Hello, Stargate Lovers!

"Enemy At The Gate" is a great episode! Fight me!

We have Sam and Walter back, Cheyenne Mountain and Major Davis!

Okay, it has a few things that could have been better, and the end is not great. It's very bittersweet. For me "Stargate: Atlantis" needed a better ending, like the city going back to the Pegasus Galaxy and finally deal with the end of the Wraith, or at least to find a way to live alongside them.

I hope you like my take on the episode.

I still have a couple more chapters before I put this story to rest.

Hope you stay around!

Chapter 56: Episode 5x20

Out of nowhere, and as weeks went by with no contact, the Atlantis second in command gets a surprise call from Atlantis favourite wraith.

Todd is brought into Atlantis, being given an audience with Richard Woolsey that, in the end, discusses his latest request for help with the city's main team.

However, there was one person that was keeping himself quiet, not only thinking about the latest events, but also because he rather be in the infirmary hall or trying to find some way to bring Alexandra back from wherever she was.

Since she had fallen uncouscious, Rodney searched her lab for abnormal entities or artifacts that might have brought some kind of virus, but nothing was out of the ordinary.

However, three days had gone by. And even if her brain activity stayed the same as if she was only asleep, her falling into his arms had scared John. He hadn't been able to rest or sleep, delegating tasks, refusing missions, always keeping close to her bed, except for when he had been called to the control room to answer Todd's call.

In the end, the theory offered by Carson, that had been brought back to the city to help Jennifer find a way to Alexandra's conumdrum, and agreed by Rodney, after studying her old and present brain scans, was that she was in another plain of existence, probably speaking with the Ancients. It wouldn't be the first time, they had offered as an opinion.

John only hoped she was not doing anything crazy, like agreeing with any sacrifices or battles, or even speaking with Adria alone.

"What about you, Colonel? Care to voice your objections, as well?" Woolsey looked at his second in command, interrupting his thoughts.

The pilot turned to his leader, having listened to his teams worries, even if his mind was elsewhere.

"IOA says investigate, we investigate." John simply said.

The four other members at the table were surprised at his quiet decision, since he usually contested IOA orders.

"All right then, we'd better get going." Woolsey agreed.

All of them stood, leaving the conference room, while John stayed put, looking at nowhere in particular.

Location: Daedalus

"If you really feel that way, why would you let me go after our last encounter?" Todd asked as John walked towards the cell exit.

"We had a deal, and you kept up your end of the bargain. And to be honest, I didn't think you'd live." For a moment, John remembered Alexandra's words about his heart. He just wanted for that mission to end as quickly as possible so he could go back to Atlantis.

"Ah!" Todd stared at the pilot. "May I ask, Colonel, where is Dr. O'Neill? I was expecting to see her."

"She's doing her own thing. Has better things to do than to entertain you." The Colonel turned to leave.

"Do I detect sarcasm, Sheppard?"

John turned back to the wraith, not enjoying his tone, so he offered one last threat.

"If I find out you're playing us, I'm not gonna wait for authorization. There isn't gonna be any paperwork. I'm just gonna kill you." John said with no hesitation and a seriousness to his eyes the wraith often underestimated.

After finding the giant hive ship, growing because of the ZPM stolen from Todd, a battle ensued, leaving the Daedalus crippled and defenseless.

However, as the hive leaves and the SGA-1 team gets back on board, Kavanaugh tells them and Col. Caldwell that the sensors picked up a subspace signal with Wraith coding interlaced with residual radiation that Rodney identified as coming from a rift from another reality, like when they found another version of himself or the Daedalus.

"Coordinates to what?" Caldwell asks, apprehensive.

"Earth." Rodney answers, putting everyone on alert and ready to go back to Atlantis and a plan is put into motion.

Location: Atlantis

As air filled her lungs, Alexandra opened her eyes, looking at Carson Beckett that had a worried frown etched in his face.

"Easy, lass. Breath slowly."

"Carson? What is happening?" She tried to do as he said.

"You fainted. In the middle of Rodney's debriefing three days ago. I can imagine it was quite boring." The medical doctor joked, his accent richer as he chuckled and checked her vitals. "You gave us quite a scare."

"Where's John and Rodney? I need to tell them something." Alexandra sat up, looking towards the myriad of wires on her.

"Actually, they just arrived from the Daedalus. Something about... Where are you going?" Carson frowned at the way she took the sensors from her head and heart and jumped onto the floor.

"I need to warn them!"

