Keep It Together - Chapter 9
Chapter 9: Life’s Just Like That
“Yeah, so I have a relationship with John. Everybody always asks us about that. Look, it just happened, okay? One minute, he’s my best friend, and the next, we’ve been together for years. I think you’ll find there are a lot of people on Atlantis who would say the same. We all faced extraordinary difficulties together-enemies within and without, food shortages, clothing shortages, you name it. And in the end, all we had was each other. That’s the thing about being on a colony in another galaxy. It doesn’t matter how much you hate someone. They’re still going to be your neighbor.”
~Interview with Rodney McKay
“I do not need to go,” Radek protested as he strapped on his tac vest.
Evan knew how much Radek hated going off-world, but the other option was to take McKay, and Sheppard wasn’t inclined to let McKay go off with another team.
“We need you to pull information off the DHD,” Evan pointed out. “Do you know someone else who can do the job as well as you?”
Radek glared at him. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Evan grinned. “Flattery eases the way.”
“I have not seen Laro lately,” Radek observed.
Evan sighed. “He’s been busy getting the other Athosians settled on the city.”
“This has nothing to do with your offer to sacrifice yourself?” Radek asked.
Evan shook his head. “I was doing my job.”
“Laro is not military,” Radek pointed out. “All he sees is that you were willing to leave him.”
“Yeah, I got that.” Evan checked the clip in his personal weapon and secured it in his holster. “Let’s get this done.”
Sheppard was there to see them off as usual. “Don’t have too much fun, kids.”
“Not without you, sir,” Evan replied.
They had been following every lead on Kolya’s whereabouts, with no success. He and Sheppard had been taking it in turn, although Evan knew that Sheppard was hoping to find Kolya himself.
The area around the gate was clear, and Evan glanced at his team. “Stay sharp,” he ordered. “I don’t want to be caught unaware.”
Corporal Johnson took their six, and the other Marines fanned out, keeping Zelenka protected in the middle. “Radek, let’s pull the information from the DHD now, before we have company.”
Radek worked quickly to recover the information from the DHD, his clever fingers disconnecting the data pad once the transfer was done. “Done.”
“All right, let’s move,” Evan said. “Maybe we can find witnesses.”
The gate was in the middle of a valley, surrounded on nearly all sides by steep hills with rocky outcroppings, which meant it was a prime location for an ambush. There was only a faint hint of a path, and Evan led the way. They’d never been to this planet before, and Evan had no idea what to expect from the inhabitants, although he was inclined to tread lightly.
But when the faint path petered out, Evan spotted the village with the houses burned out. Evan bent to feel the ashes, which were cold.
“There’s no one here, sir,” Johnson called, kicking at a charred beam.
“Yeah,” Evan said. “Let’s look for survivors or any sign of Kolya, then we’ll head back to Atlantis.”
There were a few bodies, burned beyond all recognition, but not nearly as many as Evan would have expected if the entire village had been killed.
Evan spotted a gun in the wreckage of one of the houses, and he fished it out, holding it up to the light.
“What is that?” Radek asked.
“Genii weapon,” Evan responded. “They were here, but I don’t think they are anymore. Let’s head back.”
The trek back to the gate was made in silence, and Evan grimaced, wishing that he had better news to bring. He unclipped his weapon and looked around the gate room, although he wasn’t surprised to find that Laro wasn’t present.
Dr. Weir skipped down the steps from her office. “I take it you didn’t find him.”
“There was a burned out village, and I found a Genii weapon,” Evan replied. “But no other sign than that.”
Dr. Weir nodded. “Good work. See Carson. We’ll debrief in an hour.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Evan replied.
He headed for the infirmary with Radek at his side. “You must talk to him,” Radek said softly.
Evan frowned. “What are you? My mother?”
“I am your friend,” Radek replied mildly. “You are happier with him. He is a good man. So, I am telling you to talk to him.”
“I will,” Evan promised. “After we’re done with this.”
Radek shot him a sharp look. “See that you do.”
Beckett cleared them fairly quickly, and they gave their report to Weir, Sheppard, and McKay.
“How long do you think it had been since the Genii were there?” Sheppard asked.
Evan shook his head. “I couldn’t say for sure, sir, but I’d guess it would be at least four or five days. It’s hard to say why the Genii would have burned the village to the ground, though.”
“They’re child killers,” Sheppard said sourly. “Who knows? Maybe these folks wouldn’t play ball, or maybe they looked at Kolya wrong. Just add it to the list of Kolya’s crimes.”
Weir glanced at Sheppard reprovingly. “We don’t know that it was Kolya, John.”
“Do you think it was Radim’s people?” Sheppard countered. “Because if it wasn’t him, it was Kolya. Lorne found the Genii weapon at the scene of the crime.”
Weir frowned, but finally nodded. “I can’t disagree with you there. Radek, you have the information from the DHD?”
Radek nodded. “Yes, Dr. Weir. I will work on it. There are a couple of young scientists who can correlate the data.”
“Do that.” She put her hands on the table. “Cross check the addresses with any Ladon Radim gave us, and any of our allies. Not everyone may have been able to send word to us as Keras did.”
The meeting ended at that point, and Evan was about to leave, to find Laro, but Sheppard called him back.
“Elizabeth and I were talking, and we both agreed that the hunt for Kolya has to take a backseat for a while,” Sheppard said, grimacing as though the words left a bad taste in his mouth.
Evan raised his eyebrows. “And the front seat?”
“Alliances,” Sheppard replied. “Food and other goods, as well as another ZPM. With one more, we’ll be up to full power, or close to it, and we won’t have to worry so much about the Wraith dropping by for a visit.”
Evan could see where this was going. “I take it we’re going to be working on the mission roster for the next month.”
“Cheer up, Lorne,” Sheppard replied with a grin. “I’ll get someone to bring us dinner.”
Evan couldn’t think of a way to tell Sheppard that he needed time to straighten things out with his boyfriend. Duty came first. “Of course, sir.”
They spent the next several hours going over the roster, and the list of planets to visit, assigning each team as fit its expertise. Sheppard prevailed upon Barnes to bring a couple of trays from the mess.
“I take it you’ve still got Barnes doing the scut work,” Evan said.
Sheppard shook his head. “I don’t know what to do with him, to be honest.”
“He’s young, and he’s a hothead,” Evan pointed out. “And he’s a pain in the ass. He might settle down as time goes on.”
“Let’s hope so,” Sheppard grumbled. “Otherwise, I’d half a mind to saddle Mitchell and Jon with him, and they could leave him on Earth.”
Evan chuckled. “That would be one way to deal with the problem, but it’s a little unfair to Colonel Mitchell.”
“Which is why I haven’t made the suggestion,” Sheppard agreed. “But if he doesn’t settle down soon, I’m going to keep it as an option.”
“Until we’ve got enough in the way of supplies to send Mitchell and Jon back to Earth, I’d suggest using SG-1 as another first contact team.” Evan pointed out four of the addresses on the list. “We could use their experience, and you and I have more than enough to do, sir.”
“Good idea,” Sheppard said. “We’ll use Jon as the fourth member.”
Evan’s eyebrows went up. “Isn’t that a bit odd?”
“More than a little,” Sheppard replied. “But they’re about the only ones who won’t assume that he’s completely green based on his appearance.”
“Good point,” Evan replied.
With the addition of SG-1 to the roster, the rest of the scheduling went quickly, and Sheppard finally waved him off. “Get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Evan went back to his own quarters first. He stood in the middle of the room, contemplating his bed, tempted by the idea that he could just go to sleep and forget for a while.
Then again, he knew Radek was right. He had to fix it-or try to fix it.
Evan let out a long breath, then headed for Laro’s room, knocking briskly. There was no response at first, and Evan scratched the back of his head, before knocking again.
This time, the door slid open, and Laro stood there, blinking sleepily. “I’m sorry. I was asleep.”
Evan believed him; there wasn’t an ounce of deception in Laro. “I’m sorry it’s so late,” Evan apologized. “I got stuck going over the roster with Colonel Sheppard.”
Laro smiled. “I understand. Would you like to come in?”
“I think we need to talk,” Evan began, stepping past him.
Laro followed him back into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “What would you like to talk about?”
Evan had no idea what to say, or how to say it, so he finally just blurted out, “I didn’t want to go back to Earth. I don’t want to leave Atlantis, or you.”
Laro’s blank expression didn’t change. “Then why would you offer?”
“There’s going to be a lottery,” Evan said quietly. “To decide who on Atlantis can bring their families over, or offer them the chance to leave Earth. That’s the only fair way to decide, but the people who go back can at least check up on them. If I don’t go, Colonel Mitchell might agree to look in on them, but he won’t make it a priority like I would.”
Evan could see the tension run out of Laro’s broad shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I don’t know,” Evan admitted. “It seems selfish, I guess.”
“You want to protect your family,” Laro replied. “There’s nothing shameful about that.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to Evan’s, threading his fingers through Evan’s hair.
Evan put his hands on either side of Laro’s face and pulled him down on top of them. Their legs tangled, and Evan pushed his hands under Laro’s shirt.
“I knew Sheppard wasn’t going to let me go,” Evan whispered against Laro’s mouth. “But I had to ask.”
Laro just kissed him, his solid body covering Evan’s, and Evan couldn’t be sorry that he was here, instead of back on Earth.
~~~~~
Teyla nodded at Laro as he entered the sparring room, careful not to allow surprise to show on her face. She continued to circle the two Athosian guides who were learning the bantos, correcting their forms with a few words here and there. “Alaan, do not drop your left shoulder. And Ripa, feel your connection with the ground. That’s where your power comes from.”
By the end of the session, she felt they had made real progress, and she said as much. “I will see you in two days for our next training session.”
Laro nodded at Alaan and Ripa as they left, but he stayed where he was, leaning against the wall.
“I don’t suppose you have come for a lesson,” Teyla said.
Laro shook his head. “No. I’ve told Evan that I will learn how to use a weapon, but you teach the warrior’s way.”
Teyla smiled. “Then what brings you by?”
“Gesi wishes for your presence in the infirmary during her examination,” Laro replied. “I offered to stay with her, but she wanted to have you there as well.”
Teyla nodded. “Of course. How is she?”
“Frightened, hopeful, but afraid to hope,” Laro replied. “As you would expect.”
“And you and Evan?” Teyla inquired.
Laro shot her a disgruntled look. “We’ve spoken, and we’ve come to an understanding,” he admitted. “He was worried for his family.”
