For my good friend Amycat. Done quicker just for you, sweetie!
Chapter Ten
Hours had gone by and still no food. Rodney paced the confines of the cell, his stomach growling. He looked over at his friend, quiet and unmoving on the bench. His eyes were open but they seemed unfocused. And he hadn't said more than a few words since he'd been returned.
"John," he asked tentatively, knowing Sheppard hadn't been in a great mood before their royal visit. Now, yeah, best not annoy him with stupid questions. Still he felt like he should do something. "Can I do anything for you?"
"Sure, McKay," Sheppard's lip curled up on one side. "Why don't you see about getting us out of here? That would be nice."
"Oh, okay, well, it's just that normally when you ask me to do things, I have my tools or at least a data pad. And we have a few guests who keep peeking inside the door. I don't think they'd be too happy with me poking around. And then there's this." McKay touched his finger through the bars and an electric zap crackled in the air.
John sat up as Rodney whined. "What are you stupid, McKay? Why would you touch the bars when you know they're wired?"
"I don't know," McKay stammered. "I thought maybe it might get you to do something other than lie there like —"
"Like what? Like I just had the life sucked out of me? Hate to break it to you. But I did."
"Did you tell her anything?"
John glared. Like McKay had kept all his secrets intact. He'd spilled his guts after barely two seconds. John couldn't blame him though. Most people would. He didn't know how he managed to hold off Queens so long. Today he had almost reached his limit.
He'd done his regular trick of clogging his mind with mundane tasks that were filled with repetitive details. And she'd pushed harder.
He'd focused on how much he hated the Wraith and wished they were all dead. She'd been amused but had still pushed harder.
He'd tried to get into her mind and she'd been momentarily stunned and had pushed even harder. Then she'd taken out the big guns and mentioned Teyla and the baby. His momentary lapse of fear for them had made her giddy. But her thoughts had only made him stronger and this time he pushed back.
It had made her seethe with anger. But he had also sensed a flick of respect. That had been when she'd changed tactics and fed on him.
He closed his eyes, the pain still fresh in his mind. His body shook with the memory as though it were still happening. Rodney looked on concerned but John threw him a grin and turned away. He didn't need Rodney's pity. He needed the man to use every ounce of his oversized brain to get them out of here.
Because he wasn't sure he could hold onto his sanity much longer if she fed on him again. When she'd been through she had tried to get in his mind again. Luckily he'd been in so much agony it was all that occupied every cell in his body. She had quickly seen that and sent him back here.
He'd pretended to be unconscious so McKay and anyone else would leave him alone. It had worked. Though he did wonder what Todd wanted to talk about. Personally if he got close enough, John couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't just strangle him.
"What do you think, McKay?" John finally answered his friend's question with his own question.
"You didn't. Unlike me." His tone was filled with disgust. "I folded the first second she put even the tiniest bit of pressure in my mind. It was like I had to answer her. I couldn't refuse. How do you do that? Resist her so much?"
"I don't know, Rodney. It's just something I can do. Try and fill your mind with trivial matters, old movies, lyrics to songs that would freak her out."
"Really, that's what you do? I'm not sure I have a whole lot of trivial information stored up. Genius here, you know. But I suppose I could use some old songs. Hey, how about that weird part at the beginning of The Lion Sleeps Tonight. You know, a – wimoweh, a – wimoweh, a – wimoweh, a – wimoweh –"
"Got it, McKay. I don't need a serenade. The inside of my head's a little tender right now."
"Sorry. Did you get any information on why we're here? I mean other than the task of starting this place up and spilling all her secrets to the Wraith. Did Todd tell you anything?"
"I didn't see Todd other than –"
Rodney cleared his throat as the Wraith walked in, a tray in his hands.
"Oh, thank God! I thought you were planning to starve us. I can't very well do any kind of work for you with my stomach empty."
John rolled his eyes. Seriously, they could be hanging from the edge of a cliff and McKay would still complain about being hungry. He watched as a drone shut off the switch and Todd entered the cell. Todd turned his head and the drone left.
