When Jack woke up next, it was to a heart monitor beeping next to him and the quiet sounds of the base infirmary. The clock on the wall told him it was much later in the evening.
"Ugh." Jack mumbled as he attempted to sit up in bed, "Did anyone get the plates of that semi?"
Firm hands pushed him back down, "Doctor Fraiser, O'Neill is awake." Jack knew it was Teal'c sitting with him.
"Welcome back to the land of the living Colonel," said Janet as she pulled out a pen light to check Jack's reactions to the light, "are you okay? No odd sensations or oddly placed body parts?"
/That's a new one… what?/ The moments leading up to his fall into unconsciousness came flooding back into his mind, "The Kid!" He attempted to get up again, but was forced back down by Teal'c.
"Doc," he said frustrated, "what the hell? I feel fine- it was just sleeping gas. Where's Max?"
"Just sleeping gas?" Janet parroted back exasperated, "Colonel O'Neill- you were shot in the chest- through your lung! You should be dead right now!"
"Oh," said Jack as the memories from after dinner started to come back. Carter, Daniel, and Hammond came into the infirmary to gather around his bed with Janet and Teal'c, "So I was. But I feel fine! Really!"
"Colonel," said Carter grimly, "take a look at your chest… where you were shot."
Jack did look down to see a glowing handprint where his gunshot exit wound should've been. "That's a new one."
He looked back up at his team and Hammond, "So the kid saved my life. What's the big deal?"
"The mole was slammed into the wall outside Max's room and knocked unconscious," said Daniel, "he's been moved to the cells for questioning."
Jack knew Daniel was keeping something from him, "...and?" he said, starting to get impatient.
"Colonel," said Carter, "Max didn't touch him to do it, he was kneeling next to you on the floor and threw his arm out at the man- it was enough to send him flying almost ten feet away."
"Teal'c let me sit up. I feel fine," said Jack- processing what Carter said, "I vaguely remember something happening after I was shot. The kid seemed pretty scared that I would pass out, kept trying to keep me awake."
Janet allowed Teal'c to help Jack sit up and they all shared a look that went over Jack's head.
"Sir," said Carter, "there's one more thing." She seemed to hesitate before continuing, "There are pictures from the NID files that show dead civilians, NID agents, and FBI agents- all with a hand print exactly like yours on their bodies. Each one's internal organs were literally fried at a ridiculously high temperature. The photo's date back to the 1940's through this year."
"The alleged Roswell crash with the little green men," Jack added, connecting the dots.
"Colonel," said Hammond, "Max is missing and presumed dangerous. We've cleared the base while you were knocked out and he's definitely not here. However, with these recent developments I'm afraid I'm going to have to put SG-1 on mandatory leave until further notice."
"General!" Jack tried to protest, but Hammond cut him off, "No Jack. I am, pardon the pun, dead serious right now. I want the four of you- yes even you Teal'c off the base in the next half hour. You need to take some time to regroup from this situation, and you are too close to the subject to be leading any manhunts to catch him."
"Manhunts!" Jack exclaimed loudly.
Hammond continued on like Jack hadn't even spoken, "Take Teal'c to your cabin. Watch some movies. Relax. Do whatever it is you all do when you're not here. But I do not want to see you within five miles of this base until further notice. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"George, you can't be serious!" Said Jack in denial about what he was hearing.
"Very serious Colonel. Let the other SG teams handle the situation from here." Hammond was making eye contact with O'Neill, but only his team could see the other conversation the pair were having with their eyes.
"Sir. Yes Sir. I will get changed and we will head out as soon as Janet clears me." Jack's voice was hard. No one on his team said anything- all aware that Jack would fill them in later when they were off base.
88888888
When Max regained consciousness it was to feel his hands in zip ties behind his back, total darkness, and an odd swaying and bumping motion. He realized he was in a small space, probably a box or crate, and the swaying was the vehicle he was in. Max attempted to calm down his panic. The events from earlier came flooding back- the mole Daniel's team was worried about had surprised him and Jack in his room, then shot the Colonel. Max had reacted strongly and threw him across the room into the wall outside his room, then tried to heal Jack. He was pretty sure he was successful, based on his level of dizziness and fatigue when he was done, but there was a cloud of sleeping gas and he couldn't be sure what happened next.
Carefully and quietly, Max tried to snap the zip ties holding his arms behind his back. He realized pretty quickly that the group who grabbed him hadn't drugged him, because his power worked on the material with no problems. He moved his hands around the box, trying to get a flash, or idea of how many agents had him. There were three voices coming from outside the box, and Max realized there would be at least two more up in the front driving the vehicle, maybe even another sitting in the back.
/'Our power is all about focusing our energy Max,' said Tess, who was explaining to Max what she had learned from Nasado as they drove to meet Michael and Isabel at the cave, 'We can do anything to manipulate energy as long as we focus and concentrate hard enough.'/ The memory came back to Max suddenly as he tried to figure out how to get away from the NID agents.
