AN: So this is my Christmas chapter, and I might not get another up before the end of the year. But never fear! I shall return to finish it! Enjoy this chapter and drop me a line at the end!
May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Special thanks to Ladygris, Sirona, Crye 4 Me & AWanderersHaven for reviewing!

In response to Sirona's review:

But of course! I couldn't just let it end there!

LOL! No reason to get cranky? Hmmmmm, he might disagree with you there!

Ponder away! But first, please read and enjoy!

Thanks for reviewing!

~Penguin

/\_/\_/\_/\_/\

A fist to the gut, another to his jaw. One to his ribs, and yet another to his jaw, blood dripping from the cuts.

Lorne's head hung to the side while he tried to get his breath back. Lucas stood in front of him, rubbing his fist.

This had been going on for several days now, Lucas coming into his cell, beating him for a while, and then untying him and leaving. He fed him occasionally, mostly pieces of stale bread.

"You handle your punishment well." Lucas remarked. "Let's see how you handle this."

Lorne looked up in time to see a cattle prod-type thing coming towards him. It was actually a Gou'ald torture stick, but he'd always preferred the name 'cattle prod'.

The prod landed on his leg, and he tried to hold in the scream that threatened to rip from his lips as the pain came in a huge wave, not letting up. He arched back into the chair as yellow light burst from his eyes and mouth.

The prod was raised and Lorne collapsed back into the chair with a gasp, trying to catch his breath again. He only had a few more moments of air before the pain was back, in a different form this time.

Lucas struck his face once, twice, three times, producing a split lip and a bruised jaw. Lorne's head went with each hit and he was sure he now had whiplash, as his neck was throbbing.

Raising his head despite the pain, Lorne glared at his captor. Lucas replied by shocking him with the prod again.

Lorne's body arched again, the pain radiating throughout his worn body. The new cuts on his face hurting greatly. He managed to hold in his scream, however, and he knew that it irked Lucas.

The prod was taken away, his body folding in on itself, and Lorne was able to glance up just in time to see the stick swinging towards his face. He was aware of pain throughout his head, and then nothing.

/\_/\

"Off-world activation!" Chuck announced.

"IDC?" Sheppard asked. They were expecting several teams back, hopefully one of them would have news of Lorne.

"Major Teldy's IDC."

"Let 'em through." Sheppard ordered, heading for the stairs. He reached the bottom just as Major Teldy and her team came through.

"Colonel, we've got something." That was all Teldy needed to say before she was ushered into the briefing room for a full recount, her team heading for their post-mission checks.

P3X-498, the planet they were visiting, was home to the Baranians. Much like the Athosians, Baran had a lot of visitors. One trader had come through not two days earlier and told the villagers of a man with glowing eyes. The man was said to have a special prisoner, one that had his un-divided attention.

The man with glowing eyes had supposedly taken some people from this man's village; one in particular for what was called a 'host'.

"Did this trader happen to know where?" Sheppard asked when Teldy was finished.

"Yes, Sir. We have a gate address." The Major said, standing in preparation to leave the room. "Do you want us to come with you?" She asked.

"Yeah, but go get your post-mission check with the Doc while I gather up some others. We're not letting that snake escape again."

"Yes, Sir." Teldy said, heading for the door.

/\_/\

When Lorne came to, he was lying on the floor of his cell; the chair he had been tied in was in pieces beside him. The chair was metal, so the fact that is was in pieces said a lot about how irked Lucas must've been.

Lorne tried to move, groaning as his sore muscles protested. Pushing past that, he rolled into a sitting position, moving to sit against the wall. He wasn't surprised to feel dried blood plastered to his head, but the amount did slightly shock him. Looking around, Lorne saw a small plate with bread on it near the door. However, instead of the usual stale bread, this looked fresh. Beside it sat a cup, but he was unable to see into it from where he was.

It hurt, but he was able to crawl over to it. He saw that it was indeed fresh bread and the cup was filled with water. Clear, fresh, cool water. Sipping it, Lorne silently thanked whoever had brought it.

Lorne's eyes went again to the metal pieces on the floor, even as he ate the bread. His mind running a hundred miles an hour, Lorne quickly came up with a plan. His cell was secured with a good old fashioned lock; perhaps he could use the metal pieces to pick it.

He made his way over to the closest piece, picking it up and testing its strength. He needed small pieces to fit into the keyhole, and this one seemed perfect. It held and he picked out another piece, crawling back over to the door.

Reaching out and around, Lorne tried several times to pick the lock. He almost dropped his picks a few times, but he managed to hang onto them.
Eventually, he got the picks to work right, and the door swung open. However, he had used most of his energy trying to pick the lock, and he now leaned against the wall, exhausted.

/\_/\

Sheppard and company moved silently through the woods, searching for the opening that would lead them down into Lucas' lair and hopefully to Lorne, alive.

"Over here." McKay whispered, motioning to his right, eyes still on the LSD he had. "Right about… here." He said as he stopped right in front of a large stone circular object with a metal grate covering the top.

Ronon lifted the grate, and Sheppard shown his light down into the pit-like stone passageway, checking for anything that might be there. A ladder led down into the pit, and Sheppard grasped the first rung, stepping into the grate, headed down.

/\_/\

Lorne knew he had to move or he'd never get out of there. He pushed himself off the wall, considering it an improvement when the room didn't spin. He picked two of the largest metal pieces to use as impromptu bantos rods, but if Lucas had gotten his powers back, he'd be in trouble.

He slowly made his way down the hall away from his cell, not surprised when he saw no one.

Opening the door at the end of the pathway, Lorne looked out and checked his surroundings. No one was in sight; he moved onwards, headed towards a door just to the left of the one he'd previously opened. He moved on through that door as well, hoping he wasn't going in circles.

This hall opened into a large cavern, high ceiling and stalactites making it seem as though he was underground. He'd been to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico a few times with his sister, and this cavern reminded him of that. Except this one had torchlight and Ancient consoles lighting it instead of flashlights.

Lorne moved around the stalactites, carefully checking for booby-traps. He wasn't looking hard enough, because the fist came out of nowhere, sending him backwards into the wall. His poles skidding across the floor, Lorne looked dazedly up into Lucas' eyes.

He tried to stand, but the room spun and he sat back down, knowing his time was up when Lucas' eyes glowed evilly and he lifted one glittering hand.

/\_/\_/\_/\_/\

AN: I've been to Carlsbad Caverns twice in my lifetime, once a few years ago and again this past October. If you've never been, I suggest you go. It's completely and utterly amazing.
Merry Christmas!