Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters, I only own Emily.
Full Summary: The story's first chapter takes place in the episode: Common Ground. Col. John Sheppard's little sister, Emily, has been on Atlantis as a nurse for 2 years. On an off world mission she disobeys John and the two are caught by Kolya and the Genii. She and John help each other and later escape with help from a Wraith. One month after being home Emily has been having nightmares, throwing up, and not feeling well, she learns that after she was knocked out the Genii decided she was a perfect test subject for an experiment. Some things have been changed around a little so it doesn't follow the episode fully, but only a few things have changed.
I looked around as I carried my medical bag and looked to my older brother, Colonel Sheppard, he and the others on his team swore they had received a message for help coming from this planet. So far the planet was bare.
"Perhaps it came from another planet and Dr. Zelenka confused the IDC?" Asked Teyla as she raised an eyebrow; I glanced at John and I knew that look. It was the look that meant something was wrong.
"No, the IDC was from this planet..." John said as he looked around before bullets were being shot, "get to the Star Gate now!" He shouted, John and Ronon were firing at the shooters, I winced when a bullet grazed past Rodney's shoulder, he cried out in pain before he leaned up against the DHD and began dialing Atlantis; Teyla covered him, I looked around for John and I noticed his shoulder bleeding. My heart went out to Rodney, really it did, but John was my big brother, I knew he was going to kill me for this.
"Emily, what are you doing? Get back over there with Rodney and Teyla!" John exclaimed.
"Not with your shoulder bleedin' like that!" I replied stubbornly as I grabbed a sterile gauze out of my bag and used medical tape to tape it to his shoulder; less than healthy, I knew, but until we could get back to Dr. Beckett and we were out of this fire fight it would do. I heard the Star Gate open but I wasn't going to leave my brother behind.
"Emily, get through the Gate now!" Sheppard shouted at me.
"No!" I replied just as stubbornly, I'm a nurse and I can disobey John's order...I can just get yelled at later for it. I was my mother's last baby; our parents weren't sure I'd turn out alright since mom had me when she was forty two, but I turned out fine and healthy, if you don't mind the fact I have hearing aids. I lost most of my hearing when I was five, I was in some kind of accident but my parents and both my older brothers wouldn't tell me what happened, I was just lucky a hearing aids worked for me.
"Damn it, Emily, why do you have to be so stubborn?" John asked me.
"Same reason you are," I replied, raising an eyebrow.
John rolled his eyes and shot again at the archers, he turned to find the others had gotten through the gate, "the gates about to close get through there now!"
"Not without you," I replied, "give me your spare gun! You dial while I shoot."
"Hey! I'm the Colonel here, on top of that-" he growled as the Star Gate closed, "-you don't know how to shoot a gun."
"Like hell I don't!" I replied glaring at him, "I do go to shooting ranges and gee I've gone hunting before with dad."
"Dad took you hunting one a few of those rare hunting trips of his?" John asked, amazed by this before he shot at the archers again.
"Yeah," I replied, "and according to him I'm as close to a Sharp Shooter as one can get without being military trained."
"Fi-" John started before something landed in his neck, I recognized a small tranquilizer dart and pulled it out of him, my heart pounding.
"We need to get you walking, now," I exclaimed.
"Ow," John winced a late reaction before staring at me and passing out, I went to grab his gun before another a sharp pain got me in the arm, I looked down to see a small tranquilizer dart and I pulled it out, I grabbed John under his arms and started to pull him towards the Star Gate before I got dizzy and wound up collapsing, before I passed out I saw the face of a man who looked like our grandfather before passing out.
--
"How many years? Five? Ten?" I heard John's voice ask, I gave a little moan and opened my eyes.
"John?" I pushed my firey red hair, which I got from my grandmother, and blinked my dark brown eyes. I blinked to clear my vision since everything was blurry at first, I wasn't hurting, I felt tingly and numb. John turned from the cell's window and knelt down next to me.
"Emily, are you alright?" He asked me in concern.
"Yeah, are you ok? How's the shoulder?"
"The same, not bleeding anymore though. They took your medical kit."
"The Genii? What do they want with us?" I asked, I had been on Atlantis for two years, and I knew who the Genii were. I really hated them too.
"No idea," John replied, "our friend over there doesn't seem to know either." He frowned as he helped me up onto my feet, "can you walk?"
I nodded and walked a few steps forward, "friend?"
"Guy in the next cell," John replied, "hey, say hi to my sister," he exclaimed.
I heard silence from the next cell before I heard a tired male voice say, "hello."
