Notes: So I've just finished watching McKay and Mrs. Miller for the third time and I realize that I need a shower (these two events are entirely unconnected, just so you know) - the thing is, that's when I do some of my best thinking. Well, that and when I'm eating. So then it hits me - What if Jeannie got...kidnapped? On Christmas? And Madison, too! Except that I'm not that mean, so... Anyway. You'll see.

This is my first attempt at a multichapter fic, and as such will probably be a bit slow on updating. And I apologize beforehand for any inconsistancies this made have concerning the Earth state of affairs as last seen in SG-1, since I haven't been following Stargate SG-1 since about halfway through Season 8... Let's just say I'm a little out of the loop at the moment. Maybe after I get the DVDs I'll come back and fix it. Never the less, Sam Carter may make an appearance. Or not. I'm not entirely sure yet, to tell the truth.

Disclaimer: As always, this is the work of a mere mortal who does not possess the divine ownership of any part of the Stargate franchise excepting my DVD collection (not including Season 2, which hasn't come out yet! grr ) Made for entertainment, not profit. So on with the show!

Ping.

Rodney took a deep breath, staring at the slightly lopsided wreath that decorated the front door. He fidgeted slightly, glancing at the blue and white twinkle lights that were, in contrast, arranged in perfect geometrical patterns across the lawn. There was no question who had done that portion of the decorating. He almost smiled, almost. Even after his sister's firm insistance that he be there for Christmas... well, he was nervous. He still had an awful lot of making up to do, and was hoping for at most an uneventful, if awkward, holiday visit.

After a long moment he frowned, shifting the paper bag he held to ring the doorbell a second time. The lights were on in the living room, casting a warm multicolor glow onto the walk, and on a second check of the driveway, they certainly couldn't have driven anywhere. Logically, he should have assumed that Madison was just being more distracting than usual and no one had heard the bell ring.

But the years spent on Atlantis had effected his alertness more than he might have realized, because he found that he couldn't quite ring the bell a second time. Something... something was wrong.

Quietly setting his bag beside the door he stepped over to the window and peered inside. There was no visible movement, and now that he was looking between the blinds he could see that the only lights on in the house were those in the front room. Everything else was completely dark, scanning the room he saw a pile of wrapping paper...looked as though Madison couldn't wait until that evening...an overturned chair... and then his breath stuck deep in his stomach. A dark stain spread from behind the couch, an unmistakable shade of red.

"Oh no..." he murmered, and jerked into action. A moment later he was inside, not even thinking about how strange it was that the door was unlocked. In less than a second more he was standing by the couch, heart in his mouth.

There was no one there.

The possibilities ran through his head at speeds usually reserved for planetary crises. Blood. It was most certainly blood, and a lot of it. It was also extremely fresh, as he could still see it diffusing through the carpet. A tiny thump from the kitchen made his head snap away from the sight.

He started to move towards the kitchen, but then hesitated. Should he call someone before he went snooping around the house? What if everyone was at the hospital instead of... his thoughts were interrupted by another soft thump. It sounded sort of like his cat had when it crawled inside the cupboard.

Jeannie didn't have a cat.

He opened his mouth to ask something stupid like "Who's there?" but caught himself before the words left his throat. Stepping cautiously into the darkened kitchen he glanced around, feeling ready to jump at the slightest movement.

Then the slightest movement happened. It was a tiny shudder of something touching the inside of a cupboard door, down by the floor. At first his breath hitched, but he didn't jump or make a sound, not like he would have two years ago. Taking a deep breath that required much more bracing than being prepared to see the relatives, he flipped the cupboard open.

Abruptly a sob-stricken scream emanated from inside the dark cupboard. This time Rodney did jump back against the refridgerator. Then he took a step forward, having to squint in the dark but unwilling to turn the lights on. Inside the cupboard, huddled as far back as she could possibly go, Madison curled away from him, causing a frying pan to tip onto the linoleum with a startling clang. The girl began crying with a combination of hoarseness and terror that only a small child could achieve, and after only a second of shock, Rodney was kneeling in front of the opening.

"Madison? Oh God, Madison, it's me. It's Uncle Rodney..." He paused, "... Uncle Meredith. Do you remember me?" She let out a short choked sound before returning to tears. He bit his lip, trying to be as nonthreatening as possible, but Madison's eyes were squeezed shut in fear, and she didn't seem to hear him. He reached a hand into the cupboard to try and move her mussy hair out of her face, but didn't quite touch her for fear of scaring her further.

"Please stop crying...or come out of there, or..." As her sobs died to whimpers he was unaware that his own voice had become softer. "Please, please, please come out. I won't hurt you. It's okay..." Even though he knew it was not okay. This was as far from okay as it could possibly be, but he needed to get her out of here and call for help. He needed to know what was going on, what had happened to his sister. But he couldn't say that now.

"It's gonna be okay," he murmured again.

