A/N – Just realized I forgot the usual disclaimer. I don't own anything to do with Stargate Atlantis except the DVDs and my OC's.

A/N2 – Thanks to honus47 for being my beta on all my stories! Any mistakes left are my own.

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Chapter 4

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John was in a haze of happiness with just a hint of exhaustion thrown in. He'd spent the night in Teyla's quarters again but this time they'd spent most of it in bed. He tried to remember the last time making love had been so earth shattering and then wondered if love was what had made the difference. Now he was doing the walk of shame back to his quarters and he couldn't care less who saw him. He finally made it there and entered. He looked longingly at the bed but instead took off his clothes and headed into the shower. Showering and dressing quickly, he headed out to the mess hall to get something to eat before beginning his shift. As he headed to his office, a muffin in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, Rodney and Ronon joined him.

"Sheppard, I need you to come down to my lab and look at a piece of ancient technology. I can't get it to activate. It probably needs your super gene." Rodney had never been able to completely hide his jealousy over the fact that his own artificially induced gene didn't measure up to Sheppard's natural one.

John was in such a good mood, he readily acquiesced. "Fine Rodney, let me just do a couple things in my office and I'll join you. Ronon, what's up?"

"Bored. Figured I'd tag along with McKay; thought it would be fun to see you shoot him down. You didn't." The Satedan sounded grumpy.

"No marines to beat up Conan?" Rodney asked snarkily.

"I've already beaten them all. You want to have a go?" Ronon asked, knowing full well McKay would want no part of it.

"Gee, thanks for the offer, but some of us have actual work to do around here."

Before the two could get into an argument and bring him down from his high, Sheppard waded in. "Ok you two. Ronon, I have some time later this morning and I'll spar with you then."

Rodney opened his mouth to object but Sheppard beat him to it. "Rodney, you'll have two hours of my time. Make the best use of it."

"Fine." He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

Sheppard hid a smile. The three of them rounded the corner to find Lorne just letting himself into their shared office. "Good morning Colonel."

"A very good morning to you too, Major!" He just couldn't keep the grin off his face and the other three smirked at him, knowing full well what, or rather who, had put it there. They walked in and John stopped short at the sight of the figurine on his desk. He slowly approached it and walked around it, examining it from all angles like it would bite. More bad memories surfaced and he frowned, his good humor evaporating quickly.

Rodney reached out and picked it up, turning it this way and that. "It's just a horse. What has you so spooked, Sheppard?"

Not answering, Sheppard turned to Lorne. "Did you lock the office when you left last night?" His tone was tight and intense.

Lorne frowned. "Yes sir, I always do. In fact, I just had to unlock it for us to get in. Why, what's wrong?"

"Was this thing here when you left?" His disdain for the object puzzled his friends.

"No sir, I know it wasn't. I made sure your laptop was secure before I left. If that had been there, I would have seen it."

"Damn it." He was furious.

"John?" Teyla spoke from the door, having caught the anger in his voice. She'd been on her way to the gym and somehow her feet had brought her here instead, his presence like a homing beacon she was powerless to ignore.

"Hey, Teyla. Come on in and close the door behind you." She entered and did as he asked. When the door was closed, she turned to face him, a questioning look on her face that was mirrored on the faces of the other three occupants.

"Sheppard?" Ronon asked. He wasn't used to seeing his CO so unnerved.

John shook himself, knowing his friends were worried. "Look, it's probably nothing. It's just, I'm starting to get a bad feeling. A familiar bad feeling."

"About what? A horse?" Rodney asked, one eyebrow quirked.

"It's not the horse, it's what it represents." He stopped, lost in memories.

"And what exactly does it represent?" Rodney asked when the silence became too much for him.

"Never mind, I'm sure it's nothing."

"John, it is not nothing. Something has you worried and you need to let us know what it is." Teyla stepped up to his side and slid her fingers into his. He gripped them tightly and sighed. If he was going to be in a relationship with her, he couldn't keep secrets. He had to go against his natural instincts to hide something like this from her. His failed marriage to Nancy had taught him that, too late.

