A/N: I know, I was mean leaving it on a cliff hanger last week. I apologise. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I apologise for the ending of this one too. Happy Reading.

Also, who likes Andromeda? I've started a new Andromeda fic about Harper. Please go check it out. Thank you!

A big shout out to Caty91 for always reviewing! Thank you so much! To everybody else, let me know what you think.

Chapter 11

"Wilson? Wilson? Come on, wake up. Wilson. Alex!"

She winced. Her chest ached. It felt as though somebody had sent several hard kicks to her ribs and for added effect stomped on her afterwards. The hammering at the back of her skull didn't help any and she tried to open her eyes.

"Easy now Alex, take it easy." Pearson. She managed to flicker open blue eyes to look up into a relieved face. "Alex."

"It's Ma'am."

Pearson laughed and she closed her eyes at the sharp pain it jolted through her head. "Yep. You're fine."

She tried to sift through the dark of her mind to remember what had happened. Voices muttering somewhere out of the periphery of her vision, reminded her that they were off-world and in a village. An Inn. For dinner. Then Sheppard had wanted her on the radio for something.

A groan escaped her and she tried to pull herself up. Pearson's hands on her shoulders kept her on the ground. "Don't move. Just, take it easy. You took a hell of a beating in the space of five seconds."

She opened her eyes again and winced at the brightness of everything. The sun was still high in the sky and the blue sky was still as bright as it had been since they'd arrived. Carson. "Beckett," she said and she tried to pull herself up once again.

Pearson once more tried to push her down but she only pulled away from him. He sighed and changed to helping her up. He pulled one of her arms over his shoulder and helped her to an upright position. "I lost them at the tree line. Too many tracks to follow a single one."

She groaned and felt her ribs protest at her movements. "You call it in?"

Pearson nodded. "Sheppard's on his way back with Ronan. He ordered me to get you back to the gate."

She lifted her eyes to give him a look he knew all too well. "I'm not leaving."

A tight smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "I figured you'd say that."

"Healy and Wicki?"

"Keeping an eye on the gate. Nobody leaves the planet without them knowing about it."

"Good." She made a start to pull herself away from Pearson before he pulled harder on her arm over his shoulder.

"At least let me look you over."

"I'm fine."

"Best case scenario you have a few bruised ribs. You're lucky they caught your vest. Worst case scenario you have internal bleeding from broken ribs. So sit down and let me check you out."

She glared at him before he led her to a wooden bench and sat her down. He had to help her unzip her vest but she lifted the bottom of her shirt to reveal several deep, already dangerously purple bruises. Pearson winced. "Will I live?"

He looked up at her. "Yeah. For now."

"Good," she pulled her shirt back down and began to zip her vest back up when Sheppard and Ronan came into view.

They ran up to the pair of them, Ronan already looking at the villagers with glaring accusation whilst Sheppard was looking at her with concern. "You alright?"

She nodded and stood, grinding her teeth together to keep the wince at bay. "I'm good to go."

He shook his head. "No I want you back in Atlantis. Get that," he gestured to her chest, "checked out. I'm counting four bullet holes." He stopped to frown. "You get a good look at them?"

She shook her head. "No. I went outside to talk to you on the radio. Opened the door to the Inn and got shot."

Pearson stepped forward. "I followed them to the tree line but found several tracks."

"Which way?" Ronan said, his eyes going straight to the Sergeant.

He nodded his head over his shoulder. "This way."

Alex took a hold of her P-90 and started to follow the two men. Every step she took hurt and she could feel Sheppard eyeing her. But she was supposed to be watching Carson, keeping an eye on him and keeping him out of trouble. Now he was somewhere, anywhere, and it had happened on her watch.

They reached the tree line and she stopped, letting herself shift her weight to her left leg, as Ronan crouched to eye the tracks in the dirt. Sheppard stopped next to her, delivering a side long glance. "Wilson," he said low enough so that only she could hear him. "How are you really doing?"

She looked at him, one brow raised. "I'm fine."

He frowned. "You don't look fine."

"I'll be fine."

He seemed to chew her words over for a few moments before he nodded his head once. "Alright, but when we get, a medical team will meet us at the gate and you will go with them. Understood?"

She understood it perfectly. He was giving her leniency, based upon her own judgement, to get Carson back. If anything happened to her it was on her hands not his. "Loud and clear."

"This way," Ronan said.

Sheppard nodded. "Let's go."

Alex took a firm hold of her rifle, placed one finger on the trigger guard and followed behind the group. She would pay later on for what she was putting herself through, she would pay for the pain she would feel and the aches that would radiate through her, but she could handle it as long as they got Carson back.