Grimm Tidings chapter 3
Hi there, friends! LJ has decided to be nice so I'm updating Grimm! Many thanks to my betas, kickstand75 and alicesandra1. You two rock!
Chapter 3
AN: Part of this story was borrowed from “Summoned” by Stella-pegasi with permission. Thanks, Stella!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Colonel John Sheppard and his team paused at the top of the ramp as the wormhole shut down behind them. Lieutenant General Jack O’Neill awaited them at the bottom.
John noted the new stars as he saluted. “General, congratulations.”
Jack inclined his head as he returned the salute. “Thanks, Colonel.” He turned to the rest of the team. “Teyla, Ronon, nice to see you again.” He started walking towards the interior. “You too, McKay.”
“Gee, thanks, General. Did they give you a sarcasm injection along with the stars?” Rodney’s snark knob was turned up to eleven.
Jack turned and cast a smirk over his shoulder. “Nah, each star just lets me use more of what I already had.”
“Man, I need a set of those.” John muttered under his breath. Teyla rolled her eyes and Ronon grinned.
Jack led them to the conference room overlooking the Gate. He poured coffee for himself, Sheppard, and McKay and tea for Teyla. He handed out the mugs and settled as the Lanteans got comfortable. Ronon took up station at Sheppard’s back, fingers never too far away from his blaster.
Jack leaned forward. “Sorry to pull you away from Atlantis, but the four of you are the best Wraith hunters in the SGC.”
John toyed with his cup. “I looked over the files you sent. I think we have two different creatures.”
“How so?” Jack frowned. “I had our forensics experts go over them. They assured me we’re dealing with a Wraith.”
“Oh, we have a Wraith, but we have something else as well.” John gestured towards the monitor. “Can we call up the pictures and I’ll show you?”
Jack handed him the remote but Rodney reached over and snatched it.
“I went through those files as well and I want to see what you think we all missed and I want to see them before Christmas.” Rodney said as he called up the pictures.
John stood and retrieved the remote before walking over to the screen. He cycled through some of the images until he got what he wanted. He put two of the images on screen then returned to his seat. “Okay, does anyone see the anomalies?”
They all focused on the screen. John watched as four sets of eyes tracked back and forth. After several minutes, he stood back up. “Anyone figure it out?” He clicked a few buttons and isolated parts of the pictures then zoomed in. “How about now?”
Unsurprisingly, it was Ronon that caught it. “The handprints are different.”
Jack leaned back, a look of disgust on his face. “Great. You haven’t even set foot in Portland and there’s already a problem.” He glared at John. “Keep this up and I’ll promote you.” John looked horrified, despite his joking about needing stars on his uniform a few moments ago, and that made Jack consider it all the more seriously.
John regained his seat. “So, Portland?”
Jack retrieved the remote and pulled up a set of files. “The bodies that have been discovered so far have been found in Portland. Two of Portland’s finest have been assigned the case.” He flashed up two pictures. “The one on the left is Detective Hank Griffin while the one on the right is his partner Detective Nick Burkhardt.”
John studied the two officers. Griffin was muscular with a smiling face and intelligent eyes. He had a look that said he didn’t miss much. Burkhardt was slim but muscular, black hair, lightly tan skin and green eyes. He too had the look of a seasoned police officer, but there was something else … a sense of familiarity that John couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“The pair has made a name for themselves recently in solving a lot of strange cases. The reports read pretty standard, but speaking as someone who long ago learned the art of only writing what the higher-ups want to see, there is a lot more going on than meets the eye.” Jack let his gaze travel, catching the eyes of each person in the room. “You leave tomorrow. I want you to work with Portland P.D., find whatever’s doing this and stop it.” He stood and headed for the door, the Lanteans trailing behind.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Hilda Ziegfert was very patient, the product of a long life. Sitting in the café, she watched as a group of young women attempted to comfort another of their group. Apparently the bereft woman had recently separated from her longtime boyfriend when he revealed that he was the third in a ménage a trois and could no longer pretend to be interested in her vanilla lifestyle. The anguish flowing from the jilted woman was delicious even from across the eatery.
