Chapter 59: You're really here!
I couldn't have described my feelings as I watched Diamantia disappear. On the surface I knew what it meant ... what I was, what I'd been stolen and altered to be, had been used to deal Michael a killing blow some time in the future. But how to feel about it? How to see myself now the full truth had been revealed? That left me dazed and uncertain.
"Sabina," Teyla's voice in my head brought me abruptly back to the present. "What is your status?"
"I'm about half way to the Dart Bay," I reported as I left the lab. "How about you?"
"My baby is here," I felt the smile, her joy, and couldn't contain the grin on my own face.
"That's fantastic," I replied. "Are you okay?"
"I am well," Teyla reassured me.
"And the baby?" it was difficult not to worry - a baby on a Wraith cruiser was just wrong on so many levels.
"He is perfect," Teyla's mental voice was awash with awe and love. "Ronon is helping me but there is a problem. The Jumper has been stolen. John wishes to know how far away you are."
"You're in the Dart Bay?" I questioned, waiting for her affirmative before continuing. "Okay, it'll probably take me another five to ten minutes to get there if I don't run into resistance. You might want to find a place to hide until I can find you."
"I will let John know," Teyla promised. "Be careful," she added before closing off the connection.
I shouldn't have made that comment about resistance ... it was just asking for trouble, which I found about three corridors later.
"Stop!" I turned slowly, hands held high as two hybrid guards approached, weapons trained on me.
"This ship isn't going anywhere," I tried for the logical approach. "There's a big battleship out there right now just waiting to destroy us. Why don't you win yourself some points and let me go. I'll put in a good word for you."
"Michael will reward us for your capture," one of them replied.
"If I know Michael he's already thinking about how to get out of here himself," I laughed mockingly. "Do you really think he'll take you with him, look after you? He used you ... if you let me go I can get help for you, maybe get you switched back into whoever you used to be."
"We do not take orders from you," the second guard reached for my arm, pulling me roughly towards him.
With the two of them crowding me in the narrow corridor I didn't like my chances. I'd have to play along and hope for an opening to appear ... not liking the odds of that happening anytime soon I prepared to let Teyla know they'd have to find another way off the ship.
And that's when I saw them ... down the other end of the corridor came Kanaan with Teyla close beside him. And following them were John, Rodney and Ronon.
Knowing John was on the ship and seeing him in person were two different things. Tears blurred my vision as I stood watching their approach, waiting silently to see what would happen next. My hybrid captors did nothing as Kanaan approached, keeping quiet but continuing to hold onto me.
"Release her," Kanaan ordered when he was still a few feet away.
They let me go without a word, stepping back respectfully as Kanaan strode towards them.
My eyes were locked to John's ... nothing else penetrated my notice apart from the emotion I saw in his. His joy and relief ... his obvious love had my feet moving without my conscious effort as I walked slowly towards him.
And then I was in his arms and he was holding me so tightly and it was the best feeling in the galaxy ... hell, in two galaxies.
"Oh God," I muttered, pulling back. Putting a hand on either side of his head I urged him to look at me. "You're really here!"
"Sorry it took us so long," John smiled weakly.
"None of that matters now," I laughed through my tears, pulling him down to me and kissing him enthusiastically. He got into the spirit of it too and I completely forgot the still dire circumstances as well as our audience. It was only when I leaned into John, running my hands up his back and holding him closer that I realised something was wrong.
He groaned and it wasn't an 'I wish we were alone so I could take this somewhere intimate' groan. No, this was a classic John Sheppard "I'm in pain and manfully trying to hide it" groan.
"John," I pulled away abruptly, taking a step back so I could get a good look at him. He was deathly pale and sweating, the cuts on his face a vivid red. How had I not noticed that immediately? "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," he replied casually, an act ruined when he looked away.
"Don't lie to me," I retorted grimly. "The 'I'm fine' routine might work with everyone else but I can see right through you. How bad is it?"
"I'm okay to get back to the Daedalus," he put a hand to his side, grimacing at the resulting pain. Looking down at his hand and seeing the blood – both fresh and old - had the worry replacing all my other emotions. I didn't wait for permission, just pulled his shirt up so I could see how bad it was. Frowning again I looked at the bandages wrapped tightly around his stomach.
