Somehow over the course of the evening Guide had found his way to his enormous bed, and when the commander awoke some hours later, he couldn't help the surprise that came at finding Jennifer's warm body nestled against his own. Her palm rested on his broad chest and her cheek upon his bicep which was stretched out and bent around her. The Wraith studied her, his eyes wide in spite of his recent awakening, as memories of the past events gradually filtered back into the forefront of his mind. Thoughts of what he had done with her, of what she had allowed him to do, and of the way he had felt in the process came to him now, and he shifted slightly to let his feeding hand stroke her hair. Jennifer stirred at his movement but did not wake, and the commander allowed his eyes to travel down the picturesque physique that slept peacefully before him. He noted the tender marks on each side of her hips where his claws had unwittingly dug into her skin, and he cursed himself for interrupting the otherwise flawless lines of her body.

His fingers moved down to brush the area beside her eyes, all the while his mind striving to understand what it was about him that had convinced Jennifer that he was the one worth giving herself to. Inwardly, a sense of raw satisfaction suddenly hit him when he thought of what he had received and McKay had not, and he made a mental note to inform McKay of that fact as soon as possible. He knew Jennifer would not approve, but he would choose to ignore that fact. A simple slip of the tongue would be forgivable, he was certain.

For the life of him, Guide could not understand why he felt such need for the fair haired maiden who lay against him. She was not Wraith, and her human nature was more irksome than not. Nothing good could come of their relationship, however strong or weak, but still he fought valiantly onward, pushing her and striving to claim her for his own. The Hive would not approve of what he had done, and by now they would most certainly know of his actions. The alliance, however scattered, would never allow Jennifer to live if ever they were to capture her. The Primary, wherever she was and in whatever state, would order a fate worse than death for Guide himself. He shuddered to fathom the possibilities. And now, with his attachment to the doctor and her intimate knowledge of the Wraith, both their lives were at risk even within their present Hive.

The woman's eyes flickered open and Guide, shifted from his musings, was immediately at attention, oddly nervous to experience her reaction to their...correspondence. The woman sat bolt upright, staring at him with wide eyes, and so entertained was the Wraith that he let out a hearty laugh. Jennifer's shock swiftly turned into a glare, and she flopped down to the mattress again with her back to him.

"It's a bit too late for second thoughts," Guide offered through his chuckling, but when Jennifer only rolled her eyes at him, he curbed his amusement and leaned over her, encircling her collar and shoulders with one muscular arm and brushing his chest against her back. The Wraith's sharp teeth nipped at her neck and Jennifer instantly felt herself melt into him.

"I promise I'm not having second thoughts," she murmured as he smiled and pulled her up so that they both sat on the edge of the mattress. "That was..."

"Enjoyable?" Guide suggested, his tone oddly playful in a way she had only witnessed a few times in the past. "Or something more meaningful...sublime, perhaps?"

A soft smile came to the woman's face and her eyes sought his.

"I'm not much for important talks the morning after, Guide, but you did well," she issued, and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

The commander nodded, satisfied with her declaration, and pulled her to her feet. His eyes raked over her form with a freshly renewed hunger, but he quickly turned to the wardrobe from which he retrieved coverings for them both. As much as he had enjoyed the evening past, and as much as he wanted to continue with her now, there was business to attend to. Not to mention the consequences that would ultimately come from their union. By now the Hive would be bristling with bother and question. He owed them an explanation.

In his study, Bonewhite paced circle after circle, the heated adrenaline burning his inhuman veins as the thrum of detrimental alterations pulsed throughout the Hive. He'd urged Jennifer to convince Guide of her affection, but he had not anticipated she would actually go through with such an intimate act as copulation, and it made the Wraith Second want to scream aloud in frustration. How could Guide allow this to happen? He was throwing away everything they had worked for. Centuries spent rebuilding a reputation and little by little gaining access to the alliance and stepping closer and closer to the Primary...and here he was, bending to the will of his human plaything and ignoring those who had stood beside him for all those years! The fact that Bonewhite could sense Guide's ironclad affection for the Atlantean—along with every other Wraith in the vicinity—left them all in grave danger, and the subcommander simply could not allow it to go on. While Jennifer could indeed remain useful to the point that he refused to slay her, something had to be done.

"Commander," Bonewhite's voice came from behind Guide as he strode toward the bridge, his long trenchcoat sweeping rhythmically as he moved. For a moment he continued walking, not entirely pleased with his Second considering his rough treatment of Jennifer in Guide's absence. Bonewhite quickly caught up to him, stepping out in front of him and forcing his superior to halt. Guide held his gaze, his head tilting as he awaited an explanation. Bonewhite took the hint and began speaking.

"I am sure you understand that by now what you have done is not unknown to me, nor to the rest of the Hive," the Second began, his voice stiff and hurried. "What were you thinking?"

Guide, taken aback by his subordinate's gall, narrowed his eyes.

"You know of this event because I have allowed it to be known, Bonewhite. If we are to ensure the survival of all Wraith, we must make sacrifices."

"Indeed," the Wraith Second agreed in a low voice. "Though I am not sure I understand your methodology. Please, tell me how creating dissent in the ranks is pertinent to our goals of reaching new feeding grounds."

"Our goals have changed, Bonewhite."

"And when were you planning on informing the rest of us of this...epiphany...of yours?" Bonewhite snarled in return, daring to take a step forward into his superior's space.

Guide stiffened now, standing straighter and looking down upon his counterpart in an effort to subdue his insubordination. His voice was low and stern.

"I am the Commander of this vessel, Bonewhite," he growled, his eyes flashing. "If you so wish to be rid of that command, I would be more than happy to dispel your person to the vacuum that is the space outside the hive. Until you decide to take that route, I would suggest you cease your questioning and fall in line."

Guide watched as the skin on one side of his Second's nostrils twitched and wrinkled, the slit upon his cheek narrowing in displeasure. The Commander himself lifted his chin and raised his brows in expectation.

At last, Bonewhite grudgingly relented.

"As you wish it, Commander.

A/N: My apologies for the long wait between updates! Between changing jobs, starting a new business, and working on a series of original fiction stories, this one got placed on the back burner! I can't promise regular updates at this point, but I do intend to continue. In the meantime, hopefully this helps with a bit of closure on the part of the last...ahem...interaction...between our heroes. As always, enjoy!