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Veritas	By : Kali Category: Stargate: SG-1 > Stargate Atlantis Views: 4569 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Kali & muses do not own any of Stargate or NCIS, nor make any profit from this work; we just borrowed them for the sake of this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: The author does not
own any of NCIS or Stargate, only borrows them for the sake of this
fanfiction.� No profit is made by the
writing of this story.
Warnings: Anything one expects to see
on Stargate or NCIS, expect it here; also, slash in the form of Jack/Daniel,
and John/Rodney; het pairings include Tony/Ziva, Gibbs/Jenny.
If you dislike such things, or are underage, do not read!
~*~*~*~*~*~
Thank you to Emergency70 for the beta!
Chapter
IX

�� Daniel
closed the bedroom doors with a deceptively soft �click� and glared across the
room at the partially closed bathroom door.�
He folded his arms over his chest, planted himself firmly in front of
the door to block it, and called out in a tightly controlled voice, �Jack?� Are you up?�
�� Yep.� Just a minute, Danny.�� Water splashed, and a moment later, Jack came
out rubbing his head briskly with a towel.�
�Good morning, Daniel my love!�� Jack
smiled and greeted his lover cheerfully before he got a good look at Daniel�s
face and body language.
�� Jack.�
�Daniel returned, as evenly as possible.
�� Whiskey-brown
eyes flicked over Daniel, then around the room looking for the threat.� Jack dropped the towel on the end of the bed
and frowned.� �Daniel?�� He asked for clarification.� �Something wrong?�
�� Did
you or did you not speak with Sam and settle that issue like you told me you did?� And I quote, �It�s done, and it�s just you
and me now, Daniel.�� The irate linguist
quoted when Jack opened his mouth to say he never said any such thing.
�� Jack
scowled and sat heavily on the end of the bed.�
�What the hell, Daniel?� Where did
this come from all of a sudden?� And do
you think now is the best time to be
bringing up that old broken record, again?��
He countered, avoiding answering masterfully.
�� I
recently found out some things that tell me Sam obviously has not put the idea of a relationship with
you out of her head, and no it isn�t the best time but in my vast past
experience dealing with you and this particular subject I�ve learned that there
is no �best time� to talk about
it.�� Daniel stalked toward the bed and
Jack (his bare feet distracting Jack thoroughly) and glared down at the
General, planting his balled up hands on his hips.� �Therefore, Jack O�Neill, answer the damn
question � and don�t you dare fucking lie to me.�
�� Beginning
to lose his own temper, Jack stood up and got in Daniel�s face.� �What �things?�� He made air quotes mockingly.� �We�ve been around this BBQ a few times,
Daniel, and I�ll tell you the same fucking thing I said before: I told her there
would never be an �us� and that she was better off moving on!� If those things
you learned tell you otherwise, then there�s nothing I can do or say!� I cannot control someone else�s emotions that
way!�� Jack leaned in, so close Daniel
could smell his minty fresh toothpaste and count the golden specks in the brown
of his eyes (if he�d cared to).� �This
jealous streak of yours needs to stop, Dr. Jackson!� It�s extremely unbecoming.�
�� Daniel
actually snarled and turned away, taking a few steps apart from the man who
infuriated him so much, his arms coming up in his trademark self-hug � only
this time it seemed more to contain his emotions from exploding outward and
making him do something he�d really regret later.
�� It�s
a jealous streak born of ten goddamn years of you avoiding the Sam issue and
taking out all of your frustrations on me.�� Daniel rounded on Jack again.� �I told you after I got back from the Ori
galaxy that I would not be your dirty little secret or your �mistress� if we
got together.� Meaning you were supposed
to talk to Sam and make sure she understood you were never going to pursue
anything with her.� Ever.�� He stared hard at
Jack.� �You never did tell me what you
told her or what she said.� Every time
I�ve asked all I get was �Drop it, Danny, it�s over,� and I never pushed
because I imagined it hadn�t gone well and you just didn�t want to think about
her.� Because she was � is � your friend,
too.�
�� Jack
ran his fingers through his hair.� �I don�t want to think about her,
Daniel!� I love you!� Why can�t you just take
that and put the past where it belongs?�
�� Because
Sam�s still got pictures of you all over her quarters and in her office on
Atlantis and she still has stars and hearts in her eyes whenever she talks
about you!� That�s not moving on or
getting over you!�� Daniel yelled.
�� ...on
Atlantis...� Jack repeated, a particularly dark expression slowly forming on
his face.� �Goddamn it!� McKay!�� He wheeled abruptly and started for the
door.� �I�m gonna shoot that little,
egotistical son of a ��
�� Daniel
did the only thing he could think of to stop Jack in his immediate panic.� He tackled him.
�� They
hit the floor with a hard, muffled THUMP.�
Despite the sound-proofing and carpeting, Daniel was pretty sure anyone
downstairs would still hear it, however at the moment he had other
problems.� The only reason the tackle
worked was the surprise of it and the momentum created by Daniel�s weight and
Jack�s forward motion toward the door.�
Now he had about 180 lbs. of muscled, trained General to deal with, a
soldier who was fighting Daniel back.�
Not to mention a lover that was severely pissed off.
