Beyond the Iris: A Stargate Story

Chapter 3

"Really?" My head cocked to the right doubtfully. "How can I help?"

"You can help me not be so lonely this evening, dinner?" He pursed his lips and winked. I had to admit, he was classically handsome. He had a sharp jawline and the way his uniform was rolled up on his tanned arms he could clearly best most here in physical combat. Perhaps not that Teal'c fellow though, I hadn't held a conversation with him, but I had seen his giant form walk into Dr. Jackson's office from time to time and it was like seeing something from myth lumbering about.

But I just looked back at him blankly trying to hide my uncomfortable gut reaction. "Cute, can't. Thank you though."

"I'm Sgt Carlson, but you can call me Lonnie."

"Hello Lonnie," I went to grab a pair of rubber gloves on my desk and my cleaning brushes before cracking at a new case of artifacts the science department had finished with.

"What can I call you?" He flashed a wide toothy grin.

"You said you were coming to see me, you should know?" I flashed an inquisitive smile in his direction back and he walked in presumptively taking a seat in a spare blue plastic molded chair I had found at a local thrift store. "Eleanor Owens."

"How long have you been here Eleanor?"

"A little over two months," I picked up a golden gauntlet in the box and lightly started to touch the stones embedded in it to see if any were loose.

"Wild, and I haven't seen your angelic face walking around?"

I looked back at him this time unable to hide the grimace, "unless you're personally coming down here to drop off paperwork or ask for paperwork, we probably haven't seen each other."

"That's a shame," he leaned forward and rested his head in his hands.

"Well, there are a lot of floors here, and a lot offices." I turned back to the gauntlet. "A lot of other people." I murmured hoping he would get the hint.

"I'll be honest," he sighed, "I was heading to Dr. Felger's office to bother him about some plant I found on our last off world mission."

"Lovely, well I'm busy," I started, "so unless you're here for something, anything else, I'm going to ask you kindly to please leave."

He stood up chuckling, "you seem on edge, does it have to do with you sneaking out of Dr. Jackson's office?"

"No," I said quickly, too quickly unfortunately as his brows rose to his hair line. "I wasn't sneaking, and I am just cranky today, I'm sorry. It was nice meeting you Lonnie, feel free to come down here to the catacombs anytime." He gave me another cheeky wink before walking out and I had a feeling that he would take me up on that again.

Jack

"What are you munching on?" I shouted across to Teal'c as he strolled in with Daniel to the gate room.

"A cookie." His monotone lilt carried through the room as he shoved the last bit in his mouth and grabbed his expedition pack.

"Cookies?"

"A protein bar for lunch isn't anything to be excited about, a cookie before the trip makes it better." Daniel grinned, placing something in his breast pocket before slipping his pack on.

"You seem chipper," I grumbled and Carter placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Come on sir, if you want a cookie I'm sure we could muster one up from the mess hall before we head out." I gave her a sarcastic look that read shove your cookie where the sun don't shine, and motioned up to the gate control center through the glass.