Oh wow, thank you for all the reviews! Cue me smiling like an idiot! Thanks everyone! Since you gave me so many wonderful reviews you can have another chapter, don't expect every time.

John had just been reaching for his cheek when the alarms started howling and Rodney suddenly dropped his tablet and clutched his arm as though something had snapped it in two. In the back of his mind he was sure he'd felt Elizabeth's lips against his face, he was so sure he could feel her presence he cast a quick glance over his shoulder at her office, shocked to see it dark. He'd been so certain. By the time he'd shaken the feeling off Rodney had his tablet back in hand and the alarm had stopped chiming.

"Alright, who this time?" John asked in a weary voice.

Beside him Rodney punched the screen of his tablet a few times, his brow furrowed in concentration, "Two people, err, let me bring it up," he said, his voice trailing off. "Lieutenant Shann and oh God," he paused dropping the arm the was holding the tablet to his side and John watched as his face turned the colour of ash, "Doctor Elizabeth Weir."

For a moment John was sure he had misheard, but all around him people had stopped, staring at him and Rodney with dumbfounded, horrified expressions. Elizabeth couldn't have become a victim of this, she just couldn't. For a moment John's mind was in turmoil.

"Are you sure," John demanded, his voice almost pleading for it to be a mistake. Seeing the horror in Rodney's eyes John knew he was. "Right," he sighed, "where did they disappear from?"

"In front of the 'gate, same as everyone else." John followed Rodney's gaze as he looked down the stairs to the Stargate, staring at the empty space. Around him operations had come to a standstill and people turned to look at John for guidance. "Right, everyone back to work," his voice was dejected but calm and around him quiet chatter started.

"I'm going back to my lab, maybe Zalenka will have come up with something since I've been gone." Normally John would have made a joke at that, Rodney always insisted that he was smarter than the Czech. Him saying that told John exactly how much this had affected him.

Turning his back on Ops John walked down stairs and was about to head back down to the infirmary when something caught his eye. Heading over the to the 'gate he bent down and picked up the gun that was lying there. He was certain it hadn't been there a minute ago. Tapping his comms he contacted the armoury, "Do we have any weapons unaccounted for?"

"Yes Sir, several," the reply came.

"Any nine mills?"

"Yes, Sir, one nine millimetre pistol. It was issued to Lt. Shann a couple of days ago. She never checked it back in." Letting the connection die he continued to look at the gun in confusion before ejecting the clip and counting the bullets, coming up one short. Quickly smelling the muzzle John confirmed that it had been fired recently. From the opposite side of the room Rodney watched him for a moment before curiosity got the better of him and he wandered over looking at the weapon in John's hand.

"Where'd that come from?" John was about to answer when the tablet in Rodney's hand began to bleep. "Huh."

John raised his eyebrows as he watched Rodney tapping at his tablet, waiting for an explanation. "Well," he prompted.

"Oh, the internal sensors are detecting a faint energy signal. Seems that when you picked that up the sensors detected the movement of it."

"Wait, are you telling me that this gun has an energy signature?"

"Well, technically everything has an energy signature. After all matter is just atoms and unless they're at zero degrees' kelvin they're constantly vibrating creating an energy signal. This though," he said reaching out for the gun in John's hand, "is producing an energy signal that's not its own. Perhaps if we can find out what causes this energy signature we can find out what's happening," he finished happily before turning and heading out of the room while John looked around. Part of John was pleased that the gun had been fired, it meant in his mind that whoever had fired it, most likely Lt. Shann, had been trying to defend them and protect her superior officer, the other part of him was worried about what it was the lieutenant had felt the need to fire at.

In his ear John's coms began to crackle before Carson's voice came through, "Colonel Sheppard, can you come down to the infirmary."

