Reading Time: 117 Minutes

Title: Truth Comes Out
Series: Untold Burden
Series Order: 2
Author: hellbells
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Action Adventure, Episode Related, Family, Pre-Relationship, Romance, Science Fiction
Relationship(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Medical experimentation, Past Family Trauma
Word Count: 50,463
Summary: John came back from the sanctuary planet a little bit extra. He has to stay hidden to stay on the Ancients good side but Beckett has an idea about how to solve the Wraith problem, and he knows it will end in ruin. Can he play politics; save the day; and get the Scientist? … While not revealing his extra gifts.
Artist: Halestrom

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Chapter 1: Plans go Boom

“Why have you refused my plan? You should be the one being a voice of reason with Rodney, for Christ’s Sake?” Beckett exploded in frustration.

Weir looked over the rim of her coffee cup and barely withheld a sigh. Even if Beckett were rude, she would keep her manners because she wouldn’t stoop to his level. “Hello, Dr Beckett. I don’t remember us having an appointment.”

He didn’t take a hint, adding arrogantly. “This couldn’t wait.”

One thing she wasn’t going to accept ever was disrespect and had learned long ago to draw a metaphorical line in the sand over boundaries. It was for that reason that Elizabeth could hold back no longer. Her smile turned cold, and she would leave Carson in no doubt of her opinion about his radical idea. “Why would I allow something so patently unsound to occur on Atlantis?” She didn’t get an immediate response, so she pressed her point. “I have yet to hear a good reason why I should ask the men and women of the military to risk their lives for your scientific curiosity?”

Carson was a scientist, so he should know better than to disturb someone before their morning drink of her Pegasus Galaxy caffeine substitute. Elizabeth knew this would be an annoying conversation. Still, she reminded herself that caffeine and contemplation were not legitimate meeting slots on her daily calendar. In fairness, she had asked her assistant to look into the matter and was told he couldn’t justify it.

Carson’s face showed he was astounded at what he was hearing, which was clear from the face he pulled. He wouldn’t last a minute on the diplomacy circuit and even started to pout as he asked, “You don’t think this is a good idea?”

Elizabeth shook her head to confirm her negative opinion but offered a balanced explanation. She may be the leader, but she did believe in transparency wherever possible. She took a deep breath and let him know where she stood, hoping to put this issue to bed once and for all. “I’ve had time to consider the potential side-effects of your plan. And, Dr Beckett, you still have some issues you need to address before I am willing to offer my approval.”

Beckett practically pleaded with her, “I will stop the Wraiths’ need to feed; surely that is a good thing? It will mean the Wraith would no longer be our enemy. We could get back to discovering Ancient technology.”

Carson was not expecting the meeting to go this way, and now he was begging. He’d relied on the fact that Elizabeth identified as a pacifist and would support his plan, so he didn’t know what to do with her not supporting his project. “So you have provided a detailed research brief explaining how you’ve met the scientific standards?”

Beckett was sullen, “Why? We’re not on Earth, and our needs are pressing.”

Elizabeth sucked in a breath of concern. Beckett’s response put her on high alert because this was worse than she feared. “And why exactly did Dr McKay express concern? Projects are his remit as Chief Scientist.” She was curious to see if he would outright lie to her face. After all, Beckett was already on thin ice by appealing directly to her. The expedition charter states these decisions lie with the Chief Scientist as he had the expertise to judge the validity of the request.

Beckett pouted in a way that was unbecoming of a professional, “Rodney criticised the planning I’d undertaken.”

Elizabeth played it coy even though she was more than aware of McKay’s issues with the plan. It would be difficult to forget, considering his rant had taken nearly fifty minutes to end. Still, Rodney’s rant gave her further insight, which she could use in this conversation, “I see. So have you taken his suggestions and factored them into your plan?”

“That would delay us for nearly eighteen months, and we don’t have the time,” Beckett replied, distressed by the sheer notion it might take that long. He didn’t see the point in delaying the inevitable, not when he could save so many lives. He didn’t get why Elizabeth was being so obtuse about the matter.

“So why do you feel you should be exempt from the peer review?” Elizabeth had to ask, deciding to cut to the heart of the matter. It was alarming to hear that a scientist was willing to circumvent academic controls in place for any reason. She had seen too many people go wrong with the argument for the good of humanity. It was often a slippery slope to dictatorship or crimes against humanity.

“I have already proven my genetics understanding, or no one would be able to interact with the technology on Atlantis!” Beckett slammed his hands down on the desk in a show of considerable temper, and it didn’t endear him to Elizabeth.

If he expected her to overreact, he would be sorely disappointed. She had cut her teeth on Warlords and Dictators, so an ill-tempered Scottish doctor was nothing. She just stared him down with a look that conveyed how unimpressed she was with him. “I will put that down to stress. Now kindly remove your hands from my desk.”

Beckett showed he wasn’t foolish by whipping his hands back close to his body. His flushed cheeks suggested he was embarrassed, but Elizabeth knew better – it was anger. Evidently, Beckett still couldn’t accept that he had done anything wrong. He seemed to think acting like a sullen teenager hoping that pester power would be effective in changing her mind. He looked so earnest as he said, “This could turn the tide, and I know it will work.”

Elizabeth tried counting down from twenty in French as a way to calm down. She tried a different way of making him see reason, asking him directly. “Have you studied the Wraith culture?”

Beckett frowned at the odd question. He’d never looked at culture as he would leave that to Anthropologists who had the proper training. He had enough work trying to solve problems using his expertise in genetics. “No, why would I? I am a Doctor of medicine, not Anthropology.”

Weir sighed with annoyance at his refusal to accept potential consequences to his plans. She had always hoped to be the type of leader to listen, but this was going around in circles. She wondered if she could get him to see the flaws in his plan using leading questions. “So, how will you get the Wraith to accept this cure?”

“Why wouldn’t they want to have this cure? It would take away their dependency on human life?” Beckett replied, aghast at the notion that they would prefer to stay feasting on humans as food.

Elizabeth didn’t understand how anyone could be this obtuse; either that or he was choosing to be difficult for the sake of it. “Dr Beckett, they consider humanoids to be food and themselves to be our gods. Why would they want to lower themselves to our level?”

It was stunning to think that Elizabeth was having a conversation with someone. Still, she could tell that not a single word she’d uttered had sunk into his thick skull, and sure enough, Beckett proved it with his next question.

“So you’re refusing me permission to study a captured Wraith?” Beckett asked, seemingly hoping that badgering would be the way to go as a way to convince her.

Elizabeth knew it was petty, but she smiled sweetly into her cup of coffee as she sipped it. “Now, why would I go against Dr McKay’s position?” And because she was in a vindictive mood, she added, “You could always try and persuade Colonel Sheppard.”

Beckett glared at her, “He hates the Wraith and told me to go away before he had Lorne shoot me for stupidity!”

For one brief second, she contemplated letting John fulfil his request. It might be worth the paperwork. “Indeed, but the Air Force has values they expect their officers to adhere to, and supporting genetic experiments on live subjects is abhorrent.”

Beckett sneered in contempt, “He is a soldier, and I was here to see what he did to the Genii.”

Wow.

Beckett must be stupid or naive, but this was not the way to win any argument in Atlantis. Elizabeth couldn’t help the lecture she had to give, “Colonel Sheppard’s regard in this city is still sky-high. In fact, since his return from ascension to save Colonel Caldwell and the whole city, it may have reached legendary status.” She took a deep breath and affected a disappointed face. “I am going to dismiss what you just said as a disappointment, but I recommend you never utter such a horrifically judgemental statement in anyone else’s presence. I can’t promise you would come out of the encounter unscathed.”

It was the only warning she was willing to give him, and if he were stupid enough to utter such comments, it would be on his head.

“He doesn’t value life as we do!” Beckett tried to persuade Elizabeth once more that he was right.

He clearly didn’t understand the source of her objection. It was that, or he was too stubborn to see reason, but she suspected it was a little of both. Elizabeth studied his face and shook her head in sadness when she realised. “The sad thing is you believe what you are saying.”

He stormed out of her office, and she knew this wouldn’t be the last of his idiocy. She was seriously considering his position as CMO with his recent foolishness. She wanted a second opinion, and she knew Rodney agreed, but would that be enough to sway the IOA?

Elizabeth had almost forgotten that Woolsey was still on Atlantis, trying to find fault with her leadership. The IOA felt she’d accepted Sheppard back ‘too easily’ after he descended to save Atlantis. It was short-sighted on the IOA’s part because she was pretty sure that the city would shut down if John had stayed away too much longer.

The radio system had individual secure channels for the top three in the city to communicate securely without being overheard. She used her channel to contact Rodney and politely requested, “Rodney, can you come to my office? I have a few things that we need to discuss.”

He sighed like she’d interrupted something most important. It might be the truth, but then again, it could be an equation for getting the perfect temperature for their coffee drink substitute. She’d stopped trying to understand the whims of her Chief Scientist in the first month of the expedition. He replied, “On my way, should I grab Sheppard?”

“If he is available, then yes.” Elizabeth felt it was vital that they were all on the same wavelength regarding the situation with Beckett. The last thing she needed was the IOA to believe there was any weakness in the leadership team they could exploit for their own agenda.

She knew that Woolsey was looking for any reason he could to introduce an IOA observer full time into the expedition. The IOA especially didn’t like when Atlantis managed to gain the second city, Poseidon, which would be operational as a beta site within weeks. She could understand their viewpoint – the IOA’s power was waning, and they knew it. She hadn’t even begun to exploit their new political position, so it made sense for the IOA to intervene before she could.

~*~

John hated Woolsey’s presence on Atlantis from the second he arrived. The observer being on the city meant he needed to be extra careful about his secrets in ways he’d forgotten. John didn’t regret returning to Atlantis because his ascension was a last resort tactic due to his injuries. John’s issue was that he hadn’t fully descended back to human form when he reappeared on Atlantis to save the city from the snake in Caldwell. His status as one of the ‘Highborn’ would afford him some protection, but his Grandfather had made it clear he should stay hidden.

Of course, he could hardly explain any of this to the bureaucrat who was badgering him with questions. Woolsey asked him once more, “So you don’t remember your time ascended?”

John shrugged it off, knowing that he needed an answer of some description to satisfy the man. “Not really, Mr Woolsey. I’m told my brain would explode if I tried to keep all the new knowledge I may have acquired. That or the Ascended do not like sharing their knowledge and deliberately keep you from the knowledge.”

“Your After Action Report implied that you had chosen to descend.” Woolsey reminded him as he checked his notebook like that would somehow make a difference to his answer.

John offered a blank look, challenging the man to say what he actually wanted to say rather than hint at something. John was always going to prefer people who were blunt and to the point. Woolsey didn’t rise to the bait, so John gave him his best politicians’ answer. He could play the game even if he hated it from when he was a teenager with all the business parties his Dad used to throw. “I love Atlantis and all we are trying to accomplish here.”

“Just what are those aims?” Woolsey queried. It was impressive how his tone said more than his words.

John stared him down. He knew that he should probably play the political word game for longer, but he’d leave those types of games to Elizabeth. However, he wasn’t a fan of not getting to the heart of a problem. “Do we have a problem, Mr Woolsey?”

“You were meant to come out here to help Earth, not start a war.” Woolsey reprimanded him as if his opinion should somehow matter to John.

John sucked in a breath and remembered some of his lessons around diplomacy from Elizabeth. The man was looking to provoke a reaction from him to further his agenda, so John needed to remain calm.

“Mr Woolsey, we were sent out here with minimal supplies with a mandate to find weapons to end the Goa’uld threat. I can acknowledge that, yes, we ran into problems with the Wraith, but the Milky Way has its problems with the Ori. My briefing reports are accurate with their facts, so there is no room for judgement.”

Woolsey was stubborn. “Yes, which is one of the reasons we need to pursue every avenue possible to end a war in at least one galaxy.”

Sheppard wished people would stop thinking he was stupid. It was one of the things he liked in Atlantis. Unless Rodney was in a bad mood, the Expedition recognised the armed forces had cross skill sets and were encouraged to continue their education. John sighed but challenged Woolsey’s rationale, “And at what cost? What if rash action with no intel or research leads to a worse set of consequences?”

Woolsey put his pen down and looked directly at John, “You surprise me.” He confessed.

John snorted because he’d long ago perfected the art of being underestimated. “I surprise many people, Mr Woolsey, and I will not ask a single man or woman under my command to risk their life for a fool’s errand. Dr Beckett’s plan needs to gain a hell of a lot more definition if it wants my support.”

“Then I will be taking this proposal to the IOA,” Woolsey declared and left his office. “They will see sense and overrule you. It could be a massive win for the programme.”

John offered a bland smile, “If you say so, Mr Woolsey.”

Woolsey had annoyed John with his stupid questions to the point he needed to meditate. There was one place he could go – Teyla. She would beat anyone’s ass who interrupted her quiet time.

~*~

“Are you here to meditate?” Teyla asked without opening her eyes.

Teyla was legendary for her strict adherence to her rules when meditating. The last marine who had been stupid enough to disrupt her meditation learned the hard way not to disrupt her meditation. Teyla had delivered the message with bantos rods. It was effective, and no one dared speak when she wanted to regain her calmness.

“Yes,” John replied, slipping off his shoes.

He didn’t realise how much he needed to meditate. It was a helpful tool to stay calm and keep his extra gifts squashed.

John was acutely aware that he needed to do something because he would soon lose his temper with Woolsey. Teyla welcomed him to join her session, and now she didn’t do it with gritted teeth.

He slipped into the pose quickly enough with all the practice from the Sanctuary planet. He closed his eyes and soon reached a zen state. John hadn’t expected to open his eyes in his mindscape and see his Grandfather’s eyes staring back at him. John wasn’t complaining because it would let him discuss a few problems.

“Hey, Grandpa. You have perfect timing.” John greeted with only a hint of sarcasm.

His Grandfather looked mildly concerned about something, which troubled John because he had been extra careful with Woolsey around the city. He was sure he hadn’t done anything that could anger the ascended, although he’d been sorely tempted.

“You must control your temper, or your compatriots may discover you.” Janus felt the need to lecture him.

John rolled his eyes. He wasn’t stupid, so the warning was unnecessary. He figured he might as well vent to someone who would have an idea of how ridiculous things currently were, “Discovery? That is the least of my problems. We have a medical doctor proposing whole scale genetic manipulation of the Wraith.”

“You don’t support that mad idea, do you?” Janus remarked, appalled by the idea that the next generation had failed to learn from their mistakes. It was maddening to see the cycle potentially repeating itself.

John’s look of contempt was such that Janus was questioning his intelligence. John decided to enlighten his Grandfather about how he saw the plots unfolding. “No, I don’t. However, with me hiding my half-ascended nature, not sure of the wording to explain why it is a spectacularly fucked up idea.”

“You are worried about something in particular?” Janus was intrigued and tried to support John with his troubles. He knew he might not be what humans considered a typical grandfather, but he did care about his family. Janus was also aware of his grandson’s penchant for danger, so it might be easier said than done. If he could help him reason out a plan, then Janus would consider it time well spent.

John started to pace even if, in theory, this was his mental landscape. It helped him think and remember to play by human standards of movement. “The only way I can do this and be ‘human’ is to play politics, which I have always avoided like hot pokers. I mean, one round of annoying questions, and I had to come and meditate.” In truth, John would prefer another round with the energy creature than play the games he would need to play to succeed.

Janus didn’t see what was worrying his grandson so much. “We studied it when you were with us, and your father also taught you a great deal about it growing up.”

“No, what’s bothering me is being half-ascended and having to go back to Earth,” John replied, exasperated by Janus being so obtuse. John had run all the angles in his mind, and he knew where this was leading. He didn’t know if he could do it and if the other Ancients would punish him for it.

“Ah, I see.”

John shook his head in bemusement at his Grandfather’s cluelessness. He’d been hoping for more insight or reassurance, but he still couldn’t shake the Gandalf analogy, “I so need to explain clay pipes, Gandalf.”

“I don’t understand that reference.” Janus didn’t understand his grandson’s tangents. He was one minute complaining about his colleagues, and then he was making strange comments with no link.

John snorted because his Grandfather couldn’t pull that crap with him. “You know that doesn’t work with me because you would have been around when Tolkien published the Hobbit in 1937. You can’t deny it, or my father would have never been born.”

Janus smirked because he could already feel the Alteran side of his grandson recede. “You seem to have recovered your mood.”

John was honest, as his Grandfather’s reaction told him everything he needed to know. “You’ve helped because you didn’t freak out when I suggested I need to return to Earth.”

Janus’ smirk grew and offered John the loophole that he could use to stay safe. “You know the council can’t be upset with you if you use a fraction of your abilities to stay hidden.”

