Revelations and Expectations

by Kariesue

Will things go awry when secrets are revealed? And will Sheppard pay the price?

12. Chapter 12

.

.

"How long do I have to stay for this thing?" John whined as they took the elevator up to Dave's office suite.

Dave looked apologetically down at John, "It'll probably last for a few hours but I promise I'll have you back for your afternoon PT."

John still didn't look thrilled so Dave added, "I'll get you extra PT over the weekend if you really want it. But you've been pushing yourself awfully hard, John. You really need to give your body a rest occasionally."

John gave a slight nod as he rolled down the hall next to Dave. He knew his brother was right. He'd been obsessed with getting back on his feet ever since Teyla and T.J. left and that was more than a month ago. But, damn it, he was still in this freakin' wheelchair, at least in public.

He'd managed to get his legs actually holding his weight. The challenge now was moving them forward while they were holding him up. He could do it with a walker but he was still incredibly slow and very reliant on the walker. So when he was going someplace, like today, he took the wheelchair. The walker was saved for rehab and home where it didn't matter if he looked pathetic.

They approached Dave's outer office and Mrs. Tucker smiled a greeting at both Sheppard men.

"Is everything ready for the stockholder's meeting, Mrs. Tucker?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Sheppard. The coffee should be finished brewing just about now."

Dave moved to his office and John stopped him before he entered. "Are you sure you really need me here? Most of these people are used to dealing with only one Sheppard. I'm really just surplus."

"Yes, John, I really need you here. You are, after all, the second largest stockholder in the company."

"I told you we could fix that, right?"

"I'm not taking or even buying your shares," Dave argued. "Besides you're the one who recommended against buying out MP Systems until we got a better look at their books. I can tell you there'll be some people at this meeting today that will fight that decision. I need you there to explain the reasons behind the wait."

"It's just numbers, Dave," John reasoned.

"I know," Dave agreed. "That's why I need you here today. You're the only person I know who can look at a spreadsheet and see if things balance in a matter of minutes. It would take my accountants hours and hours to do what you do in no time. And if someone decides to throw some new information at us today, I want you there to look closely at it."

"Fine," John sighed. "Do you have a copy of those reports I can look at? I'll get myself settled in the conference room and go over them again before the meeting starts."

"There are copies in the conference room on the back table, Colonel," Mrs. Tucker provided and John smiled his thanks.

He rolled down the hall toward the conference room and couldn't help but pause outside Ian's area. He didn't say anything, he never did, just stared at the guy for a few moments, his eyes narrowed and a half smirk appeared on his face. He'd done it the last few times he was here and he thought he was really starting to freak the guy out. He didn't care, though, not after what he'd said to Teyla.

John settled himself at the opposite end of the table from where Dave would sit and on the side furthest from the door. This way he could check out everyone as they came in.

He tried to push the wheelchair as far away from the table as possible but didn't get too far until Mrs. Tucker came in and moved it to the corner for him. She handed him a few more binders and said, "Your brother was hoping you might have time to look over these proposals as well before the meeting starts."

John just groaned and said, "Sure."

A cup of strong, black coffee and a pastry was placed in front of him and he looked up and said, "You're spoiling me, Mrs. Tucker. I could get used to this, you know."

Mrs. Tucker smiled. "Your brother mentioned a few times over the last couple months how much he'd love it if you came to work here with him. I know you'd be a fabulous asset."

John just shook his head and gave a small chuckle. Dave had finagled John into actually doing some work for him lately. He was sneaky about it, though. A few times he'd picked him up from rehab around 3:30 and told him he needed to stop back at the office for something. John would end up in Dave's office thumbing through some conveniently placed folders or other business reports. Then Dave would ask what he thought. It had all been very casual at first.

Then Dave had started showing John stuff at home and asking his opinion. John knew nothing about business but he knew about numbers. And the numbers either worked, or they didn't.

He hadn't really wanted to get so involved but Dave had been so good to him, taking him in, paying for the extensive therapies and rehab he was going through. He figured the least he could do was look through a few proposals and business reports.

John just smiled up at Mrs. Tucker. Let them think what they wanted. When these legs were better he'd be back on Atlantis and it couldn't be too soon.

John spent the next hour looking at the reports in front of him then the stockholders started coming in. The first one he recognized right away and smiled when the older gentleman approached him.

"John! Dave said you'd be here. It's great to see you!"

"Hey, Uncle George," John shook the man's hand. "How've you been?"

This was his mother's brother and John hadn't seen the man since his marriage to Nancy. It was too bad; he'd always liked the guy.

His uncle sat next to him and said, "Dave told me you'd been seriously injured on the job. You okay now?"

"Getting there," John answered. He looked toward the wheelchair in the corner. "We got the top half working all right. Now we just have to get the bottom half moving."

They chatted a bit more as Uncle George filled him in on his Aunt Mary and what his two cousins were up to. During this time the room started to fill up. Most people were in business suits and John felt slightly underdressed in his well worn button down and khaki pants. At least the sneakers were hidden under the table.

He grinned as he watched Dave standing right outside the doorway greeting people as they came in. He was a natural at this sort of thing. John never could get over his own social awkwardness enough to ever do anything like that.

The meeting was due to start any minute when John noticed Dave greeting a woman with long, dark hair. Nancy.

She moved into the room and took a seat fairly close to Dave's end of the table but on the same side as John. John didn't think she'd even noticed he was here and there were at least ten people between them on their side of the table.

He then remembered that Dave had said Dad had left her a few shares as well. They probably came with a note that said, Sorry my son was such a rotten husband but here are a few shares of the company for the inconvenience and the trouble he caused you.

Dave started the meeting shortly after that and John was bored stiff within ten minutes. It was for this reason exactly that John hadn't wanted to join the family business. Give him wide open skies any day, or a military strategy. Though to be truthful he did more than his share of administration and paperwork as Military CO of Atlantis. Well, the stuff he couldn't pawn off on Lorne, that is.

After what seemed like hours, the topic of buying out MP Systems came up and many excited voiced hummed about the prospect of it. That is, until Dave announced he wanted to wait until they could get a more in-depth look at their books.

Quite a few people were surprised at this and one, small, balding man asked loudly, "And what is your reasoning behind this decision?"

Dave's eyes met John's down the long table and John gave a sigh before he said, "The numbers just aren't right. Not for a company that size with the amount of employees they have and the amount of business they say they do."

When John started to speak, he saw Nancy's head peek out past the others seated next to her and look down the table. Her eyes widened in surprise and John gave her a lopsided grin before he looked back at the bald man speaking again.

"No offense, son, but who are you and why do you think the opinion of someone with only a few shares is going to sway anyone at this meeting?"

John stayed quiet. He had no idea who this guy was but he was guessing he held more than a few shares in the company. He also figured Dave knew best how to handle him. Dave was, after all, the one who'd wanted him at this meeting.

Sure enough, Dave leaned forward and apologized, "I'm sorry. We never did any introductions since most people here know each other. And Frank, I know I've said it before, but I value the opinion of all stockholders regardless if they have one share or thirty."

He pointed down the table and introduced, "And speaking of someone with thirty percent of the shares, this is our second largest stockholder, Colonel John Sheppard, my brother."

John felt a little satisfaction when the bald man, Frank, sat back and closed the mouth that looked like it had been poised to complain again.

John took the opportunity to explain his thoughts on MP Systems and why a closer look at the books would show whether the proposal was a good one or not. He spent some time pointing out inconsistencies and talking about how they might be easily explained away but they could also mean some serious trouble.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't go ahead. I'm just saying we should proceed with caution and get more information first."

When the vote went around the table, all, even a reluctant Frank, had to agree that a little caution wasn't a bad thing.

The discussion moved to other things as did John's mind. He wondered what Rodney was working on and how Armstrong was dealing with the little tantrums he knew Rodney had a habit of throwing almost daily.

He wondered if Ronon had found someone else to run with in the mornings and if he and Amelia were still hanging out. He wondered who was brining T.J. to and from childcare every day and if anyone was reading him bedtime stories like he used to. Was he talking more, running around more steadily, did T.J. miss him at all?

And he wondered how Teyla was handling the boy on her own, especially with all the greater responsibility Woolsey had given her in regards to the Planetary Coalition. And now that she'd been apart from Kanaan for a few months were there any other men who were making their moves on her? He knew she was well liked and respected for her many abilities. But he wasn't naïve enough to think there weren't a ton of guys on base who wouldn't like to be a bit more than friends.

He'd tried to convey to her the depths of his feelings before she left but due to his deficit in the whole emotional communication area, he'd never actually said anything to her. Would she understand he wanted a relationship with her once he returned or would she gravitate toward someone who was right there for her, in the present?

The thought that someone else could walk right in and take the place that he was hoping to occupy, scared the crap out of him. It made him want to be at rehab working on getting his legs better, not here in this boring meeting.

He looked around and realized people were starting to get up from the table and move toward the door. He could see Dave, ever the gracious host, directing them to another room where they'd set up a luncheon for the stockholders.

A few people came over and shook his hand, introduced themselves and commented on what a great guy his father had been. They were thrilled to finally meet him. John just smiled and thanked them knowing he'd never remember any of their names if he ran into them again.

Dave was still outside the door, occupied with Frank, so John figured he might be a while. He looked at where all the chairs were placed and wondered if he could move a few to lean on so he could get to his wheelchair.

He had just pushed his chair back a bit when he heard a soft voice utter, "John."

He looked up to see that Nancy was the only one left in the large conference room.

"Nancy." John nodded at her, the old awkward feelings returning immediately.

"I was surprised to see you here today. Taking a little break from your cloak and dagger routine?" Nancy asked.

"Something like that," John avoided. "You came all this way just to attend this thrilling meeting?"

Nancy gave a coy smile and said, "Actually I had a few questions I was going to ask David. But since you're here, I can just ask you."

John looked curious as Nancy pulled out a newspaper clipping from her purse. John could see right away it was the pictures from the egg hunt.

