She made a day of it. She hadn't gone for a run in a while and she was sure to have lost some flexibility. She hadn't taken very many recreational pictures, either. All the recent ones were surveillance.
"I don't like people sneaking around!" Ronon was shaking her and yelling.
Sure, she felt bad about messing with people's privacy, but what with some psycho on the loose... But who was she to decide when people's private preferences negated their civil rights. It wasn't like she was torturing anyone. No, that was the chump messing with her head and screwing things up between her and Ro.
Nothing. In almost three months, no new letters or missing items. What was the catalyst? Something she said? Something she did? Could the person's anger have tapered off by now?
The timeline was inconclusive. But her over analytical mind had added too much detail to the equation. She needed to simplify things, maybe talk them out with someone.
Price? Would she go straight to Sheppard? If Lennah had received creepy, perv mail, Sheppard would have to be notified. Eventually. Maybe she wouldn't go running straight to 'Dad'.
But Price could give a profile on the guy. Then she'd have something to show besides obsessive data and sleepless nights.
Her feet were way ahead of her head. They'd carried her right to Price's office. Lennah half raised her hand to knock before pausing. Was this really what she wanted? Was this the right step?
Fate decided for her.
The door swung open and McKay stepped out. "Oh, hello Colare. You needed something?"
Lennah flashed a smile. "I just needed—"
"Oh, Colare!" Price caught sight of her. "Come right in."
McKay turned to say something more when Price shooed him out the door and shut it quickly.
"Oh, dear sweet Joseph." Price slumped against the door. "I swear that man reaches new heights of ridiculous daily."
Lennah smiled, caught off guard by her relief. "I don't know. I find it, him, kind of charming."
Price opened one eye. "You're displacing."
"Oh, really?"
"Oh, really."
"How so?"
"Transient habits aren't just about location."
Lennah's playful smile slid off her face. I haven't... Really, though? It wasn't about that.
Price cleared her throat and threw herself on the couch. "What are you here about, Colare?"
Colare looked at her fingers. "I wasn't really prepared to do this. I just decided, today, that I'd talk with you about something troubling me. I wanted to see if you had any free time tomorrow."
Price sat up and leaned on her knees. "There's no time like the present."
Lennah balked. She'd hoped to have time to put together a presentation. "Really?"
"Why not?" Price shrugged. "It's the end of my shift."
"Oh, okay. Um, if you're not busy." Lennah stammered and tried to switch gears. "I have some papers I'll need to grab."
"Good, I need to get out of this office. You can give me the gist on the way there."
"Gist?"
"Broad strokes."
Lennah twisted her fingers together. See it through. "Actually, it would be easier for me to show you...it."
Price read something in Lennah's face that she didn't expect to see there, something that disturbed her. The anthropologist only nodded and grabbed a recorder.
They set out across the city toward Lennah's place. She wanted to diffuse the moment but found she had nothing to say. No recent anecdotes, no new jokes, or even random topics came to mind.
I'm so out of touch. How badly did I screw everything up?
"Just start talking, don't filter. Babble."
Lennah snorted.
"Trust me." Price met her eyes. "It will help."
Is it time? She pushed the button on the transporter as she mulled. Is this right?
"Sheppard and Teyla are worried about you." Price started. She left the most obvious member of the team out with respect to obvious confliction. "You've completely cut yourself off from them."
Lennah looked up in surprise. In her mind, the pieces tumbled in to place.
"You've gone rogue." Price finished. "You realize that now, don't you?"
Lennah nodded.
Price stopped and faced her. They were a turn away from Lennah's room. "Is that what you want? Really? To sever the attachments?"
Tears filled her eyes. She shook her head, not trusting her voice. She motioned to Price and hurried to her room.
Lennah pulled out the file and opened up the visual of the camera feed.
Price took in the state of the room as well as her own image on the screen.
"What the hell, Lennah?" Price looked up at her in confusion but Lennah just shook her head and handed over the file of the letters and her notes on them.
Lennah blushed and looked around as Price opened up the file. She busied herself tidying up. There could be company in her future.
Price didn't say much. She cued in to Lennah's taciturn desire to bring this to a close. She only asked for all the information Colare had complied. Lennah opened the bottom drawer and handed Price another file that contained her timelines and personal profiling on various people on base. As the drawer lay open, Price saw the folded white fur. How confused was she that she'd pool that marvelous gift with a stalker's perversions?
She sighed, leveling her gaze on Colare even as she shook her head at her. "You really messed up, Lennah."
Emotion flooded, grief and rage, but she nodded and watched Price leave.
She left moments later. Only after unfurling the white pelt like a flag.
It's almost over.