It was a normal day at Atlantis. Colonel Sheppard’s team was scheduled to return shortly and Dr. Weir was waiting anxiously. She had a surprise for the team that she couldn’t wait to give them. All of a sudden the gate activated and the shield went up.

“It’s Colonel Sheppard’s IDC ma’am,” someone said.

“Let them through,” she said, wondering why they were back early.

They strolled through the gate, Rodney and John bickering as usual. “Well, maybe if you hadn’t told them their religion was stupid, Rodney, they wouldn’t have kicked us out,” John was saying.

“I didn’t tell them it was stupid, I merely pointed out the fallacies in their faith,” Rodney shot back.

“Oh, big difference.”

“Are they always like this?” came a voice from next to Elizabeth. She jumped; she had forgotten that he was standing there.

“Dr. Jackson,” said McKay, turning away from Sheppard.
“What brings you here?”

“Ah, I just got in on the Daedalus. I was escorting a friend.”

“Oh, did we get new people, Elizabeth?”

“Yes. In fact that’s why I was waiting for you. I’d like you to come with me to meet your new team member.”

“I’m sorry, new team member?” said John. “Why do we need a new team member?”

“How about we discuss this on the way to the infirmary?” Elizabeth asked.

John nodded and the group headed away from the gate room. “Ok, so, why do we need someone new?”

“Well, as I’m sure you are all aware, none of you is exactly qualified to deal with anything archaeological. Not to mention the fact that between the four of you you only know a handful of Ancient.”

“Ok, so what,” said John. “This new guy is a specialist…”

“Girl,” murmured Daniel.

“I’m sorry?”

“Your new team member is a woman, not a man.”

“I meant guy in general. Anyway. I know nothing about her, what makes you think I’m going to let her on my team?”

“Excuse me?” said Elizabeth, part amused part angry.

“Elizabeth, he has a point,” said Rodney. “You made Ronon jump through all kinds of hoops before you’d let him join…”

“I didn’t mind.”

Rodney continued as if he hadn’t noticed the interruption. “Why are you so eager just to drop someone new into the mix?”

“I don't need any other reason other than that she is the close friend and protégée of Dr. Jackson.”

“Ok, that doesn't change the fact that we know nothing about her.” Rodney continued.

“She comes from a military family, she attended the Air Force Academy, but chose to pursue her doctorate rather than join the military. She got her PhD in archaeology and linguistics last year at the age of 27. She has been studying with Dr. Jackson for the past 5 years and is the foremost expert on Ancient next to Daniel himself. Isn’t that right Daniel?”

“Yep. I was training her to be my replacement at the SGC when I came to Atlantis, but things have come up, so she’s taking my place here instead.”

“She’s also a brilliant pilot, and she has the gene.”

“The Ancestor gene?” Teyla asked.

“Yes, and she’s got it very strong. Possibly stronger even than you John, and some interesting side effects to go with it.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” asked McKay. “What side effects?”

“Well, for starters, increased brain capacity. The doctors at the SGC theorized that the stronger the gene the more Ancient traits you inherit as well. Who knows what else she can do.”

Sheppard’s team was quiet for a moment, and then Rodney piped up again. “Is that all?”

“What more do you want Rodney? I’ve told you pretty much all that you need to know about her.”

“Oh, I don’t know. How about a name?”

Elizabeth smiled. “Well, we’re here now. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

They walked through the entrance to the infirmary and looked around. There were a few occupants in the beds, but the person they sought was the one being inspected by Dr. Keller.

“All right. You’re good to go,” she was saying.

The young woman hopped down from the bed and turned to the group. There was a look of shock on Sheppard’s face, as well as on the woman’s.

“Johnny?” she said in almost a whisper.

Before John could speak she had thrown herself at him, hugging him tightly. When she finally pulled away she was looking at him as if looking at a dead man, and she had tears in her eyes.

The others were all staring at them in curiosity.

John ignored them, staring at the woman in front of him. “Katie, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Hasn’t anybody told you? I’m joining your team.”

“You’re the person Elizabeth has been talking about?”

“One and the same.”

“But I don’t get it, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

She frowned at him. “Tell you how? Johnny you practically dropped off the face of the earth after that Afghanistan stuff.” She looked around. "Make that literally."

“Katie…”

“No. I understand why you did at first, but it’s been what 5, 6 years? I think that’s enough time to ignore your loved ones.”

“Katie it wasn’t like that. Paul…”

“I know all about it John, but I never took you for a pushover.”

“Now that’s not fair, he was…adamant.”

Kate glared at him.

John opened his mouth to say something further, but Rodney got there ahead of him. “I’m sorry to interrupt what is most likely a beautiful reunion. I wouldn’t know seeing as we have no idea who you are. Who are you?”

Kate looked at John. “You haven’t told them? Why haven’t you told them John? Or are you gonna blame this on Paul too?”

