I'm surprised and glad people are interested in the story. Time-travel in this series -in the whole star-gate franchise-intrigued me. I wished they explored more into it, especially with the ancients since those guys lived 10,000 years ago.

BACKWARDS

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2. TODD

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Sheppard was slowly dozing when he heard the soft echoing boots outside of the cell, down in the corridor. He snapped awake and was on his feet moments before two wraith guards showed up with their stunners out, carefully aimed at Sheppard. Zelenka seemed perfectly calm beside Sheppard, but the colonel wasn't fooled by the fake bravado –he could feel the doc shaking slightly. He didn't say a word to the man and Zelenka didn't say anything either, just squeezed his hand a little, as he was hauled out of the cell.

He was escorted through the corridors in silence and Sheppard found that he wasn't all that surprised or disappointed by it. When they reached the main section of the ship, the guards paused, forcing Sheppard to as well. Then suddenly, one of them grabbed him by the arm and shoved him forward. Sheppard stumbled in surprise and landed on his hands and knees.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" He made to stand up quickly, rubbing his arm, and turned to glower at his assailant. The guards remained impassive as if they haven't heard Sheppard at all.

"Loud-mouthed as ever, I see, Colonel," a throaty voice said.

Sheppard twisted back around at the voice, eyes wide. He didn't realize that someone else was in the room with him until now. The wraith let out a low chuckle as he moved into the light where Sheppard could see it. "Todd," Sheppard said, numb to the bone.

The wraith dipped his head in a mock bow. He watched Sheppard carefully for a few moments, and then tilted his head, "What? Are you surprised to see me?"

"Yeah –why the hell wouldn't I be?" Sheppard said, suddenly snapping out of his stupor.

Todd only looked amused. "I'm a wraith, John Sheppard." Well, yeah, as if Sheppard forgot. He started to walk slowly around Sheppard, like a lion closing in on its prey. Sheppard watched him warily. "In all honesty, I'd have thought you'd be expecting me, Colonel. It was, after all, you who secretly made the deal with one of my fellow guards. It caught me off-guard when one relayed your message back to the hive," Todd admitted, pausing.

Sheppard waited, his body tensing as the wraith resumed circling around him. "Yeah well, forgive me for thinking –so arrogantly it seems –that we might have actually become mutual, ah, acquaintances after years fighting for a common goal," he spat, turning to glare at the wraith that stood behind him.

Todd laughed. "We still share a common goal, Sheppard," he said, looking at the man with interest, "but we do not share a common enemy anymore."

Sheppard stilled as Todd crept closer. He knew exactly whom the wraith was talking about. Michael, though nothing more than a name now, still held power over Sheppard, haunting him even from the grave. Sheppard was certain nothing could ever get rid of the shame and guilt he felt deep in his core from helping create the monster. But what did it really matter? Where Michael failed in destroying the whole human race, Todd pretty much succeeded, or at least pretty much succeeded in wiping out the whole human population on earth, which was a lot, like over six billion people a lot.

Sheppard clenched his hands into fists. "Yeah, whatever, just get on with it and save me the whole it's-survival-nothing-personal bullshit, you stupid wraiths feed to people."

Todd, at least, had the decency not to laugh. "It is true, John Sheppard. We do not do this out of spite," he said, which made Sheppard snort. Todd looked somewhat annoyed as he continued. "Have I not said before, it is because we need to eat in order to survive? Do you not eat to survive, Sheppard?"

Sheppard glared. This was such a ridiculous conversation and Sheppard wished he wasn't having it, especially with Todd. But he felt like he had to address it.

"Yes," he bit out, "but it's not the same. People aren't food!"

Todd shook his head, looking sad, which made Sheppard angrier. "You still do not understand."

"No I guess I don't," Sheppard said, his tone chilling.

Todd seemed opened his mouth to say something else, but Sheppard didn't want to hear any more. He cut him off with a sharp, "Let's just cut to the chase. You promise you won't kill Zelenka or come for anyone else, right? My life for theirs –you'll leave this galaxy and return back to Pegasus. Do I have your word, Todd?"

Sheppard watched Todd pause, considering the deal. If Sheppard was to be honest with himself, Todd was the only wraith he trusted to keep his end of the bargain. Although he didn't know which wraith owned the hive ship, somewhere deep down he had always suspected it was Todd. And lo and behold, there the wraith stood. Kind of funny how the universe worked out sometimes.

"You have my word," Todd said at last. "Are you ready then, Sheppard?" His feeding hand was already extending out; palm facing Sheppard so that the Colonel could see the teeth.

Sheppard instantly tensed up and closed his eyes, jerking his head in agreement, waiting for the anticipated pain that came with wraith feeding. In a moment, he felt the front of his white t-shirt slice open so that Todd could feed from his bare chest. Chills crawled up his exposed flesh, making him shiver, making him realize then, for probably the first time since he was brought onboard, that this was real. He was really going to die this time because unlike the last time Todd fed on him, the wraith wasn't planning to stop, wasn't going to stop, and that more than anything, made Sheppard scared.

And Sheppard realized he didn't want to die, that he wasn't ready to die, especially not doing anything but waiting –that wasn't Sheppard. At all. He imagined McKay standing next to him, hands on his hips, lips curled down in a deep frown, as he said, "What's wrong with you, Colonel? Since when did you take death laying face down, without even trying to fight back?" Yeah, McKay, where the heck did that John Sheppard go? Sheppard clenched his fists tightly, nails jabbing his palms, and he felt skin being ripped out, but he didn't care.

He wondered what the heck was taking Todd so long because he was really finding it difficult to stay still. A minute more and Sheppard couldn't make promises on behaving a like a good, little human for the big, bad monster to eat.

"Come on, Todd –what the hell's the hold up?"

There was a long, stretched silence and Sheppard finally sighed, sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm himself as he pried an eye open. What he saw bewildered him and he had to blink a few times to make sure he was really seeing what he thought he was seeing. "McKay?"

Doctor Rodney McKay stood in front of him, grinning smugly. "Colonel Sheppard, it's good to see you again." Todd was standing in the background, looking just as confused as Sheppard felt. McKay seemed to notice him for the first time and nodded a stiff greeting. "Todd, also."

"What the hell are you doing here, McKay?" Sheppard asked, still in a daze, not quite believing that McKay wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

McKay didn't bother to answer Sheppard. Instead, he touched Sheppard on the shoulder and spoke into his earpiece. "We're ready when you are, Colonel." Sheppard looked at McKay's hand, noticing the man had on a large looking wristwatch.

Before Sheppard could ask about it, a familiar white light enveloped both men, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone.