ATTENTION! IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER!
This is Chapter 20 re-written. The first part of it is basically the same as the first time I wrote it. I changed a couple of words here and there, but it's basically re-written farther into it. I suggest you re-read the whole chapter though to fully understand what's going on. Sorry about the confusion...There were a lot of things bothering me about this chapter so I decided to fix them. I hope you like this one better. Review and tell me what you think please!
Okay, now you can continue on to the story.
A/N: *sigh* For the twentieth time, I do not own SGA. Too bad, though. It's a good series.
The last chapter kind of ended on a pretty…tense note. Sorry about that. I needed to end that chapter somewhere, and that was the best I could do with where this is going. It made you want to read more, huh? Definite suspense. Well, keep reading. Maybe it'll turn out different than what you expect.
Chapter 20
General Jack O'Neill had given the order to send everyone back to Atlantis, minus Dave and Becca. They were taken back to their home and told not to discuss what had happened with anyone. John reassured them that he would keep them updated and what was going on with Nikki. As soon as he knew something, he'd send out the e-mail.
That was the best he could do under the circumstances. Before Dave and Becca were beamed to their house and before they all went back to Atlantis, Dave pulled John aside. "John, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about arguing with you earlier. I was just panicking. I'm not used to this sort of action or anything like this. Not the way you are."
John nodded and looked at his brother. "I understand. It's the pressure, it gets to us all. I kept my word and I brought her back to you. Apology accepted."
Dave nodded slowly, but didn't look away. "Thank you. I really hope that Nikki will be okay. She's earned her place into this family and I don't want to see her go. In any circumstance."
John lowered his head slightly and looked away. He was scared to death about what Nancy had done to her. All he could do was nod. Dave gave him a small smile. "I'll be waiting for that e-mail. Good luck."
John nodded again and moved back into the infirmary, back to Nikki's side. That had been the first time he had left her side since he had spoken to Danny.
And now they were back on Atlantis. Beckett and Keller were running blood tests to try to figure out exactly what kind of drug was injected into her and how to fight it. Dr. Weir walked into the infirmary a couple of hours after they had arrived.
Lorne had told John not to worry about briefing her, he would do all of that. Evan knew that John needed to be with Nikki right now, as much for him as it was her.
He was sitting in a chair holding her hand. Elizabeth stood next to him and looked down at him. "Have the doctors said anything about her condition?" He shook his head and continued to sit there.
She wasn't quite sure what to say. "Maybe you should get some rest, John. It's been a long day.
"I'll get some rest after I hear what's going on." She nodded and grabbed a chair for herself and settled down next to him. She pulled a data pad out of the case she had been carrying and got to work on some mission reports.
Soon Kira and Alex joined them as well. About another half hour after that, Lorne and the team arrived. Rodney parked himself on a vacant bed across from Nikki. Ronon made Teyla do the same since she was pregnant and it had been such a long day. They knew she needed her rest and they knew she wasn't going to leave either.
Soon enough, John heard the soft sounds of his friends sleeping. Elizabeth was still working on mission reports and seemed to be the only one besides him still awake. Rodney was out cold with his mouth hanging open. Ronon was sitting in a chair between the beds that McKay and Teyla were occupying. He had his feet propped up on McKay's bed with his head resting against the wall and was snoring softly.
Alex was on the other side of Nikki holding her other hand. He had his head resting on her arm and seemed to be asleep. Kira was sitting next to him and Lorne was, of course, sitting next to her holding her hand. She was leaning against him and he had his head resting on the top of her head, both asleep.
He gave a small smile at the sight of all of this friends sitting here with him, waiting for news to see if Nikki would be okay. It hadn't taken long for her to work her way into their hearts. She threw around a few smiles and a couple of winks, and you were hers; hook, line, and sinker.
He thought about the times when he had come into the infirmary after a long mission and would find her helping Carson or Jennifer with the check-ups. He would secretly watch as she would be so gentle with everyone she helped. If they were in pain, she would try her best to calm them and take away the pain as best she could.
