Author's Note: Still plugging away at it, never fear! Only have time to write on weekends, blah. Wish I could have more time... but I hear time travel is hard on the body. Oh well. Enjoy the next chapter! With any luck, we'll get through Christmas before February ends!
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights Stargate Atlantis or any other story mentioned or parodied here.
The Sixth Night
It was a lovely morning. Carson Beckett sighed happily as he came into his office for work and found no one waiting to talk to him. "At last," he thought, "I can finally have a peaceful, relaxing day and get that pile of paperwork done!" He spoke too soon, however. For just as he had settled himself with a mug of coffee, a doughnut, and his first stack of files to sort through, John Sheppard came racing through the door.
"What's the matter?" Carson asked, adrenalin beginning to prep his 'response to emergency' phase.
Sheppard stopped briskly; he had beads of sweat forming on his head. He must have run a long way. After doing a quick formulation of distance in his mind, Carson thought he knew where John had been. Frowning, Carson had an idea of what John was going to say.
"Elizabeth's still looking pretty bad, doc, and I'm worried about her. She fell asleep on me at breakfast, and she still looks really pale. Are you sure she is alright?"
Carson sighed; if only the powers that be would make military personnel go through medical school too. But, if that were the case, there would be no need for doctors. Carson took a deep breath and said slowly, "She's fine, John."
John blinked. "Are you sure?"
Carson fought the urge to laugh. "Of course I'm sure! Colonel, as Rodney loves to point out, our bodies are rather advanced machines. I'd be surprised if Elizabeth was able to 'get up and go' yet."
John frowned. "I don't know... she's usually more spry."
Carson rolled his eyes. "Colonel, she was near death less than a week ago. Give her some time to recover, laddie!"
John looked a little placated, but he still felt worried. "I'll stop by and check her myself today, alright?" Carson had planned on having his intern perform the daily checks on Elizabeth. His intern had just come off the Dadelus. She was very bright, but young and lacked some confidence. Elizabeth liked her, though, and Carson thought that with some easy responsibilities, Intern Dr. Jennifer Keller would gain her footing.
John smiled at Carson. "Thanks, doc," he said after a moment. "What would we do without you?"
Carson grinned. "Probably do a lot more damage to yourselves in a shorter amount of time. Ye all live such charmed lives!" Carson's eyes narrowed then, a sly smile making him look like a benign blarney. "And John? If ye know what's good for your health, I'd suggest ye make sure ye go shopping for a Christmas present for Elizabeth. After all, ye're not going to impress a lady if ye forget her over Christmas day!"
The jibe worked! John quickly left the office, looking bashful and thoughtful at the same time. Carson watched him leave with a smile on his face, then sighed as he looked at the paperwork piles on his desk. "Duty calls," he mumbled.
oOo
Carson had just poised his hands over the keyboard to type his first report when in bounded Zelenka. "Am I NEVER gonna get ma work done today?" thought Carson in exasperation. What he really said was, "Hey, laddie, slow down. What do'ye need?"
Zelenka shook his head worriedly. "Doctor, I'm vorried about Rodney."
Carson's heart jumped. Rodney was the base's version of a 'natural disaster,' in that he seemed to wreck havoc everywhere he went. Besides that (and against all odds), he was also Carson's best friend. "Alright, what happened? I don't see him with ye."
Zelenka frowned. "Vhy should he have come vith me?"
Carson gave Zelenka the 'well then?' look. Zelenka was a brilliant scientist, but sometimes he could be so scatterbrained. "Why are ye worried about Rodney then?" he asked slowly.
Zelenka sighed. "Rodney shocked his hand this morning. I vas prepared to be yelled at, but instead he said, 'sorry, my bad!'"
It took all Carson's control not to say something snarky. Apparently, he had been hanging around Rodney too long! "That it?" asked Carson.
