Chapter 4

John lay on his bed, staring upside-down at his Johnny Cash poster. Beside his bed was a small table, and a CD player sat upon it, quietly piping music into the air around him. The shades were drawn over his windows, but a small crack of light made it underneath them, sending a thin sunbeam across his legs. It reminded him of the bindings the Wraith had tied him into the chair with, and despite the warmth of his room, he suddenly shivered.

The chime sounded at his door then, and as he was still too tired – or too lazy – to get up, he called, "Come in."

The door slid open, revealing Teyla in the hallway outside his room. She peered around nervously, as if she were afraid he was might be in an embarrassing state of undress, but she smiled softly when she spotted him laying in his bed, covered up to his waist by a blanket. As he was not wearing his standard black t-shirt, she saw that his chest wound was nearly completely healed, and the bruises he sported on his neck and torso were beginning to fade, their edges the odd shade of yellow they usually turned before disappearing altogether.

"Have a seat," he said, patting an empty spot on his mattress. She cautiously obeyed him, sinking gracefully onto the bed beside him. At first, she tried to act nonchalant, her eyes roaming around his room as if seeing it for the first time, but in reality, her insides were in utter turmoil.

Sensing her unease, John pushed himself up until he was sitting cross-legged, and leaned forward slightly. "Everything okay?" He asked.

She took a deep breath, and then stared into his hazel eyes. "I wanted to apologize to you." Wisely staying silent, he only nodded and waited for her to continue. "I was angry at you for leaving Rodney in the Wraith's hands. I should have trusted your judgment over my own feelings."

"Teyla," he said, slowly reaching out to place his hand over hers, "I understand why you were upset. Hell, I doubted myself with every step we took away from that place."

She shook her head. "You should not have done so. It was truly the best choice offered to us. I was just…afraid…to lose Rodney, especially since we were so close to losing you, as well."

The cocky grin once more made an appearance. "Eh, you know me. I'm too stubborn to go out without a fight. And so's Rodney," he added after a moment's pause.

She returned his smile with a mischievous one of her own. She knew what he was doing, subtly changing the subject to avoid talking about feelings, but she let it slide. Somehow, without directly saying anything, he'd made it clear that he'd accepted her apology, and it settled her mind better than if he'd actually spoken the words. "I could think of another word beside 'stubborn' to describe you, John," she replied playfully, "but I suppose it will do. For now."

He chuckled then and patted her hand, which still lay underneath his palm, warm and soft against his skin. "So, are we okay?"

"Yes," she replied, her breath escaping in a relieved sigh. "I believe so."

"Good."

She watched him silently for a while longer, her brown eyes seeming to slowly memorize every inch of his face. Then, she leaned forward and gently touched her forehead to his.

"You should get some rest," she said as she pulled away again. John wanted to reach out to her, pull her back to him, feel the softness of her skin against his, but he didn't. Instead, he only nodded, his fingertips lightly scratching at his bare chest. For the past hour, the still-pink skin there had started itching badly, only adding to his agitation.

"I should, but I can't. I'm going stir-crazy in this room."

Teyla's mouth curved into a wry smile. "I can imagine. But," she said, standing up beside his bed, "both Doctor Keller and Sam have ordered you to stay here for at least one full day, to make sure you are fully healed."

John made a dramatic show of tossing his head back against his pillow and huffing out a sigh. "Keller just wanted me out of the infirmary so I wouldn't…what's the word she used? Irritate…so I wouldn't irritate Rodney anymore."

Teyla cocked an eyebrow as she remembered the conversation. John had teased Rodney endlessly about his head wound, wondering aloud if maybe Rodney did have amnesia after all. Rodney took him seriously, and started begging Keller to run brain scans on him, shouting that if he had lost any vital information in his superior mind, they might all die in some horrible crisis. Exasperated, Keller had finally kicked John out, confining him to his room, where he now sat arguing with Teyla.

"And Carter," he continued dryly, "well, she probably thinks that my being here will force me to catch up on mission and personnel reports." He snorted. "Like that's gonna happen."

Shaking her head, Teyla sighed and patted his shoulder. As insufferable as Rodney was being lately, even he wasn't this bad. "Just try to relax. The day is nearly half-over, and then you can resume your usual duties."

Seeing there was no way he could get her to help him sneak out of his confinement, John huffed again, and sank further down under his covers. "Fine," he muttered. "But if anyone thinks I'm actually gonna sleep, well, they're wrong."

