John knew that he and his brother's relationship was currently sketchy at best, he had hurt his brother, and in defense, Rodney had put up every wall he had available at the time. He watched Rodney flinch when they heard Koyla's voice, he watched Rodney set his jaw as he called out to the bastard and told him to raise him up. John sighed as he sat back against the rocks, Teyla and Ford were currently the only two people in the cave with him.

"You are worried about Doctor McKay?" Teyla questioned.

"Yeah…"

"You have not been getting along very well lately," Teyla was as wise as most people twice her age, but John nodded.

"We tend to do that…don't we? You're right, the bastard drives me crazy."

"He is a good man."

"He's a great man…remember when I told you I had a younger brother…Rodney is my younger brother. A year younger than me…I met him when he was ten, my parents adopted him when he was twelve. He was one hell of a kid."

"You protect him well."

"No…not as well as I used to. Back when he actually wanted to be helped and protected. Now he wants to prove he's worth something."

"What do you mean?" Ford questioned.

"He thinks everyone thinks he's insane. Which is completely crazy…"

"I dunno Major, some people think he's crazy that's for sure."

"Well he isn't! He was so different as a boy…we both were. So much more innocent We both were…to tell you the truth he was always a bit of a dreamer…my dad asked him one time what he wanted to be when he grew up, he looked up at my dad so confidently and stated simply, he wanted to be a astronaut. He could have done it too, seriously he was such a smart little bastard. No just a smart ass, but he was smart, he skipped a grade, then eventually I caught up with him…but he was so smart. He even enjoyed flying, my dad took him up in his first jet when he was ten."

"You love him," Teyla spoke.

"Yeah…obviously since we're men, we never really see much of a point in telling each other that, it's a guy thing I suppose," whispered John.

"He hurts," whispered Teyla.

"I know…and it's my own damn fault, I hurt him, I caused him to decide he had to prove something to everyone. It's my fault."

"You cannot blame yourself for the choices of a grown man."

"No, but Rodney is weird, he's got an ego bigger than…well than Atlantis, but when it comes to being told he's wrong…you have to stroke his ego for months after wards. He's very…very self-consciousness."

"Is that why you picked him for our team?" Aiden questioned.

"No…I chose Rodney for our team because he didn't deserve to be sitting at a desk every day and he's an honest, good man who has and will save our lives."

"He is indeed a very smart man," Teyla said smiling.

"Yeah, and I've been berating and nagging him for weeks…Weir and Beckett are both pissed off with me about that."

"Perhaps you should make it up to him, he is after all, as you say his brother."

"Yes he is…I've got an idea…" John whispered.

John watched as they practically dropped his brother to the floor of the cavern. He bit his lip to keep from killing Koyla, Rodney looked horrible, perhaps not terrified but he was definitely hurting.

"I just assume that we put the stones on the pedal stool, someone put their hands on the palm prints and hopefully we will get the ZedPM. The question is what order do we put the stones in?" bit McKay as Koyla shoved him at the pedal stool.

"I think it's pretty straight forward." Prenos hissed from Rodney's side.

"Well nothing's been straight forward yet. What makes you think this would be?" Rodney growled at the Genii guard. The man sneered at him.

"The last stone is the only one with grooves that match the centre position." The man replied angrily.

"So?" McKay spoke.

"So it fits snugly into place, complete the pattern get the ZPM. Why would they continue to play games at this point?" Prenos spoke arrogantly.

"I really don't think you understand how these people thought…" Rodney began.

John could see his brother was becoming infuriated, he didn't say anything, but kept his eyes on his brother.

"McKay. Stop stalling," Koyla spoke firmly, gun still pointed at McKay.

"I'm not stalling I just think we need to consider the fact…"

"Prenos arrange the stones and retrieve the ZPM please," called Koyla forcefully.

Prenos nodded, and took the stone from Rodney. He moved past the doctor and placed it in the center square, he looked back at Koyla, nodded and pressed his hands to the palm prints. Everyone watched in stunned silence as clamps suddenly closed on his arms. Prenos hissed in pain.

"Mckay!" Koyla growled.

"What do you want me to do!" McKay hissed in return, knowing this would happen.

"What's this?" Prenos questioned as he looked at his hands which had just been released. The sign of the brotherhood was cut into his palms. John and Rodney watched as the Genii's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed dead to the floor.

