Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Stargate or its characters, but I love to write about them.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical health care professional. Although I try to research medical terms, they may not be 100 percent accurate.
I will still finish my story 'Monsters.' But I thought I'd run with another idea first.
This story is the third in the lost series and takes place three months after the events of 'Lost in Time'.
If you haven't read 'Lost' or 'Lost in Time', you may want to go back and read them first.
I've had several requests for a follow-up to 'Lost in Time', so here it is. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 1: Just another ordinary day.
A soft voice permeated his senses, "John, please wake up."
Am I in the infirmary? Am I hurt? If not, who's in bed with me? His garbled mind thought.
He vaguely remembered falling into bed at 0300 hours after spending hours in Rodney's lab testing ancient devices. That was after a full day of monotonous paperwork in his office.
After work, he'd spent some time with Teyla and the kids before they went to bed, leaving the only time for him to help Rodney was after 2100 hours.
Luckily, none of the devices he tested blew up in his face. Therefore, he didn't end up in the infirmary. In fact, he hadn't been in the infirmary since the whole being chewed on by a bear when Atlantis was in another galaxy and time. That was something he was pleased about. In fact, Carson and Jennifer were happy with his lack of injuries - not to mention Teyla.
He tried to ignore the soft voice calling to him, but it spoke again in the darkness, and this time, it was more urgent, "John, wake up."
He moaned, hoping that whoever it was would just go away. But it didn't work because the voice demanded he wake up.
"John, will you wake up now!?"
This time, he was startled out of his slumber, and it didn't take him long to realise it was Teyla shouting at him. His eyes were still blurry from the last vestiges of sleep, but John rolled over to look at his wife.
"I need you to help me roll over."
Teyla was almost eight months pregnant with their son and struggled to roll over in bed - which was weird because she never had that problem with Charin. He had no idea whether she'd had the same issues with Torren because, at the time, Teyla was still with Kanaan. For an instant, a feeling of Jealousy came over him, but he reminded himself that Kanaan was long dead. But that didn't stop him from wondering what would have happened if Kanaan had lived. However, Teyla had assured him more than once that she was in love with him long before Kanaan.
Shaking his head, he sat up and sighed, looked at the clock and was shocked to see it was 0400 hours, and he'd only slept for an hour. He had a meeting with General O'Neill at 0900 hours, so the last thing he needed was to be awake.
O'Neill had come from the SGC two days ago, and he wanted to discuss something before he went home, although he had no idea what it was. Rodney suspected it had something to do with Ilaria, but John wasn't in the mood for speculating, so he'd shut it out of his mind until now.
His thoughts were interrupted when Teyla shouted again, "John, will you help me? Perhaps you can help me to the bathroom while you're about it!"
He had to hold his tongue so he didn't shout at her because he was tired and cranky and didn't want to get out of bed.
She was never this irritable when she was pregnant with Charin. Come to think of it, Teyla never reacted this way when she was carrying Torren, either.
Perhaps she wouldn't want any more children after this one. Maybe she was getting too old for it, but so was he. He struggled to juggle work and family when they only had two children. Three would be more difficult, so he couldn't imagine how they'd manage with four.
Taking a deep breath, he climbed out of bed. He shivered when his feet hit the cold floor. The weather was getting colder as winter on the New Lantia three drew near, and before too long, they'd be icebergs floating on the ocean. According to Rodney's research, summers were mild, but winters were icy. All he could do was hope the coming winter wasn't as cold as the last.
Teyla shouted at him again, "John! Are you going to help me or not?"
Sighing, he walked to her side and pulled her off the bed. Once she was on her feet, he sat on the bed and watched as she waddled towards the bathroom - not that he'd tell her she waddled like a duck.
Since his vacation with the family three months ago, John's job has kept him busy - although he was still slightly bored. The Wraith were still fighting each other and culling many worlds - although the number of hives joining Atlantis' and Todd's cause grew daily. Not that anything had happened to Atlantis.
