Come Away to the Slaughter (Come Away to the Water) - Part VII
Title: Come Away to the Slaughter (Come Away to the Water)
Fandoms: Stargate: Atlantis/Hawaii Five-0
Pairings: John/Elizabeth, Danny/OC, Ronon/Teyla, Steve/Kono, minor Cadman/Lorne
Rating: R for violence, scary situations, and language
Summary: When a zombie plague spreads through Hawaii (and the rest of the world), the 5-0 team has to make difficult decisions and flee their homes. Coming across a Stargate, but not understanding what it is, they have to choose between facing the horrors on their planet or escaping to somewhere unknown. When they end up in the Pegasus Galaxy, they think they're somewhat safe... until Atlantis falls and they're on the run again, this time with new friends and no idea where to go.
A/N: The biggest of thanks to citymusings for a) putting up with my insanity, b) dealing with a story that involved zombies, c) cheerleading of the highest order, and d) beta-ing this beast. This would not have gotten done without you, my dear.
A/N 2: Song referenced somewhere near the end is "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri.
Disclaimer: Gabby is the only main character that belongs to me.
A/N 3: Anybody reading my story "For This Dance We'll Move with Each Other" will recognize Gabby. She is, in fact, the same character. This is just an alternate way for her and Danny to meet.
Disclaimer: Gabby is the only character that belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to their respective creators and I'm just playing with them.
Teyla walked towards the rear of the group, keeping an eye on their surroundings. It had been more than two weeks since they had left the temple behind, and they had traveled to another five planets. Things had been quiet of late, and their group had fallen into a routine, almost comfortable in their current situation. Though Teyla was enjoying the break as well, she refused to let her guard down. In her experience, it was the moment one did that when the tides changed and she did not want to be caught unawares.
Hyper-vigilance would wear her out quickly, though, so she let her eyes settle on her companions from time to time. John and Elizabeth walked with other people, but they were never much further than arm’s length away from each other. Everyone in the camp knew that the two had finally gotten their affairs in order; Teyla was especially glad to see her two friends so happy. Though their time in Atlantis had been full of amazement and discovery, there had also been a great deal of pain, and John and Elizabeth usually suffered the brunt of it. Despite the fact that they were essentially homeless, they had found a safety and surety in each other that buoyed them.
Danny and Gabby were much the same way. Teyla didn’t know much of Danny’s story, but it had been obvious that he and his daughter had been carrying great pains when they arrived in Atlantis. That never fully went away, but their smiles now reached their eyes, and they seemed genuinely happy. Gabby had been a part of the Atlantis expedition from the very beginning, but Teyla had always gotten the feeling that she kept herself emotionally separate from most of the people around her. That, too, seemed to have changed since joining Danny and Grace and completing their little family.
As Teyla’s attention moved on, she wondered if it was natural for the people around her to pair off, given their situation. She didn’t doubt that all of the feelings were genuine, but she suspected that in a normal setting it would take longer for her friends to admit to those feelings. There was really nothing to hold them back out here, though. There was no rank, no higher authority to tell them that they couldn’t be together. There were no conflicts of interest. Their lives were never going to be what they were; all they could really do was make sure that they were safe and happy.
Allowing herself a small smile, she wondered how much longer it would be before the other pairs would make it official. When her eyes landed on Malia and Carson, she thought that perhaps some had progressed and simply not said anything.
Not everything gave her a good feeling, however, and as her gaze fell on Ronon striding up at the front of the column, she felt a familiar knot in her stomach. They had been lovers for more than a year now, and there wasn’t anyone in their little group who didn’t know that they were together. Thinking back on it, Teyla wasn’t surprised that they had come together. She and Ronon had much in common and he had been a rock for her through many difficult times. She felt complete with him and knew that it was unnecessary for her to seek out anyone else to make her happy.
But she could feel the restlessness inside of him. It had been a long time since they’d come up against any Wraith, and the need to kill them was almost like an itch that sat between his shoulder blades. She could feel it as they lay together in the darkness of their tent. She could feel it every time he touched her.
It made her afraid.
Teyla fully believed that they would find a place to settle down. She didn't know if it was going to be a twin city to Atlantis, or if they would have to find somewhere else, but eventually they would settle. Danny had his daughter to think of, and she didn't think it out of the realm of possibility for others to be considering starting families of their own. It was natural. She feared that Ronon did not want that, though. If the group were to settle down and he couldn't actively go after the Wraith, Teyla believed that he would set off on his own to chase down his vengeance. A part of her wanted to be angry with him, but that was hard when she understood. The life he had known and the people he had loved had been taken from him by the Wraith. He had suffered over and over again at their hands. It was a vendetta that wouldn't simply disappear. She couldn't hold that against him.
