Love's Beginning

Love's Beginning

Related episodes: - Arthur's Mantle

For: - teens/mature

Romance, action/adventure

Characters: - Cam Mitchell, Sam Carter, Jack O'Neill

Notes: - This story shows the interpersonal relationships between characters, it gets mushy in places, it is touchy feely in several places- You Have Been Warned!

It was raining hard outside on a cold wet winter's night and Cam had just arrived at the library at Colorado Springs. He shook himself and took his jacket off; he looked at the index board

"science, science" he said to himself "ah 300 up on level 2" He proceeded up the stairs, he was after some books to explain wormhole physics and Sam's latest project phase shifting. Since being shifted by Merlin's device he wanted to understand how it worked or at least try. Cam walked to the information desk

"Hello" he said to the women behind it "I'm after books on wormhole physics and phase shifting please"

"One moment" she turns to her computer "sections 340 and 370, to your left"

"Thank you" After looking through the many books in the 2 sections, Cam produced several interesting looking books. He found a table and placed the books upon it and sat down, he picked up a book about to read when he heard a voice

"Hi is this seat taken?" asked a woman. Cam looked up to see a flustered woman cradling several books a laptop bag and a rucksack; she was wet and had clearly just arrived. He got up

"Here let me help you" offered Cam, helping the tall slight burnet with her piles of books

"Thank you" she replied as she gave him the books "I'm Kim Falcon" she held out her hand.

"I'm Cam Mitchell" he said shaking her hand "nice to meet you"

"And you"…"what are you reading?" as she sat down

"Oh I'm trying to understand a colleagues' work"

"If you need help just ask, I probably can help" Cam looked confused "I'm a science teacher, well I have a PhD in physics and biology"

"2 sciences, you must be good" exclaimed Cam

"Well I love science, finding out how things work, problem solving…" she stops "what?"

"You remind me of my work colleague, she's like you" laughs Cam

"Oh" sighs a down hearted Kim

"Wait, that's not it, it's not a insult, definitely a compliment. And she's a friend and engaged and not to me!" Cam explained "so what are you here for?"

"I like to be in a library when marking in case I need to double check the information in my students work; plagiarism etc"

"That's good; don't want them to be illegal. Do you teach chemistry?" enquired Cam

"No, never liked it, never understood it. My classmates where creepy, my teacher was mad too" she shudders as she remembers

"What have your lovely students written today then?" asked Cam changing the subject

"Posters on renewable energy"

"Would you like some help reading them?"

"Sure, I'm biased as to whether or not they make sense. I can then help you, if you like?"

"Sure why not, fair exchange"

After a few hours of reading posters and dipping into wormhole physics books Kim decides to call it a day.

"Well it's been nice meeting you, but I really should get home"

"Boyfriend waiting?" enquires Cam

"No, one empty house with 2 bouncy dogs wanting food and attention" they both laugh "why" she asks

"Would you like to go out for dinner next week?"

"Are you asking me out?" asks Kim

"Yes I am" announces a proud Cam, she smiles and shakes her head.

"Well then I accept!"

"Great when and where?" says Cam

"Next Friday at 7?"

"Okay, how about the steak house on Jefferson Ave?"

"Sounds great" she hands him a piece of paper.

"Thanks. Here is my number" he writes his on top of a page in her diary. Kim gathers up her students work.

"I'll see you next Friday then at the restaurant"

"See you then" calls Cam after her.

The school bell finally rang on Friday afternoon

"Finally" whispered Kim "Right class don't forget your homework is due on Monday, so have a great weekend!" The class cried with groans of dismay and left the room in a mad rush to get home for some well deserved fun as well as school work. Kim packs up her laptop and unmarked school work for the weekend; she turns off the lights and closes the door.

