"Jack..."
"I know, Daniel."
He didn't need Daniel to tell him he crossed the line. He also didn't need Daniel to tell him that he couldn't let their meeting end like this. Especially if she was planning on going through with this crazy plan of hers.
He swore, silently, and ran after Mitchell, catching up and reaching out and grabbing her arm.
"Melony-"
She turned on him, her eyes furious, although Jack knew it was because of him, and that beneath the anger was a lot of hurt.
"What?"
"Don't do this. It's reckless and dangerous."
"Would you do it?"
"No."
"Bullshit."
He scowled. "Maybe. I don't know."
"I know, Jack. If things were reversed, you'd be all for this, because you'd know it's the best plan that could do the most damage to the Goa'uld. They're going to be crippled for a long time of this works. Long enough to give us a lot of breathing room that we need."
"But if it doesn't work-"
"It's going to work, Jack. I promise you, I'll take down every one of them."
"Even if it kills you?"
"I'm not that important." She told him. "How long has it been since you've seen me? Needed me for anything?"
"That doesn't mean anything... What about Brad?"
"Keep him out of this."
"He doesn't deserve a say in this?"
"Have you had that heart to heart with Carter?"
"What?" Where did that come from?
"Carter." Mitchell looked over to make sure that the three others couldn't hear her or Jack. "Does she know how you feel about her?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"If someone came up to you and said ' I have a brilliant idea and the means to pull it off, but you might get killed - even though what you're doing is extremely important' - would you ask her if you should do it?"
"That's different..." It wasn't different, and he knew it.
"No, it isn't. I can't let my feelings for Brad - or you, or anyone else - get in the way of this. If I hesitate, I'll get killed, and it won't accomplish anything."
"Better you go down in a blaze of glory?" He asked sarcastically.
"I'm not planning on going down at all, Jack. I'm planning on coming home and putting my feet up for a few weeks, spending some time with the people I love and then building some of the coolest weapons and shielding the Earth has ever seen."
"Why does it have to be you? Why not a different person?"
"Who? You?"
He shrugged. "Why not? I out rank you."
Melony sighed, and shook her head, the anger long since gone.
"It's our plan, Jack. Our risk."
"I don't like it."
"So you've said. It doesn't change anything."
"Nothing can change your mind?"
"There's no other choice."
"Come back and sit down and discuss it some more."
She shook her head. "I can't, Jack. I have places I need to get to."
"People you need to kill?"
"Something like that."
He scowled. But there wasn't anything he could say. He'd seen the look in her eyes before, and the set of her shoulders and expression. His best argument had failed, and she was going to go through with her crazy plan whether he liked it or not.
"What do I tell Anderson?"
Her eyes went from decisive to indecisive in a matter of seconds.
"Tell him the truth. You saw me, and I'm fine."
"For now..."
"Tell him I told you to tell him I love him."
Jack nodded.
She looked back over to SG-1, who were all watching her and O'Neill, and she waved them over.
"I'll dial you guys home." She said, walking towards the gate with them, and wishing she could keep them with her a little longer. It was nice seeing people she knew and liked after so many months of just her and Talon – and a growing number of Jaffa.
"What do you want me to do with these notes, Colonel?" Carter asked, tucking them into her jacket.
"Just keep them for me for now. Don't let anyone know you have them. I'll be back to help you build the ships and shields, but feel free to take a look at them, and try to get a feel for what Talon's trying to get through. If you have any questions, write them down. I'll keep in contact with Jack for as long as I can, and I'll try to answer anything I can."
She went to the dial home device, and started dialing. Daniel walked over to stand next to her.
"What are you going to do with the Jaffa army you end up with – if things go right?" He asked.
He couldn't help himself. He knew from her reaction to Jack that she wasn't planning to lord over them, but what did someone do when they had thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of Jaffa at their command?
"I honestly don't know, Daniel. Any suggestions?"
