Reality Check
Hey friends!
After watching Star Trek Into Darkness, I found a few good ST fanfics I enjoyed, mainly by Kodiak Bear and beamirang on FF.net. This caused my plot kitty to drag in the start of a crossover fic.
John Sheppard and Jim Kirk meet. “Oh my god, you’re real?!!”
This will have plenty of snark, comedy and probably a lot of h/c too. There will be wraith and possibly Klingons!
Drop me a note and let me know what you think!
Chapter 1
Panting hard, Ronon turned, Sheppard’s weight on his shoulder reminding him why they were running so hard. Spying the clearing ahead, he put on an extra burst of speed, Teyla keeping pace beside him while McKay scurried ahead to the Jumper. The lights were on as he charged up the ramp, turning to cover Teyla as the ramp rose even as the ship started ascending.
Dropping her P90, Teyla helped him ease Sheppard to the deck. The hastily applied bandages were soaked through, especially the ones on his right arm. The bandages swathed across his abdomen and around his right leg were bright red as well, although not quite near saturation as the others. Riffling through the medical supplies, Teyla found a rubber tourniquet and tied it around John’s arm before she removed some of the bandages. Sprinkling QuikClot on the wounds, she applied new pads, tying them in place with quick movements. With the bleeding slowed from his worst injuries, Teyla started an IV, handing the bag to Ronon to hang up as he pulled the oxygen tank down. John’s eyes flickered open as she settled the mask in place.
“Shhh, John, do not speak.” Teyla stroked his cheek. “You are badly injured and we are headed for the Gate.”
“Ronon, Teyla, grab Sheppard and hang on tight!” Rodney’s voice cut over anything else she might have said. “There’s some kind of anomaly in the way! I’ll try and go around it!”
Teyla lifted her head slightly from her hunched position to protect John. “What kind of anomaly is it?”
Hurriedly tweaking controls, Rodney snarled back an answer. “Excuse me, even though I’m a genius, there is only one of me and right now it’s busy trying to get our idiot leader back home so Carson can patch him up again!”
“Rodney, panicking will not do John or any of us any good.” Teyla chided. “Calm down and concentrate. Let the Jumper help you.”
Taking a deep breath, Rodney calmed a bit at the Athosian’s wise words. Maneuvering around the anomaly, he could see the Gate and was reaching for the DHD when a shock ripped through the small ship. “Now what?!” Rodney cried in frustration, his voice rising in pitch.
The DHD flickered then switched to a tactical view showing four Wraith Darts on their tail. They still had enough lead to make it through the Gate. Dodging to avoid their shots, Rodney closed on the Gate. One of the shots hit the anomaly which suddenly trebled in size, engulfing them all in a shimmering cloud.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Marking his place in his book, Jim Kirk set his PADD aside and yawned before reaching for his juice. Homecoming was a great book so far and an excellent follow up to Enemy at the Gate. Those idiots at MGM should never have cancelled Stargate Atlantis. Even over two hundred years later, it was still a great series. Heck, he could definitely sympathize with that Sheppard guy wanting to get back to the fight and where he belonged. If he’d been there he would have rounded up the crew and hijacked the city. He was off duty at the moment, although as Captain, he was never really off duty as long as he was aboard and not in Sickbay. Resettling on his couch, black-clad legs stretched out along the cushions, Jim was just reaching for his PADD when his comm beeped. Turning slightly, he hit the button. “Kirk here.”
“Keptain, ve haff detected an anomaly on the outer edge of this sector.” Chekov’s unmistakable voice issued from the speaker.
“What kind of anomaly - spatial, temporal or other?”
“Ummm,” Chekov sounded slightly unsure. “It appears to be a combination of a dimensional and temporal, Sir. Also, ve haff detected a peculiar object near it.”
Jim sighed. Sometimes it was an exercise in frustration to get information out of Chekov. Just as Jim started to ask what kind of object, Spock’s voice came online.
“Captain, the object appears to be a ship, but it is of unknown design.” His Vulcan XO’s voice was smooth and unruffled. “The craft is small, approximately the size of one of our shuttles. We are detecting four life signs aboard, one of which appears to be in critical condition. They are not answering hails and are tumbling out of control.”
“Move to transporter range and beam the occupants over.” Jim swung his legs off the couch, reaching for his boots as he continued giving orders. Send them to Sickbay and let Bones give ‘em a once over. We can recover their craft once we’re a bit closer.”
“I anticipated your orders and we are already moving to intercept.” Spock informed his Captain. “ETA is 7.43 minutes.”
