"Is she coming?" Cam questioned, clearly annoyed as he watched his running buddy trudge into the gate room, rubbing her eyes in exhaustion.
"No," Adrienne said with a sigh, shaking her head, "she's still sick. Teyla's gonna stay with 'er but dere's no way dat Vala's getting outta bed fah a few days, at best."
Cam just rubbed his face, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Did you sleep at all?" Daniel now inquired, having last talked to Adrienne text over six hours ago when he fell asleep, phone in hand, awaiting her reply to a very similar question. He still felt bad about not helping her out, not that he could have done anything more for a sick teammate than be an extra set of somewhat medically trained hands, but she insisted that this was no worse than dealing with her father, a statement which made Daniel cringe every time.
"Maybe, a 'alf 'our 'ere ah dere," she answered, her accent worsening, giving him his answer without having to decipher what she said, "she felt bahd but der not a lot ya can do wit a stomach bug."
"Walter, just dial it up!" Cam shouted, hoping Addy wouldn't dive into specific details concerning how sick Vala was. Reaching for his shoulder radio, he squeezed the button, muttering as he waited for the connection to be made, "Goddamn flu on the goddamn base, I told them we needed to let up on this damn travel schedule but who listens to Cameron," he grumbled before yelling into the gadget, "T, come in, I'm a man down, tell me you're not trapped in some stupid meeting."
There was no reply.
"Dammit," the colonel swore, looking back at his companions, and up at Walter, debating his options,"he's still stuck in that damn Jaffa council garbage isn't he? Could my luck get any better today?" Shrugging his shoulders, he peered over at Daniel who now, given his strange sorta promotion, had as much say in these matters as he did, "Do we scrap?"
Yawning, Adrienne shook her head, staggering slightly. Daniel caught her with a frown before replying, "No, they're expecting us and we haven't encountered a civilization that appears this close to Argos in a long time, much less a matriarchal one. At the very least, we need to see if we can uncover any similar writings, take DNA samples…"
"No, I've heard about Argos DNA samples," the colonel replied, still not making his way to the gate, "you can do that."
"I meant swabs," Daniel retorted, rolling his eyes, "they seemed friendly enough. Responded to the video. Spoke English…"
"Shug, Indy's right. When we get a 'old of people that actually seem excited ta see us, we go, righ? Let's just go an' get back," Adrienne agreed, yawning again, Daniel peering over his glasses at her before reaching into his vest.
"Here," he said, nudging her and shoving a baggie into her hand.
"Wha?"
"Chocolate coffee beans," he explained, pointing again to her hand, "I need you awake, at least for the most part. You've done this before and given the information we have on their societal structure, you're the only woman we've got on this. They're going to be looking to you for answers."
"So da fate ah our entire relationship wit da people ah dis world gonna come down ta me again? I'm not shore whether to be flattahed or concerned dat da udda option was Vala," Adrienne joked, popping a few into her mouth.
"You know what I meant, Ad," he fussed, shoving her forward as he indicated to Cam with his head that he wanted to leave. "Before, it looked like we were coming from a world where men and women work as equals and we saw what happened. Now we are somewhat better prepared, but they do not seem as advanced so you have double the work to prove that we're not an aggressive male dominated society and you're subservient to us."
"I AM subservient ta ya shug, remember, assistant?" she teased with a wink, Daniel stopping his stride.
"Please don't go in there saying that."
"If you think I'd EVER go in saying that then you're the one who's ill shug," she said shaking her head, "great to know ya got so much faith in me…"
"You, yes," Daniel recovered quickly, following, "the swamp monster currently residing in your person due to lack of sleep? Not so much..."
"Damn tchew," she swore, now pushing him onward.
"I'll have to video you sometime," he continued, "it's an entirely new species we should consider researching..."
"Whateva. I should make ya fool ass carry me," she joked as they dragged themselves up the ramp after a grumbling Cameron. "You and Cam can make a litta an carry me ta da city so I can catch forty winks on da way."
"Sad part is that I know you could sleep like that," he joked, as he threw his arm around her, not even caring who saw, pulling his tired assistant through the event horizon, "trudge on my Robin."
"You could carry me on ya back," she suggested as they passed through the other side, pausing to get behind him, "it'll be just like when ya girlfriend lays all over ya, then ya won't miss 'er. I'll even whisper dirty nothings into ya ear before I pass out."
"I don't think Ronon would approve," he teased back, when there were hands on his shoulder, Adrienne jumping onto his back indeed, laughing, he should see if he could take off running and hold her up there...
...but he was falling…
...and the world was hazy…
"Indy…"
And there was silence.
When he opened his eyes he was laying on satin, piles and piles of soft satin, Daniel trying to remember why he hadn't just gone back to his apartment this time and was yet again crashing with Adrienne. After his realization just a few weeks ago, he had avoided staying at her place, partly because he no longer felt it appropriate, given how innocent she still thought it was, and, given that he wasn't sure if he could fight the urge to kiss her and throw his entire life into chaos. Grumbling to himself, he started to reach for her nightstand and find his glasses, when he shivered.
That's odd, he thought, she never turns the air conditioner up this high for me normally; normally I cook for her...
"Ad?" he asked, still disoriented as he rolled over, suddenly realizing that he was naked.
Well, not totally naked, but pretty damn close.
What the hell?!
He sat up quickly, forgetting about his glasses and through the blur of poor vision saw his assistant, dressed like a Grecian goddess in a magenta chiton, frowning at him.
"You owe me BIG time Indy," she growled, standing and walking to his side, the missing glasses in hand, "and there is no amount of Mexican food that is gonna get ya outta dis one."
Still lost, he took the frames, pushing them up his face and peering back at her, "Owe you? For what? Where are we? What's going on?"
"P5X-1123," she said, still frowning, as Daniel shook his head, "and you OWE me for gettin' ya fool tchew outta trouble. Again. Well, worse this time."
"Ok…" he added, looking around, "where are my clothes? Where's Cam? And why are you wearing that?"
Adrienne, however, was still frowning.
"I'd like to repeat, trouble. Ya clothes are probably being burned or something, I've got no idea. What I was unable to salvage, I got da tac vests at least, is ova dere," she pointed to the corner, "Cam's in da udda room, he just woke up and is checking out the place, wearing about as much as you are I might add. As for me? Well, I wasn't properly dressed for my station and was asked to change to better match local customs before we begin formal meetings and negotiations. Normally, I'd be thrilled given the attire, but right now? Not so much."
"Wait, being burned?" he had ignored the rest of her speech, peering down at his waist, "Even my…?"
"Yep, even those and I'd like to add that yella is NOT your color, even if it's going under ya clothes," she interrupted with a scowl.
"Ad…"
"No Daniel, no," she said standing, clearing her throat to control her accent,"I adore you, I do, much more than I should, and I let you drag me into a lotta shit but this time...no THIS time is NOT me. At all. I've been with Miss Vala Mal-Do-Stomach Virus for TWO days while you prepped this, days you texted me telling me how exciting this place was, how very like Macedonia it was, how it could be related to Argos, how it was a matriarchal society that I would be interested in studying and me, stupid me, I listen to you like I ALWAYS do and now we're stuck here until one of us can figure a way out of this mess!"
"Wait, what are you talking about?"
"This is NOT a matriarchal society DANIEL ANTHONY," she shouted, the archaeologist cringing at the use of his middle name, which she seemed to only reserve for when she was really angry with him, "this is a female DOMINATED society where the men are slaves! BECAUSE EVERY DAMN GOA'ULD FREE PLANET SEEMS TO JUST LOVE SLAVERY NOW!"
"Ok, so," he said as he stood, noting that he was wearing a pair of very tight and very revealing gold short/underwear type pants and nothing else, making him slink back into the bed in embarrassment, "minus my attire, the three of us are still in one piece. Things like this happen from time to time, cultural misunderstandings."
"Cultural misunderstandings?" she spat, adjusting her plunging cleavage, her pale cheeks flushed, "Let me make this perfectly clear to you. Since I was the lucky female representative of the planet Earth AND I was knocked out before we could go over anything on our supposed mile or so walk to the village AND was awoken with no idea where I was I had to lie the best I could. So, I just went along with whatever they were feeding me to keep you both safe and with me," she said as she plopped herself beside him, her face at this point completely crimson.
"Wait, the MALP said who we were…" Daniel started, Adrienne glaring at him in warning.
"No DANIEL, the MALP said we were explorers and that we wanted to TALK and THAT WAS IT and when I woke up, I wasn't exactly surrounded by friendly faces as they MAN-HANDLED YOUR UNCONSCIOUS BODIES!"
"Man-handled?" he was afraid to ask but did nonetheless, "Do I wanna know?"
"Let's take a moment to note, shug, that I know the color of your briefs. Both current and former," Adrienne answered with a grimace.
"Noted," Daniel said with a sigh, dear lord how much had she seen, his nerves a flurry of worry, "so what did you tell them?"
"I told them that Cam is my personal assistant, my errand boy, and you…" she paused, growing redder, "well, uh, you shug, are my… concubine. It worked before, so I figured I'd try..."
"She ain't lying," the colonel confirmed as he entered the room, wearing the same shorts as Daniel. He crossed his arms over his chest, appearing about as amused as their chiton wrapped friend, "I came to when she was spinning the whole damn story. But what I don't get is why do I have to be your personal assistant? Why can't your boss over there get a taste of his own medicine? Or do I not wanna know the answer to that?"
Making a face, Adrienne bit her lip, looking away, her reply barely audible,"It's because of the way we fell…"
"Excuse me?" Daniel questioned, leaning over to face her as Cam, not seeming to be bothered in the least by his attire, strode toward them confidently.
"When I jumped on you..." she muttered, peering up at the pair of them, red-faced once again, "well, ok, to back up a bit, it's, uh, well, common practice to release some sorta gas at the gate for outsiders, hence why we were knocked out, and when they came to recover us, I was lying…" she trailed, causing her boss to frown.
"You were lying…" he led, Adrienne finally huffing out in frustration.
"I was lying on top of you apparently with my hand on your ass ok? It looked a little questionable!"
Cameron nearly hit the floor as Daniel's eyes widened.
Wait what?
"It's not funny," she grumbled, but the colonel just roared harder, Daniel appearing more embarrassed than anything.
"It was an accident shug," Adrienne spat out, rubbing her face and trying to explain, "I swear, I was playing Vala and I have no idea how my hand ended up there but I don't remember, they just assumed you were my lover and said something about us being intimately positioned and I just..."
Intimately positioned…
STOP DANIEL STOP...