"Teyla never mentioned a fight," I looked at him suspiciously. "When did that happen?"
"Before," John gestured vaguely.
"Ronon?" I looked up at him expectantly, knowing John wasn't going to confess to anything specific.
"Back on the planet," Ronon admitted with an apologetic shrug for John. "Jennifer patched him up."
"You shouldn't even be here!" I said angrily. When he made to offer some kind of excuse I interrupted before he could get a word out. "No, don't say anything. We need to get you and Teyla and her son back to the Daedalus asap. I'm assuming a Dart is still our only option?"
"My people can fly you to safety," Kanaan offered.
"There are other Athosian's on board?" I asked curiously.
"A few," Kanaan agreed.
"You need to round them up then," John advised. "Once we're clear our people will destroy this ship."
"I will need time," Kanaan looked at Teyla worriedly.
"I can fly the Dart," I reassured him. "You grab your people and head for the Bay. I'll just beam everyone up and then fly us clear. It has to be me or the F302's will attack – the Daedalus won't believe it's us unless one of us is there to talk to them."
"Very well," Kanaan shared a wordless gaze with Teyla before hurrying away.
"This is all very touching," Rodney had been unusually patient but had obviously reached his limit, "but there'll be plenty of time for reunions back on Atlantis. So what do you say we get out of here?"
"Yes, I'm glad to see you too Rodney," I said, his familiar impatience having me smiling despite our circumstances and John's injury.
"Uh -," Rodney stopped for a moment and then looked at me. Was that real emotion I saw in his eyes? "Good to have you back Sabina," he said simply.
"Good to be back," I returned casually, like I'd been out shopping instead of held prisoner by the Wrath for a month.
"Time to go," Ronon's tone was serious but I could see the hint of a smile playing across his face too. I really wanted to find out how they'd all been doing while I'd been away but had to resist the temptation to ask - there'd be time for all that later.
"Good idea," John grabbed my hand and pulled me into motion.
He'd obviously gotten to me under his own steam but he looked so pale and weary that I felt the need to help him in some way. Ducking under his arm I positioned myself so that I was supporting some of his weight as we walked.
And he let me ... smiling down at me mutely he let me help him all the way to the Dart Bay.
After some debate about the merits of beaming a newborn baby into storage we all agreed it wasn't a good idea. That left me sitting in the cockpit of a Wraith Dart with a baby nestled in my lap while John and the others huddled in a close group waiting for me to collect them. It seemed like too long as I sat in that Dart with my eyes locked to John's, waiting, but eventually Kanaan ran in with a few others in tow, joining the group. I got the Dart into motion, all my previous experience coming back without conscious effort.
It was surreal ... to have gone from captive to leading the escape from the ship ... surreal in the best possible way.
Moments later I had everyone on board and was heading from the Dart Bay and out into space.
Finally Teyla and I were free!
Spotting the Daedalus I immediately began broadcasting a message on the radio Rodney had given me, telling them not to destroy us and giving the authentication code John had made me memorise.
"I repeat, this is Sabina Sheppard ... giving Colonel John Sheppard's authentication code Bravo Delta Charlie Alpha Niner. Daedalus, please come in."
"Authenticated ... under the circumstances," Colonel Caldwell replied. "Sabina, where's Sheppard and the others?"
"I have everyone beamed into storage," I reported. "The Jumper went missing and this was our only option."
"Do you have Teyla with you?" Caldwell asked.
"Yes, and the baby," I smiled down at her son, currently sleeping peacefully in my lap.
"You beamed a baby into Wraith storage?!" Caldwell asked incredulously.
"Of course not," I replied, insulted that he'd think that. "I've got him right here in my lap. There's nothing left to save on that Cruiser so any time you want to take it out is good for me."
"Copy that," Caldwell acknowledged.
It was a thing of beauty, watching the Daedalus sweep towards the Cruiser with Asgard beam shooting out the front. I felt a savage pleasure when Michael's ship flew apart, pieces whizzing off in every direction. With any luck Michael had been on it when it blew. I know - unlikely given history and what I knew of him. In fact I was pretty sure I knew exactly who'd taken our Puddle Jumper but was pushing it to the back of my mind. Time enough later to blame myself for giving Michael another tool in his campaign to take over the galaxy. Diamantia hadn't said anything about exactly when that time bomb would go off and I was pretty sure there'd be suffering and death for too many people before it happened ... and that I'd spend a lot of time trying to convince myself it wasn't my fault.
