I spread my wings, and keep my promise.

Disclaimer; We own neither Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis nor Harry Potter. Rights belong to the appropriate persons in each instance.

Warnings; This story is Slash. Please, if you don't like that, find another story. No amount of pleading will change our minds.

A/N; This story was written jointly by myself, Phoenix Catcher, and my friend, TheWingedWhispered who's details can be found on my profile. I strongly advise checking out her work. I would not be spending time working with her if she didn't have talent. Compliments can be sent to her via PM but I will forward anything in reviews directly to her.

"I spread my wings, and keep my promise." The motto of the 14th Squadron, RAF.

Chapter 1; Never leave a man behind.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Flight Lieutenant Harry 'Peteh' Potter finished wrapping a bandage around the left forearm of a US Marine who'd been shot through the upper arm. He'd already done what he could for the GSW while out here but unless he closed the gash on his forearm he'd bleed to death before they could get to a proper operating room. Harry cast a quick glance across at the US Lieutenant that shared his task of patching up the three wounded US Marines. Jacobs nodded at him even as he held the IV bag up over his own patient.

Harry reached down to his jacket and pressed his radio talk switch. "Captain Sheppard. I'll take that MedEvac now."

"Roger." Sheppard's voice was clear from where he was hanging in the clouds waiting. The helicopters were too obvious a target on the ground so they'd only touch down long enough to pick them all up. "ETA is two minutes."

"Understood, Sheppard." Harry made a few silent gestures around him and the two Marines sent to guard Harry and Jacobs moved forwards with the three remaining Marines from the party with the wounded. They began lifting up the three casualties and moving them towards the edge of the designated clearing for pick up. Harry followed between the two he'd been treating though only one, the GSW was dangerous. The other had a broken arm and leg but he was already out of the woods.

Out here in the forests of Afghanistan there was no sign that Harry was the odd one out, surrounded by US Marines. Only a trained military man could single him out by the small patch on his combat vest that said Royal Air Force and the double stripe of rank on the edge of his cap.

Sheppard was true to his word as Harry had come to expect and he and his wingman touched down almost to the second. Harry had come to expect nothing less from his equal in rank in the last month of working together to rescue wounded soldiers from all allies in this war.

Harry and the able bodied helped load the three injured into the two Pave Hawk helicopters sitting with their rotors running at full speed. Harry went with the GSW and Jacobs went with the two others in Sheppard's helicopter. One of his own soldiers and two of the previous party's men clambered into the back. Harry gave the thumbs up to the crewman by the door and he swung it shut and spoke into his microphone. The Pave Hawk jerked as it started on its way back to the base and Harry was handed a set of headphones to listen to the chatter.

He heard Sheppard report himself in the air but Harry busied himself only with his patient and finding out how long the journey would take. He also told the co-pilot to radio ahead for the base to prepare two of the operating rooms for the two worse off men. He was just beginning to relax when the co-pilot brought him back to reality.

"RPG, starboard, low!" He shouted over the radio. Harry was slammed off balance as the Pave Hawk jerked around to evade the incoming rocket grenade but Harry gritted his teeth as the pilot swore and an instant later Harry was being thrown clear across the hold along with everybody but the tied down wounded soldier. Harry wasn't even clear what was happening as he became just a part of the erratically falling Pave Hawk. He knew the instant he hit the ground though as he flew forwards and struck the dividing wall, going limp in a split second as he was knocked unconscious.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Captain John 'Pan' Sheppard banked his Pave Hawk hard in case somebody took a pot shot at him and so that he could turn his own craft enough to see his friend's helicopter hit the ground. Hard.

"Control, this is MedEvac one." John hit his radio as he gained altitude to avoid further attack. "MedEvac two is down. Repeat MedEvac two is down and burning."

"MedEvac one, this is Control. Return to base." The order was like a death toll in John's mind. He hesitated as he saw the thick black smoke trail from within the trees. There was a trail of broken trees leading to the downed Pave Hawk and John itched to put down and search for survivors.

"Captain?" His co-pilot, a rookie, asked.

"What!?" John snapped.

"Our Orders..." He edged nervously.

"Captain, these two need medical attention." He was touched on the arm by the field medic. "We can't fit anymore wounded in here anyway. We have to put down. They'll send another chopper, Sir."

Sheppard gritted his teeth but knew he was right. He switched back to the outside radio again. "Understood Control, returning to base."

Sheppard kept a firm eye out for incoming fire from then on but nothing even resembled trouble. Clearly somebody had been on their last shot, normally it took them five or six shots before they gave up. To be in the clear so easily was strange but it gave John hope that they'd send another chopper.

As he touched down he glanced over the base and at the stand-by helicopters. The ones, like this and the downed one, that were kept read at all times in case of emergency. All three of the others were sitting on their pads. "Shit!" John swore.

"Captain?" His co-pilot asked in concern.

"They didn't send a rescue chopper." John frowned and automatically started checking his own systems. Namely his fuel.

"What are you doing, Captain?" John half turned to the Lieutenant that was part of the medical team.

"I'm going back to search for survivors." John told him. "Somebody has to. You can either risk it and try to save those men's lives or get out now. You've got approximately five seconds."

John glanced around but both his co-pilot and the medic nodded at him. The medic turned and a few seconds later he was back. "Your crewman is staying." The medic told him.

John was watching the retreating crew as he called the control tower. "Requesting permission to begin rescue of down chopper." He asked.

