Conversion

by ZPM05

What if Teyla had been infected with the retrovirus along with John

Title: Conversion

Rating: T (PG-13)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this as much as I'd like to. The quotes I got for the gateworld transcript of the episode 'Conversion'

Spoilers: All of Conversion, 38 Minutes

Summary: What if Teyla had been infected with the retro-virus along with John?

Word Count: 9,486

Sheppard had been released from the infirmary the day before and now John and Teyla were deep into their scheduled sparring session against each other.

"Not bad, huh?" John asked after executing his attack.

"Yes, yes. You're doing very well." Teyla replied moving back to a standing position ready for the next attack. There was a brief silence between the two as Teyla defended against Sheppard's next offensive attack.

"You have been practicing," Teyla said as she fended off his attack.

"Not really." Sheppard said dropping one of his bantos aside.

Teyla held two bantos while Sheppard now fought with only one which didn't slow him down a bit with one hand behind his back, not even breathing hard. Teyla holds her own, grunting with effort, until Sheppard executes a feint and she finds herself pressed against the wall with Sheppard's banto pressed against her throat, meeting his fierce glare a little nervously.

"You are showing ... a considerable leap in ability, Colonel Sheppard." Teyla carefully stated.

"You can call me John when we're off the clock." John said staring into her eyes.

"Very well ... John." Teyla said with an arched eyebrow.

"There y'go." John said continuing to stare at her, not releasing her from against the wall.

"Should we continue, or do you ..." Teyla cautiously suggested as her voice trailed off uneasily at the end. Sheppard dropped his remaining banto to the floor, grabbed her face with both hands and laid one hell of a kiss on her. A moment later the two break apart breathing heavily, but their expressions, say that it's pretty clear neither knows what to make of the kiss.

"I'm not really sure just what happened." Sheppard said with a confused expression on his face.

"Colonel ..." Teyla said before being interrupted by Sheppard and her hand at her throat where his banto was.

"That was interesting!" Sheppard said interrupting Teyla.

"Colonel Sheppard, please report to the infirmary!" Beckett's voice announced over the radio.

Teyla looks frankly relieved, which seems to put a dent in his obliviousness to her reactions since he pinned her.

"You OK?" John asked in a concerned voice.

In response Teyla put on a reasonable facsimile of her normal serene smile before telling John that Dr. Beckett would be expecting him, though the gasping breath rather spoils the effect of the faked smile.

"Yeah." John said looking like he wanted to stay and talk about what had just happened but he instead walked right out the door towards the infirmary.

------- Infirmary ---------

Beckett is explaining the situation to Sheppard and Doctor Weir.

"The good news is, we can now say with some certainty that Ellia didn't drain away any of your life." Beckett informed John of the only good news he had for the man.

"We already knew that." Sheppard said from his seat on the infirmary bed.

"I suppose." Beckett replied from his chair that sat in front of Sheppard's bed.

"That's the best good news you could come up with?" Sheppard asked making Beckett look quite uncomfortable.

"It looks like you've been infected with the iratus bug retrovirus. The one we were working on to turn Ellia into a human." Beckett informed the man in front of him of the bad life-altering news. Weir nods for the Doctor to continue on about how they plan to fix this.

"You mean the one that didn't turn her into a human." Sheppard said while putting an emphasis on 'didn't'.

"Ellia administered the treatment prematurely. It wasn't ready, it wasn't even supposed to be .." Beckett retorted defensively.

"I'm not blaming you, Doc." Sheppard interrupted the doc's tirade against the incident.

"But you're right. The transformation was into a creature closer to the iratus bug than to a human, and I know how much you ... " Beckett conceded to the point that Sheppard was right and dropped the tirade against his carelessness.

"…hate those bugs?" Sheppard grimaced as he said this.

"Yes." Beckett said with a sigh.

"But, for one ... Ellia was a Wraith. And she took a massive dose of the retrovirus. I mean, do we know how the Colonel's system might respond to the drug?" Weir suggested trying to find an optimistic standpoint to take or some hope.

"I have no idea. It was never engineered to be given to a human. It was never intended ..." Beckett started before Sheppard interrupted again.

"Doc ..." John started with a risen tone of voice.

"... to be given to anyone!" the doc said finishing his sentence.

"Let it go." John said.

"The problem is, I have no idea how your body will react! I can't even begin to guess." Beckett said.

"Well, if how I feel is any indication? I'm fine." Sheppard reported brightly.

"It's certainly possible that it's already breakin' down in your system. Ellia's transformation was extreme, and immediate." Beckett suggested but it was highly unlikely.

"See?" John said while looking to Weir.

"But then again, the wound on your arm healed unnaturally fast!" Beckett said remembering removing the bloody bandage only to find no open wound or any wound at all to treat.

"If there was a wound." Sheppard said again emphasizing on the 'was'.

"There had to be! Otherwise, I don't see how you got infected in the first place!" Beckett said seeing no other way to have been infected.

"She was spitting an awful lot!" John said offering that as a possible scenario.

"So what, we just monitor it for now?" Weir asked who had for that most part of the discussion remained quiet.

"Aye. You'll need to check in every six hours." Beckett directed that last sentence towards Sheppard.

"I can do that." John replied.

"And you should probably ..." Weir started.

"... suspend my off-world activities until we know more?" Sheppard filled in the last of the sentence for her.

"Thank you." Weir said and with that she stood from her chair and walked out of the infirmary to get back to work.

"Hey doc I've got a question for ya. Got a minute?" John asked worried that he'd passed on the virus to Teyla.

"Aye lad what'd ya need?" Beckett said remaining seated in his chair.

"Is it possible to infect someone else through…say a kiss?" John ventured hoping beyond hope that the answer was no.

"I believe that it might be possible why do ya ask lad?" Beckett said supplying Sheppard with the answer he hoped not to hear.

