A/N: wow…eight chapters…this is the longest fan-fic I have ever written, and I want to thank my reviewers.

The comments you send are what makes me keep writing.

Plus yer giving me the warm-fuzzies!

:P If anyone has any questions or ideas for the fic, please drop me a review! I will be sure to answer them in a A/N in the next chappie.

Well…that's my note…

3 'amie

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Chapter Eight:

The Hive ship was only about five hours away, but there were smaller pieces breaking away from the whole, heading for Atlantis at a much faster speed than the Hive.

Darts.

The first wave.

There was no point in putting up a cloak, the Wraith already knew where they were, and all the power they could spare was needed for the city's shield.

All non-essential personnel were at the Alpha-Site along with the Athosians, the remainder of the people rushed about, doing the tasks normally spread out among at least four people.

Teams of two were in each jumper, waiting for orders to fly out and meet the enemy.

Plans of action were being discussed, armed marines were being sent to open areas of the city, laden with ammunition in the hopes that they could either shoot down a few of the Darts, or eliminate any Wraith that made it inside.

The remaining members of the infirmary staff were being given cans of the aerosol version of the retrovirus, transporting them to locations indicated by the scientists, all of them equipped with a remote activation device. Should things grow out of control, they could activate the cans and spread the virus though the city, eliminating the threat.

Temporarily at least.

Should all other plans of action fail…they would sink the city, and lock the Earth address out of the DHD.

The Wraith would never get to Earth if it could be helped.

The Hive was three hours away, and the Darts were nearly to the city.

Adrienne paced the halls nervously; she would be called to the infirmary or the gateroom should she be needed.

Eventually she ran across a group of marines stationed on one of the balconies. She joined them wordlessly, feeling terribly out of place; a young doctor equipped with a Beretta and a combat knife, clad in a pair of bloodstained khaki pants, a tank-top, and a bullet-proof vest, a kid in a costume, full of false courage and hope, surrounded by professionals.

She would have left but the need for human contact was too great, and as she watched them, there was a sinking feeling in her stomach accompanied by the sharp, burning prick of tears.

Her head bowed, and she leaned against the wall, allowed hot tears to streak down her face as the sharp whine of the attacking Darts reached her ears.

She lifted her head, tracking the sleek craft with her eyes as it flew overhead, a mingled sense of hatred and awe.

Awe at the alien beauty of the Dart, and hatred of its pilot, the cause of her sorrow…the enemy that would kill those she had grown close to.

Someone pushed her lightly, sending her back inside, her feet unconsciously carrying her into the bowels of the city, the lower levels that hovered just above the water.

She almost fell out of her body, feeling as though she were a silent observer, as thought what moved her limbs wasn't really her, but something else.

It was that feeling she got when she saw a friend heading into the infirmary, that same loss of emotion.

She felt it as she headed back to the gateroom, angry yelling cutting into her comm.-link as people rushed to keep the failing shield up.

Shield at twenty percent

She shook herself, blinking away the haze as her pace quickened the sound of gunfire in the distance; she was now able to hear the yelling of orders without her link.

Atlantis had been breached.

Adrienne skidded into the gateroom, looking around, there were few raised voices here, the scientists working in quiet, concentrating on what they had to do, but when they spoke there was tightness in the words.

It felt chaotic.

She wasn't needed here, so with the affirmative nod of her superior, she changed her grip on the combat knife, and slunk out of the room, moving down the halls, listening keenly to the words that came though her comm link, eventually having to turn it off, instead turning her ear to the halls.

For the most part she could hear the sound of combat in the distance, and the light patter of her feet against the cool floor.

But soon a new sound reached her ears, the heavy tread of booted feet.

She paused, Adrienne could hear only one person walking; their step hurried, and as the person drew closer Adrienne began to pick up clues.

The soft creak of leather, one person, the soft growl that now reached her ears.

Wraith.

Adrienne told her feet to move, if she could find a place to hide until the threat had passed.

NO.

The word rang sharply in her mind as she berated herself; she hid from nothing and no one.

Silently she adjusted her stance, her grip on the hit of her knife shifting; pausing to admire the metal in the light as her other hand strayed to the Beretta strapped to her thigh.

As the Wraith rounded the corner, she almost burst out laughing.

"We have to stop meeting like this." she murmured, a crooked grin on her face.

"You can thank yourself for that." was the reply, a vicious smile twisting the Wraith's lips as he stalked closer.

She could feel the heat of his body on her skin, warming her.

"What do you mean?" the words were sharp, eyes narrowed as she drew her gun, shakily aiming it him.

Not even she could miss at this close a range.

The yellow eyes focused on the hand holding the gun, brow quirking slightly as he continued closer, making her move back, pinning her to a wall.

There was no reply, just a smirk as his hand rose, fingertips lightly brushing against the body of the gun before wrapping tightly around her wrist.

It felt like he was crushing her wrist, and as the pressure increased her grip loosened on the gun until it fell from her hand to clatter on the floor.

He released her, and she drew the limb back in, holding it tightly to her chest, watching the other warily.

"Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?" she asked, he was toying with her, and she wanted to know why.

"Because its you." was the reply, the smirk gone, replaced by something unidentifiable as he reached out, running his hand along her face.

Strange how one could cause pain in one moment, then be so gentle the next.

The low chuckle that escaped his lips nearly turned her legs to jelly.

"And you." He continued, head bowed, "Drive me mad."
Adrienne quirked an eyebrow, listening quietly as he spoke, "I can't get you out of my mind."

That was when she struck.

A hard backhanded slap meant to drive him back, which it did, allowing her to move away from the wall.

"Ha ha." She said dryly, "That's funny."

She refused to let herself admit that this one had occupied her thoughts as well, and that hearing that he thought of her made her feel…something.

She took her opportunity as he stumbled back, startled, the blade of her knife whistling through the air.

Had her opponent been human, they would have suffered a grievous injury, but he just healed over and continued moving as though nothing had happened.

She made another attempt, only to be stopped as the blade was wrenched from her hand; along with the element of surprise, whatever edge she may have had was gone.

A startled sound tore itself from her throat as she was pulled in closer, barley any gap between their bodies as she glared up at him.

"I hate you." she ground out, the words slow, sticking to her throat.

Once again she was met with laughter, "Don't lie." he was so close that she could feel his lips brush against her ear as he spoke.

The kiss was hard and unexpected.

A/N: damn my brain hurts now…must…have…coffee.