Lightning 13
Well, this tale has reached Chapter 13! Will this be a lucky number for John? Hmmm...you'll have to read and find out!
Title: Lightning Strikes
Author: Amycat8733
Rating: T
Pairing(s): John/Teyla
Characters: John, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Keller, Lorne, Woolsey
Warning(s): sentient Atlantis
Length: 4,003 - this part
Disclaimer: The characters and locales of SGA don't belong to me. For fun, not profit. I just swim in the pool. No borrowed OCs were harmed during these productions.
Summary: A lightning bolt brings change to John Sheppard. His bond with the city deepens, bringing its own hazards. Friendship is tested as Rodney and John clash over his new strength. As John’s abilities grow and change, change also comes to Atlantis.
Part 13
Wednesday morning, John felt better than he had in days. He had spent Tuesday sleeping, eating, playing with Torren and going for walks in between plotting for Friday’s meetings with Woolsey, Lorne, Radek and Rodney. After breakfast and a shower, John got dressed in jeans, boots, a blue t-shirt and a black button-up with the sleeves rolled; his .45 in his thigh holster, his sunglasses and his leather jacket completed the outfit.
The party that left his quarters consisted of John himself, Teyla, Torren, Lorne, Rodney and Ronon. They had three possibilities on their list - two in the main tower, one in another tower nearby. The first was one floor up from John’s current quarters. The rooms were nice, but the view not so much. It was also on a busier corridor than John was comfortable with. Teyla was also not crazy about the traffic.
The second had a nice view, but the rooms were small and not as numerous as they wanted. Both John and Teyla knew they would need lots of space for team nights and other events.
Crossing one of the covered fly bridges, heading for the third, John was getting slightly frustrated. He did not want to resort to poking his head in every possibly suitable suite in every tower.
*I think you will like this suite. It is my choice for you. It belonged to my previous Muse.*
*”Muse? Is that what I am to you, a Muse?”* John was surprised that Atlantis called him that.
*That is what the Alterans called a person with exceptional strength that could bond with one of the city AI’s. A Muse can control this entire city.* Atlantis sounded amused as she told him of his heritage. *The Muses were also always very influential persons like you. They were the persons that everyone looked to for protection and leadership. The Muses were predominately military personnel as well.*
As they reached the floor where the third suite was located, John started getting a good feeling about it. The view through the windows they passed was spectacular and there was no one else living on this floor so privacy was assured. When the door opened ahead of them, John knew they had found the right place. He could feel Teyla’s agreement through their bond and Torren’s crow of delight cinched the deal. He heard matching gasps of surprise from Lorne and even Ronon and Rodney were speechless.
John turned towards Rodney, who was hanging back near the door. “Thanks, McKay. You did good.”
Teyla spun around to face Rodney. “Yes, Rodney, you did very well. This is beautiful. Thank you.”
Lorne broke the silence as he tapped his COM. “Sam, go ahead with transport. Coordinates are third location. Tower C2, level 40, section M1, that’s right.” As Evan finished, there was a hum and shimmer and the contents of both of their quarters appeared in the living room and master bedroom.
“You’re welcome, Sheppard, Teyla.” Rodney was already moving around, poking his nose into everything. “It was my idea, uh, our idea,” Rodney hastily amended the statement at a glare from Lorne, “to get Sam to transport your stuff up here. Ronon wanted to have the Marines backpack it here.”
Ronon shrugged. “Good weight training for them.”
“I did have Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez go through and place transport tags on the large items and Sgt. Johnston helped them get everything gathered up. Sergeant Mehra did the same for Teyla’s.” Lorne grinned. “They were happy to help their CO and his fiancée.”
John smiled at the image of the two corporals and the huge sergeant moving through his quarters while Dusty Mehra did the same for Teyla’s. He glanced down at Teyla, seeing a mischievous look in her eyes that matched his own. “We’ll have to thank them later.” John then looked at his XO and the rest of his team. “Well, get busy and get this stuff organized.” At their shocked looks, John held out his left arm, which was in a sling as the shoulder was still healing, as well as the broken hand. “I’m not supposed to lift anything heavier than a pint of beer, doctor’s orders. And, since Teyla can’t do it all herself…”
Rodney groaned. “This is payback for the assistant stuff isn’t it? I knew you’d do something to get back at me.”
John grinned, mischief in his eyes. “Rodney, you have only just begun to pay for that. Be glad I don’t have you writing reports for me.”
“Well, you know that I have a bad back and I get splinters really easily and that I have allergies and…” Rodney was just getting into high gear when a familiar voice interrupted.
“Rodney, ya big baby, shut yer hole and get busy.” Carson walked over and stopped beside John. “Ya know th’ Colonel is not to be doin’ any heavy liftin’.” John could tell Carson was a bit irritated with Rodney as his brogue was rather thick. “John, how are ye feelin today?”
