Chapter 9

Sara could tell that the group of people she was watching were used to each other, comfortable with themselves and their positions in the group dynamic. Unlike the last briefing, only Col. Sheppard's team and Col. Carter were present. She cleared her throat to draw their attention to her as she began speaking.

"The newest set of translations, combined with the information provided to me by Teyla and Ronon have yielded some surprising corollaries." She clicked the button one the remote she was holding and brought up a slide of one of the illustrations from the manuscripts. She pointed at the screen, "This depiction is of one of the demons in Balen's army." She clicked to the next slide which showed a close-up of the illustration, "The illustration shows the demon to be fair skinned with long white hair and sharp, angled teeth much like the description of the Wraith Teyla gave me." She clicked to the next slide, "The next illustration shows the demon with it's hand on the chest of an enemy combatant, a fierce snarl on it's face." She turned to face her audience, "Based on this information, I'm fairly certain that the myths of this civilization are indeed about the Wraith."

Clicking forward to the next slide, she continued, "The translations Dr. Moore has provided me," she clicked again, "in combination with the current information available regarding the Vengrier Texts," one more click, "provide a fairly comprehensive picture of how the myths evolved." She pointed at the screen again, "The first recorded stories set to paper by Emil Vengrier were in the early part of the 18th century. He had been in Africa studying local tribes when he became aware of a series of local stories and legends not previously recorded. His original intention was to record the stories and sell them to a local publisher in England in order to fund future expeditions to Africa. It wasn't until the early 20th century that scholars became aware of their significance."

Sara paused, waiting for any questions. She was met with silence. When she turned around she saw Col. Sheppard leaning on one hand, his eyes partially closed. Slowly, she set the remote down and walked around the table. Ignoring the other four people in the room she stopped next to the colonel's chair. Leaning in she whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry Col. Sheppard, am I boring you? Or are you this rude to everyone?"

John sat up quickly and glanced around the room, then looked at Dr. Clayton, "What? Sorry, must have..never mind, please, continue."

Sara straightened, her eyes meeting with Ronon's for a split second. She saw censure in his gaze and suddenly felt a bit petulant. She sighed, "It's all right colonel. I shouldn't have been so abrupt. Even my grad students some times find my lectures dull."

Walking back around the table Sara unconsciously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she reached down to turn the computer off. Straightening she looked at the five people seated around the table, "The truth is, I can stand here all day and tell you what I believe, but without being able to do any actual study of the society that wrote the original myths, I can't give you any certainty, and even then," she shrugged, "Analyzing literature isn't like diagnostics you run on a computer. There are no certainties. That's where anthropological and sociological study come in." She sat down in one of the chairs and looked at Col. Carter, "I understand that you and Col. Sheppard don't believe my leaving the base to visit the planet where these manuscripts were discovered is warranted."

She watched as Col. Sheppard shot an annoyed look at Dr. McKay, "Rodney was supposed to talk to you about that." He leaned forward, "You see.."

Sara cut him off, "No, I don't 'see' anything. What I know is this. I have three doctoral degrees which I worked very hard to get. I have countless hours in the field studying a varying range of societies and sub-cultures. I know you find this hard to believe Col. Sheppard, but this isn't my first time at the dance."

"It isn't that we have any misgivings about your qualifications Dr. Clayton," Col. Carter said, "But there's a big difference between studying tribes in the rainforest and meeting a people from another planet."

Sara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "That's what this is about? You think that I'm going to do something that will cause problems with the native population? Col. Carter, I have less chance of causing a situation than your team does. Part of what I studied, part of what I'm trained for is the unobtrusive observation of indigenous peoples. Can any of you say the same thing?" She waited, but got no response, "I didn't think so. I'm not looking to go walking into the first city we come across and strike up a conversation."

"What exactly is it that you do want Dr. Clayton?" Col. Carter asked.

"The first step would be to simply visit the site where the manuscripts themselves were found. I would like to search the site for any markers or clues about the civilization that left them there. The most likely scenario is that ancestors of the current inhabitants lived in those caves, or around them. If, after initial study of the site, I believe there is good cause, I would want to move inland and do simple observation. This would mean no direct contact with the inhabitants, only careful watching." Sara stood up, "Only after I had completed these first to steps would I begin to think about approaching the populace to speak directly with them."

