"Well, this is going to be fun!" Rodney said in his whiniest tone, which made Sheppard instantly roll his eyes.

"McKay, you were the one who insisted we check this place out! I gave up trying out the surf on the mainland to come explore this little piece of desert..."

"The energy readings the MALP picked up are amazing. Now as soon as I can locate their source..." Said Rodney while turning his attention to the tablet he was caring. "All right, ancient technology that way."

He was nervous and excited. The reading was higher then he'd ever seen it. This had to be good, if only the heat wasn't this punishing...
And there it was. The building's hard metal flanks shone in the sunshine. Sheppard worked his magical gene to open their way inside.

"We should split up. Cover more ground that way. If you find the ZPM first, gimme a shout. We rendezvous here in 30 minutes. Then we radio Weir and she can send in the rest of the geeks." And with that Sheppard ducked around the first corner leaving Rodney to himself. It looked like a research facility but the passing centuries had marred it. It would take some efforts to get it up and running again. Rodney huffed his disappointment as he opened the nearest hatch and took in the damaged crystals within. He was so taken by his examination that he did not perceive the movement behind him. The shadow moved in closer.

She was weak and moving was something she had not done in thousands of years. She hurt. All she wanted to do was crawl back into her opened cage and fall back to sleep until she would just fade out of existence. But instinct was stronger than exhaustion and it had taken over. The predator that she was had sensed them coming and she was starved. Anger, madness but most of all hunger: these were the forces driving her now. This one had a strong heart. She could hear it beating. She could feel it as if it was pulsating right in her hand and she clenched her fingers in response to the ghostly sensation. Just a few more steps... She knew she was shaking, her skin to tightly drawn over her bones. Every stolen step hurt. She was cheating her own demise. When she reached her target she all but doubled over with hunger. As she closed her arms around him from behind, he screamed. His terror washed over her wave after wave, soothing her ache. She tore at the materiel of his shirt searching for skin. Skin, skin, skin! Her hand opened over his naked chest and there it was...nourishment! She closed her eyes feeling his energy fill her just like his screams filled her ears.

She forced herself to listen. His mind had opened for her to invade. His mind was hungry just like hers. Atlantis. She pushed him away and he tore loose from her deadly embrace. He fell. It was not enough. But it had to be. She had to be patient and she schooled herself not to lounge after him. She pulled her arms tightly around herself. His fear was so strong, so inviting. His life such precious force.

Rodney fought for balance as he grabbed blindly for his sidearm. His chest hurt and felt raw where she had touched it. His hands were shaking so badly he could hardly aim. His eyes were looking for the major. He must have made the wraith let go of him somehow. But he was not in the room. His mind was racing a mile a minute.

"McKay! What the...! Jesus! Is that..?" Sheppard aimed and fired a short round of bullets into the wraith that was sitting on the floor just two feet away from Rodney. She fell to the side shrieking her hands covering the holes his bullets ripped through her upper body.

"Yes Major! It attacked me...but then just stopped."

Sheppard walked over to stand directly over her, his weapon still aiming. She raised her head and looked at her assailant. She swallowed her pain and rage. I surrender...but how? Raise hands in defeat...and she did. Her trembling hands rose above her head slowly, the way she had sensed she had to do it.

"Please...don't hurt me..." Her voice was broken.

But she could see the message registering in her assailant's stunned expression. "I surrender. I mean you no harm." Her head was swimming. She had fought against the darkness for so long, but now it was too late. Her abused body could not sustain her conscience any longer. And as the darkness claimed her mind she welcomed it.

"What the fuck just happened?"

"Am I...different?" Rodney asked in a small voice his hand coming up to his face.

"No. God, no. You look normal, but you're bleeding. We need to get you to Dr Beckett ASAP." Sheppard aimed his P90 at the crumpled body on the floor.

"Stop! What are you doing?!"

"Making sure she's dead, what do you think?"

"Don't. Did you not hear it? It surrendered. Maybe we should take it back with us."

"This is a wraith, McKay."

"Well it didn't act very wraith-like, now did it? This is an ancient outpost, who knows what it was doing here. We should take it back and let Beckett take care of the wounds if it doesn't heal...I mean you can always gun it down later."

"I'm not carrying her, and you're bleeding, plus the stargate is half an hour walk from here."

"I don't feel so well..." Rodney said lowering himself to the floor, back to the wall.

"Here. Hold this and shoot her if she even blinks your way." Sheppard said handing Rodney his machine gun. "I'll get a medical team here." He helped McKay out of his shredded shirt and pressed it over the bleeding wound in his chest before leaving.

"Hurry back."

