Chapter 47: What if we leave right now in the Hive ship?

"Sabina?" John stopped me before I could leave the conference room with the others. He waited until we were alone before continuing. "Are you okay with flying the Hive ship? I know I didn't check with you before the meeting."

"I'm fine with it," I reassured him. "I was just a bit surprised that you were volunteering me to do it."

"No matter what our personal issues might be," John looked at me intently, "I have no doubts about your skills or that you're the best person for this particular job."

"Oh ... okay," I said hesitantly. We looked at each other silently for a few moments ... being that close to him and feeling so much distance between us was torture. And standing there lost for words when our conversations usually flowed with ease saddened me. I looked away despondently, suddenly feeling close to tears as I realised how much we'd lost so quickly.

"I should ..." I made a move towards the door.

"Don't," John said urgently.

I glanced back at him questioningly, feeling my pulse quicken when I realised he was intending to move our conversation into the personal right there and then.

"I took the time you said I needed, thought about everything you said," John told me intently. "From the first day I met you I knew you were gonna be trouble ... nothing that happened after that changed my mind and yet I still let myself get involved with you," John paused, "no not 'let' myself, I pursued it, I wanted to get involved with you. I never put on rose coloured glasses to look at you – I have always been fully aware of what I was getting in to –"

I opened my mouth to speak but John held up a hand "No – it's my turn now and you'll listen to what I have to say."

My mouth closed with a snap. John waited a second to see if I was going to try to interrupt again before continuing.

"You are stubborn – in fact you give a whole new meaning to the word; you have strong opinions and you fight for what you believe in; you're a contradiction because you're loyal and supportive and friendly without reservation but at the same time you hold everyone at a distance; even with me you hold something of yourself back because you're afraid that if you let yourself rely on me too much you'll lose me. I do see you Sabina and I know exactly who it is that I love." John stopped talking and I waited to see if he'd say anything else.

"Can I speak now?" I asked hesitantly.

"If you're just going to refute everything I said, then no," John replied. When I said nothing he gave a wry smile. "It seems I'm not the only one who needs time - you need to do some thinking too," John told me. "You need to look back over the last few months and then ask yourself which one of us is taking only the easy parts and ignoring the difficult ones."

"Do I have to?" I asked in a tone that suggested I couldn't think of anything I'd like to do less.

"If you genuinely want to fix this," he gestured vaguely between the two of us, "then yeah, you do."

I looked down at the ground, nodding dejectedly.

"Let's get this mission done," John put an arm around me and pulled me into his side companionably. "When we get back we can talk some more."

"'Kay," I said, still dispirited. Enjoying John's closeness after so many days without it I couldn't resist resting my head against his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. "Rodney's waiting for me ... I'll ah .. I'll see you on the Hive ship." Feeling that even the slightest kind word from him would send me into tears I turned and quickly left the room.

I felt depressed and troubled after talking to John and I had to struggle to get my mind to focus on the task ahead.

"Come on Sabina!" Rodney said impatiently. "I just want you to access navigational control ... it isn't exactly rocket science."

"Sorry Rodney," I apologised, rubbing tiredly at my head. "I've been a little vague since my fight with the Queen."

"You mean since your fight with Sheppard," Rodney muttered under his breath.

"And since my fight with John," I admitted openly. Rodney looked taken aback that I was actually admitting my performance wasn't up to scratch because of a personal relationship. "You're right – I'll try harder."

"Um ... okay," Rodney said uncertainly. "Do you want to ... ah if you want to ... talk ..." Rodney broke off awkwardly.

"That's really nice of you Rodney," I said sincerely, touched that he'd offer when it clearly made him uncomfortable. "Lucky for you I'm not gonna take you up on that offer. We're working things out so ..." I trailed off.

"That's ... good," Rodney said relieved, probably because he wasn't going to have to be subjected to a personal conversation. "Sheppard's been a pain since ... since the Hive ship – I think we'd all appreciate it if you two ... you know."

I smiled – I was actually happy that John hadn't been going about his business with his usual ease. It was petty but it did make me feel better. "Okay, let's try this again," I suggested, turning back to the Wraith console with renewed concentration.

Within a few hours I had demonstrated sufficient control of the neural interface for Rodney to be confident we could get the ship where it needed to go. The mental pressure was familiar and not as uncomfortable as my initial trip in the Wraith Dart had been, in part because I had recovered from the mental blows inflicted by the Queen during our first encounter and because I had become much more skilled at the type of control needed for Wraith technology.

The trip to the planet we'd chosen for the POW camp passed without incident. I remained on the Hive ship resting for the return journey while everyone else set up camp and then transferred all two hundred human Wraith to the planet's surface. Within a few days John was ready to pull out all the troops and leave the POW colony to fend for itself.

"Where's Doctor Beckett?" I asked Rodney when they'd returned from the planet without him.

"He insisted on staying," Rodney admitted. "Said he wasn't convinced they wouldn't revert into Wraith and that he wasn't ready to abandon them."

"And John agreed to that?" I frowned in confusion.

