AN: I couldn't put the relevant info in the summary. Otherwise there wouldn't be a surprise.. ;-) Let's just say it's a kind of alternate universe (what if...)

Thanks to June Odyssey who volunteered for being my beta and fixed my errors. So you're now able to concentrate on the story...

AN I decided to add David to the character list but he won't show up in the first chapters. The story will focus on Evan and John but since there aren't that much stories with David in it I decided to add him to the list anyway, so that if you like to read stories with David in it you'll be able to find this one.

The POV is changing during the story, but mostly it's written form Evan's POV. To make it easier on you to follow I added the POV to the beginning of each chapter.

Evan's POV

He blinked unbelieving at the screen. None of this could be real. But then again it was the best present ever. What was he going to do about it? Part of him, it was the greater part, was glad as mad while the other part was just shell-shocked.

20 Minutes earlier

Major Evan Lorne sighed contentedly as he finished the last report. Finally! This week's paperwork was done. His CO had been in the infirmary for the last couple of days, so it had also been up to him to work on requests of the troop. Colonel Sheppard was a trouble magnet…

Flashback - 3 days earlier

"Unscheduled off-word activation!"

"Receiving ID-Code. It's Dr. McKay's ID."

"Drop the shield!" Instructed Weir.

Lorne, who was passing by, took a step nearer. Something must have happened to the team but hopefully nobody had been injured. Dr. McKay was the first to step through the gate, right behind him was Ronon who supported Colonel Sheppard, and Teyla was being the rearguard.

"Medical team into the control room!"

'Of course it had to be the Colonel!' The thought immediately crossed his mind. Sheppard being very protective would always try everything to keep his teams out of harm's way. Unfortunately because of it mostly it was him being injured.

"We were ambushed on our way." Teyla explained as she anxiously she rushed over to Sheppard. "Colonel how are you?"

"Tut! HE will rebound right away! I however have received a cut! Do you know how fast something like that can get infected? Surely there are now just about hundred of bacteria getting developed. I have to see Carson right way!"

"McKay!" Exclaimed Sheppard in a tight voice.

"Rodney! The Colonel received a severe blow to his head." Teyla was on edge.

"I'm fine. I just need to rest a little bit."

In the meanwhile Lorne had reached his CO and was able to see very clearly how pale he looked. Presumably he had a concussion.

"No really I'm fine." Sheppard announced stubbornly, only to hit the floor the very next moment.

"Colonel!" – Teyla and Weir

"Sheppard" - Ronon

"Sir!" - Lorne

"Ooh…" - McKay

"Where is my patient?!" - Carson

-0-0-0-0-

When Lorne later called him at the sick bay Carson informed him that Sheppard indeed had a severe concussion. He had thrown up multiple times already and fallen asleep a minute ago.

For a moment Lorne took a seat next to him. "Sir," he muttered "What am I going to do with you? You have to take better care of yourself."

He liked Sheppard. He was pleasant-natured and always cared for everybody's well being on Atlantis. His leadership was laid-back, which was a relief out here. He didn't even want to begin to think about how things would be if he had a CO with more love for military exercise. Such as Caldwell. Not a bad officer but not comfortable if you had to cooperate seven days a week around the clock. Sheppard permitted his men the liberty they needed. In exchange everyone would give one hundred percent as soon as it mattered. Nobody knew what could happen when they went through the gate and everyone relied to Sheppard. The men and women under his command confided in his motto; "We don't leave people behind!"

End Flashback – still 20 min earlier

Lorne set out for sick bay. The Colonel was to be released today…

"Oh hello Major," Carson greeted him. "Just in time. Colonel Sheppard here is being released just now."

"Sir!" Lorne saluted Sheppard and to Carson: "Hello doc! So everything is alright again?"

"Yes. The colonel pulled through just fine."

"Well…" Began Sheppard, while he sat on the edge off the bed dangling his legs.

"Oh good," McKay cut in from the entrance while he came around the corner with Teyla and Ronon. "Sheppard, I need you in my lab. I want to finally try some of the devices, which we brought with us from P3X-754. You have been lounging around about three days already."

"Thanks for asking Rodney, I'm fine."

"Oh come on Sheppard. Don't pretend you didn't complain yesterday about getting out of here."

Ronon grinned along with Teyla and Lorne. Actually the Colonel had tried to leave the sick bay when he had barely recovered. Carson had not been amused.

"Colonel it's nice to see you up again." Teyla tended to Sheppard.

"So let's get out of here. Lorne, is there something I should know?"

"No, Sir. There haven't been any surprises these last days. Sgt Miller and Private Harriman have requested a leave and will be taking a trip to earth with the next arrival of the Daedalus."

"O.K. Thanks Major. Those two deserve some vacation. So McKay, since you obviously haven't been killed by bacteria..."

Lorne had to take all his willpower to not laugh out loud.

"…let's see if our visit to that planet paid off." Sheppard left the sick bay with his team – a bounce in his step and Lorne's laughing eyes following them.

"Take good care of yourself Colonel!" Carson shouted after them.

"Sure thing," came the laconic reply, already halfway down the corridor.

"Well then. I will tend to my studies about the ATA-gene."

Lorne, always eager to learn something that seemed useful to him, and the ATA-gene was very important in Atlantis and the Pegasus-galaxy, asked Carson to explain to him what he had accomplished so far.

Delighted Carson began his explanation.

2 minutes earlier

"Have a look Major. We are currently comparing the ATA-gene of the expedition members, who are natural gene-carriers. To do this we only have to compare a part of the DNA. Since Colonel Sheppard has so far the strongest gene we take his ATA-gene as a reference. Now I'm comparing his gene and your gene…." Carson typed away on his laptop. "Well, see now… that's very strange…"

"What is it doc? Discovered something interesting?"

"Yeah well lad. You could say so. I rather want to… just a moment… there it is. Let's have a look… Major, is there anything about your family you want to confess?"

"What? No, why? What's up Carson?"

Present

Evan couldn't believe it. He had a brother. A half-brother. Lt. Colonel John Sheppard. John Sheppard. John.

"Your secret is safe with me lad. I won't do anything. I'll leave everything up to you." One could easily tell that he wasn't less shaken than Lorne.

Of course, Evan hadn't thought ahead. Who knew if he could stay on Atlantis if this ever got out. Nobody could tell how their superiors would react on that one. "Fraternization" would really put it about right.

Evan sank back on one of the hospital beds. His mother. Of course.

"My mother lost all her memories due to an accident before she met may father. Her memories never came back."

"Well that unusual. Complete retrograde amnesia. That couldn't have been easy for your mother. Although – it could be an explanation. The Colonel is slightly older than you are...

"…well perhaps you should get to know your brother before hand and try to get to know more about his parents rather than doing wild guessing." Carson looked at him sympathetically.

Completely dazed Evan wavered out of the sick bay. His mind running over time.

AN

The next chapter: I started it all over, because I wasn't any longer content with what I wrote this summer. But I'm working on it.

Thanks to everyone who is reviewing. :-)) That's really speeding up my writing but sadly I still don't have much free time. :-(