Author's Notes- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Hope you enjoy, the next part is in the works.
John watched the sunrise as it slid over the horizon, the golden beams lighting up the ruined earth around him as he worried about his friends. What was worse was he had no way of getting in touch with Atlantis to report back to Elizabeth as they had to be several days away from it.
He heard some noise coming from the women's tent where Jeannie had been sleeping and turned to find her exiting. She'd changed clothes from the night before, she was wearing similar soft leather trousers and calf high lace up boots but she now wore a dark green mini dress over it. Jeannie looked up to see him watching her and rolled her eyes.
"I know," she laughed, "I look like a reject from a Robin Hood movie."
"Must have been one hell of a movie if you're the reject," John replied with a grin.
"Wait," she told him swirling the travelling cloak she'd been given before fastening it around her neck, "What do you think?"
John nodded, "Nice. Are you ready?"
"Completely," she replied as Tari arrived, "Good morning."
"Good morning to you," Tari smiled at them both motioning the man behind her to join them, "This is Yelt, he shall be your guide."
John nodded before grabbing the pack Tari's people had given him and tossing it over his shoulder, "Let's go."
x
John was amazed. They'd been walking for over two hours and Jeannie hadn't complained once in fact she seemed to be enjoying herself, it seemed she wasn't like her brother in that respect.
"You look deep in thought," Jeannie noted coming along beside him.
"Just wondering about the others," he replied, "We don't know if they even survived the crash."
"They did," Jeannie assured him with a slight smile.
John frowned, "Why are you so sure of this?"
"Let's just say I know the Doctor," she replied with a mysterious smile, "And the Doctor has survived more than you can possibly imagine. Besides I've got a feeling about it."
"A feeling?"
"Trust me John," she breathed, "They're alive."
John stared at her for a few seconds, "Okay. How are you doing anyway?"
Jeannie laughed, "I'm fine. You hang around with the Doctor long enough trust me you keep fit."
John noticed their guide was getting further ahead of them and tapped Jeannie on the arm, "We should keep up. I really don't feel like getting lost."
"Me neither," she agreed before jogging away to catch up with the other man.
John watched her shaking his head, "She's your best friend's sister," he muttered to himself, "It can't happen."
He repeated this to himself a few times as he caught up with the other two, unfortunately he didn't want to believe it.
Yelt frowned, "Patrols frequent this area a great deal, and we need to see if there are any there just now."
"We can't just walk out into the open field," John mused; "We need someway…" he trailed off as Jeannie tossed him her cloak before jumping and catching a low hanging branch.
John watched in amazement as she swung herself up into the tree until she was high enough to look out across the fields. After several minutes she climbed back down swinging off the branch and landing just in front of John.
"There are a lot of people floating about," she told them, "We can't get across."
Yelt nodded, "We will have to take the long way. It will add several hours onto our journey."
"As long as it means we don't end up on the business end of one of those guns I'm fine with that," Jeannie told him, "Lead the way."
Yelt nodded once more and started off again, he didn't talk to them much just made sure they never fell behind him.
Jeannie looked at John to hand her back her cloak, "What?" she asked at his astonished look.
"How…I mean…" he gestured to the tree she'd just swung down from.
"I was a gymnast when I was a kid," Jeannie replied with a shrug taking the cloak and refastening it around her neck, "I can still do some of it when I have to."
"Why did you quit?" John asked noting the trees thinning out, "Didn't enjoy it?"
"No," Jeannie smiled softly, "I loved it. Rodney and I were given the choice of after school activities. They took place after each other so we'd wait for the other to be finished then we'd get picked up."
John nodded, "You did that, what did Rodney do?"
"Piano," Jeannie replied sadly, "He loved to play and he was good at it too. I loved sitting listening to him."
"I've never known him to be musical," John laughed, looking slightly shocked as Jeanie glared at him.
"He was really good," Jeannie told him angrily, "But to move on from the level he was on would have taken money and our parents didn't want to pay. So they convinced his teacher to tell him he was dreadful."
"Did you tell him this?" John asked shocked.
"Would you have?" Jeannie sighed before moving on to catch up with Yelt.
x
"Sorry," John said several hours of annoyed silence later.
"No," Jeannie sighed, "I just get a little annoyed thinking back to the crap they put him through. Especially knowing if I had wanted something like that they'd happily give me it."
"You never answered my question," John reminded her, "Why'd you quit?"
