Episode Seventeen: Protocol and Deceit

[Vanessa Collins]

1500
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California


She stood in the middle of two glaring boys, who were oddly with identical expression carved on their faces, ready to start a snarling match. Knowing hell was out to break loose, Vanessa sighed as she looked at her sons, then covered her face with her hands. She had taken a break from Delta for this; playing a referee. What had the world come to?

Heavens above her must be cruel to be kind. Perhaps this was her slight punishment for going head to head with Kepler after the man had torn her letter and said no in hell’s way she was leaving. She had already got the expedition’s respect she had worked for. According to Frank, the last base shrink hadn’t even lasted three months. Collins had set a record by staying a full year and not gone insane. While that may be turn but her was also captured in between as well.

Growling she cut of her thoughts and gave her own boys a glare of her own, “If you two keep this up I’ll ensure you both, you will be cleaning and cooking for the whole two weeks,” she said loudly causing their attention to her.

She saw both of them making gagging sounds and she scowled, “I might add the backyard cleaning to that list.”

<<err...tags??>>

[Marah "Tonobi" Law]

1500
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California

Marah's Jeep pulled up to the house she had a few times before. She had been reluctant but had decided to return home to her hometown. She still hadn't talked a single word to her father yet but had seen her mother at the barracks at the airforce base.

She took in a sigh she had told the SGC that unless they kept her on a active team that she didn't want it any more. They had no spots and the NID had a few words about her behind her back. That was the last straw in her books and she returned to the Air Force as a F-22 Pilot.

But she was here now and ready to talk to some one she had ties to. She had made a promise to her long ago that she would say hello when on earth. She opened the door and slowly got out. then walked up to the door of the house in her dress uniform and knocked on the door.

<Tag Vanessa>

[Vanessa Collins]

1501
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California

Both boys were ready to tear at each other’s throats, when the door was knocked on, Vanessa noted, but sighed in relief when their attention turned to the door. All three – mother and sons – supported a look of curiosity on who could be here.

“Sarah,” Aidan whispered.

“Dana,” came softly out of Lance.

Vanessa rubbed her temple and shook her head in quiet amusement. Robert had told her the twins had been dating for a while now. Their first collage girlfriends; her little boys were growing up. Chuckling she made her way to the front door and opened it. Seeing Marah, she looked at the Captain a bit surprised. Not that the woman wasn’t welcome, but her arrival was still a surprise. Before Collins could utter a word her sons walked past her, seeing Law both pouted their lip movements similar to Vanessa whenever she pull the same expression. Noting the mischief in their eyes, she knew they were up to something.

“Ohh, she’s pretty,” both said in unison, and only to receive slaps up side their heads by their mother, along with a glare.

“Sorry Mom. But you know we will take a raincheck and leave you both to your girly talks.” Lance added.

“Yea laters,” Aidan added in a hurry and bolted out after his brother.

Finally she had some piece and quite, another minute or so with the two, zatting them would have become appealing. “Marah, come in,” she stepped aside letting the Captain enter, closing the door behind her, she lead the way to the kitchen as she spoke, “What brings you by? Man trouble?” she turned and smiled warmly at Law, her way of letting the young Air Force Officer know she wasn’t trying to offend. “So what would you like to drink?”

<<Tag Marah>>

[Marah "Tonobi" Law]

1501
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California

Marah raised an eyebrow at the two children as they speed off some where away from the two women. Marah smiled and then turned back towards Vanessa, "Ummm Interesting ..... Umm kids?" she said. Then followed Vanessa into her house. They walked towards the kitchen as they spoke.

“What brings you by? Man trouble?” she turned and smiled warmly at Law, her way of letting the young Air Force Officer know she wasn’t trying to offend. “So what would you like to drink?”

"Hahaha, No Vanessa not at all, Although there is this pilot at the base that has the best body that I have seen there." she said smiling back at her. "Umm a glass of water, I have to go back to base tonight" she said as she walked into the kitchen. "How have you been these couple of months. Well apart from the obvious" she said looking in the way that the two men had disappeared.

<Tag Vanessa>

[Vanessa Collins]

1501 - 1505
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California


Vanessa laughed heartedly, “Kids? Good lord no; they just turned 21 the other week. Both are already into their second year of University. They just take after me for their crazy tactics. Drives my husband Robert up the walls sometime,” she chuckled as she took out cold water jug from the fridge and poured two glasses.

“Pilot?” she blinked at Marah, then looked mused, “which pilot? Besides aren’t you seeing what’s his name,” she racked her brain for the name, but she knew the face, “Lars?” she passed the glass to the Captain; then sat down. “Thought you would have been spending some down time with him.”

“Me?” she asked as she looked thoughtful over the rim of her glass, “I’ve been trying to suppress the urge to go over at Frank’s house and kill him in his sleep. Or better zat him.” Waving her hand in the air, as she tried not to have her lips twitching “I can’t seem to decide which is going to be more fun.” The man had torn her letter and replaced that with the SD1 team patches. She had understood his reasons. He didn’t want to start fresh with a new Psychologist when his expedition had a trust of the current one. She knew from the look in his eyes that he had understood her reasons for wanting to leave; yet he was still reluctant to let her go.