In tough situations where her expertise was needed in the infirmary during a crisis, he would watch as she kept a level head and didn't panic. He admired that about her. She wasn't one to really freak out when things got rough. She was one hell of a doctor, that was for sure.
He thought about the times he had watched her perform experiments or when she would get excited over new technology they had found. The scientist in her would really come out. The look of pure joy that would erupt onto her face was priceless. She was truly passionate about her work, and that was something you needed when you were out here on Atlantis.
John thought about some of the smartass comments she'd made to him or to others. She didn't let anyone intimidate her or belittle her. If someone talked down to her, she would let them know just how smart and talented she was without being a pigheaded, arrogant, know-it-all like McKay.
She wasn't just smart and talented in her work. She was tough, strong, and beautiful. Nikki could kick just about everyone's ass on Atlantis and wouldn't whine about breaking a nail like some scientists he knew. After the sparring session, she'd smile and there would be no hard feelings, no matter who had won.
As far as he knew, the only people who could beat her were Teyla and Ronon though. Not even he could beat her at sparring.
She loved her brother as any sister would. They stood up for each other time and time again when someone had something to say about the other. It showed how loyal she was to the ones she loved. Nikki had accepted Kira into her heart in under a day. She had trusted her to help save his life when he had gone on a risky mission without his team.
John had watched the three siblings get really close in the months that Kira had been welcomed into their lives. He had watched as Nikki fell in love with him and then become pregnant with his children. He had watched as her belly had gotten bigger and that it was obvious she was pregnant.
He had fallen even more in love with her when he watched as she didn't even attempt to hide the fact that she was pregnant, especially by the commanding military officer of Atlantis.
Nikki reveled in that fact. She didn't hide it. She was proud of it. She was proud to be with him and to be able to call him hers. Every minute he spent with her, he fell more and more in love with her.
She had accepted when he asked her to marry him. And there had been no hesitation. It was clear to anyone who watched the two of them together that they really loved each other and were meant for each other.
He never thought that he would finally find someone. McKay always joked with him that he was Kirk. He always rolled his eyes and brushed it off, but he had always wondered…was McKay right?
Was he destined to spend endless nights alone or with different women? Would he ever find someone he could spend the rest of his life with? He had always tried to push that thought to the back of his mind. He hated talking or thinking about feelings, he wasn't very good at it.
But then he had met Dr. Nicole Teagan. She was a scientist, a doctor, and someone who could kick your ass into next week. Figuratively and literally. A triple threat.
She was beautiful, had a mind of her own, and was extremely talented. She was also the love of his life, his fiancée, and the mother of his unborn children.
She was a sister, a friend, a lover, and a damn good person.
John squeezed her hand and put his face in his free hand. He didn't know what to do. He was usually stronger than this, always the tough, unbreakable one.
Elizabeth looked up from her data pad and watched John. She could see how tired he was, but she knew better than to say anything. This was the first time she had seen that unbreakable wall crumble and that worried her.
Nikki was an invaluable member of the expedition. But, most of all, she considered Nikki a friend. There weren't many people who had something bad to say about Nikki. Elizabeth hadn't received any complaints about her since she'd been there.
In just a couple of weeks, she had worked her way up the ranks in the science department and earned her spot as third in command. That was a big deal when you worked under Rodney McKay.
She remembered the day McKay had come to her and told her he wanted Elizabeth to give Nikki a promotion. She had been confused and had asked what he meant by promotion. He had talked her into creating the position of third in command. She had been hesitant since she hadn't been there long, but Rodney was adamant in his decision.
Elizabeth had accepted his request and had given Nikki the promotion. From that day on, she had gotten the privilege of working more closely with NIkki. She had befriended her quickly.
Elizabeth was disrupted from her thoughts as Carson walked into their area of the infirmary. John looked up when he heard footsteps approaching.
