So sorry it took so long to post but I have been busy being sick. Enjoy and please review. Thanks for reading and a special thank you to Caty91 for being a sounding board and encouragement.

Chapter Eleven

Emma's POV

The first thing she noticed was the difference in the creature. The one from the planet had been bigger, bulker, and covered in fur. This one however, was smaller but more reptile like. It fit into Sheppard theory of being Godzilla which met that it truly did adapt to its environment, rather profoundly in fact. The second thing she noticed was the striking blue eyes; they were human like with a glow a feature it shared with the other one, the only same features in fact. Even in the dim, dark lighting she noticed its scaly skin and was that a tail? Definably different from the first one. The third and last thing she noticed before she ran down the corridor was the smell, that awful smell. It smelt like stagnant water and dead fish. It was moving down the corridor toward them; slowly and with a purpose. It stood on four legs and its body nearly filled the hallway from ceiling to floor and side to side, how it fit, she didn't know. It took her a moment to overcome the shock of its true size and when she recovered she noticed that no one else in the room had moved either. She was the first to fully recover and grabbed onto Evans arm that was raised with a gun pointed at the creature.

"I think we need to leave." She whispered into the dark. This seemed to snap him back into action and he nodded his head in agreement.

"Colonel, we need to go." He said to Sheppard as they all started to back up slowly into the hologram room.

"That is one big lizard." Sheppard stated once they were safely behind a consol. They all crouched silently as the creature slowly entered the room. It swung its huge head from side to side, sniffing as if to find it's pray that was in the room. Both Evan and John had placed themselves in front of her and Zelenka. Their military training had taught them to protect civilians at all cost and for no apparent reason she choose that moment for it to annoy her. So far, besides her neither creature had actually hurt anyone and anything. What it had done had been on instinct alone. It had been woken up and in unfamiliar territory, but what she had found on the video was the single most defining thing about the creature. It was protecting something in its lair and she had to find a way to get to it. If she did she may even have a way of controlling the whole situation. That being said she next had to convince herself and the others that what she was about to do wasn't entirely crazy. She was not usually the do first and ask questions later kind of girl but if she didn't act fast she would lose whatever nerve she had left. She looked around for an out and then spotted it on the other side of the room. It was a small opening but if she could get to it might mean their salvation.

"So what do you want to do sir?" Evan asked Sheppard.

"I was just trying to figure that out Major." He whispered back. The creature swung his head in the direction of their voices and started to move toward them.

"Now might be a good time for that." Evan whispered back and that was all he had a chance to say because Emma chose that moment to act.

"I have an idea." She said just as the creature started to make that oh so familiar deafening sound. She jumped up and half ran out into the center of the room. Behind her she could hear both Sheppard and Evan shout at her.

"Doc, what do you think you're doing?!"

"Emma, get the hell back here!"

Ignoring them she was able to distract the creature long enough for it to turn in her direction. They started at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. It's eyes held hers and for the first time she noticed how sad they looked and then she spoke to it, her hands held out in a non-threatening manner.

"We mean you no harm." She knew the phrase seemed cliché but it was all that she had. It seemed to understand her at least to some degree because it tilted its head as she spoke. "I know what you are looking for. Let us help." It stopped as if trying to make up its mind on what to do next.

"Doc, you need to get out of there." Sheppard said to her.

"I plan on it Colonel but why don't the three of you make your way that a way." She said as she nodded her head in the direction of the door.

"We're not leaving you here Emma." Lorne said. She could hear the tension underlined with a hint of anger in his voice. She couldn't meet his eyes but if she could she knew what she would find there so as calmly as she could she responded.

"Yes, you can. She won't hurt me she is only trying to protect what is hers and right now she can't find her way back to it."

"She?" Sheppard asked. "It's a she now"

"What are you even talking about? You need to get out of there now!" Evan was starting to get agitated and it was making the creature start to become uneasy. So Emma decided to try talking to a more suitable person for the job.

"Hey Radek, I need you to somehow get that tablet up to Rodney and take a look at that video. I think it goes a long way in explaining things."

"But what about the power? We really can't get there without it."