"On my way," John said automatically, remembering his original destination. His feet began to move without his mind consciously telling him too. Without the distraction of Rodney and other members of the team the crushing horror of losing Elizabeth was coming back. Deep down he'd know that there was a chance that one of them would disappear but he'd assumed it would be him, he'd been the one who'd found Bonadan, who'd gone to Gishcar, who'd been inside the Ancient lab. He was the one who normally got into ridiculous situations, not Elizabeth. She was the one who got him out of trouble. This time though the roles were reversed and John couldn't shake the nagging fear that the next time he saw her she'd be a mutilated corpse. Without his realising it John was stood inside the infirmary, Carson's voice cutting through his musing.

"Colonel, have you been able to reach Dr. Weir? I can't seem to get a hold of her."

"See disappeared half an hour ago," he stated flatly, his thoughts still elsewhere, "why did you need to see me?"

Carson froze for a moment, his mind assimilating what he'd just been told, his head bowed before he looked John in the eye, "how are you coping with that?"

"Fine," John said, pulling a face at what he thought Carson was insinuating. He was sure no one knew.

"Aye, if you say so. Anyway I thought you would like to know Dr. Resh and I seem to have identified the substance Bonadan had discovered. However, it's only a theory since we haven't got a real sample to examine."

"Don't hold me in suspense doc."

"Blood. We think it may be blood. We've detected something that is remarkable similar to human plasma as well as platelets and something similar to red blood cells. We think the reason we didn't realise before is there's no haemoglobin for oxygen to bind too. Instead it appears that it's the alternative protein that's creating the energy."

"So Dr. Bonadan's alternative energy source was mutant blood?"

"No, not mutant, alien."

"Alright, thanks doc." John was more lost than ever as he left the infirmary, his mind swirling with the possibility that there may be an alien threat involved in this. If there was something chasing Elizabeth before she disappeared, then it would make sense why everyone had seemed to be running across the entirety of Atlantis in the seconds before they vanished. Normally you only ran if you were trying to escape something. Or something is hunting you. It would also explain why Shann had fired her gun, if only the bullet had left a body behind. Maybe I don't need a body, John thought and suddenly he was running back to the control room.

Standing himself in front of the gate he held his hands out as though he was aiming his gun, levelling it at the walls of Atlantis before remembering Shann was somewhat smaller than himself. Bending his knees and correcting the angle of his arms so he was aiming upwards John began scanning the pale walls of Atlantis, ignoring the confused looks he was receiving from the other on duty personnel. He was about to give up on finding anything when he spotted a crack in the smooth walls. Dropping his arms, he walked over and began running his fingers over the smooth stone, finding the hole and the bullet lodged inside. With a little effort the bullet fell out into his palm leaving a smear of a black, sticky liquid that to John felt an awful lot like blood. Momentarily, his mind questioned who the blood belonged to, the sickening thought that Shann had accidentally shot Elizabeth flickering through his thoughts. So much so that he contacted Lorne to meet him. It took a few minutes for the Major to arrive, his eyes sleepy and hair almost as messy as John's.

"Colonel," he greeted with a smile. The sight made John's stomach drop. No one had told him about his lieutenant.

"Major," pausing for a moment John tried to find the right words, looking at the bullet nestled in his palm. "What kind of shot is lieutenant Shann?"

"Excellent shot. Why do you ask?" Confusion was creeping into to the Major's voice, his brow creasing with concern.

"You heard the alarms go off a little while ago?" Receiving a nod in answer he went on, "we lost Dr. Weir and lieutenant Shann." John could do nothing but watch as Lorne's face fell, his shoulder slumping.

"She's a good kid." For a moment Lorne watched John, trying to work out what it was he was he wanted from him. "You're worried about Dr. Weir?" This time it was John's turn nod. "Shann will look after her. That girl is as loyal as they come, smart too. Dr. Weir is in good hands John." For a second Lorne looked at the floor, his heart heavy. He'd grown quiet fond of his new team, the thought of losing one of them would be hard to take. "Trust me Colonel," he said, his voice almost a whisper, "she'll do whatever she can to keep Elizabeth safe." John was quiet by his side, only just hiding his emotions. Lorne's words had comforted him a little, but he couldn't help but wish it was him who was with her, not a lieutenant he hardly knew.