I know! I know! It took me a week to upload this chapter but my poor beta had a server breakdown! So, it's the computer's fault!

I would also like to warn you that I will be travelling for interviews during the next two weeks. I am busy this month so I hope to have time to upload the next chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Thanks to my awesome reviewers: asdeed, Samisim, Miss Pookamonga, pathconf, Sam Carter McKay and Cody Smith.I'm glad you all enjoyed last chapter. This one gets us closer to the end even if there's more coming.

Chapter 7

Waking up the next morning, Rodney McKay wondered if he hadn't dreamed last night's events. Samantha Carter…well her future version, had actually told him how they got together and had kissed him. Rodney felt a sudden rush of pleasure run through him.

He lay in his bed grinning madly while staring at the ceiling. The thought that he of all people could get what he secretly dreamed of was making him hopeful. His imagination began to wander, what life would be like with Carter…Sam? Would it be romantic? Nah! Knowing himself he would probably mess up any kind of romantic attempts. Since she was the one who actually took the first step did that mean that his Carter would kiss him? When? Now Rodney was daydreaming of Colonel Carter furiously kissing him in the control room. A certain part of his anatomy began to respond to those thoughts and Rodney groaned. Oh great! How would he make it through the day with two Carters around him? This was going to be pure torture! Knowing what your life could be but not getting any, life sucked!

After a somewhat cold shower he found himself at the crime scene, the mess hall, where the kiss had happened. After grabbing a cup of coffee and a few pancakes he joined his team who was already eating breakfast. Ronon gave him a non committal grunt of welcome while Teyla smiled at him offering her usual morning greetings.

"Did you sleep well, Rodney?"

"Yeah, good thanks!" he answered her with a smile.

John raised his eyebrows at his unusually cheerful answer.

"Thanks? Now, that's interesting. First you arrive late for breakfast and now you thank Teyla for asking about your night. Something is wrong here!" emphasized Sheppard, looking at Rodney's face trying to find a clue in his eyes.

Rodney gasped and rapidly dropped his eyes to his cup of coffee, avoiding Sheppard inquisitive look.

Ronon smirked at McKay sudden discomfort and watched as a sudden blush appeared on the Canadian's cheeks.

Rodney quickly tried to think of something not suspicious to say and mumbled the first sentence crossing his mind, "Can't I have one good night sleep?"

John still looked suspiciously at him and went on asking more questions, "So did you get anywhere last night?"

Rodney chocked on his coffee. Damn Sheppard and his insinuations…

He looked up to see Sheppard frowning…oh right he is talking about the device.

"Not really," answered Rodney, happy that he was safe for the moment. "This technology is beyond my understanding. I'm not sure there anything I can do to make the damn device work"

"Nothing is impossible with you," declared John, smiling cheekily at him.

Ronon shook his head in approval. "You always get it at the end McKay."

"Thanks for the overconfidence guys!" snarled Rodney knowing they were actually teasing his ego.

Suddenly, Teyla stood up and began to grab her tray.

"Where are you going?" asked Rodney puzzled by the Athosian leaving without saying a word.

"Colonel Carter has asked me to keep company to our guests. "

"What? Why?" nervousness was in Rodney's voice as he feared Carter might have heard of what happened last night.

"To be nice, Rodney."

"No... I mean. Won't they want to help me in the lab?" Rodney tried to sound as natural as he could muster.

"I think it is merely a way for the Colonel to make sure that no future secrets are let lose," said Teyla with a diplomatic smile on her face.

Rodney felt suspicion invade him. Did Carter not trust him with her future self?

"Anyway, I must go check on them. I will see you all later."

"Bye Teyla!" both Ronon and John answered as she turned to leave.

Rodney was still deep in thought and it was only half an hour later that he noticed he had finished his breakfast and had managed to walk back to the lab. He was now standing in the middle of the lab, Radek glancing at him a worried look on his face.

"Did you say something?" asked Rodney, feeling he was losing his mind.

"No, but you look lost. Has something happened?"

"No."

"Then maybe we should continue to work on this," declared Radek pointing at the object of their trouble.

"Right!"

And with that thought Rodney went back to work still bothered by Carter's suspicious orders and with Sam's kiss still fresh on his mind.

It often seems difficult to understand the behavior of people you don't know, but here, the difficulty was trying to understand one's own behavior. Colonel Carter was scared, a feeling caused by her not knowing herself as well as she thought. Yesterday, she had been contemplating her future self's passion and obsession for a man she, in the present, would not dare to care for. Today, she felt that this passion she would develop in the future would become a threat. She could not fall for Rodney McKay… that sounded so weird to her ears.

