Disclaimer: I think everyone gets the gist of this now. Outside of my own characters, I own no one and nothing. Admittedly, I'm planning on creating an inter dimensional portal and grabbing all those lovely, hot men from Atlantis! But that's just semantics.
Okay, this is my PoD story, so please, enjoy the changes and differences. As I've already posted in TiA, my updates will happen once a month as I try and wait for my work to even out. I'm going to be doing my best to post a little more regularly than that, but my plan is to post once a month.
So, a definition of PoD = Point of Divergence. In my mind, for the last few months, I've had two separate story arcs running around in my mind and I finally decided to write another story that would follow the one plot while Tokr'a in Atlantis followed my original one.
Considering that TiA has now been updated with both the Lost Boys and The Hive, I've decided to merge the two chapters here in A New Path and I hope that everyone enjoys! Please let me know your opinion!
Chapter 3: Lost Boys & The Hive
Ronon walked calmly through the forest, letting his Runner trained instincts guide his steps as he walked over roots and growths in the game trail. It appeared to be well used by animals on the planet, but it also appeared that they'd kept to the edges of the trail instead of the middle. In front of the Satedan walked Sheppard, Teyla, McKay and Martouf.
Remembering a conversation Sheppard and Camilla had had on the Aurora, Ronon hadn't been surprised by the inclusion of Jonas Quinn onto the team. He remembered the man and a woman joining him, Teyla and Camilla to the Mainland.
The man was a scientist from his home planet, but had learned the language of the Ancestors, the only reason the man had been assigned to Sheppard's team. It also seemed that Quinn and McKay had met before and weren't considering each other friends or even close allies. It stumped Ronon how two men with the same profession could be against each other's ideas as if the two were born as childhood rivals.
Shaking his head, Ronon continued to walk, wondering absently what he would do if both Quinn and McKay eventually blew up at each other.
"This is ridiculous," McKay muttered.
"Well, keep complaining about it and we may get there faster!" Sheppard replied and Ronon could easily hear the sarcasm in the man's voice.
"Well, couldn't we have met these people on a tropical beach planet populated by tall blonde women, hmm?" McKay returned.
Ronon easily heard Teyla sighing somewhere in front of him. "Whoever wants to speak with us, obviously values their privacy," the Athosian commented.
Quinn sighed. "I have to wonder why I'm on this mission when there won't be any Ancient to translate," the man commented.
Ronon frowned at his words, even as he heard McKay snorting derisively. "And why exactly did you join us?" he asked. "Last I looked, we didn't ask for another scientist to join."
Sheppard groaned. "Ignore him, Quinn," he called from the front. "He hasn't eaten in the last five minutes, so he's more than a little cranky. You have my permission to punch him if you want." He turned around, mid–step and grinned at the Quinn. "In answer, McKay, I asked for someone who can translate Ancient and I get one with multiple doctorates from his home planet and a recommendation from the head of translations that he's good enough for the job. I'll take Jonas Quinn when he's available."
Ronon thought he heard a sigh come from McKay before he felt something striking him. His eyes widened as he recognised the sensation of a Wraith Stunner, but unprepared, the attack took it's toll on him and had his body collapsing to the forest floor as his mind shut down.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Cam paced the Control Room, glancing at the modified digital clock that hung at the front of the Ancient room. She'd arrived in the Control Room three hours before when she'd planned to meet up with her brother and Jonas after the mission for the day.
Instead, she paced the length of the walkway available in the Control Room, worried and panicking. From what Teyla had said, it was a simple off–world mission to gather Intel on Ford. Now, with the team late and no contact, the female Tok'ra was worrying.
Sparing a look towards Elizabeth's office, she saw the leader of the expedition in a similar state as she sat behind her desk, her hands constantly fidgeting with anything in reach. If Cam had been sat down like her, she knew she wouldn't have fared much better. Nor would her department have appreciated her sudden anger; taken out on them or the massive Tenoid Mech.
Hearing the Chaapa'ai dialling in, Cam turned her attention to the technician, watching tersely as the man sat at the controls carefully waited for the wormhole to stabilize. It took a few seconds and the female Tok'ra eventually heard a familiar tone ringing in the air as an IDC was sent through.
"It's Major Lorne's IDC," the technician told her and Cam sighed, shaking her head as Elizabeth walked in.
"Lower the shield," the older woman said as she made for the stairs that led down into the Gate Room.
Cam wasn't far behind the head of Atlantis, trotting quickly after the woman seconds later. Elizabeth stopped just in front of the staircase as the shield dropped, allowing Lorne and his team through.
"You're back early," Elizabeth commented as Lorne stopped in front of her.
The man nodded politely, both in greeting and answer. "Uh, Jenev is kind of a closed society," Lorne answered. "Very polite, very courteous, but completely uninterested in having anything to do with us."
Elizabeth sighed, nodding. "Well, better than hostile I suppose," she commented, turning to leave before pausing and returning to face Lorne. "Colonel Sheppard's team, three hours overdue."
Lorne just smiled in response and Cam arched a silent eyebrow. "Wouldn't be the first time," he said. "Any radio contact?"
Cam shook her head, moving to stand beside Elizabeth. "Nothing since they left, Lorne," she told him.
Lorne shrugged a shoulder. "Well, you know those guys," he said.
The Tok'ra arched her eyebrow again. "What would I know that you do not after a year of working with them?" she asked. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
She saw Lorne swallow before he turned around, nodding to his team. "Ten minutes guys," he called. "Looks like we're heading back out."
A-A-A-A-A-A
Elizabeth looked at Camilla as they sat in her office, Lorne's team now long gone. The Tok'ra was sat on her leather sofa, her body stiff as she seemed to wait for something. It took a few seconds before the young woman's body relaxed.
"Sorry," Camilla offered as she leaned back on the sofa. "I shouldn't have said anything."
Elizabeth smiled gently. "No, you shouldn't have," she agreed. "But I will admit that you got Lorne moving."
Camilla smiled slightly at that. "I dealt with the man when he was a stuck up jerk," she said. "Well, his boss was, I just helped to break him of the habit of following orders of jerks."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Do I need to know what the Tok'ra Ambassador at the time could have said to the man?" she asked.
Camilla's smile returned for a few seconds. "You don't need to, Elizabeth," she answered. "But I would not blame someone if they wanted to know."
The head of Atlantis smiled at that, nodding reluctantly. As much as she wanted to know, she needed to have a clear image of Lorne without any prejudices. Instead, she opted to take another conversation.