�� Jack!� Quit...fighting me!�� He ground out, trying his level best to keep
Jack pinned to the floor on his stomach where he was at least a little more manageable.� �Leave Rodney alone!� He didn�t do or say anything on purpose!� He�s got his own issues, and he doesn�t need
you killing him for something he said in casual conversation!�� Daniel didn�t even try denying it had been
Rodney who�d said anything, and he wasn�t surprised Jack leapt to the correct
assumption it had been Rodney.
�� He�s
fucking...up...our...relationship!�� Jack
growled out, shifting and wriggling and trying to buck Daniel off.� �I won�t let him!� I finally have you...and I won�t let...anything take you...away!�
�� At
that Daniel stopped and just let his weight hold Jack down, panting from
exertion and wondering why they always seemed to end up fighting each other to
be together.� �Jack...no one�s taking me
away.�� He breathed heavily into the back
of Jack�s neck.� �I just want you to
apply some of that sentiment toward...�
�� ...putting
Sam in her place?�� Came the snide,
sarcastic, none-too-pleased reply.
�� Daniel
winced, because no matter how awful and unkind that sounded, it was pretty much
the truth.� �Yes.�� He agreed unhappily.� �I can�t help it, Jack.� She�s a threat.� I don�t want her to take you away from
me.�
�� Jack
was silent for a moment, tense, and then he went boneless under Daniel and
released a deep, heart-wrenching sigh.� �Aww...shit, Danny.�
�� Yeah.�� Daniel nuzzled at the nape of Jack�s neck
with his nose and lips, feeling the shiver that ran through the older man at
the gesture.� �Can I let you up now?�� He asked, subdued and drained of the jealous
anger from earlier.
�� Please.� My knees are killing me.�� He�d hit the floor and landed partially on
his knees, and the joints just couldn�t take things like that anymore and
bounce back.
�� Horrified,
Daniel rolled off and got to his feet, allowing Jack to roll onto his back
before holding out both hands to help him up.�
Swaying a little with vertigo, Jack tugged Daniel into his arms and
refused to let go when the younger man struggled a little.
�� Listen,
Danny, we�re both possessive bastards who�ve been through too much together to
get where we are.� I gave you my word
that I talked to Carter, and I think you know I�d never have gone back on that
or lied to you.� You�re too important to
me to have risked losing you because I�m being stupid.�� Jack said quietly, resting his forehead against
Daniel�s lightly.� �If she�s still hung
up on me, it�s not because I didn�t try, okay?�
�� I�m
sorry.�� Daniel whispered, clutching at
Jack unhappily.� �I�m so sorry.� I flew off the handle when there was no good
reason...�
�� Hey!� You have good reasons, Danny, and it�s gonna
take time for us to make this thing work out and for us to be secure and
comfortable, right?�� Jack decided
forgiving and forgetting was a better idea here.� He also knew that Daniel was going to be
insecure and defensive for some time yet when it came to the whole Carter issue
� even if Daniel still treasured her as his friend, teammate, and big sister.
�� Daniel
buried his face in Jack�s neck and hung on.�
�I feel really stupid right now.��
Jack brought him in as close as possible and held him.
�� It�s
okay, Daniel.� Just...let�s not do that
tackling thing again, alright?� My knees
can�t take it.�� Jack meant it to be a
joke, lighten the mood a little, but it really wasn�t one.� He was going to have to take the good stuff
this morning if he wanted to function around the pain and throbbing aches.
�� Sniffling,
Daniel pulled away, horrified that he�d caused Jack such suffering.� �I�m so sorry!� Here, let me get your pills...� he rushed off
to the bathroom.� Jack sighed and eased
himself over to the bed where he sat and proceeded to massage around his
kneecaps with his fingers to ease the aching and loosen the tension.� Daniel returned with the two little pills and
a glass of water, and once Jack had taken the meds, Daniel took over the massaging.� �I didn�t really think when I did that.� I just didn�t want you killing Rodney for
being an unwitting messenger.�
�� I
don�t understand...what pictures?�� Jack
honestly sounded confused, and Daniel glanced up over the rim of his
glasses.� He told Jack what Rodney had
said � the whole conversation, really � and huddled in on himself a little at
the annoyed glare Jack gave him about Rodney now knowing about Daniel and
Jack�s relationship.
�� Look,
I know he�s not really your first choice to come out to, but we can�t change
it, Jack, and he�s trustworthy.�� Daniel
sat back on the floor, hugging his legs and biting his bottom lip
anxiously.� �Rodney�is in much the same
boat I was not long ago.� He gets us
perfectly, and he would sooner face a Wraith Queen unarmed than out us and get
us in trouble.�
�� Jack�s
scowl slid into a frown. �Same boat?�
�� John.�
�� Ah.� Really?�
He actually admitted it to you?�
�� Yes.� He�s quite certain the emotional stuff isn�t
returned, though.� He desperately wants �
needs � to keep John�s friendship,
and he�s willing to keep what he really feels to himself.�� Daniel felt the tug on his heart
strings.� �Exactly like I was.�
�� Jack
shook his head, feeling badly for the scientist, too, but not about to play
matchmaker or get involved in someone�s personal business.� �Well it�s not something we can do anything
about � or should � so leave it alone, for now.�
We�ve got other big stuff to worry about.�
�� Daniel
got to his feet and looked down at himself.�
�I�d better change.� Gibbs and his
team will be here soon.�� He knew the
subject was closed for now.
