CHAPTER ELEVEN - A Very Passionate Race
Thine eyes I love, and they, as pitying me,
Knowing thy heart torments me with disdain,
Have put on black and loving mourners be,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.
And truly not the morning sun of heaven
Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east,
Nor that full star that ushers in the even,
Doth half that glory to the sober west,
As those two mourning eyes become thy face:
O! let it then as well beseem thy heart
To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace,
And suit thy pity like in every part.
Then will I swear beauty herself is black,
And all they foul that thy complexion lack.
Sonnet 132 by William Shakespeare
Amelia's journey back to consciousness was slow and murky, as though she were emerging from fathoms of deep, dark water. First she had hazy dreams - a stream of faces and colors and memories all mixed up like a grabbing bag. Then there were delirious moments when she would barely awaken, in which she could see muted colors and hear voices talking, but she could never make out the words.
When at last she did fully wake up she had no idea where she was. It was very dark, and something about the air was unfamiliar. She struggled for a moment, trying to remember what had happened to her and how she might have gotten here - wherever here was. It was as though her mind was jumpstarting; she had to stop and concentrate for a considerable span of time.
Her eyes began to adjust to the dim light, enough for her to make out a vague male figure slouched in a chair a few feet away as if sleeping. "Jonas?" she managed, unthinking. Her voice cracked with disuse and she instantly realized how thirsty she was.
The figure rose. "Amelia," said a voice quietly. It sounded very strange. "I thought you would awaken soon."
She closed her eyes, fighting to retrieve a particular memory out of the thousands that were now flooding back to her. "Malek?" she asked.
"Yes," he said, kneeling beside her bed and feeling her forehead. "You are at the Tok'ra base on Enna in the Shvri sector. We brought you here almost two weeks ago to better accommodate your needs. Your condition was very grave."
Amelia blinked several times. Her eyes were now much better adjusted to the darkness, and she could see that the room she was in was significantly vaster than she would have supposed. "What happened?" she finally asked.
"There will be time enough for questions in the morning. For now, you should drink something and go back to sleep." Amelia was in no condition to argue. She drank the water the Tok'ra brought her eagerly and wearily collapsed back onto the bed.
When she awoke again, she wasn't sure whether or not morning had come. There were no windows in her room - in fact, she wasn't even sure the walls could exactly be called walls. They were more like a cave. However, bright light was streaming into the chamber from not one, but two different entries, and voices could be heard drifting in. Occasionally, a pair of hurried footsteps would rush by.
With a clairvoyance she hadn't had in the middle of the night, it suddenly hit Amelia that she was on a different planet, probably hundreds of light years from home. Excited, she sat up probably more quickly than was wise, and her thoughts were confirmed when an instant woozy head rush caused her vision to swim. A foreign chill told her almost instantly that she wasn't wearing her wig. She must have been really groggy last night if she hadn't picked up on that. She hoped the Tok'ra had it with them, because otherwise she would feel extremely self-conscious for her first trip to a new world.
Amelia waited until the dizziness had passed before looking more closely at her surroundings. There was a long, high table or counter directly across from her bed, liberally covered with alien instruments and devices. What looked like chests of various sizes were stacked haphazardly all over the floor. The bed she was sleeping on was low to the ground, and did not have a mattress, but rather several layers of plush furs, while the blankets were made of something as sturdy as cotton but much softer. There was a small settee on the near wall where Malek had been sitting the night before, and a set of clothes was piled on top of it.
Hesitantly, Amelia climbed out of the bed. She was wearing what seemed to be white medical scrubs from Earth, but they were very thin and very chilly. Wishing this room wasn't open to the whole of Tok'ra society, Amelia snatched the provided garments and struggled into them underneath her covers. The boots that went with them were a little bit big, but she supposed that was better than the other way around.
This accomplished, Amelia was able to explore the room more closely, and although a closer inspection didn't yield much, she did find a small pile of her things at the foot of her bed, including her wig, some of her own clothing, and - to her surprise - her violin.