"I'm surprised that you didn't take the opportunity to go with Lorne to the planet," she commented.
Camilla leaned back in her seat on the sofa with a heavy sigh. "Marty made me promise not to go off–world if it could be helped," she answered. "My joining Lorne is one of the situations that could be helped." Elizabeth watched as the female Tok'ra shrugged a shoulder. "Both Kel'an and I dislike being stuck in the City, but we'll go along with Martouf's wishes for now."
A-A-A-A-A-A
Major Evan Lorne stared at the Stargate that was only now dialling Atlantis. He'd gone through at the request of Dr. Weir and Ms. Carter. He'd hoped to find his superior officer and his team lounging about, unaware of the worry they'd put everyone through.
But... Evan sighed and calmly watched as the Gate connected and he reached for his G.D.O., placing his code in before he looked to the camera attached to the MALP he'd had sent through. His radio chirruped in his ear and he nodded at the camera.
"Major," Doctor Weir spoke curtly.
He nodded again. "We just finished our scans, ma'am," he answered. "They're not here."
Evan heard a sigh on the other end of the radio. "Is it possible that they could have travelled to another planet?" he heard Kel'an ask tiredly.
Evan shrugged a shoulder as he resolutely looked at the camera, sure now as to who he was speaking. "It's possible," he admitted. "But, as you know, it's standard procedure to check in and tell us first, ma'am." He took a breath and swallowed quietly; this was the part he'd been dreading. "They didn't do that, so..."
He heard another sigh, this time a different one from a different person. "...they might have been taken off–world against their will," Doctor Weir finished.
Evan nodded at that, sighing himself this time. "Yeah," he answered.
He heard muttering on the other side and he could only summarise that it was Kel'an from the deep tone he could hear. "Alright," Doctor Weir said. "Can you give me the last few addresses dialled from that D.H.D?"
Evan shrugged a shoulder in answer. "Maybe somebody can," he answered. "But that's a little out of my skill set."
"If my comments are any help, sending Dr. Zelenka would be best," Kel'an spoke then. "As much as my host and I would wish to join you, Major, Dr. Zelenka has a good understanding of how the Chaapa'ai crystals work."
Evan Lorne nodded at that, sighing. "That sounds like a good call to make, ma'am," he answered. "Lorne out."
He heard and saw the Stargate shut down out of the corner of his eye and motioned for his team to step back.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Illan sighed as he leaned against the wall of the building he and his men had been tasked to watch. Pulling at the collar of his uniform, Illan turned his attention to Irut who stood next to him.
"Have you heard anything from Cowen?" he asked.
His brother shook his head. "Nothing," he answered. "All I have heard has come from other worlds." His brother turned his blue eyes on him. "There is talk that the Atlantian's destroyed the Ancestral City when the Wraith arrived at their planet."
Illan shook his head, sighing as he leaned his head back against the wall, a part of his mind sub–consciously shifting his position so that his uniform hat was not jostled. "Do you believe that they actually did it?" he asked quietly.
Irut shrugged a shoulder. "If they did, then the Altantians have technology far greater than ours as many of their expedition have been seen off on other worlds," he responded. "I do not believe that they have the technology available to destroy the Ancestor's city, but anything is possible, Illan."
The Genii soldier nodded, sighing again. Before he could say anything, a group broke from the bush a few yards in front of him and his men and he cursed, reaching for his weapon as they fired on him and his men. Moments before one of the attacker's bolts could land on Illan, he saw one of the attackers fall to one of his shots.
Darkness snatched at him as he fell into the dirt, never to know who had attacked him and his men on a Genii Safe Planet.
A-A-A-A-A-A
UNDICLOSED NUMBER OF DAYS LATER
The days and nights had merged together underground and John was worried. He'd been stuck on Ford's planet practically since arriving, barring the one trip off–world to watch as Kanayo threw his men at death's door attacking a Genii guarded planet.
What really got him was the fact that out of all of his team, he was left un–touched by the enzyme, Jace and Kanayo seeming to take delight in making sure that his food wasn't laced with the enzyme. Scrubbing a hand over his eyes, John was pretty sure he was mistaking delight for irritation. As much as he hated to admit it, but he wondered if it wouldn't have been easier and better if he'd been drugged with the others.
Sitting on 'his' bed, John let his gaze drift to the others as they slept in the room that Ford had set aside for just his team away from the others. They were all sleeping somewhat peacefully and John was thankful for that, even as his gaze drifted to Martouf. The male Tok'ra was being dosed with the others, but if John had placed any bets, he would have placed a few bucks on Lantash scrubbing the enzyme from his host. He wouldn't be surprised, if that were the case, that Martouf and Lantash were purposefully keeping quiet about it until it was time to reveal everything. His gaze drifted to Jonas Quinn, watching as the man twitched in his sleep, something that the Colonel had been noticing for a little while now and he hoped that Camilla could forgive him for putting her friend in danger like he had.
John found his gaze wandering to Teyla and he relaxed slightly, seeing the Athosian sleeping peacefully, a slight difference to what he'd seen in the nights before. With his thoughts absently moving around various subjects, John found his mind drifting back to Camilla and his heart clenched slightly. They'd only just started this... different... relationship of theirs, nothing much more than spending time together outside of duty hours.
After he'd spoken with Camilla that first time in her office after returning to normal, he'd done his best to not pressure her, instead doing his best to show her he was content with whatever she could give him. The most he'd managed was to sit with her in her quarters, or her office, or somewhere equally private, his arms wrapped loosely around her as they relaxed. Books and music had been the orders of the day during those times and John, before Ford had thoroughly kidnapped them, had planned on treating Camilla to a meal of her choice, something nice. But, of course, his plans had been kicked out the window when he'd realised they were stuck on Ford's planet.
Shaking his head, John looked over to Rodney, doing his best to distract himself. He watched as the Canadian slept less fitfully than he had in the days – or nights – before, seeming to finally rest peacefully as his body acclimatised to the much lower dose of enzyme.
"You should be sleeping," John heard Teyla speak quietly.
Turning his gaze back to the Athosian, John nodded, even as he saw that she was sitting up, dressed in her uniform – much like the rest of them since they didn't have any changes of clothing. "I know," he answered. "I just can't seem to settle my mind."
He watched as Teyla climbed out of her bed and silently padded over to his. Reacting, he pulled his legs and feet to one side, giving his friend a space to sit if she didn't feel like sitting next to him. Teyla calmly sat at his knees, facing him as calmly as she could with the Wraith enzyme pumping in her veins.