“I believe most people on Atlantis share his anxiety,” Teyla replied softly. “The people of Earth face much uncertainty.”
Laro nodded. “I understand that. I just-didn’t realize. Evan doesn’t talk about his family often.”
“Sometimes it is easier to forget if we don’t speak of it,” Teyla said softly. “And there are times when it is certainly easier to forget.”
Laro glanced away. “I know that very well.”
Teyla put a hand on his forearm. “I know you do.”
They stood outside the infirmary, and Teyla pulled Laro’s forehead to hers. “I only want your happiness,” she murmured. “And I am happy to have you here.”
“Atlantis is my home now,” Laro replied.
“And it is good to have you here,” Teyla replied. “Come. Let’s go to Gesi.”
She reached out as soon as she saw Gesi, sitting on one of the infirmary beds, looking very small and scared.
“Teyla,” the girl said gratefully. “Laro said he would ask you to come.”
“Of course I did,” Teyla replied. “There is nothing to fear from Dr. Beckett. He only wants to see if he can make you well.”
Gesi glanced down at her twisted foot. “I never thought I could be cured, and I know I was getting too heavy to carry.”
Teyla pulled her arm around Gesi’s shoulders. “If anyone can heal you, it is Dr. Beckett.”
As though her words had summoned him, Dr. Beckett bustled up a moment later. “Ah, here we are. Gesi, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir,” she said, her words barely audible.
Beckett patted her hand. “Not to worry, lass. This won’t hurt a bit, I promise.”
Gesi squeezed Teyla’s hand, but she didn’t voice a protest as Beckett examined her leg. “Can you help?” she asked softly.
“We’ll need to run a scan, but I think it might be possible,” Beckett replied. “It won’t be an easy process, mind, and I’ll go over it with you more in detail before we start, but I think it might be possible to correct the problem.”
Gesi’s face lit up. “Will I run?”
“Eventually, that might be a possibility,” Beckett agreed. “Although I make no promises.”
Gesi smiled tremulously. “It’s more hope than I’ve ever had, Dr. Beckett.”
“Well, I think we can make you a good deal more comfortable than you are at the moment,” Beckett replied. “I’ll just ask Marie to set up a scan, and we’ll see what happens.”
Gesi squeezed Teyla’s hand even harder. “Thank you, doctor.”
“You won’t feel a thing,” Beckett promised. “And I’ll go over all your options before we move forward. Just give me a moment.”
Gesi glanced at Teyla. “Do you think it’s real?”
“It’s more than real,” Teyla assured her. “And if Dr. Beckett says that he can cure you, I believe him.”
Gesi nodded. “I just never thought it possible.”
“The Lanteans have many methods of curing problems we do not know how to treat,” Teyla replied.
Teyla stayed with Gesi through the entire process-the scan, waiting for results, waiting for Beckett to make a determination and a recommendation, and then the decision-making process. Dr. Beckett was hopeful that Gesi would be able to walk without a crutch, although he cautioned that she would likely always have a limp, but Gesi was thrilled with the news.
“You have given her great joy,” Teyla said after Laro had left to escort Gesi back to her quarters.
Beckett flushed. “It’s a real pleasure to be able to correct a problem like that, rather than stitching up wounds,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, our access to arthritis medications is limited, so I won’t be able to do much for Huson, although I’m hoping that will change as we’re able to synthesize more medications.”
Teyla patted him on the shoulder. “I know you will do everything you can.”
These days, Teyla felt less alone than she had after the Athosians had moved to the mainland, and she had made the decision to stay on Atlantis. The other guides were settling in, and Laro, Gesi, and Huson were making a place for themselves on the city.
And, of course, Teyla had her team.
That night, at dinner, Ronon dropped into the seat next to her. “Mission tomorrow,” he observed.
Teyla nodded. “I’ve traded with the Donak in the past.”
“Any problems?”
“I didn’t experience any,” Teyla replied. “But then I did not know that the Genii were more than simple farmers.”
Ronon shrugged. “You can’t know everything.”
Teyla didn’t say that she felt as though she should-she felt as though she should have known about the Genii. She might have saved the Lanteans a lot of trouble if she’d never introduced them.
John took the seat next to her. “Movie night tonight,” he announced. “Although we’re keeping it to one episode of Doctor Who.”
“That the one with the blue box?” Ronon asked.
“It’s a little more than a blue box,” Rodney protested.
John grinned. “Yeah, but you have to admit that the TARDIS is a big part of the show. It’s practically the star of the show. The Doctor changes; the TARDIS doesn’t.”
Rodney looked almost as though he was in physical pain as he said, “You may have a point.”
John blinked at him, then a slow smile spread over his face. “Wait, I’m right? That’s what you meant to say, right?”
Rodney scowled. “I believe I said that you may have a point. May.”
“But that’s not what you meant,” John crowed. “You would totally have a TARDIS if you could.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Rodney asked. “You can’t tell me that if you had the chance to go back in time, you wouldn’t.”
“And screw up my chances of being born?” John asked. “Teyla? What about you? If you could go back in time and change something, would you?”
Rodney held up a hand. “You know, if you subscribe to string theory-”
“Not now, Rodney,” John said, cutting him off. “I want to hear Teyla’s answer.”
Teyla’s mind immediately went to the moment she’d taken John to the ruins, when he’d found her old necklace and had activated the Wraith beacon. It hadn’t been John’s fault, of course, or hers, but that didn’t change what had happened.
And she could not say that was the moment she would change without hurting John, which she wasn’t willing to do.
“Every moment I have lived has led me to this point,” Teyla said. “How could I change one moment and still be the person I am?”
“She’s got a point,” Ronon said smugly.
John shrugged. “She always has a point. Ronon? Would you change something?”
Ronon’s expression darkened. “Yeah.”
That was all he said, but the emotion in his voice made Teyla pat him on the arm.
John’s expression turned sympathetic. “Rodney? You were so vocal about changing the past. What would you change?”
“What wouldn’t I?” Rodney asked. “Do you know how many people I’d get back at if I had the chance? My entire high school career would be different.”
John raised his eyebrows. “That’s what you would change?”
“You don’t know what high school was like for me,” Rodney said. “What about you? What would you change?”
John glanced at Teyla, and she could see in his eyes that he had his own regrets, things that he would change if he could. But what he actually said was, “I’m with Teyla on this one. Maybe I’d nip the Ori problem in the bud, but the one thing I’d change I couldn’t have done anything about.”
Teyla had no idea what he was talking about, but she knew better than to press. Rodney wasn’t so circumspect, however. “What would you have changed?”
John glared at Rodney, but to Teyla’s surprise, he actually responded. “I would have stopped my mom from getting sick.”
The others fell silent at that admission, and Teyla suspected that they all had someone whose deaths they would have prevented.
Rodney was watching John with an expression Teyla had seen when he was working out a particularly thorny problem in the past. “I think I’d avoid that last argument with my sister,” Rodney said quietly. His lips quirked. “Even if I was totally right.”
That comment broke the awkward silence, and they all laughed. “So, Doctor Who?” John prompted, clearly relieved at the change in subject.
They had not had much time for this, Teyla thought later, leaning against Ronon’s warm bulk even as Rodney sat so close to John that their shoulders and hips were touching. Elizabeth hadn’t been inclined to allow Rodney and John to go off-world at the same time, which meant that the team had spent little time together lately.
As good as it was to have Laro and the other Athosians on the city, Teyla’s first family would always be her team.
When the episode was over, Ronon rose and pulled Teyla up with him, although John and Rodney stayed where they were. “We’ll see you tomorrow for the briefing,” John said, waving at them. “Sleep well.”
Teyla heard a click as the door closed behind them, and she exchanged a look with Ronon, who smirked.
“Good thing Atlantis listens to Sheppard,” Ronon remarked in an undertone.
Teyla laughed. “It is.”
~~~~~
Elizabeth looked around the table. “Teyla? Do you have anything to add?”
Teyla shook her head. “No, I think I’ve covered everything.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Very well, then. Good luck.”
Teyla paused on her way out of the room. “How are you?” she asked in an undertone.
Elizabeth shrugged. “I’m rolling with the punches.”
“And Colonel Mitchell?”
“If we can make a deal with the Donak, we’ll have the supplies we need to send Colonel Mitchell back to Earth,” Elizabeth admitted.
“So, you don’t want us to succeed?” Teyla asked.
Elizabeth smiled. “For the good of Atlantis, I hope you do.”
Teyla’s frank gaze was perceptive. “And for your own sake?”
“I’d prefer to ignore my own sake,” Elizabeth replied. “Atlantis is the only thing that matters right now.”
Teyla touched her arm. “Then we will see what happens.”
Elizabeth breathed deeply after Teyla had gone, trying to get her emotions under control. She was busy, she had a lot to do, but she couldn’t stay in her office right now. She began a circuit of the city, checking in with the scientists in the labs, and with the Marines sparring in the training area.
She literally ran into General O’Neill on her way back from the gym, and he gave her a sharp look. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” Elizabeth said, mostly out of reflex. “I was just taking a walk.”
O’Neill smirked at her. “The walls start closing in on you after awhile, don’t they?”
“Colonel Sheppard’s team is on a first contact mission,” Elizabeth admitted. “I always worry more over those, although I know things can go wrong even with our allies.”
“Pretty much anything can go wrong at any time,” O’Neill agreed cheerfully. “It’s probably better to get used to that now.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “That’s your pep talk?”
“It’s the best I’ve got,” he admitted. “Fishing helps.”
“I don’t have the time for fishing,” Elizabeth replied.
O’Neill shrugged. “Well, I was actually on my way to bug Sam and see if she wanted to grab lunch.”
Elizabeth knew she didn’t want to be alone, so she asked. “Can I tag along?”
“I wouldn’t have mentioned it otherwise,” O’Neill replied.
Sam was holding a heated debate with Zelenka when they stopped by her lab. “I agree that the generators could be used to supplement the power from the ZPMs, but I think we’re going to burn out any of them we’ve got hooked up.”
“Not if we’re careful!” Zelenka shot back. “We need drone production.”
“And we also need the cloak. If we come under attack, someone is going to have to move pretty quickly to disconnect all of them,” Sam objected.
“So, we find someone to disconnect them. One of the young Marines, perhaps, or several. We will make it part of the battle stations,” Zelenka argued.
“He has a point,” O’Neill drawled.
Sam turned to glare at him. “Jack-”
“Look, it’s a risk, but we need the drones. Right now, we’re not in a good place to deal with a Wraith attack. With more drones, we might stand half a chance at surviving,” O’Neill replied.
