Colonial Crossover: chapter 7
Title: Colonial Crossover
Author: Betty (sarah_jones on lj) & Katie
Fandoms: Stargate SG-1, SGA & Battlestar Galactica
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters or fandoms. I wish I did… *g* I don’t make any money with this! I’m just writing the story for fun and hope someone else will enjoy it, too.
Summary: The survivors of the fight against the Ori ships get thrown into another galaxy where they meet the Colonial fleet. Will they unite against the threats of the Cylons, the Wraith and the Ori?
Warnings: some character deaths implied
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chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6
chapter 7:
the lab:
"Cadman keep an eye out," John said, when Elizabeth’s announcement boomed through the city, causing panic.
"Yes, sir," Cadman said and pulled her P-90 up.
Firmly gripping his weapon, John turned back to Rodney and Zelenka.
"You heard me! Turn that thing off."
"How?" Rodney asked, for once looking rather clueless.
"I don't care how! Just turn the damn thing off!" John yelled, loosing his patience.
Zelenka paled when he heard Elizabeth’s words. "We should get back to our rooms," he said looking rather scared.
Cadman frowned at him. "No, you´re going to help turn that thing off," she told him. "You turned it on after all."
Rodney glanced at Zelenka before looking back at the shield. He honestly didn't know what John expected him to do. The device was surrounded by the shield, and they had no idea if it was dangerous or not.
"How the hell did Wraith get into Atlantis?" Cadman then asked. The long range sensors would have had to pick ships up days ago. Keeping an eye out she briefly glanced towards Colonel Sheppard.
"I have no idea how they got in here. But if Elizabeth says they're here, they are here." John kept a watchful eye on the corridor while waiting for Zelenka and Rodney to do something about the ancient device.
Rodney stepped towards the shield. "The only way to know if it is safe is for one of us to touch it." He gestured for Zelenka to do so.
Zelenka looked at Rodney unbelievingly. "Me? No, I´m not going to touch it. It could be dangerous. You do it, or maybe he can," he said pointing at Daniel.
Daniel’s mouth flew open when Zelenka volunteered him to touch the shield.
Cadman frowned at them. Just like always... "I´ll do it," she said and walked towards the shield, hoping that it was harmless.
Feeling a little uneasy she then raised her hand and slowly touched the shield, while keeping one eye firmly shut.
Rodney stared at Cadman, his expression a mixture or horror and admiration. "What? You? No?" But before he had a chance to throw further words at her she had already touched the shield.
When nothing happened Cadman opened her second eye again and let out a sigh of relief. "It seems safe."
Rodney sighed in relief at her words. He then wearily approached the shield himself and hesitantly touched it. Deeming it safe himself, he stepped through it.
Daniel was next to follow, deciding that if anyone could help turn this thing off he could.
"Zelenka, you're next," John informed the man while gesturing at the shield.
When Zelenka hesitated Cadman went over to him and pushed him through the shield feeling rather annoyed with the scientist.
"Ok, I´m going," Zelenka muttered walking towards the center of the room.
Cadman was just about to step through the shield into the room as well, when she suddenly heard footsteps.
Turning around she saw a group of Genii heading their way.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," John exclaimed as he too noticed the Genii who were firing at them. Immediately he shot back at them, making them come to a halt and ducking for cover.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Rodney was kneeling down in front of the ancient device, peering in at the glowing power supply. When Zelenka tried to remove the mini ZPM, he must have triggered some kind of malfunction, or at least that was Rodney’s theory. Removing the ZPM now might even cause a complete meltdown with catastrophic effects. But still, did they have a choice?
Daniel desperately tried to translate the ancient text, and was not working too well under the pressure.
“It says here how this was a theo- no, that word translates as second - this was a second attempt to control time. I knew it! It’s like the device on…”
“Yes. Yes. Yes. But that doesn’t help our current situation!” Rodney snapped. His forehead creased in frustration. The device was now humming, which Rodney did consider to be a bad sign. There was only one thing he could do. He reached inside, grabbed the ZPM and yelped in pain as the heat radiating from the device scolded the flesh on his hand. Grimacing he tugged desperately, ignoring the pain searing through his hand and up his arm. With one final firm tug the ZPM disconnected and Rodney flew back, crashing into the wall. The humming began to cease and another freak energy wave pulsed through the room. It was only then that the shield began to slowly dim until it completely disappeared.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
John was trying to keep the Genii back. He just couldn’t understand how the city had been compromised like this unless….
