Jeannie sat on the balcony her laptop sitting at her side as she munched on a biscuit, the Ancient database was so vast she felt sometime that it was an ocean and she was a tiny fish.
They’d been here almost two weeks now and had managed to make some friends although they’d run into a new threat that they hoped wouldn’t find Atlantis.
Jeannie had only briefly met any of the Athosians as she, like her brother and Radek, had spent most of her time in one of the labs working on the city’s systems. She was tired, but then again so were most people here. Trying to set up a new society was exhausting, Jeannie could see it in Sha’re the few times their paths had crossed over the past week.
“So this is where you’re hiding.”
Jeannie looked up in surprise to see John leaning against the doorway, “Just taking a break from the lab and getting some fresh air. Were you looking for me?”
“I was,” John grinned, “Since your brother doesn’t like to fly I thought you might like to come along as I have a look to see if there’s land out there somewhere.”
Surprised Jeannie stared up at him, “I thought you would have done that earlier.”
John shrugged, “Sha’re wouldn’t let me. Something about having more immediate concerns.”
Jeannie laughed.
“So?”
“So?”
“Are you coming?” John rolled his eyes.
Jeannie reached out so he could pull her to her feet before she picked up her computer, “Just have to drop this off and I’m ready.”
John grinned at her and motioned her forward.
-
“This is incredible,” Jeannie breathed as she watched the clouds below them, “Thanks for bringing me along.”
John laughed, “No problem. You’re always good company.”
“How are the Athosians?” Jeannie asked, knowing he’d spent a lot of time with their guests lately.
“Great,” he replied with a grin, “Kids are a lot of fun and Teyla can kick my ass in some strange stick fighting thing. Then Ronon wandered in and had a quick go,” he grimaced, “Kicked my ass as well.”
Jeannie giggled, “Is Ronon going to stay with the Athosians?”
John shrugged, “I don’t know. I’m kinda hoping he’ll stick around and help us. He’s good and has been fighting these Wraith for years. It’ll give us a good chance against them.”
“Get Sha’re to talk to him,” Jeannie suggested.
John smiled at her, “Not a bad idea. Look at what I ended up doing after talking to our esteemed leader.”
Jeannie laughed for a few seconds before falling into silence as the HUD sprung to life and they stared at the large mass of land.
“Wow,” Jeannie murmured as she stared at the readings.
John nodded and aimed the Jumper for a closer look.
*********************************************
Sha’re smiled as she watched the children in the nursery, they had two trained nursery nurses as well as several other volunteers who watched the children across the week allowing the parents to work without worry.
She would come here every few days just to watch them playing, sometimes to escape from all the decisions she had to make after Jack had placed her in charge but other times, like today to think about the children she had lost. Sha’re smiled slightly as she felt Daniel’s arms slide around her waist and a gentle kiss pressed to her cheek.
“Hey,” he murmured as he held her close while looking down on the nursery.
“I thought you were working on the database,” Sha’re said, not moving from the comfort of his arms.
Daniel chuckled slightly, “I thought we could have lunch together before the meeting this afternoon.”
Sha’re sighed, “I was waiting for John to return from his trip.”
“You finally let him go looking for land?” Daniel laughed, thinking back to John’s impassioned pleas over the week and then, when Sha’re continued to tell him no, whining.
Sha’re nodded, “He should be back soon.”
Daniel smiled and hugged her slightly tighter as they stood watching the games being played below them.
“They would be down there,” Sha’re suddenly whispered.
Daniel closed his eyes, finally understanding why she came here so often, “I know.”
She turned and buried her face against his chest as a few tears escaped her control. Daniel gently stroked her hair as he rocked her. They didn’t talk about the babies they’d lost very often but it gave Daniel an opening for something he’d been wanting to ask her since the implant had been removed.
“I know we’ve been being careful,” Daniel murmured to her, “But sometimes I think about what our child would be like.”
Sha’re stiffened slightly and Daniel continued on quickly.
“If you don’t want to try again that’s fine,” he told her, “You know I hate sharing you with anyone but...but...” Daniel hesitated as she looked up into his eyes, “I still want to have a family with you.”
Sha’re licked her lips, “I do not want to lose another child, Dan’iel. I never held Asti until he was dead and Lily,” she rested her hand on her stomach, “I never got to hold her. Do you understand?”
“Of course,” Daniel whispered, “It’s up to you.”
Sha’re sighed, “Thank you,” she stretched up and kissed him, “Let us just see what happens.”
-
“It’s huge,” John grinned as he stood in Sha’re’s small office practically bouncing being watched by Sha’re, Daniel and Jeannie, “And there is wildlife – a possible food source.”