"It was a long time ago, when I was in college. I had a good friend who ended up with a stalker."

"A stalker?" Teyla asked, both her and Ronon looking puzzled.

"Yeah, remember when I told you about secret admirers? For the most part, it's just a harmless infatuation. However, sometimes it becomes something more, something sinister. A stalker is someone who takes things to a whole new level. They become obsessed with the object of their affections and often become violent towards them or others around them."

"And you believe this secret admirer of yours has become this..this…stalker thing?"

"I don't know. I just know it started out with little things for Mandy. A flower or a poem left in front of her door. She was flattered and a little excited. Then things started showing up in her locker. Her locked locker and it started to scare her. Things didn't end there. The presents started getting more bizarre, showing up in places that, whoever it was, shouldn't have been able to access. Inside the backpack she never let out of her sight, inside her notebooks, things like that. Then she started to feel like she was being watched all the time. She was afraid to be alone. A couple of us began to walk her to and from classes and to her dorm room at night. She stopped going out, afraid whoever it was would be out there. The last straw was when we got to her room one night and there was a teddy bear on her bed."

"A teddy bear?" Rodney scoffed.

"Let's just say the teddy bear wasn't in one piece and we'll leave it at that. We knew the room was locked when she left that morning as both she and our friend Wendell, who'd had pick up duty that morning, had double checked to make sure it was securely locked before they left."

"What did she do?" Ronon asked, fascinated by yet another weird aspect of human behavior on his friend's world.

"We reported it to the campus police, but there was nothing they could do. They brought in the local cops, who came by and took our statements, looked around the room, even fingerprinted the door. They found nothing. She was so scared, she stopped leaving her room all together, skipping classes and letting her grades drop. Eventually, she withdrew from school and went home to Idaho."

"And that was the end of it, right?" Asked Ronon. When Sheppard didn't reply right away, McKay and Lorne started to look a little sick.

"John? Your friend was fine once she returned to her home, was she not?" Teyla didn't like the look on his face, any more than she liked what she saw on Lorne and McKay's.

John took a deep cleansing breath and then answered. "No. No, she wasn't. I got a call from her dad a few weeks after she went home. He knew me, I'd gone there with her on spring break and a couple times over the summer when I wasn't working. Things were already tense with my dad and Dave had made his decision to side with him. Mandy knew it and brought me home with her, just as friends. Nice family. He let me know…" He stopped, feeling the same sorrow as if it had just happened. He swallowed hard. "He let me know that she was dead. She'd been kidnapped, raped and murdered on her way home from the grocery store. Taken in broad daylight and not one damn person saw a thing. She was home, she felt safe again, but he found her. It could never be proved, but we all knew it was him, whoever he was. To this day, her murder has never been solved." He paused. "I check in with her dad whenever I can. We all do. She was a great person, a good friend, and didn't deserve that."

"John, I am so sorry!" Teyla pressed into his side and he put his arm around her, leaning his head to rest on hers, the smell of her hair, her skin, just her, helping to lessen the shadows that had crept into the room.

"Damn, Sheppard, I don't know what to say. That's awful." Rodney wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, he wanted to head down to his lab and lose himself in the science where friends weren't murdered by psychopaths, on the other hand, he wanted to do something, anything, to comfort this friend. He just didn't know how.

Ronon reached out and put a supportive hand on Sheppard's shoulder, giving it a squeeze, knowing there was nothing he needed to or could say. He could only let his friend know he was there for him.

Lorne spoke up. "Things are different this time, John. You're certainly not some scared young co-ed and we're surrounded by some of the best technology in two galaxies. We'll figure out who this is and I'm sure it will turn out to be some love sick little scientist who meant no harm." He only hoped what he was saying would turn out to be the truth but his gut was telling him otherwise, no matter what platitudes he uttered and he was pretty sure he knew who it was. He just didn't know where she got the skills to break into a locked room here on Atlantis.