"Not yet! Rodney said 'thank you' a few minutes later, and vhen I asked him if he needed anything to eat, he said he vasn't hungry. Vhat is the deal; usually Rodney is always hungry?'"
"So what do you think?" asked Carson, becoming more interested in spite of himself. This did not sound like Rodney.
"Vhat do I think? Either the shock transferred another person into him, or he's being transformed into another alien technology, or... there are a thousand-and-one possibilities!"
Carson nodded, wondering himself just what Rodney was up to. He knew Rodney much better than Zelenka did; if Rodney even suspected he was slightly injured, he'd have come running. The man's rampant hypochondria was legendary. Given that, Zelenka did have call to be worried. And yet... Carson suspected something else. He put on his best 'kind doctor' face, reassured Zelenka, and promised to check on Rodney after he checked on Elizabeth. Zelenka made a hasty retreat, and Carson checked his watch. The few files he was planning on doing before he made a run to Elizabeth's room would just have to wait; he had no more time. Sighing, he began to pack up his medical bag.
oOo
John ran into Ronon and Teyla on his way to the gate room. Ronon was suited up in full gear, and Teyla shadowed him. Ronon looked like he had won the lottery, which was something to be said since you rarely could tell how Ronon was feeling. Teyla looked... very, very annoyed.
"Hey, where are you going?" John asked, curiously.
Teyla's eyes flashed. "You should know! You approved the mission!"
John blinked. "What mission?"
Teyla's eyes narrowed. "Your cook's mission! So says the cook: as comeuppance for our theft of the pineapples, we are now required to present to him three Christmas turkeys, whatever they are!" John flinched at Teyla's tone, yet inside he was holding back a laugh. He also noticed in chagrin that karma had caught up with him; now he knew how Elizabeth had felt when he pulled the snow caper. "So, I take it you are going hunting then?" he asked.
Ronon grinned widely; now John knew why he was so happy. "We're going to Baln'tik. The planet there is a big grassland, full of game birds. Maybe not like turkeys, but they are good eating."
"The people there are also big traders," Teyla griped. "They won't let us hunt without a share in the game, so we have to kill five birds, not just three."
John grinned. "Well, how hard can that be?" he said with a grin.
Teyla and Ronon looked at each other incredulously, and Ronon's lips curled into a sly grin. "Why don't you come with us?" asked Teyla. "After all, there are no other missions today. And you should be helping us; the whole pineapple idea was yours in the first place."
John nodded. "I think I will; let me inform Lorne. I'll be ready in twenty minutes." He walked briskly away.
"You're bad," Ronon said with a laugh.
Teyla smacked him playfully on the arm. "You are worse! You actually enjoy this sort of thing!"
"I'll enjoy what I'm going to see," laughed Ronon. "If only we could get Rodney to come."
Together, they burst out laughing. It felt so good to laugh!
oOo
"TSSAR!" screamed the Baln'tik bird as it soared out of the grass and into the sky.
John froze in amazement as the bird-lizard creature swept over his head. That thing looked as if it had come from the annals of Arthurian legend mixed with some mutated animal created by Stephen King. It had a snake-like head that ended in a rather needle-like beak. The vibrant green on it's scales was accentuated by the midnight color of it's feathered wings, however each feather ended in a razor-sharp edge. Spines filled with poison daggered wickedly out of the creature's back, and it's whip-like tail lashed.
"You have got to be joking," John said flatly.
Ronon grinned. "Nope." he stated.
The bird flipped itself around in midair and began its descent toward the trio, powerful wings cutting through the air. Ronon stood as tall as he could and yelled at the top of his lungs. The bird-creature honed in on him.
"What are you doing?" John yelled over the bird's and Ronon's enraged screams. The bird was rapidly descending now, knife-sharp claws out. John pulled his gun and jumped forward, only to be tackled by Teyla.