"Um...Hi," I greeted before I saw two Genii soldiers walk to our cell and open it, one pointed a gun at us the while other pushed John out and grabbed me by the arm, "hey!" I protested, then I noticed the older soldier squeezing John's shoulder to keep him still, I saw my brother's wince, "his shoulder's hurt! Let go of him!" I snapped as I felt my temper go through the roof. "Unless you both want to be eunuchs I highly suggest you let go of his shoulder now!"
The Genii dragging me after John and his soldier glanced at me with a look that I swear was mixed with humor and...Appreciation maybe? But what did he appreciate a woman that wasn't afraid to hurt him? I tried to kick him but he simply hit me on the back causing me to wince and stumble a little before walking forward. We walked into a room with a chair in the middle of it with leather straps on the legs and arms of it, my heart pounded, good Lord what were they planning? I watched the soldier pushed John into the chair and strap him down, I got ready to snap again when the guy who looked a bit like our grandfather walked in.
"Kolya," John growled, "what are you after this time?" He asked narrowing his eyes at the man, "how about letting us go?"
"Hello Colonel Sheppard," Kolya smiled over to him, the Genii Commander's smile gave me chills, "and miss?"
"She's an innocent woman, a civilian, she's not military let her go," John snapped.
"Oh well, since you won't tell me," Kolya walked over to me and looked down at my name badge, "Nurse Emily Serenity Sheppard, ah you're Sheppard's wife...No you look too much like him, his sister then," he smiled looking rather happy with himself.
"Watch it buddy," I snapped, "I bite, now how about letting us go before I knock your head off."
"I see...Defiance runs in the family," Kolya smiled before looking me up and down making me feel very uncomfortable I heard John start to say something before another Genii gagged him. "You're much prettier than your older brother," he commented, "I need a nurse for my men and I."
"Sorry, I have a good job that I'm not about to leave," I replied, glaring at him in hate.
"Maybe you think that now," he replied, "but we Genii appreciate strong women." He said before walking over to the camera and turning it on a few minutes later I heard Dr. Weir's voice and watched as Kolya exclaimed he wanted the Genii, Ladon Radim. The Genii scientist?
"Whatever happens don't do what he says!" I heard John shout as he was gagged again.
"As you can see he's his charming self," Kolya smiled, before nodding to two of his soldiers and I found myself being dragged forward, "and I have his sister."
"Let them go, Kolya," Dr. Weir's voice exclaimed.
Kolya and Dr. Weir talked and I heard Rodney's voice now and then.
"If you give me Ladon Radim you can have Colonel Sheppard back," Kolya exclaimed, I watched my brother turn his head and glare at Kolya.
"And Emily as well," Dr. Weir added.
"No," Kolya replied, "she'll be staying with me. She can help tie us together, we could be allies if you would allow it Dr. Weir and give me Ladon Radim."
"We will not give you Ladon Radim we don't even know where he is," Dr. Weir exclaimed.
Kolya turned and nodded to two of his soldiers, I watched as a tall and tired looking Wraith was brought in between two of the soldiers, my stomach twisted. The chair, John being tied down, oh God! It all clicked, to get Dr. Weir to do what he wanted he was going to let the Wraith feed from her brother.
"NO!" I shouted, "Don't you dare you bastard!" I ran forward to attack the soldiers leading in the Wraith, no way in hell was I letting that thing feed on my brother! Two of the soldiers rushed forward and grabbed me, this time I didn't hold back, I pushed one and kneed him in the groin before I punched the other, I heard his nose crack and I ran towards John and pushed one of the soldiers holding the Wraith, then I tried to get one of the straps of John.
John was staring at me amazed as if he didn't know I didn't have that in me; I wasn't as out spoken as my brothers, but when one of my brothers was in danger and I could do something to get him out of it I would do it. I almost freed the tight and stubborn strap before Kolya grabbed me from behind and grabbed my wrists and dragged me back.
"I must say, Dr. Weir," Kolya said as he turned to face the camera once more, "I am impressed, most Genii women have to be fully trained to fight, not have a natural skill to fight," he commented before nodding to a soldier.
"Don't do this," Dr. Weir's voice exclaimed.
"Sheppard doesn't deserve that!" Rodney's voice added.
"Let me make this clear," Kolya said into the camera, "no one deserves this." He said simply, I watched as the metal...Glove? Was taken off the Wraith, the Wraith stared at my brother for a long minute, I took my chance.
"Please! Don't do this, don't! My brother's a good man! You can have me instead, I have way more energy, my brothers always tired, please!" I begged. I knew I was lying through my teeth on John always being tired but maybe it would get the Wraith thinking, "I'm younger!" I added in.
Kolya held me tighter against him.
The Wraith glanced over at me, it looked, well, surprised, before it looked back at John and slammed its hand on my brother's chest and growled loudly. I heard my brother's groans and my heart split into two, I struggled, Kolya simply pushed me over to two soldiers who I had hit and kicked earlier.
