Third Watch

TITLE: Third Watch
AUTHOR: Trish Williams
EMAIL: bartricia_w@yahoo.com
CATEGORY: Adult, Romance (Teal'c/Other), Angst
SPOILERS:Children of the Gods", "Family", "Bloodlines", "Shades of Grey", "Touchstone"
SEASON / SEQUEL: Set during the 3rd season. The second installment in the Kama Sutra series. This is the sequel to Paradox.
RATING: NC-17 (translation: there's sex in this here story!)
CONTENT WARNINGS: sex, profanity
SUMMARY: During third watch', Teal'c decides to make an unexpected stop.
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis 2: All others please ask.
DISCLAIMER: Our God, MGM/UA, who art the owner of all things Stargate SG-1, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Showtime/Viacom's will be done, by Double Secret and Gekko Productions on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this fanfiction, which is my daily bread, and forgive me my trespasses as I twist thine stories into those that fulfill my fantasies. For thine characters are owned by you, and you have the power and the glory while I enjoy the fantasy for no pay or sexual favors, forever and ever, amen. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. The song, "KISS" is copyrighted to The Artist Again Calling himself Prince and Paisley Park productions.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  This is the second story in the Kama Sutra series Paradox was the first. At least four (4) stories will comprise this series. There could be more stories, dependent on how much time I have and how hard my muse pushes me :-) Many thanks to everyone who gave me feedback about Paradox and this story. You're great for my ego! As always, constructive feedback is appreciated. All flames will go into my virtual circular file'.

Teal'c walked leisurely but with purpose while on his usual rounds about the SGC facility. This predictable routine served to bond him to this world of the Tau'ri--his new home. He went about his business, inspecting this, checking that, making sure everything was in order before retiring to his quarters to meditate. While most of the Tau'ri warriors here found the third watch' distasteful, Teal'c found the stillness of the evening comforting. There was something different about this particular evening. This time, he found himself debating whether or not to change the routine to which he had become so accustomed.

Considering the lateness of the hour, he knew should be heading toward his quarters to meditate but instead, Teal'c found himself yearning to talk with Doctor Kayla Porter. There was something about the kindness that radiated in her eyes that reached out and grabbed him by the soul. She seemed to see his questions before he asked them, and seemed to never tire of giving answers. She wasn't considered to be a warrior, but like DanielJackson, she was very learned, valued for her knowledge and took her work very seriously.

However, there was that paradox--how could someone so beautiful create such weapons of destruction? And in addition, considering how warm she was towards him, he couldn't understand why some of the Tau'ri warriors called her ice princess'. He made a mental note to ask someone what that meant.

Pacing outside of the doors to the SGC Research and Development lab like an indecisive sentry, he wondered if he should go in or not. He knew she was there--working yet another late night. Of course, he did not want to disturb her but she had told him he would not be disturbing her if he wanted to talk. Should he not accept her invitation? Teal'c rationalized that even though the SGC's security was above reproach, it would make him feel better to personally see to it that she was safe.

Upon entering the R&D laboratories, he didn't see anyone working. The only sound he could hear immediately was the low hum of the various computers and equipment. He looked around, his eye catching a sign that said: "SGC Research & Development: The difficult we do right away. The impossible takes a bit longer..." Next to those words was the picture of an animal in a lab coat. Kayla had explained to him that it was a cartoon character named Wile E. Coyote.

Hearing footfalls, his body stiffened up. When he realized it was the sound of a heeled shoe, he relaxed. He could tell from the sound that Kayla was not walking at all. It sounded like she was in one of the individual offices, so he walked in that direction. Looking around, he could see that out of all the offices only one had a light on. Folding his hands behind him, Teal'c took in a deep breath and walked into the illuminated office. What greeted him wasn't what he expected to see.

Doctor Kayla Porter sat on a stool in front of one of her three computers, her body swaying back and forth in time to the music playing through the headphones. Her foot tapped to keep the time as her hips undulated to the sound only she could hear. She was in her own world--oblivious to anyone and vulnerable to anything. Teal'c felt a sense of pride that her safety depended on his vigilance. Seeing her like this stirred something sensual inside of him. Kayla danced like a courtesan entertaining her lord--as if the only things that mattered were his pleasure and her ability to drum up desire in him.

Teal'c's higher brain reminded him that she was not aware of his presence and this was considered spying'. He figured it would be virtuous of him to announce his presence, so he knocked on the open door of her office. She didn't turn around. Instead, the dark-skinned woman's hands pushed her straightened dark brown hair up and slowly let the strands fan out as they floated down onto the back of her white lab jacket.

He knocked again. She still didn't turn around. Instead, her hands dropped to her sides and slowly glided up her thighs and hips. Her body moved around suggestively before she sang out:

You don't have to be beauutifull, to turn me on. I just need your body baby, from dusk til' dawn....

He knocked a little harder. She still didn't turn around. This time, instead of grasping her hips, she grasped her ample breasts instead. Her hips still swayed in time, while her lips belted out the lyrics. Granted he hadn't heard much Tau'ri music, but Kayla's voice was quite impressive.

I want to be...your... fan-ta-sy! Maybe, you could be mine...

She sang heartily. Teal'c figured he couldn't just sit and watch much more of this. As much as he was enjoying her display of exhibitionism of seeing her dance so suggestively in front of him was, he really just wanted to talk to her. Knowing she was here made him realize even more just how lonely he was on this world.