Beckett looked around at all the sleeping people around Nikki's bed. He only found two awake: Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Weir.
He gestured for them to follow him out of the room so they could talk without waking the others. They both stood and followed him.
When they were out of earshot of their sleeping friends, John couldn't take it anymore. "Did you find anything?"
Carson nodded. "Aye, we just got the blood test back and were able to identify the drug that woman had injected into Nikki as diphenhydramine. Now, this drug is an antihistamine that's not usually dangerous. It's used in medicines such as Benadryl. Although, when used recreationally and in high doses, it can have serious side effects."
John and Elizabeth exchanged a quick look before Elizabeth spoke up. "What side effects?"
"Well, in serious cases such as this, we may be looking at hallucinations, blurred vision, amnesia, allergic reactions, heart palpitations, and that's just the beginning of the list. She'll survive this, I'm certain of that, but I have no idea what the side effects will be and if they'll be serious or permanent."
"She'll be okay? What about the babies?" Carson looked back over at the bed for a second before looking at John. "I wish I had more answers, John, but we won't know more than what I've told you until she wakes up. Right now only time can tell us if the babies will survive. It was a very high dosage of that drug."
He looked between Elizabeth and John. "But, if those babies are anything like either of their parents…they'll make it through. You both are two of the strongest fighters I have ever met, physically and mentally. They have your genes running through them. If I were a betting man...well, I'd bet on them. Now, I don't want to get your hopes up, but you do need to keep some hope. There's still a chance they'll survive, I assure you that. But, like I said, we'll know more when she wakes up."
John nodded and turned to look at Nikki. The good news was that she was going to live. He wasn't going to lose her! A smile appeared on his face and he almost laughed. He was filled with renewed hope that maybe he hadn't gotten there too late after all.
He returned to Nikki's side and watched her sleep. Soon he allowed himself to drift off to sleep with the knowledge that she would survive this.
A few hours went by and the team started to wake up. Carson came back to check on Nikki's vitals and found most of them awake. He smiled when he saw that John had fallen asleep finally. He knew that with the little bit of good news he was able to give him last night, it would help him rest.
Lorne stood up when he saw Carson. Dr. Beckett quickly filled them in on what he had told Dr. Weir and Sheppard. The tension in the room went down some, but they were still worried about the side effects and whether or not the children would survive.
"I think it's best if you all went back to your quarters and got some rest. You all need it. If there is any news, I'll set off the communication tree, now scoot."
Slowly, they started to leave. Each relieved that John had been told the news and was able to get a little bit of the sleep he needed. The only ones left after they had gone were Nikki, John, and Carson. He had kicked everyone else out.
He would have kicked the Colonel out as well, but for one, he was finally sleeping, and for two, he wouldn't have gone even if it had been an order.
Not that he blamed him in the slightest. He probably wouldn't have gone either.
SGA
A few days passed and Keller removed the breathing tube from Nikki's throat. A couple of hours later, she showed signs of waking. Jennifer made sure that John was informed and waited for him to show up. She knew that with Nikki showing signs of waking up, he'd come as soon as he could.
It only took about fifteen minutes for the Colonel to get to the infirmary. He sat in his usual spot next to her bed and held her hand. Jennifer stood a little distance away and watched the two of them.
It was obvious how much he loved her. He had been next to her every second he was able to. He had to leave to get some sleep, eat, and perform some duties, but the rest of the time, he was in the infirmary.
Rodney walked into the room and stood next to Jennifer. She looked up and smiled at him. "I hope that everything will be okay. For both of their sakes. I don't know how much more the Colonel can take at this point."
Rodney nodded and looked over at his friend. "They'll be okay. Sheppard's been through worse. He had a lot longer wait with his brother."
Jennifer nodded, remembering when Dave and his family had been on Atlantis. It hadn't been quite as bad as it was now, but it was still rough.
Nikki felt something warm holding her hand. She felt herself waking up, but she didn't have the energy to open her eyes yet. She felt a familiar hum around her. She didn't know what it was though.
