Chapter 23: Return to Ilaria Two.

The sky was blue, and the sun shone when the jumper entered the atmosphere of Ilaria two. It was in stark contrast to the weather the last time John had visited the planet, when there had been wind and rain, and it was, freezing cold. The grass around his feet had been damp, and he'd enjoyed the weather immensely. This time they weren't stopping on the planet's surface. He was going to fly the jumper straight into the ancient city.

His thoughts were sober as he remembered the state he was in the last time he was here. He had been brain damaged and had a slim chance of recovery. But thanks to the ancients from Atlantis, he was fully recovered - other than being a bit unfit. Teyla was well on the way to recovery from her sickness as well.

He could see the ancient city in the distance. It was beautiful but nowhere near as beautiful as Atlantis. Atlantis was his city. Nothing would compare to the first time he'd seen her.

This city was on a desolate planet, and it was nowhere near as beautiful as New Lantia had been, and he wondered if they would ever find a place like New Lantia to call home.

The jumper bay was open, just as they'd left it two weeks ago, and he hoped that no one had decided to fly into the ancient city to try and claim it. When they'd left two weeks ago, they had no idea they'd be coming back. John had asked Rodney why they couldn't activate the anomaly from Atlantis, and Rodney had said that he didn't know enough about it. The information he sought wasn't in the database the Ancients from Atlantis had given him either. So the only option they had was to go to Ilaria Two.

Thinking of Atlantis in this time period made him remember Isaac and Jacob. Both men were returning to Earth the last time he'd seen them. And now Atlantis would be at the bottom of the ocean. He hoped they'd gotten through to Earth because if they hadn't, would another reality have been created, or would he cease to exist? He knew that a version of Elizabeth was also on that Atlantis, and they would find her in stasis in ten thousand years. He shuddered at the complexities of time travel and alternate realities.

A deep voice interrupted his contemplations, "Are you alright, Sheppard."

"I'm fine, Chewie, don't worry about me."

"Are you sure, Sheppard, you were shivering?"

"Yes, Rodney. I'm fine. I was thinking about Isaac and Jacob and the complexities of time travel and alternate realities. So for a moment, I was confused."

Rodney snorted, "It doesn't take much for that to happen, Sheppard."

He chose to ignore that comment and began the landing sequence. Once the ship had docked in the jumper bay, he opened the back hatch and was immediately on high alert. He was also pleasantly surprised when the lights came on when he stepped out of the jumper.

"Do you think it's safe?" Carson asked, "Because I would like to go and look in the infirmary to see if there's anything useful to take back to Atlantis."

"How about I go with you, Doc? Ronon can go with McKay to the control room?"

A look of gratitude crossed Carson's face," I'd appreciate that, John."

"Do you think those big brown bears are in here?" Rodney asked in a panicked tone.

Ronon grumbled, "This city is empty, but I have no idea whether the local life forms have taken up residence. That is why Sheppard is going with Beckett.

"Anyway, Chewie, McKay, keep in touch with a hand-held radio, and I'll see you both later. Come on, Doc?" John said before leaving the room.

As John left the Jumper Bay, he was happy to see the lights coming on as he walked through the ancient city. It was either his ATA gene, Carsons, or both of them.

oOo

Ronon watched as Sheppard and Becket left the Jumper bay before turning to Rodney, "Come on, McKay, let's get this over with?"

"Have you got your gun with you, Conan? You saw what that bear did to Sheppard's leg, and it was only a little one."

"Just get going, McKay. I've got my gun and a knife, so you have nothing to worry about."

He gave Rodney a gentle shove from behind, hoping to get the scientist moving.

"Hey, Conan, don't push me. Do you have any idea how sore my back is? And before you answer, that was a rhetorical question."

"Come on, McKay?!" Ronon growled, "I'd like to return to Atlantis sooner rather than later. Amelia is feeling tired and needs as much rest as possible."

He was relieved when Rodney nodded and left the jumper bay.

