And so it has arrived. The final chapter.

Eeeek! Hope it's what you wanted!

Jennifer shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she ate her breakfast, very aware of the numerous glances she was getting from around the room. It had been two days since her nightmare had been brought through the Stargate. Two days since she had passed out into Ronon's arms and nearly two days since she had woken to find him sitting in her arm chair staring out the window. By breakfast that day the gossip mill had done its job and everybody knew a version of what happened that night. Woolsey had called her into his office to discuss the accusation of her pulling a weapon on a defenceless girl and another that she had asked Ronon to disobey orders from the SGC and kill the girl. Jennifer had venomously denied the accusations and had left the meeting furious that he had had to ask. It wasn't until half way through dinner that she had realised the consequences if Woolsey hadn't believed her, Jennifer lowered her cutlery as her hands started to shake.

The following day had been exhausting. Woolsey had pulled her from active duty for a week so that she could rest and be on call to the therapist if her knowledge was required. She had spent the day hiding in her room and was thankfully not required and, as SGA1 had been off base for most of the day, she was undisturbed.

However, today was a whole new day. She had requested clearance to observe the girl's session with the psychiatrist in the hopes that the exposure could help her work through some of her own trauma. The psychiatrist had granted it on the proviso that she be on the other side of a one way mirror and supervised at all times. Jen had quickly agreed to the terms. Ronon and John, after returning from their mission, were informed by Woolsey of her plans and immediately sought her out to inform her of their decision to attend. It was a sign of her tattered nerves that she didn't fight them.

So Jennifer found herself in the observation room, flanked by the two men who had become something like guardian angels to her. One held her hand tightly as she trembled with fear and exhaustion and the other rested his hand over hers where she had a death grip on his arm ever since the door to the other room had opened to admit the girl.

The three observers watched as the Dr and the girl began to discuss the life she had led. How she had been taken from her family when she was 10, the things she had seen; the savage mauling from the dogs that left some people alive for days with impossible wounds, the flaying alive of men for the enjoyment of her master, The things she had done; ground dirt into wounds just to make sure they would scar, cut at peoples flesh until there was nothing left by tattered skin, slowly reducing a human to pieces laid out in neat rows as the man begged for death.

Jennifer wanted to believe that this girl was as remorseful as she seemed, the tears ran down her face at the right moments of the story, her head bowed in shame, but there was something about the way she tilted her head, about how she only fidgeted with the top half of her body, the half the psychiatrist could see, that was off. Jennifer's breath shuddered in her chest as she considered the possibility that the girl would be believed and her hands unconsciously tightened their grips. While Jennifer's mind whirled with questions something happened in the other room and it wasn't until she felt both the men beside her tensed that she looked up, just in time to see the psychiatrist motioning for the guards to remove the shackles.

"What is she doing?" Sheppard muttered incredulously, moving to the door before Jennifer tugs him back to her side

Jennifer answered him softly "She doesn't think she's a danger" her voice didn't waver. Points for her "she's acting like a calm, coherent, albeit traumatised, young woman who is" Jennifer swallowed hard before she can say it "guilt ridden over what she has done while under the thrall of her 'master', Dr Row has no reason to keep her shackled"

"Yes she does" Ronon growled low and dangerous "it decorates your back and makes you scream in your sleep"

Jennifer looked at Ronon in shock for a moment before her face softened and she ran her hand up and down his arm trying to sooth him as well as herself "as difficult as it is for me to think, perhaps she is not as... wild as she was when she was under his thumb. Perhaps outside of the shadow of her 'master' she is capable of reason"

"You don't really believe that" Ronon stated but he frowned as if not quite believing himself

Jennifer went to speak but paused, trying to sort out what was instinct and what was her desperate wish to believe in the good "Maybe not but I need to hope"

"Don't worry" Sheppard said firmly over Jennifer's head "we're not going to let her get anywhere near Doc"

Jennifer looked between the two and noticed the twin looks of steel "Fine" she said. And boy if she didn't make it sound like she had been given a choice.

She might have said something more but for the sudden crash and shout from the other room. All three looked through the mirror to see a shocked Dr Row still sitting on her side of the table and a guard staggering to his feet holding his head as blood leaked through his fingers.

