Hello, Stargate Lovers!

I'm back!

Let's see to where this new part of the story leads to!

Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 58: Original Chapter 0.15

John opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling.

There was silence and a curtain flowing with the breeze entering the window. His hand slid around the spot next to and found no one.

A frown was drawn in his forehead as he looked to the side and saw a shadow right outside the balcony that lead to the small lake on the back of the house.

The pilot stood and leaned against the frame of the window, his hazel eyes watching her as she sat on the makeshift pier, with her legs dangling towards the water and stared at the sky.

Three days had gone by.

They had talked about nothing and anything. More than they ever talked, even when they met five years ago. Their lives outside of Atlantis. Outside of the military. Dreams lost and dreams gained. Their childhood, families, old flings. For as much as they already knew each other, there was always something new to discover.

"You know, you look like you're glowing." John said at some point, sitting next to her.

Alexandra turned her head to him, her brown eyes watching him with curiosity, before holding her hand up to see what he was talking about.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Look." His hand went up to hers and they compared it.

"Uh, that's new." She snorted, her eyes going back to the far end of the backyard this time.

"It never happened?" He raised his brow, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Nope."

"A few good days in bed with me, does wonders." John teased and smiled when he saw her roll her eyes with a smile of her own.

"Oh, shush…"

There was a moment of silence as he leaned forward and let his lips caress the bare skin of her shoulder and neck as her shirt fell losely on her body.

"Woolsey wants us back." Eventually, Alexandra said, not letting him stray her own thoughts. "There's a very elaborate e-mail..."

"Is that why you're here, alone, thinking?" She shrugged and that made him stop and look more closely at her now. "Alex?"

"I'm not going back. I asked for a leave when I left Atlantis five days ago. I need..."

"I'll stay here, then."

Brown eyes met hazel ones.

"You don't mean that, John. You love Atlantis. You love being in the Pegasus Galaxy. And they're discussing going back there. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing."

"I don't want to go back, if that means you're staying. Besides Atlantis belongs to Earth, remember? They are probably staying."

A sigh left her lips.

"What about Teyla and Ronon? The athosians that we left there? What about the Wraith? There's still factions feeding on humans. And Todd can't stay here, John."

"Alex..." His hand cupped her jaw, making her stop and look back at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

There was a spark of something in her eyes that he knew all too well.

"You're pushing me away. Why?"

"I'm not."

"Don't lie to me."

"John."

"Tell me what's wrong."

Turning her eyes away, Alexandra sighed.

"We had three days, John. Isn't that enough?"

"Don't change the subject." He really tried to keep his temper at bay. "Tell me what's wrong, Alex." He used his commanding tone.

A moment of silence passed and he let her look away from him.

"I need time."

"For what?"

"To... figure things out. This. Between us." She hesitated, remembering when she woke up a couple of hours early and watched him sleep, only for a certain request and her vision of him dying to come back full force into her thoughts. Then, she sighed. "I need to speak with Ganos Lal. With Adria."

"No."

The scientist turned back to the pilot. There was spark of anger in his eyes.

"You don't tell me what to do, John."

"No, Alex."

"John."

"Let's go back to bed, Alex." He tried another tactic and leaned forward, his lips finding her jaw, caressing softly, immediately feeling the shiver in her body. "Let's stay there for a while longer. You don't want to go back to Atlantis. Fine. But you're not talking with Adria or Ganos Lal. Or any Ancient for that matter. That's wanting trouble where we shouldn't look for." He felt her pulse point pick up as he kissed the right spot.

"John..." There was an almost moan as she said his name. "My life is not that simple. Especially with my powers. Especially now that everything..."

"Is true." His hand slid down her back, pulling her against his body. "My feelings are my own. Your feelings are your own. And everything is alright. There's no need to trust in visions or dreams or sneaky little bastards."

"Nothing is alright. There must be a reason why I got my powers back. And why they keep growing." There was no denying his words. He always knew her all too well. "I'm freaking glowing."

"The reason is... you love me." John felt her body stiffen and he backed up, hazel eyes finding brown.

There was something in her eyes he couldn't place. Then, she leaned against him and pressed her lips onto his, her hands pulling him closer.

There was a soft groan coming out of his lips and his hands pulled her onto his lap, deepening the kiss and feeling her settle against his body. And that did the trick.

Minds blank. Hearts pumping. Breaths mingling. Hands that knew where to touch and take them to the brink of pleasure.

Days later

There was no going back as Alexandra entered the chair room in the ancient city and saw John get ready to fly the ship home.

For two weeks there were meetings after meetings with Woolsey and various leaders from around the world, from the military, the I.O.A. And spite all odds it was agreed that Atlantis was going back to the Pegasus galaxy. With some additions but with the same leadership.

