I FINALLY finished the next chapter!!! *cheering* I can't believe it!!

Anyway... this is (obviously) the next chapter and it's getting close to the end! *booing* BUT I don't know whether to keep it going or not... it all depends on what my brain thinks!!

Anyway... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Pretty please with a cherry on top!!!! I know this must get annoying but I really like reviews, good as well as... constructive critisism...

Well... I hope you like this chapter with it's fantastic title...

Alex

Rodney groaned as he followed the group of marines into the empty, yet heavily secured building.

"I don't like this," said Rodney.

According to the group exasperated response, this had been said many, many times before.

"I just don't like this," repeated Rodney.

"Shut up doctor," said one of the marines, turning slightly to glare at Rodney, "with all your complaining you're going to alert them to our presence in two seconds flat, if that!"

"Yeah, yeah," replied Rodney with a frown, "but I must warn you it'll be hard,"

"How on earth did I know you'd say that?"

"Hey! That's insulting!"

"Duh,"

"HEY!"

"Unless you want to be shot at I suggest you shut up!" snapped one of the men from the head of the group, "we're kinda there!"

Rodney and the man he was arguing with both growled before following the rest of the group into the falling apart building.

oOo

"How much longer?" asked John as he fidgeted in his seat.

"There's still forty-five minutes sir," replied a woman from nearby, "there's plenty of time,"

"Wait until those forty-five minutes suddenly turn into one minute, then you won't be saying we have plenty of time!"

"When that happens I'll apologize for saying we had plenty of time forty-five minutes ago,"

"Forty-four,"

"What?"

"When we have one minute left, this conversation would've taken place forty-four minutes ago,"

"Of course sir,"

John frowned as he looked up at the blank screen again. He knew these guys probably wouldn't keep true to their word... not completely anyway.

oOo

Alex groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She was back in the cell.

"I hate this place," she murmured angrily as she tried to sit up, which only resulted in her yelping out in pain and collapsing back down.

"This place sucks," she said as she stared up at the blank and dirty ceiling, "really, really sucks,"

"Stop your grumbling," yelled someone from outside the door, "it's giving me a headache!"

"Good!"

"Why you little brat! You're so lucky I'm not allowed to hurt you... yet,"

"Yeah, yeah... it's not like this hasn't happened before,"

"What?"

"I'm kinda used to it... it seems to happen a lot... John said I was popular,"

"Popular..."

"Aha, because everyone tries to kidnap me... the only bad part is that I've nearly been killed more times than I can count..."

"So over ten times,"

"More or less,"

"... That was an insult you idiot!"

"I know, I just couldn't be bothered to act insulted,"

Alex smiled as she heard a growl come from outside the door. She enjoyed annoying these guys, it was fun... at least it would be until the hour was up.

Alex sighed as she painfully crawled over to the wall and propped herself up.

"This really, really sucks," she moaned before a wave of pain engulfed her and she fell over, unconscious.

oOo

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she watched John pace around the control room. There was five minutes left until the hour was up and he was extremely anxious.

"Stop worrying John," said Elizabeth, stopping John from pacing, "Rodney and the marines should be there by now,"

"What if they were caught?" asked John, "what if they were caught and now those guys are preparing to slice Alex apart!?"

"They would contact us first,"

"And how do you know that!?"

"They'd want you to suffer John,"

"True..."

"Calm down... at least until they contact us,"

"But they might want her to lose a limb or two before they show her to us!"

"Why would they do that?"

"She annoys the crap outta any people that capture her!"

"They would still want you to witness it!"

"But--"

"No buts John, she'll be fine at least for another five minutes, and Rodney's team should've gotten to them by then,"

"I'm not so sure about that,"

"Plus Alex's mother will try her best to prevent her daughter from being killed,"

"What about badly hurt!? Or sliced!"

"I think sliced would be something her mother will try to prevent,"

"I just don't want her to get hurt Elizabeth... at least not anymore,"

"I know... and we'll stop them before they hurt her anymore,"

"Maybe..."

"We will!"

John frowned and sat down on the nearest empty chair, "I'm not so sure," he whispered, out of Elizabeth's hearing range, "I really don't think they can get there that fast..."

oOo

"We're almost there," said the head marine as he rounded a corner.

