Note: I wrote this long before Seige 3 aired… so like last chapter this is still my own little AU.

WRAITH

The Wraith were here, looming over the city. Dr. Weir has already ordered the evacuation, for the second time. Most of my team had gone though before Col. Everett and the military reinforcements came. When I ran over the inventory for the last of my department though the gate, that last of the equipment boxes and Owen were all that was left.

"Owen, where's box 6?"

"I should be here, I brought everything from the lab."

"Was it moved to the charting lab with everything else?" I look at my list.

"I don't know, I assumed it was." Damn it Owen… don't assume, not now…

"Shit… okay, I'm going back for it,"

"We're set to leave in ten minutes."

"If I'm not back, get this stuff though the gate and I'll catch the next group."

"But…" he tried to stop me.

"I'm not leaving anything behind!" I yell as I run out of the gate room. It takes me five minutes just to run down to the lab. I didn't pass anyone…or anything… on the way. The room is empty, "Shit," I say to myself. Checking around all the tables, making sure it's not hiding behind something, nothing. Quickly I run down the observation lab; where the information from the wide array of telescopes, usually set up around Atlantis, were analyzed. Again the room is empty, save one large black box.

Footsteps down the hall, not the heavy boots of the expedition members. There aren't any Athosians left in the city, except Teyla I'm sure. The Athosian's steps were light and quiet anyway, not clunky and loud like these. That leaves one option, a Wraith was coming, I didn't think they were this far into the city. Shit. I freeze, what do I do. Franticly I look around for any place to hide. There's nothing, nothing left in the room besides the box I came back for and tables in the empty lab. Closer. Damn, there's no time to move the box under a table and block me in, that would make too much noise anyway. Closer. I dive under the table against the wall, next to the door. Please let him just glance in the room, no, let him just skip the room all together, he doesn't know I'm here. Closer. I can't stop my shaking, frightened that it could somehow hear my fear. I can't breath, or am I hyperventilating, I can't tell. I'm sweating though, it's dripping down my face, or are these tears. The sounds stop, he's right outside. I force myself to stay perfectly still, hugging my legs to my chest like a child. To afraid to move my head, I look as far as I can to the right with my eyes, he's in the room, even his boots scare the hell out of me. I try and blend into the wall, trying to become invisible. It's sniffing the air, an animal hunting for prey. It's in the middle of the room now, slowing scanning the room, its smells me. Shit this is it, I am going to die, why did I have to come back for some stupid box. Suddenly the table is thrown off me, I scream out of instinct. It raises a hand, grabs me and I'm thrown across the room, it wanted to shut me up. I scream again, please let there be a solider near by, someone with a gun, please let them hear me.

It's standing over me again. Why can't I run, why can't I crawl away, kick him, anything. I'm frozen in fear. Thud. The Wraith wobbled for half a second and regained its balance, that was a bullet, someone heard me. The Wraith's head snaps to the left, I can't see who's at the door, who's saving me. More thuds, more bullets, how many did it take to kill this thing. Finally the Wraith stops moving and the person behind the gun walks in the room, stands over him and shoots in the head, point blank.

It's Major Sheppard. "You okay?"

I just stare at him, I try and say yes, or no, something, anything; but my voice won't work. I'm standing now, how did I get off the ground. Must have been the Major, his hand is still supporting my arm, balancing me, I slump against the wall behind me.

"Can you make it to the gate room?" Somehow I nod, or at least I'm fairly sure I nodded since the Major started rushing me out the door . I turn and motion to the box, the reason I was in this mess. "Forget the damn boxes, just get out of here." He leads me down the hall and around the corner. Coming towards us is a small team of Marines, I don't know any of them, they must have just come though the gate. "One of you, take Dr. Ashta to the gate room,"

"Sir?"

"Look, I don't want any civilians out here, and I need to get to a jumper, I'm faster without her, now make sure she gets to the damn gate room!" He said sternly. Normally the Major was so friendly… smiling… I was suddenly reminded that he was a military man.

"Yes, Sir." He motioned to the one in the back, "Stevens, take her."

The walls were a blur as moved though the city. I don't know if I would have made it without the guy pushing me forward. Wow, we're already here, the Marine left me, with out a word, at the bottom of the stairs. Leaning against the wall I slid to the ground. Sweat and tears were still dripping off my chin, and something else, metallic. What's wrong with me, why am I so petrified. Sure a Wraith almost just killed me, but I am thirty three years old, I shouldn't be sitting here in shock. Is that was this was, am I in shock, stuck within myself. Time was a blur, no one made any sign that they noticed me there. People ran here and there in front of me. Why aren't they opening the gate, why aren't they letting me go, away from the Wraith? My mind slightly focuses for a moment, I hear Dr. Mckay's and Dr. Weir's voices drifting from somewhere above me. Something about Major Sheppard, and a Jumper…. A bomb. He is up there about to kill himself to save the city and I am just sitting here. I phase out, more time passes…

…oooOOOooo…

"Emily?… Em?…. Come on lass… Emily?" someone gently shakes me, there's pressure on my head. My eyes try and focus on the figure in front of me, Dr. Beckett… Carson… I tried to feel what was on my head, the pressure. It was Carson's hand and gauze. I looked at my hand… blood, when did I cut myself? "It's okay, Emily I need you to look at me." I looked around, there weren't that many people around but those who were ran quickly to where ever they were going.

"What happened." My voice only half worked. My chest burned, I felt like I had just finished a five-mile run. With each breath my chest tightened.

"It's over, the Deadalus arrived from Earth. The Wraith are gone." He picked up my hand and brought it to my head. "I need you to hold this." I do as I'm told, looking down I see that my blue shirt has turned purple from blood, that can't all be mine can it "You'll be fine love, head wounds tend ta bleed a lot, that's all. Come on, up we go." As soon as I stand up a wave of dizziness washes over me. Without meaning to I lean into him trying to find my balance again. "I got you, you're fine." Finding my feet, I'm able to stand on my own power. "come on, I'm heading down to the infirmary right now, I'll take you there myself." We start walking. "Someone will clean that wound out an' stitch it up. Then you can get a good rest, you'll feel much better after some real sleep."

Once we get to the infirmary, Dr. Beckett tells one of the nurses to take care of my head. I know him, I can't remember his name, Ted? Todd?... Tim, that's it. I hate needles, but right now, I don't really care, as long as it stops the pounding. It was about twenty minutes before the place was buzzing with activity. Beckett and a few of the nurses who had not evacuated, had spent the lull before the crowd preparing the place for the inflow of people. Now most of the medical team had come back though the gate to tend the wounded. Tim left and came back. "Dr. Beckett wanted you to have these," he held out a small cup containing pills. "It's Tylenol for later. Go on back to your room, it's going to get pretty busy in there, " he smiled. "Go clean yourself up and get some rest, they'll be plenty to do when you wake up. He also wanted you to come back some time tomorrow so someone can check on your head."

"Thank you," I manage in a small voice. And slowly I make my way back to my room. And my bed.

…oooOOOOoo…

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