The Long Way Home

Chapter Forty Three: Back To Me

Take your time I wont go anywhere
Picture you with the wind in your hair
I'll keep your things right where you left them
I'll be here for you

David Cook – Come Back To Me

John did not like being a Galaxy away from his wife. He had learned that within twenty four hours of leaving Atlantis through the Stargate and reappearing on the other side in the SGC hidden miles underneath the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. On Atlantis when he slept alone he was restless, he would twist and turn in the sheets or under the sleeping bag in attempt to get comfortable.

Here in the SGC quarters he was in a similar situation, he could simply not sleep. It did not matter what position he managed to tangle himself into, without Cass's warm and tranquil presence beside him, he could not lull himself into slumber. He was surviving on brief cat naps to get him through the days because his body was honed and trained to rest in order to conserve energy. He wondered how she was faring up back on Atlantis, did he consume her thoughts as much as she stole away his?

Not knowing what was going on in the other galaxy was more infuriating than he had originally imagined. Cass aside, he worried about how the rebuilding of their city was going and what the Wraith were up to. Sergeant Stackhouse was a perfectly adequate military leader in his absence but the other man was less experienced than Sergeant Bates had been which was why John hadn't put him in a position of authority to begin with. However with Bates injuries it had been necessary to bring him home to Earth in order to recover.

John turned onto his back once more and huffed as he stared at the ceiling cantankerously. If there was ever a night he needed sleep it would be this one, he had a long enduring day tomorrow. By 9am he would be in Memphis visiting Ford's cousin Corinne to give her the bad news regarding her relative. He already knew it was going to be an upsetting experience, in this case he couldn't give the family any closure or details but he could promise that he wouldn't stop looking for the other man and he was true to his word.

This was the part of his job he hated the most in the world but John wouldn't have it any other way. Explaining to the families or friends that their loved ones had died with honour and dignity was important to him. He had always hoped that someone would be as gracious if he met a similar fate. Back then he had been resigned to dying for his country and now he was simply happy to protect it the best he could.

It was clear as John turned onto his side that he would get no respite tonight and he dreaded the next three and a half weeks, knowing that they would pass as slowly as the past couple of days had. John hated the paperwork that was being forced upon him and he hated the indecision he felt lingering in the air, held over him by the International Oversight Advisory board.

Ever since Colonel Sumner's death, he had been the highest ranking military personal on Atlantis and he had stepped into the role as best as he could. At the time they had been cut off from Earth and the change in hierarchy was a matter of survival for their city. Now that their circumstances had changed the IOA were looking for someone else to replace him and that left John with infirm footing. He was used to being top dog that was true but he would bow to another Alpha male if he was ordered to, that was the way the military was. That may make things harder for him and Cass in the long run since they were not legally married and as far as John's command stretched he was a rather laid back C.O. He was sure he could find away to work around that, whoever they picked and he suspected it would be Colonel Steven Caldwell from his intergalactic experiences, could be talked around into accepting the two of them.

What John actually feared was reassignment.

Being taken away from Atlantis was John's worst nightmare. The city was an anchor for him, it was the place he had deemed his home and now he was facing the possibility of being snatched away from it. If he returned to Earth he would be at the military's beck and call the same way he had been before he'd taken the job in Atlantis. That had destroyed his previous marriage, he had been away from home a lot more than he had intended.