A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to ask for matute's forgiveness. I know you know what I'm talking about. I hope you're not mad. And I hope you liked the "you-know-whats" that I sent you eons before. And I'm going to send a few more! XD
Chapter Spoilers: Deadman's Switch, Ascension
"For her price is above rubies." – Proverbs
26
The first thing Malek became aware of, as he slowly came to, was the dull throbbing inside his head. Thinking that changing positions would help lessen the pain somewhat he moved but stopped as soon as razor sharp pain pierced his neck and back.
He sucked air through tightly clenched teeth as his body tensed, waiting for the floodtide of pain to abate. There was nothing he wanted more but sink back into blissful oblivion until all major injuries were, if not completely, healed.
The rest of his body started reporting in and their overall assessment wasn't good: His shoulder felt odd. It was somewhat heavy and numb. Probably dislocated, or worse, broken. His bones ached and the muscles sore. His chest burned with every breath he took. Twinges of pain would erupt down his hip, in sync with the persistent throbbing inside his skull. He tasted blood in his mouth and the side of his face was wet and sticky as blood trickled down to his chin. He was surprised to find himself trembling uncontrollably from a slight fever gone unnoticed till now.
In a healthier state, Malek could easily heal those that ailed them within a manner of hours. But in his present condition, accomplishing such feat was close to impossible and most certainly dangerous. He could still heal them but in a painstakingly slow process or it could mean the end of his life.
He opened eyes that wouldn't obey and found himself in near total darkness. Malek looked about wildly, slumbering senses jumpstarting to heightened alertness, suddenly remembering everything in a rush of memories.
Torture. Pain. Blood. Dreams that continued to haunt them. Danem.
He instinctively reached out to his host, calling out his name and found him still unconscious, tucked under what was left of the mental barrier he had built around his friend, hoping to protect Danem's consciousness from the torture they were about to undergo. He was torn between waking him up and letting him be, wanting to assure himself that nothing serious had happened to him.
Something in the air immediately caught his attention and it was nowhere near pleasant. Malek wrinkled his nose as it assailed his senses trying to find the source of that putrid smell, a cross between burnt flesh and melted electrical wiring.
He didn't have to look very far for the source was just a feet or two away to his right. A small mound of what appeared to be the remains of a small fire. Tendrils of dark brown smoke floated lazily upwards as Malek stared mesmerized.
[ Don't worry, it's dead.
Malek froze.
[ Luckily, I was able to get it out of your system before it could do some serious damage.
Memories of dreamlike quality jarred his mind: a Jaffa forcing him to swallow something. The uncontrollable retching as a gentle hand rubbed his back while a voice urged him on. There were others hovering just beyond his reach but whenever he tried to mold them into a cohesive form, they would dart about wildly avoiding his futile attempts of holding them all in place.
Maya's slim figure was perched on top of one of the smaller crates by the tent's entrance. She was sitting cross-legged, indolently looking down at him, face propped on one hand.
[ Normally, I don't hang around waiting for prisoners to wake up. But for you, I'm willing to make an exception.
It wasn't about her continued presence there that got him all shook up. Rather, it was the manner on how the words were communicated to him. [ You are –
[ I'm in your head? She jumped from her perch and sat on her hunches beside him. [ Yes.
[ That… thing… was alive and inside me? It was hard to think straight with his mind in a fuzzy haze and his body protesting with every movement he'd dare make.
[ And I thought Tok'Ra were not a fickle lot?
[ How -
[ I am Maya, by the way. You're the Tok'Ra symbiote Malek and your host is…? When he didn't answer, she continued, [ I'm sure he has a name.
[ Are you a telepath? Malek asked, ignoring her question. He was not of a mind to play games. It was too much for his brain to comprehend at the moment. Through the years, Tok'Ra had encountered species that are telepathic, both benevolent and malevolent. Some are still around while most had been mercilessly wiped out into a handful few by the Goa'ulds when they stumble upon them.
[ No. But I have something that could.
[ The memory device?
She didn't stop him when he pulled the deactivated device off his temple. [ We both know how limited those things are. However, advanced Goa'uld technology is.
Malek frowned. A device that could generate an artificial telepathic link? Goa'uld technology might be termed "advanced" but it was nothing compared to a race he knew that once dominated the galaxy millions of years before.
She threw him a flask of water before stalking away to continue her vigil by the entrance. The cool liquid was the sweetest he'd tasted in a long while because the prisoners' water supply was contaminated, tainted to a dark brown color and had a nasty smell. He was hard pressed not to empty the container all at once and quickly recapped it before he changed his mind.