John narrowed his eyes. He thought he'd heard something. Like the thoughts he read from Teyla. And Torren. And Charin. Not quite as clear as Charin but still he knew that Todd had dismissed the drone and told him to take his friend with him. They could stand down the hall while he was in here.
How had he gotten that much from just one gesture? But he had. He looked at Todd to see if the Wraith realized he'd done this. The Queen had known right away when he'd done it. Todd gave no indication he'd felt John inside his head. Could he get more?
"I have brought you food, Shepparrrrd, Dr. McKay. I hope it is satisfactory. Wraith do not require sustenance of this kind though I have attempted to digest it recently with my research."
McKay grabbed the tray and placed it on the bench then sat next to it, attacking the fruit on it. John kept his eyes on Todd. He didn't trust him. He never had. Yet, for some reason he could feel that Todd meant them no harm. How could that be? He'd allowed the Queen to interrogate them. Had actually allowed him to be fed on. Although he hadn't been present for that.
"We must speak, Shepparrrd. The drones are out of earshot for now. But they will begin to suspect if I stay here too long. For now they think I am gathering information for my research."
John cocked his head. "The research that isn't supposed to harm humans?"
Todd glanced nervously down the hallway then back again. "Not too loud, Shepparrrd. They are not aware of the true purpose of my research. But I spoke the truth. Your being here will be helpful in gathering information for it."
McKay stopped munching long enough to snarl, "I thought you were researching digestion and reproduction in Wraith? And how can you say what you're doing won't harm humans? Have you seen this?" He pointed to John then shook his head. "Okay, for some reason he still looks better than most people his age, or the age he would be after having the life sucked out of him. But still … that's hardly to do with reproduction and proper digestion."
"Correct, Dr. McKay. But I was not present when my Queen fed on Sheppard. At least she did not take more years. She could easily have ended his life and very quickly. As for my research, I do not wish the Queen or her servants to know what I am doing. It would not be well received and I would be in more danger than you."
"So, what do you want from us?" John growled under his breath. He'd give the man his private conversation, at least for now. "Besides the ability to run this place and get all its data."
"I do need information from its data core but it is not what you think." He glanced down the hall again. "The key to my success is locked inside. The key to returning the Wraith to the creatures we once were. Ones that ate and reproduced in a way similar to humans. It was our original state. What we have now is a result of many generations of genetic manipulation. We were not always so. It is even rumored that Wraith and humans were once allies."
He speaks the truth, son of Atlantis. Listen to him.
John stared at Todd. Lemuria had said the very same thing to him this afternoon about the Wraith. Could this really be true? And what's more, could Todd be telling the truth? Did he really want to return them back? He reached toward the Wraith and still could feel no deception.
Are you sure? He can't be trusted. He's deceived us before. How do you know he's telling the truth? He hoped Rodney wouldn't notice his vacant I'm-talking-to-the-city look and say something stupid.
He has used some of my circuitry to run his machines and I have seen into his system. His information is heading in the correct direction. He still has much to learn before he can return his people to their former selves.
How do you know this can even happen? That they can even be returned after all this time?
"Where did you hear this?" John finally spoke out loud. "This ally thing?"
"It was foretold many centuries ago though any Wraith who spoke of it was not long in this world."
"You obviously kept it under your hat, huh? Or is that why you were locked in Kolya's dungeon for so long?" John waved his hand around. "And you think this small part of Ancient technology might have what you need to convert the Wraith all back to being nice?"
"To their former selves. And I am hopeful. Especially since it comes at a time when the prophecy will be fulfilled."
"What Prophecy?" Rodney asked, licking fruit juice off his fingers. "Like the coming of a savior or something religious like that?"
"No, Dr. McKay. But it has been said when a child of both Wraith and Ancient blood comes into this world, peace will reign over the galaxy once more. It is why the Queen is very interested in your offspring, Shepparrrd. She wishes to take this child and mold her so peace does not come."
An icy claw clamped around John's heart. Charin.
...
…
"Anything, Major?"
Major Lorne shook his head at Woolsey's question. "No, sir. Lots of dead ends. But we've only checked out a handful of the gate addresses we collected. There's still a lot to go. And we don't even have any idea if they went through several gates after they left. I've got another team ready to go. They should be here any minute." He looked around the gate room as a new team arrived and waited for orders.
