CHAPTER FIFTEEN: LAYING THE GHOSTS TO REST

Sheppard was quiet, following a little behind Ford as he wheeled McKay through the halls of Atlantis in the wheelchair Beckett had insisted upon. For once, the scientist hadn't complained about the forced seat, too caught up in his own thoughts to mount much of an argument. Besides, his left knee was still killing him. Weeks, Beckett had threatened, which depressed the scientist. Sheppard was in the same boat, his arm in a cast. They were both going to be Atlantis bound for a while.

Neither said a word about their late night conversation from the day before. It just hung out there between them like an elephant in the room.

They wheeled past McKay's lab, but the doctor did little more than glance inside. A few feet later, they were in front of the quarters he had designated his "home."

Sheppard stopped, leaning against the wall opposite the door as Ford reached up to open it.

"I got it," McKay said, pushing himself up off the chair and touching his hand to the panel. Ford stepped aside, moving a little down the corridor and placing his hands behind his back. The door slid open in front of the doctor, and he took a hobbling step forward...and stopped, one hand on the doorframe to keep himself upright.

"You going to be okay, doc?" Ford asked, watching as McKay appeared a little bewildered by the room in front of him, his eyes blinking rapidly. "Something the matter?"

"Has someone been in here?" McKay asked, his free hand pointing vaguely inside.

Ford shook his head, "No sir. Absolutely not. Why? Is there something—" He stepped forward to look inside.

"No, no," the doctor waved him back. Ford stopped, his eyebrows both lifted. He glanced at Sheppard, but the major hadn't lifted his eyes from his study of the floor, uninterested. McKay made a soft "hunh" noise, then looked back at Ford. "Okay. I see. Thank you lieutenant."

It was a goodbye, and Ford nodded, "See you later at the briefing." He raised a hand, and McKay waved him away, no longer looking at him. The lieutenant arched an eyebrow at the rude dismissal, but didn't say anything as he turned. Major Sheppard pushed himself off the wall and moved to follow him.

"Um, Major?" McKay said, finally turning away from his review of his room, "could you wait a moment?"

Ford stopped, looking behind him. Sheppard's brow furrowed, but then he shrugged. He nodded at Ford, and the lieutenant sighed, turning to walk away by himself.

"What now?" Sheppard asked tiredly, turning back to McKay.

"You heard Ford say no one has been in here, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So," McKay limped into his room, using the wall as a brace, "explain to me how that got here."

Sheppard sidled around the wheelchair McKay had left in the hallway and slipped into the room after the scientist.

He stopped, looking at the wall over McKay's desk, between the two, narrow stained glass windows....

On which hung the Great Axe of Setanta.

It was clean and sharp—looking as perfect as when McKay had first seen it back at the Temple. The two axe-heads gleamed, and the spear point looked as if it could poke a hole through steel. There was one difference, however: another feather hung with the green ones—a slate gray feather with a white mark in the middle...that looked like a flying horse. The weapon was resting on black cast iron hooks, which looked like they had been made a part of the wall—the gray metal wall wasn't even damaged. The Great Axe looked like it belonged there.

"Okay," Sheppard said softly, unable to keep the awe from his voice. "I believe." As he said it, all his fears of madness were washed away, and a calm sort of conviction took their place. He felt whole again...and happy.

McKay just limped further inside, sliding down into a chair next to a small desk, "I'm glad you see it too." Then he shook his head, "But why...?"

"They're passing the gauntlet, McKay," Sheppard said softly, completely sure of himself now. He nodded as he spoke, "That's what this is. They think we're good enough."

"They?" McKay looked confused, "They who? Good enough for what?"

"The ghosts, McKay, and not just Conla and the children," Sheppard seemed to have grown taller, standing there, smiling at him. "All the warriors who came before. They are finally being laid to rest, trusting us to continue on." His eyes narrowed as he focused back on the weapon, "The fight is ours now, and they're telling us they believe we can win. They think we're good enough to wield this Axe."

"The fight is ours?" McKay asked. "But what if they're wrong? I mean...it's asking a lot, don't you think?"

Sheppard just chuckled, meeting the scientist's concerned eyes, "No," he shook his head, "I think it just means, " a smile grew on his face, "what we've already been doing. Always checking out one more room, McKay."

McKay just shifted his eyes back to the axe, and, slowly, shook his head, "One more room?"

"One more room."

A tiny smile lifted at the edge of McKay's mouth, "You know, I think can do that."

"Yeah," Sheppard nodded, "me too. And," he smiled back at the doctor, "I think the rest of us can too."

McKay just nodded as Sheppard walked further into the room, to finger the leather on the hilt of the axe and touch the new feather. McKay rubbed absently at the top of his left leg above the brace, not taking his eyes off the magnificent weapon, his mind tripping over the meaning of it. A few minutes later, Teyla knocked politely on the still open doorframe, standing there with Grodin. She pushed in the wheelchair they'd left in the hallway, saying something about them wanting to check in on the doctor, and both people found themselves speechless at the sight of the axe.

Within an hour, it was all over the base.

The Great Axe of Setanta was theirs now.

It was a lot to live up to. But then again, they were in the lost city of Atlantis, so...what else was new?

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The End

So, there you go. That's what the axe was for! It didn't make Rodney magically powerful or undefeatable or anything, but....Anyway, I intended this as a ghost story for Halloween, and here it is, the middle of November already! LOL! Ah well, I tried! Hope you liked it! And thank you again for all the wonderful reviews!