She kept a careful watch on the group as they convinced the woman to go to a nearby spa for some pampering. She paid her tab and followed at a distance, staying just close enough to keep abreast of their movements. At the spa, she settled in at a park across the street to await her quarry’s return.
Her target emerged with the setting sun, her friends trailing behind. She could barely catch the sounds of their conversation, but heard enough to know that her target was heading home alone. She planned to stop at the grocery store then go home and drown her sorrows.
Hilda once again trailed her intended at a distance as she did her shopping and trudged home. Reaching inside her coat, she rubbed the medallion she had recovered from her mother’s decapitated body. A tingle in her fingers meant her pet was on its way.
Hilda waited until the target had been inside for only a few minutes knowing she would be off her guard. She was about to send her pet towards the woman’s door when she caught sight of a flash of white. She hurried across the street in order to get a better look but the figure was too quick. By the time she reached her target’s door, her pet and the strange creature were engaged. She took a moment to study the interloper. It had long white hair, greenish skin, and wore a ragged black leather coat.
The creature snarled and she saw a mouthful of fangs as it raised its right hand in an odd strike. The creature voiced a roar as it slammed its hand into her pet’s chest, a look of victory crossing its face. The triumphant look only lasted for a moment as the creature pulled its hand back. “You are not human.”
“It was once.” Hilda said in response to its question from her position in the doorway. “Now it is a servant, able only to do its master’s bidding.”
The creature cocked its head at her. “And what would you bid it do?”
Her reply was simple. “Feed me.”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Morning came all too soon in Colorado as John blinked bleary eyes at the bedside clock. Normally, he’d be getting up to run with Ronon, but they couldn’t run the corridors here and neither liked just running laps so they’d decided to skip a day. Since he wasn’t running and their flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until 10 am, he rolled over, snuggled with Teyla and went back to sleep.
Teyla getting up two hours later roused him again. John groaned and sat up, turning so his feet hit the floor.
“John, are you well?”
He reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m alright. I just feel … off this morning.”
“Maybe it is because you did not run with Ronon?” Teyla asked as she settled beside him and placed her hand on his forehead.
“Maybe.” He waited until she pulled her hand back before rising. “I’m gonna take a shower.” John let the spray beat against his skin, loosening the sore muscles in his back and shoulders. He stepped out and dried off making sure he got his hair dry enough it wouldn’t drip. It didn’t matter when he was putting on his everyday black BDUs but it was different when he had to wear his dress uniform, which he had to do today because they were traveling on the Air Force’s dime. He slipped into his boxers and t-shirt before going to shave. When he exited the bathroom, breakfast was waiting.
They ate quickly and John was slipping into the last pieces of his uniform when a brisk knock sounded. Curious, Teyla opened the door and found Ronon standing there wearing a leather duster, green button down shirt, jeans, and boots.
Ronon cocked a thumb over his shoulder. “O’Neill wants to see us before we leave.”
Just as they stepped into the hall, an airman came around the corner and ducked in behind them to gather their luggage. He would see that it got to their transport.
They made their way through the halls in silence. John wondered what Jack was up to. The General was as sneaky as he was and could get away with a lot more crap than John could. Maybe he had new information to relay or … John shook his head to clear his thoughts. Guessing games had no benefit except to act as fertilizer for headaches.
Ronon stopped at a door and John snapped from his musings to check out the area. He realized they were not at Jack’s office just as Ronon opened the door. He held the door and ushered John and Teyla inside then quickly stepped in and shut it.
John took in the gathering with a hefty dose of apprehension. Jack and Landry were present along with Sam, Caldwell, Cam, Teal’c, Daniel and Vala. Rodney, who was wearing what he called his travelling suit, was seated at the conference table seemingly engrossed in his tablet.
Landry stood as John came to a halt a few feet from the table. “Colonel, Mrs. Sheppard, thank you for joining us.”
John stood stiffly. “Did I have a choice, Sir?”
Landry cast a glare his way as Jack coughed to disguise a laugh. “No, not really.” He threw another glare at Jack who just shrugged. “Since time is precious, let me get to the point. After a long three-way conversation, the President called the Secretary of the Air Force. They had another long talk and this,” he picked up a blue leather folder, “is the result.” He flipped it open and displayed the contents.
This was a set of formal orders.
