"Where the hell is he...he is late. He is never late. Something has gone wrong." Emily Taylor was certain. "Please...let me take a team...we can help."
"The Major took you off the roster, Emmy. I can't let you risk another team, anyway." Hammond's tone was gentle, his eyes soft on the fretful little features. "Frank would be the last to want that...right?"
"But...he is never late...it's his one saving grace...." She wrung her hands together, unaware of doing so. "I...I know where they went. I can go alone and see if..."
"You'll go nowhere...bitch." Cromwell had a little difficulty navigating the stairs in his present state, therefore...understandably...was not in the best of humor. "I told you to stay here. Think I said that for my health?"
"God...you're hurt " She hadn't even responded in kind...so concerned was the woman.
"Well..Duh " The man lay his P-90 on a nearby table. Examining his shoulder wound absently. "Damned staff weapons...they...hurt " He barked to no one in particular. He glanced out the glass windows to the floor below. "They got that fucking thing up and ready to go?"
"Yes...we're just waiting on you." Hammond had come closer to examine the blood soaked uniform and vest as well. "Get a medic up here..." He told a near-by computer worker. The man rushed to do the older man's bidding.
"You going to be alright, son?"
"Hurts like hell, sir...just a scratch, though." Cromwell dismissed.
"You sure? Looks like you lost some blood there."
"Nah...it's cool. Really. Thank you sir." Cromwell nodded his...thanks.
"I assume...you accomplished your objective?" Hammond had never had any doubts.
"The guys took the generators directly down there, sir." Frank motioned. All stepped to watch the commotion taking place. Workers diligently attached what had to be attached...under the supervision of Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson.
"Think it will work?" Frank wanted an opinion from someone he knew and trusted. His brown eyes sought George Hammond's.
"Col. O'Neill thinks it will....we'll just have to wait and see what happens."
"And if he is right...what 'happens'....to us?" Emily hadn't thought of it before in terms rather than...Cromwell...but now...she had another reason to want to stick around a while.
IN ALL PROBABILITY...NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
"Why do you say that, Evvie?" Cromwell did not take his attention from the activities below.
WE ARE NOT IN THE COL.'S TIME LINE.
"But, he is in ours...what's that mean...has to mean...something. If he alters...one..." Emily left the rest unsaid.
HE WAS BROUGHT HERE FOR HIS PROTECTION. BUT IT IS IMPERATIVE HE RETURNS TO HIS WORLD NOW. THEIR FUTURE HAS CHANGED. IT MUST BE RE-ESTABLISHED.
"Is that a theory, Evvie?" Cromwell held his amusement but his arm was killing him and he just wanted to take lots of pain pills and go to sleep for about 3 days. He would never admit that to anyone, of course. So...he...carried on, business as usual.
She did not rise to the bait.
"I'll go get the Col." Hammond wanted to tell Jack O'Neill the good news himself.
The silence came and remained.
Cromwell could feel the woman's eyes on his averted profile.
"You worried about me?"
"I was worried about the guys." She lied. "You look awful. And you smell even worse."
"Well...being a diversion can be dirty...smelly work." He turned a lazy gaze to her. "Wasn't worried, not even a little bit, hum?"
"Hardly."
"What was that thing with Hammond all about then?"
"I don't know what you're talking about...." She stepped out of the way...the medic had arrived. She watched while Cromwell was divested of his blood -soaked vest...he grimaced accordingly...and stoically allowed the shirt...which had dried to his flesh to be cut away and torn the rest...from his bleeding shoulder wound.
Emily winced inwardly...but, stalwartly refused to show any emotion outwardly.
"We'll need to get that cleaned up...few days in the infirmary should..."
"Can't. Got a mission." Cromwell vetoed the medic's advise.
"Then...shot of antibiotic and clean what I can...might get infection and fever."
Crowell shrugged both mentally and would have...physically...but he halted that process mid..shrug. It hurt too damned much. "Owww."
"You shouldn't go...you might jeopardize the mission...send someone else." Emily jumped on the one thing that he might just listen to...common sense.
"Such as?"
"You think you're the only man around here that's good at what they do?" She snapped. "You are NOT irreplaceable, you know."
"You think I'm good at...what I do?" He held his grin with great difficulty...his meaning made abundantly clear to the woman.
"The Col needs someone who is not going to be a liability to him." She put it more bluntly.
