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Chapter 11

"Um," Jack thought as quickly as he could, trying to come up with a reason why someone would call about that.

Teal'c watched impassively for a moment before saying, "You continued the background check."

Jack fought the urge to step back as both Teal'c and Daniel stared at him. Cordelia's face twisted for a moment as she glared at him. Her hands rose to rest on her hips as she stepped forward angrily. She fought hard to stop herself from slapping Jack.

"How dare you!" Cordelia all but screamed at him.

"I had to be sure you weren't a threat to Murray," Jack attempted to explain.

"I believed that fear was satisfied after the initial background check," Teal'c said softly.

Cordelia's gaze transferred to Murray for a moment before deciding he disapproved even if he hadn't told her they'd done it.

"If you wanted to know something you could have just asked!" Cordelia said with a glare.

"Fine!" Jack shouted out before continuing quieter, "There has to be more to it than that!"

"What?" Cordelia frowned softly confused about where he was going.

"She took out some cyborg, with a little help, and now everyone is scared of her. There has to be more to it than that. It doesn't make sense that the NID would be afraid of a, what, 20 year old girl to the point Mayborn would actually call to warn me away!"

"Let me be honest here. I'm very angry with you right now. Not because you did a background check on me, I was expecting that. I've thought since Murray told me that's what he does is 'Deep Space Telemetry' that it's a very bad cover story for something. I'm not sure what you all do, and I don't really care as long as it doesn't affect me negatively. But I was also expecting you to stop when you found that my life is a mostly open book. You apparently didn't do that. You also unexpectedly tried to look into the background of people I knew in High School. They have nothing to do with why I'm here, and you're suspicious of them. That is why I'm mad at you. So tell me, why. Why should I answer your questions now?"

"Perhaps we should take this inside," Daniel suggested to prevent any eavesdroppers getting into what he knew was classified. Cordelia glanced at him and Daniel shivered at being the recipient of her icy glare, even if it was just for a moment. She didn't move.

Teal'c reached over and gently laid his hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to focus on him. Her eyes softened just a bit before she calmly turned away and headed towards the house. Teal'c let his arm fall as his teammates each gave him a look. He met each of their gazes for a moment before following her past Daniel into the house.

Cordelia went straight to one of the chairs in her living room. The others following and taking seats about her. Cordelia leaned to the side and looked at them with an eyebrow arched up in a style the reminded the others of Teal'c.

"So… Why should I tell you why some people in the United States government are afraid of a 20 year old woman? Because I can't think of a single reason why I should help someone who looked into my background without my permission."

"We had the right to make sure that Murray wasn't being used," Jack spoke out trying to defend himself again.

"Oh? He's not able to judge my character on his own? He can't take care of himself?" Cordelia asked softly. Cordelia turned to face Daniel, "Let me ask you something. You're a civilian consultant for them, right?"

"Yeah…" Daniel confirmed hesitantly.

"Did you have a background check done by them when you started working for them?"

"I... I guess so. I never really asked."

"If they were as 'thorough' looking into your background would you still have been hired? That they looked into people you went to school with. People you've worked with. Everyone you knew. Wouldn't they find something they disliked? That if they held the actions of those you knew against you that they would have eventually found something they would have disapproved of even if you hadn't done anything?"

"I suppose so. I've never done anything illegal but people I've worked for have gone on and done things that are illegal."

"What about you Murray?"

"They were unable to do a background check on me. They would not have employed me if I had not earned their trust first," Teal'c said simply.

"So tell me," Cordelia said turning from Murray to Sam then turning to Jack, "why should I?"

"Please Cordelia," Murray said softly to her. He knew that Jack and Sam wouldn't stop until their questions were answered and he wanted them to leave Cordelia alone.

Cordelia looked at her friend for a moment, gave a little shrug and a sigh, "This might take awhile. Do you want some more tea?"

End – Chapter 11

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Sorry for the wait. This took over 2 weeks instead of the less than 1 I'd said… For the last couple of weeks I've been either working, sick or spending time with my best friend who came to town for her birthday and to visit her dad in the hospital.