Cadman fired at the Genii as well.
"Aren´t they supposed to be our allies now?" she called frowning.
Another energy wave then suddenly flew past them, heading towards the Genii. Seconds later John and Cadman were alone in the corridor. John turned and glanced at Cadman, the look of utter confusion on his face. Wordlessly he then turned and walked into the lab.
Cadman stared at the now empty corridor and frowned. She then heard Rodney scream and quickly turned around to see what was happening. In that second Rodney flew through the room and crashed into a wall. Shocked and a little frightened she entered the room and headed towards Rodney. Kneeling down beside him she looked at him, concern written all over her face.
"Rodney, are you ok?" she asked.
Rodney was cradling his hand when Cadman approached. The palm of his hand was badly burnt and was beginning to blister. With Elizabeth speaking in his ear, he merely looked at Cadman and nodded in confirmation. He wasn't ok, he was far from being ok but at least he had the satisfaction of knowing that he had possibly saved Atlantis yet again.
"Well done, Rodney. I´m sure Carson will fix your ha..."
"Dr… Elizabeth?" Rodney frowned when Elizabeth suddenly went quiet.
John, who had been peering at the machine while listening to Daniel, looked up when Rodney said Elizabeth’s name.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Kolya."
Rodney's eyes grew wide and he looked up at John. "Kolya is in Atlantis, he is with Elizabeth."
John immediately turned around and ran out the door. Tapping his radio he tried to contact Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, where are you?"
Cadman glanced from Rodney to Colonel Sheppard’s retreating form. Frowning she then turned back to Rodney.
"Let´s get you to the infirmary," she told him before turning to Zelenka and Daniel.
"You will come with us," she ordered and headed for the door. She couldn´t risk letting any of them wander around alone, so they would all have to come along to the infirmary.
Holding her P-90 ready to fire she then lead the way.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"Dr. Elizabeth Weir," Kolya greeted, his gun pointed directly at her. He walked towards her daring her to move. Once he was close enough he ripped the radio off her head and let it clatter to the floor.
He then waved the gun and gestured for her to walk ahead. "After you," he ordered. Out in the open wasn't safe, he needed to secure a room or better get straight to the gate.
"Where did you come from?" Elizabeth asked. Then realisation hit her. Rodney had just told her that the device affected time. Kolya was soaked to his bones, like he had been during the storm. He must have travelled through time.
"The city is not abandoned anymore, Kolya. You don´t have a chance against all of our people," she told him. "Let me go and you can leave through the Stargate."
"And I should just trust your word? No. No, I don't think I should, Dr. Weir. I think I will take you hostage and use you as leverage for a safe passing through the gate."
He once again gestured for her to walk ahead. " Do not make me ask you again!"
Elizabeth turned around and walked ahead of him into the direction of the gateroom, hoping that someone would find them. There had to be hundreds of military personnel running around Atlantis after all. But maybe it was better if they didn´t find them... She didn´t want any more of her people to get killed after all.
----- -----
John had started to panic when he hadn't been able to get Elizabeth to respond to him through the com-unit. He had contacted the control room and asked them if they could track her down. He just hoped they were sending him in the right direction.
He then soon spotted Kolya and Elizabeth. Thankfully she was unharmed. From his position he couldn't get a clear aim at the man. Frustrated he tried to come up with a plan on how to approach them.
Glancing around Elizabeth tried to think of a way to get out of this mess.
"Move faster," Kolya ordered and pushed her from behind. Not having expected this Elizabeth stumbled and fell to her knee. Pain instantly rushed though her leg.
"Get up!" Kolya shouted angrily and pointed his gun into her face.
John knew he had to do something quick. He could not shoot Koyla. Elizabeth could be hurt that way. But he couldn’t just wait either. He stepped out from the covers of the wall he had been hiding behind and shot a warning shot to the side of Kolya and Elizabeth.
When she heard a shot Elizabeth instantly looked up. John, she thought. Of course he had found her, he always did.
"I wouldn't hurt her if I were you," John called. His gaze quickly flickered to Elizabeth to see if she was ok. Satisfied that she seemed to be he looked back at Kolya.
“What the hell are you doing here Kolya?”
Kolya was startled for a moment, but didn´t move his hand with the gun. He knew that aiming at Dr. Weir was his only chance of getting out of there alive.