"Negative, MedEvac One." The voice told him and John found himself hating it in that moment even though the same man normally joked around, even on the air. "Area is hot. Stand down your craft."

"Sorry, control. They deserve a chance." John gritted his teeth again but he didn't feel ashamed for disobeying orders. He cut the signal and pulled his Pave Hawk into the air and turned it back the way he'd come.

The flight back to the down chopper was quiet and anxiety filled, at least for the others. John felt he was doing the right thing but even so he'd take full responsibility but he'd joined the Air Force to help save lives and that didn't include leaving them without any hope. He found the burning column of smoke and headed for it close to the tree tops in the hopes that whoever had been here before didn't notice him. As luck would have it the crashing helicopter had levelled a clearing space for his own helicopter and he set it down where there was no debris and clear enough just in case.

"Keep her ready to go." John ordered even as the crewman opened the side door and hoped out with an M-16 in his hands in case. They'd need him to keep an eye out and both John and Jacobs to check for survivors and John didn't want to have to power the Pave Hawk down and then restart her.

"Yes Sir." The rookie told him. John unattached himself from his numerous control leads and almost leapt from the aircraft to join Jacobs and his crewman as the trio picked their way passed the debris of trees and helicopter alike, heading directly to the main section. John didn't like what he saw. It was obvious that the RPG had hit the starboard crew door and it was bent back. The rotors were long gone as was the tail section. The pilots section was also in bad shape from the tree that had eventually arrested it's momentum and as much as John hated to think it he didn't have many hopes for his friends.

John stopped just short of the port door, it was hanging off its rails but still against the craft. "Help me with this." John ordered Jacobs and reached out to grab the door only to wince as he felt the hot metal through his gloves. He gritted his teeth but pulled at it. Jacobs grabbed the handle and threw his weight back and the door slid back violently. John cried out and staggered back almost to his knees as the door bent back and sliced along his left arm tearing through his jacket and into his arm. John was clear in seconds but he could smell burnt flesh coming from himself.

"Captain!?" Jacobs tried to help him but John pushed him away. They clambered into the still hot chopper. Jacobs checked the pilots quickly before moving to the others but John knelt at the wounded soldiers side and pressed his fingers into his neck until he was sure he was dead. He looked at the Flight Lieutenant he'd gotten to know on the base in the last few months and almost smiled as he saw eyes trying to focus on him. John didn't trust his eyes and checked his pulse to find it strong.

"Jacobs! Potter's alive."

"The others are gone." Jacobs told him. "We need to get him out of here."

John waited a few seconds as Jacobs quickly assessed his superiors status before looking up at John. "Can we carry him out?" John asked.

Jacobs nodded. "Just try not to jostle him too much. He's got a deep incision in his side."

The two managed to get Potter out of the chopper without moving him too much and Jacobs helped John to shift him into a proper carrying position in his arms. John slowly made his way back to his own Pave Hawk but couldn't help but constantly check that Potter was still conscious. He couldn't help but be surprised that Potter was still focusing on him. His side was covered in blood, he had cuts and burns everywhere it seemed and blood in his hair.

John laid Potter down on a stretcher in the back of his Pave Hawk and got himself seating back in the pilots chair as Jacobs got Potter secured. By the time they were taking off Jacobs was already ordering him about. John turned to the control frequency after Jacobs was finished telling him what he needed.

"Control this is MedEvac One." John said without a hint of shame or nervousness in his voice. "We have one wounded and am on route to base. Medic requests priority operating facilities and O-positive blood on hand. Injured is critical, motor on the field."

"Understood MedEvac One. We'll be ready." The voice was professional, there was no hint that John had betrayed orders and technically stolen military hardware from the American Government. John was reassured that he wouldn't be alienated right now when Potter needed all the help he could get.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

USAF Administration Office

John gritted his teeth, pulled himself up and straightened his jacket before he knocked on the door before him, just below the plaque that read 'Col. J. Tanner'. He was the Commander of the United States Air Force contingent on the base. He heard a call to enter so he pushed open the door and walked in.

"I'm going to get right to it, Captain Sheppard." The grey haired man behind the desk sighed. "You disobeyed a stand down order and took a Pave Hawk into hostile territory. Lieutenant Bolten, Airman Kent and Lieutenant Jacobs have all given their accounts and all will face a hearing for their own actions. I realise that you had the best intentions in mind and your actions saved Flight Lieutenant Potter's life and that is the only reason I am not putting you in the Brig."

"Thank you, Sir." John nodded. He had expected to have been in the Brig already.

"My hands are tied, Captain Sheppard. You're a good officer, an excellent pilot and more than that, a man with a conscience. You did this even knowing the consequences." Colonel Tanner told him. "You are of course suspended pending a court martial and that's out of my hands. You'll be on the next available transport back Stateside. For what it's worth, good luck at the Court Martial."

"Thank you, Sir." John paused even after the clear dismissal. "Sir? Could I ask about Flight Lieutenant Potter?"

"As I hear it they've done everything they can." Colonel Tanner told him before glancing down at his paperwork, feigning disinterest. "You'll have plenty of time to find out yourself. He's being flown back to the US as a matter of priority. You'll be on his plane out of here as soon as Doctor Wells clears him for transport."

"I appreciate that, Sir." John tried to look happy but failed.

"It's a matter of ease, Captain Sheppard. Nothing more." He waved his hand in clear dismissal and John retreated from the room to pack his personal belongings. It would be a long flight back to the United States.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter