Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, I'm really surprised by the response to this story so I hope nobody is disappointed.
Enjoy
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He settled himself in front of the piano taking a deep breath before starting to play. His long fingers danced across the keys as he played, he had practiced this piece for hours to get it just right and was pleased with himself that he didn't miss a note.
When he finished he smiled and looked up at his teacher waiting for his thoughts. He could see his sister sitting at the back of the room smiling proudly at him, her gymnastics class finished just before his piano lessons so she would sit and watch like he did during her class so their parents didn't have to do any more trips than necessary.
"Mr McKay," his teacher started sternly, "You are a technical player but you do not feel the soul within the music and you never will. There is no real point in you continuing with these lessons as you shall never be anything other than a passable pianist."
He stared in astonishment at the man before he gathered up his books in silence and heading to his sister. She knew not to do anything other than walk with him until they had left the room, their mother wouldn't be there for another half hour so they sat under the stairs where Rodney cried.
Twelve years old and his dreams had been shattered.
-
John gaped as he was pulled into the TARDIS with the others. If he hadn't been so focused on helping Rodney he would have gone back outside and walked round the box before coming back in and demanding answers. Just now answers could wait.
"Are you using the TARDIS to get to him?" Jeannie asked as she joined the Doctor at the controls.
"Nope," he answered flicking switched and turning knobs, which John felt were distinctly low-tech.
"Then what?" Jeannie demanded impatiently, she was becoming more and more like her brother with each passing second.
"I'm going to bring him to us," the Doctor replied, "Using the TARDIS telepathic field and your connection to your brother. Come here and sit down so I can connect you up."
John was astonished that the woman didn't debate the point, didn't demand any sort of explanation instead she just did as he told her and let him attach what looked like a small plunger to her temple.
"Ready?" the Doctor asked.
"What do I do?" Jeannie whispered sounding afraid.
"Concentrate on him," the Doctor told her, "Just think of your brother and the TARDIS will do the rest."
Jeannie nodded and closed her eyes as the Doctor pressed one final button and the TARDIS came to life around them. John and Elizabeth stared in astonishment as Rodney started to materialise on a couch next to where Rose was standing.
Jeannie took in a deep breath opening her eyes as the ship stilled.
"Rodney," she cried pulling herself off the floor and scrambling over to her twin brother.
"What's wrong with him?" Elizabeth demanded as she joined Jeannie at Rodney's side.
"The creature's inside his mind," the Doctor explained, "It takes memories mostly bad ones and uses these to create despair within the victim. This makes them want to die, to give up on life and then the creature gets a full doze of life energy."
Panic covered Elizabeth's face as she realised they could lose Rodney, especially knowing he covered up a lot of pain with his acerbic personality.
"Jeannie," the Doctor turned to her, "You should be able to wake him now. The TARDIS is affording some protection so we should be able to do something."
Jeannie nodded and started to shake her brother, "Rodney," she called, "Hey, wake up. Rodney, you have to wake up. Please," she whispered getting desperate that he wasn't regaining consciousness.
"McKay," John yelled, "Kavanagh's going to take over your lab and he said something about working on the device we found on P44 6TT."
"Son of..." Rodney muttered opening his eyes and stopping, "Where am I?"
"Rodney," Jeannie cried in relief and hugged him tightly as he looked around confused.
-
"I don't understand," Rodney said as he sat on the couch rubbing his forehead Jeannie sitting at his side her hands clamped around his arm, "How did you wake me up?"
"The TARDIS is protecting you," the Doctor explained, "It can't stop the attack completely but it means it's not as potent and gives us more time."
"More time before I die?" Rodney snapped.
"More time for us to help," Jeannie snapped back her eyes blazing, "Don't you dare give up."
"And you think you can stop this thing?" Rodney turned on her.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Because I survived it," she yelled at him before biting her lower lip at the horror that filled his eyes.
"Wh...Wh...What?" he whispered shakily.
Jeannie nodded, "It's actually how I met the Doctor. He saved my life."
"How did he stop it killing you?" Elizabeth interrupted them, "Can't we just do the same?"
"It wouldn't work," the Doctor replied, "Jeannie was only touched briefly and Rodney's been under attack a lot longer. It's seeped into his subconscious and will continue to use his memories against him."
"So what do we do?" John demanded getting angry.
"How close are you two?" Jeannie asked the two men who looked at her confused.
"Huh?" John asked.
"You said you care for Rodney," Jeannie stated, "Do you care enough to help him?"
