Unexpected

by SGAFan

It's the threat of the unexpected that keeps John awake at night. But sometimes, the stakes are definitely higher than others and none are higher than when he's the only thing standing between Elizabeth and a lethal enemy.

Unexpected

The truth is you never know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is unexpected and doesn't come with a guarantee.

~Unknown

As long as he'd had been in and out of combat situations, John was still surprised how fast seemingly normal missions could go completely to hell. Flinching, he instinctively ducked as bullets chewed up the ragged surface of the stump behind him, showering him with chunks of decaying wood. He glanced to his right, his frustration only deepening as his gaze settled on Elizabeth, her arms thrown over her head in protection. She looked up for a moment, meeting his gaze and in spite of her strong expression, he could see the hints of fear in her eyes. John's gaze narrowed as he smothered his frustration with reassurance. How they'd get out of this, he had no idea, but he'd be damned if Elizabeth would see anything but confidence from him.

---

Sixteen Hours Earlier –

The disorientation of gate travel was something that John had gotten used to in his almost 3 years of travelling off-world. But, the sight that greeted his eyes as he crossed the event horizon into Atlantis' gate room, still caught him by surprise. He stopped in place and his gaze zeroed in on Elizabeth.

She looked back at him, her smile thin. She was dressed in a standard Atlantis uniform, but over it she wore a TAC vest and was clearly equipped to go off-word. Behind her, Lorne and two SO's shifted their feet, looking a little uncomfortable.

John never took it as a good sign when his XO wouldn't make eye contact with him. He looked back at Elizabeth as his team stopped on both sides of him. "What's going on?" He could see Elizabeth take a deep breath as she stepped forward, holding her slight smile.

"I'm going off-world to negotiate a treaty with the Nalonians. Lorne is going with me."

John's brows rose of their own accord. "You are?" He crossed his arms over the top of the P-90 that hung from his vest. "And when were you going to tell me?" He let a note of irritation into his voice. Off-world missions were under his jurisdiction and he couldn't help but feel a little miffed to be left out of the loop on this.

Elizabeth's gaze narrowed slightly at his tone. "Captain Hanson was set to debrief you as soon as you returned. This was time sensitive, John. You've been off-world for two days. The Athosians contacted us with the Nalonians' offer for negotiations this morning. We had to act now, or lose the chance."

"Wait a minute," Rodney interrupted. "The Nalonians? Aren't those the people that have the large deposits of Chromidium?"

"Chromidium?" Ronon's deep voice was questioning.

"Yes," Rodney's tone went up a notch and was laced with excitement. "It's a key component not only in non-crystal technology but in most of the hull plating for both Atlantis and the jumpers. We've only found trace amounts on the other mining planets mentioned in the database, but according to orbital scans, this planet has a lot… I mean… a lot. If we could get our hands on an adequate supply of the mineral we could possibly formulate the same alloy as the Ancients used. Well, it's not really an alloy, though I guess it's the Ancient version of an alloy…."

"Yes, Rodney, those people," Elizabeth interrupted. She looked back at John. "You know we've been trying to open a dialog with them ever since Stackhouse's team's… mishap with them. It's taken the Athosians over a year to get us back to this point."

John sighed deeply. She had a point. The Nalonians had taken personal insult to Stackhouse trying to open trade negotiations with them, on their first contact. But there'd been no way they could have known that the Nalonians would be offended at negotiations being initiated by someone other than a "leader of their people". John shook his head slightly. If it'd been him and his team, they might've been up to their eyeballs in Chromidium by now. He had to admit, he was tired of looking at the scorch marks from Wraith weapons in the gate room.

"It has to be me," Elizabeth continued, reading his expression accurately. "We can't risk insulting them again."

John nodded slightly. "Agreed," he admitted, though a little begrudgingly. His gaze narrowed. "But I need to know before you go off world, Elizabeth."

She stared back at him, her own gaze hardening. From the corner of John's eye, he saw Lorne scratch the back of his head and look away, but John held his gaze with Elizabeth. The safety of base personnel was his responsibility, and that applied doubly to Elizabeth. It was more than his friendship with her, though that was a big part. She was the expedition leader and a civilian to boot.

After a tense moment, Elizabeth nodded, her gaze softening. "That's fair, Colonel."

John nodded back. After working with Elizabeth for close to three years now, he'd figured out that she picked her fights with him, giving in on some points, but not on others. Sometimes they agreed to disagree, others he backed down, seeing the wisdom of her argument and other times, like this one, she saw the wisdom in his. As different as it was from military chain of command, he had to admit it worked well for Atlantis, where the military and civilians worked together equally.

"So, are we going?" Ronon's deep voice broke the tense silence.

John glanced sideways at his friend. "You'd only be bored."

"That's a no?" Ronon smiled a little.

"You're off the hook," John smiled back, not bothering to hide his amusement at his friend's relief.

"Well, I know I'd be bored," Rodney interjected. "I've been gone two days. I can't imagine what the incompetent sycophants in my department have managed to mess up by now."

John rolled his eyes. "I wasn't going to ask you anyway, McKay." He looked over at Lorne. "Major…"

Lorne glanced at Elizabeth and then back at John and smiled. "Been meaning to work on that painting of the West Pier anyway, sir."

"John, you just got back from a two day mission off world," Elizabeth protested. "It doesn't have to be you."

"The hell it doesn't," John immediately replied, all humor dissolving from his expression. This was one argument he never lost, and he wasn't about to start now. As the civilian leader of the expedition, Elizabeth Weir wasn't going to step one foot off-world without him being right there with her. Period. He glanced at Lorne. "No reflection on you, Major."

Lorne's smile widened. "No offense taken, sir. I get it."

Elizabeth's gaze narrowed at the both of them. "Fine," she answered with a touch of dark amusement.

"Teyla," John glanced sideways at his teammate, "don't think I haven't noticed the cold you've been trying to hide for the last day or so. Stand down and get some rest."

"John…" Teyla started but he cut her off.

"That's an order, Teyla." John looked back at the SO's standing quietly next to Lorne. "Connors, Harris and I can handle this one."

"Very well," Teyla answered.

"Good," John turned to her. "Save me a trip to the armory. I'll take your extra P-90 clip."

Teyla pulled out her clip and handed it to him. "Do you not already have a spare of your own?"

John tucked the clip into his TAC vest next to his spare. "Now I have two."

"John," Elizabeth took a step forward. "The Nalonians are peaceful."

He turned and gave her a smile, albeit a cynical one. "So am I." He lifted his P-90, holding it in a casual but alert grip. "Ready?"

Elizabeth looked back and up at Ops. "Dial us out, please."

John's gaze passed over the gate as the sounds of the chevrons locking echoed around him. "Ready to kiss butt and smile sweetly?" He looked over at her playfully.

Elizabeth's gazes was mock serious and amusement still touched her eyes, augmented by the blue tones of the wormhole flushing through the gate. "That's not what diplomacy is about, John."

John lifted his P-90 and winked at her. "Sure it's not." He looked back at Lorne. "We'll check in at six hours."

Lorne nodded. "Yes, sir. We'll be here."

John cocked his head slightly. "You better be. You're in charge, Major. Try not to get into trouble while we're gone."

Lorne chuckled. "Yes, sir."

John returned his gaze forward, and walked towards the gate, Elizabeth, and the SO's right behind him.

---

John emerged from the wormhole, his boots sinking in soft, dry silt and tall grass brushing over his hands as he walked down a slight slope away from the gate. He held his P-90 down, but ready, as he scanned the area around them.

"Looks like we're alone, sir," Connors' statement confirmed what John was seeing.

"Looks that way, corporal," John answered. He looked at Elizabeth. "Did you set an arrival time with these people?"

Elizabeth shook her head and walked up next to him. "No. Only that we would be here as soon as we could."

John nodded. "And that was…?"

"This morning," she supplied.

John drew in a deep breath. "Okay." He looked down at a well-worn, narrow trail cutting a swath through the tall grass. "If this path is any indication, the village is that way," he pointed in a direction that roughly followed the path's course.

"Sounds logical," Elizabeth agreed.

"Stackhouse's report indicated the village was about two klicks from the gate, sir," Harris walked up next to Elizabeth. "Flat terrain, easy hike."

John nodded. "Well, they're obviously not coming to us, so we'll have to go to them." He glanced at Elizabeth as he slid his sunglasses into place. "Got your walking shoes on?"

She smiled and nodded. "I think I can handle a mile hike, Colonel."

John smiled briefly and then looked back over his shoulder. "Connors, take the six, I'm on point. Elizabeth, fall in right behind me." He lifted his gun and started down the path. "Move out."

John walked in silence for a while, his stride easy. He kept a weather eye on their surroundings, but it was peaceful, with only a light breeze ruffling the grass as they followed the path which widened into a small road.

Elizabeth took advantage of the wider path and walked up next to John. She was silent for several strides before she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry John," she said quietly. "You were right. I should've contacted you first before agreeing to meet the Nalonians on my own."

John's brows arched just a little, and he was thankful his sunglasses hid his expression. It wasn't often she apologized to him, but then again, it wasn't often that she needed to. He passed an open hand over the seed heavy heads of the tall grass next to him. "I understand the time sensitivity you were dealing with, Elizabeth," he glanced sideways at her, noting that she was looking right back at him, "but going off-world is inherently unpredictable. Your safety is my responsibility. I can't protect you, if I don't know what's going on."

She nodded. "I know, and that's why I had Lorne with me to…"

"No," John interrupted. He took off his glasses, stopped and stared hard at her. "It's my responsibility," he repeated, his low voice emphatic. He heard Harris clear his throat and step back, giving them some room, but John was focused on Elizabeth's expression, watching as it changed, the realization of what he was saying, dawning on her. As the military commander, he took her safety personally. Maybe he shouldn't, but he'd developed too much respect for her to do otherwise.

Elizabeth's lips pressed in a tight line, but the rest of her expression was touched with gratitude. "I understand and I am sorry."

One side of John's mouth slowly turned up. "Apology accepted," he answered, his half smile turning to a full one as she smiled in return.

"Problem, sir?" Harris asked tentatively.

John looked at him. "Nope. Carry on." He turned and walked back down the path, Elizabeth right beside him.

---

The village was moderately sized in comparison to the countless villages John had seen over his two plus years of traveling off-world. Small cottages were placed close together, with several pens of farm animals lining the outskirts of the village, almost all the way out to the tree line of what looked like a dense forest. Interspersed between the pens were small gardens growing a variety of different crops. John's senses sharpened as they started to encounter villagers who looked curiously at them, but said nothing.

John tipped his head slightly towards Elizabeth as they continued walking towards the heart of the village. "Any idea who the leader is and how we'll find him?"

