CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Conditional
Seeing General O'Neill waiting for them when they came through the gate from Jonas's homeworld was a memory Amelia would cherish for a long time. Relief and elation at their triumphant escape were making her feel almost giddy.
Jonas seemed to be taking things more in stride. "Jack," he said, looking thoroughly exhausted. Amelia had to remind herself that it hadn't been that long ago he'd been almost dead with injury. It felt like years had passed. "Sam and Daniel are being held prisoner in Bastet's former stronghold Bubastis. They—" he paused for breath and gave a wince, reaching for his side where he'd been struck in his fight with the Jaffa. Amelia stepped closer.
"Hey, easy," said Jack, stepping forward. "You can tell me everything as soon as you've been checked out by Doctor Brightman." He glanced over at Amelia. "Both of you."
"Oh, I'm fine, General," she began to assure him. "I—"
"Amelia," he warned lowly.
"Yes, sir." For the first time in hours, Amelia remembered her burnt fingers. They still ached, but only if she stopped to realize it. She'd just been too preoccupied to think about them.
"That's right. Let's get you to the infirmary," said Jack. He nodded at one of the SF's standing guard, and the young man moved to help Jonas much as Amelia had done just before they'd escaped Bubastis.
She and Jack followed. "By the way," he added, "nice outfit."
Amelia could not help but grin. She blamed it on the adrenaline. "Thanks. I think I'll keep it as a souvenir."
"I can recommend a great dry cleaner's."
She smiled again. Then something abruptly occurred to her. "Oh, um, General? There's something we probably ought to tell you."
Ahead of them, Jonas twisted a bit to catch her eye and gave a wry smile. Jack noted this exchange and frowned. "Do I want to know?"
"Probably not," Jonas said, and turned to face forward again. "Tell him, Amelia."
"Well, Malek is inside Jonas."
Jack stopped in his tracks, causing everyone else to do the same. "Malek— what?" he asked.
"It's kind of a long story."
The general passed a hand over his longsuffering face. "Oh, for crying out loud,' he muttered. Then he sighed, shaking his head. "Well, add it to the list." He gestured forward with his hand. "Let's keep moving."
When Sarah woke up, it took her several long, groggy moments to register why the alarm clock sounded even more obnoxious than usual. Then she realized it wasn't the alarm clock, but the phone. It was General O'Neill, and the news he had made her more alert than the world's strongest pot of coffee. They knew where Daniel was. More importantly, he was probably still alive.
She'd dressed in record time and was one of the first to arrive in the briefing room. General O'Neill was talking on the phone in his office. He saw her, gave a distracted nod, and kept his attention on whoever he was talking to on the other end.
Sarah looked around and extremely surprised to see the young alien, Jonas Quinn, standing near the top of the spiral staircase. Even more surprising, he was deep in conversation with Larassette, who seemed to be heeding his words with particular consideration. As far as Sarah knew, the two had only just been introduced. Yet their posture suggested they were very familiar.
Almost simultaneously, the two looked over and saw Sarah. "Doctor Gardner," Larassette greeted, and Sarah stepped closer, close enough to realize, with a jolt of shock, that between now and the time Jonas Quinn had departed on a rescue mission a week ago, he'd somehow acquired a symbiote.
"You're Tok'ra," she blurted, before she could stop herself. "How—?"
"I'm sure everything will be explained in the briefing," he said simply.
Larassette stepped forward, "Doctor Gardner, I'd like you to meet Commander Malek. And of course you know Jonas Quinn."
Between excitement over the good news about Daniel and amazement at this new twist, Sarah became even more impatient for the meeting to begin. They were soon joined by Teal'c, Colonel Reynolds and a handful of other military personnel, as well as a girl with pale red curls and freckles whom General O'Neill introduced as one Amelia Kinsey. When everyone had arrived and they all took their seats, Sarah found herself between Teal'c and Larassette. Then, everyone compared stories.
"There's one thing I'm not getting," General O'Neill said at last. "If Anat implanted Malek's host with a different Goa'uld, how is it he didn't tell her about the tunnels? She should have been waiting for you like a spider in a web."
