disclaimer, not mine. please review. cheers.

"I still don't understand why we have to protect this guy" said Sheppard as he and Weir walked to the debriefing room.

"He's promised to show us where the site of an active zpm is" said Weir looking up to him, "That good enough?"

Sheppard shrugged and continued to follow her through the corridors, "He gives me the creeps" he said dodging two men carrying a large crate, "There's something strange about him."

"Beckett looked him over when he got here. Aside from the fact he is alien, there is nothing wrong with him" she stopped him before they got to the debriefing room doors, "Now, are you going to behave?"

He gave her a hurt look as if to say 'would I?' and then said, "Lets get this over with."

The doors swung open and they entered the room. Ford, Teyla and Mckay were all sat around the large table. Jaro was sat at the far side of the table, his hands crossed, eyes closed. Jaro looked up as Major Sheppard and Doctor Weir sat down. He had yet to tell them about his abilities. He felt that for the moment they had yet to prove their worth to him and once they could he would give them that insight.

"So, we agree to protect you on your journey to the temple" said Weir mimicking him by crossing her own hands. I just hope you wont let us down He read her thoughts.

"I will not let you down" said Jaro bowing his head.

"You sure there's a zpm out there?" asked Sheppard leaning back n his chair. Because I think you're lying to us.

Jaro nodded, "On a planet we call Arastria" he smiled.

"Dangerous?" asked Sheppard readjusting his position in the chair. Because if it is, oh my god, I will kill you. One wraith….ow.

Sheppard readjusted himself again, "Are you well?" asked Jaro.

Sheppard raised an eyebrow, "Im fine" and he laughed nervously.

"Major?" asked Weir.

"Bruise uh from sparring with Teyla" he said looking down at the table. Im not going to tell her I fell off my skateboard. Or for that matter that I even have a skateboard here. Or how I smuggled it in here. "So this planet. You ready to take us there today?"

"Today?" Jaro looked slightly taken aback, "This is abrupt, but yes I shall take you there."

God im hungry, the answers yes Elizabeth so lets wrap this up.

"This Zed pm, is it fully charged?" asked Rodney practically salivating.

Jaro turned to him, "Indeed, it has a full life"

Rodney rubbed his hands together, Yes, I cannot wait to start running diagnostics, ooh maybe ill make a program that can run the diagnostic. Spreadsheets, colour coordinated columns. Oh Rodney, you're a genius. I bet they miss you on earth. I wonder if my cat is okay.

Jaro was interrupted by more thoughts from Teyla. They trust him after a mere week, it has taken me much longer to be trusted. Weir even suspected my people, but him?

"Okay so that's settled, Major Sheppard ready your team for off world travel" Is he listening to me?

Jaro glanced at Sheppard. Spiderman Spiderman…….duh duh deed a….spiderma-"Oh yes, get kitted up. Assemble in the gateroom in 20" and he got to his feet.

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Hurry up Rodney, Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.

Jaro wrapped his robes around him tighter, he was nervous, he hoped they wouldn't be there on the other side.

Rodney ran down the steps pulling his backpack on and clipping the front together, all the while moaning about the weight shape and feel of his hefty pack.

"Well if you didn't weigh it down with so much every time we went anywhere you wouldn't have a problem" said Sheppard turning around and signalling to Weir that they were now finally ready.

"Well you don't have any problems with your pack" said Rodney.

Sheppard pulled his back pack off and handed it to Rodney, "You wanna carry mine instead?"

Wow that's heavier than mine. How does he carry that? "Don't be so childish" he muttered in response and handed it back.

Sheppard depressed his radio, "Okay, we'll check in with you in a few hours"

They walked over to the mow activated gate and Sheppard noted how nervous Jaro looked, "You okay?" he asked.

Jaro nodded, "Nervous for you" he said, "I want to find this device for you"

Sheppard pursed his lips and nodded, "After you" Spiderman spiderman –

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Runs as fast as a spider can, spider man, dee deed ah.

