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Love is A Burning Thing:

Love Is A Burning Thing
And It Makes A Fiery Ring
Bound By Wild Desire
I Fell Into A Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher
And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

Ring of Fire-Johnny Cash

By the time Dr. Elizabeth Weir finally broke free from all the chaos surrounding today's events, it was 2:30 in the morning Atlantis time. She was glad of it. Especially since by the time the smoke cleared she was probably the only one in John Sheppard's inner circle who still hadn't gotten the chance to see he was alive and well. She felt guilty and ashamed for the fact, especially since it was her, who everyone noticed, was visibly shaken from what she saw on that video monitor.

She rather not had listened to John's orders to not give into Kolya's demands. She rather not had been busy dealing with brainstorming how she should prevent having yet another enemy on her hands, rather than be at the side of the man she cared for deeply either. She knew him well by now, his strengths and his weaknesses. He knew he was a soldier who could handle anything, but she wondered how he would handle such a trauma like this.

But those were the perils of being a leader. She had to know what was best for the people she was leading, leaving all personal opinion out of it.

By the time she got out there was no way in heaven or in hell that John could be awake at this….ungodly hour, though she did remember there was one night that they didn't fall asleep until 5 o clock in the morning. A smirk formed across her face at the memory. It was the first night he stayed over, and the first time they made love. Oh what a wonderful lover he was, not too gentle, not too fierce….just right. The rest of the night was spent talking with gentle tokens of affections bestowed upon each other.

Bringing her mind back to focus, even if John had the ability to stay up late….she doubted after all he went through today he would have wanted to stay up. He probably plopped right into bed the moment Carson released him. And she would join him, knowing it would be a nice surprise

Once she washed away the filth from the day that is.

She was on autopilot by the time she got in the shower. She immediately reveled at the feel of the water splashing onto her naked skin. It was another wonder she loved about Atlantis. She did not have to waste her time fiddling the dials to find the perfect temperature, she knew what she liked. As she began to wash her hair she focused on calming herself down.

As much as the guilt from letting what happened to John and seeing the agony he endured haunted her, she had to put her woes aside. Yes she could have stopped it but she could rant about her feelings with Doctor Heightmeyer once she had time to herself. She needed to be there for John who was most likely at the moment fragile. If she was in a fragile state of mind, it would do more damage to him.

Like the water going down the drain, she drained out all the bad memories of the day from her mind's eye. She finished up, put on a bathrobe and wrapped her wet hair in a towel. It wasn't long till the scent of mint filled her nostrils.

She walked further and further into her bathroom and suddenly steam hit her face and a voice softly singing out:

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line

It was John, who else on Atlantis knew every lyric to every Johnny Cash song. He wasn't as good as Cash himself; in fact he didn't have the voice of an angel either. But she did not mind hearing him sing. She stood there for a moment not wanting to disturb what was probably his first moment of peace throughout this emotionally draining day.

She could tell he seemed peaceful just laying there surrounded by water of the bathtub like Atlantis was surrounded by the vast ocean. His eyes were closed lightly, his face relaxed. She expected to see some sort of tension in muscles but there was none. Then again it could have been due to that he was surrounded by warm water.

But deep in her heart she knew it was a mask….considering the circumstances there was nothing but the feeling of turmoil running through his veins. How could he be with the horrors he had endured just hours ago and an uncertain future ahead? But for now, whether it was a mask or not, she was content seeing him in this position and not helpless and in pain.

"I know you are there Elizabeth…." John said quietly not opening his eyes even for a moment, "and I am flattered you like what you see…but are you just gonna stand there and watch or keep me company?"

Elizabeth smiled and began walking over to his side. John had already draped a hand over the side of the tub for her to hold.

"Well this is a surprise," she said. As she walked closer to him she noticed that the wrinkles that had appeared during the feeding had vanished. She knew Carson was trying some experimental treatment on John that could possibly get rid of the aged appearance. She didn't keep her hopes up that the procedure would work. But she was glad it did, not that it seemed to matter to her what he looked like as long as he was alive.

"What that a tough manly man like me actually takes baths?" He replied his lips curling into a small smile. She inwardly sighed, it wasn't his true smile.

"No," She said sitting on the edge of the tub, "I am surprised you are up this late, you need your rest."

His hand quickly searched for hers. Within seconds she felt vice grip wrap around her hand. It wasn't to hurt her, but to send a clear message...he was terrified. He was afraid that if he were to let go she would disappear. He above all feared to be alone. But he wouldn't admit that right away, it wasn't in his character.

"Teyla suggested I take a bath to relieve my tension," He replied, "and I don't have a bathtub like you do."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrow.

"At 3 in the morning," She inquired.

Silence.

John just turned his head away and gazed at the ornate marble wall adjacent to the left side of the tub. Elizabeth made a deep sigh and her fingers reached around to lightly grip his chin. As she pulled gently pulled his face towards her, she felt him shudder. A quiet wince left his lips as he closed his eyes. He didn't want them to reveal the fear coursing through his body.