"A friend of mine sent me this, thought I'd be interested." She put the clipping on the table in front of John.

John's eyes feasted on the pictures and he reached out to touch his finger to the close up of T.J.

"I didn't realize you had gotten remarried and had a son. You never mentioned it when you were home for your father's funeral."

A sad smile came to John's face when he thought of that time. "Teyla was still pregnant. She hadn't had T.J. yet."

"Torren John it says," Nancy pointed out. "So he's named after you."

John nodded. "Me and Teyla's father."

"Well he's adorable. Congratulations!" She turned away slightly. "You could have told me, John. I'd be okay with it. I have Grant; you should have someone, too."

"Thanks Nancy," John replied feeling guilty about the misrepresentation of facts so he cleared his throat and said, "Actually, Teyla and I aren't married." He felt that was enough of a revelation, explaining about T.J. would be too complex.

Nancy's eyebrows rose at his statement, so he explained, "Where I'm stationed, things are a little … different than here. Teyla and her people have been through a lot of hardships so sometimes what we think of as typical everyday actions, they can't even fathom. Relationships can be a little more … complicated. We're all just trying to get through each day alive."

"And this Teyla, she's from there, and she knows all about what you do?" Nancy questioned.

John chuckled, "She's a member of my team. She's seen me at my best and my worst and everywhere in between."

"How long have you known her?"

"She was one of the first people we met when we got there … six years ago."

"So where are they now?" Nancy asked pointing to the picture. "This was over a month ago."

"They're back home, on base. They were only here for a very short visit."

"But you're still here," Nancy observed. "Why?"

John grimaced and said, "You know that something Big and Dangerous you said I was into, well … it came back to bite me in the ass."

Nancy looked very confused so John figured it was time to let her in on his not so little secret. He pointed to the corner of the room and said, "Do you mind bringing that over?"

Nancy got up and followed his finger and her head flipped back quickly and her eyes filled with concern. She brought the chair closer to John as he heaved himself up, holding onto the table and the back of the chair for support. His face strained with concentration as he managed a step and a half before landing in the wheelchair.

He looked back up at Nancy whose eyes reflected the pain she saw in John's. "I can't walk, Nance."

He sucked in a huge breath then added optimistically, "Not yet, anyway. But I will. It may take a while but I will get there."

Nancy sat down in a chair next to John and took his hand. "I'm so sorry, John. When did this happen?"

"About four months ago. Dave set me up to do rehab at Meadowgreen. I've been here since then."

Nancy's eyes were filled with compassion as they looked at John then to the table where the pictures sat. "How much of that time have you seen them?"

John nodded his head at the picture and replied, "Four days at Easter."

"That's it? How's he handling it, your little boy?"

John reached out to touch the picture again and the image blurred until he blinked a few times. He swallowed hard and answered, "Not great. He keeps asking me to come home when they send video messages. But Teyla's the one who has to deal with him when he gets upset about it. I really hate that I'm not there to help her. And that I'm missing so much of his life."

"We never really talked about kids when we were together. What's it like?"

Nancy could tell just from the smile that spread across his face what his answer would be. "Absolutely amazing. From the time you hold them at only a few minutes old to when they tell you they're old enough to brush their own teeth."

A grin came on his face at an obvious memory. "Take my word for it, a two year old does not do an efficient job of brushing his own teeth."

Nancy smiled back. "I hope things work out for you, John. I do. I should … uh … probably head out," and she stood up.

"You aren't staying for the luncheon?" Dave asked as he walked back into the room.

"No, I have some friends to see and a few errands to run around here today and I'll fly back tomorrow."

"It was great seeing you again, Nancy," Dave said and Nancy returned, "It was nice seeing you, too, David. Take care of him, huh?" She nodded toward John. She asked directions to the nearest ladies' room to freshen up then smiled goodbye.

John looked up at Dave and complained, "Am I done here for the day?"

"You sound like you're ten and sitting through one of Dad's lectures."

John looked thoughtful and agreed, "You know, today was almost that painful."

Dave just shook his head and walked out of the room ahead of John. He asked Ian to have one of the drivers pick John up around front in ten minutes.

"You don't mind if I send you with a driver, do you? I still need to coddle some of these stockholders."

"As long as I don't need to coddle anything, I'm fine. Although … I wouldn't mind coddling a turkey sandwich on my way back to rehab."

They stopped off at the luncheon and wrapped up a sandwich to go. As they headed out, Dave commented on the good work John had done for him.

"You know there's always a place for you here if you want it. You have an amazing gift, John. Dad always thought so."

John just laughed. "I don't really see myself here on a daily basis."

"You know, here at least, I don't have to worry about you getting injured or beat up on a daily basis."

John just laughed again as they approached the curb in front of the building. Dave looked around wondering why the car wasn't waiting.

"You don't have to wait with me," John chided. "I'm a big boy now."

Before Dave had a chance to answer, a white paneled van pulled up quickly in front of them. Dave was about to tell them deliveries were out back when the door slid open and two men in ski masks rushed toward John. John attempted to roll back but didn't get too far as the men grabbed him under the arms and attempted to lift.

Dave, recovering from his surprise, pushed the man closest to him away from John. The guy was ready though and swung a fist connecting with Dave's mouth that sent him staggering to one knee on the pavement.

John took the opportunity to throw a fist in the direction of his assailant's face. The man staggered momentarily and John tried rolling away but a heavy fist to the side of his head from the other direction knocked him out of his chair, scraping him on the concrete.

The man he'd hit, grabbed him from behind so John planted an elbow in his mid-section then swung back to land his fist again on the side of the man's face. A few seconds later he was rewarded with a kick to the kidneys. John collapsed onto his side and bit back the groan that tried to escape from his mouth.

He looked toward Dave to see if he had managed to get away. What he saw froze his blood. The other assailant was holding a gun to his brother's head.

"Don't!" John roared, petrified he'd see Dave's life taken right before his eyes.

"Stop fighting us or I pull the trigger," Gunman threatened. "And you," he waved the gun closer to Dave, "Two million dollars or you don't see your brother again in one piece. We'll be in contact later in the day."

John's attacker gave him one last kick then roughly grabbed him and dragged him the few feet to the van.

As John was being tossed in the open door, he yelled, "Get Carter!" which earned him a backhand to the face.

John hoped the gunman would just jump in the van and leave Dave alone but no such luck. He smacked his gun against Dave's temple and then jumped in, leaving Dave leaning against the concrete stunned.

As the van door closed, John could see several people rushing down the walkway yelling. He felt the van pull away and felt this might be his only chance. He slumped on the cold, metal floor and when Gunman moved closer to him he landed a punch right between the eyes that threw the man toward the back of the van.

John then swung toward 'Kicker' and got him twice, once in the gut and once in the face. He then lunged toward the handle on the van door trying to get it open. It had just started to unlatch when John felt a heavy weight push him to the side.

He hit his head on something, he wasn't sure what, but by the time it had started to clear he felt himself shoved hard, face down, onto the metal floor of the van. And what felt like a knee was in the dead center of his back. His two friends were cursing back and forth about their injuries as his hands were tied together behind him.

"What is it you want," John demanded. "Where are we going?"

"No place you need to know about," Kicker insisted and John's reward for that question was a blindfold tied around his eyes.

"Are we playing Pin-the-tail-on-the-Donkey? Cause I gotta tell you I'm pretty good at that game. Or maybe a piñata? I'm excellent at hitting things," he chuckled, "although you two may have already figured that one out."

"Shut up!" One of them said and gave John a small shove.

"Well the least you could've done was bring my sandwich. You didn't actually take it with you, did you? Cause I'm pretty hungry right now. And I really need something to eat because I have a very important appointment this afternoon. So, whatever you guys are planning, I hope it doesn't take all day."

"Shut up!" the voice boomed again and this time it came with a jolt to the side of the head that John wasn't expecting since his eyes were covered. Before his ears even stopped ringing he felt some fabric shoved in his mouth and pulled tight then felt it tied around the back of his head.

"That should keep you from talking," the voice declared triumphantly as he pushed John down again.

John was now lying on his side, blindfolded, gagged and trussed up like a damn Thanksgiving turkey. He tried to loosen the bindings on his hands but they were pretty tight. Aw crap! And I thought this morning's meeting would be the worst part of my day.

.

.

xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo

.

"David!" Julia cried as she rushed into his office and saw him sitting on the couch with an ice pack alternating between his split lip and the right side of his forehead.

"Are you all right?" She slid onto the seat next to him and wrapped her arms around him.

His arms did the same and pulled her in close as he faltered, "They took … they took John. And I couldn't do anything about it," he added disgustedly.

She touched his forehead where it was cut and contradicted, "It looks like you did do something about it."

Her hand moved to caress the bleeding lip and she sobbed, "You could have been killed!"

"They said they would kill John unless I give them two million dollars," Dave choked out.

Julia sat back and questioned, "Can you even get that much together? When did they say they want it by?"

"They said they'd contact me later today and that was almost two hours ago," Dave told her. "I've had my accountants working on putting the funds together."

A tall, blond man came over and informed them, "Your office phone is all set. If you can keep them on the line for a while we can try and pinpoint their location."

"Thank you, Detective Jenkins," Dave said softly.

Julia looked around the room and finally noticed there were three men, probably police, in the room talking to each other. It sounded like they were comparing witness testimony and one was replaying some video on David's TV.

She then realized there was a woman with long dark hair staring out the window, ringing her hands. Julia stood up and moved toward her, looking at Dave for information.

Dave stood up also and said, "Nancy," the woman turned around and Julia could see deep sorrow in her eyes. "This is my fiancée, Julia. I'm not sure if you've met before. Honey, this is Nancy, John's ex-wife. She happened to be here for the stockholder's meeting today. She was just coming out of the building when it happened so she saw most of it."

The two women shook hands and nodded at each other, both unsure what to say in this situation.

Dave began to pace past his desk and back. "I wish they would just call. I need to know if John's all right."

