Say Goodbye to Yesterday
Dragonlots aka Dana Bell
Chapter 2
Thunder rolled overhead and thick drops splattered on the roof. Lillie quietly descended the carpeted stairs moving through the house with an easy familiarity. It didn't matter the lights were off.
Under the kitchen door light escaped and she entered the room, stopping to look at the figure sitting at the wooden island. A cup sat in front of her long-time friend and from the slight shaking of the other woman's hands, she knew Marari was frightened.
"You're up late," Lillie said, moving to the wine fridge and locating the open bottle from dinner. She poured herself a half glass and sipped, savoring the tart taste.
"It's ridiculous." Marari took a sip of her tea and set the cup back down. "I can face down a Wraith hell bent on killing me and yet cower in the corner like a terrified child because of a thunder storm."
"We all have things we're afraid of." Hers had to do with someone killing the Prince, Julian Luna. Lillie sat in the chair beside Marari. "You always make yourself a cup of tea."
"Helps calm me down." Her friend wore a teal housecoat over her gown and matching fuzzy slippers.
Thunder shook the house so hard the dishes rattled. Rain thudded against the windows and it concerned Lillie they might break.
"Have you heard from him yet?" Lillie tried a different tactic to help calm her friend.
"Heard from who? Barnabas knows I'm taking some time off as does Mattie and Colonel Sheppard."
"I'm referring to the handsome Dr. Quest." The scientist had watched Marari constantly during the conference. Lillie had watched the two notice and try to ignore each other.
Marari sighed. "He's still in mourning."
Taking another drink, Lillie waited to make her next move. "Did he get your number?"
"He didn't ask for it."
"Not what I asked."
"It doesn't matter." Marari got up and put her cup in the dishwasher. "Julian out tonight?"
"He is." Lillie couldn't be sure what type of business Julian was handling. Could be Kindred, could be any number interests he owned.
"I'm glad I decided to come here. It was past time for a break."
What sounded like pebbles started hitting the roof. Lillie made a face. Hail. "What some wine?"
"No." Marari headed for the door. "I'm going to go hide under the covers until this storm stops."
The door opened and closed. Marari knew the house as well as Lillie did. She finished her wine and decided to return to bed. With any luck the power wouldn't go out. Even if it did, for her, it wouldn't matter.
Julian liked to keep a few things old fashioned. Candles and matches sat on every bed stand. Not that Kindred actually needed light. They could see just fine in the dark.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Morning dawned dark and windy rain still falling in huge drops. Marari crawled out of her warm bed, taking a quick shower and tossing on some comfortable clothes. A glance at her phone told her it was around six. Most living in the house would slumber until night. Normal for Julian's household.
Downstairs she rummaged through the fridge, finding some eggs, veggies and cheese. An omelet sounded good for breakfast. It amazed her Julian's fridge seemed to be always stocked, considering no one in the house actually ate food unless they had company.
Once she'd cooked her breakfast, she ate in the eerie quiet of the old Victorian, eating her food and drinking her tea. The weather would prevent her from doing much, so maybe she'd work on some of the post conference reports Mattie had asked for and latter run stats for Dr. McKay or check out the new language Dr. Jackson had been trying to unravel.
Back in her room, she placed her cup on the bed stand and pulled out her laptop. With the covers pulled over her lap, Marari went to work. She had a hard time concentrating since Mattie had been less than pleased when she'd called in for the post mission briefing a couple of days ago. Not that it mattered. She wouldn't have given up a jet ride with old friends for anything.
Her ring tone stopped her train of thought and she frowned, picking it up. She didn't recognize the number, but recognized the Maine area code. "Hello?"
A bit of silence on the other end. "I didn't wake you did I? I know there's a time difference."
"No. I've been up for a while." Marari couldn't quite place the familiar voice.
"You probably don't know the number." A brief pause. "This is Dr. Benton Quest."
Of course. She'd enjoyed his pleasant baritone voice and was secretly glad he'd finally called. "I'll have to save your number."