Jim grinned. “Then why’d you call me?” He couldn’t resist pulling the Vulcan’s tail, although Spock would just give him an eyebrow and inform him that Vulcans do not have tails. He could hear the eyebrow and slightly tilted head through the comm. “Because it is my duty to do so.”
Standing, Jim reached for his outer shirt. “I’ll be there in five. Kirk out.”
Walking quickly through his ship, Jim made the bridge in just under his stated arrival. Stepping from the turbolift, he shifted into command mode. “Status, Mr. Spock?”
The Vulcan rose from the center seat without losing a beat. “Due to the fluctuation in the life sign readings, we increased speed. We will be entering transporter range in one minute.”
“Excellent.” Jim paused by the command chair, flipping the comm on. “Bones, you’ve got company coming. Four life signs - human according to the sensors, and at least one of our guests is injured. I have security on the way in case any of them get … frisky.” He glanced at Spock and received a nod of acknowledgment. Security was already there.
“Yeah, I’ve already got two damn security teams standing around cluttering the place up.” Bones was only slightly irritated, his southern drawl barely noticeable.
“Captain, we are in transporter range. Beaming now.”
Jim spun on his heels. “Mr. Spock, let’s go see our guests. Mr. Sulu, you have the conn. Stay on course and recover their ship.”
The Japanese helmsman nodded in response. “Aye, Sir. I have the conn.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Leonard McCoy was not the biggest fan of the transporters. He felt it was unnatural to have your molecules disassembled then transmitted over impossibly long distances to be reassembled at the other end. There were days, however, that he felt it was worth it, especially if a life was in danger. With the upgrades in the system, it was possible to direct an incoming matter stream to certain other areas of the ship, such as the brig … or Sickbay. This was one of those days.
Knowing there were four incoming, he had Doctors M’Benga and Reed on duty as well as several nurses. When the first lights appeared in the center of the room, the staff spread out, each ready to jump into action. Three arrived in a jumble, the fourth off to the side slightly. Reed took the fourth, a man with thinning light brown hair. From his position, Bones figured he was probably the pilot.
Reaching in to move the topmost person, a tall man with shaggy hair and leather clothing, Bones was shocked to find himself with a face full of pistol. “Hey, whoa! Who the hell do you think you’re pointing that thing at?”
The man looked around warily. Bones got the impression he was used to waking up in strange places that usually weren’t friendly. “What is this place? Who are you?”
“You’re in Sickbay. I’m Doctor McCoy and we need to help your friends.” He pointed at the man and woman still lying on the deck.
“How do I know I can trust you?” The man mountain ground out.
Just as Bones started to answer, a familiar and welcome voice rang out.
“You don’t, but we did rescue you and we will help your friends so give us a chance. I’ll even let you keep your gun as long as you promise not to kill anyone without provocation. I’m assuming that pistol has a stun setting.” Jim said calmly even as he sized the guy up.
“Ronon, stand down, please.” The woman still on the floor placed a restraining hand on his leg. “John needs help. I cannot find a pulse.”
Shoving past the man, Bones thumped to the deck at the side of the injured man. Checking for himself, Bones started compressions. “Christine, get me a heart stimulator and .5 cc’s of metadrenaline. Mary, have the surgery prepped and get me five units of whatever blood type this guy is.”
“John’s blood type is O, Doctor McCoy.” Announced the golden-skinned woman seated hear his patient’s head.
“Good to know.” Bones nodded. “Mary, double check it and get those units ready. This guy needs surgery as soon as I get him back.” At that moment, John let out a gasp, his eyes opening briefly before sliding closed again. Without turning his head, he addressed his next question to her while running a tricorder over his patient. “Does he have any allergies? “
The woman nodded. “He does have a few allergies.” She reached under her jacket and came back with a small rectangle and held it out. “I have that portion of his medical records on here.”
Bones glanced at it. “What in Sam Hill is that?!”
“That, Doctor, is a flash drive.” Spock announced. “It is a portable data storage device from the early 21st century.”
“Well, I need the data off of it!” Bones snarled. “It does me no damn good if I can’t read it!”
“Calm down, Bones.” Jim soothed. “It’s not worth getting worked up.” He looked at his XO. “Spock?”
Spock reached down and took the proffered drive. “Give me just a moment and I shall have it.”
Jim glanced at his guests, his bright blue gaze assessing them. The brown haired man was still unconscious, suffering from a concussion judging from the knot on his forehead. The tall, shaggy guy had lowered his pistol but was still tense as he stood protectively over the couple on the floor. The woman knelt by the man’s head, stroking his hair and murmuring soothing words in a familiar gesture of comfort. The last member, the injured man, had dark hair and was wearing the remains of black military-looking garb. He watched as two orderlies pushed a gurney over and lifted the injured man onto it before sprinting to surgery, Bones alongside them.