"Your friend Jonas brought that along when the Tau'ri brought you to Enna," said a voice behind her.
Amelia jumped and dashed around, frantically pulling the wig onto her head. "Good morning," she said shakily to Malek, embarrassed.
He gave one of his barely discernible expressions of amusement. "I am glad you are doing better," he said, nodding his head slightly.
Having finally secured the wig in place, Amelia dropped her hands to her sides. "I'm sorry," she said, confusedly. "But the last thing I remember was playing ping-pong with Jonas. What happened?"
Malek held out a hand towards the door, the other tucked neatly behind his back like the rich men used to do in an older America. "If you're up to a walk we could take a small tour, and I will explain as we go. You are probably hungry."
No sooner did he say the words than Amelia's stomach twitched. "Yes, thank you," she said, nodding, and fell into step beside him and out the doorway.
"The disease had reached a point of saturation in your system," Malek began impassively. "You went into a coma and Doctor Fraiser began treating you with her supply of the Tretonin. By that time the effects of the disease had raged so strongly that the small dose she had could only hold it at bay, and only for a little while. It is fortunate that the Tok'ra made contact with the Tau'ri when we did, otherwise you might have been lost. For that I apologize. I should have contacted your planet concerning this matter as soon as we were secure here on Enna, but I did not think the last time I examined you that time would be so brief."
He paused. "I should have heeded Doctor Fraiser's words more closely. I'm afraid diseases of this nature are typically checked very early among our kind because of the healing effects of a symbiote. I do not have the experience with advanced forms as she does." His jaw was set and he looked quite upset with himself.
"So why was I brought here?" Amelia asked.
"The day we made contact again with the Tau'ri, I received a personal visit from Jonas Quinn and your SG-13, who advised me of the urgency of your condition." This piece of information about Jonas caused a flush of warmth to spread over Amelia, and she gave a secret, pleased smile. "After examining you, I requested permission to bring you here in order to monitor your condition with the full service of my facilities near at hand." He paused, then said awkwardly, "I understand your father was not too keen on this course of action."
Amelia snorted slightly. "No, I imagine not," she muttered.
"I must confess, once we got you here, the situation was not always hopeful. However, I'm happy to inform you that eventually the doses of Tretonin were enough to stave off the disease."
"So...I'm cured?" Amelia asked uncertainly. It seemed a little too easy, somehow.
"No, not yet. There are two factors yet to keep in mind. The first is that I was required to treat you with very high and potent levels of Tretonin because of the extent of your malady. The second is that Tretonin is of the nature that anyone taking it must be weaned off gradually, as we have learned with the Pangarans."
"Which means I have a longer period of recovery."
Malek nodded. "I've already contacted the SGC to inform them that you have awakened. I have also received permission to keep you here for the next three weeks at least for an intensive treatment regimen and for monitoring purposes. But I do not want you to worry. The worst is over and you don't seem to have developed a chemical dependency on the drug. The only remaining inconvenience to you is the time factor."
"So in three weeks I'll be cured?" Amelia asked hopefully. She was very anxious to get to the part when Malek would say 'You're cured!' although she had a feeling it wouldn't be quite like that, coming from him.
He shook his head again. "No, by that time I believe you will be ready to return to Earth and submit to further treatment, although it will be increasingly sparse as time goes on."
Amelia considered this information. "Well," she said slowly, "Now that I actually have time, I'm nothing but grateful," she said, smiling at him. "Thank you, Malek. I owe you my life."
"It was my pleasure. Shall we proceed with a meal?" he asked. They had arrived at a room that looked no different than any other to Amelia's eyes, but there were wall units that could have maybe passed for ovens back on Earth, and a handful of Tok'ra were either assembling foodstuffs for themselves or already eating.
She nodded politely. "Yes," she said as they stepped into the room. "Hey, how do you guys do that to the walls, anyway?" she asked.
