AN: Chunkymonk, yes, well the brogue issue...it's actually a thing in writing where they beg authors 'please please don't try to write accents'. So, while we will use the few Scot words like 'aye' and 'wee' and 'lass' beyond that we don't write in the accent. We try to avoid outright reasons to be spanked by the feedback community (big grins).

ABOUT A BABY...part 14

Two days after Ronon woke up, he was on his feet. Beckett was ready to pull his hair out. Ronon didn't waste the energy to explain to Carson that he needed to do this. He needed to get back on his feet. He had to be battle ready to help Lorne go after Sheppard and McKay.

It was Teyla who convinced Ronon to listen to his body when it betrayed him. To give himself more time. He only hoped, as he struggled against the darkness that crept over him, that Sheppard and McKay had that time to wait.

OoO

Carson watched Ronon's struggle. He watched the intensity of focus. Ronon was determined to get better through sheer force of will. Carson could almost believe he would do it.

Turning back to his office, he tried not to think about Alicia. About the betrayal. About what he felt was his own stupidity. He should have known about her. He should have sensed it. Weir telling him that it wasn't his fault didn't ease the guilt. If Sheppard and Rodney died, Carson would blame himself.

OoO

Elizabeth paced with Lily in her arms. The baby was fretful and upset. Elizabeth had no doubt but that she knew her daddy was gone. Daddies, Elizabeth corrected. She would have sacrificed pretty much anything in this moment to have Sheppard and McKay back on Atlantis. Elizabeth was kicking herself for letting Sheppard go. Not that she wanted to lose Rodney, but losing them both wasn't acceptable.

Lily stirred in her arms, crying out. Elizabeth felt equally cranky. "I want them back too, little one," she whispered, lifting Lily so that she could nuzzle her soft cheek. "Don't you worry, Lily. We'll find them and bring them home. I promise." It was a promise Elizabeth prayed to god she could keep.

OoO

Lorne was frustrated. He had hit a dead end. The Daedalus had sent word that they would be further delayed. If they had the ship they could do so much more towards finding Sheppard and McKay. Weir had done what she could in requesting that the Daedalus come now, but there was only so much she could do without tipping off the bad guys. So they had no choice but to bide their time.

Lorne prayed that Sheppard and McKay had that kind of time.

OoO

John watched Rodney sleeping. He'd been allowed to keep his vest of supplies, and he could see that Rodney's color was better after three power bars and some water. The sedative had really done a number on McKay's blood sugar. He would have to speak to Kolya about keeping Rodney fed and hydrated. After pacing around the cell, John figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for another blanket or two, also. He doubted he'd get it, but maybe Kolya would concede to a few amenities. The cell was cold.

"How long?" It was Rodney who croaked out the question.

John turned to face him, schooling a smile onto his lips. "How long what?"

Rodney sat up, rubbing at his face. He looked worn and frayed. "How long have we been here?"

"Two days...I think." They had taken his watch so John wasn't positive.

"How long was I sleeping?" Rodney kinda rolled off the cot, stumbling to his feet. He moaned as stiff muscles protested.

John grabbed his arm to steady him. "I'm not sure. A few hours."

Rodney nodded, carefully pulling away but staring at John. "You okay?"

"I'm good." John wasn't totally lying. So far, so good.

But Just then Kolya appeared. He smiled at John then nodded to the guard. "Take him."

John leaned into Rodney. "Whatever happens, be strong and whatever they ask you...tell them what they need to hear!" John heard the desperation in his voice as he lifted his eyes to Rodney's face and saw that he understood. John could get through anything, so long as he knew Rodney was okay.

"How are you feeling today, Colonel?" Kolya asked, as John was led past him by the guards.

"Been better," John allowed. "You?"

Kolya was almost beaming. "Never been better," he drawled. Then they fell into silence as they headed for the stairs.

The end of their journey was a lab like room. John felt his stomach twist into knots when he saw a gurney like table with restraints. But he didn't protest as he was pushed onto it. He made himself try and relax as his wrists were put in the restraints. He then saw a woman approaching. She looked around mid forties with dark red hair and brown eyes. She eyed him like he was a bug under a microscope, then she held up a syringe.

"What is that?" John had to ask.

"Something to relax you," she replied.

John didn't believe her. Kolya wouldn't want him relaxed. But he didn't flinch at the sting. He felt a liquid warmth slither through his veins. "I won't tell you anything." This he addressed to Kolya.

"You'll tell us everything," Kolya replied. "Without saying a word."

Through blurred vision, John watched the woman prick him with another syringe. He watched it fill with his blood until his vision grayed to black.

OoO

He came awake shivering, yet oddly warm in places. Pain was swirling throughout his body, but it was a numb kind of pain and John almost welcomed it.

