CHAPTER 132
EPISODE…………….SEASON FIVE OPENER, SEARCH AND RESCUE
Sheppard awoke after having a strange dream about Teyla thanking him for rescuing her while having dinner in her room. When he said he didn't remember it, Lieutenant Aiden Ford suddenly appeared and said something about he didn't save her just like Sheppard failed with him. Feeling pain suddenly, he awoke to see fire before his eyes on some piece a wood to his left as Ronan was shouting his name over and over.
"Oh god." Sheppard groaned in pain as he felt himself trapped under something and the pain of something in his lower left side. "What the hell happened?"
"Michaels compound fell on top of us." Ronan stated.
There was little room to move around and no room at all to even try standing up. Various things surrounded them including a large concrete pillar that was leaning on something out of their view that was keeping them from being crushed by the stuff on top of them. Ronan was scratched and bruised in various places, bleeding from a few spots as well but nothing serious. Sheppard was lying against the pillar with his legs under something, his right arm trapped and unable to move and a small solid metal pole sticking out of a small concrete block in his lower left side. A head wound was bleeding down the side of his face but stopped some time ago.
"Oh is that all? Compared to the time traveling thousands of years into the future, not eating or having water for two days and walking half a mile through a sand storm, this is nothing." Sheppard said with another groan as he shifted wrong. "Then again, maybe not."
"Hey, just hang on and let me take a look." Ronan said seeing the pole in his side. Reaching over, he pulled it out making Sheppard grunt loudly in pain.
"What the hell was that?" Sheppard asked with a wheeze in his voice.
"Nothing, just a scratch." Ronan said pulling something from the small med kit Sheppard had in his vest.
"What about everyone else?" Sheppard asked trying to ignore the pressure Ronan put on his wound as he worked on it.
"I don't know. We were separated from the others." Ronan said.
Rodney didn't have any broken bones and thankfully wasn't buried under anything, allowing him to move about freely in the confined space. He had a few scrapes and bruises he knew he was going to feel later, but at least he was alive. Moving around, he kept trying to see if he could get some sort of signal down, or up, to anyone on his radio. He didn't see anyone other than Major Lorne who was sitting up with his legs under some rubble. He saw part of Ford's coat under some debris that he was unable to move, currently, but not the rest of his body. Calling out to Ford or anyone else did no good so he was trying the radio. He did try to get into the T.A.R.D.I.S. that was in the opening that wasn't filled with lots of the building that tumbled down on them. Thankfully, the T.A.R.D.I.S. managed to block a lot of the stuff by being a support for a large metal beam that landed on it and was holding up a lot of the debris above. The down side was the ship was leaning at about a forty five degree angle and the doors were facing some direction other than towards them making it almost impossible to get in. Even if the ship was turned towards them, Rodney was sure that he couldn't get in anyway since the key was with Ford who was currently buried.
"I can't get a signal." Rodney said in frustration.
"I'm pretty sure my leg is broken." Loren stated with a groan.
"I'm remarkable fine." Rodney said checking himself.
"That really wonderful to hear McKay. I'm really happy for ya. It gives me unbelievable comfort to know you're doing just fine." Lorne said sarcastically.
"I don't think we are that deep. I can see daylight." Rodney said as he went under a concrete section. "I might be able to move this."
More rock and dust along with some other small debris started to fall in as he tried to move it. Lorne cried out in pain as it dropped on him and caused more pressure on his legs.
"I'm sorry!" Rodney exclaimed as he backed off.
"Look." Lorne said gritting his teeth. "I posted Edison at the front of the building. He should be getting help with the others by now. There is no way the three Jumpers didn't see what happened to us. The Daedalus left ahead of us to get here if we needed help after we confirmed Sheppards story. They should be here in about three hours if the others coming from Atlantis can't help dig us out."
"Sorry, I'm not very good in tight spaces okay." Rodney said nervously as he moved around.
"Look, there is no bad guys to worry about, okay. So stop worrying and making more debris fall in on us. I'd rather not get buried alive any further limiting our chances of getting saved. If anything, try to unbury the General in hopes he can do something to save us and get his ship out of this mess." Lorne said.
"I can try. Not all of this is unmovable." Rodney said tossing some of the smaller stuff aside.
Meanwhile, as Rodney was digging Ford out of the pile of rocks, a vast many light years away, orbiting a habitable but limited water supplied planet, was a Wraith cruiser. Inside, Michael was getting ready for the final touches for his plans and for Teyla's soon to be born child. The ship was going to head for a planet to finish what he needed to do with Teyla after finished what he was currently doing. Michael then got a report that his compound on a nearby planet had self-destructed, so a new course was set and they took off quickly.
On Atlantis, it was nighttime with two moons shining down on the city. The night shift had yet to take over and Sam was finishing up her job for the day while waiting to hear from Sheppard and Ford.
"Unscheduled off world activation!" a lady reported.
"Might be Sheppards team. Any IDC yet?" Carter asked.
"Coming up now. It's Lieutenant Edison."
"Lower the shield." Carter said.
The man stumbled through quickly, alone. He had a cut that stopped bleeding on his head along with a few bruises that were going to show up later. Dust covered his outfit and made Carter worry as she rushed down.
"What happened? Where is the other teams?" Carter asked while signaling for the medical team.
"There was a massive explosion ma'am. The whole building collapsed. Colonel Sheppards team along with Major Lorne's and the General were in there when it came down. I came back to inform you as the others tried to check for life signs and dig through what they could." Edison said.
"How long has it been since the collapse?" Carter asked.
"Ten minutes I think. I wasn't really paying attention. I was near the entrance when it came down. I was barely able to get out of the way in time and then get here." Edison said.
"Alright Lieutenant, go get checked out. We'll handle things now." Carter said.
"Yes ma'am." Edison said giving a weak salute as a couple of nurses helped him to the infirmary.
"How long until the Daedalus arrives there?" Carter said.
"About two hours." a lady reported.
"That's too long. Get a team of combat engineers ready and inform Doctor Keller to get a team ready as well. We're going to go and help the others." Carter said as she pulled her cell phone after finding the T.A.R.D.I.S. hadn't returned and she hadn't gotten called.
"Yes ma'am."
Rodney was looking through a few hard drives he found that were still partially intact. He managed to dig Ford out, who awoke minutes afterward and was thankful he wasn't killed but knocked unconscious when something landed on him. At the moment, he was trying to dig out the rubble in front of the T.A.R.D.I.S. doors, that were facing the floor. He was able to get his key into the door and open it, but there was still too much in the way of being able to get himself inside.
