Three

So far, it's going great. They'd been led into one of the tents and told to get comfortable. A strange feeling in her guts had told her not to put away the TAC vests and the weapons, and after Teyla had explained to Hamrash that she was just doing her job, he had let Meyers and her inside the tent with their weapons. Teyla and Keller, though, had to leave them outside, as a compromise.

Inside the tent a merry little fire had already been burning and Elina had served them some kind of tea. In a matter of minutes, the drizzle and the slight chill from outside had been forgotten and she's allowed herself to relax a little. The whole getting-to-know-each-other thing had proved to be quite entertaining since obviously being hospitable and charming is considered an art among Hamrash's people.

"So, this leader of yours…"

"Mr. Woolsey.", Teyla helpfully supplies, and she's a little astounded about the warmth in Teyla's voice. Teyla, of all people, who'd been given quite a hard time by him the first few times she'd had encountered Mr. Woolsey.

"Yes, Mr. Woolsey… you say that he is commanding over 300 people? He surely does not sound like being capable of it." That's exactly what she'd thought when Evan had told her that Richard Woolsey would be replacing Colonel Samantha Carter, but since he'd come to Atlantis, Woolsey time and again has surprised her with his decisions.

"You would be surprised how circumstances can change people.", Teyla says with that delicate smile of hers, and she feels like agreeing. When she'd first met Major Evan Lorne, aboard the Daedalus, on their way to her first tour on Atlantis, she'd immediately put him down as a stuck-up Air Force prick, being too full of himself just because he could fly some pretty birds, like she put down all the flyboys. But she'd had to revise that pretty soon, because she got to see that his rather closed off behavior hadn't been out of arrogance, but out of a sense of duty and the need to preserve a professional façade.

When she'd gotten to see the rather mischievous and witty side of his personality for the first time – in one of the duels with McKay he later got famous for – she'd realized that she had completely misjudged him at first. The more comfortable he got on Atlantis, the more he'd opened up. And then, there had been this one fateful day, when Carson Beckett had suddenly been dead, she'd come to get a first glimpse at the vulnerable man deep underneath all the other layers.

"Laura?" She blinks. Dammit. Don't get distracted, Cadman. And most of all not by thinking of stubborn mule Evan Lorne of all people.

"What is it?" Teyla bends her head a little and gestures towards their host.

"Hamrash wants to know how you came to be soldier. His people does not have much women who have taken up the trade of being a warrior and he is most interested in hearing about Earth female soldiers." Oh, so probably it's her turn for a story now. She's dreaded it a little and is thankful that she's supposed to tell them about the Corps and her profession, not something private. Meyers, for example, had been asked if there was anyone waiting for him back in the Milky Way and they had practically grilled him with questions about his family and his wife. When it had been Keller's turn, Hamrash and his sisters had needled her very gracefully and skillfully with questions about whether she had already chosen a mate.

She takes a deep breath. "Well… That's a kind of very general question. Is there something special you want to know? 'Cause there's an awful lot to tell about Earth female soldiers."

Wesaara, the quietest one of their hosts, clears her throat and speaks up. "Laura… may I call you Laura or do you prefer to be called by your rank?" She assures the young woman that Laura is absolutely okay under these circumstances and Wesaara continues: "What do your parents say to your profession? Do they not worry about you?" Alright… so much for "nothing private".

"They… are okay with it now, I guess. But when I told my mother I'd decided to join up, she didn't… take it particularly well." In fact, her brothers and her father had immediately fled the house the moment their near monumental shouting match had started. "You have to see… I'm part of a family with a long tradition of… soldiers, but only male, never any girls. My brothers both decided against a military career, but I'd always wanted to go. Guess my mother always thought that was just some girl fancy… something that would fade while I got older."

"But it did not?", Elina chimes in and she snorts.

"God, no. Dad never had a problem with it and Paul and Mat were just glad that they could choose some other path without feeling like traitors to the family tradition. But Mum… she needed all until my promotion to First Lieutenant to come around." There had been a time where they hadn't even talked to each other, but that's nothing anyone of them needs to know. Laura Cadman and Diana Cadman… never ending story of shouting matches, silent battles, testing out boundaries… sure, they love each other, but that doesn't stop them from driving each other insane.

"And what does your family now think of you being so far away?" If they ever need someone to lead an interrogation again, she's so going to suggest to invite these people.

"Well… they're not exactly thrilled. But they know I'm doing something I enjoy and so they're supportive and try not to worry too much." Try being the operative word. In the letters she gets, her mother is pretty vocal about the difficulties of adapting to not even knowing where her youngest child is stationed. She never asks her to give it up, but she knows that her mother wouldn't be that disappointed if she did… even if her mother has admitted quite a while ago that she's damn proud of her only daughter. Her father on the other hand… he doesn't write much about being worried, but between the lines she can see that it's difficult for him as well. As for her brothers… Paul just became a father and she's genuinely sorry for not being able to see him for another four months, while Mat is often on the move himself, doing God knows what on his travels.

