Love reading the reviews. Some of you guys really crack me up. Glad you enjoyed the break. Break's over.

The Mind of Atlantis - Chapter 22

Sheppard stepped into the conference room and looked around. The only person there was Elizabeth Weir, seated in her usual position at the table. She leaned back in the chair and clasped her hands across her lap.

"You're early," she commented, noting that he was dressed in jeans and a Tshirt. "It's good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"

"Good," he said honestly. "I really feel good. I just wish Beckett would believe me so I could get back to work."

Elizabeth smiled, expecting just such a comment from her second in command. "John, give yourself time. You've only been out of the infirmary for a couple of days. It's hard to believe you were on a respirator just a little over a week ago. You've made an amazing recovery."

Sheppard walked over to one of the chairs across from Elizabeth and sat down. "Yeah...that's what Beckett keeps saying. I'm just getting...restless. I feel like I should be doing something."

"Just be patient. It won't be long now and you'll be back on active duty. You don't want to overdo it and set yourself back."

Sheppard nodded. "Yeah...I know."

"John..." She waited until he looked up at her before she continued. "It's good to have you back." The look in her eyes made him shiver slightly. He couldn't get used to the way his team members looked at him now. He knew they were spooked and he couldn't blame them. He was spooked just hearing about it. He just didn't particulary like being the spook.

"Major! Nice of you to join us. I take it vacation time is over," quipped McKay as he sauntered into the room with his laptop in tow.

"Not exactly," said Sheppard, pointing to his attire. "Beckett won't let me on duty yet. But he said I could sit through the meeting, strenuous as it is."

McKay rolled his eyes. "I've already done the strenuous part. I've got a full report about everything that happened."

Sheppard looked a little concerned. "You have a full report on everything that happened? You know, suddenly I'm feeling kind of tired and weak. I think maybe I should go lay down." Sheppard rose to leave.

"Not on your life, Major. You are staying right here and listening with the rest of us," said Elizabeth sternly.

Sheppard sat back down, shrugging his shoulders. "It was worth a try. Where's Ford and Teyla?"

"Ford should be along in a minute, as well as Carson and Dr. Zelenka. Teyla went with Sgt. Stackhouse's team on a mission to barter for food. She has the most experience dealing with these types of negotiations and his team is still pretty green. I thought they could use her help."

Sheppard and McKay nodded in agreement. Several minutes later, everyone had arrived and the meeting began.

Elizabeth nodded at Dr. Beckett. "Carson, why don't you start us off. You had a couple of interesting things to report, I believe."

Beckett nodded. "Well, as you can all see, the Major is making an excellent recovery from the events of last week. I ran several tests before dischargin' him and made two interestin' discoveries. First, that strange protein that has been buildin' in his blood is now at an all time high. Second, the anomalies that were presenting themselves in his brain waves are even more pronounced now than ever before. And yet, neither seem to be having an adverse effect on the Major. This leads me to concur with the Major's earlier statement that they were a natural sign of his progressing connection to Atlantis."

"Do you have any idea what function of the two changes are or what they mean for the Major?"

"Not at this time." Beckett slid a slightly irritated look at Sheppard. "I have suggested some tests, but the Major isn't interested."

"No offense, Doc, but all of your tests involve wires and needles and things. We'll figure it out as we go. You already said it wasn't hurting me, so what does it matter?"

Elizabeth looked suprised. "Major...this is a scientific expedition. We're here to gather information. We don't have any idea of what the full ramifications will be of everything that has been happening to you. The more we understand it, the more we will be able to fully utilize the value of your experience, as well as possibly help you with any future problems that develop. This is the reason we are here. If you'll remember, this is the reason you are here."

Sheppard sat silently for a few minutes, wishing he had stayed in bed. "Kind of wish you'd mentioned the part about life-sucking bugs, gadgets that zap the crap out of you, and only being invited as a lab rat to torture a little earlier. Fine...whatever. Now's when you should remind me how he brought me back from the dead twice and I owe him a few tests, even if it means spending several more days in the infirmary hooked up to a bunch of machines while he injects me with dyes and things." Sheppard stood up and very slowly walked toward the door. "Now I really am tired. Stop by my quarters when you're done, Doc and let me know when you want me. I'm not on active duty, so it's not like I have anything to do anyway."

