Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews last chapter and I'm glad you enjoyed Sam and Jack's time on the pier. Here's the final John Sheppard POV chapter. I can't believe we're getting close to the end of the story!
"So, did you find the General?" McKay asked. "Do we get to stay?"
John had found General O'Neill, thanks to a tip from Richard Woolsey that the man liked to hang out at the end of the western pier.
He just didn't feel like interrupting the General when he was in the middle of making out with Colonel Carter.
No wonder she said she was a little too personally involved to take the lead on this mission.
"I think Elizabeth should ask him later. He seemed preoccupied."
McKay hopped off the infirmary bed.
"Where is he? I'll go ask him."
McKay started walking towards the door, likely assuming he would be followed.
John grabbed McKay's sleeve and pulled him back.
"I don't think so."
McKay shot him a confused look, as if he didn't think there could be anything more important right now than finding out what was going to happen with Atlantis. Which, now that John thought about it, was probably another part of why McKay wasn't the one kissing Carter.
"Why not? You know where he is. We can just go ask him."
John couldn't think of anything he'd like to do less than interrupt the General.
"He and Colonel Carter were in the middle of a conversation. Seemed important."
McKay nodded and sat back down on the infirmary bed.
"She's probably letting him down easy, after that whole 'I love you' distraction thing," he said. "Explaining that it was part of the plan. Poor Sam."
John wondered what it would be like to have an imagination as untethered from reality as McKay's was.
"I'm sure she'll be fine."
Somehow John managed the response without sounding like a complete smartass.
McKay's hand picked at a tear in the corner of the infirmary bed.
When he looked up, the scientist's expression was unsettled.
"Do you think General O'Neill will blame me? He gave me that look back in the control room like he wasn't happy with me."
John figured that if O'Neill was unhappy with McKay, it probably had more to do with the fact that McKay was constantly hitting on and insulting Samantha Carter.
"Blame you for what?"
McKay stopped picking at the fabric. "You know, that whole thing in the holding cell and passing along Sam's message."
John leaned against the wall. He could just tell Rodney that things seemed great between O'Neill and Carter, given how they were kissing on the pier, but he wasn't sure how open the two of them were about their relationship. It didn't seem like his place to share the news.
"I really don't think you have to worry about that."
McKay frowned. "You don't know that. What if he holds a grudge? The military shouldn't have so much power over Atlantis, but what if he kicks me off the project?"
John let the military comment pass, even though part of him wanted to remind McKay how many times military members of Atlantis had saved his life.
"It's not a guarantee that any of us will be able to stay, Rodney. In case you forgot, General O'Neill threatened to fire me earlier and I also probably got myself a dishonorable discharge for leading this unsanctioned rescue mission. You telling Jack O'Neill that Sam Carter loves him is probably at the very bottom of things he's worrying about right now."
John Sheppard was well aware that just because he saved a couple lives and the city of Atlantis, it didn't mean that he'd get away unscathed for disobeying orders, stealing a jumper, firing upon one of their own men, overriding gate travel protocols, and more. They'd broken a hell of a lot of rules to get to this outcome. The end didn't always justify the means.
"They can't get rid of you for this!"
John looked at him in disbelief. "They can do whatever the hell they want. I broke so many rules and it was worth it, but there will be consequences."
McKay scoffed. "We break rules all the time."
John shook his head.
"We argue to break the rules and Elizabeth usually okays it. It's different when it's sanctioned by someone in command."
McKay continued absently picking at the tear in the fabric of the infirmary bed, lost in thought. Then his eyes widened.
"Hey! General O'Neill actually likes you and you saved his life. Plus, sometimes aliens think you're charming and personable. I bet you can talk him into not firing you now. He can sanction his own rescue mission retroactively."
John didn't bother pointing out again that both Landry and O'Neill had threatened to fire him. He hoped they wouldn't and that their miraculous success against the Replicators would keep him employed, but it was no guarantee.
"Perfect plan, Rodney. I'll just ask him not to fire me."
McKay opened his mouth to say something else, but then Carson Beckett walked up beside them.
"You're clear, Rodney," the doctor announced.
