Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm not that lucky.

Several hours had passed and they were still stuck in the cells. Elizabeth was sat with her back against Ronon's cell. Ronon was sat in a position where he could whisper in her ear without any of the others noticing.

A few minutes later two guards came down and went to Elizabeth's cell. They unlocked it and dragged Elizabeth out. Ronon and John were on their feet straight away, as the guards dragged Elizabeth passed Ronon's cell and up the stairs.

"Where are you taking her?"

The guards didn't respond to Ronon's frantic shouting and questions. As he heard the door at the top of the stairs close and lock. Ronon's hit the cell hard with his fists.

He turned round to see John looking just as pissed and worried as he felt. Ronon walked to the back of his cell to the corner nearest to John's. John walked forward to him.

"How long will it take them to come after us?"

John sighed

"It's another twelve hours until we are to check in. After that time, Lorne will try to contact us. When he can't it will take another few hours to find out what's happening and than another few to hours actually put together a rescue mission..."

Ronon cut him off

"How long!"

His voice was tense and angry. John understood why, Elizabeth had just been hauled off somewhere and they didn't know where.

"15 hours at least. Probably 20 hours but that's if the Balarines and Millians haven't contacted them. If they have it'll be a lot sooner."

Ronon smacked his hand against the bars

"Think about what they could do to her in that time."

John nodded and sighed

"I know, but Elizabeth is strong. She might be able to talk to them, negotiate for our release. You just have to trust in her abilities. She's been in situations like this before and she's still here."

Ronon nodded and closed his eyes. He slid down the bars and sat down. His arms draped over his up knees.

"I don't want anything to happen to her. She's been through too much lately, I don't know if she could handle anything else happening."

John sighed. He managed to slip his hand through the bars and touch Ronon's shoulder.

"She's going to be okay"

Elizabeth was bundled into a small room. One of the guards entered with her and pushed her into a seat.

"Lord Litman wishes to dine with you. You will go and enjoy his company."

He took a short red dress from a hanger and held it in front of her.

"You will change into this and look respectable."

Elizabeth shook her head

"No"

The guard, who obviously had no problem about hitting women, backhanded her across the face.

"You will not disobey me. I will not be undermined by a second class citizen"

He threw the dress at her

"Now change before I have to discipline you again"

Elizabeth stood up unsteadily

"Could I have some privacy?"

The guard looked her up and down before smirking

"No"

Elizabeth sighed and turned round. She removed her top and quickly put the dress on. She smoothed it over her body. She then unzipped her trousers and slid them off underneath the dress. She saw something land next to her. She looked down to see a pair or red shoes. Elizabeth sighed, removed her boots and placed the shoes on. As she did that, she spoke to the guard.

"You know, if you just told us what your problem is with us we could try and sort it out in a civilised way."

Elizabeth stood up straight and turned to face the guard. He was standing closer to her than she thought. She could feel him breathing deeply as his eyes roamed over her body again. Suddenly he grabbed her ass and Elizabeth jumped away from him. The guard just smirked and advanced on her. He pushed her hard against a wall, his hands slid up and down her body.

"I can see why Lord Litman requested your presence. You're feisty; we don't get feisty women on our planet anymore. It's been beaten out of them, quite sad really. If they were anything like you it would be very arousing."

The guard pushed his hips hard against Elizabeth and she could feel his growing arousal, quickly Elizabeth pushed him away and he just laughed and grabbed her arm hard and dragged her out of the room. He pulled her across the hall to a large banquet room. He pushed her down into a chair at a large table. He than walked to another door and opened it. Lord Litman walked into the room and sat down opposite her smiling.

"Thank you for joining me"

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head

"I didn't have a choice did I?"

Litman smirked

"Of course you did. You could have refused"

Elizabeth glared at him

"And what would have happened to me then?"

Litman smiled

"You would have been 'persuaded' to come"

Elizabeth smiled fakely at him

"You mean I would have been beaten until I complied"

Litman stood up and walked around the table to her. He grabbed her face and made her face him.

"How else do you expect I stop such insolence from women who think that they are better than what they are. Women are simply there for our pleasure and amusement. I do not take too kindly to women like you"

His fingers dug into her face hard as he placed one hand on her knee.

