The following evening, Jennifer escaped to the kitchen to prepare her Secret Santa gift. She'd once told Teyla she couldn't cook, and she'd been honest. But she could bake. And she intended to put that skill to use. She'd already put a small pound cake into the oven to bake when Evan found her.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked as he ambled into the kitchen.

Jennifer gave him an exasperated expression. "Baking," she said needlessly.

"I thought you didn't cook."

"I don't cook." She shrugged. "But cooking and baking are two totally different things."

"Really?"

"Yep." She ignored how he opened his mouth to speak and started the mixer as she beat together the butter and sugar to make pecan sandies. When she finished, she reached for the flour. "Baking involves mixing various ingredients together and allowing the oven to cook them for you. There's no standing over the stove, stirring and watching. It's just. . .baking."

"Oh." His expression told her that he wanted to pursue the topic but chose to leave it alone.

Jennifer rolled her eyes at him. "Did you have a reason for coming here?" She glanced over and saw him beginning to answer. "Other than bugging me?"

"Ah. . .yeah, I did." Evan snagged a few pecans and opened a package of chocolate chips as he leaned against the counter. "I wanted to talk to you about Amanda."

She stopped stirring the flour into the sandies batter and grabbed the chocolate chips from him. As she sat them carefully on the counter, she glanced over. "Amanda? You want to talk about women?"

"Ah. . .yeah." He grinned. "I have no problem admitting that I'm interested in her. But I'm a little unsure about how she's feeling. When we were back on that planet, stuck in that blizzard, we had nothing to do besides talk. She and I talked about art. Well, I did the talking. But she seemed interested, so I asked her to the dance."

"And now you're wondering if she's really interested or if it was the circumstances?"

"Exactly."

Jennifer actually laughed. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

He waited to answer until she looked at him. When she did, he met her gaze with a level one of his own. "I am seriously asking you that."

She blinked. "Wow. I'm not sure what to say."

"How about answering the question?"

"Give me a moment to adjust to the fact that you, of all people, are a little uncertain about a girl."

"You don't have to say it like that."

"Why not? It's the truth."

Rather than responding, Evan took advantage of her hands being covered in cookie dough as she rolled the sandies dough into little balls for the cookie sheets. He grabbed another handful of chocolate chips. "Thanks, Doc. I appreciate that."

She grinned at his dry tone. "The answer is yes. Though, she thought you were unavailable. Any ideas why?"

"Ah. . . ." He let the silence stretch.

"Evan," Jennifer said in a warning tone.

"I might have allowed the rumor that there's someone back home to spread around the base."

"Evan!" This time, she was indignant.

"What? I got here and had half of the women on base asked me out within the first week. I had to do something!"

She blinked at him. "Was it seriously that bad?"

He shook his head. "The only reason it wasn't worse is because Sheppard was around, not to mention Ronon's recent arrival. If it wasn't for your command over the infirmary, Mitchell would have the same problem. The other women are afraid of you."

Jennifer snorted. "Can't be worse than the Marines harassing every woman who comes to Atlantis until they either say yes or transfer back to Earth."

Evan sobered in an instant. "Jennifer, is there something you're not telling me?"

"No." She shrugged. "The Daedalus didn't bring any new transfers this time around. But, trust me, when they do arrive, any woman without a ring on her finger is fair game. If you're serious about Amanda, you'll have to stake your claim pretty early on just to keep the new guys from driving her insane."

He narrowed his eyes. "Is this why you eat in your office so much?"

"Yes."

"Jen, I had no idea."

"I know." She smiled at him. "Just a hazard of working on a classified military base. There's not a lot of options."

As they talked, she continued working. Rather than swiping more chocolate chips, Evan washed his hands and began mixing up the chocolate-chip-walnut cookies. They continued the conversation as Jennifer pulled cookies from the oven and added more to it. The pound cake finished baking, and she dumped it onto a wire rack so it would cool for the drizzle. Since Evan commandeered the chocolate chip cookies, she set about mixing the macaroons.

Eventually, the conversation wound back around to their respective love lives. Jennifer grinned at Evan. "So, are you getting Amanda anything for Christmas?"

"I thought about it, but I'm not sure what to get her." He shrugged. "I resorted to making the colonel's Secret Santa gift, so I'm thinking about doing one for Amanda, as well."

"The colonel? You're either talking about Cam or Carter."

"How do you know? I could be talking about Caldwell." He grinned at her.

"Not a chance." She smiled at him. "I drew Caldwell's name."

"Well, there's still Mitchell and Carter for you to choose from."

"Yeah, but you said you might make Amanda's gift along with 'the colonel's.'"

"I can't get anything past you, can I?"

"Nope." Jennifer grinned. "But I'm glad to have your help with mine."

"Yeah, cookies are certainly a different idea."

"It was Teyla's idea." Jennifer shrugged. "She told me and Amanda that Athosians don't give gifts unless there's a personal investment. Either they make them, or they save for months to afford to purchase them. But there's something that is invested. It's not like running out to the store and grabbing something last minute. Each gift means something."

"And this cookie tray of Caldwell's?"

"A token of friendship, nothing more."

"So, is Mitchell getting one of these?"

Jennifer blushed. "No." She thought she just might give Cam a kiss for Christmas, but she refused to share that particular thought with Evan. Instead, she smiled at the dough in front of her. "I have something else in mind."

"Anything that puts that look on your face has me worried," Evan joked. He sobered a moment later, though. "You really like Mitchell."

"Yeah, I do." She shook her head. "I'm not sure what I'll do when he goes back to Earth. I don't even want to think about it."

