Hi everyone! I hope you are continuing to enjoy the story!

Happy Reading!

><><
The Eye
><><

John led the way through the corridors. He was better outfitted with his P-90 and flak vest so he stayed in front, letting Zian watch their backs. Elizabeth was dead. As hard as he tried to put it out of his mind it was his fault and it was making him more protective of Zian than he probably needed to be.

What he needed to do was keep moving forward and stay focused so he could save as many people as possible. He wasn't the type to let something like this effect him in the moment, it would come to him later, when he was alone. Then he would let himself mourn her.

Zian was following silently behind him. So far she had followed orders, although he hadn't missed the flash of defiance in her eyes when he ordered her out of the line of fire. Despite her feelings, she had done as she was told and followed him as he made his next plan. He hadn't been sure what to expect of the Mortii assassin, but it was clear she understood chain of command and was willing to follow his lead.

"I think they have the internal sensors up," John called back to her. "It's the only way they would have found us so easily."

"Makes sense," Kai agreed. She held the handgun loosely in one hand as they prowled through the hallways.

"Is there some way to shield ourselves from them?"

Kai made a doubtful noise as she glanced over their shoulder to check behind them. "If there is, I don't know how," she confessed. She paused, frowning.

"What?" Sheppard asked.

"I have an idea..." she said.

"A good one?" John asked wryly.

Kai bobbed her head back and forth thoughtfully. "Not really...maybe Fifty-fifty," she allowed.

John snorted. "I'll take those odds."

Kai led the way down to McKay's lab. When they were outside the door she gestured for the Major to open it.

"What?" He asked in confusion.

Kai sighed. "He locks out everyone he considers to be a junior member of the science team so they don't steal his research. They have to have either his, or another senior staff member's permission to enter."

"Seriously?" Sheppard asked.

Kai leveled a look at him.

"Right, don't know why I'm surprised," he said swiping his hand over the controls. The doors slid open and Kai led him to the far side of the lab where one of the generators sat. There was a large sign leaning against the wall above it.

Do Not Touch. Very, Very Dangerous ~McKay

Kai walked up to the generator and cocked her head as she looked down at it. She chewed on the corner of her lip thoughtfully.

"Are you sure we should be messing with this?" John asked.

"Pretty sure," she allowed leaning down over it.

"Pretty sure?!" John's voice rose and she shot him a look, glancing back towards the door. They needed to keep their voices down or the Genii would find them.

Sheppard stabbed his finger at the sign. "McKay seems to think you need to be a whole hell of a lot more sure than 'pretty sure' to touch that thing."

"Well, I'm not McKay!" She snapped impatiently. "He got caught. You're stuck with me. Now, I've helped Zelenka when he's worked on these, but they aren't from this galaxy."

"You're on the science team," Sheppard pointed out.

"I'm their mechanic!" She whisper yelled at him. "I know about Wraith technology. I'm not a scientist! At best when it comes to stuff like this I can hold a flashlight for Zalenka."

"You always look busy! What are you doing on the laptop all the time? Playing solitaire?" Sheppard shot back.

Kai hesitated for a minute, her anger forgotten as she frowned over the unfamiliar term. "What's solitaire?"

John threw his hands up in the air as he groaned.

Kai glanced at him and before she could lose her nerve she lifted the core out of the generator. The lights in the lab went out as the generator powered down. She slipped it into her messenger bag.

"Okay..." John dragged out the word. "Is there a second part of your plan where we get to see?"

"Oh, you can't see in the dark?" she asked innocently. She smirked, knowing the look the Major would have shot her way. She sobered so she could explain. "That generator powers secondary systems in the control room. Now, if we move fast and pull the core out of another one that powers the systems they need...what would you do?"

John froze. "I would send out teams to repair and guard them."

Kai smiled triumphantly. "Exactly."

He scowled. "You counted a dozen men?" He clarified.

Kai nodded. "More or less."

"That's actually a pretty good plan." He admitted begrudgingly.

"Thank you," she said smuggly. "But that's only half of it. Once they've sent me out to repair and guard the generators they will be clear of the control room-"

"And we can get in there and shut down the gate. Make it so they can't bring in any more of their people."

Kai smiled. "Right again."

"Well then," John said with a pleased smile. "Let's haul ass Zian."

><><

Kai pulled two more cores. They were moving down one of the service halls towards a fourth when the detector in the Major's hand beeped.

John looked down at it and swore under his breath. The Genii has only been using the main halls, this one was narrow and had no where to hide. He looked back and forth quickly before he spotted a maintenance hatch. He ran one hand over the control, opening the door and grabbed Zian with the other. He shoved her inside without a word, wedging them both into the tiny space.

