John stood in the darkness, waiting. He was sure it was only a matter of time before he saw what he was waiting for. Despite that certainty he found the cold getting to him and just past midnight he was almost ready to give up. If he was honest with himself he wasn't sure why he was even waiting. Had it not been for Ronon and Teyla he wouldn't have been waiting. But they had convinced him. They saw something he hadn't. So he lurked in the woods, waiting for the inevitable show down.

As frustration and boredom set in he was about to radio Ronon. But that's when he heard a quiet click followed by some footsteps. He waited in the darkness, hidden in the trees, as the footsteps got closer. He waited until the owner was nearly on top of him before stepping out of his cover and asking.

"Going somewhere?"

"Yes." Kiryk responded.

"Where?"

"None of your concern."

"I disagree." John argued as he stood to face the free runner. "If you're doing what I think you're doing it is going to upset the doc and that is my concern."

"It's for the best." Kiryk stated, but his eyes looked far from confident. "Her place is with you."

"What about what you shared the last few months?"

"She needed me." Kiryk replied.

"You ask me she still needs you."

"Not now she has you back. She needed me when she thought she had nothing."

"Is that how you saw her as well?" John asked, not masking his anger, "She fulfilled your need?"

"At the start, maybe." Kiryk answered frankly, "but not now."

"Yet you're just walking away from her?"

"What choice so I have?"

"Join us."

"I'd complicate things."

"Life is one big complication." John pointed out before awkwardly asking. "Do you…care for her?"

"I love her." Kiryk said with such resolve John could not doubt his words. But before he could respond Kiryk went on, his voice quieter and sounding defeated. "That is why I must leave. She needs her old life."

"What she say about it?"

"She hasn't." Kiryk confessed before adding quietly. "I'm afraid she'd chose not to return with you."

"That's her decision to make." John pointed out.

"No, not now. She thought she was responsible for her home and friends being destroyed. She has lived with guilt you can't understand. Now she discovers you're alive. What she feels now is confusion. I won't make it worse by forcing her into making decisions. It is best for her that she returns with you."

"And you?"

"I'll let her go. It's the best thing for her."

"No. It's easier for you." John argued. "Walk away, leave her broken and we'll pick up the pieces whilst you do what you want. That's what you think is best for her?"

"What would you have me do?" Kiryk asked. "I would not fit in your world."

"Ronon did." John countered. "It just takes time and patience." He paused before adding. "If you're right and your relationship only exists because of a misplaced sense of need, within a month back on Atlantis you'll both know that and you can leave. If not you'll have a home again."

"Your people would let me join them?"

"There will be a few difficulties, but we can make it happen."

"Why would you do that for me?"

"It's not for you. It's for the doc. She has been out here for six months because we, no I, gave up on her. The rule is we never leave someone behind, but that's just what I did. Getting you in the city will make her happy and although that won't make amends for what I did it's a start." John clarified. For a moment the two men stood silently until John went on. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get some sleep."

"You're not stopping me from going?" Kiryk asked surprised.

"If you don't want to come back home with us and the doc that's your choice. If you don't want to come it means you care nothing for Keller and have used her over the last few months. If that's the case I don't want you on Atlantis and you'd better keep on running because if I see you again, you won't be walking away." With that John disappeared into the darkness.

-00-

"Hey doc." John smiled when he saw Jennifer emerge the following morning. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess. It just all seems so unreal."

"I bet."

"I'm sorry for yesterday. Seeing you all…it kinda…"

"Freaked you out?" John finished for her. "Yeah, seeing Rodney can do that." He grinned before his expression sobered and he continued.

"Kiryk filled us in on what happened, I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"You were buying time, doing the smart thing, and we didn't come to get you."

"You thought I was dead?" Jennifer guessed.

"We found bodies on the planet you were meant to be on. They were…well they weren't in a good state, especially one of them. The couple that were not so badly off we got a positive match on for Jones and Anderson. The one we thought was you was so badly destroyed we couldn't do a normal DNA test as," John shut his eyes and tried to remember what he'd been told those months ago. It was Jennifer though who filled the gap.

"The technique was obfuscated and negated by the decomposition of the soft tissues."

"Yeah, can't think why I couldn't remember that explanation." John deadpanned before going on. "They found what they thought was enough of the shin to do a mitochondrial DNA test and although the results were not entirely conclusive based on all the other evidence it was decided it was you. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Jennifer assured him.

"Kiryk said you don't remember the mission or what happened." John said suddenly changing the subject.

"No. It's like I'm missing a piece of my life. I don't even know how long I was on the Wraith ship before I started to function coherently." Jennifer said wrapping her arms round her body as a shiver went down her spine.

"I'm going to find out who was behind this and make them pay." John assured her.

"What's going to happen to me?" Jennifer asked.

"Well, first step is to get you home. Then you'll turn into a glorified pin cushion for a few days whilst everyone becomes happy that you're you, opposed to a replicator, a clone, a form changing alien, a…well you get the drift."

"I know the protocols. I meant what happens after that?"

"To be honest, I have no idea." John confessed. "But whatever happens you won't be alone. We'll all be there for you."

"And Kiryk?" Jennifer asked shyly.

"Well that's harder. But we made it work with Ronon and if it's what you want we'll make it work with Kiryk. Speaking of Kiryk where is he?" John asked, wondering what the former runner had decided.

"Saying goodbye to Celise."

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up on Saturday.