Disclaimer: All characters of StarGate and StarGate Atlantis belong to their respective writers and MGM. This is a work of fan fiction. I just want to play with them for awhile.

Retaliation

“Well?” John stood back and waited for her to step into the room. “What do you think?”

“You're kidding, right?” She moved toward the glass door leading out onto the balcony. She opened it and stepped out. The breeze blowing off the ocean was warm but not as warm as the pair of arms that wrapped around her from behind.

“I'm not kidding.” His lips brushed against her temple. “It's ours.”

“But Doctor Weir-”

“Knows.” He laughed and she felt the rumble in his chest against her back. “I had to tell her why I was suddenly so interested in a bigger set of quarters.” He shifted slightly and rested his chin on the top of her head. “And since I am the man responsible for assigning living quarters...I don't think she minded my abusing my authority just a little.”

“Am I going to get a choice in this?” She leaned back against him and reached up to run her hand over his arm.

“No.” He turned her around so that she was facing him. “I meant it when I told you that I wouldn't leave you alone again, Suzie Q. And I'm getting a bit tired at having to travel so far just to enjoy your...affections.”

“You're one hall over.”

“Still too far.” He nuzzled her neck. His hands slid over the front of her shirt, his fingers quickly undoing the buttons and then slipping under the edge of her bra. He pulled and her breasts slid warm and heavy into the hot comfort of his hands. “Why come back to an empty cold bed when I can have you warming up my sheets?”

“Ulterior motives too...you are such a sneaky sneaky man.”

“And you love it.” She whimpered when he touched his tongue to a nipple. He sucked at her gently, his tongue swirling over her in soft strokes that nearly pushed her over the edge. Then with one last flick of his tongue, he raised his head and looked at her. “As much as I want to bend you over this rail and have my way with you, there is one thing I have to show you before we get completely moved in.”

Taking her hand, he pulled her after him, leading her back in and down a short hallway. He stopped in front of a door and pulled her in front of him. Reaching down he grasped her wrists and pulled her hands up to her face. “Cover your eyes.”

“What are you-”

“Do it or I won't show you.”

Reluctantly, she raised her hands. She felt his arm brush against her and she heard the soft sound of the door sliding open. He gently put his hand on her back and pushed her inside. She felt his hands slide over her as he reached up to grasp her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face.

“Surprise!” He whispered against her ear. His hands slid back under the coat and pulled it off of her. The shirt was next and the bra quickly followed it. He put his hands on her hips, turned her around, picked her up and tossed her down on the huge brass bed.

She bounced and he laughed as he pounced on top of her. The springs groaned under their weight and for a few seconds she thought the thing was going to collapse. She wrapped her hands in the front of his shirt and held on just in case.

“Well?” He nuzzled his face between her breasts, rubbing his stubbled cheeks over her roughly before he looked up at her and grinned.

“How did you get this up here?”

“I didn't.” He slid his tongue over the curve of her neck and up to tickle the soft spot behind her ear. “I just have a very good friend on the Daedalus. He...ah...beamed it down here for me. All I had to do was put it together. This is a brand new bed and I can guarantee you that you are definitely gonna be busy helping me break it in.”

He straddled her and bounced slightly making the springs squeak. He leaned forward and pressed his hands down on either side of her head. Lightly, he scraped his fingers over the soft cotton of the comforter and then lightly stroked his fingers over her shoulders. “These sheets are brand new too.” He pressed a light kiss to the corner of her mouth. “And tonight I'm going to roll you over every single inch of them.”

“What about your secret place?”

“Don't worry...” he licked at the hollow of her throat. “We'll use that for the special occasions.”

She reached up and wrapped her hands around his wrists. “Hmm...speaking of special occasions...” She hesitated then tightened her fingers just a little. “John, I hate to spoil the moment but-”

He moved lower. “So don't.”

She shifted a little and pushed at him. “C'mon, John. I mean it. I need to talk to you.”

He raised his head, looked at her and grinned. “So talk. I don't have to stop just to listen.”

“Yes, you do.” She let go of his wrist's and raised up just a little. “You'd just try and distract me so I'd forget what I was going to say.”

