Disclaimer – If you don't know by now… (Thanks to the transcribers on GateWorld for the time saver!)

Massive spoilers for S5 episode 'Identity.'

A/N – Written for RDAfan61/Shelly. Because I agree, where did Ronon come from? What if he hadn't been following Neeva around to bail Rodney out? Ouch!

Identity AU

Rodney stood in the cockpit of the Puddle Jumper in the bay and gazed in concern at the woman in front of him who looked like Jennifer. He still did not know that she had in fact been taken over by Neeva.

He said, "Look, I don't know what is wrong with you, but you are clearly not yourself. I'm taking you back to the Infirmary"

He reached forwards and tried to grab her so that he could lead her away. She pulled her hand back out of his reach and uttered and definite, "No."

Rodney, slightly fazed, carried on regardless, "Well, you can argue all you want, I'm not letting..."

He stretched out his hand a little more forcefully, but she roughly pushed his shoulder and he backed away slightly. Neeva began to get a little angry at his advances and said, "You are not taking me anywhere."

"Jennifer? I need you to listen to me. As soon as you are cured of whatever it is that is affecting you, you're gonna thank me for this, so, let's go."

Rodney reached forwards yet again and Neeva finally snapped. She said, "No. Don't." As she pushed Rodney around until he was in the cockpit and trapped between the front of the Jumper and her as she stood in the way of his only exit. She quickly reached behind her back and pulled out the gun she had hidden under her shirt and pointed it unwaveringly at Rodney's chest.

Rodney's eyes widened in shock and panic as he glanced nervously down the barrel of the gun being aimed at him by the woman who he thought loved him. He asked through a shaking voice, "What are you doing?"

Neeva gritted her teeth together and her eyes lit up in fury as she said in vehemence, "Should've taken me on that ride."

Her finger squeezed the trigger steadily and Rodney can only stand there completely defenceless and at her mercy as a loud bang reverberated around the small cockpit from where she pulled the trigger all the way back.

The bullet flew from the gun and hit Rodney in the right side. He cried out in pain as he fell down and blood quickly flowed out and soaked his clothes. It stained his uniform almost black as the colours mixed together. The bullet went right through him and ended its very eventful journey embedded in the glass of the windscreen. Rodney's blood also flew out behind him from the exit wound and splattered onto the window.

Neeva turned the gun over to examine it more critically, "Hmm, not so efficient considering I was aiming for your chest."

She looked down at Rodney as he futilely clutched his side to try and stop the bleeding. He had his eyes screwed tightly closed and whimpered in agony as he writhed on the floor. He was lying bent double on his side and a wide dark patch was rapidly spreading out across his back as his blood pooled on the deck underneath him. His uniform darkened further as he rolled into the thick red liquid that had just leaked from him.

Neeva narrowed her eyes coldly and said softly, "You're going to help me get out of this place."

Rodney cracked his pain filled eyes open and looked up at her as she loomed over him dangerously. He furrowed his brow in sadness and Neeva thought she saw something deeper inside him behind his tired blue eyes. She recognized it as the twisting knife of betrayal and knew she could use it against him.

Blood trickled from his mouth which made him cough harshly. He curled up into a tight ball and clamped both of his arms against his stomach as firmly as he could.

Neeva shook her head and angled the gun down at him. She used her foot to kick Rodney in the shoulder and rolled him over. He cried out and flinched as he flopped down to lie flat on his back on the deck, where she needed him to be in order to continue her torment. Neeva kept her steely eyes on his rapidly weakening body to make sure he did not try anything.

He mumbled under his breath, but Neeva could hear him. "Why, Jennifer? Oh oh, I thought you loved me, as I loved you with everything I had? Why did you kill me? I certainly can't fly this thing. Even if you decide not to put me out of this misery now, I don't think I'll ever fly again. What are… Ah, uh!"

Rodney let out a weak cry as Neeva savagely kicked him in the ribs to shut him up. An audible crack rang out in the tiny cockpit. Rodney closed his eyes and shook. Tears of pain and betrayal ran down his face and mingled with the blood from his mouth, which steadily tracked down his cheeks and dripped onto the deck beneath. He kept both of his hands pressed down on his side, but dark red blood was visible in between his fingers.

