Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairings, etc.
Part 10/11
Chapter 10
Rodney entered Elizabeth's office to find everyone else was already there. Jake was with John and Elizabeth; Elizabeth was in her chair, and the other two were sitting on her desk on either side of her. Kyana was with her family; they were standing in the far corner of the room talking and smiling.
"You're late." Ronon greeted him with. He was the first to notice McKay since he had the best view of the door.
"He said 'ten minutes', so I finished what I was doing and headed over. How long have you been here?" Rodney never realized that he was supposed to head right over, he just thought that 'ten minutes' was a guess at when they would all be there.
"It doesn't matter. Let's get this party started," John said as he slapped the desk, swung his legs, then stood up and walked to the middle of the room. He looked over to Elizabeth, as if asking her to join him.
The petite diplomat held up her hands and shook her head, a smile ghosting her lips. "You got this. You've handled it so far, keep it up." She knew that it would make him happy. She was right; John was truly pleased.
"Okay, then, who do we want to send in to interrogate our first man? I think that Jake should definitely go in there," John said looking at the young Air Force officer.
Jake somewhat nodded, looking excited and nervous at the same time.
"Anyone have a problem with that?" John looked to Ronon, expecting even a slight objection, but got none. "Alrighty, who's next? Who's goin' in with him?" John decided to leave it up to the others to decide, since they would be the ones to go.
"Hold on, what are we going to do here, good cop/bad cop or something?" Jake questioned in a military tone.
"I guess. Ronon, do you wanna be bad cop?" John assumed he would say yes.
"Why don't you think that I can be bad cop, sir?" Jake found the comment rather offensive.
"I don't know, I just never pegged you as the bad-cop type." He was trying to back pedal.
"No, he can definitely be bad cop. Let him have it." Everyone turned to see who said that. It sounded like Ronon, but they didn't think he would say that. Sure enough, it was him.
John shook his head in surprise. "Okay, who's good cop? Maybe Kyana, she hasn't done anything, like this before; I think she'd like it." John wasn't lying, but the main reason that he suggested her to do it was that he knew they needed some time together without her parents. This was the best thing that he could think of to make that work.
"Okay, that'd work. Hold on, does anyone else want to do it?" Kyana was excited. She liked this sort of stuff.
No one else offered.
"Okay, then we have our first team. Now, if another guy wakes up soon, we'll go with Ronon and Teyla for him. After those two, we'll go from there. Sound good?" He got a simultaneous nod from Ronon and Teyla and then nods from the others.
"I have a question." Rodney said form the doorway.
"Yes, I don't know what I'm doing, yet. Hang tight and we'll see if we can find you anything." John just knew what Rodney was going to say, and he was right.
"Okay. Fine, I'll put my actual work aside so that I can sit and twiddle my thumbs for you." Rodney said sarcastically.
"Thank you, that's all I ask." John said with a smirk.
"So, what else are we here for, sir? With all due respect, we could've done this part over the radio." Jake said, now standing next to Kyana. Ronon and Teyla were closer to Elizabeth now.
"Now we see what info we have on 'em."
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"Jake, you said that they're from here. They seem to be able to walk around wherever they want without being noticed." Jake nodded. "We also know that they aren't the best shots. The best guess that we can get is that they shot Jadin when one of them tripped. So, either they don't have any military, or they have so few that they have to take scientist, too. No offense, Rodney." John looked over at Rodney who was zoned into his computer screen.
"What?" McKay looked up and blinked owlishly. "Oh, none taken." He said before going right back to the computer.
"Okay, we really don't know how many people they have. Hang on; are there any people in the Oceans Eleven room right now?" John questioned as he looked at Rodney, who was not responding. "Rodney!" John said as he jerked Rodney's computer out of his hands.
"What?" Rodney demanded as he grabbed it back.
"Are there any people in the Ocean's Eleven room right now?" John asked Rodney, not believing that he had let it slip before.
"Uh, yeah, but just the people that Jake sent to check it out." Rodney said as he tapped away on the screen.
"Nice" John said; looking at Jake with a look that showed how impressed he was.