"Enough," Kolya exclaimed a moment later, the two soldiers dragged the Wraith back and unstrapped my brother from the chair and led him back to the cell.
"Monster," I heard. Dr. Weir's voice exclaimed.
"We've found out that the body only needs three hours to calm in between each feeding," Kolya exclaimed. He looked at the soldiers holding me and nodded I found myself being led over to the chair, I had asked for it I couldn't complain, but I did struggle.
"NO!" Rodney's voice shouted, "Don't you dare! It fed off the Colonel, that's enough for it! Leave her alone!"
"Dr. McKay, if I didn't know better I'd say you have strong feelings for Ms. Sheppard," Kolya commented before looking to the Wraith. The Wraith stared at me with yellow-amber cat like eyes, I knew his look should have terrified me, but for some weird reason...It didn't. It was almost as if the Wraith felt...Sorry for me. Don't go off feeling sorry for me, I thought to myself, just stop feeding off my brother.
The Wraith gave me a look as if he heard what I was saying a jumped when a soldier plunged a needle into my arm, "OW! What was that for?!"
"What did you do to her?!" Dr. Weir asked.
"Its a special serum we've been testing, it helps to keep the body young while the Wraith feeds. She seems to be strong enough to handle it." Kolya commented simply as if he were speaking of the weather, I hated the man more and more by the minute. I hoped John was ok.
Kolya nodded to the Wraith, it looked at me for another moment and I glanced at it, now I was getting scared but I refused to show it. I heard Dr. Weir and Rodney shout as Kolya as the Wraith put its hand on my chest, I noticed for some reason that with John it slammed its hand on John's chest, with me it was just placing its hand on my chest as if not wanting to hurt me more than necessary. Did Wraiths have a conscience? I cringed and cried out a moment later when a pain shot through me, I curled my fingers and found myself shouting, "Kolya! I curse that forever you'll eldest son will speak backwards!" Oops. Our grandmother was Sicilian and half Irish and she always placed 'curses' on people, I guess I was angry and hurting enough to do the same. I heard the Genii Commander chuckle before nodding.
"Enough," he exclaimed before the two Genii soldiers pulled the Wraith off me, "I see the serum works, she hasn't aged a single bit. That was successful for our first test."
"Bastard," Dr. Weir growled.
"Three hours Dr. Weir," Kolya commented as the two soldiers walked me back to John's cell, I blinked back tears and found myself being taken down another hallway.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked, I felt my hearing aids slipping out of my ears.
"Commander Kolya wishes to speak with you in private," one of the Genii said.
"Well, I'm disinclined to acquiesce to his request!" I snapped angrily. The two Genii stared at me oddly, I rolled my eyes, "means no!"
I found myself standing in a small office a minute later, Kolya walked in after me, "please, Ms. Sheppard, sit. That is, if you can hear me," he commented, noticing my hearing aids, "yes, some of the Genii have Hearing Aids as well, those ours look much different than those in your ears."
"I prefer to stand," I replied, the soldiers let go of me and stood guard near the door, I wrapped my arms around myself, I was still shaking. I blinked back tears another pain shot through me. The Wraith had fed longer on John than it had me, he had to be feeling much worse.
"Only if you wish too," Kolya replied, "I am sorry I had to do what I did to you. But I have to make an impression on your leader," he commented as he clasped his hands together and leaned forward, "the Genii do not enjoy hurting innocent woman, especially civilians, we are not terrorists...I just wanted to make myself clear that I had no intention to hurt you...Much, I had to get a point to your leader, and if the serum kills you before your brother dies from being fed upon...Then maybe Dr. Weir will realize its not worth loosing two of her people over a silly scientist."
"No way in hell will she do what you say!" I snapped and glared at him in hate.
He simply gave me a smile as if I had just told him he was the most handsome man on the face on the planet, sick bastard, "I haven't had such a strong woman around since Sora, take her back to the cell let her be with her brother until his...Or her, death."
I glared at him again but I didn't comment, I let the soldiers lead me back to John's cell. He was sitting on the floor, still in pain looking exhausted, he looked when I was shoved in, before he could move I ran over and hugged him close, but gently. "I'm so sorry!" I whispered, "I should have been able to get them away from you!"
"Emily, you're one person, I'm surprised you were even able to attack all the Genii that you did," John said softly, "I always thought you were too small, you proved me wro-"
"What?" I asked in worry.
John growled and glared at my chest, I saw I had the same Wraith feeding mark as John had.
"That bastard," John growled, "this time I will kill him."
"You are in pain," commented the tired voice again.
