"You are not having a good time, are you?"

Carson looked over at the speaker, a female Light One who was seated beside him (too close, really to be all that comfortable) and gave her a shaky smile.

"No. I'm having a fine time. Really."

"The food is not appetizing?"

"It's great."

That much was true; the food was a mixture of the Light Ones' cooking and additional supplies from the Farmers in the valleys below, and it was as good as anything he'd ever had at home. Although the company was so much different. No one at home had ever come to dinner naked.

"But you do not seem to be having a good time…"

"I am," Carson assured her, looking for a little assistance, only to find that Sheppard and the others were occupied with company of their own. All of them looked more relaxed than Carson felt, but he noted that none of them – including McKay – were making advances – or accepting them. Out of all of them Ford was having the best time, laughing and joking easily with Kale and several others as he wolfed down a meal that would have fed a small country.

The female smiled, as if aware she was making him nervous, and rested her hand lightly on his thigh. It wasn't their intention to make their guests uncomfortable, after all, and she cast a thought to Kale, asking him how best she could relax him a little. The answer, from across the room but completely silent, was immediate, and she smiled again.

"Tell me about Colonel Mitchell, Doctor Beckett. Is it true she is your mate?"

Carson looked at her, surprised, and nodded.

"Yes. I mean, no. Well, she is, but we don't really call it that…."

"What do you call it?"

Now he blushed, and it was for a completely different reason, but at least it wasn't because he was uncomfortable about staving off a possible advance.

"There are many things we can call it…" he said, reminding himself that she wasn't asking to make him nervous; she was probably trying to learn more about human relationships. He was a good way to learn, after all, since they were apparently all aware that he was in a relationship with Melony.

"Like what?"

"We're seeing each other…" Carson said.

"Seeing each other naked?"

He flushed again. It might have just been easier to take the advance, at this rate.

OOOOOOOO

"This place doesn't look so bad," Ronon said as they gathered themselves at the base of the Stargate.

Melony nodded her agreement, but was only cautiously optimistic. Talon had seen several seemingly peaceful places blow up in their faces – and so had she – so they'd take a bit more time to look before deciding just how not bad it really was.

She turned to the two Jaffa that had accompanied them.

"Guard our exit," she told them.

They nodded, both hefting their staff weapons and glancing around. If Mitchell and her team got into trouble and had to run for it, it was these two who were responsible for making sure they had a safe place to run to, and the Jaffa took these kind of assignments very seriously. These two more than any, which was why they had been chosen to accompany them.

"How far do we go?" Ronon asked, looking around.

"Until we find people, or some sign of habitation – or until our feet get sore," Melony said, smiling.

"Without McKay here, we might make it more than a few miles…"

Teyla smiled as well, and pointed to a stand of trees not far from their position.

"That way?"

Since the rest of the area was all clear plains and rocky soil that didn't grow anything taller than a scruffy brush, the other two nodded. If there were people on the plain or the rocky area, they would have been able to see a sign of them at least – even from a distance. The trees were probably their best hope at seeing what kind of folks were living there, and making contact if they could.

"That way is fine," Ronon said.

Mitchell nodded her agreement, and the three of them walked towards the trees. Teyla and Melony were carrying P90s, with Melony also carrying a zat and her Beretta as backup weapons, and Ronon was carrying his sword strapped to his back and that very effective sidearm of his. She had yet to see him use the sword, but she knew the gun was potent.

I'd bet he's good with that sword – or he wouldn't be wearing it

Yeah, me too.

If she hadn't, she'd have asked to see him in action with it.

OOOOOOOO

The trees were fairly tall, but there was hardly any undergrowth, so although it was dimly lit on the forest floor, they had no trouble walking under the trees without tripping over weeds and vines. Even better, there was no real place for any kind of ambush, and the three were able to go side by side as they walked.

"This place seems to be deserted…" Teyla said after ten minutes or so.

"Do you sense anything?" Melony asked.

She hesitated, obviously considering, but shook her head.

"Only you."

Damn.

"At least we know there are no Wraith…" Ronon said. He sounded like he wished there were, though, and Melony could understand. Walking in the woods was relaxing, she supposed, but a little action would make it more interesting.

Careful what you wish for, Talon said, easily following her thoughts like he usually did. You just might get-

A scream from ahead of them interrupted him, and all three of them pointed their weapons forward, instantly alert.

"What was that?" Ronon asked, looking through the trees as another scream echoed all around them it seemed.

"Sounded familiar, didn't it?" Mitchell asked, her P90 up and ready.

"Like the Tree Cats from-"

Yet another scream sounded, much closer, and this time from behind them, and Mitchell whirled.

"Holy shit…"

Behind them, apparently appearing out of nowhere was the biggest cat she'd ever seen, standing in a crouch and clearly in position to spring at her, it was easily the size of a pony and was striped like a tiger – although it looked more like a lion with a ruff of longer hairs on its neck and chest.

"Colonel!"

She turned her head – very reluctantly – and saw that there were several more of the cats now surrounding them. They were all crouched as well, but none were attacking, and Melony hesitated with her finger on the trigger of the P90.

"Do we shoot them?" Ronon asked, not taking his eyes off the creature that was closest to him.

Before Mitchell could speak, the cat he'd been looking at suddenly shifted, and where it was a moment later there was a person. A very tall person with pale hair and eyes – and not a stitch of clothing.

"That would be a mistake," the cat-turned-person said, as the other cats all gave low, warning growls and bared fangs that were the size of daggers, clearly warning them not to try anything stupid. "You are," the alien continued, "quite outnumbered."

"Holy shit," Ronon said, easily taking Mitchell's curse and turning it into his own. "They're Light Ones."