But she wanted him to stay. The need and the desperation were becoming so strong that they hit her in the chest, making it difficult to breathe.
"Hey, you okay?" Mary asked, dropping back to walk by her side.
Startled out of her thoughts, Teyla forced a smile onto her face. "Yes. I was just thinking."
"Liar," she replied, a smile on her face softening her words. "You forget that my brother is the king of repressing emotions. I'm pretty good at calling people's bluffs." Mary shrugged. "It's okay, though. You don't have to talk."
Teyla wasn't planning on saying anything in response to that, but her mouth betrayed her. "It has been awhile since I've talked with someone," she said slowly. "If you are sure you're willing to listen...?"
Mary smiled. "I'm all ears."
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Gabby hummed quietly as she ran her fingers through Grace’s hair. It may not have seemed important to other people, but she tried to keep the strands from knotting as much as possible. There was so much in the jungles and forests that could snag the long hair, and being out of quality shampoo and conditioner wasn’t helping matters. Gabby made a point of sitting down every night in front of the fire and working her fingers through Grace’s hair until it was smooth and then she would braid it. Sometimes it was a French braid, other times braided pig tails. She tried to use enough variety to keep Grace’s attention, but she also wanted it to be functional.
The group around the fire was quiet that afternoon. Food rations were low, so they had decided to stop earlier than usual to set up camp. Danny, Steve, Teyla, and Lorne had gone out to do some hunting in the surrounding forest, leaving the rest of them to get everything set up for their overnight stay.
“Gabby?”
She stopped her humming. “Yes, darling?”
“Do you sing?”
Gabby smiled even though Grace couldn’t see her face. “I’ve been known to carry a tune from time to time.”
The little girl let out a long sigh. “I miss music. I mean, I miss a lot of things from home, but I really miss music. I didn’t think to pack my iPod when we left.”
“I doubt the batteries would be working now anyway.”
“Would you sing something?” Grace asked. “For me?”
“I can’t promise anything wonderful,” she warned, “but I can give it a try.”
Turning her attention back to Grace’s hair, Gabby began gathering the strands to start the braid. She shuffled through the songs she knew in her head before finally settling on one. Everyone else around the campfire quieted down as she began to sing, but Gabby kept her full focus on the task at hand, weaving in flowers she had picked earlier to add some color.
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid
To fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
Time stands still
beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything
Take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath,
Every hour has come to this
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
I have died everyday
Waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid,
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
And all along I believed
I would find you
Time has brought
Your heart to me
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
As she finished singing, Gabby looped the braid around Grace's head and secured it so that it was like a circlet. The flowers weren't anything terribly exotic-looking, but the pinks and yellows acted as a nice accent, and as Grace turned to face her, she couldn't help but smile.
"You look lovely, darling," she said.
Grace hugged her. "Do you think you could sing to me some other time, too?"
"I will sing to you anytime you'd like. In fact -"
There was a rustle in the nearby bushes and Ronon was there in an instant, his gun at the ready. Instead of an intruder though, it was Danny that came crashing out, followed by Lorne. Both of them were out of breath and red in the face, and Gabby's stomach knotted as she pushed herself to her feet.
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, coming up to them. "Where are the others?"
"We ran into another tribe," Lorne replied, glancing over at Danny. "They took McGarrett hostage."
"What?" John exclaimed, standing next to Elizabeth. "What the hell for?"
"They're a matriarchal society," Lorne explained. "Think Amazons, but...well...a lot scarier. Men aren't allowed to be 'unclaimed' on this planet." He shrugged. "I don't know how, but they took one look at Danny and said he was claimed already. They said I belonged to someone, too." He shot a quick glance at Cadman before blushing. "They used poison darts to get McGarrett. We tried to buy him some time, said that he was claimed, but that she was back at our camp. They said we could come get the woman he belongs to. Teyla stayed with him."
Kono ducked into her tent and quickly reemerged, strapping on a belt that held a long hunting knife. She also pulled a gun out of her waistband and checked to make sure that it was fully loaded before slipping it back into place.
"Unclaimed my ass," she muttered. "Let's go get him."
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Nobody liked to split the camp, but it wasn’t safe to bring the entire group to what seemed to be a hostile tribe. Danny had pulled Gabby aside, and she could see it in his face that he was going to ask her to stay. She didn’t want to - Steve was her friend, too - but she understood why he was asking her. Grace was the most important thing in his life and he’d be able to focus on the task at hand better if he knew she was safe. Gabby couldn’t argue that with him. Lorne and Cadman stayed as well to guard the camp, while John, Danny, Elizabeth, Ronon, and Kono headed out to rescue their friends.