[ Are there any more of you here? she inquired, standing by the tent's entrance, cautiously looking outside.
[ Just us, indicating him and his host.
[ Good. It would make things much more easier.
[ Why?
She threw him a questioning glance.
[ Tok'Ra are sworn enemies of the Goa'uld. Therefore, we are your enemy as well.
[ I know who my enemies are, Tok'Ra, so do not put words into my mouth, she replied sardonically. [ The question is: Do you?
His frown deepened at her cryptic reply. [ The Jaffa that are with you hold you in high regard and does your bidding without question. A thing only reserved for their Goa'uld masters. But you are not one of them.
One delicate brow slowly arched as she looked down on him. [ Very observant. You're right. I'm not Goa'uld. But then again, you haven't met someone like me before.
[ Who are you?
[ If I tell you, I would have to kill you.
Malek lapsed into silence, contemplating her words. Maya returned her attention back outside. He reopened the flask and drank.
[ Does it need to be rationalized?
The Tok'Ra heard her sigh in his mind and puts down the container to look up at her. [ Nothing is done without reason.
[ Then my reasons are my own.
[ So why should we trust you?
[ Trust has nothing to do with what I am offering you: a way out of here. Annoyance was dripping in every word she said.
As if to give strength to her words, the ground suddenly rumbled and a slight tremor gently rocked the camp. Outside, cries of surprise permeated the air as everyone realized what was happening. Fortunately, the earthquake, that was becoming more frequent, didn't increase like the previous ones did. It subsided after a few moments. Maya threw him a meaningful glare as her eyes roamed the shaking tent around them.
[ As you can very well see, this planet is tearing itself apart from the inside out. I'm sure you noticed the preparations we have been doing for days now. We're simply waiting for them to come pick us up. If you are still here on the day we are to leave, I cannot guarantee your safety or what will happen to you.
[ How do you intend to help us?
[ Tomorrow evening, she began. [ We'll slip past the perimeter guards, avoid any patrolling sentries along the way and make a run for the Chappa'ai –
No.
Maya stopped short, blinking lavander eyes under delicate brows that arched in unmasked surprise. Somehow, Malek wasn't completely surprised that they would encounter an opposition regarding this idea. She looked at the Tok'Ra who shrugged helplessly as he returned her piercing gaze with a "hey-don't-look-at-me" look.
We can't leave the prisoners behind, Danem reminded his symbiote, indignant. If anything, the quiver in his voice gave every indication of the weakened state he's in. Malek, we promised we'd take them with us.
And we are not going to break that promise, Malek said, reassuringly. We simply have to bring back reinforcements with us.
By then, it'd be too late.
If you are planning to start an uprising, Danem, we are highly at a disadvantage. The prisoners are in no condition to fight, even though we are twice the enemy's number. Or have you not noticed that?
These are warriors who finds honor in death fighting in the field of battle. Much less so'd be a dishonor to their forebears, Danem argued.
You will only lead them to their slaughter, Malek retorted back, annoyed at his host for being quite stubborn. Oftentimes, Danem would be acquiescent, content to just step back and let Malek run the show (even though he could be a bit sarcastic once in a while about it). Of course, the latter would always ask for his host's counsel and that usually work almost always. But there were times when Danem's stubbornness rears its ugly head, which often, led to disagreements between the two of them.
[ This isn't the time nor the place to bicker amongst ourselves, Maya growled out warningly, halting the heated argument brewing between the two of them. They had completely forgotten about her. Her features softened, replaced by something akin to wonder. [ You care what happens to the prisoners?
[ Yes, answered Danem in a much stronger, less quivering, voice.
[ Even if some of them showed open hostility towards you?
[ I believe what my friend was trying to say is: we are thinking of the whole, not just the coveted few.
She fell into a thoughtful stupor, as if trying to find truth in their words. Malek once again took the opportunity to drink another draught of water from the flask. [ If we send out a message to the Tok'Ra, would that be sufficient enough for them to believe that it came from you?
[ By conventional means? No, they will not.
[ Not to mention, we're not in the same place we used to be, Danem added, morose.
[ So there's really no way to make them come and get you? Malek? Danem? Then as if second-guessing them, anger swept across her beautiful features. [ Can we please get past the "she works for a Goa'uld" issue and concentrate on what I am offering you? Isn't that what you wanted? Or are you too proud to accept the help from someone not one of your own?
