~ 22 ~

He can hear her weeping and he wakes instantly, but she's not here. John wipes sweat from his face then tosses his covers aside and goes into the bathroom. He splashes water on his hot skin and shivers at the contact. He grips the sides of the sink, clenching muscles tight as he did once before…when she was here. He turns his head, seeing her standing in the doorframe, wearing his shirt and looking so gorgeous, healthy…alive.

Please…

Ronon and Teyla have been gone for several hours now. John and Teyla didn't find anything; any sign of a settlement other than the town, no energy readings to follow…a dead end. Instead of staying, Teyla convinced him they should return to Atlantis with the scans of the planet and town and use the computer to analyze the data. She insisted that he try to get some rest while she and Ronon returned through the gate as a trading couple. John didn't like it—Kolya knows her—but she reminded him that Ronon may need some…handling.

They informed Elizabeth of the plan and she agreed it made sense. John still wanted to return with the jumper, but knew it would not be of any use until they could discern something from the scans.

Before stepping through the gate, Ronon looked back at John. "She is alive. She is coming home." John nodded, wishing he could be as certain as Ronon feels. He too knows Jax is still alive, but he is not sure she will remain for long.

Embrace the pain, dear boy. It makes you stronger.

It's like a knife right to his gut. He knows Kolya…knows the man's tactics. He'll have no problem hurting Jax to get what he wants. More than that, should Kolya somehow learn of their relationship, Jax will be hurt to punish him.

Unable to sleep, John heads to the infirmary to check on McKay. The poor guy isn't taking this very well. He's blaming himself, of course, having forced Jax into joining him on the planet. Though, in actuality, it is John's fault. He didn't argue the point when it came to security. After the initial sweep and recon, he was confident in the analysis that a limited military presence would be enough. Now two of his men are dead and one of the women in his life might as well be.

Don't think that!

McKay's sleeping when he arrives, but Carson is still up, monitoring. He waves John over to his office. "How ya doing, lad?"

John rubs his neck. "Honestly? I think I might throw up." He drops into a spare seat and hangs his head. "What's happening to her right now? What are they doing to her, Carson?" He hears the crack in his voice and feels the lump in his throat, but it's not until Carson rests a hand on his shoulder and he looks up that he notices his blurry vision and feels coolness on his cheeks.

"You can't dwell on that, John." Carson sits across from him, leaning forward and giving John's shoulder a comforting pat. "You know better than anyone how strong the lass is. She's a survivor, son. We've all seen it. To hell and back that girl's been…and she's come through it."

He shakes his head. "But…Kolya…"

"She can beat him," McKay mumbles from the doorway. His arm's in a sling and the rest of him looks like hell, but he's up and talking. He catches John's eyes. McKay's blue ones are full of pain medication but also a new insight. "Just watch," he grins. "She'll totally kick his ass."

John straightens, cleaning up his face. "She's going to have help."

McKay nods. "Damn right she is. What's the plan?"

Carson motions to McKay. "For you to get back to bed, Rodney."

McKay shakes his head. "Sorry Carson. I gotta do this."

"He's right, Rodney. You need rest."

"Fine, I'll lie down and work." He looks at John. "Did you find anything? Any readings?" John closes his eyes, shaking his head. "But you took scans, right?"

"Yeah."

"Get Zelenka to upload the data to my laptop."

John grimaces. "You're laptop's not looking so good, Rodney. Kinda did a bouncing thing across the floor once you let go.

"Then get me Zelenka's laptop." He snaps the fingers on his left hand. "C'mon. Time's a wastin'."

John glances at Carson and the Scotsman nods agreement. "As long as you promise not to over do it."

McKay snickers to himself, but John hears it. "Yeah, right." Then he smirks at Carson. "Of course, I promise."

Ronon washes down another drink. He's sitting in the same saloon McKay told Dr. Beckett about; where Angie must have been spotted by Kolya. Ronon knows from his own experiences with the woman that she can spark interest in anyone, simply by glaring or smiling. He wonders which caught the dangerous man's attention.

