For Angela, the best thing to come out of this!
Notes: I will be forever grateful for any constructive criticism anyone can provide. Hate it or like it, I'd be pleased to know about it!
Murk
"It's them Elizabeth. He's there, right under our noses. We just have to go there and make them tell us. They have him…" John was calm and collected but his voice held venomous hatred. He knew it was the only way, to go in with guns blazing. Elizabeth, so set in her diplomatic ways, would talk this out until death.
She sat, watching him, hands clasped together resting in front of her on the briefing room table. To the left, Teyla uncharacteristically slumped in her chair. Ronon leaned back, a frown expressing the worry his body's relaxed pose denied. John paced the room, a bundle of nerves, feeling useless and utterly helpless. Their scientist was missing and had been for too long. Four months, that couldn't be right...
"They have been nothing but cooperative. We have no indication whatsoever that what they say is not the truth. Now, I understand this is difficult to accept, it is hard for all of us, but Rodney…Rodney is gone." John suddenly stopped pacing and turned slowly to face his leader. When he spoke, icicles hung from every word.
"He is not gone. He didn't go anywhere, he was taken! I really don't know about you, but we leave no man behind means something to me!" He took deep breaths in an attempt to keep his cool and let his anger go. Why couldn't they understand, why were they still here talking about this?
In the beginning there had been big, populated meetings. Carson, Zelenka, Lorne and countless others had been involved. They'd discussed search and rescue missions, ways to find the man that had eluded previous attempts. Now it was only the team, Carson and Zelenka joining them when there was no crisis to be handled in their respective department. After all, the world kept on turning and Atlantis kept on humming. John thought something more needed to be done to get Rodney back. If he could've saved himself he would have by now. It was up to them, but everybody was giving up.
He felt a hand on his arm and his eyes locked into sympathising brown ones. As always, Teyla the voice of reason attempted to ease the tension.
"We do not wish to give up on him returning to us but we cannot do anything more. Elizabeth is right, the Taulousiens have been most helpful and we have no reason to doubt them. They too are suffering, grieving for their people lost to the Ring Rebellion…"
"Yeah! Let's talk about that Ring Rebellion! What a bullshit story! A big upheaval, while we were in the city meeting with the leader, and no one came in to alert him? Come on! How can I be the only one who sees how wrong that is!"
"You're not." Two words in a low rumbling voice was all it took to convince John that were he to try, were he to go right this second and make those lying bastards talk, at least one person would follow. He turned his gaze to Ronon who held it. The women in the room saw and understood. This was something John couldn't let go and Ronon would follow the same path. Elizabeth knew John inspired people in that way; they trusted him, respected him and gave him their all because he did the same for them. She was lucky he had not pressed the issue, had respected her wishes to go slow and not make new enemies. Watching him pace the room she saw how truly hard it was on him. First they had lost Ford, not once, not twice but three times and now Rodney. His absence was felt by scientists and militaries alike. No one else could leave you with the strange mixture of amazement and annoyance he managed to inspire on a daily basis.
"Just one last time Elizabeth, we can't give up. He's never given up on us. He deserves it." A broken man had spoken, pleading for the chance to correct a ghastly mistake.
"It would be good to have him back." Normally, those words would hold little meaning but the man from whom they came increased their magnitude exponentially. Ronon was not known to speak up and Elizabeth felt her resolve crumble further.
"We can simply ask to search their world once more. We have no need to bother the Taulousiens. Perhaps faith will smile upon us today..." Teyla spoke quietly, her faint smile deflecting slightly from the despair that shadowed her eyes.
"This once…" It was all Elizabeth needed to say. They understood it meant more, much more. It meant go and bring him back. They nodded solemnly and she waved them out.
Explaining the situation, Teyla quickly found a pilot for the Puddlejumper in a certain Doctor Beckett who was more than happy to volunteer, this time. They went to the Mainland to seek her people's assistance for the last search. Ronon gathered supplies and a few scientists with which he had developed a strangely close rapport. He respected them for what they were able to achieve and they trusted in his quiet strength. The minute he saw Ronon enter the lab,
Zelenka left all the complaining members of staff to hold their weekly meeting by themselves. He hated going off world with a passion but hated the absence of the CSO, and his friend, much more. John contacted Major Lorne and told him to assemble teams; they were in for a little McKay hunting.
Soon, a large portion of the Atlantis expedition was gathered in the gate room. John stood at the top of the stairs and demanded attention.
"You know the drill. Teams search the woods, the city and all buildings. Ask questions, be resourceful and gain entry to as many rooms as possible. Do not use unnecessary force, we want them friendly, not turning into enemies. Let's bring the doctor home." His eyes scanned the crowd.
"Dial the gate," Elizabeth said.
Through the wormhole they went.
Watching from her usual place in the control room, Elizabeth was left to wait for their return and hope there would be one more amongst them.