A/N: Many thanks to ladygris for all her help. It's getting to where I don't remember if something was her idea or mine. At any rate, thanks for everything.

There are several items I expect to hear from readers about. Please don't hesitate to review or send a PM if you like. I won't take offense but I will take praise. LOL

Namaste,

~Sandy

Not a Hero

Chapter 7

Doors We Open and Close

Area 52

Evening Shift

With a long night filled with work ahead of her, Jennifer made her way to the small break room near her office. She yawned as she poured the last of the coffee into her cup. Setting it aside, she started another pot. About to reach for her cup, she jumped when someone came up behind her. Thinking it was Dora, she turned, but her smile of welcome left when she saw it was Magee. And she didn't like the look on his face. She never did, but especially not that disgusting leer. It was just bad luck this was one of the few places there were no cameras. As the 2IC at this facility, he would know.

Attempting to move around him, a little fear skimmed through her when he trapped her in the corner one hand on either side. "Where you going, Jennifer?"

"To my office, Mr. Magee."

"I told you. Call me David. And why in such a hurry?"

She smelled wintergreen mouthwash and tried not to cringe. Wintergreen used to be her favorite mint, but not anymore. Now she couldn't stand it. "I have work to do. Please let me pass."

"You work too hard. Join me for dinner and dancing instead. I promise to show you a good time."

His tone, obviously meant to be enticing, gave her goose bumps and not the good kind. "Uh…" Magee finally released her when they heard the sound of someone coming down the hall. She'd never been so happy to see anyone in her life. "There you are, Detective Sheppard. I need to speak to you. Hold my cup and I'll take you back to your room so we can talk." Her voice falsely upbeat, she didn't give him a chance to respond. He meekly took her cup as she pushed him down the hall.

"Angel?" His voice was low and inquiring.

Jennifer knew what he was asking but didn't want to explain. She'd rather just avoid Magee, hoping he'd get bored with her constant rejections. "Nothing I can't handle." They came to a stop next to his bed and he took her hand when she made to leave.

"Jennifer…"

"Please. Just let it go, John." She pulled free and left him alone.

~~O~~

John was taking himself for a roll when he heard Jennifer's voice coming from the break room. Immediately after, he heard Magee's voice and the tension in her reply. He hadn't liked the man the first time he'd met him and now he knew why. He'd suspected Magee HHHwas harassing the young doctor and wondered who else he was doing it to.

Releasing her hand reluctantly, she left his room headed quickly in the direction of her office, checking the hall before moving out. John still held her coffee cup. It was khaki green with a big red cross and said, "What Would Hawkeye Do?"

What would Hawkeye do? I haven't watched that show in years.

A few minutes later, John let Dora urge him into bed and again surprised her by taking his meds without a fuss. She turned out the light and shut the door. When she was good and gone, he turned the light back on. Arms crossed, he tapped his left bicep with his right hand, thinking and putting pieces together. Once he could see the picture, he began planning. Getting back into his wheelchair, he checked the hall then rolled over to the long corridor that went from the front of the building to the back, stopping to listen at Magee's door. The room was empty and the door was locked, the card reader a major barrier to his investigation. Not that the pig would keep evidence that he was harassing the female staff in his office, but it couldn't hurt to have a look around.

With a sigh, he headed down to the nurse's station. Dora had a habit of talking to her patients when she thought they were asleep or unconscious and mostly what she talked about was the rest of the staff. If he played this right, she'd tell him everything he wanted to know.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Dora stood over him, all five feet two, a hundred and seven pounds of her.

Charming the opposite sex isn't that hard, is it? And it's never too late to learn, right? Giving her a winning smile, he took her by the hand. "Uh, I'm afraid of the dark?"

She pulled free, tilted her head and crossed her arms with a look on her face that said she didn't believe him.

"I was lonely?" Tilting her head the other way, Dora pursed her lips. With a sheepish grin he said, "I missed you?"

She snorted a laugh. "I hope that's not your 'A' game, Detective, because it's not working."

"Ow!" He pretended to be mortally wounded and she laughed. "How about I'm not sleepy and want someone to talk to?

Uncrossing her arms, she pointed a finger at him. "Now that I believe." Circling around behind him, she pushed him down the hall to the vending area. Fishing in her pocket, she pulled out a handful of change. Nodding at the snack machine, she said, "Pick your poison, Detective. I'm buyin'."

