Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters, I only own Emily. I do not own the Headless Horseman, Washington Irving and Tim Burton do, I do not own Jeff Foxworthy, he owns himself.

2 Days Later...

I woke up to find Todd draping a new set of clothes over a table, I sat up and yawned silence surrounded me as it usually did when I woke up in the mornings. Before I fell to sleep at night I took out my hearing aids and put them in a small wooden box Todd had given me for them. I stretched and gave a yawn before sitting up, Todd looked over at me and said something, I could hear the sounds of his voice every few seconds, other than that it was silence. I pointed to my ears, he gave a nod and waited, I turned on my side and reached into the box...To find it empty; my heart skipped a beat I picked up the box and looked in it, bare. I must have been causing enough of a racket to get Todd over, I felt his hand on my shoulder and jumped, I looked at him and pointed in the box, "put them in here last night, now their gone," I exclaimed.
I've been spoiled by my hearing aids allowing me to hear what I'm saying, without them I can hear the sound of my voice and recognize a few of the words that I'm saying but not all of them; because of that when I didn't have the hearing aids in I only spoke in small sentences.
Todd talked louder to me and drawled out each word for as long as he could like John always did when my hearing aids weren't in, are you sure you put them in the box? He had asked.
"I'm sure," I replied.
Todd then said, I know my Second in Command was here earlier with his child, I will see if the child has your aids. Stay in here.
I nodded and watched him leave the room, I figured there was no use in sitting around doing nothing so I got up and dressed in the new clothes Todd had left for me. I smiled at the clothing it was mostly white, its collar was light blue and instead of arching down in a v neck like the other one had it gave upward semicircles at the top of my breasts, a little bit of cleavage showed but not much; the jacket then hugged my body, the end of the jacket's torso ended with a v at my waist where it went down around my ankles and stopped; the sleeves were long and ended at my wrists, the tops of the sleeves were light blue; the pants looked like white snakeskin, the boots were like two giant pearls again, only instead of being pointed like they were last time they were squared. The belt was light blue and thick, the buckle was white, the belt had two pouches on it, I realized they were made for my hearing aids and spare batteries; I smiled, Todd was always thinking ahead. I noticed there was also a necklace, I put it on, it was just like all the other Wraith Queen's necklaces, I noticed there was a button in middle of it but I didn't touch it since I didn't know what it would do.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around, Todd stood in front of me with my hearing aids in hand, they were smashed. I felt my heart break, I loved to be able to hear, I hid my emotions and looked at Todd, "what happened?" I asked.
The child thought they were toys, Todd replied loudly and slowly, I do have...a suggestion to make if you would care to hear it.
I nodded.
I could go to Atlantis and show your brother your hearing aids and request for new ones, or you and another of my Wraiths can go through.
"What about you?" I asked, "why not go through with me?"
Todd looked at me, part of his forehead lifting, do you not remember those long hours of training I gave you on becoming a Human Hive Queen?
Oh, I remembered, he taught me the basics at first then yelled until I became hard core and almost to the point I myself was convinced I had a heart of stone. But if the Commander left the Hive the Queen had to stay, if the Queen left the Hive the Commander had to stay.
"I'll go through," I said, "I promise, I will come back."
You do not need to tell me of this, we are mates, I trust you, Todd said to me before ordering a Dart to take us onto a planet with a Stargate on it.

