Disclaimer: It's not mine.

Chapter 7 – Not One of Us: "So, nervous about your date, 'Sis'?" Paula teased lightly. Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Considering he's a murderer, I am slightly concerned, yes."

"He won't have any reason to target you – not until and unless he makes you as an enemy. He's a revenge killer, no matter how methodical he is about it."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better."

"It should, at least for the moment." For a moment Paula found herself wondering what would happen if Nash figured out who they were but managed to get away. She pushed those thoughts away, however.

The doorbell rang, and Paula said, "Well, you'd better get going." Jenny scowled but walked out. Paula watched her go, crossing her fingers. She really hoped this went well. If it didn't… It didn't bear thinking about.

Paula glanced at the communications apparatus. She knew it was time to report in to Greer, she just really didn't want to. The man was an asshole, and prejudiced to boot.

It was something she really ought to be used to by now. The older generation of DESI agents could still remember the days when psychics and witches – contrary to what many thought, they were not always the same thing – were not allowed in DESI, were considered enemies just like demons and hostile aliens. Greer and Hasling both belonged to the old school, though Hasling was just open-minded enough to see the usefulness of people born and bred to the supernatural. Greer was just a bastard. Though once the nasty bits were over, she had to admit he was good at his job.

She turned the various bits of technology on and waited for the man to show up on her screen. When he did, he was wearing the scowl she'd become so accustomed to.

"You know, your face can freeze like that if you aren't careful," she said by way of greeting. He only scowled harder. Paula just rolled her eyes. "Jenny's with Nash," she continued, moving on to business.

"It should be you, if it has to be one of you," he grumbled. "Shepard's only here because Morrow's too clever for his own good."

"Be that as it may, she is here, and honestly, she knows more about this game than I do. She's also closer to his age."

"Men like younger women. You're jeopardizing the agency by letting her do this."

"Oh hell, Greer, take that damn stick out of your ass. It would jeopardize the mission if I was doing something I'm new at with a case this sensitive, which in turn would jeopardize the agency."

"You do understand the seriousness of this, then?"

"Yeah, and it makes me wonder, where the hell was Alex Shepard when all this was going down before?"

"With the SGC; we don't have proof yet that the organization Nash is tied to even is the Trust. Until we know, involving our SGC liaison is premature."

"You're hoping it is, though."

"We all are. If things work out very well, he may even lead us to the Colonel."

"You know I still find it disturbing that all we know of the man – or woman, I mean it's possible – is a title that may or may not be accurate."

"It's all we have, and we do know he's a man from the few things we've been able to intercept."

"My question is why am I in this? I was never involved in the Trust investigation."

"Hasling wants you to interrogate any of Nash's associates we happen to catch." The disapproval was suddenly back in Greer's voice, and that was enough to tell Paula what was meant by that one. Oh hell.

"He wants me to mind-rape them."

"That's what you're here for, isn't it?"

"Actually no, I'm here because I have more hands-on experience with supernatural and extraterrestrial stuff than some of our senior agents."

"Whatever you say, Ravenwood, the fact is you're hell on wheels in interrogation, and you know it. You don't even have to try."

"And that's what really gets you, isn't it, Alan?" she asked sweetly. "You think my having power gives me an edge."

"You telling me it doesn't, Paula?"

"In some ways, yes. In others, not really. It makes it harder for us to do our jobs because agents who think like you won't work with us."

"Of course we don't want to work with someone who cheats to get ahead."

"When you're the one who can never touch another person with your bare hands again, then you come to me and say my power gives me nothing but advantages," she snapped, sick of this discussion. She knew what people thought; as Greer had pointed out, knowing what people thought was what she did. They only saw the power, not the shit that came with it. Like the fact that she was trapped in gloves for the rest of her life, or that she couldn't fully shut down her telepathy, which meant pretty much every illusion she wanted to have about the world was stripped away.

"Look," she said, "let's just get back to business. You and I can agree that this mission is important."

"Yes, very. And you understand that Shepard can't know about the Trust?"

"She's risking her life for us."

"But she's not one of us."

Paula tried to find something to say to that one, but she couldn't. At the end of the day, it was true. Jenny was not one of them, and it mattered. Not to her, not really, but to Greer, and Hasling, and most of the agency. And they had her hands tied, and she was a junior agent, so she couldn't even fight it. Jenny was risking her life with Nash, that was simple fact, but what was also fact was that the NCIS agent would never really know why.

It wasn't fair. But life wasn't fair, especially in this business. Paula had been with DESI long enough to know that 'fair' was an alien concept. So she simply nodded and shut down the computer. Leaning back, she tried to tell herself it was all for the best. She just couldn't help feeling like it wasn't, like this whole thing would someday come back to haunt them and that Jenny would be the one to pay the price. When she couldn't shake the feeling, Paula made a decision. If she was right, then Jenny wouldn't pay the price alone. Paula would make sure she was there, one way or another, to help her new friend avoid losing more than she should thanks to one op. It was the least she could do.

A/N: Yes, there is a point to this chapter. It won't be apparent until later, but let's just say I like AUs and fix-its. Also, the Colonel will be back. Much later, but still.