"Well surely they wouldn't hurt him if they want to get the money, would they?" Julia sounded panicky and Dave pulled her back into his arms.

"I don't know if they originally planned on hurting anyone but John was putting up one hell of a fight so they started retaliating. Who knows what they did to him in the van. Knowing John, I don't imagine he quietly settled down for them."

Julia now saw that the video on the TV was security footage of the kidnapping from a camera close to the building. She saw the van pull up, the two men jump out and the subsequent struggle. She noticed that John stopped fighting back the second he saw the gun at David's head. Apparently David wasn't the only one worried about his brother.

She also started pacing back and forth and ended up in front of the credenza next to the couch. She looked down at the cluster of pictures on it. She'd put most of them there as Dave couldn't be bothered. There were a few of David and herself, one of him and his Dad, John's last promotion, the picture of John and David in San Francisco playing football and the newest one she'd put there only a month ago.

It was the frame she'd loved so much from when John, Teyla and Torren had been rolling the ball around outside. She picked it up and smiled at how happy they had been at that time, then her smile slipped as she realized the danger John was now in.

She felt a presence next to her and looked up to see Nancy staring at the picture, too.

"They look incredibly happy," Nancy commented.

Julia nodded and said, "They were. They had so much fun that day."

Dave looked curiously at Nancy and asked, "So you know about Teyla and T.J.?"

"Yes, John was telling me about them when we were talking earlier," Nancy explained. "I'm glad he found someone. The boy is adorable but I think John is really missing him."

"Definitely missing him," Dave agreed and smiled at his former sister-in-law. "John is the most incredible Dad. I never would have imagined it if I hadn't see it with my own eyes. But I've seen it quite a few times now and it never ceases to amaze me how natural he is with T.J."

They grew quiet for a few minutes and Dave moved to his desk trying to find something to occupy his mind. He tapped a few keys on his computer and scrolled through his e-mails. When he came to some of the older ones that he'd saved, he called out to Nancy, "I've got a recording that John sent with T.J. in it, if you want to see it."

As Nancy moved so she could see the monitor, Dave continued, "He sent this just a day or two before the accident happened." He pressed the keys to start the recording.

They watched as John came on then picked up a toddling Torren. The child quickly fell asleep in his arms and Dave could see Nancy's eyes misting over when John kissed the top of the boy's head.

He'd always felt bad about Nancy and John's break up because he truly felt they had loved each other. But unfortunately neither one was willing to change for the other and they couldn't pretend to be something they weren't any longer.

Now Nancy was remarried and seemed happy with Grant and John hopefully had a future with Teyla. If he survived the next day that is.

"Thanks for showing me that, David," Nancy said. "You're right; John's a natural as a father."

David just nodded and played with the keys on his computer to keep himself busy. Julia came up behind him and after a few minutes pointed at the screen and asked, "Is that e-mail from Teyla?"

"Yeah," Dave answered. "I didn't show you? She sent it a few weeks ago. Do you want to see it?"

Julia nodded and Dave clicked the key. Teyla came on the screen and Dave noticed Nancy moved a bit closer so she could check out the woman who had been able to keep John Sheppard interested for six years.

The message started and Teyla's pretty face came on and said, "Hello David. I hope you and Julia are well. I wish to express my gratitude for allowing Torren and I to come visit and stay in your lovely home. And for showing us so many wondrous sights in your area. Torren continues to ask to watch … Barney and he wishes to eat … Froot Loops while doing it." Teyla grinned at this.

"I am afraid John introduced many bad habits in the short time we were with him. Of course Torren desires to do all these things with John. He has been inconsolable at times and it has been quite painful to watch him as he continues to wonder why John has not come home. Please do not inform John of this matter. I know that he would be heartbroken to know that Torren is unhappy."

"I ask that you please take care of John. It is so difficult for him to be unable to move or be active. He will need your love and support to get him through it, especially since we are unable to be there. Let him know that we miss him tremendously and are waiting anxiously for the day he can walk back through our door."

"I did mention to Mr. Woolsey about the wedding and he seemed to think arrangements could be made for Torren and I to attend. I hope that is the case and look forward to seeing you then. Please take care of yourself as well and give my love to Julia." Teyla bowed her head and the recording shut off.

"She's lovely," Nancy commented when Dave logged off his e-mail. Dave pushed back from his desk and started pacing again wondering when the hell those bastards were going to call and what they were doing with John at the moment.

.

.

xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo

.

John pulled at the bindings on his hands for what felt like the hundredth time. They seemed slightly looser but not enough to get them off. If he could only see what was around him, there might be something he could use. But the kidnappers had left the blindfold and the gag on him when they'd tossed him unceremoniously onto what felt like a mattress. Not a very comfortable mattress but at least it wasn't cold, hard concrete or dirt.

They'd driven for quite a while and John had tried to keep track of what kind of turns they'd made and approximate speed. Unfortunately the beating and couple of blows to the head caused him to be slightly disoriented at some points during the ride.

They'd dragged him out and complained the whole time about the fact that he couldn't walk on his own. He wanted to laugh and tell them that's what they got for kidnapping a cripple, and not taking his wheelchair along.

But he couldn't say anything because of the now soggy piece of cloth shoved in his mouth. He knew that if they held him right and walked slowly enough he could actually put weight on his legs and move forward. Slowly, but he could do it.

Maybe he should try and get the blindfold off first. For all he knew there were a dozen guys all standing around watching him struggle. He didn't think so since he couldn't hear any other sound in the room and he had listened intently when they'd first put him in here.

He wiggled his body until he felt the edge of the mattress then slid himself over the edge. He almost chuckled when he realized the mattress was lying flat on the floor. He started moving his head down the side of the mattress trying to scrape the blindfold off. It took a while but it finally worked.

He leaned back against the mattress and took stock of where he was. It looked like an office in a warehouse maybe. There were two high windows on one wall and a door on the opposite side. Beside the mattress on the floor were a metal kitchen chair and a tiny tray table. Underneath the windows there was an old fashioned radiator.

John rolled in the direction of the radiator figuring there might be something sharp to get the bindings off. Sure enough, he found some rusted metal that would probably do the trick. He positioned his body so his hands were close to the sharp metal and started moving them back and forth.

After a few minutes, and more scrapes against his wrists than he cared to count, the fabric that had been tied tight, started to rip. John used all the strength he could find to get the rest of the fabric off.

Once free, he untied the gag and then dared to look at his wrists. They were scratched and bloody but didn't look like there was any major damage.

He gave a huge sigh and wondered what he should do next. If he'd had full control of his legs, there wouldn't be any question. He'd get the hell out of Dodge. But his limited mobility gave him limited options.

He crawled over to the chair wondering if he could use it in a similar fashion to a walker. He first pulled himself up to sit in the chair then looked around the room again. He wondered if the door was locked because if it was that would add another whole level to this escape attempt.

He stood and rested his weight on the back of the chair. He got his legs steady and pushed the chair a few feet. He did this a few times and got close enough to the door to reach the handle. He'd just turned the handle, they'd left it unlocked, when he heard footsteps and talking in the hallway.

Okay, first escape attempt aborted but he knew he needed to utilize the fact that he was untied and they weren't expecting it. He pushed the chair to slide a ways from him and he sat next to the door waiting for it to open. He knew he would only have a few seconds before they realized he wasn't still bound.

The door opened and John saw two pair of legs come in the door and then stop. John took this opportunity to grab one leg of each man and pull. He pushed himself in their direction and somehow managed to get both of them on the ground.

He planted his fist into the face of the closest one then moved toward the other, doing the same. He kept his fists flying and thought he might be close to knocking both these guys out when a sharp pain radiated across the side of his head. He desperately grasped for consciousness to stay but blackness enveloped him and he fell forward.

"How the hell could a crippled man get the drop on you two tough guys?" demanded the third man who had come in a few moments after Kicker and Gunman. He threw the two by four he'd used to knock out Sheppard aside and reached down to grab Kicker by the back of the shirt and haul him to his feet.

"Get your friend up," he ordered disgusted then knelt down next to the unconscious man on the floor just to make sure that's all he was.

"How did he get untied and over here if he can't even walk?" the Boss yelled.

"I don't know," Gunman answered. "But this guy's not your typical soft businessman like we done before. Look at me and Marty, we got bruises and cuts all over.

Boss just looked at the two bruised men and ordered, "Get him into that chair while I set up the webcam. And make sure you tie his hands tighter this time. Why don't you tie each one to an arm of the chair? Hopefully there'll be less chance of him getting free that way."

Gunman and Marty hauled Sheppard up and deposited him in the metal chair taking note of the blood dripping down the side of his face from the two by four.

As Boss came in and set up the webcam on the TV tray, he observed, "You might want to put that blindfold back on him in case he starts coming to. It gets awfully messy if we actually have to kill 'em."

When John was secured and blindfolded, Marty grabbed the gag and retied it around his mouth. "Just so we don't have to listen to him and his bad jokes again."

Boss chuckled and said, "His brother's probably starting to hyperventilate. But since I need this guy conscious before I can contact the brother, I guess he'll just have to wait.

.

.

xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxox

.

Dave was way beyond worry and bordering on terrified. It had been almost four hours since they'd taken John and they hadn't heard a thing. God only knew what they could have done to him by now, especially since John wasn't one to sit placidly by in this kind of situation.

He'd just gotten word from downstairs that Samantha Carter had arrived and was on her way up. Dave breathed a sigh of relief when she walked in the door, hoping she had some miracle up her sleeve that would get John back in one piece. She was followed in by three men, all in civilian clothes.

"Sam!" Dave exclaimed. "Thank you so much for coming. I was hoping you could help."

Sam grabbed Dave's hand and shook it firmly. "You did the right thing calling me. And I brought a little help." She turned to the three men who had come in after her. "This is my team."

"Colonel Mitchell!" Dave called out and stepped forward to shake the man's hand.

Sam looked confused for a second until Dave explained, "I met him a few months ago when he came to visit John at the rehab center.

Sam nodded her head in understanding and continued, "This is Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c."

