A/N I should have another chapter of Unforgettable up this weekend, but for now, here's a chapter I pushed through to get ready for Viv. Have fun!
Chapter Seven
Leah found McKay exactly where Zelenka had told her he would be. The long walk reminded her that she had not yet physically recovered from her ordeal, but it felt good to move her muscles. The solidity of the city still felt odd, but the sensation was fading. Her mind reached out ahead of her, and she went directly to the room McKay was in. When she got close enough, she could hear him muttering and cursing to himself, and followed the sounds to where his legs stuck out from underneath the panel. She cleared her throat, waited a moment, then did it again.
"What!" He snapped, withdrawing from his awkward position and blinking when he saw who waited for him. "Leah… I, uh, I thought you were unpacking, or something."
"You and Ford helped me gather every possession I can now call mine, so you know I don't have much. I'm all stowed away, and I wanted to talk to you about a job."
"A job?" He stared dumbly. She could tell he was distracted by the work she'd interrupted, and she didn't want to be a nuisance, but she had to find a way to be useful and to prove to him that she was an asset to the scientific division of the expedition.
"Yes. Dr McKay, as you know, I am a marine biologist, and I'd like to be useful while I'm here."
"Huh. Well, I guess you should talk to earth sciences. That's probably the closest to what you…" He waved his hand and she swallowed hard, "…do."
Leah waited for him to continue, but he didn't say anything else; just looking nervously at her then away. She smiled tentatively, and raised her eyebrows. She was doing her best not to read his mind, trying to respect his privacy, but it seemed like it would be easier if she did. He was oblivious to what she was asking with her silence.
"Earth sciences? Who would I speak to you about that?" She finally asked aloud.
"It's… It's that Australian guy, or New Zealand, or somewhere. Hmm, Barton…or Beta? He's the head of that department." His hands again flailed, shooing her away.
She bit her lip and tried not to laugh at his absurd level of unawareness. "You don't know the name of one of your staff members?"
"I don't know the names of most of my staff members," he admitted, shrugging dismissively. Now she did laugh. His face grew red, though, and she held up her hands placatingly.
"I know, Dr McKay. I know your mind is taken up with much more important information than names. It's just different from the way most people are. Please don't take offense."
"Fine. Yes. So go… Go talk to him," he said in a mumble. He looked ready to get back to his work, and she regretted not having any other excuses to stay with him.
"Thank you, Doctor. I hope I'll see you later."
She returned to the science section of labs, and searched out Dr Zelenka again.
"Hi. I, um, found Dr McKay. He wants me to report to the scientist in charge of Earth sciences, but he couldn't remember his name. Do you know who that is?"
"Yes. Of course. That is Dr Sala Baru. Three doors down on the left. Would you like me to come introduce you?"
Leah smiled in relief. "No thanks, I think I can manage."
The man she saw in the lab she been directed to wasn't tall but was quite well-built. He wasn't what she had expected, but looking closely at him, she figured he was probably a Kiwi, and Maori. He had the bluff features of the natives that she'd seen when she passed through New Zealand on her way to Antarctica. She cleared her throat to get his attention. He turned and his wide smile was welcoming.
"You must be our new arrival," he said, confirming her suspicion of his nationality with his accent.
She approached, putting her hand out to shake. "That I am. Dr Leah Elton, marine biologist."
He shook her hand firmly. "Well, that's a specialty we didn't bring with us, so I'm glad to have you here. Did Dr McKay send you to be part of my department?"
"Yep. I had to get directions from Dr Zelenka though. You're Dr Sala Baru?"
"Oh, yes. Now, I'm sure that the personnel guys will need to enter you into the computer, but for now you can use this workspace." He directed her to a desk and he grabbed one of several laptops on a counter and set one in front of her. "Use these connectors to attach to that panel over there to access the Ancient database. The translation software on that laptop will sort of help you, but not all that much. It's not very good."
"I can read Ancient," she said softly. "I learned at the SGC."
"Well, that will make you very handy anyway."
~~~SGA~~~
Jordan sat dejectedly in the cafeteria eating a sandwich. She'd glared at the young airman Leah had befriended, which had effectively kept him away. Jack O'Neill set a slice of pie on the table, then sat down and gave a quiet nod. They shared a companionable silence for a few minutes before Jordan finally spoke.
