The Space Between
Category: Romance/Fluff, Slight Angst
Pairing: Sam/Cam, hints of Sam/Jack
Summary: Sam and Cam discover they want something more than just friendship but with a head injury, a function and ex's to worry about will they ever be able to get it together?
Warnings: Mild sexual content, mild swearing.
Disclaimer: I own Nudda, Zip and Zilch... & as i've stated before, it's probably for the best...
Author's Notes: So, wow! This was meant to be a one-shot and it ended up just going on and on… it litterly just wrote itself!
I don't usually like doing long romantic stories cause I get bored, so I was thinking if I write a sequel it might contain a little more action.
Comments, as always, are very much appreciated! Especially this time cause I'm a little out of my comfort zone so any advice is welcome!
Also I wasn't very happy with my last story All It Takes, so I've taken it down to be re-written before I add anymore chapters…
Colonel Cameron Mitchell paused slightly, waiting for the women walking in front of him to react.
When she didn't, it only furthered his concern.
'Sam,' He closed the distance growing between them to place a steady hand on her arm. 'Hold up a sec, would ya?'
She stalled, trying to shake the disorentated feeling from her mind.
She was trying to focus, stay alert but her thoughts kept wandering and her eyes widened slightly as she mentally tried to pull herself together.
'Sorry…'
A faint blush crept along her neck as she met Cam's concerned gaze, 'Kinda spaced out there for a bit.'
He nodded, tilting his head casually to one side. 'Concusions tend to do that.'
A light smile graced her lips but it did little to diminish his worry.
Although the trip back to the gate wasn't a cake walk, it wasn't overly difficult either. Fairly flat terrain, the occasional rocky path or fallen tree but nothing to suggest they couldn't make the journey with ease.
That was assuming of course one of them hadn't been hit in the head by a collapsing pillar.
Ultimately he'd decided the incident was one that could have been avoided all together if Jackson had just called out before the pair had ventured near the unsafe structure. Though as it was, the warning had come too late and while he usually would have relished at the chance to play hero… Sam had proven to be quicker, pushing him out of the way first.
It was slightly humiliating but the embarrassment had soon been replaced with a gnawing sense of worry when he realised she was hurt and rather than scrap the mission entirely he'd offered to get her back to the gate himself while the rest of his team finished pottering around the ruins.
It hadn't been a bad plan but watching her now, her face growing paler by the second, he'd kind of wished he'd brought Teal'c along. If she did pass out, the large alien warrior would have been able to carry her with ease, something he feared he would struggle with.
But he hadn't thought that far ahead and now he was willing to do everything possible to avoid that senario.
'Sam…' He squeezed her arm, gaining her attention that had once again faltered. 'Maybe we should stop and rest for a bit?'
She nodded slightly, staring at him through hazy eyes.
Her instinct was to argue, tell him she was fine but something in the tone of his voice made her relax and she leant into his touch, allowing herself to be guided to a nearby log.
It was the way he spoke, like it was entirely her decision.
No patronizing orders just a gentle tenderness that suggested she had a choice.
She liked that about him, about their relationship. Although officially he was in command he rarely did anything without asking for her opinion and if the situation called for it, he let her take full control without hesitation.
Cam offered her his flask and she accepted, enjoying the feel of the cool liquid down her throat.
It was suprising how at ease they'd become with one and other lately.
She wasn't embarrassed to be seen in a more weakened state like she would've been with most people and she suspected it had something to do with the look he would give her.
The one he was giving her right now, his large soft blue eyes watching her worlessly.
It made her insides melt because though they flicked with concern he purporsley conveyed a reassurance that he didn't think any less of her. It was comforting and she felt her heart flutter under the scrutiny of his gaze.
It would be so easy to fall in love with those eyes….
She choked on her drink as the shock of the thought quickly sobered her up.
Where the hell had that come from? She really must be concussed…
'You okay?'
She felt Cam's hand instantly on her back, rubbing smooth circles and she nodded unable to tear her mind away from what a relationship with him would be like.
With her friends, take Daniel for example… things had always been comfortable between them but there was no physical atraction.
With Jack there had been enough sexual tension to sink a ship but they had rarely been at ease with each other.
And Pete, well…
Definitely an attraction there and they were comfortable with each other… but there just hadn't been that level of trust. She couldn't tell him when things were moving too fast and it had ultimately led to a bitter ending.
But Cam…
She trusted him undoubtably. Certainly found him incredibly attractive and there was a relaxed nature to their frienship that she'd somehow managed to overlook.
He was the person who she could sit and have a beer with while watching a movie.
He was the person who dragged her away to dinner, just the two of them, when he caught her working late.
He was the person who knew exactly when she needed to talk but also when to back off and give her space
He was comfortable with his emotions, enough to be open and honest without being overbearing.
He didn't try to hide things from her but was casual enough so it didn't seem like a big deal.
He was everything.
The world tilted suddenly and it occurred to her that this really wasn'the best time to be having an epiphany.
