Author's Note: Oh wow, the last chapter!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This story has been the best supported of any I've ever written, and that means so much, so thanks!

Anyways, here's the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy it

Chapter 14:

The freight elevator seemed far too big with only three of them in it. As the doors closed, separating him from his rescuers, Sheppard heaved a sigh of relief, glad that at least DiNozzo was safe. Now these guys didn't have anything to use against him.

The guard and… what had Ronon called the suit. Ripley. The guard and Ripley seemed to realize it too, and the guard let him loose, pushing him back and down against the wall.

Relieved to be sitting, Sheppard slid down the shiny wall, uncaring that it put pressure on his bleeding back. The guard's stomach was covered in his blood anyway. That couldn't be good.

Then again, neither was the gun the guard was still aiming at his forehead. The man wasn't moving his eyes from the pilot, making sure he didn't pull any stunts. Ripley was pacing, his face pinched tight with frustration. Sheppard dared to give a small chuckle.

"What you going to do now?" he asked. "Marines have this place surrounded. You're not going to escape."

"I will if they want the chance to rescue you again," Ripley spat, not pausing in his pacing.

Sheppard shifted slightly on the floor, ignoring the gun in his face. "Yeah, but do you still have the information for your little project?" he asked. "Or did one of your scientists have that disk?"

Ripley sneered at him. "I have other facilities that have the research we have made. I can still continue my work, and you are still going to become a mindless killing machine, whether you like it or not."

Sheppard smiled cockily, not about to tell them that if they didn't slow the bleeding in his back any time soon he wasn't going to become anything but dead. "If you're still sure…" he muttered, looking up at the guard. "So, what's the plan?"

Ripley gave a roar, all his frustration coming to bear. Not only stopping, but turning in his pacing, he let a foot swing the pilot's way. Sheppard didn't even have a chance to move or twist, and the toe of the suit's boot struck his ribs under his arm. Hard. He grunted, doubling over with the strength, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

Coughing, he struggled to sit up. "Jeez," he wheezed. "Only asking."

Ripley actually screamed. "Shut up!" he yelled, turning back to the pilot. "Shut up!" And he let swing with another kick.

But Sheppard was ready this time. Ignoring potentially broken ribs, he reached out and grabbed the guy's foot before it impacted with his side once more. Not done there, he pulled the limb around. Ripley's face split with shock as he crashed into his own guard, sending them both sprawling to the ground, tangled up in each other.

Sheppard rolled out of the way, though not before he grabbed the gun the guard unwittingly dropped. He stumbled to his feet, slipping slightly with the drops of blood just now reaching his feet, but still managing to bring the gun up to bear. Ripley and his guard, just freed from the other, paused where they were.

"Don't move," Sheppard warned them. He looked around, finding the elevator controls, keeping half an eye on his captors at all times. He cocked the gun for effect before looking back as the guard moved. "I said don't move."

He moved around to the control and saw the light for the second level lit up. He figured it worked a lot like the controls at the SGC. That was underground. He motioned at it. "Where does that take us?"

Ripley scowled defiantly. "Somewhere full of guards," he spat. Sheppard grinned.

"No it doesn't. All the guards would have been taken care of by my people by now."

"Your people can't be that good," Ripley snapped. "He missed you, didn't he."

Sheppard shook his head. "He didn't miss." He pressed the button for the third level with his elbow. "How deep underground are we, exactly?"

Again, three things happened at once. One, out of the corner of his eye, Sheppard saw the guard going for his taser. Bringing his gaze back around to face his captors-turned-captives, Sheppard pulled the trigger, hitting the guard in the hand reaching for the weapon. The man howled with pain but brought the hand to his chest, cradling it as blood poured.

A second later the doors pinged, and opened onto an empty corridor. Sheppard couldn't help but be distracted, turning his head away, needing to make sure that no one that wasn't his people were going to come up on them.

And that was when he spotted Ripley reaching inside his jacket. Sheppard turned back, bringing the gun up, but the suit was surprisingly fast for non-military. And John was feeling weaker and weaker by the minute.

