Scene V

O' Little Town

Elizabeth stood still holding the bag, so to speak. She looked at the collapsed, dirty, filthy, and stinking Ronon on the floor of the Gate Room and then she looked at the bloody mess that had been a Wraith at the other end. A knife lay just a few inches away until a young marine kicked it out of reach. He confirmed the Wraith's death with a 'yep, he's dead' sort of mumble. Finally, she looked into the bag and found a squirming and agitated infant to go with the wailing that had to be some sort of trick.

She knelt by Ronon, trusting that someone had already called for medical assistance, and shook him.

"Ronon, where's your team? Ronon, they need you to tell me where they are."

Eyes cracked open and looked at her for a long minute. "Right where I left them, on the planet with the Ring." The eyes rolled back and that was all she was going to get from him.

Of course, her next question would have been, "Where did you happen to get a baby from?" But that one would have to wait.

-------------------

Lorne homed in on the subcutaneous transmitter. He had called for another Jumper the moment they found Dr. McKay. The Jumpers were not meant to hold so many wounded and their caretakers comfortably. Dr. Beckett had remained with him as they streaked across the blazing landscape leaving one of his staff behind with McKay.

Dr. McKay had been hard to find even with his transmitter due to a sandstorm from the night before. He was buried under a few layers of sand and his sleeping bag when they found him. He was delirious but otherwise stable.

They were a little more skeptical of their next stop.

"Almost there," reported Lorne to the nurse and medic in the back.

He slowed the craft down and landed not too far away from what appeared to be a solid sand dune. The signal told a different story and the HUD told of life underneath.

As the Jumper landed, he looked at the marine copiloting. "Guess we dig, sergeant," Lorne stated as the hatch lowered onto the arid world.

They dug for a short while before finding nylon from the little tent.

"Sir? Teyla? It's Major Lorne; we're coming in."

He waited for a second before entering. The smell was awful. All the tell-tale signs of illness and inability to care for one another crept like death out of the tent with the stale air. The colonel lay on his side in a pseudo-fetal position and Teyla had her back to him in one of her own. They were unconscious and Lorne slowly backed out.

"Doc, I'll let you tell us what we need to do to move them, 'cause they're going nowhere on their own."

Beckett stooped over and went in. "Bloody hell…" muffled out through the un-zippered flap. After a few moments, he poked his head out. "Marta, bring me my bag. Peter, the backboards. Major, Sergeant, stay close; we'll get them out of here and assess them on the Jumper."

Lorne stood outside of the little manmade cavern and waited. He did that a lot in his job. His mission had not been a cakewalk either. They also had found Wraith, a stronghold of sorts. Four Hives and their accompanying cruisers had greeted them upon exiting the Gate and told them to leave with no undue haste. They had flown back under fire but with no real casualties except for a scorch mark on his Jumper and frayed nerves.

Korkov, on the other hand, had found a viable Gate, lucky bastard. He had gone there and back within the specified time and a song on his lips upon seeing the blemish on Lorne's bucket. Lucky fucking bastard, Lorne thought again.

The Colonel's team obviously had sucked all the remaining bad luck into this dust bowl of a planet. But, at least, the Wraith were not based here. It meant they could send another team back to claim their leftovers and check if the Gate could become part of the bridge.

Beckett stuck his head back out after a little while. "Alright, we're goin' ta be movin' Teyla first. We have her neck immobilized and she's strapped down pretty well, still, be careful."

The medic, Marta, lifted Teyla at the covered end and the sergeant did it from the outside. Next, Lorne helped the nurse, Peter, to lift Sheppard who was similarly immobilized. They were both placed on the back benches and Beckett crouched between them mumbling the entire time.

When he did speak, it was readily apparent that delays would not be tolerated. "Major, best speed. We have two critical care patients." Beckett was then on the horn to Atlantis' infirmary prepping his staff.

Lorne did not need to be told twice and brought the two teammates back to the inn with that no undue haste he had had to employ a couple of days ago.

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Beckett pulled the bloody gloves off and prepared himself to go talk to those waiting for word. He rotated his neck back and forth to loosen it up while preparing his words. He hated it when he could not outright tell friends and family the news was all good.

