There aren't enough apologies for my writing hiatus, so I'll cut to the chase: thank you for sticking with this story. And just so you know, I plan to finish it! Here is an extra long chapter for the wait. And again, I apologize.

To all who read and review: you guys rock! Seriously! You keep me going!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

This has been un-beta'd. FYI.

Standard disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Thirteen: When Things Advance From Bad to Worse

Shawn felt like he had been flattened by a steam-roller. Not "oh haha-I feel like I've been flattened by a steam-roller but really I have a head ache that two Aleve and a double tall caramel macchiato won't fix, haha!" No, this was quite, quite literal.

In fact as soon as he had clamored into his quarters and sealed the door, he collapsed in a heap on the floor. A sad, sweaty, sore heap.

To Shawn's utter dismay, Gus quickly entered his room.

"IthoughtIhadlockedthedoor." Shawn made no attempt at formulating sentences or getting his face off of the cool metal flooring.

Gus merely tsked and sat on his bed, staring at his friend. "Filipino stick fighting? All along you could do that?"

Shawn tried pushing himself up and instead managed to roll over onto his back. "I ... uh, yes. However, I think I ruined several muscle groups in the process." Shawn wondered silently if he even had muscle groups.

"That's because you have the diet and exercise regimen of a 13 year old girl."

Shawn made a face. "Hey, lucky charms have riboflavin! That's a vitamin. Right? Or a color... "

Gus laughed. "Well, if your plan was to make Ronan your friend, it worked. I overheard him telling your brother that he's going to include you in his early morning calisthenics tomorrow. And while you're doing that, I'll be most likely having coffee and breakfast with Teyla." He then grinned, of course.

"Pfft! In your riboflavin-less dreams!"

Gus stood up. "Well, time for me to turn in." He paused and stared down at his friend. "Need help... up?"

Shawn made a half-groan sound like a "no" somehow and Gus left.

That night, Shawn slept like a log. But not a very comfortable log, as he had slumbered on the cold Lantean floor. Getting onto his bed required too much effort and Herculean-like strength and determination. And the good friend Gus was, he just left Shawn there... with a blanket, no less.

Now less 'super steam-rollered' and more 'jelly-like with a hint of steam-rollered', Shawn took off out of his room bright and early. Avoiding Ronan's aerobics class was high on his to-do list.

And avoiding him was actually quite simple, as he was easily caught up in the day-to-day activities of the Atlantis crew. After a few curious glances from a security team or two, Shawn was ushered into the infirmary where Doctor Beckett was waiting for him.

"Ah, 'morning Shawn!"

Shawn watched as the Scot brought out a device that looked like an inhaler and a hypodermic needle had a love child.

"Uh,... hey doc! What's with the... thing?"

Becket patted a chair and smiled. "Well, you and Gus have yet to be inoculated. You are going off-world."

Shawn took a seat. "Do alien worlds carry swift breezes of Hepatitis C?"

"Much worse, I'm afraid."

Shawn knew he was joking of course. Or at least he thought so. After a sharp, yet very sudden prick in the arm, he was good to go.

"How do you feel?"

Shawn licked his lips. "Like I can suddenly smell and taste the color purple."

Gearing up for an off-world visit with two 'civilians' wasn't practical or logical, but it was fool-proof. Or at least John had concluded so.

After a narrative of deployment and a debriefing that magically didn't bore Shawn to tears, John felt Gus and his brother were ready for their once-in-a-life-time-and-they-better-not-pull-any-stunts-or-their-ass-is-grass experience.

"So, you're really going to let this happen?" Gus asked. He seemed pretty excited, considering he was going out of his comfort zone, and all that jazz. "Let us go through the 'gate' and we can go to an alien world and visit an alien civilization?"

Gus's description made it sound as if they were planning a day-trip so the Smithsonian and had reservations at the Olive Garden down the street.

Rodney puckered his mouth and rolled his eyes. "Technically you have already done both." He gestured with his arms, indicating the area around them. "You are on an alien planet and this entire city was built by an alien civilization."

"Can we use the word 'alien' some more? I don't feel it's being circulated enough," Shawn interjected.

John clasped his hands together and leaned forward. "It's actually a routine visit. Nothing exciting. We're bringing a couple of botanists along, and..." he chuckled, "in comparison to them, you two look like a couple of experienced soldiers."