A bump in the road, probably a pothole, gave Max an idea. He put his hand flat on the bottom of the box and reached out with his power to the closest tire. It took a lot of concentration, but he was able to force more air into the tire, causing it to pop from the pressure. There were startled sounds and curses from the agents, but he felt the truck pulling over on the side of the road as best it could. Max then concentrated on making everyone in the vehicle sleep. He could feel three thumps from the truck bed where he was, and a horn blaring from the front of the truck. Max focused on disconnecting the horn next so the agents wouldn't wake up. He waited a few minutes to catch his breath and figure out if everyone was actually asleep.
Max then reached a finger up to the lid and traced a hole around the outer edge while heating it up, so he could leave the crate. He had to stop a few times to catch his breath, this was the most he had ever done at one time with his power. The lid came loose, and dropped onto his waiting hands. He pushed it out and over so it fell to the floor of the truck. Max then slowly sat up, in case he had missed someone with the sleep command. All the agents were passed out, dead to the world. He realized he was in the back of a small military transport truck and there were indeed only three agents slumped around him.
With a huge effort, Max pulled himself up and out of the box, before he turned the lid into five pairs of handcuffs. He cuffed each of the three agents and used his power to fuze the clothes they were wearing to the bottom of the truck bed. If they did wake up and manage to get out of the cuffs, they would be doing so naked, which he hoped would slow them down even more. He went to the back doors and carefully unlocked them as well, before he moved around to the front of the truck and repeated the process of cuffing and fuzing the clothes of the two agents in the driver's bed. The teen was panting, sweating, and shaking with the effort, but he wanted to make sure they couldn't pursue him in the truck either. He then went to the other tires and deflated them completely.
There was a little light left, but Max was good at navigating by the stars he knew would be out soon. However, he really didn't want to stay on the main road even though there were no cars around. He started walking into the forest next to the truck. He wasn't exactly sure where he was, but if he could find a secure tree or something he could bunker down in for the night, he could keep going in the morning. The temperature was dropping but not too low, as it was almost summer. Max didn't have a jacket, but he was confident he could change something in the forest if he really needed one.
/Not safe anywhere./ was all he thought as he got further into the forest, walking quickly but carefully with what little light he had shining down through the trees. After a few hours of walking, Max couldn't go any further and he stumbled down to sit in the roots of a large tree. He curled up in a small ball and tried to relax so he could get some sleep. He did end up dozing for the rest of the night, but it was a light sleep and he was jumping at every noise he heard.
With dawn on the horizon, Max rubbed his eyes and started walking again. It was a slow process as he hadn't eaten since before this whole mess started yesterday at dinner. Between using his power so much since dinner last night and trying to get away from the NID agents, he was starving, but pushed the thought of food aside and kept going. He was so focused on keeping his feet moving that he didn't notice his silent tail shadowing him from a short distance away.
888 Earlier That Evening at the SGC 888
Teal'c was the last one to meet the team in the Mountain's parking lot later that night. He was carrying two bags and made sure to have a hat to cover his tattoo. If anyone from the base noticed him leaving Max's room when he was gathering his clothes, no one said anything. Granted, they also probably didn't want to deal with his glare if they asked too many questions. He loaded the two bags into the back of Carter's Chevy and moved to sit next to Daniel in the back seat.
"Are we ready campers?" Asked Jack as he moved to the driver's seat and turned on the car. He had debated taking more than one vehicle, but he generally didn't trust Daniel to not do something that would get him hurt or killed if they ran into the NID agents.
Hammond hadn't specifically told them they couldn't search for Max- it was a very fine line O'Neill was walking, but he didn't care. He and George were on the same page about his orders to the team, a fact Jack was more than happy to exploit right now.
Their first stop would be Peterson airfield on the other end of the forest from the Mountain. However, they were about halfway down the highway that split Colorado Springs forest in half, when they spotted the open military truck with all flat tires and an open back door.
Jack stopped the car about thirty feet back then grabbed his gun he's stashed in the glove compartment from his truck. Carter did the same, pulling hers from her bag at her feet, and Teal'c readied a Zat in the back seat. "Daniel," said Jack with a serious tone, "if you don't take a Zat, you're staying in the car."
Daniel sighed and pulled his own Zat out of his bag, making sure it wasn't engaged. They opened their doors, leaving them that way so as to make less noise and slowly approached the vehicle. Jack motioned Carter to look in the front bed- drivers side and Daniel to do the passenger side, while Teal'c and he surveyed the back.
The team was not prepared for the unusual scene of NID agents handcuffed and stuck to the floor or bed of the truck respectively.
"This tire has been popped from the inside out," said O'Neill as he inspected the truck, when he realized the agents were all completely unresponsive. He still kept his voice low though as a precaution.
"These other ones are all super flat sir," added Carter, surveying the other tires, "like all the air's been completely removed from them."
"Did Max do all this?" Asked Daniel, looking around the back of the truck, "This is amazing."
"This defies at least one law of physics," said Carter quietly but with lots of enthusiasm as she realized the agent's clothes had been melded into the bed of the truck.
"Kid's got talent, I must say," said O'Neill as he finished his own assessment of the truck.