“We’d need more than drones,” Elizabeth replied. “We’re going to need more Jumpers, and more pilots to fly them. Or we’re going to need to find a way to take out multiple darts at once.”
Sam straightened. “What if we found a way to target Wraith darts specifically?”
“Can you do that?” Elizabeth asked incredulously.
Sam hesitated. “If I could get my hands on a dart, I could give you a better idea, but from what I’ve heard, Wraith technology is very different. It’s a bit like Ancient tech, or Goa’uld tech. There’s more to it than just a machine. If we can pinpoint and exploit that difference, maybe we can take the darts out in the air.”
Zelenka’s face lit up. “If we could do that…” He shook his head. “But we would need to get a dart.”
“It’s possible,” Elizabeth reminded him. “I’ll alert all teams to the need to find one if they can.”
“And now that we have that settled, it’s lunch time,” O’Neill announced. “So, let’s get a move on, people.”
“We’re right in the middle of something,” Sam protested.
O’Neill crossed his arms. “Yeah, maybe, but you should take the break and eat something. You’ll think better for it.”
Elizabeth was certain that Zelenka or Sam-or more likely both-would argue, but something about O’Neill seemed to command respect. She wondered if it was the rank, but she suspected that it was just the man.
Sam looked as though she wanted to argue, but she finally shrugged. “All right. I guess I can eat.”
Zelenka seemed willing to follow Sam’s lead, because he agreed. “I could eat. Knowing Rodney, he will want an update that will make us late for dinner.”
Over the course of lunch, O’Neill managed to steer the conversation away from anything work-related, or at least science related, by raising a hand every time Sam or Zelenka tried to bring it up. “Ah, ah,” he said. “You can talk geek when you’re back in the lab.”
Daniel sat down next to O’Neill just as he was giving that admonition. “Then I guess you don’t want to hear about my latest translation.”
“Does it tell us where to find the treasure?” O’Neill asked. “Because if it doesn’t, the answer is definitely not.”
“I’ve isolated about half a dozen entries that talk about ZPMs,” Daniel replied, smiling as Vala sat down next to him. “And I’ve found detailed schematics of Atlantis, along with descriptions of all the rooms.”
Zelenka’s expression lit up. “We had not been able to find something like that before!”
Daniel smirked. “That’s because the Ancients’ index is so jumbled that it’s nearly impossible to find anything. In this case, it was filed under ‘architecture,’ in a subfolder that you’d have to know was there in order to find it.”
“How did you know it was there?” Elizabeth asked.
Daniel shrugged. “Instinct, mostly. Even though I don’t remember anything from being ascended, I still seem to know how to find things.”
“Thank god for that,” Zelenka muttered. “You will send me the translated file?”
“I’ll send you what I’ve finished so far immediately after lunch,” Daniel promised. “I’m still working on translating the entry that talks about building a ZPM. I think the Ancients deliberately fragmented those particular entries.”
O’Neill grimaced. “Cagey bastards.”
Daniel shrugged his agreement. “You can say that again.”
“Cagey bastards,” O’Neill repeated with a quirk of his lips.
Elizabeth snorted, and heard Sam’s choked laughter. Their eyes met, and they both grinned at each other in shared amusement. On Daniel’s other side, Vala rolled her eyes, although she was also smiling.
Suddenly, Elizabeth heard something that sounded a lot like an explosion. Elizabeth had pushed away from the table and was on her feet before it really even registered. She tapped her radio and sent out an all-call. “What the hell was that?”
“I don’t know, ma’am,” Chuck responded. “No one seems to know where it came from.”’
“Find out!” Elizabeth ordered tersely.
The radio crackled. “Dr. Weir, this is Major Lorne. There’s been an explosion on the lower level, South Pier. According to the duty roster, there was supposed to be a team of scientists mapping the area.”
“Where are they?” Elizabeth demanded.
“I can’t reach them, ma’am,” Lorne admitted. “I need Zelenka to assess structural integrity before we send teams in.”
“On my way,” Zelenka replied, his voice echoing oddly, both over the radio and from Elizabeth’s side. “Dr. Weir?”
“Go,” she said. “What do you need?”
“I will let you know,” Zelenka replied, muttering in Czech as he jogged off.
O’Neill rubbed his eyes. “Life is never dull, is it?”
“Not around here,” Elizabeth replied grimly.
Vala, Sam, and Daniel were on their feet. “We should probably see what we can do to help the rescue crews,” Sam said. “We’ve worked rescue before.”
The radio crackled again, and Cam’s voice filtered through. “Elizabeth? I heard what happened. According to my records, we’ve got at least five missing.”
Elizabeth blew out a breath. “Lorne’s on it, and Zelenka is joining him. Daniel, Sam, and Vala are going to help the rescue efforts.”
Cam growled inarticulately. “And I can’t help.”
“Well, you could,” Elizabeth replied, striving for fairness. “I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you’d just be in the way.”
Cam sighed. “Yeah, I think I’ve already figured that out for myself. All right, I’m going to coordinate efforts with the rescue team. I can do that much, anyway.”
Even though Elizabeth knew she should leave it to Cam, she couldn’t stand by and watch from her office. A glance at O’Neill’s face told her that he felt the same way. O’Neill also gave her a quick headshake.
Elizabeth did a quick mental calculation, and she said, “All right. You do that. General O’Neill and I will set up additional command posts and work with the rescue crews, but you’re in charge. Keep me informed, Cam.”
“Will do,” he promised.
O’Neill pulled Sam into a quick hug. “Be careful,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Sam replied with a quick grin, pressing her forehead to his. “Don’t get ambitious, Jack.”
“Never,” O’Neill responded with a half-smile that Elizabeth didn’t trust for a second, and she suspected that Sam didn’t trust it either. “Go.”
When the others had gone, Elizabeth looked at him. “Are you having a hard time waiting, too?”
“I always have a hard time waiting,” O’Neill replied. “But Mitchell needs to feel useful, now more than ever.”
“And the same can’t be said for you?” Elizabeth countered.
O’Neill shrugged. “I’ve got something he doesn’t.”
“And that is?”
“Sam,” O’Neill replied simply. “She knows me well enough to kick my ass when I start feeling sorry for myself.”
Elizabeth nodded knowingly. “We all need someone like that.”
“Indeed, we do, Doctor,” O’Neill replied, using her title with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry I’m going to be a poor substitute for him.”
She cleared her throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, I know that line, too,” O’Neill said quietly. “Go. Join the rescue crew. I’ll set up in your office and keep an eye on the gate.”
Impulsively, Elizabeth put a hand on O’Neill’s arm. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” he replied. “I expect to be kept in the loop.”
“Of course,” she replied. “You’re part of the loop now.”
O’Neill smiled. “Good to know.”
~~~~~
John had learned to take Teyla’s lead off-world, particularly when meeting a group of people that she’d already visited. So, he had no problem sketching a quick bow when she did as the leader of the Donak inclined his head. With a motion of his hand, John signaled the rest of his team to do the same.
Ronon inclined his head more deeply than he would have without John’s signal, and Rodney bowed slightly from the waist, the movement jerky.
“I had heard you were working with the Lanteans, Teyla,” the Donak headman said. “I wasn’t sure I believed it.”
“Rivert, I am still serving my people,” Teyla replied. “I determined that this was the best way I could watch out for their interests.”
“Atlantis and the Athosians share a close relationship,” John said. “And we are grateful to the Athosians for their kind assistance.”
Rivert looked at Teyla, then at John. “I see. Well, you are welcome here, all of you. Please, come.”
John had been to a lot of planets, and before he’d ever gone off-world, he’d been to a lot of different countries. Nearly all of them had a similar ceremony-sharing tea, sharing bread, even sharing salt. John was used to drinking what he was asked to drink, to eat what he needed to eat. This time, the food of choice was a local delicacy, and that delicacy looked a lot like a giant bug.
Rodney looked faintly green, but he hoped Rodney would follow his lead. They needed this trade agreement, and Rodney knew that.
As the leader of the team, John went first, biting through the crunchy exterior of the bug, suppressing his shudder of revulsion with some effort. “Great,” he managed.
Teyla ate one, as did Ronon, and when the platter was passed to Rodney, John held his breath, not quite trusting that Rodney would carry it out. To John’s surprise, Rodney ate the bug with every indication of enjoyment.
“This is quite good,” Rodney said. “I hope you’ll give us the recipe.”
Rivert beamed at him. “These are my wife’s specialty, so I’m afraid we cannot share the secret. She hasn’t even told me.”
“What a shame,” Rodney said.
John bit his lip to keep from smiling, hearing the underlying sarcasm in Rodney’s voice.
“We are happy to trade, of course,” Rivert said, all smiles now. “We are always pleased to have new allies.”
The trade deal was made amiably, without a hitch. Rivert’s manner was straightforward and helpful, and Teyla indicated that Rivert was offering a fair deal when John took a quick break to check with her privately.
John kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Rivert’s people to produce weapons and threaten them, or to get screwed over on a deal. But the bugs were the worst thing they had to deal with; Rivert’s wife plied them with a strong, hot drink that was the closest thing they’d had to coffee, and tiny, exquisite honey cakes.
“What is this drink?” Rodney asked, clearly trying to keep his enthusiasm under wraps, even though he was unsuccessful.
Rivert smiled. “We call it shiska. Would you like to add some to the trade deal?”
“We would,” Teyla said smoothly. “It is very similar to an Earth drink called coffee.”
Rivert hesitated. “It grows freely on this planet, but the best place to get it is several days’ journey away, and it requires much labor.”
“We can provide assistance,” John promised. “We’ve worked out a similar deal with the Athosians. And if we help you harvest it, you can then turn around and trade it on other worlds.”
Rivert smiled widely. “That is a very interesting offer, Colonel Sheppard. We might be able to work that into our agreement.”
Another hour went by, until John was buzzing from the combination of sugar and what was probably a caffeine-like substance. In the end, they had a satisfactory agreement for medical assistance and help with the harvests in exchange for food and shiska. They bowed and drank a cup of something strongly alcoholic to seal the deal.
He could tell that Ronon was similarly tense, expecting trouble, but it never came. Teyla dialed the address for Atlantis, and the gate whooshed to life.
“This means we can send the team back to Earth,” Rodney said quietly.
“I guess that’s what it means,” John replied. “Have you made your list?”
“My sister and her family,” Rodney replied. “It’s not much of a list.”
“More than I’ve got,” John acknowledged.
