"With all due respect, Sir, we can't just stay here." Lorne's argument dropped into the silence of Javan's living room. The meeting between Sheppard and Lorne had morphed into something of a command staff briefing as Rodney and Carson joined the discussion, followed by Ronon and Teyla a few moments later. Elizabeth had flitted around the edges for a bit before she, too, settled in for the long haul. Now, Lorne met his CO's eyes. "Colonel, while I appreciate all that Javan and his people have done for us, we have to make our own way."

Sheppard nodded, but Lorne saw the lingering doubt on the man's face. It had been a full seven weeks since the Battle of Kiah, as their peoples called it, and many of them had grown either too comfortable or too restless. Fights were breaking out among the remaining Marines, something that Parker had been invaluable in handling, and many of the Athosians were already talking of staying. Lorne would be happy for them to stay, to find refuge on a "safe" world. But Teyla's people weren't meant to assimilate into a greater collective and lose their identity. If they joined with any people, Lorne wanted them to retain what made them Athosian.

Sheppard, however, was reluctant to make any decision. Lorne understood. It was Sheppard's decision to move to Kiah, to establish the village and alliance with Geir's people. It was Sheppard who began a relationship with Gisli in the first place. While Lorne could not understand exactly what Sheppard had gone through personally, he still felt the rage and anger of betrayal burning inside of him. It seemed as if all he had left was his honor. Never a man to think about that sort of thing, Lorne was eager to put the past behind them and move forward. . .if he could only convince his CO to do just that.

Sheppard finally looked up and around. Elizabeth sat in a chair to the side, her presence supportive but impartial. She'd already made her decision to stay with Javan's people when she agreed to marry the man. Teyla didn't look at anyone, her face stony against the decisions. Ronon appeared resolute while McKay and Carson both had uncertain expressions. Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "Carson?"

The doctor straightened from where he'd leaned against the wall and had folded his arms. "I cannae speak for everyone, son, but I wouldn't mind havin' a place o' my own again." He also looked at every person in the room, stopping when he saw Elizabeth. "Not that I'm not grateful for the refuge, love, but we weren't meant to live as sardines on top o' one another. We need to find our own place."

"Yeah, but we can do that here," McKay piped up. Lorne knew exactly what the physicist wanted: the Ancient ruins. "Who's to say we have to stay in this village? Why can't we establish our own? Again?"

"We're not doing that again!" Sheppard's growl startled everyone. He sent an apologetic glance to Elizabeth, who accepted it with a nod. "If we leave here, we'll find our own way."

Silence followed, during which Lorne held his breath. He knew that Ronon wanted to leave, and hearing Carson admit it also meant someone else felt the same way. Teyla never spoke, but she lifted her chin as Sheppard weighed their choices.

Eventually, Sheppard nodded. "Okay. Where?"

Ronon stirred, leaning forward to plant his elbows on his knees. "I gave you an option."

McKay rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we all heard about your option. Forgive me for sounding rude, but how is going back to Sateda going to help us, exactly?"

Ronon glared, but Teyla finally spoke. "Rodney has a point. The last time we were on Sateda, we found nothing but wreckage and ruins. I understand Ronon's desire to return to his home, but Sateda has nothing to offer us."

Rather than arguing, Ronon stayed quiet. Lorne supposed that was the Satedan's way of acknowledging that Teyla had a point. But Lorne also had a point. "How 'bout Kolya's base of operations?" When everyone perked up, he stifled a grin. "We know that Kolya got his Jumpers from the warehouse on Sateda. Not only that, but it's a dead world. The Wraith likely aren't monitoring it as closely as the others. So, we find Kolya's base, take what technology is there, and use the Wraith's dismissal of Sateda to our advantage while we rebuild."

"He's right!" McKay said as he pointed at Lorne. "If we can get our hands on the Genii technology, we might be able to figure out how their communications work, where the rest of Kolya's men are, and any number of things."

"Aye," Carson agreed. "Not to mention how they reverse-engineered the gene therapy."

"You're not still sore about that, are you, Carson?" McKay asked. "You knew it was only a matter of time."

"Aye," Carson said again. "But this gene therapy was designed usin' our men. I'd like to know how that's possible so we can hopefully prevent anythin' like this from happenin' again."

