Work Text:
Warning: this story mentions rape and has one rape description, but not very graphic.
Authors notes: 1. I am grateful to Katie Adams for editing this story.
2. This story is somewhat sequential to "Appendix A", and is a part of 'The 120 days' appendixes.
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"Well, that's that," said Everett and sighed. "I can't even be mad at the bastard - I didn't give him an order not to turn himself into a Wraith. Though, I should of thought of that. And I'm glad Kitten's not alone in that mess. Anyway, my promise is blown by the wind - I can't give him to you, Doctor. You're not going anywhere close to that Wraith."
***
Rodney did. He went pretty close to the bars too. The prisoner growled and almost jumped at him, clearly trying to protect what looked like a small heap of rags on the floor of the cage.
"I'm not here to harm you," McKay said quietly, feeling pain somewhere deep inside, in some indiscrete part of his chest. 'Is it my heart?' he wondered.
Tilly didn't change at all. Oh, yes, he had those slits on the sides of his nose, and his eyes were yellow and snake-like with those vertical eye pupils, and his skin was greenish and glossy as if waxed. But his facial proportions, eye cut, his hair stayed the same. Even his smile, though now it was full of pointed translucent teeth.
"Look who has come," the Wraith turned his head to the rug-pile on the floor, and Rodney realized that the pile had a face - famished, almost triangular, insect-like.
A pair of yellow eyes looked at him for a while, then her lips moved. "He came to give us names."
McKay didn't understand at once what that raspy noise they were making was. Then it dawned on him; the creatures were laughing.
***
Oh, why did he think it was going to be fun? It would be fun to make that stubborn jerk an offer he couldn't refuse. Just for once, to see a flicker of despair in those eyes. Just for once - as a payback for the entire year of things he, Rodney, had to put up with. That was bound to be fun! He was so sure of that, when General Everett offered him his old friend as a cancellation prize.
That was bound to be fun! But now, walking alongside Everett, Rodney wasn't so sure.
It was a gym, the sparring match was just over, Sheppard laughed and slapped his sparring partner on the shoulder, and received a slap in return.
"Come here, boy," Everett growled.
Sheppard did as he was told, making Rodney roll his eyes - so deliberately cat-like, soft and dancing that walk was. That show of!
Sheppard halted a couple of steps away, little smile acknowledging Rodney's presence, his eyes on his former CO.
"Sir."
He was all sweaty after the work-out, his black tee-shirt was even blacker at the wet spots and clung to his body, his pants hung loose around his hips, his hair was a mess of damp needles. He looked so...
"What do you think, Doctor?" Everett smiled at the expression on Rodney's face.
McKay's heart skipped a beat. Oh, why did he think it was going to be fun?
He knew Sheppard for the entire year before the guy assaulted his CO and got a couple of months in the brig. John was always so... ridiculously innocent in some areas of common knowledge. At first it annoyed Rodney, then amused him - you could tell that guy in his very face 'I want to have sex with you', and he wouldn't have a clue what you're talking about.
Now he knew.
What did Everett say? "What do you think, Doctor?" So what? But Sheppard knew exactly what his former CO was talking about. It was a flicker of fear in his eyes, then hopelessness, then nothing. He just stood there, looking into space.
"Turn around, boy."
Without a shadow of protest Sheppard slowly turned on the spot. Rodney felt scared.
"So, Doctor, do you like him?" Everett smiled again.
"John..." Rodney tilted his head, trying to catch Sheppard's eye.
Sheppard looked at him.
'Rodney, please, no... Not like this...' was in his eyes, but only for a second, then his stare went blank again.
McKay felt so much pity, he almost said 'no', just for a pleasure to see Sheppard's gratitude, but then he remembered the entire year of...
The entire year, day after day he, Rodney, put his life on line for this guy, and what did he get in return? A couple of jerky comments? That man was simply incapable of any gratitude!
"Yes," Rodney said quietly and nodded. "Yes."
***
He didn't change at all! He was as unbearable as always!