"Help how?" John and Rodney asked in unison.
"Using the TARDIS," the Doctor interrupted, "We'll connect your minds so for each negative memory they bring up you counteract with a positive one."
"I can't do it alone," Jeannie told John, "Because we haven't seen each other in a long time."
"Is there any other way?" John asked unnerved especially by Rodney's complete lack of opinion.
"No," Jeannie and the Doctor answered in unison.
John nodded, "Okay."
*********************************************
"Are you okay?" John asked as he sat beside Rodney waiting for Jeannie to get whatever it was she was getting.
"I don't know," Rodney replied in a whisper.
"What about me going into your mind?" John broached.
Rodney turned to him, "You're about to get a roadtrip through my past Colonel," his voice was filled with bitterness, "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"I know you pretty well Rodney," John reminded him, "I want to do this, I don't want you to die."
"John, this isn't some happy little movie of the week," Rodney snapped, "There's a lot in there and I doubt a few good thoughts will destroy the bad guy."
"See this," John snapped, "Not helping. Your sister is terrified that you're going to die and you agreeing with that is not going to help her. You may have some major issues with her and the rest of your family but just now McKay, get the hell over it."
Rodney stared at him before dropping his head, "I don't want to disappoint her."
"Then stay positive."
-
Elizabeth glanced over to John and Rodney as they talked...argued...talked or whatever it was they were doing. She was worried about her boys, they were needed here on Atlantis, she needed them here.
"Are you sure whatever this is will save Rodney?" she asked the Doctor who was fiddling about with controls.
"I'm sure that Jeannie's love for her brother is strong," the Doctor replied, "It's potent and I believe in her."
"She said she's encountered this thing before," Elizabeth stated.
"One escaped a prison transport ship and jumped time streams landing on Earth," the Doctor explained, "I detected it and followed. Jeannie was just unlucky, in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Where exactly have she and Rose gone?" Elizabeth asked.
"To collect some equipment," he replied smiling at her confused expression, "I've got them hidden away since it's quite a delicate piece of equipment."
"They've been away almost ten minutes," Elizabeth said, "How big is this place."
"I'm not actually sure," he shrugged with a grin, "That's part of the fun."
-
"Got them," Jeannie sighed in relief pulling out a large brown case, "You think he would have put these things somewhere easier to find."
"I didn't even know this bit existed," Rose told her.
Jeannie gave a half-smile, "If I remember rightly parts of the TARDIS don't exist unless needed. Then again I may be wrong."
"You don't have to worry," Rose told her, "The Doctor assures us this will work. You're not going to lose your brother."
"Again," Jeannie's eyes were filled with sadness, "Rose, if he dies I'll die. We're connected and I don't...I can't..."
"It's alright," Rose whispered hugging the other woman, "It's gonna be alright."
Jeannie pulled back wiping her eyes, "I'm so afraid but I have to stay strong because to save him I have to think of positive things. How can you think of positive things when someone may die?"
Rose shrugged, "You trust in yourself. I don't have any brothers or sisters least of all a twin but I do notice things and one thing I've noticed is how much you two love each other. I would love to be that close to someone and be able to know in my own head if that person was safe and well."
A soft smile touched Jeannie's lips, "Thank you. Okay let's go I don't want to waste anymore time and who knows how long it'll take us to find our way back to the control room."
-
Rodney squirmed slightly as Jeannie placed the strange circular headpiece onto him, he watched as she did the same to John before sitting down and allowing Rose to fix the final one on her head.
"Alright then," the Doctor said, "Plug you in and then we're ready to go."
"How does this work?" John asked.
"The headset connects all three of your minds," he explained, "Once I let the shield down the creature's attack shall start again. At that point Jeannie and you shall enter his mind, for every bad memory they take out of Rodney you will fight with a positive one."
Rodney listened and swallowed hard turning to Jeannie, "I'm scared."
She took his hand tightly in hers, "I won't leave you and I won't give in. I promise."
"Neither will I," John added squeezing his friend's shoulder.
Rodney nodded and turned to the Doctor, "Do it."
The moment the shield was dropped Rodney passed out his head falling against his sister's shoulder.
"Ready?" Jeannie whispered to John.
He nodded, "Ready."
The Doctor activated the headsets, John and Jeannie closed their eyes their heads dropping back against the couch.
"Now we wait," the Doctor told Rose and Elizabeth.
"And hope," Elizabeth added.
*********************************************
He kept talking, that's all he did was spout off theories in the hope that something would help or maybe the Major would get in touch and tell him everything was alright.