"Because I just kissed Teyla in the gym ten minutes ago and I want to know if I infected her. Could you go an get her and test for the virus?" John asked the doc in front of him.

"I'd go after her but I don't like she'd want to talk to me right now," John said just above a whisper.

"Alright you stay here I'll go get her," Beckett said leaving Sheppard alone on the infirmary bed.

Twenty minutes later Beckett returned to the infirmary with Teyla in tow and John was now lying down on the bed waiting for Beckett to run his tests.

The doc sat Teyla down on one of the bed at the far end of the infirmary close to his office. He went into his office and returned with a needle in order to draw some blood so that he could test it for the virus. The process of getting the blood took only moments and as soon as he finished he disappeared back into his office.

Not one to just sit still John climbed out of the bed he was lying on and walked down to Beckett's office and took a seat while he waited for the test to finish.

"Look doc I want to ask a favor of you if she is infected I want you to use me to test any treatment you can come up with if it means you might get more data on how to get rid of the virus." Sheppard asked selflessly willing to put his life on the line if it could cure Teyla.

"I couldn't do that Colonel that would go against…" Beckett started to deny John of his request but Sheppard interrupted him.

"I'm asking you as a friend doc if she's infected use me to help her." John said.

"Colonel while that's very noble…" Carson trailed off as Sheppard cut him off with a death stare.

"Fine only if she's infected and the treatment has any percentage of success." Carson finally relented.

The computer behind Carson beeped signaling that the test was concluded and the results ready to be reviewed.

"Oh no." Carson whispered to himself.

"What?" John asked expectantly.

"Teyla's got the virus too," Carson said sadly looking up to Sheppard.

"You're sure." John asked hoping that the test was wrong.

"I'll run the test again but it's doubtful that we'll get a different result. I'm sorry lad…do you want to tell her or should I?" Carson asked the shell shocked man sitting in front of him.

"I'll tell her I did this to her so I should tell her," John said and stood from his seat to walk out into the infirmary and tell his best friend –maybe something more- that he'd infected her with a virus that will turn them into a bug that had already killed him once before.

"Hey Teyla how ya feeling?" John asked while taking a seat on the bed opposite hers.

"Fine Colonel what did Doctor Beckett's tests reveal?" Teyla asked getting right down to business.

"Um…I don't know how ta tell you this but I…kinda gave you the virus when I kissed you in the gym earlier." John said looking down to his feet feeling completely ashamed at what he'd done.

"How long do I have?" Teyla asked calmly considering the situation.

"You'll be a few hours behind me you should already be starting to feel its effects and a little while after that you'll notice something like this." John raised his right arm to show her the pale, scaly patch of skin surrounded by the same bruise coloration seen on Ellia, located in the same place her transformed claw-hand pierced his skin.

"I see." Teyla said she'd been feeling a little different ever since the Colonel had kissed her now she knew the reason why.

"Beckett's explaining the situation to Weir as we speak."

Inside Weir's office stood Doctor Beckett and Doctor Weir.

"The retrovirus isn't breaking down in his system like we hoped it would and Teyla's been infected with the virus as well." Beckett reported handing over his data pad.

"You're positive? How?" Weir asked hoping by some chance he could be in error.

"Yes apparently Sheppard gave it to her. In fact the virus, is beginning to alter their D.N.A. If it is allowed to continue, the two of them will devolve into a creature similar to what Ellia became."

"How long do they have?" Weir asked.

"I'm not sure exactly." Beckett replied.

"Ballpark! Months, weeks?" Weir demanded needing to know how long two of her best friends had before they turned into bugs.

"Days. They have days. First Sheppard then Teyla." Beckett started softly.

"OK, so what's the plan?"

"I'm going to give them a viral inhibitor. It should slow down the retrovirus as far as their cognitive abilities are concerned, but I'm afraid that's it so far. We're exploring various treatments that may or may not be effective." Beckett said.

"Carson, we don't have any time to explore. gesturing to his data pad in her hands C'mon, there's gotta be something in the Ancient database that can help you find a treatment!" Weir stated

"I know, Elizabeth. We're doin' our best!"

"I'm sorry, I know. Of course you are." Weir said after she stood from her desk and looked down into the gateroom.

Inside Atlantis' main conference room, roughly dozen people in lab coats and science uniforms were sitting in front of their laptops around the room, with more standing in front of whiteboards behind them. It's more like a medical symposium, based on the sheer number of bodies present. With what appear to be tinker-toy models of the D.N.A. molecule sitting in front of a few sitting at the table. Beckett is standing at the front of the room, leaning over his laptop.

"No! No, that would only work if the retrovirus was doing what we had originally intended it to do."

"I disagree. You are not taking into account what's happening to his somatic cells" retorted Doctor Biro.

"The only thing I have to take into account is how off you are, and I don't think I'm the only one who sees that, so let's move on."

Beckett seemed to be ignoring them in favor of whatever's on his laptop, but holds up a restraining hand at this point.

"Wait, wait, wait! He makes an exasperated sound. We're lookin' at this all wrong. The best idea we've had so far is to try to repair his system on the genetic level by administering a massive, cloned embryonic stem cell treatment." Beckett stated to the rooms occupants.

"I still think it's our best bet." Biro said.

"Introducing more human genetic material into his body is only going to give the retrovirus more fuel. I don't know how much simpler I can say that."

"Yes, yes! I agree. That's why we have to use the iratus bug stem cells." Beckett said cutting off Doctor Biro before she starts speaking again.

Ringing silence ensues. They're all staring at the Doctor.

"Uh, sorry?" one of the scientists asked confused.

"The iratus bug stem cell programmed with human R.N.A. wouldn't get rejected by his system and would be practically ignored by the current strain of retrovirus." Beckett said.