"Wait and watch!" she hissed, and John watched in horror as the serpentine head stretched on its long neck, aiming for Ronon's jugular. Collision was imminent! Then, at the very last moment, Ronon lifted his arm and flicked his wrist. The movement confused the beast, and it turned its head to look. Ronon jumped nimbly out of the way, and the bird hit the ground with a thud, its outstretched neck snapping under the brunt of its weight.
Ronon looked at the dead bird, exhilarated. "You challenge them, and they will rush at you headfirst," he explained, eyes dancing. "Then, you step out of the way. Their neck snaps in the crash."
John felt surreal for a moment, like he was taking a 'how to survive in the Pegasus Galaxy 101 class.' "Why not just shoot it?" he asked.
Ronon walked over to the fallen creature, knife out. "You risk letting the poison into the meat that way," he explained. "Besides, it's more fun to kill the bird the traditional way."
John shook his head as he watched Ronon expertly clean and de-poison the creature. "This just brings a whole new level to the game 'chicken,'" he stated. "How do I bag one?"
oOo
While John, Teyla, and Ronon were getting in touch with their jungle-person instincts, Elizabeth Weir was experiencing a jungle of a different sort. Katie Brown had offered to stay with Elizabeth during the morning, and after a horrified look at Elizabeth's sparse quarters, she had begun what was later known as "The Great Plant Makeover."
"It's no wonder that you are ill!" she chided in horrified tones as Elizabeth shrugged helplessly, not knowing what to say. "Look at this space! It's atrocious! Absolutely no green of any kind! I tell you, you need plants to keep you healthy. They are nature's filters, and without them the human body does not function properly."
Elizabeth watched Katie with wide eyes. The woman was a very passionate botanist. Elizabeth had been grateful that Katie had loved her job so much, yet she was a little frightened all the same. Too much enthusiasm was at times scary. Unfortunately, Carson broke in halfway through Katie's rant. (Normally, this would have been thought of as a very fortunate break, but Carson's interruption gave Katie the few moments that she needed to head back to her lab and grab a cart full of plants and hooks.) As Carson followed up with Elizabeth, Katie arranged each plant in its own container, and as soon as Carson left she tackled Elizabeth's room with a vengeance. In the forty minutes they had left, Elizabeth's room had undergone a huge change. Katie hung spider-plants all over the walls (their vines stretching to entangle with each other), put potted trees in the corners, and had a blooming orchid on every flat surface, including in the shower. Aloes of various types burst from a window box, and on Elizabeth's nightstand a Pegasus flowering plant produced a vibrant mass of sky blue flowers. It was all very beautiful when it was said and done, and Elizabeth never forgot the kind intentions behind it, yet the act made her room almost unlivable in the days following. Humidity shot way up. In the Pegasus Galaxy plants seemed to grow faster, vines in particular. In the few days following, Elizabeth's room really did look like a jungle. It got to the point that people were afraid to go in her room after that; they were afraid the plants might eat them. And that is why weeks later, Elizabeth "accidentally" froze out her room. She was convinced it was the only way to stop them from taking over the base.
oOo
After Carson checked on Elizabeth, he headed down to Rodney's lab. It was nearing lunch time; perhaps his friend would be hungry now. He walked quietly into the lab and saw that his friend was hunched over a laptop, staring at a blueprint of some kind.
"What are ye looking at?" Carson asked.
Rodney looked up. "Oh, the Ancient power device."
Carson frowned. "The same one that..."
"... that got Zelenka on the ceiling? Yeah. Trying to work out what happened there."
"Ah. Well, d'ye want lunch?"
"Naw, I think I'll keep working here for a while."
Carson's eyes narrowed with worry. "Rodney, are ye alright? Ye never turn down a trip to the canteen. And now, with how ye're acting with your staff... it's disconcerting."
Rodney sighed. He put down the schematics and looked up at Carson. "I've been doing a lot of... thinking lately," he began heavily. "You see, I know that I don't always come across as a kind person. In fact... I come of like a jerk... a lot."
