FIC: The Pack (Stargate: Atlantis AU) 2/10

[ashinae]

The Pack: A Stargate: Atlantis AU - Chapter 2
by ashinae and jay_linden
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10




Well, then.

In a distressingly short amount of time, John had accomplished the following:

1) Introduced C4 to the Pegasus Galaxy.
2) Gone on a mission that made them some new enemies, not by anyone's fault but said enemies--sometimes enemies were very unreasonable.
3) Realised that the other scent he kept smelling on McKay was that of Dr Peter Grodin.
4) Not killed Dr Grodin.
5) Not shoved McKay against a wall and bit him.

"At least I didn't tell the Genii I'm a werewolf?" he offered up, ever-so-helpfully, to Elizabeth. He couldn't quite manage the charming little smile he reserved for when he was in really deep shit.

Elizabeth didn't smile. Not even the slight lip-twitching not-a-smile that she usually reserved for when John was in really deep shit. "I sent you out for food," she said, slowly and deliberately. "You do remember that the initial goal was to increase our food supply before we get to the point of rationing."

"You know, if the Athosians know of a planet with a lot of small, furry animals, Ford and I could bring home a whole lot of food in just a few hours," said John. Still trying to be helpful.

"Unlike the werewolf population of Atlantis, the other two-thirds of us aren't going to be able to survive on a diet of Pegasus weasels," Elizabeth said, shooting a frosty glare at him.

"I was thinking more of rabbit," John said.

"Major Sheppard?"

Oh, he should have stopped talking a while ago. "Yes, Dr Weir?"

"Leave my office. Now."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, quickly, turned, and scurried away. Well, he scurried while trying to look like he wasn't scurrying, and wasn't exactly successful, and he just sort of kept right on walking until he suddenly realised he had no clue where the hell he was.

"Well, crap."

Okay, this wasn't the first time he'd ever been lost. He took a quick sniff, then turned around. He could smell people. He'd just follow his nose back to the people.

He had no idea, sometimes, how the hell he'd manage around this place without the werewolf senses.

He heard a familiar voice after a minute, and grinned, and shoved his hands in his pockets. Maybe he could convince McKay to play that game with him for a while.

And there he was. With Dr Grodin.
The growl bubbled up, unbidden, in his throat, then John turned and wandered away again.

Within minutes, he found Ford. Cornered him in a quiet corridor, crowded him against the wall, and growled at him.

Ford? Never really needed all that much convincing--it'd been John who was the initial hard sell. That one growl and a good shove was all it took to get him on board.

***

Bates' challenge to Ford's position as Major Sheppard's second was inevitable. What was less inevitable (at least according to Bates, if the look of shock on his face was any kind of indication) was the way that Ford completely and totally put him down, about two-point-five seconds into Bates' attack.

It didn't make Bates like Ford--or Sheppard--any more. But it did get him to shut up. For a while, at least.

***

The storm couldn't be prevented magically. Carson and Elizabeth weren't powerful enough to put a dent in it. McKay, always so eager to help, pointed out that even a witch as powerful as Daniel Jackson was wary of screwing with Mother Nature outside of perhaps encouraging a crop to grow a little better.

The thing was, because Elizabeth couldn't do anything magically about the storm or at the grounding stations, she'd left all her supplies in her desk.

There was no way to get at them once the Genii took Elizabeth and Rodney hostage. Carson, as a born witch, could use magic without any sort of aid--but he was on the mainland. Elizabeth was self-taught; she needed those supplies.

***

"Sir?" Ladon Radim's voice was barely audible through Kolya's radio, but even to Elizabeth's ears, he sounded... not quite scared, but maybe as close as a soldier might allow himself to sound. He'd passed anxious already. "Commander, there's something going on."

Kolya looked impatient as he spoke into the radio. "I told you not to contact me unless it was urgent. Is this urgent?" he demanded.

"You should listen to this, sir." There was a pause. And then there was no doubt about the next sounds that issued forth from the radio. Elizabeth didn't have to guess at anything.

"What is it?" (Screaming.) "Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!" (Horror.) "It's got me. It's--"" (Agony.)

Elizabeth shifted closer to Rodney.

Rodney's face went even paler than usual. They both knew exactly what they were listening to. And they both knew that they couldn't tell Kolya what they knew.

Kolya listened, expressionless for the first few moments, then slowly furious.