Elizabeth stood. "John...don't leave like this. I just wanted to point out..."

"It's okay, Elizabeth. I know what you were pointing out," said Sheppard calmly. "It's my fault. You're right of course. I momentarily forgot why you invited me along in the first place. Beckett can do whatever tests he wants." As he stepped across the threshold, the alarm sounded, indicating gate activation. He glanced back toward Elizabeth before moving out to the control room overlooking the gate. The others came up quickly behind him, with Elizabeth at his side.

"We'll finish this later," she whispered. As she turned to the tech at the gate control console, he turned toward her.

"We're receiving Sgt. Stackhouse's IDC."

Elizabeth frowned. "They're a little early. Maybe that's a good sign. Lower the shield."

They moved over to the railing, where they could see the gateroom below clearly. A few moments later, Stackhouse and another soldier walked through the gate. They continued moving until they were out of the way at the edge of the gateroom. A third soldier walked through, followed by a fourth. Stackhouse looked up toward Weir. "No one was there! We waited a while and then decided to come back."

Weir was about to call back down to him, when Teyla came through the gate. A man dressed in a different uniform than that of Atlantis was behind her, his arm around her neck and a gun pointed at her head. The members of the team that had come through the gate before her immediately turned and pointed their gun at the intruder. Sheppard reached down to his thigh to draw his gun before realizing that he didn't have it with him. The gate shut down.

"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Weir.

"Don't anyone move or she dies. I am Kenau of the Genii. I am opening the way for Commander Kolya to come. We will have Atlantis." Sheppard felt a tightening across his chest and gut at the sound of Kolya's name. He clenched his fists and felt the pressure rising within him. He could not let them in his city again. Never again.

"Throw down your guns or she dies."

Stackhouse replied. "If you kill her, we kill you. And there's no where for you to go. You will die."

The soldier smiled. "I am willing to make that sacrifice for my people. That is why I was chosen for this mission. Are you willing to sacrifice this one so easily?"

Stackhouse hesitated and then glanced up at Weir. She shook her head. Stackhouse turned his gun up. "Okay...just stay calm. We're putting our weapons down." He and the others very slowly placed their weapons on the floor.

"Now...get up there with the others." He motioned up the steps and the soldiers slowly complied.

"What next?" asked Weir.

The soldier very slowly began moving across the room. "Now I'm coming up there and dialing the Genii homeworld to let Commander Kolya know it's safe to come through. He is waiting with enough soldiers to take Atlantis. You will be sorry you every crossed the Genii." When he reached the console with the DHD, he indicated the tech was to move. He raised his hands and slowly backed away from the console. The soldier punched in the address and activated the gate. "Now, we are going back down the steps. I have a clear shot at her as well as this console. I will kill anyone who goes near the dialing device." He slowly backed down the stairs, never taking the gun from Teyla's head. Teyla's facial expression was neutral, but Weir thought she saw a hint of fear in the other woman's eyes. She nodded at her, a gesture meant to convey the message that they wouldn't do anything to risk her life.

As the soldier reached the floor and began to talk into his radio, the gate deactivated. He looked up frantically. "Who did that?" All eyes went to the console. No one was within 10 feet of the gate controls. The soldier was getting angrier by the minute and tightened his hold on Teyla. "I said who did that?"

"I did!" Elizabeth noticed Sheppard was now standing at the top of the steps, slowly starting to move down them She hadn't even seen him move over there, distracted by the soldier below. "I deactivated the gate. I can't let you bring Kolya here."

The soldier looked slightly unnerved. "Who...who are you?"

Sheppard continued to move slowly down the steps. "Major John Sheppard."

The man looked visibly shaken. "I've...I've heard of you. You killed many of our men."

Sheppard smiled. "Yes...yes I did. You want to join them?"

"How did you turn the gate off? I was watching...no one ever went near the controls."

Sheppard smiled even more. "Let's just say I've learned a few tricks since Kolya was here last. You're going to need to let her go now."