~~O~~

Melissa watched from around the corner as Dr. Keller rolled Detective Sheppard out of the break room. David came out a short time later taking fast angry steps in the direction of his office. His door slammed so hard she was surprised the glass didn't break.

She knew he had a thing for Dr. Keller but she kept blowing him off. She also knew from experience that he wouldn't stop until she agreed to go out with him.

Normally Melissa wasn't vindictive, but she'd really thought David was beginning to care for her. That he could use her then just throw her away like he did spoke of incredible arrogance. It had never been her way to want to get revenge on a man who dumped her, but this time it was different. And she knew just the person to help her do it.

Las Vegas

Summerlin Subdivision

The front door opened, closed and a tall man made his way to the bedroom he shared with the woman he loved. He set his briefcase on the desk in the corner, grinning at the clothes strewn across the floor. He picked them up and tossed them in the laundry basket. Taking off his jacket, he hung it in the closet then removed his tie and draped it over the tie rack. His shoes were placed side by side with the others in the bottom of the closet and his pants were tossed into the seat of a chair.

As he removed his shirt he heard the shower shut off and a few moments later, the door opened. Tish wrapped her slender arms around his waist, cuddling into his back. She loosened her hold long enough for him to turn to face her and tightened again. His hands came to rest on her upper arms as she laid her head on his shoulder for a moment before lifting her face for a kiss. He obliged her then embraced her.

She released him, pulling the elastic from her hair and braiding it as she went back into the bathroom, emerging within minutes wearing a cotton tank top and shorts in pink and white. Not her favorite he knew, but she wore them because they'd been a birthday gift from him. He thought the color suited her dark hair and fair skin.

Once he was in his pajamas, they brushed their teeth and went back to the bedroom. Before she climbed into bed, he pulled her over to sit at the vanity. Taking a black velvet box from the pocket of the pants he'd thrown over the chair, he got down on one knee in front of her. "Marry me?"

Tish slid off the chair onto her knees in front of him, her hand extended so he could slip the ring on her finger. With a big smile on her face, she hugged him tight and kissed him. He stood and helped her up. They went to opposite sides of the bed and slipped under the covers. He lifted his arm and she snuggled close, sighing in pleasure. Her left hand, now sporting a platinum and solitaire engagement ring, rested on his chest. Putting his glasses on the bedside table, he turned on the alarm and shut off the light.

"Mmm. Love you, Dickie Darling," she murmured sleepily.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he smiled at the affectionate words. "Love you too, Morticia."

Area 52

The Next Morning

John caught Ana and Slater staring at him and whispering on more than a few occasions. After he ate breakfast without complaining about the oatmeal and blueberries he detested that was meant to help lower his cholesterol. After he went to his session with Dr. Adams without trying to finagle his way out of it. And after taking his morning meds without asking again what each one was then giving numerous reasons why he shouldn't have to take them.

He was saving his strength for later. No, he wasn't planning on confronting Magee, not directly. He was hardly intimidating in this state and Magee'd only deny the allegations if he reported him to Woolsey. No, with him he'd have to be subtle.

Instead of waiting for his PT session with Sonny after lunch, he made his way down to the workout room and walked on the treadmill. Twenty minutes later, he eschewed the wheelchair and went to the weights. He hadn't lifted since his discharge from the Air Force.

Picking up the twelve pound weights he did a few bicep curls. It was a little heavy so he went down to ten. When his muscles began to burn, he went to the stairs but stopped after a few minutes, his thighs shaking from the effort to extend his endurance.

A few days ago, he'd asked Slater why someone else couldn't use that healing device to make him well faster but only understood part of the explanation, at least until he'd seen one of Jackson's videos that explained about something called naqahdah. You had to have it in your blood in order to make the technology work and there were only three people on the planet with it. Carter, Carter's boss, and an eighteen-year old girl named Cassie. And he wasn't about to ask any of them for help.

Making his way back to his chair, John went to the nurse's desk. Again he ignored Ana's puzzled stare when he asked for a computer with Internet access. She made the request on his behalf and he went back to his room to take a nap.

~~O~~

Richard read over the reports from the nurses, doctors, therapists and other staff members that Sheppard had contact with over the past couple of weeks. Except for Magee, he was universally tolerated, even liked by a few. Quite a change from the man who'd been here the first time.

He reread Morticia's report a third time. Not because he didn't remember what she'd written, but because he wanted to make certain he completely understood what she was saying.