"It's about time! I still don't understand why I had to go last."
John shared an amused look with Beckett.
"Maybe they wanted to save the best for last," the doctor quipped.
John laughed and McKay threw an irritated glare at both of them. McKay hated being the butt of a joke, but it was so easy sometimes.
"Is the medical team going back to the Daedalus now?" John asked the doctor.
Beckett shook his head.
"No, they're assisting the marines with the Tria crew."
Ah.
There'd been so much going on that John had almost forgotten that something needed to be done about the dead bodies scattered around the city.
"I'm going to lend them a hand," Beckett continued. "I might as well help while we're waiting to find out what will happen with the city."
He paused and looked at both of them, as if waiting for John and McKay to offer to help.
"I was going to meet Teyla and Ronon by the gate after they grabbed their extra supplies from the jumper," John said. "Figured I'd see them off. McKay could assist you."
Rodney McKay raised his hands in the air in front of him, as if to physically fend off the idea.
"You both know how I feel about dead bodies. Plus, I've got to start running some of the diagnostics programs on the control room systems to make sure they haven't been tampered with. It's a very delicate process so I've got to focus on getting that started."
Carson Beckett looked vaguely disappointed in both of them.
"Fine, I'll see you both later."
They said goodbye as Beckett left the infirmary and John felt a little guilty he wasn't joining him, but he did have other things to do. Once he had all those items checked off his list and knew whether or not they'd be sticking around, he'd go help the team dealing with the Tria crew if there was still more to be done.
"I'm going to find General O'Neill and ask him if we're going to be allowed to stay."
John looked over to where McKay was tugging on his sleeves and the hem of his shirt to try to sharpen his appearance.
"You're not going to talk to the General. Didn't you just say that you have important diagnostics to run?"
McKay stopped adjusting his clothes and looked over at him.
"Well, yeah, but that was mainly to avoid dealing with dead bodies. You know I'm not good with dead people."
Truthfully, John thought McKay might have more success with dead people considering how badly he dealt with live ones.
Although…Rodney McKay was also one of the more squeamish people he knew.
Either way, there was no way in hell John was letting McKay talk to General O'Neill.
"You're not talking to the General."
McKay huffed and the two of them started walking towards the Stargate, where Ronon and Teyla would be waiting.
"It's not like I have to stay there while the programs run. I just have to get them started and check back in for the results."
"I saw the look he gave you back in the holding cell and in the control room. Trust me, this is for your own good. Let Elizabeth talk to him."
McKay looked over as they neared Stargate Operations.
"I really think I can smooth things over with him."
John looked at him in disbelief.
"Or you could make things worse. Let Elizabeth be the diplomatic one."
McKay frowned. "I just want us to be able to stay."
"I know."
They met Ronon and Teyla by the Stargate to say their goodbyes before both of them returned to the Athosian settlement. All of them hoped it was only a temporary goodbye, but John promised that regardless of what happened, he'd contact them in a day or two to let them know whether an Earth team was going to come back to the city and if he would be keeping his job.
The marine stationed at the control room dialed the gate for them and the two Pegasus natives headed out.
The gate shut down and John turned at the sound of light, feminine laughter.
Colonel Carter and General O'Neill were walking in their direction. Both of them, understandably, looked like they were in a much better mood than they had been earlier.
They weren't touching as they walked side-by-side, but it almost felt like they were. John watched Jack O'Neill say something to Sam Carter followed by a slight tilt of a smile. She shook her head and laughed again in return.
The interaction was intimate, even though they didn't do anything that would clue unknowing observers into the fact that they were a couple.
It just seemed so obvious now that John was surprised that he didn't catch on sooner.
"Oh look, there's Sam and the General! We can talk to him right now."
Rodney McKay raised his hand to start waving at the pair, but John pulled his arm down fast.
"McKay, go start the diagnostics tests or I will force you to help Beckett with dead bodies."
Having to deal with McKay was probably the one thing that would ruin O'Neill's mood. And, as McKay had so helpfully pointed out, John Sheppard's entire career likely rested on General O'Neill being in a good mood.
"You wouldn't," McKay replied.
