Ancient History
Chapter Nine:Realization
By Ddoskocil
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Comments at end of chapter this time.

Vecturist: Yes, poor Rodney. I have more up my sleeve for Doctor Rodney McKay, though. (as a matter of fact, in this chapter ;) ). As to John being protective...I think he'll work it out of his system. evil giggle.
Soccor-bitch: Once agian, I find myself thanking you for your review. :)

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John wandered down the halls, bored out of his skull. He was done with all of his paper work for once. He could be reading, but he was not in the mood. Teyla was busy on a trading mission so he could not spar. Dex was still in the infirmary and John was sure Carson would keep him there overnight.

That left only two people to bug, and one said she already had plans. John shrugged and headed towards Rodney's office.

"Hey, McKay," he called as he entered the office.

"Don't touch anything, Sheppard," Rodney yelled before John got two feet into the space. John held his hands up defensively.

"Um, what's up, McKay?"

"I'm kind of busy, Sheppard. Can't you come back later?"

"We just found some new device," Zelenka explained as he poked his head up from behind a computer. "We are trying to figure it out, but the text with it is unreadable."

"Yes, yes. Some different language besides Ancient," Rodney added. "Anyway, don't touch it until we figure this out. I don't want my lab to explode because you activated something."

"Why didn't you call Erika? I'm sure she'd love to translate some new text," John asked. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked around.

"Thank you, Colonel. Because we haven't already thought of that."

"Captain Sheppard is not answering her radio," Zelenka clarified.

"She told me she would look into it in the morning," Rodney added. "That was before she told me she was turning off her radio and to only bother her if a member of her team was bleeding and dieing."

"Oh. I wonder what she's up to?" John mused.

"She's with Carson." The room was suddenly very quiet.

"What?"

Zelenka pushed his glasses up on his nose as he stared at Rodney. The astrophysicist realized what he said and he looked up at John.

"You know, because she hurt her ankle and all," he tried to back peddle.

"Where are they?" John yelled. He was furious. He told Erika to stay away from guys. He told Carson to stay away from Erika. Zelenka and Rodney just looked at him.

"Where are they?" he asked again, a little softer this time. The scientists shared a look.

"I don't know."

"Rodney."

"I don't know," he yelled. "It wasn't my turn to watch her."

"Zelenka?"

"I do not know, either."

"I'll find them myself."

Zelenka turned to Rodney. "She's going to kill us."

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John barely paused at the door. He flung his hand over the blue crystal device and barged into the room. Erika and Carson looked up, the laughter they were sharing died on their lips. John looked at first Carson, than Erika.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded. Carson made to stand, but Erika stopped him with a hand on his arm. She wiped her mouth before she addressed him.

"It's called a date, John. And it's none of your business," she said softly, but John could hear the anger behind her words.

"I asked you to stay away from her, Carson," John said instead of replying to his cousin.

"Now see here, Colonel-"

"This had nothing to do with you, John," Erika interrupted with a shout. She glared at him. John returned it.

"Yes it does," he commented slowly. She stood violently and for a moment John though she might throw something at him. He thought Carson felt it two because the doctor stood and put a hand on her arm.

"Erika, love," he said calmly. John clenched his teeth. Erika looked at Carson and smiled. John had not seen his cousin smile so brightly is a long time. He felt a twinge of something and began to wonder if maybe he made a mistake.

"Leave, John," she said while still looking at Carson. When he did not reply she broke her gaze from Carson and looked at him.

"No," John replied.

"Fine." Erika kissed Carson a little too long for John's liking. He coughed. Either she did not hear or she did not care. John suspected the latter.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, Carson."

"Oh, I understand, love."

They kissed a second time.

"Goodnight."

Erika pushed past John and stomped out of the room. John watched her for a second. When he turned back to the room he came face to face with Carson. He had never seen the Scot so angry before. He took a few quick steps back.

"Well, I hope you're happy now, Colonel. A perfectly good evening ruined. Thank you," he spat out.

"I asked you to stay away from her," John reminded the doctor.

"Aye, well, it's not about what you want. Or even what I want. It's about what Erika wants. Good evening, Sheppard." The door snapped shut in John's face. John stared at it for a few seconds before he turned to go after Erika. He caught up with her a few moments later as she turned down a hall leading to the gym.

"This isn't the way to your quarters," he announced.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Or maybe it should be Colonel Obvious," she commented coldly. He ignored her commented.

"Why are you going to the gym?"

"Because I'm too pissed to sleep. I need to work off some steam before I go to bed."

"Whose bed?" John knew it was the wrong thing to say the instant it left his mouth. Erika spun so quickly she almost hit him.

"What? I don't see how that's any of your business," she yelled.

"Well, I am the head of the military. I have to know these things," John tried to play it off. It sounded lame even to him.

"Oh, if that's the case, where's Major Lorne sleeping tonight? Or Teyla? Or Elizabeth for that matter?"

"Okay, I get the point, Erika."

"Great," she shouted. She turned on her heels and entered the gym. John was only a step behind her. He watched as she stalked around the room and was surprised when she picked up a set of fighting sticks.

"Let's go!"

"What? I'm not going to fight you, Erika."

She responded by twirling one of the sticks before striking out at his hand. John pulled back instinctively but she still managed to land a blow.

"That hurt," he complained as he looked at his red knuckles.

"Good. Let's go."

"Erika."

She whacked him in the thigh.

"Fine."