Rodney had no comeback. Carson folded his arms and, after another glare at his friend, went back to holding up the wall. Lorne barely kept himself from rolling his eyes at the two before he turned to Sheppard. "Sir, we'd have a place to hide the remaining Jumpers where we can keep an eye on them, too. We wouldn't be completely self-reliant, but we'd be a lot closer. Trading for food and supplies isn't the same as sharing a planet."

Seeing that Sheppard was swaying in his decision, Lorne sat back and let the man think. Rodney and Carson struck up a quiet argument that ended when Teyla sent a glare their way. McKay visibly wilted but Carson merely eyed the Athosian with concern. Not that Lorne wasn't also concerned. In his mind, he couldn't get her away from Kalle's prison soon enough. Maybe she'd stop beating him up every time she stepped into the sparring ring.

Sheppard finally nodded. "Alright. But we're not going to Sateda without some recon. Lorne, your team joins us first thing tomorrow. We'll go, check it out, and make a decision after we've determined it's clear."

"Yes, Sir." Lorne stood and, with his job of convincing Sheppard done, left the house. The remaining group trickled out after him, some going to the garden and the others leaving altogether. Rodney went back to the Ancient log, the thing that had occupied his time in recent weeks. Sheppard was eventually left with only Elizabeth in the room.

She moved to his side and waited for him to speak. When he continued to stare at the tile floor, she shifted. "John, Major Lorne is right."

"I know." Sheppard glanced at her. "But, when you've been burned more than once. . . ."

"I know." She touched his shoulder as she left him to his thoughts.

Sheppard listened to the door close behind her and shook his head. He knew he was being obstinate, but he wasn't ready to trust anyone just yet. Those from Atlantis—those he trusted—had proven that they wouldn't betray him. McKay, Carson, Teyla, Ronon, and even Lorne had become like family to him. They'd protected him and fought alongside him and had been betrayed with him. Trusting someone else outside of them was difficult. Elizabeth helped as far as Javan and Shani were concerned, but Sheppard eyed anyone else with barely concealed hostility.

What would it be like to be so far away from Gisli? While he'd been separated from her, both physically and emotionally, in the last weeks, he'd not been away from the planet except for a quick check of the Jumpers on Lantea. By leaving her behind, he would be leaving his hopes in the past. He'd loved her, but maybe love was overrated.

Pushing to his feet, Sheppard left the house and headed for the gate. It was secluded, and he could think there. Maybe, after some time to himself, he'd feel better about his options.

oOo

Ronon found Olina sitting in Elizabeth's garden. Today, she wore a dark gray gown with her long hair tied away from her face. It still spilled down her shoulders in luxurious waves, so different from Melena's but no less beautiful. He took a moment to admire her petite profile as she stitched the pile of fabric in her lap. Javan and his people had provided the Kian refugees with cloth and yarns, and many of the women had settled in to make new clothing for them. Olina proved to be quite a seamstress and had already crafted some sturdy clothes for Lorne and Sheppard.

Now, she glanced up, a smile lighting her features. "Ronon. Come join me."

Smiling at the invitation, he moved across the stone pathway and dropped into a crouch across from her. "What are you making?"

A blush darkened her face, and she glanced at him with those incredibly blue eyes. "A shirt for you."

He blinked and glanced down at the once-white shirt he'd worn for years. Seeing the dirt and sweat stains on it, he admitted it might be time to retire the tattered, patched top. "There's no need."

She pinned him in place with a look that her father had clearly taught her. "I beg to differ," she said, using one of Lorne's lines.

Ronon chuckled at that, sobering quickly as he thought about what he needed to tell her. "Olina."

She stilled and looked up at him, the smile falling from her face when she met his eyes. "You are leaving."

"Only for a time." He reached out and grasped her wrist reassuringly. "We're checking out a planet that we think might be able to house all of us and help us rebuild. Not just my people, but yours as well." It was a subtle reminder that, with the death of her father, she had become the leader of her people.

She struggled with her emotions for a moment, the betrayal and anger playing across her face and then settling into something resembling bitterness. "There is farmland?"

"Outside of the cities, yes."

"You have been to this world?"

"Yeah." He let go of her wrist, and rocked back on his heels while still keeping his balance. "We have other reasons than needing to move on, but the biggest one is that the Wraith think it's a dead world." She wasn't ready to hear his other reason: that the Genii base would provide them with valuable intel.

"But you will return?" Olina asked in a trembling voice.

Ronon abandoned all ideas of staying in place with that question. He perched on the stone bench next to her and pulled her into his arms. As she turned her face into his shoulder, he propped his chin on her head. "I will return. I promise."