"Jack, he didn't hurt these agents," said Daniel, realizing what Jack was saying. "He could've killed these guys for how they treated him and where they were taking him but he didn't. He made it so we could find them and bring them to justice."
"There are boot marks here O'Neill," said Teal'c who was kneeling near the forest floor and interrupted the rest of what Daniel was going to say. The rest of SG-1 went over to look with him.
"We don't have enough light to really see where he's going though," said Jack, thinking through their next moves. "Let me get the General on a secure line- give an anonymous tip about the truck and these agents."
"Jack-" Daniel tried to say but this time the Colonel cut him off.
"Daniel," said Jack turning to his teammate, "I am NOT saying we are going to turn Max into the SGC. Neither was Hammond. He took us off base to *find* the Kid and take him somewhere safe. For God's sake Daniel- the Kid *saved my life,* I know that and I know he didn't *have* to do it, especially because he's been terrified of me since the moment he regained consciousness yesterday. But he needs help and he can't just wander the woods alone like this."
"...Oh…" said Daniel, not realizing Jack's reasoning or concern. He then felt like an idiot because he knew Jack better than that.
"I believe I can find him, O'Neill," said Teal'c, still surveying the ground.
Jack nodded as he did his own assessment of the tracks, "Yeah, I figured Teal'c. Listen, take a comm from my bag and follow his tracks. Grab a flashlight too, if you need one. Keep us updated, but do NOT engage yet, wait until we are all with you. We don't know what the Kid's mindset is currently and that's dangerous for us and him."
"Understood," Teal'c stood and moved back to the car to grab the necessary items.
"What's our move, Sir?" Asked Carter.
"We need to get some supplies, find a payphone to call Hammond, and get the cabin ready for guests. There should be a few 24 hour diners or convenience stores in the city we can go to." Jack turned back and walked towards the car, "Daniel, you are not going with Teal'c. Get back in the car."
Daniel sighed, still mad at himself for doubting Jack's intentions towards Max. He didn't argue, just moved to the back seat and put his Zat back in the bag there. Carter moved to the front seat again, but gave Daniel a slightly sympathetic look in her visor mirror.
"Let me know when you are back to the cabin O'Neill, and I will update you on my progress with finding Max Evans." Teal'c didn't wait for a response, he was already moving silently through the trees.
88888888888
The sun was completely overhead, signaling it was near noon when Max stumbled upon a cabin in the woods, complete with a small lake. The cabin looked completely deserted, not a car in sight, and the shutters all closed over the windows. It looked vaguely familiar, but Max was so exhausted and hungry from his trek that he didn't realize *why* he felt a connection to this place.
Max did a complete rotation around the outside of the house, making sure there were no cars hidden where he couldn't see. He then went up to the main door and felt the edge with his powers. He could sense an alarm system, so he unlocked the door, stepped in the cabin, then put his hand over the pad to disengage the system. It beeped to signal the code had been entered correctly. Max closed the door, relocked it (both the normal way and with his power), then used his power to turn the alarm back on on the "at home" setting so he could move around.
The teen did a quick sweep of the main floor. When he saw it was clear, he moved into the kitchen to look for water and hopefully something to eat. He found water bottles in a cabinet and some nutrition bars in the pantry. He grabbed a bunch of both, gulped down the water and inhaled two bars before he realized what he'd done. He took his time with another water and bar, then made a pile of his garbage on the counter. He wanted to try to contact someone from Roswell before cleaning up his presence here and moving on.
Max moved back into the living room, where he spotted a phone on a table with some fake potted plants. It was nestled back behind the couch on the inside wall of the room. He moved into the room quietly, picked up the phone, then realized there wasn't a dial tone coming from it. He pressed a few number buttons and the small nobs where the phone lay in the receiver, but nothing worked.
Instead of panicking, Max took a deep breath and decided who he should call. Roswell was a few hours behind where he was, so it'd be mid morning? It was a weekday, so all his friends should be in school and his parent's- who didn't know about his situation, would be at work. If he tried one of his friend's cell phones they might get it taken away. Taking another deep breath Max held the phone up to his ear and used his power to connect to the Roswell police department- the Sheriff's office specifically.
"Roswell Sheriff's office, Sheriff Jim Valenti speaking," came through the phone a few rings later. Max wasn't actually prepared to speak to anyone though- he suddenly had no idea what to say and couldn't make himself form words. He just ended up breathing into the phone.
"...Hello?... Hello?" Came from the other end, followed by a pause and, "wait...Max? Max Evans? Is this you? Can you hear me?"
Relief flooded through Max suddenly and he let out a quiet, "Sheriff?"
"Oh my god- Max! It IS you! Where are you? I can come get you. But Max, listen- there's something I need to tell you about your friends Michael and Tess, and your sister Isabel. Max, they left. Like left- left, do you understand what I'm saying? I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it was all of you- I thought it was just you. I had no idea. But after we attempted to rescue you from Area 51, and it failed, Michael and Tess convinced Nasado to take the three of them home. But I have no idea where that is. Look, just tell me where you are and I'll come get you. Your parents are worried sick, as are your other friends."
