Major Carter sat beside Lieutenant Connelly's bedside and nodded her head slowly. Aliens, trying to help by abducting his team…and Connelly was sent back. "Okay, this makes a kind of sense that only makes sense here," she said, looking over at General O'Neill who had long ago lost a grip on their conversation.
"So, Bedard, Tiller and Martin aren't in any danger?" he asked, just to make sure that was the bottom line.
"Yes, Sir, they will be returned just like I was."
"I'm not a very patient man. Especially when aliens decide that it's in the best interest of my people to kidnap them."
"Sir, they aren't hostile. Not in the least, if anything, this is how they get to know new people. In an environment where they can communicate freely, where there's a common ground."
O'Neill waved his hand and the Lieutenant stopped talking. "They've got two hours to send our people back, them I'm sending in SG 3 and so help me, I'll be right beside them blowing the crap out of everything until we find our people." Without warning, he stood and stormed out the room.
Carter glanced at the Lieutenant and followed the General out into the hall. "Sir?" she called out, running up to his side. General O'Neill turned on his heels and nearly knocked Carter over but he caught her by the elbow as he started talking faster than Daniel.
"How many times have we been fooled by these damn aliens that come back looking like one of us?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.
"Sir?"
"We don't know that's Lieutenant Connelly. And until I've got the rest of SG 4 telling me otherwise, he's confined to the infirmary."
"You were calling his bluff? Saying we were going to blow everything up …"
He shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't really think it through…you think it worked?"
"If it's not Lieutenant Connelly, I'm sure you gave him something to think about."
"Good, that was the idea. Now go figure out why we can't get radio signals through…I want someone on the radio in two hours, even if it's static."
Night had fallen and Colonel Bedard welcomed the soft mattress that now cradled his body. One deep breath and his body drifted away into a peaceful dream state. The days events passed over him as he slept; dinner was nothing like what he was used to from nearly thirty years in the military. Women dressed in the old days fashions, dresses whose only purpose were to present the best parts of the women to the man at her side. It set him back a moment that he was in the company of such women--for the only women he had ever known were strong and independent women who wore the same uniform he had come to think of as a second skin. But these women were intoxicating and eased the feel of the room just by entering it. He had never known anyone to be like this, and Seraphine was the most baffling of them all. She seemed to know him. How he liked to be spoken to and introduced. She knew that his skin burned every time her hand rested in the crook of his elbow. That his hair on the back of his neck stood up every time she rested her hand on his shoulder.
All these things, he should be questioning them. He should be questioning a lot of things. Yet here he was, fast asleep in an all too comfortable bed a million miles from home…
The night moon filtered through the breaks in the thick fabric that hung along the doorway and as Seraphine pulled a section back to gaze upon Colonel Bedard, she paused a moment to watch him. She hated to wake him, he looked so peaceful, and she dared not think of how long it had been since he slept like this.
The night moon called to her and she knew it was time…
Bedard's dream broke and his eyes opened slowly. He soon focused on Seraphine as she sat beside him. Her smile was soft and her hand played along his hairline.
"It's time Franklyn. I have kept you far too long. Come, we must go."
Her hand slipped into his and soon he was walking out into the muddy street and out through the gates. "Seraphine, what's going on?"
"Come. This way,"she said, not stopping until they had crossed the bridge. "This is my boundary, but you, you must continue. Over the hills and into the next valley."
Bedard took her by the shoulders and tried to get her to stand still. "Wait a minute, what are you talking about? I can't go anywhere until I get Connelly."
Seraphine smiled and ran her fingers through the short hair on the back of his neck. "I wish I could keep you, but you must go. Your Lieutenant Connelly has already returned, I'm afraid we have caused distress among your superiors and we cannot keep you any longer."
"Connelly's not here? He was asleep in the rack across the room!"
Seraphine's soft hand covered his mouth and she pulled him closer. "Listen to me now, and you will know that I speak the truth. Nothing is as it seems, all this was created for you. And once you leave, you will not be able to return. Lieutenant Connelly was returned shortly after you and your team arrived. You must go now. Your Sergeant and the Doctor will soon arrive at the gate."
"Tiller and Doc? How do you—"
Silencing him with a soft kiss, Seraphine said her last goodbye. "I'm sorry I could not keep you longer. I will miss you.
Closing his eyes as their lips met, her words echoed in the wind as his eyes opened as he saw nothing but the night around him. The bridge and the town had vanished. He turned for the hills, glancing over his shoulder to make sure it was really gone, then began the hike over the hills. As he neared the top of the last hill, he saw a soft glow coming from the valley below…the Stargate was waiting for him.
Unable to sleep, Tiller watched as the firelight died into ashes. Martin had long since fallen asleep. He watched her through the soft flames and remembered how he had met her. She was anything but professional, not that she was now, but he remembered wanting to ditch her. To leave her anywhere he could drop her. And then the cave in, he had saved her and she had saved him. Was this how it was going to be? Going back and forth, saving one another from themselves.
