Chapter Text
“I think we’re finally getting somewhere. This new serum is showing signs of speeding up the healing properties of a person. Do you think Commander Todd…” Freezing in her spoken thoughts as the wraith looked up at her with what she assumed would be a raised eyebrow if he had any, Lirwen MacLaren stared at the formidable wraith commander with a bit of trepidation before she looked away from him.
Commander Todd, as she thought of him as he was still a commander of several hives, had been staying in Atlantis for close to a month now. The twelve hives he had in his command were currently circling over the Ancient city and things had been very tense. This seeming alliance, as Commander Todd was calling it, was still very shaky. The only reason it had been allowed in the first place was because Commander Todd had been the one to pass on the valuable information about the super hive headed towards Earth. If he hadn’t, then there was no telling what would have happened and just how much danger Earth would have been in. But back to the subject, Commander Todd was trying to show his eagerness for the alliance to succeed and in a show of this he allowed himself to become a “guest” of the new atlantians. What this just meant was that when he walked the halls with his security detail, he didn’t have to wear the restraints as normal. He was still confined to a cell when he was not allowed in one of the labs or off feeding and checking on his subordinates, where in then several of his other commanders came to take his place for those few hours.
At the moment though, he was working with his usual lab partner. Fresh from university where she had made a name for herself in several fields all over science and biology and gained the eye of the IOA as well, Lirwen MacLaren was chosen to be Commander Todd’s lab partner for several reasons. The first was because Dr. Keller had yet to rebuild the bridge of trust Todd needed to work with her once more after the disaster the last serum actually tested on one of his hives had been. The second was simply because all of the other scientists had seen what the wraith could do and were very reluctant to be in close proximity to one for one hour let alone possible months. Both of those reasons would take many months to build something between the two species once more. Finally, Lirwen MacLaren was not the average person. Even though Commander Todd’s physical appearance was far different than a human’s, Lirwen was not one to judge someone based on their appearance or past. Her reasoning for this was that she did not know the circumstances behind it and therefore could not judge the person’s reaction justly. It was just her way and it was because of her seemingly fearless attitude towards Commander Todd, she had easily been chosen to share a lab and work with him.
So far, things had been going smoothly. Both worked quietly, efficiently and with a small amount of mutual respect for the other. Rarely was the silence interrupted by either of them but Commander Todd noticed immediately that no matter the subject they spoke of, as sometimes it deviated from work, he could never hold Lirwen’s gaze for longer than a few seconds. It didn’t take much looking her over to see that even though she was quite brilliant and unwilling to judge someone before knowing them, she was very insecure with herself. She kept her head down most of the time in order to avoid gazes from people so she wouldn’t have to think what they might be thinking of her and when she spoke, if it was not centered around science, like when she said his name and title earlier, it was very easy to get her flustered. She constantly worried about what people thought of her and in a way it made Commander Todd smirk. While he didn’t break the silence very often, he did enjoy trying to see how far he could get before she would succumb to her insecurities. Like a cat playing with a mouse, Commander Todd watched her and waited.
“You were saying Miss MacLaren?” he asked as he slowly approached her. He kept two feet between them so the watching guards wouldn’t panic, but he knew in a small way it made Lirwen uneasy. Not because he was wraith, because he was male. Keeping her head down and glued to her screen, she tried her best to ignore his close proximity. It was something she had done countless times with his security detail when they decided to be bothersome and interrupt their work. After both of them threatened to stop working on the serum, John Sheppard finally ordered them to wait outside in the hall. Down side was though, there were still cameras on them which meant Todd’s fun had to be downplayed.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Lirwen nodded her head before she pointed out a particular sequence. “I’m hoping that if we can tweak this sequence here a bit more, it might kick start cellular regeneration in those who are fed from. I do not know for how long it would last, but the possible outcome could be that your ultimate food source would be at hand.” Looking at the sequence more closely, Todd could see what she was talking about and that the possible outcome she described was indeed plausible. While an actual fix to the feeding problem was still far from hand, creating the base was moving fast. Nodding his head, Todd looked down at the young female pleased.