Jonas, Sam and Teal'c stood with General Hammond in the gate room, watching the Stargate as it activated. Jonas studied Sam closely, who was tense with anticipation, her expression eager.
"Confirming IDC, sir," the technician informed General Hammond from the control room. "It's SG-1's signal."
General Hammond smiled. "Open the iris," he instructed.
When Colonel O'Neill stepped through the Stargate onto the ramp, he looked around and let out a happy sigh and a large grin. "Honey, I'm home!" he said, spreading his arms wide.
"Welcome home, Colonel. It's good to have you back."
"Thank you, sir. It was good to be missed." A second figure emerged from the Stargate beside him. "I believe you people know Councilor Kleyon."
"Councilor," said the General, nodding. "Jack, where is Colonel Maybourne?"
"Ah, well," said Jack, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Interesting story, General. I think it's best if we all sit down and discuss it over some coffee. And some doughnuts. Or maybe a steak or some banana pudding..."
"We'll debrief immediately, Colonel. I'm sure Councilor Kleyon has other matters to attend to, so we'll be as brief as possible. Councilor?" Hammond said, holding out a hand to lead the way.
"Thank you, General," she replied, following him down the ramp.
Colonel O'Neill paused before descending and looked at his team, lined up before him. "So," he said, "just how many times are you guys going to have to track me down in this dad-gummit universe, anyway?"
Sam grinned. "Welcome home, sir."
"Thanks, Carter. As I was saying. Steak?"
"I don't think the mess usually makes steak, sir," Sam informed him as they began heading away from the Stargate.
"I don't suppose they could whip up a good shepherd's pie either, huh? The Irish in me is screaming to be let out."
"It's grilled cheese and tomato soup today, Colonel."
"Thank you, Jonas. I should have asked you first."
A few hours later, Jonas sat alone in his lab at his computer, enjoying the feeling of calm and relief that had been absent around the SGC of late. Among other things, Councilor Kleyon had reported that Amelia's treatments with the Tok'ra were going well, and that she would be returning home within the week. He was very much anticipating her arrival. As for Colonel O'Neill, he had eagerly headed home after the debriefing and his medical examination. General Hammond had given him a week off to recover, which meant the rest of the team was off duty, as well.
"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be relaxing," came the sound of a voice from his doorway.
He turned around. "Oh, hey, Sam. I am relaxing." He grinned.
Sam stepped close up behind him and studied the information on his screen. She was dressed in civilian clothing, her jacket draped over her arm - clearly ready to depart for the evening. "What's this?" she asked.
"Amelia started teaching me how to read music just before her collapse," he said, nodding at the faded primer books that were still open on the lab table at his elbow, "I was learning a little bit more about it on the internet here."
"Knowing you, she won't have anything left to teach when she gets back," Sam said with a knowing smile.
"Yeah, well. She gave me a really good start."
Sam was quiet a moment. "Look, Jonas, I'm sorry if I've been a bit...distracted these past few weeks." She paused. "Okay, a lot distracted. I know how worried you were about Amelia- I'm sorry I wasn't very supportive."
Jonas shook his head. "It's no problem, Major," he said, shrugging. "It's only natural you would be so concerned about Colonel O'Neill. I mean, I was too, but you guys have been through so much as teammates, and you barely even know Amelia."
"But I do know you pretty well, Jonas. I should have been more considerate."
"Well, if you think about it," he said thoughtfully, spinning slowly in his chair, "in some ways the situation with Colonel O'Neill was worse - at least with Amelia we knew what was going on, no matter how much our hands were tied in helping her."
"Well, it's easy to understand why you were so worried," Sam said. There was a tease in her voice.
Jonas looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"
Sam looked surprised, and then uncomfortable. "I'm sorry - I was thinking—"
Jonas shook his head again, confused. "What?"