"He's dead," Koyla stated, he stood up glaring at Rodney, inches from his face, "you knew this would happen!"

"Yes yes I did. In fact I was in the middle of telling you as much when you ordered him to activate the pedal stool. Look you killed him not me!"

"What is the correct order of the stones?" Koyla's voice was soft and dangerous, foreboding.

"I'm not sure yet," muttered Rodney.

Koyla smirked and moved over to John, pointing his gun at the military officer he smiled, "well you have four chances to get it right. "You go first," he told John.

There was something about these two men, Koyla didn't know what it was, but Rodney would work harder knowing it was someone he care about.

"Anytime you want to start ah…" John whispered a few minutes later as he stood by the pedal stool.

"I'm thinking I'm thinking I'm thinking…." Replied Rodney.

"Alright. We tried 1 to 9."

"Thank you yes."

"Well how about 9 to 1?" suggested John.

"Well possibly. Look Prenos was right. The centre stone is the only one that locks into place, all the others must move around it. I'm just trying to think of a combination that makes sense with 5 in the middle," countered Rodney.

"15. it's got to be something to do with 15. or…9 or…5…"

"Shut up please. I'm trying to think," Rodney hissed as he stood by his brother. He had to save him, it didn't matter what he kept thinking, he had to save his brother, he couldn't lose the last remaining member of his family.

"Don't tell me to shut up Rodney. My life's at stake," replied John.

"Exactly so simmer down and let me save it…"

"Heard the term two heads are better than one?"

"It's a common misconception."

"Give me the gun. I'll shoot him myself," John said as he glared at Koyla. He knew Rodney was doing his best, and his constant rambling wasn't helping him. Rodney had seen his brother die once already John knew Rodney couldn't lose him, because John couldn't lose Rodney.

"This is taking too long. Choose and go," Koyla spoke from his position to the left.

"You got somewhere you got to be?" growled Rodney.

"Choose and go!" Koyla bit back.

"I got nothing," Rodney said looking up at his brother.

"Thanks for the pep talk," John looked at his brother and saw defeat in his eyes, perhaps an apology.

"9 to 1 that's all I can think off," whispered Rodney.

"Alright. Step back," John wasn't going to wait to die by Koyla's gun. He stared at the pedal stool and sighed, racking his brain for an answer…anything.

"I'm sorry," murmured Rodney.

"I'm not dead yet," John replied, not meaning to sound nasty.

"I got it!" John suddenly gasped, stunned that he had figured it out.

"What?" Rodney asked as he came towards his brother.

"The brotherhood of fifteen!"

"What about it?"

"The numbers 1 to 9 have been put in 3 by 3 grids with fifteen in every direction."

"Oh You're right…how'd you know that?" Rodney said confused, unsure why that surprised him. John had always been really smart.

"It was on the mensa test" replied John.

"You're a member of mensa?"

"No I took the test."

"When?"

"You wanna talk about this now Rodney?"

"I need my eyes for seeing!" cried Rodney rubbing at his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but...well we had to do it," John tried to explain.

"But my eyes!"

"Rodney..."

"My eyes..."

"Rodney, lets move out," John called as he looked around and made sure everything was secure to go.

"I can't believe you never mentioned the mensa thing."

"I took the test, I never joined…"

"But you passed?" Rodney questioned.

"Yes."

"Well you know we have we have a chapter on Atlantis you should—"

"Rodney. Rodney up the rope." John said pointing up.

It was nearing night on Atlantis, and John knew exactly where his brother would be. Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door to the lab, waiting for some kind of response. The door slip open and a very annoyed looking Zelenka stepped up mumbling someone in another language.

"Spreading comfort and joy as usual I see Rodney," John spoke as he entered the lab. His brother was hunched over a nearby computer, "hey, Valentino, you okay?" he joked.

"Leave me alone," came McKay's response.

"Nope, sorry, what's up."

"Nothing I'm fine…."

"You are the worst liar in human history."

"Gee thanks John, because now I feel soo mucuh better."

"Look McKay, I came here to ask you…if you needed to talk to someone?"

"I'm fine."

"Uh…okay, but I'm here if you need anything…" John could take a hint and headed for the door, he paused before leaving and looked back at his brother, "I'm sorry Rodney," whispered John.

Rodney turned hearing his brother's words just in time to see the back of his brother as he walked away. He sighed, thinking for a moment then turned back to his work.