No girl in sight.

Oh God. No girl in sight.

For a moment time froze, both the men trying to decide how to lock Jennifer in a room with no locks and Jenifer calculating how fast she would have to move to get to the door.

She hadn't taken two steps before Ronon's had clamped down on her shoulder but Jennifer knocked his hand away and continued to move towards the door without breaking stride "if either of you want to protect me you will need to keep up" and with that she threw open the door and ran out. Having second thoughts wasn't an option for Jennifer at the moment, running on training and worry for anyone the girl met she followed the smudge of blood and went left.

It didn't take long for them to spot the girl skipping down a thankfully empty corridor "Stop!" Jennifer called out before thinking

the girl skidded to a halt looking at Jennifer with wide surprised eyes "hello pretty one, big one, tall one. are you going to catch me?" Jennifer took a step forward and managed not to twitch when Ronon pulled out his gun.

"Ronon, put it down" Jennifer said calmly and without breaking eye contact with the girl "she's weaponless. If she gets too close to me she'll be within arms reach for you. Put. It. Down"

Ronon reluctantly lowered his gun. And Jennifer focused back on the girl.

"do you like playing games?" Jennifer asked in her sooth-a-rabid-bear voice

"ooh yes" the girl said with a squeal of delight "I liked the one I was playing earlier with the grey haired woman. She was fun and so good at playing pretend with me" a calm settled over her and she was suddenly eerily still "I wonder if master would like her. Maybe if I could bring her to him he'll speak to me again" her face contorted with grief and tears made tracks down her cheeks "I did something wrong, he won't listen to me when I say sorry"

"I'm sure he will forgive you" Jennifer said and took a step forward. The men behind her tensed but let the tenuous calm remain by staying put

The girl grinned suddenly, the expression made more odd by the tears still staining her cheeks "do you like to fly? I like to fly" she giggled "catch me if you caaaaan!" and suddenly she darted away. Jennifer raced after her and the two men raced after Jennifer. All three stumbled to a stop when they rounded a corner and saw the girl standing on the railing of a balcony, her arms spread and a beatific smile on her face. Between one breath and the next she tipped forward, wind tearing at her clothing as she fell from view.

"NO!" Jennifer screamed and ran the last few metres to the railing, nearly throwing herself over it in an attempt to somehow catch the girl. A sob tore its way out of her chest as the men came to stand at the railing. All three looked down at the 11 story drop, at the small, still form of the girl, at the slowly growing patch of red against the grey metal. Jennifer continued to stare at it until one of them pulled her away and out of the biting wind. Warm arms wrapped around her and she leant against Ronon, soaking in the warmth as she tried to process what had just happened. It was over. She knew she should feel relief, she hope that would come in time, but right now all she felt was a deep sadness; for herself, for those who had gone before her, for the girl whose name she would never know.

She watched as Sheppard, never allowing her out of his line of sight, filled in Woolsey via the comms. This saga hadn't just been difficult for her she noted, Sheppard and Ronon struggled to accept she was safe outside of their watch and she predicted it would be a few months before they would be unable to come up with excuses to keep her from going off world.

As the adrenaline left her system Jennifer's legs started to feel like jelly and she longed for her bed. She suspected Ronon had been talking for a little while before she noticed the vibrations against her cheek but when she focused she realised the conversation had been directed at Sheppard who was now looking at her with a fond smile "You're about to keel over there Doc, let Ronon take you to your rooms and we'll debrief with Woolsey when you wake"

Jennifer thought she said something about doing the debriefing now but she wasn't certain. Either way she found herself standing in front of her rooms a moment later, Ronon's hand a warmth on her back as it guided her through the doors "Hello bed" she said with a goofy grin and fell face forward into her pillow, ignoring the chuckle from behind her as sleep sucked her down.

It was over.

And It's over. A little surreal.

Yes, I believe I am happy with that final chapter, I hope you liked it too, I know it was the ending a lot of you had been requesting (I just couldn't keep her alive, she took off and I couldn't stop her)

I have a little epilogue that will be up next week, currently it's only 300ish words currently and I have too much on this week to give it to you early. believe me, I would it I could

Reviews are love!