When she arrived home, the house was stone cold, she reached for the light switch, but no lights came on

"Great! Just great!" shouted Kim "no heating no lights and a date in…" she looked at her watch "in 2 and half hours and I need a shower". Next thing she knows a white ball is bouncing towards her,

"Hi Jessie how are you? Where's Twist?" Jessie barked in reply and Twist came running at the sound of his name, Kim left her things in the hall and went into the kitchen to find a torch. After she found one she went to look at the fuse box only to find nothing wrong

"Must be street wide then" she commented to herself. She resounded herself to being late and put her things away. "I'll have to call mom and go round there". She walked to the phone relieved to hear a dialling tone; she dialled the number and waited for a reply. Eventually a woman picked up the phone.

"Hi mom" said Kim "can I come round yours I've got no heat or light and I'm going out" she waited for a reply "I can, great see you shortly!" she put the phone down and bent down to her dogs "well looks like I'm still going out for some fun tonight!"

Kim went into her room to pack some needed toiletries and her clothes for the evening including a stunning floor length dress, she packed the items into her car, after which she checked her dogs where secure in the house before leaving to her moms.

Kim arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes late and very flustered after having to field probing questions from her mother. She parked her car and entered the restaurant; she was greeted by the maitre'd

"Good evening; may I help you?" he enquired

"Yes thank you. Table for 2 under Mitchell" responded Kim

"Thank you, Mr Mitchell is already here; follow me please" He showed her to a table in a secluded area, Cam arose when he saw Kim

"Hi, you look gorgeous" remarks Cam in a suit with pale blue shirt and tie

"Why thank you, you look quite the gentlemen." She checked herself before continuing "I'm sorry I'm late; I got home and there was no heat or light" as she sat down "been here long?"

"No not at all. Here is your menu ma'am" says Cam passing her one.

"Thank you" she said as she took it from him

"What would you like to drink?"

"Erm let's see; red wine please large. What about you?"
"Budweiser" says Cam to the waiter

"Excellent sir and for dinner?" enquires the waiter

"Can you give us a few minutes?" asks Cam

"Of course" he leaves

"So what do you fancy after a hard week of teaching children? Kim looks over the menu

"House special well done, with fires and salad"

"That didn't take long but sounds good; dessert too?"

"I'll see after dinner, if that's okay?"

"Okay" the waiter returns with the drinks "can we have 2 house specials please one well done and one rare both with fries one with salad please"

"Off course" the waiter replied and left with the order

"So Cam what do you do? I meant to ask you at the library and seeing as you know what I do" she was looking at the table twirling her fingers around a lock of hair that she had obviously meant to leave down in her fabulous hair style. She tucked the lock behind her ear and looked up and met Cam's eyes and smiled longingly.

"I'm an AF Lt-Col; I work at Cheyenne mountain complex in Deep Space Radar Telemetry"

"Oh and yet you know nothing of physics Col"

"Well I don't deal with the science side, more security" replied Cam

"Well everyone needs a job; yours involves being a knight in shinning armour some days" remarks Kim. They continue talking even through the main meal and past the bill being paid, finding out many interesting facts about each other and enjoying each others company.

"So let me get this straight" Kim pauses "3 yrs ago you had a major plane crash and nearly died! And you had to learn to walk all over again, that must have been… …" She struggles to find the words to describe the ordeal "overwhelming"

"Yer, nearly lost that fight too, but I'm back on active duty and looking none the worse for it. So your history, your dad walked out on you and your mom"

"Yes, I was 9 I have never forgiven him. Mom never told me why he left, I have never received cards or gifts from him and I'm his only child."

"Cruel. So do we want dessert?"

"No" she said bluntly "At least not of the food kind. Would you like to come back to mine?" asks Kim seductively.

"What to keep you warm?" he laughs "no sorry, I'd love to, shall we go?" They leave and enter the car park, Kim gets into her car and attempts to start it

"God no not tonight!" she cries, smacking her hands on the wheel

"What's up?" asks Cam sympathetically

"Car's not starting; it's just one thing after another today!" Kim starts to cry

"Hey, come on" Cam pulls her out of the car "I'll take you some, save you waiting for a tow truck and we'll sort the car out tomorrow. At least I'm being a knight, but not in shining arm or on a white noble steed" comforted Cam, Kim laughed and sobbed simultaneously. "The steed is black" Cam walks her to his car; he gets Kim settled and they drive off.

