Life, with a little spice 10
"Incoming wormhole," Chuck announces. "It's the SGC, Sir," he informs Sheppard who nods.
"Lower the shield."
"We're receiving a transmission, Sir. Putting it on screen. It's General O'Neill."
Sheppard nods respectfully at the older man." Sir. We were about to call you."
"With good news, I trust?"
"Yes, Sir. We made progress. Sending the transcripts from the interviews your way," John informs him and nods at Chuck. "So far, we have caught four people red-handed. A prep cook, two scientists and a tech. From the connections we've been able to make between the video footage of the City and the emails sent through the intranet, they were all connected to Jameson and Wicker. The cook also gave us a couple more names. We'd like to send those people your way."
General O'Neill nods. "Please, do. We have a few questions for them ourselves."
John nods and calls Lorne. "Major? Get us the prisoners to the Control Room. We're sending them back to Earth."
Louise reaches the Control Room as they're leaving through the gate. "General? Can I talk to you?"
He smiles at her. "Of course, Ms Léger."
"I'm concerned about the safety of those people," she says, biting her bottom lip.
He chuckles. "You can't help worrying, even about your worst enemies, can you?"
She blushes. "Sorry. I promised Dave he would be safe if he talked."
"I'll make sure of that," he replies. "Colonel Sheppard? I want you to know that we'll do everything we can to keep everyone safe. Is there anything we can do to help? Reinforcements? We've got several teams here ready to join you if need be."
"Actually, Sir, there is something but it's definitely not having more people to monitor and protect. It would rather be the contrary. We have narrowed down a list of scientists we don't need for the time being. I'd very much appreciate if you could take them in for some time and interrogate them. That would greatly help."
O'Neill nods. "Consider it done. We're making arrangements and calling you back. Ms Léger, Major Lawrence has offered to come and help you. What do you say?"
She pouts. "Sir. I'd love that..."
"I sense a but here."
"You know me well. Yes, there's a but, Sir. I believe Atlantis is not safe right now. I agree with Colonel Sheppard on that and I think we shouldn't have more people here. I'll manage, especially if you get people out of our hands. But ask me again when we consider the City safe," she replies.
"Alright then, young lady. I will," he replies. "Colonel, I'll call you back in a couple of hours. O'Neill out."
John turns to Louise. "Are you sure you don't need some help?" he worries, seeing how tired she looks.
"I need it, John, but I don't want it. We need to make sure it's safe here. I won't risk Major Lawrence's life," she replies stubbornly. "What are we gonna do now?" she then asks. He sees she's deflecting his question.
"Well, first we send those scientists back home then we set to work. We have whole sections of the City to search. Needle in a haystack, especially as we don't know what we're looking for," he sighs. "And you," he adds, glancing at his watch, "should head back to the kitchen."
She winces. "Can't I help?"
He smiles and briefly rubs her arm. "You already have, badass," he teases her. "I didn't think you had it in you but, hey, you surprise me every day!" She blushes at the compliment. "We need to search the City inside and outside," he adds. "And scan tons of data. Tell you what – you get that dinner on the way and then if you're still up to it, I need you in a jumper." She looks befuddled. "Scan the City from the outside. Something the sensors might not have picked up."
She nods and grins at him. "I'll be right back," she informs him before leaving at a run.
He chuckles. She's so eager to help he's not told her he's probably sending her on a wild goose chase.
When she arrives in the kitchen, she's made a decision – one she doesn't like but one that's necessary. She gathers everyone around the long table in the center of the main room and tells them to sit. She waits for the last ones to arrive before she starts.
"Thank you all for coming," she tells them. "Some of you are not on duty tonight and might wonder why I asked you to join us." She looks around and sees she has everyone's undivided attention. "I've made a decision that will allow us to work more efficiently and feed everyone on time."
She stands and removes the menus from the board. "Those," she says, waving them, "are no longer relevant. Our under-cook is no longer with us and I won't be able to manage everything."
One of the preps protests. "But Ma'am, why don't you ask for another one?"
"Because," she explains patiently, "we're still in a situation. It would be best not to bring new people on board. Actually, we're gonna have fewer people on board as it is, so it will make our job easier."
"Are some of us leaving?" one asks.
