Summary:- A simple mission to look for an Ancient laboratory causes all sorts of problems for Sheppard and McKay from vicious creatures to doubles. Sheppard whump and angst for them both.

Spoiler:- None takes place after season 5 when Atlantis has returned to Pegasus.

Shipping:- Hints of Shep/Teyla simply because of the novels and JM's comments in his blog.

Rating:- T for some swearing and mild adult content.

Disclaimer:- I don't own Stargate Atlantis and I still miss seeing the show.

Sorry no beta so all the mistakes are mine.

On the Fringe of Reality

Chapter 1 – Too Much like Hollywood

They were everywhere. Even the bushes rustled noisily with the sound of their scampering feet. Glimpses of bright scales flashed like bolts of lightning as the creatures attempted to surround and corner their prey. The sound of gun fire echoed loudly, but the monsters didn't slow their harried pace. Saliva dripped from hungry fangs. Determination drove them on. They weren't going to let this easy meal slip by them.

For the prey it was a nightmare. A vision out of Jurassic Park. Like those Velociraptors of the silver screen, these creatures also hunted with relentless frenzy. Only this was no Hollywood dream of creatures past, this was reality.

"Dial the gate, Rodney!" Sheppard's frantic yell was almost swallowed by the loud noise of his P90's continuous rattle.

Rodney's breaths came short and fast. Too much exertion. "Doing my best."

McKay skidded to a halt before the DHD, punching it hard and fast. He literally fell onto the large green engage button and patiently waited for the wormhole to form. It seemed like an eternity before the vortex whooshed to life and just as it did, a strange blue spark danced across the DHD for a micro second. Rodney frowned. It hadn't been enough to give him a shock or disrupt the surging vortex, so he quickly pushed the matter aside. More important matters to worry about right now, like getting away before the creatures reached the Gate and got a chance to dig their teeth into his precious hide.

Sparing a quick glance behind, Rodney's heart nearly stopped when he saw just how close the creatures where to Sheppard's heels. He urged John on, raising his own P90 to let off a stream of bullets. Hoping to hit at least one or two and praying it wouldn't be his friend.

Sheppard raised an arm and shouted. "Go! Go! Go! I'll be right behind you!"

Rodney turned to the blue salvation, quickly sending his IDC. "Atlantis! Lower the shield! We're coming in hot!"

A quick glance to his far left showed him a lone creature approaching very stealthily. Several others weren't far behind it. Although probably not the wisest decision, Rodney didn't wait for a reply. He veered in the opposite direction and bolted towards the waiting wormhole. Hoping that Atlantis had reacted, but it was either trust them to lower the shield or be eaten by jaws that looked like they could tear the very flesh from his limbs. His trust in Atlantis won hands down. Not even having the time to check on John's progress, Rodney literally flung himself through. To land painfully on the cold hard floor.

A sudden spell of dizziness washed over him, forcing him to rest his head a moment. Keeping still Rodney kept his eyes fixed on the event horizon. As the minutes ticked by his growing sense of dread had nothing to do with his continuing dizziness. Sheppard had yet to arrive.

Rodney sensed footsteps approaching. A voice calling his name. Why did it seem to echo as if coming from a long way off? Suddenly the voice sounded directly above him and Rodney nearly jumped out of his skin when he found himself being hugged by an overzealous female body.

"Welcome home! And you obviously succeeded!"

Rodney turned his head towards the voice and blinked twice. He was being held in rather an intimate fashion by none other than Teyla Emmagan.

She looked up and called. "Close the gate!" It sounded awfully loud to Rodney's sensitive ears.

Panicked, Rodney shouted back as loud as he could. "What! No, no, you can't do that! Sheppard's not through yet!" He hoped they heard that because it wasn't as loud as he would have liked. At least it didn't sound loud to him.

Teyla pulled away looking really startled and annoyed. Regaining her composure, she shouted much louder. "Very well! Keep the Gate open for now!" Her voice successfully rattled Rodney's head for a second time. Then at least she lowered the volume so only he could hear. "I thought your mission was to free us of that man?"

Rodney was confused. "What do you mean?"

