fateandfortune | Just two vampires, traveling the galaxy... [For Todd the Wraith]

He took it all in stride and listened without comment until she'd finished. Though ignored the part that he was treating her like a love-struck child. She clearly liked being around him a lot, he'd been merely stating when he'd be available only to her.

"Then what's the problem? You have a secured place here, the crew likes you, and more importantly the queen likes you. What more do you want?"

Rogue had a unique place among the wraith. Neither worshiper nor meal and she was teaching them as much as they were teaching her with no hatred between them. Todd couldn't comprehend what more a human-even a mutant-could want. Perhaps a little more sun and to be on solid ground more but that was probably trivial on the list.

So what was the problem?

He didn't understand, and she didn't know that he would even after she explained it. He was wraith and she was human - sometimes they were so alike, but right now they couldn't be more different.

"The problem is that nothing lasts," she said quietly, the anger being slowly replaced by anxiety and a deep sorrow that she felt to her bones. "You say that my place here is secured, but it's not. What if the queen decides she doesn't like me after all? She can change her mind at any minute, for any reason, and I'll have to go. Because that's how it works now. That's how things are for you, how they always have been. But to me... it's just strange. And frightening."

She took a deep, shaking breath and shook her head. "What I want is to not be afraid of losing my home again. But that's not going to happen." She turned away then, walking further into the room, stopping to lean heavily against the desk.

He cocked his head. She was still feeling panicky about this? He'd believed it would have vanished upon the queen's decision to allow her to remain on board. Guess not.

Todd chuffed and walked over to her. "The queen won't do that. Trust me. She'd find a reason to boot you off, not just because she doesn't like you. If she boots you off, it's likely because you insulted her greatly or tried to kill her...and even then she'd feed on you instead of banishing you. You forget, you also have the support of me and the crew behind you too, she'd take into great consideration what the loss of you would mean to us, which would be very great indeed as I'm certain you're the only non-worshiper in two galaxies that would voluntarily stay on a wraith hive ship rather than Atlantis or Earth." he pointed out.

The only thing she ought to be worried about-like everyone else on board-was the potential of running into an enemy hive. But as they were in hyperspace it seemed all the time and only Atlantis could track ships in hyperspace, the likelihood was low.

"I'm more likely to be usurped of my life and rank in the next decade than you are of being banished from the hive." he stated. "And Wraith take a long time to change their ways."

She glanced up at Todd as he spoke, though her eyes drifted down to his chest after a moment as she tried to take it all in. It was really only slightly comforting, because the point still stood that the queen could decide to make Rogue leave at any time, even if it would be for a reason and after great consideration.

He got a highly unamused look at those last few lines though.

"That whole pointing out how you could lose your life thing?" she said, the words raw with emotion. "Not really helping. I was terrified when you were fighting Cody. I know you're the better fighter, but he still could have killed you." She looked down at their feet then and shook her head. "I couldn't take losing you that way. At least if I was kicked off the ship, I'd know you were still out here - but if you died? I've lost too many people I care about. Losing you too would probably kill me as well."

Todd chuckled. "Human worrying about Wraith. I doubt I'll ever cease being surprised by that" he grinned then chuffed once more and began removing his coat. Tonight, with his queen settled in more, he'd sleep far better. After a hot shower.

The hive rumbled and he paused a moment to listen to the helmsman. They were back in hyperspace. So much for a starry sky to fall asleep to.

He removed the last of his clothing and went ahead into the bathroom to start washing up.

Rogue would always worry about him. He was her friend, someone she truly, deeply cared about, and he had her loyalty and trust the way only her team had earned before. Add to that how important he was to his species, with his leadership experience and connections to Atlantis, not to mention his sometimes innovative and unorthodox methods, and she would never be able to stop worrying about him.

She knew what that rumbling sound meant by now, and she would miss the starry sky above them just as much as he would. She didn't mind the blue of hyperspace, but the stars had an almost serenity to them that couldn't be matched by anything else.

She continued to stand there for a few minutes before finally removing her own clothes and heading to the bathroom to join him. Stepping up behind him, she slid her arms around his middle, pressing her front to his back and leaning her cheek against those small birds inked into his skin. She didn't say anything - she couldn't think of anything to say.

Todd looked over his shoulder as she pressed up against him, but he didn't shove her away. Instead, he caressed her arms around him, then thought of something, tapping the back of her hand with a finger. "No lapses in your ability in some time, even under the strain of the new queen." he said with a smile.

More like no detectable lapses. He hadn't woken up to her shoving him out of bed or getting grazed in the arena on accident, still, it was something.

She shook her head slightly, letting her cheek rub against his skin like a cat scenting something. "I've been turning it on when I'm alone," she explained, a little pleased herself with the standing record. "I think it helps a bit, though I've had more headaches recently."

She hadn't told him, hadn't let anyone see it, not wanting to be a weak human in their eyes or watched more closely.

"I'm sure Doctor Keller or Beckett will provide you with more medicine before we leave Atlantis again." he said. Come to think of it, it might help to make sure they had sufficient medical supplies on board anyway. Wraith healing skills were still incredible, but there had been a noticeable dip in quality since the gene therapy. Wouldn't hurt to be on the safe side and keep a few first aid kits on hand, after all, healing every non-lethal scrape by enzyme might lead to side-effects.

