Disclaimer: All characters of StarGate and StarGate Atlantis belong to their respective writers and MGM. This is a work of fan fiction. I just want to play with them for awhile.
Copyright 2009 awakethepassion
Nosphorous Chaper 13
1.
"Rodney?"
"What!" He snarled and whipped around, his eyes blazing angrily at being interrupted again and then softening when he saw Teyla standing behind him. He licked his lips. "What?"
"It is almost midnight, Rodney. What are you still doing here?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" He could tell from the soft way that she was talking that she was fighting the urge to rip his head off and shove it up his ass. He turned back to the console and the lap top computer in front of him. "I'm trying to break through this damn block Sheppard put on the DHD."
"Why?" She stepped around so that she was facing him, bracing her hands on the edge of the panel.
Rodney just looked at her. "Why not? I thought you wanted to find him?"
Teyla looked away from him. "Perhaps it is best...if we do not. He is already gone from us." She shook her head slightly. "I do not think it is wise if we pursue him."
Rodney gave her a confused look. "I thought it was what Elizabeth wanted."
"At this moment I do not think that Elizabeth is thinking clearly." Teyla gave him a sharp look. "And you-you seem to have become quite obsessed with finding where John has gone."
Rodney swallowed hard and looked away from her. There was no way she could know about the dreams that plagued him every night and kept him pacing the confines of his room. He felt a light sweat break out on the back of his neck. He rubbed a hand across his forehead and tried not to think about how his eyes felt like they were burning out of his head.
"Rodney?" Teyla laid her hand on his shoulder and tried to pull him away from the console. "For the sake of Elizabeth, for the sake of Atlantis...let John go."
Rodney shook his head and pulled away from her, staring down at the computer screen so that he wouldn't have to see her eyes. "I'm sorry, Teyla." He shook his head. "But I can't...I just...can't."
"Rodney, he was my friend too." She stepped around, trying to see his face. "Come...come with me. We will perform the tea ceremony. We can honor our friend and his..."
"Life?" Rodney snarled. He pressed a hand to his neck. The scars had faded but the spot still burned. "Or do you mean his un-life?"
"Rodney-" Her voice dropped to a dangerous rasp. "Please, do not bring that up again." She shook her head. "That thing...that creature...was not our John Sheppard."
Rodney sighed. Tentatively he took a step toward her. He wanted to tell her, wanted to tell her about the dreams and the things that kept creeping into his mind late at night. The words were on his lips. The words that would let her know that he somehow felt a connection to Sheppard. That he thought that he knew where he was and how to find him but he only bit them back and swallowed them like a bitter pill.
Sadly, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Teyla. Maybe you've given up. But I haven't."
Teyla smiled coldly and cocked an eyebrow at him. "After what he has done to Chang, to Aidan...to you." She rested her hands on the edge of the console. "You would still want to find him?"
"Don't you?" Rodney asked.
"The only reason that I would want to find John...that creature..." The knuckles on her hands turned white. "The only reason I would want to find him would be to destroy him."
2.
"What do you think you're doing?"
John turned around and saw Alyssa standing in the door way watching him. He turned back to the dresser. "I'm looking for my clothes. I think you've seen me naked long enough."
"I've seen worse." She cocked her head slightly, a neutral expression on her face though he could hear the humor in her voice. Moving to the window, she pushed back the curtain and looked out at the darkening sky. "The moon will be up soon."
"Is this your idea of small talk?" He finally found his jeans and shirt in the bottom drawer. Digging his boots out from under the edge of the bed, he started to dress. "Because if it is, then you suck at it."
It felt strange to have clothes on again after he'd spent nearly a week in that bed completely naked. Then again, everything was strange to him now. The world seemed brighter and clearer and if he wanted he could hear voices whispering in the air. So far, he'd managed to tune it out but sometimes he thought that the noises were going to drive him crazy.
She looked at him and a ghost of a smile touched her pale lips. "Where do you think you're going to go? Your ship was destroyed."
"I still know a few addresses from the...I still know a few things." He reached for his coat and tugged it on. "I'll find a place."
"Shia will be upset." She turned and looked at him, noting the shadow that crossed his face. She'd heard his almost slip of the tongue.
"She'll get over it." John tried not to think about the strange girl, pale haired girl. Since his 'change', she had become even more interested in him and followed him everywhere. He wasn't afraid of her. He was stronger and faster now but her attentions made him uncomfortable. She reminded him of a love struck teenager but one with fangs and wicked looking claws.
"I think that you're making a mistake." Alyssa said. "You haven't been here long enough to really realize-"
"Maybe." He turned toward the mirror and then stopped. What was the use in checking his reflection when he didn't have one? "But I can't stay here anymore."
