A/N: Thanks for the reviews and thank you so much for reading this story. I hope to address any lose ends and tie them up in the end. Frankly, it's been a while since I've watched an episode of the show. I read many fanfics and sometimes, I'm not quite certain where canon ends and fanon begins. I always liked the thought of a deeper connection between the Colonel and Atlantis. Perhaps my choosing four hive ships was really a bit much. I guess we'll see if I've come up with a suitable solution how Sheppard deals with them in the end. Or perhaps Atlantis is doomed ? ;)

Their return to the gate room was awkward. The air seemed to simmer with all the things Sheppard had told Beckett and McKay. They had promised not to divulge anything to Dr. Weir, Lorne or Sheppard's other teammates, but the tension between them was rather obvious. Almost anyone, with the possible exception of Kavanaugh, would have picked up on it. So it was really no surprise that Ronon and Lorne tensed, while both women in the room frowned upon the return of the three men.

Dr. Weir stepped forward, lines of worry creasing her face. "Dr. Beckett, is everything all right with Colonel Sheppard?"

Sheppard lifted his chin defiantly. "I'm here, too, Elizabeth. And I'm fine, thank you very much."

A brief smile flashed across her face, before she turned serious again. "You always say that you're fine. That's why I'm asking Dr. Beckett."

The doctor glanced at Sheppard and shook his head with a small smirk, before he turned toward Dr. Weir. "Aye, the Colonel is fit to go offworld. And I'm going with him."

Several pairs of eyes widened in surprise. Sheppard didn't feel comfortable being the center of attention. As much as the doctor's offer had initially relieved him, he was beginning to question the wisdom of taking Beckett with him to MX-650. Pairing up the CO and the CMO to go offworld on their own had to go against several regulations at once.

Sheppard shifted from one foot to the other. "Carson, perhaps it's better if I go alone."

Beckett glared at him. "My decision stands, Colonel Sheppard. Ye're going with me or ye're not going at all."

Both Teyla and Dr. Weir looked at each other, sharing worried looks. It was obvious that neither of them was satisfied with what they had heard so far and would demand answers.

Teyla beat Dr. Weir to it. "John, is there anything you are not telling us about this mission?"

Sheppard almost felt her gaze on him. Her brown eyes seemed to be looking right into his soul, as if she could read his mind just as clearly as she could connect with the Wraith. A slight shiver ran down his spine, but he did his best to shake off that sense of unease. He purposefully focused his attention back on Dr. Weir, knowing that he stood better chances withstanding her gaze than he did Teyla's.

Sheppard gritted his teeth. "This ritual the Rahelians want me to complete, it might take considerably more time than we have. Carson thinks he can convince the Rahelians to let us trade for something else. But you should prepare a team to get us off this planet, if we don't return in twenty-four hours."

Being a skilled diplomat, Dr. Weir's expression didn't say much about the emotions currently running through her. But her eyes spoke volumes. And Sheppard deliberately held her gaze. He could practically watch the wheels in her mind turn and felt a grim satisfaction.

Teyla and Ronon both moved toward the gate. "We are coming, too, Colonel."

Though Sheppard would have felt even safer in their presence, he shook his head. "The Rahelians are expecting me to come alone. I can only hope they will accept Carson's presence. I'm not going to take any risks. We need this ZPM."

"John, if this mission is too dangerous, you need to tell us," Dr. Weir demanded. "I'm not going to risk your life over a ZPM."

Sheppard felt his anger rise. Now, she was asking the questions she should have asked hours ago, when his mission to MX-650 hadn't yet been a question of life and death. As much as he usually liked the commander of the Atlantis expedition, right now he was seriously pissed off.

"Who said anything about me risking my life?" Sheppard replied.

"That's not what I was asking, John," Dr. Weir protested. "We need to talk about this."

"That was exactly what you were asking, Elizabeth. And like you said, the Rahelian's are a friendly people. They have no reason to kill me. My issues with this mission are an entirely private matter," Sheppard said flatly and turned to the man beside him. "Wouldn't you say, Carson?"

The doctor swallowed visibly, but he nodded. "Aye."

Sheppard assumed his best military stance, raising himself to full height. "See to it that you evacuate the whole expedition to the alpha site. Lorne, you contact the Daedalus that we might be in need of help. I'm doing everything in my power to get us this ZPM."

As if it had just dawned on her that he military commander of the base had the last word in a crisis like this, Dr. Weir shrank a little under Sheppard's gaze. "Be safe, John."

Sheppard gave her a grim nod and turned to the gate. "Dial MX-650."

The sun was once again relentlessly burning down from a deep blue sky as they stepped through the gate on MX-650. Sheppard blinked into the harsh light and slipped on his glasses. He turned his head and looked at Beckett, who mirrored his movement. Automatically, Sheppard took point.

But he hadn't taken more than a few steps when he felt Beckett's hand on his shoulder that held him back. "Shouldn't ye have told her what the Rahelians want from ye?"

Sheppard squared his jaw. "She doesn't need to know. And what difference does it make, anyway? I'd still have to try. We've discussed this already, Carson. I really don't want to go over it again. You're coming?"

He flashed a glance over his shoulder, but Beckett hadn't moved from his spot. Instead, he had his arms crossed in front of his chest. A deep frown creased his forehead. The way he studied Sheppard, one might have guessed that they were still in the infirmary rather than on a tropical planet with lush green vegetation and humid air.

"Ye're angry with her." It was a statement rather than a question.

Sheppard's jaw worked. "All Elizabeth cared for is this stupid ZPM. She didn't even stop to wonder why I was reluctant to go on this mission."

