"Cam?" Jennifer asked confused as she opened her eyes and saw the Colonel lying next to her.
"Hey." He smiled.
"How did I get here? When did I get here?" She asked looking round the room realising she was in Cam's quarters.
"About three this morning I woke up to find you stumbling through the door before kicking off your shoes and climbing into bed."
"Sorry." Jennifer mumbled, looking embarrassed. "I don't remember much after coming back through the Stargate."
"You don't hear me complaining." Cam grinned. "Although, if in future you can pre warm your feet my legs would appreciate it." He added causing Jennifer to playfully slap his arm before suddenly sitting bolt upright and asking.
"What time is it?"
"Ten, but relax Cole radioed to say your shift is covered." Cam assured her, causing Jennifer to flop back down again, before asking.
"So how was your mission?"
"Well I was consumed by a planet, had my memories downloaded, got blackmailed into finding the arks and Daniel is ticked because I threatened to blow up the temple." He summarised. Jennifer looked at him, assuming he was teasing, but when his face remained serious she asked.
"You threatened to blow up the temple? Wait, what do you mean consumed by a planet?"
"It's a long story." Cam said before his face suddenly turned serious. "I need you to do some things for me."
"Okay."
"Firstly, if anyone asks what I said about the mission you have to tell them that summary I gave you. Secondly you have to promise never to go to that planet, but you can't tell anyone that I've asked you not to go." He explained. Seeing the confusion across Jennifer's face he went on. "I know this doesn't make sense, but I can't tell you anything else. I just need you to trust me and do as I say."
"Okay." Jennifer replied. "But promise me you'll be careful."
"I always am." He assured her before allowing his expression to soften as he asked.
"So how was your mission?"
"Long. It was a long walk to the village, several hours reassuring the villagers they weren't suffering from a plague, then a very long, steep, uphill walk back to the gate."
"I thought you were staying at the village overnight."
"We were going to, but the villagers warned us of a big storm that could have trapped us for days if we waited, so we came back."
"Good call." Cam smiled kissing her forehead.
"I thought you'd approve." She grinned before asking. "So you're not out on a mission today?"
"Nope. Today I'm all yours."
"I like the sound of that." Jennifer smiled as she wrapped her arms round Cam.
-00-
"Everything ok?" Woolsey asked that evening as John's makeshift team emerged through the gate.
"Yes, yes, fine." McKay replied in a dismissive tone. "But right now we need to look at these readings." With that he and Zelenka hurried out of the gateroom, Daniel following closely behind.
"Colonel could I see you in my office please?" Woolsey asked as John watched the trio go.
"Sure." John replied as he jogged up the steps towards the bureaucrat's office. The second he was inside, rather than waiting to hear what Woolsey wanted, he said.
"I think we have a problem." As the words left his mouth he heard Woolsey's office door shut behind him causing him to spin round and see Cam.
"What kind of problem?" Cam asked.
"With all due respect, Sir, have you completely lost your mind? There is no way we should be trusting them." John asked, earning a smile from Cam, confusing Sheppard further, who went on. "Herbie has to be the most shifty, untrustworthy character I have ever met, and I come form a family of lawyers and politicians." Quickly glancing at Woolsey he added. "No offence."
"Herbie?" Cam asked.
"The creepy caretaker."
"He's called Herbie?" Cam asked scrunching his eyebrows in disbelief.
"No, I named him that when he wouldn't give us his name. Which is another point, if he is an ally why not tell us his name?
"Relax Sheppard. I don't trust them, but it was important you believed I did in case they put you in that memory extracting thing." Cam explained, before instructing. "Take a seat." As soon as Sheppard had sat down the Colonel went on. "I'm sorry I had to keep you in the dark, but I thought it was important you went there and saw the situation first hand. But I had to make sure that they believed we were going to follow their plan. If I told you what I really thought and they extracted your memories they could have turned the threats up a notch."
"I understand." John said reluctantly. "So what's the plan? I assume I won't be going back."
"Correct. Right now it is only the three of us and Vala who have been involved in this type of conversation. None of us will be going back." Cam said. "For now we keep sending teams through, who are convinced we trust these guys. The second anyone starts to have doubts they get pulled. Whilst the teams are there they need to search for anything that will help us."
"Without knowing they're doing it." John added.
"That's the tricky part." Cam conceded.
"Not so much." John said. "I'll just keep telling McKay not to scan the temple and to focus on the ark. He's already battling temptation to tear the temple to pieces and that will push him over the edge, but if he does have his mind read, or whatever they do, it'll look like he is driven by his own desire rather than anything sinister."
"Nice." Cam commented as Woolsey tried to not picture the scene once McKay had figured out he was being used by the Colonels.
"What about us?" John asked.
"Our top two priorities are to find the ark on Earth and change Atlantis's and Earth's defences to something that my mind hasn't divulged. The problem is we'll need McKay. On the bright side whilst they believe we can find, and are looking for, the ark I don't think we'll be in any danger, so we are not pressed for time."
"So we do nothing until McKay sees there's something else going on?" John asked.
"Pretty much. But in the mean time you have to keep everyone convinced that you trust the people on the planet and pick some one to be the escort who won't ask too many questions."
"So outside this room we trust them completely?" John asked.
"Well don't overdo it, but keep your voiced doubts to a minimum." Cam instructed. As Sheppard nodded his understanding Woolsey asked.
"So did you find anything useful today?"
"No. Well McKay has lots of leads, but I'm not holding my breath."
"I see. Well if anything does turn up please notify me immediately."
"Of course." John said standing.
"And Colonel make sure the entire team gets check out in the infirmary." Woolsey added as the two Colonels left the room.
"So what are you going to do until the Apollo gets here?" John asked Cam once they were outside the office.
"Don't know. I guess I'm at a bit of a loose end, it is probably best I distance myself from Daniel and co."
"Well I have a suggestion, if you're up for it." Sheppard said, capturing Cam's interest.
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'll try to get the next chapter up tomorrow.