ShaViva's Stargate Fan ... Stuff

Chapter 05: A Day on Endor (continued)
1030 Hours | Lantea II Mainland | Northwest coast, Wilderness

The teams visited with the Athosians and Gitano for about an hour to make sure all was well and to take requests for supplies or assistance since they were there. Dr. Mahanay seemed to settle in pretty easily in her diplomatic role and once everyone was convinced that all was well, they headed out for their day's adventure.

The Puddle Jumper covered the thousands of miles distance between the Athosian settlement and the farthest coastline to their northwest within 15 minutes travel. It was heavily forested and there were small pockets of lakes and marshlands all along the inner areas and coastal regions. It appeared to be a very healthy ecological system below them, most likely teeming with all kinds of bird and wildlife.

The forests were so dense that, even when the Jumper's scans showed them a clearing on the ground, they couldn't get a visual from above the canopy. It took some time to spot a location, visually, large enough to bring the Jumper to ground safely.

Once the ship set down, the hatch was opening before the systems were completely shut down. The Jumper obviously responding to its pilot’s eager anticipation of the adventures ahead.

"Okay, boys and girls... daylight's wasting," he announced as he descended the ramp into the tall grass. The sun shone bright overhead, dappling the ground through the gently moving leaves above them. He squinted upward and then pulled out his pilot shades. Turning in a circle he scanned the area first thing then turned back to the group. "Nobody goes anywhere alone. At minimum pair up. The larger the groups the better but I want minimum of two at all times. We've never been to this sector before and have no idea what's out here."

"Yes Sir," Lorne replied, nodding his agreement of the necessity. "Daniel, Radek ... you guys wanna stick with me once we're out there?"

Radek stepped forward. "I will come with you, Major."

Daniel nodded at Lorne absently, already preoccupied with a bright coloured bird in some nearby foliage. He was not a naturalist but he did have a keen sense of observation and in the past that had served him well. Often the types of wildlife in an area would be indicative of the possibility of past civilizations. Everything he had read on Atlantis suggested that M35-117 had never harboured a sentient culture. Of course, that assumption had been made before...and proved wrong.

"Okay," Sheppard announced. "I say we go that way. No particular reason, I just like the way it feels. Any objections?"

"Sounds a good enough reason for me Sir," Lorne grinned, just as keen as his CO to get moving.

John turned his head and pointedly stared at Rodney, one eyebrow raised in challenge.

Rodney did a double take, his face settling into a very irritated scowl. “What? What are you looking at me like that for?”

“Because you always have objections,” Ronon rumbled. The big guy had a smirk plastered on his face as he crossed his arms. Just about everyone in the group nodded in agreement.

“Well, yes, yes I do, but they’re for legitimate reasons.” At the chorus of groans Rodney set his jaw. “Well, they are! Take, for example, the fact that I just recently spent God knows how many days doing my best impression of a pod … herd … bunch of seals being frightened by an Orca and cursed with a squeaky voice worse than the Colonel’s whenever he sees something shiny." Sheppard's grin dropped as he frowned at that remark. Ronon simply chuckled. "And this, this mutant barking bug from hell was not responding to the regular stuff so I had to change meds and that produced an entirely unexpected side affect that Jennifer found amusing to no end.” John started to open his mouth but Rodney lifted a finger and continued right over the top of him. “And don’t forget that report in the database about the ‘very large serpents’ that live on this planet. Or have you forgotten? We all know what masters of understatement the Ancients were and have experienced the infirmary time because of it.” He crossed his arms, a pissy scowl still on his face but his blue eyes dancing. “See, very legitimate.”

"Right," Sheppard said with a hint of patronizing sarcasm he's known for. "First of all, we are aware of the giant possibly poisonous snake, that's why we're armed and I told everyone to stay together. Second, I don't screech when I see something shiny," he rebuked with a humorous snarl.

"Yeah you do," Ronon offered then shrugged when he got the nasty eyeball from Sheppard, but his concurring with McKay made Rodney grin smugly.

"And I didn't say 'screech'. I said 'squeak'." Rodney rocked back and forth a few times. "As in 'thirteen-year-old voice cracking squeak'. Big difference."

"No, I don't," he countered and interrupted Ronon's next comment quickly, "And exactly what kind of side effects did you experience?" he asked, curiously intrigued by that statement. "Keller didn't report anything to me." John stepped up close to Rodney as if ready to hear a secret and whispered, "What happened? Was it... painful? Or just embarrassing?" he asked with a wide smile.

"Oh, no, nothing painful. Just ten minutes after I took it..." Rodney snapped his fingers. "Out like a light. And nothing would wake me up, not even falling out of bed. Twice." He grimaced faintly. "And I can just imagine if you two had known, my face would probably still be covered in, in Maori patterns done with, with pink Sharpie." When John started to grin, Rodney flipped him off.

Dr. Mahanay stared at Rodney, her mouth open and what could only be described as a look of abject horror on her face. Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed wearily, while Radek just threw his hands up and muttered in Czech and Lorne had to cover a smirk. John merely bit his bottom lip as he grinned, ecstatic actually to have McKay back with the group.

Ronon reached out and smacked Rodney hard on the arm, and the physicist almost went down as he staggered a few steps sideways. “Great to have you back, man.”

Teyla was smiling. “It is good to see you about and well.”

Rodney rubbed his arm as he glared at Ronon. “Thank you, Teyla.” But a grin did escape and his mock indignation evaporated in an instant. “Ow. I certainly didn’t miss that, however.”

Daniel pointed off in the direction that John had indicated as their target, deciding to ignore Rodney for the moment, "That might be an old game trail..." Without waiting, he wandered towards the edge of the forest to investigate.

"Major...?" Sheppard warned and when Evan looked to him John gave a slow nod toward Jackson's back as an indication that he wanted him followed.

"I'm on it Sir," Lorne agreed, moving forward to talk to the absent minded archaeologist. "Daniel," he called as he approached. "How about we stick together in the one group for now?"

Daniel looked over Lorne and blinked before glancing around and realizing that he had wandered away from the group. "Okay," he mumbled while his eyes tracked back to the faint trail and the interesting topography he had been following.

Leia frowned, looking intently at Ronon. She needed to be keeping an eye on Dr. Jackson, but at the same time... If there were giant snakes, she wanted to go with the tank. "May I go with you, Mr. Dex?" she asked, being the lightest armed person in the group.

Sheppard looked up at Ronon with an oddly amused grin and got a scowl in return. John chuckled and locked a loaded round into his P-90, flipping it to Safe, then stepped away with a muttered, "Mr. Dex..."

"Shut up," Ronon growled at his back before sliding his eyes to the dark-haired woman. "Yeah.... sure... whatever you want," he replied and stepped off after Sheppard.

"Good. Thank you," she said, stepping off with him and keeping up with his long strides. If they saw a snake, she was jumping on him. He was tall enough. "Should I refer to you as something else?" Leia asked, seeing the exchange between the two.

From up ahead Ronon heard John chuckle. He was listening. Ronon grit his teeth and looked down at Dr. Mahanay with a grin. "You can call me Ronon," he told her.

"Or Chewie..." John said just loud enough to be heard by those behind him.

"Shut it, Sheppard," Ronon growled.

"Just saying..."

"Alright!" Ronon shouted forward and got another chuckle from his friend. He then smiled at Leia again. "Ignore him. I do."

"You try to," John refuted.

Ronon took two long strides purposely and brought himself up behind Sheppard fast. John realized he was set upon and ducked but Ronon already had him. He wrapped his arms around his team leader in a bear hug and lifted the officer off the ground with little effort.

"Okaaaaaaaaaaay," John groaned out as his lungs collapsed.

Ronon set him back down and steadied him for a second as Leia caught up. John blinked as his head cleared and looked up at Ronon. "Okay, so much for playing with Clifford today," he said and headed off again.

Ronon waited until John was a few paces ahead and then he smiled, amused. He loved to pick on Sheppard... a lot. He looked to Mahanay with green eyes sparkling. "He's fun to play with," he offered.

Leia laughed, keeping an eye on her surroundings. "I can definitely see why," she told him with a grin.She smiled at him. "You can call me Leia, if you'd like," she told Ronon as her eyes laughed at his nickname. "I knew partnering up with you was a good idea," she said with satisfaction, hearing his other nickname.

"Yeah, I had the same thought three years ago when I got him on my team," John agreed from the front of the group. "Re-thinking that idea right about now..." he added as he shrugged his vest straight again.

Lorne followed along beside Daniel with Radek just a step behind. He didn't bother trying to hold in his grin at the byplay between Ronon and his team leader. "Wait 'till they really get going," he commented softly to Daniel, shooting an amused glance Radek's way.

John heard a snort and turned his head enough to see Rodney smirking at him. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking you two are like the Pegasus Galaxy's own Turner and Hooch." Rodney rubbed his nose absently. "With less drooling. And more explosions."

With a glance over his shoulder at Ronon, John scowled and said, "Well, more explosions, maybe... same amount of drooling though..."

Ronon looked forward at him, having heard the comment. Suddenly he sprinted forward and Sheppard's eyes went wide. John turned and sprinted down the trail with "Hooch" gaining fast. They disappeared into the thick underbrush and birds flew up from their hiding places. The sounds of impact and a loud "Oooof" echoed back before a few of the bushes shook. Nobody could see what had just happened and they didn't really need to.

John lay there catching his breath as Ronon stood over him, scowling with his arms crossed over his broad chest. "Get up," he growled.

"No," John replied, keeping his eyes closed, playing possum until help arrived.

Lorne broke into an amused chuckle as Colonel Sheppard and Ronon took off in their own version of chasing. "They'll be back," he told Radek lightly, leading the others further along the path. After a few moments he was frowning because there was no sign of Sheppard or Ronon.

"Okay guys, let's rest for a moment," Lorne called out. When everyone stopped and found a place to sit Evan took stock. "Daniel - I expect you to be right here when I return. Radek - sit on him if you get even a suspicion something bright and shiny has caught our archaeologist’s eye. Sit tight everyone - I'll be right back."

Assured that his orders would be followed, Lorne headed into the bushes in the direction his CO and Ronon had gone.

When he found them the scene wasn't what he'd expected. Colonel Sheppard was stretched out on the ground with his eyes closed and Ronon was hovering nearby, clearly not at all troubled by his friends situation.

"Ah ... Sir?'" Evan stopped at his CO's feet, looking down with a half puzzled, half amused expression. "When you're finished doing ... whatever it is you're doing ... the others are taking a little break waiting for your return."

"Help me up," John said, opening his eyes and extending his hand. Lorne grinned and pulled him to his feet. "Thought it best to play dead until help arrived," he added casually and Ronon smirked. "Okay, young Jedi, back to Endor," Sheppard quipped from the Star Wars movie.

"What?" Ronon asked.

As he got helped up from the ground, John tossed a narrow eyed look at Ronon who simply smirked as if daring him again to make comments. John smiled and dusted off his vest and the back of his pants.

Smiling again he turned and headed back to the group, leaving Lorne and Ronon to follow.

Lorne held in his own smile, following along as they rejoined the others, now finished with their break.

1100 Hours | Lantea II Mainland | Northwest coast, Wilderness

They had been tramping along the faint wildlife trail for about thirty minutes with Daniel often in the lead and then falling behind as various things caught his eye and he paused to examine them. Lorne and Radek tried to faithfully stay on his six, but Daniel's erratic progress often found them swearing and veering off the trail to catch up with him and steer him back on course.

Some of Daniel's sudden stops and starts and wanderings where on purpose and designed to test Evan's tolerance, keeping the scientist vastly amused. Daniel, however, was keeping a close eye on his teammates and the surroundings despite appearances to the contrary.

Lorne kept up with Daniel's progress easily but he could see Radek struggling to keep up as the minutes went on and Daniel continued to test the patience of both men. When Daniel yet again paused before veering off Evan didn't miss Radek's faint sigh. "Why don't you rejoin the others Doc?" he suggested casually. "I think I can tail Doctor Jackson by myself for a while ... you just stick close to Colonel Sheppard, okay?"

Radek frowned, but looked after Daniel for a moment. With a sigh, he pushed up his glasses. "Perhaps that would be for the best. I am not so good at offworld or hiking." He shot Lorne a grateful smile. "Thank you."

With that, he turned and broke into a jog, heading for the main group.

Once Radek had hurried to catch up with the main group Lorne moved to Daniel's side. "Are you always this easily excitable Daniel?" he asked the archaeologist pointedly. It wasn't obvious but Evan was pretty sure Daniel had been testing him ... either that or he found it amusing to play the 'lose my shadow' game and from everything Evan had heard of the other man that seemed a little out of character.

"Excitable? No...just very little information on this world and lots of things that could tell its story. Although...I'm not a geologist...I took a Master's degree in geology to aid with my field work in archaeology." Daniel replied as his restless eyes surveyed his surroundings.

"Of course you did," Lorne muttered under his breath. Shaking his head ruefully he kept close as Daniel began walking again.

The two men continued up the trail until once again Daniel stopped. With a sigh Lorne stopped too. This time they hadn't even caught up to the others before Daniel had gotten distracted. Taking his own canteen out Lorne cast his eyes in the same direction as Daniel's, squinting to see whatever it was that had caught his teammate’s attention.

It was during a pause to take a drink from his canteen that Daniel's eyes were caught by a slight mound in yet another of the little clearings their trail wound through. To his trained eye, the shape was not natural to the surrounding topography. Capping his canteen, he reattached it to his belt and headed off across the clearing. With giant, venomous snake nests in mind, he also kept a sharp watch around him and one hand on his P-90.

Daniel took off suddenly enough that Lorne had to break into an almost jog to catch up. Hurriedly stowing his canteen as he followed the other man he quickly caught up, falling into step beside him.

"Daniel!" Evan let the irritation leak into his voice. "Where the hell are you going this time?"

"There." Daniel pointed toward the mound that could barely be discerned in the meadow grasses. "If I'm not mistaken that is not a natural feature of this topography. It's reminiscent of certain earth works built by ancient man on earth...or it could just be a giant snake's nest. Either way...it's new and interesting."

"Whatever you say," Lorne returned, "but just so you know - if it's the snakes you're making first contact."

Taking another look towards the mound of grass covered dirt all Evan could see was ... a mound of grass covered dirt. "Maybe you need new glasses," Evan suggested, tongue in cheek. His quip was wasted on Daniel though - the other man's focus was all on his latest discovery. With a sigh Evan realised there was little he could do but stick close and let Daniel play this one out until whatever mystery he thought he'd discovered was solved.

Daniel slowed as he approached the slight rise indicating the mound. Although overgrown with grasses vines, Daniel thought he could discern a regular shape to the ground beneath lighting a fire of excitement in him. He became more and more certain as he carefully pushed aside the vegetation covering the mound that it was not a natural feature. Lorne stayed faithfully nearby, seemingly content for the moment to let Daniel follow his own instincts.

Straightening, Daniel started towards the mound's apex planning to do a few minutes dig to see if he could verify his suspicions. "If I'm right, this mound was built by sentient beings...," he started to explain to Evan as he took another step forward and found himself falling through a mass of dirt, grasses, and other debris.

