A/N: Many, many sorries for how late this chapter is. ::cowers:: Let me tell you, Finals were hell! Three final projects all due in the same week was a complete nightmare. But, I pulled through, with a third chapter to spare. Sorry again for the wait. Oh, and for an actual note, anything you see in italics blocked by quotes is Sheppard talking, unless it's inside someone else's dialog, then that's just an emphasized words. You probably figured that out already, but I thought I'd mention it.


Chapter Three: The A'vok


"Wait, wait…let me get this straight----" Ford interjected in the middle of McKay's panic attack as the man sat back, shutting his eyes, and squeezing two fingers on the bridge of his nose. Considering Rodney had come out of the incident unscathed, he didn't look well at all.

"You're telling me, the reason Major Sheppard won't wake up is because, he's in your body?"

"Not my body." Rodney replied, trying to inhale slow, soothing breaths. Strangely enough, the once sweltering temple had become quite cold all of a sudden to the physicist. "My mind, he's….I can hear him literally talking to me inside my head." With that said Ford pulled Sheppard over slipping his arms under the man's armpits and pulling John up onto him.

"You've got to be kidding me." Came John's voice, echoing right between McKay's ears, sounding casually annoyed. Which, was understandable. The last thing Sheppard remembered was moving back, as the machine gathered fuzzy lights around it, and he was about to turn round, grab Rodney and lunge to the ground when he was hit by something that felt like, warm water. It didn't hurt, he remembered that at least. More soothing, claming, when the first wave hit, his mind blacked out and yet he could feel himself being moved, pushed almost. Everything was black tar after that, and the next time he realized anything, was that he was staring at, well, himself.

At first John thought he might have died. He once heard this one guy stationed with him back at Antarctica talk about a strange experience he had as a kid. David Haskle was ten when he fell out of a tree house window, broke three ribs and cracked his head open. He said he felt warm right after he hit the ground, like he'd dunked himself in a hot bath. Then Dave swore he saw himself laying in the grass, bleeding.

But it was when his eyes seemed to move, without him willing to, he knew something was wrong. John felt feelings he couldn't explain. Panic, fear, confusion. Things he prided himself on not feeling, and then he noticed the only 'floating' he did wasn't all that high up; saw a hands moving right below him, his own hands yet, they weren't his.

"You're kidding me right?" Aiden replied, baffled. How in the matter of an hour maybe a bit more then that, did the entire mission go completely to hell?

"It's like an echo." McKay muttered sourly, finally opening his eyes an aiming a reply back at Aiden, his voice harsh, trying to obviously hide his fear behind it. "You really think I'd sit here and fabricate a story like that, for no good reason?"

"Well no." The young Lieutenant shrugged, arms still slung round his CO's body, wondering if in fact moving him at that moment was the greatest idea after all. With his lack of background on the situation, Sheppard out, and McKay talking crazy, it couldn't get much worse. "But that doesn't explain why Major Sheppard is out and your fine and now you're hearing voices."

Teyla had been watching from the main archway of the temple leading out into the jungle for sometime. She had also been trying to keep her mind off John's condition and concentrating on doing her job as a member of the team, pushing personal feelings aside. Now, it seemed too late to do anything. Quickly she pulled away from the door, taking a few hurried steps over to where her teammates where huddled on the floor together. "They have broken from the woods. Several men, armed. Though they did not see me by the doorway."

"Anything you've seen before?" Ford asked quickly, picking his gun back up and slinging it on his back before hoisting Sheppard higher so he could at least sit the man up, praying that perhaps it would bring him back. But John slumped over and back like a rag doll, completely motionless, his breathing was shallow, Aiden could barely feel his chest rising up and down under his arms, the Major's flesh was ghostly pale, and had started to become speckled with tiny blue veins just barely visible beneath John's skin.

The Athosian shook her head no to Ford's disappointment. Just what they needed, armed soldiers from a completely unknown race. Who knew who the hell they were, and why they were here.

"Now would be my opinion, of a good time to leave." Sheppard butted in, making Rodney jump, he still wasn't use to that, in fact he planed never to be use to that. This was just some strange accident, it had to be an equally easy rectifiable one. "Sheppard suggested we should leave now."