“Would I do that?” He grinned slightly but he eased off of her and rolled to the side to sit on the edge of the bed.

Holding out his hand he helped her to sit up and she was amazed at how comfortable she felt sitting there with him, especially when she was half naked and he was still fully clothed. She sighed and shook her head. Now, she was trying to distract herself. She pushed the thought out of her mind and turned so that she was facing him. She expected his eyes to stray to her breasts but they didn't. He looked at her steadily and waited to hear what she had to tell him.

“This must be something important if you're taking this long to tell me what it is.” He grinned slightly.

“It is.” She looked at him, trying to decide just how she was going to put this then decided that the straight truth was the best thing. “John, I'm leaving.”

“What? Why?” His eyes went wide and he sat straight up on the bed. “Susan, you can't-”

“Cool your jets, fly boy.” She laughed and pushed him back. “It's only going to be for a few days and I'm not exactly going to be a galaxy away. Just on the main land with Teyla and some of her people.”

“You're a mean woman.” He eased back and lay on his side, his head propped up on his hand so that he could look at her.

“No worse than you.” She eased down beside him so that she could better see his face. She reached out and lightly ran her fingers over the front of his shirt. “I meant to tell you before...”

“Before the fight?” He teased her.

“Will you shut up.” She laughed and then her expression turned serious. “I meant to tell you before things got so serious between us.” She shook her head slightly. “Believe me, I never thought I'd meet somebody like you and I'd had so much planned. So much I wanted to do and then there you were...”

“I'm sorry I stopped you.” He eased toward her, close enough to feel her heat and see the light in her eyes.

“It wasn't just you.” She smiled slightly. “Do you really think I'd give up the chance to be envied by every woman in Atlantis?”

“Funny.” He laughed. “But you're still not telling me why you're choosing Teyla over me.”

“For one thing to check out some land that might be good for growing crops and another is that I want to talk to some of the older women in her village. They have some pretty interesting herbs that they use for healing and I want to see if any of them are close to anything on Earth. I'm meeting Teyla in the morning for breakfast so that we can go over a few things.”

“Thinking of being a doctor now?”

She looked at him, thinking that he was teasing her but he actually seemed to be listening. “I might.” She shrugged. “I have some medical training. Probably enough to get me started but it would be a lot of hard work though...”

“As long as you're back in my bed at night, you can do whatever you want.” He leaned close and kissed her gently. “I would never try and stop you if it's something that you really want, Suzie Q. In fact, I might go along-”

“No.” She pressed a hand against his chest. “I would prefer it if you didn't John.”

“Why?”

He looked so disappointed that she almost changed her mind. “Don't you remember? You're a distraction.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words. “How could I talk to anyone knowing you were close by? I'd never get any work done. Besides, I'll be with Teyla...” She grinned and rolled her eyes at him.”and I know that you will ask her to watch out for me. Even if I don't need it.”

He sighed, acting like it was the most god awful decision he'd ever had to make. “Alright, I guess you can go.”

Her eyes went wide and she pushed at him. “I don't think that I asked for your permission.”

He laughed and slid his hand over her hip. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he rolled back and pulled her on top of him to hold her tight against his chest. Reaching up, he lightly ran a finger down her cheek. “Just promise me that you'll be careful. I just found you...”

“Don't.” She put her finger over his mouth. “Don't even say that, John.” She started to say something else and laughed when she heard a loud grumbling noise coming from somewhere between them. “Was that you or me?”

“I think it was both of us.” He cocked an eyebrow and ran his hand over the curve of her back. “Why don't we go and get some dinner before we get to the fun stuff? I'm buying.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. I haven't had a thing to eat practically all day and I am starving.” She rolled off of him and slid off the bed, reaching for her shirt and bra. “Now where did my coat go?”

“Here.” He got up from the bed and tossed something at her. “Wear my jacket. It'll make a statement.”

“What?” She slipped it on and tried not to think of how it smelled like him. When he came close, she leaned against him and slid her arms around his waist. “Hands off. She's mine?”

“No.” He cupped the back of her head with his hand and leaned down to lightly brush his lips over hers. “That you're cold.”