Stepping forward, Jim held out a hand to the woman, his best charming smile on. She placed her left in his, a grateful smile touching her face. He noticed the wedding band and figured the match was on John, the guy they’d just wheeled out. “Your friend is in good hands. Bones is the best surgeon in Starfleet.” He ushered her and the tall man, Ronon over to two of the biobeds. “Now while Bones is fixing your friend, let M’Benga here check you out. Afterwards, I’d like to ask you some questions.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Hours later, an exhausted Bones trudged out of the surgical suite to face the gathered group. Jim and Spock were still there, chatting with the tall man and the woman. Conversation broke off as he approached.
“Well, he’s alive. I almost lost him twice, but he fought back. His wounds were extensive. I got the bleeders fixed and he’ll make a full recovery. “
“May we see him?” The woman’s calm voice was very soothing.
Bones shook his head. “In a little while. My staff is getting him settled in the tank.” He saw Jim’s eyes widen, he knew what that meant. At the woman’s quizzical expression, he explained. “Whatever got hold of him did major damage. He lost chunks of muscle and tissue. The regeneration tank will take care of that.” He approached and held out his hand. “Here, these were on him. I had to take them off otherwise they’d interfere with the regeneration.” Tipping his hand, he dropped the objects into hers.
The woman looked down at the objects, enclosing them in her hands as she bowed her head.
Ronon folded his arms around her. “Teyla, it’s alright. Sheppard’ll be fine.”
Jim softly cleared his throat, handing Bones a cup of coffee. “Teyla, Ronon, this is Doctor Leonard McCoy, my Chief Medical Officer. Bones, this is Teyla Emmagan Sheppard and Ronon Dex. Her husband is Colonel John Sheppard and the fourth member of their team is Doctor Rodney McKay, astrophysicist, who is currently enjoying the comfort of one of your biobeds.” Spock handed Bones a PADD. “We got as much information as we could.”
Bones looked it over. Between them, Jim and Spock had done a hell of a job. He shut the PADD off as Christine walked in and spoke softly in his ear. “Well, Mrs. Sheppard, we can go see your husband.”
Teyla smiled, bowing her head in thanks. “Please call me Teyla.”
Bones put on his Southern Gentleman in the face of her courtesy. “Certainly, ma’am. You can call me Leonard or Bones.” He held out his arm, waiting for her.
Teyla recognized the gesture. John used it when they went out, especially if it was a formal event. Placing her hand on the doctor’s arm, she bowed her head again. Ronon, Jim and Spock fell in behind them.
Stopping outside a door, the doctor released Teyla and turned to address the group. “Now, before we go in, I have to warn you. The wound sites look pretty gruesome. I had to remove a lot of damaged tissue. Fortunately, we can regrow what he lost and restore full functionality.”
Ronon got in Bones’ face. “You cut off his arm and leg?”
Jim stepped up, pushing between the two, resting a hand on Ronon shoulder. “Whoa, big guy, calm down. No, Bones said he had to remove tissue and that it will regrow. This is the 23rd century. The only people with prosthetics are those that are allergic to the procedure, which is very few or those cases where the injury was untreated too long.”
Opening the door, Bones ushered them all in. Jim and Spock stayed near the door while Bones shadowed Teyla and Ronon closer to the tank. The tank was about four feet deep and could be filled to various levels depending on the physiology of the life form. Its current occupant, John Sheppard, floated completely submerged in the tank, his dark hair moving slightly in the tank’s current. A breathing mask covered his face, the line of a feeding tube snaking under it and down his nose. Another apparatus covered his groin, taking care of bodily functions. The injury to his arm was the most visible. The limb was still there but the starkness of bone peeked through the muscle and tissue in a few places.
In the dimness of the room, Jim could see the blue sparkles where the tissue was regenerating. Deciding to chance it, Jim moved closer. Motioning at John’s arm, he pointed out the sparks. “Teyla, Ronon, see these flares? That shows that the process is working.” He considered the brightness and number of sparks. “Bones, is it my imagination, or is the tank working faster than usual?”
Bones grabbed a tricorder. “I’ll be damned! He’s another you!” He turned to Jim with the accusation in his eyes.
Jim laughed. “What, a stubborn bastard who refuses to fall in line with everyone’s expectations or someone with so damned many allergies that medical residents could spend a lifetime researching them?”
