Chapter Ten

She hadn't slept.

That was Rodney's first reaction as Elizabeth walked into the room and sat down at the briefing table. She wore heavy makeup, unusual for her, and there were dark rims under her eyes. She sat down at her usual spot at the table, holding only the small piece of paper she had scribbled on the day before.

"So why is it that you have called us here?" Halling asked.

Elizabeth looked at him for a moment before replying, as if having to think hard about what he'd just said. "I need to know the address for a planet called Fergona…"

Now it was Halling's turn to stare at Elizabeth, a completely blank expression on his face, one which slowly turned into an expression of fear.

"Do you intend to go there?" he asked.

Elizabeth nodded slowly.

"Then I cannot give you the address…" he replied, standing up.

Elizabeth stood up as well. "You have to…"

"I cannot," Halling said.

Rodney took his turned to stand up. "Why not?"

"All Athosians are forbidden from going there…it is the planet where the Wraith first came to be," Halling replied.

Rodney looked over at Elizabeth and saw his own look of complete and utter shock mirrored in her expression. Ford and Teyla were on a planet that was the home world of the Wraith…

Halling looked at them curiously. "You did not know?"

They both shook their heads slowly.

"Then for what reason do you wish to go there?" he asked, sounding curious.

"That is where Teyla and Lieutenant Ford have been taken…" Elizabeth replied quietly, avoiding looking directly at Halling.

Halling remained silent for a few moments. "How do you know this?"

"It doesn't matter…" Rodney said, knowing exactly where it came from and not wanting Elizabeth to think about it again.

But it was too late, he watched the flash of sorrow cross her face before she hid it behind her mask of professionalism.

"Then I am sorry for the loss of Lieutenant Ford and Teyla Emmagan," Halling said, nodding before turning to leave the room.

"Halling," Elizabeth said, her voice commanding.

He stopped and turned to face her.

"We need those co-ordinates," she said, firmly.

He sighed and walked to the table. Elizabeth pushed the pen and paper towards him and he scribbled on it, then pushed it back towards Elizabeth.

"There it is…" he said. "But I must warn you, no Athosian has ever returned from that planet…"

Elizabeth nodded. "Understood."

Halling nodded in response. "Good luck…"

"Thank you," she said.

He turned to face Rodney and repeated the sentiment, before exiting the room. Rodney turned to face Elizabeth.

"So who's going?" he asked.

She looked at him, the determination in her eyes showing him that she was going.

"Elizabeth…Atlantis can't lose you," he said.

"I made a promise, Rodney, and I'm going to keep it," she said, picking up the piece of paper and heading for the control room.

"Elizabeth, John wouldn't want you to go," Rodney said.

He watched her falter in her step, she slowly turned to face him. Her jaw was set tightly and he swore if looks could kill he'd be dead. But then again if looks could kill he would've died years earlier…probably at the hands of Samantha Carter…

"And I didn't want him to go…" she replied.

Now it was his turn to falter at her honesty. She didn't usually open up to anyone, especially not Rodney.

She looked away. "But we have a job to do, and my job is to save our people…so that's what I'm going to do."

"Then I'm coming with you," Rodney replied.

She smiled slightly looking up at him again. "John wouldn't have wanted you to…"

He smiled at her. "But we have a job to do…" he finished.

But his smile was forced. Her use of the word 'have' told him that she'd given up hope, and he didn't want to believe she'd given up hope. Because that in turn gave him permission to give up his own hope, and he wasn't yet ready to believe Sheppard was dead.

Ford woke up to find Teyla still fast asleep, her head resting on his leg. She looked peaceful, more peaceful than she had for the last few days. He looked at her hand, she gripped the knife tightly in her fist, as though holding onto it for dear life. He didn't remember falling asleep, especially not with her so close to him.

He wanted to stand up and return to chipping the wall, they'd made a fair indent the night before, and all they had to do was weaken it slightly more before they could kick it out. Although that could still take days…

He knew he couldn't move, because that would disturb Teyla, and he wanted her to rest. They were going to need all the energy they could get to escape from the place. He watched her, thinking about his last year at Atlantis, how it had change him.

It had changed all of them, but he didn't know if it had changed him for the best. He'd always been the follower, the puppy dog that did everything he was told. But suddenly he found himself in a higher position of leadership, and he didn't like what it had done to him. He'd become a worse person because of it.

He'd seen himself slowly becoming the exact kind of person he'd always disliked. He thought of his grandma, what would she think of him if she saw him being the asshole he'd fallen into being on occasion, and more and more frequently?

Teyla moved slightly and he looked down at her. Sometime in the past few days he'd realised he cared about her a lot more than he'd thought he had. Sure he'd always thought she was hot, but that was completely different from actually having some kind of feelings towards her. He was sure he felt something more than just friendship towards her now.

She rolled over and opened her eyes, looking directly into his.

He half expected to see his feelings for her reflected in her eyes, a fantasy conjured up by his own wishful thinking, but instead he saw fear. Her sleep hadn't been as peaceful as he'd perceived it to be.

"You OK?" he asked.

"We must escape, Aiden, I cannot stay here…" she spoke so quietly he could barely hear her.

She sat up slowly and avoided looking at him, the grip around the knife tightening even more.

"They are near…" she said.

"Teyla, we're working on it…" he said.

"It's eating me from inside," she whispered.

He looked at her for a long moment, she appeared weak before him. He knew she never showed her weakness, but why was she showing it to him? Unless…

Unless she felt towards him as he did to her…

"Teyla," he said her name again.

She looked up, directly into his eyes, and he couldn't sworn her eyes were shimmering with the beginning of tears.

"Come here…" he said, reaching forward and placing his arms around her, she placed her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

The cave was silent but for the drip of a small waterfall to the south-east and the rushing of the stream that fled away from it. The light reflected in from somewhere above, the same entrance the water poured down from.

Nothing stirred in the cave, not for thousands of years. The walls were lined with drawings of those who had never returned to view them again. Of wars between bugs and people, of battles long gone and since won.

Or lost…

Then in the corner was a movement, an unfamiliar movement, one of the likes the cave had not seen for thousands of years. The figure in the darkest corner moved slowly, standing up. He bore no outer garments and seemed completely confused.

John Sheppard had no idea who he was or what had happened to him…