"Thank you, sir," the young man replied with a hint of pride.
"So, are they searching for evidence, too?" John asked Jake.
"Yes, but they should still be a while. They said that it isn't going good so far, but they're working on it." Jake moved closer to the center of the office, Kyana close behind him.
"Nice. Rodney, new job. Make sure that no one besides no one that we don't know of goes in or out of that room." John spoke to the top of Rodney's head.
Rodney was still unresponsive.
"Rodney, put that thing down!" John shouted as he seized Rodney's computer and put it on Elizabeth's desk, out of the astrophysicist's reach.
"I heard you. I'm supposed to monitor the room to make sure that no on comes or goes that we don't know of. I get it!" he said as he stood up. "Now, you really don't need me, so can I go to my lab and actually do my job? I'll be monitoring them the whole time." Rodney was making such a great point and using such a persuading tone that John acquiesced.
After he left, those remaining continued to talk about what they knew, but didn't really cover anymore information than what John had already told Rodney earlier.
"Okay, we aren't covering anything new. Let's just spread out; you guys know what to do. Jake, you and Kyana can go ahead and head to interrogation room one. They'll be waiting for you." He paused and turned to face his alien teammates. "Ronon and Teyla, you got the next ones. We'll keep in touch via radio to see who's going to interview the other two. After that, we'll meet back up and see what we've got," John said as he walked over and sat on Elizabeth's desk. Jake and Kyana left first, followed by Kyana's parents.
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"So, what am I supposed to do here?" Kyana said as soon as she felt they were alone.
"Well, it's a pretty long walk to the interrogation room that we're going to, but once we get there, you'll be fine," he assured her as they rounded their first corner.
"No, really. What do I do? I've never done this before," she said innocently.
"Yes you have, you just don't know it. See, you're good at this stuff. You always have been. Do you remember the time that I was hiding something from you and you were trying to get it out of me?" he questioned.
Kyana thought a moment. "No." They looked into each other's eyes. He saw apprehension in hers. She saw confidence in his.
"That's because it never happened. You always get me to spill my guts to you before I even know that I am," he said as they rounded a corner and stopped. His voice changed. Now it was more like he was giving her a pep-talk.
"Two things: (1) You only told me those things because you liked me, and, (2) What are you going to do in this?" She hadn't really realized that they had stopped.
"Okay, maybe, but you're good at figuring out what you need to know. So am I. That's why we're going to make a good team. Just remember that you're the good cop. You be your mom; I'll be your dad. That'll be our mind-set." He said as he walked over and leaned against the wall next to her.
"Where's the interrogation going to be at?" she asked, moving a little closer to him.
"You ended that sentence with a preposition. And, it's going to be in pretty much the farthest one from here." Jake slid down the wall, brought his legs up to his chest, and rested his head on his upraised knees. "Aye. So little sleep. So much work. This is not what I signed up for when I joined the Air Force!" he mumbled to his knees.
"Come on, your mom is Sam Carter; your dad is Jack O'Neill. Saying that you weren't prepared is a cop-out." Kyana joined him on the floor, nudging his shoulder with hers as she did so. She hadn't known how tired she was until she felt the relief of rest.
"Maybe. But still, I'm tired!" He lifted his head up and rested it against the wall.
Kyana leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. They sat there peacefully like that for a minute, content to enjoy the silence and being together.
Finally she sighed and opened her eyes. "We need to get going. We were supposed to be there awhile ago," she said, looking around without lifting her head.
There wasn't a response for awhile. She was beginning to think that he was asleep. Then, "I missed you, Kya." Jake spoke with such a low tone that she almost missed his words.
"What do you mean? I haven't left in a while." She knew what he meant, but she needed to hear it from him.
"No, when I was gone. Shoot, since I've seen you, too. I just miss our time alone together like this. When we just sit and talk. This right here, this it's the stuff that I first think of when I wake up in the morning: looking forward to maybe just running into you in the hall. I guess what I'm trying to say is-" He paused and extended his legs. Now, he was looking into Kyana's eyes. He grabbed her hand and held it firmly. "I love you, Kya. I-I-" He stopped, stammered around for a minute, then looked at her helplessly.
