~WAKING UP~

Elizabeth opened her eyes and sat up with a start. 'That has got to be one of the weirdest dreams I have had since coming here' she thought.

She nearly jumped out of her skin as the now familiar voice in her head chuckled.

--Do you believe me yet?-- the city asked, the humor evident in her voice.

"I…" Elizabeth paused, unsure of how to continue.

Lantea laughed again --Maybe. You aren't sure yet, but you are beginning to believe. I can't talk to you easily when you are awake, so go talk to Carson if you have any questions.' The city then turned her attention elsewhere, it was a palpable sensation, and very odd to Elizabeth.

"Thank you for showing me." Elizabeth said, and got a flicker of lights in acknowledgement. She sighed and leaned back in her bed, trying to process everything that Atlantis had just told her.

It sounded almost too good to be true, a second city capable of defending itself and everyone else against the Wraith? It was hard to tell; perhaps it was too good to be true, they wouldn't know until John got back.

'I wonder why they grabbed Lorne as soon as he came back?' she wondered. Steadying her self for what she was about to attempt to do, she called "Atlantis?"

When she got no answer she sighed, apparently she was going to have to track down Carson if she wanted any answers.

Elizabeth grumbled as she made her way to the control room. Her CMO had vanished. She had looked in the infirmary, the mess, his room, and he wasn't anywhere. She sighed, she'd decided to just shoot him an e-mail and track him down later.

She sat down at her desk sharply and closed her eyes, resting her face in her hands. She jerked back upright when she heard the voice from beside the doorway.

"You know you do have a radio lass, you could have paged me. Atlantis says you have questions." Carson said, shifting his weight in his chair.

"Carson!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Oh, since 'Lantea woke me up at five o'clock this morning to let me know that she told you everything and that she sent all questions to me." Carson shrugged. "Might have been a bit simpler had she helped me find you though, I'll have to talk to her about that. So, what did you want to ask?" Carson settled back in his chair, putting his feet up on the table in front of him.

"How long have you known, about the consciousness I mean."

"A few days after Bri arrived she cornered me in my office, demanding to know why she hadn't been warned, when I asked what about she sat me down and said that she had something to tell me. Next thing I know I'm waking up lying on the floor, with Bri and 'Lantea laughing at me."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because 'Lantea asked us not to. She was afraid of what we would do to her, if we found out. It wasn't until Bri arrived and 'Lantea began bonding to her that she could see into our minds." Carson caught the look on Elizabeth's face. "She's not really a mind reader, it's more of listening to our surface thoughts."

"Who else knows?" Elizabeth asked after a moment to digest that tidbit of information, resting her elbows on her desk.

"Right now? Bri, Lilah, John, Rodney, Radek, you, and myself. Lorne gets to find out tonight." Carson paused to chuckle, "She's rather looking forward to it actually. She's trying to decide whether it would be funnier for Bri to tell him or for her to just surprise him."

"She seems rather…childish." Elizabeth said, "Is that the word I'm looking for?"

"Probably, she more along the lines of a come patient rediscovering the joys of the world around her after being asleep for a long time, but childish is rather appropriate." Carson grinned again, "She says 'Hey!' apparently she took offense at that."

"What I wouldn't give to hear her like you guys do." Elizabeth said wistfully.

"You should be glad you can't. She never shuts up." Carson said wryly, then yelped as the Atlantis turned the lights.

"I'm sorry, you know I didn't mean it like that!" Elizabeth heard Carson say. "Come on 'Lantea! You know me! I didn't mean it!" The lights came back on reluctantly and Elizabeth saw Carson standing by the wall stroking it gently as he looked imploringly at the ceiling.

"Carson?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes?" he responded, not stopping his gentle stroking or moving his gaze.

"Um, what are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, still confused.

"Apologizing." He answered.

"Oh" she said softly, "Is she…alright?"

"Yes, just sometimes the teasing hits a little close to home, but she'll be okay." Carson said.

Author's note: Sorry for the delay in getting this up, I promise I'll get the next several chapters typed up. What with NaNoWriMo and school I got a bit distracted.