She had no idea where she was, yet she had a feeling that she was safe. Nikki heard voices talking softly in the distance, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.
Something started rubbing against her hand. Maybe someone was holding her hand…that could make sense. But who?
She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. She saw machines on her right side hooked up to her and beeping soflty. She slowly turned to her left and saw a handsome man sitting by her bed. He was holding her hand and rubbing his thumb along the side. So, she had been right. Someone was holding her hand.
The only problem was…she didn't know this man. At least, she didn't think she did. He was staring down at their hands, deep in thought. He looked worried or sad. She couldn't tell which exactly.
She looked over when she heard the voices stop talking. Two people were watching her. One was blonde and obviously a doctor and the other was a man, not as good-looking as the man sitting next to her in her opinion.
The doctor started towards her. "Nikki? How are you feeling?" She saw the man on her left's head snap up and look at her. He had intense hazel eyes that seemed to look right into her soul. They seemed really familiar.
She looked up at the doctor who was now standing right next to her bed. "Who are you?" The woman looked at the man on her other side, confused. She looked back at her. "Do you remember your name?"
Nikki nodded. "Nikki Teagan. Where am I?" "Okay, well that's a good start. You're on Atlantis. What's the last thing you remember?"
She looked away from the doctor, trying to pinpoint exactly what the last thing she remembered was. She remembered being at home with her brother. They were with their parents.
"I was at home with Alex, my brother. We were telling our parents we were going on a trip somewhere, but I don't remember where."
The doctor nodded. She turned around and looked at the man she had been talking to before. "Radio Alex, tell him to get here." The man nodded and reached up to his ear and said something.
The woman turned back to her and smiled. "My name is Dr. Jennifer Keller. You were drugged and have been unconscious for a few days now. How are you feeling? Any headaches? Soreness?"
Nikki shook her head. "No, I feel fine. I am a bit hungry, but I feel perfectly fine." Jennifer nodded and looked over to the man sitting next to her.
"This is Colonel John Sheppard. Do you remember him?" Nikki looked back at the man and studied his face. Slowly she shook her head and looked back at the doctor. "No, I don't. Should I?"
Keller was about to respond, but the man interrupted her. "I'm a friend of yours. We've been working together." She looked at him and tried to will herself to remember him. "I'm sorry, I don't remember you." She looked back at Jennifer. "Why can't I remember things that…I should remember?"
Another doctor walked in and appeared at the foot of her bed. He smiled at her and when he talked, he had a clear Scottish accent. "I'm Dr. Carson Beckett. Did Dr. Keller tell you that you had been drugged?"
She nodded and waited for him to continue. "The drug that you were injected with is called diphenhydramine. It's an-." "It's an antihistamine, yes, I know. I went to medical school. How much was I given for me to have amnesia?" Beckett smiled knowingly. So he knew that she had gone to medical school. He was testing her to see how much she still remembered.
"A very high dosage, I'm afraid. It was used recreationally so it was pure diphenhydramine. I hear you remember your brother at least. That's good, he's on his way."
Nikki nodded and looked at the doorway when someone else walked in. It was Alex. Finally someone she recognized. Alex smiled and moved to the right side of her bed. Jennifer moved out of his way so he could be close to his sister.
"Hey there, sis. Sleeping beauty finally awakens, huh?" She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. "It's good to see you, Alex. Finally something familiar to me." His brow furrowed and he turned to look at Beckett.
"She has amnesia. We're not exactly sure how badly yet. Nikki, tell us again what is the last thing you remember?"
She looked at Alex. "I remember being at home with mom and dad. We were telling them we were going on some kind of trip and wouldn't be back for a while and we couldn't tell them where we were going. But I can't remember where we were going."
Alex nodded and looked up at Beckett. "She remembers the last time we saw our parents before coming here." Beckett nodded. "So then she has no memories of anyone here or even being here."
