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(Normal POV)

"You think it was something in the ruins?"

"Yes." Radek nodded. "Carson's tests showed an unusual toxin in their systems. He doesn't think it's permanent, but I'm going to need to analyze the artifacts in the ruins to be sure. I mean, it should wear off soon, but I want to be sure."

Elizabeth looked up from the table as Lorne walked in, rubbing gingerly at his bandaged cheek. Seeing John, he raised an eyebrow and held up a hand when the black cat narrowed its eyes at him. "Whoa, no need to be catty." He looked up and grinned at the others, seeing their answering grins. "Sorry, couldn't help it. Look, I just heard from the gate patrol and the wraith took a few things from the city before going." Hearing a growl, he turned to find Rodney's ears back as he sat curled up in Katie's lap, his paws tucked under himself. Evan raised a hand in warning. "Keep your claws to yourself!" He pointed to his cheek. "I already got it from the Colonel!"

Elizabeth began to giggle quietly in her seat and rubbed John's back, seeming more at ease about it. "Alright, we'd better send a team to figure out what's left. Radek and Lorne, get some scientists and marines together. I want to know everything those ruins have to tell me." Seeing the nod she got, she nodded back. "Dismissed."

As they left, Rodney watched them go, then almost looked like he let out a sigh of relief. Getting up, he stretched slowly in Katie's lap, only to freeze at Elizabeth and Ronon's laughter. Slowly, he turned to look at them and noted them staring at his paws. When he realized what was going on, he let his head drop in humiliation.

"Aren't they cute?? I thought it would be a good idea to keep his feet warm, to help keep him from getting sick," Katie gushed over the little orange booties on Rodney's feet. "And they match his collar, too."

Even John's jaw had dropped and he couldn't help but grin, despite knowing how it looked.

Elizabeth snickered to herself and shook her head. "Adorable. You have yourself a veritable puss-in-boots there." Grinning cheekily at Rodney, she slowly stood up. "Alright, let's go. I have no idea how long it'll be before we hear anything. Dismissed." She turned from the table, and was about to turn back to grab John when he jumped to the floor easily and walked at her side. Seeing that he was fine, she bit back a look of disappointment before following him out of the room.

(Lunch Room, Later, John's POV)

"You know it's not going to keep going like this, right?" Elizabeth looked at me, as I eyed my meatloaf-surprise with distaste. "They can't give you anything hard because your system won't digest it. You're lucky you don't seem to have the same intolerance to chocolate most cats do, or that slice of cake you stole off Teyla's plate wouldn't be sitting so well right now."

I raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath before holding it and taking a bite of the mushy meat. Grimacing a little, I chewed and swallowed quickly, shuddering as I was unable to get past the fact that meat should not be runny like that. It didn't taste too bad, bit it wasn't the taste that bothered me, it was the texture.

"Carson's still not sure what to make of the toxin in your system, but he suspects that a little more time, it'll fade and you'll turn back. He doesn't think it'll be any longer than a day or two, but I didn't want to call Radek back just yet. Anything he finds out can still be useful. I still don't get how a toxin can turn you into a cat." She grinned and shrugged. "I guess that's why I'm not a scientist."

I took another bite and repeated the quick chew and swallow routine. This continued for three bites, with Elizabeth watching in a mixture of amusement and sympathy.

"And if worse comes to worse, we can always take you and Rodney back to the planet to reverse it."

My head shot up at this and I felt my eyes widen. That damn planet's where this happened to me! Frowning to myself, I tried to communicate my displeasure about the idea of going back. Then I looked down at my food and decided to forego the meatloaf-surprise. Why can't we just let it pass normally? I can handle being a cat for a few days.

"Oh come on." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and gave me a playful smirk. "Don't be such a scaredy cat."

I looked up and pointedly rolled my eyes in return, getting a helpless shrug. It's getting a little old.

"Sorry, but you know it's not gonna stop that easy. You and McKay are perfect targets." She laughed. "Especially with those little orange booties." Seeing my look turn amused, she raised an eyebrow. "I wonder if she has a matching set for you?"

I let the amusement fade from my face. You... You wouldn't dare! Elizabeth....! I knew I was glaring, and hell, I could hear the snarl on my lips. I wouldn't do that to you, you know!

I'm guessing my look was pretty impressive, because she raised an eyebrow and held up her hands. "I was just kidding. Relax, you know I wouldn't do that to you." Smiling, she settled back down. "You're kinda cute as a cat, but I think I prefer you human. It's just...easier to talk to you when I can read your face, or when you can talk back. Don't get me wrong." She smiled evilly. "The puns and all your little adventures are hilarious..." She trailed off. "I wonder if Radek was able to get those moments on the CCTV..."

