A/N as the title of this chapter hints, there's loads of chatting this round. Also I re-wrote it make like, actual sense, as a keen eyed reviewer WTF'd over Prentiss magically forgetting who the hell Max is. Le sigh. This is one of those things that crops up when you're retarded tired and try to write anyway... New chapters are due in the next two weeks. :)
Juarez delivered the box to the eggheads then hung around to see if they cracked it right off or would need more time. She settled in to a comfortable standing position near the door, folded her arms and watched.
"This what came through the gate?" Siler's right hand man Kennemore asked with a raised eyebrow. Juarez grunted.
"Hmm point of origin?"
"Earth."
Kennemore raised both eyebrows at that. Juarez grunted again. The gangly scientist set the box on a workbench and shifted a bright lamp over it. He carefully examined the exterior and the lock, took a few notes, even some digital photos.
Juarez started to get bored. She sat back on her heels slightly and started to hum still watching Kennemore's progress, or apparent lack thereof.
Finally the scientist picked up a small battery powered saw and started sawing through the U of the padlock. After five minutes the lock fell to the workbench surface with a loud tock. Kennemore killed the saw and cautiously lifted the lid.
A folded sheet of paper lay within. Kennemore frowned at it for a moment then using a pair of tweezers fished it out of the box and set it on the work table.
Juarez moved closer and peered at it as Kennemore unfolded it.
The sheet looked like some kind of fancy linen or parchment paper. It was entirely blank except for one word in the center of the page. It was written in a precise flowing script, Juarez studied the shape of the lines and guessed it had been written with a quill pen.
Carthis.
"What the hell is Carthis?" Juarez asked.
"No idea, let Schaffer and Max know we've got the box open." Kennemore said. Juarez sighed and slipped off to do as asked.
"Captain Holloway?" Juarez called knocking on her C.O.'s door.
"Juarez? What's up?"
"Kennemore got the box op-"
Max was on her feet and slipping past Juarez before the soldier finished speaking. Juarez grunted mildly and followed her leader.
Max stared at the piece of paper with a perturbed expression.
"This was all that was in it?"
"Yes." Kennemore sighed.
"Run every test you can on it then isolate it, I want it ready to go back with the delivery team tomorrow." Max sighed.
Jack scowled at the gate and heaved a put-upon sigh. To secure the secrecy of the Alpha Site protocol dictated that anyone heading to it for routine reasons would never jump there directly from Earth. This was the third jump and hopefully the next would be the Alpha Site.
He glanced at the rest of his team and bit back his bad temper. Normally only one or two of them went by the Alpha site, ostensibly to review progress on behalf of General Hammond, really to hang out with Max and see how things were going in general. Schaffer had standing orders to assume command if Max appeared to be losing it or fucking things up royally.
This visit was prompted by the bad behavior of an unknown element in the SGC. The day before someone had accessed the gate without permission and sent something through to the Alpha Site without observing security protocols.
Traitors always fucked up his mood.
"We're ready for the next jump sir." Carter called. Jack growled and joined his team, scowl pasted to his face.
Daniel and Sam swapped similar expressions of resignation and anticipation. The gate roared to life and shot out its familiar vortex.
"Right, let's go find out what the hell our Benedict Arnold sent through." Jack growled flipping the safety off his weapon.
The first thing Jack noted was that Max looked like hammered shit, the second was that Siler didn't look much better. Jakc's grim half smile thinned into a disapproving line.
"Holloway front and center!" He snapped. Max obeyed snapped to attention in front of the Colonel.
"If you need more personnel you're supposed to tell us, not run yourself and Siler into the ground." He growled. She flinched but otherwise remained still.
"At ease."
She melted from the rigid stance of attention to her more natural stance.
"I said at ease not dismissed!" He growled.
Her arms snapped behind her back and her feet shifted a shoulder's width apart. Her jaw flexed slightly as her jaw clenched.