"I don't give it to many."
"Don't blame you." Lord knew the man had enemies. Not to mention the number of scientists who probably wanted to consult with him and he had a reputation for wanting to keep his privacy.
Both of them got quiet uncertain what to say. He finally said, "You were one who said there were many ways to start a conversation."
She chuckled pleased he'd remembered she had. "Sometimes awkward for two people who don't know each other well."
"We didn't get a lot of time at the conference," he agreed. "Did you take the break you talked about?"
"Yes. Still at Julian's."
She heard noise in the background and guessed the children had gotten up. "Always that noisy?"
He laughed. "I prefer it to silence."
"My mom used to say silence meant kids were up to something."
"Very true." Barking started up. "I'd better go. We try to eat breakfast together."
"Sounds like a great tradition."
"It is."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Dr. Quest hung up wishing he had more time to talk to Marari. They hadn't had a lot of time at the conference to get to know each other and although she wasn't really his type, he had to admit he liked her. More than liked her if he forced himself to get honest.
With a shake of his head he went to join his family. Race stood at the stove, frying eggs and bacon. The meat smell filled the kitchen. A metal bowl sat next to the pan and he assumed pancakes had been added to the menu.
Jonny, in his blue pajamas and Hadji in his brown ones were busy feeding Bandit, who wagged his short tail and barked excitedly.
"Where's Jessie?" Benton asked, looking for the girl.
"Still sleeping," Race answered. "Her flight got in late last night."
Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Benton reflected on the change in his body guard's life. A few months ago Race had learned he had a daughter. After many phone calls and some legal arrangements, which the Quest lawyers had helped with, his friend had acquired shared custody. Jade had been fine with the arrangement saying that Jessie should have a chance to get to know her father. Knowing the fiery red head, he wondered if she had an ulterior motive.
"Morning," a sleepy voice murmured.
He turned as did Race to watch a red headed girl wearing a pink robe with matching fuzzy slippers enter. She took a spot at the table and yawned, looking like she could barely keep her eyes open.
"Hey, Jessie," Jonny greeted as he plunked down and grinned at her. He looked more and more like his mother every day with his blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. Benton felt a lump in his throat and he pushed the sensation away.
"Smells good," Jessie said, pulling out a scrunchy and pulling her long red hair back into a ponytail.
"My specialty," her father bragged, returning his attention to his cooking. He wore a black apron over his normal jeans and red top.
"Are we having plain or blueberry pancakes?" Hadji asked as he sat down. He rarely appeared without his turban. This morning was an exception. He wore his dark hair short and his deep brown eyes danced.
"Blueberry," Race answered. "Wild ones from Maine."
Both boys grinned.
"Milk or hot chocolate?" Benton moved to the fridge.
"Milk," all three teens answered.
"I'll get it Dr. Quest." Hadji rose to gather the glasses.
"Thank you." He poured himself a second cup, allowing the rich flavor to help revive him.
Race glanced back at the teens, busy pouring milk and talking. He aimed his next question at Benton. "You call her?"
"Call who?" Benton played dumb.
"Come on, Doc, I know you better than that." He scooped up the eggs placing them in the oven and did the same with the bacon. Reducing the heat slightly Race waited to start the pancakes. "I didn't miss the way you looked at Marari Pryor."
"She helped us out. That's all there is."
"Uh, huh." Race didn't sound like he believed that. "Why'd you ask her out?"
"To say thank you for helping find the boys." They'd wandered off during the conference a couple of times. Phoenix had been helping with security and helped locate them.
The griddle popped as the batter got poured. "I don't believe that and neither do you."
"I'm still in mourning." Benton knew it to be a partial truth.
"I did a little checking on her," Race flipped the cakes over. "Lot of what she does is classified, beyond my clearance level and yours."
He chuckled. "I realize you're doing your job, but that could have caused some problems."