She nodded and stayed in his arms. Ronon knew better than to think this was anything more than a grieving woman needing comfort. But his heart wouldn't listen to his head. He'd felt the stirrings of attraction for Olina for several weeks, their shared living arrangements not making the situation any better. That she'd turned to him in those first few hours after Geir's death didn't help his cause to stay completely platonic with her. Lorne had seen the glances Ronon sent her way when she slept, and the major seemed to understand. No words were spoken between the two men, but Lorne always made certain that Ronon could be around for Olina when she needed him.

When she sat up, there were tears in her eyes. "When do you go?"

"Tomorrow. At dawn." He nudged her chin up. "I'll be home by sundown."

She nodded and, after another shaky breath, withdrew completely. Ronon let her go back to her sewing and left the garden. He needed to think, to get some space before he did something he'd regret. Leaving Elizabeth's home, he set out for a run. The sun was sinking below the horizon, night's cool breezes starting to blow. He'd have plenty of time to burn off the excess energy and bathe before it became too dark. Ignoring the glances of villagers too accustomed to his explosive habits, Ronon left the village behind and ran until he was certain he could think again.

oOo

Shani stood in a doorway, her hesitance to interrupt evident in how she barely scuffed the ground with her sandals. Inside the tiny house that Javan had set up as a clinic, Carson spoke with one of her people in his strange, lilting accent. It had fascinated Shani from the moment of his arrival, but his healing abilities fascinated her more. Carson had become a good friend in the intervening weeks, nothing more. She had watched as he said goodbye to the sister of the Genii's leader, had seen the regret in his eyes, and had understood. She had also said goodbye to a man she did not love, though her situation was a bit different. Even now, she thought of her late husband with respect and affection, something she saw cross Carson's face whenever Dahlia Radim was mentioned.

Today's visit to the clinic was not about regrets, however. Nor was it about treating the sick. She had overheard much of the Kians' conversation in her home and had determined that she would continue learning. Carson had taught her so much about the human body, about illnesses and wounds and treatment. And he still had much to teach. She had seen him with children, mothers, husbands, wives, and his own people. He had compassion for them but was firm when necessary. And he always knew exactly how to treat something even when she did not. Knowing that he would likely be leaving Ataliya meant that she had two options: stay and regret not learning everything she could, or leave and fulfill what she believed was her life's destiny.

When his patient left, Carson turned to find her in the doorway. "Oh. Come on in, love. I didn't see ye there."

Shani smiled at him. "You were busy."

"Aye," he said with a wry grin. "Though, I think you've arrived at just the right time for a cup o' tea. Would ye care to join me?"

Shani's smile grew. Over the last few weeks, Carson had come to adore Ataliya's native tea, saying it reminded him of the tea he drank in his homeland of Scotland. "I would be honored."

He dimpled at that and rushed to prepare two cups from the pot he had already brewed. Once finished, he carried one to her and settled into a chair, leaving the couch for her. Shani appreciated his propriety and perched on the edge after taking a sip of the strong brew. "Carson, I have a question."

He sobered at the tone in her voice, straightening from his slouched position. "Wha' is it? Are ye unwell?"

"I am fine." She smiled at the way he appraised her, not inappropriately but with the eyes of a healer looking for illness or injury. "I simply wished. . . ."

When she did not continue, he leaned forward. "Shani?"

Licking her lips at the uncharacteristic nervousness, she met his eyes. "I overheard your meeting with your people. I know you are planning to leave Ataliya, and. . . ." Again the nervousness stopped her words. Pushing down the clenching in her stomach, she forced herself to continue. "I wish to join you when you leave. You have much to teach me about the human body, and I wish to continue that."

Carson's face relaxed minutely at that, but the seriousness in his gaze never faded. "Have you spoken with Javan about this?"

Shani wasn't able to keep the rueful smile off of her face. Out of all of his people, Carson was the one who had "tuned in," as he said, to her culture. He knew that, while Javan did not control her life, her brother did offer protection and provision for her as a widow. "I have not. I wished to know if it would even be possible before I spoke with him."

"I see." For just a moment, he looked as if he would say no. Then, after a glance out the window, he sighed. "Shani, I'd be more than honored to have ye with me as an assistant. Most of our medical personnel were killed before leavin' Atlantis, an' I cannae handle this many people on my own. But you need to talk to your brother."

She nodded, understanding that he was not trying to educate her on her people's customs. He wanted to show her that he respected her culture and way of life. "And if he gives me leave?"

