Chapter 8: Disappearing Act

She was dozing in the infirmary and was healing splendidly as far as Dr. Jennifer Keller was concerned. John watched her sleeping form waiting for the right moment to wake her- it was then that he watched her stir awake and he approached the bed.

"Um, Elizabeth?"

She opened her eyes and saw John standing over her. He was all geared up and ready to explore the lower sections of the city that were no longer flooded with Rodney. They were searching for the 'gate that was not a gate' and Elizabeth was glad that he came by the infirmary to see her.

"Hello John-" She answered warmly looking into John's eyes.

"How are you doing?"

"Oh, alright I guess-" Elizabeth answered with a small chuckle as she let her gaze fall to her hands. "-I was just dozing, mentally reviewing the past couple months…."

"They've been rough-" John interjected, noticing that Elizabeth had trailed off. "-it's odd to see different stars at night."

"Oh-?" Elizabeth asked, gazing back up at John as she leaned against her pillow

"…yeah," John answered his gaze on Elizabeth. "-I was running with Ronan along the northern pier last night and it kinda hit me all of a sudden."

"Are the stars nice?" Elizabeth asked, slightly bitter that she was still stuck in the infirmary.

"Oh yeah." John insisted. "They're nice. Though I think the change is hard on everyone. Even the ocean doesn't sound the same."

"The last few weeks have been hard on everyone…" Elizabeth whispered, knowing what John was talking about. She knew the burden that he was carrying seeing how Jennifer Keller practically refused anything Atlantis related to pass her way.

"Sheppard where are you?"

"I'm here Rodney-" John answered the jarring voice in his head with some anger in his voice. "-what can I do for you?"

"You were supposed to meet me in the lower parts of the city almost half and hour ago…"

"I'll be right there Rodney…." John sighed and turned off his radio. "-I promised Rodney that Ronan and I would explore some sections of the lower city today, you know the parts that were flooded but cleared by our little hyperspace flight…?"

"Right," Elizabeth nodded with a small smile as she brushed a curl out of her eye. "-go help Rodney. Maybe the three of you will find this 'gate that's not a gate' that Teyla was talking about…"

"Maybe."

"How is she anyway?" Elizabeth asked, reluctant to let John go. "I'm still bedridden and Teyla is staying isolated…."

"She's been unconscious most of the time." John replied worriedly. "The wraith DNA is multiplying faster than Dr. Keller thought. Pretty soon she'll start to show…"

"Poor girl…." Elizabeth murmured.

'Sheppard!' Rodney snapped through the radio. 'Where are you?'

"Okay…" John answered with a sigh as he decided to ignore Rodney's ranting. He turned to leave and when he was at the doors to the control room he stopped, turned around and spoke again. "…see you soon…"

"Alright John," Elizabeth thanked sincerely watching with a fluttering heart as he left. "See you soon."

oOo

John was tiring of Rodney's muttering. They had been in the lab for several hours and both he and Ronan were about ready to pack up and leave. Except that Rodney wouldn't let them. He pulled out the argument that if this device was a weapon both of them should be there. John sighed and looked at the device. It was a triangular enclave about eight feet tall and about two feet wide at the base.

Beside it was an Atlantean control panel that Rodney was furiously trying to get working. They had only been walking through the lower portions of the city for twenty minutes before they had stumbled across this room and ever since then Rodney was furiously trying to figure out what the triangular device was.

"McKay!" John yelled, trying to convince Rodney that it was finally time to go.

"Ten more minutes Sheppard!" Rodney yelled back, not looking up from his position. "Give me ten more minutes."

"I'll hold you to that." John promised.

"I'll hold you to that too." Ronan agreed.

"Excellent." Rodney stated sarcastically as he continued to press buttons- no longer paying real attention. "You military guys do not understand the concept of science-"

"Uh- McKay?" John began; watching as the panel lit up behind Rodney who had just turned around.

