Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Part 2
Title: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Part 2
Author: titan5
Recipent: theladymore
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~15,000
Genre/Characters/Pairings: Het; John/Elizabeth
Warnings (if applicable): references and evidence of people getting eaten
Summary: John is kidnapped and sacrificed to a monster who lives in the cave system of a planet a few days before Christmas. He’s beginning to wonder if there is a target painted on his back.
Author's Notes: Written for Sheppard H/C Winter Fic Exchange 2014. Prompt used at the end of the story. Many thanks to my wonderful beta black_raven135 for her excellent and fast work. Any missed mistakes are totally my fault for being in such a hurry to make the deadline.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Part Two
Ronon and Rodney mounted the stairs to the control room about the time the wormhole behind them shut down. Elizabeth stood with Teyla and Major Lorne at the balcony overlooking the gate room floor and all three turned to face them.
“He’s not on P7M-447,” said Rodney. “The entire place has been culled.”
“Culled?” Elizabeth gasped, her mind now imagining John being stored for dinner on some Wraith hive ship.
“It was culled several weeks ago,” said Ronon. “No way those guys were from that planet. No one escaped.”
Elizabeth nodded, feeling guilty about the relief she felt when several hundred people had lost their lives.
“You guys find anything?” Rodney asked Lorne.
“We’re about to find out,” said Lorne. “I left Lt. Mason there to do a little off the record observation and he should be checking in a few minutes from now.”
“You think Sheppard is on that planet?” asked Ronon.
Lorne frowned. “Let’s just say people were acting a little odd when they found out what we wanted.”
Teyla quickly explained what she had seen and heard. Rodney was opening his mouth to comment when the gate started dialing.
“Offworld activation. It’s Lt. Mason’s IDC,” reported Chuck.
“Drop the shield,” said Elizabeth. They heard Chuck tell Lt. Mason that it was safe to come through and then the young officer was coming through the gate and jogging up the steps.
“What did you find, Lt.?” asked Lorne.
“I think we need to take some reinforcements and go back,” said the sandy haired man. “That Darien guy you were supposed to talk to came back to town about dark along with some young guy named Lierken. They were arguing, something about sacrificing someone to some monster to keep it from taking people from their village. I couldn’t hear everything, but something was said about taking a guy from the market. The older guy, Darien, ended up hitting Lierken and threatening him if he didn’t shut up.”
“Did you scan for his transmitter?” asked Rodney.
“We did. It didn’t register,” said Elizabeth.
“There could be a variety of reasons for that,” said Rodney as he began to babble. “They might have deactivated it or removed it if they know where he came from. It seems half the galaxy knows about our transmitters and how to get rid of them. There could be interference from any number of sources or -“
“Rodney,” snapped Elizabeth. “We need to focus on finding John.”
The scientist straightened and widened his eyes for a few seconds. “Right, focus. If it is interference, it might be more accurate to scan the planet from a jumper.”
Lorne frowned and nodded. “Ma’am, I’d like to send a cloaked jumper to scan for the colonel’s transmitter. I’d like the colonel’s team to accompany my team back to the village to talk to Darien and Lierken. I think we should talk to them separately, see if this Lierken guy is willing to tell us where Colonel Sheppard is.”
Elizabeth felt some of the tension flow out of her shoulders. She had hope again. They had a plan. She could work with that. “You have a go, Major. Take as many jumpers and as much firepower as you think you need. And Major . . . bring him home.”
Lorne smiled and nodded. “We will ma’am. We will.”
As Lorne and the others left to get ready for the rescue mission, Elizabeth made her way out to the balcony. Gripping the railing, she looked out over the ocean. It was dusk on the ocean that was home to Atlantis, the reflection of the rising moon dancing across the waves. “Come home to me John,” she whispered.
oOo
John opened his eyes. Everything was fuzzy for a few seconds. As his vision cleared, he realized he was looking up at some of the glowy fungus that grew in the caves. He shivered, pushing himself up to lean against the wall of the cave while everything spun lazily around, including his stomach. He tried to lick his lips, but there was no moisture there. He considered licking the damp walls, but he wasn’t quite there yet. His luck, he’d ingest some of that glowing fungus and poison himself.
It took a few minutes to get the dizziness and pain in his foot under control enough to climb to his feet. He didn’t remember passing out, just thinking about how tired he was. As he recovered his cane and began lurching down the tunnel, he decided there was more light than before. He really hoped that meant he was close to an exit because he honestly didn’t know how much further he could go.
His injured foot was so swollen, his boot would need to be cut off. His good leg was so tired and sore from all the hopping that he probably wouldn’t be able to walk for a week, even with crutches. His right arm burned and was probably infected. On the bright side, no one had tried to eat him yet and he hadn’t heard a peep from Wraithenstein in hours. Hopefully that abomination was dead.
John wasn’t sure how long he trudged on, refusing to acknowledge the exhaustion threatening to ground him. At some point he noticed the light increasing, the tunnel becoming bright enough to see where he was going. Suddenly he was standing in an opening as big as a doorway, squinting in the sunlight streaming through the trees. Although it seemed to be early morning, it was still much lighter than the caves he’d apparently been wandering around in all night.
He could scarcely believe it. He was out. Hope welled up and almost overcame him. All he had to do now was make it to the gate without alerting the people from town. John couldn’t bear the thought of making it this far only to have Darien or one of his goons drag him back down here. Clenching his jaw, he determined that he would not let that happen.
Stumbling out into the forest, he searched until he found a thick stick that made a better crutch. He kept the metal rod as a weapon though. He ended up using both the stick and the rod to hobble along without having to put weight on his foot. John allowed himself to grin at the thought of lying back in an infirmary bed with his foot propped and iced on a pillow and some really good drugs thrumming through his veins, taking the pain with it.
John was pretty sure he knew the general direction of town. There was no path through the forest, but the understory was fairly sparse and the ground was relatively smooth if you watched out for rocks and gullies. He’d traversed far worse, just not with a broken foot. It didn’t take long for him to miss the chill of the caves as sweat soaked his shirt and ran down his face, into his eyes. Thirst was now a desperate ache, contributing to his headache and nausea.
Sounds from ahead broke through his mantra of keeping himself moving forward and he realized people were headed his way. Looking around and finding no real cover, he ended up standing behind a tree and hoping it kept him hidden. Listening, he recognized Lierken’s voice and anger burned hot, causing his heart to race. He gripped the iron rod. No way were they taking him back.
He was just about to hop step out from behind the tree so he could whack Lierkin with the rod when he recognized another voice. Dropping the rod, he leaned against the tree and watched as Lierken stepped almost right in front of him along with the owner of the other voice. They stopped and stared at him, their mouths open.
“Teyla?” At least that was what he tried to say. His mouth was so dry it came out more of a rough, scratchy growl. Teyla rushed forward to take him by his shoulders and grin at him, leaning her head forward. Realizing what she was doing, he touched his forehead to hers. When he pulled back he barely had time to register Ronon before the big man pulled him off his feet into a hug. A very unmanly squeak popped out as the big guy planted him back on the ground and his injured foot took part of his weight.
The next thing he knew he was laying on the forest floor looking up into the canopy with no idea how he’d gotten there. There were voices, lots of them familiar. He blinked and Teyla was patting him on the arm as they carried him in a stretcher. He blinked again and two marines were setting him down on the floor of a jumper. Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla were looking at him like they were afraid he’d disappear. He tried to ask for water but he just made scratchy croaking noises. His point must have gotten across though because Teyla lifted his head and let him sip from her canteen. She cut him off much too soon with promises of more when Carson had cleared him.
The dizziness was closing in again, probably aggravated by the motion of the jumper. John didn’t really care. He was out of the caves and on his way home with his team watching his six. He let himself relax finally. Wraithenstein couldn’t get him anymore.
oOo
Elizabeth tried not to squirm and pace, but it was impossible to remain still. Ever since Rodney had radioed to report they had found John and were bringing him home, she’s been a nervous wreck. She had no idea what shape he was in, only that he was alive. As the jumper came through the gate and rose toward the jumper bay above, she waved to Chuck. “I’ll be in the infirmary,” she said.