As he walked from the surgical suites, he threw the gloves and gown in the red bagged bin. He opened the door and walked out into the main ward and plastered neutrality on his face.

"Well?"

Carson looked at Rodney who had rebounded quite nicely with some fluids and a good proper cast on his leg and a nice glowing blue one on his arm. "They are both in recovery right now. They are both critical but stable. Teyla had some minor internal bleeding that I took care of. Her head injury is also not as serious as it could have been. Her kneecap was dislocated, but we'll see how that goes. Her back is strained but that too will lessen with time."

He paused as the information was bandied about by patients and guests. "Col. Sheppard is a different matter. Dr. Burrow had to repair his spleen and a few other organs along with one of his lungs. We checked the slight skull fracture from hitting the control interface. There was slight swelling in the brain but even that is reducing every time we recheck. Overall, they're doing remarkable well, and no, you can't see them until tomorrow. At the very least, they will remain in ICU until tomorrow morning."

Elizabeth smiled and looked down at the baby in her arms. "Hear that, your Godparents are going to be fine."

"Elizabeth, I can't say…" Carson started nervously.

"I can, Carson. They brought this child back like they promised and it wouldn't do for them not to have a say in her custody."

Elizabeth looked as natural with the Rewapeh as Rodney did when the wee tyke woke up and would not quiet down for anyone, even with a bottle. He calmed the little one even if it was with a look of sheer terror on his face and a bottle wedged under his chin. Carson would have weeks, nay, months of fodder for jokes at the physicist's expense.

"Anyway," Ronon said, "They knew we'd come back. They wouldn't want to let us down." He shifted in his bed and looked directly at McKay.

Rodney held a defiant look on his face and bit back with a firm agreement of, "What he said."

"I understand if only because of this sweet, little lass. A bonnie thing she is too." She had drained an entire bottle after they got her to the infirmary and checked over. Over all, she was in the best shape out of all of them.

Each had suffered from dehydration and exposure coupled with the other injuries. The entire team was doing quite well under the circumstances though.

It also paid to think ahead, Carson had ordered Enfamil and equipment for an emergency neonatal unit when the Daedalus started its regular runs. The Athosians sometimes had difficult births that were brought to the city when necessary. The equipment had been used but only rarely. It meant they were ready for Rewapeh when Ronon handed her to Elizabeth, even if Elizabeth was not.

"What is the plan for this beautiful babe?" Carson asked Elizabeth.

"Once she is out of your care, we'll see what her Godparents want to do. Though, I don't think Atlantis is the right place for her."

"Teyla had mentioned Halling might have some ideas," suggested Ronon.

"Let her go live in the wilds?" Rodney asked with a dash of horror.

"No, with the Athosians, McKay."

"That's what I just said, Ronon."

"We're not shipping her back to Earth, McKay."

"But the educational systems, Ronon."

"She's from this galaxy and she's staying in this galaxy, McKay."

"Gentlemen, let's get her healthy and wait for your other two teammates to join the discussion before making any decisions," Elizabeth advised as Rewapeh burped loudly, thus, closing the matter completely, for now.

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What had died and crawled into his mouth? Sheppard thought to himself as awareness crept over him like a tiny ball peen hammer. Another good question was- what had run over his body, asked the question, "Did we run over something?" and then tried to confirm it with running over him again?

Hearing kicked in and soft murmurs breezed over. Maybe, he could ask whoever belonged to the voices.

"Looks like he was hit by a truck," one voice observed.

"Naw, looks like he was clobbered by George Foreman and his grill," observed another with a slight Eastern European accent.

"Oh, you two are sooo droll," a welcomed voice answered. "Radek, I have just two words for you-- finger paints. And Gibbs, only one-- seaweed. Revenge gentlemen, revenge. The next time I'm just assigning and taking the cakewalk."

"Dr. Gibbs' mission was a cakewalk; mine was anything but…"

"One little scorch mark on Jumper 5! I broke bones, Radek!"