"Yeah, we were just fed on by a Wraith, what do you expect?" John asked.
"I do not know," the Wraith replied.
"Yeah, well you're lucky," I added. John and the voice chatted.
"They called you Sheppard," commented the Wraith a few moments later, "and you, Emily."
"Yeah, pleased ta meet ya," John greeted sarcastically.
I listened to the two talk back and forth as I cuddled closer to John and checked the gauze on his shoulder, it was soaked through with blood, I winced.
"It's not as bad as it looks," John said softly to me, "I can't even feel it anymore."
"Do you blame the Wraith or the Genii?" The voice asked.
"I blame both," John replied, "and when I get out of here I'm coming back and I'm killing Kolya and that damned thing. Bad enough it fed off me, it didn't have to feed off my sister."
"John, they gave me some kind of injection, it killed the last man they tried it on, it keeps a person young while a Wraith feeds," I said softly.
John looked at me wide eyed, "he gave you that stuff?" He asked in anger, he pulled me closer to him and held on tightly to me, as if holding me close would keep me safe. I wrapped my arms around him, wishing there was some way I could keep him safe, I kept my eyes open and looked for any signs of the Genii soldiers before I pushed my hearing aids back into my ears fully. I told John about Kolya's chat with me, or should I say at me.
"Dr. Weir will never give in that a man like Kolya, ever, I've known her long enough to know that."
Sheppard paused after a moment and looked at the window, "when did you hear them call me Sheppard and her Emily?"
"Right before I started to feed," the Wraith replied as he let himself be seen, I stared at the thing before taking off my wrist watch and throwing it, it smacked against the Wraith's face. The Wraith backed away from the window and rubbed his cheek, yeah like that had really hurt him. If it had I would remember that, flying watches made a good Wraith Repellent.
John stared at the Wraith for a long moment before glancing at me, "oh sure, hit the thing that's about to feed off both of us, Emily. If I wanna piss it off it can take that out on me, I don't want it hurting you more than you have to be hurt."
"I don't want you hurt period," I replied, the two of us got into a long argument. John arguing he was the big brother and I was his little sister, as well as a part of his team (who didn't listen to him he also added) and it was his job to protect me. I argued that we needed to both protect each other and help save each other, not just one look out for the other and the protection coming from one way. After a few minutes the Wraith was fed up with the constant bickering between John and I.
"ENOUGH!" It shouted loudly, I saw how pointy its teeth were and quickly shut up. I don't want that thing taking a bite outta me. "You both are worse than two rival Hive Queens!" It exclaimed as it looked at us, "if I had been able too I would have drained you both dry, I am hungry."
"You know," John said, "you really don't have a good life here," the Wraith growled, "nothings really holding you back, you said earlier that you knew the lay out of this place, why not escape with us?"
"There is no escape," the Wraith replied with a sigh, "I know this personally. Kolya would kill us all if we even attempted it."
"Our friends will come," John replied before he winced.
"John?" I asked, startled.
"I think that bullet wound on my back just opened again," he winced.
I didn't give him a chance to argue, I ignored the pain in my chest which was almost gone now and forced my brother to scoot away from the wall and lean forward. I lifted his shirt and paused at seeing the gauze entirely soaked, I pulled the tape off as gently as I could and winced at seeing the wound bleed again, "I need to get that bullet out of you, it's probably already caused an infection." I needed something to clean my hands with, sand could clean hands but I couldn't take any chance of getting sand into John's wound, I paused and pressed myself up against the bars and reached for the canteen a Genii had left behind. "Come...On..." I winced as I stretched my arms out, my finger tips brushed the leather strap of the canteen; I jammed myself up against the bars again as much as I could, I managed to hook to the top of my finger around the strap, I curled my finger into a hook and pulled it off the stool that stood in front of the cage and i through the bars. I unscrewed the top and sniffed inside, instead of water I smelled...Beer?
I shrugged, one's drinking habit was another's wound cleaner, I poured a tiny bit of it into my hands before rubbing my hands together, then took a small bit on my finger and wiped it around the mouth of the canteen, that should have killed any germs.
"It's beer," I said as I handed it to John, "take a big sip, but not too big I need the rest to clean you up with."
"You know, it pays to have a nurse for a sister," John smirked to me, though he was getting paler by the second, he took a large swig from the canteen before handing it back to me and wiping his mouth. That would help with the pain a little at least.
"Get ready, this is going to hurt," I warned, I noticed the Wraith was watching as if fascinated. I went back to ignoring him and focusing at the task at hand: getting that bullet out. I paused and looked for something I could use to clean John's wound with, I didn't want that bullet to go any deeper. I walked over to the window.
"What are you doing?" John asked me, "get away from it, Emily."
