The elevator doors opened to the sound of bickering. Teal'c sighed. Decided that O'Neill would also owe him the crustacean delicacy Annika Jackson had spoken of. He did not know which of the two men he was about to question he found more irritating. Doctor Felger with his fanatic fascination and adoration of SG-1, or Doctor McKay with his arrogant belittling demeanor. He did know having to deal with both at the same time would be a test of his endurance. Drawing closer, the voices grew louder. It hadn't progressed to yelling. Yet. But the whining tones were already loud enough to grate on his nerves. Teal'c stopped at the entrance. The scientists were facing away from each other, still conducting their work while they heatedly debated the merits of a physics issue. At least he thought it was a physics issue. The scientific technobabble, as O'Neill called it, was flying so quickly from their mouths that he wondered how either of them could even comprehend the words let alone formulate a rebuttal. Twice Teal'c tried to interrupt, but the men didn't hear him over the sound of their own voices. He did not have time for this. "Enough!" he bellowed.

Abruptly the two scientists cut off, heads rubbernecking to the doorway.

McKay looked irritated by the intrusion, however Felger's face broke out into a beaming smile. "Teal'c! What can I do for SG-1's honorable warrior?"

"I require information."

"Certainly, certainly," he ushered the Jaffa in. "Anything you need I will endeavor to provide."

"Suck up," McKay muttered.

"Doctor Felger," Teal'c began, wasting no time. "You alluded that Senator Kinsey had been to the laboratory today other than when escorted by Major Carter."

"Uh huh. That's right." Felger's head bobbed up and down. "The Senator must have a lot on his mind because he didn't seem to remember."

"What did he want?"

"I don't know. He was getting on to the elevator as I was getting off. He was in quite a hurry."

Teal'c turned his attention to the other scientist. "Doctor McKay, did you too observe the Senator?"

"No."

"Did you at anytime leave your work station?"

McKay cringed under the Jaffa's solid stare. It made him feel like a kid being caught out playing hooky. "Well, yes, but it wasn't my fault. Doctor Fumble-Fingers here," he flapped a hand at Felger, "spilt some of that wretched toxin while he was daydreaming about Sam..."

"I was not!" Felger denied. "I was daydr...thinking about how to present my report to General Hammond."

"Yeah, right. It's just coincidence that you go all ga-ga after anytime Sam leaves the room."

"So do you!"

"That's different, her perfume was affecting my sinuses, I was trying to identify the ingredients."

The bickering at least identified a loose time frame that fit within the parameters of when Kinsey could have been here. Teal'c stepped between the men, acting as a physical barrier between them. "You evacuated the room?"

Blocking the men's sight of each other seemed to bring McKay back on track. "Yes. Fumbles couldn't find the neutralizer in that bombshell of a desk. Never one to waste time, I went to the mess hall for a sandwich to keep my blood sugar up."

"I apologized for that." Felger peeked around the Jaffa's shoulder looking like a wounded puppy. "And I went in search of you the moment the air was cleared."

McKay stood on tiptoe to fix a glare on him. "Yes, well, you did a bang up job, because you didn't find me sitting in plain sight at the center table."

"The laboratory was unattended for how long?" Teal'c butted in before they could start up again.

This time the peeking at each other was questioning, silently conferring for the answer.

"Um...about five minutes?" Felger hesitantly suggested. McKay shrugged his agreement.

"When you returned was anything disturbed or missing?"

Felger's head swung to the cluttered mess that was his desk. "I don't think so."

"My notes and tools had been rummaged through." McKay sent the other scientist an accusing look. "There's nothing missing that I can see."

"You don't think the Senator Kinsey took something, do you?" Felger's eyes widened in shock.

"That is what I am trying to determine," Teal'c replied. "Please double check your work areas."

The two men hastily began searching their desks.

"Told you I didn't touch anything," Felger muttered, lifting a sheaf of papers and finding a missing pair of tweezers he'd been looking for all morning.