It was Danem that spoke. [ We're not proud. Merely being cautious. You were the enemy until a few moments ago which piqued our interest. What prompted your sudden change of heart?
A low growl rumbled deep in her throat as she angrily turned away. The Tok'Ra waited patiently staring at her rigid back. She seemed to be fighting some inner battle with herself.
[ I am simply paying a debt, she muttered, looking over her shoulder at them. [ I ask you again: do you want to get out of this place or not? For I do not have all day.
[ We didn't say no, did we? Danem said sarcastically. For Malek, his scathing behavior was a good omen: his friend was becoming his old self again.
[ Then, question me no further! Otherwise, I would be forced to retract my offer.
[ Yes, Malek quickly cuts in. [ We had such a device.
She was instantly beside them, a hand frantically reaching inside the opening of her thick winter coat. [ This one? When they nodded, she gazed at it in wonder. [ Show me,
[ It's already got a pre-arranged message in it. All that's left missing is al-Kahira's Gate address.
[ Merenptah never gave it to you? She looked at them incredulously.
[ We tried but the System Lord never trusted anyone, most especially Goa'uld working under him, except for his First Prime. We were brought here via ship.
Maya flashed a genuine smile for the first time. [ I can easily provide that. Can I add a few more? To give your people an idea of what to expect once they get here.
[ By all means. However, we're not sure how much free memory's left.
[ I'll manage, she said confidently. [ There's one more thing, She turned her head to one side, and pushed the dark silken stresses away exposing her ear.
[ Are we supposed to be seeing something? Danem couldn't help commenting as they looked on.
[ Look closer,
At first, Malek couldn't see anything but bare flesh and, as he was about to comment on it, noticed something odd. Something shimmered on the topmost curve of her right ear, near the base, where it joined the rest of her head. As they continued to watch, the shimmer uncloaked a device they had never seen before, eliciting a soft gasp of wonder from the Tok'Ra.
It was slightly curved about ten centimeters long and more or less six centimeters wide. Malek looked at it curiously as it caught the pale light on its dull bronze surface and watched as she did something with it. It hugged the base snugly due to its shape, easily conforming to the ear's contour. It was completely hidden from sight unless one knew where and what to look for exactly.
[ Told you it's not your usual extract and interact device, Maya said as she looks at them. [ It has cloaking technology and is almost undetectable. The device once again disappeared from sight.
Malek was irrevocably drawn to her eyes. Up close, they were the darkest he'd ever seen that looking at them longer than necessary would certainly hypnotize him if he weren't careful.
[ It takes time getting used to, she said. [ I hope that once they do get this message, they'll act quickly. And soon. For if my companions decide not to kill you, this planet will.
The Tok'Ra nodded his agreement. There were over two hundred Jaffa prisoners in the mines, evacuating all of them would definitely be a daunting task. Intending to return the "link" (for Maya never divulged its name) device, he reached up to take it off of him but, this time, Maya stopped him.
[ No, she said. [ Keep it for the meantime. This way, we will able to keep in constant touch with each other without anyone noticing anything.
[ Do we have to wear it always?
[ No. I've programmed it to recognize only you so that you can take it on or off anytime you want. If another attempts to put it on, it will do nothing.
They nodded. The unvoiced fear in their minds was quickly silenced by her assurance.
She took the discarded memory device, placing it right back on his temple but left it deactivated. [ We need to be convincing. I will see to it that no one bothers you after this. You will be returned to your tent tomorrow morning so I suggest you take some rest. Say nothing about this even to those you trust. Spies abound everywhere. Even among the prisoners.
Malek once again nodded, putting her words at heart. Remembering what they were supposed to do, he reached out with one shaky hand and quietly asked for the communications device and showed her.
- - - o 0 o - - -
A soft ping outside the main corridor heralded the opening of the elevator doors as it reached its final stop for this ride. Out of it emerged a single occupant who seemed to have a very good reason to think that this particular day was going to be a good one. So good he almost felt like whistling.
He eagerly rubbed his hands together as he looked about, giving the impression of trying to decide where to venture out first when, in fact, a decision had already been made while he readied for work that morning.
Without thought, he patted his left breast pocket affectionately as a ghost of a smile twitched the corners of his mouth before continuing on his merry way.
- - - o 0 o - - -
As Sam sat there listening to Janet over the phone, her mind vaguely registered a sound rarely heard within the walls of Stargate Command: someone was whistling an old familiar tune somewhere outside her office.