I stared at her pointedly, waiting for her to continue.

"But it's not the same." She opened her mouth to say something, but her face changed to a look of...was that disappointment? Tapping her ear, she sighed quietly. "I'm here. What have you got?" Nodding after a moment, she looked at me. "John's with me. Can you get Katie and Dr. McKay to meet us in the gate room?" She nodded again. "Right. Please do it. Weir out." Tapping her ear piece she gave me a small smile, and tapped it again. "Ronon? Teyla? Can you hear me?"

I watched in growing apprehension as she made plans for them to meet us in the gate room. Since the Wraith were gone, the planet seemed to be perfectly safe, and she was planning on going with us back to the ruins. I let out a growl of protest, beginning to get used to conveying my feelings this way, despite how I felt about it, and sighed quietly to myself when she gave me a look and pointedly ignored me.

Still, I didn't make it easier on her. I knew she'd gotten used to carrying me, and something told me she liked it. When she decided to make her way to the locker room to get ready, she reached out to pick me up and I gave her a dark look before jumping off the table. Ok, so maybe I was being unreasonable, but the fact remains that some unknown toxin on that world changed me and McKay, and she risked being changed to.

Then I paused. Literally. Why hasn't anyone else changed? It was just me and McKay? I looked up to Elizabeth who looked down at me with a confused look, and tried to convey my question, wishing I could at least write, or type.

"John?" Elizabeth sighed and knelt down to my side. "Look, if you're worried about me, don't be. Lorne and his team, along with Ronon and Teyla are going to be there. Not to mention, whatever turned you both into cats won't affect me. After Captain Anderson came back as a cat, Carson pointed out we needed to watch who we sent there." She raised an eyebrow. "Evidently, he didn't realize it was related to the ATA gene."

Oh. So we're not the only ones...? Well, at least she won't change then. With a slight nod, I felt a little better and turned and began walking towards the locker room again.

(P4M-669)

Everyone was gathered around a glowing altar-like place. It strangely enough looked like a smaller version of a DHD, only made of a topaz-like stone. It glowed brightly as we entered, and Radek was holding the necklace I'd brought back to Atlantis before, pursing his lips as he regarded it.

"It is quite beautiful."

Hey! Get your paws-err...hands off that! Growling slightly, I made sure to keep it low, so no one would think I was actually mad. But I thought it was harmless?

"I thought you said the necklace was harmless?" Elizabeth unknowingly spoke my thoughts with a worried frown, tightening her hold on me until I had to dig my claws into her hands a little to get her to loosen her grip.

"I wasn't quite right." He pointed to the altar-like place. "This alter seems to be related to it." He pointed to the small orifice in the center of the altar, which looked like the necklace would fit into it perfectly. It even had a shallow groove for the chain. "This necklace is supposed to be there."

"So why isn't it?" Ronon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I..." Radek looked stumped and frowned. "I don't know. All I know is Colonel Sheppard's reports state he got the necklace in the ruin." We weren't in the ruin, but around the back of it. "I do know that this altar is covered with the same substance as was found in the Colonel and Rodney's blood streams." He frowned a moment. "Lieutenant Matheson touched the altar, and was rushed to the infirmary gravely ill, so I wouldn't suggest touching it."

Katie, Lorne and his team all took a precautionary step back, just to be safe.

"When he examined the necklace, Carson also noticed very faint traces of the same toxin on the necklace."

"So they're related. I don't see how that helps us."

Radek raised a hand and excitement shone in his eyes. "Ah, but when the stone was allowed to fall on the altar..." He carefully lowered the necklace until the stone rested in its spot perfectly, still keeping a tight hold on the chain. There was a loud rumble, and the ground shook slightly as one of the nearby pillars began to slowly turn. It was carved into a vaguely eagle shape, and as the face of the bird turned to the altar, the color it glowed began to change from topaz to a soft sapphire. "I think this will cure them." He pulled the necklace out of its slot, and the altar turned back, even as the pillar began to spin back around.

"So, what? We set them both on the altar and lower the gem?" Ronon looked doubtful.

Radek shrugged. "So it seems. But since they'll be turning back, we might end up in the way. I'd suggest giving the necklace to one of them and letting them be the ones to drop it in the slot."

Elizabeth nodded with a slightly worried look on her face. Carefully putting me down on the altar, she took a step back as Katie stepped forward and did the same for Rodney.

Promptly, Rodney stuck his paw in his mouth and began tugging at the little booties.

"Oh!"