�� Yeah.�
~*~*~*~*~*~
�� John
was on his way down the stairs when the doorbell rang, so he veered off to the
door to answer it.� He was pretty sure he
had his reaction to Rodney�s revelation under control now (a freezing cold
shower and his new personal mantra � �I will not jump Rodney, I will not jump
Rodney�� repeating over and over in his head) so he felt relatively safe
coming back down and facing McKay.
�� Recognizing
the silhouettes of DiNozzo, McGee, and David through the glass panels of
O�Neill�s door, John opened it up and stood to the side.� �Morning.�
Come on in, Agents, Officer David.�
�� Good
morning, Colonel Sheppard.�� Ziva
returned the greeting for all of them.�
John noticed that both she and McGee were rested and alert, but DiNozzo
looked like he hadn�t slept in a week.�
�We are somewhat early, yes?�
�� It�s
fine.� Follow me, and I�ll round up
everyone else.�� John motioned for them
to come along.� �Agent Gibbs isn�t here
yet, anyway.�
�� He
will be.� He was at NCIS this morning to
talk to Director Vance.�� DiNozzo said,
looking around O�Neill�s house curiously (re. snooping).� �Nice place.�
�� John
opened the double doors to O�Neill�s study and waved them inside.� He figured it was where they�d conduct their
meeting.� To Tony�s comment, he shrugged
and replied, �He�s the man who saved the world a few dozen times.� Be right back, ah�make yourselves at home but
please don�t touch anything.�� John
glanced around at some of the things that sat on bookshelves and tables around
the room, then slipped out again.
�� Rodney
as just coming down the hall from the kitchen, and nearly walked into him.� �They�re here?� he asked, his tone even and
with a questioning lilt, but something in it made John stop and look back at
him with a tiny frown.
�� Except
Gibbs, yeah.� I put them in O�Neill�s
study.�� John blinked when Rodney only
nodded and moved past him to go there.�
�Rodney?� Something wrong?�
�� I�m
fine.� Better go tell the General they�re
here.�� Rodney didn�t even look back at
him, simply kept on walking.
�� Frowning
for real now, John puzzled over the sudden chill toward him from the man he
called best friend and hoped to one day call his.� Shaking his head, John hurried upstairs.� He�d talk to Rodney later and find out what
was wrong.
�� He
stopped first at Teyla and Ronon�s� room,
finding Ronon putting on his shoes.
�� Teyla�s
in the shower.�� The big guy informed
him.� �Is breakfast ready?�
�� Probably.� Go ask McKay.�
He was going to make something when I came up for my shower.�� John left him to knock on O�Neill�s door.
�� What?�� the door opened almost immediately and the
General stood there staring at him.
�� Ah�NCIS
are here, minus Gibbs, sir.� DiNozzo
thinks he�ll be here soon, though.�� John
reported, straightening up under the stare because for some odd reason he was
feeling really uncomfortable under its weight.�
When O�Neill didn�t say anything, John added, �Sir?�
�� I
heard, Sheppard.� I�ll be right
there.� He glanced over his shoulder,
then sighed and ran a hand through his slivered hair.� �Is there any breakfast made?�
�� I
think so, sir, but if you want any you�d better go get it before Ronon eats it
all.�� John answered with the warning.
�� D�oh!�� Jack pushed
past him yelling over his shoulder, �Daniel!�
Hurry up!� then closed the door behind himself and led John back
downstairs.� �Grab a bite to eat,
Sheppard, and tell Ronon to save some for the rest of us.�� He ordered, heading for the study.� John took that as dismissal and went back to
the kitchen.
�� Ronon
was already polishing off his first plateful, but John could see he needn�t
worry about not getting any of the food because there was a real feast spread
out on the counter.� Rodney had
apparently gone to town.� John made a
mental note to go buy groceries to restock the General�s cupboards and fridge
before they went back to Atlantis.� They
were eating the man out of house and home, after all.
�� Half
an hour went by quickly by the time everyone had eaten, arrived, and gathered
in the study.� Gibbs had shown up, too,
so as soon as they were all comfortable, Daniel invited Mitchell down from
Odyssey to join them.
�� and
for whatever reason, John was still
getting the chills from Rodney.
�� Okay,
let�s get this going.�� O�Neill started,
leaning forward over his desktop.� �What
do we know so far?�
�� We
know that Jenny was killed for the documents that Mike Franks found and�hid
someplace, and that now Franks has
been abducted by someone who appears to be connected to the Trust � or Baal �
or both.�� John stated, slowly panning
the room with his gaze.� It stopped on
Rodney, who was studiously avoiding his eyes no matter what John tried to do.