He started toward the door and she reached out to grab his arm. "John, listen to me. Its not safe for you." She shook her head. "There are things that you don't know. Things you don't understand."
"Then I'll find out." He pulled out of her grasp and moved toward the balcony doors.
The night air was cool and the light wind ruffled his hair as he stood looking down at the shadows moving across the courtyard. Stilling his mind, he lifted his head and took a deep breath. Sharp odors touched his nose...the damp earth, unwashed bodies...anger, fear and underneath it all the strong smell of deep, rich blood.
The beast in him stirred but he had a little more control now and he pushed it down but the hunger for something hot and wet filled his mind. He felt the heat and the tingle in his veins. The hunger was calling out to him and he was desperate to answer it. He had his hand on the railing when he heard a noise behind him and turned to see Alyssa standing behind him.
"John..."
She moved toward him and he saw the spark of something dark in her eyes. He narrowed his gaze, catching just the faintest glimmer of an image before she blocked it from her mind. But it was enough to make him move away from her.
"You're as crazy as she is." He replied quietly.
"Not crazy." She shook her head and her hand went to the scar on her neck. "But when you've been what I am for as long as I have...you do what you have to too survive. I think you know that just as much as I do."
Her eyes darkened and he felt her trying to probe his mind. She was strong but he managed for the moment to block her out. He shook his head to clear it and stepped up on the railing.
"I don't think that I'll ever be like you." He told her coldly. He stepped out into the air and heard her voice as he dropped to the ground.
"Too late, John. You already are."
3.
John walked down the narrow dirt street of the small village, keeping to the shadows. He buttoned up his coat and pulled the hood up over his head. He didn't feel the cold but he didn't want to draw any attention to himself so he kept his head down as he walked along the dusty road. It was full dark now and a bright silver moon hung high overhead but to him it was as bright as daylight. He took a breath of the cold night air. There was a hint of snow and he could almost taste the aroma of it on his tongue.
But there was a hint of something else that was drawing him closer to the light that spilled from out of the windows of the small tavern up ahead. He stopped in the doorway, sharp eyes catching everything. Dull, sullen faces turned to look at him but when he pushed back the hood of his coat and shut the door behind him, they quickly looked away.
He tensed slightly. He could smell their fear and he licked his lips, feeling the hunger roll through him. Clenching his fists, he moved to a table close to the door and sat down. He looked around and his eyes fell on a female shape near the fire. He probed her mind, slipping in and quietly willing her to turn and look at him and smiling slightly when she did.
She was blond and full breasted and from where he sat he could smell the stink of her skin. She would have been pretty if it weren't for the dirt and grime on her face and hands. Her hair was matted and he doubted that a week long soak in the tub would get the dirt off of her but right now that wasn't what he cared about. He stared at her and after a moment, she got to her feet and filled a mug from the tray on the bar.
A lilting tilt to her hips and she was coming toward him. She set the cup down in front of him and then slid into the chair next to him. She leaned against him and her breasts pressed against his arm. He looked down, lips curling at the sight of her. She was lush and firm and underneath the stink he could smell the heat of her skin and he felt his dick get hard. It had been a long time since he'd had a woman.
She looked up at him and with a smile, lightly rested her hand on his thigh. John took a deep breath and looked away from her. He could take her so easily. The smell of her blood was so rich. Without thinking he picked up the mug and took a sip of the bitter brew and grimaced. He didn't know what the stuff in the cup in front of him was and from the taste of it, he really didn't want to know. But at least it was hot and it settled in his belly with a pleasant warmth.
Too bad it didn't do a thing to ease the gnawing hunger crawling through his veins. He could feel it niggling at his mind. The thing could smell the quick rush of the fresh blood around him and it was eager to feed.
He wiped his hand across his mouth and eased back in his chair, letting her stroke his thigh. Her touch felt good and he wanted to enjoy it for a few minutes more. He rubbed his hand over her arm and let his dark gaze roam around the nearly empty tavern, smiling when eyes met his and quickly slipped away. He could smell their fear. It was as sharp tasting as the liquid in his cup. He licked his lips, running his tongue over suddenly sharp canines.
His hands fisted around the mug. He was fighting for control and quickly loosing the battle. His breath was coming faster now. The smell of them was so strong and he was so hungry.
"No!" He swore and slammed the mug down on the table. It shattered in his hand. Startled faces turned to look at him and the woman stopped and looked up at him.
Grabbing her hand, he hauled her to her feet and she followed him. The others looked away and he could hear their thoughts. She was nothing but a whore. Who cared what happened to her?
A flash of guilt rushed through him but he quickly pushed it away. That was the old John Sheppard. This John Sheppard only wanted one thing now and that was to feed the Beast. Pulling her along with him, he lead her out into the darkness and like a lamb to the slaughter, she followed him.