At least someone's having a great day, she couldn't help thinking with chagrin and quickly dismissed the intruding noise from her mind in time to catch Janet's last sentence.
"…I can't help getting worried, Sam."
"I'm sure it was probably nothing, Janet."
"I hope so under the circumstances."
"Okay, I'll talk to him. Find out if there's anything wrong. I'll call you back as soon as I can."
Her friend finally relented after extracting another promise from the major and hung up. Sam sighed, biting her nails in distraction as she stared absentmindedly at the monitor in front her. If Janet was this disturbed Sam had reason to be worried, too. Dr. Janet Fraiser was known by her peers to have "solid balls of steel" and was hardly bothered by anything, except when it concerned the wellbeing of her patients. And the patient she was presently concerned about was a dear friend to both of them.
Fully immersed she was in her thoughts that it took her a moment to realize that the whistling had stopped and that a silhouette was standing quietly at the threshold of her office. Sam looked up.
"Colonel," she exclaimed, startled by the sudden appearance of her CO.
"Howdy," he said, with a lazy wave of his hand. He took a step inside and quietly looked around.
She looked at her watch. "Is it time for breakfast already?"
"Nah, breakfast'll be a little late today," he drawled, waving dismissively as he came nearer. Jack then braced both hands on the edge of the table and leaned all the way forward, intending to see what she was busy looking at the monitor, humming as he did so.
Sam leaned slightly back on her chair, to accommodate him, knowing very well what he was trying to do when a thought struck her. "That was you?"
"What?"
"The person whistling outside the hallway. It was you?"
There was a pause on the colonel's part before he answered, "Yeah,"
"Happy Together?"
"It's a classic!" he defensively asserted, clearly annoyed at her that very moment.
Sam backed off that instant. She must've struck a very rare, and equally sensitive, nerve and, although, she wore a somberwhatever-you-say look the sincerity of it was marred with a silly grin on her face. She never thought that the colonel was one to like a song like that. It was so unlike him. So unJack.
Jack irritatingly mouthed the word "What?" when he caught her grinning from ear to ear, sharply reminding him of that big, stripped cat in the story Alice in Wonderland. But her only reply was a helpless shrug of her shoulders afraid that if she opened her mouth she might not stop herself from laughing out loud.
"Whatchadoin'?" he asked sternly, quickly changing the subject, once again shifting his attention at the monitor in front of her that had graphs, charts and numbers on it.
"I'm making a comparison of our main database's Gate diagnostics records with those of our backup files," –pointing at the monitor in front of her and then at three others huddled close together– "to see if they all correspond with each other, thereby, eliminating the possibility of any tampering being done in an attempt to cover up whoever's tracks."
Jack ogled at the three monitors sitting quietly beside her. "We havethat much backup file?" he said incredulously much to her amusement. "Any luck?" in a voice that was anything but.
"We're doing it as fast as we possibly can, sir. Believe me," she sighed. "But the enormous amount of data was simply overwhelming. Hundreds of files and backups to process and examine. A year's worth of diagnostic reports from all shifts to go through and we still have no idea how long this has been going on or what to look for exactly other than what we do already know."
"So, you think those two transmissions weren't the first set of transmissions they sent but the last two transmissions in a series of… transmissions?"
"That's what we believe," she nodded. "My guess is that it may have started long before the Enosh even took center stage. Maybe when Earth and Langara started exchanging diplomatic envoys with each other."
"Well, for one thing, Jonas would surely be glad to hear that," Jack jested but it disappeared once he noticed Sam's sudden lapse to silence. "What?"
The major appeared hesitant. Like she didn't want to add any more to their already big dilemma. "The headhunters," was all she said.
Jack looked at her but said nothing.
"I mean, it couldn't be coincidental," she said. "And I don't think I'm the only one to say that the headhunters are obviously targeting two specific individuals: Daniel and Jonas. Not only that – they knew exactly when and where to find them."
"Oh, those guys come and go when the mood strikes them, Carter," Jack grunted, unconsciously scratching the back of his head in a rather slow motion. An automatic impulse on the colonel's part whenever he's in deep thought or confused, irritated or frustrated, nervous or furious. Knowing which all depended on the way he executed the motion and Sam knew for sure that he was in deep thought. "Besides, I don't think we ever left their list since Daniel reopened Earth's Stargate and we started busting their relative Goa'uld asses." He ended, matter-of-factly.
Sam gave him a look that silently told him how much she wanted to believe that.