"I love you too!" she said as she jumped into his arms. "I love you too, Jake." She wanted to hug him and hit him: Hug him because he finally said it, but hit him because he took so long.
They stayed like that for awhile. They could both tell how weak the other was. At this moment, they really needed each other, and that made them doubly glad that they had the other.
At last Kyana sighed pulled back a little so they were face to face. Their noses were so close that they were barely separate. "Do you remember Valentine's Day?" she asked, absently moving her wrist so her bracelet caught the light and glistened.
"Yes, of course. How could I forget?" he asked, confused.
"You are so good to me, Jake," she said, and then she moved in closer and kissed him.
In that single, glorious moment, they forgot how tired and stressed they were. They were just content to be together.
Kyana's brain caught up with her motions, and she pulled away a second later. "Sorry. I just-" She looked at the ground, afraid that he didn't feel the same for her. Even though he'd said that he loved her, there was still that little worm of doubt.
"Please, don't apologize," he said before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. He was so glad that she had kissed him. At least he knew that she felt the same for him.
Kyana looked up and realized they were still sitting on the floor in the hall. "I hope that no one saw us," Kyana said, a little nervous. The last thing she wanted was to be the object of the rumor mill's attention. She wanted a little time alone with Jake to explore their relationship before they actually confirmed or denied that they were in one.
"Of course they didn't. No one ever comes down these halls. We're fine," Jake assured her, lost in her vibrant green eyes. Every time that he looked into her eyes, he saw something. He saw something more beautiful than anything that he'd ever seen before. He really loved this woman.
"Are you guys okay?" questioned a familiar voice from behind them. There was the slightest hint of amusement in that tone that made both wince guiltily.
"Yes, Mom, we're fine," Kyana said as she snapped her head away from Jake and stood like she'd been launched from a spring. Her dad was the next person that she saw, and he didn't look too happy.
"What are you two doing? You should've been in the interrogation room five minutes ago." He arched an eyebrow and went to stand next to his wife.
By now, Jake had come to stand at Kyana's right shoulder. "Yes sir, I'm sorry. Uh -- I wasn't feeling the greatest so uh -- we stopped for a moment so I could rest." It was obvious that he was lying. Kyana was afraid her father would questioning him further, but he let just nodded and changed the subject.
"Okay, just get down there. The next guy is already up." Ronon started walking away, followed closely by Teyla.
Kyana was just starting to breathe easier when her mother turned and smiled at her. There was a knowing, wicked gleam in her eyes as she turned back around and looped her arm through her husband's.
How does she always know? Kyana almost felt like her privacy was invaded. Why did mothers always have to be able to read their daughters like open books? At least Dad won't ever find out.
"Okay, let's get out of here." Jake, obviously as unsettled as she, took her hand and together they walked away.
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"I keep telling you, I'm just the new guy! I don't know anything! This was my first mission. It's what I was recruited for." Smith was acting very timid, obviously scared out of his wits.
So far, Ronon and Teyla had only learned his name and the fact that he was new. Dex thought that he was only pretending to be scared so that they would leave him alone. He was only lamenting the fact that he didn't have his blaster – that would have sped things up a bit.
"Smith! Just tell me how you got into the group! That's all that I want to know!" Ronon growled as he watched the horror in Smith's face. Surely the man would crack soon.
"Ronon!" Teyla reprimanded, one eyebrow arched. She turned to Smith and softened her voice. "Mr. Smith, I'm sorry that Ronon is being so rude. We just need to know what you know. What do you call this organization?" Teyla decided to start off small and work her way up.
"Ocean's Eleven," Smith replied in a calm voice.
That threw Teyla off. "Why?" she asked so nicely that it almost nauseated her.
"Well, as you know, our leader's name is George Clooney. Plus, it started off with eleven people, but that was way before I joined." He wasn't lying, and they could tell.