�� We
know that his last location was at that condemned gas station in Phoenix.�� McGee put in.�
�And that there was a�um�firefight of some kind.�
�� Which
is why we assume it�s the Trust or Baal, yes.��
McKay grumbled.� �The problem is
that we have nothing to tell us where they took Franks.� Where�s their operation being run?� We don�t have any leads.�
�� Abby
is running the tire tracks that Ziva took pictures of from the scene.�� Gibbs informed them all, gaining their
immediate attention.� �She was working on
it when I stopped by earlier this morning.�
Her hope is to match the tire treads to some vehicles then narrow it
down with the footage from any security or traffic cameras in the area.�
�� See?� This is why we needed you and your team,
Gibbs!�� O�Neill slapped his desk
emphatically.� �We likely wouldn�t have
thought of that.� We aren�t
investigators.�
�� At
least you had the sense to know that.�
Most others we�ve worked with in the past haven�t been
as�intelligent.�� Gibbs replied with a
grunt of annoyance.
�� So
what do we do while we wait to find out if Abby finds anything?�� Tony asked.�
��Cause I�m all out of ideas.� I
tried everything else I could think of last night.�
�� John
frowned and pinned wary hazel eyes on Gibbs.�
�You could explain to us � to me, Agent Gibbs � why you torched Jenny�s
home.�� It was a mystery he�d had no
chance to ask about until now what with all the commotion in the last day or
so.� To his credit, Gibbs didn�t deny the
accusation or flinch away.� He met John�s
gaze solidly and nodded once.
�� Interestingly
enough, Gibbs� team was looking back and forth between the two incredulously.
�� Boss?�
�Tony questioned, eyes wide.
�� What
you probably don�t know, Colonel, is that there were three agents on that
mission nine years ago.� William Decker,
Jenny�and myself.�� Gibbs� paused, letting that sink in.� He could see the wheels and gears turning in
the group�s heads, and continued, �Our mission was a simple one; we each had a
target to eliminate � they were rogue spies operating in Europe from among the
Eastern countries Russia used to control.�
Decker was our go-to guy, stationed in Europe.� Jenny and I were tasked to help him
out.�� Gibbs sighed, rubbing his face
with a hard.� �Without getting into stuff
I�m not supposed to say, Decker and I succeeded, and until just recently I �
and our superiors � believed Jenny had succeeded, also.�
�� But
she didn�t.�� O�Neill guessed.� Gibbs glanced at him, nodding, and was
surprised to see the look of total understanding in the General�s
direction.� Gibbs wondered briefly what
the man�s record would tell him if he ever were to see it.
�� Assassinations?�� Rodney cried, horrified.
�� McKay��
John warned, and frowned when the scientist gave him an icy glare and looked
away.
�� No,
General.� Apparently not.� I doesn�t surprise me, really � didn�t when
Mike told me what she�d told him.�
Jenny�she was an excellent agent � intelligent, quick, strong willed,
loyal and patriotic.� She had no qualms
about using a weapon if she or her people were being attacked.� But��
�� It�s
different to take a gun and deliberately hunt down and kill someone, even if
it�s a sanctioned hit and considered a righteous combat kill.�� John murmured.� He hadn�t had to do anything much of that
kind of thing as a soldier, yet, even as a Special Ops one, but he understood
regardless.� �Jenny isn�t the type to be
able to do that as easily as others.�
�� Yeah.��
Gibbs agreed, staring at a spot on the carpet.� �To be honest, I believed she wouldn�t be
able to do it, even back then, but�well, long story short, she assured us she
was successful, and as her target never resurfaced to contradict her claim��
�� Okay,
so why does all this have anything to do with burning down her house?�� McKay asked, still disturbed but moving on.
�� I
finished what Jenny couldn�t.�� Gibbs
glared at his impatience.� �Mike and I.�
�� Jack�s
eyes widened briefly.� �Are you telling
me the target came after her?� And you
burned down the house to cover it up?�
�� That
explains the body found in the wreckage.��
Daniel added, faintly.
�� You�re
not getting it.�� Gibbs huffed.� �The one who killed Decker, and his wife, and
set those goons on Jenny at that diner was
her target � a woman named Natasha Lenkov.� From what I figure, it�s taken the bitch this
long to weather the heat after her partners were taken out, and then to find a
new�employer.�� Gibbs stopped, shook his
head at himself, and went on.� �She took
the time to track Decker down, lure out the rest of us by killing him and get
her revenge.� Mike told me...he said
Jenny was trying to protect me from her mistake.�
�� There
was a long moment of silence while the full story sunk into everyone�s
heads.� John abruptly got up and walked
away, heading over to the big picture window to stare out at the world.� Hugging himself against the grief, he leaned
one shoulder against the window frame.
�� Teyla
watched him, concerned, but left him to deal with things on his own � at least
for the moment.� She glanced first at
Ronon, who shook his head, and then at Rodney, who appeared to be moving back
and forth and all around through emotions ranging from worry and concern, to
anger and annoyance, and�confusion.�
Teyla wasn�t certain what had occurred after she and Ronon went upstairs
to shower that morning, but she was too well tuned to her teammates and their
moods to have not noticed the change
between their Earth members.� Looking
back at Ronon, she saw he, too, had noticed by the slight frown on his face as
he watched McKay silently.
�� Yes,
well�� Jack cleared his throat and, after a brief glance at John�s stiff back,
pushed on.� �Thanks for clearing that up,
Gibbs.� It completely sucks that it came
down that to that.�
�� No
shit.�
�� So
we�re assuming, then,� Mitchell spoke up, having been silent the entire time,
�that this Lenkov woman found her new employers in
the Trust?� Or someone connected to
them?�
�� Seems
that way.�� Daniel agreed.� �She probably didn�t know they were using her
as much as she was using them.�
�� Or
perhaps she did not care as long as she achieved her revenge.�� Ziva speculated neutrally.� She didn�t seem to notice how Tony inched
closer to her on the sofa, though McGee and Gibbs did, when she spoke.
�� Gibbs
cell phone rang at that moment, and he pulled it out of his pocket to
answer.� �Yeah, Abs.�� He said when he saw the number of her lab�s
line on the display.
�� Gibbs!� I totally rule!� She announced excitedly, her
jubilation coming across loud and clear, even over the phone.� �For my extraordinary feats of forensic
matchmaking, I have earned at least a week�s worth of Caf-pows!�
�� Point
me in Mike�s direction and you�ll get them.��
Gibbs promise, despite his apprehension at having her even more jacked
up than normal on her favourite pseudo-beverage that was full of caffeine and
sugar.� �What�d�ya
have, Abby?�� He put her on speaker.
�� I
sent all the info to McGee, but I did it!�
I matched the tread marks to the tires, and the tires to vehicles, and
after only a couple of hours of crappy traffic camera footage I found a
match!�� Abby exclaimed gleefully.� McGee had hastily pulled out his own cell �
the �ber-smart kind that did nearly everything but
hold your conversations for you � to check his email.
�� Got
it, boss.�� The youngest agent confirmed,
opening it up to view the contents.
�� I
found a black van belonging to one of the companies that turned up on my list
of vehicles that had these tires on them.�
Even better, the van got caught running a red light!�� Abby informed them.� �They even had the company logo plastered all
over the side of the van!�
�� Skye
communications Inc.�� McGee read
loud.� �A media and communications
company based out of Las Vegas, but owns several networks and publications
nation-wide � including one in Phoenix.�
�� Vegas!?�� McKay exclaimed, head whipping up at that bit
of information.
�� O�Neill
and Daniel shared a look.� �Baal.�� They stated at the same time.
�� John
wandered back over and leaned a hip against Rodney�s sofa-chair.� �Sounds like we have a winner.� McKay, find out every detail possible about
this company, specifically��
�� Addresses,
buildings, blueprints, etc.� I�m already
working on it.�� Rodney interrupted, tone
clipped but less cold than before.� It was
more his �Shut up, I�m busy, here� voice.
�� Thanks,
Abs.�� Gibbs said before hanging up.� If this panned out, he would find something
much better than Caf-pows for her to show his
gratitude.� �McGee!� Check flight records and see if anyone
travelling under that company name flew in or out of Phoenix in the last week �
commercial and private flights.�
�� On
it, boss!�� McGee, who�d been looking a
tad put out at having his usual role usurped by the grouchy astrophysicist,
brightened and went to work.� �Though�this
would be faster and easier on a computer��
�� The
General crooked a finger.� �C�mere.� Use this
thing.�� He pointed at the computer on
his desk.� McGee hurried over and took
the seat O�Neill vacated.� Jack hovered
nearby, watching the young man play the machine like a finely tuned instrument.
�� May
I ask why this new information makes you so certain it is the correct company
and that it is one that is associated with the Goa�uld, Baal?�� Teyla asked.
�� Mitchell
had caught on, too, and answered before either Daniel or O�Neill could.� �His ego is big enough that of course he
wouldn�t hesitate to use a name that is associated with him � as in his persona
as a deity.� That and the fact that the
company�s headquarters are in Las Vegas��
�� Not
good.�� Rodney muttered, still focused on
his screen and typing away.� �That�s way too close for comfort.�
�� I
don�t get it.�� Tony said flatly.
�� In
Middle Eastern mythology, Baal was a prominent god of the sky and storms.�� Daniel explained, going into lecture mode. �He
was later absorbed by the ancient Egyptians into their mythology as an aspect
of Seth, the god of Chaos.� In reality,
it�s more like Baal was a lesser System Lord who worked for Seth � at least
until Seth got himself stuck here and lost his power base among the other
System Lords.�� Daniel smiled
faintly.� �Don�t worry; Seth was found
years ago and he�s long dead.�
�� And
Las Vegas?�� Ziva prodded.
�� Frowning,
John tapped his fingers restlessly on the back of Rodney�s chair.� �We have a facility located not far from
Vegas.� It�s unlikely that the Trust
and/or Baal would set up one of their front companies so close to it by
coincidence.�
�� Rodney
snorted, �Ha!� in agreement.
�� McGee
peered around the desktop monitor, wide-eyed.�
�Don�t tell us this facility of yours is at Groom Lake.�
�� Groom
Lake?�� Ziva echoed, confused.
�� Oh
for cryin� out loud!��
Jack huffed.� �Area 51, yes.� It is
real, and there is research going on
there that has plenty to do with all kinds
of alien technology.�� He rubbed his
face, exasperated, with one hand.�
�Fantastic.� When this is over,
I�ll have to order a full security check of all Area 51 personnel to weed out
Trust spies.� Again.�� He nudged the youngest agent.� �Hey.�
Find what you�re looking for?�
�� McGee
blinked, shaking his head.� �Uh,
right.� Searching�� Silently he resolved
to never, ever tell Abby the truth about that
particular bit of alien/UFO lore.� It was
bad enough already.
�� Wow.�� Tony was looking as amazed and dumbfounded as
his junior partner.� �It totally is an episode
of the X-Files.� I can�t believe the government�s managed to
keep everyone in the dark all this time.�
�� McKay
got up and carried his laptop over to the TV, where he spent a few minutes
fussing with cords and connections until he had the two machines hooked
up.� Then he brought up the results of
his search. �Skye Communications Inc. was founded three years ago by a group of
smaller media companies that sold out to, you guessed it, Baal.�� Rodney tapped a key and up came a picture of
the snake himself, dressed to the nines as a rich, successful media baron in
Armani and Louis Vitton.� �Also known as Maxime
Skye, CEO and primary shareholder of Skye Media Ltd., the parent company of Skye
Communications Inc.�� Rodney sighed.� �He�s brilliant as a businessman, by the way,
which really shouldn�t surprise anyone considering he�s a Goa�uld, but�� he
shrugged.� �Anyway, they�re currently
looking into grabbing up land on the Vegas strip and getting into the casino
business, but from what I gather they�re having trouble deciding on a theme.�
�� Casino?�� Ronon queried.
�� A
large, public gambling establishment.��
Daniel answered.� �The ones in
Vegas are�way, way more�� he hesitated, searching for an appropriate term to
describe the outlandish city that had long ago earned the title of �America�s
playground.�
�� Ridiculous.�� Rodney scoffed.� �Outrageous.�
The best way to lose all your worldly possessions in less than an hour.�
�� I
don�t know�� John drawled, the urge to needle his friend and get back at him
for the cold shoulder was too strong.�
�I�ve always liked Vegas.�
�� Hmph.� You
would.�� Rodney sniffed disdainfully,
muttering something about showgirls under his breath.� John glared at him, ignoring the hurt that
was making his chest ache.� �So anyway,
I�ve got blueprints for their building in Phoenix that houses the TV station
and an independent publishing house the company owns.�
�� Gibbs
studied the picture, then the blueprints.�
�We could each take a team and hit both places at once.�
�� We
don�t know that Mike is at either location, though.�� Tony felt obligated to point out.� �If we hit both, and he�s not at either, than
we�ve not only wasted time but alerted this Baal guy to the fact that we�re on
to him.�
�� DiNozzo�s
right.� Baal could have your friend
anywhere, by now.�� Jack agreed, but not
looking very happy about it.� �We need
more confirmation, especially because at this point the snake probably doesn�t
know the SGC, specifically, is on to him.�
He thinks he�s only dealing with a bunch of ignorant, dumb humans with
no clue about what he really is or what he�s capable of.�
�� Ah�there�s
no record of any commercial flights, boss,� McGee spoke up, �but a Maxime Skye filed a flight plan in Phoenix, destination Las
Vegas, for his private plane yesterday evening.�
�� There�s
our confirmation that Vegas is a good target.��
Gibbs stood up, ready to just go and tear the place apart.
�� Or
it�s a clever way of distracting anyone looking for Mike from where he truly is
� namely still in Phoenix.� Especially if
Baal thinks he had the documents with him when Mike came to Phoenix.�� Mitchell shook his head in cautious
disagreement.� �He�s a sneaky son of a
bitch like that.�
�� How
are we to find out, then?�� Ziva demanded
impatiently.
�� John,
who was standing in front of the TV and studying the blueprints very carefully,
said absently, �If I were an egomaniacal parasitic alien bent on world
domination, but had to hide what I was from the majority of dumb Tau�ri until
I�d gotten everything I needed in place to take over, then I�d probably have a
secret � or at least totally off-limits area � where I could do my evil
scheming and such important things like hold prisoners and interrogate them.�
�� Everyone
stopped and stared at him, then at the TV.�
At the sudden silence, John turned to look at them all, flushing a
little.� �That�s how it goes in the
movies and on TV, anyway.� The bad guy
always has a lair and Baal is a clich� bad buy.�
�� Jack
burst out laughing.� �Hell, John, they all are!�
And you haven�t even had to deal with them.�� He shook his head.� �Daniel?�
�� Yeah,
you pretty much nailed it, John.� So
let�s see�� he moved over to the TV, along with the others, and they all
crowded around it as Rodney expanded both sets of blueprints.
�� Hmm�the
Vegas building is much larger, as to be expected.�� McKay mused. �More complex, too.�
�� I
could use the Asgard sensors to try and find out if there�s anything to the
buildings that aren�t on the blueprints.��
Mitchell offered.� �Or rather,
McKay should come up and try that, since he�d have a better idea of what he�s
looking at than I would.�� Cameron hadn�t
quite gotten the hang of interpreting sensor data yet, much to his chagrin. The
tech stuff wasn�t his thing.� He left
that stuff to Sam and Daniel � and occasionally Vala.
