'Come on, come on' John said anxiously resting a body on the ground carefully, he had carried her at speed for the past three hours to the gate. When he was sure he had laid her down gently, he stood and dialled the gate back to Atlantis, then sent the IDC code through before carefully retreating her unconscious body and proceeding through the gate.
'Dial the gate, we need to go back.' Rodney yelled at the Sergeant in control of the dialling device, he was in full gear and stood in the middle of the Gate room with Ronan.
'Dialling.' The Sergeant replied and began the sequence. 'Aborting sequence, incoming wormhole.' He stated as the gate began to dial in. 'It's Colonel Sheppard's IDC. Dropping the Shield.'
They watched as the gate opened and moments later John stepped through the gate, he was dressed in a cloak and clothes that looked as though they had been worn constantly for many years. He dropped to his knees and placed the unconscious woman on the ground in front of him, she was dressed as he was in worn clothes. He reached forward and pushed the cloaks hood back from her face. Old cuts and bruises where evident on her face, but she look very much the same as she had three hours previous when she stepped through the gate.
'Elizabeth!' Rodney exclaimed.
'I don't understand. They show signs of being gone for over a year, yet they've only been gone three hours. You and Ronan have been gone for two and a half hours, which means they where only gone for half an hour... so how do they show signs for a year?' Carson was trying to understand the data he had found in examining John and the unconscious Elizabeth.
'You're sure about the year thing?' Rodney asked.
'Their whole body shows it. Their DNA has aged, and that's not the only thing I found. Elizabeth's pregnant.'
'She's pregnant? How can she be pregnant? How far?'
'About a month. I need to speak with them before I can get any more information, but all the medical data shows they've aged a year, and it must have happened on that planet. I'm going to speak with Colonel Sheppard. I'll come find you when I have more details.' Carson said getting up from the table and heading out of the room.
'Colonel, Colonel,' Carson was attempting to get John to a reasonable state so he could talk to him, it wasn't easy as John has returned completely exhausted. 'I need to ask questions about what happened, Colonel, can you tell me how long you were there?'
'Over a year. Elizabeth was keeping track.' He answered groggily.
'What happened to Elizabeth?'
'They tried to kill her because she broke the rules.' John said closing his eyes and taking a deep breathe. 'You're not aloud to have a child without getting the councils permission. She's pregnant. I had to get her out before they killed her, but it was six days to the gate.'
'According to Rodney, there were no settlements on the planet, you dialled the gate to return with them, but never followed through the gate. What happened?'
'The Gate shut down after the others went through. I redialled but got a busy signal. I don't remember how we ended up in the city.' John struggled to think of what happened.
'Okay,' Carson stopped him, seeing him struggling 'one last question and you can go back to sleep. Who does the baby belong to?'
'Me.'
'Why did I know you would say that?'
'It was six days to the gate over dangerous mountain rangers, we gave in after a few months of trying. Decided to settle in, it was only the need to get her back here to you that got me to the gate. I couldn't...' he trailed off feeling more tiered than ever. 'Is she....'
'She's fine Colonel, get some rest.'
'I've taken DNA samples from them both and the baby, just to make sure the people on the planet didn't do anything to either of them. The baby defiantly belongs to Colonel Sheppard. I wrote everything in my report. I can't see that anything has changed about them other than the year that has past and their... how should I say... personalities towards each other.' Carson said handing his report to the rest of Colonel Sheppard's team and a few select people.
'I don't understand.' Teyla said looking around at the other members of the team. 'You said you were only gone for 3 hours.' She addressed Rodney for confirmation.
'We were.' Rodney replied before explaining 'We stepped through the gate... there was nothing but trees, we walked a little way in, found nothing, no traces of life or anything else, so we went back to the gate....'
'The Colonel dialled,' Ronan took over 'Ordered McKay and myself to go through first. We stepped through the gate shut down and we tried to redial, but Colonel Sheppard dialled in first.'
'Colonel Sheppard told me that after Rodney and Ronan stepped through the gate it shut down and he couldn't redial. After that, he doesn't remember anything. I still haven't been able to ask Elizabeth if she remembers anything. I'll have to wait until she wakes up.'
'Should we go back to the planet, find out what happened?' Ronan asked.