"That's better, now, what the hell came through the gate from Earth?"
"You won't like it sir." Max grunted without her usual sullenness.
"I haven't liked much about this yet, relax, show me what you've got."
Max obeyed slipping into a slightly hunched, battered stance and leading Jack and the rest of the team to the research tent with Kennemore. Daniel tried to catch Max's eye. She ignored him or was too tired to pick up on it. He stifled a sigh and followed the team. He didn't like how much Max was taking on, the toll it was exacting. Her immediate response to Jack's orders bothered him.
He supposed it was to be expected, she was spending as much time training to be an officer as she was leading but it wasn't like her to be so obedient. No snark, no backhanded comments, no teasing or insults.
"Carthis?" Jack asked.
"There's an island off of the UK called Carthis." Carter said studying the paper.
"Carthis, you asked me to look into that island when Adam was in Seacouver –" Daniel said suddenly.
"Right, but why would someone send me this? How could they?" Max asked wearily.
She felt like she should know the answer, but she was working through a fog of omnipresent exhaustion and looming deadlines.
"Bait." Daniel suggested.
"If Max comes back to Earth she'll be handed over for trial." Carter agreed in an annoyed tone. She was annoyed with the obviousness of it, assuming that was the goal.
"Not necessarily, the civilian courts would have to find out I was back, and they'd have to place me under arrest and extradited to ... what was it? Arizona? Nevada?" Max asked.
"I doubt that would be a huge impediment to anyone that can use the gate to violate security procedures and send this through." Sam sighed.
Jack chewed his lip.
"Aside from bait, thoughts?" He asked.
"Perhaps it is a warning." Teal'c rumbled with a strategically raised eyebrow.
"To me? About Carthis? Why? I don't plan to go there, can't really." Max mused. She rubbed at her gritty burning eyes and let out a slow breath.
"Lieutenant Schaffer is around?" Jack asked.
"She should be." Max nodded.
"I'm assuming command Holloway, you hit your rack I don't want to see you for 24 hours, if I catch you out of your rack you will be one very sad Airman, clear?" He ordered.
She looked up at Jack, over the open box and unfolded paper. Daniel thought he saw a glimmer of her usual fire in her eyes but Max merely nodded and left quietly.
"She's not doing well." Daniel said worriedly.
"She needs a break." Jack agreed.
"Have you ever seen her so…agreeable?" Sam asked.
"Perhaps she needs assistance." Teal'c suggested.
"Yeah, I think you're right big guy. Carter get on the horn to the General, let him know we'll be staying for awhile.
"Yes sir." Carter said looking mildly surprised.
Daniel felt himself relax a hair, he didn't like the idea of returning to Earth while Max was so clearly overworked, particularly with the issue of Carthis unresolved.
"Daniel, what do you remember about Carthis?" Carter asked still studying the paper.
"Well, it's an island, it has a colorful history but nothing really stood out. There's a legend of a Matriarch that rules over the island and uses her powers to protect the island and its inhabitants."
"Matriarch?" Jack asked.
Max kicked off her boots and uniform jacket and fell onto her narrow cot. She was asleep seconds later. Schaffer walked in to give Max an updated progress report. Did a double take when she saw her commander was actually sleeping and backed out.
"Schaffer!" O'Neill shouted at the lieutenant. Schaffer stiffened then spun on her heel to salute the superior officer.
O'Niell returned the salute with a grunt and speared the tough marine with a glare.
"Sir?" She asked standing at attention.
"Schaffer, why have you allowed your superior officer to devolve to this state? Were you not given clear and explicit orders to prevent the current situation?"
"Sir! Yes Sir!"
"Explain yourself marine!" Jack felt like a jackass shouting and carrying on like some kind of hard case MTI but he was pretty sure Schaffer would respond reasonably well to the treatment.
"Lack of communication and reinforcement from Earth as well as an overloaded workforce necessitated extreme workloads! Sir!"