He walked in front of her and noticed her eyes were closed. Her sensual lips moved silently as they repeated the words piped in through her headset. She wore very little makeup, but what stood out was the slight wine-colored tint on her full lips. Slick and wet, they beckoned to be kissed. In his fantasies, he had kissed them a thousand times. But right here, right now, he just looked at her--entranced as those full sensual lips repeated the suggestive lyrics of the song she was singing in her mind.

Suddenly, her eyes opened!

Kayla screamed and jumped up in surprise. She was so startled that she tripped over her stool. As she fell forward, Teal'c caught her in his powerful arms. The stool bumped against the edge of the desk and settled in next to a file cabinet.

"Jesus H. Christ!" she yelled, hastily yanking her headphones off. "You scared me!"

"I did not mean to," he said, helping her regain her footing. Kayla couldn't help but notice just how strong and solid he was. Realizing that she was probably feeling him up, she let go.

She knew he hadn't meant to give her such a scare, and smiled to put him at ease. Kayla made a mental note not to have the volume up so high the next time. The next person who busted her more than likely wouldn't be as attractive as Teal'c. And to prove the fates had a sense of humor, Teal'c just had to catch her while she was in the middle of fantasizing being one of Prince's back-up singers.

"Well, it isn't like I tried to lock the door or anything," she said, trying to untangle herself out of her headphones. She punched a button on her computer that silenced The Artist Now Back To Being Known as Prince for the moment. "It just gets eerily quiet here at night. Since I do my best work at this time, I'm not used to others being around."

"You do not go home?" he inquired.

"No reason to," she said matter-of-factly. "No kids, no husband. Just two cats and my friend Portia takes care of them when I'm not at home. Which reminds me..." Kayla fished her cell phone out of the mass of papers on her desk and dialed.

"Portia?" she said into the phone. "It's Kayla. How are my little ones doing? Fine? Oh crap," Kayla squeezed her eyes shut in frustration for a moment, then opened them and continued talking. "Yeah, he's probably mad at me. I should be home tomorrow if nothing blows up. Yeah. Love you too. Bye." Kayla turned off the phone and sighed heavily.

"Is everything satisfactory?" Teal'c asked. He noticed she looked a little agitated.

"Same as usual," she said, dropping down into the chair and tossing her phone back into the sea of papers on her desk. "One of my cats, Ramses, just shredded another throw rug. He misses me."

"I cannot say that I blame him. I would miss you also." Kayla blushed at his remark and dropped her eyes to the floor. It was the same thing May'at used to do. Kayla had so many mannerisms like May'at that it unnerved him at times.

"When I'm gone too long he gets destructive," Kayla continued. "Portia's threatened to have him made into tennis racket strings if he doesn't get his act together."

Kayla saw the question in his eyes.

"Tennis racket strings are supposedly made out of cat entrails," she said with a smile. "And tennis is some boring-ass sport where this little ball gets smacked back and forth across a net. The only thing more boring than that is golf."

Teal'c bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment and looked at the coffee cup on her desk that said, Eat your heart out, I'm married'. He noticed that the word married' was crossed out repeatedly in black permanent marker. Under it, she had written, a free agent'. He wondered what that meant.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked, noticing that the graffiti on her coffee cup had gained his attention.

"Only if it is made by your hands," he said, sliding over a chair next to hers. She smiled and reached down under her desk where she kept her coffee stash under lock and key.

"So, Teal'c," Kayla began as she flicked the start switch on her coffeepot. "Tell me about yourself."

Teal'c watched her intently as she brought over a chair over in front of him, turned it around and sat astride it. He saw that O'Neill definitely was right--that lab coat of hers didn't come near to concealing her curvaceous figure. Frail she definitely was not. If she were on Chulak, she would have been Jaffa breeding material. Teal'c made a mental note to do everything in his power to assure she never set foot on that planet.

"What is it you wish to know?" he said in a warm, rich voice as he tried not to stare at her.

"Oh, where you're from. How you got here. Stuff like that," she said, clasping and unclasping her hands.

Teal'c figured with her rank she should already know. "Your clearance is not that high?" he asked.

"I'm being facetious, Teal'c," she replied, turning to take quick glance at the coffee starting to drip into the pot. "I've read the documents. I just want to hear it from you."

The sounds of the slaves screaming rang through his memory. Apophis had ordered the death of slaves countless times. And countless times Teal'c had either carried out the sentence himself when he was a Serpent Guard, or given the order when he was First Prime. Behind Kayla, his mind projected the scene of pandemonium when Apophis ordered their death of the current crop of slaves. Men trampling on women and children, women screaming and exorcising futile efforts to save their children, and the children who didn't know what was going on but screamed because they could feel the thick stench of fear in the room. And in the middle of it all were the Tau'ri warriors--O'Neill, MajorCarter and DanielJackson.

He'd thought by now what had happened over two years ago wouldn't affect him that deeply anymore. The fact of the matter was, he didn't want to talk about it. But Kayla seemed so intrigued by him, and seemed to genuinely want to know more about him. She was one of the few Tau'ri who didn't fear him, but wanted to understand him. For her, and the hope that it would endear him to her, Teal'c decided to plunge back into that memory.

He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Apophis had ordered me to kill those whom were not chosen to be the Children of the Gods," he said, his voice showing a hint of emotion. "O'Neill pleaded for my help."

Kayla looked sideways at him. She knew all about the Jaffa. She knew all the dirty work they did in the name of the Goa'uld they served. Considering how strong of a mental hold their particular master had on them, she wondered how Teal'c had managed to break free and become a renegade. She knew she'd run the risk of insulting him but hell, she wasn't afraid of Teal'c. If he had to be insulted so she could satisfy some of the questions in her mind, so be it. With his gruff personality, she figured the last thing he would do would take her questions personally.

