Parasites

(The Mitchell Files XI)

Author's Note/ Disclaimer: I haven't pulled Mitchell out for a while, so I thought I would since I'm finished with the latest campers story. I only claim the characters I created, although I'm borrowing the other ones, too. I'm not making any money or anything off this story.

That said; here we go!

OOOOOOOOOO

Ronon Dex looked over at Lieutenant Colonel Melony Mitchell and frowned.

"You're kidding…"

She smiled and shook her head.

"Touch it."

"No way."

"Do it."

"No. It'll bite my hand off…"

"No, it won't." She looked over at her other companion. "Jinto?"

The boy hesitated, looking at the incredibly large creature they were standing in front of and then back to Mitchell. Trust won out over nervousness and he reached out and touched the creature's neck gingerly. A smile broke through his expression immediately.

"It's soft!"

The Mok snorted, causing the boy to jerk his hand back, but the creature's nose nudged his hand in obvious entreaty and Jinto smiled and reached out once more, this time a little more confidence.

Mitchell smirked at Ronon, who scowled.

"Maybe it just likes boys…"

"He likes me, too," she reminded him, reaching out and touching the Mok's silky neck as well.

"And women, then…"

"They like the Jaffa… and Sheppard's team…"

Ronon sighed and reached out and touched the Mok. After all that, there was no way he could chicken out of touching the Mok – not if Rodney McKay had touched one.

"It's soft, huh?" Jinto said, grinning broadly at being included in the little group. He'd been pretty much grinning the entire time they'd been there. With good reason, too, since he was the only Athosian that had accompanied Mitchell on the trip.

Teyla had been invited, of course, but Teal'c and several of the Jaffa had gone to check on some of the planets previously held by the system lords and Teyla had opted to accompany them, instead. Which didn't surprise anyone, really.

McKay and Sheppard had been invited as well, but since Teyla was leaving, they'd both decided to take a week off and go on an extended visit with the Light Ones – and their offspring. They'd invited Ronon, but the as much as he admired and respected the Light Ones, they still made him a little uncomfortable – he didn't like people playing with his feelings, even if they didn't mean to be. Since Mitchell had warned him about the females being even worse – and he still hadn't seen one of them to find out just how potent they might be – he declined.

Which had led Mitchell to inviting him to come with her when she went to check on the Mok breeding program – which hadn't sounded all that interesting to him. Until Teyla had mentioned to him that they were so rare that as far as anyone knew they were only in existence on two planets – the two Melony's Jaffa had placed them on (one on either side of the Stargate).

Something that rare was definitely worth looking at, Ronon had decided.

Jinto had been in the commissary when Mitchell had been discussing the trip with Weir, and had (in typical fashion for any kid his age) listened in on the conversation, trying very hard to make her notice him while at the same time trying to be inconspicuous so she (or Weir) wouldn't send him away. Weir had noticed first, since she was sitting in the right position to see him while Melony had her back to him, but her smile had quickly made Mitchell aware of what was going on, and since the planet she was going to was heavily defended and in one of the safest parts of the galaxy (otherwise she never would have put the Mok there) she decided that it wouldn't hurt anything to invite the boy – provided his father said it was all right.

He'd be good company, after all.

Which had turned out to be a good thing, since Carson was forced to decline an invitation as well, despite the fact that he would have loved the chance to get away with Melony for a week – even with company. He was working on a new gene sequencer and wasn't able to slip away just then, which meant that it was a good time for her to leave, really, since he tended to be as single-minded as she was when it came to working on something new or interesting.

So it was a small group that went; Ronon, Jinto and Mitchell, accompanied by a small honor guard of Jaffa who had mates on the planet the Mok had been settled on, and two Marines, so they took a single Jumper and three days of traveling – through gates and straight – found Ronon and Jinto being introduced to the rarest species in the universe.

Now it was just a matter of getting them to touch them.

Ronon's eyes widened slightly as he dug his hand into the shaggy fur that covered the creature's chest.

"Wow…"

Mitchell smiled, amused by the reaction – which was pretty much the same reaction everyone had.

"Told you."

"No wonder they were so prized…"

She'd told him all about the history of the Mok, of course – what they knew anyways.

Melony nodded.

"The Jaffa are going to keep that from happening again, though. We-"

"Colonel Mitchell!"

Sergeant Pascal Sanders came trotting up, stopped just short of the Mok – which had shied only a little at the shout – and saluted. A salute that Melony returned smartly.

"Sergeant?"

"We just checked in with Atlantis, Colonel, to let them know we've arrived."

"And they all changed their minds and decided they want us to come back and get them?" she asked, smiling.

He shook his head, his expression serious.

"Doctor Weir's sick… and the rest of Atlantis is under quarantine…"