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

Keller wanted to question her more, about the rumors and about what McKay had been prattling off about, but she did have a hospital to run and no time today to do so. She told her she could stay as long as she needed, cracked ribs were no laughing matter after all.

Apart from the marines standing guard outside the rented room, Todd was the only one within with his underlings, all of which were also suffering the heaves too. Well, at least the therapy was consistent. Though he didn't think he'd have much of an appetite later on after all this. After the nausea came chills, the side effects were a lot like detoxing. But as the wraith already had the necessary organs, it was more of a matter of flipping a switch in the brain than it was flushing it out.

Todd was kept busy checking on each of his crew members, assuring and keeping them calm, not verbally but mentally. Eventually the side effects slowed up and the seven could get some rest. Beckett shoo'ed the commander away to get some dinner, but instead, he had his marine escort follow him to the balcony outside the gate room. The fresh sea air was good on his skin and senses after a stressful day.

Tomorrow would be harder however, as the youngest of the wraith on board would be getting the serum. The same wraith that had fought two others in the sparring ring that day he and Rogue started. The youngster had just shifted over to a human diet. Well, "just" was an understatment, but compared to the rest of the crew, he'd been feeding on humans the shortest span of time. Thus far, age and how long since maturity had not had any different effect, but they'd find out tomorrow if that held up.

Rogue hadn't been able to get much traditional rest in the hospital bed, not with the sounds of the sick Wraith filling the space around her. She'd managed to meditate for a while, though, and that was something at least. The pain wasn't helping her mental state much, but it did give a small degree of assistance in keeping her anchored to reality, making it easier to shore up the walls between her and the hundreds of others mucking about her head.

After a while, though, enough was enough. She left the hospital as quickly as she could, sneaking out before either Beckett or Keller could spot her, and wandered back to the parts of Atlantis that she was beginning to know well. That was how she stumbled across Todd, spotting him through the glass and quietly joining him on the balcony with a nod to his marine escort.

She stood at the railing, looking out over the endless ocean, for a long moment before gently asking, "How are you handling all this?" She kept her voice low, this conversation just for the two of them, her concern for him genuine. None of this could be easy for him, having to watch his crew suffer like this, even if they would be better for it in the end.

He glanced to her when she joined him, but said nothing, soaking in the warm breeze until she spoke.

"Its difficult. Wraith under stress tend to let their telepathic thoughts and emotions wander over our link more freely. So if one feels it, so do the others, including myself. Fortunately the side effects are short-lived and they're already calming down." he elaborated.

Todd looked to her again, "How are your ribs?"

"Not too happy with me at the moment," she admitted, her expression tightening as she shifted to lean her good side against the rail. It didn't help much. "Hurts like hell, actually, but only when I breathe."

She lifted up the edge of her shirt, exposing an expanse of pale skin that led into dark, mottled bruising covering her lower left ribcage just under her arm. "On the bright side, I think I've discovered a new shade of purple."

He had an easy way to fix that...The enzyme...the Gift. But her life wasn't in danger, she'd heal in time. No need to offer it. Especially since she turned down stronger drugs. Speaking of which...

"Why did you want a weaker medicine for the pain?" he asked curiously "Cracked ribs take time to heal and as you just said, they hurt like hell."

"Well, the simple answer is that really strong painkillers make me sicker than your crew have been all afternoon," she told him, looking uncomfortable at the mere thought of it. "The more complicated reason, though..."

Rogue worried her lower lip with her teeth for a moment, debating how to explain a situation that most people couldn't even begin to comprehend. "I think I've mentioned before that there are over two hundred individual personalities in my mind. Most of them... aren't very pleasant. They were people we were fighting, people I had to interrogate, even people who just... attacked me personally." She tried to take a deep breath and ended up coughing for her trouble. When she'd composed herself again, she continued, "Murderers, rapists, sociopaths. I've got the whole catalog up here, and when I take really strong drugs like that? Found out the hard way that my mental shields don't hold up as well, and the whole gang can come out to play."

She shook her head in resigned frustration. "The last time it happened, it took two weeks of really intense therapy with Charles before I could even be in the same room as someone else. Because of what they made me see, and feel. So I just deal with the pain as best I can, because it's better than the alternative."

To humans, Wraith were monsters. Stood to reason, they fed upon people like humans fed upon poultry and cattle. But Wraith only fed upon people to survive. There were only a handful in the long history Todd knew that went above that, feeding for pleasure.

Murder? Wraith took out villages and towns for either associating with a Runner, or ensuring a civilization didn't grow too powerful, because that led to people like the Genii.

Rape? High offence to another wraith or a human, punishable by instant death.

The definition of a sociopath alluded him but he presumed it was no better than the other two.

All three types...and more, all scrambling about in one head? She was tougher than a Wraith queen. But it seemed a fragile barrier she'd put up. Endure the pain of cracked ribs or suffer the minds of criminals. No, she had little choice but to endure.

It was quite incredible.

He smiled a bit and then jerked his head. "Come, let's go get some dinner."

