Rodney had looked at Jennifer not entirely sure how he still had the woman. They could both go back and forth from the moon to Earth, she could have anyone on Earth and or off Earth and she still picked Dr. Rodney McKay. He was of course elated and realized throughout his life he had never had a longer relationship. She was younger and made him feel younger. She had gotten him to do several things, especially in bed he wasn't sure he would have tried, but she showed him just how good it could be.
He had wished he had her energy, he couldn't blame her age though, he never had as much energy as Jennifer had. There were days she would work all day, come back to their rooms, go get dinner with some of the crew, and then come back to spend time with him, go for a run, shower, and stay up working on case notes. Rodney had indeed stayed up for sometimes days at a time but he was just using his brain not all the other muscles too.
Jennifer had convinced him to have sex on the balcony and that had become his new favorite place, she was right as always, it was romantic to be looking down at Earth and making love on a secret moon base, It was definitely a turn-on.
Jennifer had always wanted to please him, and Rodney was happy to reciprocate. He could say though that Jennifer never ceased to surprise him.
John had made fun of Rodney this morning when they were talking over breakfast, Rodney had been out of it, and Jennifer had worked the night shift and woke him. She was naked on top of him when he woke up, and he still wasn't sure it wasn't entirely a dream. He was very happy and dopey. Jennifer was asleep in their bed at that very moment.
"What's up with you Rodney, you look, dare I say happy," John smirked.
"Mmm, yeah what a morning," Rodney claimed.
"Yeah, you find a breakthrough or something?" John asks.
"We'll say that." Rodney half-hummed.
"Alright, what did the doc prescribe you, is she giving you happy pills or something Mckay, because I have to admit I might need a few if they make you feel that good." John laughed.
"You're not getting ANYTHING JENNIFER GAVE ME!" Rodney half screamed.
It took John a few seconds to connect the dots.
"OH!, Rodney, you don't have to tell everyone your sex life!" John said disgustedly.
"Maybe you just need one."
John sighed and got up. Rodney wasn't wrong. He had been single his whole time on Atlantis there were times he hoped. There were times he had flirted and he even went out on a date or two but there was never a connection. John couldn't lie he had found Elizabeth his type quickly. He had wondered how they would work out but they couldn't and in the beginning, she had someone. John missed Elizabeth and now he will never know. John had moved on from her, knowing that it was for the best that they weren't more than friends. If they ever were anything more, well he doesn't think he could live with her loss.
John was left wondering if a relationship was ever in the cards. After his divorce, he told himself he'd never marry again. The pain the heartache, and the legal issues. It wasn't worth it. Now, though playing with Torren he thought one day he would love to be a dad. John was young, but the time was ticking. He wasn't sure when an opportunity would arise to meet a woman and have a family.
John found himself looking down at the Earth, he did this often. It was a daily reminder of why he joined the military, but now his mission a much larger scale. The Earth is just a dot. He's known that for a long time now but the visual queue makes it even more noticeable as the days go by.
They have been on the moon for 2 months. So many experiments were on going inside Atlantis and out on the moon itself. The place was more of a science station than a defense station. John could hear the city's hum it was different now. It had been ever since it left its home galaxy but as the days go on, John noticed the hum almost sounded like a cry. Other crew could barely hear the noise but John seemed so in tune with the ship he could tell something was off. Although he had told Wolsey of the noises time and time again diagnostics were run and it said the ship was fine. John knew something was wrong but what could he do about it, nothing. So he sighed and wondered when exactly the day would come that shit hit the fan.
Teyla had listened to John go on and on about the city's hum. She didn't think he was lying in fact she knew it to be true but she couldn't hear it. The few people who had the strong gene such as Carson agreed there was a different noise to the city but it was something he easily got used to and didn't feel it to be anything to worry about. The only working theory was because of the different atmosphere on the moon opposed to being on a planet was to blame. Teyla was worried John was taking it too seriously she had overheard some other military members questioning if John had gone crazy. She knew better to read into it or to say anything because there were always rumors going around the ship. The latest one intrigued her though. She was in the cafeteria eating when she overheard some people talking about her and John and the fact they were engaged. She rolled her eyes at the tired false gossip. There had even been rumors when Teyla announced she was pregnant that John was the father. Sometimes Teyla wished that rumor to be true, John had treated Torren more like a son than Torren's father ever dreamed of. She was happy that Torren had John. Teyla was more surprised by how Rodney took to the little boy though. Rodney would never admit it, but it seemed that anytime he saw Torren he would smile brightly and say hello to her little boy. Uncle Rodney may very well be the best uncle Torren could have, she would never tell Rodney that.
