At first the smell was an annoyance. Better than that of a Wraith breathing down your neck, Rodney supposed, but after a while it became pervasive. It was everywhere. Before the Stargate program he had little experience of the smells of the world and now he had the benefit of a variety from at least two different galaxies. It might be enough to say it was unpleasant, but that really didn't give it its due. And it was getting worse.

'Ok, so I'm going to bet that something died in here,' said Sheppard.

'Bet?' Asked Rodney.

'Yeah. What do you think it is?'

'Well to be honest I really don't want to think about it much less talk about it. Every time I open my mouth I feel like I'm eating it.'

'You probably are.'

McKay glared at Shepard's back, knowing he was probably smirking. Even if he were facing him, Rodney probably wouldn't be able to see his face in the gloomy duct interior. There was barely enough light to get around. They just kept following the green light and hoping.

'It's got to be something decaying, right?' asked Shepard.

'Why does it have to be something dead and/or dying? Why can't it be something nice?'

'You don't think the smell is a clue?' Sheppard turned right down a slightly downward slope. 'Come on, McKay, name me something nice that goes with that aroma.'

'Well, it could be an old sewer system.'

'That doesn't sound nice.'

'Better than dead things decaying.'

'Come on, Brainiac, I'm sure you can think of something.' Sheppard stopped and stepped down a two foot drop. 'Careful here there's a drop.'

Rodney jumped down and for the first time since they'd started walking in these damned ducts he got a good glimpse of Sheppard's face. It was strained. Rodney knew he wasn't very good at picking up on emotional cues, but he strongly suspected the guessing game was Sheppard's way of distracting, not only himself, but Rodney too. He edged into the difficult territory.

'Do you think Teyla and Ronan are all right?' Rodney asked.

'I think so. Whatever helped us probably helped them, if they were still here when the Wraith arrived. If not, then they are probably on the other side of the gate wondering how on earth they are going to get us out. Either way, nothing can be done until we are out of these ducts.'

McKay noticed that Sheppard left the unthinkable, unsaid. He hoped the Wraith hadn't found them.

'It could be hydroponics.'

'What could?'

'The smell. You said it could be decaying matter. Well what if they had some sort of hydroponic system? It's probably not being maintained and the power is still connected, I should imagine it would be a forest by now.'

'Interesting. What else have you got?'

'Well, the whole place seems to be bio-mechanical…' Rodney squeaked in surprise as Sheppard roughly put his hand over Rodney's mouth. In the half-light Sheppard put his finger on his own lips to indicate silence. McKay nodded.

Ahead there was a vent with light flooding out of it. They walked past loads of others in darkness. Above the lit one were many red flashing low lit lights. Danger ahead. They quietly tiptoed to the vent and Sheppard indicated to lay down, so Rodney did. By doing this they could both crawl up and see down into the area below. The Wraith were there. Sheppard looked at McKay concerned and they paused for a few seconds looking at each other, waiting for the Wraith inevitably to sense them above. Ten seconds passed to twenty and they saw the Wraith did not know they were there.

Then there was a horrible screaming and a Wraith was dragged into the centre of the room. It was wounded but didn't appear to be healing. It continued to scream until one of the others knocked it out with the butt of his gun. Sympathetic.

Sheppard pointed forward, he wanted to keep moving. McKay crawled around the vent and stood. They quietly made their way further down the duct and then Sheppard stopped him.

'Did you see what I saw back there?' He whispered.

'The Wraith didn't heal.'

'We should look into that.'

'Agreed.'

Sheppard pulled a glow stick out of a pocket and snapped it, shook it and threw it on the ground.

'Just in case we have to run back in a hurry.'

'I don't think I could find my way back now,' McKay said as they walked on.

'Haven't you been remembering each turn?'

'God, no.'

Sheppard gave him a disapproving look.

'Oh and I suppose you remembered every single turn, did you?' McKay narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

'Yup. Left, right, forward for about twenty meters, step down left again, left…'

'Oh you could be saying anything and I wouldn't know the difference.'

'Yeah,' Sheppard chuckled. 'So much for that amazing intellect eh?'

'I'm probably in shock from that weird alien drug you gave me.'

'Well it hasn't shut you up any so I really wouldn't worry about it for now.'

