Author's Note:

Thank you for all your lovely reviews for the first 7 chapters - glad you all like the advent house idea. I'll be sure to reply personally at the end of the story but until then you all know how much I appreciate your comments and interest in the story. Running late on day 8 (and 9 here!) so will post both now - unbeta'd and rushed so forgive any errors that slip in ... day 10 (although it is already Dec 10th here) will be along in my evening. Thanks for reading!

December 8th

Returning to consciousness was a slow process … Evan became aware of the noises around him first. Atlantis had its own chorus of a sort, the hum of machinery and another sound on top of that, a kind of music made by the systems those with the gene could tap into. Evan awoke to those sounds every morning – they were familiar, expected. Waking without them had him frowning before he was fully conscious. Wincing as he noticed the ache at the back of his head, Lorne forced his eyes open, groaning when he remembered all at once where he was.

Olesia. In a different hut than the one his team had been assigned, after Privic had ambushed him from behind.

"Damn it," Lorne ground out, sitting up, a hand to the back of his head. It ached but thankfully the small amount of dried blood he found meant it was a minor wound in the whole scheme of things. Still, his head throbbed with every heart beat. He stumbled a little getting to his feet, his path not as straight and narrow as it should have been as he made his way to the door. This one had bars over the small window cut about head high on Evan and was very definitely locked.

"Y-you're a-awake," Eldon popped out of nowhere like a Jack-in-the-box, his face filling the small opening.

"Warn a guy you're there, would you!" Evan protested, glaring at his young friend. Although, after yesterday's events perhaps counting Eldon a friend was another one of those bad ideas.

"I'm s-sorry Major Lorne," Eldon hung his head, guilt reeking from him like a foul odour.

"Yeah, well, I guess it wasn't your fault Privic double crossed us," Lorne allowed. "Are Coughlin, Reed and Chang okay?"

"They're f-fine," Eldon stepped closer to the bars, lowering his voice. "Coughlin wanted to break you out immediately but I c-convinced him not to."

"And why was that exactly?" Lorne was glad Nate hadn't taken a stupid risk to get him free, but Eldon didn't need to know that. Maybe the other man wasn't behind Evan's current incarceration but he was still the reason Lorne and his team were on Olesia.

"B-because I have a plan," Eldon declared, keeping his voice low.

"You have a plan," Evan repeated dryly. "You didn't even know your elders had a jail!"

"I-I'm sorry about that," Eldon admitted. "Since Torrell and his m-men came here the elders have changed, especially Privic. W-we had so many hopes for a n-new Olesia."

"And then Torrell came along and ruined it," Lorne acknowledged, feeling some of that guilt himself again. If they hadn't freed all the convicts would Olesia have its current problems? "So, what does Privic want with me then?"

"I-I don't know for s-sure … he's worried I guess. Even if you help us get rid of Torrell what happens when the next ship comes along to cause trouble? His actions are wr-wrong Major Lorne but I u-understand them. My people a-aren't f-fighters. W-we don't know what to do when something like Torrell comes a-along."

It was the longest speech Evan could recall Eldon making, and while he understood where Eldon was coming from it didn't excuse Privic's actions. "You're saying Privic is looking at us as some kind of guarantee? He wants to keep us here to defend your village?"

"I-I believe so, yes."

"And I suppose the fact that we don't want to stay here is of no concern to him," Lorne said sarcastically.

Eldon cast a quick glance behind him and then leaned even closer. "Y-you're right Major Lorne."

"I like the sound of that," Lorne said blandly, "but what exactly am I right about?"

"We n-need help … fr-from Atlantis."

Finally! Lorne eyed Eldon assessingly. "I take it you're willing to do something more than just agree with me."

"Y-yes," Eldon nodded emphatically. "L-later, a-after e-everyone's asleep, I'll g-go to the gate and a-ask for help."

"You don't have the address," Evan pointed out. Not only that, at this point in time Lorne didn't have authority to hand out that address. Colonel Carter approved all requests to let anyone in on their new location and so far it was a very small list.

"Y-you don't tr-trust me," Eldon looked away, his disappointment obvious.

"Look, it's not that I don't trust you, okay," Lorne protested. "The city barely survived a brutal attack. We lost a lot of people, including Doctor Weir," his voice hardened as he revealed something he'd been deliberately vague with Eldon on.

"Doctor Weir is …," Eldon hesitated, his eyes locking on Lorne's disbelievingly.

"Dead," Lorne finished bluntly. "I'm afraid so. I think you can see why we need to guard the city as much as we can."

Eldon nodded, eyes back on the ground. Lorne couldn't see but imagined the younger man was scuffing the dirt with his shoes, something habitual he did when he didn't know what to say. Elizabeth had been good to the young man - even though Eldon hadn't known her well Lorne still regretted the need to upset him with grim news.

"If you can find a way to take Coughlin with you tonight, he'll dial Atlantis," Lorne proposed in a low tone. It was skirting the edges of following Colonel Carter's orders … he was in the 'letter but not the spirit' territory, but did he have a choice?

"R-really?" Eldon asked hopefully.

Recalling the words he'd written for Jennifer's day 8 advent, Evan nodded.

"I will always come for you … nothing would stand in my way. Yeah, even orders – never again will I put following orders ahead of getting back to your side when you need me."

That and talking about Elizabeth hardened his resolve. "Bring Coughlin to see me later," he ordered. "I'll clear it."

"Th-thank you Major Lorne," Eldon gushed out, almost bouncing on the spot in his eagerness to get moving.

"Go," Evan motioned the younger man to action. "You know where to find me."

Eldon nodded, pausing only a moment before he rushed away. Lorne glanced around the sparse hut, letting out a weary sigh. December the 8th already and despite Eldon's plan he felt no closer to getting home than he had when they'd first arrived on Olesia. It was going to be another long day.