Sam flushed and concentrated on the tabletop. "Maybe I was jumping to conclusions, but we all sort of thought you and Amelia— " she trailed off and made a meaningful expression, not meeting his eyes.
Jonas's widened. "Oh!" he said. "Right. Um..." Now it was his turn to be uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked back at Sam with an embarrassed expression. "To tell you the truth," he said. "I'm not sure. It's possible," he added thinking of the last evening Amelia had been awake.
She smiled a little. "Do you want there to be?"
"Ah..." Jonas shifted slightly in his chair. With Doctor Fraiser and Teal'c he'd managed to evade this line of questioning, but Sam had managed to back him into a corner. His eyes fell on Amelia's music books again, and he picked one up with a smile, thinking of its owner and her friendly laugh. "I don't think I'd mind," he confessed with a bashful smile to Sam.
She grinned. "Then when she gets back, you should let her know."
"Yeah," said Jonas, exhaling loudly. The idea made him a little nervous. He looked at Sam oddly. "I'm surprised you seem so okay with the idea."
"How come?"
"Kinsey," was Jonas's simple reply.
"Your problem, not mine," she said, punching his shoulder and winking meaningfully.
"So, what did you mean by 'we'?" Jonas asked her curiously.
Sam frowned for a moment, jogging her memory. "Oh," she said. "By 'we' I meant the rest of the team, you know-me, Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c. We were all starting to get suspicions."
Jonas made a face. "Colonel O'Neill?" he repeated.
"Yeah, I guess you kind of threw him off with that rec room incident."
Jonas groaned. "You know, I almost forgot about that, after all that's happened."
Sam looked to be having particular fun in teasing him. "I believe the term he used was 'cozy'," she added, her eyes alight with mischief.
"Do you have somewhere to be?" Jonas asked, raising his eyebrows at her.
She laughed. "Yeah, I'm gonna check out for the night. I'll probably swing around in a couple days. Have a good break, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks," he replied.
After Sam had gone, Jonas shuffled the clutter on his desk around until he found the two devices from PX3-651 that he and Amelia had been discussing the day before her collapse. He hadn't really looked at them in the past month - he'd been entirely occupied trying to find Colonel O'Neill. He idly played the notes on the musical device, and smiled fondly at the memory of Amelia's wonderment. Then he fitted her 'sheet music' headphones to his head and began experimenting.
Barrett chose to wait for Rachel's report in one of his favorite coffee shops. They'd determined various means of transferal- this time she was going to email it, and he'd pick it up at a remote computer. The file itself was inconspicuous, so he didn't waste much time worrying about any security risks. Besides, he knew a thing or two about covering his tracks.
He sat at one of the stools with access to a computer and skimmed the internet, sipping his coffee and catching up on the news he hadn't gotten to read this morning before leaving for work. Among other things, there was a preliminary report released by a university research group studying the long-term effect of smog in California. Barrett couldn't help but think of his meeting with Major Carter a few weeks ago, when he'd also been reflecting on environmental issues.
Much had come of the events surrounding the attempted assassination of Kinsey, not the least of which was that Rachel had finally managed to get much sought-after wiretap on the phone in Kinsey's study when she'd been invited to his home for the celebratory party. She'd also had a close encounter with both the Senator and his daughter Amelia in the process, but had- hopefully- managed to save face by pretending to be misdirected.
Ironically, the subject of Amelia Kinsey was one that had been flitting around in Barrett's head for a couple of weeks now. The girl was offworld at present- which a certain irate Senator called the SGC to inquire and complain about at least twice a day. It was natural, at first glance, ti assume that Kinsey was showing a fatherly concern, but Rachel's hard work had already yielded valuable results from the second wiretap- multiple contacts with the mysterious man who'd first approached Kinsey regarding the rogue NID's interest in Tretonin. They were putting the pressure on him to obtain the drug. Barrett could perhaps guess at Kinsey's panic. If the girl was being treated offworld- a turn of events that hadn't been anticipated- then the chances of siphoning a sample of the drug were virtually nil.