McKay glared daggers at Sheppard and walked along in silence for a while. The Major got under his skin a lot lately, more than ever in fact. Before Sheppard had shouted at him too. There were so many aspects that irritated. Probably the biggest was how effortless Sheppard made everything seem. Like now, he walked gun in hand checking every corner in the half-light. He looked professional, calm and not a hair out of place. Rodney knew it wasn't quite that simple, he'd utterly hate Sheppard if it was, but he just oozed his brand of laid back machismo. Whereas Rodney had always struggled despite his brain. He got the social stuff wrong and people tended to remember those sorts of mistakes. Of course you have to care about that sort of thing in the first place and Rodney hadn't for the longest time. Here he didn't have the choice, you got to know people and they got to know you too. He'd started to care. Those feelings had led him to irrational places.

Ahead the red lights flashed and Sheppard dropped down into a squatting position. Rodney followed suit and rested on his haunches. He watched Sheppard's hawk like reaction. What light there was glinted off his quick eyes and his profile was handsome as always. For a moment Rodney let his mind wander and, not for the first time, wonder what it would be like to be that handsome. He found attractive people truly unnerving and annoyingly found himself saying the most ridiculous things around them: Samantha Carter being a case in point. They made him feel awkward and ugly. He brazened out his insecurities with bluster and bullshit. Carter and Sheppard had a similar effect on him. Although, unlike Carter, Sheppard's personality directly caused some of the uncomfortableness. It was time, he guessed, and that familiarity with one another, which had eroded some of his awkwardness with Sheppard. It was time that had allowed him to feel a kinship with Sheppard, as well as Teyla and Ronan. It was time that allowed his walls to fall away and believe that the respect was mutual.

Rodney looked away from Sheppard and glanced down for a moment. His gut clenched when he thought of Sheppard's previous disapproval. It hurt more when he remembered Sheppard said he had 'no redeemable features'. He felt the usual shame wash over him, but it was worse than before. Sheppard needed him and all he'd managed so far was to fall unconscious, cause the team to split and get Sheppard trapped in an unknown location with the Wraith. Rodney felt his pulse quickening. It wasn't the words Sheppard had said that hurt the most, it was knowing that it was true.

When Sheppard's hand rested on Rodney's shoulder, he jumped. He hadn't noticed Sheppard move he'd been so deep in thought.

'McKay? You okay?'

'What? Yes. I'm fine,' he lied.

'Your nose is bleeding.' Rodney reached up and touched his nose and felt the blood. He wiped at it with his sleeve.

'It's fine.' It wasn't fine. He felt woozy and sick.

'You sure? Don't want to take a minute?' Rodney shook his head. 'Okay then, let's keep going.'

They followed the lights to an intersection and a hatch opened. Inside was a narrow shaft which led down into darkness, there were some sort of hand and foot holds. Sheppard took out a torch and shone it down the dark shaft. Sheppard lent over slightly and put the torch away.

'I can't see the bottom,' said Sheppard.

Rodney felt the now familiar flutter of fear.

'Fantastic,' said Rodney.

'I don't know why you are worried, McKay. Scenic heights, darkness, unknown alien architecture, some sort of ghost telling us what to do and bad guys trying to eat us. All the makings of a great horror movie.'

The look McKay gave him was so withering that Sheppard chuckled.

'Shall I go first?' It wasn't a question; of course Sheppard was going first.

Sheppard stepped down into the lightless void.

'Seems ok,' he stated simply. 'We'll go in stages, follow my lead and don't go too quick.'

'Okay.'

Rodney watched as Sheppard disappeared and then stood over the opening himself. The flutter of fear turned into an icy tendril that seemed to coil around his spine. He sat with his legs dangling over the edge; every part of his body saying 'nope' quite certainly. He found the footholds and started his descent. Little green lights flashed around them, in unison. Rodney felt encouragement wash through him. Whatever it was it wanted them to succeed.

'The er… ghost is cheerleading,' McKay said into the dark.

'The what?' Sheppard said back, closer than Rodney thought.

'The disembodied entity that is trying to help us,' Rodney explained.

'Oh that. You mean you can feel it?'

'Yeah, it's sending waves of calm too,' Rodney heard Sheppard laugh. 'What's so funny?'

'It already knows you so well.'

'Well, excuse me for being afraid in a dark, enclosed space.'

They moved in silence for a while. The effort of climbing down was tiring and Rodney had started to sweat a lot. It seemed like they had been walking the ducts and descending for hours; he realised he had no idea of time since he had lost consciousness. He could feel his chest heaving with the physical exercise.

