A/N: Mucho thanks to ladygris for all of her help with this story. Sometimes all it took was a word or a phrase to spark an idea that turned into an integral part of the whole. I can never thank her enough.

Merci,

Sandy

Not a Hero

Chapter 3

Better Days Ahead

Area 52

Infirmary

As Slater helped him into bed, John grumbled and complained about the gown he was forced to wear, specifically the breeze on his nether regions. He didn't like not being able to do for himself though he hadn't really had anyone to rely on since his last partner. Not that he'd been able to rely on the guy for much except getting them both overpriced coffee from the Java Hut and the occasional donut from Pastries and More.

Reflecting that the longest a partner had lasted with him was three months, he also considered, not for the first time, that he'd never been assigned a female partner. Didn't matter. He knew what women cops, what most women thought of him. Especially that CSI, Catherine Willows. The one time he'd asked her out for a drink she'd given him a look that said she'd rather swim naked with hungry piranhas than be seen in public with him. It wasn't like he'd asked her to have sex with him. Okay, so he'd have gotten to it after the second round. She didn't have to be such a bitch about it and file a grievance. Now it was brought up every time he had a review. Or had been. He'd no idea what he was going to do now that it looked like he was going to live to see more than a few sunrises.

He was brought out of his funk when Slater returned. The doctor didn't say anything, just tossed a set of scrubs on John's lap and walked away. More grateful than he wanted to admit, he called out, "Hey! White makes me look pasty. You got any in black? Or red?"

~~O~~

Beep…beep…beep…beep…

Sam opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of Area 52's Infirmary though it looked like any other utilitarian ceiling. Not as gray as the one at the SGC but… She lifted her head and a wave of dizziness made her squeeze her eyes shut and drop her head back to the pillow. "Whoa."

"Welcome back."

Sheppard's voice came from behind the privacy curtain to her left. She ran her tongue around the inside of her mouth and over her lips. "What happened?"

A metallic sliding sound hit her ears then a pair of concerned hazel eyes were watching her, one hand holding the privacy curtain out of the way. "You were using that thing on me and passed out."

"Yeah. I 'member. Well, not the passing out part."

Clearing his throat, John tried to inject the correct amount of respect into his next comments. It had been a while since his discharge but he still remembered what it was like and how to act toward a superior officer. "General Carter, ma'am, I regret that I was responsible for what happened. But please remember it was not my idea. Until you arrived, I'd no idea something like that…" he gestured at the devices on the bedside table, "…existed."

"Your apology isn't necessary, Captain. I volunteered for this op."

"Yes, ma'am." Cringing at the use of his former Air Force rank, John reached for the call button to let someone know the General was awake. It wasn't necessary. Jennifer returned at that moment, not even sparing him a glance. She was followed by the nurse who'd been in and out all day carrying a tray which she set in front of him.

He watched Jennifer though all her attention was focused on Carter. That she ignored him caused disappointment to stick one little toe over the line though he didn't want to examine the reason too closely. Instead, he blatantly eavesdropped on their conversation.

~~O~~

"Hey. How you feelin'?" Jennifer tried to keep her bland professional smile in place but it kept wanting to get out of control.

Not willing to continue showing weakness, Sam lied. "Fine."

Pulling the curtain between the beds again, Jennifer kept talking. "Well, the good thing is, we know why you fainted." She leaned down to whisper in her friend's ear.

A moment later, Sheppard was startled when Sam loudly exclaimed, "Pregnant? How the hell did that happen?"

Jennifer grinned down at Sam as she raised the head of the bed. "You see, Sam, when a man and a woman love each other…"

"Ha-ha. I mean how…what about…we were told…" She lowered her voice. "I thought I couldn't get pregnant."

"Guess the tests were wrong. You're in your sixteenth week so we can do a sonogram. We'll even be able to tell you the gender if you want to know."