"How long has this organization been going on?" she asked as she sat down across the table from him. Ronon continued to pace behind her like a big cat waiting to pounce. There was a dark, impatient gleam in his eyes that made Smith gulp noticeably.
"Long enough that they know what they're doing. I'd say a year or so." The words tumbled from his mouth like a waterfall – he was starting to get nervous.
That shocked Ronon and Teyla. It was hard to imagine that these men had gone undetected for so long.
"I don't believe you," Ronon said as he put his hands on the table in front of Smith and leaned in. He narrowed his eyes predatorily.
"I'm telling you the truth!" Smith said to Teyla, looking for protection.
"Look at me! How could you possibly get around without us finding you?" Dex asked, leaning in even closer.
"We have our ways," Smith said as he dropped the scared expression, and looked at Ronon with certain cockiness.
"What are they?" Ronon responded, his voice a growl.
Smith didn't answer. He just sat there with his arms crossed, looking self-satisfied.
"Mr. Smith, I'm sorry, but we need to know. We hear that the rest of the group is tracking you down. We need to know how the get around so that we can stop them from getting to you. They want to kill you before you tell us anything." Teyla made her tone as cajoling as she could.
"Okay." Smith gave in. "We have guys on the inside, but we just lost our guy in charge of SF's. All that you need to do is put me in a holding room; they shouldn't be able to get past the guards unnoticed," Smith said, his eyes shifting between Ronon and Teyla.
Ronon pushed off the table. "What are their names?" he questioned as he went back to pacing.
"I don't know. They didn't trust me with any more than their code names. I promise, I just told you all that I know." Smith was now pleading to Teyla.
"How did you get the Jumper to go to the mainland?" Ronon barked without breaking stride.
"I don't know, I was just informed when to show up. I promise, I don't know any more."
They continued at this pace for awhile longer, but nothing more was accomplished. Ronon and Teyla continued to ask questions, and Smith continued to deny knowing anything more.
Finally, they all left. Smith went to his holding room, and Ronon and Teyla went to report to John, feeling tired and frustrated.
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"Oh, look, they aren't dead after all," Elizabeth playfully said to John as their children entered her office.
"Well, looky there, you're right," John responded as he walked over to greet them. "To what do we owe this pleasure?" he asked Skye, who was still rubbing his eyes.
"We want to see Jadin," Alex said as she crowded past her brother. She gave him a sharp jab in the ribs with her elbow and a glare to get him to move.
"All right, then. It looks like we still have some time before we're needed; let's all go down together," Elizabeth said as she stood and headed to the door; her family close behind. She had wanted to go earlier to check on her nephew, but there had been far too many things going on to give her a moment's reprieve to do so.
"Why did you guys come up to ask us to go? You could've gone by yourself. You're just going to see your friend," John said to Skye, since Alex was ahead with her mother. They were walking in pairs of two.
Skye hesitated, then bit his lip and said: "Well, we did and Uncle Carson told us 'no.' Alex said that Jadin should be feeling better, so we figured that you could help us out." Skye spoke slowly, selecting his words very carefully.
"You wanted us to get you in. You knew that we would talk Carson into letting you guys in. Hmm, sly. I like it." John held out his hand for a high five.
"So, we're not in trouble?" Skye whispered, sending a quick glance in his mother's direction.
"No, just don't tell your mom. Oh—hey honey, it's nothing . . . Hey! We're here!" Elizabeth was always good at picking up whispers. John knew that she heard his advice to her son.
She gave John a disapproving look, but didn't press the issue. They all entered the infirmary, surprised to find Carson waiting for them by the door.
"Hello." The Scot glanced at the children only a moment before directing his next comment to John and Elizabeth. "He just woke up, so you can see him now." It was obvious that Carson was bored; otherwise he wouldn't be so happy to see them invading his infirmary. Then again, it might have been the four cups of coffee in the past hour; oh well.
"Ha-ha, you don't need or want us here now," John directed to his children, the smile on his face lessening the impact of his joking words. "Well, it's too late now. We're staying. That's your punishment for trying to use us to go behind your Uncle Carson's back."