“Are you going to warm me up later?” She purred at him.

“If you're a good girl.” He slid his hand down to cup her ass then made her jump when he gave her a light slap. “But if you're bad...I'll set you on fire.”

Susan eased out of the bed as quietly as she could. John was still asleep, his mouth open slightly and she could hear him snoring softly. A long muscled leg was sticking out from the covers and she reached down to pull the blanket back over him then stopped. He looked so tired and she didn't want to wake him up.

Tip toeing to the chair, she picked up her clothes and snagged her shoes out from under the bed. Carefully, she opened the door and slipped out of the bedroom, looking back just long enough to know that he hadn't moved.

Closing the door behind her, she headed for the living area where she quickly dressed. Pulling on her shoes she thought about leaving him a note just in case he woke up while she was gone and then changed her mind. She didn't intend to be gone that long. Not more than twenty minutes at the least. Not even that long if she found her notes quickly enough. She had some questions she wanted to ask Teyla when they met and she didn't want to wait until the sun was completely up before she tried to find them.

By the look of the sky out the door it wasn't going to be that long anyway. If she hurried up, she could get back and snatch another hour of sleep and a shower before that happened. She needed to change clothes too although she'd keep Sheppard's jacket just because she wanted to keep the smell of him with her.

The lights in the hallway were still muted as she stepped out the door and headed for her old quarters. There wasn't any noise either. Nothing except for the soft, almost silent steady hum of the city itself. During the day the sound blended in with the rest of the day to day noise and bustle. But during the night and especially during the hours before dawn, the city seemed to hum and sing. It was a comforting sound, like that of a mother singing her child to sleep.

Soon she found herself humming along with it and she was so tuned in on her own thoughts that she didn't hear the noise behind her until it was too late.

She started to turn around just as her door opened but a hard shove against the middle of her back sent her sliding across the floor on her knees. Her shoulder hit against the table in front of the couch hard and she hissed with pain.

Before she could get up, rough hands grabbed her from behind and jerked her up off the floor. A hard slap across the face knocked her back against the couch. A heavy weight fell on her and she choked when gloved fingers clutched at her throat, cutting off her air.

She clutched at the hand on her throat, sliding down to grip a slim wrist. Her eyes widened and she kicked up but her foot caught on the edge of the table and she only managed to flip it over. Something fell with a bang and the finger's on her throat loosened slightly at the sound.

Fear and desperation roared through her and she pushed back and her attacker fell back with a grunt. She scrambled to her feet but cold fingers closed around her wrist and jerked her back before she could make it to the door. She was thrown against the dresser and she heard the sound of shattering glass when the mirror toppled over and fell.

She reached out, trying to keep from falling but a sharp kick to the back of her thigh sent her to her knees and she cried out when the razor sharp shards bit into her hands.

She heard a muffled curse and then fingers dug into her hair, sharp nails digging into her scalp until she felt the blood running down her face. She was being pulled toward the bed and she hit back, a little thrill running through her when her fist slammed against something soft. Her attacker grunted and she twisted trying to get in a better hit when she was jerked up and found herself lying face down against the pillows.

She felt the hand against the back of her head, holding her down, shoving her face into the pillow that still smelled like Sheppard. She felt a weight settle on her back and a cold fear clutched her heart when she heard a soft snick.

She tried to struggle and her cry turned into a scream when she felt the cold bite of the blade sink deep into her back.

John yawned and rolled over on his side. He was so tired. After last night...a slight smile teased his lips at the thought of way she felt when he was inside of her. She was so right for him. Of all the women he'd ever been with it still amazed him that this one could stir him up and make his blood boil with just the way she looked at him. God, she had a way of just driving him completely crazy and he loved every second of it.

Lazily, he reached for her and...felt nothing.

“Susan?” He opened his eyes when his hand slid over the empty spot beside him. The pillow was still dented from where her head had rested but the sheet was cool under his hand.

Sitting up, he pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed. He looked toward the chair and saw that her clothes were gone. Maybe, she was in the bathroom. She had a habit of taking her things in there with her when she took a shower. Saved time, she'd said. But he didn't like it, and it was a habit of hers that he intended to break. He much preferred seeing her walk around wearing nothing but his old tee shirt and a pair of those white cotton undies that showed off the curve of her ass. They excited him a lot more than a thong did.