"You are worried," she whispered.
John nodded in answer. "Can't show Rodney," he said. "He'd lose faith in the plan and we need him."
Teyla sighed and nodded. "As much as Ronon and myself have gained strength from Aiden's method of administering the enzyme," she began, "I cannot help disliking the way my thoughts are or how..."
John nodded, reaching a hand out to rest it on her shoulder gently. "I think I understand," he offered.
Teyla smiled at that. They both knew he didn't, but neither were about to begrudge the other a piece of comfort that they'd been seeking for weeks now.
"What does Rodney have to say about the Dart?" she asked.
John took a breath, forcing his mind to shift back to their unofficial mission on the planet. It was going to take a while to get everything in place without Ford or the others realising, but it would have to be done.
"He's got nearly everything fixed," he answered. "He and Jace still have a few issues to work out." He shrugged a shoulder. "If we're lucky, we have a week, two days otherwise."
Teyla nodded calmly then, a direct contradiction to what John had seen her acting like with Kanayo and the fighters she practiced against. "Then we shall have to be ready sooner than we initially planned," she commented. "It would be better if we had more time, but we must work with what the Ancestors grant us."
John quirked a smile and nodded slightly. He may not believe that the Ancients had a hand in the daily workings of the Pegasus galaxy, but he sure hoped that they'd be giving them all the best chance of getting out of this particular mission alive. He had plans to be kept on Atlantis and damn if he couldn't keep them!
A-A-A-A-A-A
Dr. Danielle Witcker, a woman with a PhD in anthropology, a 'super' understanding of Ancient and a healthy respect for everything she didn't know, stood in the doorway to Atlantis' large gym. She'd been walking corridors, ambling really on her day off, when she heard the sound of fighting and her curiosity had led her to investigate the sound.
In front of her, pounding on a boxer's leather punch bag, stood Camilla, dressed for the gym, as she pounded into the leather and sand, the chains of the bag creaking ominously with each and every blow the female Tok'ra delivered. And Danny wasn't above betting that her friend wasn't holding back on her Tok'ra strength either.
For the first time in the few months since she'd first seen the tattoos on Earth, Danny could see said tattoos glistening as Camilla just pounded and pounded on the punch bag, beating it to a beat only she could hear. Also for the first time, Danny was seeing the woman working up a decent sweat in an exercise and she waited.
She wanted to talk to her friend, but not when she could really interupt whatever her friend was doing to calm herself down. Ever since Sheppard and his team had gone missing, the anthropologist had been forced to watch as her friend grew increasingly more desperate and angry as each day passed by with no word from Colonel Sheppard.
Hearing the pounding stop and the ominous creaking relax slightly, Danny ran a hand through her red hair and walked into the gym, passed the serving men that were giving Camilla a wide berth, and over to the woman in question.
The Tok'ra was leaning heavily against the punch bag, her shoulders heaving as Danny heard her struggling to even out her breathing. "What are you doing here, Danny?"
The anthropologist smiled as she leaned against the wall beside the punch bag, crossing her arms calmly over her chest as she looked at her friend. "Heard the pounding about two corridors away," she answered. "I came in when I heard the men pleading for help."
She smirked as her friend turned her head to look at the men, only for them both to see that all the men were now gone, several pieces of equipment creaking as if someone had only seconds ago left them. Camilla turned her head back to look at Danny.
"A real answer, please," the Tok'ra panted. "I'm not in the mood."
Danny arched a threaded eyebrow at that. "Since when have you been?" she asked in response. "You've been moping about since Lorne returned from searching the planet."
Camilla groaned and pressed her head to the punch bag for a few seconds. "Lorne came back with a series of addresses," she answered. "I've looked at the data straight from the D.H.D. and we will be lucky if we get a lead in the next year. Or even the next century."
Danny felt her heart breaking for her friend. She'd known the woman through letters, emails and phone calls for about a year before she'd met her in person a few short months after her encounter with Anubis and his men. The Tok'ra had never explained in detail what the Goa'uld had done to her, but she knew that her brother had been her sanity's anchor when she'd needed it most. Now her brother was M.I.A. and the poor girl had no idea about what she ought to be doing.
"Kel'an?" she asked calmly.
Danny watched as her friend bowed her head, her eyes closing for a few seconds before she lifted it again, a slight glow fading quickly from her eyes as Kel'an looked at her.
"You asked for me, Dr. Witcker," Kel'an said.
Danny smiled as she nodded, standing up from the wall. "I did," she answered. "Is there any way for you to get your host to take some time to just relax somewhere?" She tilted her head. "Martouf and Lantash being missing like this is not helping her and she needs somewhere for her mind to de–stress for a short while."
Kel'an tilted her host's head, the tilt very different to anything that Danny had seen from Camilla over the years. "It is possible that some time on the Mainland with the Athosians would be of help," she answered. "But my host is currently unhappy with you asking for my help."
Danny shrugged a shoulder, unconcerned. "She can whine at me later, Kel'an," she said. "But I'm more concerned for my friend than I am for her opinion of me."
Kel'an nodded at that, sighing. "I will retain control and ask Dr. Weir if you might take temporary control of both Translations and research of the Teniods," she said after a few seconds. "A few hours with Halling and Jinto will be something that my host needs."
Danny nodded at that, watching as Kel'an slowly got her feet underneath her body. "This is not how I wanted this to go, Kel'an," she said softly. "If Camilla could have continued without putting you both at risk, I would have gladly let it continue."
Kel'an smiled slightly, nodding. "I know, Dr. Witcker," she said. "My host will appreciate your efforts when she is not so angry at the both of us."
"Give me a heads up when she wants to kill me, will ya?"
A-A-A-A-A-A
John walked down the corridors of the Wraith ship, a small part of him wondering if some of the thoughts racing through his mind were thoughts Sumner had had before he'd shot him. He wondered if Sumner's fate awaited him wherever the Wraith guards were leading him.
Walking down one more corridor, he forced away the pain in his hand, doing his best to ignore it and the two Wraith hands that clung to him, keeping him firmly between the two Wraith guards. When they entered a large, dark room, John didn't protest as the two guards literally hauled him up onto a plinth in the middle of the room before he saw them going their separate ways, flanking him.
John did his best to keep them both in sight as he looked around, silently cursing the poor lighting before he felt a presence behind him. He turned around and froze at the sight that greeted him. Where the first female Wraith he'd seen had had red hair and white clothing, this one had white hair and black clothing that matched some of the other Wraith he had seen in the last year. She looked at him, her teeth gleaming as she reached out her right hand to him.