"I broke my leg," Jeannie told him, "For the first time. Rodney was beside himself with worry and looked after me making sure I made it to class, he got my lunch," Jeannie laughed, "He's sweet when he wants to be."
Before John could reply they were stopped by Yelt.
"We must cross the river," he told them, "The log across is slippery so you must be careful."
They nodded watching as Yelt moved slowly and carefully across the log to the other side.
"You go," Jeannie said, "So that one of us can grab you, considering the way your wrist is."
He grimaced at her before taking a few slow steps onto the log, it had been soaked recently making it even more perilous than it should have been. He hadn't done anything like this in a long time and as he thought about it John decided he hated this place. So far his best friend was missing, he'd had his ship ripped apart, then he'd crashed breaking his wrist in the process, more of his people were missing and he was now traipsing towards a ship with someone he wanted to spend more time with yet who he couldn't get involved with.
This planet officially sucked.
Teyla paced the small cell she and the Doctor were being kept in, annoyed that he was just lying there not seemingly bothered that they'd been captured. Every so often he would start humming a tune before stopping and just lying on the bunk in silence looking deep in thought.
"We must escape," Teyla stated, the silence finally getting to her.
"Nope," the Doctor told her checking his watch.
Teyla stared at him, "What?"
"Too early," the Doctor told her.
Teyla frowned getting annoyed, "Too early for what?"
"The cavalry," the Doctor grinned at her, "We need to wait for Sheppard and Jeannie to get here."
"Are you sure?" Teyla asked softly, "Are you sure they did not…" she trailed off not able to finish the sentence.
"Trust me on this one," the Doctor told her, "Whatever saved us also saved them. Maybe not the same people but I know that they were rescued. Jeannie's not dead."
She sat on her bunk opposite him, "Do you have some sort of telepathic connection to her?"
The Doctor laughed, "Nope."
"Then how…"
He pulled out the sonic screwdriver showing her how it was flashing a small green dot, "A little idea Rose came up with a few weeks ago in case we were all separated. A small device that we all wear somewhere on our clothes, it lets us know the others are alive."
Teyla nodded thoughtfully, "A helpful tool."
"Isn't it," he grinned folding his hands behind his head, "Once they get here, we can get Rodney out then I can stop whoever's in charge around here," he turned to look at Teyla, "But not yet."
x
Rodney ate the small lunch Allina gave him wondering how he could get out of this place. Thame had this entire ship covered with guards, Rodney was sure of that and he was also sure they would be unwaveringly loyal.
As much as he disliked Allina after what she'd done to him…them by taking the ZPM when they needed it most, Rodney found it disturbing that she was this guy's puppet. Allina was a brilliant woman and she didn't deserve this.
"Do you think you are close to fixing it?" she asked the ever present smile on her face.
"Getting there," he lied.
Rodney tried not to wince or pull away as she kissed him, he couldn't afford her to become suspicious and tell Thame that Rodney was no longer under the hypnosis.
"I will bring you dinner later," she told him before leaving him to work.
Rodney went back to the computer never fixing but learning as much as he could about the ship he was working on. He knew to get out he'd need to know as much as possible.
Unfortunately he was still side-tracked with worry about his sister's well-being and until he was able to talk to her Rodney wouldn't stop.
Yelt fixed the fire as John tried to get food from the pack. Jeannie laughed taking it from him.
"You do realise you wrist is broken, don't you?" she asked him, "That's why you're having problems."
He glared at her, "I've got it."
"You're full of it," Jeannie told him emptying the MRE's out.
"I can do it," John tried to grab the pack back from her only to have his hand slapped, "Ow."
"Stop whining," she rolled her eyes, "Let someone help you for a change John. It won't kill you."
"I'm used to doing things for myself," he replied, not looking back up at her.
Jeannie caught his hand leaning forward so her face was level with his, "We all need help sometimes John," she gently touched his cheek the same way he'd touched her the night before making him look up into her eyes.
Resting his hand on hers John moved closer, Jeannie tilted her head slightly waiting for his kiss but John pulled away suddenly.
"We should eat," he told her moving away leaving her staring after him confused.
x
"So," John said after over an hour of silence, "When you're not travelling through time and space, what do you do?"
Jeannie looked up at him from her seat across the cave a little surprised; she glanced over to where Yelt was sleeping before looking back at John, "Talking to me now?"
