As an unashamed Todd fan, this is how I see his story unfolding between the time we left him in Common Ground and the time a bright shiny new Todd turned up in The Seer. Despite his wit and charm, I don't think he would have been able to just waltz onto a new hive, flash one of his cute grins, and announce "I'm back..." I like to think he had some challenges along the way to reasserting his credibility! I've made quite a number of assumptions about how Wraith society functions with which you may or may not agree - but what the heck - its just fun after all!

I thought quite alot about what to call our hero because when this story is set he hadn't yet been given the name 'Todd'. In the end I decided he will just be 'the Wraith'.

Disclaimer: I don't own Atlantis - some of this is product of my imagination, some the product of other imaginations.

A Brave New World

The Wraith looked into the space that Sheppard had recently vacated. He was having difficulty comprehending that he was now free, standing on a world far removed from the hell that had been his home for so long. He looked around, taking in sights and sensations that he had despaired of ever experiencing again; the dancing lights of the stars, the colours of the trees, the feel of soft ground beneath his feet, the gentle caressing of his hair in the breeze, and the oh so sweet smell of air that was not tainted by the odour of his hated human captors. So long had he been a prisoner, so deep had been his despair that there was still an air of unreality about the whole escape.

When the human he now knew as Sheppard came into his life, the Wraith knew what he would be required to do. He had fed on other prisoners many times before. But this time it was different – probably because Sheppard himself was so different from the other humans who had shared the Wraith's torment and torture. This human was stronger, more determined and where others had shown fear when fed upon he had shown anger.

But most significantly, Sheppard's unerring confidence that his friends would come to his rescue was the thing that eventually captured the Wraith's interest. He was intrigued by the idea that other humans could value Sheppard's life so much they would put themselves at risk saving him. He had not expected that the other Wraith of his hive would look for him when he had disappeared. Indeed, as a commander he had never mounted rescue missions, even on the occasions when the missing individual was someone that the Wraith held in high esteem, someone that he counted among his 'brothers'. So from the moment he saw the Genii weapons ranged against him he knew he was on his own.

Sheppard was sure from the start that rescue would come and this belief did not lessen as he was gradually weakened by repeated feedings. The Wraith's tone was slightly mocking as he challenged the human. "Where are your friends?"

Despite his depleted physical state, Sheppard's faith had been unshakeable. "They'll be here."

Looking back, the Wraith knew that this was when he started to understand the depth of Sheppard's conviction. "You still believe that?"

"Yeah, I do – they just need more time."

Next time the Wraith fed it was as if he also absorbed some of the human's certainty about a rescue and he felt his own confidence start to rise. As his own strength returned, so too did hope until, finally, he had agreed to Sheppard's request that they work together to escape.

He did not think they would succeed. Escape would only be achieved by defeating the Genii, something that would not be easy for a human who had been relieved of much of his life force and a Wraith who had endured years of torture and starvation. But the good fortune that once guided his path as a Wraith commander, only to desert him during his long years of imprisonment, decided to favour him again. Surprisingly, Sheppard's people had come. Even more surprisingly, Sheppard had proved to be a man of his word – so where the Wraith had yet again anticipated death, he was given freedom.

-oOo-

He heard the buzz of Wraith darts and knew that rescue was not too far off. But despite revelling in this new, and totally unexpected, freedom, he found he could no longer ignore the cold finger of uncertainty that had begun to stir gently at the back of his mind. While he would not have admitted it to Sheppard during their escape, he was less than confident about the welcome he would receive from his fellow Wraith. Once upon a time he had been an experienced and highly respected hive commander. Now he was a Wraith who had been separated from others of his kind for so long that he suspected he could face a significant task regaining his place in society.

He had been captured by the Genii while leading a culling that was to be the hive's final feed before they settled for hibernation. He was uncertain exactly how long he had been a prisoner, but he was sure that his hive, and other hives that he knew, would still be hibernating. So the chances were high that he would be taken in by a hive with which he had no previous involvement. He had no doubt there would be questions. Where had he come from? Where had he been? What he had been doing? Why was he alone? These were all good questions – ones that he would have asked an unknown Wraith who turned up unexpectedly on his hive. But the speed of the escape had left the Wraith with little time to prepare answers so, at this point, he did not really want to face such an interrogation.

And there was another, potentially bigger problem. Wraith neither gave nor expected mercy in their dealings with the beings they saw only as a source of nourishment, so capture by humans inevitably resulted in death. If the exact nature of his treatment at the hands of the Genii became known his prospects for even reintegrating himself back into Wraith society could be difficult. The Wraith have many complex character traits – compassion is not one of them. Respect and loyalty are hard won. To admit that he had actually been captured, tortured and held for so long by humans and then owed his freedom to another human would be seen as weakness – a serious and possible fatal flaw. Certainly one that could derail any plans he might have to regain his former position. He had been ruthless and single-minded in his rise to the top of the Wraith chain of command before. Despite the position of disadvantage he now found himself in, he had little trouble seeing a future every bit as successful as the past that had been taken from him so cruelly. Provided, of course, that he could survive his first five minutes back on a hive!

The Wraith sensed that an approaching dart was targeting him. Closing his eyes, uncertain of where he would be taken, he waited to be captured in its beam.

-oOo-

He had forgotten the momentary sense of disorientation that accompanied the beaming process. But he knew instantly that he was back on a hive, although, as he had feared, it was not one with which he could feel any previous connection. Before opening his eyes, he savoured the array of sensory delights that assailed him – the unique, organic scents of the hive and its occupants, the smell of their leather coats, the odour of fear that emanated from the humans sealed in their cocoons awaiting their fate, the more alluring smell of the worshippers, the scent of all that had once been so familiar to him. But by far the most pervasive scent, the one that filled him simultaneously with fear and excitement, was the scent of the queen.

The Wraith knew immediately that she was a young queen – a situation that offered both opportunity and challenges. Opportunity because she and the hive commander would only just be starting to form the intense bond of leadership that develops over many years as they work together to maintain and protect the hive. But the situation required great caution because she would lack the experience and judgement of an older queen. While these traits make such female Wraith formidable individuals to deal with, they also ensure that the survival of the hive and the species is uppermost on the queen's mind. He knew from experience that young queens were supremely selfish and unpredictable – he had survived interactions with them before but it had never been easy.

So the Wraith found himself in a situation that would require him to use all his natural guile and cunning together with the political and diplomatic skills he had acquired over the centuries – something that would not be easy his present condition. Although he had only recently fed well on some of his hated Genii captors, it was not enough. Nourishment had been lost returning life to Sheppard and what remained barely made up for the degree of starvation he had reached when this human came into his life. And while his spirits were buoyed by the escape, he knew the years of despair and isolation had imposed a degree of damage on his psyche that would not be easily healed. Never before had he faced other Wraith in such a weakened and depleted mental and physical state. He knew that if he was to survive this encounter, he needed time to himself to strengthen his defences against the occupants of this hive. Especially the queen who, young as she was, would probe his mind relentlessly – searching for weaknesses and truths he was not prepared to share.