Title: Adapting

Chapter: Life As They Know It

Author: Gypsy Lupin-Black

A/N: So, it's a couple days late, sorry folks. But here it is, in all it's glory! The conclusion to this monstrosity! Funny what one little drabble turned into, isn't it? Please read and review, like always! Thanks for sticking with me, everybody. The feedback has been wonderful.

Until next time, cheers! -GLB

They were in the briefing room. John and Radek had a plan, but it hadn't made a whole lot of sense to Rodney. Things were stalled when the others realized that Rodney had not been privy to the whole conversation they'd had with the entity. Radek was doing his best to fill Rodney in as they went along, but it wasn't working

"I don't need a play by play right now. Cole's Notes is fine," Rodney eventually snapped.

Radek stared at him for a minute, then nodded. "Yes, of course. The creature, it called itself a Halfling. Of course, I was not sure what this meant, but-"

"I looked it up in the database," John cut in. "While Carson was releasing you. The Ancients were doing an experiment."

"Ano," Radek stopped him from continuing, "let me finish. Remember the Ancient Lab your team found, the offworld one where Carson was sucked into the Wraith hell dimension?"

He saw Carson shift uncomfortably in his seat, and Rodney shivered, remembering Carson's screams. They'd almost lost him, almost had a Wraith possess his body that time. "Of course I do."

"I believe these two things are related." Radek told him. Rodney's eyes widened. "No, it is not a Wraith. Not entirely, anyway. I believe the Ancients also spent some time on the possibility of returning Wraith to their unevolved selves, like we did. When this did not work, they were stuck with a Halfling."

Rodney raised an eyebrow. "How much of this is in the database?"

"Not much," Radek sighed. "The Ancients never were very good at putting their failures down for history."

"The creature, Halfling, whatever. Said it had been in containment." Rodney told them. Radek was about to answer when Rodney had a thought. He snapped his fingers. "So the Ancients find themselves with a Halfling, can't get rid of it, and so they take it to an uninhabited planet and build an interdimensional containment field."

"Where it's been for over ten thousand years," John finished. "If it wasn't pissed before, it certainly would be now."

"So why strengthen the shields?" Elizabeth, who had been quietly listening, asked. "Why streamline our power consumption?"

"We let it out," Rodney impatiently replied. "It told me it had repaid a debt."

"So where do the natives fit into all this?" Ronon asked.

"Well, if they came there after the containment chamber did, who knows what kind of superstition may have grown up around it. If it takes an ATA gene to open, they obviously never had any experiences with it. Maybe the Ancients left them a warning, something a primitive mind would understand, like, 'here there be demons.'" Rodney continued. "Then we come along, and Colonel 'I Have To Touch Everything' Sheppard releases it. So the natives think we're all demons or something. I don't know, I feel like we're making this up as we go." He looked around the table. "The point is, the Halfling wants to go back to the planet. I don't want this thing loose around the galaxy. For all we know, it could find its way to the interdimensional lab and open up the gates of the Wraith hell and bring all of them back here. It needs to go back in containment, and we either have to get by the natives to do it or somehow convince them of our intent. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want to experience their hospitality again."

"So what's your plan, John?" Elizabeth turned to him.

John leaned back in his hair and ran a hand through his hair. "Take a Jumper for cover, mine and Lorne's teams and a team of Marines, and Zelenka. We'll keep one team at the Gate to make sure the natives don't try to cut us off. The rest of us will get to the device. While Lorne's team covers us, Zelenka figures out how to get the thing back in the box."

"And where am I during all this?" Rodney asked suspiciously.

John turned to him, "you're waiting on this side of the Gate with Beckett and another team of marines. It doesn't want to go back in its cage. We didn't get any useful readings or video of the object last time, so we're going to have to figure out everything on site. I don't want the Halfling there until we know what we're doing and we're ready to put it back."

Rodney knew John was right. The entity could take him over in the blink of an eye, so it wouldn't do to have to think about trying to keep it busy on the planet while Radek got the containment working. "So we just stand around and wait for a call."

"Then you're escorted through the gate by the marines and Beckett. I want the doc there in case there's some side effects when we get the Halfling out of you."

"Aye, especially if it tries to fight us," Carson agreed. "Will there be enough room in the Jumper for supplies?"

John nodded, "there will be. Get a list together and we'll start loading up." He turned expectantly to Elizabeth.

"Be careful," was all she had to say.

oOo

Rodney listened over the radio as John and the others went through the gate. He was in the gear-up room with Carson and their team of marines. John hadn't even wanted Rodney to see them off, in case the Halfling got any ideas. He knew John was right, that this was the proper course of action, but he still hated it. Hated being the liability. Hated that he had to stand by while Radek solved *his* problem.

If there was one thing that Rodney had learned from this whole fiasco, it was that Radek was just as capable and smart as he was. Not that he would ever admit that out loud. Since first losing his sight, Radek had been forced to take over almost all of his duties. He'd been the one figuring out new pieces of technology. He'd been the one running all over the city to repair things. He was more than just capable, and he knew that Rodney had come to the same conclusion. While Rodney was sure he'd still refer to Radek as the 'B' Team sometimes, he had a new appreciation for his second.