He chewed that over for a bit. It was probably true. In spite of best efforts the Alpha Site tended to slip by unnoticed and unheeded unless the current crises at the SGC turned the corner from potentially devastating to potentially cataclysmic in which case all the IOA and all the associated bigwigs started to squeal about the Alpha Site and demand updates. Even if it wasn't true Jack hadn't really expected Schaffer or anyone else to assumed command over Holloway's objections. He wasn't sure they'd be physically able to if Max had other ideas.
"Understood." He grumbled.
Schaffer relaxed and spared a tired smile for Jack.
"Where's the blockhead now Lieutenant?"
"Sleeping sir, finally. I'm glad you're here."
"Me too, it's easy to forget what a stubborn dedicated idiot she can be when you aren't watching her directly." He sighed.
"Sir, may I speak freely?"
"Always Schaffer."
"It's more than that. She's, well, she's driven but more so than most type As. In fact, I don't think she's really a type A personality. She'll lead and do it well but it doesn't seem to come naturally she works at it. I think it makes her a better leader, she's certainly better about listening to her people than most C.O.s I've had –"
"But?" he asked.
"But, there's something aside from this mission pushing her."
He nodded.
"Well, let's keep an eye on her."
"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Uh, well, why do you bother?"
"Sorry?" He asked surprised.
"Well, if Captain Holloway is so unorthodox and uh, well, fucked up sir, why are you bothering?"
"Because when she's not busy getting in her own way she's one of the best damn soldiers and leaders I've encountered."
"Oh. Right." Schaffer swallowed hard and smiled at Jack as she moved to leave the Colonel.
"Schaffer?" He called.
She halted and spun to face him.
"Keep an eye on her. Have you been briefed about her –"
"Special skillset? Yes sir."
"Good,listen, if you have to, you put a bullet in her. Don't hesitate."
She studied him closely searching for any sign of deceit or uncertainty in his face or stance. Finally she nodded. Some unspoken tension in the colonel's stance seemed to shift and settle.
"Sir, how, how will I know?"
"Trust me Marine, it'll be obvious." Jack replied grimly.
"You should tell them." Methos murmured.
They were standing on a viewing deck on the Eiffel Tower, they'd been playing tourist for two weeks. Methos had argued that anyone trying to find Doyle's executioner would likely focus on persons leaving the city immediately thereafter. Prentiss hadn't wanted to argue.
He was standing behind her, holding her close as they looked down on the city. She leaned into him.
"They'll hate me."
"It wasn't your choice, they're family, they'll be upset but they'll understand. What they won't understand is what's taking you so long to come back to them." He said gently.
"I don't think I can do it anymore."
"The BAU?" He asked.
She slipped out of his grasp and leaned against the wrought iron rail, staring down at the square below. He stood next to her and followed her gaze. They stood that way for a long while, the wind soughing and sighing through the structure, tugging at their hair and clothing.
"You're right, I have to go back one way or another." She said finally, clearly ignoring her lover's question. She reached over and took his long fingered hand in her own, the chewed nails had regrown.
"Come with me."
"I'll never leave you again." He said firmly and squeezed her hand.
"Promises promises –" She teased. He cut off the wry comment with a kiss.
They made their way down from the tower and hailed a cab.
"What about our things?" He asked.
"Buy us new stuff moneybags." She said.
He laughed.
"Passports?" He asked with a smirk.
She slipped two dark blue passports out of her pocket. .
"Got it covered. You can do an American accent?" She asked.
"Why purty lady how dare you doubt me?" He asked in a Texas drawl. She squealed with laughter and slugged him in the arm. A cab pulled up and he opened the door for Prentiss.
"After you?" He asked in a neutral west coast, broadcast TV accent.
"Charmed." She smirked and slid in.
"I thought you would find me." Jarod said with a smile. He reached into his black leather coat and retrieved a pez dispenser. He popped one of the candies and offered the dispenser to Aaron Hotchner. Hotchner studied the dispenser and the cartoon character head on it.
