The reviews, as always, have been wonderful. Thank you so much for your kind words and I'm so glad you all have enjoyed this story so much:) Alas, here we are at the end. The good news is, I have another story idea ready to go. Hope to start that one next week. :D In the mean time, enjoy the end of this one and thanks again for the support!

Sometimes, Elizabeth wondered how she managed to keep the grey from her hair with all the time she seemed to spend in the infirmary. For the second time in as many months, she was pacing the clean floor, waiting for some word as John lay motionless not far from her.

She spared a glance at both Ronon and Teyla only recently returned from the mainland. She'd called them as soon as John showed up as missing, but by the time they'd gotten back, he was already in the infirmary.

She smiled thinly. "How are your people, Teyla?"

Teyla's smile mirrored hers. "Recovering. The storm damage was… significant, but we are rebuilding."

"Should've been here," Ronon muttered his eyes fixed on John.

Elizabeth turned her attention to the big runner. "Would you have tried to stop him if you had?" It was a long moment before Ronon slowly looked at her, his gaze narrowing.

"No."

Ronon's answer didn't surprise Elizabeth as she returned her attention to John. She hated seeing him like this, almost as much as she hated the situation that drove him to it. But this… not knowing whether or not he was going to be okay, or if the procedure even worked, was nearly intolerable. Her gaze slowly lifted from John and settled on Rodney, standing quietly next to John's bed.

Elizabeth sighed quietly as she crossed the room to stand next to Rodney. Slowly, she reached out and lightly grasped his forearm. "Hey. You okay?" She asked, quietly.

It was a long moment before Rodney looked up at her. Silent, he didn't seem to be able to find the right words, but to Elizabeth, his expression said everything. "It's not your fault, Rodney. No matter what the outcome is, this isn't your fault."

Rodney's quiet snort was far from convinced. "Really? Forgive me if I don't share your opinion. This was my project and I'm the one that insisted I could make it work…"

"Rodney," Elizabeth interrupted gently. "You and I both know John would've tried this with or without your help."

"I could've stopped him," Rodney insisted. "Called you, or Carson or had Ronon throw him in the brig. Anything," he waved his hand over John's unconscious body, "but this."

Elizabeth pursed her lips but remained silent. Rodney had a point, and yes he could've done any of those things, but as she thought about it, she became more and more convinced that he never would've. In the three years that she'd watched John and Rodney's friendship grow, there were two things she'd learned and accepted as facts about it. Each one felt a friendship for the other that was deeper than either would admit... and each one would do anything to help the other, regardless of the situation. Period. "You could've, Rodney," she said quietly before glancing over at him and giving him a small smile. "But you wouldn't have." She held Rodney's gaze as he looked at her for a long moment before finding a slight smile of his own.

"Yeah," Rodney returned his gaze to John.

Elizabeth's attention returned to John as a quiet, deep inhale followed by a soft groan precluded him stirring slightly. "John?" She quickly stepped closer to his bed, Rodney right next to her. Behind her she heard Ronon and Teyla approach.

"Carson, he is awakening," Teyla hailed the doctor as she rounded John's bed and stood next to Ronon and opposite of Elizabeth and Rodney.

Elizabeth reached out and lightly wrapped her fingers around John's limp ones, before squeezing gently. "John?"

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Slowly, as unconsciousness folded back off of him, John gradually became aware that he wasn't alone. It wasn't his eyes, or his ears, but just a gut feeling, and that gut feeling sharpened him, helped him find his way up the path to awareness. A faint, instinctive alarm went off inside him and he pulled in a deep fresh breath before groaning quietly as his throbbing head made its pain very plain to him. Damn!

"John?"

The light voice woke his mind and in that instant, that moment when full consciousness found him, he felt the completeness of his memories. Gone was the dark shroud of amnesia that had covered his soul like a damp, cold blanket since his injury. Elizabeth. He instantly identified the voice. Atlantis. Inside, he was elated, but the best his body could do was let him crack a half smile. "Hi," he croaked, before clearing his throat. He peeled his eyes open and instantly met her smiling expression.

"Hi yourself," she answered. "How do you feel?"