"Sir," Radim said, just over the screaming, "our people are being slaughtered."

"Fall back," Kolya snapped. "Get everyone out of there--tell them to fall back!"

There was more screaming. Then shouting--those left behind in the control room. "Commander, we just lost another team." This time, it was Sora. "Ladon's getting everyone else back to the control room. We have no idea what it is that's out there. But, sir, we keep losing track of Major Sheppard."

Rodney looked over at Elizabeth again, then went back to fixing the grounding station and not-fixing the grounding station while pretending to fix the grounding station at the same time.

"What do you mean you keep losing track of him?" Kolya demanded, turning away from Weir and McKay. "You told me that you could use the sensors to track him."

"He disappears completely," Sora said. "He's there, and then suddenly he's gone. When the sensors pick him up again, he's moved--fast."

Kolya slowly turned back to look at McKay. "What's he doing?"

Rodney wiped water out of his face and glared at Kolya. "How the hell should I know?" he snapped. "Look--most of the systems are powered down because of the plan to save the city, and we're in the middle of a giant electrical storm. Nothing's working the way it's supposed to. You're really going to rely on the sensors at a time like this?"

Rodney was actually rather impressed with himself. For a guy as bad at lying as he admittedly was, that wasn't bad.

***

Prey.

John couldn't actually remember the last time he considered himself a man before he considered himself a wolf--a hunter. A predator.

He was silent on his feet. He hid his clothes and equipment in hidden wall panels and became the wolf; the wolf couldn't activate the hand-held sensor to find each team of Genii soldiers. The man couldn't kill as quickly as the wolf could and hurry on. Men fell to his fangs and claws. They screamed as they went down. Team after team. He tasted their blood; moved on when he was certain they were dead. It didn't take long. He went for the throat.

They screamed when they saw him come out of the dark. He liked the way they screamed.

His prey had invaded his home. Violated its halls. Stolen from him. They didn't have much time to regret it before he snuffed out their lives.

Prey. Up ahead. He could smell them now.

He didn't make a sound when he attacked. His prey screamed in agony.

***

They were alone. John couldn't smell or hear anyone nearby. McKay was injured.

Maybe later, John could blame it all on the smell of blood still on him.

He pushed McKay against the wall. Pressed him there tight with his body. John was pretty sure his socks were still kind of damp, and it had been a long, long day. But the city was saved, the Genii were gone, and John was relieved.

Relieved, but still territorial. Dangerous. He breathed hard as he pushed his hand against McKay's shoulder, ducked his head. Smelled him. McKay. His.

McKay hit the wall with a loud 'oof', the press of John's body against him almost knocking the wind out of him. "Are you crazy?" he gasped, squirming once, then going very, very still.

John growled. Low. Deep. Angry. Eyes closed, still pressed up against McKay. He lifted his head a moment later, eyes bright, staring down at him. His.

He swallowed hard, and he still didn't move. "Major?"

The voice got through to him. John pulled back. "McKay," he said, gruffly.

McKay swallowed hard again. "Right. Um. Hi." A pause. "Did you just smell me?"

"They cut you," John said, in lieu of an answer.

"I didn't like that very much," Rodney admitted.

"You smell like Elizabeth."

"I just spent quite a lot of time with Elizabeth, what with the running and hiding and being out in the rain pretending to fix things after being tortured."

John's hand remained on McKay's shoulder, fingers holding tight to the fabric of his jacket. They needed a shower. They needed rest. John couldn't seem to move. They'd hurt a member of his pack. He growled again.

"You know I'm all right. Right?"

John nodded slowly. McKay was walking. Talking. Quite okay. They'd only cut his arm. John stepped back. "Right," he said.

McKay hesitated, then reached out and touched John's arm. "I'm okay," he repeated.

John didn't look entirely convinced, but he did nod. Took a breath, then quirked a little smile at him. "Hungry?"

"What?" The shift in topic had Rodney confused.

"Wanna get a bite?" Yeah, talking about biting around ordinary humans usually put them on edge. John was hasty in making the clarification: "To eat."

"I... food? Yes. I... sure. Yes. I'm hungry," McKay decided.

"Great. Mess hall it is." John put a very firm hand on Rodney's shoulder to guide him away.

***

"No, Rodney," Carson said, "I will not turn Kavanagh into a snail, or a slug, or any sort of invertebrate."

