I don't own Stargate Atlantis or any of it's characters. My story idea though. And the villagers and bad guy are mine. So here is chapter six folks. I was telling the truth. Huh. Surprise, surprise. I don't know when I'll be able to post next though. I don't know if I'll have internet or Microsoft Word where I'm going. You might have to wait until after I get back. Oh darn. I will be taking my story with me however. I'll be adding more to it. I do have a six and a half hour bus ride ahead of me people. Plenty of time to come up with more ideas for other chapters. So have fun and if I don't post anything over the next ten days or so, don't worry, I'm not dead. I'll be back.

Chapter Six

As the night moved into day the rest of SGA-1 tried to come up with a plan to help Colonel Sheppard. After several hours they had come up with nothing that would work without getting John killed. They had thrown each plan out the moment that they had come to the conclusion that Sheppard would die before they could sever the connection.

Rodney's mind was working furiously to come up with a working plan that would not involve the death of Sheppard.

John in the meantime, over the course of the remaining evening, had stayed awake. Puren had not spoken again, but they knew that he was alive and well within the Colonel's mind and John had been pushed to the recesses of his consciousness.

So the team had moved to another area of the village so Puren would not hear their plans. They had left one of Lotan's men inside the hut so that he could keep an eye on John and Puren. Things had been quiet inside the hut. So when Rodney had returned to check on him he was not surprised to see the villager sitting in the corner reading. John was staring at the ceiling, eyes not blinking.

Rodney nodded at the man in the corner and then walked over to Sheppard and sat down beside him. "Hey there Sheppard. Or should I say Puren? How's life treatin' you? You comfortable?" he said with a remark of sarcasm.

John did not answer. He sat staring at the ceiling. Not moving at all. It seemed like he was in a trance of some kind. Rodney suspected that Puren was keeping a tight leash on him. Keeping him under control so that the soldier would not get away.

"Okay. So don't answer me. See if I care. But I know it's not Sheppard in there. You may look like him, but you're not him." He reached out a hand and placed it hesitantly on John's shoulder. He still didn't move. Rodney knew that Puren was listening to everything that he was saying.

He kept his hand on John's shoulder trying to let him know that he was there. Even if he was way back, completely way back, in his mind. He knew that John was listening from somewhere. Listening to everything his friends had to say. Watching them try to help him and powerless to do anything about it. Powerless to say anything.

Teyla and Ronan walked in at that moment and spotted Rodney trying to get through to the Colonel. They walked over and stood on either side of him. They both placed a hand on one of Rodney's shoulders. Rodney flinched and looked back at his friends.

"Hey there. Puren is holding on to him pretty tight. He won't say anything and he won't move." Rodney stood up and turned around to face his two friends. "This totally sucks." He said and walked past them. "We don't have a plan. We don't have a way to save the Colonel. Puren is just going to keep on controlling him and may even hurt him physically. He's hurting him mentally, but the physical part may still be coming. That damn ATA Gene is going to be the death of him somewhere along the way. Everybody always wants him for the gene. At least this time it's not the Wraith after him." Teyla and Ronan just sat and listened to Rodney rant with smiles on their faces. He seemed to go on forever. When he finally did stop he noticed that they were looking at him.

"What?" Rodney said with a curious look on his face.

"Nothing." Ronan said and uncrossed his arms. He shook his head and turned to look at John. He bent down and placed his hand on Sheppard's forehead. "He has a fever I think." He said as he sat down.

Teyla made her way over to them and felt his forehead for herself. "He does have a fever." She said. "Puren is hurting him physically like you said Rodney. His body can't take much more of this. I think he will burn out. Like Rodney said, he is being used as power. And the more energy that is taken away from him the sicker he will become."

They walked over to the entrance to the hut and watched the beam continue to shoot out from the mountain. Ronan leaned against the door and crossed his arms. Teyla stood just outside the door, hands on her hips. Rodney stood at the other side of the door, feet apart and arms crossed in front of him. Not a word was said between the three for what seemed like an eternity. They just stood and watched, thinking as hard as they could about any plan at all.

"Is it me, or does the beam look like it's slowing down a bit?" Rodney said as he moved outside of the hut. Teyla and Ronan looked a little closer trying to see what Rodney had seen.

"You know, I think he's right." Ronan said. "It's getting slower."

All three turned and looked back at John. His eyes were blinking and his breathing was quite heavy. They ran back in and raced to his side. "Colonel?" Teyla said, placing her hand on his arm.

John coughed and tried to sit up. When he was hampered by the restraints he was forced back onto the bed. "Where am I? What's going on?" John said with fear in his voice. They could tell this time that it was John they were talking to and not Puren.

"For some reason Puren has left John." Rodney said. "Maybe it's resting."

Again John spoke up. "Where am I? I don't understand what's happening." He balled his hands into fists and began to pull on the restraints again. They didn't think that he realized what he was doing. He coughed again.

"It's okay Colonel." Teyla said keeping a grip on his arm. "We are here. We are not going to let anything happen to you."

"Teyla? I can feel something reaching into my mind. I don't know what it is, but it's trying to tell me something."