Not waiting for his answer, she headed straight for the infirmary, not wanting to slow down the medical team. They ended up meeting in the hall, along with Lorne and John’s team trailing along behind the gurney carrying the colonel.
John was a mess. His clothes were filthy and torn. The right side of his face was bruised and scraped pretty raw. The visible part of his arms was peppered with cut and scrapes with his right arm obviously bearing the worst of it. She couldn’t tell what else was going on, but John Sheppard didn’t pass out from cuts and bruises.
When they reached their destination, a nurse cut them off and herded them to chairs in the waiting area the medical staff had designed in the first year. She sat down and Teyla sat next to her, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze.
“John will be fine,” Teyla said and her smile was so confident that Elizabeth relaxed and smiled back.
“We really did get him back, didn’t we,” said Elizabeth, still a little surprised.
“Yes, yes we did. And in plenty of time for Christmas.”
A shudder ran through Elizabeth as she thought about her first Christmas with John. She felt her whole body, exhausted from the tension of the last twenty-four hours, almost melt into the chair. She refused to think about the toll this relationship could take on her if she was this stressed every time he got into trouble because as much as she loved him, he was most definitely a trouble magnet.
No, she wasn’t going to worry about that now. She was going to enjoy John, because he was bound to be off his feet and therefore safe in Atlantis for a while. Christmas was just a few days away, so surely until after then. She smiled. This would be the best Christmas ever.
“Merry Christmas Elizabeth.”
She looked up at the sound of Rodney’s voice to find everyone looking at her and grinning. Heat crept up her neck to her face, but she raised her chin and ignored it. “Thank you, Rodney. It will be a Merry Christmas, thanks to all of you. Thank you for bringing him home.”
“It was our pleasure,” said Teyla. “I am afraid Atlantis would not be the same without John.” She looked at Ronon and then Rodney. “Team would not be the same without John. He is . . . an amazing man.”
Rodney snorted. “I feel like I should get us all a drink so we can make a toast.” He motioned as if holding a glass of champagne. “A toast to John Sheppard, the wonderful and amazing man from Atlantis,” he said dramatically.
They all laughed as Carson came around the corner to join them. “Shall I tell the colonel you said that?” he asked with a big grin.
Rodney scowled and lowered his arm. “Not if you want your scanner fixed the next time it goes on the fritz.”
“Oh, I think Radek could probably put in order,” Carson replied with a chuckle.
Elizabeth decided to get the conversation back to the topic top on her interest list. “I take it from your mood that John isn’t in as bad a shape as he looked?”
“Aye, he’ll be trying to talk me into releasing him in a few days, although he’ll be off his feet for a bit. He’s broken two metatarsal bones in his foot and it’s going to take a wee bit of surgery to put them right again. I imagine all that scuffling around and trying to walk has put them in the shape they’re in.”
Elizabeth breathed out a long sigh of relief. That was what she had needed to hear. “What’s the total damage?”
“He’s also pulled a couple of small ligaments loose, but they are minor. They’ve just added to the swelling and discomfort. Lots of scrapes and abrasions we’re cleaning up and I’ll put him on some antibiotics for a while since there is no telling what he was exposed to. I think I’m most concerned about the head injury. Looks like he’s taken more than one blow to the head and he’s experiencing pain, dizziness, and some nausea. A bit of intracranial bleeding has me concerned so we’ll be watching that very carefully.”
Rodney’s eyes widened. “He’s bleeding in his brain?” he said in a panicked high pitched voice. “Shouldn’t you be doing something?”
Carson sighed. “I’m bloody well doing plenty, Rodney. The bleed seems to have resolved on its own, but we’ll be watching to make sure it doesn’t get stirred up again. He’ll likely have problems with headaches and dizziness for several days to several weeks though. He’s dehydrated as well. Apparently there was not a source of water, at least none that he found.”
“Bottom line it, doc,” said Ronon. “Is Sheppard going to be okay?”
“Aye, given time he should be fine. Right now we’re getting some fluids in him and keeping an eye on the head injury. If everything looks good in the morning, we’ll take him to surgery to repair the bones in his foot.”
“Can we see him?” Elizabeth asked, counting on the good doctor to say yes.
The look Carson gave her had her wondering if everyone in the city knew about her and John. “Aye, lass, for a few minutes. He’s in and out, so he may not be lucid, but I think it’ll be good for him to hear your voice.”
And now she was blushing again, but hopefully no one noticed as Carson led her and John’s team back to see for themselves that the pilot was in one piece.
His face was battered and bruised, a small bandage taped to the right side of his forehead. His right foot was propped up on pillows with an icepack draped across it. His right forearm and hand were also bandaged. He looked exhausted but he also looked peaceful. Elizabeth took his left hand in hers, careful of the IV line taped to the back of his hand. The warmth of his skin sent a tingle down her spine and she suddenly felt whole again.
“Leave it to flyboy here to get kidnapped while Christmas shopping and carted off to another planet to get sacrificed to some crazy monster,” said Rodney.
“Wraith . . . Wraithenstein,” mumbled John as his eyes fluttered open. “Is . . . is it dead?”
“Lorne has quite a few marines going through . . . wait a minute, did he say Wraithenstein?” asked Rodney, his eyes wide.
John snorted. “Understand . . . when you see him.”
Rodney’s mouth opened and closed several times before Ronon cut in. “Lorne sent some men into the tunnels to find the creature that attacked you. He also had a long talk with that Darien guy over what they’ve been doing. I think he’s going to tell the whole town what’s been going on.”
“Pretty sure . . . they already know,” John said softly, his eyes starting to close. His eyelids fluttered as he fought to stay awake. “Rodney . . . old lab in caves . . . juiced up by the Wraith.”
“I’ll check it out,” said the scientist. “Maybe I can find some data to tell us what was going on down there and if we have the Ancients or the Wraith to thank for our . . . what did you call it . . . Wraithenstein. And you won’t let me name things.”
“All right, you’ve seen him,” said Carson. “Now say goodbye and let the lad get some rest. I know how you people are so one of you can sit with him. Everyone else needs to clear out in the next few minutes or I’ll throw you out myself.”
“Yes, yes, we know the drill,” said Rodney, flapping his hand the doctor’s direction. “I’ll take the first watch.”
Elizabeth felt her spirits drop, as she’d about to volunteer. Now that she had John back, she really didn’t want to take her eyes off him for a while. She tried to neutralize her expression as she looked up at the group, but Teyla’s smile caught her eye.
“Rodney, I believe Elizabeth expressed an interest in sitting with John first,” said the Athosian.
“What?” squawked the scientist. “When?”
Ronon smirked until Teyla raised an eyebrow at him. “Earlier. You may not have been close enough to hear her,” said Teyla, taking Rodney’s arm and steering him toward the door. “I believe you said something about needing a cup of coffee.”
Rodney gave an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I do need some coffee. It’s been a long day and colonel searching has left me exhausted. I could eat, too. You know my blood sugar . . . “ Rodney’s voice faded as they left the infirmary.
John’s eyes were almost closed, but he smiled up at Ronon. “Tell Teyla . . . owe her.”
Ronon grinned and tapped John’s uninjured foot. “I’ll let her know. Rest easy, Sheppard.”
“Thanks,” John murmured. “For everything.”
Ronon nodded at the two leaders and quietly slipped out. Elizabeth leaned over John, studying what she could see of his eyes between the nearly closed lids. “You scared me, John Sheppard.”
“Mm, sorry. Scared me too.” His voice was soft and scratchy and if she hadn’t been inches from his face, she doubted she would have heard him.
“Since you’re back and going to be okay, you’re forgiven.” Gently, she touched her lips to his dry, cracked ones. She winced at the evidence of his ordeal, even as she deepened the kiss. When she pulled back, his eyes were closed and his breathing had evened out.
Smiling, she hooked the chair with her foot and pulled it up next to the bed. Sitting down, she continued to hold his hand. “I’ll take that as you’re happy and feel safe enough to sleep instead of that you were so bored with my kissing that you drifted off,” she whispered with a grin. “Merry Christmas, John.”
oOo
“Is he ready to go?” asked Rodney as he bobbed up next to John’s wheelchair.
