A/N: Wow, I just realized that its been almost two weeks since I last posted. Well here is a new chapter for you... enjoy!

A/N2: Okay, I know I just posted this chapter yesterday, but here it is again complete with editing. I'd Like to thank MarkerSniffer for editing this chapter. Due to some email problems I posted with out the edited copy.

Chapter 7

John walked into his room, dropped his gear on the floor and headed towards the shower, leaving a trail of clothes in his wake. He wanted nothing more than to wash the layers of dirt off his body and sleep for the next 24 hours.

His team had returned to Atlantis more than two hours ago after spending the past 7 days off planet, most of which were spent trying to find a missing 'gate. What had seemed like an easy fact finding mission had turned out to be a monumental waist of time. M2X-764 was an uninhabited desert planet. They probably wouldn't have even gone there but for some weird energy reading that Rodney just had to check out. "It might be a Zed PM Colonel!"

The day/night cycle was kind of weird; daylight lasting about six hours and the night was about 15 hours long. John didn't want them to travel at night in unfamiliar territory so the first day they hiked for six hours then set up camp in the dark. They woke up well before dawn so they would be packed and fed and ready to hike by the time the sun came up.

By the time they reached the location that the energy signals were strongest it was almost dark again. So they pitched their tents and settled in for another long, cold night.

Their third morning on the planet Rodney finally got a chance to check out the energy signals that had brought them there I the first place. After three hours of studying the signal Rodney decided that there was nothing of use and that it was time to head back to the 'gate. They ended up hiking for nine hours, well after dark, before setting up camp for what they thought was the last night. They slept about six hours, once again waking before the dawn. They took their time cooking and eating their breakfast and breaking camp.

John had figured they had about three hours before they reached the 'gate, arriving not long after sunrise. According to his watch it was about midnight on Atlantis, which would put them back at about 0300. He had hoped that hey might get lucky, due to the early hour, and would get to skip out on their post mission check ups.

But of course his team was never that lucky. After three hours of hiking in the dark he and his team had sat down to rest for a little bit and drink some water.

o Flashback o

John drank a few sips of water and then poured some over his head. The sun had just risen and it was already hot. He let his gaze wander over his team to see that they were also drinking plenty of water before scanning the horizon. He frowned slightly at the sight, looking around him once more. Something was not right.

It had taken them 12 hours of hiking to get to Rodney's energy signals, two six-hour hikes. So it stood to reason that it would take 12 hours to get back, this time split up into a nine and a three-hour hike. So then, where was the 'gate? He did not see the giant ring anywhere on the horizon.

He pulled his notes and his compass to double check their bearings. Yep, according to his notes they should be sitting on the stairs that led up to the 'gate. He looked down. Nope, no 'gate. Shit, they were in so much trouble.

"How much longer, Sheppard?" Rodney wined, munching on a power bar.

John took a deep breath and sighed before answering. "We're here."

"Ha-ha, funny, Sheppard. I'm serious though. How much further? This dust is getting into places that dust shouldn't get to."

"I am serious too Rodney. I took bearings right after we stepped out of the 'gate so we could find our way back again. According to my bearings we should be sitting o the 'gate steps."

Rodney looked down. "I don't see any steps," he stated. "Are you sure that you marked it right?"

"Yes! I do this every mission you know. The gate should be right here."

"I agree with Sheppard," Ronon backed up his team leader. "I noticed signs of our earlier passage on the way back, and I did not sense that we had gotten of track."

"I too did not sense anything unusual. We should be at the 'gate," Teyla said calmly.

"Well we are not." Rodney informed them superiorly.

"We can see that Rodney," John growled at the scientist. "Why don't you find out why the 'gate's not here."

"I'm not the one who got us lost!"

"I didn't get us lost! We are exactly where we are supposed to be! It's the 'gate that is not here!"

"'Gate's don't just disappear, Colonel."

"The Colonel is right," Ronon said before either of the other two men could say anything else.

"I am?" John asked somewhat surprised himself.

"These here are our footprints from this morning walking here. These over here are our foot prints walking away from the 'gate, they are about 3 1/2 days old, which is about right. Our prints leading away from here start right here… right about where the 'gate steps should end," Ronon pointed out a spot about three feet from where Rodney was sitting, right where John's bearings indicated that the gate should be.

"We are so screwed," Rodney whined.

o End Flashback o

It had taken another M2X-764 day to figure out what happened to the gate and then several hours after that to figure out how to find it again. It turned out that in addition to an extreme and desolate dessert M2X-764 had some extreme tectonic plate action. The 'gate and stairs were on one plate and the ground where the start of their footprints were, was another plate moving at the same speed in the opposite direction.

After some pretty fine calculating form both Rodney and John they figured out about how far away the 'gate was now. Then with Rodney making sure that they stayed on the correct plate, they set off walking on the same plate the gate was on.

They found the gate after what amounted to about three more earth days. They stepped through the 'gate almost exactly a week after they left, only much more tired hungry and dirty. Elizabeth had them all head to their post mission check-ups, telling them to report to the briefing room when they were done. They were after all several days late getting back and she had bee worried when they hadn't been able to make contact.

After giving them all a thorough check-up Carson ordered the four to get something to eat and then to get some rest. After hearing that Dr. Weir wanted them to debrief right away he ordered them to stop and get some food to eat during the briefing and to head to bed right after they were through.