Carson frowned. "I wouldn't say that," he began, but Rodney cut him off. "Don't go there," Rodney said. "It's nice you want to spare my feelings, but this is something I've recently realized. I know you all love me; you said that the last time I was dying, remember! (That statement was directly for Carson's incredulous look.) Yet, I know I am often a petty man, and after hearing Sheppard's story... it kind of hurts, you know? I mean, I know that John is just being John. But I never heard how others view me, and I'm not a very favorable character in this story. In fact, I'm pretty pathetic. I always wanted to be more like John; the hero of my own story! And yet, I'm often the most pathetic person on the team and more often than not the villain of my own story." Rodney ended his dialogue with an expectant glance toward Carson's guarded face.
In truth, Carson didn't know what to say. He had always assumed that Rodney didn't care about what others thought about him; it was kind of a shock to find out that yes, he did care. It was also hard to think about how he could best help his friend; there were so many good points to Rodney. Yet, all Rodney ever saw were the bad points to himself. Carson winced; maybe they were all responsible for that tendency in him. And yet, most of the time Rodney did deserve what ribbing he got. It was just... hard to let him know when he was valued. So Carson did the only thing he could think of doing at the moment.
"Say," he began hesitantly, "I've got this weird glitch on me scanner-bed... it's no big deal, so I didn't want to bother ye with it, but if ye have time for a break I'd love it if ye could help me out. We could get lunch on the way... Normally, I wouldn't ask, but I'm so stupid when it comes to computers..."
Rodney's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. "Say no more, my friend! Help is on the way! I can always come back to this later; it's more important that we get the infirmary up and running. What else are you up to today? Do you mind if I reprogram the infirmary computers to make them more efficient? I've been trying to get you to run the program for weeks now, but something always comes up."
Carson took a deep sigh. "Paperwork be damned," he thought resigned. "Sure, we might as well," he said gamely. "We might as well make a day of it!"
oOo
Teyla, Ronon, and John trudged triumphantly back to the Baln'tik village, carrying five of the dressed birds on a pole between them. The chief met them with a cheer, and as they paid their two-bird fee, merchants swooped down on them like hawks.
"It's not often the people of Baln'tik get visitors," Teyla explained as the traders held up their wares desperately. "No one wants to come here if they don't have to; almost everything except the grass and the air is poison (or at least partially poison)."
John frowned as he watched a scruffy pack of kids play some sort of ball game near the tents. "How do they raise their children then?" he asked, bewildered.
"They put snakes in their cradles," Ronon stated. Teyla shot him a disapproving look, and Ronon shrugged. "That's what is said," he mumbled half-apologetically.
As the trio waded through the people on their way to the gate, John spied a merchant with a beautiful piece of fabric. He stopped to look at it, and the people around them grew louder, pressing their wares on Teyla and Ronon. The fabric turned out to be a warm, thick shawl. It was made from a thread very near silk in appearance, but with the durability of cotton and the warmth of wool. It was as smooth as velvet, and was woven in a pattern vaguely resembling something Celtic. The fabric was an interweave of many different shades of green, the lightest being a sun-lit leaf green, the darkest being a deep emerald. "How much for this?" John asked, and the bargaining began.
Half an hour later, John was the proud owner of the shawl and the merchant was the proud owner of John's combat watch. Teyla shook her head as John flung a fun-filled grin her way; Corporal Daniels, the equipment specialist, would have to issue him another watch. This would be the fifth time she'd do that.
"What are you going to tell her happened this time?" asked Teyla.
John shrugged. "I'll think up something good," he replied.
oOo
Elizabeth's afternoon was far more pleasant than her morning had been, though it was clearly obvious she was no artist. Elizabeth had always appreciated art, but she knew she was no good at it. Lorne, however, thought everyone in the world could be artists if they wanted to be, and he had come to Elizabeth's room with that outlook and a box of paints, brushes, and canvas paper.