John huffed as he crossed his arms. “Yes, he is right here and ready to go. And I still think I could get to the mess hall fine on crutches.”
Carson set the chart he’d been making notes on down and glared at his patient. “Colonel, I will remind you of the discussion we just had a few moments ago. You are to use crutches only for short jaunts such as to the bathroom. When you are traveling longer distances, such as to the mess hall, you are to use the wheelchair for a few more days. I’ll not have you undoing my work knitting the bones in your foot back together by walking on said foot too soon.”
“I said I’d use crutches,” mumbled John. Beckett was such a mother hen.
“Aye, and you’d probably end up putting weight on that foot while using the crutch to spar with Ronon.” When John’s eyes widened, Carson slapped himself in the forehead. “What am I doin’ giving you ideas like that. Just . . . just stay in the wheelchair for now. I’ll come by to check on you in a bit and bring the crutches . . . for the bathroom trips only.”
John saluted. “Aye aye, captain.”
Carson rolled his eyes while Rodney snickered. “Cheeky,” he deadpanned. “Just remember what we talked about colonel. I’ll bring your meds to you when I come for your check. Otherwise they’ll just end up left somewhere.”
John cocked his head and managed to look offended. “You really think I’m irresponsible, don’t you?”
“He’s familiar with your previous history, you know,” said Rodney with a smirk.
“Hey, no one yanked your chain McKay.”
Carson shook his head. “I most certainly do not think you are irresponsible, colonel. But I know you do not worry about your health as much as you worry about those around you and you sometimes tend to forget to look after yourself. Go on and have fun with your team. I’ll see you before bed.”
John grinned and nodded. “Sounds like a plan. And Carson . . . thanks.”
The doctor gave him a short mock salute and returned to his office as Rodney steered the wheelchair out of the infirmary. John’s injured foot was in a boot and propped up in front of him. The pilot winced when his driver barely missed whacking his leg on the wall as they rounded a corner a little too fast.
“McKay, as much as I appreciate the help I’d like to get there without needing further surgery.”
Rodney snorted. “And he says he likes things that go fast.”
“It’s not the speed, it’s the weaving into walls that has me concerned. You drive a wheelchair like you drive a jumper and neither of those in anywhere near a straight line.” John held onto the arm rests as they did the next corner on two wheels. At least they were in the middle of the hall now so he only had to worry about taking out unsuspecting pedestrians.
“Fine, I’ll slow down to grandma speed, but you get to explain to Elizabeth what took so long. If I didn’t know better I’d swear she missed you.”
John smiled at the mention of Elizabeth’s name and he found himself yearning to see her, even though he’d spent time with her only a few hours ago. He was glad Rodney couldn’t see the silly grin on his face.
“It’s Christmas Eve so the cooks are supposed to have a good meal tonight with some kind of special cake or something,” said Rodney. John noticed when cake was mentioned their speed increased just a bit.
“Cake, huh. Sounds good. Did you ever find out what that Wraithenstein monster was or where it came from?” asked John.
“I still can’t believe you call it that,” Rodney said as he dodged two scientists coming out of a transporter. “Watch where you’re going! Injured colonel here. Idiots. Anyway, of course I figured it out. Genius here, remember?”
“How could I forget?” John asked, tightening his grip on the arm rest.
“So it was an old Ancient lab, apparently put there to study some sort of bioluminescent fungus that grows in the caves. Anyway, at some point after the Ancients left, a Wraith scientist, possibly some relative of Michael’s based on the work, modified the equipment and made the place his own. He was trying to create a new, beefed up drone that literally hunted Ancients down and destroyed them, like some sort of bloodhound.”
“I’m pretty sure from what I saw that thing actually ate its victims,” said John with a shudder, remembering the gnaw marks on the bones.
“He did. We, uh, found the remains in the lab. Some of the data we recovered was degraded, but I don’t think he was meant to actually eat his victims, just kill them. But with the Wraith, who knows? His hand didn’t have the feeding mechanism of other wraith so maybe he was meant to feed on them and that’s just disgusting,” Rodney said as they entered the mess hall. “How am I supposed to eat after that conversation?”
“I’m sure you’ll manage,” said John with a grin, although the memory of the sight and smell of the pile of bones in the lab combined with the knowledge of where it came from to make John wonder if he would be able to eat.
“Look, they did make cake!” Rodney rolled John toward a table across the room where Ronon, Teyla, Lorne, and Elizabeth sat. “Here you are. I’ll go get food.” And then he was gone.
John watched Rodney almost run to the food line and wondered if he was getting food for them both or just himself. Well, he’d find out in a few minutes. Besides, his stomach was still rolling around from thinking about being eaten. He turned back to the people at the table who were all smirking or chuckling at the scientist’s dump and run technique.
“Don’t worry Sheppard,” said Ronon between bites. “If he doesn’t bring you food, I’ll go get you some.”
“Oh, uh, thanks Chewy.” John glanced at Elizabeth, sitting next to him. He slid his hand under the table and grasped hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. The smile she gave him almost made him abandon their whole undercover operation and kiss her right there in front of the whole expedition.
“It’s good to see you out of the infirmary, colonel,” she said in her best professional voice. Then she winked at him. John could have sworn that everyone else at the table was either smirking at them or having conversations with their eyes and expressions.
“Thank you, Doctor Weir,” he said. He could play the professional game too. Next he turned to Lorne. “So, what happened with the Darien and Lierken?”
Lorne washed down his last bite with a drink and then wiped his face. “There was a small group of men, about six, led by Darien that did all the kidnapping. They took turns going to different markets in an attempt to keep from getting caught. People disappearing from the same place every month would attract attention.”
John nodded. It made perfect sense. Darien was apparently somewhat intelligent. “How did it all start? How did they figure out that thing was eating people?”
Lorne frowned, his mouth twisting to the side. “Apparently about 18 months ago a group of teenagers decided to explore the caves. It was forbidden because the villagers thought it was dangerous, so naturally a bunch of bored teens thought it was the perfect thing to do. Anyway, they found a couple of Ancient tech devices, which they took, and apparently turned off the stasis chambers while messing around.”
Rodney plopped a tray down across from John and sat down. “What’d I miss?” he asked as he shoved a forkful of potatoes in his mouth.
Ronon grunted and slammed his fork down. “Figures.” He pushed his chair back, legs screeching all the way, and stalked off toward the food line.
Rodney stopped chewing to watch the big man go. “Wow, what’s his problem?” When everyone looked at him, he threw his hands up. “What?”
John shook his head. “Nothing, Rodney. Nothing.”
Rodney shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the table, then up at John. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I believe Ronon is getting John some food,” said Teyla with only a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“That’s good,” Rodney said and resumed eating. Elizabeth turned her face to hide her smile.
John stared at the man a few moments, amazed at how clueless Rodney could be. After shaking his head, he looked back at Lorne. “Major, you were saying.”
Lorne wiped the grin off his face and continued. “Shortly after the teens let the creature out, he came into the village at night. Killed two people and dragged one of them off in the woods. We found some things with the remains that seemed to indicate he hauled her down to that lab and . . . you know. About a month later, the same thing happened again. Came to the edge of the village and broke into a house. Killed a whole family and drug part of them off to his cave.”
“It’s quite interesting, actually,” Rodney broke in. “Your monster was apparently taking animals in the forest for the most part. But every three to five weeks he’d get a craving for human flesh and come into the village. He was designed to hunt Ancients and we think that’s what he was looking for. Darien was the one to come up with the idea of offering a sort of sacrifice each month.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” said John. “There is something not right about that guy.”
“A man came to their planet to trade for the eula berries that grow abundantly there,” said Teyla. “He had too much wine to drink and apparently became unruly, especially with some of the young women. When they were escorting him to the gate he became angry and confused and ran away from them, falling into a large hole that connected to the cave systems.”
“Yeah,” John said. “I think I’m more than familiar with the hole. At least now I know how they found it.”
Ronon appeared with a tray of food and a drink for John. After setting everything up in front of the pilot, he returned to seat and glared at Rodney, who looked totally confused. John marveled at the amount of food for a moment and then decided it didn’t matter. Ronon would clear out anything left over. Actually, looking at the grin on the big man’s face, that was probably the point of the mountain of grub in front of him.