�� Yeah,
okay.� Go.�� Jack waved the Colonel off.
�� Sheppard?�� Rodney asked, back to his cool voice of
neutrality.
�� Get
our comms, first, then go with Mitchell.�� John nodded, then frowned as his friend
quickly left the room without another word.�
�Sir, may I suggest finding out if the NID has any more info on this
company or alias of Baal�s?� There might
be other facilities we�re unaware of.�
McKay only looked up the ones associated with the company.�
�� Right.� Daniel, call Davis.� Please.��
O�Neill added at Daniel�s raised eyebrow.� The linguist walked over to Jack�s desk and
picked up the phone.
�� John
stuffed his hands in his pockets, shifted back and forth on his feet, and gave
up.� �I�ll just go see what�s holding
Rodney up.�� He said, doing his best not
to run out the study door and up the stairs.
�� Gibbs,
sensing trouble in the ranks, looked at the General questioningly.
�� Don�t
look at me, Gibbs.� I don�t pretend to
understand the minds or moods of scientists.��
Jack responded with a shrug, then jerked a thumb in Daniel�s
direction.� �Except his, and then only
after years of experience.�
�� A
wadded up ball of paper hit the back of Jack�s head.� The General just smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~
�� In
the bedroom they were sharing, John found Rodney sitting on the bed with his
earwig in his hands and the open case beside him, staring down at the tiny
radio disconsolately.� John crossed his
arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe, and asked quietly,
�What�s wrong, buddy?� You�ve been acting
weird all morning.�
�� Rodney
stiffened at his voice and turned his head to glare.� �Nothing�s wrong.� Why would something
be wrong?�� He looked away and made a big
show of putting on his earwig and getting ready to leave.� �Yours is in the case.� I tested them and they�re ready to go.� Full power.�
�� John
didn�t move, continuing to block the door even when Rodney approached and tried
to leave.� �Okay, but that�s not what I�m
here for.� What�s going on?� Since I got back from my run and came up to
shower I�ve been persona non gratis
with you.� What did I do?�
�� Nothing.�� Was all the answer he got � which was an
answer, even if he didn�t explain it.�
�We can talk later. I have to go.��
Rodney tried again to squeeze past John, but the officer easily blocked
and pushed him back into the room.� �Colonel��
�� I�m
trying to think about what I said or did this morning to make you mad, and I�m
coming up blank, but I obviously did something,
so whatever it was, I�m sorry,
Rodney.�� John tried to catch his gaze,
but the blue eyes that normally focused on him with all the precision of a
laser darted away whenever he did.
�� If
you want to find Mike Franks, you need to step aside, Sheppard.�� Rodney growled.� Inside he was almost screaming with the
desperation to get away before he did or said anything to further drive John
away. He was so confused by John�s reaction earlier and how he was now here
acting normally like nothing had happened.�
He didn�t know what to think, and really, he didn�t want to right now.
�� Torn,
John hesitated, but suddenly became grimly determined and reached for
Rodney.� He grabbed the other man by the
arms, shuffled him backward far enough into the room that he could close the
door, then gave Rodney a long, hard stare.�
�I thought we were friends, Rodney.�� He stressed McKay�s given name, in
acknowledgement of how the scientist had stopped using John�s.� �Best friends.� Now I�m suddenly getting the cold shoulder
from you and I don�t understand why.��
When Rodney stubbornly raised his chin and glared, but stayed silent,
John ran a hand through his hair in frustration and scowled unhappily.� �Talk to me, damn it!� Don�t you get that I need you?� I can�t�not alone��
�� He
hated how weak he sounded but if it got the stubborn ass to talk, then fine.
�� It
worked, too.� Rodney�s expression
crumpled and he was reaching out almost unconsciously.
�� Oh
no, don�t you lay that guilt thing on me.��
Rodney protested, his resolve crumbling into dust at the expression on
John�s face.� �Damn it, John!� I�m trying to help!� Don�t you fucking look
at me all forlorn�� he suddenly threw his hands up in the air and exclaimed,
�Fine!� I�m pissed because I thought I
could trust you, and then I tell you the most personal thing I have left to
tell anyone in the whole goddamn
universe, let alone my supposedly best friend, and all you can do is run away
as fast as you can without even acknowledging what I just told you!� Happy now?!�
�� John
stared at him in shock, mouth open in a surprised �O.�� He thought quickly back, and it hit him that
Rodney was right.� He had reacted that way � or at least
that�s how it looked.� Cursing and
kicking himself mentally, he snapped his mouth shut and, feeling pretty
miserable himself, reached out and pulled Rodney into his arms, hugging him
hard.
�� Shit,
I�m an asshole.� I�m so sorry, Rodney.� It wasn�t�I didn�t mean to..� John swallowed
his words and only tightened his hold when Rodney tried to dislodge
himself.� �I�m sorry.� I swear I don�t care about your sexuality,
Rodney.� I mean, I care, just not in a negative way�I�m not saying this very well, am
I?�
�� Rodney
stopped struggling, listening to the truth and sincerity in John�s words and
voice, and felt all the tension drain out of him along with his anger, fear,
and loss.� Tentatively, he lifted his
arms and curled them around John, returning the embrace shyly.� �I may have overreacted�a little.�� He mumbled in concession, muffled by John�s
shirt.