"And why did you help him?" she asked. "Forgive me for being a little skeptical here, but you are a Jaffa, right?"

"That is correct."

She was right. He wasn't taking this personally.

"And technically, you guys are the Stormtroopers for the Goa'uld," she pointed out. "The Goa'uld give the order and the Jaffa start killing people."

"That is also correct." Suddenly, Teal'c started to feel a little uncomfortable.

"So back to my first question," she said, pressing her body against the chair. "Why did you help him?"

"Because he was the only one I believed could help free those condemned people."

"And why is that?"

Teal'c told himself that May'at was never this direct at questioning him. He wondered if Kayla's other specialty was interrogation.

"You are very direct in your questioning," Teal'c said. His discomfort was showing.

"I'm an engineer," she said with a warm smile. "It takes me awhile to pick up on social cues that I'm making people uncomfortable. I consider myself blessed. Some engineers never pick up any social skills."

Teal'c relaxed a little. "DanielJackson informed me that they were Tau'ri," he said, settling back a little into his chair. "Your people. The legend, only known to a few, was that the Tau'ri had overthrown the Goa'uld and buried the Stargate so they could not return."

"Well, now we know they don't need the gate," she said.

Kayla tapped her foot a few times while she thought. In some small way she had to thank the Goa'uld. If it weren't for them, Hammond and company wouldn't be so adamant about developing weapons and other defense methods so quickly. She shuddered inwardly when she thought of possibly meeting the Goa'uld. She'd already met one of the Tok'ra--the one named Selmac. The Tok'ra unnerved her and they were the good guys.

"So you just left with O'Neill?" she asked, gesturing with one of her hands. "You had to have left something behind." She knew from history that even die-hard military types like Teal'c had some kind of family ties somewhere.

"I had a family," he said wistfully. "Dealing with the consequences of my actions was not easy for them."

Kayla got a strange look on her face but suddenly it softened. "What do you mean, had' a family?" she asked.

"My wife is no longer my wife. She is now only the mother of my son."

Kayla could read through the lines. She decided to leave it alone.

"I'm going to tell you a little story," she said, wringing her hands. "One side of my family is from the American South. The 1960's were a time of great turbulence. People like me, black people, were being coerced in a not-so-subtle way not to register to vote."

Now Teal'c was intrigued. "What is a vote'?" he asked.

"Let me see if I can give you the Reader's Digest version of the democratic process," she said, wiggling a little on her chair. "In a nutshell, it is the way people of this country choose their leader. And it's say in how this country is run. For example, our President gained his position because the majority of the people in this country voted for him. It is a way to assure that the government serves the people and not the other way around. Although sometimes it seems to be the other way around."

"I see," he said.

Teal'c marveled at how such a place could be ruled by the people instead of a Goa'uld. He'd even asked Jack once if President Clinton was a Goa'uld. Jack had told him that if he was, the Goa'uld ought to come back and put a foot in his ass for being such a disgrace to the species.

"For a long time in this country, the vote was only for white, male property owners. Then eventually blacks were given the right to vote by law, but a lot of coercive methods like tests and a poll tax were done to discourage the law from being enforced. And this went on for almost 100 years. My great uncle felt so strongly about our people being able to vote then that he endured beatings by the police, rocks and insults hurled at him, and death threats. His family was routinely harassed, their house was bombed."

Teal'c remembered what Drey'auc had told him about the consequences of his actions. He could definitely relate to what Kayla was saying.

"But he had to do what he felt was right," she said, tossing another look at the coffeepot. "Just as you did. Yes, his family did suffer. But they understood what he was fighting for. If your family did not or refused to understand that, they didn't deserve you."

"What happened to your uncle?' Teal'c asked. He watched as Kayla got up to get the coffee. The smooth aroma was welcoming to his nostrils. Now he realized why she concealed it.

"He was shot dead in the driveway of his house," Kayla said sadly. "And the bastards who did it shot him from behind. They never found who did it. Of course given the times, no one was talking." Kayla's expression hardened a little. "I hope like with Medgar Evers's killer they find the coward and bring him to trial. There's no statute of limitations on murder."

The coffee pots timer then went off, interrupting Kayla's tirade.

"I am sorry," he said. "He sounded like an honorable man."

"He was," she said, her voice and expression softening again. "I wish I could have met him. I've only seen pictures." Kayla pulled out a NASA coffee cup for Teal'c. She looked into it, saw it wasn't all that clean, and picked out clean one that said, I Love My Attitude Problem'.

"Level with me," Kayla said as she poured coffee into his cup. "Why do I get the impression you know me from somewhere?"

"You remind me of someone," he told her with a fond look. "Someone from my planet."

Dear God, Kayla thought. Please tell me it isn't some Jerry Springer psycho-bitch.

Teal'c could read the question she wanted to ask. "She was supposed to become my wife," he answered.

Kayla still wasn't reassured. She figured this chick still could have been a nut case.

"Really?" she said, giving him an inquisitive look as she sat his now-full coffee cup down. "So what happened?"

The look on Teal'c's face said he wasn't ready to talk about it.

"I'm sorry," Kayla said apologetically. "I didn't mean to pry."

"I know. Perhaps some day I will tell you."

"I haven't been completely honest," she said as she put cream in his coffee. "You remind me of someone too."

"Do I?"

"Yeah," she said with a grin. "The whole defensive line of the Green Bay Packers. If I didn't know where you came from I'd swear you were a linebacker."

"Linebacker?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's one of the positions in this lovely game called Football. I'll have to take you to a game." He took the coffee mug she handed to him.

