Alisa wandered through the corridors of Atlantis, she was looking forward to going to college but then again leaving the city was going to be hard. With a sigh she headed up to the control room to start her goodbyes, she paused on her way into Elizabeth’s office seeing both her father and John in there.
“Alisa,” Elizabeth called, “Please come in.”
The teenager smiled at the exasperation in the woman’s voice, “Hi.”
“Was there something you wanted?” Elizabeth asked, aware that Rodney was now studying his tablet with great interest and not looking at his daughter.
“I’m leaving...soon,” Alisa reminded her, “I thought I’d come and say a proper goodbye while I had the chance.”
Elizabeth smiled and hugged the younger woman, “Take care of yourself, Alisa. And if you need me I’m just an email away.”
“I’ll remember that,” Alisa told her, she was about to talk to John when they were interrupted.
“Doctor Weir?” the Technician on duty called into them
“Yes, Chuck?” Elizabeth said.
“The Apollo just came out of hyperspace,” Chuck explained.
“They’re ahead of schedule,” Elizabeth mused leading the others out into the Control room, Alisa followed on to see what was happening.
“Probably just trying to show off,” John joked, “You know being a new ship and all.”
Elizabeth smiled at him before activating the radio, “Colonel Ellis, you’ve made excellent time on your first voyage here.”
“Thank you,” the voice of Ellis came back to them, “I’m beaming down now.”
“Very well,” Elizabeth started, “We’ll meet...” before she could finished her sentence Colonel Ellis and four of his crew beamed down in front of them, Ellis looked around before gesturing to the men with him, “Set up in the Conference Room,” as they left he turned to Elizabeth, “Doctor.”
“Colonel,” Elizabeth took his out stretched hand and shook it, “Welcome.”
“Thank you,” he looked at the others standing there, “Colonel Sheppard, Doctor McKay,” he completely ignoring Alisa who was standing at her father’s side, “This is gonna make things easier. I’ll need to brief you all immediately.”
“What’s going on?” Elizabeth asked with a frown.
“Well, I’d prefer to talk in private,” Ellis stated, heading towards the conference room.
“Yeah, don’t mind me,” Alisa said, “I’m just invisible.”
Rodney rolled his eyes at her, “I’ll see you later. Okay?”
Alisa nodded; it was something considering he’d barely talked to her since she’d told him she was leaving. With a worried look to each other John and Rodney followed Elizabeth to the conference room.
Rodney and Radek stood looking up at the weapons platform suspended above their heads.
“Well, the specs check out,” Radek broke the silence, “We’ve loaded the target information. They’re ready.”
“Yeah,” Rodney murmured, “It’s good to go,” he sighed, “This is a bad idea, isn’t it?”
“We could tell them they’re not ready,” Radek suggested, “You know there’s a fault with the guidance system or something.”
Rodney shook his head, “I thought about that. They’re gonna have guys here to contradict us pretty quickly.”
“Yep,” Radek sighed too.
The two of them fell into silence, Radek looked at the grim expression on his friend’s face, “You’re not happy about Alisa leaving, are you?”
Rodney’s jaw tightened, “She made her decision.”
“Rodney,” Radek scolded his friend, “Alisa is doing what is best for her. You had to know it would happen one day.”
Rodney snorted, “It didn’t have to be today though.”
“I know,” Radek sympathised.
Rodney shook his head, “It was always the one thing I could hold on to that no matter what happened my daughter would be there waiting for me. No matter what everyone else in the city thought of me, Lissa always thought of me as a hero,” he sighed, “I’m going to miss having her here to talk to.”
“You haven’t talked to her much since she told you she was leaving,” Radek reminded him.
Rodney looked slightly ashamed, “I guess I didn’t take the news that well.”
“Well, Johnson is piloting the Jumper for her back to Earth,” Radek noted, “You could always replace him. Using the Gatebridge it won’t take that long to get there and back. It will mean you get more of a chance to talk to her.”
Rodney nodded and gave his friend a small smile. The two men turned back to the reason they were here.
“We’re here alone,” Radek noted softly, “We could make them not ready.”