"Thanks Lorne. Thanks to all of you. It's great to have such good friends. And, as my friends, can we keep this between ourselves? The last thing I need is to have people start offering me their sympathies. I'd much rather they be offering me congratulations." He looked down at Teyla and smiled. She smiled back but still searched his face for some sign that he wasn't as fine as he said he was. She found nothing to worry her and a small amount of the weight lifted from her heart. It didn't mean she wouldn't be keeping a very careful eye on one Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and she knew the others would be doing the same.

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At the end of a long day of paperwork, playing super gene with Rodney and getting his ass handed to him by Ronon, John was ready for a relaxing evening with Teyla. The thoughts of Mandy had refused to leave him, although he'd tried to push it to the back of his mind. It was in the past and he'd managed to get over it, or at least he'd thought he had. The fact that current events had brought it all back so vividly, told him he hadn't been all that successful. Understanding that, while he might say he was fine, that he wouldn't say he didn't want to be alone, his friends had stuck to him all day. After eating dinner together in the mess hall, they had a team movie night that helped lessen some of his melancholy, Rodney deliberately picking a comedy, although he usually picked a Batman movie when it was his turn. When they were done and broke up to head to bed, Teyla made sure he understood where he was to spend the night. Not that it took much convincing on her part.

They made it to her quarters without being seen, or so they thought. Ruth had waited all of the previous evening for John to bring her the flowers he'd had Katie put together for her. When he hadn't shown up, she'd started to make excuses. He didn't know where her quarters were, he was shy about showing her how he felt about her and so on. In the middle of the night, she'd gone to his office and overridden the door commands, courtesy of one Dr. Rodney McKay's boasting to Katie about how no locked door on Atlantis could keep him out and how he did it. She'd heard Ronon talking about the horses he'd seen at John's boyhood home when they'd gone there for his father's funeral. She'd spent a lot of time searching for a horse figurine in the Pegasus galaxy, finally giving up and having one delivered for her on the last Daedalus run from Earth. She left it in the center of his desk so he couldn't miss it and imagined his delight at finding it the next morning.

She'd returned to her quarters and eventually gone to bed, convinced that he would show up at her lab with the beautiful bouquet the next morning. So sure, in fact, that she'd gone to work early. When the day waned and he still hadn't come, she started to get angry and went in search of him. She found him eating in the mess hall with his team, Doctors Zelenka, Beckett and Keller, along with Major Lorne and followed them when they left. When they went into the break room and started arguing about what movie to watch, her agitation ratcheted up. He should have been seeking her out to thank her for the flower, the box and the horse. Instead he was being distracted by these interlopers. She waited impatiently for the movie to be over, wandering back and forth in the hall, making sure no one would see her hovering and make note of it. She was good at being inconspicuous when she needed to be.

When they finally called it a night, she expected John to take his leave of them and continue on to his quarters alone, where she could conveniently run into him. Instead, he walked with Teyla to her quarters. He was being a gentleman, she tried to convince herself. Her John was certainly that. She'd had to duck out of sight a couple times when he looked around, as if he'd sensed her following them, a frown on his face. When they reached Teyla's quarters, Ruth expected him to say goodnight and head to his own. Instead, he went in with her. As the doors closed, she caught sight of her bouquet sitting on a table in a vase and Teyla going into John's arms.

Ruth watched it all through a red haze. How could she? Didn't that alien slut know that John belonged to her? Hadn't she left him tokens of her affection? It was all that woman's fault, tempting her John with her alien wiles. She'd bewitched him, that's what she'd done and Ruth was not having it. Turning away, she stomped back to her quarters while John and Teyla enjoyed their evening, oblivious to the storm brewing on the horizon.

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The next morning, John's mood had taken a swing for the better. Teyla had that effect on him. Following the same pattern as the day before, he went to his quarters to shower and change. She'd invited him to eat with her in her quarters, but tava root cakes were not his idea of a good breakfast. They reminded him too strongly of cardboard. He was heading towards the mess hall, to be followed up with yet another stint in his office with the never ending sea of paperwork Woolsey seemed to love generating. He really needed to see about setting up an off world mission. He perked up. Maybe somewhere safe, with a pretty little beach where he could enjoy some time with a bikini clad Teyla. The very thought made his breath hitch in his chest and his steps lightened as he made his way through the halls of Atlantis.

