Thanks for the great response to the first chapter! You reviewers are all wonderful! I hope the rest of the story lives up to your expectations. Here's chapter two!

Ford didn't like the fact that he was following a trail of blood. He also didn't like the fact that he was chasing his CO who should know to report in, especially if someone was injured. All possible situations were running through his mind, each one not a situation he was happy with. Just then, his eyes caught the movement of two yellow dots on the life-signs detector. They were moving slowly, away from the explored parts of the city.

The marines double-timed it, still keeping a careful eye out for the danger that Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay were obviously fleeing from. They came closer and closer to the dots until they were only a turn away. Slowing down, Ford cautiously led the marines around the corner. "Major? Dr. McKay?" A soft cry of pain reached his ears. Moving forward, Ford pointed his gun towards the sound. "Major Sheppard?"

"Stay back!"

They shaky, high-pitched command stopped Ford in his tracks. Shaking his head, Ford stepped closer to the voice. To his surprise and shock, a little boy who looked no older than six years old stepped out of the shadows. Dark, unruly hair threatened to cover his face and the sharp, hazel eyes that peered out from beneath his bangs. The boy seemed to be dressed in an oversized shirt and too-big pants that were held up by a long belt tied around his waist. What really caught Ford's attention, however, was the pistol clutched in the boys shaking hands, the barrel pointed straight at the soldiers.

Instantly, Ford pointed his P-90 away from the boy. "Take it easy now, kid."

His words didn't seem to placate the child. "Go away! I won't let you hurt him again!"

Slowly Ford laid his gun on the ground. Standing straight, he held his hands out in an appeasing manner. "We don't want to hurt anyone. Please, put the gun down."

The kid shook his head, the gun still pointed straight at Ford. "Don't move! My dad taught me how to shoot, and I will!"

"J.D.?" The weak voice that came from the shadows drew everyone's attention. Ford watched as another boy, maybe a little older than the first dragged himself to his feet. The older boy, with straight brown hair and blue eyes, swayed on his feet and Ford saw that his oversized shirt was stained in blood. Holding tightly to a groove in the wall, the brown-haired boy tried to take in the situation through glazed eyes.

The black-haired boy, J.D., looked at the other, but before Ford could take advantage of the lack of attention, the boy turned back. His eyes were full of suspicion and fear, and a touch of hopelessness that Ford had never thought a child could have. "Please, just let us go."

Ford shook his head. "Your friend is hurt, we can help him."

Frowning, J.D. opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced when his companion took a painful step forward. The icy blue eyes of the older boy locked onto Ford's own, a piercing gaze that made a shiver run up his spine. Yet the gaze was entrancing, and it was only when the injured child began shaking terribly did he manage to break it off. The brunette boy fell to the ground with an agonizing groan, curling around his stomach as if it could stop the pain.

J.D. gave a cry of his own and dropped the gun before falling to his knees at the other's side. Ford winced as the gun clattered, but thankfully it didn't go off. The Lieutenant quickly kicked the gun away, before turning to the boys.

"J.D." rasped the brown-haired boy, "He's good. Trust him."

The black-haired boy nodded and looked up at Ford, all suspicion gone. "Please," he whispered, "help us."

Lieutenant Ford wasted no time in kneeling next to the injured boy. He had fallen unconscious, but still clutched his stomach. Lifting the oversized shirt, Ford gasped. A bloody stab wound marred the boy's pale skin. Removing his vest and jacket, he quickly placed the jacket over the wound and applied pressure. Even unconscious the boy could feel the pain and cried out. One of the marines yelled into his radio for the med-team.

Looking up at the other boy, Ford saw that J.D. looked close to going into hysterics. The lieutenant tried to focus the boy's attention. "Hey kid, can you tell me how your friend was hurt?"

"My brother."

Ford frowned. "Huh?"

J.D. furrowed his brow, and Ford was saddened to see how old the boy's eyes looked. "He's my brother."

"Alright, how was your brother hurt?"

A storm fell over J.D.'s eyes. "The people at Ammontech…" His explanation was halted as the brown-haired boy let out another groan. "Quinn!" J.D. bit his lip before placing his hands next to Ford's and closing his eyes.

Ford felt a warmth flow beneath his hands that did not come from the blood. Quinn's eye's fluttered open and focused on his brother. "No!" he cried weakly and pushed J.D.'s hands away. The raven-haired boy fell away, his face paler than before, and Ford noticed that beads of sweat now covered his face.

Before Ford could say anything, Dr. Carson Beckett and the rest of his medical team arrived. "Bloody…" whispered the doctor when he saw who his patient was. He quickly pushed Ford out of the way and began examining Quinn's wound, but not before Ford managed to get another look at it. He was astonished to see that the wound was half as deep as it had been just moments before.

The lieutenant had only a second to think about it before J.D. jumped up from the floor and threw himself at Beckett. "Get away, don't hurt him!"

Ford managed to grab the boy away from the startled doctor and pulled him tightly to his chest. "It's OK, kid, Dr. Beckett won't hurt your brother. You can trust him." J.D. quieted down, now clinging to Ford as if the soldier was his only lifeline. The lieutenant felt the child shaking like a leaf and his heart went out to him.

Beckett managed to get Quinn stabilized and ready to transport to the infirmary. Ford stood so that he could continue the search for Sheppard and McKay, but J.D. wouldn't let him go, though he cried for his brother. Feeling helpless, Ford ordered the two marines to get more back-up and return to the search. Having done that, the lieutenant followed the med-team, the little boy still in his arms.

When Ford reached the infirmary, Beckett had already hustled Quinn into surgery. Not knowing quite what to do, Ford laid J.D. down on one of the hospital beds. The boy curled up on his side, still shivering as Ford pulled the blankets over him. It took only moments for his hazel eyes to close and the boy was asleep.

Ford took a deep breath and activated his radio. "Dr. Weir, this is Ford."

The com crackled. "Lieutenant, have you found them?"

"Not yet. We found two boys in the halls, one of them wounded."

A pause. "You mean children?"

"Yes, ma'am, brothers. I have no idea where they came from. They don't look Athosian. Dr. Beckett has one of them in surgery now and the other is asleep in the infirmary."

Ford could almost see Dr. Weir puzzling over this. "I'll be right down."

I think I'll post another chapter tonight. Hope you enjoyed!