Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its original characters.

Sorry about the long wait. I started another project that I got busy with. I thought that I already had this chapter written on my computer but I didn't. That's another reason why it took so long to update. Within the next few chapters, there will be some loose ends tied up that people have commented about. And speaking of that, thank you to all of you who reviewed chapter 15. Its really a great help and I know I have already said that many times but I had to say it again.

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"Dr. Heightmeyer?" Teyla called outside the door of Kate Heightmeyer's office.

"Come on in." She said from inside the room prompting Teyla to come in. After opening the door, she took a deep breath, readying herself to tell her what she had dreamt about. "Nice to see you again Teyla…..please, have a seat." Teyla slowly walked over to the seat and sat down opposite Heightmeyer.

"I'm glad that you came back here to see me…..when I saw you last, you didn't look so good." Heightmeyer said with a concerned look on her face.

"I was tired." Teyla said with a sad look on her face. She took a deep breath and continued. "That is not why I came here though."

"Oh?" Heightmeyer said. "Are you having bad dreams again?"

"Yes." Teyla quickly said. She hesitated for a minute but then continued. "I know that Dr. Kavanaugh is not going to hurt anyone anymore, but I keep dreaming of John being dead."

"Why do you think you keep having these dreams?" Heightmeyer asked with a curious look on her face.

"I do not know." Teyla said. "Perhaps it is because I am afraid of it happening. Or maybe it is something else."

"I think that maybe it is in fact because you are afraid of it happening." Heightmeyer said. "How long have the two of you known each other?"

"Since your people found Atlantis." Teyla said. She took a deep breath and continued, this time, getting more into detail. "When he came to Athos, he was very nice and trusting of me and my people. Then when our camp was destroyed, he rescued the rest of the people that remained. He has defended me many times when others have suspected me of ill intentions."

"He trusts you." Heightmeyer said point blank.

"Yes." Teyla answered. "He has always trusted me and been very accepting of my people."

"The bond that the two of you share is not as common around here as people may think." She said. "Mostly everyone is loyal to one another and there is tremendous team support all around. The bond that you and John share is much different then that."

"It is stronger." Teyla confirmed with a confident look in her eyes and a small smile on her face. "I have noticed before in the past but have not discussed it with anyone." She took a deep breath and realized that they had drifted off the primary subject. "When he told me that he loved me, I did not know what to think. As if it were not real."

"So……you are afraid that he will die." Heightmeyer started but before Teyla could get a word in, she continued. "Are you afraid that if you do lose him, that you will not find the love and comfort that you find with him again?"

It was as if Heightmeyer was reading her mind. That was exactly what she was afraid of. She knew that someday he would die like all people did, but she was afraid of it happening much too early. "Yes."

"Well, I would like to leave you with that thought which I want you to think about for a day or two." Heightmeyer said as she slowly stood up. "When you come back, let me know how you feel about it then after you have brought them to light."

Teyla slowly nodded as she walked to the door. "Thank you." Teyla said just before walking out the door.

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"Okay Rodney….what's going on?" Weir asked as she walked into the lab with an impatient look on her face.

"I ah…..found some more information about the artifact." McKay said. He took a deep breath and continued. "But I don't think you'll like it."

"What do you mean? How come?" Weir asked with a confused look on her face as she walked over to the table and sat down opposite McKay.

"Well, according to the extra notes I found in the ancient database….."

"Rodney!" Weir snapped making him jump to the important part.

"It has to be shorted out." McKay blurted out with a look of concern on his face. "As a matter of fact, it's the only way it can be destroyed."

"Okay…….so how do we do that?" Weir asked still just as confused as before.

"My only guess is that we drop it into the ocean." Rodney said.

"Okay…..lets do it then." Weir said as she got up from her seat, ready to leave.

"Look, it's not that easy." McKay said

"What do you mean, not that easy?" Weir asked with a mixture of confusion and frustration laced in her words.

"It has to be…..on……when it hits the water." McKay said.

"Say that again." Weir said not believing what he was telling her.

"It has to be on." McKay said.

"We cannot turn the artifact back on….there has to be another way." Weir knew that she could not do what he said. Turning the artifact on meant putting John's life in danger and she just couldn't do that.

"There is not other way." McKay said.

"Is no other way to do what?" John said appearing in the doorway of the lab.

"John." Weir said almost in shock at the sight of John in the doorway. "What are you doing out of the infirmary?"

"I was released." John said before turning to McKay. "No other way to do what?" McKay had a look of fear on his face as he prepared himself for how John would react to what he had to say.

"No other way to ah…..destroy the artifact." McKay said.

"There's only one way to destroy it?" John asked making McKay nod in confirmation. John walked over and sat at the table opposite McKay. "Okay…..I'm listening." he said as he crossed his arms over his chest, eager to hear what McKay had to say.

"It has to be shorted out." McKay said getting strait to the point.

"Okay." John said dropping his hands down to his side. "What are you waiting for then?"

"That's the thing." Weir said taking McKay's place so that if John were to get upset, it would be directed at both of them instead of just one. "The artifact has to be turned on in order to do that."

"Say that again." John said almost not believing what he was just told.

"It has to be turned on." Weir said. "Look, I know that its not good news, but…" Weir was interrupted.

"Not good news?" John said as he stood up. "Well, that's gotta be the biggest understatement of the year. Do you have any idea what that thing does?" Weir was about to say something when he continued. "Every time that thing gets turned on, the effects get worse."

"Well there is no other way." McKay said.

"Wonderful." John said in an unpleasant voice just before he turned around and walked out.

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I know this chapter is a little short like the last one but it has some details that will come into play later. Again, thanks a lot to those who have reviewed my story so far. There will be at least a three or more chapters left. Not sure…there might be more. Hope you will come back to read the rest.