Authors Note – Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, I had several chapters written and for some reason half the stuff on my computer disappeared. Unfortunately this was one of the few things I didn't have backed up on my laptop yet so I had to rewrite the whole thing (curses procrastination), lesson learned. I hope it was worth the wait.

Steph7085 – Angst galore in this fic or at least I hope there will be and are you sure you know me that well lol. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

WormholeXtreme – Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Suzotchka1 – I'm glad you liked the first chapter and I hope you enjoy this one too, thanks for the review.

HeartyJessica – Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying this so far and I have some serious plans for Elizabeth during the replicator siege so hopefully you'll enjoy them. I hope you like this chapter.

Sparkyshimmer2010 – I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for the review.

Fyd818 – I'm glad you're intrigued by the idea behind the story; it's not something I considered until recently and then bam, a fic idea lol. Good to know the parting scene turned out well and I hope you enjoy this chapter, thanks for the review.

Pirate Queens Trusted Advisor – Wow that's a long name lol and thank you so much for your review. I'm really glad the first chapter worked out well and that you enjoyed, hope you enjoy this chapter too, thanks for the review.

Belanna30 – Thanks for the review, good to know you enjoyed the first chapter. I'm trying to keep things as close to cannon as possible for the beginning and then the further the story goes the more things will change. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

- - -

Chapter 2

A few days on earth had done nothing to make John feel more at home and with their adjustment period over the members of the expedition were being reassigned. Rodney was being sent to Area 51, Carson had been given a surgery post at the SGC and John would be meeting his SG team in the morning. The three of them had decided to get together for dinner before Rodney flew out tomorrow. The conversation so far had been light hearted and they'd avoided talking about what was hanging over them all.

"You should call her," John stated through a mouth full of food and Marcus looked slightly surprised.

"Who, Cadman?" he questioned for some reason the prospect seemed amusing. John nodded his head in response whilst Rodney merely sat there. "It didn't work out, may have had something to do with our first kiss being through Rodney."

Rodney made a face and put the down the fork that had been travelling toward his mouth, clearly he had been put off his meal. "Oh, I thought we made a solemn vow never to speak of that again."

"I remember no such thing," Carson replied with a smile as John looked on in amusement. The memory of that incident would be a source of entertainment for him for many years to come. Despite the light hearted conversation, the jokes and the smiles, the whole thing felt wrong somehow, as if something or someone was missing.

"It's not the same is it?" Rodney asked rhetorically as they finished up their meals and a heavy silence fell over the group.

"Think of it this way Rodney, you get to have your own choice of projects and your own lab. No more near death experiences," John stated though that didn't seem to make the scientist feel any better.

"Truth is I think I kind of got used to it, I don't imagine I'll find anything quite as challenging as what I faced on Atlantis," Rodney informed them but they were still avoiding the real subject, until Carson voiced it.

"I wonder how Elizabeth is doing," he said thoughtfully.

"I imagine she's fine," Rodney replied as though he was trying to brush of the subject.

"I don't know it's probably quite lonely," Carson stated and John had to marvel out how easily the doctor could talk about things that everyone else was having trouble even thinking about.

"She's in a city full of Ancients," Rodney argued incredulously as if the notion was completely absurd.

"Aye, but she's the only human there and she'll have a lot to adjust to," Carson pointed out and silence once again filled the air. Their meals finished and paid for they left the restaurant and John turned to look at his two friends.

"I should get going, I have to be at the SGC early, good luck Rodney," John said and he immediately headed for his car.

Carson and Rodney could only watch him leave "He misses her more than he lets on," Carson stated after a moment and Rodney turned to him. Whatever protest he had intended to give died away before he'd even started, he knew Carson was right. "We should probably follow his example," Carson finished after a moment. "Good luck at area 51, Rodney."

- - -

Atlantis seemed different somehow, maybe it was the fact that the Ancients were back in control and far more of the city was not only accessible but functioning. As true as that was it was more likely that the difference came from the fact that her expedition were no longer there. When she walked through the corridors she didn't see the familiar faces she was used to. Instead of the expedition uniforms she was so used to seeing, everyone was wearing the beige Ancient uniforms. There was nothing left of the earth expedition, everywhere she went all traces that they'd ever been there were gone.

The only place that she could go and still see a little bit of the home her team had turned Atlantis into was her own room. She'd been allowed to stay in the quarters she'd been using before Helia and her crew had arrived. Of course the office was no longer hers; she's had to remove all of her stuff from there within hours of her team's departure. That office belonged to the leader of Atlantis... and that was no longer her.

It had only been a week but she already felt very isolated. There was no one here she could relate to, no one she could really talk to. When she wasn't negotiating, she was in her room, only making the occasional venture to the cafeteria and would ultimately end up eating back in her room. She felt out of place as though she didn't belong, that was a feeling she'd not had since coming to Atlantis. When she'd stepped through the gate over two and half years ago she'd felt instantly at home.

She was sure given time things would settle down, she'd make friends among the ancients and she'd find her place but she knew she'd never truly be one of them and that thought left her feeling more alone that ever.