John looked uncomfortable. “It’s complicated Katie. Why bring up something that’s going to lead to questions that I’m uncomfortable answering?”

Rodney was looking more and more interested. “This should be good,” he whispered.

“Oh, so that’s how this is going to be?” Kate asked sharply.

“Katie, you know how it’s been. You know I love you.”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” McKay whispered.

“Shut up McKay,” John said. “Or I’ll shut you up.”

“Shutting up now.”

“Look, it just never came up, ok Katie?”

Kate was looking daggers. “Maybe I’ll just leave, if you don’t want me here.” She grabbed her jacket from off the bed and headed for the door.

“Katherine Marie Sheppard, you stop right there,” he yelled after her.

Kate froze in the doorway; the others froze too, glancing from John to Kate. She turned around, a smile on her face.

“Well, that’s one way to tell them. Maybe you should fill in the gaps, though, before—McKay is it?—before McKay’s imagination runs away from him.”

“Hey.”

“Oh come on John, stop looking at me like I’m a child.”

“Well maybe if you didn’t act like one all the time…”

Kate sighed. She turned from John to the small crowd standing apart from them. She extended a hand. “Hello, I’m Kate Sheppard. I’m John’s baby sister.”

“Ok Katie, what are you really doing here?” John asked his sister back in his room. He had finally managed to shake off the last of his friends—meaning Rodney—out in the hallway. Elizabeth had gone off to speak with Dr. Jackson before he left, and Ronon and Teyla had their usual sparring match, but Rodney was impossible to get rid of. His curiosity was a problem sometimes.

“What am I really doing here? There’s no ulterior motive here John. I’m here because I want to be.”

“Don’t you have any idea how dangerous it is here?”

“Well, if it’s not too dangerous for you…”

“Katie…”

“Don’t start with me. I don’t want to hear it. I’m not a child anymore; I can take care of myself. And you need me here.”

John sighed. “Fine.”

“Fine? You’re just gonna let it drop?”

“Well, I don’t really have a choice now do I?”

Kate laughed. “No, you don’t.”

John sighed again. “So, what’s been going on in your life? How’s mom?”

“Mom’s good. She’s still in love with Paul for no reason that I can see.”

“Is Paul the reason you didn’t join the Air Force?”

“Yeah. You know I was only going to because of you and dad, but Paul was just getting irritating. When that thing happened with you he lost it, said that you should have been court-martialed, that they had gone easy on you. Every day he would rail against you, it was just too much. Finally I just couldn’t take it anymore. I blew up at him, told him that he could never hope to be half the soldier you are. I’m sure I said some other choice words to him and then I stormed away. I haven’t really spoken to him since. I try to talk to mom as much as I can, but I just can’t stand that guy.”

John was laughing. “I would have loved to be there to see you yell at him.”

“It was liberating.”

“I bet. So, working at the SGC with Dr. Jackson, how long’s that been going on?”

“Um…5 or so years now, but I didn’t start working with Dr. Jackson until 3 years ago, when he started training me as his replacement. Although, I didn’t know at the time that’s what he was doing. But then he couldn’t come here and I was already set up to have this kind of position, so here I am.”

“I really am happy to see you Katie.”

“I know. And if I were in your position I’d be worried too. I’ve read all about the Wraith, I don’t ever want to see one, but I think that I can handle myself if I do.”

“I’m sure you can.”

Kate walked over to her brother and gave him another hug. “I’m really glad that you’re here. I really missed you.”

John laughed again and hugged her back.

“So,” said Kate, stepping back, “can I get the tour, or do I have to ask McKay, who’s probably standing outside the door?”

There was a shuffling sound from the other side of the door as Rodney ran away, and Sheppard laughed.

“I can show you around. And if you’d like you can have a go flying one of the puddle jumpers.”

Kate’s face lit up with glee. “I like flying things.”

“Well then, after you.”

Sheppard’s team welcomed Kate as if she had always been a part. Teyla was beyond thrilled to have another female on the team, even if she showed it in her usual stoic way. Kate had a very boyish sense of humor and hit it off with Ronon almost instantly; even Rodney liked her, though he hid it very well. All in all she integrated very nicely, much to the pleasure of John and Elizabeth.

A week after Kate joined SGA-1 Elizabeth called John into her office.

“I’ve decided that it’s time you guys went on a mission. I’m sure you’ve been enjoying your down time, but I feel convinced that Kate has adjusted well and is ready to go on a mission.”

John smiled. “I thought you’d never give us the go ahead. She’s been bugging me like crazy to go on a mission.”

“Well, now’s her chance, you’ll be heading to M5R-279.”

“Didn’t Lorne’s team already go there?”

“Yes, but they detected some readings that should interest McKay, and there’s an unknown form of writing in the cave that the readings are coming from.”

“Well all right then, sounds like fun,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.

She smiled at him. “I know it’s not your kind of adventure, but I’m sure you’ll find something to keep yourself occupied. Pick on Rodney, you always enjoy that.”