After directing Cam to hers, she walks up the path to the front door with Cam close behind, when a flurry of barks can be heard from inside.

"Sorry, they're not keen on strangers"

"Good guard dogs, before we go in what breed?"

"Border collies, Jessie and Twist, softies when you get to know them. Why"

"I would just like to know what size to expect to be knocked over by" They enter when Cam gets knock sideways by one of the pair

"Hi which one are you?" asks Cam, he sees a second directly in front of him with Kim smirking.

"The one on you is Jess and this one is Twist, you'll soon learn the difference, if THEY let you stick around!" Cam pushes Jess off him and gets up.

"I did warn you." Said Kim grinning "Coffee?" She offered

"Yes you did and coffee would be great. At least your lights are on now" comments Cam

"That's something" In the kitchen Kim gets out 2 mugs when Cam puts his arms around her waist and pulls her towards him. She turns around and they share a passionate kiss.

"I've been waiting for this all night" whispered Cam

"Me too" Kim whispers back. They move off to the bedroom.

The next morning Cam awakes to find one of the dogs next to him and the smell of coffee wafting in through the open door. Kim appears at the door in a top and short with 2 mugs in hand

"Jess off the bed!" orders Kim "well I owe you one coffee; seeing as you didn't get one last night, I don't know how you take it"

"At this time of the morning BLACK!" he laughs, Kim walks over hands him a mug and she then get back into bed.

"I was thinking, instead of you calling out a mechanic, I could call Sam, she's brilliant with engines and stuff. It would be cheaper." Kim looks unsure, but then relaxes

"Okay thank you; were you okay last night?" she puts her coffee down and turns to face him

"Fine, I really enjoyed it" he puts his arm around her and sips his coffee, "I regretted nothing, you?"

"No me neither, what all of it?" enquiries Kim

"Yep most definitely did" replied Cam "I'll call Sam later see if she can fix your car, she's probably still in bed, so that gives us a couple of hours too"

"Your incorrigible" she says as Cam puts his coffee cup down.

After some more intermit time in bed and having had breakfast Cam calls Sam; Kim waits in the garden playing with her dogs; Cam appears a little while later

"She'll be there in 30 minutes, I said we'd meet her there" informs Cam

"Thanks, will you let these 2 ride in your classic Car? I only noticed this morning."

"You like it? I think I'll let them, a black mustang and his loyal canines. Sounds good!"

"Ok, shall we go?

They beat Sam to the restaurant car park; Cam takes the keys from Kim to get the car ready for Sam's arrival. A little while later Twist starts barking at a motorbike pulling up in the car park with 2 people on board, the driver removes their helmet

"Hi Cam what's up?"

"This is Sam" he tells Kim "Who's with you?"

"I could ask you Col" responds a man's voice

"Gen O'Neill, sorry sir"

"It's fine Mitchell. Who've you got?"

"Sorry, this is Kim Falcon, high school science teacher" he introduces Kim "Kim this is Col Sam Carter and Gen Jack O'Neill"

"Please to meet you" Jack replies

"So your all in the AF?" asks a bewildered Kim

"Yes we are. Shall we have a look at your car and leave the boys to talk?" motions Sam to Kim's car

"Thank you very much" says a sullen Kim

"So how did you two meet?" enquires Sam

"At a library, he was reading up on wormhole physics and phase shifting, I was helping to understand some of it, although some of it was beyond me. Theoretical Astrophysics is not what I studied."

"Well it can be beyond me too some days. What are your specialties?"

"Biology and physics, biology first, you?" responds Kim

"PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics, I work at Cheyenne Mountain Complex."

"Oh yes Cam said he dealt with security, you must deal with the satellites and the information received?"