Landry watched Sheppard as he glanced at the order he held. When Sheppard realized what the order was for, he snapped to attention. The man definitely wore the uniform well. He moved with poise and grace that most officers never got and the chest full of ribbons didn’t hurt either. Landry knew the real story behind those pieces of chest candy and knew of the scars that went with them. Glancing over Sheppard’s impressive collection in addition to the pair of wings he wore, Landry realized that Sheppard had more awards than any of the rest of them. Jack was the only one that came close. He caught Jack’s smirk and knew that he had just been waiting for the rest of them to figure out what he already knew.
“When you first obtained this post, I was more than a bit skeptical about your ability to handle the situation. After seven years and several bumps along the way, I can honestly say that I am glad that I accepted the advice of a certain other General and left you in Atlantis. In preparation for this day, I took a look at your record and realized that I could not imagine another officer that could have done the same things any better.”
John opened his mouth to protest and Jack shook his head from his seat at the table. “Don’t bother, Sheppard. It was already in the works. The President just moved things along a bit. He felt you deserved recognition for your selfless acts of valor, and that your sense of responsibility for those you have been charged to protect should not go unrewarded. The respect you have earned from those in your command, and those who have commanded you, should not go unacknowledged. So, since we can't give you a big bonus, or a new car, we can only give you this, the promotion you deserve, and our respect." Jack flashed a sly grin at John, who was staring at the general, his face an unreadable mask.
Standing, Jack turned to Landry. “General Landry, do you hold the orders?" he asked.
"Yes, sir; I do." Landry handed the orders to Jack, who proceeded to read them.
"Attention to orders: The President of the United States, acting upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Air Force, has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity, and abilities of Colonel John Sheppard. In view of these special qualities and his demonstrated potential to serve in the higher grade, Colonel John Sheppard is promoted to the grade of Brigadier General, United States Air Force, effective this date, by order of the Secretary of the Air Force."
O’Neill handed the warrant back to Landry and exchanged it for a slightly battered dark blue jeweler’s box.
“Several years ago, at the time of my promotion to Brigadier General, General Hammond started a tradition. For my promotion, he used his own first set of stars. We will be using that same set of stars today in honor of a great man. He passed many lessons down to me and I in turn have passed those lessons on to those who serve under me. Those of us who serve in the SGC are the best of the best and it is to honor one of our own that this pair of stars is passed on.”
"Dr. Rodney McKay, Mrs. Teyla Emmagan-Sheppard, and Specialist Ronon Dex, would you please step forward and pin on Brigadier General Sheppard's new rank."
They posed for a quick photo. Then Jack instructed John to raise his right hand and repeat after him.
"I, John Sheppard."
"I, John Sheppard." John’s voice was husky and a little shaky.
"Having been appointed a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force."
They continued the oath, exchanging lines: "Having been appointed a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force"/ do solemnly swear/that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States/against all enemies, foreign and domestic / that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same / that I take this obligation freely / without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion / and that I will well and faithfully discharge / the duties of the office which I am about to enter / so help me God."
Jack shook John’s hand. “Congratulations, Brigadier General John Sheppard.”
Everyone else took that as a signal and jumped up to congratulate John. Sam hugged him and kissed him on the cheek then proceeded to babble about how proud she was until Jack gently tugged her away. Teal’c clasped him by the shoulders then bowed before shaking his hand. Cam slapped John on the back before pulling him close for a guy hug. Daniel settled for shaking his hand and congratulating him. Vala stepped up after Daniel and practically glued herself to him, showering him with kisses until Daniel dislodged her and pulled her away although she managed to pinch John’s butt in the process.
Jack just stood back and watched while John sent daggered glares his way. After Vala was corralled, Ronon clapped John on the shoulder hard enough to stagger him and delivered a “Congrats, Sheppard.” Rodney just waved a hand and called out “Yes, yes, congratulations.” Teyla moved forward and twined her arms about his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss. John wrapped his arms about her as he relaxed into the kiss.
Vala, standing off to the side in Daniel’s firm grip, pouted as she observed the couple. “She is sooo lucky.”
Daniel let a small smile cross his face. “They sure are.”