John glanced sideways at the Scottish doctor. “Better. Being in my quarters the last few days really helped. I’m still a bit light sensitive and certain noises bother me, but the migraine has finally throttled down to really bad headache. My shoulder’s sore, and my hand is bothering me, but everything else feels good.”
Carson looked around at the organized chaos going on in the suite. “As soon as the bedroom gets organized, I’d like to give you a check-up.”
Teyla, passing by, overheard the doctor’s comment. “I shall take care of that.”
“We’ll help.”
John turned and, there in the door, were Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez, Sergeant Mehra and Dr. Zelenka. Zelenka headed for the electronic equipment, towing a cart behind him with a larger TV for the family. Mehra and Rodriguez headed for the bedroom while Brenner headed to help Lorne and Ronon.
Spotting a long chaise lounge, Carson pushed it over under the window and patted the cushion. “Now, lad, ye get over here and out of the way. Ye still need to rest and heal.”
John smiled at the doctor’s pushiness. “Okay, Carson, you win.”
“You cheeky rascal.” Carson grinned at him. “If I’d known that this was what it took for ye to be cooperative, I’d a done it years ago.”
John returned the grin with his quirky smirk. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for years, but you always seem to think that I need to be in the infirmary.”
“Maybe it’s cause ye would be runnin’ the halls the minute my back is turned otherwise. Or that you wouldn’t be taking yer pain pills and would end up taking longer to heal, or…”
John held up his hand, patting the air between them. “Okay, Carson, like I said, you win…this time.”
“Speaking of yer pills, when did ye have them last?”
John looked at his watch, which was currently residing on his right wrist. “Five hours ago at breakfast.”
Carson sighed as he reached into his bag and pulled out a vial of pills. “I figured as much.” He shook two out and handed them to the pilot, along with a bottle of water. “Here, and no arguments.” Carson turned to Rodney. “Rodney, hand over a couple o’ those power bars in yer pocket.”
“But, these are the peanut butter and chocolate chip ones, and…”
Carson cut him off. “John needs to eat so his meds don’t make him sick. Unless you like cleaning up vomit?”
Rodney couldn’t get the bars out of his pocket fast enough. He walked over and even opened the first one for John as he handed two of his supply over.
John looked up at his friend. “Thanks, McKay.”
Rodney ducked his head so his slight blush wouldn’t show. “Um…uh…you’re welcome, Sheppard.”
After devouring the bars and drinking most of the water, John stretched out on the lounge and watched the activity for a while. The weak sunlight coming through the window was enough to warm him up and he fell into a light doze.
As he slept, John talked with Atlantis. She told him of many of the abilities of the Muses and he asked her questions about them.
*“Atlantis, why does using these abilities leave me so drained?”*
*”It is because much of the power to accomplish these actions is coming from you. I assist you as I can, as that is one of the functions of the bracelet you wear, but for the moment, you are providing most of the power.”*
*“Would that change with a full complement of ZPM’s?”*
*“It would.”*
Suddenly, a torrent of information and images flowed into his head and John let out a small cry. The flow cut off as quickly as it started. John felt someone shaking his good shoulder and he opened his eyes to see Carson’s blue ones looking at him.
“Are ye alright, lad? Ye cried out.”
John rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose briefly. “Yeah. I was talking with Atlantis. She was telling me about her past Muses and their abilities and gave it to me a bit faster than I was ready for.” John peeked up at Carson. “When can I go offworld? I need to go retrieve something.”
Carson frowned. He really didn’t want John going offworld until that hand was healed. “Where be ye headed?”
“A repository world, a very special one, to retrieve a treasure. It’s a barren rock of a planet and it can only be dialed from Atlantis or one of the other city gates.”
“Well, in that case, probably next week, but ye are to do no heavy lifting.”
John chuckled softly. “That’s what Marines are for. Depending on the location of the gate, I plan on taking three jumpers as well as four teams plus my own. I don’t expect hostiles, but I do expect to return with presents and will need hands to carry them.”
Carson stared at the grinning Colonel, the pieces falling into place. “’Lantis told ye where to find…”
John put his right index finger to his lips. “Shhh. Don’t say that out loud or we’ll never hear the end of it from Rodney.”
Understanding dawned as Carson nodded. When he saw Teyla motion that the bedroom was clear, Carson put his hand under John’s right elbow and levered the pilot up from the lounge then steered him into the bedroom for his checkup.
As Carson took care of his most frequent patient, the rest of the suite took shape.
The mess hall staff delivered lunch and they had an impromptu house warming party.
After lunch, they talked for a while before John fell asleep again. He woke for dinner and more conversation.
Teyla got up at one point and picked Torren up, carrying him to bed. The excitement of the day had worn him out and he had fallen asleep on John’s lap.
It was Carson and Lorne that caught the looks the couple were sharing and decided that they really wanted alone time but were being too polite to say so.