As he shrugged on his tac vest, a hand pressed on his shoulder. He turned to find Carson behind him. "Here," the doctor said, holding out a small case.

"What?" Rodney asked. He took the case and opened it. A pair of glasses were inside.

"You're not back to full vision," Carson explained. "I took the specifications off your latest scan and pulled these from storage. They're not quite the right prescription, but they'll do until we know if you'll need permanent ones."

Rodney stared at the glasses for a moment. Thin dark rims, not very heavy at all. He nodded and slipped them on. "How do they sit?"

Carson smiled. "They look good," he told him, taking the case back and setting it on a bench. "How's your vision?"

"Still a little fuzzy, but much better." Rodney smiled at his friend. He was just happy to have his sight back at all. He'd never really appreciated it before it was gone.

As they waited for Sheppard to call them through the gate, Rodney couldn't help but wonder if the entity knew what they were up to. It had been quiet all through his physical exam, and through the briefing. Was it sleeping? Did it even need rest? He hoped that John had thought to keep him in the dark about some of the plan, just in case. Rodney scoffed quietly to himself. Of course he had. John played dumb sometimes, but Rodney knew that the colonel really was quite intelligent.

A voice crackled over his headset. "Beckett, McKay, we're set."

"On our way, Colonel," Carson replied.

Rodney felt the Halfling stir as they entered the gateroom. He hesitated, shook his head, and lifted his chin defiantly at Carson's questioning look. After a quick glance up at where Elizabeth stood on the upper deck, he took a deep breath and followed two of their marine escort through the stargate.

oOo

Almost immediately on the other side, before Rodney even had a chance to get his bearings and look around, he felt the Halfling wrap around his consciousness. He gasped and fell to his knees as the creature squeezed down. "Dr. McKay," he heard one of the marines call his name.

"No," Rodney hissed to himself. His hands clenched into fists as he fought with the entity. It wasn't trying to completely take him over, he realized. Suddenly, he was exhausted.

"Rodney?" Carson was at his side, hand on his shoulder.

"Tired," Rodney mumbled. "It wants me to go to sleep."

"I know. Henning told me that he thinks the Halfling can only enter and leave a host when they are asleep." Rodney felt the sudden sting in the side of his neck. Carson had given him an injection. His heart was suddenly pounding in his chest, and Rodney gasped and turned to Carson, eyes wide. His friend smiled gently. "Adrenaline," Carson answered his unspoken question. "We have to keep you awake."

Rodney heard the Halfling snarl and the pressure on his mind suddenly increased. Rodney's hand shot up, snatching at Carson's throat. The doctor fell back as one of the marines lurched in to restrain Rodney. He shared another wide-eyed look with Carson. "Sorry," Rodney managed.

Carson nodded. "I know. Let's get you to the others."

The marine, Billings, Rodney thought his name was, kept a hand on Rodney's arm as he got to his feet. As they walked along, Rodney realized that the adrenaline was helping not only keep the Halfling from putting him to sleep, but it was also keeping it from exerting full control over him. As much as he hated to think about it, he probably had Henning to thank for this.

"Three o'clock," one of the marines spoke in a low voice. "We're being watched."

Rodney turned and could just make out a small group of natives in the trees. He tensed, ready to run. Seeing them again brought back a flood of memories. He tried to block them out, to not think about the fire-lit cave, the chanting, screaming, and pain, but it was hard. The natives didn't come any closer, though. They seemed to just be watching them, keeping pace with the group as they moved deeper into the forest, towards Sheppard and Lorne's team. Maybe they realized what Rodney and the others had planned, or maybe they were just biding their time, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Rodney shivered, but kept moving.

It wasn't a long walk, at least, and Rodney was thankful for that. He could feel his heart approaching a more normal tempo by the time Major Lorne came into view. He nodded at them, then turned his focus to watch their backs as Rodney's group passed by. Twenty steps later, Rodney could see John, standing next to the obelisk. Radek wasn't visible from where Rodney was, but he could hear him talking to himself in Czech.

As they stopped beside John, he turned to Rodney. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

Rodney shrugged, "terrible. The adrenaline shot worked though. Nice touch."

John smiled. "I couldn't tell you the whole plan, now could I? How's it coming, Radek?" he called over his shoulder.

"I believe I have it." Radek stood up, tablet and scanner in hand. "Rodney, come over here, please."

Rodney started to move, but the Halfling was back, suddenly pressing down with full force. Rodney crumpled, gasping for air. He felt hands on him, but he was flailing, only half in control. His fist connected with someone, and he heard a grunt and a curse. Sounds were suddenly both distant and far too close. Everyone's voices were echoing, ping ponging through his brain, and he couldn't make them out. There was another press and sting on his neck, but this time, his heart didn't start pounding. This wasn't another adrenaline shot. Hands finally got hold of his wrists, and others grabbed the back of his tac vest. The Halfling shrieked in frustration, and Rodney realized that his body had gone limp and he was being drug across the ground. Someone rolled him over, and his view of the forest tilted crazily for a moment, before settling onto Radek's face above him.