Katie was about to reach out and help him when Radek grabbed her hand.

"Don't. They've touched the surface, so the toxin is on the boots. If you touch them, you'll get very ill."

Rodney paused a moment and seemed to think about that. Then he looked at the one paw he'd managed to bare, and shrugged before spitting the boot to the side and doing the same to the other front paw. Once they were both free, he was about to let out a sigh of relief, when he looked to his back paws. The front ones were probably the easy ones. He seemed reluctant, but after a moment, let out a growl and sat on the altar, bending so as to get his back foot into his mouth and begin tugging.

Meanwhile, Radek held out the necklace, and I took the chain in my mouth, holding it over the slot as Rodney got the last bootie off and looked triumphant. He turned to me as if to say 'ok, go ahead', but I stared pointedly at his throat. There was no guarantee the collar would turn with us, and if he kept it on, he risked being suffocated.

Now Radek let Katie walk up and she carefully undid the flea collar, and pulled it off, letting her hand trail down Rodney's back as she stepped back.

I raised my eyebrow at him, but let the necklace drop, pushing the chain into the groove with my paws until it sat perfectly. I heard the rumble and frowned to myself as the altar began to warm up. I could feel heat coming from it, and I felt my eyes narrow as I was hit with both a dizzy spell, and the sudden feeling of being inexplicably tired. Before I knew what I was doing, I was lying down and closing my eyes.

(Infirmary, Normal POV)

"So they're ok?" Elizabeth looked to the two human men lying in the beds in front of her.

When they'd turned back, they'd been unconscious, though Carson was now confirming that there was nothing wrong with them and they'd just fallen asleep. They'd changed back in a flash of white light, with seemingly no problem what-so-ever. One minute, there were two cats on the alter, the next there were two pajama-clad men laying half on the alter.

And because it was shining blue, Radek ran some quick test and found out there was no trace of the toxin, so it was safe to touch them. They regained consciousness on the way back, and the first thing McKay started doing was ranting non-stop all the way back

Shaking his head, Carson looked up at her and smiled. "There's no trace of the toxin. They seem to be back to normal."

John growled, then cleared his throat as everyone turned to him. He had the sense to blush as he sat up. "So, uh... Is it ok for us to go now?" His stomach chose that time to growl, loudly, and Elizabeth covered her mouth briefly, to conceal the smile. "Sorry."

Carson nodded and smiled openly. "Sure. You've got a clean bill of health. Just...come back to see me, if you feel the urge to eat catnip, purr, or bite someone in training."

Narrowing his eyes, John raised an eyebrow. "It's not my fault Dr Carsewell found some catnip in the supplies, or that he decided he needed to sneak it into our food."

That had been amusing, to say the least. Elizabeth thoroughly enjoyed watching John stare at blank walls for an hour, before he decided his tail was evil and had to die. She'd even managed to get video of him playfully attacking McKay, and the corresponding cat fight that ensued.

"Carsewell's on inventory duty. You won't be seeing him for a while." Rodney was fiddling with the little orange booties Katie had brought him as a present. To help him remember their fun time together.

John decided he owed Rodney one for that, but for now. "Good, I'm so hungry, I could eat a-"

"Canary?" Rodney piped in with half a smirk as he didn't even look up.

"I tawt I taw a putty tat." Elizabeth chimed in.

"You did, you did taw a putty tat." Carson added with a chuckle. "In fact, you taw two of tem." Shaking his head, he turned and walked off.

John sighed and knew the cat-puns were far from over. Jumping off his bed, he contemplated hiding in his room for a while, but then knew that it'd be in his email, either way. "I'm gonna go get something to eat. I think its roast beef, today."

"Oh, really?" Rodney suddenly looked up, and after a second's hesitation, stuffed the booties in his pocket before getting up and walking over. "You know, I think I'm hungry too."

"I'm not surprised." Turning to Elizabeth, John raised an eyebrow to find her staring at him intently. "Elizabeth?" When he saw he'd snapped her out of her thoughts, he smiled a little. "Wanna join us?"

She seemed to debate for a moment, but then nodded. "Sure." She started walking towards them, then stopped. She raised an eyebrow and her eyes openly scanned their bodies a moment before she folded her arms over her chest. "But, um...maybe you should get changed, first?" Her eyes lingered a little longer on John's body.

Looking down, he realized he was still in his boxers and t-shirt, and felt his face warming up. "Yeah, maybe that's a good idea." Spotting McKay rushing out of the room ahead of him, he shot a smirk to Elizabeth before walking out a lot more leisurely.

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Hope you like it

Written November 21, 2008

R+R please

Thank you

Tenshi