Neeva planted her foot in the centre of Rodney's chest and leaned some of her weight against his broken ribs. He lifted his trembling and bloody hands away from the gunshot wound and reached up in desperation and pushed them against the heel of her boot. He had no strength left to force the crushing foot away from him and he whimpered again and choked as more blood flowed up his throat.

Rodney furrowed his brow and shut his eyes tightly as he gritted his teeth. He began to wheeze shallow and painful breaths when Neeva pressed her foot down even more heavily on his damaged ribcage.

Suddenly Rodney stopped breathing all together and his arms fell down limply by his sides. Neeva removed her foot and crouched down. She whacked the side of Rodney's face with the butt of the gun she was still holding and said angrily, "Are you going to fly this thing or not?"

Rodney's chest hitched as he managed to restart his breathing naturally but he remained unconscious. Underneath the blood and tears his face was pale and bruised from where Neeva had hit him. His head lolled sideways and his mouth hung open as there was no way he was now going to wake up after Neeva's brutal torture.

She stood up and looked down at him in disgust. She said, sounding annoyed, "Ugh! Dr McKay, you are far too soft for your own good and you were supposed to be my ticket out of here." She glanced around the Jumper and seemed to weigh up the worth of the ship with her eyes and mind, "This vessel would've fetched a high price. Maybe I could've kept it for myself, but now you've gone and ruined all of that."

"Come on!" She kicked him in the side and watched his body jolt under the force of the blow. More blood dribbled out of his mouth and the front of his uniform had a large shiny patch all around the tiny hole in the fabric where the bullet had punched through. He did not even twitch or make any sound. All that Neeva could hear was the unsteady wheeze and rattle of the blood in his lungs and throat as he struggled to keep breathing.

She pointed the gun down at his head, but shrugged and stalked away out of the rear hatch into the Jumper Bay. She tucked the weapon into her trousers and called back to Rodney, who lay sprawled out and unmoving on his back, "You'll be dead before anyone finds you anyway."

Neeva walked up one of the corridors in Atlantis, looking for her next victim. She still needed to find out what was going on and stared at the ground as she thought about the best way to get out of the strange body and place she had found herself in.

She did not even give a second thought to the people she had hurt as she only thought of exactly who she would choose next. She needed someone who could fly one of the Jumpers, but she had no idea who could unless she asked some pointed questions.

She was still deep in thought when she turned a corner and came face to face with Ronon Dex. She drank in his appearance and he narrowed his eyes at her as she traced a line with her sight up his body. His expression then changed and became neutral as her eyes locked with his.

He said gruffly, "You're up late."

Neeva calculated her reply quickly as she very briefly saw a flicker of flame burning behind Ronon's eyes, before is was gone again. "I was looking for you."

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "Why?"

Neeva gave him her best seductive look and stepped closer. "Because I need you."

She reached forwards and traced her hand over the muscles on his chest. He frowned and quick as a flash he reached up and grabbed her wrist tightly.

He twisted her hand palm upwards and gave it a very quiet but still audible sniff with his nose. He then looked down at her until he reached her feet. He grunted in surprise and before Neeva could grab her own gun, he unholstered his blaster and shot her twice in the chest.

Ronon tapped his radio, "Security team to Central Tower, Level 15."

He reached down and pressed his fingers together on the hem of Neeva's trouser leg, which he had seen just before he shot her. He brought his hand back and narrowed his eyes at his red fingers. He rubbed them together and then sniffed at the liquid. He tasted some of the mystery compound and then narrowed his eyes as he grunted, "Blood. The smell of gunpowder and now blood."

"Ronon to Sheppard."

There was a minute pause before a reply came, "Something's happened. Jennifer's not herself. She smells of gunpowder and there's blood on her clothes."

"Where are you? Have you seen McKay?"

Ronon straightened up as the security detail took care of the figure lying on the floor in front of him. He mumbled, "Take her to the brig."

