Summary: Lorne and Amelia continue to hunt down the lone Wraith in the city of London.

Spoilers: Up to and including Season 5: Search and Rescue

Warnings: Implied drug abuse.

Sunshine and Shadows

Chapter 3

Amelia drew back the curtains and the sun streamed into the bedroom. "Good morning Major."

"Argh." Lorne moaned and pulled the bedclothes over his head. As he slowly lowered them he squinted at the light and saw her standing by his bed, all bright and breezy.

"What are you……..how did you……..?"

Amelia held up her arm and revealed the transporter bracelet.

"Oh right, next time, how about knocking on the door first."

"Well it was your idea to come back to this," she grimaced, "ugly little room."

"Hey. It's a very nice room and I paid good money for it."

"I said you could stay with me."

"Yes you did and thank you but I ……well….. I thought it would be better if I returned here."

Amelia frowned at him. "Not so convenient though, is it? I wanted to start nice and early. We have a Wraith to track down after all."

"Yeah silly me thinking I was on vacation an' all." He looked down at his semi naked self and up to Amelia.

"I'd like to get up now if that's all right with you?"

"Well…. do not let me stop you."

"Don't bother about my privacy or anything." He said sarcastically.

"You don't want me to see you in your undergarment?" She was surprised. "Have you forgotten already?" She pointed to her eyes. "Whether you're clothed or naked, it makes no difference to me."

"Oh….. that makes me feel so much better." He said as he slid out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.

"You're welcome." She shouted after him and then made her way over to the only chair in the room but was stalled by a knock on the door. She walked over, opened it, looked up and down the corridor but saw no one. A newspaper had been left on the floor and she picked it up.

"Hmmm, interesting." Amelia said to herself as she went to sit down but decided she'd be more comfortable on the bed. She opened the paper and smiled when she heard Lorne singing in the shower. Ten minutes later, he emerged in a towel, drying his hair and looked over to see her reading.

"Right… you're still here then?" He said as he rifled through his bag and pulled out a clean pair of boxers.

She put the paper in front of her face. "Carry on. I will not look if it bothers you so much."

Lorne gave her an irritated look. "I thought we'd agreed yesterday that I would be at your place," he looked at his watch, "in about an hour."

"Yes I got tired of waiting. I didn't sleep well."

He noticed her holding up the paper. "I see you've found it then?"

"Yes I found it outside your door. Who could have left it there?"

It amused him that this little Earth activity puzzled her. "It's part of the service of the hotel. Even the ugly little rooms get one."

"Hmph." Amelia said as she flicked the paper.

"So….. do you have something planned?" Lorne asked as he gave her a sideways glance.

"No, not really. I was going to say we have hit a dead end but look at this." She folded down the page of the paper and showed it to him as he buttoned up his shirt.

Homeless people mysteriously going missing.

"A journalist has written a special piece. It seems that over the last year more than fifty homeless people have disappeared or ended up dead in the city." She said and watched him put on his jeans.

"I wonder why we didn't discover that on the police database?" He thought of all the hours they'd spent sitting at the computer.

"That is a very good point."

"Probably didn't ring too many alarm bells. The lifestyles of the people I suppose. They come and go; drop off the radar for a while and then reappear." Lorne said as he finished tying his boots and then looked up at Amelia. "Doesn't Charlie run a shelter?"

"Yes he does."

"Has he said anything to you? In fact does he know who you really are?"

"Yes, he knows everything. I had to tell him not soon after I met him. That person you saw in the warehouse was someone he knew and he arranged for the body to be collected. If it is the Wraith doing this then he must be in the area somewhere but how could he have kept hidden all this time? Someone must have seen a big guy with green skin and white hair."

"He won't be easy to miss will he?"

"No, but as he had to learn to survive here the same as me, he must have found a way to keep a low profile and when we discover what that is, we'll be close to finding him."

ooOoo

The old metal lift rattled and shook as it made its way downwards to the tunnel. The door slid open with a clang and a woman stepped out. She smoothed the skirt on her suit before walking a few paces to greet a group of men who were standing around waiting nervously.

"Ma'am." They said in unison. All except one, who stood apart from the others and towered above them all.

"My queen." he muttered quietly as he bowed his head.

The others glanced at each other and rolled their eyes but not the woman. She looked over to him and gave a nod of approval.

They all continued to walk along the tunnel until they turned a corner and were presented with a metal door, battered and rusty with age. "Smith, do you have the key?"

"Yes Ma'am"

"Well?"

"Yes, yes." he said as he frantically felt all his pockets and started to look uncomfortable.

"King." She commanded and he took a step towards her.

"No, no." Brown said frantically and breathed a sigh of relief as he found and pulled it from his jacket pocket, "here," and placed it in her hand.

"Good." She looked over to the Wraith and smiled as he walked up to her. She handed the key to him.

The door was unlocked, opened and they all entered. The room was packed from ceiling to the floor with containers, most were sealed and stacked and some had been opened to reveal the contents. One corner of the room had been set up as a laboratory, with test tubes, scales and various other instruments cluttering the bench.

