Bounty

By stella_pegasi

Chapter Six Woman Scorned

"I've had enough of this," Ventur bellowed, roughly grabbing Shiana's upper arm, anger evident on his face, "Take me to Sheppard, now."

"I told you, it was dark when we planned this; nothing looks the same in the daylight, these back streets all look alike. I was certain the building, two streets over, was the right one." She glared at Ventur, "Be patient, I will lead you to him; I have no intention of dying. Now, release my arm."

Ventur tightened his grasp, "You are arrogant, and your arrogance is quickly leading to your death. I might just decide to kill you myself. I will give you another thirty minutes, then Madam can deal with you."

He shoved Shiana ahead of him, causing her to stumble, turning her ankle slightly, and fall onto the rough street, scraping her elbows and shoulder as she slid to a stop. She pushed herself off the ground, barely keeping her rage in check, "Do not push me, I am taking you to Sheppard. You just need to give me time to find the building." Shiana spun away from Ventur, her skirts whirling around her, as she continued, limping slightly, down the debris-strewn street. The bounty hunter and his men followed.

~~ooOoo~~

The dusty, broken city streets were behind them as Captain Isaacs and his team followed Livica into a residential area, approximately a click from the city. What had once been a tree lined street with one and two-story stone block homes, now looked as if a tornado had wound its way through, destroying everything in its path. Many of the trees were broken and scorched, the homes crumbled from what appeared to be Replicator weapons.

Isaacs held his team back as they watched Livica pick her way through the debris toward a two-story house, part of which was no longer standing. The lone guard with her remained outside, leaning on the carcass of a large tree near the street.

Lieutenant Riva hunkered down behind the rusted shell of a small vehicle that the Jutans had used for transport. Sergeant Powers and Corporal Danzig chose to hide in a clump of overgrown bushes, while Isaacs stood behind the trunk of an enormous oak-like tree, one of the few trees that had survived.

Isaacs' COM chirped, "Isaacs, go ahead."

"Winters here, we're directly overhead, what's your status?

"Target is inside that house, only one guard with her now; he's out front on the street. Any word on Colonel Sheppard's condition yet?"

"All I know is that he's alive and badly injured; nothing more than that."

"Understood; keep us updated if you hear anything we don't. Lorne and his team are heading this way, any sign of them?"

"Yeah, they're about two clicks away; should be to your location within twenty. They ran into a couple of bogies, which slowed them down, but they dispatched them quickly. I'll give you a heads-up as soon as they are near by, so they won't surprise you; Winters, out"

Lieutenant Riva's position was only a few feet from his team leader. Glancing at Isaacs' face, he noticed the anxiety, quite evident on the captain's face. Isaacs had made it known to his team that he felt personally responsible for the capture of Sheppard and his team.

"Captain, the colonel's alive; that's a good thing."

Isaacs' snapped his head toward Riva and replied curtly, "Lieutenant, how is Colonel Sheppard injured…?" Isaacs stopped and took a deep breath he blew out before he continued, "Yeah, you're right; the colonel is alive. That is a good thing and that's all that's important. Now we need to get Shiana back safely and this will be over."

~~ooOoo~~

Inside the destroyed house, Livica Ponaes stood quietly in the gathering room, remembering. Although she had returned to Jutan numerous times since the attack, she had only returned to her home once. It had taken all the courage she could muster to walk down the street, much less, enter the home she had shared with her family. The agony she had felt at seeing her home for the first time, twisted in her chest once more.

She closed her eyes, remembering that first time she returned. Stone slabs that had fallen from the second floor blocking the front entrance, prevented her from entering. However, a group of Jutans had accompanied her; they were there to collect furniture, clothing, and other items. Theplan was to salvage as much as possible of their own things for use on the planet they were settling on. Several of the salvagers came to her aid and cleared the doorway for her to enter.