"Sabina, why don't you head down to the planet, beam everyone out and land that Dart?" Colonel Caldwell suggested, interrupting my grim thoughts. "I'm pretty sure you can dial up that Stargate now. I'll beam Doctor Keller down to take care of Teyla and the baby."
"Now that is something I can get behind," I smiled, looking down at Teyla's son fondly. "Isn't that right little guy? I bet you're pretty keen to get back to Mommy."
The baby didn't reply, just yawned and snuggled down to continue his sleep.
oOo
Following Colonel Caldwell's advice I flew the Dart down to the planet, doing a sweep around the Stargate so I could find the best spot. Depositing my cargo I landed the Dart a safe distance away and proceeded on foot back to the others, Teyla's baby still sleeping in my arms.
Doctor Keller was already tending to John when I got to them a few minutes later. She had stretchers for both John and Teyla and a few medics helping her secure them for gate travel.
"Here he is," I carried the baby carefully to Teyla and deposited him into her waiting arms.
"Thank you Sabina," she said gratefully, holding him close. "Not just for this but for everything you did on that ship."
"There is no need for thanks between friends," I intoned wisely, smiling when she recognised her own words being repeated back to her. "Pretty sure it was you who said that to me about a year ago."
"Yes," Teyla smiled graciously, cradling her baby with a cheek to his. "And yet in this case I feel the need."
"You can thank me by letting me babysit that little guy from time to time," I suggested with a grin.
"We would both like that very much," Teyla agreed, looking lovingly down at her son again.
"See you back on Atlantis," I moved aside to let the medics wheel her away. Turning to John's stretcher I watched for a moment, trying to judge the urgency of Jennifer's movements as she tended to him.
"How bad is it?" I drew Jennifer's attention to me, putting a hand on John's shoulder to announce my arrival.
"He needed surgery and a transfusion hours ago," Jennifer admitted with a guilty glance my way. "It doesn't look like he's done any further damage but I need to scan him to make sure."
"But he'll be okay?" I persisted, still concerned because John was so pale and obviously in a great deal of pain that he was doing an uncharacteristically poor job of hiding.
"He should make a complete recovery," Jennifer reassured me. "I'm sorry Sabina ... I never should have allowed him off the Daedalus."
"I'm sure he made it very difficult for you to say no," I let her off lightly, fully aware of how persuasive John could be when he wanted something.
"He is lying right here you know," John complained the lack of attention he was getting.
"Sorry," I smiled down at him, reaching a hand out to smooth back his hair. "I'd be happier about going home if you weren't lying on that stretcher."
"I can walk through the Stargate if it'll make you feel better," John offered, half rising from his prone position with an involuntary wince.
"What? No!" Jennifer reacted promptly, pushing him back down with an impatient sigh. "I swear you're the worst patient I've ever had. Carson had notes you know ... reams of notes devoted just to handling you."
"Carson!" I exclaimed suddenly. "I forgot - I saw him! How the hell is that even possible?"
"Clone," John said succinctly. "Don't get too excited Sabina ... we had to put him in stasis because Michael had him on some kind of drug. Without it he was gonna die."
"I'm working on a treatment," Jennifer added before I could react. "It'll just take time."
"Oh," I frowned, not sure how I should feel about that. Realising there were four weeks' worth of Atlantis stories for me to hear about that couldn't be covered in five minutes I pushed my curiosity to the background, focusing again on John.
"Ready to go home now?" he asked seriously.
"Hell yes," I took his hand, walking slowly alongside the stretcher, through the wormhole and back to Atlantis.
Author's Note:
I don't think in reality that Caldwell would have accepted John's authentication code from anyone other than John but ... well, Sabina wouldn't have one of her own so I went with him bending the rules given the circumstances. One chapter - maybe two - to go.
Also apologises for any confusion - I refered to a two month absence in the last John POV chapter which was wrong (has been corrected). See my chapter 70 note where I worked out that time wise Sabina and Teyla were missing for about 4 weeks.
Next Up? Fortunate Journey Season 4 Chapter 60