Carson didn't know what to say as he saw her running out of the infirmary, so he just turned his radio on.

"Col. Sheppard."

[Yes, Beckett?]

"Dr. O'Neill is awake. She's heading towards you."

[What do you mean, she's heading...]

As he said those words, everyone in the control room saw Alexandra go up the stairs to find them midway.

"Dr. O'Neill." Woolsey turned to her with a surprised frown.

"A signal was sent with Earth's coordinates." She said, not wasting time, her eyes went over them, but always came back to a silent John.

"We know." Rodney said.

"How do you know that?" Teyla frowned walking closer to her friend, worried at her wellbeing.

"You should be in bed." John said, stepping closer to her.

"I'm okay. I was..."

"You were in another reality." Rodney said.

"My mind was."

"How?" Teyla asked.

"I don't know. Or why. Or maybe this is the why." She rambled, still wrapping her mind around what she saw and heard. "What's important is that we need to be vigilant with any transmitions via subspace... what?" Alexandra frowned at the looks the team exchanged with each another.

"Too late, doc." Ronon continued.

"There's a hive ship that caught the signal." Rodney offered the information.

"A super massive one." John said.

"And it's going towards Earth." Teyla rolled her eyes at her leader, like that information was not important at the moment.

"The Daedalus, the Apollo and the Sun Tzu are out of comission for the time being because they tried to stop her." Woolsey offered the news.

Opening her eyes in surprised, Alexandra closed her hands, there was a known feeling coursing through her veins.

"Dammit!"

"C'mon..." John stepped closer to her and softly placed his hand on her arm, making her turn to go back to the infirmary and be checked out by Carson.

"I should have been there. I could have stopped it."

"You don't know that." John broke his silence, the same way Alexandra did after they left Carson, who said she was in full health and could go back to active duty.

They were now by her private quarters as she opened the door and immediately went for her spare uniform. Without wasting any breath, Alexandra entered her bathroom and changed clothes.

His hazel eyes followed her the entire time as he leaned against the work table.

"Of course I do." She remembered what she was able to do, on transporting herself to his side in the other reality. "I'm stronger and better at controlling my powers. I..." As she entered her bedroom once again, her eyes landed on him.

Curious, John leaned his head to the side at her look.

"What did you see in the other reality?"

"A wraith on Earth. Creating havoc in Vegas." Alexandra combed her hair into a ponytail.

"Vegas? Good taste, uh?" He offered a tiny smirk at the prospect.

"It's not funny, John. He was leaving a trail of dead bodies."

"And why were you in Vegas?"

"Apparently, I was... Rodney brought me along, after the various weird reports the detective on the case was inputting into the system." There was a subtle hesitation as she told him this. "I can't imagine having Earth defenseless."

"We won't..." As he said this, John got and idea. "Actually, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!"

She frowned as she saw him go, wondering what he might actually do as she opened and closed her hands and wondering when she would be back to normal.

One hour later

"Actually, Colonel, you won't be flying the city for us. In fact you won't be coming with us at all."

"What are you talking about?" John frowned. He was the pilot for the job.

"You have half an hour to pack, and then you'll be gating back to Earth. Even with the ZPM's, there's still a good chance we won't get there in time, and Earth's only other line of defense is the Ancient weapons platform. Gen. O'Neill wants you in the chair." Woolsey pulled his hand up. "Good luck."

John took Woolsey's hand and shook it, before leaving.

Thirty minutes later

John found her in front of the gate, her backpack already on and her eyes fixed on the metal ring, with a pensieve look that he hadn't seen in a while.

"You're coming with me?"

Coming back from wherever her mind was, Alexandra turned to him, the pensieve look slowly fading away from her features.

"When I heard Woolsey say you would be going to Earth... I need to be there... I know my uncle requested you on the chair, no idea why, since I'm stronger..." The Stargate came back to life.

"Hey..."

"It's true. Anyway, I feel like I need to be there. It's..."

"You think the Wraith will actually get to Earth?" John stepped on her side as she didn't answer. Hazel eyes caught the way her hands rubbed against each other. "They still don't work?"

At his words, Alexandra turned her eyes back to him.

"How do you...?" She saw him shrug.

"I know you, Alex. And you're not contesting Gen. O'Neill's orders, but you're still coming with me. You'll find a way to make them work. I'm sure."

Brown eyes smiled a little as the gate's blue pool swirled and stablized.

[You have a go, Colonel. Doctor. Good luck.]

