Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters. I own Emily, Mac (Blazing Heart), Leeander, a few other wraiths, Layla, Tina, and Kendra. Where Mac is thinking about the drones the saying, "The Hive would die without its drones" is a quote from the TV Show, Bones.

A few hours later Leeander found himself sitting on the nose of his dart, away from all other Wraith. He didn't want to be considered weak while he showed his emotions, which was very rare for him to do.

"NO! Please, it's all I have left of her! I'm not giving it up!"

The words echoed over and over in his head; he could still see Mac's "new" face staring at him, her eyes wide and shining with hope he wouldn't take away the...Peace sign. The way her eyebrows had lifted and her mouth had formed every word...He shook his head. What was he thinking?! Mac was a 'Lantean child all of 17, she was a baby compared to him. When he had been that young he had just entered into his training as a Hunter and was about to feed for his first time. He frowned, humans lived such short life spans, 17 in human years was much different than 17 in Wraith years he knew.

He stared at the Peace symbol all he could feel was mostly Mac's...Blazing Heart's emotions on it; but he could feel another's emotions on it as well, her mother's. Though it was faint, he shut his eyes and calmed his mind and body.

Leeander caught a flash of a woman a few inches taller than Mac; her hair was light strawberry blonde, her eyes were sky blue, her lips were thin and her face was moon shaped. She wore a pair of half frame glasses; she was wearing a long white blouse, a brown fringed vest, and an old denim skirt and a pair of leather boots. Around her neck hung the peace sign. The vision of Mac's mother faded, he concentrated harder.

"MacKenzie, what's wrong?" Questioned 33 year old Kendra Jordan as she hugged her crying ten year old daughter, Mac. She pushed Mac away gently and looked at her face; Mac's lower lip was split, her left cheek was bleeding from a small cut, tears poured out of her ocean blue eyes. Her hair, which had been in two braids, had long since fallen out of the braids making Mac look almost like a stray puppy, Leeander noticed.

"Megan and Jane beat me up in the bathroom!" Cried the small ten year old, "they said I was a little freak-troll who should be in a freak museum for people to stare at 'cause I'm ugly. I said it wasn't true, then they called me fat pig and at lunch time they threw food at me yelling, 'oink! Oink! Here piggy! I threw their food back at them and threw Megan's Yogurt on her favorite blouse, then I when I went into the bathroom today they beat me up and called me a fat little troll and said I needed to go back under my bridge! Why are they so mean to me, mommy?!"

"Sweetie, throughout all your life there's going to be bullies," Kendra replied softly in a gentle tone as she finger brushed her daughter's hair, "you stood up for yourself, but you shouldn't have thrown Megan's yogurt all over her. There is something you need to remember about life, honey."

"What?" Sniffled the ten year old as she rubbed her eye.

"Karma," Kendra smiled.

"Kar-ma?" Sniffled Mac, "what's that?"

"When someone does something really, really mean to another person, a lot of times or even once, one day something bad will happen to them."

"You mean they'll die?" Mac asked.

"Well, let's hope not...It's never good to wish death on anyone, sweetie," Kendra replied, "instead Karma...Is what goes around comes around. Maybe one day those two will be bullied and you'll be the only one around who can help them?"

"I wouldn't help them," Mac replied as she crossed her arms and poked out her bottom lip.

"It would make you a better person than they are," Kendra replied, she paused, "see my necklace, honey?"

"The one that daddy gave you before he went away?" Mac asked.

"Yes," Kendra smiled gently, "the only daddy gave me before he went away. It means 'peace.' There will always be mean people in the world who will bully you no matter how old you are. When they bully you...You need to remember to choose your fights carefully. Sometimes it's best just to walk away, even though your feelings are hurt and it's hard to ignore all the bullying you need to try to pretend that it doesn't get to you. When they bully you think of yourself growing taller and taller, taller than a T-Rex, then one day when your confidence, how erm tall you are in your imagination, gets really, really tall you can tell them to leave you alone and they will."

"They will?" Mac asked wide eyed.

"They will," Kendra smiled.

"When will Karma kick their butts?" Mac asked.

Kendra laughed, "anytime and anywhere," she replied, "for all you know it could be getting to them right now. Perhaps they won't be getting a toy they want, or their favorite pair of jeans will rip when they sit down, or maybe someone will start bullying them? But when Karma steps in and you're not around, it's meant that you're not supposed to be around when it happens. When you are around, lets say you see them getting bullied, it means you should help them and stand up for them...Even if they make fun of you, you would have proved who is the taller person."