Teal'c bowed his head slightly in thanks. "I would like that," he said as he took a sip.

By the Gods, this woman knew how to make a cup of coffee.

"As you can see, I'm a big Packers fan." Kayla pointed to a bumper sticker on one of her whiteboards that said: My favorite team is the Green Bay Packers and whoever's playing Dallas.'

"I have watched Football on television with O'Neill."

"Watching them on TV isn't as great as seeing it in person," she remarked as she prepared her mug of coffee. "I'm a little biased. I love football and football players because I was a cheerleader in high school. It helped negate my other nerdy interests." Kayla purposely adjusted her glasses to emphasize her last statement.

"What is a...cheerleader?" Teal'c asked. Kayla made a mental note of how much Teal'c wanted to know about all the facets of her world. She hoped her warped view of the planet wouldn't corrupt his sense of wonder.

"Well," she began, trying to figure out the description in her head. "You stand on the sidelines in a short skirt and pompoms and inspire the players to victory. It's like having someone do the battle cry for you."

Kayla finished preparing her coffee and gave Teal'c an admiring look. It was a look he welcomed. He knew that it pleased him immensely to watch her do something as simple as make coffee for the both of them. He couldn't decide if it was just her doing it or the act itself that was affecting him so. The one thing he did know is that for once, it felt good to talk with someone, a woman, this way. Not that he didn't enjoy talking with Captain Carter or Doctor Frasier when the opportunity presented itself. It was just that with Kayla, things were different. He couldn't describe it exactly right now. He just knew that it was.

And he liked it.

"So you've got one of those Goa'ulds in you?" Kayla asked as she took a sip of her coffee. She'd turned her chair back around after realizing sitting astride it was not very ladylike--or comfortable after a long period of time.

"Yes," Teal'c confirmed, amused at her shift in sitting position. "It is an infant."

"That thing has got to mature some time, right?"

"Yes."

"You don't volunteer much information, do you?" she asked, crossing her legs and balancing her cup on her knee.

Teal'c arched an eyebrow at her. She just brushed it off.

"And when it does, then what?" Kayla asked.

"It will need a host," Teal'c replied. "I will not allow that to happen."

"Of course not. But what happens to you?" she said, the concern showed in her voice.

Teal'c could see her mind working to make some sense of what he'd just said. He liked how her mind seemed to constantly be in motion. That negated how much her line of questioning could grate on his nerves.

"If I do not find a replacement larvae, I will not survive for long."

Kayla decided to lighten the mood a little. She definitely did not want to talk about his demise.

"So it's like you're...with child?" she asked with a smile.

"Not exactly," Teal'c said flatly. Kayla couldn't tell if he was intrigued or insulted. She figured she might have made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"I was joking, Teal'c," she assured. "Trust me, Tau'ri humor takes awhile to understand. And it doesn't help that mine is more twisted than others."

Teal'c smiled at her. "Your humor reminds me of O'Neill," he said.

"Oh yeah?" she said with a sly grin. "Jack's a real nut. I ran into him a few days ago and he remembered me. He said he didn't recognize me at first. I don't believe that one bit."

"As I recall, he made a rather inappropriate comment about your body." Teal'c remembered Jack's off-handed comment about Kayla a few weeks ago in the mess hall. He couldn't tell if he knew Kayla or not.

"It was probably about my ass. He always did kid me about that," Kayla said as she put her now-empty coffee cup on her desk. "This isn't public knowledge, Teal'c, but at one time Jack and I were considering seeing each other again, but things didn't work out."

"You are no longer interested?" Teal'c wanted to make sure.

"No," she said with a heavy sigh. "It's complicated to explain but Jack and I make better friends than lovers. The chemistry just wasn't there. And after what I just went through with my former husband, I have definitely learned that if the chemistry isn't there, it ain't worth going for."

"Former husband?" Teal'c noticed the change in tense. It used to be soon to be former husband CaptainDick'.

"Yeah, I signed the papers today. Captain Dick tried contesting it but at the last minute decided not to. Probably found himself another trophy wife."

"Trophy wife?" he asked. He hadn't heard that term before.

Kayla decided to take another approach to answering his question.

"On Chulak, are there men who wait to take a wife when they have reached a certain point in their career?" she asked.

"Yes."

"And are there men who divorce their wives in order to marry another woman?"

"Yes," he said. Teal'c could feel himself getting uncomfortable again but reminded himself that Kayla was only trying to teach him. It would behoove him to listen.

"Are these women usually much younger, prettier, fertile and not too smart?"

"Yes."

"Teal'c, those women are trophy wives," she said, pushing her gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I ought to know because I used to be one. In my case, I wasn't too smart when I hooked up with Captain Rogers."

Teal'c didn't need any further clarification. He just looked into his coffee, took another sip, and tried like hell not to look guilty of what she had just described.

"But why are we talking about me?" she asked, realizing just how impolite she was being. "We're supposed to be talking about you."

"I do not mind," Teal'c said, leaning forward towards her a bit. "I enjoy talking about you."

Kayla blushed. "You're good for my ego," she said.

"I find it interesting that someone like you is responsible for creating weapons."

Kayla laughed a little. It wasn't something she hadn't heard before.

"Is that your way of asking, What's a girl like me doing in a place like this?'"

Teal'c thought for a moment before answering. "Yes, I believe that is what I am asking."

"I'm not interested in mass destruction if that's what you think," she said with a glowing smile. "I just like coming up with innovative solutions to difficult problems. It seems the difficult problems I'm good at solving happen to be in the defense sector." She got up and went over to one of her computers. "Let me show you something," she said, motioning for Teal'c come over.