"It's for the good of Atlantis," Rodney stressed. "This isn't just for my own personal benefit, Carson."

Carson turned around. He was exhausted. It had been a very long day, and all he wanted to do was go find his bed, fall down in it, and let himself be lulled to sleep by the sound of the howling wolves. Now that he was used to it, he found it kind of soothing. They were out there, protecting them all from God knew what.

"Rodney," he said, "I can't. It goes against everything I believe in."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Please. That excuse only works so many times," he said. "One of these times, he's going to get us all killed, and when that happens, I'm going to tell you I told you so."

"Yes, of course," Carson said, stifling a sigh. "When we're all dead, you get 'I told you so' rights."

"Because I warned you."

"Yes, you warned me." Carson liked his bed. It was where he slept. He wanted to go there. They rounded a corner, and Carson stopped short, hand immediately going to Rodney's arm to stop him, too.

It really was very late. Carson had heard some commotion earlier, and whatever it was, had clearly wiped out the two wolves completely--the Alpha and his second. Major Sheppard was unmistakable, of course, but even now, the handsome brindled wolf form of Lieutenant Ford was somewhat startling. They were curled up together, Sheppard using Ford as a pillow as Ford's paws twitched through some dream or other.

"Huh," Rodney said, staring at the two wolves, cuddled up together like... well, a lot more like puppies than like predators. "That's... almost cute. Ridiculously so."

"I wish I had a camera," Carson murmured, smiling. "I dated a wolf, once. Ages ago. They'll do that even when they're human."

"You? Dated a wolf?"

Rodney's voice was in danger of getting louder. Carson took him by the elbow to lead him away, lest they wake up the wolves. "Yes, I did. Lovely lass. Bit of a temper. I'm a witch, Rodney. Does it really surprise you that I dated a wolf?"

"Well, no, I suppose not," Rodney admitted. "You're such a monk most of the time that it's kind of hard to picture you dating at all."

"A monk?" Carson echoed in dismay.

"Yeah... like a monk... witch. A monkwitch."

"I'm not a monk," Carson protested.

"And the last time you dated anyone at all was... when again?"

"Ah--well. Before we came here. And you, Rodney? How many dates have you been on since we arrived?"

Rodney's mouth opened, closed, and opened before Carson lifted a hand. "A date-date," he clarified. "Fuck buddies don't count." Remarkably, he didn't even blush or bat an eyelash saying that. He'd be proud of himself later.

Rodney's mouth closed again. Eventually, he said, "We weren't talking about me. And I'm not a witch."

"Is being a witch supposed to make me more... desirable?" Carson asked.

"No... just... you have options at your disposal that I don't," Rodney said.

Carson blinked a few times, then just sighed. "Again, Rodney: unethical."

"What's the point in being a witch if you're going to get all hung up on ethics?"

"We have a code we need to follow, Rodney. We--" Carson side-stepped two wolves who ran past at full-tilt, "we can't just use our powers to our advantage in everything. It's rather the way that most places in the world have their werewolves in the military. We're here to help, to protect--all of that. We can't just lord our power over ordinary humans, or we all become the monsters that we've tried to have everyone understand that we aren't."

"So you and the wolves can't just use your..." Rodney waggled his fingers, "special powers to make anyone and everyone do what you want? Or you can, but you don't?"

Carson looked sidelong at Rodney. "The latter, Rodney. We don't."

"So why was Major Sheppard sniffing me?"

Carson stopped walking again, but not because of any stray wolves. "Sniffing you?"

Rodney--so help him--blushed.

"Major Sheppard was sniffing you? When, Rodney? When?" Carson grabbed him by the arm again.

"Why? What? Why are you grabbing me?"

"When did it happen, Rodney?"

"Right after the incident with the Genii in Atlantis... right after the storm," Rodney said.

Carson let go of Rodney and took a step back, blinking a few times, then sighed in relief. "You'd been injured," he said. "That only makes sense."

"No, it doesn't, so you need to explain," Rodney demanded. "Was he doing magic on me? You just said that you don't, because you're all noble."

Carson took a breath. So help him, sometimes he wanted to grab Rodney and shake him for the bizarre gaps in his knowledge. "Major Sheppard isn't actually capable of 'doing magic', Rodney," he said, ever-so-patient. "But he's accepted you as part of his pack, and I'm sure he was concerned for your well-being. He needed to re-establish his, well--" Carson grasped for the word, then finally just settled on: "dominance."

