A/N: Okay, so I know I originally wasn't gonna make this any specific timeline in SGA, but I couldn't help it. So, here it is, what...season 4...since Carter is there. I mean, I liked Weir, but Carter seems to understand Sheppard in a way that Weir didn't, maybe because they're both in the military.

Anyway, have fun and enjoy the story...chapters 4 - 6 should be up within the afternoon! Reviews - they make me happy!

Chapter 3

Carter was inside the Jumper Bay as soon as the doors opened. She hadn't made it two steps further, however, before John spoke.

"We have to go get Rodney. He's still on the planet."

Carter stopped and took in John's appearance. There was dried blood on his forehead and chin, the left side of his face was almost entirely purple with bruises, and the chest of his t-shirt was torn, exposing a raw wound underneath. His knee was also torn open and caked with dirt, though at least it had stopped bleeding some time ago. John was squinting in the bright light of the bay, and sweat beaded on his forehead and upper lip. With the way he looked, she wondered how he was even standing. In contrast, Ronon and Teyla seemed almost untouched. They sported a few bruises of their own, but neither of them appeared nearly as injured as John did.

"John, I don't think…" she began, but he waved emphatically at her.

"We've wasted enough time already," he interrupted, his voice raspier than he liked. "Where's Caldwell?"

"In the control room." As he started for the door, she asked, "John, what's going on? What happened down there?"

He opened the Jumper Bay door and walked out, with Carter close behind. Ronon and Teyla followed after them, their expressions sober and a little tired.

"We got ambushed by the Wraith," John explained as they walked. "They started shooting, we shot back, then they just disappeared."

"Disappeared?" She wondered aloud, but he rushed on, ignoring her question.

"We'd almost made it to the Jumper when more Wraith popped up and stunned us. They dumped us in a cell, then interrogated me, asking what we'd done with the ones who disappeared, which, of course, I had no idea about." He paused just long enough to catch his breath. As they started down the stairs, he continued. "They took Rodney next, before we could escape. He made it clear that we were to continue with the escape plan, so while he was gone, we busted the door and took off. Got back to the Jumper, got to the Gate, and made it back here."

"And the blasts you warned us about?" She asked. "Were they from a Hive ship?"

John nodded. "Two, actually."

They entered the control room then, and Carter spotted Colonel Caldwell standing on the balcony overlooking the Gate.

"Colonel," she called to him, "a word in my office, please?"

Caldwell nodded, and left his spot to join them in the office. When she had closed the door, she gestured for them to sit, but no one did. Sighing, she leaned against her desk, her hands folded in front of her.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" She asked John.

"We take the Daedalus – with Caldwell in the captain's chair, of course –" Caldwell nodded his assent " – back to the planet. Take out the two Hive ships, then lock onto Rodney's signal and beam him aboard."

"At first, that sounds like a good plan," Carter said. "But if the Wraith discovered you missing…"

"Which they did," Teyla interjected, catching John's eye and glaring at him. She was still angry for leaving Rodney behind, and she would remind John of it every chance she got, if and when they got him back alive.

"…then what's to say they didn't kill him in revenge for it?"

John shrugged. "Not much. But," he added, "there's nothing to say they did."

"Except experience," Caldwell replied, his mouth drawn in a thin line. He wasn't sure he liked this plan at all. When a plan sounded this good, something always went wrong. Especially when John Sheppard was involved.

"I have to say, we don't have much to go on," Carter said then. "And I'm not sure I'm comfortable with your condition either, John."

He waved off her concern. "I'll be fine. But if we don't go back and try to get Rodney…" he started to say something, then changed his mind. Giving her his best puppy-dog look, he said, "Please, Sam."

Carter leaned back, staring up at the ceiling above her. Logically, she should order Sheppard into the infirmary, then send Caldwell, along with Teyla, Ronon, and Lorne's team, back for McKay. But she knew John all too well to think he'd go along with that for a moment. He'd either disobey her orders altogether, or give her the cold shoulder for a month. And that was if they managed to rescue McKay. She didn't even want to think of what he'd do if the mission failed.