When she pushed open the door, Livica had held her breath, almost expecting her son and daughter to come running to her, as they always did when she returned home. But the house was eerily silent, except for the scraping of overgrown bushes, blown against the windows by a soft breeze. The concussion from the Replicator weapons had knocked pictures from the walls and items from the shelves. Broken crockery that had spilled from the cabinet in the dining room lay strewn about the floor.

Absently, she picked up a broken cup and cradled it in her hands; her grandmother's service set, given to her the day she and her husband, Revgan, had their commitment ceremony. As she walked through her kitchen where she had taught her son and daughter to cook, the pain in her heart was beginning to turn into something more. The pain was turning to rage.

She stepped around pieces of the wallboard lying on the stairs and climbed to the second floor. Her heart pounding when she reached the top of the stairs, she instinctively turned toward her children's bedrooms. However, that entire side of the house lay collapsed on the ground. Instead, she entered the bedroom she had shared with her husband.

The bedroom was almost as she had left it that morning, Revgan's robe and hers still lying across the hastily made bed. A bed now broken and covered with debris. They had been running late that morning, a celebration of a friend's day of birth had kept them out past their normal hours. She sat on the corner of the bed, overcome with grief, but the tears would not fall. The rage inside was beginning to grow.

Before returning downstairs, she rummaged through a dresser, retrieving a small leather box. Inside were images of her husband, children, and family, along with a ring and necklace, a gift from Revgan, and a bracelet her mother gave her on her Day of Passage. Livica slipped the box into the pocket of her jacket and left the room.

Once outside, she headed to the collapsed side of the house. Picking her way through the rubble of her children's things, she retrieved a small stuffed toy of her daughter's and a wooden replica of a transport her son had loved to play with when he was young. Returning to the salvage group, she instructed them to take what was intact from her home to add to the collective. Without looking back, she walked away, the rage inside turning into a burning need for revenge.

Now, as she stood in the house, devoid of everything except the broken remains of her life, she thought was a fitting place this was for the man responsible for her family's loss to lose his own life. He and the woman who failed to bring him to justice would die here.

~~ooOoo~~

Shiana was walking as if she knew exactly where she was going. The fact was she was hoping to keep up the charade for as long as she could. The thirty minutes that Ventur had given her was almost up, and she was certain her ability to convince him the building was 'just around the corner' was over. She considered running, but had turned her ankle when Ventur pushed her down. With each step she took on the rough street, the pain was increasing; outrunning these bounty hunters wasn't an option.

She had taken a chance leading the hunters away from Sheppard, but suspected they would be dead now if she hadn't. What she hadn't suspected, when she had first seen him at the compound, was that she would be protecting John Sheppard. At that moment, Shiana had felt the same raging anger she had felt when he stood in front of the tribunal the first time she saw him. He had been resistant; she had thought him arrogant, defensive, yet he never denied that the Lantians had awakened the Wraith. He would only say the Wraith had inadvertently awakened when they rescued their people.

In the months following the release of the team, which she was most unhappy with, the Lantians had assisted the Pegasus Alliance in establishing order in the galaxy. Their help had been invaluable. The majority of the Alliance council, now many in number, looked to the Lantians for guidance in everything from farming techniques, construction, purifying water, to security. They had proven themselves to everyone, everyone, but her. She could not shake the deep anger that she felt, and could understand Livica's emotional rage. However, Shiana knew now that she was past the need to have them die for what happened. It was time to move forward despite the pain.

Deep in thought, Ventur's gruff voice startled her, "Grab her." Quickly, one of the hunters grabbed her, holding her tightly by both arms. She struggled, but the hunter was too powerful for her.

Ventur spoke into the Genii radio strapped to his wrist, "Madam, Shiana is lying; she's leading us in circles." He listened for a moment, then walked up to Shiana.

"Well, this is not your lucky day. Madam is quite angry, your chances of living much longer are not very good. " He turned to one of the bounty hunters, "Find the search leaders and tell them to keep looking for Sheppard; he's here somewhere. The man who finds him will be rewarded handsomely."