"Major Sheppard," he then said making a small step to the side, so he could see both him and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was still kneeling on the floor, holding her hurting leg.
"You didn't answer my question." John told him. His tone was demanding, letting the other man know that he was in no mood for games. "So let me ask you again, what are you doing here, Kolya?"
Kolya glanced at Sheppard and shrugged. "I came to take over Atlantis, as you know. But something happened... You don´t have anything to do with my men and the storm just disappearing, do you?" he asked. "Anyway, I´m just going to leave now. And Dr. Weir will come with me. Get up," he said while waving the gun in front of Elizabeth’s face.
Elizabeth slowly got to her feet, trying to ignore the pain in her foot. She must have fallen badly and strained something.
John silently cursed Kolya. "If you think I'm just going to let you leave through the Stargate with Elizabeth, you are mistaken." He tried to sound assured by his own words but deep down he knew that he didn't have a plan. If only he could somehow get Elizabeth out of the way, then maybe...
Out of the corner of his eye he then noticed movement. A quick glance confirmed that the door on the left had suddenly opened. He frowned, did he just do that? Catching Elizabeth’s eye he glanced at the now open door so she knew what he wanted her to do.
Elizabeth was stumbling forwards, looking around almost after every step, while her brain searched for a way out of this. If she just knew any self defence she could have tried to knock the gun out of Kolyas hands... She then caught Johns eye and noticed the open door. She immediately knew what he wanted her to do and threw herself sideways into the room. Hitting the ground hard she heard a gunshot, but it hit the door, which had shut right behind her.
Lying on the floor Elizabeth then heard several more gunshots and her heart started pounding very fast. She knew that she probably should try and hide somewhere, but how could she without knowing that John was safe? What if Kolya had shot him? Fear rushed through her and she slowly got up again, not even paying attention to her hurting foot.
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The moment she had jumped into the room and Kolya had fired a shot in the fleeing Elizabeth's direction, John fired his own gun, hitting Kolya straight in the shoulder.
Kolya stumbled back and pointed his own gun at John, looking like he was about to fire, so John shot him again, this time in the leg causing him to drop to the ground. Walking over, he knocked the gun out of the other man’s hand so it slid across the floor.
"Elizabeth," he then called out. "Are you ok in there?"
When she heard his voice Elizabeth immediately opened the door and stepped out. Relieved she saw that John was unharmed and Kolya on the floor bleeding.
"I´m fine," she said.
Kolya lay on the ground cursing. He had not expected Dr. Weir to try anything. Obviously he had underestimated her as well as Sheppard.
"We should get him bandaged and locked up," Elizabeth said.
"Agreed," John said before tapping his com-unit. "This is Sheppard. We need a medical team up in the lab quarters. We have a 'guest' who is in need of medical attention. You better send two military personnel as well."
After giving his orders John glanced at Elizabeth, still noticeably concerned.
"Can you walk? You better let Carson take a look at your ankle."
Elizabeth smiled slightly at his concerned look.
"I´m ok. It´s probably nothing," she told him. It did hurt, but she wasn´t going to tell him that. It would be enough to have Carson fuss all over her. They had more important things to do right now after all.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Gate room:
After having been in the infirmary where Carson had bandaged her strained ankle Elizabeth was back in the control room. They needed to discuss what happened and make sure that no more unwanted guests were in the City.
Trying to get the crowd of people to calm down and listen to her Elizabeth’s gaze then fell on one of them and her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Ford?" she asked staring at him.
Aiden walked towards her with a smile, feeling glad to finally see a familiar face.
"Dr. Weir, it´s good to see you," he said. "Strange things seem to have happened. Have the Wraith stopped their attack?"
He then noticed John next to Elizabeth and smiled, feeling glad that he was okay.
"Good to see you, Major."
"Ford?" John asked smiling in disbelief. Staring at him the first thing he noticed was that the young Lieutenant’s face was no longer disfigured. "Good to see you too, Lieutenant." He glanced at Elizabeth with his eyebrows raised. "Ancient Device?"
Elizabeth nodded at John with a small smirk. Maybe that device had done something good after all. Not that she knew the consequences and everything yet, but just seeing Ford like he used to be before the enzyme made her feel better. She had missed him.
Rodney suddenly entered the room, his left hand bandaged. "What have I missed?" he asked, not noticing Ford at all. “The device has powered down completely. I think you’d be surprised, no correction, delighted about what it was powered by.”
