Hello friends! So the incredible amount of votes and comments on the last update motivated me to kick it in the butt and get the next one out. I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Reading!

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Coup D'Etat Cont.
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Instead of catching up with Ronon and Teyla to continue the search for Kai and the missing team John found himself traveling through the underground tunnels of the Genii. He and Elizabeth had agreed to warn Cowen, the current leader of the Genii about Ladon's plans. What John hadn't realized was that Elizabeth would pick him and McKay to be the ones to deliver the news.

"You know," McKay said, his voice tight with stress. "I'm not sure you've sufficiently trained me in actual combat. I don't know how much use I'd be in a fight-our-way-out kind of scenario."

John shot McKay a look of disbelief, but the dark tunnels made it impossible for him to see it.  "Well," he said his voice completely serious. "I look at it this way. The Genii have tried to kidnap you on multiple occasions to mine that big old brain of yours, right?"

"Yes..." Rodney dragged off, not sure he was going to like the direction this was going.

"Well," Sheppard said thoughtfully. "If we get into trouble, I'll just trade your life for mine."

"Funny," Mckay snapped.

"Don't worry. I'll mount some sort of rescue mission...eventually," John assured him still managing to keep a straight face. "Assuming you survive all the radiation exposure."

There was movement down the side junctions of the tunnels and John rounded towards the movement, putting himself between their possible attackers and McKay. McKay squeaked in surprise but composed himself as Cowen stepped out of the dark flanked by four soldiers.

"Doctor McKay," Cowen greeted. He turned to Sheppard. "And it's Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard now I hear."

"Somebody's been paying attention," John replied, forcing a pleasant smile on his face.

He hated Cowen. He would never forgive him for the first time they had met and the way he treated Kai. It seemed while the people of this galaxy feared the Mortii for their skills, they also regarded them as somehow less than human. Cowen had treated Kai as little more than a slave who could be won like a prize. John would never forgive him for it, but Elizabeth was right, they needed allies against the wraith. Even if those allies were Genii.

"I'm afraid I don't have much time. But please tell me, what can I do for you?" Cowen pressed impatiently.

John cleared his throat and kept his voice casual. "We were just checking in, saying hi since we really haven't been in contact since the last culling."

"We barely survived the last culling," Cowen said grimly. "I can't help thinking how close to extinction we came as a people. Our former ambitions have been tempered by the real world I'm afraid." He explained, almost sounding sincere. "We've been busy trying to fulfill our people's most basic needs."

"You know," McKay spoke up helpfully. "We could help with that."

"Yeah, with supplies, even manpower," Sheppard offered.

"Why would you do that?" Cowen asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, we probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the nukes you gave us, so we owe you one," John begrudgingly admitted. It was somehow reassuring to see Cowen didn't seem to trust him any more than he trusted Cowen. It felt more sincere. Had Cowen tried to pretend to be friends John would have suspected foul play immediately.

"We are a proud people Sheppard. But we do know how to accept help when we need it..." Cowen said tightly as though it pained him to admit he might need their help. He might ask Elizabeth for aid, but he was sure Cowen would never admit to needing help to John's face.

"On that note," John said rubbing at the back of his neck. "We've been contacted by a Genii named Ladon..."

"Ah," Cowen said with a tired smile. "At last the real reason you're here, what has he been saying?"

John shrugged casually as though they didn't believe it. "Ah, something about conquest of other worlds using your atomic weapons."

Cowen scoffed. "He's been telling the Manarians that I've been slaughtering our own people for food," Cowen told them, he exhaled tiredly. "Laden blames me for Kolya's disappearance. And yes, it's true I never respected nor liked the man, but I had nothing to do with his persumed disappearance. I believe there is no love lost between you and Kolya," Cowen said looking pointedly at Sheppard.

John crossed his arms over his chest but declined to answer. If there was any Genii he hated more than Cowen it was Kolya. Cowen had threatened Kai yes, but Kolya had both used her against John and tried to kill her more than once.

When John didn't answer Cowen shrugged. "Anything Ladon tells you is a lie."

"He's trying to mount a rebellion," McKay said.

"Let him try," Cowen replied confidently. "He commands a couple of dozen men and has no weapons to speak of, believe me the city's plumbing is of more concern to me right now...but still, you didn't have to tell me. Appraising me Ladon's plans was the act of a friend," Cowen admitted begrudgingly.

