"Secrets and Challenges"

Ch. 17

(Atlantis, Secret lab)

Dr. McKay, Lt. Ford, Dr. Grayson, Major Sheppard, and Teyla stepped into the large room. As they entered, lights began to light up automatically. The five looked around the room.

"This is incredible," Stacey said.

"What were the Ancients doing here?" Ford said.

John clicked on his radio.

"Dr. Weir, you need to get down here ASAP," John said.

"Where are you?" she asked through the radio.

"We're in some recently discovered part of the city," John said.

"Alright, we've locked on to your radio signal. I'll be there," Weir said.

John glanced at Stacey. She was standing next to a metallic-gray, capsule. Stacey raised her hand to touch it, but John said quickly:

"Whoa, Stace, I don't think that we should be touching anything just yet,"

Stacey ignored her husbands warning and touched it. As so as she did, however, an electric surge zapped her. Stacey collapsed to the ground. John rushed over to her. He could see an electrical burn on her hand.

She came around moments later. Stacey flinched as John helped her to her feet. They looked at her burnt hand. It began to heal itself.

"Huh, looks like I need to listen to you more often, Hon," Stacey said, as she patted him in the back.

She didn't see John roll his eyes as she walked toward the capsule. McKay walked over to a computer console.

"It's all in Ancient," McKay said. "It's gonna take some time to translate."

Stacey went over to the console just as Weir entered.

"What'd you guys find?" she asked.

"McKay thinks it's a secret lab of some sort," Major Sheppard told her.

"Be careful not to touch that thing either," Stacey said, eyeing the capsule that had just zapped her, looking back at the console and said, "It looks like a journal."

"How do you know how to read Ancient?" Weir asked.

"And since when?" McKay glared at her.

"Dr. Jackson taught me how when the Infirmary wasn't very busy," Stacey shrugged.

"What does it say?" Weir asked next.

"She was doing some kind of scientific experiments, the kind that the other's called 'inhumane'. So she secretly built this lab and hid it from the others," She read.

"Hang on, how exactly could she possibly hide something as huge as this from the others?" Sheppard asked.

"The Ancients were an incredibly advanced race, Major. They could do almost anything if they put their minds to it," Stacey said.

"Almost," John said, raising his eyebrows.

Stacey threw her husband a threatening look.

"Go on, Stacey," Weir said before John and Rodney began to argue.

"There's entry's on her experiments and inventions; failed or otherwise," Stacey said. "That's it," she sighed. "There is nothing in here about any of this stuff. All of her notes must be in here." she pointed to her head.

"Rodney, I want you to translate all of that journal," Weir said. "No offense, Dr. Grayson, but, you might have missed translated something. I take it you only know the basic's of the language."

Stacey crossed her arms.

"None taken,"

John could tell that his wife wasn't happy now. Great, Sheppard groaned inwardly.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to lie down for a while. That shock wiped me out," Stacey said, in her normal, non-angry voice.

"That's not such a bad idea. You've had a hard couple of days," Weir said.

"Thank you," Stacey grabbed hold of John's jacket and dragged him away, wearing a seductive smile on her face.

(Stacey's Quarter's)

As the door slid shut, Stacey unzipped John's jacket and threw it on the floor. Stacey kissed her husband soulfully on the lips, wrapping her arms around him.

"I wanna have another baby, John," she finally whispered into his ear after a moment.

"Me too,"

Stacey blinked for a second, sighed, and then grinned broadly. John picked her up and threw her on the bed lightly. She put her arms around him once more, pulling him closer, and then kissed him.

To be continued . . .