“From what we could see there is a lot of room for starting some farms,” Jeannie took over, “There appears to be fresh water lakes as well that are well stocked with fish. This could be just what we need.”
“Are there any possible abandoned buildings?” Sha’re asked, hoping they wouldn’t have to start from scratch.
“We didn’t look that closely,” John admitted, “Just did a fly round and had a look at the coastline. We could be surfing soon.”
Daniel chuckled, receiving an annoyed glare from his wife.
“John, I know this turns you into what Janet calls a taxi-driver,” Sha’re started, “But I would like you to take a team over to the mainland. Unfortunately the few others who are able to fly cannot activate the Jumpers so until we can determine why and a way around it, you are our only pilot.”
“Sure,” John nodded, “But I’d prefer to do it after we’ve taken the Athosians home.”
Sha’re smiled, knowing how involved he’d become with the natives of the Pegasus galaxy, “Of course,” she smiled at them, “It is lunch time so go and get something to eat before our meeting this afternoon.”
“One more thing,” John caught her, “I think Ronon would be an asset to us and I thought maybe you could talk to him.”
Sha’re looked at him a little bemused, “Me?”
“Well I’ve done every persuasive argument on him I can,” John told her, “You can be very convincing when you want to be.”
“I’ll second that,” Daniel said softly, smiling innocently as his wife glared at him again.
Sha’re let out a huff of annoyance before nodding, “Fine. I shall speak with him even if I do not know what good it will do.”
*********************************************
Teyla sat on the balcony near the rooms her people were using for the moment, she had been overwhelmed when she realised that this was the city of the Ancestors. John had found her the first evening they had arrived here and told her the story of how they’d come to be here. She had not seen many of the Earthers other than the team that had come to Athos, the three doctors and their leader.
“Am I interrupting?” a voice made Teyla turn to where Laura Cadman stood.
“Of course not,” Teyla smiled at her, “Please, join me.”
Laura sat on the balcony smiling as the sun warmed her face, “It’s fantastic to be above ground again. To just sit in the sun.”
“John told me that your last base was an intricate network of tunnels,” Teyla stated, “It is an amazing story and something your people must take great pride in.”
Laura shook her head, “Only in the fact we’re alive, not that we had to run away. “
“That is something that binds us all,” Teyla noted with a sigh, “Having to run from things more powerful than we are is something my people know all too well.”
“Yeah,” Laura murmured.
“The one thing we can do is to hold onto the family and friends we have,” Teyla continued, “Because as long as we keep the ones we love then we have beaten them.”
Laura leaned back against the wall and mused over Teyla’s words. Maybe she needed to pay more attention to the people she had here and not the ones she’d left back on Earth.
-
“Your family are part of the Phoenix Community,” Sam said, softly and specifically, “I believe your sister is a teacher at the local school.”
Laura felt her throat tighten even more as she stared into the cell, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, she couldn’t believe that the rumours were true. And she couldn’t believe she was contemplating pretending that she hadn’t seen it.
“Make your choice,” Sam told her, “A man you don’t even know, who drove you crazy for the few hours you spent in his company or your family. Mother, father, sister. They are counting on you, Laura and they won’t understand what happened. Walk away and go back to work.”
Laura stared at the pathetic soul who was staring back at her, his blue eyes pleading for her to help him.
“Make your choice,” Sam said once more.
Laura whispered a silent sorry before she turned her back and walked away from the cell holding Rodney McKay.
-
Laura walked through the corridors of Atlantis thinking about her conversation with the Athosian leader. She was beginning to wonder about her motivations concerning Rodney and pulling back from him once they had removed the implant. Being together so much while he was incapacitated by the Andurians made Laura uncomfortable the moment he was free and that their relationship could change.
It still confused her that the man she had despised the first time she’d met him was now someone Laura would walk through fire for.
Rodney had changed since the day she’d helped pull him from that cell, all the time she spent sleeping at his side and keeping him sane had made her doubt herself so much.
Reaching the mess, Laura stopped in the doorway and watched where Rodney sat across from the woman who Laura had called a bimbo on more than a few occasions. Laura sighed and grabbed a sandwich before taking a seat in the corner to eat alone, unable to stop herself glancing over at them every few minutes.
-
“Rodney,” Katie laughed as she listened to his story, “You’re lying.”
“It’s all true,” Rodney insisted, “Jeannie was afraid of the water so I was trying to help. How was I to know we were standing on a sandbank?”
Katie nibbled on the last of her sandwich, smiling as she listened to him talk. She enjoyed his company, when they’d worked together several years ago he hadn’t noticed her at all and when she’d seen him back on Earth she had said hello just happy to see someone she recognised amongst so many strangers.