John’s smile was incandescent because that was something he could exploit to his advantage. “You’re right. It does make me feel better.”

John could hear Rodney yelling his name back on Atlantis. His best friend was so loud that he reached him on the spiritual plane. John knew his time talking with his Grandfather was now over. “I better go, but don’t be a stranger if you feel like offering any hints.”

Janus nodded, and because he and John were related, he changed his appearance to match Gandalf. “You do have a great journey to right our wrongs.”

John snorted, impressed that his Grandfather was willing to show his sense of humour. He knew what he’d been tasked with burdened his Grandfather, so he tried to reassure him. “I’ve always liked a challenge. See you soon, Grandad Gandalf.”

~*~

Rodney had entered the training room expecting Teyla and John to be trying to hit each other, so this caught him by surprise. He didn’t expect to see them meditating in perfect tranquillity. It would have never happened before John’s enforced vacation with the sanctuary cult. It was one of the more obvious ways his best friend had changed from that experience.

Rodney wanted to find an evening where he and John could go to the pier and talk through everything. Rodney’s instincts told him something was going on with John but couldn’t pin him down long enough to get his best friend’s secret out of him.

Rodney sighed, knowing this would probably end with Teyla lecturing him, but he needed to break up their meditation. He cleared his throat, “Elizabeth wants Sheppard in her office.”

Teyla opened one eye and gave him such a teacher’s glare that Rodney felt like he was in school. “Rodney, you should try to respect meditation.”

Rodney looked contrite because no one liked disappointing Teyla. “Look, I guess I am not zen-warrior, but I need the Colonel. Why is he ignoring me?”

Teyla was running her own version of interference because she thought John was a little ‘more’ these days. She hoped that he would confide in the team when possible. “You know when someone is truly meditating; there are layers of coming back to alertness. You should know that you can’t just snap your eyes open.”

“We should never have shown you Inception,” Rodney remarked. He breathed a sigh of relief, seeing John open his eyes, but couldn’t help the relieved snark. “Nice of you to join us, Sleeping Beauty.”

John stood up with way too much grace and a wicked grin that said he was willing to take the devil on. “Meditating, not sleeping, Rodney, but thanks for noticing my looks.”

Rodney flushed, not used to the bolder flirting John was willing to indulge in since his return. He couldn’t resist the temptation of responding, “You have looked in a mirror. Elizabeth wants us in her office. I think the Witch Doctor has upset her even more, which is astounding to comprehend as she was already pretty pissed with him.”

It was to confirm that Woolsey had gone to speak to Carson, so they needed to be ready.

~*~

Carson was stewing in anger, sitting in his office. He hadn’t liked failing at his goal, which he was unused to in his career. Carson couldn’t believe that Elizabeth was now suddenly so resistant to his ideas. He had helped with the ATA gene and the Hoff vaccine. It was not his fault that the side effects were deemed to be acceptable by the population.

He slammed the files off his desk. “This will work! Why can’t she see it?”

Woolsey walked into his office, frowning at the disarray of his room. “Is everything okay, Dr Beckett?”

Carson saw an opportunity present itself. He stepped around his desk and hoped he could make a powerful ally. “No, but I’m working on it. How can I help you today, Mr Woolsey?”

He was more than willing to accommodate the IOA’s questions, especially as they could override Dr Weir’s wishes.

The mild-mannered man had a notebook open. “I have some questions for you about recent events. Where should we have this conversation?”

Beckett had a wicked gleam in his eye. “You know what? I do have something to get off my chest. Follow me, Mr Woolsey. I know the perfect place to have our conversation.”

They often say the road to Hell is usually paved with good intentions, which was definitely true in this case.

Chapter 2: Oh, So Pretty

John was in his apartment, lying on his deck chair so he could listen to the waves. He aimed to take some quiet time each day to keep his ‘extra gifts’ hidden inside himself. It was easier said than done as this was now a natural state for himself, so picking up an item with his hands wasn’t automatic like reaching for it with his mind. This wasn’t quite a meditation like earlier. Still, this version of peace worked just as effectively, but his peace ended with Ally talking to him, “The stupid healer is at it again.”

John shot off his chair with a burst of adrenaline, asking about his favourite city. “What’s the damage?”

It was lucky that no one was in his room as they would think he was mad, talking to himself. Ally’s reply told him everything he needed to know when she put on a whiney voice, “You’re obstructionist and stopping his humane plan.”

John knew the window of opportunity to head off the plan was closing fast. Woolsey would have heard ‘End Wraith’ and stopped listening. He needed to go for a walk to get his thoughts in order. He needed a plan, and he needed it quickly, thanks to Beckett’s rash manoeuvre.

John had already offered to go back to Earth, but he wasn’t looking forward to it. Returning to Earth would force him to deal with his family, which he would do for the sake of Atlantis. Still, he wasn’t naive and knew it was better to barter from a position of strength, especially with the IOA, and his name would be one piece of the puzzle.

Get out of the hallway! Ally sharply cut through his musings in his head.

John frowned and wondered why Ally was giving him such advice. He was smart enough to think it rather than say it out loud. Why?

He got back the mental equivalent of a giggle. You might be glowing little brother.

It was good that no one was on the corridor because it wouldn’t look great for the Military Commander to a) look like an extra from Twilight or b) be blushing. He couldn’t believe he’d slipped up, as hiding his glow was something he covered in his first sessions with his Grandfather. He was also a little unnerved because he was supposed to be keeping a low profile with the ascended beings hanging around in the ether, always watching. He didn’t want one of them to reprimand him for losing his temper, so he sucked in his aura.

John figured that two heads were better than one and asked Ally for some help. I need something bold and shiny to distract the IOA. Do you have anything that fits that description?

Ally sent him a tug, metaphorically, and John knew that if he didn’t follow it, it would only get stronger. She was like an annoying sibling who kept poking you when they wanted something and tended to get more annoying if you ignored them. John started following the pull, he could feel it down rows of corridors, and while John trusted Ally, he was still too curious for his own good. Where am I going?

Ally giggled, which is still an odd thing to think about a city, but he did consider her family. You’ll see.

John passed Zelenka and Rodney in another corridor just to the side of the control tower. He could hear Rodney still ranting about Beckett’s stunt to Zelenka. John would have stopped to join in, but he was on a mission. Rodney called out, “Where are you off to in a daze?”

John stopped for a moment, not wanting to ignore Rodney. He smirked, knowing it would probably exasperate his best friend by his vague response, “The city wants to show me something cool.”

Rodney’s curiosity grew because she always revealed the best secrets to her favoured son. The mystery meant his anger towards Beckett had somewhat disappeared. He challenged John, but it was clear that he was staying coy, “Like what?”

John shrugged as he honestly had no idea. After all, he’d asked Ally for help with his trip back to Earth and if there was something he could use for leverage. She hadn’t given him a clue as to what the artefact might be, but he could sense her excitement at being able to help. John measured his reply carefully not to give away too much. “She’s happy and wants to help, or at least that is the impression she is giving me.”

Mckay was almost pouting, wishing he had such a connection to the incredible city. “Your supergene strikes again.” Still, he could be generous, especially if it fixed the potential upcoming clusterfuck with the IOA. “I hope she gives us something awesome to improve my mood.”

John knew it would be good, so he stayed serene. He carefully asked Ally if he would need to hide anything for the big reveal. It was fate to pass Rodney, but it might be good to have witnesses with him to avoid awkward questions. He turned to face them and asked exasperatedly, “Are you coming?”

Rodney tried to hide his excitement with nonchalance. “Yes, let’s see what the city can’t wait to give you now as some gift. It’s bad enough that every woman falls for your charms, and now you have the city doing your bidding. You worse than Kirk!”

John snorted and answered him in the best way he could. “She doesn’t want to date me, Rodney … She feels more like a sibling.”

He said it sarcastically to throw Rodney off his game, but he meant every word in reality. John would protect the city with his life for the legacy it held and what it could do for Earth and the galaxy. He knew that the engineers were working on Poseidon to get the city up and running as a beta site, but Atlantis was his favourite.

I adore you too, little brother.

~*~

The room Ally led him to was reasonably generic for Ancient design. John could feel the thrum of power emanating from the central column. He moved his hand over the one column, and it moved with a hiss of gears that hadn’t moved in too long. The three original expedition members took a step back out of learned precaution. However, John had found the risk of exploring had somewhat dissipated now he could talk to the city.

The shelf that slipped out of the central plinth offered the most pretty object in all the galaxy, at least in John’s mind. Atlantis had outdone herself, finding something that would distract the IOA and ensure her survival. He blinked twice just to check that he didn’t imagine seeing the glowing object.

“Oh, wow. Is that a …” Rodney was speechless, which showed the incredible nature of what they’d found.

John had a look of pure serenity as he stared at it because Ally was an awesome sister. He couldn’t believe he was able to make a joke, popping his p. “Yep.”

Rodney was practically purring in a way that John should see constrained to a bedroom. In fact, John was glad that everyone’s attention was on the shelf and not him. Rodney’s face split into a wide grin as he noticed the glow. “There are two of them.”

John stepped forward to see what information had appeared on the screen that had lit up once he stood near it. The data was spitting out fast across it like the city was excited to show them this new bit of technology.

Zelenka and Rodney shared a look because they could read Ancient but not that fast. It seemed Sheppard was now as comfortable with Ancient as he was with English. It was an odd quirk, but they could pass it off as a side-effect of his time Ascended if anyone asked.

John saw the best part and pointed it out, beckoning Rodney to come and read it. The screen suddenly switched to English. “Look at the best bit, Rodney, right there.”

Rodney gasped, figuring it out pretty quickly. It was instructions for recharging the ZPM modules that were currently sitting empty along the other shelf. Atlantis would be a safe way to use the depleted modules they’d collected. Due to safety protocols, the only downside was that the modules took a year to recharge. So it wasn’t like Atlantis had hidden this – it was only just ready for their use.

“She knew you wanted something big to take back to Earth,” Rodney said with dawning realisation.

John shrugged because he didn’t want to lie to his best friend. He knew there would come a time when he would have to reveal his true nature soon. He wasn’t religious with all that he had seen in his life, but John hoped Rodney would understand and he would be able to choose the time to reveal his true nature. “You know Atlantis is attuned to my mood Rodney.”

Rodney rolled his eyes because the whole expedition knew that John was Atlantis’ favourite person, which had been clear upon their arrival. “Yeah, but since your return, it is like she is trying to communicate with you actively.”

Rodney had no idea just how right he was, but he was careful not to lie to his best friend. “I think the city is jealous of Poseidon. Or, she is eager to get him closer to her … I am not sure.”

Rodney hadn’t taken his eyes off the ZPMs. John arriving with a ZPM for Earth would negate a few arguments, especially as they now had the facility to recharge depleted units. “I wish I was coming back with you and watching you wipe the smug smile off those bastards’ faces.”

“You know I will make it good,” John assured him, in a tone, he usually reserved for the Genni.

~*~

Elizabeth has always prided herself on her patience. It was a necessary virtue if you wanted to get anywhere in her chosen field. You needed to have the ability to listen to all sides and keenly take note of any slip-ups so you could exploit them later on in the negotiations.

Right now, she could barely manage to count backwards from twenty in French because of how mad she was feeling.

“I made sure the IOA has the information.”

Beckett informed her, so smugly like she was powerless to stop him from getting what he wanted. He was too arrogant to stop and think of the implications of his stunt. She was looking forward to wiping that smile off his face in a professionally appropriate way.

“Is that right?” She asked silkily. Now, some of the most dangerous people on the planet knew to be wary of that tone, but Beckett was too oblivious to catch a clue.

Beckett nodded smugly, “Yes. Mr Woolsey was very impressed with the idea.”

Weir barely kept a hold of her temper and sipped her hot drink. It didn’t calm her down, but the action gave her a second to think and re-centre her thoughts. She knew better than to speak to someone when in the heat of the moment. Her career relied on absolute precision of language, and a careless word could see the restart of hostile action.

She asked pointedly, deciding to give as good as Beckett hoped to bring. “Does he also know that we’re less than impressed with your proposal’s lack of finer detail?”

Beckett flushed because that would cut more deeply than any insult to a scientist. He was petulant because his skill was in doubt. He didn’t need to get it approved because it would work. “The science is sound. I know it.”

Weir shook her head in disbelief and continued to drive home her point. “What you mean to say is the theory is sound. I know the peer review board you skipped has already expressed their displeasure over the fact.”

She ignored the obvious issue that this was against all the regulations. Beckett had made it clear that he felt above those rules.

Beckett threw his hands up in the air with exasperation. He couldn’t believe Elizabeth didn’t trust him. He had done everything she had asked, and now he had found a medical way to avoid genocide, and she was reluctant to bend her precious ethics to get a solution. “Why are you acting so unreasonably?”

Elizabeth pinched her nose in frustration at the sheer arrogance on display. She wasn’t usually the type to issue such edicts, but she was done with Beckett and needed him out of her face. “Get out of my office right now. I will deal with you later.”

Beckett scowled, not liking the dismissal. “You will see that I am right.”

She sipped the coffee substitute, barely holding in her anger. She smiled thinly. “I need to see Colonel Shepard and Dr McKay, please.”

Elizabeth hoped they had something to improve her mood drastically. This was going to change the timetable on their plan. It seemed John would be going back to Earth sooner than he planned.

~*~

Elizabeth was still scowling when Rodney and John stepped into her office. She’d never been a fan of obtuse people, and Beckett was definitely the worst type. She massaged her temples and let Rodney and John know exactly how she was feeling, “You better have some good news because I need some right now.”

Rodney’s smile was as wide as his face, making her think she might be in luck. He spoke like he was on a sugar rush, “John flirted with the city, and she has given him a sweet gift.”

“How sweet?” She asked, contemplating just what would make Rodney happy and willingly ignoring the city’s favouritism shown to the Colonel. It was hardly an unknown fact to the earliest expedition members about the city’s love for her military Commander, but it was a source of annoyance for Rodney.

John popped a case on the desk with a small smile. He stepped back and enigmatically said, “Go on. Open it. It is guaranteed to improve your mood in an instant.”

She unpopped the container, noting it was a heavy-duty protection case. She gasped with joy, and there was a gleam in her eye. She meant every word when she replied. “It is better than diamonds, Colonel.”

Sheppard sat down on the couch as this was an informal meeting. He was certainly more relaxed than earlier when he’d suggested he should go back to Earth. “I thought so. So what do you think? We have one, and I can take one back to Earth. Do not worry. Atlantis has shown us how to make more because she wants to talk to her little brother. The only downside is it will take a year to recharge any empty container.”

She snorted at the idea of sibling cities but considering her life was straight out of a Sci-Fi novel, perhaps it wasn’t that strange. She could see the bargaining power in such an item. “This will make your bargaining position a lot stronger.”

John couldn’t disagree, but he had a tightrope to walk when back on Earth. The IOA could decide that they wanted to keep him on Earth to operate the outpost. It wouldn’t stick because he would fully ascend once more before he was left separated from Atlantis for too long. He didn’t want her to worry because he could play the game. John had just chosen never to engage before in such games. “Elizabeth. I will be a true Shephard in all senses of the word.”

“You know how to play the game then?” It was half a question and half curious prying.

John snickered but indulged her question, as this trip could decide the fate of Atlantis and the whole Pegasus Galaxy. “I prefer flying, but I learnt that game on my Daddy’s knee. I am every inch of my father’s son, and that is why we don’t get on, but I am willing to play nicely for the expedition.” He conceded, plus if there was one thing this past 18 months had taught him was that it was stupid to hold a grudge.

Elizabeth was relaxing now she realised this ‘cure’ would have genuine opposition. She was horrified to think she had almost agreed with genocide as an easy solution. She couldn’t help but add, “When you are at the SGC, find me a new Doctor!”.

John just gave her a droll look, more of one than his usual stare. “It goes without saying. I am just hoping that their screening measures have improved.”

She added with a wry tone, “Make sure that none of them have delusions of ‘fixing’ an entire race. I suggest we stay clear of those doctors.”

When she’d first come into the SGC, she had been swept away by the adventure of it all. Elizabeth had aimed to surround herself with passionate individuals in their fields of expertise. It was only with a bit of time that she could see that zeal could be misplaced. It seemed that the mania that saw some countries’ leaders become despots could also be true of Scientists.

~*~

Woolsey was travelling back by gate instead of by ship as he had what he termed ‘essential’ news to share with the IOA. Beckett’s proposal would change everything about the Atlantis outpost, stop it draining money, and start making the program money. This would be a massive win for everyone in his mind, and it would ensure his own job security.

He was waiting for the gate to dial up the Earth address, and he could sense a delay. He turned to the gate technician and asked mildly. “Is there a holdup?”

The gate technician offered a cordial smile. “We’re waiting for one more VIP to go back with you as it was deemed wasteful considering the power usage, Sir.”