As the hunters led her to Livica, she hoped that Sheppard was telling the truth, that his people didn't leave anyone behind. She only hoped they would turn up in time.

~~ooOoo~~

Lorne, along with Rodney, Ronon, Herus, and Stackhouse, moved in position with Isaacs' team. Isaacs gave Lorne a quick smile, "Expected you ten minutes ago, sir."

"Well, we kept running into bounty hunters, Ronon doesn't like them very much. We had to stop and…uh…wait as he took them out of the picture. What's happening here?"

"No movement, sir; Ponaes stuck her head out the door a while ago and called the guard over to speak to him. Then she went back inside, and he's just lounging on the steps now."

"No sign of Shiana yet?"

"No, sir; nothing, but Winters is above us, monitoring the area." Lorne nodded, and Isaacs asked, "Sir, any word on Colonel Sheppard's condition? We were only told he's alive, but not how badly he's injured."

"The colonel's banged up pretty badly; he's been shot twice, beaten severely, and has a serious infection." Lorne noticed the anguished look on Isaacs' face, "You know the colonel, he was arguing with Beckett about just giving him enough pain meds to knock the pain down. He wants to join the search for Shiana."

Isaacs didn't appear shocked, "That sounds like Colonel Sheppard. Who found him, sir?"

"Shouldn't surprise you, Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez."

"Major, you're right, no surprise there at all; those two seem to have a knack for finding the colonel when he's injured."

Lorne saw that Isaacs was still unsettled, "Isaacs, this isn't your fault, you know. It's just the Pegasus Galaxy, actually it's just Stargate Command." Lorne chuckled, "Doesn't matter Milky Way or Pegasus Galaxy, shit happens."

"Yes, sir; that it does, but we were supposed to be providing security, and we failed."

Lorne sighed, "Listen, even Colonel Sheppard thought this was most likely a group of unorganized thugs looking to make a quick buck by kidnapping him. No one knew that these would be really well trained bounty hunters with a crazed woman behind the plot. Ronon told me Sheppard was surprised and mad at himself for allowing them to get captured. So, if you want to get beaten up about this, get in line."

Isaacs nodded, and Lorne slapped him on the back, "Just remember, don't go telling the colonel that you feel guilty; he likes keeping all the guilt to himself." Both men shared a smile as their COM activated.

"Major, this is Winters; seven bogies heading toward you from the south, sending coordinates to Dr. McKay. Per your orders, I have notified the teams to begin to converge on your location. Will deploy them around the area and they will hold at the agreed distance until you call for them. Also, Lt. Salem is reporting that they are airborne, sir."

"Understood, stand-by, Winters." He looked over at McKay, who was behind the transport with Riva, "Doc, do you have them?"

McKay nodded, "They're about a half-click away."

"Okay, people; heads-up, we don't know if Shiana is with this group. Weapons free only on my orders, understood?" A chorus of 'yes, sirs' resounded through the COMs.

Herus slipped up to stand with Lorne and Isaacs, "Major, your call." Lorne gave the Latiran a barely perceptible nod and they waited.

Nearly ten minutes later, McKay gave a warning, "There are seven people approaching; should be able to see them any minute."

Corporal Danzig spotted them first, and signaled Lorne. As the group approached, Herus whispered, "Shiana is with them; and she appears hurt."

As they came closer, it was obvious that Shiana was having difficulty walking. One of the hunters was holding her up. They halted in front of Livica's house, and Ventur walked to the front door, disappearing inside. Shortly, he came out, motioning for Shiana to be brought forward.

He grabbed her arm, and turned her to face the door as Livica appeared. She motioned for Ventur to release Shiana and when he did, Shiana fell to the ground, unable to put weight on her right ankle.

Livica walked over to her and kicked Shiana in her right leg, Shiana screamed. Livica laughed, "Injured are you? Well, don't worry, you won't be in pain for long. Soon you will feel nothing; however, before I give you the gift of feeling no pain, you will pay for your deeds, as well as your subterfuge." Livica kicked her leg again, then ordered her to stand. When Shiana didn't move, Livica glared at Ventur, who pulled Shiana to her feet.