“So that was their first sacrifice?” John asked as he picked at his food. He wished he could get the image of gnaw marks on human bones out of his head.
“Yes, although it was not a purposeful one,” said Teyla. “They did not know how to get the man out. While they were arguing over the possibilities, they heard him screaming and ran away. In a few weeks, another villager was attacked. It was then Darien thought to lure in people from other worlds to give the beast.”
John nibbled on a local vegetable that looked like an orange cauliflower and had very little taste. He tried not to look at the meat and wonder where it came from. After a couple of minutes, John noticed how quiet it was and looked up in time to see everyone suddenly look down.
John put his fork down and looked at Lorne. “When did they figure out he preferred people with the Ancient gene?”
“About six months ago,” said Lorne. “One of the guys they lured to the planet picked up one of their Ancient devices and made it light up. Apparently they saw less evidence of the creature that next month. Up until then, he’d come up to the edge of the village between offerings and kind of threaten them, but not that month. After that they started using the devices to find gene holders. If they couldn’t lure their victim, they’d kidnap him, as you are all too aware.”
“That I am. So what’s happening in the village now that they don’t have to round up a victim to murder every month?” asked John.
Lorne frowned and stabbed his fork into the leftovers on his plate. His jaw clenched until he looked up at his CO. “They had a meeting and Darien told the town what they’d been doing. Everyone was properly horrified. Darien is no longer the unofficial town leader. His social status has been demoted a level or two.”
“Oh, and they are all properly appreciative of the fact that the monster is dead,” Rodney added.
John fiddled with his fork a moment before abandoning it and looking up at his friends. “The people in town knew. They may not have ever been officially told or voted to do the sacrifices, but they knew. When Darien was hauling me through town with my hands tied, I saw people taking peeks from their windows. They knew and they did nothing to stop it.”
Every face at the table was troubled with the revelation that a whole village of people were willing to watch their friend get sacrificed and eaten by a monster to save themselves. It went against everything they believed. It was made worse by the certainty that any one of them would have risked their lives to help these people if they had just asked.
“What are we doing?” asked John.
Elizabeth put her hand on his arm. “As much as I hate it, there’s nothing we can do. We can’t just bust in and force our justice system on every planet we come across. They were afraid for their lives and the lives of their families. People don’t always make the right choice under those circumstances.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” John murmured. They sat in silence for a while, until John tired of the depressing atmosphere the conversation had produced. He was home and he wasn’t going to get eaten. Tomorrow was Christmas and he wasn’t in the infirmary for once. “I just want to say thank you for getting me out of there.”
Everyone at the table looked up with various expressions of surprise. Rodney seemed to gulp a few times before speaking up. “But we didn’t . . . I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner, you know, before you had to fight to the death with . . . with . . . “
“Wraithenstein,” John supplied proudly.
Rodney signed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, alright, Wraithenstein. Anyway, by the time we tracked you down, you’d already pretty much rescued yourself.”
John smiled and made eye contact with everyone at the table. “I knew you guys were looking for me, that eventually you would come for me. That gave me hope. That being said, I also knew I had moved to a different planet and it would take a while for you to find me. I knew I had to do what I could to get out before that thing had me for dinner. But knowing you guys would be there . . . that makes a difference.”
“It does,” said Lorne with a nod. “He’s right. Just knowing people are looking for you, that they won’t abandon you, it makes a huge difference.”
“Besides, if you guys hadn’t shown up when you did and that Darien guy had found me passed out in the woods, he probably would have just dumped me back in that cave.” John frowned and looked over at Ronon. “That thing was dead when you guys found him, wasn’t he?”
Ronon broke into a huge smile. “Yep. You put that bone shard right through the eye into its brain. It managed to pull it out somehow and stagger around the room some, but it never made it out of the lab. It was great.” Ronon beamed like a proud parent and John felt a little flush of pleasure at the big man’s approval.
“Yes, lovely topic to discuss at the dinner table,” complained Rodney with a grimace. “Next you’ll want to discuss bathroom habits and hygiene practices.”
“Hmmm, I was thinking more along the lines of the three quickest ways to kill your enemy,” said John with a straight face.
Elizabeth punched him in the arm, hard. “Ow. Injured man here.”
“Not injured enough, apparently,” Elizabeth said, narrowing her eyes slightly.
“You’re just upset you have to wait until tomorrow to open your present,” John said. “By the way, thank you Teyla and Ronon for recovering her present from the kidnap zone. I apparently dropped it when I was stunned.”
Teyla gave a slight nod. “You are most welcome. I know Elizabeth will love the gift.”
“Easy call since she’s already seen it,” mumbled Rodney as he tried to steal John’s cake. John slapped his hand.
“Back off Rodney. I want the cake.” He’d eaten a few bites of vegetables, but he’d given up on eating the meat, especially since it was still attached to the bone. Pushing his tray away, he pulled the cake up in front of him.
Rodney frowned. “So, is that all you’re going to eat?”
John looked at Rodney and then over to Ronon, who also seemed to be drooling over his leftovers. With a grin, he pushed the tray to Ronon and turned to face a frowning Rodney. “He was the one who brought me food. It seems only fair that he gets first pick of what’s left over.”
Rodney’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times and then he huffed out, “Fine.”
John glanced up at the group walking into the mess hall. “Major Lorne, I think your team is here.”
Lorne swiveled around and waved to the group standing just inside the doorway. “If you’ll excuse me, sir, we have a little poker game scheduled to satisfy a bet on who has the best poker face,” he said as he stood.
“I’m going with Corp. Lindley,” said John. “I saw that man keep a straight face when one of his fingers was cut nearly off the first year we were here. I didn’t even know he was hurt until the medical team descended on him.”
“So, he takes after you and Ronon,” commented Rodney.
John winced and rubbed at his hand. “Ronon maybe, but not me. I’d have been crying like a baby.”
“Right,” Rodney deadpanned. As they watched Lorne join his team, the scientist brightened. “So where are we getting together in the morning to exchange gifts?”
“Excited Rodney?” asked Elizabeth with a chuckle.
“I believe we should meet in John’s room since he is the least mobile,” said Teyla.
“I’m mobile,” whined John, a little offended at having his current disability brought up. He hated being the weak link, even if it was just for Christmas Day festivities.
Teyla arched an eyebrow and put on her I’m trying to be patient with your stupidity look. “I did not say you were not mobile, merely that you were the least mobile of all of us at this time. I was attempting to find the least troublesome way for all of us to get together. Perhaps you have a better solution.”
John sighed. Now he just felt stupid. Probably because he was. He ignored the heat of embarrassment coloring his face and put on his most innocent grin. “No, no, it’s fine. We can meet in my quarters. That probably would be easier on everyone.”
“Agreed,” said Elizabeth, a little too quickly for John’s liking. “I’ll stop by the mess and bring sweet rolls for everyone.”
Rodney snapped his fingers. “I’ll come a few minutes early and set us up a coffee pot. I can swipe some cups and stuff from the lab.”
“And I will bring some fruit and juice,” said Teyla.
Rodney rubbed his hands together. “This is going to be a great Christmas. I can’t wait to see what everyone got. Well, except Elizabeth of course, since we’ve all seen her gift,” Rodney said with a chuckle.
Elizabeth looked at John and he thought about how lucky he was. He had a team that was more like a family, people he knew he could trust with his life. He had a budding relationship that he had wanted since early in the first year of the expedition, but had been too afraid to pursue. At least until the wrong person figured it out. He lived in the greatest city of two galaxies and it loved him like a son.
He tuned back into the conversation that had been going on around him when his name was mentioned.
“So, Sheppard, what do you want for Christmas?” asked Ronon.
John looked at Elizabeth, grasping her hand under the table again before looking at each of his team members. “I’ve already got it.”
THE END
Prompt: John unwittingly gets roped in as a human sacrifice. The Elizabeth/John pairing was the only one suggested I was comfortable writing. I always kind of saw them getting together. The story sort of a took a turn or two I wasn’t expecting so I hope it’s close enough to the prompt to be okay.