A smile blossomed on his face. "If he says yes, then I'd be thrilled to have your help."

Shani let out a deep breath at his acceptance. Until that moment, she had not realized the tension that had settled into her stomach. Realizing that now was not the time to approach Javan with this, she settled in to enjoy a cup of tea with Carson and discuss his people's plans for the coming weeks.

Throughout the day, Shani considered her decision. On Ataliya, she lived a life of ease. Her brother's position as leader of the planet provided everything she might need. She had the respect of her people, fine clothing, plenty to keep her occupied, and plenty of time to waste in the garden. If she left with Carson when his people moved, she would give up all of that for a life spent struggling to survive. She believed herself up for the task but knew she would have to convince her brother to let her go.

"You are troubled." Javan's voice startled Shani from her thoughts, and she dropped the knife she'd been holding. He moved to her side and pulled the bread she had been slicing for their evening meal from her hands. "What is it?"

Shani licked her lips again and decided to blurt out her request. "I wish to leave when the Kians move to their new home."

Her words clearly startled her brother. He carefully set down the knife after only two slices to the loaf and turned to her. "Why?"

She had anticipated that question. "Javan, I am a healer. You know this. I have learned so much from Dr. Beckett, and I do not wish to lose the opportunity to continue my study."

Javan narrowed his eyes, though his expression was not unkind. "Shani, the life that Dr. Beckett leads is not the same as here."

"I know."

"No, you don't." He shook his head. "You are accustomed to fine houses, tile floors, clean spaces. When I was on Kiah, Dr. Beckett's clinic was clean, but it was small. Tiny compared to where he works now. The walls were unfinished, and. . . ." He met her eyes. "Are you certain you wish to do this?"

"I am." She met his eyes. "I know it is different. I have seen the hardness on the faces of our guests. I know that Carson has done things he is not proud of, and I know I will be asked to face those decisions as well. But what I can learn from him is more valuable to me than simply staying in a life of ease. Demir is grown, as are all of his brothers and sisters. I am not needed here, not as badly as the Kians need me. Besides, when you and Elizabeth are wed, I will be forced to find a new home."

"No. You will. . . ."

"Not stay with you." Shani touched his arm. "Javan, I have been married before. I know what it means to have grown or nearly grown people living with you as you establish your life together. While my husband and I did not necessarily love one another, we had great respect for one another. You and Elizabeth will need your time, and you cannot have that if I am also living here. She will become the lady of this house, and I am more than happy with that. But it also means I need to find my own way."

Javan dropped his head as he thought. She waited, knowing that interrupting him when he was thinking was not wise. Only Elizabeth could interrupt, and that woman normally gained a relieved smile in the process. Instead, Shani retrieved the knife that Javan had set down and continued slicing the bread. He watched her, clearly weighing his options.

Finally, after the evening meal was almost complete, he nodded. "You are certain?" he asked again.

Shani looked around. She loved Ataliya, loved her home and her family. But the prospect of seeing new worlds, striking out on her own and discovering if she could survive without her brother's protection was a much stronger pull than staying in the place she had always known. "I am."

"Very well." Javan moved to put his hands on her shoulders. "I must make some arrangements with Dr. Beckett, but I will allow it if this is what you desire."

Shani smirked at him. "You would allow it any other time, too."

"I probably would," he agreed with a laugh. Letting her go, he watched her closely. "I knew that I would have to let you go one day, but I did not realize it would be this way."

She put a hand on his shoulder. "I will be well protected."

At that moment, Sheppard and Carson walked through the door, both men looking weary but determined. Javan smiled sadly. "I know. But I am allowed to worry about my sister."

The topic was dropped as both Sheppard and Carson headed for the room they shared. Over the weeks, the men in Shani's home had divided the chores so that she, Demir, and Javan were not waiting on them. She appreciated the help and knew that she would also have more than simply healing the sick to do when they reached their new home. But the prospect of adventure welled up in her, and she served the evening meal with a smile on her face. Carson caught her attention at one point, and she gave him a tiny nod. He understood based on the smile and relief that crossed his face, but he would not say anything. Not yet. Her culture demanded that Javan speak with the man who would be responsible for providing for her, and she knew that her brother would do so when he was ready. Choosing to enjoy the idea of an adventure, Shani finished the evening with a smile and fell asleep trying to imagine what life would be like when she did leave Ataliya.

~TBC