author's note: I can't believe I almost forgot to post this today! But, luckily I remembered. So, here you go chapter 5. All that's left now is the epilogue. I'm excited! This chapter actually marks 100,000 words archived for me. Actually it'll be over by about 1,000, but just the fact that I have that much is awesome. Anyway, I know I haven't properly thanked everyone for their wonderful reviews so I'd like to take the time to do that now.

Dreamer22: Well, your guess was spot on. I read your review and I was like 'Wow they actually figured it out'. So, kudos to you.

Saissa: I actually kinda forgot about that part until the very end. I rewrote the end of this chapter so that I could include that in the epilogue, but yep. You guessed right!

Jade O'Neill: I don't actually have to tell you this here as you already know, but I have started work on the next chapter of Dark Foreigner. And unlike you I haven't restarted my chapter 20 times. hehe. ;)

CobaltDawn: You may have already figured this out by now, but no Mitchell will not be making an appearance.

Anyway, thank you to everyone else who reviewed I know I didn't name you all, but that would take much too long and I'm really tired, but I am very appreciative of your support and enjoyment of my story. Hopefully this chapter is as good as the rest!

disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, or Somewhere I Belong. If I did I would be almost desperately searching for a job.

Somewhere I Belong

Chapter 5

I'll Find Myself Today

And I will never feel

Anything else until my wounds are healed

I will never be

Anything until I break away from me

Just two months ago John had been sitting in an empty apartment with nothing to look forward to during his forced leave. Now, he was in a new city with a new apartment. The only difference between the two was before he had been alone with his barely there furnishings. Now, though, he was adding decorations and finishing touches to his apartment with the help of his team. But, they weren't just his team, they were his friends. And watching them now, Daniel and Carter arguing over where to hang a poster and Teal'c taking if from them and hanging it where he wanted (while completely ignoring the others), John finally felt like he had a place to call home. It was a really good feeling.

The rest of the day progressed in much the same manner as they decorated John's apartment. By the end of the day the place actually looked lived in and inviting, the complete opposite of his old place. After all the decorating had been completed they had an impromptu team night where they played cards and board games and shared humorous stories from their youths, eventually settling down in the living room to watch a movie. But as great as the day was John was looking forward to tomorrow, which was when their next mission was. There was nothing in the world that could compare to the thrill of traveling through the stargate.

The next day dawned bright and clear and John woke up in a good mood. That good mood carried through breakfast, their pre-mission check up, and the trip through the gate. The others had no trouble telling that he was in a good mood because of the goofy grin he knew was on his face. That grin, however, disappeared as soon as they stepped out of the gate.

Even if several of the natives hadn't run up to SG-1 crying for help there would have been no mistaking that something was seriously wrong. It didn't take very long for them to figure out what that something was either.

The village was being swept with a horrible disease, a highly contagious disease. John looked to Carter for direction wondering what they should do. Just by coming here they had already been exposed, but it would be even more likely for them to catch whatever bug this was if they went any further into the village.

"Will you not help us," one of the villagers cried when he realized that SG-1 hadn't moved.

"We don't have the resources to help you with us," Carter answered, "we have to send a message back to our world and then we can help."

"Besides we wouldn't be much help to you if we end up getting whatever it is your people have," John added.

"Oh no, you are perfectly safe," another villager spoke up.

"We are?" Daniel asked skeptically.

"Yes, we have discovered that if you are not bitten by the insect that carries the sickness then you will not 'get it'," the first villager replied adopting John's wording in an attempt to make them understand better.

"Why are so many sick if this disease is spread by an insect?" Teal'c asked.

"There was a swarm only two nights past," the second villager said, "so many were bitten during it and we have no way to cure them."

"Don't worry, we will help you," Carter decided. "Daniel contact Earth and let them know what's going on and get Janet here quickly." Daniel only nodded as he turned back to the DHD and rapidly dialed Earth. "In the meantime, we'll see what we can do to help."

John fell in step with Teal'c behind Carter as they followed the villagers. Carter was trying to get as much information about this disease as she could from them, but it was obvious that they didn't know much more than they had already told them.

"Spread out and see what you can do," Carter ordered when they reached the small village.

John nodded as he headed off to do as he was told. There were people everywhere that were sick. Many of them were sneezing and coughing barely affected by the disease. It seemed that they suffered from nothing more than a cold. But then there were others, as John discovered when he was led into a house by a crying mother, that were much worse off. There was a young boy lying in bed coughing weakly and barely conscious. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was having trouble breathing. And, if the blood that trickled out of the corner of his mouth after a particularly violent bout of coughing was anything to go by, there was some serious internal damage going on that John could nothing about.

Only fifteen minutes later and Frasier and her team were there, in hazmat suits despite the assurances that they couldn't catch this bug, to provide the much needed help that SG-1 couldn't. John gladly stepped out of the way for the nurse that came to check on the boy and headed back outside. He quickly found where Daniel was waiting and headed over.

"Hey," Daniel said when he noticed John heading over.