And per Gen. Jack O'Neill request, Alexandra was going back, spite her own desires. However, she couldn't say no. She had her powers. And John was going back. And who better to keep him safe than her?

There was a breath of relief once she saw him sit down and get ready. A wink was sent her way and she heard him chuckle when she rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure there is no danger, McKay?" John looked at his friend as they exited the gate.

They were still on route to New Lantea when a distress call came through Atlantis coms hours before.

"Pretty sure. There are no toxins in the air, even if the atmosphere is thicker. Can you feel it? There's a settlement... that way." The scientist turned to the right direction, being followed by the rest of the team.

"Isn't strange that there was a call, when Atlantis didn't pick up any life signs?" Teyla ended up asking.

"That's why we are investigating. But let's try to wrap this early. Okay?"

"Sheppard has a hot date tonight." Ronon teased with a smirk.

"How come you know that term?" The pilot raised his brow at the satedan, that merely shrugged. "Is Amelia putting ideas in your head?" However, his mind took him to earlier that morning, when he asked Alexandra to have dinner with him, after an heated session of making out in her office.

"Really?" The scientist was surprised, but happy for his friends.

"About time." Teyla offered a conspirational smile to her friend that nodded with a soft look in his eyes.

"Okay, guys. I get it. Ah – ah. Very funny. Me and Alex, we are just taking things slow and figuring out what it means, alright? Can we just get back to work, please?" John placed his sunglassed on and walked ahead.

"It looks deserted." Ronon eventually said as they approached the settlement, drawing his blast gun up and keeping his attention on alert.

"Yeah, Rodney. Are you sure the call came from this planet?" John did the same, looking around.

"Double checked it with the new sensors. There was no other planets in the vicinity. If it's a glitch, I will need to do a systems check up once we're back." Rodney was confused too, looking at the tablet to the information he had gotten from the call.

"Well, let's gather some samples, at least. Teyla, stay with Rodney. Me and Ronon we'll do a swipe of the area."

Teyla nodded and saw the two man go.

As they walked around the settlement, entering houses, both John and Ronon found no one or any technological devices that could send a distress call.

At some point, as John left one of the houses something caught his attention. He picked up an old wooden box. Curious, he opened it and a light blinded him.

Atlantis

Coming out of Woolsey's office, Alexandra saw the blue pool swirl before settling. There was only one team out.

"It's Col. Sheppard's IDC." Amelia said, looking up at the scientist that had stopped near her table.

"Lower the shield." The scientist nodded.

Immediately, Teyla and Rodney came out of the wormhole with Ronon pulling an uncouscious John Sheppard with him.

"Medical team to the gate room." Alexandra spoke to her radio as she ran to the gate. "What happened?" Her hands lit up, trying to find wounds. There was nothing she could find.

"I found him uncouscious." Ronon said as he stopped to let her examine his friend.

However, Carson was there a minute later, pulling Alexandra aside that watched his team placing the pilot on a gurney.

"He had this next to him. I don't know what it is but it has Ancients markings." Rodney gave her the wooden box.

Averting her eyes from the man lying uncouscious and being pulled away from the gate room, Alexandra took it and rolled it in her hands, opening it to look inside.

"This isn't Ancient."

"What do you mean? I recognized the inscriptions." Rodney said, staring at the medical team disappearing around the corner.

"Which ones? Because there's nothing in here, Rodney."

"What?" The scientist frowned and took the box from her hands.

"I could swear I saw Ancient markings when I picked it up."

"I'll analyse it while Carson checks on John. Maybe there's something hidden in the wood." Alexandra took it back and went to her office.

Her worst nightmare was coming true.

Hours later

There wasn't much.

Actually, there was nothing.

Alexandra still couldn't figure it out. The box was normal. No inscriptions. No toxins. No energy. Only scrapes on the old wood. Perhaps the markings meant something, maybe a new language, but they were too random.

"You should go see him."

Looking up, Alexandra found Richard Woolsey by her office door.

"I'm busy, Mr. Woolsey."

"You've been stuck in here for hours. I think you need a break and you should go see him."

"He's being taken care of. I can't do anything in the infirmary. There are no wounds for me to heal, no..." Alexandra sighed, taking her glassed off and rubbing her eyes.

"You can make him know that you're there. Make him fight. Everyone knows how you feel about each other. Is not a secret after everything that happened."

A look passed between the scientist and the Atlantis leader. With a hesitant nod, she let go of the box.

"How is he, Carson?" As Alexandra entered the quarantine room, immediately she noticed how pale John was.

"Still uncouscious, I'm afraid. There's no changes, his brain waves show no infection. Have you found anything about the box?"

"No. It's a normal box." She shrugged, stepping closer to John's bed.