"You didn't tell me Kinsey had been in here," McKay shot back, mentally ticking off the items in his head. His eyes jumped back to the box of memory devices. One was still under the microscope with the partly done modifications. One was waiting to be tested by Annika. There should be ten left. Two that were repaired to their intended functionality, six that had been stripped for the working parts and two that he hadn't gotten to yet. There were only nine. He rifled through the box to determine which one was missing, his free hand clicking his fingers to gain Teal'c's attention. "A working memory device is gone."

"You are sure you did not simply mislay it?"

McKay was about to retort that 'he wasn't Felger', but the words wouldn't form under Teal'c's solemn gaze. "I'm sure," he squeaked.

Teal'c gave a curt nod. "Thank you. As you were." He spun on his heel and strode out. Before he'd even turned into the corridor the scientists had taken his order to heart and resumed their squabbling. Teal'c activated his radio. "O'Neill it's possible Senator Kinsey has taken a working non-modified memory device."

He received a beep of acknowledgement from the colonel. That it wasn't a verbal response told him that Jack could not speak without compromising their mission. During his questioning of the scientists he had heard Annika Jackson's extraction of O'Neill take place over the radio, so he had a fair idea of where his teammates were positioned for the next round of 'Houdini's Ghost'. He glanced at his watch. It was almost his scheduled time for his session with the psychiatrist. If he took the stairs then the area should be clear by the time he reached that level. Slipping into the stairwell a small voice in his head reminded him that he had yet to hear a reply from Keelah regarding his proposition. He pushed the sudden queasiness of his stomach aside refusing to examine it. He could not let it intrude on his thoughts right now. Mentally he began preparing himself for the forced ordeal of MacKenzie's interrogation.

A  A  A

"Hey, Doc, why don't you give yourself an early mark?" Jack sauntered into the room and dropped onto the couch. "Just tick the 'they're hunky dory box', 'cause we are ya' know, and you can make it in time to catch the latest Simpson episode." The colonel assessed the staid suit of the psychiatrist, weighed up if he'd loosen up enough to enjoy the cartoon family's antics and found it unlikely. "Or whatever it is you watch."

"You know the military, Colonel, they like their reports to be thorough and above board."

"Right, which is why we're sitting in a top secret underground base, playing with a big stone ring that is according to the official inventory a garden ornament."

The comment distracted the psychiatrist for a moment and he tilted his head curiously. "Is it really?"

"Would I lie to you, Doc?" he asked innocently then frowned as he drew his own conclusion. "Bad example. But this time I kid you not. Although to give the inventory guys their due, we have come across some 'gates in some beautiful gardens. We smell the roses and then usually about then we get snaff-ooh-eed by the locals."

"The locals were a bit different the last time though, weren't they?"

"Well, yeah, it was a case of déjà vu on crack." Jack paused then heaved a sigh. "My team's fine, I'm fine, we're all just fine." The radio in his ear crackled and Annika's whispered voice came through, "The rat is heading for the burrows." Jack didn't break his conversation as he reached for the radio control. "We fixed the grand scheme of things, and the way Daniel explained it, this time travel thing had to happen. And I can see that it put a warped balance to it all." He depressed the speaker button. "Copy that, Casper. ETA?"

"One minute and counting."

Jack was on his feet. "Sorry, Doc. Gotta run."

MacKenzie raised an eyebrow. He knew SG-1 was on stand down until he submitted his report.

The colonel shrugged. "Let's call it a training exercise combined with a team bonding moment...you shrinks like that sort of thing, don't ya'?"

"And it can't wait until we're finished?"

"Nope, we don't stop once an op's in play." Jack was already edging to the door. "If it was a real situation we wouldn't be able to hit the pause button."

"Fair enough," MacKenzie agreed, however, he wasn't going to let the colonel get away after just one minute. "May I accompany you?"

"You don't exactly blend in, Doc."

"Even I've heard of the ruse 'hide in plain sight'," he countered.

Jack weighed the pros and cons. It would mean still having to talk to the man, but he really wasn't going to get out of that anyway. And having MacKenzie tag along now would save him from coming back. But more importantly he could use the psychiatrist's presence as a decoy with Kinsey. "Alright. But I need your poker face on, Doc. You react to anything odd you see and it blows the whole exercise. Capeesh?"