Most likely her smile if she had a drink. The local alcohol has an interesting effect on the limbs, a strange but pleasant tingling sensation. He's had three such drinks in the past couple hours since arriving in the town. If Angie swallowed just one, she would not have been sober for long. And a drunk Angela is an amusing sight.

Months ago, Lt. Cadman invited Angie to her 'ladies' poker night. At first she'd turned the Lieutenant down because it was supposed to be a TV night watching Friends. Ronon doesn't relate to most of the show, but he does enjoy hearing her laugh. Still, he could see in her eyes she really wanted to join Lt. Cadman and the others. Ronon convinced her to go and that they would watch later.

That same night, Sheppard called Ronon to a special meeting. When he arrived, he found Dr. McKay and Dr. Beckett also there. They wanted to teach Ronon poker, so he joined them. After a couple of hours of the card game, Sheppard called a time-out and Dr. McKay pulled out his laptop and placed it on the table. When he turned it on, they were all staring at the women playing poker.

Apparently McKay had planted a camera 'bug' in the room the women use for their not-so-secret game. Sheppard, McKay and Beckett made a bet on who would be out of the game first, who would be drunk first, and who would start talking about sex first. Ronon knew only Angie personally and had no reason to think she would be the first to do any of those things.

He'd been wrong.

She was the first to get 'plastered' as Sheppard called it—Beckett won that bet. Yet, she was the last to talk about sex and she never left the game. She won! Ronon still can't figure out how she managed that feat while 'plastered'. She was also the first to start singing and dancing around the room, shaking and shimmying as he'd seen before. In fact, when they took a break in the game, the other women joined in. They all did a silly but seductive dance while singing to a strange little song: "I Want Candy." Suddenly he couldn't see the screen anymore because the other three men refused to move their rather large heads. Sheppard pushed McKay aside and Beckett pushed Sheppard aside.

Once the song was over, the women started talking about their 'candy' wishes. A woman named Lindsey, from the Daedalus mentioned Ronon's name and Angie spoke up rather fiercely. "He's taken." Ronon was shocked by the announcement and the other women went crazy trying to get information from her; while McKay, Beckett and Sheppard all turned to him, staring with questions.

Then Angie surprised not only the women but Ronon as well. "Unless you want your ass kicked by a certain healthy Athosian woman…I'd steer clear of Tarzan." That started off a whole new buzz of conversation in the room and an exchange of more strange looks from the men staring at Ronon.

Later, someone mentioned Sheppard and all the women oohed and awed over the man, making his ears turn pink as Ronon watched. Mostly because McKay and Beckett made a point of mimicking the women's voices: 'he's so gorgeous' 'what a hotty'—staking claims and making predictions, all except Angie. She remained silent, keeping her attention on her cards. For some reason, that seemed to be the worst thing she could do in such company.

The other women aimed all their attention on her, especially Lt. Cadman. "Someone's got a serious crush, girls." Angie protested, but they didn't relent. "She's turning red." Another woman said: "Quick get a cold compress, she's getting hot." Another said: "I think her heart's gonna explode with the love any minute."

Finally Angie tossed her cards onto the table, folded her arms, looking very upset and then a moment later burst out laughing. "Yes, stick a fork in me, I'm a dead woman!" The others clapped, telling her that she makes an adorable corpse. She held up both hands. "It never leaves this room," she ordered. The other's vowed silence, but they didn't know who'd been listening.

Ronon wonders if that's when Sheppard started seeing Angie differently. It wasn't too long afterward that he sought out her company and their intimate friendship began. It still bothers him—though it shouldn't—that Sheppard has such a hold on her. He trusts the man as a leader, but…not with Angela's feelings. Not when the man has another woman on his mind. It's unfair to Angie and Dr. Weir.

While he's been sitting in the saloon, Teyla's been working her way through the town, using her negotiation skills to try and get some information about Kolya or Angie without bringing suspicion upon them. She politely informed Ronon that he would best serve their purpose by watching and listening, but not speaking.