"We attack it from the inside?" Biro said beginning to get the gist of the idea.

"Exactly. It would be like our own magic bullet that could navigate the retrovirus and start to repair his mutated cells." Beckett said.

"The only bug cultures we have are from a sample that died a year ago." Brio pointed out.

"I have no doubt we could program the cells if we had them, but we do not have the time to artificially produce a gene therapy of that kind of volume." She continued.

"Which means, ladies and gentlemen, we need to go ... on an egg hunt."

McKay in the now-empty conference room, walking around a desk.

"The Ancient database has quite a lot of information about the iratus bug. We know what planet it's on, we know that it likes cool damp dark places to lay its eggs." McKay stated.

The rooms occupants included Weir, Beckett and Lorne who was leaning against one of the desks in the conference room as Rodney comes to a halt, facing them and leaning on one of his own.

"It shouldn't be that hard to locate." Lorne said.

"Wait a minute! The last time we ran into even one of these things, we almost lost Sheppard. How do you expect to just walk right in to one of their nests?" Weir asked remembering that whole fiasco.

"I don't see that we have any choice. We need the iratus stem cells ... the best stem cells come from embryos! With them, we actually have a chance of saving Colonel Sheppard and Teyla. Without them, they'll die!" Beckett pleaded to Elizabeth.

"And this is the only option we have?"

"Time's an issue as well." Beckett said adding that much more stress to an already stressful situation.

"You've no idea what will happen." Weir said to the group in front of her.

"There's only one certainty: what will happen if we do nothing." Beckett said stating what everyone in the room already knew.

"We all understand the risks, Doctor Weir, and I believe that Colonel Sheppard and Teyla would do the same for any one of us." Lorne said.

McKay still looks hesitant over the bug part, but definitely seems to agree with the no alternative to saving Sheppard and Teyla part. Weir looks down for a moment, then nods her head.

"Permission granted." Weir said finally seeing this as their only option.

The men all spring to their feet and head out, Beckett giving Lorne a pat on the arm.

"I need an hour to get my things together." Beckett said as he walked out the door.

"OK, gear up! One hour." Lorne ordered as he too left the conference room.

Sheppard entered through another door, followed by an armed Marine. Sheppard's neck is a lot bluer than we last saw him.

"Look! pointing to the Marine with a fake grin I made a new friend!" Sheppard said as he entered Weir's office.

Weir looks up, hesitates at the sight of his face, then puts her file folder down with no other visible reaction to his altered appearance.

"It's only protocol." Weir replied to his sarcasm.

"That's your answer for everything." John replied again sarcastically.

"You look well. How's Teyla doing?" Weir asked in a concerned tone after seeing the state of his right hand.

"She's fine her and I are hanging out in my quarters so we at least have someone to talk to." John said.

"Should you be out of bed?" Weir asked.

"Teyla wanted to meditate and the doc said it would be okay if I walked around for a bit." John said matter-of-factly.

"That's good."

Sheppard steps forward toward her desk, and Elizabeth manages not to flinch at his intimidating presence.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that I…we want to go on this mission."

"Hey, you said it yourself. You are not fit for any off-world activity and neither is Teyla at the moment." Weir said as she walked around to the front of her desk.

"The inhibitor that Beckett's got us on, the one that's keeping Teyla and I lucid? They keep having to up the dose. But their working to make a stronger one for Teyla and I."

"I know. They told me." Weir said having already heard this from Beckett.

"I don't know how much time we have, but the last thing I wanna do is sit on my ... raising right hand from his pocket, and his voice ... mutating hands, while my team puts their lives on the line trying to find us a cure." Sheppard said angrily.

"I should be with them!" John yelled.

"No. I'm sorry." Weir said forcefully.

"What's the worst that can happen? we ... die?"

"You two could compromise the mission. They have enough things to worry about ..."

"Oh, no no ... so, what? Suddenly Teyla and me are a liability?"

"Your condition can change rapidly." Weir stated firmly.

"I know, and I know her and I can do this!" Sheppard said while raising his voice.

"I'm glad ... you feel that way. But it would be irresponsible of me ..." Weir said trying to make him see her point that he and Teyla should stay on Atlantis.

"This is my life we're talking about."

"And Teyla's…I know that." Weir said and then entered another staring match with John.

"We are going on that mission." John said confidently.

"No, John! You're not." Weir said raising her voice along with a more forceful tone.

"DAMMIT! " Sheppard yelled as his face twisted in rage and he turned smashing his mutated fist through the plate glass wall of her office. Before the glass has even shattered completely, the Marine had his sidearm out and aimed steadily at Sheppard. People came running from the control room, with other weapons being drawn. Weir charged over to the Marine, while raising a restraining hand up to him.

"It's OK! Put it down." Weir ordered the Marine.

As ordered the Marine lowered his sidearm, and the others from the control room reluctantly went back to their business. Weir turned back to Sheppard, who looks chagrined.

"I'm betting that didn't sell you?"

"No. No, not really." Weir said with an arched eyebrow.

"I should go back and check on Teyla." Sheppard said walking out of her office with his Marine escort in tow behind him.

After leaving Weir's office Sheppard went directly towards his quarter and was rounding the last corner when he saw that three more guards had taken up post outside his quarters making a total of six guarding him and Teyla that included their escorts who also stood guard.

Stopping in front of his door John waved his hand in front of the blue door panel and the door obediently slid open. Then again obediently closed as he crossed the threshold of the door way and then heard the door locking mechanism activate.

"How was your discussion with Doctor Weir?" Teyla asked from spot on John's bed. Sitting there Indian style you could see even in the low light that her featured had begun to change just as his had. A blue tint was already forming on the right side of her face while her neck looked like John's the same blue tint and rough scale like skin.

"She won't let us go," John said taking a seat on his bed next to Teyla.