"Can't sleep?" Doc asked, breaking Tiller from his train of thought.
"What?" he asked, not realizing that she was awake.
"Can't sleep?"
He sat up at once and poked at the fire with a stick. "Just keeping an eye out. You uh, should go back to sleep."
"I think I'm awake now," she said, sitting up. Pulling her knees into her chest she looked over the fire at him and smiled. "You look rough."
"Yeah, having to run around the forest on an alien planet will do that do ya. How's the leg?" he asked, suddenly noticing that she wasn't favoring her injury anymore.
"Better I think."
"Good, still dizzy?"
"No, I think I'm all right," she said standing.
"No, sit back down. I don't want you walking around and getting lost again."
Turning on him, Martin backed away from the fire. "Don't talk to me like I'm a child Travis."
Shaking his head, Tiller jumped to his feet. "Excuse me?"
"I'm sick of this, you treat me like I'm your little sister. I'm a part of the team just like you are!"
"I know that," he said, trying not to sound too patronizing. "What is this about?"
"Travis, don't act like you don't know. I've got half a mind to leave you here!"
"Why do you keep calling me Travis?"
"Oh, what? You want me to call you Sergeant all the time?"
Shaking his head, Tiller tried to get a grip on the situation. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"The same thing, always the same. I bet you made Gibson call you by your rank too!"
"Gibson?" he asked, filtering through his memory until he matched the face with the name. "How the hell do you know about him?"
"So cut off, no wonder you're always alone!"
"Now, just wait a damn minute. Stop yelling for a minute and talk to me!"
"It's useless, you're useless," she said, turning back into the woods as she took off running.
Tiller was shocked and it took him a moment to follow her into the trees. "DOC! DOC!" he screamed as he dodged branches and mud puddles. Stopping at the base of a larger tree, he tried to listen for her footsteps, but heard nothing. "What the hell?" he asked. Suddenly, a soft light broke through the tree line up ahead. Pushing off from the tree, Tiller headed for the tree line.
No sooner than he began to walk for the light, it began to grow brighter. Until he stood at the edge of the trees and looked down into the valley below where a small cottage sat all by itself. He stopped for a moment and stared at the welcoming site, then looked back to the trees—only to see a vast field behind him.
"Of course," he said, turning back to the cottage. "Okay…I can take a hint." He started walking fast and soon he was on the doorstep, but before he could knock on the front door, an old woman opened the door and smiled at him.
"Hello Travis, I've been waiting for you…and so has she," she said, stepping aside so he could see Doc asleep on the sofa inside.
"What did you do to her?" he asked, pushing past the woman as he leaned over Doc.
"She's been safe, I kept her for you. Knew you'd show up when you were ready."
He didn't respond to the old woman that stood at the doorway.
Pulling her up by her shoulders, Tiller pushed the hair out of Doc's face as she slowly woke. "Tiller?" she asked, sleepily.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, steadying her as she stood.
"Yeah, how'd you get here?"
"I was chasing you, then I found this place."
"You were chasing me?"
"Long story."
The old woman stepped from the doorway and stood behind the sofa. "It's time. You should head for the Stargate," she said.
Tiller glanced at the old woman and looked back at Doc. "Who is she?"
Doc smiled at the old woman, "That's Grandma Yoda."
"Well, can Grandma show us the way home?"
"Just through the door young man."
Doc shook her head, "I already tried that. There's nothing out there but—" Tiller pulled the door open and let Doc see the valley outside. "Oh, well of course it's there now."
"Well, why don't we get going? Stuff around here likes to disappear."
"Sounds good to me," she said, pulling up her gear from the floor. Tiller crossed the room to help her fasten her vest and pack then guided her over to the door.
Doc turned to say goodbye to the old woman, but she was not there. The room was empty.
"Come on Doc, we've got to find the Colonel."
Still looking into the empty room, Doc backed out the front door then turned to follow Tiller. They had walked several feet from the porch when Doc turned and saw that the whole cottage had now disappeared. Then Tiller grabbed her arm.
"Doc, check that out." He said, pointing to the Stargate ahead of them. The wormhole was already activated and the shimmering pool glowed in the night like a beacon guiding them home. "Ya know, I'm not even going to ask how it got there or where the cottage went. Let's just get home."
Doc's mouth dropped open when she saw the Stargate, but Tiller didn't want to ask questions and without a word he pulled Doc by the arm until they were standing at the base of the Stargate.
"Sergeant Tiller? Doctor Martin?" Colonel Bedard's voice called out. He was walking toward them from the far side of the gate.
"Colonel?" Tiller asked, seeing that Lieutenant Connelly wasn't with him. "Sir, where's Lieutenant—"
"No questions Sergeant. Get through the gate and I'll explain everything when we get home!" He was running now, and Tiller wasted no time in pulling Doc through the event horizon with him.