"How's it coming General?" Lorne asked with a pained voice.
"Almost there." Ford said while trying to destroy another piece of large concrete in the way by bashing it with his personal cannon, that he unloaded before hand. "This isn't the first time I've had to bash my way through something with my gun before. I would just shoot my way out, but firing my gun in this little space…"
"Could do worse than blow our eardrums." Rodney muttered. "The resounding blast could bring everything down on top of us."
"Yeah." Ford muttered as he took another mighty swing at the rock. "Ah ha! Finally cracked! Now I just have to move the pieces."
"Why aren't you helping him McKay?" Lorne asked.
"Not enough room for the two of us. Besides, I found some of Michaels hard drives. If I'm lucky, I may be able to access the data on them in hopes of gaining better insight to what Michael has been planning and doing." Rodney said.
"Why don't you dig Lorne out?" Ford asked while tossing a chunk aside.
"He tried earlier and, other than making my leg hurt worse." Lorne said with pain lacing in his voice. "He started bring more stuff down on both of us."
"Ah, I'll see what I can do once I can get to this door." Ford said.
"Jackpot!" Rodney exclaimed.
"What?" the two asked.
"I was able to access this hard drive. There's a ton of information here. Possibly everything Michael had. Base schematics, codes, medical research, list of planets…" Rodney said excitedly.
"Once we get out of here, we can go check those planets for Teyla. I don't know how Michael is able to detect the T.A.R.D.I.S., but I know for a fact that there is no ship, either of ours or the Wraiths or anyone else we know for that matter that has a sensor capability like my girl here. I'll be able to dematerialize well away from each planet and scan the area first like I should have done to begin with. Once I get a lock on his ship or Teyla, I'll drop in right near them making sure he can't get away with her again." Ford said.
"That's good news. With this information, even if we fail to get Michael, we can save Teyla and keep him running for a long time." Rodney stated.
"We can only hope." Lorne said. "Hey, either of you hear that?"
"Sounds like someone is above us. Probably the others from the Jumpers." Ford said. "Rodney, give me your radio."
He tossed it over as Ford pulled his Sonic Screwdriver out and used it on the radio.
"I hope that does it. Hey, does anyone read? This is General Carter." Ford said.
"Ford, where are you?" Carter asked with extreme relief. "The T.A.R.D.I.S. suddenly left and when I called your cell plus the T.A.R.D.I.S. phone, I got nothing."
"Yeah, my cell is damaged, again, and I can't get in the T.A.R.D.I.S. right now. I'm trying to unbury her at the moment. Major Lorne and Rodney are with me right now. We hear movement above us. Is that you?" Ford asked.
"According to K-9, he says we are above you. You're pretty far down though and even with the combat engineers here, he says it could be an hour or more before we can dig you out." Carter said.
"Don't bother then. I'll have the door open soon and then we'll get out of here. Have you found everyone else?" Ford asked with hope.
"We know that Colonel Sheppard and Ronan are rather far from your position and buried a little deeper. As for their conditions, we know they are alive, K-9 can't get much else." Carter said with relief in her voice. "Their radios must be down since they aren't responding. How are the other two?"
"Rodney is a bit cut up, but he'll be fine. Lorne has a broken leg, or two. Haven't checked him out really. Anything on Michael yet?" Ford asked worried.
"No. There is no Wraith vessels near this planet as far as we can tell. The Daedalus won't be here for over an hour though." Carter said.
"I guess you are reading Ronan's and Sheppards transponders then?" Ford asked.
"Yeah. Once the Daedalus gets here, I'm sure they both can be beamed out pretty quickly." Carter said.
"Good idea. I'm going to get off here and finish this. We should be up in a minute or two, hopefully." Ford said as he tossed another large chunk of rock.
"Alright." Carter said and then paused before going on. "We aren't getting any signals from the other two members of Lorne's team Ford."
"I can fix that before heading up there." Ford said.
"See you soon then." Carter said.
Ford tossed the radio back to Rodney, who didn't catch it.
"Sorry McKay. Put down your computer and help me get this off Lorne's legs. Major, I know this is going to hurt like hell, or worse, but I need you to get out from under this and crawl over to the T.A.R.D.I.S." Ford said.
"Yes General." Lorne said gritting his teeth.
"One, two, three." Ford said.
It took him over a minute to get out of the way, crying out in pain most of the time, even as Rodney helped him move while Ford held up the large concrete block. Lorne was sweating heavily and in terrible pain by the look on his face.
"Okay, this is going to be even harder. You have to pull yourself into the T.A.R.D.I.S. By now, I think she has righted herself. It might be disorientating at first, so try to ignore it and get in. Rodney will come next to help you out of the way and then me." Ford said.
"Why not McKay first to help me get in before hand?" Lorne asked.
"Good point. Rodney, take off your vest and coat. The less you have between you, the ground and the door, the better." Ford said.
"You could just say I'm fat." Rodney said offended.
"You're not fat, just a little overweight. If you were fat, Keller would have you on a diet and you wouldn't be allowed off world because you still wouldn't be passing your physical exams." Ford said.
"I need to take this with us." Rodney said.
Ford tossed the hard drives, tablet and his other stuff inside. Even after removing everything he could without making the T.A.R.D.I.S. tilt over or shift, it still took a lot of grunting, groaning and pushing to get Rodney inside two minutes or so later. Getting Lorne in took almost ten to avoid making his leg any worse or causing it to break the skin. Once he was inside, Ford tossed his heavy coat and guns in before getting himself inside.
"Okay, now for some quick time traveling and then back to the present up top." Ford said.
"What are you going to do General?" Lorne asked as he felt the morphine kicking in, lying on the bed that came out of the wall, face full of relief.
"Since those two died recently and were buried, I can jump back before just before the place started to collapse, stop time and pull them into here since they couldn't be found in the present." Ford said as he worked the console. "It won't effect time if I do it now instead of later."
Carter had sent the combat engineering team back already along with the other Jumpers. She and a few other men along with Keller and some of the medical staff were standing by, waiting for Ford to arrive. She sighed in relief when he showed up two minutes after they saw the structure cave in slightly as K-9 reported the T.A.R.D.I.S. left from beneath them.
"Took you awhile to get out of there." Carter said. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Just had to move Lorne slowly to not cause his leg any more trouble. I gave him some morphine Jennifer, but I'm not sure the extent of his injuries. He's still conscious thankfully." Ford said.
"Thank General. We'll get on it right away." Keller said heading in with her team.
"What's the plan now?" Carter asked.
