"Why, Teyla, so good to see you again." The tall white haired man said, his voice dripping sarcasm.

Teyla's chin came up and she looked the man in the eye. "I do not know you."

"You think that. But I know you well. More so than you would like to know. You don't need to know my name, but you can call me 'Todd', as your friend McKay named me."

Teyla remained silent.

"We met on the vessel that brought you here. But I don't think you remember. You were unconscious at the time."

"I was never unconscious."

"You think that," he said again. "In fact, I visited each time you slept."

Teyla stiffened and a look of comprehension crossed her face. "The dreams?"

He laughed. "Yes, Teyla, my sweet, the dreams. That was my attempt to get to know you. For the master. To see if you could be bent to his ways." He nodded to those around them. "As your people bend to his way."

"I do not know who these people are now." Her voice was calm but an overwhelming sadness filled her as she spoke the words, acknowledging the strangeness of those she had once called friends.

"That is because they are mine, or more precisely the master's."

"What have you done to them? And why?"

"A logical question. It's a simple matter, my sweet."

Teyla flinched at the repeated and unwanted endearment.

"The why is the same reason powerful men have always used to subjugate the weak. We need workers who will not rebel or complain." As he spoke Todd moved slightly closer to McKay.

Teyla held her ground, watching the men around her

"As to how," Todd continued, "a simple drug, an herbal mixture actually. A few suggestions are made while under its influence. Then a continued low dose administered in food and water keeps the subjects pliant. It works particularly well if administered in fresh fruits and vegetable."

"And why not me? Why didn't it work on me?" Teyla was poised on the balls of her feet, muscles taut and ready to spring into action. She needed to engage this man, to keep him talking, to learn what he had done to her and to give Ronon and Sheppard time.

"Occasionally we encounter a mind that cannot be controlled. For whatever reason, the drug has no effect other than to make the subject sleep deeply."

Todd showed no sign that her presence made him uneasy, but continued to address her as though she were the only one there with him. "I think," he continued, "it might have something to do with the individual chemistry of the brain. But in order to properly investigate that matter I would have to dissect the brain of one who is resistant. You were far too lovely for such a fate. It was a pity to have to let you go."

"And why did you? Let me go?"

He laughed again. "So simple, dear Teyla. We released you because, had you been allowed to remain among us, you would never have stop trying to free these poor wretches. It was decided that the best course was to release you here, where there was plenty of food and water for one as resourceful as you. We kept an eye on you of course. You and your new friends."

"What do you plan on doing with McKay?" Teyla had held her ground as Todd moved slightly closer. Very faintly she heard a soft whistle.

"I would like to pick McKay's brain."

McKay, who had remained uncharacteristically silent, started to voice a response. The heavy hand of one of his guards, clamped down on his shoulder. Teyla wished she could signal him to be still and quiet. Although she said nothing he seemed to read the warning in her eyes.

"McKay understands how things work and could be of use to us," Todd said, ignoring McKay's aborted response. "As for the rest of you, I think I will just sail away and leave you to your own devices. You can't follow us, because you don't know where we are going. And I rather like the idea of leaving you here to wallow in your own frustration. Knowing that I know where you are and can drop in whenever it amuses me."

"I can't let you do that."

"Yes, Teyla, my dear, you can."

"No." On that single word Teyla exploded into action. The end of her staff arced catching the guard on McKay's left on the forearm with a resounding crack, sending his rifle flying, and causing the man to double over in pain, clutching his arm to his stomach. The return arc disarmed the second man. A knife was now protruding from the shoulder of a third, and from the edge of the trees Ronon and Sheppard charged, each armed with a quarterstaff. Before any of the remaining two men could react, they had been disarmed and Ronon and Sheppard stood, backs together with Teyla facing their remaining opponents. Sheppard had dropped his quarterstaff and recovered one of the rifles abandoned by McKay's guards.

McKay had instinctively ducked when Teyla made her move against the second guard. He had landed face down in the sand and came up spitting sand from his mouth. Todd had moved as quickly as Teyla, anticipating her second blow. Before she was able to strike a third time, he had pounced on McKay, wrapping an arm around the engineer's throat and dragging him to his feet, using him as a human shield. It was a stand off.

Todd began calling orders to the men and women who remained on the beach, staring blankly and waiting for instruction. His voice was a snakelike hiss as he directed them back to the longboats. Moving like mindless automatons, they filed toward the water and into the boats as they had been told.

Todd continued to drag McKay back towards the waters edge, his arm tightening around his throat, cutting off his air and his ability to talk. McKay tugged at the man's arm, but Todd's rail thinness belied his actual strength.

"Let McKay go," Sheppard commanded each word flat and emotionless.

Todd laughed. "I think not. I have the advantage."

Sheppard brought up the rifle he had in his hands. It was a Springfield. One shot at best was all Sheppard would have, if he could find a target.

Todd laughed. "You don't want to shoot McKay."

"I'm not aiming at McKay," Sheppard answered. His face was completely calm, his weapon unwavering.

"Hitting me would be an impossible shot." Todd taunted.

"Impossible shots are what I do." Sheppard stood rock still. Todd had just begun to laugh again when Teyla saw a puff of white smoke and heard the sharp report of the rifle.

Todd yelped and flew backward into one of the waiting longboats, crimson blossoming on the shoulder of his pristine white shirt a look of complete shock and disbelief on his face. He released McKay as he fell and Ronon sprang forward to snatch the engineer by the front of his shirt and haul him back into their protective circle.

