Hello, Stargate Lovers!

These two episodes are so good! And Daniel is back! He is definetely one of my favourite characters - I feel like I say this a lot, but who can blame if the Stargate franchise is filled with great characters and actors that play them.

What are your thoughts about this episode?

I hope to put the next one soon, so the cliffhanger at the end won't do too much damage...

Chapter 44: Episode 5x10

"So, Woolsey is going to leave you in charge?" Alexandra stopped by John's and Ronon's breakfast table as she had heard the latest news from Woolsey.

"Yes." John looked up with a smile.

"Atlantis is doomed." The scientist mocked him as she sat down with her own tray.

"You don't have faith in me?" The pilot asked, raising his brow.

"Of course, I do." She looked serious, even though it was clear she was teasing him.

After that day at the gym, day by day, they were starting to get back into their usual selves and banter, even if their friends were able to feel a somewhat tense energy between the two, any time they were all together.

"Like I believe you." John rolled his eyes and turned back to Ronon who snorted and bumped the scientist shoulder. There was a complicit smile between the two. And that made him miss that with her.

His good mood faded and John stood, grabbing his tray.

"Where are you going?" Feeling the change in him, Alexandra looked up at a moody John Sheppard.

"You can't be serious, Sheppard." Ronon frowned.

"I have rounds to do, to get everything ready." He gave them a pointed look, his eyes staying a little longer on her.

"John…" Alexandra sighed, standing up, not being able to stop him from leaving.

"Leave him be." Ronon said, having witnessed the change in his friend look towards the scientist.

Turning back to the Satedan, Alexandra sat back down, leaning her back against the chair.

"Every time I think we are back to normal, something happens..." She sighed.

The warrior merely shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

It was much later, later than she wanted, but the work that was coming her way with the visit she was eagerly waiting, kept her busy all day.

So, when Alexandra left her office with a bag of John's favorite snacks to apologize to him and make amends, she cussed herself from that foolish idea as she heard giggles and his deep tone at the end of his quarters corridor.

Sneaking her head around the corner, Alexandra saw him and one of the biologists having a moment before he slid his hand to the control panel of his door and both disappeared inside.

"Alex? Everything okay?"

"Rodney!" She almost squeaked turning to the older scientist. "Yes. Sorry. I heard a sound but I think it was just my imagination." She looked over at a confused Rodney. "Have a goodnight."

"Yeah, you too." The man saw her leave before going back to his own quarters. Little did he knew she had turned back to leave the snacks by John's door anyway, even if there was a tiny voice in her head that kept saying she was an idiot.

Next morning, John was keeping quiet as he listened to Rodney as both walked to the gate room after breakfast.

"An exciting day!" Woolsey commented, watching them approach, alongside Alexandra.

"Yeah." Rodney answered.

"Absolutely." John acknowledged the Atlantis leader. "Morning, doc." He stepped next to Alexandra, much closer than the past few days, since he had been treading carefully after her getting back to work.

"Rodney. Sheppard." Alexandra barely looked up at him, even if he was standing right next to her. If he wanted distance, even if not physical it seemed, she would give it to him. She had barely slept with that in mind, considering how her actions in the previous night would be considered stupid.

John frowned at her cold stance towards him and was about to say something when a light appeared and Daniel Jackson stood in front of them.

"Dr. Jackson, welcome to Atlantis." Woolsey started.

"Thank you, Mr. Woolsey. It's great to be back. Col. Sheppard, Rodney. Alex." Daniel had a big smile on his face and that made Alexandra feel at ease since the night before.

She immediately stepped closer to her oldest friend and took one of his bags, making him follow her alongside Woolsey and Rodney, leaving John behind.

"You should keep an eye on those three, please." Woolsey mentioned as he gave John his last orders before leaving.

"Yeah. But I should go with you, because I have a relationship with Todd." John followed Woolsey through Atlantis corridors as he heard the most recent plans for the meeting with the Wraith. When he took that command, he didn't know the meeting would be outside of Atlantis, away from the planet, where he couldn't keep everyone protected. He was not liking that plan. "You could leave Teyla, or even Alex, in command."

"Dr. O'Neill has much to think about at the moment. And Teyla has her own responsabilities. Besides that is precisely why I don't want you there." Woolsey saw the pilot sigh. "This mission is basically going to be a negotiation, and Todd has... Well, less baggage with me than he does with you."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't take the lead on this. I'm just..." Now, he was just feeling frustrated. After all, he was better in action than staying put.