"You didn't try to hide." Hotchner said waving the candy away.
"I don't need to anymore." Jarod said with a shining grin as he put the candy dispenser away.
Hotch raised an eyebrow.
"The Centre is more interested in surviving and keeping its key personnel out of prison than me for now."
"Still, it's risky."
"Think of it as testing the water."
Hotchner nodded. If the Centre tried for him now when he was in friendly territory – so to speak – it could be a sign he might need to go into hiding again.
"Why are you here? Just to test the waters?" Hotchner asked, he was pretty certain he knew the answer.
"I heard about Emily. I'm very sorry." He said gently, tears shone in the big man's eyes as Hotchner forced himself to meet them and accept the condolences.
"Thank you."
"I also need to find Methos."
"I don't know where he is." Hotchner said immediately.
Jarod deflated slightly. He hadn't expected Hotchner would know, not consciously at least. He'd never really appreciated his friend's talent for disappearing before now. But numerous database searches and wearing out every contact Jarod could think of had produced nothing.
"Seacouver?" Hotchner suggested.
Jarod shook his head.
"Not for awhile."
"He…he had a rough time after Carthis." Hotchner said evenly.
Jarod nodded, "Joe said he took off but that was months ago, before…"
"He was involved, tried to help her but…"
Jarod nodded again.
"I read the report."
Hotchner frowned ever so slightly.
"Don't worry, someone that didn't know he was involved wouldn't figure it out from the report but –"
"You knew what to look for." Hotchner said sharply. "Why do you need to see him?"
"Carthis, he needs to know some things."
"Checking your voicemail?" Prentiss asked as Methos hurried to a lone and, if it were not located in an airport, anachronistic payphone.
"More or less." He said and called Joe's cell.
"You got five minutes to tell me why you're calling me at four A.M. from a number I don't know." A sleepy sounding Joe snarled. Methos looked up at a digital clock on the wall of the terminal and winced.
"Sorry Joe, I forgot about the time differences."
"Methos?"
"I'm in D.C. with Prentiss."
"Look man shit's a mess here. Max has gone off the radar, Mac is practically camped outside the SGC's gates, and Jarod was in here a couple weeks ago looking for you, said it had something to do with Carthis."
"Y'know, sometimes I really regret introducing myself to Macleod." Methos groused.
"Tell me about it." Joe sighed, Methos could hear his friend turn on a light and clear his throat.
"What do you know about Max? O'Niell hasn't said anything?"
"He just keeps saying it's classified and she made the decision."
Methos felt a headache burrow into the base of his skull and take up residence.
"Look, man, you're family but I don't know how much longer I can do this." Joe said softly, his voice was broken.
Methos closed his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah I know Joe, I'm sorry."
"Watch your head." Joe said gruffly.
Methos hung up.
"That bad?" Prentiss asked studying his face.
He smiled wryly.
"About what I expected really."
"Max?"
"I didn't tell you about her?" Methos asked mildly knowing full well he hadn't. He didn't share much about the people in his life. A reflex honed over the years. Keeping identities separate was tricky enough without blurting out a shared acquaintance's name and blowing a hard won cover. Of course there were other reasons he didn't generally talk about Max with people that hadn't met her. Prentiss had met Max, and presumably reflexively analyzed and profiled her, still, there were aspects of Max that only made sense in the big picture. Prentiss shook her head and took his arm.
"Your homicidal protégé?" She asked with a smile.
"Well yes I suppose she is. She's had a rough time."
"She's immortal?" Prentiss asked more out of reflex than ignorance.
"Yes." Methos confirmed leading them out of the terminal.
"An immortal working for the U.S. military?" She asked carefully.
"It's a bit more complicated than that." He sighed.
They got into a cab and continued to speak in hushed tones. A plastic barrier and the noise of the street muffled their conversation from the driver.