'Woah...'
He shifted closer and she braced her fingers against his chest in order to steady herself. 'Little dizzy…'
'Have some more water?' He quided the flask back up to her moth and she gripped the bottle tightly, willing her naseua to fade.
After a few moments she relaxed and Cam inwarldy sighed as her knuckles returned to their previous colouring. 'Feel better?'
She screwed the lid back on nodding her head, 'Yeah… thanks.'
He placed the flask back in his pack, letting his hands fall limply over his knees. At this rate it would still be an hour before they made it back to SGC and in his opinion that was an hour too long.
'Look Sam, I hate to push but we really should keep moving…'
She closed her eyes trying to summon the stength to move.
Beside her she could hear Cam shuffle into a standing poition and when she finally found the energy to open her eyes, she was surprised to see a mischevious grin spread across his face.
'I wasn't going to say anything, exspecially infront of Daniel…' He offered her his hand helping her up, 'But if we hurry there's this football game… I think we could still catch it.'
He used his free hand to steady her and it was only when she smiled that he let go.
'Football?' She asked grateful for the change of subject as that began walking again, 'Is that all you think about?'
'Well…' He motioned casually, 'Then there's beer, women, how we're going to save the world next... You know, the usual.'
She raised her eyebrow slightly, 'Is that in order?'
He pretended to think about it for a moment, faking sencirity. 'Pretty much, although ocassionly I alternate the beer and women part.'
She snorted lightly, trying to focus more on her footing, rather than her reactions... but she couldn't stop a niggling thought from creeping into her mind.
'Vala mentioned there was someone kind of special back on earth…'
Cam frowned in confused. If Vala was gossiping then there was only one women she could be talking about…
'That'd be Amy Vanderburg, my high scool crush...'
Although he used the term crush loosely.
It had been more like and obession and he smiled remembering their last meeting.
As expected, he'd reverted back to an emotionally challenged teenager around her and when they'd finally gotten passed all that, after he'd so casually saved the day…she'd promised to call, sort of...
She was certainly nice, definately attractive and one hell of a kisser… but not special in the way Vala had obviously alluded to.
Maybe if something had happened all those years ago, or if he hadn't joined the stargate program… but he had and he wouldn't change those decisions for the world.
Exspecially not when he was pretty sure he'd found the woman he wanted to be with.
The women who still made his heart skip a beat even though they were practically best friends.
The women who… had gone unusually quiet beside him.
He coughed slightly tring to restart the conversation and get her talking again, 'No, nothing special just Vala being over dramamtic… You?'
'No…well…' Her mind instanly flew to Jack.
Although it hadn't really been openly discussed, it was assumed nothing would happen between them until he retired, which was meant to be some time after her stint on Atlantis… however upon her return from the city they had both agreed, somewhat awkwardly, that it just wasn't the right time.
'No.' She stated more adamant with her response.
Maybe one day but it was a long time coming and there was certainly wasn't anyone else.
Well…
She wanted to laugh at the irony of their chosen conversation. It was so cliché all that stuff about seeing someone in a different light... but now she'd opened her mind to it she couldn't stop wondering what it would be like.
'So… no one ascorting you to the dinner next weekend?'
She frowned trying to shake the sudden blurryness from her vision.
She need to focus, concentrate on what he was saying…
Cam saw the blank look spread across her face and attempted to jog her memory, 'President, speechees… Landry forcing us to go.'
'Right…' She vaguely recalled the conversation now. Something about the bigwigs holding a fundraiser for the Stargate program, of course under the pretense it was for deep space radar telemetry.
Kicking a branch out of her way she tried to ignore the sudden feeling of vertigo that hit her.
'Maybe I'll… still be in the infirmary.'
Had he been paying attention he would have heard her miss a beat but he was too focused on the next sentence coming out of his mouth, 'Or… we could go… You know, together…if you wanted…'
The look he tried to conceal was priceless and had her heart not been hammering so loudly in her ears, she would've taken the opportunity to make fun of him for it. 'Like a... date?'
'Yeah,' He scratched the side of his neck, trying to cover the flush he could feel rising. 'Like a date… But only if you wanted…'
She stopped walking and Cam immediately regretted opening his mouth
'Look... forget I said anything, it was a stupid…'
The notion he was saying something important was quickly lost as she reached out trying to steady herself.
'Cam...'
The tone of her voice snapped him out of his appology and he realised for the first time that she wasn't even listening to him, 'Sam!'
She blinked rapidly, aware of the alarm in his voice but unable to do anything to ease his worry.
Everything felt so distant, far away and she closed her eyes finally allowing herself to succumb to the darkness.
'Damn it Sam!'
He hauled her body over his shoulder as she passed out, trying to be as gentle as possible.
Of all the times to faint, it had to be as he was asking her out...
With a sigh, he decided now probably wasn't the time to be cursing fate. He still had to get her back to the gate and he figured it wouldn't hurt to be charitable to any unseen forces that might be out there.
The last thing he needed was to drop her …