A/N: Nope, don't own anything. Okay, I do own Nikki. And Jess. And Alex. And Kira...and...several other characters...but that's it!

Okay, I know...I am a horrible, horrible, horrible person. I haven't updated in, what? 3 months? I can't even remember the last time I updated and I feel AWFUL about it. I really do. And to be honest, I wasn't even going to update this yet. It's only halfway done. I had planned on doing it all in one shot, but just now I was writing and I thought...screw it. These people have waited long enough. I am so SO sorry. But, this is only part one.

Also, the last chapter will probably be...31? Or 32? One of those. It's coming to an end and I have to all planned out for the most part.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 26

Jess opened her eyes and couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She was going to spend another day with her dad. Just the thought that she would be spending time with her dad made her smile. She still couldn't believe how lucky she'd gotten when she found him.

She knew he hadn't been expecting her to just show up one day on Atlantis on another planet in another galaxy, not to mention the fact that he knew nothing about her. The fact that he had adapted so quickly and had welcomed her into his life so easily made her respect him and look up to him all that much more.

Jess got up and got ready for her day, thinking about what she could possibly do. John wouldn't let her go off-world yet. He had said he wanted her to get more used to the city first and that he wanted to be there on her first off-world excursion. He'd even made sure to inform everyone in the control room, as well as Elizabeth, not to let her off-world without him unless it was to go back to Earth.

She walked out of her room and was greeted by Nikki who was waiting patiently for John to finish getting ready.

"Good morning, Jessie. Sleep well?"

Jess smiled at the woman who was going to be her step mom soon. "Yep! Just listening to the ocean puts me out like a light. What about you?"

"I agree. The ocean is very soothing, especially when you're seven months pregnant. It isn't very easy to sleep these days though. The twins like to play soccer with my insides while I'm trying to sleep."

Jessie grinned and sat down next to Nikki on the couch. She lowered her head so that she was right about Nikki's belly and placed her hand over where she hoped one of the twins were.

"Now listen here, little brother or sister, you need to let your mommy sleep. She's the reason why it's all nice and warm in there. So, if I were you, I'd be good and behave while you're in there."

Nikki laughed lovingly at the sight before her. She adored Jessie and it made her happy how easily she'd accepted Nikki and the twins into her life when she'd found her father. It had made life that much easier when the two found each other.

John walked out of the bedroom he shared with Nikki and couldn't help the wide smile that formed on his face at seeing Jessie bent over Nikki's stomach talking to her unborn siblings.

"You know, Jess, they probably can't understand a word you're saying."

Jess looked up at her father with a smile. "Oh, they understand me. I'm their big sister. We talk the same language."

John rolled his eyes and walked over to help Nikki to her feet. Once she was up onto her feet, they left their quarters in search of breakfast.

It didn't take long for them to reach the mess hall and get in line for their food. John carried two trays, one for himself and one for Nikki as Nikki added to both trays. Jess loved to watch the two of them together. They were such an amazing couple and she admired the strong bond that they shared.

They sat down at the table and began eating their breakfast with their friends that were already there: Ronon, Lorne, and Kira. They talked about their upcoming day and what missions they would be going on. As their friends started to arrive, the number of separate conversations grew and their table became one of the loudest in there given the time of day.

John and Ronon were in the middle of a conversation about their last mission that had almost ended very badly when John's com activated.

"Sheppard."

Nikki and Jess looked up, as did the rest of the table. They had all been expecting him to get called away. It was quite rare when he got to eat a meal in radio silence.

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Sheppard out."

He looked up to see the entire table staring at him. "What?"

Ronon grunted, "You never get through a whole meal."

John nodded, "Yeah. Sucks sometimes." He turned to Nikki and squeezed her hand.

"Elizabeth needs to see me in her office. I'll see you at lunch?"

She smiled at him and nodded, "Of course, John. Love you."

He smiled, "Love you too." He sent a smile towards Jess, conveying his goodbye to her silently as they usually did. They were able to communicate a lot that way.

John walked through the halls of Atlantis, wondering why Elizabeth wanted to see him. He wasn't due to go on any away missions for a few days and the only team off-world was a science team on the alpha site.

He entered her office and sat down in the chair he always sat in, not bothering to wait for an invitation. She looked up from her laptop and smiled at his easy-going nature. The smile didn't last long though.

Her face turned serious and he knew he wasn't going to like what was about to come out of her mouth.

"John, I just got a transmission from the SGC. You and your sister-in-law, Becca, are being sent back to Earth. You'll be gone for about a week."

John sat up straighter. "May I ask why?"

