When they arrived through the gate a second later Beckett rushed Laura off to the infirmary. Lorne had been pacing the gateroom floor waiting for them to come back.

"What happened?" he asked Sheppard and then looking at McKay he said, "Who's that?" Sheppard chuckled at him before replying; "There was an earthquake and then a tremor. Laura's gonna be fine. Her knee is pretty beat up…again. And this young lady is Amelia. She's been showing Laura around." Turning to Amelia, John said, "Amelia this is Evan. He's Laura's boyfriend. Evan this is Amelia. She's Laura's friend." Lorne smiled at Amelia who promptly hid her face in McKay's shoulder. Looking at Sheppard he said, "What did I do?"

"Nothing. I think she's grown quite fond of McKay…for some very strange reason and she has trouble trusting people."

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm very good with kids…" said McKay snarkily. At Sheppard's quirked eyebrow he added, "sort of. Now I'm going to take Amelia here to the infirmary and get her all fixed. Then I'm going to my lab to do some actual work." That said McKay turned on his heel and headed towards the infirmary.

"Wow. How long has he been around her?" asked Lorne.

"Around an hour. Why?" asked Sheppard.

"Well he's actually put someone else before himself. Did you notice that he didn't put her down?"

"Hm. That's interesting. Maybe this little girl is what we all needed. Do you think we'll be able to keep her?" asked Sheppard as if he was asking his parents if he could keep a stray dog. Lorne just looked at him and headed to the infirmary himself.

Arriving at the infirmary McKay put Amelia down on one of the empty beds when Dr Biro came towards them. As she approached Amelia clung to McKay's arm.

"You must be Amelia. Can I have a look at your arm there?" asked the doctor nicely. Amelia shook her head and tugged on McKay's arm. Bending his head towards her she said, "I want nice doctor man."

"But he's busy helping Laura. Dr Biro is very nice. I promise."

"I want nice doctor man." Amelia repeated. Sighing McKay straightened up and said to Dr Biro, "She wants Carson. Sorry."

"Well if she's in any pain give me a shout and I can get her something until he's done in surgery." McKay nodded and Dr Biro walked away. Rodney turned to Amelia and said, "Why won't you let the doctor treat you?"

"Scared."

"Ah ok. Right. Well I'm going to go to my lab and do some work. You'll be alright here ok?" McKay was already out the door before Amelia had a chance to say anything. As McKay was leaving Lorne walked in and smiled at Amelia. She shied away from him and then asked, "Mister? Where is Rodney going?" Surprised at being called 'mister' Lorne turned around and said, "You can call me Evan if you want and McKay is going to his lab. Why?"

"I want to be with Rodney until nice doctor man is finished with Miss Laura." Confused Lorne asked, "Can I ask why you want to be with McKay?"

"Why do you call Rodney 'McKay'? Why not just Rodney?" she returned.

"Well most of us do call him McKay. Very few call him Rodney. Why do you like him so much?"

"Because he's nice. What do you do?" she asked Lorne.

"I'm in the military like Sheppard. I'm his second in command."

"Who is Sheppard?" she asked.

"The tall man with messy hair."

"You mean John?" she asked him.

"Yes. John. He is the leader of the military here." Lorne replied.

"What is military?"

"Well military is loose term for…" Lorne was clearly struggling trying to explain the term when Sheppard, Ronan and Teyla came in. Turning to Sheppard Lorne said, "How would you describe the word 'military'?"

"What? Why?" asked Sheppard confused.

"Well Amelia here wants to know what 'military' means. And I'm struggling to come up with a suitable explanation."

"Ah ok." Turning to Amelia John smiled and said, "Well…I'm in the USAF, which stands for United States Air Force. Evan here is also in the USAF. You see those two people over there?" he asked her pointing at two marines that had just wondered in. She nodded. "They are what we call marines. There are also some people from the army here as well. We protect the innocent and people who can't protect themselves for whatever reason from very bad people. So we protect you and Laura and even Rodney. Although we have to protect him from himself sometimes."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you have to protect Rodney from himself?" she asked John puzzled.

"Because Rodney can sometimes get himself into trouble that he cannot get himself out of. You understand?"

"Yes. Can you take me to see Rodney? I don't like it in here." Chuckling John said, "Yeah I can take you to see Meredith. Don't worry no-one likes it here?"

"Who is Meredith?"

"McKay. Er Rodney." John chuckled and a mischievous grin flittered across his face. Picking up Amelia John said, "Come on then little one. I'll take you to Meredith now."

"Why do you call him that?" she asked John as he walked out of the infirmary. Lorne turned to the rest of Sheppard's team and said, "Uh oh. McKay is not gonna be happy when he finds out John has told Amelia his real name."

"No. He isn't." replied Teyla.

"She's very inquisitive isn't she?" asked Ronan.

"That she is. I wonder if that's why she's taken to McKay so quick." Lorne replied.

John and Amelia were almost at McKay's lab when John heard the familiar ranting of McKay. "Do any of you know what the hell it is that you're supposed to be doing?" he shouted. Amelia turned to John and said, "Why is Rodney shouting?" Surprised that Amelia knew it was McKay Sheppard replied, "How did you know that? Well he often shouts at his fellow scientists because they aren't as clever as he is, or at least that's what he likes to think, and when they do something wrong he shouts at them."

"I don't know how I knew. I just did. He fascinates me." Amelia replied. Sheppard didn't reply and carried her into the lab. Seeing them enter McKay suddenly stopped shouting at Zelenka and turned to Sheppard.

"Why did you bring her for?" asked McKay.

"She wanted to see you. I think she's bored of the infirmary." Replied Sheppard. Amelia was looking at Radek Zelenka with mild curiosity. This failed to go unnoticed by McKay.