"Go, go, go," Todd gasped out against the pain, and the boats were launched even as he spoke.

He struggled to sit in the stern of the longboat into which he had fallen. His voice crackled with malevolence. "I will come back."

"I'm sure you will," Sheppard answered.

"What was that?" McKay recovered from the shock enough to talk. His voice rasped as he gulped for air. "You could've shot me."

"Wasn't aiming at you."

"Thank god."

Sheppard moved past McKay to where Teyla stood staring after the longboats. She felt a light, comforting touch on her shoulder, "I'm sorry," he said softly. "We didn't recover any of your people."

"But none were killed either," she said gratefully. "And McKay was not injured. That, at least, is worth giving thanks for. And now I know what has happened to them, even if I don't know who is behind all this."

* * * *

The savory scent of simmering meat mingled with the wild onions. Clams wrapped in wet seaweed steamed on the hot coals. The three men talked and occasionally burst into laughter. Sheppard glanced to the open mouth of the cave where Teyla stood, a dark figure against the moonlit sky.

"Sharpshooter," McKay was saying, amazement in his voice, "You never told us you were a sharpshooter."

"You never asked." Sheppard said in reply.

"I would have felt better about you aiming a rifle in my direction if I'd known."

"Next time you'll know," Ronon stated matter-of-factly.

McKay was complaining about 'the next time' as Sheppard rose and walked toward the entrance of the cave. He stopped and stood at Teyla's side, close, but not touching her. She wrapped her arms around herself, deep in thought as she had been since they had returned from the beach.

"You need to come up with some better traps," Ronon was teasing McKay behind them.

Sheppard stood for a moment, letting the soft sea breeze wash over him. "McKay finished his water system," he said lightly, breaking the unbearable silence. "We now have water brought right here without having to haul it from the stream."

They stood for a few more moments in silence.

"Teyla, I wish things had turned out better," he suddenly felt like he had disappointed his best friend. "I would have helped your people if I could, but I had to take care of us first. We couldn't let them take McKay."

Teyla looked at him and in the moonlight he saw a small sad smile touch her lips. "You did what you needed to do. You did the right thing. Knowing my people are alive has removed part of the burden."

"I meant what I said when I promised we would find them. I don't know how long it will take but we will."

"For that I will be grateful. But in the meantime, I fear we have made a powerful enemy."

"I have a feeling he would have been our enemy no matter what we did. Now we at least we know he is one," Sheppard said.

Ronon's deep laughter came from behind them, followed by a sharp protest from McKay.

"Come on, Teyla, whatever McKay's cooked up really smells good. And I think I'm as hungry as he usually is."

This time Teyla smiled a warm and genuine smile. Turning she took his proffered arm and together they walked back into the cave. "Then I think Ronon and I had better be quick to eat if we wish to have any at all."

end

* * * *

Author's notes: Little things that might help understanding what is implied in the conversations.

Camp Sumter was the official but seldom used designation for the confederate prisoner of war camp more commonly known as Andersonville.

Libby Prison – Of all the Confederate prisons, Libby's reputation was second only to that of Andersonville. Only Federal officers and high-ranking civilians were confined in this facility.

The two most commonly used rifles (used by both the Union and the Confederacy) were the Enfield and the Springfield, muzzle loading single shot rifles that fired a miniball (pointed on one end not round). Both types of rifle had to be reloaded before each shot was fired.

The Sharps rifle was a .52 caliber breech loading single shot rifle that could be fired eight to ten times per minute and was highly accurate up to 600 yards.

The Henry repeating rifle was a .44 caliber rifle capable of firing 15 rounds before reloading. They were used by a limited number of companies.

Sharpshooters were highly skilled and extremely accurate marksmen even at great distances. They were originally organized under Hiram G. Birdan (Union) who requested his men be issued Sharps rifles. They were primarily used as skirmishers and proved invaluable in picking off and demoralizing the soldiers of either side as well as silencing artillery batteries from a distance. A similar Confederate group was also organized.

Standard pistol used by most soldiers was a six shot Colt or Remington. The LeMat I let Ronon have was capable of delivering nine successive shots followed b a single burst of buckshot. It packed greater firepower than any other Civil War handgun. Its nine shot cylinder revolved around a .63 caliber shotgun barrel mounted beneath a conventional rifled pistol barrel. Ronon had to have a bigger, badder gun right?? Approximately 2500 LeMats were manufactured for and imported by the Confederate army. Most were used by officers, including J.E.B. Stuart.

Teyla's dress: It would have been considered very improper for a lady to expose her ankles, even if they were covered in socks and shoes. During the day a proper lady wore sleeves to her wrists and a bodice all the way up to her neck. No skin exposed, partially to protect against the sun. It was considered 'of low station' to have tanned hands and face. Now in the evening, for formal occasions such as a ball or fancy dinner, a lady was allowed to wear no or very short sleeves and the neckline on her bodice dipped considerably lower, not that a true gentleman was supposed to "look".

Men were considered improperly dressed if they did not have at least two layers of clothing on. Undershirt and shirt, or shirt and vest, etc. Our prudish McKay thinks Ronon and Sheppard are not correctly dressed because they've torn off their sleeves and shortened their trousers to accommodate the heat. We see what he thinks of Teyla when they first meet.