"So, you want to dig in the dirt and then hide and watch people?" Ronon asked.

"Well, basically, yes."

"How long will this process take Dr. Clayton?" Teyla asked.

" For a thorough study, I would need about a year."

"Gee doc, we were kind of hoping for something a little quicker."

Sara's blue eyes flashed with anger, "I'm sorry to disappoint you Col. Sheppard, really, I am. I was foolish enough to assume that since you told me I would be here for five years, you would want more than my best guess." She stood up and, with a quick glance at Col. Carter said, "If you'll excuse me? I believe I've been of all the assistance I can this afternoon."

****

Ronon stretched his long legs out in front of him and smiled at his friend as Dr. Clayton left the room, "Usually you do better with women. What's the matter Sheppard, losing your touch?"

John pulled a face, "Ha ha. I don't know what it is with that woman, she's so touchy."

"Perhaps," interjected Teyla, "It is because she does not believe you value her experience or knowledge."

"Hey, that's not fair. She's barely spent any time with me." John got to his feet and walked out of the conference room, "Ever since I had her.."

"Beamed into high orbit?" Rodney finished.

"Yeah, well there was that. Probably not my best move, huh?"

"Considering how she reacts to you now," Teyla said, a smile in her voice, "I would say that it was not."

"Well, how would you recommend I deal with that?"

"I would think an apology might be a good way to begin," offered Teyla, "Perhaps during the evening meal?"

"Slight problem with that," Rodney said, "She doesn't usually eat in the mess. She, uh, she just stays in her room all the time. Well, unless she's talking to Dr. Moore. So, uh, so I don't think that's going to work."

"She's not always in her room," Ronon said. When his friends looked at him, curiosity etched into all their faces he shrugged, "She goes out at night to exercise, on the pier, something she called rollerblading. I saw her last night."

All four of his friends stopped and stared at him. Ronon just kept walking, " I told her if she wanted a real workout she should come to the gym and spar with us."

****

Several hours later Sara emerged from the shower, still feeling angry and frustrated. She dressed and sat down on her bed, the days newest translations waiting for her. After several minutes, Sara realized she wasn't really accomplishing anything and decided to try one more time to speak with Col. Carter.

She picked up the com unit that had been given to her and placed it in her ear. She tapped it once, "Col. Carter?"

"Dr. Clayton?"

"Yes. I know it's late and I apologize, but I was wondering if we could speak."

"Is there something wrong doctor?"

"Not wrong really,"Sara replied, "But I do feel that I need to speak with you about the conversation we had this afternoon."

"Dr. Clayton," Col. Carter began.

"Colonel, please, consider it a professional courtesy. If I can't change your mind in ten minutes, I won't mention it again."

There was a short pause before Col. Carter responded, "All right doctor. Meet me in the mess in," another pause, "ten minutes?"

"Thank you Col. Carter."

****

Sara walked into the mess hall a few minutes later and saw Col. Carter waiting for her at one of the tables near the outer edge of the room. Unconsciously, she adjusted her hair and cleared her throat. It struck her as she approached the table that it was the same feeling she'd had when she defended her first dissertation.

"Col. Carter," she said as she stepped up to the table and set her computer pad down, "Thank you for meeting with me. I know it's a little out of the ordinary."

The colonel gave her a warm smile, "I don't mind Dr. Clayton. I want you to feel that you can come to me if you have concerns."

Sara sat down and tapped on her computer screen a couple of times, "Well, actually, I've been doing some research since we spoke this afternoon, and it has raised some concerns for me." She tapped on the screen a few more times until she found what she was looking for. She pushed the computer pad across the table and waited for Col. Carter to pick it up and look at the screen. "I take it you're familiar with the work of Dr. Daniel Jackson?"

Col. Carter glanced up at her as she set the computer back on the table, "I am. Daniel and I worked together for a number of years."

