Angela! You rule! As always, great insight, great ideas (I stole one, can you spot it?) and great speed :) I'm so not going to say, because it's probably the best Rodney-line in the whole thing! I wish I had thought of it...ah well, mind over matter! (right, who's the matter and who's the mind of this operation I ask you...)

Notes: I promise everything will be much clearer soon. The force field, the Celebrant, John's situation. It's all going to come together and we'll have fun fun fun 'til Elizabeth takes the jumper awaaaaaay (ok, sorry, the Beach Boys may not be the most appropriate music at this time.)(We wil have fun, I promise. They won't...but we will. Well ok, I sure will and I hope you'll be along for the ride!) Thank you to everyone who reads and anyone who reviews, it's so kind of you!

Assumption

He thought of what he had done in his life as they waited; breathing in their last breaths, living the last of their corporeal minutes. He thought of his work: in Canada, Colorado, even Siberia. With pride, he thought of Antarctica and Atlantis.

It was home, his true home. Filled with people who accepted him; not because they hadn't the choice to do otherwise, but because they could. Carson, Radek, Elizabeth; numerous science personnel, a lesser number of military; Teyla, Ronon and John.

Strange how he though of him as John but would never call him that. He had been correct in his earlier assessment that the soldier in the Ancient's Chair would only bring trouble. All these missions, all the shenanigans during downtime and now. Mourning.

Wanting for distraction, Rodney slowly opened one eye and fixed it on Teyla. She was staring at something behind him.

Unable to help himself, he questioned her, his voice small and pathetic. "Is it close?"

He was so afraid she would answer in the affirmative; so afraid that the next second would bring heart-stopping pain. She shook her head but her gaze did not falter from the phenomenon which held her enthralled. "It…doesn't seem to be moving."

"What!"

"It is behind you, but is not progressing in our direction."

He wanted to look. Wanted to turn around and see what she saw, but fear held him in stillness. What if he turned just as the flame reached him?

Seeing his hesitation, Teyla laid a hand on his chest. "Do not look. Tell me this: do you not feel the heat?"

"Of course I do! We've been feeling it for hours!"

"Has it increased? Do you feel it more than you did before? Are you…does it feel…are you burning?" She gently stroked his chest in a circular motion, going over his shoulder slightly. Her other hand gripped his jacket; she held on to him as fiercely as he held on to her. They never had been very close despite their team-mate status and responsibility for each other's life, but they needed this proximity. The questions she asked were of a terrible nature but she needed to know. She doubted Rodney could suffer such pain in silence, although stranger things had happened.

"No..." he took in a shaky breath, "should I be?"

From behind her, Ronon spoke. Rodney raised his eyes to him; he lay on his side, pressed against John's inert body. Flames rose behind him and Rodney could not help the yelp that escaped him.

"Ronon! Get away from there, you're going to…"

Ronon interrupted him. "I don't feel it and neither do you."

"What do you mean you don't feel it! It's right behind you; should be burning right through your clothes!"

Teyla's gaze strayed to the fire behind him. "I think…is it possible that the force field would protect us?"

Rodney took a moment to ponder the possibility. His eyes widened and a smile broke the mask of doom that covered his face. He turned around, taking care to shield Teyla, and observed what she had been seeing.

The flames were stationary, eating at the wood that covered the metal skeleton of the platform. Rodney edged closer but was held back by the weight of the three people attached to him. He couldn't reach out to touch it and prove Teyla right, but thought it was the most likely explanation.

"It isn't moving forward. The wood directly below us is still whole." He finally had something upon which to concentrate.

They were surrounded by walls of fire, unable to see anything but angry, red and orange flames. This development was a fortunate one but still did not allow them to escape, a fact that Ronon felt he had to expose.

"Are we just going to stay here until the flames die?"

Teyla turned in the circle of Rodney's arm and tried to ignore John's lifeless body which she now faced. She concentrated on Ronon's strong presence and Rodney's warm, living body pressed against her back; his beating heart, his wide chest expanding with breath.

"There is no way for us to assess the situation. If we move, we run the risk of going over the edge and falling to the ground."

Ronon knew she was right but couldn't stand inaction. Apparently, neither did Rodney.

"We can't just stay here! Once the fire dies down, they'll find us and who knows what'll happen then!"

They decided to move, try to take their chance at freedom. Ronon edged closer to the flame as Teyla and Rodney followed, pushing John's body as it was pulled to Ronon. Without a sound Ronon went through the flame and was soon out of sight. John followed, then Teyla. Before long, Rodney was alone in the circle of flames making a conscious effort to control his breathing. It was erratic at best; the thought of willingly sliding himself through fire bringing him back to the edge of terrorized inactivity.

"Mind over matter, McKay, mind over matter. You know it can't hurt you, you know it!"

When they had all made it through the fire burned what little wood was left of the platform. They lay on the scorching hot metal plate that supported the platform and though the heat rose significantly from the contact, they were unharmed.

