For a moment, the little group stood in silent stillness outside the heavy door. One minute, Cat was there, placing the locket in the key and the next she had disappeared. There hadn't been a sound, just a white flash of light. Briefly, John couldn't help wondering why these things always seemed to happen to them.

'Rodney?' he queried. 'What the hell just happened? Do you have any readings and why didn't we have any readings before?'

'There's nothing, no life-sign, no energy readings, nothing,' Rodney replied, with a sharp grimace at John's angry but concerned expression. 'And there was nothing before. Hold on…..' and he paused.

'What...what?' Why did the man always do that?

'There was a brief energy sign just about the same time as she disappeared. It's clearly Ancient, but that's all I can say at the moment.' Rodney bent over his tablet and continued working furiously.

From the corner of his eye, Ronon spotted Balthus attempting to shuffle away and he blocked his path. John wheeled on Balthus: he felt like punching the man's lights out. Somehow, the little man was responsible for this and he was damn well going to sort it out. 'Counsellor,' he began, as politely as he could muster, 'can you shed any light on what just happened? Where is my wife?' It wasn't often that he used that term, especially off-world, but it seemed highly appropriate at the moment: the man needed to realise his predicament here. And for those who knew John, the calm forcefulness in his voice foretold real danger if he didn't get the answer he wanted or people he loved were threatened; his face was set in a neutral expression, but the green eyes flashed the anger he was trying to contain. Not a violent man, he had proved himself quite capable of taking 'firmer' action where need be. Ronon stood behind him, blaster casually cocked, ready to assist if necessary. Teyla moved behind Balthus, again calmly and with a quiet smile. As ever, the team worked as one, in tune with each other to an almost uncanny degree. 'If anything has happened to her, and I find out it's his fault….' John tried to calm his thoughts.

Balthus shifted uncomfortably. 'I am very sorry, Colonel. The door has not opened for some time and I did not know what was going to happen.' He hesitated, sensing the danger around him. 'There are old stories…that the entrance is guarded by magic and only the chosen can enter. That is why we asked for Atlantis' help. For many years, no-one on Danthos has been able to call up the magic of the old ruins. We have known of you for some time, but it is only recently that we began to see you as a possible solution to our problems, when you visited us in one of your flying ships and we realised that some of you were related to the ancestors.'

'Firstly, tell me, how do we open the door?' The last thing John needed right now was a history lesson. 'Then, you can tell us why you needed our help and what is so important in these so-called archives.' His patience was wearing thin and all he could think about was where Cat had gone, memories of a time when he was lost behind a door and of the six months he aged while there, not forgetting the desperate feeling of abandonment.

***

Alone? Blind? No, dark only. Cat was sure she was lying down, but couldn't be sure. Her skin tingled and she felt more tired than she ever had, as though something had taken her life-force from her, and yet she also felt strangely excited and elated, like a little girl waiting for Christmas. Where? Inside the door? The floor was rough and gritty, and as she reached out her left hand she was aware of a wall of the same substance. No, not a wall. A door? She ran her hand up the door and felt something smooth and shiny, her touch immediately illuminating the patch of bright metal and at once a beam of blue light radiated powerfully, at first a narrow beam of dense ocean blue, but spreading out into the distance and through the wall it became a sheet of aqua marine. As the beam dissipated, her hand was thrown from the glittering metal, as casually as a child throws a toy from a high chair and, her vision blurring, she felt a sudden rush of cool air on her face.

***

Balthus was clearly very nervous about continuing. All it took was a nod in Ronon's direction and he had the deadly blaster against his right ear. 'Alright, I'll tell you.' Again he paused, flinching from the Satedan's closeness. 'Legend says that at the moment the chosen one unlocks the door, the secrets of the library are released and its magic will cure the sick. We have a great need of assistance. Did you notice that we do not have many young children? Well, that is because there has been a great sickness among our people that has stopped us producing young. The old stories say that whatever is beyond that door, we have always called it the library, is a powerful medicine. Once, over five thousand years ago, a similar sickness ailed our people, damaged already by a powerful culling, and our people enlisted the help of the library. It is said that among us lived a being who could take human form if they wished, but also lived in a non-corporeal state. When they activated the key with the pendant, a bright light shone through the walls and not long afterwards we began to have young again.' He paused and glanced anxiously over his shoulder towards the towering Satedan.

