Shifting Shadows - R. Dex

-8-

The next two days Ronon found Jules already up and about before breakfast. He'd bumped into her at the shooting range in the early morning hours of the day after their sparring, fingering a target and frowning at the holes around the edge of the paper, nowhere near the center. Based on the pile of targets beside her, she'd been there some time and it was barely 6:00. She'd stormed past him, muttering about never being able to aim at a target that was completely still, eliminating her ability to sense its movement to aim. When Ronon had pointed out that she'd hit the target several times, albeit on the edges, she'd shoved him out of the way and huffed off to meet Teyla.

He and Sheppard had found her in a puddle jumper the next morning when they arrived to prepare it for a trip to the mainland with Teyla. The jumper sat still in its bay, but Jules was trying to determine if there was a way to interface with the link to the controls that would allow her to fly without having to see where she was directing the jumper. She'd sat tapping her fingers on the dash until Teyla arrived after breakfast, surprised at both Jules's failure to show up to eat and her presence in the jumper. Jules had felt defeated and joined them for the trip in an effort to cheer herself up, but she'd drifted to sleep momentarily on the ride. She'd jolted awake when the rear hatch opened and one step onto the mainland had her so frustrated at not being able to see the beauty of the place that her mood had only worsened and she'd tucked herself away by the jumper for the balance of the day.

Now, it was 5:00 in the morning and John Sheppard heard noises coming from one of the lounges. He had gotten up early for a run, as his team was headed off world after breakfast. He crept down the hall, peering in and finding Jules curled up on the couch, brows furrowed, face illuminated by a computer screen nearby.

Her hands fisted, and she shook her head. A quiet "no" drew John into the room. A louder "stop" made him realize she was having a nightmare.

"Jules, wake up."

She sucked in a sharp breath followed by a sob.

"Jules." John reached forward and shook her shoulder.

The woman sat bolt upright as a scream tore from her throat, shooting out a kick and sending him toppling backwards when it connected with his stomach. She scrambled back, falling over the arm of the couch when her hand met nothing but air. Her shoulder took the brunt of the weight and she cried out before pulling herself close to the buzzing wall behind her, one hand twisted into her hair while the other wrapped around herself protectively. 

"Breathe, O'Keefe."

"Oh God," she sobbed.

"You need to breathe. Through your nose." She shook her head. "Come on, Captain." He grabbed her hand, planning to try Ronon's trick of placing it over his heart, but she flinched back.

"Don't touch me!" She shrieked.

"Okay."

"Just stop. Please. I don't want-"

He watched her body tense further as she retreated into herself. "Captain..."

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to focus on that voice and-

Pain. It burned and she squeezed her eyes shut against it but it wouldn't stop.

"I think-" Suddenly Jules rose to her feet, stumbling toward the balcony.

John followed close behind, terrified she might do something drastic. When her body slammed into the railing, he surged forward, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her from toppling over the railing. As she hurled her stomach contents over the railing, John grimaced. "I've got you."

His quiet voice so close to her ear, warm breath fanning across her neck, sounded too menacing to her fear-addled brain, and combined with his arm snaked around her, pressing her tight against his body-