"Well, if you wanna contact us we have a new number," John said. This was the part of the plan he didn't like, but Elizabeth had insisted on extending the olive branch to include a way for Cowen to contact them.

"I've known for some time that Atlantis survived the Wraith attack Colonel Sheppard. I hope that you'll accept it as an act of good faith that your secret is safe with the Genii."

John nodded and Cowen shook both their hands. "My men will see you to the gate," he offered, gesturing to the guards behind him to lead the way.

They headed back as Cowen disappeared into the dark. John was uneasy. He had never liked or trusted the Genii, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on. He just wasn't sure what.

"Well, that was refreshing," McKay said brightly, as usual he was completely oblivious to Sheppard's mood. "He didn't even try to kill us once."

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Kai was stunned twice more before she finally stopped trying to escape. It didn't seem to matter how reasonable Lorne was as he tried to convince her to be patient. She wasn't a sit around and wait to be rescued kind of girl.

They were there for barely a day before the Genii scientists gathered outside the gate. They all had equipment to take blood samples from their prisoners. Kai rolled to her feet, confident in her ability to fight her way out. The soldiers however, had learned, and didn't take any chances. They stunned Kai again before they opened the gate.

When Kai woke the next time she had been handcuffed behind her back and there was a bandage on her arm where they had taken several tubes of blood.

"How are you feeling?" Lorne asked.

Kai made a frustrated sound as she fought to twist her wrists and somehow get free.

"I've already checked those cuffs. They seem fairly tamper proof," he said dropping down to sit beside her. "How many times can you get stunned in a day before I have to start worrying about your brain?" Lorne asked, his tone was light, but there was a small piece of him that was worried.

Kai ignored his question. "Have they said anything about what they want?"

Lorne shook his head. "They took blood samples from us all. Not really sure why."

Kai frowned as she finally stopped long enough to think. She looked over the gathered group of men.

"They took samples from everyone?" She clarified.

Lorne nodded. "A vial from each, but they took a bag from you, you feeling lightheaded at all? They brought us food," he said gesturing to a plate of stale looking bread.

"I'm fine," Kai said firmly. Her head was still pounding and she felt a little dizzy but she honestly couldn't say if it was from continuing to be stunned or them taking so much blood. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. The Genii had taken her uniform jacket, leaving her in just her thin long sleeve t-shirt. Her scarf was also missing, making her feel naked.

Lorne snorted at her stubbornness and turned to pick up one of the blankets the Genii had left for them. He draped it over her shoulders. "Temps dropping," he observed glancing towards the high, bar covered windows. "It's going to get cold tonight," he said and he left Kai alone.

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The next morning John and McKay were standing in Elizabeth's office. They had both been up all night. First to report to the Genii and then to follow up with the man he had left to track Ladon.

John took a sip from his cup of coffee. "My special ops guy followed Ladon to MSR-967. Looks like he's occupied a warehouse in a bombed-out abandoned city."

"It was most likely destroyed by the wraith and never reinhabited," McKay reported.

"We did a fly over in a cloaked Jumper and sure enough, there are about 20 lifesigns in the building."

"Well, 20 life signs on the whole planet actually," McKay added.

"So Cowen's intel was accurate?" Weir asked, a little surprised. She didn't want to allow herself to get too excited about the prospect of working with the Genii, things had been rocky before, but many powerful allies were built on rocky starts.

"Yeah it appears that way," McKay agreed.

"So even if those men are highly trained and armed to the teeth-" John started.

"Which most of them probably are not," McKay interrupted.

"They're no match for our guys," Sheppard finished.

"A raid?" Weir asked in shock.

"Hell yes a raid," John said. "If this is their main base of operations, I'm willing to bet the ZPM is there."

"And what, just steal it?" Weir asked in disbelief.

"Well...the brotherhood stole it from us and Laden stole it from the brotherhood, it's not really stealing it's um..." McKay dragged off.

"Recovering." John filled in quickly, knowing full well Elizabeth didn't like operations that fell into the grey area, and this one for sure fell into the grey area. "Look," he said quickly before she could say no. "We tell Ladon we're ready to do business, he needs to send a dozen guys here to help carry back supplies -"

"Along with the ZPM," McKay added excitedly.