"We're not asking to be allowed back into the city, we're simply requesting an alliance. One that would benefit both our peoples. For us this is an amazing opportunity to learn from you and we have plenty to offer in return," Elizabeth stated hoping that they were finally going to get somewhere in these talks. She wouldn't say that the Ancients were stubborn and selfish but they seemed very reluctant to get involved in any kind of alliance with earth. It kind of hurt that after they'd rescued these people, taken good care of the city and left gracefully when they'd been kicked out they still didn't fully trust them. At one point she'd very briefly entertained the notion that the Ancients viewed humanity as the lesser race, that they didn't respect them as a civilisation but she'd pushed the thoughts aside, they weren't going to help her talk to these people.

"We are still reacquainting ourselves with the galaxy and with the city itself, we are not yet in any position to ally ourselves with you or anyone else," Helia told her and Elizabeth got the feeling they were just going in circles.

"We can help you with that; we've been in this galaxy for the last three years. We know a lot more about what's going on here that you do and that is knowledge we are more than willing to share. We're also more than happy to provide any resources that you need until you're back on your feet again. What we're asking is that you allow us to help you and in return you help us," Elizabeth argued as she tried to fight off the growing headache. They weren't getting anywhere, normally by this point in negotiations she'd have liked to see some progress being made or at the very least see the chance for progress. Right now she all she was seeing was a brick wall, one she was running into repeatedly... that would explain the headache.

"Perhaps we should call an end to the talks for today," Helia stated and at Elizabeth's nod of agreement she left the room along with the few other ancients that had been present. Elizabeth stayed in her chair for a moment, the briefing room where they were now holding their talks had been used by her and her team so many times over the past few years. She could almost hear their voices as they discussed whichever crisis had popped up out of the blue.

She sighed. She was tired, frustrated and her head hurt. She'd stop by the infirmary for one of those wonderful ancient drugs they kept giving her for her headaches and then go to her quarter to sleep it off.

- - -

After a week on the new Athos the Athosian settlement had been set up with surprisingly little help from the Ancestors. There was still much work to be done but it was good enough to live in. It was late and most people were in their tents no doubt sleeping by now. Teyla was not one of them; she'd been having trouble sleeping since they'd come here.

Atlantis had obviously spoiled because it seemed she was having trouble readjusting to this life. She'd gotten so used to life within the great city that tents and fires didn't seem enough anymore. She hated the thought, this was the way of her people, the way she had lived for most of her life but she couldn't banish the unwanted thought from her mind. Her visits to the Athosians over the last few years had not kept her prepared for the sudden and permanent change. She kept her thoughts to herself though; they would do no one any good.

She had known through living and working with the people of earth that the Ancestors or Ancients as they had called them were not as infallible as she and many people in the Pegasus galaxy had believed. Even still it had surprised her almost as much as the rest of her people that the Ancestors had not only taken them from what had become their home but they hadn't helped them settle into their new one in anyway. She had hated her people being uprooted again; three homes in as many years (four if you included their brief stay in Atlantis); it was not good for them.

The move to the mainland of Atlantis had been a good one; they were more protected there than they had ever been before. They had gone two and half years without fear of culling, the people of earth had allowed them to continue trading through the gate, they'd been more than happy to transport people between Atlantis and the mainland. They'd assisted the Athosians whenever it was required and whenever something had come up to the threaten Atlantis they had considered the safety of the Athosians along with their own. To go from that to having the Ancestors relocate them here was a big change and not one she felt was good. She wouldn't say her people had become dependent on those from earth, far from it, but she'd felt more secure in her people's safety and she knew her people had to.

It hadn't been a one way relationship; the Athosians had supplied Atlantis with food and other resources and had gone through the gate to trade on their behalf. It had been an alliance, one which had truly been of benefit to both sides and one which would be greatly missed.

Movement beside her caught her eye and she turned her head in time to see Ronon approaching. He wordlessly sat down next to her beside the fire she was using for warmth. She knew he was having trouble sleeping as well but there was something else, something which caused her to worry. He was not the type for this life, everyday he got more restless and she knew the time would come where he would leave to continue his fight against the Wraith.

"You can't sleep?" she asked simply as a way to fill the silence.

"No, you?" he questioned and she shook her head as she looked at the fire.

"I cannot," she replied with a heavy sigh she had not meant to release. This was proving to be large burden and for a moment she found herself wishing she could talk to Elizabeth. She had been a leader as well after all and the only other person who had truly under stood the responsibility and sometimes strain that came with that role. Perhaps in time she would be able to do so, it was not as though Elizabeth had returned to earth with the rest of her people. For now though they both had new lives to settle into and the ties to their old ones would only make that harder for them both.

"We're almost set here," Ronon commented after a moment and Teyla looked around her at the settlement which was still growing.

"It is... adequate," she stated, missing Atlantis more in that moment. Silence settled between them again and this time Teyla did not feel the need to break it. Their futures were uncertain and the unspoken truth that sooner or later Ronon would leave hung over them. Neither of them mentioned it, voicing it would not change the fact that it was true.

TBC