And then he was alone. The wraith was still, but he could make out the soft sound of it breathing in the all encompassing silence. He felt faint.

"Please...don't let them..."

"What?"

"No harm..."

"Yes, well, I'm bleeding to death here and I deem this as harm, thank you very much! And just who are you anyway?"

"No..."

The wraith looked so small. Now that the adrenaline rush had passed McKay started really taking in the sight of it. It looked very small crumpled there on the floor in front of him. Sharp bones were poking its bluish white skin, the long magenta hair flowing over its back, on the floor and into a large puddle of black blood. So it was a female. The major had referred to it as She. Of course he could see that for himself now, as no clothing covered her body. The pain in his chest was distracting and the gun was shaking in his hand. He doubted he could fire it effectively if it came to that.

"If you don't move I won't shoot you. Deal?"

She did not answer, but she didn't move either. She could still smell their fear in the air. And the other one, the one who inflicted pain and drawn her blood, that one was lantean. This ones blood was drying on her palm. She made a fist.

The lantean wanted her dead. But he had listened to his companion. It would not have happened with the lanteans she knew. This was different. For how long had she slumbered? She knew it had been long enough for her clothing to rot off of her body, and long enough for her to have to fight insanity along with hunger. But how long exactly? Her wounds were not healing fast enough.

"Help me. Please..."

"We will. They will come and take care of both of us. Just don't move."

"Must...now...hungry."

"Oh, no, no, no, no! No feeding! Do not move!" McKay tightened his grip on the P90 adjusting his aim as his heart raced wildly. "I've seen your kind feeding. Being the main course on your menu leaves something to be desired."

"Can't heal. I won't harm. Come to me!"

She put every last ounce of strength into her summon. She could feel his mind giving in. The connection was still strong enough. The sound the gun made as he dropped it to the floor was the most satisfying sound she had heard in a long time. He crawled over to her and lay down next to her. All she had to do was extend her hand. His flesh was warm under her clammy fingers, his heart telling its tale, pounding just for her. She had to fight the need to make it stop, to take it all. Instead she climbed over him and pushed away the ragged shirt. Skin. Warm. But no fear, no emotion. Rage, but her own. Despair, but still only her own. His mind was so far gone; he didn't even register what was happening. Her blood still spilling from her opened wounds. She gritted her teeth against the pain as she moved. She grabbed him through his pants and freed his mind enough for him to feel what she was doing. He moaned and arched into her touch, his eyes shutting. Her other hand found the wound on his chest. He was growing hard under her caress. Emotion; fear, excitement, energy. She rubbed harder. He was bucking under her seeking more friction. His strength, his raw force was filling her starved senses. She used her talons to rip the materiel of his pants open. Harder. Faster. More. His blood hot between her fingers, under her opened palm, spilling over. Bright light. Her wounds closed as he came hot and wet in her clenched fist, his breathing rapid and his heart strong and racing.
She freed him completely then and rolled off of him to the side. He jumped up and away from her stumbling, grabbing his chest where she reopened his wound. Blood was trickling down his chest. His face was flushed.

"What! Why?! Wh..."

"I needed your strength. I had to feed or I would have died. I could not heal my wounds. I mean you no harm."

"You can feed like that? How?"

"I need your energy any kind of human energy. Do not fear me. I mean you no harm."

"Stop saying that! Jesus, I'm just freaked out, not brain dead! How did you...? How did you make me let you do that?" His hands were shaking so badly he could hardly hold his pants up. She fought against the urge to grab him and empty him.

"I used the connection I now have with you. I had not the time or strength to explain and ask for permission. I was dying."

"Oh, well...sure...who are you? I deserve to know your name at least. I mean after... this..." He moved his hand between them trying to convey what he couldn't find words for. She was trying to get to her feet when seven armed soldiers ran in and surrounded her aiming their weapons. Beckett was next to Rodney in matter of seconds.

"How ye feelin' lad?" He asked in a high pitched, panicked voice.

"Fine, considering..." The nurse accompanying Carson was maneuvering him onto the gurney they had set in front of him. "I'm fine! Let me be. I can walk!"

"Ye'r in shock. Lay down Rodney."

"Don't shoot her, all right? Just take her back with us. Trust me."

"We won't shoot anyone. Calm down and lay down or I'll sedate ye."

She was back down on the floor, her arms extended above her head, eyeing the marines suspiciously. "I surrender."

"Get up. Slowly." She did as Sheppard asked holding her hands in plain sight the whole time. She could do this. Humiliation was something she got used to long ago. She found it was not an easily forgotten lesson. She brought her hair around her body and the soft braids curled around her, hiding her nakedness. They were looking at her with a mix of horror and curiosity that let her know they were not very familiar with her kind.

