Chapter Five:


The song is by Hillary Duff, 'So know you know'.


Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy


The gate activated to the surprise of the people standing around it. It had only been a few hours since the briefing with the two members of SG-1, yet several teams had been deployed, Elizabeth, who had been sitting in her office, carefully completing her reports, quickly stood up, walking to the railing. A minute later, Rodney, Samantha, Jack and John joined her, each watching the Stargate chevrons engage.

In these eyes
More than words, more than
Anything that I've spoken
As the skies
Turn to gray, my heart's
Just about to crack open

As the event horizon splashed out, Elizabeth looked questioningly toward Zelenka. Watching the screen, he stopped and nodded.

"It's Sergeant Bates team, Doctor."

As one by one, the members of the team piled through, Bates ran, his vest, gun and pack still attached, up the main stairs, and toward the small group.

"Doctor Weir!" He yelled, skidding to a stop, and holding out his hand, they all noticed a device outstretched.

"What's this?" John asked, taking it, and examining it closely.

"Apparently, a new kind of Wraith information storing design." Bates answered, glaring suspiciously at Jack and Sam.

"You ran into the wraith?" Elizabeth asked, frowning in concern. Bates shook his head.

"Well…yeah, but only two. They were walking toward what we could only have assumed to be a ship, somewhere on the planet. We killed them. One of them was carrying this."

"How do we know this isn't a trap? Or a trick?" Asked Jack, leaning over John's shoulder to get a look at the device. Sam took it from the Major's hand and raised it to her eye level.

So the story goes
There's somethin you should know
Before I walk away and I blow the ending

"The Wraith? Trick us? I doubt. They don't have the mental capacity." Rodney chipped in. "Anyway, if those Wraith were playing a trick on us, to believe all the information on this device, I doubt it would be encoded."

"How do we know if it's encoded?" Sam asked, looking around.

Rodney snatched it, walking over to Zelenka and his laptop, and plugging it in the special shot attached, a series of dots and lines appeared on the screen. McKay groaned.

"See, it's encoded." He said tiredly.

Elizabeth sat at the desk.

"Give me a while." She said, eyes fixed on the screen. John walked up behind her and kissed her cheek, whispering;

'Don't work to hard' into her ear before turning back to the group.

I never wanna be without you
Oh no, here I go, now you know
What I feel about you
There's no runnin
Must've been wrong to doubt you
Oh no, there I go, no control
And I'm fallin so, now you know

"Jack, Sam? Would you like to join me for lunch?"

Jack and Carter nodded.

As they walked slowly from the room, Rodney noticed Kate watching him from the doorway. Shaking his head, he turned and walked away.

Feel so light
Cravin oxygen
All this truse leaves me empty
Will you run
Can you handle it
Cuz I need you to tell me

Maybe this seems bold
But I'm hopin you'll stay for the happy ending

Sitting in the lunchroom, Jack looked at John.

"So how long have you and Elizabeth been together?" John simply stared.

"We've been together a few months now." He answered, picking at his tray.

Jack nodded.

"Is that really…you know…professional having a relationship with your CO?"

"She's not my CO." John replied, "She's my boss, yes, but I love her. And our relationship has boosted morale in this place." Looking at the slightly disbelieving, but mostly understand stare John was receiving, he quickly changed his tack.

"It's not interfering with our command." He whispered, "If I had to chose Elizabeth, or the entire city of Atlantis, I would protect the city." He eyes looked downcast. Jack rested his hand on John's sleeve.

"I understand. I trust you both." He said quietly, John noticing O'Neill's eyes had a sad, almost regretful look residing in them. John wondered what it meant.

"So," The General said, turning to the others, his sad expression disappearing behind an emotionless mask. "Your Teyla right?"

Teyla nodded.

I never wanna be without you
Oh no, here I go, now you know
What I feel about you
There's no runnin
Must've been wrong to doubt you
Oh no, there I go, no control
And I'm fallin so, now you know

Rodney McKay slowly packed his things in a small suitcase. Fold away his clothes, he thought about Colonel Samantha Carter. The woman he had liked from the minute his eyes set on her slender…athletic frame…blinking, he turned back to his packing. How could he ever have accepted that he loved Kate?

He was delusional back then.

He loved Samantha.

Feeling a prickle at the back of his neck, he turned to find Kate watching him, her eyes full of tears, from the doorway.

So the story goes, yeah
You already know
So don't be a fool and go spoil the ending

"I'm sorry." He whispered, snapping the case shut.

"You love her?" Kate stuttered out, blocking the doorway. Rodney nodded.

"I think I do."

Kate coughed in tears.

"You said you loved me."

Rodney felt his heart break. He hated hurting peoples feelings. He so often hid behind a mast of sarcastic comments, when his heart really showed; it more often then not, hurt someone.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, walking from the room.

Her sobs could be heard loudly as he left the room, finally cutting off as the doors to the quarters he once shared with her slid shut.

I never wanna be without you
Oh no, here I go, now you know
What I feel about you
There's no runnin
Must've been wrong to doubt you
Oh no, there I go, no control
And I'm fallin so, now you know

I never wanna be without you
Oh no, here I go, now you know
What I feel about you
There's no runnin
Must've been wrong to doubt you
Oh no, there I go, no control
And I'm fallin so, now you know

Ttfn!