Time After Time

Author: ShaViva

Rating: K+

Content Warning: Minor character distress is pretty much it.

Season: Season 3 - Carson's still around so sometime before Sunday but after 'The Return Part 2' because they have a ZPM.

Summary: '"We already did," Sheppard almost growled.' When a familiar face arrives with a warning Sheppard is forced to push his unique connection with Atlantis to the limit. Follows on from 'You Belong to Me' and "Feelin' Hot Hot Hot'.

Classifications: Adventure, Drama, Team Friendship, Shep Whump, Sheplantis

Pairings: None

Spoilers for: a few for McKay and Mrs Miller plus very minor (blink and you'd miss it) ones for The Defiant One, The Siege Pt 2, The Return Pt 1 & 2, First Strike, and the SG1 episode Point of View.

Disclaimer: The Stargate characters, storylines, etc aren't mine – I'm just playing with them for my own, and hopefully your enjoyment. I am unfortunately not associated in any way with the creators, owners, or producers of Stargate or any of its media franchises - if I was we'd be seeing SGA on TV for many more years to come! All publicly recognizable characters, settings, equipment, etc are the property of whoever owns them. Any original characters and plot and anything else I made up are the property of me, the author. No copyright infringement is intended.

Copyright (c) 2008 ShaViva

Authors Note:

This story is the third in a trilogy. Feelin' Hot Hot Hot was the first story, followed closely by the second story You Belong to Me. The second one was set before The Return and this one is after it so a month or so has gone by. This probably makes sense without having read the other two stories but ... it would probably enhance it if you did read them as there are a few 'spoilers' for those stories here.

I was gonna hold off starting the posts on this one but picking over it is distracting me from working on FJS4 so here it is. I can't promise a daily post ... I tend to get caught up writing Shep/Sab ... but I'll do my best!

And now, on with the story ...

Chapter 1: Find what you were looking for?

Lt Colonel John Sheppard groaned at the pain of a Replicator hand being removed from his forehead. It wasn't a new experience but unfortunately it still hurt like a son of a bitch. He didn't even know where he was ... one Ancient holding cell looked much the same as another and he had no recollection of being taken there.

"Find what you were looking for?" he quipped, doing a pretty good job of hiding the less than positive effect the mind probe had had on him.

"Your mind is strong," the Replicator almost complimented. "We have most of what we require but ... there is still much we could learn from you."

"Well could you hurry it up? I've got things to do and your hospitality isn't exactly five star," Sheppard joked, trying not to worry over what he might have already given away. They really needed a defence against this kind of thing!

"We were going to give you time to rest but ...," without saying anything further the Replicator slid it's hand once more inside Sheppard's head ... inside his mind.

Sheppard groaned again, retaining enough of his true self this time to realise he wasn't really back on Atlantis. He tried to resist but couldn't, watching helplessly as the Replicator riffled through his memories.

oOo

"Anything?" Ronon impatiently looked over Rodney's shoulder at the small data pad in his hand. The rest of Team Sheppard were hidden behind thick trees at the edge of a clearing ... keeping watch on a small building located on the other side.

"If you'd stop breathing down my neck and asking every five minutes if I have anything this would go a lot faster!" Rodney complained.

"I thought you altered the life signs detector to distinguish someone with the Ancestors gene," Ronon said impatiently. "How come you're not picking up Sheppard's signal?"

"I did but it's not as simple as just following the little flashing arrow!" Rodney protested. "I still need to fine tune the calibration and boost the strength so we can scan inside the facility."

"Ronon, let Rodney finish his work," Teyla admonished. "We have already been separated from Colonel Sheppard for several hours. We need to hurry."

"I don't know about either of you but I'm getting tired of every rumour we follow up turning out to be a trap," Rodney multitasked his complaints with rapid button pressing on the Ancient scanner as he hurried to complete his work. "For once it'd be nice to go on one of these exploration missions and actually find an Ancient outpost brimming with everything promised!"

"That'd make for a nice change," Ronon agreed.

"What I don't get is why the Replicators stunned us all at the Gate but only took Sheppard," Rodney continued. "Why go to all the trouble of luring us here and then leave the three of us behind? It doesn't make sense."

"It is different from what we have seen previously with the Replicators," Teyla agreed.

