Hi everyone. Sorry for the wait. Thanks to Becca for betaing. Flash, I saw your screen name and thought Flash would like that, then I saw the review and realized it was you. Hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Kat bit the inside of her cheek and silently counted to ten. It wouldn't be fair to take her anger and frustration out on Teal'c, after all, he was just the messenger. Plus he could totally take her. Reaching ten and finding she still had a strong urge to hit something she tried again. Kat had barely reached five when Daniel softly inquired, "Kat?" Slowly she opened one eye, and seeing Daniel, Teal'c, and O'Neill starting at her, allowed her face to relax and opened the other one. Letting out a slow breath she grinned half-heartedly at Daniel.
"I'm ok, just very tired and frustrated. I mean for god sakes, do they really think that I want to hear they have a whole team on it? I want to hear that they can cure it, Damn it!"
"You do know Miss Carter, that patience is a virtue." Cat slowly turned towards O'Neill. She could actually see everything tinged with red.
"Well you know, if it hadn't been fours years of hospitals and nurses, and tests, and doctors shaking their heads, and not knowing if this would be the last fucking time I saw my mother alive I might agree with you!"
O'Neill opened his mouth, but Teal'c cut him off. "O'Neill."
O'Neill's mouth closed and he leaned back in the chair. Kat gave Teal'c a grateful look. They fell into a strained silence, finally broken by the doorbell ringing.
Kat leaped up and rushed to the door. Grabbing the wad of forgotten bills she opened it. A familiar red head stood outside.
"Hey, Kat! How's your mom?" Kat grinned at the young man. A blush spread across his thoroughly freckled cheeks.
"Hey Devon, she's doing fine, and I see you got your license." Devon bobbed his head, looking pleased with himself. Fumbling slightly he pulled the pizza out and handed it to Kat. "So, like no really bad stuff or anything, 'cause you um….you bought a extra large and heavy duty pizza…." Kat gave a startled bark of laughter.
"Devon, that so sweet. Nah, I'm fine kid. Some of my mom's friends are in town, and they're staying here." Devon got a sheepish look on his face.
"Oh, good, see Jen told me to some how find out if you had a tub of ice-cream as well, cause if you did she'd call up her mom and stuff." Kat handed him the money and he quickly put it in his pocket. Turning and heading towards the car he stopped, and faced Kat again.
"I forgot, my mom made her special cookies and wants to visit your mom and was wondering when would be a good time!"
Kat thought for a second before answering, "Have her come by Thursday morning."
"Right, um, bye Kat."
Closing the door Kat called out, "Bye Devon."
Flipping open the box Kat grabbed a piece of pizza. Making a quick decision she stuffed it into her mouth. Cheeks bulging she strode into the family room and tossed the pizza box onto the coffee table as she passed through. Without looking she continued to her room and closed the door. Without changing she dropped into bed. Kat swallowed and sighed, feeling exhausted. She would sleep, she decided, and deal with everything in the morning. As she stared at the dark ceiling she tried not to think about what that said morning would bring.
Kat woke up god awful early. Groaning she tried to hide her head under the pillow and fall back asleep, but it was no use. Muttering darkly she rolled out of bed. She peeled off the clothes she had worn yesterday and gave herself an experimental sniff. Kat's nose wrinkled and her eyebrows rose. She defiantly needed to shower. Quietly she picked out some clothes and a towel and crept down the hallway to the bathroom. After her shower Kat felt marginally better, and walked silently into the kitchen and started the coffee.. Having developed a slight routine over the pass two weeks she checked the dining room to make sure Daniel hadn't fallen asleep on top of research. The dining room was empty; giving a satisfied nod Kat exited the house and grabbed the paper.
Fifteen minutes later she strolled into the family room with coffee in one hand and the newspaper in the other. The headlines looked interesting. Kat sprawled into her favorite chair and got caught up on the world's current news. After finishing her first cup, she leaned over the chair and set the paper on the coffee table. She glanced left to see the time and sighed when she saw Daniel sprawled on the couch with a book. Shaking her head, she poked him in stomach. Waking with a start, Daniel righted his glasses while peering at Kat. "What are you doing on the couch?"
Daniel rubbed the back of is neck. "Oh, Kat. I..uh..fell asleep while doing some work."
"Bull Shit, that asshole O'Neill kicked you out of your room!"
"Now Kat—"
Kat leaped off the chair and stormed towards Daniel's old room, muttering all the way, "this is it. I've had it. He is going down!"
Kat absolutely hated bullies. She'd gotten into enough scrapes with them growing up, and it was looking like O'Neill just might fit the mold.
Kat planted herself in the doorway, then slammed the door open. Stalking in she pulled the sheets off O'Neill. "You arrogant ass. How dare you kick Daniel out of his room, he's been here two weeks. You've been here for one goddamn day!"
While Kat was going through her tirade she began to poke O'Neill violently in the chest. She was taking off guard when the half asleep man rolled out of bed and in a few short moments wrestled her to the ground. "Owf! Let me up!" Kat struggled against O'Neill.
She hadn't really cared that he slept shirtless while she was jabbing him, but know wrestling with him she was a bit disturbed. O'Neill twisted slightly to secure her kicking feet. Kat's eyes were now align with his bareback and shoulders. While trying to think of her next move Kat's eyes were caught by a birthmark low on O'Neill's right shoulder. Kat froze and her mind was transported back years. She would always remember it, the first time she'd actually seen her mother cry. Kat had been six and proudly showing off a bruise she had gotten on her back after falling out of the Wilson's tree. She's watched her mothers face in the mirror as it had shifted from exasperated amusement to drawn and unreadable.
"Kat honey, what's that on your shoulder?" Sam's voice had wavered slightly. Kat scrunched her face up in concentration then relaxed grinning. "Oh don't worry Mama, that's just a birth mark. It showed up a few weeks ago." Kat smiled brightly at her mother through the mirror, her smile gaping with a missing tooth. Kat had been stunned and mystified when her mother had burst into tears and fled the room. When Kat had questioned her later her mother had brushed it off. But Kat never forgot it, and she had summarized it as the first time she'd seen her mother mourn over her unnamed father.
That same birthmark was mocking her from O'Neill's bare shoulder. Well that certainly answered some questions.