Sara nodded, "So I discovered." She pulled the computer back to her side of the table and then looked at the colonel again, "Dr. Jackson is an academic, like myself, and yet," she tapped the screen again, "He has participated actively in off world operations for more than a decade. Dr. Jackson has no formal military training that I can find and, in fact, came to the Stargate program in much the same fashion that I did."

A slow smile of admiration spread across Col. Carter's face, "Yes, Dr. Clayton, Daniel was recruited by the Air Force to work in the Startgate program because of his theories regarding the origins of the pyramids. He has been an integral part of the program and it's success."

Sara cleared her throat and continued, "And then we have Dr. McKay and any number of other researchers and academics that are involved in this expedition. I take it that Dr. McKay goes on all of Col. Sheppard's off world missions and that the other researchers are given off world clearance every day so that they can carry out vital portions of their research. Correct?"

The colonel simply nodded, but the smile on her face had gotten larger.

"Well then Col. Carter, I really can not understand why you and Col. Sheppard are having such a problem allowing me a couple of trips to some empty caves in order for me to continue my research. I was hoping you could explain it to me."

Col. Carter dropped her head for a moment and then tapped the com in her ear, "? Could you meet me in my office please?" She stood up and extended her hand to Sara, "I'll speak with Col. Sheppard tonight and I'll let you know when we can arrange the first off world trip."

"Really? No more arguments?" Sara slumped back into her seat, "And I had a whole thing planned out."

Col. Carter laughed, "I'm sorry to disappoint you Dr. Clayton, but you raised a valid point. We allow scientists and researchers to go off world every day. We shouldn't put restrictions on you that we wouldn't put on a regular member of our team." The colonel stopped as she walked away, looking back at Sara, "You do have to agree to follow the regulations. You won't go anywhere unescorted and if Col. Sheppard feels there is danger, you will evacuate immediately."

Sara nodded her understanding, "I'm not looking to get myself killed, I just want to see where those books came from."

****

Sara approached the jumper and felt a tingle of excitement run down her spine. She wasn't sure what was more exciting for her, the fact that she was about to take a ship through a portal to another planet, or the fact that that planet was possibly the origin of one of the most discussed ancient texts in literary history.

As they made their settled into the jumper, she began watching how the other four individuals interacted. Col. Sheppard was the clear leader of the group, the others all showed marked respect for him, but he did not behave in a superior manner. He and the other three people on his team behaved more like a family unit than a military stood to one side and watched as the four talked, tossing easy banter between themselves. Her thought pattern was broken when someone said her name.

"Dr. Clayton?" Sheppard called to her again.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking." She walked to where he stood, "Could you repeat what you said?"

Sheppard nodded, "We haven't made any official contact with the people on this planet, so we don't want to attract any unwanted attention to ourselves." He pointed to Rodney, "Just stick close to McKay and don't go anywhere without one of us with you."

"I understand," Sara said, trying not to frown, " I may not ever have been to an alien planet Colonel, but I do have the anthropological background needed to know that encountering a new group should be handled delicately. I also have enough common sense not go rushing in to a situation I know nothing about."

Sheppard smiled, "Glad to know we're on the same page then. Let's get loaded up."

Sara followed Dr. McKay onto the jumper and sat down next to him, "Do you get to do this a lot?" she asked.

Dr. McKay made a face Sara could only call petulant and sighed, "More often than I really like. They can't seem to get along without me."

Sara heard a loud snort come from Ronon, "Yeah, we need him along so we have someone to save. Otherwise these missions would be pretty routine."

Sara laughed lightly as Dr. McKay turned in his seat, "You do not have to 'save' me. And..." he held up one finger, "And, I will have you know that I have saved this entire expedition on more than one occasion. No small feat I might add." A self satisfied little smile rested on his face, "So..."

Teyla interrupted before Rodney could continue, "Tell us, Dr...Sara, what is it that you hope to discover by going to this planet that you would not be able to achieve from just the manuscripts alone?"

Sara turned toward Teyla, "By searching the caverns that you found the manuscripts in, I'm hoping there will be other evidence of the civilization that left them. Things you aren't trained to look for. They could provide valuable clues about the actual age of the manuscripts and even information about why they might have been left behind when the society moved inland." Sara stopped and blushed as she realized that the other people on the jumper were staring at her, " I'm so sorry. I tend to talk to much, especially about this kind of thing."