“I believe you are right. However, I think it is time to call it a day as John Sheppard puts it. It is late and you should rest.”
“Bu…” Snapping her mouth shut before she could continue as Todd flashed his shark like teeth at her, Lirwen nodded her head in concession before they saved their progress and shut down the lab for the night. Walking out of the lab, they said their good nights to each other before they parted ways, Todd frowning as he thought over what her mouth had been about to say but her mind had finished for her. ‘But, then you have to go back to lock down.’
‘So she feels guilt for my living situation. Intriguing.’
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“Mr. Woolsey, please…”
“We have gone over this several times Miss MacLaren. Todd is going to stay in his cell where we can keep an eye on him.”
“He has been in there for two months now! His hives have been over the city for just as long as well! He has done nothing but cooperate with everything you have thrown at him, why won’t you allow him the curtesy of at least a decent bedroom!? This alliance has a chance of working, but it’s going to fail if you don’t put at least one foot forward!”
“Todd had his chance and he failed when he decided to take over the Daedalus.”
“You destroyed two of his hives!”
“On accident!”
“Still! He told you about the super hive, doesn’t that count for anything?!”
“She has a point.” said John Sheppard from where he sat in Mr. Woolsey’s office. While he couldn’t really fight for Todd’s living conditions to improve without being questioned, he did encourage Lirwen quite a bit to do so and it all boiled down to this standoff of sorts. Mr. Woolsey trying to put his foot down while Lirwen actually showed her braver side for once. Minutes passed as the two went on and on before finally it ended with…
“FINE! You want Todd to have better room arrangements than he can stay with you!” Silence filled the room as both Lirwen and John looked at Mr. Woolsey in surprise. Neither of them had figured he would go that far.
“What?” asked Lirwen slowly as she stared at him hoping she had heard wrong.
“You heard me. Since you’re so adamant that Todd’s living conditions need to improve than he can stay with you in your living quarters. If I’m correct you have a small apartment.”
“Wel….but…yeah, but only one bed! Where is he supposed to sleep?!”
“That’s not my problem. That’s yours. Now if you don’t mind, I have other matters to attend to. Colonel Sheppard. See that Todd is escorted to Miss MacLaren’s quarters and that a guard is posted outside her door.” Nodding his head, John stood and wrapped an arm about Lirwen’s shoulders before he pulled her from the room and towards an elevator.
“Wh…what am I supposed to do? You never said Mr. Woolsey would place him with me!”
“Calm down. I’m sure you and Todd will figure something out.”
“It’s not just sleeping arrangements! It’s…it’s my quarters, my place, my sanctuary away from everyone! Now…I have to share basically every hour with him?!”
“Hey. Stop.” said John as he grasped her arm to keep her from pacing. “Everything is going to be fine. You and Todd get along well enough in the lab. Just think of this as an extension of it. You’re…you’re roomies now! It’ll be just like in college. You still remember what that was like.”
“No. I paid the extra money for a private room.”
“Oh. Well. I can always tell Mr. Woolsey you changed your mind. Nothing’s set in stone yet.”
“No! No. That’s not fair to Todd.” she said with a heavy sigh as she started to calm down. Walking towards the open elevator doors, Lirwen didn’t see John smirk as he hit the button to continue on.
“We’ll be there in half an hour!”
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Looking up from where she was making dinner in her small kitchen, Lirwen wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing before she walked towards the door and let it slide open, revealing a black leather clad chest before her. Freezing for a moment, Lirwen took a minute to remember what was happening before she moved aside.
“uh…Commander Todd. Please, come in.” Watching as the tall wraith commander stepped foot into her “apartment”, Lirwen looked towards John who stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face. When he noticed that Lirwen was looking at him, he quickly gave her a nod and an o.k. with his hand to encourage her a bit more before he stood.