John watched as O'Neill and Carter continued to approach. Soon, the officers would notice them.
"Normally, no. Today, yes."
There wasn't any more time for arguing. John looked away from McKay and noticed that both Carter and O'Neill had spotted them. They looked different now than when he was observing them unnoticed - half a foot further apart and a little more formal in their bearing.
"Sheppard, McKay."
General O'Neill greeted them as concisely as humanly possible.
"General O'Neill, it's great to see you," McKay replied before Sheppard had a chance. "And Sam, it's always a pleasure of course."
O'Neill raised his eyebrows at McKay's greeting to Colonel Carter.
Normally, he'd find the situation amusing, but John Sheppard had no interest in watching this trainwreck when his job could be on the line.
"Rodney has to leave to start the system diagnostics in the control room."
John hadn't greeted Carter and O'Neill, and his last sentence might have been a hell of a non-sequitur, but it was the best he could do under the circumstances.
They both looked at him in confusion. John gave McKay a hard stare until he watched the man give.
"Uh, yeah, you know me. Never stop working."
McKay gave a final, questioning glance to John and said goodbye.
"Later, McKay."
John could tell by General O'Neill's laid back tone that he wasn't exactly bothered by the fact that McKay was leaving.
"Goodbye, Rodney," Carter managed.
John gave McKay a short half-wave before turning back to the man who would help determine his fate.
"General O'Neill, Doctor Weir wanted to speak with you when you had a chance. I think she went up to check out the state of her former office."
The overall happiness level on the man's face dimmed. The exhaustion that hadn't been visible on Jack O'Neill's face minutes before was back.
"Fine, I'll go find her. Sheppard, can you find out how many non-leaking jumpers are available? I want to know what our options are for getting home and don't want to sit on the Daedalus for three weeks if I can help it."
"Yes, sir," John agreed. "I'll get right on it."
The fact that General O'Neill had given him a task instead of firing him was a good sign. Hopefully, that meant that this excursion to the Pegasus galaxy would actually work out in his favor.
"Want to join me, Colonel Carter?" he asked. "I know you didn't get much of a chance to explore the city when you were here before. I can give you a tour on the way."
It was probably a risk, asking Carter to join him, but he figured that Weir's talk with the General would go better if Colonel Carter wasn't standing right there beside him.
She glanced at O'Neill and he shrugged.
Carter turned back to him with a smile. "Sure, I'd be happy to join you."
"I'll talk with Doctor Weir and bring my stuff to the main jumper bay." O'Neill said. "I'm hoping to get clearance to fly one of the jumpers home. Meet you both there in about forty five minutes."
"Sounds good, sir," John replied.
"See you soon," Carter added, with a slight wistfulness to her voice.
O'Neill walked away and they headed in the opposite direction.
John started to give her the tour he normally gave people who were new to this city, with a few detours here and there on the way to the jumper bay, but their enthusiasm was dampened after running into the medical team and finding out one of the laboratory rooms he was going to show her was being used as a makeshift morgue.
"Let's just go check out the jumpers," she suggested.
He agreed and they walked straight there.
Fortunately, there were several jumpers still sitting in the main jumper bay. A few were missing and John assumed that they'd been used by the Ancients during the initial attack on the city. They were probably underwater now and he wondered if they'd be able to recover the missing ships from where they were likely sitting on the ocean floor.
The two of them ran basic systems checks on the front three jumpers, which was made a whole lot easier because of John's ATA gene and Carter's technical expertise.
"Those three are space-worthy. I'm sure we can check the others later, assuming we end up staying here."
Carter looked up from where she was reattaching a panel on the inside of the ship.
"Earth just got the city back, you know they're not going to abandon it again, right? The technology and military advantages alone -"
"But we might not be allowed to stay," John interrupted. "Me and my team."
Carter finished with the panel and stood up.
"I told you before. General O'Neill isn't going to fire you. There will be all sorts of red tape and you and your team will probably have to deal with things back home before you'll be allowed to return permanently, but what you all did coming here was heroic. They all know that, even if the rules and regulations say differently."