John cleared his throat and nodded his head at Ford. Rodney frowned and glanced at Ford. “Lieutenant.” He then looked back at Elizabeth. “It was powered by what looks like a miniature ZPM. Until further testing I don’t know if we can use it to power another section of the city…”
“Rodney, don’t you think it’s a little weird that Lieutenant Ford is here?” John tried again, before flashing Ford a smile.
Rodney paused and turned back to Ford. Then realisation finally hit him.
Ford glanced from John to Rodney and then frowned.
"Why would it be weird that I´m here, Major?" he asked feeling even more confused now. Something was definitely up.
"Because you haven´t been in Atlantis for over a year," Elizabeth told him.
“And it´s Lt. Colonel Sheppard now,” John added with a wide grin.
Ford stared at both of them shocked. He had suspected that something was up, but this had to be a joke.
"Why don´t we go into the conference room and talk about this? All of us." Elizabeth said this a bit louder, so that everyone in the room could hear her.
----- -----
Sheila stood a few feet away from the group, observing them all. After she had come here with the people she had met earlier it became obvious that this was not Atlantis as she knew it. It looked slightly different.
Cameron stood close to Sheila. He hadn't allowed her to leave his sight. If she was an Ancient, well, then she'd probably be the most valuable person in this whole city. When he heard Dr. Weir suggest that they continue this in the conference room, he turned to Sheila and said: "Come on, I would like to introduce you to the others."
Sheila glanced at Cameron. She had come to the decision that he wasn´t a threat and he seemed nice enough. So she nodded and followed him. Being in that meeting would probably be wise anyway. It might help her to understand what happened.
----- -----
Jack's eyes closed when the conference room was mentioned. Every time that damn room was mentioned he felt his right temple involuntary start to twitch. He inhaled deeply before following the small crowd into the room.
Some sat down, while others stood along the walls waiting for Elizabeth to speak. John sat down next to a confused Ford and McKay sat to John’s other side.
“We are in here to talk about the ZPM, right?” Rodney asked before Elizabeth had a chance to speak. Otherwise he considered this to be a waste of his valuable time.
Once Elizabeth sat down she looked around the room, to see if there were any other people here, that weren´t exactly from this time. But she was interrupted by Rodney.
"That will have to wait, Rodney. First we have to talk about the device you activated and what it did. We also have to find out if the city is safe."
She then turned to Teyla. "Are there any more Wraith in Atlantis?" she asked. The safety of the city and her people was the most important thing at the moment.
"No. I can no longer sense the Wraith in Atlantis," Teyla claimed, providing the reassurance that was needed.
Elizabeth nodded at Teyla and smiled in relief. This was good news.
Lee sat next to Kara opposite Dr. Weir. Dr. Beckett had wanted him to stay in the infirmary, but he felt the need to find out what was going on, especially since his father and Laura Roslin were on the mainland at the moment.
"There isn’t exactly much I can tell you about the device until further tests have been run. From what I can tell, we're dealing with a machine that affects time," Rodney told Elizabeth. He rushed the explanation in hopes of getting to what he considered to be the most important piece of information.
"Time?" Jack asked with a slight frown.
"Yes, time," Rodney answered with a hint of exasperation. "It would explain Lieutenant Ford, the Wraith and the Genii suddenly appearing in Atlantis. I think the energy wave it released somehow created a rip in time and brought them here. But, like I said, I won’t know for certain until I’ve managed to run some tests, which before you ask, will take some time."
Kara listened carefully to everything that was being said. A lot of it was lost on her, but still she did make the effort to try and understand.
Sheila stood in a corner of the room and listened to what these people had to say. She then looked up when a man said something about a machine that affected time. Realisation then hit her.
"You activated the time control machine? That explains everything," she said and then suddenly felt everyone turn to her.
Ford who had been listening to McKay now turned to look at Sheila. She knew what was going on?
"It does?" he asked.
Rodney looked at the woman who spoke. "Oh, yes. That explains everything," he said sarcastically. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
John’s mouth dropped open when he saw the woman who spoke. It only took him a couple of seconds to remember who he was looking at. Instantly he was on his feet. Sensing that everyone was looking at him, confused by his reaction, he turned to Rodney. “Don’t tell me you don’t recognise her?”
Rodney turned from John to the woman. Recognition then reflected in his eyes and he was immediately on his own feet, standing beside John.
Bewildered Jack looked at the blonde attractive woman and then to John and Rodney.