Dr. Patterson, the city's newest botanist, was sauntering over as John spoke. He looked hurt, but his stature was in perfect agreement with John's statement.

If anything, this routine visit to N99-088 was going to be as exciting as a 6th grade field trip, and probably just as eventful.

After the rest of the venturing crew arrived, which included Ronan who was quick to ask where Shawn had been during his 'morning calisthenics' (which to Shawn sounded like a torture device invented during the Medieval period), the gate was bursting with blue energy and everyone was off.

The tall, green trees that received the group on the other side of the gate was nothing but calming and inviting.

"I had no idea that alien planets were also known as 'Oregon and Washington'," Shawn quipped.

John laughed, "Yeah, I've also thought that. With a dash of Canada, I suppose."

The path from the gate was narrow, and the two botanists, Patterson and Bellamy, were crowding up the space, eager to acquire alien life in the form of green, leafy plants.

Shawn and Gus snuck past Ronan, Rodney and the two plant doctors and caught up with John and Teyla.

"So is there a village here?" Gus asked, taking in the sights around him.

Teyla nodded. "There is, in fact. The Askthans. My people have traded with them for centuries. A kind, yet simple people. However, they are well aware of our visit today. I visited with the leader no less than a week ago."

Not before long, a quaint gathering of stone buildings dotted the horizon.

Shawn leaned into Gus. "I had no idea alien villages were Amish civilizations."

The group continued into the community and a tall, over-eager man in plain clothing greeted them.

"Teyla! The gods have blessed this day, for we are to meet again."

Shawn rolled his eyes so hard that for a moment he panicked, thinking they were stuck.

The man, Horace, greeted Rodney and John and was introduced to Shawn and Gus and Ronan. The two botanists were too busy studying to even notice that there was someone new among them, but Horace hardly seemed to mind.

Shawn looked around and spotted two semi-attractive girls that were talking amongst themselves and staring at Shawn and Gus.

"One good thing about Amish civilizations? I'm going to impress the pants off them with my cell phone." Shawn then grinned and walked toward the now giggling girls.

"Shawn!"

"Oh, c'mon Gus, it's just a figure of speech."

"Amaya is my name," the prettier of the two said. She gestured to her friend. "And this is Cora."

Cora simply giggled and looked away, obviously shy.

Shawn stuck out his hand, "Bond. James Bond."

Amaya stared down at his hand for a second, unsure what to do with it. "Your name is Bond James Bond?"

This made Shawn laugh. "Uh, sure. But you can call me Shawn."

Shawn looked around for Gus, who had simply followed Teyla instead.

Amaya and Cora had now surrounded Shawn.

"So, Shawn," Amaya asked huskily, "how long are you staying in our village?"

Shawn grinned. "As long as you'd like."

The next couple of hours were typical, John decided. Horace was heading up trading plans with Teyla, while hardly masking the fact that he was blatantly flirting with her. Teyla was used to, however, being flirted with by anything wearing pants.

John walked the outskirts of the village, Rodney was grumbling at the two botanists, which did not surprise him. Ronan was off doing Ronan-like things, which included target practice, more than likely.

Shawn, to John's surprise, had a gaggle of girls surrounding him.

Gus was missing.

John then took it upon himself to go look for him.

However, the next series of events shocked John to the core.

He spotted Ronan walking from the east, pushing a man in modern clothing towards the center of the village with the apex of his drawn weapon. John followed suit and followed them.

Something about the man's clothing unnerved John, but he couldn't place it at first.

Horace stopped mid-sentence with Teyla and watched this, wide-eyed.

"Is he one of yours? I caught him spying on us." Ronan hardly seemed dazed by this, more annoyed if anything.

Horace opened his mouth to speak but something caught his eye. Gus was standing at the north end of the village, a gun being pointed at his head. A calm, yet determined looking man held the gun like an experienced war criminal.

It hit John immediately. Genii.

Teyla glared at Horace after taking in the scene. "What is this?"

Horace bowed his head in shame, "I apologize Teyla. The Genii's offer was too good to pass up."

Teyla hissed in discuss and back away from him, inching closer to John.

The man holding Gus hostage grinned, highlighting a scar that ran from his eyebrow to his cheekbone. He was staring directly at John, as if recognizing him immediately. "John Sheppard, am I correct?"