They walked along for awhile and he let her snuggle close to him and put her arm around his waist. He led her down the narrow streets until he heard the sound of water and realized that they were moving along the edge of a pier. When he thought that they were far enough away, he pulled her into the shadows and pushed her up against the wall.
She leaned into him, breathing hard. He could feel her heartbeat racing against his chest and he could smell her need for him to touch her pouring off of her. He closed his eyes and he could feel the thing inside him. He tried to fight it, tried to keep it from taking him over again but he knew it was useless. He gritted his teeth, wincing when his suddenly sharp canines bit into his lower lip and he groaned.
The dreamy looked faded from her face and her eyes widened when she looked at him. She moaned low and then started to struggle against him. She screamed and he slapped her hard but that didn't stop her keening cries. Anger rolled through him and then he was beyond hearing her terrified screams for help.
The animal was in him again, gnawing and clawing at his insides and her blood smelled so hot and sweet. He made a kind of growling noise in his throat, and his body tensed as he raised a hand to grab a handful of her hair. He wrenched her head to the side, exposing her slim neck.
She twisted and writhed beneath him, trying to throw him off. He groaned, burying his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. He ran his tongue over her skin, enjoying the taste of her before he bared his fangs and sank them into the soft flesh of her neck. She screamed and he felt a thrill of pleasure at the sound. Her blood was like sugar in his mouth and he lapped at it hungrily.
"Enough!" A rough hand gripped the back of his coat and he was jerked back. His teeth ripped into the girl's neck as he was pulled from her and she screamed as her throat was slashed to the bone.
John was thrown back against the wall, his head smashing against the rough stone with a sickening crack. Dazed, he looked at the girl, at the blood pooling on the hard ground beneath her, freezing into a red glaze in the frigid night air. Her eyes bored him into him, hate twisting her mouth into an ugly grimace. Blood, rich and dark bubbled at the corner's of her lips as she struggled to breathe. And then slowly he saw her body twitch once...twice and then go still, the light in her eyes fading as the veil of death fell over her.
"I hope that she was good, Sheppard." A voice breathed hot into his ear. Strong fingers dug into his throat. "You god damn idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
John glanced sideways and saw a gleam of fire in dark amber eyes. The woman would have been beautiful if her face hadn't been twisted in a look of pure malice.
"Or maybe that is what you want." Her fingernails dug into his throat, her nails as long and sharp as daggers. "Maybe I should kill you right now myself, you stupid bastard. Save us both a lot of trouble."
"Then do it, Alyssa." He managed to gasp out. "Quit fucking around and just do it."
She snorted. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She leaned closer and tendrils of her dark hair fluttered against his cheek. She smiled and pressed against him. She ran her tongue over his mouth, licking away the last drops of the girl's blood that lingered on his lips.
"No, Sheppard. That would be way too easy." She let go of his throat and slid her hand down his chest and over his flat belly. "You're such a pretty man. I think that I can find a better use for you." Her fingers found what they were searching for and he gasped. She laughed, low and husky and he felt his erection grow hot and hard, pushing against the front of his jeans.
"Time enough later, my little pet." She kissed him, her sharp teeth nipping at his lips and then she pushed him away and got to her feet. "Come on, you've got work to do." She grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled him to his feet as if he were nothing more than a child. She pushed him toward the girl. "Clean up your mess and be quick about it. We'll have company soon."
She laughed when he hesitated. She pushed him aside and knelt down, grasping the limp body under the arm pits she hauled her to the edge of the pier. She lifted the body and tossed it over the side as if it were nothing more than a bag of trash.
She turned and looked at him, her dark eyes sparking with humor. She cocked her head slightly and gave him a feral smile. Raising a bloody hand to her mouth she licked off the blood that stained her fingers. She grimaced and spat on the ground. "Nasty!" She exclaimed. "There's nothing worse than blood once it's gone cold."
"This is the real you, isn't it, Alyssa. You're a crazy bitch. You and that thing Shia." John growled as he got to his feet.
"Maybe we are." She laughed and the sound sent a shiver down his spine. She reached out, grabbed him by the arms and jerked him closer. "But right now, I'm a crazy bitch that you need."
"I don't need you." He tried to pull away from her but she was too strong. "I can handle myself."
"How?" She traced a finger down the curve of his cheek and then she slapped him hard. "I know you are new to this but I would have never thought that you could be this stupid."
Angrily, he pushed at her and this time to his surprise, she let him go. An eternity seemed to pass as they stood staring at each other and John felt ashamed that he was the one to look away first.
He heard her chuckle softly. "Always the warrior, Sheppard." She laid her hand on his arm and he winced when her sharp nails dug into his skin. "And always the pain."
"You don't anything about my pain." He jerked away from her and headed away from the pier.