"Ano, that's good," the scientist's voice rang in his hears. "Back away, please!"

The hands released him, and Radek stepped back. Rodney followed him with his eyes, saw him tapping commands into his tablet. There was a hum beside him, and he rolled his eyes to peer to his left. He was up against the obelisk. The hum was coming from inside it. It was powering up.

I'll take you with me, the Halfling snarled. Rodney gasped, tried to cry out as icy claws jabbed into his mind, clutching at his consciousness. He could feel it, feel the Halfling loosing control, being bodily ripped from him. Suddenly able to draw a full breath, Rodney screamed. His mind felt like it was being torn apart. The Halfling was being sucked into the obelisk, and Rodney knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it could make good on its threat to take him with it into the containment field. The pain was white hot now, and Rodney was dimly aware that he was screaming as fast as he could draw breath. He mentally fought against the Halfling, trying to pry himself from its grasp. It was so strong, but Rodney realized that it was loosing the fight. The electronic hum increased, and the Halfling let out one final shriek of rage. Then, it was gone, and Rodney's mind was quiet.

He sucked in a shuddering breath and was able to see again. Carson was above him, an empty syringe in his hand. His friend gave him a small, reassuring smile just before darkness covered Rodney in painless oblivion.

oOo

Rodney next woke to whistling and the sound of gunfire. He groaned and tried to sit up, only to find that he was strapped down. He was on a stretcher, he realized, and Carson and Radek were carrying him. Surrounded by Sheppard and Lorne's teams, they hurried through the forest, presumably towards the gate. Rodney tried to hold still, but the constant motion and bumping movement was making his stomach curl. He began reciting pi to himself, then moved on to listing the prime numbers, anything to focus his mind somewhere besides the nausea.

"Dial the gate!" he heard John shout over the noise. Something whistled past Rodney's ear, and he heard Radek grunt. The stretcher tilted for one terrifying moment before Radek heaved it level again and they continued on.

He heard the kawoosh of the gate opening, and then they were through. He felt the stretcher lower to the floor, but his head was dropped the last couple inches when Radek let go. Rodney moaned, and if he'd had the energy he would have yelled at the Czech, but then he realized that Radek had fallen to the ground, and Carson was at his side. Rodney could just tilt his head enough to see what looked like an arrow protruding from Radek's side.

He heard the rest of their teams coming through the gate, and then the wormhole deactivated. Now that he wasn't moving so much, the nausea had passed. Rodney breathed a sigh of relief. He was home.

"I want Sheppard, Billingson, Ronon, and Murphy into the infirmary immediately," Rodney's consciousness was going again, but he dimly heard Carson snapping out orders. "You two, get Rodney, please. I need a stretcher for Radek."

oOo

When Rodney next woke, he was in the infirmary. Looking around, he saw John and Ronon in chairs next to his bed. Ronon appeared to be asleep. There was a bandage on his forehead. John's head was turned away from him, but Rodney must have shifted, because the colonel turned back to look at him.

"Hey," John smiled. "How you feeling, buddy?"

Rodney's mouth felt like sandpaper. He mumbled, coughed, and happily accepted the cup of water John handed to him. "Surprisingly, I feel pretty good," Rodney told him after he'd taken a drink. "How's Radek?"

John sighed, "just out of surgery. He took an arrow as we were pulling out. Carson had to take out his kidney."

Rodney's eyes widened. "He's going to be ok though, right?"

"Aye, lad. Radek's going to be fine," Rodney turned to look at Carson as he joined them. The doctor smiled at him, happy to deliver some good news. "Everyone's going to be fine, actually."

Rodney relaxed. He hadn't realized how much he'd tensed up when John had told him about Radek. Turning back to John, he noticed that Ronon was awake now. Ronon grinned at him, "you did good, McKay."

Rodney nodded, "I guess I did, didn't I? There was a moment back there when I thought the Halfling was gonna drag me into the containment field with him."

"Yeah, we know," John grimaced. "You should have heard all the stuff coming out of your mouth, McKay. Both of you were talking, screaming. It got pretty dicey for a minute before Carson was able to get in there and give you another shot of adrenaline."

That reminded Rodney, and he turned back to Carson. "What's gonna happen to Henning?"

Carson made a face. "Henning and Halversten are both going back to Earth, where Henning will probably go straight off to a cell."

Rodney nodded, satisfied with that for now. A wave of exhaustion hit him, and he settled back into the bed, yawning. John chucked and patted his arm. Standing up, he gave Rodney one final grin, then headed for the door, Ronon at his heels.

"Oh," Carson drew his attention. "I took another scan of your eyes while you were out. Now that the Halfling's gone, the scanners are working perfectly again. I think it was messing with them a little, like it did with the sensors. Anyway, I'm not seeing any more improvement to your eyes, so I went ahead and ordered some glasses for you. They should be here next time Earth sends supplies."

Rodney waved him off. "I'm just happy I can see again. Glasses aren't going to be that big a deal."

Carson nodded. "Get some rest, Rodney. I'll order you some dinner in a couple hours."

Rodney watched as Carson turned and walked away before he snuggled back into the bed and closed his eyes. Finally, life could get back to normal.

~FIN.