"Everyone else in." Ford said waving at them. "Rodney is looking at some information and intel he got from Michaels computer. We'll go land on the Daedalus and then stay with them until we get back here to get the other two. I scanned them before taking off and saw there was no room to land in there with a form that would allow either of them to get in. Sheppard is pinned at the moment anyway, so, we'll have to wait for the Daedalus to beam him out."
"Jennifer can look at him then." Carter said.
"Right. Rodney found a list of planets that Michael uses so we can go check them out and run him down before he can take Teyla's child." Ford said.
"Considering what we know of Michael, since he had this placed rigged to cave in on intruders, he must already know this place has been compromised." Carter said.
"Probably. Which means we'll have to make a better strategic plan once he find out which planet he is on when we find him." Ford said as they went inside.
"I just found out that Michael knows what happened to this place. When it self-destructed, a subspace transmission was sent out instantly." Rodney said as they met him at the console.
"That means he could be here soon or will run away." Ford said. "Since he can somehow detect this ship, we're going to go ahead with the plan to go to the Daedalus and come back here with them."
"What if Michael comes before hand?" Rodney asked. "He could easily take them and then we'd be after three of our people."
"They are much further down than you all were." Carter said. "Since I doubt Michael would want to kill them and would rather have them as hostages, it will take him a lot longer to dig them out. He's a scientist, not an engineer, much less anything to do with digging. I seriously doubt he'll have them anywhere close to dug out before we get back."
"Are you sure about that?" Rodney asked. "Are you willing to bet on that chance?"
"We're going to have to. If any of us stay, he'll detect us and possible shoot this location. We can't stay here with the T.A.R.D.I.S. since he'll locate it within seconds. He might even figure we already know all this information you found and that will make him change his plans to find new planets to work on. We don't have a choice." Carter said.
"We're heading out now." Ford said while flipping some switches.
"Wait, I have an idea!" Rodney exclaimed. "Is any of the Jumpers still here?"
"No, I sent them back to Atlantis." Carter said.
"We have a Jumper. Two actually. The time machine one and one I have been working on. The weapon systems aren't functional, but everything pretty much works. Wait, the hyperdrive doesn't work either since I'm still working on that." Ford said.
"Why do you want a Jumper Rodney?" Carter asked.
"What if Michael comes to this planet to check things out? If he can detect this ship, like you think, then as soon as the Daedalus shows up, he'll get a fix right away. There is no guarantee that we won't be able to stop his ship from leaving in time. I know no one can't fly the T.A.R.D.I.S. since you won't be here, but others can operate some of its functions, specifically, the shields. Why not send the ship ahead to the Daedalus and the rest of us stay here, in that cloaked Jumper, to wait and see if he comes. If he does, we can get on board before he can leave. Even if he does, we'll be there and can call the T.A.R.D.I.S. anyway, and freeze time if we have to before Michael can take a Dart and run away. Even if he doesn't show up, we'll be picked up then when the Daedalus arrives." Rodney said.
"Good plan McKay." Carter said impressed.
"That would work. As long as it is one trip and not going anywhere in time, I can send the T.A.R.D.I.S., with people inside, almost anywhere within the present. K-9 can raise the shields once the ship gets to the Daedalus and the medical team there can deal with Lorne. Jennifer, wasn't Teyla's due date very soon?" Ford asked.
"She could have him any day now. We can only hope, with the stress she's been under lately, she hasn't already had him." Keller said.
"Sheppard said she didn't have the child until she got to this planet. Or at least, that's what the information on that data crystal gave." Rodney said.
"That means she could have him in the next few hours or day." Keller said.
"Right. Okay, Rodney, I, Ford and Keller will go in the Jumper and wait. The rest of you will go to the Daedalus and wait till they get here." Carter said as Lorne and the rest nodded.
"Since I don't have the weapons attached, I'll only need a few minutes to remove the hyperdrive system and then we can leave. Grab what weapons you think best." Ford said walking further in.
"I'll change the shape so you can get the Jumper out." Carter said making adjustments.
Sheppard and Ronan were still buried and Ronan was moving things around in hopes of getting Sheppard out from under the stuff on him. Sheppard only had one arm really working at the moment so he was helping, but not to the best of his ability as he wished.
"Okay, one, two, three." Ronan said.
The two tried lift the metal beam across him, making a few things shift and the metal beam groan in protest. After less than ten seconds, they gave up.
"Well, this thing isn't moving any time soon." Sheppard muttered. "I wonder what happened to the others?"
"I don't know. The radios aren't working and we're still here so I'm guessing the General is also buried like us and can't call his ship for help. This all happened pretty quick. I doubt anyone else made it out." Ronan said.
"God, we were really stupid. We should have realized this place was booby trapped." Sheppard said.
"Yeah, we should have, but we didn't think about it since we were focused on rescuing Teyla." Ronan said.
"I know. I should have seen this coming. Hell, the General should have seen it!" Sheppard said waving his hand lightly. "I'm the guy, you know."
"We all knew what we were getting into and how dangerous this mission was. Quit beating yourself up about it already." Ronan said.
"You shouldn't stay here. I'm stuck and not getting out without a lot of help. Look around and find a way out of here." Sheppard said.
"No way." Ronan said setting his gun aside as he got the flashlight out.
"I'm serious Ronan. Climb your way out. Get help and then bring it here." Sheppard said.
"I'm not leaving you here alone. Besides, I looked and didn't find any way to get out that I can see." Ronan said.
"Then you didn't look hard enough. I said dig up, not down." Sheppard said as Ronan was moving objects out of the way near his side.
"This beam is in our way of getting you free. Once I move it, you can get out and then we both can look around for a way to crawl out of here. Deal?" Ronan asked while tossing a pipe aside.
"You really aren't going to listen to me, one way or the other are you?" Sheppard said more than asked.
"Good, we got a deal." Ronan said tossing more aside as Sheppard shook his head with a small laugh that made him hurt the next.
"I got to learn when to give up on you sometimes." Sheppard said.
"You'll save a lot more of your strength that way." Ronan said.
The cruiser was still in hyperdrive and someone else was flying the ship as Michael was in his lab with Teyla. She was being held down to the same metal bed from before and a computer system nearby as Michael was running the device from before over her abdomen.
"Excellent. These readings are very good. You're son should be making his appearance any day now." Michael said looking from the screen to her.
She turned her head away, not looking at him or responding, even though her face showed she was angry and upset.
"Hmm, I thought that would make you happy." Michael said setting the device aside. "I promise not to harm him. Why can't you just accept that?"
"Because I know you." Teyla said with venom.
"All these people, on all these worlds. They come and go, going about there lives each day. And even with everything they do, the galaxy is no better for it at all. However, your son will change all of that. He will be remembered for the ages." Michael said.