Dave shook their hands as well looking curiously at the large man wearing a baseball hat in front of him. "Just Teal'c? Can I take a guess that you're also not from … this … country, like Teyla and Ronon?"

Sam and her team chuckled as Teal'c answered, "You are correct in your assumption, David Sheppard."

Julia and Nancy had taken a keen interest in the newcomers so Dave introduced, "This is my fiancée, Julia."

Sam reminded him, "Yes, we met back when I told you about John's accident."

"Oh, that's right," Dave said and turned again, "This is Nancy, she's John's ex-wife. She was here today for the same reason John was, a stockholder's meeting. She happened to witness the abduction."

Nancy looked at the new crew that had walked in and asked, "Do you all know John?"

Cam stepped forward and said, "Sam and I are both Air Force like Sheppard. I'm a pilot as well so we've crossed paths quite a bit."

Jackson added, "We work for the same outfit as Colonel Sheppard, we're just not on an outpost quite as far as he usually is."

"Or as interesting, according to you," Mitchell snickered.

Jackson sighed, "You've got to admit it's an amazing place. I'm just waiting for Jack to tell me I can go."

Sam laughed. "Don't hold your breath, Daniel. He likes you here."

Dave saw Detective Jenkins put away his cell phone and come over to the group. He made introductions then said, "When they pulled John into the van, he yelled out to call Colonel Carter here."

"I'm glad you did, Dave. Detective Jenkins, I know this is your jurisdiction but Colonel Sheppard is a high ranking military official. We'll be taking over this investigation but we would love to have your assistance and any information you've gathered."

Detective Jenkins looked slightly put out but realized quickly he didn't have a whole lot of options. And sometimes the military had access to information that was almost impossible for him to get.

"I can tell you what we know so far," Jenkins began and pulled out a small notepad.

"The van that was used for the abduction was reported stolen several months ago. According to Mr. Sheppard, there were very few people who knew the Colonel would be here today and even fewer who knew they'd be standing out front at that particular time. His secretary, Mrs. Tucker, who's apparently worked for the company for over thirty years, was in a conference room at the time. But the most likely way for the information to be relayed to the kidnappers was through one of Mr. Sheppard's assistants, Ian Holden."

"It was requested that he contact the driver who was supposed to meet Colonel Sheppard out front for a ride. The driver says he never got the call. Mr. Holden has been questioned. He claims a young woman from the Data Entry department, a Melissa Stafford, was in his office at the time and made the call for him. He does admit that he didn't actually see what number she dialed."

"So where are these two people now?" Mitchell asked.

"Holden's in a room with a few of my people, sweating quite a bit actually. Makes him look really guilty."

"I think he's afraid he'll look really guilty because of the situation between him and John," Dave mentioned.

"What situation would that be?" Daniel questioned.

Dave looked uncomfortable but said, "At the company Easter egg hunt, Ian said a few inappropriate things to Teyla."

Sam frowned. "Yeah, that wouldn't fly too well with John. He has a tendency to be a little overprotective when it comes to her."

"Was there a physical altercation between Colonel Sheppard and this man?" Teal'c spoke up.

"No," Dave replied. "John was surprisingly restrained."

"Of course he was," Jenkins scoffed. "The man's in a wheelchair."

He looked up at Mitchell's snort. "Yeah, like that'd stop him if he wanted to pummel the guy."

Jenkins looked surprised but Jackson brought the conversation back again. "Um, so this girl, Melissa … where is she? She's the one that actually made the phone call, right? Who's to say she wasn't calling the kidnappers to say Sheppard was on his way out."

"That's exactly what we think happened," Jenkins declared. "Unfortunately no one's been able to find her. And looking at her employment record, she's only been here a few weeks. We've been trying to dig around in her background but there's not a whole lot to find. It's possible she's not using her real name."

"I think I'll need to have a little conversation with my Human Resource Department," Dave muttered to himself.

Jenkins continued, "This guy Holden claims he had nothing to do with the abduction. He says he promised this woman help in climbing the corporate ladder in exchange for sexual favors."

"Apparently it's a habit with him," Dave sneered.

"Let me guess," Mitchell grinned, "he wanted to help Teyla climb the corporate ladder."

Dave sighed as he nodded his head.

"I'm surprised Teyla didn't beat the crap out of this guy," Sam admitted.

Nancy picked up the picture Dave had on his credenza and remarked, "You mean this Teyla? This tiny thing?"

"Oh, don't let size fool you," Jackson chuckled then Sam added, "I've seen Teyla take down a few Marines by herself, not to mention John. A pencil pusher wouldn't even make her sweat."

Sam turned back to Detective Jenkins. "Is there any other information you have for us?"

"I still have men working on a few leads and checking out possible enemies of Mr. Sheppard or PSI, in case it's not just a money thing."

Daniel cleared his throat. "It's very possible Colonel Sheppard was taken because of who he is and not because of how much his brother is worth. The ransom demand could be just to throw us off the trail."

"Who would want to kidnap a paralyzed Air Force Colonel?" Jenkins was puzzled thinking at that rank he probably sat at a desk, giving orders.

Mitchell smirked, "You'd be surprised at the number of people who'd love to get their hands on Sheppard for the information he knows or the … skills he possesses."

"Why don't you finish working the who and my team will concentrate on the where," Sam suggested to Jenkins.

The man's eyebrows rose as he asked, "How are you going to find where he is if we don't know who has him?"

Sam, Mitchell and Jackson all gave a smug little grin while Teal'c merely raised one eyebrow.

"We can track Colonel Sheppard's subcutaneous transponder," Sam provided.

"His sub …what?" Julia blurted out. She'd remained quiet throughout the whole exchange, not wanting to interfere in any way with getting John back but this last statement baffled her.

Jackson held up his hand with his thumb and forefinger close together, explaining, "It's a minute piece of technology implanted under the skin to be used as a tracking device."

"And Colonel Sheppard has one of these implanted because …?" Jenkins looked curious.

"We all do," Daniel stated matter of factly looking at his colleagues.

Mitchell took the explanation one step further. "In our line of work it's pretty essential. It's pulled our bacon out of the fire more times than I'd like to count."

"It's saved John's life more than a few times as well," Sam added. "The fact is we don't know exactly where he is right now since we're only getting data from one of our satellites in orbit. But we do know he's within a thirty mile radius of this building. By tomorrow morning we should have some other … equipment coming into orbit that will give us his exact location."

Dave cut in. "And can you tell if he's still alive with this equipment?"

Sam nodded, understanding Dave's fears. She sat down on his couch and set up a laptop he hadn't even realized she had, on the coffee table and punched a series of buttons. A map of the state came up. In their area was a red glowing dot.

"That's John. I programmed his transponder code into the computer. As you can see, it only gives us an approximate location."

"But how do you know he's actually still alive?" Dave challenged hoping she had a great answer.

Daniel gave the explanation. "The transponder is charged by the electrons in the human body, so if they stop, it stops."

Sam smiled. "And John's transponder is still transmitting a signal, so we know he's still alive."

Dave sat down and stared at the dot, willing it to continue to glow but more than a little fearful it would start to fade right before his eyes. And then what would he do? He couldn't lose his brother, not after finally reconnecting with him. Then he realized that they really had reconnected.

In the last four months they'd grown close again. The awkwardness and emotional distance that had separated them for so long had been washed away like the tide. But like the tide, it also brought back things that had seemed long lost. The closeness and camaraderie they'd had as young boys had been renewed with the passing of time.

Julia sat next to Dave resting her head on his shoulder, her own eyes intent on the screen.

Mitchell started asking Jenkins questions about the actual abduction and then the security tapes were played and rewound several times.

Sam noticed Nancy just standing near the window, behind Dave's desk, looking a little lost. She moved closer asking, "Are you all right?"

Nancy just smiled sadly and nodded. "I probably have no right to even be here but … I just don't feel right leaving until I know John is going to be okay."

Sam understood and commented, "John never talks much about his personal life. I hadn't realized he'd been married before. You had the PSI stock from then?"

Nancy shook her head. "John's Dad left it to me in his will. It's only a few shares. He was always very good to me. I think he believed I would be the one to change John, to keep him from flying off into the wild blue yonder in search of adventure and danger."

"Then he didn't know his son very well," Sam observed.

Nancy glanced at Sam shyly then said, "You sound like you know John fairly well."

"We've worked together on numerous occasions but I was stationed with him for a year. I was in charge of the base and he was my Military Commander."

"So you also must know Teyla," Nancy surmised.

"Very well," Sam smiled. "She's an amazing woman."

Nancy continued her subtle interrogation. "You said John was very protective of her."

"He'd do anything for her." Sam rolled her eyes. "One time we'd barely pulled him out of the rubble of a collapsed building when he flew off to rescue Teyla. He needed a blood transfusion and surgery but it didn't matter, John never put himself first."

"But you let him go on a mission severely injured?" Nancy accused.

Sam grinned. "You've been married to John so I don't need to tell you how stubborn he can be. He told me in no uncertain terms that he was flying the mission and he'd surrender for Court Martial when he was through."

Nancy closed her eyes in resignation at the thought of John giving up his career to save this woman's life. "So what happened?"

Sam just shrugged and replied, "Well, he came back with Teyla and the baby and they were all still alive."

"Yeah, so I heard Rodney delivered the baby," Daniel butted in. "I would have paid money to see that. Oh, not the baby part but Rodney having to deal with it. I bet it was priceless."

"Hey, McKay was proud of himself," Sam defended. "Even John said he did a great job."

Nancy's eyes narrowed. "How come John didn't deliver …?"

"John was barely standing at that point," Sam reminded her. "But I have to hand it to him, he got them all out and managed to fly back home with that baby in his arms."

"So, no Court Martial?" Nancy asked.

Sam answered, "I was called back to the States while John was still in surgery. I ended up with another assignment. But I wouldn't have anyway. I knew why he did it."

Nancy absorbed that information for a few moments then said, "You said Teyla could take down John in a fight. Do they do this often?"