"You both have been subpoenaed. They want you and Becca to testify at Nancy's trial. General O'Neill said they didn't ask for Nikki because of how far along in the pregnancy she is and, given what happened, they don't want to add that much stress onto what she's already going through. They don't want to risk anything happening to the twins. The lawyers said your testimony and Becca's testimony will be enough to win the case."

John nodded slowly, letting it sink in. He hadn't thought about having to testify at the trial. He really didn't want to see his ex-wife again, but if it meant putting her away where she could never hurt his family again, he would do it without hesitation.

"When do we leave?"

"Just before lunch, so you have a few hours to get things in order. I'll let you tell Becca she'll be leaving as well."

John nodded, running through things he'd have to get done before he left. He stood and was about to leave the office when Elizabeth called out to him.

"Oh, and John? If you need to talk about it, my door is always open. And good luck."

John gave her the best attempt at a smile he could muster before turning and walking back towards the mess hall. He knew they'd all still be there as the meeting had only been a couple of minutes. His mind was jumping from topic to topic as he made his way through Atlantis.

Before he knew it, he was back in the mess hall and walking over to their table. Like he thought, everyone was still there. They looked up when he arrived and were instantly on edge by the look on his face and the tension in his body.

Nikki sat up straighter, "John? What's going on?"

He looked at her seriously, "We need to talk privately." He looked up at Lorne and his team.

"I want you four to meet me in my office in an hour." They all nodded as Nikki stood up. John wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked away towards their quarters. He stayed silent the whole way back until they walked through the door and had some privacy. Once the doors shut behind them, Nikki turned to him.

"John, what is going on? You're worrying me."

John walked over to the couch and sat down, encouraging her to as well. "Elizabeth received a message from the SGC. Becca and I have been subpoenaed back to Earth for Nancy's trial. The lawyers said that given what happened and how pregnant you are, they don't want to put all that stress on you. They said that with mine and Becca's testimony, yours won't be needed. You'll be staying here where you're safe."

Nikki's mouth opened, "What about you? And Becca?"

"I won't let anything happen to her. She'll be with me the entire time. And don't worry about me. I've been dealing with Nancy since we were kids. I know how to handle her. It's just you I'm worried about. Are you going to be okay here while I'm gone?"

"Yes, John, I'll be fine. And so will the twins. I have Jessie here to help me if I need it along with Carson and Jennifer. We'll be fine."

He nodded, trying to scratch that off his list of worries, but was unable to. "Okay, we'll be gone for about a week. We leave just before lunch."

She nodded, "What are you going to tell Jessie? You know she wants to meet Nancy."

He nodded again, "Yeah, well, she's not going to. Not for a long time anyway. I don't want her anywhere near that woman, I don't care if Nancy is her mother or not. She's dangerous and I'm not putting my little girl in the same room with her, let alone the same state."

Nikki nodded, "Well, you know she's not going to take it well. You better be prepared."

John sighed a rub a hand over his face. He stood from the couch and walked into their room to pack. As he packed, he radioed Jess and told her to meet her in his office a good fifteen minutes before his team and Lorne were supposed to.

Once he was all packed and ready to go on that end, John and Nikki walked to his office and talked about how John would handle the week ahead of him. Nikki knew he wasn't thrilled to see his ex-wife, but she also knew he was ready and capable to do what he needed to do to ensure his family's safety.

They walked into his office and found Jess already there, sitting in John's chair with her feet resting on the top of his desk. She had a smirk on her face that rivaled John's on the best of days. John rolled his eyes but couldn't help smile at the sight.

Nikki looked up at John and smiled. "I'll wait outside."

He looked down and nodded. Once the door slid shut behind her, he looked back up at Jess and his smile was gone. "Jess, we have to talk."

Her smirk turned into a frown at the seriousness in his voice and she pulled her feet down off the desk. She stood and walked around to stand in front of her father, giving him her full, undivided attention.

"What's up, Dad?"

He sighed, fighting to find the right words. Words were something he struggled at continuously. Sure, he was pretty damn smart, Mensa smart, but finding the right words for a delicate conversation was something he just didn't excel at.

"Becca and I are going back to Earth for a few days. We've been called to testify at your mother's trial."

Jess's mouth dropped open. "When do you leave?"

"Just before lunch."

She nodded, reigning in her shock. "Well, I'm going with you."

John shook his head, "No, you're not. I need you to stay here and take care of Nikki while I'm gone."

"Dad, Teyla and Uncle Dave can do that. You know they won't mind. I want to go."

He shook his head and took a step towards his desk. "No, I don't want you anywhere near her."

"Dad! I can take care of myself! I'm not a little kid anymore."