"No, you did fine, you are getting frighteningly better at this," her boss replied as he rubbed his temples, taking in the scene surrounding him, "So, what are the cages for?" Daniel now asked as he pointed to the pair of blackened steel boxes that sat to the left and right of the entrance. In his head he knew exactly what they were to be used for but for once he wanted to be wrong.
"For when I'm not using you…" she added, picking her nails, "so if I have no duties for Cam or, well, nothing for you to do…"
"Ok, first," Cam interrupted as he was finally able to compose himself, "what are my duties, but more importantly what are Daniel's?"
"Shut up Cam! Look, I have no idea, ok!" she shouted out as she stood, "All I know is that I had to claim the two of ya pretty damn quick to keep ya from being taken prisoner; have we forgotten what happened to SG-14? How many times are the pair of ya telling me that I need to remember that this isn't the movies? Well, it isn't, I'm not a superhero and that was the best I could come up with!"
"Cam, give her a break," Daniel said, reaching out to rest his hand on hers but pausing. They were half-naked, Adrienne herself wearing far less clothing that she ever would by choice, weapons confiscated, taken prisoner by a gigantic bunch of warrior-looking men neither Daniel NOR Cameron had the pleasure of interacting with, locked in some palace suite without so much as a "Hello, welcome to our world?"
And all he could think of was how completely and utterly beautiful she was.
"You know what?" she spat, still clearly upset, "Both of ya could be servicing some hag or scrubbing toilets right now but because of ME, you're not!"
"Ad," Daniel said as he reached out his hand, screw nerves and his stupid brain, "calm down, it's ok," he assured her, pulling back the covers to stand, her best friend with hardly a stitch on, her stomach a flurry of panic.
"No, it's not ok, at all!"
"Addy, girlie, it's funny, ok, let's just play along, it's probably just a misunderstanding like Daniel said," the colonel agreed, walking over as well.
They were fine so far, scared but fine. Her good rational mind knew they were, and it wasn't the situation that was bothering her, she could play along, but Daniel, he'd just been acting so oddly lately.
He is NOT in love with me
Oh yes he is…
Shut up Vala.
She needed to focus.
"Ok fine. You guys are probably right. We've done this before, right? We've got this," she sighed out, turning on her professional demeanor, "I'll go get my iPad and things so we can look over the MALP data again to try to get out of here."
"No, I'll get it. Gotta play the part," Cam muttered, turning back from where he had come, where their normal Earth things Adrienne had managed to hang on to were sitting in a pile in the corner of their temporary home.
Daniel stood, following, Adrienne frozen in place, her heart pounding in her chest.
Why was she feeling like this?
She should have lied and said Cam was her lover, or that both of them were. Better yet neither, but she just couldn't…
He loves you and I think it's pretty safe to say you love him too...
When the olive skinned woman had asked if Daniel was hers, it had been her natural reaction to claim him without thinking.
"You coming?" he asked over his shoulder, Adrienne sitting back against the headboard.
"Yeah, I am…" she started to stand, more laughter coming from ahead.
"Come ta think of it, if we gotta maintain cover, ya might wanna let me do the paperwork. Jackson, you can stay over on the bed and rub Addy's feet!"
Daniel rolled his eyes.
"Better me than, I dunno, one of your other groupies," she noted with a shrug as she stood, the world spinning.
"Yep, all of my groupies Ad," he said, rolling his eyes, but he knew she was kidding, "Let's just put our heads together and figure out a way out of this…" he continued, finally making eye contact with her and hoping she wasn't overanalyzing his physique. He was Adrienne wince, grabbing onto the bed behind her as she was trying to laugh, "Ad?"
"I'm ok, it's just a migraine," she muttered, a hand to her head, the Cajun hissing in painfully, "I think it's cuz they brought me to first and I 'aven't slept in days."
"Are you sure you're ok?" and he was at her side in an instant, holding her, disregarding his current state, "Could it be flu?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Cassie did a quick swab before we left, negative. Mighta been something in the gas," she said as she squinted in pain, no longer trying to calm herself as she was just moments earlier, "Let's just get the iPad fired up and take a look at those images like you said, work on my merde story..."
"Ad, you don't look so…."
A hand reached out, touching his lightly, "No, I'll be fine, just help me stand."
"No," Daniel sighed out, shaking his head, "coffee bean jokes aside, I need you at full power, especially if you've gotta act the part. There was no threat to us, right? They believed we were yours?"
Adrienne nodded her head, obviously in agony, "Yeah they did, even the goons that stripped you guys were following that one lady's orders. I'm your lucky female representative, just like you said."
"Ok," he whispered, peering back at Cam who was standing off to the side, rolling his eyes in disgust, "then you need to rest…"
"Daniel," she started to argue, the elder archaeologist shaking his head.
"Adrienne, I don't even think you could walk out of here, much less sell yourself as our mistress right now, could you?"
She was silent, knowing he was right.
"So, we get to do the work while you get your beauty sleep?" Cam asked indignantly, annoyed, as the two of them sat on the bed, looking at each other the way they did, as if no one else was there.
They can do that shit in their own apartments, he thought, right now I'm in damn spandex!
"We don't need Adrienne if we are only going to start looking through MALP images to find a strategic way out of here, if it comes to that," Daniel replied as he pushed Adrienne back down onto the bed by her shoulder, "Cam we can do that, or you at least, in case they come in to check and see if our story was just that... a story."
Cam was about to speak, argue that this was no time for anyone to sleep when he noticed Adrienne's face paler, if that was even possible, the Cajun looking as if she was going to faint if she tried to stand.
Appearing equally as concerned, Daniel looked back at his assistant, focusing his attention on her, "What about me? To keep up the act, did they say anything specific?" Daniel questioned, wanting to make sure she could think rationally and tell him what he should do. He knew what he was going to do, but without a way to examine her, testing her reason was about all he had to ensure she wasn't poisoned.
"I dunno, I don't remember them asking me anything other than confirming you were my lover," she muttered, her head throbbing, "unless you wanna rub my head, I guess you can help Cam or stand there and look pretty. That's concubiny right?"
"That's not a word…" he laughed back as he stood, wondering if he had medicine in his tac vest, an Advil or something, but she was joking and that was a good sign, "and you called me pretty."
"Shut up ya cooyon…" she mumbled, her words dragging as she was falling asleep.
"Daniel, is she alright?" Cam asked seriously, watching Adrienne's eyes flutter and her body start to waver. Without words, the archaeologist nodded in his direction, guiding his assistant gently down onto her back, pulling a satin blanket over her.
"Indy?" she asked, her voice quiet, Daniel still hoping it was the effects of the gas and her lack of sleep that was causing this reaction, "I can't stay awake…"
"It's ok Ad, we're fine, rest."
"Watch me? I know you know all that medic stuff, so watch me. Hopefully, I'll just wake up in an hour or so and be fine. I don't think they wanna hurt us, well, me at least…"
"I will Adrienne, please sleep."
Trying not to worry, Daniel watched her close her eyes before leaving her side, checking her vitals once more before he stood, walking across the bedroom headed to a table in the central living area where Cameron was fast approaching.
"She ok?" the colonel asked, passing over the Cajun's gadget, "I didn't mean to be nasty before, if she's really sick or something."
"Yeah, I think she's fine, everything just caught up with her," Daniel replied, hoping he was correct,"Let's see what we can find out, if we missed anything and take a look around, get a better idea of what we've walked into."
The colonel nodded, peering back once more at his now sleeping friend, "That's a talent, I gotta say, just passing out like that."
"If anything, the woman's reliable, whether it be work or her inane ability to pass out anywhere," Daniel said with a frown, trying to ignore his attire as he walked the iPad to a table.
"You know, according to what I'm reading here, we're technically her property and therefore she could sell us if she wanted to, but that's not unlike a least a dozen or so worlds we have encountered in the past couple of years," Daniel swiped his finger over the glass front of Adrienne's iPad rereading the images. He had read this already and, just as before, the information given did not make them seem hostile, not like the other bit of information sitting near the device. Blinking as the sun beat down on them from the opening in the ceiling, sweat began to bead on his shoulders and his brow. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, turning to Cameron and letting his eyes take a break for a moment, "How are you not dying in this heat?"
"Air Force," the colonel answered quickly, "it doesn't affect you as much when you're in it all the time. That, and we don't have any damn clothes on."
"That is true." Daniel muttered, adjusting himself yet again.
"To who?" Cam now asked, sitting back in the wooden chair since Daniel didn't seem to want his assistance, kicking away a large book with his bare foot.
The archaeologist didn't look up from the iPad, trying to clean up the screen from the oil left by his prints, "What to who?"
"To whom would Adrienne sell you?" Cameron laughed, tossing his feet on the table, "Never mind, I already know who'd pay top dollar."
"To quote Addy? My girlfriend would," Daniel muttered as his eyes returned to the text, scanning ahead to the next section, his right hand reaching for the volume nearby.
"Don't tempt me Indy," a Southern voice echoed behind them, "because I have yet to pay off my student loans."
Daniel nearly breathed a sigh of relief. He had checked on her a number of times, Cameron smirking at him each and every time but not saying a word, but she was alright, up and smiling.
"Hey, I need a new transmission," the colonel added, relief in his face as well, "think we can work that in too?"
"She can always sell you for breeding stock," Daniel shot back, again trying to judge his assistant's state by her sense of humor as well as her appearance, "The woman that came by earlier couldn't stop staring at you."
"Screw you, Jackson," Cam spat back at him, Adrienne rubbing her face and shaking her head.
"Wait, someone came by? How long was I asleep? Why didn't you wake me? You said you'd..."
"Waking you is a near impossibility," Daniel interrupted, passing the iPad over, "and you needed the sleep, you sound better already; that's English you're speaking. A woman came by, no thugs, said her name was Irlana? She brought you this book to look over."
"That's odd that she didn't send a servant," the Cajun muttered, making her way to the table, Cam standing so that she could sit.
"Cam, it's…"
"Nah," he shook his head, "we already had to make it look like you ordered us to be out and doing stuff and not in the cages, so you'd better take my seat just in case she comes back."
Nodding, the archaeologist joined her boss, taking the volume from his hand.
"I thought the same," Daniel noted, "but maybe she was just trying to see if you were who you said you were, and that we really were your servants."
"Did she say anything? Or did you just keep up the ruse?"
"She, or at least who she represents, seems to believe that you are some sort of an ambassador and that this will be needed for the talks; we didn't argue, it was just easier to go with your story. It appears to be their law book, written in some combination of Macedonian Greek, like we originally thought, and Alteran. Been running it through our translation program to save time," he continued, tapping her iPad.
