Chapter 27: Imprinting (Deleted Scene)

A/N:

The story is nearing the end, with only a few more chapters left to go.

What follows is a deleted scene from Chapter 24: Imprinting that I had abandoned unfinished. I had removed the scene because I felt that it wasn't working (it was too strong) and it digressed too far from the Lucius arc.

The following material is *not* part of the main story.

Warning: Sheppard emotional whump.

"Congratulations, Genie. You are soon going to be immune to Kickapoo Joy Juice." Sheppard sneezed.

She smiled. He sneezed again.

She laughed, then she bent over and hugged him. She released her hug as they continued to sit on the floor of the brig across from each other.

Thanks to the triple dose she took Sheppard could see that the Guardian's pupils were beyond dilated - in fact they were almost completely black.

He grinned, "Genie, you are so baked."

She returned it, "Oh I am. I'm flooded with endorphins right now." She giggled, "I'm so high that I think could actually fly for Lucius."

He laughed, "Yeah I bet. Now, let's see, I guess we just gotta wait until your cold kicks in. How long do you think that will take?"

"Well, the incubation period for a rhinovirus can vary considerably, but it is typically two to three days."

"Okay, so we gotta wait a couple days. After that you gotta clear the Kickapoo Joy Juice out of your head, and after that you can work on the developing the antidote and we'll deal with Lucius. Let's assume one week total."

She looked disappointed, "You mean I have to remain like this for a whole week?"

"Yeah. Unless you got a better plan?"

"It won't take a week. Not for me. My metabolism runs much faster than a normal human. I can accelerate it and run it even faster to metabolize the compound out of my system.

"How long then?"

"You gave me a triple dose, so I am guessing that I can clear it out of my system in perhaps, uh, three days with my metabolism running in overdrive."

"Really? That's good. That's about the same time frame for your cold to kick in. After you have your dinner with Lucius tonight, I want you to use your inviso-cloak to sneak back down here so that you can take a few more whiffs of me. We can't risk you flipping back to Lucius. Don't worry, you won't need to tamper with the cameras again as long as you stay cloaked."

"John, that won't be necessary."

"It won't? Why not?"

"I'm locked on you now. When I smell that awful cologne on Lucius tonight it will just backfire and tighten your bond on me. I think Rodney could flip me if he took a dose, but I don't think anyone else could at this point."

"Okay, great. Start revving your metabolism as soon as you finish that dinner. I want to get that bastard out of here as soon as possible."

"I will." She remained seated on the floor, looking at him with loving eyes.

An awkward silence grew between them as the Guardian continued to gaze at Sheppard adoringly.

Sheppard finally spoke up haltingly, "You can, uh, get going now. Lucius is waiting for you."

She continued to gaze at him, "No. I don't want to leave yet."

"Huh? You don't want to leave? Why not?"

She slowly made a semi-feral smile, her teeth bared.

Sheppard grew alarmed, "Genie, hey, you okay over there?"

She crouched on all fours and slowly approached him.

"Uh, Genie, what are you doing?"

"John, I can sense you.."

"Sense what? What are you talking about?"

She continued to crawl slowly towards him on all fours, "I can tell."

Sheppard scooted backwards on the floor of the brig, "Tell what? Hey, there's nothing to 'tell'!"

She was playful, "You silly liar." She continued her stalking approach, "You are trying to hide it."

"Hide what? I don't know what you're talking about."

"John, you're so cute when you lie."

"Hey, stop it."

"When Rodney feels like you are feeling right now and we are alone in our quarters, I like to pounce on him..."

Sheppard again scooted backwards on the floor of the brig away from her, "Genie, I said just stop it."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine with me."

"Genie, knock it off. I know you're just messing around."

The tigress stopped her playful stalking and sat cross-legged, very close, smiling, "Maybe I am."

"Look, that's enough."

"Sorry. I know that was silly of me. I'll probably feel really embarrassed about it later." She grinned at him again.

"No doubt. Genie, c'mon, you are totally baked. Look, you should get out of here and go back to Lucius now."

"Yes, I suppose."

Her face become more serious, "John, thank you. Thank you so much for saving my life."

He shrugged it off, "Hey, it was nothing. You'd do the same for me."

"Yes, I would." She thought a moment, "I should. I will. Right now."

"Huh?"

"There won't be another opportunity for this. Yes." She scooted forward and sat in his lap, facing him.

"Hey! Genie, stop it!"

"I'm going to heal you."

"Genie, what I said was... Look, I was just babbling. Trying to save your life. C'mon, it was just talk."