Daniel landed on his back and the air exploded from his lungs with a painful ooomph as the wind was knocked out of him. An aggrieved sounding, "Owwwww..." floated up out of the hole followed by...

Lorne felt the earth under his feet shift a second before Daniel disappeared into the ground. "Oh come on!" he cursed before he too took an unscheduled flight down to the bottom of a darkened hole in the ground.

Hitting hard, Evan let out a grunt of pain, lying on his back and looking up ... a long way up ... at the jagged hole that gave him a tantalising view of the blue sky above them. Recovering quickly, Lorne took stock and realised he'd managed to survive with little damage to his person. The sounds coming from his companion suggested that Daniel too was relatively unscathed ... one less thing for them to worry about.

Sitting up with a groan Evan put a hand to the back of his head where he'd been unable to completely avoid contact with the ground, pleased to see that although it hurt like a son of a bitch he wasn't bleeding. Casting a curious glance over their surroundings Lorne grimaced in dismay. "Nice place you've discovered here Daniel," he said sarcastically.

Daniel rolled slowly to his feet having done the same horizontal appraisal of the opening overhead as his CO. He was going to have a nice set of sore places and bruises, but beyond that he seemed uninjured. Daniel pulled up his P-90 and switched on the small, but powerful flashlight, shining it around their area.

Choosing to disregard Lorne's sarcasm, Daniel moved across the floor and closer to the walls watching as the P-90's light reflected off them in a soft, rippling sheen. Lowering the weapon, Daniel reached around, pulled his backpack off, and pulled out a sturdy utility flashlight. Switching it on, he approached the walls.

"This is not a natural cave, Evan. The walls and floor," he flashed his light over them, "have been machined." Daniel reached out to run his hand over the cool, unnaturally smooth surface of the wall.

Turning slowly, Daniel assessed the chamber they found themselves in. It was roughly an oval in shape and they had landed almost in its centre. At the far end was a dark aperture that appeared to be an opening. The remaining three walls were smooth. Looking up, he could see some type of skeletal network of trusses that must have supported some type of roof in the distant past that had long since rotted away leaving the misleading covering of grasses, vines, and loose dirt. Scattered around the smooth, gray floor were bits and pieces of rubble that could have belonged to the former ceiling.

Lorne switched on his own P90 torch and shone it over the walls and floors. "Definitely not natural," he agreed. Pulling out his radio he activated it. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne, come in?"

Static greeted him in response.

"Colonel Sheppard, do you read me, over?"

Up top on the trail, the team's ear mikes opened to static briefly. John stopped in step and turned to look around at the team. He could see tops of heads bobbing along the trail behind him and getting quick glimpses of faces as each person passed an opening in the trees or underbrush. He shrugged and turned back to lead the way, thinking it was just a burst of natural energy that surged through the radio system.

Frowning when there was still no discernable response Lorne moved over to Daniel's side. "Daniel - can you try and raise the Colonel on your radio?" Shining his light down on his own radio Evan sighed. "It looks like I fell on mine."

The result for Daniel was the same however. "Interference," Lorne concluded. "Looks like we have to rescue ourselves."

Standing in the centre of the room, Evan held still, closing his eyes so he could concentrate on what he could feel and hear.

A faint breeze wafted over his face, coming from his right. Shining his torch that way Evan slowly approached, running his hands over the wall. They were smooth and cool to the touch ... his fingers stopped as he encountered something interesting ... a break in the smoothness.

"There's a doorway here Daniel," he announced after another moments inspection. "I'm thinking this way leads back to the surface ... if we can just work out how to open it."

---Main Group---

Colonel Sheppard had taken the lead after their last break ... it wasn't long before the group had once again stretched out as people walked at their own pace or stopped briefly to look at something that caught their eye.

Sheppard paused some time later to allow the group to contract again, looking at the group as they all caught up and gathered around. Craning his neck, he did a head count and noted two were missing. In his head he did a re-play of who was where sitting in the Jumper on the way in and realized it was Lorne and Jackson who were missing.

"Great..." Sheppard muttered and looked to Radek as he came through the gathered hikers. "Radek... where's Major Lorne and Dr. Jackson?" he asked.

Radek turned and pointed in the direction they had gone. "They went that way. They suggested I return, and I agreed."

Ronon turned to look around the area since he had a much clearer view from way up there. "I don't see them behind us," he mentioned.

John sighed and prepared to take point, raising his P-90 up, he held it at the ready but pointed toward the ground ahead, just in case. Ronon immediately followed, drawing his particle gun and powered it up.

"Stay behind us," Ronon told the group.

"Teyla, you got our six," Sheppard told her, in order to keep the three civilian scientists inside the guarded group. "Lorne?" John called out but not too loudly in case they were close. When he got no answer in reply he tapped his ear quickly. "Major Lorne? Come in." He received nothing but clear air from the open channel as everyone listened for a response. "Major Lorne, this is Colonel Sheppard. Respond." He paused, waiting for an answer.

Nothing.

"Dammit."

Radek had a scanner out and was turning in a slow circle. "There is no interference with the equipment," he reported. "And the Major did not have his radio turned off --- perhaps try to raise Doctor Jackson?"

---Underground---

Daniel joined Lorne by his find and used his flashlight to try and spot any indications of hidden controls. "Maybe we'll have more luck in that direction," he pointed toward the slightly darker aperture showing at the bottom end of the oval.

Turning, Daniel approached the opening warily, keeping his P-90 at the ready, he thumbed its light back on rather than try to juggle both the weapon and his flashlight. A flash far down the corridor caused him to jump backward slightly, pushing against Lorne to get them out from in front of the opening. After a few tense moments, it seemed as if the flash had simply been the light refracting from the P-90's torch.

Glancing at Lorne, Daniel shrugged and started down the corridor, moving cautiously.

Due to their cautious progress, it took the two men longer than normal to reach the end of the short corridor. The shining light turned out to be a door inlaid with small oval crystals. Surprisingly, it opened as they approached revealing another large, oval chamber. This room was as dusty and long deserted as the chamber they had fallen into. Daniel took a few moments to look around, but whoever had constructed the chambers had cleaned they out thoroughly before abandoning them.

Beyond the second chamber was another door and dusty corridor. This one led steadily upwards, however, and soon they arrived at another door. This one also opened at their approach letting in a cascade of dirt and debris, leaving the two men spitting and coughing as they emerged from the side of another mound some distance from the first.

Both men stopped and tried to dust themselves off, coughing slightly from the dust and debris they had encountered from the exit. Daniel glanced at Lorne and gave him a wry smile, "Okay...so...not a burial mound."

Lorne's reply was mostly unrepeatable as Daniel keyed the mic on his radio, "Hellloooo, Colonel Sheppard? It's Jackson. We're heading your way...I hope."

---Main Group---

Sheppard was just about to do as Radek suggested, to contact Jackson when his voice came out of his earpiece. "Jackson? You with Lorne? Where did you guys go? We're coming back your way... I think," John told him as the group made their way back to the last place they knew the two men were with them.

"Uh...I saw a mound...thought it was a burial mound...wasn't. Took a short trip straight down...some sort of structure, underground...looks like it has been abandoned for centuries," Daniel reported as they made their way across the clearing and back to the rough trail. "We're fine. Evan busted his radio. We're almost on the trail now."

John had stopped on the trail as he listened, his expression confused as he glanced at Ronon and those coming up behind him. "What? A burial mound? Is that what he said?" he asked aloud but to nobody specifically. "I thought nobody's ever been out in this area... there was no sign of any civilizations or.... anything..." John turned an irritated look at Rodney. "Didn't you say this planet had nothing on it but a giant snake before we landed here?" Now he had to wonder what, exactly, were they trampling on.

"Um, I believe the database listed it as a giant flying serpent," Rodney replied. He had his own scanner out and was facing the opposite direction from Radek. He glanced up briefly at the canopy, then went back to his scanner.

"Flying?" he reiterated and looked up into the trees too.

Every time they tried to have an innocent day off it always turned out that they couldn't take a step or open a door without losing a team member. He stretched his neck to try to look over the tall underbrush for an indication of where they were. Perhaps they were in a different location altogether at this point. "What did it look like?" he asked Daniel after thinking it all out. "Are we in trouble?" he needed to know, as his eyes went to the small group of non-experienced team members they had with them today.

"No, nothing to be concerned over. Looks like it was a bunker of some kind but it's been abandoned for centuries. Got excited over nothing," Daniel replied calmly as he and Lorne tramped along the trail.

"You got the coordinates? We can send you back with a science team to study it," John mentioned.

"Unless someone's doing a project on dust mites, not worth the effort," Daniel responded, but didn't add anything further as Rodney spoke out.

"Oh, hey - I just picked up some life signs!" Rodney blurted out. He glanced up and squinted into the underbrush as if it would help him see what that scanner was picking up. "About thirty meters that way. They're moving. This way."

"Yeah?" Sheppard asked, in a hopeful tone. "Lorne and Jackson?" he asked, looking in the direction Rodney had indicated.

Then McKay frowned. "Oh, that can't be good."

Sheppard turned and looked at him with the 'oh crap' expression. "What."

Rodney's wide blue eyes met John's. "I'm counting fourteen. And big. And moving fast."

"What??" Sheppard spun and pulled his weapon up tight to his shoulder, aiming in that direction as the thundering sound of a stampede got louder.

They could hear something coming through the underbrush not too far ahead, and a second later a flash of smoky gray leapt across the trail. It moved too fast to get more than just a glimpse of four legs and a body roughly deer shaped. A few more sped past, but one skidded to a halt and regarded the party. It was the size of an elk but shaped more like a greyhound and had a coat of fur the colour of a thunder cloud. The fur was silver tipped and shimmered in the dappled sunlight as it lifted its narrow head and tested the air. Two graceful horns like an Impala's rose up and back and almost appeared to be made of tarnished silver, and two eyes that matched them in hue fixed on the humans. It snorted, once, shook its head, and in a quicksilver flash was gone.

"Holy crap," John said in awe. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah," Rodney whispered. "Just hope nothing is chasing them."

"What??" John spun back around and this time targeted down the sights of his weapon. He stilled his breathing so as not to have his shot go wild if something carnivorous suddenly showed its ugly face. He waited a few seconds as the woods stilled around them, then he prompted McKay. "Rodney... life signs??"

Rodney nervously glanced from the scanner, to the underbrush, to the canopy, and back. "Um, nothing yet. No. Wait ... two just came into range."

"From which direction?" John hissed between clenched teeth, but still aiming in the same direction. He knew Ronon and Teyla were standing with their weapons aimed in opposite directions in order to cover the perimeter of the group.

Daniel rounded the bend in the trail and stopped dead just managing to sidestep so Lorne would not plough into him. He glanced at all the guns pointing their way and said wryly, "Didn't know finding caves was a shooting offense these days."

Everyone relaxed and Ronon smirked throwing a look to Sheppard. John gave a bit of a grin as he lowered his weapon and stepped forward. "It is when your finds are too much like my day job when it's supposed to be my day off," he offered good-humouredly. "Is it something worth checking out or can it wait til later?" he asked in a more serious tone.

Daniel shook his head, "No...if it was a bunker it's been long deserted. Nothing left but dust."

"Sorry we were out of contact for a while there Sir," Lorne took the opportunity to speak his apology ... his first foray into 'leading' with Daniel as part of his team hadn't gone as well as he would have liked but hopefully their little adventure would be overlooked as a minor incident.

"Not a problem, Major, as long as you're both okay," Sheppard acknowledged the two men's return with obvious relief.

Teyla shook her head at Daniel's words and grinned a bit. “I think we should let it go for right now. This reminded me of something anyway. There was a time when I was younger when a, you call them wild fire I believe. It came through and of course the creatures that lived there warned us first. It was quite interesting. Though I doubt this will have anything to do with what has happened here.”

John listened and his expression changed from amiable to suddenly horrified as she spoke of wild fires. In this dense forest, this was the last place he wanted to get caught if a sudden fire storm came down on them. He turned to look again and then up toward the sky as if looking for smoke. "Okay, you guys are starting to freak me out. Stop it," he stated then looked at his watch. "Time for lunch. Take a break everybody."

Teyla shook her head and looked away towards where the animals fled to.

"Teyla," John stepped over to her and looked in the same direction for a second then nudged her gently. "Take a break. Get something to eat. We're fine." He told her and offered her his canteen before taking a drink from it.

Teyla smiled a bit and took the canteen. She took a small drink from it and gave it back to John. She walked to a rock and sat down on it, got her lunch out and nibbled on it for a second. She wondered what was going on through her leader's head. He always seemed so straight forward until now. She wasn’t afraid of a fire here, the forest seemed a bit too wet. Then again it had been rainy season at that time. She shook her head and ate a bit more.

She watched as the others took their seats as well. Once everyone was seated she spoke to Sheppard. "You seem not like yourself ... what is going on?" She kept her eyes on him. No smile played on her lips.

Sheppard turned to look at her. He wasn't sure who she was talking to and saw her looking at him seriously. "Me?" he asked, surprised. He stepped over to her to stand closer for easier visiting. "I'm fine. What makes you think I'm not myself?" he asked.

“You seem…” Teyla pursed her lips together trying to figure out how to put what she was trying to say, “You seem distracted today. Like something heavy is weighing on your mind. I may just be being paranoid, but still.” Teyla looked slightly away wondering if she has gone too far.

John looked at her for a moment as she turned away from him. He still had no idea what she was referring to, he'd tried to make this entire day's trip fun and entertaining for everyone. The cave did distract him, as did the short time when he realized they were missing two of their group, but that would be expected.

He sat down on a small rock a few feet away from her and dug out one of his MRE's. He'd have the sandwich that was in it with some water and leave the rest to nibble on as needed, but he didn't want to over-fill his stomach with a hike ahead of them still. "I'm fine, Teyla," he offered to her.

There was a long pause between them as he waited for her to expound on her feeling but it didn't seem forthcoming. His eyes rose up to Daniel as the other man stepped closer, looking at him as if he had something he wanted to say. "Dr. Jackson... how's it going?" he asked, giving the man an opening if he wanted to talk.

"Daniel," the older man corrected automatically. "Going good," he added in answer as he prowled around the small outcropping of rock picking up some bits of stone and dropping them in a pocket of his backpack while discarding other bits. "It's been nice to get out of the city for awhile. Thanks for asking me along."

"No problem at all. As much as I love that city, sometimes I just need to be anywhere else, ya' know? I miss this. I miss being able to step out the door and just take a walk in the woods... get back to nature," John shared as he watched Daniel collecting rocks. "What've you got there?" he asked with interest.

Daniel sank down to the ground facing John, using one of the rocks as a backrest. He held out his hand with an obsidian-like length of stone laying in it. "I had an anthropology professor that believed we learned more of ancient cultures if we had to live the life. For some of our graduate work we lived in a neolithic village and my skill set was flint knapping. I renewed my interest in the skill while living on Abydos. Since we were out today, I thought I'd gather some likely stones and try to work them."

John chewed the bite from his sandwich and leaned forward to get a look at what he had in his hand. "Mmmm," he hummed, pointing at one of the darker pieces. "I have a knife... the blade is hand carved from a stone like that, the handle is an elk antler. So you do all kinds of that... old... cultural... stuff?" he asked, wanting to learn a bit more about the newest member to Atlantis' staff.

