John sat back once the jumper cleared the sunroof and the tower the next morning as he pointed the little craft toward the mainland. Rodney sat in the co-pilot seat next to him fiddling with a computer while Teyla and Ford sat in the seats behind them.

"Didn't I say we were taking a vacation?" John asked as he glanced at the computer.

Rodney stared at him. "Is that why my computer conveniently had to be upgraded by Zelenka?" he asked suspiciously. "He refused to give it back so I took his instead." He held up the computer in his hand and John could see it wasn't the combo-computer he usually used.

"Does that mean all of the programs are in Czech?" Ford asked innocently with a grin.

Rodney turned around and gave Ford a dirty look as well. "Not all of them," he mumbled as he faced forward again, and Ford laughed.

"You didn't need to bring it at all," John said as he glanced over the HUD and adjusted their course.

"What exactly am I supposed to do on this so-called vacation, then?" Rodney asked.

John looked over at Rodney and saw the beginnings of frustration in his expression. "Camping, hiking, fishing, swimming. Take your pick," he said calmly. "This is supposed to be a chance to have some fun, relax. We've certainly earned it."

"This is what I find relaxing," Rodney rebutted, and poked at the computer again.

John sighed. "This can be fun, too, you know. Didn't you ever go to summer camp when you were a kid?"

Rodney looked out the windscreen. "Once," he finally admitted, but didn't elaborate.

"I went to the same camp every summer," Ford chimed in after a few moments of silence. "It was great! Me and a bunch of my friends would get together, have swim competitions, played football, one year they even had horses."

John smiled. "Sounds like the camp I went to." He glanced over at Rodney who was still silently staring out the window. "The horses were there every year," he said and turned slightly to face Ford and Teyla, "the last couple of summers we went they had started an archery club, too. David and I loved it."

"David?" Teyla asked.

"My brother," John replied. "I've told you about him."

"Oh, yes, you went camping with your father as children." She nodded.

"Yep. We used to go to this summer camp in Oregon, too. We had a blast. Two weeks away from home, just us and a bunch of other kids; the lake was big enough we spent one year learning to sail with this little dinghy."

"Doctor McKay?" Teyla asked gently. "Was your camp experience similar?"

John glanced over at Rodney as he twitched in his chair and went back to the computer. "There was swimming and the like, yes."

John noticed he hadn't really answered the question and changed the subject before the others pushed him for more information. "Halling is expecting us?" he asked Teyla.

Teyla looked from him to Rodney for a moment then said. "Yes. He has several of the boys waiting to help unload the seed. He also found a suitable spot for our campsite. Jinto and some of the other boys set up a tent and cleared the area for us."

"Great!" John said with a smile. "And it's on the beach?"

"Yes, Major, just as you asked."

"Perfect. Once we get the seed unloaded, we'll get settled and see about catching some fish for lunch."

He landed the jumper in an area specifically cleared for the purpose behind the Athosian village ten minutes later. He opened the back hatch to find Halling and a group of boys led by Jinto waiting for them.

"Teyla," Halling greeted as she stepped out of the jumper and they touched foreheads. "It is good to see you."

"And you, Halling. How is everyone?"

"We are well," he replied and gestured for the boys to start unloading the jumper. "The seed is safe?" he asked. "You were concerned when we talked last."

"Yes," she said with a nod. "Doctor Beckett has tested it and found no evidence of the bacteria that affected Laren's people."

John watched as Halling glanced at each of them in turn. "And you are all recovered?"

John gave him an easy smile. "All better," he assured. "Teyla says you found a good camping spot for us?" he asked as they followed the boys carrying the barrels of seed toward the village.

"Yes, Jinto will show you the way," Halling replied. "You are all welcome to stay with us, Major. After the hospitality your people showed us in Atlantis, it is the least we can offer."

"Thanks." John declined. "Maybe next time."

Halling shrugged. "As you wish." He turned to Teyla. "Charon knew you were coming today. She is hoping you will stop to see her." He gave Teyla a knowing smile. "I hear she has made tuttle-root soup."

"Tuttle-root soup?" John asked.

"I believe it is what Doctor Weir refers to as comfort food," Teyla said, and John noticed she seemed content for the first time in days.

John nodded and smiled. "In that case, we'll leave you to the soup and head over to the beach."

Jinto!" Halling called, and his son came running. "Show the Major to the camp along the beach," Halling said.

"Yes, Father," Jinto replied with a smile and a wave of his hand. "It is this way, Major."

"Take your time," John whispered to Teyla as he walked past her. "We'll wait to have the s'mores once you get to camp."

Teyla smiled. "Thank you, Major. I will see you all later."

