Chapter 69
2008
He collapsed against her and she caught him, his dead weight pushing her down. The world had shrunk. There wasn't anything else anymore but the echoes of his screams, the kicking life in her belly and the warm body against hers, and the ripping sensation in her chest, which increased with every laboured breath. His hair had grown white in a manner of seconds, his hands had shrivelled, his bones clearly visible as he reached for her, trying to push her away, but there was no strength left in his touch.
"I ask again," the Wraith hissed, "how-"
"How would we know?!" Ba'al shot back, still rubbing his throat as Alex held Evan's body against her chest. She could still feel him his chest moving, but his eyes were dim, the skin around them looked leathery and not at all like his own.
Slowly, she reached up, terrified of touching his cheek and knowing that he needed her support, even if he wanted her to go. If he could feel anything anymore. She was numb, despite the fact that she'd known this would happen. Despite the fact that she'd pictured exactly this moment ever since they'd been brought aboard.
His skin was bone dry, his breath shallow and when he looked up at her, his eyes were pale almost milky. Her own lungs weren't working properly anymore and the knot in the pit of her stomach made it hard not to cry. Just returning his gaze took all the strength she had.
This couldn't be it. She didn't want it to be. Out of all the horrible scenarios she'd gone over in her head time and time again, this was worse. To have him die in her arms, without ever having met his son. To have him die a senseless death at the hands of an enemy, tortured and weak.
Evan took a shaky breath and Alex refused to stare at the wound on his chest.
She'd wanted to see him as an old man. She'd wanted to hold him for the rest of their lives. But not like this. Not when their child wasn't even born yet. Not when there was still so much ahead of them.
The short exchange couldn't have lasted longer than a few seconds and his eyes widened at the new sounds. She bent over him protectively when the drones approached them, her face so close to his that their noses were touching.
He'd fallen asleep again.
It was only a couple of hours before dawn and she hated that she had to go to work. Normally, she enjoyed leading tourists through the ruins. Some of them were truly interested in what she had to tell them, others drifted off after just a few moments and sometimes one of the tourists would ask her so many questions that he didn't get to tell the group all she wanted to tell them.
Right now she was glad Evan hadn't been one of the tourists in her group. She doubted she would've been able to concentrate with those magnificent blue eyes looking at her, especially looking at her the way he had done the moment he'd approached her, his fingers smeared with pencil, and that incredible smile on his lips.
Infinitely kissable lips.
She'd thought so ever since their walk to the little marketplace, as they walked through the narrow alley and he'd talked. She'd revelled in his voice even then, and the medium through which it reached her ears drew her attention with every word he spoke. She'd watched those lips, had wondered what it would feel like to touch them, to kiss them. And that one kiss on the bridge had been enough to make her want ore. She thought back to how awkwardly his hands had hung by his side, like he didn't know what to do with them. It seemed so contrary to the person she'd thought he'd be.
Her father had been a soldier, yes, but he'd been nice and playful, but he'd also been very controlled and cool-headed. Evan was different. He too was a pilot, but he seemed to be perfectly able of leaving that part of his life on base. Well, maybe she'd think differently once she entered his apartment and saw how neat and tidy everything there was. And maybe she'd find out he was not at all the person she thought he was.
Alex brushed her hair behind her ear and looked down at the man lying next to her, his skin looking perfectly smooth in the moonlight streaming in through the window and she felt her heart contracting almost painfully when his lips parted for a long, deep breath. It held the echo of his voice and a warmth she'd never felt before spread through her entire being, starting out in her chest.
She swallowed hard as she thought that, maybe, after all, this wasn't going to last after all. Not even for a week. Maybe he didn't want her to come to his apartment after all. Maybe the talk they'd just had was just that: talk. And why would she be upset if it was?
One night spent together couldn't make you fall in love like a silly girl in one of the ridiculous movies her brother secretly loved so much. Could it? All she could tell was that she'd never wanted a man the way she wanted Evan. And if that wasn't scary, what was?
Closing her eyes she lay back down again, one hand on his chest, her head on his shoulder. She felt him stir beneath her and as his arm wrapped around her and he turned on his side, reached for her leg and wrapped it around his hip, she knew this night wasn't even nearly over.
"Let go," he whispered, his breath hitting her lips like the kiss they would never have time for.
Alex shook her head. She wouldn't. They were to die anyway.
"Please." In the dim light he looked like he was already dead. He'd given up. So this then was what it took.
Before she could respond, before she could shake her head again, she heard it. A soft hiss from the Wraith, then the deafening staccato of bullets stopped her heart for a second. Gasping, she looked up and saw the drones and the leader go down. "No!" she shouted, as the drones ceased moving and the third Wraith keeled over. "No!" she shouted again as Ronon's massive form came into view. They were here! And they were too late. Evan's hand underneath her own was growing slack, his breathing becoming more and more shallow, and every cell in her body was screaming in agony.
Sheppard was right on Ronon's heel, his P90 aimed at Ba'al and when he spotted Evan lying in Alex's arms, his eyes widened in shock. "Damn it," he hissed. "You okay, Doctor?"
Alex shook her head, the tears blinding her to everything around her but the twitching hand of the Wraith.
"Don't", she said, her voice feeble and trembling as Ronon aimed his own weapon at the Wraith.
Ronon's eyebrow twitched and he looked at Alex, his lips nothing but a thin white line.
"So very glad you came to our rescue," Ba'al was saying, as Alex gently lowered Evan to the ground and she got up, her legs almost giving way beneath her.