"Sheppard?"

He flinched at the sound of Rodney's voice so close to his ear, and only as he shifted did John realize he was propped against Rodney's body. He peeled open his eyes and stared at the brown wool that covered him. "It's a blanket," he said, stupidly.

Rodney snorted. "Yes yes...at least now I know you don't have brain damage." There was a long pause. "Do you?"

"Dunno..." John ached enough and was cold enough that he didn't really care all that much at the moment. "How...how did you get the blanket?"

"I got two," Rodney countered, shifting again. "I bargained for them with Kolya."

John felt his blood run cold. "What did you do?" He tried to shift around to look at Rodney, but strong arms held him in place.

Rodney sighed. "I agreed to build a few tracking devices. Easy enough to do, really, but that should have gotten us more than two blankets." There was tension coloring Rodney's voice at that.

"You did good," John whispered, trying to squirm away from Rodney, even though he welcomed the support and the warmth.

"Stay," Rodney ordered.

John opened his mouth to protest, but Rodney cut him off.

"Shut up and rest."

John did as he was told. He closed his eyes and slid back into darkness.

OoO

By day five, Ronon was ready to get Sheppard and McKay back. He was on his feet, albeit still a bit weak, but he was used to working through the pain. Made him work for it. Beckett insisted he wasn't ready and threatened to put him in restraints. Ronon felt a small measure of admiration for the man when Beckett didn't back down, even when Ronon had him pinned to the wall by the throat. He backed off, allowing Teyla to take him to his room.

"We have to find them," Ronon stated, even as he let her push him onto his bed. He balked when she tried to cover him with a blanket.

"We will find them, but for the moment you must rest." Teyla's voice was soft, but it was underlined with steel. "We will need your strength, Ronon. Rest so that you may be strong enough when the time comes."

He knew when to concede defeat. He knew he needed to do as she asked. "For now," he allowed.

Teyla patted his arm then, silently, she glided out of the room.

Ronon closed his eyes and embraced the darkness. When the time came, he would be ready.

OoO

Elizabeth found it hard to concentrate on work. She kept expecting to see Sheppard and Rodney walking in her office at any given moment. It almost shocked her when she'd look up and they weren't there. It made her feel unsettled. Off balanced. She didn't like feeling that way.

Shutting down her laptop, Elizabeth heaved a sigh even as she stood and tried to stretch out the kinks in her back. She was working on her neck, rolling it from side to side, when she heard a familiar cry. Turning towards the door, she saw Teyla approaching with a fretful Lily in her arms. "What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, moving to meet them.

"I do not know," Teyla replied, already holding Lily out for Elizabeth to take. "She won't stop crying. I have tried everything. I even went to see Dr. Beckett and he examined her. She is not sick."

"I see." Elizabeth cradled Lily to her, feeling her heart clench as she watched the baby cry fretfully. "She misses her father," Elizabeth whispered. Then amended, "Fathers."

Teyla nodded, looking as if she might cry herself. "We all do. We will get them back."

Elizabeth blinked back her own tears as she rocked Lily in her arms. "We have too."

OoO

Lorne was beginning to believe that someone had tipped off the agent on the Daedalus. The ship wouldn't be coming for weeks and even though the excuses were legit, such as helping SG-1 on Earth battle an attack, Lorne just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Sitting at Colonel Sheppard's desk, in the office the man barely ever used, Lorne knew what he was really feeling. Fear. He was afraid Sheppard and McKay wouldn't live long enough to be rescued. He was afraid that one of them would say something wrong and Kolya would send a dead body back to Atlantis.

Shoving aside the reports he was supposed to be writing, Lorne headed out. Ronon had been teaching him new moves for months, before being wounded, and Lorne wanted to try them out on some of the marines. Basically he wanted to kick some ass in the hope it would make him feel better.

He knew it wouldn't.

He did it anyway.

OoO

Rodney worked on the tracking devices. He spent most of his time bitching that he didn't have the materials he needed. He spent the rest of his time worrying about Sheppard.

Kolya kept them separated during the day. Rodney working on the devices, and Sheppard in some lab. John kept telling Rodney that he was fine, that they weren't hurting him. Rodney didn't believe him. Sheppard was sick now. Feverish and suffering from headaches. When Rodney asked what they did to him in the lab, John couldn't tell him. He knew only that they were injecting him with something that made him sleep. Or what felt like sleeping. Rodney knew there was more to the story that John wasn't telling, and that scared the hell out of him.

Five days. John had been with him for five days. Rodney wondered how much longer it would be before they were rescued.