"Out!" Rodney screamed and pointed at the door of his quarters, grabbing some Ancient artifact that he used as a paperweight.
Sheppard gave him a mocking salute, and slid through the door.
***
John shut the door behind him, happy smile on his face, then froze in his tracks. General Everett was leaning against the wall, his arms folded in front of his chest, looking at him.
"Sir," Sheppard winced as some heavy object hit the door from the inside. "I can explain."
"You're incapable of carrying out the simplest order," the general noted calmly. "Give me one good reason to keep you here, in Atlantis."
"Sir, please. He is... was my friend."
Everett sighed, then walked closer and knocked on McKay's door.
"Go away!" was an answer.
"Doctor, we need to talk."
Door opened a crack. "What about?" Rodney looked at both of them with suspicion.
"I believe I have something of yours. May I come in? It is hardly appropriate to discuss such matters over a doorstep."
***
Everett walked John to the bed by the collar of his tee-shirt and shoved him on his knees. "Face down!"
Rodney expected at least some sort of protest, something - none came. Sheppard just lay face down on the bed, and put his forehead on his forearms.
That was scary. McKay almost expected Everett to strip Sheppard of his pants and invite Rodney to have him - here and now. The general didn't. He just sat on the bed next to Sheppard and motioned Rodney to sit too.
"Doctor, I'm afraid I wasn't completely honest with you, dragging you into this deal," Everett began. "You look... scared."
"I'm not. It's just..." McKay gestured at John's back.
Everett sighed. "Let me explain something to you." He put his palm at the small of Sheppard's back and pushed his tee-shirt up a little, then ran his fingers against the bare skin. John accepted it without a protest.
Rodney was surprised how white John's skin was - almost as fair as his own. His face was still tan and his hands too, but his back...
"You want to have an intercourse with the straight man, who knows that he will be severely punished if he refused," Everett began, looking Rodney right in the eyes. "And by severely I mean severely," he added to Sheppard's back. "That's called a rape, Doctor. Not that I mind. I just like to call things by their real names."
"I don't..." McKay stumbled. "I don't want him suffer... I just..."
Everett gave Rodney a little smile. "The boy seems to have that effect on people - no one wants him suffer, but everyone is enjoying it. I want to show you something."
Everett's hand slid underneath of Sheppard's stomach, and Rodney saw how John moved a little, giving the general more room. It was a sound of opened zipper, and Everett's hand reemerged, pushing John's pants and boxers down from the small of his back.
It was a tattoo - intricate ornament woven out of the dark blue, almost black lines. 'US Marine Corps', and an eagle perched on the globe.
Rodney hesitantly reached with his hand and touched one of the outstretched wings.
Sheppard's entire body shuddered, he jerked, almost jumped away, leaning against Everett's thigh. "I don't want him touching..."
Rodney retrieved his hand hastily.
Everett's hand casually moved to the back of John's head and pushed his face into the bed, cutting him short. The move reminded Rodney of a cat holding down a kitten that has got too bold - there was no anger or annoyance in that gesture, just a prevailing force.
"Are you done?" the general asked quietly, releasing Sheppard's head.
"Yes, sir." The answer was even quieter, as John put his forehead back to his folded forearms.
"Good," Everett nodded. Then he looked up at Rodney. "Give me your hand." It wasn't even a whisper, the general merely mouthed the words.
"What?"
Everett leaned across Sheppard's body and took Rodney's hand. "Cold," he mouthed. "He doesn't like cold." Next he smacked the scientist's palm against the side of his neck, and Rodney suddenly remembered '...when the men and the dragons were one...' from some kid's book he read a long time ago. The general's body emanated heat, and power, and...
"Do you want to tell the doctor how you've gotten that tattoo?" Everett addressed to John's back.
"No, sir, I don't."
"Oh, well," Everett sighed. "I branded him, Doctor."
Rodney felt his jaw dropping. "What? Why?"
"That was the only way." The general took Rodney's hand from his neck and firmly pressed it to the small of John's back. Sheppard didn't move and didn't make a sound, still leaning against Everett's thigh. "I gave him to my men," the old Marine continued and looked down. "He was raped, what... thousand, fifteen hundred times?"