John grunted in agreement but kept going. "He won't do that but, sure, we can ask. When they get here we detain them, leaving eight men in the building for only two small strike teams to deal with," he finished. He wanted this wrapped up as quickly as possible and a raid was the best way to do that. Once they had the ZPM he could turn his focus to finding Kai.

"Okay," Elizabeth agreed after a few moments consideration. "It's worth the risk. Go get us a ZPM."

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Sheppard had his men in position outside the warehouse, waiting for the word from Elizabeth that they had successfully detained Ladon's people.

"Colonel?" Weir's voice came over the comm.

"Here," John replied. He and his team were outfitted in full combat gear. His P-90 hung from his vest and he had a wraith stunned on one hip and his handgun on the other. He was taking no chances on this one. He wanted it done right and he wanted it done quick.

"You have a go," Weir reported.

"Understood," he said grimly. He turned to his men. "All right, use non-lethal force whereever possible, so the men with stunners take point," he ordered. "That being said, if they engage us, do what you need to do."

He tapped Brown on the shoulder and he led the way. John tossed a smoke grenade through the first window as Brown blew the door. They came in firing stunners as they went. Taking down two men off the bat. That left only six.

"Clear!" John called when all movement cease. "Start doing a room sweep. You three are with me," he called to the men behind him. "We're finding Ladon."

"Did you see how I almost stunned that guy?" McKay asked excitedly. He had to trot to keep up with Sheppard's purposeful strides.

John glanced back at his friend. "I must have missed it," he said.

"Yeah but if he was like, one step to the right I would have stunned him for sure."

"Good for you," John said tightly. There was something wrong. He could feel it in his chest. He just wasn't sure what it was. "Come on."

John led the way deeper into the warehouse. McKay guided him using the life signs detector. They crept closer to the door. McKay paused, holding up one finger. "One tango, middle of the room," he reported.

Sheppard hesitated, staring at him as though he had never seen him before.

"What?" McKay asked suddenly self-conscious. "Isn't that right?"

Sheppard grimaced but nodded. He counted off to five and they came in from both sides. Ladon was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, his foot resting on a box at his feet. He didn't look surprised to see them at all as he cut away a piece of apple and ate it.

"Drop it," Sheppard ordered, gesturing to the small knife in Ladon's hand. Ladon looked down at the knife in surprise as though he hadn't expected Sheppard to care about it. He tossed it to the ground.

"All right," he agreed. "Feel safer?"

"A little bit," John agreed sarcastically. "Is that it?" John asked gesturing to the box. He was itching to get out of here. Something was off and he trusted his instincts enough not to question it.

"It is," Ladon cofirmed.

"Slide it over," John ordered, gesturing with his gun.

Ladon kicked the box across the room. John slid his gun away and crouched over the box to check it.

"Who whoa whoa," McKay called urgently. "It could be booby trapped to blow up in your face!"

Ladon snorted. "Relax Sheppard, I have no interest in killing you."

John hesitated for only a second before he bent down and opened the box, bracing himself for an explosion. Nothing happened. He lifted out the ZPM. It was dark

"It's all yours, one ZPM," Ladon said smuggly.

John dropped the ZPM back into the box and kicked it back towards McKay carelessly. A burned out ZPM was useless to them.

"One that's probably been out of power for about a thousand years," Ladon added brightly.

There was a hiss overheard and gas began filling the room as the doors slid shut behind them. John turned but his men had already started to drop to the ground coughing.

"Oh that's gas," Ladon said as John went to his knees. "Don't worry, it's not going to kill you either."

John fought to stay conscious, but it was impossible to resist and the gas pulled him under.

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John blinked awake. It was still light outside so he obviously hasn't been unconscious very long. He was tied to the chair Ladon had been sitting in.

"How do you feel?" Ladon asked.

John flexed his hands against the ropes but they didn't give. "Like I've been gassed," he snapped sardonically. "How come it didn't affect you?" John asked when he remembered Ladon hadn't left the room.

"I was injected with what I just gave you," Ladon said holding up the needle.

