"What's this word?"

Ronon scowled and looked over Mitchell's shoulder. She was reading the hastily scribbled narrative of the dream he'd shared with McKay and was having trouble making out some of the words. This was the sixth time she'd pointed to a word or phrase to have him translate and he was beginning to wonder if she was just doing it because she knew it was beginning to annoy him.

When he looked at the word, however, he had to admit that it was probably his handwriting, because he actually had to read the entire sentence to figure out the word himself.

"Childish."

Which if course made Rodney look up from the readings he'd been taking on the walls of their little cave.

"Did you call me childish?"

"You were."

"No I wasn't."

Ronon raised an eyebrow at him – a fair imitation of the one Teal'c commonly used on those around him – and McKay rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't call it childish…"

"What would you call it?"

"Oh, I don't know… playful?"

Melony chuckled at the look Ronon gave him, and went back to reading the narrative. Before Ronon could reply, or Mitchell could find another word she couldn't read, a voice came over the radios they were all wearing.

"John?"

Weir had been notified that something unusual was going on with the away team, and was undoubtedly checking in with them to see if they'd found anything.

Sheppard stopped reading Rodney's account of the dream – which he'd typed out on his laptop in a matter of minutes – and answered.

"Yes, Elizabeth?"

"Anything to report?"

"Not yet. McKay's still looking."

"Do you need more people? Some Jaffa, maybe?"

Sheppard looked over at Melony, who looked over at Teal'c. The big Jaffa knew that this was her way of having him to make some of the decisions – she did that frequently with him and many of his lieutenants (a noticeable difference between her and the system lords that she'd displaced) – and he shook his head immediately.

"Colonel Mitchell and Teal'c don't seem to think we need any," John told Elizabeth, correctly interpreting the interaction between the two. "So we'll probably be fine. Nothing's come out of the forest looking for breakfast or anything."

They'd kept the watches going, even though none of them had slept further that night, and nothing had even wandered near their position. Now that dawn was breaking, Teyla was standing a watch alone, but well within shouting distance if she needed them while Rodney tried to find the reason for their odd night.

"Are you staying another day?" Weir asked.

"I'd say that depends on what McKay finds out."

They were all curious about what could possibly cause shared dreams such as the ones they'd had – although Mitchell and Sheppard had both been rather vague when asked about the dream they'd shared. Let the others wonder, they'd decided. It was better than the gossip that would follow when the story got out. Which it would.

"Keep me posted."

"Will do. Sheppard out."

He turned back to the report Rodney had written, and Mitchell returned to trying to decipher Ronon's awful handwriting.

OOOOOOOOO

By mid afternoon – and three check-ins later – all Rodney could tell them conclusively was that there was an odd energy reading coming off the very walls of the cave itself. Nothing that posed a danger to them, he assured them, just something odd. Maybe the reason for the dreams. He couldn't say for certain, however, and after a lot of discussion amongst themselves, a lot of pleading from Rodney – who really wanted to see if he could figure out where it all was coming from and what it was – and another check in with Atlantis to get Elizabeth's opinion, the team decided that it might stay another night to see if they could get it to happen again.

But I'm not sleeping at the same time Sheppard is, Melony told Talon – who was just as intrigued by the whole thing as Rodney was. Part of the reason Mitchell had been willing to go along with staying another night.

You'd prefer McKay? Talon asked her dryly.

She didn't answer that.

"So do we sleep in the cave again tonight?" Teyla asked, as night was starting to fall. "Or outside?"

"It might not matter…" Sheppard said, turning to Rodney for confirmation.

"No, it probably does matter," McKay said. "We were all in the cave when we had our dreams. It probably has something to do with the energy readings I found – and we need to be near them so I can figure out what it is."

"I'm taking watch with Mitchell tonight," Ronon said, tossing an annoyed look in Rodney's direction.

Melony hesitated, but Talon reminded her that there was no reason to believe the dream – if she even had one that night – would be anything like the night before.

Ronon's dream was fighting with Rodney, he told his host. Maybe that's what it'll be about. Or maybe it'll be something completely different than the other two. Who knows?

And if it isn't?

It's just a dream, Hot Shot.

It felt awfully real last night.

She looked over at Sheppard, who gave her a look that plainly asked if she was okay with taking a watch with Ronon. She shrugged.

"Fine," John said, finishing his dinner. "We'll mix things up a little tonight, to see if it changes anything. Ronon and Mitchell, Teal'c and me, Rodney and Teyla."

He gave everyone a chance to agree or disagree – especially Teal'c, since he really didn't have any authority over the Jaffa – but no one argued.

"The dreams occurred during the last watch," Melony said. "Ronon and I will take that watch."

Chicken

She ignored that, too, although it was hard to ignore the dry chuckle that followed.