She enters the establishment and joins him. She has news. He can see it in her eyes. But before she can speak, a young man rushes inside and grabs the large man behind the counter by the arm. The young man speaks quietly but forcefully, and Ronon has great hearing. "The Commander requires you now."

The large man's face pales and his small eyes dart around the room. "The woman?" he asks in a hushed voice.

"Now," the young man says with urgency.

Ronon glances at Teyla. She too witnessed the exchange. Once the two men leave, they follow.

~ 22.5 ~

Girsh smoothes the sweat dampened hair from her swollen face. Her bruised left eye is mostly closed, and her bottom lip is bulbous and tinged with blood. The red marks around her throat also tell a tale. He has never seen such damage done to so lovely a creature. Following Commander Kolya's order, Girsh brought one of his son's tops to replace the woman's torn one so she may be appropriately covered. Girsh is unsure of Kolya's motives when it comes to this girl. She is young enough to be his child, and yet he beats her fiercely. It is sickening to be a party to this.

He uses cool cloths and ice to lessen the swelling as well as a poultice his father created when Girsh was just a boy. It smells horrific, but does do the job quickly. The bruises will only fade over time, but once the swelling lessens, she will not be in so much pain. Though at the moment, she's unconscious—has been since he arrived—so pain is irrelevant.

Arms folded and leaning against the wall, Kolya watches him from the corner of the cell. He has not approached the girl since Girsh arrived and lifted her onto the table. Her shoulder wound had re-opened and blood flowed freely once again. He had to remove the sutures and then re-stitch the wound. She did not stir during his work and he believes she may remain this way. When they first brought him to her, the head wound bled a great deal before his salve halted the flow. There is no telling what kind of damage she has because of the impact. And the obvious trauma she's sustained since then has most likely increased the injury.

"I must change her attire, Commander."

"Very well."

Since the man does not move from his spot, Girsh takes that to indicate he intends to watch the process. Girsh cuts the top away so that he does not have to jar her shoulder any more than necessary. She has an undergarment he is unfamiliar with, but leaves in place though it is stained with blood. There is a rather massive black contusion on her left side. Girsh checks the area, finding a cracked rib. His probes elicit a groan from the woman. She's beginning to wake. He will have to work quickly to keep the pain level low.

His son's clothing is rather large on her, but it will have to suffice. Women in Huskins do not cover themselves with trousers and men's tops but with thick flowing material fitted to the torso tapered at the waist and free falling from there. Arms and legs are covered equally as is the throat. That type of attire would be inappropriate here, however. Girsh manages to re-dress her torso before she fully wakes. Her one good eye opens and looks around, confusion wrinkling her forehead. He presses the cloth to her face. "S'all right."

Her voice is all but gone, merely a hoarse whisper. "Who are you?" She tries to move, but the pain is too great and she cries out. Kolya step forward at that moment. Tears stream from her one eye and into her hair. "Where am I? What happened?" She sounds so lost and confused it breaks his heart.

"Enough!" Kolya orders. "Get up Angela."

She doesn't respond to the name. Girsh looks to Kolya. The Commander is angry and when he's angry he is very dangerous. He stomps over, grabs her by the left arm and yanks her off the table. She screams in pain and drops to her knees in the dirt clutching her side. Her breathing is erratic and she's weeping uncontrollably. "Please don't hurt me…" she begs, bringing her shaking left hand up to protect her face.

Kolya hesitates. Then he reaches for her, grasps her throat in one large hand and urges her to her feet. Her body visibly shudders with pain. Her eye widens with terror as more tears slip down her cheek. Her broken lips tremble as she sobs. "Wh…what…did…I…do?" she asks weakly.

The Commander remains holding her by the throat but turns to Girsh. "What is wrong with her?"

"The head wound…the loss of air…many things could cause mind damage, Commander."

He gazes hard at the woman he calls Angela. "No…she is lying."