"You're second in command here, Colonel." Both men stopped and looked at each other. "I know my predecessors played fast and loose with many of the rules set forth by the I.O.A., but protocol plainly states that in the rare instance where I am required to leave Atlantis, you stay put. You're in command here until I get back. Understood?" Woolsey tried to put a mean face to his tone.

"Okay." John agreed, even if not enjoying it.

"Try not to blow her up while I'm gone." The Atlantis commander joked.

"No promises." John rolled his eyes as he left Woolsey. He needed to do something before he was the one to blow up.

There was a knock on her office door.

"Do you need something, Colonel?" Alexandra barely looked up as she kept typing on the keyboard. It had been weeks since he had entered her office. And the last time he did, it was still seared into her mind. Into her body, if she was honest to herself.

John stepped inside, his hazel eyes going over that well known place, remembering the last time they had been alone in there, before focusing on her.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Not that I know of. Why?" She read something on Daniel's notebook.

"I feel like I did." He leaned towards the table, like so many times before, to get her attention.

"Hum..." Her brown eyes glanced at him for a moment. "Did you do something against Woolsey orders?"

"No."

"Hum... Did you do something that would harm Atlantis?"

"No. Why are you barely looking at me?" John frowned at her cold shoulder. "If this is about yesterday, I'm sorry I stormed out..."

"I'm working, Sheppard." Alexandra interrupted him. "If my work doesn't involve you, no, I'm not looking at you."

"You didn't look at me earlier." His tone sounded wounded as he remembered her cold shoulder turn into a warm smile as Daniel appeared in the gate room.

"For crying out loud, John…" She looked up at him with a huff. "There. I'm looking at you. Listen, I'm helping Rodney and Daniel, reading all of this stuff he brought about Janus… I have better things to do than to look at you. For as much handsome you think you are." She tried to joke, mostly to keep him appease and away from her inner thoughts. Which earned her a snort from him.

However, he knew her better by now.

"I found a bag of snacks, my favorite snacks, might I add, outside my quarters this morning." The night had been pleasant enough, of course. But finding those snacks had been intriguing. So, he watched her closely as he leaned his head to the side, trying to get some reaction out of her.

"And? Some swooning marine or scientist left it for you. What do I have to do with it?" She turned her attention back at the screen, trying very hard not to be flustered. Damn it, she thought. John Sheppard was a very observant man when he wanted to be.

"No one knows what my favorite snack is."

"And I ask again, what do I have to do with it?" Alexandra looked at him again, trying to give him a confused look.

John stared at her for a moment. There was no telling if it had been her. But, of course, he knew, mainly because Rodney had mentioned seeing her by his quarters, while they had breakfast that morning.

"Listen, maybe we should…" He moved closer.

"I have work to do, Sheppard." Alexandra arranged her glasses and turned away from him. She wanted to know what he was about to say, she really did, given the look he was sending her way right now. "I think you have better things to do as well, since your commanding Atlantis right now."

John's lips turned into a thin line. When did they become like this? Almost... estranged. It had been easy to keep his own promise. At least while she had been in the infirmary. Or when she wasn't involved directly in his missions. Or when she kept herself hidden in her office. Or going on missions with other teams. And, trying to go back to his old habits, trying to forget everything that had happened between the two, has proven difficult, since he didn't take much satisfaction out of it.

So, the pilot had to admit, for the past week, as they went back to normal, both starting to feel at ease with one another again, a conversation here, a banter there, whenever his eyes found hers, he was starting to feel uncertain about his decision of backing off. And this was one of those times. John knew that with a little bit more coaxing, a little bit more pressing, perhaps with a little bit more of what happened the last time they had been alone in her office, she would tell him that she was the one that left the snacks.

However, what he wanted, didn't change the fact that she had built a wall between them. Thicker than it had been before. And there was nothing he could do. At least not right now, when Atlantis was relying on him.

"I'll leave you be, then." He said softly and left with no response from her, except for the keyboard clicking.

Avoiding all matters of pain was one of her favourite past times, it seemed, as Alexandra could hear Daniel and Rodney talk with John, while hiding behind one of the tables in Janus secret lab. For a moment, she closed her eyes, breathing deep. After what happened earlier, she could feel her focus slip away. Even having lunch with Teyla and Torren didn't help her headache.

"Why don't you go have a rest?" Daniel said an hour later, sitting beside her on the floor. Her eyes opened and looked at him. "You can continue tomorrow." He gave Alex her favorite smile.

"I'm fine, Daniel."

