30
Forging Bonds
"I could take a watch," Evree declared stubbornly, her lower lip beginning to extend in a pout. "In fact, I am the best equipped among us to remain alert for an extended period of time."
"I do not believe that anything we could get out of this trip is worth putting up with this," Jack growled softly. "I thought you said you weren't going to do anything without my say-so."
"I did," Evree admitted. "But I did not say I would do so without discussion, O'Neill. Why did you allow me to accompany you if you are going to refuse to utilize my abilities?"
"We brought you along to open the door," O'Neill reminded her. "You are, for the most part, a civilian observer. Observer as in watch, not participate." Their voices had been steadily rising in volume, to the consternation of the room's other occupants.
"Will you two please knock it off?" Daniel requested plaintively. "Those of us who are going on watch would like to get some rest."
Evree and Jack glared at each other for a moment, as if each thought the other solely responsible for the disturbance. Then, by tacit consent, they moved across the room, away from the sleepers. Or the would be sleepers. Voices were lowered, but the discussion was far from over.
"You are being most unreasonable," Evre stated firmly, if more quietly. "I am not requesting that you allow me to fight at your side should the situation require it. Merely that I be allowed to do that which I am able to do."
His team being what they were, Jack had grown accustomed to being questioned instead of receiving blind obedience, but Evree was pushing the envelope. And arguing was getting him nowhere. Maybe the soft touch would be better.
"I'm sure you could stay awake for days on end," he murmured. "But the rest of the team are used to working together a certain way, and...,"
"You don't trust me," Evree broke in rudely, and a little heatedly. Well, a little more heatedly. "All I ask to do is to stay awake while you warriors take your rest. The only other demands on me besides being wakeful would be being observant and giving the alarm if needs be. But you do not trust me with such a simple chore." Her voice was starting to rise in volume again.
"It's not that I don't trust you," O'Neill returned with more than a hint of asperity. "But, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm the leader of this happy little band, and things I might do if I had only myself to consider, I can't do when I'm responsible for the welfare of my command. Get it?" He sincerely hoped so. He was starting to run short of patience.
"I understand." Evree's tone of voice did not match her words. She sounded far from mollified. "Is it that you think I will not be watchful? Or that I will attempt to murder you all in your sleep? Or perhaps you believe that I will infect you all with Goa'uld symbiotes." She turned and started away from him.
"Now wait just a damn minute." O'Neill easily closed the distance between them and caught her by the shoulder.
Evree turned on him furiously, eyes glowing. "Release me," she demanded in echoing Goa'uld tones.
"Shut up," came the chorus of voices from the other side of the room, and a pillow came sailing through the air that caught O'Neill a glancing blow on the head. He and Evree glared at each other a while longer, then, Jack, no longer able to help himself, started to grin, realizing how ridiculous the two of them were. His humor was contagious, and soon Evree was giggling along with him.
&&&&&&
The night passed without further incident. Or arguments. A servitor stood ready to escort them to breakfast. Konaseus did not join them.
Jack eyed the mechanoids as they went about their occasions. Since they had met Konaseus, there seemed like there was always one or more of them nearby. "If I was a betting man," he remarked. "I'd bet that those little guys are equipped for surveillance." He took a sip of his juice and made a face. Right now, he'd kill for a cup of coffee.
"Well, Konaseus did say I could examine one," Sam put in. "So I'll have a chance to find out."
"That's assuming that the one he gives you to study is the same as all the rest," Daniel pointed out.
"And he does seem to have the means to manufacture things quite quickly," Teal'c added. "For instance, clothes made to our measurements in a matter of minutes."
"A robot is just a little more complex than clothes," Sam replied. She took another bite of whatever was on her plate. She liked it, but she wasn't sure what it was, and thought that she might be better off not knowing.
"Do we have any sort of schedule that we're going by here?" Daniel inquired.
O'Neill shook his head. "As long as it takes. Or, until something urgent comes up. But, we do have to check in periodically."
"When are we due to report in?" Teal'c asked.
Jack glanced at his watch. "About an hour and a half from now." And realized that he had a dilemma. the only way to report in was through the M.A.L.P., which sat beside the gate, about an hour's walk away. Konaseus might take offense if all of them suddenly left before he could make an appearance. On the other hand, he really hated the thought of dividing up the team. He became aware that everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to make a decision. Evree was wearing a poker face, absolutely no clues there. Part of him wanted to keep her where he could keep an eye on her, but the more reasonable part of him said that she'd probably slow him, no, make that them, use the buddy system, down.
