It's always amazing to me how level headed people, normally, can get together and do atrocious things in the name of justice, or religion or even because someone trusted suggests it. All reasoning goes out the window and mob justice/reasoning takes its place and normal reasoning, even when people know it's right, are slow to take it up again. Good story, well thought out.

I spent a lot of this story mentally saying, "Uh oh. This is bad. This is very bad." It was followed closely by, "Nalia is going to go completely bonkers." You made me feel bad for the girl, while at the same time, horrible for what was happening to Sheppard. Nicely done!

The visual of John barely managing to walk through, almost using the side of the gate for support is a great one! His whole entrance in this story is quite the picture!

Wonderful story! Excellent storyline! Love the team angst, Shep whump and lots of comfort! I wished that John and Nalia had talked at the end, to smooth things over. What happened between them...Nalia's infatuation vs John's need for her care seems like unfinished business. I was hoping John would smooth over Nalia's grief so that she would look at the situation as a positive step forward, realizing she was too young but brave enough to face the truth. Anyway...loved the story immensely! Very well-written too which makes it all the more enjoyable!

Another excellent story! And I understand John's split feelings about going back, seeing Nalia again. She did save his life - but then again she also tried to kill him! Hard to know which emotions you should feel in that situation...

This was such an enjoyable read! I like how you started out switching evenly between present time and past. It flowed very well.

It was a great story, very intense and brilliantly written. It showed how deeply John cares for his team and how far he'd go to save them.

I feel bad for Nalia, even though she went a little cuckoo in the head and turned traitor. Who wouldn't fall for Sheppard? ;)

Aw. You're right, it is very bittersweet and sad. It has very similar overtones from an SG-1 episode for some odd reason. And some how I also see bits of "The Tower" episode in this. Oh well. Great job! Another good story!

-Shadow Chaser

"...stepped into his boots without bothering to tie them."

Ahrem...if you look at most of the pix of Sheppard,

his boots are never properly tied...

Not too long ago I felt compelled to point this out to a friend who said "you spent too much time around military"

ROFL

"His head dropped onto his knees and he fell deep into thoughts as black as the room around him."

There is something unsettling about being left alone when

you are sick...and in the dark makes matters even worse.

Great story...

Delightful Sheppard whump, loved reading it.

Poor John; you're putting him through hell!

Such tension; it's totally gripping.

Very well written and well thought out story...I apologize for not reviewing at the end of each chapter but I honestly didn't want to stop long enough to do so. Thank you for sharing your talent and I will look forward to the time when you write a new story...now I am going to go back and read what else you have written.