"I don't know what to do," she said. "Everyone is more worried about the power, and that damn panel, than about Leah."
Jack gave her a hard look and took a bite of his pie, chewing thoughtfully. He set his fork down and finally said, "So do something."
She stared at him. He had always been one to just get things done when he was actively in the field, how could she do any different?
"Sam has been studying the panel," she commented, realizing he couldn't come out and say anything plainly. She ate another bite of her sandwich.
"SG-1 is going off world tonight."
She nodded, her eyes a little wide at how far he was going to help her.
"And there might just be a security drill around 21:30."
Her jaw dropped. She closed it with the snap and nodded to him curtly.
"Thank you, Jack, "she said softly as she got up to clear her tray. He nodded and took another bite of pie.
~~~SGA~~~
JJ licked her lips and tried to seem like she belonged in the hallway as she stood with a file folder, pretending to read. She refused to look at her watch again; her mind was counting down to 21:30, though it would have been reassuring to see the seconds click by. A red light started flashing, and there was movement around her as the drill began. She tucked the folder under her arm and strode toward the science lab that held the panel. The guards had gone wherever they were supposed to go for this particular drill, and Jordan guiltily entered Sam's passcode, having seen the woman enter it so many times that it was natural she knew it, just as she knew Daniel's, Teal'c's, and any number of the science staff's. She'd been here a long time, and had a very good memory for patterns. It was one of the things that made her so valuable when working with alien languages, as repetition was the key to deciphering them.
The door snicked to unlock and she pushed in and leaned against it to close it. Staring at the piece of equipment she'd only seen in photos and video, she catalogued the changes in it. Half of the crystalline keyboard was blackened and melted. Melted. She'd never heard of anything which could melt the substance the Ancients used for their control units. The cautious side of her warned her that this was dangerous; it was damaged, who knew what it might do to her? But it flickered and lit as she took a step toward it, seeming to recognize her, and she ignored the conservative voice. She had to find out what had happened to Leah, so she was going to touch this thing and hope that it would allow her to travel to Atlantis, like it had for her twin.
One more hesitation, then she heard the door unlock and knew she was out of time. She slapped her hand down on the brightest point of the panel, and a flare of light blinded her, then she was falling, or maybe swimming; flying. 'Leah,' she thought. 'Leah!'
~~~SGA~~~
Leah was pretty sure McKay had gone to bed. It had been a difficult few days, with a terrifying scare when a nanite virus had been unleashed and the city had shut itself down to quarantine the inhabitants. She'd stayed in her room through the whole ordeal, her mind straining to stay with McKay and listen, with her heart breaking as he lost scientist after scientist and feared for his own life. Paralysis had frozen her in the moments when he'd thought he was about to die, and she felt she'd barely breathed until the threat had been thwarted by the EM pulse from Sheppard detonating a nuke above the city. Exhausted, she'd lain down and sensed her favorite scientist in the room beside hers, nearly certain he was just on the other side of the wall from where she lay. She reached her mind out, as if trying to hear a voice in another room, and the familiar sense of McKay's mind was suddenly clear to her. A part of her made the mental note that familiarity seemed to make it easier for her to read people.
McKay was thinking about the mission he would go on the next day. He seemed resigned and nervous at the same time. Leah sensed his fear, but understood through his perception that it was becoming a familiar experience to go to unknown worlds and take risks. She smiled, admiring his courage. The smile faded as her guilt at listening to his thoughts and feelings without permission grew. She tried to tell herself it was because she was testing her abilities, but she knew in her heart it was in part because she had such a crush on him, and because she was feeling terribly lonely.
McKay's thoughts drifted, and she realized he was falling asleep. Music drifted in his mind, some kind of piano, beautiful in its precision and passion. She listened, and tears began to come. The music grew somber, adding to her emotional downward spiral. The reality of her situation came crashing down on her, and she started to cry. Avoiding thinking about what had happened had kept her on her feet, but she was out of reserves, and feeling desolate. She was unimaginably far from home, from her family, her friends, and Jordan. Even when Jordan was halfway around the world from her, Leah had known she was there, had had some kind of feeling of her, even before she'd gained full telepathy, but here, it was just too far. Panic, rose toward terror and Leah didn't even hear when the music from McKay's mind stopped and his thoughts became clear again. She curled into a ball, clutching her pillow, sobbing, stricken, oblivious to the sound of her door opening.
