Keeping the two agents occupied turned out to be easier then I thought. I babbled on about ribbon theories, technology that had been discovered on some of our missions (nothing of importance), and anything else that would keep them distracted.
My main objective was to keep them away from the Gateroom just in case my father and Starsky decided to show up. As I babbled on, I could tell the agents didn't have a clue of what I was talking about. I put on my most cheery disposition and continued asking them every once in a while if they were still following me, and if they had any questions just to let me know. I asked them what their names were; the short and intense looking one was Agent Baker, and the taller, more intimidated one was Agent Roberts. I tried to pump them for as much information they would give me, but most of the answers that I wanted were "classified".
While I was entertaining, the Stargate was activated twice. Each time it did, the agents asked who was coming through. I told them it was probably SG4 when it was activated the first time, and SG6 the second time. They asked if it was standard procedure not to go to the Gateroom when an incoming wormhole was activated.
I said, "once we get the IDC, the klaxons usually go off. If there was a problem, the base would stay on alert and then of course I would go see what was going on. Once you've seen the Stargate in action it becomes old news, and there's no reason to run each time it's activated. Anyway, I knew both teams were scheduled to return today. They want to be present for Dr. Fraiser's service."
"Of course. We hear the service will be held tomorrow. General Hammond informed us of the loss of Dr. Fraiser. I do believe she was a close friend of yours. Is this correct, Major Carter," Agent Baker asked.
"Yes, we were. I'd worked with her for over 7 years and you do tend to become close after all that time. It was a great loss to the SGC. I don't know what I'm going to do without her. Oh, and Agent Baker, her service is not tomorrow; it's being held the day after tomorrow."
"Ah yes, that's right. And the burial will be held the following day? Is anyone invited to attend or is it just close family?"
He was trying to get under my skin and I felt my anger responding. Taking a deep breath, I told myself that I'd be damn if I'd let this little man intimidate me.
"The service is for all SGC staff and the burial is for close family only," I said.
"Close family only. I do believe she was divorced and both her parents are dead. No relatives living close by but let me see. My notes, ah yes, she has a daughter named Cassandra Fraiser. How is she doing? I bet informing her that her mother was killed was not very pleasant. What's going to happen to her? She is still a minor, isn't she?" Agent Baker asked.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to bait me so that I'd end up smacking him from here to next Tuesday. He knew the answers to all the questions he was asking me and was waiting to see if I would crack. I took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes.
"This has been hard not only for Cassandra, but for the whole facility. It's like we've lost a family member. But that's the difference between the NID and SGC. We treat our people like family, not like strangers or pawns. So to answer your question, yes, it was hard to inform her that her mother was killed in the line of duty. But she will survive. She has the rest of SG-1 and myself to look after her and her best interest. We wouldn't let anything or anyone harm her. Dr. Fraiser has named me as Cassandra's guardian, so she will be my responsibility as well as the SGC 's. And we don't take that responsibility lightly. The SGC has taken her under their wing, and she will always be apart of their lives. We protect our own. Like I said, Agent Baker, we are like family here. No one gets left behind."
I was trying to control my anger. I had turned a lovely shade of red and was on the verge of strangling the man when I heard someone clear their throat.
"Major? Am I interrupting anything?" the Colonel asked.
I was so happy to see him that I wanted to jump off my stool and put my arms around him. Taking a deep breath, I turned away from Agent Baker. "No Sir. We were just finishing here. Gentlemen, if there aren't anymore questions, I need to get back to work."
"No Major. Thank you for your input; it was most informative. And please tell Ms. Fraiser that we are sorry for her loss."
With that Agent Baker and Agent Roberts left. The Colonel walked in I asked him to close the door. I picked up the paperweight on my desk and threw it at the door.
"Bastards! I can't believe they had the gall to ask about Cassie and to express their sympathy. Sympathy my ass! They were just fishing for answers, and to see if they could get me to snap. But I didn't give them the satisfaction."
The Colonel was taken by surprise with my language. He walked over to my desk, pulled me off my stool, and held me tight. I hugged him back. I was so angry; he rubbed my back to try and sooth me. My breathing began to even out and I pulled away from his embrace.
"Thanks. I needed that. They were manageable till the end. They're looking for Cassie and my medical records. I just know it! I'd bet they were waiting for my eyes to glow and blast them with a ribbon device. It was mostly Agent Baker that was asking all the questions. The other one looked liked it was his first assignment."
Sitting down next to me, he took my hand. "Remind me never to get you that angry with me. I sometimes forget that you can use that ribbon device, and I don't want to be on the wrong end of that thing. So what exactly did they want to know Sam? Anything that we don't know already?"
"No. They were interested on who had arrived when the Gate activated twice while they were with me and I told them it was SG4 and SG6. Did my father arrive with Starsky, or was it one of our teams? Did you find out anything about the tranquilizer dart?"
"Come on. I know you haven't eaten anything and I heard what you did at Daniel's, so I know you have nothing in your stomach. Let's go to the commissary and I'll fill you in on all the details."