Finally, she leveled her gaze with his, sighing loudly. "All right, you have a 'go'. But you're taking Lorne's team with you as backup, just in case you can't beam Rodney out."

He started to protest, but she held up her hand, and his mouth snapped shut again.

"And the moment anything goes sideways, Caldwell has my order to turn around and fly back to Atlantis. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," John said with a nod. Beside him, Ronon and Teyla both nodded as well.

"Okay. You're dismissed."

Everyone but Carter left the office, and John borrowed Caldwell's earpiece to radio his second-in-command.

Major Lorne answered him almost immediately. "Lorne, here."

"Get your team geared up and over to the Daedalus. Got a mission for ya."

"I read you, Colonel. We'll be ready in ten."

"Good. Sheppard out."

John handed the earpiece back to Caldwell, and followed the colonel down the halls of Atlantis toward the Daedalus. The mission he'd started back on the planet was half-over now. Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, he prayed that the second half would go better than the first.

Rodney's heart had sunk when he heard the sirens go off. He'd been scanning the entire planet, looking for the missing Wraith soldier's energy signatures, when a loud keening sound had suddenly filled his ears, causing him to protectively clap his hands over his head. When his fingers brushed the gash on his cheek, they pulled on the raw skin, causing the wound to burn painfully.

The lead Wraith, the one John had called "Kevin", shouted for his guards to see what was wrong, and then leered at Rodney, his ugly mouth gaping open.

"The prisoners have escaped," one of the other Wraith, the ones without masks, informed their leader. Rodney tried to swallow, but he found that his mouth had gone cotton dry.

Kevin spun around on the scientist, his feeding hand poised to strike. "I warned you…"

Just then, the console in front of him beeped, and Rodney gasped in relief. "Wait," he said, pressing a few buttons on the keypad. "I think I've found them! Your soldiers, I mean. Not the...prisoners."

The Wraith lowered his hand and gazed at the display placed at eye-level. "Show me."

Rodney leaned forward and tapped the far right corner of the screen. "Right there. Eight signatures. There were eight of them, right?"

Kevin nodded. "Yes. How far are they from this facility?"

"Uh, give me a second," he replied, quickly doing calculations in his head. "Fifty kilometers, give or take. Should take slightly over half an hour to reach them by Dart."

Kevin signaled for a team of soldiers to go to the place Rodney had indicated on the map. When they left the room, he turned to face Rodney again. What passed for a smile appeared on his pale face. "It seems you have proven yourself quite useful, Doctor McKay."

"Yes, well, pain of death and all that tends to motivate a fellow," he replied, absently massaging his bruised chest and glad that it was the only injury there.

"I sincerely hope you are not expecting to be rescued," Kevin continued, as if he hadn't heard Rodney at all. "I fear that your friends will not make it very far."

Though he was desperate for John and the others to come for him, Rodney kept his expression neutral. "I'm sure."

Rodney wasn't quite sure how he managed to keep Kevin from killing him the next two times he threatened it, but here he was, still alive. The first time was when the guards reported that John had gotten the Jumper off the planet, presumably on their way back to Atlantis. The two Hives had received the warning too late to prevent their leaving through the Stargate, and Kevin had roared angrily, his loud scream almost popping Rodney's eardrums.

The next time had been mere minutes ago, when Kevin got word that one of the Hive ships had been destroyed, and that the ship behind the destruction had been a human vessel. Rodney was unable to hide his excitement at that, knowing that it was most likely the Daedalus, and Kevin had grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him so close that Rodney could see every blue vein in his face.

"Your friends are foolish for coming back," the Wraith growled at him. "They have sealed your death warrant."

"Maybe it's someone else," Rodney stalled, a cold sweat suddenly chilling his entire body. "Like, um, the Travelers?"