�� No,
you didn�t.�� John closed his eyes in
relief, and took a quiet breath, inhaling Rodney�s scent and committing it to
memory.� At which point he came to a
decision.� �If it�ll help�I�m not exactly
straight as a ruler, either��
�� It
seemed to take a moment for that to sink in, and when it did, Rodney reared
back and stared at him from inches away in shock.
�� What?!�� He cried, sputtering in confusion.� �You�re not serious!� You�you�re the Kirk of the Pegasus
Galaxy!� You�ve never so much as��
�� Hello,
Colonel here!�� John rolled his eyes, but
they were sparkling in wry amusement, too.�
Rodney had to remember to breathe, as he�d never really looked at those
hazel eyes up close like this before and it was supremely distracting.� �I�ve had that side of myself wrapped up
tight and locked away for safe-keeping for a very long time, Rodney.� I could never risk it.� Not with my already questionable record in
the service.�� He admitted softly.
�� To
his surprise, Rodney flushed a deep red, and dropped those eyes that John
likened to the blue of Atlantis� ocean on the original planet the city had
rested on, to stare down at their feet.�
Wondering what was going on in that big brain of his, John tilted his
head and squeezed Rodney�s upper arm where his hand had come to rest.
�� Rodney?�
�� Oh,
ah�sorry. Just�a lot to take in, you know?��
Clearing his throat, Rodney seemed to pull himself together again and
took a couple steps back from John, straightening back up to his usual
confident stature.� �So, we�re good,
then?� Because I should really�� he
pointed at the door.
�� John
smiled slightly and nodded.� �Yeah, of
course.�� He blinked when the light bulb
and his greatest hope merged in his brain as Rodney flushed a pink-faced,
little shy grin and turned toward the door.�
Before he even realized he was moving, John was reaching out to grab
hold of Rodney just as he was gripping the doorknob to open the door.� �Wait, Rodney!�
�� The
scientist paused and half-turned back.� �Wha-� he began to ask but suddenly found himself back in
John�s hold and a surprisingly soft set of lips pressing earnestly but
cautiously to his.� He froze for a
moment, absolutely dumbfounded, and then his mind caught up with the sensory
input and he made a noise of surprised pleasure deep in the back of his throat
even as he grabbed a fistful of John�s shirt and hauled him in as close as
possible, eyes closing and body yielding to the kiss, welcoming it.� John shivered at the sound, responding to it
by tilting his head just a little�� It
went from warm and tentative to hot, demanding and desperate from one second to
the next.
�� Overwhelmed,
but in no way willing to let go of John, Rodney let himself go, giving in to
the physical and emotional storm that was John Sheppard and opening himself up
to his deepest, best-kept secret in the hopes that John would understand what
Rodney couldn�t say.
�� A
moment later, as abruptly as he�d started it, John ended the kiss and took a
big step back from Rodney, breathing hard and eyes very wide � and very dark
with lust and emotion.� Rodney blinked at
him, somewhat dazed and really turned
on.
�� Sorry.�� John rasped, the apology coming out rough and
low in the wake of his actions.� �I just
had to��cause I, you know�� he flushed in embarrassment when Rodney just looked
at him with a hot, glazed expression and rubbed at the back of his neck in a
nervous gesture rarely seen.� ��like you,
and�� he cleared his throat, �Well, now we have something to look forward to
after this mess is over with��
�� Rodney�s
crooked mouth twitched, and a fond smile took over � even as a dull red flush
crept back up his neck toward his face.�
�We both suck at this.�� He said,
grinning when John nodded fervently and looked relieved.� �But that was a good place to start.�� Rodney winked at him and turned, opening the
door.� �So let�s go save the world so we
can�discuss this more satisfactorily sooner rather than later, Colonel
Sheppard.�
�� Feeling
infinitely lighter in mind and heart, John grabbed the case containing his comm units from the bed and rushed after the man he�d just
kissed and basically declared his undying devotion to in the only way either of
them understood perfectly.
�� Striding
into the study, Rodney declared, �I�m ready.�
Let�s go, Colonel.�� He snapped
his fingers impatiently at Mitchell.�
�Chop chop!�
�� Mitchell
gave him a look, completely un-intimidated, and reached for his ear, even as he
said, �With your leave, sir?� to O�Neill.
�� The
General nodded, raising an eyebrow at McKay, then Sheppard as the other officer
came in behind his scientist.� Whatever
had been wrong between them was obviously gone, and Jack was relieved enough to
put it completely away, never to be worried about again.� �Yeah, go.��
He waved in dismissal.
�� McGee,
go with Dr. McKay.�� Gibbs ordered.� The junior agent blinked in surprise but
didn�t protest.� Instead he moved to
stand with McKay and Mitchell obediently.
�� We�ll
be in touch.�� McKay said to the room in
general.� �I can�t say how long this will
take.�
�� Between
one second and the next, they were enveloped in light and were gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~
- 8
- 9
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