With a nod, Carson watched the two for a moment and then left.

Reaching for his hand, Alexandra sat on a chair next to his bed.

"I'm right here, John." She closed her eyes and let her energy flow between her body and his. Or she tried. His mind was closed off to her.

"Carson!"

The medical doctor was there in a second.

"Yes, my dear?"

"John's tests, what do they say?"

"Unknown toxin in the database. We're trying to find a cure. Why?"

"Did McKay tested John?"

"No. Why?"

"He should. There is a block in him. I can't reach his mind."

"Alright, lass. I'll make the call." The doctor nodded, immediately going for his radio.

Hours later

Rodney looked at the tablet with a frown.

"There is nothing in him. It's the same results as before. Unknown toxin."

"There must be something, Rodney. I can't reach his mind. Even when Kal was in him, I could sense him."

"I tested him three times, Alex!" The frustration was visible between the two scientists.

"We're trying a few of the database medications, besides our own." Carson interjected, trying to calm them down. Especially her.

Brown eyes fell on John and, all of a sudden, the machines around the pilot came to life.

"Dr. Beckett, we need you here!" One of the nurses called. "Col. Sheppard's heart is erratic and his lungs are failing."

Rodney went silent. And Teyla placed a hand on her shoulder. Even Ronon's silent presence, usually a balm, was making her skin itch.

Watching Carson work on John was making her numb. Because she knew.

In that moment, she just knew.

She knew John was dying.

She knew Carson wouldn't be able to save him.

She knew Rodney was not going to find anything to prevent him from crashing. Again.

Her vision was coming true.

So, she waited.

Minutes passed by.

And when John got stabilized, Alexandra sat next to him. Every now and then, her eyes went between the monitors and the man laying still on the bed.

"It's been two days, Dr. Beckett." Woolsey stopped next to Carson that was watching the couple at the moment, down in the quaratine room. "I'm worried. She's not eating or sleeping..."

"She's frustrated, Mr. Woolsey. She can't heal him or reach his mind. And I'm starting to get worried about him. His heart." Carson sighed. There was sadness in his voice. "He crashed three more times in the last forty-eight hours. And his body can't take it one more time."

"What does that mean, Carson?" Rodney, that had just arrived, caught the last part of the conversation.

Turning towards his leader and his friend, Carson's eyes had the answer.

"Col. Sheppard is dying."

Rodney went silent and his eyes went towards the bed. He couldn't lose his friend.

In that moment, the monitors went off again.

Getting out of the way, Alexandra stood and kept herself at the end of his bed, watching the medical team take care of John.

And time stopped.

"Alex? What is happening?" John opened his eyes as his hands came up to his heart and pain flowed into his face.

"You're dying, John."

They were in a semi-dark room, with nothing else, just staring at each other.

"What do you mean? I'm right here."

"We are in a different plane of existence. My plane of existence."

John grunted and fell to his knees.

"Why are we here?"

"Because Carson is trying to save you. But nothing can save you."

Kneeling in front of him, John watched her closely.

"And you're saying goodbye."

Her hands came to his face.

"I'm sorry, John. There is nothing they can do."

"We had a date."

There was a tear falling down her cheek and he caught it.

Immediately, their lips met in an eager kiss.

It seemed like minutes had gone by as John pulled back and leaned against her in pain, falling into her arms and she embraced him, enjoying the contact.

"I'm sorry, John."

"It's not your fault." His hazel eyes found hers in between the pain. They were tearful as he felt her fingers go through his hair. It was relaxing. Until her words made sense. "No!" He coughed, seeing the shimmer of tears in her eyes. "You promised you wouldn't bargain with them."

"There was no bargain."

In that moment, shadows appeared around them.

"Alex..."

"I would do anything, John, to protect you, to save you and Atlantis." There was pain in her voice that squeezed his heart.

"Please… Don't…"

"They can save you."

"I don't care…" It was starting to be hard to breathe.

"I do." Leaning her forehead against his, Alexandra closed her eyes. "Atlantis needs you."

Then, she opened them to look at Carson that had the paddles on John's chest.

"Carson." Briefly, the doctor looked up at her. "Stop."

"He's crashing, Alex!"

The monitor went stable and everyone looked back at John. He was opening his eyes and immediately they were on hers.

A glow slowly went around her.

"Alex…" Rodney entered the room, followed by Teyla, Ronon, Woolsey and Lorne.

"Goodbye, my friends."

A bright light engulfed her body completely and she started to hover, only to leave the room, in direction to the gate.

"Mr. Woolsey, I advise you to communicate to everyone to stand down." The scientist said.

And Richard Woolsey did just that.

The gate rotated alone and the blue swirl opened.

And Alexandra O'Neill left Atlantis.

Ps: Thoughts?