"Off World Activation!"
"Now?" Growled John as he walked out Dr. Weir's office with her, above them the Wraith Civil War continued to rage on, however it was down now to 5 Hives. Even if it came to being one Hive left, one Hive was too many if you asked John.
"It's Nrs. Sheppard's IDC, should we lower the shield?" Questioned the technician as he turned to look at Dr. Weir and John.
Emily, it was Emily, or it could have been Todd, there was no way to know for certain.
"What do you want to do, John?" Dr. Weir asked him softly, "it could be her, it could be Todd, or another Wraith we just don't know."
"I know," John replied, "open the gate," he said as he climbed down the stairs grabbing his gun that was in his hip's holster. The gate opened, John moved in front of it with a group of eight marines, a minute later John found himself ordering his weapons to be lowered. Emily stepped through the Stargate and John noticed that her hearing aids were missing.
"Hi John," Emily beamed as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug, "I missed you."
I missed you too, he said slowly to her so she could read his lips, what happened to your hearing aids? He asked as the gate closed behind them, he wrapped his arms around his sister. She was back, where she belonged, on Atlantis. John was hoping that she had broken out of her crazy attraction to that Wraith, though Todd was sort of a friend to Atlantis, John didn't trust him.
"Todd's second in command visited early this morning to speak with him, he brought his little boy with him. He saw my hearing aids and thought they were toys, he smashed them," she frowned obviously angry at the kid but keeping a lid on her anger.
Great, obviously Wraiths had brats for kids too, I think Dr. Beckett still has the spare pair for you that he said you might be needing one day.
"He has a spare pair for me?" Emily asked, looking surprised.
John winced, oops that was supposed to be her Christmas surprise, getting a pair of new hearing aids that worked even better. He does, come on and we'll get them...Are you staying on Atlantis?
"Only for a short visit, and one big giant thank you," Emily beamed, "there's a small group of Wraith waiting for me on the other side of the gate. They're supposed to wait until I get back but I don't want to keep them there for hours on end. That would be just plain rude."
John laughed, you have changed a lot, but obviously mom and I taught you well in the manners department. So...How's Todd doing?
"He's well," Emily replied, "he's still teaching me how to be a Hive Queen, I tell you what it's no wonder they're such bitches. If they aren't, the other Wraiths consider them weak and 'accidentally' let another Wraith female kill her."
What's that around your neck? John asked her.
"Todd said it's a special alarm, if anyone or any Wraith ever tries to hurt me in the Hive a loud alarm will go off," Emily replied, "it turns out that Wraiths are really protective of their Hive Queens, well...As long as they're Wraith...They're still, erm, getting used to me."
They had better just get used to you, John said, Todd won't have time to attack them if they hurt you, I'll be there so fast-
"John," Emily said, John looked over at his little sister and noticed her look, he recognized that look overly well. It was a look that said, real world time now John, "I'm too far away from you to protect, anyway, I can handle myself," she smiled, "and if I'm in trouble and it's something Todd can't handle then believe me I will contact you asking for help. Todd and I are also here to help you and Atlantis-"
I doubt that, John said, I mean, I know you'll help us in a heart beat, as for Todd he has his own agenda, Emily, you have to know that by now. He said giving her the same looks he had just given him, he'll help us when it benefits him as well, he may be an ally...But that's because of him helping us, and mostly because you're married to him.
"Wraiths call it mated," Emily smiled, John could tell she was biting the sides of her mouth to keep from laughing.
Well, just goes to prove that Wraiths have a very small vocabulary, John commented with a shrug and smirked when he heard his sister laugh. Damn, he missed that laugh, he missed having her along on missions. Two weeks ago he had found himself with a skin graze from a bullet wound thanks to the Genii, the nurse, Nrs. Kelly McPeterson, helped him but she had done a sloppy job. When Emily was there she would help him the first chance she got and she would get him and the others on his team cleaned up and bandaged safely and quickly, Kelly took her time. Are you ever thinking about coming back to Atlantis?
"I don't know, John," Emily replied, "I think the decision I made to stay with Todd is concrete, and I really like it with him...A Hive isn't as dreary as you think, it's full of life and wonders."
If it hadn't been for Kolya injecting her with Wraith DNA so she could carry the Wraith child then she might not have liked the Hive so much, John figured, he blamed Kolya again. That Genii was nothing but trouble.