She could not and would not fall for Rodney. A leader must care about the people under his or her command but deeper feeling that could threaten the entire expedition were out of the question. She cleared her mind. A new determination found, Sam stood up from her chair and headed to the control room.

Addressing Chuck, who appeared to be dozing in front of his computer screen, she asked, "Put me in contact with the Genii. I need to know if they have any intelligence about the Furling or any advance race capable of creating time travel devices."

"Yes, Ma'am," answered the younger Canadian, his eyes blinking rapidly in order to wake up from his slumber.

Meanwhile, Teyla and the future travelers were sitting in the entertainment room trying to pass time. Future John had chosen to watch the new X-files movie (well, not exactly new since John had already seen it in the past but it was the newest DVD Atlantis had received from Earth this month.) John watched with interest as Mulder and Scully made there way through a very creepy dark forest when Sam let out scream of frustration.

"You know this is stupid!"

John was about to retort that this was Sci-Fi and complete made up but Teyla cut him before he could actually argue.

She looked up at Sam with a sad smile, "This is for our protection."

John felt disoriented by the sudden change of topic but recovered as Sam went on ranting.

"Maybe, but it has never stopped us before. We take risks all the time. We break rules. I know that doesn't sound like me but we must break rules now."

John, finally catching up with the conversation, intervened. "Hey! Calm down Sam. It's not like we have a deadline. We are in the past and know what happened then. It's not like we will screw up anything since …" he was cut short by Sam's emotional response.

"She doesn't want to face it," declared Sam standing up from the couch and started pacing.

John brows furrowed in complete loss, "Huh?"

"The fact that she loves Rodney!"

Teyla chuckled at that, "As much as I would like to think that Colonel Carter is harboring romantic feeling for Rodney, she has not acted in any improper way that would disregard her status as military commander."

John looked at Teyla still frowning, "What?"

"She hasn't shown any sign of affection except respect for Rodney."

"Oh right. Well, Rodney isn't his charming self everyday. I guess she doesn't love him yet."

"Well, I being her I can tell you that she does have feelings for him right now."

Sam continued to pace the room, the movie long forgotten. "There must be a way to solve everything."

Teyla stood up and gently put an arm on Sam's shoulder making her stop, "I know this is difficult for you but you must trust your other self to resolve this."

Sam shrugged, for the first time in her life she didn't know if she could trust herself into making the right decision.

Colonel Carter was talking to a Genii colonel when Sheppard, followed closely by Ronon, entered the control room. Sam thanked the man on the other side of the connection and watched the wormhole disconnect before turning to them.

"What was that about?" asked Sheppard, looking a bit upset after seeing the Genii uniform on the man in the video.

"I was gathering intelligence. It seems that the Genii heard about the Furlings too, or at least an advanced race rumored to have changed planet leaving it completely deserted."

"Did they give you an address?"

"Not exactly. It's all rumors and the planet might look like the one we checked yesterday, an inhabited natural sanctuary."

"Damn Furlings!" swore John.

"So we still have no idea how to send them back," concluded Ronon.

"Nope," declared Carter, her shoulder lowering in defeat.

The morning became afternoon and Carter felt obliged to check on McKay and Zelenka's progress.

The lab was unusually quiet. Rodney was deep in concentration, trying to resolve a series of equations on his laptop. Carter went over to him sparing a quick glance at Radek who seemed busy on his side of the lab.

Rodney was startled when she brushed past him.

"Anything?" she whispered to avoid disturbing Radek.

"Does complete gibberish count as something?" snarled Rodney, obviously not in a good mood.

"That bad?"

"Yeah."

She put a hand on his arm, a sudden jolt of electricity crossed their bodies making him turn his head to look at her.

Rodney froze. A déjà vu flashed before his eyes and he felt the sudden urge to kiss her. Their eyes locked and silently he gazed deep into her ocean blue eyes, right into her soul.

Carter was shocked still in a trance, she could not look away even if her mind screamed her to. She had a feeling Rodney was as helpless as her right now. The feeling that something big was happening, a revelation or a confirmation maybe… Maybe she did love him after all, maybe she could not prevent herself from falling in love with him. She considered leaning closer but was interrupted by Radek clearing his throat.

"Hmm Hmm. Did you hear a word of what I said?"

Carter looked away from Rodney and blushed a deep crimson red. Rodney sighed and turned to snap at the Czech scientist, "WHAT?"

Evil cliff!!

A/N: I hope this was as good for you as it was for me!! giggles

Who wants to strangle Radek? More next chapter!!