Sha’re snuggled into the warmth as she slowly woke up, opening her eyes she smiled as she saw the light filtering in through the gossamer curtains and could just make out the waves over the rail of the balcony outside their room. They were coming up on their first week here on Atlantis and everyone was settling in to their new home. They were still exploring so that they could find room for everyone but for the moment things were fine. They had enough fresh water now that Peter had found and activated the water reclamation system, but soon food may become a problem.
As she woke up properly, Sha’re realised she was being watched.
“Why are you not sleeping?” Sha’re turned to her husband, finding him leaning on his elbow studying her.
“Sunlight,” Daniel told her, drawing a finger along her bare shoulder, “And watching you was more enjoyable than trying to sleep.”
Sha’re smiled up at him, her husband always knew what to say to make her feel special.
“I was also thinking,” Daniel murmured; as he moved down to brush his lips against her shoulder.
“Really, my husband,” Sha’re sighed as he continued to place soft kisses along her neck.
Daniel slid closer to her, “We’re going to have to start sending teams out through the Gate to make allies and find trading partners.”
“Good idea,” Sha’re breathed, totally distracted by her husband’s ministrations.
“John and Ferretti will be the most likely candidates to lead,” Daniel murmured as he kissed her ear, “I can work with either of them.”
Sha’re pulled away from him, anger covering her face, “I do not like being manipulated, husband, even by you.”
“I wasn’t manipulating you,” Daniel told her as she turned her back on him, he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her back to him so he could kiss her neck again, “I was seducing you till you agreed with me.”
Sha’re sighed and turned to look at him, “I do not want you to be in danger, Dan’iel. I do not want to lie alone here at night and wonder if you will ever come back to me.”
“I know,” he soothed, gently stroking his hand along her back, “But I am one of the few people we have who was on an SG team.”
Sha’re pulled away from him and lay on her back staring at the ceiling deep in thought for several moments, turning her head to Daniel after a while, “You were seducing me till I agreed. I am not yet convinced.”
Daniel grinned and leaned closer to kiss her once more.
-
While Daniel and Sha’re were ‘discussing’ their differences privately, Rodney and Laura were arguing in the middle of a corridor where anyone could see, hear and completely avoid them.
“You arrogant, thoughtless son of a bitch,” Laura snapped at him, “How dare you.”
“Please,” Rodney snarled back, “Like you give a damn.”
Laura stared at him, “I spent almost six months at your side, Rodney. I helped you sleep, I slept at your side and you think I don’t care about you?”
“Oh please,” Rodney retorted, “You felt guilty, Cadman. All you wanted was a little absolution because you turned away that day and left me in that hell hole.”
Laura flinched before she turned and marched along the corridor leaving Rodney standing. She just turned the corner and ran into Jeannie who was standing, leaning next to a window.
“Hi.”
Laura stopped and stared at the sister of the man she’d just been yelling at, “What do you want?”
“To explain something to you,” Jeannie replied, starting to walk at the other woman’s side, “If you want to hear?”
Laura sighed, “I’ve a feeling you won’t go away until I let you tell me.”
“My mom called me tenacious,” Jeannie smiled, “Though Mer says I’m more a pain in the ass.”
“I’d go for that,” Laura replied.
“Look,” Jeannie became serious again, “Mer is brilliant but our parents didn’t know how to deal with that so they made a lot of mistakes which leaves him very wary of relationships. You said you owed him and in that thick skull of his, Mer took this to mean that he didn’t mean anything to you and it’s going to take him a long time to realise what a dope he is.”
“Your advice?” Laura asked blandly.
“You want advice?” Jeannie grimaced.
Laura sighed, “Thanks.”
*********************************************
John entered the Jumper Bay wincing as he heard several raised voices, the main one being Rodney’s.
“What part of ‘don’t do it’ didn’t you get?” Rodney snarled at a poor kid who at John’s reckoning looked all of twelve, “Get back to your station and learn to listen to instructions.”
“They are doing their best, Rodney,” Radek reminded the overwrought man, “Most of them have barely spent any time within this kind of environment.”
“That isn’t an excuse for not listening,” Rodney retorted.
Radek frowned at him but rather than get into an argument he knew would only go downhill he returned to working on the control crystals within the Jumper. Radek knew that Rodney had barely slept since their arrival on Atlantis, trying to get everything operational making him exceedingly short-tempered meaning Radek was not going to enter any sort of argument with him just now.
“So,” John interrupted, heading off Rodney before he could yell at anymore of the poor souls in the room, “When can I try it out?”
“You realise we’ve only been studying this for less than a day?” Rodney demanded annoyed.
“It’s a ship, Rodney,” John reminded him, “And I can fly anything.”
“I want to be sure that I can fix whatever problem crops up,” Rodney told him, “What if something fails and you crash?”
John groaned, he never knew Rodney was such a mother hen, “Look, come with me and you’ll see that nothing, nothing is going to go wrong.”