"Shut up!" Sheppard said. Alex took one step towards him and, without hesitating, took his sidearm. Sheppard didn't flinch away, just looked at her incredulously, as she felt the weight of the gun in her hand. The black metal was cool against her burning skin. It was the same model as the first weapon she'd ever held.
Evan had been standing behind her then, guiding her through aiming the weapon, his breath against her ear as she tried to focus on anything but his presence. A presence that was vanishing fast now.
"What-" Sheppard began, but Alex shook her head. Her mind was clear. Clear and set and she felt an icy shiver run down her spine as she looked at the Wraith still lying on the ground, its unmarked face staring right at her. Wounded, but alive. He'd make it through, if Ronon didn't shoot him now.
"You killed the Queen?" she asked, her voice steady and cool. The Wraith had started heading towards them before the explosions began. And why else would this creature, which had been dead serious about keeping them all alive for the queen, be willing to kill them now.
Sheppard nodded, his eyes trained on Alex, as she aimed her gun right between the Wraith's snake-like eyes. "Give it back," she whispered, and, unwilling to hear him say another word, added: "I'll personally kill you if you don't."
"Doctor," Sheppard said quietly, as though trying to reason with her and the Wraith laughed hoarsely.
"I don't have enough," the Wraith hissed, his sharp, pearly white teeth gleaming in the bluish green light of the cell.
Evan's breath was becoming more and more shallow. She didn't have the time to argue. Without giving herself another second to think this through, she aimed her gun again and fired. Ba'al collapsed to the ground with a gut twisting scream, landed on his knees.
"Take it from him then," she said, ignoring Sheppard's hiss of disapproval. But he didn't protest again. Neither did Ronon. "We'll let you go after." Her voice wasn't trembling anymore, her hand was steady, as she aimed the gun at the Wraith again and ignored the plea in Ba'al's eye. He had sacrificed her daughter. He would willingly have killed her and Evan and taken their son.
"No," Ba'al whispered, a feeble echo of the protest Alex had voiced mere minutes ago, as the Wraith blinked. He was young, she realized. That was why there were no markings on his face. Why his teeth looked so clean.
Why he believed her.
And she watched on, without flinching away, without closing her eyes, as the Wraith sat up, his eyes fixed on Ba'al, who recoiled but had no chance of evading the hand that shot forward to take his life.
She watched on, as Ba'al was screaming in agony, trying to find it in her to feel sorry, for the host at least, but she couldn't. Not for a second. And then Ba'al collapsed, his lifeless shrivelled-up form looking dried out and hollow-cheeked, his dark eyes milky as they stared unseeing at the ceiling, his brown and golden robes sprawled around him.
She turned away then, gesturing for the Wraith to keep going. Her heart was racing, she could almost hear the sound of her own blood rushing through her veins. Evan was staring straight at her. She'd felt his gaze the entire time, but he hadn't said a word.
He looked old… so old… older than he could ever look. She could barely make out the face he'd had before. But it was there… the lips, parched, grey and dry were still his. The shape of them. The way they moved as he started whispering her name. And then his eyes fell shut as the Wraith's hand landed again on his chest. He was holding his breath and Alex did the same, staring wide-eyed at her husband and the monster giving him the life he'd taken from their enemy.
Her mouth was dry when the Wraith finally released him, dropped his hand and looked up at Alex. He was breathing hard and so was Evan, but Alex didn't dare look at his face. She couldn't bear him judging her. She couldn't deal with that right now.
She kept her eyes on the Wraith, remembering Sheppard's mission report from a few months ago. About how he'd traded an ally's life for that of an enemy. And Sheppard must be remembering it, too. But that situation had been different.
Alex locked eyes with the Wraith and one flicker in the yellow eyes told her that she was right. They were still out-numbered. This Wraith would sound the alarm within seconds if they let him go now, and then there'd be no way to get off this ship. And the Wraith saw that she'd realized it. With a hiss he started getting to his feet, but Alex's bullet hit him straight between the eyes, forcing his body to crash back on the floor where it lay still next to the dead drones.
Sheppard let out a long breath behind her. "We should go."
Alex nodded, feeling numb, and finally knelt down next to Evan. Her leg touched the still-warm body of the Wraith and she shuddered, as she reached for Evan's hand. He ignored her, but wrapped her in his arms, his hot breath hitting her ear with a barely contained hiccup. His fingertips brushed against her neck. "It's okay," he whispered shakily and, closing her eyes, she revelled in the sensation of his smooth skin against hers. With trembling hands, she grabbed a handful of his shirt and reminded herself to keep breathing.
"I said," Sheppard repeated, "we should go."
"Yes, Sir!" Evan said, clearing his throat and letting go of her. His eyes were clear again, his hair dark, all the wrinkles gone from his face, even the ones around his eyes. He almost looked like the Lieutenant she'd met thirteen years ago.
"Can you walk?" Ronon asked and Evan started getting to his feet, allowing Alex to help him.
"How do we get off this thing?" he asked, his voice still hoarse and he still had his arm around Alex, leaning on her inconspicuously. He hadn't fully recovered yet.
"Cloaked Jumper," Sheppard said.
"It's how we got here," Ronon added. "McKay should be back there already."
A/N: I've been itching to write this scene from day one. Alex must be one of my favourite OC's ever, but I hope she hasn't lost favour with you guys. Thank you for reading anyway: I'd be thrilled to hear what you think! And no, we're still not done. We still have 4-5 chapters to go!