Of course, he knew she wasn't and sighed.

"I know you. You've been off all day. You look like you didn't sleep last night. I get it that you were excited to see me..." Daniel joked, giving a bump on her shoulder that made her smile. "Alex, you might be a galaxy away, but I read all of your reports. And Sheppard's and Rodney's, for that matter. We were all worried about you. Jack. Sam. Teal'C wanted to come here and hunt Michael." Which earned him another smile from her. "And Mitchell almost got into the Daedalus with me two weeks ago."

"Oh, c'mon… He can't be serious." She sighed, rubbing her temple.

"When it concerns you, he's always serious."

"I'm fine, Daniel. I really am." Once again, she lied.

"Then, why are you hiding here?"

"I'm working."

"You're hiding. C'mon, Alex. They might not know you as well as me, but even Rodney said something about you hiding. So, don't fool me. What's wrong?"

Alexandra looked at the device she had been studying for the past couple of hours.

"The Ancients. They're messing with me again, Daniel. My powers are growing and I don't know why."

"Rodney mentioned something about Sheppard and..."

"I want to leave Atlantis." She stopped him, before the inner thoughts of Rodney McKay about her and John came to light.

The archaeologist turned completely to her, shocked.

"Everything is just wrong, Daniel. I feel wrong. I feel... tired. And I miss working with you, Sam, Teal'C. Maybe going back to Earth will do me good. Perhaps, I could help in rebuilding Dakara."

"Does Jack knows about this?"

"No. Seeing you, working with you today... I just came to this conclusion. Maybe that's what I need. To leave Atlantis."

"Alright." Daniel nodded, knowing that decision wasn't an easy one for his friend to make. "Why don't we finish this, and when I leave, if you still want to, then you'll come back with me."

"Deal." Alexandra gave Daniel a smile. And relief flowed through her.

"Now. Go have a nap. Eat something too." She was about to counter him. "Please, Alex. For me."

"Fiiiiine…" The scientist whined, but stood, leaving the lab while Daniel went back to work.

After eating something in the mess hall, the scientist walked over to the control room, before heading to her quarters for some sleep.

"Hey, Chuck. Amelia."

"Thrown out of the playground?" Amelia asked with a smile.

"Something like that. How's the city tonight?" She sat next to Chuck, who was reading a book.

"Quiet. Col. Sheppard just left us in charge for the moment."

Suddenly, a security alarm went off.

"Hyperspace window just opened." Immediately, everyone there looked at the various monitors.

"Daedalus isn't due back yet." Amelia mentioned with a frown. "Get Sheppard."

At the sight of an unknown identification, Alexandra closed her eyes to look for the enemy's energy.

[Col. Sheppard, you might want to get up here.]

Arriving in the control room, John glanced at Alexandra that was checking another monitor now.

"What is going on?"

"We're tracking a small ship, in atmosphere. It's coming right for us." Amelia informed him.

"Get the jumpers in the air." The Colonel ordered, his eyes on the main monitor.

"It's closing fast, sir. It'll be here in less than ten seconds." The female technician continued.

"Shields up. I still want the Jumpers ready." John walked around the table.

The energy of the shield was immediately felt by Alexandra that stood and stepped closer to the pilot.

"It passed through the shield." She said. "Ancient ships can do that."

John looked down at her and then at Amelia.

"All right, tell Teyla and a team of Marines to meet me at that pier." He went into action, followed by Alexandra, going for the armory room to gear up.

Merely a couple of minutes later, both stopped alongside the Athosian and the marines to see three unknown beings drill down various floors of the tower with some kind of device.

"What's at the bottom of this tower?"

"Rodney." Teyla answered looking at her friends.

"Daniel." Alexandra said at the same time, immediately running to the closest transport.

As they all got there, one of the beings raised a shield coming out of his suit, preventing shots and even the scientist's own powers to affect it. It merely weakened it enough for bullets to go through and making the being go down.

However, nothing had been enough as Rodney and Daniel were taken by the other two unknown humanoids.

"Control room, what's the status of that ship?" John asked over the radio looking at his team.

[I'm sorry, Colonel. They're gone.]

"Perhaps we should put it under a medical scanner." Zelenka said after not getting any reading from the suit on the floor.

"Okay. Do it." John said, seriously.

"Go get a gurney. So is it true they took Rodney and Dr. Jackson?" The scientist's eyes went from the floor to the ceiling, to John and Teyla that had the answer on their faces. "Where's Dr. O'Neill?"