McKay got to his feet, nearly drooping backwards as Teyla took him by the arm, steadying him. "I'm ok, just, don't worry about me." He gave her a brief and halfhearted smile, before reaching forward and helping Ford lift John up. He slung one of the Major's arms around his neck and tried to pull him along when he noticed Aiden wasn't moving. The physicist stared at him intently, Ford seemed to stare right back, studying him.

"Is he really, in there?" Ford asked, trying to make sense of it all, though in truth he couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. For all he knew, he left John and Rodney intact and both conscious, he came back and McKay seemed fine while Sheppard was half dead. Not that he believed the man had anything to do with it, criminally wise, but, in all truth, the whole 'in my mind' thing just wasn't believable.

Rodney rolled his eyes, then suddenly looked away, staring at the floor as if he was listening to something. He blinked, nodded then looked back to Ford, replying awkwardly as if trying to get what he said next, to come out right. "Ford, listen to McKay-----or no more--four a.m. foosball games." McKay looked confused to say the least.

Ford on the other hand, brightened quite considerably, letting a laugh that sounded both relieved and surprised. Well if that wasn't from the Major, then Rodney was a damn good guess. The late night foosball was a secret between him and Sheppard. "Good to have you with us Sir." With that Ford was about to move on when he saw Teyla stopped in front of them, her hands raised.

The Lieutenant's smile fell instantly as he saw before them five of the armed soldiers Teyla had seen standing in their way, blocking the path to the door with guns aimed at each of them.

With the barrel of a strangely constructed gun rammed into her lower back, Teyla was pushed forward a few steps. This proved to be more of an annoyance then painful, as she clenched her jaw firmly shut, raising her arms away from her firearm. She didn't need a gun to defend herself, Teyla thought angrily, and the next man who dared lay a finger on her, would find out how.

"Alright, hold on….just everyone take it easy." Ford raised his only free hand, showing he was in no way trying to get to his rifle. Though this didn't seem to faze the soldiers one bit. They kept a dead aim at each of their heads. "Whatever we did, we didn't mean it, I'm sure this is just a big missunder---"

Just then one of the armed men shoved Teyla in the shoulder with the palm of his hand, to move her with the rest. She went with the movement spinning on her heels with such grace, Sheppard was thoroughly impressed, even though it was seen through McKay, but he knew Teyla had pride, not that it was a bad thing, but such a trait could turn a tense situation real bad, real fast.

And it did just that. Teyla latched a hand round the soldier's wrist and struck it where the elbow was, in a direction it was never meant to bend. The man growled as he was uplifted with the momentum and sent sailing to the floor as the Athosian slipped the toe of her boot in the pit of his knee, buckling it.

Before Teyla could do any further damage another soldier stepped up and cracked her along the face with the butt of his rifle, sending her backwards. This soldier moved swiftly after her, shoving Teyla up against the nearby wall, pinning her head back with the length of his rifle, digging it painfully into her throat. She reached up wrapping her hands around his arms trying to push him back, seconds away from lifting a knee in-between them and kicking her attacker across the room if she could.

"Tell her to stop McKay, before she gets herself killed! This isn't going to solve anything." Sheppard snapped. Rodney felt sick, not wanting to be in this temple, this planet, this situation any longer. But knowing just as well as the Major that the Athosian's natural sense of defense could get them all shot, Rodney quickly interjected. "Teyla!"

She looked at the physicist from across the room, eyeing him curiously, as the pressure increased on her throat, making her vision begin to grow fuzzy, her thoughts of self-survival washed away from the look in McKay's eyes. Teyla wasn't certain, but she swore should could see John behind them, urging her to let go, to just let it be for now.

Teyla loosened her grip, letting her arms fall limply to her sides. The soldier inches from her smiled coyly, pressing just a bit more into her, causing the Athosian to let out a choking cough.

"HEY!" Ford shouted, about ready to set John's body down and lay into them. "We've surrendered! Now back the hell off of her!"

The soldier that had been floored by Teyla picked himself up, bending his arm in and out testing it with a displeasured look before he shouted some low and foreign word, with that the man released Teyla and stepped back into the neat ranks with his colleagues.