OoO

John sat up on the lab table. They'd already taken a blood sample and the scientist lady, or whoever she was, was working over in the corner. Sometimes she would ask him questions and John would give her pithy replies. She seemed amused by him. He wasn't amused back. John sensed that she was a dangerous woman, for all that appearances suggested otherwise. But the real danger was the man lurking in the doorway. John turned his head to see Kolya watching him.

"How are you feeling today, Sheppard?" Kolya queried, as he pushed away from the door and entered the room.

"Been better," John allowed. "You?" They had this same bit of conversation every day. Then Kolya would ask him about Atlantis. John wouldn't tell him anything. On occasion he would throw a smart remark in and Kolya would, almost lazily, backhand him. Other than that, they just stuck to the script. John knew what Kolya was doing. Trying to mess with his head. It was working pretty good, although John did his best to hide it. It bothered him, a lot, that Kolya didn't ask more. That he didn't seem to want to know more. He began to wonder what it was the scientist lady was doing. John wondered if maybe he was telling Kolya everything without saying a word.

Kolya moved closer to the table, almost brushing up against John. "You and Dr. McKay seem very close," he said softly, suggestively.

John tensed but made sure his tone was neutral when he replied. "Give us a bigger room and we won't have to be so close."

"You care about each other," Kolya replied easily. "It's interesting to watch."

"Happy to entertain you," John said, avoiding Kolya's eyes. He didn't want to know what the man was thinking. John just wanted out of here.

The scientist lady came over to them. "Lie down, Colonel," she ordered John. "I need another sample."

John knew better than to argue. The few times he had resisted he had found himself pinned by guards then put in restraints. Cooperation was preferable. So he lay back, ignoring the stabbing pain in his temples, and offered his arm. A moment later he swirled into darkness.

OoO

Ten days and Ronon was anxious. He wanted to rescue Sheppard and McKay but everyone kept sitting around. Finally he stalked into Weir's office. She looked surprised to see him.

"Ronon, what can I do for you?" she asked, rising from her chair and moving to close the door behind him.

"Why aren't' we going after Sheppard and McKay?" he demanded.

Elizabeth winced. "The moment we find their location, I'll send you out to get them," she promised. "Now...how are you feeling? You look good."

Ronon knew she was trying to distract him and he wasn't buying it. "We need to go back to the planet. I can track them."

"Not through the gate you can't," Elizabeth shot back. "I want to go after them as much as you do, Ronon. Believe me. I keep thinking they're going to walk through that door any minute. I keep expecting to see John sitting in that chair..." She pointed to the one Ronon was standing next too then continued, "...feeding Lily. He's good with her." Unspoken was the fact that she wasn't. Lately, no one could console the baby.

"She misses him," Ronon whispered. He had watched Teyla taking care of the baby. The child was fretful and unhappy. It broke Ronon's heart to watch her.

Elizabeth returned to her chair and sank into it slowly. "We all do. We miss them both. We need them."

Ronon moved to plant his hands on her desk. "Then let me go look for them." He waved a hand to cut off her protest. "I can't just sit around. Let me at least go and look. Maybe I can find something that was missed. You have nothing to lose in sending me back and everything to gain."

"All right." Elizabeth looked almost surprised that she had capitulated. "I'll contact Major Lorne and he'll send a team with you."

"No...just one man and myself," Ronon shot back. "Someone who can keep up with me."

Elizabeth nodded. "Fine. When do you want to leave?" She looked envious as she asked.

Ronon considered. "Ten minutes." He watched her nod her consent then he was out the door. A cold smile curved his lips. Ronon knew the odds were against him finding anything. But to be doing something was better than waiting. And maybe, just maybe, he would find a way to bring Sheppard and McKay back home.

OoO

Lily was finally sleeping. Teyla sat beside her crib, watching. She was exhausted herself, but too tired to sleep. She knew that Ronon had gone to the planet in the hopes of being able to track Sheppard and McKay. Teyla had wanted to go with him but he had told her to stay. That Lily needed her. He had swayed her by stating that Sheppard and McKay would expect her to take care of Lily for them.

"They will come back to you, little one," Teyla whispered as she brushed a hand over the soft down hair on Lily's head. It had turned darker and thicker and the way it stood up reminded Teyla of Sheppard's unruly hair. "They will come back to us all," Teyla breathed. Then she closed her eyes and prayed.

OoO

Lorne had watched Ronon and one of the marines step through the gate with something akin to envy. At least Ronon was doing something to try and find Sheppard and McKay. Sitting around and doing nothing was killing Lorne. He had requested to be the one to go along but Weir had turned him down. She told him she needed him here.