It took them nearly two hours to reach their destination. A crowd of women stood around Steve, who was down on his knees with a chain around his neck, while a tall woman in red robes pointed at Teyla.
“I believe that you have deceived us, Teyla Emmagan,” she said loudly. “This man is unclaimed and therefore fair game. By the laws of our people I -”
John was still trying to figure out how they were going to get McGarrett out of this situation when Kono charged through to the center of the group. Without any hesitation, she grabbed Steve by the collar of his t-shirt and dragged him up until his mouth met hers. The kiss was long and hard, and when she let go of him he sank back down to his knees, staring up at her in disbelief.
“I claim him,” she said, her voice low and deadly as she stared down the woman in the red robes. “Anyone who wants to call that into question can fight me. But this man is mine and he will be leaving with me.”
The woman had a good three inches on Kono, but she made no move. “He does not believe himself to be claimed.”
Kono’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
She waved towards Danny. “It is obvious that this one knows where he belongs. He is claimed by both a daughter and a lover.” She pointed at John. “It is obvious that his heart belongs to the woman beside him.” Her attention moved to Ronon. “I can even feel the link between this one and Teyla Emmagan, though there is a choice before him that I don’t quite understand.” She turned her eyes back to Steve. “But this one...there is no such link to be felt. He believes himself to be alone.” Her gaze was hard as she looked at Kono. “He does not accept your claim on him.”
For a moment, the entire group was shocked into silence. No one understood how this woman was reading them so accurately. Kono didn’t stay quiet for long, though, and she stepped forward until there was almost no space between them.
“So you would hold someone’s lack of self-worth against them?”
The woman frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Kono pointed back at Steve. “This man? He doesn’t just belong to me.” She moved her hand until she was pointing at Danny. “That man right there loves him like a brother. He would die for him. And Danny’s daughter? She loves Steve and considers him family, even though they don’t share blood. He belongs to both of them. He has a sister who loves him. And he has me. We’re ohana, family.” She looked back at Steve for a moment, sadness in her eyes as she considered him. “You say that you can’t feel those links. But what you’re feeling is his inability to believe that people love him. Steve loves with his whole heart, but he can’t understand that people feel the same way about him. He thinks the only thing he has to offer to people is his life, and he gives it freely for the people he loves, never expecting anything in return.” Her eyes bored into the woman in front of her. “But understand this. Whether he believes it or not, whether it takes me the rest of my life to make sure he believes, he belongs to us. He is Danny’s, and he is Grace’s, and he is Mary’s, and he is mine, and you are not going to take him from us. Come hell or high water, we are leaving with Steve. I suggest you get the hell out of our way.”
John held his breath, hand itching to move towards his gun as Kono and the woman in red stared each other down. Kono’s voice had left him with no doubts that she would actually fight for McGarrett, but he didn’t like the odds. His people were outnumbered, and any type of fight was going to be heavy with bloodshed. John was really hoping they could avoid that. His eyes sought out Danny, and he saw the former detective easing himself closer to his friends, obviously hoping to get a jump on those around him if this thing went south. Moving his attention to Ronon, he saw the Satedan give him a slight nod. If it came down to it, they were as ready as they were going to be.
But the woman in red didn’t attack. She stared at Kono for a long time before finally nodding, the tension and haughtiness easing out of her.
“What you say is true,” she said slowly, as though she had somehow verified the information for herself. “Your claim will not be challenged.” She gestured to someone behind McGarrett. “Free him.”
Kono didn’t drop her gaze until she heard the chains falling away from Steve, and then she turned to help him to his feet. He swallowed roughly as their eyes met, but she just gave him a small smile, one hand coming up to gently probe a cut on his forehead.
“You have been claimed by an unusually strong woman,” his former captor said. “Do not let yourself be torn from her.”
Steve shook his head slowly, still staring at Kono in wonder. “I won’t,” he said quietly.
John let out a long breath as he realized that the situation had been diffused. Sharing a glance with Elizabeth, he nodded at her and she stepped forward.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” she said gently, “but we would like to get back to our camp. We -”
The woman drew in a sharp breath, her eyes blazing for a moment. “You have to go back,” she said hurriedly. “There is another...he seeks you...” Her attention snapped to Danny. “You could lose everything,” she whispered.
Elizabeth frowned. “I don’t understand. How -”
“Go!” the woman yelled, her tone frantic. “Your people are in danger!”
The ferocity of her voice sent a cold knot into the pit of John’s stomach, and as he looked at his companions, he knew that they were feeling it as well. Moving backwards just in case it was a trap, he gestured to the others.
“Move!” he called out.