"They want something they think only Sheppard has," Ronon deduced. "or –."

"I've got something," Rodney interrupted to announce triumphantly. "One ATA life sign located ... inside there," he pointed towards the building.

Ronon moved straight into action, sprinting across the clearing, blaster poised ready in front of him. Slamming his back against the wall next to the door he waited a few moments to see if he'd been detected before motioning the others to join him. Teyla moved with her usual silent grace, followed closely by Rodney who was somewhat less graceful and a lot less quiet.

Dropping to one knee in front of the door Rodney quickly accessed the control panel, crossed a few crystals, and was rewarded with the sound of the door swishing open.

"Me first," Ronon put a hand on Rodney's shoulder to hold him back, taking a few steps into the corridor revealed. After getting another all clear the team progressed down the corridor and into the facility. Everything looked exactly as they expected ... the decor very similar to Atlantis and the other Ancient outposts they'd been to.

"That way," Rodney pointed to another corridor heading right. They moved stealthily towards Sheppard's life sign, all the while expecting to be confronted at any moment. The interior was strangely silent ... and strangely empty.

"Are you picking up anything else on that scanner of yours?" Ronon whispered, clearly disturbed by the lack of opposing force they'd encountered so far.

"Hang on," Rodney pressed a few buttons, switching the scanner back to it's normal mode. He frowned in confusion when the results appeared. "If I'm reading this right Sheppard is the only signal in the building – human or Replicator."

"We must hurry," Teyla said again, urging the others to keep moving.

Rodney guided them through the building until they reached a closed door. "He's in there," Rodney hesitated for a moment, not sure he really wanted to open the door if it turned out Sheppard was lying badly injured on the other side.

"Open it," Ronon growled, pacing impatiently.

"I'm on it," Rodney was already pulling off the door control cover. "I like how you just assume I can open any door ... anywhere!" he complained.

"Now would not be the time to prove him wrong," Teyla said sternly.

Rodney worked his usual magic quickly ... when the door swished open a few seconds later it revealed a standard holding cell much like the ones back on Atlantis. John was stretched out on the floor ... strangely the cell itself was already open.

"Sheppard!" Rodney rushed into the opening, dropping down beside his fallen friend. On the outside he looked unharmed but the fact he was unconscious meant something had been done to him.

"John," Teyla put a hand to Sheppard's shoulder and shook him gently.

Sheppard's eyelids flickered, his face moving into a frown as consciousness returned without immediately informing him of his current situation. He groaned weakly, opening his eyes fully before closing them again. "Crap," he muttered, raising a hand and squeezing his forehead tightly. Opening his eyes again he looked at Teyla. "What happened?"

"We had hoped that you would be able to tell us," Teyla admitted.

"The Replicators," Sheppard winced as memory started to return. "They did the whole mind probe thing on me ... a couple of times actually. That's the last thing I remember. What happened to you guys?"

"They stunned us too but did not take us captive," Teyla reported, helping John to sit up slowly.

"Your popularity seems to have extended to the Replicators now – they only wanted you," Rodney's tone seemed to suggest that somehow Sheppard was to blame for that.

"It wasn't my fault!" he protested, the raised tone causing him to grimace in pain.

"Headache?" Rodney asked curiously.

"Yeah," Sheppard admitted. "Those mind probes never get any easier do they?"

"What were they looking for?" Ronon asked seriously, looking at Sheppard expectantly.

"Ah ... I'm not sure," John admitted. "From what I can recall it was all stuff about Atlantis."

"Gate addresses?" Rodney asked worriedly.

"I don't think so ... that's the strange thing," Sheppard admitted. "It was nothing like that ... the last probe was just everyday stuff plus a few titbits of things that have happened over the past couple of months."

"That is odd," Teyla frowned, "and most unlike their usual behaviour."

"They just left?" Ronon quizzed Sheppard, urging him to remember as much as possible.

"I guess," Sheppard agreed. "I was unconscious at the time ... certainly nothing I did made them leave."

"This is bad," Rodney muttered sickly.

"How so?" Ronon asked.

"They're planning something," Rodney pointed out, "and the fact that they let Sheppard go means they probably got exactly what they needed to put their plan into action."

"You're right," Sheppard pulled himself up, stumbling slightly before standing tall. "We need to get back to Atlantis ... right now."