McKay stared at the figure huddled on the bed. Leah was sobbing brokenly, and he had no idea what to do.
"Leah?" He said. She didn't seem to hear him. He cleared his throat. Waited. "Leah, are you okay?"
Leah was drowning. She didn't know if she could stop crying on her own; she was out of control.
McKay saw her sobs were becoming frenzied; they were a pathetic, choking sound, and he moved toward her, calling her name.
For the first time in five years, Leah longed for a hit of the drug that had nearly killed her. She yearned to let the real world float away from her, to melt into nothing. But even that was impossible here. No dealers, no way to get it. She buried her face in her pillow and wailed.
The pitiful cry Leah gave shocked McKay. His hand rose toward as he gasped. Then he rushed to the bed, fell to his knees beside it, and reached out to her. He put his hands on her back, tried to find a way to grasp her shoulders, but the tall, slim woman was folded into a tight knot, and he couldn't find a grip.
"Leah!" He called. He tried to shake her, but she just rocked, still unconscious of his presence. He began to worry that something terrible was wrong with her and that maybe he should call a medical team. Her wail died down to a moan, and the sobs began again, only weaker. He set his jaw and moved to sit on the bed. He lifted her taut form, ready to carry her to the infirmary, when her arms suddenly snaked around his neck, clutching him.
Leah had finally sensed she was no longer alone, and latched onto the other person like a lifeline. Part of her mind realized it was McKay who held her, and she was comforted by the feel and sense of him. She began to hear words as he spoke to her, and then they began to make sense.
"Leah, are you okay? What is it, what's wrong? Do you need a doctor?"
She shook her head, and felt that the pillow she'd clutched was between them. She shifted, released him enough to shove it away, then she twined her arms back around him. She knew she was still crying, but she didn't feel so out of control with him holding her.
McKay felt some of the tension lessening in Leah's body. He patted her back lightly, concern for her overwhelming any intimate notions he might have otherwise felt.
"I can't feel Jage," she whispered, and her crying overwhelmed for a moment. "She's my twin, the other part of me!" Her voice was hoarse, broken by sobs, but she continued to speak. "I—No matter how bad my life got, I could feel her out there. I knew one of us was doing okay, so it didn't matter that I was…hurt, or sick. I can't feel her! I'm all alone, all alone, so alone," she moaned.
"You're not alone," McKay told her, hoping she heard him. "Leah, you're not alone." He felt her continue to weep. The t-shirt he'd worn to bed was soaked down the front from her tears. "You're here in Atlantis, and there are lots of other people here. You aren't alone." He said every logical thing he could think of, but she didn't seem to be listening. He finally pushed her back slightly, put his hand on her face. "Look at me, Leah," he ordered sharply. Her eyes opened, and she looked at him, her lips trembling, her eyes overflowing. "You're not alone." She stared at him for long moments, then moved toward him to close the distance of inches between them. She wanted the proof she'd always needed that a man loved her. It didn't always work, trying to feel less alone because her body was wrapped around another person's, but it sometimes did, and so she kissed him. She pressed her lips against his, and felt his shock. She ached to be with him, to feel him inside her, filling the emptiness. She pressed her tongue against his mouth and his lips parted. For a moment she felt the dizzying double sensation of his desire and her own, then she heard his thought: 'Oh—oh—shit!' His hands grasped her shoulders, and he forced her away from him so abruptly there was a tiny strand of saliva connecting their lips for an instant beyond the parting. She gasped.
"This—th—this this is—isn't right," McKay stammered. Leah saw her vision collapse to a pinpoint, then back out slightly to encompass McKay's mouth. She saw the words forming on his lips, those moist lips she'd just kissed. "It just—isn't right." He pushed her away and rose, stepping away from her. She reached out tentatively with her mind, needing to know what the hell was going on in him. It was a litany, a mantra in his thoughts. 'This isn't right, this isn't right, this isn't right.' She felt her body lock up, frozen, watching him back away to the door. It was like she'd taken the Polar Bear club plunge in Antarctica again. "I—I'm sorry, this isn't right," he said one final time, then he turned and went out. She followed his mind, reading his thoughts desperately, wanting him to return, to do something, to think anything other than that damned sentence. She turned stiffly as he went into his room, following when she could tell when he sat down on his bed. One cold hand reached out and touched the wall between them, and she sensed a change in the litany. 'What have I done?' He wondered, horrified, and she finally broke contact. She sat there, her hand still touching the wall as an afterthought, and she withdrew from his thoughts. Sinking into the deep freeze of her own mind, she withdrew inside herself, cocooning herself in her icy aloneness. She withdrew so far she didn't sense Jordan's arrival in Atlantis.