Lorne stood and looked at the three Marines. Mehra, Rodriguez and Brenner had stayed after the moving, enjoying spending time with their CO and his team. “Alright, you three, time to go. Both of your teams have recertification’s tomorrow if I remember correctly.”
The three looked at each other and then at the XO before looking over at their CO. Seeing the way Teyla and the Colonel were snuggled on the couch gave them the hint. They stood and made their way over to Sheppard, thanking him and Teyla for allowing them to stay. The pair thanked them again for their assistance with the move and the trio headed out, Lorne following them after wishing his CO and Teyla goodnight. Tomorrow he would be overseeing the recertifications for the gate teams.
Carson and Zelenka left, Ronon dragging McKay into one of the spare bedrooms where a couple of cots awaited them as they felt it best to keep McKay close to avoid accidents. Just before the door closed, Carson stuck his head back in. “Have fun, you two.” Then he was gone, the door closing behind him. John locked it with a thought.
Alone at last, the pair looked at each other before heading to their bedroom. The months they had spent dating, sleeping apart in order to allow everyone time to adjust to the situation were now over. There would still be a formal ceremony, but that was months away.
As they undressed, John regretted the fact that his shoulder and hand was messed up. He had planned to have a night of wild sex with Teyla when they finally moved in together, but that would have to wait. Teyla carefully removed the special splint from his left hand before they hopped in the shower, washing each other’s backs and other places in between kisses. Clean and dry, they slipped into their nightclothes: faded t-shirt and sweats for John, a long-sleeved tee and knit capris for Teyla. As he slipped into bed, Teyla stepped into the bathroom and came back holding two pills and a glass of water which she handed to him. While Teyla replaced the splint, John took the pills without complaint as his head was throbbing a bit after the day’s excitement. Teyla crawled into bed as he set the glass on the table. They met in the middle and shared a deep kiss that could have led to more - the spirit was willing, but the flesh wasn’t. John laid on his right side, left hand on a pillow and his right under the pillow near the 9mil he put there earlier. Teyla pulled the covers up, making sure they were tucked around John before spooning to his broad back. Through their bond, she felt when he reached out and turned the lights down. Just before she drifted off, she heard three words that, a year ago, she had never thought to hear John Sheppard utter.
“I love you.”
Thursday was spent resting again and getting used to where everything was in the new suite. They made a few changes, but mostly everything was where it needed to be. Torren was delighted to have his own space and so were Teyla and John.
Radek came by after breakfast, Ronon and Rodney having met him in the mess hall. John, Teyla and Torren had breakfast in their quarters courtesy of SSgt. Quindoza, the Marine in charge of the kitchen. Teyla was out, teaching her bantos class and running a meditation session; Torren was with Aleeah at the child care facility. John had been too deeply asleep when the Gate teams left that morning, but they wanted to keep John company until the teams returned. While they waited, John gave them a rundown on the city systems, telling them what he could without exhausting himself.
“Amazing. This has saved much effort.” Radek pushed his glasses up as he looked at the pad in his hands. “You say Atlantis said all…Muses… could do this?”
John nodded carefully, a small smile crossing his face. “Yeah and more. Only, right now, the ‘more’ takes too much effort on my part.”
Rodney looked up from his own tablet. “What do we need to correct that? We can’t have you hiding in the dark all the time just so we can fix the systems.”
John gave Rodney a knowing little smirk. “We’re gonna take care of that soon.” At Rodney’s calculating look, the smirk deepened. “Don’t even try. I want you to be surprised.”
“Hah, as if! The only thing that would surprise me would be finding a stash of ZedPMs… and a stash of jumpers.”
*”There are some of those in the depot as well, my son.”*
Atlantis’ comment came just as John was taking a drink of water and he choked. Rodney reached over and whacked his team leader on the back a few times to help shake everything back where it needed to be. Once John caught his breath, Rodney glared at him.
“You okay now?”
John took a deep breath. “Yeah, thanks Rodney.” Taking another, John marshaled his thoughts. “On the hypothetical side, I would like to start searching for another planet. Sooner or later, we’re gonna find some ZPMs or figure out how to make our own so we’ll have the power we need for the Stardrive and the shields. I love winter, but this is a bit much. I would like to go to the beach without needing to use the gate.”
Radek looked at Rodney and John. “I have been working on that already and have several possibilities. I have been using the long range sensors, the database and information from our sensor nets.”
“Great! Ask Sam if she’ll take the Hammond and check them out while they’re here. I would prefer something farther in, good climate and possibly a few nearby systems with gates for emergencies.”
“Yes, yes, I will go through results and see what I have.”
*”There is a list of suitable planets in the database. I shall send it to him.”*
*”Thanks, Lantis. After 10,000 years they will probably need to be re-surveyed.”*
Radek checked his notes. “Can you tell us anything else about those rings Ferrin had?”