He looked at her, his anger starting to grow. "I know that, Jess. I'm all too aware of that fact. I didn't get to see you grow up, see you take your first steps, say your first words. I didn't get to see you go through school or graduate from high school. All the normal things fathers are supposed to enjoy with their kids, I didn't get that and it's because of that woman. That woman who tried to kill Nikki and the twins. The woman who had her and your aunt kidnapped just to get back at me. It's my fault they were put into that situation and I'll be damned if I let her do anything to you."

"I'm an adult and a soldier. You can't stop me from going. You can't just say no and that be the end of it."

The tension in the air was starting to build as their voices steadily grew louder. They were no longer having a conversation. They were having their first major fight and tensions were running very high.

"That may be true, but technically that means you have to formally request permission to leave the base. Consider that request denied."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're not the only one I can request it from. I'm sure Elizabeth would understand why I have to go."

He shook his head. "No, not this time. She's with me on this one. Even if she does understand why you feel you need to, she's not going to go against me on this one."

He leaned against his desk, trying to calm himself, but was rapidly failing. She walked a couple of steps away before whipping back towards him and putting on her worst glare.

"Why?! Why won't you let me meet her? What are you so scared of? That I'll like her more or something? Want to stay on Earth to get to know her better?"

"I'm scared that she'll kill you, Jess! I'm scared that she knows you've found me and is just waiting for the right opportunity to take you away from me just like she tried to take Nikki away from me. Just like she tried to take the twins away from us or Becca away from Dave. I refuse to let her hurt you and I refuse to lose you."

Jess stood silently for a moment, stunned. She'd never heard him yell like that. He had completely snapped and had confessed why he was really acting the way he was acting. She hadn't known him all that long, but she knew him well enough to know that he didn't just come out with things like that. He had to be really worked up about it.

Her anger burned out a bit and she lowered her voice significantly. "Dad…I'll be okay. I'm a fighter, just like you. I don't let things scare me away, especially when I know it's what needs to be done. I know you don't want to go and have anything to do with her, but I also know that you are because you know it'll protect your family. You're doing it because it's the right thing to do. Just like…I know that I have to see her, at least once. I need to ask her…I need to ask her why."

His eyes softened and he lowered his voice. "Why what, Jess? What is so important that you want to risk your life just to ask her something?"

"I want to ask her…why she didn't want me. I know it's meaningless and that it's basically textbook for someone who was adopted to want to ask their mother why they just gave them up, but…it's something that I've been asking myself ever since I found out I was adopted. I just…I need to know, Dad."

John saw the hurt in her eyes and felt his heart breaking. He knew it would be a very bad idea for her to accompany him and Becca to Earth and he just couldn't ignore that feeling. Whenever he did, it always ended very badly. There was no way he was going to ignore that feeling now and risk something happening to her.

"Jess…you're my little girl. I know you're an adult and I never got the chance to know you when you were little, but you'll always be my little girl. And that's why I just can't…I have a really bad feeling about taking you with and I can't ignore that. I'm sorry, but…I have to say no."

Her eyes narrowed and her lips pulled into a thin line. "You don't trust me. That's why you're not letting me go. The same reason why I can't even go off-world. I'm your daughter and you don't even trust me! This is unbelievable! You know what? Take your time on Earth. I'll be sure not to miss you."

Her words cut through him like a knife as she turned and bolted through the door. "Jess! Jess!"

He ran after her, but she was gone before he got through the doors.

SGA

Nikki sat down on one of the chairs that were located right outside of John's office. He'd had them placed there in case he had people waiting outside for him.

Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, and Evan walked up and greeted her. She smiled warmly at them.

"So, what's going on?"

Nikki sighed, looking up at Evan. "John and Becca have been subpoenaed back to Earth."

Teyla and Ronon shared a confused look before looking back at Nikki. Teyla tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Subpoenaed?"

Rodney jumped in, "It's where someone is called to testify at a trial. What did John do this time?"

Ronon grunted, "Who's trial?"

"Nancy's."

Teyla's eyes widened and she sat down next to Nikki. "Is that wise for John and Becca to be near her?"

Nikki smiled reassuringly at her, "Nancy will be under guard supervision the entire time. And I'm sure John will have Cam with him. Those two are good friends and I'm sure Cam won't let him go alone."

"I'm going with him." They looked up at Ronon. His face was completely serious and he'd already made his decision. There was no talking him out of it.

Nikki released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I would feel so much better if you would. I know John's capable of taking care of himself, but you know how trouble follows him around like a magnet."

Teyla nodded, "It would wise for John to have extra protection, as well as Becca."