Kevin glared into his blue eyes for a moment. Then, with a grunt of disgust, he picked Rodney up off his feet and tossed him across the room. Rodney landed a dozen feet away, his hands scraping painfully against the dirt on the floor.

"You will all pay for this impudence!" Kevin bellowed, moving once more toward him.

Rodney shut his eyes, covering his head with his arms. Here it comes, his mind warned him. That awful hand is gonna land right on my chest, and I'm gonna die, slowly and painfully.

But it never came. He was aware of the sound of gunfire around him, and a last, pain-filled roar from Kevin. Then, a familiar voice said, "Good to see you, Rodney."

Rodney slowly peeked around his elbow, and was surprised to see both Major Lorne and John looking down at him. Ashamed to look so undignified, he unfolded himself and stood up, still shaken from his latest brush with death.

"Uh," he began lamely, "good to see you, too."

He hadn't noticed Teyla standing nearby, until she got John's attention and said, "There are more soldiers coming."

John nodded. "Let's get up to the surface."

Lorne turned and left the room, radioing for his team to fall back to the tree line.

"How?" Rodney asked John as they followed after the Major. Teyla rushed past them, turning just quickly enough to give Rodney a smile.

"The Daedalus beamed us down," John explained. "You were too far underground to use the Asgard beam. Caldwell's waiting for our signal to beam us back up."

When they were almost to the cave's entrance, a Wraith soldier appeared on their left, firing his stunner at them. Lorne saw him first, and nearly emptied the clip of his P90 into him. The soldier fell to the ground, black blood oozing from his chest, but two more suddenly materialized behind him.

"Get out of here!" John shouted, and they slowly backed out of the cave, Lorne and John blasting every Wraith that dared to venture too close. When they were all clear of the mouth of the massive cave, John flipped a hand signal at Lorne, and the major nodded in return. He pulled a black box out of his tac vest, and flipped a switch on its top. A loud boom sounded from within the depths of the mine, followed by more rumbling, and at last, an explosion that threatened to tear their feet out from under them. The blast of flames that erupted from the cave's entrance was so hot, they could all feel the heat where they stood, twenty yards away.

"C4?" Rodney asked, and John nodded grimly.

When they were sure that all the Wraith were dead, or at least trapped in the caves, John turned to the others, his face haggard. "Let's get home."

Lorne tapped his com. "Colonel Caldwell, we've got McKay."

"We read you, Major," Caldwell replied. "Prepare to beam up."

Everyone stood still where they were, and soon the Asgard beam glowed around them. Within moments, it died away, and they found themselves on the bridge of the Daedalus.

Rodney heaved a sigh of relief. It was good to be off that planet, surrounded by people you knew, people who didn't stare at you like a dog stares at a t-bone steak.

"Take us back to Atlantis," Caldwell ordered the woman seated toward his right side. She nodded sedately and pressed a few keys in front of her.

"Yes, sir," she replied. "Course set for Atlantis."

When they were safely on their way, John cocked an eyebrow at Rodney. "You should probably get that looked at."

"Hmm?" Rodney asked, oblivious as to what he was talking about.

"Your…right there," John replied, pointing to his injured face.

"Oh, I suppose you're right."

"You look like something from Resident Evil."

Normally, Rodney would've come back with a retort about John's torn chest looking like an Alien had escaped from him, but he was too exhausted, and too glad to see his best friend. Instead, he managed a grin, and sat down in an empty seat.

We're all right, he told himself. They were all safe, and they were going back to Atlantis.

They were going home.

Rodney and John reclined in their respective beds in the infirmary, a glum look on each of their exhausted faces. Keller wandered from one side of the room to the other, checking on her various patients, her strawberry-blond hair slowly coming loose from her ponytail. When she reached Rodney's bed, she gave him a small grin, which he only barely returned.

"How do you feel, Rodney?" She asked him.

"Like a caged animal," he replied, and next to him, John nodded emphatically. Though Rodney had his own brand of romantic feelings for Keller, he still hated being in the infirmary, hated being tied down by IV's and heart monitors. And John, well, everyone knew about his intense dislike for the place, though he still never missed the opportunity to complain about it anyway.