Teyla looked down on Earth and looked around at the numerous people on the ship, yes there were Aliens on the ship, Earth was not home to a few people on board but somehow Teyla had never felt so close to people of Earth. She had wanted to help the people she had met in passing. She wanted to learn all she could, Earth was truly a magical place. Teyla was told that magic doesn't exist at least not that Earth people know of but she had no other word for the people she had come to love. Teyla looked around the ship and at all the people wondering when it would be her turn to go home. She was enjoying her time, and she loved all the time she had with Torren. She just wanted to check on her people to make sure things were going as smoothly as possible and that she could check on the other people she loved as well.
Sam had come back to Atlantis with Daniel they were now regulars on the ship staying weeks at a time. There were days that John would literately make popcorn and sit in the corner of the lab, watching Sam, Rodney, and Daniel bicker. John knew Sam had the upper hand but only slightly Jackson was smart and almost equal in battle to Sam both physically and intellectually. With the verbal arguments, Jackson had the upper hand. John had no clue how many languages the man knew but he was sure that Daniel could cuss out just about anyone on the ship in their native language. Right now the three were bickering about reverse engineering a ZPM. They had finally found enough information regarding how it was made but they still don't know the exact material makeup required to build it.
Daniel is there more for the deciphering but Sam had rubbed off on the man over the years. He seems to know more about the makeup and building of it than Rodney was expecting because Daniel had chimed in with the fact of overloading the ZPM if they use some type of chemical John couldn't pronounce compared to something else he'd never even heard of. Sam of course backed Daniel's theory until Rodney spouted off some equation like a calculator and then Sam said that Rodney's method could work. John wasn't sure any of them noticed he was even there. If they did they ignored him which could easily be happening. The three had enough on their plate just playing mental chess with each other. John had to admit some of Rodney's science terms weren't completely lost on him. John did like to know the working parts of the ship as well as how things work. He found that Daniel was the best teacher. Rodney and Sam could both spout off how things worked but easily got frustrated if John didn't have the prerequisite background knowledge before they go into it. Daniel spoon-feeds the information sometimes too much but John appreciated that the man tried.
The group was in the main control room when a beam of light and a group of people suddenly appeared near the gate. Sam looked up expecting to see a random group of scientists or a group of Military back for their day's work. She was shocked when she saw Jack O'Neill among the group.
"General?!" Sam smiled.
Richard Wolsey greeted the man "to what do we owe the pleasure General?" Richard Wolsey asked.
"I am here to see Col. Samantha Carter, sir. This is a personal call, all is well." Jack stated.
"Okay."
"General" Sam greeted, John, Rodney, and Daniel looked on from the lab.
"That's retired General O'Neill to you."
Sam's heart pounded the words she had waited for, for so long finally music to her ears. They had discussed that as soon as he could he would let her know. She didn't expect him to come to Atlantis to do so. He could have sent a message or waited until she came back to Earth at the end of the week. Nothing was stopping her from going home daily, but it was just easier with the up-and-down schedule that Rodney and a lot of the other scientists kept to just stay. Plus, she missed Atlantis there was something about the large ship that tugged at her.
She hugged him and kissed him in the middle of the gate room and he smiled picking her up and twirling her around.
Daniel clapped and whistled, and John and Rodney looked away. John hadn't known about the relationship. Although Rodney accepted it and had no qualms about it, he still didn't want to see Samantha Carter kissing anyone.
Jack let her down, and she blushed. This was probably the most unprofessional she had ever been but no one dared say a word about it. Sam latched onto the man's arm with the biggest smile anyone has ever seen from her. Jack had let Sam pull him up to the main control room.
Richard just smirked at the two of them.
"Well, I must say congratulations are in order, retired it's what I hope to be someday."
"Well you know in this program retired is a loose term, don't count on it Wolsey, they need you too much. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye but you've had your moments." Jack claimed.