"And what of his mother? You often speak of his future, but never of mine." Teyla said.
"I would have hopes that you would…" Michael began.
"It's time." Kanaan said from the doorway.
"Very well. Remove her restraints and post guards outside this door." Michael said walking out.
Kanaan touched a button nearby and the restraints released her.
"You must help me escape before our child is born." Teyla said as he helped her stand.
"I can't." Kanaan said.
"Why not? He will kill me once he is born. Why can't you see that?" Teyla said.
"It is too dangerous. He will kill us both." Kanaan said worried.
"Whether you help me or not, you are disposable to him as well." Teyla said gripping his arm as he grabbed her hand. "We both must leave before…"
They both looked up as the alarms went off. He walked off and closed the door as she called for his help and to come back.
Michaels cruiser came out of hyperspace above the planet where his building self-destructed some moments ago.
"We are reading two life signs, no one else." Kanaan reported.
"Interesting. I was sure we would find the Atlantians looking for their people. They must have seen that they were dead and left." Michael said intrigued.
"But, we are getting two life signs." Kanaan said.
"Where?" Michael asked.
"Buried very deep beneath the debris." Kanaan said.
"Hmm. We shall go down and check the area. This could be a trap set to retake Teyla back, so keep watch for anything, especially for the gate activating." Michael said.
"The gate is currently lying face down on the ground." Kanaan reported.
Michael chuckled.
"So, that man has figured out part of my escape plans, clever. No matter. Have a team check the gate and get it standing again if there is no signs of traps. If we are lucky, we can get the two people they have left behind." Michael said.
Over twenty Darts went down to the planet as they watched in orbit inside the Jumper.
"That's definitely Michaels ship." Rodney stated from behind Carter's chair.
"What makes you say that?" Carter asked as they watched the ship getting closer and closer to them.
"I'm reading life signs similar to Athosians, but not Athosian, mixed with Wraith. This is some impressive scanning equipment. I didn't think Jumpers had these scanning abilities." Rodney said.
"They don't. I've been trying to modify this one with some basics of the T.A.R.D.I.S. scanners and sensors." Ford said.
"I've been helping." Carter stated.
"Sorry, Sam has been helping as well, plus Sally." Ford said apologetically.
"Why hasn't this been also applied to the Jumpers we have?" Rodney asked.
"We're still in the testing stage. I had the system burn out last week. I'm surprised they are working now." Ford said.
"Anything else likely to burn out?" Rodney asked with worry.
"No McKay." Carter stated. "Only a few of the systems are being modified while other things are additions. Normal operations of this Jumper are scheduled for later work, which is why we can use it right now."
Inside Michaels ship, he got reports that the Darts didn't find any signs of traps or tampering so the gate was put back in place and then activated, which didn't go unnoticed by the Jumper in orbit. They did find signs of the T.A.R.D.I.S. because of the boot prints and the square shape on the ground in the dirt and dust. Michael ordered his people to work quickly in getting the two people still buried out fast because that ship could arrive at any moment.
"Okay we are going to give this one more try." Ronan said.
Sheppard only grunted lightly as he tried to stay awake.
"Sorry, I'm feeling rather weak buddy." Sheppard said.
"You can't be quitting on me man." Ronan said.
"I am not quitting." Sheppard said tiredly. "But I am thinking about it."
"That's not part of our deal. Now do whatever you need to wake up, even if it means causing yourself pain. I need you to help." Ronan stated.
"Fine, whatever." Sheppard said tiredly.
"One, two, three." Ronan said.
Using a solid pipe, Ronan used it as leverage to try and lift the metal beam. Sheppard, though weakly, tried to help lift and though it budged slightly, it didn't move enough.
"Ronan, get out of here. I'm not getting out from under this anytime soon." Sheppard said weakly.
"This isn't the Sheppard I know who never leaves a man behind. Would you leave me here if our places were reversed?" Ronan asked.
"Yes. I would, to get help." Sheppard stated as Ronan didn't believe him.
They both looked up as they heard movement above them and voices.
"You hear that?" Sheppard asked as he more or less felt some strength return.
"Yeah, I do. Someone must have found us." Ronan said moving to be behind Sheppard again. "Hey, hey! We are down here!"
"We are coming for you! Just stay calm!" someone shouted from above.
"And you were ready to quit." Ronan stated.
Sheppard nodded while feeling himself get better or at least more awake now that he had a hope of being rescued soon.
Up in space, the Daedalus exited hyperspace.
"Colonel, we are reading a Wraith ship in orbit." Marks said.
"Well, at least we don't have to worry about the shields. Have to thank the General for sending his ship to help. Ready forward beam weapons." Caldwell said.
"Sir, we are receiving a coded message from General Carter." Marks said.
"General, what's going on?" Caldwell asked.
"Do not destroy that ship. We are quite sure that Teyla is on board." Carter said.
"That means I can't blow them out of the sky then?" Caldwell asked.
"No, not yet." Carter said.
"We are taking fire sir. No shield damage." Marks reported.
"They already had their shields up as they exited hyperspace." Kanaan reported.
"That's most unfortunate. I see that that impressive time ship is protecting their vessel. This will make escaping quite easy. Transfer power to the hyperdrive!" Michael said.
"What about the Darts?" Kanaan asked.
"They are to follow the plan and leave through the gate. I doubt they think she is on them, but we can hope. If they don't make it back to us like the others, they are acceptable losses." Michael said.
"He's running sir. As are the Darts on the surface." Marks said.
"Take out his engines." Caldwell ordered.
The Wraith ship began jumping away when a beam weapon hit their back end. The ship instantly lost their window and started to drift as the Daedalus moved into orbit while firing another shot that blasted their hyperdrive with more effective results as a explosion took place.
"We lost hyperdrive!" Kanaan shouted as the ship shook.
"Well, I guess we are staying to fight after all. Fire all weapons!" Michael ordered with a shout.
"Daedalus, we need you to get Sheppard and Ronan before the hybrids on the surface get them. We are still reading their transmitter signals in the same location." Carter said.
"In order to bring them up, we need to drop the shields General." Caldwell said.
"K-9, can you hear me?" Ford asked.
"Yes Master." K-9 said.
"The shields in the T.A.R.D.I.S. can be shifted around physically. Move them so they block the fire from the side the cruiser is firing on. That will leave an open enough window for you to beam them on board without taking damage Colonel." Ford said.
"Stay calm! We are almost there!" someone above them yelled.
Dust and small debris rained down on them as the people above continued to move and dig.