Max just cradled the phone to his ear, focusing on keeping the line connected and leaned forward so his head hit the wall where he was standing. He couldn't process what Valenti was saying and didn't know how to respond. Isabel and Michael… they *left.* They left *him.* He couldn't make the words make sense.
"Oh good, you found the cabin!" said a familiar voice behind Max. He spun around, still keeping the phone connected and close to his ear, but stepped back more into the wall behind him. SG-1 was standing behind him, but farther back near the couch. Jack was holding a small fab for the alarm system in his hand, that he wiggled some before pocketing.
"Max, who's with you. Are you safe? What's happening," came from Valenti in Max's ear.
"Colonel O'Neill," said Max to the others and Valenti, who the SG team didn't realize he was also talking to, "I'm glad you're okay. I was worried I didn't heal everything from your gunshot wound."
"Yeah, thanks for that by the way. I owe you one now," said Jack back lightly.
"You saved me from Area 51, I figured it was the least I could do." Said Max with a small shrug, still watching the four of them warily. The phone was down a little from his ear, but he made sure to focus on keeping the connection going.
"You know Max," said Daniel gently, "we saw what you did to the NID agents who grabbed you from the SGC. It must've taken a lot of restraint to keep from hurting them, even with everything the NID agents have done to you."
"I don't hurt people on purpose Dr. Jackson," said Max, repeating what he had said to General Hammond the day before, but adding the caveat at the end. He had hurt the NID agent, but he wasn't doing that intentionally. He just wanted him to stop pointing a gun at them.
"What Daniel means," said Carter, "was if you had hurt them it would've been justified. But we are glad you didn't."
"How did you find me?" Asked Max quietly, trying to change the subject.
"I was able to follow your tracks through the forest," said Teal'c. "I caught up to you after you stopped last night, but kept my distance in case you were distraught and couldn't recognize me. I informed Colonel O'Neill of your progress and made sure no one intercepted you as you made it through the woods to his cabin. Had you required assistance, I would've made my presence known."
"Teal'c has lots of great skills, tracking happens to be one of them. Very much like you actually, it must be an alien thing." said Jack. The Colonel paused before changing the subject. He kept his voice light trying to not spook Max anymore than he already was, "Max, Colorado Springs had a huge snowstorm about two months ago that completely knocked out all the phone lines to the cabins out here in the forest. Because of how busy things were at the Mountain, I never did get around to getting the phone company out here to fix the line. So my question is, who are you talking to on a dead phone line?"
Max tightened his hold on the handset, "No..No one Colonel. I hadn't gotten that far yet."
"I'll be on the next flight there Max, hold tight," said Valenti softly into the phone at the same time that Jack said, "Perhaps you could put it down then and we can chat in a more comfortable part of the house, like this couch and chairs?"
"Ye..Yeah," said Max, responding to both men before he forced himself to disconnect his power and put the phone back on the receiver. He crossed his arms across his chest self consciously again after the handset clicked into its spot on the receiver.
Jack sighed, realizing they had taken a few steps back with Max because of the issues with the mole, or moles really. "Look Kid," said Jack, as he moved forward towards Max slowly. He kept his hands open at his sides so Max could see he was unarmed, "What you did yesterday was a lot more than just returning the favor for us saving you from Area 51. Catching all those NID agents would've made us even. But you also healed me and you didn't have to- you could've let me die, especially because I know you were still terrified of me yesterday. Believe me when I say the whole SGC is going to be welcoming you back with open arms and probably a cake."
"Oh, there will definitely be a cake," interrupted Daniel with a snort of laughter.
Jack continued like he hadn't heard Daniel, sincerity shining in his eyes. "So now it's our turn to help you. General Hammond gave our team forced leave from the base. It was an unspoken request to find you and make sure you were safe. When we found the truck we were glad you weren't in it and had made it into the forest. We'd like you to stay with us here while the General finishes up the investigation into the NID's moles. When he gives us the all clear, we will let you decide what to do next- okay?"
"Okay," said Max quietly. He felt more settled with the knowledge Valenti knew where he was.
"Good." said Jack with a nod, "now, you look like you're about to pass out from exhaustion. Let's get you upstairs and in a bed so you can get some real sleep, yeah?"
"I will accompany you O'Neill, I must perform my kel'no'reem," said Teal'c getting ready to follow the pair upstairs.
Jack slowly put an arm on Max's shoulder to show he wasn't scared of touching the teen, in case he created another accidental connection. Max barely flinched and didn't shrug the Colonel's hand away either, just let Jack lead him upstairs to the bedrooms.
What Jack didn't realize was that because Max had healed him, there was already a connection between them. He got a flash of Max in the box when he woke up from the sleeping gas, then another of him talking to a law man in a diner in Roswell- something about trust going both ways as the man put a stone down on the counter in front of the teen. The Colonel didn't say anything or pull away from their connection, just kept chatting about the house's layout, the sleeping arrangements, and the fishing.
"Come on," said Carter, as she turned to Daniel. She shook her head when Jack started talking about fishing, "let's go bring the car back up to the house and empty out our bags."