Sam looked around and Jennifer passed her a glass of water. "Doesn't matter to me but he'll wanna know." She sipped the cool liquid until a thought occurred to her. "You didn't call him, did you?"

Looking guilty, the other woman wouldn't meet her eyes. "Yeah. He was offworld with his team. They're recalling him."

"Crap!" Sam set the glass on the bedside table and swung her legs over the side. "I need to get back to the mountain before he comes through. And we have drills, inspections…"

"Uh-uh." Jennifer pressed Sam back onto the bed. "You're staying right here until all of the tests come back. Besides, you've been out a while. He'll be here in a few minutes."

A voice followed the pneumatic whoosh of the door opening. "He's here now!" Dressed in a black uniform, Sam's husband rushed to her side, took her hand and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine."

Addressing Jennifer, he asked, "Why'd she faint?"

"Oh, uh, Sam, you wanna take it?"

Sam nodded, her voice and expression softened with the love she felt for this man. Love that was reflected in his eyes as well. "You, uh, might want to sit down for this next part."

~~O~~

Jennifer moved away to give them as much privacy as possible within the limited space of the Infirmary. With a smile, she poked John in the arm. "How're you feeling?"

"Better. Still sore. That explosion really did a number on me." He shifted in the bed and slurped up another spoonful of Jell-O. He hadn't had the jiggly dessert in so long he couldn't remember the last time. This blue stuff is really good!

"No kidding. If you'd seen what we saw when we opened you up…" she stopped holding up a finger for silence, listening. "Hold on a sec." She pulled back the curtain, grabbed the chair next to the bed and swung it around just in time for Sam's husband to sit in it. When she turned back to John, her face hadn't changed expression. It still had that same bland professional smile that she used on everyone. "Is it weird that I know him so well?"

John wasn't even looking at her. He was staring at the man in black, and we're not talking Johnny Cash. "That's McKay, isn't it?"

With a bright smile, Jenifer nodded. "They'd been told, not by me, that she wouldn't be able to conceive so they're both in shock."

"But McKay and her?" He drank the last of his herbal tea and pushed the overbed table away.

"Why do you find that so hard to believe?" She crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto one foot, a little annoyed on behalf of her friend.

"Well, she's, uh…"

"Hot?"

One side of his mouth lifted in a grin. "I was gonna say attractive. And he's…"

"Arrogant? Opinionated?"

"You forgot smug and patronizing, but yeah." He was still watching the couple now talking quietly, both of Rodney's hands holding Sam's left one. Jennifer yanked the curtain between them again. "Love is blind, but in his case, it must be deaf and dumb, too."

She could see John wanted to say more but he closed his mouth at Rodney's comment thrown over his shoulder. "I can hear you!"

A few minutes later a technician came in with a device on a wheeled table. He went behind the curtain to get set up and a few minutes later they heard gasps from Rodney and Sam. "Okay, Mom and Dad. Here we go. There's the head, arms, chest, heart, legs and…"

"Yes! A boy!" Rodney seemed very happy.

"Oh, perfect. Another you running loose in the universe. How will we survive?" Sam's good natured ribbing made him chuckle. They watched the monitor silently for a while as the technician scanned a different area. "Um…what's that?"

"That…" the tech told them with self-satisfied amusement, "…is baby number two. A girl. They're both very healthy by the way." There was a pause then, "Dr. McKay, are you alright?"

"Two…babies." Rodney's voice sounded as if it were far away and getting even farther away by the second. A thump followed the scraping of chair legs on the floor as Rodney sat down hard for the second time.

With a small laugh, Jennifer ducked around the curtain. "Why don't you take your wife to get something to eat then home? I want her to rest for the next seventy-two hours and I'll call when the rest of the tests come back."

Over Sam's protests that she was fine, dammit, Rodney's excited voice rose in pitch. "Really?" The physicist stood up and helped Sam put her boots on. With an arm around her waist, he guided her out the automatic doors and down the hall.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own," Sam objected though she didn't try to move away, loving the feel of his arm around her at any time but even more so now.

"Excuse me for wanting to take care of my wife and our kids."

Their happiness came through in their next exchange. Happiness and love for each other.

"Our kids. I love the sound of that, Rodney."

"Yeah. Me too."

~~O~~

John watched the stunned parents-to-be leave, eventually turning his wide-eyed stare back to Jennifer. "How does a guy like that…"

The doctor held up a hand. "They love each other very much. And if you knew the things they'd both been through since joining Stargate Command, you'd know what miracles these babies really are."

Conceding the point, John commented, "You gotta admit they make a really odd couple."

Jennifer laid both hands on the railing, her eyes rolling. "They're no odder than you and me." Realizing what she'd just said, she tried to backpedal. "Oh! Um, what I mean is, uh…"

"So you're thinkin' about you and me, Angel?" He always put emphasis on the nickname because he knew it ruffled her feathers and sure enough, she blushed.

"No! I, uh, was just, you know, giving an example, Detective."

She was flustered again and his eyes glinted with amusement. He also didn't know what had come over him. Flirting wasn't his style. When he found a woman attractive or needed someone to satisfy his body's needs, he came right out and said what was on his mind. Most of the time, it worked. When it didn't, he dealt with the cold rejection and moved on. But there was just something about Jennifer that made him want to do and say things he'd never done or said before. "Call me John." Yeah, like that.

"Uh…" A male voice interrupted what had become an awkward situation for Jennifer sending her blood pressure up.

"Detective Sheppard? Special Agent David Magee, second-in-command of the General George Hammond Memorial Research Facility or Area 52, if you prefer." His tone left no doubt which he favored.

If John read her body language correctly and he knew he did, the slightly nasal voice with a New England accent belonged to one of Jennifer's least favorite people. He was a trained observer. It was his job. Or had been. Her back stiffened and the light blush turned into a deeper flush. The smile disappeared completely. The man extended his right hand and John ignored it, his arms crossed. If Jennifer didn't like the man, then he didn't like him either. "Former Detective."

John watched Magee watch Jennifer scurry out of the room, head down and eyes averted. What did this creep do to make her so edgy? If he was harassing the young doctor, the two of them would be having words. Well, as soon as he was well enough to back up those words with actions.

"Do something for you, Magee?" He judged the man to be somewhere in his thirties. His already thinning hair was slicked back in a way that he no doubt considered stylish. His suit made of Italian silk fit perfectly. In fact, everything he wore was Italian and expensive. This guy had money and didn't mind flaunting it. He wore everything with a casualness that spoke of having grown up with it as opposed to acquiring it later in life.

John's dislike climbed closer to disgust. Magee reminded him of things he didn't want to remember, wished he could forget. But that was the problem with the traumatic memories. Somehow they managed to overshadow any good memories that might still be around. If he thought hard enough, John did have good memories, but they were from before his mother died. She was the last person to treat him as if he mattered, as if someone cared. Her and Caitlin.

"Actually, it's something the agency can do for you." He passed John a folder of documents and a pen. "Read this over, make notes if you like. I'll come back tomorrow and we'll discuss any questions you have." With a nod, Magee was gone again.

~~O~~

Jennifer hurried down the hall to her office, slammed the door and locked it thankful that Derek was not there because she really needed to be alone. Opening the small 'fridge she'd brought in so she wouldn't have to go to the break room, she pulled out a cold drink. Twisting the top off with a snap of her wrist, she drank down half of it without stopping.

A shudder worked its way down her spine as she dropped into her chair. Every time David Magee looked at her, she felt like crossing her arms over her chest. She'd been able to avoid him for the most part, but it wouldn't last forever.

Booting up her computer, she got to work ordering additional tests for Sheppard…for John. That done, she let herself picture him as he was now, just the slightest stubble and wearing scrubs instead of clothing that looked like he'd slept in them every night for more than a week. They'd had to cut his clothes off of him when he was brought in so the scrubs were all he really had. He needed real clothes.