John nodded at the Czech. “The rings were made as a set. Once initialized, they could be worn by anyone. Depending on the strength of the gene, the wearer of the master ring could do a number of things from emotionally influencing the wearer of the slave ring to carrying on a conversation. Because he doesn’t have the gene, Ferrin could only influence what was already present.” John glanced over at Rodney before continuing. “He was able to do a Sauron on McKay because, in the back of his mind was just a bit of envy.
Rodney frowned. “Okay, so what you’re saying is that he treated me like Gollum and used the ring to control me?” He looked around. “This isn’t Middle-Earth, although I guess this could be mistaken for Gondor.”
John and Radek chuckled at this, and even Rodney had to join in the laughter.
“Um, Sheppard, I… have a question but you can choose not to answer it if you don’t want to. Uh, I don’t want you to feel pressured or… or anything like that, I just…”
“Rodney.” Radek pushed his glasses up. “You must ask question before Colonel can decide.”
Rodney looked startled. “Um, with this increase in your bond with the city, how is it? Is it a flood of information, or is it closer to being in a room full of people all talking at once, or…”
“McKay! Geez, you ask a question and then don’t give a guy time to answer.” John rubbed the back of his neck as he decided on his answer. “It’s like being in a room full of whisperers. Thanks to you I’ve gotten really good at tuning out annoying sounds.” John’s grin took some of the sting out.
“Hey! I…”
“Rodney, you resemble that remark.” Radek chuckled at the look on Rodney’s face.
“Seriously, though, I’ve spent so much time around so much Ancient tech that it usually doesn’t bother me. The sheer amount of it in and around the Infirmary did contribute to my migraine, though.” John glanced at the two scientists. The Canadian and Czech were literally on the edge of their seats, practically hanging on every word. John realized that this was the first time he had ever told them what interacting with Atlantis was like. “The main systems usually just give me a mental nod unless there’s a problem. Like I told you days ago, I can hear the individual pieces if they were made right. Some of the Ancients were very paranoid, so their devices don’t tell me anything unless I touch them or concentrate on them.”
John stared out the window, letting his thoughts swirl like the snow outside before they settled. “I’ve always been able to interact with the city systems, but I have more control now. For me, it’s like going from an F15 to an F302. The difference in capabilities is worlds apart.”
At that moment, the first of the gate teams started arriving. John stiffened as he felt the gate activate.
“Incoming gate from P45-762.” John murmured softly. “Saunders’ team; they have some artifacts with them.”
As John shook himself, he noticed three pair of eyes staring at him. Predictably, it was Rodney that found his voice first.
“How did you…? Do you have a spy cam in the Gateroom?”
John shook his head carefully. The exertion had made his head throb a bit. “No. I felt the gate activate and once the wormhole established I could see the team on the other side. I could also tell where they are and I could sense the artifacts they are bringing back.” Something pinged on his consciousness and John jumped up and headed out the door at a run before he realized that he had made the decision to move.
“Sheppard, what’s going on?” That from Ronon, who had been quiet until now.
“I don’t know, but I need to get to the Gateroom.”
John hit the transporter with Ronon, Radek and Rodney right behind him. As they exited the transporter near the Gateroom, John could feel a humming.
*“Lantis?”*
*”It is not something that I can affect.”*
Rodney had his tablet out as they ran. “Detecting an energy buildup. It’s not coming from one of Atlantis’ systems.”
As they barreled into the Control room, John took in the scene at a glance. Saunders and his team were staring at a device on the floor. The device, which was about the size of a gazing ball, was glowing and emitting the hum. Some of the staff had moved away, but one of the technicians had moved closer, trying to scan the device.
“Move! Clear the Gateroom!”
Even as he shouted and the staff jumped to obey, John knew it wouldn’t be enough. He reached out to Atlantis and found the internal defense systems. They had never been used because they had never had the power to spare. With a thought, John activated the shield generators and sent shaped force fields to shove personnel in the area away even as he placed another around the device on the floor.
Unfortunately, one of the emitters failed and the shield around the object was incomplete. The partial shield sent the energy of the blast straight towards John and his companions. John and Ronon saw the blast headed for them and pushed Radek and Rodney behind two of the columns. The wave front hit just as they dove for cover. John saw Ronon get tossed back down the corridor before the wave shoved him down the back stairs. He had just enough time to wrap his arms over his head before he bounced down the stairs. He landed on his left hip and felt a couple of ribs crack along with his left wrist as his body impacted one of the treads hard before tumbling down the flight.
At the bottom, he stayed still and waited for the world to stop spinning as he took stock of his condition. His hip throbbed, the pain from his ribs and wrist causing sharp spikes in his head and he could feel something warm and wet trickling from his nose. As he tried to sit up, the muscles in his bask spasmed and he cried out before sinking back to the floor. His vision greyed for a moment then he felt a hand on his right shoulder. Managing to open his eyes, John looked up into Rodney’s.
“Just stay still, Sheppard. Carson and Jennifer are on their way.”
Just as he heard the clattering of the wheels from the gurneys, the pain from John’s injuries spiked again and sent him over the edge into the waiting darkness.