Evan nodded, "What about Jess? I know she wants to meet her mom. What does Sheppard think about that?"

"He's not going to let her go. He doesn't think it's a good idea for her to be anywhere near Nancy, and I agree with him. Actually, she's in there with him right now and he's breaking the news to her."

It was at that moment when they heard yelling coming from inside the office. They heard Jess's voice before they heard the low timbre of John's yelling back. They couldn't make out all of the words, but they knew the gist of the argument.

Nikki leaned back in her chair to see if she could catch any of what was said. That's when John's voice rose even louder and they could make out every word.

"I'm scared that she'll kill you, Jess! I'm scared that she knows you've found me and is just waiting for the right opportunity to take you away from me just like she tried to take Nikki away from me. Just like she tried to take the twins away from us or Becca away from Dave. I refuse to let her hurt you and I refuse to lose you."

The office as well as the hallway was silent. They couldn't hear what Jess's response was to John's outburst, but they also knew it wouldn't stay quiet for long. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later they heard Jess's voice rising again before the doors opened and she ran from the room.

"Jess! Jess!"

John ran out of the office, but she was out of sight before he made it through the door. He closed his eyes in defeat and ran a hand through his hair. He opened his eyes and gestured for everyone to follow him into the office.

He sat down behind his desk before sighing in frustration. Nikki walked around and wrapped her arm around John's shoulders. He leaned against her slightly, needing the contact.

"You did the right thing, John. She'll get over it."

He shook his head, "I'm not so sure about that." He shook his head again to clear it and get focused. He looked up at Lorne, but before he could say anything, Ronon stepped towards the desk.

"I'm going with you, Shep."

John shifted his eyes to his friend and saw that he was completely serious. Ronon had been there for him through the entire ordeal with Nancy and he knew his friend wanted to help.

He thought about arguing with him, insisting that it wasn't necessary, but he knew deep down that it would make him feel better if he had a friend there with him, especially the large Satedan.

He nodded his head, "Okay. We leave before lunch and we'll be gone for a week, so pack enough. And leave the blaster unless you want the SGC scientists running tests on it."

Ronon nodded, stepping back a little as John turned back to Evan and the team. "Obviously, I don't have to say why I'll be leaving. There's only one team off-world right now and it's a science team. There are a couple of teams due to go out later after lunch, shouldn't be anything too exciting with those. The Daedalus is due back in two days with an inventory shipment so you'll have to go through everything, get it to the right place. Last time a marine sent grenades to the infirmary and some kind of experiment materials to the mess hall. You'll have to keep an eye on everything. The weekly SGC dial-in is in a few days, so you'll have to debrief the general on everything that has happened since last week. I have notes around here somewhere. Since Ronon and I will both be gone, that means the missions we were scheduled for will be postponed until we get back."

Evan nodded, "Colonel, you don't have to worry about anything. We have everything under control. And before you ask, if something happens where we need your help, we'll call."

John smiled faintly at him and sat back in his chair. He could always count on his team.

"Okay. Well, I have to talk to Becca and Dave. I'm sure it'll make Dave feel better that the big guy's going with, but…this should be interesting."

Teyla smiled at her friend and bowed her head forwards slightly. "We will leave you to finish preparing. And John, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to let any of us know. We are all more than happy to assist in any way we can."

John smiled her softly, "Thanks, Teyla. I just want this over with already."

He stood from his chair and wrapped his arm around Nikki's waist. They all walked out of the office together before splitting off in different directions. Ronon went to pack, Teyla had a doctor's appointment with Torren, Rodney had experiments to observe, and Lorne had soldiers to train.

Nikki accompanied John to Dave and Becca's quarters where they found the couple. Dave opened the door and frowned when he saw John's face. They walked in and sat down at the counter, Becca getting each of them a cup of coffee or tea.

He looked up at Becca once the beverages were placed on the table. He figured he might as well just get it over with.

"Becca, you and I are going back to Earth. We'll be gone for about a week, maybe shorter depending on how things go."

Dave sat up straighter. "Why? Just the two of you?"

"No, Ronon will be accompanying us and Colonel Mitchell will join us from the SGC once we arrive as well as other soldiers. We've been subpoenaed to appear in court for Nancy's trial. This is our chance to put her away for good, Becca. I wouldn't ask you to go if it wasn't important."

She nodded, knowing that she needed to do it for the sake of their family. She didn't want Nancy going after any one of them again. Dave wasn't so willing.

"No, there's no way she's going. Nancy could have killed her the first time. What makes you think that she doesn't have a plan already to get back at the two of you once you get there. She probably knows you will be testifying."