Keller looked over at Carson. "There is a chance that she will regain her memories though. She remembers most of her life, only a few months are missing."
"How much of my memory is gone?" Keller looked down at her. "It's still there, but…about eight months. That's how long you've been here."
"Where exactly is here?"
Keller suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at Beckett. "We should probably run a couple of tests to make sure…everything is okay." He nodded in understanding.
"Nikki, we're going to take you into the other room so we can run a couple of tests. We had to wait until you woke up to find out just how much damage there was."
She nodded. "That's fine. Do what you need to do." She moved her left hand and suddenly realized her stomach was bigger than she remembered. "Um, is there something I need to know?"
Beckett looked up at her confused. "I'm sorry?" "I'm athletic, Dr. I really can't see me gaining this much weight in the eight months since my last memory."
Keller nodded and looked at her. "Nikki, you're pregnant." Her eyes widened and she looked over at Alex. He gave her a smiled and nodded. "How far along?"
"About three months." She looked at John. His face was expressionless, but she could tell he cared for her. "If I'm three months along, I shouldn't be this big already." Keller looked up at Beckett and then back at her. "You're having twins. That's why we need to get these tests taken now so we can make sure the babies are okay."
She nodded, but looked back at Alex. "Who's the father?" He looked at John for a moment. John slightly shook his head, indicating that he didn't want Alex to tell her yet. He looked back down at her and thought for a moment about what to say. He didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the entire truth. "That's not exactly my place to say. You'll find out soon. I have to get back to my lab though. I'll be back in a little bit." Nikki nodded as she watched him stand, send a look the Colonel's way, and then leave the infirmary.
John let go of her hand, but didn't move. He looked into Nikki's eyes. "I know you don't remember me, but I'll stay here as long as you want me to. A new place can be unnerving when you don't really know anyone."
She smiled and nodded. "I would like that, John."
SGA
Teyla walked into Carson's office. He was sitting at his desk looking at some test results. He looked up as she walked in and smiled. "Teyla! You're early. I got the tests results back and your baby seems to be in perfect health. And I have some news. The baby is a-." "It's a boy, yes I know, Carson." He looked perplexed. "How on Earth did you know that?"
She smiled at him. "I have a connection with him. I believe it has something to do with the Wraith DNA. Both Kanaan and I have it and so the baby does as well."
Carson nodded and seemed to think it over. "That makes sense. The Wraith are able to mentally connect with each other so it's only natural, I suppose, that you are able to connect with your baby. It's rather fascinating, actually." Teyla smiled. "Yes, it is wonderful."
Carson smiled at her and stood up. "You only have three months left until the little one arrives. Have you been preparing for when he makes his appearance?"
"I was going to go talk to Elizabeth when I leave here about finding bigger quarters. Halling is making us a cradle. It should be ready by then." "That's good to hear. If you have any problems, just let me know. During the last month, you'll be restricted from going off-world, just as a precaution. Sometimes they like to come earlier than usual, which is normal. I just don't want you going anywhere and going into labor."
Teyla nodded. "I was not planning on going anywhere anyways, Dr. Beckett. Thank you for the test results." He smiled and watched her leave. He went back into his lab to check to see if the tests results had come back on Nikki yet.
Jennifer was standing at one of the lab tables. "The results came in. Is the Colonel still in there with Nikki?"
Carson turned around and looked back into the infirmary. "Looks that way. It must be rough having to pretend they're only friends. I hope for all of their sake she regains her memories soon. Anywho, let's go give them the news."
They walked out into the infirmary and found the two laughing and talking about something. "Sorry to interrupt, Colonel, Nikki, but we have the test results back."
Nikki and John looked up at the doctors. John felt like he was holding his breath. He didn't want to seem too worried in front of Nikki since she didn't know that he was the father, but on the inside he was nervous.
"It looks like the babies are going to be just fine. Only some of the drug made it into their system so they're going to be perfectly fine." Nikki sighed in relief and John visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed his face. It had been a long few days. He looked back up when he heard Beckett excuse himself and Keller.