Title: Lightning Strikes
Author: Amycat8733
Rating: T
Pairing(s): John/Teyla
Characters: John, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Keller, Lorne, Woolsey
Warning(s): sentient Atlantis
Length: 4,003 - this part
Disclaimer: The characters and locales of SGA don't belong to me. For fun, not profit. I just swim in the pool. No borrowed OCs were harmed during these productions.
Summary: A lightning bolt brings change to John Sheppard. His bond with the city deepens, bringing its own hazards. Friendship is tested as Rodney and John clash over his new strength. As John’s abilities grow and change, change also comes to Atlantis.
Part 13
Wednesday morning, John felt better than he had in days. He had spent Tuesday sleeping, eating, playing with Torren and going for walks in between plotting for Friday’s meetings with Woolsey, Lorne, Radek and Rodney. After breakfast and a shower, John got dressed in jeans, boots, a blue t-shirt and a black button-up with the sleeves rolled; his .45 in his thigh holster, his sunglasses and his leather jacket completed the outfit.
The party that left his quarters consisted of John himself, Teyla, Torren, Lorne, Rodney and Ronon. They had three possibilities on their list - two in the main tower, one in another tower nearby. The first was one floor up from John’s current quarters. The rooms were nice, but the view not so much. It was also on a busier corridor than John was comfortable with. Teyla was also not crazy about the traffic.
The second had a nice view, but the rooms were small and not as numerous as they wanted. Both John and Teyla knew they would need lots of space for team nights and other events.
Crossing one of the covered fly bridges, heading for the third, John was getting slightly frustrated. He did not want to resort to poking his head in every possibly suitable suite in every tower.
*I think you will like this suite. It is my choice for you. It belonged to my previous Muse.*
*”Muse? Is that what I am to you, a Muse?”* John was surprised that Atlantis called him that.
*That is what the Alterans called a person with exceptional strength that could bond with one of the city AI’s. A Muse can control this entire city.* Atlantis sounded amused as she told him of his heritage. *The Muses were also always very influential persons like you. They were the persons that everyone looked to for protection and leadership. The Muses were predominately military personnel as well.*
As they reached the floor where the third suite was located, John started getting a good feeling about it. The view through the windows they passed was spectacular and there was no one else living on this floor so privacy was assured. When the door opened ahead of them, John knew they had found the right place. He could feel Teyla’s agreement through their bond and Torren’s crow of delight cinched the deal. He heard matching gasps of surprise from Lorne and even Ronon and Rodney were speechless.
John turned towards Rodney, who was hanging back near the door. “Thanks, McKay. You did good.”
Teyla spun around to face Rodney. “Yes, Rodney, you did very well. This is beautiful. Thank you.”
Lorne broke the silence as he tapped his COM. “Sam, go ahead with transport. Coordinates are third location. Tower C2, level 40, section M1, that’s right.” As Evan finished, there was a hum and shimmer and the contents of both of their quarters appeared in the living room and master bedroom.
“You’re welcome, Sheppard, Teyla.” Rodney was already moving around, poking his nose into everything. “It was my idea, uh, our idea,” Rodney hastily amended the statement at a glare from Lorne, “to get Sam to transport your stuff up here. Ronon wanted to have the Marines backpack it here.”
Ronon shrugged. “Good weight training for them.”
“I did have Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez go through and place transport tags on the large items and Sgt. Johnston helped them get everything gathered up. Sergeant Mehra did the same for Teyla’s.” Lorne grinned. “They were happy to help their CO and his fiancée.”
John smiled at the image of the two corporals and the huge sergeant moving through his quarters while Dusty Mehra did the same for Teyla’s. He glanced down at Teyla, seeing a mischievous look in her eyes that matched his own. “We’ll have to thank them later.” John then looked at his XO and the rest of his team. “Well, get busy and get this stuff organized.” At their shocked looks, John held out his left arm, which was in a sling as the shoulder was still healing, as well as the broken hand. “I’m not supposed to lift anything heavier than a pint of beer, doctor’s orders. And, since Teyla can’t do it all herself…”
Rodney groaned. “This is payback for the assistant stuff isn’t it? I knew you’d do something to get back at me.”
John grinned, mischief in his eyes. “Rodney, you have only just begun to pay for that. Be glad I don’t have you writing reports for me.”
“Well, you know that I have a bad back and I get splinters really easily and that I have allergies and…” Rodney was just getting into high gear when a familiar voice interrupted.
“Rodney, ya big baby, shut yer hole and get busy.” Carson walked over and stopped beside John. “Ya know th’ Colonel is not to be doin’ any heavy liftin’.” John could tell Carson was a bit irritated with Rodney as his brogue was rather thick. “John, how are ye feelin today?”
John glanced sideways at the Scottish doctor. “Better. Being in my quarters the last few days really helped. I’m still a bit light sensitive and certain noises bother me, but the migraine has finally throttled down to really bad headache. My shoulder’s sore, and my hand is bothering me, but everything else feels good.”