“Well. As you know there will be a couple guards stationed in the hall and if you have any questions…”cough” problems “cough” let one of them know and they’ll inform me. Other than that, if you guys are fine, I’ll be going.”
‘Ass.’ thought Lirwen as John all but ran down the hall back towards the elevator, leaving her alone with Commander Todd as the door slid shut. Taking a minute to inhale deeply a few times, she eventually gathered herself before she turned and found the wraith commander walking around her humble abode, inspecting everything he came across. Watching him for a moment, she eventually remembered that she had been cooking and hurried back into the kitchen to stir her supper. Unsure of whether it was her form hurrying into the kitchen or if the scents had finally caught his attention, Lirwen tensed up a bit as she heard the soft footfalls of Commander Todd enter the small kitchen and come to stand behind her.
“May I inquire as to what it is you are cooking?” Jumping a bit at the purr in his voice as he spoke and the warm breath that ghosted her ear, Lirwen didn’t look over her shoulder as she continued to stir the food.
“It’s…it’s stir fry. It’s a dish made of a meat, vegetables and rice. Do…do you want some? There’s plenty.” Looking over her shoulder, Lirwen froze once more when she realized that Commander Todd’s face was pretty much touching hers. She knew he had gotten close, but not this close. Taking another calming breath, Lirwen waited.
“Yes. I think I would like to sample this dish.” he said after a minute before he stepped back, watching in amusement as Lirwen’s shoulders dropped in relief.
“Um…could you get into the cabinet beside me and grab two plates please?”
“Certainly.” Opening the cabinet, Commander Todd grabbed the requested items before he reached back in and pulled down two glasses.
“I…I’m not much of a drinker so I don’t have any wine or alcohol. I can make some tea though if you’d like. It would only take a minute.”
“I do not wish to cause you any trouble Miss MacLaren.” said Commander Todd as he stared at his host. Inwardly, he knew she was upset that she had been made to share her quarters with him, but the fact that she had fought for him to have new living arrangements and was unwilling to change her mind and leave him to his cell added to the amount of respect he held for her and he had no desire to push her too far past her boundaries.
“No! I uh…I was thinking about making some anyway. See? I already had the water heating. Um…if you don’t mind once more. My teapot and the tea are in the small cabinet above me. The tea is in the dark box next to the kettle. Would you…”
“Certainly.” Pulling down the items, Commander Todd set them upon the counter and moved aside as Lirwen placed the lid on the skillet and let the food continue to cook. Watching her take the lid from the kettle, Commander Todd studied Lirwen as she placed various amounts of the tea leaves in the strainer before she added a few pieces of what to him looked like small pebbles. “What are those?”
“German rock sugar. They take away some of the bitterness.” Placing everything back in the box, she then picked up the hot water and poured it into the tea pot, a burst of scents filling the air as Commander Todd’s sensor slits flared to life inhaling the aroma. “It needs too steep for a few minutes but it should be done by the time the food is finished.”
“Wonderful.”
“Um…I don’t know how your people treat guests or what you are used to but…feel free to make yourself at home. I set out extra towels in the bathroom for you to use and the free peg on the wall is for you to hang them on. I didn’t notice you bring anything with you but I cleared out a couple drawers in my wardrobe and the closet is mostly empty if you wish to put things in there as well. The only thing I’m not sure about is the…uh…the…sleeping…arrangements.” Pausing for a moment as she turned back to stirring her food, Commander Todd was about to say something, hoping to decrease her anxiety at the situation a bit when he froze as her mouth opened once more and she began to speak in a flurry of words. “I was thinking that since Mr. Woolsey said you had to stay in my quarters, that technically that means if I moved, you would move with me. So I was thinking about maybe putting in a request for a room change since there are still so many empty towers and rooms in Atlantis and I know that one of them has two bedroom abodes. That would be better for us do you not think? But in the meantime, I was thinking that as you are my guest you could take the bedroom and I would sleep on the couch in the living room. Then again I don’t know how long you plan on keeping this arrangement or if you even plan on continuing with the alliance. Mr. Woolsey hasn’t exactly been the most gracious of hosts to you and I…” Pausing when a hand came to rest gently over her mouth, Lirwen turned her head slightly to look at the wraith commander who was staring down at her with an amused glint in his eye.
