"You have got to be kidding me." Jen muttered, staring up at the wooden structure. "What is that? And what's with all the sticks on top?"

The small group stood in a field of wildflowers, staring up at a massive wooden tripod. Topped with flat platform that was covered in a mass of twigs and branches, the structure was at least two stories tall. One of the three legs was actually a ladder stretching right up to a point just below the platform, and secured to the bottom of the circular platform, was a large yellow square.

"I take it that's our next map?" Evan pointed to the card high above their heads.

"Probably." Laura squinted.

"I am so not climbing that." Rodney crossed his arms in defiance.

"Well someone has too." John frowned.

"Why?" Ronon asked.

"Because…" John started, then closed his mouth when everyone turned to look at him. "Okay, I have no idea."

"Because Woolsey told you too?" Rodney suggested.

"No." John made a face.

Rodney tilted his head.

"Okay, yes." John admitted. "Okay look. We're supposed to be team-building."

"I thought we were already a team." Ronon frowned.

"We are." John answered.

"They what are we building?" Ronon asked, shaking his head.

John sighed. "It's just an exercise."

"I get enough exercise." Ronon grunted.

"Climbing a ladder is not exercise." Teyla tilted her head.

"Okay maybe exercise was a bad choice of word." John muttered, running his hand through his hair.

"He means task." Rodney interrupted. "The idea is to complete each of these tasks and by doing such we're rewarded with a little treat. A banana for performing on command."

"Can't we just pretend we completed the tasks?" Jen asked.

"I'm with her." Rodney nodded. "Hey." He snapped his fingers. "You're a Doctor. You can write me a note."

"Dear Principal Woolsey," Evan began. "Rodney will not be attending school today."

"Okay, someone just go get the map?" John rolled his eyes.

"You aren't allowed to order us around, remember?" Rodney smirked.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Evan suggested.

"Oh for goodness sake." Laura muttered, walking quickly to the base of the ladder and starting on the way up. "I'll get the damn map."

"There, you see?" Rodney smiled. "A volunteer."

Everyone moved closer as Laura neared the underside of the platform. Then, several feet from the top, she stopped.

"Hey!" She called down. "There's no more rungs."

"Well that's brilliant." John frowned, moving into the shade of the platform to get a better look. From the new angle he could see the top five feet of the ladder – bare except for the supporting sides.

"There's holes." Laura called down. "Just no rungs. Maybe I can-"

"No." John interrupted. "This isn't the Cirque du Soleil, Cadman. Just… stay there for a minute."

"I believe we need these." Teyla dropped a bag of bright red wooden spikes at their feet. "It was over there." She pointed to a yellow flag stuck in the grass a few yards away.

John grabbed the bag and drew the strap over his shoulder.

"You'd better not be looking up my skirt." Laura called over her shoulder.

"It's not a skirt." John answered, climbing quickly up behind her.

Reaching the rungs below her feet, he maneuvered himself into a more stable position, and reached into the mesh bag. Extracting one of the rungs, he held it up.

Laura bent down and grabbed it. Straightening, she fiddled with it, jamming one end into the next hole. After a few moments, she handed it back to John.

"It's too long." She said, exasperated.

John took it. "What do you mean it's too long?"

"I mean," Laura angled her head and looked at him from under her arm. "It's too long."

"How can it be too long?"

"Never had anyone tell you it's too long, Sir?" Laura snickered.

John sighed. "I'm going to regret having this conversation with you, aren't I?"

"Yup." Laura laughed.

"And here I thought length didn't matter." John mumbled.

"What ever keeps you happy." Laura snickered. "Although rumor has it you have plenty of-."

"Cadman..." John warned.

Laura snickered.

John shook his head, balancing himself on the ladder, while comparing the other rungs. They had five missing spots, and eight rungs.

"Try this one."

One by one he handed her the rungs, largest to smallest, and she snapped them into place.

"Okay." John shook his head, dropping the left over pieces onto the ground below. "That do it?"

Laura climbed the final distance and snatched the large yellow card. "Voila."

"Uh, Sheppard?" Rodney called up, his tone elevated. "You um… might want to hurry. I think I know what those sticks up top are."

"What…" John frowned, looking down at Rodney, who was pointing to a spot above their heads.

In tandem, John and Laura looked up.

"Crap." John exhaled.

They were half way to the ground when the birds attacked.

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A/N Well you asked for more! :)