Two: Visitors

Elizabeth's House - - 4:20 P.M.

Lynn Krueger hung precariously off the edge of Liz's bed, dangling a sheet of paper before her friend's face. "Look."

Liz frowned, shoving the paper away for a moment before grabbing it and actually reading it. It was a school schedule. Lynn's classes for the year. "Hmmm… freshmen this year?" Liz cracked at her friend. Lynn was a senior; she glared back. Elizabeth had graduated the year before so she would be starting her first year of college. Mostly she had chosen internet courses so she didn't actually have to drive up to the university, but the rest of the time she would have to commute. Damn.

"Well, at least you got Mr. Rodriguez for History instead of that old bat Crouch. I swear she had it out for me the whole year…" Liz pursed her lips.

"Uh… Lizzie, you think everybody is out to get you."

"Well," Liz said, picking up a cheese puff from a bag beside her, "they usually are…"

"You're so paranoid…"

"Comes with the territory." Crunch.

"Then maybe," Lynn took her schedule back with a hiss of paper, "you should change your territory."

"And do what?"

"How about actually do some legal programming? You're really talented with that computer code stuff, I don't know what you call it, but you know what I mean. You could make big bucks outta doing that… and I don't mean hack into one of those dingle brain banks and transfer money from some rich scumbag's account to yours."

"Why not… they don't need it…" Liz said, then pointed her finger at Lynn proclaiming, "did you know that most income in the nation goes to a top 10, that would be the rich folkses, but everybody else has to hold up the taxes… They get tax breaks while we, well, we get the big boot up the asshole…"

Lynn rolled her eyes. She should have never let Elizabeth take that sociology class last year. It created a walking, talking, yapping monster… An intelligent monster but a monster none-the-less. "Umm…. Liz, not to burst your bubble, but you don't apply to the we. You apply with the they you keep mumbling about."

"I cannot help it I was born into this overindulgent family of heathens."

Lynn laughed. "Why don't you just admit it. You're a rich brat with two boisterous brothers, an alcoholic mother, and a father who spends more time in the Bahamas with his 'secretary' than he does at home."

"Yup, that about fits it." Liz sighed, than began laughing herself. She had long ago dumped any negative feelings about her family. Her life had made her who she was; a headstrong, stubborn, spoiled girl who got what she wanted when she wanted. Well, everything but what she needed most. That was a different story; one only Lynn and a few of her really close friends knew about.

"So, what did you do after I left the other night? Wreak some more havoc?"

"Uh… no." Liz kept typing on the computer in her lap. "I didn't do much."

Lynn didn't like the tone in Elizabeth's voice. "Liz… what did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Liz- -"

"Nothing." Way too defensive.

"You didn't go back there did you? You didn't do what I think you did…"

"Lynn…. I'm not stupid." Liz sighed, shutting the lid to her laptop.

"Lizzie, just tell me you didn't go back to that air force site."

There was a long pause. A pause Lynn couldn't deem positive. "I just wanted to know that - -"

"Liz… you didn't!"

Meanwhile

"Are you sure this is the neighborhood?" Jack O'Neill asked for nearly the hundredth time. After tracing the position of their cyber intruder the night before Jack and Daniel had been picked to go check out the area. If it looked safe then they were to proceed further in the investigation. The place seemed safe enough - - even boring. It was in an upscale area in Boulder. "I mean… it can't be coming from here… could it?"

Daniel sighed, "well, they could have tricked our tracing system, but we don't think so. There!" He pointed to one of the larger houses. "That's the address."

Jack gave him a look. "You're kidding…"

"Nope."

O'Neill groaned and pulled into the driveway. There was an abrupt stop when they reached the high iron gate leading into the property. Whoever lived here was loaded… There was an intercom next to the window. Without further ado Jack pressed the main button.

"Yes? Do you have an appointment?"

"Appointment?" Jack said to Daniel, but turned back to the intercom, "No, we don't. I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill, Air Force. We would like to talk to the head of the house."

"I'm sorry… but Mrs. Dominic is very busy at the moment. She is in with a client."

