A/N: Yes, some may have noticed that you've read a sotry similar to this and is thinking 'what the hey?'. Well, it's the same story just re-written a bit and edited from the last version since now my writing has improved. Enjoy!

Ties That Bind

Chapter Two: Missing

"Okay Elizabeth, we're here," John's voice crackled over the radio.

"Good. Now scout out the area and see if McKay can figure out why that particular area has been omitting more energy than the others. Report back as soon as you find something. Weir out," said Elizabeth.

"Copy that." John looked up to his team. "Okay campers! Time to scout out the area. Teyla, Ford, make sure the area is secure while I stay here with McKay." Teyla and Ford nodded as they set off while Rodney set his equipment down on the floor and took out his laptop as John looked around the room they were in. In the center of the room, there was a large database with a large blank screen to go with it. Rodney plugged in his laptop to the database and started clicking away on his keys.

John shined the light of his P-90 around the room and saw that there were many control panels and screens similar to the one in the middle of the room. On the far end on the room was a corridor that Teyla and Ford had taken and was about to ask Ford if it was safe, when the lights came on.

"Perfect." Rodney muttered as he got up and turned the large screen on.

John stepped forward. "Er, McKay, you sure you should done that?"

"Yes, Major, I am sure. This place appears to be a lab, obviously. Once I tap into the system, I'll be able to tell you what this particular lab was used for."

"Major Sheppard. I think I've found something that may be of interest." said Teyla over the radio.

"Okay, I'll be right there." John clicked his radio and turned to Rodney. "can I leave you here alone and be okay without me?"

"Yes, thank you Major! I'll be fine. It's not like some monster is going to come and chew my head off," Rodney said sarcastically as John left him and started down the corridor that Teyla and Ford had.

When John got to their position, he looked at what Teyla and Ford was so interested in. All three of them stared at the object in question for a while before John broke eye contact.

"Well, that's a twist." John clicked his radio and contacted Elizabeth.

"She's perfectly preserved and for some reason, hasn't aged physically," said Carson as he looked up from one of the monitors.

"Can you deactivate the chamber?" Elizabeth looked at the chamber in front of her, which held a female with long black hair, wearing a white dress, like the Older Weir did, as scientists busied themselves around her.

"Pretty sure but we should have medics standing by just in case." Rodney came and stood next to Carson with a computer pad in hand.

"Oh of course! Git." Carson said as if Rodney were stupid.

"Well, I was just checking!" Rodney pressed a few buttons but nothing happened. He repeated the process as still nothing happened.

"Nothing happened."

Rodney then turned to Ford. "How marvelously perceptive of you" came the sarcastic reply.

"There's something wrong. This stasis pod has a firewall protecting the pod meaning that only the person within can wake himself or herself," said Zelenka as he read off the information being translated from Ancient to English on the laptop connected to one of the databases.

"Well, I wonder how she can do that if she asleep." Rodney paused before continuing. "I wonder if anyone could ever do that!"

"There is something written here. It is in Ancient." Teyla pointed to the side of the pod.

Elizabeth bent down and squinted at the faint writing on the side of the stasis pod. "Rodney, get this translated ASAP."

Elizabeth sighed as she rubbed her fingers on her forehead and took off her headset to massage her ear. The reports on what's been happening were extensive, not to mention that her chair was incredibly uncomfortable. She couldn't remember the last time she had a good night sleep since she slept in her office with John. Deciding that it was time for a break, she got up and walked to the commissary, leaving the forgotten earpiece of her desk.

As she walked through the corridors of Atlantis, she was glad that most of the scientists were preoccupied with the stasis pod they found, meaning that she could get lunch and eat someplace nice without interruptions. She continued until she got to the mess hall, took a sandwich and coffee before heading to the north pier.

"Maybe we can revive her manually," said Rodney as he, Carson and Zelenka walked down to the lab where the ancient was being held.

"Uh-huh, sure, and just how do we do that, lad?" Carson started waving his hands, "Wave our hand and suppose she revives herself?"

"Ha-ha! Very funny Carson. Zelenka! You think of anything?" Zelenka shook is head. "Well let's hope we can get some of that ancient writing translated."

When they entered the lab, they were greeted with something highly peculiar. They turned to the guards.