"C'mon, Carter. You worry too much."
His words effectively chased away the gloomy thoughts running rampant in her mind back to their hiding places. Sam mentally shook herself before smiling gratefully at the colonel. "These reports alone will definitely keep me busy for days," she complained, returning the trend of their conversation back to the present, looking helplessly at the clutter around her. "Maybe weeks!"
"Good." Jack patronizingly tapped her shoulder when she sighed once more. "That'll keep Janet off my hair for a couple more days."
His 2IC looked crossly at him as Jack remembered something and he reached inside his left breast pocket. "Here,"
She took the small velvet pouch from him with upraised brows, alternately looking at Jack and at the pouch. He urged her to open it with a silent wave of the hand. She unknotted the cord that closed the opening of the bag and a single item fell on her palm. A bracelet.
Delicate brows arched as she looked at him in wonder, the question written all over her face.
"It's a souvenir from Ynaeya," he said casually, indicating the small trinket she held. He buried his hands deep into his BDU pants pockets and began rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "It's called negaii – a charm bracelet. Very popular with the people back there, hence, the expensive price tag. The Joint Ruling Council people gave it to us as gifts. A way of saying thanks for preventing another international dispute."
A silent "oh!" was her answer as she inspected the gift closely. There wasn't anything eye-catching about it. It seemed just like any other Earth-made trinkets sold on the planet. Small, dark, multi-faceted "beads" were strung together by a dark colored string and bound together by a knot on both ends holding them firmly in place. There were no clasps and the space empty space between the "beads" and the ends of the string suggested that they were meant to be tied together.
Jack took a step closer and asked for the bracelet, which she obediently handed back to him. When he asked her to extend her right arm she hesitated. "Sir, I can do it by myself."
He looked at her askance. Knowing that she couldn't possibly win against the man, she finally gave in and lets him do it.
Jack stepped back as soon as he's finished, letting the major inspect her newly acquired trinket. A few seconds more passed and she was still inspecting it silently. "So?"
Sam glanced at him.
"You like it?" he asked trying to mask his apprehension, but he was so bad at it. "I mean, if you don't we could always – "
"No, sir," she quickly cuts in. "It's perfect."
The colonel blinked, amazed. "Really?"
"Yes. Really. Thank you, sir." A genuine smile of satisfaction appeared on his lips. He opened his mouth to say something when the major added, "For one thing, these beads don't clash with our uniforms."
Jack's face fell. "Beads?"
Her smile was frozen in place. "They're not beads?"
The colonel sported a hurt look on his face as he came closer. "They're not beads," he said taking hold of her arm on one hand while pulling the lamplight towards them with the other, "nor are they, in any way or form, regular."
Jack placed the bracelet under the intense glare of the lamp and said nothing. Sam cast a covert glance at her commanding officer's way, her forehead knotted in question when she saw him silently staring at the negaii around her wrist. Not knowing of what else to do, she also stared at it.
On the verge of asking what they were waiting for something amazing happened. Under the bright light, the dark color of the beads began to slowly fade. Jack, with a note of satisfaction, glanced her way but the motion was lost to her as she continued staring at the bracelet on her wrist.
Some unseen force pulled the dark matter into the center of each bead and into inexistence, like they had their own nano black holes in them, showing the treasure lying underneath. Instead of the dark, unattractive beads that greeted her a few moments before, they were now replaced with more than a dozen small, glittering, multi-faceted red jewels -- the likes of which could easily rival the clearest rubies on the planet, sparkling brilliantly before them.
She stared awestruck at the negaii with eyes the size of golf balls as her jaw, literally, dropped to the floor. So captivated she was with it that she had completely missed the softening of Jack's face as he gazed upon her.
"These bracelets," he began softly, "were named after the person who first made them three hundred years ago out of spite to his father. His name was Artemio Negaii."
"Out of spite?" She looked at the tiny jewels in wonder. How could something so beautiful be created out of spite?
Jack nodded as he settled himself on a chair beside her. "If the story is to be believed, Artemio's old man had always been obsessed in finding these mythical "Tears of Anes", a gift from a god – no doubt a Goa'uld – who went AWOL afterwards. Anyway, the Tears were believed to possess unimaginable power and there were earlier records showing that the Tears do exist. Well, old man Negaii eventually found them after accidentally falling down a hole in the ground while on an expedition on some wasteland. The Tears were actually precious stones and these little babies are some of them."
"But the son made quite a huge fortune out of it," Sam said taking her wrist away from the lamplight, studying it away from the bright light.
