Author's Note: Remember this is an AU, so Teal'c has his symbiote, still. If it weren't an AU, I couldn't have Mitchell, right?

OOOOOOO

"Well… he didn't go through here…"

They had walked down the lava tube until they'd reached the underground river, the Mok following them the entire way – even over the wooden bridge, which groaned under his considerable weight. Daniel kept getting gentle nudges in the small of his back as the creature tried to get his attention every now and then, once even causing him to stumble, but he was so enamored of the creature that he didn't even complain.

"What does it want?"

"It's in love," Jack said, grinning over at Melony.

Oh, if only he knew the truth…

I'm not telling him, Melony told her symbiote, firmly, ignoring Talon's mirth. And neither are you.

Awwww

She smiled, and reached out running her hand through the shaggy fur of the Mok's shoulder. The three of them were standing at the edge of the underground river, and it was just as full as it had been when she'd last seen it – eliminating the theory that it was rainwater run-off since it hadn't rained on Talonopolis for a few days at least.

"You didn't say anything about swimming," Jack told her.

She shook her head.

"I have no intention of going for a swim." Especially since there was no way she'd risk Carson trying to swim that. "I just wanted to see if the water was down or something."

"Why?"

"Because on the other end of this tunnel is a small herd of Mok, and I can't think of any other place he could have come from. You guys didn't see him when you were here last?"

"We didn't go in the tunnels," Daniel said apologetically.

She shrugged.

"It's possible that it could have swum, isn't it?" Jack asked as the Mok nudged him, looking for attention. Jack pushed its head away from his stomach before it could push him accidentally into the water, and the Mok gave him a disappointed rumble as it turned back to Daniel.

"Maybe…"

"There are other entrances, though, right?" Daniel asked. "I mean… you mentioned finding coffee plants outside one of the tunnels – unless it was this one?"

Trust Daniel to remember the coffee beans.

Melony nodded.

"The other exit leads out onto a mountain side. We didn't see any Mok there – but I suppose it's the only place he could have come from."

"Mystery solved," Jack said, pushing the Mok's head away once more. "Let's go take a look at those ships."

While she wasn't positive the mystery actually was solved, she nodded. Talon was eager to take a look at the darts and see what they could find out, and Melony wasn't willing to listen to him whine if she could avoid it.

"What do we do with him?" Daniel asked, pushing the Mok lightly, although he couldn't help but run his hand along its furry neck. The attraction to the fur was incredible, and made it easy to understand why the creatures had been so sought after for that fur.

"I don't know how to make him go away," Melony admitted. "Maybe he'll get bored and wander off."

Not if everyone keeps fondling him

"Let's go, then."

They turned as a group, and headed back up the lava tube.

OOOOOOOO

"You have done much with this place," Teal'c said as they finished the tour – as it were. Even though he wasn't a scientist, Teal'c couldn't help but be impressed with what they had accomplished. Even though they had the technology of the Ancients to help them, they were also hampered by the lack of supplies to work with – and they'd still managed to build quite a research laboratory.

"Doctor McKay and Colonel Mitchell are the two who did most of the work," Teyla said, smiling.

"But there were a lot of others who came to help," Sheppard added, feeling a little like a third wheel during the tour. Teyla had been questioning Teal'c almost nonstop since they'd begun the tour, and even though the questions were hardly personal, the two of them somehow seemed to be off in their own little world – which was a little annoying.

"Yes," Teyla agreed. "Although I was not one of them – I was with my people on the mainland at the time."

"Teyla is one of the leaders of her people," Sheppard said, knowing that Teyla would never have told Teal'c that herself, and smiling slightly when he saw the Athosian blush.

Teal'c gave a slight nod, his dark eyes on the young woman.

"Perhaps while we wait for Colonel Mitchell and the others to return, you can tell me something of your people," he asked. "Do they all have the ability to sense the extra life force my symbiote gives me?"

Teyla nodded, and started to tell him of her people, and neither noticed when Sheppard headed down the tunnel Melony had vanished down with the Mok and the others.

OOOOOOOOO

"You're kidding."

McKay smiled; pleased to see the awed and unbelieving look on Samantha Carter's pretty face.

"Not in the least."

"They're able to change forms at will?"

McKay nodded.

"I've seen it myself, Colonel Carter. It's amazing."

"And they can fly in their bird form?"

"Not only fly… they can carry people – and have."

"You're serious?"

He nodded.

"When Kale and the others return I'll be happy to ask one of them to demonstrate, if you'd like?"

Duh. Who wouldn't?

"Yes, please."

This was something she definitely had to see to believe.