Thanks to everyone who has read this little story. I appreciate your support. After this chapter there will be one more, which will be an epilogue of sorts.
I started writing this when I was sick and then I got swamped with assignments, so I haven't been able to even touch it. I apologise profusely for such a long delay.
Previously on 'A Matter of Trust': Kate was rescued and found out that she was pregnant. Her and Rick got engaged and now they are now waiting for the Tok'ra to arrive so that they can get the Goa'uld out of Kate.
Chapter 9: You're from where, exactly?
"Unscheduled off-world activation," Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman called out as the klaxons blared and the iris swirled closed. General Landry came and stood behind him.
"Who is it, Chief?" he asked.
Walter looked down at his computer screen. "IDC coming in now, sir. It's the Tok'ra."
Landry nodded, "Open the iris," he told him as he made his way down to the embarkation room.
The iris opened and out of the wormhole stepped Anise and another Tok'ra along with her.
"Welcome to Earth, I'm General Landry."
"I am Anise and this is Jovan," she replied indicating the man beside her. "I had heard that the matter you summoned us for was important. Shall we get started?"
Landry smiled at her forwardness, "Of course. If you'll follow me to the briefing room, we can get started."
Everyone, minus Jim and Kate, was already seated at the briefing room table. Jim decided that he didn't want to know the whole particulars concerning Kate; the whole kidnapping, alien parasite and pregnancy was all too much for him to handle. Jack and Rick had promised to keep him updated on everything and he chose to spend his day in the VIP quarters that had been set up for him.
When everyone was introduced, the meeting got underway. "Your message sounded urgent, General Landry, how can the Tok'ra be of assistance to you?" Anise asked.
"A few days ago, The Trust kidnapped Detective Beckett and she was implanted with a larvae Goa'uld. We were successful in retrieving her, but we have no way to remove the Goa'uld, and we were hoping that you would be able to help out."
Anise looked at Doctor Lam, "Has the Goa'uld been able to take over her body in any way?"
Carolyn shook her head, "No. Not that I know of. Detective Beckett is pregnant, and we believe that is the reason why the Goa'uld hasn't been able to take over."
"And how did you come to this conclusion?" Anise sat back in her chair and folded her hands together in front of her on the table.
Daniel spoke up, "When Sha're was pregnant, the Goa'uld inside of her was no longer in control of her."
"I see. I shall speak to the council members and they will determine how we will proceed."
Anise stood up from her chair and turned to leave the room; as she did so, Rick jumped up and called out. "I don't know who you think you are? My fiancé has been implanted with some parasite and you have a way to help her, but you have to see the council about it before you can actually so something?"
Anise swiveled around to see Rick's face flushed with anger with Jack pulling on his arm to settle him back down on his seat, looking at him sternly. Rick huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, conceding to allowing Jack to take over. "I have to say I'm with Rick on this one. After everything we have done for you, you have to think this over? Kate is innocent in all of this; her and her family don't deserve to be dragged into the interstellar pissing contest our two governments seem to have found themselves in." He leaned forward and stared intently at Anise; lowering his voice he continued, "You're going let my men escort you down to the infirmary and you're going to take Kate and get that damned snake out of her."
Anise paled slightly before recovering and nodding. "As you wish, General."
Both Tok'ra were followed out of the briefing room by two SFs and Doctor Lam as the rest of the group stood and went their separate ways; Rick and Jack headed down to the infirmary, with a detour to pick up Jim.
"So? What did they say? Are they able to help Katie?" Jim asked as they walked down one of the many corridors that made up the SGC.
"Hopefully," Jack replied. "We won't know until they've seen her."
"Thank you, Jack."
Jack shook his head, "Don't thank me. Thank Dick over here, he was about to rip the slimy snake a new one if they didn't help Kate there and then."
Jim smiled, "Well thank you both."
The three men entered the infirmary to see Anise and Doctor Lam standing on opposite sides of Kate's bed, looking over charts and ultrasounds. Anise looked up at them, "General, I believe that it will be possible for us to remove the larvae Goa'uld without any harm to either mother or child."
Jack clapped his hands together, "Great, so when do you want to leave? I can have SG-1 geared up in ten."
"I must send a message to the council before I give you a definite answer. They do not like it when unexpected visitors arrive unannounced."
"Right," he looked around the room and found the other Tok'ra standing in the corner awkwardly. Jack moved over to him and clapped him on the shoulder, "Why don't I take Jason here up to the control room and we can get started on that message."
"My name is Jovan."
Jack waved his hand dismissively, "Right, whatever. So what do you say Anise? How 'bout we get this show on the road quick smart."
Anise nodded towards Jovan before turning back to Jack, "We will leave as soon as the council replies."