"They are," Mac frowned, "their taller than me."

"No sweetie, that isn't the kind of tall I'm talking about," Kendra replied, "each time you do something good to help a person or you ignore your bullies and one day tell them to leave you alone, you get taller."

The memory faded, Leeander stared at the pendant, he was starting to understand more and more about Mac now. He understood why she had backed away before attacking; he paused and shut his eyes again, he wanted to know more about this child. He read one or two more of Mac's mother's memories, but nothing on how Mac got the pendant, he wanted to see that. He felt for Kendra's energy, show me. He commanded mentally, after a long few minutes of mental tugging he found the memory and brought it into focus in his mind.

Kendra smiled, "so what would you like to do before we leave the mall? Do you want to go to the arcade, or get some ice cream?"

Leeander saw Mac from Kendra's point of view, she had grown a little taller and confidence was shining brightly in her eyes behind her new glasses that were clear plastic with different colors of 'confetti' painted on them.

"Uh...I dunno," Mac replied, "I don't feel like playing arcade games right now, I kinda want candy."

"Well you can't have candy right now," Kendra replied, "you had a Hershey bar only an hour ago, you can have Vanilla Ice Cream though."

"Oh...Ok...No thanks then," Mac replied before she dug through the bag of clothing she and her mother had bought for Mac. She was going into a new school this year and she had wanted clothes that matched her mother's; after going into nearly 15 different clothes stores Kendra had found a kids section that had clothes that looked like they were from the 1970's. Mac finally found what she was looking for and took out the tiny peace sign hanging from a black cord she had bought with her allowance. "I'm just like you now, mom!" She beamed.

Leeander wondered why Kendra's mind had gone quiet in the memory, he realized she was feeling something. The human knew that something bad was going to happen to her, fascinating, he did not think humans could know when their death was coming.

"Mac," smiled Kendra.

"Mac? Whose Mac?" The eleven year old asked.

"You are," smiled Kendra, "you've changed so much over this last year. From a 10 year old who had bully problems to a confident 11 year old who stood up for bullies on the last day of school. Besides, you've been begging me now for nearly two years for a nickname, so how about Mac?"

"Mac," Mac beamed, "I like it mom! Thanks!"

"Mac, you have one more birthday present you need to open," Kendra smiled.

"But my birthday was last week!"

"I know," Kendra replied, "but mommy had to think really hard before giving you this present, close your eyes, ok?"

"Okay," replied the 11 year old. Leeander almost laughed when he watched the child shut her eyes so tight that she looked like she was squinting with her eyes closed, she also held her breath making her face remind him of a blow fish.

"You don't have to hold your breath, silly billy!" Kendra laughed before walking behind her daughter; she took off her own necklace and put it over Mac's head; the chain was so long on Mac that the peace sign almost hung down to her tummy. "Open your eyes."

Mac opened her eyes and gasped, "mommy! Your necklace, daddy gave you this! Are you sure I can have it?"

"I'm sure," Kendra smiled.

Leeander opened his eyes just as he heard gunfire; he frowned, human families were not so different than Wraith families after all. He put the necklace back into his pocket and shrugged his shoulders before shoving his emotions back deep within himself; he stood he was needed in the throne room, the Queen wanted him to walk Mac around. He almost felt bad for turning on his machine that hypnotized humans, giving them a lifetime of false memories and making them think the way he wanted them to think. He knew he'd have to do this again tomorrow since the Hypnosis only lasted for almost 2 days at a time.

-----------------

I stood looking out the window of the throne room, mother was speaking softly to Leeander. My hands were folded in front of me, I had missed the stars so much in this part of the Galaxy. I had not seen them in Atlantis. I frowned, I had always have naive faith that the 'Lanteans were civilized and hoped they would leave our Hive be; when they had kidnapped me they had proven to me that all this time mother and Leeander were right...the 'Lanteans were intelligent humans, but humans non the less. I know that I'm half human, I am glad I am more Wraith than I am human, I hope to never be as barbaric as a 'Lantean.

"Mac," a human woman's face flashed in my mind, she had a smile on her face and holding me close; then I saw some kind of circle with three lines in it, a big line and two small lines.

"Stay in the jumper," the face of the human Colonel John Sheppard appeared in my mind; I blinked and jumped a little.

"Princess?" Leeander questioned, he was standing beside me staring at me.

"Yes?"

"Are you well?" He asked.

"Yes, I was just admiring the stars...They serve as our constant reminders of our place in this Galaxy," I said softly, "the 'Lanteans...They have no respect for life and do not see their place in our Galaxy do they?"