I shook my head at him, I looked to the Wraith, "I know you have no reason to help you since I threw a watch at you, but," I pulled off the blue button down uniform shirt and handed it to the Wraith, "could you tear that into a few pieces for me? Some into smaller pieces and some into longer pieces?"
The Wraith looked at the shirt then at me and nodded, it tore the shirt into five long strips and four little ones, then handed them back to me.
"Thank you," I gave it a small smile, I knew it would be feeding from us both later, probably without regret, but our parents taught me to be polite.
"You are welcome," the Wraith replied.
I knelt down behind John and draped the strips over my shoulders, I soaked one of the smaller strips in beer and cleaned the top of the wound off; John yelped before tensing and giving a grunt and then groaning.
"I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but I have to do something," I said softly, I saw the end of the bullet tunneled down deep into John's shoulder, near the bone deep. I stretched the wound out as much as I could, John's fists tightened, I reached my fingers in and hoped they were small enough to do the job. The bullet was big, civil war era big, obviously the Genii were still getting the concepts of guns down, luckily for us. I was able to grab the bullet between my finger nails and after five or six small tugs I got it out of the wound, "lean forward," I said again as I poured some beer onto another small strip, the second to last one, and cleaned John's outer wound again; I poured some beer into the wound knowing it would clean it. John shouted in pain.
"I'm sorry!" I said, hating the fact I didn't have anything I could use to numb his pain with, I swear if Kolya allowed himself to get closer to me again I'd rip his heart out through his ass! I had John lean back so the beer poured out of him, I heard him sniffling and I knew he was crying; I'd be in loud hysterical tears right now if I were him, my brother was so strong. I was so proud of him. I cleaned the outside of the wound again before tying three of the long strips together, I took the last small strip and folded it over four times and pressed it against John's wound, I heard him hiss; I tied the tied-together strips tightly around his shoulder and knotted it on the other side of him as tight as I could without it slipping up.
"It won't hold for long, but it'll do," I said softly.
"You know," John said, his voice cracking, "next time I won't do something for you, remind me of this."
"I will," I replied with a small smile and handed him the last of the beer.
"There's still some left?" John asked surprised.
"Yeah," I replied, "I was careful, go ahead and drink it, it will help the pain."
I watched John fall asleep a few minutes later, I guessed it had been an hour and a half by now. Maybe longer.
"You were very calm while you took the bullet out of Sheppard," the Wraith commented.
"I had to be," I replied, "going all crazy with fear wouldn't have helped him or me any," I said softly so I wouldn't wake John up.
The Wraith looked at me, "you said Kolya wants you to work for the Genii as a nurse."
"I think he's using it to make me fall into false security," I replied, "I won't be killed if I work for him, if I decide not too he figures that serum will kill me."
"For just meeting Kolya you seem to know him very well, I hate the human," the Wraith hissed.
"The feelings mutual," I replied.
"You are much like your brother, but very different," the Wraith observed, "unlike your brother you are more...Quiet."
"We're related but we're different people," I replied. I looked a lot like John but different at the same time, I barely reach five feet tall; my eyes are dark brown; my hair firey red; I don't care much for guns but I'll use one if I have too; I am good at throwing punches however. John's always been the family 'warrior,' our older brother is our family's business man, literally, and I'm our family's 'Mother Earth' since mom died. John and I were close, throughout all my life John was always there to help me although he was a lot older than I was, we are fifteen years apart to be exact. John's almost forty, I'll be twenty five tomorrow.
John was always a good big brother, I was a tomboy while growing up; I was always in trouble and John was always there helping me. When he was 28, I was 13, John had come home for a visit after being stationed in another country. I was just beginning to realize that boys weren't so gross after all, I know I should have noticed that when I was twelve I was late in the whole boys aren't icky department; one boy, he was fifteen, asked me to go to the movies with him. Mom had passed away by then, dad had said no and my other big brother was just too busy to notice what I did or did not do. I snuck out and went with the boy to the movies, I didn't know John was home yet until the boy started kissing me and I started getting feelings I had never had before; then I realized the feelings were good yet I didn't really want them; I remember trying to stand but the boy grabbing me before he was socked in the face and I found myself in my big brother's arms safe and sound. The fifteen year old knew better than to mess with a soldier, he ran out of that theatre so fast I swear he put the Road Runner to shame.