"We should probably go to a real grocery store first and pick up actual food though," said Daniel, thinking back to their meager findings at the 24 hour convenience store somewhere in the city proper that they'd thrown in the cabinets for Max to find.
Carter let out a laugh, "Oh yeah. Definitely." She left a quick note on the counter so O'Neill knew where they were going then unlocked the front door. Or attempted to unlock the door.
She and Daniel shared a look, before they simultaneously shrugged then went to the french doors they'd come in through in the kitchen.
"Oh, and Blockbuster to get Starwars Episodes 4-6. Jack did say that was gonna be our next movie night binge." Added Daniel as they made their way back around the house to Carter's car.
Upstairs, Max was deep asleep on a bed within a minute of his head hitting the pillow. O'Neill and Teal'c shared a look of understanding before O'Neill subtly checked the blankets to make sure the teen was totally covered. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow as he got into his kel'no'reem position.
"Not a word," said Jack in fake threat to his friend quietly as he silently left the room.
8888888
While he slept, Max's brain took time to process all of the things from the last 24 hour period. The flashes from O'Neill when Max healed his gunshot wound, the escape from the NID, the trek through the forest, and his conversation with Valenti.
For each segment of information, he found himself watching the information like an outside party, which was new for him. He wondered if he was doing it consciously or subconsciously with his powers.
There were a few flashes from O'Neill- ~/when O'Neill was a kid and learned how to ride a bike for the first time, his first mission in the military after he graduated from, the Air Force Academy, the birth and sudden death of his son Charlie, the first mission with Daniel to the planet Abydos, Skarra being brought into the prison- now a Goa'uld, and the mission to Area 51 where he found Max strapped to the table./~
Each memory had a different emotion attached to it, some happy, some sad, some furious, and even disappointment at himself. The teen also felt O'Neill's conviction to do the right thing in every scenario, it was a deeply ingrained trait for the Colonel. Max realized, as he went through the flashes a second time, that O'Neill really did seem to care about him, but his training made him more cautious of Max's abilities. On some level for O'Neill, helping Max was like helping his friend Skarra- the Colonel's attempt to fix his past mistakes. He understood the Colonel better now and wasn't afraid of him any more.
Max's dream then moved into his escape from the NID, and he realized how much he had actually done with his power. It explained why he was so tired today, never mind that he barely slept in the previous 24 hour period. Another memory of his own jumped to mind. /"Your muscles need to be used to grow," Max's high school Phys Ed teacher was telling the class as they all laid on the floor groaning about the fitness test they were in the middle of, "when you exercise your muscles, they become stronger. You then use them more and they grow more. It's a cycle. If you let them sit they will grow weak. But if you over tax them you will severely hurt yourself. It's all about balance."/
The teen realized he'd overused his powers in his escape. That's why when he got to the house he wasn't getting flashes from everything he touched even though he was still stressed, and why he was so tired now. His brain needed the rest to regroup. /I'm probably going to sleep pretty deeply tonight as well if I manage to wake up for dinner./
Max froze the dream when he was resting in the forest, trying to see if he could see Teal'c wherever the other was hidden. However, it was no use- Max didn't realize he was followed when he was awake, so he couldn't see something new in his dream. /Teal'c must be really good at the tracking thing then./ He thought, as he unpaused the dream. Relief filled him with the knowledge that SG-1 came after him and were still so willing to keep him safe. /Trust goes both ways. I think I can tell them more about my powers then./
The most daunting part of his dream was the conversation with Valenti and what the Sheriff had told him about Isabel and Michael. They left. They left Earth. With Tess and Nasado. Max didn't trust Nasado and by extension Tess, but he knew that wasn't the young girl's fault, it was how she was raised. /If I had waited for her to leave the Pod I would've been with him as well. I wouldn't be me./
But even now he couldn't process the fact that Isabel and Michael were gone. Where Max couldn't find them. Somewhere in the stars. They had *left* *him* with *Pierce.*
/No,/ thought Max suddenly in an attempt to reign in his turbulent emotions, /they'd tried to get me out, but it was too late. I was already headed to Colorado Springs with O'Neill's team. I was probably too far away for Isabel to reach. They probably thought I was dead./
Nope, he was in denial. He couldn't believe what the Sheriff was telling him. It was too much. /They went to another country/ Max reasoned with himself desperately, /Valenti is mistaken. He misheard what they were talking about. They are probably in South America, or somewhere safer than the US. They wouldn't leave me here. They wouldn't./
Smells of food on the grill and laughter from the kitchen brough Max out of his downward spiral of thoughts. His body was hungry again so he forced himself awake so he could interact with the others. He opened his eyes to a dark-ish room. The shades were drawn with barely any light coming in through the sides. The door was also closed, but Teal'c was sitting near it in the same position from the infirmary room at the SGC.
Max sat up and rubbed his eyes to help wake himself up. "Did you sleep well Max Evans?" Came from Teal'c who's eyes were still closed.
"Yeah," said Max without fear of the people he was with, "yeah I did. Thanks Teal'c." He meant more than just Teal'c staying in the room with him.