"Please tell me you've found something shug..."
Now Daniel sighed.
"I've found that this entire society is a polytheistic feminist cult, based on what seems to be a blend of Artemis and Zeirene…"
"Artemis," Adrienne sighed out, "Thank god…"
"AND Zeirene Ad," he noted, reaching for the book again, "a highly sexualized version of Zeirene…"
"Ok AND Artemis. It's female dominant, if you two play along we should be fine, right? Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and of purity, so they've probably just interpreted sex with men to be a sacred ritual for reproduction rather than, well, how our society views it. I mean, after that whole mess with Thesilia's world," Adrienne paused to read Daniel's face, but he seemed alright, so she continued, "Sex as ritual is a little less threatening than sperm farm, right?" she noted, her companion and friend not bothering to say a word in reply, his long fingers turning the pages of the book.
"Indy? Shug, did you hear me? Your report showed some marked similarities between early Macedonian idol worship..."
Frowning, he peered up at her, the volume slid in her direction, a goddess on a throne, a man on his knees in front of her, her skirt shoved to her waist, his face pressed…
"Oh…" she said, surprised, flushing, pushing the book away.
"Oh is right," Daniel confirmed, moving the text, "highly sexualized. There's ritual, the buying and selling of males to cultivate perfect female offspring with desired traits, a long period in which concubines are trained in pleasuring a woman without the chance of impregnation so that she may never suffer desire when she is between breeding partners, public…"
"Just stop," the Cajun spat out, her face falling into her hands, "just stop. Stop reading, stop talking, Stop everything Daniel. Please. Stop."
"Then I probably shouldn't get into what our clothing or lack thereof represents then…"
Adrienne just groaned from her hands.
"Sorry Ad," Daniel added, sincerely, "Just needed to lay it all out there."
Worried about her reaction, for reasons that only he would understand, he reached out for her hand, squeezing it lightly.
"We need to get outta here, because you didn't even get to the part about the beatings and castration," Cam called out from the door, "That cute little book of theirs has some fascinating illustrations of thugs, just like you were talking about girlie, doing all sorts of things to men that didn't meet the criteria. Screw whatever y'all think you've found, whatever you two nerds have messaged each other about all damn week; I'm not gonna be cultivating anybody's ANYTHING and I'm not losing my balls when I say no!"
"Correction, what Daniel thinks HE found," Adrienne was quick to point out, "I've been taking care of the incredibly puking Vala."
"Thanks for the support," he frowned at her, Adrienne grimacing sheepishly, "Look, we can't just walk out of here. We were GASSED at the gate and taken into custody. I'm pretty sure that if that was our entrance, our exit isn't gonna be easy," Daniel added, both the book and iPad pushed away as he looked to his severely undermanned team for ideas.
There was a moment of silence as they all looked at one another, nary a suggestion to be made.
"Fine, then we gotta play along," the colonel relented finally, his eyes still at the door, "we play along, to get the intel we need to scoot. They already think you're Addy's concubine, so you two can just act like you normally do."
Yep, add Cam to that list. Wonder if he's been talking to Jack.
"Given everything here, I don't think we have a choice," Daniel agreed as he sighed, choosing to ignore his friend's last little addition, his assistant seeming to do the same.
Defeated, Adrienne was rubbing her face again.
"Define play along as written in our little manual over there," she muttered from her hands, "without the Kama Sutra-like accuracy, please."
"Playing along seems to be, from what you already told them and what we are hoping they assume, that Cameron, as your personal attendant, is possibly a male you are considering breeding. Therefore, you're assessing his cognitive abilities by having him complete tasks like we were doing while you slept," he explained as his assistant finally looked up.
"And you?"
"You requested the non-Kama Sutra version, remember? I'm just following orders," he tried to joke, though Adrienne was correct before; given the images he had seen over the past few hours, this was no laughing matter, "Think book again. A lot of that."
A pale middle finger was promptly pointed in his direction.
I'm sorry Ad; I won't do anything to hurt you…
I love you too much...
"You can do this Ad; you managed to pull it off before, just gotta be less scientific and more, uh, primal," Daniel changed his tune, trying to assure her that he had faith in her, "and that worked out. You CAN do this. We can pretend without actually doing anything..."
Adrienne, however, shook her head, lips tightly pursed, dark eyes locked on the still open book.
Is she scared of having to do something like that with me?
See you idiot she doesn't feel the same way and now she's going to have to relive her trauma...
For a passing moment he thought he was going to start shaking himself, a picture popping into his mind of what might have to be done, what he was avoiding saying to her, the nerves rocketing through him like he had never felt before.
I love you so much, Ad, I won't do anything to hurt you...
"You didn't let me finish," he continued, clearing his throat, trying to assure you, "public displays of ownership and affection are common as well. There were positives, things we can do at least. Hell you kiss me and everyone else all the time, anyway. Just do that Southern touchy thing you do and we should be fine…"
She breathed in slowly, Daniel starting to lean forward to be more direct, to ask, to look her in the face.
Is she feeling like I am right now?
There was a gentle knock at the door, making up his mind for him. Without another word, the archaeologist fell to his assistant's feet, taking the left in his hand.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, her eyes shifting between him and the opening door.
"Ignoring your callused runner's feet for a damn minute, so just play along," he spat back, beginning to rub as Cam had joked before.
Huh, she thought, he's pretty good at that...
Their visitor didn't speak a greeting as she slinked in, wearing a chiton of her own, deep blood red in color. Olive skin that Adrienne would have come to expect from the Near East contrasted harshly with her green eyes. She wasn't thin either, but curvy as the other woman had been before. It was a different body type than they usually encountered, making the Cajun wonder what the other inhabitants looked like.
The women exchanged a friendly nod before the older of the two spoke.
"Where are your others?" she asked, circling Cameron, her expression one of sheer desire. With only a glance it was obvious she wanted to devour him, with much more than her eyes as she was doing right now. The colonel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, scoffing as the woman approached him, taking in his scent.
"I have only brought my personal servants since we are, as of yet, unfamiliar with your people," Adrienne responded confidently, extending her hand to Daniel. He stopped rubbing, slipping his hand into hers, allowing her to guide him to the seat beside her.
Her palms are sweating, she's nervous, Daniel thought as he sat, wishing he could get at some sort of angle to spell into her hand that she was doing well, to keep it up.
"So they are not for trade then, or sale?" the woman now asked, her eyes locked on Cameron, "If you are looking to build an alliance with our people, a trade would be customary...to enhance our bloodlines."
Looking him up and down, she continued encircling him, her wild ideas almost able to be seen in her eyes.
She wanted him, badly.
Daniel readjusted himself as he watched Adrienne's face, her brain in overdrive and he knew it. She could do this, he had seen her do essentially this and so much more. Maybe she was worried about him, after everything he had told her, maybe too much, but he had full faith that she could do this and do it well. Moving closer, he reached his right hand to her leg, sliding it carefully into the slit of her dress, hoping it would appear one way to their guest while allowing him to get his message across. She jerked her head in his direction, wide-eyed, but unfazed he started to spell.
F-A-V-S
She blinked, nodding, receiving the message.
"As I said, they are my personal servants. I only take the two I like the most through the Chappa'ai to accompany me on my journeys," the Cajun cooed, "because if I am to die or suffer, I prefer not to do so alone. That and," she paused, pushing Daniel's hand further up her dress, "they are both quite talented, in their own ways."
His heart raced, but he didn't move, willing himself to play along.
.
"Even this one?" their unnamed visitor practically purred as she paused behind the colonel, her gaze once more examining his sculpted form. Following the lead of his teammates, Cam crossed his arms and remained silent, keeping his composure until he felt a firm hand grab his butt.
"Listen Lady!" he turned, snapping at their host, "I don't know who you think you are, but that's a huge NO where we come from!"
Dammit CAM cover!
The elder drew her hand back and coiled it to her body as she looked at Adrienne with disgust, "If any of my men spoke, especially like that, to anyone, they'd be terminated or at the very least, punished."
The colonel's eyes widened, images that he and Daniel had been looking at before flooding his head.
"Cameron! That type of behavior is unacceptable to someone acting as our host. Confine yourself until I can deal with you in private," Adrienne shouted out, knowing that she was never gonna live this down, especially with the look he was giving her as he walked over to the cages by the door. Trying to focus on the here and now, the Cajun redirected her attention to their visitor, "My apologies. He possesses impressive genetic material and takes pride in his position as my future breeding partner. I should have made that clear. As I have stated, they are my favorites, one for pleasure and one for the enhancement of the bloodline…"
"Yes," the woman replied, though her tone seemed to question Adrienne's words, "I can see how he would only desire to defend your honor…"
"Mistress?" Daniel asked, pulling his hand from her dress and bowing his head.
Get rid of her now, he thought, because if she wants Cam, we need to come up with a better plan and the fact that you might be grooming him to give you daughters is NOT gonna work, his mind was screaming, wishing she could read his thoughts.
"Yes Daniel," she acknowledged, taking his hand again in her own, "Once more you are anticipating my thoughts. I need to relax. You can remove your clothing and wait for me in the bed; I'll join you momentarily," she now requested, stammering on the last words he could hear. It needed to be done, though, she needed to own them, even if only for show and hopefully if their visitor thought that he and Adrienne needed some time alone, she would leave...
"Yes mistress," he muttered, standing to make his way over to the bed, planning to do exactly what was asked despite the pounding in his chest, his thumbs slipping into the sides of the very tight shorts.
It's just Adrienne, his rational mind was telling him, but for some reason he was more concerned about her being disappointed in what she might see than embarrassment of how he was having to behave, but she was paying no attention to him pulling his bottoms to the floor.
Instead, dark Cajun eyes were locked on the woman in red as she tried to put on her best show.
"I was told you were rested," the woman questioned, Daniel watching his best friend spin on sandaled heels, taking a deep breath.
"Rested? Yes," she replied, a hint of arrogance in her tone, "Relaxed? No. Someone came by earlier interrupting my slumber. My lover was attempting to resolve the remainder of my stress when you arrived. On my world we ensure that our guests are completely comfortable as they are our guests, not our prisoners…" she trailed, the woman clearly offended at the assumption.
YES AD, YOU'RE DOING IT! Daniel wanted to scream, but didn't, choosing instead to continue to drop his pants right there, in front of that woman, or, more importantly in front of Adrienne, to slip under the covers and do as asked.
"You are free to roam the palace as you see fit," Saren retorted, glaring right back, "we were concerned at the dress of your men and that you were not what we had hoped…" she paused to peer over at Daniel, who was in the bed as asked, his clothing lying on the stones beside.