He was about half way there when he saw Dr. Hanson in front of him, heading in the same direction. She was carrying a container and was still limping. He felt a little bad but, mostly, he wanted to turn tail and run in the other direction. He sighed and picked up his pace until he was closer to her, then called out. "Dr. Hanson?"

She stopped and turned to face him, pasting a look of surprise on her face as if she hadn't just planned their encounter. "Oh, Colonel Sheppard, good morning."

"Good morning. I see you're still limping. I can't apologize enough. What did Carson say?"

"It's nothing too serious, I'm just supposed to stay off it for a couple days."

"Well, this doesn't look like staying off it. You need to take care of yourself."

Ruth tried not to smile in triumph, certain that his concern showed how much he obviously cared about her, no matter what she'd seen the night before. "I would, except that I'm in the middle of a project. I found a nitrogen-supplying fungus in one of the lower levels that looks promising as a fertilizer. I want to harvest it before its next reproductive cycle and, as I'm not sure when that is, I need to get it now."

"Oh, well, good luck then, but do take it easy." A little frustrated, Ruth nodded and took a step, throwing her hand out to the wall as if stopping herself from falling and almost dropping the container. John's hands shot out and steadied her. "Are you sure you want to do this? Couldn't you get someone else to get it for you?"

"I would but everyone is tied up with their own projects and I would just hate to lose the time."

She pasted a sad look on her face and John fell for it. He looked at his watch and figured he had time if he skipped breakfast. He could help her and still be on time for his duty shift. He hadn't made any plans with the rest of his team. "Look, why don't I go get this stuff and bring it back to you?"

"That's very kind, but do you know how to tell various kinds of fungus apart?"

"Well, no, but you could describe it to me, couldn't you?"

"I could, but even then, you may bring back the wrong kind. If you're sure you'd like to help, perhaps you could just carry this for me? It's a bit heavy and keeps throwing off my balance." She handed him the case. He took it and was surprised it was a bit heavier than what he'd expected an empty specimen case to be.

Suppressing a sigh and wondering how he kept getting himself into these things, he gestured down the hall. "Lead on Dr. Hanson."

"Ruth, Colonel Sheppard." She was obviously waiting for him to tell her to call him John.

"Ah, yes, of course." He didn't respond in kind and he wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't like he was one to stand on ceremony and insist everyone use his rank. He really didn't care what the non-military personnel called him. In fact, quite a few of them either called him John or just Sheppard. He just found himself not wanting that kind of informality with her. Together they walked to the nearest transporter and Ruth selected a destination. When the doors opened, he was surprised to find they were in a well-lit corridor, not at all where he would expect to find a fungus.

"Are you sure we're in the right place? I thought fungus grew in dark and damp places."

"Yes, you're right! You're very smart." She batted her eyes at him and he wished he'd accepted Teyla's invitation to breakfast. Tava root cakes sounded pretty good right about now. Ruth continued, oblivious to his thoughts. "One of the inner rooms on this level is very damp and has no windows, so gets no light. It's how I stumbled on it. I don't care for going into the levels below the water line. I fear the walls will give way and I'll drown. Most of the others have no problem going into the bowels of the city. For once, my fear worked in my favor." She gave what she thought to be a self-deprecating chuckle but to John, it was weird enough sound to send shivers up his spine.

"I see." He didn't really, just felt like he needed to say something. He followed her down the hallway, noting that her limp seemed to have improved. He frowned, wondering if he'd been had. If she'd just wanted someone to do the heavy lifting for her and he'd been the sucker who fell for it. They took several turns and finally reached their destination. Ruth swiped her hand over the box that would allow them entry, standing back and gesturing for him to enter before her. He stepped in and stopped. This was nothing like the room she'd described to him. It was well lit by windows that filled three of the walls and was set up like someone's quarters, complete with a what looked to be a king sized bed covered with a fancy quilt. When he turned to question her, he felt a sting in his left leg and looked down to see a syringe sticking out of it, held by Hanson as she pushed the plunger home.