“Want some...” he pushed open the door. “...company?” His words trailed off. The room was dark. He flipped on the light and stepped inside. Her makeup was still laid out on the counter where she'd left it and when he ran his hand over the shower wall, he found that it was cool and dry.

A thrill of fear tickled at the back of his mind and he quickly pushed it away. Maybe, she'd gone back to her old quarters. There was still plenty of her stuff that she wanted to move into here.

Quickly, he dressed. He knew that he was probably being an idiot but something in the back of his mind told him that he needed to hurry. He was probably going to look like a fool if he burst in and there she was just packing up her things but he'd rather look like a fool then-he practically jumped back when the door opened and he found himself staring down into a pair of warm brown eyes.

“Good morning, Colonel.”

“Teyla.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought that-”

“Doctor Walker did not meet me this morning.” She gave him a small smile. “I thought that perhaps something or someone was making her late.” She cocked her head slightly, looking at his ear. “I tried to radio you this morning but apparently, you were unavailable.”

“She's not here,” John's face reddened slightly as he reached for the radio he'd left on the dresser. When he was with her he made it plain that he did not want to be disturbed and he'd gotten so used to taking it off that sometimes he forgot to put it back on. “I was just going to check her quarters. We've been moving stuff so maybe she forgot something she needed and went by there.” He stepped past her and out into the hallway. “”Let's go check.”

They were nearly to Susan's door when a voice came over his radio. “Colonel Sheppard?”

“Yeah, Lorne? What is it?”

“Ah...sir.” The voice hesitated for just a second. “We've got a problem.”

“Yeah? What?” John tried to keep his voice light but he couldn't help feeling a little rush of fear. “The kitchen's out of coffee again and McKay's throwing a fit?”

“No, sir. It's Sargent Lyons. He's gone.”

“Lyons?” A frown creased his forehead. “Who the hell is that? I don't remember a Lyons. Is he somebody new?”

“Jake Lyons, sir. He's one of the new Marines. The one that-”

John stopped dead in the middle of the hallway suddenly realizing just who Lorne was talking about. “Damn it! You're supposed to be watching him! How the hell did he get out?”

“Not sure, sir.” He could hear the regret in Lorne's voice. “I was on watch and when I turned my back for just a second, he slipped out. I've had my men turning the place upside down but we haven't been able to find him.”

“Why the hell didn't you radio me?”

“I tried, sir. But you weren't answering your radio. We tried your door too but we didn't get an answer.”

John's stomach twisted into a knot of guilt. Shit! How could he have been so god damn stupid? He hadn't even told Lorne that he had moved.

“My fault, Lorne. I've got new quarters now. Send a search party to the parts of the city we haven't explored yet and be careful. The son of a bitch could be anywhere.” His hands shook and he felt like he was going to be sick. Fear tightened his balls and slammed into his chest with a heavy hand. He closed his eyes and tried to take a breath but it was so hard to breathe.

“Yes, sir. What about Doctor Walker? Should I send a guard to her room?”

He forced himself to take a deep breath. “I'll take care of that myself. Just let me know if you find anything and I mean the second you do.”

“Yes, sir.”

“John-” Teyla touched his arm but he brushed her hand off of him.

“No. Don't.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her and her eyes widened at the cold look of naked fear and on his face.

Turning away from her, he took off at a run. When he reached the door, he raised his hand and darted inside when it opened. “Susan...”

He skidded to a stop and the band of fear around his heart tightened until he thought he was going to pass out. The room was in a shambles. Her clothes were scattered across the floor. The small table in front of the couch had been turned over and glass crunched under his feet when he moved across the floor. But it was the dark stain on the rumpled sheets that caught his attention when he turned his head and looked toward the bed.

Bile rose up in the back of his throat, burning and choking him. He couldn't breathe and he made a strangled noise as he fell forward, barely feeling Teyla's hands on him when he went to the knees at the end of the bed.

“Oh, God...Susan...NO...”

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