Chapter 1

"News is that we're getting a new kid," Colonel Ben Edwards, SG-10, stated as he came in and sat down at the briefing room table.

SG-1, Major Alan Cook and Captain Jason Mendelo of SG10 were already there. SG-1 were down one side and SG-10 down the other. An empty space opposite Teal'C and next to Captain Mendelo.

"Yep," Jack sat back, "a Captain Charlie Barker. All I got told."

"Guy?" Major Cook asked looking around.

"Probably," Cpt. Mendelo replied, hoping it wouldn't be, "then again..."

"What you smiling at?" Jack demanded as he turned to look at Sam.

"Nothing."

"Major Carter. What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing," Sam replied, still smiling, "just something not important."

"Carter."

"No. Sorry, sir."

"First off," General Hammond walked out of his office followed by a female officer in a RAF uniform, "I'd like to introduce SG-10's new member, Captain Charlie Barker."

"No offence and all, but what's with the uniform, is it meant to be different?" Colonel Edwards asked, his confusion evident as he looked at her.

"Captain Barker is from the RAF. Since telling the other nations about the existence of the Stargate, they're sending over personal. Most are technicians and scientists, but there are a few officers who will join some SG teams. Captain Barker's the first to come," Hammond sat down, then turned to Cpt. Barker, "take a seat next to Captain Mendelo."

Cpt. Barker walked round and took a seat next to him, ignoring the looks she was getting from the rest of her new team mates.

"Captain Barker, Colonel Edwards will be your Commanding officer, Major Cook is second in command and there's Captain Mendelo," Hammond explained to her, "SG-10 will be going with SG-1 on a standard re-con mission. The locals of the planet carried Ancient technology. You're to find out how and where they got it, what it does and if they're willing to share."

"Can I add something?" Daniel spoke up.

"You may."

"On P4H-918 the culture seems to be similar to the Shavadai, where women are seen as property so," he paused, "Sam and Captain Barker havetobeowned."

"What was that?" Sam sat up and looked at him.

"You and Captain Barker have to be owned," Daniel whispered.

"What?" Cpt. Barker sat forward as well.

"You and Sam have to be owned," Daniel said clearly, not looking at them.

"No," they both stated together.

"Major, Captain, I don't want to have to order it," Hammond stated.

"I don't wanna be owned," Cpt. Barker sat back and crossed her arms. Mendelo looked down and smiled, he liked her already.

"You'll only have to be owned if we come across any locals, so technically you won't be owned, you'll just pretend to be," Daniel reasoned, "Jack and Colonel Edwards will own you respectively."

"Fine," Sam muttered.

"Whatever," Cpt. Barker sighed.

"Thank you," Hammond smiled slightly, "you'll leave at 14:00 hours. Dismissed."

General Hammond stood up and walked back into his office.

"You knew," Jack accused Sam.

"Knew what?"

"That he was a she and not a he like we thought she was," he stated as he pointed at Cpt. Barker.

"Of course I did."

"Why wasn't I told?" Jack demanded.

"And why wasn't I told?" Ben demanded just after.

"Memo," Sam stood up and walked out.

"Right, Mendelo," Ben stood up, "baby-sit the new kid till it's time to go. She can be your friend."

"What's your name again?" he turned to face her. Everyone else had left.

"Charlie."

"I'm Jason. You hungry?"

"Yes."

"Come on," Jason stood up and walked out.

She stood up and then quickly followed him out and along the corridor. 'He does walk fast,' Charlie smiled, 'just like dad.'

"Where we going?" she asked as she fell into step with him.

"Commissary."

"Huh?"

"Food. That's kinda edible."

"Kinda edible?" Charlie repeated sceptically.

"Yeah," he shrugged and grinned, "kinda edible."

They walked into the commissary and went over to the hatch. They grabbed something to eat before sitting down in a corner.

They soon finished eating and Charlie pulled her cup of coffee closer, placing both hands around it.

"So..." she began, leaving it hanging.

"So..." Jason repeated, pausing for a moment, "got any Family?"

