Rodney's head had never been this sore, at least, not since the time he had been talked into that drinking contest while in Russia meaning he'd never drunk vodka since, but he was sure he hadn't been drinking.
Forcing his eyes open Rodney winced in the dim light wishing he had some slight clue as to where he was and where his friends were.
"Rodney?" a gentle voice called to him, one familiar but he was definite he hadn't been anywhere near her planet.
"Allina?" he murmured confused turning to look to the side he'd heard the voice coming from.
The Dagan woman smiled at him as she sat at the bedside, "It is good to see you again Rodney."
He grimaced at her as he tried to pull himself up, "How did I get here?" he started looking around finding only a small room with what looked like an oil lamp in the corner giving out the light that was at this moment jabbing into his eyes.
"He brought you here," Allina told him, "We need your help."
"My help?" Rodney asked anger giving him the strength to stand, "You want my help after what you did?"
"I took only what was rightfully ours," she countered her voice remaining calm as she stood to face him, "Nothing more."
"You condemned us to death," Rodney snapped, "If we'd had that ZPM several people would still be alive, friends of mine would still be here. You killed them."
She looked shocked by this but simply sat back down on the chair beside the bed and clasped her hands in her lap.
"It was not my choice to bring you here," Allina told him as he glared at her, "However he insisted upon it."
"Who the hell is 'he'?" Rodney snapped.
Allina gave him an almost beatific smile, "He is an Ancestor."
*********************************************
"Jeannie, what do you mean he's not human?" Jack asked before John could, earning him an annoyed glare from the other man.
"It's a feeling," she explained, "Rodney and I can sense each other, we've been able to since we were kids. Since I've travelled with the Doctor I've managed to enhance my ability to sense people and encountered other beings. Some were...the only way to describe it is robotic and it made me cold inside. Just like whatever that thing is."
John stared at her, "So Rodney's in trouble?"
"That would be my assumption," Jeannie rolled her eyes at him in typical McKay fashion.
"Then we better get back to Atlantis," John grimaced chewing his lip in thought for a moment, "Elizabeth is not going to like this."
"Do I look like I'm happy about this?" Jeannie cried raking her hands through her hair.
Jack rested his hands on her shoulders before wrapping his arm around her, "Calm down. You're not doing anyone any good."
John glowered at Jack before he headed into the Jumper, "Are you two coming?"
-
Elizabeth frowned as John, Jack and Jeannie trooped into the conference room, "I take it something went wrong."
"You're not wrong," John took his seat across from the Doctor frowning as Jack sat beside him so Jeannie sat beside Jack.
The Doctor looked at Jeannie as she slouched in the chair looking worried, "Jeannie?"
She looked up at him, "Do you remember the inhabitants of the planet..." she hesitated searching her memory for the name, "Kirvia?"
The Doctor nodded, "They were all androids with the consciousness of the original inhabitants," he explained to the others, "Jeannie was disturbed."
John turned to his best friend's twin sister, "Disturbed?"
"Ever had someone wrap your entire body in a cold blanket John?" she asked snappishly.
John shrugged, "I was in Antarctica for almost a year does that count?"
She let out an annoyed sigh at him, "Not exactly. Look, that wasn't Rodney which means whether he was an android or not is a moot point. My brother is in trouble and we don't know where he is so stop asking me stupid questions."
"Can you use the TARDIS and Jeannie's connection to Rodney to find him?" Elizabeth asked the Doctor interrupting Jeannie's rant.
"We can give it a go," the Doctor replied, "But it will only work if he knows where he is."
"I'd suggest you try," Elizabeth said, "While we explore other options."
-
"Jeannie," John jogged after her as she marched towards the TARDIS, "Wait up."
"What?" she stopped turning to him her blue-grey eyes filled with ice.
"I don't know what your problem is," he told her, "But I'm trying to help."
"Really?" she laughed harshly, "Because you're not doing a very good job of it."
"This isn't my fault," John defended himself.
"Don't you dare tell me that," Jeannie yelled at him, "My brother is missing. You are supposed to be looking out for him. You're the one with the military training and you let him wander off on his own. In my book that makes this your fault." She stopped suddenly dropping her head into her hands, "I can't lose him John. You have to understand this."
John moved and wrapped his arms around her smiling as Jeannie rested her head against his chest, "Rodney is smart," John whispered into her hair, "And he'll probably piss off anyone who's grabbed him so much he'll be sent back with a note telling us how sorry they are for us."
A soft giggle from Jeannie made John grin as he released her, "Come on. The Doctor's waiting for us."
Looking a little calmer Jeannie nodded, "Alright."
*********************************************
"An Ancient?" Rodney demanded as Allina continued to sit calmly beside the bed, "You're kidding me."
