Chapter 8

The following morning the members of SG-1 were having breakfast together in the comissary. Jack was glancing at Teal'c.

"So. Anything?"

"Anything what?" said Daniel, munching on his cereal.

"Indeed you were right, O'Neill. Noli Brennan seems to be hiding something, though of what I cannot be certain."

"See, I told you there's something going on with her." Jack leaned back in his seat.

"What?" Sam looked at them, confused.

"I have been observing Noli Brennan, acting suspicious." Teal'c looked around at them.

"You've been 'observing' her?" Daniel sounded offended.

"Wait, what do you mean she's been acting suspicios?" asked Sam.

"I have seen her on numerous occasions residing in areas she has no business."

Sam made a doubtful face. "So?"

"Think about it", said Jack. "She's been acting real nervous, right Daniel?" Daniel answered "Yeah, but..."

Jack continued: "She's been weird around certain alien stuff," he directed to Sam, "and she's been sneaking around the base in the wee hours of night. What does that tell ya?"

They all went quiet. Separately, these things were nothing. But when Jack put them together like that, maybe he had a point. Maybe there actually was something strange about the professor.

Finally Sam spoke out. "Sir, what exactly are you implying?"

"Yeah Jack, what are you implying?" Daniel didn't like the tone of this conversation.

Jack pursed his lips. "I don't know, you tell me. Maybe she's after something. Maybe she's NID." They all looked at each other. An NID mole, that would be disasterous to the SGC. Not to mention to the many civilizations the NID would not hesitate to ruin in their quest for alien technology.

"So... What do you suggest we do?" said Sam, looking worried. She didn't want these suspicions to be real and her new friend turn out to be an enemy, but she knew they had to take them seriously.

Jack shrugged one shoulder. "Keep your enemies closer."

The rest of the day went by with an uncomfortable feeling within them all. Daniel kept in his office and moped, even though he knew Jack was right. He just didn't want there to be anything to the allegations. At least Noli should be given the benefit of a doubt before it was brought up with general Hammond, and Jack agreed to let Sam do some research first. At the end of the day she had come up with nothing - though everyone knew when dealing with the NID this didn't mean anything.

When Sam and Noli came to the comissary the next day the others were already there, poking in their chicken casserole. They sat down and Sam felt the slight tension among the others, but strained to push it aside and be cheerful. Noli didn't seem to notice anything unusal as she was buttering her bread, listening to Jack complaining about the russian team which had been assigned to theirs again during the last mission, a diplomatic visit to a rural civilisation.

"Look at 'em!" he hissed and nodded towards a table in the other end of the canteen, where two of his adversaries were sitting, looking glum. "They're just waiting to take over the whole command." The others were trying their best to engage in natural chitchat while secretly paying attention to Noli. Noli herself was smiling at Jack's banter and started digging in to the lunch.

"You don't think they're just incredibly jealous of your merits, Jack?" she said gleefully and stuck a mouthfull of casserole in her mouth.

"Oh, I don't know..." started Jack, and wrinkled his eyebrows when Noli's face changed. She had gone perfectly still, and her eyes were wide with disgust or horror, Jack wasn't sure. Then she spat the food out on her plate and stared at it for a second.

"I know it's bad, but..." Daniel began. Noli suddenly slammed her palm down on the mess on her plate, looked up and yelled: "No!"

They all stared at her. She reached out and slapped the fork out of Jack's hand that had stopped mid-air, splattering casserole over his shirt. "Don't eat this!"

"Noli, what..." someone started as she threw herself across the table, gathering all their plates, going "Do not, do not, do not eat" in a very stern voice. When she had the plates secure on her own tray, she sat still for a moment, slowly let her breath out and then looked up at them.

"I'm not crazy", she said, looking a little desperate. Her face took on something of a sadness and she seemed to debate with herself on how to proceed. The others were all waiting impatiently. Noli looked down and her lips moved slightly as she tried to find the right words.

"There's, uh, chromium in it. Hexavalent... chromium..." Her voice faded as she met the incredulous faces around her. She turned impatient herself. "Oh for god's sake, just trust me on this. Go to the infirmary. Take this with you." She shoved one of the plates out on the table.

"I didn't taste anything funny", said Jack hesitantly.

"No, you wouldn't, it's tasteless." Noli sounded resigned. "Now just go."

"Sir, if she's right", said Sam, "Hexavalent chromium is very poisonous."

"And may I ask how the hell you know it's in the food?" asked Jack. Noli closed her eyes.

"Like I said, please just trust me." She looked beggingly at them. Jack shrugged.

"Alright. We'll check it out. But you're coming with us."

"Sure. Whatever." She and Jack got up, followed by the others looking very confused. They left, Noli carrying one of the plates with her, none of them noticing the eyes following them.

A/N: Finally something's happening! I promise it'll be better from now on. Maybe.