'I wouldn't advice it, the Colonel said it was six days from the gate, and they have a lot of laws. You would put yourselves in danger just by walking into the city. Unless there is a reason to go back, we'll just have to settle for what we know.'
'Is finding out not a good enough reason to return?' Ronan questioned.
'Not at the risk that you will be trapped there and return after four years.' Carson replied. 'I need to get back to the infirmary.' He added and stood to leave. 'I'll let you know when I have more.'
Ronan crept into the control room, rounded the computer terminals that were abandoned and stood silently behind the only person currently on guard, he took him down with a quick action and moved to the dialling device and began the sequence to the world they had visited earlier that day before making his way to the gate and stepping through.
'What's going on?' Rodney stepped into the infirmary and asked the room at large.
'Ronan attacked the guard in the control room last night, he has gone to P3X-909. Carson is going to wake Dr. Weir, he is hoping she will give us some information that will help us find Ronan.' Teyla replied moving away from Elizabeth's side.
'Us?' Rodney chimed in but was interrupted before he could get an answer and they moved to join John at Elizabeth's side.
'John' Elizabeth's groggy voice whispered as she took in her surroundings, 'where are we?'
'Home, baby.' He answered kissing her forehead. 'Safe.'
'Elizabeth. We need to know what happened after we returned through the gate.' Rodney asked not wanting to prolong this conversation any more than needed.
'That was a year ago, Rodney.'
'I know, but you need to remember. Ronan's just gone back there, and as much as I would rather just leave him to it, it seems we're going back too.'
'No, that's a bad idea. They'll kill you!'
'Well that's encouraging.' Rodney said turning and moved a few steps away.
'Do you remember how you arrived in the city?' Teyla took over giving Rodney a glance that only too clearly showed her annoyance with him. Elizabeth nodded.
'John redialled, but couldn't get a connection. I think he tried two or three times. As he was dialling the last time... I heard something in the trees behind us, looked around and saw something that could only be described as a dart flying towards him and I froze.' She sucked in a long breath feeling tired and achy all over. Medical tests, punishment for disobeying the council's laws. 'These people just surrounded us. I remember trying to talk to them, but they didn't seem to understand. I know I wasn't out for more than a few hours, but they fired the dart at me, and that's all I can remember.
'Great, expect an ambush.' Rodney exclaimed.
'Prefect.'
'Teyla, did you just listen to that?'
'Yes, they have a means of getting to the city quicker than walking. Perhaps you should get ready Dr. McKay.' Teyla replied before leaving the room.
Six Month Previous: P3X-909
John sat at a desk in an old and dusty room, he had several components scattered across the desk as he worked on a device intently and slowly. The door behind him opened and a hooded figure entered. As she closes the door one of the components John had been working on short circuited causing him to swear loudly and through the device across the room.
'I can't do this! Stupid fiddly scientific stuff. I'm not McKay, damn it.' He shouted swinging sharply around to face Elizabeth. 'Six days to the gate to find out I'm not a scientist doesn't sound right to me!'
'What do you suggest we do John? Give up? Live here for the rest of our lives?'
'I don't know, but I know this isn't working.' He said aiming a spare part at the waist basket and getting it in. 'How do we know their not lying to us, that the gate we came through isn't the only one, they're telling us its six days away and without a DHD. They could be lying to us Lizzy?'
'We don't know,' Elizabeth offered taking the seat beside him. 'but would you rather spend six days getting there with the dialler to find out that they are telling the truth or have to come back and start again?'
'I hate when you do that.' He said smiling at her before leaning in and kissing her softly on the lips.
'Take a break John, try again in a few days. We'll get it eventually.' She said softly before returning the kiss.
'We should keep moving?' Teyla instructed steeping through the gate behind Rodney. 'Why, we're going to get attacked anyway.' He shot back not moving from his seat at the bottom of the gate stairs. 'Because we do not wish to look as though we want to be caught.' She replied stopping for an instant before disappeared into the trees. 'Why?' McKay shouted pushing himself to his feet and following Teyla into the forest.
Three Month Previous: P3X-909
'This council has decided to decline your request to procreate. We believe that in all fairness your short time with us has not been in the best of spirits and other couples would benefit more from this privilege. Is there anything you wish to add?'