"It is no trouble," said the other as he stood up from the floor. "I must meditate to keep my body in balance," he said, answering Max's unspoken question as the teen stood up from the bed. "If we are not on assignment, I do so daily. Come, let me show you where to find the bathroom."
The pair left the room in a comfortable silence. "I will be downstairs when you are ready to join us," said Teal'c as he left Max at the guest bathroom upstairs.
A few minutes later, Max walked into the kitchen to the smells of brewed coffee and the sounds of Carter and Daniel arguing over the consistency of the homemade cookies sitting on the counter.
"Hi Max," siad Carter, purposely interrupting Daniel mid argument, "help yourself to anything in the kitchen okay? Do you like cookies? We have some freshly made. Also, let Jack know what temperature you like your steak."
Max watched the pair with a small smile, "can I please get some coffee?" He knew she'd just said to help himself, but people could be weird about coffee.
"Of course Max," said Daniel, "cups are right in here." He pulled open the cabinet about the coffee machine to let Max pick a cup. "And there's creamer in the fridge. Sugar is already out on the counter."
The teen poured a larger cup then moved to add sugar. He didn't think about where he was and added his normal extremely large heap to the cup. When he realized the others were staring at him again, he raised his eyes to meet theirs.
"I uhh… I like really sweet things." He said by way of explanation, suddenly a little self-conscious.
"I thought Daniiel was the only one who drank coffee that way." Said Carter, with laughter in her eyes. Sure enough Daniel took the bait to defend his coffee drinking habits.
Max's smile grew some as he watched the pair interact and sipped his coffee. He reached for a cookie and took a small bite. It had a pretty burnt taste to it, so he used his power to change it's consistency into the kind his mom typically made. The cookie transformed and he took another bite.
"How are you able to do that?!" Asked Carter, who had made the cookies and was watching to see if Max liked them. She knew she wasn't the best baker, but she did try. Daniel at least seemed too like them and while Jack teased her about them, he always ate a few. Teal'c also ate them without comment, so she figured that was a good sign.
Max swallowed his bite and glanced between the pair, "I umm… I can change things on a molecular level."
Carter's scientific brain was working overtime as she reviewed every interaction and show of Max's powers since she'd met him.
"Woah," said Daniel, "that's cool. And explains why we can't open the front door. You can do this with anything?"
"Everything I've tried to manipulate so far," Max answered, picking up another cookie to transform and bite into, "but I don't use them too much so I don't know what the limits are, or if there are any."
"You can do this on a large scale though," said Carter, thinking back to the NID agents stuck to the truck, "Can we see that? Could you maybe change all these cookies like how you did to the ones you're eating?"
Max shrugged then brought his other hand up to slowly wave over the plate of cookies. "I made them taste the way my mom makes them," said Max as they all seemed to transform into a less crispy texture.
"This is so cool!" Said Carter, who wanted to ask like fifty more questions, but held herself back. Max was just starting to open up to them, she didn't want to set him back again. She grabbed a cookie and took a bite, "anf they evef tasf differen" she said without pausing to chew.
Daniel also took a bite but finished chewing before he spoke, "Sorry Sam, Max's cookies are way better than yours."
Carter was too busy eating another to smack Daniel on the arm or respond. She grabbed the plate when the cookie was gone, "let's move these into the living room for the movie tonight before we eat them all and Jack gets snarky he didn't get any."
Daniel grabbed another one before she left the room, savoring it with his own cup of coffee. "Jack's outback at the grill," said Daniel between bites, "if you want to tell him how you like your steak. Everything should be ready soon, so you should probably let him know now so he doesn't overcook it."
Max refilled his coffee then added more sugar before walking out of the room. He paused at the front door to disengage what he'd done to the lock before he stepped outside to follow the smells of steaks on the grill.
"Oh good," said Jack when Max came around to the deck, "just in time if you like your steak medium."
"That's fine Colonel," said Max as he walked up to the grill. Teal'c was nowhere to be seen, so Max wasn't sure what the other alien was doing.
"You can call me Jack or O'Neill Kid. I don't mind," said Jack pulling four of the steaks off the grill, "Teal'c likes to do perimeter checks when we are on assignment. Technically we are on leave, but with everything happening he wants to be extra cautious. He'll be back in time for dinner."
Max nodded and debated with himself for a moment, "...Jack…" he tested out the other's name, "when I healed you it created an automatic connection between us. I don't do it on purpose, it just happens and I'm not sure why. But I umm… I saw some things from your life…"
He stopped, not sure how to phrase what he wanted to say.
Jack kept his eyes on the grill but said with a deceptively light voice, "anything I'd need to kill you over? A lot of my missions in the Air Force were highly classified, even before this assignment."
Max recognized the tone but didn't flinch back. He gave a small shrug, "I don't know? You learned how to ride a bike at a young age," He knew that's what Jack wanted to know so kept going, "your first mission with the Air Force… your first mission working on the Stargate program with Daniel to Abydos…" his voice started to get softer, "Charlie… Skarra…. and when you found me in Area 51. I umm… I felt all the emotions you were feeling for those memories as well."