"Hey," John replied.

"How bad is it?" Daniel asked glancing around the village. He had only just gotten there with the medical team and so hadn't seen everything.

"Well, there are some cases that don't seem so bad, and then there are others. . ." John trailed off with a shrug, but from the grave look on Daniel's face it was obvious that he knew what he meant.

"Hopefully, Janet will find something," Daniel said quietly.

"Yeah," John agreed.

A couple hours later and Janet was ready to return to Earth with the samples she had collected so she could perform tests to see what it was that was affecting these people so badly. She agreed to let some of her team remain behind with the few Marines that had accompanied them while she and SG-1 returned. John let out a sigh as he stepped out of the gate and onto the ramp. He'd started feeling tired and achy sometime over the last hour and was looking forward to getting some proper rest. When they reached the infirmary he sank gratefully onto the mattress of the closest bed.

"You alright?" Daniel asked giving John a mildly concerned look.

"Just a bit tired," John answered. He frowned slightly in confusion when Daniel and Carter shared an alarmed glance. "What?"

"That was the first symptom that most of the villagers experienced," Carter said.

"So, that doesn't mean anything," John replied absently scratching at his neck. Before he even knew it Daniel was there pushing his head to the side and poking at his neck. "Hey, what are you doing?" John demanded.

"You were bit by something," Daniel said stepping back. Now he definitely looked concerned and so did Carter.

"That still doesn't mean anything."

"What doesn't mean anything?" Janet asked as she entered the room.

"John has a bite mark on his neck," Daniel answered.

And immediately Janet was calling out instructions to her nurses and drawing blood and taking his temperature and many other things that he lost track of even though he kept assuring her that he was fine. And if the looks she kept giving him were any indication then it was clear that she didn't believe him. After she was finished with him, though, she attacked the rest of his team gathering everything she needed before rushing out of the room to get started on the tests. John really didn't know what to say so he just lay down, closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Sometime later John slowly opened his eyes and knew that something was wrong. For one he was cold, really cold. That and he could barely breathe his nose was so clogged. And just to add to the fun he felt the beginnings of a tickle in the back of his throat. Before he knew it he was coughing violently apparently trying his best to hack up a lung that refused to budge. He didn't even realize that he'd sat up until he felt gentle hands pushing him back onto the bed.

"Doc," he gasped out between coughs.

"Don't try to talk, Major," Janet replied before putting an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. He had to admit that did make breathing a little better.

"I got it don't I," John mumbled not even sure if she had heard him.

"I'm afraid so, Major," Janet replied. Apparently she had heard him. "Don't worry though, I've been going over the test results and am fairly certain that it should be easy to come up with an antidote."

""S good," John slurred before slipping back into sleep.

"How is he?" Daniel asked as soon as Janet stepped out into the hallway where the rest of SG-1 had been waiting.

"Okay, for now," Janet answered.

"For now?" Sam asked sounding worried.

"This disease is unlike anything we have seen before," Janet said. "It's attacking his pulmonary system, which is why it's so difficult for him to breathe. I'm doing everything I can, but it's just not enough. We're working to find a cure, but I'm not sure if it will do any good."

"Why not?" Daniel asked.

"I feel like there's something I'm missing. Most of the test results just don't make any sense. I've tried running the blood of the ones not infected, but that was a dead end. I'm running out of ideas," Janet said plainly. She hated that she didn't have something better to offer.

Daniel just stared at her for a minute. There could be no way that Janet was saying what it sounded like she was saying. The others had fallen silent as well. The idea that the newest member of their team might not make it didn't sit well with any of them.

"What about the ones that weren't as sick as the others?" Sam asked breaking the silence. She did her best to be optimistic, but the look on Janet's face answered her question even before the doctor spoke.

"I tried that, but it didn't lead anywhere."

"Are none of your medicines effective, Doctor Frasier?" Teal'c asked raising an eyebrow in inquiry.

"There are some that slow down the spread of the disease, but none that actually stop it."

"So, everyone that has it will die?" Sam stated although it came out more as a question.

"No, I don't think so," Janet replied. "There are some that have shown a resistance to the disease and I believe that they will live through it. I only wish that they held the answer, but unfortunately they don't."

"What about the bug?" Daniel asked.

"I've studied the one that was brought back, but even that failed to provide the necessary results."

"Janet, you saw that village. These people, especially the families of the infected will be devastated," Sam said.

"I know and I'm doing everything I can think of . . ." Janet's voice trailed off leaving SG-1 standing there in confusion.

"Janet?" Sam asked giving her friend a tap on the shoulder.

"That could be it!" Janet exclaimed.

"What could be it?" Daniel asked confused, yet hopeful that they had an answer.

Janet opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it and shook her head. "I don't want to say before I know for sure if this will work or not. I'll let you know when I know something."

SG-1 just stood there staring after Janet as she disappeared back into the infirmary.

"Either of you have any idea what she could be so excited about?" Sam asked looking to Teal'c and Daniel. Teal'c only shook his head slightly looking regretful that he didn't have an answer.