"Hmmmmm," Daniel replied, "a bit. I won't claim to be an expert on all of that old cultural stuff," he said with a rueful grin. "But...I have to agree with my professors...actually had a couple that believed you had to live it to learn it...actually trying to emulate the skills people used in the past often answer questions I've come upon in my work since. Flint knapping came easy as it was just a matter of bringing out the natural shape of a stone and then honing its edge. And while I've become a decent marksman with modern firearms, I was hopeless with flintlocks...couldn't reload worth a damn."

"So is that something you're going to teach? Like... are you gonna put on a class for this stuff? Show us how to knap flints and all that stuff?" John asked with a grin as he took another bite from his sandwich.

Pulling out a power bar, Daniel unwrapped it and took a drink from his canteen to wash it down, before saying slowly, "I could...if there's any interest from anyone in learning. It's not something I see a huge turnout for though," he grinned ruefully. "I mean I wouldn't mind teaching some of the things I've learned over the years...but again...not sure of the interest level."

John smiled at him and said, "Well that's the best part about being the military commander. I can make things mandatory," he said softly as if conspiring. "Seriously though, I think learning such things could be useful for survival... never know when you'll find yourself in survival sits with nothing but your jock strap on." Leaning back a bit he glanced at the ladies in the group and amended, "That's just a figure of speech."

Jackson chuckled remembering some of the training Jack had cadged for him, "Yeah...like that SAS Civilian Survival nightmare thing Jack sent me on...well technically General Hammond sent me, but Jack pulled the strings to get me in. I was sore for weeks," he confided, blue eyes flashing with humour at the memory. "But, yeah, for the training...I'll send you a list of things I'm certified to train in...surprisingly most of it has to do with making weapons although some of it is off-the-land survival...and we can work together on setting up classes and hands-on labs. Most of the materials I need can be gathered here...and that might be a class in itself. A night or two here on the mainland with an eye to what can be used for what...based on their parallels on Earth."

"That can be done," Sheppard nodded, giving this new class in survival training a serious consideration. "I'll even take part in it. Lead by example, that sort of thing. Not to mention I'm sure I might find myself in such need at some point... with my luck an' all."

Daniel nodded, his blue eyes bright, although he chuckled a bit at John's comment regarding his luck, "Sure. We can review schedules and set something up."

Sighing, Daniel flashed John a rueful grin, "Guess you can tell I miss teaching...huh? Sometimes I feel like I've lost me. But...on the other hand...I guess we rise to the situations we find ourselves in? I always felt like I was searching for something when I worked for the university...even in the field I was always looking for that something that made a difference. I guess I found it in the Stargate program...but..." Daniel sighed again and glanced at the forest around them and their teammates resting singly and in small groups, "sometimes I feel like I've had to lose part of myself to survive."

"We all lose a bit of ourselves with every new experience," John mentioned thoughtfully, his gaze unfocused at the ground. "With any luck we gain something better for it." He paused then blinked and came out of his fazed thoughts and grinned. "And if we're luckiest, we'll regain those things we lost of ourselves." He stated, now thinking about Elizabeth coming back to them. To him.

Daniel leaned back against the rock, gazing up through the leafy canopy at the sky as he pondered John's words. Was that the way of it? For everything he had lost over the years or the bits of himself he felt slipping away every time he took part in a military operation that required he take a life in order to save lives...did he replace a bit of his soul with something better? Daniel could see parallels in his life to what John said. He had lost his life's work by his own hand when he insisted on following theories outside the comfort level of accepted archaeological theory. Yet he had gained so much more when he was found by Katherine Langford.

Since words did not seem to be needed, he simply took the younger man's unexpected wisdom and insight with a quiet smile and a nod to show he was listening and that Daniel agreed with John's outlook on that.

After apologising to his CO for getting separated from the group, Lorne moved away and took a seat on the ground, leaning wearily against a tree. He probably should eat something but wasn't hungry enough to make the effort. Instead he turned his attention to the people he was sharing his day off with.

Daniel and the Colonel were obviously talking about something of interest to both of them, Teyla sitting nearby listening with her usual air of respectful attention. Wondering briefly what they were talking about Evan let it go, knowing if it was something he should know about, he'd find out soon enough. Hopefully Daniel wasn't telling Sheppard how easily he'd derailed Lorne's plans for keeping him in check ... how badly Evan had done with the 'follow me' test. The whole morning had been interesting so far ... in the longer term Evan had no doubts his team missions were certainly going to be interesting from now on!

Doctor Mahanay and Ronon curiously were also engaged in conversation and Lorne found himself wondering what the Satedan could have found in common with the diplomat to inspire even the mostly one sided discussion going on between them.

Looking lastly at the scientific element of their group who he was sitting closest too, Lorne held in a laugh with some difficultly. Rodney had literally dropped where he'd stood ... either deciding any spot was as good as another or more likely having run out of steam to actually choose a place to rest. Radek had parked himself close by, muttering under his breath as he searched his pack for something he obviously wasn't finding.

"McKay ... you okay?" Lorne called with genuine concern.

"Yeah, yeah," Rodney grumbled and sat down his scanner long enough to unzip his pack, dig down deep, and pull out a power bar. He ripped the foil open and was back to keeping an eye on the scanner as he took a bite. "About as well as a man who has just recovered from a bug that tried to turn my lungs inside out can be after a forced march and nearly being trampled by a herd of gigantic Christmas lawn ornaments," he said after he swallowed. He glanced over at Radek, sat the scanner down, dug in his pack again, and came up with a honest to God Hershey bar. He tossed it to the Czech. Then he looked at the Major, his blues eyes sparkling. "But that last part was pretty damn cool, actually. You should have seen them! And I suspect you and Action Jackson there are the ones that spooked them, because seriously - haven't picked up anything else since." He took another bite and grinned as he chewed.

"Yeah ... that's certainly fair," Lorne mock complained. "I get slammed to the ground and showered in dirt for the dubious pleasure of discovering ancient ... dust and you guys get the nature experience of a life time. Glad I could help with that!"

"Aaaah," Radek sighed as he caught the Hershey bar and tore it open. He broke off a third of the chocolate squares and handed them to Lorne, who nodded his thanks with a quick grin. Then he did the same for Rodney. And then he ate his part.

"Have you picked up anything on the scanner yet?" Radek asked between bites, washing it down with his canteen water.

"Not. A. Thing." Rodney took a small bite of chocolate and rolled his eyes. "Not on the ground - except us. Or in the trees." He glanced up at the high canopy. "Besides, if the things were any bigger than a pigeon, I doubt they could manoeuvre up there."

Daniel rolled his eyes at John and flashed a grin towards the others as Rodney's somewhat acerbic response to Lorne drifted over during the lull in his and John's conversation. "I know just who you need to put in my first Action Jackson's Survival 101 class," he said just loud enough for the others to hear.

John chuckled and let his gaze rest on McKay. "I don't know if I'd do that to you and your class. I guess I'll have to come along the day Rodney does."

Overhearing, Radek snickered and nearly choked on his chocolate.

"Hey, Jackson, I think Zelenka just volunteered," Rodney said with a crooked smirk. He popped the last of his chocolate in his mouth.

"I believe McKay has volunteered as well," Radek quipped, grinning easily at Rodney.

"Hate to break it to you, they had me corralled before it was even mentioned." Rodney sneered at John and Daniel. "You two are so going to regret it. Mark my words.

"There you go Daniel," Lorne quipped. "Your first class ... keen and eager to learn." Shooting a glance at Radek and Rodney, Evan continued. "I think I'll just let you guys be the crash test dummies ... help Daniel work out all the bugs ... before I sign myself up for something like that."

"Speaking of crash test dummies," Sheppard mentioned as he stood up, pushing the left over meal into a pocket of his pack and shouldering it again. "Why don't our two mischievous team members take point this time?" he ordered casually, giving Daniel and then Lorne a dry stare... then he grinned as McKay moaned with complaint that they were obviously moving on now. "And, Major... I'm planning on making it a mandatory course for all military personnel, so..."

"Yes Sir," Lorne kept is expression bland, fighting the urge to grin. Personally he didn't mind taking point ... trying to control Daniel's urge to follow any and every minor thing of interest might be challenging though. As for the mandatory 'classes'? With any luck there'd be enough of the usual emergencies to delay his participation for as long as possible. Rising to his feet he held a hand down to Radek. "Rest time is over Doc."

12:30 Hours | Lantea II Mainland | Northwest coast, Wilderness

Sheppard gestured toward the front of the group and waited for Jackson and Lorne to take up their positions and fell in behind them. "Ronon, six," he mentioned and Ronon fell to the back of the pack and everyone fell in the middle wherever they pleased.

When Sheppard called an end to their break, Daniel rolled smoothly to his feet, putting the power bar wrapper neatly away in a small plastic trash bag he routinely packed in his backpack. Taking another swig of water from his canteen, he checked his P-90 as he moved up beside Lorne. With the change in marching order, Daniel's demeanour shifted slightly as well. Now with co-point responsibility, his eyes watched for potential danger as well as taking in the forest surrounding for items of interest. Rather than rabbiting off to check on the items of interest he spotted, he pulled out his digital mini-cam and recorded the scenery while verbally logging coordinates and notating why the item was of interest. Every so often, he would swing around, walking backwards while recording the team so they would have some evidence of the outing for posterity.

Lorne kept alert as he and Daniel led the group down the trail once more. Radek and Rodney fell into step behind them, throwing each other the odd comment. At first it appeared as though the path was going to continue straight across the mainland without pause but after another half an hour of walking they reached a turning point. To their right the path continued through the thick forest. To their left the trees appeared to thin out ... suggesting an end to the forest and then? Well that was the question. Lorne had his own preference for which way they should go but stopped and turned towards the group, waiting for his CO to get within hearing distance.

"Colonel Sheppard," he called out. "We've got a 'go left' or 'go right' choice up here Sir. Any preferences?"

"Whichever gives us a change of scenery," John called up to him. "Please tell me we got a change of scenery...?"

"Yes Sir," Lorne called back, happy the Colonel had chosen what looked like the more interesting direction. "Looks like we go left," Evan said to Daniel, motioning for the other man to lead the way.

John stepped up into Lorne's spot as the two men moved on. "Oh nice!" he smiled at the opening of the area. "This looks like it might lead to something fun." Sheppard smiled at McKay and slapped him on the shoulder as he stepped up alongside him.

"Oh, hey. Look at that," Rodney piped in with rather cheerfully. "Less forest. How novel!" He glanced at Radek. "Pay close attention - this is something we don't see very often. Big gaps between trees." He flashed a smirk towards John. "Extreme rarity."

John gave Rodney a sardonic grin. "Funny. Now move it," he said, pushing McKay to start walking.

Rodney stumbled, then retaliated with a raised finger. "Man, have you gotten pushy while I was out with the plague." He straightened his tac vest, his mouth set in a crooked grimace, but inside he was bouncing like a Jack Russell hopped up on Red Bull. Well, a fairly exhausted Jack Russell, but there'd be no way in hell he'd ever admit to Sheppard he was really enjoying the fresh air for a change.

As it turned out the path did open up nicely allowing the sunlight to shine down, warming the earth and the air around them. Birds flew out of the trees and crossed the clearing as they entered it. The game trail crossed the field and seemed to lead down a slope. Lorne and Daniel checked up ahead and waited for everyone to catch up to them as they looked over the sight before them.

"Holy crap," Sheppard said as he peered between them over their shoulders. A gorgeous waterfall below them fell into a crystal clear pool far below them, surrounded by large rather flat boulders and grassy shores. "It's perfect," John whispered then his face broke into a huge smile. He'd have to bring Elizabeth here if... when she returns. "Anyone up for a swim?" he asked and took the lead down the side of the hill.

"Did not bring near enough sunscreen for that," Rodney muttered as he followed John down the hill.

Lorne stood for a few moments longer just enjoying the stunning view before he shook himself and took off after the others. A swim was just what he needed to wash away the remaining dust he could still feel trailing along behind him.

The walk down was surprisingly easy, the incline steep but not treacherous. Joining Colonel Sheppard and McKay who were standing just off the path beside one of the 'bed' like boulders Evan grinned. Now this was more like it!

"McKay - there was nothing about those snake things being amphibious, was there?" Lorne held in a laugh as Rodney's expression abruptly dropped in dismay.

"No, no - they're, um, winged." He glanced up, then studied his scanner. "I'd be worried more about leeches, myself." He shuddered. "Thanks to that one scene in 'Stand By Me', every time I saw a, a picture of lake I'd start to shri.... Ah, shutting up now." He dipped his head, and with gaze still on his scanner, wandered over to some shade.

Sheppard smiled and chuckled softly at that particular image. He didn't doubt it at all for some reason. "But this "pond" as you so eloquently call it isn't a pond, it's a waterfall pool and from my experience I've never seen a leech residing in churned up clear water." Sheppard doffed his vest and boots, then started diligently on his overshirt and tee. Unbuckling his holster he set it down carefully on top of his vest and proceeded to free himself from his trousers.

Lorne's words actually caused Daniel to check his step at the edge of the pool. He glanced up and around as well as directing his gaze intently into the crystalline water. He glanced around at the others before turning his gaze back to the inviting depths of the pool. After a few moments where nothing launched itself into the air from the water, he relaxed. "Did someone mention swimming?"

Rather than answer Lorne moved away from the others, shrugging off his pack and dropping it down on one of the boulders he'd decided would be his for the duration of their stop. A few moments later he'd stripped down to swimming trunks - standard issue navy board shorts - and was standing at the edge of the pond contemplating the mirrored surface. Sensing someone standing next to him Evan glanced over to see his CO also ready to swim.

"Sir," Lorne nodded back towards the pond. "You think it's safe?"

"Yeah," John said as he kicked his foot to loosen the gathered cuff of his pants. "It's safe, it's safe. Look at it! It's gorgeous!"

Daniel stood quietly with a glimmer of a smile in his eyes. Obviously, swimming was going to be on the agenda. He had learned long ago to pack for anything and with Sam and later Vala on SG-1, one of those items had been swim trunks as often on long-term off world missions the opportunity to bathe was in a river, lake, or other natural water source. Leaving Lorne and Sheppard to decide on wading in or not, Daniel carried his pack back into the trees some distance from the pool and waterfall and swiftly changed into his swim trunks before walking back to wait at the water's edge.

"Bonzai!" Sheppard shouted as he backed up a few wide strides and then sprinted across the face of the boulders, launched himself in the air and disappeared into the centre of the clear pool head first with his hands leading the way.

A moment later he surfaced with a loud blow of air and laughed. "Whoa! It's chilly... but refreshing! It's also a great depth for diving. Hey Daniel! It's as clear at the bottom as it is on top... time for some underwater hunting?" he chuckled.

Daniel grinned, backed up several feet before taking several long strides and launching himself into a graceful dive. Although John had called it a great depth for diving, he still put his hands out in front of his head for safety's sake. Moments later he resurfaced with a laugh and shake of his head. Ordinarily his desert born soul craved a warm climate yet Daniel had taken to swimming early on and loved it...even when the water was more than slightly bracing. He glanced at John and made a fish motion with his hand. Since they had not come on the expedition prepared for camping and living off the land, anything he tickled into capturing would be released.