"I am going to stop making bad comments about combat engineers from now on! I have a much greater respect for you people!" Sheppard yelled back. "Hey, is Harris up there with ya?!"
"Yeah, he's up here! Don't worry, we'll have you out of there soon!" someone yelled back
"Wait, I thought Harris was on leave until next month." Ronan said while checking his gun.
"I don't want to admit it, but he is good at his job. Better than some of the others. Could be that the General brought him back to help. I can tell there is no way he could have got his ship in here to get us out." Sheppard said glancing around.
"Can't argue with that." Ronan said.
"But, just in case." Sheppard said quietly before shouting. "When we get out of here boys, beers on me. What do you like, Duff beer, or Oprah ale?"
"Duff." someone responded.
Sheppard shook his head before speaking in a lower tone again.
"While I do not watch the Simpsons, I know Duff isn't a real beer." Sheppard said.
"It's Michaels hybrids then. I bet he was tipped off when the building collapsed." Ronan said.
"You should have gotten out of here." Sheppard stated.
"Yeah, whatever. I would have had to fight them then and probably get captured." Ronan said.
"Good point. I can't reach my gun, can you?" Sheppard asked.
"Yeah." Ronan said reaching around the beam to give him his .45.
"Thanks." Sheppard said as he cocked back the hammer.
"How do want to do this?" Ronan asked as he got his gun ready.
"We shoot until we can't shoot no more." Sheppard stated.
"Works for me." Ronan said aiming his energy pistol.
"Ronan, its been a pleasure." Sheppard said with a small smile.
"Same here." Ronan said with a smile.
"Shields have been, moved." Marks said surprised. "We have coverage on the attacked side sir."
"Beam them out before they notice the change and move in. Straight to the infirmary." Caldwell said. "General, you might as well move in and land in the hanger bay before they spot you as well."
"Got it. We'll be going for the left side. Have the door open already." Ford said.
"We have them sir, they are in the infirmary as requested." Marks said.
"Are the others inside?" Caldwell asked.
"Just entering now. Shield reads as completely around us again." Marks said.
"Not a moment too soon." Caldwell said as energy hits landed where the shields were down.
"What do we do now sir?" Marks asked.
"We wait for either or both of the Generals to come up and tell us what to do. Just in case, move us a bit closer to them and try to stay in front of them so if they try to run for it, they'll hit us." Caldwell ordered.
Keller was working on Sheppard in the infirmary after she arrived there and took over from someone else. Because of his injury, they only took his vest off while leaving the rest of his outfit on for the moment.
"How am I doing?" Sheppard asked as she was working on his injury.
"Well, I can say for certain that you will live to fight another day and all that stuff." Keller said.
"I guess that Michael's ship arrived before the Daedalus." Sheppard said.
"Yeah. Rodney, I and both Carters were in a Jumper watching to see if he would show up. When they sent Darts down and they started to dig for you guys, we waited and watched to make our move, and then the Daedalus arrived. They shot the engines out of his ship before he could run away and now, we're at this point." Keller said.
"What's the plan?" Sheppard asked.
"I have no idea. I think they are making it up as they go. I know Michael's ship is throwing everything they have at us, but the General's ship is protecting this one with his shields so…" Keller said trailing off as she continued to work on him.
"He can't go to Michaels without risking this one." Sheppard said.
"Yep. And we can't shoot Michaels without risking Teyla's." Keller said.
"Bit of a stale mate." Sheppard said grunting. "Wait, you said McKay."
"Yes. He, Lorne and Ford were all trapped together. Rodney dug Ford out, then they got themselves into the T.A.R.D.I.S., which was also buried. He went back and got Lorne's two men before the place collapsed, so you're the only one seriously injured other than Lorne who has a broken leg." Keller said.
"I want to know what they have planned…." Sheppard said sitting up.
"You are not getting up Colonel." Keller said pushing him back gently. "You need surgery and a transfusion, not to mention a bunch of other medicine. There is no telling what sort of infection or infections you may have from having a metal pole stuck into you. There are others who can handle this."
"I still want to know. I may or may not have insight…" Sheppard said.
"Fine, I will call them down, but you better not ask for their help to get you out of here or I will sedate you if it means sticking a needle in your ass when you turn around, do I make myself clear?" Keller stated.
"You've been talking to Janet a lot when she's been on Atlantis." Sheppard said with a grimace.
"Yes. Mostly dealing with Sam's care, but she gave me pointers. Do I need to repeat myself?" Keller asked.
He nodded with a further grimace as he saw the needle she was holding. It didn't take long for the group to get down there, both Carter's, Rodney and Ronan.
"He's still shooting at us. We can't beam over because of the electromagnetic field Wraith ships have to prevent beaming in or out. Firing on them could only cause serious trouble for us if we do too much damage that could injure or kill Teyla. Their hyperdrive is damaged so it is going to take them some time to get it fixed." Carter said.
"So, you have no plan yet?" Sheppard asked.
"Not really. This ship can sustain many hits before her shields will fail on their own, but the idea to take the T.A.R.D.I.S. over and get her is out of the question. I think Michael may either blow up the ship to prevent her capture as soon as I land on it or he may use her as a hostage to try and make me give him my ship." Ford said.
"Why not use the hostage situation? Once he's in the T.A.R.D.I.S., you can take him out." Sheppard said.
"He's telepathic. I have no way of knowing how the T.A.R.D.I.S. will respond to that since she also has system of telepathic circuitry. Don't ask, I'm still to this day trying to figure out how that system fully works." Ford said shaking his head. "He could end up killing Teyla or maybe her child during a physic attack. In which case, I could not do anything to save her. Once inside the T.A.R.D.I.S., time travel is limited on saving procedures."
"You got on this ship in a Jumper, right?" Sheppard asked.
"Yes." Rodney said. "Rather incredible what he's trying to do with it…"
"McKay…" Sheppard began.
"Sorry." Rodney said.
"We need to get on that ship undetected. The only way I can think of is if you can get him to send out his Darts, allowing the Jumper to get inside before the door closes. If he is afraid of your ship so much, is there any way you can send her somewhere else and then call her back?" Sheppard asked.
"We could fake an emergency transmission coming from Atlantis, by calling them by the cell phone and telling them to send a message here through the Stargate below. We could leave it open so that Michael will also pick it up, hearing that Atlantis is trouble and needs the T.A.R.D.I.S. back there for defense. The Daedalus can use her shields to survive and since she isn't using her beam weapons, the power can be transferred to help the shields…." Carter said while thinking heavily.
"We could then send out the 302's to attack Michael's weapons, which would make him send out his Darts…." Sheppard said.
