Melony spent the day with Jack. He had responsibilities, of course, that he couldn't put off, but she had never needed to be entertained by him – she simply wanted his company. So she hung out with him in his office and watched as he went about his daily routine. Paperwork was a bane of his – and always had been, but she turned him down when he suggested she do some of it for him. She was less enamored of paperwork than he was, and she knew nothing about running the SGC, so she figured he was better off doing it himself, and told him so.

Jack scowled, but went back to his work, and Melony went back to watching him.

Occasionally she'd ask him a question about the Atlantis expedition – who went, what they'd taken for supplies, what was being gathered for her to take with her – ad Jack would stop what he was doing long enough to answer. Mitchell vaguely recognized a couple names of the people O'Neill mentioned, but there was no one she knew well – except Colonel Sumner, who she'd known for years.

Finally Jack tossed his pen in the garbage with a grumbling noise.

"Let's go find something else to do."

"Shouldn't you be working?"

"Who's going to tell on me? And who will they tell?"

Good point.

They left his office and went down to the embarkation room where a large pallet of supplies was being assembled, and was growing larger as they watched.

"Are you going to have time to take all of it through?" Jack asked her.

"As long as it's on something that moves fast, I should."

"Too bad you can't take Fuglier, huh?"

Melony nodded. Her ship was little, but it wasn't that little. Fuglier would stay in orbit around the Earth while Melony was gone. Safe and more or less out of the way. It would have been nice to have, though.

"She'll be okay where she is. Just don't let Daniel try to take her for a joy ride."

Jack smiled at that mental picture.

"I'll do my best."

OOOOOOOOOOO

It was midmorning the next day when Teal'c came up to Melony – who'd been once more watching the teams adding in last minute supplies. She took this job seriously, and wanted to make sure she had everything that the Atlantis team might need. Not to mention whatever she, herself, might need.

"Colonel Mitchell, I would appreciate a word with you, please."

She turned, and looked up at Teal'c. He reminded her a lot of Tao – her first prime. Or maybe Tao reminded her of Teal'c. Whatever it was, she was fond of both Jaffa, although she rarely showed that affection.

"Sure, Teal'c. What's up?"

Teal'c frowned at the technician that was standing closest, and the man wandered off a little – more or less out of earshot.

"I would like to accompany you."

"To Atlantis?"

"Yes."

She frowned.

"Have you discussed this with Jack?"

"O'Neill does not know we are having this conversation."

Meaning Jack hadn't suggested to Teal'c that he go keep Melony company (protect her).

"I can't let you come, Teal'c," Mitchell told him, almost reluctantly. She would have loved the company on the chance that the Atlantis expedition had moved on somewhere else, but Teal'c was definitely needed where he was. "They need you here."

"Not as much as they have in the past. With the Goa'uld threat now diminished, I –"

"There are other dangers, though," Melony said. "Dangers that we count on you protecting the other members of your team from."

"I am aware of that," Teal'c said. "However, I agree with O'Neill that you should not depart unaccompanied. What if something happened to you?"

Mitchell shook her head. She wasn't going to have the same argument with Teal'c that she'd already had with Jack.

"You can't come, Teal'c." She told him. "As much as I appreciate your offer, I would feel a lot better if I knew you were here, watching Carter's back and keeping Daniel out of trouble."

He nodded. He wasn't going to argue with her about it, either. He'd decided he would tender his offer, and if she accepted, great. Otherwise... well, he'd at least tried.

"But you can come see me off." She told him, giving him a smile.

"I intend to."

And the conversation ended on that note. Teal'c went off to take care of some business he had, and Mitchell went back to watching them load the final pallets of supplies – which were now mostly MREs and ammunition.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Teal'c wasn't the only one there to see her off. Most of the SGC was present, even though it was after duty hours. Jack had accompanied Melony to the supply room when she'd decided it was time to gear up – most of her own personal supplies were with the first pallet of stuff that would be sent through the gate right behind her – but she'd definitely go ready for a fight, on the off-chance she ran into unfriendlies once she was through the other side.

"P-90?" Jack asked, pulling one of the little machine guns down off the wall of the armory.

Mitchell nodded, pulling on a Kevlar vest and adding all the little things to the pockets that she might need – Swiss army knife, matches, and all sorts of little things like that.

"You'll need a zat."

"Think so?"

"If you don't take one, you don't go."

She snorted, but nodded, and added another holster. She already had her Beretta strapped to one leg, and now she was going to look like a gunslinger with criss-crossed holsters for the other weapon. Ah well. Jack was right; a zat was a good weapon to take. She took the zat from him and put it in the specially designed holster.

"Take this, too." Jack said, holding out another handgun. It was Jack's Beretta.

"I have mine," she told him.

"You'll need a backup gun. I'd like it to be this one."

She knew he had a more sentimental reason than just the need for another gun, and she didn't have to ask what it was. The gun would protect her when Jack couldn't. She took it, and stuck it in a holster designed to go in the back of her waistband. She added a large knife and shook her head. She looked like the Terminator, or something, with all those weapons hanging off her.

You might be glad for them by the time we're done

Yeah, I know.

Of course she knew. That was why she was taking them all.

"Ready?" Jack asked.

She nodded.

"All set."

He hesitated. He wouldn't really be able to say good-bye in the embarkation room with the eyes of the SGC on them, so he wanted to do it here.

"You promised you'd be back..." He reminded her.

"And I will."

"Don't take too long."

"Soon as I can. I swear."

"I love you."

She smiled and hugged him close.

"I love you, too, Jack. Take care of yourself while I'm gone, okay?"

"Don't I always?"

Mitchell snorted, and let him go.

"Let's go do this."

They walked to the embarkation room, passing Marines and other Military personnel who wished her luck and sent her off with various slaps on the back and shoulders. The door opened, and Melony walked across the room, her Beretta slapping against her thigh with each step. When she reached the bottom of the ramp, she stopped, standing in front of the large mountain of supplies that they'd send through the gate behind her, and looked over her shoulder.

Daniel and Sam were in the command center, where they'd be watching the power output of the gate. Jack walked over and stood beside Teal'c, who was standing off to the side where he'd be out of the way of those who'd be sending supplies through.

"You sure about this?" Jack asked her once more.

She nodded, giving him a cocky grin.

"Dial it up, Daniel."

The gate started dialing, and a moment later it flared to life. Melony trotted up the ramp, knowing she didn't have much time, even as a small army of people grabbed the controls for the hydraulic sleds that were going to convey the supplies, and Sam hastily sent off a clipped message through the newly opened gate, sending them SG-2's Iris code and an alert to open their shielding – if they had any.

Without looking back, Mitchell went through the gate.