Authors Note: This hasn't been beta-read so I apologize if it has grammar/spelling errors in or if the characters sound a bit off.

Please let me know what you think of this, complaints, suggestions; any feedback would be helpful as long as it is constructive. It is all written already but going through stages of betareading, with this only checked over by myself.

Also please read "Window to the Soul" and "A Sour Taste in the Mouth" the prequels to this. "The Perfect Pair" is the sequel to this, as will be my Christmas fic if I can write it all in time.

Spoilers: For Season One episode "Hide and Seek" but none others I can think of.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Stargate in any incarnations of course and I'm not making any money, this is just some harmless fanfic fun.

Chapter 3: An Age Before

Sheppard stabbed a fork into his food, eyeing what was supposed to be meat.
"So what you're saying is he's seventeen? Again, flashback into the past type of thing"
He scrunched his face up, musing to himself that it could be worse, McKay could be dead.

"No, his body cells including knowledge and memories I believe, have regressed to the exact same state he was in nearly twenty years previously."

"A least his physical age matches his mental age now" commented Grodin at this, Sheppard throwing the computer expert a look. McKay mental age was more like 24 going on 48 depending on when you talked to him, energetic or whiny.

"So he doesn't have the gene anymore, right?" asked the Major idly, not thinking much of the question.
But a wave of realisation passed over the doctors face at it.
"Actually you're right, he won't. I hadn't thought of that Major, if you'll excuse me that gave me an idea" said Beckett distracted, waggling his finger at John as he considered something before walking out of the cafeteria with tray in hand absentmindedly.

"So...?" posed Peter Grodin, sitting opposite Sheppard. "What's a seventeen year old McKay like?"
"Rather picky about what you call him for one." replied the major between chews. God he hated this animal the Athosians had captured on the mainland, but it beat rations.
"And the rest you're about to find out yourself", he said pointing his fork over at the door. Grodin turning to see a awkward teenager bounding in, automatically homing in on the food.

They saw Elizabeth calm him down with a small touch on the arm, or at least stopped bouncing, overtaken by an excitement of another kind, a sudden happiness that their leader deigned to pay attention to him.

"Interesting" exclaimed Grodin, an wicked glint in his eyes. Sheppard knew that meant this was being stored up as blackmail material for later on, McKay and Grodin were always having playful bets and mock competitive arguments, usually resulting in the winner owed a chocolate or some such delicacy, if not a simple favour. Looked like McKay would owe a lot of favours if Peter ever brought it up.

They watched Elizabeth pick out a few things for Rodney, followed by him picking out a few more f each, her stopping him from taking too much and then leading the young man across to there table.
"Mind if we sit here gentlemen," sitting down and motioning for Rodney to sit next to her "I've been showing Rodney Atlantis and its quite an arduous walk around all of it."
"Yes, Rodney seems to be hungry judging by the amount of packs he has." said Peter in good humour. It was amazing that Rodney had twice as much food as he usually needed, but then Beckett had put it that he was a growing lad right now.

"What are these?" the boy asked ripping open the top of his first and peering inside.
They all looked at him, Sheppard answering first. "MRE's. You love em."
"I do? Never had them before." he said mystified. That didn't stop him digging in, occupied with eating for a good few minutes whilst the others talked.

"You know you might want to check in with Beckett, think he had a revelation at lunch about the problem."
Weir nodded as she ate, waiting to finish her mouthful before talking.
"I'll do that after we've finished lunch then, though Rodney won't have anything to do whilst I'm busy."

It was an unsaid plea to babysit thought Sheppard. Grodin edged away unconsciously, not so eager now to have to deal with Rodney.
"Well Atlantis isn't built for families, not much fun here 'cept what we make but we should be able to rustle something up." said Sheppard, forcing a smile, knowing he'd have to babysit no matter what he said.
Elizabeth smiled knowing she had him there.
"Good, I'll be off now then. Rodney?"

The younger form of their CSO looked up to her, bright blue eyes watching her intently from under his lashes.
"Mmm?" he murmured, polite enough not open his mouth to respond to her whilst he ate.
"I'm leaving you in the capable company of John Sheppard for a few hours, you be okay?" she said, making it more of a question than she had allowed Sheppard on the matter.
"Sure." said Rodney, happy that she smiled at his reply.

Rodney watched her disappear from view before scooting up to John.
"What you got planned Johnny?"
He almost laughed at what McKay said, no one else but him, at the moment, could get away with calling him that.
"Johnny? Well not sure, what do you want to do. Could take a flight to the mainland"
"Flight? Mainland?"
Sheppard took the interest as a good enough answer, swiping up his jacket from the back of his chair and leading the way to the bay.

Sheppard parked the puddlejumper where it usually went, a nice spot near the settlement, next to an already stationary jumper that had been used by the Athosian leader to visit earlier in the day.
He hopped out, tugging Rodney away from the control system he seemed fascinated by.

He saw Teyla ahead, helping distribute the supplies she had gotten for her people on the successful trading mission.
"Hey Teyla, brought you a guest." he called out.
She walked up confidently but her face paled as she came nearer, eyes resting on the sceptre of seventeen year old Rodney.

"I did not know Dr. McKay had a son."she said either shocked or confused.
Sheppard had forgotten she wouldn't know.
"No, no. Teyla this is Dr. McKay. There was an accident on our mission, bit hard to explain but he's a teenager now."

"Teenager?" she asked, another Earth term she had yet to hear.
However, this wasn't one he relished explaining. Ferris wheels and football had been more fun to talk about, he could have gone on for hours about them...

"Its what we call people when they are between 13 and 19. You know, when you're growing up and its a confusing time, body changing and all that."
Teyla tilted her head, thinking upon his words before replying in her matter of fact way.
"We do not consider such a period as confusing, there are many rituals Athosians of that age take part in to mark their passing into adulthood." stated Teyla as if it made more sense than the Earth rubbish he had spouted.

"What does she mean Athosians?
Uh oh, he thought, realising there was a lot he'd forgotten to explain. He tried to put it simply, not wanting it to turn into twenty questions like the jumper flight had.
"They're from another planet, refugees if you like, from the baddies like the one who attacked you on the ship."
"Right."
Rodney took it in well, a simple acceptance of a simple explanation, just what John liked.
Sheppard guessed that after the Stargate and PJ that humans from another planet wasn't too shocking.

"Perhaps he would like to learn of our customs?"
"Would I."
The response from Rodney was too fast for him to counter, with Teyla leading the curious teenager off to one of the main tents.
Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, John had no clue what customs Teyla was talking about. But at least he was keeping Rodney occupied though, whilst Weir was dealing with the situation back on Atlantis.

"So we have a solution?" she asked glancing round the briefing room to meet the eyes of the subdued teams.
"Possibly" came the quick relay from Carson.
Followed shortly by Dr. Kavanagh's estimation.
"It could be dangerous."
Carson stood up angrily, outraged by Kavanagh's under exaggeration.
"What do mean could be, it bloody is."

"Please, Dr. Beckett." she said to him, sending the man a look letting him know she understood his concern,. He sat down quietly, not protesting further. They needed to know all the options available first before making judgements.
"What exactly is your proposed plan?" she asked Kavanagh, who seemed to be taking the lead on this.

"The shield is what caused this, the best we can think is that it projected those years and memories into the wraith. If we can find the wraith and reverse the process..." the rest of the sentence was left blank. It was a pretty big if from the sound of it. She could see why Carson wasn't keen but felt there must be more than just the possibility it wouldn't work

"How would you reverse the process...?"
Carson looked up sorrowfully and she realized she wasn't going to like the answer one bit.