Ronon surveyed the area, his body lying alongside the edge of the metal. The soft light told him it was morning. He spied a man, walking in a path towards a well but no one else. McKay's impatient questions brought him out of his silent observation.

"What do you see? Can we get down?"

The platform was supported by metal beams. Four long ones rose from the ground forming a square that was strengthened by numerous horizontal beams spaced evenly.

"Maybe."

An exasperated huff told him this answer was not satisfactory for a certain physicist. "Maybe! We don't do maybes. I need a definite answer, preferably of the yes or no kind!"

Ronon turned and glared at Rodney who glared right back. Relief flooded him as he took in the normalcy of the exchange, and the look Teyla wore told him she felt the same.

"Yes."

"Just like that, it goes from a maybe to a yes!"

"McKay, I said what you wanted to hear. We move, now."

A contrite McKay nodded his acceptance. Strength: it worked every time. Rodney move to come and lay beside Ronon to familiarise himself with the construction.

"The only thing we can do, and you're not going to like this, in fact, I don't like this and I can't believe I'm going to suggest such a dangerously damaging plan of action because we all know that –"

"McKay! Shut up and let's just go down the beams!"

McKay stared at Ronon, frowning, displeased that his diatribe had been so easily taken from him. It made him feel secure, normal, and he needed it. Ronon had judged it wasn't the time for McKay to rant and rave. He understood the visceral need for words that drove the man but needed Rodney to concentrate on the moment; no matter how reticent he was to do so.

"Yes. Let's try it. Not like we have many other options."

Working out the descent was time consuming. Going down those beams would've been difficultly manageable at the best of times; it was nearly impossible now that they were stuck to one another. Their freedom of movement was highly compromised by the force field. The added weight of Sheppard's body was not negligible.

They sat on the edge, feet hanging over emptiness. On the signal, they slid down, facing the platform, and grabbed the first horizontal beam on which the wood had lain. They stood on the beam below and carefully lowered themselves to a sitting position, Ronon holding on the vertical beam at the corner for support. Rodney had never been agile and this was demanding every single ounce of concentration he had. He pushed the many disastrous outcome of this endeavour away from his mind.

They had almost made it to the ground when a female voice came from being them. "You are an incredible annoyance to me."

Startled, Rodney lost his balance, causing a ripple effect. Thankfully, Ronon was unnaturally strong and he managed to hold on to the beam and prevent them from taking a fall that would've been highly unpleasant on their back muscles. The Celebrant laughed but did not speak another word until they had reached terra firma.

"I see you have escaped unscathed." She didn't look angry, merely bothered. "How tragic then that I shall put a stop to your attempt." She gestured for the men that stood at attention a few steps away. They viciously grabbed for the team but were unable to achieve contact, the force field preventing them from latching on to their prey.

The woman muttered, shaking her head, "She has gone too far. This is supposed to be over; she was only meant to take the one, let me dispose of the others."

Rodney's brain finally clicked into place and provided him with the obvious. He nearly groaned aloud at his own stupidity; his lack of foresight. This was like the shield he had found back on Atlantis; he was, or they were, undoubtedly invulnerable.

He spoke quietly to Ronon, "Let's run."

"They have our weapons."

"Remember the green shield I had? Same thing. Oh right, you weren't there. We've encountered something like this before. I can't believe I didn't think of it bef –"

"McKay?"

"It basically makes us untouchable. There's no way we can get hurt. Sheppard shot me while I was wearing it and I didn't feel a thing."

Ronon found the though of Sheppard shooting McKay quite distracting and promised himself he would ask. No, Sheppard was dead. How unnatural was it; he couldn't even remember.

"Are you sure we can't be hurt?"

"Didn't I just say that? Either way, it's worth a try." Rodney nodded eagerly.

Ronon eyed him distrustfully but acquiesced nonetheless. The Celebrant was still muttering to herself as the guards encircling them started to shuffle nervously.

"Lady Celebrant? They are speaking amongst themselves."

The Celebrant came closer and instructed her men. "Take them to the granary and watch over them. They must not be allowed to leave! I have pressing matters which must be dealt with. Guard them, I shall return shortly!"

She went and the guards attempted to intimidate the team to move. Rodney jutted out his chin and stood, all the stubbornness he could muster etched upon his face.

"We are not going with you. I think we're going to take a stroll to the gate."

Teyla sharp intake of breath reminding him that she had not been privy to the earlier conversation.

"This is like the shield. Remember? The green shield I activated when I got the gene; the one that nearly killed me?" he paused for a moment, struck by a thought, "I hope this one will switch off, but, I'm not hungry? Are you hungry? I should definitely be hungry by now. It's been what, a day and a half since we've eaten?"

She nodded as he continued to obsess over his hunger-less state and they started to walk away, hindered by the deadweight that was their leader. The guards stood, dumbstruck, but recovered quickly. They raised their weapons and shouted for them to stop. Rodney smiled smugly and walked forward. He never doubted for a moment they would be protected. That is until he felt the sharp pain of a bullet cutting through his thigh and fell to the ground, dragging injured friends in his wake.