Jinto led them through the woods for a couple of miles pointing out anything he thought might be interesting and talking a mile a minute. John looked around, making sure he knew the way back to the village and glanced back to see Ford and Rodney following. Ford had a smile on his face as he walked; every now and then he'd close his eyes and let the sun warm his face. Rodney, for his part, clumped along in the rear, pushing aside errant branches and looking resigned to his fate. John was curious about Rodney's obviously bad experience at summer camp but knew better than to come out and ask. Maybe he could get him to talk about it later.

Jinto led them out of the trees and onto the beach and John's face broke into a wide grin. He loved the water, always had. Swimming, surfing, sailing, it didn't matter. The only thing he loved more than a beach and an ocean was flying. He saw the large tent set up just at the edge of the trees a few feet away and led the way inside.

There were four beds, cots really, two on each side of the round tent with a small woven chest at the foot of each bed. A short, stove-like apparatus sat in the middle of the room. There was a small screen partitioning off part of the back of the tent John assumed was meant to be a changing area. A large barrel near the door held drinking water and several baskets of fruit, dried meat, and loaves of bread sat on a table on the other side of the door.

"One of us boys will bring fresh water in the mornings," Jinto said as he followed the others into the tent. "Father was not sure what food you had with you, so we can bring more fruit and meat, too."

John saw Rodney look at the fruit with suspicion.

"We made sure there was no ... citrus?" Jinto glanced at John for a moment and when John nodded, he finished, "There is no citrus, Doctor McKay. The fruit is safe for you to eat."

John heard Rodney make a noncommittal noise as he set his pack and the 'borrowed' computer on one of the beds. "Thanks, Jinto," John said, and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "It all looks good. Tell your father we appreciate everything he did to set this up for us."

"Sure thing, Major!" Jinto said, and with a last wave, ducked under the flap of the tent and was gone.

John set his pack on the bed next to Rodney's and sat down. "Well, gentlemen," he said, "I say we unpack, get changed into something more beach-like, and see how the water is."

"Yes, sir!" Ford said enthusiastically and dumped the contents of his pack on one of the other cots, pulled out a pair of swim trunks, and went behind the screen.

"You actually brought swim trunks to the Pegasus galaxy?" Rodney asked once Ford returned wearing a pair of long, black and orange board shorts.

"Part of the Marine motto, Doc. Be prepared for anything."

"I thought that was the Boy Scouts."

"Them, too," Ford agreed easily as he ducked under the tent flap and John heard splashing a few minutes later.

"Come on, Rodney," John cajoled as he pulled out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from his pack and placed the rest of the items in the chest at the foot of his bed. "Time to relax."

"Right, relax," Rodney muttered as John went behind the screen to change. "How am I supposed to relax on a beach. Has no one ever noticed my skin tone? I'll burn inside five minutes."

John smiled at the constant stream of complaint. He could tell Rodney meant none of it and sure enough, he came out from behind the screen a few minutes later to see Rodney wearing his 'I'm with Genius' t-shirt and a pair of khaki trousers. His feet were bare and he was digging through his pack for something.

"What are you looking for now?" he asked as he dropped the uniform he'd been wearing on the bed and stuck his boots underneath the low cot.

"Sunscreen ... aha!" Rodney replied as he pulled out a small jar and started smearing the white concoction on his nose.

John grabbed a couple towels out of the chest at the end of his bed and nudged Rodney toward the tent flap.

Rodney glared back, but picked up a thick book and followed.

They found Ford floating in the water a little way offshore. "About time!" he called and ducked under the water.

John grinned and headed for the water. He glanced back when he realised Rodney wasn't following and remembered Carson's admonishment not to get his cast wet as he watched him spread one of the towels under what little shade he could find, sat down, and started to read.

He spent a good part of the afternoon lazily swimming in the ocean with occasional glances on shore to make sure Rodney was still all right. As the afternoon progressed the easy laps back and forth changed to a competition of speed as well as endurance with Ford as they raced to various points and back. An hour later they were both grinning and exhausted as they flopped on the sand near a sleeping Rodney and let the sun dry them.

Once he was dry, John glanced over with a frown at Rodney still curled on one side. "We're going to need to either wake him up or figure out some way to block the sun," John said softly as he closed the book lying against Rodney's chest and set it aside. The sun had moved enough that his bare arms and face were no longer under the shade. "I'd really rather not wake him if we don't have to."

"We could probably rig something up with the towels and a couple of sticks, sir," Ford said and stood. He wandered to the edge of the woods and came back with several long, thin branches and started tying the corner of one of the towels to one.

"Good idea," John agreed and stood to help. "By the way, this is a vacation, Aiden, lose the 'sir', okay."

"Yes, s -"

John held up his hand.

"Sure thing," Ford said. They positioned the branch-and-towel contraption where it would give Rodney some protection and sat down again.