Woolsey didn’t know how he felt about being considered a waste. He wondered who would be joining him, as it was a well-known fact that expedition members who didn’t rotate back to Earth in the first three months tended to stay. He could confess he would have never predicted the man who stepped up beside him. “What are you doing here?”

Colonel Sheppard smirked at him. “You are not the only one who has to offer reports to your bosses, Mr Woolsey.”

“You can’t just leave,” Woolsey remarked. Sheppard knew that the IOA didn’t like his maverick nature but knew he was mission essential. The city adored him, the staff treated him like the second coming, and Sheppard was the only Commander not to die within a week of gaining the post. Woolsey wasn’t counting the ascended period as it was treated as an MIA encounter.

John played it cool. “That’s why I am joining you. This way, I can cut my away time from Atlantis down to a smaller window. I’m so glad as I was not looking forward to so long travelling through space when I am not the pilot.”

Woolsey didn’t get the whole pilot issue, but he wondered just what was running through the Colonel’s mind. He doubted that the man was going back to Earth solely for the reason he stated. It was too simple, and the whole programme knew Sheppard only came away from Atlantis kicking and screaming or under duress.

John merely smiled at Woolsey and only offered only a tantalising tease, “Plus, I have a gift to give to Earth.” They’d decided not to reveal the ZPMs until they were off Atlantis, and John could confess he would enjoy the moment.

“Ending the Wraith threat would be the best gift,” Woolsey replied sharply. He could guess that Sheppard was not heading to Earth to support the plan. He noticed the Ancient container that the Colonel was hanging onto, but even if he asked what he was taking back to Earth, he wouldn’t get a straight answer. Although whatever it might be was being carried in a protective case which caused his intrigue to grow.

John snorted at Woolsey’s tone and didn’t even react to the implication that he didn’t have people’s best interests at heart. “I aim to do just that.”

They just had vastly different ideas of how it should be achieved. John believed that changing genetics was too risky, and too many variables were left unaccounted for – especially without testing. He couldn’t believe that the IOA would accept it. Still, Atlantis couldn’t afford the risk of it even being greenlit for further testing. The chance of the plan going awry was just too great. It was like everyone hadn’t forgotten the Wraith’s existence was due to his Grandfather’s friends mucking around with genetics.

John had taken only essential items with him back to Earth as he was taking what he hoped would be a quick trip. He took a deep breath and looked at the familiar beautiful event horizon. He had one final thought just for the city. ‘See you soon, Ally’ and pleaded with the city. ‘Be nice while I am gone.’

He got back the mental equivalent of a giggle and was gone. ‘No promises – only to your future consort.’

John had to give Ally credit. She timed the comment, so it was as he stepped through the gate, so no one saw him trip over nothing. He had started to think about what he and Rodney might be incredible if he spoke up, but it was a big thing. He was aware of the great irony that the big bad Colonel couldn’t talk about his emotions, but there wasn’t one more significant thing in his mind.

~*~

John’s sense of balance meant he had recovered when he stepped onto the metal grate that served as the walkway from the Earth’s Stargate. Good thing, too, considering it wasn’t the General that John expected to greet him. It was better in the long run because John knew that O’Neill was a straight shooter. It wasn’t a secret that his opinion about General Landry wasn’t as flattering. John motioned for Woolsey to walk down first as the guest in this place.

“Mr Woolsey, it is good to see you back in one piece. You can no longer complain about your record with SG visits.” O’Neill said in an almost cordial response. John knew that dark look; it was a glower of I am onto you, you toadie bureaucrat. It showed that O’Neill hadn’t lost his instinct for danger, having been stuck in DC.

O’Neill waited for Woolsey to scurry away before greeting John in a far friendlier fashion. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, Colonel. I understand you and Danny can now start a club.”

John shrugged because it was not his fault that he’d been cut to ribbons by an energy monster he couldn’t fight. He’d had no choice but to ascend, and what happened after is still weird.

Truth be told, John was still trying to accustom himself to the fact he had powers but couldn’t use them too extravagantly, or he would upset the balance of power in the galaxy. If he had, he might have paid more attention to Star Wars. Of course, John shared none of this with his commanding officer. He went with something he knew O’Neill would recognise – sarcasm. “Yeah, it was no fun at the hippy commune, so I left.”

Jack tilted his head because he caught the nuanced words that everyone else would dismiss as simple sarcasm. “I don’t think the Ancients ever envisaged having to have activities week for bored colonels.”

John pouted because he was way past needing a colouring book to be amused. “I entertained myself,” he frowned, “which I think was the problem.”

Jack chuckled because he had no doubt it was way more interesting than that, but he would let it go for now. He’d read the last communique from Sheppard and felt it was essential to hear the issues straight from the horse’s mouth. “Go and get checked out by Dr Lam, and then we can debrief in the office I’ve taken over.”

John grinned and handed the suitcase over. “This won’t open for anyone but me, but I promise it won’t explode or cause the Earth major harm.”

“You have me intrigued. I might give it to the scientists to keep them honest.” The General remarked, feeling a thrum of something, but it was too faint. He wondered what it felt like for Sheppard.

John smirked, having done similar things to the scientists who had bigger egos than perhaps they should. “It will no doubt frustrate them immensely.

O’Neill nudged him, “Go on, go see Dr Lam. We have so much to discuss.”

It didn’t escape John’s notice that he was debriefing with O’Neill and not Landry, but he was smart enough not to pry. He had a big enough to-do list to handle without adding Earth issues into the mix. He wouldn’t be sorry if Landry disappeared, but only if the new guy wasn’t a bigger asshole.

The games and fun were just beginning.

Chapter 3: Prodigal Returns

O’Neill liked Sheppard, and he could see a lot of himself in his Atlantean Military Commander. However, that didn’t mean he would give him a free pass without going through a heavy-duty medical. Sheppard had taken an all-star pass to the stars and seemingly returned with not a single difference. In light of the concerns raised by his own Scientists about Medical Practice aboard Atlantis – O’Neill wanted his own independent report.

He wondered just what plans Sheppard had brewing. He knew from his own medical’s that it should take too much longer. Sure enough, there was a knock on the door. “So what have you found, Doc?”

Lam’s eyes narrowed just slightly, showing how fond she was of that nickname. However, as the saying goes, rank hath privilege, so she wisely said nothing and focussed on her assessment. “He passed the physical with impeccable ratings.”

O’Neill sighed, as that was annoyingly vague and told him nothing. “He should do, considering he has barely used this body at all.”

She shrugged as she was tasked with a full workup to look for something ‘odd,’ which isn’t much to go on. She had been thorough, but there was nothing much to say. “Well, the wrapping is off now, but the main odd quirk is that Colonel Sheppard’s predisposition towards illness is closer to your old friend in Antarctica than a regular human.”

O’Neill nodded because Sheppard was a strong ATA gene user before his enforced trip, so it stood to reason there might be a few side benefits. “So is he who he says he is?”

Lam nodded as she was confident about that much. “Genetically, he is still Colonel John Sheppard. Like I mentioned, the only difference is his DNA has been polished to perfection.”

“What about the bug stuff from before?” He asked carefully. O’Neill wasn’t interested in scientific experiments to create super-soldiers or any other type of nonsense. Jack needed to know to protect his officer from interested parties on the IOA. He knew that a few of the panel wouldn’t be opposed to genetic experiments, and there was no way in hell he would let one of his men become a lab rat.

Lam sighed because she’d looked at all the major strands of the Colonel’s DNA for the anomalies but could find none present. “I’m aware from notes that he may have had ‘junk’ DNA, but anything previously present is gone with the de-ascension.”

“Good to know,” Jack slammed the report shut and grinned, “I guess I have a debriefing to start. Much obliged, Doc.”

He wondered what his Colonel had planned. The data burst report contained Dr Beckett’s intentions and a request to visit Patrick Sheppard, CEO of the US’s largest energy company. Sheppard knew that he couldn’t waltz around any place he pleased as a mission-essential asset, vital to the Earth’s potential protection.

So it begged the question, why did he suddenly want to go home?

~*~

John found the physical annoying. He held back his abilities, which wasn’t as easy under stress tests as in day-to-day life. He’d known from his strategic planning with Janus that he could use his gifts to hide the extent of the changes to his DNA. The bug episode was a gift in some ways, as it had left him with an altered genetic code. He would use this episode to explain away any queries they might have about his bloodwork.

John was waiting like a good little soldier for O’Neill to appear so he could start the debriefing. People work to your time when you have stars on your collar, which John learned early in his military career. He waited just over an hour for the man himself to appear. He slipped off the bed and stood at parade rest, knowing of O’Neill’s dislike regarding unnecessary salutes.

“So, according to Lam, you’re all shiny and free for me to interrogate,” O’Neill said as if it wasn’t obvious.

John didn’t flinch at O’Neill’s tone, although he was sure there had been several under O’Neill’s command who hadn’t stood up to scrutiny. John had seen and done way too much, “Sounds like a fun time, Sir.”

“You liked Antarctica, so I don’t think you know the meaning of fun.” O’Neill snarked back, clearly not having forgotten their infamous first meeting. O’Neill still stood by his assessment of that day – It had been exceptional flying. He’d known pilots in fighter jets that hadn’t been able to do what John had achieved in his helicopter on that fateful day.

John didn’t bother to hide his smirk and replied, showing he’d been hanging around with scientists for too long. “Fun is relative, Sir.”

“You’ve been hanging around the geeks too long.” O’Neill pointed out, even if his close circle of friends had Carter and Daniel in it.

“You may be right, Sir.” They’d helped him keep the city standing before his trip to the sanctuary planet, so he didn’t mind. John wasn’t naive; he would need O’Neill’s support with his manoeuvrings with the IOA.

John and Jack walked side by side down the halls of the SG and continued to talk, and people paid attention to them. It wasn’t a surprise, considering it was the military leader of their far-flung outpost and the whole programme’s crazy leader. These were two men who the marines regularly spoke of as legends. They’d both managed feats on their own that should have taken at least a team of SG combat experience.

They’d finally reached the room that was serving as O’Neill’s office. The General barely waited until they’d been seated to ask his first question.

“So what got you stateside because I figured you wouldn’t be eager to let it go after wrestling Caldwell for the job?”

O’Neill’s tone suggested he thought hell would freeze over before he would see such a thing. Before his little ascension episode, John would have wholeheartedly agreed with such an assessment.

John shrugged at his boss because things were better between him and Caldwell. “Hey, I helped de-snake him! So we’ve become friends, or, at least not outright rivals, and Woolsey and Beckett have rather forced my hand.”

“To do what?” O’Neill could guess, but this was something that could go one of two ways. He wasn’t sure if he could approve of black ops tactics, but at the same time – Jack wasn’t sure he wanted to lose John to politics which was a real risk if he went down that route.

John didn’t bother to hide how disgruntled he was with the notion. He was a special-forces trained pilot, and he now led a base in a far off galaxy, so this was the last thing he wanted. “Play politics.”

O’Neill started to cackle because it was his first thought. And wow, he’d seen the fighter, the pilot, and now he would witness the politician. If John was even half as ruthless as his father, they were in for a treat. It might almost be worth the trip to Washington so he could watch.

Jack wanted to check if he had his facts right. “Wait. You’re willing to talk to your father?”

John sighed, but there wasn’t a lot he wouldn’t do to protect Atlantis. “Hey, it’s like you said … Doing this is the best thing in the world. And a Doctor with disturbing morals, and zero common sense, might cause more harm than a crazy alien race, who treat us as a food source.”

Jack looked at Sheppard’s report once more. “This being the report where Woolsey states Dr Beckett can change the Wraith into humanoid creatures?”

John nodded but felt like he should point out the lack of finer detail in the supposed proposal. “Yes, General. It is also the plan where he skipped the testing protocol and hasn’t submitted his research to the Peer Review ethics programme. Oh, and severely pissed off Weir bypassing her and making Woolsey his patsy.”

O’Neill snorted because that was quite a list. Thanks to being friends with Danny and Sam, he was more than aware of how vital the Peer Review was for scientists of all varieties. It was the type of stunt that would have you shut out in academic circles, and considering the stakes with what Atlantis played with – that couldn’t happen. “And he is still on Atlantis?”

John nodded and had to smirk. “Yes, but it is clear it is on Dr Weir’s sufferance, and she is using every trick in the book to make her displeasure known by exploiting the rules to their fullest. I can honestly say I have learned a few new things about being devious.”

O’Neill had to admire the nonchalance that line was delivered with and replied in kind. “Just make sure you use it against the IOA and not me.”

“I like you, Sir,” John replied carefully but tellingly. “When I return to Atlantis, Dr Weir has made it clear that I better bring a new Chief Medical Officer back with me. She will not suffer a narcissistic, wannabe-god with zero morals or ethics treating the men and women she is responsible for.”

Wow, that was quite the strong rhetoric for a diplomat. From what Jack had read about the proposals, the sad thing is that it might be an understatement. He’d not liked what he’d read about the Doctor in the year Atlantis was cut off, and nothing since had improved his opinion.

“I take it you agree with her decision?” O’Neill wanted to get Sheppard’s take on the matter.

John nodded, “His continued stay on Atlantis would be in a research setting with zero autonomy which is something he wouldn’t suffer. I have already asked all military personnel’s files to be transferred temporarily to Dr’s Biro, and Keller as my trust in the man is zero. If I can’t trust him, then I can’t trust him to treat the men and women under my command.”

Jack could appreciate the man’s unique and expert advice about an area of space that was so foreign to even his vast experience. It hadn’t gone unnoticed to the higher powers that Sheppard was the only Military Commanding Officer who hadn’t ended up dead or worse within a few weeks. “So layout your worst-case scenario for me then, Sheppard, for Beckett’s proposal.”

John took a deep breath and didn’t try to play stupid. “So let’s say by some small miracle, my men and I manage to survive capturing a live Wraith. The Wraith in question then undergoes the transformation Beckett’s cure offers; then what?” He took a deep breath, “How do we deliver it to all the others? I doubt they will be lining up for the cure. In the best case, a few hives decide it’s a great way to pick off the weaker Hives and use it to thin the herd.”

O’Neill was astute and pressed for more. “You think something else too, don’t you? Don’t be shy, Sheppard.”

“I think Beckett’s last wonder cure killed half of the population. Given their current superiority complex, imagine how the Wraith will react to that survival chance? Plus, I don’t think the cure will last. It is a suppression drug, so how often would it need to be readministered. Sure, my DNA disappeared, but that is because I took an all-expense trip to the skies and back.”

It was funny that Sheppard should be the one to mention it as Jack had a question on the tip of his tongue. A few things didn’t add up right now about Sheppard, but Lam hadn’t been able to offer any answers – just speculation.

Sheppard’s behaviour since coming through the gate told Jack one major thing. Sheppard still considered himself a member of the United States Air Force, which was good enough for Jack. O’Neill was curious to see what the Colonel’s plan might be. “So, what’s your plan? You mentioned your father, but there is more to it than that.”

John picked up the case that O’Neill asked to be left in his office. Well, that was after the eggheads had cried about not opening it, no matter what trick they tried. It might have been good for their egos but bad for his ears. “I’ve brought you a gift, Sir.”

O’Neill knew what he’d done, and it was probably a brilliant tactical choice if Sheppard had needed leverage. “Is this case locked with your bio-signature by any chance?”

John shrugged, but it was a necessary precaution that the General would forgive once he revealed the contents. “You’ll see why in thirty seconds.”

O’Neill felt obliged to say, “You know the eggheads can’t figure out what is in it?”

John snorted because, considering the item’s fragility held within, they’d better not be able to crack it. “Yeah, you will see there is a reason why.”

Jack didn’t get it, “You’re saying the box is part of your plan?”

“Oh yeah.” John was smug. “It is only one part, but it changes our position with the IOA.” He stepped forward and put his thumb to the lock, and the case unlocked with a hiss. John stepped back, wanting to let the General be the one to see the content first.

Jack opened the case, and his face broke out into a massive grin. “It’s a ZPM.”

John chuckled, understanding the feeling of joy it could bring. The ZPM was a pinnacle of Ancient knowledge, but critically it was power both real and metaphorical. “Fully charged, General, a gift from Atlantis, our gift to Earth.”

O’Neill’s eyes were bright with joy. He needed to check before his ideas ran away with him. “You have one for Atlantis?”

John nodded and confessed. “The city let me find two full ones. I think she wants Poisedon as a beta site just as much as we do.”

“You’re gift-giving is spectacular, Sheppard,” O’Neill remarked, feeling a hell of a lot better about the day. He felt the need to spread his joy, “Colonel Carter. Come to my office.”

~*~

Sam was careful how she interacted with Jack when they were both on the clock. She stepped into his office and noticed the giant grin on his face. “You wanted to see me, Sir.”