He held his coffee cup with two hands to keep them from shaking. While he realized Jack wouldn't hurt him, what the saw *was* deeply personal for the older man. Max wasn't sure how he would react.
Jack pulled the last steak off the grill then turned it off to not waste the propane. He used the time to think through what Max was telling him before saying, "You've done that before? Healed someone and created that connection?"
Max nodded, "Last year… There was a fight at the Crashdown, the diner in our town. One of the waitresses was shot in the gut. She wouldn't've made it to the hospital before dying. I had a bit of a crush on her, so I healed her right there then covered the area up with ketchup to hopefully throw people off the trail. For obvious reasons that didn't really work."
Max took a sip of his coffee before continuing, "she umm, she figured out I had healed her, but didn't realize I was an alien. She confronted me about it and I ended up telling her about me. We started dating a few months back then broke up again when some things happened and came between us. She could also pull flashes for me. I think she was getting better at it- practicing without me realizing it."
Jack narrowed his eyes warily, "we aren't going to be doing the whole dating thing right? Because I am just going to turn you down now Kid. For multiple reasons- many of which include highly illegal and criminal offenses. I don't fancy being put on lists, or spending time in Guantanamo."
Max made a face of disgust and shuddered at the thought of what Jack was saying- the Colonel was as old, or older than his father, "eww… no. gross. ugh."
"Right," said Jack, "as long as we're clear on that. Good talk." He grabbed the plate of steaks, "let's get these to the table before the hordes eat all the sides and desserts without us."
The pair turned to see Teal'c leaning against the wall of the house watching them with an amused smile and raised eyebrow. Jack pointed a finger at his friend and said with mock harshness, "Not a word Teal'c. Not. one. word."
"Of course O'Neill," said Teal'c with laughter in his voice, "My lips shall remain locked."
Jack groaned, "sealed Teal'c. Your lips are sealed."
"Sealed about what?" Asked Daniel from the table. The sides, salad, and place settings were all out and waiting on the trio from outside.
"Nothing," said Max with another small amused smile, at the same time Jack said to Teal'c, "You did that on purpose!"
"I do not know what you mean O'Neill," said Teal' as he sat at the table next to Carter and winked subtly at Max from across the table.
"I saw that wink!" Exclaimed Jack, as he put down the plate of steaks then sat at the head of the table. "Oh my God, this is going to be a thing now. I can already feel it. Just great. Let me start the paperwork now for all of you to have latrine duty when we get back to the SGC."
Max covered his mouth with his hand, stifling a laugh while Carter and Daniel argued with Jack that they had no idea what he was talking about. It was the most relaxed Max had felt in a week and it even helped keep his mind away from his conversation with Valenti.
What Max didn't realize was he'd been calling out Isabel's name in his sleep- for her to not leave him here. To wait for him to come home. Teal'c had heard the anguish in his voice and used this opportunity to help take the young teen's mind off of whatever was bothering him. Jack had picked that up from Teal'c and was happy to help keep the ruse going. Plus it was always fun to get one over on Carter and Daniel- both of whom were too smart for their own good sometimes.
Later that night after Star Wars Episode 4, Jack was NOT licking the last of the cookie crumbs off his fingers as he said, "So, sleeping arrangements are as follows- Daniel you're with me, Teal'c and Max you get the guest room, and Carter, the office. Air mattresses for anyone who needs them can be arranged now."
"I can turn the air mattresses into actual beds for everyone, Colonel," said Max a little tiredly. Honestly he thought the move would help him sleep better.
"But how," said Carter in scientific wonder, "I know you said you change it on a molecular level- but that shouldn't be possible!"
"Down Carter," said Jack mildly, "you sure Kid? I don't want you to burst a blood vessel or something."
Max shrugged at Carter's question, he didn't know how to explain how he did what he did- just that he knew he could do it, "Yes Sir. It shouldn't be a problem and it will help me sleep."
Jack nodded, "well, let's do that then. Carter, maybe you should stay down here so you aren't up all night trying to dissect all my furniture to sate your curiosity." His tone was half teasing, half serious.
"Oh, no way am I missing this!" Carter was already up and across the room. Everyone else followed at a more leisurely pace.
They started with Carter's bed first. Max first filled the air mattress then moved his arm across it to change it into a single mattress and box spring. Carter was watching the process, but couldn't wrap her head around it. She kept up a steady stream of "impossible," "how did he," and "physics!- what?!"
The teen only waivered a little when he was done. Jack caught his arm, "woah- you okay Kid?"
Max nodded, "yeah. I'm okay. Let's go do the others." He moved back to the hall as SG-1 filed out behind him.
"Only Teal'c's air mattress Kid. Daniel's bunking with me and the bed is a king, we can share no problem." Jack said.
"Oh my God Jack! One time! One time did I sneak away from camp in the middle of the night. AND I apologized like fifty times!" Daniel said exasperated, as he threw his arms up in the air.
