A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I really appreciate it! Keep in mind that this fic is set in an alternate universe, so there will be inconsistencies between the events of the TV show and this story. I am trying to tie everything together while keeping it close to the original plotline, but nothing will be exact. The Wraith names will bounce back and forth between human-given and their actual names based on the situation (i.e. if there are humans besides Jennifer around, human-given names will appear, etc.). Again, thanks for the input, and I hope this chapter helps move some things along with a little bit of fluff!

The Wraith slipped silently through the door to the upper decks, his mind spinning. Obviously the doctor had not been entirely truthful with him. In a way, he knew he couldn't actually expect her to be honest with him, in spite of the fragile peace that had developed between them. He knew that she had come to the Pegasus galaxy for the Atlantis expedition via stargate, meaning she could not have been a true descendant of the human experiments. He also highly doubted that the Atlanteans could have developed an artificial version of the gene in such a short span of time. The original Wraith lab used for the initial experimentation had been destroyed, as had been the planets' stargate. The only other way she could have contracted such DNA would be by injection directly to the bloodstream, or...his mind quickly shut out the possibility, and he shook his head. No, the human female was far too frightened of the Wraith to have engaged in that sort of behavior. Still, how had he not detected the presence of Wraith blood in her veins? It was bizarre.

He paced slowly back and forth in the study, glancing over at the lab table now and again and found himself wondering where she was. The hour was still early, and the fact that she was not buried in a book as he usually found her, struck an unfamiliar nerve within him. Frowning, he abandoned his thoughts on the science of her condition to seek her out. Although he knew she could not enter her private quarters without his presence to open the door, Todd checked for her there anyway. When he found it empty, he was surprised to feel a nervous tension take hold of him. He rounded one organic wall to the dining area, his throat tightening when he saw that it, too was devoid of any occupants.

He detected Bonewhite's presence approaching, and he turned to the door just in time to see it retract. Doctor Keller preceded his second-in-command through the entryway. When her eyes met the yellow eyes of the commander, she froze.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly, rubbing her upper arm with one hand. Kenny stood beside her, studying the pair of them.

"Leave us," Todd snapped at Bonewhite, and he dipped his head before exiting the room. When he was gone, the Wraith rounded on Jennifer.

"I warned you not to wander the Hive, Doctor Kell-err, and yet you defied me."

Swiftly, she shook her head.

"You said not to wander the ship without an escort," she corrected. "Kenny was more than up to the task."

Blinking at her use of Bonewhite's human-given name, Todd only sighed. She had him. She was correct, and 'Kenny' had been an excellent choice to escort her.

"Regardless, this Hive is not safe for you. My command of this ship does not guarantee your safety, and I prefer to have you alive and fully functional for our research. I must ask that you refrain from wandering the Hive, period, from this point on, unless I am with you." His stern gaze fell on her strained expression, and his demeanor changed. "What is wrong?"

Jennifer shook her head again, her eyes falling to the ground.

"It's not important. Can you let me into my quarters, please?"

"You have not yet had your evening meal," Todd protested.

"I will survive one night without food."

"It's a shame you did not follow the same way of thinking whilst you were in my quarantine cell." A smirk threatened to spill onto his features as the doctor scoffed and moved to stand by the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't pouting, as he had expected, but instead she seemed quite tired and subdued. His smirk faded into nonexistance and he approached her. When he stood in front of her, he reached over her shoulder to the panel beside the door.

Jennifer shuddered at the heat emanating from his body as he invaded her space with the motion, but she found for the first time, her body was not reacting in the fight-or-flight manner it had preferred to utilize in past days. Perhaps she was finally coming to believe Todd's promises not to harm her, or perhaps she was just too tired to care.

"Say something," came the Wraith's hoarse voice.

"Does it matter what I say?" she asked in response, and a soft tone came from the panel. She looked up at Todd, who looked slightly less troubled now than he had when she first entered the room with Kenny.

"You no longer need me here to open this door, Doctor Kell-err," he told her. "Simply speak a few words and it will do so at your bidding."

Surprised that he would offer this hospitality to her, Jennifer couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you."

With that, she disappeared into the room, and he watched as the door contracted behind her and concealed her from his view.

Soft footsteps padded across the spongey floor of the upper deck and drew the Wraith commander's attention from inside his own quarters. It was late, and he was unaccustomed to the fact that his human companion could now wander the deck so freely. After a moment the footsteps ceased, and Todd left his quarters to investigate. He noticed that the laptop was gone from the lab table, and his curiosity peaked. Silently, he made his way through the series of doors leading to the doctor's residence, and when he reached the door, he pressed his hand against the console. As he was the ship's commander, the door retracted, and he stepped into the dimly-lit room.

The woman was seated on the small couch by the window, the computer beside her. She wasn't looking at the screen, but instead out into the glory of space and down upon the glittering Hive ship that had become her second home. She had yet to sense Todd's presence in the room, and as he moved closer to where she sat, he took notice of the screen. There were photos of several Atlanteans he recognized flashing slowly across the monitor. Startling her as he did so, the commander took a seat at the other end of the couch and folded his hands upon his knees, looking out the window as she did.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," Jennifer said softly, looking at the floor now. "I know I'm not as quiet as the Wraith when I'm walking around." Todd noted the difference in her voice as she spoke to him now. There was a sadness there he tried hard to ignore.