Ronon’s laughter joined Jim’s and even Teyla smiled. “That is Colonel Sheppard. He has spent most of his life defying and challenging expectations and norms. He defied his father to be a pilot and has conquered the doubts of his superiors, most of who felt he was not suitable for the post of Military Commander of a forward base.”
Spock spoke from the doorway. “If he inspires as much affection from those he commands as he does from the two of you then he must indeed be a very worthy commander.”
Teyla acknowledged Spock’s words with a small nod. “Colonel Sheppard’s troops are very loyal. Every one of them would follow him onto a Hive ship armed with only a knife if he asked it of them. However, he prefers to take on Hive ships with large amounts of heavy ordinance as Wraith are hard to kill.”
Finished with his readings, Bones made a few notes on John’s chart. “Well, he’s definitely healing faster. Everything is regenerating correctly, but he’ll be out in less time than normal.”
Jim took Teyla’s arm. “C’mon, the two of you would probably like to clean up then we can get something to eat. Colonel Sheppard is in good hands and he won’t be waking up anytime soon.”
Chapter 2
AN: I’m paraphrasing the definition of FINE from beamirang. It was too good to resist!
Waking in strange places was old hat to John Sheppard by now. Ever since he stepped through a Stargate for the first time, he’d awakened in some very strange places - some very beautiful, some very alien and some that were so dirty that the dirt didn’t even want to be there. But this was a first. He hadn’t even opened his eyes yet and he could tell this was a place like no other. The mattress under his back was firm, the sheet and blanket covering him were soft but there were no scents. The soft, rhythmic beeping over his head clued him in that he was in an infirmary, but where?
Listening intently, he didn’t hear any of the signs that would mean someone was with him, which meant he was alone and unguarded. A subtle twitch told him he was unrestrained. Focusing outwards, he heard the soft beeps from the monitors, the faint whisper of air through the vents and felt a subtle vibration that gave him a very telling clue - a pervasive vibration that could only be created by very large, powerful engines. This meant he was most likely on a ship, but whose? The mystery was compelling, but sleep was more persuasive and he slid back into slumber.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Sitting at John’s side, Teyla could not help looking around the Sickbay. The Captain had very graciously given them a tour of parts of his ship. It was very graceful and beautiful, and when she told him so, he blushed lightly and thanked her. For a starship, this ship was very open and well lit. The Daedalus was dim and cramped by comparison.
Hearing a soft beep, she glanced up and noticed that a few of the readouts had shifted. This had happened many times over the last several hours. It took two days for the tissue regeneration tank to restore John. His skin was still pale in those areas, but that would change quickly once they got back to Atlantis. Rodney awoke their second day with a moderate concussion. He was currently sleeping in the VIP suite they’d been assigned. Ronon was in the ship’s gym, sparring with some of the ship’s company. Doctor McCoy assured her that John would be waking soon. Mindful of his normal reaction to anesthesia, she had requested a bucket be left by John’s bed, which they had gratefully fulfilled.
Standing, Teyla decided to walk around the room. She spied crewmembers going about their duties, but each one took a moment to acknowledge her and smile, wave or both. A soft moan behind her heralded John’s possible awakening, which shifted to proven as his eyelids fluttered open. Grasping his hand, Teyla sent feelings of love his way while his mind sorted itself out.
“Teyla…?” His voice was scratchy, but he was aware and awake.
“John, it is good to see you awake.” She watched as his eyes took in their surroundings. “Relax. We are safe.”
“You alright?”
Teyla smiled and tightened her grip slightly. “I am fine as is Ronon. We had only very minor scrapes and bruises which were easily taken care of. Rodney has a concussion, but it is not a bad one and he is recovering well. Your injuries took some time, but you are nearly healed.”
John shifted on the bed, trying to sit up. He’d just propped himself up on his elbows when he turned green. Teyla grabbed the bucket and held it for him as his stomach divested itself of his recent meal. Focused on John, she did not notice Doctor McCoy enter the ward.
John was too busy trying not to lose his stomach and maybe a lung to notice who was around other than Teyla. It was therefore a surprise when he heard a soft hiss followed by a stinging pain in his hip. Instantly, a cool wave flowed from the injection site, bringing the nausea to a gradual stop.
“Better, son?”
Collapsing back, John looked up at the familiar words spoken by a southern drawl into an unfamiliar face. “Yeah, thanks.”
Teyla handed him a cup of water which he gratefully took, rinsing his mouth before the bucket was removed. Afterwards Teyla wiped his face with a washcloth traded for the bucket with a kind nurse.
“How’re you feeling?” The doctor asked as he picked up John’s wrist to check his pulse.
“Fine.”
