Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Stargate Atlantis, not even the characters! Just playing in their world for a while.

Author's Note: So, I kind of surprised myself when I wrote my one-shot, "Cake Decorating." As it turns out, my good friend DaniWilder mentioned building gingerbread houses, and this idea was born. These five chapters are an exploration of what might happen if such an event took place. If you haven't read "Cake Decorating," it is Chapter 10 of my "Snippets and Snapshots." Won't take long to read, and you'll be up to date on this story. Each chapter will post on Monday, with the final chapter posting on Christmas Eve. This one does cover some adult subjects, but I've kept it to a T rating because I don't like going higher than that. I've borrowed a couple of lines from my favorite western, American Outlaws, so I give credit to the writers of that movie for those fantastic lines. This story is NOT connected in any way to Eighteen Days or any other Kelorne fic I've written save for "Cake Decorating." A HUGE thank you to TychoV for beta-ing this for me. As always, hope you enjoy! ~lg

oOo

Jennifer walked into the infirmary with a smile on her face. In honesty, she'd have smiled no matter where she walked. Last night, after Teyla's birthday part, she'd slept better than she had in months. It might have had something to do with the alcohol at the party—of which she'd consumed too much. Or it could have had something to do with decorating the cake.

Her face flamed at the thought of what had happened in the kitchen. When Lorne appeared, she'd fought with her natural tendency to stammer. Had given in to that tendency. Then, he sidestepped all of her hesitations and simply kissed her. For a moment, she'd been too stunned to think. He was like the hot, mysterious guy at the club—the one all her friends checked out but she was too embarrassed to approach. Then, she surrendered to him. They had shared the single most intense thing a man and woman could share. And she'd liked it.

Jennifer dropped into her chair in her office and buried her face in her hands. Who was she trying to fool? She hadn't just liked being with Lorne. She'd loved it. So much that she'd fantasized about it before dropping off to sleep. Did that man even know the power he had? With simply a smile, he had women swooning over him. Jennifer had never wanted to be one of those women. Yet, here she was: relishing the memory like a condemned woman savoring her last meal.

For a few moments, her mind allowed her to replay what had happened. His kiss. His wandering hands. The way she'd melted into him. Closing and locking the door. Letting him lift her onto the counter. Then, Jennifer sat up straighter and locked down those thoughts. She couldn't let them escape. Not here in the infirmary where her staff could read her behavior. They probably already knew she'd got some the night before. Cadman had asked her about it, in fact. She couldn't let herself get distracted by those memories.

Of course, her thoughts wouldn't be headed that way if she hadn't caught sight of him on her way to the infirmary. Then, she sighed. Who was she kidding? She would have been thinking about it for days even if he'd gone off world during the night and stayed there for a week. What had happened last night was just plain hot!

"Geez, Jennifer, it's been too long for you," she muttered as she walked out of her office and assumed her duties for the day. "Stop thinking about someone you'll never have and get to work."

The day passed slowly for her. She spent time going over the schedule and prepping for the next week. Marie and some of the others were headed back to Earth for some well-deserved vacation with their families. The holidays had arrived, and Atlantis's brass had decided to take time out of the city's busy schedule to celebrate Christmas. Of course, the threat of Wraith or Replicator attack always hovered. But only two more missions separated the city from a week-long reprieve. Personnel long overworked would get time to relax a bit, days off, and a Christmas party at the end of the week. Jennifer had heard rumors of a secret Santa gift exchange, and she hoped she wasn't asked to participate in that. She never knew what she wanted and, as a result, rarely knew what to get for others.

Then, she thought about last night and flushed yet again. She knew what she wanted: more of what happened last night. But she refused to dwell on the idea of simply. . .What was the term?. . .Scratching an itch? She wanted more than just that. She wanted companionship. A commitment to try to make things work. After all, too many consequences resulted from random hook-ups with little to no protection.