"Good success with turning your ability on and off as you choose or have you had any difficulties?" he asked

She hoped that would be the case; even though most of the headaches had been mild and likely the result of stress, there had been a fairly severe one in the mix. And if she were to get a migraine like back on Atlantis? No, having anything in the way of medical supplies would be better than what little they had now for true emergencies, for her or the crew.

"It still takes a little while to make the switch, but it seems like it's getting faster every time," she answered, finally unwinding her arms from around him and stepping back a bit. "And it always works eventually."

Todd turned to face her. "Give it time. Finding the switch in the first place was a major achievement in itself after all." he said.

He stroked her hair, helping get it wet under the relatively light spray he'd set on the shower. It felt...good, to be with Rogue, quiet, warm, alone.

He wondered just how often his queen would prefer to have him around after the gene therapy. Every queen was a little different in their want of attention from her commander, though usually the less she had him around, the more worshipers she had near her. But as there were none on board...

Truthfully, he didn't have the slightest idea what to expect from the queen. Her only experience was that of dealing with a shattered crew loyal to her mother, and a damaged beyond repair hive before her capture by the Genii. At least so far she didn't wish to monopolize his time entirely, and had already begun to reach out to the other wraith on board. Only time would reveal her nature.

He was right about the switch, and she took as much comfort in that as she did in the touch to her hair, her eyes drifting shut as she savored that small physical show of affection. Despite what her earlier outburst might have conveyed, she did enjoy Todd's company, even craved it when he wasn't around. It didn't always have to be just the two of them, but it was certainly moments like these with only them that meant the most to her.

She'd said earlier that she understood that the queen would need more time with him, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried about how little time that might allow for her to spend with him. Sure, there would be times during the day that they would see each other, but moments like this alone together might become few and far between. She would continue to understand, she knew how the relationship between a queen and commander worked, but she'd mourn the loss of having him close so often.

Rogue reached out to touch his cheek for a moment, smoothing her thumb along his skin before running her fingertips down his neck, following the water trails down to his chest.

The wraith leaned into the touch and then started purring contently as she caressed her hand down his neck to his chest. While there was a lot left ahead of them, it'd been a little while since they had such time together, one or the other too exhausted or too mentally stretched to do more than wrap an arm around the other before falling asleep.

And while it was no secret that affection was hard to coax from a wraith, Todd sure did enjoy her touching him.

Rogue enjoyed touching him just as much if not more than he enjoyed it. Part of it was being able to touch anyone without hurting them, but most of the pleasure she derived from it was purely based on the fact that it was Todd she was touching. That he was allowing her to touch him when that honor was granted to few others.

She set her other hand on his chest as well before sweeping her fingers up along his chest to his shoulders, her touch firm but gentle, just this side of a massage really. That purring sound he made was one of the most amazing things she'd ever heard in her life.

They still had a long way to go until things on the hive became "normal", as such, moments like this helped reduce his stress. Getting lost in her warmth and light touch helped relieve a lot of that.

Still, they were wasting water, even with the new shower system.

He grunted his thanks and moved out from under the spray to fetch the soap, returning and offering to do her back first.

She'd be glad to know that she was helping him, even just by being close to him to relieve some some of his stress, which she knew could be considerable. Rogue owed Todd so much, but beyond that she just genuinely wanted to help him in whatever way she could.

She smiled at the offer and turned to put her back to him, pulling her hair out of the way. When he was finished, she'd return the favor, though she wouldn't be able to pay as much attention to the cartilage over his spine as she would normally like because of being mindful of the water they were using. She'd fix that later, though.

He massaged the soap into her skin, the simple act of spending time with Rogue like this very calming indeed. There was much on his mind.

"What do you plan on doing while in Atlantis?" he asked.

He estimated they could be there for a month or more depending on how poorly or how well the gene therapy worked on the queen and the side effects that would undoubtedly come to light. He'd likely spend a good portion of that time in the beginning by her side and simultaneously working with doctors Keller and Beckett on the serum for the Drones if they had not yet completed it by the time they returned.

She wouldn't have to be confined to Atlantis, she could spend time on the hive on her own with the rest of the crew, but he had plans for most of them while they were parked in orbit. He hoped to convince McKay to work with his crew and try to bring the hive up to its maximum potential. Despite the gene therapy, it was unlikely he'd give them intergalactic hyperdrive capabilities but at least another set of eyes-and ideas-on figuring out power consumption and hull strength to give the hive an upper hand in a hive-to-hive fight would be most helpful.

Because, as much as he didn't want to, they had to start engaging enemy hive ships and put an end to this civil war eventually. The more advantages their hive had, the better. And they could pass along those upgrades to the rest of the alliance fleet too.

He'd also have a group of his crew focus on the life of gardening and farming by working with some of Atlantis' people on the mainland. They were going to be spending a lot of time around Atlantis, best make the most of it and ensure the likelihood of mutiny stays low by keeping the crew busy.