Pushing away from the desk, Jennifer grabbed her purse and headed for the motor pool. She could have taken her own vehicle but she was on company business. Besides, she really liked driving the H3. It made her feel…invincible, as though she could do anything. As she pulled off the base, she sang the theme from one of her favorite cartoons. "Here I come to save the day! That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way!"

~~O~~

Dr. Tish Adams drove the highway between Enterprise and Las Vegas, the convertible top up and the A/C on in deference to the oppressive desert heat. She'd just come from visiting her brother's grave. Every time she went there she came home drowning in guilt and sentimentality. He'd been gone for three years. It was time for her to move on. Not forget Mordred, but not spend so much time thinking how it all should have been different. Different. Yeah, right. It's my job. I should have heard what he was trying to say.

She turned on the CD player to drown out her internal voice. She'd shut it off in the middle of a song when she arrived at the cemetery. Back on, Ronan Keating was still singing her brother's favorite song.

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near

You drown out the crowd
Try as they may they could never define

What's been said between your heart and mi-

With a growl, she ejected the CD and buzzed the window down. With a flip of the wrist, she sailed the disc through the air. It landed on the opposite side of the highway and was promptly run over by a big rig, but she didn't see it. As soon as it left her hand, her right foot slammed on the gas until the speedometer passed the double. She didn't slow down, not even when she hit the city limits.

~~O~~

Magee entered the empty Infirmary. Sheppard's bed had been made though he wasn't in it. Searching the overbed and bedside tables, he located the documents he'd left with him the day before. He found nearly illegible handwriting in the margins on most of the pages. When he got to the most important pages of the document, he wasn't surprised to find that Sheppard had written across the page two words not usually uttered aloud in polite company. But then Sheppard didn't strike him as a man who paid much attention to society's unwritten rules or care if what he said offended the people around him.

For some reason he'd yet to establish, Woolsey and the OAB were content to give that oaf McKay just about anything he wanted. And for some reason he wanted Sheppard.

So far, the agency had managed to cover up or divert attention from their activities, but every day brought with it another opportunity for a slip. Sheppard was an embarrassment to the human race and would most certainly put the agency and it's operatives at risk, but it wasn't his decision.

A sneer curled his lip. Soon he would be in charge. He hated Nevada in general and Las Vegas in particular. The first thing he'd do is have the facility moved to a more agreeable location, like Florida or Hawaii or even Corpus Christi. His next order of business would be to give McKay the keys to the street. No more corner office with a view of the desert and no more cushy research job in another galaxy.

And he'd seen the way Keller looked at Sheppard while he was sleeping off the anesthetic. She had the hots for him no matter how much she denied it. What could a loser ex-cop do for her that he couldn't? Shaking his head he knew he'd never understand the female mind. Booting up his computer, he opened the file he'd encrypted himself and began his latest entry in the report he was compiling concerning the goings on in Area 52.

~~O~~

Her shopping had taken so long Jennifer decided to stay in town for the night. Partially to avoid Magee but also to think. And mostly she thought about John Sheppard and why he affected her the way he did. He was sooo not the type of man she was usually attracted to. He was too dangerous, too closed off emotionally. And too damn sexy for her peace of mind whether he was wearing his old worn out clothes, a hospital gown or the scrubs.

She pulled back the covers and sat propped up in bed with a pillow, the remote in one hand and a glass of white wine in the other. Flipping through the channels, she settled on a sitcom rerun about four super intelligent guys and a pretty but ditzy girl. However, her attention kept wandering to the bags on the table, specifically, the pink and white bag from an upscale lingerie store and its contents.

Tossing the remote aside, she scooted off the bed and pulled out the items. They were unlike anything she'd ever bought before. Her usual was a white or nude bra with plain "grannie panties." These were not white, nude or plain. With a growl of frustration at herself for being a prude, she stripped down and put them on.

