As the clock stuck midnight Kimberley stood up from her computer, still a little wigged out that Dara wasn't on, like she hadn't been for a few days, and traveled down stairs, smiling at her family and her birthday cake.
"Twenty two Kimbo. Never thought you would make it." Her brother joked, grabbing her for a hug.
Kimberley's lips twitched into a smile. "Thanks guys. So...where's the presents?"
A knock at the front door caused them to all whirl round and stare at it.
Slowly Kimberley left the living room and unlocked the door, removing the bolt before opening it. "Oh my fricking god!"
"Kimberley!" Her mom shouted, crossing the hallway with her cake, dropping it at the sight of their visitor.
Sparky barked up at them innocently, wagging her tail as the heavy snow continued its evil torrent of falling.
Sparky, the same dog who died months ago.
"Hey there's a note on her." Kimberley's mother pointed out. "It's in code."
"That looks familiar." Kimberley's dad commented, looking over the note as he rubbed his beard. "It looks like it's from that show you watch with that Sarah girl."
"Dara." Kimberley corrected automatically, hugging the fur off of her dog. 'God I missed you girl.'
"Uh, Kimberley, what does the note say?" Her brother asked.
Kimberley wiped her eyes after letting go of the family pet. Carefully she took the note from her dad and frowned. "Its defo Wraith."
"How do you know that?" Dad asked, looking up from giving Sparky a sweet.
"See that funky swiggle, that's a D." She explained. "I'm gonna go decode this."
"Take Sparky out first." Mum ordered.
"Can't he do it?" She whined, pointing to her brother.
"No he has work tomorrow." Her dad shook his head.
"But it's my birthday!" She exclaimed.
"Don't make me make it your death day!" Her mom threatened.
Everyone looked at her. Kimberley blinked. "Seriously mom, death day?"
Her mother shrugged.
o0o
'Hey Kimbo, I'm sorry I cannot be there for your birthday, but I hope this present makes it up to you. You know you could not have given your self a better present X.'
After she finished translating the note, Kimberley stared at it. 'Holy crap, how do I top this present?'
With a shrug, she prepared to go to bed, thinking about what happened the previous August.
o0o
Kimberley passed outside the room Michael was operating on Dara in, turning her head every few seconds to look at the door. 'Oh crap oh crap oh crap, please survive Dara, please! I'll kill you if you don't.'
Dizziness over took her and she placed a hand on the Hive wall, breathing deep to let the nausea pass.
The door swished open, causing her to look up and, forgetting her own health, rush towards the Wraith leader. "How is she, how did it go? Will she be okay, can I see her? What did you do?"
Michael opened his mouth to respond and closed it as she continued to talk. Finally having enough he raised his voice. "Kimberley!"
She looked at him and blinked a few times, leaning onto the wall after letting go of his leather outfit. "Yes Michael?"
"I need your permission to operate on Dara." He asked.
"Why would-oh yeah, because of what Doctor McStupid head did to you?" Kimberley questioned then answered. "Sure, do what you need to do, just; don't let her die, please."
"I shall try." He nodded his head, and was rewarded by her smile.
"Thank you Michael." Kimberley barely held her self back from hugging him, choosing to lean on the wall of the Hive, closing her eyes for a second.
Through her closing eyelids, she could see Michael walk back into the infirmary type room.
Slowly she slid to the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugged them. Her head rested on her lower limbs. Taking a deep breath, she tried to stall the tears threatening and hush the headache that was knocking on her head.
Someone shook Kimberley shoulder, causing her to gasp and sit up. "I wasn't cheating!"
Michael frowned at her.
"Ehh, oops. Sorry." Kimberley smiled at him, the smile fading as he continued to look distantly sad. "Oh crap, what happened? How long was I out for?"
"Seven minutes or so." Michael aided her to stand. "My scanners detected that you have a mild concussion."
"A mild con-con, oh, okay." Kimberley nodded slowly. "And Dara?"
"She is resting comfortably in the lab." Michael diagnosed.
Kimberley bit her lip. "Look, Michael, you have already done so much for me that I can't really thank you enough" 'or begin to wonder why' "but I was wondering if there was one more thing you could do for me?"
Michael cocked his head to the side as he studied her.
She took his silence as a silent continue. "My dog passed away recently, and I was wondering if you could clone her or bring her back to life?"
Michael blinked and looked as though he was thinking it over. "Do you have something of hers?"
Kimberley bit the inside of her lip.'Having the body of the deceased pet, while slightly disturbing, is more useful than having a lock of hair to experiment with.' Michael thought to himself, looking at the black domesticated animal that was laid out on one of his operating tables.
o0o
Taking his time Michael laid out the different scientific tools he needed, counting that he had enough supplies before scanning the body.
'It is still alive.' He was shocked. 'There is a faint heart beat, but it is being repressed. The brain waves are as minimal as possible. Blood is going through the body at the slowest rate possible.'
As he moved the scanner along the main body parts, he noticed that only the vital parts were receiving blood, the other parts, including the lungs, where effectively dead.
A thought occurred to Michael. He walked across the room and opened a drawer, selecting a syringe. Re-crossing the room, he picked up the elbow of the dog and inserted the needle, pushing the liquid into the animals' blood stream.
'If this does not work then there are many different things that can be done.' Michael thought to himself, turning to leave the room, pausing at the soft whine from behind him.
Changing the direction of his turn Michael stared at the animal as it moved around in sleep, flipping slowly onto its back before becoming overbalanced. It opened its eyes before it flew off the table and onto the ground with a soft yelp.
"Will you look at that." He found himself saying.Kimberley glared at her body guard, who she was calling Otto in her head, as he reached over and poked her with a Wraith stunner. "I'm still awake!"
o0o
Otto just looked at her.
"You're secretly enjoying this aren't cha?" Kimberley demanded, moving to cross her arms over her chest.
"I would enjoy feasting on your flesh more so, but the disgrace that is our commander does not want you harmed." Otto spoke quietly, moving to lean towards her.
Kimberley shivered.
"Do I scare you puny human?" He sneered.
"A little, but your breath is worse than your face." Kimberley snapped, leaning back.
The guard continued to sneer as he leaned back, watching Kimberley. Michael chose that moment to walk in.
"Were you successful?" Kimberley asked, jumping up from the chair and running to stop him in the hall. "Did you get her cloned?"
"Unfortunately not." Michael looked straight into Kimberley's tear filling eyes.
"Oh, well, it was worth a shot." She sniffed and tried to smile. "Thank you for trying though, I do appreciate it. Could I have her b-body back please?"
"No."
"Why the hell not!" Kimberley demanded.
Michael cocked his head once more. 'I never knew humans to have such quickly changing moods.' "Because the being is currently eating a part of my ship."
"Seriously!" Kimberley shrieked.
Michael nodded.
"Wait, will that harm her at all?" Kimberley asked, visibly stopping herself from hugging the stuffing out of the Wraith/Human hybrid.
Michael cocked his head.
"I would worry about your ship but because it's a living organism I kinda guess that it will re-grow itself..." She trailed off and yawned. "You sure I have a concussion?"
Michael nodded his head.
"Kay." Kimberley bopped her head. "So, what do you do around here for fun?"
"I do not understand your question." Michael finally answered.
Kimberley sighed and leaned on the wall. "Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, you have so much to learn!"
"Do not call me Mikey." Michael demanded, moving to grab her arm.
"Ye-eah, okay-okay!" Kimberley nodded, now completely one hundred percent awake.
Michael stared at her before looking down at his hand that was still connected to her arm, and slowly released it. "I apologize."
"No, no, it's okay." Kimberley rubbed her arm and tried to smile at him. "I guess after the whole Atlantis thing then that particular nick name would get on our razz."
Michael looked at her as if she was speaking a completely different language.
"I get why it bugs you so much." She tried to explain, and then winced. "Sorry, no pun intended!"
Michael continued to look at her. Slowly he blinked. "You are going to confuse me a lot, are you not?"
Kimberley could only nod.
"Tell me about your world?" Michael asked.
"What do you want to kn-why do you want to know?" Kimberley asked, looking up at him suspiciously.
"I know you are from an alternate reality, and I am merely interested in the differences that there are between the two." Michael calmly stated.
"It's Earth. It has billions of people, mostly good, a bunch evil and too many soap operas and day time TV shows." Kimberley shrugged, walking with him as they went to intervene Sparkys lunch.
Michael cocked his head once more.
"Doesn't your head get sore doing that?" Kimberley asked, cocking her own head.
"Where is your planet?" Michael ignored her question.
"Its, erm, in a galaxy far, far way, in a land before time where the sea weed is always greener, is somebody's else lake!" She giggled.
"Stop that." He ordered.
"Okay." She nodded.
Kimberley looked up from the ground of the ship to see Michael with his thinking face on. Slowly she opened her mouth. "How are you?"
"Excuse me?" Michael asked.
Kimberley blushed. "You saved my dog, and my best friend, and haven't asked for anything in return" 'yet' "so I figure I can at least be polite to ya."
"I am, well." Michael responded. "Yourself."
"Mild concussion but can't complain." She smiled, bobbing her head, and then turned to look around at the Hive. "Where are we?"
