Title: Shadow Play
Author: Cindy Ryan
Category: Xover SGA SG1, AU
Timeline: AU after AHBL pt.2
Notes: Many thanks to Kari for the beta

Sam nodded at the Satedan and forced himself not to close his eyes. He could only pray that this would work.
They'd done enough good in their lives so far that it had to count for something.
All the lives they'd saved should tip the scales.

Ronon fired and Sam flew back against the wall of stasis pods. His head cracked back against the surface of one and he slid to the floor.
He thought he'd been prepared for it but the energy blast was like nothing Sam had ever experienced before.
His chest throbbed and Sam saw black dots enter his vision.

The last thing Sam saw before his consciousness faded completely was Ronon leaning over him.

Ronon holstered his gun and moved to pick Winchester up. Just as he was about to place the younger man in the stasis pod something made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Ronon whirled around, his green eyes searching the room.
There was nothing, and yet...

Ronon quickly placed Sam in the pod and hit the button to close the door. He wasn't as quick to believe as Sheppard and Weir of the Winchester's 'ghost stories', but there were legends among his people as well… legends for hundreds of years…

Ronon grabbed the shotgun that was leaning against the wall behind him and hefted the weapon. As he did, a silhouette began to appear from the shadows… wasn't human. Just a shape… something not quite formed… the red eyes were the only thing visible.

Ronon quickly fired a shot and reached back to activate the stasis pod. He heard it whir to life and felt the temperature drop drastically in the room. Dex tightened his grip on the gun and looked once again at the shadows.

*******

In the infirmary it was like the outside had come in. The main lights had long since gone out and the emergency backups had come on.
Something, John really didn't want to know what, whizzed over his head. He glanced over his shoulder at McKay.

"Sorry," the scientist apologized as he shifted the weight of the gun. "These things aren't exactly like the P90's. Thought I saw something…"

John nodded and concentrated back on Jackson. Once he determined where Jackson was in the spell, he carefully opened the vial of Sam's blood he was holding. As Daniel continued to read, John spread the blood over Dean's bare chest.

The room shook as if they were in California. The temperature fell, mirroring McMurdo.

Then Teyla noticed something they all should've seen. She pointed to the line of salt around Dean's bed.

"There is a break in the circle."

"John!" Elizabeth shouted in warning as she leveled her shotgun.

John glanced up in time to see black mist move past his field of vision. Dropping the now empty vial, John grabbed his weapon that was propped against the wall.

"Keep reading!" John shouted to Jackson who had looked up from the journal.

Daniel nodded and continued reciting in Latin

********

Ronon had fired six times at something he couldn't see.
Red eyes and shadows.
Not an enemy, and yet...

Because of Sheppard and Weir, Ronon felt obligated to protect Winchester. This was like no battle he had ever fought.
No rules…

A presence snaked around Ronon's throat, cutting off his air supply and lifting him off the floor.
Ronon's right hand still gripped the gun. He started to lift it drifting his hand down to the trigger.

As if sensing the move, the presence spun Ronon around, throwing the Satedan hard against the opposite wall.
The gun bounced against the floor, the shot discharging aimlessly.
As Ronon's lungs struggled to reclaim oxygen, he saw the red eyes again.
Ronon rose to his feet, snatching the shot gun. He fired into the space in front of Winchester's stasis pod.

His shot hit its mark and Ronon was rewarded with a screech like he'd never heard
Ronon fired once more and silence returned.

*********

"Your brother is meddling in things he does not understand."

Dean jumped at the sudden break of silence as he scrambled to his feet. He stood on top of the rock and stared at the grey sky.

"Leave my brother alone!" Dean shouted, his fists clenching.

The demon's laughter echoed. "My dear Dean, your brother has already taken the gambit... This should be fun."

"You deal with me, you bitch, that was the promise!" Dean shouted. "You leave Sam alone!"

Silence answered him and Dean crumpled to the rocky surface, finding it suddenly difficult to breathe.