Jordan searched tentatively, drawn to the feeling Leah had described as a recognition. She felt it strongly in one area, and she went there. She passed through walls until she arrived in a room where McKay sat on a bed. He was wearing nothing but boxers and a damp t-shirt. His hand rested flat-palmed against the wall beside his bed, and she sensed intense distress from him.
"Oh!" She gasped. He turned quickly, his eyes widening at the sight of her. "I'm sorry!" Jordan said, moving toward the wall to her right.
"No, wait!" He called, and she stopped. This was Dr Rodney McKay, who her sister was so enamored of. If anyone might be able to help her figure out what happened to Leah, it was him. "You—you're Jordan Elton, aren't you?"
"Yes," she replied. She was confused by the intense relief she felt from him, as well as the guilt and confusion. "Why?"
"It's Leah. She—I didn't mean to…" He gestured toward the wall he'd been touching. "She needs you."
Jordan flew through the wall so fast he barely saw more than a streak of light. She was in Leah's room and when she saw her sister she was instantly terrified. Leah's face was chalk white. Her hand rested against the wall Jordan had come through. But the sickening thing was that Jordan couldn't feel Leah at all. No twin sense, no thoughts, no feelings. It was as if she was in the room alone. She immediately went to her, enveloping her, calling to her. She spent several minutes reaching futilely for Leah until she was ready to go back to McKay and demand he call a doctor. Finally, Leah began to stir.
The ice Leah had been encased in inside her mind began to thaw when Jordan first touched her, but it took time, so long, to warm her enough that she felt she could move at all. The sense that she was no longer alone drew her out, and when she recognized who it was, Leah moved. She reached out with her body and her mind, trying to hold Jordan, trying to wrap her whole being up in the sense of her sister. She cried again, sobbing like she'd never stop when there was no physical contact. Jordan held her as best she could in her incorporeal form. She tried to send reassurance, love, warmth back into her cold sister; for she sensed the ice Leah had encased her soul in, and it was terribly familiar. Jordan had been with her when she quit taking drugs. They'd gone together to a resort on an island, and they'd suffered together while Leah went through her cold-turkey detox. After the worst of the withdrawals from the heroin had passed, Leah had descended into her own mind's hell, and it had been a frozen wasteland. It had taken so long to draw her out from that that Jordan had been uncertain if she could return whole. Eventually Leah had returned, and she had described what she'd been through in graphic detail. Jordan never understood how Leah could go to Antarctica after her mental experiences with a frozen madness, but Leah had claimed that nothing in the iciness of Antarctica could compare.
Leah cried herself out and slept. Jordan stayed with her, doing as she always had when Leah was in need; keeping watch and guarding her fragile sister. Hours later, as she woke, Leah began to be aware of the comfort Jordan was giving her. She delved into it while her mind was still slow with sleep, settling into the love her twin had for her, trying to replenish her soul with Jordan's belief in her worth. She was deep in her sister's mind when she caught what she sensed as a sour smell. Leah began to search it out and was appalled when she found it. It was a tiny bundle of feeling that seemed to be tucked deep down, away, locked up. She felt Jordan struggle slightly against her, but Leah had been practicing her telepathic abilities much longer than Jordan. Leah ruthlessly explored the dark little pocket. It held resignation, obligation, pity, and at the core was the tiniest sense of resentment. Leah knew it was how Jordan felt about taking care of her all these years. Leah might have been the first of them to draw breath, technically the elder, but Jordan had always shielded and comforted her sister. Leah was horrified by this new insight. She lashed out, her mind shoving Jordan away so violently that Jordan was across the room before she knew what had happened.
"Is that it?" Leah said, rage building inside her. "Is that the real truth? You resent me? You pity me?" Her voice rose. "Well, fuck you! I don't need you! I don't need anyone!" She was shouting. "I'm a million miles from home and I can do anything here! Anything I want! I am more capable than you or Daddy or anyone could ever imagine! I don't need you, Jage! Get out! Get out!"