With a last encouraging smile, Teyla turned and left his room. The door shut behind her with a soft clang, and then he was left alone with his thoughts once more.

Colonel Sam Carter was at her desk, quickly skimming through the pile of reports that had been scattered across its top. She'd been at it for hours now, and her eyes were burning so badly she wanted to rip them out of her skull. She had just begun to yawn widely, when there was a knock on the doorjamb separating her office from the rest of the control room.

Quickly covering her mouth with one hand, she looked up and was none too startled to see who stood there, his shoulder resting precariously against the frame.

"John!" she said when her yawn had subsided. "Good to see you up and about."

Taking that as an invitation to enter, he pushed himself off the doorway, and meandered into the room. "Yeah, well, after nearly a week of doing absolutely nothing, Doc Frankenstein finally said I was fit for duty, so…"

Amused at his nickname for Keller, she grinned and gestured for him to take a chair. At first, he only eyed the seat before her desk, then shrugged and dropped into it. While he got comfortable, stretching his legs out to their full length, she rifled through the manila folders on her desk, looking for a particular one.

"I was just going through your team's report on the latest mission…Ah!" She finally found the folder she was searching for, and pulled it out of the pile. She flipped it open, revealing a short stack of papers, and let her eyes skim over it again, though it was fairly unnecessary. John had already told her everything she'd needed to know when his team – minus Rodney – had flown the Jumper back to Atlantis. Still, it never hurt to at least act like the expedition leader here, she told herself.

"And?" John asked, and she blushed as she realized that she'd left the conversation hanging.

"And, one thing was never quite explained. Who – or what – made those eight Wraith soldiers disappear."

John shrugged and folded his hands behind his neck, his elbows pointed toward the ceiling. "Don't know. And," he added before she could reply, "I don't care."

Though she fully understood his reason for feeling that way, the scientific part of her mind couldn't help but be curious. Deciding to switch tactics, she asked, "Did you notice any evidence of a civilization down there? Any cities, ruins…?"

John shook his head. "As far as we could tell, the latest anyone lived there was a few decades, a century at most. The mine that the Wraith were holding us in was at least that old. The only other evidence besides that was a collection of rock walls; it could've been a fort, or a set of ruins, but it was too badly damaged for us to tell."

"So the Wraith could've made a visit years ago, and culled everyone on the planet then."

"Could be."

"But that still doesn't explain this at all," she sighed, her shoulders sagging. "And Rodney didn't find anything out besides where they were transported to."

Knowing where her thoughts were headed, John sat up, his palms flat on the surface of the desk. "Look, I know we blew up the mine and everything, but if a signal made it out for more reinforcements, the place could be crawling with Wraith by now."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he was so far ahead of her that he answered her statement before she could say it. "Besides, Rodney's scans didn't pick up any other life signs beside our own. We didn't even know the Wraith were there until they were on top of us."

"That's exactly my point, John. If the life-signs detector didn't pick up the Wraith, what's to say there's other people on the planet that it missed as well?"

She wasn't going to let this go, John realized then. But didn't she understand how close they came to being killed? Couldn't she see what the Wraith had done to him, to Rodney? He couldn't go through that again, and neither could his best friend. Please, he begged silently as he glared at her, don't make us go back there. But her mind was made up, he could see that much in her eyes, and he hated her for it. If anything happened to his team…

"Okay," he finally said, though his gaze was hard, unyielding. "But I'm not sure Rodney's up for…"

"Up for what?" Rodney's voice suddenly interrupted from the doorway. John craned his neck to the side, watching as the scientist walked in to join them. The cut on his face had all but faded, the only evidence of his torture a pink mark across his right cheek, about an inch and a half long and only millimeters wide.

"Carter wants us to go back to the planet, figure out what pulled the disappearing act on the Wraith," John explained, his eyebrows lifted at her in a "watch this" gesture. He knew what Rodney's reaction would be, and figured things were about to get interesting.

Sure enough, Rodney's face turned a variety of red shades, and he spluttered, "You can't be serious!"

"Rodney," she began, trying to calm him down. His head looked ready to explode, and the visual it prompted brought a grin to John's face. Surely Rodney would change her mind, convince her this was a horrible idea.

"That's a horrible idea!" Rodney shouted, and John quickly covered his mouth before a bout of laughter could escape. "Do you have any idea how many Wraith could be there by now? If even one Wraith escaped and sent a distress signal, there could be dozens of ships around the planet, waiting for some idiotic bunch of humans to go through the Gate!" He paused to catch his breath. "I, for one, do not plan on being one of those idiotic humans!"

"We've had the long-range sensors continuously doing sweeps since the Daedalus returned," she replied calmly. "Nothing's come through the Gate near the planet, and nothing's dropped out of hyperspace anywhere close to it, either."

Damn, John silently cursed as he watched the two scientists argue, she's gonna win this round, too. Note to self, never play poker against Sam Carter. She'd clean you out before you could blink.

Rodney tried to think of another reason for them not to go, but nothing came. He glanced down at John, desperate for any idea, no matter how bizarre and unrelated, but John just shrugged. She's got us, his eyes seemed to say. Then, a sudden thought hit him, and he gave Carter a curious look.

"Wait a minute," he said, "as I recall, you weren't too hot on us going back there to rescue Rodney in the first place."

"She wasn't?" Rodney squeaked, his expression turning hurt, and Carter silently cursed John for bringing it up. "You weren't?"

John ignored the interruption. "What's with the sudden change of heart?"

"Yes, please enlighten us."

"As I tried to explain before, there may still be innocent people stuck down there."

Rodney started to dispute that, but she went on. "I know there were no other detectable life signs, but whatever technology was used on the Wraith might've caused your equipment to malfunction."

He bit his bottom lip in thought as she spoke. It could be possible, he had to agree. Probable, no; but still possible. Anything was possible in this galaxy, he thought bitterly.

"And if I'm wrong, and there really is no one else there, then I at least would like to know more about the technology in question. Who built it, how and why it works…"

"Okay, okay. When do we leave?" Rodney asked, and John's head quickly snapped up to stare at him in disbelief.

"You're actually 'okay' with this?"

Rodney shrugged. "Truthfully, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on whatever took out the Wraith. Besides, if it's powered by a ZedPM, which it would have to be to have continued to function after all this time, we could definitely use it."

John muttered something that sounded like "Dear God," under his breath, and then rubbed his hands over his face, defeated. When he next looked at Carter, his gaze was as sharp as Ronon's sword. "I'm guessing I should call up Lorne's team again, right?"

Sam nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."

John stood up and took two steps toward the door. "Oh, believe me. Nothing about this idea is good. Just…less bad than running straight into a minefield."

Hiding her agitation at his comment, Sam watched him leave, then turned to gaze at Rodney, a wry smile on her face. "So, he's a little mad, huh?"

"A little?" Rodney replied, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels. When he saw the worried expression she gave, he suddenly stopped. "Oh, he'll get over it. Especially if there happens to be a hot princess down there somewhere."

Sam laughed aloud at that, but quickly slid back into professional-mode again. "Sorry. Just be careful, okay?"

"I usually try," he said as he crossed toward the door. Just before he disappeared around the corner, he added, "If we get into a mess, it's usually Sheppard's fault."

Carter leaned back in her chair, staring blindly at her own mess on the desk before her. Just once, she prayed that John and his team would stay out of trouble.

"Well, here we are again," John drawled to no one in particular as he did his customary visual sweep around them, his hands gripping his weapon tightly, just in case anything hostile popped out of the trees. Two Jumpers now rested in the meadow on the planet, and in front of them, the two Atlantis teams wandered back and forth, taking readings and conversing quietly among each other. Carter was right about the lack of Wraith, he thought sourly, but that doesn't mean they can't arrive at any time.

John's eyes flitted around the group of people around him, silently taking count as well as just watching them. Teyla was near Rodney, listening patiently as he explained some scientific subject or another, and when she placed her hand on his friend's arm, John felt a strange emotion tighten in his chest. It was a motion she had repeated many times in the past, and yet this time, he suddenly wanted to march over there and pull her away. Jealous? His mind asked him. No, he wasn't jealous; he was just looking out for her, protecting her. But from whom? Rodney? It wasn't like Rodney was going to harm her. What the hell is wrong with you, John? He asked himself.

Unable to answer that, he looked for Ronon, and found him crouching by one of Lorne's men, showing him one of the knives he'd pulled out from one of the many hiding places on his body. He searched his memory until he came up with the man's name – Cornell. Matt Cornell. Nice guy, always has a good story in every situation, he remembered. At the moment, Matt was holding Ronon's knife, turning it over in his hands and testing the blade on his fingertip. As Ronon took it back and slid it into his boot, Matt pulled out a knife of his own, a folding lock-back Buck with a wood-grain handle. He carefully held it out to the Satedan, who took it and gave it his approval with a lifted eyebrow.