"We could just come back later… with warrants."

"Warrants?" Daniel growled under his breath. Jack waved him off.

"Wait one moment please." The voice said. Jack and Daniel waited. "Yes, she will see you now." With a clank the gate opened, but this was one gate Jack would prefer not to go through.

Upstairs

"I cannot believe you, Liz. How can you keep doing these dumb things?"

"I'm sorry! I had to find out the truth. I couldn't just leave it alone."

"Yes, yes, you could have. You could have left it alone, alone in a dark room all forgotten about. Have you ever considered that maybe there's a reason why they haven't told people like us about this thing…."

"Stargate."

"Stargate, whatever." Lynn growled. "I don't care what it is. If you were found out… If you were found out then what do you think would happen to you? You'd probably disappear, or they'd rack up a bogus charge and through you in jail, or they'd make you look nuts and send you to some loony bin. Dammit, Liz, you're my best friend. Stop being an idiot!"

Liz just stared at her. "You cursed. Lynn, you never curse."

"Well, I do now." She grumbled.

"I'm sorry…" Liz really didn't know what to say. Now she realized what and idiot she was being, but at the time it seemed right. How foolish could she get?

Moments later she found out apparently a lot more than she had thought possible…

Downstairs

Mrs. Dominic was a glamorous woman with swept-back hair the color of dark rubies. She was almost regal in her perfectly ironed three-piece business suit (complete with pure silk button shirt) and professional nails as long as rail-road spikes. She smiled a fake, annoyed smile as she came to meet them in the foyer. "Well, hello, sirs. May I inquire to what this is about? It can't be about Benji could it? Has our Benjamin done something?"

"Well, I'm not sure ma'am." Jack answered, "can I ask you a few questions."

"Why, go ahead." That fake, red-lipped smile again.

"Do you have any computers in the household?"

"Well, I have one for my work, my sons each have one - - but they're not home now; Benji's in the Air Force Academy and Simon's gone on his tour of the world - - oh, and my daughter Elizabeth has a laptop. She's upstairs now with one of her little friends. Graduated last year, the dear. She could have gone to Harvard, or Duke, but oh no, she's got to be difficult and stay here." She tsked. "What do you want to know about the computers?"

Daniel and Jack exchanged glances. "May we see your daughter?"

Mrs. Dominic looked confused for a moment and then shrugged. "Gregory," she turned to a young man standing nearby, "will you go and get Elizabeth for these gentlemen."

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded and left, quickly climbing the stairs.

"Now, if you will excuse me I must return to my business. This client is really important."

Jack waved her on.

"The daughter? Do you really think- -" Daniel began but Jack interrupted.

"Daniel, during the past two or so years I have learned never to underestimate the intelligence of a woman. Look at Carter. Who's to say this 'Elizabeth' isn't some prodigy? And frankly, Mrs. Dominic doesn't look like the type to be hacking into anything. I don't even think she's got the brains… The sons are gone. It has to be the daughter. She's the one. What I haven't figured out is what we are going to do about her."

Back to Elizabeth

It was odd for Gregory to come up and request her presence. Her mother never had any time to see her, unless, of course, it was to yell at her about something. As she and Lynn descended the stairs two unfamiliar voices drifted up from the foyer.

"hacking…has to be the daughter… She's the one…"

"Oh, shit…" Liz murmured as the two men came into view. They were both in plain clothes, but the older one had the air of soldier. Air Force. It seemed her luck had run out. They looked up. She froze for an instant, then turned. She had made it back to her room before she even realized she had began running, the two men in pursuit.

She slammed the door and locked it behind her. Lynn jumped up from her seat on Liz's bed, "what's the matter…"

Liz dropped into the chair at her desk and immediately started typing commands into her computer. If they were to find half the files on it she could be in such deep shit she'd never dig out. "Lynn, you were right. I've fucked up this time. Fucked up big."

"Miss Dominic, open the door!"

Liz ignored the voice and kept typing. "Go away!"

"We're not here to hurt you! Open the door we want to talk to you!"

"Liz, just open the door and explain it to them…. Tell them you're not going to do anything about what you know!"

