"I'm glad to hear that," Mitchell said with a grin as she threw
her right arm over the Jaffa's broad shoulders, careful not to brain him
with her cast. "I could really use someone else to lean on, and I wasn't
about to let Hammond know."
Jack grinned and took the other side and the three of them walked slowly down to the commissary, where Jack sat her and Teal'c down at a table to the side and went to get enough food for all three of them. Mitchell sighed, and rubbed her forehead tiredly.
"You look tired, Colonel Mitchell. Are you certain you are well enough to return toP14-502?"
"I'm probably not," she admitted, opening her eyes and looking at the Jaffa. "But I'll feel a lot better after I've had something to eat and a good night's sleep, and I don't want to miss out on seeing this pyramid."
"Understandable."
O'Neill came back with a tray loaded with food and handed a plate to Mitchell who began to eat hungrily.
"What did you guys do once your MREs ran out?" Jack asked.
"We stretched them as long as we could, then we were stuck with just what we could find growing. Mostly this weird apple-like fruit."
"A month of only eating apples?" he mused. "No wonder you look like shit."
Mitchell grinned, both at Jack's response, and at the look Teal'c gave her, and shook her head, "We didn't see a lot of living creatures, and even if we had, we didn't know what was intelligent and what wasn't."
"Not to mention that it would have been a bad idea to fire your weapons, in case the anti weapon program extended beyond the gate area."
"Exactly." She fell silent and began to eat once more, but it was soon obvious that she was far more exhausted than she was hungry. Her bites were fewer and further between and it was obvious she was having trouble keeping her eyes open.
"Bedtime, I think," Jack said, his dark eyes soft as he watched her try to stay awake. It was a measure of just how tired she was that she didn't argue with him, she merely nodded and stood up. The promptly sat back down again as the room began to spin.
"Teal'c," Jack said, gesturing towards the sleepy Colonel. The Jaffa picked Mitchell up easily and cradled her in his powerful arms as they left the Commissary and headed for the BOQ.
"Perhaps we should delay our departure another day?" Teal'c asked, looking down at Mitchell, who'd fallen asleep immediately.
"Nah, she's not hurt, or Frasier would never have released her. She's just tired, and a good night sleep will take care of most of that."
They walked into a small room that held a bed, a nightstand a desk and a lamp, and O'Neil lwent over and pulled the blankets and sheet down so Teal'c could put her on the bed. Then it was simply a matter of removing her boots and tucking her in. As he pulled the blankets up to her chin, Jack smiled softly at the sleeping young woman and kissed her forehead gently.
"Welcome home, Melony," he whispered, then he and Teal'c left her to her nap.
Closing the door softly behind him, Teal'c looked at O'Neill. "You and Colonel Mitchell are very close." It was a statement, not a question, but Jack answered it anyways.
"Yeah. I've known her a long time. Her brother and I served in the Gulf War together."
"He's in the Air Force?"
"He was," O'Neill said softly. "He was killed. Shot by a guy that was aiming at me until Mike shouted for me to get the hell out of the way and took the fire for me." Jack paused, remembering, then shrugged, "I don't know what hurt more; losing him, or telling Melony that I was responsible for her brother's death."
"It was his choice." Teal'c said.
"Yeah, that's what Melony said, too. And I know she's right, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. She was in the Air Force academy at the time, less than a year from graduating, and I made sure to keep in touch with her more than I had before. Mike was the only family she had left."
"Was it you that got her into the SGC?"
"Yeah. She's smart. Not Carter smart, but way smarter than I am, and she deserved the chance. Not just because we're friends, either." He paused again, but continued a moment later, "I was out of my mind with worry when she and SG-2 came up missing."
"I remember, although I didn't understand at the time why."
"Well, she's back now, thank God, and I can stop worrying. More or less." He slapped Teal'c on the shoulder, more than ready to change the subject. "Get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning."
Aware that he'd learned something that was very personal about his friend, Teal'c smiled and headed for his quarters.
The next morning when Jack came to the commissary for breakfast, he found Colonel Mitchell sitting at a table with a crowd of early risers, all eating breakfast and chatting with her. Most of the people around the table were Marines, who were responsible for the security of the SGC, but there were also a few members of different SG units, including Daniel and Carter. Jack knew that Melony was a favorite with the Marines on the base, mainly because they liked her cocky attitude and her good-natured sarcasm. It was one of the things he himself liked the most about her. He gathered a huge breakfast and walked over, just as a story was ending to a loud round of laughter.
"Good morning everyone," Jack said as he pulled a chair up to sit next to Mitchell.
"Good morning Sir," came the replies.
"Morning, Jack," said Mitchell, grinning up at him. She looked a lot better than she had the night before, although she still looked tired. It was obvious that one night's sleep and two meals weren't going to be enough to erase the damage done by the last month. But it was a good start.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Just finished breakfast and was telling everyone of the fine dining on P14-502." He smiled and shook his head.
"How'd you sleep?"
"Great. I don't even remember going to bed."
"That is because you fell asleep while I carried you." They both looked up and saw that Teal'c had come up to stand behind them.
"Well, that explains it," Colonel Mitchell said with a smile.
"Indeed." Teal'c gave a slight smile, unable to completely resist Mitchell's good mood. "General Hammond wishes to see SG1, and SG2. Those that are going to P14-502, that is."
Jack sighed and looked down at his uneaten breakfast. "Immediately, I suppose?"
"That is what he said."
O'Neill stood up, as did Mitchell, Carter and Jackson, but Mitchell swiped the toast off Jack's plate as she did so. "I'll go get Anderson, Jack, and meet you four there."
Jack nodded and took a piece of his toast from her.
"You do that, we'll see you soon."