She noticed, smiling, her gaze directed back at Adrienne.
"It is cold on my world, and, as for their attire off? I like to keep my treasures for my eyes only," his assistant answered without hesitation. She was getting it, playing the role, owning him for this woman, Daniel outwardly expressing his relief with a small, near silent sigh as he lay back against the soft satin sheets.
These are nicer than Addy's.
Why are you thinking about her sheets?
NOW IS NOT THE TIME DANIEL.
"A sentiment I can appreciate," the woman replied coolly, turning to walk to the door, pausing to peer back at the colonel once more seated behind the black metal bars, "maybe as we get to know one another better we can discuss any reconsiderations that you may have regarding your property."
Adrienne didn't give her a verbal reply.
"If I had him, either of your men really, I would be hesitant to relinquish them as well…" the woman added, reaching for the doorknob.
"I am Saren," she said with a smile over her shoulder, "welcome to Zeniah."
And she was gone, the head of SG1 sitting in the bottom of an iron cage, her boss naked in what was essentially her bed and Dr. Adrienne Rowan nearly collapsing into the floor with relief.
"Can I get outta here girlie?" Cam asked, tossing his hands into the air, the Cajun nodding from her hands.
"Yeah, and Indy shug, please put something back on, anything," she shouted, walking over to the small table that she was seated at before, pulling out her chair and taking a seat.
Yanking a sheet from the bed and wrapping it around his waist, Daniel scooted off and grabbed the shimmering gold shorts he was wearing earlier, diving back into the bed and wiggling his way into them.
"Nice job Ad," Daniel said as he stood, walking over to Adrienne and gently laying a hand on his assistant's shoulder, "And, I'm sorry. I didn't think that they'd do any of this. The MALP images and all of the other first contact tests came back simply showing a female run society that appeared to function like the ancient Near East, nothing like, well, some other places lately. If I had sensed anything out of the ordinary..."
"Yes, we get it! You fucked up! Now help me out please," the colonel demanded.
Sighing, Daniel didn't even know what to say to that, he walked over and loosened the latch so that Cameron could go free.
"Let's just focus on getting out of here, ok?" Adrienne finally sighed out, peering up, "I just wanna go home. It's not like they have any technological advances or anything that is worth the risk right now. We can get Vala to spy on them when she stops reenacting the Exorcist."
"I'm starving," Cameron said as he stretched out, kicking the cage for effect as he stood, "Didn't you say there was an open air market or something like that?"
"You're thinking of food?" Daniel spat, stopping in his tracks to gawk at him, "You were just locked in a cage after a stranger tried to buy you from Adrienne and you want something to eat!?"
"How in the hell else are we gonna figure out what's going on out there?" Cam sniped back, Adrienne now frowning.
"Do you really think we should go out there?"
"You two can stay in here and analyze everything while I go out there, get something to eat and snoop around," the colonel declared, heading for the door, "doesn't take a genius level IQ to know that we need a damn good reason to snoop around and going to market for grub is a damn good reason."
"I don't think you can go unattended," Daniel was quick to note, "I'm pretty sure you need a female escort…"
"What about your relaxation romp? The one you just LIED to that woman about?" Cam spat out rolling his eyes, "I'm just your personal assistant, do you think I'm suppose to watch?" he paused, making air quotes as he snarked out his title, "You two better start moaning and rocking the bed over there so we don't blow our cover before we can get the hell outta here."
"He's right, you did make it clear that you didn't want an audience," Daniel shrugged, peering back at Adrienne, "Make him a list or something, have him go out, run your errands, bring us food..." the archaeologist paused, frowning, "...for afterwards. We can hang back here, make a few noises or something, in case Saren didn't buy our act. It wouldn't be the first time; just think of it as a planet of Valas."
"Messin' with Vala is fun," Adrienne grumbled, "this is...ugh. Ok fine, ya wanna moan or me?"
"You," he suggested, thinking it was best she seemed pleased, "you ok with that?"
"Yes," she shouted out, taking a breath, trying not to laugh, looking determined,"YES!"
"Food I take it, before you two get too much into this?" Cam asked, throwing his hands into the air.
"Yeah," Daniel agreed, "food and information. Anything you can hear about coming and going through the gate, layout of this place, anything."
"On it," Cam started to leave, pausing, a smirk across his face, "shame they took our tac vests, I might have something in there y'all could use…"
"What? I got the vests Cam, I don't think they searched them, what cha need?" Adrienne asked, confused, Daniel rolling his eyes.
"Oh what a shame...we'll have to make due," the archaeologist shot, knowing exactly what Cam was talking about, was he carrying them around now to be funny. Cam laughed, leaving their suite. Of course, because Adrienne would never just go with the flow, never let anything fly on by, she was already staring at him.
"I have the vests…"
"Don't need 'em," Daniel replied, walking over to the bed, Adrienne standing to follow.
"You sure?" she asked, crawling in beside him as he frowned over his shoulder.
"Based on the look on your face do I wanna know?" she inquired in follow up.
Daniel shook his head, "Let's just say that we're up to about eighty, maybe even ninety percent now."
Adrienne sighed out, grabbing the headboard and slamming it into the wall.
"Great, then I guess let's give them something to really talk about," she forced a laugh, motioning for Daniel to join her.
I guess so, he thought, pushing the headboard to the wall again.
"If you say so," Daniel complied, not really knowing what else they could do, "Mistress, does this give great pleasure to you?"
Adrienne fell over, laughing into her hands.
"Nobody says that shug, nobody..."
"Fine, since I have SO much experience as a CONCUBINE, what do you WANT me to say?"
Sighing out, she grabbed the headboard again and began to slam it again to the wall, "YES, OH!"
"There really are no boundaries anymore between us are there?" he muttered, taking a breath and preparing to moan...
"Alright Mitchell, let's try not to get jumped by that green eyed woman and hope Jackson and Addy are pulling this off…" Cameron muttered to himself as he strode out into the market, a part of him wondering if they were even acting anymore.
Nah, he thought, Jackson may have fallen for her but Addy doesn't seem to be interested in anyone in that way.
He had considered trying to find something else to wear but as he made his way through the palace he saw that he stood a much better chance walking around in his current attire if he didn't want to be noticed. There were other men, many more than women he noted, but in quite the reverse of everything he had seen, their eyes were downcast, each taking care of their task. Some pushed past speaking English, others some form of Ancient he thought, while a few spoke what he assumed to be the native language, the one Daniel had been translating back in their suite. There were no signs, the market itself appearing almost Arabian in fashion, so the colonel was gonna have to rely on good ole scouting to get out of this mess.
Cameron could feel that practically every eye was on him as he made his way from booth to booth looking for something that he could recognize and bring back to them for dinner. They must know he was a stranger, so he tried the best he could to mimic their mannerisms, their walk, anything to blend it. His stomach rumbled and despite the fact that he knew he needed to be looking for a way out he also knew that if he didn't eat something soon, Adrienne wouldn't be the only person passing out today. Turning the corner, heading into a more bustling section of the marketplace, he found a smaller stand with fruit, some kind of jerky and a small bag of what looked like trail mix, just lacking the M&M's.
"Great...how am I gonna pay for this?" he must've asked himself out loud when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Put these man's items under my name," a woman said, looking up into the face of the bemused colonel.
Thankfully she wasn't Saren; he didn't feel like having his person manhandled a second time.
"No really, lady, it's ok. I can pay for these. Just let me go back to my suite and I'll get Ad - I mean, my mistress to pay, or at least send me back with some money," he stammered, feeling stupid, dashing out of that room like he did without thinking about taking something to trade, but the tension and discomfort between his two friends was something he just couldn't sit there and witness.
Food, and trying to find a means of escape, had given him the perfect excuse to get the hell outta there, before, god forbid, Daniel had to remember how to kiss a girl...
"It is quite alright," she assured, reaching a few coins to the merchant, "consider it a gift to your mistress."
"Uh, thanks," Cam answered with a shrug, turning to walk away when he felt the hand return to his shoulder, halting his departure.
"Will you and your mistress be joining us for dinner tonight?" she now asked, conversing with him as he had seen no other woman conversing with any man here.
"I'm sorry, what?" he answered as he gawked at her, still confused. Last thing anyone had mentioned all day was dinner, and at the thought of actually getting real food his stomach rumbled even though his good sense was telling him that he needed to stop focusing on stuffing his face and focus more on getting out of here.
"It is customary to hold a celebration for travelers to our world in hopes of forming new alliances," she began to explain, "and since you are the first to come through the Chappa'ai in a long while, a great feast has been planned. Not often does one such as your mistress, carrying weapons of the gods, step foot on our world."
"God damn stupid staff weapon," Cam swore under his breath, the woman still smiling as people passed all around them.
"I don't know," he continued, as she was clearly looking for a response, but in a different way, as if she wanted to hear what he was going to say not what his mistress wanted him to say, " I'll have to go back and ask, but the part about the feasting sounds good."
He expected her to, well, he wasn't sure what he expected, but her smile was forced, fake, and she pulled him aside gently, away from the activity of the market, making him fear for a moment that she too would let her hands wander…
"How many are you?" she whispered, her eyes scanning the crowd.
"Wha?" he asked surprised, the woman clearing her throat and pulling herself closer, a finger caressing his bare chest as two other women walked past.
"How many men has your mistress brought to exchange?" she clarified, her tone different, seductive yet forced, confusing him.
"None," he answered honestly before he could draw up his cover story, the woman frowning.
"Then why are you here?"
"We're uh," Cam stammered, looking around, the saleswoman and her slave at the food stand ignoring him completely, "explorers and we were coming to say hi and learn about your people, not sell ourselves."
"Again," she cooed softly, guiding him further into the marketplace, "how many are you? Your mistress and…"
"Myself, and a friend," he answered, still somewhat cryptic but she was nodding, as though she had heard this before.
"One female, two males?"
"Yeah," he muttered.
"And you are her lover?" she now inquired, linking her arm with his seductively, Cam's heart pounding in his chest.
Oh no, he thought, not again, damn Daniel getting to hide from all of this…
"I'll take that as a no," she replied, pulling him alongside her, "so your friend is?"
He couldn't help it, laughing into his hand, "Not that they tell people, but I think there's a pretty good chance."
It was stupid, he had that very concern the moment the words crossed his lips that he shouldn't reveal their cover, tell this stranger, but instead she laughed, no longer forced but a real expression of amusement.
"And that is why you have been sent to fetch food?" she asked, pointing to his handful of items.