"His name is Jarson," Elizabeth answered. "He should be expecting us."

John didn't have a moment to respond before a voice hailed them.

"Doctor Weir I assume?"

John turned towards the high tenor voice, his gaze settling on a short, pudgy man with a tall walking stick. His clothing was well worn with patches on both knees of his brown pants, and on the elbows of his rough, homespun shirt. At one time, John assumed the shirt had been white though now, the dreary off white tone only seemed to bring out the sourness of the man's expression.

"Yes, I'm Doctor Elizabeth Weir," Elizabeth answered. "And you are…?"

"Jarson." His voice was even, but held no tones of friendliness at all.

John's gaze narrowed slightly at Jarson's dour demeanor and he took a small step closer to Elizabeth as the Nalonian walked up to them. Jarson held his chin up slightly and though he had to look up at both of them, he may as well been three feet taller from the arrogance in his expression.

Elizabeth still held onto a friendly smile. "Jarson," she nodded once, "thank you very much for agreeing to meet with us."

Jarson's expression remained unchanged, though John wondered, with the sharp, angular features on his face, dominated by narrow, suspicious eyes, if Jarson could ever look friendly even if he wanted to.

"The Athosians said you are the leader of your people," Jarson answered.

"Yes," Elizabeth answered immediately. She turned slightly and waved a hand at John. "This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. He leads the military contingent of my expedition."

John glanced briefly at Elizabeth. Referring to the expedition as 'hers' wasn't something she was prone to do, but given the history with these people, he immediately understood her intent. John plastered a friendly, if slightly guarded smile on his face as he stowed his sunglasses and stepped up next to Elizabeth. "Nice to meet you." He waved behind him, "this is Corporal Harris and…."

"I care not who they are," Jarson interrupted. "You are the leaders. I will speak with you."

John could practically feel the bad vibes coming from his two SO's, even if they didn't say a word and frankly, he agreed with them. He gritted his teeth behind his forced smile. "Okay." He answered, not really trusting himself to say much else. He caught Elizabeth's warning glance and nodded slightly. These people were sitting on a crap load of Chromidium and as much as he'd like to tell Jarson where to stick his pompous attitude, they needed the Chromidium more than he needed satisfaction.

"This way," Jarson turned abruptly and walked towards a table and set of chairs that had been placed in the center of the village.

"Charming guy," Connors muttered. "I'd really like to…."

"Don't say it," John warned. He turned and looked at his men. "But, for the record, I agree with you."

"Colonel," Elizabeth's tone was warning.

John raised his hand. "Don't worry, I get it." He sighed. "We'll play nice," he firmed up his expression and stared hard at Connors and Harris. "Right?"

Both men nodded. "Yes, sir," Connors answered.

"Pompous ass," Elizabeth muttered as she started after Jarson.

John's eyebrow shot up in dark amusement as he walked alongside her. "That's not very diplomatic, Elizabeth."

Her small smile was cynical as she glanced sideways at him. "No, it's not." She paused just out of earshot of Jarson, who had seated himself at the head of the table, and took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with."

"Yes, ma'am," John answered. He followed her but had to stop abruptly as, instead of sitting in the chair just to Jarson's right, she picked up the chair, and took it to the opposite end of the rectangular table before placing it. Sitting down, she faced the Nalonian leader and calmly folded her hands on the smooth surface.

John took a seat just to her right and tried to hide his amusement at her move as he waved Harris and Connors behind Elizabeth where they stood quietly. Jarson had intended on placing himself in a position of power at the head of the table, but Elizabeth's move had changed that. She'd made a statement of her own, indicating her position was the head, and not his. With nothing obvious to show what was the head or foot of the table, she'd placed herself in an equal position to the Nalonian leader. Judging by Jarson's stern expression, John was pretty sure Elizabeth's intention wasn't lost on him.

John's lips twitched as he continued to fight off a smile. He'd never, ever want to go head to head with Elizabeth Weir in any negotiation, of any kind, and if Jarson wasn't such a pretentious SOB, he'd actually feel sorry for the man. As it was, John decided he was going to enjoy watching her diplomatically take the Nalonian apart, piece by piece.

---

Before ever being allowed on any of the special ops missions in his career, John had experienced several training sessions on capture, torture and interrogation. He liked to think he could hold strong with the best of them, in spite of any circumstance, but the tedious verbal sparring between Elizabeth and Jarson was enough to make him question his resolve.

He was a direct man. And that directness had led him to want to shoot the Nalonian leader over an hour ago. He was past that now and had moved on to something much more physical… like throttling Jarson to within an inch of his life.

Or less.

He glanced at Elizabeth and could tell immediately that there was a part of her who would love to just turn away if he did actually launch himself across the table at Jarson, but she hid it well behind a neutral, if strained smile.

"Jarson," Elizabeth's voice was even, "I'm sure you can see that our offer of medical supplies and an engineering team to assist in improving your irrigation systems, is a fair offer."

"Hmm…" Jarson sounded bored and distracted. "Perhaps."

Elizabeth looked down at her folded hands for a moment and sighed deeply before she looked back at him. "Jarson, you have admitted that your people do not even mine or use the Chromidium ore," she reasoned. "Once we understand the refinement process for the practical use of the ore, we will be more than willing to share that knowledge with you, but we can't do that unless you agree to let us mine it in the first place." She leaned forward slightly. "This could be a very beneficial relationship, for both our peoples if," she paused a moment, "we can come to an agreement here."

Jarson's arrogant expression remained unchanged, and John was starting to wonder if the man was capable of any other emotion. But still, Jarson said nothing.

Elizabeth unfolded her hands and scooted back from the table. "We are due to check in with our people. That will give you time to consider our generous offer."

Elizabeth stood up and John immediately followed her lead. He walked beside her, the SO's just a step behind them, as she rounded the table and headed for the path out of the village. Never once did she look back at Jarson.

He leaned his head slightly towards her once they were out of earshot. "You'll let me know when I can shoot him, right?"

Elizabeth didn't look at him, but her eyes crinkled and her mouth twitched in amusement. "Definitely."

---

"We could've taken them on the way back from the ring."

Commander Pentes tried to ignore the whining of his sub-commander, but after hearing the same thing three times, it was impossible. "I heard you the first time, Xores," he answered evenly.

"Then why…"

Pentes silenced Xores with a glare. "I do not need to explain myself to you, sub-commander."

Xores looked away. "Yes, sir."

Pentes returned his gaze to the scene in the village, the view slightly fuzzy through his looking glass. There were better ones, he'd used them. But that had been before he'd been cast out from the Genii military for supporting Kolya's bid for leadership. Even blurred, he knew without a doubt, exactly who he was looking at and it wasn't just because his informant had tipped them off to the Lanteans' visit. Every Genii soldier had been drilled in the clothing, weapons and methods of the Lanteans, not to mention the descriptions of all key personnel. Two of the Lanteans were unfamiliar… insignificant, but the other two, he knew on sight.

Nalona had been on his list anyway, when his informant had dialed in and told them who was on the planet. The people of this world had been resistant lately to handing over food and supplies on demand, so an example needed to be made to remind them of the Genii might. But this… this was so much more than he could've hoped for. He'd cow these backwater natives and leave with two very valuable prizes to boot.

Pentes sighed, curbing his excitement with tactical patience. "Weir and Sheppard are invaluable hostages, yes and taking them while they were out of the village would've been easier, but that would not impress upon these people the importance of their obedience." He looked at his sub-commander. "We will remind them of the consequences of resistance and take the Lanteans at the same time." Pentes scooted back off the small knoll he lay on and safely stowed his looking glass in his faded jacket pocket. "They will be back to the village soon. We'll make our move there. Gares is our best sniper, send him to me. Brief the men and have them ready to move out in ten minutes."

---

By the time they'd returned from their check in, John had pretty much curbed his temper and figured he could endure another round with Jarson, as long as it didn't last another six hours. As they walked through the village towards the negotiating table, John noticed two more men had joined Jarson. "Wonder who they are?"

"Probably other leaders," Elizabeth answered. "Hopefully they'll speed things up, not slow them down."

"How much longer, you think?" John asked.

Elizabeth shook her head and glanced up at the early evening light. "Overnight at least. That's why I set a twelve hour check in with Lorne. Hopefully, we can have this wrapped up tomorrow." She straightened her shoulders and walked confidently up to the negotiation table. "Jarson," she nodded once, "I assume you've had time to consider our offer?" She took her seat at the end of the table.

John slowly sat down to her right as he assessed the new Nalonians at the table. The dark haired man to Jarson's left seemed almost friendly as he met John's gaze and nodded in recognition, an act John returned before looking at the other man. If the first man had seemed agreeable to John, the vibe he got from the blond haired, second man was the opposite in every way. John stiffened slightly. The man's expression seemed neutral, but there was something in his demeanor, something John couldn't put his finger on, that sent up all kinds of red flags inside him. Years of covert ops and experience in war zones, where the next civilian could either be your friend or shoot you when you turned your back, had taught John not only how to quickly assess a person, but also to listen to his instincts. In any combat zone, if John had come face to face with this guy, he would've had him in cuffs and restrained, or worse, in two seconds flat.

The man glared at John, who returned the look with a dark and dangerous one of his own. Under the table, John's hand tightened slightly on his P-90. He wished he could get some sort of warning off to Harris and Connors, but there was no way without outright saying something, and he wasn't sure what was going on or how the Nalonians would react. He returned his attention to Jarson as the leader finally spoke.

"Doctor Weir," Jarson answered. "This is Helis," he pointed to the dark haired man who nodded in recognition but said nothing, "and Relgar," Jarson gestured at the blond man, who spared Elizabeth the barest of glances before again staring at John.

Without turning his head, John looked at Elizabeth for a moment, letting her see the seriousness of his expression, before he returned his gaze to Relgar. He knew it was enough to warn her to exercise caution.

"Gentlemen," Elizabeth answered neutrally, "very nice to meet you."

"They have come to advise me on the advantages and disadvantages of your trade proposal," Jarson pushed the piece of paper away from him. "We have not decided whether or not to agree to your terms."

Elizabeth's smile was thin. "I see. We are, of course, willing to give you time to consider it."

"Do you wish to change any of the terms?" Helis asked in a deep tenor.

Elizabeth turned a polite but firm expression on him. "No."

John's gaze narrowed as Helis' eyes crinkled just slightly in what could've been a hint of a respectful smile.

"We are not sure an alliance with you is the best move for our people," Relgar's voice was mid-toned and laced with suspicion.

John looked at Elizabeth, but their gazes met only for a second, before his eyes were unconsciously drawn to Connors, who stiffened suddenly and fell. It was only then that John's mind registered the thundering crack echoing in his ears as a gunshot. "DOWN!" He dove towards Elizabeth before the word completely left his mouth, but even that was too late as another crack of a rifle deafened him and Harris fell just to John's right.

