Ace In The Hole
Chapter 16
"Rodney…. Are you gonna be coming to bed anytime soon?" Jennifer sighs wearily, the last few days had been tough on everyone as the cities inhabitants were all frantically trying to figure a way to turn the recent disaster around.
"Soon…. I just need to go over this one more time…. Before…"
Rodney never finishes his sentence he is all to quickly lost in the sensation of Jennifer's lips grazing his tenderly "That is so not fair"
"The work will still be there in the morning…. And you need to get some rest" Jennifer smiles.
"Jen…. I have so much to do…. The Wraith working with the Asgard as thrown us a curve ball no one could have predicted…. I don't even know where to begin" Rodney sighs looking slightly defeated, Jennifer just closes his laptop and tugs him to bed with a loving smile.
"You will figure it out…. I know you will" she smiles honestly and tenderly before turning the lights out.
Across the city in the gym Ronon and Sheppard had been sparring for almost two hours and although neither man had spoken much, Ronon knew that Sheppard often needed to let off steam this way before he could put into words what was going on in his head.
"Little bastards have over stepped the line this time"
"Yep" Ronon nods with a smile "What you gonna do?"
"Not sure yet…. Kinda working on it"
"McKaye will figure something out" Ronon shrugs
"I hope so Chewie…. The Wraith we could have dealt with ….But the Asgard…. The Ancients might have known how to deal with them…. But us…. Not so sure" Sheppard sighs wearily.
Alex sighs deeply as he lies on the small bed in his quarters, he can feel the anxiety coming from the people within the city, when he, Elizabeth and Janus had come up with this plan they had never considered the possibility that another advanced race like the Asgard would come to the Wraith's assistance. The whole idea that a former ally would aid an enemy had left a bitter taste in his mouth he had never known before.
Alex was beginning to feel self doubt creeping into the minds of Sheppard and McKaye, he had heard Sheppard talking with Ronon on his sensors and try as he might he couldn't stop himself from slipping into both Sheppard and McKaye's minds whilst they were distracted, an Ancient would have sensed him instantly but humans were not yet able to thankfully for him, his fears confirmed he knew what he had to do. He needed to give them back a little hope.
Early next morning Alex walks cheerfully into Lorne's office and sits himself down on the edge of the desk smiling.
"Good morning Sir…. And how are you today?"
"What do you want Lexy?" Lorne grins has Alex's smile drops slightly before turning to a grin
"I need to borrow a Jumper and go off world for a couple of hours" he answers honestly
"Where too?" Lorne frowns slightly in confusion
"Proculus…. And I need to take Colonel Sheppard and Dr McKaye with me" Alex offers a weak pleading smile.
"Should I bother asking why?"
"I'd prefer you didn't…. let's just say it's too boost morale" Alex offers with a shrug of the shoulders.
"OK…. One condition…. I get to tag along…. Kinda wanna see the glowy Ancient that snagged the Colonel for myself" Lorne grin's
"OK…. Clear it with Mr Woolsey but not a word to Sheppard or McKaye... let me sort it out with them" Alex grins as he leaves.
Two hours later Lorne is prepping the Jumper for launch as Sheppard, McKaye and Alex beam directly into the rear compartment.
"What the hell" Rodney shrieks
"Lieutenant…. Why am I in a jumper and not in the meeting I have scheduled?" Sheppard asks already taking a seat and crossing his arms over his chest defiantly
"Sorry Sir…. I have already cleared this little excursion with Mr Woolsey…. Thanks to Colonel Lorne's help" Lorne turns and nods to Sheppard as he begins dialling the gate
"OK…. So where we going?…. Is it safe?... because we are kind of lightly armed at the moment…. There are not many safe worlds out there you know" Sheppard smiles casually but his eyes are watching the gate coordinates that Lorne is dialling. "Oh….She can't help us"
"Who?... where are they taking us?... I've got like a million and one things I need to do you know" Rodney complains as the Jumper enters the gate.
Its mid afternoon and a warm summer's day when the Jumper finally lands on Proculus as the back ramp lowers they can smell the scent of the flowers in the nearby gardens being carried by the light breeze in the air.
"Kinda pretty here…. Wish I'd brought my sketch pad" Lorne offers with an honest smile
"Well I doubt we will be here that long…. She's not gonna wanna help us you know" Rodney whines "They never do"
"Who said anything about asking for her help" Alex quips as he heads off towards the collection of buildings nearby
"Any idea what he's up to?" Sheppard asks Lorne
"No…. not really just said you needed this…." Lorne replies looking slightly confused him self.
"OK…. Let's go see the wife then hey Kirk" Rodney grins has he slopes off after Alex.
Chaya was kneeling down tending to a small group of rose like flowers near to the far wall as the group entered the garden she was dressed in a long flowing white dress and Lorne had to admit it was an image he would have to paint later, she turned to face them and her eyes instantly locked to Sheppard's and she smiled a sweet tender smile before standing to face them.
"Welcome back to Procul…" a small frown crosses her delicate features as her eyes drift to Alex "Atavus!" Chaya instantly crosses the gap between them and flings her arms around Alex pulling him in a tight embrace.
"It is good to see you Athara…. I hear you have been a naughty girl?" Alex grins at the now beaming Chaya who once again pulls him into a tight embrace before letting him go to speak to the others
"Hello John…. Rodney….and?"
"Chaya this is Lt. Colonel Evan Lorne" Sheppard announces
"It's good to meet you"
"Likewise ma'am"
"Please come join me for tea and tell me why you are here"
Chaya quickly prepared tea and they were soon sitting comfortably waiting for Alex to finally speak.