John nodded, "She probably does, but she'll be safe, I promise you that. Ronon has my back and that of my family's. He always has and he always will. I can guarantee the same for Colonel Mitchell and the other soldiers that will be with us. Dave…I promise you that I will not let anything happen to her. I let you down once by allowing Nancy to get to her, but I won't make that mistake again. You have to trust me on this."

Nikki looked between the two men, holding her breath. She hadn't realized John still blamed himself for what had happened. She should have known he did, but she had thought they'd gotten past it. This was his chance to be able to forgive himself.

Dave looked at his little brother for a long minute, considering everything he'd said. Dave was a cautious man, he learned to be thanks to his father, but this was his little brother. His brother was asking him to trust him and he knew he had to.

Finally, he looked down for a moment. When he looked back up into John's eyes, he nodded slowly. "Okay. But if anything happens to her, it's your head."

John smiled at his brother, relieved he was able to trust him. "Deal."

John turned towards Becca. "We leave just before lunch, so meet us in the gate room at 11:30 hours. We'll leave you to get ready. I'll see you then."

Becca nodded, smiling at her brother-in-law and his fiancée as they showed themselves out of their room.

SGA

The gate activated and John pressed a kiss to Nikki's temple. "If you need anything, don't hesitate. And…tell her I love her."

Nikki smiled at him, pushing him towards the gate. "Don't worry about anything, John. We'll be fine. And, I will. She still loves you, you know. She'll be fine."

He nodded, looking over at Becca who stepped away from Dave. Dave looked up at him and nodded, "Make sure nothing happens to her. And…be careful."

John nodded, giving him a reassuring smile as he stepped through the gate beside Becca with Ronon right behind them.

An hour later, Nikki found Jess in her room, staying away from everyone. She knocked tentatively on her door, hoping she'd answer.

"If that's you, Dad, go away. If it's Nikki…you can come in."

She opened the door and stepped into the room. "Just thought I'd see if you wanted to get some lunch with me. It won't be the whole group. McKay has a lunch date with Jennifer, Carson's on duty, Ronon's gone, and Lorne is busy with paperwork. It'll just be you, me, Teyla, Torren, Kira, and Alex."

Jess sat up on her bed, but didn't say anything. She looked up at Nikki, thinking hard. Their eyes locked for a good minute before she looked away.

"Why doesn't he trust me?"

Nikki's mind went blank for a moment. She was entering uncharted territory and had to get it right if she planned on being a successful mother and step-mother. She walked further into the room.

"It's not that he doesn't trust you. He does trust you. You're his daughter."

Jess looked up into Nikki's eyes, searching her face for a lie she wouldn't find. "Then why didn't he let me go?"

"Exactly what I just said. You're his daughter, his first child, his little girl. He loves you with all of his heart and that is exactly why he didn't want you to go."

She cocked an eyebrow up the way her father did when he was waiting for an explanation.

"He trusts you, Jessie, but he doesn't trust her. He doesn't trust Nancy to not put something together and have something happen to you. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to you because of her."

Jess sighed, frustrated. "I get that, I do, but I can take care of myself. I'm a soldier, just like he is. I'm trained in combat, I can fire a gun. I can handle myself when it comes to tough situations. Hell, I lived in worse than what I've seen while in the Air Force. I'm not a little kid anymore."

Nikki nodded, "I understand that and so does your Dad. I can't make you understand why he did what he did. That's between you and him. You are an adult and can handle yourself, but…he is your father and it's his responsibility to protect you whether you want his protection or not."

Jess thought her words over. "I do want his protection, but not from Nancy. I mean, she's my mother for crying out loud. She won't hurt me."

Nikki frowned. "I can't give you a reasonable answer to that. Yes, you are her daughter, but you are also John's daughter. She went to great lengths to get back at him through his family, what makes you so sure she won't do it again?"

Nikki stood and walked towards the door. Before she walked through, she turned back towards Jess with a small smile on her face. "You're still more than welcome to come have lunch with us. It might help you get your mind off of everything."

Jess nodded and stood up, following Nikki out of the room.

The rest of Jess's day was rather dull. She had lunch with their group that was left, she wandered around the city, spent a little bit of time with her cousins, had supper with the group again, and then went to her room and listened to some Johnny Cash to try to distract her mind. It didn't take very long for her mind to finally drift off to sleep and she was pulled into a dream where none of her problems really mattered.

Day One

The next morning, Jess figured her day would be exactly the way it had been the previous day, only minus her father. She took a shower, got dressed, and then went to breakfast with Nikki.

That's when her day turned a little.

Evan sat down at the table with his breakfast, Kira right behind him. He looked up at Jess before he started on his cereal and smiled at her.