Ronon smiled at her, "It's all right, Rodney talks a lot more than that, and we haven't left him stranded on any uninhabited worlds, " he looked at McKay, " yet."

Sara watched McKay's face blanch and his throat close reflexively, then she heard Ronon laugh and watched McKay's face relax, "Oh, very funny. Ha Ha, a little joke at my expense."

"We would never leave you behind Rodney," Teyla assured him. Then she turned her focus back to Sara, "I think it is fascinating how so much information can be learned from the everyday things that occur. "

"It's why I chose my particular fields of study. When I started school I was only intending to get one degree, but I've always been intrigued by the way people interact and how those interactions influence so many things in our daily lives. You'd be surprised how much of the literature and art a culture creates are influenced by the political and theological climate of the time."

Ronon watched the two women as they talked. He hadn't paid much attention to Sara Clayton, no need to really. She wasn't part of the team and he still wasn't sure how she was going to be of any real help in the fight against the Wraith. Watching her talking with Teyla though, he saw confidence in her, a sureness about her skills. He could respect that, he felt the same way about his abilities.

Ronon was pulled from his thoughts by Sheppard's voice, "We'll land in that clearing. Ronon, keep an eye on Dr. Clayton and McKay. Keep your handy, just in case."

Ronon nodded and followed Sheppard to the back of the jumper. He held out one arm, "After you Doc. Stay close in case something goes bad."

Sara followed Rodney out of the jumper and squinted as the sunlight hit her face. As her eyes adjusted she studied her surroundings. There were no obvious signs of development where they were, but she knew from what Rodney had told her that there were several settlements further inland. To her left was an open field with some type of ground cover plant growing in it. She started to walk towards it when a hand clasped her arm.

"I said stay close."

Sara looked at the hand holding her arm and then at the man it was attached to. That was a mistake. Her mouth went dry and the blazoning witty retort she had prepared died in her throat. As soon as her eyes met Ronon's all she could manage to do was nod weakly and wait for him to let go of her.

Ronon stood and looked down at Dr. Clayton for a moment. She had turned around when he touched her, about to say something, but now she was simply staring at him. He shook his head and let go of her arm, "Let's get moving."

Sara blinked her eyes as he moved away and felt a flush of embarrassment touch her cheeks. Nice Sara, she chided herself as they walked, Now the man thinks you're not only boring, but a total nut case as well. She pulled her MP3 player out of her pocket and shoved the ear buds in place. Without realizing it, she began mumbling as they walked, " I mean it's not like he's Superman or any damn thing."

Rodney glanced over his shoulder, "I'm sorry, what?" When she didn't answer immediately, Rodney slowed his pace and dropped back so he was walking next to her.

"Hell, who knows, maybe it's some weird alien thing." Sara turned up the volume and bit her lip, "Maybe you aren't actually a complete idiot." She closed her eyes and sighed, "You don't get all tongue tied when that Sheppard guy says something to you. And..." she stopped as she noticed a second pair of feet keeping time with her own steps. Please, please...if there is a god, don't let me have been talking loud enough for him to hear. She raised her head as she pushed the pause button on her MP3 player. Dr. McKay smiled at her and raised one hand in a little wave.

Sara plucked one ear bud out of her ear and cringed, "Was I talking out loud?"

"Yeah, but not loud enough for everyone to hear. I thought you were talking to me, so I dropped back here and then...well...I realized you were just, umm..." his words trailed off.

Sara looked ahead of them and then back to Dr. McKay, "So, just you then?" When he gave a little shrug, Sara sighed, "Look, Dr. McKay..."

"Rodney, call me Rodney."

Sara smiled, "Rodney...did you actually hear what I was saying, or..." she let the words hang.

"Or? Oh...I see." he shrugged again and pointed at his head, "Sorry, superb hearing."

"Great. So in ten seconds I managed to take myself from professional and colleague to Lust Struck Vixen." She tossed her hands in the air, "What the hell. Go for broke, right? So Rodney, what do you say we just keep this between us, yeah?"

