author's note: Okay, here's chapter 2! I kept almost forgetting to post it cuz there was so much going on today, but I remembered! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and please let me know what you think!

disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, or Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park.

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 2

Nothing to Lose

And I've got nothing to say

I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face

Standing at the door was a man a little shorter than John himself with short brown hair and honest looking brown eyes. He was wearing Air Force blues with his cover tucked under his arm and a briefcase clutched in his hand. The gold almost flower shaped pins on his shoulders told John that this man was a Major, the same rank as him.

"Major Sheppard?" The man asked. At John's nod he continued. "My name is Major Paul Davis, I'm a liaison officer with the Pentagon and I was wondering if you had a moment to talk?"

"What about?" John asked suspiciously. He'd only been given the time off the day before and had only arrived home about an hour ago and now a liaison officer from the Pentagon showed up on his doorstep wanting to talk. He wasn't sure how this was going to go.

"Do you mind if I come in? Some of the material is a little sensitive."

Well that certainly knocked his suspicion lever up a notch. Sensitive material and a Pentagon liaison officer. And darn if he wasn't curious too. But why on earth did they want to talk to him?

"Sure, Major, come on in," John said stepping back to allow the other man to enter.

Davis walked in and glanced around obviously taking note of the sparse decorations, but he had the good grace to not say anything. John had walked back over to his couch and sat back down gesturing for Davis to do the same.

"So, Major, what did you want to talk about?" John asked as Davis sat on the other end of the couch. He set his cover down on the coffee table out of the way before bringing the briefcase up. He popped the case open and pulled out a manila folder.

"First off, Major, I'll need you to sign this," Davis said holding the folder out to John.

"What is it?" John asked taking the folder carefully.

"A non-disclosure agreement. What I have to tell you is very highly classified."

John frowned as he scanned over the form although he wasn't really seeing it. Why would someone from the Pentagon show up to tell him about some highly classified something or other with what was in his record? It had been made perfectly clear to him that after the whole fiasco in Afghanistan that he was lucky to even qualify for the job he had.

"Why exactly are you here, Major?" John asked. "Surely it's not just to tell me about some classified project."

"That's correct," Davis said in agreement. "I'm here to offer you a job."

"A job?" John asked wondering if he'd heard right.

"Yes."

"Why? I mean I was told that I was lucky to even get what I have now."

Davis smiled slightly before answering.

"I can assure you, Major, that I wouldn't be here if my superiors hadn't wanted you for this job, your record notwithstanding."

"Okay, so you're offering me a job. What would I be doing?"

"I can't tell you any more until you sign the form other than that General O'Neill believes that you are a perfect candidate for this program and as such is willing to over look whatever marks you have on your record."

"So you can't tell me anything?" John asked.

"No, Major, I cannot."

"You can't even give me a little hint?"

"No."

"Are you sure you can't tell me anything?"

Davis actually looked slightly amused at John's attempts to get any kind of information, but he still refused to say anything. So John just sat there thinking over everything. As strange as it might sound he did like his current job. He loved to fly and that was something he got to do almost every day. But he had to admit just going back and forth to the same place over and over got boring after awhile. And now he finds out some General wants him for some top secret project. He wasn't sure what to think about that. But in the end he signed the non-disclosure agreement out of sheer curiosity.

After he'd handed the form back, Davis had glanced over it before shutting the folder and putting it back in his briefcase. He had then pulled out another folder and began to fill John in on what his new job would be if he decided to take it. It was something top secret so John was expecting something to do with some new technology that they needed someone to test or some new type of air craft that they wanted him to fly. But, out of everything he could imagine wormholes and travel to other planets certainly wasn't what he'd been expecting.

"You have got to be kidding me," John said in disbelief when Davis was only halfway through his explanation.

"I assure you, Major, that everything I'm telling you is true," Davis replied.

"Wormholes, other planets, and aliens-," Sheppard began not even sure where he was going with that statement.

"Are all real," Davis finished for him.

"Okay," John said although he was still a little skeptical. "I know I'm repeating myself, but why do you want me for this? I'm a pilot and from what I understand it doesn't sound like I'd be doing a lot of flying."

"Because of General O'Neill's promotion SG-1 has been left a member short. The General has been searching through personnel files to find someone that he believed would be able to fit in with them and believe me when I say not everyone is cut out for it. And out of all of the files the General went through he felt that you were the best choice."

"Right," John drawled.

Davis gave him a slightly miffed look, but shook it off easily enough. He then stuck the folders back into his briefcase and stood grabbing his cover and tucking it back under his arm.

"Now, I know this is a lot to take in," he said looking at John, "so I'll leave you to think it all over. I'll stop by tomorrow to get your answer."

After Davis had left John returned to sitting on his sofa. And that's where he stayed for the next couple hours just thinking about everything. He had to admit that this was an offer of a lifetime. Being part of a team that traveled to other planets searching out new technologies and allies while fighting a war against a race of aliens that had superior technology and weapons, it all sounded like something out of a science fiction movie. It was all very exciting, but there was one thing that really got him.

He'd be part of a team. He wouldn't be alone any longer, or at least he hoped he wouldn't be. And based on what he'd heard about this SG-1 they were a very tight knit group of people and for some reason General O'Neill thought he would fit in with them. That was pretty much what helped him make his decision. When Davis came the next day John would be able to tell him that he accepted. After all he really had nothing to lose.