AN: This took much longer than I thought but life has whumped me hard. Lost a friend this week and... well, yeah. Sorry for the wait but it's longer than all the others.

Thanks: To all who have stuck through to the end.

Super Thanks: To sandgnat10 who improved this story sooo much.

Enjoy the last.

In the Arms of Angels - Part VI

Jeannie glanced at Rodney and found herself smiling at his nervousness; she had never seen him like this. It shed a whole new light on her brother, it was actually kind of nice.

They were currently occupying the hallway outside of the infirmary and were not-so-patiently waiting to be allowed back in. It had been a little over a day since John had gotten out of surgery. After being allowed in to sit with him, both Jeannie and Rodney had been by John's side almost constantly. With the exception of heading to Caleb's mother's house to get a few hours of uneasy sleep, Jeannie had stayed in the infirmary as much as possible.

During those long hours of silent vigil, Colonel Sheppard had 'woken up' several times, though he had been anything but lucid, mostly he would just cough a little or moan. A nurse or Dr. Maisley would speak to him, only to find him deeply asleep once again. Having never been in a similar situation, Jeannie found the 'watch and wait' routine to be severely unnerving, especially when John woke up and looked around with blank, glazed eyes. This was not how she pictured John Sheppard. It seemed wrong, even though the nurses insisted that he was simply sleeping off the anesthesia.

The last time John woke up was much different than his previous attempts and Jeannie noticed right away. When John woke up this time, his eyes opened, and this time he was actually seeing what was around him. If that was not enough to convince Jeannie, the fact that Dr. Maisley had kicked her and Rodney out of the infirmary to run a few tests on her patient was the final indicator.

John was finally awake.

So here they were, waiting to go back into the infirmary and finally talk to John. Or at least see him. Jeannie wanted John to know that she was still there for him, and she would remain there until she was absolutely certain he would be okay, just like he did with Madison.

Moments later, a nurse popped her head out of the infirmary doors and smiled warmly, "You can sit with him now."

Jeannie looked at Rodney and smiled before entering the infirmary. As they neared John's bed, Jeannie felt her stomach flutter with some unknown emotion at seeing John looking at her and Rodney approach. There was no doubt, however, that John was fighting sleep as his eyelids were only half-opened and continuously drooping, but there he was - awake and even smiling.

He was still sitting up at about a thirty degree angle, one that the nurses said would improve his breathing and help with drainage. Jeannie found that she liked him sitting up because it made him seem more animated. Apart from that, he still had gauze wrapped around his head and more around his ribcage. And of course, the tube that was slowly draining blood away from his lung. Neither Jeannie nor Rodney sat on the side of John's bed that had the tube coming out.

"Hey," John breathed so quietly, sleepily, it was barely audible.

"Hey, yourself, Colonel," Rodney said rather loudly, stopping at John's bedside, just staring. "You can't even go to Earth without almost dying…"

"Mer!" Jeannie chastised, thinking that Rodney's comment was not the most appropriate thing to say at the moment. But when she looked at Colonel Sheppard, she noticed that his tired smile had grown. Maybe it was just their way of handling things, Jeannie thought.

"How are you feeling?" Jeannie asked, but she suddenly felt foolish for asking such an obvious question. John didn't seem annoyed at all, though. In fact, he still seemed rather loopy and content.

"M'good," he responded, his eyes finally closing. Jeannie was sure he had fallen asleep again. But seconds later, his eyelids parted once more.

"Just go back to sleep, Sheppard," Rodney said, sounding annoyed but Jeannie knew better. "That way I can make fun of you and not feel so bad about it."

"So, y'do have… conscience…," John slurred before letting his eyes close again. His breathing deepened, though it still sounded unnaturally hitched, which Jeannie thought was a product of his injuries. Either way, Jeannie knew that John was asleep this time, so she located the chair she had been occupying, Rodney doing the same, and they both eased back into them and started the waiting game all over again. This time was easier, of course, because Jeannie had seen the Colonel awake, had seen him smile and even make a joke. Whatever doubts Jeannie had about John's recovery before, dwindled now. She felt much better.