"Where's the new shipment?" Miller enquired as she surveyed the room.

The Wraith walked over to the closest container and tapped it. She gave a slight nod and he took the metal bar lying on top and jemmied it open.

"They said it was the best quality." The Wraith informed her as he inspected the contents.

"Has it been tested?" Miller enquired.

"No, we were waiting for you to arrive."

"Well, do it now."

"Yes, of course." He bowed his head briefly and took a packet from the chest and walked over to the table in the corner. The substance was tipped onto the scales, weighed, put into test tubes and drops of liquid were added one by one. After giving them a shake he scrutinised the results and looked over to Miller giving a nod of approval.

"Excellent." She turned to one of the men in a dark suit. "Mr. Carpenter, inform your people to start distribution as soon as everything has been organised here."

"Yes Mrs Miller." He looked over to the Wraith. "Ma'am may I be so bold as to ask you where you found such a …a….person."

"Not that it is any business of yours but I found him in an alleyway after fighting off five of my best security men who had found him sneaking around the back of one of my clubs. He impressed me with his combat skills and since then I have discovered other qualities which have been extremely useful. He respects my position in the Company and he is of great benefit to me and therefore the Firm."

"An asset I'm sure."

"Yes he is."

Mrs Miller snapped her fingers and the Wraith came over.

"Escort our guest to the surface."

"Yes Ma'am."

She turned to face Carpenter. "It's easy to get lost in these tunnels so my man will show you out."

He glanced nervously at the Wraith and back at Miller.

"Don't look so worried. He won't eat you. You're one of my best customers." She sniggered and watched as Carpenter and her unusual hired hand walked towards the lift.

Still smirking to herself she turned and walked in the opposite direction down the passageway flicking the light switches as she went. The tunnel had been a good acquisition for the Company she thought as she passed yet more storage rooms until she reached her office. A secret place unknown to most of the population and most importantly hidden from the eyes of the law. A purchase which had helped her rise to the top of the business and given her all the power she could ever want.

ooOoo

"You should have let me use the transporter." Amelia said as she sided stepped yet another pedestrian in the busy street.

"No." Lorne replied as he hurried to catch her after dodging a group of shoppers chatting right in his path.

"It's much quicker." She insisted and gritted her teeth as she was jostled by a business man hailing a taxi.

"I'm surprised someone's not seen you already."

She didn't reply.

"They have haven't they?" He gave her a disapproving look. "Who saw you?"

"No one really."

"You'll get caught and locked up." He thought of the NID immediately and how it would make their day to discover her here on Earth. They would love an alien to interrogate and some new technology to poke around with.

"Oh stop worrying so much. It was only a group of youngsters. No one will believe them."

"Promise me you'll not use it again."

"Hmmm. I'll think about it."

ooOoo

Amelia put on her sunglasses as she stepped out into the sunlight and sighed. "This is hopeless. That's the third shelter and nothing."

"They think we're the law I'm sure."

"Excuse me young man," they turned to see an elderly woman standing behind them holding on to an old shopping trolley, "are you the ones checking for the missing people?"

"Yes Ma'am we are." Lorne replied.

"I know someone who went off with a woman and never came back. A good friend he was too."

"Can you tell us who that someone is?"

"Too right I can. A right young madam she is. All she cares about is her next fix. She goes by the name of Molly."

Amelia smiled. "Where can we find her? We would appreciate your help very much."

"She hangs around here and there but mostly you can find her when the shelter on the corner gives out food at lunch time." She pointed to a large building at the end of the street.

"Thanks, you've been a great help." Lorne said as he pulled a note from his wallet and gave it to her.

"God bless you son." She said and wandered off to the sound of the wheel squeaking on her trolley.

"Is that the shelter run by Charlie?" Lorne asked as they continued down the street.

"Yes is it."

"I thought as much." He frowned.

Amelia laughed. "Don't look so worried. I'll protect you."

ooOoo

A newspaper lay open on the desk and Miller looked over the top of her glasses at the Wraith who stood beside her. "I'm afraid I've some worrying news King. Someone's been doing their research and discovered your rather human appetites. You will have to be more careful from now on."

"I mostly go out under cover of darkness. Are you saying I cannot feed?"

"No, not at all but you must be more careful that's all. Word has it there are people snooping around looking for you."

She tapped the keyboard and opened and read her most recent e-mail.

"I have an informant who's been gathering information. See here, do you recognise them?" She opened an attachment revealing a photograph of two people.

"Yes it is the hunter. The other one I do not know."

"Well that is interesting."

"If you wish it I will leave this place. You may be at risk with me here."

"No, you've become a valuable asset to me. I'd hate to lose you." Miller closed the e-mail and turned to the Wraith and smirked. "Perhaps it's time for the hunter to become the hunted. What do you say?"

He smiled with a hint of a hiss. "I like the sound of that."

"Good. Now we need to decide how to go about it."

ooOoo