Rather than saying anything else, Evan reached out and pulled her into a hug. Jennifer let one of her older brothers hug away the pain of thinking about Cam's departure. When the timer beeped, she moved away to pull the final tray of sandies from the oven. Evan set about preparing the chocolate chip cookies, and Jennifer took a few moments to compose herself. She cared for Cam, more than she really thought possible, and the idea of his departure tore her heart from her chest. She just hoped she'd be able to let him go when the time came.

oOo

Jennifer took the following afternoon to herself. She spent several hours with Amanda as the other doctor worked to finish two gowns for the Christmas ball that evening. Jennifer's was quite simple, but it required that she be available for measurements and fittings. She'd found herself standing on a chair while Amanda pinned the hem in place to reach the floor, still giving Jennifer's delicate shoes a chance to appear. Before they'd returned to Atlantis, Teyla took them to another world with a rather renowned cobbler. Neither Jennifer nor Amanda knew what a "cobbler" was until he measure their feet and pulled shoes off the shelf to match their chosen fabrics. Amanda had been surprised to find a man who made high heels in Pegasus, but Jennifer refused to question it. She escaped back to Atlantis with a strappy pair of gold heels that matched her fabric almost perfectly.

Now, however, she finished arranging the ribbons on her cookie tray and headed out of her quarters. She'd already spoken to Major Marks, and he assured her that Caldwell was taking lunch in his quarters. She walked to the pre-arranged area and beamed aboard the Daedalus as it orbited the planet. Her hands shook as she carried her gift through the corridors, and she hoped this gift would be as well-received as she had imagined. Even if it wasn't, she wouldn't have much time to dwell on it as she needed to get back to Atlantis to prepare for the Christmas ball that evening.

At Caldwell's quarters, she knocked and waited. He answered the door a moment later, looking every bit the dour colonel that everyone on Atlantis knew. "Doctor Keller? What brings you aboard the Daedalus?"

"Um. . . ." With him staring at her quizzically, she momentarily lost her train of thought. "We. . .um. . .drew names. For the Secret Santa? And. . .I drew your name." She shoved the cookie tray at him, grateful that it didn't bobble out of her hands. "Merry Christmas."

Caldwell took the tray from her hands, a smile starting to appear. "Thank you, Doctor." He stepped back. "Come in."

Jennifer stepped through the hatch, letting Caldwell close it behind her. She trusted him, but he was still the commander of this ship.

Once the door was closed, he carried the tray to his desk. He tugged on the red bow holding the wrapping closed, and his smile blossomed when he saw the goodies on the tray. "Are these homemade?"

"Yes."

He eyed them and picked up a chocolate chip cookie drizzled with chocolate glaze. After taking a bite, he nodded. "Are you sure you don't want a position on this ship as the cook?"

"Oh, I don't cook." Jennifer let out a nervous laugh. "I bake. There's a difference."

"Relax, Doc." Caldwell chuckled as he finished the cookie. "I think Colonel Carter would have issues if I took her Chief of Medicine from her simply because said CMO can bake." He eyed the other goodies. "What all did you put in here?"

"Um. . .pound cake with chocolate drizzle." She pointed as she spoke. "Coconut macaroons, chocolate chip cookies. The drizzle on those was Major Lorne's idea."

"Remind me to thank him."

Jennifer smiled, relaxing the longer she spoke. "There's also oatmeal-raisin cookies and haystacks."

"Haystacks?"

"Crispy chow mein noodles, peanuts, and raisins mixed with melted chocolate and allowed to cool."

Caldwell grinned and stared at her. "Thank you, Doctor. I really do appreciate this. Though, if news gets out that you brought chocolate on board the Daedalus, I might have a mutiny on my hands."

"Actually, you brought the chocolate on your last trip from Earth."

"True, but it was packed away." Caldwell walked her to the door. "I really do appreciate the thought behind the tray, though. Thank you, again."

"You're welcome." Jennifer smiled as she left Caldwell to himself. She'd hoped for just such a reaction, but she'd doubted herself for a moment. With her Secret Santa gift delivered, she now only had one thing left to stress about: the Christmas ball.

"Jennifer?" Cam's voice behind her made her whirl on her heel and lose her balance. He reacted quickly and caught only one arm as she slammed into the bulkhead. "Whoa! You okay?"

"Yeah." She rubbed her shoulder, hoping against hope that it wouldn't bruise. Not with the gown she'd just designed. "Sorry. I was lost in thought."

"Visiting the colonel?"

"Yeah." She smiled. "I drew his name for the Secret Santa."

"What did you get him?"

Jennifer listed the different cookies she'd made. When she said 'macaroons,' Cam's eyes lit up. She frowned. "What?"

"Please tell me you saved some of everything."

"Yes."

"Good." He started leading her in the opposite direction than the way she was headed. "Because I have a flight to take, and then I intend to find some of those macaroons." He glanced at her and grinned. "You wanna join me?"

"For a flight?" Jennifer stared at him.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Oh. . .it's just that I'm not good with. . .heights." She shrugged. "And stuff."

Cam stopped walking and turned her to face him, his hands warm on her shoulders. The way he held her made her want to relax. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" he asked again.

Jennifer stared into his eyes. Cam was a pilot. One who had been trusted with some of Earth's most important missions. If she couldn't trust him, she had no business dating him. "Yes."

"Good." He grinned at her. "Let's go for a flight."

Jennifer raced to keep up with him, her mind churning. She'd just agreed to a flight in an F302. It didn't get much more dangerous than that. At the moment, it escaped her that the Daedalus also orbited the planet. The 302s were smaller, more maneuverable, and more open to space. She swallowed hard and made plans to find a stiff drink when she managed to get back on solid ground.

~TBC