"You did not wake me."

"I just needed to see their faces again," she admitted, gesturing to the computer.

"You are right to be troubled by the recent events, Doctor. There is no harm in revisiting them in your memories." He looked at her now, and saw strange trails of liquid moving down her cheekbones, originating at her eyes. He recalled other humans referring to these trails as "tears," but Todd had always assumed they were a result of fear, not sorrow. The correlation between biology and emotion in humans was not something he had take the time to study in-depth, but he made a mental note to do so once the serum was perfected. When she moved her head, the light of the stars reflected off the tears leaking down her face, and the Wraith was overcome by the urge to wipe them away. His feeding hand twitched and lifted several inches, but she spoke before he had the chance to complete his task.

"John, Rodney, Ronan and Teyla were off-world when the Replicators attacked Atlantis. They could still be out there, trying to get home. If they have somehow learned of Atlantis' fate, they probably assume I was killed with the rest." Her voice quaked. "Rodney and I...we were just starting to become comfortable with one another...I thought that maybe I had finally found someone I could give myself to without feeling like I was losing a part of myself in the process. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." She gave a bitter laugh and wiped the tears from her own face and looked at Todd. "You don't have to sit here and listen to me. I know you don't really care, and I don't expect you to. I just...I had a conversation with Kenny earlier that made me realize how much I miss them all."

A flash of guilt swept through Todd as he remembered the cruel remark he had made to her about the loss of Atlantis not long ago. Human bonds were much stronger than he'd believed, and the loss of such bonds were striking the doctor quite hard. He sensed more distress in her now than he had at any other point in their time together, and found he was strangely bothered by the knowledge he could do nothing to put an end to it.

"Perhaps," he began softly, still sitting beside her, "once the serum is complete and has proven successful, and there is less threat of war between our kinds...perhaps then I could assist you in finding John Sheppard and his team."

"You and I both know that is never going to happen, Todd."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You don't have the resources."

"There is much to be done, yes, but if this gene theraphy is effective, those resources may very well become freely available." His eyes settled on hers in the dim lighting, and she thought they seemed somehow softer than was typical. The pupils were dilated and the muscles around the eyes relaxed. For a moment, she thought the Wraith looked almost handsome. "You should rest," he declared after clearing his throat once. "No doubt your journey 'round the Hive with Bonewhite has caused you some fatigue."

"Bonewhite?"

Todd let out a small chuckle.

"My Second's Wraith-born name. Contrary to common belief among the Atlanteans, we do possess monikers of our own."

Her interest piqued, Jennifer raised her eyebrows at him.

"What's yours then?"

Todd considered her for a moment, and then answered.

"Guide."

"A name well-suited," she murmured. "I'm Jennifer."

Guide tested the demonination.

"Jenn-i-ferr..." he purred, and a shiver ran through the woman next to him. He felt the motion, and a similar shudder passed through his own body, although he concealed it more easily. It was a beautiful name, and he said it a few more times, experimenting with it until he managed to get the proper number of syllables and make them sound correct. "Jenni-fer Kell-err..." Her frail body quaked again. Yellow eyes settled on brown, sensing there was an alternative reason for her shivers than discomfort alone, and he offered a small smile. "Do I make you nervous Jennifer?"

"You're Wraith," she snapped back quickly. "Of course you make me nervous!"

He laughed aloud now, deep and throaty and hoarse, and then stood up. Politely, he offered her his hand to pull her to her feet. Staring at the feeding hand as it hovered, palm up, before her, Jennifer steeled herself. She slipped her palm into Guide's and felt him close his fingertips around her. Effortlessly, he tugged her upright. For a long moment they stood there by the window, questions brimming in both minds. As Guide let his eyes slip away from hers, the same tension he had felt earlier upon realizing Jennifer was gone snaked its way back into his system. It unnerved him, but he knew it would pass in time. He could sense the disquiet she felt as he held fast to her hand, but detected a hint of something else beneath the surface of her discomfort.

"Fear not," he purred, leaning close to her ear and grinning to expose his sharp teeth as he did so. The commander released her, stretching his fingers and watching her closely as she did the same. She seemed to be locked in a sense of disbelief as she turned her hand over and examined it. After a moment she looked back up at him, realizing just how close he was. His breath shifted a few strands of her hair against her cheekbone, making her want to flee, but her body, obstinate, seemed frozen in place.

Finally, the commander straightened and took on his trademark hands-behind-back stance.

"Rest," he instructed, his voice low. "There is something we need to discuss, come morning."

Although she wanted to know what he meant, she really was tired. Guide held out an arm and ushered her forward, although he didn't touch her again. He left her by the bed and offered a faint inclination of his head before disappearing again through the doorway.

Jennifer, her mind reeling at the recent events, stared at the closed door for several seconds before finally relenting to sleep.