Early the next morning, Jennifer stood in her quarters and tested her ankle. Most of the pain from the sprain had faded within the first two weeks, but she still struggled to move faster than a brisk walk. Her emotional run through Atlantis had worsened the injury, making healing time even longer. She missed her early morning runs.

Irritated and not ready to face the day, she considered not reporting for duty that day. But she couldn't. After yesterday, she had a massive amount of reports to finish. Just the file on Davos alone would take some time to construct. She'd learned so much from him, some of it things she couldn't put into a medical file. The one you seek is out there, waiting for you. Davos's words flowed through her head again, and she let out a deep breath. Would she ever forget them?

Tired of the thoughts that interrupted her sleep, Jennifer glared at the coffee pot on her desk and shook her head. She'd considered buying more coffee while on Earth to visit her father, but she hadn't, thinking her private stash on Atlantis would get her through another few months. She'd been wrong. With all of the emotional upheaval from New Athos, plus the hours she spent with Davos, she'd used more coffee than normal.

An entry request sounded, and she stomped across the room to answer the door. She was in a bad mood, and she knew she needed to reign in her emotions before speaking to anyone. Evan's appearance-and his uncertain look-calmed her impatience as soon as the door opened. She stepped back. "Come in."

He walked into the room and looked around. Jennifer kept her quarters clean, but she lived with a certain amount of clutter. Not like the military precision she'd seen in his room the night they shared a movie.

He faced her. "Ah. . .I got you something while I was on Earth, and now I'm wondering if I made a mistake."

Jennifer blinked. "You're second-guessing yourself?" She grinned at that. She'd never known Major Lorne to second-guess anything. He always made a decision and stuck with it.

"Yeah." He held up the medium-sized box and offered it to her. "I hope you like it."

Was he The One? The question floated through her head as she accepted the box he held out. As much as she'd like to think he was, she didn't want to close herself off from other options. But what other options were on Atlantis? Rodney? He dated Katie Brown in the botany department. Ronon? The big guy still intimidated her. Colonel Sheppard? Jennifer shuddered to think what kind of trouble she'd be in if anyone found out about that. She liked Sheppard, but he was too. . .impulsive. She wanted someone stable, someone with just enough adventure to keep things interesting but not so much that she worried all the time.

Evan still stood in front of her, and Jennifer realized she'd let her thoughts wander. Her face heated, and she motioned to the couch. "Sorry. Don't know where my mind went." Liar, she said to herself.

Instead of dwelling on her thoughts, she settled on the other end of the couch to open the box. Inside, she found a small, quality coffee grinder and a month's supply of French Roast. She looked up quickly. "You didn't."

He shrugged, seeming more like a little boy in that minute than she'd ever seen him. "You like your coffee. Said you lived on it."

Jennifer grinned. "You don't know how much of a lifesaver you are."

"Ah, yeah, I do" He returned the grin. "I saw the scowl when you answered the door."

"I'm sorry about that." She stood and carried the box to the shelf with her coffee pot. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"Care to share?"

Jennifer thought about that as she rinsed the coffee grinder and prepared to enjoy her first cup of freshly ground coffee since returning to Atlantis. She fixed enough for Evan and sat on the end of the couch as she waited for it to brew. "You know about Davos?"

"Colonel Sheppard filled me in." He chuckled, but she saw steel under his lighthearted gaze. "I missed a lot while on Earth."

"Well, Davos told me some things, and I'm just not sure how to take them." She frowned. "He shared visions with several people, and they all came true save one. Thing is, all of them were out of context, so I don't know what to make of what he told me."

"What did he tell you?"

Her face heated again, and she silently thanked the coffee pot for finishing right then. She rose and fixed two cups of coffee, happy to hid the flush while she figured out what to say. "I'd rather not talk about it," she said as she handed over a cup of coffee.

"Fair enough." He sipped the coffee, watching her reaction. "So, what's new with you?"

"Not much." Jennifer sat back into the couch, feeling like they finally found the familiar footing they'd had before he left for Earth. She enjoyed two cups of the rich brew he'd bought for her while they shared incidents from their respective weeks. She spoke honestly about the nightmares, and he made her laugh with stories about his nephews. By the time she headed to the infirmary for her duty shift, she'd relaxed and decided to enjoy her day.

oOo

Jennifer found out two days later that she needed to head off world again. This time, however, the people were much like the Athosians. Once again, they were one of Teyla's contacts, and they'd contacted her through the investigative team visiting New Athos every other week for clues. It seemed a flue-like virus had broken out among them, and they asked for a healer with better medicine to come help them out.

Jennifer packed with a bit of trepidation. Evan helped her, listening as she spoke in trembling tones about what had happened "last time." She clearly remembered preparing for that mission much like she was now, and that made her hands shake almost uncontrollably. Finally, Evan reached over and grabbed them.

"You're going to be fine," he said firmly.

"I know." She let out a deep breath. "I just wish I could get my heart to realize that."

"This time, you've got SGA-3 going with you. And Coughlin."

Jennifer vaguely wondered why one of Evan's team accompanied her, but she didn't ask. Instead, she squeezed Evan's hands and returned to packing. He helped carry her bags to the gate room, giving Coughlin the evil eye as Sheppard ordered Chuck to dial the gate. Coughlin stepped up and took one of the heavy bags from Evan, and Jennifer shook her head. If the guys insisted on acting like this, she'd shoot someone. She always over packed, and she felt like she should be the one to carry the bags.

The first step through the gate didn't bother her. The second step, after clearing the event horizon, brought the memories and nightmares to life. She froze, and Coughlin ran into her from behind. The woods, the way the DHD stood in front of the gate, the autumn chill to the air reminded her of New Athos.