"You have a plan to save us?" Teyla said as the thought passed through her mind.

"Yeah how'd you know that?" John asked the still strikingly beautiful woman beside him.

"I don't know I just felt the thought enter my mind." Teyla said and then thought she knew why.

"I think I know why I going to try something…" Teyla said and then focused her eyes on John's still hazel colored eyes.

(Can you hear me?) Teyla asked telepathically as she did so it felt like she was giving into an instinct that had not yet made itself known to her.

"How'd you do that?" John asked as he heard her in his mind.

(Just think what you want to say it is how we will talk from now on. We won't have to worry about them monitoring our conversations this way) Teyla said again using their newly discovered ability.

(Okay here's my idea…I know that Lorne's team isn't going to get the eggs there is no way the bugs will let 'em through. But you an' me we're like them they'd let us walk all around their nest without paying us a second glance.)

(Why didn't you tell Elizabeth your plan?)

(She won't believe me and even if she did for what ever reason she'd never authorize a mission. You radio Weir and tell her that we want to speak to Ronon and McKay when they get back from the mission. When they come to tell us the mission failed I'll be on the bed and you'll be pacing the room between the pillar over there and the door. When they come in you'll sway like you're dizzy and fall to the ground…following so far)

(Yes, continue)

(McKay will probably be the closest to you so he'll rush forward and see if you're alright. He'll touch you I'll get pissed jump from the bed grab him by the throat and hold him against the pillar. Ronon being the guy he is he'll come to McKay's aid and try and get me off him you'll still be on the floor. When his back is toward you jump him, disarm him and then pin him to the ground while tying together his hands and feet. Then from there we go over power the guards at the door and we head to the gate room dial the planet and get the eggs for Beckett piece a cake)

(That plan is well detailed and it seems feasible. But whatever shall we do until they return.) Teyla said in his mind while leaning her body closer to his.

(First things first call Weir)

(Yes of course)

-------- On the Planet with the nest ---------

Ronon took point on the team consisting of McKay, Lorne, Beckett and two other Marines.

"So, what are we lookin' for?" Lorne asked ducking under a branch that Ronon had brushed out of his own way.

"According to the Ancient database, probably a cave ... cool, damp and dark, which I translate: scary, awful, bad." McKay said reporting what he'd learned from the database.

"They wouldn't want their nests out in the open. Cave keeps the eggs away from the predators." Ronon said.

"I always figured they were the predators." McKay assumed.

"I guarantee there's something out here worse." Ronon said which just make the situation all the worse for McKay.

"Really?" McKay said nervously.

"They've gotta feed on somethin'."

"Thank you! Thank you for that!" McKay said in a panic.

"You're welcome." Ronon replied.

"We're headin' for a mountain range that starts about a mile up this way. That's probably our best bet for a cave." Lorne said to Doctor Beckett.

"Agreed." Carson said.

"OK, let's pick up the pace!" Lorne ordered to the group.

"You think this is it?" Lorne asked the doc who'd been hiking along side him for almost an hour to get to the mountain range.

"It certainly smells like there's somethin' livin' in there." Beckett said after taking in the smell.

"Yeah, or dying." McKay added.

Ronon kneels down to examine the orange droppings on the cavern floor bringing some of it to his nose.

"Oh, now that is disgusting." McKay exclaimed as he witnessed the unsanitary event that was taking place in front of him.

"They're in there." Ronon said dropping the stuff in his hands.

"And you had to pick it up and smell it to figure that out?" McKay retorted.

"To know it's recent." Ronon said.

"Well, how recent?" McKay said turning serious.

"So, what's the plan?" Lorne asked more directing the question to Beckett.

"Well, we go in there, we get some eggs, and then we come out." Beckett stated the simplistic version of the plan.

"OK. Ronon ... you're on point with me. Walker, Stevens, you take our six. Docs? Just stay in the middle and try not to get bit, OK?" Lorne said to the group of people around him.

"Well, maybe someone should ... points to where he's standing stay out here." McKay cowardly suggested.

"So that you're all alone when a dozen of them come stampeding out here?" Ronon said directing the question to McKay.

"I'm in the middle." McKay said.

"Let's do it." Ronon said pulling down his night-vision goggles and walks into the cave.

"Hear that?" Ronon asked meaning the strange rustling, chittering, hissing noises that were growing louder and coming from deeper in the cave.

"Yeah" Lorne said as he too heard the noises.

McKay after hearing the noises pulls his jacket up higher to cover his neck.

"Y'don't seriously think that's going to help, do ya?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, when they see your neck before mine? You won't think it's stupid." McKay retorted to Beckett.

"Where are these eggs supposed to be?" Ronon questioned wanting to get out of the nest before the creatures decided to get rid of them.

"The database says they have a central nest. I'm hoping we'll know it when we see it." Beckett replied.

--------- Atlantis ----------

(Elizabeth agreed to send Ronon and McKay down here once they return) Teyla said to John through their link and earlier her mutation had briefly sped up do to her Wraith DNA but had again slowed in pace. Her appearance though now resembled John's her hands had changed to a more claw/wraith hand then human and her whole face now had a blue-gray tint although her eyes had not changed to slits as John's had.

(Good now all we have to do is wait) John wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her closer to him.

(The inhibitor is dissipating we should take more before we continue) Teyla suggested.

(We can only take one most dose remember) John said as Teyla moved towards the box containing the inhibitor does.

(Of course) Teyla replied back moving away from the box containing the inhibitor doses and allowed the primal desires the inhibitor had been holding back free reign.

--------- On the Planet ---------

"Doc?" Lorne questioned seeing the numerous creatures in the cave.

"Good God! I think this is it." Beckett said as he saw several enormous egg sacs hanging from the ceiling.

"So how do we wanna play this?" Lorne asked he to seeing where the sacs were you'd have to walk through the swarm of creatures to get at them.