"Allowing the Jumper to go in and we save Teyla." Ford said finishing it. "I think that would work out great. Michael may become over confident when my ship leaves, giving us a much bigger advantage. Once we find Teyla, I can call the T.A.R.D.I.S. back and we all go home."
"Or, if we can do it in enough time before he gets his engines fixed, we come back to this ship and then have his ship destroyed so we have no future problems." Rodney stated.
"Now that is a plan." Sheppard said pointing at McKay. "I want to go with…"
"Colonel, I will stick this in your leg or arm if you attempt to move off this bed." Keller said picking up the syringe. "You need surgery…"
"No, I need a quick fix so I can help…" Sheppard began.
"John, trust me, Teyla would not like it if you ended up making yourself worse in an attempt to save her when there is people who can do it without you risking yourself." Carter said. "I'd rather not have to order you to stay, but I will."
"But…." Sheppard began with a whine.
"Once we tell her what happened, she'll understand why you couldn't come." Carter said. "You still haven't really recovered from that trip in the future and that injury could get worse, killing you. Which would make it extremely difficult to bring you back using time travel."
Sheppard sighed in defeat.
"You better bring her back." Sheppard stated.
"Trust me, we won't let her take her away this time." Ronan stated while patting him on the shoulder "We'll let her know your with us, in spirit."
"Sam, make the call while I get her ready to leave. Let them know I will have her land in the spot near the Command Center, just in case a problem does arise." Ford said.
Ten minutes later, the gate below activated with Atlantis sending a message through as planned.
"What is it?" Michael asked.
"Atlantis is calling their ship. There seems to be a problem that requires the, T.A.R.D.I.S., to return." Kanaan said confused.
"That must be the name if his time ship." Michael said intrigued.
"We are reading the ship raising its shields." Kanaan said.
"I see. The T.A.R.D.I.S. has left as requested." Michael said looking at some readings.
"They aren't firing back." Kanaan said.
"Continue to fire anyway. We can hope we will blow their ship up before he returns." Michael said.
"They are sending out smaller ships." Kanaan reported.
"Send out the Darts to counterattack!" Michael ordered.
"Once again, we get a nice view of the ass end of this ship." Ford muttered. "I don't know why, but it reminds me of a duck."
The group gave him looks, though Ronan was a bit confused.
"I said I don't know why. Daedalus, we are in position." Ford said ignoring them.
"Understood." Caldwell said before turning to the man next to him. "Send out the 302's."
Not long after the 302's left, they saw the bay open and Ford got them in as the Darts got out of the way. Being parked just above the bay helped them get in well before the door closed.
"Daedalus, this is General Carter, we are in. You can recall the 302's." Carter said.
"Acknowledged. Good luck." Caldwell said as he got a report that the weapons on the cruiser were just taken off line.
"I guess these hybrids of his aren't that great of pilots." Ford said as he got his Heavy Arms rifle ready.
Sam and Rodney both had their P-90's ready while Ronan had his energy pistol. Leaving the ship cloaked, they walked out and followed Rodney, who had the scanner and was more familiar with Wraith ships to begin with. They avoided a few patrols as they got deeper in and to a place Rodney needed to access.
"Watch my back, this won't take long." Rodney said as he hooked up to a computer nearby.
"Ronan, if we are spotted, I want you to take them out. I'd rather not have the three of us firing until they know we are here. You're weapon is much less noisier." Ford said.
"I have no problem with that." Ronan said with a grin.
"Anything yet?" Carter asked.
"Yeah, trouble. Michael is a lot further along in his repairs to the hyperdrive than we thought." Rodney said.
"No big deal. We can leave by the T.A.R.D.I.S. at any time." Carter said. "If need be, we can toss a nuke out of the door and then leave, ensuring he is finished."
"We got fifteen minutes, at most, until the hyperdrive is back online. Once he jumps, we might get spotted as the crew becomes lax." Rodney said.
"Then let's go get Teyla and get out of here quickly before that happens." Carter said. "Do you have a location yet?"
"One moment." Rodney said pushing buttons on his tablet. "Got it."
Removing his ports, they followed as he pointed. Several twist and turns later, they came up to the room and found a guard. Ronan quickly shot him and then the guy beside him before he could respond. Teyla was sitting on the metal bed, that was laying back, as they came in.
"General, Sam, Rodney, Ronan." Teyla said, surprised yet very happy and grateful, as they came in, in that order.
"Sorry it took so long. Long story." Ford said.
"Can you walk? We need to leave before the find out we are here." Carter asked.
"Where's John?" Teyla asked worried.
"He got injured and is in surgery." Carter said. "But he will pull through, nothing serious."
"He's with us in spirit." Rodney said as she nodded.
"We came in a Jumper. It's not that far." Ford said.
"I can't leave." Teyla stated while holding her belly.
"You're having contractions." Carter said as Teyla nodded. "How long?"
"Over an hour now. I will not make it back to the Jumper before my child decides to come first." Teyla said.
"We got another problem." Rodney stated. "He has his hyperdrive fixed and is currently powering it up."
"Wonderful." Ford muttered.
"Call the T.A.R.D.I.S. We can drop a nuke off before leaving." Carter said.
"We can't." Teyla said gripping Carter's arm. "Kanaan is on this ship. I won't leave him behind, nor let you blow him up."
"We can shut down the hyperdrive. The drive room is just down the corridor. Blow it up, this ship isn't going anywhere." Rodney said.
"I can do that." Ford said. "You three can help Teyla. Sam, you have better experience with this…"
"I was the one having the child." Carter stated.
"Yes, and I would if I could have, but I wasn't. Considering the amount of pain and you breaking my hand, I'm sure you remember the experience and everything Janet said. You'll be going through it again in nine months."
"8 thank you. I'll come up with something. Get back here quick." Carter ordered.
"Rodney, I need a map." Ford said.
"Right here." Rodney said handing over the tablet.
"I really wish K-9 was here." Carter muttered as she had Teyla lie back on the metal table. "Ronan, you watch the door for us. Rodney, I'm going to need you help."
"My help?" Rodney asked worried.
"Yes. Now get over here and stop being a wuss. This is a natural function of life and if you're lucky, you'll see it happen for you one day." Carter said as Teyla began breathing harder and crying out in pain. "Teyla, can you hold this?"
"Why?" Teyla asked while looking at the gun.
"Because the urge to grip something very tight and very hard it impossible to resist. I broke Ford's hand and neither I or Rodney will be able to help you if you break ours. I've already removed the ammo from it so you can beat it against the table if you have to. Just try to not swing it at us." Carter said.
