CHAPTER 10 – LAYING A FALSE TRAIL

The trip back to her quarters was both quiet and unnerving. She found herself unconsciously watching everyone they passed, flicking her eyes over their sometimes too interested expressions, her own eyes sliding away before they could make contact. As most people appeared to show her more than just a reasonable amount of curiousity, the more she surreptitiously watched people, the more suspicious everyone began to seem and soon she was ducking her head to avoid eye contact. John at her elbow, knew immediately what was going through her mind and leaned in close to whisper at her.

"Don't think too hard about every person who passes by you or you'll do your head in. Just focus on letting us do our jobs. We'll track the person down, but we can only do that if you act as natural as possible. All those looks you're getting? Your new on base, and that always generates a certain amount of interest... and more to the point? You're hot. So... the guys are gonna stare. We're pretty much the same out here as the ones you find on earth... basic instinct and all that!" His quiet voice murmured in her ear and she felt the warmth of his nearness, comforting and helping to ease some of the anxiety she was feeling. Managing to huff out a slight laugh at his comments, she raised her eyes and looked the next person in the eye and did see the frank interest registered there.

John's right, she thought, they're just looking me over... nothing sinister. And even managed to wink back at one who stared a little too long at her, causing him to blush slightly and John to huff out a laugh.

"Ok Nicole, before you get all these poor lads heated up too much... let's grab your camera. I've got an offworld mission this afternoon. We're talking a small team, science personnel. A simple pilot and babysit job while they collect plant samples. I'll take you with me and you can get your photos and we'll let whoever is watching think that we're allowing you access to things that civilians would not normally have access to without appropriate clearance."

They had arrived at her quarters and John, keeping his touch light, leaned in to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said quietly so that only she could hear. "We could give them something else to thing about...?" His voice was teasing and brought a small smile to her face as he knew it would. He followed her into the room, thinking that it would be best if she were kept under security at all times. Suddenly this thought became paramount.

"Actually, all jesting aside, I don't want you alone at any time while you are here. If I post a guard outside your door it won't look strange. If anyone is watching it'll simply appear as if you are under guard until we can arrange to have something done with you."

Nicole laughed outright at this. "Kinda contradicts what you just said, John. Special security clearance to go offworld, but kept under guard on base?"

"We control what you see by letting you offworld on approved missions only, but don't allow you full access to the base without an escort. Not so unusual and it is up to us to make it appear convincing."

She had grabbed her camera and bag and turning suddenly, found herself face to face with him. Suddenly closer than she felt comfortable with. Before she could take a step back he had placed a hand gently at her waist and pulled her closer, allowing her to drop her head against his chest for some much needed comfort. She felt, rather than heard him laugh.

"You know that we could get around the whole guard thing, don't you... come and stay with me in my room..." His voice was teasing and she felt his breath tingle slightly against the top of her head.

"Yeah John, nice try. I'll take the guard... comes with less strings, I think..."

"Ouch..." He laughed again and let her pull away and move toward the door.

John had Sam run discreet checks on the two man science team he was taking offworld. They were going to P1S248, uninhabited but abundant in plant life and John was both pilot and security for the trip. They had been to the planet before and found no sign of indigenous dangerous wildlife or any other trouble and had made the decision not to involve the rest of his team on this one. He had also spoken to Sam about what had come out in the hynotherapy session, reinforcing what Rodney had already discussed with her and had found our that Sam had relayed the information back to General O'Neill at the SGC, along with the news that Nicole possessed the ATA gene. The General would begin discreet enquiries on earth and Sam had been given the go ahead to allow her to work undercover in Atlantis until they were able to track down the person or group who was behind the other gate on earth. It was also agreed that Nicole was likely safer in Atlantis.

John had taken Nicole to the gear room and organised a tactical vest for her, explaining the importance of protocol when offworld. Once he had shrugged himself into his own vest and attached his weapons, he had stood in front of her, long fingers expertly fastening the tabs to her vest, pulling them in securely so that she had to huff out a sharp breath.

Her voice had come out jerkily and she had reached out a hand to lightly finger one of the weapons that was clipped to his own vest. "So... these need to be tight, huh?" Her voice held a thread of amusement and he had slanted his eyes down to hers, his own crinkling a little at the note of laughter in her voice.

"You'll get use to the tightness, and these little vests have saved our lives more than once. So, yeah... they need to fit well.." His eyes then flicked down to where her hand rested against the weapon. "P90 – if you stay, you'll need to learn to fire one of these. We use some earth military weapons, but also have access to alien technology that is mind blowing until you get used to it. Let's get to the jumper bay and check in with the science team. And no... you're not flying!" He had stepped away from her and was in the process of walking out of the gear room when he heard her soft laughter behind him. Oh yeah, he was getting kinda used to having her around.

The two man team that awaited them in the jumper bay were biologists who had been working with Dr Carson Beckett to isolate the variuos plants containing suitable medicinal qualities to create new vaccines as part of his ongoing research. They had both come up clear on Sam's discreet check and with that information carefully stored away by John, he had shown Nicole to the second seat, while the scientists had settled into the two rear seats, their gear carefully stowed away in the cargo area at the back of the jumper.

As John completed a quick check of the craft and took it gracefully up and into the Lantien sky, he flicked his glance sideways at Nicole, glad of the company and found himself almost compelled to watch the pleasure that crossed her face as they cleared the atmosphere and headed into space.

"Feel like talking, Nicole? Kinda lonely out here. No radio, and all that..." His voice was dry and she laughed and turned her slightly in her seat so that she was facing him.

"Ok John, I'll bite. Tell me how you got into this..." Her eyes were bright with humour, and he found it easy to fall under the simple spell she appeared to weave as interest sparked in her eyes.

"I'm guessing that men fall all over themselves to tell you their life story..." His eyes flicked back to the vista of space in front of him and she noticed the smile that played around his lips as he took a breath and proceeded to explain how he had been recruited and how he had decided his fate by the flip of a coin. She had laughed at that, not surprised.

"Funny...I don't know you, just surface impressions and not even sure that those accurately reflect the man that you really are. But somehow? That action seems appropriate coming from you. All this at the flip of a coin... you obviously had no girlfriend to consider?"

Another laugh and again that crinkling of the eyes that caused a not so small fissure of warmth to slide through her. "Real subtle Nicole... no, there was no girlfriend to consider. And none really out here either... in case you were wondering? And you. Nicole? I know that finding the perfect picture is what drives you, but boyfriend? Husband? Who do you go home to at night...?"

A look of pain crossed her face and he filed that away after immediately regretting asking the question. "Not any more. Long story and not one I feel like bringing back into the light at the moment... finding that perfect picture and uncovering truths are about the only things that drive me these days. And I'm fine with that..." She twisted her hands together in her lap and his eyes were drawn toward the movement and wondered who had hurt her and felt that testosterone driven need to slam his fist into the sad bastard who had done it.

They kept the conversation light for the remainder of the flight and when he announced to the scientists that they would be landing soon, she stretched her back and neck, disliking long periods of inactivity. They landed on the lush surface of the planet having found a flat space to land and Nicole leapt up eagerly, anxious to be on the move. As protocol decreed, she allowed John to scan the terrain first to make sure that they were the only life signs in the vicinity and when he gave them the go ahead, she was the first one to step down gracefully onto alien soil, looking around her with open curiousity and already bringing her camera up to begin taking photos. John glanced at her with amusement. She was already lost in her own private world behind her lens and he knew at this point, that he was simply a distraction that would barely register in this small world that existed for one person only.