Mitchell shook her head.

"It's true, to a point," she said, shooting Rodney a scathing look. McKay didn't understand why she looked so mad; if it were him, he'd be trying to figure out how to add that whole 'god' thing into every conversation he could.

"They call me that, but not because I have any great ability or anything. I simply freed them from a number of... false gods who were using them as puppets for their own amusements, and because of this, they more or less gave me the title. I don't ask anything of them, though."

"Is this true?" Kale asked McKay, shaking his head in amazement. Melony noticed that several of the other Light Ones were gravitating their direction and figured he must have said something telepathically to them.

Rodney nodded, still looking smug. He was friends with a goddess, for crying out loud, he wasn't ashamed to admit it!

"The Jaffa believe that since she killed the false gods, she took their place – although all she asks of them is that they protect those that the System Lords once subjugated."

"Which is something they'd rather do anyways," Melony said. "It's nothing special, Kale, and I'm nothing special because of it."

"She's the most powerful person in our little corner of the world," Rodney said.

"McKay, shut up."

He gave her a surprised look.

"What'd I say?"

Kale's look was a bit more awed, as were those of several others who had gathered around, and Mitchell sighed.

"Look, Kale. If I were all that special, I wouldn't be sitting here with a broken leg and a messed up shoulder, would I?"

"He did that to y-"

"McKay, why don't you go find Major Sheppard and tell him I said to toss you off a cliff?"

Realizing that she wanted him to hush for some reason, Rodney frowned, and subsided, although he didn't leave to find Sheppard, of course.

"So, you're not really a goddess?" Kale asked, uncertainly.

"Of course not." Melony said, shaking her head. "What they call me is nothing more than a label. Like my rank – Colonel. It doesn't make me special. It just gives me that much more responsibility."

"How so?"

"Because I have to live up to the perceptions people have of me."

McKay had to admit that he hadn't thought of that. It was obvious that Kale and those Light Ones that had heard her answer hadn't, either, because they were looking at her thoughtfully. It gave Rodney a whole new level of respect for Mitchell, because she was, indeed, living up to perceptions that many people – himself included – had of her simply because of what she was and had been labeled, long before they'd met her.

"You really have no special abilities?"

"I have talents," Mitchell said, shrugging. She was heartily tired of this conversation and was thinking that when they got back to Atlantis she was going to have a long talk with Rodney McKay about his big mouth. "No more than anyone else, though. I can't bend steel bars, or call down lightning."

Kale smiled.

"You shocked me when I was carrying you."

"I hit you with a stunning weapon I carry," she told him. "And I shocked the hell out of myself at the same time."

The others smiled about that, for many of them had 'heard' Kale's metal yelp when he'd been zapped out of the sky by his passenger.

"Tell me more of these people who you freed..." Kale requested.

"Let me finish my dinner before it grows cold, and I'll tell you."

He looked chagrined, then, because they had all interrupted her meal – and that of McKay – when it was plain both were very hungry. He nodded, and shooed the others away until it was just he and Mitchell, along with Rodney and the female who hadn't introduced herself to Melony. Those two moved back to their own 'chairs' to continue their meal, and Kale resumed eating his meal, although he would occasionally ask her if there was anything else she needed or wanted. And the meal passed in relative peace – although he would also cast a look her way as if expecting her to start glowing any minute.

Melony sighed, but ignored these looks, and concentrated on the excellent meal in front of her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

She was so intent on her meal, as a matter of fact, that it took her quite a while to realize that something else was happening among the Light Ones besides eating a simple meal. A few of them had paired off and were obviously finished eating and had moved on to... dessert. Suddenly, Sheppard's comment about being in a porno was becoming even more accurate as she averted her gaze from a pair who were off to one side engaging in what was completely the opposite of arguing.

Oh, my

She flushed, feeling Talon's own embarrassment as well as her own. Yeah, they weren't in Kansas anymore, were they?

Kale noticed her discomfort immediately – he'd been watching her rather carefully, after all.

"Colonel Mitchell? Are you ill?"

She looked up from her meal, and shook her head.

"Um... no."

"You looked flushed..."

His eyes were concerned.

"I'm fine, Kale... it's just... uh..."

"Are those two having sex?"

Rodney McKay had just noticed what Melony had already discovered. She blushed, but Kale followed McKay's glance towards the couple in the corner, then looked over at Mitchell.

"Is that not how your own people copulate?" He asked, confused.

She nodded, and Talon's snort of amusement caused her to smile just a little.

"My people are usually a little more... circumspect about the whole thing, though," she said. "We don't usually... um... copulate out in the open. We tend to prefer a little privacy."

"Ah." He looked over at the two once more. "My people are quite open about such things."

"So I see."

And hear

That, too.

"Aron finds your Major Sheppard most appealing," Kale said, softly. "She was going to propose a tryst... do you think I should tell her not to? Would it offend him if she were to ask-"

Melony shook her head, smiling.

"I didn't say we don't enjoy it, Kale. We just like more privacy than your folks appear to require."

"I shall let her know."

He gave Mitchell a speculative look.

"If you weren't injured, there are many here who would be interested-"

Melony shook her head again, knowing what he was going to say and cutting that off immediately.

"I am injured, though. And not interested."

Kale nodded.

"Because we are different?"

She shook her head. "You're not that different. Not in this form, anyways. I just... well... it's complicated. And painful to speak of."

"Then I shall not press the issue further," Kale said, tactfully.

And maybe there's someone else you're thinking of, instead? Talon asked her in the silence that followed.

She didn't reply, but he didn't need her to.

"Things will most likely get uncomfortable for you, Colonel," Kale said. "Once the others are finished eating, they will begin to pair off as well... Would you like to leave before that begins?"

"That's not a bad idea."

"Shall I gather your companions for you?"

She shook her head. She wasn't sure how each of the others felt, and if they wanted a little nookie... well, who was she to play chaperone?

"They'll figure it out themselves... and can join in or leave as they wish. Will you help me back to the cave? I assume that's where I'll be sleeping tonight?"

He nodded, and stood up. A pair of Light Ones came over and eased her to her feet as well, then held her steady while Kale changed shape once more.

"You're going?" Rodney asked, looking over at her. He looked a little flushed, himself, she thought.

Mitchell nodded.

"I'm sore and tired."

"Do you need help?"

She shook her head.

"I'm fine. Just let the others know where I've gone – if they ask."

He nodded, and she put her arm over Kale's back, resting her weight on him once more and allowing him to help her out of the room and into the cool evening.

You might be missing out on something fun

Do you really want to put me back together if I hurt myself?

Good point. Go to bed