"John," Elizabeth whispered stroking his cheek with her thumb. His body had quickly begun to relax by then, "what you went through today was most likely the most terrifying thing you will ever experience. It's okay to be scared."

"Can you stop worrying about me?" John whispered, quietly opening his eyes. Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak but when he gazed at her with such desperation she found she couldn't. "I mean I am a bit shaken but…."

As he paused from uttering his train of thought, she pulled his head gently towards her and rested it against her chest. She began running her fingers through his thick dark hair. For some odd reason it had been a calming mechanism for her, because of the ways she could explore the thick locks with her questing fingers. She heard a deep sigh leave his lips before he lifted his head to gaze into her eyes.

"I am more worried about you," He whispered resting his hand on her thigh, "through my pain I heard only one thing….your voice. As sick as it sounds hearing the sadness and desperation in your voice as you begged Kolya to stop the pain surging through me was more agonizing than that thing eating off me itself." He paused as the grip on her hand became….a little tighter. "And at the end of it when that bastard was taunting you….I wanted to rip off the binds and wring his neck."

Elizabeth smile began to fade. So much for being strong for John. She bowed her head towards the ground. Her eyes quickly fixated on the newly formed scar.

"Does it hurt?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

She felt him tense, his teeth grazed his lower lip. Again he built the facade that he was strong and what he went through was nothing but a scratch to his mental stability. But it wasn't.

Elizabeth couldn't bear to watch him go through that agony. Lord knows the damage it did on John. He didn't seem to realize that Kolya's actions were meant to inflict pain and humiliate. And it was that thought that brought back the strength she temporarily lost.

"Yeah," John whispered his voice cracking. He swallowed.

Elizabeth gently took his face in both her hands. A reassuring smile formed upon her lips. They gazed in each other's eyes for a moment. Elizabeth noticed his hazel eyes fought hard to hold back the tears that had began to form.

"It's alright John," She whispered her thumbs gently stroked his cheeks, "you can let it out."

He sniffed.

"But then you would think me weak," he choked out, "wasn't seeing me like that enough."

"No I would think you to be human," She said releasing his face and taking both his hands in his own, running her fingers over the angry red marks on his wrists formed by the shackles. "But whatever happens won't ever make me change the way I feel about you. You are the strongest and bravest man I know and I would never trade you for anything in this galaxy."

And that's when the dam broke. John's head fell into her lap and he began to sob. His wails echoed off the walls, his body shook vigorously. On instinct one hand began to run through his hair while the other trailed down his bare back. She didn't tell him stop. She just stayed silent as he let out all the emotions that plagued him that day.

"Just please tell me I didn't suffer for nothing," he cried.

Elizabeth frowned at those words reminding, her that Kolya, that bastard, successfully used John to get what he wanted...and it made her sick to know that the devil was out there celebrating his triumphant victory while the man she loved suffered the damage...

It was little known to the people of Atlantis that Acastus Kolya had a family, especially since the man didn't seem to be the type to get into a committed relationship. But not only did he have a wife, a surprisingly attractive one, but two twin daughters. The mere idea of 4 cold blooded humans forming a family was pretty terrifying thought.

There were the girls, the heirs of Genii control Karya and Zarabeth. Both aged 20. It would seem that the patriarch of the family would only care about himself. But the way these young women were spoiled debunked this notion. Whatever these two brats wanted their father made sure they had it by the time the moon rose. They had the best education and the best training as if the father knew that one day they would be future leaders of a great people. But their father's royal treatment came at a price. The more their father spoiled them, the more they became like him. Had their father been a kinder and more reasonable man, these two seemly innocent young women wouldn't have such a sinister aura to them.

But dear old Acastus wasn't only to blame for how his children grew up such spiteful beings. The matriarch of the family Zael Tyrus Kolya was as equally to blame.

On the outside she was an exotic beauty with dark hair and dark eyes that every man in the Genii nation wished to have as their own. But on the inside, beauty turned to ugliness and deformity. She was a cold, spiteful and scornful woman just like her husband. Which was why the two of them fit together like puzzle pieces, they thought too much alike. A lethal force if anyone tried to stand in their way.

And what happened that day with the torturing of John Sheppard and the death of Ladon Radim was all the proof one needed.

The Kolyas decided not to celebrate their newest victory with the drunken Genii citizens honoring their new leader, but instead amongst themselves inside their home. Hours ago it was occupied by the traitor Ladon, now as first family of the Genii it was theirs. The four of them were indulging in a grand feast and doing what they did best…..plotting.

"There is going to be major changes around here," Commander Kolya exclaimed loudly when his red head of the Kolya twins Zarabeth asked.

"Please tell me you plan to get rid the illusion that we are poor farmers," Zael, who sat across from her husband like a queen upon her throne, said as she lifted her glass of wine, "I am sick of having to hide our true potential to our allies. Look at Atlantis, the people that inhabit her walls are not afraid to show off their technology to Wraith."

"But we're not on Atlantis mother," Karya the older of the twins said as she ran her fingers through her blonde hair, "we don't even have the technology to match what Colonel Sheppard and his band of misfits possess."