"This is Sheila," Cameron quickly told the group, feeling the need to come to her defence due to the sudden tension that filled the room.
"Mitchell?" Jack looked to the Lieutenant Colonel. "Explain."
"Yes, Sir. She just appeared. Must have something to do with Dr. McKay's machine. You'll never guess who she is."
Jack arched an eyebrow. "Surprise me..."
“She is… or was the first officer of an ancient war ship called Aurora. We came across the ship months ago. All the crew were in these…. some kind of pod things...”
“Stasis Pods,” Rodney said helping John out.
“Stasis Pods,” John confirmed before continuing as if Rodney hadn’t interrupted him. “The crew were in this virtual reality…” John struggled once again, using his hands to express himself.
“The stasis pods linked them to an artificial environment that networked the crew subconsciously. It was really incredible how they managed to…,” Rodney butted in, but was interrupted by John.
“Anyway, to cut a long story short, a Wraith had gained access to this virtual reality intending to learn the secrets of the ancients intergalactic hyperdrive so they could get to Earth. The Wraith took the identity of …” John gestured at Sheila. “Rodney and I luckily managed to stop the Wraith before it succeeded in its mission.”
Jack was silent for a moment. “So she is an…”
“Ancient. Yes, sir,” Cameron said with a smile, appearing a little too excited by his discovery.
----- -----
Sheila looked at the men who got up a bit confused. How could they know her? She had never seen them before. But then it occurred to her, that if she was in the future those people might have met her future self. She then listened to them explain how they knew her.
"A Wraith took my identity? How is that possible?" she asked surprised and disgusted. Even the thought that she could be used by the Wraith to help them achieve their goals was hardly bearable. She then noticed that everyone’s attention was on her again and she had been called ancient once more.
"What do you mean by ancient?" she asked glancing around a bit hesitantly. This just didn´t sound like she just travelled a few years into the future.
"How many years have passed?"
Elizabeth watched the woman closely when she heard who she was. This was just too good to be true. After all the mess this device had caused she had never guessed how useful it could have been.
"Probably about 10.000 years," she answered.
Sheila stared at the woman. "10.000?" she asked silently. She suddenly felt a little overwhelmed and sad. Everything she knew was long gone.
Jack stood up and walked over to Sheila. He could tell by her expression that she was confused, upset and probably feeling very alone. Knowing that he was the highest ranking officer and notably the one who was in charge of representing Earth and humanity, he held out his hand for her to shake.
“I’m Major General Jack O’Neill.” Judging by his expression it was easy to see that he was feeling a little awkward with his role. He normally left things like that to Daniel, who he believed to be more suitable for this kind of thing. Daniel had a way of making anyone feel at ease. It was a gift Jack both admired and found incredibly annoying.
“I know you probably have a hell of a lot of questions…. I know we have.” He made a point of glancing over his shoulder at Daniel.
Daniel glanced at Jack and nodded, letting the older man know that he understood.
Sheila looked at the General and listened to him. He seemed nice enough.
"Sheila Trebal, 1st officer of the Aurora," she said and shook his hand. Besides all the confusion and loss she felt, she was glad that Atlantis had survived all those years and had not been taken over by the Wraith either. There was something familiar left after all.
Elizabeth then got up and introduced herself and everyone else in the room.
"It really is a pleasure to meet you," she said smiling. "So much knowledge has been lost over the years... we have so many questions. But most of them can wait. You said that you know something about the device that brought you here?"
Sheila nodded. "Yes, I do. I do not know much, but I know of its existance. My father built it, but it did not work like it should. That is why it has been locked in a lab until my father could figure out how to get it to work properly. But that was before he died in a Wraith attack."
“I think until Rodney has had time to examine the device properly we should refrain from trying to use it again,” John said, looking at Elizabeth. He knew that she would have already thought of this, but he also knew that others, and by others he meant the military leaders, would suggest attempting to use the machine as some kind of weapon once they found out. There was also the probability that Sheila might ask to be sent back to her own time.
Jack nodded, agreeing with Sheppard’s suggestion. Elizabeth nodded as well.
“No pressure then,” Rodney muttered.
"We shouldn´t turn the device back on before we can be sure that it won´t malfunction again. I don´t want any more Wraith or Genii in the city," Elizabeth said.
Sheila knew that this meant she couldn´t return to her time now, but she also knew how dangerous the time control machine was. Her father had told her often enough when she was little. And he had worked on it almost all his life without getting it to work properly.