They ran. John had planned on slowing them down once they neared their camp, but the smoke rising up out of the trees pushed away any thoughts of caution. Danny and Steve were the first ones rushing in, guns drawn. They had expected to see the entire camp up in flames, but most of the tents were still standing. Supplies were strewn about as though there had been a struggle and there were multiple footprints all over the ground. The excess smoke had been caused by a body burning up in their campfire; Ronon walked over and used his foot to kick the corpse over, even though they could tell it wasn’t human.
“Wraith,” he growled.
Danny struggled between not being able to breathe and wanting to be sick. He could see the same expressions on Kono and Steve’s faces as they went through the tents one by one and found them empty.
“Grace!” he called out, unable to stop himself. “Grace!”
When he didn’t get an answer, tears came to his eyes and his chest felt tighter than when the vines had been trying to choke the life out of him. The idea of his little girl in the hands of those monsters...A small voice in the back of his head reminded him that Gabby had been with her, and Gabby would do whatever she had to do to keep Grace safe. She would give her life for that little girl -”
A sudden splashing caught his attention, and they all whirled toward the river that ran along the back of their camp. Guns drawn, they waited, tense and wary. Danny was ready to shoot just about anything that showed up, if only to vent some of the building pressure inside of him.
When he saw the person come through the trees, though, he dropped his gun and rushed forward, gathering her up into his arms.
“Grace,” he breathed, holding her tightly despite her soaked clothing. “Oh, baby, you’re okay. You’re okay.”
She nodded, obviously chilled from the water. “Gabby said not to come out until I heard you call for me. Is she okay, Danno? There was shooting and yelling and I heard someone scream.”
“They left a trail,” Ronon called from across the camp. “Pretty obvious one.”
“You think they want us to follow them?” Kono asked.
“Looks that way.”
John came over to Grace, squatting down next to her. “Grace...did you see any of the men? Can you tell me what they looked like.”
She frowned, thinking over the question. “They were mostly the monsters. There were a couple of men, though. Dr. Beckett knew one of them.”
“How do you know that, monkey?” Danny asked.
“He said his name.”
“And what was his name.”
“I think he said Kolya.”
John’s entire body tensed and he looked right up at Elizabeth, her expression mirroring his. Grace was the only one in the group truly unfamiliar with the man; as they had continued their journey towards Atlantis’ fabled sister city, a lot of stories had been shared, including those about the former Genii leader.
“If it is Kolya,” Teyla said quietly, “then I believe we can be sure that he wants us to follow him. He always has a design in the works.”
“Why, though?” Elizabeth asked. “Why is he coming after us again?”
“Because he can’t let go,” John said tightly, getting back to his feet. “Because he hates the fact that he keeps coming after me and I’m still alive.”
“And he has proven more than once that he wants to cause you and John as much pain as possible,” Teyla added. “He might even know that there are legends of a sister city. If he does...”
“Then he might want to use us to find it,” Elizabeth finished. “Great. He has our people and he’s in our way. I’m really getting tired of him.”
“I plan on killing him,” John said casually.
“And if he doesn’t, I will,” Ronon promised.
“I don’t think there’s anyone here that’s going to argue for his life,” Steve added. “He’s got our friends. He’s got my sister. Any of us gets the chance, put him down.” He turned to John. “So how do you want to do this?”
The real problem was Grace. They needed to keep her safe, even while they needed every available gun to go after their friends. Truth be told, John didn’t want Elizabeth going either, but he didn’t think that leaving her behind to protect Grace was the best solution, either. He wanted someone with a gun and experience to be watching over them. His first choice would have been Ronon or McGarrett, but he needed both of them against Kolya. The whole situation just sucked.
“I will stay with her,” Teyla offered.
Surprised, John just stared at her. “What?”
“You are all worried about Grace. She cannot go near Kolya. If he had been aware that we had a child with us and could get his hands on her, he would use her to his advantage. We cannot allow that to happen. We will pack up the camp and move everything to a safer location. There are probably caves in the mountains to the east. Grace and I will wait for you there.”
John was used to having Teyla by his side in a fight, and he knew that not having her there would be difficult for Ronon as well. But Grace’s safety had to come first. He looked over at Elizabeth, but she was already shaking her head.
“Don’t ask me to do that, John.”
“There’s going to be fighting, ‘Lizabeth.”
“Then give me a gun. But don’t ask me to stay here when my people are in trouble. That’s not how I do things.”
More than anything, he wanted to try to convince her to stay with Teyla and Grace. He knew her too well, though, and he could see it in her eyes. She was going to see this thing through and she was going to be standing by his side while she did it. He couldn’t help but be proud of her.
“Then let’s get started,” he said, nodding at her. “We get Grace and Teyla set up and then we head out. I want Kolya’s head on a stake by morning.”