John grinned at him and nodded as he tread water, waiting for Lorne and anyone else willing to join them. "Ladies? You game today?" he called to the shore. "Ronon!" he called out as the Satedan was down to his... loin cloth-like thing and was preparing to doff those as well. "Those stay on!" Sheppard pointed and shook the water from his hair, causing it to stand up all over now. Ronon grumbled at having to keep the piece of cloth on and leapt off the rock into the water.

Making the fish motion with his hand again, Daniel doubled up and dove back for the bottom of the pond...looking for a likely victim. Ronon quickly followed him under to see what he was going to do.

Evan grinned, keen to make his own entrance now that the Colonel had literally tested the waters. Deciding on a different approach to the other two men he backed up a couple of steps and then strode forward, leaping off the edge and then holding his legs tight to his chest all the way down. When he hit the water the resulting splash was large enough to shower Sheppard with more than a few drops. Lorne grinned, well pleased with himself. Before his CO could retaliate Evan took a deep breath and then dived down to the bottom of the pool. When he resurfaced moments later he was on the other side, closer to the waterfall.

"Nice one, Major," John said, one eye closed against the dousing he'd gotten. "You'll pay for that later," he grinned and then headed under to find Jackson and Dex.

"You're all insane," Rodney muttered as he pulled his computer off his back with a rip and settled down comfortably with his back against a tree. "You don't know what's in there." But he did snicker at Lorne's cannonball.

Daniel's underwater exploration took him toward the rocks tumbling into the wide pool near the base of the waterfall. During his progress, he had had to surface twice for air. Instinct proved him right as the silver-quick glimmer of a trout-like fish caught his eye. Swimming closer, he could see another, more sheltered pool amidst the rocks. Easing slowly to the surface, he slid out of the water, across the rocks and into the thigh deep pool just beyond, totally intent on his activity now. Daniel often joked with Jack regarding the art of fishing, yet it was another survival skill he had picked up while living and doing field work prior to joining the SGC.

Fish, or trout, tickling was mostly associated with a trick poachers had learned during the lean, depression era of 1930s Earth. Poaching by tickling meant that they did not have to carry any paraphernalia with them that would alert rangers or the police to their activities. Yet the skill had its origins steeped in antiquity. As early as 230 AD, Aelian...a Greek naturalist...had written of men using the method of stroking a fish and lulling it for easy capture.

Easing his hand into the water as he spied a large trout, Daniel began stroking his long fingers along the fish's underside. Not used to humans at all, it was far less wary than its Earth side cousins. In seconds, it had gone into an almost trance-like state and Daniel was able to swoop down with his other hand and hook the unwary fish out of the water. He held onto it for a moment, assessing its overall size and health before gently releasing it with his well wishes that it should avoid larger fish.

With his personal mission accomplished, Daniel looked up and around for his companions...more than willing to teach them the skill or just hang out and enjoy the beautiful day.

Ronon had followed him and was leaning over a rock to watch. He grinned as Daniel came up with a fish. "How'd you do that?" he asked.

Sheppard popped up from under the surface a few yards short of Ronon and asked, "What's he got back there?"

"Oh, just another smaller pool. He's catching fish with his bare hands," Ronon answered over his shoulder.

"Tell him to bring some ashore, we can have fillets for dinner," John grinned. He loved fresh food - fresh anything, fruit, veggies, meat, fish. It was all good.

Daniel grinned, quietly enjoying the day, his friends, and the time to exercise really old skills. "On Earth, it's called tickling, Ronon. It's a very old skill used by hunters from centuries ago. It was also used in more recent times for illegal poaching and is actually illegal in some parts of the country I come from," he explained to the Satedan, keeping the explanation brief so he would not lose the big man's attention. "One thing we've learned at the SGC, fish are almost always safe for human consumption no matter the planet...that's less true with farmed goods or wild vegetation."

He indicated for Ronon to ease into the pool beside him and to stay quiet and still until the large trout settled again. Ronon took his cue and pulled himself over the rock and lowered himself gracefully into the pool with nary a ripple in his wake.

After that, Daniel patiently showed the Satedan warrior how to lull the fish of his choice into a trance-like quiescent state until he could move with his other hand and hook the fish out of the water. Being naturally graceful and adept as a warrior, Ronon seemed to catch on quickly. Thus began Daniel's first lesson on living off the land...or water in this case...with nothing but your skills to aid you.

"Hey that's pretty cool," John mentioned from his new perch atop the rock Ronon had vacated. "Lorne! Come check this out," he said, calling out to the major.

Lorne had been floating off by himself, just enjoying the cool sensation of the water and the peaceful surrounds. At his CO's request Evan turned and ducked back under the water. Swimming strongly it took a few seconds for him to cross the pool and re-emerge below his CO's perch.

"Check what out Sir?" Evan asked curiously, treading water.

"This," he said, gesturing to the other side of the rocks where Daniel and Ronon were standing in the still pool.

Ronon turned to look at him up on the rock. "Why don't you come down here and try it?" he invited then grinned at Daniel.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," John agreed and slid forward on the rock.

"Just do it slowly so you don't scare them," Ronon mentioned as John lowered himself into the water.

"Okay," he said but as his feet set down on the rocks beneath the surface he wasn't quite on them and he slipped. His top half disappeared suddenly and with a bit of a splash. Ronon's posture deflated and his head dropped forward. Letting out a sigh he looked over at Daniel and shook his head as Sheppard popped back up like a Jack-in-the-Box. "Oops," he said with a grin.

"Now we gotta wait! You scared them!" Ronon scolded him.

"So? We wait," John said with a clownish shrug.

Lorne floated in the water for a few moments after the Colonel disappeared, wondering whether it would be worth the effort to pull himself out of the water to see what had the three men so interested ... and so quiet. Finally, when the silence was too much to ignore Evan let out a frustrated groan before swimming to the edge of rocks and moving to push himself upwards and out of the water.

It didn't take too long for the startled fish to return again. They seemed more curious than afraid of the strange legs now peppering their pool. Ronon and Daniel instructed John as they demonstrated the tickling thing and both scooped up a fish with ease. John had to try three different fish because his approach was a bit too fast but he got a good target on the third attempt.

Tickling the fish's belly he got it to relax and scooped it up and out of the water. Unfortunately though he didn't have a grip on it at all as he simply hooked it under the body with his hand and swept it up and out of the water in a wide low arc.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed as the "space trout", as Carson had once tagged it, flew through the air. As they all turned to watch where it would land so they could go save it from the tall grass, Lorne's head came up over the rock where John had been a few minutes before and the fish made a loud *schlop* sound as it slapped the major right in the face. John cringed. "Sorry about that, Major!"

"Uofmph," the sound that escaped Lorne's throat as the fish made contact dead centre with his face defied translation. Losing his grip on the rock because the offending fish wasn't exactly a light weight and had hit him hard, Evan fell back into the main pool and under the surface. Coughing water as he emerged Lorne again grabbed hold of the rock and pulled himself back up. Making eye contact with a repentant looking Colonel Lorne tried for a wry grin.

"Ouch ... Sir," he groaned out, putting a hand to his soon to be visibly bruised face.

"Sorry about that, Major," Sheppard offered again. "I guess that fish really was forlorn. Get it?" he asked looking at Ronon with a smile. "For Lorne? Forlorn?" Ronon stared at Sheppard deadpanned and John's smile faltered and he looked at Daniel with a shrug. "No sense of humour."

Lorne just barely stopped himself from groaning again at Colonel Sheppard's attempted humour. "Does that make him my dinner Sir?" Evan quipped back, finally succeeding in pulling himself out of the water and up on the flat boulder. "That's assuming you can catch him again of course."

"Hey, you want him for dinner ... you catch him," John flipped back with a smirk.

"Yeah, I thought you might say that Sir," Lorne replied with a laugh. "I think I'll pass ... the whole idea of fish tickling isn't as appealing as Daniel might think." Shooting a glance at his team mate, Evan grinned when the other man looked somewhat affronted by that.

"That's enough for me," Sheppard said and made his way out of the tiny pool, leaving Daniel and Ronon to continue as he dove off the rock back into the larger pool. Swimming toward the shore he called out to the others, "Hey, Rodney! Radek! Ladieeeees! Are you coming in or what?"

oOo

Leia Mahanay strode down to the water's edge in a black monokini with a flower on the chest and a see through black sarong tied around her waist. "Sorry! I had to change, then we saw some really big bees over there ...," she explained. "I think Teyla went to see if there's a hive nearby..." Leia reported dutifully as she pulled off the sarong and walked around the water's edge, wondering if she should just jump and go for it or wade a little first.

"Bees?" Radek looked up from his position stretched out under a tree, his expression more than a little interested. "I should give her a hand." Closing his book with a snap and pushing his glasses back up his nose purposefully, Radek jumped up and hurried into the trees in the direction Leia had emerged from. Bees made honey ... and honey could be made into mead ... not that he had an illegal distillery down in the figurative basement ... because that would just be wrong.

Lorne watched Ronon and Daniel with the fish for a few moments before deciding to return to the larger pool. Swimming slowly to the edge he noticed Doctor Mahanay standing there eyeing the water uncertainly. "You need some assistance there Doctor?" he called out. "I'm sure Doctor McKay'll give you a push in the right direction."

Leia looked back in Dr. McKay's direction. "No, no... I'll manage on my own," she said as she backed up and took off at a sprint, jumping into the water and splashing towards the shore and drenching Lorne as he floated along.

The splash didn't even come close to Rodney, but he still drew his legs up and crouched over his laptop to protect it. "Hey!" He shook a finger towards her. "I am perfectly fine being dry, thank you very much." He scooched around the tree so he was a little more protected by the trunk, and soon enough was typing away as if nothing had happened.

Turning his attention back to Colonel Sheppard, Lorne decided a little bit of mischief might be in order. Swimming over to his CO he made a production out of looking into the water worriedly, turning back and forth a couple of times hoping the Colonel would pick up what he was doing.

John looked over at Evan and then looked away only to look back again. He watched Lorne looking into the water and turning in a circle. John frowned a bit and looked down into the water too. He glanced at Lorne and then back down into the water again, wondering what he was looking for.

Leia came to the surface, pushing her hair back and looked around suspiciously, wondering what they weren't telling her.

"There's something alive down here," Evan grinned as he delivered the line as he remembered it.

John looked up from the water with a scrunched expression and saw Lorne's grin. Huh? He looked back into the water and then the comment caused a movie scene to flash in his head. John grinned at Lorne with a crooked smile and said in an obvious Han Solo impersonation, "It's your imagination, Kid."

Leia frowned and got the reference. She snickered softly, wondering if she would welcome to join in.

"Something just moved past my leg!" Lorne continued, trying not to laugh. "Look!" He pointed into the water. "Did you see that?"

"What??" Sheppard/Solo exclaimed and then John sank down under the water and grabbed Lorne's leg, pulling him under the surface. They struggled for a moment, before John let him go and they both surfaced, shook out their hair and laughed with a high five before John chose yet another scene and turned to "Princess" Leia as he pointed a finger at Mahanay with a twinkle in his eye.

"Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight! I take orders from one person! Me!" John remarked again as Han Solo as he and Major Lorne began tossing out lines from one of Sheppard's favourite movies ever.

"It's a wonder you're still alive!" Leia quoted. "Will someone get this big walking carpet out of my way!" she exclaimed and John smiled huge at her. This was good.

"This is Red Five; I'm going in!" Lorne quipped randomly before diving beneath the surface. Reappearing a short distance away Evan trode water and added an ending with an expectant look at his CO. "I got a little cooked, but I'm okay."

Sheppard changed tactics as he lay back in the water so casually one would think he was born in a lake. He twisted his naturally odd voice a bit in order to make Yoda's quotes come to sparkling life as he closed his eyes against the bright sun.

"Anger, fear, aggression... the dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."

"Master, moving stones around is one thing. This is totally different." Evan shot back, really getting into the spirit of their little quote swapping session.

"No! No different. Size matters not... judge ME by my size, do you?" John returned and then broke character long enough to add, "That's a myth by the way. Every man is judged by size." Grinning he floated along and then continued.

"When 900 years you reach, look as good, you will not," the Master Jedi spoke from John's mouth. Then he rolled over and dove under the surface, swimming in a large circle he came up on the other side of Lorne.

"I can't do it, Artoo. I can't go on alone," Lorne tried to put a mournful edge in his voice, difficult when he was trying not to laugh at the image he had in his head of Colonel Sheppard dressed as a little green nine hundred year old alien.

As John surfaced again, he tilted his head down and changed his voice yet again, sounding much like an older British gentleman he looked at Evan closely and told him as if instructing him, "Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our own point of view."

"You can either profit by this... or be destroyed! It's your choice," Lorne took delight in throwing in one of the more commanding Skywalker lines. Keeping it to just Luke made sense - Evan had nowhere near the Colonel's talent for changing up his voice. "But I warn you not to underestimate my powers."

"The circle is now complete," John stated, breathing as if he was wearing an invisible respirator. "When I left you I was but the learner, now I am the master." He paused a moment and seemed thoughtful, then said quietly aloud but still an attempt at Darth Vader. "You cannot escape your destiny...." he looked over at Lorne then up at Rodney thoughtfully.

"No. You're coming with me," Lorne took the quoting right to the end of the series. "I can't leave you here. I've got to save you." Lorne swam to the edge of the pool and pulled himself back up on the 'recliner' rock, laughing at his own twist to Colonel Sheppard's last line. Especially given the other man's own personal motto - a philosophy Lorne shared ... leave no one behind.

"'Learner' is so not a word," Rodney muttered and continued on his little project after a heavy sigh.

John was grinning at Lorne when Rodney's comment caught his attention and turned his grin into a full-fledged smile and he couldn't help but chuckle.

A moment later Sheppard tossed the grin to Lorne again and lay on his back, kicking softly to drive himself across the lake again with a smile on his face. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and when he glanced in that direction he faltered briefly.

Teyla had decided to join in the swimming after all and was just stepping up onto a rock when she heard the last of the exchange. She was wearing a two piece suit Lt. Cadman had brought back from Earth with her - she thought it would complement Teyla's colouring and Teyla had to agree. The top was a short tank, the bottoms modest, but it was the colour that was striking. It was a bright peach that made her skin glow. She dove in, and when she came up near John she let out a surprised gasp as she pushed hair away from her face. "This is not ... refreshing."

John's smile was nearly splitting his face as he pulled his feet down to stand up in surprise as the half-clad Athosian beauty surfaced right beside him. "It is to me... especially right now," he stated.

Lorne watched from his perch on the rocks as Teyla appeared ... looking beyond attractive in her Earth bikini. Not that Evan would comment on that aloud ... he had more sense than that. Lying back on the surprisingly comfortable rock he closed his eyes and let the sun dry and warm him. Now this was the life.

Teyla flicked water at John before hyperventilating several times and ducked under the surface. John lay back again to float on the surface, soaking up the sun's rays. Almost a full minute later she surfaced behind him and dunked him. When he escaped her clutches the chase began and the two teammates delighted in the play-filled down time.

1330 Hours | Lantea II Mainland, Waterfall Pool

With Ronon's help, and periodic aid from Sheppard, enough fish were taken to ensure a good mid-day meal for everyone. Since Daniel had not thought to bring anything with him for stringing the fish, it took a couple of trips to and from the shore to ferry the catch over. He moved downstream before settling to quickly and efficiently clean their catch for cooking. Once again over twelve years in the field had taught Daniel to be prepared for almost anything which meant including the small kit he kept for cooking. Sharp cleaning and deboning knives, a few dried herbs, some mild spices, and aluminium foil.

In a matter of minutes, he had a small fire pit ready and the fish sprinkled lightly with a few savoury herbs and spices, wrapped first in some broad moisture bearing palm-like leaves that had been tested for toxins when the Athosians were settled on the mainland, and then wrapped in foil and set amongst the coals of the fire. After all of that was done, he cleaned up the area where he had prepared the fish, and then he disappeared back into the pool to wash the fish off himself before heading into the trees where he had left his clothing to redress.

With the camp chores behind him, Daniel found a spot under the trees where he could relax and record the day's events and observations in his journal...as well as keep an eye on their lunch.

John came over after dropping an armload of wood by the fire and sat down near Daniel. He grinned when Jackson looked up at him. "Fun day, huh?" he asked, hoping Daniel was enjoying the free for all. "Look... I feel kind of bad that we left your discovery behind. If you want, when we get back, I can set up another trip out here for you and your culture teams to come back."

Daniel looked at John for a few moments, a tad surprised that he was revisiting the discovery of the bunker he and Lorne had literally found by accident earlier in the day. He pointed at his pack, "I recorded some video as we made our way out. I'll review it and if anything seems worth a second expedition, I'll petition for one. On first look and examination, I don't think it will reveal much beyond maybe who its builders were. It was very reminiscent of some Earth side covert listening posts that I visited during some training exercises and a couple of times when they needed a linguistics expert for deciphering code that was used a couple of dead languages...anyway...too much information there..." The older man grinned, "And yes, I am thoroughly enjoying the day. I didn't realize how much I'd missed SG-1's casual get-togethers and jaunts until today. Thank you again for inviting me along."

John smiled and gave him a nod, glad to find out that he hadn't spoiled the archaeologist's day after all. "You're welcome. It's nice having you and the team along. We don't get enough down time on Atlantis... at least not "organically" as Teyla usually puts it."

"Yes, this is much more enjoyable and relaxing than being in the infirmary," Teyla said. She dropped her pack and vest near the fire and carefully sat her P90 on top and within reaching distance. She had changed back to her dry clothes, and as she settled gracefully onto the ground she smiled warmly at Daniel. "I am pleased you joined us today as well, Dr. Jackson." She tilted her head towards the fire. "I cannot wait to try those - it smells wonderful." She started combing her fingers through her wet hair. "By the way, John, when I passed Rodney, he was asleep. I believe all this fresh air has worn him out." Her expression was concerned, but her eyes were sparkling.

John grinned and said, "Knowing Rodney, he'll complain that he's allergic to fresh air."

"Thank-you, Teyla...and please...just make it Daniel," Daniel responded pleasantly, looking over to the lovely Athosian.

Although it would have been easy to while away the rest of the afternoon dozing beside the pool, Evan roused himself to leave the tranquillity of sun bathing and return to the rest of the group. Gathering his gear and heading into the trees, he appeared a few minutes letter dressed and more than ready to try some of the lunch Daniel and the others had been slaving over.

"Mmmm," Evan commented as he put his pack aside and dropped down to the ground next to Daniel. "Smells like lunch is almost ready." Glancing over at his CO and then back to Daniel, Lorne grinned. "Did you manage to catch the fish that did this," he asked, gesturing to the bruises he knew were starting to appear on his face. "I think some retribution is overdue."

Teyla squinted at the Major. “You were attacked by a fish?” When Lorne smirked and hooked a thumb towards John, who was busy at the moment studying the ground by his feet, up came the eyebrow again. “You attacked the Major with a fish?”

John shrugged and tried to wear a smug expression as he looked up to answer her. "I am a skilled professional soldier... everything I touch becomes a deadly weapon." He tried to hold that stance but Teyla lowered her chin and raised a delicate but accusing eyebrow that made John deflate. "It was an accident. I'm not much of a fisherman."

"A rather fortuitous accident Sir," Lorne couldn't help but point out teasingly. Turning to Teyla Evan explained. "I might have ... accidently ... splashed Colonel Sheppard during my entry to the pool. If I didn't know better I might suspect a bit of revenge - only this time it's a dish best served with scales."

"'Accidentally'?" Teyla echoed. One corner of her mouth lifted faintly and was matched by the opposite eyebrow as she looked at the Major. "Hmmm." She picked up her canteen and took a drink. "I believe I find John's statement about his skill at fishing much more believable."

"That's not how I recall events," Lorne grinned innocently at Teyla. Playing up on the sympathy angle he prodded at his sore cheek and winced visibly at the pain. "My face should be evidence enough don't you think?"

Teyla leaned forward and made a faint moue of sympathy before reaching over to pat the Major on the arm. Then she settled her gaze on John. "If you could put that much effort into your attacks while sparring, you would be more formidable than Ronon."

"Yeah, maybe so," John replied with a grin as he prepared to take another bite of his fish, "but Ronon doesn't seem to understand the allure of getting your ass kicked by a beautiful woman." He winked at her as he pulled a tender chunk of trout from his leafy wrap.

Teyla lifted both of her eyebrows and for a moment wondered if the warmth she felt in her ears was noticeable. Then she sighed heavily - something she never did until meeting John and the others - and shook her head. "The people from your planet are strange." When she took the last bite of her fish, however, a faint happy smile touched her lips.

"None of them actually confessed to being the one that assaulted you ... therefore I made them all pay with their lives," Daniel grinned at their conversation but responded to Lorne's first comment with a grin as he rolled to his knees, snagged a long stick with a fairly sharp tip, and pocked at the packets of fish. "I think our silver trout should be about ready." It took a careful few moments to extract the packets of cooked fish from amongst the embers.

As everyone gathered around, Daniel distributed the packets of fish along with some more of the palm sized leaves to use as plates. Leaning back against his tree again, Daniel carefully unwrapped his packet and inhaled the subtly spiced aroma. Carefully picking up a bit of the fish with his fingers he took a bite and grinned. The flavour of the fish was very subtle and light, enhanced by the herbs and spices he had rubbed into the meat before cooking it, it was quite tasty. Nodding, Daniel grinned a bit, "I may have outdone myself on this...very good."

Teyla had retrieved Rodney so he wouldn’t miss lunch, and as the still groggy scientist bit into his fish, he made a happy little noise. “Huh. This is good.” He smirked as he chewed and swallowed. “Now, if Ronon had been cooking, we’d all be getting sushi on a stick.” He ignored Ronon’s silent glare. “I’m surprised you didn’t go after one of those silver dog-deers.”

Ronon just stared at Rodney with a level expression and John grinned.

Rodney pointed at John. "Oh, c'mon - admit it. After those things bounded on by you both probably thought, 'I wonder what they taste like?'"

Teyla hid a quiet laugh behind a bite of fish.

Lorne didn't bother to hide his amusement, relaxed enough after such a great day to show some of his enjoyment in both the company and the conversation. "Surely Ronon was too busy speculating on weapon choices to worry about the meal at the end," Evan countered, getting teasing digs in at both the Satedan and his scientist team mate.

"Bet they wouldn't even need ketchup," Rodney added and got the reaction he was looking for as Teyla grimaced.

"How your people can tolerate that...." She made another face and shook her head.

Daniel looked up and grinned from where he semi-reclined beneath a huge shade tree...somewhat similar to Earth's live oaks found in the south-eastern United States...carefully wrapping his second fish, he laid it aside, appetite completely assuaged by the first fish. "We may have to instigate hunting seasons so Ronon can come out and stalk the near-deer." He said, adding his own good-natured teasing of the Satedan.

Ronon looked up with a light shining in his eyes. "Really?" he asked with a bit of anticipation.

John's head bobbed as he tried to answer as he was pushing a fist full of fish into his mouth. "Mmmm! After Radek ruined his last hunting trip...." John mumbled around a mouthful, receiving a bit of a glare from Zelenka for bringing up that incident again.

"That was awful," Ronon grumbled, shifting his butt on the ground to fold his legs up Indian-style. "I ever agree to something like that again... shoot me."

John chuckled, knowing he'd trigger that precise response. He tossed a small grin to Radek as if challenging him to take up the mantel.

Radek glared back at John, raising his chin. "I claim amnesia, gentlemen," he said firmly. "I do not --- and never shall --- recall this incident you are speaking of."

"Sure you don't Doc," Lorne teased his friend with a faint smirk. Finishing up his own meal Evan rose to his feet and moved through the group gathering up empty 'plates' and just generally taking on clean up duties. He'd relaxed in the sun while others had prepared the food so it only seemed fair that he do something else to contribute.

"I hate to leave this place," he commented as he passed Colonel Sheppard. "Are you sure we have to return to Atlantis today Sir?"

"Yep, sorry, Major. But we can always come back another day," Sheppard assured him. He looked at his watch and made a surprised expression. "Geez, it's later than I thought. We got a bit of a hike back... we should get a move on as soon as we're all finished eating."

Leia had been quiet, just enjoying the day and the weather outside, her mind churning with half a dozen other things as she watched and soaked in the scene. She finished off her fish, which ended up tasting excellent. Leia yawned and stretched. "Unfortunately, I have to return. Otherwise, I'd be right with you, Major."

John grinned at her. "Don't worry, Doc. We'll get everyone back before dark."

oOo

John Sheppard was as good as his word. Within the next hour they had packed up and started the trek back to the Puddle Jumper. The walk back was done at an amiable pace with the group breaking into twos and threes to talk and share the day’s experiences with one another.

The point and rear guard positions were frequently changed out giving the members of the unofficial expedition a change to lead or trail the group and to socialize with different persons from time to time.

When not doing duty time on point or bringing up the team’s six, Daniel continued recording the various flora and fauna they encountered. It kept him busy and pretty much out of trouble.

According to the planned schedule, they reached the Puddle Jumper in good time...well before dark. It took a few minutes to stow everyone’s gear and give Sheppard and Lorne time to sort out who was flying and who was taking second seat. Everyone else gratefully collapsed in the remaining front seats or benches along the back.

Soon enough they were airborne and skimming towards Atlantis. It was dusk as they began their descent and the city’s lights were just winking on making her look like a jewel riding the sea’s waves. Shortly after that the Puddle Jumper was easing into its place in the Bay and it’s ramp lowering for its content but weary passengers.

It had been a good day, Daniel thought as everyone grabbed their gear, thanked John for putting the expedition together and scattered for the evening. Daniel paused as well to sincerely thank the younger man before grabbing his gear bag and heading off to clean up and relax for the rest of the evening.

With the last of her stray chicks home for the night, Atlantis seemed to sigh in contentment as she welcomed them home and enfolded them for safe keeping for the night.

Chapter 06: First Date
Thursday, 12^th March | 1900 Hours | Sam's Quarters to Club Thirty-Nine

Daniel took another deep breath and stopped outside Sam's quarters' door. This was not totally planned out and he was as nervous as a high school boy on his first date. He kept telling himself that the worst thing that would happen is that Sam would say no and he would go home, change out of his black dinner suit and tie and die of humiliation. Okay...maybe that was a tad dramatic.

Glancing down at the sequin bag of roses that he had had made specifically for this event, Daniel sighed. Straightening, he brushed his hand over the door chime before grinning nervously and looking down at the flowers as he waited for Sam.

For Sam it was the end of a busy work day. It hadn't been a draining sort of day, but neither was it overly fulfilling. It was...simply a day. She smiled as she slid out of her uniform jacket. The quiet kind of day. Or, in her own opinion, the good kind, especially when one compared it to a busy day in Pegasus.

Sam stretched and looked around her quarters while she thought about what she could spend the remainder of the evening doing. There was paperwork to be done, but it wasn't so backlogged that it couldn't wait another evening. She was contemplating curling up with a book when the door chimed. Her brows lifted, a little in surprise, but mostly in question. An emergency would have been patched through the radio comms. Work would have been sent via email or instant message through her computer. She glanced at it, the screensaver was still bouncing around the otherwise dark screen. More curious than anything, she walked over and opened the door.

"Daniel." She drew back, a little surprised. Not at his presence, but rather at his appearance. Her eyes quickly swept over him, taking in the suit and the flowers. A grin curved her lips. "What's the occasion? Wait, don't tell me." Mischief came quickly, setting her blue eyes to sparkling. "Vala finally talked you into a date and you're here so I can talk you out of it," she teased.

Daniel had to work at not flushing and looked everywhere except at Sam. What had he been thinking? Asking Sam out on a date..As if! Yet here he was and somewhere his mind nudged him with nothing ventured, nothing gained. If he did not make an effort, Daniel would always wonder what could have been.

He finally raised his eyes to meet hers and gave a slight, choked cough before taking the plunge, "Uh no...actually..." Daniel paused and took a deep breath before extending his hand with the sequined bag of roses, "these are for you, Sam. I came to ask you to dinner...at the Thirty-Nine. I know it's a work night...we can make it an early evening."

There was no disguising the combination of trepidation and hope in Daniel's quiet voice. He looked at his shoes for a moment before meeting her eyes yet again, "Truth is, Sam, I've missed you and I was hoping you would consider a date...tonight...with me..."

"A date?" Her brows shot up in surprise. "With me?" She grinned at him, almost wondering if it were a joke. "You're asking me on a date," she repeated, trying to wrap her mind around it. "I see..." Of course she wanted to say yes, but at the same time she wasn't entirely certain of his motivations. "Daniel, maybe you'd better come inside." She stepped back, ushering him in.

"Does this have anything to do with the incident that occurred while Dr. Weir was occupying your mind? You do realise you needn't feel obligated to try and..." She gestured with her hands, just looking for the correct phrasing. "You don't have to humour me."

Oh lord! Daniel thought, Here it comes...Sam's about to tell me how flattered she is but she doesn't feel that way. He took a deep breath as he stepped inside and allowed the door to close while trying to decide what to say to her. Daniel's first instinct was to back-peddle, give her the flowers and flee before his humiliation was complete. His earlier thoughts of nothing ventured, nothing gained jostled up against sometimes not knowing was better than knowing.

For several moments Daniel looked everywhere but at Sam as he tried to make the words come out right. Being a linguist did not always mean knowing exactly what needed to be said or how to say it. Finally, he looked at Sam as she stood there waiting for his answer. He tried to read her face or her eyes, but her usually open and animated expression seemed closed and guarded.

Finally, Daniel made his decision, hoping desperately that this would not put paid to the friendship he had shared with Sam for so long. Losing that as well as having to face that she would never love him would probably be the one thing that would drive him out of the Stargate program.