"Daniel, you're with me," O'Neill stated, getting to his feet. "The rest of you get to stay here and make nice with Konaseus until we get back." Then, even though he knew it didn't need to be said, he said it anyway. "Teal'c? Make extra sure that..,"
"Evree is never left alone with Konaseus," the Jaffa finished for him. "You should leave now, O'Neill, to allow yourself a safety margin."
"Yeah, I know." Evree's silence puzzled him. She'd argued with just about every other decision he'd made so far, why not this one? "You ready, Daniel?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Daniel rose to his feet as well. "Later, guys."
Evree beckoned to O'Neill with her eyes, and he braced himself for the argument. Instead, she merely said, "I understand."
&&&&&&
"I cannot for the life of me figure that woman out," Jack remarked as he and Daniel made their way back to the gate. "And I'm starting to think it has nothing to do with her being Goa'uld. I think it's more of an X chromosome thing."
"Maybe you should stop trying to figure her out and just accept her as she is," Daniel suggested. "But, for what it's worth, she can't figure you out, either. Have the two of you ever considered talking?"
"We talk," O'Neill replied sourly. "Or, at least, we start to. Somehow one of us always manages to say something to piss the other one off, and then we wind up having a big, hairy argument."
"Look, I'm no relationship counselor, Jack," Daniel commented. "But instead of flying off the handle when one of you manages to say the wrong thing, and from what I've seen, it seems to happen quite a bit, don't you think it might be a bit more productive to tell each other why it offends?"
O'Neill mulled that one over a bit. "Maybe," he conceded grudgingly. "We've both got tempers on us, and I guess we just tend to let fly instead of finding out why." He thought some more, and a smile started tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But the make-up sex is..,"
"Nothing I need to know about," Daniel filled in hastily. He picked up the pace until he was several feet in front of Jack and he could get his own smile under control.
&&&&&&&
"They have been gone only minutes," Teal'c informed Evree. "It will, in all likelihood be nearly two hours before they return."
"It feels as though it has been at least that long already," Evree sighed. "I wish that I had something to do. Even sterilizing test tubes for Janet is better than nothing."
"When I start working on one of the robots you can take notes for me," Sam promised. "That is, if Konaseus keeps his promise. And, if he ever makes an appearance."
"I greet you on this beautiful day." Konaseus entered as if on cue. He took in the sight of their diminished numbers. "But where are Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson?"
"We are required to report in to our superiors periodically," Carter explained. "So they know that there's nothing wrong."
"I understand the reasoning for it," Konaseus replied. "But it fails to explain why they have had to leave."
"The device through which we communicate is located near the chaapa'ai," Teal'c elaborated. "They will return as soon as they have finished."
Once again, Konaseus was struck by the notion that these Tau'ri had an extremely crude technology. It amazed him that they had been able to figure out how to travel via the chaapa'ai. But it was something that might well work out to his advantage, so he held his peace. "I see that you have availed yourselves of my hospitality. I hope that the fare was to your liking?"
"It was very good," Evree said politely, though in truth, she had not eaten much. Even when the food smelled good to her here, it had a taste that she could only describe as 'off'. "I was surprised that you did not join us." She was trying to be diplomatic, and thereby advance the mission so that she could go back to Earth and never again complain about going on another mission. She wanted to be away from here, away from the large man looking at her with the predatory gleam in his eyes.
"I am most pleased," Konaseus assured her. Of the entire group, it seemed to him that his target was the one that was the most ill at ease in his presence. He must take steps to remedy that. First things first, though. He was actually glad that part of the team had gone. Now, to weed away some of the rest, that he might have the queen to himself. "Major Carter, I believe I made you a promise last night. If you will follow me, I will show you to my workshop, where you may build or take apart as your whim takes you." He wasn't entirely surprised to find that the queen and the Jaffa followed along in their wake.
Sam felt her jaw fall nearly to her knees when she saw the interior of Konaseus' workshop. Every type of tool and component she could think of, not to mention many that she didn't even recognize were ranged within its walls. The lighting was perfect, the arrangement was perfect, it was simply.., perfect. A contented sigh escaped her lips. She could spend years in here and never be bored.