Slowly his niece's eyes fluttered open, blinking tears. She sniffled, but didn't flinch away when he reached in and awkwardly brushed some of her tear-soaked hair away from her cheeks. Recognition showed in her watching eyes, but she didn't move.

"Can you come out of there? We need to go find your mom, okay?" He almost tripped over the words, not sure how to talk to the kid, much less when she was so obviously traumatized. If he was honest with himself, he was scared. Maybe even more than when he had been trapped on that Hiveship. But now wasn't the time for those thoughts. His attention was focused on the little girl crouched between the pots and pans.

Madison shook her head quickly, still staring at him. He tried again.

"It's safe now - I won't let anyone hurt you, all right? Come on..."

"Uh-uh," she whispered, not petulently, but in a voice, although shaky, that said she wasn't changing her mind. Rodney felt a wave of frustration, but did his best to stomp it down for her sake.

"Why can't you come out?" He asked.

"Daddy said..." she stopped and hiccupped softly. "Daddy said t' stay here untiw he came back," she finished, but looked confused.

"Where's Daddy?"

Rodney suddenly shivered, looking around the shadowed kitchen, and realized he had left the front door open. He turned back to Madison.

"Um, Daddy's not here right now. We need to find him too." Madison gave him a long look, and his stomach did a little flip-flop. But then she shakily crawled out of the cupboard. She stood up, meeting him eye-to-eye and shivering in her damp pink T-shirt. Now that she was out of the cupboard, Rodney suddenly felt at a loss.

Then he pulled her into a hug. She started crying again, but quietly, and this time she didn't sound so scared. He picked her up, realizing how awfully cold she was, and 'Shh'ed her anxiously as he carried her outside, closing the door behind him.

For the first time that day he was grateful that there had been no one from the SGC to drive him to Jeannie's. The car he had been forced to rent was by the curb where he had left it. The glow of Christmas lights across the hood that had earlier seemed warm now seemed to bring even more chill to the cold December air.

Gently settling Madison in the passenger seat, and keeping up a stream of fairly meaningless talk the whole time, he started the engine and immediately started the heat. The car was already warmer than the freezing outdoors, but Madison was looking nearly blue with the cold. The words seemed to be as comforting to her as they were to him, on the other hand. It occurred to him that Jeannie probably had a similar habit. Madison was already looking less distraught, although tremors still flittered through her small body. Rodney pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her like a blanket. She snuggled into it, shamelessly wiping her nose on the collar. He hardly noticed, though, watching as the shivers slowed and then finally ceased. Her eyes closed in exhaustion.

"Madison?" he said, hoping he remembered her name correctly. Her eyes opened again.

"Yeah?"

"We're going to... see some of my friends now, okay? They're going to help us find your parents." Madison blinked sleepily at him.

"Okay." She said, and closed her eyes again. He wasn't sure if she had understood, but either way they needed to go. Now. If something had happened to Jeannie... he swallowed hard and reached over to pull the seatbelt over Madison's coat-smothered form. Really, she shouldn't be in the front seat, and while his mind immediately brought up the frightening odds of ending up in a crash, at the moment he couldn't bring himself to move her.

More specifically, he didn't want to move her out of his sight.

The car was warm now, but he shivered again, pulling away from the house. Now that they were on their way to the SGC and Madison was asleep some of his panic over the situation was seeping into his face. He slumped slightly in the driver's seat and fumbled for his cellphone. Stomach still in knots, he called the first number that came to mind.

After only one ring, the phone was picked up.

"Hello?"

"Sheppard." He only just managed to keep the relief out of his voice, he thought.

"Rodney?" Or perhaps not. Sheppard's tone was sharp.

"I...need help." He paused, unsure of how to describe the situation.

"Rodney?" Sheppard said again, but this time his tone was very different. This was the one that usually said what aren't you saying?and 'fess up before you get us shot. Of course, that was only in very specific circumstances. Right now it was probably just that first bit.

"It's Jeannie. She's-" his voice cracked slightly and suddenly everything came spilling out in a rush. "She's gone. I've got Madison with me and I'm heading back to the SGC. Caleb wasn't there, either. And there was blood on the carpet! And Madison was in the cupboard, and -" He started gulping for air, very glad that he had just reached a red light. He needed a moment to pull himself together.

"Hey! Hey, Rodney, calm down," Sheppard's voice helped to stabilize him, as was intended. It was a routine they often went through in the field - McKay panicked, and the colonel snapped him back into focus.

"Right. Okay...I'm okay. Calm. Right."

There was silence over the line and then Sheppard could be heard taking a deep breath of his own.

"Okay. Explain this to me again. Slowly." Rodney nodded, forgetting momentarily that Sheppard couldn't see him.

"Right." He repeated half into the phone and half to himself. The light turned green. He put his eyes back on the road.

"One thing first, Sheppard."

"What?" Even for the trepedition in his voice, Sheppard was not expecting the answer to be so bitter.

"Merry Christmas."

Reviews are appreciated. So is blueberry pie, which I will also accept, should anyone send me some.