“Oh, you know me so well.”

---

Roughly thirty minutes later Sheppard’s team was ready to go. Kate and John had gotten into an argument about weapons. Kate wanted a P-90 but John seemed to think it was unnecessary; naturally Kate assumed it was because she was his baby sister, and things got a little out of control. It took them 15 minutes to stop arguing in hushed tones, as if no one knew what they were doing.

“Have fun,” Elizabeth said to them with a hint of amusement.

John looked grudgingly at his sister as she clipped her P-90 to her vest. He never won fights between the two of them, and this wasn’t exactly how he wanted to start her first mission. He shrugged off his tension and stepped through the gate.

Kate walked up to the shimmering blue surface and touched it. It was an odd sensation, cool ant wet, and at the same time not. She took a deep breath and stepped forward into the unknown. It was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced. It felt like eternity was stretching out before her and she spent the rest of her days zipping around space, and then at the same time it was only seconds before she was stepping through the other side to a place that looked like it could fit anywhere in middle America. There were plenty of deciduous trees, shrubs, and grass that pretty green color that meant it got lots of rain.

John looked up as the gate closed behind Kate and she just stood there. “Was that your fist time?” he asked with a smile.

She nodded. “I—” she started but her voice faltered. She cleared her throat and started again. “I hadn’t ever gotten a chance to go through when I got this assignment, then I came here on the Daedalus, which was an amazing experience all by itself, but this…”

“Yeah, it sometimes has that effect on people.”

“You think?”

He laughed. “Come on, there’s more fun to be had. Right Rodney?” he yelled to McKay, who was a ways ahead of them.

“The readings are coming from this direction,” he said, and headed off to the right.

“See? He’s so excited he can barely contain himself.”

Kate laughed and walked off in the direction Rodney was heading. They followed the readings back a trail to the mountain range. Rodney was standing at the entrance to a cave when they caught up with him.

“Well, the energy readings are definitely coming from in there. They’re very unusual also. They seem like Ancient energy outputs, but something’s not right.”

“Well, let’s find out,” said Kate, and she brushed past him and into the cave.

“Katie!” John ducked in after her. “God only knows what could have been in here, never just stroll into a place; you always have to look around.”

“Oh please, John. If there was anything dangerous here Major Lorne’s team would have told us.”

“That doesn’t mean that something couldn’t have come in here since then.”

She glared at him. “Fine, sorry. Can we work now?”

“Fine. You and McKay poke around, do your nerdy stuff. Ronon and I are going to look around. Teyla, keep an eye on them.”

Teyla smiled slyly, but didn’t say anything. John took one last look at his sister, then stepped out of the cave, mumbling under his breath.

Kate smiled, then turned back to the cave wall. It was truly intriguing. She recognized the writing as some form of Ancient, but there was something different about it. She moved along the wall, following the writing back to where it all seemed to flow out from. At the very back of the cave wall there was a section of very heavy writing. McKay had been circling the room the other way, following the readings and ended up in the same place.

“There’s something here,” they both said at the same time, then looked at each other.

“The readings are the strongest right here,” said Rodney.

“That makes sense, these markings seem to indicate something of importance here, but it’s difficult to decipher what it means. This writing is unlike any Ancient I’ve seen before. And yet, there’s something strangely familiar about it.”

“Like how the energy seems to be Ancient, and yet also seems not to be?”

She nodded. “I just can’t figure out where…” she trailed off as her eyes fixed on a specific part of the writing.

“Dr. Sheppard?” Rodney said.

“…where I’ve seen this before.” She gave a little laugh.

“What is it?”

“This isn’t possible, it can’t be possible,” she whispered.

“What can’t be possible?” Rodney asked, frustration seeping into his voice. He wasn’t used to people other than himself being this cryptic.

Kate reached out her hand to touch the wall, and found nothing. Her hand went right through the wall with enough momentum to throw her off balance. She had enough time to grab Rodney’s vest in an effort to steady herself before both of them fell through the wall into blackness.

Kate’s first thought was of the pain that she was in; the second was of the room she was in. She managed to haul herself into a sitting position and look around. She and Rodney were lying on the cold hard ground in a chamber that was filled with an eerie light, and no visible way of generating it. She shifted so that she was closer to Rodney and rolled him onto his back. She couldn’t tell where they had come in from, but judging from the pain she was in, and the fact that Rodney was still unconscious, she was fairly certain they had fallen quite a ways.

“McKay,” she said, shaking him a little. “Rodney, come on, wake up.” She shook him a little harder and he grunted.

“Where are we?” he mumbled.

“Still trying to figure that one out,” she said, helping him sit up.

“I remember falling through a cave wall, did that actually happen?”

She smiled. “Yeah, we fell through the wall; the question now is how do we get back out?”

She slowly stood up, then reached out her hand to help Rodney. She was just pulling him to his feet when her radio went off.

