I was looking for fic by going back through posts in some of the comms I belong to and came across this. What a gem! The question of what happened to Bates after he left Atlantis has bugged me too, and I found your answer very satisfying. I love the way you use small incidents to convey his responses, make his mixed emotions plain without ever confusing the reader, and have picked a writing style that matches the state of mind you're describing. Thanks for writing and sharing a great read!