John awoke to the sound of fingers typing away on a computer and the beeping of machines. He wondered how many times he had woken up to those same sounds before. Luckily, he knew where he was, why he was there, and why there was a dull ache in his right side from his shoulder to his lower ribcage. He remembered waking up to a strange doctor hovering over him and the panic involved with having no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. The doctor - Maisley, was it? - had explained the situation. After the initial shock wore off and the doctor finished her tests, he vaguely remembered seeing McKay and Jeannie before drifting back to sleep.

Sheppard wanted to open his eyes now and look around, although he had a pretty good idea who was sitting near him with a laptop. He was just so tired and knew he was still having drugs pumped into him, albeit not as much as usual, as Dr. Maisley had explained, so his breathing wouldn't be 'compromised.' John sighed. He was never very good with the medical stuff.

"Sheppard?" John heard someone ask quietly, confirming his theory that McKay was close by. "Colonel, are you awake? I know you are awake…"

He was busted; McKay knew he was awake and there was really no point in trying to slip back into the wonderful world of sleep. He mustered up a little energy and forced his eyes open. He was greeted by McKay's face floating over his own. John groaned and feebly attempted to swat at McKay but was still too weak.

"You want me to get the doctor?" McKay asked. "Dr. Daisy, or something like that…"

John smiled and slowly shook his head, "M'fine."

McKay sighed at this response and rolled his eyes. "Always the same answer with you - you are so predictable," he grumble, sliding back into his chair. Despite that irritated façade, John could see the relief on McKay's face.

"Jeannie and Madison okay?"

"Oh yeah, they're fine too. Jeannie went back to be with the family for a little while but she'll be back, I'm sure," McKay replied absentmindedly.

Sheppard smiled to himself. Like brother, like sister. Of course, Jeannie took the time to be with her family and didn't just sit in the infirmary, unlike McKay, but they were still similar.

"How'er you?"

"Oh fine, you know, just had to come down here to hear that you almost got yourself killed again."

John frowned. "Didn't you say something like that last time I was awake?"

"Yeah, but it needs to be said again, and again, and every other time you pull a stunt like this," McKay answered, sinking further into his chair. "I've got to say this, though, this time was a little different than most," he added, a little quieter than before.

"Yeah. No Wraith or Replicators," said Sheppard with a smirk, although he had an idea that McKay was implying something entirely different than their normal run of the mill of the Pegasus Galaxy villains. He watched Rodney now as silence fell between them, and could tell the astrophysicist was getting uncomfortable.

"Yeah. Then there was Jeannie and Madison. That definitely qualifies as out-of-the-norm," McKay said quietly, his eyes not quite meeting John's. There it was, John thought; the thing that McKay wanted to say, but didn't know how to do so. Not that John blamed him; he was just as lost in sentimental moments like these.

"Yeah, but it all ended up okay."

"Yeah. Yeah, it did," McKay said, finally looking into Sheppard's eyes. "Thanks. I… uh… thanks."

"No problem," Sheppard responded simply. This is how it always was whenever one of them ended up in the infirmary; one usually had the other to thank for some heroic act or another. And every time it was awkward, but Sheppard and McKay had an unspoken understanding that allowed those moments to pass quickly while still having the same effect.

"What's going on in Atlantis?" John asked, knowing the time was ripe for a change in subject.

"Fine, actually," said McKay, sitting up in his chair and seemingly relived to move away from their last conversation. "It's all been pretty quiet. And the last I heard, Carter got a hold of Ronon and Teyla. (They were helping the clean-up effort on M7X-895, by the way,) but they probably won't be here for another eight hours or so. They are currently stuck on the Midway Station under the mandatory 24-hour quarantine."

John found himself getting unbearably tired once more and wondered when this lethargy would pass. This was one of the worst parts about being in the infirmary; they always kept him drugged, and even now when it wasn't a whole lot, he still felt so tired. Then there was the always present ache from his shoulder. He preferred it, however, over more pain medication to ease the pain. The listlessness began to take over and the world around him dimmed slightly.