'I've hit bottom, wait where you are, McKay.' And just like that Sheppard was gone. Rodney clung on, waiting, sweating in apprehension. 'Okay, you can come down now.' Rodney descended the rest of the way.

It was not brightly lit but there seemed to be no discernible source of light. It was just there. Again there was a centralised area but it had little else in common with the control type room they'd been in when he fell unconscious. It had flowing water for a start. Conduits of fluid, varying in colour and size, flowed into the middle. Here Rodney felt a sense of security.

'McKay, don't you touch anything.'

'Witty.'

'I like to think so.' Sheppard looked around and then pointed at the wall. 'Does that look like it's moving?'

Rodney stepped closer to inspect. The wall moved rhythmically, almost like a heartbeat. He felt the excitement rise in the room and he knew he must be right. Whatever it was, it was alive. Rodney reached out to touch it automatically but Sheppard caught his hand quickly. He held it tightly and looked annoyed.

'What did I just say?'

Rodney looked down for a moment, ashamed.

'You said, "Don't you touch anything."'

'That's right.'

Rodney felt his face heating up.

'Sorry.'

'Don't be sorry, just be careful.'

Sheppard let go of Rodney's hand and he immediately felt the loss. He also felt angry and annoyed. Sheppard was treating him like a child. He put his hand on the wall, petulantly.

Rodney suddenly became hyper-aware of everything in the room. He heard the rushing of the water, pulsing through and reaching everywhere. He felt Sheppard's body heat and could smell the soap he used this morning. The gun oil taint cut through and faint traces of cordite could be picked up. Sheppard's heartbeat was quickening and Rodney could feel his fear, not anger, coming in waves. He felt the unknown entity reaching for him gently. A pleasant dream-like feeling washed over him and he felt the reassuring touch of the entity, hesitant but buzzing with excitement.

The pain was a shock. It wracked through him first from his face and then through the rest of his body. He felt the entity's anger and then fell over.

**XX**.

This is what happens when you work with civilians, John thought. He looked at the crumpled heap on the floor. Instantly the guilt edged its way in over the anger. John bent down to check where he'd slapped Rodney. There was a lovely red hand print.

'Goddammit, McKay. You couldn't just do one thing I asked you too?' He lent over Rodney and gently patted the unbruised cheek. 'Wake up, McKay, come on…'

McKay's eyes fluttered a little and Shepard could see he would wake up shortly. Sheppard took a moment to take Rodney's pulse and could feel it racing. He'd suspected McKay had been lying when he said he was fine. John frowned, McKay usually wasn't one for being stoically silent; if anything it usually made him whinge louder. A loud Rodney was a happy Rodney. McKay's eyes opened.

'Why are you staring at me like that?' McKay asked.

'I'm wondering whether I should kill you now or later.'

McKay looked away and then sat up. He put a hand to the red mark on his face.

'Did you hit me?'

'You looked like you were going into brain overload again, I stopped it.'

'But… you hit me!'

'I didn't know you were going to defy common sense and grab the wall did I? I panicked.'

'By hitting me?' McKay said angrily.

'Yes and I didn't even have time to enjoy it. Man up.' Sheppard turned his back on McKay looked at where he'd touched the wall.

'You know sometimes you piss me off too.'

Sheppard turned back around to face Rodney again. Rodney's face was flushed but his eyes were bright with unshed tears.

'Really? Oh do elaborate.' Sheppard could feel his own anger building. 'This seems like just the place for us to have a chat.'

'You don't struggle with anything do you?' Rodney was still holding his cheek.

'What are you talking about?'

'You just waltz around breezing through life, it's easy when you're handsome. You just flap your puppy-dog eyes and the world opens up for you.'

'You think I'm handsome?' The annoyance slipped away to be replaced by amusement.

'Really? That's your response?'

Sheppard just grinned.

'You think I'm handsome.' This time it wasn't a question.

'For god's sake, Sheppard.'

'Look, I'm sorry. I thought that thing was going to short your brain again,' Sheppard smiled, 'Do you want a power bar? I always pack extra.' He unzipped one of the many pockets he had and pulled out a power bar, offering it to Rodney.

'No.'

Sheppard frowned. A refusal of food too. They needed to get out of here sooner rather than later.

'Look, McKay, the entity that's helping us could be a computer or some alien in a room. We don't know it's motivations for keeping us alive. I've trusted it this far because I've been given no other choices. It nearly killed you, whether it meant to or not. Be cautious first not curious, ok?'

