Right another update. This was supposed to be shorter I think. My story just keeps expanding, sorry. Well, I want to thank Hazeydream for something. The idea of Kavaunagh shooting her means I now have an idea to involve him and the punch last chapter in the whole story. You'll see what I mean later. I only put it in because I can't stand the guy and wanted someone to hit him. Strange. Anyway, on with the update, and csiAngel, your feelings may serve you well.
Chapter 22:Fated meeting
Walking along the corridor, John didn't notice McKay until he'd grabbed hold of him and pulled him to one side.
"Have you told her?" Rodney stared at John angrily.
"Told who what?"
Both John and Rodney turned to see Elizabeth looking at them. They looked away from her, trying to hide what was going on.
"Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I don't have time to find out. I have to meet the ambassador. I hope the pair of you will come and join me."
She spun on her heel and left the two of them in her wake. For a moment, there was silence. Then Rodney continued.
"Have you told her?"
"Do you think she'd be fine if I had?"
Rodney looked at him and then let him go.
"Right. Good. You aren't going to tell her, are you?"
"No. I'm going to stop it happening."
The pair nodded and carried on down the corridor. Suddenly Rodney spoke.
"Seen Kavaunagh recently? He looked really annoyed earlier. Also looked like his nose was bleeding. You didn't have a run in with him did you?"
"No. Elizabeth did."
Rodney stopped dead in the corridor as John kept walking. He couldn't honestly believe that it was Elizabeth who had hit Kavaunagh, but stranger things had happened.
Running to catch up with John, McKay stayed quiet for a while. After a while, they got to the doorway that led to the control room. Looking in, they saw Elizabeth greeting a man, who they assumed to be the ambassador. All of a sudden, realisation hit John. He grabbed Rodney and pulled him to one side.
"John what the…?"
"Him! It's him!"
"What?"
"The ambassador! He's the one who I saw shoot Elizabeth!"
Rodney stopped struggling against John's slightly strangling grip at his throat and stared. What John had just said was too much to take in.
"John. John."
"I know. This is bad."
"No, I can't breath."
John shook his head and took a step back. Rodney leaned forward slightly, breathing in deeply and rubbing his neck. Then, he leaned out to the side to take a look. Instead, he jumped back about a meter, letting out a little yelp.
"Thank you for that Rodney."
Moving into the space Rodney had just occupied, Elizabeth looked between the pair of them.
"The ambassador wishes to meet the pair of you. So, are you coming, or am I interrupting your game of hide and seek?"
John and Rodney glanced at each other for a moment, and then walked over to her.
"Much better."
They followed Elizabeth into the control room with Rodney in front and John trailing behind a little. Elizabeth couldn't understand them, they seemed like they were sulking.
'Overgrown kids,' she sighed to herself.
The ambassador watched as the group re-entered the room. The two accompanying her looked fairly ordinary. What had she said about them? Very important to the city. They didn't look that important.
"May I introduce Doctor Rodney McKay, one of our best scientists and Major John Sheppard…" She hesitated, unsure as what to say about him.
"My second in command."
John looked up from the floor to stare at Elizabeth. It may have just been for the ambassador, but she had still said it. Maybe she did trust him. John wanted to throw up.
"Doctor, Major. It is an honour to meet you. I am Meecha, ambassador to the Vogols."
He held out his hand. Rodney shook it, taking in the man before him.
Meecha was of medium height with short dark hair and grey eyes. He wore a long dark green jacket, opened at the front. Underneath he wore black trousers and a green shirt. He didn't look like a killer. Then again, neither did the Genii at first.
Rodney dropped his hand and Meecha turned to Sheppard.
John reached out and took his hand. He still wanted to shoot the guy, but good do nothing without Weir finding out. Meecha smiled. These people seemed nice. He wondered what information and supplies he could force from them. It was how things worked. Make friends with them. Unknowingly gain far more information than necessary. Steal anything worth taking. Leave them.
But Meecha didn't know Doctor Elizabeth Weir very well.
"I'm afraid we will have to place your men under guard in a separate area of the city."
'That could be a problem,' thought Meecha. The 12 men who went everywhere with him would normally mix with the local people and get information.
"Why is that Doctor?"
"It is necessary."
She couldn't risk them knowing anything about their run in with the Genii, or remembering it if they already knew.
"I'll sort it out."
She looked across at John who stood smiling at her. He was volunteering to do something. Elizabeth was a little taken aback. But she didn't show it.
"Go ahead Major."
With another smile, John headed up towards the consoles with Rodney in tow.
"What are you going to do?"
"We're going to protect Elizabeth. But to do it, we're going to have let a few more people in on what's going on, starting with Grodin."