They met every morning for breakfast and when he could make it lunch, Katie was finally getting him to open up and talk about his life.
-
“What story are you telling, Mer?” Jeannie demanded as she took the seat beside her brother seeing Katie’s look of surprise.
“The dog in the sea,” Rodney murmured.
“Oh yeah,” Jeannie laughed, it was one of the few stories he told anyone when they were prying into his past, “I remember that.”
She smiled at her brother, promising not to reveal his secret before waving over John, Daniel and Sha’re as they walked past. The other three took a seat making Katie frown, but Rodney was relieved to have some other people there to take the pressure off Katie’s desire to know more about him. Lunch was peaceful, the table filled with meaningless chatter to pass the time. Jeannie glanced around and smiled as she saw that everyone in the mess, they had all lost a lot, they were all refugees from their home but everyone was relaxed. They’d taken this city as their home, safely away from those who had chased them down and taken their lives. Jeannie turned back to the discussion at the table, this was home.
********************************************
The conference room filled up quite quickly after lunch. Sha’re took her usual seat, still not used to being at the head of the table and in charge. Sha’re watched her husband as he spoke with John and Rodney, glancing round to see Jeannie slide in the doors with Ferretti at her side. Radek and the other council members were sitting talking amongst themselves. Sha’re checked her watch and smiled as Janet and Carson hurried in.
“Sorry we’re late,” Janet said as they both took their seats, “A few of the Athosian children had an accident and there were a lot of skinned knees. Not much different from working at the SGC mind you.”
A chuckle went around the room and Sha’re smiled, “Not a problem. Carson, you said that you had something for us?”
Carson nodded, trying to stifle a yawn, “Alright, I’ve been studying why the technology only responds to certain people within the population. Thanks to Jeannie I managed to find the area of the database that could help and...”
Everyone waited as Carson yawned again.
“Are we keeping you up?” Rodney asked, sarcasm filling his voice.
“Carson hasn’t actually slept in about thirty six hours,” Janet explained, frowning as Rodney and Radek both rolled their eyes.
“That’s their normal state,” Jeannie spoke up.
Sha’re coughed, “Can we return to the topic?”
“Of course,” Carson apologised, “Alright, to make this as short as possible, it’s a gene.”
“A gene?” Rodney leaned forward with interest.
“It’s a specific gene that means people like myself and John can interact with the systems easily,” Carson started before launching into his complete explanation.
“So,” Sha’re said as silence descended on the room, “You believe you can introduce this gene into those who do not have it?”
“And I have samples of everyone’s blood so I can test for it,” Carson told them, “I’ll have a definitive list of who had the gene and who doesn’t within a few hours.”
“Actually,” Sha’re said sharply, “It will be at least tomorrow before you start on it. Carson, you are exceedingly tired and I want you to get some rest.”
“But...”
“Dr Beckett, I will assign one of the newly trained guards to sit on you if you do not obey,” Sha’re told him sweetly but the iron in her voice made Carson sure she meant it.
He nodded and took his seat again.
“Once we have the list,” Sha’re took over, “John, you need to look over it and see who you can train to fly the Jumpers,” she looked around the room, “Is there anything else that people wish to discuss just now?”
Everyone glanced around to see if anyone was going to say something but no one spoke up. Sha’re smiled and stood, “Then we are finished.”
-
Janet walked with Carson through the corridors of Atlantis, making sure he actually went to his room before she returned to the infirmary. She checked on her patients, smiling as everyone was where they should be and resting.
“Well,” she walked over to the man who was staring at her, “Awake finally. How are you feeling?”
“Head’s sore,” he rasped, “Back is too.”
“I know,” Janet told him kindly as she injected some painkillers into his IV, “You were hurt quite badly a few weeks ago in the escape from the Colony. You don’t have to worry though, we’re all safe.”
“How?”
Janet smiled slightly at the mono-syllabic questioning, “This is Atlantis. The Andurians can’t find us here. We’re safe, so just relax and don’t worry about anything. I’ll come back in a while and check on you.”
With a final smile Janet headed onto her next patient not seeing the glare he gave her.
-
He watched the doctor walk away from him, the painkillers she’d given him had dulled what little pain he had left and he wanted to jump up and strangle her for daring to gloat about their terrorism against the peaceful beings who had made all their lives better. Sense prevailed however and he closed his eyes.
He knew what he had to do, but he had to bide his time. Soon, he’d start his plan and then he would deliver these traitors to Dr Carter. Soon.
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Cuckoo In The Nest
by LE McMurrayKapitel Bemerkung:
Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.Next chapter is in progress.
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