Kayla punched in a few codes on her UNIX workstation. After a few moments, a 3-D wireframe rendering of a sexless human appeared. After another few keystrokes, the rendering was covered in a dark blue outfit that resembled a t-shirt and long shorts. Add a surfboard and the figure could have lept into a virtual ocean.

"This is the concept model for a device designed to save a lot of the SG teams from those nasty staff weapon burns," she explained, pointing an elegant finger at the screen. "The actual prototype hasn't been built yet because we're still compiling more of the intelligence and data coming back. Doctor Frasier has been helping me a lot on that end. But eventually I'll need for you to shoot at a few prototypes for me."

"Interesting," he said, looking at the screen. "If this proves successful, it will save many lives." Teal'c remembered just how many SG personnel had come back with severe injuries or worse from staff weapon burns.

"That's what I'm hoping will happen," Kayla said as she slid a diamond tennis bracelet up and down her arm. "But with our technology advancing, we'd need more intelligence to find out if the staff weapon technology has advanced as well. This will be more of a CYA measure than an SYA measure until it's verified that staff weapons haven't gotten deadlier."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. She knew exactly what he was confused about.

"CYA means Cover Your Ass. SYA means Save Your Ass. No matter how many times I try to explain the difference to Hammond and the rest of the brass, they keep getting the two mixed up." Kayla sat back down on her chair, clearly pleased with how impressed Teal'c was with her latest project.

"I see," Teal'c said, glancing again at the screen.

"I just wanted to show you I do more than create things to blow shit up. Not that I don't enjoy that sort of thing from time to time," she smirked. "And I think I do it pretty well for a girl'," Kayla purposely emphasized her gender. Not that she thought Teal'c was sexist, but considering the social structure on his planet, women weren't exactly equal citizens.

"I wonder what else you do...well," Teal'c suggested. Kayla could tell he was not referring to work anymore. She crossed her legs suggestively, purposely leaning to the side so her cleavage made its presence known through her lab coat.

"That, my dear Jaffa, you will have to find out for yourself," she cooed.

"Why are you called, ice princess'?" Teal'c asked.

Kayla looked offended. "Where'd you hear that?" she demanded. "Jack? Or was it that twit Makepeace?"

"Neither," he said. It was pretty obvious he wasn't about to divulge his source.

Kayla relaxed a little. Out of all the people who would consider her an ice princess, Jack O'Neill definitely shouldn't have been one of them. Now Makepeace would be one of them considering some of the derogatory remarks she'd made about his intelligence. And of course, there was that remark she'd made about him going to school on the little bus'...

"To answer your question," she lectured. "Some men here at the SGC aren't too happy with me turning down their requests for a date. And because of that, they gave me that nickname. It seems to have stuck."

"I still do not understand...."

"They are trying to imply that I have no need or desire for sex," Kayla interrupted. "That I am obviously not sexually attracted to anyone."

"Is that true?" he asked.

Kayla shot him a nasty look.

"Of course not!" she snapped, a lot more forcefully than she intended. "Some Tau'ri men tend to get quite offended when their sexual advances are rebuffed."

_The same as on Chulak,_ Teal'c thought.

"And because I rebuff those advances, they try to de-humanize me by giving me such a derogatory nickname. And do you know what the funny thing is?"

"Tell me," he said, clearly amused at how defensive she was about this issue.

"Tau'ri men like this game of hard to get'. Brings out the hunter instinct in them. I think one of the reasons I wound up with my asshole of a former husband is because I didn't play hard to get. We're divorced now, so it's no longer an issue."

"Why would any man be foolish enough to let you go?" Teal'c asked. Granted he didn't know Kayla that well but what he did know she didn't seem the type to just leave her husband for no good reason.

"It's a long story but here's the short version," she said. "Because he didn't love himself, he never trusted the fact that I loved him. It all showed in his jealousy when it came to me, his lying, his lack of consideration. And things only got worse after that accident he had."

"What accident?"

"A vehicle accident on a military installation somewhere in Utah last year. Well, he called it a vehicle accident. That's the official explanation." Kayla lowered her voice a little before continuing. "The unofficial explanation is he was injured in an explosion during one of Maybourne's shopping trips' through the Stargate. "

"I believe my team and I were probably the ones who shot at him," Teal'c explained.

"Then I guess I have you and your team to thank for that," she said with a smirk. "The end result was that it left him unable to service' me properly. If you get my meaning."

Teal'c got her meaning loud and clear.

"I see," he said with a raised eyebrow. On his world, if a wife was unable to service her husband, he was well within his right to find someone else who would. But if a man wasn't able to service his wife, well, such things were never spoken of.

"Not that that alone was enough to make me leave him," she hurriedly explained. The last thing she wanted Teal'c to think about her was that she didn't take her marriage vows seriously. "There are treatments for that these days. But he decided to blame it all on me."

"It would not be logical for him to blame this inadequacy on you."

"Tell me about it," she spat.

"Tell you about what?" he asked. He looked confused again.

"Oh, when you tell someone, Tell me about it', that means you agree with what they've just said. Some people say things like, Amen', or, You can say that again' or, as my friend Portia would say, Damn skippy'."

"Damn skippy," Teal'c repeated. Kayla smiled at his attempt.

"I think it fits you better to say, Tell me about it,'" she said. Before she could say more her cell phone rang to the tune of Ode To Joy'. She fumbled for it and then answered it as the melody repeated for the third time.