"Ah guys? The lady in the pod? Where'd she go?" Rodney pointed to the stasis chamber.

All the guards and scientists that were in the room whirled around and saw, in fact, that there was no one in the stasis chamber. It was empty.

"Aww crap." Carson radioed Elizabeth. "Dr. Weir, we have a tad problem." Carson looked at the two scientists before him, as all he received was silence. "Hello? Dr. Weir?"

Carson sighed as he turned to Rodney. "She mustn't have her earpiece." Rodney scoffed.

"Don't be ridiculous! She never takes it off!"

"You and I both know that she hasn't had a proper night's rest and that one time in her office doesn't count. Hopefully, she's on a break, maybe even resting."

"Which means maybe we could find the ancient before she finds out," suggested Zelenka.

Rodney held up a finger while his other hand hovered over his headset. "We'll have to tell Sheppard. No way in hell we can find the ancient and not be noticed by him."

"What do you mean you lost her?" John yelled as he, Teyla and Ford marched into the room. "How can you lose a frozen ancient?"

"Well it's not our fault! She was supposed to be frozen. One minute she there, the next she isn't. Not much to know."

"This city is too big, who knows where she is by now. Have you contacted Elizabeth?"

Zelenka looked up from his laptop. "We tried her personal radio and the intercoms but no response."

"We're assuming she's asleep in her quarters." Carson said as a marine ran into the room.

"Sir, I just checked. Dr. Weir isn't in her room."

"Great, now we have two females missing," Rodney sighed as Teyla shot him a look.

"We've got the life signs detector online and we have swept the base."

Teyla looked confused. "But it does not tell individuals."

"No, but now we've got an idea where to search."

"Okay, teams of two, full gear. Ford, you're with me," said John as they all filed out, leaving the scientists behind.

Elizabeth opened the balcony door of the north pier; her lunch consisting of a sandwich and coffee on hand, and noticed that there was someone already there. The female in question turned around and look at Elizabeth.

"Hello." The female looked at Elizabeth. The unwavering gaze freaked Elizabeth just a little, like she was looking though her not at her.

So she turned to leave. "Sorry, I didn't know that anyone was here. I'll leave if you want…"

"No, please stay." The strange accented lady asked. Elizabeth nodded and walked to the balcony railing, where the female was, and propped her cup of coffee on the railing.

"Hi, I don't believe I've seen you around before. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir."

"No, don't suppose you have. I am Astarea."

"You're not from Earth, are you?"

"No, I am not among your kind, well, not the exact kind, to say the least." Elizabeth noticed that she didn't really want to say anymore, so she didn't push the subject. They stood there in a comfortable silence for a while, both enjoying the air. Elizabeth took a bite of her sandwich and examined Astarea from the corner of her eye.

She had hazel eyes with a tinge of green that reminded Elizabeth of her own green eyes, fair yet pale skin that would have made anyone else look like a ghost. Dark reddish brown medium length hair that fell just below her shoulders made Elizabeth think for she too had the same color hair. Astarea also looked around the same height and age as Elizabeth. Frankly, the similarities made Elizabeth think as if they were related.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you look familiar," Elizabeth commented, looking at Astarea once more.

Astarea was about to answer here when John and Ford barged through the door, onto the balcony. Elizabeth looked up from her coffee in alarm.

John cleared his throat. "Dr. Weir, there you are."

"Here I am." Elizabeth smiled nervously, not sure what was going on. "What's going on?"

"Um, I hate to break it to you but…Rodney and his team lost the ancient." Elizabeth sighed.

"This is partly why I don't take breaks," she muttered to herself. "Okay, why am I hearing about this now?"

"We tried ma'am, but you didn't have your headset with you. We tried the intercoms too." Ford looked at the female next to Elizabeth. John, seeing that Lt. Ford's eyes was elsewhere, followed his stare and came upon a female that he hadn't seen around.

John nodding to Astarea asked, "Who's the new friend you've made, Elizabeth?"

"Oh, this is Astarea. She's apparently not from…" All three heads turned to Astarea as Elizabeth realized something.

Astarea finished Elizabeth's sentence. "Earth, that is correct."

"She doesn't look Athosian to me…" Ford commented.

"I am neither Athosian or from Earth." Realization dawned upon the trio as they looked at Astarea in shock.

tbc...

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