"Secrets and Challenges"

Ch. 11

(Holding Room, Cell 1)

"Let me in," John, repeated more firmly.

"Major, I don't think this is a good idea," Weir said as Bates opened the gate to the cell.

"I've tried everything else. If she wants a piece of me, let her have me," he said.

There was a loud clank. Bates had closed the door and locked John inside. Stacey grinned mischievously and growled.

"I'm sure she'll listen to reason," Weir said, clearly afraid.

"It's too late for that," he said quickly. "She won't listen to reason."

Stacey walked closer to him. John stepped backward nervously. He was starting to worry whether or not this was a good idea. It's a little too late to back out now, John thought.

"So," he began nervously. "So, why are you angry with me anyway?" he paused, feeling a little more confident he continued, "I mean ya gotta have a reason to want to rip me to pieces."

"You left us for two complete strangers," Stacey answered angrily.

"What?!?" he said. "You told me you understood why I had to do that!"

"That was before you got shipped to Antarctica!" Stacey yelled at the top of her lungs.

"I didn't have a choice!" John yelled back. "It was either that or getting a court-martialed."

"Exactly! You would much rather go to Antarctica than stay with your family," She said.

Stacey lunged forward and scratched him in the face. She then clasped her fingers around his throat. Stacey pushed him against the Ancient Shield. John's face began to turn red from the lack of blood flowing to his brain.

"Stop it!" Weir shouted through the bars. "You're going to kill him!"

"Exactly," Stacey said calmly through John's choking sounds.

"Stacey, listen to me," John choked. "I thought you understood that I needed to fly. You said so yourself; that it is my purpose in life."

For almost a second Stacey's eyes changed from her orange cat-like eyes, then to her green eyes and back to the cat ones again. Stacey let him go and kicked him in the stomach hard. He fell to the ground.

She picked him up by his hair and punched him hard. Stacey repeated this several times before Bates shot her with a Wraith Stun gun. John caught her before she could hit the hard ground. Sheppard looked up at Bates.

"Thanks," he said, putting her down gently and getting out of the cage quickly.

"That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever seen you do!" Weir said.

"Well, I had to try something," he said.

"I know," she sighed. She looked at him. "You should have Dr. Beckett clean that up, before it get infected."

John touched the scratch on his cheek. It wasn't that deep, but it stung badly. He wiped his bloody fingers on is shirt. He gave a quick nod to Weir and glanced at his unconscious wife on the floor before leaving.

To be continued . . .