Having him wash her back was as soothing as it always have, his touch and those smooth motions easing away her mental aches and pains. The physical ones were still there, though, and she feel the bruises really starting to set in from their spar. He was lucky to heal so quickly, but she'd be sore for days. Not that she regretted a moment of it.

"I hadn't really thought about it," she admitted, glancing back over her shoulder at him. "I'll probably train with Teyla whenever she has the time, but beyond that... I don't know. Everyone has jobs to do, but I'm just kind of useless on Atlantis."

She knew that Todd and the others would likely be busy for most of the time they were there, and she didn't want to be a burden to anyone. Being useful and not getting in the way - it was her main instinct, and now that he'd asked, she was starting to worry about how things would go in the ancient city.

"Do you have any suggestions?" she asked him hopefully.

After the suds were gone, he finally came up with a few ideas.

"Sparring with those that wish to." he said. Sparring with humans was far different than Wraith. Mostly because it was more dangerous. If she lost control and touched a Wraith, he'd just walk it off, a human, well, they'd end up in a coma. As such, sparring with Teyla and Ronon and the like would put her ability under strain and thus ensure she could control that switch within her even at such times.

"Learning Lantean." he added as he handed her the soap to return the back-washing favor. There were several books in his collection that were written in the language of the Ancients or Lanteans-spoils of war-learning their language would give her a broader scope of what she could read on the hive, and also perhaps some on Atlantis itself. If she learned enough in the relatively short time they were there she might even be allowed on the Lantean database.

She took the soap and set to washing his back, firm but gentle strokes and a little extra attention to the cartilage over his spine. Just a little though, couldn't waste too much water.

"They're good suggestions, thank you," she acknowledged after mulling them over a bit. Sparring with others would not only help with control over her powers, but also just to keep her in shape. Todd would likely be busy, and Teyla was an active member of Sheppard's team - she doubted they would be grounded as they were last time, since fewer wraith would be in the city.

She didn't know if it would be enough, though. Just sparring and learning a new language, struggling through books. After a while, it was likely to get boring and monotonous, especially if they were at Atlantis for a long period of time. But that was a bridge to be conquered later, she supposed.

It was likely she'd find other things to do in her time on Atlantis. Perhaps, like he had chess, find a game to play. For now, that was all he could come up with.

He closed his eyes as she scrubbed and washed his back. While the shower did allow for less water consumption, it was nowhere near as good as a full soak in a bath. Still, her fingers felt wonderful on his ridged spine.

Chess. Now there was an idea, one that she would think of when they got to Atlantis and she wandered past the place where she'd watched him play. Chess was a piece of home, a connection to her past, and one that she would kick ass at. It would be a good way to pass the time.

She smoothed the water down over his skin, rinsing away the last of the suds before stepping to his side. "I'll give you a massage later," she told him with a small smile, reaching over to run a finger over one of those ridges. "Give special attention to these. I think you could use it after the last few days."

He cocked his head, back arching a bit as she did that, then he chuckled. "You're too good to me" he grinned.

He shut the water off and gave her a towel before getting one himself. He rubbed his hair until it too was only damp, using his fingers to comb through it, but after replacing her braids and knots, he did no more with it.

He recalled the other day when he bathed with the queen shortly after coming on board, her tub water was stained gray from the blood in her hair that had been her own by the time they'd finished.

Finished drying off, he sat down in bed, waiting for Rogue, and also thinking about when his queen wanted to start creating offspring. Usually it was one of the first things discussed when a new queen came on board a new hive and yet she had not brought it up in their time together. It was for the best that they wait anyway. While increasing their numbers would be a priority, they had to know if the gene therapy was passed onto young or not, so it would have to wait until after she was inoculated and cleared of side-effects.

Rogue grinned herself at his words, glad to have that sort of reaction from him. There were few things that she could do for him, at least in her opinion, and she enjoyed being able to do what she could, even if it was as simple as this.

Drying off, she watched him replace her braids and wondered idly if the queen was at all bothered by her relationship with the commander. The queen was young and clearly uncertain about things, and Rogue didn't have a clue how she might perceive the arrangement they had. As had been pointed out, she wasn't a worshipper, her place among the wraith entirely unique for a human, and she truly hoped the queen would never feel threatened by her.

She squeezed out the last bits of water from her hair and combed it with her fingers as he had, though her hair would dry in a much more orderly fashion than his. The towel was hung up before she joined him on the bed, carefully replacing the single braid that he had given her. Watching him for a moment, she quietly asked, "What are you thinking about?"

As everyone could sleep with anyone on the ship, with the exception of the queen, it was unlikely that, even a unique female human like Rogue would be considered a threat just because she was sleeping with the commander. So long as the sex didn't interfere with Todd's work-which it hadn't-she'd likely never bring it up with either party.

"Just about the queen, what still lies ahead..." he grunted, then added, "What's on the menu for dinner tomorrow..." he smiled then settled to lay on his stomach so she could do his back.

"Have you thought of any names for her?" he asked, remembering the queen was leaning towards having one.

Edited 2016-02-02 05:04 (UTC)

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sry had to fix a couple things

I wondered what happened to it! :D

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