Awkwardly, Daniel set the bag of roses on a nearby table as Sam had made no move to take them from him. Turning to face Sam, Daniel spoke very softly, his usual certainty of speech absent, each word carefully weighed before being issued, "Sam...truth is..." he took a deep breath, "truth is that the kiss Dr. Weir initiated only stirred up feelings I've tried for years to keep at bay. I've done my damnedest to not love you or at least to convince myself that I didn't love you that way."

Daniel's voice faltered. This was so much harder than facing down an enemy or even dying..."So...there it is. I'm bypassing courtship entirely and going straight to I love you. I'd like a chance to spend time with you, to see if you could ever feel the same." He hesitated one last time before going on, "Sam...if you don't think there's a chance or if I've totally destroyed our friendship with this ... confession ... tell me and I'll request that Jack transfer me back to the SGC or I'll resign from the program if that's not possible. I can go on as is...unless I've lost everything."

Sam reached out and pressed her fingers against his lips, stopping him. She smiled in a combination of amusement and affection. "You're not transferring anywhere," she said gently, "and I'm certainly not going to let you resign. Daniel..." Sam shook her head at him, then she reached forward and slipped her arms around his neck. She hugged him. "You are my dearest friend," she said softly. When she pulled back, it was to cup his face between her hands. "I told myself a very long time ago that loving you would only hurt what we had. I really wish you'd told me sooner, but I am... unbelievably glad that you told me now." She leaned forward, kissing him gently. When she pulled away, she was smiling. "I'll get changed. Don't go anywhere."

Daniel's mind whirled between the kiss and Sam's sweetly passionate confession. Sam was glad. Sam was GLAD that he had confessed his feelings for her. Of all the possible scenarios...this one had simply not occurred to the archaeologist. He had hoped...of course...but never imagined it would happen. He watched Sam leave the room still reeling from the feel of her lips and her words. For once, Daniel Jackson who had one of the greatest commands of language in two galaxies was stunned to silence.

The Colonel slipped into the small bedroom. Once the door was closed she leaned back against it and let out a small sigh. "Wow." After a moment, a grin split her face. She pushed away from the door and strode to the closet. With Daniel waiting, she didn't dally for very long. She flipped through the selections of casual attire she brought with her and finally settled on a soft, blue sweater and a matching floral skirt that would fall in gentle folds to her knees. She changed quickly, freshening up and brushing out her hair. She made a few minor touch-ups to her face before sliding her feet into a pair of strappy pumps with a modest heel.

She stepped out of the room a moment later to smile at him. "Ready."

Daniel stared at Sam, eyes wide with admiration. She looked simply radiant and if he had doubted she was anything other than truthful about her feelings...those doubts fled as he looked into her glimmering blue eyes. He smiled, "I must be the luckiest man in two galaxies." Leaning forward he brushed her lips with almost a shy kiss before reaching for one of the roses and handing it to her before escorting her out of the apartment.

1900 Hours | Club Thirty-Nine

John sat on the terrace just outside the club room watching as the last of the glow of the setting sun disappeared beneath the horizon. He grinned and sipped his beer and rest his head back in the lounge chair to now look back up at the twin moons that hung overhead.

He loved this place, this city, this planet, this galaxy. With all its dangers and mysteries there was still nowhere else he'd choose to be. The one thing he would wish for if he was asked to pick something would be that Elizabeth were back to share the balcony with him at this moment. Instead he took a slow deep breath and let it out, relaxing even more as he took another swig from the bottle. Nothing beats a warm night and a cold beer.

There were only a handful of people at the Club tonight, at least right now, so the sounds from inside were barely noticeable. However, whenever the entry door was opened he'd turn in curiosity, just wondering if Ronon or Teyla or McKay would find him... and if they did, hopefully, it would be just to visit and not for an emergency of some sort.

Leia Mahanay strode out to the terrace, finding Colonel Sheppard there. She gave him a smile. "Colonel. May I join you?" she asked, holding her bottle of beer and taking a drink.

John looked over his shoulder in surprise and grinned. "Dr. Mahanay... yeah sure. Take a load off," he grinned and gestured to the other lounger nearby. "Nice night. So peaceful..." he commented as she settled in and took another swig.

His eyes slid to her, unsure of what to say. He didn't know her all that well and his social skills left a lot to be desired. "So, umm... how's it going?" he asked and then the sound of the entry opening again caught his ear. John turned to glance over his shoulder again as he peered around the door frame. He did a bit of a double take when he saw Dr. Jackson and Colonel Carter walk in looking like they were dressed to kill. "Damn..." he muttered. He gave himself an eyeful and then turned back around to look out over the ocean... he'd have to give this one some thought. Later.

"Thank you, Colonel. I appreciate it," she said, taking a seat and relaxing with him. "That it is... the views alone make everything completely worth it," Leia told Sheppard as he struggled to make conversation. She knew it was pretty straightforward of her, but she refused to back down. "It's going very well, thank you, Colonel. I'm hoping Dr. Weir is able to return," she told him as she watched Dr. Jackson stroll in with Colonel Carter. Her eyes blazed for a brief moment before she got herself under control. "I was curious... if you don't mind me asking, but what sort of woman is Dr. Weir like? You've served under her... was she a difficult taskmaster?" Leia asked, trying to bottle up the intense feelings stirred by seeing Daniel with Colonel Carter.

John was surprised by the question, that was one he hadn't been expecting but then again he really hadn't known what to expect. "Well... ummm... Elizabeth's a... dedicated... focused... ummm..." John's expression screwed up as he tried to put it into words. He pushed himself up a bit straighter in the chair and cocked his head a bit. "Well, 'Lizabeth is... professional... and... wwwwwell, she can be a bit... pushy," his grin seemed more like a grimace though.

Leia ducked her head to hide a quick grin and then looked at him patiently, seeing the struggle to describe her.

"Look, I don't really know what to expect... for you... or me. She's been gone a long time..." he told her and chewed on his bottom lip as his thoughts turned to more serious things. Then he realized he'd lost his train of thought and glanced at Leia. She was still looking at him patiently. "Look. 'Lizabeth is a fair boss... taskmaster, if you like. She's hardworking, and focused... but she's fair... and she listens." His eyes darted about as he glanced back at her a few times and then swallowed. He left the ball in her court because he didn't know where to really go with it.

She nodded, drinking a swig of her beer. "I really appreciate you being honest with me," Leia told him. "I had heard from several other people, people that had worked with her before what she was like, but in our respective field, you never quite get the real story," she explained, being candid with him. "Mostly because you never know who you might be working with at your next post, but hearing that from you... makes me look forward to meeting her, perhaps even working with her. Again, I appreciate this very much, Colonel. Thank you," she told him with a smile, her eyes drifting towards where Dr. Jackson and Colonel Carter were sitting.

John grinned at her thanks, then noticed her looking toward Carter and Jackson. "What about you? How are you finding your stay here?" he asked.

Leia blinked, realizing that she'd been caught. She recovered and smiled at him. "I love each and every minute, Colonel. Nothing on Earth tops this... Nothing. This is the most fantastic place I have ever been," she said, looking up towards the sky.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," John agreed. His thoughts went back to many Earthly memories and his expression went wistful before shaking himself from his past and taking a sip from the bottle. His eyes slid to her as he wondered where to take the conversation from here.

Leia managed to keep the smirk off her face. She knew what Atlantis meant to the man. Had read all sorts of interesting things about Lt. Colonel John Sheppard. "You're not quite what I expected, Colonel," she said. "From the stories that the Marines tell the newbies, I figured you were larger than life..." Leia said, grinning at him.

Almost without hesitation he replied with a grin, "I am, I just rein it in when I'm with new people." He sat there for a moment grinning then his brow furrowed a bit and he looked at her. "What stories are the marines telling??" he asked.

Leia laughed. "Oooh, now it all makes sense," she said, amused. "There was one about how you single-handedly repelled an invasion of Wraith, using only duct tape and a screwdriver. Also, that your hair reflects your moods and if you see it lay flat, then it's Armageddon," she told him, her eyes shining with mirth.

John couldn't help but smile with a bit of colour rising in his cheeks. "Well I think they've been embellishing a bit. I also had a hammer and a length of rope. But the hair part is the truth," he assured her with a grin and a serious glint in his eye.

Leia grinned at him, playing along. "Like Charles Bronson, you always need a length of rope. I figured they were embellishing a bit when they didn't mention that," she said. "I will be sure to keep an eye on your hair from now on, Colonel. Just in case," Leia took a long drink of her beer and looked at him with an amused look in her eye. "There was also the one about a planet you and your team visited where the grass was sentient and wanted you crowned their Emperor because of the way the wind moved," she said, mock seriously.

John couldn't help but chuckle openly on that one. Placing the back of his hand against his lips to keep the swig of beer he'd just taken from escaping in a geyser as her comment got a laugh out of him. It felt good to laugh again, he realized.

When he stopped chuckling and was able to swallow the mouthful of brew, he settled back in the chair and let out a long breath. "Thanks... I needed that," he said, still grinning.

Leia giggled and smiled at him as she finished her beer. "You're welcome," she said, rising to her feet. "Have a good night, Colonel. Perhaps I can tell you more of the stories I've heard another time," she offered with a bright grin.

"I look forward to hearing them, Doctor. Good night," he offered to her with a smile and she turned and walked back into the club area, leaving him to his thoughts under the twin moons.

oOo

Daniel paused in the doorway of the club, glancing briefly at the stunningly beautiful woman at his side. He knew they needed to talk, but for the moment he just wanted to revel in being with her. Placing his hand at the small of her back, he guided her toward a relatively private booth along one glass wall that gave a view of the ocean. Seeing her seated, he ordered a bottle of good red wine before settling in the curve of the booth, close but not too close to her.

Sudden shyness hit him and Daniel glanced down at the wine glass that he twirled gently in his long fingers, "Wow...I...Sam..." He stopped and grinned...sure that his Science Twin would complete the thought.

"I know." She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "We don't have to discuss everything at once. It's a lot to take in." She grinned at him. "At least for me. Let's allow ourselves to enjoy the moment. The conversation will come."

Daniel kept the conversation light and inconsequential as servers came and went, getting their orders and bringing Mac's nightly on the house appetizer. Tonight's offering was roasted garlic deep fried mushrooms with a cilantro ranch dipping sauce. Once their orders were placed and they could relax, he decided to venture into deeper waters...although, like Sam, he felt like after all this time, they really didn't need to rush.

He looked at her, smiling slightly, "You told me in your quarters that I didn't have to humour you over the kiss." Daniel reached out and took one of her hands, "I want you to know before we venture any further with this...whatever this is...I would never try to humour you in that manner...over anything that serious. So...while Elizabeth initiated that physical contact as a desperate effort to ground me in the real world...it most likely was based on things she saw while lurking in my subconscious. I'm sure I wasn't one-hundred percent successful in hiding all my personal feelings from her."

"It isn't necessarily that I believed you would lead me on, even to do so because you felt it would be kinder." Sam looked down at their joined hands for a moment, smiling. "I just thought for a moment that you were trying to spare my feelings, let me down easily. Up to then, I was living with the knowledge that what I felt would never be returned. It's good to know that isn't true." She turned her hand over in his, and her fingers stroked along the long, graceful lines of his hand. "There is a conversation that we're going to need to have, but not tonight."

Daniel looked over at her, allowing the very rare and very special smile he reserved for a few people to show. He delighted in her touch on his hand, noting once again that for all her strength and military training, she had remarkably delicate and feminine hands. "There are probably several conversations we need to have," he replied, "but tonight...tonight we just enjoy one another's company. Now that we've made it this far, there is time for the rest."

Sam smiled back at him. Movement caught the corner of her eye and she glanced around discreetly. "Daniel..." She leaned toward him. "We have an audience," she said in a low voice.

Following Sam's lead, Daniel swept his eyes around the room as if just taking in the view. He spotted John on the balcony but only because of Dr. Mahanay's movement as she took her leave of the colonel. Daniel was torn between acknowledging John and inviting him over or simply keeping Sam's company to himself. In the end he decided to give the other man a nod and smile but keep this <i>first date</i> private.

"Does that bother you? It's only going to escalate if...if we decide to continue seeing one another because I am not going to sneak or try to hide it. Conduct ourselves with decorum befitting your rank and my status as a Director yes...but I'm not ashamed of how I feel," Daniel responded.

"No, that doesn't bother me," she told him. "But I do find it amusing."

Daniel chuckled softly, "It is amusing." He broke off as the server appeared with their orders and carried off the appetizer tray.

oOo

The rest of the evening had gone smoothly. Daniel had expected some initial awkwardness between himself and Sam as their role shifted from best friends to something more. That had not happened, however, and the two had spent an enjoyable evening at the Thirty-Nine...dining, dancing some, talking, and learning a new aspect of one another.

It was after nine pm when Daniel and Sam finished a last, slow dance and he suggested they call the evening quits as the next day was an on-duty day for both of them. He settled their tab and then with arms linked companionably together they strolled from the club and back to Sam's quarters.

During their walk, they passed a few members of the expedition who glanced at them. Some smiled, some looked curious, others simply pretended not to see the couple. Daniel simply smiled over at Sam and squeezed her hand where it lay linked through his arm. This part was going to take some time to get used to for them and those around them. They might even be questioned from the higher-ups once their relationship progressed and became more public. In their favour was Jack O'Neill's support and nearly twelve years of working together. Their professional relationship would not change despite possibly facing some hard decisions should one of them be in danger in the future.

At Sam's door, the first hint of awkwardness emerged. Despite her warm and passionate kiss earlier when Daniel had confessed feeling more for her, deciding on a good night kiss or not proved problematical. Finally, blue eyes dancing with mischief, Sam simply waved her door open and dragged Daniel inside. Closing the door, she took the initiative and moved close pulling his head down into a warm, passionate kiss. Daniel responded, wrapping his arms around her and losing himself in the kiss and the warmth of his feelings for her.

When they finally stepped apart, their slight awkwardness seemed to simply dissipate. Sam lingered for a moment, placing her hand gently alongside Daniel's face and smiled before giving him a push toward her kitchen and instructing him to fix her a cup of tea and to get himself something while she changed into more comfortable clothing.

Daniel did as he was instructed and when Sam returned clad in loose sweats and an old USAF sweat shirt, he had shed his dinner jacket and tie and was sitting on the small sofa with tea for both of them. Sam picked up her cup and curled up next to him...and they settled in to talk.

There were lots of topics they left untouched for the moment, simply sorting out their feelings for one another and how long each had carried those feelings locked deep inside for fear of ruining the relationship they had. It was several cups of tea later and after two sleepy yawns that they glanced at their watches with audible gasps of amazement.

This time it was Daniel who pulled Sam into a tender, loving embrace before kissing her very gently and thoroughly. Reluctantly releasing her, he stood and gathered his coat and tie and said good night. They agreed to meet for breakfast the next morning before Daniel slid out the door and headed for his quarters feeling alive and whole again for the first time since losing Sha're.

Chapter 07 | The Shape of Tomorrow
Friday 13^th March | 1300 Hours | Command Center | Daniel's Office/Lab

Friday morning had kept Daniel busy and it did not help that he was groggy from lack of sleep due to his date with Sam that had gone on into the wee hours of the morning as they talked about...everything. Their breakfast meeting had been a bit harried as both had gotten a late start that morning and a discreet kiss exchanged in one of Atlantis' many alcoves had been the only reminder of the evening before as they separated to go to their day's duties. It had, therefore, been with a bit of surprise and trepidation that he read an e-mail from her at around 1100 requesting her command staff and department directors to report to her promptly at 1300.