"Kalani was right," Ford said a few minutes later. "You really do always know where Doctor McKay is, don't you."

John shrugged and watched the water ebb and flow along the beach. "Part of my job."

Ford snorted. "Right," he said with a drawl and a grin. "Your job as team leader or big brother?"

John gave Ford a hard look. "Problem?" he asked, his tone wary.

Ford stopped grinning and quickly shook his head. "No, sir," he replied and held up his hands. "Teyla and I were talking a while back, is all. She mentioned something about family not being just about blood."

"Ahh," John said noncommittally as he turned back to the water, felt Ford watching him, and just waited.

"Anyway," Ford said, and John could almost hear him tip-toeing around his point. "I think it's good, sir. He's changed these last couple of months. He seems happier than when we first got here."

John smiled slightly.

"So do you, sir," Ford finished.

John glanced over at him. "When did you get so perceptive? And I thought I told you to drop the 'sir'?"

It was Ford's turn to shrug and then jump as John heard something in the woods behind them and swung around into a crouch, his eyes focused on where he'd heard the noise.

"It's just over here, Teyla," John heard Jinto say just before the boy shot out of the woods and hurtled to a stop.

John relaxed, and a few seconds later Teyla came out of the woods, a covered bowl balanced carefully in her hands.

"Major. Lieutenant," Teyla greeted and held out the bowl. "Charon wanted me to bring this for you. It is her tuttle-root soup, I think you will all like it."

"Hey, trying to sleep here," Rodney's sleepy voice groused. "Why am I surrounded by towels?" he asked and John saw his head poke above the makeshift sun barrier as he sat up.

"The sun moved," John explained. "Didn't want to listen to you complain for the rest of our time off about being sunburned."

"Oh," Rodney said as he got to his feet and stepped around the branches and towels. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," John replied and turned to Ford. "Let's see about setting up something for food. I could eat."

John and Ford hauled the table out of the tent and set out the fruit and bread as well as the bowl of soup. Jinto showed them where plates and other dishes were stored, then headed back to the village with a last wave.

The soup went well with the bread and the fruit was saved for dessert. As the sun started to set, Ford gathered up some wood and they made a fire on the beach. John brought out the stash of marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate he'd been hoarding for such an occasion and they taught Teyla the finer points of roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.

"These are very good," she said as she finished her second sandwich and looked at her hands. "And very messy."

"That's what makes them good," Ford said as he speared another marshmallow on a thin stick and set it over the fire.

"This is something you did at summer camp, Major?" she asked as she scrubbed sand on her hands to get the sticky bits of marshmallow off of her fingers.

"I've already had this discussion with Ford. We're on vacation, Teyla, no need to be so formal. You can call me John. And yes, s'mores are a kind of summer camp rite-of-passage."

"At the camp I went to, the s'mores were saved for the last night," Ford said and he pulled the now blackened marshmallow off his stick and squashed it between two crackers and a piece of chocolate. "So do your people have anything like summer camp, Teyla? Maybe we should introduce s'mores to Jinto and the others."

She shook her head. "Not as you describe it, no. Once a year, the older men would take the children, boys and girls, into the woods for several weeks and teach them how to hunt, snare game, showed them what the edible plants looked like. It was a much more practical sort of endeavor."

"Maybe you could do that for us while we're out here," Ford said with a bright smile. "It could be useful knowing that sort of stuff."

"I would be glad to teach you; many plants are common to several different planets. John?"

"I think it's a great idea," John said. "Tomorrow work?"

"That would be fine," Teyla agreed.

~*~*~*~ SGA ~*~*~*~

Next morning, after a breakfast of dried meat and fruit Rodney sat on the beach with the Ancient scanner in his hands. He'd taken it out on a whim to see what the life signs readings looked like. The scanner was still set to look for energy readings and he was about to re-calibrate the device when he saw a blip on the map just as it switched to another screen.

"Hey, Rodney, let's go," John called from the woods behind the tent. "Teyla's going to teach you how to find poison ivy."

Rodney pushed himself to his feet and meandered over to the rest of the team still focused on the scanner. "I thought I just saw an energy spike," he said, and looked up at John.

"You thought?"

Rodney stared back down at the small screen. "It's intermittent, I think. It's not there now."

"Maybe it was just a bit of left over data or something," Ford suggested as he walked past to catch up with Teyla.

"You're kidding, right?" Rodney asked acerbically. "Have you learned nothing from being around me? The scanner doesn't work like that."

Ford shrugged and looked off into the woods.

"Is it there now," John asked patiently.

"No. There's nothing there now."

"Well then, worry about it later," John suggested. "Put that away and let's get on with the nature lesson."