"Daniel Jackson," said Teal'c, "I remember needing to mount a rescue mission the very next day because you were taken by the locals, who were going to burn you at the stake for witchcraft"
"There was also that time you touched that mirror…" said Jack with a bland look at Daniel.
Max raised an eyebrow at the archeologist. Daniel muttered something in a language the teen was pretty sure wasn't spoken anymore while he pinched the bridge of his nose. He repeated the process on Teal'c's air mattress through the exchange, and nearly collapsed when he was done. Jack caught him, as he was expecting the fall then maneuvered him onto his bed.
"Okay," said Jack in mother hen mode as he checked over Max, "no more changing furniture into new furniture for you until we get back to the Mountain."
"Just did too much in the last few days is all," said Max with a yawn, feeling extremely drained, "I'll be fine with more sleep." He felt his body moved towards the pillow of his own bed and he was asleep again before the blankets settled over his shoulders.
Jack nodded his head towards the door. The team needed to talk about their next move, Max had given them a lot of new information they needed to digest.
"He really trusts us," said Daniel quietly, to start the conversation when they were all settled back in the living room.
"Yeah," said Jack who also kept his voice low, "I think I know why. When he healed me back at the Mountain he said he created an automatic connection between us. He got a bunch of glimpses from my life including things relating to the SGC. It goes two ways. When I touched his arm earlier today I saw a few flashes of his life as well. He also knew it would happen. Apparently he saved a young girl in Roswell about a year ago and the same thing happened."
"Did he say the girl's name? He keeps calling out for an 'Isabel' in his sleep," said Teal'c.
Jack shook his head, "no he didn't. But it shouldn't be too hard to figure out who's who tomorrow. We can either ask him directly or do some research on the downlow."
"Sir," said Carter, thinking everything over, "it might not be wise to do searches for Roswell outside of the Mountain. The NID probably have certain searches flagged if they are still looking for Max. At least at the Mountain I can use the encrypted network to gather information."
"I don't believe he'd lie to us," added Daniel, "since he already trusts us. I mean he did tell Carter and I about how his power works in the kitchen today."
"Which it shouldn't!" exclaimed Carter suddenly. She brought her voice back down, "his power shouldn't work that way. Well, I mean- at the most basic level what he said was correct. But he's bending the laws of physics in ways that are impossible! I mean the cookies, yes. He changed the structure of them making them softer and chewier. He took what was already there and just changed it around. But the air mattresses shouldn't *be* beds! The mass difference alone is completely wrong."
"Yes," said Daniel, when Carter stopped to take a breath, "but I don't think he lied to us when he told us what he could do. Think about it, he's been raised as a human right? He has parents and is probably a sophomore or junior in high school. So his understanding of science is that of a teenage boy with high school level science classes and some sci-fi movies for reference."
"I know!" said Carter, "that's what I mean- what he can do *shouldn't* be able to work the way it does… but it DOES and he did it."
"Carter," said Jack, interrupting her rant. He knew from experience it could go on for hours at this point, "You're going to burst something and I'll have to wake Max to heal you. Let's take a breath and refocus. Daniel brought up a good point."
"I brought up several points Jack, which one do you mean?" interrupted Daniel this time.
"He's been raised as a *human being* and has *human parents* and *human friends* that are probably looking for him as we speak. We also have to factor in the fact that he's a minor." Jack's points brought everyone back to the reality of the situation.
"The NID do not seem to care about these points, O'Neill," said Teal'c. "They've already taken him from his home once. Is it really safe for us to send him back to Roswell New Mexico when we will not be able to protect him there?"
"That's true," said Daniel, "The NID will probably just grab him again in a couple weeks or months and move him to a different, more secure location. We don't even know if his family and friends know about his alien status."
"And," added Carter, "his biological makeup means it would be harder for his family to put up a fight legally. The NID can claim his alien status makes him fair game. If they tried to go to the press they'd be a laughing stock."
"There is a teen waitress that knows what he is at the very least. And we could always rescue him again," said Jack, but even as he said it flashes of Max when he first woke up in the SGC went through his brain.
"Is it ethical for us to put him into that situation though? I mean, what if we're off-world when it happens and out of contact?" said Daniel- his mind going in the same direction as Jack's. Everyone shook their heads no. They wouldn't do that to the teen.
"I think we need to hold the conversation for now," said Teal'c. "It would be better for us to speak more about this with Max Evans when he is more awake- perhaps tomorrow. He might have other information we do not that will influence our next steps."
"Pause the conversation," Jack said absently thinking over what Teal'c said. "That does sound like a solid plan, especially since we do not have all the facts yet. Alright Campers- time for bed!" The Colonel rose from the chair and gestured for everyone to head up to bed. They had been talking pretty late and it would be a long day tomorrow.
"I will take the first watch, O'Neill," said Teal'c as he moved to check that the doors and windows were all locked.
"Right," said Jack as he moved to the stairs, dragging Daniel and Carter with him- he knew the pair would stay up trying to figure out the scientific and ethical problems that came with Max Evans, "wake me in a few hours and be careful to not wake the kid when you go to bed."
-End Chapter 4-