She claws at his hand, gasping for breath. "…don't…understand…"

Girsh steps over to the Commander. "There is a way to speak with her…without doing so much damage." Kolya releases his hold and the woman drops to the dirt like a sack of grain. Girsh kneels and checks for signs of life. She's unconscious yet again. "She will not survive much more of this, Commander."

Kolya's eyes soften slightly as he looks down at the woman. Then his face reddens and he straightens his spine. "Tell me of your plan."

"Scooby-Dooby-Doo where are you, we've got some work for you now. Come on Scooby-Dooby-Doo, I see you, you're ready and you're willin'..." Angela's voice is worn and hoarse, yet she continues singing regardless. Acastus wasn't amused at first, but the song soon took hold in his mind and he started humming along. A silly, nonsense tune, but something about it makes him grin. He wonders what it means…who is this Scooby-Doo? And what job can he do that no one else can?

She's laying on the table. Girsh rolled up the sleeve of her attire so he could reach the blood stream of her inner arm. Once she regained consciousness again, he injected something into her. She's in no pain it seems and quite jovial which is a stark contrast to the earlier horror Acastus saw in her pained face. At first, he truly believed it was a lie. That she was playing mind games with him. But the fear in her eye as he clutched her throat made him reconsider. Angela had only shown strength…power in those dark eyes.

But he has not broken her. He knows it is too soon. The last time, she fought, goading him into killing her quickly. Just like any good soldier. But Girsh explained the possibility of mind damage and memory loss. Perhaps Angela's mind is not as strong as he believed.

It's been a few hours since then and there is quite the difference to her appearance now that the swelling has subsided, though the bruising and blood is jarring to look upon. Acastus can not recall how many times he struck the woman, but the damage has been recorded in blue and purple pools under the skin's surface.

Girsh may be a weak man, but he does know his compounds. Acastus is wary about this type of questioning, however, he is intrigued by the thought. Hurting this woman has left him feeling ill deep inside. He knows it is the illusion that she is his last connection to Mylea. But that does not diminish the effect she has on him.

He was determined to free himself of those sentimental emotions and deal with Angela as he would any other prisoner. To prove his might and that no woman could derail him from what he wanted.

He failed. And that makes him angry.

However, watching her sing, seeing a smile tug at her wounded mouth, makes his heart race. He knows it's because of the memories he holds of his dark-haired beauty. His baby daughter, who loved him dearly, clung to him whenever he returned from a journey. She was the true sun in his otherwise dark world. He had never known that kind of love for another before...it rivaled that which he felt for Larl, Mylea's mother.

Mylea was intelligent beyond her years, with eyes full of knowledge, yet wary of those around her. She looked upon most men with distrust, probably because of her mother's wise teachings. But her eyes held nothing but love for Acastus…as did Larl's.

Until that day.

He shakes his head, pushing the memory aside. Larl's screams are the last thing he wants to have rattling around in his head. Screams so similar in pain to those he heard earlier. Acastus calls on the lovely face of his daughter as she once smiled at him. He imagined over the years how that face would evolve; mature into the beautiful woman she was meant to become. The woman he was never permitted to meet.

Angela is that woman.

He pushes that thought aside as well. She is a soldier of his enemy. She is his enemy. And yet her singing brings a smile to his lips.

"She is ready, Commander," Girsh says, moving aside so that Acastus can be closer to her, look down upon her.

"Angela," he calls softly.

Her eyes remain closed as she giggles lightly then makes a strange buzzing noise. Her voice remains a rough whisper, unusually deep for a female. "I'm sorry, Angela's not in right now. Would you like to leave a message at the beep? Beeeep!" Then she laughs again.

"Who are you then?"

Her eyes open and she searches his out, grasping on with the same tenacity he's seen before. "Jax."

"Jax." Kolya grins, finally getting answers. "Why do you have a new name?"

She shakes her head. "Shhh. Can't. It's a secret," then she starts singing the song again. Shortly through it, she stops and stares at him. "You know? Whoever made up that show was totally high 'cause how else would you create a talking dog unless you're hallucinating and saying… 'dude my dog's talking to me!' And then there's Shaggy. Always has the munchies! Total pothead!"