Jaro walked a little ahead of Major Sheppard and tried to hone out that awful song he had had in his head for the past two days. He had never met a species that talked and thought quite so much. Their thoughts were not even logical they were erratic. The subjects changed and linked and went back to previous thoughts all in the space of a minute.

I hate walking. "How much farther?" asked Rodney slowing his pace.

"Up ahead" said Jaro pointing.

"You said that about an hour ago" said Ford hugging his P90 to his chest. I wouldn't have put up with this. But then I guess Major Sheppard knows what hes don't. Sheppard. Ha, I didn't say his rank.

"Okay, lets take a break" said Sheppard pulling out his drinking canteen and offering it to Jaro. Jaro declined and set himself down onto a rock. Reminds me of Afghanistan. Sparse, desert like, hot. How in the hell did you become the CO here. The CO. Man that sounds cool. John Sheppard CO. Man its hot.

I ate all my powerbars all ready. "Major, do you have any food?" asked Rodney sitting down and pulling his knees up to his chest.

Pig "Yes" he said looking through his vest pockets, why are there so many pockets? Is that a condom? Why the hell do I have that in there? Okay just keep searching, don't act as if you just found the most embarrassing thing in the world in your supposed survival vest. Power bar where are you? Pocket 52 and bingo. He threw it at Rodney and it hit him in the forehead.

Moron. "Moron"

"Hey Teyla you've been quiet" said Ford taking a drink of water.

"Im just thinking" she said looking up at him from the floor and covering her eyes from the sun, "This planet makes me feel uneasy" Its not the wraith, but something is not right. Death.

"Why uneasy?" asked Ford.

Teyla shrugged, "Its just a feeling"

Good vantage point. Clear view, nothing. No twigs snapping in the distance. Nobody here. "Teyla, everything looks clear here" said Ford touching her on the shoulder.

"Maybe"

"It's the heat" said Rodney through a mouthful of chocolate "Does things to the mind"

Does things to your mind "Lets keep- spiderman, oh god that tune is driving me mad, stop thinking about it, stop it…la….la….la…la…..la….la…..la.la la la la bamba, crap…moving" he continued.

Jaro smiled. If only they knew.

Lets keep moving. What's that I hear? Jaro looked over to Sheppard and could see his face was blank and unmoving, he had put his hand up to silence everybody else, "Ford I need you to cover to right flank, Teyla, stay here with Rodney and Jaro"

"What is it?" asked Teyla standing and grabbing her P90.

"Someone's coming" he said breathing in and out very slowly, He could already feel his body starting to tense, ready itself for the burst of adrenaline to come.

Sheppard and Ford disappeared off into a nearby shrubbed area, and Jaro listened for the sounds to come. He read Teyla and Rodney's mind. Rodney's was in a frame of panic. All he could think about was death, and dying and afterlife and his funeral.

Suddenly Teyla heard Sheppard's voice in her earpiece, "Move, move….Teyla we've got five, possibly six, heading your way" he was shouting and she could now hear the sound of gunfire.

"Oh no" said Rodney, I don't want to die. I've just only started living. I have to write my journals still. The memoirs of Rodney McKay…no…the memoirs of doctor r. McKay, PhD-

"Doctor Mckay, we need to head back towards the gate" she was shouting now. The gunfire getting closer. Please listen to me. Don't be arrogant.

"But the Zed pm is that way"

Too late.

"Teyla, Rodney, start towards the gate, me and Ford will follow – take Jaro with you" Sheppard was shouting.

It was too late. The gunfire reached them and Teyla forced Rodney to duck behind an outcropped rock. Jaro just stood though, he did not move. "They are here" he said quietly.

Suddenly, Sheppard and Ford started running from the tree line towards them, "I told you to go, come on out of there now!" he shouted and started to push them out by the rock, too late and he was grabbing them back, "Shit" he swore.

"Sir I suggest we draw their fire towards the trees again, lose them, then snake back to the gate" said Ford reloading his weapon.