He got lost in different thoughts about his team and about Atlantis, thoughts that soon morphed into odd flashes of men with guns and screams and gunshots. He could almost hear his heart start to beat faster than natural; it matched the aching in his shoulder and head. The man in his dream was pointing the gun now, not at Sheppard, but at some small girl. He was about to shoot, Sheppard could feel it. He wanted to stop the gunman, save the girl…

"Colonel Sheppard," the gunman said suddenly, causing Sheppard to frown deeply. The voice was soft and more importantly, belonging to a woman.

"Colonel Sheppard, can you open your eyes for me?"

Okay, now that was definitely not right. The room he had been in with the gunman morphed into the SGC's infirmary, and he immediately remembered the fiasco at Angel's.

When John opened his eyes, it was not McKay he saw hovering over him, but a nurse.

"Ah, there's your eyes," the nurse said with a warm smile. "You were having a nightmare. How are you feeling, Colonel?"

John looked around the infirmary and was almost surprised to see no one sitting beside him. He thought for sure he had just been talking with McKay. "Good," he answered anyway.

The nurse smiled again and wrote a few things down on her clipboard. "Glad to hear it. And even more glad to report that you are improving very nicely. Dr. Maisley will be able to tell you more, of course, but she won't be in for a little while longer. You need anything?"

He thought for a moment, then decided that he didn't need anything. He still felt tired and achy, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the last time he had been awake. In fact, he was pretty alert and was already getting that restless and anxious feeling he always got when he was confined to an infirmary bed. And that feeling always intensified when he was alone.

"How long?" John asked the nurse.

"Since the last time you were awake?" she said, glancing down at her clipboard, "About ten hours, give or take. Dr. McKay was here for most of it, but we convinced him to take a nap," she said with a smirk, implying they did a little more than 'convincing'. "Then, more people came to visit you and actually, they just left to get something to eat, then they will be right back. They'll be upset to know that you woke up right after they left," she said, smoothing the covers at John's feet.

"There is one young lady who arrived with the others who wished to visit with you. She, however, refuses to leave the infirmary hallway until she can speak with you, but she also refuses to come in until you give her permission," the nurse continued, still smiling.

This information had Sheppard confused; he knew that the first two visitors had been Teyla and Ronon, but who was this 'young lady'?

"Are you feeling up to it, Colonel?"

"What? Oh yeah, sure."

"Very good, sir. I will go get her. Remember, don't over do it and if you need anything just let me know," the nurse said before walking over to the infirmary door. Seconds later, Captain Dana Marlow walked in. Sheppard's eyes widened in surprise; he never would have guessed that she would be here, but then again, it made sense.

The young officer did not look at her CO directly, just strode immediately over to his bedside and stood at attention at attention. John could still see her face, and he wasn't a hundred percent sure, but it looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Sir!" she said with a salute.

"At ease, Captain," Sheppard responded, and watched as her muscles relaxed only slightly. He saw her look at him a few times, but her eyes never lingered for very long. Sheppard really didn't know what he was supposed to say to the young woman. He had never really gotten to know her, but trusted her judgment and knew she was a very proficient and dedicated soldier. She had been one of the first to join the Atlantis crew, and the fact that she was still alive spoke for itself.

"It's nice to see you, Captain," said John, pausing for a moment in hopes of her carrying on with what she wanted to say. But when she did not, he added awkwardly, "I'm guessing you're here to… tell me something?"

Sheppard watched her and saw her lip quiver for a second. Please don't let her start crying, he thought desperately. He wasn't good at the emotional stuff even when he could move around and think at his best level, but being bedridden and weak made the task near impossible.

"I… I am very sorry about what m-my… father did, sir," she said finally.

"It's not your fault…," he trailed off uncertainly.

"We had a falling out years ago. But he… he was never violent, sir. Never."

"It would amaze you what a parent would go through for their children," Sheppard responded, taking himself by surprise. "Not that I would know, exactly," he added quickly, "but I've seen some parents in action and… well, they can be pretty scary."

Marlow nodded and reverted her gaze to her feet. John was sure she was wiping her eyes, but he pretended not to notice.

"Yes, sir. I'm still sorry, sir. If I thought there was even a chance he would have done something like this…"

"Captain," Sheppard said, cutting her off and suddenly wishing he shared the same understanding with Captain Marlow as he did with McKay. "It's okay. Really. You had no control over this. And… I'm sorry you lost your father."

Marlow frowned at this and looked up. "He's not dead, sir. Not yet, anyway," she added softly, "they don't expect him to survive much longer."

This took John off guard. He had assumed the man had been killed, especially since it was the bullet of trained snipers took him out.

"I spoke with General O'Neill, sir," Marlow continued, apparently sensing the need to fill her boss in on what happened. "He said that he gave the order to 'take him down,' not 'out'. So, the snipers… they didn't shoot to kill, just incapacitate."

Sheppard thought about this new information and what it meant. Steve wasn't dead. Very close to being dead, perhaps, but not dead. The subject was one that had been lurking in the back of John's mind because if there had been one failure that night, it was that he had been unable to get Steve out alive, or so he thought.

"Have you seen your father?" asked Sheppard. When the Captain shook her head, John debated on whether or not to pursue the subject. On one hand, part of him didn't feel like it was his business, but on the other, what John said now could make all the difference in this young officer's life. John thought briefly of his dysfunctional relationship with his own father and how similar it was to Captain Marlow's. He thought about what he would do if his father suddenly died.

"Look, Captain," John said finally, "I don't know what this is like for you or what happened between you and your father, but I think you should know… I think he was a good man. Desperate, maybe, but deep down… he was still a good man. This isn't really my business, but I just don't want you to… to do something you'll regret later," he said, sitting up a little straighter. "I don't blame you, Captain. Your father did all of this for you. While I don't respect his method of getting answers, I think he just saw this as his last resort."

Tears were now falling freely from Marlow's eyes. Sheppard wished he knew what to say to her. He didn't want her to cry, but he really thought she deserved to know all of this. She stood before him for a few more minutes, fighting tooth and nail to get her emotions under control. Finally, she pulled herself together enough to speak.

"Thank you, sir."

Sheppard nodded and watched as she saluted him then walked out the door, her gait slightly lighter. John was pleased to see it, and even more pleased to see Ronon and Teyla walk in just as Marlow was leaving.

"Colonel, you are awake," Teyla greeted with a warm smile. Sometimes John forgot how much he missed that smile.

"Yes, I am," Sheppard replied, smiling and shifting uncomfortably in his bed. "I heard you guys played clean-up crew."

"Then you heard correctly, Colonel. Tolana suffered severe storm damage and they asked us to assist them in rescue efforts as well as reconstruction."

"Heard you were held hostage," Ronon said simply, smirking.

John tried to shrug, but pain shot through his body, originating on his shoulder. He told himself to remember to not do that again. "Yep. Sounds like another good week for the Atlantis flagship team…"

Both Ronon and Teyla laughed and they all continued to talk for about ten minutes until Dr. Maisley came in.

"Hello, Colonel," she greeted cheerfully. "You ready for those breathing exercises and a quick scan of your chest?" she asked as though she was offering him a drink. John groaned and let his head fall against his pillows.

"Sure."

It had been over a week since the incident, and Jeannie could hardly believe it.

She had been going back and forth between the SGC checking on John, and Caleb's parent's house, to be with her daughter and husband. Needless to say, it had been one hell of a week.

However, she had to admit that things were beginning to calm down and get back to normal. Jeannie and Caleb had agreed that they would take Madison to a psychiatrist when they got back home, just to make sure the trauma she endured would not cause any long-term effects. Although, Jeannie thought that Madison was taking it all very well. She would mention little things like, "That man with the gun said this," and "Colonel Sheppard did that…," but other than that, she spoke and acted like normal. This came as a huge relief to both Jeannie and Caleb.

On the other end of Jeannie's spectrum, Colonel Sheppard showed an equal amount of improvement. She had seen him awake plenty of times now and he was doing so well, in fact, that Jeannie was beginning to wonder why she kept coming back to visit. Sure, John had done her a great service and Jeannie had promised herself that she would stay until she was sure he was alright. And she had. John was fine. They had finally taken out the chest tube, and he was even going for short walks now. But Jeannie kept coming back.

