Chapter Twelve

Emma's POV

Emma feared the worst and prepared for it; covering her face she tensed and prepared herself for the sharp little teeth that would soon sink into her skin. Instead she felt nothing but rather heard the tiny creature chirp and jump off to the right of her. It landed its tiny feet onto the console and started to claw at it. It seemed more interested in the lights in front of that instead of the large human looming over it. Emma shook her head and took a moment to really take in the area around her. That was when she discovered that when she had landed it was in a pile of the blue goo and that was the source of the horrible smell. She tried her hardest not to gag and stood up slowly so not to spook her new friend. It may be small and okay, kind of cute in a demonic sort of way, but it still had very sharp teeth and she still didn't quite trust it. She had a hard time standing because the goo made the floor slippery and as she tried to make her way around the room it became increasingly difficult. Finally after skirting around eggs that were slowly hatching and coming to life, she reached the door. When she went through she turned and made sure the door closed her. She turned to the door panel trying to figure out the best way to keep them in. The last thing anyone needed was for these little trouble makers to start taking over the city. She had seen mom and they only got much, much bigger and they were bound to become very hungry very quickly. She looked around the only thing around was the door panel. She didn't want to destroy it, just disconnect it. So she felt in her pockets for anything to pry it off. Nothing! She tried prying it off with her hands and still nothing. That was when she heard more chirping from inside the room; chirping and the sound of dozens of tiny little claws scraping at the inside of the door. They could hear her, smell her maybe both. She had a sneaky suspicion that the blue goo she was covered in was confusing them into thinking she was their mother. She had always wanted kids, human kids so this just wouldn't do.

She looked around again in frustration when she spotted a piece of metal lying on the floor. Picking it up she used it to pry off the plate and exposed the wires. She set to work pulling them out but being careful not to damage anything. She really didn't have a clue as to what she was doing and maybe she was only slowing them down, but she was worried about them getting out. That was when she remembered how she had gotten into the room in the first place. The open grate, if the little buggers where smart enough they may be able to figure out how to climb up, which means her current task was all for nothing. So then she came up with another one of her great ideas. She started to rewire the door to the best of her knowledge and memory. Her plan, for lack of a better word, was to get them all to follow her to another room. Say one without a back door. She had just about gotten it rewired when she heard a noise not that far down the hallway from her. Still clenching the piece of metal she had used like a knife, the only weapon she had, and she slide into the shadows of the corridor. Staying low she made her way down the hallway. She wanted to see if it was another creature or the two legged variety. She peered around the corner very carefully only to find Dr. Rodney McKay staring at a wall panel that lay open in front of him. He was mumbling to himself and jabbing occasionally at the tablet he held in front of him. She had to almost laugh at seeing the scientist stuck in the belly of the beast so to speak. She decided to make herself know so at least they could be stuck together. Besides anyone was better than Kavanagh right? She slid, literally, from her hiding place and started to approach him. She was just about to open her mouth to speak when McKay's nose shot up and he sniffed the air around him. She just kind of rolled her eyes and then his head shot up. He looked right at her, they both froze and his eyes widened in return. She tried to call out his name but he started to yell and dropped his tablet as he reached for the gun at his belt. Whoever had the bright idea to give an egotistical scientist needed to have their head examined. He fumbled with it in his hands as he backed himself into a corner.

"Stay back or I'll shot!" He yelled as he finally held the gun at her with both hands as he squeezed his eyes shut and turned away.

She held up her hands and tried to talk to him but couldn't be heard above his screaming. She pulled away and tried to back around the corridor again but slipped in the blue slime that she had left a trail of.

"Oww!" She said as she fell to the ground. "Hey McKay! It's me, Dr. Brennan." He stopped screaming long enough to open his eyes.

"Who?" He shrieked out.

"You know, Dr. Emma Brennan, the UN investigator. We've been off world before; I've been on Atlantis for about eight months." She slowly came to her feet as he lowered the gun and seemed to relax a bit.

"You're the one who tried to kill Kavanagh." He pointed a finger at her as if to emphasize the point.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" She was never going to live that down and she was suddenly wishing she had done more damage. He waved off her answer as he picked up his tablet and went back to work. She came closer as he asked her.

"How did you get here?"

"Oh, you know, air vent fell through the ceiling and ended up in a room full of eggs and tiny little meat loving creatures who think I'm mommy."

"What?" He was so preoccupied with what he was doing she doubted he had even heard her. She had gotten close enough to see over his shoulder and asked him.

