A/N: If I happen to have any inconsistencies with the first season of Stargate Atlantis, please inform me so that I can correct any mistakes I, the author may have made.

A/N: Note, I was spelling ZPM, ZMP, don't know why but thank's to A.C. I've fixed that.

John piloted the jumper expertly over the forested terrain of the planet. They were cloaked, not wanting to show up unannounced. Rodney was looking over his shoulder while Teyla was sitting in the other chair. A terrain map was projected over the front window of the jumper.

"There!" Rodney yelled. "That's the place."

"Alright." John replied. "We'll set down in that clearing just beyond it." He landed the ship in the small clearing. He then grabbed his P90 from the overhead rack in the back. "Teyla, stay here and watch over the ship. McKay, let's go."

Rodney jogged out of the jumper, with John right behind him. They quickly arrived at the grass and stone building that covered the ZPM's resting place. Rodney quickly set down his pack and pulled out a couple of devices.

"How long's this going to Rodney?"

"Not exactly sure, a few minutes. I have to connect these wires to the primary output on the ZPM's..."
"Just do it." John was slightly annoyed.

Rodney was quiet for a few moments. "No, the ZPM's here, and still doing well."

"Okay... so let's get going."

"Right, just give me a few seconds to pack up." Rodney quickly put everything back in his bag. "Okay, let's go."

John and Rodney walked easily back to the jumper.

"So that ZPM is still where it's supposed to be." Elizabeth said at the debriefing later, back in Atlantis. "So Lieutenant Ford found them elsewhere."

"Our only option, is to ask Aiden." Teyla replied.

"Yeah, how's he doing?" John asked.

"Doctor Beckett has assured me that Ford is under close medical supervision and marines are on guard."

"That's not what I asked."

"Lieutenant Ford is dying. We're almost out of wraith serum. Doctor Beckett is giving only enough to keep Ford alive."

"That's not the worst of it." Beckett said as he entered the briefing. "Lieutenant Ford is physically and mentally dependent on it. I'm hoping I can ween him off it slowly like this, but this is so far out of my league. If we run out of serum, he is going to die."

"What do we need to do?" Elizabeth asked.

"Frankly Doctor, we need a few more wraith bodies. Fresh ones too. The serum in the dead ones breaks down after a few days time."

"So you're saying you need us to bring back some corpses?" John asked, shocked.

"Look, I'll telling you frankly what I need. I can't synthesize the stuff. That's the only source available."

"We could use my locket." Teyla suggested. "To possibly bait a trap for the wraith."

"The issue isn't how to trap a few." Elizabeth said. "The issue is if we should draw attention to ourselves."

"Elizabeth has a point." Rodney added. "We can't go about making ourselves a target again. Even with three ZPMs, we still wouldn't survive. It would just be a matter of time."

"I'm open to suggestions." Elizabeth glanced around the table.

"We could disguise ourselves as Ethosians." Teyla suggested.

"Brilliant!" John said standing up and pacing back and forth behind his chair. "All we need are some clothes from Teyla's people, then we stage the ambush as Ethosians. The wraith wouldn't suspect it was us and Teyla's people are still safe in Atlantis if the wraith come here."

"I will go to the mainland and talk to some of my people there."

"Yeah, I'll go too."

"I would appreciate the company."

"Not to mention, someone has to fly the ship."

"Alright," Elizabeth said. "I'm giving the go ahead for this plan."
"I'll get the locket out of storage." Rodney added. "Colonel. Be very careful when you first touch this, activate it only when your ready."

"Don't worry Rodney." John replied. "Since when have I not been careful."

"Frequently." Rodney said exasperatedly as John left.

The jumper shot out of Atlantis and towards the mainland. John was flying high and fast knowing that time was against them. It was no requiring much concentration. He took to playing with a yo-yo with his right hand.

This concerned Teyla slightly. "Are you sure it is safe to do that while flying?"

"Of course." John said. "I can pilot this ship without touching the controls if I need to."

"It is disconcerting."

"Okay, I'll stop." John scooped the yo-yo up and was about to put it in his pocket when he stopped. He glanced at Teyla. "You give it a try. It's fun."

Teyla retrieved the yo-yo, looking at it quizzically. "What are you supposed to do with this?"