Two shot sang out one after the other, and Sheppard jerked back, the bullet hitting his right shoulder, the impact sending him backwards against the elevator wall as the doors closed once again. The gun dropped from his hand and he grabbed at the bleeding wound as well as he could with cuffed hands, breath coming in hisses against the pain. He slid back to the ground even as Ripley got to his feet, .44 Colt in his hand and pointed at the now helpless colonel.

The suit's face was a cloud of anger, but Sheppard still met it, unafraid. Okay, maybe a little bit afraid, but he wasn't about to show it. Blood was pooling in Ripley's left upper arm, but apparently the bullet had missed anything vital, because the guy was still up and able to threaten Sheppard's life. Again.

"What now?" Sheppard asked from his compromising seat on the ground. "You going to shoot me?"

Ripley scowled. "Was thinking about it?" he snapped. "You ruined me, Colonel."

"Told you it was bad kidnapping me," he said flippantly. "But you refused to listen."

Again, the elevator doors pinged, and then opened, this time on a room rising up two stories. At least from what Sheppard could see with his small view around the corner of the open doors.

Ripley gestured with his gun. "On your feet, colonel."

Gritting his teeth, Sheppard complied, though it wasn't easy, and he had to lean back against the wall before he could stand up straight, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

Ripley gestured towards the elevator doors with his gun. "Move it."

Sheppard scowled at him, holding his bleeding shoulder close as he moved out into the room. And then he stopped, taking in the sight before him. Then he shook his head.

"You've got to be kidding me," he breathed, looking up at the helicopter. He shook his head again and turned around to face Ripley. "Who's flying that for you?" he asked.

"You are. You're flying us both out of here, hot shot."

Sheppard shook his head and told him very simply, "No, I'm not."

Ripley scowled and stepped closer, shortening the range his .44 had to fire. "Yes, you are. I've heard about your abilities."

John scowled and wished people knew something about flying. "No, I am not. You shot me! I can't fly a chopper in this state. It's impossible."

Apparently Ripley didn't believe him. He gestured with the gun again. "Well, then I guess I just shoot you now."

Sheppard had had it. "Well then, I guess you do," he snapped. "Some people are just unbelievable. You kidnap me, threaten to experiment on me, shoot me, and now you want me to help you out of here? I don't think I would even if I weren't injured."

Ripley growled and looked around, looking for some other way to escape, no doubt. Then he stepped aside. "Back in the elevator then."

Sheppard sighed. "You know what, no."

Ripley stared at him. "What?"

"No," Sheppard told him, defiant even as Ripley came and placed the barrel of his .44 at the pilot's head. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm bleeding, near unconscious, tired, in scrubs and bare feet and cold. I am not moving." He gave a grin. "Besides, the elevator disappeared. Went back downstairs."

Ripley's face went pale, and he turned around in time to see the elevator doors open once again. And Sheppard took the opportunity, moving while the man was distracted. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he brought his arms up, wrapping Ripley's gun arm in his own. That got the suit's attention, and he turned around…

In time to accept a furious blow from Sheppard's left elbow.

Ripley dropped like a sack of potatoes, though Ronon's stunner blast probably helped, and Sheppard heaved a sigh of relief, slumping, nearly falling. Five people all but fell out of the elevator, led by Ronon with his gun aimed at the unmoving Ripley. Gibbs and Ziva copied him, though there was no need.

Teyla and McKay, on the other hand, came straight up to Sheppard, dropping their P90s.

"Jesus," McKay muttered, before launching into a usual insensitive or unthinking comment. "Are you okay?"

Sheppard just gave him a look, before shaking his head. "How's DiNozzo?"

"Unconscious," Ziva told him, coming over. "But alive. McGee is with him now, trying not to vomit, no doubt, as they reset his shoulder."

Sheppard nodded, not even laughing at the image. "Good. That's good." And dizziness swamped him, quickly followed by blackness, and he fell, not even feeling the hands grabbing at him, or hearing someone call over the radio for a medic.

"Tony…"

Someone was calling his name. He wasn't sure who, but they were dragging it out, like they were trying to irritate him. At least there was no feather scratching at his nose or something.

