I come with an update! Aren't I clever? A big thanks to all my lovely reviewers.

Warnings: Violence and language. And just general nastiness.

Chapter 7: Messages

John sat in his quarters. He had no idea what to do, or even what to say to everyone. He should apologise to Teyla. And Rodney. And Zelenka. Everyone really. He was planning what to say when a voice echoed in his ear.

"Sir, we have an unauthorised off-world activation."

"What?"

"It looks like the Genii."

John bolted out of his room and sprinted to the control centre. He arrived short of breath to see a technician holding a headset out to him.

"It's Commander Kolya."

John took a deep breath before taking the headset and clipping it on.

"Kolya."

"How wonderful to hear your voice again Sheppard."

John felt his stomach turn at the sound of the voice and his heart grow cold.

"What have you done to her?"

"That is none of your business. Besides, I thought the idea of me having her would torture you enough."

"Have you hurt her?"

"Of course. Did you think we wouldn't?"

"You bastard."

"Now, now Colonel Sheppard. Let's be nice. After all, I do have Elizabeth's life in my hands."

John tensed and his hand became a tight fist at the sound of him saying her name.

"Though, I wouldn't kill her just yet. I have not fully explored that beautiful body of hers."

"You sick twisted bastard. If you touch her, I swear I will kill you."

"You've already threatened to do that once. No, twice. It isn't much of a threat is it? Besides, I've already touched her. Her face is really quite beautiful, but not so much when she's spitting blood onto the floor."

John couldn't respond; his throat had closed up.

Suddenly, the Gate shut down and the signal shut off with it.

John stood deathly still not knowing how to react. He removed the headset slowly and handed it back to the technician.

He left the control centre silently. On the way back to his quarters, he met Rodney once again.

"John, what's going on? I heard the Genii contacted us."

"They did. It was Kolya."

"Oh god. What did he say?"

"He's hurt her. He wants to…he wants to…"

John shook his head barely able to think of it.

"No. He's lying. He wouldn't do that."

"He would Rodney. He'd do anything just to get back at me. We've just got to pray he won't."

Elizabeth woke slowly. Everything felt strange and limp. She'd lost the feelings in her fingers and most of her feet. Her legs and arms were cramped and painful. Every bruise on her body ached and she was acutely aware of every tiny little scratch.

She tipped her head back and the door opened. It took a few seconds for her eyes to focus before she realised it was only the two guards. They untied her and pulled her up.

Her legs gave way beneath her so they practically dragged her out of the cell. She tried to put weight on her legs, but it made no difference. Instead, she tried to memorise where they were taking her. Her vision was still a little fuzzy and her mind seemed cloudy. She could not concentrate on anything. Soon she was lost in the maze of grey tunnels. The corridors felt no warmer than her cell.

They stopped before another door that looked no different to that of her cell or the other room they'd used to beat her.

When they opened it, she could clearly see the difference.

Inside, there was what looked like a table with clamps at the top and bottom. Next to it was a small table with a devices on she didn't recognise. Her GDO was there though.

She tried to struggle, but she had no strength. They pulled her into the room and pushed her down onto the table. They used the clamps to pin her wrists and ankles to the table.

She was trapped and scared. She tried not to show her fear, but when Kolya walked in her mask of strength slipped a little.

"Well Elizabeth, this is an interesting way to meet again. I thought you might want to know, I've just had a very interesting conversation with Colonel Sheppard."

"You spoke to John?"

She hadn't meant to say it like that, with her voice full of optimism and hope.

"Yes, I spoke to your dear John. It has quite the temper doesn't he?"

Elizabeth didn't answer; she just stared up at the ceiling of the cell. John would come for her. He'd rescue her and take her away from all this.

"This is getting quite dull now. Out of interest, how are you feeling this morning? Still cold? Perhaps we should warm things up for you."

Kolya walked across to the small table and picked up a small device. To Elizabeth it looked like the marker pens that Rodney kept in his lab to label things with. She remembered the time John had stolen one and drawn on Rodney's face while he was sleeping. Rodney had a fake moustache and 'I am stupid!' written on his forehead for a long time before someone pointed it out.

She took a deep breath and tried to push the memory from her mind. The last thing she wanted to do was smile.

Kolya pressed one end of it before placing it back down on the table. He stepped closer to Elizabeth and peered down at her. His eyes traced her body slowly making her feel more uncomfortable.