When he wasn't dealing with the Wraith, he was testing ancient devices, doing paperwork or helping Teyla with the kids, and he probably needed another vacation.
While he waited for Teyla to return, he thought of his big friend and what he was going through. Ronon didn't get much time away from his daughter Sharnie when he was on Atlantis, so perhaps he'd plan a boys' vacation after Teyla had the baby. He'd also take Rodney and Carson. Maybe they could all go dirt bike riding. It made him chuckle to think of Carson or Rodney on a motorbike.
Five minutes later, Teyla returned from the bathroom. Without saying a word, she climbed into bed - the best she could at eight months pregnant.
"Are you alright, Sweetie?" He asked a few minutes later when he lay down beside her.
When there was no reply, he sighed and looked at the clock. It read 04:20 hours, and he needed to be up in two. Closing his eyes, he listened to Teyla's breathing, and when he was sure she was asleep, he allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep.
A clapping of hands and a tiny squeal invaded his senses the next time he became aware, "Da da!"
"Come on, Charin, let's leave Dad alone since he has to go to work in a few hours. And I'm sure he stayed up most of the night as he went to Uncle Rodney's lab after I went to bed." That was definitely Torren.
He wondered how Torren knew that information but wasn't ready to wake up and ask. So he lay still with his eyes closed, expecting Teyla to say something, and when she didn't, he opened his eyes. He soon realised that Teyla wasn't in bed with him.
Charin was lying beside him, and Torren stood beside the bed, grinning, but Teyla was nowhere in sight. He hoped she was okay because Jennifer had told them she could go into labour anytime. However, the last thing John needed to deal with now was Teyla giving birth. Although if the baby were as stubborn as Charin, he'd come out when he was good and ready.
When he looked at the clock, he was surprised to realise it was 0800 hours. And he needed to be in his office in an hour.
"Pantates? Dada." Charin asked, using her best puppy dog look.
Like Torren when he was younger, Charin loved pancakes and wanted them every morning for breakfast.
Although she looked more like her mother each day, Charin had inherited his ancient gene and love of mischief. She'd also inherited his black, messy hair. Not to mention, she'd perfected the lost puppy dog look. Charin had used that particular look from the moment she was born.
"Sorry, Princess, but Daddy has to be in a meeting in an hour, so I need to get ready."
Charin looked as if she were going to cry, so John was relieved when Torren spoke.
"Don't worry, Dad, Aunt Jenn's in the kitchen getting breakfast."
"Where's Mom?" He asked, turning to Torren.
"She's in the kitchen drinking Athosian tea."
He knew that had settled her stomach when she'd been pregnant with Torren and Charin. The morning sickness hadn't lasted as long with her previous pregnancies, so he wondered if the tea was making a difference.
When Teyla had her check-up two days ago, Jennifer had assured them there was nothing to worry about. Teyla and their unborn son were perfectly healthy. Jennifer had also mentioned the baby was heavier than Charin or Torren were at birth.
Torren speaking brought him out of his contemplations, "Come on, Charlie, let's go and see if Aunt Jenn has any pancakes ready."
"Bye, Dada," Charin said, kissing him on the cheek.
"I'll see you in half an hour after I've had a shower," he told the kids as they left his room.
Once he'd finished his shower and shaved, he stood for a long time looking at the scar on his left temple. It was still visible, a constant reminder that some idiot had tried to kill him, and before that, the same idiot had used him like a battery to power a city. Although it was nearly a year ago, the scar was still red, and he wondered if it would ever fade. He didn't think about the events that took place in the other galaxy and time much these days, but when he saw the scar on his left temple, it triggered some bad memories. The main one is that he almost ended up permanently brain-damaged and disabled. Luckily, his hair covered most of the scarring on his temple.
A voice on the other side of the bathroom door interrupted his musings, "Dad, pancakes are ready. And there's someone here to see you."
"I'll be out in a minute, Torren."
Sighing, he quickly towel-dried his hair and got dressed. It seemed as if it would be a cold day, so he pulled on his long-sleeved polo under his Garrison shirt.
He had a fair idea who was looking for him. Although, he had no idea why Rodney couldn't wait to see him at the briefing in half an hour. But it might have something to do with the fact that Jennifer was in his kitchen cooking pancakes.
Five minutes later, he walked into the kitchen to find Rodney sitting at the table eating pancakes, "I hope you're saving some for me, McKay, " he said, kissing Teyla on the cheek.
Charin started to giggle like she always did when her mom and Dad were affectionate. He never discouraged his kids from laughing. For months, he had watched his son becoming depressed because his mother was in stasis and his father had suffered brain damage.
He kissed his daughter on the cheek, and she giggled louder, "No, Daddy, no."
"John, will you sit down and eat? You are driving me insane."
Shocked by Teyla's outburst, he looked at Jennifer, hoping for answers from the doctor.
Jennifer just shrugged and put more pancakes on the table before sitting beside Rodney. He pulled up a chair beside Teyla and remained silent as he began to eat.
The silence was palpable as the family ate, and John was relieved a few minutes later when Rodney opened his mouth.
"Hey, Sheppard, so you want to come by my lab and test some more devices later?"
He knew a stack of paperwork was waiting for him on his desk, so perhaps he'd take some time to help Rodney again after the meeting with O'Neill.
"Sure, why not? But why don't we see what O'Neill wants first?"
"I'm hoping they've authorised a mission to Ilaria two," Rodney replied.
He shrugged before answering, "I hope we can visit the Hilaring home world while we are there. It would be interesting to know what became of the people on that world."
"Why would you want to go back there?" Jennifer asked with compassion. "Don't forget what they did to you?"
He flinched at her comment, "How can I forget Doc? I still have the scars."
The conversation was becoming too serious, so John turned to Teyla and smiled, "What have you planned for today, Sweetie?"
"I am not sure, John. Perhaps when Torren is in school and Charin is in Daycare, I will return to bed for a few hours."
He looked at her, saw how exhausted she looked and wondered if he should stay home with her. What would he do if O'Neill authorised a mission to Ilaria Two? Would he go, or should he stay home with his pregnant wife? She could have the baby any moment, and he didn't want to miss his son being born.
"Would you like me to stay home today, Sweetie?"
"No, John, Jennifer has offered to stay with me today. And if O'Neill permits you to return to Ilaria Two, you should go."
"Are you sure, Sweetie?"
Teyla sounded annoyed when she replied, "Yes, John, I will need you to stay home once the baby is born."
Rather than continue the conversation, he took a few more pancakes and ate silently. There were fifteen minutes until the briefing, so he should get as much peace as possible.
John had no idea what to expect if he returned to Ilaria Two. Was it in ruins, or had some other technological species taken up residence there? He sure hoped the local wildlife was long gone. The local wildlife was the bears that had tried to chew his leg off. They'd made a nice mess of his shoulder as well.
A voice interrupted his contemplations, and it was a little too loud, considering the lack of sleep he'd had the night before.
"Hey, Sheppard, are you ready to go?"
He looked at Rodney, then at his plate, and soon realised he'd eaten all his pancakes.
"Alright then, let's go, McKay."
John went around and kissed his family. "Okay, everyone, have a great day."
Then he watched while McKay kissed Jennifer.
He wondered when McKay and Keller were going to have kids. They'd been on and off for over five years and married for two months, so it was time they did something about it.
Shuddering at the thought of little McKays running around, he quickly left his apartment, expecting Rodney to follow.
After walking in silence for five minutes, they approached John's office, and he was relieved to see that O'Neill wasn't there yet. He walked in and sat on the comfortable chairs in the corner because he didn't want to sit behind his desk and be distracted by paperwork for the entire meeting. Rodney sat beside him, and when Ronon came in a few minutes later, he sat on his other side.
"How's Amelia doing?" He asked his friend with genuine interest.
"Sharnie's sleeping through the night, so Amelia's finally getting some sleep."
"That's good to know, Chewie. Before you know it, you and Amelia will actually get to spend some time together."
"You know what Sheppard? I think I'd like to have another kid."
He looked at his big friend and chuckled, "I wouldn't tell Amelia that because she might just take you to the gym and wipe the floor with you."
"Really…?" Rodney stuttered, "you want another one of those things. Surely one is enough."
John was blunt in his answer, "Perhaps it's time you had a kid, McKay, then you might understand what he's talking about."
A look of horror crossed McKay's face, but before Rodney could respond, O'Neill walked into the office.
John chuckled before greeting the General, "Did you sleep well, sir?"
"I never sleep well when I'm away from home. And please remember to call me Jack?"
John nodded and waited for Jack to continue.
Before Jack could open his mouth, Rodney spoke impatiently, "Why have you called us here? I don't have time for idle chit-chat because I have a lot of work to do. So authorise a mission to Ilaira two, or I'm leaving."
"Rodney!" John chastised, "Give the man a chance to speak?"
"Thanks, Sheppard," Jack said before turning to face Rodney, "And for your information, the SGC and IOA have authorised a return to Ilaria Two. The SGC would also like you to check out the Hilaring home world to see what has happened over the last ten thousand years. You'll need to take an anthropologist and a historian, but other than that, take whatever resources you need."
John didn't miss Rodney rolling his eyes, "Why do we need to take extra scientists? I'm sure I can handle the research involved in this mission."
"Because," O'Neill began, "the IOA want a report from a historian, and last time I checked, you don't have a doctorate in history or anthropology, Dr McKay."
John almost laughed when Rodney was speechless.
"Do you have any candidate in mind, Jack?" John asked while trying to suppress a chuckle.
"I'll leave that up to Dr McKay. When can you be ready to leave, John?"
"I can be ready in a few hours," he turned to McKay before continuing, "Do you have some scientists in mind?"
"Yeah. I can be ready in three hours. That's assuming the Scientists I ask are capable of being ready in that time."
"Well, you'll just have to make it happen, McKay!" Ronon growled.
"Surely, you've discussed what happened on Ilaria Two with someone?" John asked, "Most of the people on Atlantis did go back in time to the other galaxy with us."
Rodney nodded sheepishly, "Yeah, and a few have helped me look through the database the Hilarians gave us. But some of our top people were forced to return to Earth when we returned to the Pegasus galaxy.
John chuckled. It seemed as if Rodney was giving others praise.
"Well, ask your scientists who's willing to come on this mission. I'll see you back here in two hours for a planning meeting. Do you concur, Jack?"
"It's your mission, Sheppard, do whatever you think. I have to return to earth in an hour."
Sheppard looked at his friends, and Ronon looked excited to be going off-world again. However, Rodney looked apprehensive and almost afraid.
"You're all dismissed, " Sheppard announced, standing to his feet.
Once Ronon and Rodney had left, John turned to look at O'Neill, "that went well, don't you think?"
"Sure, Sheppard. Anyway, I'd better get my things. I'll see you in the gateroom in an hour."
Once O'Neill left his office, John immediately tapped his earpiece, "Sheppard to Beckett."
A groggy voice answered, "This better be good, General, because I've only just fallen asleep."
"Really!" John exclaimed.
"It's not what you think. I've just finished the night shift, and Jasmine has just started work. So, is there a reason you're calling me General Sheppard?"
"Yeah, we have the go-ahead to return to Ilaria Two. The SGC need us to check out the Hilaring homeworld as well."
"So, why are you calling me?"
"Because I need you on the mission, Doc. I'll see you in my office in two hours. Sheppard out."
He had two hours to kill before the mission briefing, so he wondered if he should do some paperwork.
"Nah," he mumbled before heading to his favourite balcony.