When they walked through the gate into controlled chaos, John knew that he’d been right to be suspicious. Nothing ever went smoothly in the Pegasus galaxy. The fact that the trade deal had gone off without a hitch meant that it had to be offset somewhere else, this time with an emergency on the city.
O’Neill met them in the gate room, wearing a radio and looking serious, but with a spring in his step that had been absent. John suspected he knew the cause; a man like O’Neill wanted to feel vital, and he’d be at his best in the middle of an emergency.
“There was an explosion near the South pier,” O’Neill said before John could ask. “The scientists who were on the exploratory team are still among the missing. Rescue teams are being coordinated by Mitchell. And before you ask, your team can go get checked out in the infirmary, and then you can join the rescue efforts.”
O’Neill was using his command voice, and John knew better than to argue with a general. At least, he knew better than to argue with O’Neill under the circumstances. Post-mission medicals were a part of the job, especially when anyone had consumed food or drink off-world. That was the rule, and there was a good reason for it.
“Come on,” John said quietly. “We can get a full update from Beckett.”
He led the way to the infirmary, because that’s what the leader of a team did-he, or she, led by example. John might not have let on to it, but he’d read the mission reports from SG-1, and he’d learned quite a bit from O’Neill just from that.
Beckett was distracted enough that he rushed through their post-mission medicals, taking blood samples and herding them out after he’d gotten their vital statistics. “Everything looks fine,” Carson said. “If you start experiencing any sort of symptoms, or problems, I want to know immediately.”
“You got it, Doc,” John promised. “You got the sample, right?”
“I have it,” Carson replied, sounding distracted. “Go. I’m expecting more patients.”
John nodded. “Thanks.”
“Go,” Carson repeated. “I’ll pull you off duty if there’s anything untoward.”
John figured that an explosion on the city meant that something was already “untoward,” but he didn’t say as much. Instead, they headed for the South pier, and John found Mitchell coordinating the search efforts. He reminded himself that Mitchell was perfectly capable of this sort of thing, and forcing himself in on the situation wouldn’t do any good. In fact, John was pretty sure he’d hate being in Mitchell’s position, coordinating efforts while everybody else searched for survivors or bodies.
In truth, John would much rather be under Mitchell’s command, searching.
“We’re here to help,” John said simply. “Just tell us where we’ll do the most good.”
Mitchell shot him a look that was half suspicion, half-gratitude, and then his face relaxed into a smile when he realized that John was serious. “I think they could use your help digging through the rubble,” Mitchell replied. “You okay with that?”
John knew what Mitchell was asking. “”We’ll go wherever you send us.”
He led the rest of his team down the hall, towards the lights and noise that marked the location of the rescue crew. From long experience, John easily spotted the most exhausted workers-Barnes was right in the forefront, his young face streaked with soot, working shoulder to shoulder with three other young Marines.
“Hey, take a break,” John said, shouldering Barnes out of the way. “Get something to eat, something to drink, and catch a quick nap.”
For once, Barnes appeared too tired to protest. “Yes, sir,” he said, his shoulders slumping.
“You, too,” John insisted, pointing at Suh, Carpenter and Lee. “Take four hours, then check in with Colonel Mitchell.”
They didn’t argue either, trudging down the hallway, leaving John’s team to take their places. John glanced at Rodney. “If you’ve got another way to help-”
Rodney shook his head. “No, not yet. I’ll let you know if I come up with something.”
It didn’t take long for John to recognize that there wasn’t a better or a smarter way to work. The explosion had disrupted the frequency the life signs detectors used, and it hadn’t cleared up, which meant they had no idea whether any of the missing scientists were still alive. Rodney could have explained exactly what had happened, and what the interference was-or at least he’d have made a good attempt-but they were all too busy sifting through rubble.
There were times that they all had to take a step back and let the engineers, led by an exhausted-looking Zelenka, move some of the heavier beams and chunks of wall. During those breaks, John checked in with the other workers, sending away anyone who looked too tired to do much good, making sure no one had any injuries.
The explosion had taken out enough of the South pier to collapse half a dozen hallways, and during one of the breaks, he ran into Elizabeth, whose hands were marred by cuts and scrapes. “Hey,” he said wearily. “We got the trade deal ironed out, no problem.”
She leaned against the wall wearily. “Well, that’s a bit of good news in the middle of this mess.”
John sank down to the floor, and she joined him soon after. He’d left his team in another hallway, waiting on one of their few structural engineers to give the go-ahead to continue excavations. “Do you know anything more about what happened?”
“Daniel went back to the map he found. Apparently, one of the labs on the exploration list was dedicated to weapons research,” Elizabeth replied with a sigh. “I know Rodney and Zelenka warned them not to activate anything, but you know the scientists.”
John grimaced. “All too well. O’Neill and Mitchell seem to be doing a good job coordinating things.”
Elizabeth smiled thinly. “I’m just glad not to be stuck behind a desk right now,” she confessed. “Even if all I want is a shower and a hot meal.”
John heard a shout from down the corridor, and he rose to his feet, offering Elizabeth a hand up. “You and me both,” he agreed. “See you later?”
She nodded. “Call me on the radio. We’ll figure out whether we need to meet right away, or whether we can wait until tomorrow.”
They found the first body an hour later, and John’s team was the one to pull out Dr. Richards. He saw Rodney’s stricken expression as they pulled the battered body out from under the detritus.
“Hey, you okay?” John asked.
Rodney nodded tightly. “I just want to find the rest of Richards’ team.”
John put a hand on Rodney’s shoulder. “You got it, buddy.”
No one was ever replaceable, but these days good people were even harder to come by than they had been in the past.
In spite of his exhaustion, John pushed forward, searching for the other missing scientists. He wondered which of them had activated the bomb, not that it mattered. Placing blame wouldn’t help, although if they knew what had happened, they could at least hold it up as a cautionary tale.
It was late by the time they found the rest of the missing scientists-or pieces of the missing scientists. There was enough left of each of them to be certain there were no survivors, and John called off the search at that point. Everyone was exhausted and heartsick, and all he wanted was a shower and a few hours of sleep.
One look at Rodney’s face put paid to John’s intentions to head back to his room alone. Rodney looked lost, maybe even a little angry, his expression a mirror of the one he’d worn after Gaul and Abrams had died.
John snagged Rodney’s elbow. “Stay close.”
“What? Why?” Rodney asked, his voice a little lost.
“Just-hang on,” John replied.
He checked in with Teyla and Ronon briefly, telling them, “We aren’t meeting until noon tomorrow. Take the morning off.”
Teyla threw a quick, worried look at Rodney before she nodded. “Of course, John.”
“Thanks,” John replied. “Thanks for everything.”
Teyla pulled John in, and he pressed his forehead to hers. Ronon clapped him and Rodney on the shoulders, causing each of them to stagger a bit. Teyla pulled Rodney into a similar embrace.
“I just have to call Lorne,” John said. “Your place or mine?”
Rodney hesitated. “John, you don’t have to-”
“Your place or mine?” he asked doggedly.
Rodney’s shoulders slumped, as though he was giving up. “Mine. I’ve got the prescription mattress, remember?”
“I remember,” John replied gently. “Your bed is bigger anyway.”
“Maybe we should think about moving into some of those larger quarters,” Rodney suggested hesitantly.
John tried not to let on to how much that meant coming from Rodney. “Maybe we should,” he agreed. “Let me call Lorne.”
Lorne sounded weary when he answered the radio. John knew Lorne had been working in another area of the pier all day, and that he was scheduled to be on call tonight. “You okay?” John asked.
“Reeves is going to take any calls that come in,” Lorne replied. “I sent him to take a nap this afternoon, so he’s fresher than we are. If something major comes up, he’s got orders to call me first, and I’ll call you if necessary.”
“Thank you, Evan,” John replied sincerely.
There was a moment’s pause. “Not a problem, sir. Enjoy your evening. What’s left of it, anyway.”
“You, too,” John replied.
John steered Rodney down the hallway as they exited the lift. “You okay?” he asked in a low voice as they entered Rodney’s quarters.
“I just keep wondering what I did wrong,” Rodney admitted, still looking a little lost. “They’re supposed to be the best and the brightest, right? I’ve told them not to activate anything. I tried not to include gene carriers on exploratory teams. What the hell else am I supposed to do, John?”
John hated how Rodney’s voice broke on the last words, and he hauled Rodney in, holding him tightly. “I know that, whatever happened, whatever bad decision somebody made, it wasn’t because you didn’t warn them,” John said in Rodney’s ear. “I’ve heard your speech to new minions. You’re scary as hell, McKay.”
Rodney laughed, even as he wrapped his arms more tightly around John. “I tried.”
“You did good,” John insisted. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll find out what they did, and we’ll put the fear of McKay in them, and nothing like this will happen again.”
“That’s just wishful thinking,” Rodney mumbled against his shoulder.
“Probably,” John agreed. “You want to take a bath?”
Rodney shook his head. “Not when I’m this dirty. I’d prefer a shower.”
“You want company?”
“Definitely.”
If John hadn’t been so fucking tired, the shower would have been incredibly arousing-all that bare, slick skin, Rodney’s broad shoulders and strong arms, and a cock that slowly began to take interest in the proceedings. When John dropped to his knees, Rodney went from half-mast to full interest in about two seconds.
Rodney leaned back against the shower wall. “John.”
“Yeah, that’s my name,” John replied before he sucked Rodney down.
Rodney wasn’t often speechless, so John counted it a job well done when Rodney was reduced to incoherent mutterings above him. It had been a long time since he’d sucked dick, but he hadn’t lost his skill. Rodney came quickly, his hips stuttering a bit, and John gripped Rodney’s hips tightly as he clambered to his feet.
John rinsed his mouth out in the spray from the shower, and then Rodney pulled him in for a kiss, a large, warm hand wrapping around John’s cock.
Rodney jacked him off in the shower with John thrusting lazily against Rodney’s fist. His exhaustion had his orgasm coming later than it might have otherwise, but he still managed to thrust into Rodney’s fist, and when he came, it was with a groan of completion.
John had to admit that shower sex was a lot easier to clean up than sex anywhere else, and he hustled Rodney back to his bed without any trouble. “You should sleep,” John said.
“Are you going to sleep?” Rodney countered.
“Only with you,” John replied.
Rodney managed a tired smile. “Good.”
On another night, they might have managed round two, but they were both too tired to do anything more than fall into bed.
So, they fell together, and as far as John was concerned, that was good enough.