"Good, good. Just let me know if there're any developments. We're due to check in with the SGC tomorrow morning. We promised Colonel Sheppard would be heading back by then. If he's not here, we'll have some explaining to do. I'd like to avoid that if at all possible."
"I agree, sir. I have teams scheduled to go out round the clock until we get some information. For now, though, some of us need to get some food and sleep."
Woolsey headed back up the stairs and Lorne turned to the new team. "You've got your orders. Lt. Seifert has the information in her data pad and Stackhouse you've got the lead. Check out anything that even smells fishy. Report in then head to your next destination."
"I should go with them." Ronon stood over Lorne, his presence as large as his body.
Lorne looked at the big man then glanced back at the team. Stackhouse had been here since the beginning. He knew the score. Lt. Louisa Seifert was fairly new but "Lou" had come highly recommended for both her marksmanship and knowledge of the gate system. Corporals Timson and Minelli were extremely loyal to Sheppard. If anyone would fight to get information on his whereabouts, it would be them. No need for Ronon to go.
"You've been out for over twenty hours. You need a shower, some food and a good night's sleep. Once you've had those, I'll send you out again. Not until then. No argument."
Ronon opened his mouth to argue but Amelia walked down the large staircase and he paused. Lorne took that moment to give the team one last word then sent them out. He started up the stairs while Amelia kept her fiancé busy. Lorne didn't need to deal with the unhappy Satedan. He had enough crap he needed to worry about. Like getting his CO and the Chief Science Officer back. He looked back down and Amelia had managed to get Ronon off the platform and heading away from control. Good. Now he needed food and rest. Unfortunately he had a few reports to write up regarding their last mission. He'd get there eventually.
…
"I can't believe how well Jennifer is taking this," Amelia said as she and Ronon walked back to their new larger quarters. It was in the same building as Sheppard and Teyla just a few stories up. "I know she's worried but she seemed so casual at dinner."
Ronon shrugged. "She's being all tough. Trying to hide it. You do the same thing. So does Teyla."
"You're right." She waved her hand and their door slid open. Their quarters were set up similar to John and Teyla's except they only had two bedrooms not three.
Amelia thought of that third bedroom, all set up with a crib and the beautiful wooden cradle Halling had made for Torren. Would they be able to use it? She'd heard the rumors about someone wanting the baby. And how Teyla wouldn't be allowed back here unless everything was clear. Her husband being missing was hardly clear. When you worked in the control room and sent most of the messages to the SGC, it was hard to miss something that important.
Ronon's arms slid around her and she breathed a sigh of relief. Ronon was here and safe. She instantly felt guilty for the thoughts. Two of her best friends, Teyla and Jennifer, had husbands who were missing and most likely in grave danger. She shouldn't feel good about anything. But she was very thankful the man she loved hadn't been taken.
"Don't feel that way."
Amelia looked up at Ronon's words. "Are you a mind reader now? Colonel Sheppard teaching you a few of his tricks with Teyla?"
"No, I just know you, Lia, " Ronon growled softly in her ear. Chills ran across her sensitive skin reveling in the name he called her only in private. He'd said her name was too long. "You're feeling guilty because I'm here. You shouldn't."
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So, you shouldn't feel guilty that they were taken and you weren't, right? Or that you haven't been able to find them yet. No guilt."
His eyes narrowed. Maybe she could read a little of his mind too. His wasn't so complex. She actually liked that about him. Well, loved that about him. Loved so much about him.
"I love you, babe." She leaned in to press her lips to his. The way he drew in his breath let her know he felt her desire. She wondered what it would be like tonight. He had so many facets to him. She could never guess which direction he would go.
His hand slipped into her hair and pulled out her bun, allowing the strands to dance free around her shoulders. Then he framed her face with his hands and returned the pressure. Soft and gentle. It was rare but this way was always so special. She cherished the moments.
"Yeah, me too." His voice was rough like gravel and it scraped along her nerve endings sending thrills down to her core. Then he said it. Again, a rare occurrence but special. "I love you, Lia."