"Hello?" she said into it, still smiling at Teal'c. Suddenly, her smile turned into a scowl and her voice became angry and demanding. It was a tone of voice he'd never heard her use before. "Why are you calling me?" Kayla demanded. "No...no I can't. And why would I even want to do that considering you disgust me?"

Kayla's anger brought forth a memory Teal'c had tried to hide. It was one of many painful memories but it was this one that made him truly realize just how much he'd hurt May'at all those years ago. And how much his ambition had cost him the only woman he truly loved.

Teal'c grabbed May'at by the arm as she walked by. The eunuchs that were doing a poor job of guarding her turned to assault whomever had the audacity to abduct the favorite courtesan of their Lord. Once they saw it was Teal'c, the backed off. She cursed them as Teal'c pulled her away but he knew they would do nothing to stop him. He was First Prime--for them to interfere would bring certain and harsh punishment. He ignored her repeated curses to let her go. As far as he was concerned, he wanted some answers about what he'd witnessed earlier. And by the Gods, she was going to give them to him!

"How could you do such a thing?!?" he demanded in an angry deep voice as he pulled her into an empty room. "How could you do this to me?"

"How could you?!?" she spat back. May'at angrily pulled her arm out of his grasp. She rubbed it frantically to make the pain go away quicker. Teal'c was sorry he'd hurt her but he was angry. After what he'd just witnessed, he felt he had every right to be.

That didn't stop May'at from staring daggers at him.

"You know I love you," he said, his voice and expression softening.

"Do you?" May'at challenged, her hands on her hips in defiance. "Do you really? Did you love me enough to marry me like you said you would? No, you did not. We both know what you really love. And it is because of that we are not together as we should have been."

Teal'c didn't have a defense to her accusations. He was completely to blame and knew it. Master Bray'tac had warned him this would but he refused to listen. And now he was paying the price.

"How could you mate with him?" Teal'c asked, the hurt showing in his words. He thought that maybe if May'at saw how hurt he was, she wouldn't be so angry with him. A wicked smile appeared on May'at's face.

"It was quite easy," she said, walking slowly around him. She purposely swung her hips back and forth as she went. "And I do not understand why you are so angry," she said in a sarcastic tone of voice. "After all, you've got precious Drey'auc at home. All things considered, I guess she was the better choice for you. Was she not?"

Teal'c said nothing. May'at turned her back to him and looked out the window at the sunset. It's warm light bathed her body, but it couldn't warm her soul.

"I had to do what I did for a reason," he said as he approached her. "Why can you not accept that?"

May'at said nothing. She didn't even flinch when he placed his large hands on her shoulders.

"I am First Prime," he whispered into her ear. "Even if we are seen together no one will question it."

He rubbed her shoulders suggestively, kissing her neck as he did so. His hands caressed her hips, her thighs, and he pressed himself against her so she could feel she still had the power to arouse him.

"You remember that night at the summer palace?" he asked, not trying to conceal the desire in his voice. "We can be that way again. Give ourselves to with each other again. I am First Prime--no one will question what I do with you."

May'at angrily broke away and turned to face him.

"Let the both of us understand this, Teal'c," she began. "I will not be your whore! Do you understand me?!?"

The words hit him in the face like a fist. The one woman that he loved more than anything now acted as if she hated him. And she had every reason for the righteous anger that flowed from her like hot lava. In all the years they had known each other, she had only been this angry once previously. He cursed himself for being such a fool to think he could simply marry another woman and expect her not to be angry.

But his brain couldn't stop his heart from hurling one more insult out of frustration and anger.

"But you will be a whore for Apophis instead?"

Teal'c couldn't react quick enough to the bejeweled hand that slapped him. She looked at him with hot, angry tears in her eyes

"May'at," he said, his voice full of regret "I...I am"

"Sorry?" she asked angrily, the tears still flowing. "You have said that many, many times. And I was too gullible to believe that you would not actually marry Drey'auc. I just knew you loved me enough not to let that happen. And then it did happen. And the only thing you can tell me is sorry?"

Teal'c couldn't look at her.

"It was you who came to me on the night of my wedding," Teal'c said in a futile effort to defend himself. He finally mustered enough strength to look May'at in the eye. "You expected me not to give myself to you?"

May'at narrowed her eyes at him. They both knew why she came to him that night.

"You want to be married to her, but you still want to mate with me when it suits you. You disgust me." He could see her anger was making her stronger.

"How can you mate with him?" Teal'c asked, trying to stop the tears that threatened to flow. "How can you do such a thing with me present?"

May'at folded her arms and looked straight at him. Their eyes locked in mental combat, knowing that although they were both angry, they still loved each other. It was May'at who broke the gaze by turning on her heel and walking out, the skirts of her dress fanning out behind her like a graceful butterfly. Teal'c felt his heart had been ripped out and was now leaving with her. He felt as discarded as the tears she'd wiped away and hurled to the floor.

May'at stopped short of exiting the room. Without turning around, she said, "Consider it your penance for not marrying me. Now, you will have to listen to me lie with Apophis and wish it was you."

Teal'c just stood there, stunned at what he'd just heard. She couldn't have meant it, could she?

"We're divorced now. That means it no longer my legal obligation to fuck you," Kayla sneered into the phone, jolting Teal'c from the memory that was playing out in his mind. He watched as Kayla angrily shut off her phone and tossed it back on the desk. Her shoulders were tense, her breathing shallow. It wasn't hard to Teal'c to figure out who had called.

"Was that your former husband?"

"Yes," she said with distaste. "And that was what is known in slang terms as a booty call'" Kayla got a smirk on her face and continued. "Oh, you're gonna love this one," she warned.