The Athosian fell a step forward, clasping a hand to her throat and rubbing the pain away, it felt to her as if his rifle was still there, oxygen and pressure rushed back to her, making her head pound.

After giving, what Ford guess was some sort of order, the lead soldier jerked his head towards Ford and McKay with a glare, when Teyla finally looked up. She wearily made her way to stand next to them. Ford wished he was standing opposite with Rodney so he could ask Teyla if she was alright, but, that would have to wait.

"Now if you're done trying to be heroic." The leader grumbled, his voice sounding to Sheppard, even though from Rodney's ears, like something of the British nature. Like some of the guys back at the city. He looked them over now, as McKay looked them over; taking note of anything worth remembering.

The young leader straighten himself out, tugged his peculiar uniform of a closely tailored jacket, made of a thick, stiff dark grey material. A high, starched collar sat inches under the man's chiseled chin. The pants were of the same color, though made from a looser material, and still straight cut, no embellishes, nor means of camouflage. In fact, in John's most honest opinion, the suits were really boring. And lacked any sort of shielding or defense from projectiles.

This bothered John greatly. He had one theory, that any person who didn't wear protection was either very stupid, or was so good, they didn't need it. And these guys weren't playing dumb.

"Tell them you want to talk to their CO."

McKay, one hand raised in surrender, the opposite holding Sheppard's arm on his shoulder as his disembodied voice spoke to him, and only him; cleared his throat. Here was his chance to be diplomatic, boy was that a bad idea. "If we've broken some law of yours by coming to this temple, we didn't intend to. And if you actually asked us about it rather then kicking the crap out of us, you might have found that out." This got a reaction, Rodney didn't entirely predict. The leader looked crossly at him, a few of his men looked away from their targets to send glances to one another, seeming puzzled.

"Look, we don't know who you are, or what we've done wrong. Now I'd like to speak to your superior immediately."

The lead soldier, his injured arm forgotten, step up in to McKay's face, barely inches away, seeming to try and dwarf the physicist, though in truth both men where the same height. "The prisoners of the A'vok have no right to make requests; you should know better then that." Perhaps ten or so years younger, McKay resented the fact he was being talked down to by some boy trying to play war, thinking far better of Ford's maturity then he ever had before. But further more, the race; A'vok….didn't ring any bells for Rodney, not even from a species of alien back on Earth. Seeing the lad's poor excuse for intimidation, Rodney squared himself, getting up into the soldier's face as well. From inside Sheppard felt a distinct case of deja-vu, from earlier this morning between him and McKay. Which happened, he thought sadly, when he was still in his own body.

"A'vok? Let me think…..no first time I've heard that one, my apologies. But from the looks of it, you fellows run a really appalling operation. And it wasn't a request, it was a demand, unless your leader decided to let you kids out to play alone today." Rodney snarled, staring right into the soldier's bright and unblinking eyes, the heat of hatred and insult staring right back at him.

"Eh, a bit overkill there Skippy."

"You think so?" McKay glanced sideways, mumbling on the side of his mouth. He didn't really think too much about the statement before he made it. It was a first thing that popped in, kind of reaction. Though he did mean every word of it. This whole capture, interrogation, was completely ridiculous and getting far too dodgy for all of them.

"Yeah, just a feeling I have."

"Take them!" The soldier growled over his shoulder, taking hold of McKay by the shirt and yanking him forward, pushing him in front of him. Rodney turned in time to see the same happen to Ford, as the men encircled them, taking hold of Sheppard's body violently, practically dragging him.

"Watch it, take it easy damn it, he's hurt!" Snapped McKay as he was reared forward, his complaint ignored, the soldier behind him jammed the butt of his rifle into the physicist's back. "Come on, move it!" Was the last words spoke within the temple's cavernous room, echoing as they left.

Ford found himself being towed away, pushed out of the temple and nearly shoved down the stairs. He and the rest of the team we're lead haphazardly towards an awaiting group of what he know guessed were A'vok soldiers waiting for them in the clearing before the temple's steps.

There standing out from the rest only because his uniform was of a rusty burgundy color rather then the endless wash of grey that his soldiers wore, was what McKay thought must have been the CO he was looking for. The man turned to them, holding a sort of unspoken authority and abstinence that would put the Genii to shame.

McKay was shoved forward, his feet tripping on the cluttered jungle floor as he nearly bumped into the man before him. This fellow in the burgundy suit seemed to look Rodney over, a glare catching every so often off his wire-framed glasses, that it marred cold, calculating, dark eyes. The man looked down his long and defined nose, furrowing his fair brows.

And Rodney? Stared right back at him, a scowl that could melt the paint off a car was all he could do now, trying to push his uneasiness off as annoyance. Trying to play the part he had unwillingly brought upon himself as leader of their team. Though technically, with Sheppard inside his head, didn't that make him automatic leader?

"I'm presuming you're in charge here?" Rodney said then, surprised to find a brief smile cross over the A'vok's face. The man straighten himself up, standing at a height that could only be matched by John, though that wasn't so apparent since Sheppard's body was lowered roughly to the ground, catching the leader's attention. "There you are correct, I am Commander Dran….and who may I inquire are you?" His voice was about as careful and controlled as his eyes, speaking softly and unthreateningly charismatic. It made Sheppard a bit edgy to say the least.

John knew that the guy was playing suave, it was all an act. Hell, he did it himself sometimes, finding that kindness worked better then a threat sometimes. John considered himself the smooth-talking king of the world, and this Commander guy, was cramping his style. And that, was so not cool. Not to mention that from McKay's point-of-view, the man looked taller to John then he should have. Sheppard realized then that this was how he must have looked to Rodney normally, and a feeling came with that, something he was picking up off the physicist that very moment. It was intimidation, he could hear it in the quickening of McKay's pulse, the pounding of blood in his, being now their ears. Panic, stress, all things John usually tired to ignore, he had to with what he did. Now being in Rodney's body meant unabashed and uncontrolled feelings, things he wasn't exactly use to feeling.

"Come on Rodney, keep it together. You're doing fine, whatever you do; don't let him see you sweat."

"Too late." McKay muttered to himself, well, to Sheppard actually. He realized then that talking to John actually looked bad, in fact it looked really bad. Moreover, if he was sweating, he couldn't help it. The smothering heat had returned to his body, he could feel it all around him. He let out a slow and steadying breath through his nose before replying, trying to sound as snotty as possible. Something that, came rather easily to him.

"McKay, Dr. Rodney McKay. I'm the commanding officer of this team, and frankly I'd like to know just what the hell you think you're doing with us?"

"Good, let him think you're in control, no crap from anyone. And whatever you do, don't, and I MEAN IT, don't let them know about the city. At least not yet. Not until I've come up with something."

The Commander lifted a brow, quirking an supercilious smile, something he choose to use freely and without hesitation. "Forceful." He nodded, sliding his hands behind his back where he laced them together, seeming to heighten himself. "That is a quality, I hold high, Doctor McKay. But that doesn't excuse the fact you've been caught trespassing on a planet under A'vokien territory."

"Trespassing? In there?" Ford spoke up, referring to the temple. "We didn't know you owned it, in fact we didn't know anybody owned it. We didn't take anything, if that's what you're thinking." He received a disapproving glance from the Commander before the man turned himself back to Rodney.

"Do you always let your subordinates speak so freely?"

McKay let out an awkward laugh, catching the threatening gaze from the young Lieutenant, he didn't expect that one. "We're we come from, everyone has equal say, people are entitled to their own opinions." He should know, he gave his easily enough. "It's a well exercised rule."

Dran looked to him thoughtfully, replying despondently. "How, unorganized that must be for you. Don't you find it difficult to make affective decisions if everyone is bound to disagree?"

Glancing round, Rodney scratched the back of his head, which made a few of the armed men jerk with their rifles, thinking he was trying something. McKay opened his hand out wide, showing he was just going in for a scratch. Which he did before replying; finding these people more uptight then Kavanaugh and Bates fused together. "Actually, we agree more often then not. Then again intelligent, right-minded people tend to do that." McKay smirked malevolently.

