A/N: SOOOO sorry this took so long to do. I had a long week and weekend. I hope to go back to posting every day/every other day and have this story's final chapters done and up by Friday at the latest. (Yep, you read that right. There's only 3 more chapters left.)

Elizabeth stood as still as possible, trying to project all the assuredness and strength she could, despite feeling none of either. Sheer will kept the gun steady, and she steeled her features.

"I don't want to shoot you, but I will not let you harm either of us further. I would strongly…suggest you leave now while you have the opportunity. The choice is yours."

If he hadn't hurt so much, he would have laughed at the look on Kolya's face. Rodney turned and grinned at her. That was his Elizabeth. The one who would fight tooth and nail for what she believed in. For her people. He'd really been wondering if she would ever come back.

Kolya stared hard for a couple moments, and then gave a sardonic smirk. "Come now, Doctor Weir. You will not shoot me. We both know this. If you were going to shoot…" He paused for a long moment to gauge her reaction, and then continued. "…you would have done it right after you took the gun from Doctor McKay." At Elizabeth's shocked expression, he continued. "Oh yes. Did you really think I wouldn't notice that the gun was there, then suddenly gone? Please, give me more credit than that."

"Now, as I was saying, you will not shoot. You will threaten, you will wave the gun, and you may even fire off a warning shot into the floor or ceiling. But you know as well as I do that you will not and can not willingly take my life."

Rodney watched horrified as Elizabeth's features crumpled. Her hands wavered a bit, but she did keep the gun up and level. He swallowed nervously, and spoke to her quickly. "Lizabeth? Don't listen to him. You can do this. You have to do this. I'm not ready to die, and I doubt Sheppard or Radek are either." At her dazed look, he hurried on. "Lizabeth. He was going to rape you. You have to stop him."

When Elizabeth didn't answer him, Rodney stopped talking and the silence reigned. Kolya held her gaze, and she couldn't look away, no matter how hard she tried. She'd heard every word Rodney had said. But she couldn't break the link with Kolya. And no matter how much she was screaming at herself inside, she couldn't make herself pull the trigger.

Maybe if he had been trying to do something, she could have. But he just stood there. He hadn't moved since issuing his challenge. She wanted so badly to prove him wrong. To wipe the smirk off his face. Permanently. But the longer she waited, the more Kolya knew he'd won.

Kolya reached for the gun, but Elizabeth took a couple steps back, never dropping the muzzle, keeping it pointed at his chest. He raised an eyebrow. The anger flared in her stomach again. He was practically daring her to kill him. But…

She couldn't do it. She'd waited too long. Elizabeth knew it and so did Kolya. He advanced on her slowly. "Just give me the gun, Doctor Weir. You obviously are not going to use it, and I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Elizabeth stepped back again, dimly hearing Rodney's shouts and doing her best to block him out. She knew he meant well, but it was making it harder for her to focus. She had to make Kolya believe she'd shoot him. She needed to either give him the gun or use it.

Kolya gave her a look of disgust. "As I thought. Weak. Well, that is fine, Doctor Weir. You keep holding the gun and pretending to be brave. I'm going to finish with Doctor McKay, then you and I will…continue our previous discussion." He grinned at her shudder, and then turned his back on her as though she was of no consequence.

Rodney closed his eyes in a brief attempt to mask the terror flowing through his body as he watched Elizabeth slowly lower the gun. As he reopened them, he saw Kolya approach, then stop about two feet away.

"I'm done playing around, Doctor McKay. I will admit this isn't as rewarding as I'd hoped. Maybe it would be better if we just finish this quickly so I can get on to things that are more…pleasurable. I assume you have no objections to less pain?"

If Rodney hadn't been so scared, he probably would have been amazed that Kolya was even offering him a choice like that. On one hand, he wanted this over as soon as possible if there was no way out of it. On the other, he needed to stay alive as long as possible to have time come up with a way out of it.

Unfortunately, his mind was drawing a blank. All he could do was focus on the knife Kolya brandished. He looked over at Elizabeth and then closed his eyes, having no desire to see the killing blow. All he could do was whisper sadly, "I'm sorry Lizabeth. I'm sorry I couldn't save us."

Elizabeth felt here eyes well at Rodney's words and knew she couldn't just let him die. "Kolya! Wait!" She stepped forward as he turned to her with a questioning look.

"Yes?"

"May we have a moment to…say goodbye? You were right. He is more than just a member of my team. And…if this is really the end, I can't let it go without saying something. Please." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand and acquiesce.

He rolled his eyes and stepped back, motioning her forward. Elizabeth quickly stepped up to Rodney and with no warning, kissed him, long and slow. After several moments, she pulled back, and then hugged him as hard as she dared with all his injuries. While hugging, she angled her head enough to whisper into his ear as quietly as she could.

"Rodney…I'm sorry for not warning you. This was the only way I could think of to get a moment to talk to you. I know I have to kill him. But I just can't seem to make myself pull the damn trigger. I've tried and tried, but my finger just won't do it. I'm so sorry. I don't know what else to do." The frustration and pain in her voice was evident.

Rodney was still dazed from the kiss and blinked rapidly, trying to focus. "Wow. Um…nothing like the threat of looming death to make a first kiss memorable." At his attempt at gallows humor, he felt her small smile against his cheek. He forced his thoughts back to the problem at hand, trying to think faster than he ever had before in his life. After a moment, he sighed and turned his head, kissing her temple gently.

He couldn't think of a single solution. His mind was a total blank, but he whispered furiously. "Lizabeth, fight this! You can do this! I'm not ready to die. You just keep that gun ready. Promise me you won't give up yet! I'll…I'll think of something." He paused a moment, then smiled slightly. "Besides, how can I see if the second kiss will be as good as the first if I'm not around to get a second kiss?"

Elizabeth pulled her head back to look Rodney in the eye, her own swimming with tears and the gun held tightly in her hand at her side. She nodded and opened her mouth to promise him when they were interrupted.

"That's a long enough goodbye, Doctor Weir. As…touching as that was, I grow tired of this." He took her arm and forced her back, stepping up to Rodney again and turning his back on Elizabeth.

Rodney was amazed that Kolya had so much arrogance that he didn't even take the gun from her. Which meant he was sure she wouldn't use it. And Rodney knew that on her own, Elizabeth never would. But he meant it when he said he wasn't ready to die yet. Besides, he knew if Kolya killed him, her guilt would destroy her faster than Kolya could. That was just how she was. And he couldn't let that happen.

As Rodney stood quietly, his mind whirling at warp speeds to think of something, he had unwittingly ignored Kolya. Which he soon learned was a big mistake. His chest erupted in pain and his mind snapped back to his surroundings as Kolya smacked the still-bleeding cut on his chest. Rodney was amazed at how much the shallow cut bled. And hurt.

With a flash of clarity that came with the pain that washed over him, the answer became clear. Elizabeth would never pull the trigger on her own. So…she needed help. His help.