Carson looked around at the organized chaos going on in the suite. “As soon as the bedroom gets organized, I’d like to give you a check-up.”
Teyla, passing by, overheard the doctor’s comment. “I shall take care of that.”
“We’ll help.”
John turned and, there in the door, were Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez, Sergeant Mehra and Dr. Zelenka. Zelenka headed for the electronic equipment, towing a cart behind him with a larger TV for the family. Mehra and Rodriguez headed for the bedroom while Brenner headed to help Lorne and Ronon.
Spotting a long chaise lounge, Carson pushed it over under the window and patted the cushion. “Now, lad, ye get over here and out of the way. Ye still need to rest and heal.”
John smiled at the doctor’s pushiness. “Okay, Carson, you win.”
“You cheeky rascal.” Carson grinned at him. “If I’d known that this was what it took for ye to be cooperative, I’d a done it years ago.”
John returned the grin with his quirky smirk. “I’ve been trying to tell you that for years, but you always seem to think that I need to be in the infirmary.”
“Maybe it’s cause ye would be runnin’ the halls the minute my back is turned otherwise. Or that you wouldn’t be taking yer pain pills and would end up taking longer to heal, or…”
John held up his hand, patting the air between them. “Okay, Carson, like I said, you win…this time.”
“Speaking of yer pills, when did ye have them last?”
John looked at his watch, which was currently residing on his right wrist. “Five hours ago at breakfast.”
Carson sighed as he reached into his bag and pulled out a vial of pills. “I figured as much.” He shook two out and handed them to the pilot, along with a bottle of water. “Here, and no arguments.” Carson turned to Rodney. “Rodney, hand over a couple o’ those power bars in yer pocket.”
“But, these are the peanut butter and chocolate chip ones, and…”
Carson cut him off. “John needs to eat so his meds don’t make him sick. Unless you like cleaning up vomit?”
Rodney couldn’t get the bars out of his pocket fast enough. He walked over and even opened the first one for John as he handed two of his supply over.
John looked up at his friend. “Thanks, McKay.”
Rodney ducked his head so his slight blush wouldn’t show. “Um…uh…you’re welcome, Sheppard.”
After devouring the bars and drinking most of the water, John stretched out on the lounge and watched the activity for a while. The weak sunlight coming through the window was enough to warm him up and he fell into a light doze.
As he slept, John talked with Atlantis. She told him of many of the abilities of the Muses and he asked her questions about them.
*“Atlantis, why does using these abilities leave me so drained?”*
*”It is because much of the power to accomplish these actions is coming from you. I assist you as I can, as that is one of the functions of the bracelet you wear, but for the moment, you are providing most of the power.”*
*“Would that change with a full complement of ZPM’s?”*
*“It would.”*
Suddenly, a torrent of information and images flowed into his head and John let out a small cry. The flow cut off as quickly as it started. John felt someone shaking his good shoulder and he opened his eyes to see Carson’s blue ones looking at him.
“Are ye alright, lad? Ye cried out.”
John rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose briefly. “Yeah. I was talking with Atlantis. She was telling me about her past Muses and their abilities and gave it to me a bit faster than I was ready for.” John peeked up at Carson. “When can I go offworld? I need to go retrieve something.”
Carson frowned. He really didn’t want John going offworld until that hand was healed. “Where be ye headed?”
“A repository world, a very special one, to retrieve a treasure. It’s a barren rock of a planet and it can only be dialed from Atlantis or one of the other city gates.”
“Well, in that case, probably next week, but ye are to do no heavy lifting.”
John chuckled softly. “That’s what Marines are for. Depending on the location of the gate, I plan on taking three jumpers as well as four teams plus my own. I don’t expect hostiles, but I do expect to return with presents and will need hands to carry them.”
Carson stared at the grinning Colonel, the pieces falling into place. “’Lantis told ye where to find…”
John put his right index finger to his lips. “Shhh. Don’t say that out loud or we’ll never hear the end of it from Rodney.”
Understanding dawned as Carson nodded. When he saw Teyla motion that the bedroom was clear, Carson put his hand under John’s right elbow and levered the pilot up from the lounge then steered him into the bedroom for his checkup.
As Carson took care of his most frequent patient, the rest of the suite took shape.
The mess hall staff delivered lunch and they had an impromptu house warming party.
After lunch, they talked for a while before John fell asleep again. He woke for dinner and more conversation.
Teyla got up at one point and picked Torren up, carrying him to bed. The excitement of the day had worn him out and he had fallen asleep on John’s lap.
It was Carson and Lorne that caught the looks the couple were sharing and decided that they really wanted alone time but were being too polite to say so.
Lorne stood and looked at the three Marines. Mehra, Rodriguez and Brenner had stayed after the moving, enjoying spending time with their CO and his team. “Alright, you three, time to go. Both of your teams have recertification’s tomorrow if I remember correctly.”