"Fifteen hundred sounds about right," it was a little shrug, then Sheppard chuckled, "I didn't count."
"Well, Doctor, now you know. So, there are some things he can or can't do. He is natural at blow-jobs, but everything else..." Everett made a face.
Rodney noticed how John's shoulder blades moved in another little shrug.
"So, kids, I'll leave you two to talk about it." The general patted Rodney's hand on John's back, and got to his feet. Rodney retrieved his hand and put it to his chest in unconscious gesture.
"Ah, almost forgot," Everett pulled a pair of cuffs from behind his belt. He offered them to Rodney, but seeing his expression just placed the cuffs on the bed stand. Then he produced a little key from his pocket and placed it next to the cuffs. "Just in case. Don't you feel pity for him, Doctor. I studied this abomination quite well during the past couple of months. He will try to make you feel guilty, but you shouldn't fall for that. If you want this... relationship to succeed, you will have to be a boss. Be firm. The rule is - he must obey your orders. And if he doesn't - just let me know, I'll find a way to discipline him." Everett looked at Sheppard's back. "Did you hear me, boy?"
"Yes, sir."
"If I will receive one little complaint from Dr. McKay, I swear, I'll give you to the Genii. Or not. A little fucking wouldn't scare you, would it? I'd rather send you back home, to Earth."
With those words General Everett turned around and left the room.
***
Sheppard didn't move for a while, then he cleared his throat. "Do you want to do... something with... to me? I mean, right now?"
"No!"
John brightened up considerably, slid from the bed to the floor, pulled his pants up and closed the zipper. Then he put his forearms on the bed and his chin on the top of them, looking at the distant corner of the room.
"John."
"Huh?"
"Is what the general just said..."
"Is it true? Yes."
"How..."
"...had it happened to me for the first time?" Sheppard smiled a little, not looking at Rodney. "Oh, why does everybody like that story so much?"
"John, please. If you don't want to tell, just say so."
"It's okay. Now you know, anyway. So what difference does it make? But it's really not much to tell. Colonel... General Everett hit me on the head and took me into some storage area. Next thing I knew - the guy was shoving his member up my ass. Without any lube. And he was anything but small." John chuckled. "There's not much one can do, with one's hands tied behind his back. To be honest, I just froze. I couldn't believe it was happening. That's it. That was my first time. And when I did nothing about it, he ordered me to come to Dr. Weir's office and fucked me again. Then the very next day he took me for a jumper ride, and told me that if I didn't get on my hands and knees right now he'd give Teyla to his men."
John shook his head. "Now I know that he'd never willingly harm a woman, but back then I believed him. Eventually, he got tired of chasing me all over the city and provoked me into hitting him. At that moment I... wasn't thinking clearly and fell for it like a three year old. So he locked me up and started to do me when and how he pleased. And when he was tired of that, he gave me to his men."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Rodney tried to sound calm, but the shock was too evident in his voice.
"To whom? Whom I should've told, Rodney? Eh? 'Elizabeth, my CO raped me?' 'Oh, Carson, quick, fish the evidence from my ass?' May be I should've told Ronon, so he would go and try to commit a murder? The damned fool had, and without any encouragement from my side!"
"He had what?"
"It's a long story, Rodney. I'm tired. So if you don't mind, let's postpone this storytelling till better times."
"Fine!" Rodney snapped. He couldn't believe that this stubborn jerk didn't even think of telling him. Surprisingly, that hurt.
"Oh, what would you do if I had told you?" Sheppard guessed his thought. "Nothing, except telling everyone in the city. I can live without that, thank you very much."
Yes, that hurt.
John sighed and looked away again. "Well, now you can pay me back. For all the evil things I did to you, Rodney."
"Do you really think I'm like that?" Rodney felt a huge desire to hit his former team leader over the head with some heavy blunt object. Or a sharp one.