John didn't like the idea of being injected with anything from the Genii but he didn't dwell on it. Once he got out of this he would have Beckett run a full blood panel on him and his men. "Where are my men?" John asked when he saw it was only him and Ladon left in the room.

"Oh they'll wake up in an hour or so on their own with a pretty big headache, but they're fine," Ladon promised him. "Just like you."

John tested the ropes more obviously this time to show his agitation. "I'm a lot of things right now, fine isn't one of them."

Ladon smiled as though John had told a joke. "I stumbled across the dead ZPM in our archives. One of our operatives found it hundeds of years ago, didn't what it was, and filed it away. I'm sure he had no idea how valuable it would eventually be."

"That was your plan?" John asked in disgust. "Lure us here, take our weapons, trade us for some more, arm your little rebellion, is that it?"

"Couldn't be more wrong," Ladon said with a smug smile.

"There is no rebellion Colonel," Cowen's voice echoed through the warehouse.

John's head jerked up in surprise and Cowen flashed him a smile that had too much teeth. "Ladon here has only the best interest of the Genii at heart."

John sighed, hanging against the ropes in frustration. God he hated the Genii.

Cowen stepped up holding Sheppard's radio. "I want to talk to Doctor Weir."

"The gate has to be active," Sheppard snarled.

"It already is," Cowen replied, unmoved by the Colonels acerbic attitude.

Ladon turned the top crank on the radio and showed him how to use it.

"Doctor Weir this is Cowen, leader of the Genii."

There was a brief pause before Weir's voice came through. "Where is Colonel Sheppard?"

"He's right here with me," Cowen assured her. "Along with the men you sent to storm this complex Some would view that as an act of war."

"We were just trying to quell your rebellion before it started," Elizabeth defended.

"I think we both knew what your intentions were. And now its time you become aware of mine. I will release your men, but I expect something in return," Cowen negotiated.

"We have twelve of your own, how about a straight trade?" Weir offered, although she didn't sound like she thought he would take her up on it.

"The Genii you've imaged as your potential hostages are terminally ill," Cowen responded. "They volunteered for the mission. They knew they were never coming back the moment they heard of my plan."

"Why are you doing this?" Weir demanded angrily.

"The Genii people need the Atlantean ships you call Jumpers. I believe you have ten of them. You have one hour to bring them all here."

John was surprised Cowen would demand such a high price. He had to know Elizabeth wouldn't negotiate for them, she couldn't. He tried twisting his wrists again to see if the ropes would loosen at all, but they had been thorough.

"And if I don't?" Weir asked.

"We will kill one of your team every fifteen minutes until our demands are met...oh, and we will be starting with Colonel Sheppard," Cowen said turning and leveling his gaze on John, a triumphant gleam in his eye.

After Cowen disconnect he had his soldiers untied Sheppard. John let out a tired sigh. "What do you want with the jumpers?" he asked. There were too many soldiers pointing guns at him to do anything, but they still were taking no chances.

Cowen laughed. "What would I want with invisible space ships that can fly to other worlds and even deliver atomic weapons?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, since you put it that way. They're never going to deal. You're going to have to kill us," John told him.

Cowen nodded. "Mm hmm," he agreed. "I fully expect to have to kill you."

"Looking forward to it that much huh?" John asked. "Why didn't you just take us hostage when we came to visit?"

"Why take two hostages when you can have a dozen?" Cowen asked rhetorically. "Take him to the cell," Cowen ordered.

Ladon grabbed Sheppard's arm and hauled him to his feet. Sheppard kept his muscles loose and relaxed so Ladon wouldn't feel threatened. He just needed to wait for his moment.

Ladon shoved him ahead of him however and pointed a gun at his back. Sheppard walked slowly through the building, memorizing the layout and taking everything in.

"Even if they give you the jumpers, none of the Genii will be able to fly them," John pointed out.

"Oh no? Why is that?" Ladon asked, he still sounded smug. He made John want to wipe that smile right off his face.

"You know why," John snapped impatiently.

"Well if you're referring to the ancient gene I'm working on a gene that could artificially produce it," Ladon said. "In fact we've been collecting samples..." Ladon dragged off.

"From where?" Sheppard snapped back testily.

They stepped around the corner and Sheppard hesitated for a step as the cell came into view. "Lorne," he said in surprise when he saw the Major standing at the front of the cell near the door.