Author: titan5
Recipent: theladymore
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~15,000
Genre/Characters/Pairings: Het; John/Elizabeth
Warnings (if applicable): references and evidence of people getting eaten
Summary: John is kidnapped and sacrificed to a monster who lives in the cave system of a planet a few days before Christmas. He’s beginning to wonder if there is a target painted on his back.
Author's Notes: Written for Sheppard H/C Winter Fic Exchange 2014. Prompt used at the end of the story. Many thanks to my wonderful beta black_raven135 for her excellent and fast work. Any missed mistakes are totally my fault for being in such a hurry to make the deadline.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Part Two
Ronon and Rodney mounted the stairs to the control room about the time the wormhole behind them shut down. Elizabeth stood with Teyla and Major Lorne at the balcony overlooking the gate room floor and all three turned to face them.
“He’s not on P7M-447,” said Rodney. “The entire place has been culled.”
“Culled?” Elizabeth gasped, her mind now imagining John being stored for dinner on some Wraith hive ship.
“It was culled several weeks ago,” said Ronon. “No way those guys were from that planet. No one escaped.”
Elizabeth nodded, feeling guilty about the relief she felt when several hundred people had lost their lives.
“You guys find anything?” Rodney asked Lorne.
“We’re about to find out,” said Lorne. “I left Lt. Mason there to do a little off the record observation and he should be checking in a few minutes from now.”
“You think Sheppard is on that planet?” asked Ronon.
Lorne frowned. “Let’s just say people were acting a little odd when they found out what we wanted.”
Teyla quickly explained what she had seen and heard. Rodney was opening his mouth to comment when the gate started dialing.
“Offworld activation. It’s Lt. Mason’s IDC,” reported Chuck.
“Drop the shield,” said Elizabeth. They heard Chuck tell Lt. Mason that it was safe to come through and then the young officer was coming through the gate and jogging up the steps.
“What did you find, Lt.?” asked Lorne.
“I think we need to take some reinforcements and go back,” said the sandy haired man. “That Darien guy you were supposed to talk to came back to town about dark along with some young guy named Lierken. They were arguing, something about sacrificing someone to some monster to keep it from taking people from their village. I couldn’t hear everything, but something was said about taking a guy from the market. The older guy, Darien, ended up hitting Lierken and threatening him if he didn’t shut up.”
“Did you scan for his transmitter?” asked Rodney.
“We did. It didn’t register,” said Elizabeth.
“There could be a variety of reasons for that,” said Rodney as he began to babble. “They might have deactivated it or removed it if they know where he came from. It seems half the galaxy knows about our transmitters and how to get rid of them. There could be interference from any number of sources or -“
“Rodney,” snapped Elizabeth. “We need to focus on finding John.”
The scientist straightened and widened his eyes for a few seconds. “Right, focus. If it is interference, it might be more accurate to scan the planet from a jumper.”
Lorne frowned and nodded. “Ma’am, I’d like to send a cloaked jumper to scan for the colonel’s transmitter. I’d like the colonel’s team to accompany my team back to the village to talk to Darien and Lierken. I think we should talk to them separately, see if this Lierken guy is willing to tell us where Colonel Sheppard is.”
Elizabeth felt some of the tension flow out of her shoulders. She had hope again. They had a plan. She could work with that. “You have a go, Major. Take as many jumpers and as much firepower as you think you need. And Major . . . bring him home.”
Lorne smiled and nodded. “We will ma’am. We will.”
As Lorne and the others left to get ready for the rescue mission, Elizabeth made her way out to the balcony. Gripping the railing, she looked out over the ocean. It was dusk on the ocean that was home to Atlantis, the reflection of the rising moon dancing across the waves. “Come home to me John,” she whispered.
oOo
John opened his eyes. Everything was fuzzy for a few seconds. As his vision cleared, he realized he was looking up at some of the glowy fungus that grew in the caves. He shivered, pushing himself up to lean against the wall of the cave while everything spun lazily around, including his stomach. He tried to lick his lips, but there was no moisture there. He considered licking the damp walls, but he wasn’t quite there yet. His luck, he’d ingest some of that glowing fungus and poison himself.
It took a few minutes to get the dizziness and pain in his foot under control enough to climb to his feet. He didn’t remember passing out, just thinking about how tired he was. As he recovered his cane and began lurching down the tunnel, he decided there was more light than before. He really hoped that meant he was close to an exit because he honestly didn’t know how much further he could go.
His injured foot was so swollen, his boot would need to be cut off. His good leg was so tired and sore from all the hopping that he probably wouldn’t be able to walk for a week, even with crutches. His right arm burned and was probably infected. On the bright side, no one had tried to eat him yet and he hadn’t heard a peep from Wraithenstein in hours. Hopefully that abomination was dead.
John wasn’t sure how long he trudged on, refusing to acknowledge the exhaustion threatening to ground him. At some point he noticed the light increasing, the tunnel becoming bright enough to see where he was going. Suddenly he was standing in an opening as big as a doorway, squinting in the sunlight streaming through the trees. Although it seemed to be early morning, it was still much lighter than the caves he’d apparently been wandering around in all night.
He could scarcely believe it. He was out. Hope welled up and almost overcame him. All he had to do now was make it to the gate without alerting the people from town. John couldn’t bear the thought of making it this far only to have Darien or one of his goons drag him back down here. Clenching his jaw, he determined that he would not let that happen.
Stumbling out into the forest, he searched until he found a thick stick that made a better crutch. He kept the metal rod as a weapon though. He ended up using both the stick and the rod to hobble along without having to put weight on his foot. John allowed himself to grin at the thought of lying back in an infirmary bed with his foot propped and iced on a pillow and some really good drugs thrumming through his veins, taking the pain with it.
John was pretty sure he knew the general direction of town. There was no path through the forest, but the understory was fairly sparse and the ground was relatively smooth if you watched out for rocks and gullies. He’d traversed far worse, just not with a broken foot. It didn’t take long for him to miss the chill of the caves as sweat soaked his shirt and ran down his face, into his eyes. Thirst was now a desperate ache, contributing to his headache and nausea.
Sounds from ahead broke through his mantra of keeping himself moving forward and he realized people were headed his way. Looking around and finding no real cover, he ended up standing behind a tree and hoping it kept him hidden. Listening, he recognized Lierken’s voice and anger burned hot, causing his heart to race. He gripped the iron rod. No way were they taking him back.
He was just about to hop step out from behind the tree so he could whack Lierkin with the rod when he recognized another voice. Dropping the rod, he leaned against the tree and watched as Lierken stepped almost right in front of him along with the owner of the other voice. They stopped and stared at him, their mouths open.
“Teyla?” At least that was what he tried to say. His mouth was so dry it came out more of a rough, scratchy growl. Teyla rushed forward to take him by his shoulders and grin at him, leaning her head forward. Realizing what she was doing, he touched his forehead to hers. When he pulled back he barely had time to register Ronon before the big man pulled him off his feet into a hug. A very unmanly squeak popped out as the big guy planted him back on the ground and his injured foot took part of his weight.
The next thing he knew he was laying on the forest floor looking up into the canopy with no idea how he’d gotten there. There were voices, lots of them familiar. He blinked and Teyla was patting him on the arm as they carried him in a stretcher. He blinked again and two marines were setting him down on the floor of a jumper. Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla were looking at him like they were afraid he’d disappear. He tried to ask for water but he just made scratchy croaking noises. His point must have gotten across though because Teyla lifted his head and let him sip from her canteen. She cut him off much too soon with promises of more when Carson had cleared him.
The dizziness was closing in again, probably aggravated by the motion of the jumper. John didn’t really care. He was out of the caves and on his way home with his team watching his six. He let himself relax finally. Wraithenstein couldn’t get him anymore.
oOo
Elizabeth tried not to squirm and pace, but it was impossible to remain still. Ever since Rodney had radioed to report they had found John and were bringing him home, she’s been a nervous wreck. She had no idea what shape he was in, only that he was alive. As the jumper came through the gate and rose toward the jumper bay above, she waved to Chuck. “I’ll be in the infirmary,” she said.