"Just everyone relax and if I'm right we should have power in just a few minutes." If she could get the creature to relax, trust her even then her calling out to her mate might lessen. This in return would stop her from "sending out her signal" so to speak. If she could get her to stop that then the power should come back on. She then decided to do something really stupid and walk toward it. She could practically hear what the men in the room were thinking but she ignored it. "Radek, get ready to move, Colonel, and Major you need to trust me on this. She hasn't actually hurt anyone. She's scared, lost and very lonely. We need to lure her back to where she was awakened"

"How do you intend to lure it Emma?" She could still hear the heightened tension in Evan's voice. She knew that if it was up to him, he would snatch her up and hide her away. She had no intention of allowing him to do that are even give him the details of her plan, so she shrugged never taking her eyes from the creature and gave him a whisper of a smile.

"You really want me to answer that?" She snuck a peek at him and wished she hadn't. He was never one to show his emotions but he was angry, boy was he angry. She quickly snapped her attention back to the creature and continued to approach it. "I know you're confused and alone but we can help you." She spoke to the creature and she came to a stop in front of it. She could almost feel the tension leave the creature as it became curious about her and sniffed the air around her. She could hear the power slowly start to come back on as the creature took a tentative step toward her.

"Doc" She heard Sheppard's warning voice. "I'm not liking this."

"Not a fan myself sir." Lorne added. At this point the power was almost fully restored and she could hear Sheppard talking on his com as the com signals were restored as well. She couldn't really hear what was being said because her heart was beating so loudly and the creature was so close to her. If she were to reach her hand out any further she would be able to touch it. And then she thought, just maybe, so she did. When she first made contact she expected it to feel well like a lizard, instead it felt warm, soft and then she felt rather than heard its one word pled. It was such a shock that she pulled back slightly in shock only to place both hands on its offered nose. She started right into her eyes as her mind was suddenly filled with images. Images so really and scary that she wasn't sure she could comprehend them and then the final image so powerful that she pulled away. She could feel the feeling come back to her body and her mind clear. She felt wetness on her cheeks and realized she was crying, all she could hear was silent and she finally found her voice.

"I am so sorry." Was all that she could manage to say. It was then that she heard commotion out in the hallway as help had arrived. Shouting and confusion followed as the creature became apprehensive again and the power started to flicker. She started to growl and when she turned around Emma wasn't quite prepared for what had followed. Just as she heard Evan shout for her to look out as the creature swung its giant tail around, hitting her and sending her flying into the wall on the opposite side of the room. She slide to the floor and tried to catch her breath as ciaos ensued around her and the entire room plunged into darkness once again. She could her name being shouted but couldn't seem to answer and then came the gun fire followed by more shouting. She was so disoriented that the only the only thing she could comprehend was the small opening that she had found earlier and she crawled to it, retching it open and crawling inside. It was a vent that would lead to the bottom of the city and where the creature would need to go. She was blind because of the darkness so she just felt her way along, telling herself that wasn't a spider web or spider that just crawled across her hand. It felt like she was traveling on her hands and knees for hours, her knee started to throb again and she was seriously reconsidering her decision but since she couldn't turn back, she trudged on. After a little longer she felt the floor beneath her start to incline slightly and knew she was headed in the right direction. Then came the unmistakable smell, only stronger, she knew she was close and as much as she hated the smell she had to get closer. The floor suddenly declined rather quickly and she started to slide head first the remanded of the way. This was going to hurt, she thought to herself when she pitched out of the vent and spilled onto the floor. She was so bruised and battered at that point that she barely felt it. She looked up from her position on the floor and gasped as a few small lights around the room came on. She was inside a small lab like room, but the variety of clutter on the counter surfaces wasn't what held her attention. It was the fact that she was surrounded by hundreds of eggs. All covered in a bluish slime and in various stages of hatching. One to the right of her burst open causing her to jump, inside was a small reptilian type creature with its mothers striking blue eyes. Its eyes read the same intelligent but instead of the sadness, it held malice. Then it roared its ugly little sound, bared its very sharp and frightening teeth. Emma covered her face with her arms as the tiny little demon jumped at attack.