“Miss MacLaren. First off, do not worry about the alliance. I have no intention of ending it so soon. I am ten thousand years old. I have the patience to break through Mr. Woolsey’s reservations. Second, thank you for your hospitality. I am sure I will find your home to be much more enjoyable than the holding cell. Lastly, there is nothing to worry about when it comes to our sleeping arrangements. As I am wraith, I do not need to sleep as often as you do and therefore I do not require your bedroom. The couch will suit me just fine when I am in need of sleep.”
“But…”
“I am not going to discuss this with you Lirwen. I have made my decision. Now, if I am correct, I believe our dinner is ready. So, you take the teapot over to the table and grab utensils and I shall bring the food. Understood?” Nodding her head dumbly as she stared at the wraith commander, Lirwen went to do as she was told, quickly grabbing the teapot and a couple mugs before she returned for the silverware. Sitting at the table, she watched in shock as Commander Todd fixed the two plates before he carried them over to the table and placed one before her. Sitting down, Lirwen noticed immediately that he ignored the table setting she had made for him on the other side of the small table and instead opted to sit in the seat right next to her.
Watching as he picked up his fork and speared a piece of, what she considered to be chicken, along with a piece of broccoli, Lirwen let her mouth fall open as he placed it in his mouth and threw his head back a bit. It was obvious he had a bit of difficulty in using his throat to swallow and Lirwen mentally nodded her head in understanding since he mostly fed through his hand.
“It is delicious Miss MacLaren. Please, eat. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.” Blushing at the compliment, Lirwen kept her head down as she started to spear a few pieces herself before she froze and looked at him once more.
“um…Commander Todd…please…just call me Lirwen.”
“Then in that case, please call me Todd.”
“um…do you mind that I…no…that everyone refers to you as Todd?” Poking at her food now that Todd’s complete attention was on her, Lirwen continued. “It’s just…from what I’ve read about your people, you don’t like human names because you find them a waste.”
“While that is true, having a human name simply makes it easier. Humans are mostly non telepathic with the few exceptions in your people here and there. This means that you cannot communicate on the level my people can and therefore you cannot distinguish the certain mindset each wraith possesses and know who you are speaking with. Having a human name makes it easier for you to understand who it is you are speaking to or about when that person is away. Therefore, calling me by Todd is acceptable.”
“Oh.” Taking a bite, Lirwen began to eat her food, the two of them falling into a companionable if not awkward silence.
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When the meal was finished, Lirwen went to clear the table, pointing Todd in the direction of the bathroom so he could shower as it had been a while.
“I didn’t know if you had anything else, so I went down to the little market some of the Athosians set up today in one of the free meeting places and I got you some pajama bottoms and a loose top to wear if you like. They’re in the bathroom atop the towels as well. I also grabbed some bathing essentials that aren’t as perfumed as most too. If you don’t like them it’s ok. I just thought you might need something.” Now openly shocked by how much she had gone through for him, Todd stared at her turned back for a moment more before he headed to the bathroom and closed the door. The sound of the shower starting soon after filled the air and with it, Lirwen sighed in relief as she finished washing the dishes and placing away the leftovers. Quickly changing into her own pajamas as the sound of the shower continued to play, Lirwen looked at her bed. ‘I wonder if he thinks me a fool for going through all this trouble when he could have just stayed in his cell.’