Two hours later Todd had made a hard decision, after Emily left to get new hearing aids every Wraith had sent him a mental message that would not be ruled by a human Hive Queen, ever. She had won maybe five Wraiths respect, but he could hear their grumbling complaints in back of his mind, he either could just keep her as his mate while another female ruled as Hive Queen, tell the Wraiths not to let her back through the Stargate and make her stay on Atlantis, or...He could make his Wraiths happy, she had the DNA for it thanks to Kolya, he and his doctors could make her from a human into a Wraith. It would be a long and involved surgery, it had been performed on four other Hives before, each time successfully.
He suddenly found himself wondering how Emily would feel about becoming a Wraith, he had already made the decision she would become one, but how would she react? He shook his head, what was wrong with him? He never used to think this way, thinking of another before his Hive and himself, now he was worried about what a human would think? Because that human was his mate, they made become official mates last week after making sure with a Wraith doctor it would be alright. Emily had been shy about it and very reluctant at first, Todd didn't push her, she had to decide on her own time when she wanted to mate with him, that had to be up to the female. That was a Wraith law, finally after about an hour she came out and the two mated. He realized he was smiling as he thought back to that night, he cleared his throat, glad no one else was in the room with him, he went back to thinking about the surgery, would the baby survive through it? He knew if he didn't give her the surgery soon the Wraiths would turn against her and feed from her, whether she was his mate and carrying his child or not.
His Wraiths were embarrassed by their Queen and refused to take orders from a human, they said it was a sign of weakness as well as being naive. Finally, Todd sighed, he had no other choice, he stood and walked towards his Hive's infirmary.
"Commander," the head Doctor of the Hive, Jenthi, exclaimed as he turned to him.
"Can my mate have the surgery to make her from human to Wraith with the child in her?" Todd asked.
The Wraith paused, "she can," he replied, "one human female was pregnant when we changed her, however she will not be full Wraith as you know. Only 99 percent Wraith, that one percent of her shall always remain human."
"I know," Todd replied, "but by the most part she will be Wraith, this Hive will have to accept her then, she has passed all the tests, she is a good Queen and she's just as firm and strong as any other Hive Queen."
"I agree," Jenthi replied, "I can operate on her as soon as she returns."
Todd nodded, "get the Infirmary ready, she will be back soon," he replied as he walked back to the chair room. Humans always wanted the person that they were operating on to have had no food for twenty four hours in fear of being thrown up on. Wraiths did not worry of this, they put human patients into a stronger sleep than the human doctors could ever put their patients into, so deep they were almost dead.

"It was good to see ye, lass," Dr. Beckett smiled to me as he hugged me in front of the gate, "ye need to come back more often to visit, not just for me but for you're brother as well. He has missed ye much."
I smiled, I could hear everything much better now with the new hearing aids, they were digital and hooked around back of my ears, the hook part had the volume control on it; the ear mold fit better into my ears and I barely even noticed they were in.
"It was good to see you too, Dr. Beckett, I missed you all," I said truthfully, I walked over to John and hugged him close, "especially you," I said.
"I missed you too, Emily, you have Rodney's Think Pad still?"
"I do," I replied with a smile, "I'll e-mail you all, congratulations to you and Dr. Weir-"
"Elizabeth," Dr Weir smiled to me, "I insist."
I jumped when Atlantis shook and watched as a rainstorm of Wraith body parts showered down.
"Well, that's four Hives left," commented John.
"Well, damn," I commented, "talk about a little summer shower, if any of that lands on land you all won't be needing fertilizer."

"That's true," John agreed, "very, very true. Emily, how about I walk you through?"

I shook my head, "there's Wraith waiting on the other side, I don't know how many have joined them since I left. I don't want you all getting stunned or hurt, besides, I'll be fine," I smiled.

John stared at me, the look he was giving me told me that he didn't trust Todd, and that he thought the decision I was making was anything but smart.

"I promise, I'll come back to visit," I smiled as I turned and paused, "John?"

"Yeah?" John asked.

"Promise me that you'll be careful," I said, then added, "please."

John nodded, "I'll be careful, I promise, you be careful too."

"I will, I swear," I felt my heart rip into two again, I didn't have to go back to the Wraith, but then I'd miss Todd. I couldn't have it both ways, I had made a decision and now I had to live with it. I still think I had made a good decision, I would know when Atlantis needed help and I could convince Todd to help Atlantis and John. I turned and ran back over to John and gave him a bear hug, just like when I was a kid and he'd go off with his friends went off on a Camping Trip or something, I'd always greet him when he got back with a bear hug.

John smiled and gave me a large hug back, "you know, if I had it my way I'd say forget Todd, stay here on Atlantis, try to hook Ronon, you two get married."

"Emily, what do you see in that Wraith anyway?" Ronon asked me, "seriously, you'd find a better husband whose human, you wouldn't have to be all tough or cold, you could be yourself again."

"I am being myself," I replied, confused, I was being myself right now, wasn't I?

The Stargate closed, I winced the Wraith were going to get worried in a minute.

"No, you're not," John replied as he crossed his arms, "before you left you were...more at ease, now you always seem stiff and...Uptight."

"I've changed," I shrugged, "we all do, you have too."

"I have?" John asked.

I nodded, "you're not snapping at me for not listening to you, you're not giving me orders, and your treating me like an adult. I guess I got my wish when I kept telling you I'm not a kid anymore, huh?" I smiled with a little laugh.