Brendan kept telling him to go and help Sheppard but he couldn't leave Brendan like this. He continued to talk, just talk and try to cover the fear of what was happening when the gunshot sounded behind him it ripped through his thoughts and he spun.
Bile rose in his throat seeing the other man lying there, gun in hand, a self-inflicted gunshot in his head.
-
Jeannie screamed and ripped off the headset trying to catch her breath. John followed not long after and caught her in his arms trying to calm her down, the Doctor seeing this reset the shield back to full capacity.
"What happened?" Elizabeth demanded.
John glanced up from where he was rocking his best friend's twin sister, "It was Gaul's death."
"Oh God," Elizabeth whispered watching as John continued to talk softly to Jeannie trying to calm her down.
"I can't do this," Jeannie yelled pulling back from John suddenly, "I can't watch him go through things like...like that."
"Jeannie you must," the Doctor moved to look in her eyes, "He will not survive this without you."
"I can't," she whispered her voice filled with pain, "Doctor I can't."
The Doctor caught her face in his hands, "Yes you can. Jeannie you are strong and you are the only person able to do this. He," the Doctor motioned John with his head, "Can only access Rodney's mind with you there."
Jeannie glanced over at where John sat beside a still unconscious Rodney; she closed her eyes a single tear escaping sliding down her cheek.
"Does it get worse?" she managed to ask John.
"I don't know," John admitted sadly, "But no matter what it is we have to go through it with him."
Her throat tightened and she tried to swallow the lump that had formed there.
"Jeannie please," Elizabeth whispered, "Rodney is needed by a lot of people."
"You said you'd die if he did," Rose spoke up, "You're killing both of you if you don't continue. We're all here to help when it's over, you can't stop now."
Jeannie sniffed back her tears and nodded shakily she slipped the device back onto her head and turned to the Doctor.
"Alright."
John slipped his hand into hers, "We'll do this together. No matter what we see."
"Okay," Jeannie whispered squeezing his hand tightly as the Doctor reactivated the link and let the shield down.
-
Jeannie felt strange as though she was walking on a mattress, turning to her side she saw John who gripped her hand tightly.
"This is so weird," she whispered as she looked around the grey landscape.
"I always thought Rodney's mind would be..." John paused, "A little more colourful."
Jeannie gave a half-laugh then she saw a light coming towards them, "What is that?"
"Jeannie, Colonel," the Doctor's voice sounded, "I've managed to fix it so you'll have more control over this. You're in what's known as a Dreamscape. If you keep going you should find Rodney's sub-conscious form this is how you'll be able help."
"Sounds good," Jeannie murmured.
"You won't be able to contact us until this is over," the Doctor's voice continued, "Be careful. The creature may try to attack you if it realises what it is you're doing."
"Well he is a bundle of laughs," John said looking ahead, "Are you ready?"
"I don't think so," Jeannie whispered smiling slightly as he gripped her hand tighter in comfort, "But we don't have a choice," she turned to him, "Promise me no matter what happens you'll put Rodney's life before mine."
John shook his head, "Not a chance."
Before she could retort he pulled her forward and they moved further into the grey dreamscape.
-
Rodney stood at the door to his sister's dorm and smiled quickly knocking. He was looking forward to seeing her so much; it had been almost six months.
He knew the only reason he was allowed to go to the college he'd chosen was because he had a scholarship so now he and Jeannie were on almost opposite sides of the continent.
The door opened and a blonde looked at him, "Yeah?"
"Is Jeannie here?" he asked hopefully.
The blonde shook her head, "She left about an hour ago with her parents."
"What?" Rodney gasped in horror, "But they knew I was coming to see her. They knew I wanted to surprise her."
"I'm sorry," the blonde frowned, "Who are you?"
"Apparently no one of any importance," Rodney sighed sadly turning to leave; he stopped and reached into his pocket pulling out a pair of tickets, "Here, you can use these if you want."
She took the tickets as he wandered away exhaustion and sadness pulling at him. He couldn't believe he'd expected them to not do something like this, they hated him and hated that he and Jeannie were so close.
-
"Jeannie you have to hit him with something positive from your past," John reminded her.
"I never knew," she whispered sadly watching her brother's sadness, "I thought he didn't want to see me. I never knew. They kept us apart, why?"
John frowned, "Jeannie, you have to do something."
Her eyes were glazed slightly in sadness as she stared at the retreating form of her brother.
John frowned, this was a problem.
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