Sam shook her head. "Teyla helps train the Marines in combat and she and John also spar almost daily. Well, until she got pregnant. Then he didn't want her doing anything. Believe me they had more than a few disagreements when John took her off active duty."

Nancy looked again at the picture of the beautiful, copper-skinned woman laughing next to John's blissful face, both of them with an arm around the tiny dark-haired child in their lap.

As much as she had loved John and she truly believed John had loved her, she knew now she was not what John Sheppard needed. He needed a woman strong enough, both physically and emotionally, to keep up with him. Someone who would allow, and even share, his sense of adventure and excitement. It sounded like Teyla was that woman. And had been for a while.

She looked around the room and saw that David was barely holding it together. His hands had been running through his hair so much it was standing up like John's.

When his cell phone rang on his desk, he almost jumped out of his skin. He ran toward the desk as Detective Jenkins commented, "You said they wouldn't have your cell phone number."

Dave picked up the phone and his eyes grew wide with fright as he looked at the caller i.d. He held the phone up again and said, "They're using John's phone."

Jenkins yelled for one of his men to try and get a trace on this line. He pointed at Dave and said, "Answer it."

Dave pressed the speaker phone button and cautiously said, "Hello."

"Mr. David Sheppard. I believe you were expecting to hear from me."

"Is John okay?" Dave blurted out; his brother's well being utmost in his mind.

"He's alive if that's what you mean. But he's been a rather naughty boy which is why it's taken a little longer to get in touch with you."

"What is it you want?" Dave demanded.

"I believe my colleague told you to start putting together two million dollars. Did you listen?"

"Yes, my accountants are working on it. But I don't have it all yet," Dave said nervously, wondering if this man would demand it all now or he'd kill John. Dave felt that control he liked to keep a tight grip on, slipping right out of his hands.

"I'm not unreasonable, Mr. Sheppard. That's why I'm giving you until tomorrow at noon. I'll provide more details at that time."

"Wait!" Dave yelled, thinking the man might hang up. "I'm not giving you anything until I have solid proof that my brother's still alive and unharmed."

The man chuckled. "Figured you might want something like that. I'm gonna hang up then text you a web address that will give you a live feed."

The phone went dead. Dave looked down at the silent phone as he heard Jenkins pulling the laptop around and swearing when on of his men said the conversation wasn't long enough to get a trace.

Dave's phone then beeped and he showed the text to the officer who connected the laptop to the TV screen. Everyone moved so they could see and the DVR was put on so they could analyze the recording for any clues to John's whereabouts.

The address was entered and a website popped up with an area to click to see the live feed. The officer clicked on it and a few gasps went up in the room.

The video showed John from the waist up, his hands tied to the arms of a chair, blindfolded and gagged. A bleeding wound on the side of his head was very apparent and Dave could feel his jaw and fists both clench automatically.

"As you can see he's alive," came the same voice through the computer and TV speakers. "Although I never really promised the unharmed part."

Everyone watched as John reacted to his captor speaking. His arms pulled against the bindings and his face, what you could see of it, tensed.

The captor reached gloved hands over and removed the gag from John's mouth.

"Okay, Mr. Sheppard, tell your brother that if he doesn't come up with two million by noon, you're a dead man."

John turned his head slightly in the direction of the voice and sneered, "Go to hell!"

The gloved hand showed up again, this time to impact the side of John's face. Julia grabbed Dave's arm as he drew in a deep breath and raggedly released it. They all watched as the cut that had been on John's lip split open wider and began to bleed again. John's breathing sped up for a moment and his tongue darted slightly out of his mouth to touch the injury.

The glove moved back to grab John's chin as his voice warned, "You know, Mr. Sheppard, this would be so much more enjoyable if you gave us a little cooperation."

One side of John's lip curled up and Dave knew what was coming wouldn't be good for his brother.

"Don't, John!" he whispered as John taunted, "Bite Me!"

This time his head flew back as the glove impacted and his mouth contorted in pain.

Julia had a death grip on Dave's arm and he actually had to remind himself to breath.

They could see John's jaw clench as he ordered, "Don't give this bastard a thing, Dave!"

The gloved hand shoved the gag back in John's mouth. "Like I said, your brother's being a naughty boy. You better hope his manners improve or there won't be much left by noon tomorrow."

The live feed ended and the room was quiet for a few seconds. Dave closed his eyes and his head sagged forward. Julia's arms moved around his waist and he pulled her in close and rested his head in the crook of her neck where he inhaled the scent of her hair. Worry and despair flooded through his body and he found himself leaning more heavily on her.

Why did John have to be so damned obstinate? He was going to get himself killed. Dave though back to a few months ago and the cuts on John's wrists and wondered if there wasn't still a small part of John that had a death wish.

"Well Detective Jenkins," Sam broke the silence." I think we can rule out any of the organizations or agencies that would be interested in John for who he is."

"Why do you say this?"

Sam explained, "They called him Mr. Sheppard. Anyone that we know of would be well aware that he's a Colonel in the Air Force."

"But you'll still help locate him, won't you?" a panicked Dave asked.

Cam jokingly shook his head and said, "Nah!"

Sam just smacked his arm and reassured Dave, "John's one of ours. We take care of our own."

Dave sighed in relief and looked up at Sam and Jenkins. "What do we do now?"

"My men will continue following the leads I mentioned before," Jenkins told him. "I suggest you go home, relax and try and get some rest tonight."

"Relax!" Dave choked out. "My brother's been kidnapped and is being used as a punching bag, so I'll just relax!"

Sam put her hand on Dave's shoulder. "He is right that you should get some rest. We'll have an exact location for John first thing in the morning. That's long before the noon deadline."

Dave cringed at the word 'deadline' and muttered, "If John doesn't get himself killed first with that fresh mouth of his."

He looked back at John's friends as a thought came to him. "Where are you all staying? You should come and stay at the house."

As Sam started to object, Dave insisted, "I have plenty of room for all of you and this way as soon as you get any information, we can leave."

Sam looked at the others and the shrugs and nods made her accept Dave's invitation.

"I should send an officer along just in case," Jenkins suggested.

Sam lifted the front of her jacket to show Jenkins her gun hidden underneath and said, "I think we'll be fine."

She and Jenkins exchanged cell numbers and promised to keep in touch if any more information came available.

Jenkins said, "We'll be taking Mr. Holden with us for more questioning and hold him until we can ascertain if he was willingly involved in all this."

Dave let out another huge sigh and thanked Jenkins for all his help, saying he'd see him in the morning. Julia moved behind him and started rubbing his sagging shoulders. She saw Nancy standing quietly looking at the pictures again and offered to put her up, too.

Nancy refused sweetly saying she'd already booked a room for the night but that she would stay in the area until she knew John was safe.

As Nancy left, Mrs. Tucker entered the room, her eyes showing concern. Dave answered her question before she could even ask. "Two million by noon tomorrow."

He gave yet another sigh and continued, "Let the accountants know they can reach me at home or on my cell. I'm heading there now. I don't want anyone else bothering me there unless it's with information about John."

"Absolutely, Mr. Sheppard," she agreed and was about to leave the room when she noticed John's face appear on the TV screen. "Is that from today?" she asked aghast.

Dave cleared his throat and Jackson paused the recording until Dave had sent Mrs. Tucker back out promising they'd have him back tomorrow morning. She didn't need to see what they'd done to John.

"Why don't we take that disc with us? "Dave suggested. "I've got a much bigger screen at home so we may be able to see more detail on that."

They all agreed and started out the door. He looked at this team of people who were here to help bring John home safely and hoped that they really had the ability to do it.

.

.

xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo

.

John settled down and waited quietly after Boss finished talking to what he assumed was Dave. His head was pounding and he was feeling slightly disoriented, probably something to do with the crack on the side of his head he'd received earlier. He figured he'd better cool it for now and see where all of this was going.

He hoped Dave had contacted Carter and she already had a plan in motion. Luckily these clowns had no idea who he really was and were only after money. Like two million was anything to sneeze at. But at least he was reassured that it wasn't the Trust or rogue NID agents.

The kidnappers knew nothing about his transponder so once they could get a lock on that he'd be all set. Unless, of course, there was no ship in orbit to transport him. He usually knew exactly where every ship was but he'd been a little out of the loop lately.

Not that they couldn't still locate him, it was just a bit harder and more time consuming, especially since the SGC didn't have technology quite as advanced as Atlantis. Maybe they'd send his team through in a Puddlejumper to scan for him. It would be great seeing Rodney, Ronon and Teyla again.

Too many what-if's, he had to focus on getting himself out. He figured they might be keeping an eye out for him so he decided to keep a low profile for a few hours and act like he was really hurt. Let them think the fight had gone out of him because of his injuries. As his head throbbed, he figured he wouldn't have to pretend too much.

.

.

xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo

.

Dave and Julia got everyone settled at the house and Julia busied herself making a meal for all. Dave knew she was just keeping herself occupied so she didn't have to think about what she saw the kidnappers doing to John. She wasn't used to dealing with stuff like this. Come to think of it, neither was he.

But Carter and Mitchell and the other two acted like it was just another day in the office. The fact that John had acted like this was just a nasty annoyance made him think it was not atypical for him either. And that thought really freaked him out.

He was pretty sure he wouldn't be quite so cool under pressure and he certainly would never have been brave enough to tell someone who'd been batting him around to 'Bite Me!'

He let out a breath that was half sigh, half chuckle. They'd been sitting in the den replaying the recording for a while and had just taken a break while Sam and her team discussed things he only half understood.

At his half chuckle, they looked up at him puzzled. "I was just wondering what the hell John was thinking when he told that guy to 'Bite me.'"

Sam chuckled also and said, "That's just John."

Mitchell smirked and declared, "That boy's got spunk! I like it!"

"Of course you do," Daniel commented dryly, "Because you would have done the same thing. Except you would have finished it off by spitting in the guy's face."

Cam seemed to think about that for a minute then replied exuberantly, "You're right. I would have!"