"Left a security team down there to guard Carson," Rodney reassured me. "Sheppard will insist he come back after the first resupply mission. Now, can you get sublight engines on line so we can head back to Atlantis?"

"

Our return to Atlantis was met with the welcome sight of Doctor Weir finally returned from Earth. She'd called a meeting of team Sheppard in the conference room and this time I was happy to have been included.

"We've all logged more than a few miles these past few weeks," Doctor Weir acknowledged. "I'd just like to say that seeing you now, sitting across from me, looking at your faces ..." Elizabeth paused, gazing at each of us in turn. "... it makes me feel very ... " Elizabeth paused again, this time seeming on the brink of tears. The last she had known only Teyla had been safe and accounted for.

"You don't have to say it," John tried to let her off the hook.

"We feel the same way you do," Teyla added with a gentle smile.

"Oh, she feels hungry too, hmm?" Rodney quipped, smiling in pleasure when Doctor Weir grinned.

"Sabina, you were able to operate the neural interface with no ill effects?" Doctor Weir asked me in concern.

"I won't deny that the effort of controlling the Hive ship for so many hours was draining," I admitted.

"And that was just flying in a straight line," Rodney pointed out. "We didn't even attempt to pull off anything complex, like combat manoeuvrability, weapons control ..."

"How many manoeuvres can you pull off with your manual interface?" John asked pointedly.

"Well, does, um, standing still count as a manoeuvre?" Rodney asked hopefully.

"No," John replied sternly. Doctor Weir smiled at their familiar banter. She was about to move on when the doors to the Conference Room opened and a familiar man came hurrying in, carrying a briefcase. I watched in horror as he headed to Doctor Weir's side of the table – it was that weasel of a man I'd overhead talking to Doctor Weir back at the SCG.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. "My interviews are running a little longer than expected." He set down his case and looked around the table.

"And ... you are?" John asked with pointed curiosity.

"Richard Woolsey,' Doctor Weir announced. "He's chief liaison to the international committee that oversees the Atlantis expedition. He will be conducting individual interviews with each of you." The smile she wore at the end of that statement made it clear that none of us should look forward to that.

"As well as observing all senior staff meetings," Woolsey added. He took some files out of his case, sat down and then deliberately moved his chair into a position that forced Doctor Weir to make room for him at her part of the table.

"Right!," Doctor Weir said with a forced smile.

"So - what did I miss?" Woolsey looked in interest across at the members of team Sheppard.

"Rodney was about to run down all the progress he's made adapting the Hive controls," John happily dobbed Rodney in to put Woolsey off.

"Excellent," Woolsey looked expectantly at Rodney. "Please continue."

"Hmm!," Rodney said, glancing at John before muttering a snide "Thanks!"

I sat through the rest of the meeting without uttering a single word, which was unusual enough that John called me up on it as we were leaving the conference room.

"You were pretty quiet in there," he commented. "Something you want to tell me?"

"I don't like that guy," I replied. "I didn't want to give him anything he could use against Doctor Weir ... or you."

"You know him?" John frowned at my attitude.

"Not exactly," I admitted. "I overheard him talking to Doctor Weir the last night we were at the SCG – he was overly judgemental about you and especially about your decisions regarding me."

"Which you're only mentioning now?" John asked with a bit of heat in his voice.

"There was no point," I defended my decision to keep quiet. "You'd just taken command officially – with an active ZPM the military were gonna be looking over your shoulder every five minutes. I didn't think you needed to know that some weasel attached to the IOA might be doing the same."

"Doctor Weir will handle him," John let the matter drop without further comment. "Don't worry about it."

He was singing a different tune a day or so later after having a personal interview with Richard Woolsey.

"You were right," he said angrily. "Richard Woolsey is a weasel. I had the overwhelming desire to knock him stupid only a few minutes into the interview."

"What'd he say?" I asked curiously ... I had managed to avoid so far the pleasure of speaking with Woolsey myself.

"Only questioned every decision Elizabeth ever made ... and me for agreeing with them," John said, still angry.

"It's his job," I pointed out. "Remember, you said Doctor Weir would handle him."

"She will," John reiterated. "Just ... be careful if he asks to speak to you."

"Of course," I agreed.

"

"Ms Scott?" I groaned at the sound of Richard Woolsey's voice behind me before reluctantly turning to face him.

"What can I do for you Mr Woolsey?" I tried to make my voice friendly but realised I'd failed miserably when I heard his next question.

"You don't like me do you Ms Scott?" Woolsey didn't appear to be overly bothered by the prospect.

"Is it a requirement?" I raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Of course not," Woolsey replied. "I've been trying to catch you for the last three days to arrange an interview."

"I know," I said abruptly. When I offered no further explanation Woolsey nodded ruefully.

"Perhaps you have a few minutes now," he suggested. I looked at him silently, waiting for whatever questions he might want to ask me. "You have the Wraith gene as well as the ATA gene?"

