Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis, the characters and universe are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions and the Sci-Fi Channel. The content of this story is solely for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: I am NOT in the medical, military, mathematics or science professions so what you read is just 'winging it'. Hope it all sounds plausible. Also in my stories there will always be Dr. Weir and Dr. Beckett.

This is the fifth and final story completing the story arc I've written dealing with Colonel Sheppard's disability. Preceding order: Three for the Price of Two, Conquering Adversities, Unexpected Surprises, Life Altering and now New Beginnings.

The story was beta read and any remaining errors are my own. Enjoy.

New Beginnings

Author: kwillads

John woke to a relentless pounding on his door.

"Sheppard you in there? If you are you better have this door open in the next five seconds or else!"

John checked his watch for the time, it was nearing noon. He hadn't intended to sleep the past five hours, just a quick nap until people were up and about for the day. He rolled off the small bed to answer the door.

"Or else what McKay?"

Rodney stood tongue tied. He'd been all over Atlantis looking for the Colonel. Starting at Carl's quarters, command center, his office, mess hall, jumper bay, south pier, rec room, eleven different balconies the Colonel was known to frequent, even his own suite but Elizabeth hadn't seen him all morning. Rodney finally had to resort to using the city-wide sensors in order to find him. When the sensors showed someone in his old quarters Rodney knew right away it was Sheppard. Atlantis wouldn't let anyone else in without prior approval from John.

"Or else you don't get your wedding present." Hah! That should shut him up.

"Wedding present? Rodney I don't need a wedding present from you or anyone else for that matter. All I need buddy is to have you here watching my back."

"I am here. And I will always have your back, but I have a present for you too, but first its lunch time. We don't need you fainting at the Alter now do we? Come on fly boy…food a waits."

"How many times do I have to tell you McKay it's not 'faint' its 'pass out'." John and Rodney continued to bicker like an old married couple all the way to the mess hall. This felt right. Right now, this very moment, it felt right. This was how it should be; Rodney babbling on and John not listening.

They reached the mess hall where Evan, Ronon, Dave, Teyla, Carson and Christina were already seated and enjoying lunch. Carson was using that critical eye of his to make sure John was well. Carl had assured him earlier that morning but Carson liked to see things for himself.

"Oh by the way I read the jumper maintenance crew the riot act for not restocking Jumper Five right away. If they had you could have at least found an MRE or power bar. Maybe saved yourself from yourself last night." Rodney mentioned as he passed the span casserole, passed on the Mac & Cheese choosing to take a salad and then a single dessert.

"Hey Buddy, I thought you were hungry. Why the salad? Rose has spam casserole which is one of your many favorite dishes."

"Have you seen the menu for dinner tonight?" Rodney had. He hacked into Rose's laptop to see what she was preparing for the reception tonight. Rodney's eyes bugged out of his head just like Roger Rabbit's at reading the long list of food items. "Need to save room."

"Of course I know. Elizabeth and I planned the meal with Rose weeks ago."

"All I'm saying. One would think one wouldn't need all that but I intend to enjoy myself tonight."

"I see you found him Rodney." Carson stated. "Was his head stuck in the clouds?"

"Probably under water is more like it Dr. Beckett. I hear grooms get wet feet on their wedding day." Evan added to the table of conversation.

"Had to use Ancient sensors though. He wouldn't let me track him." Ronon gave Rodney's shoulder a little nudge.

"Yes well as much as your tracking skills are useful I doubt you could have found him." Protested Rodney.

"He was in his old room wasn't he?"

Rodney sputtered his first sip of coffee. "How'd…?"

"Tracked him there ten minutes after you asked me if I'd seen him."

"Why didn't you say you found the Invisible Man?" Rodney quipped giving the Satedan his idiot glare. "Would have saved me from searching all his favorite haunts." Rodney took a deep breath in before continuing his little rant. "Well at least Atlantis didn't cloak his life sign or I would never have found him."

"There is a ring of truth in what Ronon has said, you did not require our assistance Dr. McKay. You were sure you could find him on your own." Teyla injected into the conversation. Christina was sitting next to her trying to hide her smile.

"Dave you okay this morning?" John got around to asking.

"I'm fine John. What about you?"

"I'm good." John bit his lower lip. "Look I'm sorry if I scared you last night. That goes for all of you. I honestly didn't know that was going to happen. If I had, I would never have taken you up in a jumper. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry."

"Dr. Epson explained everything last night. So did Rodney, Ronon and Evan."

"Yeah…about that…I wouldn't believe much of what those three said. They tend to exaggerate too much. Make it sound worse than it really was…that sort of thing."