"What are you doing?" He jumped again and cowered in the corner. Instead of a gun however he was holding his shirt up over his nose.

"What now?!" She demanded to know.

"What is that smell?" He demanded sounding muffled through his shirt.

"Thanks, like I didn't notice." She added dryly. He started to gag and she backed up against the opposite wall with her arms and legs crossed at the ankles. "Better?" She asked him sarcastically.

"Move down more." He demanded as he shooed her with his hand. She sighed and rolled her eyes once again as she pushed further down the hallway. "Now?" She asked but he didn't respond as he turned back to the tablet with his nose still buried in the shirt. Apparently this was good enough. He continued to mumble to himself as he returned to his work. After what seemed forever with no answers she had finally had enough.

"McKay!" She semi shouted at him to get his attention.

"What!?" He answered with inpatients.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"Trying to turn the power back on." She answered matter of fact.

"Well why ask then?"

"Because you're wrong, and the creature is giving off an EMP pulse because she is looking for her babies. That's why I'm down here. I'm looking for her nest, which I found by the way, and get her to come back home."

"I seriously doubt that." He added sarcastically.

"What, that the creature just wants to come home?" She asked becoming increasingly annoyed.

"No! That I'm wrong, I'm never wrong."

"Oh I seriously doubt that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She was seriously thinking she should put him in the same category as Kavanagh. The difference was however was that at time McKay could be humbled and his only down fall was his inability to listen to others beside himself. She took a deep breath and regretted it at once, man that really smelled bad, and decided to be the bigger person. Kind of.

"Okay, fine. Good luck getting everything back on line." She turned to slide-walk down the hallway. She was about hallway down the corridor when she heard his voice.

"Wait, where are you going?" There was a quiver and without turning around she called back to him as she continued walking. She didn't answer as she heard him hurriedly up behind her. She tried very hard to suppress a smile.

"While you're doing your thing, I need to find a way to move the babies."

"What babies?"

"I knew you weren't listening! The baby monsters that think I'm mom or auntie. Anyway they are in a room with an open vent. I would like to get them to a better location for mom to find them and keep them from eating everyone or everything."

"Wait, what? What about eating everyone?" He started to sound panicked.

"Have you seen how big they get? I've run into two full grown ones. I don't want to wait around to find out how big these things really get. Besides my plan is basically fool proof." She said trying to convince herself more than him. In truth she knew it was a very stupid move.

"And how do you expect to move them?" McKay asked her as she approached a door and prepared to open it.

"Well, I thought if I could find an empty room with no other exit, I would get them to follow me and lock them in until we can lead the big one down here until we figured out what to do."

"That's your plan?"

"Yup."

"That's stupid."

"Yup" She really had no room to argue. Instead she heard him mumble again to himself. "So why don't you help me with this door?"

"What if there is another one?"

"Do you have another idea?" She asked as she turned to look at him. He really didn't have anything else to say so all he said was "Fine" And they went to push the door aside. When it finally gave a little and opened a crack she could smell that very unmistakable smell, much stronger than what was on her. She stopped for a moment.

"Why are we stopping?"

"I thought it was you." She gave him a death glare.

"No! The smell is worse which means…"

"What?" He asked interrupting her. She couldn't even form a thought.

"Quick, lets close it."

"Why?"

"Must you question anything?"

"Well…" He started to say when movement could be heard on the other side of the door. His eyes grew big and round as the realization of what was happening dawned on him. They both sprung to action as a roar filled the air. How many of them were there really? They seemed to multiply like crazy. From what she could make out this one was a bit smaller than the big one. A juvenile perhaps, whichever the case she mostly saw teeth and claws. That and McKay shouting…

"It has claws!"

"It has teeth!" She shouted back as the crawls started to pull back the door. "McKay, run!" That didn't take much for him to get the hint as he ran down the corridor with her not that far behind when she spotted a door to a closet. Maybe this one had a back door like the one she and Evan had hidden in earlier.

"Hey McKay, in here!" She shouted at him and without any questions he followed her in. Just as the creature was moving down the hallway she was able to lock the door and started to look for a way out. Then a sickening thought dawned on her. Most of the closets had a doorway out. Leave it to her to find the one that didn't. She swore under her breath as McKay gave her a look.

"What? I thought there would be a way out."

"You locked us in a closet!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"And you smell."

"Anything else?" She wanted to throttle him.

"I'm hungry"

"Really!"

Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!