McKay still looked sullen but he nodded. The redness of his cheek contrasted with the overall pallor of his face. Rodney's eyes looked bluer against the whiteness of his skin.

'Right, we need to find the next exit.' Sheppard hoped moving the conversation on would halt the rant Rodney no doubt was ready to unleash. He looked around the conduits of fluid and found a gap. It could be a door but it wasn't obvious. As he looked around the edges he was aware that Rodney was watching him, but not moving.

'What was it that made you think you could inject me with what 'it' suggested?' McKay asked. 'Was it caution or curiosity?'

'That's not the same.'

'Why not?'

'I thought you were dying,' Sheppard felt his gut clench remembering the moment. 'I had to make a choice, so I did. I'm not apologising for trying to keep you alive.'

Sheppard glanced over and saw McKay nodding slightly. He knew it was fear that was eating at McKay, anything outside of his understanding bothered him or fascinated him. In this case, the lack of data was a loss of power, Sheppard got that.

'I think we can get out here, but it's not opening.'

'Have you tried touching it?'

'No.'

'That's how we opened the other doors.'

'I'll try…'

Sheppard put his hand out to the 'door' and touched it. It rippled and flashed red.

'Well I guess not then.'

The door then revealed a small panel and through it they could see into the area beyond the room, which was flooded with water. The panel had a simple bar in two colours, red and green. The red was mostly full and the green was slowly rising.

'It looks like we have to wait for the water to clear before we move on,' Said McKay.

Sheppard checked the vent they'd entered through by shining a torch up. When he was satisfied that it was clear he sat down against the central pillar and faced the door. He put his gun in his lap and then patted the floor next to him looking at McKay.

'If we have to wait, then we should rest. And by we, I mean you.'

McKay walked over and sat down next to Sheppard. He didn't say anything and just watched the door silently. Sheppard waited a while to see if McKay fell asleep, but he didn't. So he tried a different tact.

'So tell me about this handsome thing?'

McKay twitched and breathed out an irritated huff of air.

'Really?'

'Oh yes really, I want to understand, McKay.'

'It's a science thing.'

'Hey, I get science things if you explain them properly.'

'Well, its science and math.'

'Ok, well I can do both.'

'Well there er… well some might think that there is a pleasing geometry to your features?

'Pleasing geometry?'

'Well, it's symmetrical. We are predisposed to look for it as a species. Malformations and scars are generally undesirable because they could mean genetic aberration.'

'Do you bring stuff like this up on dates?'

'Not generally, no.'

'And the puppy-dog eyes?'

'I would guess some people might like that symmetry with that eye colour.'

'And what eye colour is that?'

'Hazel with hints of grey-green.'

Sheppard twisted around to look straight at Rodney, chuckling.

'That's specific,' John couldn't help the grin.

'I'm observant.'

'Puppy-dog?'

'Oh come on.'

'You have to explain, or I'm telling everyone what you said,' Sheppard thought for a moment, 'If we live.'

'You know, it's hard not to like a puppy…'

'And?'

'I just mean… some people might find it hard to resist.'

'Oh plenty of people can and do, I assure you.'

'Yeah, you would say that, Captain Kirk.'

'Wait… do find me hard to resist, McKay?'

'I said other people might.'

'Right…'

'God you are so full of it.'

Sheppard lent in closer and Rodney's eyes widened. He was smiling a soft smile he reserved for winning over Weir and flirting.

'Well, I guess I will have to flap my puppy-dogs at the wraith and see what we get.'

'I really don't think that would be advisable.'

Sheppard lent in closer again and this time Rodney moved away slightly involuntarily.

'Does the way I look intimidate you?'

'No,' Rodney squeaked.

'Are you sure, Rodney?'

'No… I mean yes.'

The moment, as it was, lingered. Rodney's blue eyes were wide and tremulous. A little jolt of something hit John in his gut and he felt as though he were seeing McKay for the first time, truly. There was more to the prickly façade that Rodney projected, there was true vulnerability. Sheppard had been teasing him, but suddenly it wasn't funny when he saw how thin a veneer there was between prickly Rodney and the real Rodney. There was weight in his gaze, a depth unknown. The gap closed a little more and John realised, in that second he could kiss him if he wanted. Did he want to? The jolt hit him again, only this time lower. He did want to. John closed the space and touched his lips against Rodney's. This time when the jolt came it didn't leave. When Rodney kissed back the fierceness of his reciprocation took John by surprise. They broke apart for a moment and Sheppard saw the unhidden desire on McKay's face, now the mask had fully dropped. John slipped his hand around the back of McKay's neck and pulled him in. John would remember this kiss for a long time. The soft groan Rodney made as they touched and the desire McKay had for him. He would remember feeling as though he were alight. He would wish it had been longer. Who knows where it would have gone?