Fandoms: Stargate: Atlantis/Hawaii Five-0
Pairings: John/Elizabeth, Danny/OC, Ronon/Teyla, Steve/Kono, minor Cadman/Lorne
Rating: R for violence, scary situations, and language
Summary: When a zombie plague spreads through Hawaii (and the rest of the world), the 5-0 team has to make difficult decisions and flee their homes. Coming across a Stargate, but not understanding what it is, they have to choose between facing the horrors on their planet or escaping to somewhere unknown. When they end up in the Pegasus Galaxy, they think they're somewhat safe... until Atlantis falls and they're on the run again, this time with new friends and no idea where to go.
A/N: The biggest of thanks to citymusings for a) putting up with my insanity, b) dealing with a story that involved zombies, c) cheerleading of the highest order, and d) beta-ing this beast. This would not have gotten done without you, my dear.
A/N 2: Song referenced somewhere near the end is "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri.
Disclaimer: Gabby is the only main character that belongs to me.
A/N 3: Anybody reading my story "For This Dance We'll Move with Each Other" will recognize Gabby. She is, in fact, the same character. This is just an alternate way for her and Danny to meet.
Disclaimer: Gabby is the only character that belongs to me. Everyone else belongs to their respective creators and I'm just playing with them.
Teyla walked towards the rear of the group, keeping an eye on their surroundings. It had been more than two weeks since they had left the temple behind, and they had traveled to another five planets. Things had been quiet of late, and their group had fallen into a routine, almost comfortable in their current situation. Though Teyla was enjoying the break as well, she refused to let her guard down. In her experience, it was the moment one did that when the tides changed and she did not want to be caught unawares.
Hyper-vigilance would wear her out quickly, though, so she let her eyes settle on her companions from time to time. John and Elizabeth walked with other people, but they were never much further than arm’s length away from each other. Everyone in the camp knew that the two had finally gotten their affairs in order; Teyla was especially glad to see her two friends so happy. Though their time in Atlantis had been full of amazement and discovery, there had also been a great deal of pain, and John and Elizabeth usually suffered the brunt of it. Despite the fact that they were essentially homeless, they had found a safety and surety in each other that buoyed them.
Danny and Gabby were much the same way. Teyla didn’t know much of Danny’s story, but it had been obvious that he and his daughter had been carrying great pains when they arrived in Atlantis. That never fully went away, but their smiles now reached their eyes, and they seemed genuinely happy. Gabby had been a part of the Atlantis expedition from the very beginning, but Teyla had always gotten the feeling that she kept herself emotionally separate from most of the people around her. That, too, seemed to have changed since joining Danny and Grace and completing their little family.
As Teyla’s attention moved on, she wondered if it was natural for the people around her to pair off, given their situation. She didn’t doubt that all of the feelings were genuine, but she suspected that in a normal setting it would take longer for her friends to admit to those feelings. There was really nothing to hold them back out here, though. There was no rank, no higher authority to tell them that they couldn’t be together. There were no conflicts of interest. Their lives were never going to be what they were; all they could really do was make sure that they were safe and happy.
Allowing herself a small smile, she wondered how much longer it would be before the other pairs would make it official. When her eyes landed on Malia and Carson, she thought that perhaps some had progressed and simply not said anything.
Not everything gave her a good feeling, however, and as her gaze fell on Ronon striding up at the front of the column, she felt a familiar knot in her stomach. They had been lovers for more than a year now, and there wasn’t anyone in their little group who didn’t know that they were together. Thinking back on it, Teyla wasn’t surprised that they had come together. She and Ronon had much in common and he had been a rock for her through many difficult times. She felt complete with him and knew that it was unnecessary for her to seek out anyone else to make her happy.
But she could feel the restlessness inside of him. It had been a long time since they’d come up against any Wraith, and the need to kill them was almost like an itch that sat between his shoulder blades. She could feel it as they lay together in the darkness of their tent. She could feel it every time he touched her.
It made her afraid.
Teyla fully believed that they would find a place to settle down. She didn't know if it was going to be a twin city to Atlantis, or if they would have to find somewhere else, but eventually they would settle. Danny had his daughter to think of, and she didn't think it out of the realm of possibility for others to be considering starting families of their own. It was natural. She feared that Ronon did not want that, though. If the group were to settle down and he couldn't actively go after the Wraith, Teyla believed that he would set off on his own to chase down his vengeance. A part of her wanted to be angry with him, but that was hard when she understood. The life he had known and the people he had loved had been taken from him by the Wraith. He had suffered over and over again at their hands. It was a vendetta that wouldn't simply disappear. She couldn't hold that against him.