“McKay, Katie, come in,” said John’s voice.

She tapped her radio on. “John?”

“Oh thank God,” he said. “We’ve been trying to get a hold of you for about 20 minutes.”

She and Rodney exchanged a look. “I didn’t realize we’d been out for that long.”

“What happened?”

“Your sister decided it would be fun to see if she could break her neck on her first mission, not to mention mine,” said Rodney.

Kate let go of Rodney and he stumbled. “Fine, be that way,” she said to him. To her brother she said, “We found an entrance in the wall that we weren’t expecting. It’s right in the back of the cave.”

There was a pause and then a rock came plummeting down from somewhere above them, nearly hitting them.

“Hey! What are you trying to do, kill us?” McKay said.

“Just checking.”

“For what? We already know things can go through the wall.”

“But can they go back?” Kate mumbled. She looked around on the ground for the stone that had landed near her feet. She found it and threw it up at the area she guessed they had come from. Some twenty feet or so above them the rock disappeared into the wall.

“Ow!” came John’s voice over the radio.

Kate laughed. “That’s what you get for chucking it at us in the first place.”

“So,” he said, a little irritated, “things can pass both ways, why don’t you just step through?”

“Ah, if only it were that easy,” said Rodney. “But when are our lives ever easy?”

“What Rodney is trying to say,” she said exasperatedly, “is that the entrance is about twenty feet above us, there’s no way we can get up there.”

There was a pause.

“Ok, hang tight. We’ll figure something out.”

“Will do,” said Kate, then tapped her radio off. “Well, what now?” she asked Rodney.

“What were you going to say before we fell through solid rock?”

“Hmm?”

“You were going to say where you had seen that writing before. Something that wasn’t possible?” Rodney asked with a groan as he stood up straighter.

“Ah yes. Well, I think that the writing was a hybrid language.”

“A hybrid? Of what?”

“Ancient…and Goa’uld.”

Rodney looked dumbstruck. “You’re kidding, right?”

She shook her head.

“But that’s not possible, is it? There can’t possibly be Goa’uld in Pegasus; we don’t need any more enemies.”

“I don’t know what to tell you McKay, it just is.”

She glanced around the chamber again and realized that the walls were covered with the same writing.

“Well, while we’re down here I can at least try to figure out what some of this says.” She moved over to an area of the wall that was beneath the entrance. “Maybe there’s something here that can help us get out.”

“I’m sorry; I’m still back on Goa’uld in this galaxy. How would they even have found it? And why would this writing be a mix of their language and Ancient?”

“I don’t know, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. Maybe you should be trying to find the source of the energy readings.”

He looked at her confusedly.

She sighed. “You know, for a genius you’re kinda dumb. You said the readings were the strongest behind the wall, well look around, we’re behind the wall.”

“Well excuse me for being a little preoccupied with the imminent threat of death,” Rodney said shooting her a dirty look. When she didn’t respond he sighed, bending down to pick up his amazingly undamaged tablet and marching off in search of the power source. They searched for their respective quarries for several minutes before either of them found anything. Rodney was just starting to make frustrated noises when Kate found what she had been looking for.

“McKay, come here.”

He grumbled about being ordered around but he came. “What?”

“I found a way out.”

“Really, how?”

“This part here,” she indicated a patch of writing on the wall, “is like a lock. If you press the symbols in the right order I believe a way out will open up.”

“Huh.” Rodney looked down at his screen. “There are some readings coming from here, whatever it is obviously requires some energy output. Well, shall we give it a try?”

Kate nodded and reached out. “Here’s hoping we don’t fall through the wall this time.”

Rodney gave her a dirty look, but she ignored him and concentrated on the symbols. She pressed them and then stepped back, but nothing happened.

“Nothing happened,” said Rodney.

“I noticed,” she retorted.

He opened his mouth to say something scathing when the ground began to rumble.

“Ok, something’s happening now.”

“You think?” she said, stepping away from the wall.

A staircase folded out of the wall leading up to the place where they had come through, which was now open. But that wasn’t the only thing happening. Walls were going up all around the chamber, opening up more chambers and rooms, full of what was clearly Ancient technology.

“I guess we found the source of the readings,” shouted Rodney over the rumbling, but Kate wasn’t listening. A wall had come up opposite the staircase that revealed an interesting find.

“McKay,” she said, poking his arm. “You might want to take a look at this.”

He turned around and gasped.

“Hey!” came John’s voice from up above. “You guys ok down there?”

“You should come down here Sheppard,” said McKay.

“Way ahead of you.” His voice was closer and they turned to see him descending the stairs, with Ronon and Teyla close behind. He stopped as his eyes fell on the chamber across from the stairs. “Is that what I think it is?”

“If you think it’s an Ancient stasis chamber, then yes, that’s what it is.”

They moved closer to it, so that they could clearly see the man inside.

“So that’s…”

“Most likely an Ancient,” Rodney finished.