"Oh," Rodney said. "Dominance." He let that settle for a few moments. "So... that's what that was? Dominance and... concern?"

"I'm sure that's exactly what it was," Carson said with a firm nod.

"Then why was he..." Rodney's hand fluttered around the front of his pants, and then he shook his head. "Okay, I'm just... gonna let that go. Yes. Concern. That's what it was. Concern." In Sheppard's pants.

Carson blinked a few times. "Well, ah--I mean--that is to say--all things considered, we've all rather assumed he and Teyla..." He let the sentence go.

Now it was Rodney's turn to blink. Several times. "What are you talking about?"

"Most of us had assumed the Major and Teyla would... get together," Carson said, delicately. "It's terribly uncommon for an Alpha to choose a mate of their own gender. Although he's never exactly done what's expected of him, has he?"

Rodney stepped back so fast he banged into a wall. Hard. "I'm not--he's not--I'm--mate?" His voice was getting very high pitched. Then he caught on something. "Hang on. Why not me? Am I not good enough for the Alpha? I'm the smartest person in Atlantis, and I don't cheat with magic to do it."

"I assure you, Rodney," Carson said, with a genuine flare of anger, "that I did not use magic to earn my degrees!"

But that was talking about Carson, and not talking about Rodney, so he waved it off. "What do you mean I'm not good enough for the Alpha?"

"I never said you're not good enough," Carson said, leaning against a wall. God, he was tired, and arguing with Rodney just made it worse. "But the fact of the matter is that you're male, and we're out here all on our own. It would be different, I'm sure, if we were still on Earth."

Rodney looked like he wasn't sure he was ready to accept Carson's platitude, but in the end, decided to let it go. "Don't you ever sleep?" he said. "You look like shit."

Carson stared at Rodney for a long, long moment, then decided that when Rodney woke up, he was going to find himself covered in acne.

It's not like the Council would find out any time soon. Elizabeth would know, sure, and some of the others, but really--would they blame him?

***

Rodney McKay didn't wake up with acne. Halfway through the casting, Carson was overwhelmed with guilt.

He did, however, see to it that Rodney would wake up with one very large boil in a place that made sitting difficult.

***

John paced back and forth through the chamber, agitated. This had been a bad idea. He should have been the one above ground instead of Ford. Then he wouldn't have to be down here, smelling Peter Grodin all over Rodney and watching Allina flirt with him. And worse, Rodney was acknowledging her interest, and he was clearly with someone and John let out a huff.

"Major. It will take as long as it takes." Rodney knew that huff. He knew it very, very well. Which was why he didn't even look up when he heard it.

***

Ford, on the other hand, was up top and bored out of his mind. He wasn't even sure that the Daganians had weapons, let alone posed any kind of threat. No one had been on any kind of guard duty while they were breaking their backs digging holes in the ground, but now that they were actually close to finding the ZPM....

He checked a sigh, and looked down to check his weapon. He could hear McKay nattering away at light speed down in the hole. Maybe he was better off up top after all. Being trapped in enclosed spaces with McKay when he got going did lead to wanting to shoot him. And then they'd just have to break in a new scientist on their team, and that sounded like a lot of work.

When the first pinprick hit his neck, he just batted his hand at it, swatting at it like it was a bug. Probably some kind of mosquito. Just what Pegasus needed--more blood sucking parasites. When the second one hit, he grabbed, rather than swatted, and came away with the dart in his fingers. He stared at it, then jerked his head up, letting the needle drop to the ground as he lifted his weapon and started scanning the area. He was still on his feet, but his judgement was clearly being clouded by the drugs, because he didn't call out to warn the others.

He dropped down into a crouch, felt the air ripple past his cheek as a dart whistled past his face. Then they were coming from what seemed like everywhere at once, reflexes slowing as more of the drug--whatever it was--started sinking into his system. His weapon started to drift, even though he was trying to keep it up, he tried to call out, but now he couldn't. He lost track of how many pinpricks he'd felt as he collapsed to the ground, gun at his side.

He never really lost consciousness, even as he slumped to the ground. His head was spinning; he could almost feel the heat of the drug moving through his body. A few moments later, he heard footsteps. A lot of footsteps... more than one person... probably more than three.

"Did you kill him?" A dispassionate, and somehow familiar, voice.