Not waiting for his answer, she headed straight for the infirmary, not wanting to slow down the medical team. They ended up meeting in the hall, along with Lorne and John’s team trailing along behind the gurney carrying the colonel.
John was a mess. His clothes were filthy and torn. The right side of his face was bruised and scraped pretty raw. The visible part of his arms was peppered with cut and scrapes with his right arm obviously bearing the worst of it. She couldn’t tell what else was going on, but John Sheppard didn’t pass out from cuts and bruises.
When they reached their destination, a nurse cut them off and herded them to chairs in the waiting area the medical staff had designed in the first year. She sat down and Teyla sat next to her, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze.
“John will be fine,” Teyla said and her smile was so confident that Elizabeth relaxed and smiled back.
“We really did get him back, didn’t we,” said Elizabeth, still a little surprised.
“Yes, yes we did. And in plenty of time for Christmas.”
A shudder ran through Elizabeth as she thought about her first Christmas with John. She felt her whole body, exhausted from the tension of the last twenty-four hours, almost melt into the chair. She refused to think about the toll this relationship could take on her if she was this stressed every time he got into trouble because as much as she loved him, he was most definitely a trouble magnet.
No, she wasn’t going to worry about that now. She was going to enjoy John, because he was bound to be off his feet and therefore safe in Atlantis for a while. Christmas was just a few days away, so surely until after then. She smiled. This would be the best Christmas ever.
“Merry Christmas Elizabeth.”
She looked up at the sound of Rodney’s voice to find everyone looking at her and grinning. Heat crept up her neck to her face, but she raised her chin and ignored it. “Thank you, Rodney. It will be a Merry Christmas, thanks to all of you. Thank you for bringing him home.”
“It was our pleasure,” said Teyla. “I am afraid Atlantis would not be the same without John.” She looked at Ronon and then Rodney. “Team would not be the same without John. He is . . . an amazing man.”
Rodney snorted. “I feel like I should get us all a drink so we can make a toast.” He motioned as if holding a glass of champagne. “A toast to John Sheppard, the wonderful and amazing man from Atlantis,” he said dramatically.
They all laughed as Carson came around the corner to join them. “Shall I tell the colonel you said that?” he asked with a big grin.
Rodney scowled and lowered his arm. “Not if you want your scanner fixed the next time it goes on the fritz.”
“Oh, I think Radek could probably put in order,” Carson replied with a chuckle.
Elizabeth decided to get the conversation back to the topic top on her interest list. “I take it from your mood that John isn’t in as bad a shape as he looked?”
“Aye, he’ll be trying to talk me into releasing him in a few days, although he’ll be off his feet for a bit. He’s broken two metatarsal bones in his foot and it’s going to take a wee bit of surgery to put them right again. I imagine all that scuffling around and trying to walk has put them in the shape they’re in.”
Elizabeth breathed out a long sigh of relief. That was what she had needed to hear. “What’s the total damage?”
“He’s also pulled a couple of small ligaments loose, but they are minor. They’ve just added to the swelling and discomfort. Lots of scrapes and abrasions we’re cleaning up and I’ll put him on some antibiotics for a while since there is no telling what he was exposed to. I think I’m most concerned about the head injury. Looks like he’s taken more than one blow to the head and he’s experiencing pain, dizziness, and some nausea. A bit of intracranial bleeding has me concerned so we’ll be watching that very carefully.”
Rodney’s eyes widened. “He’s bleeding in his brain?” he said in a panicked high pitched voice. “Shouldn’t you be doing something?”
Carson sighed. “I’m bloody well doing plenty, Rodney. The bleed seems to have resolved on its own, but we’ll be watching to make sure it doesn’t get stirred up again. He’ll likely have problems with headaches and dizziness for several days to several weeks though. He’s dehydrated as well. Apparently there was not a source of water, at least none that he found.”
“Bottom line it, doc,” said Ronon. “Is Sheppard going to be okay?”
“Aye, given time he should be fine. Right now we’re getting some fluids in him and keeping an eye on the head injury. If everything looks good in the morning, we’ll take him to surgery to repair the bones in his foot.”
“Can we see him?” Elizabeth asked, counting on the good doctor to say yes.
The look Carson gave her had her wondering if everyone in the city knew about her and John. “Aye, lass, for a few minutes. He’s in and out, so he may not be lucid, but I think it’ll be good for him to hear your voice.”
And now she was blushing again, but hopefully no one noticed as Carson led her and John’s team back to see for themselves that the pilot was in one piece.
His face was battered and bruised, a small bandage taped to the right side of his forehead. His right foot was propped up on pillows with an icepack draped across it. His right forearm and hand were also bandaged. He looked exhausted but he also looked peaceful. Elizabeth took his left hand in hers, careful of the IV line taped to the back of his hand. The warmth of his skin sent a tingle down her spine and she suddenly felt whole again.
“Leave it to flyboy here to get kidnapped while Christmas shopping and carted off to another planet to get sacrificed to some crazy monster,” said Rodney.
“Wraith . . . Wraithenstein,” mumbled John as his eyes fluttered open. “Is . . . is it dead?”
“Lorne has quite a few marines going through . . . wait a minute, did he say Wraithenstein?” asked Rodney, his eyes wide.
John snorted. “Understand . . . when you see him.”
Rodney’s mouth opened and closed several times before Ronon cut in. “Lorne sent some men into the tunnels to find the creature that attacked you. He also had a long talk with that Darien guy over what they’ve been doing. I think he’s going to tell the whole town what’s been going on.”
“Pretty sure . . . they already know,” John said softly, his eyes starting to close. His eyelids fluttered as he fought to stay awake. “Rodney . . . old lab in caves . . . juiced up by the Wraith.”
“I’ll check it out,” said the scientist. “Maybe I can find some data to tell us what was going on down there and if we have the Ancients or the Wraith to thank for our . . . what did you call it . . . Wraithenstein. And you won’t let me name things.”
“All right, you’ve seen him,” said Carson. “Now say goodbye and let the lad get some rest. I know how you people are so one of you can sit with him. Everyone else needs to clear out in the next few minutes or I’ll throw you out myself.”
“Yes, yes, we know the drill,” said Rodney, flapping his hand the doctor’s direction. “I’ll take the first watch.”
Elizabeth felt her spirits drop, as she’d about to volunteer. Now that she had John back, she really didn’t want to take her eyes off him for a while. She tried to neutralize her expression as she looked up at the group, but Teyla’s smile caught her eye.
“Rodney, I believe Elizabeth expressed an interest in sitting with John first,” said the Athosian.
“What?” squawked the scientist. “When?”
Ronon smirked until Teyla raised an eyebrow at him. “Earlier. You may not have been close enough to hear her,” said Teyla, taking Rodney’s arm and steering him toward the door. “I believe you said something about needing a cup of coffee.”
Rodney gave an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I do need some coffee. It’s been a long day and colonel searching has left me exhausted. I could eat, too. You know my blood sugar . . . “ Rodney’s voice faded as they left the infirmary.
John’s eyes were almost closed, but he smiled up at Ronon. “Tell Teyla . . . owe her.”
Ronon grinned and tapped John’s uninjured foot. “I’ll let her know. Rest easy, Sheppard.”
“Thanks,” John murmured. “For everything.”
Ronon nodded at the two leaders and quietly slipped out. Elizabeth leaned over John, studying what she could see of his eyes between the nearly closed lids. “You scared me, John Sheppard.”
“Mm, sorry. Scared me too.” His voice was soft and scratchy and if she hadn’t been inches from his face, she doubted she would have heard him.
“Since you’re back and going to be okay, you’re forgiven.” Gently, she touched her lips to his dry, cracked ones. She winced at the evidence of his ordeal, even as she deepened the kiss. When she pulled back, his eyes were closed and his breathing had evened out.
Smiling, she hooked the chair with her foot and pulled it up next to the bed. Sitting down, she continued to hold his hand. “I’ll take that as you’re happy and feel safe enough to sleep instead of that you were so bored with my kissing that you drifted off,” she whispered with a grin. “Merry Christmas, John.”
oOo
“Is he ready to go?” asked Rodney as he bobbed up next to John’s wheelchair.