"Starting to put it all together?" Ladon asked brightly as he unlocked the cell.

"I'm getting there," Sheppard agreed and Ladon shoved him inside.

John stumbled a step but straightened as he turned to look over the others in the cell. "Major, boys," he greeted forcing his tone to stay casual even though his heart was thundering in his chest. She had to be here. His strike team were all there, including McKay, laying on the ground unconscious.

"Colonel," Lorne greeted. The rest of his men were looking over the strike team. He didn't see her.

"Yeah, way to be alive," Sheppard congratulated, but his heart was in his throat as he saw a small mound on the ground in the back corner, covered by a blanket.

"Thanks sir," Lorne replied sardonically. "So, you come to rescue us?"

"Well, up until a moment ago I thought you were dead. But now that I see you speaking, breathing...yeah, thinking about it."

The blanket moved and Kai sat up, flipping the blanket off of her. Her hair was mussed and she had a scowl on her face.

"Well good," Lorne said with a sharp nod. "Let me know if there's anything we can do to help, huh?"

Kai eyes met Sheppards and she struggled to her feet. He frowned when he saw she had her hands secured behind her back.

"Why is-" Sheppard started to ask, but Lorne cut him off.

"She kept attacking them," Lorne said with a heavy sigh. "She was stunned four times the first day we were here." His eyes were exhausted as he stared at Kai with a grumpy look. For someone so small she could certainly make a lot of trouble.

Sheppard snorted, a proud smirk stretching his face despite their situation. "She can be a handful," he said wryly.

"You're telling me," Lorne grunted in a low voice as Kai approached them.

When she reached them Lorne stepped back to give them the illusion of privacy. Kai's eyes ran over Sheppard to make sure he was uninjured.

"Is this your idea of a rescue?" she challenged.

John snorted and shook his head. He was so relieved to she was alive he would take it. For the first time he noticed the feeling of her back in his chest. He had been so distracted by Cowen earlier he hadn't been paying enough attention. He was almost lightheaded with relief and not caring that the men were surrounding them he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. Exhaling away the stress and pain he had been feeling since she went missing.

Kai hadn't realized until that moment that everyone on Atlantis had thought they were dead. She could feel the relief pouring off of John and it actually made something in her own chest tighten. She could see how much it had affected him and it shocked her.

When she had first felt him land on the planet, she had thought he was there to rescue them. Now she realized he was in just as much trouble as they were. She let herself lean against him for a moment, but she was painfully aware of the men in the cell with them. She stepped back quickly, her eyes flickering to the team.

John followed her gaze, but didn't care. He was too relieved to see her. "Are you okay?" he asked, he kept his voice barely above a whisper so only Kai could hear.

She nodded. "Don't suppose you can pick the lock on handcuffs?" she asked weakly.

John stepped into her space and reached behind her, his fingers grazing over the metal manacles that encircles her wrists. "Sorry," he said in a low tone and instead of pulling away he let his forehead rest against hers for a moment.

He would have to be the Colonel in a moment and find a way for them to escape before Elizabeth was forced to open negotiations, but for just this moment he needed to feel her and know that she was alive and safe. She leaned into him as well and he felt that warmth open like a ball of light in the center of his chest.

Content he stepped back and nodded to her. Then he turned to face Lorne and the others. "Right," he said briskly. "What do we know?"

"Nothing really," Kai told him.

"We were ambushed," Lorne said. "Stunned and they took our uniforms and our dog tags.

"My scarf and blades are gone too," Kai agreed.

"They've taken a couple of blood samples from each of us," Lorne reported. He glanced a little warily at Kai. "They took a whole bag from Zian," he reported.

Kai shot him a glare for ratting her out as Sheppard turned a concerned look to her. "You feeling all right?"

Kai nodded. "I'm fine," she assured him.

There was a groan behind them as McKay woke. Sheppard shot her a final look of disapproval but turned to check on McKay.

Fifteen minutes later Kai could hear the Genii soldiers coming back. The keys rattled loudly as the guards opened the door flanking Ladon.

Ladon stepped into the cell. "Times up," he said, pulling his gun front the holster at his waist. He pointed the gun at Sheppard's chest.