Sheppard nodded, "I agree. Teyla, Rodney, when we start shooting, that's your cue to haul ass to the gate" He realised for the duration of his conversation that Jaro had remained out in the open and he grabbed at his wrist, "What the hell are you doing?"

"I cannot run. They are here now. They have found me and now I will be vanished" Jaro looked down at the ground solemnly.

You are insane. I knew you were trouble. You son of a bitch. Im standing here talking to you out in the open, liable to get shot and you're giving up. "Get down!"

Jaro shook his head, "You must run now, leave. The ZPM you look for is that way, you will hit a temple, there you shall find it" He walked forward towards the trees.

"You're going to get yourself killed" Idiot. So are you. Get back behind the rock.

The shots came from beyond the tree line and he dove out of the way. Landing on his back he started to fire off shots with his P90, "Teyla, Rodney Go!" he shouted and hoped that they had listened and were now hightailing it to that gate. "Ford, ill cover, you start running my left flank,"

Men started coming out from the trees, they looked similar to the wraith. Their skin was drained of all colour but they looked more feral. Like wild beasts. He could hear shots being fired, Ford was beginning to draw some of them away.

Sheppard grabbed at Jaros ankle and forced him down to the ground, "Run" he hissed at him.

Jaro just tried to get up again and Sheppard fired off another round at one of the men. He fell to the ground with a grunt and unlike the wraith didn't get up.

"Please, get your ass back to the damn gate" shouted Sheppard, or I will kill you myself. This is the last time I ever listen to weir. He pushed at Jaro, not understanding his unwillingness to move, but had to turn to fire more shots. A blast narrowly missed his head and he finally managed to push Jaro behind a rock for cover and keep him there, "I knew you were trouble" he shouted firing more shots, "I knew it"

"Once they get our scent, we cannot walk away. They will follow me through the gate, to your world"

Sheppard turned to him, give up why don't you "This is what you needed protection from. Im trying to protect you and your making me look lame at my job" The rock in front of them exploded as something heavy duty struck it. He pushed Jaro to the side and rolled up to a standing position. He felt something tear at his skin and realised it was one of their weapons striking at his arm. He felt hot blood start to run down his arm. "If you don't move your ass. Im going to leave you here" shouted Sheppard, "Zpm or no zpm" He was interrupted as a bolt of light struck Jaro in the stomach.

He managed to catch him before he fell and turned just in time to shoot another guy in the shoulder and his friend in the face.

Silence.

"Major Sheppard…Major Sheppard?"

"Lt?"

"I got um, I think that's the last of them"

Sheppard stood up and scanned the area with his P90, "That's affirmative Ford, Nothing left here either."

"Should I make my way back to you?"

Sheppard looked down at Jaro and waited momentarily before answering, "I'll join you at the gate as soon as I can"

Sheppard knelt down next to Jaro and looked over the wound in his stomach. There was a gaping hole, nothing left to fix. He was going to die.

Beckett can't fix this. He's going to die. You're going to watch someone else die. "You're going to be fine" he said going through the motions and reaching into his pocket for a field bandage.

"I know that I will die" said Jaro, though the voice was garbled. His throat choked with his own blood.

"What are you talking about?" said Sheppard keeping his eyes focused on Jaro's stomach. Shit "I'm sorry" he said looking down at the dirt, and then to his blood stained hands. "I cant help you." He admitted.

"My time" said Jaro, his eyes faltered. "Find your device, temple……"he coughed.

Sheppard shook his head,

"I must pass on my gif…"

"Sorry what I cant…." Shepard leaned in closer

"I mus…"

Sheppard leaned in closer to hear the dying mans words.

"My people are at the temple, give them thi-"

What happened next took him by surprise. Jaro grabbed him with his last bit of strength by the head and he thought for a moment he was dying. His head felt as if it was going to explode, stars danced in his eyes and it felt as if somebody was pummelling the base of his skull with a hammer. A coarse vibration from Jaro's hands, channelled through his head and down his shoulders. He cried out, managed to push away from Jaro and landed in a heap on the ground beside him.