"Like crap," he muttered. He glanced around, seeing the smiles on each of his team member's faces before spotting Carson who hurried to his bedside.

"Colonel? How are ye, son?" Carson looked at him a moment longer before fixing his gaze on the monitors over John's head.

"Been better." Again, John looked around at the faces staring at him. The range of emotions he could see reflected each of their personalities. Rodney looked slightly guilty, Teyla and Elizabeth, openly worried and Ronon… worried but much more subtle. But in each of their faces, there also was a hint of expectant hope. It was like each of them, in their own way were saying the same thing. Did it work?"

Again, John took a deep breath. "Damn T'eshii. That's two I owe 'em." He could feel the tension around him break.

"John, then you…" Elizabeth started.

"Everything," he interrupted with a smile. He tapped his skull lightly. "No more holes." His smile deepened slightly as Elizabeth's small, hesitant one broke into a full grin. She reached up and tapped her radio. "Weir to control. Please contact Colonel Caldwell and ask him to return to Atlantis immediately." Her grin faded back to a smile as she looked down at John. "He has the Daedalus out testing some hyperdrive modifications. They're probably on the other side of the solar system but shouldn't take too long to get back."

"Besides," Carson interrupted, "just because you're conscious, lucid and claiming to have all your memories back, doesn't mean I don't have a barrage of tests to run on ye."

"Well, Carson, maybe now you'll believe me when I tell you I can make something work," Rodney interrupted, his gaze turning challenging.

John chuckled quietly as Carson just stared coldly at Rodney for a moment before rolling his eyes and looking away.

John's gaze passed over Ronon who nodded back at him, before it settled on Teyla. He narrowed his eyes slightly at the odd mix of relief, happiness and guilt that blanketed her expression. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she just stared silently back at her. He looked back at Carson. "The tests will have to wait, Doc. I think Teyla and I need to talk… alone."

"Colonel, can't this wait? You just woke up, son." Carson protested.

He shook his head. "No."

"John…" Teyla started.

John looked back at her. "Teyla." His voice was gentle but still firm. He stared at her until she dropped her head and nodded slightly. He turned his attention back to Carson, who had quietly watched the whole exchange.

"Aye," Carson nodded in resignation. He backed away and followed behind Ronon and Elizabeth, grabbing Rodney's arm and dragging him along behind.

"Wait…" Rodney started.

"Come on, Rodney," Carson held tight to Rodney's shirt sleeve. "You can pester him later." Carson gently pushed Rodney ahead of him before stopping and grabbing the privacy curtain.

Carson took a moment to nod slightly at John before he pulled the curtain shut.

John took a deep breath and shifted his gaze back to Teyla. He studied her for a moment. She stood a short distance away from his bed, her body tense and back rigid. The fingers of her right hand clenched and relaxed at regular intervals, probably subconsciously. He looked up at her face. Her normally full lips were pressed into a thin line as she stared, wordlessly, back at him.

He glanced pointedly at the stool next to his bed. "Have a seat, Teyla," he suggested quietly.

After a moment, she stiffly waked to the stool and sat. "John," she started, "I do not see why…"

"Teyla," John interrupted. He smiled gently. "Let me go first, here, okay?"

Teyla dropped her head, looked away and nodded once.

John shifted slightly in his bed so he could look at her easier. His sore body protested, but he tuned it out. "I know you're carrying a lot of guilt over what happened to me," he started quietly, "but, I want you to let it go." His brows furrowed in compassion as, even with her head bowed, he spotted one tear escape her face and land on the top of her folded hands before she hastily reached up and wiped her face. "None of this is your fault," he insisted softly.

"I… I do not agree," Teyla's voice was choked, "I should have been paying attention and been more careful."

"Nope," John immediately answered. "It was an ambush, Teyla. The whole point was to catch us by surprise."

"It did not surprise you," she answered.

"Hell yes, it did." John insisted quietly. "I just happened to be facing the direction the ambush came from." He sighed quietly, chafing at how blind luck still managed to factor into his team's survival sometimes, in spite of his best effort to anticipate anything.

"Teyla look at me," he insisted gently. John waited a long moment before she met his gaze. "I have no doubt that if that ambush would've come from the opposite direction, you would've spotted it and warned us." He stared harder at her, trying to impart some of his confidence onto her. "And if a grenade would've landed behind me, you would've done the same thing." He smiled slightly at her small nod. "That's what a team does, Teyla; we watch each other's six. You've covered my back enough times that I trust you with my life. Completely." He reached out and squeezed her knuckles gently. "Let it go." He let his expression turn imploring as she stared back at him.

After a long moment, her mouth turned up in a small, strained smile, her nod jerky. She swallowed hard. "Thank you for my life, John," she whispered.

John felt his mouth pull up into a smile of his own, as warmth and affection spread through him. "Anytime," he answered.

Teyla inhaled deeply and stood, carefully pulling her had away from his. "You must get your rest, Colonel and I believe Carson wishes to examine you."

John grimaced. "I'm fine. I wish he'd just take my word for it."

Teyla smiled warmly. "Rest, John, and heal. Atlantis needs you." She bowed her head respectfully at him and left without another word.

John pushed his head further into his pillow.

"Atlantis needs you."

He smiled as his thoughts centered on the city. Just let the IOA try to take his command away now.

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Epilogue:

"Colonel."

The hail from behind stopped John in his tracks. He turned and found a polite smile for Colonel Caldwell, who was walking up the corridor behind him. He nodded slightly as the Daedalus commander stopped next to him. "Colonel. I was headed for the command deck."

"So was I," Caldwell answered. "Mind if I join you?"

John shook his head and resumed walking. "No, sir." John let the urgency into his stride as he quickly walked down the hallway. Ever since Carson had cleared him for light duty two days ago, he'd been busting his butt trying to catch up on everything from new soldier rotations from the SGC to intel from the various Athosian agents travelling around the galaxy.

"The Daedalus is leaving at 0700 tomorrow for Earth. We're overdue and I think everything is under control here."

John glanced at Caldwell's carefully neutral expression. "Yes, sir…. Well as under control as it ever is around here…" he quipped. He thought he heard a quiet chortle from Caldwell.

"True," Caldwell answered.

John continued walking, part of him curious as to what was on the Colonel's mind. In spite of the neutral expression, Caldwell seemed to want to say something. John settled for waiting as he wove his way through the busy corridor.

After a minute, Caldwell spoke. "Congratulations on keeping your command, Colonel. It's… deserved."

Caldwell's statement stopped John in his tracks. His gaze narrowed as he faced the Colonel. He thought back to the briefing only a few days ago where Elizabeth had told him that command of Atlantis was his again. He'd assumed that it was from the moment he woke with his memories intact, but found out quickly that with the IOA, it hadn't been that simple. John sighed quietly, mostly in relief that he was still there… and not prepping to leave on the Daedalus in the morning. "Elizabeth tells me that you had a voice in reversing the IOA's decision about me."

A hint of a smile played at Caldwell's expression. "Dr. Weir and General O'Neill were the loudest voices, Colonel. The General seems to have taken a liking to you. I simply gave my recommendation."

John felt a blush start on his neck. It wasn't the first time the General had stood up for him, and he honestly wondered, sometimes, what he'd done to deserve it. After they'd repelled the Replicators occupation of Atlantis, Rodney had told him in a not so affectionate but typically Rodney McKay way, that he was a lot like the General, both sharing what Rodney called, flippant, annoying mannerisms. John pulled his thoughts back to the present. He looked around for a moment before again focusing on the Colonel. "With all due respect, sir, that's not what Elizabeth said. She talked to Richard Woolsey who said you strongly insisted."

This time, a brief flash of a smile actually touched Caldwell's mouth. "See you in about a month, Colonel."

John smiled back, catching the moment of slightly grudging, but still genuine, respect that touched the Colonel's expression. Wordlessly, John returned the favor. "Have a safe trip, sir."

Caldwell nodded once, curtly. "Thank you, Colonel." He turned and headed towards the back stairs to the command deck.

John watched him for a moment, before he looked around at the busy corridor, his smile lingering. In spite of everything bad that had happened, there had been plenty of good too. He couldn't see himself anywhere else but here, on Atlantis, leading his team.

And that, he decided, suited him just fine.

-The End-