Sam noticed how tense Dave still was so she reassured him, "I think John will be okay. The fact that they had him blindfolded was a good thing. If they're planning on killing you anyway, they don't bother. Plus, I just got off the phone with Jenkins. The van that was used, apparently was used in a similar kidnapping a few months back."

"And how did that one end?" Dave asked nervously.

"Ransom was paid and the victim returned safe and sound. There's no reason to think this time won't end the same way."

"Except I bet that victim wasn't baiting the kidnapper with 'Go to hell!' and 'Bite me!'" Dave replied.

"Maybe not," Daniel agreed, "But the Daedelus will be in orbit tomorrow morning. We'll have him back in time for your morning coffee break."

"I hope so," Dave returned as Julia called them into the kitchen for food. He wondered if John had gotten anything to eat or drink since he'd been taken. The thought of John tied up, beaten and bruised with no food or water, making him unsure if he'd be able to eat anything at all.

.

.

xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxo

.

John had dozed off and on for quite a few hours, or as much as anyone could sleep tied in a chair, blindfolded and gagged. Or maybe he'd been unconscious, that was a definite possibility as well, considering the hammers that were attacking his brain at the moment.

He spent a few minutes just listening for any sound of activity and was finally reassured there was no one in his vicinity, at this moment anyway. He knew they'd been in and out before. He had heard them wondering if he was still alive, checking his pulse but also checking the bindings that secured his hands to the chair.

He moved his legs and knew they hadn't bothered tying those down figuring he couldn't move them. That was just an advantage for him. He pushed his feet and felt the chair slide back with a scraping sound. He stopped and waited for a few minutes to see if anyone would come to investigate.

When no one did, he continued pushing until the chair bumped against something. He shifted his body until he'd moved the chair so his side was against the wall. First thing, blindfold, and with enough scraping his head against the wall, it came off.

He looked around to assess the situation and realized he was only a short distance from the radiator that had been so helpful in freeing his hands earlier.

It was another twenty minutes before he'd gotten the chair close enough and at the right angle to cut through the rope at his hand. He quickly untied his other hand, removing the gag and undid the rope they'd tied around his torso when they realized he could just lean down and get his head close to his hands.

He checked his watch and saw that it was after midnight. Hopefully all the bad guys had gone to bed. Of course there was still the little problem of being unable to walk. He used the chair as a walker again and had only gotten it back as far as where the TV tray was when he heard voices in the hall.

Are you kidding me? John thought as he looked around trying to figure out what he could do. This is just not fair!

He decided to sit back in the chair a bit closer to the TV tray. He dropped his head against his chest like it had been and hoped they wouldn't notice his blindfold and gag were missing until they were close enough for him to do something.

When he felt someone near, he grabbed the tray and swung it toward them resulting in Marty lying on the floor, barely moving. He swung the tray back toward Gunman whose arm was out to try and grab John. The tray hit his arm and John could almost swear he heard something crack.

Gunman bent over to hold his arm but managed to grab the tray table as well, pulling John onto the floor. John tried to crawl over to the two by four that had been introduced to his head earlier but before he reached it he felt an arm clamp around his neck. Gunman yanked him back using his good arm to cut off John's air supply.

John jerked his elbow back into the man's injured appendage causing him to loosen his grip around John's neck momentarily. He tried to scramble away but got an elbow right in the eye causing him to land on his back.

Gunman jumped on top of him capturing and holding one of John's arms under his knee. John swung up at him with his free arm and bucked his body to try and throw the man off. But this guy was well over two hundred pounds and John's legs were nowhere near full strength.

John felt the fist connect with his face as the man yelled furiously, "I don't care about the two million dollars, I am going to kill you!" and his fist hit a few more times until John heard, "Enough!"

Boss was back and pointing a gun straight at John's head. "How is it some paralyzed businessman can take down two guys who outweigh you by at least fifty pounds each?"

He cocked the gun and tilted his head as if expecting John to answer. The man still sitting on his chest grabbed John around the throat and shook him a few times.

"What the …?" he exclaimed and grabbed hold of the dog tags that had bunched up around John's neck. "This guy's military!"

"Something our little friend forgot to tell us," Boss sneered. "Or maybe she didn't know."

He crouched down next to John, pointed to his legs and asked, "This a recent thing, huh? Line of duty, maybe?"

John just narrowed his eyes at the man and tried to get a breath but the two hundred plus pounds sitting on the ribs Marty had kicked earlier today was making it difficult.

"Don't feel like talking now?" Boss noticed. "You don't realize that by taking that blindfold off, you just signed your death warrant. You've seen my face, so now I have to kill you."

"Not if I get you first," John threatened barely above a whisper. "You might want to wait though, Dave will want proof I'm alive before he goes handing over two mil."

"You are right," Boss agreed. "So I need some way to keep you out of trouble until that time. And I think I have just the thing."

He handed the gun over to his friend who was still kneeling over John. "Shoot him if he does anything stupid."

Boss left the room and returned a few minutes later with a cup and his fist around something else. He set the tray table back up and deposited the cup and what looked like almost a dozen pills on top of it.

Gunman got off him as Boss ordered, "You're so good at getting around, get back up in that chair!"

John just lay breathing heavy on the floor. He'd be damned if he was gonna make it easy for these guys. Boss realized John's attitude to the order and grabbed him and plopped him in the chair.

"I thought you might need a little help sleeping the rest of the night," Boss said as he moved toward John with the water and pills.

"I'm sure I can sleep just fine without those. Thanks. That's a real comfortable mattress you've got over there."

Boss just chuckled as he stepped in front of John and grabbed his chin. Marty had started to get up slowly from the floor and approached them so Boss ordered, "Tie those hands behind his back and hold him down!"

The two men obeyed and when that was done Boss squeezed John's jaw and had his friend hold his nose until John was forced to open his mouth. John couldn't see how many of the pills the guy had put in his mouth but it was a lot more than one. He then poured some water in and told John he should probably swallow. Again they held his nose and clamped a hand over his mouth with him struggling as much as he could. He finally had to swallow or stop breathing.

Boss pulled John's mouth open and stuck a few fingers inside to make sure the pills were actually gone. John tried to bite him but got another cuff on the side of the head that prevented his teeth from staying attached too long.

Marty was still looking woozy and John figured it wouldn't be long before he'd start feeling the same way. They dragged him out of the chair and threw him on the mattress again, threading the rope that was around his hands through a ring on the wall that he hadn't noticed before. When they were done, John winced at the awkward position he was in, lying on his side, his arms behind him and pulled away a bit shackled to the wall.

They shoved the gag back in his mouth and tied it tighter, probably just for giggles since he was more than likely going to be out cold very soon. Sure enough as he saw Boss checking out Gunman's arm and Marty's head, the room started to spin and his eyelids grew heavy until he was engulfed in the darkness.

.

.

xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo

.

Dave had barely slept all night, the knot in his stomach getting bigger with each passing minute. He finally got up, dressed and headed downstairs around 5:30 and was astonished to find the SGC team already sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee.

"Did something happen?" Dave asked alarmed. "You should have woken me."

Sam shook her head with a reassuring smile. "Nothing yet. We did get confirmation though that the Daedelus will be here in less than two hours. Once it gets here we should be able to get an exact location on John."

"So then what do we do?" Dave prodded.

"We go in and get our boy out," Mitchell declared. "We'll contact Jenkins to cover the outside of the building and hand over the bad guys to him when we're done."

"We'll let you know when we've got John safely out," Sam added.

"I want to go with you," Dave stated calmly.

"That's probably not a good idea," Sam said. "We have no idea how many people will be guarding him."

"What if you did know how many and exactly where they were?" Dave ignored their confused looks, left the room and returned a few moments later holding the small Ancient device he'd taken from Atlantis.

"That's an LSD. How'd you get it?" Sam asked.

"I thought it was one of John's video games and packed it when we left Atlantis. He showed me what it was for."

"That'd be perfect," Daniel said, "only problem is you need a specific gene to work that and none of us have it."

Dave thought 'on' and turned it to show the others the glowing dots on the screen. "I do," Dave announced.

Daniel made a face like he should have figured that out. "Of course you do. Colonel Sheppard has the strongest gene we know of. It only stands to reason his brother would, too."

"I don't know," Sam wavered, "It could still be pretty dangerous."

"If we know how many and exactly where they are, I can just stay behind a short ways until you're able to subdue them," Dave reasoned. "I just want to be there to make sure John's all right."

Mitchell and Carter looked at each other and both did a kind of shrug and a nod.

"Okay," Mitchell agreed, "But you follow our orders exactly."

Dave agreed.

"Jenkins said he'll have his men and a medical team waiting nearby."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Would it not be more efficient for the Daedelus to simply transport Colonel Sheppard from his location up to the ship?"

"It would be more efficient," Sam explained. "But this isn't technically a military situation. The only reason we were allowed to interfere is because John is in the Air Force. But we can't arrest or prosecute these guys. We need the local police to do that. And I think they'd be a little suspicious if the victim just dematerialized into thin air. So, we need to do this as traditionally as possible."

"We're just not above using advanced alien technology to accomplish this … traditionally, of course," Daniel added.

Julia walked into the kitchen and Dave filled her in on what they'd discussed so far. She started pulling out pots and pans and said she'd put together something for breakfast for everyone, despite some protests.

Dave just waved them off and insisted, "She needs to keep occupied or this whole thing will drive her crazy. She's grown really close to John in the past four months and she's just as worried as I am."

Breakfast was finished and everyone was ready to move as soon as they got the word. Jenkins and his men were standing by as well.

Around 7:15 they got word that the Daedelus had arrived and were scanning for the signal from Sheppard's transponder. As they knew the general vicinity it only took moments to get an exact location. Jenkin's men were dispatched and Dave told Sam it would take about fifteen minutes to get to that location from here.

"Actually," Jackson interceded, "We've got a quicker way."