"Am I?"

"A booty call is when someone calls you late at night to arrange a get together for the purpose of having sex."

"And that is what your former husband called you about?"

"Yes"

"But I thought you said he could not service you properly?"

"Yes, the key word being properly. Woman cannot live on oral sex alone."

Kayla clapped a hand over her mouth and got a horrified look on her face. Teal'c found it extremely amusing how she could swing from being extremely explicit to extremely embarrassed. Truth be told, it turned him on.

"That was more information that you required, wasn't it?" she said.

Whatever Teal'c was thinking, his expression didn't give it away.

Kayla sighed loudly as she put her face in her hands. "Now that I've finally proven how much of a strumpet I am, are you sure you want to talk to me?"

"Absolutely," he said. "Although I have to admit, the thought of you not being serviced properly is quite...displeasing."

Kayla decided she didn't want to go down this road with him--at least not right now. It was late, and knowing how weak she was it wouldn't take much for her to succumb to him should he wish to take her. Granted, the thought of sex on her desk was enticing, she really didn't know him all that well. And knowing how low her resolve was, all he would have to do is look at her that way' and she'd submit to the brother from another planet.'

Quickly, she thought of another subject to talk about.

"So," she began with a sharp exhale. "Tell me about this latest SG mission you were on...."

"I thank you for the coffee," Teal'c said as he got up. "But I must return to meditate. A long mission ahead awaits me." He handed her his coffee cup, and relished the feel of her soft hands against his as she took it from him.

"I envy you," Kayla replied, setting the cup aside. "If I could have just meditated instead of slept it would have taken me much less time to get my doctorate. One these days you'll have to teach me."

"I would be honored to instruct you," he said, bowing his head slightly. As he folded his hands behind his back, Kayla couldn't help but notice yet again just how muscular his body was. She felt so safe around him.

As a matter of fact, she hadn't felt this safe in a long, long time.

Kayla stood up, noticing he was about a good six inches taller than she was. "Could you do me a favor?" she asked.

"Anything," he told her, looking deep into her eyes. He'd move this planet for her if she requested it.

"The next time you come visit me, could you bring your staff weapon?"

Teal'c let a devilish smile spread on his face. It wasn't long before Kayla realized with supreme embarrassment that yet again, she had subconsciously slipped into strumpet-mode.

"I mean...you know what I mean!" she said in mock exasperation.

"I will do so," he said.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kayla noticed something on her desk that she thought Teal'c would like.

"A little something for your next mission," she said, tossing him a bag. He caught it effortlessly.

Teal'c turned the bag over in his large hands. "What is this?" he asked Kayla.

"Pork rinds," she told him with a smile. "Yet another decadent Tau'ri food. Commonly eaten as a snack. Has absolutely no nutritional value, but something tells me you'll like them."

He smiled at her, bowed his head slightly in thanks, and turned to go. Teal'c paused just before exiting her office. There was one last thing he forgot to ask her about.

He turned around and asked, "What does a free agent' mean?"

Kayla thought for a moment, smiled and said, "It means I am free to date whomever I choose. I belong to no one."

"Anyone you choose?" he asked more seductively than he intended. Their eyes had locked yet again. This time, Kayla did not turn away.

"Or whomever chooses to pursue me," she said suggestively. She let the statement hang in the air like bait on a fishhook. Kayla was wondering if he'd either bite or swim by. If he decided to bite, she knew she'd be in deep shit and should just clear her desk off right now.

"I should be going now."

Phew! That was close, Kayla thought.

"Well, have a pleasant evening," she said sincerely, trying her best to come down off of the pheromone high. "And best of luck with tomorrow's trip through the gate." Teal'c bowed his head slightly and smiled before walking out.

Kayla watched him leave, her eyes glued to his body. She wondered just how could something as big as he move with such grace. One thing she did know--even if he wasn't human', he was definitely male. And he was a male who was very interested in her. She wished she knew how to go about getting to know him better.

Suddenly, she heard a strange noise that made her jump. It didn't take long for Kayla to make up her mind that she should pack up and call it a night. Yet another lonely evening spent on a military-issue cot with a scratchy blanket, stiff sheets and a rock for a pillow.

"My kingdom for a Serta and some sateen sheets," she muttered.

A shirtless Teal'c sat down amidst the lit candles, ready to meditate like he did every night. While the Tau'ri required sleep, he did not. Meditation provided him with the necessary rest his body needed. It didn't hurt that the larval Goa'uld he carried helped keep him in such top physical condition that sleep wasn't necessary. Reaching that restful plane would be difficult tonight for thoughts of the weapons-creating Doctor Porter filled his mind. He remembered watching her dance, the way she talked with him, the way she felt when he prevented her from falling, even how she let him know in a not-so-subtle way that should he choose to pursue her, she was indeed available. It was the same ritual, just a different planet.

Suddenly, he heard a soft knock at his door.

He took his time getting up, figuring whomever had the audacity to interrupt him at this time of the evening, could wait until he got there. Teal'c opened the door swiftly, planning to give a rebuke to whomever was on the other side.

"I...I'm sorry if I disturbed you," Kayla said, a little startled at the abruptness of the opened door. "Maybe I shouldn't have..."

"No, you were not disturbing me," he told her warmly, his former scowl melting into a pleasant smile. "Please come in." Teal'c took a quick look down the hallways to see if anyone had followed her. No one was present.

"Things get very strange this time of night," she said as he shut the door behind her. "I didn't realize just how strange until after you had left. I wanted to say a final good evening before retiring to my quarters."