"So, Jessie, got any plans for today?"

She looked up from her French toast and shook her head. She hadn't been feeling all that talkative since her argument with John the day before.

"Well, I was talking to Carson the other day and he mentioned that you like to draw. I was thinking maybe we could hang out for a bit and I could give you some pointers? I mean, unless you're busy."

Her face lit up and she nodded, "That would be great! I've been meaning to ask you about that ever since he told me that you're an artist. I would love that!"

Evan's smile grew. "Great! How about we get started when we're done here? I'm not on duty until just after lunch."

"Yeah! Wow, thanks, Evan!"

He nodded, digging into his cereal. He watched from the corner of his eye as Jess started to practically vibrate in anticipation. She couldn't wait until they were done eating and could get started.

Kira looked at Evan and lowered her voice. "That was really sweet of you. What made you decide to do that?"

Evan looked up at her with a loving smile on his face. "Because she's family and she needs something to do. And it's a little selfish. If I can help someone improve their love for art, then that makes me happy. That's the way my mom is too."

A smile spread across Kira's face and she leaned forward, pressing her lips to Evan's. "You amaze me sometimes, you know that?"

Evan just smiled as a response and took a sip of his coffee. Conversations started up around the table as everyone talked about what they had planned for the day as well as different stories that happened to come to mind. They picked on each other, as was usual, before all heading off in different directions to start their days.

Evan held out his arm for Jess who took it with a huge smile on her face. He led her out of the cafeteria and towards his quarters where all of his supplies were.

"So, have you taken any art classes or just kind of taught yourself?"

"I've only taken the ones that were mandatory back in grade school. So, I guess I kind of taught myself; although, I'm not very good."

Evan smiled and shook his head. "I don't believe in not being very good. The artist is as good as he believes himself to be. Or herself."

Jess looked up at him with a smirk on her face that could very well rival her father's. "That is very insightful, Major. I never realized you were such a softy at heart."

He chuckled and nodded, "I have my moments."

They reached his quarters and he got out all of his supplies. He cleared off his desk so that they would have enough room and get things set up.

"Okay, how about we start with a portrait of someone? I'll show you how to do different techniques and you can put your own spin on it. Sound good to you?"

Jess nodded enthusiastically. "So, who am I drawing?"

Evan had thought long and hard about it before they had gotten there and had decided to work an angle. He'd talked to their group the night before and they had all come up with a plan, so he figured that maybe he could use this to his advantage.

"I want you to draw someone who…you look up to. Someone you're inspired by, a role model."

She looked up at him and there was no doubt she was her father's daughter by the look she gave him. She had caught on immediately, but didn't say a word. She knew what he was trying to do, but she appreciated it, so she let him guide her anyway. Besides, she really wanted to learn how to draw better and that meant doing what he told her to do.

"Do you have a picture of whom you're going to draw? It'll make it easier."

She shook her head. "I don't have any pictures of him."

He smiled before pushing away from the desk and digging around in one of the drawers. He sorted through a few pictures before pulling one out, examining it, and handed it to her.

She smiled slightly at the picture. It was a picture of her father training some marines. He had his P-90 positioned and he looked like he was about to fire. His mouth was open a little as if he was talking on his radio or to someone not seen in the picture.

She set it down where she could study it as she drew, watching as Evan did the same.

She picked up a pencil and watched patiently as he began to draw a portrait of someone he looked up to. It happened to be his mom. She watched as he swept his pencil across the paper with seemingly little effort.

He looked up once he was halfway done and showed her how to start her own. "You want to start with the eyes. They're the main focus point and it'll be easier. The size and position of the other features are directly related to the scale and placement of the eyes. Did you see how I did mine?"

She nodded and furrowed her brow in concentration as she started drawing her father's eyes. Well, it was more like one with the angle the picture was taken. She started lining up the face, adding in the mouth, and the nose.

"Good. You're catching on quickly."

Jess smiled slightly at the compliment before focusing back on the drawing. She measured it out and drew the shape of his face. She added his ear, chin and neck. She made several mistakes and was grateful for her eraser, but she was getting the hang of it.

He had gone back to his portrait, looking over every so often when she would ask him a question. He taught her that the distance from the tip of the nose to the chin and the tip of the nose to the top of the forehead is the same length, how to create a layered effect on his hair using the eraser, different styles, not to blend the uniform as much as the face, shadowing, contours, bone structure. He showed her how to draw the gun he was holding as well as the radio in his ear. The toughest part for her, though, was his hand. It was so tricky to get it just right and not look lopsided or crooked.