John smirked, "careful what you wish for, you might just get it."

I smiled, "true, I love you, John, ya'll take care," I smiled as I slipped back into my way of speaking. Todd didn't understand the words, ya'll, ustacould, yaeatyet, and ai'ight. When John had been gone for a few years back on Earth I had spent two years living with one of my friends who was very southern and I picked up on her accent and her way of speaking. She had even told me the meaning of the words.

(A/N: at the end of this chapter there's a 'translation' for the words, lol.)

--

When I was back on the Hive I found myself being taken to the infirmary I looked back at Todd who was following me as two Wraiths led me, "Todd? What's going on?" I asked.

"There's going to be an uprising," Todd replied, "the Wraiths are not respecting you as I thought they would and refuse to follow orders from a human queen."

"You're letting them kill me?" I asked wide eyed, what I gotten myself into? Fear was weakness, I acted calm and got ready to attack the moment I had a chance too.

"You are not going to be killed," Todd replied, "you will be going through a surgery, after the surgery...You will be Wraith."

"What?! Todd!"

"It is the only way to keep you alive," he replied, "also I need you in Wraith form, the Primary Queen, the one I told you about, feels my Hive does not have a Queen. This will prove other wise."

--

Two hours later John found himself pacing up and down the hallway.

"Hey, you ok?" Ronon asked as he walked over, he had just finished sparring with Teyla, "you've been pacing now for an hour."

"Something's wrong," John replied, "something's going on with Emily, she's in danger."

"She seemed fine and happy when she left through the Stargate," Ronon replied.

"It's a big brother feeling," John replied, "I just got chills up and down my spine, that only happens when something's going on with her. I got the same feeling when Emily was 13, she had just found out that gee guys...Could be more than friends, and I remember her saying she was going to a movie with a friend of hers. Went to the theatre and sure enough I found her and a guy, when she figured out she didn't want the guy touching her I handled it from there. Since then, any time I get that feeling, I know something's wrong when it comes to her."

Ronon paused, "wanna see if we can track down Todd's Hive?"

John looked to him, "we need too, where's Rodney?"

"Cafeteria last time I saw him," Ronon replied.

--

I stared at myself after I had woken up, it was five hours later according to Todd. I didn't look like me, I was a Wraith, my skin was light green, like Todd I had those two little holes under my cheek bones (I have no idea what they're for); my hair is no longer red, instead it is long and black, yet its still curly. My eyes are a light brown color, and like Todd, I have a cat's pupils. I swallowed and opened my mouth and winced at seeing my teeth were sharp and pointy, they'd put the Headless Horseman's teeth to shame. I looked at my fingers, they were still the same length, however my nails were brown, stronger, and pointed sharply. I also felt hungry, a hunger I had never felt before, oh God. I was going to have to feed from a human.

"Emily," Todd said to me as he watched me staring at myself, "you are still beautiful."

"I...I'm going to have to feed from a human," I said, then I jumped, my voice! I even had a Wraith voice now.

"You must not go into shock or cry, those are signs of weaknesses," Todd said to me, "you can regenerate just as I can now, my scientists are working on a way to get your Wraith DNA stronger so you will live as long as a Wraith can and will."

I nodded and stared at myself, "how...Why is my hair black?"

"Only Keepers have red hair," replied Todd, "I have no sleeping Wraith on this Hive. Keepers are not queens, either, though they are powerful they are cannot rule over a Hive once it is awakened. Queens only have black hair, however, I have run across one Queen with white hair. She did not rule over her Hive long, though."

"What's John going to do when-"

"He's already here, with his friends," Todd replied, "their in the meeting room," he said as he looked me up and down in my hospital garb, Wraith hospital garbs were almost the exact same ones as Earth's; only they were made from a cobweb like material. "Redress and I shall take you too them."

"What if...I get hungry?" I asked my stomach twisting, to lose myself and go out of control...

"You will not lose control of yourself," Todd replied, "the hunger will not hit you until the last human food you had has finished going through your system, your brother and his friends are safe."

"Thank you, Todd," I smiled, "I'm not baring my teeth am I?"

Todd laughed, "when Wraith smile we usually look like we are baring our teeth do not worry. Now you will also be able to communicate with me 'telepathically' as the humans call it...You can also communicate with any and every Wraith one at a time or all at the time the very same way."

