Author's Note: For the sake of this story (and my sanity), this story will be going off of the assumption (not planning on writing about it) that Rodney got to keep the ZPM in Brotherhood, that it's already hooked up and ready to go, and now they're just waiting for the Wraith or the Deadalus (spelling?) to arrive for a showdown. Rodney is still working to find something that may help in the battle, but he's not frantic about it like he was after Brotherhood. Hopefully that should give a good enough reason why no one seems especially worked up about the coming Wraith ships.

McKay glanced around nervously again. If anyone had seen him, they would have known he was up to something. But at 2 in the morning in his darkened and locked personal quarters (on threat of sedation from Beckett), it was highly unlikely that someone would stumble across him. His plan had sounded so simple in his head, but he hadn't counted on his guilty conscience.

He sat behind his desk with a laptop in front of him, but it wasn't his laptop. Oh, no. It was Dr. Elizabeth Weirs, who would be pissed to say the least if he didn't finish his task and put the laptop back in her office before dawn.

Focus McKay, focus! He was a freakin' astrophysicist! Hacking into someone's personal computer should be child's play to him. This is all John's fault, he told himself. If Sheppard hadn't made that unexpected declaration at lunch the day before, he wouldn't be in the position he was currently in. Why couldn't she have had this hooked up to the rest of the network! This is all her fault too!

BEEP!

Rodney jumped a foot, smacking his knee into the top of the desk at the unexpected noise and looked at the computer screen, which was now scrolling through its startup menu. I'm in! His excitement over his accomplishment drove away the last of his guilty conscience.

Leaning forward, he typed in 'Personnel File: Sheppard, John' and hit 'Enter.' A second later and a picture of John along with his service record popped up. Rodney, however, knew that everyone on the expedition had extremely detailed files going back over their whole lives if one knew just where to look. It was with no small amount of satisfaction that he clicked in the lower left corner of the screen to reveal a hidden icon. Clicking it again, and John's service record disappeared and was replaced with a huge collection of personal information. He scrolled down until he neared the beginning of the record and froze when a picture passed by. Hitting the up key a few times brought him face to face with a battered and furious looking John of maybe 15.

Rodney knew he shouldn't read it, knew it was personal to John and that he'd be livid if he ever found out, but he just couldn't help himself as he began to read what looked like a Police Report and an officer's personal findings. The report stated that John had shot his stepfather, grazing his arm, for 'Reasons Unknown.' When the Police had arrived, his stepfather had been bleeding in the kitchen while a bruised John was standing in the living room still holding the gun. His mother was present when Police arrived, but refused to make any comment and John's sister was at a slumber party down the street. Not even John himself would give a reason for his actions or make a statement on his behalf. John's stepfather wanted to press charges and the officers present had no alternative except to arrest John.

The next file in the record was a transfer form of one John Sheppard to the California Juvenile Correction Center dated the same day. Then a copy of the court hearing followed along with a recommendation from the psychiatrist assigned for John's case and several statements from his teachers at school. They all went to the effect of saying that he wasn't a violent person and that several of them believed him to be a closet genius. Apparently the Judge must have seen something in John, or believed the various accounts from people who knew him, because the sentencing was lenient for the crime of aggravated assault. Mandatory intelligence testing and 6 months in the Juvenile Detention Center while undergoing anger management classes until he was placed in foster care. John's only other option would be to remain in the JDC until he was 18; a little over 2 ½ years. When John asked why he had to go to foster care instead of returning home, the Judge had looked him in the eye and told him his mother had voluntarily given up custody of him to the court, and now he was a ward of the state. The Judge then prompted him again to choose between his dismal options.

Flashback John stood there, looking lost and depressed, head down and shoulder's slumped. At the Judge's continued prompting, he paused; looking down, he quietly gave his answer. His life would never be the same.