They all thanked Julia for the breakfast and said they'd contact her as soon as they had John. With a word from Mitchell, they disappeared in a beam of light. The next thing Dave knew he was standing on the bridge of what was obviously a spaceship, the Daedelus, he assumed.

He rotated slowly and took in the view out the huge window in front of him then continued around as he heard a voice greet them.

"Colonel Carter, Colonel Mitchell, Dr. Jackson, Teal'c."

Dave saw the man who had greeted them rise from his seat in the middle of the room and take a few steps towards them. He was an imposing figure but then many of the military brass that he'd met over the years had that same aura.

The man continued, "I thought Sheppard was recovering from his injury. What kind of trouble had he gotten himself into now?"

"This wasn't his fault," Dave defended his brother. But before he could say anything else, Sam introduced them.

"Colonel Steven Caldwell, David Sheppard, John's brother."

Caldwell just nodded at the man and asked, "Why is he here?"

Daniel lifted David's hand that was holding the Ancient device. "He's got an LSD and he's the only one with the gene to use it."

"The gene? He's a Sheppard; of course he's got the gene. How …?" Caldwell shook his head. "Never mind. I don't want to know how he got that."

He looked at the SGC team and asked, "You want to fill me in on the situation."

Sam and Mitchell took turns outlining the series of events and their plans.

"Jenkins and his men will be there soon so we should probably get going," Mitchell announced.

"Marks?" Caldwell addressed the man sitting at the console behind them. "You got a place you can put them down?"

"Yes, Sir," the Major answered. "There's an alley right next to the building."

"Okay," Caldwell responded, "We'll have our ears open so if you get into any trouble you can't handle, give us a yell."

"Thank you, Steven," Sam replied.

"Mr. Sheppard," Caldwell addressed David now. "Tell your brother to step up this rehab a bit if he can. Woolsey's blood pressure is getting dangerously high without John there to defuse some of the more volatile situations, especially the ones involving Dr. McKay."

Dave smiled when he realized the man was giving John a huge compliment. "He's pushing himself pretty hard already but I'll deliver the message."

The next thing Dave knew he had that tingly feeling and he found himself in an alley in between what looked like two warehouses. The team walked around the building and found Jenkins and his men approaching from the other direction.

"You're sure they're in there?" Jenkins asked as he got closer.

"Colonel Sheppard's signal is transmitting from inside this building," Mitchell explained. He looked at Dave and said, "How many we got inside?"

It took Dave a second to realize this was why he'd been brought along. He looked at the LSD and thought about the warehouse in front of him. He immediately saw a floor plan of the building and four red dots.

"Four altogether," Dave said and showed the others. "One here," he pointed to a room near the front, "two here and one in this back room."

Jenkins eyes grew wide as he realized what the device could do. "The police department sure could use something like that."

"Sorry," Sam apologized then quickly instructed, "Detective Jenkins, have your men cover all the exits in case one of them slips by us. We'll let you know as soon as Colonel Sheppard is safe and the kidnappers are subdued. Stay on your radio in case we need assistance."

She added this last part just to make the man feel useful. With the LSD and the Zats they could take these guys without incidence. Then Jenkins could take all the credit for apprehending the kidnappers.

"Be ready to send in a medical team when we say the word."

Everybody was dispatched to their positions and the team entered the building followed by Dave still holding the LSD. The first man was taken easily enough as he was lying in a cot in the front office. Mitchell's 9mm in his face stopped him from attempting anything stupid.

They quickly secured him and moved to the room where the two life signs were detected. Sam expected one to be John and the other a guard but both were kidnappers sitting at a card table drinking coffee and eating donuts. Again it took very little effort to get them restrained.

"This last one must be John," Sam said and they cautiously walked down the hall and opened the door to the room where the red dot was.

Dave sucked in a deep breath as he saw John across the room lying on a mattress with his hands tied to the wall behind him.

He rushed over and vaguely heard Carter say, "Jenkins, you can come in and get these guys. We got no resistance. And send in the med team, now!"

Dave sat down on the mattress and started pulling at the rope that was binding John to the wall. A knife appeared by his side as Mitchell said, "Here, this might be easier."

Dave quickly cut the bindings from the wall then freed John's hands and got rid of the gag.

"John! John!" Dave cried attempting to get a response. He ran his hands over John's bruised face and touched the swollen cut on the side of his head.

"Bastards!" he swore when he realized how much they'd done to his little brother. He looked up panicked at Sam who had knelt by the side of the mattress and had put her hand to John's neck.

"His pulse is kind of erratic," she said puzzled.

"Could be this," Jackson interrupted and held up a few pills he'd found next to a cup of water on the tray table. "They must have drugged him to keep him from attempting to escape."

The medical team walked in and Daniel gave them the pills to bring to the hospital for analysis. Dave stepped back as the EMT's checked John's vitals and hooked him up to an IV. He was so still and pale except for the bruises and cuts on his face.

Dave felt guilt assault him as he realized this was his fault. John hadn't wanted to go to the stockholder's meeting. Dave had guilted him into it.

Jenkins walked in holding Boss by the arm, his hands cuffed behind his back. Dave felt an eruption of anger so hot and intense it scared him for a second. He quickly reeled it in as he moved purposefully toward the man.

"What did you do to him?" he demanded as the control slipped and he found his fist connecting to the man's face causing him to fly backwards onto the floor.

Dave moved forward again and Boss cried out, "Hey, you can't let him do that to me."

Sam and Jenkins both looked away and echoed, "Do what? I didn't see anything."

Dave hauled the man up by his shirt and growled into his face, "What did you give him and how many?"

"Tranquilizers? I don't know, a few, maybe half a dozen. I didn't count. He kept trying to escape and assaulting us," he finished as if that was a good enough excuse for what he'd done.

Dave took in a few deep breaths trying to calm himself so he wouldn't wrap him hands around this man's throat and squeeze long and hard.

Jenkins dragged the man off and Dave turned around to focus on John. The medics were lifting him onto the gurney and preparing for transport.

"How is he?" Dave inquired anxiously.

"His breathing is very shallow and his responses are extremely sluggish. All signs of an overdose. We need to get him to the hospital as quick as we can."

They moved to the waiting ambulance outside and as Dave was about to get in, he saw the team that had rescued John and gave a heartfelt, "Thank you!"

Sam just nodded her head and said, "We'll stop by the hospital in a little while. Take care of him until we get there."

Dave climbed in the back and the vehicle took off down the road, the siren telling all to move out of the way. Dave grabbed for John's hand and held on tight. His anger came back again as he looked at the cuts and scrapes on his wrists. Some of the scars from a few months back were still quite visible and Dave noted the difference. This time John had damaged his wrists fighting 'for' his life not to end it.

He continued to hold John's hand and talk to him, encouraging him to hold on. The trip to the hospital was swift and John was rolled down the hall to an exam room. Dave gave him one last pep talk before they took him in.

"I'll be right here if you need me, John, okay? You're gonna be fine."

As he squeezed his brother's hand he noticed John twitch. His heart jumped thinking he was waking up but all of a sudden John's whole body started twitching and shaking.

Someone pushed Dave out of the way and yelled, "He's seizing!" and then John's gurney was pushed through the doors which closed once he was through.

Several more medical personnel poured past him and through the doors and Dave tried to take a step to go with them. A hand on his arm stopped him and a young nurse guided him away from the door and down a hallway to the registration desk.

Dave sat down numbly and automatically provided the information they needed about John. He was sent to the waiting room with the promise that a doctor would give him information as soon as they knew anything.

Some time went by, Dave wasn't sure how much, when he realized he hadn't called Julia yet. He pulled his cell phone out, dialed and told her where he was and that the doctor was looking at John now.

Twenty minutes later, Julia walked into the waiting room to find Dave exactly where he'd been since he came in; his eyes glued in the direction of the room John had been taken into. She slid onto the couch next to David and wrapped her arms around his middle. Only at this point did David even realize that she had arrived.

He turned toward her and pulled her into an embrace, trying to gather new strength from her. He knew his was slowly waning the longer he waited for news. After a minute of absorbing Julia's love and support, he filled her in on what had happened and the little he knew of John's condition.

"He started having a seizure right when they were talking him away." David's voice actually cracked a bit at this statement and Julia could tell his emotions were on the edge. She continued to hold him, saying very little, just providing the support he needed.

After what seemed like forever but probably wasn't more than an hour after Julia arrived, Dave heard his name being called. A woman about in her fifties, wearing a lab coat, approached him.

"Mr. Sheppard? I'm Dr. Norwood. I'm looking after your brother."

Dave shook her hand, introduced Julia and asked, "How's John?"

The doctor gave a tiny smile and said, "I think he's going to be okay."

At that Dave let out a breath and wondered how long he'd been holding it in.

Dr. Norwood continued, "You obviously saw the bruises and lacerations on his face and wrists. He has a slight concussion from a blow to the side of the head as well as a few bruised ribs, luckily nothing broken. The biggest concern were the drugs he was forced to ingest. The tox screen came back with very high levels of Phenobarbital. We attempted to pump his stomach but, at a guess, he hasn't had anything to eat or drink for close to twenty four hours. That also means there was nothing else to absorb the drugs except his body."

The doctor took a deep breath. "He did experience a mild seizure when he was first brought in which we surmise was caused by the drug overdose. We've got him on IV's for rehydration and some medicine to hopefully counteract the barbiturates. We also have him on oxygen as a precaution to respiratory distress and to help him along. He seems to be responding nicely so far."

Dave took a minute to absorb all the information then asked, "Is he awake yet? Can we see him?"

"With the amount of drugs in his system it could be a few hours before he wakes up. But yes, you may see him. It may actually help to bring him out of unconsciousness for someone to talk to him."

Dave thanked the doctor and got John's room number.

"We'll definitely be keeping him over night. But unless he has some adverse reactions to all of this, he should be able to go home tomorrow."

Dave and Julia followed the directions and arrived at John's room to find a nurse adjusting an IV and another one setting an oxygen mask on his face. As soon as the nurses were out of the way, Julia sat on the side of the bed, one hand holding John's, the other stroking his hair. She looked up at Dave who had settled himself in a chair on the other side of the bed and noticed his eyes were shimmering with moisture, just as hers were.