"There is nothing so relaxing as painting," he stated happily as he set up two easels; one for himself and one for Elizabeth. "And there's no better way to pass an empty hour."
Elizabeth could have argued with him on that, however she let herself relax and did the best she could. After all, no one would ever have to see her work. And Lorne had a calming disposition about him; one that made him a great teacher as well as a great soldier.
After they had painted together for a while, Lorne began to make conversation. He obviously had some hidden agenda, thought Elizabeth, for small talk was not in Lorne's nature, and his clumsy attempts to bring Sheppard up continuously made Elizabeth grin. If one did not know Evan Lorne, one would assume he thought John was the end-all hero! Everything was about how cool Sheppard was and how much he cared for the residents of the city, and after a while Elizabeth knew that if she had to hear anymore she'd burst out laughing. More serious a consideration was why Lorne was going on like this. Elizabeth got that John was a great guy; maybe Lorne was being a good friend and vying for a promotion for him... yet that didn't make sense. Then suddenly, the truth hit Elizabeth like a train.
"Lorne is being a good friend," Elizabeth realized. "He is prepping the girl for the guy to make his advance... just like high school. Oh my word, John likes me!" And as juvenile as that thought seemed to be, it set well with Elizabeth. Everything that Teyla had said about her having a secret admirer, Lorne's one-hour hero worship monologue of John, it all fit. It was she that John cared about so deeply, not Teyla. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt like panicking. In the last few moments her world had flipped, and she had no idea what to do.
oOo
John sighed contentedly as he piloted the jumper towards the mainland. Everyone in Atlantis seemed happy. With the addition of three "turkeys" to the Christmas feast, even the cook was happy. The jumper was packed full of Lanteans ready to hear the next piece of John's story (with the war games nearly over, John's story was once again prime entertainment). Rodney and Carson were bantering with each other, Teyla was leaning on Ronon's arm, and even Lorne had got up the courage to speak with Dr. Heightmeyer. ("It's all your fault," he told John later. "You inspired me to make my move. I advise you to do the same; I have a hunch Elizabeth already knows your best qualities." Whatever Lorne meant by that!) John was almost sorry when he had to set the jumper down for a landing, but everyone leaped out cheerfully enough. Christmas was just around the corner for them, and the holiday spirit was catching.
The Sixth Night was a dedication to the married couples, who were the backbone of Lantean civilization. It was rather difficult to understand Lantean social structure, though; John did not understand how family lines could be matrilineal and patralineal at the same time. Still, the name ceremony was interesting to watch; everyone's family line was chanted to the beat of a single drum, with the Athosian blessing "May your family never be devoured" said after each married couple was honored. The cold hard truth of the blessing sobered the Lanteans somewhat, and when John took to the stage, the air of celebration had changed to anticipation. The lights were put out, the torches lit, and John became the storyteller once again.
"Once the five had set their backs to the city of Cirque de Soliel, they made easy travel along the rocky cliffs to the Quidam River. Queen Tala never spoke, but she held her short sword at the ready. No one was sure of what attack they were excepting, but a vague sense of unease seemed to hang over them all, and everyone was prepared to fight. As afternoon melted into evening, the five turned the last corner and came upon the misty banks of the Quidam River."
"'I don't see anything here,' whined Meredith."
"'Let's just go back and try to sneak into the city with our clown disguises,' Bones advised."
"The Dark Knight frowned as they entered the misty region. He, Queen Tala, and the Silver Knight led the way, and soon the sounds of protest behind them ceased. After a half-hour of plugging away through the fog, the five came to the banks of the river."
"Black water, flowing like molten tar, oozed down the gray banks. 'I'll bet the fishing is really good here!' said Meredith sarcastically to Bones. Bones gave him a dirty look; his love for fishing was legendary! (Carson smiled at the nod his way) Bones was just about to throw a jab back when the Silver Knight tensed."
"'What is it?' whispered the Dark Knight."