The three looked at each other and then at the XO before looking over at their CO. Seeing the way Teyla and the Colonel were snuggled on the couch gave them the hint. They stood and made their way over to Sheppard, thanking him and Teyla for allowing them to stay. The pair thanked them again for their assistance with the move and the trio headed out, Lorne following them after wishing his CO and Teyla goodnight. Tomorrow he would be overseeing the recertifications for the gate teams.
Carson and Zelenka left, Ronon dragging McKay into one of the spare bedrooms where a couple of cots awaited them as they felt it best to keep McKay close to avoid accidents. Just before the door closed, Carson stuck his head back in. “Have fun, you two.” Then he was gone, the door closing behind him. John locked it with a thought.
Alone at last, the pair looked at each other before heading to their bedroom. The months they had spent dating, sleeping apart in order to allow everyone time to adjust to the situation were now over. There would still be a formal ceremony, but that was months away.
As they undressed, John regretted the fact that his shoulder and hand was messed up. He had planned to have a night of wild sex with Teyla when they finally moved in together, but that would have to wait. Teyla carefully removed the special splint from his left hand before they hopped in the shower, washing each other’s backs and other places in between kisses. Clean and dry, they slipped into their nightclothes: faded t-shirt and sweats for John, a long-sleeved tee and knit capris for Teyla. As he slipped into bed, Teyla stepped into the bathroom and came back holding two pills and a glass of water which she handed to him. While Teyla replaced the splint, John took the pills without complaint as his head was throbbing a bit after the day’s excitement. Teyla crawled into bed as he set the glass on the table. They met in the middle and shared a deep kiss that could have led to more - the spirit was willing, but the flesh wasn’t. John laid on his right side, left hand on a pillow and his right under the pillow near the 9mil he put there earlier. Teyla pulled the covers up, making sure they were tucked around John before spooning to his broad back. Through their bond, she felt when he reached out and turned the lights down. Just before she drifted off, she heard three words that, a year ago, she had never thought to hear John Sheppard utter.
“I love you.”
Thursday was spent resting again and getting used to where everything was in the new suite. They made a few changes, but mostly everything was where it needed to be. Torren was delighted to have his own space and so were Teyla and John.
Radek came by after breakfast, Ronon and Rodney having met him in the mess hall. John, Teyla and Torren had breakfast in their quarters courtesy of SSgt. Quindoza, the Marine in charge of the kitchen. Teyla was out, teaching her bantos class and running a meditation session; Torren was with Aleeah at the child care facility. John had been too deeply asleep when the Gate teams left that morning, but they wanted to keep John company until the teams returned. While they waited, John gave them a rundown on the city systems, telling them what he could without exhausting himself.
“Amazing. This has saved much effort.” Radek pushed his glasses up as he looked at the pad in his hands. “You say Atlantis said all…Muses… could do this?”
John nodded carefully, a small smile crossing his face. “Yeah and more. Only, right now, the ‘more’ takes too much effort on my part.”
Rodney looked up from his own tablet. “What do we need to correct that? We can’t have you hiding in the dark all the time just so we can fix the systems.”
John gave Rodney a knowing little smirk. “We’re gonna take care of that soon.” At Rodney’s calculating look, the smirk deepened. “Don’t even try. I want you to be surprised.”
“Hah, as if! The only thing that would surprise me would be finding a stash of ZedPMs… and a stash of jumpers.”
*”There are some of those in the depot as well, my son.”*
Atlantis’ comment came just as John was taking a drink of water and he choked. Rodney reached over and whacked his team leader on the back a few times to help shake everything back where it needed to be. Once John caught his breath, Rodney glared at him.
“You okay now?”
John took a deep breath. “Yeah, thanks Rodney.” Taking another, John marshaled his thoughts. “On the hypothetical side, I would like to start searching for another planet. Sooner or later, we’re gonna find some ZPMs or figure out how to make our own so we’ll have the power we need for the Stardrive and the shields. I love winter, but this is a bit much. I would like to go to the beach without needing to use the gate.”
Radek looked at Rodney and John. “I have been working on that already and have several possibilities. I have been using the long range sensors, the database and information from our sensor nets.”
“Great! Ask Sam if she’ll take the Hammond and check them out while they’re here. I would prefer something farther in, good climate and possibly a few nearby systems with gates for emergencies.”
“Yes, yes, I will go through results and see what I have.”
*”There is a list of suitable planets in the database. I shall send it to him.”*
*”Thanks, Lantis. After 10,000 years they will probably need to be re-surveyed.”*
Radek checked his notes. “Can you tell us anything else about those rings Ferrin had?”
John nodded at the Czech. “The rings were made as a set. Once initialized, they could be worn by anyone. Depending on the strength of the gene, the wearer of the master ring could do a number of things from emotionally influencing the wearer of the slave ring to carrying on a conversation. Because he doesn’t have the gene, Ferrin could only influence what was already present.” John glanced over at Rodney before continuing. “He was able to do a Sauron on McKay because, in the back of his mind was just a bit of envy.
