Author's Note: We're going to up the rating on this chapter – and the story I think – to R. Graphic stuff coming up! Beware before you let your kids read this one, okay?

OOOOOOO

Nathan's gun was in his hand in an instant and pointed at the woman before Jack had even made a sound. It was unnerving how silently she'd appeared – almost as if out of nowhere – and Nathan Brooks hated being unnerved.

A dangerous growl issued from Jaffer as Jack called Dotty's name, and the black lab stepped between Dotty and Nathan. By then, however, Nathan was aware that Jack O'Neill at least knew who the woman was – which didn't necessarily make her less of a threat, but since there was no hatred in O'Neill's voice, Nathan had to assume she wasn't someone in league with Kinsey. He lowered the gun, looking at Jack.

"Who is she?"

What the hell... in for a penny in for a pound.

"She's Dotty Adams. Shawn's mother."

"Oh."

"You can't kill him, Jack," Dotty said, walking across the room to stand close to the three men. She looked down at Kinsey with a dangerous glint in her eyes, but the Senator was so grateful that someone had shown up he didn't even recognize it.

"You don't understand what he's done, Dotty," Jack said. "What he was going to do..."

"Of course I do." She put her hand lightly on his arm. "But you can't kill him. It's too risky."

"I'll kill him, then," Nathan said, raising his gun once more, but this time pointing it at Kinsey, who moaned helplessly, still clutching his injured side.

"You can't, either, Nathan."

Brooks looked at her sharply, wondering how the hell she knew his name and why she was using it so casually – almost as if they were friends. He knew he didn't know her – and he was damned positive she wasn't his friend. Obviously, though, she knew Jack – and had known him – if Shawn was her son with Jack. So that meant Jack liked her, which meant he obviously wouldn't kill her or anything. But still...

"He was going to kill my son, lady!"

She nodded.

"He was going to kill mine, too."

"I wasn't going to hurt-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Brooks shouted, slamming the butt of his knife down at Kinsey, catching him in the chin with the blunted end. Blunted or not, a gash opened and the Senator started bleeding as he fell backwards.

"Dotty..." Jack moved instinctively to shield her from the sight of the cringing, bleeding man. "You need to leave. I'll take care of this."

"No, Jack. You're not going to kill him. I can't let you. There's too much riding on you to allow you to do something so brash."

"Brash?" For the first time since she'd arrived, O'Neill's temper flared. "He was going to kill Shawn! Because of a petty grudge he has against me. I can't risk him doing it again, Dotty! I need to make sure he doesn't-"

"I know, Jack." She didn't seem to be at all ruffled by the fact that he was yelling at her – in fact, she never let go of his arm, and never even looked concerned at being so close to him when he was angry. Most everyone else would have backed up at least a step or two – except Sam, of course – but Dotty knew better. "He'll pay. But you two can't do it. I won't allow it."

Nathan Brooks snorted.

"Won't allow it? I'd like to see you stop me." He'd had enough. The bastard was already wasting too much air that good honest folks should be breathing. The gun came up again, and he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

And was slammed backwards as he and the bullet were struck by something invisible and solid. The retired General crashed backwards, hitting the wall at a terrific velocity, and he slumped to the ground, motionless.

Immediately, Dotty was beside him, her hand running gently along his cheek and down to his neck.

"Jesus, Dotty!"

"Don't worry, Jack. He's fine. I-"

"Yes!" Kinsey had seen the whole thing, and even though he was shocked by the sudden events, he couldn't help but crow in mingled relief and fear. "You're going to get a special Presidential Citation for thi-"

"Shut up."

Dotty's voice was as dangerous as anything Jack had ever heard, and Shawn's mother rose to her feet and walked over to stand over the Senator. Dressed in khaki slacks and a light blue blouse, with low pumps and her hair freshly done up, the woman didn't look like a threat, but she was, and as she looked down on him, Kinsey felt an unexplainable tingle of fear lace through him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up and his skin to be covered with goose bumps.

"You've made a terrible mistake, Senator Kinsey," Dotty told him. "You let your own anger and pettiness turn you to a path that you had no business stepping upon and that in turn led to a series of events that almost lead Colonel O'Neill and Gneral Brooks down an equally ill-advised course of action."

"I don't need a lecture from you, woman," Kinsey said, weakly, blood splattering his bare, pale chest from the gash on his chin. "Just get me the hell out of-"

"No." Dotty said, giving him a hard look. "Perhaps you're right. You don't need a lecture. You need a lesson."

She raised her hand, and for the first time Jack saw that there was some kind of device – small and almost invisible – in the palm.

"Lesson number one: Never go near the Air Force academy."

She made a gesture with her hand, and Kinsey was thrown backwards as a force of some type he didn't understand took hold of him and tossed him like a rag doll across the room, and through the wall. He screamed as his legs and arms broke – although miraculously none of his ribs or major organs were harmed, and his head wasn't hurt.

Dotty walked through the door calmly, her hand still up and facing him, and Jack followed after taking a quick look at Brooks, who was still unconscious.

"Stop!"

Kinsey couldn't raise his hands to ward her away, and couldn't move his shattered legs to escape her.

"Lesson number two-"

"No! Please!" Kinsey turned to Jack. "Oh, God, O'Neill! Stop her! I'll do anything!"

"Lesson number two..." Dotty repeated, completely ignoring his plea – as had Jack. He was too stunned by what he was seeing to say anything. "Never go near anyone in the Hayden family."

She made another gesture with her hand, and the Senator once more found himself flying through the air, and once more he crashed into a wall. This time he didn't go through it, but he slid down the wall landing painfully on his ruined legs.

He screamed in agony, and again, his torso and head were uninjured. Although he was in too much pain to notice it, Jack did, and he realized that Dotty wasn't planning on letting Kinsey die. He wondered how she was keeping him from going into shock, but he wasn't about to ask just then.

"Lesson number three: Never go anywhere near anyone in the Brooks family."

She made a negligent gesture, and flung her hand over her right shoulder. A moment later Kinsey found himself flying over her shoulder as well, and he crashed painfully to the floor, too hurt to do more than whimper and look at her with terror.

Dotty turned and looked at him, and Jaffer came over to stand next to Jack, putting his nose in O'Neill's hand. Jack rested his hand lightly on the black lab's shoulder, but couldn't take his eyes off the very gruesome scene he was witnessing.

"And the final lesson:" Dotty said, standing over Kinsey. "Never go near my son. Ever."

She made a very slight gesture, and Jack cringed when he saw – actually saw – a bolt of power go from Dotty's hand straight for Kinsey's groin. The Senator made a screech – as awful a screech as Jack could ever remember hearing, and clutched himself with his broken hands.

Jack felt all the blood drain from his face, and for a moment he actually thought he was going to pass out. Jaffer put his cold nose in his hand once more, as if to reassure him, and he felt the wave of lightheadedness pass.

"God..."