Hi everyone! I hope you enjoy the update!

Happy Reading!

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The Gift Cont.
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"Teyla!" John yelled as she disappeared through the rock face. He sprinted towards the rock, his palms slammed against it, and it was just as solid as it had been moments before. "Kai!" he yelled turning back to her, but she was already beside him. 

She ran the scanner of the rock face shaking her head. "Nothing changed," she said exasperatedly.

"Teyla!" Ford yelled, slamming the butt of his gun against the surface.

Their desperation over their missing team member was a tangible thing, and Kai frantically began making adjustments to the scanner. She couldn't help feeling like McKay would have known what to do. 

Suddenly the surface of the rock shimmered and disappeared. Ford tripped over his feet as he scrambled back away from it.

John only flinched, as he raised his gun, ready for whatever might come through. He exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw it was Teyla standing in the doorway. "How'd  you do that?" he asked.

Teyla's eyes were wide with shock. "I do not know. I was just looking for a way out."

Sheppard scowled and stepped around her through the opening. The others trailed behind him.

"It looks like the inside of a Wraith ship," Ford commented, stepping deeper into cave.

Their flashlights shone off the organic walls. Kai sucked in a breath and covered her nose with the back of her hand. What had once been alive was now long dead and rotten. The stench burned her sinuses.

Sheppard glanced back towards her to make sure she was okay. She nodded to him and pulled her scarf across her nose and mouth.

"Yeah," Sheppard agreed, prowling ahead. "But what the hell were they doing here?"

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Elizabeth moved quickly down the hall towards Zelenka's main lab. The doors hissed open for her and she stepped inside. The lab was empty except for Kai who was standing over her laptop, still dressed in tactical gear. A scowl lined her face as her hands moved over the keyboard.

She hadn't looked up, but Elizabeth knew she must have heard her. "Kai," she said by way of greeting.

"Doctor Weir," Kai acknowledged without looking away from her screen. 

"Sheppard said you found a Wraith laboratory on that planet?"

Kai nodded thoughtfully. "It looks that way. It appears to have been abandoned for a very long time...Not much of the equipment was useful, but I was able to pull two data storage devices before we left," she said pointing to the two drives that were plugged into her computer.

Weir stepped up next to her. "You think the Wraith were experimenting on the people of that planet?"

"I honestly have no idea. Hopefully there will be some useful information here," she said, then because Weir seemed to think she should have answers, she continued. "I have never heard of the Wraith using humans for experiments."

"Sheppard said the lab was well hidden. Why the need for secrecy? The wraith can take people at will and do whatever they want with them."

Honestly, Kai didn't see how a hundred plus year old lab would help the fight the Wraith in a few days time, but Weir was interested. Her computer beeped. "There we are," she said looking back down at the screen.

Weir moved around the side of the table and stood over Kai's shoulder as Kai began scrolling through the pages and pages of logs.

"This is obviously a language. Does it mean anything to you?" Weir asked.

Kai lifted a brow in surprise. "It's Wraith."

"Wraith?" Weir asked in confusion. "Can you read it?"

Kai nodded slowly. She hadn't realized how little they knew about the Wraith. "Some of it. Fairly slowly," she confessed.

"That would make sense," Weir agreed. ""I'd like to have a good look through this," Weir said frowning down at the screen. "Would you mind helping me with the translation? That is, as long as you don't have anything else that requires your attention."

Kai shook her head. "Zelenka and McKay will contact me when they need my help with the chair."

"Great!" Elizabeth said with a smile and she pulled a stool up to sit next to Kai.

Kai looked around and found a pad of paper. "Can you read Lantian?" she asked.

Elizabeth looked a little sheepish. "Not as well as I should."

Kai nodded unconcerned. "Well, the two are very similar. Just replace this symbol with this one, and realize the Wraith don't use vowels." She said, scratching down a few more notes.

The two worked for several hours together before Doctor Weir decided their findings were significant enough to bring in Doctor Beckett. Kai was a much more efficient translator but Doctor Weir never gave up, the two of them continued to produce more and more data for Beckett throughout the night. It was nearing dawn when the true significance of their findings occurred to them.