"They'll defend their young." Ronon said.

"Maybe we should make a diversion." McKay suggested and everyone turned to look at him.

"Are you volunteering?" Lorne asked.

"I'll shut up." McKay said.

"Sir, I don't think we can get close enough to retrieve the eggs without these creatures attacking us." Stevens said to Lorne.

Beckett holds up one of the long tubes. It has a long handle with a tear-shaped object at the top which is designed to stick into the egg sac and harvest the eggs.

"I have this ... but I need to get under that gesturing at the nearest egg sac. Hand me that water canister. McKay hands the blue tank to him. If there's one thing we know about these little buggers, it's that they hate salt water." Beckett said taking the blue tank from McKay.

"How's that gonna help us?" Lorne asked curious as to how the tank as going to get them close to the nest.

"Just watch." Beckett said cautiously he begins to walk forward, splashing salt water from the tank as he goes. The bugs scamper out of the way of the spray. Having cleared a path to the nearest egg sac, he brings the tank back and puts it down. Before heading back into the cavern, he zips up his jacket and pulls it higher up his neck.

"See? Not so stupid!" McKay said happy someone finally saw the logic in his idea.

"Ah, shut up!" Beckett said to the annoying scientist while taking the egg-collecting stick from one of the Marines and heads back into the cavern, stepping carefully along the path that he had cleared with the salt water. Although the bugs are still staying away from that area, they're starting to sound a bit angry about it.

"Doc?" Lorne asked concerned about the noises the creatures were making.

"I've come this far." Beckett said nervously looking back at his team mates.

"Heads up!" Ronon yells as he sees a bug lowering itself on a strand from the ceiling just behind Beckett's head. He fires his gun at the bug, which drops to the floor. The other bugs react, moving towards Beckett.

"Oh God!" Carson said to himself as the creatures advanced.

"Doc get outta there!" Lorne yelled to the man as the team begins laying down cover fire for Beckett. When he reached them, they race to the exit of the cavern; Lorne followed right behind them while Walker and Stevens covered their retreat.

"Let's go! Come on! Get outta here! Don't look back! Don't look back! Come on!" Lorne yelled to the group.

"Walker! Stevens! Get the hell out of there!" Lorne yells into the cavern all that can be heard are screams from inside the cavern.

"Walker! Stevens! Do you copy?" Lorne tried his radio but receives nothing but static in response he pulls out a grenade.

"Fire in the hole! He pulls the pin and hurls the grenade in the direction of the cavern, then runs for the exit with the others. Let's go!" The remaining team members race out of the cave the grenade explodes just as they reach the exit and they all dive to the ground to avoid the explosion. As the smoke clears, Dex sits up; pointing his gun towards the cave entrance, but nothing comes out.

"I think that stopped them." Ronon said standing up.

"We're not stickin' around to find out. I'm pulling the plug on this mission. Let's get back to the Gate." Lorne orders

"We can't give up." Beckett said to the Major.

"Look we just lost two men in there, Doc, so unless you can find another way to get those eggs out of there, we're done, understand? Let's go." Lorne said heading off while the others stare back into the cave for a moment, then turn to follow him.

--------- Atlantis -----------
"The nest is incredibly well protected. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of them. I just don't think it's possible." Beckett said having arrived a few minutes ago to give Elizabeth his take on the mission.

"So where does that leave us?" Elizabeth asked.

"Without the stem cells, our plan is not promising." Beckett said grimly.

"Okay I'll have Ronon and McKay tell them." Weir said while activating her radio headset.

"Ronon this is Doctor Weir please respond,"

"Yeah," Ronon's voice came over the radio a few moments later.

"Is McKay there?" Weir asked.

"Yeah we're in his lab" Ronon said choosing not to elaborate on what the two were working on in there.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking McKay and dropping in on John and Teyla. You know tell them how it went." Weir asked hoping really not wanting to visit them again they gave her the creeps now.

"Sure we'll be there in five minutes." Ronon said closing the channel after he finished his sentence.

"Weir to Teyla," Elizabeth again activated her radio headset.

"Yes," Teyla's hoarse breathless voice came over the radio.

"I just wanted you to know that Ronon and McKay are on their way down…are you alright Teyla?" Weir asked concerned about how Teyla sounded.

"I am fine," Teyla said and abruptly closed the channel.

"Doesn't anyone say goodbye anymore," Weir looked over to Beckett who just shrugged his shoulders.

Ronon and McKay stood in the corridor outside Sheppard's quarters which had six guards around it.

"How is he?" McKay asked

"I wouldn't go in there, sir." One of guards said.

"Open it" Ronon ordered the guard standing next to the blue door panel.

He opened the door allowing Ronon and McKay to go enter Sheppard's quarters. It's still dark inside. Though the two instantly noticed Teyla's different appearance an that she is pacing the room while Sheppard is lying on the bed.

"The nest was too well protected. We were unable to retrieve the eggs. We tried our best…" McKay started to say but stopped and rushed forward as Teyla collapsed to the floor. Kneeling next to her prone body he feels her neck for a pulse…finding it to be strong and steady. Not getting a chance to really process that fact as Sheppard faster then any human is out of bed and grabbing McKay by the throat hauling him to his feet pressing him into the pillars hard surface.

"What the hell?" McKay gasps out as both his hands go to his throat trying to loosen Sheppard's grasp on his throat.

"DON'T touch her McKay!" Sheppard yells into Rodney's face.

Ronon is moving forward the minute Sheppard is out of the bed but before he can grab hold of Sheppard and haul him off his friend someone is throwing him to the ground and tying together his hands and feet.

Teyla secured the final ropes ensuring her prisoner couldn't get free.