Zarabeth gave her older twin sister a glare from her spot across the table.

"Don't question father's ability to achieve greatness for our people," She scowled, "whatever father wants he winds up achieving. Aren't we now the first family of the Genii?"

Kolya smiled, reached over and began to run his hand through his daughter's red hair. This was why he favored her over Karya. Zarabeth actually took in the knowledge he provided them about achieving success. It also added that she was the closest to his image, which took away the woes of not having a son.

"Indeed," Karya replied to her sister's comment, "but the only reason we achieved this status was by forcing our hand on Colonel Sheppard."

"Karya, have I not taught you that force is necessary to achieve greatness?" Her father replied turning his head towards her. She bowed her head in shame. Kolya sighed and leaned over to rub her arm encouragingly. He knew if Sheppard and any of his Lantean friends would see this they'd laugh. "Do not threat or question my ability to make the Genii one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy. So powerful that the Wraith won't even dare to touch us!"

Zael laughed loudly causing the new leader of the Genii and his two daughters to stare with puzzling looks on their faces.

"What is so funny wife?" Kolya growled raising an eyebrow.

"The most powerful force in the galaxy?" Zael laughed taking a sip of her moonshine, "we are nothing as long as that pompous brat Colonel Sheppard and his friends have control over Atlantis!"

The comment caused Kolya to stand up abruptly somewhat out of anger and mostly out of the reminder of the failure of keeping Colonel Sheppard in his custody.

He may have told Sheppard and the Lanteans that he was to return home when he achieved what he wanted, but that wasn't his plan. He planned to take Sheppard and have him swaying at the gallows as a warning to anyone who crossed him. But no, the enemy was at home safe and sound, Kolya's only solace was he managed to erase the man's handsome youthful features.

"Are you saying I should waste valuable time and effort building powerful weapons for a lost cause?" Kolya roared, "Yes it angers me those disobedient misfits control the most powerful weapon in the galaxy. But I will not make the same mistake as Cowen and send hundreds to their deaths."

"I am not saying that you should be foolish as Cowen and order a pointless attack," Zael replied now rising to her feet, "but I think there is a way we can take Atlantis almost without any bloodshed."

"Go on," Kolya said as he furrowed his brow. He was rather skeptical about what his wife was going to say but he had to listen. It was a sign of respect.

"You do remember the reason why you took Colonel Sheppard in the first place," Zael said walking towards him, "you knew how much the female who runs the expedition…what's her name….Doctor Weir."

Part of him knew where his wife was going and he didn't like it not one bit. Especially when he remembered last time he tried to pull such a maneuver. Too many men were lost for another man's rage.

"If you are suggesting I pull the same stunt on Doctor Weir as I did Colonel Sheppard than you are wasting your breath," Kolya scowled as he watched his wife walk to his side, "with Sheppard's short fuse if I even dare to hurt her I am just making a death wish."

"Sit down Acastus and let me complete my train of thought," Zael replied.

Kolya replied with a snarl and once again took his seat at the head of the table. He heaved his chest and folded his arms in front of him. Zael rolled her eyes at her husband's foolish behavior. She walked behind his chair and began to massage his broad shoulders.

"Now I am not suggesting you grab Doctor Weir," She began with a sharp tone in her voice, "she is useless to us other than the fact she always makes the final judgment on the fate of Atlantis. The real key to our prize is Colonel Sheppard. You're already to the first step to achieving the prize along with taking what was rightfully yours. You successfully weakened the resolves of not only Sheppard but his mate as well."

A slight smirk ghosted upon the Genii Commander's lips as he remembered the look of disbelief that flashed upon Sheppard's face when they brought in the Wraith. He had to admit cracking the usually brave and stoic soldier was just as great of an accomplishment as becoming leader of the Genii.

"They can survive such an ordeal once but twice," Zael said bending forward, "Colonel Sheppard I can see wishing death wash upon him, Doctor Weir couldn't bear to see the man she loves suffer again. What I am saying is if we capture Colonel Sheppard again, torture him with our technology and threaten his execution, Weir will give up Atlantis without even an ounce of protest."

"It's true father," Zarabeth said staring upon her parents with stern eyes, "their love seems strong as a burning flame. You heard the desperation in her voice to stop his agony"

"Love which will be the downfall of Atlantis," Zael added.

It was silent for a moment. All eyes remained fixated on the patriarch of the family. Kolya sighed and took a long swig of his drink.

"This sounds like a foolish idea," He grumbled, "but it just may be foolish enough to work, when do we start?"

"Let's not worry about that now darling," Zael whispered kissing his ear, "now it is time to celebrate."

A sinister smile formed upon Kolya's lips as he raised his glass. Zael and the girls followed in pursuit.

"Ladies," He said, "today was a great victory for us, but tomorrow…there is a victory for greater than this waiting for us."

And this victory would be sweet.

Alright to get a better picture of the Kolya family I have a set of PBs for each of them to give a clearer picture:

Zael: Paget Brewster
Karya: Tamzin Merchant
Zarabeth: Karen Gillan

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