Cromwell's eyes hardened. Then....he...relaxed. "You're trying to piss me off...lose my perspective when I'm...pissed...don't I. Not gonna happen. I'm going."
"Oh, I had no doubt." She disdained. "Can't let the great Jack O'Neill down..can we..what about me? What about the kid? That mean anything to you?"
Cromwell...drew in a cleansing breath. "What do you want from me?" He asked tightly. "There's some heavy shit going down here. What am I supposed to do? The kid is everything to me." He wanted to include the woman but...didn't know quite how to do that yet. If she would just drop her fucking guard with him...just....once. But, she hadn't...so...he couldn't ...or wouldn't take that first step until she did. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I'll come back. I always do."
"Not when you're with ...him." Emily could not help but remember the tapes she had listened to of Jack O'Neill's 'world'....of how Frank had been... She shut her mind off. She couldn't deal with that image right now. "Why can't you let someone else go? Why?"
"Cause he needs me, baby." The man stepped closer, lifting her chin, his thumb and forefinger holding the warm flesh gently. His eyes searched the fretful ones, his gaze warm. . "Take a hike." He mentioned in passing to the medic who had just prepared a shot for the man.
"Can I give this first?"
Cromwell...turned and...looked at the man.
The medic...sighed and...gave them some privacy.
Frank returned his attention to... "And...I know...you'll be needing me...so..." He leaned and placed his mouth to hers for a long beat. "I'll...be....back."
She felt better. She just didn't know why she felt better. There was certainly no damned logic to it.
"We got a few hours before...'D' Day....wanna play?" He thought to lighten her mood..or hell...maybe his own.
"No " She grated, knocking his hand aside. She was not in the mood for...that
"You know that thing you like to do but I hardly ever let you do? You can...do it now...if you want." He sweetened the pot.
The woman...hesitated then...looked at him.
Frank needed to be close to her. In his heart...he was not as confident as he wanted her to think. He needed to feel her one last time. Her touch...her kisses...her..closeness. Her scent. He could have easily put all he was feeling into words...he had no problem with expressing his emotions.
No...he was not the one that had the fucking problem.
But..he understood and...accepted.
"...What...do you mean?" She pouted still but he knew he had her attention.
He..stepped closer..glanced to the others in the room and stepped...again, lowering his voice. "The shaving thing? You know how I get when...you do that. How...fucking turned on it makes me. I want to eat your cunt. I want to fuck your cunt...hard...fast...I can't get enough of that hot pussy....why is that? It's just a pussy...you know how many I have had?"
Yes...the girl closed her eyes to the fact. She knew. She knew all about the others.
"And the worse thing? I find myself not wanting them any longer." He did not touch her...but it felt like her skin was on fire. Just the sound of his voice make her content. "It's your damned fault. What the hell have I let you reduce me to?" The man shook his head woefully, looking off into space.
The silence was strained...especially for the man. "...When I was sitting out there..in the dark...waiting for the others to give the signal...I was thinking..." He hesitated.
She woman glanced up, her eyes on the darkly tanned features she so loved. Please finish. She willed the man...please don't stop...confide in me. I swear to God...I won't let you down. Not like she did...not like the bitch.
"What the hell kind of world are we bringing this kid into? And then I thought. Doesn't matter." Frank set his jaw line and his mind. "I'll make it a good one. I'll see he gets whatever he needs. Fuck the Goa'uld. Things are going to change around here. Jack O'Neill is the solution to the problem, baby...don't you see?" He shifted an earnest stare and those deep brown eyes melted her heart. "Not the problem...wherever this guy is? Good shit happens. It's like he lives a damned charmed life or something. Like..someone or...some...thing..is watching over him. Making sure he does the right thing. Must be, cause he such as hell ain't that bright on his own."
The girl..smiled. "You...idiot." She had not wanted to laugh. And...she managed to keep it to a small chuckle to her credit. "...alright." She gave in. She was used to it. "...then...we do what the great man wants. We will do...what...YOU...want."
He looked into those incredible eyes for a long beat. "You ok with that." He needed reassurance. Fuck, he wanted to touch her.
She...nodded. Then lowered her head.
"...Is it because of what I said?" He wanted it to be. "Because you believe me?"
"No." She dashed his hopes. She lifted a sultry stare. "It's because I want to suck your dick."
Cromwell blinked. Hadn't expected...that. "...Hey...that works too." He shrugged the massive shoulders.