"Why did they have to do this to him? You would have paid the money!" Julia asked her eyes going back to John's bruised face.

"Because my brother couldn't just sit and be a good boy. He had to keep trying to escape."

Then Dave chuckled, "You should have seen two of them. John beat the crap out of them. One's got a broken arm, the other a broken nose and a concussion."

Julia tried to smile but the thought of John having to fight these guys for his very survival, just made her heart ache.

She leaned over and put her lips on John's forehead. She kissed him then whispered, "Come on sweetie, wake up and show us that you're okay."

Dr. Norwood came in every half hour to check on him and on the third visit declared he was breathing well enough to remove the oxygen mask. "He's just in a deep sleep now. I imagine he could wake up at any time. I'll keep checking on him but let someone at the desk know when he does wake up."

They thanked the doctor and went back to their vigil. A few minutes later Dave sat up straight and pulled out his cell phone. "I forgot to call Nancy but I don't have her number."

He called Mrs. Tucker, relayed John's condition to her and asked her to let Nancy know. Fifteen minutes later Nancy cautiously entered the room. "Is he conscious yet?" she asked nervously as she moved closer to the bed.

Julia reached her hand out to touch Nancy's arm and informed her, "He's just sleeping."

"They caught the men who did this to him?" Nancy questioned.

Dave nodded and said, "All locked up."

As they watched John again, he stirred slightly so Julia stroked his hair again saying, "You can wake up now, John. You're safe here with us."

John moved again, made a little noise and a serene smile came on his face. "Teyla," he whispered then grew still again.

Julia looked at Nancy's face wondering about the history between these two. Nancy seemed relieved that John would be okay but there was also a sadness in her eyes. Julia wondered if it was regret for the loss of their relationship or for John's new one or something else entirely.

Another small moan slipped out of John's mouth and his eyes fluttered open then closed again. Julia ruffled his hair gently. "Come on sleepyhead. Show us those gorgeous green eyes."

John obliged though it looked like a struggle to keep them open.

Dave reached for John's other hand and inquired, "How are you feeling?"

John sighed and his eyes closed again. He attempted to get them open and grunted, "Tired, headache. Bastard shoved some pills down my throat."

"We know. They were some sort of sedative or tranquilizer," Dave supplied. "You've been sleeping them off for the past few hours."

When John's eyes opened again a minute later he took in the people in the room. He squeezed Julia's hand and gave her a lopsided grin then looked at his ex-wife. "Nancy?"

"Hi, John," she said shyly, knowing she really had no right to even be here. "I just wanted to see for myself that you were all right before I went back to Washington."

The crooked grin appeared again and he replied, "I'm good, thanks."

Nancy's eyes grew troubled and she asked, "How does she do it?"

John looked confused, "Who?"

"Teyla. How does she deal with this life of danger you seem to crave."

John's smile grew bigger at the thought of Teyla. Then his face grew serious for a moment. "Teyla's people live with danger every day. It's nothing new for her. Since we've been there things have started to get a little better and they finally have a hope for a peaceful life."

Nancy nodded her understanding. "I'm glad she's strong enough to always be there for you and I'm glad you're there for her."

John's worried face made Julia add, "You're getting there John. You'll be back soon, you'll see."

Nancy leaned down and kissed John's cheek and said, "Be careful, John," and then she left.

John let out another sigh and looked at Dave. "So what happened? You didn't actually pay these clowns the money, did you?"

Dave explained about calling Sam and using the Daedelus, once it was finally here, to locate him. As he was finishing up the details there was a soft knock on the door and Carter, Mitchell, Jackson and Teal'c walked in.

John raised his hand and said, "I understand I've got you to thank for pulling my bacon out of the fire."

"Anytime, Sheppard," Mitchell declared. "Been a little boring at the SGC lately now that we've banished most of the bad guys from this galaxy."

John chuckled, "Well, you can head over to Pegasus. They're still working on their bad guys."

"We're all set, thanks," Jackson returned. "Cam just thinks that anything less than saving the world is boring." A few more chuckles rang through the room.

Sam addressed Dave. "I just finished talking to Jenkins. Apparently they picked up this Melissa person, although it wasn't her real name. She claims this Ian guy didn't know anything about the kidnapping. He was just a patsy she was milking for information."

"Ian?" John interrupted. "Not Ian Ian?"

At Dave's nod, John's eyes grew fierce. "He was involved in this?"

"Indirectly," Daniel said and explained what happened.

"Don't worry, John," Dave assured him, "he won't be returning to PSI and if I have anything to say about it he won't be working in this industry again."

"I don't care where he works, I just want to wring his scrawny little neck," John growled.

"Down boy!" Mitchell laughed. "Maybe you should wait until you're fully awake, huh?"

"Perhaps we should allow Colonel Sheppard to get some rest," Teal'c suggested.

"Like I haven't slept enough," John retorted.

"Teal'c's right," Sam agreed. "But before we go, I did want to tell you that Jenkins and his men discovered evidence that suggests these guys are responsible for at least five other kidnappings in the last two years. It feels pretty good to put these guys out of business."

Everyone agreed then SG-1 said their goodbyes and left. Once they were gone, Dave looked seriously at his brother and apologized. "This should not have happened. I'm really sorry, John. I know you didn't want to go to that stockholder's meeting and I forced you into it."

"Dave!" John cut him off. "Didn't you hear Carter? These guys did this for a living. They were just waiting for the right opportunity. If it wasn't then, it would have been another time. Like at rehab and then maybe Lisa or Helen would have gotten hurt or at home and Julia may have been there."

He pointed to the bruise on Dave's forehead. "You okay?"

Dave just rolled his eyes and replied, "Says the man in the hospital bed with the split lip and black eye. Not to mention a concussion, bruised ribs and a drug overdose."

John chuckled then looked thoughtful. "You know, Dave, right before this all happened, I believe we were having a conversation about how I'd be safer here with you because I wouldn't get beaten up on a daily basis. You have anything else to add to that now?"

"No!" Dave just glared at his brother, "although I am supposed to let the nurses know you're awake."

Dave stood up and moved to the door but Dr. Norwood came in before he could go anywhere.

"Just coming to tell you he's awake." Dave addressed the doctor.

She answered, "Yes, I can see that. Why don't you two take a break while I do a thorough exam?"

They nodded and Julia asked, "John, can we get anything for you while we're out?"

John's eyes lit up and he blurted out, "Food!"

They looked at Dr. Norwood who nodded and suggested, "Just nothing too heavy. We don't want his stomach staging a revolt."

They walked down to the cafeteria and Julia asked Dave about John and Nancy's relationship.

Dave took a deep breath. "Well John was pretty young, they both were. John was barely out of flight school when they met and they got married a year later. My Dad loved Nancy and was absolutely thrilled that she and John were together. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if John didn't marry her because he so desperately wanted Dad's approval for something, anything. Marrying Nancy was about the only thing John ever did that Dad did approve of. John was quite the rebel back then."

At Julia's look he corrected, "Still is. But I know he was happy that Dad really liked Nancy. Oh, don't get me wrong, John loved Nancy, I know he did, but I don't think Nancy was strong enough to deal with the man that is John Sheppard. John was away on secret missions all the time and when he was home he couldn't talk about anything he was doing."

"It used to drive Nancy crazy. And you know John; he wouldn't even discuss how he felt about things. Nancy finally got tired of being alone and all the secrets. She left him before they'd even been married two years. John shipped out to Afghanistan shortly after that."

As they walked through the cafeteria line picking up a few salads and sandwiches, Julia commented, "That's sad."

Dave agreed, "Yeah, it is. But honestly, as much as I love Nancy and she is a wonderful woman, I truly believe she's not right for a man like John."

They paid for their purchases and headed back to the room.

"Nancy seems really nice and sweet," Julia began, "but I think I have to agree with you, especially since meeting Teyla. Now that woman has the strength to put John in his place."

Dave chuckled, "Both mentally and physically."

When they got back to the room, Dr. Norwood was gone and John was asleep again so Dave and Julia ate quietly and settled back down in their seats.

John woke up grumbling about an hour later but the salad and sandwich they gave him quieted him right down. He finished the salad and was halfway through the sandwich when he suddenly stopped and looked panicked at the clock on the wall.

He tried to mumble something around his sandwich but what came out was unintelligible. He chewed vigorously, grabbed for his water then swallowed hard.

"Dave, I need my laptop!"

"What? Why?"

"Woolsey's got a video conference scheduled with the IOA today which means they'll have a direct wormhole open between Earth and Pegasus. Rodney, Teyla and I planned to have our own video conference during that time. But the gate will only be open for about a half hour and it's starting in less than forty minutes. It'll be another few months before they have a direct wormhole open again for that long."

Dave knew how much John needed to see his team but time was limited. "I'm not sure I can make it home and back in that amount of time, John. It's rush hour right now. I'm sorry."

Dave's heart dropped at the intense look of disappointment on John's face. But his brother gave a half-hearted smile and nodded his understanding.

Julia couldn't bear for something else to go wrong for John so she slapped Dave on the arm and ordered, "Get your phone out, call Carlos and have him start driving it over here. You can meet him somewhere."

"You are brilliant, Julia!" Dave exclaimed as he did just what she'd suggested. Julia announced she'd stay and keep John company while Dave left to get the laptop.

"Are you still tired?" Julia asked him a few minutes after Dave had gone.

"Yeah," John replied. "I just feel really groggy and fuzzy."

"Why don't you just close your eyes for a few minutes and rest," Julia recommended. "I promise I'll wake you up as soon as Dave gets back."

John appeared worried again. "I hope he gets back here in time. The videos they send are great but I really wanted to be able to interact."

Julia patted his shoulder as he closed his eyes. She also wished for Dave to get back here in time.

.

.

xoxoxoxox xoxoxoxoxo xoxoxoxoxo