"It's simple, you slip the loop on the string onto your finger, then you simply let the yo-yo roll up and down on it's string."

Teyla dropped the yo-yo. It hit the floor with a bang. "It did not return."

John struggled not to laugh. "That's because you let it hit the floor. At maximum extension, it's supposed to be just above the floor, that's what allows it to bounce back up.

Teyla tried again. This time, the yo-yo bounced part of the way back up, before falling back down and coming less and less of the way up, until it stopped. "I believe I still have not grasped the technique."

John laughed out loud this time. "Did you see what I was doing? I gave it a little push with my hand. Then when it bounced back up, I caught it and did it all over again."

Teyla gave the yo-yo a gentle push. It glided down to the end of the rope, then bounded back up. Teyla caught it easily. "I did it."

"See, fun isn't it."

By the time they were at the mainland, Teyla was throughly enjoying herself. She had a smile on her face and played with the yo-yo as they entered the Ethosian village. She only stopped when she was talking to Soomi, one of the village launders. "We need to borrow some clothing." She said to Soomi.

"Why would you have need of our clothes?" Soomi asked. "You have much finer ones in Atlantis."

"Yes, but we need to disguise ourselves as natives so that we may lay an ambush for the wraith."

"Oh, in that case, take what you need. I have a basket full of men's clothes here, and I just finished cleaning your old clothes Teyla."

"Thank you Soomi."

John grabbed the basket full of men's clothes and carried it back to the jumper with Teyla. Once there, he counted how many sets they had. "There's enough for six men." He said.

"And I will be joining you."

"Of course. I was thinking you, me, Bates, and four marines. I wish Ford was going with us."

"So do I, but Aiden will be much safer in Atlantis."

"So would you." John muttered, barely audiable.

"What did you say Col... I mean John?"
"Nothing, let's just get back to Atlantis."

Later that day, John and Teyla were both hiding behind a large rock near the ambush point. Bates was with two marines behind a large rock opposite their position. The remaining two marines had sniper rifles and were hiding in trees that surrounded the small clearing near the star gate.

Teyla's locket was around her neck. John was sure he had activated it the moment he'd touched it on the planet. He glanced around nervously, night was falling. "Bates, anything?" He asked into his radio.

"Nothing Colonel." Bates replied.

"Hold on sir." One of the snipers radioed. "I've got movement in the trees. Looks like four wraith... coming fast."

"Don't shoot until we do." John said quickly. "Make sure we have them alone."

"Yes sir."

John quickly checked that his safety was off on his P90 before peeking around the corner. Three masked wraith and another unmasked wraith in black robes were advancing quickly, hustling over the rocky terrain. The where close enough to hear their footsteps in the grass. He felt his heart racing.

"Three more sir!" The other sniper yelled.

John glanced at Teyla. She was crouched down, glancing around her. John then peeked around the corner again. The four original wraith were exactly where they wanted them. The other three were fast catching up.

As soon as all seven wraith were together in between both John and Bates' rocks, John motioned for Teyla to follow him. He then ducked around the rock and opened fire.

Immediately, the unmasked wraith and the masked wraith closest to him were shot by the snipers. John sprayed his shots at the group of three that were still a little bit further away. Teyla covered John, shooting into the group of four that was now reduced to two.

It took only milliseconds for the wraith to begin firing their stunners at John and Teyla. One of the shots hit Teyla square in the chest. She collapsed to the ground, dropping her P90 in the process.

John ducked behind a small rock and reached out, pulling Teyla behind it. Once she was safe, he duck back around the rock, firing as he went. Two more wraith were down, and the group of three was fleeing back the way they came.

The snipers hit two of the fleeing wraith, but then an unknown shot killed the last one. Out of the woods, Genii soldiers came racing forward.

"Back to the gate!" John yelled, throwing a smoke grenade on the ground as he went.

As he got back to the gate. Bates and the marines were already shoving a pair of wraith bodies through the gate. "Let's go!" Bates yelled.

Then John realized it. "Teyla!" He yelled. "I forgot Teyla!" He turned, heading back towards the advancing Genii soldiers. "Tell Weir what I'm doing. I'll contact you when I can."

Bates obeyed, stepping through the gate. He knew that even John Sheppard couldn't be lucky enough to survive that kind of suicide mission.