Elizabeth stood in the middle of the council chambers, it had been 3 weeks since she had submitted the application requesting permission to have a baby, the laws on this world required permission or the population would become out of hand. She didn't disagree with this law as food and resources seemed few and far between.
It was taking her a great deal of effort not to cry while she stood in front of the six appointed council members, but she pulled herself up tall and responded with what she hoped was a casual voice.
'No, thank you for your time.' She gave a small head bow of respect and turned her back to the council. She walked slowly to the door still fighting back the tears, she pushed the doors open and was greeted by Johns enquiring face.
'And?' he asked, but had guessed the answer by the dejected look on her face, he moved quickly to wrap his arms around her and felt her sob against him. 'Shh, its ok, we can try again in a few months.' He whispered kissing her on the top of the head.
'Ronan.' Teyla could hear her voice echoing off the mountains and repeating around the area. 'Ronan' she called again stopping to give Rodney a chance to catch up, she could hear him crashing through the trees behind her, but he was still out of her sight. 'Rona...' Someone grabbed her suddenly, covering her mouth and dragged her into a nearby hole.
'Shhh.' A female voice whispered into her ear 'I'm going to let you go, please be quiet.' Teyla swung around to face her attacker the second she was free.
'Why did you attack me?'
'I didn't want to, but your shouting would attract the keepers on the ring. They look for prey to capture and send to their cities. Slaves in most cases. No one ever returns from then cities, they are forced to stay there forever. Leaving gets them punishment, breaking the rules gets them punishment. No matter what you do, you end up stuck there.'
'My friends where taken to one of these cities, they have returned, and the one I am looking for would never give in to the keepers.'
'Then he must be very skilful to avoid them, they manage to travel quickly and quietly. You don't know they are there until it's too late to act. And your friends were very fortunate. I recently helped a couple return through the circle, they promised to take me with them, but we got separated, its possible they believe me dead.'
'These friends you speak of, who were they?'
'John and Elizabeth Sheppard.'
'Elizabeth Sheppard?'
'Yes, they were married by my father only two months ago, he did so for free with the understanding they would take me when they left and protect me.' Teyla suddenly realised the girl stood in the shadows was a young girl no older than 25 and very much afraid.
'These are my friends. I was not aware that they had been married. I will take you with me when I have located my friend. Wait here.'
Ronan rounded the corner and found himself at the end of a large city filled with tall glass buildings and shops. The people were dressed luxuriously and went about their business. Yet at the far end of the city he could see the tops of small huts with smoke flowing from the chimneys.
Taking a step back into the tree line, Ronan made his way around the city until he was in amongst those at the far end. Stepping back into the city he took a better look at his surroundings. To his left houses lined the street and people were seen disappearing and emerging from between them. To his right market stalls where littered along a tall wall that divided them and the high rise buildings of the upper class. A fountain in the middle of the square took his interest, the statue in the middle was shaped like Atlantis.
'Excuse me.' He says attempting to catch the attention of an elderly local. 'I'm looking for someone who can tell me about Elizabeth Weir and John Sheppard.'
'No one here by that name sonny.' The old man replies giving Ronan an interested look.
'They aren't here any more, they were here a short time ago.' Ronan explains not really having any idea what the time difference would be by now.
'Never heard of them.' The old man answers. 'but you can check with the registry offices over there.' He says indicating a building on the other side of the fountain.
'Thank you.' Ronan says bowing respectively to the old man before heading towards the fountain.
'Can I help you?' the woman behind the desk asked as Ronan approached she was looking at him as if he was a piece of dirt from the street that had accidentally been kicked through the door and he looked back at her wondering why someone so well dressed worked in such a horrible building.
'I'm trying to track down my brother. He and a friend were here a short time ago, I need to know where they went.'
'What's his name?'
'Sheppard, John Sheppard.'
'Can you spell that for me.' She asked typing his name into the computer terminal in front of her.
'S, h, e, double p, a, r, d.'
'We don't have that name on our records.' She forced a smile at him. 'What about his friend?'
'Erm. Elizabeth Weir. W, e, i, r.'
'Nothing with that name either. Sorry.'
'Does everyone get registered here?'
'Absolutely everyone!'
'Regardless to where they live or work?' Ronan was beginning to think that only those on the rich side of the wall were listed.
