I'd like to thank all my regular reviewers – I started to name you, but realised that there were quite a lot of you. Thanks to you all for the encouragement you've given me. I hope you like this ending. And thanks for reading.

OoOoO

He had been back on Atlantis for almost a week now and he felt restless and unsettled. It didn't help that his own medical staff had banned him from working for at least another week. He was used to not having enough hours in the day. Now there seemed to be too many.

His friends tried to help, but they were all so busy. Rodney would visit him to eat a quick meal. But he would virtually inhale his food while telling him in great detail about an experiment Carson couldn't understand and then disappear back into the depths of his lab.

Elizabeth would come to him to discuss the events on Atlantis with him. But, it was noticeable that she steered clear of any difficult or contentious issues. He enjoyed her visits but when he asked her about an off-world mission or some problem or other, she would be vague and evasive in her answer. She meant well, but it was frustrating.

Ronon still took his protection duties seriously, and when he wasn't off-world, he'd be near by, a silent monument of defence. But he wasn't the most talkative of companions.

John would breeze through on a visit, but his inability to sit still for five minutes meant that he never stayed for long.

Teyla would take him on visits to some of her people's villages. But he felt the differences from other visits. He wasn't allowed to fly the Puddle Jumper and if the talk turned to things medical, Teyla would step in and change the subject with great haste.

He knew he was better off than he deserved to be. Telen's intervention had meant that his recuperation was two weeks, rather than months. But he still felt restless. His thoughts, as so often nowadays, turned to Ria. Nothing had been seen or heard of her since she had vanished. Carson worried about her, and how she was coping, if she was coping.

His wanderings took him to one of the more obscure balconies on Atlantis. He liked it here. It was peaceful and the view of the ocean was calming. He looked out over the expanse of water, and took a deep breath, drawing in the healing sea air, and the serenity of the lapping water.

He sensed her presence before he saw her. Without turning round, he smiled.

"Hallo, Ria," he said softly.

He could almost hear her smile. "Hi, Carson," she replied equally as softly.

"How are you, lass?" His voice held a gentle concern, and a comforting friendship.

"Oh, Carson," she almost sobbed. "I just don't know how I am. I have this power, and it scares me."

He turned to look at her. She looked like a frightened child. He held out his arms and she stepped into his warm hug with gratitude.

"Ye'll be okay, love," he said against her hair.

"But what if I get angry?" she said, her voice shaky. "What if I lash out at someone and kill them with a thought? How can I live with that?"

He put gentle hands on her shoulders and pushed her back slightly so he could see her face.

"You have a dangerous weapon there, lass," he said. "It's just like Ronon's gun or one of those big stunner guns you've seen round the city. It is powerful, but if it's controlled, it doesn't need to be deadly."

"But can I control it?" she asked, wistfully.

"Only you can answer that one, love," he replied. "You've had a lonely life, I think. And you find it hard to trust people. I think you find it hard to trust yourself. That's where you need to start. To learn to trust yourself, to love yourself. Then you can trust and love others."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, a rueful smile on her face. "I tricked you, and almost got you killed."

"Aye, lass, that you did," he replied with a gentle smile. "And I understand why you did it."

"Some reason," she said, hurt in her voice. "My brother didn't exactly need saving, did he?"

"No, I suppose he didn't," Carson said. "But you were willing to try. And because of that, I can overlook what you did to us."

"But it still doesn't make it right, does it?" Ria persisted.

"No, it doesn't," Carson agreed. "But remember, lass, you're human. One of the things that make us human is that we make mistakes, we make wrong choices, choose wrong paths. Another thing that makes us human is that we learn from that."

"I've still got a lot to learn," Ria said, ruefully.

"And another thing that makes us human is that we forgive," Carson continued. "But perhaps the most difficult thing of all is to forgive ourselves."

Ria nodded. "When did you get to be so wise?" she asked Carson, with a grin, more like the grin she had when he had first met her.

"It comes with the grey hairs," he said, with a hint of irony.

"I can sort that," she said, grinning. Carson felt a slight tingling in his scalp. "No more grey hairs," Ria said, almost laughing at the look on his face.

"Why, love, that is a rare gift you have," he replied, joining in her laugh.

Her face grew serious again. "I have to leave again, Carson. I have to go far away from people, so I can't hurt anyone."

"I'll miss you, love," he replied. "And I don't think you should shut yourself off completely. You need time to adjust, to learn to trust yourself, but you also need people."

"How can I learn to trust myself?" she asked. "I don't know what I'll do next."

"Take my hand," Carson said, holding out his hand to her. She took it, a puzzled look on her face. "Do you trust me?" he asked. She nodded. "Then come with me."

He led her to the edge of the balcony. Beyond it, the ocean lapped to within about a foot of the bottom of the balcony. Carson jumped onto the edge of the balcony, and motioned for Ria to do the same. She hesitated, then joined him.

"We're going to jump off the balcony now," he said, his eyes holding hers as he spoke. His gaze was so intense that she couldn't look away. Still holding eye contact, she nodded. "One," Carson said, "Two, three." On three they both jumped.

Ria found herself in a foot of water, but her feet on solid ground. She burst out laughing. Carson was grinning at her.

"I found that out by mistake one day, when I thought I fancied a swim. I put my feet over the edge, only to find there wasn't much depth here. But you trusted me to keep you safe, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Ria said, thoughtfully. "I knew you wouldn't let any harm come to me, no matter how dangerous it may have seemed."

"Then learn to trust yourself like that. Learn to rely on your instincts. And to be certain that you won't hurt anyone."

"How can I do that?" she asked.

"Only you can work that one out," Carson replied. "But I'll help you in any way I can."

"I need to go now," she said. "I can't stay, not until I'm sure what I can do, and I can trust myself the way I trust you."

"I know, lass," he replied. "But you know where to find me if you need me."

"Thank you, my friend," she said, leaning over and giving him a gentle kiss.

Then she vanished.

Carson sighed. He felt her absence already.

"Don't miss me, Carson," her voice echoed in his thoughts. "I'm only ever a thought away."