"Max works for a secret program within the U.S. Military ostensibly under the purview of the USAF. In practice it's overseen by an international committee."
"What? An organization like that would have to be public knowledge –"
"Bare with me love. The committee was created after the military was forced to involve governments outside the U.S. –"
"Wait, you're talking about something secret that the USAF – don't tell me you're talking about aliens." She hissed.
Methos smiled vaguely and gave her a short, sharp, affirmative nod.
She made an annoyed scoffing noise and he took her hands in his.
"I swear to you, it's true. I can't tell you too much it's not safe for you –"
"Not safe!" She snapped, she was tired of him protecting her by treating her like a mushroom, kept in the dark and fed on shit.
"Shhh, they won't come after you but it would expose you, make you vulnerable to interested parties." He said intently.
"Listen, Max is…if things were different she'd be a hunter or she might even cross your desk."
"She's a serial killer?" Prentiss asked studying Methos' face.
"Yes and no, look technically speaking we're all serial killers, usually because we've no choice, but hunters are different, they choose it because they like it or need it."
"And your friend Max?"
"Both, potentially. Look, her first death was brutal, she woke up wearing rags, covered in blood. She spent months trying to put her life back together then went after the man that killed her. Mind you, she didn't realize he'd killed her at the time. She found him and …well then I foundher. Macleod and I did what we could to sort her out but the damage was done. She's a compulsive killer Prentiss, a monster by most definitions –"
"An immortal serial killer is working for a secret military organization that deals with aliens?" She hissed studying his face.
"I know what it sounds like, just…just let me finish. Please."
Prentiss held his gaze then nodded, she cut a glance toward the cabbie, he appeared to be preoccupied with negotiating traffic.
"Look, Max is severely fucked up but she's aware of it, also and more importantly her first priority is survival and hunting immortals and killing mortals is a great way to die young. She's stubborn and vicious, self-sacrificing and loyal – once you've earned it. She's also capable of being one of the most deadly people I've ever met."
"She doesn't sound like a sociopath or a psychopath."
"She's not."
"Then why does she kill?"
"Call it a misfire in her survival wiring, everything is a threat to her, everyone. Therefore, given a chance and enough provocation, she'll kill you first. It isn't personal it's just how she works."
Emily mulled it over.
"She's aware of her impulses?"
"Absolutely."
"You said she's loyal once you've earned it? How did this organization earn it?"
"They saved her life, sort of, it's a long story and it's not mine to tell really."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because she's stopped communicating and Macleod is making a fuss."
"And?"
"And there's a chance I'll have to go talk some sense into him."
"We will have to go."
"Right." He agreed the vaguest hint of pink coloring his cheeks.
"What else? I heard Jarod's name."
"He was in Seacouver looking for me."
"Jarod, I didn't think I'd ever see him again."
Methos didn't answer he was looking out the cab's window.
"Hey, what is it?" She asked gently. Her anger was fading replaced with concern for her lover and distracted by trying to process the apparent existence of aliens.
"Something happened to us on Carthis, all of us, I think it changed Jarod."
Emily thought of the snatches she recalled, the bits of dreams.
"I know, I don't know what but he's at the center of it. Do you have any guesses?"
He thought about a rooftop meeting and a headache.
"Maybe, more suspicions than anything else right now."
"Well, here's a question, how did she do it?"
"Who?"
"Jarod's mother, she managed to lure us into that room and then … I don't really remember, but how did she lure us in? Why? How did she manage to do whatever she did?"
"Too many questions." Methos growled.
"You think he'll come here?" Aaron asked.
"He loved Prentiss, he'll be here."
Hotchner studied Jarod's face.
"How did you know I'd be here?" Jarod asked.
"It's the closest restaurant to your hotel and it is frequented by local law enforcement and government agents."
Jarod smiled and nodded.
"That's how I know Methos will come back to the city." Jarod said and sipped his ginger ale.