They were all wearing their tac-vests and short sleeved shirts, though none had any weapons other than knives. The mainland around the Athosian village was considered safe so John had told them sidearms weren't necessary. John wore a backpack clipped to his vest, packed with water bottles and the food they planned to have for lunch. Rodney stuffed the scanner in his vest pocket and trailed after Teyla as she started into the woods.

They spent most of the morning traipsing through the woods, and while Rodney would never admit it out loud, he did enjoy himself. He was a perpetual student after all and any chance to learn something new was always appreciated. It didn't hurt that Teyla was a good teacher. She showed them not only the plants that were safe to eat, but also the mimickers, plants that look similar but would make them sick.

After a break for lunch in a sunny clearing, they broke into teams, Teyla and Ford, John and Rodney, with orders to hike the woods and bring back what they'd found for dinner.

"Whoever brings back the most that's edible doesn't have to clean camp tonight," Ford challenged with a smile.

"That's hardly fair considering you've got the resident expert on your team," Rodney pointed out.

Ford grinned as he led Teyla out of the clearing with a wave.

Rodney just glared for a moment, then pulled the Ancient scanner out of his vest pocket and readjusted it. He slowly turned in a circle then nodded to himself and stuffed the scanner back in his pocket.

"Where to?" John asked, and looked around the clearing after Teyla and Ford had left.

"That way," Rodney replied instantly, and pointed to the area in front of him. "I think that energy reading I told you about is coming from somewhere over there."

"You know we're supposed to be looking for edible plants," John said, but followed as Rodney led the way.

Rodney waved at the greenery. "Lots of plants, and an energy reading. Two birds and all that."

John laughed. "All right, let's go. Just know we need to bring back something or we'll never hear the end of it from Ford."

The forest closed in the further they walked. The trees were clearly older than the ones closer to the village, and the undergrowth was thick. Other than the occasional animal track, there were no paths and their progress was slowed as they fought their way through the brush. They found a few things that looked like the plants Teyla had shown them and carefully picked the berries or stripped leaves off branches and stored them in John's pack.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" John asked after an hour. "I'm not seeing anything that would produce an energy reading out here."

Rodney stopped and fiddled with the scanner again as he slowly moved it back and forth. He made a face and tried again as the scanner refused to show him where the energy spike was coming from.

"What's the problem?" John asked, stopping beside him.

Rodney shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. I start to get a reading and then it stops, only to start up again a few minutes later." He looked up and glared in the direction they'd been walking. "It's almost as if some kid is playing with a light switch," he added, mimicking someone flipping a switch on and off.

"And you're sure it's not some glitch with the scanner?"

"Yes, I'm sure. When the readings are there, they are consistent. Whatever is out there is stationary and the power source is significant." He looked at John. "Zed-PM significant."

John looked at the screen in Rodney's hand just as the scanner recorded another spike. "That's not too much farther away," he said and tapped his earpiece.

"Teyla, Ford, come in," John said.

"Yes, John?" Teyla replied. "We are both here."

"Rodney's found something out here, looks like a strong energy reading of some kind." He looked up at the sky then behind them. "We're about five miles from our camp to the southeast. We'll let you know if we find anything."

"Do you want us to come meet you?" Ford asked.

"No need. This hopefully won't take long, we're almost on top of it now."

"We will see you soon," Teyla added and they signed off.

They hiked for another fifteen minutes until they broke through the brush into another clearing. This one was smaller than where they'd had lunch but it had what looked like a totem pole standing in the middle of it.

"Okay, that's not what I was expecting," John said as they moved closer. "How did this get out here in the middle of nowhere?"

Like the totem poles Rodney had seen at Brockton Point, the pole was tall, the top was at least a meter over his head, and it appeared to be carved from some kind of dark wood with several inlaid stones of different colors. Unlike the Earth poles, it was small in circumference and the carvings weren't of animals, rather they seemed to be similar to the geometric shapes found in the stained glass windows in Atlantis. He changed the scanner input and read the readings on the tiny screen.

"This is Ancient," he said with a tinge of awe in his voice. "It made of the same sort of material as the city."

John had been prowling around the edges of the clearing and came to stand next to him. "That still doesn't explain what it's doing out here in the middle of a forest."

Before Rodney could reply, a stone about midway up the pole lit up and a soft yellow light played over both of them.

"This is bad," Rodney muttered as he studied the scanner and tried to step out of the light but it merely followed him as he moved. "The energy readings just spiked higher than before."

"Time to get out of here," John said, and grabbed Rodney's arm.

The yellow light shut off and before they could even register the change, a blinding white light replaced it.

Rodney let out a yelp of fear and he thought he felt John's hold on his arm tighten. He had the briefest impression of white walls instead of the green of the forest, but then his mind shut down and he forgot all about forests, and poles, and blinding white lights.