“Not necessarily,” Kate said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” John asked.

But she didn’t get a chance to answer before the question answered itself. The cover of the chamber slid open and the man opened his eyes, his yellow glowing eyes.

Sheppard didn’t even flinch, in one fluid movement he pushed his sister away from the Goa’uld and raised his gun.

“John no!” she shouted.

The man in the chamber looked around at them and then his eyes rolled up and he fell forward. Kate ducked past her brother and caught him, easing him to the ground. She checked for a pulse before turning to look at John, who still had his weapon raised.

“John please, put your weapon down; he’s not going to hurt us.”

“He’s a Goa’uld Katie; of course he’ll hurt us.”

She stood up, blocking the man from John. “First of all, he’s unconscious.” She reached out and pushed John’s gun down. “Second of all, he has no means to hurt us. He has no hand device, no weapons, and he’s probably thousands of thousands of years old. Don’t you want to know why he’s here? I know I do. I didn’t think the Ancients and the Goa’uld coexisted.”

“Fine,” John conceded. “But I don’t want anyone alone with him.”

“Fine.” She looked around and saw a shelf that looked like it could be used as a bed. “Could someone help me move him?”

They all looked at her.

“He’s unconscious, it’ll be ok.”

John shrugged uncomfortably. “Fine, Ronon?”

The two of them picked up the unconscious Goa’uld and lifted him onto the shelf.

“All right, good. Now, I’m gonna have a look around at these machines, Dr. McKay will you assist me so that I know what I’m looking at?”

“What makes you think I’ll know what they are?”

She shot him a look.

“Fine, I’m coming,” he mumbled. “She’s just like you,” he shot at Sheppard. “And not in a good way.”

John smiled in spite of himself as McKay trudged after Kate, but his humor was cut off when he looked back at the man next to him. This was going to end badly, he could just feel it. He had only ever dealt with a Goa’uld once, and it had almost destroyed Atlantis. He wasn’t looking forward to what this one had up his sleeve, but he trusted his sister, so he was willing to wait and see.

It took about forty minutes for the man to regain consciousness and by then Kate and Rodney had found an information console and started translating it.

“His name is Adrianus,” she said, scrolling through the screen. “This is truly fascinating. It seems he and several other Ancients composed a team of researchers looking into…something. This word is unfamiliar to me, but I think it was important. He and the others seemed to be on their way to Atlantis from…again an unfamiliar word, but they were attacked by the Wraith and their ship went down here. They set up shop here to continue their work while they waited for rescue.”

“But rescue never came?”

“Doesn’t look like it. And it looks like he’s the only survivor. I’m guessing from what I can translate that he crashed here about the same time as the Lanteans were abandoning the Pegasus galaxy.”

“I’d like to know what it was that was so important,” said John.

The man behind him groaned and shifted. Kate darted over and got to his side before John could stop her. She helped him into a sitting position, despite John’s protests. The man looked around in confusion.

“Hello, my name is Kate Sheppard, and you’re Adrianus, aren’t you?”

He took a wheezy breath. “I am, but you are not Alteran. Who are you?” He spoke in a non-echoing voice, albeit a strained and wheezy one.

“We’re from Earth,” she said.

Adrianus looked at her in amazement. “From Earth?”

“Yes, but we live in Atlantis.”

This seemed to confuse him even more.

“About the time that you and the others crashed on this planet the Lanteans were evacuating the city, back to Earth.”

“I was afraid they would do that. I tried so hard to make it in time, tried so hard…” he trailed off into a hacking cough. He coughed so hard he fell forward, but was caught by Kate, who eased him back onto the shelf.

“You should rest, you’re not well.”

“Silly girl,” he said. “I’m dying. I was dying when I went into that thing, I only did it to make sure that someone would find me and I could pass on the information. How much time has passed since my people abandoned the city?”

John made a noise at the phrase “my people” but Kate silenced him with a look. She turned back to Adrianus with a sad look. “Nearly 10,000 years,” she said.

He sighed. “Then it was all for nothing. The Wraith won.”

“No they didn’t,” said John; he couldn’t help himself; “we’re still fighting them. If you have anything that could help us that would be great.”

Adrianus coughed again, worse than before. “There’s so much to say and so little time. I fear that this body will not last that long.”

John gave him a dirty look, which he didn’t see.

“Are you saying that…I’m sorry, I don’t really know whether I’m talking to the host or the symbiote?” asked Kate.

He smiled. “A valid question. You are speaking now to the…symbiote you called me?”

She nodded.

“I am afraid that the host slipped into a coma some time before I entered the chamber.”

“Well, how much time do you think you have?”

He looked her in the eye.

“That bad huh?”

He nodded.

Kate thought very quickly. She knew what she had to do, but that didn’t mean that she necessarily wanted to do it, and she would only get one shot.