I remember I had asked John why he hadn't stopped me, John had told me because I needed to know that being with a boy like that wasn't what I wanted; I wanted to find a boy to be with as friends, one day as more, but not to have those special feelings with one until I was married. In fact, it was John who taught me about the Birds and Bees, dad was too uncomfortable to do it, our oldest brother just kept saying he'd get around to it. When John told our dad and our older brother what had happened, dad was ticked off but he soon forgot about it when the phone rang, our older brother said I was too much like John and he had enough trouble with one 'space cadet,' he didn't need two of them; then he left to meet up with his girlfriend at the time. So for me John's been a mother, father, and big brother all rolled into one, it's why I'm so protective over him - though you couldn't prove it since I wasn't able to keep that Wraith off him...
Then, about four or five years ago John dropped by to tell me he was going to be away for a while, back then I was working on finishing my nursing degree, I had graduated early at sixteen, dad enrolled me in college right after graduation, I got my AA degree at eighteen, then I became a registered nurse when I was twenty one. John still hadn't come back to visit and I was worried sick, finally he visited and stayed for three days then was gone again. Finally one day the military was asking for nurses looking for jobs and I went in and filled out an application and I talked to Colonel Carter and General O'Neill, the next thing I knew I wasn't aboard a plane, I was aboard a spaceship heading to another galaxy and planet altogether. You talk about being one freaked out nurse, I think the only reason I got in was because I was John's little sister. I will never forget the look on John's face after I was beamed onto Atlantis, the first thing I did was hug him.
Dr. Weir had been concerned about the fact I was deaf and had hearing aids, Dr. Beckett said as long as I didn't forget them and I could lip read, sign, and speak I was fine. In fact my hearing aids were a gift from John, before he left to go to Atlantis the first time (people practically had to shout at me so I could hear them, so I preferred lip reading) he gave me the hearing aids I still wear today.
--
The guards had taken John and the Wraith two more times now, each time John looked older, now he looked like he was in his seventies. Why hadn't they taken me? My heart pounded, "John," I said softly.
He looked up at me, "now he wants to escape," he commented.
"Huh?" I asked, I realized a moment later my hearing aids were going out, "my hearing aids are dying," I commented.
"...Great...Cape...Aith...S...I...Ere."
I stared at John as if he was either crazy or speaking in another language all together. He shook his head, I could tell he was sighing. He spoke again but spoke slower as he does when I don't have my hearing aids in, the batteries are dying, and like he used to speak to me before I had them in my ears.
'I said, oh great, I knew the batteries had to be replaced...And the Wraith wants to escape as well. Stay in here when the Guards come, I'll let you know when to get out of the cell and we'll get out of here.'
I nodded, "alright."
'Stop shouting,' he mouthed.
I winced and signed back, 'sorry.'
He nodded, the Wraith must have been speaking to him since John replied, 'she's deaf, she can't hear, and you're not going to use that to sneak up on her and make her into your private little buffet either.' The guards came two hours later and grabbed John out of the cell, he glanced at the Wraith and the Wraith looked at him before John pushed the two Genii holding him into the cells behind him. The two fought the Genii, the Wraith fed on one of them then John turned signed 'come on,' I stood up and stood beside him as the Wraith undid his handcuffs. The wraith looked at me and spoke to my brother.
'How can we escape with her if she cannot hear?' It asked.
"I can lip read," I replied, "it's harder to 'read' what your saying though, your lips don't move much."
The three of us managed to get out of the Genii Bunker, the Wraith had been shot a few times and badly wounded he must have mentioned something about needing to feed since I read John saying, 'don't look at us.'
I paused and sat down in the grass and took out both my hearing aids, I took off my shoe and the Wraith stared at me oddly, I shook two spare batteries out and pried the backs of the hearing aids open. I never put the screws in the entire way just incase I needed to change the batteries anytime soon. I put the hearing aids back in and smiled at hearing the sound of crickets and my brother speaking.
"Why did you not change the batteries before, Emily?" The Wraith asked.
"I didn't know if the Genii were watching or not," I replied truthfully, "I didn't want them taking the batteries away from me. I also figured if I could get that matchbook out of that one Genii's pocket I could make a little explosion with the batteries and fire and get us all out of here."
John glanced to me, "we need to get to the Star Gate."
We all talked and finally after two hours of wandering around we figured out that the Wraith had no idea where the Star Gate was, we all went to different places to go to sleep. However, in the Wraith's case he just fell down and started to go to sleep. For some reason he reminded me of a kitty cat.
I slept curled next to John half the night before I noticed the Wraith was still bleeding, he had helped me with John, I knew my brother was strong and would be ok. I crawled over to the Wraith and took the last long strip of my shirt out of my pocket and pulled the Wraith's coat away from it; I untucked its shirt and saw a few bullet wounds, the Bullets had gone straight through, I managed to rip in half and press it against his back and front before pulling his pants up. His pants were tight enough to hold the strips on there well.
"Thank you," the Wraith exclaimed, "I do not know why you would do that however when I fed from your brother and yourself."