"Don't listen to it Sheppard." Rodney said. "Listen to us. Listen to your friends." He knelt down and placed his hands on John's cheeks to force him to look at him "Don't pay attention to what Puren has to say. He's evil and he's using you."

John just looked into Rodney's eyes and began to shiver. He nodded his head slowly, eyes wide as saucers and said "Okay." He pulled on his restraints again and they could see the bruising and chafing from all of the pulling. It wasn't bad with his ankles because he was still wearing his boots and pants. The restraints were strapped over the ankles of his pants. "Help me please." John said in a small voice as a few tears began to form in his eyes. They had not seen him like this. It was a bit frightening and sad to see. Puren had slipped away, probably resting for the final battle. At least that's what they were calling it.

Rodney took his right hand and slowly moved over the top of John's head. His fingers moving through his dark, spiky hair. "It's okay Sheppard. Really. But we can't release you. Puren could come back and take you over again."

Sheppard closed his eyes in frustration and then opened them again. He looked into Rodney's eyes again and tears slid down his dirty cheeks. He sniffed and then turned his head to the side. Rodney's hands slipped off of his head. He looked sadly at his friend and then placed his hand on John's head again. Softly patting the side of it and then he stood up beside Teyla and Ronan. He noticed that Teyla also had tears in her eyes.

Ronan just stood with his arms crossed, feet apart and a frown on his face. He did not like what this thing was doing to Sheppard and the look on his face proved that.

John just seemed to give up and lay there with his head to the side, tears streaming from his eyes. Rodney turned suddenly and stormed out of the hut. Teyla and Ronan took off after him, leaving the villager to stay with John.

"What are you doing McKay?" Ronan asked as he caught up to the physicist.

"I'm going to tell that thing off. That's what I'm going to do. Or I'm going to blow it up! I don't care. I'm just going to get it out of Sheppard once and for all. I'm not going to let that thing kill my friend!"

"We don't have a plan McKay." Ronan said as he grabbed hold of Rodney's wrist.

"I don't care!" Rodney said as he yanked his wrist out of Ronan's hand and continued to speed walk towards the mountain where Puren sat.

Ronan and Teyla just followed him knowing very well that Rodney was extremely mad. So mad that he was willing to do anything to help free the Colonel from the grasp of the Ancient Device.

When they finally reached the inner chamber of the cave they saw that the crystalline structure of Puren was turning a lot slower than it had before and the beam was not as bright as it previously was.

"Hey Puren! You son of a bitch!" Rodney yelled out. "Wake up you bastard! I want to talk to you!" The three stood side by side in front of Puren with their arms crossed. There was no answer. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" Rodney yelled out.

Puren flashed red and then finally answered him. "What do you want Dr. Rodney McKay? Why have you woken me?" came a voice they had not heard before. The real voice of Puren. It bellowed through out the chamber and it sounded artificial.

"There you are." Rodney said with anger in his voice. "It's about time you decided to show yourself. For real I mean."

"Why have you woken me?" Puren spoke out again before Rodney could finish what he was saying.

"Yes, yes. I'm getting to that. Hold your damn horses will you." Rodney moved even closer to Puren and stood with his hands on his hips. He looked straight at the structure, sighed and began his tirade. "I think it's about time that you let go of Colonel Sheppard. And if you don't the three of us, along with the whole of Atlantis will kick your ass. Although I don't think that you have an ass per se. So we'll probably just blow you up. What do you say to that Puren? Huh? What do you say to that?"

"What do you mean the whole of Atlantis? The Great City is no more. You are not Lanteans. You do not possess the gene. Colonel Sheppard is the only one who possesses the real gene. Yours is artificial Dr. Rodney McKay. His is natural."

"I thought you knew everything about us from reading Sheppard's mind?" Rodney said as he changed his stance slightly.

"Colonel Sheppard is very adept at keeping parts of his mind from me. He has built up a wall around certain information. You lie. You are not Lantean."

"Yeah. Okay. Whatever you say Puren." Rodney said with sarcasm. He shook his head with frustration. "You just don't understand do you?" he said. "We are quite capable of kicking your ass. Just because you don't believe me, that isn't my fault."

No answer came back to them for at least a couple of minutes. "I will make Colonel Sheppard tell me what I wish to know."

"You do that," Rodney said, "and we will most definitely blow you up. You hurt him in any way and you're dead meat my friend."

Ronan and Teyla moved up beside Rodney and stood on either side of him with their arms crossed, reinforcing what Rodney had to say. All three had looks of pure hate on their faces. Ronan's was most evident.

Again there was silence. From both sides. Then Puren broke the silence. "I believe that Colonel Sheppard is Lantean. You however, I do not believe are Lantean. He carries the gene. From reading Colonel Sheppard's mind I understand that you have many weapons. So I do believe that you can harm me."

"Well there you go." Rodney said with a large sigh. "He finally understands where I'm coming from."

"Will he let go of Sheppard?" Ronan asked with a grunt.