Doctor Weir and Doctor Beckett shared a long look before Weir activated her radio. "Teyla, please report to Science Lab 2E."

Despite the early hour Teyla's reply was clear and immediate. "I am on my way Doctor Weir."

Teyla arrived moments later. Kai couldn't help feeling like she was intruding somehow, but Elizabeth had insisted she stay.

"You look like I feel," Teyla commented her eyes running over the three of them. None of them had gotten any sleep and it showed.

Weir nodded taking a sip of yet another cup of coffee. "We've been up all night."

"You wanted to see me?" Teyla asked, her eyes ran over the equipment surrounding Doctor Beckett but her gaze settled on Kai. There were only so many projects that involved the Mortii. This most certainly involved the Wraith.

"You'd better sit down," Beckett said kindly.

Teyla tensed. "What is it?" She asked sensing Weir and Beckett's discomfort.

"Well...we translated most of the first log you brought back and...are you sure you don't want to have a seat?" Weir asked a little desperately.

Teyla's eyes flickered to Kai. The Mortii's expression was perfectly calm and composed. She didn't share the reservations Weir and Beckett did. "The Wraith were conducting experiments on the inhabitants of that planet," Kai filled in easily.

Teyla's eyes widened. "On my ancestors?" she asked

"It was just one wraith actually," Elizabeth filled in quickly. "And he was doing it against the wishes of the other Wraith, which is why he was doing it in secret."

"What was he doing?" Teyla asked. She folded her arms over her chest.

Beckett stiffened. "I think he was trying to make their food source more compatible with their species."

"I don't understand," Teyla said shaking her head.

"It was very easy to miss. In fact I couldn't even make the comparison necessary to isolate the specific strand. We needed Wraith cells, which we got eventually, but then we needed a full mapping of the genetic code contained within those cells. Which wasn't even 50% complete."

Kai watched as Teyla became more and more tense, her frustration with Beckett's long winded explanation was growing with each passing second. Prolonging bad news was not a kindness to anyone.

"Please," Teyla snapped. "Just tell me."

Beckett drew in a steadying breath. "You have some Wraith DNA in your genetic make up," he broke the news as gently as possible.

Teyla was shocked, she looked back and forth between all of them. "I-" she started to say and stopped. Her watch beeped and she looked down at it like she was in a daze. "If you would excuse me, I need to report for duty," and she quickly rushed from the room.

Beckett and Weir shared a long look. "I think I need to go handle this," Weir said apologetically. "Kai? Do you mind continuing to work on the translation?"

Kai shook her head. "Not at all. I'm going to get some breakfast," she said, scooping up her laptop. "I'll let you know when I have more," she promised.

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Kai was working at a table in the mess when the chair across from her pulled out. She looked up and was surprised to see Major Sheppard set his breakfast tray down across from her.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hi," she replied a little stiffly. What had happened in the gym was still fresh in her mind.

"What are you working on?" he asked, pouring hot water into his oatmeal.

"I am working on translating the log from the Wraith lab," she said.

"I thought Weir was doing that," Sheppard said stirring his breakfast.

Kai smiled indulgently. "Well, my Wraith is a little more practiced than hers," she said looking back down at the log.

"So have you been working with her and Beckett?"

"All night," Kai confessed taking a sip of tea.

John looked up at that with a frown. Kai looked tired, but they all did so he hadn't thought much of it. "When was the last time you got any sleep?" he asked a little more sharply than he had intended. Kai didn't always think about herself when it came to stuff like this. She would push herself to the limit and not think twice.

"As I told you Major, I believe my sleep requirements are different from yours." Kai replied narrowing her eyes. The Major was commander in the field, and she had learned to accept that, but she didn't appreciate being told what to do in her personal time.

"Yeah," John agreed oblivious to Kai's annoyance as he took a bite of his breakfast. "but you still normally sleep every night, right?"

"When I deem it necessary," she said carefully.

John Went very still as he watched her. Kai was a tough one to read, she was so closed off with her emotions, but he was fairly certain he was annoying her. A slow smirk stretched across his face and he looked down into his oatmeal bow so she wouldn't see how entertaining he found her. "Maybe you oughta go get some shut eye while you can."