"Kneel," she breathed.
John glared at her for all of a few seconds before he felt a massive weight on his mind. "...kneel, kneel, kneel, kneel, kneel, kneel, KNEEL!"
He grunted as the pain forced him to his knees and for a split second, John got a feeling of what Colonel Sumner had gone through as he looked up at the Wraith, both of his knees bruised and aching. The female Wraith, smiling, calmly walked around him.
"The ship," she said. "Where did you get it?" She stopped in front of him, her head tilted slightly.
John blinked, doing his best to not answer, doing his best to not think how much like Camilla and Martouf she sounded but he felt the pain again and groaned.
"You mean the Dart?" he asked, hoping to at least divert some of the pain in his mind. "We call them Darts because they're so pointy."
The female arched what John could only call the equivalent of an eyebrow – he couldn't see one on her, but the muscle lifting was the same – as she looked at him and the pain got worse. "Tell me," she hissed. "Where?"
The pain doubled and John groaned. "I really don't want to say," he answered.
The smile she gave in response worried John as she shifted slightly. His gut was proven right when a second later she backhanded him. From the way his body stayed in one place while his head snapped to one side told John she wasn't using all of her strength, even as he absently straightened his jacket and looked back at her. He froze as the female leaned towards him.
In any other situation where she wasn't a Wraith and he wasn't already taken, John might have indulged in a look, but he kept his eyes on the Wraith as she lifted his head and trailed a finger down his cheek, making his skin crawl wildly.
"I don't even know your name," he rasped out.
The female Wraith gave him a chuckle. "In time you will tell me every–" she cut off and gave him a hiss reminiscent of a cat as her gaze focused elsewhere.
She turned away and stalked off, raising a hand absently as John felt the crushing pain leaving his mind. "Tell you what?" he called after her as the guards moved to pick him up. "What's wrong?!"
A-A-A-A-A-A
Janus watched the view dissipate in front of him and his companion. He would look in on Colonel Sheppard and his team in a while, but now he was curious about his companion.
"You never explained, child, why you came back to when I first met you," he said, looking at her. "I have no recollection of half of the things that you say we spoke about, but yet you know how I would have responded."
The woman beside him arched an eyebrow at him, her manicured appearance at odds with what he knew about her – a woman who enjoyed having a good fight, had a gritty nature at times and an attitude that was beyond her physical years.
"I told you, Janus," she said, "I lived beyond various points, when the time comes, you'll understand why I've told you everything I have." She sighed, running a hand through her hair – not that it was needed on the Ascended Plane where they no longer had physical bodies – hair that was obscured by the white energy of the plane, hiding her true hair colour. "If I do not tell you everything that I have and have planned to tell you, then I know I shall never return." She looked at him, her eyes now an impressively deep, pain filled blue, a contrast to the green he'd seen days ago. "I cannot remain here for all eternity, Janus, going back intermittently to help my friends and family." She sighed again. "I made a deal with Ameilus, Janus, so that I could do this. Please do not question me after all these eons of our acquaintance."
Janus looked at the woman, arching an eyebrow before he nodded. "I shall leave it be, for now," he told her as he nodded back to the expanse in front of them. "But only for a short while, my friend."
The woman smirked at him as the expanse shifted and changed to show a view in front of them. "I would not have it any other way, Janus," she said. "I would not."
A-A-A-A-A-A
Teyla watched as Jonas Quinn shifted slightly from where he sat on the floor, his head in his hands, the man muttering under his breath. She'd watched the man through their confinement to Aiden's world and had been surprised at the languages the man knew; the language of the Ancestors, the language of his people and several other languages he'd mentioned belonged to Earth as well as a few cultures that had become extinct for one reason or another. She'd seen the scraps of paper littered with the different styles of writing, more than she could fathom a person knowing and understanding.
The Athosian was sure that the man had either secreted his notes somewhere in his uniform or he had burned the notes, not leaving any possible traces for anyone else to read. Both thoughts brought a slight smile to Teyla's face, despite the worry she had for her friends, her team–mates and her team leader.
In between the few missions that she'd gone on once Colonel Sheppard had been cured of his transformation into a mutated Iratus bug, she'd spent a little time with Camilla and knew of the relationship beginning between her friend and the good Colonel. She was worried for them both and she hoped that they could escape from the Hive ship before anything went wrong.
Hearing footsteps, Teyla stood and looked out of the cell door, sensing Jonas Quinn following her as the others did the same. John appeared at the end of the corridor, a shadowy figure highlighted by two Wraith figures. The middle figure kept tripping slightly and the presence of the Wraith in her mind told her that the two on either side of John were pushing him forwards until they'd reached the cell door.
Teyla moved to the door. "Colonel?" she asked, letting her worry colour her voice.
Before he could answer, she watched as one of the Wraith reached up to grip John's shoulder firmly, turning it's mask covered face to look at a glowing console on the wall. It flashed for a moment before Teyla saw the door snap open, much in the same way the doors had when she had first been culled after meeting John that first, fateful time.
Before she could do anything, Teyla watched as one of the Wraith shoved John hard, forcing him inside the cell and crashing to the floor at her feet. She crouched down beside him, well aware of Ronon and Martouf moving to stand between them and the cell door as it shut, the two men an imposing presence as the Athosian woman helped John roll onto his back.
"Are you unharmed?" she asked him gently.
He groaned in answer. "Yeah," he answered.
She glanced up when she saw Ronon's hand suddenly appear in front of her and John, the Satedan offering it to the man. "Where'd they take you?" he asked.
Teyla stood smoothly as John let Ronon pull him to his feet, taking a seat on the crude bench beside the Air Force pilot as he sat down.
"A little Q and A with the Queen of the Hive," John responded to Ronon.
Hearing shifting further back in the cell, Teyla remembered Aiden, seeing the man moving closer into view. "What'd you tell her?" Aiden asked as Kanayo moved to stand beside him.
John shook his head. "It was a short conversation," he answered calmly. "She walked out."
"Why?"
Teyla watched as her friend's shoulders shrugged. "I don't know," he answered. "Maybe she was late for a meeting."
Teyla shook her head then, feeling the presence of more Wraith pushing down on her mind, even as she sensed the increasing agitation and anger from the Queen. "No," she told him and the others. "There's something else." She sighed. "I sense she was agitated, even angry."