Samantha Carter was waiting for them on the other side and, as they left their backpacks in a locker room, she told them about their current situation, sadly mentioning Gen. Hammond's departure and that she would command the next Daedalus class ship with his name.

Entering the control room, where the hive ship status was being monitored, Major Davis greeted them, saying the hive ship had established an orbit around the moon. Of course, John gave the idea of taking the fight to them, before the ZPM upgrades had been established for good.

And Major Davis left to start on the refitting of the F-302's stationed on Cheyenne Mountain.

One hour later

Sitting on top of a platform stairs, to be at his level while he made the last check-up on the F-302 he was going to pilot, the scientist flexed one of her hands, remembering what she had done in that other reality. She transported herself to where the other John had been, fighting a wraith alone and trying to prevent something he had no training for.

Her eyes glanced at him and Ganos Lal words came to her.

"There's something you haven't told me." John could only imagine what was going through her mind at the loss of her powers. So, he tried to ease the frown that found a permanent spot between her brows for the past hours. "I told you about my trip to the future, but you haven't told me what you saw in the other reality."

"Is not the same. I was dead in the future."

"So?" John looked at control panels, checking systems.

She sighed.

"You… You were not you. Or you were, but at the same time you weren't. It was disturbing."

"Was I a Wraith worshipper or something?" He joked.

"You were not a pilot anymore. You were the police detective, tracking the Wraith."

"That's pretty cool, actually."

"Yeah, but…" She looked away from him now.

"What?" John frowned, his eyes turning to her.

"Because you were discharged. You didn't left because you wanted to leave. And I was still a Major, so... We never met."

Now, he understood what had been troubling her. It was not just the loss of her powers. And when she turned back to him, there was an expression he couldn't place.

"Does it mean something?"

"I don't know. Maybe I never met Mitchell either."

John nodded, being silent as he went back to checking the control panel and she looked at the tablet in her hands, reading the latest reports about the hive ship.

"No missions together. No deep conversations. No kiss?" He teased, glancing at her with a cheeky smile after a few minutes. He hated seeing her that serious but now there was a little smile on her lips.

Alexandra rolled her eyes.

"Is that all you think about, Sheppard?"

"It's not my fault." John smirked. "You're a really good kisser."

"Thanks, I guess." She rolled her eyes.

"Anytime, doc."

A couple of minutes later, Samantha and Davis approached them and explained that there was an inbound wave of darts coming towards Area 51.

"The chair was in violation of the Antarctic Non-Proliferation Treaty." Major Davis started. "After lengthy international negotiations, they finally moved it just less than a month ago."

"Where?" Alexandra could feel the tension coming from John at that singular word. And his expression said it all as she stepped next to Samantha.

"Area 51." The female Colonel finished.

"Okay. So, now we protect it." Alexandra spoke, looking between them, Davis nodded.

"Do what you must, John." Samantha agreed and nodded towards the Colonel, leaving with the Major, as John gave his orders to the squadron that was going to accompany him on the defense of the new location.

"Stay with Sam. Try not to do anything foolish." John interrupted her thoughts as Alexandra had stayed behind and was now climbing up the platform stairs to give him his helmet.

"Couldn't if I tried. I'm powerless right now, remember?"

Selfishly, he was relieved. If he was on the air, she would be the next choice in using the chair. And, if the Wraith were to destroy it, she wouldn't be able to use it and exert herself like she did when he went to the future.

"Hey..." The pilot took the helmet from her and their eyes met. "Wish me luck, doc."

Her brown eyes were guarded and he leaned his head to the side, curious at her silence.

In that moment, Alexandra made a split second decision. She leant forward and found his lips with hers. For a second that was their moment.

As she pulled away a few inches to look back at him, John could see something more in her eyes.

"Come back to me, flyboy. And we'll talk."

A questioning smile appeared on his lips and Alexandra was this close to not let him go as her hand let go of his uniform.

"Yes, Ma'am." John turned serious as he put the helmet on and saw her climb down the stairs and disappear inside the base.

"Good hunting, Colonel." Major Davis wished, as they controlled what was happening through screens and controls.

The scientist was silent. The chair was destroyed. And John made a decision.

For a moment, Samantha looked up at her friend, sitting opposite to Davis. There was no way of telling what was going on inside her mind.

As the pilot said his last words and went radio silent, Alexandra turned away from the communications station and went perfectly still.

"Excuse me, Colonel."

"What is it, Walter?" The Colonel turned to the sargeant.