"I don't think so. It shouldn't have taken so much to put him down though." A different voice, not familiar. Ford lay still, keeping his body limp. The drugs were already starting to wear off.

"You're sure he's out?" That familiar voice again.

"Yes, of course." A long pause. "Well. After that many doses..."

"Check him," the familiar voice ordered.

He forced himself to stay limp, not to react. Not until the man was right over top of him, touching him. That's when Ford started to move--fast. He grabbed the arm of the man checking his pulse and dragged him down to use as a shield, reaching out with his free hand for his gun, immediately shooting the soldier who was closest to him. He growled, arm wrapping around the neck of the man he had in his grip, keeping his body firmly in front of his own. His eyes were still unfocused, but not enough that it would affect his aim.

At least not until he noticed that there were more people than he'd counted--a full five of them--and they all had their guns pointed at him. He turned his gun so that it was pointing at the man he held in his arms. "I'll shoot him," he threatened. "Back off." It took him that long to recognize that the man standing in the middle, just over the body of the man he'd killed... was Kolya.

Kolya only hesitated long enough to smirk at Ford before he aimed at the Genii soldier Ford held hostage, and shot him, point blank in the head. The bullet went straight through the Genii soldier and into Ford's shoulder, making him drop his weapon with a howl.

"No," Kolya said calmly, gesturing for the rest of the soldiers to grab Ford. "I don't think I will."

***

John had been in the middle of pacing. He stopped dead. He heard the gunshot loud as if it had been in the room. The others heard it too, of course, but none of them had John's hearing.

It was the howl that made him shout. "Ford!"

Rodney's head jerked up, he abandoned the tiles and Allina, and ran over to look up the shaft. "What's going on--Ford!" he yelled.

Two more gunshots.

"Ford!" John shouted again as he reached the bottom of the shaft. "Ford, what the hell is going on up there?"

Kolya kicked the gun out of Ford's hand and gestured to the soldiers. "Tie him up--do it now," he ordered, voice loud. "Make it secure." He stepped over Ford's body and went over to stand just out of the line of sight near the shaft. "I'm afraid that Lieutenant Ford is currently indisposed," he called.

No.

"Kolya?" John called up.

"Major Sheppard... you remember me," Kolya said, still out of visual range. "I'm touched."

"If you hurt him, Kolya..."

"Define 'hurt'," Kolya said as he finally came into sight. "I'm not sure you're really in a position to threaten me right now, since you're the ones who are trapped in a hole, and I am not."

John aimed his gun right up at Kolya's face. "You make him howl like that again and you will regret it."

Kolya smirked, his own weapon aimed directly at Sheppard. "I'm sure he'll be all right," he said. "He seems to heal remarkably quickly. Now... why is that? We've been wondering for quite some time about the resilience of the Atlantean people. You look just like the rest of us, and yet you occasionally prove very difficult to kill."

John glanced quickly at Rodney, who had gone very pale, then up at Kolya again. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"No? Perhaps I'll just ask Lieutenant Ford," he said, stepping away from the top of the shaft.

"Kolya!" John howled. "Kolya, you stay away from him!"

***

Ford was tied up as securely as they could get him, had three bullet wounds in him, and he still struggled to get loose, despite the pain and the blood loss.

"Lieutenant Ford," Kolya said, smiling politely down at him. "How's the shoulder?" he asked, placing his boot right over the bullet wound and stepping down firmly.

Ford's scream split the air once again. He panted for breath, head swimming with pain as Kolya finally lifted his boot off his shoulder. He bit down hard on his lip, and refused to speak.

Kolya watched him for a few moments, then nodded to one of his soldiers. "Cut his shirt away--the leg of his pants," he ordered, gesturing at Ford. "We should check on those wounds, don't you think?"

Ford bit down hard enough to draw blood as the soldier none too gently cut away his shirt and pant leg. He knew... he knew what they'd find, and it wasn't going to be good.

***

In the cave below, John, almost shaking with rage, let out another loud howl. He needed to get up there. He needed to get up there to help Ford before they did so much damage that the wolf took over.

But John didn't even think that if he turned wolf, he'd be able to jump up there.

"John--please, you must calm down," Teyla said, even though she knew perfectly well that telling an enraged werewolf to calm down was not really the most clever move to make. "We can't help Ford if you don't. Please."