"No, they do not," Leeander replied, "your mother wants you to walk around the Hive for a bit."

"Alone?" I asked.

"Of course, is this a problem?" Leeander asked.

"Of course not," I replied as I made my voice firm; how dare Leeander think I am a coward. It was just that I hadn't walked through the Hive alone since before I had been taken. I looked at my mother and gave a small bow before walking out; a drone gave me a small nod as I passed it. I paused and looked at it for a moment in acknowledgement before walking on; if a Hive didn't have drones that Hive would die. My mother had always reminded me to take a moment to acknowledge a drone and be thankful for it; the drones are what help to keep us alive, they do most of the hunting when we cannot go onto a human planet because we are either busy defending ourselves from another Hive from the 'Lanteans or our Hive has damage and every able hunter and scientist must be able to help repair the Hive.

I walked on and looked at the Wraiths I passed, some acknowledged me some did not; I did not care, they knew I was to one day be queen and that I would not be walked on like some bear skin sleeping mat. As I walked on I found my head feeling light, I kept walking and narrowed my eyes. Then before my very eyes the Hive changed and I was walking into the shiny control room of Atlantis.

"There you are, what do you think of this: I call that new flower we discovered the John-On, after Colonel Sheppard and Ronon?" Smiled a beautiful human woman to me.

I blinked and suddenly the strange image was gone; I looked around and slipped into an empty storage compartment, when the door hissed closed I pressed my back to the wall and let out a long shaky sigh. What was happening to me?

Blazing Heart, are you well? Questioned my mother's voice in my mind.

I am fine, mother, I replied, I just had a flashback to Atlantis is all.

Oh? Any useful information you can think to tell me?

Information? I asked.

Of what you remembered, perhaps what the room you were in looked like?

It was large, I replied, it had many strange computer terminals and many humans were sitting in front of the terminals typing. I remember the 'Lanteans calling it, the Control Room.

Anything else?

Todd...

What?

I-I don't know, my mind must be playing tricks on me, I apologize.

No need to apologize, my daughter, Todd...Is an important name I know who this is. You will be safe, my daughter I promise and before this week has ended you will know how to defend yourself better and know all there is to know of being queen and how to bring the 'Lanteans to their knees for once and for all.

Thank you, mother, I am grateful, I replied; silence was my reply from my mother. I stood and walked out of the storage closet as I lifted my head I walked through the Hive.

"Princess, Leeander wishes to speak to me and I was ordered to walk with you back to the throne room," exclaimed our chief scientist, a survivor of a lost Hive. For some reason he had the nickname of Bubble, how odd.

-------------------------

The female Wraith pilot of the dart sat quietly and dignified in Atlantis's interrogation room. Her eyes did not stare at any human but instead at an empty space on the wall.

John crossed his arms he had been at the pilot now for nearly three hours and he had gotten a small bit of information...Jumpers were based off of Wraith Darts somehow. John wasn't convinced or impressed, the information was not what he had been hoping to hear. The Wraith was trying to run him around in circles and John wouldn't have it, he glanced at the 'mirror' and gave a small nod.

Todd entered a moment later and the pilot of the Dart visibly stiffened. She went from calm, collected, and dignified to dignified with her eyes darting around looking for a way of escape.

"I see you recognize me, you should," Todd exclaimed. A year after Kolya had taken Sheppard again Todd had taken over the main Queen's Hive, with help from Teyla. Emily had been giving birth to four more babies at the time; the four newborns were all scientists and were sent to the nursery to be raised. It was still hard for her to let her children be handed away so quickly, but she was able to see them whenever she wanted which helped her some. Now Todd and Emily were the most powerful Wraith Commander and Queen in this part of the Pegasus Galaxy.

"I wouldn't mind if you took a human from my feeding grounds if you would have asked me first," Todd exclaimed as he walked over to the pilot, he paused, "you're not even a hunter, you're a junior scientist," he noted as he glanced at her white hair that was in a loose braid.

The pilot glared at Todd, "Hunters are not the only skilled Wraith at culling humans," she replied coldly.

"No they aren't," Todd replied, "however all the scientists I have known in my long years of life have been weaker than a hunter."

"I am stronger than you could ever imagine," commented the scientist.

"So this is why I know that in your cargo beam you have your son and daughter waiting to be released when you 3 reach your new Hive?" Todd questioned as he leaned forward and stared into her eyes.

The scientist froze, and John watched as the Wraith visibly paled.

