A/N: Many, many thanks to ladygris for her assistance with this story. It helps to have someone to talk to when the storyline becomes so tangled that you don't know up from down.

Thanks,

~ Sandy ~

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Chapter 4

Knitting the Troubled Spirit

After a moment's hesitation, John's arms gathered Amanda close to his chest and he kissed her back. Reaching behind him, he found the chair he kept for guests, the soft, comfortable one that helped him unwind after a difficult day of sparring with Teyla or Ronon, killing Wraith or having his DNA altered. Without letting go or stopping their kiss, he sat down and pulled her onto his lap. When her backside came into contact with his thighs, a moan worked its way up his throat to collide with the one coming from her.

Pulling his mouth from hers, he kissed his way down her neck and around behind her ear. When he touched that spot with his tongue, she gasped and dug her fingers into his hair and shoulder. His right hand on her back slid up into her hair and a thrill went through him. Those tantalizing strands were as soft as he'd imagined them to be.

As if it had a mind of his own, his left hand dropped to the hem of her light blue top and worked its way under the edge. Just as his fingers touched her stomach, her right hand encircled his wrist stopping him from going any farther. He heeded her unspoken command instead skimming along the outside, around her waist and up along her spine, skipping over the clasp of her bra to join the other tangled in her hair.

Amanda pulled his head up so she could kiss his lips once more only now it felt different, like she was backing off and he did the same. It was a good thing they did because he'd almost reached the point of no return. From the rasping of her breath against his cheek she'd nearly reached that point too.

When she stood up, he did as well missing her touch, the warmth of her body against his. It was all he could do not to reach for her again, to sink back into the heat they'd generated together but sensed it wouldn't be welcomed, at least not yet. He let his hands rest on her waist and touched their foreheads together. "Oh, Mandy."

~~O~~

Jennifer cried out and collapsed onto Rodney's chest. "Oh…my…" The perspiration on her skin made them both sticky where they touched. He gathered her close anyway, kissing her temple, forehead, eye and nose as she lifted her head to look at him. "Where are you getting all this energy?"

"Don't know, but I like it." He trailed the fingers of his right hand up and down her back drawing random patterns on her heated flesh. They stilled when he thought about what she said. "Hey, are you saying…"

"No! It's just that…" she leaned up to kiss him on the chin, "…you usually have to…recharge longer than five minutes in between. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I'm just saying."

"So…no complaints?"

"Definitely not." Her right hand touched his bicep running across his shoulder and up to cup his cheek. She rubbed her thumb over the corner of his mouth. "Two times a couple nights a week is normal for us and this was…"

"Mmm…four."

She could hear the satisfaction and smile in his voice. It made her smile too. Snuggling deeper into his embrace, she closed her eyes and sighed with contentment. A short time later she gasped and her eyes snapped open again. "Rodney!"

He said "sorry" in a tone that said he wasn't sorry at all then rolled to the side with her still against his chest. "How about we go for number five?"

Jennifer yawned and slid away from him, turning to sit on the side of the bed. "Sorry, honey. I have to get to sleep soon. There's a lot of work to do if we're gonna figure out how to cure you and John."

"What if I don't want to be cured?"

"If we can figure out how to give him back his gene and let you keep it too, we'll do it. Otherwise…" she shrugged. Rodney's arm snaked around her waist as he leaned up to kiss her behind the ear. She dragged her fingers over the back of his hand up to his elbow and back. Encircling his wrist, she lifted his arm so she could stand, groaning as she headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna walk funny for at least two days and it's your fault, McKay." At the bathroom door, she looked over her shoulder to see him resting on his elbow with his head on his hand, a huge grin on his face.

"No regrets."

He heard the water come on and the bathroom door opened again. "Rodney, come wash my back."

"But I thought were out of, you know, extra protection."

"We'll work something out. Now get in here."

~~O~~

Amanda had come to John's quarters to offer comfort if he wanted or needed it, never intending to turn this into anything more than one friend being there for another. But when he'd turned to face her after setting the bottle on the desk, just for one unguarded moment before his mask fell back into place, she'd seen beneath to the fear he refused to show even to his closest friends. She chose to ease that fear in the only way she knew would be accepted, but once her lips touched his she couldn't stop, didn't want to stop, her reserve vanishing in the dim light of John's room.

One of his hands touched her hair, lightly tugging on the strands and making her scalp tingle. The feeling was so intense she couldn't help the sound of pleasure in the back of her throat. His fingers worked their way under the hem of her top to touch her stomach and that scared her just a little. She'd seen the damage that could be done by moving too fast and chose to slow down now while they still could. After removing his hand, her palms touched his cheeks and she raised his head to give him one last kiss. When she got to her feet he followed and after a short pause let his warm hands rest on her waist. Their foreheads touched Athosian-style and she couldn't help giggling when he said, "Oh, Mandy."

"Thought you didn't like Barry Manilow." She leaned back so she could look into his eyes and saw that they'd darkened with desire. She blinked to hide the same in her own.

