The trip was in silence.

Lawson drove across the land bridge between Pensacola and it's outlying suburb of Pace. Sitka looked out the window in utter fascination at the swamp-like bay, churned to mud and still steaming from the Anubis's orbital strike. In the distance, great plumes of black rose, barely discernable against the already dark ashen sky.

The road was surprisingly empty. As if people had already made their trek out of town or decided to sit out the now silent post 'storm' time. There were a number of abandoned vehicles, both on the side of the road and in the lanes, but Lawson drove around it all, shifting that stick (which Raylana told Sitka most likely shifted some power gear system) with grim deftness.

Down a few side roads off the highway, and finally into a cul-de-sac, the Charger pulled into the driveway of a small, redbrick two story house. The streetlights had come on, meaning that this part of town still had power, amazingly.

Lawson let the car idle a few moments, just staring at the small house wordlessly. Sitka became worried that this either wasn't their destination, or that the human had lapsed into shock again, when Lawson finally reached under the steering column and pulled a few wires.

The car shivered, coughed, and died.

From the car Lawson lead them to the door. He seemed to fumble for something in his pockets then mumbled an apology about having lost his keys. He leaned over a small flowerpot and tipped it over and pulled a key hidden in it's false bottom out, then opened the door and led the Tok'ra inside.

Neither Host or Symbiote had ever been inside a Tauri house before, and at once they were surprised by it's Eclectic ness. Raylana knew that there were many cultures on Earth, having spoken with Selmak and Jacob on many occasions, and reading many of the cultural reports Stargate Command had given her brethren. So, thus, Sitka knew as well everything that Raylana knew.

So while the pair were not human specialists by any means, they both realized that nothing in the house fit together. But at the same time everything did, in some way, compliment each other. Old battered furniture that looked actually very comfortable. Bookshelves that were filled to the edge with countless books. Knick-knacks and things that seemed to come from dozens of earth cultures. And mixed in with all the slightly antiquated furnishings was unfamiliar but still easily recognizable technical equipment. Something that looked like a viewer of sorts with a large screen. A communications device. An 'entertainment system'. Even a computer.

But Lawson didn't give a tour.. He had flopped out on the couch when the Tok'ra wasn't looking and was snoring softly, his tense body convulsed and relaxed as if he had just burnt out everything and let go.

The Tok'ra sighed. Both of her.

/I think our host is out for a while/ Raylana told Sitka.

/He's probably had a long day. Physically and mentally. We should probably let him rest./

The Tok'ra looked around once more, looking at everything around her. /I'm tired as well, Ray. Do you think he has a room for us to sleep in/

/I would think so. From the looks of this house it has a few rooms which are probably dedicated to rest. Let us find one, because you are right. You are tired and still recovering from the escape. I will need time to fix a few of the damages within you./

Sitka sent a thought of relief to her friend. While Lawson hadn't seen it, beneath her clothes she had spotted a number of cuts and bruised. A testament to her Goa'uld captors. She had, with the symbiote's help, put the pain aside but now the effort was catching up with her.

/Then lets find a bed. And thank you, Ray, for looking out for me./

Mentally, Raylana brushed that aside, but with tenderness. /We are one, Sitka. Your pain is mine. My pain is yours. You risk you life for me, so it is only fair I do the same. So lets get you fixed up. We have a long day, probably, tomorrow./

Lawson stirred, pawing at the darkness. In his mind he was screaming as the Jackal-headed alien rushed him with it's staff. And just as the snake headed staff struck him the scream pierced the veil of dream and spilled from his lips.

She shot upwards, panting as he cut the scream off. Sloughing the nightmare off like some dark evil muck he quickly looked around, eyes wild and shining even in the dimness.

He was home.

He looked at his hands, wondering if everything had just been a bad dream. The Jackal. The Alien Woman with two voices. The Meteors from the sky.

He pulled the at curtain over the window next to the couch and peeked outside. The sky was dark and he could see the muted glow of Pensacola across the bay. Not from lights, of which there were few on, but from the still burning fires.

Then he caught sight of the black Charger in his driveway and he knew.

It wasn't a dream.

But that meant…

He quickly slipped out of bed and stood, scared literally out of his mind. There was an alien somewhere near by. The shock that had almost incapacitated him before lifted like a fog. Where was she.. or they… Damnit all.

He quickly ran through the house, looking through room after room. The Kitchen. The bathroom. The bedroom he had turned into his office and the spare room that doubled at the moment of storage.

Finally he came to his own bedroom, the largest in the small house and blinked at what he saw. The young woman lying asleep in his bed. She was curled into a fetal position, tangled in the blankets that covered her now undressed body. He could see the telltale signs of scars on that fair flesh. Her clothes were pooled on the floor next to the bed

He studied her face, dumbly, his mind in turmoil. There was an alien sleeping in his bed. Naked. An alien with a second strange voice that scared the piss out of him. What did he do.

Call the police? The National Guard?

Then he shook his head as realization creeped over him. She had saved his life. She had never threatened him. And looking at her, just looking, he didn't see an alien that had killed a monster. He just saw a young woman, vulnerable, who needed rest like him.

So he turned away and closed the door, letting the young woman have her privacy while he went back downstairs to figure out just what to do.