'The Council demand to know who and where everyone is and what they do to earn their keep. Your brother and his friend would have been listed in our databases if they had ever lived here.'
'Are there other towns nearby?'
'No, this is the only city on this world.' She was looking at him now as if she considered him dangerous. 'Are you registered?'
'No.' he said and left the building.
Not stopping, Ronan made his way quickly to the edge of the city and out into the woods. When he was sure he could no longer be seen, he took off at a run heading back around the city and out in the direction he had approached from.
One Month Previous: P3X-909
'John!' Elizabeth sprang into the house and looked around, the desk John usually sat at was deserted and cleared of any thing he would have been working on. In its place, the table was set up for dinner, candles and wine glasses set ready to be used. 'John.' She breathed moving quickly to the kitchen and through it to the sitting room and out into the hall before sticking her head into the bedroom. 'John.' She called again. There was still no reply.
The door opened and closed behind her and she turned to see John standing looking at her his hands full of food he had obviously brought to cook for them.
'Your home early.' He said smiling at her, but the smile faded as he studied the scared look on her face.
'We have a problem.' She said and let a single tear slip down her cheek. John put his things down on the table in the hall and moved to wrap his arms around her. She was snuggled in at his neck when she took a deep breath before explaining. 'I'm pregnant.' John sighed and closed his eye. Yesterday their second request for children was denied.
'Teyla, we've been wondering around this forest for four hours.' Rodney complained loudly as he and Teyla stepped into another clearing. 'We should go back and report in. They obviously aren't going to take us!' He spat.
'Perhaps you are right.' Teyla admitted and turned and headed back towards the gate.
'Of course I'm right.'
One Week Previous: P3X-909
The armed troops marched into the lower half of the city and headed to the house of John Sheppard and Elizabeth Weir. They banged curtly on the door and waited, no one answered. John had been tipped off an hour before that they would be coming for Elizabeth. He had gathered all their things quickly and was currently making his way stealthily to her work place on the other side of the small village.
One of the men at the front of the group kicked at the door until it gave way, they pilled in, and began searching the small house for her.
On the other side of the village, John pushed the door open to middleclass building where Elizabeth worked and made his way to the counter up front.
'I need to see Elizabeth Weir. Now.' He demanded of the shy girl as the elevator door slid open. 'Never mind.' He said and darted into the elevator as the doors closed again.
'Malannie can you do a search for Hayden Marks, he missed...' Elizabeth was in the middle of a request when the elevator doors opened and she heard John shouting for her at the other end of the office.
'Elizabeth.' He called moving quickly towards her, everyone in the are watching him.
'John. How did you get up here?'
'Girl on reception is too slow.' He breathed. 'We need to go.'
'What? Why?'
'Now.' He said giving her a look that only too clearly told her she was in danger.' She turned quickly back to Malannie. 'Tell Jem'an that he'll have to make the call.' She said quickly before adding "I quit" and walking away. She grabbed her cloak from the pegs beside the elevator and punched the button with her thumb. They darted inside the second it was opened and out again at the bottom.
As they stepped outside John heard guns clicking, ready to be fired. They had been caught.
'Chola!' Teyla called, she was in the right area, but she couldn't remember the location of the hiding place Chola has pulled her into earlier.
'Here.' The girl called out and Teyla turned to see her climbing from the hide out.
'We are leaving, if you wish to come with us, you must stay close by.' Teyla told her and continued towards the gate. Rodney was stunned, he hadn't understood why they had stopped, he was eager to get back to Atlantis and get something to eat, he had used all of his and Teyla's chocolate and energy bars on the walk back to the gate.
Chola nodded and moved to follow close behind Teyla.
Ronan approached the gate tired from his long walk, he was about to dial the gate when it started to dial on its own, an incoming traveller was heading his way. Turning, Ronan moved towards the nearest tree line and disappeared into it watching the gate.
The conversation back at the registry office had convinced Ronan that Elizabeth and John had never been registered at the city offices, he was mulling the conversation over in his head when the gate settled and a single person emerged from it. Himself. Ronan watched himself cross the clearing and pause before taking off into the trees in another direction.
'What the...' he muttered to himself and flopped down onto the ground confused.