"He is not going to support you; stand on your own, if you fall again, I will have one of these large men remind you to follow my orders." Ventur release Shiana, who struggled to remain on her feet, as Livica walked back toward her front door.

"Do you know where you are, Shiana of the Tribes of Santhal? No; well, allow me to tell you where you are; you are in front of my home. Or should I say, my former home, compliments of Colonel Sheppard and the meddlesome Lantians. We were happy here; the threat from the Wraith minimal because we were so far from the Wraith's normal feeding ground. But Sheppard changed that, the Wraith came here when their food supply began to dwindle, and the Replicators followed them. My home stood on a once beautiful street; our neighbors were good people, our children played together."

She returned to stand next to Shiana, "But they are all gone now, all gone. There is talk among the Jutan; now that the Wraith are no longer a threat, they wish to return here, resettle our own planet, start over at home. But I cannot do that, my family is gone and you failed to bring the man responsible to justice."

Shiana's was breathing heavily, her teeth gritted in pain, but she managed to speak, "I lost my family, my planet, as well. I understand your grief, I live with it everyday and I lived with the desire for revenge for a very long time." She swayed trying to keep her balance on one foot, groaning as her right foot grazed the stone sidewalk. "Revenge was all I thought about, and I convinced the council that the people of Atlantis were responsible."

Livica sneered, "Yet, they were allowed to continue to inhabit this galaxy, our galaxy. They awoke the Wraith; they were responsible for the Replicators emergence, once again. Yet, you did not hold them accountable; therefore, I will."

"Think about what you are doing, Livica. You could be a help to your people, lead them back home to make a new life. There is nothing left of my planet; we cannot even return there, the Ancestral Ring was destroyed. But you can return, you can have your home again."

Livica began to pace; she spoke, her voice angry, "You lied to us; you said you were going to give Sheppard to us. But you don't even know where he is, do you? He deserted you didn't he, to save himself, and you were trying to buy time, hoping we would find him. Well, we will find him, but it's too late for you. I was always going to kill you, and the only fitting place to kill you is here where my family lived. I was just hoping for Sheppard to be here to witness your death, another death because of him. No matter, he will die soon enough…I'll just leave your body here for him to see."

Lorne whispered in his COM, "Weapons live, everyone move in to our location; Riva you take the shot, if possible." Riva, a sniper, acknowledged the major. As they waited, Lorne thought he heard movement behind him, but decided it was some of the ground troops moving in.

As Lorne was giving orders, Livica rushed toward Shiana. Reaching into her jacket, Livica withdrew a knife, a slender blade nestled in an ornate sliver handle. Without warning, she flung her arm around Shiana neck and raised the sharp blade to the councilwoman's throat.

"Prepare to die, Shiana."

As Lorne and Herus began to react, a gruff voice spoke, shocking both men. "Let her go, Livica. You don't want her, you want me."

Colonel John Sheppard walked past Lorne; the clean t-shirt he was now wearing revealed the numerous injuries on his arms, the lump from the bandage on his shoulder obvious. His gait was unsteady, and he was clearly weak, but determined. He made a hand gesture to let Lorne know to stand down. As he whispered 'stand down 'til my mark', Lorne glanced back to see Beckett, Teyla behind him, along with Rodriguez and Brenner, The corporals were standing next to a litter now lying on the ground. Scattered behind trees and bushes was Michaels, and Salem's team.

Sheppard slowly approached Livica, "Let her go, she's…no different than you. She's suffered…like you have."

"Oh, how lovely, trying to save the damsel in distress, colonel? Well, you're too late; I will kill her where she stands for allowing you to escape. In fact, I imagine she would love to kill you herself, since you left her to fend for herself."

Sheppard walked toward the women, "No, this is over; let her go, now."