"As matter of fact, I do," Sheppard smirked. "You accepted me as a toy. So let's have a deal - you fuck me, or I give you the blow-jobs - there is no damn way you're going down on me, or I'm fucking you. Is that clear?"
Rodney blinked. "Usually people want it the other way around."
"I'm no 'people'."
***
So it went on. Sheppard stayed at his quarters all day and, while Rodney worked at the lab, dusted and did the laundry, and read Rodney's books.
McKay tried to be as gentle with him as he could, but all he got in return was the hunted look in Sheppard's eyes.
Oh, yes, Sheppard was obedient. He barely ever left the premises, and only when he was specifically ordered to go to the gym, to go to the mess hall.
So to the queue of Rodney's worries Sheppard added an extra one - a constant uncertainty - did he tell his... pet to feed himself, or did he forget again. A guilt, when he knew he'd forgotten for sure.
Today was one of those days - he forgot. The stupid Wraith Feeding Machine wasn't working too. So Rodney took an hour off, and went to his quarters, and took John to the mess hall. They were at the entrance, when Sheppard froze. Rodney walked a couple of steps before noticing the void next to him. He stopped and looked back. "What?"
Sheppard didn't hear him. He looked somewhere across the hall, and it was so much longing and sadness in his stare, that Rodney felt that pain in his chest again.
There, on the other side of the hall, was a little group of Marines. Rodney thought that General Everett looked more tired than usual, and his hair had more gray in it, but he was calm, and emanated confidence, and had an aura of that strange silent power of his.
Rodney didn't know how he could compete with that. He usually could boost up his self-confidence by saying 'I'm smarter', but he wasn't so sure in this case. The very idea of the Wraith Feeding Machine belonged to that middle-aged and not very sophisticated military. Oh, yes - Everett did all he could to conceal that fact from Rodney, to make him believe that it was his, Rodney's, idea. But despite all his self-centeredness and vanity, Rodney was anything but stupid.
McKay looked back at Sheppard, who was standing right next to him now. The longing was gone from his eyes, he was just staring into space.
***
That guy was unbearable! His submissiveness, awkwardness and the hunted look it his eyes when Rodney tried to kiss him, his silent tolerance of Rodney's efforts to give him pleasure - that was revolting!
And that damned WFM just wasn't working...
"Son of a bitch!" McKay screamed and hit Sheppard across the face. "You like that, don't you? What that old bastard did to you, that you couldn't take your eyes off him? He raped you every day and you enjoyed it! You perverted son of a bitch!"
"Rodney..." Sheppard wiped the blood from his lips, then lowered his head and just stood there, in the middle of the room, waiting.
"All right," McKay stalked to the bed. "I'll give you what you want... I'll show you... Here they are. What, you dusted the handcuffs? You perverted... Turn around!"
Sheppard obeyed, and waited while Rodney hastily and without much skill cuffed his hands behind his back. "You son of a bitch," the scientist kept puffing under his breath.
"Rodney..." John tried again, but that was ignored.
McKay made him kneel, pulled down his pants and boxers and pushed him face down on the bed. 'The usual position,' Sheppard thought quietly, as Rodney entered him without much preparation and fucked him. John sighed inwardly, thinking that Rodney will probably consider this a hard fucking, and will feel guilty and embarrassed for days. Oh, yes, it burned a little... well, fine - a lot. But he has seen much worse, and he could live with that.
At this pace it didn't take too long for Rodney to be done with his... stress and pull out. It was a minute of awkward silence, then McKay said in rather croaky voice, "You're bleeding."
***
John didn't move for a while, then he asked as softly as he could, "May I go and clean myself?"
"Yes." That 'may I' took Rodney off-guard more that he could've predicted.
Sheppard pulled on his cuffs a little. "I will need my hands. You can cuff me back later."
"Yes, right..." Rodney bent over Sheppard's body and unlocked the cuffs.
John got to his feet, removed all his clothes, dropping them to the floor, and went to the shower.
When he came back, his clothes were gone from the floor, and the fresh ones waited for him in accurate pile on the bed. Rodney was sitting on the bed too, his back to John.