"Understood." MacKenzie followed the colonel out, having to jog to keep up. "That balance you spoke of, you're referring to you saving General Hammond's niece."

"That and Casper being there for kiddy Daniel and giving a dose of faith in himself," Jack confirmed. He skidded to a stop at one of the permanent quarters and tucked something small just inside the ajar door. "And Daniel and T saving the driver, and passing on Carrie's last words." Carefully he began letting out a spool of fishing line, the end of which was attached to the object, trailing it along the join between the wall and floor. Backed down the hall until the cross section.

"But that balance came at a great personal cost to you." Though MacKenzie was curious he didn't question what Jack was doing. "You lost your son again..."

"You stand here." Jack positioned the man so he was slightly to one side of the juncture. "No. I lost Charlie once when he died nine years ago. What happened last week...Balls did me a favor. That he didn't intend it, makes it all the more sweet." The colonel's telltale smirk twisted his lips. "Well, that and we got to kill the bastard three times."

"A favor in what way?" MacKenzie followed the colonel's glance upwards to the pipe work running the length of the wall above their heads. He saw nothing, but Jack seemed to.

"He gave us...me...the best damned Howdy-do ever." Jack's focus was on the elevator. The doors began to open and he ducked from sight around the corner, altering his grip on the line still in his hand.

The doctor had a perfect view of the hall. He saw Major Carter step out with Senator Kinsey. To his trained eye the man looked a little spooked. "'Howdy-do', Colonel?"

Jack was clearly counting down in his head and he answered distractedly. "Yeah, it's a...never mind. Balls gave me the answer I needed." Countdown complete, Jack yanked on the fishing line. "I got to see how my boy would have turned out."

MacKenzie saw a furry blur streak down the hall towards them. Only Jack's warning look held him in check "You sound...er...grateful to Ba'al."

Major Carter didn't seem to notice it, but Kinsey jerked and practically jumped to the opposite side of the corridor.

"Everything alright, Senator?" Sam asked with a convincing touch of concern.

Kinsey's reply was lost as Jack responded to the doctor's question with a snort of disbelief. "Yeah, ain't that a kick in the pants?" The strip of fur was hastily stuffed in his pocket, making sure none of the line attached to it was sticking out. "We even sent him a note telling him so. Balls gave me...what is it you Quacks call it?...closure, that I never thought I'd get."

Above his head MacKenzie caught movement from above. He had no idea who was controlling the second strip of fur that had been hidden in the shadows, but it began spiraling around one of the pipes, in the opposite direction of the colonel's, zooming straight passed the approaching pair.

Kinsey instinctively ducked. His head zipped around, however the fur was long gone. He twisted back to Sam. "You must have seen that!"

"Seen what?" Sam asked bewildered.

"Bit jumpy aren't you, Kinsey?" Jack drawled, casually leaning against the wall.

The senator's gaze was suspicious as it landed on his smirking nemesis, then turned his attention to the psychiatrist. "You saw it, didn't you?"

MacKenzie didn't know what made him do it. Maybe it was the small hope that if he played along it would establish a sense of trust with SG-1, or perhaps it was just his personal distaste for Kinsey. Why ever it was, his response was given without pause. "I don't know what you're talking about, Senator. I finally managed to corner Colonel O'Neill, my attention was on him."

Kinsey's frown was introspective. It never crossed his mind that the psychiatrist was telling anything but the truth, for O'Neill's aversion to shrinks wasn't exactly top secret.

"Senator, maybe you'd like a break?" Sam suggested. "You're looking a little pale, perhaps some fresh air?"

"No, I'm fine," he replied curtly, striding towards the main power room. "We'll keep going."

"Okay," Sam shrugged. She smiled at MacKenzie giving him a wave as she hurried to catch up to the man she was escorting. "See you around, Doctor."

He smiled back. Caught up in the moment, he called out to the retreating man. "Senator, my door is always open if you'd like to talk."