Barrett idly checked the time on the monitor where he was working, then casually moseyed to the correct email account and retrieved the file Rachel had sent him, right on schedule. He made a pretense of going through the other things she'd spammed him with, all the while pondering the situation in his head. It was possible Amelia Kinsey would remain offworld for the duration of her treatment, but he didn't think it likely. If not, he was going to have to take some precautions for her both protection and the security of the Tretonin. Unfortunately, in order to do so, he was going to have to level with the SGC about what he knew. Although, after his recent experiences with Major Carter, this didn't seem as unappealing as it would have a couple of months back.
The only question was when. And how.
Enna was like paradise. Everyday she was there, Amelia took a long walk on the surface, away from the Stargate, exploring vast stretches of luscious valley meadows and green hillsides liberally peppered with vividly-colored wildflowers. The wind was crisp and cool and the sunshine plentiful, although the days were noticeably shorter than at home.
Sometimes she went alone with a Tok'ra communicator tucked into her pocket, but sometimes Malek came with her if he wasn't too busy. Amelia was amazed at how much of the wildlife was the same as that found on Earth. Thistles, buttercups, and clover, for example, were to be found in abundance, but there were alien things too. Her favorite was a tall flower not unlike a snapdragon, except more delicate, which came in a seemingly endless array of colors.
"Do you have an interest in botany back on Earth, Amelia?" Aledar asked her as she leaned over to pick yet another daisy-like flower with scarlet petals.
She laughed. "Not seriously," she said. "I like pretty flowers as much as the next girl, but I don't have a garden or anything. My mother was always more into that."
"I see."
"What about you?" she asked, standing up and tucking wayward strands of hair back under her ears. "What's your hobby?"
Aledar looked thoughtful. "You know, I'm not sure, "he said. "Malek certainly loves his research enough to make it his hobby. It's easy for me to get caught up in his excitement."
"But there's nothing in particular that interests just you?"
"I love flying, when I get the chance to do it," he confessed. "But the Tok'ra operate by clandestine means. Our only ships are Goa'uld in design, and they're usually used for infiltration or as part of ongoing undercover activity. We don't get a chance at the gliders very often."
"Again with the official Tok'ra business!" Amelia exclaimed, laughing a little. She turned around on the path and began walking slightly backwards to eye him exasperatedly. "Don't you guys ever do anything for plain and old fun?"
Aledar was quiet for a moment before replying. "Occasionally," he said. "But not as much as we used to. Before, when things were quieter, we'd sometimes have time for a storytelling by one of our historians, or even music." He looked at her meaningfully. Her violin playing had been drawing a small crowd every night. She had already gotten the impression that leisure was an anomaly to these people.
"So what happened?" she asked. He seemed sad.
"Many things," Aledar replied. "The story of the Tok'ra is a long and bitter one, Amelia, and our future does not look promising. We are ultimately in danger of becoming extinct, and there are growing rifts among our numbers, as well."
Amelia slowed and looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
He paused, and his eyes lost their focus- an expression she'd come to realize he made whenever Malek and Aledar were carrying on an intense internal conversation. It was slightly unnerving. "Perhaps I'm not the best one to explain," he said at last.
He nodded his head before opening his eyes and Amelia knew she now spoke with the symbiote. "When I was on Pangar-" Malek began, "-when the Tretonin was first discovered-" he paused and looked at her. "How extensively do you know the details of that mission?"
"I only read an abridged version," Amelia said.
He nodded slowly. "The Tau'ri made a shocking discovery on Pangar," he said. "Our queen, Egeria- the first of the Tok'ra- had been trapped on that planet for thousands of years, imprisoned there by Ra when he defeated her long ago."
"Wow," said Amelia, her eyes widening. "I remember you and Doctor Fraiser talking about her, but I didn't realize..." she trailed off.