She was escorted at gunpoint back to the stargate and then taken through the event horizon. When she exited the gate on the other side she was greeted with more guns pointing at her. Also the city was full of life. Her senses were overloaded. She could feel the humans and a few lanteans...but there were hundreds! Her palms itched and she closed her hands into fists.

Feeding would come later. More important things had to be done now. Her eyes locked with those of the dark hared woman up on the balcony. She watched her moving determinedly towards her. The human woman was afraid. Yet she came close enough to touch.

"I am Elizabeth Weir the leader of this expedition."

"Leader? A human? But there are lanteans here. They obey you?"

"Lanteans...Right. Well, yes. Do you need medical attention?"

"I am healed." She smiled.

They escorted her to a new cage and she felt her chest tighten at the sight. New cage, old cage...Lanteans and cages. Her skin felt tight again and she fought for control. She walked into her new cage as if it was her lair. Nobody could tell what level of rage and despair she felt as the bars shut behind her. She knew there would be an energy field holding her back, not just the steel bars. She knew how lanteans kept their prisoners and this was their city. But the leader was a human. The lantean with the gun had not killed her because another human asked him not to...this was very different indeed. She clenched her teeth and willed herself to be patient. The lantean who had hurt her came into the room.

***

Rodney hissed as the needle pierced his skin. He felt lightheaded. Someone else was cleaning the wound in his chest. He could feel her next to him even though he knew she wasn't even in the same room as he. Her presence was strong, from time to time he felt her on top of him again, felt her move over his body like the touch of a ghost. He shivered. Sleep claimed him without him feeling it.

"How is Dr. McKay?"

"He just...he has the wraith toxin is his bloodstream and the chest wound, but I can't detect any sign of aging or other tissue deterioration. He's drugged and some skin is missing from his chest, but other than that I can't find anything wrong with him. I need to examine the wraith as well. Will it cooperate?"

"She seems oddly good-natured. I need to know the results of your examination of her. Major Sheppard is interrogating her now. After that you can go and examine her."

"Dr Weir? What do you mean by good-natured?"

"Just that. We are keeping a close eye on her. And I'm not sure how I feel about having a new wraith prisoner after how things ended with the other one. I'm not authorizing experimentation, just a medical examination, Carson."

His eyes darkened shortly and he nodded his agreement to her words. Steve's death was still quite fresh in his memory too. He never thought he would conduct experiments on prisoners of war. Well he never thought he would do a lot of things and the highest on his list had been traveling to a different galaxy, applying genetic transformation on humans and studying alien life forms. But then the stargate program recruited him, he turned out to have the ATA gene naturally...things just spiraled out of control after that.

"I will ask her for tissue samples. I don't know enough about wraith anatomy and physiology to examine her. But I will only act on her consent."

Her lips were drawn in a tight line. She hated her job when it involved her going against all of her principles. Every reason she had chosen diplomacy as her field of expertise has been twisted into a mockery since she arrived to the Pegasus Galaxy. "I do not feel her consent will make it different from what it is. You have a go nevertheless." He nodded again and went to prepare his medical kit.

***

"I'm Major John Sheppard, USA Air Force. Do you have a name?"

His question was met with silence. He sighed his frustration.

"Could I have clothes? I feel inadequate."

"Sure. I didn't mean...what should I call you?" He renewed his question while he motioned for one of the guard standing marines to go bring her clothes.

"I don't know what you mean by name."

"I'll just call you... Eve, ok?" He thought the force field off for a few seconds and handed her the robe the marine brought for her. She took it with a small bow of her head. He wanted to look away to afford her privacy while she put on the garment but watching her hair unwrap from around her at her will was mesmerizing. She pulled the robe closed and looked up again.

"You can move your hair like that?"

"My hair is a functional part of me, yes. I can move it just like any other part of my body."

"Cool. So, what were you doing in that ancient lab?" He asked conversationally.

"I was a prisoner there. Like I am here."

"Why would they hold you there?"

"I was the subject of experimentation. They changed me. They made me be able to feed without killing...the subject."

"Like you did with McKay. How does that work?"

"I need a specific substance that is produced in the human blood by emotions. Strong emotions. It is how we all feed. But as we feed our source is compelled to produce all that substance in seconds and this process depletes their organisms. I cannot exert the substance I need from my source's organism. It has to be produced naturally so I can only absorb it. The humans fear me naturally, so their blood becomes rich with my nourishment. And their fear grows while I feed. They still die sometimes. Their heart stops."

"Right, how many of you are there?"

"I was the only one who survived. My companions were killed by the experiments. They were weak."

