CHAPTER 53 – REAL OR NOT?

Carson radioed Atlantis on route from the mainland and an impatient Colonel was waiting in the jumper bay when they arrived back. Carson almost wished that they had come in under the radar when he saw the anger that shot through the Colonel's eyes. He had made it clear that he had not wanted her to go and this blatant disregard of his wishes was fuel to the smouldering embers he had managed to keep banked down. Until now.

"Colonel, now is not the time for theatrics. I need to get her to the infirmary and find out what's causing this pain. If you want to make yourself useful, there's a little girl in the forest on the mainland who is wandering around, apparently lost - Gina muttered something about her looking for her mother." He watched as John's face paled a little at this news and knew that it would distract him from the other. "I would suggest taking a jumper over there and having a good look for her. Gina will be worried once this painkiller wears off and she becomes lucid again. She told me that when you went yesterday, she was the only one to see her. Just for the record Colonel, she presented herself to me quite clearly today - was the one who ran and got me when Gina was in trouble. Then just disappeared - so if you could take care of that, then I can get on with my job of making sure your lady is going to be fine."

He watched the Colonel's face drain of it's anger a little as he scrubbed a hand tiredly over his face. He moved over to the gurney that had met them in the jumper bay and placed a hand softly on Gina's cheek, stopping once again to pick up Angel under one arm.

"John?" Her voice was slurred. The pain killer had her in it's grasp and she barely registered him. "Find the girl, please. I never asked her name. Find out her name. Take Angel with you, she'll find her... ok?"

"Hush sweetheart. Just rest. I'll take Ronon and Teyla with me and we'll see if we can find her." His hand continued to soothe and in his arms, Angel began to squirm a little, wanting to get down and be with her mistress.

"Carson saw her..." her voiced got quieter and John realised that her eyes were shut and she was asleep. He didn't know what to make of her comment nor that fact that Carson had obviously seen the girl and was not simply humouring Gina to get the Colonel out of his way. He stood for a few moments watching as Carson wheeled her away, and activated his radio to get Ronon and Teyla to the jumper room. He would go and look for this girl although he had his doubts that she actually existed. Mass hysteria perhaps, Gina had managed to convince Carson that she was there. Or, there really was a girl, and she had become lost - perhaps a nomadic group that had visited the mainland at some time. A far stretch, he knew. But it was better than the alternative. He had made it clear to Gina that he did not want her looking into the dimensional work that Rodney had been doing, and so far it had simply found her.

Ripples thought John... what is her true purpose for being brought back here. Just when I think the picture begins to clear and sharpen, another layer of the image is thrown down and it becomes indistinct again. Just like the little girl I am supposed to find.

Ronon, Teyla and John stood near the field where Gina had first seen the little girl. Ronon was impatient, feeling as though they were chasing ghosts. Teyla, more in tune with the less tangible understood that what Gina saw may not have taken full human form and this may be a result of a number of reasons. Her people had many beliefs about the afterlife and spirits and her first thought was that this little girl had recently died and needed to cross over. This would make her visible to only certain people, those that were particularly sensitive in those areas.

They spread out and John let Angel take the lead, which she did happily. She headed straight for the place where Carson had found Gina collapsed and calling Ronon to meet him there, he asked him to verify the tracks that he could see and the direction they led. Ronon took his time with this. Most disconcerting, was the fact that he found clear tracks that did appear to belong to a small human, although there was no proof that they belonged to the girl that Gina had spoken of. Ronon, looking pensive, stood and followed the tracks and stopped in front of a large tree where they simply disappeared.

"Did she climb the tree Ronon?" John looked upward. The tree was a large one with thick branches, making it an easy task for a child especially, to pull themselves up and hide amongst the thick foliage in the upper branches.

"There'd be markings on the bark Sheppard, signs that she had pulled herself up. There's nothing here. Not human anyway. Plenty of animals had taken shelter in this particular tree, but a little girl? It would not seem likely given the lack of tracks."

"Then where the hell did she vanish to?" John huffed an impatient breath, wanting to get back to Atlantis to see how Gina was. Not chasing a girl who to him, was not real.

"John..look!' Teyla had stilled and placed a hand on his arm to quieten him. He followed the direction she had turned in and saw her. Beautiful with long dark hair and large blue eyes. Gina's eyes. He gasped out loud, and the girl started and looked as though she would run.

"Hey sweetheart... it's ok. Don't run. Gina sent us to find you. The lady? The one who was hurt? You helped her, remember, went to find the Doctor so that he could take her away to make sure she got better?"

"The lady that looks like my mummy? Will she come back. I'm lonely... and scared." Her voice trembled and John moved closer, putting out a hand as though to calm an animal about to run.

"Would you like to come with us? We can take you to see her... she misses you too I think." He stopped when he saw the coiled energy in her young body and wondered at how long she had been alone for.

She allowed him to get close enough to her to reach out and touch her face gently. He crouched down so that he was at eye level with her, and looked into the lovely blue eyes that reminded him so much of Gina. Who was this little girl and how had she come to be here – alone? She stared back at him, unafraid now and smiled.

"Are you my Daddy? He went away and never came back. Just like my Mummy. But I don't remember what he looked like. I just remember my Mummy." He little chin trembled as tears filled her eyes and his heart went out to her. Gently he held out his arms and let her step into them, then he simply lifted her, cradling her against him and raising his eyebrows at both Teyla and Ronon, he indicated that they would take her with them.

"She is real John – I think you owe Gina an apology. You were very hard on her and had her almost believing that she had imagined this little girl. I think this is a lesson for you – be more accepting of things that you do not immediately understand as being obvious. Some things are never obvious, and it is these things that often hide the greatest joy."

John managed to look abashed at what Teyla said. She was right. He had been quick to judge and dismiss and Gina had every right to be angry with him. Holding the little girl tightly against him, they moved through the field, making sure that Angel was following and when they came within sight of the jumper, she became agitated.

"It's ok sweetheart. This is a jumper, a ship – it will fly us back to the city we have come from. There's nothing to be scared of, you'll be able to look out the window and see the water and before you know it, we'll be back with Gina. We need to travel on this ship to see her. Ok?"

She struggled a little more and John quickly got them into the ship, closing the doors and transferring her to Teyla's lap so that he could fly the ship. Teyla's soft voice seemed to sooth her a little and she sat back, hiding her face against Teyla's shirt, too scared to look out of the window. John, after casting several glances her way, flew as quickly as he could to Atlantis, radioing the city when they were a few minutes out. He needed to give them a heads up that he was bringing a visitor with them.