"Tony."

He mumbled something, tried turning away, tried to tell the voice to go away, but he couldn't get his mouth open, which was a strange experience for him. And then something pulled at the back of his hand, and he suddenly realized he hadn't fallen asleep at his desk.

"Tony, wake up."

In fact, the last thing he remembered was red. Which was weird. He thought there would be some pretty pictures, a voice, a smell, a sound. But no. The last thing he remembered was red.

"Now you're just ignoring me."

Well that got his attention. One eye shot open – he couldn't be bothered opening the other – to scowl at Ziva where she stood over him in his bed.

"Am not."

She grinned to see him awake and leaned back – the woman really didn't have any sense of personal space sometimes.

"He's awake," she called out, moving back slightly while DiNozzo forced his other eye open so he could have a proper look around.

Judging by the white wash, the filtered light and the highly sanitized smell, he was in hospital. Which made sense he guessed, especially when the events of the last few days started rushing back. Including what the red was.

"Did he shoot me?"

"If you mean Ronon…" McGee suddenly said as he walked in. "Then yes. Saved your life though."

Tony frowned. "That's funny. I don't feel like I've been shot."

In fact, he felt pretty damn good. Which meant he had to have been on some pretty good drugs, because he had dislocated his shoulder before, and it hurt like hell.

"How long have I been out?" DiNozzo asked before he could help himself. Ziva shrugged.

"A day, or so. The doctors said you were exhausted, dehydrated… not to mention the concussion." Ziva shook her head. "You got banged up pretty good, Tony."

The agent shook his head. "I was lucky," he told them. "They were pretty focused on Sheppard. Speaking of…" He looked around, as if there were a bed hidden somewhere in the private room. "How is he?"

Ziva and McGee shared a dark look and DiNozzo felt his stomach drop. "You did get him back right? Don't tell me Ronon shot me and then let his boss get away?"

"No," McGee answered. "He's safe."

"They didn't turn him into a bug again, did they?" Tony asked, knowing it was the next worse thing. Hell, for Sheppard, it would probably be the worst thing. He had gotten to know the pilot in the day or so they had spent in captivity, even if the man hadn't exactly been forthcoming all the time. Sheppard had been adamant about one thing, and that was that becoming a hybrid was his own private hell.

Not that Tony was about to tell anyone that Sheppard had told him that.

"No, he's fine," McGee answered. "Well, we think he's fine. He didn't get injected with anything. But that's all we know. He was taken to the SGC for treatment and they haven't told us anything."

"The where?" DiNozzo asked, confused. McGee got an excited look on his face.

"So Sheppard didn't tell you anything?"

"Oh, you mean about space travel and other galaxies?" Tony answered. "Nope, nothing. What the hell's an SGC though?"

McGee didn't answer, because at that moment, Gibbs walked through the door, a small smile on his face. Tony grinned back.

"Hey, boss. Nice timing, back there."

"Eh, I do what I can," Gibbs answered. "How you feeling?"

"Grateful not to be hybrid chow," Tony told them. At their confused glances, he lost his good-nature. Obviously they didn't know much about what had happened. "They threatened to, uh, toss me in with the marine if Sheppard didn't cooperate."

That gave them wide eyes. In McGee's case at least. Gibbs, on the other hand, was only shocked for a second before he turned to angry. DiNozzo didn't want them to think about it.

"So, what did you all do while you were worried sick about me?" he asked, needing to get them off subject. It worked. McGee's face split into the widest grin possible.

"We went into outer space."

DiNozzo looked at him. "I'm trying to be serious here, McGrin."

"As are we," Ziva told him. "Apparently the United States has several spacecraft, and we were beamed up into one in order to find you."

DiNozzo's jaw dropped. "As in, actual, beam me up, Scotty?"

"We were given full disclosure," Gibbs told him, and then Tony knew they weren't joking. Gibbs was serious, and he wasn't finished there. "And, in a few days, that full disclosure will be a little less not so empty. I just got off the phone with Dr McKay. Sheppard's alive, recovering, and when he's feeling a little better, we get a tour of the SGC."