Sheppard dressed, and walked around the bed, and offered Rodney his wrists.
"Sit down!" McKay snapped and pulled away from him.
'Here we go,' Sheppard thought, kneeling in front of the bed. 'Now he's feeling guilty.'
He sat like before - his forearms on the bed, his chin on the top of them. "Just to keep my butt out of the equation for a while," he smiled.
"Does it hurt?" Rodney didn't look at him.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"I'm not worried about you!" Rodney retorted.
"Yes, it hurts," Sheppard smiled again.
"Why didn't you fight back?" It was a sudden fierceness on McKay's face as he looked at John. "I saw you in that gym. I know you could stop me without much effort."
"I didn't know you wanted me to fight. You should've told me, Rodney. I'm trying, but... I'm not telepathic. Apparently, I'm not even a gay - that thing 'do him like you want him to do you' - wouldn't work on me. You should've told..."
"Shut up!" McKay screamed. "Just... shut up. You're an idiot, Sheppard. When somebody tries to rape you, you should fight back. It's... normal."
Sheppard sighed and said nothing.
"What? Cat got your tongue?"
"Rodney, I... deserve all of this. How many of our people died because I couldn't run things properly? Simplest measures could've prevented that! How many people in this Galaxy died because I poked my nose where it didn't belong? I swear, I didn't mean for any of this to happen, but the thing is - I started the culling. And thousands are dead. People are still dying. I killed them all."
"John, they brainwashed you," McKay tried to sound reasonable. "You never cared about the people of other worlds! Remember when those poor idiots from Hoff started to kill themselves? You just had quoted some Churchill's crap, and that was it - we never even went back to check on them!"
"Carson," Sheppard said quietly, looking away.
"Carson what?"
"It was Carson who'd quoted a Churchill's crap, not me. And don't you think it was about time they brainwashed me? If what you're saying is true, and I never cared about the people in this Galaxy?"
"Fine! You killed them all. You're the single cause of all the troubles in this Galaxy. Happy? So, you think if you will be tortured and humiliated, then what? All those innocent souls will be avenged and go sleep in peace? What sort of voodoo logic is that?"
"Not that, Rodney. Those who're dead are dead - I can't bring them back. But maybe... if I'll help you to relax, even a little, to work out your stress... if it would help you to build the machine... May be all those killings could be stopped altogether?"
It was so much hope in Sheppard's eyes, Rodney wanted to scream and hit him in the face again.
"I hate you," he said with quiet deliberation. "I hate all of you. You, and your general, and his damned niece. 'Rodney, I overestimated your genius'," McKay said in nasty, mocking voice. "Bitch! And I couldn't wrap my brain around how the old guy came up with the feeding machine idea. But it wasn't him - it was her all alone! Why do none of you ever think before doing something? Why do all of you leave all your crap for me to solve?"
"Wow, Rodney! Slow down. What're you..."
"Do you really think that the Wraith are dumb?"
"Well," Sheppard began.
"Come on! You think if somebody caught one of our Marines and locked him up in a cage starve to death he'd look any smarter?"
It was a flicker of that hunted look in Sheppard's eyes again, he bit his lip and looked away.
"What I mean," McKay continued, "is that I know for sure that some Goa'uld are very smart, and they just scavenged their technology. The Wraith invented theirs. How old do you think those beam devices are?"
Sheppard shrugged. "On Teyla's old planet I saw drawings - they were at least five hundred years old."
"Ha! There're Ancient writings, which are more than ten thousand years old, and which have the descriptions of those beams."
"So what?"
"So what?" Rodney rolled his eyes. "So the population composed of millions of individuals, of which at least some are admittedly bright, and whose only purpose of existence is to feed themselves, and who knew... for thousands of years knew what they ate, didn't come up with any solution to the problem? Didn't make any... feeding machine? But all of you expect me to build you the machine in less than two months? Did any of you think that it's simply impossible? Before reducing yourselves into the animals that should be kept in the cage?"
"I don't know, Rodney," Sheppard moved his head. "I can't help you with that."