"You should be careful with it," she then said. "When my father used the machine it almost flooded the city once and another time it brought a sea monster into Atlantis. And those are only a few stories my father used to tell me. He worked on the device for years and it never worked properly."
Elizabeth sighed. At least Atlantis had not been flooded this time. She then turned to Rodney.
"Be careful with it then."
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
Atlantis balcony:
Meeting out on the balcony that was closest to the control room had become a bit of a regular thing for John and Elizabeth. Neither of them had ever questioned why they did it. Sometimes they did not speak at all and John did not see any reason for them to do so. To him, meeting Elizabeth out on the balcony each evening was a form of comfort he could not get anywhere else. It was normality compared to everything else in his crazy life.
“It’s been a really interesting couple of days,” he finally said breaking the comfortable silence between them. Standing beside her, he tore his eyes away from the ocean and looked at her.
Elizabeth looked up when he spoke. She had been lost in thoughts about the days events and especially about the little girl, that had called her mum. Back then she had thought the girl was confused, but now, after she knew what the device did, she wasn´t so sure anymore...
"That is one way of putting it," she said with a smirk.
“Our luck just keeps on coming, doesn’t it?” He had always shared his concerns and worries with her and today was no different.
"Yes, it is actually strange how much luck we seem to have so shortly after all hell broke lose." They had found new allies in the fight against the Ori just after Earth had been taken over and after Atlantis had been full of Wraith and Genii they had gotten Ford back and an ancient on top of it.
"But I think we deserve it," she added. The last weeks had been really hard and she and everyone else really needed a break.
"We definitely deserve it," John agreed. "I'm just wondering when our luck is going to run out. No one is this lucky." He tapped the toe of his boot against the balcony edge and lent against the rails. The breeze had picked up a bit which was a sign that rain was on its way. He could almost smell the dampness in the air.
"Well, our home planet has been taken over by aliens, so we´re not exactly that lucky," Elizabeth said with a sigh, remembering the past weeks. They had been the worst weeks of her entire life. John hadn´t been here to see the mess and all the scared people. For once he had missed the worst part.
Elizabeth then started to wonder if their lives would ever really be happy again. Would they be able to defeat the Ori and the Wraith? Could they have a normal and happy life then? Could she? Thinking about it the face of the little girl popped up in her mind again. If she really was her daughter then maybe a happy future was not impossible at all.
"It's nice to have Ford back," John then said with a slight smile. It was no secret that he had missed him.
When Elizabeth didn't respond straight away he sneaked another glance at her. She had been lost in her own thoughts ever since they had walked onto the balcony.
"Want to share what's on your mind?" he asked offering to lend an ear.
When John spoke up again Elizabeth snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him.
"I just had a weird encounter today, when the device was still on," she started.
"A little girl appeared and she... she called me Mommy."
Looking at John she then started to wonder who the father of the girl would be. If she really was her daughter it meant that she would have a man in her life again. Could it be him? She knew deep down that she wanted it to be John, but she had no idea how they could ever get there.
Hearing her words John raised his eyebrows surprised. He didn't respond straight away but instead just looked at her trying to determine how she really felt about this 'encounter' and how he should respond.
"Mommy?" A small smile tugged at his lips. He would have liked to have been there. "Do you think it was your daughter from the future? It is possible. I think by now we should know anything is possible..." The thought of a little Elizabeth Weir running around gave him a good enough reason to grin. She would make a wonderful mother.
Elizabeth grinned at his reaction.
"Yes, it is possible. I thought she was just a confused little girl when I met her, but now that we know what the device does... It really could have been my daughter," she said, remembering the girl, the way she hugged her and the way the little hand had felt in her own.
"She was really cute. I wish I could have had more time with her," she admitted with a sigh, feeling kind of alone all of a sudden.
John continued to smile as he watched her. It was at times like this that his feelings for the woman beside him overpowered him completely. The complexity of his feelings for her both confused and scared him. He had never felt like this for anyone before.
"You'll see her again," he promised, sincerity reflecting in his gentle eyes. “It may not be soon but I know you’ll see her again.”
Elizabeth smiled at his words. "You´re right, I will," she said and started to feel better. If it really was her daughter she had seen she of course would see her again. She would just have to be a bit patient.
“What did she tell you?”