Skye murmured something under his breath before walking across the room and sticking his head around the curtain closing off Jadin's cubicle from the rest of the infirmary. "Hey, man, how are you doing?" Skye asked, since he was the first to enter.
"Yeah, how are you doing?" Alex said from right behind her brother.
"Hey, Alex! I'm doing good enough, how are you?" Jadin was oblivious to the fact that there were now three other people besides Alex in the room. His eyes were focused on the Sheppard girl.
"What about me?" spoke Skye in mock anger.
"Oh, sorry; didn't see you. How are you?" Jadin jumped a little and turned his gaze to his other friend. It was obvious that something was bothering him.
"I'm good, but I'm not the one who was shot." Skye went to stand next to his friend, resting his arms on the railing.
"Is there anything that you need?" asked Jadin's Aunt Elizabeth from her position at the back of the cubicle next to John.
"No, Uncle Carson is giving me more than enough of everything," Jadin replied with a little laugh.
"Yeah, I'm here," John suddenly said to no one.
All eyes questioningly went to him, except for Elizabeth. "Sorry, your mom radioed him. They're done interviewing and ready for their next orders," Elizabeth said to Jadin to ease his curiosity.
"Yeah, okay. Um . . . hang on." John said, looking to Elizabeth. "Should I just tell them to hang tight until Kyana and Jake are done? Is there anything else that they can do?" John asked his wife.
"Yes, that's all that they can do for now." Two faint lines of concern appeared on Elizabeth's forehead, but she said nothing that would alert the kids of her unsettled feelings.
John gave his wife a worried glance before relaying the information. He turned back to talk to Jadin, but was interrupted when he was radioed again.
"Sir, this is the team that's been checking out the Ocean's Eleven room out. We've got nothing." Captain Miller sounded frustrated.
"I'm on my way. Hang tight." John turned to the others. "I'm so sorry, I gotta go. Get better Jadin, I'll check in later." He turned to leave.
"Wait! Dad! Can I come?" Skye called as he chased after his father.
"Sure, come on!" He caught the look on Elizabeth's face and gave her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, Elizabeth, it's an empty room. It's safe!" He predicted his wife would be against it, and he was right.
Unfortunately for her, he was right. She let the two leave. Alex looked back at her mom, who wasn't even paying any attention to the two of them. She looked like her mind was far away – probably off with her husband and son.
Alex walked over closer to the bed. "Hey, now, stop being all manly. How are you, really?" she asked caringly.
"Really, I'm okay. It hurt, but it's over." He wasn't lying; but still, he wouldn't tell her if he was. A thought struck him. "Listen, I don't think that I've gotten a chance to thank you for dragging me into the hut and making me a cot. It was pretty cool."
There was something about him; either the tone in his voice, or the look on his face, but he seemed different to Alex. She didn't see him as the brash young boy that she used to play with. This accident had changed him.
Alex shook her head decided to ignore that change, at least for now. "I know. You're heavy!" she chuckled, and he laughed with her. There was a slight pause.
"So, do you want to see it?" He said, looking down at his leg.
"Yeah!" She loved this kind of stuff.
"No you don't," Carson said as he entered the room. "Sorry, he needs to leave it on for awhile. You can see it later. I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he said as he walked over and checked Jadin's blood pressure.
"Come on, we just got here! Let me stay," Alex begged, pulling out her dad's kicked-puppy dog expression and coupling it with a cute pout that usually got everyone to give in to her.
Not Carson. "No, trust me, you don't wanna see this!" The Scot assured her, making little shooing motions in her direction.
Dejected, Alex followed her mother out of the infirmary.
"So, you must be hungry. You haven't eaten in a long time. Let's go get something out of the cafeteria," Elizabeth suggested gently in an attempt to cheer her daughter.
"Sure!" Alex said, more than willing to cooperate. She took off running, her gentle laugh floating back towards her mother.
Elizabeth took a deep breath and started to chase her daughter. "Just try and get away!" she called ahead, smiling at the startled looks on the faces of the scientists she passed.
She loved being a mother.
To Be Continued . . .