She added in a few last strokes to his hair and uniform before setting her ebony pencil down and smiling. Evan had long finished his portrait and had started on another one of Kira. He was roughly halfway done or so when he noticed she had stopped.

He smiled at her drawing and saw the look of happiness and achievement in her eyes. "That's great, Jessie! See, if you believe in yourself, nothing can hold you back."

She turned and looked at him with the brightest smile she'd given anyone in a while. It made his heart melt to have been able to help her achieve something he knew she wanted badly.

He looked down at his watch and chuckled. "It's already time for lunch. Maybe we can have another lesson sometime if you wish."

She nodded eagerly, "Yes! I would love that! This has been amazing. Thank you so much, Evan. It means a lot to me."

He smiled lovingly at her, nodding his head. He pulled out an envelope big enough for her to slide her drawing inside before packing up the supplies and heading towards the cafeteria. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face as she gushed about how excited she was that she could draw portraits now.

They got in line to get their food and then made their way over to their table. They were the last ones to show up.

Nikki smiled at the look on Jess's face. "So, have a good time?"

"Yes! Evan taught me how to draw a portrait and I actually did it! And it's not half-bad!"

Evan looked up, "Half bad? Jessie, it's great! You have a wonderful talent that's just been waiting for a little encouragement and hard work. You're a natural."

She blushed slightly at his compliment and looked up at him with sheer happiness in her eyes. Nikki smiled at how happy she was and risked something she was dying to know.

"Would you mind if I saw what you drew? I'm dying to see how amazing it is."

Jess hesitated, but only for half a second before opening the envelope and pulling out the picture she'd drawn of her dad. She blushed even more as Nikki looked at it and her eyes widened.

"Oh, Jessie…this is beautiful."

The blush deepened. "He told me to draw someone I looked up to."

Nikki turned her eyes back to Jess. Jess could see all the love this woman had for her shining brightly in her eyes.

Nikki passed the drawing around the table for everyone to see and they were all stunned by how good it looked for her first time drawing a portrait. Kira nodded, "Evan's right, you really are a natural."

Once she had gotten the picture back and slipped it back into the envelope, Teyla placed her hand on hers. "If you are not busy after lunch, my evening has opened up. I could teach you to spar or meditate if you would like."

Jess nodded, "That would be great! I'd be more interested in sparring, if that's alright with you. I don't know if I'd be able to stay awake while meditating."

Teyla chuckled. "That is quite alright. Ronon and John always fell asleep as well. I can teach you some moves I taught your father when I first came to Atlantis."

She nodded, "I'd really like that, Teyla. Thanks!"

Once lunch was over, Jess and Teyla took a walk around the city. Teyla had said she didn't want their first sparring lesson to be on a full stomach, so they let their food digest a little before they went to the only open gym.

Teyla picked up her set of bantos rods and gestured for Jess to as well. Teyla showed her the proper positioning she should stand in, how to engage, proper footing.

Jess landed on the mat for the fifth time, out of breath. "Man, I don't know how you do this. I'm a good fighter and all, but damn."

Teyla smiled, offering her a hand and pulling her up to her feet.

"Your father said the same thing to me during one of our first lessons."

Jess nodded, taking everything in. "So…is he a good fighter? I mean, you said you started teaching him when you first got here."

Teyla nodded, circling the mat as Jess did. "He is a very exceptional fighter. He caught on quite quickly and has advanced greatly since our first lesson."

"Has he ever beaten you?"

Teyla's smile widened. "Twice. Once because I was distracted. I was unable to stop my mind from wandering and he was able to take advantage of that, as he should have. And another time when your father's DNA was mutated and he started to transform into a bug. His strength increased greatly, exceeding Ronon's by far."

Jess stopped walking. "Wait, he turned into a bug?"

"Yes, a wraith female had injected herself with a prototype of a retrovirus that Dr. Beckett had been working on. It reversed her wraith DNA, transforming her into an iratus bug. These creatures are the ancestors of the wraith. She attacked John and infected him with the retrovirus causing him to undergo the same mutation. Luckily, Dr. Beckett was able to reverse the mutation in time and return him back to normal."

Jess nodded, picking up the circling once more. "So…my dad turned into a bug that the wraith had evolved from…interesting."

Teyla chuckled, "It was quite frightening, but Dr. Beckett has reassured us that he is one hundred percent John Sheppard again."

They continued to spar and Teyla told her combat stories about her father. She told Jess about how he managed to become allies with a wraith and escape a Genii prison. She told her about when John successfully convinced Keras not to go through with killing himself and helped his society greatly by showing them the suicide packs were unnecessary. She also told her the story about when he almost singlehandedly took back control of Atlantis when it was under siege from the Genii.