She smiles. "That's something I wanted to ask you as well. Does any one of you wish to leave? Unessential personnel are being transferred back to the SGC. If any one of you requests it, I'll put in a word for them."
She raises her eyebrows and sees some looking around. "Don't be shy. It's OK. Though you must know you'll still be quarantined there as well and will have to be questioned before you're allowed to return. So?" she asks, looking around.
She sees three of the younger ones raise their hands. She nods benignly. "OK then. Report to the Control Room immediately. I'll inform the SGC."
They file out. One of them stops next to her. "Sorry, Ma'am," he says sheepishly.
She looks up and smiles. "It's OK. I understand. It's pretty scary, what's happening right now. No need to apologize. Go."
She shoos them gently towards the door and calls Chuck to inform him then she turns to the others. "Alright, people, let's get started. I've decided to go for simple for the days to come. Sandwiches, Salisbury steak, staples. No fancy desserts. Fruit and jell-o. And for breakfast, we'll resort to the stocks of cereals we have down in the storage area when I don't have time for more. I'll post the menu for the week on the board later on. For tonight, it's turkey sandwiches and salads. We'll make chocolate cake for dessert."
She jots down a list of ingredients for each though she knows that by now, they can all manage it without her. "I'm going to rotate the shifts with one of you at the helm for each so that if I'm busy somewhere else, you can manage. If you don't feel up to it, just say so. I won't get mad."
"Ma'am?" Sanders asks tentatively. "Did you find who killed Sergeant Bailey?"
She nods. "We did. He's being sent back to Earth to be questioned. Believe me, he won't see the light of day any time soon," she informs them, looking anything but the kind boss she normally is.
She stands and calls the names of those who'll be her temporary under-cooks then dismisses those who are not on duty that night.
Sanders approaches her as she heads for the storage area. "Ma'am," he says, looking uncomfortable. "It's a lot of responsibility, filling in for Sergeant Bailey," he tells her.
"And a compliment to your skills, Ben," she counters with a smile. She motions for him to follow her. "I know you have it in you and I trust you."
He sighs. "Kyle was my friend, Ma'am. It feels like I'm taking his job..."
She winces. "Look, if that makes you feel uncomfortable, I'll ask someone else..."
"It does but I'll do it to help – until they send someone else, that is," he replies. He motions to the door with his thumb. "I guess I'll head back in there then." He's ready to leave when he wheels around. "Did Kyle ever tell you about Buckley?" he asks her on second thought.
She shakes her head. "What? No!" She looks nonplussed.
"Said you'd had a run in with him here..." he elaborates.
She rolls her eyes. "Well, yeah, you can say that again!"
"Anyway. He didn't tell me the whole story but when he mentioned it, we were on his shift, with Dave. And I had the impression it pissed Dave off – big time. Is that relevant?" he wonders. "I mean, I never thought about it until today."
"Hell, yeah, it damn is! Thank you, Ben. You've just helped us connect one more dot," she says and taps her headset. "Colonel Sheppard, come in?"
Once she's told him about her conversation with her new under-cook for the night shift, she makes a quick evaluation of the stocks they have and heads towards the jumper bay.
When she returns, the mess hall is almost empty. She's spent three hours in the air, painstakingly scanning every nook and cranny of the whole City's outside areas. The data has been transmitted to Rodney, who's currently working on it.
John, Ronon and Lorne have taken teams of trusted marines and headed to different areas of the City, scanning and searching quarters and labs and sealing every unused part once they've checked them thoroughly. If they want to make sure they're safe, once and for all, they need to be meticulous. The place is huge though and they return both exhausted and with very low spirits.
They all sit in the mess hall and are served a late night dinner. They all have their laptops and tablets in front of them, each having a different task to perform before they allow themselves some rest. She rubs her eyes and closes them for a moment. "Louise, go to bed," John chides her. "We'll manage."
She shakes her head. "I need to finish that first." She switches on her tablet and computer and sets to work, her eyes going from one to the other. She's so focused she doesn't realize he's rounded the table until he sits next to her, his arm on the back of the chair.
"Whatcha doin'?" he asks, peering at her screens. "Multitasking again?" he teases her.
She snorts self-deprecatingly. "Yeah, well, not exactly." She points at her screens. "I downloaded all the files of our new personnel. I'm trying to find a pattern. I want to know if anyone is connected in one way or another to those we've arrested. Those people knew each other, obviously, and I don't see how. Different ages and training and we were never aware of it until it was too late. What have they got in common?" She glances at him and shakes her head. "I know it's probably a wild goose chase and a waste of time."