Acastus glances at Girsh, but the other man doesn't understand the babbling any more than he does. Acastus looks down, finding her staring at him with confusion. "You look familiar. Where do I know you from?"

He raises his eyes toward Girsh again who talks of memory loss once more. Kolya considers that then drops his attention back to the woman. He offers her a friendly smile, remembers what she mentioned before. "LA."

Her eyes widen. "The Bureau?"

"Yes."

"Figures." She starts rambling then, her words running together in a hurry. Acastus is able to follow what she's saying, but not quite understanding all of her meanings. "Don't you hate that town? I'm so glad to be outta there. Not that this is all that great, mind you. You guys could at least spring for a place with windows. So, what's it gonna be this time? Where're ya gonna put me…I'm not going back to that convent. No way, no how. And you better be sure to get me a nicer apartment this time too. No more cockroaches or I'm gonna kill someone instead of the bugs."

"Why don't you tell me what you want…Jax."

She grins but it fades and her eyes drift away, as if looking inside herself. "I don't get what I want."

Acastus sees such sadness in her gaze, an incredible amount of loss. She's not hiding anything from him, unable to according to Girsh. A pain stabs at his heart and he breaks contact with her for a moment.

She is not Mylea.

She has knowledge I need. Perhaps this sadness; those memories of loss will give him access that physical pain could not. "Where do you come from, Jax?"

"Duh. LA. You should know…you guys know everything about me. You made me."

Made her? Ah…this bureau, whatever that is, trained her to be a soldier. "How did we make you?"

A heavy sigh follows then she tells her tale. Acastus finds himself deeply intrigued by the story. He looks to Girsh to determine if the other man feels she is lying, because Acastus does not believe she is. The fierceness in her eyes, the fire of her spirit returns when she speaks of the death of her parents. She mentions being killed by a man named Tony. This must be when she 'died before' only to be revived. She talks about learning of weapons from a man named Ryan. "I thought he was the one," she sighs.

"The one?"

Her head lolls toward him, eyes soft and teary. "You know… For the longest time…" she chuckles just a bit. "I really believed it had been him. And then he was gone. Poof…no more love for Jax. But it wasn't real…"

There's something in her voice, in her manner that strikes him. "When did you find love?"

She smiles faintly. "Johnny…" Then the tears slip from her eyes, flowing over the side of her face. "But he doesn't belong to me." That sad smile reappears. "Poof…I'll be gone. He'll be happy with her."

Acastus understands. She loves someone who already has a mate. A man named Johnny. Her body shakes as sobs take over. She covers her face with her hands, oblivious to the wound in her right shoulder. She weeps silently for her unrequited love.

He feels that pang in his chest again. He remembers this pain. When he lost Mylea to the Wraith beam, he could not be consoled. He gladly would have given his life in exchange for hers. Larl blamed him. She screamed for her only child as she rushed forth into the opening ring and disappeared as the wave of energy hit her. Acastus came close to joining her. But he found strength in work. Found purpose in destroying the Wraith any way possible. No matter what obstacles came before him.

Acastus realizes what she told him earlier is true. She was already broken—recently—by this Johnny. Is this man the reason she's not afraid to die? When Lucia aimed the weapon at her, she showed no fear, even stated as much. Someone with no fear of death has nothing left to lose in life, as Larl showed him. Nothing to live for.

This cannot be true of Jax. If that had been the case, why fight back and run? Because it is her heart that aches, not her spirit. And it was not only her life she had to save.

McKay. She did it to save Dr. McKay. Acastus does not recall the man's first name, but he's certain it is not Johnny. Besides, this woman looked upon him with barely veiled hostility. She does not like him, let alone love—

Sheppard! John…Sheppard!