Kinsey's back stiffened, though he didn't verbally acknowledge the comment, just kept on walking.

Still smiling MacKenzie turned back to Jack. The smile dropped as he found himself alone. At the end of the corridor the lift doors were sliding shut, however he managed a glimpse of its occupants. The colonel gave him a thumbs up, a silent thank you for his help, Annika by his shoulder with a mischievous grin. With a chuckle at the pair's sneaky escape, he returned to the Officer's Lounge to have Teal'c paged.

In the elevator, Jack and Annika grinned like Cheshire cats at each other.

"We are soooo freaking him out." Annika cocked her head to the side in question. "How'd you get MacKenzie to help?"

"O'Neill charm," Jack quipped. "You heard Teal'c's report?"

She nodded.

"When you zipped through Kinsey, did you pick up on anything?"

Annika gave a shudder at the memory. "Only that he's hiding something, but with Kinsey that's no big surprise, he's always got seedy little secrets. I got that he's swapped all those offshore accounts, though I didn't get any numbers." She gave a slightly guilty shrug. "Sorry, I know that wasn't what we were looking for."

"Don't sweat it," Jack brushed her concerns aside. "I know you can't pick and choose what your hocus pocus tells you."

"I could try again next round?" she suggested.

The colonel considered it. "Na, you fly through him twice and he'll get suspicious. Hey, when you were searching Balls' throne for the time doohickey, didn't you zone in on Daniel's mojo to find it?"

The psychic nodded, catching on to where her team leader was going. "McKay's essence should be lingering on the device."

"If Kinsey has the device, he'll have it on him somewhere. If you can pinpoint it then we can try to get it from him covertly while he's distracted by the Houdini's. If that fails we can have the MPs stop him on his way out."

"Sounds like a plan," Annika agreed as the doors opened on level twenty-six. "I'd better scoot and get a fresh Houdini." She held up the fur scrap she'd just used which was now mottled with spots of grease.

Jack gave a nod. "Can't have our ghosts leave a trail now. I'll meet you up there once I extract Teal'c from MacKenzie."

"Righto!" Annika dashed down the hall.

A  A  A

Keelah had long ago given up trying to concentrate on the box of artifacts before her. Her mind wouldn't focus on anything except Teal'c's unexpected proposition. She wasn't sure that she was ready to enter into a romance, pretend or otherwise. Especially with that funny bundle of emotions that she could not identify that was growing stronger by the day. The only thing she was sure about was that those mystery emotions swelled each time she was in the presence of Teal'c. They scared her as much as exhilarated her. She was only barely becoming used to the idea of being free. For over fifteen years she had hardly dared to dream of freedom, of having choice...and now to have Teal'c's request thrown into her lap was a little overwhelming. All she had to do was say yes or no. Yet somehow she had the instinctive feeling that this would be the biggest decision she would ever be asked to make.

"You look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Keelah gave a start at the quiet words. Her eyes shot up to see Daniel rifling through the pigeonholes at the back of his desk in the corner of the room. She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't even heard him enter despite the current noise he was making. His turn of phrase wasn't one she was familiar with.

"You seem troubled," he explained, finding the stack of plain paper he'd been searching for. "Anything I can do?"

The woman contemplated the man before her. She'd heard people refer to Daniel as a 'moral compass'. Perhaps he would be able to steer her in the right direction for her dilemma. Took an extra moment to figure out how she could word it without breaking her promise to Teal'c about revealing his proposition. "If you've been asked to do something you desire, but have been asked for the wrong reason, what would you do?"

Daniel leant against his desk considering not only her carefully worded question but his response. "If you said no, would you get to fulfill this desire another way?"

Keelah recalled how adamant Teal'c was about not entangling himself in a romantic affair. "Probably not. The person would not...allow...it to happen."

His brow creased at the cryptic comment. It was hard to offer an opinion when he didn't have a clue about what the problem was. "I take it some sort of deception is involved?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw a red blur zip passed the doorway, absently wondered why his wife was in such a hurry. A quick caress of their bond told him that there was no emergency, all he felt was an excited exhilaration.

