hehe, i tried to put up chapter 11... when i realized that there was no chapter 10... so i went back and was like wow.. i'm dense! so here's chapter 10!

In the Chair room, the Chair glowed dimly, awake, but busy. The marine securing that section looked in and saw this. Certainly not normal. He went to get his partner and when the returned the room was dark. He stammered out an explanation and his partner went back to watching his station and rolling his eyes at an errant friend. The marine looked back in to see the warm blue glow emanating from the Chair. Boy was it tricky…

"Carson? Where are you?"

"I'm coming my love!" he yelled back. He couldn't find her. The Wraith attack had overwhelmed the city and with Sheppard out on jumper duty, Beckett was the only one of the senior staff left with the gene. He ran to the Chair room, but it seemed obstacles were placed in his way.

"Where are you?" she cried again.

"I'm coming! The Wraith have blocked me from you!"

"Carson…" her voice got fainter as she died. Along with her, the city died. "My Carson…"

"NOOO!"

Beckett woke up in a sweat. What a dream! Arynn was calling to him and he couldn't reach her. A grim fate indeed.

"Carson!"

"Woah!" he jumped at least five feet in the air. "Who was that?"

"Carson, I'm hurt." He sighed in relief at the sarcastic chuckle.

"Arynn? Where are ye?" He looked around anxiously.

"Boo!" She appeared in his face on his left side. He jumped back again and she laughed. It was so much fun to scare humans. They were so easy!

"Ya gave meh a heart attack meh dear!" he told her.

"I know."

"Wait, yer actually speakin' to me… how?"

"Hologram." Ah, that would explain that. Beckett waved a hand through her projection. "Hey, don't do that!" she giggled. He smiled, at least she was alive.

"Whadda want love?" Arynn shrugged.

"Just bored, wanted to see you. Your birthday is coming soon?"

"Yes… why?"

"Oh, I'm going make you something," she said mysteriously.

"What?"

"Ha ha, you're good, but you're not going to get it out of me." Arynn smiled coyly. "Come here and touch me."

"I can't though, yer a- oh." Hands met hands as he went to reach for her. She was solid. "Happy birthday," she mentioned pointing at his alarm clock. Yeah, it was 12:01 am on his birthday. Well, this was a sweet surprise.

"How… how can ye do tha'?" he asked as she sat on his bed.

"Everything in Atlantis is linked to me; therefore I can touch any part of Atlantis and not touch any part. Including you." She fell through him and became solid on his bed. Arynn laid there and laughed at the completely bewildered expression on his face. It was priceless.

"Well, thanks fer the present… may I enjoy it now?"

"Yes you may love."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ah.

Carson Beckett, Ph.d, MD, rolled in his bed the next morning. Last night had been one of the best birthday presents ever. He had spent time with his lady, without intervention of the Chair unit and she had wished him a very happy birthday. Which of course made it all the better! Shuffling again, he stopped and lay a groping hand out onto his bed. It made a dull thud sound.

That made him shoot up. Where'd she go?

Here Beckett. Always here. Once again, he relaxed. Right, she was a tangible hologram. Wake up, it's 1 pm.

So? he thought tiredly. Oh, right… Atlantis didn't excuse him of his duties just because it was his birthday.

Pity.

So he got dressed and headed out the door and to the infirmary. So help him god if McKay and Kavanaugh gave him hell about food. And each other. Wiping his eyes, he stepped through the doors to see nothing. To tell truth, he hadn't seen anyone today. Odd.

The bedded patients were missing along with all their headaches. Thank god.

"SURPRISE!" thirty people must have yelled. What was it with people scaring him on his birthday! He jumped up and looked at all the smiling faces. The one that stood out was one John Sheppard right down in front. What did he do?

"Wow, I… I don't know wha' to say guys!" he stuttered.

Happy Birthday again!

Maybe he could fall in love with a Chair after all.