--

John could feel his temper about to go through the roof, Todd had turned his sister into a Wraith! He said that she was surprised by his decision but did not seem to fight it. He knew his sister was probably surprised by his decision and probably did say something, no matter what Todd said. When the doors slid open Ronon reached for his gun, Todd glared at him before stepping out of the way.

"Now, may I introduce to you my Hive's Queen," he said, "Sheppard, you're sister." He stared at Ronon, "do not shoot her."

"I wouldn't shoot Emil-" Ronon started before staring.

John froze, his mouth falling open, a raven haired Wraith Queen walked into the room, carrying with her a feeling of strength, power, and not someone he really wanted to cross. When she saw John she smiled, John figured his face reflected the, well, horror at seeing his sister's new teeth; she quickly closed her mouth and glanced away.

"What? How is this so?" Teyla asked in shock.

"Hi Teyla," Emily greeted, John sat down, she even had a Wraith's voice.

"Emily?" Teyla asked.

Emily nodded, "it's me," she replied, "I just look different, but it really is me."

John looked to her, "August 15, 2000," he exclaimed.

"You took me on the 'country's largest Ferris wheel,' " Emily replied, "you also said Ferris wheels were far better than roller coasters, though I still say Roller Coasters are number one."

John sat back down, "it's her," he replied, "Emily did you agree to this?"
"It was either this, get killed by the Hive's Wraiths, or go back to Atlantis and see another female mate Todd, females are very possessive over their males, I'd never be able to be around him again," Emily replied, John froze, he saw that unlike the other Wraiths who never seemed to show emotion, Emily's eyes were still full of emotion, even though they were Wraith eyes now.

John figured Emily also had the whole telepathic gift thing now too since she looked at Todd and the two seemed to be talking. She looked back at John, "John, are you ok with this?"

"It's your body," John replied, in truth, NO he was NOT okay with it.

"I'm still your sister," Emily replied.

John looked to her, "I know, and I'll never stop loving you, that's what your afraid of right now isn't it? That I'm gonna decide since your a Wraith I want nothing to do with you, right?"

She gave a nod.

"Wrong," John replied, "I don't give a damn if you dyed your skin blue and called yourself a Smurf. You're still my sister. It's just...Going to take me, and everyone, a while to get used to this...I just wouldn't suggest showing up on dad's doorstep like that."

Emily laughed, "Todd said that if I ever need to return to Earth the surgery can be reversed and then redone when I come back, it can be reversed and redone a few times." She winced, realizing what her laugh sounded like now, "sorry."

"Just, don't laugh, ok?" Rodney asked as he looked at her, "when you get hungry don't look at me."

Emily paused and nodded, John could tell that Rodney had just hit a sore spot at that, Emily didn't believe in killing. She was going to have to kill to feed from now on, John could tell she wasn't whistling Dixie about this. She'd be okay, and he had a feeling this would turn out to be a help to them.

After a short visit John and the others quickly left, they all knew Emily understood why they wanted off that Hive so fast.

"Colonel? Are you alright?" Teyla asked in concern, she called him John while in Atlantis, while exploring or on missions it was Colonel.

"I'm alright, Teyla," John replied, "just...shocked. But I think it will help us instead of hurt us since Todd and Emily have said that Lantia is their territory. I know they won't cull Atlantis, but it might help to keep Hives away from us after this Civil War."

When they flew back into the gate into the Jumper they met up with a very happy Dr. Weir.

"Eliz--Dr. Weir," John corrected himself, "What's going on?"

"After you all left General O'Neill noticed there were only two Hives left, they were both coming towards Atlantis and General O'Neill and the marines blew them out of the sky."

John smiled, "well that's good. I got some pictures and video clips of Emily..." At seeing Dr. Weir's confused look he explained, "she's been turned into a Wraith. She's still on our side, though."

Dr. Weir nodded, though looking surprised, "meet me in my office with the pictures and video."

"We will," John replied.

--

--

The Southern to English Translations

--

Whistling Dixie- Happy, everything's going your way, no problems.

ya'll- Means, you all.

ustacould- (Pronunciation: use - tah - could) Combination of the words Used To Could, means you could do something before, and you may be able to again.

yaeatyet- The words Ya Eat Yet put together, "ya" meaning you.

ai'ight- Means "alright."

Yes, I'm Southern, but not rednecky southern! Just Southern. If ya'll have ever listened to Jeff Foxworthy's jokes you'll probably recognize the words.