The doctor snorted. “Oh, yeah, you and Jim are definitely cut from the same cloth. Colonel, your condition can only be labeled as fine if it’s used as an acronym for Fucked up, Insane, Neurotic and Emotional.”
Laughter greeted the doctor’s statement as several people walked in. John glanced over and spotted Ronon, Rodney and two other men, although their uniforms looked familiar.
One of the newcomers pointed at the Southern doctor. “Bones, give the guy a break! He just woke up and you’re already browbeating him!”
Bones crossed his arms in a huff. “Well, if he’s the least bit like you, Jim, this is the best time to do it.”
Jim peered over at McCoy’s lone captive as he approached the bed followed by Spock and Ronon. “Colonel Sheppard, welcome aboard the Enterprise. I’m her captain, James T. Kirk and this is my First Officer, Mr. Spock.”
At the names, John looked around at his surroundings more closely then up at Teyla. “Teyla, am I hallucinating?”
She shook her head. “No, John, you are quite lucid. Why would you think so?”
He waved one arm around. “This is the Enterprise.” He looked at the two men standing on the other side of his bed with Ronon. One had blond hair, the other black hair and slightly pointed ears. “Captain Kirk, I have to say you’re better looking than the one I used to watch on TV.” He swept his gaze to the other two men. “The gentleman with you would be Commander Spock of Vulcan and,” he chucked a thumb at the doctor, “this friendly fellow with the great bedside manner would be Doctor Leonard “Bones” McCoy.”
Spock stepped forward. “Curious. How is it that you are familiar with us, yet you have never been here before and were, in fact unconscious when beamed aboard?”
John put on his best cockeyed grin. “Well, we have this thing called television, and one of the most popular shows on during my childhood was one called Star Trek. It featured the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, her Captain, James T. Kirk; his Vulcan First Officer Spock and his Chief Medical Officer Doctor Leonard H. McCoy.”
John’s smile grew even bigger at the looks of shock on everyone’s faces. “As part of your command crew, you have a Scottish Chief Engineer with a fondness for Scotch and Romulan Ale, a helmsman of Japanese descent who’s kickass with a sword, your navigator is a young Russian genius and your communications officer is a beautiful, dark skinned woman with a heart of gold and a silver tongue.”
Pulling a chair over to sit beside John’s bed, Jim straddled it backwards, his arms resting on the back. “We’ll have to get together and compare notes on this show versus real life.” He glanced up at Spock, receiving an eyebrow in return. “The results should be interesting.” He turned back to John. “Now, Teyla has told us some about the four of you, assisted by your shadow,” and he motioned towards Ronon who had taken up position by John’s side just as Spock had with him.
Taking a drink of water from the bottle brought by one of the orderlies, Jim looked up at John. He caught the glimmers of a shrewd mind hiding in the Colonel’s eyes and shot him his own cocky grin. “Some of the things she did not tell us are where you’re from, what branch of military you’re in and where your base is.” Taking another drink, he continued. “But I’m going to go out on a limb and make a few guesses. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. You are Colonel John Sheppard, born on Earth in Los Angeles in 1967. You are a pilot in the United States Air Force and the Military Commander of Atlantis.”
John was speechless. He looked up at Teyla.
“No, I did not tell him, nor did Ronon or Rodney.”
They both turned to Jim, identical questions on their faces. “How …?”
“We have television here too. One of my favorite series was about this guy, a maverick military officer that lived in the mythical city of Atlantis. He was partnered with this really sarcastic scientist who could probably flay a Klingon with his tongue, an eager young military guy and a really hot chick that could fight. Then something happened to the young guy and this real wild man took his place.” Jim shot a glance at John and grinned. “I thought the military guy was cool, but I was glad I didn’t have his hair. Man, those cowlicks would’ve drove me nuts.”
John reached up and ruffled his hair. It felt like someone had poured a huge bottle of gel on it. He saw Jim follow his actions and caught the moment that reality bit him.
“You’re the maverick and she’s the hot chick?” Jim was astonished. He really shouldn’t have been after what Sheppard told them, but he was. For all his genius, the realization just hadn’t clicked.
John partially covered his mouth, leaning in towards Jim. “I’d be careful about calling Teyla a hot chick. The last guy that did it spent a week in the infirmary. I don’t even call her that and I’m married to her.”
“So was Atlantis really under water? Did it sink in an earthquake as some of the early researchers theorized?” Spock asked, no longer content to merely observe.
“Yes and no.” John confirmed. “It had been sunk, but it was on purpose. Looking up through all that water was spectacular.” John grinned. “Researchers on Earth could never find it because it wasn’t on Earth - it was in the Pegasus Galaxy, and it flies.”