Title: Show No Fear

Author: Feral Geek
Rating: Pg-13
Summary: Chapter 28, if you're here and don't know the story, go back to chapter one and start reading.

Disclaimer: Amie no own Stargate or Wraith, they own Amie. Aaralyn belongs to the wonderful SNBRADY, and is in the story 'The Unseen' (read it!)

A/N: R. R-E. R-E-V-I-E-W! Review! Yah! Whoo! (Aye, Amie was once a cheerleader, are ya scared yet?) So, review your little hearts out! Also, review 'Requiem for a Dream' (by moi) and 'The Unseen' (by SNBRADY)
ONWARDS!

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His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, head tilted to the sky as he exhaled, "Even if she thinks it to be a mistake...I never will." In the night she occupied his dreams, and in the days after they fought, her name would be on his lips as he lay in the grass, pleading with something to let it all be right.
In the end, something answered his half-prayed and half-begged words with a reunion.
This time, he was unsure if that something would answer.

--

As usual, he took his anger out on the surrounding vegetation with enough force to make a Lantean botanist faint.

This was due to the fact that he was unable to find a sparring partner and vent his frustration that way.
Dalkar, his usual partner, was not currently on the Hive, instead staying on Atlantis.
He did this to both spite his mother, and watch over Adrienne.

Had Cavan not suspected that Dalkar's affections were reserved for Doctor Catherine Savoie, he would be very jealous.

Also, none of the other males wanted to spar with him while he was in such a heightened state of aggression.

At the moment, he was hunting for a new place to think, or as Adrienne had once mockingly called it, his 'hidey-hole'.
After making his way through the 'gate, he deemed that this planet was safe enough, unable to sense any Wraith close-by.

He could however, sense one, a male to be exact, but he was alone and far off at the moment.

Lost in thought, he did not hear the gentle rustle in the underbrush until he was close enough to see a human female walking nearby.
Startled, he dropped into the bushes, knowing that it was pointless; although for some reason her pace seemed to slow, perhaps she had heard him.

What he smelled startled him even more, slight traces of a Wraith, as though one lived in the surrounding area.
A slight frown came onto his face, and he sniffed again, eyes widening as another familiar smell reached his nose.
Slowly his head turned, and he looked at a rather large bloom that quivered near his head.

It smelled almost exactly like the liquid the Lanteans used to wash their clothes.
It always made him sneeze.
And sneeze he did, so violently that he nearly fell over.
The Wraith managed to keep his balance for a moment, before toppling to the dirt with a heavy thud.

He shot to his feet, thankful that none of his companions had been around to see that happen.
Had they, they would have laughed themselves sick.

"Who's there?" a note of curiosity tinged the female's voice, startling Cavan.

He stood there for a moment, shocked by the fact that she was looking right at him, but did not seem to see him.

The female's head was turned at an odd angle as though she was listening intently and one of her hands was wrapped around a smooth pole.

Cavan had the suspicion that he would not want to get within range of it.

So he replied simply, "A traveler."

"Why do you travel here, so far from the village?" now there was definite note of suspicion in the female's tone, and it was quite clear to Cavan she had no intention of trusting him.

As she spoke and listened, her other hand had moved to grip the pole and Cavan had no doubt she wouldn't hesitate to hit him with it were he to try anything she deemed threatening.

Deciding to keep his distance for now, Cavan saw no point in lying to her, "I came out here to be alone", he deadpanned.

Surprisingly a slight smile came to the female's lips, "I guess that plan didn't succeed very well did it?"

Cavan let out an annoyed huff at the truth in the female's words, "No I suppose it didn't."

"So why did you have to come out here to be alone? Can't you do that at home?" The human's voice still had a slightly suspicious edge to it.

"No, I have been sent away" that was a lie and the other seemed to sense it, one of her eyebrows raising slightly.
"Why?"

"Well I…," Cavan paused realizing that he was actually about to answer the odd sightless female. "I don't really think it's any of your business," he eventually said, irritated that the other would pry.

At least, that was what he told himself; honestly he wasn't sure if he was more annoyed by the questions, of by the fact that he felt almost compelled to answer them.

The human simply gave him a small smile, "Alright then, I'll just leave you to be alone." With that the female turned to walk in the direction she'd been heading earlier.

After a moment of hesitation, Cavan called out "Wait…," causing the female to pause in her steps and turn to face him, "Perhaps you could help me…" how he loathed asking for help in this matter, but this was a human female…and his mate was a human female…perhaps this one could offer some insight.

"I had a fight with my ma-wife" the Wraith barely caught himself in time, remembering that human males called their mates 'wives'.

He did not want to make the other suspicious of him.

