Part 22 - Epilogue

He stared at the unconscious man in front of him.

It had taken a combination of hard work and good luck to get hold of him. Now he had and he would finally get answers to the question that had been burning in him for months.

He checked his watch. It had been 45 minutes since he'd brought the man down with a drugged dart. That meant it would be at least another 15 minutes before he woke up. He estimated he would have around three hours until his prisoner's friends started to miss him. He hoped that would be enough time to achieve what he wanted.

He knelt to check the ropes that bound the unconscious figure to the supporting beam in the middle of the run down barn and then sat there, patiently waiting for him to wake.

A good twenty minutes passed before his prisoner showed any sign of regaining consciousness. He watched the play of expressions across the familiar features as his prisoner groped his way towards consciousness. Initial confusion was quickly replaced by fear when the prisoner realised his situation. Then the fear was replaced by an expression of defiance and anger.

"Kolya!" the man spat out his name.

Kolya smiled coldly. "Dr McKay. It has been some time since we had the pleasure of meeting," he replied.

"What the hell do you want?" demanded McKay.

Kolya said nothing, he just watched as McKay struggled against the ropes that bound him tightly.

"I asked you a question, Kolya. What the hell is this? Are you here to take me back? What are you doing?" McKay realised his struggles were futile so he gave up and stared back at Kolya.

"I'm not here to take you back, McKay," Kolya stated flatly.

"Then what the hell is this?" McKay gave another frustrated tug at the ropes and let his head fall back against the beam.

Kolya sat down in front of McKay, slowly drew out his knife and tested its edge with his thumb. McKay's eyes were drawn to the blade.

Kolya waited for a few more minutes and then asked mildly, "Where is Sora?"

Surprised at the question, McKay dragged his attention away from the knife. "She's not here so don't even think you can get your hands on her," he snapped back.

Kolya held up his hand and McKay fell silent and waited.

"You are going to tell me where she is and what you have done with her," he said in a low threatening voice and then, in a movement to quick to follow, he was kneeling up close to McKay holding the knife to his throat.

McKay was straining to keep his exposed flesh away from the knife.

"What, what, what do you mean?" he gasped out.

"I've been watching you, McKay. And I've been watching Sora. I know that for the past three years she's been working for you Lanteans. She's been a member of one of your teams. She even dresses like you. But Sora's not been seen for 10 months now, McKay and I want to know where my clan sister is."

Kolya ran the knife down McKay's neck until it was resting just below his Adam's apple. "Where is she, McKay? Don't you remember what I said to you the last time we met? That if you harmed her, I would kill you?" McKay nodded minutely. "So tell me what has happened to her."

McKay swallowed nervously before he spoke again, "Top pocket... Photos."

Kolya gave him a questioning look and eased the pressure of the knife slightly.

"There are pictures in my pocket. Look at them," McKay stuttered.

Kolya searched through McKay's jacket and found a slim wallet. He quickly rummaged through it until he found the pictures. He let the wallet fall to the floor and slowly examined them.

Eventually he asked, "What is the child's name?"

"Samuel Tyrus McKay," answered McKay softly. "We call him Sam."

Kolya nodded slowly trying to absorb McKay's words and wondering what he should do next.

His mission was unsanctioned, Cowen had written the whole episode of McKay's integration off as a failure but Kolya had never forgotten his clan sister and the man who had caused her to desert her clan and her home. All he had wanted was to find out what had happened to her and now he knew.

He felt a stab of jealously as he leafed through the pictures of Sora, McKay and her baby, no; he corrected himself, their baby. The child was young, no more than a few months but Kolya could see he had his maternal grandfather's eyes but his father's sharp features were clearly recognisable.

Kolya had lost his family to the Wraith and although he had found a new home with Genii he had never had a family of his own, just his clan and his ties to them were strong.

He sat there in silence for a long time.

Eventually he moved, tucking the pictures into his coat and then he spoke, "There is something that you should never forget, Dr McKay. Sora is my clan sister – you are charged with caring for her. If you fail her, I will kill you. Never forget this." With that he stood up, picked up the knife from the floor where he had let it fall, walked around behind McKay and swiftly cut the ropes at his wrists. Then he threw the knife point down in the sand near McKay's feet and walked towards the door.

He paused and turned to look at McKay who was sitting in shocked silence.

"Look after her, McKay," he ordered and then left, disappearing into the thick forest that grew closely up and around the abandoned buildings.

McKay shivered as he worked to free himself unable to shake off the feeling that Kolya was still watching him and always would be.

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To all readers,

Please let me know what you think of this story. I would really appreciate your views on what I did right or wrong so I can improve my writing for the next ones (I have three plot bunnies refusing to let me sleep until I write them down).

This is my first ever fanfic (so please be gentle and constructive with any feedback)!

Thanks so much to EVERYONE who has left reviews so far. It's great to know that someone has read this and has cared enough to comment.

Special thanks to pennydreadful who started beta-ing for me from part 5 onwards.

Kat Ellis