Sheppard had more than a few issues to work through, not the least of which was the guilt he still harbored for the deaths in the helicopter crash for which he'd been dishonorably discharged from the military. And he was a gambling addict though he hadn't admitted it in so many words. These and any of the numerous other issues he had could be worked out over time. That and the nightmares that woke him or startled the night crew when he began calling out in his sleep.

He took out the documents he'd printed a few days before, checked the contents one more time and set them aside. A few more days and Sheppard would be ready.

Two Days Later

John, in the clothes Jennifer had given him and with cane in hand, purposely walked past the conference room next to Slater's office. Angel was here today but hadn't come to see him and it disappointed him just a little. She, Slater, two other doctors, Carter and McKay were sequestered trying to figure out some kind of medical problem. By listening when he was thought to be asleep, and doing some investigating, he found out that there was difficulty with Carter's pregnancy but he wasn't sure what. He and McKay mixed like vinegar and oil but he'd never wish something like that on anyone.

Checking up and down the hall, he went to the door and tried to listen. It wasn't completely outside the realm of possibility that he could help. Okay, so it was. Big deal. He wanted to know what was going on. He wasn't quite able to hear and took a step closer. Both hands against the door, he pressed his ear to the center of the wood, glad that this wasn't one of the glass doors.

Inside, he could hear the different voices but not what they were saying. Pressing even closer, he leaned his weight against the door just as it was opened from the inside. He went sprawling again only this time it wasn't at the feet of an Amazon. When he looked up, the face of a man with brown hair and blue eyes looked back at him.

"Doin' a bit of eavesdroppin', huh? Jen's not gonna like that." He extended a hand to help John to his feet. "Carson Beckett. Doctor." The two men shook hands.

"John Sheppard. Sheepish."

And Beckett was right. Jennifer came to stare up at him and he did not like the look on her face or the angry sparks in her eyes.

"What the hell are you doing, John? I know you think the world revolves around you and everything is your business, but we are having a private medical conference." Going to the door, she waited irritably while he retrieved his cane. "Now get out."

He looked around the room at the faces, some amused and others, like McKay, Carter and Angel, not. Carter was standing with her arms out to the sides while Slater measured her middle with a tape measure. Something wasn't right here. It hadn't been very long since they'd gotten the news they were expecting and she was huge! Deciding that his wisest course of action was to leave, he gave the room an apology. "Sorry." The door slammed behind him as he smiled and nodded to two women passing by. "Ladies." The one on the right with brown hair in a short ponytail kept watching him. He wasn't sure what her job was because she was in street clothes instead of a uniform. She waved as she and her friend turned the corner giving him the kind of smile he wished someone else would bestow upon him again.

On the way back to the Infirmary he came to the hall that led to where the Wraith was being kept. In his mind, he heard the Wraith again though he wasn't sure if it was real or a memory.

Don't look now! Oh, keep dreaming.

I know the future. I'll show you your destiny…John Sheppard.

McKay hadn't told the Wraith his name but somehow he'd known it. He didn't like that someone was getting into his head with so little effort. It was one of the reasons he didn't like going to the sessions with Dr. Adams. Without really seeming to, she'd managed to get him to tell her things he hadn't told anyone in a long time, if ever. That's why he avoided her the rest of the time. She knew. Like the Wraith, she'd seen inside to the real John Sheppard. And like the Wraith, she hadn't recoiled in revulsion. I guess that's something. She also didn't look at him with pity or disappointment. She didn't judge. And that's the reason he opened up to her as much as he had. And why he avoided her.

There must be some other reason for your existence.

Grudgingly, he agreed, though what that reason was, he had no idea.

San Francisco

World Peace Conference

The Civic Center

Having spent the last few days being indoctrinated into the "culture" of the Stargate program, Evan kept it all in mind as he patrolled his assigned area. He also thought about his partner and what had happened to him. He'd been "infected" by a Goa'uld. The video of the symbiote taking a host by going in through the back of the neck had made him more than a little nauseous.

How he was going to help them stop the nest that had taken up residence in San Francisco, apparently for the sole purpose of infiltrating the peace conference and taking over the world leaders in attendance, he didn't know. Evan also wondered, not for the first time, why Homeworld Security didn't just come in and clean them out as they had in the past. He was too low on the totem pole to be asking questions that didn't really concern him so he stayed quiet, kept his senses sharp and waited.