When they finally surfaced for air, Jack stepped forward and put his hand on John’s back to propel him from the room. “C’mon, we need to get you kitted out before you leave.” He took them to Personnel for updated ID’s before taking them to the Quartermaster where they were issued phones. The Quartermaster, Staff Sergeant Ansell, had four iPhones sitting on the counter when they walked in. Rodney immediately hurried over, grabbed one and started customizing it.
“Jeez, Rodney, someone might think you’d never seen a phone.” John drawled as he watched Rodney practically drool.
“Humph.” Rodney sniffed. “This is not just a phone. This is an iPhone 5s. It’s Apple’s top of the line.”
Teyla walked over to peer at what Rodney was doing. “What is an eye phone? Can it see you?”
John chuckled in amusement as he accepted his and Teyla’s from Ansell. “No, it’s an iPhone” and he showed her the box. “It allows communication over very long distances. Our radios don’t have enough range to use here on Earth. We can even see each other through a feature called Face Time which works like the cameras in the laptops.” He checked the numbers in the phones and programmed them into the other’s phone then entered his Apple ID into both phones. John nodded towards the bench near the door and Teyla followed him there where he proceeded to teach ‘Cell Phone 101’.
Ansell handed Ronon the fourth phone, who looked at it in amusement. He could wrap his hand around the phone.
John paused in his lessons to see what Ronon would do. “Give it a try, Chewie.”
Ronon glared at John then tried what John had been telling Teyla. He got the phone powered on then tried to send a text.
John’s phone dinged. “Tanks prom roman?” He let out a chuff. “Try again.”
Ding. “Hanks drops oh man.”
Ronon closed his hand around the phone. “Grrr, how am I supposed to use this toy?”
Everyone stared at Ronon for a minute then John cast a look at Ansell. “Sergeant, I don’t think my big friend here is meant to text. Got something easier?”
Ansell peered up at Ronon who was looming over him with a very irritated look on his face. “Um … yes. I keep these for Teal’c.” He left the counter and reappeared a few minutes later with two boxes. The first was a flip phone and the second was a tablet. “Here, you can still text with this” and he demonstrated how, “but the keys are bigger and the phone is more durable.” Ansell opened the tablet box. “And this is for anything else you may want to do.”
Ronon took the tablet and was pleased. He glanced over at Rodney. “Now I have my own, McKay.”
Rodney waved a hand without looking up. “Good for you, Conan. Now you’ll stop stealing mine when we get home.”
Ansell opened his mouth to say something then reconsidered and closed it with a snap. John noticed and chuckled. “Good idea, Sergeant. He’s worse than Teal’c in a bad mood.”
Jack had observed from just inside the door the entire time. “Okay kids, play later. We have places to be, people to see, things to blow up.”
Ronon’s head popped up. “What are we blowing up?”
John shook his head as he prodded Ronon out the door. “Nothing right now, but the trip is young. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of opportunities.”
Jack steered them past his office. Even though he spent most of his time in Washington, he still kept an office in the Mountain. He bade John follow him as he ducked in and shut the door then went to his safe and pulled out a laptop and an envelope. “This is yours, John. I need you to memorize the passcode while you’re here. You can change it later which I recommend.”
John opened the envelope, scanned the sequence, closed his eyes for a moment then dropped the envelope and its contents in the shredder.
Jack’s eyes grew wide. “Did you memorize that with one look?”
“I did.”
Jack shook his head in disbelief. “You’re gonna have to prove that one, son.”
John opened the laptop and booted it up. When the lock screen came up, he entered the code. Jack stared as the desktop appeared. “Okay, you win.” John spotted a carrying case and slipped the laptop in then slung it onto his shoulder.
They exited Jack’s office and the older General stayed with them until they reached the garage where their ride waited. Jack shook John’s hand once again. “Be careful. I didn’t put all this effort into raising you for you to go and do something stupid.”
John gave cocky grin. “Yes, Dad.”
Jack took a swipe at him which John dodged. He looked over at Ronon and Teyla. “See if you can keep him out of trouble, will ya?”
Ronon nodded and Teyla smiled before she stepped forward to bid Jack farewell. “We shall endeavor to do so. However, I have found that to be nearly as difficult as keeping Torren away from chocolate pudding.”
“Hey!”