"So you're saying they were lying about you flying a nuclear bomb on a suicide mission. That they were lying when they told me you pulled them out of a burning lab using your wheelchair. That you arranged for Dr. Beckett to take the tracking device out of Ronon's back. Or that you…"

"Stop! You've made your point. Let's change the subject. I'm helping shuttle the Athosians over from the mainland. Would you like to join me?"

"I'd like that very much." David responded. He too had a genuine smile on his face today.

"Speaking of that are you ready to see your wedding present?" Rodney beamed at the thought.

"If you're intent on giving Elizabeth and I a wedding present shouldn't you wait until tonight after the wedding?" Questioned John.

"It's not that kind of gift. Actually it's more for you than Elizabeth. We've all been dropping hints since we got here."

"Hints?" What hints? He thought to himself. He wasn't listening to Rodney's dribble but McKay said 'we'. What had the others said? He wondered thinking back to the conversation they had over lunch.

"Yes hints. It just goes to prove my point that you don't listen to us. So follow me…and keep up." Rodney shoved his chair in at the table bussing his tray as did everyone else. John kept close paying a lot more attention than he normally did.

"I listen McKay…when you get around to the good parts." John stated his flimsy rebuttal. McKay had a habit of going off on all things scientific. Explaining in a thousand words when ten would do. Over the years John had learned to tune out Rodney until he got to the good bits.

"Yes, yes, yes. We all know that when you hear 'boom', 'weapon' or 'fire' you pay attention."

"Not always McKay." The large group crowded into the transporter. John couldn't see where on the menu Rodney selected as he was shoved into the front corner by Ronon. When the door opened everyone exhaled filing out of the small box. John recognized that they were down the hall from the jumper bay.

McKay led the way to the jumper bay door then stopped waiting for everyone else to catch up. When they were all present, "you can do the honors Colonel." Rodney motioned for Sheppard to open the door.

Thinking the door open he walked into the jumper bay. Sitting in the middle of the floor with a red, white and blue ribbon wrapped around it, sat Jumper One.

"Rodney?" John whispered. What have you done? Zelenka, Simpson and Sgt. Jones were standing next to her as well.

Rodney was about to jump out of his skin with excitement. "Happy wedding present or whatever they say."

Behind John he could hear congratulations ring out from everyone. He couldn't move. He was frozen where he stood staring at his baby dressed in red, white and blue. Radek shouted to come take a look. Hands were laid on his shoulders urging him to move closer.

"Speechless! Didn't I say he would be speechless." Rodney crowed.

"Yeah…too bad you're not."

"Ronon." Teyla chastised. Teyla placed her hand gently on John's and drew him closer to Jumper One.

"You guys did this?" John asked when he stood between Simpson and Sgt. Jones.

"Yes Sir." Sgt. Jones answered. "Dr. McKay requested we put her back the way she was Sir. As a wedding gift. Hope you like it."

"I do Sergeant. Thank you. Thank you all. This is the best gift. Don't know if Elizabeth will think so but I can't thank you enough. You don't know what this means to me."

Evan and David stood at the back of the pack. On the walk to the jumper bay Evan had been filling David in as to why it was going to be such a surprise. Although Evan joined the expedition a few years into the mission, it hadn't taken long for other pilots, Marines and of course Colonel Sheppard's team to fill him in on why Jumper One was restricted—off limits to any other pilot than the Colonel himself. Everyone on base knew that Jumper One was the Colonel's baby.

"I think they do John." David spoke up from the back of the large assembled group. "What time were you…" Just then the jumper bay door whooshed open flooded by men and women. "…never mind."

The new arrivals started to shout and holler. More congratulations were yelled out as they all gathered around Colonel Sheppard. Swallowing a few times before he spoke John tried to gain control over his stirred up emotional state over the jumper. "Okay people we have a job to do so let's do it."

Immediately the crowd disbursed flocking to their assigned jumpers. Sgt. Jones was taking the ribbon off Jumper One knowing full well the Colonel was taking his baby to the mainland.

"Colonel I wonder if I might…" Christina Lantis began asking but thought she might be intruding. "…never mind. Another time perhaps."

"No Dr. Lantis. Right now is the perfect time. Get on board. Rodney, Ronon, Evan you guys coming?"

"I can't. Radek and I have last minute details to work out. Simpson's helping too."

Ronon was succinct. "Got plans."

"Same here Colonel. Safe trip." Evan told him.