"'I think it's an animal of some kind... maybe a beast... that's been stalking us. I've felt eyes on us ever since we entered this place.'"
"Queen Tala paled, her eyes looking frightened for the first time. 'That's no beast,' she muttered, staring straight into the sky. The others strained to see what she was looking at. 'I think that's our ride into Pennywise's keep.'"
"Suddenly, a shriek echoed off the canyon walls. A leathery, dragon-like bird largely resembling a Pterodactyl came swooping towards them."
"'Get down!' Queen Tala shouted.
"The five complied just in the nick of time; a razor sharp claw had cut through the tough fabric of Bone's medical pack like it were made of butter."
"'The Riddler sent us here to kill us!' shouted the Dark Knight. 'No way can we catch a beast like that!'"
"The Silver Knight shook his head. 'I wouldn't be so sure,' he stated boldly. 'In fact, I have an idea.' The Silver Knight stood up then, as tall as he could, and shouted up to the sky, 'YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME? COME GET IT!'" (At this point, Teyla and Ronon were practically in stitches at John's re-telling of the day's adventure. "Do you think Sheppard really sees the events of the day like this?" Ronon whispered. Teyla stifled a laugh. "Oh, I hope not!" she quietly replied.)
"The pterodactyl threw itself in the air again, making a steep dive for another pass. It aimed right for the Silver Knight's chest, and the Silver Knight stood there, ready for it."
"'No!' shouted the Dark Knight, but Queen Tala held him back. 'Let him go,' she whispered. 'I have seen this kind of thing done before.'"
"The bird came in at break-neck speed, and seconds before it hit the Silver Knight, he jumped out of the way, and in one smooth leap, swung around the muscled neck of the creature and landed firmly upon its back. It screamed in rage and took off, carrying the Silver Knight into the clouds."
"Queen Tala glanced at her companions. 'Shall we join him?' she asked."
"Bones rolled his eyes. 'With all respect, your highness; I am a doctor, not an acrobat!'"
"The Dark Knight frowned. 'I can see how this would be a bit difficult. Can one of these creatures hold two?'"
"'I think so,' Tala replied. 'They are well built for weight.'"
"The Dark Knight nodded and stood tall, screaming for all he was worth. Another of the pterodactyls heard him and came racing towards him. Then, in a movement so fast it was hard to perceive using the normal eye ("Whatever that means," grumbled Rodney, for he knew what had to be coming next), the Dark Knight reached out, grabbed Meredith's pack, and hefted him through the air onto the back of the prehistoric bird. The Dark Knight barely managed to scramble up after him, but in the end he succeeded and the two were air born, soaring into the beauty of the evening sky."
"Minutes later, Queen Tala and Bones had joined them. Though their birds were a little wild at the beginning, there was not too much they could do to get the humans off their backs. They knew that if they lost control, the fall from the sky would be their doom as well as their riders. So, they climbed higher into the evening sky, and soon the misty, unhealthy banks of the Quidam river were left behind as the stars welcomed them."
"'Space, the final destination,' intoned the Dark Knight."
"'Do you think we will ever go there?' asked Queen Tala."
"'Humph, sure,' snorted Meredith. 'Like humans can ever survive in outer space.'"
"'Well, if we ever do, we'd be boldly going where no one ever has gone before,' Bones stated."
(A collective groan rolled through the Lanteans, while the Athosians pondered at the profound depth of the statement. Apparently, none of them save Teyla had been introduced to Star Trek yet.)
"'Well, anyways,' muttered Meredith, 'how do we steer this thing? I want to get down out of the stratosphere sometime soon.'"
"The Silver Knight punched the great bird's neck, and it turned its head to look for the source, thus changing direction. 'I think I found a way!' he shouted, and soon there were three sets of pterodactyls heading to Pennywise's fortress.
Meanwhile, Queen Beth was being prepared for dinner. Her attendants were painting blue diamond patterns over her eyes, and red circles drawn with face paint were being placed on her pale skin. Her hair was now fire engine red, and her eyes held cat-like irises.