He smiles at her. "No, it's not. I was going to ask Chuck to work on it when he had a minute. It helps greatly if you're doing it." He kisses the top of her head and returns to his seat. "Keep me posted if you find anything."
She nods and focuses her attention on the screen again, opening several files at the same time and browsing through them, making notes on a pad next to her. She's been at it for over an hour when John looks up and sees her frown. "Got something?" he wonders.
She presses her lips together. "Might, yes. Give me a minute." She jots down a few information on her pad and clicks on several other files, scrolling down the pages until she finds what she's been looking for. She hooks a finger at him. "Come here," she says, grinning.
He rounds the table again and sits next to her. "I was getting ready to order you in bed," he whispers in her ear, making her snort.
"Big girl, ya know," she informs him. "I can burn the midnight oil if I want to."
He snorts. "I'm well aware of that," he replies cockily, making her blush.
She elbows him. "Focus," she chides him. She points at her tablet. "I think I've found how those people met and if I'm right, we'll finally have somewhere to start. OK, so just to follow my reasoning," she explains, and sees him nod, "I tried to find something – anything actually – they had in common. I had nowhere to start so I used Dave and the people he listed as a reference. It was as good as any. It's not much, but..." she says, lifting her finger emphatically, "he worked in a factory in Edison, VA, before joining the Air Force."
John looks at her, nonplussed. "And?"
She chuckles. "And said factory is also on Jameson's file. She was briefly hired to help with establishing new security protocols, as the file says."
John sits up and leans towards her screen. "Uh, uh. Got my attention now, sweetie."
She smirks. "It could have been a coincidence, of course..." She sees him roll his eyes. "But I also checked Wicker's file and it so happens he worked in Seattle in a tower building belonging to..." She lifts her eyebrows. "The same company that owns the plant."
Rodney has sidled his chair next to hers and is peering at her screen. She swats his hand when he tries to pull out a new file and gives him a chiding look. "Know anything about Farrow-Marshall Aeronautics?" she asks him.
He pouts and glances at John. "I know I heard that name somewhere. You?"
John bites his bottom lip. "Rings a bell, yeah." He stands. "I'm calling the SGC," he says and heads for the Control Room.
Louise calls him back. "Don't you want me to check other files before you do?" she wonders.
He shakes his head and looks at Rodney intently. "I'm sure Rodney or Radek can write a program to do it faster."
Rodney nods and grabs Louise's computer, setting to work. She feels suddenly drained and glances at her watch. It's almost midnight and she's been awake for so long, she's not even sure she'll be able to sleep now. She stands and walks to the kitchen doors. "Anyone wants something to drink?" she offers. Rodney raises his hand briefly without taking his eyes off the screen and she chuckles. "Coffee, I take it?" she asks, already knowing the answer.
John joins her a few minutes later. He grins at her and folds her in his arms for a brief moment. "I'm so, so very proud of you, sweetie, and General O'Neill said the same," he tells her.
"He called me sweetie?" she deadpans.
John chuckles. "You're in a good mood," he remarks. Her eyes have finally lost their lifeless quality. He knows she'll have more nightmares in the days to come but at least, helping find who's behind Kyle's murder and her abduction will probably greatly help her recover from the shock. "He said they're gonna pull out all the files they have on all the personnel they've sent here as well as the one at the SGC and see if they can find a pattern."
She pouts. "Did you tell him about Buckley?" she worries. "Cause if he's part of all this, then there might be more people out there than the current personnel on the Stargate programs," she points out.
He nods. "I told him, yes. They'll see to it as well but it might take a while."
She sighs. "I'm worried, John. What if the SGC is no longer safe?"
They head back to the mess hall with trays of food and coffee for everyone.
He nods again. "O'Neill is well aware of that. Said Farrow-Marshall's vice-president was Charlotte Mayfield."
She lifts her eyebrows. "Why does that name ring a bell?" she wonders.
"Because," he drawls, "you might have heard that name when you were at the SGC the last time you were there. She was part of an organization called the Trust." She shakes her head so he elaborates. "Interplanetary terrorist group based on Earth. Ex-NID operatives working hand in hand with Goa'ulds. The Trust is believed to have given them a stronghold after the downfall of the Goa'uld Empire."