"Look, what nearly happened was stupid," John told her, "You're Rodney's sister and it's a basic rule that what almost happened…doesn't."
"The guy code," Jeannie mused before moving to sit beside him, "Okay."
"Are we?" he asked.
She smiled offering him her hand, "Friends."
John shook her hand, "So, you were going to answer my question."
"Ah," Jeannie laughed, "Before I travelled with the Doctor, actually I'd just quit my job the same day I met him."
"What was it?" he asked with a roll of his eyes.
Jeannie smiled again, "I was a sales rep."
John stared at her in amazement, "Huh?"
"Rodney is the genius in the family," Jeannie reminded him, "I…I have other talents."
John couldn't resist looking her up and down making her blush slightly, payback, "I'll bet."
He winced as she thumped his arm.
"Rodney got the brains," she continued, "I got the people skills."
John nodded in agreement, "That I agree with."
Jeannie rolled her eyes at him, "Anyway, after I was dropped off back home I had to look after my mother but I was able to live off my savings. I was looking for a job when the Doctor made his reappearance."
He glanced over at the dying fire, "You should get some sleep."
"What about you?"
"I'll sit watch for a while," John told her.
Jeannie nodded deciding not to argue for now, "Goodnight."
John smiled watching her as she curled under the blanket across the cave from him. His mind kept flicking back to their almost kiss; he was just glad that tiny part of his brain had kicked in when it did. Rodney was his best friend and that friendship was far too important for him to destroy with one act of complete stupidity.
"So," Jeannie stated as she walked around the TARDIS console, "You're an alien, you travel through time and space in this which to people outside looks like a blue box. Did I leave anything out?"
"That seems to cover it," the Doctor told her from his chair.
"Okay," she paused and turned to him, "I'm trying to remember if I hit my head at some point today."
The Doctor laughed, "I doubt it."
Jeannie licked her lips nervously, "Why did that thing attack me?"
"It sensed the ability for telepathy within you," the Doctor replied.
Jeannie frowned at him, "I'm definitely leaving now."
"You have a twin," the Doctor told her, "Someone you can sense whenever they need you."
Jeannie froze turning back to him, "Yes, but I haven't seen him in a long time. I don't even feel him anymore."
"But the potential is there," the Doctor replied, "That is what the creature sensed."
"Oh that's great," Jeannie snapped, "I can't find Rodney at all yet some creature tries to kill me because I used to be able to. Typical."
The Doctor sat waiting until she'd finished her rant.
Finally calming down a little Jeannie turned to him, "Will it come after me again?"
"No, you are completely protected," the Doctor told her.
"Good," she sighed, "How do I get out of here?"
"Oh," the Doctor looked a little hurt she wanted to leave, "Through those doors there, we're just outside the house where you were attacked."
"Great," she nodded, "Well, thanks."
"Jeannie," the Doctor called after her waiting until she'd turned back to him, "You could always come with me."
She looked at him a little surprised, "Really? And this thing can go anywhere in the universe at any time in history."
"Exactly," he grinned.
Jeannie stared at him for a few moments before glancing around the TARDIS, "I need to get a few things together and call my mother. If I disappear without saying anything," she stopped the Doctor from saying anything, "She will drive me to insanity when I get back."
The Doctor smacked his hands together, "We leave in one hour."
x
They'd been walking all morning, and the ship was in view. Actually the ship was the view, it was massive and Jeannie was stunned.
"How the hell are we going to find him in there?" she demanded.
"With you," John told her.
Jeannie sighed but before she could say anything Yelt pushed them towards some ruins.
"What?" John demanded.
"Patrol," Yelt told them, "They are everywhere now. There is no way around them."
John grimaced, "Alright. We can't go through them without being seen so we let them see us."
Jeannie stared at him, "Are you crazy?"
John shook his head, "Get the gun out the pack and get the sling as well."
Jeannie did as he asked looking a little confused.
"Alright," John said, "Fix my wrist into the sling but make sure you can hide the gun in it."
"I see where you're going," Jeannie said, "Let's hope they don't shoot us first."
"Thanks for that boost of confidence," John told her before turning to Yelt, "Thank you for helping us. We can't ask you to come any further than this."
"Take care of yourselves," Yelt said to them before he disappeared.
John and Jeannie stared at each other for a few seconds before they deliberately walked towards meeting a patrol.
"I hope to hell you're right about this," Jeannie murmured.
John gripped her hand, "So do I."