Title: Perturbo (Latin for trouble)
Author: Cindy Ryan
Pairings: Sheppard/Keller
Category: angst, romance
Spoilers: Trio, outcast
Summary: Rework of Trio….what if Rodney hadn't been strong enough?

Rodney steadied his feet as best he could on the slanting platform. He had maybe two shots at this before the next quake hit. His bloodied palms were making it difficult to get a good grip.

"Here goes nothing."Rodney muttered as he swung the rope several times to pick up speed. He threw the hook.

It banged against the top of the small opening and bounced off. Rodney had just enough time to grab his end of the rope before they lost the hook completely.
Rodney cursed and began to reel the hook back.

"Try again, Rodney."Sam urged. "I know you're a better shot than that. You hit Sheppard square on the other morning from across the Mess."

"Paper airplanes and heavy metal hooks are different."Rodney muttered

"Same concept."Sam countered quietly. "Pick your target, concentrate, and let it go."

Rodney nodded, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening his eyes Rodney swung the rope once more, picked a different target and threw the hook.

The hook landed in the small opening, rattled down the slope a few feet before it caught on the edge and held.

Sam gently rose to her feet and placed most of her weight on her good leg. She clasped Mckay on the right shoulder.

"Good job, my friend."

McKay did a double take. "First time you've ever said that."

"What?"

"Called me friend."

Sam shook her head with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well considering in the beginning I considered you a pompous ass."

"Only in the beginning?"

"Let's just get out of here, shall we?"Sam replied as she squeezed his arm.

Rodney nodded and tugged hard at the rope testing its hold. "We're good."

Sam laced her arms around McKay's neck and used what little strength she had left to wrap her legs around his waist.

"Go ahead, Tarzan."Sam ordered quietly just as they heard another familiar rumble.

Rodney ignored the pain in his hands and tightened his hold on the rope. He squeezed his eyes shut and launched them off the platform.

The atmosphere in the puddle jumper was quiet and tense as John's fingers flew over the controls. The jumper hovered above the gate room floor as the gate chevron's locked one at a time.
Finally the event horizon bloomed and Sheppard punched the jumper's thrusters.

As the familiar feeling of the wormhole over took him John tried to quelsh the ever growing feeling of dread. He hoped for once his instincts were wrong and he'd be holding Jen in his arms later that night, watching her sleep.

Just once he wanted to be wrong.
That they'd find the three of them sitting in the village eating dinner unaware of their radio malfunction.
However, Sheppard knew that life in the Pegasus galaxy didn't work that way.

Rodney thought he'd felt exhaustion before, but it was nothing compared to what he felt now. He pulled them the rest of the way up onto solid ground.
Solid being a relative term, of course.

Rodney groaned as he gripped the rope once more and pulled them a little farther up the slope. He collapsed fully on his stomach his body in a spread eagle position. He felt Sam's breath on his neck.

Everything hurt.
Mind, body and soul.

"Rodney."Sam called her voice muffled by his left shoulder. "We have to keep moving."

"Can't."

Sam forced her body to roll off of McKay's. That small movement almost too much. She hated the fact that Rodney would have to carry her the rest of the way. She was just too weak to help them right now.

"We have to get to the surface."Sam said as she struggled into a sitting position.

"I can't, Sam."Rodney whispered as he closed his eyes. "I just can't. I don't have anything left."

"That doesn't sound like the McKay I know."

Rodney's hands curled around the dirt. "I'm tired, Sam. So tired…..of everything."

"I know, Rodney."Sam whispered. She certainly understood the battle fatigue. After everything with the Ori, Replicators, and the Goa'uld. "But we've both been through too much to die in a hole in the ground. Jennifer would be the first to tell you to get your ass up."

McKay could smell the fresh air…..they were so close. Some how he had to make his body move.
Some how.

A rumble from below was all the motivation Rodney needed. A second push of adrenaline kicked in and Rodney rose to a crouch. He gathered Sam in his arms just as small rocks began to fall around them.

Rodney rose to half height and scrambled up the small tunnel.