A.N. Hey all : ). Making my first foray into Rodneyfic - hope you all enjoy. This is a WIP, but I do plan on finishing it. Thanks to CritterCreator and Lauriel for betaing.

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
--Mark Twain

Of Living

"Rodney?"

"What are – what are you doing here? Am I dead?"

"Not – not yet, no. How did you get here?"

"Actually, it's a…it's a long story."

"Well, don't let that stop you."

----- -- -----

It started three days ago, on M3X-592. It was, surprise surprise, another deserted forest planet. We were looking for somewhere to put the Mallorans – their planet was totaled when their toxic dumping ground turned into a volcano. Fortunately we got them out in time, but unfortunately they can't go back there for another thousand years or so.

The stargate was located in a densely wooded area, but the AMV had gotten some pics of a large clearing several kilometers to the west. It took the four of us – Ronon, Teyla, Sheppard and I – about two hours to get close to the clearing. Naturally, I spent the time productively, recalibrating the life-sign scanner and teaching Teyla about string theory. Sheppard and Ronon spent it talking about AK-47s.

We were about halfway there when I noticed something strange: two other life signs nearby, and coming towards us quickly. At the time, I thought it was some wildlife – deer, maybe. It was a deserted planet, after all. I told Sheppard, and he scrunched up his nose – you know how he does it – and told us it was probably nothing, but to 'keep our weapons at the ready.' Honestly, I don't know how he manages that with a straight face. Weapons at the ready? It sounds like something out of a Schwarzenegger movie.

We continued walking towards the clearing; the two life signs turned to the right and suddenly disappeared.

"Shield?" asked Sheppard. Oh, so MENSA boy had been paying attention during our last run-in with Michael.

"Think so," I said. I couldn't be sure until I could either run some more scans or get closer and look, and I told him as much.

He opted for getting closer, of course. If only we had gone back to call for backup right then and there…but we didn't, and what's done is done.

Twenty minutes later, we lay behind some brush and stared out at the clearing.

"It should be right in front of us."

"But it's not."

I turned and glared at Ronon. I mean, really. As if I couldn't see the nothing in front of us with my own eyes.

"I noticed, Chewie. Look, I can only tell you the scanner is showing a medium-sized energy source directly in front of us, about twenty feet ahead. Maybe it's cloaked, or underground, or a number of different things. All I know is I've checked the readings several times and my scanners are not malfunctioning."

Sheppard chewed his lip for a full minute before making up his mind. "We should probably go back to the gate, call for some backup."

"Finally, the voice of reason," I said. "For a minute there, I thought you were going to make us go up there and poke around with a stick."

Sheppard looked uneasily at me before answering. "No," he said. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Is that not from Star Wars?" Teyla interjected before I could say anything.

"The one and only." John smiled at Teyla as she walked away. "Rodney, help me up? My leg's cramped."

"Well, I hope that you can-" I stopped; John gasped and reflexively put a hand on his stomach when he stood. That could not be good. "What's wrong?"

He grinned, thinly. "Too much breakfast. I think I was trying to beat you."

I was not convinced, and I imagine my look said as much.

"I'm fine, Rodney. Really."

Good thing we were going back to the Gate. Maybe I could surreptitiously get Keller on the line while we were at it.

Ronon and Teyla were a little ahead of us, and we hadn't taken more than twenty steps when Ronon, turning, dropped flat to the ground and motioned us to do the same.

I hit the ground hard, but I didn't care. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the wraith dart that had just decloaked in the middle of the clearing – and the wraith that was opening the hatch.

----- -- -----

The forest provided good cover, and we managed to get away without being seen. With any luck, we could make the gate without any more problems.

"So we go back to Atlantis, come back with a cloaked jumper and check things out, then if need be bring the Daedelus or the Apollo as soon they get back."

"Which, might I remind you, won't be for another five or six days." Honestly; the man could have been in MENSA if he'd wanted to. How could he not see what a spectacularly bad idea this was? "Look, what if this is just the first of many darts – cruisers, even? What if the wraith guard the gate after we come through with the jumper, hmm?"

"That's why we'd send the MALP through first, to-"

"To broadcast Atlantis' location to the entire galaxy? Gee, what a great idea. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Look, Rodney, all I'm saying is that maybe we should-"

"Maybe we should get back to the gate and contact Elizabeth before coming to any decisions." Teyla smiled patiently at us. I suppose she did have a point. After all, we were less than ten minutes' walk from the gate now. Ten minutes through thick forest with gigantic insects and possibly dangerous wildlife, but ten minutes nonetheless. Good thing, too: Sheppard's face had been getting steadily whiter, and he kept clutching his hand to his stomach when he thought I wasn't watching. It was probably just nausea, but I'd still feel better once Keller had checked it out and—

"Mckay! Down!"

For the second time that day I dropped to the ground, and as I heard Sheppard gasp in pain beside me I realized this trip had just gotten a whole lot worse: descending through the atmosphere above us were three large wraith cruisers.