"In a Hive ship." He replied.
Kimberley looked at him funny. "Did you just tell a funny?"
Michael opened his mouth and smiled with his teeth's showing, causing her to laugh aloud.
"Are we heading in any particular direction?" Kimberley asked, whirling a finger around in the air.
"We are trying to find the ancient city of Atlantis. Do you know its where about?" Michael asked, slowing down as they began to come across sections of the city that were re-growing themselves.
"Its was supposed to be here, but cause we're technically using a ten year out of data address, its kinda moved on." Kimberley shrugged, and then slapped a hand over her mouth. "I shouldn't have said that!"
Something flashed through his eyes. "So, tell me Kimberley, how did you manage to come from Earth to Atlantis? I was under the illusion that there were no Stargates capable of such a travel."
"Well..." Kimberley bit her lip. 'If I tell him, we're in trouble. If I don't tell him, he might shove me out an air lock! Wait...' "Do you guys have air locks?"
"No." Michael shook his head slightly.
"Oh, good." Kimberley breathed a sigh of relief.
"We do not need air locks. If we wish to get rid of someone we merely eat them." He finished.
Kimberley stared at him. "Are you joking with me?"
"Perhaps." He smiled again.
They stopped walking and talking as a Wraith guard ran past, Sparky hot on their heels.
"Should I worry for my lieutenant?" Michael asked.
"I was going to ask the same thing about Sparky!" Kimberley worried.
"My men will not harm yourself, Dara or Sparky, on my orders or they will have myself to answer to." Michael informed her.
"Thank you." Kimberley smiled at him. "You have done so much to help us."
"And all I ask if your cooperation. I am looking for where Atlantis once was, or the where abouts of Earth." Michael tried again, this time walking her into a wall which began to stick to her. "I am afraid if you do not help me then I will no longer be able to offer you protection for your familiar or friend."
"I can't give up Earth, not even for two people I care about." Kimberley tried to shake her head.
Michael thought for a second. "You're choice at in action with create a reaction that will be most painful."
"Huh?" Kimberley scrunched up her eyebrows.
"There is a tasty morsel that my lieutenant would love to have, that will not put up much of fight in the medical labs." He threatened clearly.
Kimberley bit her lip. 'WWDW? Tell me to let them suck her dry, but, I'm not Dara, I can't have that on my conscious!'
She took a deep breath. "What do you want to know? I'm not the most knowledgful when it comes to our puddle jumper or Stargate, but I know a little."
Michael grinned. He beckoned her to follow him.
Sparky followed Kimberley and Michael, growling as the guard that had been following Kimberley stepped forward, its gun raised.
"Otto, seriously!" Kimberley glared at him.
"Leave us." Michael demanded, and laughed softly as Kimberley tried to leave. "Not you."
"Oh, right. Sorry." She blushed.
Michael walked over to a consol and brought out a data pad. "I trust you know how to work one of these devices?"
"I'm not too sure..." Kimberley took it from him and began messing about with it. 'I wonder if they have solitaire on this.'
"I have opened a text document for you to write on." Michael explained.
"What information do you want to know?" Kimberley found her self asking.
"Your gate address for Atlantis and Earth, the defenses of each, the strengths and weaknesses, population, where they are in the galaxies." Michael paused for breath. "Ships in their fleet and their Alpha sites."
"Do I look like Picard or Obama?" Kimberley demanded, shaking like a leaf as he extended his feeding hand towards her.
"I am not expecting miracles, I know how you were." Michael pressed the button on the door and closed them in.
"Were? Past tense?" She asked.
"You died." Michael would have shrugged his shoulders if he were human enough.
"What? How!" She demanded.
"By my hand." Michael replied instantly.
"WHAT!" Kimberley screeched. "How? Why!"
"Because you were annoying." He turned to her. "Give me the information or I will give the order for your friends to become drained husks."
"In a minute!" Kimberley waved her hand at him. "Is that the reason why you killed me? Because I was annoying?"
Michael paused before answering. "It was also to rip the heart out of Col. Sheppard."
"Crazy psycho Wraith hybrid says what now?" Kimberley looked taken aback.
"I will give the order to eat your friends." Michael growled.
"I'm typing, I'm typing!" Kimberley exclaimed as she began to type.
'What are you doing!' Sparky barked. 'Stop giving the enemy information! Who cares if he kills us- who am I trying to bark at, she could give the information to Lucy himself if it saved even the smallest of characters.'
Michael watched Kimberley input the data quickly, ignoring her explanation of how she couldn't draw really well. Sparky began pacing the floor and Kimberley leaned against the wall, tiredness beginning to kick in.