The door rippled and opened. At the same time the room flashed red. Sheppard wrenched himself from Rodney and pulled his gun up into the firing position. Slowly he rose, using his free hand to indicate to McKay to get behind him. Sheppard walked up to the doorway and listened; there were no immediate sounds so he popped his head around the doorway. There was a huge space with lots of stairs and doorways. He ducked back in to where McKay stood.

'Gun out, McKay,' Sheppard whispered, 'Do not shoot unless I tell you to, and check your corners. And, Rodney?'

'Yes?'

'Don't shoot me, ok?'

'I'll try, no promises,' McKay whispered back.

They skirted the perimeter in the near gloom that they were already used too. Tiny green flashes led them upstairs and through corridors. They passed a number botanical arboretums of varying sizes. Probably the hydroponics that Rodney mentioned earlier. The plant life was pretty exotic. At the top of the fifth flight of stairs Rodney grabbed Sheppard's shoulder and squeezed. Sheppard instinctively dropped down onto his haunches.

'What is it?' He whispered.

'The entity is warning me quite strongly that we should be cautious.'

'Wraith?'

'It didn't specify.'

'Helpful.'

'Actually, it can tell me, if you'd just let me touch one of the panels.'

'Not happening, McKay,' Sheppard hissed.

They moved on and Sheppard started to understand where they were going. The entity or whatever it was, was trying to get them back to the gate room. This was the good news. The bad news was it had led them to an overgrown arboretum and clearly expected them to get through it. They manoeuvred inside and the door closed and hardened behind them. There were windows in here and you could see through the gaps in the canopy to the stars. John turned to look at Rodney and saw him staring at the very same thing, eyes full of wonder. Sheppard smiled.

'Are we safe in here?' Asked Rodney, still looking up.

'I was about to ask you the same thing.'

'I'm not getting anything. Actually I'm not seeing any flashing lights in here either.'

They both looked around and could see nothing flashing.

'I guess we are on our own through here. It looks domed, so I'd guess straight over as best we can. Unless you have a better idea?'

McKay looked surprised and blinked for a moment.

'Me? I er… Well, I think that seems logical although straight lining it might be hard.'

'May as well get to it,' Sheppard suggested.

They were not prepped for hacking their way through undergrowth, but Sheppard used his combat knife to great effect. They had to climb a lot of it and although Rodney struggled he did not complain. In fact Rodney had very little to say. It was a little awkward. One part of a massive tree had fallen and they'd had to scramble over using the vines already growing over it. Once on the other side, Rodney bent over, panting. He looked up, pale and sweaty.

'I know, I know, do more cardio…' He put his head back down and breathed in more deeply.

'Actually, I was just thinking you've gotten fitter,' said Sheppard.

'Really?'

'Yeah, a year ago you'd never have made that.'

Sheppard was rewarded with McKay reassessing the fallen tree and then having a little smirk of self-satisfaction. And with that the awkwardness fell away. John felt a swell of feeling rush through him and he caught McKay's eye. McKay looked away immediately, but almost as quickly looked back and away again. The smile stayed on John's face. When Rodney looked back for the third time, he kept John's gaze for a longer moment and shyly looked down.

'I have been trying to fit in more gym time, given the extraordinary amount of time we spend trekking.'

'Well, I approve,' Sheppard said, taking his water bottle and taking a massive swig.
As Sheppard offered his water to McKay, he saw McKay's eye's go wide with terror as he fumbled at his holster trying to get his gun out. Sheppard dropped the bottle and turned bringing his gun up at the same time. The first shot missed him, but the second hit him in the gut. The fiery pain was immediate. His whole body spasmed with the pain and he fired at the floor missing the Wraith. He couldn't catch his breath and his vision was tunnelling.

Sheppard's legs went from under him and the shock of hitting the ground shook through every nerve. Sheppard heard McKay's gun firing, good for you, Sheppard thought, fight till your last Rodney. The stars glinted from the gaps in the canopy above him and then the gunshots stopped.