Malek seemed to have considered this. "Aledar has been host to a symbiote for over fifty years. It is possible for a host with a strong enough mental acuity to exude some influence over his or her symbiote, and my guess is that the Goa'uld Anat provided was probably quite young. I can think of no seasoned Goa'uld who would embrace the idea of taking a former Tok'ra host for their own, however strong the inducement."
"There's another thing that might be working in our favor, General," Sarah added.
He raised his eyebrows. "Doctor?"
She looked around the table, nervously. "As you know, I've been doing my best the past few days to recall, as much as I am able, Osiris's memories of Anat. It's been difficult, but I get the sense she was not exactly what you'd call the sharpest tack in the barrel. For a Goa'uld she was more than usually reckless and sloppy. Before her success with her brainwashing technology, her attempts to reach system lord status were considered quite an entertaining subject for jokes among the other Goa'uld."
Jack leaned forward. "An absentminded professor Goa'uld? How did we get so lucky?"
Sarah smiled. "She believes as soon as her technology is perfected, any oversights she might have made will be irrelevant in light of her single, superior advantage."
"A foolish assumption," said Teal'c. "Based upon what Amelia Kinsey has told us, Ba'al is no doubt the true master of Anat's advantage."
Larassette nodded firmly. "He's in firm position to seize it as soon as ever he desires."
"Through my father," Amelia said quietly from the other side of Malek.
The female Tok'ra looked over at her and nodded. "I am surprised it has taken him so long to strike. Even with the technology unperfected, Ba'al would still have much to gain from its use."
"Do you think he's just waiting to see how things play out?" asked Colonel Reynolds. "Maybe he thinks Colonel Carter can fix it."
Jack shook his head. "Ba'al knows Colonel Carter was once a host, something Anat obviously doesn't. Which brings us to our other advantage: If what Doctor Gardner has remembered is accurate, then Colonel Carter is our wild card. If we can maneuver things right, she'll probably be in a great position to help us. I want plans, contingency plans and contingency plans of the contingency plans. We're going to get our people out and home this time." He looked around the table. "All of them."
Amelia raised a hesitant hand. "General?" Jack glanced at her and she asked, "Does that include my father?"
A strange kind of pain passed through the General's eyes as he looked back at the girl, a deep, unfathomable sadness. "Of course it does, Amelia." He sighed. "So. Suggestions?"
"We will not be able to infiltrate Bubastis by means of the Stargate," said Malek. "If it was too well-guarded before, it will be doubly so by now. We must reach the planet by ship."
Sarah turned to gauge Jack's reaction to this suggestion. He was uncharacteristically subdued, a testament to how deeply focused he was.
"It is a three days' journey by starship," Teal'c pointed out.
"Two and a half if we push the engines really hard," Jack said. He ran his hands through his hair, still frowning. "The point is, we can't afford to wait that long. You can bet our friend Anat isn't just going to sit there and wait for us to show up. I think Jonas and Amelia have probably forced her to tip her hand."
Now Malek and Larassette exchanged pointed, knowing looks. Malek nodded slightly and Larassette addressed the general. "We have access to an al'kesh," she said. "It's hidden on a system only half a day's journey from Bubastis."
Jack threw them both a scowl. "Funny how often you guys have ships stashed away at times when it's convenient for you."
Malek was nonplussed. "If your amusement makes the vessel undesirable to you, General—"
"No, no," Jack interrupted. "We'll take it. Thanks," he added with a mumble. He glanced down at his reports. "Well, that cuts down on the number of possible personnel, but I get the distinct feeling speed is more critical here than numbers. Jonas—" he looked up, "—um, and Malek, I'm going to need you to come along. I know those secret tunnels are probably no good to us anymore, but we could still benefit from your knowledge of the fortress layout. I want Teal'c and SGs three and twelve to come along, as well."
"General," Sarah spoke up, "if you think it would be helpful, I'd be willing to come. I might remember something useful once I'm there, and I'd like the opportunity to contribute."
He shook his head. "Thank you, Doctor Gardner, but those memories are pretty patchy and you always need time to stop and figure them out. I don't think we'll have that luxury this time." He glanced over at her and then at Larassette. "But if you really want to help, I have a different idea."