"We've been trying to dial up the Alpha site to send through those IOA dignitaries..." He explained.

"Good old IOA. Courageous to the end." Sarcasm came out of Davis.

"What's the problem?" Samantha questioned.

"Can't establish a lock. And it's not just the Alpha site. I've already tried a couple of alternates but for some reason, the gate's offline." Walter continued.

"It's a Wraith technique." Alexandra finally spoke, hearing Walter. "But... there is no other... They must have a gate on board. To prevent us from dialing out."

[Stargate Command this is Sheppard. Come in.]

"Sheppard, where are you?" Immediately, Samantha responded and noticed Alexandra's look.

[I made it inside. Look, I don't have much time before this place is swarming with Wraith. So I'm arming the nuke.]

"John..." Samantha looked up at Alexandra.

[Just do me a favor, when Atlantis shows up, tell them I said goodbye.]

When the scientist was about to speak, the radio went silent again and she frowned.

Her power was still down. But she needed to do something. A giant Wraith hive ship was about to attack Earth and she was not the young woman that couldn't fight Anubis and his fleet.

She was older, stronger and knew better.

And she couldn't lose him. Not now.

"...send the population into a panic. Then, they'll launch the darts... Alex?"

For a moment that she heard Samantha call out her name, and the spark ignited before she closed her eyes and a light went around her body.

The next moment, Alexandra suddenly saw herself inside the Wraith hive ship.

However, before she could situate herself, something knocked into her chest and took her breath away as a sharp pain went through her.

She felt the power surge that went through her body as her personnel shield locked in place and a burst of energy separated her from the wraith that got knocked down uncouscious.

Not sparing any time to think of what had just happened, Alexandra stood and ran towards where she could feel John and... the members of SGA-1? How did they got there?

"Alex?" Teyla was the first one to see her.

"What are you doing here?" Rodney asked.

"How did you get up here?!" John continued, angry.

"I have my ways and thought I could help."

"Well, for as much as we appreciate it, the nuke is about to explode. So, let's go!" John grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the gate.

The hive ship was destroyed.

And Atlantis landed safely and invisible right next to the Golden Gate Bridge.

A couple of hours later, after assuring her uncle she was alright and would be returning home soon for a visit, Alexandra was standing on the balcony where Atlantis best stared at San Francisco.

However, the headache was killing her and she just wanted to lay down, before dealing with what was coming next.

As she got to her bed and closed her eyes, lights flickered slightly. That was not normal.

Suddenly, the pain in her head went through her entire body and she blacked out.

John opened the door to his quarters upon the bell chiming.

"Alex." He grinned upon seeing her. It had been strange not seeing her around as the team took in the view an hour earlier. "I was actually going to find you…"

"Well, I found you." The woman smiled as she took a step closer to him.

The pilot raised his brow. There was something different in that smile.

"We should talk. What you said…"

"I know what I said." There was another step and Alexandra was fully inside his quarters, her hand going for the controls to close the door. "What if we don't talk anymore and just go for it?"

"I…"

Her hands went to the lapels of his uniform and she pulled him down, crushing her lips into his.

At first, John was reluctant of her forwardness but, in the next, his hands went to her waist and pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss wiht a groan.

She pushed him back, making him trip onto his bed, straddling him at the same time.

"Wait, Alex… Not that I'm complaining…"

"Then why are you talking, Sheppard?" Alexandra smirked, her lips touching the skin on his neck.

It took everything in John to grab her arms gently and pull her away. There was something different about her touch, the way she sounded. There was something at miss.

"Wait…" His eyes found hers.

"John, c'mon…" She almost pouted, which was something he wasn't aware she could do. Not in that setting, at least. "We've been going round and round with this for months and now that I'm here, you don't want me?"

He sat up, his hands still on her arms.

"Of course I want you. That's not…"

"Then, what are you waiting for, pilot?" Alexandra smirked, her lips touching his slightly as she said it.

He almost caved before he saw a bruise peeking out from her low neck shirt.

"What's this?"

"A bruise."

"Have you been checked out?"

"Of course I was. Don't worry." She pressed her body onto his. "Should we just continue or should I just leave and find someone else?" She whispered against his lips.

Turning serious for a moment, John pressed his lips onto hers, turning them around in a heartbeat, laying her on his bed, holding both her hands on each side of her head.

As he did that, she bit his lip, drawing some blood, which made him pull back slightly.

"You're not Alex."

