Jammeke – Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked Laura's cooking lesson and John and Elizabeth are very cute. Hope you enjoy this chapter, the next one is the last.

Chapter 36

They were heading toward the planet Caladen, Ronon's people had detected the cloud in that area just before they'd made their escape. It would be only a few hours now until they reached the planet. They didn't really know why they were heading there; it just seemed like the thing to do.

"Won't Kolya and the others go there?" she questioned from the co-pilots chair. Ronon threw her a look that she'd already received several times over the last twenty four hours for putting her feet on the edge of the console. She ignored it like she had done every other time he'd given her it.

"They have no idea where've we gone; the shuttle isn't Vernai so they have no way to track it. They'll stay where they are until the rest of the fleet arrives over the next two days and then they'll come looking for us. Meanwhile every single Vernai officer will have received a memo that we are to be arrested. All Vernai controlled planets, space stations and outposts will have received the information as well, they'll be circulating our pictures even as we speak," Ronon explained to her and it made her feel slightly depressed.

"So we can't go anywhere in Vernai territory," she summed up "And if we go anywhere near the Alliance, they'll probably kill us. Things are definitely looking up for us."

"I didn't say this was going to be easy," he stated "But if Kolya had got his hands on you I guarantee things would not have ended well. He doesn't care that you're the Electus, his plans for you would have killed you and after a berating from the Admiral he would have continued on his merry way. He probably would have made it his mission in life to get hold of Elizabeth so he could do it all over again."

"Do I even want to know what his plans for me were?" Teyla questioned.

"No."

"Well on that happy note, I'm going to go and get some sleep before we arrive on Caladen," she said as she stood up and headed into the rear compartment. It was small but it had two beds, not that they used both and some storage space for food and other essentials. She quickly changed into something more comfortable than the tight jeans and t shirt she was wearing and climbed into the nearest bed.

She knew that Ronon had done this for her, to keep her safe and she felt guilty that he'd lost everything because of her. He was now a fugitive on both sides of the war and she had to wonder if she'd done the right thing by agreeing to come with him. If she hadn't he'd still be safe aboard his Vernai ship, well as safe as one could be amongst the Vernai. She had a pretty good idea what Kolya's plans for her had involved and none of them were particularly appealing to her for a number of different reasons.

She also knew her propensity for getting herself in trouble; her current situation was a perfect example. Ronon had always been there to bail her out, except of course when he'd been the source of the trouble. Not only would Kolya have not bailed her out of trouble but she was fairly sure he would have punished her for it even if she did manage to get herself out of it.

She'd been with the Vernai for almost five months now and it felt weird to be leaving it all behind. Corlain seemed like a long time ago, like another life and she realised then that in many ways it was. She'd been a different person back then, naïve and innocent. That girl had died the day she woke up to find herself in a cell aboard a Vernai ship.

John kept hold of Elizabeth's hand as they worked their way through the streets of the market place. They'd once again arrived too late to save these people and he knew Elizabeth would feel the impact of that before long. The rest of the group were following along close behind in unusual silence. Their show of respect for all of the dead that now littered the streets.

Elizabeth took a sharp breath and buried her face in John shoulder and John knew immediately what she'd seen. One of the bodies, burnt and eaten away beyond recognition, it was small, only a couple of feet tall. A child, no older than two or three years, just another in a long list of the clouds most helpless victims. He tightened his hold on her hand and didn't linger there long.

He was about to suggest they start looking for the survivors when Elizabeth froze. "It's still here," she said quietly. Out of the corner of his eye John saw Rodney start looking around frantically but he kept his attention on Elizabeth.

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded her head and closed her eyes for brief moment.

"This way," she stated as she turned and started heading toward the edge of the city.

"Why are we heading toward the cloud?" Rodney questioned "It already attacked, what good will fighting it do?"

Marcus shrugged and followed after the others leaving Rodney no choice but to do the same though he made his dislike of the situation abundantly clear. They were walking for almost ten minutes before they reached the edge of the city. There was a line of trees up ahead and the odd building behind them but there was no sign of the cloud.

"It's not here, let's go," Rodney said quickly but no one moved.

"It knows I'm here," Elizabeth said quietly and the tension in the air was almost tangible.

"How do you know?" Carson asked.

"I can feel it," she stated, the connection between her and the cloud felt stronger than it had ever done before and try as she might she couldn't seem to force her will through it.

All of a sudden the dark mass appeared from amongst the trees, coming out of the trees quickly and heading straight for them over the grassy field. It was a terrifying sight and John and the others all took a step back involuntarily. Elizabeth remained where she was though as it came closer and she focused every bit of her will on to it and raised her hands as if gesturing for it to stop.

It kept coming closer though and all she could do was focus harder, she straightened out her arms and the cloud suddenly stopped. It was only a few feet away, she could almost feel the power radiating from it; it was as though everyone it had killed, every human whose life it had taken had made it stronger. She wouldn't be able to hold it here for long, she knew that much.

"All of you go," she stated.

"What?" John exclaimed "No."