"Not yet. Not at first," Jack answered and a puzzled frown swept across Sam's face. "Like you, all they saw were a bunch of rocks and the son, to insult his old man, strung the smallest ones he could find and made a bracelet out of it to remind him what an old fool dear Daddy was foolishly chasing a dream around the world. It took Artemio several years more to find out just how valuable the stones really were."
Sam mouthed the word "wow!" as she gazed wide blue eyes at the bracelet for the nth time. The jewels continued to sparkle with an inner light that was simply mesmerizing. She thoughtfully stared at the gift for a few seconds before she said something that totally caught him unawares. "I can't accept this, sir."
"What?" Jack blurted out.
A solemn Sam Carter presented her forearm to him to take the negaii off of her. "I can't accept this," she repeated a little louder, dead serious. "If this bracelet is, as you say, highly valuable then you should give it to someone in your family or put it away… make it a family heirloom or something."
"Carter," Jack sighed, exasperated. But she looked adamant and never made a move to put her arm away so he gently pushed it aside, with the back of his index and middle fingers, to properly look at his 2IC with a stern look of his own. "You are family."
Sam began to protest but Jack quickly silenced her by raising a hand between them. "Ah-ah! I don't wanna hear any more "buts", major. It's yours. I gave it to you. And there it'll stay. Besides," he cautiously looked over his shoulder at the door behind him lowering his voice to a mere whisper, "I don't think red is Hammond's favorite color."
She chuckled when the colonel winked conspiratorially at her as he flashed one of his most charming smiles. Sam riveted her attention to the gift on her wrist and gasped. Jack also looked at it and saw the reason for her alarm: the sparkle was beginning to fade as it slowly went back to its original color. But instead of the mud color coating it previously had, a shade of the darkest red now hug her wrist.
"They said it's bound to happen," Jack said simply. "If it encountered strong, intense light for the first time whatever color appears will be a permanent one."
"Why?"
"Hmm?" Jack was staring at the negaii with a peculiar look on his face. "Oh! I dunno. Never bothered asking, really."
"Then how do you know what color is going to show up?"
"You won't," Jack said, bracing both forearms on the table and began swinging his chair left to right. "The stones only get their color once direct light's been applied to it combined with some other heat-whatsits. I must've zoned out after the first two sentences when they were trying to explain the physics behind the Tears and its various colors." Jack stopped swinging and rubbed his face lazily. "Never did like that particular subject. Physics."
He pushed himself out of his chair and beckoned, "C'mon, we'd better get moving. T and Daniel might be there already."
Sam gave a slight frown. "Where?"
"Jonas' quarters," the colonel replied over his shoulder as he headed towards the door. "Let's just say, it's got something to do with straightening some things out."
The major said nothing as she continued shutting off the computers.
"Carter, we're just going to have that long overdue chat with the kid," assured the colonel when he caught that look on her face before she could hide it. Concern. "That's all."
"Oh. Well, if that's the case - " she pushed the chair back and began tidying her desk a little. "Thanks again for the gift, colonel."
"You're welcome," he replied directing another smile at her. As he turned, Sam heard him mumble something under his breath she wasn't able to catch.
"Sir?"
"What?"
"You were saying something,"
"Oh… It's nothing."
Sam nodded her understanding and continued what she was doing. It was Jack who broke his own silence as he made an about-turn, retraced his steps and stood on the other side of the table from her.
"I was thinking how funny it was that the bracelet's color turned out red,"
Sam looked at him, confused. "Why?
"Well… I was thinking that it would turn… y'know… your color…" His hands made languid motions in the air. "Green."
Sam looked more confused than ever.
"Well, it's the color of your birthstone."
"What's that got to do with anything?" she inquired.
"Nothing. Nothing…" He was quick to answer, his voice lowering a notch with each word he said. "It's just that it'll pale by comparison to that humongous, microwave-destroying, homemade rock that that Ancient gave you all those years – " Jack blanched at that slip he made and quickly tried to save himself from embarrassment as he looked at her. "I didn't say green's a bad color. It's a nice color. Really. But red also looks nice on you. I mean, it makes me think of Proverbs…"
Sam's brows were rising higher and higher by the minute. Proverbs?
"Forget it," Jack gave up rather forlornly. "C'mon, Daniel and T might be wondering what's the hold up." He said with apparent nervousness and walked out the door not waiting for Sam at all as she stared agog after her commanding officer, trying to figure out what the heck he was talking about.