Chapter 10
“Yeah, so I have a relationship with John. Everybody always asks us about that. Look, it just happened, okay? One minute, he’s my best friend, and the next, we’ve been together for years. I think you’ll find there are a lot of people on Atlantis who would say the same. We all faced extraordinary difficulties together-enemies within and without, food shortages, clothing shortages, you name it. And in the end, all we had was each other. That’s the thing about being on a colony in another galaxy. It doesn’t matter how much you hate someone. They’re still going to be your neighbor.”
~Interview with Rodney McKay
“I do not need to go,” Radek protested as he strapped on his tac vest.
Evan knew how much Radek hated going off-world, but the other option was to take McKay, and Sheppard wasn’t inclined to let McKay go off with another team.
“We need you to pull information off the DHD,” Evan pointed out. “Do you know someone else who can do the job as well as you?”
Radek glared at him. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Evan grinned. “Flattery eases the way.”
“I have not seen Laro lately,” Radek observed.
Evan sighed. “He’s been busy getting the other Athosians settled on the city.”
“This has nothing to do with your offer to sacrifice yourself?” Radek asked.
Evan shook his head. “I was doing my job.”
“Laro is not military,” Radek pointed out. “All he sees is that you were willing to leave him.”
“Yeah, I got that.” Evan checked the clip in his personal weapon and secured it in his holster. “Let’s get this done.”
Sheppard was there to see them off as usual. “Don’t have too much fun, kids.”
“Not without you, sir,” Evan replied.
They had been following every lead on Kolya’s whereabouts, with no success. He and Sheppard had been taking it in turn, although Evan knew that Sheppard was hoping to find Kolya himself.
The area around the gate was clear, and Evan glanced at his team. “Stay sharp,” he ordered. “I don’t want to be caught unaware.”
Corporal Johnson took their six, and the other Marines fanned out, keeping Zelenka protected in the middle. “Radek, let’s pull the information from the DHD now, before we have company.”
Radek worked quickly to recover the information from the DHD, his clever fingers disconnecting the data pad once the transfer was done. “Done.”
“All right, let’s move,” Evan said. “Maybe we can find witnesses.”
The gate was in the middle of a valley, surrounded on nearly all sides by steep hills with rocky outcroppings, which meant it was a prime location for an ambush. There was only a faint hint of a path, and Evan led the way. They’d never been to this planet before, and Evan had no idea what to expect from the inhabitants, although he was inclined to tread lightly.
But when the faint path petered out, Evan spotted the village with the houses burned out. Evan bent to feel the ashes, which were cold.
“There’s no one here, sir,” Johnson called, kicking at a charred beam.
“Yeah,” Evan said. “Let’s look for survivors or any sign of Kolya, then we’ll head back to Atlantis.”
There were a few bodies, burned beyond all recognition, but not nearly as many as Evan would have expected if the entire village had been killed.
Evan spotted a gun in the wreckage of one of the houses, and he fished it out, holding it up to the light.
“What is that?” Radek asked.
“Genii weapon,” Evan responded. “They were here, but I don’t think they are anymore. Let’s head back.”
The trek back to the gate was made in silence, and Evan grimaced, wishing that he had better news to bring. He unclipped his weapon and looked around the gate room, although he wasn’t surprised to find that Laro wasn’t present.
Dr. Weir skipped down the steps from her office. “I take it you didn’t find him.”
“There was a burned out village, and I found a Genii weapon,” Evan replied. “But no other sign than that.”
Dr. Weir nodded. “Good work. See Carson. We’ll debrief in an hour.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Evan replied.
He headed for the infirmary with Radek at his side. “You must talk to him,” Radek said softly.
Evan frowned. “What are you? My mother?”
“I am your friend,” Radek replied mildly. “You are happier with him. He is a good man. So, I am telling you to talk to him.”
“I will,” Evan promised. “After we’re done with this.”
Radek shot him a sharp look. “See that you do.”
Beckett cleared them fairly quickly, and they gave their report to Weir, Sheppard, and McKay.
“How long do you think it had been since the Genii were there?” Sheppard asked.
Evan shook his head. “I couldn’t say for sure, sir, but I’d guess it would be at least four or five days. It’s hard to say why the Genii would have burned the village to the ground, though.”
“They’re child killers,” Sheppard said sourly. “Who knows? Maybe these folks wouldn’t play ball, or maybe they looked at Kolya wrong. Just add it to the list of Kolya’s crimes.”
Weir glanced at Sheppard reprovingly. “We don’t know that it was Kolya, John.”
“Do you think it was Radim’s people?” Sheppard countered. “Because if it wasn’t him, it was Kolya. Lorne found the Genii weapon at the scene of the crime.”
Weir frowned, but finally nodded. “I can’t disagree with you there. Radek, you have the information from the DHD?”
Radek nodded. “Yes, Dr. Weir. I will work on it. There are a couple of young scientists who can correlate the data.”
“Do that.” She put her hands on the table. “Cross check the addresses with any Ladon Radim gave us, and any of our allies. Not everyone may have been able to send word to us as Keras did.”
The meeting ended at that point, and Evan was about to leave, to find Laro, but Sheppard called him back.
“Elizabeth and I were talking, and we both agreed that the hunt for Kolya has to take a backseat for a while,” Sheppard said, grimacing as though the words left a bad taste in his mouth.
Evan raised his eyebrows. “And the front seat?”
“Alliances,” Sheppard replied. “Food and other goods, as well as another ZPM. With one more, we’ll be up to full power, or close to it, and we won’t have to worry so much about the Wraith dropping by for a visit.”
Evan could see where this was going. “I take it we’re going to be working on the mission roster for the next month.”
“Cheer up, Lorne,” Sheppard replied with a grin. “I’ll get someone to bring us dinner.”
Evan couldn’t think of a way to tell Sheppard that he needed time to straighten things out with his boyfriend. Duty came first. “Of course, sir.”
They spent the next several hours going over the roster, and the list of planets to visit, assigning each team as fit its expertise. Sheppard prevailed upon Barnes to bring a couple of trays from the mess.
“I take it you’ve still got Barnes doing the scut work,” Evan said.
Sheppard shook his head. “I don’t know what to do with him, to be honest.”
“He’s young, and he’s a hothead,” Evan pointed out. “And he’s a pain in the ass. He might settle down as time goes on.”
“Let’s hope so,” Sheppard grumbled. “Otherwise, I’d half a mind to saddle Mitchell and Jon with him, and they could leave him on Earth.”
Evan chuckled. “That would be one way to deal with the problem, but it’s a little unfair to Colonel Mitchell.”
“Which is why I haven’t made the suggestion,” Sheppard agreed. “But if he doesn’t settle down soon, I’m going to keep it as an option.”
“Until we’ve got enough in the way of supplies to send Mitchell and Jon back to Earth, I’d suggest using SG-1 as another first contact team.” Evan pointed out four of the addresses on the list. “We could use their experience, and you and I have more than enough to do, sir.”
“Good idea,” Sheppard said. “We’ll use Jon as the fourth member.”
Evan’s eyebrows went up. “Isn’t that a bit odd?”
“More than a little,” Sheppard replied. “But they’re about the only ones who won’t assume that he’s completely green based on his appearance.”
“Good point,” Evan replied.
With the addition of SG-1 to the roster, the rest of the scheduling went quickly, and Sheppard finally waved him off. “Get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.” Evan went back to his own quarters first. He stood in the middle of the room, contemplating his bed, tempted by the idea that he could just go to sleep and forget for a while.
Then again, he knew Radek was right. He had to fix it-or try to fix it.
Evan let out a long breath, then headed for Laro’s room, knocking briskly. There was no response at first, and Evan scratched the back of his head, before knocking again.
This time, the door slid open, and Laro stood there, blinking sleepily. “I’m sorry. I was asleep.”
Evan believed him; there wasn’t an ounce of deception in Laro. “I’m sorry it’s so late,” Evan apologized. “I got stuck going over the roster with Colonel Sheppard.”
Laro smiled. “I understand. Would you like to come in?”
“I think we need to talk,” Evan began, stepping past him.
Laro followed him back into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. “What would you like to talk about?”
Evan had no idea what to say, or how to say it, so he finally just blurted out, “I didn’t want to go back to Earth. I don’t want to leave Atlantis, or you.”
Laro’s blank expression didn’t change. “Then why would you offer?”
“There’s going to be a lottery,” Evan said quietly. “To decide who on Atlantis can bring their families over, or offer them the chance to leave Earth. That’s the only fair way to decide, but the people who go back can at least check up on them. If I don’t go, Colonel Mitchell might agree to look in on them, but he won’t make it a priority like I would.”
Evan could see the tension run out of Laro’s broad shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I don’t know,” Evan admitted. “It seems selfish, I guess.”
“You want to protect your family,” Laro replied. “There’s nothing shameful about that.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to Evan’s, threading his fingers through Evan’s hair.
Evan put his hands on either side of Laro’s face and pulled him down on top of them. Their legs tangled, and Evan pushed his hands under Laro’s shirt.
“I knew Sheppard wasn’t going to let me go,” Evan whispered against Laro’s mouth. “But I had to ask.”
Laro just kissed him, his solid body covering Evan’s, and Evan couldn’t be sorry that he was here, instead of back on Earth.
~~~~~
Teyla nodded at Laro as he entered the sparring room, careful not to allow surprise to show on her face. She continued to circle the two Athosian guides who were learning the bantos, correcting their forms with a few words here and there. “Alaan, do not drop your left shoulder. And Ripa, feel your connection with the ground. That’s where your power comes from.”
By the end of the session, she felt they had made real progress, and she said as much. “I will see you in two days for our next training session.”
Laro nodded at Alaan and Ripa as they left, but he stayed where he was, leaning against the wall.
“I don’t suppose you have come for a lesson,” Teyla said.
Laro shook his head. “No. I’ve told Evan that I will learn how to use a weapon, but you teach the warrior’s way.”
Teyla smiled. “Then what brings you by?”
“Gesi wishes for your presence in the infirmary during her examination,” Laro replied. “I offered to stay with her, but she wanted to have you there as well.”
Teyla nodded. “Of course. How is she?”
“Frightened, hopeful, but afraid to hope,” Laro replied. “As you would expect.”
“And you and Evan?” Teyla inquired.
Laro shot her a disgruntled look. “We’ve spoken, and we’ve come to an understanding,” he admitted. “He was worried for his family.”
“I believe most people on Atlantis share his anxiety,” Teyla replied softly. “The people of Earth face much uncertainty.”
