis and into complete chaos.
Alarms going off everywhere.
Defense shields failing.

Evan had barely made it out of the Gateroom and up the stairs before Woosely ordered them to Jennifer's quarters.
Only explanation given an unknown alien presence had compromised the city's defenses.

There could only be one reason.
Melanie.

Without a look back at his team Evan had taken off at a dead run. The transporters had been agonizingly slow even though he knew they were the same speed they always were.

Jennifer's bad luck was a running joke on Atlantis.
Now as the transporter doors finally slid open Evan was praying that her bad luck would hold off.

They reached the right hallway and were three doors down when Jennifer's scream pierced the air.

Evan's heart constricted at the sound and knew Melanie was gone or worse.
He was too late to help the little girl he'd thought of as a niece but maybe just maybe he could protect his best friend.

Reaching the Sheppards's quarters Evan raised his P90 and fired at the control panel.
There wasn't time to enter the override code.
The panel died with a strangled beep and the door opened partway.

Matthews and Connors instantly shoved it the rest of the way open.

"Oh God."Matthews whispered as they stepped inside weapons raised.

"Damn it!"Evan cursed as he saw Jennifer's prone form against the far wall and the empty crib.

Too late.
Too late to help either one.

As Evan reached Jennifer's side he dimly heard Connors call for a med team. With a shaky hand Evan searched for a pulse.
He didn't want to think….couldn't think that he might have lost her. Not after everything.

A sluggish beat slid past his fingers and Evan ducked his head not wanting his team to see the tears that were threatening to flow.

"Sir?"Matthews asked anxiously as he knelt next to his C.O.

Evan nodded as he cleared his throat. "She's alive."

**********

The Elder named Jilin had a large hut on the far side of the village closest to the river. It was early evening as SGA-1 followed Kasim through the village.
As promised the sweltering heat had died down with the setting sun.

Rodney was almost wishing he'd brought a heavier jacket. They were accustomed to planetary temperature swings but sometimes the gear doesn't match up to what you need.
No matter how well you pack.

The scientist huddled deeper into his jacket and pulled out his tablet.
As he did he activated the program that held what little they knew on Melanie.
It also contained the descriptions of the village and the people who'd been murdered protecting her.
And whatever scans he'd been able to salvage from the labs before they blew.

All in all it added up to precious little.

Rodney wasn't as enthused as the others that this elder held the missing pieces of the puzzle.

But then he'd been wrong before.
Not that he'd admit that.

With a weary sigh McKay trudged behind the others as they passed the last of the smaller huts.

*********

Evan, Matthews, Connors and Woosley huddled just inside the infirmary doorway.
Each of them riveted on the scene before them.

Watching as Sokun and his team fought to save Jennifer's life.

Woosley had ordered Evan to inform John. However Evan had hesitated. He didn't want to face John without knowing Jennifer's fate.
Her condition had deteriorated during transport to the infirmary.
Jennifer's body had started to seize and convulse.
Sokun hadn't been able to stabilize her.

"Stay with us, Jen."Evan whispered as his right hand balled into a fist. "Please."

If it was one thing Jennifer had proven since her time on Atlantis it was that she was a survivor jinx or not.
Evan knew that she was fighting with everything she had.
She'd already endured so much.

Finally Sokun turned away from Jennifer and stopped in front of Woosley.

"We've stabilized her as best we can but whatever weapon was used seems to have affected her body like a large electric shock. Her lungs are not responding on their own. Other organs may have been compromised as well but I won't know until we run more tests."

"Thank you, Doctor."Woosley replied solemnly as Sokun nodded and left.

"An attack like this should not have happened."Richard stated grimly as he turned to face Evan. "Major, I'll go with you to inform Colonel Sheppard."

Lorne shook his head. "No offense, but its better if I go alone."

Woosley looked back at the activity in the infirmary as he nodded. "Understood. Have Dr. McKay report to me as soon as he returns."

"Yes, Sir."Lorne acknowledged quietly as Woosley left.

Evan looked at his team as they stood in the open doorway. "You two get some rest."

Matthews started to protest but Lorne held up a hand.

"Things are going to get ugly once we find out who did this. I need both of you at top form….understood?"

"Yes,Sir."

Matthews and Connors departed reluctantly.

With a last look at Jennifer's still form Evan turned and headed towards the gateroom.

Five minutes later Evan watched the familiar chevrons lock. This wasn't the first time he'd had to tell a friend bad news.
But Evan had no idea how he was going to face John let alone tell him what he had to tell him.

How do you tell a man that his family was attacked in a place they thought the safest?

The chevrons locked and the wormhole activated.

With a heavy heart Evan stepped through the gate.