So, here is it. I know it isn´t perfect. I made some corrections by myself (apostrophs) but the big thanks belogs to Kormiic and Witch for beta reading. Again, I am not native speaker and this is my first story. So beat me, not Betas :-)
Chapter 4
"Atlantis, this is Caldwell. We will be there in a few minutes." Elizabeth ran out of her office.
"Colonel, thanks god. We need your help here." She answered without greeting.
"What´s going on Elizabeth?" It was Sheppard´s voice this time.
"Believe it or not but McKay is in trouble." There was a moment of silence.
"I believe it. It wouldn´t be him if he didn´t have problems once a week. What´s happened?"
"I will tell you after you land. Just hurry up."
"OK, we are on our way. Daedalus out." Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She turned to the officer sitting behind the console.
"Call me as soon as they get here."
"Yes, doctor." Weir went back to her office. She could only think what would John say about her mistake. And she wasn´t looking forward to it.
xxx
"Get back to the Jumper. It´s cloaked." Said McKay to his companions.
"What are we going to do?" Asked Hanks when they returned to the ship.
"The same as we did before. We will wait for the Deadalus to come. It should be here soon."
"That´s it? We are just going to sit here and wait?" Hanks didn´t sound too enthusiastic at that idea.
"And what should we do? Do you have a better idea?" This time sounded roughness from McKay´s voice. Hanks looked very insulted by that.
"Yes. We should tell them something. Try to communicate with them."
"And how are we going to do that? Should I push my head under the water and call ´don´t kill us we came in peace´?" Rodney cried out this time.
"There must be some way how to do it!" Hanks was shouting, too.
"We have no idea how these creatures communicate among themselves. They believe we attacked them. I won´t risk anything until I´m sure you are all safe on board of the Daedalus. If you don´t like this solution then it´s only your problem. We are staying put."
"I trust Rodney." said Jena suddenly.
"Me too." agreed Jano. They both looked as if this would solve everything. And it was true.
There was resignation in the corporal´s voice now.
"OK. I am sorry, sir. It´s hard to be just sitting here and doing nothing."
"I know how you are feeling. Let´s leave this to our scientists. Our priority is to survive the rest of the night." Said McKay in a low voice. Where the hell are you, Sheppard?
xxx
"He did what?" Caldwell couldn´t hide his surprise. Weir told him what had happened and he did not seem too happy.
"He ran into some type of a giant octopus. We are calling it Nessie." He was staring at her for a moment but Elizabeth´s face didn´t change and kept looking serious.
"How far is it from here with the Deadalus?" He changed the subject without any comments on the name Nessie.
"Zelenka has calculated it should be four hours distance for your hyperdrive. There is a night on 551 now, so you would be there by sunrise."
"OK. We will leave immediately after supplies are offloaded from the Daedalus." He nodded at her and left.
Sheppard stood the whole time in the corner of her office. He looked very angry and disappointed.
"How could you make such a stupid mistake, Elizabeth?" He broke the silence so loudly that Weir felt scared.
"We´d believed 551 was uninhabited." It was a weak protest because she knew he was right.
"But only one man! Elizabeth, I thought you were smarter than that." It was hard coming from him.
"It was a mistake but at this moment I can´t do anything about it. The only thing I can do is to send a rescue team after them. You can go with the Deadalus if you want." He was going to say something but a noise from the Control room cut him off. They both went there to find out who was coming back.
"Teyla and Ronon are returning." Said the officer behind the console.
In a few minutes Teyla, Ronon and a young officer entered the Control room.
"Doctor Weir, our mission was succesful." Answered Teyla not giving Elizabeth any chance to ask.
"Welcome back. You can report later. If you are not too tired you can join colonel Sheppard on the board of the Daedalus for rescue mission."
"Rescue mission? What´s happened?" Asked Teyla whose face changed suddenly. Ronon´s, on the other side, stayed as calm as always.
"It´s McKay. Sheppard will tell you everything. Now go because their last report one hour ago wasn´t too encouraging." The two team members nodded and went to join Sheppard who was waiting for them under the stairs. He gave Elizabeth one last angry glance and hurried towards the Daedalus.
But that glance had told her this wasn´t over yet.
xxx
The sky of M6X-551 was showing the signs of sunrise. McKay relaxed a little because Nessie seemed to be affraid of the sun. Tentacles were searching for them around the lakes but the moment the sun came up they returned into the water again. He checked his life sign detector but nothing registered. How is it possible? They are alive, aren´t they?
He took a sip of water from his bottle. If the Daedalus didn´t come soon they would be without supplies. They only had two power bars left. He tried to set aside his but then he realized he wouldn´t be much help in hypoglycemic shock. They didn´t sleep. The children were still leaning against him and they seemed to be calm. The biggest shock passed, finally. Hanks was sitting in the co-pilot´s seat with his eyes fixed on the sky. They didn´t speak much since their argument. It was wrong to insult him. He was a soldier but the idea of communication was very unmilitary. He would have said the same if he were in his place. Now Rodney knew how Sheppard must have felt about him. When he was always complaining about something. His eyes were slowly closing when Caldwell´s voice came out of the radio.
