“You feel powerless,” Kate said softly as she handed Rodney the mug of coffee, “I don’t think anyone can blame you.”
Rodney took a long drink, “We’ve got less than a week and then the Wraith will come here and kill us all and…”
“Okay,” Kate stopped him with a now practiced ease, “I know this is hard for you Rodney but you need to remember that there are many people on Atlantis. All of whom are counting on you to come up with something.”
“This isn’t just about Alisa,” Rodney sighed, “But…she’s always been my first priority.”
“And it’s hard to change that,” Kate finished for him.
He nodded silently.
“Rodney…”
“If anything happens to her,” Rodney cut Kate off, “If I lose my daughter then I will never forgive myself, no matter who survives.”
Grabbing a tissue from her desk, Rodney headed out the door, running onto Teyla on her way in.
Rodney headed back to his lab, finding Alisa already there. She’d been floating around quite a bit for the past few days. As everything was focussed on the incoming Wraith ships, all projects had been put on indefinite hold.
“Hey, Dad,” she said softly as she shoved the small device she was working on to one side.
“How’s it coming,” he sat at her side.
“I got nothing,” she sighed, leaning into his shoulder, “Dad, we’re going to do this. I know you’ll find a way to keep us safe.”
“You can’t always…I’m not…” Rodney sighed, dropping his head against hers, “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know what to do.”
She turned looking up to him with the gentle blue eyes, the one thing she’d inherited from him in the looks department.
“Don’t,” he frowned at her, “Don’t do that to me.”
“Do what?” Alisa looked confused.
“Emotional blackmail,” he replied, “Alisa, I’m trying…
“I know,” she told him, “Dad, let me help.”
Rodney nodded, “Sure, sweetie.”
Alisa rolled her eyes at him; he hadn’t called her that since she was about five years old.
“Come on,” Rodney pulled her to her feet, “Chair.”
“Chair?”
“Now,” Rodney let out a very soft laugh, “Brat.”
Alisa bounced up and moved to his side, “You know you look like hell,” she shot at him running ahead.
*********************************************
“Hi,” Alisa said softly as she stood near Teyla’s bed.
“You can come closer, Alisa,” Teyla said, “I am not going to harm you.”
Alisa shrugged sheepishly, “I know but you did throw Carson across the room. And he’s not exactly a lightweight.”
Teyla sighed, “The Wraith can not connect with me unless I connect with them first. You are perfectly safe.”
“Okay,” she pulled over a stool and took a seat.
“Have they made much progress?” Teyla asked, pulling herself to a more comfortable position.
“Dad threw me out,” Alisa replied with a shrug, “He’s allowed to work himself to death but I have to take a break every few hours.”
Teyla laughed, “That is what Fathers do, Alisa. They create rules for us that they ignore themselves.”
Alisa looked at her puzzled, making Teyla laugh again.
“I was also raised by only my father,” Teyla explained with a fond smile, “My mother died when I was very young.”
“Did you know her?” Alisa questioned, leaning closer to the woman.
Teyla nodded, “I have many memories of her, most of them are of her singing to me.”
Alisa tilted her head thoughtfully, “My Dad can’t sing. He used to try every so often but, according to my Gran, when he sang he made me cry.”
“Did no one sing to you?” Teyla asked her.
“My Grandmother,” Alisa smiled sadly, “I learned all the songs my Mom loved from her.”
“They do not miss you now you are in Atlantis?” Teyla questioned softly, wincing as sadness covered the girl’s face.
“They died,” Alisa stated blandly.
Teyla frowned, “I am sorry, Alisa. I didn’t mean…”
“You weren’t to know,” the teenager shrugged sadly, “They died when I was eleven. I sort of…I had a lot of problems after that.”
Teyla reached out and gently stroked Alisa’s cheek, Alisa gripped her hand.
“Sorry, Teyla,” Alisa apologised, “I didn’t mean to get so maudlin. This place is like a morgue as it is.”
“We will defeat the Wraith,” Teyla told her, “The people of Earth, your people are ingenious in a way I have never known possible. They will do this.”
Alisa sighed, falling into a thoughtful silence.
“Coffee?”
Rodney and Radek turned to where Alisa was standing two mugs in her hands.
“Thanks, Lissa,” Rodney gave her a warm tired smile, “I think we need this.”
“Yes, thank you, Alisa,” Radek smiled, looking just as exhausted as her father.
Alisa moved to one side watching them as they stood side by side and drank their coffee, continuing to discuss what they could do.
“Do you need any help?” Alisa spoke up, making both men turn to her.
Rodney nodded, “That’d be great, Lissa. Help Radek there, he’s having trouble reading the results.”
“Trouble?” Radek cried before muttering under his breath in Czech as he moved away from father and daughter.
Rodney wrapped his arm around his daughter’s shoulders, “You don’t need to be here, Lissa. I’m sure…”
“I’d rather we stick together, Dad,” Alisa whispered, “I…I don’t want to be with anyone else.”
Rodney hugged her before gently kissing her forehead, “Okay. Come on, we’ve got work to do.”
Alisa gave him a weak smile following him back to the Chair, “The Wraith are coming.”
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