"Oh, I got stopped by one irate general and the head of the Foundation. They basically told me they'd toss me in jail if I didn't quit digging." His bodyguard frowned. "Whatever she is involved with they don't want anyone knowing about."
"I remember she said she worked with Colonel Sheppard."
"Nothing on him either or most of the folks we had dinner with."
"Interesting."
"That's one way to put it."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Julian slid a contract across the wooden table when he returned from his office. Marari looked up at from her laptop. "What's this?"
"This gives you partial ownership in my vineyard and winery." He put a pen next to the papers. "Just signed where the X's are and both my attorneys and yours can argue the rest later."
"Why would you do this?" She glanced through the contract, noting how much she'd been given. The share surprised her. "Are you sure? It's a pretty big share." Thirty percent? Seemed to be overly generous.
"You helped launch three new wines with your suggestions." He gave her his most charming smile. On anyone else it might have worked. "Of course I am."
She shook her head. "I'll have the family lawyers look it over first." She grinned. "You didn't think I'd just sign it, did you?"
"I was rather hoping." He sat down and removed his tie, unbuttoning his shirt leaving part of his chest exposed.
"That's not fair, Julian," Lillie teased, as she joined them. Tonight she wore a black dress with jewels glittering around her throat and dangling from her ears. The woman's painted nails lightly caressed his chest. "You know how upset Barnabas would be."
He held up his hands in surrender. "Her lawyers can look it over first."
"Not what I meant," Lillie's sultry voice murmured.
"I'm immune to that," Marari returned, pointing at Julian.
"What about a certain handsome scientist? I hear he might have called today."
"There are no secrets in this house are there?" Marari sat back not certain whether to be amused or angry.
"Rarely," Lillie agreed. "Coming to the club later, Julian?"
"If I can."
"Hope to see you." She gave them both a smile as she left the dining room.
"Cash will make certain she arrives safely." Julian went the side bar and poured a glass of wine. "Want some?"
She shook her head. "No thanks. Have to get up early to return to LA."
"To the apartment you hate." Julian took his chair again and sipped the dark red liquid.
"I'm working with Mattie to allow me to operate as a remote consultant rather than being based at the Foundation."
"Think she'll agree?"
"I hope so. I miss Collinsport."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Colonel John Sheppard stood at the top of the metal stairway overlooking the control room. Senior scientists Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka worked on main control panel, consulting their lap tops and entering data. Each of them talked constantly and he knew from experience most of what they said he wouldn't understand anyway. No reason he should disturb them.
His eyes traveled to the stargate partially buried in the marble floor. Since returning to Earth it hadn't been used much. McKay, with Dr. Jackson's help, had finally figured out which symbols represented their new location. With a grin the colonel wondered what the ancients would have thought of hiding the city in a small and abandoned cove near the town of Collinsport, Maine.
"Must be happy thoughts."
John glanced at the archeologist who had addressed him. Dr. Daniel Jackson climbed the stairs to stand next to him. More than once the soldier had been glad the man had joined them. He'd helped solve a number of different mysteries they'd stumbled across. Most recently, an unknown language buried in the city's data base he still was working at translating.
"How's the translations going?" John asked, turning to enter his office.
"Slow. I haven't found the key yet." He sat down in the chair across from the wooden desk. A desk that had been occupied by several different people and now belonged to Sheppard.
"I understand you're the best linguist we have." John sat down, leaning back slightly. He wore fatigues and had allowed everyone to wear whatever they liked instead of the standard uniform. Atlantis was about research, not a military operation or a base to protect the planet. General Landry at the SGC in Cheyenne Mountain had taken over the role.
Dr. Jackson sighed, shifting in his chair. "I wish we could get Dr. Benton Quest cleared. The man is a genius in several fields."
"I've tried several times." He couldn't figure out what kind of prejudice General O'Neill had against the man.
"Jack still not agreeing?"
"Pretty much." He leaned forward, ignoring the various reports waiting on his approval. "Have you asked Marari?"
"She's working at the Foundation for the next couple of weeks."