John rounded on Teyla. "Calm down?" he demanded. "If they keep hurting him, he's going to have no choice but to--" He looked at Allina and bit down on the words. "Kolya! What do you want? You let him go and I'll give you our ship. I'll give you our weapons!"

"Major!" Rodney hissed, grabbing his arm and dragging him back. "You can't promise him that! You know you can't!"

The touch snapped something in John. He slammed Rodney hard against the nearest wall. He was vaguely aware that Allina had gone back as far as she could in the cave, clutching the tiles and looking terrified. "If they keep doing what they're doing," John snarled, "they are going to find out about us."

Rodney hit the wall with a loud 'oof', the wind almost knocked out of him. "I know that," he hissed. "And you're only making him more curious."

John released Rodney with a low, rumbling growl and paced away from him, only to suddenly point directly at Allina. He looked at Teyla and snapped, "And make her stop cowering like that!" The fear was distracting. It made John edgier than he had been this entire time; they must be approaching the full moon here on top of everything else that had gone wrong. If he continued to smell fear like that, he wouldn't be able to control the predator anymore.

Teyla gave John a look--she certainly wasn't scared of him--and she went to the the back of the cave, guiding the Daganians along with her and talking softly to them.

Even though Rodney was pale, he didn't back down, staying right next to John. "Just stop," he murmured. "Let me handle this."

That brought John up right short. It almost looked as if someone had yanked hard on his leash. "What?"

"Kolya just pisses you off, and he knows exactly where to twist the knife," Rodney said, voice still a low hiss. "They may not be hurting you like they are Ford, but if you keep letting him get to you, then they're definitely going to know what you are, because if my instincts are right, and they usually are, I think you're about one more flare of temper away from going all dark and fluffy on us. So just stop."

Fluffy? John bristled. But all he did was growl and stalk away, pacing not unlike a dangerous predator in a cage.

***

Kolya ignored Sheppard, focused entirely on Ford for the moment. "Interesting." Kolya looked down at Ford's stomach then crouched beside him. "You see... ordinarily with a bullet wound such as this, at such point blank range, you'd expect to see a lot more damage," he said. "This looks as though it's already healing. Can you explain that, Lieutenant Ford?"

Ford glared at him and bit down harder on his lip, refusing to speak.

Kolya kept watching Ford for a few more minutes, focused in on the leg and stomach wound. "Fascinating," he said. "It's as though I can see the wound closing on its own. Are you sure you don't care to explain that?" he asked Ford.

Ford licked at his bleeding lip. "Go to hell," he said hoarsely.

Kolya nodded once, then he moved quickly, taking the knife from the soldier who'd cut open Ford's clothes and slashing a deep cut across his thigh, just above the gunshot wound.

Ford's body arched up off the ground and he cried out in pain, despite trying to keep the sound stifled.

***

The cry made John fall very still again. His eyes were drawn to the shaft, to the sunlight, to where he knew Ford was hurting. His pack. His beta. His...

He closed his eyes. Forced himself to breathe.

Dammit all to hell.

His head jerked up and his eyes opened when suddenly he was aware of something being said: "They offered us a great reward, Allina. They agreed to let us keep the treasure if we just--"

The slap rang out nice and loud.

The ZPM. John went back to the shaft again. "They're no use to you, Kolya," he called up, hoping to distract Kolya and his men from Ford. "ZPMs only work on Atlantis."

"Now... how did I know that you'd say something like that?" Kolya said, coming back to within range of the shaft again. "I hope that you won't be offended that I'm not willing to take your word for it," he said. "Your Lieutenant Ford is astonishingly stubborn, incidentally," he said. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me what he won't?" he added.

When John and Kolya were in the same place, John was going to rip Kolya's throat out with his teeth. That'd be fun.

"Go to hell!"

"Interesting," Kolya said. "He said the same thing. I'll ask him again... see if he's more cooperative this time," Kolya said, slipping back and away from the shaft.

John's rage stilled his tongue. Finally. He stood there for a moment, then growled, turned away, and resumed stalking the cave. And shot the more-than-occasional glare at Sanir, just to make himself feel better.

A minute or two passed without anything loud enough for the people in the shaft to hear. Then a shot rang out, followed by a very inhuman sounding howl.

"Ford!" John was back into yelling mode. He resumed his place under the hole. "Let him go, Kolya!"

