CHAPTER 38 – RECRIMINATIONS

Jo went back with Lorne on one of the jumpers, happy enough to let the Major do the flying. He had settled her in the second seat and noting her pale, sick features – he kept flicking concerned glances at her, having helped to load up the jumper with as much of the confiscated items as they could. It would necessitate several trips to the planet to clean it out. All of the Trust members in residence had been captured and for now were being held on the planet under guard until the authority had come down from earth to transport them.

"You holding up ok, Jo? You wanna talk?" Those silver eyes flickered open. She had closed them briefly, but when she did all she see was John's face and the anger that she had seen there. She had been under no illusions, knowing that when he arrived he would be bringing more than just a small measure of wrath with him. But seeing the reality of that anger, on top of all that she had been through. That was another thing.

"What do you want me to say, Evan? I screwed up, I know that. But I did it."

"You're saying the end justifies the means, then... Not so sure that the Colonel is gonna believe that one."

She punched her hand down on the side of the seat in frustration before she answered him. "That's exactly what I'm saying Evan, and don't try and tell me that he wouldn't have done the same thing. He's just pissed because I got there before he did. His ego is feeling a little out of sorts."

"Not fair, Jo. You know that's not true. Right now? You're dealing with your own anger, and probably it's best if you keep away from each other for a while. Comments like that, whether coming from you or from him.. they're gonna hurt. And once said, it's damn hard to take them back."

She fell silent then, visualising his face as he had watched her step into the jumper with Lorne. She had seen betrayal almost as though he didn't understand why she would turn to Lorne. Another thing to add to their combined list of grievances. He didn't trust her, seeing more in her actions when she was with Lorne than was really there. And she had turned to Lorne, when perhaps she shouldn't. Teyla had stood nearby and just shaken her head. There was nothing she could do for the pair of them at the moment. They needed to work through their issues themselves.

They had left Rodney on the planet to go through some of the technology before it had been collected up and transported back to Atlantis. Some of it he wanted to sort through first, and a team had elected to stay with him, also as means to keep some sort of guard over the area. Two more security teams had been left on the planet in order to keep the captured Trust members secure until they received word from Atlantis as to when to transport them.

Ronon and John had left some time after Lorne and by the time they arrived back in Atlantis, the jumper bay was a hive of activity. Engineers and marines were unloading the transported equipment from Lorne's jumper and this had been neatly stacked in the jumper bay. O'Neill and Sam were there when they arrived and O'Neill was quick to give John a congratulatory slap on the back.

"A job well done, Sheppard. You rounded up a large amount of missing technology, some we were aware had been missing, others... no so much. It will take some time to catalogue everything and cross reference it back to lists from earth. I've been in contact with the SGC and forwarded a message on the President. It's a little delicate, this whole Trust issue. We've had problem with them in the past, but they fly so far under the radar that we find it nearly impossible to track them. And they've been keeping quiet, or so we thought. We now know different. A base in Pegasus? Easy enough for them to stay even further under the radar."

"What's going to happen to them? Will our government find a way to sweep it all under the carpet, the way they usually do?"

John had surrendered his weapon to the waiting marine and had now bent down to run his hand over the rising pile of equipment that was being unloaded.

"Not gonna happen, Sheppard. The President? Will be paying us a little visit out here in the next few days – as soon as he can get his schedule cleared. With an extremely competent escort of NSA security teams. The Trust will be interogated out here, away from prying eyes and ears – and those on earth? At least the ones they have managed to round up so far... will be dealt with on a similar scale – at one of the Alpha sites in the milky way."

"The government trying to keep their hands clean... keep the questioning off world."

"Something like that, Sheppard."

John straightened up, exhausted suddenly and needing to be alone for a while. He watched as Ronon flicked a hand in his direction, then left the jumper bay – bored now with the turn of the conversation. There was no sign of either Lorne or Jo and he wondered briefly if they were together somewhere. Running a hand through his hair he blocked out the thought.

He didn't have the energy to care right now.

He got as far as the door and turned back, eyes meeting Sam's who was looking his way with more than just a small measure of sympathy.

"How's Barlow holding up, Sam? Carson come up with anything new?"

"He thinks he's close John, just needs to smooth a few more things out, then I think he'll be at the testing stage. In case you're wondering... Jo's with him now..."

"As she should be... me? I'm going to eat, shower and bed. I assume you'll be taking care of that particularly disciplinary action?"

Sam sighed. "John... we need to talk about this."

"Oh, I get it... friends with the General, so the disciplinary stuff? Not gonna happen. Well, that's just great. Someone needs to temper down that disobedient streak and the only way to do that is to officially reprimand her, and set some sort of example for others on this base."

He was getting wound up now, and knew that he should have just walked out of there before starting this conversation. It was not the time, not while emotions were running high and not until he had had time to get himself under some sort of control.

"She's gonna think that she can just do whatever the hell she wants without impunity. That's how she goes through life... she needs to be taught a lesson, damnit!"

"Enough Sheppard! I will deal with her, have no doubt about that – but that is my business,not yours. I sent her out there, not under your command, but under mine. There will be no implied nepotism and she is not exempt from the disciplinary actions that face the rest of the Atlantis teams if they screw up. She willfully put herself and others in danger by going off alone. And whether or not she got the job done, and it's a given that she did – the means she went about it is not acceptable. If it gives you some peace of mind – then yes, she will be punished. As soon as her father is well... she will accompany him back to earth. I'll find some particularly despicable postion for her and she will spend a suitable amount of time serving penance and thinking about her actions. Does that satisfy you, Sheppard?"

The general was angry and John had come to an abrupt standstill, his body still and tight. Back to earth? He's gonna send her back to earth? I'm angry, yeah... but god, not to see her again? Is that what I really want...

Jack watched ast the muscles tightened in his junior officer's back and knew what he was going through. Hell, he had gone through the same thing with Sam. He knew the roller coaster ride they had faced, was still riding it's ups and downs even now, and certainly did not envy what John was about to go through. He had spoken with Jo when she returned, and Jo knew that she had screwed up, and knew also, that he would be forced to show a measure of discipline toward her. Fortunately she had accepted this with little fight. And he wondered if the fact that Sheppard and her were at an impasse had helped with this acceptable.

It seemed she had come to the conclusion that the stakes of the game had changed and he no longer wanted her here in Atlantis. And looking at the angry set of Sheppard's shoulders, it appeared that he was stubborn enough not to tell her how he really felt.

Jack sighed, and exchanged a look with Sam. He wouldn't interfere. They had to work it out for themselves, just as he and Sam had.