Daniel's worst fears were not realized, however, as the meeting had just been Sam's way of letting all of them know that Dr. Weir would be arriving back on Atlantis via Stargate on Monday. She had also informed them that starting Monday, Daniel's department would be split in two with Elizabeth taking on the role of Director of Diplomatic Services as well as Team Leader for the Diplomatic Operations off world team. The formal memo to the entire base was in Daniel's e-mail when he arrived back in his office/lab at around 1330.

He took his seat with a sigh and looked at the mountain of paperwork on his desk, a significant portion of which now needed notating and put aside to be handed to Dr. Weir on Monday. Daniel saw a long weekend of working in his future. Delaying the inevitable for a few more moments, he made a fresh pot of coffee before starting in on his own memo requesting a staff meeting later in the day so he could deliver the few public details Sam had given him in person. He also needed to let Dr. Mahanay know that, as of Monday, she would be reporting to someone else. Pouring a cup of coffee, he settled in to compose a letter to his staff and get a meeting set up before the end of the day.

Sheppard had left the meeting and, for whatever reason, had gone straight up to the Jumper Bay. He watched some of the techs and mechanics overhauling one of the shuttlecrafts for a little bit and then his thoughts had gone to Elizabeth's return. It was going to be a long weekend, he knew, as he waited again in anticipation for her return.

John's thoughts went back over the brief meeting they'd just had with Sam and his brow furrowed with a thought. He left the techs to continue their work without his hovering and headed back down the stairs. He headed for Dr. Jackson's lab and office and found him right where he'd expected to find him.

Knocking on the door frame, as the door stood open, "Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel looked up with an affable smile and gestured for John to enter, "Only if you make it Daniel," he reminded the other man. Spinning his desk chair around he poured two cups of coffee and slid one cup towards the comfortable guest chair across from his work station followed by setting a small tray that held various sweeteners and a small can of fresh cream. He and John had met on a few occasions in the Mess or in Daniel's office to continue planning the training sessions they had discussed a few weeks back while on an outing to the mainland.

"Daniel," John echoed with a sheepish grin. "Sorry." He offered the apology as he stepped into the room. He'd been asked numerous times to call him by his first name but always seemed to fall back on the more formal address.

"So...what's up? Good news about Dr. Weir's imminent return, huh?" Daniel ventured a guess that that was what was on the younger man's mind as both he and Daniel had been intimately involved in Weir's resurrection into a cloned version of herself.

John chewed his lip a bit at the question and reached for the offered cup. "Thanks," he said, waving off the extras. "Yeah, good news," he returned a bit shakily. "I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about it. It's... been a long time since Elizabeth..... since I've... well, since... it's been a long time." It was obvious that Sheppard was a bit nervous about her return. "So... how are you doing? With the news I mean. You gonna be okay with sharing the department with Elizabeth?"

"Well...it's not so much sharing as splitting." Daniel said and waved at his laptop where it was docked to a larger monitor. "Per these other memos, Cultural Sciences will be split completely away from Diplomatic Services although we'll still work very closely together."

The archaeologist leaned back and considered John's question seriously, "But no...seriously...the news is great, John. I'm assuming that the IOA, SGC, and any and all other government agencies have determined she's really herself with no vestige of nanite infestation or she'd not be returning here."

"Yeah. That's great," John replied.

Daniel paused to sip his coffee, "As far as splitting the department, it only makes sense...right? I'm not a trained diplomat, Elizabeth is and is brilliant at it. I referenced her work when I drafted the first Tok'ra/Human treaty and again when I brokered the Tok'ra, Human, Jaffa alliance. Besides...as a standing member of a team...I'm going to be stretched handling both areas."

John nodded again, sipping his coffee.

There was another long pause before Daniel admitted slowly, "At first...at first when Sam called us in and said it was in regards to Elizabeth's status...I was afraid she'd been recalled to Earth...."

"Yeah," John concurred softly. "I don't think I breathed until we were dismissed," he confided.

Daniel stood up and moved around a bit restlessly, "I know Atlantis was Elizabeth's command first and with her returning it's going to be difficult for those of you that served with her from the beginning." He was trying to choose his words carefully as he did not wish to offend or upset John, but at the same time wanted to express his relief that while Elizabeth was returning, she would not be ousting Sam from command. "It's selfish of me, I know...but I was afraid they were going to take Sam's command away again...and...we're just...I...oh damn... Look, no insult to Elizabeth...she was a great leader here...but I'd far rather lose half a department than Sam."

John listened to Daniel and then sat quietly for a moment. He looked up at the other man with a serious expression. "Elizabeth was the first person to believe in me in a long time. When she asked me to come on this mission she gave me a new start. She gave me something great... and not just Atlantis. She gave me back... well, my career for one." That wasn't what he was going to say but he still had trouble sharing his innermost feelings with others.

"That being said... Elizabeth was never my commanding officer, although she was leader of the expedition and in command for the most part. She's a civilian... and as far as Colonel Carter goes..... well, I've had more respect for her as a commanding officer than any commanding officer I've ever had. I'm proud to be working for her," he told Daniel, nodding as if to confirm his own words.

Then he looked up at Daniel again and added, "And if it comes down to losing Elizabeth as a commander or losing her altogether.... I'd rather she not be in command too." His words felt heavy, almost like a betrayal and he lowered his head. He was being selfish and he knew it. He sipped his coffee and waited for a response to his words.

Daniel responded to John's words with a grin and nodded, "None of this can be easy and yet it should be. The most important thing is that Elizabeth is alive, she is well, whole, and healthy. She may not be returning as the expedition leader but she is returning." Picking up his coffee, he took a couple of sips before blue eyes turned again to meet hazel, "If they get along really well...we're screwed."

John's eyes shifted with that last statement and he raised them to look across the desk at Jackson. He grinned at that last, realizing that was about as close to the truth as they could get. "Oh crap...."

Monday 16^th March | 0800 Hours | Command Centre | Gateroom

Colonel Sheppard showed up in the Gateroom around 0745 for the official greeting of Dr. Elizabeth Weir's return to Atlantis. His appearance in the Gateroom a mere fifteen minutes early had not been his first showing though. Chuck had been on duty since 0600 and first spied the military commander at 0622 hovering on the platform below.

Chuck had watched him from his seat for a few minutes and then the colonel had left and the technician simply shrugged it off as Sheppard doing his military thing when it came to visiting dignitaries or the arrival of new command staff. But when movement below caught his attention again at 0647 and then again at 0712 and then again at 0735... well, it was clear to Chuck, and most of the control room technicians that Atlantis' military commander was simply anxious for the return of their former base commander.

He felt for the guy a bit. If one watched him closely, one moment he wore the professional air of his post and in the next he seemed lost and impatient. Chuck moved to the rail and leaned on his hands, watching Sheppard walk slowly in a circle. When John glanced up at him and stopped, realizing he was being watched, Chuck simply offered him a smile of understanding and a single nod.

Chuck glanced over his shoulder at the two men who had been present since, apparently, before he reported to duty - Rodney and Radek. The two scientists had been running exhaustive diagnostics on the gate controls, their normal snippy asides curiously absent. They were just finishing up, and though both appeared incredibly tired and even somewhat sombre, their eyes betrayed their own anxious excitement.

Sheppard acknowledged that Chuck must feel the same way; he too had worked under Elizabeth those last years. When Chuck went back to his console, John glanced around and checked his watch again with a sigh.

"Good morning Sir," Lorne arrived on the Gateroom floor with a carefully casual air. It hadn't escaped his notice that Colonel Sheppard had gotten progressively more and more edgy as the weekend leading up to Doctor Weir's return had gone on. Not that he made it obvious ... Evan just considered it part of his job as the Colonel's 2IC to understand the things that impacted on his CO to be able to do his own job to the best of his ability.

John spun on his heel to greet Evan. "Hey... morning. Thanks for coming," he offered to Lorne then let out a deep breath he hadn't been aware of holding.

Glancing towards the windows where the view showed a mirror calm brilliant blue ocean sparkling with sunshine, Lorne smiled. "Nice day to welcome Doctor Weir back, isn't it?"

John looked to where Lorne was looking and nodded slightly then said with an afterthought, "Any day would be a nice day when welcoming her back."

"True," Lorne agreed easily, keeping an eye on his CO ... without looking like he was keeping an eye on him.

John looked toward the floor, his face pinched in consternation as the tense minutes passed. He was sure he'd have a stroke before she actually stepped back through. He patted a light sheen of sweat from his forehead with a hanky and let out another loud breath of air.

"Respectfully, Sir," Lorne began, shooting a concerned glance at the Colonel, "you should try to relax at least a little before Doctor Weir gets here ... if this is a big day for you, imagine how much bigger it is for her. She, ah ... she always used to pick up on your emotions, especially the intense ones. No reason to think now will be any different."

John gave Evan a pained look. "Is it that noticeable?" he asked. Taking a deep breath he let it out with a nod to his Second then his attention was pulled to another entering the Gate area. John gave a crooked grin and walked over to greet him.

Daniel arrived in the Gateroom marginally ahead of the scheduled arrival time. He glanced at his watch as he took up a waiting position a few feet away from Sheppard and Lorne. While he had been intimately involved in Elizabeth's resurrection, he had only briefly served under her command at the SGC...and that had been an interesting situation with him doing a lot of the driving by sheer force of will and the urgency of saving Jack. Assuming a waiting stance...legs slightly apart, hands clasped loosely in front of him, Daniel gazed at the Gate expectantly.

Sheppard stepped up in front of Daniel and extended his hand. "Daniel... I just want to say "Thank you" for everything you did to help us get Elizabeth back," he said in a raspy near-whisper. "Thank you."

Daniel's returning smile actually warmed his normally glacial blue eyes as he took the offered hand and clasped it warmly, "John, I wish I could take more credit but honestly, Elizabeth found me somehow and it was her strength of will and determination that got through to you. Either way, I was honoured and more than pleased to have a hand in bringing her home. Keep in mind though that if you had not been able to recognize her and talk with her, she'd probably still be floating around in my head and I'd be locked up in a nut house again. So...give credit where credit is due...it was a joint venture that I was lucky enough to be part of." Daniel released the handshake and gave the younger man an encouraging clasp on his shoulder.

Both men were interrupted by a quiet cough, and when they turned to the sound they found Rodney, his head ducked, his expression bordering on embarrassed. "McKay, I didn't know you were here."

Rodney waved absently towards control. "Um, Radek and I were running diagnostics - wanted to make sure everything was functioning properly."

Radek stood just off to the side, cleaning his glasses. He gave the Colonel and Dr. Jackson a nod as he slipped them on.

Rodney cleared his throat again. "I, ah, overheard you two, and...." He fidgeted a bit, his eyes bright. He suddenly stuck out his hand towards Daniel. "I want to thank you, too. It, this ... Elizabeth means a lot to me ... to all of us, and ...." He ducked his head again, then gave the sideways twitch that almost always preceded snark. "Thanks."

Daniel exchanged a slow look with John before smiling and taking the offered hand. To date, his relationship by Rodney had been something in the manner of sibling rivalry. For some reason, McKay seemed to feel threatened by Daniel's continued presence in Atlantis. The other man's egotistical paranoia often amused the older scientist, but he held no animosity toward Rodney. So he shook the offered hand and flashed a sincere smile, "You're welcome, Rodney, although no thanks are needed. I did what any one of you would have done for Elizabeth given the opportunity. I think I was just the lucky one to have had my brain rewired so often she had a frequency she could latch on to. I'm glad she's well and coming home to you all."

The anxious buzz that was floating around the gate room and command centre were not lost on Colonel Carter. She had even spied John making his circuit through as she arrived, and rather than add to whatever nervous feelings he might be experiencing she had instead gone straight to her office. Formerly Dr. Weir's office. It was going to be odd having her back. It would be absurd not to acknowledge that. Especially when one considered how well Elizabeth managed Atlantis, and for how long. Three long years, much of it without command support from Earth. She had done remarkably well. Carter recalled a conversation from years past, in which she herself was identified as one of their Nation's treasures. If that was so, then she at least would count Weir among them as well.

As the clock ticked down the seconds nearing Weir's return, Sam rose from behind her desk and made her way down to the gate room. She nodded at those who had already assembled, and smiled slightly at the nervous energy John was giving off. It made her wonder again what challenges would lay in store for them now that Elizabeth was back. It would be natural for her to feel an affinity for this command. To want to step in would be second nature, given her previous work there. True also, would be John's instinct to obey any command or recommendation. That the transition period would be interesting was not lost on Carter. While she was aware of it, she wasn't concerned. She believed they could weather it well.

John turned away from Daniel to give Colonel Carter a nod as she descended the stairs to join the growing group of welcomers. It hadn't dawned on him until this moment what questions Sam might be asking herself right now in regards to his stance between her command and Dr. Weir's former command. He offered Sam a small smile as she stepped past him toward the front. He stood to her right as he always had and tried to take Evan's advice. He blew out a slow deep breath as the Gate began to dial in.

Lorne glanced at his watch ... only a few seconds left. Taking up position slightly back and to the right of Colonel Sheppard and his team, he stood firm, ready to be part of that welcoming background Doctor Weir probably wouldn't remember when she looked back on this day.

On the dot, the familiar sound of the gate alert rang out. And just in time it seemed, as others had begun to filter into the gate room. Chuck made his usual announcement with a grin and left the control panel just in time to see Elizabeth, duffel and all walk back through the gate. Her eyes immediately saw him on her upper scan of the city. He nodded to her, and she returned the gesture.

Elizabeth turned to those who had come to greet her, a smile prevailing. If she had thought coming back to Atlantis as human was fantastic, knowing she'd be able to stay was almost as exciting. After all, even she had had her doubts for a while. The IOA had not taken her lightly. She had been talked down by them before, but this was three times as intense. Now it wasn't just her judgments that had been questioned, but her state of being, her morals, and her loyalties.

But that was behind her. She had been allowed to come back, to come home. And she wasn't going to complain over the prospect of possibly having time to sleep now that the bulk of administrative duties would be off her shoulders. Though, she admitted to herself, it would be a strange adjustment.

Once she was clear of the gate, Sam took a step forward. A welcoming smile curved her lips. "Dr. Weir," she greeted. "On behalf of all of us," she gestured to indicate everyone who had gathered. "I would like to welcome you back to Atlantis."

"Thank you, Colonel." She responded after a split second of consideration. That was something else she'd have to adjust to. She had tried, when in command, to be on a first name basis with people. It was her natural way. But she supposed that she would have to begin being slightly more formal with those around her. One of life's little ironies. "It's a pleasure, and honour, to be back."

"I would just like to say thank you to all for your continued support. If it weren't for all of you, they may not have allowed me here. I owe you my gratitude. I'm proud to be a part of such a wonderful group." She had to acknowledge all of the people who had approached General O'Neill after her immediate return. It was in part the massive trust from the expedition members that had won those in charge over to her side.