***
One night General Everett came home to find Sheppard sitting on the floor by the door of his quarters.
John pushed himself to his feet. "Sir."
Everett opened the door and let him in without a word.
"Sir, it's not working out. I can't do it anymore."
The general sighed. "Boy, I know it's difficult for you. This situation is difficult for all of us. But I hope you realize that the fate of this entire Galaxy depends on that machine. The fate of all the people here - not only yours, or my niece's, or mine. And if you think that your cute little butt is such high price to pay, you're wrong."
"That has nothing to do with my butt!"
"Sheppard," Everett patted him slightly on the shoulder. "When this is over, and if both of us are alive, I promise - I'll fuck you every way you want."
John's body reacted faster than he could stop it - as if on a TV screen Sheppard watched his fist connecting with Everett's face, hard, splitting the skin on his cheekbone, about quarter of inch below the first scar.
The general staggered on his feet a little, slowly raised the hand to his face and stared at the blood staining his fingers. Then he looked at Sheppard. There was no anger in his eyes, just sadness and weariness.
"It's not gonna work, boy," he said quietly. "Not this time."
He took Sheppard by the shoulder, walked him to the door and let him out, giving him a slight slap on the butt. "Go and do your duty, boy."
***
When Sheppard came back to McKay's quarters, Rodney was sitting on his bed, his back to the door. He was so still, that John didn't realize right away that he was home.
"It's not working out," McKay said, and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
There was a quiet hopelessness in his voice, and he didn't turn around to look at John. Sheppard felt strange. It wasn't a pity, no, but... at this very moment he knew that he'd give up anything to make the things better between them. John walked around the bed, and sat next to Rodney, not too far from him, and was about to put his hand on McKay's shoulder, when the scientist continued, "That stupid machine is not going to work. I tried everything. I know that the solution is in the Wraith technology - it's biological, so potentially it could be programmed to generate certain energies, but... I'm just scraping icicles from the top of the iceberg. Think, Sheppard - all human technology was created in... what? Two hundred years? The Wraith accumulated their knowledge for thousands, millions of years. My lifetime is not enough to learn all that." He sobbed and ran the back of his hand under his nose. "They're going to die. They are both going to die. There's not much life left in her, and that white-haired idiot is going to follow. And I can't do anything to stop that."
"Let's kick them out. They should be able to tend to themselves. I know it's wrong, but I'll help you." Sheppard didn't know why he just said that. That meant an end to Atlantis expedition, an end to Atlantis itself... but somehow it felt less scary than watching Rodney so helpless and desperate.
"No," the scientist shook his head. "She wouldn't go for it. If toothy bastards will lay their claws on her, they'll keep her barely alive and breed her against her will for the rest of her... I mean, indefinitely. That population lacks diversity, they'll do anything to bring in a new, unique genotype."
"Isn't that what she always wanted?"
"No. Her body has an infinite capacity for the life-force. The more you put in, the more she could take. You know, the Wraith have to grab people to feed because they never have enough force to pull the force across an open space. That's all. So if she could kill a hundred men she'll be able to kill the hundredth and first one without actually touching him. If she'd kill a million, she'd be able to depopulate an entire planet from the orbit, without ever setting her foot on the ground.
Sheppard blinked. "And why are we supporting this project again?"
"Because, at a certain point her body will be able to switch from the very narrow range of consumable energies, namely a human life-force, to the broad one, say, solar radiation, gravitational forces, you name it. And if the machine could take her from the point zero to the point X when her body would switch, no lives would be lost in the processes. We'd be able to... switch the rest of the Wraith too - I'm sure they wouldn't mind. If it was the machine. As for now - there're not enough people in this Galaxy to change even one percent of the Wraith population. And it will be no machine."
***
Everett cocked his head to one side, looking at the event horizon of the activated Gate. Bates could swear his superior was sniffing the air, as if trying to smell the creature on the other side.
"Raise the shield," the general said eventually. "He is alone."
"How do you know, sir?" Bates tried to catch his eye.
"Gene-therapy," Everett shrugged. "I can hear him."