Sheppard tried to open his eyes, but they would not go past slits. So, instead, he grunted a little with the effort.

"Hush Rodney!" Radek brusquely commanded. "The colonel, he is moving!"

John grunted again because the movement flared pain from all over his body. Also, he had to cough and he really did not want to do that the way his chest was feeling.

"Sheppard? Sheppard stay still…" ordered the familiar and antagonistic voice.

He had heard that before…somewhere…somewhere hot and cramped and moving…he was the one used to giving orders…

"Col. Sheppard? Col. Sheppard, it's Dr. Beckett. Your home, relax."

Sheppard coughed and wanted to go back to wherever he had been before.

Relax? He thought. Relax? My insides just tried to come out through my mouth, my nose and my eyeballs! You relax!

A hand slipped into his and squeezed. The voice whispered in his ear, "John, it's Elizabeth. You're team made it home as did the baby…"

BABY!!!

His team made it home? Why wouldn't they be home? And…and…BABY?

His confusion grew; he could not see; and he felt like that truck the other voice had been talking about had not only hit him, but had had George Foreman driving it and throwing grills at him, repeatedly.

He had to go…go…go…go. The quota…they had to get back in the Jumper and fill the quota…he hated the damn ridiculous quota…why on Earth would he fill the quota with a baby?

He had left the Jumper around here somewhere…no, the Wraith were around here somewhere…

He could not keep anything straight in his mind. He tried to get up: then something metallic and liquid tasting was in his mouth; and people were shouting; and then he was spinning towards sleep again.

-------------------

"He's fine Rodney. He bit his tongue is all. Looked worse than it actually was."

"You don't get it…he looked like…on the planet…"

"I do get it Rodney. Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, he is fine."

Sheppard hated eavesdropping, but it was easy when your eyes still refused to open. Of course, the heart monitor tattled on his burgeoning consciousness just like a younger sibling.

"Finally, the last Wise Man is awake; for real this time, I hope," the soft familiar burr purred next to his head.

WHAA?

Sheppard opened his eyes to a quirky smile and a damned penlight that blinded him so the smile was hidden by horrible spots. He tried to swat at the offensive little thing just to have a hand gently hold his own down. He looked over at a globular Elizabeth with her own quirky smile and dubious bedside manner.

"I don't know about wise, Carson, but he did help deliver the little lamb to this temple of technology, didn't he?"

He was thoroughly confused now. "Please, tell me what's going on?" he croaked out.

"What is the last thing you remember, Colonel?" Carson asked with a little more forced meaning than John liked.

"Um, well…" What was the last thing he remembered? "Uh, let's see…leaving to check S20-118...we found no one on the planet and went to check the neighboring worlds…Wraith? Maybe?"

"WRAITH! MAYBE? Wraith, definitely yes!" Rodney shouted from the other side of the privacy screens.

"Dr. McKay, you do not need to yell," Teyla admonished him from somewhere close by. "Col. Sheppard has a severe concussion, which, believe me when I say, yelling does not help it."

Sheppard could hear the wince of pain in her voice.

"Yeah McKay, shut up," Ronon added to bring the point home.

"Shut up? Did you just tell me to 'shut up'?"

The argument continued in the background and Carson leaned over into visual range. Carson just shook his head and snorted. "As Rodney said, 'Wraith, definitely yes,' Colonel. You crashed after evading four Wraith darts. Two apparently crashed with you on S20..."

"Planet Hell!" Rodney shouted.

"McKay!" Teyla and Ronon yelled back.

"Jinx, now you both owe me a Coke," Rodney jeered back.

Sheppard wanted to either laugh or throw-up…he did the latter after starting the first effectively chasing Elizabeth from the enclosed area. She returned after Carson finished checking his various suture sights and bruised and/or cut areas. When they moved the privacy screens, she held up a squiggling, pink clad and drooling baby girl.

Once again, his brain screamed, BABY?

An image broke across his mind of lips kissing that forehead and he knew that this little bit o'nothing and he had met before. He just was a little fuzzy on the details.

"This is Rewapeh, your Goddaughter," Elizabeth introduced.