"She didn´t tell me much, just some random things. She wanted me to play with her. And she talked about her day with her daddy at the beach...," she said and her thoughts wandered back to the question who the father would be. She so wished she had asked.
John looked back out at the ocean and the darkening sky. He too now wondered who the father was. Who would Elizabeth end up with in five years or so? These thoughts depressed him greatly.
"Bet it's driving you crazy not knowing who the father is," he commented, not allowing his true feelings to be known. He looked back at her and smiled cheekily.
Elizabeth turned to look at him and gave him a smile.
"Yes, the thought occurred to me. But I guess I will find out sooner or later," she said not letting him see how much she really wanted to know.
"So, looking forward to having Ford back on your team?" she then asked, deciding that it was time to change the subject. She also wanted to find out if he was ok with the team changes they had made. After dinner they had found some time to already discuss the new teams, so that they would have time for other things the next morning.
John chuckled. "Yeah, as long as he doesn't start naming everything we come across." He smirked as he recalled the number of times Ford had suggested naming certain things. Gateship 1, had been one of John's favourites.
"Actually I'm pretty happy with the team you've given me. I heard Dr. Daniel Jackson is a decent guy and this Dee… She appears nice enough."
Elizabeth smiled. "I´m glad to hear that. It´s only temporary, but I still want our teams to get along," she said. It was really important, especially when they got themselves into dangerous situations, which they usually did.
"I think you should be more worried about Rodney," John commented with a trace of a smirk.
"He can be hard to handle at the best of times." Annoying would have been the right word to use but out of loyalty he didn't say it out loud.
"I´m sure Commander Adama, Captain Thrace and Teal'c can handle him," Elizabeth answered. "And if not you could always give them a few hints."
She then stepped back from the railing, feeling rather tired. "I think I´ll go to bed now. It´s been a long day."
John nodded. "Yeah, it has. I think I might just hang out here for a while longer. Night, Elizabeth.”
"Night John. I´ll see you in the morning." She then walked towards the door.
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Galactica:
Sharon had been escorted from her ‘quarters’ to the Admiral’s room. She had no idea why the Old Man wanted to see her. She hadn’t even bothered to try and retrieve information from the two officers who were walking with her. She knew that they wouldn’t tell her anything. No one did, except for Helo.
The worst of all was that she had heard rumours lately. The Rumour was that there was another Cylon on Galactica, another model of herself. She was scared that it was true.
Arriving, Sharon waited for one of the officers to open the door. Walking inside she was surprised to see Helo in there with the Admiral. She gave him a questioning look.
Helo smiled at Sharon when she entered. Seeing her questioning look he just shrugged. He didn´t know why the Admiral wanted to see them both. But it was nice. Whenever Sharon was allowed to leave her cell it was a good thing. Being locked up all the time just sucked, and it hurt to see her spending her life that way.
“Sir,” Sharon said looking at the Admiral and giving a proper greeting. She knew that it wasn’t expected of her to do so, but she thought it to be the polite gesture that was needed.
The Admiral nodded before gesturing for her to take a seat. “I never did say thank you for your help on New Caprica."
"You don’t need to thank me, I had friends down there." Her voice faltered slightly. They were her friends, yes. But she was unsure if she was theirs. "I would have helped even if you hadn't asked me."
Helo smiled at Sharon happily, glad that she felt that way. Then he looked at the Admiral expectantly.
The Admiral’s gaze flicked between the two for a moment, prolonging the silence and uneasiness.
"You're both wondering why I asked you here." It wasn't a question but a statement. His eyes then settled on Sharon. "I'm sure you've been told where we are."
Sharon nodded her head. She doubted she knew everything, but Helo had told her as much as he knew.
"As the people from Earth assisted us with our war, I could do no less than agree to help them with their own." He paused. He felt some guilt for subjecting his own people to another war after the hell they had all experienced over the past years but he knew that each and every one of his men would follow him with whatever decision he made. It made him feel honoured and proud.
"For now, officers from both Pegasus and Galactica will be joining the Earth military teams to explore new words through a device known as the Stargate." His eyes travelled to Helo.
"Lieutenant Agathon suggested that you should join one of the teams." His eyes flickered back to Sharon. "It's not an order," he said more gently. "I'm offering you a chance to…"
"… gain your trust," Sharon said, interrupting him rather angrily. Realising what she did, her cheeks reddened and she bowed her head, but refused to apologise.
"You already have my trust, Sharon."
Sharons eyes darted back up at Adama, surprised.