"If we can't find them soon, maybe we should postpone—"
"No!" Ronon stated bluntly. "We'll find them. And the wedding isn't for three weeks. If, well, you know … we'll handle it then. Deal."
"Deal."
She pressed kisses along his jaw and ran her hands over the width of his shoulders and arms. Her sister had talked long and loud about his shoulders when she'd first met him. But Amelia was the one who always had the pleasure of touching them, exploring them, being held within them.
"No talk of anything else tonight, Ronon. Promise me. No thoughts of work. We just take and give to each other and be thankful for what we have."
His lips traveled down her throat. "I'm always thankful for you. You know that, right?"
Amelia nodded her head. "I do."
Ronon walked her through the apartment until they crossed the bedroom door then he paused. "I don't tell you enough. I should though. You need to know."
"I do know, Ronon. And you don't need to tell me. You need to show me."
His eyebrow rose and a glint filled his eyes. His lips crooked up in a mischievous smirk. "I can do that pretty well."
Her hands moved to the hem of his shirt and slid under. "Oh, you can do it very well."
He backed her further into the room and pulled her shirt over her head. She returned the favor. Slowly, agonizingly, they removed each other's clothing until they lay beside each other in their natural state. It was so different from their usual frenzy but Ronon seemed to need slow and easy tonight. She'd give him whatever he needed. He always gave her that and so much more.
"You are so gorgeous, Lia," Ronon moaned in her ear, his lips caressing across her cheek and down to her shoulder. Shivers shook her as his hands skimmed down her side and over her stomach.
"You always make me feel that way."
No response. Just his lips moving from her throat down to her chest. Heat rose inside and threatened to spill out as his tongue licked along the curve of her nipple while his hand kneaded her other breast.
A moan escaped from her throat as tendrils of fire licked along her center. The more he sucked the higher the flames rose. She wasn't sure how much longer she could last.
"Ronon," she begged and he lifted his head long enough to grin at her.
"Something you need, babe?" He loved to throw that name back at her.
Amelia narrowed her eyes. "You know what I need. You."
"You've got me. I'm right here." His grin turned into a smirk, his eyes danced merrily.
She pulled him up along her body then slid her hands over his taut butt. It was so beautiful. She could touch this part of him all day. She didn't imagine Mr. Woolsey would appreciate it in the control room though.
"I need you," she pulled his bottom half in between her thighs and raised her knees to trap him, "right about here."
Eyes still shining, Ronon pressed his lips to hers. "I'm here. Now what?"
He wanted to be playful. Sure. She liked him this way. But she also needed more. "Do you need a diagram? Insert tab A into slot B." She reached between them and stroked his very generous arousal. "This would be tab A."
"Can I take a guess where slot B is located?"
"Better take a very good guess, babe."
"I might need to do some reconnaissance first." And he did. Some very thorough reconnaissance. Up and down her body exploring every crevice and nook. But he was slow and meticulous and didn't rush through it. As he moved over her, she made sure to touch whatever part of him she could. His sounds of appreciation were clear.
Swirls of passion floated over her surrounding her with its magic. Her back arched and she sat at the edge of the precipice. Ronon pulled himself up to plunder her mouth again.
"I think I've got a lock on where that slot B is located. Wanna help me find Tab A again?"
Amelia reached down, her hand already sliding up and down his stiff member, guiding it to its home. His hand was already there, preparing for the arrival and culmination of their mission. He thrust inside and the swirls of color spun faster and faster until she fell off the cliff she'd been floundering on.
Ronon plunged harder, swifter until he too groaned in satisfaction and collapsed gently to cover her. Their breathing quick and unsteady, their hearts beating rapidly, Amelia held her lover tighter, never wanting to let him go. They hadn't spoken of what was happening in their lives and the lives of their friends but it had been with them throughout.
Ronon slipped off her, settling at her side then pulling her down to his chest. He kicked the blankets up with his foot, a trick she'd been very impressed with, especially when she was cold, and covered them both. His arms held her snugly but were still so tender and gentle. That had been the biggest surprise with this bear of a man. He could be more gentle than anyone else she'd been with. Just another thing she loved about him.
