Teyla woke the sleeping girl the next morning with a knock on the door. she had a bundle of clothes. a couple skirts and shirts in the Athosian style and some pants and shirts from Earth. they spared a little. nothing as ferocious and they stopped often to teach each other little tricks and different attacks. at breakfast John looked Alisha over.

"still on the whole working out thing?" he asked.

Alisha nodded taking another bite.

"Want to take a run with me? Ronan is busy and Teyla won't."

Alisha nodded again.

"great. when your ready I am."

"alright." they spent the morning running across Atlantis. John would point and tell her where a passage went.

"so what are your plans for this afternoon?" he asked.

"my guard." she motioned to the young marine that joined them, the same one Alisha had been teaching "are going to see Jennifer. she wants to check me over."

"don't have to much fun." John called as they parted ways.

"And this is your opinion?" Wolsey asked.

"I don't think it would be smart for her to go on missions. at least not for a while."

"I agree. it seems like a good idea. what gave you this idea."

"A couple of things. she is really good. she has to do something or she will go crazy and i walked in on her with the young marine. she seemed like a natural."

"From the bit of her fight i would say so." Wolsey agreed.

"and it wouldn't hurt to have all military personnel more practiced in hand to hand."

"she could have classes with military and non military." John added.

"I'll leave it up to you and her to set it up. bring me the results and I'll check them over and enforce them."

"great." John exited and went in search of Alisha.

"Hey. i think i might have solved the problem of where you fit in."

"Oh?"

"we still know to little of you to allow you to go on missions. but there is something you could do."

"And that would be?"

"You could train the military and Atlantis personnel in hand to hand combat. they could have scheduled classes and you would be in charge of them." John announced proud of his idea.

Alisha grinned back. If her part in this war was in the back ground getting the fighters more combat ready so be it. she would help nonetheless.

"great. I'll help you set up the times and classes. i think it would be best if we kept the military and everyone else in separate classes that way the ones who need it most can advance more quickly. then after you see what they are good at we can further separate the classes based on skill level."

Alisha and John spent the next day setting times and dates. Wolsey announced to everyone attendance was necessary.

"this teaching is not so different from what i did before. i helped with the ones that had been persuaded already and taught them the fighting." she told John a few minutes before her first class.

she wore a tank top and loose pants. her hair was woven into a bun again. her icy blue eyes danced as she prepared to help with the war in her own way. John had been assigned to the first class. he noticed that a certain young marine watched the lesson with more intensity that the others. though he wasn't so sure the focus was completely towards the lesson.

Alisha returned from her weekly run with John tired. this morning they had pushed themselves further running through lunch as their friendly run had become a friendly race that ad turned to all out war. they both panted as they made their way to the now empty cafeteria.

"i was told they didn't have a guard tailing you any more." John said noticing the young man waiting for there return.

"I promised to have lunch with him today." Alisha answered "and you were the one assigning guards."

"Oh ya." he grinned.

"well. don't forget you have a session tonight after you are through with the debriefing." she called and walked over to the table were the young man had a covered dish waiting for her.

Ronan was sparring with Alisha again. after every class the two of them attended Alisha and Ronan would have a match. they each won about half. Teyla and John walked alone back to their rooms.

"Have you noticed the way Miller pays attention to the young lady?" Teyla asked her eyes dancing.

"It's been going on for weeks." he nodded.

"Nothing. just lunches and conversation." Teyla said defending them.

"I know. it's sweet." John said.

"did she ever tell you she was married?" Teyla asked in a quiet voice.

"No." John stopped cold.

"love at first sight."

"was he culled."

"the wraith kept them both alive for years. he was sick. it was with his life they bought her servitude."

"Fed on?"

"no. his death was with a blade. they made her watch. it is only now she has lifted the fog they placed in her head and that is why she hates them so much. she hates them for his memory."

"If she is ready for this let it happen." Teyla said then turned and walked away.

"Did i say i had a problem with it?" John mumbled as he opened the door. he was quickly asleep.

"Michael" Alisha smiled as she turned a corner and nearly ran him down.

"Hi." hi smiled warmly back.

"what's happening?"

"I came to say goodbye. i got called back to earth for an evaluation." he said.

"How long will you be gone?" she asked her voice sad.

"If i get to come back it should be within the week."

"If?"

"if." he pulled her into a hug.

"goodbye."

~~
"What's up with Alisha she seems withdrawn?" Teyla asked John.

"Michael got called back to Earth for an evaluation on my command." John stated calmly. he was surprised when Teyla hit him.

"John. he isn't getting reassigned is he?"

"Yes he is." John answered again.

"John." her tone told him he had better explain.

"he is going to be a team leader. promoted actually. i have been noticing him recently he seems good when he helps out in her classes. natural leader. now don't hit me again that hurts."

"sorry. Should we tell her?"

"let's let it be a surprise."

Alisha was walking by the gate room when it activated. Michael was the first one through the gate. she stood back in the shadows watching him. she wasn't sure what to think. she had lost someone she had loved. but that had been ages ago. did she get a second chance? he grinned and joked with another marine. someone she didn't recognize. he must be new. he shouldered his pack and walked out of the room. she went back to her rooms and sat on her balcony staring at the sun setting. she missed her class and sat all evening. late she wondered in and slept.

Teyla's knock startled her into wakefulness.

"sleeping in." she yelled through the door and went back to sleep.