When Mitchell went looking for Teal'c, she couldn't find him. Actually, she probably could have – had she looked any further than the commissary, the command center and his quarters – but since in her wanderings of Atlantis as she looked for Teal'c, she didn't see Teyla, either, and her and Talon decided that the Jaffa was probably off somewhere with her. And didn't need any more company just then. So she took a page out of Jack's book, and left a message with a couple of the Marines that would be on duty all night, telling them if they saw Teal'c, to pass on the message that she'd like him packed and ready to go by 0800 the next morning – even though they wouldn't be leaving just then.
She went to her quarters, stripped out of her armor and changed into an Atlantean uniform, which was far more comfortable, and then she headed for the commissary for a much needed meal, and maybe even some company. But the company found her before she'd even gone a dozen steps in the direction of the commissary.
"Colonel Mitchell!"
She turned and saw McKay heading for her, and stopped to wait for him.
"Rodney."
He puffed up just a little, preening at the casual address.
"Melony. Do you have a minute?"
She nodded.
"I'm on my way to get some dinner. Care to join me?"
"Thank you."
They turned and started down the corridor, and Rodney spoke up.
"What are you going to do now? Or is it presumptuous of me to ask?"
Like that ever stopped him before…
"You mean long termed plans?" She asked, ignoring Talon's amused sarcasm.
"Yes."
""I'm taking the Jaffa back tomorrow, and then I'm going to start looking for a place to settle the Mok."
"Do you have any place in mind?"
She shook her head.
"I haven't given it a lot of thought, really."
She hadn't had time, after all. Not with everything else.
"What are you going to do with the Wraith darts once you've finished moving the Mok?"
"What?"
"The Wraith darts," he repeated, and she knew he was barely able to keep himself from saying it slowly, like you might to a child. "What are you going to do with them?"
"Me?"
"You stole them. I suppose, technically, that makes them yours, right?"
She hadn't even thought of that.
"I don't know, Rodney. Why?"
"I'd like one."
"There are better means of transporta-"
He made an exasperated sound.
"I don't want to fly it. I want to learn more about it."
Of course he did. He was a scientist.
Don't give them all away, Talon said, suddenly, interjecting himself into the conversation where a moment ago he'd been simply a passive listener. I want to learn more about them, too
"Let me talk to Jack, Rodney… I'll see what he wants to do."
McKay looked like he might argue, but instead he nodded. It wasn't like he didn't have a lot of Ancient's technology to look through, too, after all.
"Thank you."
"Sure."
"Now… about your Mok… Which side of the Stargate were you thinking of settling them on? We did, after all, find several planets that are similar to Talonopolis here in Pegasus that might fit your needs…"
She smiled as they entered the commissary, fairly certain that he was being so helpful on the assumption that the faster the Mok were settled, the sooner she'd be able to turn her attention to giving him a dart.
Or he might be showing off…McKay?
Talon snorted at the shocked disbelief in Melony's mental voice, and her smile turned into a grin.
"I'm not certain where I'm going to put them, yet," she admitted. "Someplace with a lot of Jaffa."
"You could always bring the Jaffa here."
The two of them walked over to the buffet tables and started loading plates with food.
He's right, you know? We planned on bringing them here anyways – we could find a world here for the Mok just as easily, and maybe even easier, than on the other side of the gate…
Maybe.
Melony shrugged.
"It's something to think about, Rodney. Thanks for the suggestion."
"Any time."
"If you'd compile a list of planets – unpopulated – while I'm gone…"
"My pleasure."
He must really want one of those darts…He's not that bad a guy, Talon. It just doesn't always show.
Talon didn't actually agree, but he didn't say anything to the contrary, either. Of course, he was a lot older than Melony, and he figured he was allowed to be cynical.
"Colonel…"
Melony was brought out of her conversation with Talon by Weir's greeting as she and Rodney made their way to one of the tables – this one fairly well filled with personnel. If she'd wanted to sit aloe and brood, she was to be disappointed, because everyone at the table gave her a welcoming greeting, making it impossible for her to gracefully decline an invitation to sit with them.
"Good evening," she said, sitting down beside Sheppard.
"How are you doing?" Weir asked, although it was pretty obvious everyone was curious – or worried.
"I'm fine, thank you."
Weir didn't look completely convinced, but she didn't ask again, either, and Melony appreciated it. She dug into her meal hungrily, letting Talon keep tabs on the conversations around her – which seemed to be centered on the fact that there still hadn't been any indication that any Wraith had managed to survive the explosion that had destroyed Talonopolis.
OOOOOOOOO
By the time Carson had managed to track down Mitchell, the table she was at was packed with people. Daniel and Sam had both joined them, as well as Zelenka, Ford, Kale and Char, and Grodin. Teyla and Teal'c were glaringly absent, but no one mentioned this. Which was probably just as well, since Teal'c could break any of them in half, and Teyla was more than capable of taking care of any of those that Teal'c missed.
McKay spotted Beckett first, and waved him over.
"Carson!"
Melony looked up from her meal, and Talon reminded her to chew and swallow before she choked. She did as she was told, but her smile of welcome was enough for Beckett, and he sat down beside her, pressed fairly close due to the others around them.
"I'm not staying," he said, more to Rodney and the others. "I just came to claim my patient."
Mitchell frowned, shaking her head. She was fine.
Maybe he's not talking about sending you back to the infirmary… Talon said, slyly.
Oh, good point.
OOOOOOOOOO
They spent the evening together, mainly in her quarters where they knew that no one would bother them unless it was an emergency. She'd intended to stay awake and cuddle for a while – something they hadn't really had that much opportunity to do – but the long day filled with emotional roller coasters and the fact that she still wasn't completely recovered from her ordeal without Talon caught up to her before too long, and she fell asleep in his arms as they were discussing the Mok.
His own day hadn't been so rough, but he'd had just as hard a time with the ordeal she'd been through, and he was behind on his sleep as well. Once she'd drifted off, he wasn't too surprised to find himself being lulled to sleep with her heart beating under his hand and her soft breathing in his ear.