"'Does my lady wish a costume yet?' asked one of the Clown attendants."
"Queen Beth took a deep breath, willing her fears to cease. She still clung to her human side, but just barely. She still wore her queenly day dress, and she still held the idea that she was a human. Her teeth had not grown sharp yet."
"'Give her time,' Pennywise's voice echoed through her dark door. 'She has made enough progress tonight. Now, my dear, shall we go to dinner?'"
"Queen Beth knew she had to go, but she was not happy about it. Her hopes for a rescue were getting smaller and smaller."
"While the feast was underway, the pterodactyls made the first pass above the top of Pennywise's keep. There were no guards out; everyone was attending the feast, and why bother watching the sky anyway? After making sure there was no one to spot them, the five attempted to steer their pterodactyls back towards the roof of the keep. However, the pterodactyls were not inclined to fly that way again, and it took a great amount of punching to get them back in position. The Silver Knight passed over the roof first, and he jumped off his mount and hit the roof rolling, flipping back to his feet in perfect, practiced ease."
"'There is no way I can do that!' Meredith squealed."
"'Sure there is!' shouted the Dark Knight, and without warning he pushed Meredith off the Pterodactyl. He immediately followed after, and for a moment everything was a tangle of arms, legs, and cold hard pavement."
"It took a few moments to right himself. The Dark Knight blinked the world into focus; he had no idea jumping off a dinosaur in mid-flight could be so disorienting." Queen Tala and Bones had also 'landed,' and Bones was checking everyone for injuries.
"'Thank goodness that's over,' grumbled Meredith. 'So, now that our little excursion into Dinotopia is over, what are we going to do next?'"
"'Well, we are on the top of Pennywise's keep,' the Silver Knight stated. 'I say we find a way to break in.'"
"'Why break in at all?' asked Bones. 'We all still look like clowns. All of us except Queen Tala.'"
"'Well, that won't work,' Meredith sighed."
"Tala's eyes glowed with excitement. 'Why shouldn't it?' she asked. 'Just think of it! You could be bringing me down to the dungeon; a captured prisoner from the fringe-lands. No one would bother questioning your authority; since when do potential prisoners want to sneak into prison? And once down there, we could begin searching for Queen Beth.'"
"'Are you sure she'll be down there?' asked the Dark Knight."
"'Where else would they keep a prisoner?' replied Queen Tala."
"Bones was frowning. 'If they have decided to keep her as ransom, then yes, this is logical. However... what if they are making her into a clown?'"
"They were silent for a moment, and then the Dark Knight said, 'Okay, here is what we will do. Silver Knight, you and Bones will escort Queen Tala to the prison. Start searching for Queen Beth there. Meanwhile, Meredith and I will begin searching through the keep. We won't be able to keep in contact with each other, so let's plan on meeting back here... at dusk tomorrow.'"
oOo
"Dinotopia? Seriously? And haven't you watched enough horror movies to know how dangerous it is to spit up? I mean Sheppard, how could you?" Rodney's tirade began to ebb as he saw the odd looks some of the Athosians were giving him. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and said loudly, "I mean, great story John!"
John grinned back at his friend, amused at Rodney's recent attempt at improving his temper. Rodney was, in his own way, telling John that he quite enjoyed the story. And John had left them on a nail-biter of a cliff hanger; everyone in the jumper on the way back was speculating what would happen next, who would be the next to have a cameo (Lorne was vying for one really badly), and what favorite TV or other media reference would be included. Mostly, though, it was just happy chatter, and John felt very glad that he had been able to do all this. That his corny story would bring his team even closer together was a humbling thought, but it made him feel warm deep down in his core. He hadn't felt like that in a long time.
"Family," he thought to himself as he edged the jumper gently into the landing bay. "That's what this feels like... like I finally belong in a family."