"Don't you like that, Col. Sheppard?"

"What…" At that, John pulled away completely from her.

Alexandra smirked and lunged for him.

Fortunately, John had Ronon's stunner on his table and was quick enough to shoot her down.

"You're right." Carson told the team, looking down at the quarantine room where Alex was sedated and bound to a bed. "She had Wraith DNA in her system."

"How?" Teyla looked through the window, worried.

"The bruise on her shoulder. It must have been a wound, but her healing abilities worked quickly." The doctor explained.

"It's more than that." John finally spoke and everyone looked at him. He had been silent since bringing her to the infirmary an hour ago. "It's not like what I had. That iratus DNA. It was like she had a completely different personality inside."

"You mean, like when Kal was in your mind?" Rodney asked.

"Yeah."

"I can check it." In a few minutes, the scientist had the machine in the room and wired her head. He merely looked up and nodded, confirming John's theory.

"I need to talk with her."

Richard Woolsey, spite apprehensive, approved and the team watched a determined John enter the room.

"Perhaps we should give them some privacy." Woolsey ended up saying, already predicting what might happen. Their friends agreed and left the observation deck.

For a moment, John watched her. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Wraith eyes.

"Col. Sheppard." Even her voice was different now.

"Who are you?" He said positioning himself at the end of the bed.

"I'm the Queen who's ship you destroyed."

"There wasn't supposed to be a Queen there."

"Perhaps you've been misinformed."

John sighed, trying to give the benefit of the doubt to Todd.

"How is it possible that you're inside of her?"

The wraith queen's eyes followed his movements.

"The Wraith have many habilities, Colonel. We can enter your head. And perhaps a little more. When she appeared in my quarters, I felt her power. How strong she was. And what she was capable of. So, I had two choices. Feed or become strong. And since there was a possibility of my hive being taken down, I transferred my mind onto hers." Her shoulders moved. "I quite like this body. This mind. This power. A body like this can give me power over this world."

"It won't last long. You know who she is. What she is."

"I do know. And I have to wonder why the Ancients haven't striken it down."

John's hands gripped the end of the bed until his knuckles turned white.

"I almost had you convinced. Well, at least until... where did I go wrong?"

"Too forward."

"I see. Now I understand." Her lips smirked. "She is too repressive. All of this want, all of this…" Brown yellowish eyes stared at him. "Desire for you and she does nothing about it. She almost got what she wanted if you haven't stopped me."

His jaw ticked at the implication and stood straight now.

"Is she in there?"

"Weak, but she's still here."

"Still?"

"She won't be here for long, Colonel. Perhaps I can give you the farewell you both deserve. If you just let me out of my shackles."

John looked towards her hands. And he had an idea.

Slowly, he stepped closer to her and started to unstrap her.

"You know, for a human, you are quite desirable. I can see the appeal. If you were a Wraith, you would have given me a lot of strong soldiers by now."

The pilot stayed quiet and pulled back when she sat up and turned, letting her legs fall out of the bed.

"Honestly, I don't know what you see in her. She wants you, but she pushes you away. And she lies to you. Every day."

That pricked his ears.

"She doesn't."

"Oh, Colonel, she does." She held her hand to touch him and he grabbed it before she could. "Do you want to know?" She was quick enough to grab him by his belt buckle and pull him closer. She almost purred at the touch. "She lied to you about your compulsion. The Ancients didn't manipulated you. Your feelings, John Sheppard, are your own."

John stared at the face of the woman he had feelings for.

"So righteous she is. The Ancients destroyed her and, yet, she still does their bidding."

"You're lying." He couldn't believe in any of it.

"You know deep down I'm not." Her fingers touched his neck.

"Let me talk to her." His voice came out in a calm fury.

"I don't think so."

"You said you would give us a farewell."

"I had another kind of farewell in mind." Her lips got closer to his. "You know you want to, John." She whispered and could almost sound like herself for a moment. "Just do it. It will be your only chance, your last kiss, last touch. Our little secret."

"Let me talk to her!"

"No!"

"Alex, listen to me!" John grabbed her head and immediately the Wraith raised her hand and pushed his chest as if to feed off him. However, he was only thrown onto the opposite wall.

At the same time, the wraith fell from the bed and grabbed her own head, screaming.

Alexandra's body started to seize. It lasted longer than anything else he had experienced, even if it was just for a few seconds.

In the end, as her eyes opened and stared at him from the ground, John knew she had won.

Ps: Thoughts?