Walking into the commissary, we notice two more agents were sitting with Agent Baker and Agent Roberts.
"Sir. That's Agent Barrett. He helped us out with the Kinsey situation. I wonder if he'll tell me anything?"
"Do you recognize the other man with them? He looks familiar but I can't put my finger on it."
"No. He doesn't look familiar to me. I wonder how long they've been here? I'm getting really worried. What are we going to do? It's going to be hard trying to do anything with these goons breathing down our necks."
"I know. We've just got to keep our heads about us and stay cool. We can't let them know how much there presence here is affecting us. Just go about doing your regular routine Carter. They'll be looking for anything out of the ordinary. I know I would if I were in their shoes."
"I'm not hungry anymore. My stomach is in knots and you still haven't told me what you found out."
"I think I'm rubbing off on you Carter. You're getting bossier, and you're losing your patience more easily. I'll tell you what I know if you eat. I'll take no excuses, so you'd better get a tray and fill it with something to eat. And cake and Jello doesn't count."
I rolled my eyes at him and got a tray. I put some soup, a banana, jello and a cup of coffee on it. The Colonel picked up a piece of pie and a cup of coffee and I followed him to a table opposite the agents. Agent Barnett looked up while we settled down and nodded to me. I smiled and nodded back. Looking at the Colonel, I asked, "Okay Dad, are you happy? Now tell me what you found out about the dart."
He chuckled and leaned close to me and whispered, "If I was your Dad, I'd put you over my lap and give you a spanking for rolling your eyes and talking to me in that tone."
I smirked and whispered back. "Promises, promises!"
He cleared his throat and changed the subject.
He told me that the dart had traces of a sleeping agent on it that was rare. If it had hit Cassie or Daniel, they would have been unconscious for a long time. The lab was still working on what type the dart is and when they found out, they would contact him. He also told me that one of the gate activations was the Tok'ra. My father was on his way to pick up our "pal", and would probably arrive sometime tonight. The General filled him in on what had been happening with our uninvited guests and he asked my Dad to contact him by radio before he walked through the gate to make sure the coast was clear.
"He wanted me to tell you how sorry he was and that he'll talk to you when he gets here. He just heard about Janet and was concern with how you and Cassie were doing. I reassured him that you two were doing good and you'd do better once he arrived."
I smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure my dad appreciated hearing that. How long do you think the NID will be here today? What if your "pal" can't walk through the Stargate? We're going to need his expertise if we're going to get them to leave Cassie alone."
"Let me worry about that Carter."
I could feel someone staring at me. I looked up to see the agent next to Barnett looking directly at me and he did not turn away when I caught him looking. "Speaking of the NID, did you remember where you've seen the agent that's sitting next to Barrett?"
"No, but it will come to me. Why Carter?" the Colonel asked.
"He gives me the creeps. I've felt him staring at me ever since we got here. Oh, here comes Agent Barrett. Maybe I can get some information from him."
I pretended to be interested in my soup when I saw the Colonel look up, and I turned to see Agent Barnett standing next to me.
"Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill. How are you? It's been a long time. Are you keeping out of trouble," Agent Barrett asked.
"Oh you know SG-1, always on everyone's dance card whetherit be the Goa'uld or even our own people. We're just so popular," the Colonel said, responding with sarcasm.
I gave the Colonel a look that told him not to get Agent Barrett mad. I asked him to sit down so we could talk and he did. I then proceeded to ask him questions.
Agent Barrett turned out to be a good source of information. He expressed his sorrow about Janet's death and said that she had been a hell of an officer and doctor. She would be a huge loss to the SGC.
He was just as surprised as us that the NID where being asked again to check up on the SGC. There had been no indications, and he was just as surprised as us that they were going to be inspecting our facility. I inquired about Agents Baker and Roberts. He tried to be nice, but he said that Agent Baker wouldn't have been his first choice of people to bring along, and that this was one of Agent's Roberts first assignments. I then asked him about the other agent. He said that he wasn't an agent. His name was Elliot Smith, an aide for Senator Kinsey. He was here basically to gather information for him. He was a little surprised because of his high security clearance. Not many civilians had access to as much information as he did.
I was starting to fidget again and I looked up. Mr. Smith was staring at me again. I turned away, and the Colonel saw my discomfort.
I knew that Jack had reached the point where he was going to say something he would regret.
"I have a question for you Agent Barrett. Is there any particular reason Mr. Smith continues to stare at Major Carter? Or hasn't he seen a good looking woman up close before?" The Colonel was speaking through gritted teeth. Agent Barrett looked up to see what Jack was referring to, and then looked at the Colonel and I. I was a bit embarrassed that the Colonel had made such a comment and tried to downplay what he had just said.
"He does seem particularly interested in me. Any reason why?" I asked as casually as I could.
"I never really noticed, but he has been asking a lot of questions about your research and what missions SG-1 has been on lately. He had a briefcase full of reports, which we were going through. He also was very interested in Dr. Fraiser and her research."