John kept his spot as Sam stepped forward to welcome their newest department head, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Elizabeth. Ronon, Rodney and Teyla hovered close to him, someone leaned into him to show their united support and he turned to smile at Teyla.

"Sir," Lorne spoke in a low enough tone that only Colonel Sheppard would hear. Nudging his CO's shoulder with a seemingly accidental step forward, Evan grinned when the other man turned to look at him with a frown. Lorne's expression made his message clear ... get out there and do something ... hug her ... tell her we missed her ... something!

Once Colonel Carter had a moment to officially address Dr. Weir, John took his turn, stepping forward he gave Elizabeth a single nod and a big smile. "Welcome home, again... Elizabeth," he offered her and then gave one of the sentries nearby a quick hand gesture. He had no idea what to do though; shaking hands seemed rather passé but a hug, in public, like this, was way beyond John Sheppard's comfort zone.

The Marine stepped up quickly and took the heavy bag from Dr. Weir and left with it, taking it to her quarters. John took his moment to just regard her presence back in Atlantis and then he shook himself from that to look to Sam for their next move.

Elizabeth let her bag slip into the arms of the marine with a nod before turning back to John who had greeted her. "Thank you." She said, her eyes firmly on him before moving to his team behind him. After all, they truly were a wonderful sight for sore eyes. She couldn't think of anyone she'd rather have around to start a new journey with.

Daniel waited amongst those that had assembled to welcome Elizabeth home. He could not help smiling as Sam gracefully stepped forward to warmly greet the woman. There had to be some uncertainty on Sam's part regarding how the base would regard her leadership with Weir's return. Daniel had no doubts that Sam had earned their loyalty...hopefully that would be proven as they all moved forward.

He regarded Elizabeth quizzically as she accepted the greetings of her old staff and responded to Sam. Did she remember anything of her time spent sharing his consciousness? 'Talking about a new take on a time-share property,' Daniel thought and then grinned inwardly. His memories of the actual events after Elizabeth took up residence in his head were hazy and felt almost as if he had witnessed it all from another's perspective.

There had not been an opportunity for him to speak with Elizabeth before she left for Earth and Daniel now wondered how awkward it would be for them now. He hoped they could find a quiet corner to have a chat in the near future as his department would be intimately connected with hers once she assumed her position as Director of Diplomatic Services. Both Daniel and Elizabeth were highly intelligent, very strong-willed individuals. The future would most likely prove quite interesting.

Elizabeth turned to Daniel. Her smile flourished into a grin. While she could only assume that he was humble about what happened, she truly did owe him quite a bit. It was his faith and willingness to take a chance that led her here. She truly needed a chance to thank him.

"Dr. Jackson." She turned to face him. "I believe I owe you a personal thanks for your part in this. I was delighted to hear I'll be having the chance to work with you. I would love to discuss some things with you at some point, if you have the time."

"Daniel," he said warmly.  “I don't think we should stand on formalities at this point. As for everything that happened...I didn't do anything that anyone else wouldn't have done had it been them you had connected with," Daniel said, but with warmth in his tone turning his statement into a low-key you're welcome. "I have the files on upcoming diplomatic projects ready to go over with you...so feel free to come by my office or I'll come by yours once you've settled."

"I'm sure you're more than ready to get settled in," Sam told her. "So why don't we all allow Dr. Weir to get settled in. I'd like to see you later," She told her, "when you've had the opportunity to catch a breather."

1230 Hours | Command Tower | Cultural Sciences, DipOps Section | Dr. Weir's Office

After they had a nice lunch in the Mess Hall with Sheppard Team, John walked Elizabeth to her office to get her settled in... and to just visit with her one on one for a while. Their companionable "team" lunch had been enjoyable, but it was rather like trying to eat in a public place with a celebrity, with everyone who had known Dr. Weir prior to her disappearance making their way to the table to welcome her back.

John set his butt on the corner of her desk just like he used to do in her office in the Command Centre. He grinned at her as she took the seat behind the desk and checked the leather office chair for comfort grade.

"So... you gonna be okay down here? Doing the diplomatic thing you're so good at?" he asked her with a grin, trying to make the transition for her as easy as possible.

"Are you kidding?" She asked, plopping down in a chair that was surrounded by boxes. "I get to do something I love and let someone else handle the majority of the paperwork--and Rodney." She smiled, trying to joke.

The truth is she was sure she would begin to miss her old job. It had been tough, but she had been able to sleep well whenever she got the chance, knowing that she had done everything she could to keep the masses safe. But, at the same time, it was exceedingly refreshing to just be able to sit back and practice what you loved doing. And maybe even get off world.

And then there was the free time she might even acquire. She couldn't even remember what that felt like. It was liberating, to some extent, to know that you didn't have to put every individual before yourself. She smiled up at John.

"Though, I suppose this means I don't get to deflect your orders for me to get rest now." She wasn't his boss. That was certainly something that hadn't quite sunk in yet.

"Oh, I don't know," John said, swinging his leg as he sat on the desk, "You can still try to deflect my concern, but I don't have to deflect your orders anymore either," he grinned smugly. "It's kind of weird that you won't be my boss anymore... but it's kind of cool too." He grinned at her, his brows rising up high with silent thoughts to leave her guessing.

Elizabeth sat up a little straighter as she paused for a beat to consider that, briefly remembering her first full night back here. It had been so comfortable for him to be around. It was nearly natural. Elizabeth had put up so many guards as leader. Even though she tried to be open and fair every one of her actions was still monitored. But now...yes she had to be careful yet...

"Don't get too comfortable. I'm sure Sam's going to keep you even more on your toes than I did." She said quickly, trying to avert her mind from what she was hoping he was implying.

John looked at her with consideration, then slid off the corner of her desk and dropped into the chair in front of it. He looked at her silently, but directly for a moment and then said, "I have a lot of respect for Colonel Carter... more so than any other commanding officer I've ever had... but I don't think I've ever felt as comfortable with anyone as I did... do... with you." His voice was soft and steady and sincere... and he let his words hang out there for a few seconds and then he took a deep breath and shifted in his seat, averting his eyes from hers.

"And I've never had a more reliable second," she said and her words held a lot of weight. While not the same situation she'd had many consultants, bodyguards, and bosses in her life. But none of them did she ever trust more than the man before her.

"But we're in a different world now, John," she said firmly. "And we have wonderful people to work with. It's not like we'll stop working together. You might even get to kidnap me once in a while," she added and that made him smile. It was one bonus of this position. She would be traveling much more than she was able to as expedition leader. She hadn't missed the point of his words, but she also knew that was a dangerous subject to linger on.

"Yeah, well..." he replied, trying to lighten the mood, his expression open and a bit playful. "As long as you don't go running off like a certain archaeologist I put on Lorne's team..." he grinned. "Maybe I'll let you come off world with me once in a while," he teased.

"Well then," Elizabeth leaned forward, elbows grazing the desk. With one brow raised she tagged on a silent challenge. "I'll have to be on my best behaviour now won't I?"

John grinned at her.

"Then again, you never know when I'll come in handy. What if you were to go to a planet where the only spoken language was similar to Latin. Without my skills you could end up in the local work camps for unintentionally sweet talking the leader. Or, knowing you, would do so willingly and then need my particular brand of genius to get you out of those camps. Or an engagement."

John chuckled lightly at her teasing and then continued to playfully banter with her. "Would you? Use your genius to save me from imprisonment?... or a labour camp?" he smirked, wondering if she'd catch that he'd substituted the word engagement with imprisonment.

"Well, now that depends." Elizabeth leaned back in her chair, "on how good of a boy you've been."

John grinned but then subdued it as he feigned a serious expression. "Oh, I think you'll find that I've been a very good boy."

"I might help you out of a situation, but you have to remember that such things could take a very long time to be completely settled." Her eyes sparkled. Just because she was a peaceful person didn't mean she couldn't play dirty with the rest of the big kids. Or, at least, make a believable threat.

"Does that mean that I'd be indebted to you in ways I can't fathom for possibly many years?" he asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Well," leaning over her desk, her hands firmly folded together, Elizabeth's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I'm sure we could come to some sort of arrangement. An agreement, or compromise perhaps. There must be some sort of deal we could come to agree on."

After a moment of holding his gaze she leaned back into her chair. She folded her hands into her lap. She hadn't given up quite yet. "I can be merciful. If so swayed."

John grinned at her crookedly. "And how easily are you swayed, Oh Merciful One?"

"That depends on the crime, Colonel. Surely you should know that. I'll be sure to let you know upon your first offense. Unless, you have a proposition for a pre-payment."

John simply grinned at her and left the offer hanging in the air. He sat back in his chair and held her gaze as he smirked at her. She grinned back, neither one quite ready yet to push this - whatever it may be - forward to quickly. He gave them a moment and then skillfully changed the subject, just to be safe.

As it turned out it was the best choice to make since a few minutes later had someone knocking at her door so John excused himself and left her to her new business.

1400 Hours | Command Tower | Cultural Sciences, DipOps Section | Dr. Weir's Office

After the welcome home assembly in the Gateroom, Daniel returned to his office to field a number of daily duties. He had numerous team requests for a cultural expert to be assigned for upcoming missions, a couple of need this now translations that he completed and forwarded back to the person that requested it, and various projects to assign to his staff. The small stuff kept him busy up through lunch which he took at his desk as he completed tasks that landed in his in-box. It was almost two PM before he had an opportunity to gather up all the personnel files and project files for Diplomatic Services and carry them across the corridor to Dr. Weir's new office suite.

Elizabeth's office door was open and he could see her moving among stacked moving boxes and crates as she tried to sort out and organize her new work space. Daniel knew from personal experience that returning from the dead meant a great deal of paperwork and memorizing of cover stories. Most of your old stuff wound up gone and new stuff had to be bought to replace it. He had been lucky the second time around in that Jack had refused to accept Daniel as lost and had not packed up his loft and office.

Balancing the stack of files and discs in one arm, Daniel rapped lightly on the door frame, "Hey...got time to invite a fellow Director in for coffee and officially take over the files for your department?"

Elizabeth turned to look over her shoulder. She glanced around quickly to find a place to set what was in her hands down for a moment. Rubbing them to get the dust off she turned her attention to Daniel, waving him in.

"Of course I do!" she greeted him cheerfully. After all, she hadn't gotten to see him alone. She had looked forward to this.

"Sorry for the mess..."She apologized. "I'll get all of this sorted out...sometime." She shook her head before going over to one of the few fully functional things in the room to pour him a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Two, in fact, walking over to pass him his cheerfully.

"If you can find a place, feel free to put some of that down." She offered seeing his hands were loaded. She tried not to think about the amount of filing she had to do.

Daniel nodded and laughed softly. He found a place to settle the files and the discs. "I'm sure you'll be caught up in no time. Besides...that is why we have a staff...to help with the filing." He accepted the cup of coffee and perched on a corner of her desk. "How is it going, Elizabeth?"

"It's been smooth so far. All of you have been very helpful." She said with relief. "I must admit, I was expecting a little more resistance then I received."

"What about for you?" She asked, settling in her seat. "It must have been awkward for you after..." Elizabeth began before they were visited.

Dr. Leia Mahanay hurried towards the Diplomatic Operations offices, knowing that Dr. Weir should be there. She hadn't had the chance to greet her new boss and hoped that the woman wouldn't hold it against her. She was running so late! Already two in the afternoon and she was just now greeting her boss. "Great start for a working relationship. Just wonderful, Mahanay. You're the tops," she muttered sarcastically at herself.

She entered the office that Elizabeth had claimed for herself, seeing the boxes there, the woman herself and Dr. Jackson. "Dr. Weir. Dr. Jackson, May I join you?"

Daniel broke off his conversation with Elizabeth to nod politely to Dr. Mahanay, "Dr. Weir, I don't know if you've met your department's assistant director or not yet... Dr. Elizabeth Weir, Dr. Leia Mahanay."

"Dr. Mahanay." Elizabeth stood to greet their guest. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I assume I've displaced you from your job. I am truly sorry about that." She apologized sincerely. "However, I assure you, that your opinions will never be ignored. I trust in my team's judgments." She had to reassure her.

Leia smiled at her. "Oh, no, no. You're not displacing me, Ma'am. I was always supposed to be the assistant director," she explained quickly. "I knew that coming in, I just didn't know until a few days ago that you would be taking over the department. I'm sorry that I didn't greet you upon your arrival, but I was in another part of the city, checking on some references that I needed," she explained to her, honestly feeling bad about it. "Doctor Jackson has done a great job getting us started, so you're in good hands when you get all moved in," Leia told her, trying to welcome her and compliment Dr. Jackson at the same time.

"Not at all," Daniel reassured both women, "I stepped in to direct two already established departments with excellent personnel. Moving forward with them has been easy. I'm sure the transition to Elizabeth directing DipOps will be equally smooth. After all, that was as much of a role for her here as leading the expedition was." He was quick to not take more than his due in regards to his recently appointed position on Atlantis.

"Don't worry about it. I hardly expect people to stop their duties for my arrival. If anything that speaks more for your work ethic." She had to reassure Leia.

Leia grinned and ducked her head in recognition of her compliment.

"And you've done a wonderful job blending these departments into a community." She turned with a smile and nod. "I look forward to seeing more of both of you."

"But please, sit." Elizabeth motioned for Leia to take the open chair in front of her desk should she desire as she walked back to her own. "Now. Is there something in particular you wanted to talk to Dr. Jackson and myself about?" She asked the assistant.

Leia took the seat, smoothing her skirt. "Not really, Ma'am. I only wished to welcome you to the department, offer my services and ask you when you wanted to schedule your first meeting with your team so we can help you get up to speed and settled in comfortably with your job," she offered her.

"Well, Thank you." Elizabeth grinned. "As for the meeting, first thing tomorrow morning would be good with me. I still need a little time to sort all of this out." She gestured to the piles of, well, stuff that had accumulated around her.

"That is, if that's alright with the both of you." She added motioning to the both of them assuming they might wish to be in attendance.

Daniel smiled, "Schedule however it's convenient for you, Elizabeth. Unless you feel you need me, however, I will not attend this first meeting to make sure the hand over of the department is clear. I will make it a point to attend a meeting or two so that it is equally evident that we are working together and expect the two departments to still mesh closely in their duties."

With that, Daniel rose to his feet, "And...on that note, ladies, I'll take my leave. Elizabeth, perhaps we can have dinner one evening or lunch...catch up and sort out any departmental issues you come across...?"

Leia waved, politely as she kept smiling and watched him start to make his exit. "That would be fine, Ma'am. 0800 fine with you?" she asked. "I was thinking you and I could get together at 0730 to discuss a few things," Leia said, wanting to start to build the necessary relationship needed between the two of them.

"That works fine with me." Elizabeth agreed to both their suggestions. "Now, Dr.s, if you could pardon me. I'm afraid I have...a lot to get through tonight." She laughed lightly, her arms circling around her.

Daniel gave both women a pleasant smile, wished them well for the rest of their day and headed back to his office...where more than enough work still waited on him despite the split in responsibilities.

Leia smiled at her. "Thank you, Ma'am. I'll see you tomorrow morning," she said as she took her leave.

The End!

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