Coughlin dropped the bag and touched her shoulder. "Doc?"

Jennifer suddenly realized she'd stopped breathing and gasped for air. "I'm fine." She nodded to him and took a few more steps. "I'm okay."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah." She tried to smile, but she couldn't quite muster the strength. Coughlin continued to watch her, and she forced herself to keep walking. She refused to acknowledge the phantoms that stalked her from the gate to the village. She knew they were all in her head, and she held up her chin as children ran to meet her.

SGA-3 had developed a friendly relationship with the people of this planet over the course of the last few months. They had helped clear the area for the log homes, rebuild after a Wraith culling, and sow crops after torrential rains destroyed the previous year's harvest. Even now, the members of the team greeted individuals with waves, smiles, and, in some cases, hugs.

Coughlin stood at Jennifer's side. "Ever feel like an outsider?"

"Just a little." She waited until she'd been acknowledged.

"What's in the bags?" A little girl, not much more than five, dared to approach the newcomers.

Jennifer squatted down to look the girl in the eye. "All sorts of neat stuff to help your people get better."

The girl's father, a big man with a thick black beard, stared at her. "You're the healer?"

Jennifer smiled, not offended by his shock. "Yes." She glanced around. "Is there somewhere we can set up a clinic?"

"This way." He led her to a large tent the people had erected in the middle of the village. Jennifer stepped inside and nodded. It would work nicely. She pointed to a corner where Coughlin could put the bag and set to work organizing her supplies. Within the hour, she opened the tent door to her first patient.

As news of her arrival spread, the villagers flocked to the tent. All of them suffered from the flue-like virus in varying degrees. Jennifer spent hours listening to lungs, taking temperatures, talking to parents, and prescribing medicines. Her stash of lollipops dwindled as even the adults wanted to taste the candy the children found so appealing. Like with those on Earth, some liked it and some didn't. Jennifer chatted with mothers and tried to avoid the flirtations of eager young men. All in all, the day went according to plan.

Just before sunset, however, a ruckus rose outside the tent. She moved to the door and blinked as the bearded man who brought her to the tent faced off with a young man about half his size and age. She couldn't tell why the argument started or even what made it worse. The big man swung, but the younger man ducked. Then, the fight dissolved into an all-out brawl.

Coughlin pushed past Jennifer as Lieutenant Witman, SGA-3's leader, tried to break up the fight. He went flying as the big man pushed him away. Two other members of SGA-3, both highly trained Marines, also flew through the air. Jennifer stared as Coughlin, Witman, and his entire team pulled the two men apart. Members of the village surrounded them, speaking in low tones. As they did so, Coughlin turned to Jennifer. "Pack up. It's time to head home."

Jennifer sighed and set about cleaning her supplies. It had been a long day, and, with the exception of the fight, she felt she'd accomplished something. She just wished she didn't have to brave the long walk back to the gate. She didn't want to think about imaginary Bola Kai as she went to sleep.

oOo

That evening, Lorne settled back on his bed and let out a deep breath. He would have liked to be on hand when Jennifer returned just to see how she fared off world, but he knew he couldn't justify it with Sheppard. Instead, he waited for her to call, hoping he wouldn't have to resort to dropping by her room for coffee in the morning.

He grinned as he thought about her reaction to the coffee. Even he had to admit the quality matched the price, though he'd never tell her. Instead, he watched with glee as she took that first sip. Her eyes had closed in pleasure, and every bit of tension left her body.

"Major Lorne to the control room." The page startled him out of his thoughts. He let out a deep breath. Being paged to the control room so late in the evening was never a good thing. Instead of brooding, he simply grabbed his uniform jacket and headed out the door.

Colonel Sheppard and Ronon stood next to a very worried Rodney McKay. Lorne walked over to them. "Sir?"

"Major." Sheppard glared at the blank computer screen. "I've already informed Colonel Carter of the situation, but you're going to be taking my place for the next few days."

"Days?" McKay asked. "We don't even know who took her, though, if I have my timing right, she was taken because of that email I sent her. You know the one where I . . . .Never mind. It's not important. What's important is that she could be anywhere. With anyone."

Lorne blinked at McKay and turned to Sheppard. "What's going on, Sir?"

"Jeannie Miller went missing last night." Sheppard's announcement sobered everyone around him.

Lorne nodded. "I see. I'll hold down the fort. Go bring her home."

Five minutes later, Sheppard, Ronon, and McKay walked through the gate, headed to Earth. Lorne stood in the control room, watching them depart and wishing them luck in their hunt. He stayed in that spot, thinking about McKay's dilemma. He wasn't sure what he would do if Ellen went missing.

The gate activated, and Jennifer's team returned from their clinic. He watched as Coughlin led an exhausted and slightly frightened doctor through the gate. After it shut down, he walked down the stairs to Jennifer's side. "Doc."

She glanced at him, her eyes still wide. "Major."

He took the heavy bag she carried from her hand without asking. "How did it go out there?"

"Long. Good." She finally let a ghost of a smile escape. "The kids were wonderful."

"And the adults?"

"Not so much." Her eyes shadowed again.

He delivered her bag to the infirmary and met her eyes. "Coffee tomorrow morning?"

Jennifer smiled, relieved. "I'd like that."

Evan nodded and left her to the expertise of the infirmary staff. Jennifer was tired, but she'd recover. He just wished he knew what put those shadows back in her eyes. He hadn't seen those since before she lost Davos to that cancer. As he walked back to his quarters for the night, he thought about events on Atlantis. Even with the drama on Earth, it had been another normal day. He drifted to sleep still fully clothed, thinking about coffee the next morning. He planned to ask Jennifer to dinner again and knew she'd sleep well that night.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

~TBC