Jack pointed to the box on his table, “Sheppard brought me a gift. It’s so shiny you should take a look.”

Sam carefully stepped forward, and both men stayed quiet, letting her see the reveal for herself. She gasped, “How much capacity is left?”

John pouted at the implication his gift wasn’t perfect. “The General said it was shiny, and that is because it’s full.”

“And it is for Earth?” Sam asked, trying not to get her hopes up for the possible applications. Her mind could think of ten ideas without much effort in the first few seconds.

John nodded, “We’ve kept one on Atlantis.”

“That hasn’t made the reports,” Sam replied calmly. In her voice, there was no censure but rather a statement of fact as she was the one that read anything scientific coming out of the office.

Sheppard shrugged, “Dr Beckett managed to get Woolsey all gung ho over a mythical cure that we’ve not let go ahead, which meant this got lost in the excitement.”

Carter snorted because Rodney had already sent a secure message to her about why it was a bad idea to support Dr Beckett. “Yes, I’ve had an itemised list of all the fallacies of Dr Beckett’s supposed plan.”

“So you agree it is a bad idea?” O’Neill was glad to have an external source verifying what he’d heard. Jack trusted the Atlantis leaders but having Sam’s agreement would make things easier as she was known not to be a fan of Rodney’s.

Sam nodded, “Yes, it is terrible on ethical, moral and scientific grounds. Some civilians find living in a war zone taxing, but they could always rotate out, and I think Beckett should have cycled out once contact was re-established.”

John shook his head because he didn’t want Carter and O’Neill to be under any illusion when it came to him. “Oh, I think Beckett likes living in another galaxy because he is under the opinion the rules don’t apply to him there.”

“Well, you do have creatures who like to treat you as Happy Meals.” Jack pointed out with a shudder, “And I thought snakes with god-delusions were bad.”

John shrugged because you adapted after a while, and it was just where you lived. “It has its charm, but Beckett sees nothing wrong with genetically changing them without their permission.”

“The IOA will like this plan, though. It will appeal to their mercenary sensibilities.” Carter pointed out, “So how do you plan to counteract it?”

Jack grinned at Sam because he’d agree with his favourite scientist’s opinion, but not this time. “John is going to go home.”

“Why would the IOA care?” Carter didn’t get the punchline yet, but she would.

John sighed but knew it was time to stop hiding, and it wasn’t like the news wouldn’t break soon. “My father is Patrick Sheppard, and I intend to remind the IOA of my family connections.”

Carter sat back on the lone other chair and started to chuckle. The programme had wondered how they could begin to drip feed some of the more serendipitous discoveries into the wider world. “Does he like renewable energy?”

“He loves anything that can make him money, and he is very good at it,” John assured them. It was one of those facts of life up there with death and taxes, although, come to think of it, the SGC should probably pick a different phrase.

John let the pair into a secret. “The power and wealth are built on hard graft and knowing how to play the political game. I need to go and see my father as he thinks I am MIA, and if I just so happen to ask his advice in an NDA friendly way, no one can stop me.”

Carter’s mind was racing. “You going home is likely to give them a heart attack. Especially if they think they are surplus to requirements because Sheppard Industries is looking into solving energy issues.”

Jack smirked. “So I could float the idea with the President that the IOA wouldn’t be necessary?”

“Not in their current flexing form.” She finished sweetly.

Jack stood up, “Go and see your father, Sheppard.”

Jack couldn’t comment on how Patrick Sheppard felt, but he was damn proud of John.

Chapter 4: You Can Always go Home

John watched as the green fields gave way to the old familiar home of his childhood. It was funny, but his time in the Pegasus Galaxy had burned away childhood resentment. The house still looked like it belonged in a period-piece drama, and the home was still stupidly vast for one family. Patrick Sheppard had built the house from scratch when he’d turned the company into a conglomerate.

The car stopped, breaking John’s mental musings, and the time for planning was over. It was ridiculous that he was a grown-ass colonel who had pulled off feats that should have been impossible. So why was he sitting in the car? John shook his head in disbelief at his own behaviour and picked up his go-bag, thanking the Airman for driving him here as it was off the beaten track.

The Airman looked nervous but, to his credit, still spoke up. “General O’Neill asked me, should I stick around, Colonel Sheppard?”

John chuckled at the Airman’s discomfort. He appreciated O’Neill offering him a route of retreat. It was also best not to give him the option to bolt if things got tough. John hated fighting with his family, so he chose to cut off contact as a teen. “No, thank you, Airman Peters. I can figure it out from here.”

He walked up the steps to the big house, and it still looked as grand as ever. The walk alone was enough to have memories tumble through his mind. John wondered if anyone was home. As soon as he thought it, Marisa, the housekeeper, flung it open to greet him warmly. “Johnny, you are home safe and sound.”

He accepted the hug with as much grace as he could. He adored Marisa and didn’t correct the assumption of this as home. It was where he grew up, but Atlantis was now home in a visceral way that was difficult to articulate. He offered Marisa a warm, sheepish smile, “Yeah, I heard you were told I was MIA. I wanted them to know that I am okay.”

She nodded, wiping a tear away from her eye. “Yes, it hit Mr Sheppard very hard. He is in the study. Do you want to see him or freshen up first?”

She asked, gently giving him an out if he needed some time to compose himself. It was just like he was sixteen again, and she would run interference for him when he was in trouble.

John couldn’t help the crooked grin at the memory. John wondered why his Dad was here at the house when he thought he would be at the company, but he took it for the win. The chance to talk to his head dad without an audience was too great to pass up. John had prepared himself to head to the offices in his Class A’s, but sometimes, it was better to seize the day than avoid it. “Let me surprise him.”

She gave him a look as if to say his appearance might be more shock than a surprise but shrugged. John had fond memories of childhood stunts that caused that look. It was a stark reminder of his childhood and how she’d always ruled the roost between the stepmothers who came and went. In reality, she was the metric by which he judged what he could and couldn’t get away with at school.

She handed his bag to the butler ordering him to take it to Mister Johnny’s room. She stood with him in the hallway and let him have five minutes that he didn’t know he needed. John adored the way that she didn’t push him but just stayed as silent support.

John whispered, feeling ridiculous as he said it. “I feel like a teen again.”

She chuckled before whispering. “Go on now; you’re ready.”

John kissed her cheek, “It is terrific to see you still here, Marsi.”

She just gave him a look as if to say nothing would change if he stayed in the hallway. John took a deep breath and knocked on his father’s study door. His father shouted out,

“Come in, Marisa.”

John stepped inside and hated that he was so tentative. He knew that no one on Atlantis would recognise him right now with his timid behaviour. John did find his voice and tried for humour, but his voice did break a little. “Not Marsi, but she did let me in.”

“John?” The man whispered like he saw a ghost. His grip on the chair tightened for a second as if he needed the support to stay upright.

John knew the past was just that, the past. There was no reason for fear or anything like it; this was his father. He smiled softly and whispered, “Hey, Dad.”

It seemed John’s answer broke the spell, and his Dad burst from his chair, engulfing him in a hug, which set about half of John’s fears to one side.

John didn’t let go of the embrace, praying that the encounter didn’t sour. If it did, he would at least have these few minutes. He needed his Dad to know that it wasn’t his fault about the MIA notice, “I am sorry if they told you I was …”

His Dad gripped him tighter, not letting the words come out of his mouth. It was like he believed that if John said the words, then he would somehow make it happen, that John would disappear once more.

His Dad explained, “General O’Neill said you were missing … but there was no … body to identify, and if nothing changed by next year, you would be listed as dead. It was everything I feared and …”

John shook his head and rushed to reassure his Dad. “I’m okay. I promise but leave the past where it should be, Dad. Let the past stay where it should.”

He could see that his Dad had regretted the past just like he did. His time at the SGC had taught John not to leave any problem festering as time was always precious.

His Dad hadn’t let go of him, so it was evident that the other man wasn’t as calm about his return. John guessed they were staying in the hug until his Dad believed that John wasn’t a figment of his imagination. John patted his Dad on the back and moved to reassure him. “I am here, Dad. I promise that I’m not a figment of your imagination.”

His Dad seemed to shake himself out of his shocked stupor. He didn’t let John go, but he did stop gripping him so tightly. “It is damn good to see you, Johnny.”

“Good to be here. I’m sorry it took me so long to stop being stubborn,” John confessed, and it was the truth. He should have mended the bridge between them before he ran off to Atlantis. John was so glad to have the opportunity to fix things as it was a luxury that not everyone had been afforded on the expedition.

His Dad took a while, but once he was over the shock of John’s return, they had headed to the comfortable lounging chairs in the library. It was an excellent choice as it had always been John’s favourite place in this house. John guessed that might have been a deliberate choice on his Dad’s part to make him relax. He could honestly say he’d forgotten his Dad’s sense of timing and humour.

~*~

Patrick picked up the phone, intending to call Dave and explain that his brother was alive, but then figured he shouldn’t be the only Sheppard to get a shock today. He shared a mischievous grin with John and said only, “Come home, Davey.”

John knew it would have alarmed his brother. Their Dad would only ever call them by a nickname when he felt emotional. And just like he knew he would, his brother called back and outright asked his father. “Why?”

Patrick looked towards his son, still not over how he could and offered a teasing hint. “I have a special guest. I would like you to meet him.” His bit said he closed the call out once more. Dave should remember that he inherited his father’s stubborn traits to win in this game or curiosity.

John chuckled, knowing how much that would freak David out. He knew a lot of time had passed since his previous home visit, but Dave was the type never to change. “Oh, he will go mad trying to figure that little clue out.”

Patrick smirked at his youngest son, unbelieving how much his mood could change in minutes. He’d been pretty miserable as it had been nearly a decade next week since John had left. Patrick couldn’t believe there was a chance to fix his mistakes. He shrugged it off. “I’m old, and I’ve had a shock.”

John snorted, wondering if anyone ever fell for that bullshit. They deserved to get rinsed. “You may be old, but you’re not stupid. Stupid people don’t control a multi-billion company. Does anyone fall for that act?”

His father smirked at him, telling him that yes, they did fall for it, and he wasn’t afraid to use that skill if necessary. “Do you remember who taught you to use your looks against others?”

John snickered because everyone always assumed it was his mother, but it wasn’t. “I do.” He assured his father. “And to great effect, but you’ll be pleased to know I have shed a few masks. An oversight group for my programme has annoyed me, so I am going to Washington to play some games.”

Wow, Patrick’s son may have gone off to the Air Force, but the person who returned was a man. He always knew that John had the power to be something brilliant, and he was guessing he’d found it. He didn’t think the day where John would willingly play word games with politicians would ever arise. He chose his words carefully, “Now that is surprising to hear, and congratulations on the promotion.”

John winced because his Dad said the last part was with some mild censure, which showed some things never changed. “In my defence, Dad. It was at my base, in a ridiculously remote place.” If John said it was in a galaxy far away – He wouldn’t be lying. He couldn’t give him more than the standard line until O’Neill decided whether he would approach Sheppard Industries over potential contracts.

His father gave him a droll look and clued him on some facts. “I know. President Hayes wanted to tell me how proud I should be of my son and his life-saving work.”

John felt faint because he didn’t know how he felt about the President giving his father status updates on his welfare. Didn’t he have a country to run? He tried to hide his disbelief when he asked, “The President said that?”

“Yeah, you run into him often?” His father queried. It was said in a light but probing tone that he was intimately familiar with as a technique. He often used it on his idiot marines to coax them into confessing their sins. It worked too well, or they were just keen to brag about their antics – he was never too sure.

John just gave his father a look as if to say he couldn’t possibly give him a good answer to that question. John could only offer a non-committal. “I’ve only crossed his path two times.”

A new arrival stopped their little conversation. John was relieved because he had no intention of banding words with his father when they seemed to have tentative new ground. He also aimed to tell no lies either because his Dad always knew when he was lying.

Dave was standing in the doorway of his father’s study staring in shock. He had heard the voices and met a grinning Marisa standing in the hallway. She refused to say who his father’s special guest was as it would ruin the surprise. It was the last person he ever expected to see.

“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” It wasn’t witty, but Dave was still in shock.

John smirked at the teasing tone but could see how shaken his brother was at his appearance. He could play the sibling game just as well, “And yet still hotter than you.”

And for the second time in the last hour, John was clasped into a bone-crunching hug. Dave whispered, “You took your sweet time.”

“I told you, brother, that I aim to stick around for a long time and annoy you.” John managed a smirk but couldn’t entirely hide his feelings.

The trio of men settled into the library to catch up. John discussed the issues that had seen him come stateside without breaking his NDA. There was no way to hide that he was high up in his structure, especially after his Dad got updates from the freaking President.

“So we both have problems that can be solved over Dinner.” Patrick offered up to his sons as if it should be evident to them.

John may have learned a lot from Elizabeth, but his Dad had a whole different level of expertise. And this is why he came home. Elizabeth negotiated in political circles, which was high pressure, but his father played ball in business circles, and that was a whole different scenario.

“So, what is the cunning plan?” John asked his father, curious to see how he would play this game.

“You are a Sheppard, and you are not afraid to show it.”

John winced internally because there was a subtle rebuke there, but he wasn’t going to go there. He was happy to be with his family and not be in the middle of a massive argument that he’d instigated.

“So be seen and casually wealthy?” John wanted to check that he had caught the correct implication. “Where would I be doing this?”

His Dad had a wicked grin, so he was definitely plotting something. “How is your Japanese?”

John sighed, seeing his Dad was spinning something devious. Still, he wanted help, which might be the price of his advice. There was another thing about his Dad. The man always knew when he was lying, so he answered honestly, “Fluent, up to negotiating science materials for temperamental geniuses.” It was one of the things that they never prepare you for in War College.

Patrick and David shared a look, wondering just what John was into these days that would require Scientists but wisely didn’t ask. David was the one to start pouting, so this was getting more and more interesting by the second, “Is this because I upset the Ambassador?”

John smirked because he sounded just the same when he’d upset someone, but he wasn’t sorry. He couldn’t help but tease his brother, “What did you do?”

David shrugged, “We’ve had a disagreement, and I am done playing nice… So I implied that I was ready to pull the plug on our entire operation over in the area.”

Patrick sighed ruefully, “I taught you both many things, but diplomacy wasn’t one of them.”

John snickered because his Dad could try and play innocent with them, but he wouldn’t let it slide. “Your methods have worked well for me in my career, but you’re in luck … I have no Grenades today.”

David looked alarmed and intrigued, “You get to take those to your meetings?”

John smirked, hearing his brother’s jealously. “Yep, and I know you’re jealous, but you’re in more luck.”

“Why?” Now their father was the one curious.

John frowned, “Well, only if Kusanagi is still the Japanese Ambassador.”

David snorted because he didn’t realise John had found a sense of humour in his travels. “How is that lucky? He only conducts a meeting in his native tongue to be awkward.”

John shrugged because the last two years had made him reevaluate what he considered to be awkward. “Well, that might be a problem, but you’re in luck as I speak Japanese, and I know his sister. She works on my base.”

“Well, he demanded I meet with him tomorrow at Bar One,” David explained, still unable to hide his aggravation.

John shrugged because over a half a day of planning time was a luxury in his eyes. “Let me guess, the VP is in Japan, and he has scheduled it so that they couldn’t be available.”

“You’ve learnt well,” Patrick remarked, and he was definitely seeing the man his son had grown into in the interim years.

John had to smile softly, “I’ve become drinking buddies with a UN diplomat, and her war stories are set around a table but still badass. Why Bar One?”

John vaguely remembered the place from his teenage years. He was bound to run into a Senator or two if he went to it. It could be the perfect place, and he saw his Dad’s plan. “Fine, I will be your translator. I can make a few phone calls tonight and soften the blow.”

The meeting could be a perfect way of being seen by power players in Washington and helping his family at the same time. It seemed a great way to repay his Dad’s advice.

Patrick quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. “I never thought I would see the day you would willingly schmooze?”

John smirked at his father’s disbelieving tone. “I had to at some point; after all, I am a Sheppard.”

Dave didn’t get how Johnny was confident about meeting the notoriously prickly Ambassador. He was the type sent because he was so fearsome that leaders wouldn’t want to deal with them. “I think you might have hit your head too many times. Kusanagi is not someone you go out for a beer with at night.”

John snickered at the comment because it wasn’t entirely true. According to Miko, he was a good brother, but he didn’t suffer fools gladly. “Not quite. He only speaks in Japanese because he hates people like Kinsey. How is your Japanese, Davey?”

“Basic conversation,” Dave replied with a glare. He hated being bad at anything, especially if his brother was better than him. Although, he figured that was the same the world over for siblings.

John could guess that the Ambassador was aware of that little fact. “He knows it, and this is a test. Don’t worry, Dad. We will knock it out of the park.”

