-2 weeks later-

Odalia was sitting down to her midday meal in her room when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened to two guards and John, dressed in a well-fitting outfit, dark vest, dark long-sleeved shirt and pants matching his raven hair.

"Odalia." he smiled, though she noticed the smile did not reach his eyes.

"Leave us." she told the guards.

Once they were alone, she sat and poured some tea, pouring some in the other cup she had waiting on the table.

"Come and sit, Nahkhan. It's good to see you, I'm glad your father has allowed you this visit. You have been quite busy!" she chuckled. "I heard of your escape attempts, thought he'd have you under lock and key for good!"

John stayed silent as he slowly looked around the room, then slid into the seat across from her ignoring the cup she pushed towards him.

"A clean shaven face suits you." she smiled taking a sip of her tea.

John swiped his chin remembering the beard shaving moment a week before. The crazed look in Lucius' eyes as he held the razor in his mammoth hand was something John would not forget for a long time.

"I would have preferred to have not been restrained while it happened." he muttered.

Odalia's eyebrows rose at that and she chuckled softly imagining the event.

"Well, I'm sure if it was known that you would not try to use the razor as a weapon, then you might not have been restrained."

John shrugged, he was mentally exhausted; his frustration pounding at a door he was trying to keep hidden under lock and key.

"Odalia," he gently grasped her hand glancing at the door and lowered his voice. "I need to get out of here. You know...you know I'm not his son!"

The old woman sipped her tea. "You've said that every time we've met. What I know is of no importance, my child. You were ill for many days. I'm just glad you are feeling better."

John let go of her hand and slammed his fist on the table. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"Peace child, peace" said Odalia softly, a hand raised toward John as she glanced at the door and then lowered her cup.

"I have some news for you; it's about your friend."

John twitched, his eyes narrowing.

"Carson?"

The last time John had seen Carson, was at the dark room before hearing his friend's horrible screams.

John had spent the following days restrained to his bed after something in him snapped and he attacked two of the guards when they had tried to return him to his room; one of the guards had returned his violence by slamming the butt of his weapon over John's head. When John awoke it was to a cool cloth on his forehead and Lucius sitting nearby.

"When you are well enough son, the restraints will be removed and we will have no need for locked doors; but we will have to learn to trust each other again. John's head pounded as he frowned, pondering the duplicity of the restraints and the caring look Lucius gave him as he turned and left.

A day later, while Lucius had sat reading by John's bedside, the same guard who had knocked him unconscious had entered the room and whispered something in Lucius's ear. John still restrained, silently stared at the man who was now sporting a dark bruise on the side of his face and holding one arm close to his body as if he was protecting his ribs. He wondered how the guard had gotten hurt, he didn't remember hitting him that hard.

The look of total hatred the guard gave John made him flinch. When the man left he looked over at Lucius; his face must have held the question because Lucius only murmured…

"He was out of line when he hurt you, I made him understand the error of his ways." Then he turned back to the book he was reading; leaving John who quietly tested the restraints, trying to come to grips with what was happening to him.

"Your friend is alive." continued Odalia, leaving out the state she had found Carson in, the horrific image etched in her mind; she shook her head slightly.

"He has been staying in the servants' quarters."

John exhaled, feeling a weight suddenly lift from him.

Beckett was alive!

He couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips.

He had tried to escape twice after finally being allowed out of his room without a guard but the feeling of guilt over leaving his friend behind alive or dead had continually dampened his efforts.

He couldn't leave Carson behind.

John had hoped that Atlantis would have figured out where they were, but as the days turned into weeks, the chances that they'd ever see the city or their friends again kept slipping further and further away. In his escape attempts he had hoped to come upon his comm, or weapon stored somewhere, or best scenario, Carson; but the manor was too large and with no life signs detector and a plethora of guards and servants who had been told to report and sound an alarm immediately if the "wayward son" of the Sovereign was acting strangely or trying to escape, John kept getting caught.

Now, though guarded once again, Lucius' anger raging after his escape attempts; John decided if he played the role, maybe, eventually the guards' attention span would finally waver and he would have his moment; he would get to someone outside of the manor and get them to contact Atlantis and unleash hell on this place getting him and Carson out of there.

"I'm going to try again, Odalia. When I get my friend, you can come with us."

Odalia slowly tilted her head to the side. "Come with you where? To Atlantis?"

"Yes, Atlantis…I told you…"

A soft smile, "Yes, yes I remember…you are Sheppard, the flying man from the Ancestral city. I remember your ill ramblings."

"It's the truth." John's eyes bored into hers.

"I do not think you would want your father to hear that." she said, a mix of fear and sadness in her voice.

She quietly returned to sipping her tea as John stared at her.

"Odalia…please." his words were soft but forceful.

She paused, the teacup by her lips then sighed and lowered the cup.

"I will help you as I cannot bear to see you so unhappy child. I am old and tired, but if this is one thing I can do to truly make you happy...I will do it."

John grinned and reached for her hand.

-tbc-