There was a moment of silence as they all digested that, unable to believe it. Then DiNozzo broke the quiet.

"Again. What's an SGC?"

The NCIS team shifted uncomfortably in the small elevator, a fact apparently not lost on the two men accompanying them. Then again, a week ago, they hadn't even known this place existed. And now they were being given the grand tour of the most secret place in the world.

It still didn't stop McKay from sharing a knowing grin with the young marine standing next to him.

The elevator stopped at a level deep underground, and McKay led them out, turning to face the team as they piled out. "Well," he began, spreading his arms. "Welcome to Stargate Command. I'll be your tour guide this morning. Please keep arms and legs inside this galaxy and don't touch anything."

Gibbs looked at the McKay with some concern, and then shared a look with his team. McKay sighed, his humour obviously lost on them, and then motioned with his hand. "Come on. General Landry wants to meet with you first."

He let the marine, Lieutenant Holden, lead the way, eyeing each team member as they walked past. Gibbs looked confident, as usual, like this was his right instead of a privilege the Atlantis team had asked for. Then again, Gibbs didn't know that.

Looking at Ziva, he guessed she did. He also guessed that despite her wide eyes she was actually cataloguing everything, in the way Mossad agents did. He also wondered if she would listen to the warning not to share anything with her own government.

McGee followed her, his eyes alight with excitement. McKay knew that this was like a dream come true to the young agent, the young sci-fi fanatic.

Smiling at his thoughts, McKay fell in beside DiNozzo, who he knew had been released from hospital yesterday. His arm was still in a sling, his shoulder bandaged carefully, obviously still tired after the ordeal in Ripley's facility. McKay knew he had had more than a dislocated shoulder after the time down there, including a concussion, a sprained wrist and dehydration. But at least he was up and about.

"You look better."

DiNozzo looked down at him and shrugged, before wincing. "Yeah. Feeling much better. Alive. Speaking of, how's Sheppard?"

McKay smiled. "You'll see. But first. General Landry wants to brief you."

He picked up his pace to walk next to Holden, glancing back at Gibbs with a friendly smile. "This way."

The meeting with Landry was every bit as short and succinct as McKay had suspected it would be, and five minutes after entering the office, he was leading them out of it. Teyla and Ronon had appeared while the general had them closed away, leaning against the table. McKay gave a shrug.

"I guess this is as good as place as any to start. So… welcome to the conference room," McKay told them glibly, with a grin. He swept his arm around to encompass the stairs and the screen and the…

"What's behind that?" McGee asked, pointing at the blast doors. McKay grinned mysteriously.

"That has a rightful place at the end of the tour," he told them, checking his watch. "Which will be about fifty… two minutes."

"Fifty-two?" DiNozzo asked. "You can't be more specific?"

McKay rolled his eyes at the taller agent, before heading for the stairs. "Yes, fifty-two minutes. Now, if you'll just follow me…"

For the next forty minutes, McKay showed the team around Stargate Command, taking them to the mess hall, the brig, and, upon Ronon's request, the armoury. He showed them images of space ships, and Goa'uld, told them of the Ori, the Replicators, and let Ronon show them how to use a few weapons. By the time they arrived at their second last stop, McKay's voice was nearing hoarse.

"And this, my friends, is the infirmary."

He pushed open the door and let Teyla lead them in. That was why he heard Sheppard before he saw him.

"About time, McKay. Let me guess, you were in someone's lab, drooling over something shiny and weapon-like while I'm stuck in here."

At the end of the room, Colonel Sheppard was sitting up in his bed, raising himself with one arm, since the other was secured tightly to his chest to stop him from using the shoulder that had been shot. He sat gingerly, being careful when he laid back against the pillows, thanking the nurse on duty with a smile when she helped him, before turning back to the men and women who had just come in.

"Hey," he greeted, before nodding at DiNozzo. "Good to see you up on your feet."

"Yeah, thanks to you," Tony told him. "Wish I could say the same about you though."

"Well, getting shot will do that to you," he responded with a shrug, before wincing. "But the Doc says I can get out of here soon. And then we'll be headed back to Atlantis."