Konaseus walked them around the room, showing off what was familiar, and explaining that which was not. He even demonstrated a few techniques, his large hands surprisingly deft with some of the more delicate instruments. At last, Carter was happily ensconced, taking apart one of the robots, and he turned to Evree, doing his best to ignore the Jaffa.
"My gardens look nearly as lovely in the sunlight as they do by the illumination of the moon," Konaseus said smoothly. "Perhaps you would care to tour them now, my queen?"
Evree flicked a quick glance at Teal'c, as if to remind him of his promise not to leave her alone with their host.
"I am sure that we would be delighted," Teal'c replied, accenting the 'we'. Seeing the thunderclouds begin to gather on Konaseus' face, he added, "Evree is required to have a guard by her at all times." That was actually not too far from the truth, although the big Jaffa would have no compunctions about lying to Konaseus. He didn't trust him anymore than O'Neill did. "It is policy, you understand."
"Of course." Konaseus was hard put to swallow his disappointment. "The queen being a most precious commodity, it would not do to take chances with her well-being."
"It is very kind of you to make the offer," Evree added, happy that Teal'c had stepped in. "But I did promise Major Carter that I would take notes for her."
Konaseus' forehead furrowed in confusion and consternation. "You do menial work for one of your attendants?" There were many things about his visitors that he did not understand, but this, this was beyond all comprehension.
"The queen likes to take an interest in what is going on around her," Teal'c filled in. So, Konaseus thought that they were all subordinate to Evree. It might be something that they could use. He would have to inform O'Neill the moment he returned.
"Most commendable," Konaseus murmured. "I shall leave you to it then. You have but to ask should you need me. Or anything. The servitors will relay your request."
"Thank you," Evree said as graciously as she could manage, then trying not to look like she was hurrying, went to join Sam. For some reason, she felt contaminated merely by being in their hosts' proximity. Sam and Teal'c were her refuge for the moment. But she would feel far better once O'Neill returned.
&&&&&
"So, now that we're hopefully out of the range of any surveillance that Konaseus might have," O'Neill said conversationally. "What do you think of the guy?"
Daniel tried a nonchalant shrug, but didn't quite manage to pull it off. "Maybe I've been doing this too long," he replied. "But it always seems that whenever anyone is that friendly and helpful, it usually doesn't seem to bode well."
O'Neill nodded. "Caught that, did you? If it were one of the good guys we were dealing with, getting help would probably be like pulling teeth." He sighed. "But if Carter is onto something with those robots, she might find something that is worthwhile. We can't afford to screw that up."
"But I think we'd all feel more comfortable about the whole thing if he didn't seem to be fixated on Evree," Daniel commented.
"You noticed how he said 'Lord Anubis' last night?" Jack asked rhetorically. "Think he might be working with or for him?"
"I suppose it's possible," Daniel mused. "But if he is, it was an awfully careless slip. And he doesn't strike me as being stupid."
"Me neither," O'Neill agreed. "Just for once, couldn't we run into a stupid bad guy? Just for the variety, if nothing else."
"We're not one hundred percent sure that Konaseus is one of the bad guys, yet," Daniel protested.
"Really?" O'Neill shot him a look. "I didn't like leaving Evree back there even with Teal'c guarding her. The only reason I did, was because I couldn't see a choice, other than scrapping the whole mission. But if he's got a white hat in his closet, I'll eat mine." He picked up the pace and moved up ahead a few yards.
"I really hope that I'll be able to say bon appétit, Jack," Daniel muttered as he stretched his legs to catch up.
&&&&&&
"I am doing this correctly, Major Carter, am I not?" Evree showed her painstakingly neat notes to Sam.
"That's great, Evree," Sam replied. "But you don't have to call me Major Carter all the time. You can call me Sam like everyone else." Upon reflection, the only people she could recall hearing Evree call by their given names were Daniel and Janet. She didn't even address Jack by his first name.
"If you wish it," Evree replied. "You all seem to have so many names. Except for the Jaffa and me, and we just have one."
"Well, if you want to get picky, you have yours, and your hosts'." Sam was ready for a breather anyway, and decided to take a break from the work to tease Evree a little bit. Maybe she could get her to lighten up a little bit. She was way too serious.