‘You know very well why you went through all this trouble.’ said her mind as she got into an internal debate with herself. ‘It’s because you know that leaving him in that cell will do nothing for the alliance and at least if you can show that living with Todd is no problem, than maybe Mr. Woolsey will put a step forward.’
‘Does this mean, I’m entertaining several Commanders when he needs to feed and check on his hives then?’
‘Good thing you brought your eight setting tea set.’
‘Oh shut up and help me decide if I should listen to Todd or mother’s good manners lessons.’
‘What do you think?’
‘I think Todd doesn’t realize how uncomfortable that couch is and he’ll thank me once he’s had a good night’s sleep. Besides, he deserves an actual bed for once. He’s been sleeping on those horrible cots.’ Nodding her head that yes, sleeping on the couch was the right decision, Lirwen quickly grabbed a pillow and a spare blanket before she walked out to the living room and made herself comfortable upon the couch. Turning so she was facing the cushions, Lirwen curled up under the blanket and fell into an exhausted sleep. Today had been so daunting.
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‘mmm…the couch is softer than I remember.’ Snuggling deeper into the plush softness of the couch, Lirwen smiled slightly when she felt warmth against her body. ‘I don’t remember turning on the heat in my abode. But…it feels nice.’ Snuggling even more into it, Lirwen froze when she felt the warmth move closer to her and something wrap around her waist.
Gasping as she sat up in bed, Lirwen looked down at an amused wraith who was enjoying her surprise way too much. Starting to move away from him, Lirwen struggled against Todd as he wrapped his arm about her waist tighter and pulled her down once more beneath the sheets.
“Todd! Let me go!” cried Lirwen as she tried to crawl away from him only to pause when the amused wraith chuckled.
“I think not Lirwen. You did not listen to me when I said you should sleep in your own bed and therefore I have decided that the only way to make sure you listen is to share it and keep a hold on you.”
“Well I don’t like it so let me go!”
“No, now settle down and go back to sleep. It is very late at night for you and you need your rest.” Struggling a little bit longer, Lirwen finally gave in when the inch she thought she had made proved to be nothing more than her stripping the bed in her fruitless tries. Huffing with a soft groan, she tried to curl back under the covers as far away from Todd as she could manage only to be thwarted in that as well when he easily pulled her back against his chest once more. “Go to sleep Lirwen.” he said with a silent chuckle in his voice, watching as the human woman struggled to relax in his arms. The truth of the matter was that he really didn’t need to keep a hold of her in order to make her comply with his order, but the thought of seeing her reaction had been too tempting for the “bored” wraith. How else was he supposed to get some entertainment when he was confined to his quarters and a lab? The soldiers were starting to become uninteresting in their reactions and now that he had Lirwen at hand for not only their lab hours but also in her quarters as well. Hehe, temptation was just too sweet.
Looking down when he felt Lirwen move once more, Todd loosened his grip about her waist just a little, wondering if she would try to bolt with that extra leeway but instead he raised an eye ridge in surprise when she growled and sat up. “If I’m going to be stuck sharing a bed with you and being held by you then we’re going to do it my way.” Watching as she grasped his arm that had been beneath her waist, Todd held in a chuckle as she moved it up so it was at her shoulders before she turned towards him and pressed him down onto his back. Laying down so she was pressed up against his side, Lirwen laid her head upon his chest and wrapped her left arm around him as well. Following the new position he was in, Todd brought his arm about her shoulders and laid his free hand atop the one upon his chest, enclosing it gently in his much larger hand. For some reason, Todd found his chest swelling with a purr that instead of fighting with him to release her once more, Lirwen had instead opted to cuddle with him and releasing it when she tensed yet again, Todd smirked widely when it calmed her down and she finally fell back into a restful sleep.
‘If the alliance does not work out, perhaps she will make a good worshiper.’ Storing that thought for later, Todd allowed his own body to fall asleep. Now that he had a bed that was actually worth sleeping on, it came easier than it had lately.