It was easy to get Connor to explain how to set it up, and being in visual communications, she had feasible excuse to get the supplies she needed. It was keying in the devices into a feed she could access with her computer that was difficult. She changed her passwords and bumped up remote access security, then that messed up the video feed.

Lennah almost threw her laptop across the room in frustration. She paced a bit and wished she could work the bag. No way in hell she'd go alone. When she was alone, photos of her private excursions ended up on SocNet. Not suspicious to anyone else but a loud and clear message to her.

Bumbling and inept, she'd get through this. She could have called Zelenka to come over and set it up for her. She knew enough of his family's personal adversity to know he'd never show that same prejudice on someone else. Radek Zelenka could be trusted. But she couldn't ask him to keep quiet about it. He'd ask why. He'd mention it in passing. God knows who'd be listening so they could plan accordingly.

Colare began troubleshooting again when the door rang. It was Teyla.

Lennah tried to show enthusiasm but it fell flat. "Hey! Good to see you." She waved Teyla in. It would be a good opportunity to sound-check the mikes. Teyla was a soft spoken woman. "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you might consider joining us for dinner." Teyla kept a level eye and it was more than easy to see she was concerned.

Lennah rubbed her eyes and looked around the room for an excuse. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. It wasn't pretty.

"It has been many weeks since you have joined us for a meal." Teyla only took one step further into the room. It was messy and it had been a while since she'd taken the trash out. "Or any event for that matter."

"I know." Colare shrugged. "I've just been busy with some personal projects. I've lost track of time."

"Could it be possible to set work aside for an hour or two to join your friends?" She leaned forward hopefully. "You are no doubt hungry. Two birds and a stone?"

Lennah looked at the cold cup of coffee and donut remnants from this morning. She smiled at Teyla, in complete sincerity. "I don't know about today. How about tomorrow?"

Teyla smiled. "I will look forward to it." Mercifully, Teyla left with that.

But it was a visit that got her thinking. How long had it been?

Two months and three weeks. And nothing to show for it. No more visits. No more letters. It was as if she'd made everything up. No wonder she'd felt so horribly alone.

But the letters… She still had the letters.

Lennah sat on her bed and cradled her head in her hands. She'd pushed everyone away. "Now's not a good time." "Maybe next week."

Two disciplinary notices for missed deadlines.

One sullen Satedan. Not that anyone else noticed.

Though there was the gift. It was questionable at first. She'd approached it with latex gloves, unfolding it with a queasy stomach in knots. She'd waited for some letter to fall out or maybe her missing underwear.

It was a white pelt, like a Buffalo or small mammoth. It was 'folded' and tied with a little ribbon. She'd folded it back up again and filed it as evidence.

Two days later, she heard the Poker society jabbering about some fur someone had brought on base as she filled up a cup of coffee some yards away.

"Fur is murder!"

Maria shrugged. "Anal electrocution is murder. The wolfie was nibbling on people. A 12 year old lost a limb. Two others weren't so lucky as to be recognizable. It was blood crazed, they had to put it down anyway. It's a waste to let the whole creature go to rot without honoring what makes it special."

"These things have natural ends. They had only to relocate the animal."

"To where? The Lupus Bigamous has a 400 mile hunting range! Some other delicate ecosystem where it can spread parasites and disease through the food chain? Any eco-friendly person would know that you can't just take a sick creature from a certain environment and plop it down in another without careful research and consideration."

"Then take the time. They should have taken the time to take care of this beautiful animal."

"Did anyone see it?"

"It was huge!"

"Mmm, nice toasty fire and a box of chocolates curled up on that fur."

"Good God, let's dream big, add a man in there somewhere." Cooing.

"Oh, there already is one: our Conan the Barbarian."

"Did the lummox strangle the life out of it with his bare hands as he grunted sonnets?"

Someone cleared her throat emphatically. They'd seen her.

"Nah, he put it down quick." There was hissing.

"I wonder who ended up with it?" Ah, Price the Meddler.

"We'll just have to see who's suddenly wearing stray white hairs."

"Honey, if Tarzan had given it to me, there wouldn't be any clothes to get stray hairs on." Laughter.

"Shows how smart he is."

Lennah scoffed and frowned into her coffee. The creamer was a cloudy delineation still being swirled into consistency. Colare used so much to choke down the brew, it took on the color of the soft leather side of the pelt.

She looked across the room at her desk, where the fur still hid away.

I wonder what that would feel like...

It wouldn't hurt to try it out...

The fire wouldn't be on the program. Maybe it was time for another small little ration of chocolate from her secret stash. She wasn't sleeping well anyway.