Marari Collins Pryor had proven to be one of their best consultants. She seemed to have a knack for figuring things out. Biggest problem, her boss often snagged her away for other assignments. He'd heard the woman joke about having worked for almost every agency in the alpha bit soup in DC.
"She being allowed calls?" John knew they often spoke either via phone or Skype.
"Time seems to be a factor." Dr. Jackson ran a hand behind his head before rising to pace. He'd adopted wearing jeans and often a plain T-shirt. "Can't keep her on the phone long enough to work anything out."
"Guess I could ask the general to speak to Mattie." Given the woman's reputation, he'd bet any argument between them would be a draw.
"Or we can just wait until she comes back. I suppose the information has waited this long, it can wait a few more weeks."
"That'll look great in my reports. Progress paused because one of our consultants got pulled by her agency."
Both men laughed.
Daniel shook his head. "I've been here long enough I should be able to figure it out. I'll go back to work."
"Sure." He watched the archeologist leave. Maybe they had become too dependent on Marari. Time they all did what they did best. Figure out the secrets of the city on their own as they had in the Pegasus galaxy.
Still, he figured it couldn't hurt to give O'Neill a call and see if he could pull some strings to get Ms. Pryor returned or Dr. Quest approved. Somehow, though, neither seemed too likely.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Jack Dalton stuck his head in the door, followed by Mac. Marari tried to ignore them.
"Told you she was busy," Mac said.
"Now, just hold on a minute. We don't know that for sure." Jack took a step inside her temporary office.
"Take another step and I'll toss you out like you taught me to." She saved the information of her umpteenth report, trying her best not to look at the two or she'd start laughing.
"She's gotta eat sometime." Jack crossed his arms over his chest and the bright shirt he wore. "Besides I still want to hear about her date with Dr. Quest."
"Wasn't a date." Marari wished she had something to throw at him.
"There, you see," Mac defended. "It wasn't a date."
"Of course it was," his friend bantered back.
"Will you get out here so I can get some work done?" She glared at Jack. "I'd like to get back home before Halloween." Mid-September and the weather still seemed too warm.
Mac interrupted. "Mattie agree to let you work from home yet?" He leaned against the door jamb, looking completely comfortable in jeans, a nice long sleeved shirt and sneakers.
"Finally. Besides, she and General O'Neill had words. Rather loudly from what her admin shared."
"Isn't he the pushy general you work for sometimes?" Jack grinned. She couldn't believe anyone wore their hair as short as he did.
"I've been with the project he's in charge of almost since the beginning." Neither men were cleared to know about the SGC nor Mattie either. From a few exchanges they'd had about it, Mattie proved to be very unhappy about it.
Luckily, they didn't ask her about the project. She supposed at this point they knew better. "Are done for today, Jack?"
"Nope." He strolled over to her desk.
Mac shook his head, his blonde hair framing his good looking face. "We figured you might be hungry and wanted to know if you'd like to go out and eat with us."
Jack put on his best smile. She rolled her eyes. "I have too much work to do."
"You gotta eat," Jack pushed.
"Mac, why don't you bring me back something. Maybe a salad with chicken."
"We can do that," Mac agreed. "Come on, Jack."
"How am I ever going to hear about her date?" he whined as the pair left.
"It wasn't a date, Jack," she murmured, returning her attention to the report Mattie wanted delivered in about thirty minutes. She attached the document and hit send, before getting out of her chair and staring out the floor length window.
Her office overlooked the courtyard and she smiled as she watched Jack and Mac walk across the huge red stones. They talked to each other using their hands to make their points. They disappeared around the corner and Marari stretched.
Bad part was Jack may have been right whatever pretext Dr. Quest had used. Since then, he'd called her a few days later, then every two or three. For the past couple of weeks it had been every night. They didn't talk for long, maybe ten minutes. Just long enough to catch the other one up on what they'd done during the day.
"Hey," Riley knocked lightly before entering. The young woman had better manners than the man who had been like a father to her, namely one Jack Dalton. "Everything okay?"