{ No. No it wasn't. I know you, John. I know better than anyone. Better than your ex-wife. Better than Elizabeth. }

"Genie, please, stop it. You're wasted. Get off my lap."

"No. You need healing. You need it so badly. You are so broken. I sensed it back on P49-M87. This will probably be my only chance, so I'm going to take it."

"Genie, no. Stop! Get off! That's an order!"

"Sorry, darling. The drug doesn't work that way. It makes a person want to fulfill the needs and wants of the host. You *need* this. I know you. No order is going to stop me."

"Look, I'm serious, get off! Look, Genie, it's the drug!"

"I know. John, I've wanted to do this with you for a long time, for years, on P49-M87.."

"C'mon, Genie, stop and think. If you do this you'll regret it. I mean it. You'll regret it for the rest of your life. Think of Rodney. Please, Genie, don't do this.."

She appeared confused for a moment. Then she finally realized what he was assuming, "Oh, I see."

She got off his lap and scooted around behind him. Before he could react she had wrapped her legs around him from the back, like scissors, keeping him seated on the floor.

"You're making an incorrect assumption. This isn't physical. It isn't physical at all."

"It isn't? You could have fooled me."

"No, it isn't. I'm not seducing you. I apologize for the misunderstanding. I'm going to do something else with you, a special mental technique, what we call mentis sanitatem: mental healing."

"What? Mental healing?"

"What I want to do is a mental cleansing technique that we Lanteans use to heal psychic injury. We use it to help a person recover from a situation that had caused a major emotional shock or trauma. For example, we use it to reconcile two lovers after an act of infidelity, or to rehabilitate someone who survived a Wraith attack..."

".. or someone like me with PTSD. Yeah, I get it now." He tried to turn around to face her, but her enscissored legs still had him pinned from behind as they both remained seated on brig's floor. "Look, Genie, after what happened my CO made me go see a military psychologist. And yeah, that shrink made me take a bunch of tests.."

".. which you had no doubt faked the results on. And then, during your therapy sessions with the 'shrink', you had carefully given him all the correct answers, thus ensuring that you would be allowed to return back to active duty."

Sheppard sighed to himself. There was no point in denying it, not with her. "Yeah, so?"

"This is technique different. I admit that Lantean lovers do the mentis sanitatem quite a bit - I have done it with Rodney regarding his family past - but it is also used professionally by Lantean psychic experts to help heal patients who are suffering from emotional debilitation. John, I want to do this. Not as your lover.."

"Genie?"

{ .. but as your friend. }

He shook his head somewhat nervously as she watched him from behind, "Genie, look, I really don't know about this.."

{ Your father. Your brother. }

He was surprised.

So.

He said quietly, "You already know."

She had already removed her gloves and had placed her bare hands on the sides of his head.

{ Yes. You and I lived together for eight years. Your dreams, your nightmares. I saw. }

"Hoo boy. So you want to try to do for me what the shrinks couldn't, eh?"

{ I do. I want to help you. It's because I care for you. I care for you so much. Not like Rodney, not as your lover, but as your friend. You're my best friend after my husband. }

"Really? I guess I'm honored.."

{ Let me do this for you. As a gift. Just this once. }

He made a small smile, and without turning around he patted one of her hands that were resting on the sides of his head, "Genie, you are just too much."

{ For you, John. You saved my life. This is the least I can do in return. }

"So, after this little uh, healing session, you promise you'll behave yourself like a good girl? You'll go have that private dinner with Lucius, then rev your metabolism afterward?"

{ I promise. I'll do anything you say. }

He sighed, "Okay.. fine. Go ahead. Take your shot."

She closed her eyes.

Several seconds passed.

Her splayed fingers continued to touch the sides as his head as she leaned in and concentrated deeply.

{ Your father. Your brother. They preferred that you did not join the Air Force.}

He barked a laugh, "That's not the half of it."

{ Tell me about it. Please. }

He sighed, { ... TODO }

AFGHANISTAN INCIDENT - SHEPPARD TRIED TO RESCUE THE TWO AGAINST ORDERS. HE FAILED.

{ The thing you are most afraid of is yourself. Failing to protect your friends. }

FLASHBACK: FATHER'S TERMINAL CANCER, HIS REJECTION OF SHEPPARD (INCL DAVID'S REJECTION). FOR BACKGROUND SEE STARGATE DOT FANDOM DOT COM SLASH WIKI SLASH JOHN_SHEPPARD.

ENDS WITH HIM CRYING IN HER ARMS.

They remained that way for a long, long time.