But she wanted him to stay. The need and the desperation were becoming so strong that they hit her in the chest, making it difficult to breathe.
"Hey, you okay?" Mary asked, dropping back to walk by her side.
Startled out of her thoughts, Teyla forced a smile onto her face. "Yes. I was just thinking."
"Liar," she replied, a smile on her face softening her words. "You forget that my brother is the king of repressing emotions. I'm pretty good at calling people's bluffs." Mary shrugged. "It's okay, though. You don't have to talk."
Teyla wasn't planning on saying anything in response to that, but her mouth betrayed her. "It has been awhile since I've talked with someone," she said slowly. "If you are sure you're willing to listen...?"
Mary smiled. "I'm all ears."
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Gabby hummed quietly as she ran her fingers through Grace’s hair. It may not have seemed important to other people, but she tried to keep the strands from knotting as much as possible. There was so much in the jungles and forests that could snag the long hair, and being out of quality shampoo and conditioner wasn’t helping matters. Gabby made a point of sitting down every night in front of the fire and working her fingers through Grace’s hair until it was smooth and then she would braid it. Sometimes it was a French braid, other times braided pig tails. She tried to use enough variety to keep Grace’s attention, but she also wanted it to be functional.
The group around the fire was quiet that afternoon. Food rations were low, so they had decided to stop earlier than usual to set up camp. Danny, Steve, Teyla, and Lorne had gone out to do some hunting in the surrounding forest, leaving the rest of them to get everything set up for their overnight stay.
“Gabby?”
She stopped her humming. “Yes, darling?”
“Do you sing?”
Gabby smiled even though Grace couldn’t see her face. “I’ve been known to carry a tune from time to time.”
The little girl let out a long sigh. “I miss music. I mean, I miss a lot of things from home, but I really miss music. I didn’t think to pack my iPod when we left.”
“I doubt the batteries would be working now anyway.”
“Would you sing something?” Grace asked. “For me?”
“I can’t promise anything wonderful,” she warned, “but I can give it a try.”
Turning her attention back to Grace’s hair, Gabby began gathering the strands to start the braid. She shuffled through the songs she knew in her head before finally settling on one. Everyone else around the campfire quieted down as she began to sing, but Gabby kept her full focus on the task at hand, weaving in flowers she had picked earlier to add some color.
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid
To fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away somehow
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
Time stands still
beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything
Take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath,
Every hour has come to this
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
I have died everyday
Waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid,
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
And all along I believed
I would find you
Time has brought
Your heart to me
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more
As she finished singing, Gabby looped the braid around Grace's head and secured it so that it was like a circlet. The flowers weren't anything terribly exotic-looking, but the pinks and yellows acted as a nice accent, and as Grace turned to face her, she couldn't help but smile.
"You look lovely, darling," she said.
Grace hugged her. "Do you think you could sing to me some other time, too?"
"I will sing to you anytime you'd like. In fact -"
There was a rustle in the nearby bushes and Ronon was there in an instant, his gun at the ready. Instead of an intruder though, it was Danny that came crashing out, followed by Lorne. Both of them were out of breath and red in the face, and Gabby's stomach knotted as she pushed herself to her feet.
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, coming up to them. "Where are the others?"
"We ran into another tribe," Lorne replied, glancing over at Danny. "They took McGarrett hostage."
"What?" John exclaimed, standing next to Elizabeth. "What the hell for?"
"They're a matriarchal society," Lorne explained. "Think Amazons, but...well...a lot scarier. Men aren't allowed to be 'unclaimed' on this planet." He shrugged. "I don't know how, but they took one look at Danny and said he was claimed already. They said I belonged to someone, too." He shot a quick glance at Cadman before blushing. "They used poison darts to get McGarrett. We tried to buy him some time, said that he was claimed, but that she was back at our camp. They said we could come get the woman he belongs to. Teyla stayed with him."
Kono ducked into her tent and quickly reemerged, strapping on a belt that held a long hunting knife. She also pulled a gun out of her waistband and checked to make sure that it was fully loaded before slipping it back into place.
"Unclaimed my ass," she muttered. "Let's go get him."
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Nobody liked to split the camp, but it wasn’t safe to bring the entire group to what seemed to be a hostile tribe. Danny had pulled Gabby aside, and she could see it in his face that he was going to ask her to stay. She didn’t want to - Steve was her friend, too - but she understood why he was asking her. Grace was the most important thing in his life and he’d be able to focus on the task at hand better if he knew she was safe. Gabby couldn’t argue that with him. Lorne and Cadman stayed as well to guard the camp, while John, Danny, Elizabeth, Ronon, and Kono headed out to rescue their friends.