She pouts. "Bad guys, uh?"
He nods and sighs. "SG1's bad guys, actually. I mean, we already have our own! That was quite enough as it was."
Rodney cuts him off. "I thought Mayfield had gone MIA, probably KIA, actually," he remarks. "The Trust is believed to have gone inactive."
"It was, until now, that is," John replies. "General O'Neill thinks it might have found a way to resurface."
"So, Goa'ulds on our doorstep?" Louise asks despondently.
"We didn't say that, sweetie. It might have changed hands. The Trust was well-organized. It could have fallen into other hands after Kinsey's and Mayfield's demise."
"What are our orders, Sir?" Lorne asks his CO.
John nods at him. "General O'Neill says to keep on sealing as many sections of the City as we can and keep it on a self-imposed quarantine until we know more."
"So, not going anywhere for the time being?" Ronon asks.
John shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. No missions, no trading as well," he says, glancing at Louise. She pouts. He knows she gets cabin fever when she doesn't go off-world. He rubs her arm affectionately. "Sorry, sweetie. Anyway," he says, turning to his 2IC, "we have enough on our hands if we want to keep everyone safe."
She huffs. "What about the people we sent back? Did they have time to interrogate them already?"
He looks non committal. "Sort of. They did but didn't get anything interesting. Your discovery might speed things up though. Grady still refuses to say how he got his position but they're onto it."
He smiles tiredly and looks at the others sitting around the table. "Look. I say we all call it a day and get some rest."
Rodney nods absentmindedly, his eyes intent on his screen. "Give me a few more minutes. I'm almost done with my program. Once it's ready, I'll let it run while we sleep."
They make their way back to their quarters. Shifts have been organized and it seems to be running smoothly now people have understood the self-imposed quarantine is for their own good. She sees John looks hopeful for the first time ever since she's returned. She, in return, can't shake that feeling of impending doom that's been creeping up her spine for too long. She walks to the window and looks dreamily at the City. He walks up behind her and lays his hands gently on her shoulders. "Ain't you gonna come to bed?" he wonders. "Tomorrow is another big day, you know."
She nods and turns round. "I know..."
"You're thinking about the ceremony?" he worries.
She nods again and looks away. "I wish I could go with him to Earth and be there for his funeral," she confesses.
He pouts. He's organized a ceremony on board for Sergeant Bailey and been told by O'Neill they'll take it from there. "I've been assured by General O'Neill a lot of people will turn up for his funeral. He himself intends to go with Sam and Daniel. Major Lawrence will be there too."
She nods and gulps. "It reminds me so much of Carson's own funeral. It was only him and his mom. As I gathered, Kyle never had a dad around. But at least we were there for Ma. I wish I could do something – anything – for Kyle's mom," she replies despondently.
John closes his eyes for a brief moment. The guilt he sees in her eyes, he knows it's not something that will go away easily. And it doesn't help she's reminded too much of her own son's death too, though she did not mention it. He knows better. Her compassion and empathy for others run deep and, though they make her who she is, they're also one of her greatest weaknesses. He looks her in the eye. "Look, Louise. If it were possible, I'd allow you to go but now it's not safe over there for you either."
She silently nods and trudges to the bathroom. "I'm gonna change for the night. I won't be a minute," she tells him.
"Louise," he calls after her.
She doesn't turn. "I know, John. I understand why I can't go. I do. I just need a moment."
He sighs and sits on the bed. When she exits the bathroom, he's still sitting there, his elbows on his knees and his hands in his hair, looking as if he were carrying the world on his shoulders.
She berates herself for putting him through all this. It's not fair to him. He already has too much on his plate. She plasters a smile on her face, hoping to God it won't look fake, and comes to sit next to him. He looks up and tries to smile but his grin turns sour. She pouts. "I'm sorry. I should be counting my blessings instead of feeling so down."
He finally smiles and runs his hand down her thigh. "And I, mine."
She smirks and leans towards him. "Thought I'd heard you say we should get to bed," she teases him.
He grins mischievously. "Yep. Note that I didn't say anything about sleeping..."
TBC
Those first chapters didn't allow me to add recipes to the story. It's gonna change in the next chapters, I promise ;)