Rodney had been quietly working on his tablet. 'Well, that makes sense. We have long suspected that Ancient medicine was quite sophisticated, though they seldom deigned to use it on ordinary humans.' At this he sneered. One of the things they had long learned to dislike about The Ancients was their selective use of technology, leaving the people of the Galaxy frozen in a permanently agrarian and pastoral state, ready meat for the Wraith. 'It wouldn't be the first time that we have come across a single Ancient looking after their flock.' He smiled knowingly at John, remembering Chaya. 'So you are saying that some sort of energy beam may erupt from that rock and make everyone fertile again?'

Teyla looked a little uncomfortable, but not nearly as much as Ronon. While having a son was definitely on his list of things to do, it was very much for the future and he and Amelia were still in the first stages of their relationship. Rodney's smug look simply said, 'well, I don't need any help.' All John could think about was whether Cat was alright. Suddenly, the floor beneath them began to rumble and small stones were flung from somewhere above the stone door.

'Get back!' John shouted, as they all took cover from the landslide.

A bright blue light burst through the door, sweeping over them like a wave and, as they ducked, it flew on past them, broadening and stretching so that every atom from the sky and earth was bathed in an almost ghostly hue. At the same time, the door seemed to shimmer and Cat's unconscious figure was thrown through the portal, landing almost at the feet of her husband in an undignified sprawl.

John heard Ronon curse: Balthus had taken the opportunity to escape the immediate danger he was in, running off through the trees. He leant down and felt Cat's pulse and, breathing a sigh of relief and satisfied that it was strong, picked her effortlessly up in his strong arms. 'Come on, guys, we're out of here. We'll come back later and deal with these people. For now, we need to get our wounded back to Atlantis.' He looked down anxiously at her face, expressionless and still. It was unnerving. Cat's face was never without movement: it was one of the things he loved about her. She smiled and laughed more than anyone he had ever known. Indeed, he could often locate her by the sound of her laugh and the laughter of those who gathered around her. Damn, she was good for the city, and for him. Pushing his worries to one side, he concentrated on the rescue, as always using his military training to help ease his emotions. Only those who knew him could spot the tell-tale flashes of worry that flickered across his hazel eyes, like a glimpse of the finest emerald.

'Mckay, dial the damn gate and let Atlantis know we have a medical emergency.' The blue circle shimmered into life.

***

Cat woke as from a long restful sleep, wearily opening her eyes to the familiar sights and sounds of the infirmary. She was beginning to feel that this routine was almost a necessary part of how her relationship with John had developed, given the number of their crises the place had witnessed. Sitting slumped in the chair to her right was her sleeping husband, hair tousled even more than usual, with a little cow-lick sticking up like a sun-flare from the back of his head. Blearily, she gazed in his direction while mentally ticking off the parts of her body that were working. Yes, everything seemed in working order and yet she felt a little 'off', her forehead slightly numb as from one drink too many at the Christmas party. She could vaguely remember what had happened, but not escaping from wherever the door had taken her, nor how she got back to Atlantis.

John stirred, noticed she was awake and smiled a broad smile, showing off his even white teeth, the corners of his eyes crinkling. 'Hey, sleepy head, how're you feeling? You gave me a bit of a scare back there.' He stepped over to her with one long stride and affectionately planted a gentle kiss on her lips, taking her chin in his hands, then deepened the kiss in the way only he could, almost making her toes curl up with pleasure.

'A little groggy,' she replied, when she finally caught her breath. 'What happened?'