John released a breath. "Yes."

The man continued, "I am sorry to not have met you in better circumstances, but I have unfinished business with you."

John raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"Unfortunately, yes. You are more familiar with my late brother, Acastus Kolya. I am Denek."

Gritting his teeth, John nodded. "So you've got beef with me, eh? "

Denek cocked his head to the side. "I suppose you could say that. Simpleton terms, but well-said."

John shifted his gaze to Gus momentarily. If there had been a worse case scenario for this trip with Shawn and Gus, John would have never imagined it as this bad. "What are your plans?"

Denek pressed the nozzle of his gun into Gus's temple, John and Gus winced simultaneously. "I waste your friend if you do not acquiesce. It's simple. You come with me peacefully or I turn this simple village into a mass grave. Your choice."

John quickly assessed the situation, both Teyla and Ronan's trigger fingers were ready. John's brain deduced that Ronan could get a shot off before Denek pulled his own trigger. But he couldn't endanger Gus like that. He would never forgive himself.

Shawn would never forgive him.

John walked forward. "You got it."

"Ah! Please leave your weapon." Denek's smile was almost sincere. It was creepy.

Ronan's heavy whisper could be heard as the P-90 was lowered to the dusty ground. "Shepard, don't do it!"

John ignored Ronan's warning and Teyla's cumbersome stare and walked toward Denek.

Gus was freed and John and Gus exchanged glances as they passed each other. Gus stared into his eyes with such a frightened ferocity, that John had to break away. It was too much.

With that, John was taken into custody and lead into a dense, green forest. Denek was flanked by two heavily armed guards, naturally.

John silently prayed that Ronan didn't try anything reckless.

He heard shot or two ring out, and John cursed him.

But one question plagued John during all this: where was Shawn?

Meanwhile, Shawn heard a development of events coming from the center of the village, but too many buildings obscured his view.

He smiled, "Sorry ladies, gotta jet."

Amaya and Cora exchanged glances and then Cora's simple features transformed into something that could've been described as sadistic glee. She reached into the apron of her skirt and pulled out a gun.

"I wouldn't try anything, if I were you."

Shawn's eyes widened and he glanced over to Amaya who held her own weapon, "You're kidding, right?"

Something hit Shawn from behind and the soft ground came tumbling towards him.

The last thing he heard was Amaya. "Afraid not, Shawn."

After the series of shots were fired, Gus was gruffly thrust towards the direction of the gate by Teyla. He didn't have much of a chance to really see what was happening behind him, but he wasn't willing to find out, either.

Rodney was frantically dialing the gate, his hands a blur of movement. Seconds later, the gate erupted in a blue wave. Nothing looked more reassuring to Gus.

Ronan was tailing Rodney and shooting at something, Gus wasn't concerned with seeing what it was. All he felt was the sudden surge of relief after stepping through the gate.

He was home safe, and his friends were behind him. And somewhere deep in Gus's soul, he knew that Shawn was safe behind him too and they would all configure a way to save John.

Everything would work out. It had to. Gus knew it.

Gus could just picture Rodney and military personnel immediately starting a fool-proof plan to rescue John and save the day.

Because John being a prisoner and/or a dead man just wasn't in the cards. He was the hero. He would be fine.

Right?

Dr. Weir's worried face was the first thing to greet him after exiting the gate.

"What happened?"

Gus was catching his breath. "John was taken."

It all happened so fast, that Gus had no better way to surmise the situation. Gus of course had left out that he had been taken captive as well and that John had saved him, but those were details better left for later.

Rodney, Teyla and Patterson were next in succession. The three were followed by a harrowed Ronan, his deadly weapon still raised and pointing directly behind him. Bellamy was no where to be seen.

Neither was Shawn.

And with that, Gus watched in horror as the gate closed.

The sunny afternoon and bright green of the trees seemed to mock John as Denek and his group of Genii took him to God knows where.

"So, you're Kolya's brother, huh?"

Denek nodded. "That would be me." He and his group stopped suddenly. Denek smirked. "I am also the current commanding officer of the Genii."

John couldn't have imagined a more dead-end job. "That's too bad."

Denek's smirk faded abruptly and the blunt end of Denek's gun found it's way to John's temple. A sharp pain was quickly shrouded with blackness.

Dun. Dun. DUUUN!