Elizabeth was lost deep in thought as she headed down the hallway towards the jumper bay when she first heard it.
"Like the wallpaper sticks to the wall," sang one voice, from inside the jumper bay, that sounded strangely like Rodney.
"Like the seashore clings to the sea," sang a second that could only be John.
"Like you'll never get rid of your shadow." She could practically see Rodney grinning..
Stepping inside quietly she had to smile as she heard John's Sammy Davis Jr. CD playing loudly while the brothers sang along. This was what made her love Atlantis and the people she worked with, although she would never let the pair forget this instance.
"You'll never get rid of me," returned John.
"Let all the others fight and fuss. Whatever happens, we've got us," they harmonized.
Elizabeth had to cover her mouth as they continued softly. Lost in a familial bonding moment, they would never forgive her if she remained hidden to watch, so she cleared her throat loudly. Catching their attention, she chuckled.
Rodney looked up from where he stood beside his brother and grinned shyly, "Caught that, did you?"
"Oh, I had no idea you were such great singers, boys," she teased.
"Sorry. Mom said that was our theme song," joked John.
"I could see how. It's true I never see you two apart. Anyway, I just wanted to know how the jumper repair was progressing, seeing as you're leaving in an hour or so."
"We're nearly done with this one," Rodney said smiling.
"Good, well, I'll leave you boys to get back to…Sammy and Frankie. By the way, which one of you is which?" she asked grinning.
John and Rodney looked at one another.
"I'm Frankie," they both answered at the same time.
"No way! You can't be Frankie!" John griped.
"I can, I have the better voice!"
"Yeah right! Well I'm better looking!"
"Okay , well, I'll leave you two to fight it out. See you in an hour."
They never even saw her leave as they continued to argue over who was Frankie and who was Sammy. She laughed as she listened to them continue behind her, they were indeed one another's shadow. Rodney and John completed each other. They were best friends. And there was no question they were brothers by the way they could act at times. She couldn't imagine what Lauren had gone through raising the two as teenagers, they must've been a handful at times.
The planet was very similar to many of the worlds they had visited, which was just natural. However Rodney had a bad feeling about this one as they stepped out of the jumper and prepared to approach the city. Ronan had only ever heard of this planet, but could not give much information.
"All right lady and gentlemen, let's go chat with the locals," John said, slipping his sunglasses on as he pointed ahead.
"John, the city's that way," Rodney said gesturing in the opposite direction from which John had been pointing.
"I knew that," he replied as he and Ronan took the lead.
Teyla grinned softly as Rodney glanced over to her and rolled his eyes. They were no more than five steps away from their hidden jumper when suddenly there was breaking of branches. Fifteen men suddenly surrounded them, guns ready and looks of anger and fear covered their faces.
Ronan, Teyla, and John snapped their guns up.
"Put your weapons down!" shouted one of the men surrounding them.
"You put your guns down first," John returned.
"Put your weapons down now or we will be forced to fire upon you," the same man demanded.
"Right. Ronan, Teyla put the guns down," John said as he brought his own gun down.
"Who are you?" another man asked as they all moved a step closer towards the four Atlantians'.
"We're travelers from a distant planet. We come in peace, peaceful traders," answered John as he took his own step back, coming to stand directly in front of his brother. Teyla and Ronan followed suit, as they all closed in, protecting one another.
"We shall see, come with us," the lead man spoke, as the others in his group nodded.
"Uh, can we ask your name first?" John asked.
"No," answered one man.
"Friendly," mumbled Rodney from behind John.
The city was no further advanced than the Puritans back in the old days of Earth. They probably acted similar too. The four teammates were escorted to the middle of the town where there stood something similar to a guillotine.
"Is that what I think it is?" whispered Rodney, trying to breath past the growing lump of trepidation in his throat.
"Uh…yeah, yeah I think it just might be," replied John as he felt his stomach turn over.
A short man, with graying hair, and a considerably round belly approached them, dressed in long old robes. "Who are you?" he asked.
" I'm Colonel John Sheppard, this is Specialist Ronan Dex, Doctor Rodney McKay and Teyla Emmagan. We're explorers and traders, here to speak of trade with your people."
"We do not trade with those from other worlds. You will be punished for stepping upon this world."
"Punished?" John mumbled as he eyed the guillotine.