"You are very beautiful. I have three wives, but not one of them is as beautiful as you. Your only flaw is that mouth of yours."

He removed his hand from her face and slapped her

"Not to worry. I shall beat that out of you."

Elizabeth touched her cheek

"I'm not interested."

Litman stood up slightly pissed. He pulled her from the chair and knocked her to the floor. He kicked her hard in the rips.

"Your men have failed to teach you proper manners for your betters. I shall teach you"

Elizabeth closed her eyes. She knew what would come next but she didn't want to see it.

A few hours after Elizabeth had left the door to the basement opened. Ronon was the first to stand up and as he saw Elizabeth be dragged into the room. His first thought was 'What the hell is she wearing?' and the second was 'She looks good in that'. She fell to the floor and he became very worried when she didn't stand back up.

"Elizabeth?"

Slowly Elizabeth looked up. He saw the bruises on her face, the cuts and the gashes.

He rushed to the bars and put his arms through. His hands just managed to touch her shoulders as he looked at her face

"What did they do to you?"

Elizabeth's voice was croaky

"They...Lord Litman said that I needed to be taught respect and manners for the dominate sex"

Elizabeth struggled to sit up. She moved to the bars, trying to get as close to Ronon's safe and warm arms as possible. To her safety.

John watched them with sad eyes, as did Teyla. Both knew Ronon and Elizabeth were together. And by the way Ronon was trying to wrap her in his arms and the way she was trying to rest her head on his shoulder as best she could was a big indication that they were falling in love, if they weren't already in love.

Ronon drew his hand through her hair.

"What did they do?"

Elizabeth wanted to cry, but she couldn't.

"They...they took me to a room, told me I was going to meet with Lord Litman. They made me dress in...this...Then they took me to meet him. He said things about me being...not respective of men, about me needing to learn that women are the weaker sex and should be taught better. He said Teyla was next."

Rodney and Teyla overhead this and moved as close as they could to her.

"Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked over and Rodney and smiled weakly.

"Hi Rodney"

Rodney hated to be so selfish but if Teyla was next he wanted to know

"They said Teyla was next?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"They said Teyla and I were corrupted. The sooner we learnt our place the better"

Rodney shook his head

"What does that mean?"

Elizabeth sighed and looked at Teyla

"Call me crazy but I think he's looking at Teyla and I as wives number four and five"

Teyla's mouth opened in disbelief and gasped.

"I believe the expression is 'over my dead body'"

Elizabeth chuckled slightly.

"Believe me, that wouldn't stop him"

John sighed

"What is he a necrophiliac?"

Elizabeth shrugged

"I wouldn't put it past him"

John nodded in agreement

"You're probably right"

It didn't take the guards long to come and get Teyla. They did the same with her as they did Elizabeth. Same type of dress, this time it was purple though. Same meal, same everything. Even the beating at the end but this time Teyla managed to get a couple of punches in. One for her and one for Elizabeth. She was eventually dragged back to the cell, her face bleeding but a smile on her face for having fought back.

Rodney was instantly worried as she was pushed back in the cell but she assured him she was alright.

By this time, Elizabeth had already fallen asleep. She was so tired. She wasn't sure whether it was the fact that she hadn't slept well in a few days or whether it was the head wound but during Teyla's time away Elizabeth had curled up next to the bars. Ronon had also laid down next to her, he had taken off his long coat, slid it to the other side of the bars and draped it around her, and he was running his hand up and down face and shoulder. He was slightly worried when he thought he could hear her wheezing.

John had heard it too but reassured him that it had happened before and that after a few minutes she would be fine. Ronon was slightly annoyed that John knew more than him about Elizabeth but he was relieved when she started to breath normally again.

Ronon didn't really care if after this the team told everyone on Atlantis that something was going on between him and Elizabeth. All he wanted at the minute was to hold her and be near her. He knew he couldn't protect her if something was to happened. All he could do was be there for her, hold her and tell her that everything would be okay and that he would avenge anything that would happen to her.

A few hours after they brought Teyla back, six guards came into the room. Four went over to John and dragged him out of the cell while two grabbed the sleeping Elizabeth. She woke up startled as she was dragged to her feet, the coat slipping from her body, and out of the cell.