"I know," Keller said, giving them both an understanding nod. "But it's only for a day or so. Once we make sure your levels are all sufficient, you can both go to your rooms and rest."

"But I feel fine," John argued, even as he knew she didn't believe him. The wound on his chest had only just begun to heal, the skin around it slowly knitting itself back together, and from the way he was squinting, she knew that his migraine hadn't yet disappeared.

Keller shook her head. "That may be, but as I'm the doctor here, I'm ordering you to stay in that bed. You need to rest."

Ronon walked into the room then, followed closely by Teyla. Ronon hooked a chair with his foot as he passed it, and dragged it near John's bed, where he promptly flopped down in it. Teyla chose to go a more dignified route, opting instead to sit primly on the edge of John's bed. He caught her eye and tried a smile, but her eyes were cold, her emotions behind a wall in her mind. He sighed inwardly at that, knowing that she must still be upset at him for "abandoning" Rodney.

"Hey, Sheppard," Ronon rumbled, and John gave him a quick wave.

"How's it goin', Chewy?"

Ronon only shrugged, then asked, "You eat yet?"

John shook his head. "Stomach's still not ready for that." As if to prove his point, the sick feeling in his gut upped itself a notch. It was manageable now, however, as Keller had given him some anti-nausea medicine earlier.

A smile twitched his Satedan friend's lips. "Yeah. If the colorful display you put on for us in the Jumper was any indication…"

John grinned, his face reddening with embarrassment. "Hey, it's not my fault! I held it down as long as I could!"

Ronon nodded in mock-sympathy. He knew he should stop, but he was having too much fun with it. "How many different kinds of Jell-O did you have to eat to get it to look like that?"

"What in God's name are you all on about?" Rodney asked from his bed, and everyone craned their necks to look at him. His arms were crossed over his chest, and a pout had taken up residence on his lips. He looked for all the world like a little kid right then, and everyone had to grin at the image before them.

"Sheppard threw up in the Jumper on the way back to Atlantis," Ronon explained. "It was…nasty."

"Yes," Teyla added with a chuckle. "And he also made quite a lot of noise doing it."

"I told you," John tried again, only slightly hurt by their ribbing, "I couldn't help it." Then, he glared at Rodney. "Why don't they have bathrooms on the Jumpers?"

Rodney huffed. "Because they're only meant for short trips back and forth from the city, not a two-day excursion on some awful planet swarming with Wraith."

It was John's turn to pout. "Well, they should at least have some airsickness bags or something."

"Yes, well, feel free to stock them next time you're up there, hmm?"

Keller shook her head at their bickering, and took a small step forward. "As fun as it is listening to you two, I've got some more work to do." She turned to face Ronon and Teyla, and said, "Not too much longer, okay? They both need a lot of rest after your…ordeal."

"We will only be a few minutes," Teyla assured her, and with a nod of thanks, Keller walked off, pausing to grab her coffee mug from a nearby counter before stepping into her office.

"So," John said, trying anything to break the awkward pause around him. He looked to Ronon for help, but the man was back to his stoic self. He merely shrugged at John, just as much at a loss for words as he.

"How did you manage to survive the Wraith, Rodney?" Teyla asked the scientist then.

Rodney stopped fiddling with the blanket covering his lower half, and looked up. "Hmm? Oh, well, it wasn't easy, let me tell you."

John readjusted himself against his pillows, knowing that they were in for a long story, one that anyone but McKay could've summed up in a few sentences. He wouldn't have it any other way, though. It was Rodney's quirks that made him especially endearing to John. Sure, he got irritating sometimes – who didn't? – but it wouldn't feel right if anything about Rodney ever changed. He was his friend, his best friend, and would be as long as they both lived.

"They did a number on me, that's for sure. There was a plethora of pain unleashed on the venerable Doctor Rodney McKay, pain that would send any other man into hysterics. But not me, no, not me…"

TBC...