One Week Previous: P3X-909
'Separate them!' the council man ordered as he watched his guards push Elizabeth and John through the door to the council room. Two of the guards approached grabbed hold of the pair and pulled them harshly apart before pushing Elizabeth to her knees. 'Twice you have come before us, and twice we have told you that you are NOT permitted to have children.' He spat at Elizabeth ignoring John completely.
In their time their they had learned quickly that men are only recognised for blame in crimes such as murder, but when a woman conceives a child against council law, it is always her fault, and hers alone. Elizabeth took a deep breath fighting back the tears that were stinging her eyes.
'Yes sir.' She choked at him.
'Yet I hear that you have created a child. Is this allegation true?' The same council man asked. Elizabeth looked at John pleading with him for help.
'Yes sir.' She whispered looking back the council.
'Will you give up the child?'
'No.' Elizabeth said shaking her had and letting the tears go.
'Take her to the executioner.' Another council member spat the words as if Elizabeth were something worse than mud. Two guards converged on Elizabeth and dragged her from the room.
'Mr Sheppard. In future, you will do better to avoid this happening to another woman you spend time with.' The councilman laughed and John was led kicking and screaming from the room and pushed out the front door of the building.
Elizabeth had been led to a room off the council chambers, once inside the two guards released her and she turned to them.
'Wait here for a few minutes then walk quickly out the front door, the council will be in a meeting in just a moments time, you will not be stopped on your way out.' One of them spoke watching her shake with shock. 'They shouldn't be in control of who does and doesn't have children. They killed my wife for it.' He added and they left the room.
Elizabeth crept to the door and pulled it open enough to watch the council members cross the hall and vanish in to another room. The guards who had led her to her current location walked to the doors and relieved the men standing on either side. Once these men were out of sight, Elizabeth pulled the door wide open and walked quickly towards them and out into the fresh air.
'John.' Elizabeth breathed seeing him on his knees in from the of the door.
'You're okay?' he checked wrapping his arms around her.
'We have to go John. We need to get out of here before they discover I wasn't killed.' John didn't argue, instead he pulled her up as he got to his feet and they made their way quickly towards the trees and vanished.
'We're receiving an IDC. It's Ronan.' The technician announced and dropped the shield on the gate. Ronan emerged and looked around the gate room.
'I thought you might be Teyla and Rodney.' Carson announced appearing from the control room. 'They went looking for you a few minutes ago.'
'I've just seen the strangest thing. I got back to the gate and watched myself come out of it on the same route I had taken to the city.'
'That is strange.' Carson agreed. 'Did you find anything out?'
'I found the city, and the "registry office" as they called it, where everyone is logged, where they live and work and all that. But they weren't listed. I figured they never registered.'
'Sounds reasonable to me.'
'I changed my mind.' Ronan said following him to the infirmary. 'But I need to check.' He stepped through the doors to the infirmary and made his way to stand between John and Elizabeth. 'Did you guys register when you got to the city?' He asked looking between them.
'We didn't exactly get a choice.' John answered. 'They took our details before giving us somewhere to live.'
'Everything we did and went was recorded too. My boss had to tell them I was working for him and how much I earned.' Elizabeth added watching Ronan raise his eyebrows at them.
'I went the registry office and they had no record of either of you. Then getting back to the gate I found watched myself come through and go towards the city.'
'You were there before us?' John asked looking confused. 'But then after us when you got back to the gate?'
'Rodney should have a field day with that.' Elizabeth said shifting uncomfortably.
'Turn onto your side Lizzy?' John said noticing the discomfort and knowing only too well she didn't like laying on her back. Carson raised an eye brow at them while Elizabeth shifted onto her side, it would take them a while to get used to the relationship John and Elizabeth had obviously shared.
'Ronan.' Ronan turned at the sound of Teyla's voice. 'We've been looking for you for four hours. How long have you been back?'
'A few minutes.' Ronan shrugged.
'You've only been gone 20 minutes at the most.' Carson chimed in. 'And who is this?' he added watching the girl who was hiding behind Teyla.
'Chola.' Elizabeth answered for Teyla and Chola stepped out from behind her.
'You are both well. I kept these safe for you.' Chola said stepping forward and handing John a small bag. He tipped the content of the bag into his hand. John smiled at Chola before handing a small golden wedding band to Elizabeth.
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