The next few hours were a frenzy of activity. Malek's expertise was needed on many fronts, so Jonas was mostly left to observe through his own eyes the plans for the rescue. First there were battle plans to draw up, which meant making passable representations of the basic layout of the fortress for the benefit of General O'Neill's men.
After that, Malek's was called to the science labs. Besides being a commander, he was also an accomplished scientist, specializing in biochemistry. Together, he and Larassette worked hard for nearly three hours preparing a chemical inhibitor designed to overcome and subdue a symbiote and host instantaneously.
"What sort of delivery system will we be using?" Larassette asked once they finally implemented the necessary chemical reaction.
"Your tipped ring should be sufficient," Malek told her. "As a security officer, no one will think twice of its presence among your gear."
"Unless they prick themselves with it," Larassette pointed out wryly.
This made Jonas want to laugh. To his surprise, Malek smiled slightly. "Then be careful that they don't. I have procured another for Doctor Gardner."
Larassette and Doctor Gardner would be returning to the Tok'ra. The plan was to feign ignorance of the imposter Malek's true identity long enough to get close to him. This accomplished, it would be a simple matter to inoculate him with the compound. The tranquilizer, as it effectively was, was fast-acting enough to prevent the Goa'uld from killing Aledar before he could be safely separated from his uninvited guest. Both Malek and Larassette felt reasonably assured of the success of this plan.
"Commander, I hope you do not disapprove of the choices I have made since the attack," Larassette said as they worked. Malek looked over at her and she continued. She seemed nervous. "Since my discovery of Delek's betrayal I have found it a very difficult thing to trust."
Malek considered his words carefully before he replied. Jonas could practically hear the thoughts tumbling one over the other. "Mistrust is the oldest enemy of the Tok'ra," he said at last. "You did well to be cautious. But I know it must have been difficult for you, working without input from your own kind."
She nodded. "I felt an overwhelming sense of relief when you returned. But the experience has been a good one. I have a new appreciation for the Tau'ri and the Jaffa. And myself," she added thoughtfully.
"We must begin preparations for another dose of the compound," Malek said at last, not quite sure what sort of comment was an appropriate response to this moment of introspection.
"Why?"
"General O'Neill intends to try a similar means of capturing Amelia's father," Malek said slowly as he carefully lifted a vial for inspection. Here he pressed his lips together and Jonas bore the brunt of a sudden flare of rage from the Tok'ra. Malek had his own private opinion on the matter of rescuing Kinsey. It was very difficult for Jonas not to buy into the strong hatred, especially not after he'd shared in Malek's memories of the torture Amelia had suffered at Kinsey's hands aboard the ha'tak.
He had barely seen Amelia all day. After the briefing, during which she'd said very little, Amelia had been given quarters and had collapsed in a much-deserved sleep. Jonas, of course, had been preoccupied ever since then, but she was always in the back of his thoughts.
There was no doubt in his mind now that everything they'd shared together two years ago was still alive, a healthy blaze merely asleep beneath a few trifling embers. Even Malek's presence had ceased to be confusing. At some point along the line, Jonas's rival had quietly admitted defeat. His piercing jealousy had lessened to a resigned sadness, and oddly enough, he seemed to take comfort in not-so-subtle efforts to encourage Jonas's line of thought.
That line of thought both thrilled and terrified him, but any vestiges of hesitation on the matter were becoming utterly eclipsed by one, all-encompassing reality: He didn't want to live without her anymore.
When they had finally made enough preparations to General O'Neill's satisfaction, the teams were given a one hour deadline before embarkation. Doctor Brightman expressed a brief concern that Jonas was not sufficiently rested to undergo such a dangerous mission, but her concerns were dismissed. Jonas had Malek, which equaled a couple dozen cups of coffee for stamina. He assured her that he would rest during their precious period aboard the al'kesh. Then he took the elevator to level twenty-five.
Amelia's Secret Service agents were standing on either side. They'd arrived rather abruptly in the infirmary after Amelia and Jonas had first returned from their stopover on Langara, taking both Jonas and Amelia by surprise and causing Jack to roll his eyes rather violently. But, as Jack had explained to Jonas, they were nothing short of religiously devoted to their jobs. They also seemed to take it as a black mark against them that Amelia's adventure had befallen her in the first place.
