Four: Unexpected Destinations - - Part One

Next Thursday

Elizabeth had never been inside any kind of base before. It was so chaotic, but organized at the same time. It was like a bee-hive. Everyone had their duty and were proud to be doing it, serving their Queen bee. Some looked very happy to be running around, others looked like they probably wished they were in Hawaii, and others looked like they would have been happy if they could get a little more sleep.

That was how Elizabeth was feeling at the moment. She was completely happy, in fact she had never been so excited in her life, but she had been forced to get up so early on a day she wasn't used to having to get up to make it here. 11:00 O'clock on the dot her couriers had arrive to pick her up, just how Daniel had told her. She was glad she had actually been able to pull herself out of bed at 8:30.

She didn't know exactly what to do, and she couldn't exactly ask about it. No one else she knew had ever been to another planet so there wasn't really a code of dress to be followed. She couldn't write and ask Daniel, because it would take too long for him to reply, and besides he was most likely already at the base preparing to go off-world himself.

So, she had donned her favorite pair of jeans and through on her old camouflage tee-shirt. She zipped up her black hoody jacket and tossed on a green and black bandana. The last bit of equipment was her hiking boots. She hadn't been hiking for real in over a year, but she wore them anyway. It annoyed her mother to no end. Therefore it made Elizabeth extremely happy.

"This place… it's amazing." Elizabeth said as they made their way through the hallways. Jack O'Neill had come up to escort her down to the correct level and he was walking to her right.

"Yeah, but just wait til we leave. That's the fun part." He smiled. "Just curious, Elizabeth- -"

"Liz."

"Liz.. You wouldn't have really told about us, would you?"

Liz laughed. "No, but I had to do something to get you to let me come, now didn't I?"

"You're devious." O'Neill accused.

Liz shrugged, "you do what you have to." She paused before adding more solemnly, "I really am sorry about all the problems I caused. I shouldn't have asked this, but I guess you understand why I did."

"I do." He replied, "and I think Daniel knew, too, or else he wouldn't have pushed so hard to get you here. He begged for over an hour the first time."

"He did?"

"Yes. I think he believed it wasn't fair to keep something like that from you if you really wanted to do it. Frankly, I think you're spoiled." He said simply.

"Ha ha." Liz smiled, catching the small bit of sarcasm.

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

As it was, Elizabeth didn't have to worry about what to wear. She was provided with her own uniform. Temporary, of course. Samantha Carter was the one who assisted her with outfitting. "So, you work with Daniel, and Colonel O'Neill?"

"Yes, for a little over two years now." Sam said, handing Liz a jacket with the SGC logo on it.

"How is it, I mean, going to other planets for a living. I bet it's exciting." Liz's eyes began to glow at the thought of doing something like that.

"It is exciting. It's very interesting, too. I think I've learned more in these past few years then all my time in school, and not just about physics, about people, too."

"Wow. Too bad just anybody can't do this. It would be so rewarding for Earth to know about this."

"It would be." Sam agreed, but her thoughts turned to all she knew would happen if the whole world would learn about it. They had enough problems just within their government. Elizabeth seemed to echo those sentiments.

"Too bad most of the people on this planet are too stupid to truly comprehend how important it is. They'd just abuse it like everything else."

Sam stared at her. She said what everyone had been wanting to say, quite bluntly also.

"What?"

"Nothing, Miss Dominic. It looks like we're ready now. The others should be waiting in the embarkation room for us."

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

"Where to?" Liz inquired, trailing behind Major Carter.

"So, this must be the little lady that's caused all the trouble." A new voice proclaimed. It was an older gentleman.

"You must be General Hammond," she stuck her hand out. "Pleased to meet you sir, and sorry for the ruckus….sir."

He only shook his head. He had been a little angry at first about the way everything had happened, but after a while he had started to find it humorous. He took her hand and shook it briefly. "Pleased to meet you, too. I assume Daniel told you about what you are going to do today."

"Actually no, but he did say it was to be routine, so I figure its going to be a little boring - - for you guys, of course. I don't think I could be bored, even if the place looked like my backyard."

"Actually," O'Neill began, "there was this one planet that looked just like- -"

He was cut off by flashing warning lights. "Unauthorized Incoming Wormhole." The situation was called. Liz watched in fascination as a cat - - a cat! - - came right through the metal covering of what she assumed was the Stargate.

"It's Shroedinger!" Major Carter exclaimed, leaving the observation room - - at least Liz guessed it was called that. She hurried down to the cat and picked it up. "It's the cat I gave to the Tollan, Narim." As if on cue a man came walking through the iris in the same fashion as the cat.

Jack was muttering something about unshared technology.

"Whoa." Liz breathed. "Now that's cool."

Quite a While and Briefing Later

Liz didn't really fully understand what was going on, but she knew it was big, really big. Not Aliens are invading earth big, but person big. The man who came through turned out to be the "Narim" that Carter had referred to, and he had news about an old friend of theirs - - apparently. She couldn't remember the name he had said.