David, Teyla and Christina followed John to the back of Jumper One. Once everyone was on board, seated and they were cleared by flight John raised Jumper One off the floor and into the blue afternoon sky. His thoughts flowed through him and into the ship as if they were one. In the background Teyla was explaining the workings of the jumper to both Christina and David. John was lost in the sweet responses the jumper gave him. It was like friends meeting after a long absence.

Twenty-five minutes later fifteen jumpers landed on the mainland.

oOo

The door to the suite rang again. It was 15:00 hours when Kate and Christina showed up bearing gifts of more food and flowers.

The Botany department headed by Dr. Katie Brown had been to the mainland and back before lunch. The team assembled the fresh cut bouquets and boutonnières and once they were satisfied sent them with Kate to be delivered. The blue and white flowered bouquets spicy fragrance of earthy cloves filled the living space. Kate brought her dress back as well figuring she could change here in the suite.

"Kate, Christina please come in. What is all this?" Elizabeth asked.

"Thought you might like a lite bite to hold you over till dinner and Dr. Brown finished your bouquet along with corsages and boutonnières." Kate held the box out for Elizabeth to study.

"It's beautiful. Mom, smell this it's just heavenly."

"Gorgeous sweetheart, I will let Kate and Christina help you get ready. I need to change myself dear. I'll be back shortly. I love you."

"Love you too mom." Hugging her mother goodbye, she realized she had just two and a half hours to get ready.

oOo

Jumper One floated down onto its pad. It had taken all fifteen jumpers two trips each to bring all the Athosians to Atlantis. Lowering the back hatch the Athosians followed their escorts to the south pier. John and Dave headed to the residential quarters to clean up and change. It was 16:00 hours, still plenty of time to shower, shave and dress.

John meticulously buttoned his light blue shirt all the way up tucking the shirt bottom into his Air Force regulation trousers that came with matching jacket. Picking up the herringbone patterned necktie he went back into the bathroom so he could watch himself tie it correctly. His father had taught him to do it without a mirror but it always came out crooked. Today was not a day for his tie to be crooked as he watched himself in the mirror. He hated his monkey suit. He would have much preferred to wear black jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves partially rolled up or that black sweater that Elizabeth liked so well compared to this. How had he let Elizabeth talk him into wearing his Class A?

All of a sudden there was a panicked banging on his door. John thought open from where he sat on the end of the bed tying his polished dress shoe laces. When the door opened Col. Lorne rushed in already dressed in his Class A uniform. "Sir, you need to be on the south pier in twelve minutes. On the east side of the Alter there is a screen, you'll stand behind that screen with your Best Man until I signal you both to move into positions designated as Alpha and Charlie." John was having a hard time keeping up with his XO. He was talking faster than McKay. And being out of breath didn't help. John was catching every other word in his second's fast paced explanation. Lorne held out his PC tablet to the puzzled Groom. The Colonel hadn't moved to take it. He just kept staring off into his open closet.

"Sir, are you all right?" Evan looked at his dazed commanding officer with great concern. He was about to tap his comm link to get Dr. Beckett when Sheppard snapped out of his daze, stood up and began pacing in the small cleared area of his old quarters. "Sir?"

"I don't have a Best Man! I couldn't decide between you, Rodney, Ronon, Carl and now Dave. What do I do now?"

"Sir."

"I screwed this up before it even started."

"Sir!" Evan shouted.

"What!" John shouted back.

Evan took a deep breath before responding. "Calm down. It's been taken care of. Now are you ready…cause now you have only eight minutes to get into position. Here's your jacket Sir. Put that on while we walk."

John ran back into the bathroom one more time before taking the proffered jacket to put on. "Why eight minutes Lorne?"

"I take it you haven't checked your e-mail. Cadman has your wedding ceremony planned down to the second. I'm what you would call Master of Ceremonies…glorified time keeper is more like it. And I'm honored you thought of me as your Best Man." John gave Evan a smirk in return. Evan held out his data tablet for the Colonel to review as the two kept up a fast steady pace towards the south pier. As they walked, Lorne pointed out the time table and graphic layout specific to checkpoints Alpha and Charlie so the Colonel knew exactly where to stand when the time came.

"Is this for real?" John asked with amusement. The pair exited the south pier door and Evan pointed to the screen that was set up.

"Afraid so, Sir. Now over there is your starting position. When I signal, you and your Best Man will take up these two positions here." Once again Lorne pointed to the two locations marked on the map of his data pad.

"But who…"

"Gotta go get the Bride's mother now Sir. Please take your position." And Evan was off running back down the hall from which they had just come.

TBC 52/60