The Color of Stone by Sholio aka Friendshipper (PG13 by reccer)

[duonoaikouka.livejournal.com]

Show: SGA
Rec Category: John Sheppard
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex
Pairing: none
Het/Slash/Gen: gen
Warning: violence
Author on LJ: friendshipper 
Author's Website: City on the Ocean's Edge, Fanfic.net, AO3
Link: The Color of Stone

Why this must be read:

In this fast-paced adventure, Friendshipper shows us a John Sheppard whose dedication to his teammates and friends outweighs everything. When an ancient device turns Teyla and Ronon darkside, John has to fight them off while not injuring them catastrophically, all the while giving Rodney time to find a solution to this out of control fubar of a mission. John does all he can to protect himself, but he also pulls back a bit so as not to injury Ronon and Teyla overmuch. And even when all hope seems lost and John is at Ronon's mercy, it's Ronon's psyche that John looks after by stressing that this isn't Ronon's fault. A man dedicated to his friends and those under him, this John Sheppard will gain your respect again and again.

Story Summary: An alien device turns the team members against each other, on a desert world where the only rule is the age-old law of kill or be killed.

Ronon didn't look much better off than Sheppard felt; he was obviously barely keeping himself upright, his face a mask of blood, his hair matted with it. Sheppard couldn't see his friend's eyes, and he was infinitely glad for that.

In one hand, Ronon clutched a rock; with his other he gripped a ragged handful of Sheppard's shirt, holding the pilot's slumped body upright for the final blow.

"When Rodney fixes this --" Sheppard rasped. Blood tickled his throat and he had to stop to cough. "I hope to God you don't remember any of this. But if you do, remember --" Another cough. But Ronon hadn't hit him yet. "As your commanding officer, I'm telling you, Specialist Dex -- it's that device in there that's causing this, not you. This isn't your fucking fault and if you don't remember anything else, I want you to remember that."