Chapter Twenty Nine

All six of them stood in the gateroom, ready and waiting for Grodin to start the dial up sequence. Sheppard looked round at his team, Teyla and Ford to his left. While McKay, Kiki and Beckett were to his right. He leaned in close to McKay, "You do know Rodney that it's not too late to back out of this."

"I know," McKay said after a few moments. "I'm ready to do this. You're seeing a new Rodney McKay, ready to go out fighting." He paused and looked up at him with something like a smile. "Or at least running away and hiding."

Sheppard gave the man a smile then looked past him to Beckett and Kiki. "All ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Beckett answered; this was the second time in a matter of days that he had been off world. He looked down to his left at Kiki, standing in between himself and McKay. "Kiki?"

"Yes?" she asked turning to him.

"You sure you're okay to do this?" Beckett asked gently, he had a fair idea of how hard it may have been for her to go back to the place she had spent so many days wandering around. Terrified and hungry.

"I wish to help you and your people," Kiki replied with a smile. "If this is the only way to do so, then so be it."

Sheppard listened in to their conversation then tapped his headset, turning back up to the control room. "Ready when you are," he said quietly. Weir stood at the window and turned back to Peter Grodin and gave him a nod. "Dial the gate." He quietly set to work.

After a few moments, the wormhole was established and the gateroom was bathed in a bright blue glow. Sheppard thought he would never get tired of this sight. Kiki winced slightly as she saw the bright orb and blue before her; she involuntarily took a step back while taking a firm hold of Beckett's hand. He looked down at his hand before looking to her with concern. "It's okay if you don't want to do this Kiki."

Kiki looked as though she were seriously considering this until she said firmly. "I must do this." Beckett gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and exchanged a look with McKay, making sure to keep an eye on him too.

"You're good to go," Weir said from the control room. "Good luck." Sheppard turned back to the gate and looked to his left, and his right. "Let's move out."

--

As soon as they re-emerged on the other side of the gate, Teyla realised that night had already fallen. Sheppard immediately switched on the small light on his P90, motioning for Teyla to do the same and Ford when he was finally the last person through. The glow of the gate disappeared, making the surrounding land look a lot darker than before.

"Perhaps we should've come at another time," McKay suggested quietly, reaching for a torch and shining it out into the vast darkness.

"Not afraid of the dark are we Rodney?" Sheppard asked with a grin.

"I'm just saying that being here in the dark is worse than being here in the day," McKay answered.

"This place is uninhabited," Sheppard said to remind him, while taking a few steps forward while Teyla looked round. "Remember?"

"It was supposed to be the last time," McKay retorted.

"Kiki was an exception," Sheppard shot back then decided to cut this conversation short before it progressed into something further, this was not something he needed. He looked to Teyla. "You have a good sense of direction, do you remember where the temple is?" The Athosian was quiet a moment, then turned to one direction and pointed gently. "I believe it is this way."

"Second star to the right and straight on till morning," Sheppard commented as they started walking in that direction, Beckett held Kiki's tightly in order to help her over obstacles. It was one thing trying to navigate through rough ground in the day, but in the darkness she had no chance of seeing any colours or objects. The girl stumbled slightly, but Beckett was there to prevent her from falling. "It's okay, just take it easy love."

"When night fell the last time I was here, I did not travel at night." Kiki placed her other hand on Beckett's arm for more support.

"Can't blame you," Ford muttered as he covered the rear.

McKay slipped once more then stumped his toe on something else. He had to say that this was definitely not fun and he instantly regretted even asking them to go along but was he really going to sit around and wait for them to save his life? In that single statement, he already had his answer. Of course not, that was like sitting around and waiting for a bomb to go off. McKay cursed to himself as he hit something else.

"Are you all right Rodney?" Beckett called back.

"Yes, spending god knows how much is left of my life walking around dark and creepy forests in search of some sort of cure is good. It's normal," McKay spat back bitterly as his stomach rumbled. "Oh great, and now I'm hungry."

"You just ate," Sheppard said with amazement.

"That was breakfast back on Atlantis, it's more like supper here now."

"I have some chewing gum," Ford piped up, slipping a hand into his jacket and pulling out a packet. McKay stopped, shone his flashlight onto the offering and shined the light into Ford's hand. "Oh yes, of course. I suppose this is what will eventually wipe out world hunger?" Ford didn't get chance to answer, for McKay did it for him. "No I didn't think so." With that, McKay turned round and carried on.

Teyla trod carefully, pausing a moment and straightening up ever so slightly. Sheppard actually walked into her, unexpected for her sudden halt. "Teyla," he asked. "Something wrong?" The woman held up a hand to shush him.

"What's the hold up?" McKay asked as he stopped next to Sheppard who abruptly shushed him just as Teyla had. He looked at her with great concern, as Teyla looked up into the sky and listened in intently.

"Tey…" Sheppard went to ask again but his words were cut off by a hauntingly familiar sound.