She tensed, fighting his hold. She opened her mouth to say something and he clamped his hand over her mouth. He remembered startling her in the mess hall and realized he hadn't scared her then, he had made her think she needed to defend herself. Having her instinctively go for a knife now would seriously ruin his day. The hatch was barely wide enough for his shoulders to fit, and left no room for maneuvering.

"Shh," he whispered bending his head down so his lips were near her ear. He swiped his hand back over the control, the door slid closed plunging them into darkness. He lifted the detector between them and the dim light illuminated their faces.

Temper glittered in Kai's grey eyes and she tried to pull her face away from his hand. She didn't appreciate being man handled by the Major. It had startled her when he shoved her in the closet. She sucked in a breath to say something and he clamped his hand more tightly over her mouth.

"Shh," he whispered more adamantly. He turned the detector to show her two more dots moving towards their location. When she tried to move away again he refused to let her go.

An impish glimmer shone in her eyes and she sank her teeth into his hand.

He groaned in pain, his eyes flashing in surprise. "Ow," he snarled through gritted teeth but he didn't release her.

Kai clamped her hand over his mouth. "Shh," she mocked beneath his hand.

He scowled at her. And a smirk stretched her lips under his hand. He tried to pull back from her, but she pressed into him. Refusing to release him until he let go of her.

They could hear the soldiers moving down the hall right outside the hatch. They both froze. The humor gone, John and Kai stared into each other's eyes from inches away. Their bodies were tight with tension. If their location was discovered they would have to come out prepared to fight. If they opened the hatch Sheppard's back was to the hall, his body shielding Kai. It would be up to her to make the first move or the Major would be vulnerable.

Kai moved her free hand down to reach for the gun at her waist. Their bodies were so close her hand brushed the Majors thigh and she froze. He arched his eyebrows meaningfully and she snatched her hand back away from him. She hadn't realized until that moment how close they were. She sucked in a deep breath and it made their chests brush against each other. Her nose was filled with the major's scent, a unique blend of spices and citrus combined with the sharp bite of the oil from his gun.

Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest she couldn't hear his. There was a hard, telepathic nudge in the back of her mind and she actually flinched. Her eyes were wide as she looked up into The Major's. He looked down at her in confusion. She felt the muscles in his jaw tighten beneath her hand, the stubble on his cheek scraped her palm. She snatched her hand back and looked away, thankful the dim light made it impossible for the major to see the blush climbing its way up her neck.

John tightened his jaw as he tried hard to not notice how every inch of Kai's body was pressed against his in the small space. He had never seen her like this before. She always seemed so reserved and focused on her work, but with a gun in her hand and surrounded by enemies she was confident and surprisingly funny. The intensity was still there, but it was redirected.

Something startled her and he didn't think it was him. He wanted to ask, but instead of pushing her he slowly lowered his hand, giving her as much room as he could in the tiny space. She had more than earned his trust today, she was entitled to her secrets.

The Genii's voices continued to get louder until they passed. Once their voices quieted he lifted his arm so he could see the detector. Satisfied they were gone John opened the door and backed out. He looked back down at the life signs detector.

"Well, would you look at that," John said, he flashed Kai a smile, pretending the moment of tension in the closet hadn't happened. "Seems they cleared out the control room for us after all. All right, we take the transporter up, I'll cover you while you disable the gate."

Kai was shaking her head before he even finished talking. John scowled playfully at her. "You used to be so agreeable," he teased. "Someone's been a bad influence."

She snorted, but didn't comment. "The fastest way to disable the gate is to have a senior staff member enter a command code to lock them out. I can cover you once you get to the terminal."

John frowned and Kai could see in that moment he was thinking about Weir. She hadn't missed the fact that since Weir died he hadn't allowed her anywhere near the fighting despite her skills. He thought he was protecting her.

"You know," she said conversationally. "I fight pretty good for a girl."

John froze staring down at her. "This has nothing to do with you being a girl," he said defensively. "I have a gi-" he cut himself off, pressing his lips into a grim line. "I have a woman on my team. It has to do with the fact that I'm wearing body armor and you aren't," he said pointing at Kai's chest.

Kai didn't look at all concerned. "My people don't fight with body armor."

"Yeah well, mine do. And in my world the person in the flak vest goes first." John's tone was agitated.

Kai grunted. "I have a gun, I'll cover us. We'll go in as quiet as possible. Get your code in and we get out."

John wasn't happy with the plan, but he nodded. They stepped into the narrow transporter together. Kai drew in a deep breath and focused on the moment when those doors would open. She pulled her scarf up so her face was covered as she was taught. She drew in another breath and her muscles coiled.

The transporter doors hissed open and they charged into the control room. Two Genii soldiers and Sora were standing down in front of the gate greeting five men who had already stepped through. Leaving only one man on the upper deck.