"Fine." Marari returned to her desk.
"Want to pick up where we left off?" Riley asked.
"Not today. You can teach me more about hacking tomorrow."
"You're a good student."
"I think it more likely you're a good teacher."
"Or both." Riley smiled, lighting up her pretty face, her dark hair complimenting her complexion. She wore a nice pant suit and Marari didn't doubt many of the men in the office probably wished they could ask her out. Fear of Jack Dalton's wrath probably kept them at bay.
"Thank you for teaching me. It'll help me quite a bit."
"All you have to do is ask." Riley's phone beeped. "That's Mattie. She has a project for me." She waved. "See you later."
"Later," Marari returned, before starting on her next project and yet another short deadline.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It had been a long day. Benton rubbed his eyes tiredly and glanced at the time. The boys and Jessie had gone to bed about an hour ago. Race normally retreated to his suite, tonight not being an exception to watch TV or read or work out or whatever he did. Despite living under the same roof, he liked to give his friend some privacy.
Ten PM. Meant it was seven in California. He signed in to his Skype account and waited for Marari to answer. She answered quickly, the background unfamiliar to him. Given the window view, he suspected she might still be at work. "Hi," he greeted.
"Hi," she returned. "I need to keep working while we talk. Is that okay?"
"Your boss keeping you that busy?" Part of him didn't like that despite understanding Marari needed to her job.
"Last minute project she asked me to do for her." Marari smiled tiredly. "Tradeoff is that I get to come in late tomorrow."
He could hear her keyboard clicking. "How much longer are you staying in LA?"
"Few more weeks. I should be back in Collinsport by Halloween."
"Isn't that your family's least favorite holiday?" He'd heard some rumors and wondered if they were true.
"Good question. I know Cousin David doesn't celebrate it and Barnabas is in DC. Carolyn and her family are traveling in Europe and probably won't be home until next summer." His face must have reflected his confusion because she continued, "Despite being a Collins, I wasn't raised at Collinwood. I've heard a lot of the stories though."
"You believe them?"
"It's an old house and a family who doesn't mix much with the locals who happen to be very superstitious."
"When you're home, where do you live?" His curiosity got the better of him and he wondered if she'd tell him.
"I live in a cottage on edge of the estate near the village."
"Oh." He had no idea what to say next.
"How do you like your new home?"
Her question caught him slightly off guard. "Still working on some renovations and hoping to get the lighthouse up and running."
"Isn't that a requirement when you buy government owned land when it has a lighthouse?"
"I'm surprised you know that." Not many people did.
She giggled. "I know a great many things."
He smiled. "Should I be worried?"
Before she could answer he heard another voice. "That your nightly call to Dr. Quest?"
"As a matter fact, Mattie, yes. Guess it shouldn't surprise me you know about them."
"Nothing goes on in this office I don't know about." A brief pause, before the other woman said, "How close are you to finishing?"
"I should have it to you in another thirty to forty-five minutes."
"Thank you for doing this. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome, Mattie."
He sighed. "I suppose I should let you get back to work."
"Probably. I'd like to get back to my apartment."
"The one you hate."
Marari shook her head and her golden brown eyes amused. "Yeah, that one. I miss my house."
Benton took a deep breath before asking, "Do the Collins celebrate major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas?"
"They haven't since I've joined the family. Can't speak for David's plans. Barnabas is staying at Lunesta Towers for the holidays. From what Lillie told me, Julian is throwing some sort of huge party."
"Would you consider spending them with me and my family?" He held his breath, afraid she'd said no and just as terrified she'd say yes.
The silence between stretched longer than normal. "I'll consider it, as long as I can bring my cat."
"My son's dog Bandit hates cats."
"Well, he'll just have learn to like mine."
Author's note: I had not actually intended to continue this story. However, since both Dr. Benton Quest and Marari Collins Pryor have been added to Always Comes Back to Haunt Us, I figured I'd write their story so I don't contradict myself.