A scream caused them to pick their heads up, Kimberley tearing from the room with Michael and Sparky hot on her heels, the data pad left forgotten on the wall.Kimberley ran into the room and said something before skidding to a stop, Sparky bumping into her.
o0o
'She smells weird.' Sparky thought, sniffing again as the strange person shouted at Kimberley.
Kimberley looked down at her and Sparky panted, smiling at her friend. 'Can we get off this organ matter and get some decent food?'
The strange female stepped away and Michael stepped forward, speaking as he patted her head. The female, Dara, glared at Kimberley and spoke harsh words, causing Sparky to stand up and begin to growl.
Dara slid her feet backwards and got ready for a fight. She spoke quickly to Kimberley, who stepped away from everyone.
The group exchanged words before Michael stepped closer to Kimberley, which caused her and Dara to stop closer to one another.
A Wraith appeared behind them, causing the girls, who were trying to back away, to run into him.
Dara was stuck to a wall as Otto placed his hands on Kimberley's shoulders. Sparky barked in anger, preparing to bit them in the butt, but stopping as Kimberley kicked them where it hurt, then turned to Michael and flew for him.
Michael threw out his hands, the one he used to feed attaching itself to the female.
Sparky barked as Dara screamed, a white light flashing over them and bringing them to somewhere both familiar and new.
Kimberley and Dara looked at each other before speaking quietly. Quickly Dara took charge, leaving Sparky to sniff out all the new smells from the area.
A man in a wheel chair came down a ramp and missed Sparkys tail by inches. It took the girls a second to realize who he was but when they did, they were shocked.
The grouchy man ordered something before they left the room, Sparky walking beside Kimberley, who scratched between her ears affectionately.
They entered a room and Sparky snuffed excitedly around the room, tongue nearly on the floor as she panted in happiness.
Kimberley bent down and spoke quietly to Sparky, who shook her fur out in annoyance. 'What and I don't?'
The mean man said something, causing Kimberley to turn away and blush.
Sparky looked around the room and tried to pin point why it felt so familiar, not taking any kind of interest in the conversations going around until the man with long hair spoke.
"Good, but the dog has to stay here."
Kimberley stood up and glared at him, before nodding and stumbling as a blast rocketed the city. One of the men handed Dara some items as Kimberley turned to Sparky.
Sparky allowed her paws to be placed on Kimberley's shoulders, and realized this was a 'good-bye' hug. Kimberley's arms tightened around her and Sparky licked her face, taking away the tears that had began to fall.
Kimberley squeezed her body one more time before whispering. "Bye Sparky."
'Bye!' Sparky barked and whined, watching as the men with guns handed them to the girls, and with a flash, they were gone.Kimberley woke up with high sound coming from her speakers.
o0o
Turning over in her bed, she looked at the computer and wondered when Dara was getting on line so she could thank her.
As sleep began to claim her once again, Kimberley pondered on what Sparky did after they left her...
o0o
Yet another blast rocketed the city, causing everyone to loose their balance. Sparky flew under the table, watching the feet as the crew of Atlantis scrambled to stand up and do their jobs.
"Get me a lock on the girls' location!" McKay ordered. "I want to make sure they get out of here alive."
"I have a lock on them." Eli replied almost instantly. "They're heading for the jumper bay if these schematics are correct."
"Which, if we trust Todd, they are." Rush wanted to point out the problems with that statement but left it as is, choosing to keep the city dwindling shield active instead o nit picking with Rodney McKay.
"A jumper but tore from the side of the Hive ship." Eli reported.
"Follow them to the gate, then use all emergency power to get us out of here." McKay ordered.
"The Hive ships' throwing everything it has at the jumper, but who ever is driving has really good piloting skills." Eli commented.
"Or thinks they are driving a bumper car." Rush snorted, accepting a radio transmission as the girls neared their gate.
"Hey guys, who did we end up with?" Kimberley's voice came through and Sparkys ears picked up.
"KIMBERLEY!" Several of them shouted.
"Just wondered." The connection was lost as the jumper flew through the gate.
As Rush and Eli prepared to follow out McKay's orders, the Wraith Hive ship turned around and jumped into hyperspace.
"Did that just happen?" Eli asked after a few minutes of silence.
"I think it did." Rodney would have slumped down on his chair even more if he were able to.
Sensing the danger over, Sparky slowly scrawled out from the table.
"So, what do we do with her?" McKay asked as he watched Radek poke the dog.
"I have detected nanites from within the body." Rush pointed out, holding his scanner closer to the physicist.