She saw John's gaze turn to her, concern clear in his expression. "Why?" he asked.
Teyla found her gaze drifting upwards as the multiplying presences firmed in her mind, just on the edge. "Another Hive ship has arrived," she breathed.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Rodney walked into Jace's lab, going to a cabinet where he knew the man kept the Wraith enzyme bottled. He stopped in front of it and looked at the bottles. He'd already thought through the plan with what little remained of his sanity, going over it several times before he'd even thought of coming to the lab.
"Okay," he breathed. "You can take them out, easy. Just a few well-placed karate chops and, and, and, and down they go. Piece of cake. Let's, uh..."
He reached out to the cabinet before cursing and turning away.
"Are you an idiot?!" he snapped as he walked away before he took a breath and turned back around, pacing over to it and staring at the bottles inside for a few, long moments. "Desperate times, desperate measures," he muttered as he opened the door and reached towards a small phial before pausing and reaching, instead, for the large one.
He pulled it out and closed the cabinet before he looked down at the phial in his hand in awe. "That's one hell of a karate chop!" he breathed.
He took a breath and did what little he could to soothe his nerves. He really hoped this worked. He hoped it didn't kill him.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Cam paced inside Elizabeth's office, waiting for word from Lorne's team. She was still unhappy that Kel'an and Jonas had worked against her, but she'd calmed slightly in the presence of Jinto and his innocence on the Mainland, using the time to meditate some of her nerves away.
Now, back in Atlantis, Cam waited impatiently, even as she waited for Elizabeth to come into the office from where she'd been for the last hour.
You needed the time away, Kel'an breathed in her mind.
Cam groaned and knuckled her eyes. I know, she answered. But I didn't need you and Danny going behind my back and removing my control to do it.
She heard a sigh in response. I will not apologise for doing something that helped the two of us, Kel'an said before retreating.
Cam groaned again and opened her eyes at the unmistakable sound of a Stargate dialling in. She raced into the Control Room in time to hear one of the technicians calling in the expected 'unscheduled activation!'
Seconds later the wormhole stabilised and Cam moved to one of the screens, consulting the information as she watched Elizabeth race in. Her eyes raced across the screen before she crowed.
"It's Rodney's IDC," she told Elizabeth as she made a break for the stairs leading down into the Gate Room.
She vaguely heard Elizabeth calling for the shield to be lowered, even as she watched in surprise as a lone figure came through the event horizon. Rodney walked in around the second he was through and the Stargate shut down.
"I know what I need to do!" he called out.
Cam moved to intercept the man, taking his hands in hers. "Rodney?" she asked him gently. "What's happened?" She frowned. "Where are the others?"
A-A-A-A-A-A
Elizabeth watched as Camilla kept pace with an obviously irritated Rodney, the Tok'ra holding onto his hands as she finally managed to stop the man, his back to the doorway underneath the walkway Elizabeth stood on. She couldn't hear what was being said and a part of her didn't want to know as Camilla's expressions ranged from pleased, to irritated, outraged and finally anger before settling on something calmer as she focused on Rodney, holding onto him as gently as she could.
It was only when Elizabeth saw the female Tok'ra embrace the man that she began to worry. Her worry coalesced into fear as Camilla nodded once, her gaze focused on something underneath the walkway before bursts of bright blue energy shot out, hitting both the Tok'ra and the scientist in her arms.
Camilla collapsed first, her body arching as she gasped for air while Rodney seemed to fight the effects before collapsed beside her. In a heartbeat, she heard a radio beneath her buzz to life.
"Doctor Beckett," one of the Gate Room's many security personnel spoke in her ear. "We have two wounded incoming to you. Emergency status. Both have been struck multiple times by Wraith stunners. One of the wounded is Doctor McKay."
If Elizabeth hadn't been worry about the effects that the Wraith stunners would be having on Camilla, she would have laughed at the Scottish curses the man below her was receiving.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Steven Caldwell, Colonel of the Daedalus, walked into the Infirmary of Atlantis alongside Dr. Weir. He may not like the woman, but he respected her attitude and willingness to stand up to him and fight back. Very few things in life had the ability to surprise him, but the good doctor had.
He watched as Beckett turned away from McKay's bed and stop, his eyebrows flying into his hairline. "Colonel Caldwell!" he exclaimed. "I didnae think ye were due back here fer days."
Steven shrugged a shoulder slightly in response, even as he cast a look to Weir beside him. "Doctor Weir requested the we join the search ASAP," he answered. "So we pushed the engines a little."
Hermoid would probably have words with him for pushing the engines to their limits, but even the Asgardian understood the desire to help find lost teammates.
"How are they?" Weir asked.
Beckett looked at McKay first and Steven did so as well. The scientist was strapped to the bed, an oxygen mask over his face as he tossed and turned somewhat restlessly in the bed, even as the rest of his body seemed to convulse.
"Ah've sedated him," Beckett answered. "Administered a beta–blocker to bring his blood pressure down t' a more manageable level." The doctor sighed. "It's a wonder he didnae suffer a stroke." He looked, then, over to another bed, where another body lay still, the machines humming quietly around them. "The lass took several stunners full body an' Ah expect her to wake up in a few hours. Ah'm nae sure wha' symptoms following stunner exposure she'll experience, but the lass'll make a full recovery by the end of the day."
Taking a breath, Steven decided to direct the conversation where he need it to. "Has Doctor McKay mentioned anything further about the location of Colonel Sheppard and his team?" he asked.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Waking up after having been struck by Wraith stunners wasn't one of the most pleasant sensations Teyla had woken up to and she was wondering if stopping the mission to help the trapped people was worth the agony she was currently in. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing Ronon and Jonas Quinn sat opposite her, both looking worse for wear, even as Teyla found her gaze drifting to the cell door where she could see Kanayo standing, looking out on the dark corridor.
"Are you alright?" Ronon asked her gently.
Groaning, Teyla nodded. "I think so," she answered.
"You were shot by Wraith stunners," Kanayo spoke calmly. "You both went down pretty quick. The effects of the enzyme must be wearing off."
Teyla looked around then, frowning. "Where are the others?" she asked wearily.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Teyla watched as Ronon Dex moved from the cell door over to one of the benches to sit down, the Satedan groaning with the movement.
She looked to the man. "Are you alright?" she asked him gently.
He nodded slowly as he shifted to lie down on the bench. "I'm just tired," he answered.