Allina looked a little confused, "I would not lie to you."
This earned her a derisive snort from Rodney who headed to the door; Allina moved quickly and stopped him.
"You cannot leave this room," she told him.
"Why not?" Rodney demanded, "You said you wanted my help, so show me why?"
"You told me you would not help," Allina reminded him.
"Then I'm going back to Atlantis," he replied, "Which means I'm going through that door and straight to the Stargate."
"Rodney," Allina said softly, "He wishes to speak to you but he is talking with the other members of the Brotherhood just now. He will grant you an audience very soon."
Rodney started to laugh, "An audience? What the hell do you think this guy is?"
Allina looked at him shocked.
"Does he even have a name?" Rodney demanded, "Because I don't think I'll be calling him Ancient, or Ancestor."
"He shall give you his name Rodney," Allina told him; "You should eat and drink something to regain your strength."
Rodney glared at her, "That's a good idea. Being kidnapped always gives me an appetite."
-
The door opened about ten minutes after Rodney had finished the small meal Allina had given him. There was no point in collapsing with hunger he reasoned it made yelling at people a hell of a lot harder.
"Allina," the young woman who entered spoke softly, "Dr McKay's presence is wished in the throne room."
Rodney snorted in disgust receiving a shocked look from the young woman.
"Is something amusing Rodney?" Allina asked sharply.
"Throne room," Rodney repeated, "You've got to be kidding me."
"Rodney, you must show more respect," Allina told him worry in her eyes, "He is an Ancestor, one of those who belong in Atlantis. Unlike you who have taken over what is not yours."
"If he is so magnificent what's he doing on this dump?" Rodney shot back at her before heading out the door of the small room.
He stopped as he entered a corridor; the walls were smooth and stark white. Rodney frowned, his last visit here he'd seen nothing like this. There had been nothing here like this.
"It is this way Rodney," Allina told him turning him to face the opposite direction. As they walked she gently slipped her arm into his, "I am pleased to see you again Rodney."
"Well, it's not mutual," he pulled his arm away from her, "The others will come looking for me by the way."
Allina shook her head, "No, they will not Rodney. They abandoned you."
Rodney's stomach clenched at that thought because deep inside he was almost sure it would be true. However he was needed by the city, needed to fix things and to tell people what things were. They would come for him, wouldn't they?
"We are here," Allina broke into his musing making him look up at the huge door in front of him that reminded him of a giant safe.
She stepped forward and placed her palm on the imprint of a hand, "I seek entrance."
The door swung open and Rodney felt the need to flee but was moved inside by Allina's firm grip on his arm. He could see a man clothed all in black sitting on a throne a smile covering his face as Rodney and Allina moved closer.
"This is Rodney McKay," Allina announced to him practically genuflecting.
"Ah," the man smiled sinisterly, "Welcome Dr McKay, I am Artemis."
*********************************************
Jeannie sat cross-legged on the floor of the TARDIS as the Doctor and Jack finished fixing the controls. John stood nearby as Rose held equipment the two men needed, he watched the time travellers as they worked resisting the urge to ask questions.
Glancing down at Jeannie, John noticed her fidgeting unable to sit and wait patiently acting very like her brother. He crouched down beside her and placed his hand on her arm.
"You okay?"
Jeannie glanced up at him; "Ask me again in about ten minutes," she replied her hand gripping his tightly.
"We're ready," the Doctor announced.
"Took you long enough," Jeannie snapped.
"Yeah well that's what we get for letting Jack mess around with the controls," Rose reminded her.
"I'm standing right here," Jack complained.
"Really?" Rose looked at him innocently, "I couldn't see you there."
"Hey," Jeannie snapped the usual banter getting on her already frayed nerves, "Can we do this?"
The Doctor nodded, "Alright Jeannie, connect yourself up and we'll do this."
Letting go of John's hand she fixed the headset onto her head connecting herself to the TARDIS.
"Do it," Jeannie ordered closing her eyes concentrating on her brother as hard as she could.
They waited in silence as Jeannie took deep breaths trying to find Rodney.
"I can feel him," she broke the silence finally.
"Can you tell where he is?" the Doctor asked.
Jeannie shook her head, "He's concentrating on something else. I've got a name," she stopped trying to catch the name giving a sudden scream and falling backwards as though struck.
"Jeannie?" they all cried worried.
John was down beside her first his hand resting on her forehead, "You okay?"
Jeannie looked up at him, "Allina...Artemis," she whispered before passing out.
-
"I'm fine," Jeannie protested.
Carson crossed his arms, "You just fainted."
"Exactly, I just fainted," Jeannie snapped.