"Reinforcements are arriving now commander," he said into his radio.

"Have them secure Stargate operations and report back to me," Kolya's voice echoed loudly through the room.

"Understoo-" the man started to say.

Kai charged him. She slammed the butt of the gun against the back of his head and he collapsed unconscious before he had even finished speaking. Kai crouched over his body, pointing her gun at the people below. She recognized Sora immediately by the other woman's strawberry curls, that seemed so out of place with her military uniform.

"Secure the area," Sora ordered her men. "If anyone-"

The shield activated and the ugly hiss of the incoming Genii soldiers hitting the shield as they crossed the event horizon rang through the room. The Major had gotten it working after all.

"Shut it off Ladon!" Sora yelled spinning back to face the control room. Her eyes widened when she spotted them. "Stop them!" She ordered and the soldiers charged the stairs.

Kai fired three shots dropping the soldiers to the ground around her with single shots to the head.

"Pretty good shot for a girl," John quipped as he came up beside her. "Time to go," he yelled as the Genii opened fire. He grabbed Kai's arm and the two of them ran across the catwalk to Weir's office. John laid down a spray of fire from his P90 to cover their retreat.

><><

Once they were clear of the control room they moved deeper into the city. Seventeen Genii had come through the gate. Between Kai and John they had killed eight of them, plus the rest of the company John had stopped by raising the shield. The two men teams covering the generators were easy targets while the rest of the Genii were scrambling over the loss of their men and the Stargate.

John and Kai moved through the dark corridors. John pulled out the detector. Straight ahead of them two Genii soldiers were chatting quietly as they stood in the hall outside the lab with the generator. John turned to Zian and gestured for her to take the one on the left while he took the one on the right. She nodded once to show she understood and they crept along the wall, moving silently.

Kai heard the click of the comm activating before the Major did. Her head snapped towards him. He saw the motion out of the corner of his eye and stopped, frowning at Kai. She reached up and touched her ear.

"Major Sheppard I have a proposition for you." Kolya's voice came through strongly a second later.

Sheppard's eyes flickered to Kai and the two of them backtracked, sneaking away from the Genii guards. The Major ran up the stairs to put distance between him and the guards before he spoke. Kai was at his heels.

"Kolya," John responded. "I'm having a hard time keeping up. What's the score again?" John asked innocently.

There was a moment of silence as Kolya composed himself. He didn't rise to John's baiting, but his voice was tense. "My men have informed me not only have you disabled some crucial generators. But you've stolen some key components that make it impossible for them to be restored."

"Yeah, I did that," John agreed brightly.

"There are two flaws in your plan," Kolya observed.

"I'm always open to constructive criticism," John responded without missing a beat.

"One,"Kolya said. "The assumption that I believe you would rather destroy the city than let it fall to us is childish."

John stopped and looked at Kai frowning in mock confusion, a boyish smile lighting his face. "That doesn't sound like me at all."

Kai couldn't help the smirk that tugged at one corner of her mouth.

Once more Kolya showed impressive restraint by not reacting to Sheppard. "Second, if and when I determine Atlantis is unsalvageable. Doctor Weir and McKay become obsolete."

John froze, his face going blank. "Weir is alive?" John asked in shock.

"Doctor McKay was able to make a strong case for keeping her alive."

"Let me talk to her." John ordered.

There was a long pause. The relief on the majors face made Kai uncomfortable. She shifted her weight and kept her eyes on stairs above and below them.

"Sheppard!" Elizabeth had to yell into the communicator to be heard over the raging storm. "We're both here!"

John snorted in relief. "It's good to hear your voice."

"It's good to be heard," Weir called back. There was a long pause. "Is Kari with you? Is she okay?"

John's eyes cut to Kai and they shared a confused look. "Yeah," he responded. "Kari's okay," he promised Weir.

"Good," Weir's voice was tight with tension. "You know when she joined the science team I promised we would look after her. You know how nervous guns make her."

John went very still. Weir was doing what she could to tell him the Genii didn't know who Kai was yet. "She's fine," John promised.

Kolya's voice came back on the radio. "As touching as this all is...we have one hour until the storm hits full force. If the power is not returned to ground station three within the next ten minutes. Dr. Weir dies."

"Again, you mean," John clarified.

Kolya's voice was steady. "Her death will buy you an additional ten minutes at which point Doctor McKay dies. We will the leave with what we can and the city will be destroyed."

"Well that's not enough time," John argued. "It's a big city," he hedged.

"You have your scientist friend to help you," Kolya reasoned. "But if you don't mind destroying Atlantis, please, stay where you are for the next twenty minutes. Starting...now."

The comm clicked off. John and Kai shared a look for exactly two seconds before they bolted back towards the grounding station.

><><

Hope you enjoyed the update!