Rodney frowned. “Okay, so what you’re saying is that he treated me like Gollum and used the ring to control me?” He looked around. “This isn’t Middle-Earth, although I guess this could be mistaken for Gondor.”
John and Radek chuckled at this, and even Rodney had to join in the laughter.
“Um, Sheppard, I… have a question but you can choose not to answer it if you don’t want to. Uh, I don’t want you to feel pressured or… or anything like that, I just…”
“Rodney.” Radek pushed his glasses up. “You must ask question before Colonel can decide.”
Rodney looked startled. “Um, with this increase in your bond with the city, how is it? Is it a flood of information, or is it closer to being in a room full of people all talking at once, or…”
“McKay! Geez, you ask a question and then don’t give a guy time to answer.” John rubbed the back of his neck as he decided on his answer. “It’s like being in a room full of whisperers. Thanks to you I’ve gotten really good at tuning out annoying sounds.” John’s grin took some of the sting out.
“Hey! I…”
“Rodney, you resemble that remark.” Radek chuckled at the look on Rodney’s face.
“Seriously, though, I’ve spent so much time around so much Ancient tech that it usually doesn’t bother me. The sheer amount of it in and around the Infirmary did contribute to my migraine, though.” John glanced at the two scientists. The Canadian and Czech were literally on the edge of their seats, practically hanging on every word. John realized that this was the first time he had ever told them what interacting with Atlantis was like. “The main systems usually just give me a mental nod unless there’s a problem. Like I told you days ago, I can hear the individual pieces if they were made right. Some of the Ancients were very paranoid, so their devices don’t tell me anything unless I touch them or concentrate on them.”
John stared out the window, letting his thoughts swirl like the snow outside before they settled. “I’ve always been able to interact with the city systems, but I have more control now. For me, it’s like going from an F15 to an F302. The difference in capabilities is worlds apart.”
At that moment, the first of the gate teams started arriving. John stiffened as he felt the gate activate.
“Incoming gate from P45-762.” John murmured softly. “Saunders’ team; they have some artifacts with them.”
As John shook himself, he noticed three pair of eyes staring at him. Predictably, it was Rodney that found his voice first.
“How did you…? Do you have a spy cam in the Gateroom?”
John shook his head carefully. The exertion had made his head throb a bit. “No. I felt the gate activate and once the wormhole established I could see the team on the other side. I could also tell where they are and I could sense the artifacts they are bringing back.” Something pinged on his consciousness and John jumped up and headed out the door at a run before he realized that he had made the decision to move.
“Sheppard, what’s going on?” That from Ronon, who had been quiet until now.
“I don’t know, but I need to get to the Gateroom.”
John hit the transporter with Ronon, Radek and Rodney right behind him. As they exited the transporter near the Gateroom, John could feel a humming.
*“Lantis?”*
*”It is not something that I can affect.”*
Rodney had his tablet out as they ran. “Detecting an energy buildup. It’s not coming from one of Atlantis’ systems.”
As they barreled into the Control room, John took in the scene at a glance. Saunders and his team were staring at a device on the floor. The device, which was about the size of a gazing ball, was glowing and emitting the hum. Some of the staff had moved away, but one of the technicians had moved closer, trying to scan the device.
“Move! Clear the Gateroom!”
Even as he shouted and the staff jumped to obey, John knew it wouldn’t be enough. He reached out to Atlantis and found the internal defense systems. They had never been used because they had never had the power to spare. With a thought, John activated the shield generators and sent shaped force fields to shove personnel in the area away even as he placed another around the device on the floor.
Unfortunately, one of the emitters failed and the shield around the object was incomplete. The partial shield sent the energy of the blast straight towards John and his companions. John and Ronon saw the blast headed for them and pushed Radek and Rodney behind two of the columns. The wave front hit just as they dove for cover. John saw Ronon get tossed back down the corridor before the wave shoved him down the back stairs. He had just enough time to wrap his arms over his head before he bounced down the stairs. He landed on his left hip and felt a couple of ribs crack along with his left wrist as his body impacted one of the treads hard before tumbling down the flight.
At the bottom, he stayed still and waited for the world to stop spinning as he took stock of his condition. His hip throbbed, the pain from his ribs and wrist causing sharp spikes in his head and he could feel something warm and wet trickling from his nose. As he tried to sit up, the muscles in his bask spasmed and he cried out before sinking back to the floor. His vision greyed for a moment then he felt a hand on his right shoulder. Managing to open his eyes, John looked up into Rodney’s.
“Just stay still, Sheppard. Carson and Jennifer are on their way.”
Just as he heard the clattering of the wheels from the gurneys, the pain from John’s injuries spiked again and sent him over the edge into the waiting darkness.