“They’re building an armada, Radek,” Rodney reminded the other man, “I saw them. They showed me the pictures. I’d feel pretty stupid if we break this thing, only to have the Replicators show up and destroy the city.”
“Yeah,” Radek nodded sadly, “Yeah that would be bad.”
Rodney sighed again, “Tell the Colonel we’re good to go.”
*********************************************
Alisa winced as Ronon tossed one of the marines onto the mat with dizzying force; the man grimaced as she stood up moving out of the way so someone else could be punished.
“Ronon,” Alisa interrupted before he could mash the next victim to the mat.
“Hey, kid,” Ronon walked over to her, “You getting ready to leave?”
“Yeah,” she said, half sad, half excited.
Ronon was not known for making long speeches so he didn’t bother saying anything as he picked her up in a tight hug. Alisa hugged him back wincing as his grip didn’t loosen.
“I need to breath,” she squeaked, gasping as he set her down.
“Sorry.”
“I’m going to miss you,” Alisa smiled at the former Runner, “But I won’t forget everything you taught me, JD is going to make sure I keep up with my self-defence training.”
Ronon reached out and gently cupped Alisa’s cheek, “Take care of yourself, Alisa. And make sure you keep in touch with your father, he’ll be unbearable if you don’t.”
Alisa chuckled, “I promise,” she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him once more.
Alisa found Teyla in the mess sipping some tea as she looked out across the horizon. The teenager slid into the seat across from the Athosian woman and gave her a smile.
“You have come to say goodbye,” Teyla noted.
“I’ve come to say see you soon,” Alisa replied with a smile, recalling a conversation long ago about how Teyla didn’t like the word goodbye.
Teyla laughed amused, “And you have everything you need?”
“I’ve packed and repacked about six times,” Alisa rolled her eyes, “I’m sure I’ve got everything. I hope I have everything.”
“Are you worried?” Teyla asked, seeing uncertainty in her young friend’s blue eyes.
Alisa nodded, “Yeah, about Dad. He hasn’t talked to me much since I told him. I think he’s mad.”
“I think he just knows how much he’s going to miss you,” Teyla said with a smile, “We’re all going to miss you.”
“Teyla,” Alisa groaned, “Please, don’t because I have made up my mind. I just don’t know how long it’ll stay made up if everyone keeps saying things like that.”
Teyla laughed, reaching out she took Alisa’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Alisa checked her watch and sighed, it was almost time to go and she had one more stop before she saw talked to her father.
“I have to go,” Alisa told the other woman, she moved and hugged her, “Gonna miss you, Teyla.”
“I shall miss you also,” Teyla whispered to the young woman.
John was getting ready to join the mission with the Apollo when Alisa appeared in the Jumper Bay. He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. They stood in silence for several minutes before John let her go; he looked her up and down nodding.
“You know I still remember that shy kid who stepped through the Stargate with us,” John told her, “Then I turn around and here is this incredible young woman with such wit, such brilliance and I’m amazed.”
“John...”
“I can only imagine what your Dad feels like,” he stopped her talking, “Because he remembers the baby he raised.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel bad,” Alisa frowned at him, “It’s working.”
John laughed, “Just wanted you to understand why it’s so hard for him that you’re leaving.”
“This isn’t easy for me either,” Alisa reminded him, “I’m leaving my family. I’m going to a place where I don’t know the Gate schedule and if something happens I won’t know for...” she trailed off, “But this is something I have to do.”
John stroked her cheek, “I know, Alisa. Look, I’ve got to go on this mission. Have fun at college and I’ll see you soon.”
He gave her another quick hug before he boarded his Jumper, Alisa watched him as he took off waving goodbye.
“Hey.”
Alisa looked up as her father walked over to her, “Hey, I’m just waiting on Johnson then...you know.”
“It’ll be a long wait,” Rodney told her, “He’s not flying you to Earth.”
“He’s not?”
“Nope,” Rodney smiled, “I am.”
A smile burst across Alisa’s face, “Really?”
“Unfortunately I have to be extremely fast considering what the military are up to,” he grimaced, “But if we go now I’ll have more time.”