At that, the human's lips turned up into a smirk as she asked, "So, what did you do?"

Her knowing tone made him snort sharply, annoyed, "Why do you assume that is was something I did?" he asked, sounding slightly defensive.

Despite this, her smirk was still in place and he eventually answered her, "I have no idea why she is angry…I returned to her and she was just…furious…yelling at me about something that happened so many…many months ago" here he paused, shoulders seeming to sink a fraction, "then she said it was a mistake for us to be together."

The Wraith sighed, and his shoulders sank even further, "And to make matters even more complicated, we are expecting the birth of our children soon."

To his surprise, the female started to laugh.

This, was not a funny thing in his eyes, so he growled rather angrily, asking; "What about this do you find so amusing?"

Finally her laughter died, but the smile that had crept onto her face remained, "Your wife is pregnant, and well…that explains a lot…didn't you know that pregnant women can often get angry for no reason at all?"

Actually, he hadn't known that, having never been around a pregnant female of any sort before, so he kept silent and let her continue.

"However, you running off to mope like this will give her something to be really angry about."

For a moment he glared at her, and then replied "I do not mope," he spat the last word out with disdain, arms crossing over his chest.

The smirk returned, "Oh, I'm sorry…I meant sulk, you ran off to sulk."

His eyes narrowed even more, "Nor do I sulk."

"Call it whatever you'd like to, but the point I'm trying to make is that you should go home" these words were more gentle than the previous ones, "You said for yourself that your children would be coming soon, and if you're not there for their birth…you'll regret it, and well…that she may not forgive you for."

Cavan pulled an irritated expression, but he couldn't really argue witht he female's wise words, and it struk him that everything she had said, reminded him of things that Adrienne would say if the situations were reversed.

"I suppose you are right" he said softly, looking away for a moment.

He then remembered that it was a polite thing among humans to exchange names, and for a moment he debated asking, "May I ask your name?"

To his relief, she answered with a smile "My name is Aaralyn."

Though Cavan knew he would not give her his true name he would gladly give her the one the Lanteans called him by, "And I am named…thank you Aaralyn, for everything."

"You're quite welcome David, now go home,"

Cavan couldn't help but smile as the woman once again began to walk away from him. He waited until she was out of sight and then began to make his way back towards the stargate.

---

Once at the 'gate, he would take himself to the world where he had left his Dart, upon which his Hive had landed, although so great distance away.

When he did reach the Hive, the first thing he did was seek out his brother, and instinctive reaction to all of the stress he was feeling at the moment.

It had taken some prodding on the part of Aziza, who would not see the two fighting, but finally Cavan and his brother were on speaking terms again.

Thus the pair were seated in one of the game rooms, mutely studying the board sunken into the table.
The game was called many things, and was similar to the game chess, the objective was to collect as many of the opponent's pieces; miniature replicas of various things such as a drone's mask, Darts, Cruisers, and a small Hive, as possible, and in the end capture the enemy 'Hive'.

The brothers were evenly matched, and both were contemplating their next moves when one of the few females in the room strode over to their table.

Cavan stared up at the female, expression completely blank as he waited for her to speak.
Her head was tilted to one side with her chin slightly raised, adopting a rather seductive stance, gracing him with a smile, "Commander."
It was all he could do to keep his face blank, a quick glance at his brother showed that not even the usually unflappable male could keep his mask up.
Malchus' lips were slightly parted, and one brow was arched.

Cavan politely dipped his head, "May I be of service somehow?"
Judging by her dress, she was a Keeper, one of the Queen's handmaidens and a protector of the Hive during their hibernation.

There was a slight pause on the female's part, as though she had expected to be rebuffed by the two males.
But after that pause, her smile widened, and she leaned against the table at which they were seated, speaking smoothly "I was actually wondering if there was something I could do for you."

The brothers shot each other mirror expressions.

"We thank you for the offer, Keeper, but we are fine" Cavan replied, tone equally smooth.
Here she slipped up, "I would be most pleased if you were to call me by my name, I am Lendra."
And here was where the two males froze, the expressionless masks vanishing as both jaws dropped.

Among the Wraith, the name was a sacred thing.

Treasured, it was a gift from parent to child, to the Wraith; the name was the very essence of being.
To give it away with such disregard was not only shocking, it was quite disturbing.
Especially to Cavan and Malchus.

This was because names were often given to the closest of companions, or to a potential mate.
In giving Cavan her name, Lendra indicated that she was interested in him as a mate.

However it was now a known fact that he was mated.
And many understood that his mate was one of the Lanteans.

Malchus was the first to react, his head cocking to one side as he very slowly spoke, "In giving my brother your name you act as though you wish to become his mate."
"Indeed" the female looked over at Cavan as she spoke.
By Wraith standards she was beautiful, yet she sparked no feelings within his chest.