Patrick was curious to see how John would play this because it would suit their company’s aims and his son’s goals. He was sure that some would try to take advantage and claim impropriety, but he wasn’t likely to listen. “You should wear a business suit because no one can accuse you of a conflict of interest.”

John accepted the advice and bit his lip. “Is the family tailor still on speed dial? My size is different, and I need it cut so that it will hide a weapon.”

“It is Bar One. The only danger is the wrong snacks with your drink.” Dave pointed out, exasperated.

John looked sheepish but wanted to show he wasn’t excessive in his paranoia. “We have an order as part of the programme not to be without weapons at any time. My CO is kind of like Mad-Eye Moody, but his paranoia is justified.”

Patrick just shook his head even as he scrolled through his phone book and handed over the number. He had only one request for his son. “Try not to turn it into the Wild West. I like it there.”

John rolled his eyes, “Sure thing, Dad.”

~*~

Dave huffed, seeing his brother standing at parade rest in a Tom Ford suit. You could see how much his brother took after their mother in such moments, and it was bittersweet and nostalgic all at the same time. “I was kind of hoping you would look ugly in a suit.”

John snorted, “I can’t help my genes, Davey. Now let’s get this over with as I hate politicians.”

Dave resisted the urge to ask why he hated politicians so much, considering his job, in theory, wouldn’t see him cross paths with such figures. It was more than evident that whatever programme John had been sucked in was a big deal but what it involved was anyone’s guess.

Bar One was the type of place you went to if you were rich, powerful or connected. If you were fortunate, you were all three, making you a VIP … Like the members of the Sheppard family. The bar was where people made moves and deals, and they washed it down with exquisite Scotch. It was the room where it all happened, and the general public had no idea.

John walked in with Dave and clocked the other occupants in the bar, and this was better than he had hoped. Kinsey was a well-known thorn in the side of the programme and had recently been cosying up with the IOA in case his presidential run failed.

“And what are you doing here, Colonel Sheppard?” The Senator asked him with poorly disguised interest. Honestly, it was crass, considering the man was supposed to be a career politician. Kinsey clocked that he was here out of uniform, but John wouldn’t offer any more information than explicitly necessary to this man.

Although John wanted to be rebellious, he answered respectfully because you do not make unnecessary enemies, not even slimy politicians. “Hello, Sir. I am here with my brother.”

“I didn’t realise that your brother is the Sheppard COO.” Of course, Kinsey would know who Dave was, considering they were the controlling company for energy in the United States.

John managed to keep the smirk off his face. “Well, it is the family business. My father was just glad that one of us wanted to go into the family business.”

“John, we’re meeting the Japanese Ambassador.” David interrupted as if meeting a serious senator was beneath his interest. In fairness, Kinsey wouldn’t bring the company another 10 billion dollars in revenue over four years if they could settle this spat.

“So we are, excuse me, Senator Kinsey, my language skills are about to get dusted off.” John finished politely and slinked off. It was not like Kinsey could object he was off duty and out of uniform.

If there was one thing that had been useful in the first year of the expeditions amidst the Wraith’s ever-present threat, he had a chance to pick up new languages. His brain was like a sponge, so it was better to fill it with valuable things than to go idle and cause mischief.

Kinsey frowned, and this changed dynamics way too much for his liking. He was whispering to one of his aides’. “Why didn’t I know that one of O’Neill’s proteges was a fucking Sheppard?”

The aide shrank back at his anger, “Do you want me to find out why he is here?” Of course, the would aide would rush to make amends.

Kinsey rolled his eyes and snarked back. “Of course, I fucking do, unless you know someone on staff that speaks Japanese?”

The aide looked helpless at him, and his glare intensified. “Go and find me someone who can.”

And Robert Kinsey was sat watching and wondering just what scheme Sheppard and O’Neill had cooked up and why they might want to get into bed with the Japanese?

~*~

David had wondered how today would go. His Dad had accepted his brother’s help, but there was a marked difference between flying and business deals. He’d been shocked by how well his brother had managed it and had a few suspicions about what he might have been doing for the Air Force.

“What was your aim today?” Dave finally asked. It had been bothering him all day, but he’d hoped with them sticking close to each other – he’d gain a clue. The only thing he’d figured out was that his brother knew a lot of the movers-and-shakers in DC.

Although, at the same time, it was clear that John had flown under the radar as they hadn’t realised what he could do when necessary. The encounter with Kinsey proved his theory, as it was clear the man knew John by name and wasn’t fond of him. Dave had watched as Kinsey scrambled to find out what they were up to, to no avail.

John smirked. “I’ve done what I needed to do. The next move will be Kinsey’s to make.”

“Look at you playing Politics.” Dave teased, and this John was undoubtedly a far cry from the teenager who had left to join the Air Force.

John huffed, not liking the smug look on his brother’s face. “Yeah, I am. I have sadly reached a point in my career where I can’t settle my issues with my gun or just fly away.”

David chuckled because it was nice to know that he was still Johnny, even as much as his brother had matured. “I don’t know. I think you should come to the next shareholder’s meeting. You would sure liven it up from its usual bore-fest.”

John rolled his eyes, knowing what his brother was picturing. John knew that if he were in the area, then he would play along. “For you and Dad, I would even come in my Class A’s, providing I’m in the area.”

Dave hugged his brother. “I am glad you’re not dead.”

“Me too, Dave. Me too, and I will be back to Virginia when I get some leave again, but that could be another year.” John could hardly explain his posting with another galaxy

A phone call interrupted them, and John sighed. “Hello, General O’Neill.”

Dave whispered and realised he should change his assessment of John from well-connected to stupidly well-connected. “As in the Joint-Chief?”

John nodded as he’d explained to his Dad the day before his career could bring in radically different and potentially profitable contracts. If the SGC could handle some of the power costs less exorbitantly by signing contracts with Sheppard industries, they wouldn’t need the IOA. General O’Neill was a real fan of this plan. It wasn’t like the Senators could object to the project as it would support the American economy.

John realised that the IOA must have come to the same conclusion as they’d voted today – After he’d bumped into Kinsey to vote overwhelmingly to reject Doctor Beckett’s research. So he’d managed to achieve his objective, and he’d not caused physical harm to a single person – Elizabeth and his Grandpaw would be so proud.

John frowned. “What has happened on base?”

He left the city alone with orders to behave, so what had gone so dramatically wrong that he was being recalled to deal with an emergency?

Chapter 5: You Go Away for One Day!

“This is why you shouldn’t be altruistic!” Rodney shouted even as he ducked behind a column.

Teyla glared at him, but he didn’t care. It needed to be said because he kept being shot at by the aliens!

Rodney hated anyone shooting on Atlantis as it brought back bad memories of the Genii. He was so glad that John had settled that issue with extreme prejudice. It sent a rather brutal but effective message to any allies or enemies that might consider their own crack at the city.

“We need to contain them,” Teyla shouted over the noise from the weapons. She had always been a little frustrated by Elizabeth’s unwillingness to use a gun, and now she was wishing she’d put down the gun.

Rodney rolled his eyes because he might now be a military expert, but that was obvious. “You don’t say. How? We can’t shoot them as it is Elizabeth and Colonel Caldwell they’ve hijacked.”

He focussed less on his grievances and more on pointing out the best exits for the medical staff who had been caught in the middle of the shootout between the possessed leaders. Rodney was happy to report, “Medical staff clear,” as it meant they could get the hell out of dodge.

He ducked another bullet that ricocheted over his head. Rodney defaulted to humour in dark situations, but John never judged him. He’d known sentimentality would come back and bite them on the ass. “What happened to them being married and saying goodbye to each other?”

Ronan, who’d snapped into action with the first hint of trouble, grinned from behind another plinth. He wasn’t shooting to kill, which was a change, but rather to contain. He figured no one had asked the obvious question before starting the procedure, “No one asked if they were happy.”

Rodney huffed because he was with Ronan. “I thought this was a stupid idea in the first place!”

He’d been more than vocal in his worries but was overruled for the chance to learn from people who’d been alive during Ancient times.

“We can hear you, you know!” A possessed Elizabeth shouted. She sounded different, a hint of an accent coming through her voice, but that wasn’t as startling as her gun proficiency. “Just let me kill him, and I will be on my way. It’s a bounty thing, so I’m sure you can understand my position.”

This was the strangest battle Rodney had been in as they kept Caldwell protected from Elizabeth and vice-versa. The only trouble was the couple really wanted to kill the other person and weren’t too fussed about who got in the way.

Teyla knew they couldn’t sustain this, and she didn’t want to add more soldiers into the mix. At least not until they had a game plan, “Can we slow them down?”

Rodney had no idea if this would work, and he was technically banking on secondary fondness. “Atlantis, if you could help, that would be swell. I’m not trying to be greedy as you gave us the ZPMs, but they are our friends.”

The doors to the infirmary slammed shut, partitioning Caldwell and Weir from each other and, more importantly, away from the rest of the expedition. The hiss of a lock suggested they’d been sealed in. “Huh.” Of course, because he was a genius, his next thought was, “Sheppard has some explaining to do.”

Teyla looked amazed, as she always did when the ancient technology worked unexpectedly. “How did you know that would work?”

Rodney wished he could have a witty response, but Teyla always knew when he lied. “I hoped the city would like me as John’s best friend.”

Ronan snorted and said something under his breath. When his team glared, Ronan simply smiled, all teeth, “Nice.”

Rodney could hear the growling and scream from the possessed separated couple. They were not happy with their ‘fun’ being limited for the moment. Rodney was relieved to take a breath, “It worked. We need a plan and more weapons.”

Ronan’s face broke out into a massive grin with the mention of more weapons. “My kind of plan.”

~*~

Lorne had already been on his way to the incident the minute the alarm was raised by SGA-1. He raced around the column that separated the secondary infirmary from the main one. He saw three-quarters of the premier team resting against the wall, clearly having just escaped a skirmish. The only trouble was that this wasn’t off-world; they lived on Atlantis. “What the hell happened?”

Rodney sighed because he wanted to say so many things but didn’t on account of wanting to avoid a lecture. “Well, you know how Weir and Caldwell were releasing the spirits from their bones so they could say goodbye?”

Lorne nodded because he’d not been keen on the plan as there were too many variables without good intel. It is why he was in the Control Tower in case emergency protocols had to be activated. “Did it not work?”

Rodney huffed because it worked. “The spirits left a few details out, like the fact they want to kill each other and won’t rest until the other one is dead.”

“I’m not a qualified therapist.” Lorne pointed out, and his hand reached for his gun, hearing the bellows and screams from behind the door. “But that would seem like serious couples counselling is needed.”

Rodney snorted at the sarcasm. “No, I think they are way past Heightmeyer’s help. It is more yours and Ronan.”

Lorne had pulled the feeds, using his tablet connected to the Atlantis mainframe, and it was clear that neither of the possessed pair was willing to stay still. They were both trying to rewire the door mechanism on their sides of the wall. “Who are they then? And why does this have to happen when the Colonel is away?”

Rodney could sympathise with his thoughts as he’d already said as much during the firefight. “I hear you, and the next time Dr Weir wants to do something nice. I am going to remind you all about this moment.”

He would have liked to say he wasn’t petty enough to go with I told you so, but he was that petty. Rodney waited until he was alone and looked up at the city ceiling. “Thank you.”

He would have felt foolish, but he saw the lights warm for a few seconds. He made the only promise he could, knowing that things usually got worse on Atlantis before the outlook improved. “I will do my best to keep you in one piece.”

He just hoped he wasn’t a liar.

~*~

Sadly the door lock counter-measure hadn’t kept them contained for too long. The aliens, who’d taken over Caldwell and Elizabeth, knew a lot about Ancient technology as they showed proficiency in their hack. Rodney would have loved to compare notes, but he wasn’t psychotic, so he doubted he could get an invite to their current party. What he needed was more information.

“Zelenka, get into the data and find out more about the race of our friendly ghosts!”

His friend didn’t think it would yield anything useful. He was more alarmed at the unauthorised access he was trying to stop from their duelling aliens. “They are hacking into the mainframe.”

Rodney pinched his nose in frustration even as his fingers started to fly in an attempt to block the hacking attempt. He didn’t look up from the screen, but he was seeking more information to see if he could learn something useful. “Do we know if they are crazy cousins of the Alterrans or something?” Their initial scans didn’t suggest they were Alterran, but they showed too much competence with the Ancient technology for it to be entirely coincidental.

Lorne shrugged because they didn’t have the luxury of time to decide anything. Caldwell and Weir were their leaders, but they were dangerous and armed right now. He didn’t want to hurt them, but he couldn’t risk the expedition members. “We need to incapacitate them without hurting them, if possible. There should be no damage that we can’t heal.”

“They may not give us a choice,” Ronan felt obliged to point out. He knew they had allegiances to the people, but self-preservation had to play some part in their thinking. From what he’d seen from these spirits, the trouble was that they would use their split-second hesitation to shoot first.

“It has to be the last option,” Lorne finished gravely. He knew that Sheppard had been forced to make such a choice, but he hoped he never had to put it to the test.

McKay rolled his eyes at all the obvious statements flying around and figured he should change the thinking patterns. “Who will find a non-lethal way to separate our not so friendly ghosts from our people?”

The Doctor, Keller, who’d been elevated due to Beckett’s suspension, spoke up, “I can do that,” she paused, “But surely letting Becket help would be a good idea.”

Rodney sighed because there was a reason why young geniuses needed mentors. “You’re kind of young, so I will forgive the stupid. Beckett is in his quarters and will remain there until Colonel Sheppard returns.”

Lorne nodded in agreement showing it was a united front between the armed forces and the scientists. He couldn’t believe that anyone would think trying to change an entire group of aliens into something was justified. Lorne hoped Keller was asking out of misplaced loyalty to Beckett rather than similar views because if so, she was going straight back to Earth. The Pegasus Galaxy offered so much drama without adding stupidity induced issues.

“Beckett has the gene, so won’t the city help him?” Keller asked because she was a geneticist as well as a practising doctor.

It was a fair question, and Lorne and McKay shared a look. They had yet to make their way through revetting the whole of the medical staff. After the Beckett disaster, they wanted to ensure that the team worked within moral and practical guidelines.

Lorne was the one to answer, offering a vague, open to interpretation style response. “The Colonel’s feelings tend to override others in the city. It would be wise not to upset him.”

Her eyes widened in alarm, and she made a mental note to stay on the Colonel’s right side. She sucked in a breath as she considered the challenge in front of her and tried to remain positive, fixing a cheerful grin. “Okay, then, so I need to find a non-lethal separation cure. I can dig that as my goal of the day.”

Rodney whispered to Lorne, “She is old enough to be here, right?”

Lorne snorted because Keller was stunningly pretty but so young in spirit that she made his brain ache. Still, his standards were pretty low when it came to medical staff. “She doesn’t want to play god with an alien race and has eight degrees. I’d say she fits in okay around here.”

McKay shrugged as his mind was racing to think of a solution for their current problem. He knew what would solve his problems – coffee. He was a hard scientist, but if there was one substance that would make him consider magic – it would be coffee. It was a drink that would keep him awake and offer him limited patience to deal with stupid people on a daily basis.

~*~

“Weir has broken out of containment and is running around the corridors,” Zelenka reported with alarm. The team was working from the conference room in the central tower as it offered them easy access to monitoring and the mainframe for the city. The only person who would get more was Sheppard from the chair.

McKay was looking at the same data, “Yep, and the city has also allowed Caldwell out of the infirmary. I’m guessing she felt it wasn’t fair to leave him a sitting duck.”

Lorne didn’t like this because the chance for casualties increased exponentially. “We cannot have personnel out in the hallways who could be caught in this game of cat and mouse.”

“Do you think it is weird foreplay?” Rodney asked, creeping himself out with the errant thought.

Ronan smirked, even as Teyla shook her head in disappointment. “Not the time, Rodney.”

Rodney was too busy stopping the alien wannabe, Mr and Mrs Smith, from ruining the city to mind his manners. He looked at the Major, wanting to know how he intended to play this tactically. “Do you want me to try and goad them into a specific area?”

Lorne nodded. “Yeah, here.” He pointed at a place that was where the marines all trained. If you were going to set up an ambush in the city, it was the only place to go. The more significant advantage was that this was a new area, so Caldwell wouldn’t be aware of it, and Weir tended to ignore military matters.

~*~

Lorne and the hand-picked team of four were heading to cut off the two seasoned assassins. It was odd to think of Weir as an assassin, but right now, her mindset and skills were tilted that way. He hoped his men weren’t naive, but it never hurt to be thorough.

“You be careful, and if you get a non-lethal shot, take it,” Lorne ordered his team.