John barreled into Elizabeth propelling her out of the chair, and he grabbed her tightly on the way to the ground, shielding her under his body. The scene around him erupted in chaos with Nalonians screaming, shouting and diving for cover.

John rolled off Elizabeth, shoving her behind him as he came up to one knee and lifted his P-90, searching for a target. "Harris? Connors?" He didn't dare look but hoped at least one of them would reply.

"They're dead," Elizabeth's voice shook.

John risked a glance at her as she sat up. "Get down!" he snapped, returning his gaze forward as he panned his gun across the village. His gaze narrowed as he focused in on one man calmly walking towards them with his hands outstretched. John's gut clenched, his glare darkening as he instantly recognized the faded, but unmistakable Genii uniform. He straightened slightly in his crouch and drew a bead on the Genii's chest, his laser sight painting a spot over the man's heart.

The Genii man seemed to read his mind and stopped in his tracks. "Shooting me would be unwise, Colonel." He looked down, and brushed his hand dismissively over the laser dot on his chest.

"He knows you," Elizabeth whispered from her prone position on the ground.

John nodded slightly, his gaze never wavering from the Genii.

"Lower your gun and surrender, Colonel Sheppard, or my sniper will start shooting Nalonians, one by one, until you do."

"Who the hell are you?" John answered, holding his gun steady.

The Genii grabbed an overturned chair and sat down, apparently unbothered by John's unwavering aim. He leaned back and crossed his legs in front of him, his hands folded calmly on his lap. "You really are in no position to be asking questions, Colonel, but I'm feeling generous. I am Commander Pentes of the Genii and you and Doctor Weir are my prisoners."

John buried his surprise at the Genii recognizing not just him, but also Elizabeth. "I haven't surrendered yet. So far, I've only seen you and your sniper's handy work. How do I know it's not just the two of you?"

Pentes' chortle was quiet and followed by a half smile. "Your reputation precedes you, Colonel. I am not stupid enough to try to take you on my own, with just one other man." He lifted his hand and waved.

A flurry of motion surrounded John as Genii soldiers suddenly emerged from various hiding spots around the village, their guns trained directly on him.

John slowly panned his gun first left, then right, counting at least twenty Genii, probably more, all well-armed.

"Both you and Doctor Weir are too valuable to kill… at least for the moment," Pentes' voice grabbed John's attention, "but the same cannot be said for the Nalonians of this village. I will repeat myself only this once, Colonel. Lower your weapon and surrender, or my sniper will start killing Nalonians one by one." He leaned forward in his chair. "We will have you in the end, one way or another, even if my men have to rush through your gunfire. But that will be after a great many innocent Nalonians die."

John's lips pressed into a thin line over his gritted teeth. If Harris and Connor's deaths were any indication, this bastard was likely crazy and cruel enough to keep his word, but surrender meant not only his capture, but also Elizabeth's. That added a whole new dimension to his stubbornness as his mind raced, looking for an alternative. "How do I know you'll keep your word? You've already killed two of my men. I don't put too much stock in what comes out of your mouth."

Pentes' grunt was quiet. "Unfortunately for them, your men were expendable, not to mention in the way of my goals. However, keeping the both of you alive for the time being serves my purposes. That," he emphasized, "is why you can take my word."

"John," Elizabeth's voice was quiet, "we don't have a choice."

"Listen to Doctor Weir," Pentes answered. He exhaled loudly. "Enough of this. You have ten seconds before the first Nalonian dies, Colonel. Decide."

"John." Elizabeth's voice was urgent.

John closed his eyes for a moment, before slowly dropping his head as he lowered his gun, setting it on the ground in front of him and then lifting his hands in the air.

"Wise choice, Colonel," Pentes stood and waved two of his men over to disarm John. "But then again, you are not known to make stupid ones."

On his knees, John held his arms out as he was roughly disarmed and stripped of his TAC vest and radio headset. "Then you don't know me that well," he quipped darkly.

Pentes walked over and looked down at him, as John's hands were tied behind his back. "Better than you think, John Sheppard."

John glared at him for a moment, before looking over at Elizabeth who was similarly stripped of her TAC vest and radio. Her hands were tied behind her back as well. He tried to give her a reassuring look, but it was brief as both of them were hauled to their feet.

"Take them to the village detention cell while I speak to these reasonable Nalonians about their future," Pentes ordered, his gaze never leaving John's.

But it was John who looked away first, his attention drawn to another Nalonian who stood nearby. His gaze narrowed on Relgar as the pieces of the situation fell together. It was too much of a coincidence for the Genii to arrive while Elizabeth and his team were there. "You tipped him off that we were here." There was no question in John's tone, or in his mind that he was right.

Relgar only smiled and said nothing, but John took it as an admission of guilt. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch," he promised.

"Come, come now Colonel," Pentes interrupted, "empty threats?"

John slowly turned his deadly gaze on Pentes. "Not empty," he answered, his voice low, "and you'll join him."

Pentes stared back at him for a minute before stepping back. "Take them away."

---

John paced in front of the door the same as he had countless times since the Genii soldiers had locked both him and Elizabeth in the small, windowless room. His path was short; only a half-dozen or so steps before he reached the opposing wall, forcing him to turn and backtrack. His mind raced, flying over their situation, searching for an escape plan. He reached the wall and turned again.

"John, why don't you sit down?"

He spared Elizabeth the briefest glance but never broke stride. "No." He heard her sigh.

"This isn't your fault. There's no way we could've known the Genii were here, or that there was a spy in amongst the Nalonians." Her voice turned slightly exasperated. "John, will you just stop? You're making me dizzy."

That worked. John stopped in his tracks, crossed his arms and looked over where Elizabeth was seated on one of two dirty and scuffed wooden chairs, looking out of place in the otherwise empty room. She gestured at the vacant one. "Please?"

John stood, unmoving, his expression darkening even more.

Elizabeth sighed again. "Fine." She stood up and walked over to him. "Any ideas on an escape?"

John scratched his head absently. "Working on it. Still got some kinks to figure out."

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "Like?"

John scrubbed his face and walked away from her. "Like, we don't know how many guards are outside this room or in the building. We don't know where my weapons are and even if we overcame those two problems, we don't have a GDO or a radio, or know where to find them. So," he sighed, "even if we managed to slip away, get to the gate, get past the guards that have to be there and dial Atlantis, we couldn't go through or contact them."

"That's a lot of kinks," Elizabeth muttered.

John turned, faced her and shrugged. "Like I said, working on it."

"Okay," Elizabeth answered. "Atlantis will try to reach us in about 11 hours. When we don't answer, they'll send a team."

"A team that has no idea what they're walking into." John countered. "I wouldn't put it past this bastard for a second not to have the gate guarded. I counted at least twenty Genii, but there's probably more." He took a deep breath and locked eyes with Elizabeth. "Besides, do you really think Pentes is just going to let us idly sit here for another 11 hours? We'll be lucky if he hasn't taken us to another planet long before Atlantis ever suspects something is wrong." He saw a flash of fear cross Elizabeth's expression an instant before she silently turned away from him.

John pursed his lips, his gaze narrowing. Elizabeth was a strong, unflappable leader and he'd seen her face down situations that should've scared the hell out of her, but always from Atlantis, from a position of power and authority… and protection. John had enough SERE training to know that being a prisoner introduced a whole different kind of fear that could get to even the most hardened soldier. Only once before had she been a prisoner and then pure desperation had driven her. Death had been on all their doorsteps during the siege and she'd had nothing to lose. This was different. No matter how much she tried to put on a strong face, Elizabeth was in new territory.

But he wasn't.

John took a deep breath. "Elizabeth," he softened his voice just a bit and poured as much reassurance into it, as he could muster. "Look at me." He waited a long moment, before she turned back and faced him. She wore a strong mask, but he could see the hints of fear just under the surface, especially in her eyes. "We're going to get out of this."

Her lips tightened just a bit, and she nodded silently.

John held her gaze a moment longer, before turning away and looking at the door. "We're going to have to take this one step at a time." He ran a hand across the door and looked it up and down. "I'd rather have more time to assess the tactical situation, but we don't have that luxury."

"You think Pentes will move us to another planet sooner rather than later?"

"Possibly," John tried to ignore the knot in his gut and refused to look back at Elizabeth. "Or he'll interrogate us first. He's obviously after intel, or wants to use us as hostages, otherwise he would've killed us already." Taking a deep, fortifying breath, John looked back at her. "If it's intel he wants, he'll use one of us to get the other to talk," he said quietly. "I can't let that happen."

Elizabeth paled and John knew she understood the meaning behind his words. If there was one thing John had learned about these rogue Genii it was that they understood interrogation and had no qualms about using whatever means necessary to get the information they wanted. He wouldn't let it come to that and he'd risk his life in a largely unknown escape attempt to make sure neither scenario ever happened. He'd take the torture, he'd been trained to take it, but to make Elizabeth watch…. And then, there was the other alternative… one that he couldn't even let himself think about, not for a moment. With their positions reversed, he honestly couldn't guarantee he wouldn't tell them whatever they wanted and the thought of seeing Elizabeth….

He dismissed the thought. It couldn't come to that, ever. He looked back at the door and pushed on it experimentally. "Solid. I'm pretty sure I heard them put a crossbar down when they locked us in here. There's no breaking out. We have to get them to open it."

"How?"

John quirked his brows. "Well, there's the tired old play of pretending one of us is sick." He shrugged. "It'll be a hard sell."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed in determination. "You forget who you're talking to, Colonel."

A faint smile creased John's mouth. "Next you'll tell me you've sold fridges to Eskimos?" His smile deepened just a little as a slight humor touched her expression, though she didn't say a word. He shrugged. "It wouldn't surprise me… okay, you're on." He walked over in front of the chairs and lowered himself to the ground, face first, resting his turned head on a bent arm, doing his best to look like he'd collapsed on the spot.

Elizabeth took a deep breath and pounded on the door. "Guard! Open the door! Guard!"

"What do you want?" a muffled voice answered from the other side.

"There's something wrong with Colonel Sheppard," she answered, her voice filled with fear. "He's collapsed. I think he must've hurt himself when he pushed me to cover earlier. You have to help him!"

"How do I know you're not trying to trick us?" the guard answered.

Elizabeth looked back at John who nodded just a little. 'Us' meant there was more than one. That was something, though John wished he knew how many more. She looked back at the door. "Fine. Let him die and then you can explain to Pentes what happened." There was a long moment of silence before the sound of the crossbar being lifted caused her to step back. John closed his eyes almost completely. To an observer, they appeared closed, but, though his sight was blurred by his eyelashes, he could still see.