Livica laughed, a note of hysteria in her voice, " And just who is going to stop me? You? You can barely stand. No, revenge is mine. Ventur, shoot him, but don't kill him."

Ventur already had his gun pointed at Sheppard, but before he could squeeze the trigger, a shot rang out and Ventur fell where he stood, dead at the hand of Lieutenant Riva. The other bounty hunters whirled toward Riva's location, only to find a wall of weapons pointed at them.

"I told you, Livica; this is over. Put down the knife, and let her go." While talking to her, Sheppard had been inching closer. He could see the panic and confusion in Livica's eyes. She was cornered and she knew it, which made her very dangerous.

She had pulled the knife away from Shiana's throat when Riva's shot startled her, and Sheppard lunged for it. Livica released Shiana, who fell to the ground, and began to fight Sheppard. As they struggled for the knife, Ronon and several others were running toward them, but Livica managed to break free of his weaken grip. She raised the knife, poised to strike Sheppard when another shot rang out. Blood spilled from a wound in Livica's right shoulder, the knife slipping from her hand, as she fell from the bullet's impact.

As Sheppard dropped to his knees, Ronon reached him, keeping him from falling over. Glancing over his shoulder to see who took the shot, Sheppard smiled faintly as he saw Rodriguez holding a P-90. As he passed out, Sheppard thought how lucky he was to have two expert snipers under his command.

~~ooOoo~~

"I can't believe how pigheaded he is. He shouldn't have been able to function, his temp was nearly 104° by the time we got him back here. Now he's been asleep for three days. I don't understand why Carson allowed him to do something so foolish."

A deep voice retorted, "You try stopping him when he's determined to do something."

"Yeah, well, Ronon, somebody should have stopped him."

Teyla spoke, frustration in her voice, "Rodney, I have asked you to speak softly, you will wake him. Carson said he needs as much rest as possible. John has undergone two surgeries to remove the bullet from his hip and to repair the damaged to his shoulder. Not to mention the massive antibiotics he is taking. Now, please keep your voice down."

"Well, he needs to wake up."

"Rod…ney, shut…up."

Rodney jumped up, nearly dropping his pad onto the floor, only Ronon's quick reflexes caught it in time. Sheppard's three teammates rushed to his bedside.

"John, welcome back," Teyla was beaming as she brushed back his hair. "We were quite worried about you."

Ronon was grinning, "Yeah, you've been asleep a long time."

"H-How long?"

Rodney sputtered, "Three days…"

"Rodney, please; go sit down," Dr. Jennifer Keller entered the room, took Rodney by the arm and pushed him toward the chair. She then turned to Sheppard, "Colonel, good to see you awake; how are you feeling?"

"Okay, I don't really…feel anything."

"I think that's a good thing, colonel, means we're doing our job." Keller glanced at the monitors recording his vital signs. "Your temperature is down, not perfect but down, and your breathing is certainly better. The infection from the first wound became systemic, it was a bit tricky for a while, but you've turned the corner. Now, you need lots of rest.

"Oh…I hate this place; can't…I rest in my…quarters?"

Once your temperature's been normal for twenty-four hours and your surgical wounds have healed a bit, we'll talk. Carson will be in to see you shortly; he's with Shiana right now."

"Shiana's here?"

"Yes, her ankle was broken; she suffered a hairline fracture that became much worse as she was forced to walk through the debris. I had to put a pin in her ankle, so we are keeping her here for a bit."

Sheppard asked suspiciously, "She…giving you any trouble?"

"No, but Ronon does walk past her bed often if that makes you feel any better."

Sheppard uttered a low chuckle, as sleep overcame him once more.

Two days later, a much stronger John Sheppard was eating lunch, assisted by Teyla, when Corporals Brenner and Rodriguez knocked on the door.

"Come on in, guys," Sheppard mumbled, Teyla had just shoved a spoonful of soup in his mouth.

"Don't want to interfere with your lunch, sir," Brenner said.