“How are they getting control of the systems?” Martins asked, his voice laced with frustration. They were no strangers to aliens trying to take the city, but the expedition’s most significant advantage was that the city wouldn’t respond to the potential invaders – until now.

Lorne could understand the question as it was the same one he’d been asking as he’d watched both the possessed Leaders cutting through their comms. “We can ask once we catch them and get them back in control of their own bodies.”

That was if they remembered what was happening to them. Lorne wasn’t too sure if he’d want to know or not. No, scratch that – he wouldn’t have offered in the first place to be hijacked, but hindsight was always easier.

~*~

The plan didn’t go as desired, as it started with ducking an energy blast. Two of Lorne’s team collapsed like puppets who’d lost their strings. Lorne was relieved to see they were still breathing, which meant the weapons were set to stun. He didn’t know whether that was Caldwell and Weir’s influence or just they wanted their prize to be alive to gloat.

The Wraith weapons Lorne was using were cumbersome, and the assassins used that to their advantage.

“You’re good if you’ve scavenged these weapons.” Possessed Caldwell shouted in a twisted compliment.

Lorne shouted. “Thanks, we’ve made it a hobby.”

Lorne was getting a little lonely. It was now himself, and Ronan left against Weir and Caldwell. He’d give possessed Weir credit. She was quick and punchy, and Ronan did his best not to kill, frustrating the Satedan, who was fighting his own instincts just as much as he was fighting Elizabeth.

Lorne ducked the fist from his possessed superior and returned with a jab of his own. “You need to let your anger go.”

“I’ve been caged for 75,000 years, and my grudge is what has kept me alive.” Caldwell hissed.

Weir smirked. “You should check your control of the city. We will have our last fight, and unless you’re prepared to kill us … You have no choice.”

Lorne didn’t need to ask if they were bluffing or not as Rodney’s voice filtered over the radio. “Major, we need you in the control tower.”

Lorne hated retreating but gave the order. “Ronan, we’ve gotta go.”

It didn’t need to be said as Ronan and Lorne picked up one of the stunned members, each in a fireman’s carry, to head back to the tower via the infirmary.

~*~

He dearly wished he hadn’t said anything out loud because Rodney could not believe his luck right now. This was just ridiculous. They didn’t pay him enough money in the world to put up with this bullshit! And, of course, it would all go to shit when Sheppard had swanned off back to Earth. It was like the fluffy-haired idiot had done it on purpose. Okay, he knew he was unfair as John had gone back to Earth to deal with bullshit politics, but right now – he needed John here! And he didn’t feel like being reasonable.

The one bit of good fortune was that they still had control of the tower. The SG members might have power in the tower, but it didn’t seem to do much good. Rodney’s fingers flew over his keyboard, but he wasn’t fast enough. Damn, sneaky assassin aliens. The next time any SGA team saw something floating in space, there would be a ban on bringing it back through the iris. They already had space vampires. They didn’t need to add crazy villains to the mix who wanted to shoot each other for shits and giggles.

Lorne was alarmed as he read the panels. “They’ve locked me out of the system, McKay!”

Rodney groaned because this should not be happening. This was like the worst day ever, as Elizabeth, a soft scientist, beat him at code. Okay, so she had knowledge from an alien entity, but that wasn’t comforting. He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “Come on. She can barely work her laptop on a good day.”

Lorne snorted because he felt McKay’s pain. “She usually hates weapons too, so it has been a learning experience for both of us, Doc.”

Lorne didn’t think he would forget seeing the expedition leader holding a weapon on one of his team like she was ready to shoot. He had a smile of sympathy when he heard Rodney whisper, “I want to zap her out of Elizabeth so badly.”

“I will, Mckay,” Lorne promised.

Rodney seriously hated SGA-3 right now, as it was them who had brought the body pods back to the city. They’d read the data and found it to be all regrettable and sad. The bodies had supposedly belonged to a husband and wife. Only when they were found, their bodies had long since decayed and could not sustain life.

The senior team had debated what they could do and managed to set up rudimentary conversations with the conscious minds stored in the memory. The female’s request had been made to borrow a body to say goodbye, and both the wife and the husband had said the same thing. It was a risk, and Weir volunteered, so Caldwell took the husband – they’d been a few jokes, but it was supposed to all be said and done in an hour.

They had not been naive and took precautions, but it turns out Rodney should have been even more paranoid. They’d been lied to and badly about the alien entities. Rodney knew it could have been so much worse without Ronan’s reactions in those first seconds.

Elizabeth’s body guest was clearly far more technologically capable than usual Elizabeth. It had caused them to lose in both encounters so far. He wasn’t the type to admit it, but he knew when to call in the heavy hitters. There was only one person who could solve this, which could cause its own problems. “Screw it. We need Sheppard.”

“Why?” Lorne asked because he didn’t understand why the Chief Scientist was so sure that Sheppard would fix things. Sure, he’d read the reports about Sheppard’s actions in the first year, but this was different. His concern was that the Colonel had gone back to Earth to gain support to deal with Beckett.

Rodney forgot that Lorne was part of the second wave. He had to tread carefully here because he wasn’t sure about Lorne yet. “Trust me, the city listens to Colonel Sheppard above all others.”

Lorne didn’t get it because his ATA gene was considered a strong expression, but he didn’t get much from the city. “You mean because of the strength of his gene?”

Rodney hummed as he attempted to put a secondary firewall around the critical systems. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Lorne could sense there was probably something more there given that tone, but he chose to ignore it. “This is a clusterfuck … Next time Dr Weir gets an idea, I’m putting my foot down.”

Rodney chuckled darkly. “Oh, don’t worry, I will be right next to you and protesting loudly and vehemently.”

He prepared a data packet, as some systems may be isolated from them. Thankfully the gate was a wholly separate system in case of attacks. He just hoped O’Neill could get John back quickly because this whole shitstorm had the potential to go bad very quickly.

~*~

John was eating dinner back at the townhouse the family used in DC. The meal at the club had been painful, for all the careful double talk and careful word choice.

Dave was crowing, “Dad, you would have been so impressed.”

Patrick nodded his agreement, “You managed to schmooze the Japanese Ambassador, John. You should know that has already started to make its way around the circle.”

John rolled his eyes. “We just chatted and discussed matters of honour and principle.”

Dave snorted, “Not to the depth you did. I didn’t realise you knew so much about Japan.”

“I didn’t until I spent time with Miko.” John replied, “His sister is a little gossip and one of the best computer scientists I know.

John watched the look between his brother and father and rolled his eyes at the silent conversation. Sadly, his phone going off disrupted his protest, “Sheppard.”

John went alert. “When?”

He sighed, “They’ve done what?”

John’s feelings towards the city since he’d learnt the family connection was even more potent. The idea that someone had possed his friends and was causing harm to his city was making him feel vaguely homicidal.

“You’re being recalled.” O’Neill finished, and it was loud enough that Dave and Patrick could hear it. John hadn’t believed that they would be disappointed to see him go at the start of this little venture.

John figured, “Do I head to a base or is there another plan?”

O’Neill snorted. “You will get a driver so that I can beam you back. I want you back on your base within the hour. Lorne and McKay have locked the corridors down because of their fight, which offends my sensibilities.”

“I hear you, Sir.”

~*~

John stepped back through the gate, and the lights warmed to him visibly. The city must have been shaken as she wasn’t so apparent in her regard for him around others.

Lorne was grinning with open relief seeing his commander on the steps of the control room. “I am so relieved you are Atlantis’ favourite.”

John stroked the walls on the tower column. It was good to be home, he was glad he’d repaired things with his father and brother, but this was home for him now. “You know my girl is faithful. She is not allowing any other direct commands from anyone right now, so expect the hijackers to be upset when they figure it out.”

Rodney huffed because he’d been working flat out to keep the encryption ahead of Weir. “Of course, you come home, and she bows to your every wish.”

John hadn’t expected audible gratitude, but it was okay. He was fluent in his best friend’s way of communicating. He remarked with evident sarcasm, “Hi, John, glad to see you. Did you get what you wanted?”

Rodney rolled his eyes. “You’re not stupid, you know I am glad to see you, and once we get Caldwell and Weir over their body snatcher incident, I will have a chance to catch up with you.”

John smirked, and Rodney huffed, only realising he was being teased too late. He was usually too smart to fall for it. John ignored him and gave him a hint, “I did. Thanks for asking about my trip and the IOA are wondering if I want to take over, and I barely lifted a finger.”

“Who did you threaten?” Rodney asked, bemused by the idea. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his best friend, but he knew how badly the IOA hated anyone they couldn’t control.

Lorne was watching the conversation like it was a tennis match. He was used to the scientist’s talks going over his head when it wasn’t geology-based, but this was something else. McKay was implying the IOA was scared of something that Sheppard might have done. Still, the Colonel suggested he hadn’t threatened anyone. Lorne knew the IOA type. They loved power, and the only people they respected were those with more power that wouldn’t bend to their will.

John smirked as he started to tap on the control keyboard. Lorne noticed that Sheppard wasn’t using the English keyboard, unlike everyone else. “I didn’t threaten a single person; I simply had lunch with my brother.”

“That doesn’t cause the IOA to freak out.” McKay pointed out.

John was still focusing on restricting Weir and Caldwell from moving around the city, so he was distracted. “We were having dinner with Miko’s brother?”

“The Ambassador?” Rodney was guessing, but it was the only one that would make sense.

John nodded. “Yes, my family’s company has business there, and they were concerned we’d be pulling out of Japan. So like a good son who wants to help his family. I went along to play translator.”

“How did it go?”

John smirked. “We’re staying, have better rates, and I freaked out Kinsey with one conversation he couldn’t understand. Funny – I got back to base, and the IOA are under the impression that they might not be as relevant as they thought.”

Rodney snickered. “Well, if there is one thing that trumps everything, it is literal power.”

John smirked, “Which is what Sheppard Industries excel in, and they’ve now made the link. Idiots. It is not like I’ve ever hidden my heritage.”

Rodney watched as Sheppard crisscrossed circuits in ways that made no sense. It was beautiful to watch John work, and if someone tried to gain access again – good luck. They would need it. He’d encrypted the system in base eight and base ten algorithms and overlaid them one on top of the other. He was more than happy to give a compliment where it was due, in his own way, “I’m so proud you’re using your brain.”

John pouted at his friend’s sarcasm but was able to give as good as he got. “I object and see if I check your Math anymore.”

“You aren’t supposed to admit it!” Rodney flushed because he’d always claimed that a maths sprite checked his work.

John whirled around on his chair. “Right, you should be glad to know that Colonel Caldwell and Dr Weir are now restricted to the Western training rooms.”

“They’ve been weaving around the city since they took over their bodies.” Lorne pointed out. It was one of two issues he couldn’t subdue what he couldn’t catch, not to mention that they were both his superior officers made it difficult to shoot them.

John snorted because he didn’t know why people had started to doubt his word. “You’ve heard it yourself – the city likes me better. She is upset with Rodney for letting the interlopers get access to her systems though I’d expect a few cold showers.”

“Atlantis may like you better, but she doesn’t speak to you,” Rodney said, biting his lip in concern. He was slightly worried because he didn’t like the idea that the city may be mad at him over something. She’d helped him earlier on, but that was because Rodney had made his request on John’s behalf. He was sure there was some sentience, but he hadn’t observed massive amounts.

“She might like you better, but she feels like you’re way too interested in her twin city.” John teased, making it sound more like he was teasing his friend than actually telling the truth. He hadn’t forgotten that he was supposed to be flying under the radar.

“You better be winding me up!” Rodney replied.

John smirked because he was winding his friend up, never resisting a chance, but only a little. “She gets it, she has a younger brother, and he is getting all the love right now.”

Rodney huffed but was mindful that they had someone with them, so he changed the subject instead. “Weir? What’s the plan?”

Lorne felt like the situation was now better than a potential clusterfuck. “If they’re contained, we can use teams to help contain them. So far, Ronan is tracking them to ensure no danger to other members.”

John thought about it and considered all the possible angles. “Pick the first year expeditions. We need people who won’t hesitate to shoot. Non-Lethal rounds, but we can’t risk a newbie being caught out.”

Rodney snorted. “In that case, it should be you and Ronan. We have already tried a strike team, and two are sleeping off their stunners.”

Lorne and Sheppard traded a look. It did make sense, even if it wasn’t protocol. In the first year, John had already shown that he had the skills to deal with an invasion independently, so two shouldn’t prove a difficulty. Being outside Earth command structures, Ronan would have no concerns about shooting a superior officer for their own good.

Sheppard tapped a hand on his radio. “Where are you, Chewie?”

Ronan sounded as delighted as he could be to hear that his team leader had returned. “Sheppard, are you going hunting?”

Sheppard snorted, “It’s on my to-do list today – Fancy coming along?”

“The city is locked down thanks to the body-jackers,” Ronan explained with frustration. He’d been trying to track the possessed Caldwell. The tracking had been going well until they’d taken control of the systems.

John snorted and wondered just how much of Ronan’s language skills had been ruined by the marines. “Try now. Atlantis is back under our control.”

Ronan muttered something in Satedan that John understood, and he started to smile inwardly. Atlantis didn’t like profanity, so she avoided translating it if at all possible.

“How come Satedan isn’t being translated?” Rodney asked suspiciously. He knew his best friend knew more than he was letting on.

John had an innocent look. “What’s it got to do with me? I don’t write language routines for the stargate.”

Rodney groaned. “You pick the worst times to take a break.”

John stood up and started to think about the nearest armoury. Atlantis provided a mental map showing him the most direct route. He wanted an energy weapon like Ronan’s, and if the city loved him – It could happen. He got the mental equivalent of a snort.

Get rid of my invaders first.

Chapter 6: Going on a hunt

John wondered out loud, “I want a zat. These are too bulky.” He referred to the Wraith stunner that was used currently in Atlantis.

The wall hissed, and John looked at the weapon cache revealed and smiled at the ceiling. “You’re my favourite.”

The shadow looming over him told him that his new friend had made it. “Hey, Chewie,”

Ronan was curious, “Where did you pen them in?”

John loved when Ronan and he thought alike. It was why they often partnered up, well, that and being ruthless without compunction if the situation called for it. “Western training rooms A and B.”

“You’ve managed to separate them?”

John shrugged. “As I understand it – they were trying to kill each other. So I asked the city to give me rolling shields that forced them into a specific place.”

“Yeah, if they were married, they need to talk to someone,” Ronan remarked. “They are going to die soon, anyway.”

John snorted at the practicality that would probably horrify other expedition members. “I hear you, buddy.”

Ronan primed his weapon. “You take Weir, and I will take Caldwell.”

John figured it was a clever division of labour. He and Caldwell were better now, but it probably would backslide if he shot him. Elizabeth was still skittish around Ronan, so it was sensible.

~*~

“Oh, you’re the one who locked us out!” Weir’s face contorted into anger. “I was having fun. You shouldn’t have stopped us.”

John smirked, zat raised, “Yep, the city likes me better.

“That would make you a creator.” She remarked, eyes glinting with interest.

John was glad that only Ronan was with him. “Something like that. Now, you’ve taken my friend’s body over, and it doesn’t belong to you.”

Weir shook her head, not agreeing with that narrative. She twirled around as if she wanted to show off. “I need it to take revenge.”

John wasn’t interested in her talking and zatted her in a switch up pattern, making no evasion possible. An athletic twist saw her escape the first shot, but the second one caught her in the stomach, dropping her to the floor.

John winced at the smack her head made against the floor. He was on the radio, using the private channel he’d established with Ronan. “Zat ends the possession.”

John hadn’t even finished his sentence when he heard the electrical charge over the speaker.

“I love this weapon,” Ronan declared, satisfaction oozing in his voice.

John looked up to see a hog-tied Caldwell slumped over Ronan’s shoulders. He wasn’t going to critique the choice as he was in the process of doing the same to Elizabeth. He believed the zat had ended the possession, but he wanted the infirmary to confirm it.

“Caldwell and Weir and neutralised, and we’re taking them to the infirmary. I want guards posted until we conform they are back in control.”

~*~

Weir woke up slowly. She clutched her head at the headache but was astounded to find she was the only one in her mind. That was the last time she did something altruistic without thorough vetting.

She saw that John had been recalled, so it wasn’t a dream. “Ouch. Where is the doctor?”

She groaned, realising that she didn’t even know who it would be currently with Beckett confined to quarters. Rodney and herself were analysing who would fit better into the role of CMO if they couldn’t find anyone suitable at the SGC before the discovery by SGA3.

Sheppard handed her some ice chips. He knew she would have many questions, but she needed a chance to recover first. “You know, if you wanted some entertainment, we could have organised a movie night.”

She snorted, but even that made her head pound more. She clutched her temple, regretting the move, “You’re not funny. Did you shoot me?”