"Laura… I hope you do not find this awfully forward of me…" Uh-oh. That's how Hamrash started to quiz Meyers and Keller about any significant others. "Do you have someone back on Earth waiting for you? Apart from your nearest kin, I mean."

She smiles a little ruefully. "No. Just no time for that." She hopes that satisfies him but why should she be lucky if Keller wasn't?

"And… in Atlantis? I cannot imagine such a nice young lady to be without any suitors." I know someone else who can't fathom that not every guy in Atlantis is trying to make a pass at me whenever they can, she thinks a little sourly, but outwardly she just clears her throat and is about to simply deny having any "suitors", when Jennifer Keller gives her a wicked grin.

"Oh, come on, Laura, we're among friends here. You don't have to hide anything." Whoa! She really should stop forgetting what a minx Keller can be. That doctor may seem all awkward and sweet, but under that… mischievous little witch.

By now, everyone's attention is fixed on her. She'll definitely have to get back at Keller for that. "Ermm… well… There is a guy." There. That should be enough.

"Do tell us about him, Laura.", Elina says and Keller makes a very smug face that says "Yes, do tell us, Laura, 'cause they made me talk about Ronon and Rodney and you soaked up every little word like a sponge to feed the rumor mill with it when we get back." Alright, so… maybe she deserves that. But just a little. And that doesn't change the fact that she does not want to talk about Evan and what he means to her. Not just because of this stupid row – she's almost forgotten about that by now and is already thinking about revising her decision to teach him a lesson and just chalk this horrible thing up to stress and exhaustion – but mostly because this is something very private for her. And there's one of the Sergeants that Evan is commanding sitting in the room, someone who doesn't need – and most probably doesn't want – to know about the private man Evan Lorne.

But she won't get around telling at least a bit of all of that. "Well… he's… he's a soldier as well. A… very good soldier." So far, so good. That's nothing none of them don't know already. "And a very good man. He's… very dutiful, kind, witty…" He's hard when he needs to be and tender when he allows himself to be. He would follow his CO into hell and back and he would fight his way through an entire Wraith Armada to get to her. He can fly an F302 and command a space ship, but he can't believe that he's all she wants and all she needs. He has the most beautiful smile she's ever seen and eyes that remind her of Lake Michigan back home shortly before one of the many thunderstorms breaks lose. "Yeah, well, there's not much more to say, really."

She hopes that the dim light in the tent hides her discomfort and her sudden blush. For a moment, it's silent and she realizes that nobody believes that, probably because her stupid face gave her away. "Aw, come on, Laura…"

In the same moment that Keller wants to nudge her again, they suddenly hear the sound of shots ringing through the night. In an instant, Meyers, Teyla and she are on their feet, storming out the tent without even waiting for their hosts to say anything. Keller, not possessing the reflexes of a trained soldier, lags a little behind. Teyla, on the other hand, is already at the cache outside the tent holding her and Keller's weapons and tosses the doctor her Beretta. Keller barely manages to catch it and looks mighty clueless as what to do with it. When this is over, I'm so forcing her on the shooting range, she thinks.

The shots have stopped, but she remembers them being pretty near, so she silently tells Meyers and Teyla to be on their guard. She herself drags Keller in front of her to able to see her. It's silent again, but it's not a peaceful silence. Something's in the air… Keller swallows and looks at her, terrified. "What the…"

Shots explode again, both bullets and stunner shots, and one of the bullets grazes her thigh. She lets out something that would have made a whole barrack of Marines blush, but she doesn't waste time, pushes Keller toward the tent and starts firing into the night behind her. Meyers and Teyla also return the fire. That volley lasts about a minute, and then it ceases again. She suspects that their adversaries need time to regroup and so immediately she rounds up her own team and signals them to get into the relative safety of the tent's shadow.

The tent flap opens and Hamrash pokes out his head. "Laura, is everything…" She just shakes her head. No talking now. No giving away their position. A short look at her team reassures her that they are all okay. Alright, what to do?

Another volley aimed directly at them gives her the answer. They need to leave this settlement immediately, because whoever is firing at them is really firing at them, and staying would mean a danger to the traders. "To the 'Gate! Teyla takes point, Doc, Meyers, I take six. Move it!" Immediately Teyla, Keller and the Sergeant start to run into the dark forest. She wants to follow suit, but suddenly another bullet grazes her leg and she feels it buckling beneath her. She swears again.

Again and again, shots are coming from behind and she curses the clouds. In the sparse firelight of the tent village, all she can see is moving figures, quickly catching up to her. Move it, Cadman, she thinks. You've got someone waiting for you behind that fucking 'Gate. You can do this. You're a fucking Marine. Drawing strength from God knows where she manages to speed up, even ignore the pain from the two wounds.