Dran, to the team's surprise, agreed. "You're right, I must apologize for your treatment by my men, you simply caught them off guard, they're not use to such, opposition. I assure you, their indiscretions will be dealt with." This caused a stir in the ranks of soldiers.

"Opposition? What are they, Communists?" McKay had to agree with John on that. Something about these A'vok, even the Commander himself made Rodney more uncomfortable then just being at gunpoint. It was something about the man's personality, his style-----all their styles to be honest. Each was clean cut, young and organized. Every male soldier's hair was cut short and slicked back, and even though there were female units, they too had a controlled nature about them, their hair pulled back into tight short cut ponytails.

A movement to McKay's left made him look away from Dran. One of the A'vokien soldiers was near John's body, prodding it once or twice with the tip of his gun. "Ah, what the hell is that guy doing by my body?!"

"I would suggest to you, to leave him alone." Teyla growled angrily, finding such behavior towards a person in need very disrespectful, especially towards John. The soldier took the tone of her voice, the warning as little more then an annoyance when suddenly Dran grumbled the same word his toady underdog had said in the temple to make the soldier pinning the Athosian, back off. The soldier looked to his leader, cast his eyes down in shame and backed away.

It seemed to McKay that perhaps these men weren't under Dran's command all the time, perhaps rookies being taken out into the field. Whatever it was though, didn't seem to please the A'vok leader one bit. Rodney took this moment to try and begin their long awaited retreat. "Listen, Commander; I'd love to stay and chat with you, but if you haven't noticed, one of my team members is injured and right now my priorities are a touch one-sided, no offence."

"As I well enough see, Dr. McKay. But I simply can't let you wander off after what you've done, especially on a restricted planet. I have to keep an authority here under my lord and leader, if I let you go…" Commander Dran went on, speaking with a polite matter-of-factness that seemed to rub both John and Rodney wrong, the Major could feel the physicist's jaw clench as if it were his own. "What sort of example will that set for the rest of the neighboring realms? It's a law for a reason, you understand. No, offence." Dran added, with his own type of sarcasm. But two could play at that game.

"Yes well, I'm sure you're keeping a real tight lid on all that, opposition. But if you don't let me get him some medical attention, we're going to have a problem. And I don't mean anything that could be, even remotely, misinterpreted." McKay swallowed hard, deeply surprised of himself. Where was all this aggression coming from? He never threatened people like that, more or less opting to thoroughly confuse them with jargon and witty remarks. Yet he could feel strength and resolve suddenly kindling from within.

"Now if we're done here." The physicist continued, walking a step forward when guns were raised higher and the hum of what now seemed like energy generating weaponry was loaded. "Or not." Rodney raised his hands and backed away slowly.

Commander Dran watched the physicist carefully, seeming to study him once more. Though to what conclusions, Rodney could only guess. Either way, Dran frowned, sounding more then displeased, and what hinted to a slight reluctance. "You leave me in a very, unpleasant position Doctor."

McKay blanked then, he hated standstills, they wore on his nerves and turned his brain to cotton, and this wasn't exactly the best time to become fuddle-headed.

"Keep it together McKay, he's only got guns and terrorization. You've got a whole mess-load of brains up here, us them. You can do it." John could feel the situation slipping through his fingers, well, more or less he could feel them slipping through Rodney's fingers. But the sense of complete helplessness was all the same. He was useless where he was, and the only thing he could think of to do, was to motivate his teammate.

Ford wanted more then anything to just get the hell out of there, leave this planet behind and never look back. Pity things just weren't that easy, especially not now. He glanced down, in the perpetual silence that had taken over the Commander and McKay, towards Sheppard's body. He looked absolutely awful. Pale, ghostly skin glistening in the high sunlight from cold and clammy sweat; his lips were now turning a sickly shade of blue, those veins Aiden had noticed before were now more prominent in the daylight.

He made a move towards the Major's body, when the soldier in front of him raised his rifle, aiming it at Ford's head. The young Lieutenant shot up his hands, turning everyone's attention towards them.