John sighed and felt the need to correct it because he didn’t want to get the reputation of shooting his commanding officers. “I zatted you … And you can’t hold it against me as you were being possessed by a crazy lady.”

“Yes, I was.” She reassured him that she was only teasing. “Please tell me that Beckett hasn’t used this situation to weasel out of confinement.”

John smirked because the enlisted men had organised a guard to keep the man in his quarters. The Soldiers had not been too chuffed to find out that Beckett expected them to risk their lives to try and capture a live wraith. “He is in his quarters. Dr Keller is handling the paperwork temporarily, but I have a new doctor coming from the SGC. You will like her, but she needed time to leave, so she will take the next supply run on the Prometheus.”

Weir relaxed a little. “Good. I wanted to fire him so hard, but Rodney would be better at it.” She managed to sit up stubbornly, wanting to know what was going on with Atlantis. “Did you sort out what you wanted?”

John smirked because he wished people would stop doubting him. “I think the IOA are too concerned about how Sheppard Industries might be looking at solving the Stargate power issues.”

“Why would they think that?” Weir wondered out loud, knowing that John would have insight.

John smirked. “I went to dinner with Miko’s brother. It was actually unrelated, but General O’Neill will also take time to talk to Dave and my father in the next few days.”

Weir chuckled softly because that was a sweet power play and subtle from O’Neill. He might not like having to fly a desk, but he was the right man for the job. “Is he going to read them in on the programme?”

John could honestly say he had no clue. “All he said was he was debating it … I am not sure which I would prefer.”

She offered a wry smile, “The truth is often a difficult pill to swallow but usually ends up being the best option.”

John just touched her hand and said nothing. He was keeping a big secret because he had no choice. John had seen first-hand what the Alterrans did to those who broke the rules. He had a mission to see the Wraith end and if he could manage it, do something about the Ori.

One thing he was aware of – everything was getting more twisted and complicated. He’d lent on his Alterran side to ensure that the possessed aliens couldn’t gain access to the systems.

~*~

Rodney bit his lip with worry as he stood outside John’s room. He couldn’t believe he was reduced to doubt. Since he was four, he hadn’t been unsure about something and figured the physics laws were hard quantifiable facts. Rodney’s experiences would argue that some of those laws are up for debate, especially in distant galaxies.

John opened his door, and as a complete show-off, he was over the other side of the room. It just went towards Rodney’s theory because even the strongest ATA gene users like Miko and Lorne still needed to be near the doors to open them.

“Are you going to stand there?” John asked from inside. “You know if you keep flapping your jaw like that, you will make me debate your IQ.”

“Don’t be rude.” Rodney snapped. He’d had several shocks in a short period, but he hadn’t lost his brain.

John was teasing him. “Why? Should I leave it to you?”

Rodney snorted and flopped onto his couch. “I wanted to talk to you without nosey people listening in on us. Plus, you said it yourself. I have aspired to make rudeness an art form.”

John couldn’t deny the truth of the words. He was glad to have Rodney back because being on Earth without his best friend had sucked. “God, I wished you had been there for the boring dinner.”

“On a scale of One to Kavanagh. How bad was it?” Rodney had to ask.

John shrugged. “Kavanagh, although watching Kinsey sweat buckets and try to find someone who could speak Japanese to listen in on the conversation, was golden.”

“Why did you switch to Japanese?” Rodney knew of John’s language talents and figured it was part of his special operations past.

John shrugged. “You know Miko mentioned to you that her brother only ever deals in his native language. If you can’t deal with that, you don’t do business.”

“What did you broker a deal for? And why has it freaked the IOA out?” Rodney asked because Politics wasn’t a field John had ever been interested in. However, as they progressed as a city, it was clear that it would be a skill he should probably cultivate. The good thing was he trusted John to explain it without making a big deal about it.

John snickered. “One of our sub-companies makes the heavy-duty transformers used in breaking electricity up ready for the power station hubs. It is something that Japan needs right now.”

“You’re Dad knows some interesting people,” Rodney remarked in a tone that suggested he was looking for a bit more information.

John snorted at the sarcasm. “No, he knows people with money and smart people who he can employ to make him money.”

Patrick Sheppard had lived with that maxim, and it had been his guiding principle in business. It had worked well for him as he’d turned the company from a state utility company into a robust fortune 100 company. There was a reason why the IOA was worried. Sheppard Industry profits could fund the SG annually. John’s Trust fund alone could put a severe dent into the Atlantis costs.

John hadn’t even told the IOA what they should truly fear. He had been discussing the idea of making the city self-sufficient with Ally to see if it was feasible. The expedition could now recharge ZPMs, so it would be back to its original aims once Atlantis was repaired.

“Is he the take no shit and hold no prisoner’s type?” Rodney asked carefully. He was so proud of himself for not being blunt.

John rolled his eyes and asked with a smirk. “Are you asking if I come by my personality honestly?”

“Yes,” Rodney replied plainly. He saw no reason to be coy but considering his own tense relationship with his parents. Rodney did recognise that John might prefer to avoid the conversation altogether. It did seem that John had got something from his trip back to Earth as he was calmer. Rodney was pleased because it meant he didn’t have to devote time on how to ruin someone from a galaxy far away.

John shook his head. “You are, but you’re not asking the right question.”

Rodney rolled his eyes, but he should have guessed that John wouldn’t make this conversation easy on him. “I do love your taciturn nature.”

John’s grin turned to shit-eating. “You’re the talker out of the two of us.”

Rodney rolled his eyes because he wasn’t impressed by the cute attempt at deflection. “Are we going to talk about the fact you shut the city down with a thought?”

John tilted his head to the side, and Rodney reminded himself there was a reason no one wanted to play poker with the Military Leader. “Did I? I could have sworn that I input my codes.”

Rodney just gave him a look but needed John to know he was on his side. Rodney suspected something was going on with John’s genetics, so he could understand why the man might be reticent to say something. “Listen, whatever is going on, you can trust me. I know something is going on in that brain of yours, and I just want you to know that I am here.”

John touched his shoulder, not wanting to dismiss Rodney as he knew what a big deal it was for him to show vulnerability. “I’m okay,” John promised. “Some things are just a little stronger since my return but not in ways I can admit to without drawing unwanted attention. When Beckett was CMO, there was no way I was saying anything, and now there has been one disaster after another.”

“Not enough to float off again, right?” Rodney asked quietly, unable to hide his distress at the thought that might be on the cards once again. He didn’t think he could watch John ascend again without the chance to join him. The time with John away from Atlantis had sucked worse than being marooned in Siberia.

John shook his head and showed Rodney just how serious he was in his sentiment. “Buddy, I will stay right here and be annoying you with crazy stunts for ages to come.”

“You better.” Rodney felt the need to point out, “If you want to fool people, you should probably use the English interfaces … like everyone else.”

John blinked and didn’t say much because he hadn’t even realised that he’d switched, “I can do that, sure thing. Please elbow me if I slip?”

John was just praying that the Alterrans nor the Wraith made him a liar today.

Chapter 7: To Remain a Secret

Carson growled when the chime for his door went off once again. It was bad enough that he’d been confined to his room and lost his access to the mainframe, but now he could get no rest. “Do I not deserve peace?”

The door opened against his wishes, and Stackhouse and Markham stood patiently on the other side. It was clear from their demeanour that refusal was not an option. He tried to keep his dignity, but it sounded whiney even to his own ears, “Where am I required?”

Sergeant Stackhouse was the one to answer as Markham seemed only to want to glare at him. He hadn’t been discrete when forced to stay in his quarters. He may have shared a few opinions about Colonel Sheppard, which might not have been clever with the military members’ loyalty to Sheppard.

“Dr Weir and Colonel Sheppard want to discuss your situation with you.”

Beckett snorted with derision because a discussion implied there was a choice. “What is there to discuss? Dr Weir fired me for daring to question her choice!”

Stackhouse shrugged, unwilling to engage in meaningless conversation with the bigotted fool. He knew what the Doc had wanted to do with the Wraith and agreed with Dr Weir. “That is not for me to decide, Dr Beckett. You will have to head to the conference room and find out.”

Markham smiled darkly, still pissed by the crap he spouted when confined to his quarters. “I’m hoping the Colonel will let us use you for hunting practice.”

Beckett wisely grabbed his coat and followed the Sergeants without asking any more questions. It was clear that he didn’t have a sympathetic audience at the moment, and he didn’t see the point in wasting his breath.

~*~

Carson had a sinking feeling of despair, seeing the conference room. The panels were opaque, meaning the senior staff wanted privacy, which never boded well. As he entered, he took note of his so-called friend, Rodney, not being present. He tried to take some control back in the discussion. “What is the agenda? You can’t decide my fate without the Chief Scientist’s approval.”

Weir quirked an eyebrow because if Carson was expecting Rodney to support him, he was about to be tragically disappointed. “Sit down, Dr Beckett, and remember that you do not run this city.”

Sheppard smiled and helpfully added. “He has also managed to alienate every military member with his rants, so he is all out of friends.”

Beckett huffed and had to physically stop himself from folding his arms across his chest. “So what is the point of this meeting? It is clear that you have not changed your mind.”

Weir stared at him aghast. “Did I suddenly change my mind at indulging in your medical experimentation on a sentient race that goes against everything I believe? Yes, you’d be correct that I haven’t changed my mind.”

Sheppard looked up from his report. “So, what should we do with Dr Beckett?”

Weir declared definitively. “We cannot keep him as part of the expedition. All staff have refused to work with him.”

Beckett didn’t get it. He wasn’t a monster, and all he wanted to do was stop the killing. Yet, he was sitting here and listening to two people, who had control of his fate, talk about him like he was a nuisance. “I’m not a broken pet!”

Weir stood up, no longer hiding her fury. “The only thing broken on you is your moral compass!”

Beckett didn’t appreciate the verbal attack as it was patently untrue in his mind. “That is not fair. I am advancing science, which means we need to take risks.”

Weir figured Beckett needed some cold hard truths, but she doubted he would take in anything she said in all honesty. “You don’t give enough consideration to the risks in your work.” She paused, “And the CSO has learnt to be leary of your judgement since Hoff.”

Beckett was furious because that wasn’t fair. He’d done what he’d promised, “I gave them a vaccine.”

Sheppard felt the need to interrupt. “You know a vaccine that kills off half of the population on Earth would see the makers in jail for medical neglect.”

“This is not Earth, and people of Hoff risked death from being eaten.” Beckett reminded them. It was like they kept forgetting what the Wraith could do in an instant.

That argument was trite and old, and John sighed and offered a blunter response than perhaps the Doctor was expecting. “You know the fact that the Wraith eat people is fucked up, but more so if we lose all our principles in trying to win.”

“You have no problem killing every one of them that you come across.”

Sheppard wondered how they all missed that Beckett was three fries short of a happy meal. It was like the idea of the Geneva Convention was advisory guidelines to Beckett. “Yeah, because they attack us. I won’t let them kill our people.”

Beckett huffed because it was like they were deliberately obtuse with him. “This is why I asked Mr Woolsey to argue on my behalf with the IOA.”

Sheppard rolled his eyes at such a weak comment. “No, you did that because your feelings were hurt when McKay and Zelenka turned down your research until you clarified your ideas.”

Beckett had to make them see his idea could work as this would be his last chance. “This could change everything in our interactions with the Wraith and the people of this galaxy.”

Weir asked, rather pointedly, “Do the Wraith want to be humanoid?”

Beckett didn’t get the question, “Why wouldn’t they?”

Sheppard was the one to answer, having had the most interactions and walked away unscathed. “They think themselves gods. So why would they choose to lower themselves to mortal levels?”

“That’s crazy.” Beckett dismissed the idea out of hand.

Weir asked him another question. It was like they were trying to keep him off balance. “So your drug will permanently alter their DNA?”

“It would if I’d be allowed to administer it.”

Sheppard knew he’d surprise the Doctor, but he’d read the entire proposal. “So how often will you have to use booster jabs to sustain the suppression? You’ve factored that into the costs?”

Beckett didn’t like what he was assuming. It was like he was deliberately throwing up barriers to stop its success. “There is no reason to believe it wouldn’t be permanent!”

Sheppard challenged him, “So why is my DNA pure again?”

Beckett shrugged because it had been an annoying side-effect of his de-ascension after the sanctuary planet incident. He may be angry, but Carson wasn’t stupid, he replied. “You had a fortunate accident.”

Sheppard shook his head in disbelief like Beckett’s ideas were horrifying. “You don’t get it. You haven’t accounted for a shock causing their system to revert to their original DNA just like I did.”

Beckett growled in annoyance because this discussion was just going around in circles. “You’re just throwing up barriers.”

“No, I am really not.”

Weir took over because she wondered if there was anything that could break through his thick skull. “You said in your proposal that they would lose memories of their past life.”

“Essentially, that is the case, so we can teach them a new way of living,” Beckett explained, pleased that they were moving on to what would be needed once he administered the cure.

Weir continued her summary. “Apart from being stunningly arrogant. Where will we house this new baby population that would need to be trained to survive? How much manpower and money should we commit to this theoretical endeavour?”

“We’ve risked more for other experiments.” Beckett didn’t get why they judged him harshly when Rodney destroyed a solar system. McKay had been given a dressing down and frozen out for a week, and then everything was back to normal.

Sheppard narrowed his eyes and wondered if the man would have the guts to say it instead of implying it. “Not that would run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The Arctus project had limited casualties because McKay mitigated the risks. Your cure would create a prison population that would need to be monitored forever.”

Sheppard noted that Beckett finally didn’t have a thing to say. He finished his sentiments by asking rhetorically, “You can’t think that this cure is an effective solution.”

Rodney stormed in and glared at his former friend. “We have a new mystery.”

“Is it going to kill us?” Sheppard asked with a calmness showing how long he’d lived in Atlantis. He tended to categorise mysteries into three categories; serious (those that kill), intriguing (need the scientists to decode) and annoyances (Scientists causing problems).

Rodney shrugged because he didn’t like to make predictions about such things. “Who knows, but if we’re going to find out, then we need Caldwell to give us a lift.”

Beckett growled in anger because McKay had just destroyed his chance to convince Weir and Sheppard of his research’s legitimacy. He didn’t bother to hide his exasperation. “They’re deciding my fate, Rodney. Do you not think that this could wait?”

Rodney gave him a dismissive glare. “No.”

Beckett frowned. “And why not?”

Rodney snorted because he’d not seen the need to be present for this meeting as he had already handed in his recommendations. Still, he wasn’t willing to put up with the attitude, “I don’t think you understand the purpose of this meeting. It is deciding if you are working at area 51, in prison or being allowed to leave the programme with routine monitoring.”

“I have friends who will see me safe.” Carson tried to complain. He was too valuable for the people back on Earth if Atlantis were too sniffy at his ideas of using genetics to help improve things.

Sheppard snorted because if the man was banking on the IOA to save him, then he was out of luck. “I guarantee if you want to play this game, Carson, I will win.”

As Rodney was a vindictive son of a bitch and proud of it. He chose to let Beckett know just how badly he’d misjudged his importance, “His Daddy got told by the President how brilliant John is for the programme.”

Carson sucked in a breath, “So what is my fate?”

Elizabeth had been mentally typing her report as the conversation had continued. She didn’t think he could be allowed to leave the programme. He was intelligent, but he would need close monitoring as he couldn’t work without strict oversight. “I think you are the worst type of Doctor. I will be recommending to General O’Neill that they revoke your medical license. I will state that you could work under close supervision if that is possible.”

“So a gilded cage?” Beckett sneered. He couldn’t believe that one decision they didn’t like could see him lose everything. It was ridiculous.

Sheppard replied calmly. “Better than the Wraith cage for the rest of your life?”

He said it in such a calm way that it managed to sound more threatening. From the tone, it was also clear that it had been a suggestion floated regarding his fate.

Beckett had to plead for them to see reason. He was why so many of the expedition could even use Atlantean technology. “After everything I have done. You’re just going to throw me out like rubbish.”

Colonel Sheppard looked at Weir, and Carson could see the silent conversation. He held his breath, knowing this was integral to what happened to his future. Beckett’s hopes were dashed when Sheppard bellowed. “Sergeants!”

Stackhouse and Markham appeared and stood, waiting for his orders.

Weir was the one to issue the final orders. “Please see Dr Beckett back to his quarters. I want to be able to transfer him to the Daedulus the minute it lands.”

Sheppard added, not having liked his reaction to the news. “If he resists, cuff him or zat him.”

Stackhouse grinned like he’d been given a gift. “Yes, Sir. Come along, Dr Beckett.”

Ally was jumping for joy in John’s mind, even as he could feel some guilt at the same time.

The conversation restarted once the room was only John, Elizabeth and Rodney. The lights warmed like the city was happy and wanted them to relax. John sent a mental thank you to Ally as the talk with Beckett had made his head hurt.