"Now stop distracting me, woman," Ronon growled, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "I need to get some sleep or Lorne won't let me go out again."
"You can sleep," she whispered nuzzling into his warmth. "I'm satisfied for now."
She wiggled as he playfully slapped her butt. Her eyes drifted closed and as his soft, "I love you, Lia," drifted her way, she knew she was.
…
"Mama, we watch a movie before bed?"
Teyla looked at the clock and saw they had an hour before her son should be retiring. It had been a stressful day with John gone. David had been at work until just a short while ago but now was spending time with his family. Julia had tried to help Teyla but Patrick was at an age where he wasn't quite sitting up on his own yet, could just grasp objects but not enough to entertain himself. But he didn't sleep as much as the newborn Charin. She had needed to see to him first and foremost.
Charin had been fussy for much of the day and Torren had been out of sorts as well. They both missed John. She did too. He had only been gone a day but not knowing what was happening to him was more worrisome than ever.
"Choose a movie and you may watch it. But only after you have prepared yourself for bed. Is that agreed?"
Torren nodded and ran off to the room he was staying in. This was a fairly common ritual. If John had to work late, which was often, Torren would get ready for bed and be allowed to watch a movie until his Daddy came to say good night. John had never disappointed. It didn't matter what he was involved in, he would break away to say good night to his son. His son. That is truly how he felt about Torren.
There would be no quick visit tonight to tussle and then calm the boy into sleep. She hoped he would not give her a hard time. It was difficult enough when she was feeling healthy. But having just given birth and being up all night feeding and soothing her daughter, had sapped her of much strength.
"I weady, Mama. I get a movie, otay?" He rushed to the small pile of dvds and took a few moments to look through them. He walked over to Teyla and kissed Charin on the head. "What movie you wanna watch?"
Teyla never intruded when Torren "talked" to his sister. They seemed to have their own language that she didn't understand anyway. Torren cocked his head to the side then smiled sheepishly and nodded.
He went back to the pile and picked up The Lion King. Teyla deposited Charin in the baby seat they had for her and got the movie in. Torren settled on the large chair John and David usually fought over then just as the movie was starting, tore out of the room and back with his stuffed giraffe in his hands and his blanket trailing behind. He jumped back in the chair, sorted out his comfort items and leaned back to watch the show.
Charin seemed happy enough to lie quietly so Teyla took the opportunity to pick up a few things that needed laundering then tidied up the family room. They were using it as their living space for now and she shouldn't expect Julia to pick up after her family.
About halfway into the movie Torren began singing one of the songs and Teyla felt a shift in Charin. She closed her eyes but could not pinpoint exactly what she was sensing. But Charin's mood seemed to have lifted. She looked over at Torren who was bopping his head to the music.
He looked up suddenly, sensing her gaze perhaps, and asked, "What that mean, Mama? A- wimoweh, a-wimoweh, a wimoweh, a-wimoweh."
He continued to sing the unfamiliar words and Teyla again felt Charin's reaction. The child could not smile yet, but inwardly Teyla could tell she was.
"They're words from Africa, I think, TJ," Julia said from the doorway. She had Patrick draped over her shoulder and the child's eyes were half closed. "I'm not really sure what they mean. They could just be silly lyrics."
Torren smiled at his aunt then looked at her. His eyes were alight with laughter.
"Charwin lite this song. Daddy sing it. A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh …"
He continued the words though the cartoon animals had ceased crooning them. Teyla again felt Charin's emotions and truly it was as if John were here, soothing her to sleep. Could he be back on Earth already? He had said he would take as short a time as possible. Or was it just some strange coincidence that Charin was soothed by the words Torren was singing. She knew they had not watched this particular movie since Charin had been born.
Julia started to rock back and forth and sing along with Torren, though her lyrics varied a bit. "Hush my darling, don't fear my darling, The lion sleeps tonight."
She wandered back out of the room, to put Patrick upstairs in his crib most likely. Teyla liked the words she had sung. Hush my darling, don't fear my darling. She wished she could not have any fear. But until John returned to them, she knew she would have no choice.