He'd spent many hours on the balcony over the past year, and it was a perfect place to think and reflect on matters at hand. Today, he contemplated the upcoming mission to Ilaria Two and the Hilaring homeworld. The last time he visited the planet Hilaring, he was shot in the head and ended up with brain damage. What could go wrong this time? At the time, Teyla was in stasis and in danger of dying. That wasn't a good time in his life, and he hoped things would go smoothly on the next mission.
He crossed his arms to try and warm himself up and decided, for now, he would enjoy the view. The sun was shining even though the air was cold. The ocean was a brilliant shade of blue, birds were flying in the bright, blue sky, and he was at peace.
oOo
John arrived in the Jumper Bay ten minutes before the mission, and he wasn't surprised that he was the first one there. He immediately sat in the pilot's seat and began the pre-flight checks. They decided to take the jumper with the hyperdrive installed to get to the Hilaring home world quickly. It was the jumper the ancients from Atlantis gave them ten thousand years ago when they were on Ilaria Two.
After the mission briefing, he'd gone home to tell Teyla and the kids about the mission. Torren and Charin were upset that he was going away. When he asked his son why, Torren had explained that he remembered what had happened the last time. His heart broke for his children, but there was no way John could stop being the person he was. When he tried to explain this to Torren, his son smiled and told him he understood. Charin was almost two but was too young to understand, so she clung to her mother and cried.
Teyla had given him her blessing and told him she would be alright, no matter what happened. He knew that whatever happened, there were plenty of people on Atlantis to look after Teyla and the children.
Rodney had chosen Dr Janas, a historian and Dr Jones, an anthropologist, to join them on the mission. Both scientists were new to the expedition but had field experience with the SGC.
Both men were short with brown hair and eyes and wore the same round glasses. If John didn't know, he would have assumed they were brothers or at least related to each other.
A slap in the back brought him back to his surroundings.
"Are you ready to go, Sheppard?" Ronon asked with a gleeful look.
"I can't wait to get this over with because I want to be back home by the time Teyla has the baby," he replied and realised how old he sounded.
A few minutes later, the two scientists arrived in the jumper, followed by the two marines he'd selected for the mission.
Rodney was the last to arrive, and he was five minutes late.
"About time you got here," Ronon growled, glaring at the scientist.
"Well, you know how it is. I had to ensure none of my minions disrupted my experiments while I was gone," Rodney replied sarcastically.
Unfortunately, the other two scientists looked afraid of Ronon, so John turned to them and smiled, "Don't worry, he's harmless."
John sat in the pilot's seat, and Ronon sat beside him in the co-pilot's seat. Carson sat behind him, and Rodney sat behind Ronon. The two marines and scientists sat in the back.
John closed the back hatch and lowered the jumper into the gate room.
"Is everyone ready for some adventure?" He asked the men in the jumper.
He was excited to go off-world again and assumed everyone else was.
"Yeah, this should be fun," Ronon answered with excitement.
"Yes, let's just get this over with," Rodney replied sarcastically.
"I'm with Rodney," Carson replied, let's get this over with so I can get home as soon as possible."
John knew that Carson and Jasmine hadn't been married for long, so who could blame him for wanting to get back to his new wife?
John looked at the marines and scientists in the back, and they nodded.
He quickly dialled the eight-symbol gate address, and when the wormhole sprang to life, he expertly piloted the craft through.
The front of the jumper had barely cleared the wormhole when a series of explosions rocked the gate. The concussive force sent the jumper hurtling towards the wall, and Sheppard struggled to keep it under control. He managed to halt the jumper before it slammed into the wall, but he was dazed, shaken, and half-blinded by the intense glare of the explosions. John didn't know how the others were but needed to ask as soon as possible. His arm and head hurt, but that was the least of his problems right now because, when he finally composed himself, he looked to the back of the jumper and realised the back half was missing. He had no way of knowing whether the marines and scientists were dead or by some miracle, they were still on Atlantis.
TBC…
Please let me know what you think.