"Great." Jack and Jovan left the infirmary leaving Rick and Jim with the three women.
Kate piped up in confusion, "We're going where, exactly?"
To one of the Tok'ra's base planets in the Solaris system," Anise replied nonchalantly.
"P-planet?" Kate's eyes widened as she spluttered, "And how pray tell are we going to get there?"
"Through the Stargate, of course," Anise was getting confused as to why Kate was asking these questions.
"I'm sorry Kate," Carolyn interrupted, "I thought the General was going to fill you in." She looked up at Anise, "Don't say anything until I can get someone down here to explain everything." She turned and headed for her office as Anise went back to studying the charts from the end of Kate's bed.
Kate looked at Rick who was grinning; he had moved next to her when Carolyn vacated. "What aren't you telling me, Rick?"
Rick let out one of his patented squeals as he fisted his hand near his mouth and bit down on his thumb, "This is going to blow your mind, Kate. Seriously, it's the coolest thing ever."
Kate rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms, "If it's so cool, Mr. Castle, why won't you tell me?"
"Not allowed to. It's one of those 'If I tell you, I'd have to kill you things'." She narrowed her eyes and let them bore into his soul, as if he were one of her perps. Rick put his hands up, "Hey, I swear if I was able to tell you, I would. Doctor Lam said she was getting someone down here to fill you in. You've got to sign a non-disclosure form before they can tell you anything about this place." He picked up her hand in his and squeezed it softly.
The couple and Jim talked amongst themselves for a few minutes until Carolyn came back out of her office. "Colonel Carter said that she would be down here shortly. Just sit tight and we'll get that thing out of you as soon as we can."
Kate smiled, "Thank you."
When Sam came down it took her a good fifteen to twenty minutes to explain to her exactly what happens at the SGC. Kate was in shock.
"You mean to tell me that all of that has been happening for the last fifteen or so years? How many times has the world nearly ended?"
Sam thought for a moment, "Three, four; I really don't keep count. You'll have to ask Teal'c about that, he knows." Seeing Kate's astonishment, Sam continued, "I know this is a lot to take in, but it's not that weird once you get used to it."
"Easy for you to say." Kate ran her hand through her hair, "Anise said I had to go through this Stargate to another planet. It's kind of freaking me out a little," she chuckled softly.
Sam patted her softly on the arm, "You'll be fine. Jack said he was going to go along with you all. The IOA won't let Rick or your father, so Jack will have to do."
Kate nodded, "Thanks, Sam."
"Anytime."
Later that day, word came through from the Tok'ra council that they were prepared for the extraction. Kate was able to borrow clothes from both Sam and Vala so that she felt presentable enough to travel to another planet. She stood in front of the mirror in the guest quarters she and Rick were given and smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles in the borrowed BDUs.
Rick came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, hands resting on her stomach. "I wish I was coming with you," he whispered softly in her ear.
Kate smiled, "You just want to go to another planet."
"No- well, yes, but that's not the point. The point is, that you're going to another planet and you won't have your partner to watch your back."
Kate twisted in his arms and wrapped her own around his back, resting her head on his shoulder, "I know, and I'm going to miss my partner. But don't forget that I have Uncle Jack to look out for me, and he won't let anything happen to me."
Rick kissed her softly and grinned, "He better not, or who knows what will be coming to him."
Kate laughed, "You do realise that he was special ops and could kill you just by blinking at you a certain way?"
"Again, not the point."
She pulled away from him, "Come on, Ricky, come and see me off." The two left their quarters and walked hand-in-hand towards the embarkation room.
The two Tok'ra, SG-1, Jack and Kate stood at the bottom of the ramp as Walter initiated the dialing sequence. Kate watched in wonder at the two-story high ring that was spinning before her. As the seventh symbol engaged, the Stargate whooshed to life; taking Kate by surprise she took a gasped and took a step back. She turned around to look up at her father and fiancé observing from the control room window, evidence of tears on their faces. She gave them a tight smile and a small wave. Turning back around she watched the rest of the group walk up the ramp and into the pool of blue 'water'.
Jack guided her by the arm until they came to the edge, "You ready for this Katie-girl?" he asked as she stared wide-eyed at the rippling event horizon of the Stargate.
"I suppose so." She took a deep breath in as she stepped through the Stargate for the first time.
Well there you have it folks. I hope you enjoyed that one. I know there was a lot of talking in this chapter; there probably will be in the next one. Next chapter will be the extraction and a little bit of planetary exploration for Kate. The final chapter after that one will be the epilogue and will most likely be the longest chapter of them all.
Please leave me a review; I do like to know what you all thought of it.
Sam