Beckett raised his brows. "Would ye have given her a straight answer, if she'd asked?"

Sheppard smiled at him self-consciously. "Probably not. But still, it doesn't seem like her."

"She thought she knew what was bothering you," Beckett said quietly. "Perhaps, she's still so guilt-ridden after what Koyla did to you. We all are. We all thought that he was the reason you freaked out at the prospect of having to go offworld alone." He drew in a deep breath and his voice quivered slightly as he continued. "We watched you die inch by inch. We were all horrified. But I think it was worse for Elizabeth because she was in charge and could have put a stop to it if only she had handed over Ladim."

Sheppard shook his head. "It was never her fault. She should know that."

Beckett shrugged. "Perhaps she understands that on a conscious level. But the heart is another matter entirely. Elizabeth likes ye a lot more than ye think." His voice trailed off and a slight flush tinted his cheeks, as if he's said more than he'd intended to. Beckett cleared his throat. "After ye left the morning meeting, we discussed what might have caused yer outburst. Neither McKay, nor Ronon or Teyla reported anything out of the ordinary. Not one of us suspected that anything untoward had happened to you on MX-650."

Sheppard let out a small sigh. "Talking about personal things has never come easy to me. Today, I guess I made my own life a lot more difficult than I absolutely had to, huh?"

He moved out again, but soon stopped as Beckett still didn't follow him. Sheppard turned to the other man. There was a fine sheen of sweat on the doctor's forehead that could either be a result of the heat or his nervousness. The way Beckett continuously checked his surroundings, he was definitely on edge.

Sheppard gave him a wry smile. "Having second thoughts, doc? We could always dial back."

Beckett shook his head, but his face remained drawn. "First Koyla and now the Rahelians. I'll never understand how ye manage to keep yer cool."

Sheppard shrugged. "Years of training. But if it's any consolation, I'm not cool. Anything but." He held out his hand, allowing Beckett to see the fine tremor that was running through his muscles. "It's a good thing we don't intend to shoot anyone." Once again, he moved out.

Beckett groaned as he caught up with him. "I must admit that's nah reassuring at all."

Sheppard laughed, but sobered quickly. "I really didn't mean to drag you into this, Carson. You should leave while you still can."

"Oh no, John, I won't," Beckett stated. "There's no way, I'll leave you alone in this situation."

There was a 'not again' hanging in the air that remained unspoken. Sheppard felt a rush of gratefulness for the man beside him. It clashed awkwardly with his need to protect the people around him. Though he was a military officer, Beckett wasn't as thoroughly trained for combat as the other soldiers under his command.

Sheppard grimaced. "Just don't let them know you also have the gene. I'd hate having to watch them violate you."

Beckett nodded grimly. "Let's hope it won't come to any violating. I should be able to convince them to leave you alone. "

"I sure hope you do," Sheppard sighed. "Or that Rodney will come up with some last minute miracle. I really don't look forward to having to go through with this ritual. Because if I need to do that, there gonna be rumors about me having a thing for Dr. Heitmeyer."

Beckett barked with laughter and despite himself, Sheppard joined him.

"This will make for a great report," he muttered and shook his head.

"If they really insist on you getting their women pregnant, we could always offer artificial insemination," Beckett suggested. "You don't have to be intimate with anyone if you don't want to."

Sheppard gave a non-committal grunt. Though the idea definitely had its merits, he didn't particularly like it. Granted, he wouldn't have to rape anyone, or be raped. But the thought that he might father children and would never really be part in their lives didn't sit well with him in general. Throughout his youth, his father had never really been there for him. Despite the occasional lecture and the frequent looks of disappointment on his face, they hadn't shared much quality time. Sheppard had vowed to himself that if he became a father at all, he'd be different.

And the thought that the whole base might become privy to the nature of this particular assignment, if suddenly samples of his sperm were shipped offworld, was just too much to bear. He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment and decided not to further address the subject until it became absolutely necessary.

They continued in silence for a while. The village was just a few klicks from the 'gate. This time around, the walk seemed all too short. Soon, the first signs of the settlement appeared.

Sheppard stopped for a moment and shared a glance with Beckett. "Here goes nothing."

Beckett nodded, his jaw tense. He followed the Colonel. Sheppard's nerves were on edge. He couldn't help the feeling that someone was watching them. The dense vegetation in the area only increased his nervousness, because it was so easy for someone to hide there. They should have brought LSD's. But what was the point, really? They wanted to be found, after all. Sheppard tried to shake the sense of unease. Perhaps he was just having a bad case of frayed nerves, or perhaps the Rahelians had really posted a guard.

Automatically, Sheppard gripped his P-90 more tightly. HE knew it was pointless, really, because they needed him alive. And he wasn't going to shoot them either. Still, the firm cold steel of the weapon in his hands made him feel a bit more at ease.

Suddenly, there was a prick in his neck. Startled, Sheppard searched for the spot, finding a small dart that had probably been shot out of a blowgun. He grimaced. The effect was quick. Already, Sheppard felt himself sway and his vision swam.

"Carson, get out of here now!" His tongue felt thick and his mind foggy. Words were difficult to form.

"What's wrong with you lad?" Carson gasped.

Sheppard swayed precariously, but managed to show Carson the small dart. "Sleepy," he muttered. "Think I'm going to pass out. Fall...to… the..gate...order.."

Black spots danced before his eyes, getting larger until there was only darkness. The last thing that registered with him, were hands on his body breaking his fall. Then there was nothing.