(Ronon is subdued John)

(Great give me his gun and let's get going)

Teyla nodded her acknowledgement of his request and reached for Ronon holstered weapon tossing it to John.

"You planned this didn't you…this is so humiliating out smarted by bugs" McKay instantly regretted saying that because next thing he knew the butt end of Ronon's gun impacted with his temple knocking him out.

(Let's go) John said releasing his hold on McKay's throat and let the unconscious man fall to the floor like a sac of potatoes.

(He will not be happy when he wakes up) Teyla sent along with a burst of laughter.

(Luckily we won't be here when he does wake up) John sent and the two walked to the door that automatically opens for Sheppard. The two walk into the corridor and all that can be heard are the guards grunting and dropping to the floor as the two incapacitate all six guards in a matter of seconds.

One of the still conscious guards sees the two walking down the corridor in the direction of the transporter.

"This is Black. We have a security breach! Colonel Sheppard's quarters! Targets are heading to the transporter." Black called out over the radio then struggled to his feet and stumbled his way into the Colonel's quarters.

Reaching for his combat knife Black knelt next to Ronon and cut loose his bindings after the man was free he put his knife back on his beat.

"Thanks" Ronon said standing to stretch his muscles.

"No problem, sir give me a minute to get mister know-it-all and you can go to the control room" Black said kneeling next to McKay with smelling salts and the result was instantaneous.

"Oh god! What is that smell get it away from me?" McKay said swatting the offending object away from his nose.

"Let's go McKay we need to get to the control room in order to find Sheppard and Teyla." Ronon said grabbing McKay's upper arm and hauled the man to his feet.

------- Control Room --------

"Activate the bio-sensors and find out where they are." Caldwell ordered Zelenka and then turned to the guards that had arrived in the gate room and divided into team while awaiting instructions.

"Okay move out use what ever level force you deem necessary to capture them," Caldwell said to the group.

"You will only use such force as a last resort," Weir ordered overriding Caldwell's order.

"That's not them anymore Doctor and they need to be contained," Caldwell said justifying his order.

"You heard me," Weir said to the group and the four teams left in search of the two wayward expedition members.

"Sensors are on-line," Zelenka said from his control panel.

"Where are they?" Weir asked.

"You mean us," Sheppard's rough voice questioned from the top of the stairway. Raising his weapon he squeezed off two shots hitting the two guards stationed in the control room square in the chest. The two collapsed in the ground unconscious after being struck by the red streaks of light. The pair walked down the stairway John held both Weir and Caldwell in his sights the whole way down.

"Do not call for backup Colonel," Teyla ordered raising a wraith handgun at Colonel Caldwell allowing John to hold someone exclusively in his sights while her voice came out rough and hoarse just as Sheppard's a side effect of their transformation.

"Unlock the gate Elizabeth," Sheppard said pointing his weapon at her with it still set to stun.

"Why?" Weir questioned trying to buy some time hoping that a security team or even Ronon might show up.

"We need to leave," Teyla asked before John could open his mouth.

"You two aren't going anywhere," Caldwell said from his spot next to Zelenka and the bio-sensor console.

(Cover Weir) John sent to Teyla as his took Caldwell in his sights and fire off a stun round. Caldwell collapsed immediately to the floor while Weir just stared in shock at what John had done.

"Now…" John didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as a small cylinder that look suspiciously like a flash bang was thrown into the control room. A second later the control room was filled with a blinding flash that forced both John and Teyla drop their guard and close their eyes to shut out the blinding light.

That was all the distraction Ronon needed as he jumped to the bottom of the staircase into the control room. Ronon reached down for his weapon that Sheppard had let fall to the floor picking it up and rotating in once in his hand as the device charged he took Sheppard into his sights and fired then repeated the process with Teyla. The whole event had taken seconds as Ronon looked at the prone forms of both Teyla and Sheppard.

"Get the doctor down here. I have 'em." Ronon said while still holding his weapon on the two.

"Good work Ronon," Weir said as she knelt next to Caldwell in order to see if he was alright.

"Thanks," Ronon said before McKay decided he'd put in his two cents worth on the situation.

"I think they've developed their own hotwired bug/wraith telepathic network and it would be best if we kept them separated" McKay suggested.

"Yeah in Sheppard's quarters they were just waiting for us like they planned it and acted as an efficient team not once did they say a word to each other." Ronon said recounting the events that took place in Sheppard's quarters.

"After you left for the mission Teyla radioed me and asked to talk to the two of you when you returned for the mission I didn't know why though. But I guess I just found the reason." Weir said to the gentlemen in front of her.

"Okay we'll move them into the infirmary opposite ends of course and have four guards at each of their beds." Weir said before activating her radio to recall the search teams and then to inform Beckett that he had two patients coming to him.

------- Infirmary --------

"I put them in a medically-induced coma for now. I was afraid that they might break through the restraints." Beckett said to the group around him and Sheppard's bedside.

"That's a good call, Doctor." Caldwell said though he still felt the effects of Ronon's handgun.

"So what do we do now?" Weir asked looking from Sheppard's bed to the other end of the infirmary where Teyla's bed was located.

"The retrovirus has wreaked havoc on their systems and is taking over." Beckett said while looking at the folder in his hands that contained the two's latest blood test results.

"What does that mean?" Weir demanded not understanding what the doctor meant.

"It means if we don't find a way to stop the retrovirus in the next twenty-four hours, what's left of the John Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan we know will be gone forever." Beckett said sadly.

-------- Commissary ----------

McKay is sitting at a table eating ice cream while Ronon is leaning on the balcony next to the table. Weir enters from the far end of the commissary spots them and heads over to them.

"You guys are up late." Weir said taking a seat opposite McKay.

"Can't you sleep either? … Any progress?" McKay asked truly worried for the first true friends

"No. John and Teyla are still in a coma. At least the two aren't in any pain." Weir replied sadly glancing down at her feet.