The guards pulled the two of them up the stairs. Elizabeth was seated back in the banquet hall while John was taken somewhere else.

Elizabeth sat there with only a guard stood at the door watching her every move. It was the guard from earlier who had threatened to rape her.

She sat there for a few moments until a door opened. Elizabeth assumed it was Litman but it wasn't. It was John. He was wearing a red shirt, obviously to match her dress, and black pants. The first few buttons on the shirt were opened and Elizabeth had to admit he looked damn good. Elizabeth smiled at him as he sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth nodded

"How about you?"

John nodded back and smiled slightly.

"What do you think he's going to do to us?"

Elizabeth sighed

"He might be interested in making you wife number six"

John chuckled, it amazed him that it situations such as this she could keep the jokes coming.

Elizabeth and John hadn't really spent a lot of time together since they broke up. John just hadn't known how to be around her, how to have a conversation with her, but it was so easy now for them to talk and joke even when they were about to stare down a military commander who would most likely end up beating them.

Moments later the door opened and Litman walked in. He stood opposite them and smiled

"You two make quite a pair"

John and Elizabeth didn't answer. They just looked at Litman who sat down.

"Well, I think now will be a good time to talk business."

Elizabeth nodded

"Let's discuss why we're here"

Litman smiled and started

"We have been informed that Colonel Sheppard here and Dr McKay have special abilities. They have the power to active the devices of the ancestors. We need the technology"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"Why do you need the technology?"

Litman smiled and stood up. He walked round to Elizabeth and touched her cheek.

"The Balarines have ruled this planet for too long, they are weak."

John shook his head slightly

"From what I understand you decide what the Balarines and Millians do."

Litman smiled and nodded

"Yes, but there are a few who are trying to overthrow us. We must send them a message. Our main message will be that if any try to form an alliance out of this world and try to gain their own independence, they will be punished. We will rule Balaringing, all shall live under our rule."

John closed his eyes in thought

"So you think Rodney and I can activate technology you have. Well I hate to disappoint you but Rodney and I have no special abilities"

Litman nodded and tilted his head before grabbing Elizabeth by the neck and dragging her to her feet.

"If you don't help us Dr Weir here will be harmed. And I know you wouldn't want that."

Litman took out a knife and drew it down Elizabeth's cheek. It cut her skin, blood poured out of the wound as he ran his free hand over Elizabeth's body. Elizabeth whimpered slightly in pain. John stood him and tried to stop him but the guard pushed him back down in his seat.

"No I want you to watch this"

He slid the knife down her other cheek, this time he cut her deeper.

"She has a beautiful face. Wouldn't you agree?"

John looked desperately at Elizabeth, she was in pain but her eyes were telling him not to agree to anything.

Tears formed in John's eyes as she saw the pain she was in. He was almost certain that he was going to kill her. John couldn't talk it anymore. He stood up

"Stop. Don't hurt her. If you want to kill someone, kill me. But not her"

Litman looked between John and Elizabeth. He could see how they were staring at each other. Elizabeth was shaking her head, trying to tell John that he didn't have to do this. Litman smiled

"You would really give up your life for hers?"

John nodded and stepped forward to them

"You love her that much do you?"

John looked at Elizabeth and nodded. Tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I do. I love her"

Litman smiled and threw Elizabeth over to a guard while he grabbed John and started to beat him. Elizabeth tried to turn away but the guard wouldn't let her. They wanted her to see this.

Elizabeth didn't know how long it went on but it seemed like it went on forever. Eventually Litman stopped and checked John's pulse. He smirked and looked up at Elizabeth

"Tell Dr McKay that unless he wants this to happen to Teyla. He will help us"

"Why have you killed him? You won't get what you want"

Litman smirked in a twisted way.

"He isn't dead. He may die yet and if he does I want you to witness that, knowing you are the cause, if he does regain consciousness maybe he'll think before refusing my order again."

Litman gestured for one of the guards to grab John.

"Take the two of these back to their cells. Better yet, put them in the same cell. If he dies I want her to feel his last breath"

Elizabeth was almost in hysterics as she and John were dumped back in her cell. She was immediately at John's side checking his pulse, totally unaware that Ronon was starting at her.