Without hesitation Kai lunged for him. Sheppard caught her, dragging her back, and pushing her behind him.

Ladon stared Sheppard in the face, his eyes wary. "Weir says that Doctor Beckett can cure the people we sent through. Is that true?" Ladon asked pointing his gun for emphasis.

John held his hands up so he would look like less of a threat as he approached Ladon. He stepped carefully to make sure Kai was behind him. His protective instincts were running high after everything that had happened. He knew it would annoy her, but he couldn't turn it off right now and he wouldn't pretend otherwise.

"Beckett's the best doctor in two galaxies. If there's a cure, he's got it," he said confidently. He had no idea what the people could have wrong with them, but knowing the Genii it was probably radiation poisoning of some kind. Not all kinds would be curable, but he wasn't about to say that. If Beckett claimed he could, John was going with it.

Ladon turned back to his men. "We're letting them go," he told them. The men nodded without hesitation. The three Genii stepped back allowing Sheppard and the others to come towards the door.

Kai stepped up in front of Ladon. She raised her eyebrows expectantly and dipped her shoulder towards him so he would unlock the cuffs.

Ladon hesitated for a moment. He turned to Sheppard. "Your word your Mortii won't attack my men any more," he demanded.

Sheppard bristled. He hated the Genii's habit of treating Kai as subhuman, but Ladon actually was afraid of her. "She speaks for herself," he said with a smile and a casual shrug.

Ladon's eyes flickered back to Kai. She smiled at him, baring her teeth aggressively. "I think I can manage to control myself," she growled.

Ladon's face paled but he took the keys from his belt and unlocked the cuffs. Kai rubbed at her bruised wrists as the cuffs dropped to the ground at her feet.

"I would like my scarf and my Blades returned to me," she intoned, putting maybe a little more menace in her voice than she needed to.

Ladon turned to one of his men and nodded. "They will be," he promised.

Ladon led the group through the warehouse. "Hidden away in the bottom of this building is a nuclear device," he told them.

"How'd you get your hands on that?" Sheppard asked suspiciously.

"You forget I'm the chief scientist," Ladon said with a pleased smile, "I made it."

"You're gonna start your coup," Mckay said in shock as he hurried to keep up.

Ladon nodded elegantly. "I needed Cowen and his elite guard together in one place. I knew the chance of some puddle jumpers would get him here. Most of my men are waiting for me on our home world. Tonight, the leaderhsip of our people changes hands."

"You were just going to leave us here to be vaporized with the others?" John clarified, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes I was," Ladon agreed, unapologetically. "But things have changed, let's go," he said and he led the way out of the warehouse.

Two of Cowen's elite guards came through the door in front of them. When they say all of them free the men free they raised their guns.

"It's all right," Ladon assured them quickly stepping forward between the two groups. "We're just escorting these prisoners."

They lowered their guns obediently and without hesitation two of Ladon's men shot them. Ladon turned to Sheppard. "There's a hidden passage this way, we shouldn't run into any more resistence," Ladon said and he led them out of the warehouse and back to the gate.

McKay dialed Atlantis and led the way back through the gate.

"Ladon come in," the communicator on Ladon's wrist activated as he, Sheppard and Kai waited as the rest of their men crossed the event horizon.

"This is Ladon," he replied.

"What's going on?"Cowen demanded.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this Cowen," Ladon responded. "You have served our people well," he said grimly.

"What have you done?" Cowen called fearfully.

John, Kai and Ladon stepped through the gate. "Shield up!" John called. Just as it was raised there was a bright flash behind them.

Weir met them in the center of the gate room as Ladon handed his weapon over to Kai. "Now please," Ladon said nodding respectfully to Doctor Weir. "I would like to see my sister."

Weir and Ladon left to go to the operating room, leaving Sheppard and Kai standing awkawrdly together in the gate room.

"I probably need to-" John started to say motioning after Elizabeth and Ladon.

"I should probably-" Kai said at the same time.

They both fell silent and John chuckled humorlessly. "Go get checked out by Beckett," he ordered. Temper flared in Kai's eyes but she didn't argue. "I'll see you later," he said and he walked after Weir and Ladon.

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John strode into Elizabeth's office a few hours later. It was after dinner and the control room was quiet. "Well the coup was successful. Ladon Radim is the new leader of the Genii," John said sitting a hip on Elizabeth's desk.