"What? Oh you mean the whole 'Ronon is a big bad sex god' thing?" he paused when she started to scowl at him, "No...don't misunderstand, happens all the time around him."

"I do not think he's a, what did you call him?"

"Big Bad Sex God," Rodney repeated.

Sara laughed, "That wasn't exactly where I was going with the whole thing, but if you say so."

Rodney grimaced, "You should see it. Doesn't matter where we go. Women fall all over themselves for him...and Sheppard."

"How very Captain Kirk of them." Sara continued to laugh, not noticing that they had drawn the attention of the rest of the group, "Which one of them takes their shirt off first? I'm betting Colonel Dashing up there is pretty quick to strip down if he needs to."

Rodney snorted and pointed in Sheppard's direction, "He's just as bad as Ronon."

"Just as bad as me at what?"

Both Sara and Rodney yelled, caught off guard by Ronon's voice. Sara recovered first, "Scientific inquiry," she blurted out, "We were discussing how to best handle the inquiries I need to make and Rodn...umm..Dr. McKay was telling me that it would be best if we handled the compilation and analysis," she looked desperately at Rodney, "Right?"

Rodney nodded quickly, "Right. You know, make sure we actually get the information we need."

Ronon frowned and stared at Rodney, "I wasn't planning on doing anything to get in the way."

"Yes,well, good," Rodney replied.

Ronon walked away with an odd look on his face and Sara sighed, "Wow. Okay, I owe you for that."

A blush crept into Rodney's face, "Nah, it's okay. I..hey wait," he called as Sara moved to the side of the entrance to the cavern. He ran to catch up with her, looking over his shoulder, "You're supposed to stay on the path into the cave."

Sara pointed at the small plants clustered around the path, "I was just looking at these, there are fields of them over where we landed, but I've never seen anything like them."

"That happens a lot to us, actually," Rodney said as he looked over his shoulder. As he looked back, he saw Sara reach her hand out, "Don't!" he yelled.

Ronon turned when he heard McKay holler, just in time to see Dr. Clayton stick her finger in her mouth, "Fuck!" He walked to where they were standing and raised an eyebrow, "Problem?"

Sara pulled her finger out of her mouth and shot a silencing look at Rodney, "No, no problem, I just scrapped my finger on something."

Ronon shrugged and turned to leave. He was stopped by Rodney shouting again, he turned, intending to tell the man to shut up, but closed his mouth as he saw Dr. Clayton turn white and begin to fall. He threw his arms forward to catch her and hollered, "Sheppard! Get over here!"

****

As she left the bathroom she looked down the hall to her bedroom door, it hung open just a few inches. Sara stopped, knowing that she had left it open wide when she went into the bathroom. Slowly she approached the partially closed door, pushing it open carefully.

He sat in the chair next to her bed, bathed in the moonlight coming in through her open window. Her breath caught in her throat and she stopped walking, just looking at him. The faint light made his skin even darker than it usually was, accentuating the lines his muscles made beneath the shirt he wore. His eyes were open, staring at her as she stood in the doorway. His tongue came out to caress his lower lip.

She closed her eyes, remembering the last time he had been in her room, before he left. She could still remember the way his skin felt under her hands, the smell of him in her nostrils, the taste of him on her lips. Her fingers twitched involuntarily as she remembered running her hands over his thickly muscled chest.

"Did you miss me while I was gone?"

His voice cut through her reverie and she nodded, suddenly very aware of her nakedness beneath her robe. She shivered slightly in the breeze from outside, "Yes. I missed you."

He smiled at her admission. His hand came up and he motioned to her , "Come here, come sit with me. I want to hear how much you missed me."

She walked across the room, stopping between his outstretched legs. She felt him reach up and run his hand along her leg, sliding it underneath the thin, white robe she wore. Her skin tingled where his hands had been and she shuddered.

He pulled her into his lap, settling her against his chest, "Did you dream about me?"

She dropped her head, looking at her hands in her lap, "Yes," the admission came out as a whisper and she could feel her face begin to burn. She had dreamed about him all week, each dream becoming progressively more erotic until she was waking in the middle of the night, aching for his touch.