Jennifer sat and stared at a computer screen just to appear busy. What kind of romantic life did Lorne lead? She had her suspicions, but she couldn't be sure. He tended to keep to himself, and she hadn't noticed any STDs in his latest blood work. Still, she couldn't resist sneaking a peek at his medical file to make sure. Once that concern had been put to rest, she returned to staring at the computer screen. The idea that he'd been with other women didn't really bother her. The idea that he hooked up with other women on a regular basis did.

Tired of the thoughts, Jennifer glanced around the infirmary. Cadman already suspected something had gone down. Teyla had simply raised an eyebrow. And Jennifer flushed every time she thought about Lorne.

Shaking the thought away, she returned to her office for the remainder of the afternoon. She forced her mind from Lorne, from the consequences, from the kitchen, and from everything that might remind her of last night. Maybe, if she got some distance, she'd be able to ignore the stirring in her chest that had blossomed into one very hot encounter in the kitchen.

oOo

That same afternoon, Lorne stepped through the gate to mediate a minor dispute between trading partners. Atlantis had been contacted since both villages offered a portion of their crops to the City of the Ancestors in exchange for help with the Wraith. And the Wraith seemed to really like this planet. They'd been there three times, and Lorne had come to know the caves around the village like the back of his own hand. A dispute between these trading partners needed to be resolved.

Part of him longed for the diplomatic skills Teyla brought to the table. Sitting in a room, listening to farmers gripe about livestock and past crop growth, was worse than listening to McKay and Zelenka bicker over some obscure technical thing the Ancients had researched. By the time he headed back to the gate, Lorne couldn't wait to get to his quarters, shower, and hopefully make it to the mess hall in time for a hot meal.

As they walked, Coughlin and Reed chattered around him. Lorne listened with one ear as he kept an eye out for danger. Too many people knew their faces, and someone always wanted a piece of Atlantis. Whether the Wraith or the Genii or a random planetary leader or. . . .the list went on. He wanted to arrive home and in one piece, not needing to head to the infirmary for stitches or surgery. Especially with the week ahead of them.

Lorne let a smile escape as he thought about his plans for the week. He had to work several shifts, but he intended to catch up on paperwork. It had piled up thanks to all the crises with the Replicators recently. And he wanted to get some painting done. Life on Atlantis could get crazy, and a week of nothing but rest sounded a lot like heaven.

"Hey, he's smiling." Coughlin rushed to catch up with Lorne.

Reed snorted. "That's never a good thing."

Lorne turned. "Yeah? Maybe I'm thinking about the week I have coming."

"And the party?" Coughlin needled. Lorne shook his head. When he'd discovered that Carter had okayed a base-wide Christmas bash, he had grouched about it to his team. The men were tight, and Lorne knew his grumpy mood wouldn't be reported.

Now, though, he let his grin widen. "Yeah, maybe a little. How often do we get the chance to just relax?"

"Dude, you're in a good mood!" Coughlin glanced at Reed and exchanged glances. "All day, too. What happened last night?"

Lorne shook his head, already thinking about Jennifer's smile. And icing. And. . . . He hurriedly stopped his thoughts before his body remembered as well. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Coughlin blinked, his face going blank as he realized Lorne had confirmed his suspicions. "Who was it? Spill! Cadman? Mehra?"

Reed flanked his CO. "Marie? Amelia?"

Coughlin glanced over as they approached the DHD. "Couldn't be Keller."

As Reed dialed, Lorne blinked and glanced down. The memory of Jennifer's brown eyes and blond hair floated through his mind. Specifically how her hair had brushed his shoulders the night before. Rather than looking at his men, he checked to make sure the safety on his P90 was engaged. They were returning to Atlantis, after all. Wouldn't want a hair trigger to shoot someone accidentally. Right, he thought dryly. Get a grip, Lorne.

Coughlin choked. "No way! Keller?"

Lorne turned with a grin. "Yeah, well, just keep it to yourselves."

Reed shuddered, his grin still in place. "You think I want the base CMO angry at me for spilling the beans about her personal life? No, thank you! I have a better sense of self-preservation than that!"