~~O~~

A man dressed as a server moved carefully down the hall. He'd seen the leader of the Goa'uld slip into a side corridor that led to restrooms, coat rooms and, ultimately, the storage areas. Stopping to listen, he heard nothing but the sounds of the employees getting ready for the banquet, a cacophony of crystal, china and silverware mixed with voices speaking in many languages and the scent of cooking. And in the distance, music.

Easing around the corner that would take him to the farthest storage rooms, a burning sensation started in his gut then pain like he'd never felt before made him gasp. He fell against the wall and slid down to the floor. Blood poured out of a knife wound in his stomach and bubbled from his lips.

Inside he could feel his symbiote moving around trying to heal him however they both knew the damage was too severe. Even a sarcophagus wouldn't help them now. He watched his attacker drop the knife that had been used to kill him, grin maliciously as she removed a pair of latex gloves and stepped past without a second thought. She lifted the hem of her evening gown so it wouldn't get in the blood and just walked away. In this area of the civic center, he wouldn't be found for a while, not until the end when the teardown of the festivities occurred.

Consciousness warred with darkness as his symbiote fought to keep him alive just a little longer.

~~O~~

A woman with brown eyes and dark hair in an elegant chignon came around the corner just in time to see the trailing hem of a black gown disappear out a side door, her eyebrows coming together in concern.

Groaning led her to the man who'd been stabbed. She crouched next to him her fingers touching the pulse under his jaw and finding it very weak. Her hand took her cellphone from the pocket of her jacket and dialed with one hand. Before she could speak to the voice on the other end, the man's hand, the one without the blood, stopped her. "Never mind." When she looked down into his eyes, they glowed briefly and he spoke haltingly.

"Help us or all is lost."

Her eyes widened in a mixture of fear and loathing. "You're a Goa'uld."

"No. I am (gasp) Anouke of the Tok'ra." Seeing the recognition in her eyes, he tried to take a deeper breath, but it turned to coughing, more blood foaming at the corners of his lips. "I must complete my mission. Jendayi has to be stopped. If you are agreeable, I propose (gasp) a temporary alliance."

"I don't…"

He tried to sit up and she put a hand out to help him. "You have my promise. When this mission is complete, I will remove myself, even if it means my death."

The woman smiled sadly. "I've known many Tok'ra and have always found them honorable if occasionally manipulative." She nodded. "Agreed. What do I have to do?"

A groan was forced out of the man's throat followed by a rattling gasp. "It will not be pleasant but (gasp) you must…kiss me." He saw her begin to recoil at the thought then steel herself and lean close enough for their lips to almost touch.

When Anouke entered the woman's mouth, she made a choking sound, sagging against the opposite wall, until the length of the snake-like body had passed through her esophagus and settled into place. Her head bowed, her eyes flashed once and she pushed off the wall. Touching the face of her new host, the Tok'ra operative felt strong cheekbones. Touching the ears, she discovered the odd feeling was teardrop pearl earrings that, she supposed, matched the strand of pearls around her neck.

It was different being inside the body of a female. Anouke, though female herself, had never had a female host. She thought that it was a pity they couldn't stay together as she quite liked the thought that they shared something aside from a temporary symbiotic relationship.

Crouching by the body of the man who'd been her host for the last five years, she found he was dead. After taking a device from his inside pocket and slipping it into her own, she allowed the new body's owner to take over controlling their movements. She reached into another pocket and took out several tissues to wipe away the small amount of blood that had transferred during the joining.

*That was…strange.*

(Internal grin) **For me as well.**

*Well, this is a door I never thought I'd open. So, what's the mission?*

**Jendayi has a plan in place that could not only jeopardize the lives of all humans of Earth and the Milky Way, but in the Pegasus galaxy as well.**

*Oh, that is so not going to happen!*

Anouke smiled when she felt the determination of her new host. **I agree. We need to meet with the other Tok'ra and share information.**

*How will I know them?*

**You will know them when we see them. Our memories will be one and the same.**

*Then lead the way.* She gasped when an image appeared in her mind.

**I see you recognize the host of the system lord. That will make this mission easier.**

*Oh, yes. I recognize her as will most of the delegates at the conference. Her political ambitions have never been kept a secret. That would be why she was chosen as a host.*

**True. There is just one thing, and it has nothing to do with the mission. Before we are separated, there is something that I would like to do, if you'll permit. I would like to…dance.**

(Understanding grin) *I'm sure that can be arranged. I suggest a slow dance.*

**I see that it is your favorite.**

*Yes, it is. So…back to the party?*

**Yes. And many thanks, Elizabeth.**

TBC