Wow, finally, the next installment of The Exfiles. It took me a heck of a long time, but the challenges and some great and enthusiastic reviews and PMs brought me back on track. I wanted to let you know that I get inspired by reading and watching tv, so if you see that I rip off your story (I don't do that on purpose! Sorry. If you want me to change it, PM me.) The line I gave Sam at the end of the last chapter probably was inspired by a line Woolsey had in the season 5 episode where he meets with the wraith. Before he leaves, he tells Sheppard not to blow her (the city) up. ... Oh, ElaineDex I gave Nancy and Grant the last name Harrison, but I guess that is a common name in the states, right? If you want me to change that... see above.
And now on with the show. (Oh, and if you find spelling errors or other mistakes... feel free to point them out to me. Thanks)
Sipping her morning coffee, Nancy went over her To-Do List for the upcoming week. This was it, the weekend she had prepared for. Only five days to go, and she could finally call herself Nancy Harrison. But preparing for a wedding and a secret Trip to another galaxy can be stressful; thankfully, there is that perfect job invention of a wedding planner. Without Mary, Nancy wouldn't have been able to get one or the other ready. General O'Neill had set up strict safety training with self-defense and shooting lessons in the mountain all the while, Nancy had to read up on old mission reports and the history of the Ancients to be prepared for her open-ended stay in Atlantis. And now, to top it off, she was scheduled to meet the other members of the IOA for a preparation session.
What else do I have to prepare for? Life-sucking Space Vampires aren't enough?
Well, this meeting is a great opportunity to learn about the committee she was now a part of, and so she went her merry way when it was time to leave.
When she arrived at the IOA building, she received a text from Grant that his brother would arrive tomorrow and asked if she was free to come and pick him up at Bolling. A glance at her calendar told her that she could meet him but then had to leave for Colorado Springs for her mandatory health check with Dr. Lam and a night in crew quarters.
"Just so she could get used to it for her trip on the Daedalus." As General O'Neill had put it.
So she replied yes and made a mental note to explain it to him tonight if she got out of here fast.
A young man escorted her into an impressive-looking conference room. She took the seat behind her name tag and looked around and read the other names while she waited for the other members of the IOA to arrive.
A short while later, a man nearly bald man with glasses entered.
"A Mrs. Harrison, it is good to finally meet you. My name is Richard Woolsey, and I am going to explain your assignment."
"Shouldn't we be waiting for the other members?"
"We don't need to wait. I got selected to give you all you need. So can I begin now?"
"Yes, go ahead, but can I ask first why I am even chosen to go? I mean, I know practically nothing about the Stargate program and its workings. I only heard about all this a short while ago from General O'Neill."
Woolsey looked at her directly and answered, "This is exactly why you are perfect. You haven't yet been corrupted by the politics, and you have no history with the program which will make your reports impartial and no one can criticize."
Nancy thought for a second to remind him that she wasn't totally impartial due to her past relationship with John but decided against mentioning it partly out of fear they would cancel her trip. After all, she had already learned and heard, she really wanted to visit the lost city of Atlantis and, of course, see a spaceship capable of going there.
"Okay, now what is it exactly do you need me to do during my time there?" she said instead.
"Well, we will need detailed reports on a couple of things; first and foremost, you are to evaluate the command staff and the alien personnel in the city. Secondly, we need to know how secure the systems are. With the gate bridge operational and our ships constantly commuting between the two galaxies, we also will need to know how the personnel aboard the ships feel and work."
After that, he pulled out several files.
"Here you have a few points for every person we need an evaluation. It is the general opinion of the IOA that it may be time for civilian leadership in Atlantis again, and we may also need a different military approach to the Expedition. Also, according to Colonel Carter's debriefing after her arrival on earth, the Athosian woman Teyla is pregnant. Sadly Carter failed to talk about the father, and so you will have to find out who that is!"
"Why is the father of the child so important? It is her life, and if it isn't one of our soldiers, we have no right to interfere!"
"I know that, but we need to know who the father is so we can decide if she is a security risk. We have the same problem with the Satedan named Ronon Dex. He already wanted to leave once when he met up with other Satedans, who then turned out to be Wraith worshipers. So you understand our concerns?"
"I see, but may I suggest that you stop talking now? I am supposed to be impartial when I arrive there. I have these files, and I will read them to prepare my questions." Woolsey's face dropped for a second when she told him to stop talking, but the diplomat in him returned fast.
"I guess you are right, and in that case, we are finished here." With that, he stood up and went to shake hands with Nancy. "I'll see you here when you return with your recommendation. Have a safe trip."
"Thank you, Mr. Woolsey, and good bye."
Outside of the conference room, she saw General O'Neill, and from the smile on his face, he had been waiting for her.
"General, what a surprise to see you."
"Director, how was your meeting with Woolsey? "
"Interesting, to say the least. I got my marching orders, so to speak. But you didn't come here to ask about my meeting, right?"
"Yes, we had to move up the timetable a little. I am afraid you will only get two weeks of honeymoon, and then you have to be aboard the Daedalus."
"Okay, well, that is not that big of a problem. I just have to explain it to my husband. Is there any chance I could tell him the truth?" Jack slowly shook his head.
"Sadly for you, no. Due to his work and his recent political involvement, he is deemed a security risk. Well, I gotta go now, have fun in Atlantis, and don't let McKay annoy you too much."
A short while later, Nancy arrived back home, and Grant had dinner ready. Over pasta and red wine, the twosome discussed the upcoming weeks. Grant wasn't too happy that she was leaving earlier than planned and that she would be away tomorrow, but on the upside, it gave him the opportunity to spend some quality time with his brother and best man.
"You guys can order pizza, drink beer, and maybe watch a game." Nancy proposed, and he had to admit that was a great idea.
The next morning Nancy put a sleepover bag in the car, and Grant drove them to Bolling.
Nancy silently thanked God that she was flying this time. The beaming wasn't her favorite thing, although she had to say it could be pretty handy if you needed to get somewhere fast.
The couple waited with several other families for the plane with their loved ones to arrive. She spotted Grant's brother first. The younger man came out of the plane laughing with a beautiful redhead.
"Did he mention if he was bringing a plus one?" she whispered to her soon-to-be husband, who looked confused and replied, "No."
The laughing duo came closer, and the female turned and said
"There are my folks. See you soon, sir, and enjoy your leave."
So she is military too.
"Thanks, Cadman, you too." He replied and then came over to them. After the greeting hugs, he noted her bag. "Where are you off to? Running away from me?" "No, I am getting flown out to Peterson because I am going to be visiting a non-stateside base soon, and they picked today to do my physical and medical evaluation, and I will have to stay the night in Colorado. So sorry, but you are not the reason. It is good to see you, though, Ev!" Nancy finished and pulled him in for another hug.
A young Lieutenant chose this moment to approach them. "Director, the plane is ready to leave. I will escort you." The young man turned away to give them privacy, and after Nancy had kissed Grant goodbye, she was led straight to the plane Evan had just left.
She can't be going to Stargate command, can she? were his thoughts.