"Jumper 1, this is Caldwell, are you there?" He jumped to the radio before Hanks could react.
"Yes, sir. We are still here." He sat down into the pilot´s seat. It was a better feeling to be sitting there. "McKay, what the hell have you been doing there? Can´t I leave you alone for five minutes?" It was Sheppard.
"You were away for two weeks, colonel."
"You are damned lucky the Daedalus was on its way. It´s some misadventure."
"Maybe someone up there loves me."
"I don´t think so." Was Sheppard´s answer. McKay drew a breath to answer him back but Caldwell cut them off.
"It´s enough. I think we have more serious problem here. Doctor McKay, we will beam you up to the ship so don´t be too suprised. We are attempting to beam you along with the Jumper. Is everyone there?" Rodney looked at the children who were already sitting in passanger´s seats and then at Hanks. They nodded but still said nothing.
"We are here. Minus Sorya, of course." He added slowly.
"OK. Hold on. It will take a short moment. Decloak the Jumper so we can do it." Caldwell paused and McKay looked at the Talonians again. He smiled encouragingly.
"It will be over soon. Beaming is fun." Jena smiled back and caught her brother´s hand.
Rodney wasn´t sure why they were in the seats. They could be anywhere in the Jumper but sitting in the seats seemed right to all of them. He decloaked the Jumper and then the familiar light and sound came. McKay closed his eyes and when he opened them again he saw people standing in front of the cockpit´s window.
They walked to the rear door and opened it. There stood his whole team plus Caldwell and a few of Caldwell´s people.
"Welcome back to the Daedalus, doctor." Said Caldwell with a smile.
"Thank you, colonel. You have no idea how glad we are you´ve made it."
"He should be here all the time to help you get out of problems." Said Sheppard with a grin.
"We are glad you are all right, doctor McKay." Said Teyla before he could answer back.
Some medics came and led them away.
"I am fine. Take care of the children." He tried to protest a little.
"McKay, give them a chance." Spoke John again. There was relief in his eyes. And something else what McKay couldn´t describe. When the children clutched his hands he had no other choice but to follow them. Hanks was close behind them and still seemed very shaken. The shock finally got to him.
And when they reached the Infirmary he began feeling it too. He didn´t notice the doctor who checked him. He didn´t even notice when they led him to bed. The only thing Rodney heard was the voice of a nurse.
"You can rest now. We will arrive at Atlantis in four hours. Until then you can sleep."
And he did. Finally, after 24 hours, he fell asleep.
xxx
The Stargate was activated and Jena with Jano were hugging Rodney.
"King Heron, I hope you will change your decision." Said Elizabeth standing beside them.
"I have to consult this alliance with my goverment. But despite the fact that Sorya is dead you brought my children back and I´m grateful."
"It was all my fault. Don´t punish my people because of my mistakes." Answered Elizabeth.
"I won´t." He smiled a little and turned to McKay.
"Doctor McKay, I am glad you were with them. You saved what´s the most precious in my life. Thank you." He held out his hand and McKay shook it. Then Rodney bent to the children.
"So, it´s time to go home." They nodded but Jena didn´t move towards the gate yet.
"Don´t forget your promise." She said simply.
"I won´t." He answered her and she smiled. McKay liked these kids. He never liked any before and he thought they didn´t like him. He was wrong.
"Take care of Jano." He kissed her cheek and she hugged him for the last time. Then Jena followed her father and brother to the light of the Stargate.
xxx
"So it looks like you have handled it OK with these kids." McKay heard Sheppard´s voice behind his back. He was standing on the balcony for almost half an hour.
"Are you OK?" John was really concerned. It was nice.
"Yeah. I am getting used to it. You know, the certain death." Sheppard smiled to himself. It was the old good McKay again.
"You were good. I spoke with Hanks and he said you were cool and saved them all."
"How is he?" Asked Rodney ignoring the compliment.
"Hanks is a soldier. So I think he´s just fine. I don´t know him too well."
"He was good, too." They both watched the ocean and were silent. It was McKay who broke the silence.
"Do we know yet why Nessie didn´t appear on the life-sign detector?" The name sort of became official because they couldn´t think of another one.
"Beckett has a theory that Nessie is cold blooded and something else to that extent. You have to ask him. Or some of our zoologists. I don´t understand it much." Answered John.
"Me neither. I´ve heard you had a fight with Elizabeth." Sheppard´s face became darker after that statment.
"Yes, but it´s over now. Everyone makes mistakes. I was only concerned." But McKay knew it wasn´t the whole truth.
"Elizabeth thinks you should go and see Hightmeyer." Sheppard changed the subject suddenly.
"No. I know what I have to do." Answered Rodney.
"And what is it?" Asked Sheppard confusedly. McKay looked at him and smiled.
"I have to keep a promise."
xxx
Rodney stood in front of his parents´ house. He hadn´t been there for many years. Jeannie was living there since their parents died but Mckay never liked this place. He had escaped from there almost twenty years ago.
But now he was standing before the house door and tried the bell. He secretly hoped that nobody would be there. There is still time to go away. No, you coward! You made a promise to the little girl… and to yourself. And then there was the shocked face of his sister. Well, it´s time.
"Hi, Jeannie."
THE END