I felt cold and started to feel sick again. It must have shown because the Colonel was staring and suddenly asked if I was okay. I smiled and said that the soup must not have agreed with me. I got up to leave but was stopped by Agent Barrett.
"Major Carter, is there something else that you want to tell me about? I find it too much of a coincidence that we are here right after your CMO was killed in action. There are records that she has kept from the NID for reasons unknown to us. But be assured you know how I work. I am fair, and if you have any concerns that involve the NID or Senator Kinsey that you would come to me willingly about, have no fear of retribution. I'm not your enemy. I'm here to do a job and I hope you can trust me."
I looked at the Colonel and read what he was saying, not to say anything yet. But I could tell that he felt like Agent Barrett was telling the truth.
"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for your sympathy. I'll relay it to her daughter. The service will be the day after tomorrow. You're welcome to come, and there will be a gathering for her friends right after at the Colonel's house. I hope you will relay to your other friends that they are not welcome, just you. Cassie will have enough to deal with without people asking her 101 questions about her mother."
"I understand and thank you for the invite. If I hear anything that might be useful to you, I'll let you or the Colonel know. Remember Major, I'm not your enemy here."
Wanting to leave, I left the commissary with the Colonel following close behind. I needed to get out of there. I needed to breathe fresh air. I kept walking towards the elevator without turning around and got in.
The Colonel got on also, but didn't say a word. He just stood next to me. As soon as the elevator doors closed, he grabbed my hand and started to caress it. He was so gentle. He knew that I needed comfort and this was his way of saying that he was here for me.
The doors opened and we went outside and sat down on my favorite rock. It overlooked the valley below. It was so peaceful that I could sit there for hours just to get my thoughts together. I needed to do that more than anything right now. We were being watched and investigated. What did they want? What could they find out? I was still thinking when the Colonel reached for me and lifted me onto my rock. He sat down next to me and waited for me to say something.
"Thanks. I needed to get away. That man was really getting under my skin. Its like he was staring right through me. It was very disturbing. I know your not going to like what I'm going to say, but I believe Agent Barrett. I don't think he has a clue why he's really here. He's a good man, and without his help, I could have never gotten your name cleared. If he says he'll help, then I believe him."
"I believe him also Sam, but it doesn't mean I want him to know what we are planning. Its too risky letting too many people know. I just want to know that you can handle this Smith guy. He gives me the creeps as well, but I don't want him to get you upset. I almost got up and walked over to him to ask if him if his mother ever told him it was rude to stare. I think until this mess blows over, you should have Daniel, Teal'c, or I around you. It's just a precaution Sam. I know I've seen him before, but I still can't remember from were. We'd better get back in there and tell the General we're leaving, and to call us once they're on there way over."
He jumped down and reached up to help me down. I landed in his arms and he held me a little longer than usual. I reached up and took his face in my hands and kissed him softly.
"Thank you for being my strength in this. I don't think I'd survive this without you," I said.
"Anytime. Like I said Sam, we will get through this. Everything will be alright, and then we will finally get to have our talk. The only thing I ask is that we have that talk at my cabin, alone. Just you, me, and the fish."
I smiled. "Teal'c swears that there are no fish up there. That you just go to fish in an empty lake."
"Fishing wasn't what I had in mind, but if you insist..." Jack started to walk towards the SGC and I caught up to him.
I asked, "So what did you have in mind?"
He stopped, turned around and whispered. "I have this image in my mind that I can never seem to erase, even if I wanted to. It's this beautiful woman with her eyes closed and her lips willing me to keep kissing her and she's naked beneath me and..."
I started to turn red and tried to divert my eyes knowing exactly what he was talking about. Was that last night? It seemed like a lifetime ago.
He tilted my head up. "Take those doubts out of your mind Sam. You and I will be together and it will be nothing that they can take away from us. It's right. Remember that I love you, and I'll never stop loving you. You have made me the man I am today. You make me a better man."
I smiled with tears in my eyes. "You're too good to me. Why do you love me? I'm so complex and you're so straight forward. What do I have to offer you? I'm nothing but an insecure person that needs to be told that she's worthy of love. You don't have to love me. I'll take what ever you can give me."
Jack shook his head. "For someone as smart as you are, you can be really dumb at times. What do I have to offer you Sam? I'm too old, I'm all screwed up, and lots of people don't like me, or my attitude, but you still stay. After all I've done to you and put you through, you're still here. It's scary actually. I feel like I've sabotaged my friendship with you because you are too good for me, but still you stay and comfort me when I need it. And the selfish bastard that I am takes it. No, if anyone should ask why we're together and why I'm in love with such an incredible person, I should be the one to answer that question."
"We make a fine pair, don't we?" I chuckled.
He smiled. "That's why it will work. It has to. I can't see myself with anyone but you."
I smiled and said, "Ditto."
Getting into the elevator, we were recharged and ready to face any challenge the NID would throw at us. I had the best in my corner, and come heaven or hell, they were in for the fight of their lives.
To be continued