"I can't hold it here forever, you have to leave now," she stated and John was about to protest when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to see Teyla and Ronon walk out from behind one of the buildings and in a second everyone had raised their guns. Laura, Marcus, John and Rodney were aiming their weapons at Ronon and Teyla and the two of them were aiming their weapons right back at the Alliance.

"You're out numbered," Marcus stated.

"Numbers don't matter," Ronon replied dangerously.

"Lower your weapons," John ordered them but neither member of the Vernai made a move to do so.

"You lower your weapons," Ronon instructed and again no one made a move to comply.

"Guys!" Elizabeth said as she continued to try and hold back the cloud which was quickly becoming more difficult "Can we do this some other time?"

Teyla was the first to lower her weapon as she looked at the dark cloud that loomed in front of them. It was bigger than she had ever seen it and she knew that Elizabeth would not be able to hold it for long and when she failed, everyone here would die.

John lowered his weapon a moment later and eventually everyone else present followed suit. Teyla stepped forward to stand next to Elizabeth and John kept a tight grip on his weapon as he holstered it.

"I will help you destroy it," Teyla said quietly as she added her own power to Elizabeth's to hold it back. With both of them using their power for the same purpose it seemed easier, Elizabeth no longer had to focus solely on holding it there though she knew that once the cloud adjusted to the increase in their power it would continue toward them again.

Elizabeth lowered her hands and turned to Teyla; somehow with both of them there together she knew what she had to do. She looked to John; he wasn't going to like this "We have to go into it."

Teyla took a few steps over to Ronon "I have to do this," she told him when she could see his reluctance to let her go. He nodded his head in silent understanding and she turned around to see Elizabeth talking to John.

"No, it'll kill you," John argued and Elizabeth shook her head.

"Not if we both go in," she told him and she could see he wasn't happy about it. She stepped forward closing the distance between them and put her arms around his neck. His arms automatically went around her waist and he held her tightly as though he thought that would keep her from going. "I have to," she whispered and then pulled back and gave him a quick gentle kiss before nodding to the others and then moving to stand right in front of the cloud.

Teyla moved to stand beside her; it really struck her how much these people cared about her. She'd never had that with the Vernai, other that Ronon they'd all despised her. She shook that line of thinking out if her head, those were thoughts for another time, when she wasn't about to walk into a giant, dark cloud that ate human flesh.

She looked at Elizabeth and reached her hand out; Elizabeth took it knowing it was the only thing that would protect her. They stepped forward together and were immediately consumed by the darkness. She couldn't see anything through the dark that enveloped them.

Elizabeth had to struggle for every step forward, the air was being blasted against them trying to push them not only out but apart and she had to tighten her hold on Teyla's hand. They were running completely on instinct, knowing they weren't yet far enough into the dark mass to be able to destroy it. She felt her hand slip slightly on Teyla's and panic momentarily tried to assert itself. If she lost Teyla's hand even for split second the cloud would have them and they'd look just like all the other bodies out there.

Two more names to add to a list already far too long.

Instinctively she knew she was far enough into the cloud now to be able to do what she had to do. She knew she was right when Teyla stopped at the same time she did and she turned to face her. She reached out for Teyla's other hand and despite the resistance the cloud was putting up Teyla managed to take it.

Teyla closed her eyes and focused on one single thought, on her desire to destroy the cloud and see this whole thing end. Suddenly it felt as though her body were being ripped apart, she could feel the energy being drained from it. She didn't dare to open her eyes, she was terrified of what she would see but instead she kept her mind focused on the one thought; that she wanted to destroy the cloud.

The pain seemed to last forever and she couldn't even understand how she was still standing. Her body had no energy left in it to give but somehow more kept being taken from her. She was sure her body should have been torn to pieces by now but as far as she could tell it was still in one piece. The pain kept increasing until she could no longer hold back the cry of pain she'd been suppressing. Teyla heard her own voice, strained with pain along with Elizabeth's.

Abruptly, the pain stopped and Teyla was thankful for the oblivion that quickly claimed her. She could feel nothing, no pain, she tried to move her body but if it worked she had no idea because she couldn't feel that either. It became harder and harder to cling onto her thoughts and eventually she just let them go and surrendered to the nothingness that was pulling her in.

John watched as a light began to emerge from the dark mass growing stronger and stronger. He'd lost sight of Elizabeth the moment she'd stepped inside the dark cloud and he couldn't help but be afraid for her. Marcus had moved to stand by his side in a silent show of support and Rodney, Carson and Laura were all stood together with their eyes fixed on the dark mass.

Commander Dex was also stood silently, waiting to see what would happen and John had to wonder why the hell he and Teyla were there. The light continued to grow and John heard two cries coming from inside the cloud. One he knew was Elizabeth and the other obviously Teyla and he had to stop himself from marching in there. The light suddenly flashed so bright he had to cover his eyes and when he opened them the cloud was gone.

Teyla and Elizabeth were stood there several feet away holding hands. They both collapsed almost immediately and John and the rest of the group ran over to them. He could hear the sound of a large ship landing nearby but as he reached Elizabeth he didn't much care.

"The Independence," he vaguely registered Marcus say. He knelt down beside Elizabeth's unmoving form and pulled her against him, he was more afraid in that moment than he had ever been in his life.

TBC