"Something like that," he agreed, allowing her to walk him onward.
"It is not safe for you here," she continued, dark eyes cast forward, "you shouldn't have come."
"We were starting to gather that back at the palace…"
"The palace?" she paused, staring at him, a new look on her face, fear, "you're staying at the palace."
"Yeah, I'm assuming that's what we're calling the big place on the hill, haven't been corrected but I wasn't awake when we got there. When we came through the…"
A hand was thrust in front of his face.
"Say no more," she interrupted, a hand suddenly at his mouth, halting his words. He was confused, but shut up as requested, nervously eyeing the marketplace again.
"My name is Odessa," she smiled, pleasant, reaching her hand for his shoulder, "I hope to see you tonight. You, your mistress and her lover. It would be in your best interest and I shall look for you."
And with that she was gone, leaving the colonel standing alone in a flurry of chaos.
"Out of the way, slave!" a voice shouted from behind, Cameron pushed aside, nearly dropping his items. He wanted to shout back, but he held his tongue, remembering his task.
"Find a way out, let your two friends pretend to boink, or really boink, whatever, bring food, snoop, focus Mitchell focus…"
Though, given the significant difference in the demeanor between Odessa and Saren, he wasn't quite sure that he could.
"Do you…" Daniel asked as Adrienne sat back on her heels, laughing.
"Are you asking me what I sound like when I…"
"No, I mean, I was just," he stammered, sitting down beside her, "nevermind. I was just opening my big dumb mouth, nevermind."
Adrienne laughed, leaning her head over onto his shoulder.
"Think I was convincing?"
"I was flattered, so I'd say so," he joked, reaching for her hand without thinking, "Just wish we weren't in this situation at all…"
"Not your fault," she was quick to note, giving his hand a squeeze, "When do we ever get to see a female controlled society, ever? Honestly, if they weren't so damn hot after Cameron I'd really wanna stay."
"Even with the castration punishments?" he asked, frowning at her.
"I'm friends with a lot of men," Adrienne noted, "maybe they deserved it."
She was joking, he knew she was, Daniel shaking his head at her.
"Thanks by the way," he added, pulling away, "for claiming me. I know it was because of the fall but you could have said anything and I really appreciate what you did."
Adrienne lifted her head, shrugging, "I figured, given, well..." she trailed, hesitating, "everything, I didn't...I promised you that you would never be in that situation ever again. And I meant it."
Daniel smiled.
He loved her so much.
"If I had to do anything, honestly, to keep me out of trouble, I'd rather it be with you…" he started, trailing as he realized what he had said out loud.
Her stomach danced as she sat there, her best friend gazing into her eyes and she couldn't explain what was going on, why this felt so right, why she just didn't care.
Daniel's in love with you…
"Me too," she admitted softly, looking down and starting to pick her nails.
Could she?
"We can't tell Dex though," Daniel recovered quickly, trying not to overanalyze the moment, " I'd like to remain in one piece…"
Frowning, Adrienne punched his arm.
"What is it with you setting me up with Ronon?!"
"You torment me, non-stop," he said, standing with a smile, "I finally have something to torment you back with. Don't plan on losing that advan-" he started to tease when he heard a sound, the door, gentle footsteps crossing the threshold. He had to sell it, she was gonna kill him later, but that would just be something he needed to deal with. Without hesitation, Daniel pushed Adrienne back on the bed and crawled on top of her, reaching his right arm to wrap her leg around him, his other hand pulling her dress into disarray.
"Throw back your head and trust me," he hissed between his teeth, Adrienne's draw dropping, but Daniel didn't wait, diving forward to kiss her neck lightly, feeling her tense under his lips.
"He is worth keeping if you are still engaging in a precursor to your pleasure…"
"On my world," Adrienne was trying to choke out as Daniel ran his lips so lightly at her collarbone, willing herself to concentrate, what was happening to her, "one knocks before one enters…"
"And on our world, one does not send an unapproved man unattended to the market," Saren shot back, snapping her fingers. Daniel wanted to look up but he had to sell this, his position, lest this woman decide that she wanted him as well, hearing a thud behind him. Low swears were uttered, swears he recognized, and he felt Adrienne sit up, gently shooing him away.
"Then our worlds have much that needs to be discussed," she cooed, doing well Daniel thought, pulling him to her side as if he was what he was trying to convince their host of, her possession.
"Our rules are clear and we have shared them with you upon arrival," Saren countered, "if you cannot abide them, then this negotiation is over…"
From his position on the floor, trying his hardest to let Adrienne be in charge, Cameron peered up to see Saren standing there with her arms crossed under her chest, his Cajun friend scowling. He didn't move a muscle, lying submissively on the floor as was to be expected.
"You sent him to the market?" Saren asked, Adrienne adjusting her chiton, reaching to pull Daniel across her lap.
"I was enjoying the pleasures of this one and required nourishment afterwards,"
she replied, "So yes, I sent him to the market to obtain the items I required as you assured me that we were not prisoners."
"You are not," the woman agreed, leering again at Cameron, "then he was doing as he was told, though it is not our custom to send an unknown male out and unattended. He did secure you food as requested, though we could have provided better."
"You neglected to mention that," Adrienne noted, her host still staring at her friend.
"You never asked," she replied, her eyes back down at the colonel, still pressed to the floor, "however, this one took it upon himself to wander the market rather than bring your food to you..."
"Again as I requested," Adrienne countered, hoping Cam hadn't done anything too foolish in his snooping that she couldn't explain away, "As you saw," she reached for Daniel's hair, running her fingers through it gently, "We like to take our time and enjoy. Cameron knows how long to leave us and what I require upon his return."
Saren seemed unconvinced, "As a stranger to our world we ask you familiarize yourself with our rituals before this evening so that this does not happen again."
"This evening?"
The olive-skinned woman smiled.
"In your honor of course," she continued, "It is common to hold an evening meal when we have guests from through the Chappa'ai to mark the beginning of our alliance."
"You've had other guests?" Daniel spoke before good sense could halt his words, his assistant cutting her eyes over at him.
"They both speak out of turn," Saren was quick to note as well, "If these are the two you favor it worries me what else you may have to offer..."
Trying to cover Adrienne stood, making sure to leave a hand on Daniel's shoulder.
"It appears that you have much to learn of our world as well," the archaeologist didn't miss a beat, "as I have already stated they are my most intimate advisors."
"Males advising," Saren purred her focus yet again on Cameron, "it is not only your attire we need to learn it seems…" her eyes were locked on the colonel's bare back, ogling him, "all things we can discuss over dinner. I'll have some more appropriate dress sent down as well as servants to escort you."
"Thank you," Adrienne said kindly, Saren smiling and kneeling beside Cameron on the floor, "and during dinner tonight? We will be able to discuss these alliances?"
Saren smiled, in a way that sent chills down the Cajun's spine, "In the morning, after the celebration, we will begin to speak as to how our worlds may be of use to one another. Until then, I believe I was interrupting..."
Panicked, Adrienne pulled Daniel upright, trying to awkwardly position herself as they were before.
"If your mistress requires privacy, you may come with me while she finishes," their host offered as her hands wandered down the colonel's biceps, "here we are not as private with our enjoyment…"
"Cameron may stay," the Cajun ordered as her best friend tried to figure out what he should do, pinned on top of her, trying not to squish her or cross a boundary, "he needs to learn to contain his jealousies better."
"As you wish," she cooed, making Adrienne want to joke about how very cliche and Darth Vader that was, making her Princess Leia, maybe Daniel Luke, which was disgusting, anything to get heart to stop pounding and for this insanity to end.
The colonel waited on the floor, the feeling of her oily hands still fresh on his arms until he heard the door close behind him.
"I need a decontamination shower," he said as he rose to his feet, "Listen Daniel, Addy, we've got some major trouble," Cameron cleared his throat as he brushed something from his knees, glancing up at the pair of them, "Whoa now! Seriously guys? You really want me to leave so you two can..." he looked at them and swirled his finger in a small circle pointed towards them, "Finish up?"
Glaring over his shoulder as he was crawling off of Adrienne, Daniel frowned at Cameron, "I was pleasing our mistress," he growled through his teeth, "Unless of course you want that lady to figure out who we really are so she can castrate me and enslave you!"
Adrienne grumbled, pushing Daniel away, adjusting her clothing for a second time, "We're trapped on an alien planet with no way out and I wanna take some time to make-out with Indy, coo Cam, really? And what in the hell were you doing ta get ya ass caught?"
"Snooping, like I said I was," Cam shook his hand, dispelling the image from moments ago, "A lady stopped me, in the market, paid for this," he muttered, tossing the packets onto the bed, "She knew about us, about this damn dinner and just when she was about to tell me something that might have gotten us the hell outta here I said we were at the palace and poof, she's gone."
"Wait, that Irlana from before?" Daniel asked, standing from the bed.
"No, some other chick, actually, come to think of it, she didn't look like the others," the colonel explained, using his hands to describe, "she was paler, all of the other women and men I saw were dark, like you said in the briefing Daniel, Italian and Greek looking. She wasn't."
"That can happen anywhere, a genetic anomaly," Adriene piped up but Cam didn't appear as convinced.
"No there was something different about her, I can't put my finger on it, but she wanted to know how many of us there were and when I said where we were staying she kinda freaked out," Cameron explained.
"Freaked out how?" Daniel followed up, curious.
"I don't remember but those pictures in the book we saw? With those guys getting their stuff cut off or their throats slit and everything else? It was the same kind a look I'd've given if someone told me they were hanging out with our good buddy Ba'al..."
Adrienne and Daniel looked at one another, "So I take it we shouldn't be playing along anymore?" she asked, "Throat slitting isn't really what I came here for. Let's just explain that it was all a misunderstanding and that things are different on different worlds, they must know that..."
"No," Daniel disagreed quickly, "They cut out your tongue for lying, to start. I'm sure they know, maybe even have a feeling that we're from that sort of 'different world' but I don't think they care. This is a test to see if we will conform to their beliefs. We need to go to this dinner, figure out how much trouble we're in and a way to get out of here at night. Tonight. I don't like anything about this."
"And how exactly do you think we're going to pull that one off Jackson?" Cameron shouted back, "I can't even go get a goddamn bag of fruit without being tackled by fifteen people! They've got guys, helluva lot bigger than us ready to jump at their command!"
"Unsullied..." Adrienne muttered to herself, "That's what happened to me when I came to, you guys were being stripped and dragged to this room by these giants. The reminded me of the Unsullied."
"What are you talking about Ad?"