Her fingers stayed on his neck longer that was strictly necessary as her forehead connected with his.

"Come on, stay with me. John you've gotta stay with me."

She removed her fingers from her neck, but kept her forehead connected to his head.

Ronon walked as near to the bars he could. He continued to watch her. He wished he could be in her head now; know what she was thinking. She was near enough to the bars for Ronon to stick his hands through and touch one of her shoulders. She slid away from John and slid up against the bars, keeping John next to her. Ronon placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"What happened?"

Elizabeth took a few deep breathes trying to control her sobs.

"He gave his life for me. They were going to kill me but he took my place"

Ronon made Elizabeth turn round to face him. He grabbed her face and ran his thumbs over the wounds on her cheeks.

"Why were they going to kill you?"

Elizabeth looked at him firmly in the eyes trying to hold some position of power but knowing that she wasn't fooling anyone, at least of all him.

"Litman wanted John to activate some Ancient technology. Apparently, they are the leaders of both the Balarines and Millians but they are some resistance cells out there and the Molinas want to send them a message. They need the ancient technology to do that."

Elizabeth remembered something and broke from Ronon's grip to turn to Rodney and Teyla.

"He said that the same would happen to Teyla if you didn't help them Rodney"

Rodney looked between Teyla and Elizabeth. He was in an impossible situation. If he didn't help them they could kill Teyla, if he did help them, they could still kill her. He was stuck.

"What do I do?"

Elizabeth looked at Rodney shocked. He never asked her permission, not really. She knew he couldn't decided. Elizabeth quickly looked at her watch and sighed. Lorne might not even know there was a problem yet. She didn't want to tell Rodney what to do, he had to decide this. Teyla saw the conflict that was burning in both Rodney and Elizabeth's eyes. She swallowed hard

"Don't give them anything Rodney. Do not help them"

Rodney turned round to Teyla has he heard her voice and her order. He walked over to the bars.

"I can't..."

Teyla stopped him by simply placing one of her fingers on his lips.

"Do not think of it as betraying me. You are not. I want you to do this. Do not help them Rodney. It is not worth it."

Rodney kissed the finger, which was still across his lips with such tenderness. Teyla placed another finger on his lips and stoked them gently.

They could see in each other's eyes how scared the other was. Rodney, in an act of tenderness that he had never exhibited before, slipped his arm through the bars and took her cheek in his hand. He pulled her forward and kissed her. It wasn't rough, it was gentle. It was sweet. It was caring. It was Rodney at his most vulnerable. He pulled her ear to his mouth and whispered something to her. Ronon and Elizabeth failed to hear it but knew what he had said as Teyla pulled back from him. Her eyes on the brink of tears as she mouthed back to him 'I love you too'.

Elizabeth looked at the interaction between them and suddenly felt so guilty. After all, there was something she knew, which she'd kept secret, which could stop Rodney from making such a heartbreaking decision

Carson laid his hand on top of Elizabeth. She was anxious to leave the infirmary. She wanted to be by herself and he could understand that. She'd just lost her baby.

Elizabeth stared blankly passed Carson. She could hear him but she didn't want to look at him.

"Elizabeth. I know that this isn't important at the moment but I thought you should know. Your blood showed trace elements of the ancient gene, obviously because of the...baby...the gene could disappear over time...and I can see you don't really care. I'm sorry to bring it up now; I just thought you could use a distraction"

Carson kissed Elizabeth on the forehead

"You can go now"

Elizabeth got up from the bed and left the room. Not even nodding in response

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. She knew it was possible she didn't possess the gene anymore but she knew she had to try. She couldn't let Rodney and Teyla go through that. So when the guards arrived in the basement a few hours later to take Rodney and Teyla, Elizabeth stood up.

"Wait. I possess the gene. I'm the only one who possesses the gene."

Ronon turned to her in shock. Rodney and Teyla were silent only for a moment until they snapped back to reality.

"Wait Elizabeth, what are doing?"

Elizabeth turned to him as the guard opened her cell and smiled

"My job"

She was dragged out of the cell still looking at Rodney and Teyla, until they disappeared from her line of sight.

TBC…