Kai glanced up sharply from her laptop but The Major wasn't even paying attention to her. He was entirely engrossed in his breakfast. She scowled. "I will once I finish with this, Teyla deserves to have all the information possible."

John nodded, and although he wanted to keep teasing her, it wasn't fair when she was doing something truly selfless for Teyla. "So...Teyla's part Wraith, how's that even possible? I mean I understand Biology but..."

"Genetic manipulation," Kai repsonded as she leaned closer to her computer and made an annotation beside a word she was unfamiliar with.

"Well I was assuming they didn't...well you know."

Kai looked up from her work and arched a single eyebrow.

"Never mind," John said quickly. It just sucks for her, cause you know it's not like she's any different, but I can't imagine how she feels..." he dragged off thoughtfully.

Kai stopped abruptly and looked up at the Major. "It truly doesn't bother you that she is not completely human?"

As soon as John heard the click of the keyboard quiet he looked up and met Kai's serious grey eyes. John shrugged and shook his head. "Why should it? She's still Teyla. As far as I'm concerned it's just some test in a lab. I'm not fully human either," he pointed at himself with his spoon. "I have the gene."

Kai nodded, she wasn't sure why, but the Major's answer surprised her. There were times when everything seemed so black and white with him and times when he was startlingly insightful. Kai stared at him for a long moment, holding his gaze. Then she jerked herself out of her thoughts and went back to her work.

John shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I mean. As long as she doesn't start trying to feed on anyone or anything. Do you-" he started to ask, but Kai had frozen. She was scowling down at her laptop, her fingers poised over the keyboard.

"Zian?" he asked.

Kai snapped the laptop shut. "I need to find Doctor Weir," she said shoving her chair out.

"What's going on?" John called after her.

"I know why they quit the experiments!"

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Teyla looked back and forth between Weir and Doctor Heightmeyer. "I have never been able to hear the thoughts of the Wraith before," she argued in dismay. Their entire plan was dependent on her being able to do something she had never even heard of before.

"Well," Weir said. "According to the notes all the test subjects who were given the Wraith DNA had the ability."

Doctor Heightmeyer spoke up. "It's possible it's because you've never actually tried before."

"You didn't know you could read Wraith minds, and quite frankly, who would want to?" Weir drew in a breath and glanced towards Doctor Heightmeyer before she continued. "Look Teyla I would not even consider asking you to do this if I didn't think it could potentially provide us with some vital information."

Teyla looked down at her hands. "I just...don't know what to do."

"We have several ideas. Doctor Heightmeyer believes she could use hypnosis to help you overcome the self defense mechanism she believes is blocking your brain from the Wraith...otherwise," Weir said carefully. "Kai's people have some minor telepathic abilities. She was trained when she was young and she believes there might be a chance she could talk you through it."

"Okay," Teyla agreed nodding. "If there is any chance of us discovering some weakness or plan of their's I don't see how I could say no."

Kai was sitting on a gurney beside Major Sheppard while Beckett and Doctor Heightmeyer got Teyla prepared. Weir was pacing anxiously behind them as Doctor Heightmeyer sat on the bed beside Teyla.

"Doctor Beckett is administering a mild sedative. If at any point you simply say 'out' and we will end this," Heightmeyer explain.

Teyla nodded.

Sheppard leaned over towards Kai. "Mango," he said.

"I'm sorry?" she asked turning towards him, a frown on her face.

"Mango, it's my ah-" he shook his head. "You know what, never mind," he said turning back to watch the preparations. "Doctor Weir said you were telepathic," he said carefully. "Sort of forgot to mention that?"

Kai looked down at her hands. "I'm not really. I can't do anything with it. I didn't think-" she stopped and shook her head as she looked back to where Beckett was giving Teyla her IV.

"Can you do anything cool?" he pressed. He had read the report, but if he was honest it bothered him to know that she was still holding back from them. "Read minds? Move things without touching them? Start fires?"

"No," Kai said. "At best I might be able to tell you if someone else is using their telepathy...on me...some of the time..." She dragged off. "I believe the term my trainers used for that particular subject was 'disappointment'."

John cast a look at Kai. "So...not really that helpful then..."

Kai shook her head. "Not really, no."