A part of her knew why. She wanted to talk to him, thank him. She hadn't really had the chance yet, and in the moments that she could have talked to him, she always ended up putting it off. Partly because she wasn't sure what to say, and partly because she didn't want to start an emotional conversation with him while he was still recovering.

But now her excuses were running out as John went from staying awake and joking around for long periods of time, to walking around the infirmary, and finally, to having the tube removed. The removal of the tube had only happened yesterday, but with it went Jeannie's very last excuse.

She decided to come back that night when she figured the least amount of people would be there. She arrived at the SGC and was escorted down to the infirmary. She looked towards John's bed and saw only his feet and Teyla, who was resting in a chair next to the bed. Jeannie stopped for a moment, considering coming back later, when Teyla turned around and spotter her.

"Jeannie," Teyla greeted, standing from her chair, "It is a pleasure to see you again."

Jeannie smiled back politely and took a few steps closer to the bed. She now had a clear view of John who raised his hand and waved. She was pleased to see that he was sitting up in bed, wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt, and was not under thee covers. Jeannie waved back and closed the remaining distance between herself and the bed; there was no sense in trying to leave now.

"How you doin?" John asked before Jeannie could say anything.

"I'm doing great, actually. How about you? How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," he responded with a sigh. "Ready to get out of here," he added, rolling his eyes toward Teyla, who smiled and shook her head.

"Colonel Sheppard was telling me of a movie - Rambo, I believe - and his desire to act in a similar manner as the lead character," Teyla explained to Jeannie. Jeannie didn't even try to suppress her laugh.

"Not exactly like he did, but the general idea of breaking free," John clarified.

"I see," said Jeannie, chuckling, "but you can't be in here for much longer, can you?"

This made John grin. "Nope. We're leaving tomorrow via the Daedalus. It'll take longer than the Midway Station but…"

"Dr. Maisley believes it would be best for Colonel Sheppard to be surrounded by a more sophisticated medical system than the Midway Station can provide," Teyla finished for him.

"Not that I need it," John added, sounding much like a child.

"You are improving, John, but Dr. Maisley said that if a problem should occur, the Daedalus could provide the necessary medical attention to handle it efficiently."

John sighed, but did not speak again. Teyla shared a look with Jeannie, one that reminded Jeannie distinctly as a mother's look. She glanced down at Teyla's growing stomach and decided that the Athosian would make a fantastic mother after having to put up with Colonel Sheppard, Ronon, and her brother.

A short silence fell over the room and Jeannie wondered how she would start the conversation, if she was going to at all. She still wasn't too sure what to say, and was equally unsure of she wanted to say it all in front of Teyla. As though she read Jeannie's mind, Teyla moved away from her chair and stepped closer to Jeannie.

"I believe I am craving - what was it, again? - hot sauce?" she said aloud, "I think I will see if the mess hall can assist me. Jeannie," she said, bowing slightly, then turning to John. "I'll will return soon. Make him behave."

John rolled his eyes again and watched Teyla leave, then turned to face Jeannie.

"So, you really doing okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I really am," answered Jeannie, "and you're really okay?"

"Yep. What about Caleb and Madison?"

Jeannie smiled. "They're… they're great. Madison is acting like normal and…," Jeannie trailed off, and odd emotion filling her body and making her eyes water. She quickly blinked back unexpected tears.

"That's good," John said.

"Yeah," Jeannie began, "So… I don't really think I've had the chance to… thank you yet."

"Yes, you did," said John with an embarrassed grin, "A lot. And you don't need to anyway…"

"Of course I do!" Jeannie interrupted, then paused for a moment as she realized John's growing discomfort. "Just… well, thank you. Thank you, John."

He grinned and nodded, but didn't say anything else. Jeannie wondered if it was time to leave, but thought that would make the situation even stranger. Instead, she brought up a question that had been bothering her lately.

"Did you ever hear what happened to the man?" Jeannie asked. "The gunman, I mean? I think you called him Steve."