The Admiral smiled. "I'm offering you a chance to gain the trust of everyone else. I know it's unfair. You have proven on a number of occasions that you are not the enemy, that you can be trusted. I promise you that things will change."
Helo’s jaw almost dropped wide open at Adamas words. Of course he had suggested to the Admiral that he and Sharon could join one of the teams, but never would he have imagined the Admiral to agree to this.
Sharon blinked several times as her eyes watered. Seconds later her composure was regained.
"I would like to join one of the teams,” she said.
Helo looked from the Admiral to Sharon and a smile appeared on his lips, getting wider within seconds.
"Sharon and I can really join one of the teams?" he asked still not being able to comprehend what was happening. It was just too good to be true. They would finally be able to spend time together without her being locked up in a cell. It might be the start of a normal life for her... for them together.
Sharon glanced at Helo and couldn't help but smile. She was happy for herself but more for his sake. She knew that he had received a lot of grief from others for being with her. Maybe this would finally help people to start accepting her and their relationship. And as long as Helo was happy, she would be too.
"You’ll both be put on a team with two others. I think you know one of them... Lieutenant Cadman?" Adama said, frowning as he tried to remember the woman he had met at the meeting.
"She was a member of Lt. Colonel Sheppard’s team on the rescue mission to New Caprica," Sharon said. She had liked her. There had been no awkwardness between them, no fear. It was a nice change.
Adama nodded. "I've also arranged quarters for you in the city. I think for now you'll be safer there. There will be no cell."
Sharon was surprised for the second time. It was almost too good to be true.
"Thank you, sir!"
The Admiral nodded again.
Helo couldn´t believe what he was hearing. Was he dreaming? Turning to the Admiral he smiled.
"Yes, thank you, sir. You will not regret your decision," he said.
"I hope not, Lieutenant."
Helo smiled at the Admiral and then thought for a moment. "Will I be able to live in Atlantis, too?" he then asked a bit weary, half expecting that he wouldn´t be allowed to. There just had to be something wrong here.
The Admiral took the time to think over what Helo was asking. His first reaction was to say no, that he wanted Helo to remain on the ship. But he knew it would be unfair of him to do so.
"A lot of personnel are seeking refuge in the city and on the mainland. I see no reason why you cannot stay in Atlantis..." He decided that after everything it was the least he could do for them.
Sharon smiled, a smile that lightened up her whole face. Helo smiled as well and instinctively reached for Sharons hand.
Sharon laced her fingers through Helo’s and squeezed his hand. She was finally feeling that there was hope. Things may even begin to feel normal again, well, if things ever had been normal. Normal for her was the time Helo and she had been able to spend alone together, and that had been on Caprica.
"Thank you, Admiral," Helo then said happily. "Whenever you need me or us on board the Galactica, just let us know," he added, wanting to reassure the Admiral, that he still would be part of his crew.
Adama was always pleased when he could bring a smile on his crews faces, even if it was a decision he knew he may regret.
"You should report to Dr. Elizabeth Weir in Atlantis immediately. She's in charge of supplying accommodations."
Sharon stood up and nodded. "Thank you once again, sir." She had lost count of how many times Helo and herself had said thank you in the past fifteen minutes.
Amused, the Admiral gestured towards the door. "Dismissed."
The moment they had left the room, Sharon flung her arms around Helo excitedly. It was the first time in over a year that she had been truly happy and not miserable. All they needed to do now was find this Dr. Elizabeth Weir.
Helo pulled Sharon close to him and then swirled her around happily.
"I can´t belive it!" he exclaimed smiling widely.
"We can finally be together again." Brushing a strain of hair out of her face he then leaned in and kissed her.
After a while he broke away and just watched her beautiful face. It finally had all been worth it.
Sharon smiled up at Helo, feeling a little dazed by his kiss. "I love you," she told him. She couldn't remember the last time she had said those three words. It wasn't that she had not wanted to say it, it was just with everything that had happened… well, she had been a bit of a mess.
"I love you, too," Helo answered smiling brightly at her.
Hearing footsteps approach Sharon quickly dropped her arms from around his neck. Two men passed them without even looking in their direction. Once their footsteps faded she glanced at Helo and smiled again. Clasping his hand within hers, she then tilted her head to the left gesturing for them to leave.
"We should report to Dr. Weir."
Helo nodded and walked beside her, holding on to her hand happily.
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chapter 8
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