"Wow, that was fast," she said in surprise.

"Well, once people found out Cowen and his elite guard were out of the picture, his loyalists laid down their weapons. They're billing it as a bloodless coup, 'cause no one died on their home soil," John explained.

"So a nuclear explosion and the lives of an entire battalion of men doesn't count?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief.

"Yeah it's all spin," John said with a shrug. "What do you think the fallout's going to be?"

"Well," Elizabeth said thoughtfully. "Historically, most coups end up with the new government being about as bad as the old one."

"I don't know, he seemed pretty grateful we saved his sister," John pointed out. He was exhausted, and he honestly just wanted to get some sleep. He had been up for nearly forty-eight hours and he was anxious to check on Kai after Beckett looked her over.

"There's that," Weir allowed.

"So I say we call it a win."

"Who's spinning now?" Elizabeth teased. She was glad to see Sheppard back to his old self.

"All right, then I say we call it a night," John suggested.

"That we can do," Elizabeth agreed, but she tapped her pen against her computer thoughtfully as she stared after him. She needed to ask him about Kai, but she wasn't sure how to go about it. She hadn't seen any evidence that either one of them had been anything but professional. They weren't the type, but there was something going on between them and it had her worried.

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Beckett had given Kai a clean bill of health. There were the obligatory blood tests that wouldn't be back until the following day but he hadn't anticipated any problems and sent her on her way as long as she promised to eat something and get plenty of rest.

By that time it was late in the evening and most of the corridors were dark. She headed down to her lab. She was sitting on her computer when the doors slid open. She didn't have to turn around to know it was Sheppard.

She quickly finished typing up her report about what happened and closed the laptop. She turned on her stool to face him.

John was leaning a hip against her work station with a small bundle under his arm. When she met his gaze he stepped closer to her, unrolling her two Blades from her scarf. "Ladon kept his word," he said in a low tone. He handed her the knives and watched her as she slid them away on her belt.

She reached for her scarf but instead of giving it to her John tangled his fingers with hers and pulled her towards him so she was standing just inches from him. She didn't quite stumble but it didn't mean she was complete thrown off her balance by the intensity in his hazel eyes.

His movements were languid as he lifted her scarf over her head and rested it against the back of her neck. Kai could hear his heartbeat racing in his chest but his hands were moving so slowly it was mesmerizing. He put gentle pressure on the scarf against the back of her neck as he stared down into her eyes. A small frown formed between his eyebrows and Kai had to force herself to stay still, not react and just wait for him. It was difficult watching him struggle and not know how to help.

"I thought-" he started to say and he stopped. He shook his head and then flexed his wrists and used the scarf to pull Kai into his chest. He captured her lips with his and when she kissed his back he dropped a hand to her hip, pulling her body more firmly against his.

Kai brought her hands up and wrapped them around his neck. John's fingers flexed on her hip and she moaned into his mouth. John's lips glided over hers, his tongue tangling with hers. Kai brought her hands up and buried them in his hair. John's fingers shifted on her hips and her shirt lifted slightly. The tips of his fingers grazed the skin on her side and it was like a jolt of electricity went between them.

The connection between them opened a fraction more and Kai gasped as heat ran through her body. It was like she could feel John everywhere. She shuddered in his hands and he pulled his mouth away gasping as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I thought you were gone," he confessed, it was a rare moment of vulnerability for John, but he remembered all too well the regrets he had when he thought he had lost her. There would be complications and this wouldn't be easy but he wouldn't live with regrets when it came to her.

"I'm not that easy to kill," she told him flippantly.

John snorted but she could see how much he had been torn apart in the two days she had been missing. She stepped into the circle of his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist. John exhaled and pulled her into his chest and just let himself hold her. Kai laid her ear against his chest and she let herself relax.

"Have you eaten?" John asked against her hair.

Kai smiled and shook her head as she pulled back to stare up into his eyes.

"Let's get you something to eat," he said and he held out his hand out to her. Kai wound her fingers with his and the two walked side by side down towards the mess hall.

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I really hope you enjoyed the update. I wanted to thank you all so much. Your support keeps this story going! I love reading your comments and hearing what you think.

Next...Michael!