He looked up to see Nikki watching him. "So, we must be pretty close for the Commanding Military Officer of this place to be sitting with me in the infirmary." He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it's never a dull moment with you around."
She smiled. "I'm kind of surprised we're friends. Military men don't usually want to be friends with someone who can kick their ass. Unless…you can actually kick mine?"
He laughed and shook his head. "Sadly, no. You beat me every time. There are only two people on this base who can beat you, though. That's quite the accomplishment." Nikki nodded and looked down at her hands. That's when she realized that she was wearing an engagement ring.
"Um…John?" "Yeah?" She was silent for a moment as she stared at the ring. It was beautiful. "I'm wearing an engagement ring."
He looked down at her hands and mentally kicked himself. "Yeah, it looks like it." She looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet her eye. He kept staring at the ring.
"So…then I'm engaged. If I'm engaged then…you'd think he would be here with me." He grunted softly and shook his head.
"Yeah, you'd think." She was about to say something when his hand went up to his ear.
"Colonel Sheppard, this is Chuck. Please come in."
"Sheppard here." "Colonel, General O'Neill just dialed in from Stargate Command. He's requesting to speak with you."
He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, I'll be right there." He stood up and looked down at Nikki. "Looks like duty calls. I'm surprised I've made it this long without being called away." He chuckled, but then his face went serious. "I'll be back later if you would like some company."
Her face brightened and she nodded. "Your company is a lot better than just sitting here staring at a wall for hours on end. So, yes, I would very much like your company."
He smiled and nodded. "That settles it then. I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned and left the infirmary. He made his way up to the control room and saw Dr. Weir standing over a laptop. He walked over to her and saw General O'Neill through the screen.
"Colonel Sheppard! I hear Dr. Teagan is going to be just fine." John paused for a moment before answering. "Yes, she's going to be just fine. And so will the babies, we just got it confirmed."
Elizabeth looked up at him with a big smile on her face. "Good! I was hoping you'd get the results back soon." He nodded and looked back at Jack. "Was there a reason I was called up here, sir?"
Jack nodded. "Yes, actually. In two days, the President will be here along with the IOA and General Landry. That means that you and Dr. Weir have two days to get ready and then come through the stargate to propose your plan for the new zpms."
John nodded. "Yes, sir." "Okay. Well, we'll be seeing you both in two days. Better start planning. O'Neill out."
The stargate shut down and Elizabeth turned to John. "Let's go into my office."
He followed her into her office and sat down in the chair across from her desk. "John, I heard about the amnesia. How bad is it?"
He sighed and looked down at his hands. "She remembers everything up until when she said good-bye to her parents before coming here."
Elizabeth gasped. "So she has no knowledge of the last eight months?" He shook his head and looked up at Elizabeth. "Have you told her about the two of you?"
"No. I told her we're just friends when she asked. I don't want to stress her out even more right now with adding a supposed relationship with a stranger on top of being in an unknown place, being pregnant with twins, not remembering the last eight months of her life…it's too much stress, especially since she's pregnant. I don't want to cause anymore."
Elizabeth nodded and thought for a moment. "But it causes even more stress because she doesn't know who the father of her children are. And I'm assuming she's noticed that engagement ring on her finger?"
He nodded and looked back down at her hands. "She knows she's engaged and is pregnant with twins. It might bring down some stress if she found out who the father was."
John stood up and moved towards the door. "Maybe. We'll see. I'm going to go get ready. I have things to do before we leave."
He left her office and went straight to the infirmary. Nikki looked up as he walked in and smiled when he sat down in the seat he had been occupying not too long ago.
"So what was that about?" "Oh, you know, just a check-in with Stargate Command. General O'Neill wanted to inform me that Dr. Weir and I will be going back to Earth in two days to meet with the President, the IOA, and some other people."
Nikki nodded and thought about it. "Could I go? I mean…back to Earth, not to the meeting. I'd like to see my parents."