The door swung open, and two guards walked into the room, guns drawn. Beyond them, John couldn't see anyone and hoped it was just the two, though he had no choice but to act on that assumption. He let his eyes slide shut completely and focused with his other senses, trying to feel when the guards were close. Teyla could've done it, or Ronon. He just hoped that in his time working with them, some of that instinct had rubbed off on him.

"He just collapsed," Elizabeth reiterated, her voice shaking in an impressive imitation of fear. "Do something!"

John could hear the scuffle of boots as one of the guards slowly approached him. It took everything he had not to jump as the guard poked him roughly in the flank with the tip of his gun. Motionless, John tensed his body a second before his eyes snapped open. Twisting, he swept his leg forward, knocking the Genii's legs out from under him. John launched himself on top of the stunned guard, grabbed his knife and with a backhand throw that would've made Ronon proud, he flung it at the second guard, catching him squarely in the chest. Without hesitation, John grabbed the first guard's head between both hands and twisted. A sickening crunch was followed by the man's body going limp. John sat back and looked at the other guard, who wordlessly clawed at the knife in his chest. Pushing himself up, John swiftly crossed to the guard, straddled him and sat down hard on his waist. Grabbing the hilt of the knife with both hands, John twisted it savagely, ending the Genii's struggle. Warm blood flowed over his hands as the second guard stilled.

John sat back and took several deep breaths before looking up at Elizabeth. His gaze narrowed at her slack jawed and fearful expression. He looked down at the blood on his hands and hastily wiped them on his pant legs. "We gotta move," he pushed himself up and grabbed the Genii's hand gun. Walking over to the other Genii, he grabbed his gun as well before returning to the doorway. When he was sure the way was clear, he looked back at her, trying to ignore the horror he saw in her eyes. "Elizabeth, come on. We have to get out of here."

She looked down at the two dead Genii, took a deep breath and nodded. "Lead the way." Her voice still shook, but John knew this time, the fear was genuine.

For a moment, a twang of regret touched him. The thought that she'd spend even one second fearing him affected him deeply. But she'd just witnessed the darkest side any man, soldier or otherwise, could show; killing another man with barely more than his bare hands. While he had no doubt she knew what he was capable of, she'd never seen that side of him firsthand and somehow, John knew she'd never look at him the same way again.

John shook off the thought, burying it under cold professionalism. He tucked one gun in his waistband and held the other one ready as he led her from the room. A quick scan showed the small building was empty, so he lowered his gun, turned and held it out to her. "Take this."

Elizabeth took an involuntary step back and shook her head. "No."

John gritted his teeth. "Elizabeth, I'm not taking one step out that door with you unarmed. Take the gun."

"I've never carried a gun in my life, John. I'm not starting now," she answered, her low voice emphatic.

John hardened his gaze even more. It was unspoken that he'd protect her with his life, but if the shit hit the fan, she needed to be able to protect herself as well. "I cleared you on basic weapons training myself," he answered. "This isn't that different than a standard issue nine mil. I need you armed. Take it." He shook the gun just a little for extra emphasis.

Hesitation crossed her expression. "I…. John, I don't know if I can shoot another human being."

John's temper softened just a little at her honest admission. "No one ever does. God forbid you ever have to find out, but if something happens…." He looked away for a second before looking back at her. "I need you to be able to defend yourself."

She stared back at him for a moment, before reaching out a shaking hand and slowly taking the gun from his grip. Wrapping her hands around it, she took a deep breath and held the weapon just as he'd shown her.

John pulled the other handgun out of his waistband and headed for the door. Turning the handle, he opened it just slightly and peeked out through the crack. He heard Elizabeth take a deep breath.

"What's the plan?"

"Cover," John answered, scanning the village square. "At least until dark. We might be able to move more freely at night but in the meantime we need to get to those trees for cover."

"The gate?" She asked.

"Definitely guarded," he answered confidently. There was no doubt in John's mind that Pentes had a strong contingent at the gate and probably would send more men once their escape was discovered. Nothing about Pentes' moves, or this whole situation, was sloppy whatsoever. John's frown deepened. Just once, he wished the Genii would throw an incompetent commander his direction. It'd be a refreshing change of pace. "Without a GDO or radio, we're going to have to evade the Genii until help arrives," he grunted quietly, "or until I come up with a better idea." His frown deepened. "In the meantime, they won't get to either one of us."

He gave the square one more scan. For now, it seemed quiet and if they made their move, they might get away. He pulled back, turned and looked at Elizabeth. "Clear. Stay close behind me. If we're discovered, don't shoot unless I tell you to, and then only what I tell you to shoot at. Understand?" In the back of his head, he felt a little strange ordering her, but the situation left no room for argument and he knew she wouldn't anyway.

Silently, she nodded.

John gave her a small, grim smile. "Close the door behind you. Hopefully that'll hide our escape a bit longer." Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the door and slowly opened it. Holding his gun down but ready, he slipped out, easing along the side of the building, Elizabeth right behind him. At the edge of the wall, he stopped and carefully peeked around the corner, ensuring the way was clear, before leading her towards the back of the building. As he slid along the wall, his gaze extended, eyeing the large space between the cottages and the tree line. Two livestock pens and one garden with tall, corn-like stalks, along with about one hundred yards of open field grassland, separated them from the trees.

At the end of the wall, he stopped. "If we're quiet, we should be able to move through those two livestock pens and then through that corn… stuff. That should provide us with some cover, except for the last hundred yards to the trees. We'll have to sprint that and hope no one sees us." He shrugged. "But a hundred yard sprint in the open is better than three hundred."

"Livestock pens?" Elizabeth asked, her voice uncertain.

Amusement touched him briefly, in spite of the situation. "City girl," he teased. "Just move slowly and quietly. They're farm animals and are probably used to people. They shouldn't make a fuss."

"And if they do?"

"Run." He lifted his gun. "Come on." Trotting away from the building, John led Elizabeth behind a small cart filled with hay and then to the three board fence of the first pen. Sliding between boards, he crouched, slowly making his way through the pen of sheep… at least they looked like sheep, except that single hooves replaced cloven ones and they had long tails. The Athosians had a name for them, not that he could remember, but he did remember Teyla saying they were docile and quiet herd animals. With the exception of a few annoyed bleats when he nudged a couple of stubborn animals out of his way, they proved to be as docile and quiet as she claimed. Behind him, Elizabeth was silent, following so close that she occasionally brushed up against him. He actually preferred it that way; he didn't have to look back and check on her, instead being able to focus his attention forward.

Sliding through the fence separating one pen from the next, he moved through another pen of sheep, heading straight for the corn field. The smells of the animals reminded him of his grandparents farm in Nevada; an errant memory, totally out of place given his current situation. John pushed aside memories of his grandma's fried chicken and his grandpa's tractor, focusing on the situation. Leaving the second pen of animals, he carefully eased into the cornfield, the tall, thick stalks concealing both him and Elizabeth. When he was sure they were hidden, at least for the moment, he stopped and looked back at her pale face.

John found a small, half smile and plastered a look of reassurance on his face. "Almost there. How you holding up?" His gaze narrowed as the uncertainty he saw in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a steeled resolve.

"John," she answered quietly, "don't worry about me." She arched one brow, giving him a look of strength he'd come to know very well. "I'm fine. Focus on getting us both out of here."

John's eyes squinted of their own accord as he closely examined her expression for a long moment, before nodding both to her and to himself. Whatever fear she had inside her, she'd taken control of it, at least for now and the admiration he already had for her strength and resolve only deepened. Hell, he'd known trained soldiers who couldn't get a handle on themselves the way she'd just done, washing out in their first combat situation. His half smile turned into a brief smirk. "Yes, ma'am." Turning, he dropped the smile and led her through the cornfield. Like the sheep that were almost sheep, the corn was almost corn. He could believe it was corn, except for the bright pink flowers that graced the top of the stalks, and the red hued kernels that peeked out from their shucks as they matured in the warm summer sun.

Reaching the edge of the cornfield, John lifted his hand, stopping Elizabeth as he cautiously peeked out between a couple of stalks. About a hundred yards of open grassland stood between them and the tree line. A relatively easy run, as long as no one spotted them. Looking around, he saw no one. Now was their chance. It was only a matter of time before their escape was discovered and once that happened, the Genii would be combing the village and surrounding area for them. He looked back at Elizabeth. "Clear. Go first. I'll watch your six. No matter what happens, keep running. Don't stop." He lowered his head, his gaze intensifying. "For anything. Understand?"

Her eyes widened slightly in realization. "John…."

"Elizabeth," he interrupted. "Promise me. No matter what happens, you'll keep running."

The steeled resolve returned to her expression and she nodded once, curtly. "I promise."

John stepped out of her way and took one last look to make sure the coast was clear. He looked at her. "Go. I'll be right behind you."

Without hesitation, Elizabeth eased out from between corn stalks and immediately broke into a fast run, making a beeline for the trees. John burst from the corn field and followed, noticing that he didn't have to shorten his stride much to stay behind her. He'd never thought of Elizabeth as athletic, but the pace she kept across the grassland challenged his perception. His run was awkward, hindered by constantly turning this way and that, looking for any sign of pursuit, but all he saw was tall grass and even taller trees. About ten yards from the tree line he stopped, watching as Elizabeth disappeared into the forest. Turning, he took one last look around before sprinting into the woods after her. Stopping just past the protection of the trees, he leaned his hands on his knees and breathed deeply, curbing his surprise that they'd managed to make a clean getaway… so far. He looked up. "Elizabeth?" he called quietly.

Elizabeth materialized from between two stout tree trunks and smiled widely at him. "Here." She brushed an errant lock of hair out of her face. "I haven't run like that since college track. Throw in some hurdles and I would've been right at home."

John straightened and looked around, immediately identifying a faint game trail leading off into the forest. He followed it, holding his gun down, but ready. "Didn't know you ran track," he answered quietly.

"Hundred meter hurdles," she answered, her voice equally as quiet. "Made the Big Ten Conference championships my senior year."

John's brows quirked. "Big Ten? I would've pegged you as an Ivy Leaguer." He ducked under a branch and heard her chuckle quietly.

"Not until graduate school. I did my undergrad work at Penn State."

He shook his head slightly. "And you're not a football fan? How did that happen?"

She chuckled again. "It wasn't easy."

John's smile faded as he focused on the woods ahead of them, angling their path away from the game trail and in the direction of the gate.

"Forgive the track pun," Elizabeth followed close behind him, "but the first hurdle is cleared; we got away. What now?"