John grabbed a second set of sticks. The second he was armed, Erika came after him. John was shocked by her speed and skill. She managed two solid hits before John got his stick up to block the third attack. She followed with a thrust toward his chest, but John was able to block the blow before he delivered on of his own toward her legs. She spun and blocked down. In the same move, her other stick was up headed to his head. John was barely able to get his second stick up to block. She smirked at him between the fighting sticks. It almost drove John over the edge. He growled as he launched a furious attack at his cousin. He swung on stick at her midsection while his other went to her knee. He heard the their sticks thwack together as she blocked, but it hardly registered as he continued into his next move: a blow to her head. She ducked, but John was able to push her back. She fell, but quickly rolled to her feet before John could take advantage of her position.

Erika was quicker and landed more hits than her cousin, but John was stronger. When he hit her, it counted. They fought until they were covered in sweat and panting heavily. And they still continued to fight even though both were bruised and sore.

That was when John made his mistake.

Erika spun, her sticks crossed in front of her thighs. John took advantage of her position and swung high to her head. He knew it was a mistake two seconds into the move, but he could not take it back. Erika dropped to a crouch and swept his legs out from under him. He tumbled to his back, the wind knocked out of him. He heard her kick away his sticks. Suddenly there was pressure on his neck.

"Yield."

John looked up at her, but all his strength to protest melted when he saw her red eyes and tear streaked face. "All right."

The weight was lifted from his throat as Erika collapsed to the ground next to him. She pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed.

"God damn it, John. Why are you doing this? Why do you even care?"

"Erika," he said softly, not really sure what she meant. "You're my baby cousin. I care about you." He sat up and put a hand on her shoulder, but she roughly shrugged it off.

"You just fucking left. You left and I never saw you again," she screamed as she looked at him. It suddenly hit John like a semi-truck carrying a load of bricks. He had hoped his decision not to write would help her move on. He fully expected to die in Afghanistan and he never wanted to put Erika through that. His plan backfired horribly. He felt terrible. He ended up putting her through worst.

"Erika." He could not think of anything else to say. "I just thought I was doing what was best." It was a poor excuse.

"What was best? Do you have any idea what that was like? Of course not, how could you? I almost died, John, and you weren't even there. My own brother stabbed me in the back, literally. I was dead for two minutes!"

"But your dad-"

"My dad! Yes, let's talk about that, for a second. He wasn't even there, John. He didn't find out about it until the next day! He didn't even care enough about me to answer his phone when the hospital called. Know how he found out? The police told him that Davy was in jail. Isn't that fucking great! Then he didn't even come visit me. I was all alone for days after it happened. I was fucking 14, John, and I had to go through that alone. And you, the one person I could count one, the one person who was supposed to give a damn. You didn't even care enough to come home. I didn't even get a fucking 'get well soon' card." She choked on her tears. "You didn't even..."

John pulled her into a rough embrace. "I'm sorry, Kido. I'm so sorry." He was not sure what he was sorry about. Maybe it was her being stabbed by that little asshole brother of hers. Or her having to go through it alone. Or maybe he was sorry he ever left her in the first place. He pulled her tighter, wishing he could make all the pain go away. She winced.

"You okay?" he asked as he pulled away and took her by the shoulders. "You're bleeding."

She touched her forehead and pulled her hand away, examining the blood. She seemed confused for a moment as she touched the bloody spot on her head again.

"Oh, you're elbow," she finally realized. She looked at him for a moment.

"How's your lip?"

"Sore."

She suddenly started to chuckle. John looked at her as if she were crazy. She only laughed harder.

"Look at us. We had to beat the shit out of each other before we could sit down and talk. Oh, it hurts," she said as she doubled over. John slowly stood, his muscles protesting as he rose. He held his hand out to her. She took it and rose with a little groan. She placed a hand on her back and stretched. John just looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since she arrived in Atlantis.

"You're not a little girl any more."

"Glad you finally noticed."

"This is going to take some getting used to. Shit, you were 13 when I left. You've grown up a lot." He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I'll try to give you more space, keep out of your way and all."

"And stop harassing my boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" John raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, that is what Carson is. And I'll let you in on a little secret: he's not the first boyfriend I've ever had. I've actually had about-"

"Stop. Too much. But, yeah, I'll stay away."

There was silence for a moment as they looked at each other. "You don't have to stay away completely." John smiled.

"Let's get to the infirmary and have Beckett patch us up. Think he'll be there?"

"He'll be there," she reassured him. "I'm gonna have a bruise on my arm for weeks. I bet my back looks like an eggplant. You didn't have to hit so hard."

"Well, neither did you. There is a welt on my thigh and I think I'm going to have a black eye tomorrow. Carson is not going to be happy with us." Erika put her hand on John's arm as they headed to the infirmary. They steadied each other as they walked in a comfortable silence.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that anyway?" John asked suddenly.

"Girl's got to be able to protect herself." He gave her a sidewise glare. Erika just chuckled

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"Did you have to beat each other bloody, lass?" Carson asked as he cleaned her wound. Erika glanced at John in another bed. He was laughed at something the nurse said. He turned slightly and smiled at her.

"Yeah, I think we did, Carson," she replied.

"Oh that's wonderful. I hope you two have worked everything out."

Erika allowed a tiny grin to spread across her face as she watched John. "No, but it's a start."

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These things always look longer in Word.

Anywho, story. So, I'm not really happy with the way the fight scene was written in this chapter, but I'm not really sure what I should have done to fix it. I'm not very good with action, so it was hard for me to write in the first place. I'm also not sure about the first part of the chapter with Rodney and Radek and John. I really just wanted a scene with Zelenka (he's a great character). But it seems a little off to me, but maybe that's just because I'm over analyzing. I'm just wondering about the flow of the chapter, I guess...

Oh, and this is not the last chapter. There will be a bit more. With more Carson/Erika scenes, more kissing scenes, maybe even a few Sheppard/Weir scenes if you're lucky. ;)