"Don't, but then you're nothing like the Mandy in the song either." His hands left her waist and came to rest on her upper arms below the short sleeves of her top, sliding down to take her hands in his. "I'm not sending you away, but I understand if you want to leave."

She let out a relieved sigh. "It's not that I…you see it's…"

"You're thinking of that creep Brody again, aren't you?" At her nod he growled, partly in anger and partly in frustration. "Shoulda beaten the crap out of him when I had the chance."

Now she was smiling. "You did get in one good shot before he ran away. But at least he's out of my life and not just because I live in another galaxy." Her hands fell away from his shoulders as she took a step back, letting her arms ease down to her sides. "We should talk about this…" she waved a hand back and forth between them.

"Let's not and say we did."

Amanda wrinkled her nose. "We'll just take it slow and see where it goes, at least for now." She took his agreement for granted and gave him a last soft kiss before leaving.

~~O~~

John watched Amanda toss a smile over her shoulder just before the door closed on her promise to check on him in the morning. He was looking forward to her visit more than he thought he should even under the circumstances. Unfortunately, his subconscious reared up and made him doubt her and himself. Does she really want me or was it a pity make-out? Either way, we should stop now before it's too late. Unless it's already too late. No, it's not…or is it? I don't know anymore. Or do I?

Vowing not to fall for her, he decided not to be here when she made her visit in the morning. If she wanted to examine him, she'd have to find him first and he would not make it easy.

He paced around his room waiting for his body and mind to calm down so he could get to sleep. When that proved futile, he sat on the side of the bed and reached for his guitar. He played a couple of Johnny Cash songs and the wheels in his head slowed down though they didn't stop completely.

With a deep, heartfelt sigh, he pulled out a song he'd learned to play in college when he first met an attractive blonde on the road to becoming a doctor and medical researcher. He stopped in the middle of the song because it really wasn't helping, put the instrument aside and lay down to stare up at the ceiling.

~~O~~

Opening his eyes, Rodney found himself lying on the ground in a thickly wooded forest. It was dark and the sounds of the night came to him. The moonlight filtered through the branches of the trees giving the area an eerie glow. Automatically, his left hand reached up to activate his headset but it was gone. That same hand dropped to his left shoulder for the radio but it too was missing. In fact, he wasn't wearing his black mission uniform. He was in pajamas and was barefoot. "Hello? Is anyone there? How did I get here?"

There was no answer so he climbed carefully to his feet. He recognized this place. It was the planet on which they'd first encountered Ronon and Ford had deliberately jumped into the Wraith culling beam to avoid capture.

"Sheppard? Ronon? Teyla?"

He started moving between the trees carefully placing his bare feet to avoid rocks and branches. When he reached the path, he stopped to get his bearings. Directly in front of him was the small clearing where he'd been suspended upside down as he watched Ford and Ronon fight. It had been the first time he'd seen the Satedan and he almost smiled in remembrance but that expression was gone as quickly as it came when the snapping of a twig echoed in the relative quiet of the forest. Someone was here with him. Someone who didn't want to identify himself.

"Major Lorne?"

Suddenly, a Wraith burst out of the trees and Rodney turned to run in the opposite direction. He ran and ran, dodging trees, bushes and low hanging branches. Up ahead, he could just see the DHD. Increasing his speed, he'd nearly reached the device that would take him home when a second Wraith stepped onto the path in front of him and he stumbled to a halt.

It was not the habit of the Wraith queens to leave their ships except to visit another hive so what was she doing here? But this queen was different. Instead of very long fuchsia, vermillion orange, glowing coral or even wild violet colored hair, hers was barely to her shoulders and blue-black. She was also nearly a head shorter than he.

A malevolent glint appeared in her eyes as she walked slowly toward him, the male Wraith stopping him from running away again. Her hand came up to brush the backs of her fingers down his cheek, along his jaw, turning to let her fingertips brush down his throat. Those same fingers grasped the collar of his T-shirt and jerked downward ripping the material and exposing his chest. Her eyes, which had stayed locked with his watching his fear build until it changed to terror, dropped to the area over his heart.

Suddenly the scene blurred and changed.

Rodney looked down at his right hand, the skin strangely pale. Turning the hand over, he saw the feeding organ in the center of the palm. Flexing his fingers, he brought his eyes up to meet those of his prey. She was small as humans go but he could taste the strength of her life force across the small gulf between them. Her brown eyes looked back boldly, without a hint of fear. With a snarl of victory, he drew back and slammed his feeding hand against her chest.

~~O~~

Teyla shot to a sitting position in bed, sweat pouring down her face and taking in great gulps of air. Kanaan had taken Torren to the mainland so she was alone in her quarters. Bringing up the lights, to chase away the darkness, she climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. Unbuttoning the front of her pajama top, she examined her chest and was relieved to see that it did not bear the mark of a Wraith feeding hand.

The nightmare had started out with her in her former persona as the Wraith queen about to feed on Rodney. Their roles had somehow become reversed and he'd begun to feed on her when she'd forced herself to awaken. She pondered the meaning of the vision as she showered and dressed for the day.