John huffed as he crossed his arms. “Yes, he is right here and ready to go. And I still think I could get to the mess hall fine on crutches.”
Carson set the chart he’d been making notes on down and glared at his patient. “Colonel, I will remind you of the discussion we just had a few moments ago. You are to use crutches only for short jaunts such as to the bathroom. When you are traveling longer distances, such as to the mess hall, you are to use the wheelchair for a few more days. I’ll not have you undoing my work knitting the bones in your foot back together by walking on said foot too soon.”
“I said I’d use crutches,” mumbled John. Beckett was such a mother hen.
“Aye, and you’d probably end up putting weight on that foot while using the crutch to spar with Ronon.” When John’s eyes widened, Carson slapped himself in the forehead. “What am I doin’ giving you ideas like that. Just . . . just stay in the wheelchair for now. I’ll come by to check on you in a bit and bring the crutches . . . for the bathroom trips only.”
John saluted. “Aye aye, captain.”
Carson rolled his eyes while Rodney snickered. “Cheeky,” he deadpanned. “Just remember what we talked about colonel. I’ll bring your meds to you when I come for your check. Otherwise they’ll just end up left somewhere.”
John cocked his head and managed to look offended. “You really think I’m irresponsible, don’t you?”
“He’s familiar with your previous history, you know,” said Rodney with a smirk.
“Hey, no one yanked your chain McKay.”
Carson shook his head. “I most certainly do not think you are irresponsible, colonel. But I know you do not worry about your health as much as you worry about those around you and you sometimes tend to forget to look after yourself. Go on and have fun with your team. I’ll see you before bed.”
John grinned and nodded. “Sounds like a plan. And Carson . . . thanks.”
The doctor gave him a short mock salute and returned to his office as Rodney steered the wheelchair out of the infirmary. John’s injured foot was in a boot and propped up in front of him. The pilot winced when his driver barely missed whacking his leg on the wall as they rounded a corner a little too fast.
“McKay, as much as I appreciate the help I’d like to get there without needing further surgery.”
Rodney snorted. “And he says he likes things that go fast.”
“It’s not the speed, it’s the weaving into walls that has me concerned. You drive a wheelchair like you drive a jumper and neither of those in anywhere near a straight line.” John held onto the arm rests as they did the next corner on two wheels. At least they were in the middle of the hall now so he only had to worry about taking out unsuspecting pedestrians.
“Fine, I’ll slow down to grandma speed, but you get to explain to Elizabeth what took so long. If I didn’t know better I’d swear she missed you.”
John smiled at the mention of Elizabeth’s name and he found himself yearning to see her, even though he’d spent time with her only a few hours ago. He was glad Rodney couldn’t see the silly grin on his face.
“It’s Christmas Eve so the cooks are supposed to have a good meal tonight with some kind of special cake or something,” said Rodney. John noticed when cake was mentioned their speed increased just a bit.
“Cake, huh. Sounds good. Did you ever find out what that Wraithenstein monster was or where it came from?” asked John.
“I still can’t believe you call it that,” Rodney said as he dodged two scientists coming out of a transporter. “Watch where you’re going! Injured colonel here. Idiots. Anyway, of course I figured it out. Genius here, remember?”
“How could I forget?” John asked, tightening his grip on the arm rest.
“So it was an old Ancient lab, apparently put there to study some sort of bioluminescent fungus that grows in the caves. Anyway, at some point after the Ancients left, a Wraith scientist, possibly some relative of Michael’s based on the work, modified the equipment and made the place his own. He was trying to create a new, beefed up drone that literally hunted Ancients down and destroyed them, like some sort of bloodhound.”
“I’m pretty sure from what I saw that thing actually ate its victims,” said John with a shudder, remembering the gnaw marks on the bones.
“He did. We, uh, found the remains in the lab. Some of the data we recovered was degraded, but I don’t think he was meant to actually eat his victims, just kill them. But with the Wraith, who knows? His hand didn’t have the feeding mechanism of other wraith so maybe he was meant to feed on them and that’s just disgusting,” Rodney said as they entered the mess hall. “How am I supposed to eat after that conversation?”
“I’m sure you’ll manage,” said John with a grin, although the memory of the sight and smell of the pile of bones in the lab combined with the knowledge of where it came from to make John wonder if he would be able to eat.
“Look, they did make cake!” Rodney rolled John toward a table across the room where Ronon, Teyla, Lorne, and Elizabeth sat. “Here you are. I’ll go get food.” And then he was gone.
John watched Rodney almost run to the food line and wondered if he was getting food for them both or just himself. Well, he’d find out in a few minutes. Besides, his stomach was still rolling around from thinking about being eaten. He turned back to the people at the table who were all smirking or chuckling at the scientist’s dump and run technique.
“Don’t worry Sheppard,” said Ronon between bites. “If he doesn’t bring you food, I’ll go get you some.”
“Oh, uh, thanks Chewy.” John glanced at Elizabeth, sitting next to him. He slid his hand under the table and grasped hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. The smile she gave him almost made him abandon their whole undercover operation and kiss her right there in front of the whole expedition.
“It’s good to see you out of the infirmary, colonel,” she said in her best professional voice. Then she winked at him. John could have sworn that everyone else at the table was either smirking at them or having conversations with their eyes and expressions.
“Thank you, Doctor Weir,” he said. He could play the professional game too. Next he turned to Lorne. “So, what happened with the Darien and Lierken?”
Lorne washed down his last bite with a drink and then wiped his face. “There was a small group of men, about six, led by Darien that did all the kidnapping. They took turns going to different markets in an attempt to keep from getting caught. People disappearing from the same place every month would attract attention.”
John nodded. It made perfect sense. Darien was apparently somewhat intelligent. “How did it all start? How did they figure out that thing was eating people?”
Lorne frowned, his mouth twisting to the side. “Apparently about 18 months ago a group of teenagers decided to explore the caves. It was forbidden because the villagers thought it was dangerous, so naturally a bunch of bored teens thought it was the perfect thing to do. Anyway, they found a couple of Ancient tech devices, which they took, and apparently turned off the stasis chambers while messing around.”
Rodney plopped a tray down across from John and sat down. “What’d I miss?” he asked as he shoved a forkful of potatoes in his mouth.
Ronon grunted and slammed his fork down. “Figures.” He pushed his chair back, legs screeching all the way, and stalked off toward the food line.
Rodney stopped chewing to watch the big man go. “Wow, what’s his problem?” When everyone looked at him, he threw his hands up. “What?”
John shook his head. “Nothing, Rodney. Nothing.”
Rodney shrugged his shoulders and looked down at the table, then up at John. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I believe Ronon is getting John some food,” said Teyla with only a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“That’s good,” Rodney said and resumed eating. Elizabeth turned her face to hide her smile.
John stared at the man a few moments, amazed at how clueless Rodney could be. After shaking his head, he looked back at Lorne. “Major, you were saying.”
Lorne wiped the grin off his face and continued. “Shortly after the teens let the creature out, he came into the village at night. Killed two people and dragged one of them off in the woods. We found some things with the remains that seemed to indicate he hauled her down to that lab and . . . you know. About a month later, the same thing happened again. Came to the edge of the village and broke into a house. Killed a whole family and drug part of them off to his cave.”
“It’s quite interesting, actually,” Rodney broke in. “Your monster was apparently taking animals in the forest for the most part. But every three to five weeks he’d get a craving for human flesh and come into the village. He was designed to hunt Ancients and we think that’s what he was looking for. Darien was the one to come up with the idea of offering a sort of sacrifice each month.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” said John. “There is something not right about that guy.”
“A man came to their planet to trade for the eula berries that grow abundantly there,” said Teyla. “He had too much wine to drink and apparently became unruly, especially with some of the young women. When they were escorting him to the gate he became angry and confused and ran away from them, falling into a large hole that connected to the cave systems.”
“Yeah,” John said. “I think I’m more than familiar with the hole. At least now I know how they found it.”
Ronon appeared with a tray of food and a drink for John. After setting everything up in front of the pilot, he returned to seat and glared at Rodney, who looked totally confused. John marveled at the amount of food for a moment and then decided it didn’t matter. Ronon would clear out anything left over. Actually, looking at the grin on the big man’s face, that was probably the point of the mountain of grub in front of him.