Suddenly the man's creepy eyes landed upon Rodney, "You."
"Me? Me what?" Rodney squeaked.
"Every month, one gives up their life to the gods. I have picked you," the man said as he turned and walked away.
"Wait! Why me?" Rodney yelled suddenly as he felt his arms being grabbed by two of the men by his side. He began to struggle angrily against the people holding him.
"Hey, what about the rest of us?" John said suddenly.
"You will leave after the sacrifice."
"WHY ME?" Rodney howled.
"You are the virgin."
All eyes swiveled on Rodney as he paled at the thought and grew still. John watched them haul his brother away and he felt his stomach grow heavy and cold. "Wait!" he called suddenly.
"What?" the older man spoke.
"Let us all leave, including Rodney, he is a good man…and he's not a virgin," John said, hoping he wasn't lying.
The leader cast another eye over McKay's pale struggling form, before nodding at his own decision. "He will die at dawn tomorrow."
"Can I at least talk to him?" John requested.
"If you must," replied the older man before he walked away.
"I am not a virgin!" Rodney ground out through his mouth quietly as he stood behind the bars of the jail cell they had stuck him in. Teyla and Ronan were standing by the door trying to keep a straight face. In fact even John seemed to be enjoying this a little too much.
"I'm not going to be angry," John began.
"What are you? Mom? Hello, John! They're going to execute me and you're picking on me!"
"You're really a bad liar," grinned John.
"I am not a virgin!"
"Who then?" John said crossing his arms in front of his chest as his brother squirmed.
"I hate you," Rodney mumbled, look just because I chose to wait doesn't make me a bad person, you obviously you missed a few of her sex talks. I distinctly remember her telling us to wait for the perfect girl."
"Guys never listen to that," returned John as he grew a little more serious, concerned about what was going to happen to his brother.
"Well some do!" bit Rodney
"Boys," Teyla called, giving the embarrassed scientist a small sympathetic smile, "perhaps it would be wise to discuss this at a later time. After all we do need to get Rodney out of here before kill him at dawn tomorrow."
"Fine, sorry, okay, seriously…we could always try to convince them that Elizabeth is your wife. Lauryn is your daughter after all."
"With my luck they'd wanna offer her up instead," mumbled Rodney as he pressed his face against the cool bars of the cell.
"Cheer up baby brother, we'll dig your virgin ass out of this." John stopped, covering his mouth as he realized what he had just said and started to laugh, "I'm sorry man…I didn't mean it to sound like that."
"COULD YOU GET SERIOUS!" Rodney yelled, groaning he stalked over to the other side of the cell and sat down on his bed, curling on his side away from his brother.
"Rodney…I promise you we'll get you out of here," John said suddenly becoming serious, he moved over and knelt down in front of his brother's face, who was still lying on the cot. "I promise," he spoke again in a softer tone.
"They want to what?" Elizabeth said staring at her second-in-command, who's face was red as he tried not to laugh. Ronan had gone to talk with Carson, while Teyla remained standing in the room quietly.
"You heard me, they think Rodney is a virgin and they want to kill him…tomorrow at dawn."
"How did this happen?"
"Well, apparently Rodney took to heart my mother's threat…."
"I don't mean him still being a virgin. Dear god, John, that's an admirable trait. I mean, how did you let him get carted away for it."
"I didn't exactly have much say in the matter, Elizabeth," John said in defense to himself.
"Well then, we'll just have to fix this. You're going back to the planet, and I'm going with you."
"Wait a minute…"
"John, we're fixing the problem. Carson will come as well, just in case. Get your team ready and a jumper, we leave in half an hour."
"Yes ma'am," John said quietly as he left the room.
" Elizabeth," Teyla began.
"What's wrong?"
"Virgin. I understand what it is, but do your people not respect it as we do. Among my people, you marry the person you lose your virginity to."
"Yeah, well we used to be that way, believe it or not. Especially if you happened to get someone pregnant, but no I'm afraid not. In our society, nowadays, you'll be pressed to find people who are honest and still remain a virgin until marriage."
"Are you?" Teyla paused, "I am sorry it is an inappropriate question."
