Chapter 7

"Well, what the hell does that mean?" John said.

Rodney looked at him expressionless. "How should I know?"

John sighed, irritated. "Well, since you just happen to be able to translate crazy languages, I thought you could check your brain again for some grand insight into what that could possibly mean! I'm not taking my team on a suicide mission down the hallway of doom if I can help it! " Even as the words, team and mission came out of his mouth he felt a strange reminiscence, as if the words were so familiar to him.

Rodney stuck his chin out. "Team? Mission? Did I enlist and no one told me?What the hell are you talking about?" He continued without waiting for an answer. "I told you, I think my memory is coming back. It must be or else how would I have been able to read it? Better we know something about this hallway rather than nothing, which is exactly what you have provided us!"

Teyla looked at them both exasperated. "Do you not think we should try to decipher the words instead of arguing over them?" Her eyes rested on John's face, lingering.

John ran his fingers through his spiky hair. "She's right, Twitchy. I'm sorry. Ok pure blood, pure blood..." he said as he thought about what it could mean.

Teyla spoke quickly. "Someone who is ill might not have pure blood." Rodney snapped his fingers. "Allright, I like your thinking, Angel. Ok, how about..." Teyla spoke again cutting him off. "Or could not refer to anyone who is not of the bloodline linked to the creators of this place?" Rodney stared at her admiringly. "Of course! The age old prejudice, gee that one never gets old.Ohh, hey maybe they're an ancient race of technologically superior beings and this is a warning for their evil alien enemies! Ha, ha, I jest...," he laughed. Teyla and Rodney spoke of many different theories before John interrupted.

John spoke quietly. "Guys, listen, we can't stay here forever. We can't go back the way we came. We have to figure this thing out really soon or we have to chance it. Either way, something has to happen here." Rodney looked at him, understanding. "Listen, I'm... really...really... hungry so I totally know where you're coming from Captain, but there's no way we can ever know for sure what these people meant by pure blood unless we knew more about them and we don't."

Rodney looked solemn for a moment, shuffling his feet. "I think I should be the one to try it. Technically, I wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for...Just let me do this. I want to do this." Teyla and John looked at each other and then back at Rodney. John started to protest when Teyla cut him off. She could see the desperation for self worth in Rodney's troubled eyes. "We admire your bravery, Twitchy. We would be proud if you would lead us." John slowly nodded in agreement. He understood but he still would have preferred to go first himself.

Rodney took Teyla's hands into his own. "Thank you for being so nice to me." Teyla kept a brave face for him.

He turned to Colonel Sheppard. "Just tell me I'm gonna make it."

Colonel Sheppard looked him dead in the eye and said, "You're gonna make it."

"Ok, here goes nothing."

He walked for what seemed seemed like forever to him, keeping one eye shut and one eye just barely cracked open, down the long, dark hallway. The others squinted through the darkness, waiting, watching.

Rodney felt a rush of relief wash over him during his last few steps. And when he came to the end and stood outside the hallways boundaries, he cried, "Woo hoo!" and danced a little jig, clapping and waving down the hallway to the others."I made it! You were right! Ha, ha!"

Teyla and John let out breaths they had been holding and smiled happily, looking at each other. Their faces were so close John could feel her breath on his face.

He was so drawn to her, and overcome with joy that their friend had made his way safely, he grabbed her by both arms and pulled her to him, kissing her softly. He pulled away after only a few seconds, shocked by his own lack of self control. He looked into her eyes about to apologize for his burst of emotion when she grabbed his head and kissed him harder. He grinned at her as their lips broke apart.

"Are you guys kissing?" Rodney yelled his voice echoing loudly, still laughing to himself.

"No!" yelled John down the long hall. He turned back to Teyla. "Ok you go next then I'll go."

"Why do you get to go last?" she asked.

"Cause that way... I'll get the better view," he said with a smirk.

"Well now I am most certainly going last!" she laughed as she playfully punched his arm.

"Fine, fine." he agreed and began his walk, looking back at her and winking.

When he reached the other side, Rodney embraced him. "Captain, so good to see you, glad you could make it. Hey, were you guys really kissing?"

"Ok Angel, it's your turn!" John called, ignoring Rodney's question.

Teyla began her walk, with an increasing feeling of trepidation. Since they had left the previous room, she had felt a strange feeling inside her, growing. She had blamed it at first on her grief for the strong man, but she knew now it was more than that. She pressed on, trying to focus her thoughts on the others, as she could hear them joking and laughing at the other end.

She was no more than halfway when she stopped. She felt the entire hallway tremor quietly. John stopped talking with Rodney and looked at her. "Angel, what are you doing?"

She wanted to scream, but she was so afraid she couldn't even bring herself to whisper. The walls groaned loudly causing all of them to jump in fright. John's heartbeat increased. "RUN!" he screamed to her. They watched in horror as the walls began to close together when she was not even halfway through.

Rodney began talking to himself as he watched her, panicked. "Why isn't she pure? why isn't she pure?" he kept repeating to himself. Teyla's adrenaline finally kicked in and she began to run like she had never run before, bridging the gap between them as the walls closed in fast.Concentrate, concentrate, you can make it, she told herself, looking straight ahead.

John began to hurry towards the hallway as Teyla ran towards him full speed. Rodney grabbed John's shirt at the last second. "What are you doing?! You can't go in there, you'll get squashed!" he cried incredously. "So will she!" John returned angrily.

"I'm not gonna let you kill yourself!"

"AND I'M NOT GONNA WATCH HER DIE!"

The walls were only inches from Teyla's sides and her lungs felt as though they would burst at any second. They were so close to her now, she could make out details of John's face. She couldn't help but smile as she had almost reached him, her arms extended to him, before the walls slammed shut completely, with her still inside.