There was a reason Rogue had found a measure of comfort on the hive ship, among Todd and his crew. Humans were capable of great kindness and compassion, but also great cruelty, and she had seen more than her fair share of the latter. Being among the Wraith was relieving because she didn't have to question their motives or guess at their intentions. Wraith were easy to understand once you took the time to understand their culture, and now that they wouldn't be overly tempted to have her for dinner, there really weren't many places she would rather be.

Especially because Todd never looked at her in pity the way a human would. He accepted who she was, what she could do and the side effects that came with it, and he offered no sympathy or allowances for her condition, just as she didn't lament over what she had to deal with. She wasn't a crybaby, and it was such a wonderful thing not to be treated like glass.

Rogue sat with Todd for dinner, having spent enough time with Sheppard's team for the day, and genuinely concerned that Ronon might not make it through the meal without using his butter knife for something other than its intended purpose.

Todd was glad she'd chosen to sit with him as the only members of his crew were currently in bed or up on the hive and sitting alone would have looked...rather pathetic.

While Ronon might be busy thinking about where to bury a butter knife in him, Todd had other concerns.

Like why his dinner seemed to be cooked worms and...he hoped those weren't some bull's jewels...

New supplies had been brought by the Daedalus that morning, among them, pasta. So tonight's dinner was, innocently, spaghetti and meatballs, and fresh-baked rolls.

He nibbled a roll as he contemplated silently about trying what he'd been given.

Rogue was excited for the spaghetti and meatballs. This was comfort food for her, something they'd made regularly at the mansion because even the pickiest of the kids like spaghetti. She could tell that Todd was not as enthused, however, from the way he looked at the food and didn't immediately dig in the way he often did with her cooking. She wasn't quite sure what the issue was, and had they been alone she might have teased him for it, but she wouldn't do that to him when some of the others might overhear.

So instead, she took the first bite, chewing carefully and cataloging the flavors. It needed a bit more basil, in her opinion, and parmesan. The former was something she'd have to go searching for, but she'd seen packets of the latter by where they'd picked up their dinner.

"Hang on a second, don't try it yet," she told him before half throwing herself out of the chair, her ribs making getting up and down difficult. She grabbed a handful of the packets and upon returning to the table, ripped them open and dumped a very liberal amount on both their plates. "Trust me, makes all the difference."

Todd had been about to finally pick up his fork when she stopped him and bolted as quickly as her injured ribs allowed, coming back shortly with...cheese?

He didn't see how dumping more of it on this dish could make it any better.

Perhaps this was an earth special. All worlds had their customs, food especially...

Was it better to try it first or ask what it was first?

Deciding it best that he not become a picky eater, he decided to try it before asking. Mimicking Rogue, he wound some of the yellow strings around a fork and took a mouthful.

Who knew worms could be so good?

The tangy-sweet tomato sauce and the salty sharpness of the cheese were a great combination, and he braved the bullocks too, finding them just as good.

Rogue grinned as Todd finally tried the food and proceeded to eat without further hesitation. At least he didn't hate it.

"This dish is called spaghetti and meatballs," she told him, guessing that he might be wondering. "Spaghetti is made from wheat flour, like bread, and the meatballs are ground beef rolled into this shape. It's a common dish on Earth, noodles are easy to come by and filling."

She'd actually contemplated trying to make her own pasta during the past two weeks. They hadn't had flour, but certain vegetables could be used instead for a similar effect. She just hadn't had the chance to experiment with it yet.

He paused with another forkful of noodles to his mouth when she seemed to read his mind and tell him what he was eating.

He looked down at his tray again.

"Oh." and he continued eating, deciding not to divulge what he thought it had been.

"Are you sneaking into my room tonight or staying in your own?" he asked

She might have asked him about that oh and what exactly it meant when he practically blindsided her with his next question. Well, if that was how he was going to be...

"Do you have a preference, Commander?" she returned, letting her southern drawl warm the words that were definitely an attempt at flirting. Her usual manner had come back in spades during the time she'd spent with Sheppard and the rest, and while it wasn't as easy with Todd, that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

He blinked at her rather odd change in manner but replied, "Before I fall asleep preferably."

He'd fallen back to sleep easily enough after she left but still. Sort of a bother to get up.

Another forkful of spaghetti made him realize he'd been rather idiotic to think it was worms. Although..."ground beef" was still rather vague...

That was it? How... disappointing. Maybe it was a Wraith thing, or a Todd thing. Or maybe she was just out of practice. She'd have to try again, see if she could figure out which it was.

"I'll keep that in mind," she commented with slightly narrowed eyes, playfully of course. She may have felt like death run over, but the company was pleasant enough to balance out the evening.

Rogue was about to make her second attempt at getting under Todd's skin when Sheppard appeared at their table, depositing a small plate at Rogue's elbow. Her eyes widened at the slice of chocolate cake resting there and she turned a very questioning gaze up to the colonel.

"After the day you've had, I figured you could use some cake," he said with an easy shrug, then turned with a grin toward Todd. "Sorry Todd, last piece."

Rogue called his attention back by spearing a forkful of the moist, fluffy chocolate creation and audibly moaned in pleasure as it practically melted on her tongue. From the way Sheppard's eyebrows shot up, it may have been bordering on inappropriate for public ears. As if she really cared.