Laro nodded. “I understand that. I just-didn’t realize. Evan doesn’t talk about his family often.”
“Sometimes it is easier to forget if we don’t speak of it,” Teyla said softly. “And there are times when it is certainly easier to forget.”
Laro glanced away. “I know that very well.”
Teyla put a hand on his forearm. “I know you do.”
They stood outside the infirmary, and Teyla pulled Laro’s forehead to hers. “I only want your happiness,” she murmured. “And I am happy to have you here.”
“Atlantis is my home now,” Laro replied.
“And it is good to have you here,” Teyla replied. “Come. Let’s go to Gesi.”
She reached out as soon as she saw Gesi, sitting on one of the infirmary beds, looking very small and scared.
“Teyla,” the girl said gratefully. “Laro said he would ask you to come.”
“Of course I did,” Teyla replied. “There is nothing to fear from Dr. Beckett. He only wants to see if he can make you well.”
Gesi glanced down at her twisted foot. “I never thought I could be cured, and I know I was getting too heavy to carry.”
Teyla pulled her arm around Gesi’s shoulders. “If anyone can heal you, it is Dr. Beckett.”
As though her words had summoned him, Dr. Beckett bustled up a moment later. “Ah, here we are. Gesi, isn’t it?”
“Yes, sir,” she said, her words barely audible.
Beckett patted her hand. “Not to worry, lass. This won’t hurt a bit, I promise.”
Gesi squeezed Teyla’s hand, but she didn’t voice a protest as Beckett examined her leg. “Can you help?” she asked softly.
“We’ll need to run a scan, but I think it might be possible,” Beckett replied. “It won’t be an easy process, mind, and I’ll go over it with you more in detail before we start, but I think it might be possible to correct the problem.”
Gesi’s face lit up. “Will I run?”
“Eventually, that might be a possibility,” Beckett agreed. “Although I make no promises.”
Gesi smiled tremulously. “It’s more hope than I’ve ever had, Dr. Beckett.”
“Well, I think we can make you a good deal more comfortable than you are at the moment,” Beckett replied. “I’ll just ask Marie to set up a scan, and we’ll see what happens.”
Gesi squeezed Teyla’s hand even harder. “Thank you, doctor.”
“You won’t feel a thing,” Beckett promised. “And I’ll go over all your options before we move forward. Just give me a moment.”
Gesi glanced at Teyla. “Do you think it’s real?”
“It’s more than real,” Teyla assured her. “And if Dr. Beckett says that he can cure you, I believe him.”
Gesi nodded. “I just never thought it possible.”
“The Lanteans have many methods of curing problems we do not know how to treat,” Teyla replied.
Teyla stayed with Gesi through the entire process-the scan, waiting for results, waiting for Beckett to make a determination and a recommendation, and then the decision-making process. Dr. Beckett was hopeful that Gesi would be able to walk without a crutch, although he cautioned that she would likely always have a limp, but Gesi was thrilled with the news.
“You have given her great joy,” Teyla said after Laro had left to escort Gesi back to her quarters.
Beckett flushed. “It’s a real pleasure to be able to correct a problem like that, rather than stitching up wounds,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, our access to arthritis medications is limited, so I won’t be able to do much for Huson, although I’m hoping that will change as we’re able to synthesize more medications.”
Teyla patted him on the shoulder. “I know you will do everything you can.”
These days, Teyla felt less alone than she had after the Athosians had moved to the mainland, and she had made the decision to stay on Atlantis. The other guides were settling in, and Laro, Gesi, and Huson were making a place for themselves on the city.
And, of course, Teyla had her team.
That night, at dinner, Ronon dropped into the seat next to her. “Mission tomorrow,” he observed.
Teyla nodded. “I’ve traded with the Donak in the past.”
“Any problems?”
“I didn’t experience any,” Teyla replied. “But then I did not know that the Genii were more than simple farmers.”
Ronon shrugged. “You can’t know everything.”
Teyla didn’t say that she felt as though she should-she felt as though she should have known about the Genii. She might have saved the Lanteans a lot of trouble if she’d never introduced them.
John took the seat next to her. “Movie night tonight,” he announced. “Although we’re keeping it to one episode of Doctor Who.”
“That the one with the blue box?” Ronon asked.
“It’s a little more than a blue box,” Rodney protested.
John grinned. “Yeah, but you have to admit that the TARDIS is a big part of the show. It’s practically the star of the show. The Doctor changes; the TARDIS doesn’t.”
Rodney looked almost as though he was in physical pain as he said, “You may have a point.”
John blinked at him, then a slow smile spread over his face. “Wait, I’m right? That’s what you meant to say, right?”
Rodney scowled. “I believe I said that you may have a point. May.”
“But that’s not what you meant,” John crowed. “You would totally have a TARDIS if you could.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Rodney asked. “You can’t tell me that if you had the chance to go back in time, you wouldn’t.”
“And screw up my chances of being born?” John asked. “Teyla? What about you? If you could go back in time and change something, would you?”
Rodney held up a hand. “You know, if you subscribe to string theory-”
“Not now, Rodney,” John said, cutting him off. “I want to hear Teyla’s answer.”
Teyla’s mind immediately went to the moment she’d taken John to the ruins, when he’d found her old necklace and had activated the Wraith beacon. It hadn’t been John’s fault, of course, or hers, but that didn’t change what had happened.
And she could not say that was the moment she would change without hurting John, which she wasn’t willing to do.
“Every moment I have lived has led me to this point,” Teyla said. “How could I change one moment and still be the person I am?”
“She’s got a point,” Ronon said smugly.
John shrugged. “She always has a point. Ronon? Would you change something?”
Ronon’s expression darkened. “Yeah.”
That was all he said, but the emotion in his voice made Teyla pat him on the arm.
John’s expression turned sympathetic. “Rodney? You were so vocal about changing the past. What would you change?”
“What wouldn’t I?” Rodney asked. “Do you know how many people I’d get back at if I had the chance? My entire high school career would be different.”
John raised his eyebrows. “That’s what you would change?”
“You don’t know what high school was like for me,” Rodney said. “What about you? What would you change?”
John glanced at Teyla, and she could see in his eyes that he had his own regrets, things that he would change if he could. But what he actually said was, “I’m with Teyla on this one. Maybe I’d nip the Ori problem in the bud, but the one thing I’d change I couldn’t have done anything about.”
Teyla had no idea what he was talking about, but she knew better than to press. Rodney wasn’t so circumspect, however. “What would you have changed?”
John glared at Rodney, but to Teyla’s surprise, he actually responded. “I would have stopped my mom from getting sick.”
The others fell silent at that admission, and Teyla suspected that they all had someone whose deaths they would have prevented.
Rodney was watching John with an expression Teyla had seen when he was working out a particularly thorny problem in the past. “I think I’d avoid that last argument with my sister,” Rodney said quietly. His lips quirked. “Even if I was totally right.”
That comment broke the awkward silence, and they all laughed. “So, Doctor Who?” John prompted, clearly relieved at the change in subject.
They had not had much time for this, Teyla thought later, leaning against Ronon’s warm bulk even as Rodney sat so close to John that their shoulders and hips were touching. Elizabeth hadn’t been inclined to allow Rodney and John to go off-world at the same time, which meant that the team had spent little time together lately.
As good as it was to have Laro and the other Athosians on the city, Teyla’s first family would always be her team.
When the episode was over, Ronon rose and pulled Teyla up with him, although John and Rodney stayed where they were. “We’ll see you tomorrow for the briefing,” John said, waving at them. “Sleep well.”
Teyla heard a click as the door closed behind them, and she exchanged a look with Ronon, who smirked.
“Good thing Atlantis listens to Sheppard,” Ronon remarked in an undertone.
Teyla laughed. “It is.”
~~~~~
Elizabeth looked around the table. “Teyla? Do you have anything to add?”
Teyla shook her head. “No, I think I’ve covered everything.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Very well, then. Good luck.”
Teyla paused on her way out of the room. “How are you?” she asked in an undertone.
Elizabeth shrugged. “I’m rolling with the punches.”
“And Colonel Mitchell?”
“If we can make a deal with the Donak, we’ll have the supplies we need to send Colonel Mitchell back to Earth,” Elizabeth admitted.
“So, you don’t want us to succeed?” Teyla asked.
Elizabeth smiled. “For the good of Atlantis, I hope you do.”
Teyla’s frank gaze was perceptive. “And for your own sake?”
“I’d prefer to ignore my own sake,” Elizabeth replied. “Atlantis is the only thing that matters right now.”
Teyla touched her arm. “Then we will see what happens.”
Elizabeth breathed deeply after Teyla had gone, trying to get her emotions under control. She was busy, she had a lot to do, but she couldn’t stay in her office right now. She began a circuit of the city, checking in with the scientists in the labs, and with the Marines sparring in the training area.
She literally ran into General O’Neill on her way back from the gym, and he gave her a sharp look. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” Elizabeth said, mostly out of reflex. “I was just taking a walk.”
O’Neill smirked at her. “The walls start closing in on you after awhile, don’t they?”
“Colonel Sheppard’s team is on a first contact mission,” Elizabeth admitted. “I always worry more over those, although I know things can go wrong even with our allies.”
“Pretty much anything can go wrong at any time,” O’Neill agreed cheerfully. “It’s probably better to get used to that now.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “That’s your pep talk?”
“It’s the best I’ve got,” he admitted. “Fishing helps.”
“I don’t have the time for fishing,” Elizabeth replied.
O’Neill shrugged. “Well, I was actually on my way to bug Sam and see if she wanted to grab lunch.”
Elizabeth knew she didn’t want to be alone, so she asked. “Can I tag along?”
“I wouldn’t have mentioned it otherwise,” O’Neill replied.
Sam was holding a heated debate with Zelenka when they stopped by her lab. “I agree that the generators could be used to supplement the power from the ZPMs, but I think we’re going to burn out any of them we’ve got hooked up.”
“Not if we’re careful!” Zelenka shot back. “We need drone production.”
“And we also need the cloak. If we come under attack, someone is going to have to move pretty quickly to disconnect all of them,” Sam objected.
“So, we find someone to disconnect them. One of the young Marines, perhaps, or several. We will make it part of the battle stations,” Zelenka argued.
“He has a point,” O’Neill drawled.
Sam turned to glare at him. “Jack-”
“Look, it’s a risk, but we need the drones. Right now, we’re not in a good place to deal with a Wraith attack. With more drones, we might stand half a chance at surviving,” O’Neill replied.