"Different, but I understand." Teyla said gripping the barrel of the gun Carter carried on her hip as pain shot through her again. "The baby is coming, I cannot stop it!"
"Breathe. Rodney, you have water…" Carter began.
"I can't boil it…." Rodney began.
"I doubt Teyla has anything to drink in awhile and all that breathing dries out the mouth quickly. It did for me, plus the screaming." Carter said as Rodney quickly handed over his canteen. "Okay, now we need to…"
Ford followed the directions and easily avoided the patrol that came by. There was a few guys in the room, working on a couple computers with their backs to him. The floor was more heavily saturated by the fog unlike the rest of the ship. In the middle of the room, there was some yellow pod, organic in nature, that was held by organic tendrils that came down around it in a mechanical fashion and the rest of it above made it look a lot like a spider. He grimaced at the sight of how it reminded him of snot while shaking off the revulsion and fear that ran through him as memories of spidery incidents ran through his head. Looking away while lifting his rifle, he opened fire, hitting the three men and the consoles. Only then did he realize he should have used his energy pistols to keep the sound level down. Smacking himself in the head, he pulled a charge of C5 out from a inner pocket and stuck it on the bottom of the glowing device. Going out of the room, he figured out how to close the door and then flipped the switch on his detonator as he ran away. The ship shook from the explosion and the doors were blow off knocking him to the floor, hard.
"Damn, didn't expect that." Ford said getting up quickly to avoid the fire starting around him.
While on his way back, he had to fight as some of the crew showed up and attacked.
"What happened?!" Michael yelled as the ship shook.
"The hyperdrive just exploded!" Kanaan said as he moved to another screen to check its readout.
"That's impossible!" Michael yelled.
"Main power is down all across the ship!" Kanaan yelled.
"An accidental overload?" Michael asked.
"It doesn't appear that way." Kanaan said looking at his readouts.
"How did they do that?" Michael wondered aloud.
"I will look into it immediately." Kanaan said as he ran out.
"They are onboard." Michael realized. "How did they get onboard?!"
Checking his special scanner, which he made to detect the T.A.R.D.I.S. while it was sitting before him back on the planet where Teyla started her search for Kanaan, he saw it was not detecting the T.A.R.D.I.S.
"He must have changed its energy signature after finding out how I was able to locate him. No, he had no idea how I was doing that. It must be something else." Michael said walking off the bridge quickly.
Teyla was breathing much harder and, though in pain, kept from screaming loudly. Rodney was helping Teyla stay sitting up on the metal table while Sam was at Teyla's feet. Teyla still had her upper clothes on as Sam had to remove the lower part. Since Ford had yet to return and Ronan was still watching the door, thankful that no one had showed up yet, she called the T.A.R.D.I.S. and was getting help from K-9 over the phone.
"Teyla, I can see his head. Just keep pushing and he'll be out soon. This should be over and you'll be holding him." Carter said.
"I'm trying." Teyla said in pain.
"You're doing fine Teyla. Soon, we'll be back in Atlantis, you'll see your people again…" Rodney said while nervously holding her sides and trying to keep his hands from going somewhere they shouldn't as she moved around making his hands keep slipping towards her chest.
"Rodney, I need your coat." Carter said.
"But it is dirty!" Rodney exclaimed.
"And I'm trying to keep her baby from hitting the floor, so I can't get mine off." Carter said sternly.
"I can hold myself for the moment Rodney." Teyla said while gritting her teeth.
Rodney quickly took it off and put it under the baby before going back behind Teyla.
"His arms are now out. Only a few more pushes and he'll be free." Carter said.
Teyla cried out again as she pushed at Carter's order.
"I got him!" Carter said excitedly.
"Is he okay?" Teyla asked tiredly and with worry.
"He looks fine. Hang on, I think I have something in my coat." Carter said as she fished through it with one hand.
Teyla waited and saw Carter use her Sonic Screwdriver to do something. Rodney saw Carter pulled something out of her leather SGA coat and use it to tie the babies cord off, after cutting it with the Sonic Screwdriver, a function that surprised him. She wrapped the baby in the coat and then, remembering what she did with Sally, she adjusted it just right, leaving the head out as the baby cried.
"Congratulations Teyla, you have a healthy boy." Carter said setting him in her arms.
Even Rodney was smitten and smiled while saying ah, as he saw the child in her arms. Ronan came over and smiled as well, seeing Teyla really happy. Sam picked up her phone and then lifted the gun she took back from Teyla as Ronan spun around with his gun ready.
"I thought I heard crying. How did it go?" Ford asked.
"Everything went well. I had K-9 helping. Thanks K-9." Carter said waving the phone before speaking into it again.
"Welcome Mistress." K-9 said.
"Now, we just need to get out of here." Carter said as she hung up.
"I can get the Jumper afterward." Ford said calling the T.A.R.D.I.S.
Ronan helped carry her in as Carter informed the Daedalus that they were going to pick up the Jumper and then head to the them. Ford landed, changed the shape and then walked out only to walk back in. Teyla was sitting on the pull out bed while Rodney was beside her with Ronan nearby.
"That was quick." Carter said.
"The Jumper is gone." Ford said with a frown.
"It's what?" Rodney asked.
"It's gone. And according to these readings, it left several minutes ago. I think Michael took it because the last readings it shows indicate that someone with Wraith DNA was in it." Ford said.
"One of the hybrids could have taken it. Some of the Athosians did have the Ancient gene." Rodney said.
"No, more Wraith DNA than anything else is present. Oh well, I can always work on another Jumper." Ford said closing the door.
"But that had experimental…" Rodney began.
"Barely anything. Besides, it will probably crash or burn out anyway since we never finished it. There is no weapons and the experimental hyperdrive is gone. There is no codes or anything important. Plus, we can always get it back later." Carter said.
"Wait, we can't leave Kanaan behind!" Teyla yelled.
"I'm getting different readings of life signs across the ship." Carter said. "We have no idea, wait…"
"What are you doing?" Rodney asked as Carter ran her Sonic Screwdriver over the child.
"Takes a father and mother to have a child, so, all I need to do is scan the baby, which I've done, and now, I just do a few quick scans of the people on the cruiser and, that must be him." Carter said.
"Landing now." Ford said.
Seeing him leave the T.A.R.D.I.S., it was no surprise when they heard a couple shots of a Wraith stunner go off followed by the sound of some hard object hitting the wall. Footsteps were heard next followed by Ford coming in with a man being held in a tight choke hold that could easily end up with a decapitation if performed correctly.
"Is this him?" Ford asked.
