Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.

Part 14/24

-Chapter 14-

Preparations

-Atlantis – Past-

As they waited for Dr. Weir, Colonel Caldwell and Hermiod to arrive at Rodney's crowded lab, John nudged Sheppard's elbow with his own. When Sheppard glanced his way, he said out of the corner of his mouth, "Caldwell ought to wig when he sees there're two of us."

Unholy glee sparkled briefly in Sheppard's eyes. "You think?" The sober look returned. He seemed to want to say something more; but sounds several people approaching drew everyone's attention to the door.

Elizabeth entered first. She went straight to where Rodney and Radek stood by the lab bench with the Thing. John felt a little stab of hurt when she didn't so much as glance in his or Sheppard's direction. He shook it off. He knew her so well, knew that super-controlled look on her face. He'd seen it before. She was in her emotional lockdown mode: all her energy focused on the current crisis, anything that might distract her from her task blocked out.

"What the--!" Caldwell, entering just after Elizabeth, stopped dead two paces inside the lab. Hermiod, the Asgard liaison with the Daedalus, sidestepped quickly and also came to an abrupt halt.

John and Sheppard, in unplanned but perfect synchronization, tipped their heads back slightly in a "how ya doin'?" motion. A look very like frustrated disbelief smoldered in Caldwell's brown eyes.

"Dr. Weir," he began sharply. At that moment, on the other side of the room, Ronon and Dex crossed their arms. Caldwell's head jerked around in their direction. He drew a deep, audible breath. "Dr. Weir," he repeated, thrusting his head a little forward as he turned his attention back to her, "an explanation of what is going on here, please?"

Completely unfazed, Elizabeth returned his look coolly. "I apologize for the shock, Colonel Caldwell, Hermiod," she said. "But there was really no good way to prepare you for this beforehand. Now, as for that explanation, if you'll both have a seat, I'll begin."

As Elizabeth launched into a crisp summary of the situation, John watched Caldwell closely. Daedalus's commander had his face under control now. The blanker his expression became, though, the tighter the knot of tension in John's belly grew.

And the funky, naked little grey alien staring at him with big unblinking eyes wasn't helping, either.

Caldwell listened in stony silence until Elizabeth began outlining Plan B: detonating the Daedalus's hyperdrive. His façade cracked, displaying the hostility beneath. "You want me to blow up my ship? That is the most insane--"

"It's how we destroyed the Hive ships the first time." Ronon cut Caldwell off. "The Daedalus had taken so much damage it couldn't fight, couldn't retreat; so you ordered the hyperdrive to be overloaded. The explosion destroyed all the Hives and saved what was left of Atlantis." He pinned Caldwell with a look that dared him to argue.

John had a sudden, vivid memory: Ronon kicking a chair out of the way, grabbing a Goa'uld-possessed Caldwell, effortlessly slinging him over a table and across the room. He wondered if Caldwell were remembering also.

Elizabeth intervened smoothly, automatically reducing the threat level. "I am confident we will not have to exercise that option this time. We are forewarned. Doctors McKay and Zelenka have been working non-stop on bypassing the failsafes on the time travel device so we can detonate it. I assure you, that is our preferred plan. No one wants to sacrifice the Daedalus and its crew."

"Even though it may still come to that," Caldwell shot back. "So, do I assume the Pentagon and the I.O.A. are onboard with this?"

Elizabeth's chin went up slightly at the veiled challenge. "I'm sure you're quite aware we have not consulted Earth," she said. "We are conserving every last bit of ZPM energy we can to power the shield when the Wraith attack comes. Every second we buy now may be very precious later."

"Dr. Weir." For the first time Hermiod spoke. He had remained standing next to where Caldwell half-perched on a lab stool; perhaps he felt it beneath the dignity of an Asgard to climb up onto the one saved for him. "While I concur with the wisdom of attempting to destroy the Ancient time travel device," Rodney and Radek bridled with offense, "I cannot agree with your primary purpose in doing so. Altering a timeline, wiping out one history to replace it with another you find more favorable is," he paused for two slow blinks of his enormous eyes, "foolhardy."

Up to that point, John had been determined to respect the distance Elizabeth seemed to want between them. This was too much, though: he took the four steps needed to bring him to stand behind her left shoulder. He wasn't at all surprised when Sheppard moved in the same instant to take up a mirroring position to her right. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ronon and Dex, Teyla between them, move a little closer to Elizabeth as well.

Elizabeth didn't openly acknowledge their support; but John noticed how her shoulders went a little straighter. "Foolhardy," she repeated. "Perhaps. But in our 'foolhardy' way, we are attempting to prevent, among other things, the certain destruction of Daedalus. We have considered very well the consequences of our actions, and have concluded this is the only possible course we can take." Her voice took on an edge of hard authority. "But be very clear on this, gentlemen: With or without your cooperation we will find a way to make this happen. If you choose not to help us, you can take Daedalus back to Earth -- and try to prepare the Milky Way for the Wraith onslaught that will surely follow Atlantis's fall."

John's heart ached with pride and love of her, though he let none of it show. He kept his eyes fixed on Caldwell. Face it, guy: You're never going to get the best of her! On the heels of the thought, he saw the miniscule shift of stance that signaled capitulation.