Teyla nodded, she felt just as tired as her team mate and her gaze shifted to the rocking form that she could identify as Kanayo's. "No," he answered. "It's the enzyme leaving your bodies." The man sighed as he rocked in the shadows. "Mine too."
Teyla stood slowly, hissing as her body protested the movements as she looked at the other man. "How bad will it get?" she asked him gently.
She watched as both Ronon and Jonas looked at the man as well. "Bad," Kanayo answered. "Maybe not for you; you all haven't been on the enzyme for long." He looked away then, focusing his gaze elsewhere. "But me on the other hand..."
Teyla shared a look with Jonas Quinn, both of them understanding the unspoken. Kanayo would have the hardest time of them all if they could not get out and get more Wraith enzyme. Jonas Quinn sighed and shook his head, Teyla frowning at his lack of a reaction.
The man shrugged a shoulder. "It cannot be any worse than the pain I went through when Anubis tortured me for information of my home–world," he answered. "Nothing can be as bad as what I experienced then."
Kanayo snorted and shook his head. "It is the most painful thing to go through," the man muttered. "You have been on it long enough for your bodies to grow used to it. You'll be in agony for what feels like a lifetime, begging for more or for someone to kill you. Either way it more painful that anything you will have experienced before this."
Teyla watched as Jonas looked at the man and shook his head. "Nothing can be worse knowing that you alone are the reason a crazed half–Ascended being knows everything about your home," he said, "know where to strike to destroy the planet and where to destroy the people, all without lifting a finger." Jonas Quinn shook his head, his eyes haunted. "That is worse than any physical pain your can experience Kanayo. Trust me."
A-A-A-A-A-A
Kanayo recognised the signs of the final stages of withdrawal. He'd gone through it early on when he'd gotten separated from Lieutenant Ford once, but that was long ago now, back when he wasn't as reliant on the enzyme and the pain was worse now than what it had been then.
He slid to the floor, his body not responding as the pain got worse and worse, burning through his lungs and heart and everything in his body, tearing him apart. He felt a headache worse than anything he'd felt before and he couldn't help but relinquish control of his body as it started to seize, his muscles tensing and loosening at the same time, his arms thumping on the floor as he went through withdrawal.
He was vaguely aware of the Athosian woman crouched over him, the other, red haired woman sitting beside him, cradling his head as his body lolled about on the floor. As things went dark, Kanayo was aware of his body arching as his lungs burned for air that they weren't getting.
Then noise and sound faded away and he drifted.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Ronon stared at Teyla and Kanayo's body. The Satedan was hunched over himself, his body burning and aching as he watched the Athosian as she gingerly placed her hand to the prone man's neck, her eyes widening as she looked up at him and the others.
"He is dead," Teyla said softly.
Grunting through another surge of pain, Ronon ground his teeth together and waited for it to pass, even as he sensed Teyla standing and shuffling closer to him and Quinn, the sitting against the wall on the floor behind the bench, the man curled in on himself as he panted through the pain.
"Is that going to happen to us?" he asked the Athosian woman.
Before anyone could answer, a large male Wraith appeared at the cell door, another two, masked, Wraith behind him as he peered inside, hissing as his eyes fell on Kanayo. Ronon stood and looked at Kanayo's body before he looked to the Wraith.
With an arm wrapped around his stomach, he stumbled towards the door, glaring at the Wraith through his pain. "One less for you to feed on?" he asked.
Before he could do anything else, one of the Wraith levelled a stunner on him and Ronon whimpered as the pain of the stunner struck him, taking his feet out from under him as he collapsed back against the nearby wall, letting it take his weight as he fought through the pain. It wasn't until he heard the cell door snap shut, that he looked up, seeing Teyla sitting down heavily on the bench, her head in her hands.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Martouf ground his teeth as the last of the enzyme faded from his body, Lantash whimpering softly in his mind. The Tok'ra let his body curl in on itself as he leaned back against the Wraith wall, taking a shuddering breath in as he focused inwards on Lantash, on his symbiote.
If you ever put this in our body ever again, Lantash panted, I swear, Martouf, I will happily kill you myself.
Martouf groaned in response. Trust me, Lantash, he responded. If I do so, I will happily let you kill me without a fight!
The man opened his eyes, his gaze falling to the writhing form of Aiden Ford, the man's skin coated in sweat, more of it pooling on the floor beneath him. He rolled onto his side then, moving suddenly as he started to cough and Martouf got to his feet with a groan, hearing the Wraith in the corridor outside of the surprisingly large cell.
The woman sat beside Ford peddled away as a Wraith appeared at the cell door, her expression fearful as she forced herself into the odd–shaped corner that the Tok'ra had found earlier when the withdrawal hadn't been as bad.
"Move away from him!" the male Wraith snarled, even as two masked Wraith appeared behind him, the doors opening.
Martouf moved to place himself between the Wraith and Ford. "What will you do with him?" he asked.
"Move," the Wraith snarled.
Anger pooled in Martouf and he let Lantash take control, his eyes flashing ominously as they both ignored 'decorum'. "The man is sick," Lantash snarled at him, straightening his host's body. "What will you do with him?"
He saw the surprise in the Wraith's expression, even as the two masked Wraith moved around the Tok'ra, gripping Ford calmly. The male Wraith shook his head with a snarl.
"It is because he is sick we take him," he answered before turning on his heel and left.
Before Lantash could do anything, he watched as the guards quickly dragged Ford out, the cell door snapping shut behind them. Sheppard moved quickly to the webbed cell door.
"Where are you taking him?" he called after them. "Where?!"
"...to a cocoon," the woman behind them answered meekly. "It will preserve him... keep him from dying."
Dread settled in Lantash's stomach – both his host and his own body around his host's spine. "Keep that way until they are ready to feed," he breathed.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Cam sat, tired and aching, in a chair next to Rodney's medical bed in the private room Carson had directed her to after she'd woken up an hour earlier, her report to Elizabeth filed soon after. She sat, her hands absently fiddling with a pair of knitting needles and wool, doing her best to ignore the constant sounds from the machines that both monitored and kept Rodney alive.
I have a valid reason to not allow myself to be stunned again with those Wraith weapons, Kel'an complained in her mind. The effects linger far longer than those of a zat'nik'tel.
Cam nodded slowly, closing her blue eyes for a moment as she felt the full body sensation of hundreds – if not thousands – of pins and needles covering her body. At least we know something is not a dream if we can feel it, she responded tiredly as she opened her eyes to focus on Rodney. Though I am not sure I would have like this sensation when...