Jordan moved toward her, and Leah threw her hands out toward Jordan, shoving with her mind. A wave seemed to pass toward Jordan, and it pushed her out of the room. Leah concentrated, focusing all her will on keeping her sister out of her space. She felt Jordan press against her mind, but she imagined one of the Ancient shields in a sphere around the city, and the feeling of Jordan's pounding faded from her mind.
As Leah's fury scoured her mind clean, she felt compelled to scour her body as well. She got in the shower, set the hot water on nearly scalding and she scrubbed and scrubbed. When she finally got out, her body steamed and glowed a dark pink. She dried herself, then went out to her room to choose clothing. She wanted something completely different from the military dress that always made her think of Jordan. She found one of the dress uniform navy blue skirts, cutting the kick pleat high on her thigh, then set about recreating one of the black t-shirts. She cut, tore, and sewed until she had a top that looked like she'd bought it at a designer shop. She headed to the lab and worked through the rest of the night looking at the information the Ancients had gathered on the most common aquatic life. She would begin her research there, updating the database on the changes which had occurred since the last Ancient scientist had studied these oceans. When the sun rose, she searched out Major Sheppard and requested an assistant who was familiar with scuba gear. He offered to help her himself, but she declined.
"I'd rather start working with someone who I can regularly count on. You're too busy, and you're off world too often," Leah recalled the electricity she'd felt between them, ruthlessly ignoring how ill it had actually made her feel. She fluttered her eyes a little at him, and leaned in close. "I may ask you to take me to the mainland so I can study the coastal regions in a few days, though."
He agreed, seeming to brighten at the idea, giving her a name and where to find the man, a Marine, then she walked away. It was only then that she realized she hadn't heard any of his thoughts or felt any of his emotions. She paused outside the door and reached out mentally. She sensed Sheppard's calm mind considering the length of her legs, and withdrew her observation when he thought of her legs wrapped around him. This anger inside her seemed to grant her a measure of control over her telepathy, and she nodded to herself. She went to the barracks section of the city and asked after Sargent Rick Terrin. She enjoyed being able to walk around the servicemen without sensing their thoughts, though she still saw their eyes follow her. One or two caught her eye and she smiled at them slightly, but moved on before they approached. She was directed to the make-shift gym and found a shirtless man hanging from the knees doing sit-ups holding a large weight. He had a massive physique, and sweat glistened over his ripped abs and bulky pecs. His head was shaved bald and he had an edge to his demeanor she was immediately attracted to. She waited for him to drop back upright and set down the weight before she approached. His back was to her, and it was as impressive as the front had been. She took a breath to speak.
"What the hell is that outfit?" His voice was deep and had a rasp to it. Leah smiled.
"Like it?" She asked, putting one hand on her hip and cocking her head. He grabbed a towel and rubbed it over his face, then turned and eyed her up and down.
"Not the kind of outfit for a gym, or a military base," he said. After his eyes returned to her face, they stayed there. His face was expressionless.
"Well, if this really was either, maybe I'd be dressed differently. Right now, I'm lookin' for Terrin. That you?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, who're you?"
"I'm someone who needs a dive partner who might end up as my assistant. Dr Leah Elton, marine biologist. New arrival," she added.
"Right," he nodded. "The mind reader. Great." He shook his head and turned away.
"I'm not reading you now," she said as she walked closer to him. He glanced over his shoulder and she realized how tall he really was. He topped her by a head, and she looked up at him. "Are you refusing to dive with me?"
"I don't expect you get a lot of refusals," he said, turning back to face her. They stood a foot apart.
"You'd be surprised," she said dryly, tasting bitterness at the painful memory of the man she'd gone through hell to help refusing her the night before. "So how 'bout it? Wanna go swimmin'?" She blinked up at him flirtatiously.
"Sure, what the hell? I got nothin' better to do this morning," he replied. His eyes ran over her face like a caress, and she smiled again. It felt good to have a man she was physically attracted to respond positively. 'Unlike McKay,' she thought, then deliberately turned her mind away from that.