Bricking heads with Frank then wouldn’t have been wise course of action. Of course she could have fabricated his mental state over the decision, just to the get the hell out the Delta expedition, but that would have been unfair since he was giving her second chance, even after she tried to kill him. He never did place the full blame on her, she had noticed that. Still it didn’t ease the guilt.

“Why don’t you stay for dinner since your here already?” she invited Marah on the spur of the moment.

<<Tag Marah>>

[Marah "Tonobi" Law]

1501 - 1505
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California

Marah chuckled at her mistake of sorts. "I had known that you had children, but didn't know they were that old. I pictured them as eleven or twelve. So it was my mistake for making the assumption that they were small." she said still smiling at the Doctor. "Thank you" she said as Vanessa gave her the glass of water. She took a sip them continued, "Well since the break up of the Delta site personnel I have not had the time to see him at all. Or received anything from him. Anyway I can still look can't I. Although there is a rumor that the pilots may be going to england for a training exercise. Maybe I'll pay him a visit" she said to her.

Marah burst out into laughter, "You still have sore feelings about all that, even after what is going on know. Just remind me never to anger you. You hold grudges" she said laughing at the statement. "If thats not too much of a burden with you. I don't have to be back at base till eleven." she said taking another sip.

<Tag Vanessa>

[Vanessa Collins]

1507
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California

“Ah,” her eyes glinted at Marah told her, “How are things going with him anyway? I’m slightly curious.” The fact was she was always curious. That was what usually got her into trouble.

“Holding a grudge?” she asked, “No darling, just quite annoyed about it. After all I do need to give him a payback. He better be waiting on it.” then she got serious, “We all know what happened and how. If it wasn’t for me...” she trailed off and shook her head.

She smiled as Marah agreed to stay, “No it’s no problem. In face I would love it if you stayed. I’m surrounded by men here all the time. A girls night is just what I might need. Too bad I never had a chance to have a girl,” she smiled.

“Robert’s out anyway, the boys aren’t going to be back till two am,” she shrugged, “I’m not making dinner for one person.” She made a face. “Tell what you would like and start at it soon.”

<<Tag Marah>>

[Marah "Tonobi" Law]

1507
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California

Marah smiled at Collins, "Well before the breakup we were getting along quite well, he counted me as a good friend. But I wasn't sure if there was anything else there. But since then I have heard nothing, maybe he is just tied down with real life" Marah confessed to her.

Marah just smiled as Vanessa continued, that was untill she got to the serious part of the conversation. Nearly all the base had heard about it in one way or another. She heard it after returning from an off world scouting mission.

"Okay, That sounds fun then" she smiled again.

<Tag Vanessa>

[Vanessa Collins]

1510
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California

“He could be,” She agreed “Or he could be just hiding from you.” She grinned, “Either way, I doubt you be far from his mind. By the way, I thought you and Pooja would have been maxing out for cards, by doing some retail therapy.” She got up to bring back the jug of water. The young doctor had been super pi$$ed with Garcia, something she didn't think was possible, let alone someone making a attempt at it.

Returning, “Excellent,” she did a lame impression of Mr Burns. She had been watching too many re-runs of The Simpsons, “We can pick up pizza, tear jerking movies and get drunk with gin.” The idea of getting drunk seemed funny, “and we are still sober on some level I can drive you to the airport.”

<<Tag Marah>>

((We really don’t have a solid plot line here, or do we? LOL ))

[Vanessa Collins]

1810
Silver Lake, Los Angeles
California


Vanessa dusted her hands off the crumbs the pizza had left behind picking up her glass she polished of her drink, then grinned at Marah, “You know this the first time in years I sat through two movies in a row. Can’t remember the last time I did this.” Oh remembered clearly, but it was never the movies that took her time and attention. It had been a certain football player who had been the center of her attention the movies were only sounds in the background. But since she was honest without the extra details, she never rally did remember watching two movies that night.

Seeing the time, “How about we catch up with news?” she asked as she heard the phone ring as she flicked through the channels, “Collins,” she fired out her name, hearing her husband over the line, she grinned, “Oh sure......yea....uh huh.....gotcha...we might not be here when you get back......Marah needs to get back the airport......” she pulled a face, when Marah looked in her direction and rolled her eyes, “I’m haven’t had a drinking.....not going to either.....yea okay bye.”

Walking over to the sofa she slumped into it, “He worries too much,” she said then something in the news caught her eye. She saw the familiar figure of Apollo, standing a building in downtown of LA, more near Holllywood, causing the unspeakable terror on the innocent citizen’s of the place. She saw him look As if seeing Marah and her; the blond’s lips curled a cold smile as he fired something towards the camera as if sensing their presences. Vanessa felt blood go cold and drain from her face as the small fireball came what seem to in their way. She only remembered herself screaming.

0800
Icarus
Temporary Quarters

Her brain had forced to wake up, jerking a slightly up she looked around her; her heartbeats were fast and unsteady. Looking at her clock, seeing the time she blinked. She had been dreaming, she noted a little belatedly; she wasn’t on Earth, not in her home with her sons, but aboard on the Iliad, the ship that was serving as a temporary base since Delta had been destroyed. Sighing once she was calm enough, Collins was gald she hadn’t jumped out bed and ran blindly towards Law’s room to make sure the young captain was alive. Running around in her silk PJ’s was something, Frank wouldn’t find funny, not if it was coming from the Base Psychologist. Falling back on the pillow she looked at the stars to calm her down further more.

<<Tag Marah>>