Title: Out of Control
Author: SlayersGrl
Summary: A routine trading mission goes awry when a member of Atlantis's flagship team is taken hostage by a mysterious entity.

Author's note: (scratches head in confusion) I don't know what happened… it just suddenly turned all angsty and philosophical on me. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but it's all my muse would give me… which is still pretty good since she has taken to abandoning me for months at a time…

Chapter 9: Family

The bright blue light of the active Stargate momentarily blinded him. The last thing he remembered, he had been talking with his team in the briefing room. Now he found himself standing in front of the gate. John quickly glanced up to the control room but found it disturbingly misplaced. Instead, he was surrounded by the dark vastness of space. "Ok… this is just a little creepy… I want to know what's going on right now!"

He jumped back in surprise as a figure appeared in front of him. It was a young boy who looked to be about eight years old. He had jet black hair and striking blue eyes that seemed to match the color of the event horizon in the background. The child was wearing a uniform similar to that of the Atlantis personnel except it had no identifying patches or name tag.

"Who are you? And where am I?" John asked.

"We are in your subconscious mind. And you know who I am," the boy replied. "I have been asked to speak with you."

"What do you want from me?"

The child tilted his head to one side in contemplation. "I want you to stay with me. In time, I'm sure we will become great friends."

"What makes you think I'd be your friend after you kidnapped me and threatened my team?" He stared at the child in disbelief. He instantly regretted his statement as he watched tears well up in the child's eyes. "Look, don't cry. I didn't mean to yell at you." Was he really apologizing to the thing? "It's just a little frustrating not to be in control of my own life."

His apology seemed to appease the boy. He was silent for several minutes before looking up, his expression turned to anger. "You're going to leave me too! I knew you would say no! You hate me!"

John raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture as an attempt to appease the child. "I don't hate you. I don't even know you. I just don't agree with the way you've been doing things. I have no idea what happened to you to make you feel you had to resort to all this just to get a friend. There are better ways to go about it you know."

The child looked up at him skeptically. "Like how?"

John couldn't believe this. Who didn't know how to make friends? "Well, for starters, possessing people against their will would be a definite no. You should try just introducing yourself and see how things go from there."

"Very well." The boy walked over to him and reached out his right hand. "I am Kellan."

John sighed and took the boy's hand in his own. "John Sheppard. Nice to meet you."

"There, we are friends now, right?"

He raised his hands to rub his eyes. Unbelievable… "You don't get it. It's not that simple. That's just the beginning."

The child frowned, clearly confused.

He decided to try another tactic. "Look, what would I get out of this arrangement?"

"You would continue to travel through the Stargate as you do now. I would provide you with good health and a life many years beyond what you could ever hope to live on your own."

"Well, that all sounds good in theory. But what about my life here? My friends. My responsibility. I can't just abandon all that."

Kellan smiled. "I'm sure they will find other friends. And they have each other. I am more than capable of compensating you for your loss."

"You can't buy friends."

"I disagree."

"Then I feel sorry for you. You've obviously never had a true friend."

The boy looked angry again. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to be insulting the creature that has taken over your body…

"Listen, I'm sorry but I can't go with you."

"Why not?"

"I can't just leave Atlantis." John paused to consider how to express his thoughts. He wasn't exactly used to spilling his emotions like this. "For the first time in my life, I feel like I actually have a home. And even something of a family. If I go, who will protect them? I won't leave them to face the Wraith alone."

"Your team? They are your family?"

"Yeah, I guess they are." Strange, but he hadn't realized that until this moment. Somewhere along the way, a group of strange, unique, interesting individuals had come to mean so much to him in such a short period of time. It was the last thing he had expected to find so far away from home.

"And you would do anything for them?" the entity asked.

"I would gladly give my life for them. But not without a fight."

"I had forgotten the amount of power that lies behind human emotions. It makes you very confusing creatures. You have given me a lot to think about, John Sheppard. But I have made my decision."