"Give me some TV program leeway shug okay? At least this one is based on some actual history," Adrienne sat up, crossing her legs as she did, "The Unsullied were eunuchs, male slaves, castrated at a young age to be more easily controlled and then bulked up and trained as enforcers, or as an army. It was loosely based on the castrated Spartans of Ancient Greece. Think about it, huge dudes, not standing up to women but subservient? You guys have to admit that testosterone doesn't work that way. Chances are they've been castrated too, possibly against their will. What does the book say?"
Frowning, Daniel stood, walking to the table to open the volume,"Bad television programming or not nothing here has matched up with Macedonian culture like we originally expected. I think you're right, it's probably a hierarchical system between the slaves themselves. Ones with desirable characteristics are used for breeding or pleasure purposes and ones with less desirable characteristics are castrated, used as infantry."
"Is it wrong that a small part of me wants to stay?" Adrienne asked with a grimace, "I mean, I've never seen a civilization like this before Daniel and I've read all of your notes…"
"No it's not," he agreed quickly, "I'm curious as well but at the same time I don't like the way that Saren is leering over Cameron. It's as if she won't take no for an answer and this has gone from leering to potential violence rather quickly."
"Can I second that because as much as I like the ladies I don't like being told how things are gonna go down…" the colonel added, noting his cage and attire.
"You mean like my entire gender has for millennia?" Adrienne shot back, ever the champion for women's rights.
"Trust me girlie," Cam said, taking a seat and rubbing his head, "if I've learned anything from you it's to never tell a woman what to do."
Sighing, Daniel sat as well, "We just need to stay together then, the three of us and Ad…" he slowed his speech a little peering over at her, "we might need to adjust our story…"
"Adjust how shug?" she frowned at him, Daniel looking sheepishly over at the colonel.
"Might be time for us to discuss how you're grooming Cameron," he replied, "for breeding…"
Sighing Adrienne rolled her eyes and rubbed her face, shaking her head in her hands, "Da wrong gah damn gainne got da flu because I am definitely nah da person ta sell dat I 'ave sex slaves."
"Well girlie," Cameron stood, walking over and sitting on the bed beside, her throwing his arm over her shoulder, "today's the day you're gonna learn."
"I went from single this morning to sleeping with the both of ya. My life is so exciting," Adrienne said with a sigh, letting herself flop back on the bed as she awaited the more "appropriate dress."
Odessa watched as the members of SG1 entered the dining area. The men, both the one from the market, and the other that was in their group, were no longer dressed as before, now wearing dark brown tunics although still somewhat revealing, cut low in front of their chiseled chests. It was the female in the group this time that was wearing the traditional gold, a long ballgown that dragged along the floor slightly, leading the two men behind. They appeared awkward, and Odessa could tell that it was an act, but one that they had practiced to somewhat fit in.
Her eyes followed them as Adrienne made small talk with their host and the other females, Saren leading the conversation. Although she'd heard the whispers hours earlier when she snuck into the palace, she was more concerned about what would happen to the woman more than anyone else. She knew Saren definitely had plans for what their visitor was referring to as her "errand boy", the man she had spoken to in the market. Evidently Saren's daughter had eyes for the woman's lover, talking openly in the main foyer about his cut jawline and crystal blue eyes. Both men would be safe, albeit most likely not the lives they intended to lead, but safe and alive nonetheless.
It was the woman that would most likely be executed, possibly publicly.
She had seen enough of that, enough where she wished she possessed the scientific knowledge to shut the gate off forever and prevent anyone else from coming in and meeting their doom.
Swiftly she stood, pushing her way through to speak with the woman directly, using her station to her advantage. The man in the market today, Cameron he said his name was, appeared intelligent and most likely if they were explorers all three were some sort of scientists. They had to be able to read between the lines enough so she could get three of them out of here and back to where they had come.
"Mistress Adrienne," she said as she bowed her head in greeting, "a seat has been reserved for you near the head of the table," Odessa added as she reached for Adrienne's hand.
"How do you know my name?" the woman asked with a frown, though allowing her hand to be taken nonetheless.
"Word of you and your men has travelled quickly," she spoke a half-truth hoping the woman in gold would read the expression on her face, "we are all familiar with you, Daniel and Cameron."
Cam's eyes shifted over to Adrienne as he gave her a small nod; 'This is the lady that I ran into at the marketplace' he screamed through his eyes.
Acknowledging his gaze with a nod of her own, the Cajun looked around the room to see that the only people sitting around the large table were females.
"I prefer to have my men sit with me, to keep them close and to halt any misbehavings that may arise," she stated, confidently.
"Saren has asked..." Odessa began, but Adrienne interrupted, staring her down.
"I do not care WHAT Saren has asked. We have abided her rules thus far," the archaeologist replied, "we are wearing her dress, keeping my men confined. On my world, however, my property stays with me."
Public execution, Odessa thought, Saren would most certainly make an example of her.
Agreeing reluctantly, a thin hand reached out to show the way, their reserved seats, reserved seat to be specific, but with a glance she was able to clear two more places for the males of the group. They sat, the woman, Adrienne, confident, indicating the men flank her. Odessa watched as they did what was asked, not out of submission but trust.
She had been correct in her assumptions.
Taking a seat of her own across from the female guest, she watched carefully, the woman's movements, her manners, Odessa saw not a single waver in confidence as food was placed in front of her. Her strength would certainly anjeer Saren and here court further. The other male, Daniel she was certain was his name, however, seemed to be somewhat distraught, and she saw the woman reach over to his leg, squeezing it gently. Cameron, however, did not seem to react the same. While giving her a look, one that was clearly supportive of her performance, he did not make any contact, allowing Adrienne to lean lightly into Daniel. The mannerisms of the three seemed consistent, but she still didn't want to say too much until she could be absolutely sure that her assumption was right.
"So you are explorers?" she asked as the Cajun sipped her drink.
"Yes," was the reply with a light swallow, "we are peaceful explorers, whose goal is to learn more about our galaxy and to create alliances with like-minded peoples."
"And do you find our world to be similar to your own?" the woman asked, watching the pale face across from her drawn up with a slight scowl.
"In some ways," Adrienne answered, Odessa raising her hand to request two glasses of wine one for her and her female companion, "in other ways it is very different."
Understanding, and hoping she was correct, Odessa nodded her head slightly sipping her wine as well, "I take it you are not used to being separated from your men…" she continued her subtle interrogation, watching dark eyes peer first at Daniel and then look back over to Cameron trusting his judgment of this complete stranger.
It was a risk she could only hope this woman would take.
"So it is the other way around? The women subservient to the men?" she ventured, now watching the brown eyes shift, glaring at her, in anger possibly…
"Perhaps in the past," Adrienne answered quickly, "but not any longer."
I like her, Odessa thought, reminds me of who I used to me. Smiling, she motioned over another plate of food, "Please Cameron," she requested with a finger, "stand and serve everyone at the table."
"After they have checked your food, you will eat first," she added, quietly, her eyes scanning the area to insure they were still being ignored, for the most part, save Saren who was peeking over every so often as she chatted with other guests, taking her own time and watching Odessa knew, "and then they will follow."
"For poison ?"Adrienne asked, her confidence from earlier wavering.
"No," Odessa shook her head, "merely to test that the temperature and flavors to your liking. If they are to kill you it will not be as subtle as poison."
That was all she needed to say apparently, the three eyeing one another in panic...
It didn't take years of experience with the Stargate program for Cameron Mitchell to realize what their new friend was saying without saying it. It wasn't he or Daniel that was going to be castrated or executed if they failed this little test here at dinner.
They were gonna to kill Addy.
Poor damn Daniel had been totally obvious when that young little thing had brought them the "law book" earlier, a book that the more his listened to his two nerd friends speak French and discuss the more he could tell was useless, and it was.
It was cover.
Every damn thing about this planet was cover, from inviting them to come here, to the law book, to the negotiations, everything, cover.
"Who are you?" he asked, interrupting the quiet conversation between the two women, cryptic and coded, "because you seem to know a helluva lot about us and about our lady friend over there."
"I told you, my name is Odessa," she stressed again, not an eye on Cameron, but answered Adrienne as though she posed the question, "and I serve on the advisor's council to the Queen."
"Saren?" Daniel asked, Cameron noting that they were being watching again, this time by Irlana, her eyes glued to Daniel.
"No," Odessa again answered Adrienne and Adrienne alone, "the queen is named Oshca."
"Where is she?" the younger archaeologist finally spoke, "is she here?"
Their new friend shook her head.
"She doesn't leave the palace."
"But I thought this was a feast," Adrienne read Cam's mind it seemed, seeing through the lies, "in our honor. Saren said we were to feast tonight and begin talks in the morning. Wouldn't the queen want to meet people before she allowed her advisors to engage in talks?"
"There aren't gonna be any damn talks Addy," the colonel hissed, "because we're damn livestock."
"I said I was not here to sell my men," the Cajun shot immediately, "They are not my slaves, this is just an act for your sick damn whoever the hell she is over there. They are my friends and NO ONE will touch them."
"Shout louder," Odessa shrugged her shoulders as she sat back, "and they'll just kill you now."
Sighing, but not happy, Adrienne dropped to silence.
"In a moment," Odessa continued, "after she is done collecting bids…"
"Bids?" Daniel asked, the woman cutting her eyes at him for just a moment.
"You are new blood, fresh DNA…"
"See," Cam hissed, shooting a fearful glance at Saren, "livestock."
"DNA?" Adrienne interrupted, noting her choice of terminology, "where do you come from?"
The new friend ignored the question as women begin to rise from their seats, leaving their food to mill around, some in the quartet's direction. She was running out of time, Odessa reaching for the red ribbon stowed in her pocket, passing it to Adrienne,"Tie this around Daniel's left wrist, now," she said as nodded towards his hands, "It shows that he's not for sale or trade, that he's the sire to your unborn child."
"What? I've gotta act pregnant? How? Poke out my stomach? And what about Cam?" the younger archaeologist hissed, "I've made it perfectly clear that NEITHER of MY men are for sale or trade, regardless of WHO is willing to purchase them or for how much!"
Her eyes shot over to Saren, who thankfully wasn't looking at them for the first time all night.
"Daniel, your mistress speaks as though she is ill, the food must be affecting the baby, you need to take her back to the suite and rid her of the sickness," Odessa's eyes and tone of voice changed as she spoke, Daniel wide-eyed and confused.
"What about Cam?" he shot back, "Or better yet, how about how you know all of this and why you aren't just getting us the hell outta here?!"