"Just- put her in the stasis pod just now, we'll figure out what to do with her later." McKay decided, nodding to Eli who called for the dog.
'Stasis? Food?' Sparky thought and followed Eli willingly.
"C'mere boy, who's a good boy?" Eli called again, frowning as Sparky stopped in the middle of the floor.
"It's a girl, you dolt." Rush corrected from his consol.
Eli blushed but rolled his eyes at his mentors' words. "C'mon girl. Let's get you in the freezer."
'Freezer? Are there brussels?' She asked herself, happily walking along with him.
They walked down a long corridor until they reached a disused room. A frozen male was in side one of the chambers, and a member of the auxiliary crew was standing by with another chamber open.
"Riley." Eli nodded.
"Hey Eli, this the dog?" Riley asked.
"There's a dog here!" Eli jumped around to look at Sparky, and then laughed. "Sure is Ri."
"Stasis is already for, is it a him or her?" Riley questioned.
"It's a girl." Eli explained.
"Congratulations you two, but hurry up." McKay ordered through their earpieces.
Riley and Eli rolled their eyes but complied with their leader, Eli ushering the dog into the stasis chamber, placing an energy bar on the ground before she did so.
As she was munching Riley entered the commands to activate the ancient device.
Sparky looked up in fear as the cold hit her knees, falling asleep almost instantly while another blast hit the city, causing Eli and Riley to crash to the ground, sparks flying behind them from the consoles.
o0o
A tall female wearing a plain black outfit entered the stasis pod room.
She looked at the one that had a huge crack and sighed, slowly making her way over to it.
A beeping noise caught her attention.
The stasis pod with the black furry animal, Sparky, was finished through its cycle and was releasing the captive into the wild.
Slowly the ice and cold melted away, leaving a sleeping Sparky, who stretched, yawned, then looked up at her surroundings - and stared at the female. She looked strangely familiar, with long hair, a kind smile but slightly suspicious eyes. Taking an experimental sniff Sparky could feel her eyes widen. 'It can't be!'
Sparky bound forward, ramming into the familiar females legs.
"Well, hello Sparky." The female answered as she slowly patted her head, bending down slightly to stretch her ears. "Did ja miss me?"
'Yes!' Sparky felt like screaming. In her long life, there were few that she really had connected with, and this person, this was one of them.
"Good, not how about we change your voice from an Earth dog into something I can understand." The female picked up a small purple device and pressed it to Sparkys jugular. "Better?"
"This won't-It worked!" Sparky spoke with a chirpy, high voice. "Thank you! You had no idea how long I've been stuck with out a voice-how did you know I could talk?"
The female smirked. "I've known for a long time."
"How long was I 'dead' for?" Sparkys asked, sitting on the floor with her legs to the side.
"Technically, never, but in terms of how long it has been since the humans of Atlantis put you in the stasis pod, its been about 40 years." she shrugged.
"40 years!" Sparky jumped up. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"Nope, sorry." Their head moved from side to side. "But I have a proposition for you."
"Why would you?" Sparky asked, moving closer to them.
"Because she needs you." They replied.
"She? You mean-"
"Yes, but don't say it here, I'm not to sure if I got all the Iratus out." She cut her off.
"Why do you trust me?" Sparky had to ask.
"You don't get it, do you?" The female sighed. "I've known you for years; you can't hide your true personality, not from family, not from friends."
Her hand clasped her snout and patted it, scrubbing up and down. "Anyway, I knew ever since I met you that you weren't who you were billed as."
If a dog could look sheepish, Sparky would have. "I'm sorry but-"
"It's fine." The being sat on the floor and pulled her for a hug. "But we should get you back."
"Back?" Sparky pulled away slightly. "Back when? Where? How?"
"Where you belong silly." The being smiled. "As for the how, leave that to me."
"You mean my home?" Sparkys voice was hopeful.
"I'm sorry." She sighed. "I can't take you there; however, I can take you to the next best place, if you'll let me?"
Sparky eyed the woman, and then looked around in the cold area that she was in, and nodded.
"But I need to take your voice away." She explained.
"What? Why?" Sparky backed away slightly.
"Because if anyone was to hear you speak instead of bark, they'd change your name to Luna." The female joked.
o0o
Kimberley grumbled to herself as she took Sparky for a walk, shouting for her to hurry up as the pooch decided to sniff anything and everything that was in her path.
As the snow continued to fall around the area, a cloaked figure smiled to herself as she closed the hatch of her home made puddle jumper, glad that Sparky was where she belonged, and where she would do the most good.
While the jumper took a second to rise into the atmosphere because of its age, the female hoped that Sparky would find the help she needed, and that there wouldn't be too many problems (this time).