"So you're looking forward to going back then?" McGee asked from his spot crowding the colonel's bed. The three Atlantis members standing nodded.

"Despite everything we face, it is our home," Teyla told them. "And maybe one day, you will be able to see it."

McKay snorted. "Don't count on it. The IOA is going to be very careful about anything and anyone travelling to or from the Pegasus Galaxy. Especially after this."

"What is happening to Ripley?" DiNozzo asked, having been filled in on all the details concerning the Stargate program as he recovered.

"Prison, somewhere," McKay told him. "Hopefully on another planet, though usually they only reserve that as a means of sanctuary. But security has been tightened at Area 51, the scientist who stole the material is being severely punished, and Ripley Pharmaceuticals is being shredded. The IOA is going to make sure no one ever does something like this again."

"Well, that's comforting at least," John muttered, before checking the time. "Anyway, you should go. Wouldn't want to miss the big finale."

McKay jumped as if prodded and then began ushering people out of the room. "He's right, we need to get going. Teams come back early sometimes, and it's not nearly as good as… who am I missing?"

By then he was on the other side of the room, and Ziva, McGee and Tony were between him and the door. But Gibbs had remained behind, and as McKay realized, the older agent looked around, his stare explaining explicitly what he wanted. McKay pointed out the door. "We'll just wait out here, shall we."

They closed the door behind them.

Gibbs turned back to Sheppard, who looked up at him. For a moment neither man said anything.

"How's Private Monash?" Gibbs asked when the silence almost became too much. He was sure Sheppard would know, and the man didn't disappoint.

"Alive. The docs are working on getting him back to normal, and they've had some experience with this kind of stuff." Sheppard gave a weak grin at that, and Gibbs understood. DiNozzo had told him everything in return, after all. So far as he knew, anyway. "Hopefully he'll be back to human in a week or three. Though he's going to need some serious therapy, no doubt."

The speech seemed to have worn the pilot out for a moment, a reminder to Gibbs of exactly what he had gone through. He just nodded, not sure what to say next. He was a man of few words, was Gibbs.

"I'm sorry," Sheppard told him suddenly. "About not bringing you in, at the start. But I had my orders."

Gibbs nodded after a moment. "I know. I understand. I know what top-secret means."

Sheppard chuckled. "I know you do. I've read your file as well, remember." He looked at the door. "Is DiNozzo going to be okay?"

Gibbs nodded again. "Yes, he is. Thanks to you."

The pilot shrugged uncomfortably. "Just doing my job," he answered, looking away. "Besides, it was my fault he was there in the first place. I'm just glad they didn't feed him to the hybrid."

The agent smiled. "Yeah, DiNozzo told me what they threatened, to do to him, and to you." He paused, and then decided to change the subject. "You're team is very…"

Sheppard chuckled. "Chaotic? Uncontrollable? I know, compared to your team…"

Gibbs laughed with him. "Yeah. I try to run a tight ship. Gets the job done."

Sheppard nodded. "I know. And I respect that. Hell, any military man would. But in the Pegasus Galaxy, sometimes following orders gets you or another person killed. I need them to speak up. And I'm sure your team would do the same, if they had to."

Gibbs nodded. Then he offered his hand, though not the one he normally would, considering Sheppard's shaking hand was bound to his chest.

Nodding, the pilot took it. "Thank you," he said. "For getting my team through the past few days. Normally the expedition leader would, but on Earth…"

"And thank you, for getting DiNozzo out alive," Gibbs responded. "You're a good man, Sheppard."

"And you're a good investigator, Gibbs." He dropped his hand. "If you ever need anything, just give the SGC a call. They'll get word to me."

Gibbs nodded, and turned for the door. "Likewise, Sheppard. I'll see you around." And he left, closing the door behind him.

Sheppard leaned back into the pillows, wondering if they ever would meet again. And then decided that with his luck in life, they probably would. He chuckled over that, and then closed his eyes, trying to picture the agents' looks when the wormhole whooshed out.

Damn, he should have gotten Rodney to take a camera.

Awww... I can't believe it's over!

Thanks again to everyone!