"You would never believe me if I told you," she muttered, Saren fast approaching, "but right now I suggest you trust me, or you can watch her die."
Not seeing much of a choice, Daniel left Cameron behind to take Adrienne to their quarters, hoping he hadn't doomed one friend for the sake of another.
"If you plan on making an escape, and I highly recommend that you do, it's best to do so before Saren notices. She has her sights set on you," Odessa leaned over, whispering into Cameron's ear as she pushed a ribbon, purple in color, towards him.
"What's this one for?" he asked, taking it nonetheless, but letting it sit on the surface.
"To show that I have a bid on you, already," she whispered back, "It's a way of marking my territory so to speak."
"Wait, Odessa, I'm flattered, but like I told you, I'm not for sale…"
She shook her head, "Dinner was not to celebrate the arrival of new visitors, it was to celebrate the arrival of new blood, as you surmised..."
"Yeah, you mentioned DNA earlier, an Earth term," Cam noted, her eyes darting from side to side before locking on his once more.
"Because I'm from there," she dropped her glance and her voice, sadness washing over what little part of her face he could see.
"Then how did you get here?" the colonel asked, stunned, that explained her choice of words, her skin tone, how her accent was slightly different than the other inhabitants.
"A long story," she replied quietly, "One I'd rather not tell."
He didn't push further, seeing Saren and Irlana pointing to him again.
"Fine," he let it go, they were running out of time and he was certain that their host was gonna notice Addy and her daughter's top pick absent from the meal, "So what are we gonna do? Can you get us outta here?"
"Just put this on," she ordered, again pushing the ribbon closer towards him, "tonight was to serve as a showing, a pre selection for the auction tomorrow. Purple is the color of my house and this is an advanced bid on you. Red means strictly not for sale, which is why Daniel is wearing it. Your friend does not seem to be willing to let him out of her sight."
The colonel nodded his head, leaning over the table to not be heard, more concerned than before of being watched,"Yeah but that's not the story we sold them. We told Saren that I'm the one Addy's testing for smarts or whatever to make babies with and that Daniel's just for sex, not the other way around."
"I thought I would assign the tags based on their actions. Apparently the two of them are quite convincing of being actual lovers much more than you and her. Saren has noticed."
"Like I said before," Cameron muttered with a frown, "I'm not sure that they're not actual lovers."
Odessa forced a smile, pointing to the meat on her plate. Reading her mind, Cam stood, reaching for the fork and knife to cut the slice as he was hoping she was requesting, taking the chance to ask a few more questions while he was leaning in more closely, "So you're gonna say you're buying me?"
"I'm buying you for my house. I'm handmaiden of Saren."
Camera nearly dropped the knife, "Excuse me!?"
"Listen to me, that's my only way to get you out of here," she spat, pointing for him to take a seat, "If I say that I've put in an advance bid with Saren's colors on it, no one will even look at you or your friends, alright?"
"You said they wanted to kill her…"
"I never said they wanted to kill her I said that they would do something other than poison, but yes, the chances are very likely that if she did not relinquish the two of you would as requested she would be put to death, most likely in a public fashion," Odessa clarified.
"Well, newsflash, but Addy doesn't sell out her friends, so you've just sent her and Daniel back to that room to get killed," Cam hissed as he started to stand, a hand reaching for his and holding him back.
"Fortunately her sickness this morning, I heard Saren speaking of that, was just enough to cause the doubt, the doubt that allowed me to give Daniel the red ribbon."
"You mean by saying that she's pregnant…" Cam led.
"Exactly," she assured with a quick squeeze as she let go, "they will not, no matter the circumstances, kill a woman with child no matter how much they want her dead. Instead, they will let her gestate in prison and deliver the child hoping it is a worthy daughter, then kill the mother."
"So how long before they figure out that Addy ain't pregnant?"
"I only need until tonight," she answered, calmly, but with a fear in her eyes.
"You're going to get us out of here tonight?" he asked for clarification because she just didn't seem as sure of herself as she had moments ago.
"I'm going to try…" she trailed a moment, peering left, then right, reaching out to tie the ribbon that was still sitting on the table, "I can most likely after the events for the evening are over and most everyone is in bed. I can get you out of the city but as far as escaping through the Stargate that is something I do not know how to do."
"We can take care that," he replied, noting she had called it the Stargate, and that accent again, who was this woman, "you get us to the gate without twenty of those gigantic damn goons jumping on us, then yeah, I can dial us home," he paused gazing back up at her, "I can take us all of us home…"
Odessa didn't speak, her eyes widening.
"You don't belong here," Cam added, "that's obvious."
"I…" she started to stutter but stopped herself, swallowing and standing, "you will leave now and return to your quarters. I will inform Saren that I've placed the bids, everything is ready for the morning and that Adrienne is resting, ill and pregnant. I suggest you wait until I arrive before trying to escape on your own."
"Odessa," Cam started, the woman shaking her head.
"Tell your friends to keep up the act if they wish to see their homes again."
She was at Saren's side before he could speak, tapping her own wrist as the elder woman smiled.
Cameron was back in the cage leaning against the pillow that Adrienne had given him despite his insistence otherwise. He didn't want to sleep in his tiny prison but he decided to listen to Odessa's instructions and play along. If he was going to be sold the next morning he needed to look like someone that was going to be sold, confined, caged, separated from his soon to be former owner, while his friends decided to sleep in the bed together, playing their own parts. They'd acted like it was a problem, that it was inappropriate or some garbage, but Cameron rolled his eyes.
He knew better, even if they were too stupid to know themselves.
Damn Vala and Jack were exactly right about the two of them.
He wondered how long it would take for them to figure it out.
There was a click at the door, the lock disengaging and he saw the woman who was hopefully their salvation slip in, her finger pressed to her lips. Nodding he crawled onto his knees as she undid the latch allowing him to exit.
"Is everything ready?" he asked, standing and stretching from his confinement.
"As much as it can be," she replied pointing toward the bed, "are they?"
"Yeah, playing the part, like you said, let's get 'em," he whispered leading her into the bedroom area grabbing his, Daniel's and Addy's tac vests on the way. Trying to pretend that he wasn't wearing tight gold skivvies and a tiny brown tunic covering his top, Cam threw his vest over his shoulders following behind to pass the remaining pair over to his friends who were lying in bed side-by-side Daniel curled around Adrienne holding her tightly and protectively in his arms.
"And they are not lovers?" Odessa asked cutting her eyes between Cameron and his friends.
Cam rolled eyes, "My point exactly."
"We're not asleep," Daniel moaned as he rolled over, relinquishing his grasp on Adrienne, "you said to play the part so we're playing the part."
"Except for the fact that you two guys are like that all the time anyways, but I'll shut up," Cameron muttered, Adrienne sitting up rubbing her head.
"So do I have to go on acting like I'm pregnant because I really don't know how to do that..."
"Unfortunately that is a ruse we need you to keep up for a little while longer," Odessa said pulling from behind her a large silky cloth, "grab that litter over there," she indicated to Daniel and Cameron, the board resting against the wall near the cages,"it seems that Adrienne has experienced some distress in the middle of the night and sent Daniel to get medical help as she is concerned for her unborn child…"
"Distressed how?" Daniel asked, but was headed for the board, "I can't believe they think she's pregnant; it's not even consistent..."
"Distressed enough where she needs to be carried to the infirmary to be examined," Odessa ignored his protests, bidding Adrienne stand.
"Listen, Odessa, isn't that just gonna put us in another place we can't get out of?" Cam however wasn't springing into action, despite their new friend shaking her head.
"There are group of us, women I met when I first came here. They don't agree with this, the sale of people, treating men like livestock, a female dominant culture where undesirables are cast aside. They believe they are better, removing the power that men have in so many other places in the galaxy, but they're wrong. They are doing just what they criticize others for doing."
"A group?" Adrienne questioned, wrapping herself in the fabric.
"Yes, we are few, but we are," she continued to answer their questions, the men grabbing the board, "we've formed an Underground Railroad of sorts."
"Really?" Cameron muttered, walking the contraption over.
"Yes while we are here in the principal city, some of the other cities in the surrounding area believe as well this is not how males should be treated," she explained, lying the litter on the bed and arranging some things onto it, "there are some factions, colonies that believe men and women are equal. Any males that we feel are going to be killed or abused, any female travelers who come here whose lives are in danger, anyone that we can smuggle out of the city we do. Never before, though, have we had an opportunity activate the gate…"
"Until us," Adrienne said quietly, climbing on the pallet as asked.
"Until you," she paused, making Daniel and Cameron pause rather than pick up the litter, "I've never asked a favor for anyone I have ever gotten out of here…" she trailed, guilt washing over her face, "but I have spoken with my friends, my comrades in this and they have agreed…" Odessa stammered, "so I'm asking this of you. If I can get you out of the palace and to the gate, will you take me home?"
"Yes," Adrienne answered before anyone else could speak, remembering Cameron's words as they had discussed how this woman might have been stranded here, "yes we'll take you home."
With a glare she dared anyone to question.
"You're taking this whole ownership thing to a new level, aren't you?' Cam joked.
"Sorry if I want outta here, for all of us," Adrienne replied, signaling them over, "before two of my best friends are sold…"
"We need to leave now," Odessa ordered, heading for the door, "getting you to the infirmary is not a problem, but they will only be able to hold open our escape for so long…" she waved her hand behind her, beckoning, Cameron and Daniel lifting Adrienne up in the air.
"You got your litter," Daniel tried to joke, Adrienne peering up to make a face at him.
"Fantastic," she said with an eye roll, the quartet rushing from the room.
She hadn't been kidding about Underground Railroad, though Cameron thought her interpretation was a bit too literal. There had been women, one he had seen walking around the palace on his earlier jaunt, and two others he had never laid eyes on before this very moment. Adrienne had practically leapt from the litter, the men tossing the board aside as a cabinet was shifted, a hole carved into the wall.
"Hands and knees Indy," Adrienne said, trying to direct him in front of her, "Just like Shawshank…"
"As long as there's no fecal matter, we're good," Cam heard him tease back, the two trying to keep one another calm and they did often now. His friends safely ahead, Cam dropped to his knees as well, peering back for Odessa to follow.
"Ya coming?"
She didn't reply for a moment, taking to her knees but not following, "I need to ask you another personal favor," she said as she reached into her satchel, grabbing a small card, "Please, if I don't make it through, see that my family gets this and that they know I'm ok."
"What are you talking about? You're going to make it out just fine, getting out of the palace was the hard part. Daniel and Addy are going to go through first, followed by you and then I'll bring up the rear. There's a grenade in my vest, we're gonna get out," he assured, pushing her offering away.
