Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.
Part 6/24
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to leelakin, who made me an awesome cover for this story. Thank you so much!
-Chapter 6-
The Plan Comes Together
"Well, it's about time!" John leaned against the edge of Rodney's worktable. He pointed a finger at the Thing, which had just been confirmed to be a time-travel machine. "What took you so long to figure that out?"
Disgruntled, McKay tapped the outer casing of the time machine with the handle of his screwdriver. "This isn't exactly a baby's rattler, Colonel. It's a very precise piece of Ancient technology."
John's eyes lit up a little. "Yeah?"
Rodney waved one hand. "I really wish you'd stop doing that little thing you do whenever you think something is a really big space gun." He turned to include Ronon in the conversation. The tall Satedan was lurking in the back of the room, his arms crossed and an exhausted look on his face. Apparently he hadn't slept any better the night before than John had. "I can say with certainty that it is indeed a time travel device, and I know how to make it work." He paused, staring at the Thing, a hesitant look on his face. "There's just one hitch."
John scowled. He should have known: there was always a hitch. "Yeah? And what would that be?"
Rodney looked up at him, concern and a slight hint of regret in his eyes. "It will only transport two people back through time. There is a very precise computation that has to be inputted into the device before it will activate, and someone has to do it manually. There's no, ah, time delay." Before John could even open his mouth to say anything, Rodney held up his hand. "I volunteer to stay. Before you say anything, you know it's better this way. Who better to work this thing than me? Besides, I'm not that good in a fight situation. Someone needs to stay here, in the future, I guess you'd say, to run interference with Doctor Peterson, and explain what happened when you two suddenly disappear."
John knew Rodney had a point. Some secret, dark part of him was grateful that the scientist had volunteered to stay. Still, it made him feel a little bad to leave McKay to take the heat. "Are you sure. . .?"
McKay snorted derisively. "Are you kidding?" He smiled a little nervously, eyes darting back and forth among Ronon, John, and the Thing. "Truthfully, uh, the thought of time travel freaks me out a bit. It's a very complicated process, one that I both fortunately and unfortunately understand in extraordinary detail."
John held up his hand. "I get the feeling those are details I don't want to hear about. All I need to know is, is this going to work or not?"
Rodney squinted at the Thing. "There's always a slim chance it won't, but I'm fairly confident you won't pop out back before the city was flown here."
"Rodney!"
"It'll work." He quickly amended his comment, a weak smile curling his lips. "I'm sure of it."
"Good." John tapped his fist on the lab table and grinned. "Then I do believe it's time to do some final planning."
-Atlantis-
Ronon checked his blaster and left his quarters without a backwards glance. He headed towards McKay's lab. It was 0230 Atlantis time, the window of least activity in the city. He, McKay, and Sheppard had all decided that was the best time to activate the time device and make the jump. Discovery would be less likely than during the day when all the scientists (and even, upon occasion, Doctor Peterson herself) could potentially descend upon the lab.
His steps faltered when he approached Teyla's quarters. It had only been a few days since she'd died. So far no one had disturbed her quarters to pack up her things to take back to her people, though he knew a few people had gone in to leave items in memory of the Athosian woman.
Glancing over his shoulder guiltily to make sure no one was around, he swept his hand over the door controls, slipping inside as soon as they were far enough apart to step through. He paused, barely hearing the door slide shut behind him as he looked around. Something deep inside him whispered that he was, technically, invading Teyla's personal space, but he ignored it.
A dresser stood against one wall; four or five candles sat on top, along with a small wooden box. The box's lid was open, revealing a few bead necklaces tangled together. The bed was neatly made, the loose pants and top she slept in folded up neatly and placed at the foot of the bed. A small bouquet of wildflowers from the mainland, long wilted, sat in a small green glass vase in the center of the bedside table. Ronon swallowed hard when he saw them, remembering the night he'd given them to her—the same night he'd kissed her.
Moonlight trickling in through the glass windows gleamed off something laying on the nightstand next to the vase. Ronon silently crossed the room to look more closely.
The gleam came from a necklace of earth-toned beads. Pain struck his heart at the sight of it and he closed his eyes. He recognized it. He'd given it to her for her birthday. Her birthday and the Harvest Festival falling on the same day had made it even more perfect; in fact, he'd given her the necklace right before he kissed her. He opened his eyes again and noticed something leaning against the vase. He reached out and picked it up, tilting it to catch the moonlight.
It was the picture Sheppard had taken of them during the Harvest Festival. During the grief-numbed days since then, he'd forgotten about it. The moonlight leached all colors and most details from the photograph; but it didn't matter. Memory overwhelmed him. He was there again. He felt Teyla's shoulders under his arm, felt the warm, slender strength of her against his side. He saw the daring sparkle—oh, how he missed it!—in her eyes as she smiled up at him. Her new necklace caught the bonfire's light, the colors taking on even warmer tones from her glowing skin. He could even smell the flower she'd taken from his bouquet and tucked into her hair. He remembered feeling happy, so nearly at peace. . .
Fresh grief surged up, drowning the moment in the memory of Teyla two weeks later: burned, bloody, dying. Ronon's jaw clenched and his hands started to tighten into fists. The feel of the picture in his right hand stopped him; his gaze focused on the moon-dimmed image.
It seemed to dare him to hope again. Maybe she didn't have to endure that pain; maybe she didn't have to die. He drew in a deep breath and, with it, resolution. Tucking the picture into his pocket, he turned on his heel and left the room.
This time, he would be there. This time, he would save her.
-Atlantis – Present Day-
Rodney looked from the Thing to Ronon and John, standing side-by-side in front of the Ancient device. Both men looked resolute, a grim determination in their eyes.
John met McKay's look and nodded. "We're ready, Rodney. And thanks."
McKay smiled thinly. "Yeah. Just—you two be careful." He inputted the code required to send them back to when they needed to go. He looked up at the ceiling, brought his gaze down to move rapidly around the room. "And—uh—good luck."
John closed his eyes and filled his lungs with air, waiting for something, he wasn't sure what, to happen to him. He heard McKay say, "Transfer in three. . .two. . .one. . ." His ears popped suddenly and painfully. A bright red light exploded behind his eyelids. His body started falling through space, making him feel like he was pulling heavy Gs in that F302 again.
Then, as abruptly as the ride had started, it stopped, leaving his ears ringing. The light faded away. His feet were once more planted on solid ground.
Please be right. . . Hope and a small bit of fear that something had gone wrong warred in his heart as he slowly allowed his eyes to drift open.
A small, involuntary sound escaped his throat because green eyes were staring at him in shock and curiosity from only a few feet away. Those clear jade eyes looked at him out of a beautifully sculpted face framed by curly dark hair.
"Elizabeth!"
To Be Continued. . .