Cam drifted off and she felt Kel'an hum in her mind as she let go of one of the needles to absently rub at the back of her neck, soothed by the tactile presence of her symbiote. The two of them were close, even by Tok'ra standards and knew that Kel'an remembered Anubis' First Prime just as intensely as she did, and not just for the reason she was her symbiote. It was much more than that and they both knew it.
A quiet groan echoed in the air and it drew the two out of their thoughts, both sitting straighter as they watched Rodney's eyes flicker open with another groan. A French curse escaped the man and Cam huffed a weak laugh as she set aside the knitting needles and wool, instead reaching for the cool glass of water on the bedside table.
"Good to see you, Rod," she said softly as she moved to give the man a careful drink of the water.
He groaned as he pulled back slightly, his eyes focusing blearily on her for a moment. "...You okay...?" he rasped out.
Cam smiled then, setting the glass to one side as she sat down slowly on the edge of the medical bed. "Never better," she answered.
She had hope now. Nothing could make her feel worse. Nothing.
A-A-A-A-A-A
When Dr. Zelenka appeared in the Gate Room, the last light of the Asgard beaming technology fading from view, Cam watched with a hint of amusement as the man absently patted himself down for a brief moment before he nodded, muttering in Czech before he looked at her.
"The Daedalus leavfes in five minutes," he said.
Cam nodded as she looked to Elizabeth, both of them understanding without speaking that Rodney would be staying on the Daedalus with a Jumper onboard until he came back, with – or without – the rest of the team.
"I'll be in my office with the others," she told Elizabeth. "Keep me up to date?"
The older woman nodded. "I will," she promised.
A-A-A-A-A-A
John stared in horror at the Wraith feeding hand that descended towards him, ready to turn him into Sumner, to Ellis. It came charging towards him and he watched as time seemed to slow down for a split second before speed back up as a familiar charging sound filled the air before a red glow arched over the Wraith Queen's body.
Reacting as Neera and the other women raced from the room, John shifted into a crouch and turned to the source of the blast so reminiscent of Ronon's weapon and watched as Ford charged out from the shadows, Ronon's weapon in hand as he shot at two of the guards before tossing it to him, Ford's grip shifting to pick up a P–90 in his hands before firing.
John caught the weapon and fired on the male Wraith aiming at Ford. Before his shot reached the Wraith, he watched as a stunner blast raced towards the Lieutenant, the blue glow striking the man before dissipating. With one look at Neera, John got to his feet, wincing before he moved towards Ford, taking the pack that the man offered to him, slipping it on quickly.
"How'd you get our weapons back?" he asked.
Ford chuckled and moved to grip a weapon across his back, handing a stunned John Martouf's Staff Weapon. "That was the easy part," the Lieutenant answered. "Getting some of the enzyme... that was harder."
John held the Staff weapon in one hand, Ronon's weapon in the other as they both raced from the room. Absently firing on the guards in their way, John shook his head.
"You are one tough son of a bitch," he said, making his way down one corridor before stopping, sensing Ford behind him, not following, instead he was aiming his weapon back they way they had come. "What are you doing."
Ford turned and pointed with the P–90 at the corridor behind John. "Down that hall, fifty meter, turn left," he said. "It'll take you to Teyla's cell. She, Ronon and Quinn are there. Martouf's in the cell we were in, about thirty meters beyond that." He smirked slightly as he tilted his head. "I'll hold the Wraith back for you."
John walked towards Ford, tired beyond belief despite the adrenaline rushing through his system.
"You're coming with me," he said firmly.
Ford just continued to smirk at him, shaking his head. "I'll hold the Wraith back, boss," he responded. "Now go. I'll be OK."
John shook his head, remembering his promise to Ford's family."I'm not going without you, Lieutenant," he told him.
Ford shook his head, his amusement fading as his mismatched eyes turned hard. "John," he said firmly. "I'll catch up. Now GO!"
John could only watch as he turned and ran, a high–pitched screaming alarm sounding in the air around him. "Ford!" he shouted before he shook his head, the man disappearing into the gloom. "Oh, crap."
With more than a hint of regret, he turned and raced towards the cells, taking the corner Ford had told him to as he skidded around it.
A-A-A-A-A-A
Elizabeth nodded to one of the technicians, watching as John and the rest of his team calmly trooped off to the Infirmary. She'd already heard Chuck's report from the Daedalus.
"They've just entered Hyperspace, ma'am," Chuck answered.
Elizabeth smiled and relaxed at that, nodding. "Let Ms. Carter know that her brother, as well as the rest of the team are in the Infirmary," she told him. "I think she'd like to know."
A-A-A-A-A-A
Cam raced into the Infirmary, skidding to a halt just past the doorway that led into the room that a nurse had told her Carson would place John and his team. She watched as John stood nearby, his back to her as he kept his arms crossed pensively over his chest as the others on his team wearily laid or sat on various medical beds.
The female Tok'ra felt her eyes drifting over everyone, her gaze settling on Jonas first. The Kelownan scientist lay on his back on a medical bed nearby, his arms folded loosely over his stomach as he seemed to sleep while Teyla and Martouf sat nearby. Ronon lay behind those two as Carson worked on him and Cam just smiled as she moved further into the room, making straight for her brother.
Carson had managed to get his hands on her brother, his uniform folded carefully at the foot of 'his' bed while he sat, dressed in the Infirmary's medical white scrubs of the patients. Martouf laughed softly as he shifted his legs off of the bed, opening his arms to her as she neared him.
Cam gave her own laugh as she let her brother draw her into a tight embrace. She felt her bones creak ominously at the strength in her brother's embrace, but she didn't care. She didn't even worry that her own strength was beyond normal, she was more concerned that she had her brother back.
"Tal'ma'te Martouf," she breathed. "I missed you, you mikta." [Tal'ma'te is an affectionate greeting/farewell. Whole sentence translates to: "Welcome Martouf. I missed you, you ass."]
Her brother laughed and tightened his grip on her for a moment before he pulled back to look at her. She saw his brow furrow at something he saw on her face and Cam sighed as she shook her head.
Please, Kel', she thought softly.
She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling her symbiote take control. Kel'an opened her eyes to look at her fellow Tok'ra, smiling softly.
"She is well, Martouf," she said softly. "Now that you are back, she will be better knowing that you are here."
Martouf smirked slightly, pulling her back into his embrace. Kel'an continued to smile, returning his embrace.
"Are the rest of us interrupting?" she heard Jonas ask. "I think we can leave the room if Dr. Beckett will allow it."