He explained what they had witnessed on the planet, and some of what Balthus had told them, for the moment leaving out the detail about the Ancient fertility treatment. Despite what Cat suspected, he too was having difficulty with the whole unspoken baby talk business, very confused about what he was feeling. John had always supposed that he would have children at some point, though at the same time he had never really expected to find someone to have children with. In truth, he quite liked the whole 'Uncle John' business and wasn't sure if he wanted to share Cat with anyone else. As to whether he wanted a baby, well that was something he hadn't made up his mind about. He also wasn't stupid, and though a perfectly loyal husband, it would be a fool who didn't enjoy the female attention and the cooing around him every time he picked up a baby. It was way too early to assess whether Atlantis had been affected by the beam of light, if it even worked in the first place, and he thought it best not to raise the possibly thorny subject yet. One of the many things that the couple had in common was to deal with difficulties by burying them, to be dug up only by necessity. Typically, a quick exit was probably the easiest solution.

'Well, now that you're awake, I'll head off to see Wolsey and file my report. He'll be chewing at the bit by now,' and he turned on his tail and left, back resolutely set against any return.

Cat frowned to herself. She always knew when John left something unsaid and she'd had plenty of practice. He was a man unused to opening up to another, although he could now say 'I love you' with only a little self-consciousness, and she had learned to recognise the way the gleam of his hazel eyes dimmed at the moment when an unsaid truth or uncomfortable fact was in danger of being exposed, often leaving the charming smile still present. And there was something not quite right about what had happened on the planet though she wasn't quite sure what; she could almost literally feel it in her bones.

Shrugging to herself, she turned over and tried to get back to sleep, falling back on her usual tactic of imagining John's body. Not always guaranteed to send her to sleep, it would always take her mind off immediate problems. She started with the top of his head, where else would be possible, imagining the spiky hair and the smell of his hair gel, used to try to tame the rebellious mop. God, John always smelt so good too! He had the unmistakeable John smell of Aqua Velva, soap and the musky aroma that was only him. Then, she saw the expressive brow, and the beautiful hazel eyes, with the perfectly defined nose sweeping down to his full and expressive mouth. She had watched the women, and some of the men, as they were drawn to John, their eyes often pausing on the pouty lips, pupils dilating with their own fantasies of what that mouth could do. His long neck was the next object of her gaze, the prominent Adam's apple so masculine, with the dip below heading down towards the hair that carried on down his chest to his abdomen, which was still firm and lean from constant exercise. She was just heading toward another of her favourite parts, imagining the strong arms pulling her towards him, when she fell asleep, exhausted by her recent adventures.

***

Woolsey waited in nervous anticipation for the first signs of an Atlantis baby boom. It would be exceedingly inconvenient to say the least, with possibly serious consequences for the running of the city. But after a couple of months, apart from a couple of scientists, there was no news to report and he began to relax a little. They had made the briefest contact with Danthos, and the news was that the hoped for baby boom there had begun. Balthus had attempted a return to a more diplomatic footing, but Woolsey wasn't ready for that yet. He had a feeling that, once the planet was awash with new born, they would call for Atlantis' help soon enough, and then he would have the necessary upper hand. Woolsey's political manoeuvrings bordered on the Machiavellian at times, but with the increasingly shifting power structures in the Galaxy this had proved a most useful skill for the city. It would seem, for now, that the city was safe from being overrun by noisy infants and demanding toddlers.

The 'A' team sat around the large conference table reviewing the Danthos file.

'As far as I can tell, the beam was unable to reach as far as the city or the rest of the galaxy. I had at first thought that it might behave in a similar fashion to a microwave, but it appears to have dissipated in the planet's atmosphere. I think that we were safe from the effects because it passed over us in its condensed form, before it spread to blanket the inhabited areas of Danthos. There is also the possibility that those with the ATA gene are immune; that the Ancients designed it so that they would not be affected.' Rodney finished his report then added, 'And , as we all know, the Ancients would not want to sully their genetic gene pool with any random DNA and god knows what the effect might have been on them, especially those who were living among the human population.' In the years they had been in the city, they had begun to realise that their predecessors were incredibly arrogant and sometimes showed little value for human life. Woolsey scribbled on his notepad, and then firmly shut it, placing the pen down parallel to it on the table.