"You helped me care for John and you're helping us escape," I replied, "we owe yo..." I froze, I felt weird. Really weird.
"Emily? Human?" The Wraith asked.
My entire body was going numb, not from exhaustion either, I was very tired, but...my heart started pounding, "there's something wrong with me..." I muttered before I saw the Wraith start to sit up and heard him growl at John to wake up, everything went black.
--
John woke up the next morning to the Wraith growling at him, "what?"
"I have been growling at you all night to awaken, Sheppard," the Wraith growled.
"Well, the suns not even up yet," John retorted, "I'm old, I need my sleep."
"You're sister is dying."
"WHAT?!" John asked, fear caused his heart to skip a beat. No. No. Damn that bastard, Kolya! John stood up and walked over to his sister, she was passed out on the grass lying near the Wraith, "what did you do?" He growled.
"I did nothing," the Wraith replied, "she was dressing my wounds when she said something was wrong and passed out, her heart beat has slowed the last few hours it is so faint I barely hear it now."
John swallowed; he knelt down and shook Emily, his stomach twisted. His sister was always pale, like their mother, she looked like a small red haired porcelain doll now that she was an adult. Right now, however, she was so pale John knew the Wraith was telling the truth; he was going to kill Kolya. He was taking the one thing away from John that meant the most to him, he was close to his older brother and Emily, but he was much closer to Emily.
"Emily," he said, "I know you can hear me don't give me that crap that you can't. Wake up. Right now. Emily. Wake up," he ordered sternly, "don't you dare disobey me this time." He shook her again, the only thought rushing through his head at the moment was please don't die.
"There is a way," The Wraith exclaimed, "I can help you and her both. We will have to wait for the Genii to find us. Go back to sleep, I can hear them a few miles off."
"A few miles?! Help her now, she may be dead the time they reach us!" John exclaimed.
"I know of what I speak, now go back to sleep. Your sister was very calm when tending to your wound, now you must be calm for her." The Wraith said as he stared at John; John nodded and went back to the tree, his eyes never left his sister until he fell back to sleep.
He awoke a few hours later to the sound of a twig snapping, he opened his eyes and found the Wraith standing hunched over him staring at him, the Wraith hissed at him before slamming his hand down on his chest and taking more life from John. John watched as the Wraith attacked the Genii, it killed two of them, fed from two, and finally fed from a third. It walked over to Emily and put its hand on her chest, John watched as his sister coughed and her eyes opened a moment later; the Wraith walked back over to him.
"Finish it," John scowled.
"There is much you do not know about Wraith," the Wraith exclaimed before slamming its hand back down on Sheppard's chest and giving him The Gift of Life.
--
"How is she?" John asked as he walked into the infirmary the next day.
"The Wraith saved her life as well as yer own," Dr. Beckett replied, "Emily will survive but she will be very weak for a while and I cannot have her working with me in the infirmary until she is strong enough. However, I've put her into a drug induced a coma. She can barely move because of that shot Kolya gave ta her, but she kept wanting to see how ye were."
John smiled, "mind if I stay in here with her for a while?"
"Not at all, Colonel," Dr. Beckett smiled, "our other patient is being as equally stubborn," he said, talking about the Wraith. John had been about to leave him on a planet with a Wraith Outpost until he noticed the Wraith was still wounded and...Well...He did owe the Wraith for saving his life and his sister's life. He slid over a chair and sat down next to his sister's bed, she was asleep, her heart monitor beeping steadily.
"Hey," John smiled, knowing she couldn't hear him, "I know you didn't have that good of a birthday, and I also know you'd tell me to stop treating you like a kid if you were awake right now. But to me, Emily, you're always going to be my kid sister, ya gotta know that," he smirked. "I...Had Colonel Carter's help with this, she bought the locket...And had the picture lasered in..." He said softly as he took out a small heart locket out of his pocket and opened it revealing a picture of John, David, their father, and mother inside. He leaned forward and clasped the chain around her neck and held her hand, "you know, I've always thought Atlantis might be too much for you. I've always known that you're stubborn and that you're strong...But, I didn't know how strong until you showed me." He smiled.
"Is she awake, Sheppard?" The Wraith who John had named Todd asked as he walked in, he knew Beckett would force the Wraith back to his bed in a minute.
"Not yet, I just..Want to talk to her," Sheppard replied.
"The Gift of Life is only reserved for our most devout worshippers and our brothers," the Wraith said.
"You said that yesterday," John replied.
"Yes," the Wraith replied, "you know what I think of you, Sheppard. You do not know what I think of your sister."
"No, I don't, thank you for saving her life," John said.