Richard knows this is the highest praise he will receive from Jack, so he accepts it.
Jack looks around the room and decides that now is good of a time as any.
The group still was focused on Jack, and he decided to pull the ring box out of his pocket.
"Sam I know we've already discussed it but I want to do this right." Jack gets down on one knee and fumbles around with a box in his pocket.
"Samantha Carter, will you marry me?"
Sam laughs because she knows that he is just doing this for Daniel and maybe to annoy the hell out of Rodney.
"Yeah Jack, considering we have the date already I think I'm going to have to say yes."
Daniel's eyes went large and John laughed along. Daniel had known they'd been seeing each other, ever since she had broken up with Pete. They had been very discreet but it didn't take long for himself and Teal'c to notice the change in their mental space. It was the little things. In the rare times they had been all together, Jack and Sam would lean next to each other, they used their first names when not on duty and they would share rides. He didn't know they had already planned a wedding date.
"Typical," Daniel said out loud.
Sam wanted to turn and stick her tongue out at him, she did see Daniel as her brother.
Sam took the ring, something she had picked out with him a while ago but it had to be sized. It was similar to her mother's wedding set. She wished her parents could see this moment. She wished that Teal'c had been here, but he was the first to know that they were planning a wedding because Jack wanted Teal'c to be his best man. Daniel even though he didn't know it yet, was Sam's best man, because she said she couldn't imagine anyone else. Cassie was a contender, but Sam also knew she needed at least one bridesmaid so the honor went to Daniel. Even though it wasn't going to be a huge wedding she didn't want Cassie to have any stress about the day.
Sam caught Jack up with everything going on in Atlantis. More so than Jack was interested in. He had thought for some reason as soon as he said he was retired she would find an excuse to take him back to her quarters and they would celebrate, but instead, she had given him a debriefing of the current situation.
Daniel was smirking the whole time as Jack's face grew more and more impatient. Richard walked away suddenly very busy with paperwork. Rodney and John at least acted as though they were none the wiser, and continued as if Sam and Jack weren't even there.
As the day wound down, Sam had taken Jack to get dinner. Teyla had met the man before but only briefly. Sam had talked quietly about Jack while she was in Atlantis, telling the woman she was not single but it was difficult to explain the situation. When Jack sat down it finally made sense and she was happy that her friend once commander was able to be with someone she cared for.
Ronon didn't seem to care much about the situation. He got along fine with Sam and felt she was a good leader, but he was never too involved with anyone's issues.
"So you're the senator," Jennifer claimed.
Jack gave the woman an odd look.
Sam giggled. "Yep, he's the senator."
Jack looked back and forth at the two women but didn't understand. Sam didn't elaborate and Jack assumed it wasn't worth mentioning.
After dinner, Sam took Jack to one of the balconies facing Earth.
"It always looks different from up here," Jack mentioned.
"Sure does, it's beautiful, it reminds me what we're fighting for." Sam agreed.
Jack just nodded his head. He looked out over the balcony, with his arm around Sam.
"I didn't expect you to show up out of the blue, I know you said it could be at any time but, this was unexpected," Sam claimed.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No of course not, I'm just glad we are finally able to do this."
Jack looked into her eyes "Me too."
Jack had no reason to be on Atlantis except for Sam. Jack had some retirement terms, and that was that he was able to go to Atlantis or Gate travel when and if needed. He hoped it wouldn't be too many more times but there were a few planets he wouldn't mind going back to. He still had security clearance and he would be a consultant for the rest of his life. He knew that Daniel, Sam, and himself would never completely leave the SGC until their dying breath and who knows after that. Jack was just glad to know he could finally have the girl. The two leave the balcony and go back to Sam's quarters for the night.
Jack was ready for his trip back home, he would be packing up his DC apartment, and would be sharing Sam's home. He had sold the Colorado Springs house when he went to Washington, not sure why he had such a big home to himself, to begin with.
It was only 30 minutes until the next transfer, and he was in the control room saying his goodbyes. Everything seemed normal but John's face turned white. Teyla is the first to notice.
"John, what's wrong?" She asks.
"The noise, the city, something is wrong." He said suddenly, then falls to his knees his hands over his ears. The sirens go off.
"Seriously?" Jack asks.
Sam runs over to John. The City is shaking and John is still covering his ears.