"I am pleased that you chose to visit me," he replied. "Even at this late hour."

Teal'c moved close to her. So close that they were only separated by millimeters. Kayla looked at him as if she wasn't sure she should be here. His eyes tried to convince her not to go. He slowly removed her glasses and put them down gently on an adjacent table. Next, he coaxed her out of her lab coat and put it neatly over the back of a chair. Kayla stood there, not sure what she should do next. The light of the candles that he used for meditation flickered over her simple light colored blouse and slacks, making the fabric look as if it were rippling across her body.

Teal'c thought she looked absolutely stunning.

She noticed how he looked at her, his eyes full of admiration and desire. Although it turned her on, for some reason it made her feel embarrassed. Instinctively, her gaze fell towards the floor. Teal'c used one of his large hands to gently turn her face back so she gazed directly at him. Kayla was as nervous as a show horse but tried hard not to show it. Teal'c stroked her face gently to assure her there was nothing to be nervous about.

"This is going to sound strange," she began, still looking into his eyes. "I wasn't sure if I should come here. But now that I'm here, I don't want to leave."

"And I do not want you to," he said as he closing the gap and kissed her softly. It was a gentle, probing kiss--one to see if this was indeed what she wanted.

Kayla wordlessly answered his question by kissing him back. To him, she tasted like fine wine--sweet, soft and pleasant to the palate. His hands drifted towards the buttons of her blouse. He deepened the kiss as he leisurely undid each button. Pushing the blouse off of her shoulders, his lips traveled to the nape of her neck to take in the rich smell of her perfume. As they lingered there, Kayla slowly let out a low moan and held on to him for support.

Teal'c couldn't remember how she'd managed to get her slacks off. All he knew was when his hands slid down her back so he could assist her in removing them; the feel of the smooth skin of her backside greeted them. She sighed loudly as his large hands groped it.

"I decided it was much too quiet in that lab," she said softly. "One shouldn't be alone at this time of the evening." He groaned loudly as she pressed her body against him.

"Agreed," his rich voice rumbled.

In one fluid motion, he gently lowered her down onto the bunk. Kayla licked her wine-painted lips as her hair fanned out across the blanket. Obviously impressed with the Jaffa's physical appearance, her hands moved across his chest and abdomen. She traced the larvae pouch with the pad of her index finger. A smile of satisfaction spread across her face when he sucked in his breath sharply upon her touching him in that sensitive place.

She wasn't finished though. Her hands slid down into his boxers, gently rubbing his manhood. She feigned surprise at noticing just how well endowed he was. Kayla crooked her finger, signifying him to come closer to her. When he moved in, she put her free hand around his thick neck and pulled him in closer for a soul-searching kiss. He moaned into her mouth as she stroked him, and kissed her back forcefully in response.

Things seemed to be happening a little too fast but Teal'c didn't care. The only thing he cared about was the fact that a half-naked Kayla was here with him. He'd made short work of removing her bra and panties, as well as the boxers he wore. And now--now she laid before him completely naked save for the gold cross and cartouche that lie in the valley of her breasts. Her breath was shallow and a thin film of perspiration coated her dark, curvaceous body.

"Take me," Kayla said breathlessly between kisses.

He'd wanted to pleasure her first, but her moans and cries and the arching of her back urged him to enter her. And when he did so, Kayla gasped in surprise. Entering her felt like sliding into velvet. She was a very snug fit--as if her body was custom-made for him. The feel of her pulsing around him was almost too much to handle, and it took everything in his being, including drawing on his symbiote, to keep from coming right then. Kayla called out to him as he thrust inside her, tightening her legs around his waist. The sound of his name on her lips was music to his ears. She repeated it over and over, becoming progressively louder as she did so. Her nails dug into his back, and her hips followed his lead in their mating. Holding on to her as if his life depended on it, Teal'c came to completion so hard and with a cry so loud he felt as if he'd momentarily left his body. He shuddered, then shuddered again before collapsing against Kayla.

She brought his lips to her own and kissed him tenderly. Deep down, he was embarrassed that he'd sought his own pleasure instead of assuring she'd been satisfied first. When he tried to apologize for his lack of foreplay, she silenced him with a kiss. No matter--it would not be long before he would be ready to please her without the distraction of pent-up desire. The last thing he knew, he'd drifted off to a sound, post-coital state.

Suddenly, a loud knock at the door stirred him. He chose to ignore it. When Teal'c heard someone knock again, he opened his eyes to check on Kayla. And when he did, was alarmed to see she wasn't there.

Teal'c realized he was still sitting on the floor, and had been meditating all night. Doctor Porter had not come by, she had not asked him for his company, and she and he had definitely not...

In the meantime, the knocking continued. Reluctantly, Teal'c got up and opened the door before the person on the other side got too obnoxious.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Jack chimed as he walked in. "Did you meditate well?"

Teal'c thought for a second, then smiled to himself. "Indeed I did," he said.

"Looks like someone left you a note," he said, indicating a small envelope that had been put under the door. "Now, who would want to talk to you?" O'Neill joked with a wink, watching as the Jaffa picked it up off of the floor.

He opened it and scanned the writing. It said:

"Teal'c. I came by last night on my way to my quarters and knocked but realized you were meditating. I did not want to disturb you so I left. I just wanted you to know that I enjoyed your visit this evening, and hope that we will be able to get together at another time. Best of luck on your mission. -- Kayla"

There will definitely be another time, Teal'c thought to himself. For we have unfinished business. And when the time came, he would indeed be ready.

~ * ~ * ~ * THE END * ~ * ~ * ~
 
 
 
 

---