"Let's help you with that wet shirt."

Reaching out he began to undo the buttons of her blouse. Elizabeth tried to push the thoughts out of her mind by staring up at the ceiling. She remembered when she'd been confined to the infirmary for a week after coming into contact with some sort of dangerous chemical. She'd resorted to counting ceiling tiles after a while.

There were no ceiling tiles in the Genii cells.

She glanced down to find Kolya unfastening the last button. With that he pushed her shirt open and gazed at her pale skin. With one finger, he lightly drew a line up the centre of her body from the waistband of her trousers. When he reached her face, he gently brushed her lips.

"So beautiful. It's a shame we have to damage it further."

Lifting up the device once more, Elizabeth could see that one hand was glowing orange. He moved and placed the device over her skin. She could feel the heat already. She tried to move, but the device was hovering over her stomach. She had no escape.

Without any warning, he pushed the device down onto her skin. She screamed out in pain as it seared her skin. She could smell the burning flesh and it made her want to throw up. She tried to swallow, but she couldn't stop screaming. She'd never felt pain like it before.

Kolya pulled the device off and watched Elizabeth. Her whole body arched up before dropping again. She stopped screaming as tears began to fall instead.

"I see you find that quite painful. We can avoid that again, just tell me your IDC."

"Why? They won't let you through."

Kolya glared at her. Moving up a little, he forced the device onto her skin again.

Elizabeth screamed again as pain overtook her.

When Kolya stopped, he found pleasure in seeing the tears roll down her face. She looked like a broken woman, but Kolya knew she wasn't.

"Tell me you IDC."

"They won't let you through. If you've been captured, you have to meet a team on another planet to allow you back onto Atlantis. You'll never get on."

"You're lying."

Kolya moved the device once more, this time placing it just below her bra.

He watched her body arch up and another scream echoed around the small room. He looked at the guards, but both stood stoically.

"Please," she begged when he pulled back. "Please stop."

"Tell me the IDC code."

Tears fell instead of the answer he desired.

This time she found the device hovering above her cheek.

"Please. It isn't a lie."

Kolya wondered whether to push it into her skin, just to hear scream again. Just to see her body arch up in pain. The three red marks stood out against her pale skin. Sweat was pouring off her body.

"Fine."

He pressed the top of the device and dropped it onto the little table. Picking up the GDO, he threw it against the opposite wall.

"Now you can never get back."

Elizabeth's eyes closed as she quietly sobbed. Kolya watched her closely, but he knew he hadn't won yet.

"Take her back to her cell."

He left and wound his way up to the control room of the Genii base.

"Is the file ready?"

"Yes sir. All you have to do is authorise the dial up to Atlantis."

"Do it."

John was in his quarters once again when they dialled again. He ran even faster this time to reach the control centre.

"Sir, they appear to have sent some sort of video file."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's been saved onto the computer network.

"I'll watch it in her office."

It felt strange to say it when Elizabeth wasn't there. It felt even stranger to sit in her chair, behind her desk, looking at her computer.

He loaded up the file and began to watch.

Elizabeth was tied to a table.

John felt sick as he watched Kolya come into the cell and loosen Elizabeth's shirt.

When Kolya began to torture her, John had to shut his eyes.

Her scream, however, burned into him. He would never forget that.

He heard her plead with Kolya.

John could take no more.

He turned off the video and walked back into the control centre.

"Dial the Genii home world."

"What?"

"Just do it."

As soon as radio contact had been established, John shouted into the headset.

"Kolya! Kolya! I know you're there! Answer me!"

"Colonel Sheppard, how wonderful to hear from you. I assume you received the message."

"You are a…"

"Sick and twisted bastard. I noticed."

"What do you want?"

"Well, revenge mainly. And as I seem to achieved a little of that, then there is of course the slight matter of unconditional surrender."

"Never."

"Then you never get Elizabeth back."

"Let me see her."

"Excuse me?"

"Let me see her."

Kolya hesitated as he considered this. He could not keep Sheppard prisoner as well. But revenge was what this was about.

"Yes. Yes, you may see her. Come to this planet alone and unarmed. I swear you will not be harmed."

"You will let me return to Atlantis?"

"Yes. You may return to Atlantis once you have seen her."

"It's a deal."

Kolya was surprised at how quickly Sheppard responded. He cared for this woman more than he should.

It would be his downfall.