"No. I mean in general. How many ships?"

"Ships? How long has it been?"

Sheppard gritted his teeth in frustration. It felt like she was interrogating him.

"It's been 10.000 years since the lanteans left this ... place. You were there for at least this long."

"The lanteans left? We won? Has the war ended? Then who are you? You are a lantean. And you respond to a human. I see."

"Why don't you just tell me everything you know about your kind, ok?"

Her green eyes narrowed and he would have sworn she was grinning at him.

"I have been locked in a cage...much like this one for the longest time. The lanteans did not kill me before they left. So I shut down my body's functions. I can live without feeding for a longer time that way. I thought they would come back. Or that eventually someone from my clan would come for me. I woke up hungrier then ever, alone. My cage was opened; I believe time has destroyed the power source that was keeping it closed. But the building was still locked. Only a lantean could open it. I did the only thing I could do. I went back to sleep. Then you came."

"And before the cage? Before you were captured? Tell me about that."

"Before... I lived with my clan. We were many. We inhabited a planetary system that revolved around a mekrane, a twin star. My home was located on the second moon circling the largest planet in the system."

"Your family owned a planetary system entirely? Wow. My parents had an apartment. Don't mind that. Go on."

"What more would you like to know?"

"Where is this planetary system? Could you point it out on a stellar map?"

"Yes. But I am sure my clan is not there anymore."

"I'm sure the anthropology department would be thrilled to hear more about your clan. I'm a soldier. I need to know how many ships you have. How big, what kind of weapons?"

"The war is not over? You must be very close to being defeated then."

"Why would you say that?"

"Well I assume only a few lanteans are still alive, and you recruited humans to aid you. But now you respond to a human leader. The lanteans I knew would not lower them selves so. They were worthy opponents. And better nourishment. I only wonder how you could sustain the war for this long. Neither of our kinds is capable to be at war for thousands of years."

"We are not lanteans. They left. We came in their place. The wraiths were all in hibernation when we arrived. I woke them up."

"You...what?! They were in slumber? We won?"

"The lanteans abandoned the fight."

She fell silent after that. They had won! The lanthians ran like scared little insects. And nobody had come for her. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth and it made her chest ache. They forgot about her and the others. All these centuries she had waited for a rescue that would never come. She would have eventually gone insane and she would have fed upon herself and she would have died in excruciating pains. The scream that was building in her throat finally escaped her dry lips, and when it did it was raw. The sound she let loose made the hair stand on the napes of all those present.

"They thought more of the lanteans than they should have. My clan did not come to rescue me in all this time."

"They abandoned you." Sheppard stated bitterly.

No. They did not come because they believed me to be dead like the others. They did not think the lanteans would leave an outpost entirely and leave a living creature behind, captive. We do not do such things. We never imprison someone until they die. We feed; we kill those who are useless. I would have survived another ten thousand years. I would have waited. Forever.

But out loud she said "Yes. They abandoned me long ago. When I left my clan and refused to participate in the war."

"You refused? You can do that? I thought you were literally fighting for survival."

"I believed in different methods. I need to explain these things to someone who understands. You said yourself that you are just a soldier. I do not know the things that interest you. But your scientists might be interested in the things I do know."

"Fine. I have a mission report to give anyway." He activated his com. "Dr. Beckett? She's all yours."

He went straight to Weir's office. He knocked and let himself in. Zelenka and Simons were in there handing off reports of their own.

"Major, come in. Have a seat."

"I could come back later if you're busy now. I only came by now because you said I should as soon as I'm finished with the wraith."

"We really have new wraith?" Zelenka inquired interrupting before Weir could say anything. Sheppard smiled nodding.

"Doctors, we will finish this later. You can present your project in detail at this evening science meeting. Thank you." She waited until they were alone, and then leaned over the table. "What do you suggest we do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"With the prisoner. Obviously I don't want a new Hoffa on our hands."

"Apparently she wants to help us. She is willing to offer information, but if I understood correctly she did not participate in the war. I'm guessing she was some sort of scientist. She wanted to speak to our science staff. She said they would understand what she had to say."

"And do we trust her?"

"She could have killed Rodney, but she didn't. She can feed without killing. She said that her clan abandoned her, that they did not come to her rescue. She seemed shaken...well as much as a wraith can be I guess. We don't have to set her loose. But I wonder who will volunteer to feed her. Even if it's not fatal, it's pretty gruesome."

"That would be a no, then?"

"For now. Have you seen McKay?"

"I was in the infirmary, yes. But he was asleep. Dr Beckett says there are not ill effects to his body beside the obvious. He should be released in order to attend this evening's science staff meeting."

"She really didn't harm him."