The head of the science division was in a fouler mood than normal as he joined Sheppard, Ford, and Teyla on their off-world mission for the day. They were in the Jumper, being attacked by Wraith darts when an energy weapon of some sort emanating from the planet below saved them. When they went to investigate, a religious order, headed by a stubborn high priestess, refused their suggestion that the planet might be used as a sanctuary for natives of the Pegasus galaxy from the Wraith. McKay's sarcasm and anger were at extreme levels, and when Sheppard finally pulled rank on him to shut him up, he sulked and fumed as they brought the high priestess with them back to Atlantis. John seemed to think he could change her mind about helping them with his smarmy charm. The Major wouldn't even let McKay accompany them as Sheppard showed their visitor around the city, and he stormed off to the cafeteria to try to bury his frustrations in food and coffee.
The dive had gone smoothly for Leah and the Marine, and though he'd seemed bored by the science of it, Terrin was an excellent assistant. Before and after the dive, they continued their banter, and Leah enjoyed the building sexual tension. They went to the cafeteria together when they'd changed back into dry clothes, and though immediately aware of McKay where he sat with a large cup of coffee and a tray full of food, she intentionally ignored him as he sat alone at his usual spot with his laptop.
A loud laugh, unfamiliar and feminine, caught McKay's attention, drawing his gaze away from his tablet computer. His eyes widened when he saw who had made the sound; Leah. As he watched, her slim frame disappeared behind the bulk of the biggest, toughest Marine in the expedition, but not before he saw that she was wearing something wildly inappropriate to a military or even scientific expedition. He tried not to stare, but he couldn't stop trying to catch a glimpse of her. His mind immediately went to the most self-deprecating thought. The night before, when she had kissed him and seems to want him… It hadn't been about him. She'd wanted someone, and he'd been convenient. His face flushed in shame and he resolutely turned his gaze back to his work. Still, he couldn't help the spike of jealousy he felt when, a few minutes later, Leah and the Marine accompanying her left the cafeteria, with the Marine's huge meaty hand groping her ass. He gulped the remainder of his coffee and rose, stalking angrily toward the control tower to complaint to Doctor Weir about Sheppard's disregard of his input.
Leah kept cranking the innuendos up and up, and Terrin met her at each. She was still able to keep the block up, keeping herself closed off from thoughts and feelings, but there seemed to be a buzzing sensation at the back of her mind. When she and Terrin got up to leave, and he put his arm around her, sliding his hand down over her ass, and the buzzing grew to a pressure that seemed to break like a soap bubble. A dark anger washed over her from someone in the room, and Leah immediately knew it was McKay. She tilted her chin up in a conscious imitation of him did and walked out without acknowledging him. But her heart pounded painfully as she did it.
Leah brought Terrin back to her room, and when their flirtation rose to its inevitable conclusion, she found she could not allow him to penetrate her. They achieved satisfaction in other ways, and then lay together amidst rumpled bedding afterward. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked across the expanse of his chest. Her pale hand with her long thin fingers looked exceptionally white next to his tan skin. She trailed her hand over Terrin's pecs, and an unbidden thought came to her mind. It was the image from so many months ago of McKay in the shower, his less athletic chest covered with dark hair. She found herself repulsed by this musclebound man in her bed, and she quickly got up and walked across the room.
"Hm. What is it, babe?" Terrin growled drowsily. She glanced back at him, and her stomach clenched.
"I'm gonna shower," she said. She closed her eyes as she turned away. "Don't be here when I get out." She opened her eyes and went toward the bathroom. She heard the bed creak.
"What?" He snapped. She took a deep breath, crossed her arms, and faced him. He sat up on the edge of the bed, and he looked furious. Part of her brain noted that his fury wasn't even the buzz that McKay's had been.
"It was fun, really, for what it was. But I don't want you sleeping here. Be gone by the time I'm out of the shower." She spoke in a deadpan, and she didn't read him to check on how he reacted. She didn't sense his dumbfoundedness, and didn't hear his thoughts about her being a cold bitch.
She showered, and he was gone as requested when she came out. She changed the sheets and turned a fan on to air out the smell of sex from the room. Then she curled up on a chair and fell asleep, exhausted by the tumultuous hours she'd been awake.
