"Just toss me onto the balcony, Kale!" Melony shouted as loud as she could so the Light One could hear her over the beating of his wings. There was a piercing cry from the bird – and probably a bit of hesitation – but Melony was pretty sure that this was going to work fairly well. As long as he actually managed to get her onto the balcony. She wasn't sure if the Ancient's device would cushion a fall all the way to the water – it was a long ways down, after all.

Want to find out?

Not right now.

A moment later they were fast approaching the balcony, and there was a quick jerk as Kale flared his wings, slowing his glide a bit before he swung his talons forward, releasing her in mid wing-beat and doing just what she'd told him to do – tossing her at the balcony. Mitchell landed more or less on her feet, and then went tumbling as the momentum threw her forward, and she slammed into the stone wall at an incredible speed that certainly would have knocked her into next week had it been regular circumstances. She rocked back, slamming to the concrete (or whatever it was) floor, and lay still, stunned.

You're not hurt

No, she agreed. Try not to sound so surprised, okay?

"Colonel!"

She looked up as the others rushed over to her, awed by the force in which she'd slammed into the wall. Hands were grabbing her, some holding her down and others trying to pull her to her feet.

"Are you all right?" Weir asked.

Mitchell nodded, moving her arms and legs experimentally, just to make sure. Not even a bruise – besides what was already there.

"I'm fine."

She looked at McKay and Sheppard.

"Good idea, guys."

Kale came swooshing in for a landing as the others dragged her clear so he'd have room, and the Light One transformed and came over to kneel by her, worried.

"Are you injured?"

She shook her head.

"It worked just like it was supposed to."

"Thank God," Weir said, looking at the wall she'd crashed into.

Melony smiled, slightly.

"You had your doubts?"

"Of course not."

Uh huh.

"So… what now?" Sheppard asked as he pulled Melony to her feet and she deactivated the shielding device with a quick thought. It dropped into her palm and she started removing the harness.

"Now we're ready to start."

Not today, though, Talon told her.

Why not? It works great.

Because you're not at 100 percent, and I'm not going to let you go out there until your injuries are more healed

She frowned, but had to admit that now that the exhilaration of the flight, and the relief that the shielding device had worked had worn off a little, she was feeling the aches from her crash through the glass. Maybe another day of rest wouldn't kill her.

"Today?" Kale asked, looking at the sun as if to see how much daylight they had. It was still fairly early, he knew, although it was taking him a bit to get used to the longer days they had on Atlantis.

"No," Mitchell said, ruefully, rubbing her side where the worst of the cuts from earlier was bothering her more than she'd admit to anyone but Talon. "I'm not at full health, yet. Tomorrow morning, if you don't mind the wait?"

Kale shook his head, smiling.

"Not at all."

"You've picked out the planets you're going to start with?" Sheppard asked.

Melony nodded, and handed the harness over to Ford, who took it and slung it over his shoulder. She wasn't above taking advantage of the fact that he was younger and in better health than she was, after all. He could carry it for her.

"We'll start at the beginning of the list of possibilities, and work our way down them numerically until we find one I can use."

"Then what?"

"Then I find a Wraith who has a dart that I can steal from him, figure out the technology on it, and then turn it to my own uses so I can find a way to finish them off…"

"Oh, is that all…?" McKay said, sarcastically. Of course, he and the others already knew what her long termed plan was, so it wasn't a big surprise – it just sounded a lot more daunting when it was put that way.

She smiled.

"I'm going to go back to my quarters and go back to bed. If anyone needs me, come find me."

"Don't forget that Beckett wants to see you," Sheppard reminded her. He did, after all, make it sound like it was important.

Melony nodded, her expression suddenly guarded.

"I haven't forgotten, Major. Thanks." She looked at Kale. "I'm sorry to leave you alone again…"

The Light One smiled, reassuringly to her.

"Do not concern yourself, Colonel Mitchell. I will find something to do to pass the time." He looked at Weir, who suddenly was taken by the view from the balcony. "It's more important that you are feeling better."

Melony nodded, too distracted to wonder if anything was going on between Weir and Kale. It didn't seem that there could be, since Elizabeth had made it plain to Melony a while back that she was happily engaged, but you never knew. Something about the Light Ones just exuded sexual attraction, and it didn't help that they were so open about such things.

Come on, Hot Shot, Talon told her. We'd better get you to bed

"I'll see you all later," she said, nodding a farewell. "Don't lose that, Lieutenant." She added, gesturing to the harness.

Ford smiled and shook his head.

"No, ma'am. I'll put it in the supply room."

She left them and headed back to her room, while the others dispersed behind her, and stopped just long enough at the commissary to get something to take back to her room with her. She was hungry, but didn't want to stay out in the open too long. Not only because she wanted rest, but also because she didn't want to run into Carson Beckett. She didn't want to see him, and certainly wasn't going to respond to the summons that he'd sent along with Sheppard.

No, you're not

There was still a definite underlying simmering of anger in Talon's 'voice' and Melony was grateful that he wasn't chiding her about avoiding the doctor.

You have other things to worry about right now, he told her in response to the thought. Besides, I'd be too tempted to hurt him if he came close to you

Melony felt like crying – both because there was no mistaking that Talon meant what he said and was completely behind her, but also because of the necessity of it. This was not how she'd expected things to be between her and Carson, and it hurt.

She choked down her breakfast because Talon bullied her into it, and then slid into bed and pulled her pillow close, hugging it tightly as she allowed her symbiote to lull her to sleep so he could heal her faster.