Carson groaned, "Not another one. Jeannie, you seem to have just had a bump on the head but I'd feel better if you let me observe you for twenty-four hours."
"Not going to happen," Jeannie jumped off the bed.
Carson grimaced at her, "Fine but if you feel even slightly ill I want you back here immediately. Got it?"
Jeannie rolled her eyes, "Of course," she replied before leaving the infirmary sure she heard Carson muttering something about her being just like her brother.
"You know he's right," the Doctor stated as he stood waiting for her his arms crossed against his chest, "You should be resting."
"I can't," she told him, "Not till I know Rodney's safe."
He nodded, "Do you remember what happened?"
She swallowed, "I touched his mind. And the names I got were Allina and Artemis but then...it felt like a slap."
The Doctor chewed his lip in thought, "A slap?"
"I felt my brother," Jeannie told him, "But there was something else. Another presence...one that..."
"What?"
"I can sense you," Jeannie said, "When I'm around you I feel how powerful your mind is but I also feel your, forgive me, humanity."
The Doctor let out a slight snort but stayed silent allowing her to continue.
"This mind was like that," she was getting agitated her hands flailing slightly as she tried to explain, "It was powerful but there was something dark, evil and it snapped back on me."
"That's impossible," the Doctor whispered, "There is no one like me left."
"And that's what worries me," Jeannie told him, "Whoever this is they have Rodney and all I know is that's not a good thing."
-
"You sure she said Allina?" Elizabeth asked John as he paced her office.
He nodded, "It has to be Dagan he's on but the next question is why take Rodney? And how did they get the technology to pull off the copy of him?"
Elizabeth frowned, "I'm assuming you want to go to Dagan."
John didn't bother answering, "I want Jeannie to come but I'm not sure if that's a good idea considering what just happened."
"She is the only way we can be sure when you find Rodney it is really Rodney," Elizabeth mused, "What if you take Jack with you again?"
John grimaced at that idea, "I can protect her."
"I didn't say you couldn't," Elizabeth told him, "I thought having him there..."
"If I need anyone extra I'll take someone from Atlantis," John cut her off, "Besides I'm pretty sure Jeannie can take care of herself."
"She can," the Doctor interrupted their conversation as he and Jeannie entered the small room, "But I'm coming with you also."
Elizabeth looked at the Time Lord surprised, "May I ask why?"
"Because whoever knocked Jeannie out has a great deal of power," the Doctor explained, "And I can't do much about that if I'm stuck here. I assume you don't mind Rose and Jack hanging around till we get back."
"They're both welcome," Elizabeth stated.
"Excellent," the Doctor smacked his hands together turning to John, "Are you ready to go then?"
-
John settled into his seat on the Jumper hearing the others enter the ship. Jeannie slipped into the seat beside him as the Doctor and Teyla took their seats behind him.
"Are you ready?" Elizabeth asked from the control room.
"Completely," John replied, "Heading for the Gate now," as the Jumper made its way up to the Stargate he turned to the Doctor, "I'd feel better if you were armed."
"What do I need a gun for?" the Doctor asked him, "Besides, I wouldn't use it."
Before John could reply they were in front of the Stargate and it was time to go, with practiced ease John manoeuvred the small ship through the wormhole and into the air on the Dagan homeworld.
"Teyla," John said, "Notice anything different?"
She nodded unable to speak as she stared at what she remembered to be vast forests, now the entire planet seemed to be nothing but scorched earth.
"Oh God," Jeannie breathed in horror.
Before John could say anything the Jumper started to drop as though something was pulling it out of the sky. As he wrestled with the controls John started to worry that the ship stopped obeying him and they started careening out of control.
"What's wrong?" the Doctor yelled grabbing a hold of his seat.
"Something has us;" John yelled back, "If McKay was here he'd be able to fix it."
"Where?" the Doctor asked.
"Teyla," John ordered as he managed to get them straightened up a little although he couldn't stop their inevitable descent.
Teyla pulled the Doctor into the back of the ship showing him where the control panel was. The Time Lord pulled out his sonic screwdriver but he was thrown into Teyla as the Jumper started to roll.
"Grab onto something," John yelled, "We're going down."
A sickening ripping sound came from the centre of the Jumper, Jeannie turned to find she could see the sky appearing between them in cockpit and the others. The Doctor and Teyla both caught a hold of the webbing as their part of the ship detached and went hurtling down towards the ground.
John was gripping the controls tightly but there was nothing they could do. The ground was coming closer and Jeannie couldn't stop the scream that was ripped from her throat as John grabbed her round her waist throwing them both away from the consoles as they exploded.
They struck the floor at the same time as the Jumper hit the trees and the last thing they both saw was the other before blackness.
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