So now here he was, four hours after stepping through the 'gate back onto Atlantis, standing under the steaming hot water. He was barely awake enough to wash off all the dirt and grime. Some how he managed to make it to his bed, falling asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Groaning he rolled over and sat up. His clock read 0400. He definitely did not want to be awake right now but his bladder was screaming at him. He stumble into his bathroom, barely managing to avoid tripping on the clothes he had left scattered on the floor just 12 hours ago.

He emerged several minutes later feeling much better and, unfortunately, much more awake. He sat down on his bed and looked around the room for something to do. He knew that he would not be able to fall back asleep at the moment and the only people who would be awake at this time of night were those on the graveyard shift and they didn't need their CO bugging them.

His eyes landed on his computer. 'I guess I could play a game,' He thought. Then he remembered that Atlantis had made it's weekly report back to Earth while he was on that miserable planet. "I wonder if I got an email from Dad while I was away?" he asked the empty room. Mind made up he stood up to grab his laptop before returning to his bed and making himself comfortable while he waited for it to boot up.

"Damn computer," he muttered. "You'd think they'd give us faster computer when they send us to what is probably the most advanced city in at least two galaxy's."

Logging onto his email he quickly scrolled through several work related ones from both Earth and internal ones from Atlantis. "Yes!" he exclaimed when he spotted one from 'Benjamin Sheppard."

He was beginning to really look forward to and enjoy getting mail from home. He clicked on the email and settled in to read.

Dear John,

I am glad you are enjoying the football games. Football as a method of torture? That's a new one to me. A Canadian scientist working for the American military? You tell me not to try and guess where you are but then you tell me stuff like that and it makes me curious. Tell this Rodney that I am not senile yet. I think I'd like to meet him someday, he sounds like an interesting character.

Mrs. Evans was over today when I received your email. I told her that you would love some of her cookies and lemon bars. She told me to let her know before I next send you a package so she has plenty of time to bake some fore you. I think she is planning on sending you some peanut butter oatmeal raisin and of course, lemon bars. I know you said Rodney was a good friend of yours, but are you trying to kill him? Death by citrus maybe?

I am glad your rescue mission was (mostly) a success. Thank you for telling me about your injuries. I hate to know that my son was badly injured but at the same time I need to know these things. I worry about you. Even when you were in Antarctica, or in the States, definitely when you were in Afghanistan and where ever you are now. I worry but I still like to know what's going on, good and bad. It makes me feel closer to you.

I am glad your first letter got sent. I would like to thank whoever picked it up by accident. They have given me my son back, (in a matter of speaking.)

I hated paperwork also but it is part of being in the military and part of being in command. Once you get a system down it is not so bad. And once you get high enough you can delegate some of it. It does sound like your Dr. Weir is making it so you can't delegate but then there are some things that are best taken care of by the CO. It sounds like you have made it fun for you people. It never hurts to give a little incentive, happy airmen make productive airmen. I like how you are handling mail day and using mail as a reward for an unappealing job. You always were creative. It's things like that, that make a truly wonderful CO. Well that and a CO that is willing to get down and dirty with their men (and women). It sounds like you are doing well on both accounts, like you are a good CO. Keep up the good work. I'm proud of you.

Reading about you talking about that algorithm made me laugh. You always were good at math. I remember this one time when you were in, second grade maybe? Any way, your teacher called your mother and I in for a conference. She was all in a dither because you had not only done all your assigned math problems in class instead of having to complete them at home like the other kids, but after you were done you added up all the answers to make one big number. The teacher was going on and on throwing out phrases like "Child Prodigy," "Mensa," "Skip grades."

Your mom and I talked about what that teacher had told us that night after you went to bed. We decided that we would leave it up to you. We didn't want to be those parents that pushed their child to do something and then have the kid burn out by the time he was 16. we wanted you to enjoy your childhood and if doing math was part of that then so be it, we just wanted it to stay fun for you.

We talked about it with you the next morning before you went to school and you told us flat out that tests were boring and you weren't going to take more. You told us that if you knew that you teacher was going to make such a big deal just because you were playing with the numbers you never would have done it. You said all this in such a serious manner, well as serious as a seven year old can be.

I don't think your teacher was very happy with us. I think she may have even called social services. Not that it mattered; I was transferred not long after.

Your mother and I never cared how smart you were, just that you were happy and enjoyed life to the fullest. As long as you are happy we are happy.

So, more news from the neighborhood… I don't know if you remember the Norton's or not, their kids had already moved out by the time we moved in. Anyway, they have the most spoiled grandchildren. I don't think those kids have ever been told no in their lives, absolute terrors. They are visiting this week and are causing havoc throughout the neighborhood. Worst part is, the Norton's believe their grandchildren could do no harm. Last time they were here they broke a plant pot on Mrs. Evans porch, trampled several flower gardens on the street and painted a cat green.

I think everyone on the street have brought all their valuables and pets inside. I make sure I meet the mail truck at the street just in case those kids get it in their minds to steal it. I even thought about installing a security camera to watch the yard. Maybe the Norton's will believe us then? One thing is for sure; everyone is avoiding the Norton's until their terrors are gone. Wonder if that will clue them in?

Well, it is almost 1800 here. Sarah (Mrs. Evans) is cooking dinner for the two of us and it is probably just about ready.

I will talk to you later, Dad

John savored the letter for a few minutes. When he wrote that first letter to his dad he had no idea that just receiving a letter from him would brighten his day. So much time wasted.

It was best not to think about that. They were talking now, albeit through letters. Still, it was a start.

John looked over at his alarm clock, still to early to be awake. He looked back at his computer. Now was as good as any time to write a letter. Plus he was less likely to be interrupted.