Now it was her turn to look puzzled. "Why our secret plans of course. Plans to remove him permanently. To make it look like an accident or have you forgotten? You of all people agreed to that and even planned it. Now you tell me that you have failed?" Anger and disappointment never left her face.

Teyla suddenly turned to the balcony above them. Rodney frowned wondering what her problem was, trying to remember if Sheppard had done anything really bad to upset her. Even if he had, why such obvious hatred and harsh words, especially coming from the woman that John had helped so much since Kanaan's unfortunate demise. And Rodney really thought they were growing closer.

He followed her gaze but from his prone position, Rodney couldn't see if Mr. Woolsey was standing up there or not. Apparently Teyla could because she gave a short nod. "Thankfully she is not here. We will keep it open but for no more than five minutes. That way it will look like the correct procedure and protocol was followed."

Rodney was becoming more and more irritated, when that happened his sarcasm came out. "Well, thank you so very much for your consideration but that hardly gives Sheppard time to get away, does it? And you haven't even asked what we were running from." She gave no reply, so Rodney decided to fill her in. "We didn't find the aforementioned Ancient laboratory. In fact, we hardly ventured further than the Gate before encountering some really vicious creatures. There was nothing in the database. So either they came after the Ancients left or the Ancients got careless and decided not the mention it, again."

Teyla looked at him in a most peculiar way. "Well you have been gone long enough."

"Hmmm…yes well, it did take a while to avoid the creatures long enough to make a run for the Gate." Talking about the creatures only escalated Rodney's worry. Deep down he knew it could already too late for Sheppard. An upsetting thought to say the least. It made him antsy and depressed because he'd have face this situation alone, whatever it was. And as much as he would deny it, he really would be distraught if anything should happen to his best friend.

Teyla smiled for the first time. "So those creatures may have solved our problem then." She bent down and moved to plant a kiss upon his lips. Giving Rodney quite a shock. "The main thing is that you are home, safe and sound. We will deal with the rest later, if Sheppard should survive and make it back."

"Well, yes that's important of course but…"

Rodney's words were cut short when the Stargate suddenly burped to spit out a very bedraggled looking Sheppard leaving a significant trail of blood behind him. He limped badly and there appeared to be a creature attached to his right leg.

John took one look at Rodney and promptly collapsed by his side. "Told ya I'd be right behind."

The sound of gun fire echoed loudly around them as several bullets struck the wretched creature before it could detach itself from Sheppard's leg. It was a wonder nothing hit the colonel or them for that matter but at least the creature now looked very, very dead.

"Over zealous troops," John muttered. "I'll have to have a word about that."

A very thankful Rodney rolled his eyes and looked to Teyla whose face had turned to thunder again. Her look annoyed Rodney to the extreme, causing his next words to sound cold and unsympathetic. "Close the blasted Gate before any more of those creatures get through! And get a med team here fast!"

Teyla looked at Sheppard. "You were right about creatures," she muttered throwing another look of pure hatred as she stooped and snatched John's P90 away from him.

Rodney didn't know if she meant the dead animal or Sheppard. Either way if looks could kill the colonel would be as dead as the creature still attached to his leg. He wanted to ask John more but the man appeared to be out of it. Which was probably a good thing seeing as how those teeth had to hurt like hell. Strangely nobody seemed overly concerned by it. In fact, Jennifer and her team had yet to arrive, although that was a blessing because Teyla was currently clinging to him like a limpet as she helped him to stand.

Rodney pulled away. "I can do it myself, thank you. Where's the medical team."

"I will inform them once we get you to the infirmary, my dearest."

What did she just call him? He shook his head and stuck a finger in his ear, wiggling it around to clear any wax that may have formed. But before he could make a comment, she started to move him in the right direction and well away from Sheppard still lying there all alone in an ever increasing pool of blood. Rodney tried to dig his heels in but Ronon suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere, taking his other arm.

"Wait a minute you can't just leave him lying there unattended!" However, Rodney's protest went unheard. It wasn't until he finally looked up at Ronon that Rodney realised that something was seriously wrong because unless the Satedan had suddenly been inflicted by a very bad case of alopecia. His dreadlocks were gone and he was totally bald.

tbc