"No, it's not an inappropriate question. Truth is, Teyla, I spent five years with the same man living in my house, so no I'm not. However, at the same time, I have been since I left him back on earth the first time, and I find it very respectful that Rodney is willing to wait. He doesn't seem that type of person, does he?"
"No. I always assumed he and…Samantha Carter?"
"Oh, no," Elizabeth grinned, "trust me as much as Rodney may fantasize about her, that never would have happened. Colonel Carter had her own eyes set on someone else. She wasn't going to fall for our poor Rodney," Elizabeth said gently.
"How do you plan on saving him?" Teyla questioned.
"I'm going to try and convince him that I'm Rodney's wife, and that we have a child. How, I'm not sure yet, but I'll figure something out. I always do."
Elizabeth stepped foot onto the planet, taking a deep breath, while Carson, John, Ronan and Teyla remained behind her as she looked about before turning and glancing at John calmly. He quickly nodded and headed off into the direction of the city.
The fat man already stood in the middle of the town. Rodney was by his side, his hands tied together in front of him, and he looked terrified. "Who are you!" the man suddenly demanded as he and practically the rest of the town stared at them.
"I…" John began.
"That's my husband!" Elizabeth said suddenly, fear written all over her face. She watched as Rodney's face turned white, no doubt his stomach turning over in fear. Whether for his life. or her's. Elizabeth wasn't sure.
"This man is a virgin. He has come to our world and shall now be sacrificed to the gods," shouted the leader.
"He is not a virgin, trust me." She looked around for a moment, then touched her stomach, "I'm carrying his third child."
"Liz…" Rodney began.
"Quiet!" screamed the man at Rodney.
"Why do you do this?" Teyla spoke.
"Because we must keep the gods happy, they help us yield crops!" explained the man angrily.
"Sacrificing an innocent man isn't going to make anyone happy. And I promise, if you touch a single hair on that man's head, I will personally kill you," John stated, as he stared the fat man down.
The crowd of settlers that had begun to congregate took another step forward. "You would do no such thing. You said you were peaceful people," spoke the man.
"My name is Elizabeth…McKay, please listen to me. That man you are about to kill is my husband, he provides for my children. If you kill him, you will be killing three young children."
"They're names," spoke one of the settlers.
"What?" Elizabeth asked.
"What are they're names," called another settler.
"Lauryn, Keith, and the child she carries is Bethie!" called Rodney suddenly, realizing this was all a game, and maybe if he lied he could save his neck.
"You lie!" yelled the leader.
"We don't lie!" returned John as he looked around hesitantly.
"Please, sir, you must understand, my people did not know that they were trespassing on your world. We thought perhaps you could help us. We understand now you cannot, and we just want to all return home, preferably with that man," Elizabeth said pointing to Rodney.
"What about our gods?" cried one woman in the crowd.
"Listen to me," Carson suddenly interjected, "you can't kill people just to keep the gods happy. Think about it, you are killing innocent people. How could that possibly make the gods happy? Having their own people die just for them."
"Then why do we flourish such?" asked another man.
"Because…because your gods are forgiving. They understand you just want to keep them happy, so they forgive you for such killings, and help you anyway," returned John smiling gently.
"You speak the truth, this man is your husband?" spoke another man from the crowd.
"He is my husband. I love him very deeply, as do our children," she lied, but trying to sound as honest as she could.
"Very well, you may take him…but do not return to this planet," the man said suddenly as he shoved Rodney towards the team.
John quickly stepped towards his brother and caught him, before he could land on the ground and hurt himself. With Rodney safely in his arms, Elizabeth nodded a thanks and they quickly turned.
"Please untie me," whispered Rodney.
"Come here lad." Carson took out a knife and carefully cut the ropes on his friend's wrists.
"Rod, now this is just a suggestion, don't listen to everything a woman tells you," John grinned as he wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder.
"Oh, sod off," mumbled Rodney as John and Ronan chuckled. Rodney dropped back a couple of feet to where Elizabeth, Teyla and Carson were walking, "Thank you Liz," he whispered.
Smiling Elizabeth slipped her arm around his waist, "Any time. But this of course means one day you're going to have to make an honest woman out of me. Not today, but someday," she smiled.
Grinning he pressed a kiss to her head. "One day Eliza, one day," he replied. With that the six friends made their way back to Atlantis, another disaster averted, another day of life on Atlantis, and many more fun times ahead.