"We thought she was dead all these years," he went on. "The Pangarans discovered her in their ruins." His face was set in a deep, morose frown, and he seemed to be having some pain in telling her these things. "Not knowing any better, they used her for medical experimentation until they came up with the original version of Tretonin."
"Oh no," said Amelia softly.
"I was so angry when I found out, Amelia. So angry. The Pangarans' attitude only made me more so, because they refused to release her. I might have freed her myself but another beat me to it- my research partner, Kelmaa. She sacrificed herself so that Egeria might have a willing host."
"What happened then?" Amelia asked, awed. Forgotten were the wildflowers and the sunshine. She was riveted by Malek's tale.
"I-" he began, and cocked his head, his brow furrowed in confusion and sadness. "I spoke with her," he said, sounding close to reverential. "I never in my wildest dreams imagined the possibility. I expected she would have been angry, as I was. I expected her to be furious with the Pangarans, and desire revenge, but-"
"But what?"
"She wasn't," he said simply. He shook his head. "She even found a way to help them where I could not. She said it was the spirit of Tok'ra."
"Where is she now?"
He shook his head sadly. "She did not have the strength to live much longer, and that last blending alone nearly killed her. It's fortunate she was able to speak for only a few minutes."
"Oh, Malek, I'm so sorry."
"She said she was proud of what the Tok'ra had become, but her knowledge of us was given to her by Kelmaa's host, and Kelmaa was always more optimistic about our future than I. The last of our young have all matured. They do not remember the old days. They are proud and arrogant and nothing like Egeria. There are even some who are subtly disdainful of their own hosts. We have had trouble with spies and traitors that was never an issue in the past." He sighed. "I do not know what we are going to do. The hopelessness of our survival does not give the young ones any incentive to be selfless. We are trying desperately to salvage what we can of our way of life, and our desperation makes us more and more compromising with our ideals. The worst of it is- I was beginning to fall into this trap."
"I don't hear Aledar complaining," Amelia pointed out.
He smiled weakly. "I am fortunate. Aledar is less hot-blooded than I am. You have probably spoken more to him in the last few days than anyone has in decades. But I can assure you, he has done more than his share of private scolding."
Amelia laughed, but the pain that still lingered around him caused her expression to revert to solemnity once more. She reached out ant took his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I wish I knew how to help you," she said softly.
He slowed and stopped, turning his head to look at her meaningfully. "You already have," he said, an odd expression on his face. "More than you know." Unexpectedly, he reached up with his free hand and lightly touched the side of her face, immediately causing Amelia's feminine radar to go haywire. "I have very much enjoyed your company while you were here, Amelia," he said softly. "I will miss you when you leave."
And then he kissed her. Amelia supposed she could have said she was surprised, but she would have been lying to herself. She also would have been lying if she said she objected. The Tok'ra was both extremely attractive and intelligent, and they'd developed a special sort of kinship over the past few weeks. Not only that, but Amelia was still riding on a euphoric high since she'd regained her health and the promise of life. Every experience was now more precious and more treasured and enjoyed- and she hadn't been kissed in a really long time.
Also, she'd never been kissed like this. No doubt it could be partly attributed to the strong emotions Malek had just been spilling, but whatever the reason, she'd never experienced so much passion in a single gesture. It was inviting and intoxicating, almost demanding participation. Amelia dropped the wildflowers in her left hand and closed her eyes as Malek's arms circled around her, drawing her near. This close, he smelled musky and strange, but not in a bad way. His lips coaxed against hers steadily, and she reached up, unthinking, and began threading her fingers into the thick hair just above his ears.
Then, without warning, a picture swam before her eyes- warm, light green eyes alight with childlike wonder. Jonas.
With a sharp, shocking jolt, Amelia gasped and pulled quickly away from Malek's mouth. He frowned, looking confused and mildly hurt. "What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry," she managed, breathing hard. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts from their sudden sensual haze. When his look of disappointment intensified, she reached out and touched his arm. "It's not you," she said hurriedly. "It's me. I shouldn't have-"
"I don't understand."