Ronon shoved John towards their ride. “Get in the vehicle, Sheppard .”
Chapter 3
AN: Part of this story was borrowed from “Summoned” by Stella-pegasi with permission. Thanks, Stella!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Colonel John Sheppard and his team paused at the top of the ramp as the wormhole shut down behind them. Lieutenant General Jack O’Neill awaited them at the bottom.
John noted the new stars as he saluted. “General, congratulations.”
Jack inclined his head as he returned the salute. “Thanks, Colonel.” He turned to the rest of the team. “Teyla, Ronon, nice to see you again.” He started walking towards the interior. “You too, McKay.”
“Gee, thanks, General. Did they give you a sarcasm injection along with the stars?” Rodney’s snark knob was turned up to eleven.
Jack turned and cast a smirk over his shoulder. “Nah, each star just lets me use more of what I already had.”
“Man, I need a set of those.” John muttered under his breath. Teyla rolled her eyes and Ronon grinned.
Jack led them to the conference room overlooking the Gate. He poured coffee for himself, Sheppard, and McKay and tea for Teyla. He handed out the mugs and settled as the Lanteans got comfortable. Ronon took up station at Sheppard’s back, fingers never too far away from his blaster.
Jack leaned forward. “Sorry to pull you away from Atlantis, but the four of you are the best Wraith hunters in the SGC.”
John toyed with his cup. “I looked over the files you sent. I think we have two different creatures.”
“How so?” Jack frowned. “I had our forensics experts go over them. They assured me we’re dealing with a Wraith.”
“Oh, we have a Wraith, but we have something else as well.” John gestured towards the monitor. “Can we call up the pictures and I’ll show you?”
Jack handed him the remote but Rodney reached over and snatched it.
“I went through those files as well and I want to see what you think we all missed and I want to see them before Christmas.” Rodney said as he called up the pictures.
John stood and retrieved the remote before walking over to the screen. He cycled through some of the images until he got what he wanted. He put two of the images on screen then returned to his seat. “Okay, does anyone see the anomalies?”
They all focused on the screen. John watched as four sets of eyes tracked back and forth. After several minutes, he stood back up. “Anyone figure it out?” He clicked a few buttons and isolated parts of the pictures then zoomed in. “How about now?”
Unsurprisingly, it was Ronon that caught it. “The handprints are different.”
Jack leaned back, a look of disgust on his face. “Great. You haven’t even set foot in Portland and there’s already a problem.” He glared at John. “Keep this up and I’ll promote you.” John looked horrified, despite his joking about needing stars on his uniform a few moments ago, and that made Jack consider it all the more seriously.
John regained his seat. “So, Portland?”
Jack retrieved the remote and pulled up a set of files. “The bodies that have been discovered so far have been found in Portland. Two of Portland’s finest have been assigned the case.” He flashed up two pictures. “The one on the left is Detective Hank Griffin while the one on the right is his partner Detective Nick Burkhardt.”
John studied the two officers. Griffin was muscular with a smiling face and intelligent eyes. He had a look that said he didn’t miss much. Burkhardt was slim but muscular, black hair, lightly tan skin and green eyes. He too had the look of a seasoned police officer, but there was something else … a sense of familiarity that John couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“The pair has made a name for themselves recently in solving a lot of strange cases. The reports read pretty standard, but speaking as someone who long ago learned the art of only writing what the higher-ups want to see, there is a lot more going on than meets the eye.” Jack let his gaze travel, catching the eyes of each person in the room. “You leave tomorrow. I want you to work with Portland P.D., find whatever’s doing this and stop it.” He stood and headed for the door, the Lanteans trailing behind.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Hilda Ziegfert was very patient, the product of a long life. Sitting in the café, she watched as a group of young women attempted to comfort another of their group. Apparently the bereft woman had recently separated from her longtime boyfriend when he revealed that he was the third in a ménage a trois and could no longer pretend to be interested in her vanilla lifestyle. The anguish flowing from the jilted woman was delicious even from across the eatery.
She kept a careful watch on the group as they convinced the woman to go to a nearby spa for some pampering. She paid her tab and followed at a distance, staying just close enough to keep abreast of their movements. At the spa, she settled in at a park across the street to await her quarry’s return.