John was the one to ask, all too ready to dive into something that wasn’t dealing with Beckett. “So, what is this mystery? And why is Atlantis feeling excited and guilty at the same time.”

“She needs to pay closer attention to her little brother,” McKay replied sarcastically. He was also looking at John funnily, and John mentally kicked himself. He would need to mind what he said because he trusted Rodney and Elizabeth, but bad habits are head to break, and his secrets need to remain hidden.

John sighed because he’d forgotten all about the other city with all the excitement of returning to Earth and then the assassin episode. It sounded crazy, considering the medieval hostage fiasco he’d endured. “What has Poseidon done?”

He’d been looking forward to getting the second city up and running so they could use it as a beta site. It would beat the tent city that currently served as their beta site.

Rodney snorted because his friend sounded like an exasperated father. He wouldn’t say anything about it until they were alone. “So I should say it wasn’t Atlantis, and I still have yet to have the city talk to me.”

John said nothing because ATA positive members had described feeling things from the city. He had just never confirmed whether his statements came from conversations or just the strength of his gene. He needed to be careful as he couldn’t afford to reveal his genuine connection to the city and draw the ancient elders’ attention.

“Rodney, focus.” John tried to bring his best friend back on track. McKay tended to ramble when super excited, as was the way of scientists.

Rodney rolled his eyes, “Yes, yes. So the scientists reactivated Poseidon’s mainframe now it is in its new home.”

Sheppard wasn’t sure how that was a source of great excitement, but he was willing to roll with Rodney’s storytelling. “Okay, we knew this because we intend to have it up and running as a beta and training site. What is the mystery?”

Rodney rolled his eyes because he wished people would sometimes let him finish his thoughts. “Yes, but he activated a beacon call for all things Ancient to return home.”

Weir knew that a weird scrambled signal had appeared yesterday, but it hadn’t originated in the city. “You mean the weird scrambled signal from yesterday.”

John guessed that Atlantis had known what the signal was, which was the source of guilt. He would be talking to Ally when the time was right, but they still weren’t at what was making Rodney bounce like Tigger. “So what happened after the beacon was active? And please tell me Zelenka and his team have deactivated it?”

“It’s no longer active and lasted thirty seconds at most,” Rodney replied. “And, of course, Zelenka disabled it.”

John would like to be reassured, but he knew that once a message was out in the open – You couldn’t undo it. “Good to know, but you haven’t said what the mystery is or why you are bouncing like Tigger on sugar?”

Rodney glared because he had three PhDs. He had more dignity than to bounce like a cartoon. “That’s rude.”

John shrugged because he called it as he saw it, “You know I love you, buddy, but we’d really like to know what this mystery is before Carson is back on Earth.”

Rodney showed them his tablet and pointed at a flashing blip. “There is a ship, and it looks to be Ancient.”

John’s mind was racing, trying to see if he’d forgotten any living. He could see Elizabeth get swept up in the excitement of it all. “It would be ten thousand years old.”

John was logistically figuring out how they would get there. He looked at the region, “It is stuck way out on the edges of the Pegasus. The gate network does not cover that area of space.”

He started to run the trajectories and distance math in his head. “And it would be a two-week trip one way in a puddle-jumper.”

Elizabeth was glad to be free of the Beckett affair, and a mystery sounded perfect. “You mean to say there is a real live Ancient Ship floating around in space?”

Rodney nodded. “We can’t read anything this far away, so we need the Daedulus, but the possibilities are huge.”

John was careful because he had a source of information that he couldn’t admit too much at the moment. “Did the ship have an ID?”

Rodney grinned. “Aurora. Fitting as she has been asleep for so long.”

John asked Ally to search the entire banks for what was known about the Aurora. He would figure a way to stumble across the information if anything positive came from it.

You have to find it!

John frowned because he couldn’t recall the city feeling this anxious before even when it was underwater and the shield was failing.

No one likes the idea of drowning.

John couldn’t argue with Ally’s point, in all honesty. He had to remember he was in mixed company. He mentally asked, “What is so important about Aurora?”

They were looking for a way to end the Wraith.

John tracked the date that flashed in his mind, and it was only a few months before mass ascension started to avoid the Wraith. He hoped his grandfather intended to pop into his dreams soon because he had a few questions. “If I ask you nicely, can you make this information easy to find for Miko?”

You are not going to be able to hide forever, Little Brother.

John knew it to be true. However, he had no intention of being pulled back to ascended status until he’d a) ended the Wraith threat and b) managed to ask Rodney out.

You should stop being stupid and ask him out then.

John didn’t even dignify that with an answer. Okay, so part of it was that he didn’t have a great response to give. He now had to convince Caldwell that they should take a side trip.

Chapter 8: Down the Rabbit Hole

“You want me to take a trip where?” Caldwell wasn’t sure why Sheppard would see anything of strategic value travelling in one of the most obscure space regions in both galaxies.

“To investigate this signal.”

Caldwell just gave him a look, and Sheppard sighed. “Look, McKay found the signal, and I think the ship may have information about how to kick the Wraith’s ass, at least according to Atlantis. You know me, Colonel, I am always up for new ways to do that.”

Caldwell was a by the book guy, but he was willing to take a chance for actionable intel on an enemy. However, he wasn’t the type to chase a fool’s errand. “What are the odds that the ship is in a fit state to be useful?”

Sheppard shrugged as there was simply no way to know without a visual inspection. He was honest with Caldwell, as he was asking the Colonel to take his ship there, and the man deserved to understand the risk. “We know that it could respond to the beacon that Poseidon sent out, but we will have no idea … unless we go and take a look.”

“And why do you need the Daedulus?” Caldwell was looking to see if all avenues were explored. “No ship or gate close by?”

Sheppard shook his head and explained the bigger picture, such as it was right now. “You know the ship emitted a beacon for a short burst. Scans show no Wraith in the area right now, but they could easily have picked up the same signal. It could lead them to scavenge Ancient material we do not want them to have access to without risking Earth.”

Caldwell understood what he was not saying. “And you don’t want to be sitting with your asses in the wind if they get curious.”

Sheppard nodded, “Yeah, I do not want to get into a dogfight with a Cruiser in just a Puddlejumper” Sheppard paused and offered his other reason. “Yep, I have just come back from Earth. If you allow us to use the Daedulus, we can cut this mission down to a few days.”

“And my crew can’t investigate it because?” Caldwell had been pushing to let his crew take on some exploration tasks. It would give their supply runs some variation to keep his crew from rotating through boredom.

Sheppard pointed at Rodney, who was practically vibrating with energy. “Foremost expert in old dead ancient technology, and it seems to like me and tends to work if I ask it.”

Caldwell sighed with annoyance. “You know my crew won’t get the experience if they never get a chance.”

“They can take the next Ancient ship,” John promised him, which was extremely unlikely given the odds of there being another Ancient ship.

Caldwell shook his head but gave in with some grace. “Be ready in ten.”

Sheppard looked at the team behind him, but he knew they would be ready. “We’re ready.”

Sure enough, Ronan had his extra field equipment ready to go, and Rodney had already prepped his to-go bag for the journey. He loved the efficiency of his team, and they’d weathered too many scrapes to not trust each other implicitly, even Ronan, who was relatively new to Atlantis.

~*~

John was standing on the bridge of the Daedulus, waiting to get the first look at their mystery ship. He had no idea what it would look like after ten thousand years of wear and tear. He hadn’t managed to get any time to try and sneak a conversation with any of the Ascended Beings who would still talk to him.

He wasn’t alone as Rodney was huffing audibly next to him. “We’re still too far away to get a visual.”

John wanted to roll his eyes but refrained, knowing it would only make Rodney turn his snark on him. He instead looked at Marks, who had the conn, “Have you got any more information?”

Marks shook his head, “No, Sir. Just the blip you can see on the radar, and the fact the ship is broadcasting low EMF so it could return the beacon call.”

“How?” Caldwell still hadn’t figured out how the Ancient ship could survive in deep space for ten thousand years. It was a miracle because he thought about how much maintenance the Daedulus needed after a six-week round trip. This ship had been left floating around in the black of space for over ten millennia, and he would assume the power had failed.

Sheppard had no idea either, but he was eager to find out the answer as it would mean they would have one up on the Ancients, who hadn’t even noticed that they had lost a ship. “That is one of the reasons that we’re checking it out.”

“Do you think there is anyone alive?” Caldwell caught the implication.

Rodney took over and answered for him, clearly becoming more and more enthused by the mission as they got closer to the mark. “That would be the gold standard, but I would take a working computer core that we can tap into the memory banks.”

John wasn’t going to squash the enthusiasm. Although if that was the case, he might end up in a precarious position. “Who knows? It wouldn’t be the first time that met someone over ten thousand years old.”

Rodney shuddered at the memory of the ancient Elizabeth that they had encountered a few months ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago with all that was going on. “Old Elizabeth was creepy.”

John shrugged as he couldn’t say anything as he had spent some time with even older people. Granted, they had no bodies, but he was pretty sure it counted. “You’re not wrong.” He stared at the screen and pointed at the edge of the radar screen. “Wraith but looks like a scout ship.”

“Where?”

John pointed at the very edge of the sensor. Sure enough, the proximity alert kicked in.

“Battle stations,” Caldwell ordered.

John knew the best thing for his team to do was stay in the background. Caldwell and his team trained for these battles. He was ready to jump in should Caldwell ask, but this wasn’t his command, and he wouldn’t step on the man’s toes.

“Shoot when lock acquired.” Caldwell wasn’t going to drag this out. They needed the ship to stay off people’s radars long enough to get the information and decide what to do with it.

“Target destroyed.” Marks informed the crew, but more from rote, as everyone could see it on the display screen.

“Let’s hope this ship is worth it,” Caldwell muttered. Although, he was more interested as the Wraith had been willing to risk resources for the ship.

~*~

The battle was said and done but now was the fun part – The exploring. They finally got a look at the old ship, and sadly, Aurora looked its age.

“It’s barely spaceworthy.” Caldwell pointed out because he felt that losing mission-essential assets for Atlantis was worth this.

Sheppard shrugged because he’d take it. He didn’t need it to be space worthy, just solid enough that he could dock the puddle jumper. “If the computer is online, we need the data. McKay, what can you tell from here?”

McKay threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, “The bridge has power but no air. There is something. but it looks like it is shielded, so I can’t say anything more without a closer look.”

Sheppard nodded, and that made it an easy decision. “Spacesuits and weapons, hot people.”

Caldwell let them know. “We will give you as much time as possible, but if the Wraith starts to converge, we are out of here, and I am beaming your asses back with no argument.”

“Thank you, Colonel Caldwell.” John finished because if he could find the way to end the Wraith, it was worth the Spacesuit.

~*~

The ship was almost breaking apart at the seams of the hull. Teyla still was surprised and in awe of what she could see from the vessel, “There is still power in this ship.”

McKay was perplexed, twirling around on the spot to do a visual inspection. It didn’t make any sense, not with what they’d learned about the Ancient’s last few years in the area. “Yes, but how?”

John wasn’t in the mood to guess. The ship didn’t feel right, but he could feel the thrum in his bones of active alterran technology in the area. He wanted to get answers and get the hell of the ship. “Where is the bridge? I don’t want to be in the spacesuits any longer than we have to be.”

McKay rolled his eyes because people called him impatient. He pointed down the corridor, guessing now wasn’t the time to talk. “That way.”

Ronan was glaring at something like there was an enemy around the corner. Sheppard wouldn’t dismiss the man’s instincts like he knew some personnel did on the city. “What is it, Chewie?”

“Something don’t feel right.”

Sheppard agreed, and while it wasn’t ideal, he figured splitting up might halve the time. “You and Teyla stick together. See if you can trace the power lines to a destination. We’ll head to the bridge and get the ship back to working condition.”

Teyla and Ronan wandered down the hall, and John had to smile at how the Satedan had his finger on the trigger, ready to go on the attack.

“How am I supposed to get this scrap of junk working?” McKay asked, not even trying to bite back his annoyance. They didn’t exactly bring anything with them that could fix a collapsed hull.

John didn’t blink at the angry question. “You mean to say you are not the foremost world expert on Ancient Technology.”

McKay narrowed his eyes in suspicion, “You’re not trying to Kirk me, are you?”

John smirked right back, giving Rodney one of his full blast smiles. “Oh, Rodney, if I want to flirt … You won’t be asking if I am.”

Rodney gulped, and it was precious to see, but now was not the time. He would have this chat when they were back home on Atlantis. He pointed on his tablet to this system, “So the power is being taken up by this shielded area.”

“So what’s in the shielded box?” John asked.

Rodney shrugged, “Let’s go find out.”

Teyla interrupted Rodney’s retort with her own report. “Colonel Sheppard, I think you need to see this!”

McKay looked as intrigued as John and figured the only way they would get an answer was to find Teyla and Ronan.

John could see Teyla standing at something just behind his viewpoint, so he gestured for Rodney to follow him. It was obvious what she’d found. There were pods, and he got a sinking feeling. “There better not be another old Elizabeth in there.”

Rodney caught the implication. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

John shook his head. “No, and I am guessing with the shielding power consumption that if we search the ship, we will find the whole crew complement in these pods.”

Rodney didn’t get it. “What did they hope to achieve?”

Ronan shrugged because he didn’t see the point in pontificating useless facts.

Teyla had been checking out the different pods and noticed some key differences. “I would guess, given the changing uniforms, the bridge crew are here.”

Rodney plugged his tablet into the first pod to try to ascertain what was going on. He was both elated and disappointed at the same time. “So, no surprise, there is brain function present, but they are so old. If we unplug them, they will die.”

“Okay.” John had guessed that would be the case as stasis slowed things, but ten thousand years would take its toll. “So why are you excited?”

Rodney’s eyes were alight with new science. “There is a signal moving between the Pods.”

Teyla was unsure of what he was implying and preferred to ask and be clear on the facts. “What are you trying to say?”

John was the one to answer as he could guess what technology he was sensing with his extra abilities. “He is saying that they are talking to each other.”

“Like a simulation?” Ronan had seen the marines use them in their training games. He was more a fan of action based forms, but the trainers from Earth had unique ideas.

“It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen this, Chewie.” John wasn’t too keen on the simulations either.

McKay hated this. They had come so far and so close to being able to talk to a living Ancient. “Well, that’s just great. They have vital information, and we can’t join the conversation.”

John wasn’t so sure that was the case, but it would be risky. He would almost certainly have to reveal his unique status if this went to plan. “What if we could?”

“Is that a philosophical question because you do remember that I am a real scientist.”

John smirked and knew the snark was because he didn’t see John’s plan. “Teyla, Chewie, go and see if you can find an empty pod.”

McKay stared in disbelief and had a sinking feeling. “You intend to join the simulation?”

Caldwell was on the open mic and didn’t like this idea. He wasn’t naive. They now had two ancient cities, and it had been made clear who their favourite person was on the expedition. “You have no idea if it will even let you.”

It wasn’t strictly true. John knew he could do it. “I’m practically one of them, Colonel, at least in the eyes of technology.” He backtracked slightly, not wanting to make the team suspicious.

Caldwell sighed. “Whatever you do, do it quickly. Your time in the suits is running out.” He was sure they would have company again, having already destroyed the Wraith Scout ship. “We should be expecting company looking for their lost friends.”

John moved over to the empty capsule and looked at his clothes. He would stand out from the crowd on the Alteran ship in his Atlantis uniform. He was in a catch-22 because he could hardly go over to the unit where he knew some uniforms would be present, which would help him blend.

“What?” Ronan asked, seeing his team leader’s unease.

John looked down at his uniform and gave a rueful shrug, “I’m not going to pass for an Alterran with what I am wearing.”

Teyla pointed out a logical compromise, “You’re aware that it is a simulation, Colonel. And you have already shown skill at manipulating your environments when faced with a similar situation.”

John couldn’t argue with that point. He just wished that it wasn’t a learnt skill. They’d been faced with a planet that had tried to trick them that they’d been back on Earth when it was still an impossible dream. John’s awareness of their reality meant he had ensured no secrets had been spoiled. “Who knew playing so many computer games would come in handy?”

Rodney bit his lip with worry. “I don’t like you going in alone. We’re a team, and you get into too much trouble on your own.”

John didn’t take it personally, knowing that the Sanctuary planet had affected them all differently. In Rodney’s mind, John had ended up dead the last time they had split up. John patted Rodney’s shoulder and tried to be reassuring as it was rare for Rodney to show people his insecurities, and he didn’t want Ronan or Teyla teasing him. “It is why I need you out here if things go badly that way you can rescue my ass.”

The pod opened up with a thought and hiss. Rodney would argue but knew that look, “The pod will not freeze you, but the electrodes should allow you to join the conversation.”

“Let’s go down the rabbit hole.”

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