He'd gone into things expecting to hate her; knowing that he resented her. She had the position he wanted, the position he rightfully felt he should have had. A civilian should have never been allowed to remain in command of Atlantis given their current tactical state.
He hadn't gone in expecting to fall for her. He didn't like or agree with the way she ran the expedition. It just wasn't the way a military operation should be run. But somehow she made it work. Somehow her people usually came out of things on top.
When things got tight she was right there with them. She wasn't giving the orders protected from danger by the safety of her office. She was in the middle of it all. And more often than not, she wound up in just as much - if not more - danger.
It was at one of those times, when it seemed like she might not make it back, that the realization dawned on him. Right after her name passed through his lips with an agonized shout he knew, no matter how much the woman got to him, she had also managed to get under his skin.
Whether he would ever find a way to tell her or not he didn't know. But he was sure he had fallen in love with her.