"Well," John ducked another branch, "The gate has to be well guarded, but the closer we are to it, the faster a rescue team will find us," he answered. Stopping, he looked back at Elizabeth. "But that also means there will be more Genii around. Pentes knows we'll make a break for the gate and will have his boys combing the forest trying to find us, once they discover we're missing." He looked up, noticing the twilight and darkening shadows in the woods. "It'll be night soon. I think the trick is to get close to the gate, but not too close."

Elizabeth's expression turned slightly cynical. "Really? And how close is that, Colonel?"

John grimaced. "Close enough?" He sighed. "Look, as much as I hate it, I'm sorta making this up as we go. Believe me, you're not the only one who would prefer to have a better plan on how to get out of this." Slightly exasperated, he sighed loudly.

Elizabeth was quiet for a moment. John glanced at her and saw that the cynicism in her expression had been replaced with understanding. Her eyes twinkled. "Rather 'Indiana Jones-ish' of you, isn't it? Making it up as you go?"

Slowly, John smiled. "Well, let's hope we have his luck, huh?"

She smiled back. "Definitely."

John turned to lead her once again through the woods only to be stopped by her quiet voice.

"John?"

He turned, meeting her confident expression. "Yeah?"

She took a couple steps closer to him. "This isn't your fault." Her quiet voice was strongly toned with sincerity. "There's no way you could've known."

He looked away, barely curbing his reply. I should've known. Deep down, he knew that was a completely illogical and impractical thought, but he couldn't help it. It was one thing to get into trouble off-world with his team; they were trained to get into and out of trouble. That was their job. But it was different with Elizabeth. "I know, I…" his voice trailed off.

"I trust you," she answered, rescuing him with the strong conviction in her voice. "I know you'll get us out of this."

What might have passed for a smile touched his lips. Her confidence bolstered his, but he still felt the weight of her safety pressing down strongly on his shoulders. He could handle the risks, and take them without hesitation, when it was just his life at stake but with hers in the balance, he had to fight not to hesitate. Hesitation could get them both killed. Her trust in his decisions went a long ways to stifling that hesitation and strengthening his confidence. "Thanks." Taking a deep breath, he turned and led her deeper into the forest.

---

John's stride shortened and he slowed his pace as the dusk gave way to full darkness. So far, the woods were silent, but he knew the Genii had to be back there, somewhere. There was no way their escape hadn't been discovered by now. Moonlight streamed through the high branches of the trees, illuminating the path enough that they weren't stumbling around in the darkness and for that, John was grateful. He stopped and looked around.

"What is it?"

John cocked his head slightly at the fatigue he heard in Elizabeth's voice. They'd been walking for a couple hours now, having not taken a straight path towards the gate, hoping to avoid as many Genii as possible. Though she was probably trying to hide it and definitely wouldn't admit it, John still heard weariness.

"We're close enough, I think," John answered quietly. "Should be about a klick from the gate. Not sure I want to get any closer. Besides," he eyed a large log and overturned stump nearby, "looks like good cover here to rest a bit."

"Don't stop on my account," Elizabeth stubbornly replied. "If we need to keep moving then let's go."

Still turned away from her, John smiled at her determination, not that it surprised him any. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired. I need to stop." He turned around and stared imploringly at her, trusting the filtered moonlight to make his expression visible. He definitely could see hers change from determined to agreeable.

"I could use a rest," she admitted.

He smiled. "Come on." He led her around the large stump and behind the log that was almost as tall as him. He looked around as she eased to the ground, resting her head against the log and sighing.

John slowly sat down not far away from her and set his gun close by. Grimacing, he was acutely aware of the pinch in his stomach and the dryness of his mouth. "Gonna need food and water before long."

"I'm not desperate enough to eat bugs yet, John," Elizabeth answered quietly.

He chuckled and turned his head towards her. "Me either." His gaze narrowed. Even in the moonlight, he could see her expression turn distant as she set her gun down and pulled her hand away, before rubbing her palms together, her gaze lingering on the weapon. "What?"

She looked up at him, her expression measured and thoughtful for a moment, before turning sheepish. "Nothing."

"Bull," he answered. "C'mon, we're stuck in the woods, alone, trying to evade rogue Genii and capture with nothing more than our wits and two handguns. I think that probably tears down quite a few barriers between us, don't you?"

She smiled just a little, letting it fade just as fast as it had appeared. Her silence persisted for a few more moments before she quietly spoke. "Back in the village, when we escaped and you…" her voice trailed off and she shook her head slightly. "I mean you had to…. And they were Genii, and our lives were in danger, but when you…."

"Killed those men?" he interrupted quietly.

She was still for a moment, before she nodded slowly. "I know you're military John and I know what that means. I'm reminded of it every time I see you walking around Atlantis with a sidearm. But, when you killed those Genii, it was so fast, so… different. It just seems… have you… isn't it…." Sitting up straighter she shook her head and sighed loudly in frustration. "Never mind, I shouldn't be asking you this," she said abruptly. "It doesn't matter."

John was mildly surprised at the sputtered phrases coming from a normally steady and articulate Elizabeth Weir. He looked away from her, taking his turn at silence, as he mulled over her words, pretty sure of what she was driving at. He was a pilot, and trained for aircraft combat, but first and foremost he was a fighter and as a career serviceman, he'd had his fair share of combat training both with guns and without. His thoughts flashed back to black ops, dark missions, hands around another man's throat, a knife buried deep in someone's belly, the feel of hot blood on his hands… someone else's hands around his throat and his death staring him in the eye….

"Yes," he answered quietly, looking up at the slivered moon peeking between the high tree branches.

"What?" She asked.

"It's different killing hand to hand, than with a gun," he answered. "More personal. And yes, I've done it before." He was silent for a long moment, before he turned his head and looked at her again. "When it's your life or the other guy's, the decision's pretty clear."

She stared back at him for a moment, then nodded and looked away.

He pursed his lips, a twinge of uncertainly whispering at him. For all she'd encountered in Pegasus that had forced her to re-evaluate her values, in her heart, Elizabeth still believed, fundamentally, in peaceful resolution of issues, something that was a long walk from combat, killing and being a soldier. "You… well," he scratched his head, "you don't think less…" Embarrassed, his voice trailed off.

She looked back at him and he saw nothing but acceptance in her eyes. "I know you John. You don't take death or killing lightly. You do it only when you have to and you have the strength to do it when there's no choice." She looked down at the gun sitting next to her. "I'm not sure I could do the same," she admitted quietly before looking back up at him. "You've saved my life and the lives of everyone on Atlantis more than once with that strength. I would never think less of you for it."

At that moment, John was grateful for the dimness of the moonlight as he was sure she couldn't see the flush that he felt creeping up his neck. He nodded just a little. "Thanks," he managed before looking away in discomfort. Gratitude and praise were something he'd never been able to take well, especially just for doing the job he had to do and that needed to be done. "For the record," he added, "I think you have more strength than you realize." He looked up at her.

Elizabeth silently stared back at him for a long moment, before she nodded. Finally, she averted her eyes, shifting her weight just a little. "Well, this is…uncomfortable," she remarked with dark humor.

"Yes, it is," he answered, his own touch of cynicism coloring his words. "So, how about this weather?" he quipped and heard her chuckle quietly in response.

"Nice days," she answered, "but chilly nights."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pull her coat a bit more tightly around her torso and he scooted closer to her. "C'mere," he lifted his left arm, inviting her to sit next to him. "Sheppard's first rule of survival: Stay warm."

She smiled back and edged over to him and under his arm. She laid her head on his shoulder and he slowly wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "I thought food, shelter and water would come first," she answered.

He smiled. "I'm improvising. Better?" He could feel her nod against his collarbone.

"Yes."

He felt her take a deep breath, as if she was going to say something, but the words never came. Instead she exhaled loudly. He looked down at her. "What?"

"Nothing."

He pursed his lips at her hasty response. "Tell me," he insisted in a voice that was quiet, but still adamant. Barely above a whisper, he still heard her reply.

"I'm scared."

Almost reflexively, he tightened his arm around her. Part of him was uncomfortable to see a moment of vulnerability in her normally unflappable demeanor. It took a tremendous amount of trust on her part to show that vulnerability, even to him, and even for just a moment. "I know," he answered softly, his mind racing for something to say that would reassure her. In the end, he had to settle for an answer they both knew he couldn't guarantee. "It'll be okay."

Again, he felt her nod against his chest as she scooted even close to him.

John rested his head against the log and silently reached down with his right hand, closing his fingers around his gun. "Get some rest."

---

John shifted just a little, stretching his free arm, before once again setting his hand on the gun beside him. Warm against his side, Elizabeth slept, her breaths deep and even. John pushed away his fatigue. Part of him wanted to wake Elizabeth and move on, but right now there was no reason to, and nowhere specific to go. Each hour that passed, was an hour closer to the check-in they'd miss, alerting Atlantis that something was wrong.

He blinked hard, trying to discern something, anything, in the darkness. The moon had set not long ago, plunging the planet into darkness and giving him another reason to stay put. Stumbling around in the dark wasn't exactly on the top of his list of good ideas. They had a relatively concealed spot and, if worse came to worse, a decently defendable one as well, but he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

He hadn't even realized he'd closed his eyes, until they snapped open at a crack in the otherwise silent woods. He pushed aside a moment of irritation at himself for letting his guard down, even just a little, and lifted his head, listening intently. It was nighttime, and there had to be animals in these woods, he reasoned with himself silently, but he couldn't help but be wary. His head turned to the right just a little at the sound of another snap, followed by a barely audible curse and in that moment, he knew exactly what animals were out there. His right hand slowly closed around the gun as he tightened his left arm around Elizabeth and shook her shoulder just a little. He lowered his head so his mouth was scant inches from her forehead. "Elizabeth," he whispered.

Her deep inhale preceded her movement as Elizabeth slowly lifted her head. "John?" she whispered back, pushing herself away from him. "What is it?"

John reclaimed his left arm and crouched facing the log they'd been lying against. "Company," he whispered intently. He could practically sense her fear but to her credit, she remained silent.

Holding the gun close, John slowly raised himself up, peeking over the top of the log. He wasn't sure what he expected to see, the woods were shrouded in the blackness of full night, but he looked anyway. Through the branches, he saw sporadic flashes of light and quickly put two and two together, identifying the telltale sign of Genii flashlights.

His lips tightened around clenched teeth as he silently eased back down behind the log. They were concealed and hopefully would go unnoticed, but he held tight to the gun anyway. He'd only use it as a last resort; the gunshot would echo for miles in this forest.

Still kneeling, he reinforced his grip on the weapon with his left hand and held it down, but ready. "They're not far," he whispered. "Stay quiet. Hopefully they'll pass us by." He took a deep breath. "Keep that gun close, but don't shoot unless I tell you to."