“We’d need more than drones,” Elizabeth replied. “We’re going to need more Jumpers, and more pilots to fly them. Or we’re going to need to find a way to take out multiple darts at once.”
Sam straightened. “What if we found a way to target Wraith darts specifically?”
“Can you do that?” Elizabeth asked incredulously.
Sam hesitated. “If I could get my hands on a dart, I could give you a better idea, but from what I’ve heard, Wraith technology is very different. It’s a bit like Ancient tech, or Goa’uld tech. There’s more to it than just a machine. If we can pinpoint and exploit that difference, maybe we can take the darts out in the air.”
Zelenka’s face lit up. “If we could do that…” He shook his head. “But we would need to get a dart.”
“It’s possible,” Elizabeth reminded him. “I’ll alert all teams to the need to find one if they can.”
“And now that we have that settled, it’s lunch time,” O’Neill announced. “So, let’s get a move on, people.”
“We’re right in the middle of something,” Sam protested.
O’Neill crossed his arms. “Yeah, maybe, but you should take the break and eat something. You’ll think better for it.”
Elizabeth was certain that Zelenka or Sam-or more likely both-would argue, but something about O’Neill seemed to command respect. She wondered if it was the rank, but she suspected that it was just the man.
Sam looked as though she wanted to argue, but she finally shrugged. “All right. I guess I can eat.”
Zelenka seemed willing to follow Sam’s lead, because he agreed. “I could eat. Knowing Rodney, he will want an update that will make us late for dinner.”
Over the course of lunch, O’Neill managed to steer the conversation away from anything work-related, or at least science related, by raising a hand every time Sam or Zelenka tried to bring it up. “Ah, ah,” he said. “You can talk geek when you’re back in the lab.”
Daniel sat down next to O’Neill just as he was giving that admonition. “Then I guess you don’t want to hear about my latest translation.”
“Does it tell us where to find the treasure?” O’Neill asked. “Because if it doesn’t, the answer is definitely not.”
“I’ve isolated about half a dozen entries that talk about ZPMs,” Daniel replied, smiling as Vala sat down next to him. “And I’ve found detailed schematics of Atlantis, along with descriptions of all the rooms.”
Zelenka’s expression lit up. “We had not been able to find something like that before!”
Daniel smirked. “That’s because the Ancients’ index is so jumbled that it’s nearly impossible to find anything. In this case, it was filed under ‘architecture,’ in a subfolder that you’d have to know was there in order to find it.”
“How did you know it was there?” Elizabeth asked.
Daniel shrugged. “Instinct, mostly. Even though I don’t remember anything from being ascended, I still seem to know how to find things.”
“Thank god for that,” Zelenka muttered. “You will send me the translated file?”
“I’ll send you what I’ve finished so far immediately after lunch,” Daniel promised. “I’m still working on translating the entry that talks about building a ZPM. I think the Ancients deliberately fragmented those particular entries.”
O’Neill grimaced. “Cagey bastards.”
Daniel shrugged his agreement. “You can say that again.”
“Cagey bastards,” O’Neill repeated with a quirk of his lips.
Elizabeth snorted, and heard Sam’s choked laughter. Their eyes met, and they both grinned at each other in shared amusement. On Daniel’s other side, Vala rolled her eyes, although she was also smiling.
Suddenly, Elizabeth heard something that sounded a lot like an explosion. Elizabeth had pushed away from the table and was on her feet before it really even registered. She tapped her radio and sent out an all-call. “What the hell was that?”
“I don’t know, ma’am,” Chuck responded. “No one seems to know where it came from.”’
“Find out!” Elizabeth ordered tersely.
The radio crackled. “Dr. Weir, this is Major Lorne. There’s been an explosion on the lower level, South Pier. According to the duty roster, there was supposed to be a team of scientists mapping the area.”
“Where are they?” Elizabeth demanded.
“I can’t reach them, ma’am,” Lorne admitted. “I need Zelenka to assess structural integrity before we send teams in.”
“On my way,” Zelenka replied, his voice echoing oddly, both over the radio and from Elizabeth’s side. “Dr. Weir?”
“Go,” she said. “What do you need?”
“I will let you know,” Zelenka replied, muttering in Czech as he jogged off.
O’Neill rubbed his eyes. “Life is never dull, is it?”
“Not around here,” Elizabeth replied grimly.
Vala, Sam, and Daniel were on their feet. “We should probably see what we can do to help the rescue crews,” Sam said. “We’ve worked rescue before.”
The radio crackled again, and Cam’s voice filtered through. “Elizabeth? I heard what happened. According to my records, we’ve got at least five missing.”
Elizabeth blew out a breath. “Lorne’s on it, and Zelenka is joining him. Daniel, Sam, and Vala are going to help the rescue efforts.”
Cam growled inarticulately. “And I can’t help.”
“Well, you could,” Elizabeth replied, striving for fairness. “I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether you’d just be in the way.”
Cam sighed. “Yeah, I think I’ve already figured that out for myself. All right, I’m going to coordinate efforts with the rescue team. I can do that much, anyway.”
Even though Elizabeth knew she should leave it to Cam, she couldn’t stand by and watch from her office. A glance at O’Neill’s face told her that he felt the same way. O’Neill also gave her a quick headshake.
Elizabeth did a quick mental calculation, and she said, “All right. You do that. General O’Neill and I will set up additional command posts and work with the rescue crews, but you’re in charge. Keep me informed, Cam.”
“Will do,” he promised.
O’Neill pulled Sam into a quick hug. “Be careful,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Sam replied with a quick grin, pressing her forehead to his. “Don’t get ambitious, Jack.”
“Never,” O’Neill responded with a half-smile that Elizabeth didn’t trust for a second, and she suspected that Sam didn’t trust it either. “Go.”
When the others had gone, Elizabeth looked at him. “Are you having a hard time waiting, too?”
“I always have a hard time waiting,” O’Neill replied. “But Mitchell needs to feel useful, now more than ever.”
“And the same can’t be said for you?” Elizabeth countered.
O’Neill shrugged. “I’ve got something he doesn’t.”
“And that is?”
“Sam,” O’Neill replied simply. “She knows me well enough to kick my ass when I start feeling sorry for myself.”
Elizabeth nodded knowingly. “We all need someone like that.”
“Indeed, we do, Doctor,” O’Neill replied, using her title with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry I’m going to be a poor substitute for him.”
She cleared her throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, I know that line, too,” O’Neill said quietly. “Go. Join the rescue crew. I’ll set up in your office and keep an eye on the gate.”
Impulsively, Elizabeth put a hand on O’Neill’s arm. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” he replied. “I expect to be kept in the loop.”
“Of course,” she replied. “You’re part of the loop now.”
O’Neill smiled. “Good to know.”
~~~~~
John had learned to take Teyla’s lead off-world, particularly when meeting a group of people that she’d already visited. So, he had no problem sketching a quick bow when she did as the leader of the Donak inclined his head. With a motion of his hand, John signaled the rest of his team to do the same.
Ronon inclined his head more deeply than he would have without John’s signal, and Rodney bowed slightly from the waist, the movement jerky.
“I had heard you were working with the Lanteans, Teyla,” the Donak headman said. “I wasn’t sure I believed it.”
“Rivert, I am still serving my people,” Teyla replied. “I determined that this was the best way I could watch out for their interests.”
“Atlantis and the Athosians share a close relationship,” John said. “And we are grateful to the Athosians for their kind assistance.”
Rivert looked at Teyla, then at John. “I see. Well, you are welcome here, all of you. Please, come.”
John had been to a lot of planets, and before he’d ever gone off-world, he’d been to a lot of different countries. Nearly all of them had a similar ceremony-sharing tea, sharing bread, even sharing salt. John was used to drinking what he was asked to drink, to eat what he needed to eat. This time, the food of choice was a local delicacy, and that delicacy looked a lot like a giant bug.
Rodney looked faintly green, but he hoped Rodney would follow his lead. They needed this trade agreement, and Rodney knew that.
As the leader of the team, John went first, biting through the crunchy exterior of the bug, suppressing his shudder of revulsion with some effort. “Great,” he managed.
Teyla ate one, as did Ronon, and when the platter was passed to Rodney, John held his breath, not quite trusting that Rodney would carry it out. To John’s surprise, Rodney ate the bug with every indication of enjoyment.
“This is quite good,” Rodney said. “I hope you’ll give us the recipe.”
Rivert beamed at him. “These are my wife’s specialty, so I’m afraid we cannot share the secret. She hasn’t even told me.”
“What a shame,” Rodney said.
John bit his lip to keep from smiling, hearing the underlying sarcasm in Rodney’s voice.
“We are happy to trade, of course,” Rivert said, all smiles now. “We are always pleased to have new allies.”
The trade deal was made amiably, without a hitch. Rivert’s manner was straightforward and helpful, and Teyla indicated that Rivert was offering a fair deal when John took a quick break to check with her privately.
John kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Rivert’s people to produce weapons and threaten them, or to get screwed over on a deal. But the bugs were the worst thing they had to deal with; Rivert’s wife plied them with a strong, hot drink that was the closest thing they’d had to coffee, and tiny, exquisite honey cakes.
“What is this drink?” Rodney asked, clearly trying to keep his enthusiasm under wraps, even though he was unsuccessful.
Rivert smiled. “We call it shiska. Would you like to add some to the trade deal?”
“We would,” Teyla said smoothly. “It is very similar to an Earth drink called coffee.”
Rivert hesitated. “It grows freely on this planet, but the best place to get it is several days’ journey away, and it requires much labor.”
“We can provide assistance,” John promised. “We’ve worked out a similar deal with the Athosians. And if we help you harvest it, you can then turn around and trade it on other worlds.”
Rivert smiled widely. “That is a very interesting offer, Colonel Sheppard. We might be able to work that into our agreement.”
Another hour went by, until John was buzzing from the combination of sugar and what was probably a caffeine-like substance. In the end, they had a satisfactory agreement for medical assistance and help with the harvests in exchange for food and shiska. They bowed and drank a cup of something strongly alcoholic to seal the deal.
He could tell that Ronon was similarly tense, expecting trouble, but it never came. Teyla dialed the address for Atlantis, and the gate whooshed to life.
“This means we can send the team back to Earth,” Rodney said quietly.
“I guess that’s what it means,” John replied. “Have you made your list?”
“My sister and her family,” Rodney replied. “It’s not much of a list.”
“More than I’ve got,” John acknowledged.