Of course he didn't have any. But he also knew the question would keep him up for many nights in the near future.
She dialed the last symbol and the gate flared. Carter sent their code through, and turned to Mitchell.
"I'll keep the technology a secret, Colonel. Count on it."
"I am, Major." Melony smiled. "I'll look forward to working with you."
Sam nodded, and headed through the Gate, followed by Teal'c, who promised her he'd find out about any Jaffa that should be told of her plan. (Not the plan itself, just warned that they needed to stay clear of certain things. No one would know about the plan except for Jacob and Hammond)
"Good luck, Colonel." Daniel told her, holding out his hand, which Melony took.
"Thank you."
The archeologist went through the gate as well, leaving Jack alone with Mitchell. He turned and looked at the ship once more, then with a sigh he looked back at her.
"It's too fugly to be deadly."
"It's the most dangerous ship in the air right now, Jack."
"It's on the ground."
She grinned. "You know what I mean, smart ass." The smile faded. "I know you're going to worry, so I won't tell you not to, but try not to worry too much. And don't be afraid to send me messages if you have something to say."
"Oh, I have things to say. You just aren't listening..."
"I love you."
So much for another argument. Jack sighed, and gave her a hug.
"I love you, too. Think of a plan B, okay?"
"I'll see if we can come up with something."
"If you can think of anything we can do for you on our end, let me know."
"I will. You'd better get going before they think I've kidnapped you."
He let go of her, and nodded. It was clear, though, that he was still worried. She gave him her cockiest grin, and pushed him away.
"Go home, Jack. And maybe you should have that heart to heart with Carter some day soon."
"You let me worry about that." He told her, clamming up like he always did when Sam was mentioned. Melony smiled, and nodded, then deliberately turned her back and walked towards her waiting little ship, unwilling to watch him go, or prolong their good bye any further.
Jack watched as she passed through some kind of forcefield that surrounded the ship, then sighed, and turned, and headed through the Stargate. He had a lot to report about.
"I know, Daniel."
He didn't need Daniel to tell him he crossed the line. He also didn't need Daniel to tell him that he couldn't let their meeting end like this. Especially if she was planning on going through with this crazy plan of hers.
He swore, silently, and ran after Mitchell, catching up and reaching out and grabbing her arm.
"Melony-"
She turned on him, her eyes furious, although Jack knew it was because of him, and that beneath the anger was a lot of hurt.
"What?"
"Don't do this. It's reckless and dangerous."
"Would you do it?"
"No."
"Bullshit."
He scowled. "Maybe. I don't know."
"I know, Jack. If things were reversed, you'd be all for this, because you'd know it's the best plan that could do the most damage to the Goa'uld. They're going to be crippled for a long time of this works. Long enough to give us a lot of breathing room that we need."
"But if it doesn't work-"
"It's going to work, Jack. I promise you, I'll take down every one of them."
"Even if it kills you?"
"I'm not that important." She told him. "How long has it been since you've seen me? Needed me for anything?"
"That doesn't mean anything... What about Brad?"
"Keep him out of this."
"He doesn't deserve a say in this?"
"Have you had that heart to heart with Carter?"
"What?" Where did that come from?
"Carter." Mitchell looked over to make sure that the three others couldn't hear her or Jack. "Does she know how you feel about her?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"If someone came up to you and said ' I have a brilliant idea and the means to pull it off, but you might get killed - even though what you're doing is extremely important' - would you ask her if you should do it?"
"That's different..." It wasn't different, and he knew it.
"No, it isn't. I can't let my feelings for Brad - or you, or anyone else - get in the way of this. If I hesitate, I'll get killed, and it won't accomplish anything."
"Better you go down in a blaze of glory?" He asked sarcastically.
"I'm not planning on going down at all, Jack. I'm planning on coming home and putting my feet up for a few weeks, spending some time with the people I love and then building some of the coolest weapons and shielding the Earth has ever seen."