McKay repeatedly argued with Dr Weir, attempting to bring her around to his point of view about the priestess Sheppard seemed enthralled by. Peter Grodin had witnessed her bring an unknown panel to life, and Rodney was certain it meant she was a threat, but no one was listening to him. Zelenka tracked him down amidst his work to tell him he had detected the activation of yet another system that seemed to have come online the night before, but since it seemed innocuous, McKay refused to spend time on it. Feeling put upon and resentful, Rodney spent the evening in his lab, dozing at his work station and waking with a sore neck which only exacerbated his mood. Heading toward the control tower to research a hunch he'd woken with, he ran into Sheppard. They exchanged heated words about the stranger John seemed to be working his dubious charms upon, and McKay tried to warn him about the dangers he was getting himself into. The Air Force Major was too far gone, however, and when the priestess caught them talking, he hurried after her to do whatever soothing he could. McKay stormed away, bitter and furious that no one was listening to him. The smartest man on the planet, and no one cared!
Leah slept through the night and woke stiff and sore from her cramped position on the chair, but rested. She was calmer, not so furious as she had been the day before. She did yoga for half an hour to stretch out, then dressed. She chose a black tank top and black camo pants, then went to breakfast. McKay wasn't at his usual table, and Leah ate in silent solitude. She sensed there were many more people taking notice of her, and she consciously made the effort to ignore them, trying to find a way to bolster the shields which had been so effective the day before. After she finished eating, she headed for the lab. McKay's workspace was dark and silent when she passed by it, and she went back over to where the doors to their quarters were next to each other. She reached out with her mind, carefully cracking her mental blocks, trying to suss out whether McKay was in his room or not, and found him absent from there, as well. She reinforced her shields with her frustration, and went down to the earth sciences lab, sitting down at a terminal. She quickly became engrossed in her studies of the coastal sea life, adding her notations from the day before. Dr Baru came in, though Leah didn't notice until he spoke to her.
"I heard you had some fun yesterday," he said, his tone teasing. Leah turned slowly. She kept her voice neutral.
"I went for a dive to start updating the database about the marine life," she said.
"Yeah, with Rick Terrin," Baru's voice was appreciative, and she realized he was gay.
"Is there a way to make this information portable?" Leah asked, changing the subject entirely. She cocked her head at the Ancient terminal she'd been using. Baru sighed, shrugged, and nodded.
"Sure. You could use one of these," he took a thin PDA-looking item off a shelf. She approached and leaned over him. He dialed into another part of the Ancient system and indicated a part of the screen. "Just use this to send what information you want to the Pad."
"Thank you. Do you mind if I take this for a couple of days? I'm planning on going to work at the coast."
"Yeah, just check it out though the supply system. You taking Terrin with you? Kind of a working vacation?" His thick eyebrows waggled suggestively. Leah closed her eyes and sighed.
"Look, that was a mistake," she said. "I may or may not be working with him at all after…that, so please drop the innuendo. I need some time alone to clear my head. Adjusting to being here has been—difficult. I might as well be productive while I take my little time-out; thus my coastal excursion."
Leah packed for several days of camping, requisitioning supplies she thought she'd need, and then asked to be taken to the mainland. Weir, Sheppard, and McKay were all occupied with their visitor, and she pretended to have authority convincingly enough to get one of the pilots to drop her off on the coast. She told herself for the entire flight that she wasn't running away from anything, not McKay, not her feelings of worthlessness or her fear of being stranded out here in a situation her weakness for sex had made worse. She was doing a job. That was it.
The lead scientist had spent the rest of the night rigging up sensors in the conference room so he could find out what the secret was that the priestess was hiding; he knew she was hiding something, and he had suspicions about what it was.
When the negotiations started at the horseshoe shaped table, he ran his scans from his laptop, and ignored the blather Weir and the so-called priestess engaged in. When the woman revealed that she'd known what McKay was doing all along, everything clicked into place for him. She was one of the Ancients, and he wanted to know what kind of game she was playing with them. He accused her, and she didn't deny it. When asked why she'd come to Atlantis, her response that she was there because John Sheppard had asked her to come and she was lonely turned his stomach. Sheppard was Captain Kirk, ever the seducer of all females. It was only a matter of time before he worked his way through the bed of every woman on the base. The thought that he's eventually seduce even Leah cut him so deeply he could only watch as the Ancient woman mystically activated the gate and returned to her own world. Sheppard followed in a Jumper, and Rodney was so disgusted, he didn't even bother to protest that he should take backup. When John came back looking like he'd had the time of his life, all McKay could do was walk away.
~~~SGA~~~