When they walked through the gate into controlled chaos, John knew that he’d been right to be suspicious. Nothing ever went smoothly in the Pegasus galaxy. The fact that the trade deal had gone off without a hitch meant that it had to be offset somewhere else, this time with an emergency on the city.
O’Neill met them in the gate room, wearing a radio and looking serious, but with a spring in his step that had been absent. John suspected he knew the cause; a man like O’Neill wanted to feel vital, and he’d be at his best in the middle of an emergency.
“There was an explosion near the South pier,” O’Neill said before John could ask. “The scientists who were on the exploratory team are still among the missing. Rescue teams are being coordinated by Mitchell. And before you ask, your team can go get checked out in the infirmary, and then you can join the rescue efforts.”
O’Neill was using his command voice, and John knew better than to argue with a general. At least, he knew better than to argue with O’Neill under the circumstances. Post-mission medicals were a part of the job, especially when anyone had consumed food or drink off-world. That was the rule, and there was a good reason for it.
“Come on,” John said quietly. “We can get a full update from Beckett.”
He led the way to the infirmary, because that’s what the leader of a team did-he, or she, led by example. John might not have let on to it, but he’d read the mission reports from SG-1, and he’d learned quite a bit from O’Neill just from that.
Beckett was distracted enough that he rushed through their post-mission medicals, taking blood samples and herding them out after he’d gotten their vital statistics. “Everything looks fine,” Carson said. “If you start experiencing any sort of symptoms, or problems, I want to know immediately.”
“You got it, Doc,” John promised. “You got the sample, right?”
“I have it,” Carson replied, sounding distracted. “Go. I’m expecting more patients.”
John nodded. “Thanks.”
“Go,” Carson repeated. “I’ll pull you off duty if there’s anything untoward.”
John figured that an explosion on the city meant that something was already “untoward,” but he didn’t say as much. Instead, they headed for the South pier, and John found Mitchell coordinating the search efforts. He reminded himself that Mitchell was perfectly capable of this sort of thing, and forcing himself in on the situation wouldn’t do any good. In fact, John was pretty sure he’d hate being in Mitchell’s position, coordinating efforts while everybody else searched for survivors or bodies.
In truth, John would much rather be under Mitchell’s command, searching.
“We’re here to help,” John said simply. “Just tell us where we’ll do the most good.”
Mitchell shot him a look that was half suspicion, half-gratitude, and then his face relaxed into a smile when he realized that John was serious. “I think they could use your help digging through the rubble,” Mitchell replied. “You okay with that?”
John knew what Mitchell was asking. “”We’ll go wherever you send us.”
He led the rest of his team down the hall, towards the lights and noise that marked the location of the rescue crew. From long experience, John easily spotted the most exhausted workers-Barnes was right in the forefront, his young face streaked with soot, working shoulder to shoulder with three other young Marines.
“Hey, take a break,” John said, shouldering Barnes out of the way. “Get something to eat, something to drink, and catch a quick nap.”
For once, Barnes appeared too tired to protest. “Yes, sir,” he said, his shoulders slumping.
“You, too,” John insisted, pointing at Suh, Carpenter and Lee. “Take four hours, then check in with Colonel Mitchell.”
They didn’t argue either, trudging down the hallway, leaving John’s team to take their places. John glanced at Rodney. “If you’ve got another way to help-”
Rodney shook his head. “No, not yet. I’ll let you know if I come up with something.”
It didn’t take long for John to recognize that there wasn’t a better or a smarter way to work. The explosion had disrupted the frequency the life signs detectors used, and it hadn’t cleared up, which meant they had no idea whether any of the missing scientists were still alive. Rodney could have explained exactly what had happened, and what the interference was-or at least he’d have made a good attempt-but they were all too busy sifting through rubble.
There were times that they all had to take a step back and let the engineers, led by an exhausted-looking Zelenka, move some of the heavier beams and chunks of wall. During those breaks, John checked in with the other workers, sending away anyone who looked too tired to do much good, making sure no one had any injuries.
The explosion had taken out enough of the South pier to collapse half a dozen hallways, and during one of the breaks, he ran into Elizabeth, whose hands were marred by cuts and scrapes. “Hey,” he said wearily. “We got the trade deal ironed out, no problem.”
She leaned against the wall wearily. “Well, that’s a bit of good news in the middle of this mess.”
John sank down to the floor, and she joined him soon after. He’d left his team in another hallway, waiting on one of their few structural engineers to give the go-ahead to continue excavations. “Do you know anything more about what happened?”
“Daniel went back to the map he found. Apparently, one of the labs on the exploration list was dedicated to weapons research,” Elizabeth replied with a sigh. “I know Rodney and Zelenka warned them not to activate anything, but you know the scientists.”
John grimaced. “All too well. O’Neill and Mitchell seem to be doing a good job coordinating things.”
Elizabeth smiled thinly. “I’m just glad not to be stuck behind a desk right now,” she confessed. “Even if all I want is a shower and a hot meal.”
John heard a shout from down the corridor, and he rose to his feet, offering Elizabeth a hand up. “You and me both,” he agreed. “See you later?”
She nodded. “Call me on the radio. We’ll figure out whether we need to meet right away, or whether we can wait until tomorrow.”
They found the first body an hour later, and John’s team was the one to pull out Dr. Richards. He saw Rodney’s stricken expression as they pulled the battered body out from under the detritus.
“Hey, you okay?” John asked.
Rodney nodded tightly. “I just want to find the rest of Richards’ team.”
John put a hand on Rodney’s shoulder. “You got it, buddy.”
No one was ever replaceable, but these days good people were even harder to come by than they had been in the past.
In spite of his exhaustion, John pushed forward, searching for the other missing scientists. He wondered which of them had activated the bomb, not that it mattered. Placing blame wouldn’t help, although if they knew what had happened, they could at least hold it up as a cautionary tale.
It was late by the time they found the rest of the missing scientists-or pieces of the missing scientists. There was enough left of each of them to be certain there were no survivors, and John called off the search at that point. Everyone was exhausted and heartsick, and all he wanted was a shower and a few hours of sleep.
One look at Rodney’s face put paid to John’s intentions to head back to his room alone. Rodney looked lost, maybe even a little angry, his expression a mirror of the one he’d worn after Gaul and Abrams had died.
John snagged Rodney’s elbow. “Stay close.”
“What? Why?” Rodney asked, his voice a little lost.
“Just-hang on,” John replied.
He checked in with Teyla and Ronon briefly, telling them, “We aren’t meeting until noon tomorrow. Take the morning off.”
Teyla threw a quick, worried look at Rodney before she nodded. “Of course, John.”
“Thanks,” John replied. “Thanks for everything.”
Teyla pulled John in, and he pressed his forehead to hers. Ronon clapped him and Rodney on the shoulders, causing each of them to stagger a bit. Teyla pulled Rodney into a similar embrace.
“I just have to call Lorne,” John said. “Your place or mine?”
Rodney hesitated. “John, you don’t have to-”
“Your place or mine?” he asked doggedly.
Rodney’s shoulders slumped, as though he was giving up. “Mine. I’ve got the prescription mattress, remember?”
“I remember,” John replied gently. “Your bed is bigger anyway.”
“Maybe we should think about moving into some of those larger quarters,” Rodney suggested hesitantly.
John tried not to let on to how much that meant coming from Rodney. “Maybe we should,” he agreed. “Let me call Lorne.”
Lorne sounded weary when he answered the radio. John knew Lorne had been working in another area of the pier all day, and that he was scheduled to be on call tonight. “You okay?” John asked.
“Reeves is going to take any calls that come in,” Lorne replied. “I sent him to take a nap this afternoon, so he’s fresher than we are. If something major comes up, he’s got orders to call me first, and I’ll call you if necessary.”
“Thank you, Evan,” John replied sincerely.
There was a moment’s pause. “Not a problem, sir. Enjoy your evening. What’s left of it, anyway.”
“You, too,” John replied.
John steered Rodney down the hallway as they exited the lift. “You okay?” he asked in a low voice as they entered Rodney’s quarters.
“I just keep wondering what I did wrong,” Rodney admitted, still looking a little lost. “They’re supposed to be the best and the brightest, right? I’ve told them not to activate anything. I tried not to include gene carriers on exploratory teams. What the hell else am I supposed to do, John?”
John hated how Rodney’s voice broke on the last words, and he hauled Rodney in, holding him tightly. “I know that, whatever happened, whatever bad decision somebody made, it wasn’t because you didn’t warn them,” John said in Rodney’s ear. “I’ve heard your speech to new minions. You’re scary as hell, McKay.”
Rodney laughed, even as he wrapped his arms more tightly around John. “I tried.”
“You did good,” John insisted. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll find out what they did, and we’ll put the fear of McKay in them, and nothing like this will happen again.”
“That’s just wishful thinking,” Rodney mumbled against his shoulder.
“Probably,” John agreed. “You want to take a bath?”
Rodney shook his head. “Not when I’m this dirty. I’d prefer a shower.”
“You want company?”
“Definitely.”
If John hadn’t been so fucking tired, the shower would have been incredibly arousing-all that bare, slick skin, Rodney’s broad shoulders and strong arms, and a cock that slowly began to take interest in the proceedings. When John dropped to his knees, Rodney went from half-mast to full interest in about two seconds.
Rodney leaned back against the shower wall. “John.”
“Yeah, that’s my name,” John replied before he sucked Rodney down.
Rodney wasn’t often speechless, so John counted it a job well done when Rodney was reduced to incoherent mutterings above him. It had been a long time since he’d sucked dick, but he hadn’t lost his skill. Rodney came quickly, his hips stuttering a bit, and John gripped Rodney’s hips tightly as he clambered to his feet.
John rinsed his mouth out in the spray from the shower, and then Rodney pulled him in for a kiss, a large, warm hand wrapping around John’s cock.
Rodney jacked him off in the shower with John thrusting lazily against Rodney’s fist. His exhaustion had his orgasm coming later than it might have otherwise, but he still managed to thrust into Rodney’s fist, and when he came, it was with a groan of completion.
John had to admit that shower sex was a lot easier to clean up than sex anywhere else, and he hustled Rodney back to his bed without any trouble. “You should sleep,” John said.
“Are you going to sleep?” Rodney countered.
“Only with you,” John replied.
Rodney managed a tired smile. “Good.”
On another night, they might have managed round two, but they were both too tired to do anything more than fall into bed.
So, they fell together, and as far as John was concerned, that was good enough.
Chapter 10