By the end of the sparring lesson, Jess had heard many stories about her father's role on the battlefield. It gave her a little more respect for him, but she was still pretty angry with him. It showed her that he was a true fighter, a soldier, but she was also. Every thought about her father being a good soldier was combatted by the knowledge that she was as well and that she could take care of herself. It frustrated her to no end. Teyla could see her growing frustration and had ended the sparring lesson. They made plans to have another lesson and parted ways.

Day Two

Jess walked into the mess hall for breakfast the next day and was ambushed by Rodney.

"So, um, Mini Sheppard, I was thinking that you could join Nikki and I in the labs today. I thought of some things we could do and figured it'd be good for you to learn some science while you're here. This being a scientific expedition and all."

Jess smirked. "I thought the expedition was for exploration and to help the people in this galaxy."

Rodney straightened, his face going somewhat blank. "Well…it is…but it's also a scientific expedition. Hence all the scientists. So! We'll be going to the labs after breakfast, hm? Yes. Good talk."

He quickly walked away and towards their table, leaving Jess standing there shaking her head, amused.

She sat down next to Nikki and looked up at her. "So, what will we be doing in the labs?"

Nikki smiled, "Oh, you'll just have to wait and see."

An hour later, the three of them were in Rodney's lab and staring down at a small object the size of an apple.

"What is it?" Jess stared at the device, wondering what in the world a small device like that could possibly do.

Rodney gave his best bitch face, the one he usually reserved for either Zalenka or Colonel Sheppard. "How the hell should I know? That's what I need you for. With your look-a-like in another galaxy and his fiancée pregnant, I need someone else to test it for me. Hence the reason why you are here."

Jess rolled her eyes as Nikki tried to refrain from chuckling as she took a seat on one of the stools. "This isn't going to have any harmful effects, right? I can only imagine John getting home to find his daughter in the infirmary. That would go over so well."

"Yes, well, if there were any harmful effects, I wouldn't have the child do the testing, now would I?"

"Hey! I'm not a child, thank you very much!"

Rodney turned towards her, hesitating. She'd used the same tone that her father would have used on him. "That may be true, but you're also the child of the commanding military officer with a base full of trigger happy marines. Excuse me if I don't march you into a room with a live grenade and tell you to duck."

Jess shook her head. "Because that would be a good idea even if I weren't his daughter. Now, can we just get on with testing this thing? If I have to make a trip to the infirmary, I'd rather do it sooner rather than later so I can get released in time for lunch."

"Now you sound like McKay. Maybe you two have been around each other too much."

They both looked over at Nikki with the same look on their face: bitch face. It was enough to send her into a fit of giggles.

Jess rolls her eyes and reaches for the small device. She picked it up and examined its exterior. There wasn't anything too special about it. It was black, smooth, and cool to the touch. The interesting part was when it started to glow a faint blue moments after she picked it up.

Her eyes widened and she looked up at Nikki to see the same expression mirrored on her face.

"Rodney. What's it doing?"

McKay looked up from his laptop and eyed the device. "It's…It's glowing. Why the hell is it glowing?"

Jess used all of her will power to refrain from rolling her eyes and chucking the small device at the scientist's head. "How the hell should I know? I just picked it up!"

McKay turned back to his laptop, typing furiously on the keys to see what effect the device was making. The only sound in the room came from the keys on his laptop as Nikki and Jess waited for him to complete his tests.

They shared a look, quickly growing impatient. "McKay-."

"Zalenka to McKay. Did you activate the shield?"

McKay immediately stopped typing. "No! Why would I activate the shield? I'm not in the-."

McKay's head whipped around towards the device and his eyes widened. "Zalenka, you better get to my lab. I just found something that's going to greatly increase our chances against the Wraith. Oh, and bring Elizabeth with you."

He tapped off his radio before running another test.

"Rodney, what's going on?"

Without looking up, he responded, "That device activated the shield. By the readings that I'm getting, it's also increasing its strength. This could be a severe advantage! By my calculations…this could greatly increase our chances of surviving an attack! By anyone, really. If anyone should choose to attack us, this device should greatly increase the shield. This…this is incredible. The readings are holding at one hundred and forty percent."

Jess looked down at the device in her hand. "Huh. It's a good thing I decided to play guinea pig today."

Please tell me what you think. I would really like some feedback on this chapter. I received a review from someone saying that they wanted to see a major blow-out between John and Jess since they are so alike. Well, here you are! I am going back to writing as soon as this is all posted. I'm hoping to get it up a lot sooner. I will work hard, I promise! There's just so much...haha! Review, please! Thank you! =)