She nodded. "If I say yes for my reasons, I deceive one person. If I say yes for the reasons I have been asked, I deceive many, but one other person more so." She sighed, "I value both friendships, so neither is desirable."

"Keelah, you've spent most of your life catering to the whims of others. What is it that you want to do?" She seemed conflicted and he hurried on. "I mean the deception can't be a big one..."

"How would you know that?" she interrupted with a curious head tilt.

Daniel blinked bemusedly, as though the answer were obvious. "If it were, you wouldn't be considering it."

"You know this even after such a short acquaintance with me?"

He nodded. "You're a good person. I saw that when you were on the selling block, as did Annika. And you've done nothing to disprove that first impression. Anyway, as I was saying..."

"Say yes."

Both Daniel and Keelah swung their heads around at the third voice, to see Annika sprint passed the doorway. The couple blinked at the interruption, but before they could wonder if Annika was talking to them or someone they couldn't see, the redhead reappeared, walking slowly backwards the way she had come. She once again moved out of their line of sight, then hesitantly stepped forward, stopping at the threshold with a baffled expression.

Daniel recognized her actions as her retracing the path laid out by the sudden intrusion of her sixth sense. Amused, he asked, "Something you want to add, My Angel?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from. I promise I wasn't eavesdropping or anything." Violet eyes implored them to believe her. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I was just replacing my Houdini decoy since it got covered in oil from the pipes," she held up a clean scrap of fur as evidence, "and I'll need it for when Kinsey gets to the med lab, which will be in a couple of minutes and it just popped out."

"That's the entire message?" Daniel arched an eyebrow. He knew she was telling the truth by the extensive explanation she had given. His wife only 'babbled' when she was unsure of the situation.

Annika stepped back and forth with a look of concentration as she tried to recapture the snippet. "Um...yep...oh, no wait...'change the rules'? Does that make sense to either of you?"

Slowly Keelah nodded.

"Oh, good," the psychic grinned. "Glad it does for one of us." She began edging from the doorway. "I gotta run."

"You need a diversion to delay Kinsey?" Daniel offered.

"Nope, all is good! You two carry on, wouldn't want to piss off the Fates since they went to the trouble to butt in!" Her voice became fainter as she resumed her run down the hall.

For a second Daniel and Keelah were silent in the aftermath of the redhead's unexpected whirlwind visit.

Eventually Keelah turned back to the archaeologist with a thoughtful frown. "Annika's gift, has it ever been wrong?"

"Not yet, knock on wood," Daniel replied without hesitation, rapping his knuckles on the desk.

Hesitantly Keelah mimicked the action. "Then I guess I have my answer."

A  A  A

"And how are you feeling regarding recent events?"

"It reinforced my knowledge that the Goa'uld are depraved parasites without conscience." Teal'c glanced at the wall clock. His mind kept drifting back to the fact that he had still heard no word from Keelah. Perhaps he had offended her. He decided to answer Doctor MacKenzie's questions as promptly as possible so that he may seek her out and apologize. "I am more determined than ever to rid the galaxy of their presence."

"Am I making you uneasy?" The doctor hadn't missed the Jaffa's clockwatching. Very unusual behavior for the warrior who had always given the appearance of being impassive or under interrogation during previous sessions.

Teal'c's eyes widened slightly. He had been trying to deny the inner turmoil that had resided in him for the better part of this day, however if the psychiatrist had also identified it, then it was more pronounced than he had thought. "My trepidation is of a personal nature and has nothing to do with the recent mission."

Was Teal'c giving an opening to discuss his private life? "Anything you'd like to discuss?" he asked hopefully.

"No."

Okay, obviously not. MacKenzie should have known that was too good to be true. Getting Teal'c to talk about anything even remotely personal was like pulling teeth. He brought the conversation back to the mission. "But still, there must have been some reservations about correcting the timeline."

"Whether there were or not is immaterial." Teal'c wasn't about the mention O'Neill's initial refusal once they had learned precisely what Ba'al had altered. "The decision to correct the timeline was made and carried out." To him the matter was closed. From the thoughtful expression on MacKenzie's face, it was clear the psychiatrist did not share this opinion and he tried to preempt any further questions. "One cannot dwell on the past. It is the future that is of consequence."