Sheppard looked down at the bland clear soup, applesauce, and jello on his tray, "I don't think this stuff is considered food, corporal; so interrupt away." He pushed the tray away.

Teyla rolled her eyes, "I had better not find out that Ronon is sneaking you turkey sandwiches from the mess. Carson will be most unhappy."

Feigning surprise, "Teyla, I can't believe you think Ronon would do that."

Teyla picked up the tray, "He's all yours, corporals." She left shaking her head.

Rodriguez's quizzed, "How are those turkey sandwiches, sir?"

"Good corporal, very good." He took a deep breath, wincing slightly; his left shoulder was still painful. "I…I want to thank you both; seems like you always seem to be getting me out of trouble."

Grinning broadly, Rodriguez said, "Yes, sir; the Marine recruiter told us our job was going to be to chase a heroic Air Force colonel across another galaxy and keep him out of trouble."

Sheppard blushed ever so slightly, "Heroic?"

Brenner said, "Yes, sir; heroic, but we were confused with the description, sir….Air Force?"

Sheppard laughed heartily, then scrunched his face up, the laughter was pulling the stitches in his hip and shoulder. "Simper Fi, boys."

"Colonel, we found this in the shop where you were hiding." Brenner held up the mini-crossbow made from pencils.

Sheppard took the mini-crossbow. "We didn't have any weapons and we had to make do with what we had. When Shiana brought me some metal stakes that looked a little like arrows, I remembered this stupid little crossbow. It worked, Shiana, shot a spike through an eye of one of the hunters."

"Pretty ingenious, sir; we thought you'd like to keep it," Brenner said.

Sheppard ran his fingers along the edges of the flat pencils, then handed the crossbow back to Brenner, "No, you guys keep it."

Rodriguez had a serious look on his face, "Colonel, when you feel better, would you considered giving us a lesson in how to make this and some of the other stuff you did? The guys are curious, sir."

Sheppard looked at the serious faces of the young men standing next to his bed, "Sure, I'd be glad to show everyone how to put this together."

"Thanks, sir; well, we'll let you rest. Glad you're doing okay: come on, Ray." Brenner dragged Ray by the arm, and the corporals left, passing Ronon on their way out.

"Got it?"

Ronon grinned and handed Sheppard a foil package, "Cookie said, double turkey, light on the mayo, whole grain bread."

Sheppard grinned.

Later in the afternoon, after a long nap, Sheppard was reading though mission reports when another visitor arrived, Shiana. He laid the pad on his lap.

"Shiana, how are you feeling?"

She turned to the aide pushing her wheelchair, "Please leave us." The aid looked at Sheppard, who nodded, and the aide left.

"Impressive, colonel; even the infirmary aides don't make a move without your approval."

He scoffed, "Most likely, he was afraid to leave, for fear you'd hurt me?"

Her expression remained stoic, "Do you fear me, colonel."

"Fear, no; but I have learned to be cautious of anyone who seems to prefer me dead."

She didn't comment on his statement, "I was impressed by your people, colonel. You told me they would find us, but I assumed it was your arrogance leading you to believe that. After all, you Lantians seem to believe that you are the saviors of the Pegasus galaxy. Yet, they came; and they worked with Kelore and the council as well as the Latiran security to find us. The council is most pleased, colonel."

Sheppard sighed, "Shiana, I know you hate me because I represent all the horrid things that have happened in the galaxy. I'm fine with that…well, I'm not fine with it but I understand it, and I understand Livica." He hesitated, "I…I know; I know what it's like to lose family."

It was Shiana's turn to hesitate, she looked Sheppard in the eye for several seconds before she spoke. "Colonel Sheppard, there are times when our personal tragedies need to become private memories. I will never forgive the Lantians for their role in the tragedies that have occurred here; but I have learned that holding a grudge against all of Atlantis is non-productive. There is much Atlantis can do to improve the lives of the people of Pegasus."

"That's all we ever wanted to do, Shiana."