"I wish to speak to the Altus…. I know they are probably watching you…. so this is the best way to go about it" Alex smiles
"The Altus?" Sheppard asks looking slightly confused
"The Highest…. Head of the Lantean High Council" Alex explains never taking his eyes away from Chaya
"You know our highest law…. You know they will never grant your request" Chaya sighs sadly
"I know the law Chaya…. After all…. I helped write it" Alex sighs
"You…. but how…. You ascended?" Rodney couldn't help his curiosity.
"No I have never tried….. But I could ascend…. Right now if I so wished…. That was what I was created for…. A physical body…. Crafted so that the heart and soul of their civilization could ascend beside them…. I have been a part of their lives for over 5 million years…. They didn't want to leave me behind"
"You decided to stay mortal though…. Didn't you?" Lorne smiles knowingly, Alex just smiles slightly.
"I ask only for truth…. No direct help or knowledge…. I think they owe me that" he says aloud
Alex stands and begins walking slowly not really looking at anyone in particular before he says loudly.
"I am going to go down to the village in a few minutes and I'm going to explain to the people there that they are merely your jailer's Chaya…. that it is their need of your protection that keeps you stuck here…. And that if they come to the city of their own free will knowing the risks…. they are setting you free of this idiotic punishment for doing the right thing!" Alex's voice gets louder as though he is talking to someone other than the group assembled "Of course that is only the beginning unless they get off there collective butt's right now I may do something even more annoying!" Suddenly there is a bright light and a stern looking man appears frowning at Alex.
"You overstep your mandate Atavus!" the figure growls
"And you have abandoned yours…. Seravus…. I care not for your tone" Alex snaps at the Ancient before him
"You above anyone else should know it is against our highest law to interfe…."
"Do not dare to throw that one at me…. Your collective heads have been in the clouds for far too long…. I would speak with the Altus within the hour…. Now as the humans would say…. Move your ass and make it snappy!" Seravus' glare was extreme but in an instant he was gone.
"What the hell's going on?" Sheppard asks jumping too his feet
"Seravus!…. He was always was and always will be an idiot…. I can not believe they have him watching over you…. he cares for nothing or no one except himself" Alex growls
"It's OK John" Chaya gently places her hand on his arm to calm him "Seravus and Atavus…. Alex as you call him never really got on much…. They often fought in the past" She smiles warmly leading him back to his seat
"It's good to see you" says John as he smiles looking somewhat sheepishly across to Rodney and Lorne who are in turn trying to ignore them but are of course failing miserably in their attempt to look casual.
"It is good to see you too…. I am glad you have finally found Alex?" She smiles "When I came to the city I sensed his loss deeply…. The others were not happy when they discovered his plans"
"He seems to know how to get their attention that's for sure" John grins
"The charming young man you see is just a front…. He is the wisest of all…. 5 million years old…. that is over 50,000 of your lifetimes of knowledge and understanding wrapped up in that young man" Chaya smiles looking to Alex lovingly "He was one of our greatest achievements…. And yes he knows how to get his own way" Chaya grins.
"So Alex?... What exactly did he mean when he said you wrote their highest law?" Rodney asks his inquisitiveness wining out at last
"The Ancients had a habit of messing things up…. All good intentions aside…. So…. I suggested that the easiest way to avoid problems if they were to ascend…. Was to have a strict policy of non interference" Alex sighs rubbing the back of his neck in a very Sheppard like way
"So it was your rule that prevented them from stopping the Ori back in the Milky Way…. And it's that same rule preventing them from stopping the Wraith now…. Great!" Rodney huffs
"I never expected them to follow it so strictly…. It was meant as a guide something to aim for…. Not a line in the sand!"
"Whatever…. Why the hell are we here?"
"To set you free" Alex offers a smile
"Not some glowy ascension crap again?" Rodney grimaces
"No…. trust me…. Everything will become clear"
"So Colonel Lorne…. What do you think of Proculus?" Chaya asks with a smile as meets up with the Colonel as he is wondering around outside looking for the perfect place he would like to paint
"It's beautiful…. I would love to paint that old tree down by the river over there….The colour of the flowers beneath it are amazing" Lorne replies with a smile.
"You are welcome to do so…. I am sure Colonel Sheppard would be happy to come back to Proculus with you as well"
"To see you…. I am sure he would" as he says the words he can't miss the small frown that crosses her brow for the shortest of moments before she smiles once more
"You care for him?" It was more of a statement than a question and Evan can't hide the blush creeping up his neck from showing
"Is it really that obvious?" Lorne sighs
"Doe's he not care for you in the same way?" Chaya asks with a tender smile.
"Not as I know of…. I could wish" Evan grins.
"Wish what?" says Sheppard behind them startling them both
"Nothing Sir" Lorne grins "I'll leave you two to catch up"
As Lorne heads back into the walled garden he can't help but glance back he can see they are talking and part of him feels a twinge of jealousy, he knows it's completely irrational and pointless so he sighs and heads back to Alex and McKaye.
"I like him…. He has a kind heart…. Part warrior, part artist…. You could do worse" Chaya chuckles at John's frown
"I'm not…."
"Please…. John…. I know you more intimately than anyone else ever could…. I sense you like him…. And I know that you are not held back by some misguided morality" Chaya smiles as John goes to protest before sighing defeated "My people believed in love regardless of gender…. The act of being in love and being loved in return is what is important"
"It's never that simple…. I wish it were…. Yes I will admit there is an attraction…. You know I have no hang ups male, female, alien" Sheppard wiggles his eyebrows and smirks "It's just complicated with our job…. I'm his CO it's regulations…. Atlantis is too important to risk loosing" Sheppard sighs, Chaya nods sadly before cocking her head to the side in a listening motion.
"It seems we have important guests…. Word of advice…. Keep Dr McKaye quiet" Chaya grins.