Thanks again for reading the previous chapters!

Now on with the story...

Chapter 3

Back to the future

John had stopped pacing and was looking intently at Rodney.

"Does that mean we didn't save Teyla?" asked John horrified by the thought.

"I'm not saying that. Listen, you just need to go back and change things before it's too late."

John sighed, "Ok, fine. How do I go back to my own time? When are we anyway?"

"About 10,000 years in the future…"

"10,000 years!!!" screamed John.

"We all died a long time ago. You just happen to be real late Sheppard!" Rodney gave him a small smile.

"Right! So you seem to have lived a long time seeing the state of your hologram. Anything exciting while I was gone?"

"I can't tell you," declared Rodney.

John had always been a curious guy so even if he had heard Rodney talk about time paradox and the danger of time travelling, he just wanted to know more.

"Come on! You want me to change the future! Telling me what happens about a now improbable future is not wrong."

"Oh! I don't know. Maybe," answered Rodney deep in thoughts, not really sure how to argue against that.

"Come on! Tell me more," insisted John.

"Well... alright"

Rodney began his long story. John's disappearance had just been the beginning of it. Rodney went on about this new race and how powerless Earth had been to fight them, having to send refugees off world… when Rodney stopped talking John couldn't believe so many catastrophic events could happen in a lifetime.

"So that's why I need to find Teyla at that exact moment…" he began, uncertain as to where to start.

"And her baby!"

"Right and her baby…"

"He is special. Look, don't ask me anything else. I already told you too much to have a clean conscience. I fear for the fabric of the Universe! Just go back to the past, find Michael and Teyla and save us all. Oh and prevent me from blowing anything up."

Rodney had become quiet and looked ill. A particular memory seemed to have triggered this reaction and John watched his friend lose his composure for a moment.

"What are you not telling me?" John raised a eyebrow at the weird query.

"Just do as I say and you might save Earth and the rest of the human race."

"You can't be a bit more specific?" insisted John.

"Sorry. I already told you too much, you know time paradox and such" said Rodney with a few more hand waving actions.

Back to the debriefing

John left out many things, time paradox and such. The knowledge he now had of the future could save them from deep troubles.

"Rodney was a bit cryptic with his warning and explanations but I think we can do it," started John, looking confident enough.

"Destroy Michael's army? Piece of cake! Stop Rodney from blowing anything ...that will be harder," said Ronon teasingly at Rodney.

"Hey!" exclaimed Rodney, complaining at the abuse.

Everyone smiled at Rodney and John look at him calmly, "That's true. You did tell me to stop you from blowing anything!"

Sam looked suspiciously at John, he was teasing Rodney but also had a mischievous look on his face.

"You are not telling us everything, right? Rodney told you things he shouldn't have?" inquired Sam.

"Sorry, I can't tell you. Time paradox and such. There are some things in the future that might not be worth changing or at least sound like they shouldn't be changed," said John cryptically.

With one final suspicious look Sam ended the debriefing, "Ok everyone. Let's have a tactical meeting about the recon mission to M34778 in two hour. John you still need to report the infirmary. You are dismissed."

Everyone stood up and Ronon was the first to leave the room followed by John.

However, a few steps outside the room, Sheppard turned back to look at Carter and McKay chatting about time travel paradox.

The moment John had come back from the future he had noticed that things were somehow different around him. Old Rodney had said too much right, but it gave John a great strength, now he was able to see things and understand more of what was going on in Atlantis. He could not fathom the idea of having travelled somewhere nobody did and knowing that their future could lead somewhere where everything was death and devastation. He was the only one who knew how to change things for the best. Now he needed to act…starting with Rodney.

Ahah! Here come the shippy bit... final chapter