"Is that the philosophy that got you through the seventy odd years of being First Prime?" The question was a little off topic, but MacKenzie figured the Jaffa's response would give him some insight into the man himself.

"Indeed." Teal'c gave a single nod. "You honor the dead by your deeds of the present. Hold on to their memory and attempt to give their deaths justice."

"You mean by revenge?" he asked curiously.

"Not necessarily." Teal'c had been counting down in his head the seconds remaining of this required discussion. Any moment now O'Neill would execute his extraction. "Justice can simply be attempting to live up to their expectations, by remembering the lessons they taught and passing that knowledge on to others."

MacKenzie fought down the sense of triumph. Teal'c's answer had been atypical in comparison to previous sessions. MacKenzie had expected him to stop at 'Not necessarily', not providing any explanation without prodding. That he'd expanded on the answer gave him hope that finally Teal'c was starting to trust him with some of his inner thoughts and feelings. He was about to try to keep the conversation flowing when a timid knock dashed his hopes.

A  A  A

Keelah took a deep breath and quietly knocked on the door and as per Jack's instructions, opened it instantly. In her search to locate Teal'c she had come across the colonel, who'd made a bizarre comment of 'God loving him today', before giving her precise directions. Her face unconsciously lit up as her gaze landed on Teal'c. She started to speak then realized that he was not alone. "I...I'm sorry I did not mean to interrupt."

"You are not," the warrior smiled. The surge of happiness he felt at seeing her he was sure was due to her impeccable timing and nothing more, though he did wonder why his heart beat a little faster. "I have concluded my discussion with Doctor MacKenzie."

MacKenzie was about to object then figured he'd save his breath for a fight he could win. If Teal'c decided the session was over, there was no way he'd be able to get anything more from him. Teal'c had made maintaining silence into a way of life. But that was okay, he'd gotten the gist of the Jaffa's mindset and enough to draw some conclusions. Whoa, back up. Had Teal'c just smiled? Getting this man to smile was like finding a four leaf clover. It was a rarity, reserved only for a very select few. And that wasn't just any old smile, it was inviting and uncertain and... Well, I'll be damned, he thought. Keelah in less than a month had broken through the warrior's reserve. He barely acknowledged Teal'c's farewell, instead he was focused on the body language of both ex-slaves as they left the room. They were both fighting it, though he suspected that neither realized it. The denial was very much reminiscent of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter before the non-frat rule was rescinded. It would be interesting to see how their relationship developed. Taking this new information into account he adjusted some of his notes regarding Teal'c's behavior and had the final member of SG-1 paged.

Keelah chose the first room that had an open door and stepped inside before she lost the courage to do and say what she had decided.

Teal'c followed her in. Considered closing the door to give them some privacy then dismissed it. With her slightly anxious demeanor he didn't want her to feel trapped.

She paced the room. "I'll do it."

Teal'c didn't delve into why the knot in his stomach instantly dissolved.

"However..."

The knot was back. He decided that he must have eaten something that did not agree with him, for rarely did he have stomach upsets.

"I don't think Annika will be convinced with us just holding hands."

"What do you suggest?"

"Well, if she caught us in a kiss or two, it would be more realistic."

"Indeed," he agreed. "Would you be comfortable with that?"

She gave a slow nod. "But I am not experienced in-" She broke off, blushing in embarrassment. Tried a different track. "The men who I've...known...they did not take the time to kiss."

"I see." Teal'c did his best to subdue another surge of anger at her enslaver.

Keelah took a deep breath and hurried on before she lost her nerve. "If I am to be convincing as your lover, then I will need you to teach me how." Oooh, that did not come out right. She had meant to limit the scope to just kissing, not anything more. Hoped that Teal'c would interpret her comment the way she intended.