"Oh… his name was Alexander Marlow," John said rather quietly, almost as though he felt guilty. This took Jeannie by surprise; she didn't know anything about this man, other than what he had done. She figured that John Sheppard was the type to place blame on himself when it wasn't necessary, but this made no sense at all.

"So he's dead then?" Jeannie said, maybe a little more forceful than she had intended. "There's been nothing about it on the news, other than the obvious. The government's been pretty good at keeping this whole thing out of the media."

"Yeah, he died two nights ago," John answered, still in an odd tone. "He was the father of one of my people," he continued, easing some of the anger that had built up in Jeannie.

"Was he?"

"Yeah. That was the whole reason he did that. He couldn't get a hold of his daughter and the government wouldn't tell him anything, so he… well, he took matters into his own hands," John finished with a weary smile.

This quieted Jeannie; it changed everything. She still couldn't bring herself to like Alexander Marlow, but he wasn't just a heartless man anymore; he was a parent. Jeannie found herself wondering to what extent she would go for her own daughter. Did that make what Marlow did excusable? No one was killed other than the criminal himself. Jeannie sighed as she continued to think about the situation.

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" she said quietly, more to herself than to John.

"Yeah..."

It was the Henry Wallace ordeal all over again. Jeannie never would have imagined she would be in a situation like that ever again; one where she was terrified, and yet still held compassion for the person who caused it.

Silence fell between the two of them as they thought about what happened and the people who were lost. Neither Wallace nor Marlow had been right in their actions, but neither had been bad people either. It made Jeannie feel uneasy. She looked at John, and was surprised to see that he looked even more guilty than before.

"John, it wasn't your fault," she said without really thinking.

He nodded slowly. "I know. It just… kinda sucks."

Jeannie smiled wearily, "Yes. Yes, it does. But if anyone had to go…," she started, but decided not to finish the thought. "Neither seemed like a bad person, but… Well, I just hope they felt better in the end," she said, not feeling good about anything she had just said. The problem was, she didn't know what to say. The entire situation was just so… complicated. Were they right, or were they wrong? She just didn't know.

"I've been thinking," John started, his eyes glued to his feet, "you deserve to know something about Henry Wallace."

Jeannie's stomach clenched suddenly. She had wanted to know about the Wallace case before, but not anymore. She couldn't explain it, but she just didn't feel like she needed to know. More than that, John had displayed discomfort on the subject before, and she had no desire to make him uncomfortable again.

"John, it's okay. Really…"

"No, it's not," he interrupted softly. "It didn't occur to me before… but now it seems unfair not to mention…"

Jeannie frowned, not knowing where he was going with this.

"John…"

"It's nothing you didn't expect anyway. At least, I don't think so," John continued, not really addressing Jeannie as much as himself. "Just… well, it wasn't an accident," John said finally, his weary eyes meeting Jeannie's. It was in this moment that Colonel Sheppard looked… old and worn down. It was like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"No one forced him," he added, looking away from Jeannie. "It was the only way… the Wraith was the only one that could save you and… he needed…," he trailed off, his voice quivering very slightly. A moment later, however, John had taken a deep breath and suddenly looked like the strong man that he was again.

"Henry Wallace gave his life for yours," he said, his shaky voice gone completely. "He put your life in danger in the first place. But to pretend like it was an accident, I don't know… it seems… wrong."

Jeannie nodded slowly as she tried to take all of this in. John had been right, though; Jeannie had known it all along, just refused to see it. She didn't like the thought of someone sacrificing their life for hers, but it meant that her daughter could grow up with a mother. The compassion she had for Henry Wallace turned appreciation. John was right; it was not fair to Henry Wallace to cover up his last act of bravery.

She brought her eyes to John's once more, and saw an understanding there. She realized that the secret had been taking its toll on John as well. She thought about him and what he had done during this week, then thought about Henry Wallace, and the sacrifice that he had made. She thought about her parents, and what they had done for her and her brother, and felt tears form in her eyes.

John wasn't the only angel in her life, she decided, looking back at all the people in her life that had made sacrifices for her. No, she had always been in the arms of angels.

End.

Thanks again everyone and I hope the ending wasn't too bad.