"Go on," was all Caldwell said though. "I'm listening."

Sheppard cleared his throat and spoke. "We've already begun implementing contingency plans for city defense in case the shield fails before we can detonate the device. Our Marines are setting up rail gun positions and our techs are running combat preflight checks on all our Jumpers." He paused, then added carefully, "Of course, our aerial defenses would be greatly augmented by the addition of your F-302s."

"Done," Caldwell agreed with barely any visible signs of struggle. "I'll give the orders as soon as this briefing dismisses."

"I've got the first failsafe licked," McKay said. Radek looked sour and muttered something in Czech under his breath. Ignoring him, Rodney continued, "The second one is being a little more difficult, but I'm sure I'll figure it out in plenty of time. Especially once I get my lab back."

"All nonessential expedition personnel will be evacuated to our Alpha site before the Wraith arrive." Elizabeth addressed the civilian side of preparations. "Specialists Dex have agreed to help Teyla with the evacuation of the Athosians on the mainland. As soon as a Jumper clears preflight, it will be detailed to--"

"Excuse me, Doctor," Caldwell interrupted. "The Daedalus can handle the mainland evacuation in one trip -- no need to tire your Jumper pilots."

John saw that Teyla looked almost as surprised as he felt. She tipped her head in a respectful nod. "Thank you, Colonel Caldwell," she said. "That will indeed make things much easier on my people."

Daedalus's commander returned her nod with a sketchy one of his own. He looked back at Weir. "One more thing, Doctor. I'd like to evacuate all nonessential Daedalus personnel to the Alpha site as well."

"Of course, Colonel." She swept the room with a glance. "Anything else, anyone?"

Ever since Caldwell abandoned his opposition, John had noticed Hermiod edging closer to the workbench holding the Thing. Now the Asgard said, "It will also be more expedient to move the device to the Daedalus now." As McKay's arms twitched in an abortive snatch at the Thing, he added smoothly, "Drs. Zelenka and McKay are naturally welcome to come along and assist."

"Assist? What do you mean, assist--" Rodney was nearly bug-eyed with rage.

"Dr. McKay, Dr. Zelenka, please oversee the transfer of the device and get those fail safes ready to be overridden as quickly as possible." Elizabeth still had that note of quiet command in her voice. "All right, everybody, we all know what we have to do. Let's go do it."

-Atlantis – Past-

It was late night again, and John still couldn't sleep. He paced Atlantis, wondering what part of defending the city he'd missed, fighting the urge to turn his steps towards Weir's office.

He lost. He took the long way around, though, intending to approach the control room from the Gate level. Without consciously realizing, he was backtracking along the way he and Elizabeth had taken the night before.

Voices reached him as he approached a corridor junction. He automatically halted, recognizing Elizabeth's -- and his own, listening unwillingly.

"Elizabeth, please at least consider going to the Alpha site. Everything that can be done here is done, or about to be."

"You know I can't do that, John. I'm the leader of this expedition; my place is here."

John bit his lip, feeling Sheppard's desperation in his gut. "And this expedition needs you alive to lead it. You'll actually still be serving that need by keeping yourself safe."

"I'm staying here." She was still in that lockdown state. He could hear it in her voice. "That's final."

"Elizabeth." The words could be ripping themselves from his own throat, they hurt so badly. He closed his eyes and turned his head slightly away. "I need you to stay alive. I—"

"Don't. Please don't." Her self-control was fraying, her voice going a little ragged. "Not now. After we save the city. . .but not now. Not now."

Moving as silently as he had when stalking the invading Genii, John withdrew. Maybe he should've kept his mouth shut; maybe in trying to make things be better, he'd actually made them worse.

Well, that would be par for the course.

He wandered past McKay's empty, darkened lab -- too bad the scientist wasn't available for a little recreational harassing. He eventually passed the gym, giving the inside an idle glance, remembering all the times he'd spent there--

He realized he was saying goodbye to Atlantis even as he noticed the dreadlocked figure squatting in the shadows against the far wall.

"Ronon," he said, pausing to lean a shoulder against the doorjamb. "You okay?"

Ronon gave him a long look, seeming to be as worn down as John felt. Comprehension dawned. John went over and eased himself down beside the other man, loosely resting his wrists on his upraised knees. "You tried to get Teyla to go to the Alpha site."

"We both did. She won't go." There was a brief silence; John felt Ronon glancing at him sideways. "You try with Weir?"

"He did. She isn't budging either."

Another long pause. Then, "Sheppard," Ronon said, his voice low and strained. "You thought about what's going to happen when they blow that Thing?"

John took his time answering. "A little. Best case scenario, they blow it before the shield fails, and Atlantis takes no damage at all."

"And we just fade away." Ronon seemed to replay those words in his mind. A puff of breath like a sigh escaped his lips. "Not the way I'd planned to go."

"Me neither." John watched the moonlight slide infinitesimally across the opposite wall. "Of course, worst case scenario the shield goes down and we go out fighting."

The corner of Ronon's mouth turned up ever-so-slightly. He tipped his head back to rest it against the wall. John settled his shoulders a little more comfortably. They sat together, the warrior from Sateda and the warrior from Earth, as the next-to-last night of their lives slipped silently past.

To Be Continued. . .