"Kolya!" Rodney yelled, positioning himself right below the opening to the shaft, right next to John. "Kolya--we'll do it--we'll find the ZPM, but we don't have it yet! We know where it is, but it's not down here, just listen!"

Nothing from Kolya. No response. No more gunfire, although out of nowhere, Ford screamed again, longer and louder.

Rodney looked over at John. "It's going to happen, isn't it?"

John didn't even get time to answer, because seconds later, they could hear the soldiers moving, running, a few shots firing. The next sound they heard wasn't a growl, or a snarl; it was a full-throated howl.

"Ford!" John shouted. He had absolutely no illusions at this point that the sound of his voice would help his beta, but he had to do something. "Ford, listen to me--get out of here! Run away!"

There was a loud snarl, and then the gunfire started again. Three shots in quick succession, and a loud yipe of pain, then nothing. Silence.

"No... no, no, no," Rodney murmured.

John couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. If only he'd killed Kolya in the first place. Ford. He could hear Teyla behind him, trying to keep the Daganians calm. He had a feeling it wasn't working.

Time passed. Seconds, minutes, it wasn't entirely clear, but for once, it was Rodney whose reflexes sprung into action as he tugged John away, just as Ford's body in wolf form was shoved down the shaft. He landed hard on the floor, and stayed motionless.

John didn't even think about it. He struggled as quickly as he could out of as much of his clothes as he could manage before he changed. If Ford woke up, he'd need his Alpha. He padded quickly to Ford's side and nudged at him with his nose, then heard something from up above and locked eyes with Kolya.

John bared his teeth and growled.

"Fascinating," Kolya said, but there was something hard in his eyes this time as he looked down at John. "And suddenly so many questions about what happened to my soldiers on Atlantis are answered."

Kolya's gun was aimed at John. Rodney started to move, to grab John's gun.

"I wouldn't advise that, Dr McKay." The other soldiers showed up just behind Kolya. Great. More guns.

"Fine. You've got your answer. Aren't you lucky," Rodney snapped. "Do you want the treasure or not? Because you won't find it without me, and I won't help you unless you release my team."

Kolya looked amused. "Dr McKay... you just keep getting braver all the time," he said. "Or at least more willing to put on a good show."

He gritted his teeth. "I am offering to help you," he said. "If you think you can find it without my help, please, be my guest. Considering that people have been looking for it for literally millennia, and I've gotten closer than any of them ever did, in a matter of days. But if you want to try your luck, go for it."

One of Kolya's men started to say something, and Kolya waved him off. "I want everyone's weapons and radios raised up first. Then the two Daganians, and then you, Dr McKay. Find us the ZPM, and you'll all return to Atlantis. Try anything, anything at all, and I bury your team alive. Do we have an understanding?"

"We do." Rodney didn't bother to look at John before he said it. "Teyla? Help me with the weapons and radios," he said, moving away from the shaft. He held up his hand when she tried to interrupt. "We don't have a choice," he said softly. "Hide what you can," he whispered, just loudly enough for her. She nodded, gathering the radios and larger weapons, managing to hide a few things in the dirt as she crouched down to pick things up.

John couldn't quite fathom changing back right now. It was hard for him to leave Ford's side, but Ford didn't appear to be ready to wake up any time soon. So John hurried to Rodney and Teyla, in helpful-wolf mode, except he got in the way a little more than necessary.

To their credit, neither Rodney nor Teyla snapped at him.

The weapons went up first, then the two Daganian women. Rodney waited his turn, face still pale.

"Are you sure about this?" Teyla murmured to him.

"Not remotely," Rodney said. "I also don't have a choice. Are you going to be--"

"I will be fine," Teyla said, cutting him off.

"Dr McKay, if you're quite done?" Kolya's voice came from above.

"I'm coming," Rodney snapped. "Good luck," he said to Teyla, strapping himself in and looking at John. "Take care of him," he added.

John hurried to Rodney's side. He licked Rodney's hand, then stepped back and went to Ford, curling up protectively around him. He closed his eyes.

All he could do now was wait. Wait for Ford to wake up; for their opportunity to overtake the Genii; for taking the ZPM home.

***

In the end, two out of three wasn't bad, though really, three out of three would have been a whole hell of a lot better.

Because there was no trade-off. They didn't have a ZPM and the Genii knew about the wolves.

Oh, and then there were the hive ships.

Naturally, everything went to hell for a little while.


| Chapter 3 |