"Inside." Teyla answered, pointing at the invisible door.

The three entered the room and saw Alexandra going over the monitors, trying to understand what the beings had taken besides her friends.

Theories were thrown into the conversation, but she kept her silence. Even when she went back with them to Zelenka's lab and the older scientist analysed the suit with an ancient device.

"Are you okay?" John asked at some point, as they waited for the analysis was over, concerned by her silence.

"Yeah." She said, almost formally as her eyes were kept in the suit. "It's air tight. And it must have some kind of unknown metal that is preventing me from feeling the energy inside." Alexandra spoke, still trying to find any symbols on the surface. Then, she turned to Radek and the others. "I don't want to use my power on it. I don't know what it might do."

"What do you want me to do?" Zelenka ended up asking, looking at the Colonel, that had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Cut it open."

As the scientist tried to do it by the neck, an alarm went off from the suit.

Immediately, John ordered everyone to get out, pulling Alexandra with him, since she hadn't moved.

"Everyone okay?" The commanding officer looked around.

"Yes." Teyla answered, seriously.

"Somebody really wants to keep secret of whatever's inside that suit." Then, he looked at Alexandra. "What was that?"

"A civilization that doesn't want to be found, is my guess." She was frowning, not caring about his serious tone.

Hours Later

"You're not going anywhere." John said as soon as she entered the gear room. She was silent, so he continued. "Keller hasn't given you the clear for this type of mission."

After Radek worked on John's suggested theory, he had found Rodney's and Daniel's possible location.

"You know I can help." Alexandra narrowed her eyes as he got past her out of the room. "Daniel is my friend, Sheppard." She followed him out. "I was supposed to be there. I could have prevented…" She tried to reason with him.

"Don't you think I don't know that?!" John turned to her, his tone louder than usual, which made heads turn and made her almost stumble into him. "Whoever is inside those suits could have taken you too!" The thought had been revolving inside him for the past hours. The thought of another alien using her was driving him insane. He might not be able to do anything against the Ancients, but he would prevent any others from hurting her.

"So, you're what?" She had taken a step back at his words. "My knight in shining armor? Guess what, John. I don't need one."

"You're not going, Dr. O'Neill. And that's an order." He had his commanding tone and stance. "Teyla is going. I need you to stay here, in charge of Atlantis."

"Woolsey said..."

"Woolsey is not here. You're staying."

"Don't give me orders, Colonel." There was this anger in her eyes.

"Don't test me, Alexandra."

"Excuse me, Col. Sheppard?" They both looked at Lorne. "Everything is ready."

"Thank you, Major." Then, he turned to her once more, giving a deep breath before continuing. "Please, just stay, Alex."

With narrowed eyes, she turned her back to him and walked out to the control room.

[Colonel, do not lower the Jumper into the gate room.] Zelenka said over the radio as John got ready. [For some reason there's an unprecedented power build-up within the gate. It's coming from within the event horizon. Oh, no. This is very, very bad for us.]

As John came back to the control room, he glanced towards the gate and the person leaning over the balcony.

"If the power continues to build like this, the gate will reach critical overload and most certainly explode. We have about ninety seconds." Zelenka informed.

"Collapse the city's shield around the gate, we can contain the explosion." Sheppard suggested.

Zelenka immediately clicked it into his keyboard. But it was not enough as the power of the explosion kept consumming the shield's power.

"Everyone that doesn't need to be here, get to the edge of the city. Now. Everybody!" John looked at Teyla. "You're going to want to get out of here."

"John, I..." Teyla was worried.

"Teyla, please." His eyes went from the Athosian to Alexandra that had approached him and Zelenka. "You too, doc." He said.

"I'm staying. There is no discussion on that." She looked from John to the gate.

The pilot sighed, frustrated.

"Come on, you can do it, Radek." The gate got darker. "See? It's going down. We're gonna make it."

"No. It's not enough." Zelenka interrupted them, worry etched into his face.

"Use my energy." Suddenly, Alexandra turned to the other scientist.

"No! You are not fully cleared yet." John's anger turned into fury.

"That could help." Zelenka countered.

"No, Radek." The Colonel's eyes going from Alexandra to the scientist, stating it as an order.

"The gate is about to explode, John. You really want to argue now?!"

Another spike in energy was felt. Alexandra turned to the gate.

"Don't... Alex!"

The archaeologist narrowed her eyes at him and ran down the stairs, towards the gate.

John and Zelenka ran in the opposite direction.

Ps: Thoughts?