Title: Maybe Tomorrow
Author: snowyplains
Rating: a very tame G
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, and CBS/Alliance Atlantis/Jerry Bruckheimer does. One day, I'll own a show of my own =) or...maybe not.
Note: I wanted to write something fun, but judging by the length of this story, I didn't have fun for long. I'm not entirely opposed to continuing this story...I haven't decided yet.

"Would you marry me?"

The words were out before I could stop them. I had been thinking about her all day, and now that she had entered the room, I had to say something to her.

She grins at me. "Yeah, definitely." She goes back to fixing herself a cup of coffee

"What?!" I wasn't quite sure I had heard her right. Either that, or she had misunderstood the question.

"Surprised you, didn't I?" she says, almost as if that was sufficient explanation for her answer before she leaves with her freshly brewed coffee. I wasn't about to leave it at that. I follow her out into the hall, and she turns to face me.

"You'd marry me." I state, the sentence dangling between us, as I waited for her to refute, explain, throw herself into my arms, whatever. I was waiting for her to do something.

"Yes." She repeats her answer as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"As in, right now?" I could faint right here.

A smile twists at her lips. "You asked me a question regarding a fictional scenario, right?" She doesn't wait for an answer before she continues down the hall.

I watch her as she disappears down the hall, and I mentally kick myself as I walk back into the lounge. I could have handled that one better. I had just asked her how she would feel about getting married to me, and I didn't probe further to ask anything else.

"Do you even like me?" would probably be a good place to start.

Or, "Did you know I was serious?"

And maybe "Are you planning to use me marriage insurance in case you don't find anyone better?" I had heard stories of friends deciding to marry each other in the event they reach middle age (or beyond) unhitched.

She probably would never be so desperate. She'd rather die alone then to agree to something so ridiculous. Those kind of arrangements work out for some people. I'd bet money she wasn't one of them.

And if I was to marry her, I wouldn't be settling.

"What did you expect me to say?" I hadn't even noticed her come back in. She had forgotten a file folder full of pictures from her last case, and she motions to it. "You look so...contemplative."

"Well, I didn't expect you to say yes."

She sits down next to me. "You wanted me to say no?" She sounds amused, kind of the way she talks when she's teasing Greg.

"I guess I wasn't really expecting anything." I can only imagine how incoherent I must be sounding for a guy who had just hypothetically proposed.

She reaches over briskly, collecting the file folder and loose pictures. "Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? You're not actually planning on marrying me."

"Not yet."

"You better make your move fast then. I have proposals coming at me left and right." She was smiling widely at me now, and I was the one feeling uncomfortable. She was having fun with this.

"I wouldn't doubt it, Sara. I mean, a woman like you?" I sure as hell wasn't going to let her have the last word.

"Don't you forget it, Nick." she laughs, and walks out the door with her folder.