"As you know I do not take pleasure in harming or taking the lives of such young Wraith," Todd continued, "it is...unnecessary really. But to get what I need I am willing to bend my rules from time to time."

The scientist glared at Todd before drawing back her lips and giving a loud hiss; she opened her mouth wide getting ready to growl before Todd's hand slammed down on her chest over her clothing, he started to feed and the Wraith gave a loud scream that sent the hair on Sheppard's arms and the back of his neck rising.

"Now," Todd said after a moment, he pulled his hand away from the Wraith who was doing her best to look unaffected from the feeding; John could see she was trembling, "I am rather hungry," Todd continued, "the few years I took of your life were nothing. I usually do not feed on other Wraith or our Young but I am in the mood for...Something different-"

"NO!" The scientist gasped, "take from me what you want, leave my children alone."

John froze, he hadn't been expecting that. Todd glanced at him obviously knowing what he was thinking, John closed his eyes to avoid rolling him when Todd said in his head, There is much you do not know about Wraith, Sheppard.

"Tell me the information I want!" Todd exclaimed, when the Scientist started gathering her courage Todd pushed her from the chair and before she could stand he lifted her face up to his and glared into her eyes. She winced and gave a small groan as she fought him before her body shook after a long fight she gave in.

"I do not know the current location of the Hive; after I left the Wraith and human girl in the Dart Bay I left. I do not like our Queen, I was offered a position at a Wraith outpost, one that would prove safer for myself and my children and where my work would be respected," she winced as her back stiffened, she was trying to fight again. Todd glared at her again and gave a small hiss before her shoulders tensed, she continued, "I know our Queen wanted her to replace the loss of her own son who was killed by Colonel Sheppard. Our Queen also wants this young human because she is easy to influence, it will be easy for her to learn our ways and forget the ways of the humans."

"What else?" Todd growled.

"That is all I know," the Scientist replied, she tensed before giving a growl as Todd invaded and wracked her mind once again, "the Queen wants her for information on Atlantis...Those are the only two reasons-" she started before Todd made her mental pain unbearable, John glanced away feeling sick when the Wraith's eyes bulged, "I SWEAR," she exclaimed in a shout, "that is ALL I know." Todd looked away and the Wraith fell to the ground.

He looked to Sheppard, "kill her."

"What about her children?" John asked, his eyebrows raising.

"Children?" Todd asked, "what children? She is only 200 years old an has not yet found a mate nor is she a mother. I simply put a suggestion into her mind to make her think she did, a female's instinct to protect her children is very similar to a human woman's instinct to protect their children. After that suggestion her mind was ruined, no reason to keep her living and have her searching the galaxy for a son and daughter she never had."

John paused, he knew Todd was a dangerous Wraith and had a definite mean streak but now he understood why his interrogation methods worked so well; because they were cruel...Even John would never have even tried to sink that low. But they had gotten information they didn't have before.

"What about the Queen's name?" John asked as he walked out of the Interrogation room after shooting the Wraith, out of almost sympathy this time. "You never let her give it to you-"

"Layla," replied Todd calmly, "when I went through her mind the last time I found her name. I am familiar with Layla, she is ruthless and not a Wraith Queen that you would ever wish to encounter. Atlantis is in danger-" Todd started before freezing, he stared as several soldiers walked past, each soldier had gloves on over their hands and were carrying a tree through the hallway into the Control Room.

"Damn it, Layla, I remember that one Wraith Queen from 3 years ago who betrayed us mentioned at one point her sister had a Hive as well," he exclaimed. He paused and saw Todd's shocked and befuddled look, "what?"

"Why are your human soldiers carrying a large tree into your control room? Why would you want an outside plant in Atlantis?" He asked, visibly confused.

"Uh, it's a Christmas Tree," John replied.

"A what?"

"You see....It's after Thanksgiving and it's tradition to put up a tree and decorate it with small and big different colored lights and pretty round shaped....uh ornaments that shine and look happy. Its our way to celebrate an important holiday of ours, Christmas. Its the time of year when we humans give each other presents, we put those presents under the tree and on Christmas morning we unwrap them. Usually as soon as we wake up, but on Christmas Eve we make it a point to shake the gifts to try to figure out what we got,
John smirked.

"Shake? Why not look?" Todd asked, even more confused, "why put boxes with items in it under a tree? What is this Christmas? What does it stand for? Who was it started by, the...'Ancients?' " Todd asked.

"This is going to take a while," sighed John, "walk with me you see a long, long time ago according to an ancient book of ours called the Bible there was a little baby born..."