2
Earth
One year, two months and four days after the second homecoming.
Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard sighed as he took in the mesmerizing view of San Francisco from the main balcony. He gripped the railing, curled his fingers around it and pursed his lips. At first - a little over a year ago - he had felt nothing but relief when Atlantis had somewhat unceremoniously splashed down into the waters close to the west coast of United States of America. Then, as time passed, the more frustration he felt.
Atlantis wasn't supposed to be on Earth. He knew that a lot of people back at the SGC had been thrilled to have the city sitting on their doorstep. He imagined them rubbing their hands together, marveling about the design and technology made by the ancients so many years ago. Scientists within the stargate program made references to the fabled city - the sunken and lost city - which had inspired people to look for it for centuries or even millennium.
Rodney, being his blunt and blatant self, had simply called them idiots if they really believed it was one and the same city. He made parallels to what Earth may have looked like back in those days and reminded the rest of them about the not so enlightened societies where at the time – 9600 B.C – people still ran around in fur, amazed by the magic of a fire.
Doctor Monroe had politely managed to ignore his ramblings and pointed out that Plato did say that the city sank into the ocean. Reminding Rodney about the way they had found Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy.
As a result, Doctor McKay had then launched into a tirade about the facts that didn't fit. Plato had insisted that Atlantis was big as well as advanced. She was so big that it would cover the entire modern North Africa and some parts of Turkey. While the city is big, she is not comparable in size to that.
John shook his head and broke into a crooked smile as he remembered Rodney, standing only inches from the other doctor, glaring at him, as he practically shouted in his face that Plato made Atlantis up. That it was just a horrible, twisted coincidence that the ancient city happened to be named the same thing.
The former military commander of the Atlantis Expedition that set off from Earth a little over six years ago sighed. He hadn't known what he had given himself into back then – he might have been able to guess it would not be easy though. While the overextended stay in Pegasus had been an invigorating ride, it had also served as both heaven and hell. Looking out over the beautiful lights that marked San Francisco before him and the reddening night sky he wondered if it had all been for nothing.
While all the excitement may had settled down a bit, the city was still bustling with activity for better or for worse. Everyone at SGC had kept telling him that Atlantis was finally home but John knew better; Atlantis was far from home. She belonged, like her sister cities, in a faraway place called the Pegasus galaxy and the sooner everyone realized that; the better.
IOA had been thrilled when Woolsey had made his first statement and congratulated him on his success; commending him for bringing with him the precious city everyone wanted to visit. To his credit Richard had pointed out that he had a marvelous crew of scientists and military officers alike who made the job easy for him. He even looked a little pale himself when IOA suggested they'd send a myriad of experts over to dissect the city's systems, the building structure, the gate itself, the puddle jumpers and God knew what else was on their list.
Sheppard had been furious learning that - instead of sending Atlantis back where she belonged - she was going to be hauled up in the bay of San Francisco for an indefinite future so that she could be studied.
He knew that, even if they never actually admitted it, both Teyla and Ronon missed being home. Maybe not home in the sense of Athos or Sateda but Atlantis – the way it used to be. In Pegasus, the city had been bustling with activity and everyone had worked together like a tightly knitted family.
The situation had drastically changed from the constellation of people who had inhabited the old city in Pegasus at this date. Most of the military personnel and scientists had transferred off and lot of private contractors had moved in instead. Computer researchers, analytic experts, archaeologists, anthropologists, historians and biologists seemed to be everywhere.
To Sheppard and the others - who'd fought for their survival - who'd fought for everyone's survival in the Pegasus Galaxy; it felt like they lacked purpose to go on. It was harder to go up in the morning nowadays, harder to find a meaning. John in particular missed the old gang. He missed Rodney's constant insistence that he was better than Doctor Zelenka, that he had more than one Ph.D. That he made a difference between life and death everyday by just being in the vicinity. Perhaps that was actually true if you talked to Jennifer Keller who, for some inscrutable reason, had chosen to live with him out of her own free will. John snorted and shook his head as he thought about the unlikely couple. He would never have believed they would end up together if he hadn't been there and seen it for himself. There were times when he'd thought the doc and Ronon had something going, or perhaps the doc and his 2IC but certainly not the doc and Rodney McKay.
"There's a familiar sight from the past," a voice spoke up from behind him.
John smirked. He'd recognize that voice everywhere and anywhere. "You know-," he began as Evan walked up to stand next to him, "-I was just thinking about you."
"In a positive way I hope?" he replied with a mixture of mischief and sadness as a faint dimpled smile creased his lips.
"Always Maj -," he caught himself. "-Lieutenant Colonel Lorne. I wish I had been able to attend the ceremony but unfortunately, I was stuck with reconnaissance at P3X-567."
Lorne actually smirked at that. "I know how much you hate your dress uniform," he quirked dryly. "You probably volunteered to go."
John snorted with amusement. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, Evan. You look so much more relaxed nowadays and you've developed a much laxer attitude than the stickler-by-the-book-officer that was my second in command."
"I blame your laid-back leadership style entirely for that one," he said with a teasing tone of voice.
Sheppard patted the shorter man on the back. "I like that," he replied.
Evan sighed as he stared out over the calm ocean. "You know, I miss Pegasus," he whispered longingly.
"Yeah," John mused. "Me too. There was something special about having your life on the line almost every week."
Evan nodded. "I think you gave me gray hair, sir."
John turned his head to study his former SIC and narrowed his eyes. "Doesn't show," he pointed out.
"I've dyed it," he deadpanned.