"Why does it have to be you? Why not a different person?"
"Who? You?"
He shrugged. "Why not? I out rank you."
Melony sighed, and shook her head, the anger long since gone.
"It's our plan, Jack. Our risk."
"I don't like it."
"So you've said. It doesn't change anything."
"Nothing can change your mind?"
"There's no other choice."
"Come back and sit down and discuss it some more."
She shook her head. "I can't, Jack. I have places I need to get to."
"People you need to kill?"
"Something like that."
He scowled. But there wasn't anything he could say. He'd seen the look in her eyes before, and the set of her shoulders and expression. His best argument had failed, and she was going to go through with her crazy plan whether he liked it or not.
"What do I tell Anderson?"
Her eyes went from decisive to indecisive in a matter of seconds.
"Tell him the truth. You saw me, and I'm fine."
"For now..."
"Tell him I told you to tell him I love him."
Jack nodded.
She looked back over to SG-1, who were all watching her and O'Neill, and she waved them over.
"I'll dial you guys home." She said, walking towards the gate with them, and wishing she could keep them with her a little longer. It was nice seeing people she knew and liked after so many months of just her and Talon – and a growing number of Jaffa.
"What do you want me to do with these notes, Colonel?" Carter asked, tucking them into her jacket.
"Just keep them for me for now. Don't let anyone know you have them. I'll be back to help you build the ships and shields, but feel free to take a look at them, and try to get a feel for what Talon's trying to get through. If you have any questions, write them down. I'll keep in contact with Jack for as long as I can, and I'll try to answer anything I can."
She went to the dial home device, and started dialing. Daniel walked over to stand next to her.
"What are you going to do with the Jaffa army you end up with – if things go right?" He asked.
He couldn't help himself. He knew from her reaction to Jack that she wasn't planning to lord over them, but what did someone do when they had thousands – if not hundreds of thousands – of Jaffa at their command?
"I honestly don't know, Daniel. Any suggestions?"
Of course he didn't have any. But he also knew the question would keep him up for many nights in the near future.
She dialed the last symbol and the gate flared. Carter sent their code through, and turned to Mitchell.
"I'll keep the technology a secret, Colonel. Count on it."
"I am, Major." Melony smiled. "I'll look forward to working with you."
Sam nodded, and headed through the Gate, followed by Teal'c, who promised her he'd find out about any Jaffa that should be told of her plan. (Not the plan itself, just warned that they needed to stay clear of certain things. No one would know about the plan except for Jacob and Hammond)
"Good luck, Colonel." Daniel told her, holding out his hand, which Melony took.
"Thank you."
The archeologist went through the gate as well, leaving Jack alone with Mitchell. He turned and looked at the ship once more, then with a sigh he looked back at her.
"It's too fugly to be deadly."
"It's the most dangerous ship in the air right now, Jack."
"It's on the ground."
She grinned. "You know what I mean, smart ass." The smile faded. "I know you're going to worry, so I won't tell you not to, but try not to worry too much. And don't be afraid to send me messages if you have something to say."
"Oh, I have things to say. You just aren't listening..."
"I love you."
So much for another argument. Jack sighed, and gave her a hug.
"I love you, too. Think of a plan B, okay?"
"I'll see if we can come up with something."
"If you can think of anything we can do for you on our end, let me know."
"I will. You'd better get going before they think I've kidnapped you."
He let go of her, and nodded. It was clear, though, that he was still worried. She gave him her cockiest grin, and pushed him away.
"Go home, Jack. And maybe you should have that heart to heart with Carter some day soon."
"You let me worry about that." He told her, clamming up like he always did when Sam was mentioned. Melony smiled, and nodded, then deliberately turned her back and walked towards her waiting little ship, unwilling to watch him go, or prolong their good bye any further.
Jack watched as she passed through some kind of forcefield that surrounded the ship, then sighed, and turned, and headed through the Stargate. He had a lot to report about.