Shiana called for the aide, who returned to take her back to her bed. "Dr. Beckett is releasing me shortly, colonel; I will return to my new home. I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

Sheppard replied, his voice soft, "You save mine, by putting yourself in danger; thank you."

She didn't respond, only motioned for the aide to leave, but before she left his room, she turned back, "One more thing, colonel; I promised you once we were safe, I'd return to thinking of ways to kill you." Her mouth turned up in the slightest of grins. "Don't forget that."

~~ooOoo~~

A month had passed since the events on Jutan, and Sheppard had returned to full-time active duty. He was in the armory overseeing a weapons training exercise when Woolsey called him to the control room.

When he arrived, he found the gate activated and Kelore's face on the monitors. He walked over to Woolsey, who was standing at Chuck's station.

"Richard, Kelore, what's going on?"

Woolsey gestured to Kelore, "I'll let him tell you."

"Colonel, today when Livica Ponaes was being transferred from her cell to the tribunal court for a preliminary hearing, a group of men attacked the convoy. Two of my security guards were badly injured, and Ponaes escaped. She made it to the gate before we knew she had escaped. We have no idea where she is, colonel."

"Is Shiana safe?"

"Councilwoman Shiana is on her home planet, colonel. I sent a security team to protect her. They have notified us that she is now secure."

Woolsey spoke, "You have absolutely no idea where Livica's gone, Kelore?"

"No, sir; but we have initiated a search. The council wanted to notify Atlantis as quickly as possible; Colonel Sheppard's life could be in danger."

Sheppard looked distracted, but nodded to Kelore, "Thanks, appreciate the head's up."

Woolsey thanked Kelore and as the gate disengaged, he asked, "Colonel, you seem unsettled."

"I think I know where she is."

A short time later, a jumper exited the stargate on Jutan; inside was Sheppard, his team, along with Isaacs, Stackhouse and their teams. As they flew over the city, they noted people below clearing out debris. The Jutans were reclaiming their home.

McKay looked nervous, "Are you sure about this? She wants to kill you; I mean, isn't this Kelore's problem? You should have told him what you suspect."

Sheppard's heard turned quickly toward McKay. He gazed at the scientist intently, his expression clearly saying enough. Sitting behind Sheppard, Teyla said quietly, "Doctor, the colonel knows what he is doing." McKay didn't look convinced.

Flight time to their destination was less than five minutes, and Sheppard found a landing place about three blocks away in what looked like a schoolyard. Exiting the jumper, Teyla remarked, "It appears that the Jutans are making quick work of clearing this debris."

Sheppard nodded, "Yeah, it's good to see them come home." He then motioned for the teams to move out.

It didn't take long to reach their destination. Some of the debris had been cleared, but the street still looked much as it did the day Livica Ponaes was captured. As they approached Livica's house, Sheppard gave an order, "Everyone stays out here."

McKay protested, "You're not going in there without us." A throaty growl from Ronon seemed to back up McKay's statement.

"John, you are not going in there alone," Teyla's tone was final.

"Okay, but stay behind me."

Silently, the team stepped through the front door. Room by room, they searched the first floor; then climbed the stairs. At the head of the stairs, they could see into a large bedroom. Sheppard whispered, "Wait here." Ignoring Rodney's whisper of no, Sheppard entered the bedroom.

She was lying on the bed, her long blond hair no longer in a braid but spread across the pillows. Lying in her hand, a necklace, bracelet, and ring; on the bed next to her, a leather box; two toys, a stuff animal, and a wooden truck were nestled against her body.

The Genii gun was lying on the floor, her limp arm dangling above it. One shot to the temple had ended her misery. She had died where she lived, where she had wanted Shiana and him to die. Sheppard sat down on the foot of the bed, sensing his team entering the room.

Without looking up, he whispered, "She doesn't hurt anymore."

The end…

Thank you so much for sticking with Bounty to the end; I appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed. I would love to hear from you...comments are always nice...

Thanks again!