"However you must understand that my brother already has a mate."

Lendra inclined her head in a nod, "I have heard that he bred with some human...but since he is here I assumed that he has come to his senses and left the pitiful creature."

Malchus shot to his feet and Cavan; too stunned by the way the female spoke of his mate to react for a second and even more stunned by how his brother leapt to her defense, remained seated, gaping at the two.

"That human is my brother's mate and the mother of his children," the older male advanced slowly, causing the female to back away, looking startled. Whatever she had expected to happen after her offer, it was not this.

"And while I do not approve of their union in the slightest, I would rather see him with her than with a harlot that has no sense of self."

Lendra blinked and whirled around, looking both furious and slightly afraid as she beat a hasty retreat.
Apparently she had never anticipated that reaction.

Once she was gone, Cavan stared at Malchus, who was once again seated, studying their game intently.
"Why did you do that for her?" he eventually asked, "I would expect you to despise my mate."
Malchus just glanced up at him, "If she tamed you, she must be worth something...and that something is worth than a great deal more than a female who treats all the world as a courtship."

Absently he moved his piece, "Your move."

Cavan stared at the board for a long time.

As he reached to toy with one of the pieces, Malchus continued to speak "You ought to go back to her..."
The younger Wraith inclined his head and stood, about to head for the door when his brother added, "Do not think I approve of your union."

Cavan simply snorted and made his exit.

--

He encountered little resistance as he made his way back through the gate, and although a number of the Lanteans regarded him with more suspicion than they usually did, they did nothing to hinder his progress through the city.

The first stop was the infirmary, where he wandered about for a bit, submitting to a few tests before edging away.
He had learned, rather painfully, not to anger the medical staff, and a few of them were shooting him rather cold looks.

However quickly located Doctor Beckett at his desk, napping.
For a moment he wondered if he should wake the man, however he quickly decided that if he was really that tired, he could just go back to sleep afterwards.
So Cavan lightly nudged the human, who to his irritation, stayed asleep.
Cavan glowered at the slumbering doctor, and then proceeded to lean over and growl, rather loudly, in his ear.
It worked.
Carson very nearly tumbled out of his chair, startled, and not to mention a bit frightened.
Once the man regained his wits, he looked at the Wraith, "How many times have I asked ye not to sneak up on me?"
Cavan knew it was a rhetorical question, but chose to answer anyway, "This would be the thirteenth time."
The other just stared at him rather flatly, and responded to the question that Cavan hadn't even asked, "She wasn't feeling well...I sent her back to her rooms."

As usual, he said nothing, simply nodding before departing and allowing Carson to sink back into his chair and get to work.

--

This time the doors opened for him with a soft whoosh.
The first room was completely dark, like the rest of their quarters appeared to be. In silence he glanced about, and noted that the door to the bedroom was partially open, blocked by what appeared to be one of Adrienne's shirts.

Cavan crossed the room and removed the offending shirt from the door's path, causing it to slide open and let him in.
Adrienne was curled up on the side of the bed that Cavan usually slept on, am flung over one of the pillows.
That sight caused a small smirk to curve his lips as he slunk over to the bed and carefully climbed in, wrapping himself protectively around the sleeping woman.

He had barely closed his eyes when he felt Adrienne shift in his arms.
Cavan winced slightly, and waited for the inevitable tirade.

It came a few moments later as she blinked sleepily at him, and thumped him on the shoulder, hard enough to cause him to make a slight face.
His shoulder still ached.
"You left me! You bastard" there was anger in her voice, but she sounded more weary than upset, and that made him sit up.

"I see you for what...a week, maybe two at a time...then you run off to do only God knows what!" Adrienne slid from his grasp, resting her head on her arms, studying the sheets as she spoke in a rather frightening deadpan, "I miss you...and I understand that you have duties, and I don't mind when you leave for that, even if it does make me worry myself sick...but every time we fight you go...mope somewhere...you keep leaving and you have no idea how fucking scary that can be."

Finally she looked up, eyes wet with what looked suspiciously like unshed tears, and managed to glare at him for a moment.

In silence Cavan studied his mate, unsure of what to say or do.
So he settled for wrapping his arms around her, not saying a word as she pressed her head to his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
"I'm sorry" he finally offered, wincing at how the words fell flat, however she shook her head, "Just promise you won't do something like that again...please?"

That, he could do.

-TBC-

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A/N: Go read Requiem for a Dream (by me) and The Unseen (by SNBRADY)
Also, have a new fic coming out soon! Not sure if I'm gonna make it multi-chapter or a one shot thing...-ponders-
REVIEW.