"Maybe if I went alone, maybe ..." Ronon suggested.

"It's not open for discussion." Weir said firmly.

"I'm not good at sittin' still." Ronon said.

"I understand. Believe me, I appreciate how you feel. She looked at him for a moment, then addressed both him and McKay. Look, we have closed down that section of the Infirmary but if you feel the need to ... She paused for a few moments. Ronon and McKay, both realizing what she means, look down. What I mean to say is, if you would like ... to have a private goodbye, you should probably do it soon.

"Are we really there?" McKay asked in disbelief.

"I think we might be." Weir replied sadly.

"Doctor Weir, I need to speak to you immediately." Beckett said over the radio.

"What is it?" Weir replied over the radio.

"Meet me in your office. I think I have an idea." Beckett said already walking out of the infirmary towards Doctor Weir's office.

Weir looked at the team hopefully, and then the three head off towards her office.

Beckett met Weir and the others as they came up the stairs and headed into Weir's office.

"I'm sorry, it just came to me. The fact that their mutation has progressed as far as it has may be their salvation." Beckett said beginning the explanation of his theory.

"Explain that." Weir asked.

"Their sweat glands are actually producing trace amounts of the iratus bug's signature pheromone." Beckett said.

"And?"

"When we were in the cave, those bugs knew we didn't belong there, so they didn't really fancy us getting close to their nest." Beckett said remembering that experience in the cave.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa. I see where you're going with this. If we can artificially create the pheromone, it might be able to confuse them enough to leave us alone." McKay said jumping to conclusions as usual.

"Aye, that would work." Beckett said not confirming his assumption as the correct one.

"Well, that's an excellent plan, Carson!" McKay said.

"Aye, I wish it was." Beckett said dejectedly.

"You can't do that in time." Ronon said from his position of leaning on the doorway.

"No, it'd take days." Beckett said.

"But you said that they only had twenty-four hours before the damage the retrovirus was causing them would be irreparable." Weir said in disbelief.

"Exactly." Beckett said.

"Well, then, that's a terrible plan, Carson!" McKay said still assuming that his assumption was the correct one.

"There are only two people on this base that wouldn't need the artificial pheromone." Beckett was finally relieving his plan while the team looked at each other.

"You mean Sheppard and Teyla!" Weir said in disbelief.

"Those two could walk right in that cave and the bugs wouldn't pay 'em any mind." Beckett said confidently.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but Sheppard and Teyla aren't feeling very well." McKay said forcefully.

"Teyla and the Colonel stopped taking the inhibitor we were administering them. It was able to keep them lucid." Beckett said.

"I thought that its effectiveness had worn off." Weir questioned.

"True. But I believe that if we give them another massive dose, the two may be clear-headed enough to complete the mission before we lose 'em completely." Beckett said.

"Yeah, but won't giving them that much inhibitor, like ..." McKay said before Beckett interrupted the talkative scientist.

"Kill 'em? Yes, it's a definite possibility. Even if I knew it was for certain, I'd be tempted to offer the two one last hour of lucidity." Beckett butted in.

"Do it. She turns to the team. Gear up, take him as far as the cave." Weir orders.

--------- Gate Room ---------
The Gate is already active with McKay and Ronon coming up the stairs into the gate room geared up. McKay turned to Ronon.

"Now, you realize that you may have to, uh ...?" McKay said letting the last part of his sentence fall flat.

"It's already set to stun." Ronon said holstering his weapon.

The two men stop in from of the Gate and turn as Weir comes in from another doorway. Along with her are two Marines, Sheppard and Teyla, both are wearing a floor length gray cloak with the hood pulled up around their heads to cover their faces.

"They're ready." Weir said stopping in the of the two men.

"Ah! Good to see you two up and, uh ... about." McKay hesitates as he gets a glace at their blue scale like faces.

Sheppard and Teyla walk right past him towards the gate ignoring him.

"Alright, come on, we don't have a lot of time." Beckett said entering the gate.

---------- On the Planet ------------

The team has reached the mouth of the cave where the creatures nest is located. Sheppard and Teyla both stop closer to the caves entrance then the others and stare into the cave. John and Teyla have pulled back their hoods showing their faces. Beckett tries to hand Sheppard one of the egg-collecting sticks along with a large plastic bottle with a lid on the top.

"Use this and collect as many as you can. Sheppard stares at him blankly. Oh boy! At least a container full, d'you understand?" Beckett said trying to convey his point with gestures.

Sheppard looks at him briefly, and then takes the bottle from Beckett. Then both Teyla and John start into head into the cave.

Inside, Sheppard and Teyla walk into the cavern where the creatures are walking freely around the cave. The two stop and look at them for a moment a larger part of them felt drawn to this place like it was home. They removed their cloaks both wearing the normal off-world gear underneath. Sheppard pulled out a flare, ignited it and then threw it into the cavern. The creatures chittered angrily but didn't attack them. John walked carefully into the cavern leaving Teyla to watch from the sidelines he approached the nearest egg sac and looked up at it. He takes out the plastic bottle, twisting off the top putting it his combat vest, and then squats down before jumping an enormous distance into the air, landing on the sac. Hanging on with one hand, he plunges the other hand, still holding the bottle, into the sac.

Outside the cave, Beckett's watch beeps.

"What is that?" McKay curiously questioned.

"That's how long I estimated the inhibitor would work." Beckett clarified.

"So that means the two of them ..." Ronon said.

"There's no way to know for certain." Beckett replied.

Inside the cavern, Sheppard pulls the container out of the sac and drops back down to the floor of the cavern. He glanced over at Teyla and then down at the bottle containing the iratus bug embryos carefully putting the top back on.

(John hurry I can feel the inhibitor wearing off) Teyla sent out from her spot by the exit waiting for him to return so they could get the embryos to Beckett.