Alisa nodded smartly continuing to grin; they walked into the Jumper her bags were already sitting in. As Alisa moved to sit in the passenger seat Rodney caught her arm.
“You drive,” he winked at her.
“Cool,” she slid into the pilot’s seat, knowing most of the trip would be automated but she still had to pilot the ship into the bay at the SGC. When Rodney contacted the control room that they were ready to go Alisa punched in the address for Earth. The trip didn’t take long and before she knew it Alisa was settling the Jumper into the SGC’s custom made bay.
“Nice,” her father congratulated her, “John would be proud.”
Alisa beamed and moved out of the pilot’s seat, she looked at the bags and sighed, they had to move all of these out of the Jumper quickly so her father could return to Atlantis.
“Lissa,” Rodney made her turn back to him, “I’m sorry I haven’t been more supportive about your decision.”
Alisa shrugged, not sure what to say.
“I am very proud that you did all this by yourself,” he told her, “Though a little more warning would have been nice.”
Alisa chuckled, “I wanted to do it before I lost my nerve. I’m scared, Dad. I’m scared of being away from Atlantis but if I don’t do it now I never will.”
Rodney looked down at his daughter, his fully grown brilliant opinionated daughter and smiled at her, “Your Mom would be so proud of you too. I know I couldn’t be any more proud of you.”
Alisa smiled and hugged him tightly.
“Okay,” Rodney broke their moment, “Let’s get this unloaded.”
As he opened the back of the Jumper JD waved a greeting to them before he started unloading Alisa’s bags in silence. Between the three of them they had the jumper unloaded very quickly and it was time for Rodney to head back to Atlantis.
“I’m not expecting any reports on what she’s doing,” Rodney told JD as they moved to one side, “But I expect you to tell me if she’s not letting you protect her properly.”
“No problem, Rodney,” JD nodded, “But then again Alisa is a bright kid and she’s done this once before.”
Rodney nodded, “Take care of her, she’s all I have.”
“Don’t worry, McKay,” JD told him, “I adore her too. Trust me, no one is going to harm Alisa. You’d better go say goodbye to her. I’ll start taking her stuff to her room.”
Rodney watched JD head away, relieved that Alisa would be watched over by this version of Jack O’Neill; she’d be protected.
“Lissa,” he called, motioning her over to him. Alisa walked over and he hugged her, holding her close to him as he realised he was going to have to say goodbye to her very soon. Alisa gripped him trying to keep her control.
“You have everyone’s numbers right?” Rodney asked.
“Jeannie, Laura, General O’Neill and even Colonel Caldwell all gave me their numbers so I can contact them at any time,” Alisa assured him, “You don’t have to worry. I will email you every week so that you can see how I’m doing I promise.”
Rodney kissed her forehead, “Good. I have to go.”
“Yeah,” Alisa breathed, she licked her lips, “Just take care okay? I know how dangerous it can be so I need you to be careful. Tell the others the same.”
Rodney nodded and slipped into the Jumper again leaving her standing alone for a few moments before JD joined her. As Rodney fixed the Jumper ready to leave he saw JD wrap a comforting arm around Alisa and smiled, she’d be fine.
Alisa watched her father leave and had an irrational need to cry out for him to come back but she smothered it quickly. She turned to where her bodyguard stood his arm still around her shoulders protectively.
“I should move the rest of this stuff,” she said determinedly, “Don’t think Landry will be too pleased with me if I leave it lying about.”
JD chuckled, “Are you ready for this?”
“No,” she said with a half-laugh, “But I have to do this.”
“Good,” JD patted her shoulder, “Come on, let’s get this done I want to get to the commissary and catch the chocolate cake.”
Alisa chuckled and nodded, it was time to move on to the next stage of her life. With a shrug she grabbed one of her bags and started out of the small Jumper Bay.
Alisa von LE McMurray
Kapitel Bemerkung: Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Kapitel Abschlussbemerkung: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.
Yes, this is the final chapter of the story ‘Alisa’ but not the end of Alisa’s stories. I’ve already started the next story as well as starting the Alisa version of the Shrine.
Thanks again.
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