The bra was in a color called pink magnolia with black lace covering just the lower half and curving up at the outer edge. It conformed to her shape while at the same time giving her just enough of a lift to showcase to great effect what God had given her. The bikini panties were the same color with black lace around the v-shaped upper edge that came down so low they barely covered…anything. She'd bought several sets in different colors but these were her favorites.

And that wasn't all she'd bought. Removing the bra and panties, she slipped into the pajamas. It was a four-piece set of long pants, long-sleeved top, camisole and short shorts made of satin in bronze with gold accents. The color and style complemented her fair skin and made the gold flecks in her eyes stand out. She had to admit the satin was sensuous against her skin making her feel pampered and sexy.

Shutting off the television, she downed the rest of her wine, went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and climbed into bed. Rolling onto her side, she looked out the gap in the curtains. Only a few stars were visible in the night sky because of the bright lights of the city. Sometimes she had trouble falling asleep when she first returned to Earth without the sound of the water to lull her. She missed the dual moons of New Athos as well.

With a sigh, she turned out the light and went to sleep.

The Next Morning

Ana hustled down the hall in the direction of the Infirmary two steps behind Derek. Both drawn by the loud voices of Magee and Sheppard engaged in a heated argument. They were employing an impressive amount of colorful language, their patient getting the upper hand in that area.

For someone who was supposedly part administrator and part diplomat, the voice of reason when all others had lost theirs, Magee got in a few good shots as well.

The doctor tried to pull Magee away before he and their patient came to blows but the inclusion of his voice only made things worse. In the hall, staff members were poking their heads out wanting to know what had disturbed the usual calm of their workplace. Ana waved them away with her patented it's-not-as-bad-as-it-seems smile.

After two minutes of standing there looking from one male face to the other waiting for them to wind down, Ana finally had enough. She put two fingers in her mouth and a shrill whistle came out, quickly silencing all three men.

Derek, his eyes wide, was the first to speak. "Where did you learn to do that?"

The nurse sighed as if they'd talked about this subject before. "I have four brothers, all younger. It was the only way I could get their attention when they started fighting over their toys or got into a wrestling match while our folks were out."

"Oh." His smile was sheepish. "I should know that, right?" Ana nodded and he had the good sense to look apologetic. Turning to Sheppard and Magee, he crossed his arms. "So what's going on here, Agent Magee? Why are you upsetting our patient?"

"Me? Upsetting him?" Magee stood up as straight as possible, gathered his papers together, roughly shoved his fancy gold pen into the front pocket of his suit jacket and pulled his dented dignity around him like a cloak. "He is the most ill-mannered, obstinate man I have ever met in my life." Turing on his heel, he left the Infirmary.

When the door had closed, John hooked a thumb in his direction. "Has he met McKay?" He scowled at Ana as she fussed over him, straightening his covers, fluffing his pillow and checking his IV before leaving the room. "Sorry, doc. It was just a difference of opinion."

Derek relaxed his stance and moved to the vital signs monitor. "You shouldn't be getting upset, Detective. It could set back your recovery." He tapped at the keys bringing up the records from the last fifteen minutes, relieved when it showed that John hadn't been as stressed as he'd sounded. He was probably more amused more than anything. How he could control his body's physical reactions in a tense situation but was unable to control his impulse to gamble was beyond the medical doctor's scope to comprehend.

"I'm fine. When can I get out of here?"

His voice distracted as he scanned the results of John's most recent tests, Derek told him, "Not for several weeks, give or take. The device General Carter used to heal you was only partly successful due to her condition. While you're no longer in imminent danger of dying from your injuries, you are a long way from being healthy. You'll have to endure some physical therapy due to the concussive force of the explosion. Not to mention the inevitable sessions with the staff shrink."

"Shrink? But…"

Now Derek chuckled. "Wait till you meet her. You're gonna love Dr. Adams."

TBC