Doctor Heightmeyer looked over the group. "I believe we are ready. Teyla, are you sure about this?"

Teyla set her lips into a determined line and nodded.

Heightmeyer smiled. "Okay. Just close your eyes, I want you to think about the feeling of sensing the Wraith. I want you to visualize it in your mind."

Several minutes went by. "This isn't working," Teyla grumbled her eyes snapping open.

Doctor Heightmeyer had her lips pursed thoughtfully. Weir turned to Kai.

"Looks like you're up," John said nudging Kai's shoulder with his.

She snorted and jumped down from the gurney. She walked over to Teyla glancing at the others self-consciously. "Back in the academy, they used to tell us the easiest way to access our telepathic power was to associate the need with memory. Ah...close your eyes," she instructed. Teyla did so. "Focus on your breathing, the sound of your heartbeat, the feel of your blood moving through your body."

Teyla's body relaxed as she focused on meditating instead of on the Wraith.

Kai waited until Teyla's heartbeat and breathing leveled out before continuing. "When was the first time you felt the Wraith?"

Teyla's reply was low and sleepy. "The night my father was taken."

"I want you to think back on that day. Think of where you were. Now listen. What do you hear?"

Teyla's eyes rolled up in her head and her forehead lined with concentration. "Noise. Voices, so many voices. Whispering."

Kai leaned forward. "Listen for just one voice. Try to block out all the others."

"I can see," Teyla gasped.

"What can you see?" Kai asked.

"I am on a ship, I am walking."

"She can actually see what's happening?" Sheppard asked behind them.

"If the Wraith can project their thoughts that may include what they are seeing as well," Doctor Heightmeyer agreed in a low tone so she didn't disrupt Teyla's concentration.

"They do not notice me," Teyla continued. "I am walking through the ship. I am in some sort of control room..."

Teyla's voice drifted off and her whole body tensed, arcing backwards against the bed. Heightmeyer and Beckett exchanged a nervous look. Beckett's eyes cut over to Kai who was frowning.

Teyla's whole body became rigid and her eyes snapped open. Kai scowled down at her. There was something off about the way she held herself. Her eyes scanned the room with interest, as though she had never seen it before. She lifted her head off the pillow and a malicious smirk crossed her face. "You're all so pathetic." Teyla growled.

Doctor Heightmeyer scrambled back off the bed.

"Something tells me that's not Teyla talking..." Sheppard said taking a cautious step towards the bed.

"Nothing can stop us," Teyla promised.

"Wake her up," Weir ordered.

Teyla's body jolted, arcing up with the force of the electric current, but she didn't relent. "You are all going to die," she promised.

Beckett hit the button again, but nothing happened. Teyla started to sit up. Kai turned to Beckett's laptop. "Increase the current," she told him.

"If I do we risk-"

"We have to get it out of her," Kai growled reaching past Beckett and adjusting it herself. She hit the button and this time Teyla collapsed bonelessly after.

She slowly blinked her eyes open, looking around. When she saw the tension and fear on the faces of those around her, her own eyes widened. "What happened?"

Beckett immediately started an exam but Weir and Heightmeyer we're hurrying towards the door. Teyla frowned after them in confusion.

"It's okay," Beckett assures her.

John started to follow Elizabeth but paused turning back to Kai. "Zian," John asked looking down at her. "Will you stay with her?"

Kai nodded. "Of course Major."

Kai wasn't sure if the Major was asking because she and Teyla were friends or because in the moment she had proven she was willing to do what was necessary. Perhaps it was a little of both.

Teyla drifted in and out for almost an hour before she woke up. Lieutenant Ford had come down to sit with them. When he arrived Kai considered leaving but Teyla asked her to stay.

"I was close, I was so close. I feel if I just had another chance-"

"Hey," Ford said, leaning towards her. "You know you don't have anything to prove."

Teyla smiled kindly at him but her eyes met Kai. This was something they understood about one another. No matter what happened. They would always feel as though they had something to prove.

"I think this could make a difference. I saw a hologram, I believe it was a map. Maybe even a battle plan."

"We know their battle plan," Ford assured her. "They're coming to wipe us out."