"I'm sure you've read enough reports to know the full story," I replied, not willing to get into a conversation where he had me confirming facts he already knew. "Why don't you do us both a favour and get to the point?"

"The IOA are concerned that someone with a ... connection to the enemy also has such a close ... connection to the leadership of this expedition," Woolsey laid it out in black and white.

"The IOA?" I replied. "Don't you mean you?"

"I'm here as a representative of the IOA," Woolsey said somewhat irritably. "Just answer the question."

"I will as soon as you actually ask one," I said in a smart arse tone. "Make it quick though 'cause Doctor McKay is waiting for me back at the lab."

"Is it possible for the Wraith to gain intelligence about this base through a connection with you?" Woolsey asked.

"No," I replied. "Anything else?"

"Even when you're connected to this telepathic device?" Woolsey persisted in disbelief.

"Look, if you've read the reports like you said then you'll understand how the TED works ... unless I activate it and choose to draw out a connection from it no form of communication is possible." I ran a hand tiredly across my face, waiting to see what else he'd say.

"Do you think it's appropriate for the military leader to be involved so closely with someone like you?" Woolsey changed tact to the subject I suspected he really wanted to talk about.

"Someone like me?" I took a step forward and grinned evilly when he actually flinched. "You know ... I think my feelings might actually be hurt by that," I paused and put a hand over my heart, "... no wait, they're fine."

"You may very well joke Ms Scott," Woolsey said piously, "but the IOA have the power to affect the placement of staff on Atlantis."

"Colonel Sheppard has the full support of Dr Weir and the leadership back at the SGC," I pointed out. "I think I'll take my chances. Now if there's nothing else I've got important things to attend to."

Without waiting for his reply I turned and headed off down the corridor. I'd intended to tell John straight away what Woolsey had been implying with his comments but before I could a situation emerged that required all of our attention. We met in the conference room, once again in the presence of Richard Woolsey.

"As you all know," Doctor Weir began, "there's a Wraith Hive ship headed straight for the planet where we left Beckett and the prisoners."

"There is no reason for the Wraith to be interested in that planet," Rodney complained, like Wraith behaviour had to be somehow logical. "It doesn't have a Stargate, and there's no indication that it ever supported a human population. It is completely off the grid."

"I think we have to consider the possibility that we have a leak," Woolsey interjected.

"You mean a spy," Ronan stated.

"Not necessarily in the city itself," Woolsey qualified. "Without ruling anything out, I would begin by focussing on our contacts within the various indigenous populations, including ..."

"If you believe any Athosians ..." Teyla interrupted heatedly.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions here," Doctor Weir cautioned both of them. I was kind of surprised that he wasn't trying to imply that I'd somehow given the location of the POW camp away.

"Isn't it true that there are humans in this galaxy who serve the Wraith, even worship them? How hard would it be for them to infiltrate one of our allied groups?" Woolsey asked.

"Mr Woolsey," Doctor Weir said impatiently. "Do you think we post this kind of information on the city bulletin board?"

"If the Wraith had that level of inside information," John went even further in showing Woolsey how idiotic his assertions had been, "they'd be on their way to Atlantis, not some nameless planet with a couple of hundred people on it."

"For the time being, we need to focus on getting those people out of there, because if the Wraith find them and figure out what they are ..." Doctor Weir let our imaginations fill in the rest.

"We've got a problem. Again." John drawled.

"How much time do we have?" Ronan asked.

"Two days," Rodney said grimy. "Well, we could ... oh, you could beat them there in the Daedalus."

"Their hyperdrive is still offline," Doctor Weir scotched that idea. "Hermiod needs at least another twenty-four hours."

"We should light a fire under his bony little ..." John threatened.

"That still might not be quite good enough," Doctor Weir pointed out.

"What if we leave right now in the Hive ship ...?" John turned to Rodney with an expectant look.

"Oh," Rodney thought for a second, "it'd be cutting it close."

"What are our chances of surviving a ship-to-ship encounter?" Doctor Weir asked him.

"If I link the TED straight into the Hive controls," I jumped into the conversation, "we may be able to hold them off for long enough."

"There are still systems that are untested," Rodney pointed out. "Weapons, manoeuvrability, ... the chances are still less than slim."

I watched as John and Elizabeth exchanged a long look before Elizabeth came to a decision.

"Do what you can on the way," she told Rodney.

We all got up, Woolsey's presence completely forgotten, and quickly left the room.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to tell me you didn't need me on the mission," I commented to John as we headed off to get prepared.

"That would have been ridiculous since clearly you're the only person who can pilot the Hive ship," John refuted. "Now stop talking and go get your stuff!"

"Yes Sir" I replied with a cheeky grin.

Authors Note:

Hope the 'sort of' make up between John and Sabina has reassured you Allie108. Thanks for the cool review by the way ... glad to know I surprised you! Thanks for the heads up re it being IOA instead of IOC - this chapter has been corrected to fix that mistake.

TWO chapters to go ... maybe I'll do both tomorrow or maybe just one ... not sure at this stage ... hope you're all still enjoying this.