“Hey John,” she said, turning to him. “Could you grab me that water over there?” The water was close enough that John wouldn’t be leaving them alone, but far enough away that he might not get there in time if Adrianus decided to try anything. “It’ll be fine John, I promise.”

John gave her a questioning look, but obliged. As soon as he started walking away Kate acted. She leaned up to Adrianus and kissed him, or so it seemed.

“Sheppard!” Ronon yelled.

John turned to see his sister locked at the face to the Goa’uld.

“Katie!” he yelled, pulling up his gun, but he was too late.

Kate fell back from Adrianus and the man crumpled, lifeless. There was blood dripping from her mouth.

“No, dammit!” Sheppard yelled, racing to her side.

“Sorry John,” she mumbled before her eyes flashed and she passed out.

John burst through the gate at a run with Kate in his arms.

“John, what’s going on?” Elizabeth asked, coming down the steps to meet them.

John ignored her and, placing his sister gently on the waiting stretcher, issued a series of commands to the medic. “Set up a level 3 quarantine, with armed guards at the door. Tell Dr. Keller that roughly 20 minutes ago a Goa’uld parasite took her over.”

“What!?” interjected Elizabeth, but John kept going.

“A few minutes later her heart rate slowed and her breathing became shallow. Got that?”

They nodded.

“Then go.”

“John, what the hell is going on?” Elizabeth asked as soon as the medics had left.

“We found a secret Ancient research chamber. There was an Ancient there, who happened to be a Goa’uld host.”

“What? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. I wanted to kill him right at the start, but Katie wouldn’t let me. She seemed to think he was good.”

“But clearly he wasn’t if he took your sister as a host.”

John gave a cold, emotionless laugh. “No, she did this to herself.”

Elizabeth looked astonished.

“The man was dying and didn’t have time to tell us what he wanted to tell us. So she tricked me. She got me to move away, then allowed herself to be taken over.”

“But why would she do that?”

“I told you, she believes he’s good, and that he has valuable information that we couldn’t pass up.”

“This is bad John. The last time we had a Goa’uld in the city…”

“I know. But I didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s ok, I understand. Go on, I’ll get more information out of Rodney.”

John gave her a questioning look. “You sure?”

She nodded. “Go see to Katie.”

He gave her a grateful look and then raced after the medics. He got to the infirmary as they were transferring her from the gurney to a bed; Keller was issuing commands. As John walked through the door a flat beep met his ears.

“Katie!” he yelled, lunging forward.

“Get him out of here!” Keller shouted as she wheeled in the crash cart.

The marines stepped forward and attempted to bustle him out of the infirmary, but he ducked them and ran back into the room.

“Clear!” Keller said, before giving Kate a jolt from the paddles. “I said get him out of here!” For John had made another move for his sister.

He suddenly felt huge arms around him and twisted to see Ronon pulling him out of the room. He tried to get away but was no match for the bigger man. Ronon set John down outside the infirmary, but stayed close enough to him to prevent him from going anywhere. John thought for a moment before pulling out his firearm and pointing it at his friend.

“I will shoot you Ronon.”

“Good thing we’re next to the infirmary.”

“Damn it!” John said, pointing his gun a little closer. “Don’t make me do it.”

“Let the doctor’s do their jobs, Sheppard. They can’t save your sister with you interfering.

John’s finger was just inching toward the trigger when Dr. Keller stepped into the hallway. He took a step toward her and faltered. He didn’t know if he wanted to know what she had to say.

“She’s fine,” said Keller.

John sagged, catching the wall for support and easing himself onto the ground.

“We’ve stabilized her, but we were unable to remove the symbiote, not without killing her.”

“So what does that mean?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to wait until she wakes up. Which could be anytime.”

“Can I see her?”

Keller nodded. “She probably won’t know you’re there, but you can go ahead.”

John nodded and got up off the floor. “Thank you,” he said.

“No need to thank me, Colonel, it’s my job.”

He nodded again, then went into the infirmary. Ronon made to follow him, but Dr. Keller stopped him.

“She’s not out of the woods yet,” she said. “And if the time comes that her condition declines, I’m going to need you to keep him out of the way. Can you do that?”

Ronon nodded. “Do you really think that’ll be necessary?”

She glanced into the room, taking in Sheppard sitting by his sister’s side, holding her hand. Keller nodded. “Yes, I really do.”

After that John never left the infirmary; he wasn’t going to leave his sister’s side until he knew she was ok. Ronon kept him company, and although John knew the real reason his friend was there, he didn’t care. Elizabeth postponed their missions, not only because of Kate and John, but to give Rodney the time to collect the immense amounts of data from Adrainus’ lab. When the rest of his team wasn’t off world they came by the infirmary, so John was never alone. One day, almost a week after the Goa’uld took Kate over and when Ronon was out, Major Lorne dropped by.

“Hello Major,” said John as he got up from his seat next to Kate’s bed.

“Colonel.” Lorne looked uncomfortable. “Just came by to see how she’s doing…how you’re doing sir.”