"I mean, science has saved your behinds more times than-"

"McKay." Ronan interjected trying to get Rodney's attention as the triangular device lit up as well and a green shimmering curtain, much like the event horizon of the Stargate appeared within the borders of the triangle.

"Well, I can't count how many times, but I know that it's a lot and-"

"RODNEY!" John yelled, finally catching the scientists' attention.

"What?" Rodney asked exasperated with John.

"You got it working." John explained pointing to the device.

"I did?" Rodney asked as he turned around and saw that he had indeed got the device working. "I did! Great!" He tapped his comm. and got in touch with Elizabeth. "Rodney to Elizabeth."

"Dr. Weir cannot be answering calls dealing with Atlantis." Jennifer Keller answered instead of Elizabeth's voice. "I'm sorry Dr. McKay but she-"

"Please Dr. Keller," Rodney pleaded while rolling his eyes. "-this is important. And it's not as though I can take it to Sheppard because he's right here with me."

"I'm here Rodney," Came Elizabeth's voice in Rodney's ear. "What do you have for us?"

"Well," Rodney began, looking at the reading on his laptop that was attached to the ancient Atlantean control panel. "What ever it is that we've got here, I have it working."

"Is that wise?" Elizabeth asked concerned as she walked forward in the control room. "Turning something on with out knowing what it is first?"

"I'm sure it is." Rodney comforted his voice sounding small and far away in Elizabeth's ear. "I couldn't get the control panel to work with out turning on the device it seems, and I doubt that the ancients would create something dangerous with out leaving a warning."

"If you say so." Elizabeth muttered thinking back to the nanites that had killed several of her team in their first year inhabiting Atlantis.

"Dr. Weir, we're reading massive energy output from Rodney's location." A technician informed jumping onto the open channel, causing Elizabeth's heart to jump and beat a little faster.

"Rodney," She began "Did you hear that?"

"Yes, yes. We're not in any danger Elizabeth-"

"If you say so." Elizabeth muttered again.

"I say so." Rodney affirmed. "I'll contact you once I learn something about this device, Rodney out."

"Is it safe for Dr. McKay to be tampering with instruments that he doesn't know anything about?" Jennifer Keller asked as she still stood at Elizabeth's side.

"He says that it's safe." Elizabeth pointed out with a sigh. "And I have no reason to doubt-"

"Dr. Weir." The technician interrupted, causing Elizabeth to clutch her radio ear-piece in horror. "I'm reading a massive power spike coming from where Dr. McKay is."

"What?"

"And the power's rising."

"John, Rodney, Ronan you have got to get out of there." Elizabeth ordered but all she got was static. "John? John do you copy?"

Again she was met with static only, and Elizabeth took one glance at Dr. Keller who was already getting a nurse and a wheelchair for Elizabeth. "Major Lorne?" Elizabeth radioed as she waited for her mode of transportation to arrive.

'Yes ma'am?' Evan Lorne replied his voice sounding tiny over the radio. 'What can I do for you?'

"I need you to get a team and go to Colonel Sheppard's last location."

That was all the explanation that she needed to give Lorne. And as Dr. Jennifer Keller brought Elizabeth her wheelchair she mentally braced herself for the weight of command again.

A/N- Hello my beloved readers. I got a little sidetracked with my original stories and I forgot about this! -shakes head- but it's up now. I hope you all liked this chapter and let me tell you that this is part of my own little plot that I started LAST summer but never finished. I'm inserting it into this story and I hope that you guys think that it fits with the feel of season 4 that I am trying to create:D Lemme tell you, this is going to create GREAT angst for our dear Lizzie and Shep. Thank you to HopelesslyEscaflowne and dear Anuna for reading this chapter. :D And do check out Anuna and my Atlantis AU under the name 2TreeHuggers. Link is on my bio. The next chapter should be up next Thursday. Please read and review!

A/N2- Just fixed something up...