"John," Teyla suddenly said from behind him, and he turned to look at her. "Rodney has located an energy reading on the scanner. He thinks it may be the origin of the technology we are looking for."

John nodded his understanding. "Okay. Lorne, your team is on Jumper-guard duty. If we don't radio back in two hours, come looking for us. Rodney will give you the coordinates we're heading for."

Coming to stand nearby, Rodney nodded. "Already done." He handed a small tablet to the member of Lorne's team he'd borrowed it from. The man took it from Rodney with a nod, and then disappeared into one of the Jumpers.

"And if Atlantis picks up anything on the sensors, let us know asap."

"Yes, sir," Evan said. He would've saluted, but he knew how much John hated it. He said it made him feel old, too important than he actually was. Of course, Lorne knew just how important John was, but he went along with the colonel's wishes anyway. He – and anyone who knew John well – knew that it made things around Atlantis go much easier.

"So," Rodney said, eagerly rubbing his hands together. "We ready to go, or would you rather tiptoe through the tulips for another hour?" Lorne clamped his lips shut to keep from smiling. Apparently, Rodney hadn't gotten the same memo.

John shot Rodney a look that instantly withered the grin on his face. Shifting the weight of his P90 in his hands, he turned in the direction Ronon and Teyla were already headed. "You're the navigator here, McKay. Get your butt in gear."

Now scowling rather than smiling, Rodney quickened his pace until he was in the lead. John watched Rodney's jacket bounce up and down as he moved, stepping over branches and rocks inside the forest, somehow managing to evade every upright tree that loomed before him even as he stared down at his data pad. They continued in relative silence for a number of minutes, everyone but Rodney keeping a sharp watch out for any movement around them. When they had grown relatively comfortable with their surroundings, Teyla slowed her pace until she walked beside John, rather than in front of him.

"Is anything wrong?" She asked him, and he shook his head. He suddenly rubbed his hand over his face, shuddering as his fingers pulled away the sticky threads of a spider-web he'd just walked through. Bugs, his mind spat as if it were a curse. Great. First Wraith, now bugs. When was he going to have some good luck for a change?

"No. Why?" He asked in return. His mind flicked back to when he'd seen her with Rodney, her hand resting lightly on his arm, her smile warm and soft, and the feelings he'd encountered earlier raged hot in his chest. Suddenly afraid that she would somehow pick up on his thoughts, he pushed them away and gave her his best grin.

"You are…unusually quiet."

"Well, after what happened last time, I'm not exactly giddy to be back here. That may be why I'm a little…bummed out."

Teyla looked sympathetic. "I am not glad to return to this place, either. The air is too quiet, as if nature itself is holding its breath."

"Exactly!" He exclaimed, though his voice barely registered above its regular volume. "This whole thing just feels wrong."

Glancing ahead, he saw Rodney and Ronon still marching toward their intended destination. Ronon reached out and pulled Rodney toward him, just before the scientist could crash headfirst into a large conifer. Unfazed, Rodney kept walking, his forehead almost touching his portable screen.

"You think we'll actually find anything down here, or is this a colossal waste of our time?" John asked Teyla then, and she inhaled deeply before answering him.

"I do not know. But both Colonel Carter and Rodney seem to think there is something worth exploring."

John nodded, however, his gaze was cynical. "Rodney would think a paper bag was worth exploring, if it had Ancient symbols written on it."

Teyla's lips curved into a smile, but she otherwise ignored his jab at their friend. "Something made those soldiers vanish, John."

"I know," he sighed, kicking a small twig out of his way. "I just can't shake the feeling that this is gonna be a lot more involved than we're prepared for."

Her nod was solemn. "I feel the same." When she laid her hand on his arm, a warmth radiated through him, as it had the first time she had greeted him in the Athosian style, by gently touching her forehead to his. It felt comforting, almost intimate. And - although he wouldn't admit it to anyone - to him, it felt like home.

Her brown eyes holding fast to his hazel ones, she said, "But let us hope, for everyone's sake, that we are both wrong."

Unable to come up with a response to that, he merely nodded. She dipped her head at him once more, slowly, and then continued beside him in silence. John felt the knot in his gut ease slightly, but not enough to give him any peace.

Calling ahead to Rodney for a report on how much longer this was going to take, he uttered a silent plea that it wouldn't be long.

TBC...