Sheppard shook his head in amusement, remembering his history lessons from the other Rodney McKay, forty-eight-years into the future. General Evan Lorne, the man in charge of Stargate Command on Earth. If the relationship between McKay and Keller could turn out to be true then he had no doubt that Lorne would, someday, end up where he was supposed to be as well.
He held that thought for a while as a wicked smile spread across his lips and crinkled the area next to his eyes. 'If they ever decided to fund the Atlantis Expedition again - did that mean he could send Lorne on whatever daredevil missions he wanted? The man was supposed to survive, right?' he thought.
Evan narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his former commanding officer. "You know, I am not quite sure I like that smug look on your face, sir."
Sheppard straightened and his face turned carefully neutral. "What look?" he answered innocently.
OOOOOO
Ronon grunted as his sparring partner landed a direct uppercut on his chin. He hadn't given the man a hundred percent attention which he was now paying dearly for. The force of the blow caused him to bite the inside of his cheek as his teeth was pressed together. The Satedan spat out the small about of blood on the floor and broke into a feral grin that held no mirth or mercy whatsoever.
"Enough!" Amelia Banks shouted angrily. "Don't make me get in there with you."
Corporal Poe began to back off at her command but Ronon came at him, completely ignoring her.
"Ronon!" she shouted. "Back off!"
When he didn't answer but instead chose to attack his opponent, the former gate technician and martial arts practitioner stepped in. She eased herself between them and blocked Ronon's blows.
If he was surprised at her actions, he didn't show it. He kept coming at her and she kept deflecting his jabs. She worked to get some space between them so she could use her feet as well as her hands but he was an experienced and skilled fighter.
Corporal Poe stepped down, watching in amazement as the two people before him continued to spar. Some of the moves they now performed were unknown to him and could have been very deadly using the right force and angle. Perspiration was glistening on Banks tanned skin as Ronon skillfully landed a blow to her ribs that would have knocked the wind out of anyone else. The Corporal grimaced, feeling sorry for her. He shouldn't have, because in the next few seconds she landed a few blows to her opponent that had him stagger back. She went for the kill and threw him on the ground, locking him in place as she locked her eyes with his.
"I said enough," she wheezed.
He calmed a little but he was still panting from the exertion. "I heard you the first time," he muttered with annoyance.
She bent lower and added in a whisper, so that the Corporal didn't hear; "This isn't Pegasus. The Corporal is not a Wraith nor is he here because he's got a death wish and I, for one, don't want to be sued."
He pushed her off of him and then offered her a hand up.
"Impressive," Corporal Poe said. "The Army could use instructors like you."
Amelia gave a sly smile as she walked up to him. "Dex is already leading classes but it's usually marines or air force attending them," she replied.
The military man huffed. "What for? They have their ships and airplanes. We are the troops – the true heroes," he reasoned lightly, somewhat cockily.
Amelia felt Ronon's temper rising again and sent a glare in his direction, hoping he would let it go. The poor Corporal had no way of knowing what sacrifices the air force- and marine officers had made in order to secure the safety of the planet a year back. He wasn't authorized to get a glimpse behind the red tape that surrounded the Atlantis Expedition and had never heard of Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, Lieutenant Colonel Evan Lorne, civilian scientific genius Doctor Rodney McKay or Doctor Jennifer Keller and the rest of the brave men and women who'd been there with him.
"I hope Ronon's sparring techniques didn't scare you off and that you come back to give it another try?" she offered a smile again but this time there was something daring about it. "Why don't you bring the guys over?" Amelia suggested, hands on her hips. "Let's see what they can do?"
Challenge accepted," Poe said and tipped his head a little in her direction before he turned on his heels to leave the premises.
"What are you doing?" Ronon growled as he reached for a towel to wipe away the perspiration covering his face.
"I'm branching out the business," she answered. "My yoga classes and aerobics, Teyla's sporadic bantos sparring and your – I don't know what you're calling it? Pounding-the-shit-out-of-your-opponent sessions – is barely keeping us afloat."
Ronon frowned as he threw the towel on the floor and reached for a bottle of water. "I thought you said we're good? The gym is doing well and is able to cover the expenses."
"It is," she replied. "But there is nothing wrong with having a buffer."
She wasn't lying, she just wanted the gym to better, to be top-notch, a place where even the celebrities went.
Amelia and Ronon had started dating a while before Atlantis made it back to Earth and they'd found that they enjoyed each other's company. In fact, they'd never been away from one another since then. Because she had always wanted a club of her own where she could teach martial arts and yoga and Ronon technically didn't exist as far as Earth was concerned, she'd coaxed the SGC to finance the purchase of their place. Somehow Woolsey had actually gotten the IOA to agree to that but it was conditioned. They were to train the new recruits at SGC one day a week for one year at a time.
Both Ronon and Amelia had readily agreed to that but, unfortunately, it meant a lot of travelling back and forth between San Francisco and Cheyenne Mountain. There had been times when they'd reasoned that perhaps the best course of action was to move to Colorado but, somehow, knowing that Atlantis was rolling gently on the waves outside San Francisco made them feel safer where they were. Besides, Colonel Lorne had given them a standing invitation to visit the old city whenever they wanted just as long as they talked to him first so that he could let security know they were coming and let them in.
Amelia broke out of her reverie and shook her head. "You've got to stop taking out your anger on innocent, paying customers," she said. "Maybe you should take up your meditation with Teyla?"
"Haven't talked to her for months," he replied sullenly. "She keeps herself busy."
"You could use a phone?" Amelia suggested kindly. "Distance is never a problem; you should know that by now."
"Maybe later," he replied shortly and headed for the showers.
Amelia sighed. Sometimes he could be too stubborn for his own good.
OOOOOO
To be continued