The female Tok'ra turned her attention to the Kelownan, smiling slightly at him. "Come now, Jonas," she said, her tone slightly reproachful, negated by the smile on her face, "you know that my host and I missed our brother especially."
The man shook his head with a smile on his face. "And we missed you too, Kel'an," he responded.
Kel'an laughed at that, letting her smile morph into an affectionate grin. "And we, you, Rai," the female Tok'ra responded before she looked at the others, seeing their grins and smirks. "Oh hush!" [Rai = Star. It is a joke shared by Jonas and Camilla & Kel'an. An in–joke about their various origins]
A-A-A-A-A-A
"Alrigh'," Beckett muttered. "Up ye go."
Ronon took the hand that Beckett offered to him, blinking the white light out of his eyes, thankful that Beckett had finished his examination. Despite being less sensitive than when he'd been on the enzyme, he easily heard two pairs of footsteps coming towards the Infirmary, easily a few meters from the open door.
He'd heard Camilla racing towards the doorway earlier, the sound drawing a smirk from the Satedan. The woman was close to her brother – he'd seen it early on in his stay in the City – and he hadn't been surprised at the speed the woman had come at the room.
"Why aren't you dead?" he heard McKay ask.
Ronon sat up and rolled his neck before he looked at the man, seeing his arms crossed over his chest and his head tilted slightly as he waited for an answer. Sheppard smirked slightly and turned around to look at the scientist.
"Ah, it's good to see you too, Rodney," the Colonel commented.
McKay shook his head. "No, no," he muttered. "I mean– well, you know what I mean. Why aren't you... dead?"
Sheppard snorted and shook his head. "Well," he began, "I knew when the Hives started to shoot at each other, it was just a matter of time before they blew each other up, so I went to the Space Gate and dialled an address where I could land safely." Without seeing Sheppard's face, Ronon knew the man was smirking. "I didn't think the Dart would fit in our Gate Room."
The Satedan watched as Teyla nodded. "The Colonel was kind enough to make us whole again," she added. "And we returned home."
Caldwell stood next to McKay, Ronon noted absently, the man's own arms crossed over his chest. "I'm curious, Sheppard," he said. "how did you know the Wraith would fight each other?"
Sheppard shrugged a shoulder. "Uh, a little intel from Ford in the game, plus, uh, well, I kinda goosed things along with the Queen," he answered.
Martouf hummed then. "It seems that the Wraith are becoming more territorial than we originally believed," he said. "From what little I saw, there was a certain tension amoung them."
Ronon grunted at that. "Which is good for us," he pointed out.
The Satedan heard another hum, this time from Dr. Weir, the woman having kept to the background of the room and the current conversation. "Certainly is," she agreed. "It also opens a brand new strategy in fighting them."
Ronon tilted his head, mildly curious as he watched Dr. Weir giving a look to Caldwell, the man looking away after a moment.
"Hmm!" McKay muttered, his eyes tracking around the room for a moment. "And, and, where's Ford?"
Ronon shook his head then. "He was aboard the hive ship when it was destroyed," Teyla answered.
"He was last seen aboard the Hive ship," Sheppard added, his tone somewhat distant.
"What does that mean?" McKay demanded.
Sheppard shook his then, running a hand through his hair. "Well, you know Ford," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if we run into him again."
A-A-A-A-A-A
JOHN'S QUARTERS, HOURS LATER
Cam waited until the doors had slid shut behind her before she let John draw her against him She'd waited as long as she could before coming to his quarters, understanding a desire to decompress after so long away from the City, but Cam hadn't been able to stay away for long. She didn't fight John's tug, or his tight embrace. She willingly burrowed into him, her face nestled into his neck as she wrapped her arms around his body, a mirror of John's own actions.
Her... boyfriend's face was buried in her hair as his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly against his body. With each other pressed so close, so tightly to one another, they could feel the strength hidden in the other's body. With her arms wrapped around John's chest, Cam could easily feel the wiry strength hidden in his lean frame while John could easily feel the strength in her, the man feeling just a slight vibration in the muscles under his touch.
Taking a breath in, Cam smelt the familiar scent that was John Sheppard, a scent she'd grown used to smelling from those occasions where he'd held her as they'd both relaxed, his scent wrapping around her. He smelt of sandalwood, cinnamon and a metallic smell she'd come to associate with the Puddle Jumpers. Any smells that he'd had from the mission were gone, washed away by a recent shower, leaving behind the scents that clung to man and Cam relaxed as much as she could.
She'd never tell Teyla, but days after John and the others had gone MIA, she'd snuck into John's quarters and 'borrowed' one of his shirts, the man's scent somehow clinging to it. The shirt, now, sat near her pillow in her quarters, folded carefully, waiting for her to use to soothe her nerves.
Cam heard John take a breath and the woman wondered if he was smelling her shampoo or deodorant. Though, if she honestly thought about it, she assumed John would be smelling the grapefruit shampoo she used and the Naquadah that flooded her veins and the cells of her body.
She felt his grip tighten on her for a few seconds before he relaxed. "I missed you," he breathed.
Well aware of her strength, and more than a little wary of it, Cam tightened her grip for a moment before relaxing. "And I missed you," she answered. "You were gone for so long!"
The pilot huffed a laugh into her hair before he pulled back to look at her. His hazel eyes darted over her face, a mirror of Cam's own as they both looked at each other, taking a closer look at the other, both seeing the exhaustion in the other's face. When John reached a hand out to cup her cheek, Cam couldn't stop her wince or subsequent flinch. For a single moment, the memories came back, a cruel touch to her cheek; a slap, a punch or a hard digging grip into the skin as her attacker tortured her.
As she looked back at John, she saw his eyes flash dangerously as he finally cupped her cheek and Cam relaxed into it after a moment's hesitation. His touch was so different to the one she remembered and she relaxed further, even as she felt John's other hand come up to cup her other cheek. He leaned forwards, gently pressing his forehead to hers.
"I won't hurt you," he told her. "Not again."
Cam smiled weakly up at him, feeling the memories fade as she nodded once in his gentle grip. "I know," she breathed. "...I'm learning..."
John returned her smile. "And I'll help," he promised softly.
The woman felt her smile shift into a grin as she looked at him before she slowly rolled onto the balls of her feet and pressed a swift kiss to John's mouth, pulling back after a moment. "You already do," she told him. "You already do help."
This is the third chapter in A New Path. I look forward to reading everyone's reviews. :D
Until next time!