John restlessly ran his fingers through his hair. “There hasn’t been any change. Thankfully she hasn’t gotten worse, but she also hasn’t gotten better.”

Lorne nodded. John noted the concern on the Major’s face.

“Did you get a chance to meet my sister, Major?”

Lorne shifted. “Not here sir, no. But I met Kate back at the SGC when we were both working there. She was, I mean is a good friend, sir.”

John smiled. Lorne was a good person, a good soldier, he was glad that Kate had befriended him. “Well, I’ll make sure you know if there’s any change.”

“Thank you sir.” He looked like he was going to say more, then seemed to think better of it. He nodded then left, nearly bumping into Ronon, who was just entering.

“Hello Ronon,” said John, turning his back on the man and taking his seat. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”

Ronon stepped into John’s line of vision and sank into the chair opposite him. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

John couldn’t help but smile. He knew Ronon was there to babysit him, but he was getting to enjoy the man’s company.

“So what kept you?”

Ronon shrugged. “McKay couldn’t be dragged away from that place.”

John nodded. “Well, when Rodney gets attached to something…but why did you go? I thought Lorne was in charge of that.”

“He asked Dr. Weir for some time, so I went instead. That place gives me the creeps Sheppard. Thinking about having a snake in my head…” he broke off and shuddered slightly, which for him was unusual.

“Well, there was only one that we know of, so I don’t think you have to worry.”

“I didn’t say I was worried.”

John smiled again. “Of course not.”

They sat for several moments in silence, just taking everything in. This was normal for them, a distinct lack of conversation, and yet John couldn’t help but feel awkward this time. He shifted in his chair and opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by Elizabeth’s entrance.

“Hello John,” she said. “How are you doing?”

He shrugged as he got to his feet.

“Do you feel up to a quick walk?”

He glanced anxiously down at Kate.

“We won’t go far,” she said with a smile.

John nodded and followed her out into the hallway. “What’s up?” he asked, assuming it had something to do with his team.

“It occurred to me that you’ve never talked about your sister, and I wondered why that was. And then, with this happening, you must want to talk.”

John didn’t know what to say. He felt an intense urge to hug her, but felt that would only lead to awkwardness. Instead, he cleared his throat and began to talk.

“I was almost eleven when Katie was born. Naturally I wasn’t too pleased. My mother was a nurse with the Air Force, my father a General, so most of Katie’s care fell on me; they hated the idea of us being raised by a nanny, so I got the job. Then, when she was two our father died. It was rough; my mom had to work extra long hours and more than ever before I became Katie’s guardian. I took care of her for ten ears, almost more of a father than a brother. I put off going to college so that I could take care of them. And then, almost out of nowhere my mother was in love and getting married. Paul’s things were barely moved in before he shipped me off to the Academy. He rarely let me come home, I was a disappointment. He said I lacked initiative, and he didn’t like the choices I made in my personal life.” He grimaced, but continued before Elizabeth could probe any further. He didn’t like talking about his ex-wife.

“Then there was that whole thing in Afghanistan. After that I was completely cut off. Paul wouldn’t let me anywhere near my sister, wouldn’t let me see her, talk to her. It was horrible. That was the main reason I chose to be stationed in Antarctica. If I couldn’t see the most important person in my life, then I really didn’t care anymore.

“Nonetheless it was hard to take this assignment. The middle of nowhere on Earth was one thing, the middle of nowhere in another galaxy…But in the end, when Paul stonewalled me again I decided to come here. Katie was doing well at the Academy; she didn’t need my black mark hindering her.”

“Is that how she felt?” asked Elizabeth. She had remained quiet for all of John’s speech, but she could tell that he wasn’t going to continue without some prodding.

“I wouldn’t know, I couldn’t talk to her,” he said sarcastically.

“My point John is that your sister probably didn’t feel the same way as your step-father. In fact, I’m certain she didn’t. I had a chance to talk to her, before this unfortunate ordeal, and she told me her side of the story. Trust me; she doesn’t hold anything against you.”

“I should have been there for her despite Paul’s objections. I should have been the family she needed, but I guess I was too scared that after all that she didn’t want me to be, didn’t need me to be.”

To John’s surprise, Elizabeth hugged him. “She needs you now,” she said, pulling away. “Whatever your problem’s in the past she’s here now and you can start over.”

They had made a small circuit around the hall and were now standing back outside the infirmary. They walked through the door and John stopped dead at the sight that met him. Dr. Keller and her team were gathered around Kate’s bed and Ronon was standing off to the side. John’s heart seemed to have leapt into his throat, but then he heard the familiar “beep beep” of the heart monitor. It calmed him down, even if it was a slower beep than before.

He stepped forward but Ronon stopped him from going any further. He didn’t say anything he just gave John a look, and with a sigh John complied. They stood there for several moments as Dr. Keller issued commands in a concerned voice. And then it happened.