The surface of the Gate rippled and the Wraith stood at the top of the ramp - long dark overcoat, silky hair, two purple commas above his left eyebrow, two more across his cheekbone. He looked powerful and healthy, not at all alike the pathetic pile of bones Everett shoved through the Gate a couple of month ago.
"I see your mother took a good care of you," Everett smirked.
The Wraith bowed slightly. "There is no shame among my kind to be tended by one's mother."
"What do you want?"
"The queen has requested my presence," it was another small bow.
"The queen, my ass," Everett muttered under his breath. "I'm afraid that the position of Prince-Consort is already taken," he added with a sneer.
The Wraith was silent for a while and the general could swear that the bastard was trying to suppress a smile.
"My kind has a profoundly different family structure than most of the humans."
The Epilogue (Atlantis, a couple of weeks later)
McKay's laboratory.
"I'm a Genius!" Rodney screamed. "Ha! In your face!"
"Rodney, please," Radek was afraid to move, was afraid to breathe.
"It is quite all right, Doctor Zelenka," the Wraith rasped.
"Could you, please..." Radek began again.
"None of you had any faith in me! So in your face! Damned thing works!"
"Goddamn it, Rodney!" Zelenka exploded. "Stop that at once!"
"Stop what?" McKay retorted.
"Rodney, you're hugging the Wraith."
***
One of the Southern balconies.
"Pity you don't want to come with us," Tilly tried to catch Rodney's eye, but the scientist deliberately looked away.
"To look like you? Oh, thank you very much."
"Am I that ugly?" there was an uncertainty in Tilly's voice.
"Yes," Rodney snapped. "And always were. You're snub-nosed, and your eyes are too far apart, and on the top of that - you're blond."
"I'm not blond!" the former Marine objected and ran his fingers through his overgrown paper-white hair. "I'm just sun-bleached."
Rodney laughed for a while, then stopped and glanced at the other guy. He studied him carefully for a while, then looked aside again.
"When I don't look," he said thoughtfully, "I can imagine it's still you. Even with the voice and all."
"It's still me," the Wraith noted quietly.
"Are you happy, Tilly?"
"Yes. I always was a freak. Now I'm just one of many."
"You mean they're all... well..." Rodney made an uncertain gesture, "as good in bed as you are?"
Tilly sighed happily. "You have no idea."
***
Gate hall
Everett folded his arms in front of his chest, looking down at his niece. "Are you happy now, Kitten?"
"Well," the Wraith female shrugged. She was sitting of the stair step, her claws folded neatly on her lap. "I guess so."
"Gonna stay?"
"For a while. The boys are building an energy station around one of the suns - want to suck it up. Close to the center of the Galaxy, no planets - so no one will get hurt," she smiled at her uncle. "I'll wait till they're done."
"Then what?"
"I don't know. The world is big. I guess I'll stick around the Galaxy for a while, then who knows?" She smiled. "Ah, wanted to show you something."
She disappeared.
And reappeared at the top step of the stairs.
"Never do that again," Everett growled. "You depleted half of the ZPM as it is. I'm not spending any more energy on your tricks."
"You don't need to, uncle," she vanished again, and reappeared right in front of him, a silent question in her yellow eyes. "Will you come with me?"
"You mean, would I go Wraith? I dunno. Not now, anyway - I have stuff to do here. May be when I'll be dying of an old age. Which is not that far away."
She hugged him, buried her face in his chest. Surprisingly, it felt okay, the old Marine put his chin on the top her head, and patted her back. "Now, now, girl."
Kitten raised her face - her uncle was looking down at her with a sad little smile.
"I'll fix your ZPM, uncle," the pair of alien, yellow, smiling eyes looked back at him.
"You can't fix a ZPM," Everett said in a voice one used to talk to a child. "McKay says - if it's depleted, it's depleted."
"McKay is a fool. 'Solar radiation, gravitation'," she smirked. "Where do you think, uncle, the very idea of ZPM had come from? Eh? It's a normal function of a Wraith body - I can draw Zero-Point Energy."