He lay one hand on her stomach, making lazy circles through the fabric with his fingers. He dipped his head and kissed the back of her neck, a low rumble rising in his chest, " You smell wonderful. I like the way you taste after you get out of the shower." His tongue ran along the base of her jaw, to her ear. He pulled the lower half of her ear lobe into his mouth and bit it gently, " So, tell me about these dreams you had."

She shook her head, " I can't."

He bit her neck again, the warmth of his mouth making her sigh, " Yes, you can. And you will. I want to hear what you fantasized about while I was away."

She closed her eyes, the feeling of his lips on her skin making her dizzy. She could feel her body responding to his touch. Images ran rampant through her mind, making her shiver again, " I can't, " she repeated.

He slid his hand inside her robe, laying his hand flat on her stomach. The heat soaked into her and she tried to shift in his lap, but he held her firm. He leaned in and kissed her neck one more time, " Now, talk to me."

She swallowed and started talking. Her body was aching , burning like she had a fever and she knew she would go crazy if he left her that way., " Last night. Last night was the most erotic dream I had the entire time you were gone. I dreamed that I was asleep and that you came in without waking me. You were naked, and as you body slid over mine, I stirred in my sleep. You laid your body across mine and kissed my neck, whispering into my ear to get me to wake up," she stopped talking for a moment, her body throbbing with the memory of the dream," I rolled over in my sleep, my bare breasts brushing against your chest. I opened my eyes then, my breath coming in a gasp as I realized you were actually there," she paused again, and felt him run his fingers down her side, raising goose bumps on her skin.

"Keep going...I want to hear you tell me all of it."

She leaned back against him, the feeling of his warm touch intoxicating her," You slid one hand down my body, touching me everywhere. I moaned and you pressed against me, sinking me deeper into the bed, your mouth covering mine in a hard kiss. I felt myself responding to your touch and I moaned again, trying to open my legs for you, but you wouldn't let me. You started nipping at my skin, biting me, moving down to my breasts. Your hands held me firmly in place, not letting me move as you made your way down my body.," she inhaled , her face burning, flushed with desire.

He dipped his head again and nipped at her neck once more, " Continue..."

" I felt your mouth traveling down my body, leaving a burning trail on my skin. I tried to move again, but you pushed me back, and then your hands left my shoulders. You placed one hand on each thigh and spread my legs, I could feel your breath on my skin. And then your tongue flicked out, teasing me, pushing into me. I inhaled deeply at the feeling of your tongue caressing me, licking me. It had been so long. Your hands explored my body and I began to whimper, begging you to take me."

She paused, looking up at him through half lowered lids," I don't think I can ...I just..." She looked down again, unsure if she can go on.

His hand came to rest on the side of her face, and he tilted her chin up to look at him once again," You will tell me. You know you will, because it's exciting you," he ran his hand down the side of her face and along her body until it was resting at the apex of her thighs. He lifted her gown away from her legs, and began to tease her lightly with his fingers. Touching the downy soft patch of curls resting there.

She sighed and began speaking again," You rolled me onto my stomach and raised my hips off the bed, your hands gripping me firmly. I was excited, panting..."

She paused again as she felt him part her with his fingers, sliding them between the moist folds.
"Don't stop now,this is just getting good," his voice came from the darkness as he continued to probe her with his fingers," I want to hear the rest ."

She shook her head," I can't. Oh, Ronon, I can't."

"Dr. Clayton? ?"

Sara forced her eyes open. There was a young woman standing over her, a comforting smile on her face, "Oh good." A light flashed in Sara's eyes, "Dr. Clayton, I'm Dr. Jennifer Keller. Do you know where you are?"

Sara rolled her head to one side and then to the other. She saw Ronon, Teyla, Rodney and Col. Sheppard standing on the far side of the room. Suddenly, the memory of the dream she had just experienced rushed back into her conscious mind. She felt a deep blush burn itself into her face and she motioned for Dr. Keller to move closer. Her throat was dry and so she whispered, "Please. I'm begging you. Tell me I wasn't just talking in my sleep."