Disclaimer: Okay, sorry about that guys, I know I haven't been updating frequently, but the explanation is simple. I died while washing my hair out of town.

Work In Progress

Ch. 7

(Feb. 9)

Carson had spent the rest of the day with Caine, and Rodney had come with him, curious about anyone who had survived a 'Wraith-bite' as the Atlantians had not-so-affectionately nicknamed it. Also they were curious about the other scars, because they'd never seen anything like them before.

At the end of the day, the council had insisted that they get some sleep, instead of badgering their out of town resident, and so they adjourned, although Caine did not, choosing instead to perch atop the roof of the tallest building and keep watch. She didn't seem to need any sleep at all.

The next morning, Carson was called to complete the tests on the Edajh citizens, so he sent Rodney to interview the girl.

"Why me?" Rodney complained, as Carson gathered his sample kit.

"Because yeh're a doctor."

"I've got a doctorate that doesn't mean anything. I'm an astrophysicist, god damn it!" he said. Carson had a theory that Rodney was a bit scared of Caine because her scars indicated battle experience, and she could probably snap the scientist like a twig.

"Look, Rodney, unless ye wan' t' take the samples from the Edajh, yeh're goin' t' talk t' Caine. Are we clear?"

Rodney McKay looked extremely indignant for about thirty seconds as he tried and failed to come up with some excuse that would get him out of doing this, and then muttered, "Fine." before storming out the door.

He walked around the camp, fuming at Carson, and not really looking specifically for the person he was supposed to interview. He stopped outside a hut and folded his arms, scowling and pouting like a petulant twelve year old that had been told to clean his room.

"RodneyMcKay." said a growly female voice behind him, and he jumped, turning quickly to be confronted by Caine Koro, who was, unlike yesterday, minimally armed. The bow and arrows were gone, and so were many of her knives, but she still carried the Wraith weapon and her hunting knife.

She was also perched on a barrel of rain water, crouched like a cat and staring at him with her piercing brown eyes.

She was dressed in leggings that seemed to be a great many leaves that had been stitched together. Her shirt was made from tanned animal hide. He blinked at her appearance and tried to think of something to say, some quip that would save him from looking like the easily scared scientist that he was.

"Caine Koro. Well, how...nice. I've been looking for you. Carson asked me to talk to you about where you came from." he said. Even to him it sounded lame. Plus he was lying. Boy he hoped she wouldn't catch that.

"You were not looking for me, RodneyMcKay. But I was looking for you."

This made him a little nervous.

"You were...l-looking for me? Well, isn't that...nice."

Caine studied him for a moment, then tilted her head and gracefully dismounted from the rain barrel, looking slightly amused.

"You're scared." she said, matter of factly.

"I am not." he argued.

"Of me, you are." she argued back.

He fidgeted silently and looked around for witnesses only to find that there were none. Crap.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I happen to be intimidated by women who have that many scars and carry Wraith weapons." he snapped, and then reflected that being snippy was probably a bad idea. She smirked, turning and walking casually out of the village, watched by the confused astrophysicist. A few feet away, she stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at him, as if asking what he was waiting for, and then continued walking.

Rodney watched her for a second longer and then looked around before walking after her, his better judgment cursing him.

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"There, tha's the last one." Carson said, and the Edajh in question scampered off. Ford watched him go and then looked at the Scottish doctor.

"So, do you think Rodney's scared off that girl yet?"

"I have no doubt tha' she's contempla'in' his untimely end." Carson said, chuckling a little bit. "He does tend t' aliena'e people. However, she seems like a reasonable person. I don' think she'd kill him, no ma''er how annoyin' he go'."

Ford looked a little skeptical about that, but kept his thoughts to himself.

Major Sheppard walked in and looked at the two of them. His expression was one of controlled worry. Teyla walked in one step behind him.

"Have either of you seen Rodney?" he asked. Carson looked at Ford and then back at Sheppard.

"No. I sent him to talk to Caine."

With a sigh of frustration, John Sheppard departed the small hut and left to seek his astrophysicist. Carson gnawed his lower lip for a moment or two and then got up to follow them.

He was the doctor after all.