"So, Tony, how's your boyfriend?"

"Bite me, Kate."

"I think I'll leave that to Iggy."

"Iggy?"

"Tony met a great guy at GITMO. Green leathery skin, little beady eyes--it was a match made in reptile heaven."

"Kate, shut up."

"Did you buy him drinks first, or did he just follow you back to your room?"

"I hate you both."

"Do you sleep in the buff all the time, Tony, or just when you have company?"

"He sleeps naked?"

"Oh, yeah. He lets it all hang out. Isn't that right, DiNozzo?"

"Oh, God. Shoot me now."

"I know Kate's divine, Tony, but I don't think she wants to shoot you."

"Not at work, anyway."

"What are you doing?"

"Sara, oh beautiful mistress of the graveyard shift, may I have this dance?"

"Greg, you are absolutely--"

"Gorgeous? Brilliant? Magnificent?"

"Clinically insane was what I was going to say."

"Ah, but there's a fine line between genius and insanity."

"And you crossed it about five miles back."

"Come on, Sar, it's only a dance. It's not like I'm asking you to make mad, passionate love to me."

"Greg, let me go. Greg!"

"Your lips say no, but your feet say yes."

"You jerk, let me go!"

"Do you really want me to do that?"

"...No."

"So where's Gail?"

"Don't you have, you know, work to do?"

"Did you kill her?"

"In your own office?"

"Isn't that, like, number five?"

"As in, not here?"

"Why do you keep getting new fish if you just kill them?"

"Can't you be quiet if you insist on staying?"

"Does Carol keep buying Gail's successors for you, or do you do it yourself?"

"Will you stop talking if I give you a cookie?"

"Since when do you bake?"

"Carol, where's that flyswatter?"

"Did you know that you're sexy when you're angry?"

"Aren't I always, Tobias?"

"Should I really answer that?"

She's always had a thing for geeks.

Intelligence is a huge turn-on for her. If a guy is gorgeous, but can't string a sentence together, she loses interest almost immediately. If, however, he has memorized Tom Lehrer's "The Elements" (and can list the ones left out of the song), she falls--hard. It may be a fling, or it may be a months-long romance, but she becomes fascinated.

She's been involved with older men before, as well. She's always figured if it feels good, why deny herself? (A philosophy that, admittedly, has gotten her into a bit of trouble in the past.)

If Ducky were younger, he'd be a geek. But that appellation has never really fit him in her mind. He's cultured. His knowledge isn't focused on one specific area.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Abby has fallen again, and she's not sure it's temporary this time.

"Was the water cold, Kate?"

"What?"

"You know, when you were in that wet t-shirt contest."

"I thought we promised never to talk about that again."

"Wow, Kate. Did you know your eyes get really dark when you're pissed off?"

"Wow, Tony. Did you know that I know how to kill a man without a weapon--and get rid of the body without being caught?"

"Down, girl! I meant that as a compliment."

"I'm not one of your flighty little airheads that you can just brush off with a quick smile and a superficial comment, DiNozzo."

"No. You're more than that."

She needed to get out. It was suffocating, this building.

She needed out of the plain, ordinary workday clothes that screamed "Vivian Blackadder" and back into Abby Sciuto's lab coat. She needed to be surrounded by chemicals and computers.

She smiled at the Marine who held the door open for her. He gazed forward emotionlessly. She sighed and yanked the black-framed glasses from her face.

And yelped as her butt hit the hard concrete.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I should've been watching where I was going." A large hand appeared before her dazed eyes. She accepted it, and rose to her feet.

"It's all good. I was kinda distracted myself. No harm done." She looked up and further up.

Okay, those stars on the man's shoulders? So not a good sign.

The Marine was looking at her in horror. Well, not so much at her as at the brown-eyed admiral, who was looking at her in concern. "You're sure you're all right?"

"Yup. Fine. Just a little ego-bruising." He had a nice smile, for Navy brass.

"Have a good afternoon, ma'am."

"Um, yeah. You too!"

Wow. He was definitely not her type, but... damn.

She found herself humming 'Anchors Aweigh' at odd moments for the rest of the afternoon.

They were... they...

He couldn't make a sound. He couldn't risk being caught. He held his breath and waited until the Jaffa guards passed.

Sam, Jack, and Teal'c lay prostrate on the temple floor. He could spare only one final glance before following the group of worshippers back to camp. He would never forget the sight. It was seared into his brain, vivid and cruel.

The uprising had failed. They had failed. His friends, his teammates, were dead--an example to those who dared challenge Ra's power.

And he was alone, six thousand miles and five thousand years from home.