Title: Waking Dreams
Author: Mer
Genre: General, Action/Adventure, Angst
Warnings: Character death, some violence, a few naughty words
Season/Spoilers: season 1, vaguely season 2, but no spoilers, really
Summary: Kolya and the Genii return to Atlantis in force, seeking revenge and control of the city. Plenty of Shep whumping. (John/Liz friendship, angst)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a bit.

AN: Thanks again for your reviews and bearing with me through all the sad bits. This is the last sad chapter and I'll finish off with something a bit more light-hearted :) Thanks again also to Hah and Em for the beta:D

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Waking Dreams

By Mer

- Chapter 4 -

(flashback continued)

The small group of survivors had nearly made it to the jumper bay when Major Lorne held up his hand, silently signalling them to stop. A single blip flashed on the lifesigns detector, coming from the corridor they were approaching. Lorne raised his P90, peered around the corner cautiously, and came face to face with a gun.

"Ronon!" Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was looking for you," he replied, with an expression she couldn't read.

"You found us. Glad you're okay," she gave him a quick smile. "Ronon, have you seen Teyla?"

"Yeah." …They were surrounded, they'd have to shoot their way out. They could make it, they had to. But there were too many; she was hit, falling to the ground. There were too many, he couldn't save her…

His eyes told her everything she needed to know; Teyla wasn't coming with them. She looked to the ground and squeezed her eyes shut. There would be time to mourn later, she repeated to herself, as she'd done too many times that day. Elizabeth put her hand on Ronon's arm to let him know it was all right, that it wasn't his fault. She was surprised when he put his other hand on hers and held it tight. They continued on in silence.

"Crap," Lorne whispered harshly. "We've got company. Lots of it." He showed Elizabeth the lifesigns detector; there were at least twenty-five Genii men between them and the jumper bay.

"They can't get into the jumper bay without the gene, so they're waiting to ambush us outside it," Elizabeth realised, and Lorne nodded in agreement.

"Oh, lovely! Now what do we do?" Carson spoke with fear in his voice.

"We're going to have to find another way. There's no way we can get through that many, and we used up all our flashbangs getting to the control room." Lorne frowned and glanced at his watch. Ten minutes. Not good.

"I can do it." The group turned to look at Ronon as he spoke. "Just stay behind me."

"I don't think so, Ronon. That's suicide. We'll find another way." Elizabeth spoke but she knew he wouldn't hear her. He was already walking towards the bay doors, weapon raised.

He turned back and looked at her. "There is no other way. I'll make them pay for what they did." His walk turned into a run and he vanished around the corner, gun firing. Genii gunfire echoed in the hallway.

"We can't just let him go alone!" Elizabeth pleaded with Lorne, voice panic-stricken.

"I know." Lorne crept towards the corner and signalled the others to follow. Elizabeth gripped her weapon tightly and tried to stop her hands from shaking.

"Dr. Beckett? You've got the gene, I need you to open that jumper bay door the first chance you get."

"Me?" He swallowed hard. "O- okay, I can do that."

When Lorne rounded the corner he was shocked to find Ronon not just still standing, but shooting and tossing Genii soldiers around like ragdolls; blood ran down his arm and leg, but he wasn't slowed down as he fought with rage and a thirst for revenge. Half of the enemy soldiers already lay on the ground.

"Dex, fall back! We've got you covered!" Lorne ordered as he fired at the Genii he could hit without endangering Ronon, but his orders were disregarded. Ronon took out two more men before taking a shot in the chest that made him stagger backwards. He struggled to stand, but kept firing until three more shots knocked him down. This time he didn't move.

"Ronon!" Elizabeth cried out but Lorne held her back, out of the line of fire. She couldn't bear to lose another team member. He was their newest, but he'd just begun to fit in like part of the family. Again she pushed the grief out of her mind and channelled it down to her hands and through her gun as she fired at the soldiers. There were still some Genii men to deal with, but nothing they couldn't handle thanks to Ronon.

As soon as the path was clear, they laid down cover fire while Carson unlocked the jumper bay door and ran through. The others were about to follow when the Genii backup troops arrived.

Five minutes left.

"We've gotta make a run for it. Dr. Weir, keep low and stay behind us while we lay down cover fire." Lorne signalled his men to go and they made a dash for the open door.

The Genii opened fire as soon as the four were out in the open. As they approached the door, Lorne cried out in pain and fell backwards. Elizabeth, standing next to him, tried to break his fall and helped drag him through the doors. They shut and locked the doors as friendly faces guarding the jumper bay greeted them. They'd made it, but at a high price.

"Major Lorne! Are you okay?" Elizabeth crouched beside him and put a hand on his chest.

He tried to sit up and groaned. "Yeah. Just my leg. Help me up." One of the marines guarding the door helped him to his feet and reported that the rest of the survivors were waiting inside the jumper.

Three minutes.

Elizabeth walked into the jumper behind Lorne, as the marine helped him into the pilot's seat. So few… She spotted Rodney among the dozen or so survivors and gave him a small smile. He looked relieved to see her but was too shaken to respond.

"You'll have to let me take a look at that leg, Major." A concerned Carson hovered around Lorne.

"That's going to have to wait 'til after we've cleared the blast. We can't risk going through the gateroom either, the Genii could have dialed in again by now. Please take a seat, doctor." Carson sighed and settled down beside Elizabeth. Lorne turned around to face the group, "Prepare for takeoff."

"Woah, woah, wait!" Rodney stood up. "Where's Sheppard?"

Elizabeth looked up at him and he looked back into her eyes that she had finally allowed to fill with tears. She shook her head softly. Rodney's face fell with a look of shock and devastation as he slowly slumped back into his seat. His mouth moved to speak, but for once he was without words.

Two minutes.

The Jumper took off and the survivors caught their last glimpse of Atlantis, the place that had become their home. Its lights shone against the night sky and rippled across the water, one last cruel reminder of everything they were losing. Carson put his arm around Elizabeth and she leaned on his shoulder and cried until his sleeve was soaked with tears.

One minute.

All they could see was the blackness of space in front of them; the explosion was a blip on the screen, neither felt nor heard. Elizabeth wondered if it had really happened, though Major Lorne assured her sensors indicated the self-destruct had been a success. So that was it, then. The remains of Atlantis were falling to the bottom of the ocean, along with the man she'd felt closer to than anyone she'd ever met.

Elizabeth tried to shift her mind to their practical needs as a distraction. They had enough supplies to last a couple of weeks at least, and the Daedalus was due to arrive in nine days. Her mind wandered to how she'd explain the situation to Col. Caldwell while he watched her, judging every bad decision, every way she'd failed her team. There would be families to notify; so many families whose loved ones weren't returning, who would soon feel the way she did. The thoughts tormented her and she struggled to maintain her composure against the overwhelming urge to cry out. The deluge of grief and guilt threatened to drown her and she gasped for air…when she felt something pull her up; a warm touch brushed against her face and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She looked up expectantly, but saw only the walls of the jumper and the silent passengers within. Just her mind playing trick, she sighed. Still, she somehow felt a bit more calm and resolved, and got up to discuss with Lorne their plans for the long wait ahead of them.

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