"NO! The world doesn't work so nicely, Lynn."

"What are you going to do… run? They're right outside!" Lynn grabbed the door handle and unlocked it. With one quick move she opened it.

"Dammit, Naomi Lynn!" Liz screamed. She was out of her chair in an instant, her hand grasping the bat resting beside her dresser. "Come in here," she warned, "and I swear I'll take your head off!" She swung blindly and to her surprise came extremely close to really doing it. The bat slammed into the door-facing just inches above where one of them had ducked. She was so shocked she was frozen. In that moment the bat was grabbed from her hand.

"Will you calm down!" The older man cried. (He'd been the one she had nearly decapitated.) "We just came to ask some questions, for crying out loud. Damn." He tossed the bat down.

"You- - you're not going to kill me… make me disappear?" Liz asked, backing up to stand beside Lynn.

"Who do you think we are… the NID?"

"The who?"

"Never mind. Don't worry about it. Can we just sit down and talk like civilized human beings?"

"C'mon, Liz." Lynn nudged her arm.

"Okay. But may I ask who you are?"

Later

Elizabeth Dominic looked nothing like her mother. She was petite and very fragile looking, but apparently that was just appearance. She had black hair, a little spiky, reaching down to about half-way between her chin and her shoulders. Her eyes were not the harsh acidic green of her matriarch, but a light blue-green color, almost like swirls of jade and cerulean. Their intensity seemed to change quickly upon how the light hit them, and how much emotion she was experiencing.

She was, indeed, very intelligent. They realized just how much so after explaining just how she managed to get into their computer system and learn all she could about the Stargate Program. After judging her character Jack O'Neill decided the best way to deal with the situation was to tell her the truth. She seemed a very stable, noble individual. He couldn't see how it would hurt. Anyway, she could learn whatever she wanted without their help. It would be best to show some respect.

"So that's how all this started, going to the other planets and stuff, fighting these Goa'uld?"

She even pronounced it right for goodness sakes. This kid deserved more than a cookie.

"Yep," Jack O'Neill said. "Little place called Abydos. Nice place to visit, although a little too hot for my tastes."

"Sounds wonderful." Elizabeth was smiling now. She had never heard so many wonderful things. She hadn't found these things in the files. It was like a tale from a storybook. It couldn't be real, but it was. "Too bad everyone can't know about this."

"Well, a lot of people aren't as understanding as you." Dr. Daniel Jackson pointed out.

"Yeah," the Colonel agreed, "I think what he's trying to say is, of all the people to have found out the truth, we're glad it was someone like you."

Liz frowned. "I'm sorry for causing trouble. I mean, by all rights, you should be arresting me, but instead you've elected to tell me more about this. I - - thank you."

Jack shrugged, "hell, we can't punish you for doing something stupid. We all do dumb things."

Liz shook her head. "Yes. I promise not to do it again."

"Hm. Right. At least not to the SGC." Lynn mumbled. Liz poked her.

Daniel laughed. "I think we're finished here. Stay out of trouble you two."

"Us two? It's her." Lynn pointed. "You remember that, Lizzie."

"Right-o." Liz gave a thumbs up. "Will-do. Thanks again, sirs." She said again, leading the two to the front door.

As they pulled out of the driveway Daniel sighed, "well, that's over with."

"No," Jack said cryptically, "I don't think it is."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think that's the last we'll see of Miss Elizabeth Dominic…"

He didn't know how right he was.

TBC - -

Thankies all reviewers. Didn't expect much on this… perhaps we were wrong.

Flyne: Black mail… oh yes, it's coming. Quite humorously, too.

Arathi : Yup, got more. Hope ya like.

Psycho Llama: Woot! So glad I could be of inspiration! And I noticed you had a new story up. I was actually in the process of reading it. Little bits at a time due to the fact my computer keeps kicking me off every five minutes (sadness…). Love it so far. Keep up the great work - - and thanks a bunch for the reviews on my stories. It means a lot to me.

Cya next chapter: black-mail. Liz begins to bug our favorite linguist.