Her target emerged with the setting sun, her friends trailing behind. She could barely catch the sounds of their conversation, but heard enough to know that her target was heading home alone. She planned to stop at the grocery store then go home and drown her sorrows.
Hilda once again trailed her intended at a distance as she did her shopping and trudged home. Reaching inside her coat, she rubbed the medallion she had recovered from her mother’s decapitated body. A tingle in her fingers meant her pet was on its way.
Hilda waited until the target had been inside for only a few minutes knowing she would be off her guard. She was about to send her pet towards the woman’s door when she caught sight of a flash of white. She hurried across the street in order to get a better look but the figure was too quick. By the time she reached her target’s door, her pet and the strange creature were engaged. She took a moment to study the interloper. It had long white hair, greenish skin, and wore a ragged black leather coat.
The creature snarled and she saw a mouthful of fangs as it raised its right hand in an odd strike. The creature voiced a roar as it slammed its hand into her pet’s chest, a look of victory crossing its face. The triumphant look only lasted for a moment as the creature pulled its hand back. “You are not human.”
“It was once.” Hilda said in response to its question from her position in the doorway. “Now it is a servant, able only to do its master’s bidding.”
The creature cocked its head at her. “And what would you bid it do?”
Her reply was simple. “Feed me.”
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Morning came all too soon in Colorado as John blinked bleary eyes at the bedside clock. Normally, he’d be getting up to run with Ronon, but they couldn’t run the corridors here and neither liked just running laps so they’d decided to skip a day. Since he wasn’t running and their flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until 10 am, he rolled over, snuggled with Teyla and went back to sleep.
Teyla getting up two hours later roused him again. John groaned and sat up, turning so his feet hit the floor.
“John, are you well?”
He reached up and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m alright. I just feel … off this morning.”
“Maybe it is because you did not run with Ronon?” Teyla asked as she settled beside him and placed her hand on his forehead.
“Maybe.” He waited until she pulled her hand back before rising. “I’m gonna take a shower.” John let the spray beat against his skin, loosening the sore muscles in his back and shoulders. He stepped out and dried off making sure he got his hair dry enough it wouldn’t drip. It didn’t matter when he was putting on his everyday black BDUs but it was different when he had to wear his dress uniform, which he had to do today because they were traveling on the Air Force’s dime. He slipped into his boxers and t-shirt before going to shave. When he exited the bathroom, breakfast was waiting.
They ate quickly and John was slipping into the last pieces of his uniform when a brisk knock sounded. Curious, Teyla opened the door and found Ronon standing there wearing a leather duster, green button down shirt, jeans, and boots.
Ronon cocked a thumb over his shoulder. “O’Neill wants to see us before we leave.”
Just as they stepped into the hall, an airman came around the corner and ducked in behind them to gather their luggage. He would see that it got to their transport.
They made their way through the halls in silence. John wondered what Jack was up to. The General was as sneaky as he was and could get away with a lot more crap than John could. Maybe he had new information to relay or … John shook his head to clear his thoughts. Guessing games had no benefit except to act as fertilizer for headaches.
Ronon stopped at a door and John snapped from his musings to check out the area. He realized they were not at Jack’s office just as Ronon opened the door. He held the door and ushered John and Teyla inside then quickly stepped in and shut it.
John took in the gathering with a hefty dose of apprehension. Jack and Landry were present along with Sam, Caldwell, Cam, Teal’c, Daniel and Vala. Rodney, who was wearing what he called his travelling suit, was seated at the conference table seemingly engrossed in his tablet.
Landry stood as John came to a halt a few feet from the table. “Colonel, Mrs. Sheppard, thank you for joining us.”
John stood stiffly. “Did I have a choice, Sir?”
Landry cast a glare his way as Jack coughed to disguise a laugh. “No, not really.” He threw another glare at Jack who just shrugged. “Since time is precious, let me get to the point. After a long three-way conversation, the President called the Secretary of the Air Force. They had another long talk and this,” he picked up a blue leather folder, “is the result.” He flipped it open and displayed the contents.
This was a set of formal orders.