"What?" He started to ask as the room began to take on a fuzzy quality.

"Just a little something I distilled from flowers one of the others found on P37-374. It won't hurt you, just put you to sleep for a bit while I deal with that alien female who's trying to come between us. Sleep now, my love."

John staggered a bit, dropping the case from suddenly nerveless hands. "Tey…la…."

"Yes, Teyla." She spit out. "She won't be bothering us for much longer. This isn't the only thing I've created from the various plants I, and others, have found on our journeys. You don't need to worry about her any longer, John. Soon, she won't be a problem."

John staggered towards the door, his only thought to get to Teyla and protect her. He only took a few steps before he fell to his knees. He tried to get up but the numbness was spreading. His last thought as he toppled to the floor was that Teyla was in trouble and he couldn't help her. Darkness descended on him.

Ruth watched him stagger towards the door and then finally succumb to the injection she'd given him. When he fell to the floor and was still, she smiled. Reaching down, she ran her hands through his hair lovingly. "We were meant to be together, my darling, and no one will get in our way." She turned him over onto his back and put her hands under his shoulders. Grunting, she tugged and dragged him to the bed she'd so carefully prepared. She frowned, he was heavier than he looked. His slim frame belied the muscle mass under his skin. She had a hard time lifting him onto the bed but finally succeeded, wiping away the sweat that was dripping down her face. When she finally had him situated the way she wanted, she sat next to him, catching her breath. When she felt her breathing even out, she ran her hand down the arm closest to her, feeling carefully for the hard nodule that would indicate the location of his sub-cutaneous transmitter.

When she found it, she got up and opened the case he'd so kindly carried for her. Inside was a complete surgical kit and some field bandages, sitting alongside the normal specimen containers. She laid the tools out on the bedside table and pulled out a pair of surgical gloves, which she swiftly put on before picking a scalpel out of the array of tools she'd liberated from the infirmary. She traced the location again, noting the depth and length, then began to cut along the very faint original scar from when he'd had it implanted. Her degree was in botany but the human anatomy had always fascinated her and she'd taken more than her fair share of biology and anatomy classes while in college. When she felt she had cut long enough and deep enough, she went back to the surgical kit and pulled out a small pair of forceps. Reaching into the small wound, she dug around a little and finally captured the device. She pulled it out carefully and dropped it into a waiting specimen container. She perused the kit again, finally selecting a small curved suture needle and then deftly threaded it with some silk. Turning back to John, she carefully wiped away the welling blood and closed the wound, sitting back for a moment to admire her work. She was pretty sure it wouldn't even leave any worse a scar than the original had. After discarding the gloves and wrapping a field bandage around his upper arm, she again ran her hand down the length of it, finally catching his hand in hers. She squeezed lightly and was somewhat disappointed at the lack of response, then reminded herself of the effects of her concoction.

"Soon, we'll have nothing standing in our way, my love." She whispered as she released his hand and stood up, staring down at the sight of him sleeping quietly in the bed she'd prepared for him, imagining the two of them in it when he was awake. Feeling the sensations of him touching her body, running his hands over her lovingly. She moaned a bit and then shook herself. She had things to do, she couldn't be distracted. She reached out and gently removed the always present radio from his ear, sticking it in her jacket pocket, then picked up the container holding the device she'd just removed him. She shoved the used gloves on top of it and then capped the container, putting it in the same pocket. Picking up the case, she left the room and then disabled the ancient device that allowed access to it, by removing the center crystal, effectively making sure no one could enter and no one could leave. She pocketed it with a smile. John should sleep for several hours but she'd heard the stories about his abilities to escape from just about anywhere and she wasn't taking any chances, sure she'd covered all her bases. On her way back to her lab, she made a side trip to an empty balcony and threw the container and the radio as far as she could, hearing it make a satisfying splash. She watched until both sank out of sight and continued on her way, humming lightly as she went over her remaining plans in her head.

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