It took them nearly two hours to reach their destination. A crowd of women stood around Steve, who was down on his knees with a chain around his neck, while a tall woman in red robes pointed at Teyla.
“I believe that you have deceived us, Teyla Emmagan,” she said loudly. “This man is unclaimed and therefore fair game. By the laws of our people I -”
John was still trying to figure out how they were going to get McGarrett out of this situation when Kono charged through to the center of the group. Without any hesitation, she grabbed Steve by the collar of his t-shirt and dragged him up until his mouth met hers. The kiss was long and hard, and when she let go of him he sank back down to his knees, staring up at her in disbelief.
“I claim him,” she said, her voice low and deadly as she stared down the woman in the red robes. “Anyone who wants to call that into question can fight me. But this man is mine and he will be leaving with me.”
The woman had a good three inches on Kono, but she made no move. “He does not believe himself to be claimed.”
Kono’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
She waved towards Danny. “It is obvious that this one knows where he belongs. He is claimed by both a daughter and a lover.” She pointed at John. “It is obvious that his heart belongs to the woman beside him.” Her attention moved to Ronon. “I can even feel the link between this one and Teyla Emmagan, though there is a choice before him that I don’t quite understand.” She turned her eyes back to Steve. “But this one...there is no such link to be felt. He believes himself to be alone.” Her gaze was hard as she looked at Kono. “He does not accept your claim on him.”
For a moment, the entire group was shocked into silence. No one understood how this woman was reading them so accurately. Kono didn’t stay quiet for long, though, and she stepped forward until there was almost no space between them.
“So you would hold someone’s lack of self-worth against them?”
The woman frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Kono pointed back at Steve. “This man? He doesn’t just belong to me.” She moved her hand until she was pointing at Danny. “That man right there loves him like a brother. He would die for him. And Danny’s daughter? She loves Steve and considers him family, even though they don’t share blood. He belongs to both of them. He has a sister who loves him. And he has me. We’re ohana, family.” She looked back at Steve for a moment, sadness in her eyes as she considered him. “You say that you can’t feel those links. But what you’re feeling is his inability to believe that people love him. Steve loves with his whole heart, but he can’t understand that people feel the same way about him. He thinks the only thing he has to offer to people is his life, and he gives it freely for the people he loves, never expecting anything in return.” Her eyes bored into the woman in front of her. “But understand this. Whether he believes it or not, whether it takes me the rest of my life to make sure he believes, he belongs to us. He is Danny’s, and he is Grace’s, and he is Mary’s, and he is mine, and you are not going to take him from us. Come hell or high water, we are leaving with Steve. I suggest you get the hell out of our way.”
John held his breath, hand itching to move towards his gun as Kono and the woman in red stared each other down. Kono’s voice had left him with no doubts that she would actually fight for McGarrett, but he didn’t like the odds. His people were outnumbered, and any type of fight was going to be heavy with bloodshed. John was really hoping they could avoid that. His eyes sought out Danny, and he saw the former detective easing himself closer to his friends, obviously hoping to get a jump on those around him if this thing went south. Moving his attention to Ronon, he saw the Satedan give him a slight nod. If it came down to it, they were as ready as they were going to be.
But the woman in red didn’t attack. She stared at Kono for a long time before finally nodding, the tension and haughtiness easing out of her.
“What you say is true,” she said slowly, as though she had somehow verified the information for herself. “Your claim will not be challenged.” She gestured to someone behind McGarrett. “Free him.”
Kono didn’t drop her gaze until she heard the chains falling away from Steve, and then she turned to help him to his feet. He swallowed roughly as their eyes met, but she just gave him a small smile, one hand coming up to gently probe a cut on his forehead.
“You have been claimed by an unusually strong woman,” his former captor said. “Do not let yourself be torn from her.”
Steve shook his head slowly, still staring at Kono in wonder. “I won’t,” he said quietly.
John let out a long breath as he realized that the situation had been diffused. Sharing a glance with Elizabeth, he nodded at her and she stepped forward.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” she said gently, “but we would like to get back to our camp. We -”
The woman drew in a sharp breath, her eyes blazing for a moment. “You have to go back,” she said hurriedly. “There is another...he seeks you...” Her attention snapped to Danny. “You could lose everything,” she whispered.
Elizabeth frowned. “I don’t understand. How -”
“Go!” the woman yelled, her tone frantic. “Your people are in danger!”
The ferocity of her voice sent a cold knot into the pit of John’s stomach, and as he looked at his companions, he knew that they were feeling it as well. Moving backwards just in case it was a trap, he gestured to the others.
“Move!” he called out.
