Epilogue

John was running the last pre-flight tests on the Jumper while they waited for the gate to be dialed and for Evan and Teyla to join them.

"What if they've sealed off the gate?" Rodney asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Then we won't be able to get a lock," John replied, knowing full well what Rodney meant but still taking pleasure in baiting him.

Rodney huffed. "I meant what if they've made an enclosure around the gate platform?" he clarified haughtily.

"Why would they do that?" Ronon asked from where he was sitting behind Rodney.

"Because Shedim has won?" Rodney asked as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We don't know that, McKay," Ronon pointed out.

"I know you're not great on math, but there was a fifty-fifty chance of him winning. As in, half of-"

"We'll be fine, Rodney," John intervened. "As long as we're inside the Jumper nobody can hurt us and we have enough supplies here to last us several days," he explained.

"Yes, well, I'm more concerned about what will happen once we run out of said supplies," Rodney pressed the issue.

"Woolsey would dial in to ask after us long before that."

"Which would lead to our untimely demise when the backwash of the event horizon exterminated us," Rodney retorted, and John looked at him incredulously.

"McKay, we'll be fine," John snapped, irritated and exasperated at his friend.

It'd been a month since they'd returned empty handed from Olam and with Evan in a critical condition, and the SGC had ordered that they try and renew negotiations and diplomatic relations, pending on the results of the election.

Nobody told Earth about the reason why Evan was pushed into the river or the fact that John and Evan went there posing as lovers. After the final debriefing with Woolsey they were all advised to pretend like it never happened for John's and Evan's careers' sake. All Earth knew was that due to complications with one of the political parties on Olam someone took revenge on Evan. Earth, however, wasn't about to walk away from all that Olam had to offer. It was like Rodney said, there was a fifty-fifty chance that they might still get those ZPMs.

They had the Deadalus on its way to the Pegasus galaxy and due to arrive in three days, so they would have backup in case things didn't go well, but Woolsey advised and John seconded that they should go ahead of the Deadalus because of the sensitive nature of their position. The Deadalus was supposed to be sent after them only if there was no other option.

John heard the rear hatch closing and looked back to see Evan and Teyla taking their seats.

"Well, they've started dialing. I think we can head out," Evan said, smiling a greeting at everyone while his hand kept straying to the collar of his uniform top to tug it upwards to cover the large bruise that John had left there the other night.

Rodney huffed once again. "Give it up, Major. He knew exactly where to leave it so that it would always be partly visible," he snapped impatiently at Evan, who froze in his efforts to rearrange his collar. John met his eyes and smiled smugly, not at all sorry for leaving an obvious mark on his lover. Rodney was right, he had watched Evan for two days before deciding where would be the best place to leave a hickey.

They had only been in a relationship for two weeks, but John had never felt so at ease with anyone in his life. John usually balked whenever things got too close for comfort, whenever he needed to express emotions, but this time was different. Being with Evan felt different, and it was the good kind of different.

They had several lines they didn't cross. Evan usually slept in John's room, but he was always out of there before 08:00 AST, when the night shift and morning shift changed. There were no public displays of affection, which suited them both just fine, even though they did start hanging out together more. And most importantly, they had agreed on a chosen few to tell about their relationship.

It was a relief that John's team were all civilians. They had taken the news about John and Evan rather well, something Evan hadn't had the ability to disclose to his own team, and were not all that surprised given their behavior on Olam. Rodney and Radek, it turned out, had some gay physicists friends and on Seteda it was common practice for soldiers away from home to find comfort in each other's arms.

Keller was also informed, despite John's discomfort with it. Evan had explained that she was a good friend of his and already knew most of it. Regardless, since she was their physician she needed to know what to expect, and she was a civilian and so could always use the doctor-patient confidentiality excuse to keep their secret.

John took the Jumper through the special hatch in the roof to the gate room and lowered it towards the event horizon.

"We could be sending half of the senior staff to their deaths, not to mention Atlantis' most brilliant mind, the military 2IC and two of the most valuable aliens the SGC has ever bonded with after Teal'c," Rodney said morosely, causing everyone to look at him. "I'm just saying," he added defensively.

"Gee, it's nice to know we're appreciated," Evan told Rodney dryly while Teyla tried to hide an amused smile. John simply shook his head exasperatedly and pushed the control needle forward, bringing the jumper slowly towards the event horizon. He had time for a quick look at Evan before they were all dematerialized and sent through the wormhole.

As soon as the Jumper was out of the wormhole John stopped it, hand on the drone control, thinking that if Rodney was right and someone did build some sort of an enclosure around the gate then it wouldn't do to try and break through it by flight.

To his surprise, and Rodney's if his soft cry of 'wow' was any indication, the gate platform was completely bared. Moreover, someone has built a large paved road that led from it to the dig site still present further away. The workers on the dig were all gathered at the foot of the road, their clothes swaying in the gentle summer breeze and their hands shading their eyes from the sun.

Carefully John landed the Jumper on an area next to the gate that was round and large and seemed just right for a vehicle the size of a Jumper. He left the engine pods working as he looked towards the workers gathering around them, but when no gesture to come out and no threatening moves were made at them he turned to his team.

"What do you think?" John asked, suspicious. The lack of immediate threats could mean that Noman had won, or that Shedim thought that they would never return. The lack of any invitation had him confused.