They had forgotten about Liz being there it seemed, so she just trailed along and went with them to a briefing about the situation. There was going to be some kind of a trial, and someone needed their help. By the end of the briefing they had decided to go - - not a beg decision considering the look Liz had seen cross Colonel O'Neill's face. It was something of pain and relief, as if he had been told someone very important to him that had once been lost had been finally found.

Liz hadn't realized just how much that had hit the mark until they started talking about it. "Am I going with you?" She asked as they were preparing to go.

"I don't think you should." Daniel said. "This is a complicated situation."

"So? It won't be dangerous will it? You do this kind of shit all the time, let me go."

"Listen, Dominic," Jack said, "I really don't think that this mission is for you."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not."

"Colonel, I understand where you're coming from, but I don't see the logic."

The fight continued for five more minutes before Carter stepped in, "sir, we don't have time for this. As I see it, it wouldn't hurt to take her. It isn't her place, but we don't have a choice. Get ready Elizabeth, we're going."

"Fine," O'Neill shoved passed them, a look of determination on his face, "but we can't screw this up. I'm not failing him again…"

Tollana

The world was called "Tollana." Big surprise, the people were called the Tollans, Tollan, whatever. She was never very good with grammar. Daniel was the linguist, she'd leave that to him. The place looked cool. There was a river, stream, sort of thing. They'd made their own Stargate. Liz wished she could make her own Stargate. A few of them seemed very standoffish. The only one she actually liked was Narim - - his cat was adorable, too. He let her pet it for a while.

As they were walking Liz pulled Daniel back so Jack couldn't hear. "Hey, Daniel," She taken to calling him Daniel instead of Dr. Jackson. "Why is Colonel O'Neill being such a hard-ass?"

"You remember us telling you about our first trip to Abydos?"

"Uh-huh."

"You remember that kid Jack became friends with."

"Yeah."

"That's who we're going to see. A year after I was left there O'Neill returned. Someone else like Ra had attacked the base. It wasn't Ra, but the one who did, Apophis came and took my wife, and her brother to be chosen as hosts."

"Oh my god. So that boy, he was - -"

"He's been imprisoned in his own mind for nearly two years. O'Neill has been trying hard to get him back, and we almost did once, but - - Well, as you can see, he's a little one-track minded right now. He doesn't want you in the middle of this. It's very sketchy."

"I understand." Liz said. "Thank you for being honest. I think everyone else just thinks I'm some dumb kid. I can handle these things. I really can."

"I don't doubt it. Now come on, the Tollan are waiting for us."

)-()-()-()-()-()-()-(

Elizabeth had never encountered anything so strange as two minds in one body before. Especially two minds that were the antithesis of each other. The first one she saw was the unpleasant one. Klorel, his name was. He was a Goa'uld. A parasite. A monster. The second, the second she liked a whole lot more. This was Skaara.

Liz kept her mouth shut as everyone around her spoke. She didn't mind having to be quiet for once. She suddenly felt out of place and uncomfortable. She sat down on a bench and placed her head in her hands. Maybe O'Neill was right. Maybe she should have stayed home. She could have come another day.

Then she heard her name. "Oh, that, that's Elizabeth."

Liz looked up. "Huh?" She had become the topic of a conversation without her knowing it. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Jack said.

"I was asking O'Neill who you were." Another answered. Skaara. "He said you were from Earth."

"I am." She felt very strangely, uncertain. For the first time it hit her, she was talking to someone from another planet. Not a bad looking someone either for that matter. He had the most gorgeous eyes she'd ever seen in her life. "Not a bad place, if you're passing through. As he said, I'm Elizabeth. Most call me Liz. Some just call me trouble." She attempted to joke, but it sounded very lame.

However, Skaara smiled at her, a light almost reassuring smile, so being lame was okay. He introduced himself. "I'm Skaara."

"Yeah. I know. I, uh, heard about what happened," she yanked on her earring nervously, "sucks." She immediately felt bad for saying it. Of course he knew of his situation. Let's go and mention it shall we, Liz. Idiot.

He paused a moment before replying, "much."

"Lets get to business."

And so they did, for a brief time. Then other Goa'uld came and Skaara left, Klorel in control. Elizabeth knew immediately that she disliked the Goa'uld - - extremely…

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Well, I was going to write a few more pages on this chapter, but I can always throw this sequence into three parts instead of two like I originally planned. I thought, what the hell, seemed like a good place to stop. I wish I could have gone into more detail about the whole goings on in Pretense, but I wasn't sure of a few things and someone -- ahem, Tsugi -- has my Season 3 Vol. 4 DVD.

Next Chapter: Major spoilers for Pretense if you've not seen it. Victory at the Triad (the trial they're doing) and a little Goa'uld attack, not to mention more Skaara. (WOOT)

More later. I'm surprised I'm writing this so fast. Hopefully I can get really far before I have to go back to school and have to shove my writing to the side again. Gotta study tho.

To Aileen wow, you're right about Liz being a little bit of a mix between Sam, Jack, and Daniel. I didn't even notice it.

To Everyone I love ya! Thanks.

Especially to Psycho Llama, who has become my biggest supporter.-- hugs-- By the way, I checked out your artwork, on your site, major coolies.