Teyla shook her head as she leaned back against the pillows. "I'm not so sure that is true. They want something from us. They are desperate."

"Really?" Kai asked from behind Ford.

Teyla lifted her eyes to meet Kai's and nodded. "I know, it us surprising. They are confident in their dominance over us, but mainly because there are so many of them, too many to sustain for long. They have all awakened early and there is not enough food to go around." Teyla sighed and leaned back, "It was just a feeling. The voices were hard to separate."

Ford shifted his weight uneasily. "You don't remember one of them speaking through you?"

"No, but I remember the feeling just before it happened. Next time-"

"I don't think Doctor Weir will let there be a next time," Ford interrupted quickly.

Teyla looked mutinous for a moment but then her expression smoothed and she nodded, leaning back against her pillows. "I think I will rest a while longer," she told the Lieutenant.

Ford nodded and excused himself. Kai trailed behind him to the door. Once they were out of earshot she touched his arm. "Please warn Doctor Weir and The Major that Teyla may try again and there's not a lot we can do to stop her."

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The others quickly realized that there wasn't much they could do to stop Teyla from contacting the Wraith again and she was determined. They gathered back around her bed an hour later. Kai was standing back between Weir and Sheppard, her arms crossed over her chest. She understood Teyla's desire to do everything she could, but it was a huge risk reconnecting.

"Okay," Doctor Heightmeyer said unnecessarily. "Close your eyes and relax, try to listen for the voices."

Teyla settled into the trance faster than she had before. There were long moments of silence. Her eyelids flickered back and forth as though she were looking at something. She suddenly jolted as though she had been startled.

"Teyla?" Heightmeyer asked in concern.

"Break the connection," Weir ordered urgently.

"It's not working," Beckett reported as he hit the button repeatedly. He increased the voltage but nothing was working.

Teyla began thrashing. "NO!" she yelled.

Beckett jumped to his feet and grabbed her shoulders. "Teyla!"

Teyla's eyes snapped open and she struck out. Her fist connecting with his jaw, knocking him to the ground.

John moved forward to restrain her, but Teyla whipped around, she snatched up the IV stand, and whipped around connecting with his temple. John went to all fours as he fought to stay conscious. She hit him again and John collapsed.

Ford jumped towards her but she slung him away from her into the wall.

Kai kicked towards her head. Teyla slapped her leg away. John was just climbing to his feet when Teyla slammed her hands into Kai's chest knocking her back into the Major. He grunted as he caught her and the two of them fell back into a gurney. He shifted her so it was his back the hit the ground, instead of hers.

Teyla stalked dangerously towards Doctor Weir. She snarled and reached for her when a stun blast hit her from behind. Teyla collapsed revealing Sergeant Bates standing in the doorway, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.

John climbed to his feet and pulled Kai up behind him as Beckett crouched over Teyla checking for damage. Bates looked entirely too pleased with himself as he lowered the stunner.

They got Teyla back on the gurney and waited anxiously for her to regain consciousness. While they waited Beckett looked over Ford and The Major. They were both fine with only a few bruises. He turned to Kai but she waved him off.

Teyla stirred and they all turned to the bed.

"Teyla, are you okay? Can I get you some water?" Beckett asked gently.

"No," Teyla said. "I am very sorry. I really thought I could prevent..."

"It's all right," John assured her. "Everyone is fine."

"We are concerned the Wraith can connect through you at will, though," Doctor Weir said.

"It has never happened before, no, I am sure have to connect to them first," Teyla assured her. Then she turned her focus to Sheppard. "I saw their plans," she told him. "The route their ships are taking to get here."

"That's good," Elizabeth soothed.

"There's more," Teyla interrupted. "They do not just want Atlantis. They know about you."

"What do you mean?" Doctor Weir asked, her eyes narrowing.

Sheppard's face was grim and angry. "Sumner. The female wraith wasn't just feeding on him, she was interrogating him."

"That is why they are all waking up," Teyla agreed. "That is why they are all coming here. They know that Atlantis is the only way to get to a new, rich feeding ground."

John's voice was a growl. "Earth."

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Hi everyone! I hope you are enjoying the updates! I'm so excited we are just about done with season one I have all sorts of plans for season two!!!

Thank you for all your support!