CHAPTER THRITEEN: ATLANTIS

Scully stared around the gate room in amazement. It was a truly awesome sight, but before she'd even managed to take it in properly McKay came feet first out of the gate, effectively kicking her in the back. Tatum came through shortly after.

Scully irritably got back to her feet and saw a woman with dark brown hair coming down a flight of stairs towards her.

"I'm Doctor Elizabeth Weir leader of the Atlantis expedition," she introduced herself with a smile.

"I'm Special Agent Dana Scully from the FBI," Scully replied and then glanced around again. "I'm not from your universe though."

"Yes, I know," Weir told her. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you, I will see to it that you may be sent back to your universe."

Scully was about to thank her for that, liking Dr Weir's unquestionably diplomatic personality, when McKay rudely cut across her.

"Whatever, she means she's going to make me work to get you back home, but that's not the point. Hows Sheppard?" he asked.

In her awe Scully had almost forgotten about the Colonel.

Weir winced. "He's in surgery at the moment."

McKay nodded and began to walk off, Scully noticed Weir narrow her eyes.

"McKay," she said in a stern tone.

The scientist turned. "What?"

"You're not going anywhere for the moment, go and wait in my office. I'll be there in a minute to discuss with you exactly why the four of you were down in Zelenka's lab looking at the Parallel Universe Machine instead of heading off to your search for Stargates' for the gate bridge in the first place."

McKay's look was somewhere between guilt and annoyance. "I'm sure that can wait."

"He's in surgery," repeated Weir pointedly. "Go wait in my office."

"Fine," snapped McKay and walked off up the stairs.

Scully realised that, despite their arguing, McKay and Sheppard were actually quite good friends.

Dr Weir turned to her. "I'll get you a spare room where you can stay until you can go back to your universe, but you're welcome to explore the city."

The implied part being; 'but please don't touch anything'.

"Thanks," said Scully. "Do you know how long it will be before you can send me back?"

"I'm sorry, I have no idea, I know this isn't what you wanted to hear but the machine was at our Alpha site which, as you would know, was attacked by a wraith hive ship. It might be a while before we can even find it," Weir explained.

Scully smiled. "Dr McKay has it with him, stored in the… buffer of a wraith ship."

That was still difficult to say. Suddenly believing in aliens was not something she found easy. Plus there was no way that she'd ever even admit their existence to Mulder.

Weir looked surprised. "Really? Well then I'll get him to start work on it. Here, I'll show you to that spare room."

Scully cast one more glance at the now puddleless circle (inactive Stargate) and it's room, before following Weir out of the room.

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Mills was positive that if it were possible to shoot daggers out of your eyes while glaring, Mulder would have easily achieved it.

It was now early morning and there was still no sign of Agent Scully. Mills was getting increasingly nervous around Ronon; the Satedan evidentially didn't like either Mulder or being stranded in another universe and he looked like he wanted to shoot someone… possibly Mulder.

Panicked townspeople were glancing terrifiedly up at the sky as they made their way back to their town. Mills exchanged a glance with Harris. There were still two darts out there, somewhere.

"Where is Scully?" demanded Mulder for the thousandth time as he saw Mills looking at him.

"I don't know," admitted Mills truthfully. "Hopefully coming back soon."

"You said that hours ago! Tell me what you've done with her!" ordered Mulder aggressively. He lifted his bazooka threateningly.

That destroyed what little peace the group had had. Ronon stepped forward, gun coming up to point at Mulder, who immediately trained his bazooka on Ronon.

"Ronon!" exclaimed Teyla.

Ronon ignored her. "We don't know where your friend is."

Mills wanted to point out to Ronon that Mulder had a bazooka that could blast them all to dust, but he didn't think it would make a difference, except that Ronon might turn his gun on him instead. This was a mess. Mills wished Sheppard were there, not only did he have the ATA Gene, Ronon listened to him. Exactly how Sheppard had achieved that was beyond Mills.

Mulder meanwhile didn't seem to like Ronon anymore than Ronon liked him.

"If you don't bring Scully back I will arrest you," threatened Mulder.

"Oh, and how are you gonna do that?" challenged Ronon.

"I'm with the FBI," Mulder reminded him, with the implied second sentence of; 'And I have a bazooka.'

"The who?" asked Ronon.

Mulder knocked the safety off the bazooka, assuming Ronon was mocking him.

Mills just knew it wasn't going to end well.

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McKay glared at Zelenka. "There is no way that will work, it hasn't got enough power."

"But you said we have to take that universe you destroyed off it's databank!" complained Zelenka.

"I didn't destroy the universe, Sheppard did," corrected McKay. "And I know what I said, but you can't achieve it by using power that we don't have!"

McKay noticed Scully standing by the door. "Oh, um, hi there."

"Hi," replied Scully coming into the room.

"Uh, I guess you want to know when we can send you to your universe?" guessed McKay.

"More or less," agreed Scully she glanced over at Zelenka and McKay was sure she was noting that he had been rematerialised and no longer looked terrified out of his wits. "So?"

"Actually," spoke up Zelenka. "Because of damaged to another universe…"

"He means the total and utter annulation of another universe," interrupted McKay.

"Yes, because of the destruction of another universe we are having trouble with the machine and are going to remove the universe from it's databank," finished Zelenka.

Scully didn't like the sound of that. "How long will that take?"

McKay shrugged. "Probably days."

"Days?!" exclaimed Scully.

"Yes," agreed Zelenka. "Maybe longer to get it working again afterwards."

McKay saw Scully's frustration at the news. Too bad. Weir had forced him to work on the stupid Parallel Universe Machine instead of waiting in the infirmary for news on Sheppard. It was Scully's problem if she wanted to make a big deal about being stuck in Atlantis for a few days.

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Sheppard woke up in the infirmary in Atlantis. He frowned as he realised he was feeling numb, meaning painkillers. Well, that wasn't good. He focused on sounds around him and heard his heart monitor.

Beep…. beep…. beep….

Damn. Those things were freaking annoying. Whoever decided that injured people needed an irritating beeping in their ear had obvious never had to use one themself.

Beep…. beep…. beep…. beep….

It was already annoying the crap out of him.

Beep…. beep…. beep….

Sheppard wondered briefly what Carson and his infirmary staff would do if he somehow managed to disconnect the stupid machine.

Beep…. beep…. beep…. beep….

He doubted they'd be very impressed, but at least the irritating beeping would stop… unless disconnecting it from him would make it give out that constant beep it made when your heart stopped beating. That would be even worse.

Before he could think of a way to turn it off completely from his bed Sheppard drifted back into unconsciousness.

A/N: I was going to put that last paragraph at the start of the next chapter, but I realised that then Sheppard wouldn't be in this chapter at all. So I put it in. Hope you enjoyed it! Please review! :)