…
"McKay!" John growled as he rolled to his feet from his reclined position on the floor. "Guh! I had that stupid song stuck in my head all night and now it's back. I'm gonna strangle you."
"Huh? What?" McKay pulled himself to sitting, their night accommodations not exactly stellar. "What are you talking about? What song?"
"A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh … remember now? At least if the Queen tries going in my mind today, she'll get a head full of that."
Rodney glanced around nervously then lowered his voice. "What are we going to do today? Did you buy that story Todd told us about the prophecy and getting the Wraith back to who they were before?"
John had spent quite a bit of time chatting with the city after McKay had nodded off last night. He'd learned a lot. But there was still so much to find out. Much of it was in the database the Queen wanted access to.
"Lemuria said he was telling the truth. Apparently humans and Wraith were allies when they first lived here. Then the Wraith began experimenting and mutated into what they are now. Same old story, greed, power, galactic domination."
"Wait! Lemuria? I thought you said this was only a small outbuilding that was cast off."
John smiled at Rodney sheepishly. Maybe it was time to come clean. He took a deep breath. "About that, McKay. I might have … bent the truth a tiny bit. This place is a lot bigger than you or I could even imagine. Four times the size of Atlantis. But we can't let the Queen know. Actually it might be a good idea not to let on to Todd either."
McKay stood up and scowled. "Are you telling me you lied to me? Why didn't you tell me the truth yesterday? You didn't think you could trust me?"
John glared at Rodney. The man really was something. "I didn't tell you, McKay, because we hadn't seen the Queen yet. I know you would never intentionally give away information, but unless you've suddenly got some defense against her Jedi mind tricks, it was too dangerous to let you in on what I'd discovered."
"Oh, God, you're right! I would have spilled my guts all over the floor. Wait, you just told me. What if she pushes inside my mind again today? It'll just gush out, like water from a faucet. I'm doomed."
"She got you to admit to helping her today. She may not need to go very far in. Of course you can't help her until I turn the power back on. I'll act a little weakened today and give her a tiny bit of what she wants. I've already had a chat with the city and we've worked out just what can be powered up and what she absolutely can't even know about. She's seen the stash of ZPMs but she can't know what they actually do."
"So, what do I do?"
"We need to help Todd find the information to finish his research. If he can actually find a way to get the Wraith eating real food and reproducing regularly instead of their current … habits … that would be very useful to us. And go a long way to promoting that peace the prophecy spoke of."
Rodney's eyes almost bugged out of his head and he leaned in close. "That prophecy, about the child of Wraith and Ancient blood … do you think it's really—"
John held up his finger. "Don't even think of her, McKay. Do you understand? Get her out of your mind completely."
John felt his insides squirm and nausea threatened to rise. He would give his life a hundred times over, be fed on endlessly and revived to do it again, sacrifice everything he had to keep his daughter safe. She was part of him and the thought of any Wraith using her in a scheme to control the galaxy made his want to retch. It was how Teyla must have felt when Michael wanted TJ.
Rodney seemed to get the intensity of his demand and nodded solemnly.
"While you're in the database look around for any little inconsequential systems that could be activated to keep her majesty happy without actually giving her any power to do anything. Can you manage that, McKay?"
Rodney glared at him. "You mean you want me to find some toys for her to play with that won't hurt anyone?"
John smiled. "Exactly. And make sure she doesn't realize the access you're giving Todd. Or see any of the information he's getting. He'll supposedly be with you to make sure you don't do any harm."
"And what will you be doing while I'm engaging in technological subterfuge?"
John looked down at his hands, the skin a bit more wrinkled and spotted than it had been yesterday. "I don't know but whatever it is, I have a feeling I won't like it."
Anxiety crossed Rodney's face and he looked uncomfortable. "Do you think Todd will give you back the years she took when this is all over?"
They heard footsteps approach and saw two guards enter the room. One switched off the electric field and motioned for them to come. Must be time for tea with the Queen.
John glanced at Rodney, wondering if he'd get out of this alive, never mind get his years back. He gave a halfhearted shrug. "Well, if I don't, I sure hope Teyla likes older men."
…