Mortified, Amelia looked uncomfortably away, rubbing her right arm unconsciously with her left. Then she mustered her courage and looked at him squarely. "I'm flattered," she said sincerely, "but I don't want to give you a wrong impression. There was someone else I was thinking of, and...it wasn't right," she finished weakly.
He was quiet a moment, before saying, "So it is not because I am Tok'ra?"
A flare of anger rose in Amelia's chest. "No," she said defensively, narrowing her eyes. Then she closed them and took a deep breath, calming her reflexive behavior. "No," she repeated again, more slowly. "Believe me, that was the furthest thing from my mind."
His jaw relaxed slightly. "I apologize," he said humbly. "I should not have insinuated it."
"No, I'm the one who's sorry," Amelia said sympathetically. "If I've given you some kind of wrong impression-"
"You have not."
"Oh." That was relieving to know. "Anyway," she went on. "You're a very good friend, Malek. I hope I haven't jeopardized that."
"No," he replied. They began walking back towards the base in silence. Despite Malek's reassurance, Amelia still felt awkward. He seemed to be slipping back into his previous formality. She sighed heavily.
"It's okay, Amelia." At the sound of Aledar's voice, Amelia looked up. He smiled at her comfortingly. "Malek is sorely disappointed," he continued, " but not bitter."
For the first time, she allowed herself to be a little bit reassured. She gave a slight smile in return. "I'm relieved," she said. Then her brow furrowed. "But what about you?" she asked, suddenly curious. "Did you-? I mean-?"
He smiled even wider. "I like you very much, Amelia. Sharing Malek's feelings for you would not have been a difficult step, but they are not so far gone yet."
"Don't you ever find this confusing?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
He nodded slowly, looking amused. "It took some getting used to," he confessed. "But it is a truly unique way to experience the universe. I wouldn't go back to the way I was before."
Amelia coughed. "Speaking of experience...how old are you exactly?"
Aledar grinned. "Seventy-three of your years," he said.
Amelia's eyes bugged and she stopped in her tracks to stare at him incredulously. Seventy-three?" she repeated. She had kissed someone old enough to be her grandfather?
"The healing effects of a symbiote significantly extend the natural human lifespan," he explained.
Amelia was still trying to register this shocking fact. "So you've been around awhile," she nodded. "That explains plenty," she added, raising her eyebrows at him meaningfully.
"Yes, well, what can I say? I can tell you, it wasn't too bad sharing that particular experie-"
His words were cut off as Amelia slapped him lightly on the arm. "Shame on you," she chided, trying not to laugh as she flushed as red as the flowers she'd been picking earlier.
He chuckled a moment longer before sobering once more. "Don't worry too much about Malek. He's been going through a lot lately, and he was right- you've really helped him deal with some of it. As a friend," he added hastily.
She nodded thoughtfully. "Then as a friend, it has been my honor."
They finished the rest of the walk in pensive silence, and Amelia's thoughts wandered at last to Jonas. Tomorrow, hopefully, she would be seeing him again, and the thought made her both excited and nervous. She couldn't help but feel altogether eager and at the same time anxious about everything that would happen with her first steps back on Earth. Things would be different. Now, with any luck, she had a million moments to live for, and she had no idea how this change of circumstance would affect her relationship with the alien defector she so fervently admired.
A/N: I haven't done replies to all of your comments in a while— I apologize for that. I'll try go get caught up, but in the meantime I'm trying to finish posting this story by the end of the month so I can nominate it for the fan awards. Yeah, I suppose that's egotistical, but I guess it's better than fake humility, which I despise. ;) Nevertheless, I have to tell you all (old readers and new) how very much I love every single review and all the lovely things you guys have to say about the story!
Be prepared for a lot of updates in the next week.
Saché