Lorne stepped through the gate, trying to wipe the cocky grin from his face. He'd done a great job of hiding things thus far. Of course, he'd only seen Jennifer for a brief moment that morning, and he'd been heading to bed after a long night on shift. This little excursion had pulled him out of a deep sleep.

Now, he walked into the infirmary, his eyes already scanning for her. When he didn't see her, he checked his watch. After five. Meaning she'd already gone home for the day. Lorne resolved that he would deal with this later and spent the next fifteen minutes undergoing the routine medical evaluation that every gate team member endured after an off world mission.

Forty-five minutes later, however, he sat in the mess hall glaring across the room. Well, "glaring" might be too strong of a word. He closely watched Jennifer and her dinner companions. She sat next to Ronon, across from McKay, and at the same table as Sheppard, who seemed intent on making her laugh. As she threw back her head and touched Ronon's shoulder as she laughed, Lorne shifted his gaze to his plate. He didn't want to think of her hand on Ronon's shoulder. Not when he clearly remembered those cool fingers running through his hair as she sat in front of him on the counter. Or her amazement when he finished decorating the cake. Or. . . . He shook his head as he tried to figure out how to eat while a woman he'd been drawn to for months flirted with other men right in front of him.

Finally, she said her goodbyes and left the mess hall. Lorne let her leave and forced himself to wait another ten minutes. As she walked past his table, she gave him a sly glance and flushed to the roots of her hair. He grinned.

Coughlin found him still grinning. "Just go talk to her." He blinked and added, "Sir."

"Planning on it." Then, he frowned. That had come out sounding a little too cocky and a little too hopeful.

Coughlin clearly heard the hope in his voice and snorted. "I figured you would."

Lorne took one final swig of his water and pushed away from the table. He left Reed and Coughlin shaking their heads and headed for crew quarters. For Jennifer's quarters. He hoped she wouldn't have decided that this was simply a fling. Not when he'd been ignoring the attraction he had for her.

Jennifer answered the door, still dressed in her base uniform. Her face flamed yet again. "Major."

"Ah. . .got a few minutes?"

"Sure." She stepped back and let him in, seemingly very nervous about his presence in her quarters.

He looked around, already liking the comfortable neatness he saw. Not so neat that it seemed sterile. But everything had its place. His eyes fell on her bed, on the thick red comforter there, and he faced her. "I wanted to talk about last night."

"Yeah, I thought you might." She let out a deep breath and crossed to her couch, perching on the edge of her seat.

He joined her, making sure to stay close enough to take her hand but far enough away to give her distance. "I don't know what you think of me. But I'm not the type to have random hook ups all over the city."

Surprisingly, Jennifer chuckled. "Yeah, I figured that out a long time ago."

"You did?"

"You're a mystery to ninety percent of the female population here."

He shook his head. "I'm a guy. I shouldn't be that hard to figure out."

"Says you." She shrugged. "Last night was. . . ." She glanced away from him, a smile tipping her lips upward. ". . . .hot."

Seeing that smile, Lorne leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees just to get closer to her without crowding her. "Jennifer, last night was very hot." He waited until she looked at him. "But I don't want just last night. Not if you don't. I'm not into hooking up and walking away."

She took a few deep breaths. "Major. . .Evan, I'm not like other girls here." She shrugged. "I don't just do. . .that. . .and walk away either."

"I never thought you were." He leaned forward and captured her lips for a soft kiss. "I just wanted to make sure I didn't get my signals crossed last night."

She seemed to have problems forming any kind of sentence right then. Lorne grinned at her, supremely pleased that he'd been able to distract her with a kiss. What would he be able to do if he. . . ? Blinking the thought from his mind, he stayed in her space. "So, we explore this?"

She smiled, and it lit her eyes from within. "We explore this."

He grinned at her and leaned forward, making sure to kiss her thoroughly as he did so.

~TBC