"Make it stop following me…"

Mitchell grinned and looked over at Duck, who had taken left flank and was checking the other side of the small clearing to see if there was anything interesting over there, while Mitchell had gone to the right to do the same. Behind him was the Mok he'd been… petting… and occasionally the creature would lower its head and give him a playful nudge.

Or maybe he's asking him out on a date

She couldn't hide the grin, although she did manage to control the snort of laughter. That was pretty much exactly what it looked like was happening. Whatever it was, the Mok was absolutely fascinated with Sanders, and hadn't strayed far away, even though the other one had settled for simply standing in the clearing, watching as Mitchell wandered around.

From all angles it looked bovine, like a great big stocky, furry cow without horns, until she got to the rear. There she discovered the creature didn't have a tail – only a tiny little stub of a thing that stuck up like a terrier's might. The velvety fur was pitch black on both of them and in the daylight she could see that it had a dorsal stripe of white that was barely visible, and even a little bit of a mane, like a horse. It was fairly ugly, but had to be one of the most charming creatures she'd ever seen. Especially with those big brown eyes and the purr.

"I think he's in love, Corporal."

Sanders scowled, looking back over his shoulder once more, and made a shooing motion with his free hand.

"Hey… go on…"

There was a soft rumble, but it obviously wasn't afraid of him or his waving hand. He butted Duck once more, and the corporal sighed, exasperated.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"That's what you get for playing Captain Kirk with the local wildlife…"

"Colonel…"

She grinned. It was such a great story, and one that she'd probably never get to tell anyone. Sander would never live something like that down, and Melony knew just how much razzing a group of Marines – or any military men and women – could dish out. And she wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"He'll probably lose interest, Corporal," she told him. "Just ignore him."

Which was easier said than done, she knew. She was just glad it wasn't her, because she'd almost grabbed those sperm sacks, too, thinking that they were odd-looking and wondering what they were. She'd just been beaten to it by Sanders.

"Do you see any sign of the lava flow, Corporal?"

"No," he told her, looking out of the clearing as well as he could, and ignoring the Mok when it came up behind him and rested its nose against the small of his back. "This area seems to be overgrown with trees and brush and grass."

"Then we'll set up the marker here, and see if Sheppard can't come find us."

With the cooled lava not interfering with their equipment it shouldn't be that hard to get sensor readings of the area from the Jumper, and she was pretty sure Sheppard was already in the air, so it probably wouldn't take all that long for him to find them.

Sanders nodded, and brought out the beacon that Sheppard would track to find them, and set it in a tree – presumably so that the Mok couldn't accidentally step on it or something – and then turned it on, and walked over to where Mitchell was standing, beside the other Mok.

"We should have packed a lunch, huh?"

Melony nodded. They'd carried canteens, but neither of them thought of bringing anything to eat.

"Ah well… we won't starve, I suppose."

Duck stumbled as he was pushed from behind once more by the lovesick Mok, and turned and glared at it.

"We could always have Mok steak…"

Mitchell just grinned, and rested her hand on the Mok's neck – again avoiding the hanging sacks. She already had a lover, thank you very much, and didn't need the creature falling in love with her.

OOOOOOOO

A soft beeping drew Sheppard's attention from the ground below them to the control panel in front of him and at a purely mental command that he didn't even know he was giving, a display came up in front of him and Carson. It was a simple blinking light on the map – a map that was incomplete because of the reaction the sensors had with the lava flow – but one that they could follow.

"What is it?" Carson asked, looking over as well.

"Colonel Mitchell's beacon," Sheppard answered, changing the trajectory of the Jumper and gaining altitude. "Apparently they found a way out of the tube."

"Thank God."

John shrugged.

"We were pretty sure there was a way out," he told Beckett – again. "The Mok got in, they had to be able to get out again."

Well being told there was a possibility wasn't nearly as good as hearing that there was actually an exit, and Carson was just glad that he didn't have to worry about Melony being chased back own the tunnel and having to swim without someone there to hold the ropes for her.

"How far away are they?"

"About ten minutes."

He nodded, and watched as they skimmed along the lava flow, not following the flow itself anymore, but following the beacon.

OOOOOOOOOO

"There they are," Sanders said, pointing up about ten minutes later as a shadow fell across the small clearing.

Mitchell looked up as well, just in time to see the Jumper cross the clearing and fly off, obviously looking for a place to land. The clearing was too small for that.

OOOOOOO

"Was that one of those things?" Carson asked, looking behind him as if he could still see the big black creature that he'd thought he'd seen in the clearing they'd just crossed over.

"Yeah, I think so," John answered. "A Mok."

He didn't care what it was called, but he'd been pretty sure that had been Melony standing beside it, and what was she thinking getting that close to it??

"Land."

"I'm looking for a spot."

"Can't you land back there in that spot?"

Sheppard shook his head.

"Only if you want me to land on her. And I think she'd probably have something to say about that. Just give me a minute, I'm looking for a spot."

Really, it wasn't such a bad thing that the area was so overgrown, because if he couldn't easily find a place to land, no one else would be able to, either. And that was good.