“So that was their first sacrifice?” John asked as he picked at his food. He wished he could get the image of gnaw marks on human bones out of his head.
“Yes, although it was not a purposeful one,” said Teyla. “They did not know how to get the man out. While they were arguing over the possibilities, they heard him screaming and ran away. In a few weeks, another villager was attacked. It was then Darien thought to lure in people from other worlds to give the beast.”
John nibbled on a local vegetable that looked like an orange cauliflower and had very little taste. He tried not to look at the meat and wonder where it came from. After a couple of minutes, John noticed how quiet it was and looked up in time to see everyone suddenly look down.
John put his fork down and looked at Lorne. “When did they figure out he preferred people with the Ancient gene?”
“About six months ago,” said Lorne. “One of the guys they lured to the planet picked up one of their Ancient devices and made it light up. Apparently they saw less evidence of the creature that next month. Up until then, he’d come up to the edge of the village between offerings and kind of threaten them, but not that month. After that they started using the devices to find gene holders. If they couldn’t lure their victim, they’d kidnap him, as you are all too aware.”
“That I am. So what’s happening in the village now that they don’t have to round up a victim to murder every month?” asked John.
Lorne frowned and stabbed his fork into the leftovers on his plate. His jaw clenched until he looked up at his CO. “They had a meeting and Darien told the town what they’d been doing. Everyone was properly horrified. Darien is no longer the unofficial town leader. His social status has been demoted a level or two.”
“Oh, and they are all properly appreciative of the fact that the monster is dead,” Rodney added.
John fiddled with his fork a moment before abandoning it and looking up at his friends. “The people in town knew. They may not have ever been officially told or voted to do the sacrifices, but they knew. When Darien was hauling me through town with my hands tied, I saw people taking peeks from their windows. They knew and they did nothing to stop it.”
Every face at the table was troubled with the revelation that a whole village of people were willing to watch their friend get sacrificed and eaten by a monster to save themselves. It went against everything they believed. It was made worse by the certainty that any one of them would have risked their lives to help these people if they had just asked.
“What are we doing?” asked John.
Elizabeth put her hand on his arm. “As much as I hate it, there’s nothing we can do. We can’t just bust in and force our justice system on every planet we come across. They were afraid for their lives and the lives of their families. People don’t always make the right choice under those circumstances.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” John murmured. They sat in silence for a while, until John tired of the depressing atmosphere the conversation had produced. He was home and he wasn’t going to get eaten. Tomorrow was Christmas and he wasn’t in the infirmary for once. “I just want to say thank you for getting me out of there.”
Everyone at the table looked up with various expressions of surprise. Rodney seemed to gulp a few times before speaking up. “But we didn’t . . . I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner, you know, before you had to fight to the death with . . . with . . . “
“Wraithenstein,” John supplied proudly.
Rodney signed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, alright, Wraithenstein. Anyway, by the time we tracked you down, you’d already pretty much rescued yourself.”
John smiled and made eye contact with everyone at the table. “I knew you guys were looking for me, that eventually you would come for me. That gave me hope. That being said, I also knew I had moved to a different planet and it would take a while for you to find me. I knew I had to do what I could to get out before that thing had me for dinner. But knowing you guys would be there . . . that makes a difference.”
“It does,” said Lorne with a nod. “He’s right. Just knowing people are looking for you, that they won’t abandon you, it makes a huge difference.”
“Besides, if you guys hadn’t shown up when you did and that Darien guy had found me passed out in the woods, he probably would have just dumped me back in that cave.” John frowned and looked over at Ronon. “That thing was dead when you guys found him, wasn’t he?”
Ronon broke into a huge smile. “Yep. You put that bone shard right through the eye into its brain. It managed to pull it out somehow and stagger around the room some, but it never made it out of the lab. It was great.” Ronon beamed like a proud parent and John felt a little flush of pleasure at the big man’s approval.
“Yes, lovely topic to discuss at the dinner table,” complained Rodney with a grimace. “Next you’ll want to discuss bathroom habits and hygiene practices.”
“Hmmm, I was thinking more along the lines of the three quickest ways to kill your enemy,” said John with a straight face.
Elizabeth punched him in the arm, hard. “Ow. Injured man here.”
“Not injured enough, apparently,” Elizabeth said, narrowing her eyes slightly.
“You’re just upset you have to wait until tomorrow to open your present,” John said. “By the way, thank you Teyla and Ronon for recovering her present from the kidnap zone. I apparently dropped it when I was stunned.”
Teyla gave a slight nod. “You are most welcome. I know Elizabeth will love the gift.”
“Easy call since she’s already seen it,” mumbled Rodney as he tried to steal John’s cake. John slapped his hand.
“Back off Rodney. I want the cake.” He’d eaten a few bites of vegetables, but he’d given up on eating the meat, especially since it was still attached to the bone. Pushing his tray away, he pulled the cake up in front of him.
Rodney frowned. “So, is that all you’re going to eat?”
John looked at Rodney and then over to Ronon, who also seemed to be drooling over his leftovers. With a grin, he pushed the tray to Ronon and turned to face a frowning Rodney. “He was the one who brought me food. It seems only fair that he gets first pick of what’s left over.”
Rodney’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times and then he huffed out, “Fine.”
John glanced up at the group walking into the mess hall. “Major Lorne, I think your team is here.”
Lorne swiveled around and waved to the group standing just inside the doorway. “If you’ll excuse me, sir, we have a little poker game scheduled to satisfy a bet on who has the best poker face,” he said as he stood.
“I’m going with Corp. Lindley,” said John. “I saw that man keep a straight face when one of his fingers was cut nearly off the first year we were here. I didn’t even know he was hurt until the medical team descended on him.”
“So, he takes after you and Ronon,” commented Rodney.
John winced and rubbed at his hand. “Ronon maybe, but not me. I’d have been crying like a baby.”
“Right,” Rodney deadpanned. As they watched Lorne join his team, the scientist brightened. “So where are we getting together in the morning to exchange gifts?”
“Excited Rodney?” asked Elizabeth with a chuckle.
“I believe we should meet in John’s room since he is the least mobile,” said Teyla.
“I’m mobile,” whined John, a little offended at having his current disability brought up. He hated being the weak link, even if it was just for Christmas Day festivities.
Teyla arched an eyebrow and put on her I’m trying to be patient with your stupidity look. “I did not say you were not mobile, merely that you were the least mobile of all of us at this time. I was attempting to find the least troublesome way for all of us to get together. Perhaps you have a better solution.”
John sighed. Now he just felt stupid. Probably because he was. He ignored the heat of embarrassment coloring his face and put on his most innocent grin. “No, no, it’s fine. We can meet in my quarters. That probably would be easier on everyone.”
“Agreed,” said Elizabeth, a little too quickly for John’s liking. “I’ll stop by the mess and bring sweet rolls for everyone.”
Rodney snapped his fingers. “I’ll come a few minutes early and set us up a coffee pot. I can swipe some cups and stuff from the lab.”
“And I will bring some fruit and juice,” said Teyla.
Rodney rubbed his hands together. “This is going to be a great Christmas. I can’t wait to see what everyone got. Well, except Elizabeth of course, since we’ve all seen her gift,” Rodney said with a chuckle.
Elizabeth looked at John and he thought about how lucky he was. He had a team that was more like a family, people he knew he could trust with his life. He had a budding relationship that he had wanted since early in the first year of the expedition, but had been too afraid to pursue. At least until the wrong person figured it out. He lived in the greatest city of two galaxies and it loved him like a son.
He tuned back into the conversation that had been going on around him when his name was mentioned.
“So, Sheppard, what do you want for Christmas?” asked Ronon.
John looked at Elizabeth, grasping her hand under the table again before looking at each of his team members. “I’ve already got it.”
THE END
Prompt: John unwittingly gets roped in as a human sacrifice. The Elizabeth/John pairing was the only one suggested I was comfortable writing. I always kind of saw them getting together. The story sort of a took a turn or two I wasn’t expecting so I hope it’s close enough to the prompt to be okay.