Jonas was accustomed to guards at every turn at the SGC, so two of them in slightly different trappings did little to deter him. He knocked on the door. He hoped she wasn't still asleep, but he couldn't be sure. Still, at this point it didn't matter.
To his relief, the door opened after only a few brief moments, as long as it would take for someone to walk across the room. Amelia was wearing gray pajamas and a thin robe. Her hair was pulled into a messy knot of curls at the back of her neck. She smiled when she saw him, and his stomach jerked with a sudden onslaught of nerves.
"Hi," she said softly.
"Hi. Can I come in?"
Amelia stepped aside and he brushed past her into the room, where he immediately began fidgeting while she closed the door. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"I did, thank you. What did I miss?"
"We've got the rescue ops planned as best we can. We're leaving within the hour. Both teams."
Amelia sighed and sat on the bed. "I wish there was something I could do to help. But I know it would be stupid and dangerous for me to tag along."
"How does your hand feel?" he asked, his eyes falling on her bandaged fingers.
She picked up her hand to scrutinize it. "Better," she said. "Stiff, though. Doctor Brightman says I probably won't have the mobility I'm used to for several weeks."
"So, no violin until then?"
She shook her head and made a resigned face. "No violin. Which I guess kind of works out. I don't even have one anymore. It seems Lieutenant Casserman was obliged to leave the instrument on Bilkah while he focused on making it through the stargate alive." She looked up at Jonas, eyes twinkling. "Unless we want to mount a third rescue mission?"
He laughed. "As much as Jack likes you, somehow I don't think he's going to go for that."
"I think you're right."
"But it doesn't matter. You still have a violin. Don't you remember?"
Her eyes softened. "Of course I remember. How could I forget? How is it doing?"
"Quite well. Even survived Anubis's attack on Kelowna City. Which, I'm here to tell you, is every bit as impressive as it sounds."
She grinned. "You'll have to tell me about that sometime."
He finally ceased his nervous pacing and sat down on the bed beside her, looking long and steadily into her eyes. "Maybe I will," he said softly. "But you can have the violin back, if you want it. On one condition."
Amelia seemed to be aware something serious was afoot. There was no trace of the coquette in her voice as she replied. "And what's that?"
He tightened a grip on his courage and plunged. "Marry me."
Her eyes widened in unmistakable surprise. "Marry you?" she repeated numbly. "Jonas—"
"I don't care where or when or how," he rushed on. "I don't know where we'll live or even how we'll work it out yet, but all you need to say is yes and I promise we'll find a way. Amelia, please. I love you." He leaned in close. "Please," he urged again. He put his hand behind her neck and kissed her softly.
Amelia's raised her hand and rested her fingertips against his cheek, her thumb brushed under his jaw; her whole hand was perched near his face like a skittish bird that lingered there willingly, yet was ready to flee. Almost unconsciously, he brought his other hand up to cover hers, to keep her from flying away. Their fingers threaded together and he deepened the kiss, a gentle but persistent form of persuasion. Still, she hesitated. He pulled away.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"N—nothing, exactly," she stammered. She gave a quavering smile and touched his lips, almost sadly. "It's just, you took me by surprise. I hadn't expected—" She lowered her hand again, frustrated, and looked into his eyes. "I want to marry you, Jonas. I really do. I just— I think I need some time. To try and sort through it. My mind is going about a thousand directions at once."
He laughed awkwardly. "Mine too."
She gave a shaky breath. "Give me a couple of days?"
Trying his best to hide his flare of selfish disappointment, Jonas nodded. Together, they stood to their feet. "In the meantime," he said, "we've got a rescue to pull off."
She nodded, her face worried. Then she pulled him into a tight hug. "Just come back safely," she said. "Both of you."
"We will," he said. "I've got to go get dressed." Reluctantly, he broke away from her and turned toward the door. Just as he reached for the handle, Amelia called his name.
He turned, and she smiled. A smile that was only for him, subdued, but heartfelt. "I do love you," she said. "Just so you know."
It was enough for now.
A/N: Nothing much to say, I guess. Busy preparing my final presentation for Spanish Conversation 301 on the guitarrist Andrés Segovia.