Chapter 9: I Guess We Are
Isabel and Ryan were on sat on a pier right on the outer edge of the city, looking over the deep blue water. They had been talking about lots of things but Ryan was a little hesitant of asking her about their relationship, Isabel knew that he wanted to but let him build up the courage. Hey had been sat hand in hand, enjoying each other's company. They had been thinking things over when Ryan finally turned to face her. "Isabel, I was just wondering, what would you say if I asked you out? I feel like I've gotten to know you really well over the past three weeks but I still don't how you'd react."
"Well, first I'd lean closer to you," She then leaned closer to him placing her forehead on his. "Wrap my arms around your neck…" Isabel placed her hands on the back of his neck and then whispered to him. "And kiss you." Isabel gently pressed her lips to his and let it linger. She broke off the kiss and stared into his eyes. "You can take that as a yes." Ryan placed his hands on her hips and pulled her into another kiss. This kiss was more passionate than the other but was just as gentle, it said more than word could describe. They broke apart to hear the faint sound of engines overhead, the Prometheus was docking and they were right underneath the landing pad. They made their way to the pad to aid the men and women. General O'Neill was the first man to walk off of the air craft and was grinning.
"At ease, we need to get the ZPM to Dr McKay as quickly as possible." He handed the ZPM to Isabel, she and Ryan led him to Rodney's lab, "Well..." He started along the way. "Do you know where Daniel is?"
"With all due respect sir, I know about the bet and you're going to be fifty dollars richer." She smiled to him. "Doctor Jackson is up in the jumper bay, he's been enjoying translating some of the writing." Isabel led the general to a small transporter and stepped inside. "We need to use this in order to Dr McKay's lab, Lieutenant Langer will follow us." Once the General was inside, Isabel pressed one of the dots on the map and the doors closed, a second later the door opened and the two stepped out. "His lab is only a small distance away." Once Ryan had once again joined them they made their way to the lab and stepped through the door.
"Carter, I've got a surprise for you." The general said once he was stood behind her chair.
Sam spun around and was in shock to see who was talking to her. "You're here already sir. I thought it was a three week trip!" She had finally started to look pregnant but the General only realised as an afterthought, proceeding to remember the night she had gotten pregnant.
"Sam, it has been three weeks, unlike the two of you I've been forced to get rest every night by the medical staff. Dr Beckett and I have gotten one step closer to finding out how the wraith ships are constructed." Isabel informed them. "That's not funny!" Isabel's eyes hardened on Rodney and she was almost snarling at him.
"Anyway, we've got the ZPM here for you guys but I'm a little worried about cutting her off." The general informed them. They all knew that he was talking about Isabel but let it go just in case she snapped at them.
"Right," Isabel agreed now that she had calmed down. "I need to get this down to the power core. I just need Dr McKay to give me the tablet." She held her hand out and placed a computer into it. "Thank you."
"All you need to do is insert this cable into the third slot from the left, input the command code and enter the ZPM into the gap." He told her. Isabel just rolled her eyes and left the room. "That's why I don't like teenagers." He vented to Sam once Isabel was out of ear shot.
"He gets on my nerves sometimes." Isabel expelled to Ryan. He was now carrying the ZPM as Isabel finished off some of the command codes. "He can't even finish basic maths." She muttered as they made their way down, and down, and down.
Dr Zalenka was regulating the power conduits for new input of power. "Thank goodness someone who actually takes this seriously is here!" The check man exclaimed. "Rodney treats this like a little kid colouring in pictures." He started to ramble on in his own language as he moved aside to allow Isabel access to the console.
Isabel worked for about thirty seconds before she took the ZPM from Ryan and placed it into the empty gap. "All done, I'd better get back to Dr Beckett. For two reasons, this stitching is useless right now and I will not rest until he removes it and we still have work to do." Isabel gave Ryan a chaste kiss on the lips and walked from the room, leaving him looking at her.
"Now I know what that look is." Dr Zalenka laughed as he finished his original work. "You don't just like her and I can see it. Perhaps a bit too much, you know that when this is over that you'll lose her. Go and tell her about this little conversation or I will." Zalenka carried on his work as Ryan rand down the corridors hoping to catch Isabel before she got to the infirmary.
He ran up who knows how many flights of stairs and along endless corridors until he reached the infirmary level and stopped in his tracks, there was someone following him. He ran around a corner and waited behind one of the pillars before a man wearing an SGC uniform went running past. Ryan then followed him until he reached an empty corridor. The man pulled out a silver ball and it clouded up. Ryan activated the computer and started filming. The man spoke in goa'uld for a large portion of the conversation until he spoke "Hail Osiris!" then he ended the conversation and started walking towards Ryan's position. Ryan shut off the camera and ran from to the infirmary.
"Isabel, we've got a problem. One of the men who came on the Prometheus is Jaffa. Do you know where Dr Jackson and Teal'c… never mind." Ryan saw that Daniel was being escorted by Teal'c into the infirmary. Daniel was clutching his elbow and Teal'c, well Teal'c looked like he usually did. "Guys, I recorded a conversation between this Jaffa and Osiris, I need to know what he was saying."
"I believe that this jaffa is telling Osiris about the young warrior and yourself, he says that you are becoming intimate and that she must arrive quickly if she is to execute her goal. It is most unfortunate that this situation has risen. We must find a way to protect the young warrior at all costs." Teal'c informed them, it was the most he had spoken since they had started their mission. It wasn't a bad thing either.
"Dr Beckett! I've found it!" Isabel exclaimed. "The ships are grown from scratch, it's amazing. It must attach itself to some collection of plants and then change and replicate the plant cells. That might be why you've found wraith facilities in the middle of forests and sometimes on dessert planets." Isabel was giddy with excitement. "It's what we've been looking for!"
"Wow Isabel that must be great because I haven't seen you this happy… ever. But we need to find Colonel Shepard, there is a jaffa on base and it's sending out a signal to Osiris, she knows where Atlantis is and she knew the co-ordinates to get here. Your life might be in danger if we stay here much longer." Ryan was staring at Isabel and was very sombre.
Isabel waited in the jumper bay, with Daniel, Teal'c and Ryan, for Colonel Shepard and his team to arrive and take them to a safe planet, if there was such a thing. They left Atlantis after a goodbye from Dr Weir, General O'Neill and Colonel Carter who appeared to be standing awfully close for a commanding officer and his second in command. Isabel once again went through the stargate hoping that for once they weren't being followed. In the sanctity of the back of the jumper, Isabel and Ryan kissed one last time before Isabel made her way to her place at the front of the jumper.
The General grabbed Sam's wrist, stopping her from leaving the control room. "We need to talk about that." He nodded down to Sam's stomach before looking lovingly into her eyes.