John looked down at his hands and thought about what to say. "I'm sorry, Nikki, please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not letting you go back to Earth for a while. You were just kidnapped, drugged, and almost died and that was my fault. I'm not letting you go back just a little while, just to be on the safe side."
She nodded and looked at him. "It's okay, John. I understand. Dr. Keller told me what happened. She said I was with you and your family when it happened. From what she said, it's not your fault though. They were going to do it whether I was there on my own behalf or not. Don't blame yourself. I certainly don't."
He looked up at her and met her eyes. "Why not?" "Because from what people have told me so far, and from what I've gathered on my own, you're a pretty great guy. And I know that you did everything you could to get me back, and you succeeded."
John gave her a small smile and sat back in his chair. "Well, enough about me. Let's talk about something else…"
SGA
John hardly left Nikki's side for her duration in the infirmary. He only left when he had to for sleep, food, and his duties. He wanted to help get Nikki's memories back as best he could.
She had regained a few of her memories in the past few hours since John had left to get some sleep before his meeting with Elizabeth in the morning.
Nikki had talked to Jennifer to confirm the details, but she remembered arriving at Atlantis on the Daedalus, John coming to find her because of a fight between Alex and a Lt regarding her.
She remembered fighting with John and Rodney against a chemical that had infected the city. She definitely remembered the sassy looks she would give him and the little comments they would make at each other.
The last thing she remembered was being trapped in the room with him when they kissed for the first time and then having him go into a coma not too long after that.
It was starting to get frustrating for her. She couldn't remember what happened after he went into the coma, how he had gotten out of it, and how their first date had gone. Were they still dating? Was that who she was engaged to? Maybe he was the father of her children. But he had said they were only friends….unless he just said that just so he wasn't adding more stress onto her plate. That and he wouldn't be just saying, "Yeah, oh, and we're engaged and you're having my kids. So you're stuck with me, sorry."
She could tell he was hiding something from her, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She had a feeling that he was doing it for her own good. He was trying to protect her in a way.
Dr. Keller had suggested to her that she talk to Teyla about doing some meditation. That maybe that would help.
She was being released from the infirmary, so she was going to head to Teyla's quarters right after she was released. Teyla had already agreed to it.
She found her way to Teyla's quarters and ran her hand over the door alarm. A moment later, the door opened and Teyla was standing there. "Nikki, you are right on time. Please come in."
Nikki followed Teyla into the room and they sat down on the floor next to the bed. Teyla had set up candles around the room as their light source and to give the room a mellow feeling.
"Close your eyes and take deep, calming breaths." Nikki did as she was told and immediately felt herself calming into a more relaxed state.
Teyla brought her through a couple of exercises to get warmed up, and then brought her down into meditation. She walked Nikki through step-by-step and helped her reach the meditative state.
Nikki felt as if she were just floating in space. She couldn't see or feel anything, but she wasn't afraid. Suddenly, she was standing in the infirmary talking to Dr. Beckett about Colonel Sheppard's condition. She saw the others sitting around the infirmary just as worried about their friend.
It was like she was an outsider in her own memory. She stood off to the side and watched things unfold and knew they were real.
She watched as John woke from his coma and told them he had had a nightmare. He promised Nikki that he would make it up to her for missing their date and then, when no one was looking, he brought her down and kissed her.
They hadn't thought anyone had seen the brief kiss, but Major Lorne had. He gave the two a small smile before bidding his good-bye for the night and promised the Colonel he'd be back first thing the next morning.
The infirmary disappeared and suddenly she was sitting in one of the jumpers. She was looking up at a beautiful coral reef. Nikki watched herself and John eat their picnic dinner on the floor of the jumper during their first date. She watched as the chemistry between them grew and then as they had a quite passionate make-out session. She chuckled to herself for feeling slightly awkward watching herself and her date make-out.