Rodney hesitated but finally nodded, “Fine, Radek discovered that we can open the roof so we can have a look around the planet.”
John grinned, “Control, this is Sheppard.”
“Is something wrong, John?” Sha’re’s amused voice came.
“Rodney and I are going to take out one of the Jumpers and have a look around the planet,” he told her, “If you don’t mind that is?”
Sha’re laughed, “Just ensure you are home for supper.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” John beamed as he started into his ship and ushered everyone else out. Reaching the pilot’s chair he turned and waited for Rodney who reluctantly wandered in and sat beside him.
John slid into his seat, fascinated as the entire thing lit up at his presence. Rodney gripped the chair tightly as John started the engines and slowly lifted the Jumper off the ground. As the roof opened above them John’s grin amazingly became even wider.
Even Rodney was unable to speak as they smoothly glided through the air, skimming the clouds as they soared through the air.
-
Carson sat in the small office he’d claimed at the back of the infirmary; Janet’s was the larger one nearer the front and despite arguing that she didn’t need the larger one, Carson had won. He wanted to research why certain systems reacted to some people but not others, it had him fascinated. Janet was quite happy for him to study it while she and Jennifer covered the infirmary.
“Carson?”
Glancing up he was surprised to find Jeannie standing there.
“Sorry, love,” he apologised, rubbing his tired eyes, “What can I do for you?”
“Janet mentioned you were looking for a reason for the bizarre reactions the city has to some people,” Jeannie explained as she placed the computer padd she was carrying down, “I think I might have found something. I’ve been studying the database with Daniel trying to find anything that can help us, I found this.”
Carson scanned over the data she had given him in astonishment, “It’s looking for something, it’s looking for a certain...” he trailed off and started working again not even noticing Jeannie stand up and leave.
-
Jeannie left the doctor working away and decided to see if her brother had actually managed to frighten any of the scientists into a gibbering wreck yet. Entering what was now referred to as the Jumper Bay, Jeannie watched as one of the small ships gently descended from a hole in the roof before settling into the empty cradle. The hatch opened and she smiled as John Sheppard practically bounced out.
“Have fun?” she asked the pilot.
“Oh I could have stayed up there all day,” he crowed, “Your brother got a little cranky after half an hour.”
“There’s more to life than flying, John,” Jeannie told him.
John paled suddenly, his excitable personality disappearing as he stared at her.
“Are you okay?” Jeannie asked worriedly.
“Fine,” he jumped slightly, “We should get Rodney somewhere else, he needs to sleep.”
Jeannie took a deep breath, “Leave it to an expert, John.”
Smartly Jeannie walked into the Jumper finding her brother slouched in the chair obviously trying to gather the energy to get up again.
“Okay, Mer,” she stated, “Go and get some sleep then eat something. After that you can start working again.”
“You’re not Mom,” he muttered at her, “You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Meredith,” Jeannie snapped, “Now!!!”
Rodney instantly obeyed and stumbled half asleep out of the Jumper to where John was watching Jeannie in absolute bemusement as she just smirked back at him.
“Take him to his room,” Jeannie ordered John, “If he doesn’t go call me.”
With a self satisfied smile Jeannie left them alone as John stared after her astonished.
-
“I could have walked to my room by myself,” Rodney grumbled as John accompanied him through the corridors.
“I know,” John shrugged, “But your sister is scary.”
Rodney grimaced as he thought back, “She did the ‘Mom’ voice. I hate that.”
John chuckled, stopping as they reached the room Rodney had been assigned and had only been in to dump his belongings at the beginning of the week. With a tired sigh, the exhausted scientist opened the door and with a mumbled goodnight disappeared inside leaving John alone in the corridor.
As he stared to walk again, Jeannie’s words hit him again – “There’s more to life than flying, John.”
-
John turned to where Meg was frowning at him, “What?”
“Don’t you see what’s happening around you?” she cried, raking a hand through her short jet-black hair, “John, the Andurians are not our friends and Carter is not the saviour of the world.”
John stared at her confused, “You were the one who persuaded me to request the transfer. What’s changed?”
Meg sighed and sat down, “You’ve heard of Jack O’Neill?”
“The leader of the terrorists,” John noted.
“They’re not terrorists,” Meg replied sadly, “They’re the last of the real SGC and those who the Andurians are trying to destroy.”
“Meg,” John sat at her side, “What are you thinking of doing?”
She swallowed, “One of their people, Dr Daniel Jackson is being held by Carter within the facility. He is more than likely being tortured by her for information only he can provide.”
“Meg, this is insane,” John told her, “You can’t seriously believe this? And even if it’s true, you’ll just get yourself killed.”
“So I should just bury my head in the sand?” she yelled at him, “Like you?”
John stood up and grabbed his jacket, “I have to get going. Supplies don’t fly themselves.”
Meg watched him head for the door, “There’s more to life than flying, John,” she called.
Those were the last words she ever said to him.
*********************************************
Daniel and Sha’re walked along the corridors after dinner towards their latest meeting.