Pointing her fork at the colonel, she informed him, "Remember that marriage proposal I mentioned earlier? I'm picking out the ring tomorrow."

Sheppard just chuckled at that and shook his head. "I'm looking forward to it," he told her before excusing himself and leaving them to their own devices again.

Todd wasn't quite sure what she was getting at...was she...

Sheppard then appeared with...cake. It was so sweet, he could practically taste it in between his pasta. It was...strange. But then again, a moment ago he believed he'd been eating one of the more stranger dishes he'd ever encountered.

It was hard to tell if they were being serious. Was this...cake, a marriage proposal custom on earth? He didn't figure Sheppard for the type to move so quickly, but then again the man was in his prime so it stood to reason he'd be looking for a woman to settle with. Couldn't be a colonel forever.

He cleaned his plate and sipped his water, contemplating if he should visit his crew in the hospital before bed or it was best to leave them be and let them rest...

"Where would you get a ring?" he asked her. As much as Atlantis was a city, he doubted there was a jewelry shop within it.

Rogue laughed at his question, a quiet laugh to save his pride and her ribs. She'd forced herself to finish her own pasta before moving back to the delicious cake, and she'd just finished savoring a bite of it when he asked.

"It was just a joke," she explained with a fond smile. "This morning, Sheppard said he might be able to scrounge up some instant coffee to send with us, so I had to bring up marriage. I'm a caffeine addict who hasn't had coffee in years. And then he brought me chocolate, and well, that was that."

She probably wasn't making any sense to him, not having actually explained the joke. "It was just my way of thanking him," she clarified. "Flirting is one of my main forms of communication. I think Wraith must be immune to it, though, or you are at least."

Ah, joking, should have guessed. That was Sheppard for you, even while they were imprisoned together, and he'd fed off him, the man had kept his humor.

He understood now and he smiled at that. But then chuckled as she confirmed she had been flirting playfully. A strange thing.

"Well, you are outside my species" he pointed out "Wraith don't show affection, remember?"

"No, you don't," she acknowledged, playing with her fork, pondering rather than having another bite of cake. She really hadn't learned much about that part of Wraith culture, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious. "But you must have ways of showing individual interest in someone."

Or maybe not. She could be completely off base. And that's why she was inquiring.

"Of course" he answered "Most of it is done-" he tapped his temple. Telepathically. "But unlike humans we don't take partners for life. We live far too long and grow tiresome of one mate. Only the queen remains relatively monogamous. Though occasionally she might tire of her commander and summon a worshiper to play with instead."

Todd cocked his head. "Why so interested? Or...are we back to our question games?" he grinned.

Telepathy, of course. A Wraith trait she most definitely did not possess, for which she was eternally grateful. She had enough going on in her head without that thrown into the mix.

She shrugged with one shoulder, her gaze falling to the half-eaten cake on her plate. "I'm always interested in how people relate to one another, especially species other than my own," she said. "It's what happens when you can't easily participate, you try and live vicariously through others."

Glancing up at him again, she added, "And not all humans are monogamous. That's actually not as common as you might think."

"Are they now?" he asked cocking his head. Interesting.

His marine escort came over. "Doctor Keller wants to see you."

"Something wrong?" Todd asked. He'd not been given an ear piece so his communications came through his poor marine escort of the day.

The marine spoke into his earpiece to confirm if it was an emergency or not. "She says no."

Todd nodded once then got up, deciding he'd best see what the doctor wanted. Looking to Rogue he said, "We'll talk more tonight if you want." and headed for the infirmary with his personal guard.

Turned out Keller wanted to confirm with him how much serum they needed after his crew were done being inoculated as Todd and his ship would be distributing it to the other hives, minimizing the risk of Atlantis being discovered. For good measure, he checked in on the first new seven. Thus far, age seemed to have nothing to do with the serum's side effects, which boded well for the youngster's inoculation tomorrow.

Another check with Keller before he headed for his room for the night.

Rogue had taken her time finishing her cake, enjoying every last morsel of it because after the next few days, who knew when she might be able to have sweet, delicious chocolate again? Even when she'd nearly licked the plate clean, she stayed sitting at the table, having finally found just the right position for sitting that made breathing almost bearable. In the end, the only thing that made her move was the realization that the Tylenol was beginning to wear off and she'd need to make her own trip to the hospital for another dose.

She'd gotten halfway there when she ran into Dr. Beckett, who'd been on the way to meet her himself. Rogue took the tiny paper cup of pills with a grateful smile and promised to check in with Carson again in the morning.

Rogue had nearly forgotten Todd's parting words when she spotted the marine outside his door. Well, he had extended the offer... She rang the equivalent of an Atlantis doorbell and when the door swished open, she asked with a cheeky grin, "You weren't sleeping yet, right?"

"And even if I were, you'd still have rung." he pointed out with a smirk and stepped aside.

The marine narrowed his eyes at the pair, frowned, then shrugged, going about his boring job for the evening.

Todd sat down on the couch, moving the book he'd been reading aside.

"Enjoy your cake?" He asked, glancing to her cup of pills.

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:D <3

hehe

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