She even manages to catch up with Meyers who had to help up a struggled Dr. Keller. "Ma'am, is everything…"

"Keep fucking moving, Sergeant!" Immediately Meyers takes Keller's arm and drags her with him, while she keeps hobbling shortly behind them, time and again turning around to fire another volley at their attackers. Why does that fucking 'Gate have to be so far away, anyway? Why… Suddenly she finds herself on the ground. Not again, she thinks, and tries to haul herself up, but her injured leg just doesn't want to obey her.

"Sergeant, wait!" That's Keller. Before she can bark at her to keep moving, she's already beside her, checking her for injuries. Stupid doctors, she thinks, always forgetting all about how dangerous bullets and stunner shots are when they see someone on the ground.

"Doc, don't. Get up…" A little farther away from her, she can hear a short cry and knows that Teyla just has been hit. God, please let it be a stunner hit. Sheppard will kill me if it wasn't, is all she can think of out of some strange reason. "Sergeant, grab Teyla and make for the 'Gate." Meyers hesitates for a moment, but then heads a few feet farther away to pick up, Teyla. She wants to get up as well…

"What have we here?" Oh crap. Ohcrapohcrapohcrap. She's blinded by two flashlights from above. Their attackers have finally arrived. Beside her, Jennifer Keller is totally paralyzed. She can't blame her, though. If she was just a civilian doctor, she would be terrified at the sight of a human in ragged Genii uniform and a Hybrid pointing a stunner and a gun towards her as well. But she's no civilian doctor.

Instantly, she reaches for her Beretta, but suddenly the human is holding his gun to Keller's head. "I would refrain from that, if you want your friend here to survive." Very slowly she removes her hand from the Beretta and the human motions the Hybrid to take it together with the P90. By now, several other Hybrids and humans have arrived, all male and all heavily armed. She counts five flashlights. Quickly she tries to assess her chances of survival against that crowd. "Give it up, little lady. You'll come with us now. You aren't quite what he wanted, but you'll do, I guess. If not… we have plenty of use for you." She nearly has to roll her eyes. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, she thinks. But when she looks at Jennifer Keller, she can see genuine fear in her eyes.

"Fuck off.", is all she gives him. Which earns her a slap across the face. Whoever "he" is, he doesn't seem to have a problem with his goods being damaged. But she'll rather rot in hell than show them any fear, if only for the sake of Jennifer Keller not going insane with it that very minute.

"Not without you, I'm afraid." With that, the group leader gestures two of his minions to search them for any weapons or hazardous material, and they're not exactly gentle with it. She really hopes that Keller remembers everything from the lessons for female personnel cleared for off-world travel. When the searching is over, both her and Keller are yanked up roughly. Immediately, both of them begin to struggle, and she's amazed at how much force Keller puts into fighting off her guards. But in the end both of them have to give up after being repeatedly backhanded.

As they finally arrive at the 'Gate, she wants to start a second try when they just finished the dialing sequence, but suddenly Meyers comes charging out of the forest, alone. Bad idea. She has to risk it now.

"Sergeant, turn back immediately." Still advancing. Dammit, Meyers, no. Someone has to stay behind, get Teyla back to Atlantis.

"No way, ma'am." Her captor wants to clamp his hand around her mouth, but she bites him, hard. With a yowl he draws back his hand and they start dragging Keller and her to the 'Gate, while two keep firing at Meyers

"Sergeant, go!" She's at the top of her lungs now.

And Meyers is as well. "Boss is gonna kill me if I let them leave, ma'am!"

No. The boss will kill you if you don't follow my orders now. "Never mind the boss, Sergeant!" Almost at the 'Gate. "I'm your CO here, and I say go!" He's still advancing, pretending he hasn't heard her. "Sergeant! That's an order! Go!" Only a few feet away now… Meyers has already reached them, but when she tells him to go for the last time, he finally realizes what she has tried to tell him and simply stops, letting them drag Keller and her to an uncertain fate. The last thing she sees is an unbearable amount of shame in his eyes.

A/N: Yes, new chapter. Yes, in less than a week (even though I just managed to crash my dad's computer as well... I have the bad feeling that it was my back-up external hard-drive that did that... NOT good). But I was just tired of having to wait so long ;)

Anyway... I'm a bit concerned about Meyers' actions at the end of the chapter... this is just bound to get a few disapproving reactions, so I hope you can trust me enough that I know what I'm doing.

Oh, and I'm delighted to see that my only German reviewer Julia is back reading my stories... I'd already been prepared to announce that I really miss her and wonder where she is in this A/N ;) That, of course, does not mean that I value all my other reviewers less. In fact, I'm happy about every review I get and I love every single one of all you people who stay so faithfully with me and my stories :)