"Hm really?" said McKay. Before Sheppard could reply Amelia said to Radek, "Hello. Who are you?" she asked him. Looking at McKay and then at Sheppard before answering, "I am Radek Zelenka. Who are you?"

"Amelia. Are you a scientist as well?" she asked him. Before he answered she turned to John and said, "John? Can I get down please?" John put her down and she wondered over to a stool and sat down after pulling herself up. She was now face to face with Zelenka. John motioned for Zelenka to answer her question.

"Yes I am also a scientist."

"What kind?" she asked him.

"Er…physicist." She looked at him for a minute before asking, "Is that different to Meredith?" McKay looked at Sheppard in anger, while Sheppard laughed out loud. "Oh…I…really…like…her." He said between gasping for air. Unsure of how to answer her question Radek looked at McKay pleadingly. Rolling his eyes he said, "Yes. That is different from me. I am an astrophysicist. I know astrophysics whereas Zelenka here knows physics."

"What's the difference?"

"Well…uh…theoretical astrophysics which is what I do…is…uh…physics that can be applied to the universe. Many of the things that Radek knows I know but I apply to the universe. Physics also deals with the universe but it is more mathematical. I use things like mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, nuclear and particle physics, and atomic and molecular physics."

"Cool."

"Excuse me? You understood that?" asked a flabbergasted McKay.

"Yes. Basically you use machinery, electrics, and magnets to try and explain the universe. Not to mention building blocks and you try and look at them. Correct?"

"Er building blocks?" asked Sheppard.

"Yes. The things that everything is made up of." Amelia replied. She looked at the shocked faces and said, "Have I done something wrong?"

"No, no. Not all. We're just surprised that you seem to understand our science. That's all." McKay replied in slight awe. Amelia now had McKay as one of her biggest fans when John suggested that she go and meet some other people on the expedition.

"Rodney will you come?" asked Amelia.

"Er yeah. Ok. Radek if you need me."

"I will call you on the radio. Go and have fun."

The rest of the afternoon Amelia, John and McKay met various members of the expedition. Amelia also seemed to be fascinated by Elizabeth and Teyla. But she was weary of Ronan until he lifted her onto his shoulders and she squealed happily, "I'm as big as a tree!" Amelia had laughed at everyone on her new perch. Carson had just finished with Laura's surgery when he clicked on his radio and said, "Colonel?"

"Go ahead Beckett."

"I hear our little visitor didn't want to be treated by Dr Biro. You can bring her back and I will set her arm."

"Ok. will do." He looked up at Amelia and said, "Dr Beckett is going to set your arm now. You ready?" he asked her.

"Yes. Arm is sore. Lets go." Ronan took her off his shoulders but still carried her to the infirmary. Once there Beckett came over and set her arm and said, "There that should heal nicely in about 6 weeks." He smiled at her. She smiled back and hugged him, "Thank you nice doctor man."

"Your welcome lass. But please call me Carson." She beamed at him and said, "How is Miss Laura?"

"She's going to be fine. She has a broken ankle and I've had to replace her left kneecap. It had completely shattered. She now has a metal one."

"How did you do that?" asked Amelia.

"Well I…uh…sucked out the broken parts of her kneecap and put a metal one in its place. It wasn't that complicated. She's going to be fine. Although she may be out of it for a little while longer. That was quite a nasty bump to the head she received." As Amelia was about to say something Carson tapped his ear, "Go ahead Elizabeth."

"Could you and Sheppard's team please bring Amelia back to the gate room? Her sister would like her back now."

"Aye. Will do. Beckett out." he said and turned to the group, "Well Miss Amelia. It appears that your sister has come to take you back home." Amelia paled immediately and started to shake. The group looked at her in shock, she turned to Rodney and said, "Please don't make me go." McKay looked shocked. He didn't know what to say. It was John who came to his rescue, "Why don't you want to go back Amelia?" Amelia turned frightened eyes onto John and said, "She is not my sister. I have no family. They all made the 'sacrifice' not so long ago. She is just someone who the elders placed me with. I don't like her. She isn't nice to me."

"I thought your people had agreed to suspend the sacrifices."

"They did. But not in the outlying villages. I was only sent to the Keras's village half a cycle ago." Amelia replied.

"Come on. We have to go to the gate room." John said sadly. McKay picked Amelia up off the bed and carried her to the gate room. She was sobbing by the time they arrived. McKay held her closer when he saw the person who was supposedly Amelia's sister. The young woman had a pointed look about her and he instinctively didn't like her.

"Please let go of my sister." Her voice was clipped and had no warmth in it. She moved forward to take her from McKay when John stepped in front of them, "Hang on. I want to know if she's going to be ok. She doesn't want to go with you."

"John?" asked Elizabeth "What's going on?" John answered Elizabeth without taking his eyes off the young woman. "Amelia doesn't want to go. Amelia is scared of her. I don't want Amelia to go off with someone she doesn't trust."

"John. We cannot keep her. No matter how much you may want to. We can give her an IDC in case something goes wrong. But she has to go."

"Fine." He turned to Amelia and said, "Amelia, we will check in on you ok? We will give you a special code if you want to come back. I want you to check in every week to let us know your ok. If you don't check in for whatever reason we will come and get you." He looked at Elizabeth who nodded her agreement.

"Do…y…you…promise?" she asked through sobs.

"I promise." It was McKay who said this. He hugged her tightly. He put Amelia down and wiped her face of tears with his thumbs. Amelia went to stand next to the woman when Ronan stood in front of her before allowing her to go, "If I hear of anything untoward. You will have me to deal with. Is that clear." The woman merely stared at him coldly before replying, "I assure you. You will not hear of it." The woman grabbed Amelia's good arm and pulled her through the gate as Amelia looked back at her friends.