"Yes. Two older twin sisters in the RAF, a younger brother in the Royal Navy. He's married and has a four-year-old daughter called Gemma and two-month-old son called John. What about you? Any brothers or sisters?"

"No. Lonely child," Jason answered as he smiled at her quick reply.

"Lucky you."

"Not really. I always wanted a little brother."

"Why? They're so annoying."

"I don't know. Just did. It wasn't any fun growing up by myself. I had no one to play with and didn't really make friends because dad was always getting moved and mum and I went with him."

"You can have mine if you want, but I get to keep my niece and nephew," she paused in thought, "and sister-in-law."

"No thanks. You can keep him."

"Why?"

"Coz I don't want him."

"But you just said you wanted a brother."

"Yeah, but not yours."

"Men," Charlie muttered, smiling inside at the reaction she got from him.

"You're nice."

"Ain't I just," she took a sip of her coffee, "how long we gotta kill?"

"Erm," Jason looked at his watch, "I'd say... about three hours."

"What fun," she muttered sarcastically.

"Yep," Jason sat back.

"Why'd you join the Air Force?"

"I don't really know. Guess coz dad did I just kinda followed."

"So you had no hopes for the future?"

"I did. Find someone, get married, 2.4 children, white picket fence," he closed his eyes, waiting for the normal reply. 'Why did I just tell her that?'

"You? You wanted that?" her shocked voice broke though his thoughts.

"Why not? What about you then? What did you want?"

"I wanted... no. I won't tell you."

"Why not? I told you what I wanted," he sat back crossing his arm, pretending to sulk.

"Alright," Charlie sat back, "I wanted to be a ballerina. The whole tutu thing."

"Then how'd you join the Air Force?"

"Dad was ex Air Force. Since my sisters joined I kinda followed," Charlie explained.

"And your brother?"

"Was being awkward."

"But, a ballerina?"

"What? I did ballet as a kid."

"Right," he replied, not sounding convinced.

"It's gotta be better than the picket fence."

"Do not insult the picket fence!" Jason declared in mock horror.

"And they say that English people are strange."

"Well - they - are. Take you for example."

"Right, next topic... is... hobbies."

"Nope, sorry, not saying."

"They can't be worse than mine. Trust me."

"Tell you one," Jason stated after a moment, "comic collecting."

"That's not so bad."

"What about yours?"

"You're only getting one. Javelin."

"As in the big pointy stick that you chuck through the air?"

"Yep. What's your other one?"

"Oh no. Not telling. What about yours?"

"Not until I know yours."

"Then I guess..." he looked up for a moment to be greeted by puppy dog eyes. He sighed; he wasn't going to win this, "alright. I'll tell you."

"Thank you."

"Cooking," he mumbled.

"What's so bad about that?"

"This may have escaped your notice… I'm a guy."

"And your point is..." 'How could I forget?'

"Forget it. And yours?"

"This may sound really, really strange but jousting."

"What's that?"

"Armoured knights on horse back, charging at each other with big pointy wooden sticks, trying to knock each other off."

"As in Medieval stuff?"

She slowly nodded. A silence settled over them while he tried to take it in.

"How..." he asked confused.

"Archaeologist friends."

"But still..."

"They asked me to this event thing and I took part. Been jousting ever since. And once a year we have a big tournament."

"Planning to go to the next one?"

"If I can get time off." She looked over the top of her cup as she took a sip, waiting for the inevitable question.

"Can I come?" Jason asked hopefully.

And there is was. "That would be a... no."

"Why?"

"Because."

"But why?" he whined.

"Because. Now you come up with something to talk about."

"But why?"

"Next - topic," she repeated firmly.

"Essential stuff you need to know. Dr. Jackson on SG-1 is accident-prone. Colonel O'Neill's been thinking about renaming the infirmary the Dr. Jackson ward."

"The Dr. Jackson ward?"

"Yep. Oh and other SG-1 news. Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, really, really like each other. Major Ferretti on SG-2 has a pool on when they'll get together."

"Pool?"

"Oh and... Colonel Edwards really likes Colonel Alicia Manes on SG-5."

"As in our CO Colonel Edwards?"

"Yes," Jason replied bluntly.

"Anything else I should know about?" she smiled slightly at his enthusiasm at gossiping.

"That I can think of at the moment... no. But if I do I'll come and tell you whenever I think of it."

"Thanks. So..."

Another silence settled and they sat and watched the people bustle about the commissary for a few minutes.

"Wanna go for a walk around the base?"

"Sure, why not?"

A few minutes later they walked out of the lift and were walking along the corridor towards the infirmary.

"Where we going?" she inquired as she turned to look at him.

"Infirmary."

"Why?"

"So you have some idea of where it is."

"Who's in charge?"

"Dr. Janet Fraiser."

"How many women are there on base?"

"A handful."

"What do you mean 'a handful'?"

"Very few. I'd say about five officers, six or so technicians, and roughly ten nurses, compared with the probably ninety-odd men here."

They turned the corner and went into the infirmary.

"And here we are," Jason gestured, "as you can see, standard ill colours etc, etc, etc."

"What is this? The five cent tour?"

"Why yes, I do believe it is," Jason replied sarcastically, "and we're walking."

He turned and quickly walked out. Charlie smiled to herself before going after him, when could she broach the subject? As she caught up with him she heard him wolf whistle at the female technician walking the other way.

"Is that part of the tour?"

"Nope."

"Is that the best you can come up with?"

"Nope."

"What would you say if I were to say," he thought for a moment, "if I had alphabet soup it would spell you and I."

"What alphabet do you use?"

"I'm going to have to arrest you," he continued.

"But I haven't done anything," she feigned innocence.

"For stealing the stars and putting them in your eyes."

"Okay, but it better not involve cuffs."

"You would say that?" he asked suddenly stopping.

"If he was cute enough," she continued walking. 'Like you.'

He ran to catch up with her as she walked into the life. He pressed the number for the commissary level.

"Okay. I've lost my phone number... can I have yours?"

"You're not smart enough to remember it."

"Have I seen you before... oh yeah in my dreams."

"Are you sure, it's dark at night."

"Can heaven afford to miss an angel?"

"Who said I was an angel?"

"Your place or mine?"

"Both. You go to yours and I'll go to mine."

"You're mean.

"Don't ya just love it," she grinned as they walked out of the lift again. 'More than you know,' Jason replied silently.

"Right, next. Is that a ladder in your tights or a stairway to heaven?"

"I just brought these so f off," she whispered loud enough for him to hear.

"Ohh. Girl you must be tired, you've been running through my head all day."

"I'll just carry on running then."

They had unconsciously walked back into the commissary and gone back over to the corner, sitting down again.

"I've lost my house, can I come round yours?"

"Are you sure, I saw a cardboard box outside."

"That - was - harsh."

"And you know it."

"Okay then Miss Barker, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

"No, I just got brought up from hell. Like I said before, who said I was an angel?"

"I'm not on drugs, I'm just high on you."

"Then you won't mind jumping off a bridge."

Neither of them noticed Ben and Alan walk over to stand by the table, smiling at each other as they listened to the conversation their team mates were having.

"If you just heard a 'boom' then it was my heart swelling at the sight of you."

"Then how come you're still alive?"

"This shirt would look really good on your bedroom floor."

"Don't think so, colours would clash."

"That's what you'd say to ditch guys? Colours would clash?" Alan interrupted making them both jump.

"Don't do that!" Charlie exclaimed, one hand over her chest.

"How long have you been there?" Jason asked as he eyed them suspiciously.

"The 'boom' one," Ben smiled at him, "anyway, I hate to break this up, I'm sure you're loving it Jason, but it is time to get ready."

Jason looked at his watch. "We've got half an hour."

"Exactly, I'll take that long to get her ready and for her to change."

"I resent that!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Come on. Just move," Ben ordered half-heartedly.

"I don't know where to go," Charlie muttered as she stood up.

"Mendelo, lead the way."

TBC

I know it a looooong chapter. They all are. Posting will be based on reviews I get.