~~O~~

Sometime later, Rodney carried his tray to the team's usual table for their customary team breakfast meeting. John and Ronon had already finished eating and were talking with Evan. He sat down, took a sip of coffee and picked up his fork. Just as he brought the first bite of pancakes to his mouth, he got the strangest sensation, as if he were being watched. Still jumpy from the nightmare, he turned quickly and saw Teyla approaching, an odd look on her beautiful face, but no one else seemed to be paying him any attention. She set her tray hesitantly next to his and cast a quick glance around the room, her eyebrows drawn together.

"Teyla?" John asked when he saw her hesitate before sitting.

"I'm sensing…if I did not know better…"

"What?" This from Ronon.

"It is the same feeling I get when Wraith are near." She sighed and sat down.

John shrugged and took a long drink of the blue stuff Amanda had told him to drink only this time it was purple. "Except for Todd, they've been suspiciously quiet lately."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Picking up her fork, she began eating.

Next to her, Rodney was doing his best not to react when a sense of panic set in. Adrenaline began coursing through his body initiating his fight or flight instincts. It was all he could do to keep himself from running from the room. His right hand dropped to where his nine mil would normally be but he turned it into a thigh rub.

He didn't like this feeling of impending doom. Trying to ignore it, he took a few more bites of the pancakes but it made him queasy. Pushing it away, he tried to pay attention to the conversation between Evan and John as the Major was brought up to speed in his new temporary position as head of the premier offworld team.

Finally, Rodney couldn't take it any longer. He stood and hurried from the Mess Hall through the patio door. When he reached the rail, he gripped the top edge tightly trying to quell this feeling of panic that had gripped him. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the feeling was gone. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. With a sigh, he went to his lab and went back to work.

~~O~~

Teyla twitched her shoulders as the feeling of dread eased and finally vanished. The rest of the meal passed uneventfully and she was actually looking forward to her first offworld mission with Major Lorne in charge. He'd told her to call him Evan, no doubt in order to put them on slightly friendlier terms so they'd be a little more at ease with each other. And it had worked. By the end of their briefing she had actually laughed at several of his wry jokes.

~~O~~

John watched Rodney jump up and run out the patio door. Nodding in that direction, he asked, "The hell's wrong with McKay?"

Teyla shrugged one shoulder, a shiver shimmying down her back. "I do not know. We have had no need to speak since we returned from M7M-536."

"Huh." John tapped his headset. "Sheppard to Keller."

When he was done filling Jennifer in on Rodney's odd behavior, he spotted Amanda entering the Mess Hall, her eyes scouring the room determinedly. He slid down in his seat and said a hasty good-bye to Jennifer before easing out of his chair so he was below the level of the table. He put a finger to his lips then duck walked to the nearest exit. A quick glance around told him that Amanda was gone and he breathed a sigh of relief. Getting to his feet, he activated the door while congratulating himself on getting away. He'd only taken two steps when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"John Sheppard."

The Colonel tried to cover his shock at being caught with a nervous grin. "Hey, Doc. I've been looking all over for you."

"Well, you didn't look in the Infirmary because that's where I was. After that, I was at your quarters where you were supposed to be." Amanda stood back and made an after you gesture. John sighed with resignation and accompanied her to the Infirmary level.

~~O~~

Radek came into the science lab, his hair still damp from the shower. He gathered up his equipment and was nearly out the door when Rodney came out of his office.

"And where the hell do you think you're going?"

Pausing at the door, Radek turned to face him, his glasses reflecting the overhead light. "Major Lorne is leading a team back to M7M-536 to examine the device that injured Colonel Sheppard."

"And me! Why wasn't I informed?" He tapped his headset. "McKay to Lorne."

"Lorne. Go ahead."

"I'm coming with you." Rodney was already out the door and headed for his quarters to change into his mission uniform.

"Negative, doc. You're restricted from offworld travel, remember?"

"I know. Don't leave yet." Changing his course, he headed for Woolsey's office.

~~O~~

Evan looked up as Rodney made his way into the Jumper Bay. He waited but the physicist didn't say anything, just kept glancing around as if he thought he was being followed then found a seat in the back. The hatch had started to close when they heard a female voice calling out.

"Wait! Stop!" Jennifer ducked under the half closed hatch, a Glock strapped to her right thigh and carrying a field medical kit. "If you're going, I'm going." The Marine sitting next to Rodney gave her his seat. "Okay, Major. We can go now."

"Flight, this is Lorne. Jumper three is finally ready to depart."

"Flight to Jumper three. The 'gate is dialed. You may depart at your discretion." Chuck's voice came through his headset as the ship lowered into the Gate Room.

Seconds later they were on M7M-536. On this trip, Evan, in addition to his own team, had brought a squad of men plus Teyla, Ronon, Rodney, Jennifer and Radek. He landed the Jumper to let out the squad that would guard the 'gate, lifting off again to follow the same flight path that SGA-1 had taken on their previous trip. He also debated how to handle the assignments when they arrived at the facility. If that machine did what they thought it could do, well, he didn't want to be anywhere nearby if it came on again and neither did the rest of his men and women. They'd just have to be extra careful.

TBC