She flipped through a few memories and lived each one as if she was really there, only as an outsider. She watched as they went back to Earth because of Dave. That's when she had met Cam Mitchell for the first time, along with General Jack O'Neill.
That was the same memory where John had asked her to be his girlfriend officially and she had accepted. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched both fights between herself and this Nancy woman.
The memories kept flooding back, but they ended right after John had asked her to accompany him back to Earth. Her vision went dark as they were walking out of her lab towards their separate quarters to pack.
She blinked in confusion. She couldn't have too many memories left to uncover, but why was it suddenly going dark now? She still didn't have any memory of anyone proposing to her or what had happened for her to lose her memory.
Nikki's eyes opened and focused on Teyla sitting in front of her. "Were you able to recover any memories?"
Nikki nodded and let all of the memories she had just gained sink in. "I remembered everything up until right after John asked me to go back to Earth with him. It couldn't have been more than a week or two ago…I'm about the size that I was in the memory."
Teyla nodded. "You must be referring to when you two went back so he could discuss with his brother about him and his family moving to Atlantis. Dr. Keller told me that you may never get the memory of what happened to you back. It is a miracle you got as many memories back as you did."
Nikki nodded and stood up. "Thank you so much for your help, Teyla. I'm sorry to meditate and run, but I really need to go find John."
Teyla smiled and stood as well. "I understand. He is probably in his office at this time of the day. If he is not there, check the mess hall."
She nodded and moved towards the door. "Thank you, Teyla! I'll see you later!"
She left Teyla's quarters and went in search of John. Nikki followed Teyla's suggestion and decided to check his office first.
She poked her head around the door and saw him sitting behind his desk doing some paperwork. She smiled and leaned against the door frame.
"I'm going to take a wild guess here, and say that you're the one I'm engaged to?"
John's head snapped up and his brow furrowed. She smiled and moved into the room. "I just left Teyla's. Her and Dr. Keller had an idea that maybe some meditation could bring back some memories."
She sat down on the corner of his desk and he looked up at her. "Did it work?" Her face brightened and she nodded. "My last memory is of us walking out of my lab after you asked me to go back to Earth with you."
He nodded and looked down at his hands. "So, I'm guessing you remember who I am now?"
Her smile widened and she moved so she was facing him and he had no choice but to look into her eyes. "For the most part. The only thing I'm fuzzy on is why I have a ring on my finger. Care to elaborate on that?"
A smile stretched across his face and he pulled her down onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Nikki." She smiled. "Oh, I can imagine. At least one good thing came out of all of this."
He looked down at her and frowned. "Oh really? And what is that?"
She sat up and looked into his eyes. "If anything, I love you more than I did before I was kidnapped." He smiled. "Oh really? And why is that?"
She leaned closer to him and stopped right before she got to his lips. "Because you stayed by my side as much as you could. You helped me get my memory back and you wouldn't give up. You rescued me when Nancy had them kidnap us. You saved me."
He rested his forehead against hers. "I couldn't leave you. No matter how hard it was to pretend like we were nothing more than friends. I just couldn't. And as for rescuing you, I couldn't let the love of my life stay in the hands of my psycho ex-wife, now could I?"
She giggled and shook her head. "No, you couldn't."
He closed the distance between them and kissed her. They shared a long and passionate kiss. While their lips were locked, Nikki's find flashed back to the two of them in the guest bedroom back at Dave's house.
John was pulling out a little black box and then he was proposing to her. He was asking her to be his wife and she accepted. She finally had the one memory that she had been searching for and she had the answers she really needed.
She was in love with Colonel John Sheppard. She was having his children and she would soon become his wife. Life couldn't get any better than it was at that moment.
Sorry for the confusing about the whole new chapter thing...There were some things bothering me about this chapter, so I just decided to re-write most of it before it drove me nuts. And also, sorry it took so long to update since usually I update once a day pretty much. I've had a lot going on lately.
You probably already know what the next chapter will bring. Stay tuned! Hope you liked the re-write better! Sorry, again! Review!