Landry watched Sheppard as he glanced at the order he held. When Sheppard realized what the order was for, he snapped to attention. The man definitely wore the uniform well. He moved with poise and grace that most officers never got and the chest full of ribbons didn’t hurt either. Landry knew the real story behind those pieces of chest candy and knew of the scars that went with them. Glancing over Sheppard’s impressive collection in addition to the pair of wings he wore, Landry realized that Sheppard had more awards than any of the rest of them. Jack was the only one that came close. He caught Jack’s smirk and knew that he had just been waiting for the rest of them to figure out what he already knew.
“When you first obtained this post, I was more than a bit skeptical about your ability to handle the situation. After seven years and several bumps along the way, I can honestly say that I am glad that I accepted the advice of a certain other General and left you in Atlantis. In preparation for this day, I took a look at your record and realized that I could not imagine another officer that could have done the same things any better.”
John opened his mouth to protest and Jack shook his head from his seat at the table. “Don’t bother, Sheppard. It was already in the works. The President just moved things along a bit. He felt you deserved recognition for your selfless acts of valor, and that your sense of responsibility for those you have been charged to protect should not go unrewarded. The respect you have earned from those in your command, and those who have commanded you, should not go unacknowledged. So, since we can't give you a big bonus, or a new car, we can only give you this, the promotion you deserve, and our respect." Jack flashed a sly grin at John, who was staring at the general, his face an unreadable mask.
Standing, Jack turned to Landry. “General Landry, do you hold the orders?" he asked.
"Yes, sir; I do." Landry handed the orders to Jack, who proceeded to read them.
"Attention to orders: The President of the United States, acting upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the Air Force, has placed special trust and confidence in the patriotism, integrity, and abilities of Colonel John Sheppard. In view of these special qualities and his demonstrated potential to serve in the higher grade, Colonel John Sheppard is promoted to the grade of Brigadier General, United States Air Force, effective this date, by order of the Secretary of the Air Force."
O’Neill handed the warrant back to Landry and exchanged it for a slightly battered dark blue jeweler’s box.
“Several years ago, at the time of my promotion to Brigadier General, General Hammond started a tradition. For my promotion, he used his own first set of stars. We will be using that same set of stars today in honor of a great man. He passed many lessons down to me and I in turn have passed those lessons on to those who serve under me. Those of us who serve in the SGC are the best of the best and it is to honor one of our own that this pair of stars is passed on.”
"Dr. Rodney McKay, Mrs. Teyla Emmagan-Sheppard, and Specialist Ronon Dex, would you please step forward and pin on Brigadier General Sheppard's new rank."
They posed for a quick photo. Then Jack instructed John to raise his right hand and repeat after him.
"I, John Sheppard."
"I, John Sheppard." John’s voice was husky and a little shaky.
"Having been appointed a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force."
They continued the oath, exchanging lines: "Having been appointed a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force"/ do solemnly swear/that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States/against all enemies, foreign and domestic / that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same / that I take this obligation freely / without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion / and that I will well and faithfully discharge / the duties of the office which I am about to enter / so help me God."
Jack shook John’s hand. “Congratulations, Brigadier General John Sheppard.”
Everyone else took that as a signal and jumped up to congratulate John. Sam hugged him and kissed him on the cheek then proceeded to babble about how proud she was until Jack gently tugged her away. Teal’c clasped him by the shoulders then bowed before shaking his hand. Cam slapped John on the back before pulling him close for a guy hug. Daniel settled for shaking his hand and congratulating him. Vala stepped up after Daniel and practically glued herself to him, showering him with kisses until Daniel dislodged her and pulled her away although she managed to pinch John’s butt in the process.
Jack just stood back and watched while John sent daggered glares his way. After Vala was corralled, Ronon clapped John on the shoulder hard enough to stagger him and delivered a “Congrats, Sheppard.” Rodney just waved a hand and called out “Yes, yes, congratulations.” Teyla moved forward and twined her arms about his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss. John wrapped his arms about her as he relaxed into the kiss.
Vala, standing off to the side in Daniel’s firm grip, pouted as she observed the couple. “She is sooo lucky.”
Daniel let a small smile cross his face. “They sure are.”