"No! You need to stop. If you come any closer I'll shoot!" Sheppard could see the man starting to sweat. He was working him into a corner. Sheppard went down two more steps. Without warning, the soldier fired at Sheppard and returned the gun to its position pointing toward Teyla. Sheppard didn't flinch, but everyone else did as the bullet impacted a console behind him, sending up sparks.

McKay leaned over to Weir and Beckett. "How did he miss him at that range?" They just shook their heads, unable to take their eyes from the scene unfolding below.

Sheppard reached the gateroom floor, never taking his eyes from the soldier. "Okay, I've been patient with you, but I'm tired of this game. You've invaded my city and threatened my friend. You will let her go right now."

The soldier laughed. "And I guess you're going to make me. You are not even armed."

Sheppard stood looking at the soldier, but otherwise unmoving. After a few seconds, the soldier stopped laughing and yelled, throwing his gun on the floor and extending his hand. He held his right hand out, obviously reddened and burned, and grasped his wrist with his left hand. A shocked gasp was heard from those watching from the balcony above. Teyla immediately pulled away from him and kicked the gun across the floor. She quickly moved to stand beside Sheppard.

"Teyla," he said, still not taking his eyes from the soldier. "Are you okay?"

Teyla rubbed her neck. "Yes, Major. I am unharmed. Thank you." She stammered the last part out, still uncertain if Sheppard was responsible for her release.

"Okay...now this is what we are going to do. It turns out that this is your lucky day. I'm going to let you go." Sheppard watched as the injured soldier in front of him desperately tried to figure out what had happened. Good. He had him rattled. "I'm not sending you to the Genii homeworld, however. I'm sending you to a planet of my choosing. It is up to you to get home from there. And when you see Kolya, give him a message for me. Tell him I said he better not ever try to set foot in my city again or I'm sending him home in a body bag. And you might want to point out that I've learned a few things since we last met. You need to move away from the gate."

"Wha...what?" the soldier stammered. He figured it out quickly, however, when the gate began to dial. He looked back up at the console, along with everyone else in the room. No one was at the controls.

"How is he doing that?" asked Elizabeth to no one in particular.

The event horizon swooshed out and then back. Sheppard nodded toward the gate. "Go!" he said forcefully. The soldier turned and ran through the gate. As soon as he was through, the gate deactivated.

Elizabeth, Carson, and Rodney began to move down the steps. Sheppard stood looking at the gate a few moments. He took a step forward and then went immediately to his knees. Teyla kneeled beside him to find the right side of his shirt soaked in blood. She gasped and pulled back as the others arrived.

Carson kneeled in front of Sheppard, still sitting on his knees. "Major...what happened...he missed you."

Sheppard smiled. "He didn't miss. I just couldn't let him see that. I couldn't let him see any sign of weakness."

Weir and McKay glanced at each other and then back to Sheppard. "John...are you saying you were able to make him...all of us...not see that you had been shot."

"For this to work...you all had to believe the same thing. He'd know if any of you realized he'd hit me." He chuckled softly. "You know McKay can't keep his mouth shut."

McKay looked like he might argue for a moment, then just closed his mouth and decided to keep quiet.

Beckett had been looking at Sheppard's shoulder. "Looks like the bullet went clean through, Major. I don't think anythin' is broken, but we'll need to X-ray you to be sure. You're very lucky, Major. A few inches over and we wouldn't be havin' this conversation. Can you walk or should I call you a ride?"

"I can walk. Just give me a hand up."

They worked together to get Sheppard to his feet. Someone had given Beckett a towel and he was trying to apply pressure to both wounds at the same time. "Come on Major, let's get you to the infirmary." Ford had Sheppard's good arm, helping support him as they walked and Sheppard gratefully accepted the help.

"Sir, maybe they should just assign you one of the infirmary beds to be yours permanently. We could put a few of your personal items around the bed and it'd be just like a second room."

"Everyone's a comedian," muttered Sheppard as they shuffled out of the gateroom. One of the techs was walking with Teyla just to be sure she got to the infirmary okay.

Weir and McKay purposely hung back. "What just happened?" asked Elizabeth.

"I have no idea," said McKay, still looking toward where the group had disappeared down the corridor. "But I think our little boy is growing up. I'm just not sure what he's growing up to be."

TBC

There. That wasn't so bad, now was it?