He hadn't been expecting this. It highlighted that while they may have both been slaves, their lives had been very different. He had been allowed to choose a wife and have some sort of life apart from the Goa'uld. Of course he had only been granted that privilege because it had suited Apophis for him to do so, the Goa'uld being able to use the Jaffa's family as leverage should it ever be needed. It seemed that Keelah had not been given that chance. This changed everything. He hadn't realized that she was so innocent in the ways of romance. His proposition now took on a whole new meaning. He could not rescind his proposition, for to do so now would appear that he was rejecting her, something he would not do and damage her already fragile ego and self-respect. While he composed his thoughts, he replied, "The act itself is a simple one."

She nodded. "I have seen many people kiss. To be honest it seemed to me that it was done as merely a duty, a way to identify sex was wanted."

Duty? The situation was more dire than he anticipated. Teal'c was horrified that Keelah had such a negative view of what should be a very pleasurable and meaningful act. "Then you have observed the wrong people."

"As I said, my experience is limited," she shrugged. "What does a kiss mean to you?"

Teal'c carefully considered his answer, stepping into the role of teacher as she requested. "It is a gift to be given, not demanded. A kiss, especially a first kiss, is also a test of compatibility. If you feel nothing then it is indication that the person is not for you. When the person is right, it is a seduction of the senses. The first quenching of the fire of desire. A taste, no, a promise of what could be."

"I did not know a simple kiss could mean so much." At the passionate poetic words, Keelah felt her heart thump. "I...I don't know if I could mimic that."

"It is entirely up to you if you want to try."

"I do." She swallowed, her throat suddenly parched. "Perhaps you should give me my first lesson now, so that our charade can begin as soon as possible. I am looking forward to having an undisturbed night sleep."

"As you wish." Yet Teal'c didn't move. It had just occurred to him, that in all of his one hundred plus years he had never been in the position to bestow on a woman her first kiss. Drey'auc had been courted by others before he had won her affection, as had Shaun'auc and Ishta before their affairs. His agreement with Keelah was akin to a business relationship, however that did not mean that she should be denied the wonder of her first kiss. One's first kiss should be special, for it would be the one that would be remembered, and to which every kiss thereafter would be compared. He would show her how it should be, so that when their charade was over, and she went in search of real love, then she would know what to look for.

"Should I be in any particular position?" Her head was tilted to one side, her brown eyes looking so trusting and innocent up at him.

Mutely he shook his head. Ignoring the irregular beating of his heart he stepped forward, closing most of the distance between them. Keelah was willing to assist him with his charade, so it was only fair that he should help her. He would help her understand what it was to be in a relationship; to clarify how a woman should be treated by a man, so that she would not fall victim into a submissive role; to get her out of the mindset of a slave and to demand the respect to which she deserved.

When he made no further move towards her, Keelah opened her mouth to speak, but he lifted his hand and placed a gentle finger to her lips. "Anticipation of a kiss is as important as the kiss itself."

She gave a single nod, not breaking eye contact.

Teal'c's finger softly brushed over her lips then glided down, so that his whole hand cupped the side of her jaw. He bent closer to her. "If we were truly considering entering into a relationship then it would be the first step to the joining of our hearts." His words were a whispered caress against her cheek.

Keelah hardly dared to breathe as Teal'c's gaze dropped down a little to her mouth, then back up to her eyes. His lips descended, lightly grazing hers, drew back for the briefest of seconds, then came back for a longer, sweeter taste. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she savored the moment, feeling an unusual tingle course through her body as he tenderly explored her lips with his, not demanding, rather seeking...something, though she knew not what. When she felt him begin to draw back, that tingle threatened to leave her. An involuntary mew of protest escaped and she instinctively moved forward to prolong the contact. Her own lips copied what Teal'c's had taught and that tingle became stronger. Oh, Gods that be, what was that?

Teal'c found himself responding to her shy, hesitant reciprocating kiss. The immediate and intense burst of desire that flooded him was a surprise, and he put it down to not having been with a woman for some time. Her lips enticed him, beguiling his senses, and he had to physically restrain himself from hauling him to her and deepening the kiss. Absently made a mental note, that on the days when they staged their kisses he would have to take steps to make sure his libido had been sated beforehand, for he did not want his sexual frustration to frighten her. Breathing a little harder, he managed to break off the kiss before his hormones overpowered his good sense. "If the man you choose does not kiss you in a similar manner, then he does not deserve your affection."

