Teyla watched Max stride across operations and down a hall that lead to little more than labs and storage areas. Quietly and quickly she followed. She did not intend to spy on or startle her team mate but was worried about her.

She watched Max disappear into a little used lab and hurried after.

"Max?" Teyla called as she entered.

Max was bent over something and the room was oddly dim. Medical equipment, mostly unused had been pushed to the perimeter of the room. As Teyla's eyes adjusted to the dark she realized Max as sitting on the edge of a bed and leaning over someone.

"Better?" Max asked.

Her voice was gentle, tender even, Teyla suddenly knew she was trespassing. She turned to leave.

"Teyla?" Max sounded surprised but not angry.

"I apologize, I was –"

"It's okay, please, come in, I'd like you to meet my friend. We were going to introduce everyone to him tomorrow but he had a hard day, we were just discussing pushing it back. I'm glad you're here." As she spoke Max stood revealing her charge.

The man was pale, older than Max thought it was impossible to say if their appearances correlated with their actual ages. He would be tall and broad shouldered when he stood but he looked exhausted and frail.

"Teyla Emaggan, this is my … brother, Jarod."

"I am pleased to meet you Jarod." Teyla said warmly. She knew it was customary among the Earth personnel to clasp hands but this man was lying in bed so she refrained.

"Get some rest, I'll be back in the morning." Max said gently, sparing him from the need to reply.

The women left together and walked in silence for some time.

"Max, I am sorry I did not mean to intrude –"

"it's fine Teyla, really. I should have let you all know why I would be off missions for a while."

"We did wonder."

"What did John say?"

"I believe he used the term 'super secret squirrel spy stuff'." Teyla said with an indulgent smile.

"Jarod is…he's special." Max was trying to figure out how to condense his convoluted biography into a soundbyte.

"He is like you?"

"Yes but…not naturally. I mean, okay so normally immortals will age and die like a normal human, at least as far as we know. But sometimes when we're killed violently, accident, murder, whatever, our immortality is triggered. Our biological age is frozen in place and all the other perks come into play. Most of us that survive for any length of time are sort of adopted by a teacher, another immortal that teaches us the rules and basic combat skills."

Teyla listened patiently. They were walking toward one of Max's favorite haunts, a nearly deserted section of a spire with a wide balcony.

"We had the same teacher, well one of them, anyway Jarod's immortality was…triggered…differently."

"Artificially?" Teyla prodded when the silence stretched too long.

"Exactly. On Carthis by what we think is Furling technology. The planet and the facility were deemed too dangerous and the coordinates were locked. We…recovered Jarod but he wasn't himself anymore. The process or something that happened before or after had driven him insane. He was trapped in a kill frenzy. Our friend…our teacher…he….he killed himself trying to restore Jarod."

Teyla's steps paused and she faced Max, gently she placed hands on each of her friends' shoulders and gently touched their foreheads.

Startled and touched by the gentle Athosian gesture Max paused at the contact for a long moment as she fought to regain and maintain her composure. Silently Teyla broke off the contact and let Max take the lead again. They walked at a slower pace now.

"Methos died years ago. Since then Jarod has effectively been in something like a coma. To him very little time has passed. He doesn't know about Methos, I'm not sure he even understands he isn't on Earth anymore let alone outside the Milky way."

"This will be a difficult transition for you both. You introduced him as your brother, you are close?"

"Yes. I didn't really have a family growing up but I found one in my teachers and with him."

"This will be a difficult journey on your own Max, will you let us help you?"

Max paused this time. She studied Teyla's beautiful earnest features and felt her tears threatening again.

"I guess I've found family again." She whispered.