"Yes." Teyla said worried.
Ford pushed the man away and then closed the door.
"If she didn't ask me to save you, I probably would have taken your head off." Ford muttered while laying in the coordinates for the Daedalus.
Landing in the infirmary, Keller took off working on Teyla and then checking on the baby, then moved onto fixing Teyla's husband awhile after. Sheppard was out of surgery and recovering well, glad to see they were all okay. Once Caldwell was informed they were back on board, he called down to find out what to do with the ship.
"As much as it would be interesting to study Colonel, I think getting rid of it is the best bet. It brings up bad memories for Teyla." Carter said over the com. "Not to mention all the hell is has caused us too."
"Roger that." Caldwell said signing off. "Get that out of my sight and then head for home."
"Yes sir." Marks said.
A few well placed shots blew the cruiser away and then they were gone.
Once back at Atlantis, Teyla was happy to see her people again, happy to have her husband back, and very happy to be home. Sheppard was going to be still recovering for the rest of the week and off duty for at least another week. Teyla named her son, Torren John, after her father first and Sheppard next. John was extremely honored and couldn't help but say that Rodney was going to be jealous.
That night, Jack called the two and informed them of a mission SG-1 was being called for dealing with the capture of the last Ba'al and that the Tok'ra wanted them there to see the extraction. Sam got a message from the I.O.A. telling her that they wanted to do a exhausted review of her time with Atlantis, which she said fine to and then said that no matter what they said or did, she probably wasn't going to fight it, which surprised the guy on the other end, which she refused to elaborate on at the moment for personal reasons.
So, the next day, most if not all of the personnel on the city were out on the pier, which thankfully was a bright sunny day and very lights winds. The T.A.R.D.I.S. was on the pier behind them, along with Sam's parents and Sally. Ford and Sam were by a microphone that was on the same frequency to the radio earpieces everyone was wearing.
"Over this past year, plus or minus a month, I have greatly enjoyed being the leader of this city and working with everyone here. I have to admit, when I took the job, I was a bit unsure of myself and abilities, but I got over it very quickly. Some of you already know, but most don't, that I am pregnant." Carter said.
It was no surprise when a lot of people cheered, making her have to wait to talk again.
"Thank you, it is greatly appreciated. I am sorry, but because of this, Ford and I have decided to retire and go back to Earth." Carter said hearing mixed shouts. "We've spent a long time working with a lot of people in the SGC program and will miss it a lot. But, we want to have more family time and more time to raise them both. We will be leaving a way to get hold of us, if you feel you need our help, physically or just by getting a second opinion, or answers. We'll be doing the same with the Stargate Command, but for the most part, we'll be trying to live like normal people, if that is even possible. Raising kids and worrying about what they are learning in school and all the other factors of life that scares parents. Once again, I thank you all for having us and will miss working with you."
"Who'll will be taking over?" Sheppard asked.
"We've got a list of names of people we think would be best. Trust us, we won't send someone who doesn't deserve the roll along. I do plan on having that city back under my control again in the future, even if it is a hundred years or so." Ford said.
"Then who's in charge when you leave?" Sheppard asked with a air of regret as he already was sure of the answer.
"You will be. Doctor Keller said it will be a good week before you can go back to active duty, so this job will be perfect for you until the said person comes along." Ford said as Sheppard groaned. "I did finish setting up that virtual system, so you don't have to worry about missing that."
"Cool." Sheppard said happily before he realized something. "Ah wait, I can't play that until I am better. Damn."
"Jennifer, we have your K-9 unit completed. All you have to do it turn her on with the remote inside and tell her the name you want her to have. From there, just read the instructions we left inside." Carter said while handing over a cardboard box that had the letters, K-9, on the side.
"Wait, what about your book?" Rodney asked.
"Still being worked on." Ford said ignoring the groan Rodney made.
After a short going away party that was over an hour long, they all got back in the T.A.R.D.I.S. and went back to Earth. Since they called ahead, SG-1 was in the briefing room with Landry and Woolsey as they landed by the staircase. After getting some very warm welcomes from SG-1, which included Teal'c, they all stood around the table.
"So, I guess there is something you want to tell us." Landry said as he sat down.
"Yeah, there is sir." Carter said while drumming her fingers on the back of the chair at the other end of the table. "We are still going on this mission to see the last Ba'al taken care of. After that….."
"After that…" Mitchell said rolling his hand as she paused a bit too long.
Nudging Ford, he got the message from her and pulled some papers from his inner pocket, getting a couple of raised eyebrows from the others.
"We, if none of you already here know, found out that the I.O.A. has decided to replace us as commanders of Atlantis." Ford said as SG-1 seemed surprised at the news. "We made a short list of people we thought would be best to take over in our place, and you'll be very surprised to hear Woolsey, you made that list."
"I did? Wait, how did…" Woolsey said trailing off. "I shouldn't bother to ask should I?"
"We might have said something against it, mostly because we did like it there. However, we aren't going to contest it or contest whatever the I.O.A. says about my command decisions and everything else I did while there." Carter said. "We are both putting in our forms for retirement."
"What?!" all but Teal'c asked.
"I do not understand why you would make such a decision. However there must be something more important that has happened recently for you to both quit." Teal'c stated.
"We're not quitting, per say. More like…" Ford said thinking before a smile came to his face that Carter snorted at with a chuckle at his next statement. "Unpaid scientific advisors. We'll be there when you need the help, even do missions with SG-1. Same for Atlantis."
"There is something they aren't saying." Vala said eyeing them. "Time is not a problem for them and we all know it. They could leave for several years and then come back to this exact moment."
"I'm pregnant." Carter stated getting cheers from SG-1. Landry said congratulations as did Woolsey. "We want to settle down and raise them in a more family like atmosphere, where it is a little safer. Plus have more time."
"And more open space, instead of over the water all the time. Not that we had any problems with Atlantis, we just want to see what it is like no to have danger around the corner constantly. See what a normal family life is like, like normal people have." Ford said.
"You are far from normal." Vala said.
"We're going to try anyway. If we end up not liking it after a few months or more, we'll come back to working here everyday." Carter said.
"Where are you going to live? I know you can live in that, but you have to park it somewhere." Mitchell asked.
"The mansion." the two said.
"It's peaceful, open, safe…" Carter said.
"And you can come out anytime and see us. Or even call us. Easy access to get anywhere, for us anyway." Ford said putting the papers on the table. "We'll be back to go see the end of Ba'al and then see what the plan is with SG-1 and the missions ahead from there."
Some hugs and byes later, they went off to the mansion and got settled in.