“You do know I would have agreed to you going,” Sha’re noted as she held her husband’s arm, “There was no reason for your elaborate persuasion.”
“But it was much more fun,” Daniel grinned.
Sha’re laughed and pushed him towards the conference room where the others were waiting. Entering the room Sha’re smiled fondly as she heard John and Ferretti trying to outdo each other on the craziest things they’d done.
“Gentlemen,” she interrupted as she took her seat, Daniel sliding into the one on her right as always, “We shall soon be running low on supplies therefore we must find a source of food be it trading for the food or the seeds to grow our own.”
“Trade?” Ferretti asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Both of you, Dan’iel along with Laura and Rodney will for the moment be the first team,” Sha’re told them, “I have spoken with Peter to see if he can find a planet within the database that could be a potential ally.”
“Hold on,” John stopped her, “Why are we taking Rodney?”
“Because he is the most logical choice to help find a ZPM,” Sha’re explained, “There is no use arguing, I have thought this through extensively.”
At this Daniel smirked but lost it quickly as his wife glared at him.
“I want you to ensure Rodney is able to defend himself,” Sha’re told John, stop him speaking as he was about to argue, “John, he has the most experience with this technology. The only other choice is Jeannie; do you want to take her on a mission?”
Knowing he had lost without even opening his mouth John nodded, “I’ll make sure he’s ready.”
-
John left the meeting and checked his watch; Rodney should sleep for at least another two hours then he’d make the scientist go get something to eat. As he leaned against the wall trying to work out something to do for two hours when he saw Sha’re and Daniel walking together. He watched them together as they talked softly to each other, their love for one another was something he envied but he knew the pain they’d gone through.
Wandering further on John found a balcony and leaned on the rail watching the clouds float by. He wondered what Meg would have thought of this place, wondered if they’d still be together after everything. He shivered as it started to rain and memories flooded him.
-
The coffin was lowered into the ground as the rain battered against him, he was the only one here for the funeral, the only one who had come to say goodbye to her. Meg had been branded a terrorist, exposed on the news as something she wasn’t for trying to help someone she’d never even met.
Finally it was over and John stood alone staring at the fresh grave as the water poured down his face. After several minutes he felt another presence and watched as a man he didn’t know placed a rose on the grave.
“You,” John snarled as he recognised Jack O’Neill standing at his side, “You got her killed.”
“I didn’t ask her to do anything other than give me information,” Jack told him, “Meg did what she believed was right but I never asked for anything more.”
John wanted to say more, he wanted to yell and scream but nothing came out. Instead he turned but as he was about to walk away he noticed several of the Andurians coming their way. Jack grabbed his arm and the next thing John knew he was in a strange silvery tunnel.
-
“Jack, you should not have brought him here,” Sha’re scolded the man trying to dry himself while defend his actions, “He is not one of us and he already hates us.”
“She made her own choice,” Jack snapped as he tossed the towel to one side, “I didn’t make her do anything.”
Sha’re frowned at him, “Jack, he is grieving. No matter what you say he won’t care. Someone he loves is dead.”
Jack winced seeing how upset she was getting and moved to hug her but Sha’re stepped back from him.
“I want to talk with him,” she said.
Jack hesitated before nodding, “Fine, you can come in while I talk to him.”
Sha’re gave a sharp nod and said nothing but Jack knew from the look in her eyes she had an idea.
-
John sat glaring at the doctor who had brought him some coffee and a dry clothes, the man was sitting across from him simply drinking his own coffee without trying to fill the silence.
“Carson,” Jack said as he walked in, “Are we good?”
“He’s clean,” the man, Carson, stated in what John absently noted was a Scottish accent.
Jack nodded and grabbed a seat as a woman, beautiful but sad slid into the seat at his side.
“Major Sheppard,” Jack started, “This is Dr Carson Beckett and Sha’re Jackson.”
John said nothing, keeping silent as he took in as much information as possible as Jack spoke of Meg.
“Enough,” Sha’re stood finally cutting him off, “Jack, leave. I wish to speak to John alone.”
“Sha’re...”
“Now,” she stated in a voice that wouldn’t accept an argument, “I want you both out of here now.”
After a few seconds hesitation, Jack stood and motioned Carson to come with him.
“I’ll be right outside,” he told Sha’re, warning John at the exact same time.
John watched the two men leave before he turned back to the young woman who was sitting demurely waiting for his attention.
“How long were you and Meg together?” Sha’re asked.
“Six months,” John answered, not sure why he felt compelled to answer her, “But we’d know each other for at least ten years.”
“And you loved her?”
“Yes,” John said sharply.
Sha’re sighed, “Then you will understand.”
John listened as the sad woman before him unfolded her tale and he understood why Meg gave her life to help Sha’re. In those few moments he made his decision.
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Cuckoo In The Nest
by LE McMurrayKapitel Bemerkung:
Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.The next part is in progress.
Enjoy
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