"Yep that's me, Jack used to be in charge, he got reassigned"

"Cam also said you where engaged to him?" she points to Jack

"Yep 3 months know, no one knows I'm engaged to Jack, although some people may have figured it out"

"It's safe with me; you won't tell his friends about…"

"No not until he's ready" Both ladies breathe a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile over the other side of the car park

"Nice girl Mitchell, was last night good? You seem away with things"

"Yer she is, it was the best night in a long time!" sighs Cam closing his eyes, when suddenly a car can be heard starting

"Well there we go" informed Sam

"Thank you so much, you must let me pay you or something" insisted Kim

"How about a double date?" Sam looks at Cam with a look of shock across his face "tonight if everyone's free?"

"Sounds great" says a delighted Kim

"There's a Chinese restaurant in Lincoln Ave, meet there at say 19:30?" asks Jack

"I'd like that" says Kim

"Sounds fine" responds Cam slowly. Jack and Sam leave, leaving Kim and Cam alone

"So would you like me to pick you up?" enquires Cam

"Yes please, would you like lunch round mine? Call it a second date and tonight a third date?" says a shy Kim

"Brilliant, I'll go home and get changed, see you at yours in an hour?

"Okay see you then" They both leave and go their separate ways.

A little while later Jess and Twist start a mad barking campaign at the front door; Kim goes to answer it and opens it to Cam holding a bunch of bright flowers.

"Hi, I didn't know your favourite colour, so I got lots of colours" says Cam giving Kim the flowers

"Why thank you, if that's a question, then pink is the answer. Come in" whilst Kim takes the flowers and moving aside "come through to the kitchen, can I get you anything?"

"No I'm fine thanks"

"Okay, I'm just going to make a sandwich I'm famished; I think Jess and Twist would like someone to play fetch with?"

"Funny!" replies Cam following the dogs into the back yard; Kim watches Cam from the kitchen window while cutting and arranging the flowers and eating her sandwich. She places them in a vase on the kitchen table and joins Cam with the dogs.

"They are lovely dogs" compliments Cam

"My mom breeds collies and Labradors. I fell in love with Jess when I saw her and well Twist, he choose me. I took both at the earliest opportunity."

"She done a good job"… he paused to word he sentence right "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Sure I'd love too, can these two come as well?"

"Yer I don't see why not." Everyone left Kim's house for a nice long walk in the local park.

They arrived back just after 18:00 having had hot dogs in the park; Cam could tell from the walk that Kim was a very active and physically fit woman who looked after herself.

"Do you work out?" asks Cam

"Yes, I run 6 days a week, go to the gym twice a week. More in school holidays, why?"

"You'd give some AF personnel a run for their money" complimented Cam

"Is that a compliment Col? She looked him right in the eye "because if it is I can think of more flattering ones!" They both laugh.

Later on everyone meets up at the restaurant

"Hi guys" calls Sam to Cam and Kim

"Hey Sam" greets Cam "your looking lovely tonight"

"So is Miss Falcon" interrupts Jack

"Why thank you, Kim please" answered Kim

"Jack. Shall we go in, tables' under my name" informs Jack. They all enter

A couple of hours later they all exit the restaurant laughing

"You know we should all go out more often" cries Sam

"You have had too much to drink" says Jack quietly "let's get you home to bed"

"See you later" Sam calls back, manically waving.

"So where to now?" Cam asks Kim

"Well I think you owe me a coffee at yours Col, don't you agree?"

"Yes ma'am, mine it is" Cam walked Kim to his car and opened the passenger door for her like a chauffer. After a 20 minute drive Cam pulls up outside a block of flats.

"Well this is it" he said while getting out "follow me ma'am" Kim followed him to the main entrance, Cam typed in the code onto the keypad and then he entered "come on then daydreamer!" he said to Kim. They proceeded to the third floor, flat 302.

"Here we are" announced Cam, as he opened the door he asked "now can I get you anything?"

"A nice big bowl of hot Cameron please!" as she jumped on him

"A what!?" as he caught her putting her arms around him and kissing him square on the lips "oh I get it" said Cam smiling "this way to my lair"