Elizabeth didn't respond, but he had no doubt she heard him. John took a deep breath and listened, the sporadic cracks in the branches was replaced by regular rustling as the search party moved closer. The indistinguishable voices morphed into clear words and then sentences.

"Pentes will make an example out of one of us if we don't bring them back," one voice said in hushed tones that were still laced with fear.

"Took Critel three days to die when Pentes made an example out of him." another voice answered back, his hushed tones emphatic. "But if you keep talking Weir and Sheppard will hear us coming long before we ever see them, so be quiet and we both might live."

"Right," the first voice answered.

John's grip tightened reflexively as the two Genii moved closer. They fell into silence, but he could hear their footsteps in the brush as they searched. He didn't dare look out from their hiding spot again, relying on his other senses to track them. Beside him, he swore he heard a quiet, stuttering breath from Elizabeth but she said nothing and didn't move.

John had to fight not to flinch at a loud crash, followed by an emphatic curse, that couldn't have been more than ten feet away. He heard Elizabeth reflexively gasp, before gaining control of herself and falling silent again.

"Did you hear that?" the first voice asked.

Silently, John tensed, waiting for the inevitable discovery.

"What?" The second voice answered. "I didn't hear anything."

"Thought I heard…" the first voice trailed off and was replaced by a couple of slow footsteps, moving closer.

"Meka, you're hearing things," the second voice was annoyed. "Come on."

His cheek pressed against the log, John quietly looked up, waiting for the Genii to peek over the top and discover them. After a tense moment, he could hear footsteps again, this time moving away.

"Probably some animal," Meka groused quietly.

John remained still, listening as the footsteps moved further away, the rustling growing faint. Carefully he peeked over the top of the log and took a deep breath as all that greeted his gaze was dark, silent woods. He turned and sat down, exhaling quietly. "They're gone," he whispered.

"Good," Elizabeth's whispered voice was wavering. "That was… close."

"Yeah," John answered. "As soon as it's light enough to see, we'll need to move. Once those two and anyone else searching reach the gate, they'll realize they missed us somehow and double back. We need to stay on the move and try to evade them until help comes."

"How long until dawn?" Elizabeth asked.

John shrugged even though he knew she couldn't see it. "Not sure. Couple hours at most." He heard Elizabeth shift as she sat down not far from him.

"That will put us pretty close to our check-in time," she added.

"Counting on it," John leaned his head back against the log. "We can't evade them forever, but we shouldn't have to."

"Until then?"

John's lips tightened in frustration at the only alternative he had. "We wait."

---

Lorne safely unloaded his .45 and stowed it before leaving the firing range. He glanced at his watch and tapped his headset. "McKay, this is Lorne. Any word yet from Doctor Weir or Colonel Sheppard?"

"No word," McKay answered, "but they're only thirty minutes late. It's pretty early in the morning on Nalonia. They probably slept in."

Lorne turned down a long hallway, leading towards the central tower, his lips twitching as he considered McKay's words. "It's not like Colonel Sheppard to miss check-ins."

"But it's not unlike him to be a little late either," McKay answered. "The man's sense of punctuality leaves something to be desired most days. We have no reason to think something is wrong. The Nalonians may be pretentious and annoying, but they're not hostile."

Lorne's gaze narrowed and his pace unconsciously quickened. McKay had a point, but he still didn't like how things were unfolding. He'd been in Pegasus for over a year, and in the Stargate program for close to four more. He'd learned a long time ago how fast things could go sideways off-world. He tried not to be a pessimist, but experience taught him to be suspicious. He'd checked in with Ops before target practice, conceding to give Sheppard and Weir thirty minutes to call. Now, he was done waiting. "Understood, but I still don't like it," he answered. "I'm on my way. Be ready to dial Nalonia when I get there."

"Copy that," McKay's voice sounded slightly exasperated but he didn't launch into a tirade, which in itself meant he agreed… on some level anyway. "McKay out."

Lorne took the steps to Ops two at a time and swiftly crossed the distance between the stairwell and McKay's duty station. "Dial Nalonia," he ordered, turning to face the gate. He watched as the chevrons lit, one by one, before the wormhole sprang to life. Lorne tapped his headset. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Weir, this is Atlantis. Do you copy?" He waited a second before turning towards Operations and looking squarely at McKay, who was hunched over his laptop. "Is the signal getting through?"

McKay looked up, his expression slightly annoyed. Lorne didn't think much of it. He couldn't remember the last time McKay didn't look annoyed, whether he actually was, or not.

"No interference and no feedback. The signal is definitely getting through."

Lorne turned back towards the gate. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Weir, this is Atlantis calling. You missed our scheduled check-in. Please respond." He dropped his head, shaking it slightly as the silence lingered. "Damn it," he muttered, "we should've never waited." He looked back at McKay. "Shut it down," he ordered. "Get Ronon and Captain Hanson up here pronto and all of you join me in Doctor Weir's office."

Lorne turned and headed towards the walkway to Weir's office. At the intersection, he hesitated, before slowly crossing the walkway. Being left in command of Atlantis was one thing, but using the office, whether warranted or not, was something else entirely. Though at this point, he needed a place to confer and plan their next move and he couldn't think of a better location. Entering the office he stopped and looked around before electing to stand in front of the windows overlooking the gate room. Using the office was one thing, but the thought of sitting in Doctor Weir's chair, was flat out unthinkable.

He didn't have to wait long before McKay, Ronon and Captain Sean Hanson joined him. Lorne's gaze lingered a minute on Hanson. The young captain had come into his own in recent months and not only did Lorne think highly of him, but he knew Sheppard did as well. Begrudgingly, Lorne knew that he couldn't leave Atlantis right now, not with being left in command, but he had every confidence in Hanson's abilities to take his place on this mission.

"Sir," Hanson was the first to speak, "we need to find out what's going on."

Lorne smiled slightly. "Tell me something I don't know, Captain."

His smile deepened as Hanson flushed slightly and nodded. "Right now," Lorne continued, "we don't know what's happened, only that they missed their check-in and aren't responding."

"That's not like Sheppard," Ronon interrupted. "Something is wrong."

"We don't know that," McKay answered. "There could be several reasons why they're not responding."

Ronon looked at him. "When has Sheppard ever missed a check-in, when he wasn't in trouble?"

"Good point," McKay muttered.

Ronon looked back at Lorne. "Weir's with him. He wouldn't miss it. Not unless something was stopping him."

Lorne exchanged serious looks with Ronon and nodded. Agreed." He looked over at Hanson. "I want you to take your team to Nalonia, find Sheppard and Weir and find out what's going on." His gaze passed over both Ronon and McKay. "Go with them."

Dark amusement crinkled the corners of Ronon's eyes. "Not like you could stop me."

Lorne smiled slightly. "I wouldn't even try. Teyla still sick?"

McKay nodded. "Infirmary with a 103 temp. Beckett says it's the flu. She'll be fine, but is on bed rest."

"Good place for her right now then." Lorne looked back to Hanson. "Gear up. As soon as your team's ready, you have a go. Take a jumper." He looked at McKay. "You'll have to fly it."

McKay scowled, clearly annoyed. "Contrary to popular belief, I actually can fly the damn thing in a straight line," he shifted his feet, "more or less." He quickly turned away, exiting the office.

Slightly amused, in spite of the situation, Lorne looked at Hanson. "He's not that bad a pilot. You'll be fine."

Hanson's expression was unconvinced, but he just nodded. "Yes, sir."

Lorne watched Hanson cross the bridge to ops. "Bring them back," he said quietly to Ronon. Without looking, he could practically hear Ronon's nod.

"We will."

Rooted in place, Lorne watched as Ronon swiftly leave the office and catch up to Hanson, but all he could think about was how much he wished he was going with them.

---

John crouched behind the stump, his gun ready, trying not to notice the pale fear on Elizabeth's face. It was the third patrol they'd encountered since moving on at dawn and he hoped that, like the other two, this group would pass them by, unnoticed. After a couple of tense moments, he quietly let out a pent up breath, as the Genii scouts moved further away. He looked at Elizabeth. "They've definitely stepped up the search," he whispered.

"We've missed our check-in," Elizabeth answered.

John nodded. "I know. They gotta know something's wrong by now and if I know Lorne, help is definitely on the way." He carefully stood, peeked out from behind cover and waved at her. "Come on. We have to keep moving. Dodging these patrols has moved us further from the gate than I like. We need to circle back."

"Right."

John grimaced slightly at the hoarse rasp to her voice and he reflexively swallowed against his own parched, rough throat. At this point, while annoying, the pinch of hunger was secondary to their very real need for water. Drawing on his survival training, he looked around, noting the trees around him and listened, but all he heard was the whisper of wind and the occasional call of a bird. No stream or indication of running water. The landscape around him was predictable for a forest, with no rocks or rough outcroppings that could be hiding trapped rainwater. Right now, short of a rainstorm, the only water source he could think of was the Genii and taking on a Genii soldier for his canteen wasn't something John was desperate enough to do… yet.

He ducked through some branches and paused, a branch cracking in the woods freezing him in place. He reached back, stopping Elizabeth. "Thought I heard…."

"STOP!"

John's head snapped around, following the voice to a Genii soldier, no more than fifty feet away. John's fingers curled around the edge of Elizabeth's jacket and he hauled her behind him as he turned, putting himself between her and the Genii. "Run!" he roared.

"Here! They're over here!" The Genii shouted, his voice echoing through the trees.

Backpedaling, John drew a bead on the Genii and put two bullets in his chest. The gunshots echoed around him, but with grim certainty he knew at this point, it didn't matter. Turning, he sprinted after Elizabeth. "Keep going!" He shouted.

Elizabeth spared a quick glance over her shoulder at him and lengthened her stride, running the best she could while still weaving through trees and hopping over branches and roots.

John flinched reflexively as a bullet zinged off a tree trunk right next to his head, sending chunks of bark into his face. He lunged forward, grabbing Elizabeth and pulling her into the tall brush and behind an overturned stump, large enough to provide them with some cover. He cocked his gun and rose into a crouch, resting his hands and the weapon on the top of the stump, steadying both against the shake of adrenaline coursing through his system. He took one deep breath, and then another, forcing an iron will over his racing heart and steadying his hand. Predictably, a Genii soldier materialized from thick branches nearby and paused, looking around. John wasted no time and dropped him with a shot to the head before ducking as another Genii returned fire.

John spared a glance at Elizabeth as bullets dove into the stump with resounding thumps. In her eyes he saw the same thought that was running through his mind.

Their luck had run out.

---

"Cloak!" Ronon shouted, his voice drowning out the distinct pings of bullets bouncing off the hull of the jumper.

"No really?" McKay snapped as he pulled back on the controls, taking the jumper into a steep ascent.

"Genii," Hanson's voice was edged with anger. "Damn it."