"Whoa whoa! Hold up! I'm checking to see if he's ok; alright?!" He shouted, motioning to John's body. The soldier gave a sideways glance to Dran, who silently nodded. Ford squatted down, slowly, keeping his eyes on the gun pointed at his head until he was near his fallen teammate. He then went about pulling John's collar down, placing two fingers to his throat, at first taken back by how frozen and slimy it felt.

" Now would be a real good time for you to get it back together Sir." Aiden whispered unhappily under his breath to Sheppard, who remained still as the dead. His eyes then narrowed, fingers moving around John's neck searching. "I can't find his pulse." He said finally, looking up and directly at McKay.

Rodney's heart sunk deep into his stomach, where he was sure it was being dissolved away as it churned painfully.

Teyla could stand it no more, yanking her hands away from the soldier who had been restraining them behind her. Her gaze feel to Dran, pleading with him. "His health fades, if we do not help him, he will die. I think you understand that position, Commander." She paused, searching his expression, adding. "Please."

Dran's frown lessened, leaving him with no expression at all before he turned his attention back to Rodney. "Release them." The Commander waved a dismissive hand to his soldier, signaling what he wanted. "Well Doctor McKay, if it's that urgent you leave, then you must go."

"Thank y---" McKay began, letting out a hidden sigh of relief, before he was suddenly cut off.

"Oh don't misinterpret this, Doctor. This is a conditional release until I can have a chat with your leader." Dran turned and pointed out two of his unit and motioned for them to come forward and stand beside him. "That condition being I will also accompany you to your base of operations, along with two of my men, armed."

Sheppard should have seen that coming, McKay heard that sentiment in the sound of the Major's voice inside his mind. "Clever son of a… He's just letting us go so he can have a little look at our stuff."

"Ah, you really expect me to just allow you come waltzing in with us armed?" Rodney shot back.

Commander Dran, chuckled, cool and collective, sounding harmless. Though that same laugh, was rubbing Sheppard wrong, not that he could do anything about it. Dran then added with a more serious inflection. "Not at all, but nor are you in any position to be making ultimatums." He then once again turned quaint. Dran, to McKay, was a damn rollercoaster of water-downed emotions, none of them really seemed pure, except for the coercion, that…..from Dran was pure. "I'm a fair man, Doctor. As you'll come to find in time."

The A'vok then stepped forward, clapping a hand onto Rodney's shoulder, walking him along through his men until they stood alone. He smiled, politely, thinking they could speak frankly and alone. John was the one laughing now, who knew this would give him the opportunity to play spy for awhile.

"I'm simply looking towards the best interest of your wounded man, and of course, myself." Dran said softly, his words sounding as if he was almost hurt by the suggestion. "Would you expect me to enter into foreign territory without any sort of protection? Only a fool would do that, and I think you'll come to find as well, Doctor; that I'm no fool."

McKay frowned, looking off towards the dusty earth.

"Now, is that an adequate, condition for you?" The hand on Rodney's shoulder, squeezed, ever so slightly. Dran took the physicist's silence as contemplation, when really, McKay was waiting for what Sheppard thought of the idea. He didn't have to wait long.

"Do we really have a choice? Let him come along, Weir will know what to do."

"Fine." Rodney said finally, looking back up to Dran. The Commander's face eased, as he clapped his hands together. "Excellent." He then lead them back towards the group of A'vokien soldiers, Teyla watching both men intently, wondering what was said between them when they were out of earshot. But her question was soon answered as Dran spoke more liberally, glancing from Ford to Teyla, then back to Rodney. "I'm very intrigued to see what sort of operation you have running. It's not very often we A'vok find such, unique people in the same planetary system." McKay couldn't help but scowl, especially from the look he was getting from Teyla. If felt accusing to say the least, like he'd bent under pressure, gave them all in. It wasn't though, John had told him to do it. No one seemed to understand that though. The physicist's attention was drawn back up to the Commander as he cleared his throat and spoke pleasantly.

"Well Doctor McKay, to waste a minute is almost as imprudent as wasting an eternity."

"I really; don't like this guy." Sheppard remarked condescendingly.

Rodney smirked then, replying to both Dran and John. "The feeling's mutual."


TBC.....