They patted her down first and soon retrieved the gun from her waistband. Ronon was not really surprised and his expression remained neutral as they carried her away.

"I got security to take her to the brig. Haven't seen McKay."

"Meet me in the Control Room."

Ronon grunted an affirmative and headed to the nearest transporter.

With Amelia and Chuck's help, John and Ronon soon found Rodney on one of the earlier video feeds. They tracked him along corridors and through transporters until he went up to the Jumper Bay and stepped through the rear hatch of one of the ships.

John said, "Fast forward it a bit."

Chuck nodded and the tape wound on rapidly. Ronon growled when he saw Jennifer leaving the rear hatch of the Jumper and concealing a gun under her shirt, but Rodney did not follow.

John said, "What did she do to him?"

Fearing the worst, John tapped his radio, "Medical team to the Jumper Bay."

Amelia looked across at them and said, "There's still one life sign showing in the bay."

John nodded at her and then dashed away and up the stairs to the bay with Ronon on his heels.

They soon located the Jumper from the video feed and saw Rodney where he lay unconscious and bleeding on the deck. John drew in a sharp breath in shock and grabbed the med kit from the overhead rack in the rear compartment as he approached his seriously injured friend.

Ronon crouched down opposite John in the cockpit as they took up positions on either side of the stricken scientist. Ronon hastily unzipped the med kit and pulled out bandages as Sheppard checked Rodney's pulse. He baulked a little at the gory trails of blood smeared on the window, but he had seen worse things in his time so focused his attention on Rodney's pale and bruised face.

Ronon eyed McKay critically and soon located the worst injury in amongst all the blood now staining his uniform. He lifted Rodney slightly and pressed a bandage against the exit wound on his back, while Sheppard took another bandage and laid it out on top of Rodney's abdomen.

The medical team soon came into the Jumper and Sheppard relayed what he had observed, "Gunshot to the right side. He's having trouble breathing, pulse is weak and rapid."

Dr McBride and his medical team swarmed in around Rodney and John and Ronon stood back while they worked. They threaded IV lines into Rodney's arms and then cut away his shirt and pressed more bandages against the wounds to his side and back. John saw extensive dark purple and red bruising down the whole of Rodney's chest and left side.

John winced as McBride gently felt Rodney's ribcage with his hands and announced, "He has fractured ribs." He then listened to each side of Rodney's chest with his stethoscope and said grimly, "Probably a punctured lung. I'm going to need to intubate."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the equipment he needed was placed in his outstretched hand. He slid the tube in Rodney's mouth and down his throat into his lungs. One of the medical team started pumping air into his lungs rhythmically while the others rolled McKay over and slid a backboard underneath him. They then lifted him up and away onto the waiting gurney outside in the Jumper Bay.

John watched Rodney being wheeled away and heard McBride as he said into his radio, "Dr McKay has been shot. Please prep the OR. ETA two minutes."

Jennifer looked across at Rodney as he lay in the bed next to hers in the infirmary a few days later. Her gunshot wound was rapidly healing, but Rodney had taken quite a beating along with being shot by the woman who had taken over her body.

Jennifer hoped he would not be too traumatized to continue loving the woman who he thought had nearly killed him. She furrowed her brow and closed her eyes sadly as her thoughts spiralled down and hope began to abandon her.

She awoke a little later to the sound of a rapidly beeping heart monitor close to her ear. Jennifer snapped her eyes open groggily and it took her a few seconds to localise the source of the sound.

She blinked slowly at Rodney next to her as he looked across at her with terror in his eyes. He curled away from the bed and tried to get up. He placed an arm over his chest and closed his eyes as he started to wheeze painfully.

Jennifer was startled and said, "Rodney! Calm down. It's me. I'm Jennifer Keller. Neeva's gone."

"Neeva?" He gasped, as Carson came over to him quickly. Rodney arched his back in pain just before he fell back down on the bed and hugged his arms across his chest tightly. He snaked one hand down and pressed it against his right side and grimaced.