"I will bear that in mind." Keelah, her face flushed, drew in a steadying few breaths of her own. "Did I mimic the emotion you described?"

"You are a quick study," Teal'c nodded. "I believe we will perform convincingly."

"When do you want to begin our agreement?"

"If it is agreeable to you, this evening. We are planning to dine at O'Malley's after the end of our shift."

Keelah agreed, then frowned. "Who is O'Malley? Have I met them?"

"It is not a who, but a what." Teal'c cleared up the misunderstanding. "It is a local establishment with above average cuisine."

A sudden thought occurred to her. "Have I permission to leave the base?"

Teal'c gave a nod. "I sought General Hammond's authorization upon our return from our last mission. He agreed."

"You asked even though you had not put your proposal to me yet?" Keelah had mixed feelings about that. Had he taken it for granted that her answer would be yes?

Teal'c read the uneasiness in her expression. "Yes. But to dispel any misconception, the request was made with little thought to my proposal. If you are to make Earth your permanent residence, then you should experience what life is like away from the military environment of the SGC. An invitation to accompany us socially would have been forthcoming regardless of your decision, if not tonight then in the near future."

"Oh." Keelah heard the sincerity in his voice. Was filled with an odd sense of warmth that Teal'c cared enough to make sure she would be able to make an informed decision. Then the idea of leaving the security of the SGC, where everyone knew at least of her origins if not herself and thought nothing of the cultural 'mistakes' she'd been making since arriving, made her nervous. Outside the SGC nobody knew that life on other planets existed, let alone that 'alien' people lived amongst them. "Do you think I'm ready to go out there?" She gestured upwards indicating the world above. "I understand about the secrecy of the Stargate on this planet. I do not know the customs of the people. What if I should accidentally do something wrong..."

He silenced her sudden bout of nerves with a comforting hand squeeze. "Tau'ri behavior is as eclectic as the planets in the universes. In the unlikely event that you do, it would not be noticed and we will be there to guide you."

"Okay." The warmth of his hand instantly quelled the flutter of butterflies in her stomach.

"I shall collect you from your quarters at shift end?"

She nodded. "I'll be waiting." Keelah watched the warrior leave, absently rubbing her hand where he had touched her skin. Annika had said to change the rules and she had. But now, after that kiss, they had been changed again, and she wasn't sure who, if anybody, was now holding the rulebook. Her emotions were a jumbled mess. A mess that she had no hope of sorting out for the simple reason that many of the emotions were foreign to her. Either she'd never felt them before and thus could not name them. Like that funny tingling when Teal'c was near that had practically exploded through her veins during their kiss. Or it had been so long since she'd felt them that she didn't remember them. Things like the happiness of simple friendship, of being cared for and returning that care. She admitted to herself that there was one feeling that she could identify. She was scared. But the funny thing about this fear, somehow it was a good fear. A kind of excited anticipation of the unknown. It was something she wanted to explore, and as the people here were constantly reiterating, if it was something she desired, she did not have to deny herself anymore. Within reason, of course. Too aware of how the actions and demands of her Master and his underlings had made her feel, she wouldn't take advantage of the generosity of her new found friends. Friends. Another concept that she only had vague recollections of from her childhood before being enslaved. Something else that she would like to expand upon.

Yet there was a niggling in the back of her mind. Everything was happening so quickly and seemed to be working out for her. Years of being denied even the simplest of requests had her wondering when the 'fantasy' would end. Given that the invitation to O'Malley's had just been offered, the first negative scenario that popped into her mind was getting all the way to the top of the mountain and then being denied exit. She didn't doubt that Teal'c had gained permission for her to leave, but what if he had misunderstood the general? Maybe that permission would be given eventually but not today? Before she would dare to let herself hope this privilege had truly been granted, she determined that she'd ask the general herself, needing to hear the words directly from him.