"Your sister is as strong as you are, Sheppard; but in different ways. You are strong in the way of the warrior, she is strong as a care taker. I do not believe I saw one moment go by when she did not have an eye on you or she was not checking your wound, or calming you." Todd explained, "Kolya is the worst human I have run across in my many years of existence, Sheppard, but he was smart about one thing."
"That being?"
"When he decided to keep your sister in the cell," Todd replied, "I believe Kolya feared of losing his genitals."
Sheppard laughed.
"After the second time I fed you went to sleep, Kolya came into the cell - but stayed near the cell door- and spoke with her, and gave her commands to leave the cell and you. I believe he was going to move her either to a new cell or test some other serum on her. She did not respond to his orders as you slept," Todd replied, "Kolya was in the cell nearly three times while you were asleep. Each time he ordered her to something she would not do it."
John looked at Emily, and chuckled, "I guess not taking orders is a good thing some times."
"Colonel, ye both are waking her up she needs ta sleep," Dr. Beckett exclaimed as he walked in, "it's been half an hour now, I do not mind ye sitting with her as long as ye are quiet now that the medicines are starting to wear off. She is not particularly a happy person when she awakens, I prefer to let her sleep as long as possible."
John chuckled, that was Emily for you, she wasn't a morning person and at times she could be down right grumpy.
--
I heard the soft beeps of an IV pump through my hearing aids as I blinked my eyes open, I wanted to go back under the covers and fall back to sleep. It was too early to get up...Wait, how long had I been out? My memories returned, the last thing I remembered was Dr. Beckett telling me John was going to be alright, I winced and sat up, I had to check on him. Oh, God, what if he was going to be trapped as a seventy year old man? My heart pounded in fear of losing my brother and I froze when I heard a mutter and looked down, I blinked in amazement at first then beamed; my brother was back to looking the way he did before...Wait he looked a few years younger actually, he was asleep.
How long had he been there for? I felt something slide around my neck, I looked down to find a small golden locket hanging down, I frowned. I never owned a locket, ever, before, I opened it and found John's, David's, and my parents' pictures inside. My birthday had been yesterday, well hopefully yesterday. How long had I slept?
"I see you are awake," the familiar voice of the Wraith exclaimed.
I looked up and smiled, "yes, I am, uh, wow I never really expected to see you on Atlantis. I'm glad though.." Wait? I just said I'm glad, why am I glad? He's a Wraith, but...I looked into his eyes and I felt something so different there; I've seen one other Wraith before in the cell, it was only a quick glance. But in that glance the Wraith made me feel afraid and as if I was on his menu, well I was. Looking at this Wraith I didn't feel those feelings at all; instead I felt calm and...There was just something about this Wraith, what was his name anyway? "Um... Do you have a name or anything you want to be called by instead of Wraith?"
"Your brother has called me Todd," the Wraith replied.
"Todd," I smiled, "our oldest brother's middle name is Todd."
"Really?" Todd asked, looking surprised and rather...Honored.
I nodded, "really. Did you make John young again?"
"I did," Todd replied, "I gave him The Gift of Life, of giving life back...I gave you the same, I understand it was the only thing that saved you."
I paused, I had always considered myself a pretty strong woman, the fact that serum knocked me flat on my bum and nearly killed not only scared me, it worried me. Would John take me off of missions with his team because of this? My stomach twisted, maybe if I followed orders better?
"The serum was strong, Emily," Todd said, "you are not weak."
"You read my thoughts?" I asked.
Todd nodded.
I blushed, I was going to have to be more careful on what I thought and how 'loud' I thought it. I looked to John, "how long has he, and you, been here?"
"A little while," Todd replied, not telling me anymore than that.
--
Over the next few days Dr. Beckett and I clashed different times, at one point Dr. Beckett told my brother that stubbornness ran much too heavily in our family. Finally, nearly five days after I woke up Dr. Beckett let me leave the infirmary, however I couldn't return to work for at least another three days.
"Three days?" I asked, "Dr. Beckett, I'm fine," I argued, I glanced around the infirmary there were eight patients, six adults and two Athosian children.
"No lass, ye aren't," Dr. Beckett sighed, he looked like he was hiding something from me.
"What aren't you telling me?" I asked.
Dr. Beckett paused, "Lass, I should have told ye this earlier..."
I stared at him.
"Lass, when I saw ye when the Colonel came in with ye in his arms and the Wraith behind him, I was scared ta death! Then I saw how pale ye were and yer heart beat was so slow, I nearly lost ye twice...I mean...I do not love ye romantically, lass, but I love ye as a close friend," he said, "an' I do not know anyone else who is willing to put up with me when I'm picky."
"You're not picky," I replied, "and I consider you a good and close friend too. I will stay away from work for three days."
"Thank ye, lass."