As they walked through the city, the lights came on for them. It was most likely due to McKay's gene. Although the scientist's gene was fake, the one thing it was good at was turning lights on in Ancient cities.

Within a few minutes, they reached a transporter, and Ronon hoped it was working because Rodney would never let him hear the end of it if it wasn't.

"So, is it working, McKay?"

"Yes, luckily. The last thing I needed to do was climb through this city. I know it's smaller than Atlantis, but there are still a lot of stairs between here and the control room."

Ronon took a deep breath because the last thing he wanted to do was start shouting at the scientist, "Great, so get in."

A few minutes later, they walked into the control room, and the first thing Ronon saw was the stargate standing lonely in the middle of the gateroom floor.

"Hey, McKay. Do you think we could travel through the gate to Atlantis?"

"I'm sure we could. But don't forget it is sitting at the bottom of the ocean on the Lantean home world. And Besides, I don't want to mess up the timeline any more than it already is."

"But won't it create an alternate reality if we change anything?"

"Of course it will, Conan. But it would be a bad idea to go through the gate. So how about you look out for things to shoot, and I'll try and find us a way home."

He thought about making a sarcastic comment but decided to keep his mouth closed because the sooner Rodney opened an anomaly, the sooner they could get home.

He stared at the gate for a minute before standing against the wall with his gun ready. His job was to protect McKay while the man found them a way home, and that's what he would do. For now, at least, he was sure he'd get bored before Rodney finished what he was doing, though.

oOo

Carson followed John through the city and was happy to have the General with him. The place seemed lost and lonely. It was nothing like when he'd been here the last time. Last time there had been people in the city, and all the lights were on. Now, the only areas lit were the corridors they were walking through.

Thinking back to the last time they were here made him remember his look-alike Jacob. The man who he assumed was his ancestor. It was strange that Jacob was walking the Earth in this time period. The chances of Carson ever seeing Earth again were slim because he was a clone, and his family thought he was dead.

Before he let his thoughts get away from him, he shook himself and looked at John, who hadn't said a word since they'd left the jumper bay, and Carson was worried, "Are you alright, General?"

"I'm fine, Doc, other than being worried about Teyla and the kids."

He looked at John and knew his friend wasn't telling the truth. The man looked exhausted, and Carson wondered when Sheppard had last slept.

"Aye, Lad, I know you're worried about your family, but I'm sure that's not the only thing that's bothering you."

For a moment, John looked as if he was going to close up, but when Sheppard stopped and sighed, Carson knew he would start sharing.

"Look, Carson. I've been having nightmares since I woke up from brain surgery. Before that, I hadn't had a nightmare in weeks. But who hasn't had nightmares in the last nine months?"

Carson sighed. John wasn't the only one having nightmares in the last few months. He suspected that when they contacted the SGC again, they would all need to take a vacation.

"Aye. lad, you're not the only one. I can give you something to help you sleep without nightmares."

"No thanks, Carson, you know that doesn't work for me."

"Jennifer and I will recommend that all the senior staff take a vacation when we contact Earth again. And that includes us."

"You'll get no arguments from me, Doc. I'm exhausted. If I could, I'd sleep for a month or more."

"I know what you mean, John." Carson took a deep breath before continuing, "And, honestly, I've been having nightmares too. They started after the destruction of New Lantia, and I've had them ever since. Not every night, but at least once a week."

"Sounds like you need a vacation, Doc. Any idea's where you might go?"

"I'd love to take Jasmine to Scotland, but unfortunately, my Mom thinks I'm dead, so I can't introduce Jas to my family."

"Could the SGC tell her they found you alive or something? There was never a body in the casket sent home to Earth."

"It would be cruel to turn up on their doorstep since my family believe I died in an explosion."

"I guess you're right, Doc. Perhaps, you and Jasmine can come and visit my brother Dave. I haven't seen him since Atlantis left Earth three and half years ago."