When they finally surfaced for air, Jack stepped forward and put his hand on John’s back to propel him from the room. “C’mon, we need to get you kitted out before you leave.” He took them to Personnel for updated ID’s before taking them to the Quartermaster where they were issued phones. The Quartermaster, Staff Sergeant Ansell, had four iPhones sitting on the counter when they walked in. Rodney immediately hurried over, grabbed one and started customizing it.
“Jeez, Rodney, someone might think you’d never seen a phone.” John drawled as he watched Rodney practically drool.
“Humph.” Rodney sniffed. “This is not just a phone. This is an iPhone 5s. It’s Apple’s top of the line.”
Teyla walked over to peer at what Rodney was doing. “What is an eye phone? Can it see you?”
John chuckled in amusement as he accepted his and Teyla’s from Ansell. “No, it’s an iPhone” and he showed her the box. “It allows communication over very long distances. Our radios don’t have enough range to use here on Earth. We can even see each other through a feature called Face Time which works like the cameras in the laptops.” He checked the numbers in the phones and programmed them into the other’s phone then entered his Apple ID into both phones. John nodded towards the bench near the door and Teyla followed him there where he proceeded to teach ‘Cell Phone 101’.
Ansell handed Ronon the fourth phone, who looked at it in amusement. He could wrap his hand around the phone.
John paused in his lessons to see what Ronon would do. “Give it a try, Chewie.”
Ronon glared at John then tried what John had been telling Teyla. He got the phone powered on then tried to send a text.
John’s phone dinged. “Tanks prom roman?” He let out a chuff. “Try again.”
Ding. “Hanks drops oh man.”
Ronon closed his hand around the phone. “Grrr, how am I supposed to use this toy?”
Everyone stared at Ronon for a minute then John cast a look at Ansell. “Sergeant, I don’t think my big friend here is meant to text. Got something easier?”
Ansell peered up at Ronon who was looming over him with a very irritated look on his face. “Um … yes. I keep these for Teal’c.” He left the counter and reappeared a few minutes later with two boxes. The first was a flip phone and the second was a tablet. “Here, you can still text with this” and he demonstrated how, “but the keys are bigger and the phone is more durable.” Ansell opened the tablet box. “And this is for anything else you may want to do.”
Ronon took the tablet and was pleased. He glanced over at Rodney. “Now I have my own, McKay.”
Rodney waved a hand without looking up. “Good for you, Conan. Now you’ll stop stealing mine when we get home.”
Ansell opened his mouth to say something then reconsidered and closed it with a snap. John noticed and chuckled. “Good idea, Sergeant. He’s worse than Teal’c in a bad mood.”
Jack had observed from just inside the door the entire time. “Okay kids, play later. We have places to be, people to see, things to blow up.”
Ronon’s head popped up. “What are we blowing up?”
John shook his head as he prodded Ronon out the door. “Nothing right now, but the trip is young. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of opportunities.”
Jack steered them past his office. Even though he spent most of his time in Washington, he still kept an office in the Mountain. He bade John follow him as he ducked in and shut the door then went to his safe and pulled out a laptop and an envelope. “This is yours, John. I need you to memorize the passcode while you’re here. You can change it later which I recommend.”
John opened the envelope, scanned the sequence, closed his eyes for a moment then dropped the envelope and its contents in the shredder.
Jack’s eyes grew wide. “Did you memorize that with one look?”
“I did.”
Jack shook his head in disbelief. “You’re gonna have to prove that one, son.”
John opened the laptop and booted it up. When the lock screen came up, he entered the code. Jack stared as the desktop appeared. “Okay, you win.” John spotted a carrying case and slipped the laptop in then slung it onto his shoulder.
They exited Jack’s office and the older General stayed with them until they reached the garage where their ride waited. Jack shook John’s hand once again. “Be careful. I didn’t put all this effort into raising you for you to go and do something stupid.”
John gave cocky grin. “Yes, Dad.”
Jack took a swipe at him which John dodged. He looked over at Ronon and Teyla. “See if you can keep him out of trouble, will ya?”
Ronon nodded and Teyla smiled before she stepped forward to bid Jack farewell. “We shall endeavor to do so. However, I have found that to be nearly as difficult as keeping Torren away from chocolate pudding.”
“Hey!”
Ronon shoved John towards their ride. “Get in the vehicle, Sheppard .”