I hear the doors swish open and turn around to see Maria entering the room with Evan just behind her. I've long since forgiven him for the football incident with Logan (who could stay mad at a face like that?) so I smile and say, "Hey there."

He returns my smile and says, "Hey back."

"You're here early." I notice. Usually the others arrive before or the same time as them.

"Yea, about that...there's something I want to ask you." Evan says, suddenly becoming uneasy.

"Sure, what?" I ask, sitting down on an edge of my desk.

"Well, I have to go off world for a few days and I was wondering if you'd watch Maria for me. It'd be for two nights, three tops."

I smile and nod my head. "I'd love to." I say.

Evan smiles and says, "Thanks. We're going to be checking in daily so you can ask me any questions if any thing comes up."

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. When do you leave?"

"In two days, I wanted to ask you ahead of time in case you couldn't."

"Now why would I do that? You know that I adore Maria." I say, smiling.

"I know, I just didn't know if you wanted to baby-sit again. I know that we've stuck you with the kids a lot in the past."

I shake my head and say, "Don't worry about it; Dr. Weir told me that that might happen. Part of the job. Besides, I don't think of it as babysitting."

Evan opens his mouth to reply but then the door opens and in come Jason and Jamie grinning from ear to ear with John behind them.

"Max!" Jamie says, running over to me. "Look at this!"

"What you got there?" I ask, kneeling to get a closer look.

"Mommy gave it to me," she says, holding out her hand. In it is a small necklace, a light brown color. "She said that when you hold it and make a wish the Ancestors hear it and if you wish hard enough then it'll come true."

I smile; it looks so delicate, yet sturdy at the same time, and wonderful. "Well that's very special. Why don't we put it in a safe place so it won't get lost?" I say, holding out my hand to take it.

Jamie seems to hesitate and looks up at John, asking a silent question. He nods and says, "I think that that's a good idea. You don't want to lose it the first day you've had it, do you?"

Jamie shakes her head and hands it to me. I smile and stand to put it on my desk. As I do I realize that Evan is gone. He must have left when I was distracted with Jamie. I feel slightly disappointed that he left with out saying that he'd see me later.

-This Ocean Drive Is doing me just fine 'Cause after leaving tonight I'm all tensed up inside…-

It's 5:30am and that's early even for me. But I'm up this early by choice; Evan is leaving today and I wanted to say goodbye before he Gates to wherever his team is going. Maria is still sleeping in her room. "You sure that you're ok with me staying here?" I ask, as Evan walks into the living room with his pack. " 'Cause it'd be no trouble to have her stay at my place."

"Really it's no problem. I've even cleaned up for you, to show that I'm not just a pretty face." He says, teasing me.

"I already knew that." I tease back. "If you insist..."

"I do, now stop asking me." He says, hefting his pack onto his back. "We're checking in at twenty one-thirty tonight and I've already cleared it with Dr. Weir so you can talk to me if you want to. Maria as well if she's still up."

"Will do, although I think that she might be asleep by then. I'll see how the day goes." I say.

"Sounds good. I'll talk to you then." He says walking towards the door. The door opens and he pauses, turning around before exiting. "See you later." He says, flashing me a trademark smile.

I smile in return and say, "Stay safe."

"Will do." He then turns back around and heads out the doorway.

As he leaves I can't help but get a sinking feeling in my stomach. Something feels hinky, but I can't put a finger on it. I shrug it off as paranoia and hop into the shower to get ready for the day

The next few days pass relatively quiet, I talk to Evan the first night he's gone but miss the second check in because Maria, Alex, Lydia and myself were watching 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' and laughing helplessly at "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

But for some reason the sinking feeling hasn't gone away; it's only gotten stronger each day that Evan's gone. It's strange, I know, but I can't help but feel that something is wrong and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

Somewhere along in the bitterness And I would have stayed up with you all night Had I known how to save a life…

It's afternoon and the kids (save Maria) have been picked up. I suggest that we do something fun; one last jaunt before daddy comes home. Maria seems excited at the prospect of doing something fun so we head down to the main corridors. There's an activities board that someone put up the second year of the expedition and there are notices about all sorts of stuff. We head over to the board and that's where we are when the 'Gate Activation' alarm goes off. I ignore it; it's always going off and Evan is scheduled to return today. "Look's like they got back early." I think, glossing over the 'Bungee Jumping off the North Balcony' notice.

But then a voice, Chuck's I think, calls out, "Med team to the Gate room."

That can't be good. I sigh, I guess that I should see if Carson needs me to watch Stuart; Laura's off world at the moment as well, but with a different team. I take Maria's hand and as we head down the hallway I activate my headset and call for Carson. "Do you need me to watch Stuart for you?" I ask.

"Thank you, but Katie Brown's already wit' him." He says. "Now if ye don' mind…"

"Say no more. I know that you're gonna be busy." I say. I look down at Maria and say, "How about we get some ice cream? I think Alex has some stashed away just for us."

"Really?" Maria asks, grinning.

I smile as well and laugh. "I think so." We head down the hallway, towards the transporter when there's yelling for people to get out of the way; Carson and his team are coming through and they've got wounded. I move with Maria to the side, and wait as they race down the hallway with gurneys. I can't help but wonder who got hurt. The first one passes but I don't see who it is because Steve and Melissa block my view. I get a clear look of the second person and I wish that I hadn't. It's Evan.

He looks horrible; dirt all over his face, his camo ripped and bloodstained. As they roll past I see blood on the left side of his face and guess that there's a gash on that side as well. He's unconscious, and looks deathly pale. I move to put my hands over Maira's eyes so she doesn't see him like that, but I'm too slow. She already has.

"Daddy!" she cries out, letting go of my hand and starting towards him.

I go after her and grab onto her before she's able to get to far.

"No!" she cries out, tears falling on her face. "Let me go!"

"Maria, I can't." I say calmly, blinking back tears.

"No!" she yells, struggling to get out of my grip. "Daddy needs me!"

I hold onto Maria and pull her close, kneeling as I do. "I know, sweetie. I know." I sooth.

"No you don't." She says, sniffling. "Let me go!"

I don't say anything, there's nothing that I feel will reassure her that everything will be alright. Maria gives into the tears and cries. I hold her and do my best to comfort her. But it's hard because I can't help but feel that Maria is about to become an orphan a second time.

A/N: -insert something witty- See the previous chapters for discalimer. R&R.