"If we ever get home, I'll think about it, General."

John started towards the infirmary again, the lights coming on with every step he took. Carson quickly followed his friend because the city was far too quiet for his liking.

Suddenly, a roar filled the air, and he froze. All he could do was watch as a giant bear ran towards them. Next, gunshots filled the air as John fired continually at the creature. As suddenly as the noise began, it stopped, and Carson watched as the bear fell on top of John.

His heart was in his mouth as he stood and stared at the scene that met his eyes. He had no idea what to do. Should he call Ronon and Rodney? Should he attempt to get the bear off John himself? What would he do if John was hurt? Did he have to necessary medical supplies to treat him?

It seemed like forever before he heard a moan, and his heart was able to settle down.

"General, are you alright?"

"A giant bear is squashing me. What do you think?" John replied sarcastically.

"What I meant to say is, are you hurt, General? Did the bear maul you in any way?"

"No, I don't think so. Can you please help get this thing off me?"

"The bear is huge, so I don't know if I'm strong enough."

"Come on, Carson. You've got to do something. How about you pull while I push."

"Okay, General, I'll give it a go."

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the large, smelly bear by the scruff of the neck, "Okay, General, on the count of three?" When Sheppard moaned, he began to count, "One, two, three."

He pulled as hard as he could while the General pushed at the bear. It seemed like forever, but eventually, he got the animal off John.

He looked at the General for any sign of injury, and although John was breathing deeply, he seemed okay. He was positive his friend would have bruising later, though.

"Are you alright to keep moving, General?"

"Yeah, I should be fine if you help me up."

He offered his hand, and Sheppard gripped it tightly, allowing Carson to pull him up.

Once John was on his feet, he groaned, and Carson's first reaction was to go into doctor mode.

"Are you sure you're alright, John?"

"I'm fine. Nothing that a hot shower and a good night's sleep won't fix. So if you've finished mothering me, how about we get to the infirmary?"

"You go first, General and I'll follow."

He knew they were close to the infirmary, and it wouldn't take them long to get there, so he allowed John to walk ahead of him. The lights continued to come on as they approached the infirmary.

When they arrived, John stopped in front of him, and if he hadn't been paying attention, he would have walked into the back of him.

"What's wrong, John?" He asked with fear.

"Take a look, Doc?" John said, standing aside.

Carson was shocked when he walked into the infirmary. The place was a mess, and if he were to guess what was going on, he would say more than one bear had destroyed the room.

There was broken glass and chewed wires littering the floor and dents in the centre console. Infirmary beds were twisted and broken, and crushed medical microscopes lay on the desks. Scattered across the floor were medical instruments and large tufts of brown hair tangled in the infirmary sheets.

The damage to the consoles looked irreversible, and he doubted he would find any information.

He turned to John and shrugged, "I guess we should go and join the others in the control room."

"Are you sure you can't find anything useful, Doc?"

A growl filled the room before he could reply, and something heavy pushed him to the ground. For a moment, he was afraid that a bear had landed on him, but a bear would feel bulkier, so maybe it was John. Next, he heard the whine of an energy weapon, and then the room was quiet.

Someone rolled the weight off him. When he rolled onto his back, he was surprised to see Ronon staring at him.

"Are you okay, Doc?" Ronon asked, kneeling next to him.

"I'm fine. How's the General."

A moan beside Carson had him rolling over, "Are you okay, General?"

"I'm kind of getting sick of these bears. So how about we get to the control room and get the hell out of here?"

Carson looked at John and didn't miss the fact he was bleeding.

"John, you're bleeding."

"Yeah, I think the stupid bear bit me. And by the way, why are you here, Ronon?"

"I got bored, so I told McKay I was going to come and look for you, and he just grunted at me."

John looked angry with Ronon, and Carson knew the look. He'd been on the end of a Shepprd telling off on more than one occasion.

"I told you to keep an eye on McKay, and since there are wild bears in the city, I think he needs your protection!"

"You're welcome," Ronon said before storming off.

Carson watched as Ronon left, and he suspected that Ronon wouldn't be talking to John anytime soon. Unfortunately, Ronon knew how to hold a grudge. But if there was one man who could calm the big man, it was John Sheppard.

"Okay, Doc. I think we should head toward the control room as well." John said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Not before I look at your back, General. I know you say you're fine, but the last thing you need is an infection. And that may happen if your wounds aren't disinfected and covered."

"Really, Doc. You want to do this now when there still might be bears about?"

"Yes, General!" He stated a little too forcefully, "We are in an infirmary, and if you look, there are still one or two beds in good condition!"

"You drive a hard bargain Doc," John said as he took his tac vest off.

Once John was lying comfortably on one of the exam beds, Carson lifted the General's top, and he was relieved to see that the damage wasn't that bad. There were a few shallow teeth marks near his shoulder, and luckily there appeared to be no teeth in them.

"Okay, General, things don't look too bad, so I'll just clean your back up, and then we can get on our way."

It only took five minutes to clean and dress John's wounds using the supplies from his tac vest, and the General was complaining the whole time.

"See. I told you I was fine, Carson, so we're wasting valuable time. Time we may not have because those things could have attacked Rodney and Ronon by now."

He rolled his eyes at his friend. It was good to see him back to his old self. When John had been brain damaged, the man had barely complained. Although, he could see the frustration and sadness in John's eyes.

John Sheppard was a soldier whose biggest desire was to protect others, even if it meant sacrificing his life.

He decided not to chastise John for whining and complaining about being subjected to his Doctoring skills. Because, after ten years of being John's friend, he understood why the man was like it.

"Right, you're ready, General." He said when he'd finished.

"Finally," John muttered loud enough for him to hear.

He didn't miss the wince as John got off the exam bed, but he didn't bother to say anything. John Sheppard was back to doing what he loved, and three weeks ago was convinced that John would never be a soldier again.

oOo

John was sitting in his wheelchair, staring at his beautiful wife, and he couldn't wait to speak to her again. She had been in stasis for almost seven weeks, and finally, Carson had found a cure for her condition.

Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand over the control panel and hesitated. Why was he hesitating? Suddenly, he was afraid and wasn't sure he wanted Teyla to wake up.

Shaking his head, he realised how ridiculous it was to be afraid because this was his wife, the woman he loved more than life itself. Why would he be weary of her waking up?"

Letting out the breath he'd been holding, he waved his hand over the door panel and watched as the door to the stasis pod slid open.

He watched as Teyla opened her eyes and scanned the room. Eventually, her eyes settled on him.

"John. What is happening?"

He tried to answer her and was shocked at how slurred his voice sounded, "Foundddd, currrre."

She stared at him blankly, "What?"

Why couldn't people understand him? He would have expected more from Teyla.

He tried to repeat himself, but nothing came out, and suddenly he had a blinding headache.

"John, you need to tell me what is going on! Why am I awake?" Teyla demanded, and the look on her face sent a shiver down his spine.

Suddenly he realised that this must be a dream because he knew that Teyla was on the mend and he didn't have brain damage. Trapped in the same nightmare, he willed himself to wake up, but nothing happened.

He tried again, and a roar filled his senses before a bear came bounding into the stasis room. He tried to find his gun to shoot the animal but didn't have it on him.

The bear jumped at Teyla. And all he could do was watch as it devoured her…

He awoke to the sound of a scream and was breathing so fast he felt like he'd run a marathon. It took him a few seconds to realise the shriek had been his. Suddenly he felt nauseous, and he decided the best thing to do was to sit as still as possible, and with a bit of luck, it would settle his stomach.

A soft voice invaded his thoughts, "Come on, lad, breathe?"

Slowly he opened his eyes and soon realised he was sitting in a chair in the control room on the planet of Ilaria Two.

A pair of blue eyes stared down at him, and it took him a while to realise that Carson was speaking to him.

"Settle, lad. You're safe. You've just had a nightmare."

It took a few moments to look around the control room, and he was relieved to see that Rodney was still working and Ronon was sitting beside the scientist.

"How long was I asleep, Doc?"

"Two hours"

Okay, that meant they'd been on Ilaria Two for three hours, so it hadn't been that long. Although, he would be happy to get back to Atlantis and get home as soon as possible.

Standing up, he winced as the wounds on his back pulled against the bandages covering them. Slowly he walked over to the computer Rodney was working on. He knew that it was time to get Rodney moving, and he knew just the way to do it.

"Okay, McKay. What have you got?"

"You know what, Sheppard? I'd work a lot faster if you left me alone.

"I haven't spoken to you in three hours, so why haven't you finished?"

"You may not have, but Conon and the voodoo doctor won't leave me alone."

"Well, it's because they want to go home too. So why don't you get to work and find a way home?"

That got the desired result because Rodney began to type faster.

"I hate you, Sheppard," Rodney mumbled loud enough for him to hear.

Next, he turned to look at Ronon, who appeared to be sulking, but perhaps he was imagining it. Although, it could be because he had shouted at his big friend in the infirmary.

He went and sat down next to him and smiled, "You okay, Chewie?"

There was hurt and determination in Ronon's eyes as he answered, "Yeah, I guess."

Yeah, Ronon was definitely annoyed at him, and it was clear what the reason was.

"I won't change my mind about what I said, Ronon. I didn't want Rodney left on his own. That's why I told you to stay with him."

"Yeah, but I saved your life, so it was good that I came looking for you."

"But you still disobeyed my direct order, Ronon. What would have happened if there were giant bears in the control room? We both know that Rodney's not the best with a gun and may not have been able to protect himself."

"You do realise you don't lead the military, right?"

"Well, that's where you're wrong, Ronon. When you left for New Sateda, the SGC decided that although I was still in charge of the expedition, Lorne and I would run the military together. I'm happy to say that it is a decision that has worked out well for both of us. So, if you decide to return to Atlantis, you'll have to get used to it."

Ronon looked at him, and he wasn't sure what he saw there.

"I have always respected too, Sheppard. But we both know I've never followed orders without question. Although I will concede you were right, it still doesn't change the fact I saved your life today."

He decided to finish the conversation and change the subject, "So what do you plan to do long term."

"Amelia and I have decided that we would like to stay on Atlantis and raise our daughter there."

John's eyes lit up, "You're having a little girl?"

"Yep."

Before the uncomfortable conversation could continue, a loud, sarcastic voice spoke from across the room.

"As touching as this conversation is. I've found a way home, so maybe we could get out of here before the local life forms come for a visit?"

He walked over the Rodney and looked over his shoulder, "So, have you opened an anomaly?"

"Hello, genius here. I have figured out a way to open an anomaly from Atlantis."

"How long will it take, Rodney?" Carson asked.

"I could do it in a day or two, providing I don't go to sleep."

"Well," Carson began, "Jennifer and I will make sure you get some sleep. Otherwise, I may have to sedate you. How long with six hours of sleep a night?"

"I could do it in a week with four hours of sleep a night."

Carson's face went as he answered, "This isn't a negotiation, Rodney. We're talking about your health here."

John had had enough and didn't want to be stuck on this planet any longer, "can we please get out of here?"

"Yes, let's go," Carson said, backing him up.

"Give me a few minutes to get my things together," Rodney suggested while gathering his computer.

"Okay, Ronon. You're with McKay, and Beckett and I will return to the jumper to get her ready."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out of the control room with Carson following.

He was on high alert as he walked through the corridors because he had no idea whether bears were still in the city. His back ached from the last attack, and he didn't want Rodney or Carson injured before they returned to Atlantis.

He was in a hurry because he'd had enough of this time and Galaxy and wanted to return to where he belonged as soon as possible.

TBC…