He snorted, because that could not be right, could it? He looked at his entire team laid up in bed with the 'she's right' look on their faces and realized that crashing had only been part of the story. Those cracked and dried lips kissing the forehead had only been a part of the story. Waking up in Carson's care was the end of the story. What he needed was the rest of the middle because leaving here on a Stargate shopping run was only the very beginning.

His team played Paul Harvey and filled him in on the rest of the story, including his now three day sleep/coma in the infirmary, which made total sense. They had journeyed across the desert with a baby and found a place at the inn. The medicinal, smelling inn, but it was a welcomed respite from obvious, life-threatening hardship.

Throughout it all, he realized that he had cemented his faith in his team. Apparently, when he awoke in the Jumper, which he really did not remember, he never wondered if they would free him and he let them handle everything. They really had traveled a long and winding road to get to this point in their dynamic. He was proud of them for working together and of himself for releasing control just for a little while.

"So John, what do you think should happen to little Rewapeh?" Elizabeth asked patting the girl on the back as her head rested on Elizabeth's shoulder.

John slowly turned his head to look with blurry vision at what he hoped was Teyla. "I think, Teyla knows best on this subject," he conceded with a battered smile.

Rodney harrumphed; Ronon snickered; and Teyla said, "Halling is coming tomorrow with the names of some suitable parents, if that is all right with you, John?"

"It's all good," he mumbled contentedly.

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Ariam and Soje Melbe'heth stood before all four of Rewapeh's convalescing bonded parents, nervously.

"We promise to take her and love her. She will know the sacrifice that all of her parents gave and of her birth people." They accepted the baby into their arms and Ariam accepted the book that was Rewapeh's only other possession besides the deep purple blanket.

"You do realize that we will be checking up on her and you?" Rodney asked with his leg propped up on pillows. "We will have a say in her education."

"Rodney, they know," Sheppard whined out in the most positive whine Teyla had ever heard.

Halling had chosen Ariam and Soje because of their inability to have their own children. A condition that was devastating to them, at first. They realized that there were children left by the Wraith that would need a home. So they waited patiently. The patience paid off when Teyla had Atlantis call the mainland. He knew immediately who to allow the privilege of raising the child. He had also chosen them because of their maturity. With her as a patron, along with her team, Halling knew it would take parents of strong wills to deal with them.

Ariam and Soje were perfect.

"We are glad you have taken this privilege," commended Teyla. The couple beamed back at her as they hugged the child close.

"Okay, you lot need to rest. Ronon and Rodney will be released in the morning, so I want a good night's sleep," Dr. Beckett ordered. "Tracy, be a dear and get the lovely couple set up with formula and any other supplies they will need."

Tracy shuttled the new parents out, but Halling remained behind for a moment more. "You have done a momentous thing by letting them raise the child. They have waited a long time for this."

They had all said their good-byes to the infant and knew that the mainland was just a Jumper trip away. Their mission to uphold the promise was now complete.

"Couldn't very well keep her cooped up here with no other children, now, could we?" Sheppard answered.

Halling looked at the pilot's swollen and healing, purple eyes. He looked at the slings that Dr. McKay and Ronon wore. He looked at Teyla's own bound knee. They had been willing to sacrifice their lives for this unknown infant. The least he could do was make sure that she had a chance to grow up right and to grow up strong.

"Yes, you could have, but we will do our best to make sure that this decision is the correct one."

"Then, we have nothing to worry about," Sheppard said with a pained smile. "If they need anything, just call."

"Well, they may have to take hints on the changing of diapers," Halling said with a smirk. "I am out of practice."

"That is Rodney's department," answered Ronon. "He loves it."

Rodney purpled and sputtered with his trademark indignation.

Teyla laughed because she had seen Rodney's first attempt at the diaper. He had completely missed Rewapeh's bottom.

The End

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A/N: A little explanation of the name is in order. The baby in the movie's name was Robert William Pedro Hightower. He was named after his three godfathers. I added the vowels and there you go. Also in the movie, everyone but John Wayne's character, Robert Hightower, dies. That just would not do so I had them really beat up.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed and catch ya on the flip side!