John had always been the type to push back on the idea that any of his actions had been heroic. Most of the time, the best he could manage was that some of his foolish, selfless risks had been successful. Listening to Carter's forceful tone almost made him believe her.
He wondered if that passion and determination was part of why O'Neill fell for her.
"I hope you're right."
"I wouldn't lie to you about something like this," she replied. "Jack is going to make sure you stay."
He watched the color drain from her face as she noticed the slip. The thing was, plenty of former teammates called each other by their first names. He called most of his current teammates by their first names at least part of the time. It wouldn't be such a big deal if Carter didn't have such a visible reaction.
Still, it was nice knowing that he was going to keep his job. If anyone was aware of what was running through General O'Neill's mind, it would be the woman in front of him.
"I'm happy to hear it," he said.
It was a relief to know that the risk he'd taken had worked out. He'd saved the city, he'd saved O'Neill and Woolsey, and he was going to be able to keep his job and return home for good.
As they exited the jumper and raised the outer cargo door, John cast about for something else to discuss.
"So, did you enjoy the view from the pier?"
Her blush was so immediate that he almost regretted the question, but she pulled herself together quickly.
"Atlantis is a beautiful place," she replied in a carefully even tone.
He wished she didn't feel like she had to be so on guard with him. John suspected they'd get along well if they had the chance.
"If it's a secret or something, I won't tell anyone about you and General O'Neill. I really was just asking what you thought of the view."
John loved looking out over the ocean from the various piers and balconies scattered around the city. On the days when the wind wasn't bad, he even hit golf balls off the edge.
If certain people preferred other activities at the end of the pier, it simply wasn't his business.
"It's not a secret, not really," she replied. "It's just complicated. We were on the same team for years. People make assumptions."
"That you fell in love before it was allowed?"
She laughed.
"You're polite. Usually they assume something much more X-rated than that."
John really didn't want his thoughts to go in that direction, especially when he was relying on General O'Neill to save him from a dishonorable discharge. He suspected that thinking about Samantha Carter and sex in the same sentence was the quickest way to get on Jack O'Neill's bad side.
He replied with the safest response he could think of.
"Well, most people are idiots."
She smiled and relaxed, just a little. "Yeah, a lot of them are."
"You know, the General was worried when you didn't come with me to the holding cell. Almost ripped McKay a new one."
Carter looked over at him. There was a depth of emotion in her expression that told him she wasn't surprised to hear of O'Neill's reaction and could probably do a fair job imagining what it had been like.
"We've had a lot of close calls over the years," she said by way of explanation.
The sentence was succinct and practiced. He wondered how many times she'd said it throughout her time with the Stargate program.
John thought about how many close calls he'd had with friends and teammates he cared about and how much worse it would be to have a close call if you were in love with the person you might lose.
"When he thought we were going to leave him there, he wanted me to pass along a message to you."
John had a sudden memory of when he was in junior high and a friend had convinced him to pass a note to the girl his friend had a crush on. This felt shockingly similar, in spite of the seriousness of the situation when O'Neill gave him the message.
"Really?" Carter asked.
John nodded.
"That he loved you and was sorry for messing up the vacation you were going to take together."
Carter gave an incredulous laugh and her eyes looked a little wet.
"I still can't believe he thinks I'm upset about missing vacation when he almost died in another galaxy."
Given the look that had been on Jack O'Neill's face at the time, John doubted the message was really about a single messed up vacation. It seemed to him that the man had been apologizing for all the future vacations he thought he wouldn't be able to take with her. He'd been apologizing for a future life unlived.
It didn't seem like the type of speculation that he should mention to Colonel Carter, but he couldn't leave her statement unanswered.
"I don't think it was the vacation he was worried about missing, Colonel."
They stopped walking and Carter leaned against the wall of the jumper bay. All they had to do now was wait for General O'Neill.
"It wasn't the vacation I was worried about either," she admitted.
John Sheppard had never considered himself a romantic, something which was probably a factor in his own divorce years ago, but he was glad that the risky choice he made less than twenty four hours earlier brought those two back together.
Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter seemed like people who deserved a little happiness for all they'd done.