Ronon glanced at the captain but said nothing. The anger was clear in Hanson's voice and the captain had as much right to distrust the Genii as anyone after they'd tortured and nearly killed both him and Sheppard less than a year ago.

"They're like damned cockroaches," Lieutenant Raitano complained, "keep popping up, no matter how many times you step on them."

From the co-pilot's seat, Hanson activated communications. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Weir, this is Captain Hanson in Jumper Two. Do you copy?"

Unsurprised by the silence, Ronon shook his head slightly.

"If they could respond, they would've when we first called in," McKay pointed out as he decelerated until the jumper was stationary. "Holding position at five hundred feet," he added. "Cloak is functioning, but I think the proverbial cat is out of the bag."

"Ya think?" The unmistakable Mississippi accent identified Sergeant Stossel.

McKay harrumphed quietly and tapped the console, bringing up the HUD. "Scanning for Sheppard's sub-q transmitter."

Ronon squinted at the display. "What about Weir?"

Rodney shook his head. "She doesn't have one."

"She doesn't?" Hanson's tone was surprised.

"They're still experimental and are in short supply," McKay answered. "Elizabeth insisted that the off-world teams take priority with the rest of the base personnel, including her, who don't normally get off world, waiting until later." He looked over at Hanson and Ronon was mildly surprised as his expression turned from annoyed to determined. "Trust me, she's at the top of the list when the new shipment comes next month," his gaze narrowed as he looked back at the console and tapped a couple controls. "Sheppard's already decided," he added quietly, "and after this…."

Ronon smiled just slightly. He had no doubt Sheppard wasn't going to lose that argument.

"Have to find them first," Raitano interjected.

"And what do you think I am doing?" McKay snapped back, "just sitting on my…." A beeping cut him off and he smiled. "Ah ha! Got it!"

Ronon focused on the blinking dot roughly at their ten o'clock position. "Other life signs?"

McKay tapped another couple keys and more dots showed up around Sheppard's transmission. "Oh yeah. One very close, the rest at varying distances, but closing fast." He sighed. "Great, they're in the woods. I was hoping we could swoop in with the jumper, pick them up, and swoop out."

"No swooping this time," Hanson answered before he reached down and grabbed his P-90. "Land us on the tree line, as close to their position as you can get." He looked back at his team. "Get ready."

"Got it," McKay answered. "We'll be on the ground in ninety seconds."

"They'll be expecting us," Raitano added. "Those five at the gate had to have radioed the others by now."

Ronon pulled out his gun and double checked the kill settings. "Just the way I like it."

---

As long as he'd had been in and out of combat situations, John was still surprised how fast seemingly normal missions could go completely to hell. Flinching, he instinctively ducked as bullets chewed up the ragged surface of the stump behind him, showering him with chunks of decaying wood. He glanced to his right, his frustration only deepening as his gaze settled on Elizabeth, her arms thrown over her head in protection. She looked up for a moment, meeting his gaze and in spite of her strong expression, he could see the hints of fear in her eyes. John's gaze narrowed as he smothered his frustration with reassurance. How they'd get out of this, he had no idea, but he'd be damned if Elizabeth would see anything but confidence from him.

"The next man to fire a shot will die for his efforts!" The loud and unmistakable voice of Pentes echoed off the trees and abruptly the gunfire ceased, an eerie silence settling over the forest.

John didn't move, refusing to show himself to the Genii commander, at least for now.

"Pentes," Elizabeth said quietly.

"Apparently, he still wants us alive," John answered.

"Alive to be interrogated," Elizabeth's voice had a distinct tone of finality to it.

John pursed his lips, but couldn't think of anything to say. She was right and if they were recaptured, they'd never get away again. Right now, he had no doubt there were several Genii circling around behind them and once in a position to flank them, it'd be all over. He and Elizabeth would either be recaptured, or killed. He saw no escape, and had no words to reassure her.

A grim smile turned up the sides of her mouth just slightly and in that moment, John knew she'd come to the same conclusion as he had. She nodded once and looked down at the gun in her hands. Slowly and quietly, she cocked it. She looked back up at him and still, he couldn't think of anything to say.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Commander Pentes. Throw down your weapons and surrender or I will be forced to kill both of you."

Slowly and carefully, John peeked over the top of the stump but couldn't see Pentes or any Genii, besides corpses, anywhere. He took a small measure of satisfaction that his efficient killing of the first three Genii to stick their heads out had apparently earned him a measure of respect. "Here's a thought," he answered. "Why don't you come out into the open and ask again?"

"I think not, Colonel," Pentes answered.

John looked around, trying to pinpoint his location, but the echoing in the trees made it next to impossible. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he quipped. A warning shot thumped off the stump, near his head and, estimating the trajectory, John fired three shots in the general direction of the shot's origin, having no idea if he'd hit his target or not. But then again, considering the only ones out there were Genii, he wasn't too concerned about firing blindly. He ducked back behind the stump and caught Elizabeth's cynical look.

"You really should leave the diplomacy to me," she said dryly.

In spite of the crap situation, John still couldn't stop the half smile that briefly crossed his face. "Never was my strong point."

"Colonel," Pentes shouted again, "I grow tired of this. You and Doctor Weir have information I would very much like to obtain, but I am not a patient man and I am not inclined to suffer this hassle. This ends now, or I will just simply kill you and leave."

Whatever humor John felt disappeared. He looked down at the gun in his hand. If it were just him, the decision would be simple. He'd fight until he couldn't fight anymore, either by death or capture, but he couldn't make that decision for Elizabeth and internally, his fighting spirit warred with his strong sense of protection for her. "Damn it," he muttered.

"John," Elizabeth's voice was quiet, but it carried the unmistakable tone of command that he'd come to know so well. "We can't give Pentes what he wants. If he got a hold of any information from either of us, the consequences for Atlantis…" her voice trailed off and she shook her head as she looked away for a moment, before locking gazes with him. "We can't."

"You have two minutes, Colonel," Pentes shouted.

John stared hard at Elizabeth's determined expression, Pentes' words barely registering. Slowly he nodded. Two minutes or two years, it didn't matter. The decision was made. But he took the two minutes anyway, his mind racing, searching for another option he knew wasn't there.

---

"He's not going down without a fight," Hanson poked the dead Genii with the toe of his boot, "not that I'd expect him to."

"Those wounds weren't made by a P-90," Stossel observed. "They're Genii."

"We have to assume it's the Colonel," Raitano interjected. "It's more likely than the Genii killing each other."

"They're Genii," Sergeant Markovich, the fourth man on Hanson's team stated. "We can't assume that, Lieutenant."

"Where's the Colonel?" Hanson turned his attention to McKay.

McKay stared at his scanner for a moment, before pointing. "That way. About a half mile." He lowered the scanner and stiffened. "I have an idea," he said quietly.

Ronon's gaze narrowed. "What?" He watched the scientist for a long moment. "McKay?" He prompted sharply.

McKay waved at the dead Genii. "Give me his radio."

Closest to the Genii, Hanson knelt, grabbed the radio and handed it to McKay. "Why?"

"The Genii already know we're here," McKay answered, snatching the radio from Hanson's hands. "But Sheppard probably doesn't. If he's close enough to one of these guys, he just might over hear us if we hail him."

"That's crazy!" Stossel answered.

Hanson nodded. "But it makes sense. We don't have anything to lose, but if Sheppard knows we're here, he might be able to help us help him and Weir."

Ronon nodded in agreement. "Do it."

Hanson pointed at McKay. "But nothing about how many of us are here, or our location. Got it?"

"Got it." McKay flipped on the radio. "Sheppard, this is McKay. If you can hear us, you know… hang in there…"

---

John smiled and looked down at Elizabeth, her expression mirroring his at the unmistakable voice of Rodney McKay echoing over more than one Genii radio.

"We're coming to get you. McKay out."

"Sounds like you're about to have a very big problem, Pentes," John shouted to the Genii leader. "I suggest you get the hell out of here before my team kicks your ass."

"For once Colonel," Pentes answered, his voice chillingly calm and rational, "you and I are in agreement. I would've preferred to take you and Doctor Weir alive, but I will not leave either of you behind to inconvenience me in the future."

John stiffened and his smile disappeared. "Pentes…."

"Kill them," Pentes ordered.

Gunfire immediately followed Pentes' words, almost masking a rustling in the bushes behind John. He turned, eyes widening as three Genii stepped out of the brush behind both him and Elizabeth. Without hesitation, John threw himself at Elizabeth, shielding her under his body as he dove to the ground, bullets tearing into the stump where they'd both been just a moment before.

Hitting the ground, he rolled off Elizabeth, letting his momentum carry him into a crouch. He zeroed in on the first Genii in his sights and opened fire, dropping the soldier. But that only gave the other two the opportunity to focus on him.

Pain seared through John's bicep as the force of a bullet tearing through his arm propelled him backwards, his defenses gone and in that moment, all he could think of was his failure. Elizabeth would die or be captured, and it was his fault. Always protect the civilians. He'd drilled those words into the heads of every man that served under him, and yet, ultimately he'd been the one that'd failed to carry out that one, primary directive.

Struggling to mount some sort of defense, John switched his gun from his nearly useless right hand to his left one. Flat on his back he managed to sit half way up and drew a bead on one of the approaching Genii but before he could shoot, the soldier lurched under the fire of two successive shots. Wasting no time, John turned his attention to the other Genii and dropped him with two shots of his own.

John spared a moment to look at Elizabeth, his eyes widening at her pale but determined look as she stared over the top of her gun. In that moment, the pain from his right arm flooded over him and he couldn't quite suppress the groan of pain that escaped him.

Elizabeth looked over at him. "John?"

John shook his head, pushing himself to his knees holding his wounded arm close to his chest. "Gotta move!" he insisted, knowing the Genii would be storming their position any second. "I'll hold them off as long as I can, but you have to go, now!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "John…."

He pinned her with an intense stare. "Go!"

"Do not move."

John looked past Elizabeth as six Genii rounded the large, bullet-ridden stump, their guns trained on both him and Elizabeth. From the corner of his eye, he saw her eyes close and head drop as she sighed loudly in resignation. John pushed aside his pain and scanned the Genii. "Where's Pentes?"

"The Commander has ordered us to execute you," one Genii answered.

A dark cynical smile turned up one side of John's mouth and spite filled the rest of his expression. "Sent you to do his dirty work. Sounds about right." His gaze was drawn to Elizabeth as she slowly turned around, setting her gun in front of her and raising her hands. "Elizabeth?"

She ignored him, as she stared at the Genii. "Imagine the favor you'd gain from Pentes if you brought us back alive."