"No, but I hope it's something that works," Daniel replied.

Three hours later and Janet burst into Jack's office with a triumphant look on her face. After Janet had left them in the hallway SG-1 had headed up to Jack's office to let him know what was going on. As they had come into contact with a deadly disease Jack had been spending much of his time on the phone doing his best to assure Washington that they didn't have an outbreak on their hands. He, too, was hoping that Janet would be able to figure out something and soon. He'd taken a liking to Major Sheppard and really didn't want to see anything bad happen to him.

"Doc, I hope that look means you have good news," Jack said.

"I do, General," Janet replied before a large smile broke out. "The answer was their family members."

All four members of the original SG-1 shared confused glances.

"Care to explain what you mean by that?" Jack asked.

"When I was running all of the previous tests I always felt like there was something that I was missing. It turns out that what I was missing was the link between members of the same family. They usually have close to the same blood type and are generally compatible for organ transplants. So, I tested the families of everyone that had been affected and luckily found the answer to curing this disease."

"So, their families are the cure?" Sam asked sounding surprised.

"Yes," Janet replied excitedly.

"How?" Daniel asked in confusion.

"Does it really matter?" Jack asked.

"No, I suppose not," Daniel replied.

"But, how does that help Sheppard?" Sam asked. "His file doesn't have any family listed."

"I know, that's why I took the liberty of running his DNA through all of the databases hoping to get a match," Janet said.

"And you got one?" Daniel asked sounding surprised.

"Yes I did," Janet replied happily.

"Well what are you waiting for, Doc," Jack said, "go find them and get them here quickly."

"I don't have to, General," Janet said now getting a smug look on her face clearly showing that she knew something that they didn't. "They're already here."

"They're already here?" Sam asked. The surprise was mirrored on her teammate's faces.

"Actually, they're standing in this room," Janet stated proudly.

The first thing he was aware of when he came to was a pounding headache that beat in time with the annoying beeping noise coming from his left. The second thing was that his whole body still ached from that dang bug bite. And just thinking about the bite made him aware of the fact that it was itching badly. The last thing he noticed was that he didn't feel nearly as bad as he had before despite all of his aches and pains.

"Major?" Someone's voice suddenly said to his right.

He forced his eyes open to see Doctor Frasier standing next to his bed with a small smile on her face.

"Doc," John croaked, which then led to a coughing fit. And he'd thought his head hurt before. The coughing had sent the pain skyrocketing.

Before he could even ask a cup of water appeared in front of him.

"Small sips, Major," Janet said.

He took several grateful sips before trying the speaking thing again.

"What's up, Doc?" He said. His voice was barely above a whisper, but Janet still heard him.

"You're going to be okay," Janet reassured.

"You found a cure," John stated.

"I did," Janet said proudly still smiling down at him. She then went on to explain how she had discovered the cure. But there was one thing that he was having difficulty figuring out.

"Doc," John began.

"Yes, Major?" She asked.

"How exactly did you get the cure to work on me? I don't have any family."

"Actually, Major, you do."

"But, I mean, I thought,"

Janet gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know you thought you didn't have any family, but luckily for you you do. If it hadn't been for your brother we would have lost you."

"Brother?" John asked in shock.

"Yeah, it is a bit surprising, huh?" A new voice questioned on his other side.

"I'll let you two have some time to talk," Janet said before leaving quietly.

"I guess our foster care tales were the same for a reason," Daniel said as he sat down on a chair next to John's bed.

"You're my brother?" John asked still sounding shocked.

"Twin brother, actually," Daniel replied with an odd look on his face.

"Twin?"

"Yeah. Who knew?" Daniel shrugged slightly, but he still had that look on his face.

"Well, this is unexpected," John said quietly, before a slightly uneasy silence fell between them.

"You're my brother," John repeated after a while, breaking the silence.

"Yep," Daniel said.

"I always wanted a brother," John said as he started to grin.

"Well, now you got one," Daniel said with an answering grin.

"So do you," John pointed out. If he had been worried about how SG-1 would react to him becoming a part of the team he was really worried about Daniel's reaction to this news. It was kind of huge and unexpected and he didn't know how he was going to react.

"Yeah, I do, and you know what," Daniel said.

"What?" John asked nervously.

"I always wanted a brother, too."

There was a moment of silence before they both started laughing. John's laughing quickly turned to coughing, but Daniel was there immediately helping him to sit up and getting him some water. John had never had a brother, never expected to have one if he was honest with himself, but he couldn't really think of anyone better for the job than Daniel. They had always had this connection and maybe that was why.

All of John's past worries tried to come forward once again, but his time they didn't grab hold of him and not let go. No, this time he wasn't alone. He had Carter and Teal'c and even General O'Neill that he could call his friends. And now he had Daniel, the brother he never knew he had. And with that thought in mind and feeling more comfortable and wanted than he ever had before he slipped into sleep with a smile on his face.