'Right. For now let's call the case closed. Colonel, please stay behind. I would like a quick word.' After nearly two years, the team knew that Woolsey meant 'dismissed' and they sidled out, but not before Rodney had passed an evil look at the man's back and Teyla and Ronon had raised eyebrows at each other.

Woolsey waited for the doors to close. 'Colonel, now we've been able to put the whole Danthos incident to bed, I would like to get back to a more routine running of the city. We have a batch of new recruits arriving in two days on The Daedelus and I am sure you would like to do your usual introductions and organise the newbie party too? Perhaps Catherine might like to be involved in the latter? If you don't mind me saying so, Colonel, she's seemed a little distracted of late.'

John ignored the comment. 'I'll ask her. I'm sure she would like help with the party.' With a curt nod and a cool smile, he left the conference room. It was true, though he wouldn't admit it to Woolsey. She had been distracted, often drifting off into her own thoughts, becoming disassociated with those around her in a way that was most unusual for her when in company. He had long since accepted her need to escape to whichever hidey-hole was her latest secret place, finding time and space to be alone, but it was most uncharacteristic of her to be so distant with other people. It was definitely time for some 'them' time and he determined to organise another kind of party for them tonight. Truly, he was really crap at this kind of thing and usually Cat was the one to plan romantic trysts around the city. With sudden inspiration, he headed off to the canteen. Chief Maria Johnson, his most ardent admirer, would be able to help him out he was sure.

The summer winds gently kissed the fringes of the East Pier, blowing up little eddies of dust which reflected the setting suns' golden rays, the motes glittering in the early evening light. John had secretly placed an invitation, this time with a single rose-like flower which he had begged from Katie, on Cat's work desk.

Dear Catherine

I have been watching and admiring you from afar. You are a very beautiful and sexy woman and I would love to get to know you better.

Please meet me in the East Pier at 7:30pm tonight. I promise you it will be worth it!

A secret admirer.

x

Long ago, they had got into the habit of formalising their 'dates' and it had certainly kept the romance fresh. John had been stunned and surprised by her willingness to indulge in all manner of fantasies. However, she was much the more imaginative of the two of them when creating their more extended narratives. John wistfully remembered that time here when she had greeted him dressed as a French maid, the memory of which only served to increase the anticipation of her arrival. This time, he was determined to give her as much pleasure as she had him that night and, hopefully at the same time, relieve some of the tension that had been so evident in her recently. He had quietly reminded Lorne about the 'Saturday night curfew' on the East Pier, and Lorne had silently nodded. John knew that he and Cat would have the place to themselves tonight and inwardly thanked his 2iC for his sensitivity and unswerving loyalty.

The door slid open and Cat stepped onto the pier. A tall figure stepped out of the shadows, holding another single flower, and handed it to her with a gleaming smile and eyes shining with pleasure. His hair was still sexily tousled, and she took time to take in the clothes he was wearing and what they revealed of the body beneath. She hadn't seen the olive-green shirt before, and he had undone the buttons at the front just a little more than he would usually, even for her, showing off his toned and firm chest. A necklace hung round his neck, the jade green stone perfectly matching the shirt and reflecting the colour from his eyes. For a moment, she allowed herself to smile at the crumpled edges of the shirt and the way the buttons joined but the shirt still gaped between them showing tantalising glimpses of smooth skin, and at the failed attempt to tuck it in to the low slung jeans. She could swear they were new too, slightly lighter in colour than he usually wore, but she wasn't complaining. After all, the paler the fabric, the more the light could reflect off the curves beneath. The whole effect made her want to ravish him there and then, but she could see that he had carefully planned whatever was about to happen, so resisted the temptation.