Acastus' mind whirls and he can't help the smile that engulfs his face. This is truly a gift—no it would be if Sheppard had feelings for her. Oh how he could cut deep into that man if he had the woman he did want. He gently pulls her hands from her face. Her eyes are closed but tears still spill. Her breath shudders through her body. "He is not worth your tears, my dear."

Girsh places a hand on her forehead and then her neck. He catches Acastus' eyes. "She's very warm…not well, Commander." He quickly grabs a damp cloth and presses it to her skin, gently wiping away the dirt and tears.

"Why can't he love me," she sighs. She's drifting away, Acastus can tell. "Why daddy?"

Again that word strikes him in the heart. She used it previously to goad him into an abrupt killing. But she is not talking to him now. Aided by the compound Girsh administered, Acastus opened an old scar in her memory as he reopened the wound in her shoulder. He brought back thoughts of a father long dead. Seems only fair considering what memories she stirs in him.

Though it is uncharacteristic of him, Acastus finds it easy to respond soothingly to her. "He is a fool, this man."

"…want to forget," she murmurs then her head lolls to the side, lost in sleep.

A thought sparks in Acastus' mind. He stares at her for a long time. He is intrigued by the idea that has taken root. Could it be possible? Though they did return, there was no search done for her. Perhaps they were looking, instead, to retrieve the dead soldiers. Acastus believes her now, she is not a soldier but someone trained to defend herself. She's had a difficult life…which he has nearly brought to an end. Had she been under his command, no rescue would be attempted.

And Sheppard does not care for her. He will not come.

For some reason, that particular thought fills him with rage. Seeing past the bruises, she remains a beautiful, spirited female. How could Sheppard not want this woman? How could any man not find her irresistible?

Any man who tries to touch her now will answer to me.

Acastus turns to Girsh and tells him the idea. The other man seems shaken by the thought, unsure and nervous; a very weak man. "Can it be done?"

Girsh shakes his head as he watches the sleeping woman. He rubs his face. "She is very weak…her mind is as well." He catches Acastus' gaze with wide eyes. "I may find a solution to use. A combination of some chemicals. It will take time."

Acastus nods firmly. "Get it done."

Girsh steps away from his ward. "All respect, Commander. This is not the place for her. She needs warmth…cleanliness…and much rest."

Acastus studies the other man carefully. His drug did as promised, gave Acastus the opportunity to learn the truth about this woman. And had she been any other female, soldier or not, he would shoot her in the head and be done with her. But this idea plagues him…makes his heart beat faster.

If it fails…so be it. If she does not survive, he will forget her. But if there is a chance that it could work? He must take it. In one stride, he goes to the table and easily lifts her into his arms. She's light as a large child. Her head rests against his shoulder and he finds himself staring at her again.

Sheppard is a fool.

Acastus orders the door opened and carries her to his quarters. It still has a dirt floor as do all the rooms, however, he does have a large, comfortable bed with heavy blankets. Girsh rushes into the room and pulls the covers from the bed so that Acastus can lay her down. He pulls the covers up to her chin before looking to Girsh. "I will watch over her. Go choose your compounds. I want this done as quickly as possible."

Girsh starts to leave then turns back. "Cool cloths will soothe her." He pulls a bottle of pills from his pocket. "One of these every four hours for pain." Girsh rushes out the door.

Acastus turns back to the young woman. She seems restless in her sleep. In pain both physically and in her mind. Her forehead wrinkles and she jerks under the covers. He goes to his wash bin and soaks a cloth in the water, wrings it out then returns to the bed. Sitting beside her, Acastus gently presses the cloth to her exceedingly warm skin and offers soothing words of comfort.

After a few moments, she calms and a soft smile plays at her lips. "I've missed you, Daddy," she whispers in her sleep.

Kolya finds himself caressing her dark hair away from her face. He jerks his hand back, realizing who he is thinking about. After a moment, a smile spreads over his face, even crinkling his eyes. His hand returns to her hair, then to her cheek and she leans into his touch. "I've missed you too, Mylea."

Perhaps he would not forget her so soon if she doesn't survive.