-1The next morning, after a night of argument and exhausting talks between Murry and the teenagers, with the children sleeping around them and Charley clasped steadily in the alien's arms, they awoke together in a muddled pile.

Ronon leaned over them with an inquisitive eye and a lop-sided smile donned his usually stolid face, awaking them from their begrudged slumber.

"You guys finished? 'Cause if you are, then there's breakfast in the canteen" He said gruffly and walked away, his own stomach rumbling ominously.

Conner clambered from the floor, tip-toeing over the others and showing an unusually cheery mood, waved them an enthusiastic goodbye as he slipped out the door, an uncharacteristic smirk on his face. He followed and caught up with Ronon.

Jenny and Charlotte, as they often did, awoke simultaneously, helping each other up and tidying the others pink skirt. They each sweetly smiled at Murry and the two teenagers and together, skipped out into the corridor towards the Satedan, their dainty hands clasping neatly at the hems of the skirts.

Dominic and Serak dragged themselves from the floor, bleary-eyed and still half-asleep staggered out of the room in search of the promised meal. They reached the doorway and a game of tag erupted and in a blink of an eye, they transformed from zombies to maniacs, running and jumping in an effort to escape the other. Jake followed but Allie signalled him not to wait up and he sat up from the floor. A guarded look bordered his face as he looked to the trio of semi-adults.

"What was all that fightin' 'bout last night?" he asked innocently enough and Turi sighed angrily and without another word, flew from the room in a whirlwind of tired aggression, still aimed at the wraith. Devi half-hurried after her brother but hung at the doorway and looked desperately to Murry as if for his permission and so, when he nodded, she dashed full-pelt from the room to try and talk some sense to her twin brother. Murry focused his attention back to Allie and smiled, saying quietly enough.

"D-don't you b-be w-worrying y-yourself about t-that, f-f-food f-first!" And with that, he clutched Charley on his hip and with the other hand, took Allie's and together, they walked from the room to find the canteen.

A few minutes and a few wrong turns later, the three of them found themselves standing on a balcony, that same balcony as Murry and Teyla had conversed upon. So along ago, the wraith mused silently, it seemed so long ago, years, decades, aeons. Allie tugged at the wraiths scarred hand and Murry shook the daydream from himself and they continued on in search of the canteen.

Throughout the search, Allie had a certain humour in his face, for he knew where the cafeteria was. He had always known, and felt for himself a sense of secrecy, tinged with acute smugness that he knew something that the adult wraith did not, but mostly just happiness that he was able to prolong just them three together and no one else. Murry too had a humour in his expression, fully aware that the boy knew where they were supposed to be going and was mis-directing them all but the wraith was quite satisfied in being led. It was, all in all, quite a happy arrangement.

Chattering quietly and laughing, the three of them arrived, finally, at the canteen, with its hustling and bustling crowd.

Murry stopped at the door.

His sight blurred for a moment, the individual people removed from the scene and replaced with spectres of ethereal energy, life-force. A room filled to the brim with food.

But, just as quick as it had appeared, the apparitions went, and Murry, who barely registered the change, was smiling once more, with Charley squirming in his arms. Allie ran forward to join Jake with a victorious grin. Murry relinquished his grip on Charley and forward she toddled until reaching Ronon, who, at her arrival, looked upwards to the doorway and smiled at the wraith. He returned the gesture and with a sweeping one and bounded forward towards the man with a joyous grin, taking his place at the table amongst his friends, trying to ignore the steely silence from Turi and the building worry and annoyance from Devi.

Well, I suppose I have much to apologise for.

Firstly, the increasing gaps between chapters, I'm really sorry that you're all having to wait. I will try harder. I promise. And secondly, for the poor length of this chapter, not even hitting the 1000 word mark. Disgraceful. I just don't seem to have time anymore. Yet I'm not doing anything, it's a perplexing situation indeed.

But I have also much to be thankful for, especially for the touching reviews from the last chapter.

I thank Wraith Addict, cimmer, Wraithlover, Amaruk, Lujana and Gingercake, for their amazing support.