“Beeeeeeeeeeeep.”

John’s heart seemed to stop with his sister’s. He lunged forward, knowing that Ronon would stop him, but having to try. If John had been at all lucid he would have noticed that Ronon wasn’t bustling him out of the room, just holding him there. John fought with everything he had to get away from the bigger man, but it was no use.

To John it seemed that the whole world slowed down, and all he could hear was that cold, flat beep. If it would just go back to the way it was everything would be ok, the world would be right again.

Elizabeth watched the scene with tears welling up in her eyes. She prayed that Kate would come back, come back for John’s sake, because she didn’t think that the man could survive getting her back just to lose her.

Dr. Keller paused in her attempts to resuscitate Kate and looked at the clock. With a sigh she switched off the monitor. “Time of death, 3:14 pm,” she said.

A sound unlike any Elizabeth had every heard from her second-in-command escaped him and he fell to the floor, Ronon letting go of him. She sank down next to him and pulled him into her arms, letting him sob into her shoulder.

They heard a gasp and looked up to see Kate sitting bolt upright in the bed, breathing heavily and looking around in confusion.

“Katie?” John asked in astonishment, not able to move from his position on the floor.

“Johnny?” she said, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed back onto her pillows.

John moved lightning fast, getting to her side right as Keller switched on the heart monitor to reveal the steady “beep beep” of normal heart rhythm. John took his sister’s hand in his and bent over her, shaking from silent sobs.

“What just happened?” Ronon asked as Elizabeth got to her feet.

“I could be mistaken, but I think the Goa’uld just sacrificed itself for her.”

Ronon looked at her in surprise. “I thought those things were evil, why would it do that?”

“That,” she sighed, “is an excellent question.”

John made sure his sister was sleeping comfortably before stepping into the other room with Elizabeth and Dr. Keller.

“Someone wanna tell me what just happened in there?”

“I don’t know Colonel,” said Dr. Keller. “But the symbiote is gone. I can only guess that it sacrificed itself to save her.”

“They can do that?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Yes. A similar thing happened to Col. Carter several years ago.”

“Really?” he asked, stunned.

“Yes. You do know about the Tok’ra, right?”

“Well, yeah. Are you saying that you think this one, Adrianus, was a Tok’ra?”

“I believe that this one probably predated the Tok’ra, but it’s possible that he also predated the kind of Goa’uld that we know now.”

“Sheppard!” yelled Ronon from the other room.

John and the two doctors entered to find Kate struggling with Ronon to get out of the infirmary, and she was putting up quite a fight.

“Let her go, Ronon,” he ordered.

The other man looked at him bemused.

“I want to know where she needs to get to so desperately. We can follow her,” he added, grabbing a Wraith stunner from one of the nearby marines.

Ronon shrugged, but complied, and Kate immediately took off. John and Ronon exchanged a look before trailing after her. She headed straight to Rodney’s lab, where he was sitting mulling over the data from Adrianus’ lab.

“Hey!” Rodney shouted as Kate brushed him out of the way and grabbed his lap top. He grabbed hold of it, and engaged in a childish tug-of-war with her.

“Rodney!” came a disapproving voice from behind them. John turned to see that Elizabeth had followed. “Give her the laptop.”

“But it’s mine,” he whined.

Elizabeth just glared at him over her crossed arms.

“Fine,” Rodney said huffily, letting go of the laptop.

Kate tucked it under her arm and grabbed several data disks from the table.

“Elizabeth…” McKay started.

“Rodney, don’t start with me.”

Rodney grumbled under his breath, but didn’t say anything else.

Kate glanced around the lab again, checking to see if she needed anything, then turned and left. She led them through countless corridors, down numerous stairwells, and used several transporters. When she finally halted, they were in a part of the city far far away from the control tower, a part that they hadn’t even begun to explore yet. Kate looked around before entering a lab. Once inside she went straight to one of the consoles, turning it on and hooking up the laptop.

“Katie?” said John warily, inching toward her.

“I’m not crazy John,” she said without looking up.

He sighed in relief. “Well you’re sure acting like it. Why didn’t you just ask Rodney for his laptop?”

Kate looked back at them with a sly smile. “I knew he’d never give it to me if I asked nicely.”

“Hey,” said Rodney as John laughed.

“I needed it, and I didn’t really want to argue with him,” she said turning back to console.

“What exactly are you looking for?”

“That,” she said with satisfaction as she brought up a diagram of a galaxy.

“That’s not this galaxy,” said Rodney, stepping forward, intrigued.

“No, and it’s not the Milky Way,” she said.

“It’s…Andromeda?” Rodney asked.

Kate nodded, turning back to the console and fiddling with it so that the image zoomed in on a specific solar system and a specific planet.

“What’s that?” asked Rodney as gate symbols appeared.

“That,” she said with a smile, turning back to them, “is the location of Praesidium, the other lost city of the Ancients.”