John's mind raced as he quickly put two and two together. The rescue party had to have heard the gunshots and if he knew McKay, they'd already had a bead on his sub-q transmitter anyway. What they needed was time, and Elizabeth was trying to buy it for them. "She's right," he agreed. "We're a lot more valuable alive."

"Sub-commander Xores," another Genii spoke to the first one, "he is right."

The one identified as Xores stared back at John, his gaze narrowed in thought. "Surrender your weapon, Colonel."

John looked over at Elizabeth and slowly set his gun down. A particularly strong wave of pain washed over him and he grimaced, grunting in response. His head dropped and in that moment, from the corner of his eye, he caught movement in the bushes behind them. Smiling through his pain, he looked up and stared coldly at Xores. "You lose."

Confusion clouded Xores' face for a second before his expression turned alarmed but he had no chance to react, as Ronon burst from the underbrush, Hanson's team and McKay right behind him.

John grabbed Elizabeth, pulling her to the ground and shielding her as shots from Ronon's gun and P-90 fire echoed around him. Taken by surprise and outmatched in firepower, the Genii didn't stand a chance. Almost as quickly as it started, the gunfire ceased and John looked up, scanning the motionless bodies of all six Genii.

"Colonel?"

John rolled on his back and stared at Hanson's face as the Captain towered over him. "Ow." Holding his arm close, he slowly sat up.

Hanson swiftly knelt beside him, ripping a bandage from his TAC vest pocket. "Easy, sir."

"Elizabeth?" Rodney's concerned voice preceded his entry into John's vision, if barely. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Rodney," Elizabeth answered. "John…."

"Got it, ma'am," Hanson answered as he wrapped the bandage around John's arm. "Looks like a clean through and through, sir. Hurts like a bitch, but won't kill you." He looked over his shoulder. "Raitano?"

"Area's secure, Captain," Raitano answered. "If there were any other Genii around here, they amscrayed."

"Including Pentes," John muttered.

"Who?" Hanson never looked away from John's arm.

"The commander," John answered. He scowled. "I owe that son of a bitch one." He coldly stared at the silent woods. "Next time," he vowed.

John grunted as Hanson tightly knotted the bandage over his wound. He glanced at Elizabeth his dark mood dissolving under a brief, reassuring smile.

"Sorry, sir," Hanson sat back. "Think you can walk? We probably should get out of here."

John exhaled hard, once and nodded. "Arm's wounded, Captain, not my legs. Gimme a hand."

"Here."

John's gaze followed the deep voice and settled on Ronon's outstretched hand. He looked up, meeting gazes with the big Satedan. The corners of Ronon's eyes crinkled in what could've passed as amusement, even if the rest of his expression was predictably stoic.

John reached up, grabbing Ronon's wrist with his good hand and let his friend pull him slowly to his feet. "Good timing."

Ronon's grip lingered for a moment until John proved he was steady on his feet. Ronon let go and backed up a step. "Always bailing your ass out of trouble." This time he smiled, if only a little.

Indignant, John stiffened slightly. "Not always." He looked around, noting the perimeter Hanson's team had set and smiled as his gaze settled on the captain. "Thanks."

"Oh sure," Rodney interjected, "thank him. It's not like I didn't fly the jumper, locate your sub-q transmitter, come up with the idea to hail you on the Genii radios…."

"Thank you, Rodney," Elizabeth interrupted. "Now can we get out of here?"

Hanson nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He waved at Stossel and Markovich who took up positions on each side of Elizabeth.

John flashed Hanson an approving look. "Lead the way, Captain."

"Yes, sir," Hanson responded before he smoothly drew his nine mil and held it out to John who took it and fell in behind him. John took a small measure of comfort in the armed men around him, but still, he held securely to the nine mil, only loosening his grip when he slowly lowered himself onto one of the benches in the back of the jumper. He was bone tired and his arm throbbed mercilessly. As the adrenaline faded from his body, his eyelids grew heavy and his head gently thumped back against the hull of the jumper. "Leavin' you to fly this thing," he muttered as Rodney approached.

"Of course you are," Rodney answered as he walked by, giving John the barest of looks. "You think I'd put my life in your hands right now?"

"John?" Elizabeth crouched in front of him and squeezed his hand.

He lifted his head and smiled a little at her. "I'm good, just tired… and I could use some of Beckett's happy drugs." He winced at a strong shock of pain in his already throbbing arm.

Her grip on his hand tightened. "I'm sure that can be arranged." She looked away for a moment, watching as Hanson's team and Ronon boarded and found seats. Looking back at John, her reassuring expression turned to one of gratitude. "Thank you."

The small smile that had faded from John's face sprang back anew. "I'd say 'my pleasure', but this isn't exactly a pleasurable experience so… you're welcome."

Giving his hand one more squeeze, Elizabeth let go and sat on the bench next to him.

John let his head settle against the hull of the jumper once more as his eyes slid shut. He could feel the hum of the engine and even though he wasn't flying, he could still feel a faint connection with the Ancient machine. He turned his head just a little and opened his eyes, taking comfort in Elizabeth sitting next to him, safe and sound, as the jumper slowly ascended.

---

John sighed and set his data pad aside. He shifted restlessly in his bed throwing a pointed glare at Carson who just smiled back as he walked up to the bed. "Not sure why this is necessary, Doc," he groused.

Carson shook his head. "You were shot, Colonel. That makes it necessary."

"Just a flesh wound," John muttered. "No big deal."

"Leave it to you to think 'just a flesh wound' is no big deal," Carson countered. He glanced over his own data pad. "Everything appears to be fine." He looked up. "Just one night, Colonel. Humor me okay?"

John sighed. "Fine. One night." He looked past Carson, his gaze settling on an approaching Elizabeth. His frown melted away. Showered and rested, she looked a damn sight better than the last time he'd seen her, but then again, he suspected he did too.

She smiled back at him and walked up next to his bed. She looked back at Carson. "How is he?"

John's frown returned. "He is fine, thank you."

She arched a brow at him. "You'll forgive me if I don't take your word for it, Colonel." Elizabeth returned her gaze to Carson who chuckled.

"I'm keeping him overnight for observation, but he should be out of here tomorrow. Light duty until the arm heals, which it should, with no complications." Carson nodded once at her and walked away.

Elizabeth returned her attention to John. "Good news."

John settled his head into his pillow. "Except that I have to stay here for a night." He turned his head and looked at her. "The Nalonians?"

Elizabeth reached behind her and snagged a stool which she pulled up next to the bed. "I think Jarson is ready to be much more cooperative now that he knows we're definitely not the worst people out there to do business with. Lorne reports that he was actually rather courteous, and seemed open to our trade offers. Of course, we'll have to return as leaders to seal the agreement."

John nodded. Shortly after they'd returned, he'd ordered, and Elizabeth had agreed, a large contingent of Marines to return to Nalonia and secure the village against any remaining Genii. They'd reported no resistance. Apparently, the Genii had fled the planet after Hanson's team had arrived. He'd left a decent sized contingent of Marines there for now, to ensure the Genii left the Nalonians alone.

"Relgar admitted to being a Genii spy," Elizabeth continued. "By Nalonian law, he will be executed for treason against their people. Jarson has requested that we return in a week to finalize the negotiations for the Chromidium."

"Good to hear," John answered. "It'll be nice to fix the holes in the walls around here." He smiled slightly but she didn't return the expression.

"Yes," she looked away.

"Elizabeth," John sat up a little straighter, "this could've ended a lot worse."

She looked back at him, her face a stoic mask. "I know," she dropped her head and focused on her fidgeting hands in her lap. "The Chromidium is… worth it." Silently, she looked back up at him.

John's gaze narrowed slightly at the hollowed look in her eyes and with absolute clarity, he knew what haunted her. He'd seen it before, more times than he'd ever wanted to. All the preparation in the world, never made a difference, the first time you were forced to take a life, regardless of the circumstances. Her eyes screamed that pain to him, even if her voice didn't. "You did what you had to do and it was the right choice. Don't second guess it."

She nodded, looking away again. "I know… and to save your life, I'd do it again, without question. It's just…" she shook her head. "I abhor violence, John and I took a life. It was a Genii and he was going to kill you, but…." Her voice trailed off.

John pursed his lips, searching for any words that would offer her reassurance, even though he knew there were none, especially for someone like him, who sucked at talking about this stuff to start with. He took a deep breath, pushing aside his discomfort. "I know," he answered softly. "I'm sorry you had to and I'm sorry that you had to find out… that you were capable of doing it."

She looked up at him, her eyes moist with tears she refused to shed… at least in front of him. "I'd rather not do that again, Colonel," she answered, straining for some sort of humor to lighten the mood but John refused to be anything but serious.

"Trust me," his voice was low and intense, "if I have my way, you will never be in that situation again. Ever." He cocked his head slightly. "You going to be okay?"

Her smile widened, just a little, a hint of teeth showing through her parted lips. "Yes, I will." She stared intently at him, her smile fading. "I did the right thing. That much I know. The rest," she shrugged, "I can reconcile. It'll just take some time."

The deep intensity faded from John, and he flashed her a small smile of his own. "I don't doubt that for a second."

She took a deep breath and patted his good arm quickly before she stood. "Get some rest, Colonel." She turned away.

"Elizabeth," John's voice stopped her. She turned her head and looked back at him. Gratitude washed over him. "You… saved my life. Thank you."

One side of her mouth turned up slightly and she nodded once, before walking away.

John watched her go. Since they'd come to Pegasus almost three years ago, he'd seen the circumstances they'd dealt with, slowly eat away at some of the values she held dear, while reinforcing others. She'd changed a lot in three years, but then again, he figured they all had. They could lay that change squarely at the feet of the Wraith and even the Genii, but on the flip side, also at the feet of the Athosians and countless other good people of the galaxy they'd developed relations with.

John sighed. It was a matter of perspective and they all had to take the good with the bad. Right now, both he and Elizabeth had survived, returned to Atlantis and they even were going to get some Chromidium out of the ordeal. He'd count that as a victory and knew Elizabeth would as well. This latest challenge to her values had changed her, once again, but he knew she'd adapt. She always did and that just reinforced his already deep respect for her as a leader and a person. He shifted his arm stiffly, wincing at the dull throb of pain. It'd heal, but he figured his wound would heal faster than hers.

But hers would heal. He was certain of it.

Settling back into his pillow, John closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him.

~End.

Author's Notes: I've been kicking around this story idea for literally years. Three I think. It's sat on my "list of ideas" and I finally got a clear enough idea in my head to write it. Though, it's been an interesting experience trying to finish it with all that is going on in my RL right now!

I've always wanted to write a story with just John and Elizabeth in danger off world. I hope you like what I came up with! :)

Big thanks to LJ user Coolbreeze1 for her fantastic beta! I SO appreciate your comments and critique. Thank you, Hon! :)