Title: The Grudge
Rating: PG-13
Author: Mac
Disclaimers: All characters of Stargate Atlantis are property of MGM Studios, the Sci-Fi Channel, and other companies who aren't me.

Elizabeth Weir stood outside, looking out at the vast ocean around Atlantis. If someone told her a year ago that she'd be in a whole new galaxy, she would have laughed in their face. Yet, there she was.

And she was loving every minute of it!

Well, almost. She nearly lost some good friends and colleagues a few days ago. Everyone on Atlantis had worked hard to make certain they all came home in one piece. She really did have the best and the brightest. Excluding SG-1, General O'Neill had told her before they left.

Elizabeth decided she was going to take a walk around Atlantis. She wanted to visit with the Athosians and make sure they weren't upset with her for refusing to let them participate in the death ritual for Teyla.

She hadn't meant to sound so harsh or disrespectful, but she couldn't even think about how the deaths of everyone on that Jumper would effect the morale on Atlantis. Two of the best soldiers on this base, the one man who knows pretty much everything about technology, and the bravest woman she had ever met.

Telling Grodin she'd be gone for awhile, Elizabeth headed down the corridor towards the Athosian's sleeping quarters. She came to a "fork", if you will and decided to go left since she hadn't been in that direction before. Didn't Major Sheppard tell her there were some people she should meet down there?

She turned around quickly when she thought she saw someone move past the sliding doors to the balcony. Elizabeth decided to investigate. "Hello?"

Without warning, someone grabbed her from behind and she was being dragged across the balcony. Whoever it was, he covered her mouth to keep her from crying out. She wasn't going to be dissuaded, though. She bit his hand hard. The man yelped with pain and let go of her.

She felt a sharp, numbing pain in her back, then nothing. As she slipped into darkness, the figure loomed over her. It was then she realized who it was: Kavanaugh.

He had a rough couple of days recuperating from the Wraith bug thing. John Sheppard sighed as he stepped out onto the balcony. It was such a beautiful morning. He began humming Oklahoma music in his head. As he turned the corner, he stopped in his tracks.

"Kavanaugh!" he growled, running towards the scientist. He had seen the man knock someone unconscious, but was yet to figure out who.

Kavanaugh turned and John saw the glint of a gun in the man's hand. "If you don't stop right there Major, I will kill her!"

John's heart thumped in his chest. It was Elizabeth. "What the hell is your problem?" He asked, slowly advancing.

"I will be damned if Elizabeth Weir is going to kill us all! The lives of everyone on Atlantis were more important than the six of you on that Jumper!"

This guy must watch too much Star Trek, he thought. "And the rest of Atlantis would have been screwed of Dr. McKay had been killed in the Jumper incident."

Kavanaugh scoffed at this. "McKay couldn't figure out a light bulb."

"You know what," John said, "I don't even want to debate this with you. Just give me the gun and let Dr. Weir go. She was just doing what she thought was best. If you were in charge," (God forbid, he added to himself), "You would have done what you thought was best. Get over yourself!"

"No," Kavanaugh said, "I don't think so. We're going for a little walk. Pick her up, let's go."

John silently cursed. This idiot was going to use Elizabeth as leverage. He took a deep breath and walked over to them. If Kavanaugh didn't kill him, Dr. Beckett would. He could hear the Scotsman's voice in his head, ' Of course you can go for a walk, Major, but don't overexert yourself. You did die, after all.'

"Just where are we going?"

"Wherever I tell you. Oh, and Major, remove the headsets you're both wearing. I don't want you to go contacting any of your fellow soldiers."


"Yes, Dr. Beckett?"

"Have you seen Major Sheppard lately?"

She shook her head. "I have not. I thought he was told to rest in his quarters."

"Aye, but I told him he could take a walk outside before he went there. I knew I should have had someone go with him. I can't find him or Dr. Weir anywhere and I've been unable to contact them both."

"That's odd," Teyla replied. "Do you think something has happened?"

Beckett sighed. "I have no idea. I just hope Major Sheppard isn't overexerting himself. Would you mind helping me find one or the both of them?"

"Not at all, Doctor. Why don't you inform Sergeant Bates and I'll see if Halling has spoken with either of them recently."

20 minutes later, Teyla met Dr. Beckett in the control room. The pair headed over to Rodney and Sergeant Bates. "Any sign of them, Dr. McKay?" Teyla asked.

"None whatsoever. Someone messed with the biosigns detector so I had to grab one from one of the Jumpers. I was just about to turn it on to see if can locate them."

"But, Doctor," Teyla said, "how will we be able to determine it is them?"

Dr. Beckett replied, "If one of them is injured, their biosign will be red. Whether or not it's them... Well, do it son, we haven't got all day."

Rodney's eyebrows shot up. "There's only one injured lifesign on here. They're near the east tower, two floors below us. We haven't explored that section of the city yet."

"We should get a team together and check this out," Bates told them. "We don't know what's going on down there."

"I'll come along too, Sergeant," Dr. Beckett said.

Teyla nodded. "As will I."

John tried to lay Elizabeth down as carefully as possible. He was exhausted and his chest was really starting to hurt him. No wonder Beckett had told him to take it easy for the next few days.

"Move away from Dr. Weir, Major."

Oh yeah, he had that scientist to deal with. John stood up and blocked Kavanaugh's view of her. "Either you hand me the gun, or I'll have to take it from you by force. It's your choice, but I'd rather not hurt you."

Kavanaugh scoffed at him, noting his pale features. Before John could move an inch, he was punched hard in the stomach. His vision swam in and out of focus. "Not so tough now, are we, Major?" he asked with a grin.

John was confused. Since when did Kavanaugh have so much rage in him? He wasn't going to find out anytime soon because he felt a searing pain in his left temple, then nothing.

Kavanaugh kicked John to make certain he was really unconscious. His attention turned back to Dr. Weir as she was coming to. He quickly walked over to her and pulled her up from the floor. "Let's go, Doctor. We're going for a trip through the Stargate."

Dr. Beckett glanced down at the biosigns detector. "We have one injured and alone in the same area we noted earlier. The other two are headed for the control room... I think."

Bates nodded. "Doctor, why don't you and Teyla check on the injured person. My team will contact the control room and let them know the situation. We'll go after them from all sides."

"Aye." Dr. Beckett handed him the Atlantean technology. "I trust one of your men has the gene?"

"I do, Sir!"

"Good, let's go!"

"Doctor?" Teyla said.

Dr. Beckett pointed in the direction they needed to go. "We should hurry."

When they arrived at the east tower, two floors down, they found someone they did not expect. "Major Sheppard!" Teyla exclaimed, rushing to her friend's side. "Doctor, he's bleeding badly!"

"Head injuries tend to do that, Love." He could see a thin sheet of sweat on the Major's brow and his face was unnaturally white. "Control room, this is Dr. Beckett. We need a medical team to the east tower! And make it fast."

"Yes, Sir!"