Sergeant Walter Harriman drummed his fingers on the small space between the iris activation panel and the keyboard covered in Stargate symbols. The panel to his left lit up and the gate spun to life in an instant. Walter nearly jumped out of his seat as he grabbed for the microphone and announced, "UNSCHEDUALED OFF WORLD ACTIVATION". General O'Neill ran into the command room with Carter on his heels.
"Walter?" he asked.
"Sir, it's Colonel Bedard's IDC code."
"Open the iris!" he yelled as he ran down to the gate room. Carter followed.
Walter watched the gate and two familiar faces stepped through the gate together, followed by a third. Sergeant Tiller and Doctor Martin, followed by Colonel Bedard.
"Frank?" O'Neill yelled as he stopped at the end of the ramp.
Colonel Bedard began to speak but Doc passed out in front of him and before he could catch her, Sergeant Tiller hit the deck beside him. As much as he tried, Bedard couldn't hold Doctor Martin and he too fell unconscious on the ramp.
Carter turned back to yell at Walter, "Get a medical team in here!"
O'Neill ran up the ramp and pulled at Colonel Bedard until he was lying on his back. "Frank? Come on buddy."
"Sir, I'm pretty sure we can expect the same as Lieutenant Connelly." Carter said, kneeling by Doctor Martin as she laid her on her back.
"Right," O'Neill said, standing back as the medical team rushed in.
Chapter TenBefore she even opened her eyes, Martin's forehead scrunched in the middle. "Hey sleepy head." The voice was familiar, and as her eyes blinked open she saw Sergeant Tiller lying in the bed next to her. "What's up Doc?" he asked.
Laying her head back into her pillow, Martin sighed. "Funny, very funny."
Three hours later, Colonel Bedard and his team were released from the infirmary. Bedard noticed that Doctor Smith seemed irritated that aside from Lieutenant Connelly, not one of the members of SG4 could remember any of their time off world…
"I don't get it," Martin said, cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. "General O'Neill said we were gone for days... but I swear the last thing I remember is walking through the gate."
Tiller set his cup down on the commissary table and tried to think before he spoke. "I don't know what to tell you Doc. It was like we stepped through and wound up in the infirmary."
Martin drank the last sip in her cup and looked around for the coffee tray. "I need a refill, you?"
"Nah, I'm tapped," he said.
Martin passed through the empty commissary and brought the coffee pot back to the table. "And of course, amnesia and all, we're set for another mission next week."
Tiller nodded, he was actually looking forward to getting back to work. "It'll be good for ya, can't let one little mission mishap set you back—"
"One little mission mishap?" she asked, remembering her last two trips off world. "Have you suddenly forgotten my rap sheet? Shooting the Lieutenant…causing a cave in…oh yeah, getting me back out there is just what I need."
Tiller glared at her, the tone of her voice was annoying him. His Marines didn't give up, he never let them, but she wasn't a Marine. "Don't do that," he said, angrily.
His tone caught Martin's attention and she sat a little straighter in her seat, "Do what?"
"I don't mean to be hard on you, I know this isn't what you signed up for. But, you can't…you can't just give up when it gets hard. That's what makes this job worth fighting for. If you need to lean on someone to get through the initial shock, that's what your team mates are for…but don't just walk away and give up because you think it's going badly."
Realizing how she must have sounded, Martin's eyes softened. "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. I don't want to give up, I want to be here, I want to hear Colonel Bedard sigh every time I say something. I can't tell if it's because he doesn't understand or if, to him, I just sound stupid…and Lieutenant Connelly, he ignores me right into the ground, but he only does it because I probably remind him of his sister. And you…I think you might be my best friend these days…" she smiled for the first time since leaving the infirmary and almost started laughing, she tried to keep it in.
"Something funny?" Tiller asked, as he smiled. He couldn't help but be amused at how quickly she could change her whole attitude, just a moment before he thought she might cry.
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking…we've only been doing this for a little over a month and look at what we've dealt with…I can only imagine what Daniel and his team have come across. They could probably write a book."
"Not that anyone could read it."
Martin nodded, "True. Top-secret silliness. Is that punishable by death?"
Tiller tried not to laugh, "It depends…on what you spill, I guess."
"Right."
Silence fell across the table. Neither one of them knew what to say beyond simple conversation. The missing days had Tiller off balance and he could only imagine what Doc was feeling.
"Let's call it a night. We've got a few days before we start this insanity all over again…try to get some sleep." Standing from the table, he left the room. Leaving Martin holding her coffee cup as she stared after him down the hall.
Her mouth gaped open and she looked back to the orderly cleaning tables behind her, "What just happened?"
Out in the hall, Tiller tightened his fists at his sides as he walked to his room. He tried not to think about the war being raged in his mind. He couldn't put his finger on it but every time he had looked at Martin since they woke up in the infirmary, he had s feeling. A terrible feeling that had twisted his insides. He couldn't explain it, couldn't understand it. And at the moment it was all he could do to ignore it…and with their next mission only days away, he didn't have time to play around with his own inner demons.