John guided her to the pile of cushions and blankets that he had set out on their private spot. On the ground was a cloth, with a large bowl of the Pegasus Galaxy's answer to strawberries, ten times better than the real thing, two glasses and a bottle of champagne in a silver cooler. Without speaking, he gently placed her on the cushions, and then expertly popped the champagne cork. One of the many things that surprised Cat about her husband was the sophistication of his social skills, the result of a highly privileged education and upbringing, but also part of his natural ease in any situation. He passed her a glass, picked up a strawberry from the bowl and putting it to her mouth encouraged her to bite a piece, then put his hand over hers and guided the glass seductively to her mouth, all the time keeping his darkening hazel eyes on hers. The fizzy wine bubbled down her throat and before she could swallow the strawberry she felt his lips on hers, his tongue exploring her mouth, sharing the taste of the fruit. The sensation was extra-ordinary and she closed her eyes so that she could focus entirely on the touch of his lips and the shared sensations which made her whole body sparkle and tingle. Opening her eyes, she looked again into those beautiful green eyes, seeing the depths upon depths within them that she alone was allowed to see and then he leant forward for another strawberry, placing it half in her mouth and then half in his, so that their lips touched softly at first, but hardened into a passionate kiss as the fruit was eaten. This time, he didn't stop and she felt his hands begin to explore, pushing up her dress and sliding up her body. Slowly and seductively he undressed her, laying her back on the cushions so that he could take a lingering appreciative look at her, then he began to place strawberries all over her body. He stood back to admire his artwork, then began to take off his own clothes, again taking his time, to allow her to watch him and understand the effect she was having on him. Even after all this time, she couldn't believe that this beautiful man was hers to play with and that he loved her so much too. Standing naked, with his back to the ocean and the golden light reflecting off his smooth body, he looked almost like an angel and she took her time to admire every inch of him as he swayed towards her. He straddled her and then very gently began to eat the fruit from his fleshy plate, allowing his tongue to caress her as he did. Cat lost all sense of time or place, and was only aware of John and what he was doing to her; even before making love to her he managed to give her wave upon wave of the most incredible pleasure. Afterwards, he took her in his arms, whispered how much he loved her and wrapped the two of them up in the soft blankets, so that they could sleep the night under the soft summer air and the glistening stars.

'Good morning,' he whispered in her ear, then kissed her gently on the mouth. The morning light was rising and she felt warm and cold all at the same time.

'M'ning,' she answered blearily, before pulling him closer to her, unwilling to let him go. 'Thank you, my love. That was an amazing night. I wish we could do it all over again.'

Well, John was only human after all (and he'd woken her up a little early than he needed to anyway!) so that it was another hour before they finally left the pier and headed back to their quarters, trying to avoid the amused stares of the early morning shift. Despite their attempts at secrecy, it was a well known fact that the Colonel and his wife had a very active sex life, and it was a measure of the respect in which they were held that such evidence of a night elsewhere than their quarters was greeted with such polite affection. And more than one female in the city indulged in her own fantasies of what she could be doing with the dashing military commander, if only he were to realise that she was the one for him.

***

Cat was delighted to be so fully involved in the newbie party. She remembered how important it had been to her, especially since it had been then that the seeds of her relationship with John had been planted. Woolsey suggested that she host the event, more formalising her position on Atlantis. There were twenty new recruits arriving on The Daedelus, ten more marines, some scientists and the new nursery nurse, who interestingly had turned out to me a man. John was meeting them at the West Pier, The Daedelus landing for some Ancient updates which McKay had developed, with the 'help' of Zelenka, though Cat suspected that the other way round was closer to the truth, and John had asked her to be present to greet them. Standing next to him, she watched the soldiers arrive first, their glances at her husband showing the usual contrast of, from some (often the younger ones) respect for his reputation and from a few contempt based upon an assumption that their new commanding officer was the 'flyboy pilot' with a bad record that they had heard rumours about back on Earth. It used to bother Cat, but she had seen how John quickly won them over and she could now dismiss the insolent looks they gave him.

The last to disembark was a tall young man with very blonde hair and a delicate beauty which some might call almost feminine. For some reason, she found herself staring at him, drawn to his ethereal good looks and calm demeanour, until she caught John glowering at her from the corner of her eye, and quickly looked down at her feet.

'You must be Colonel Sheppard?' she heard a quiet male voice say. Glancing up, she caught his eyes as he smiled at her, held out his hand and said, 'My name's Andrew Alexander. I'm the new nursery nurse.'

'Doctor Catherine Sheppard,' she replied, quickly adding, 'Welcome to Atlantis.'