Teyla's eyes were narrowed slightly and her face betrayed her bewilderment. "It appears as though they are waiting for us to make the first move," she speculated.

"The only problem is what move they will do after that," Rodney muttered.

"Either way we won't know until we go out there," Evan pointed out, coming into the forward section from the rear compartment where he'd sat during the short ride. He stood next to John and bent down a little to get a better view of their audience.

"Fine," John acknowledged, "but Rodney stays here. I want you to back us up the moment things start getting rough. And you," John stood up and grabbed Evan's hand tightly, lacing their fingers together. He knew that Evan was capable of defending himself but John would feel a whole lot better with him nearby. "You're staying right next to me. Let's move out," he gave the order.

Ronon and Teyla came to stand on either side of John and Evan, who were standing close together and with their hands ready on their weapons, and John pressed the button to open the rear hatch, tense and watchful.

The weather outside was nice and warm, the spring chill gone from the air. As they came out they were greeted by a silent crowd of workers who watched them warily with every step they took. It was unnerving, and according to the way Ronon's shoulders stiffened and his body became tense and ready, John wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"Hi," John said into the silence. He swore he could hear the plants growing in the heavy stillness. No one returned his greeting and no one made a move towards them.

"You do remember us, right?" Evan spoke next to John, voice a little nervous. The crowd of archeologists never even budged.

"Colonel, you don't seem like you're making much progress," Rodney's voice chirped from John's radio and John sighed.

"Yes, Rodney, I've noticed. Now shut up," John replied irritably, his eyes all the while trained on the strangely still crowd.

Teyla stepped forward, inclining her head towards a vaguely familiar person. "Hafir," she started, and John remembered that they used to talk on occasion while waiting for the transport to arrive. He was a young and easily embarrassed work manager. "Do you not recognize me?"

Hafir seemed surprised at the direct approach and nodded his head minutely. "I do, Teyla," he replied, the first words that were spoken from the people of Olam.

Teyla turned and smiled at John with relief. "That is good to hear," she said cordially. "We have come here to see if we have made a contribution to your world," she added, phrasing their reason for return delicately.

But once again, no reply was made. A look of uncertainty crossed Teyla's features. "Can you tell us who has won the elections?" she asked, but Hafir seemed to be over his embarrassment and didn't speak again.

It reminded John too much of the formal dinner into which he had barged with the intentions of killing Nahar. And he was not going to go through that again. "I think we've got our answer," John said, tense now more than ever. "And I don't think we want to stick around waiting for them to elaborate," he added, making the signal with his hand to retreat to the Jumper. He wasn't willing to repeat the incident with Evan once again, not even for two ZPMs.

"Good call," Ronon said shortly, but just as they began moving a commotion started somewhere at the back of the group of workers gathered around them. John, Evan, Teyla and Ronon raised their guns immediately, ready to defend themselves, and John could hear the weapon tray of the Jumper slide out with a low hiss behind them. Before John could yell a warning, though, someone started shouting out excitedly, words John was barely able to make out.

"The High Councilor has arrived! The High Councilor has arrived!"

"I think we're gonna find out who's won pretty up close and personal," Evan muttered next to John as they watched a transport pulling into the dig's stop. The carts were now covered with some sort of a hard board to prevent the passengers from being overcooked in the sun and it blocked the view for a moment, then the High Councilor exited the station and made his way towards them. John, Evan, Ronon and Teyla were all readying their fingers on their respective triggers, watching warily as several peace force officers joined the still unrecognized figure ascending the hill.

Until they managed to see his face clearly beyond the rocks and tents that stood between the station and them.

John felt the relief washing over him. Next to him Evan was smiling, already starting forward towards the man. "Noman," Evan said joyfully, meeting the new High Councilor of Olam halfway and reaching out to clasp his hands. Around them the workers were now smiling and cheering, and even Hafir looked smug at the successful conspiracy.

"Major, I'm pleased to see that you're well again," Noman's reply was equally warm and enthusiastic. He was now wearing a very elegant, yet very plain, cream and tan cloak, and John needed a moment before he remembered where he had seen it before. It was the same cloak that Oberoth wore when the team visited the Replicator city, the cloak of the High Councilor, of course. "Ronon, Teyla, Colonel," Noman nodded his head at them all, stopping to smile a knowing smile at John. John knew that his sharp eyes hadn't missed the mark on Evan's neck.

"It is good to see you again, Noman," Teyla told Noman honestly, pleasure creeping into her voice and eyes. "Or is it High Councilor now?"

Noman shook his head, smiling. "I never want to be addressed by my title by people I consider as friends," he assured her, but his eyes were looking at John. "Especially friends who with a single heated speech secured my victory in the elections," he added to John. John realized that he was asking, even if subtly, if friends was really what they were.

"No," John agreed. He owed Noman, even if there were many things he hated about Olam. "Friends don't do that," he added, smiling. Noman smiled back, spreading his hand to gesture John forward. John obliged and came to stand next to Evan, who cast him a happy look, waiting.

Noman drew himself up a bit and his face wore a solemn expression all of a sudden. Nevertheless there was warmth in his eyes when he reached his hand for John, waiting for John to take it and shake it. He was greeting them in their own greeting.

"Welcome back," Noman enveloped his and John's still joined hands in his free one, "to Olam."

THE END

A/N: Thank all of you who read and/or took the time to review, it's most appreciated. I'm always happy to hear that people are enjoying the story!