"And how do you know that?" snapped back Rodney.

"There's a light up ahead,"

"Oh... right, yeah... I knew that,"

"Sure you did, whatever you say,"

"Sir... I think there's someone up ahead," said one of the marines as he looked towards the light, "I'm not sure, but it looks like a figure of someone,"

"One of the bad guys?" asked Rodney as he started to tremble.

"I don't think so,"

"Why not?"

"For starters, it looks like a female, she's glowing and creating the light and Steven never liked the idea of working with a woman,"

"What a nice guy..."

"Plus... she doesn't seem to be standing... or even have legs for that matter..."

"What!?"

Rodney pushed his way to the front and stared at the figure bathed in the light. It definitely was a woman and she definitely wasn't touching the ground.

"Okay... this is creepy," whispered Rodney, "very, very creepy,"

"Follow me," said the woman suddenly as she floated backwards a little bit, "please follow me... you must!"

"Why must we?" asked the head marine, standing beside Rodney at the front of the group.

"I do not wish for my daughter to be harmed... please, you must follow me... you must save her!"

"My... daughter..." repeated Rodney, blinking rapidly, "daughter?"

"My dear daughter is in danger... please help her... I cannot stay here for long, they'll pull me back soon! But I can't watch her die! I can't!"

"Right... yeah... just... uh... lead the way?"

The woman nodded as she floated out of sight.

"What are you doing Doctor McKay?" asked one of the marines as Rodney started following the woman.

"Don't you get it!?" exclaimed Rodney, "that's Alex's mother! We have to follow her!"

"And how do you know that?"

"Go your own way if you want... I'm following her,"

The marines looked at each other before following Rodney down the narrow tunnel.

oOo

"Sir... the hour's up," said one of the people in the control room.

"Already!" exclaimed John, jumping to his feet, "this isn't good! Not at all! They haven't reached her yet!"

"Calm down John," replied Elizabeth, "no one has contacted us yet so it's alright so far,"

"But for how long!?"

"Be patient,"

"I've been patient for sixty minutes!"

"So another few won't hurt!"

"Elizabeth..."

"Just hang on a little longer John, it's only time to start worrying when the bad guys contact us,"

"But--"

"We already went through this,"

"It's just nerve racking,"

"If you think your nervous, imagine how Alex must feel, she doesn't even know how long it's been!"

"She better be alive,"

"She is, they wouldn't kill her without you watching,"

"Comforting..."

oOo

Alex groaned as she looked up at the ceiling. She wanted to sleep and go far, far away from this place but she knew it wasn't good if she did.

"Damn it," she said softly, her voice filled with pain and despair, "I wanna go home... where are you John? Take me home... please..."

Alex sighed as the darkness took her sight.

"Please come please..."

oOo

"She's in here," said the woman, nodding towards the outside of a dreary looking cell, "the guard is right outside... be careful,"

"Uh... thanks," stammered Rodney as he looked at the outside of the dark and dreary cell.

"Please keep her safe... I don't want her to be killed or hurt,"

"Right... well... I'm sure we'll do our best,"

"That is all I ask, good luck Doctor McKay,"

The woman smiled at Rodney before suddenly vanishing into nothing.

"What do we do?" asked one of the marines.

"You guys take out the guard and I save Alex," replied Rodney, not taking his eyes off the outside of the cell.

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"It's the only option... now go!"

The marines all looked at each other warily before turning the corner with Rodney following closely behind.

It only took a couple of seconds for the guard to be knocked out and the cell to be opened, and, as soon as the cell door was broken down, Rodney rushed through and went straight to the limp figure of Alex.

"Alex," he whispered warily as he carefully touched her arm, "are you alright? Alex?"

There was no response. Rodney frowned as he sat her up, she was limp and her bones were visibly broken.

"We have to go Doctor McKay," said the head marine as he went into the cell, "right now,"

"But Alex isn't moving! She won't move!" exclaimed Rodney, his voice trembling in fear.

"Doctor!"

"She won't move! She won't move!"

The marine rolled his eyes in frustration before walking over to Alex, yanking her up in a bridal grip and marching out of the door, nodding to the closest person the drag Rodney out of the cell.

Yay! Alex has FINALLY been rescued... I think...