(I know) John sent back along with a feeling of intense pain as his inhibitor wore off and he collapsed to the ground as his primal instincts took over. Teyla followed moments later as her inhibitor too wore off and her primal self reasserted itself over her mind.

The only thought racing through their minds was to leave and escape the darkness.

At the entrance of the cave Beckett, McKay and Ronon stood waiting to see if their friends had completed the mission that would save them.

"We should go in." Ronon said with conviction but impatience.

"And do what? If the inhibitor has worn off…" McKay retorted.

"…then they're beyond our help." Beckett finished McKay's thought.

"I hear something." Ronon said while drawing his gun from his holster and waited for the source of the sound to reveal itself.

McKay follows suit by raising his rifle and aiming it at the cave entrance now the clear sound of running feet could be heard. Sheppard soon comes into view with Teyla not far behind him.

"Colonel!" Beckett yelled trying to reach the man and get some kind of respond from him.

Ronon quickly fired his weapon taking down Sheppard and Teyla before they have a chance to shove him out of their way. The pair dropped to the ground unconscious. Beckett runs over to grab the container Sheppard is holding, twisting the top off to look inside.

"Do you have enough?" McKay asked anxiously.

"Aye, I think so." Beckett affirmed before helping McKay carry Teyla as Ronon hauled Sheppard up to sling him over his shoulder and the team headed off for the Gate.

------- Atlantis --------
In the Infirmary, Beckett comes out from a screened-off area. Weir, Caldwell and Sheppard's team are waiting anxiously for his report.

"It's not gonna happen overnight you can bet on that but the transformation has begun to reverse itself." Beckett informed the group.

"So eventually they'll be back to normal?" Caldwell asked.

"Eventually yes." Beckett said gladly proud his efforts had saved his friends lives.

"Well done, Carson, for once again elevating medicine to actual science." McKay reluctantly complimented.

"Well, thank you, Rodney!" Beckett said accepting the unexpected compliment.

"We'll all finally be able to get some sleep. to Beckett Keep me posted." Weir said as she and Caldwell left the infirmary.

"We might, uh...stay a while." Ronon said leaning on the bed behind him.

"Well, if that's alright." McKay said.

"Of course," Beckett replied before he walked away and remaining team members looked through the gap in the screens at Sheppard and Teyla lying side by side in beds.

Some days later. In the gym, Teyla is completely transformed back into her normal state and is training a young Athosian woman in hand to hand combat.

"Good. Lift, lock, serpentine, lock, and hold. By this time, she has got the girl's arm gently twisted behind her back and has her arm around the girl's neck from behind. Understood?" Teyla asked her student.

As the girl nodded, the door to the gym opened and Sheppard, dressed casually, walked in.

"Colonel!" Teyla said surprised to see him since his transformation back had taken longer then hers had.

Teyla released the girl, walked round to the front of her, putting her hands on her shoulders and they touch foreheads together. The girl leaves and Teyla turned to Sheppard.

"Should you be up and about?" Teyla said somewhat teasingly since he'd taken longer to change back to a human then her when she herself had been infected after him.

"Well, I've been cooped up in that damned Infirmary for a couple of weeks. Give me a break." Sheppard retorted.

"I was there too," Teyla said feigning hurt.

"Yeah but you got released days ago while I still had to stay there having nothing to do." John said.

"You are looking well. Are you feeling more like yourself?" Teyla said referring to the kiss they'd shared in that very room.

"Well, according to my D.N.A., I'm a hundred percent John Sheppard again ... although, I gotta say, I'm looking forward to getting rid of this thing one day." John said while raising his arm to show her the still transformed feeding mark.

"Doc says it'll clear up eventually. He looks at Teyla for a moment, looking awkward. Ah, so listen. While you and I have been lying there the past few weeks, I've been remembering things we did." Teyla smiled uncomfortably as he said it.

"You mean when we attacked Ronon and Dr. McKay" Teyla deliberately misunderstanding him.

"Yeah, that was one of them." John said smiling uncomfortably.

"Yes." Teyla said returning the smile.

"I should also apologize for what happened here and in my quarters." John said unable to meet her eyes.

"Don't…" Teyla said boldly before dropping the rest of her sentence. John just looked at her after her impulsive response.

"I don't regret it…it helped me see my true feelings for you." Teyla said now it was her turn to not be able to meet his eyes.

"Really?" John asked surprised.

"Yes…for a long time I thought that we were only friends but as time went on I found that I cared for you more and more. And now after the virus I see that I have fallen in love with you." Teyla said looking expectantly at him.

"I..um…I'm not very good at these kind of things but…ah hell I love you too." John finally managed to blurt out after stumbling through the sentence.

Teyla smiled as she heard the words she'd only heard in her dreams come from him now in real life.

"So are we together now?" John asked somewhere between mildly confused and unbelievably happy that the woman before him loved him just as he loved her. But as he saw her confused expression he spoke up to clarify the meaning.

"Are we romantically, emotionally involved…mates…joined...etc" John said spouting out a bunch of synonyms for the term.

"Then yes we are…together." Teyla said wrapping her arms around his next and leaned in to give him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Kind of ironic isn't it?" John said looking down at the small but beautiful woman before him.

"What?" Teyla asked confused by his statement.

"Well this whole thing started in this room and this room is where we admit we love each other and get together." John said smiling.

"Then yes it is." Teyla said grabbing his hand while pulling him towards the door.

"Where are we going?" John said allowing her to pulling him along with her through the halls.

"We have already christened your room we must do the same with mine." Teyla said sending him a glimpse of her desire through their still active link.

"Our link is still there?" John asked as he felt her desire gently flood his mind.

"It would appear so…it will make tonight all the more enjoyable." Teyla said coming to a stop in front of the door to her quarters.

End