Carson injected Rodney's IV line and held onto the scientist's shoulders to keep him down as he passed from agony into unconsciousness once more and the tremors wracking his body lessened and finally stopped.

He released Rodney's shoulders and checked the bandages around his torso to make sure his injuries had not started bleeding again.

Carson sighed sadly, but did not find any new signs of external bleeding. He then turned to Jennifer and said quietly, "I think you're ready to leave now, lass. I also think it may be a good idea if you wait until Rodney is a little better before you visit again. I hope this little episode hasn't ruptured any of the internal repair work carried out by Dr McBride a few days ago."

Jennifer nodded in understanding.

A little while later, she dragged her heels as she walked slowly out of the infirmary away from the man she loved who now thought she had betrayed him.

Jennifer kept to her lab for the next few days and avoided the room where Rodney was recovering. She knew that there was always one member of his team with him to make sure he was never alone as he started to fully wake up.

She frowned at the screen of her laptop and jumped a little as John said behind her, "Knock knock?"

He came into the room anyway without a response and Jennifer turned in her chair to look up at him. He pulled up another chair and sat next to her.

"How're you holding up? Carson says you shouldn't be back at work yet. Not after what happened." He gestured down at her abdomen as he spoke.

Jennifer looked away and said, "It takes my mind off what happened and what she did to Rodney and Radek."

John smiled grimly and then brightened up, "You know, he's been asking for you."

She looked back at him with a confused expression, "What?"

"McKay. He asks about you all the time. I think he wants to know where you are." Sheppard leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows and he spoke quietly, "To tell you the truth, I think he's worried you're having an affair behind his back, while he's, uh, incapacitated."

Jennifer frowned and then asked, "But Neeva shot him! She was me and Rodney nearly died when he saw me the other day! He couldn't stand the sight of me and rolled to get away. He's lucky he didn't tear himself open again."

John shook his head, "We told him what happened and he understands now. You should see him. He's a lot stronger and he probably doesn't even remember what happened the first time he woke up."

Jennifer closed her eyes and grimaced. She mumbled, "I've been so stupid! Oh, Rodney! Now you have even more reason never to forgive me."

John patted her on the shoulder and said, "Hey, less of that. Come on, he was babbling a moment ago and he's already been hounding everyone within earshot for his laptop."

Jennifer followed John into the room she had been avoiding and sat down next to Rodney, who had apparently dozed off again. His colour was better and the dark bruise on his face had faded since Jennifer had last seen him.

She sensed John hovering behind her, but reached forwards and grasped Rodney's hand anyway and gave it a gentle squeeze.

He groaned and opened his eyes to gaze at her. Jennifer held his hand tightly as Rodney's blue eyes snapped open as they met hers and he fully woke up.

She said, "Hey. How're you doing?"

He smiled at her and raised his eyebrows, "All things considered, I now feel better than I did earlier."

John rolled his eyes and leant over to pat Rodney's shoulder. He said, "I'll leave you two kids alone," before he walked away.

Jennifer rubbed her thumb over the back of Rodney's hand and looked down as he gently pressed her hand in return. He asked, "What's wrong?"

"I didn't think you would ever forgive me."

"Why wouldn't I? It wasn't you. It was Neeva." He grimaced and turned away. Jennifer felt a shiver run through his hand.

"What did she do to you?"

Rodney furrowed his brow and said quietly, "What, apart from being shot and kicked, by the woman who looked like the one I love?"

Jennifer took his hand in both of hers and caressed his skin. "I'm so sorry."

Rodney verbally waved her off, "Don't worry about it now. I'm not really ready to talk about it yet, not while it's so fresh and the injuries hurt as much as they do."

Jennifer stood up and placed a hand on the unmarred side of Rodney's face and their eyes locked together. She said seriously, "When you are, I'll be waiting."

Rodney nodded and his eyes drifted closed as he fell asleep again. Jennifer pulled her chair up closer to him and continued to hold his hand as he floated away into his dreams.

A/N – if you watch Identity again, the rest of the episode could probably play out normally even with McKay out of the picture (after all, it was Ronon who deactivated the device in the end).