It had taken him a while to realize why. Until Sheppard came back, Lorne was the head of the Military contingent on Atlantis. And wasn't that just a big ole kick in the face? He wasn't prepared to do the job. No way in hell was he ready for it. Sometimes he wondered how Sheppard managed to do the job and stay sane. Hell, he couldn't

OoO

Rodney watched John sleep. He wasn't doing well. Rodney had shouted at Kolya, making idle threats that made the Genii leader almost laugh out loud. He wanted to know what they were doing to John, but Kolya told him nothing. So Rodney could only sit and watch as the man he loved grew weaker and suffered in silence. Because Rodney knew that John was in pain. Headaches. He knew, also, that John had lied to him about eating.

Every night they got a small piece of bread and a bit of stew. John always gave Rodney half of his saying that Kolya gave him a big lunch while he was in the lab. Lying about how they wanted him to keep his strength up for his tests and Rodney had been so hungry that he had let himself believe it. Until their last shower. They were allowed one every three days and had been taking them separately until tonight. Tonight they had been brought to the showers before being put back in the cell. John coming from the lab and Rodney from the work station. The soap was harsh and the water barely warm, but they both enjoyed being clean. They got clean trousers and tunics to wear each time, also.

But watching John wash up tonight had horrified Rodney. He was thin, too thin, his bones sharp under his skin and he looked bruised. His eyes had been glassy and he had nearly collapsed at one point, wherein Rodney had supported John and helped him finish before getting him dried and dressed. He'd had to support him back to the cell, easing John onto the cot and covering him with a blanket. John had drifted off to sleep almost immediately. A restless sleep.

"Lily...LILY!" John screamed his daughter's name, bolting upright, eyes wide and frantic.

"John...it's all right. Shhhh!" Rodney reached for him, clamping a hand over John's mouth when he started to say Lily's name again. He didn't want Kolya to know about their daughter. About what John had experienced. Rodney knew that Kolya considered Sheppard to be something of a freak as it was. He knew this only because the 'so called' engineers he was working with to make the tracking devices had been gossiping about Sheppard. Saying that Kolya had learned that Sheppard not only was part Ancient but that he was part Wraith.

Rodney had assumed that during the testing or whatever they were doing to Sheppard, they had learned he had some Iratus bug DNA. Beckett had told Rodney that even though Sheppard was pure human again, the retrovirus had left a kind of signature on him. An imprint if you would. It scared the hell out of Rodney wondering what Kolya already though of John. What would he do if he knew Sheppard had experienced being pregnant and giving birth. The other thing that scared him was the fact that whoever was testing Sheppard had to rival Beckett's knowledge and experience. Which meant that the testing was far more advanced than Rodney would have expected.

John was trapped in a nightmare. He shoved away the hands holding him and was on his feet, searching for his daughter. He could hear her crying for him. He could feel the pain she was in. How sad she was. How afraid. "Lily!" He threw himself at the bars that were keeping them apart, gripping them and yanking, then slamming into them again when they wouldn't budge.

Rodney watched in horror as John freaked out. When he threw himself at the bars a third time, Rodney was galvanized out of his shocked state and he moved to John, grabbing him and pulling him away. It was like trying to hold a wild cat and Rodney got a bloody nose for his efforts. "GUARDS!" he shouted, because he knew he needed help to keep John from hurting either of them further.

Suddenly the guards were there, pulling John off Rodney, pushing him onto the cot. Rodney screamed at them not to hurt Sheppard, screaming in vain until Kolya was suddenly there with some woman. She injected Sheppard and he went limp and still. Rodney tried to crawl over to him but one of the big guards was carrying him off, the woman following close behind.

"Where are you taking him?" Rodney snarled at Kolya.

The man was chatting with one of the guards and he ignored Rodney for the moment.

Rodney got close, gripping Kolya's arm to pull the soldier towards him. He got a fist in the temple for his effort and the world went black for a moment. Rodney came back to blinding white reality when the toe of a boot caught him in the chest. He grunted and rolled away from the pain, before blinking hard and bringing Kolya's face into focus. "Where...what...what are you going to do to Sheppard?" Rodney croaked.

"Who is Lily?" Kolya countered, moving into a crouch. The smile that curved his lips was cold and brittle.

"I...I don't know," Rodney lied, and he knew Kolya knew it was a lie. He also knew that telling the lie was going to cost him.

OoO

John heard a woman's voice. He knew the voice, it was familiar, but he tried to pull away from it, and from the touch on his face. "No...no..." he muttered.

There were whispers then soft coolness against his forehead, easing the burning heat that enveloped him.

"Sleep John," the voice whispered.

He let himself drift away, knowing that something was wrong. But the darkness pulled to him and he embraced it, because drifting in and out of the shadows was the image of Lily.

THE END...of part 14

Additional AN: Okay, okay, all you Rodney whumpers (and you know who you are), yes, Rodney whump coming up next so hang on!