"That is not what I meant, and I believe that you are aware of that," Ebree answered. "Draylea and I are, or can be, separate entities. You are, seemingly, several people in one. You are Major Carter to General Hammond. To O'Neill you can either be Sam, Carter, or Major Carter. Daniel usually refers to you as Sam and Teal'c always calls you Major Carter. And I have heard Selmac call you Samantha."
"Actually, I think that was Dad, not Selmac," Carter answered. "I guess that it is a little complicated, but sometimes, how you address someone depends on your relationship to them. My father refers to me formally, or informally, depending on what he has to say. I guess you could say that my superior officers do the same. Daniel always calls me Sam because he sees me as a friend. And Teal'c.., Teal'c just tends to be a little formal with everyone."
Evree absorbed the entire lecture with all seriousness. "I have no official status," she said slowly. "Where does that put me? I thought that perhaps it were best to use formal titles."
"You don't with Daniel," Sam pointed out. "At least, not all the time. Is it because you consider Daniel to be your friend?"
"I think that Daniel was the very first person to show me friendship," Evree conceded. "I feel a certain amount of affection for him."
"You seem to have more than 'a certain amount of affection' for Colonel O'Neill," Sam remarked. "Don't you ever call him Jack? Even when you're alone?"
Evree shrugged. "It never occurred to me to do so," she murmured. "And O'Neill has never brought the subject up." She grew pensive again. "I believe that there are a great many subjects that O'Neill has never brought up, and I wonder if it is a matter of oversight, or if he has done it on purpose."
"You can bring things up yourself, you know." Sam wasn't sure that she was the one to be dispensing advice to the lovelorn, or whatever it was that Evree was, but she seemed to be the only one available for it at the moment. Or usually. "You don't always have to wait for Jack to make the first move."
Teal'c had been prowling the room, not exactly restless, just trying to cover the entire area at once. To protect Evree, and keep his promise to O'Neill. Part of that involved watching Evree some of the time. And when he was doing that, he was not aware of what was going on in the doorless archway that led into the room. He was paying attention to Evree when Konaseus' cat entered the room.
The beast was incredibly fast. Before the startled squeak fully escaped Evree's throat, before Sam and Teal'c could draw their weapons, the animal was on him, razor sharp fangs preparing to sink into his throat.
Evree didn't know what she could do, but she could not bear to do nothing, and watch Teal'c be torn to shreds. Sam stood beside her helplessly, unable to fire her weapon for fear of hitting her team member. Suddenly, it was as if something clicked in Evree, and gave her the answer. Or perhaps it came from centuries of being treated as, if not a god, then something akin to it. She was accustomed to command, and so, she commanded.
"Release the Jaffa!" she boomed in full Goa'uld voice. The cat looked up from its prey and blinked aquamarine eyes at her. Evree returned the gaze coolly. So far, it had seemed to work, but the beast still had Teal'c pinned to the floor. That was unacceptable. "Leave us," she commanded. And the cat, as if it had been trained to respond to her voice, stepped off of the Jaffa and strolled out of the room.
"Well, I'll be damned," Sam said softly. She didn't know what had made Evree think of it. Perhaps the cat just naturally responded to a Goa'uld voice. Or had been trained to.
Teal'c picked himself up off the floor. He was feeling exceedingly embarrassed at having been caught off guard. Having his throat torn out only would have added injury to insult. But Evree had saved him, and that must be acknowledged. He went over to the two women and bowed to Evree, although he took care to keep himself at an angle where he could keep one eye on the doorway.
"You have saved my life and it is yours," he said formally. "I owe you a blood debt."
"You owe me nothing," Evree replied softly, feeling at least as awkward as the Jaffa. "You have no reason to either like or trust me, but you have been kind to me. I know that it was mostly, if not solely for O'Neill's sake, but it has touched me, and I would like to consider you my friend. May I?" She laid a tentative hand on his arm, looking up at him as though she were afraid that he would spurn her overture, but unable to stop herself from making.
It suddenly occurred to Teal'c that there must be no one lonelier than a Goa'uld. With most of them, of course, it was largely by choice. But Evree had truly proven that she was not as other Goa'uld. He smiled down at her warmly. "I would be honored to be your friend."
"Thank you," Evree said, looking both happy and relieved at the same time. "Besides, I am sure that O'Neill would be most put out with me if you were to die."
Teal'c and Sam both began laughing at that, and after a moment or two, Evree joined them.