They ran. John had planned on slowing them down once they neared their camp, but the smoke rising up out of the trees pushed away any thoughts of caution. Danny and Steve were the first ones rushing in, guns drawn. They had expected to see the entire camp up in flames, but most of the tents were still standing. Supplies were strewn about as though there had been a struggle and there were multiple footprints all over the ground. The excess smoke had been caused by a body burning up in their campfire; Ronon walked over and used his foot to kick the corpse over, even though they could tell it wasn’t human.
“Wraith,” he growled.
Danny struggled between not being able to breathe and wanting to be sick. He could see the same expressions on Kono and Steve’s faces as they went through the tents one by one and found them empty.
“Grace!” he called out, unable to stop himself. “Grace!”
When he didn’t get an answer, tears came to his eyes and his chest felt tighter than when the vines had been trying to choke the life out of him. The idea of his little girl in the hands of those monsters...A small voice in the back of his head reminded him that Gabby had been with her, and Gabby would do whatever she had to do to keep Grace safe. She would give her life for that little girl -”
A sudden splashing caught his attention, and they all whirled toward the river that ran along the back of their camp. Guns drawn, they waited, tense and wary. Danny was ready to shoot just about anything that showed up, if only to vent some of the building pressure inside of him.
When he saw the person come through the trees, though, he dropped his gun and rushed forward, gathering her up into his arms.
“Grace,” he breathed, holding her tightly despite her soaked clothing. “Oh, baby, you’re okay. You’re okay.”
She nodded, obviously chilled from the water. “Gabby said not to come out until I heard you call for me. Is she okay, Danno? There was shooting and yelling and I heard someone scream.”
“They left a trail,” Ronon called from across the camp. “Pretty obvious one.”
“You think they want us to follow them?” Kono asked.
“Looks that way.”
John came over to Grace, squatting down next to her. “Grace...did you see any of the men? Can you tell me what they looked like.”
She frowned, thinking over the question. “They were mostly the monsters. There were a couple of men, though. Dr. Beckett knew one of them.”
“How do you know that, monkey?” Danny asked.
“He said his name.”
“And what was his name.”
“I think he said Kolya.”
John’s entire body tensed and he looked right up at Elizabeth, her expression mirroring his. Grace was the only one in the group truly unfamiliar with the man; as they had continued their journey towards Atlantis’ fabled sister city, a lot of stories had been shared, including those about the former Genii leader.
“If it is Kolya,” Teyla said quietly, “then I believe we can be sure that he wants us to follow him. He always has a design in the works.”
“Why, though?” Elizabeth asked. “Why is he coming after us again?”
“Because he can’t let go,” John said tightly, getting back to his feet. “Because he hates the fact that he keeps coming after me and I’m still alive.”
“And he has proven more than once that he wants to cause you and John as much pain as possible,” Teyla added. “He might even know that there are legends of a sister city. If he does...”
“Then he might want to use us to find it,” Elizabeth finished. “Great. He has our people and he’s in our way. I’m really getting tired of him.”
“I plan on killing him,” John said casually.
“And if he doesn’t, I will,” Ronon promised.
“I don’t think there’s anyone here that’s going to argue for his life,” Steve added. “He’s got our friends. He’s got my sister. Any of us gets the chance, put him down.” He turned to John. “So how do you want to do this?”
The real problem was Grace. They needed to keep her safe, even while they needed every available gun to go after their friends. Truth be told, John didn’t want Elizabeth going either, but he didn’t think that leaving her behind to protect Grace was the best solution, either. He wanted someone with a gun and experience to be watching over them. His first choice would have been Ronon or McGarrett, but he needed both of them against Kolya. The whole situation just sucked.
“I will stay with her,” Teyla offered.
Surprised, John just stared at her. “What?”
“You are all worried about Grace. She cannot go near Kolya. If he had been aware that we had a child with us and could get his hands on her, he would use her to his advantage. We cannot allow that to happen. We will pack up the camp and move everything to a safer location. There are probably caves in the mountains to the east. Grace and I will wait for you there.”
John was used to having Teyla by his side in a fight, and he knew that not having her there would be difficult for Ronon as well. But Grace’s safety had to come first. He looked over at Elizabeth, but she was already shaking her head.
“Don’t ask me to do that, John.”
“There’s going to be fighting, ‘Lizabeth.”
“Then give me a gun. But don’t ask me to stay here when my people are in trouble. That’s not how I do things.”
More than anything, he wanted to try to convince her to stay with Teyla and Grace. He knew her too well, though, and he could see it in her eyes. She was going to see this thing through and she was going to be standing by his side while she did it. He couldn’t help but be proud of her.
“Then let’s get started,” he said, nodding at her. “We get Grace and Teyla set up and then we head out. I want Kolya’s head on a stake by morning.”