He and his team went one way down the hall and Mitchell, still munching on O'Neill's toast, went the other way.
Jack grinned and took the other side and the three of them walked slowly down to the commissary, where Jack sat her and Teal'c down at a table to the side and went to get enough food for all three of them. Mitchell sighed, and rubbed her forehead tiredly.
"You look tired, Colonel Mitchell. Are you certain you are well enough to return toP14-502?"
"I'm probably not," she admitted, opening her eyes and looking at the Jaffa. "But I'll feel a lot better after I've had something to eat and a good night's sleep, and I don't want to miss out on seeing this pyramid."
"Understandable."
O'Neill came back with a tray loaded with food and handed a plate to Mitchell who began to eat hungrily.
"What did you guys do once your MREs ran out?" Jack asked.
"We stretched them as long as we could, then we were stuck with just what we could find growing. Mostly this weird apple-like fruit."
"A month of only eating apples?" he mused. "No wonder you look like shit."
Mitchell grinned, both at Jack's response, and at the look Teal'c gave her, and shook her head, "We didn't see a lot of living creatures, and even if we had, we didn't know what was intelligent and what wasn't."
"Not to mention that it would have been a bad idea to fire your weapons, in case the anti weapon program extended beyond the gate area."
"Exactly." She fell silent and began to eat once more, but it was soon obvious that she was far more exhausted than she was hungry. Her bites were fewer and further between and it was obvious she was having trouble keeping her eyes open.
"Bedtime, I think," Jack said, his dark eyes soft as he watched her try to stay awake. It was a measure of just how tired she was that she didn't argue with him, she merely nodded and stood up. The promptly sat back down again as the room began to spin.
"Teal'c," Jack said, gesturing towards the sleepy Colonel. The Jaffa picked Mitchell up easily and cradled her in his powerful arms as they left the Commissary and headed for the BOQ.
"Perhaps we should delay our departure another day?" Teal'c asked, looking down at Mitchell, who'd fallen asleep immediately.
"Nah, she's not hurt, or Frasier would never have released her. She's just tired, and a good night sleep will take care of most of that."
They walked into a small room that held a bed, a nightstand a desk and a lamp, and O'Neil lwent over and pulled the blankets and sheet down so Teal'c could put her on the bed. Then it was simply a matter of removing her boots and tucking her in. As he pulled the blankets up to her chin, Jack smiled softly at the sleeping young woman and kissed her forehead gently.
"Welcome home, Melony," he whispered, then he and Teal'c left her to her nap.
Closing the door softly behind him, Teal'c looked at O'Neill. "You and Colonel Mitchell are very close." It was a statement, not a question, but Jack answered it anyways.
"Yeah. I've known her a long time. Her brother and I served in the Gulf War together."
"He's in the Air Force?"
"He was," O'Neill said softly. "He was killed. Shot by a guy that was aiming at me until Mike shouted for me to get the hell out of the way and took the fire for me." Jack paused, remembering, then shrugged, "I don't know what hurt more; losing him, or telling Melony that I was responsible for her brother's death."
"It was his choice." Teal'c said.
"Yeah, that's what Melony said, too. And I know she's right, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. She was in the Air Force academy at the time, less than a year from graduating, and I made sure to keep in touch with her more than I had before. Mike was the only family she had left."
"Was it you that got her into the SGC?"
"Yeah. She's smart. Not Carter smart, but way smarter than I am, and she deserved the chance. Not just because we're friends, either." He paused again, but continued a moment later, "I was out of my mind with worry when she and SG-2 came up missing."
"I remember, although I didn't understand at the time why."
"Well, she's back now, thank God, and I can stop worrying. More or less." He slapped Teal'c on the shoulder, more than ready to change the subject. "Get some sleep, I'll see you in the morning."
Aware that he'd learned something that was very personal about his friend, Teal'c smiled and headed for his quarters.
The next morning when Jack came to the commissary for breakfast, he found Colonel Mitchell sitting at a table with a crowd of early risers, all eating breakfast and chatting with her. Most of the people around the table were Marines, who were responsible for the security of the SGC, but there were also a few members of different SG units, including Daniel and Carter. Jack knew that Melony was a favorite with the Marines on the base, mainly because they liked her cocky attitude and her good-natured sarcasm. It was one of the things he himself liked the most about her. He gathered a huge breakfast and walked over, just as a story was ending to a loud round of laughter.
"Good morning everyone," Jack said as he pulled a chair up to sit next to Mitchell.
"Good morning Sir," came the replies.
"Morning, Jack," said Mitchell, grinning up at him. She looked a lot better than she had the night before, although she still looked tired. It was obvious that one night's sleep and two meals weren't going to be enough to erase the damage done by the last month. But it was a good start.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Just finished breakfast and was telling everyone of the fine dining on P14-502." He smiled and shook his head.
"How'd you sleep?"
"Great. I don't even remember going to bed."
"That is because you fell asleep while I carried you." They both looked up and saw that Teal'c had come up to stand behind them.
"Well, that explains it," Colonel Mitchell said with a smile.
"Indeed." Teal'c gave a slight smile, unable to completely resist Mitchell's good mood. "General Hammond wishes to see SG1, and SG2. Those that are going to P14-502, that is."
Jack sighed and looked down at his uneaten breakfast. "Immediately, I suppose?"
"That is what he said."
O'Neill stood up, as did Mitchell, Carter and Jackson, but Mitchell swiped the toast off Jack's plate as she did so. "I'll go get Anderson, Jack, and meet you four there."
Jack nodded and took a piece of his toast from her.
"You do that, we'll see you soon."
He and his team went one way down the hall and Mitchell, still munching on O'Neill's toast, went the other way.