"Something isn't right, the city is pissed," John yells.
Sam nods her head.
"What's happening?" Sam asks a man at one of the system computers.
"I don't know mam, the city is taking off."
"What?" Sam asked.
"Get it to stop!" Wolsey screamed as he walks out of his office.
"I can't sir." The man at the controls yells.
"RODNEY!" Wolsey yells out.
Rodney was there already trying to figure it out.
"Medical to the control room." Teyla states.
John keeps insisting that they have to allow Atlantis to do what it's doing.
The SGC is radioing in wondering what's going on.
"Get all unneeded personal evacuated while we still can!" Wolsey orders.
The city is shaking but it's constant, it's trying to gain enough power to take off.
"General, you are to go," Wolsey said.
"Like hell I am!" Jack O'Neill screamed.
"All civilians, please head to the control room, you are being evacuated." Wolsey radios.
"Sam, Daniel they need you on Earth, more than here, we can manage. Take your general with you!" Wolsey insists.
Sam nods her head, they are taking as many people as they can but not everyone can evacuate at once. They are the next in the group to go, but the ship has gotten too far away and they are no longer able to beam off, the Earth ships can't keep up and Atlantis goes through Hyperspace.
"Where are we going?" Wolsey asks.
"Looks like we're heading back to Pegasus," Rodney claims.
Sam looks over at the ship, they try to turn it around but it refuses.
"There must be some kind of override after so long it has to return to Pegasus," Daniel suggests.
"But why?" Rodney asks.
"Who knows maybe that is where the ancients were the safest. Maybe it has an automatic beacon in case it ever was captured." Daniel stated.
"So Atlantis thinks we captured it?"
Teyla makes it back to the control room after making sure medical tends to John.
"What's happening?" She asks.
"We're not sure but Atlantis is going back to Pegasus on its own," Sam explains.
"Oh?" Teyla smiles.
"I guess the legends are true," Teyla claimed.
"WHAT LEGEND?" Rodney asks.
"When I was a little girl we knew of the Ancient City and were told many stories. One was that the City was the only place in the Galaxy the Wraith couldn't touch. And the City would fly throughout the Galaxy and even outside the Galaxy protecting people from the Wraith, but it couldn't stay outside its bounds." Teyla explained.
"There are many ancient outposts, maybe Atlantis is the protector of Pegasus, and the one in Antarctica is the protector of the Milky Way." Teyla assumes.
"Does it matter?" Jack O'Neill asks.
"I guess not, but Teyla makes a good point," Daniel claims.
"Well, how long until we get to the planet?" Jack asks.
"Well, it took 9ish days to get to Earth when the Wraith attacked." Teyla pointed out.
"It used a significant amount of energy, and doesn't seem to be using as much this time, so maybe 12-15 hard to say without crunching the numbers," Rodney claims.
"Alright, then campers looks like I have a vacation in the works," Jack claims.
Sam smiles and Daniel shakes his head.
Richard Wolsey comes out to update the group.
"John will be fine, medical says that by all accounts he is fine, and claims the ship seems to be back to its "happy hum" whatever the hell that means. I can't contact Earth while we're in hyperspace and we can't override the controls. Rodney, I want you to see what you can do about that, even if it's just a way to communicate with Earth. It looks like we're safe we have plenty of rations we had evacuated most non-essential personnel we're down to about 200 people on the ship. Considering we had no idea what it was doing, I'm glad we have no casualties." Wolsey explained.
Sam nodded her head.
"Daniel, Teyla, I would like it if you'd go over more of the database and see if we can find anything about this Legend you heard," Wolsey stated.
"Sam with John being out of commission I'd like for you to take over Military duty until he gets back on his feet. Jack, I told you to get out when you could not sure if this is how you'd like to spend the first day of retirement." Richard sighed.
"It's fine Wolsey, my favorite people are here, and I would have just worried back on Earth, Now I can worry as we drift through the Milky Way and into the Pegasus galaxy." Jack cheeked.
"Well Actually," Rodney began and explained how hyperspace and going through the galaxies worked.
Jack realized it was going to be a long how ever many days but he wouldn't trade it for the world. He knew that something was bound to happen, and it always did, hopefully, with 3 out of 4 SG-1 members on board everything would work itself out.