"Yeah. So how about it Puren? Are you going to let our friend go now that you know what we are capable of?" Rodney asked, the anger still evident in his voice.

"I will let him go because I fear my end. I have just been woken up. I have no desire to die now. But be cautious. I have great power. You do not know everything that I am capable of either."

"Understood." Rodney said. "Now do what you said and let Sheppard go."

Puren turned red once more and then turned a shade of blue. That lasted a couple of minutes before Puren answered again. "It is done."

"How do we know that for sure?" Rodney said with some skepticism. "You could just be playing with us. You did it before when you made us think that you were Sheppard."

"You must trust me."

"Hmm." Rodney sniffed. "Trust you. I don't think so. Not after what you did to Sheppard."

"If you wish. But I have taken my presence out of his mind. You are free to do with him as you wish."

"Yeah. I'll believe that when I see it." Rodney said and then turned to leave the chamber.

"You do best to take him away from here Dr. Rodney McKay." Puren said with a voice that seemed even louder than before.

Rodney turned to face the structure. "Well duh." He said sarcastically and turned to leave again. Teyla and Rodney followed after him.

They made their way back to the hut where John lay restrained. When they arrived back they saw him wide awake, his head still facing towards the entrance. Depression covered his face.

Rodney reached forward and placed his hand on John's cheek again. "Sheppard? We're going back to Atlantis now." He said quietly. "Are you there?" John looked up slowly at Rodney and his eyes looked heavy. Like he was sad throughout his entire body. Which probably wasn't far from the truth. "Hey there buddy. Are you okay?"

"Can I go home now Rodney?" he asked in a tiny voice. One they had never heard come from his mouth before. He sounded like a child and it was extremely scary to hear that. Rodney brought his other hand up and placed it on his friend's arm. "Yeah. We can go home now. We'll make things better." John sniffed, suppressed a cough and then passed out with Rodney still holding onto him.

"What happened?" Teyla asked as she and Ronan raced forward.

"He's exhausted. And he's getting sicker." Rodney said as he sat down beside the man.

"Then let's go to Lotan and ask to bring him back to Atlantis." Teyla said as she began to head out of the hut.

"Wait!" Rodney said. Teyla stopped and turned to face her teammate. "There has to be a way that we can find out if Puren has left him or not."

"How do you propose to do that McKay?" Ronan asked.

"What am I? The answer man? Am I supposed to come up with all of the answers." Rodney said with some frustrated attitude. Both Teyla and Ronan gave him looks that he could read quite well. "Sorry." He apologized. "You know me and desperate situations."

The two nodded but kept the looks firmly planted on their faces. Rodney looked away and back at John. He didn't know how to figure out if Puren had left his friend's mind or not.

"I do not think that there is a way Rodney." Teyla said. "We must take a risk and bring him back to Atlantis."

"We have to take precautions when we go back." Ronan said. "We'll see what we can come up with."

Rodney sighed, knowing that both of them were right. There was no real way to tell. If Puren was still in him then he would show himself, 'itself', eventually. Then they would know to go back to P3J-448 and blow the hell out of Puren.

"Okay. Then let's go talk to Lotan. I think he'll understand where we're coming from." Rodney said. The three left the villager to look after John and then headed of to find Lotan.

Less than two hours later they were gathered at the Stargate, waiting to bring John through. They had Sheppard laying on a makeshift stretcher on the ground. Rodney stood at one end of him while Ronan stood at the other. Teyla was at the DHD with Lotan and another villager.

"I thank you Lotan." Teyla said. "We thank you. For letting us take Colonel Sheppard home. I only wish we could help you with Puren. He is awake now and he is dangerous. He may come after you."

Lotan smiled at Teyla, took her hand and cupped it in both of his hands. "We only hope that you are able to help Colonel Sheppard get better. Now that we have gotten to know you, we realize that you are great people. You are loyal to each other and you have been nothing but nice to us. And don't worry about Puren. We will not enter into his mountain. We will stay in our village. We do not wish any confrontation."

Teyla smiled back and then took her free hand and patted his. "Thank you so much for your help." She said sweetly.

"Um… sorry to interrupt your schmooze fest Teyla," came Rodney's voice from where he stood with Ronan and John, "but can you get on with it? I'd like to get back to Atlantis before I grow old."

She gave the man a harsh look and then turned back to Lotan. "Sorry for Rodney's rudeness Lotan. He does not deal with stress very well."

"It's okay. I understand that he wishes to get home."

They let go of each other's hands and Teyla began to enter the address for Atlantis. When she finished she entered her IDC and then moved over to stand with her team. She watched as Ronan and Rodney went through the event horizon with John and then turned to wave at Lotan and the other villager. Then she too went through the gate that would take her back home.

TBC in Chapter Seven…

A/N: Well there folks. Can you guess what's going to happen next? They're going to Atlantis obviously. But after that? Let me know if you have any ideas on what is going to happen next and I'll see how close you are because I do have a lot more already written. If I don't write any of you back, don't worry. It just means that I probably don't have the internet where I am. Bye for now. I'm going to be the happy vacationer. Later days folks. TTFN.