Author's note: Well, it's the weekend. And since every weekend lately this site seems to go down, it'll be interesting to see if this will work! Read on and let me know:)

OOOOOOOOOOO

The next half hour was spent in relative quiet as the gateship hurtled through space on its way to its next stop. McKay was contemplating the ZPM, making an annoying noise every now and then as he thought things through, and Ian was checking the navigational tools to make sure they were on the correct trajectory to their next destination – and then the one after that.

Finally McKay cleared his throat and looked over at Ian to make sure he'd gotten his attention.

"Look… if you were to hook this thing up to one of the power relays in the mothership, you could probably create the explosion you're looking for."

"Where are the power relays located?" Ian asked, immediately interested.

McKay shrugged.

"There are several. Most of them are in the engineering section and the bridge, of course – although you might get lucky and find one on the hangar."

"What do they look like?"

"What do you mean, what do they look like? They look like power relays…"

Ian scowled.

"That doesn't mean shit to me, McKay. Just sketch me one, okay? Otherwise I might end up screwing up and sealing the doors closed or something… Unless they're labeled?"

McKay rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes, with a huge sign that says 'attach alien power source here for maximum explosive capabilities'."

Ian's scowl turned thunderous.

"Fuck you, McKay. Just draw me the picture, okay?"

"I left my sketch pad at home." McKay told him, sarcastically. "Just look for the little panel that has a couple of little openings on either side. The right side of the panel opens counter-clockwise, the left side opens clockwise. Pull the panel off and you'll see three wires and two crystals. The crystal on the right can be removed with a gentle tug. With that crystal connect the three wires – in order from left to right – and leave the crystal where it is. Then you should be able to connect the ZedPM to the remaining crystal with a simple alligator clip – or something similar."

"Like a paper clip?"

He didn't carry alligator clips on him, after all, but he might be able to find a paperclip in his pack.

"Just something metallic," McKay told him. "But it has to be securely connected, because that's the only way the-"

"So all the power of the overloaded ZPM is going to be going through a paperclip – or whatever?"

"Yes."

"What if it melts it?"

"It shouldn't."

"But it might?"

"It shouldn't," McKay repeated.

"If it does, then I don't get my explosion, though, right?"

"It won't."

"But if it-"

"Yes! Okay? If it melts the paperclip or whatever you use, you won't be able to blow up the ship. Just the hangar."

"Then that won't work," Ian said, shaking his head. "I can't risk not destroying the ship."

McKay made an exasperated noise.

"Then why did you bother to ask?"

"Because I hoped it would."

"Just use something more substantial than a paperclip," McKay snapped. "Tie it together with some metal wiring. That should do the trick."

Ian hesitated, thinking it through.

"Will it work?"

"Probably."

"Okay. Then I'll give it a shot."

McKay shook his head. The kid was out of his mind, obviously, but there was no denying that he was determined.

"You're going to get yourself killed, you know? And me along with you."

"I'm going to leave you at our next stop."

"Where I'll sit and wait until someone comes for me? Which won't ever happen. I don't think so."

"You know what my next stop is, Doctor," Ian told him. "And you've made it clear you don't want anything to do with it."

"Well I don't want to rot on some alien planet for the rest of my life, either – assuming there's not some kind of brain eating organism there that will kill me in some horribly painful manner the first few minutes I'm there."

Ian scowled.

"You need to make up your mind, then. Preferably before we get there, because I don't have a lot of time…"

McKay's scowl was just as annoyed – and he kind of had the same pained expression on his face that Ian knew he'd sported himself a few times. Sometimes life and death decisions sucked. That was all there was to it.

"I'll come with you. But I'm not getting off this ship when we dock on Anubis' Ha'tak. So don't even ask me to."

"Believe me, I won't."

"I mean it."

"So do I."

"But you're still going to go through with it…"

"There's no other way. Unless you can think of something?"

McKay hesitated, thinking hard. Or trying to, anyways.

"I'm too numb to think of anything…"

"Then we-"

"But I might come up with something on the way," he said quickly.

"You'd better think fast," Ian told him. And then the little cabin fell silent, both of them wrapped up in their own thoughts and unwilling to share them with the other.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I'm worried about Ian…"

Nathan looked over at his wife, his piercing blue eyes sober.

"I know, baby. I am, too."

Maggie hugged Bubba close to her side, and the black lab responded with a whine and a quick whuffling to her face.

"You know he's probably neck deep into whatever is going on right now…"

"I know."

Of course he knew! He knew better than anyone outside of the SGC. He put one arm around her, pulling her closer, and she cuddled up against him more than willing to be reassured. Jaffer, who had been sitting on the other side of Nate rumbled deep in his chest and snuggled closer to the retired general. Nate wasn't his Jack, but he smelled like Ian and Jake, and Jaffer liked Ian and Jake. He was willing to allow the substitution – for now, anyways.

"What do you think he's doing?" Maggie asked her husband with a sigh.

"He's probably helping them develop something nasty," Nate told her, squeezing her close. "Something that will knock the bastards out of the sky the next time they come too close."

He didn't really believe it – although he hoped it was true – and he knew Maggie didn't really believe it, either, but they could both hope. And pray. It was what everyone else in the world was doing, after all.

Time was short, but it was shorter than they knew.