"Cameron, this is a risk that we have never taken, I haven't been to the gate since…" she trailed, fighting back emotion before continuing, "we've only escaped out of the city, into the countryside, I don't know…" Odessa looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the object, "I understand it's a lot to ask out of you when we've only just met, but you have to have a little faith in me," she let a single tear slip from the corner of her eye, "Please?"
"I'll get you through," the colonel assured, taking the object nonetheless to ease her mind, "have a little faith in me."
Nodding, Odessa peered back at her friends one last time, before crawling into the dark passage.
The gate lie ahead in their wake, not a soul in sight, making Cameron worry. Resistance he had expected, making him wonder if there was something they hadn't taken into account. Starlight lit their way, illuminating the center of the DHD.
"Ad run ahead and start dialing!" Daniel shouted, his assistant dashing off despite her dress. He broke out into a jog behind her, Cameron on his heels, the slap of Odessa's sandals at his side. The archaeologist was there in seconds, pale hands slapping the signals, the red ball lighting up merely a moment before she slammed her hand onto it. The gate moved, activating, Cameron starting to think about home, throwing his feet up after the briefing, relaxing, maybe with the time difference between here and home he could take Odessa around DC, find out where she was from...
Absorbed in his own thoughts as the blue pool formed in front of them, Cameron didn't even notice the nozzles erupting from the ground, right under the DHD, pointed directly at the gate.
The gas…
"COVER YOUR FACES!" Odessa screamed, shocked, she must have assumed as Cameron had that it only activated when the gate was dialed in, not out. Adrienne and Daniel did as they were told, peering back in a panic, Cameron and Odessa racing on.
"GO!" she screamed, "GO THROUGH! DO NOT WAIT!"
Cameron was about to shout the same, seeing the two archaeologists waiting anyway, when he felt himself pushed aside, Odessa dashing ahead, to the DHD, crawling onto the ground. Smoke was pumping from behind the contraption, filling the air where only holding one's breath could prevent entrance into the lungs when it just stopped, all smoke, everything stopped.
"Odessa, get up, shut it off and come on!" Cam picked up his pace, racing to help her to her feet, thank her again for knowing how to deactivate the gas machine when he saw her, leaned over on her knees, limp, not moving...
"Nooo!" Cameron seemed to shout in slow motion as he dashed to the nearly lifeless body of their new friend, the only person that, once safe at home, could give them a better idea of what kind of world this really was.
"It was barbed," she choked out, pulling back, Cam grabbing her by her shoulder to assist. The gas had stopped, or was at least blocked, by her, her torso, Odessa shaking her head and refusing to move further.
"I can't," she whispered back, "if you pull me off, it'll bring my insides with it and release the gas."
"We can hold our breath," he tried to reason, "the gate's dialed. Our doc Carolyn, she can patch you right up…"
There was a hand at his shoulder, Daniel, shaking his head.
"We can't leave you," the colonel argued as she coughed, producing a thick red liquid.
"Then you will be sold, or killed!" she spat back, tears in her eyes. She knew, just as he did, as he heard Daniel stepping back to whisper to Adrienne. He didn't have an argument but he just couldn't leave, she did this, for them, she was fine living here, there was no threat to her as a woman. He wanted to shout out, rage, anything, when he felt fingers at his, Odessa pulling herself up ever so slightly. Still impaled on the nozzle, she was holding her middle the best she could, blood rushing from the sides of her fingers, breathing some of her last breaths, "My family, remember?" she whispered, barely audible, pointing to his tac vest pocket, "Tell them I'm ok. That everything was ok..."
And Odessa was gone.
The colonel didn't have time to think, running full throttle towards the closing gate, leaping through it as the event horizon dissipated behind him.
Cameron didn't even pay attention to the riotous laughter that was emanating from Jack O'Neill as he and Daniel walked down the steps of the ramp.
"You two look like something out of a bad damn B movie on the SciFi channel," the general laughed Daniel rolling his eyes as Adrienne pushed past, her head in her hands, "and there goes Dr. Perky dressed like the Queen of Sheba. Looks like I missed a good time. So girls in charge, again, doesn't work out so well for everybody?"
Shaking his head and frowning, he didn't wanna hear this right now, Daniel shoved his hands toward non-existent pockets, following his assistant.
"Are we closing this one off?" Jack asked, now slightly more serious than before, Daniel stopping and turning around to answer.
"Don't close it off but mark it. Maybe we could send somebody through. Maybe Vala can take intelligence when she's better?"
"If the way you're dressed is any indication of male fashion, I'm definitely not sending her. We may not get her back," the general tried to joke, but it didn't seem to go over so well with this unusually somber crowd.
"I want you all checked out especially given him your attire and the expressions on your faces," Jack continued, watching Cameron stare back at the gate, a sadness in his demeanor.
"What I want to know," Jack was still laughing, trying to feel out the trio that wasn't saying a word, "is when we called through and asked to speak to you guys we were told that mistress Adrienne was being serviced and couldn't be bothered. Who exactly was doing the servicing? I bet I can venture a guess..."
"Not funny," Daniel answered rolling his eyes and walking to the infirmary as if he hadn't stopped to attempt to have serious conversation with Jack in the first place. Shaking his head, Jack knew exactly who had been playing the part with Dr. Perky without Daniel even needing to explain, the general turned to Cam who was lingering back, an expression of dismay on his face.
"I take it by the fact that you all are missing half of what you're wearing you didn't just walk out of there?"
"No," Cameron said with the sigh, looking up, "we had to escape."
"Escape a bunch of girls? Again I blame all of this somehow on Daniel…"
"Yeah, we had a little bit a help getting out of there…" he trailed, quietly reaching into a pocket in his tac vest, pulling out the card she had shoved into his hand before. It was an ID card, from a program that he remembered, one that hadn't lasted very long…
Доктор Одесса Константин
Dr. Odessa Constantine
Физика
Physics
Посещая ученый , Афины Греция
Visiting Scientist, Athens Greece
"Can you see that this gets to her family?" Cam muttered, handing the dog-eared access card over, "she didn't make it."
"I'll see this gets where it needs to go…" Jack answered, quietly, taking the object from his hand as the colonel turned, "You alright Mitchell?"
Cameron halted his exit shrugging as he looked back, "Yeah," he sighed out, "it's part of the job. Not everyone makes it through, right?"
Nothing else to be said, because if he said anything else he would've lost it completely, Cameron Mitchell headed out of the gateroom, pushing away the image of her face, her selfless caring face, as he had watched the life fade away from her as if it was never there...
He knew where he was supposed to go, follow his friends, get a check-up, but instead he walked right past the double doors, heading straight for the gym.
"There's protocol for a reason colonel," he heard shouting behind him, Cam slowing his pace since he'd been caught. Coming to a lighter jog he turned, peering back to see Carolyn Lam standing in the stairwell to the side of the track, medical bag in hand.
"I just wanted to…" he started, the doctor shaking her head as she approached.
"Drive me insane like the rest of your team," she finished for him as she looked for a chair. Reading her mind, Cam jogged over to a folded metal one beside the water fountain, bringing it over to where she was standing.
"I needed to get a run in," he tried to argue but she didn't appear to care.
"Uh huh, second person today to try that line. Didn't work for her either. Two exposures to the gas?" she asked, directing he sit, "like Daniel and Addy?"
"One," he corrected, doing as asked, "Odessa…"
He couldn't continue.
Carolyn simply lifted his chin, shining a light into his eyes.
"Two," she continued, "we can't be guaranteed that her sacrifice kept all of the substance from escaping."
"So they told you?" he asked as he tried not to squint.
"In so many words," she replied, continuing her exam, "any other injuries?"
"No," he answered quietly letting her continue her exam, blood pressure, heart rate doing it all in silence.
"You know," Carolyn finally spoke as she reached for his glands, "my second year as a resident we had a woman come into the ER. She was hit by a drunk driver, just going about her business. It was in the middle of the afternoon, she'd gone to the grocery store and she was only a few blocks from her apartment," she paused wrapping your stethoscope around her neck to get it out of her way, reaching back to him to continue, "she didn't even see it coming, he hit her from behind, drove right up on the sidewalk, must've been going on the thirty or thirty-five miles an hour at the most."
Cam sat back in his chair as she let go of his neck, not saying a word, having never really heard Carolyn say this much before, at least about herself rather than some lecture on how each of them should take better care of themselves or stop exercising too much.
"She'd done well in the ambulance, was responding to stimuli, semiconscious, answering simple questions, but by the time we got her wheeled back to an emergency examination room she started to go," Carolyn paused again, taking a breath, "I remember jumping up on the gurney like those idiots you see in those stupid medical TV programs and slamming on her chest. She wasn't an older woman," the doctor stammered for a moment, "she probably wasn't much older than I was and she was covered in milk and salsa. She just walked to the grocery store, like any normal person would do any normal day and somebody else's selfishness and bad decision left her like this…"
"Did she live?" Cameron finally asked, his eyes gazing up at her as Carolyn pursed her lips, shaking her head.
"No," she said quietly, "she didn't live."
For a moment she didn't speak, her eyes locked on his.
"There was one thing I learned from it, the one thing my attending said to me when she found me crying in the locker room later. She said that I needed to understand if I was going to do this job if I was going to work in medicine there wasn't always a happy ending. You can't save everyone but you do your best and you don't beat yourself up for those you lose."
Cameron looked to the floor trying to focus on his shoelaces rather than her gaze.
"I know you're trained to be a soldier, not feel, or show your feelings but doesn't mean you can't here. This isn't war and you're allowed to mourn or cry if you have to. Appreciating them all is what keeps us going for the next one," Carolyn said in conclusion, pushing her things back into her bag before her expression changed, the doctor taking a breath.
"You look okay," she was back to being that person he saw every day, the professional, that person he wanted so badly to get to know better, "after you shower can you come down and leave a blood sample just in case?"
"No problem," the colonel replied as a doctor turned on her heels heading for the stairs. Cam stood himself, starting to walked to the locker room when he paused, gazing back at her.
"Hey Carolyn!" he yelled, making her stop and look over her shoulder.
"Thanks," he said and nothing more. She didn't speak in return at first, smiling softly.
"No, thank you," she answered, "because this is one of the first times in a long time that I haven't had to run a stretcher out to SG-1 and it's appreciated," she joked turning and leaving before he could say anything further.
This time he let her go.
Allowing himself feel, something he didn't give himself permission to do often, Cameron decided to take a long, hot shower, and mourn the loss of a person he would never get the chance to know.