Kuroima – Thanks for the review, the last chapter was kinda sad and unfortunately this one isn't much better lol, I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Saphire – I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, thanks for the review.

Sparkly – I just couldn't see Ronon as the type to sit through therapy lol, I'm glad you think I captured Elizabeth well in the last chapter. Thanks for the review.

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Chapter 15

As the team entered the village the locals stared at them with curious gazes, many of them simply stood and watched the new comers pass by. Finally someone approached them, a middle aged man with greying hair, his once youthful face marked with lines of age. "May I help you?" he asked and John prepared to give the well practiced introductions.

"I'm Colonel Sheppard, this is Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex," he stated, gesturing to each of his team members in turn.

"I am Galan, do you wish to speak to our leader?" he asked and John nodded with a small smile.

"That'd be great," he replied and Galan led the way through the wood built houses of the village. The locals continued to watch them and John couldn't help but notice the dark atmosphere that seemed to be hanging over the entire village. It felt an awful lot like fear.

They approached a small house that was probably pretty close to the centre of the village and Galan knocked on the door. It took a less than a minute for the door to open revealing yet another aging man, this one older and with lines of worry running along beside those that revealed his age. "Galan," he greeted. "I see you have brought guests."

"They just arrived in the village," Galan explained and an odd look seemed to pass between them before the older man spoke again.

"I am Nyr, the leader here, please come in," he said as he stepped back from the door and John took the invitation to enter, following Nyr through to what could pass as a living room. "Please, please sit down."

They all did as instructed, sitting on the rather large, comfy furniture as Nyr left the room along with Galan. "At least they seem nice," Rodney commented and John nodded his head slowly, something felt off.

"Ah, please help yourselves to a drink," Nyr said as he returned to the room with a tray full of drinks which he set down on the table in the middle of the room. He and Galan sat down as well and there were several moments of awkward silence before Nyr spoke. "What brings you here?" he asked them.

"We're actually looking for someone," John stated "Have you had any visitors to your planet recently?"

"A few," Nyr replied and John reached into his pocket pulling out the picture of Elizabeth for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Have you seen her, she'd be travelling with others?" he asked. Nyr took the picture, studying it before he shared another look with Galan.

"She is very pretty; I believe I have seen her," he stated and John felt every muscle in his body go tense and Nyr handed him the picture back.

"When?" Rodney quickly jumped in.

"A few days ago, she and those she was with are still on this planet I believe," he told them and John felt a spark of hope he wished he hadn't. "They wished to have their privacy; they are living in a cabin in the forest."

"You're sure it was her?" John asked and the old man looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded his head. "Can you tell us where this cabin is?"

"They wished for their privacy, I am not sure it would be a good idea," he stated "Why are you searching for her?"

"She is the leader of our people," Teyla explained when John didn't immediately respond "There was an attack several weeks ago and she is now missing. We have been searching for her since."

After seemingly taking a few moments thought Nyr smiled "Then I suppose I can tell you where she is. Please wait here, I will have someone retrieve a map for you, the forest can be most confusing, it would be easy for someone who did not know it to get lost."

John watched as Nyr left the room with Galan a few steps behind, looking back at his team he saw Teyla staring at the door the two men had just left through. "I do not believe they are being truthful," she stated quietly and John nodded his head.

"Me neither, they're lying about something," he replied thoughtfully.

"What?!" Rodney exclaimed "Why would they be lying?"

"I don't know Rodney but they are lying, the question is what about," John mused; he hated the hope he could feel despite the warning alarms going off in his head.

"What do you wanna do?" Ronon questioned.

"We can't afford to ignore what they're saying, if there's a chance Elizabeth is here then we have to take it. We'll just keep our eyes open," he told them just in time for Nyr to walk back into the room however Galan was nowhere to be seen.

"Here is the map," he said laying down the piece of paper in front of them. "This is the village and this is the where the cabin is. There are some wild animals in the forest so you should be careful," he told them and John couldn't shake the feeling there was more going on here than he knew about and it wasn't a feeling he liked.

- - -

They had been walking through the forest for less than half an hour when they realised that even with the map and the incredibly good sense of direction the majority of the team had, they had managed to get lost. They deserved it though really, giving Rodney the map had probably not been the best idea in the world. Genius he may be but the man was no boy scout, reading scribbled maps was defeinitely not one of his skills.

"We were on track ten minutes ago," Rodney defended petulantly and for what was probably the fifth time.

"That doesn't change the fact that we're lost now Rodney," John replied in frustration as he kicked a rather large stone on the ground.

"It's not my fault," the scientist tried to argue. Ronon turned to him, angry expression in place.

"You better figure out where we are now McKay or I'm gonna shoot you," Ronon informed the scientist who hastily went back to looking at the map. Threats always seemed to make Rodney work just that little bit faster.

"Alright, I think it's this way," Rodney stated, looking up from the map and beginning to walk away from the rest of the group. They followed along behind him, ready to take the map from him if he didn't figure this out soon. Teyla suddenly stopped walking, a look of concern and concentration on her face.

"Teyla?" Ronon questioned.

It was several seconds before Teyla responded though her focus was clearly elsewhere. "There are Wraith here," she stated which had the immediate effect of putting everyone on alert. Both John and Ronon had their weapons in their hands, prepared to fire at the first sign of danger.

"Are you sure?" Ronon asked her.

"Yes, there are several of them," she stated as her hands went to her own weapon. "I do not know why I did not sense them sooner."

"You've had a lot on your mind," John replied.

The bushes to the side of them moved and within a second it had three weapons pointing at it as Rodney dropped the map in favour of his handgun. Footsteps behind them caught their attention and though John kept his P90 aimed at the bush, Ronon and Teyla both turned around to find the Wraith heading toward them.

They both fired several shots but Teyla was quickly stopped when she was hit by the blast from a wraith stunner. Her knees buckled and she turned around, there were two more Wraith heading toward the group, both carrying stunners and she fought the affects of the blast enough to lift her weapon and fire on them.

John fired at the Wraith as it stepped out of the bushes but as usual the Wraith kept coming at him, just when it seemed like it was about to succumb someone rushed it from the side. There was no

time to see who it was, he fired on the other Wraith that were approaching the group, helping Teyla to take out the two that were closing in on her as Ronon and Rodney finished off the others. The struggle on the ground was already over; the Wraith being full of bullets had never had a chance. Its attacker stood up and looked at them with familiar eyes that had everyone freezing in place.

"Aiden?" Teyla finally questioned, picking herself up from the ground and moving to stand beside John.

"So you weren't killed on the Wraith ship," John stated and the young, lieutenant shook his head.

"I'm not that easy to kill anymore," Aiden replied as he looked over the group.

"What are you doing here?" he asked them.

"Elizabeth is missing," John stated and Aiden looked both shocked and worried "It's a long story, she left Atlantis with a group of Ancients a month ago and we've been looking for her since."

Aiden opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the sound of more movement nearby. "We shouldn't stay here, there are more Wraith," he stated as he turned to walk away.

"He is correct," Teyla told them and John nodded in a silent command for them to follow their former team member. For what felt like forever there was nothing but the sound of footsteps and leaves crunching beneath their feet as they walked thought the trees. There was a tension between them that should never have been there but with everything that had happened between them since Aiden's abrupt departure from Atlantis, tension was to be expected.

"I suppose the villagers told you that she was here," Aiden said as they made their way through the trees. "That's what they do, whenever they get visitors at the right time they trick them into going into the forest."

"Why?" Ronon questioned gruffly from behind them.

"They had a deal with the Wraith living in the forest; they'd send a group of sacrifices into the forest when the Wraith needed to feed and in return they would not attack the village and kill everyone in it. If they can avoid sending in their own people they will, that's how we found out the Wraith were here," Aiden explained.

"And by we I take it you mean your band of merry followers," John questioned and Aiden nodded his head as they emerged in the village. Surprise flickered across many of the local's faces; apparently most of them had known his team were being sent to their deaths. They had barely been in the village for a few minutes when Galan and Nyr walked over to them.

"Did you find your friend?" Nyr questioned innocently but John could see the nervousness beneath the man's facade.

"No, but we found your friends," John replied and watched as both men became visibly agitated. "Or rather they found us but I think that was the idea wasn't it?"

"Please understand, we a re a simple people we have no way to fight them..." Nyr began to explain but John cut him off.

"What I understand is that you lied to us, that you sent my team into that forest to die," John stated, he was angry but he knew he shouldn't be as angry as he was. This was more about Elizabeth than anything else; they had given him the smallest glimmer of hope only for it to be brutally ripped away from him again.

"The majority of the Wraith are dead," Aiden cut in as John continued to silently fume. "The rest of them will be dead by the end of the day."

"So you can stop sending people in there to die," Ronon finished, anger in his voice and Nyr shrunk back slightly. John glared at the man, making sure he understood just how angry John was before he turned and headed out of the village. He didn't want to spend anymore time on this planet than he absolutely had to.

His team and Aiden followed him to the gate without as much as a backward glance at the village. "Rodney, dial the gate," John ordered and Rodney did as he was told without complaint.

"I heard rumours that there was a group of Ancients travelling around the galaxy, I also heard that they had settled on a planet somewhere, I couldn't tell you which one though," Aiden told John who only nodded his head in understanding. "I'm sorry I can't be more help, I'll keep a look out, if I find out anything I'll contact you."

"Thanks," John replied quietly as the stargate engaged behind him and Aiden turned to walk away. He could vaguely hear his team stepping through the event horizon behind him. "Ford," John called to the retreating form which stopped and turned around. "It's good to see you again."

The lieutenant smiled slightly and gave a quick, two fingered solute before he continued on his way. John took one last look at the planet and at the man walking away. He refused to let Elizabeth be another Ford, he refused to let her be another person that they lost and never got back, he wasn't going to give up.

TBC