Author's Note: Another big thanks to DaniWilder for some input on this chapter! As always, enjoy! ~lg

oOo

Jennifer woke the next morning, shrouded in warmth as she tried to figure out what had changed. She'd always awakened slowly, but today seemed especially difficult. The blanket cocooned her, and the weight of it left her snug and almost too warm as she blinked at the window. She had turned in the night, facing away from the room and burrowing deeper into the covers.

Then, the covers moved.

Jennifer squeaked and sat up suddenly, her hair falling into her face as Evan let out a sleepy laugh. She blinked at their position as the memories of last night came to mind. They had returned to her hotel room, settled on her bed to watch a movie, and fell asleep. She turned and looked at him, still lying on the bed fully clothed except for his boots, and allowed a sheepish grin to escape. "Sorry. I'm not always fully aware of everything when I first wake up." Then, she let the smile slip as she realized how that sounded coming from the Chief Medical Officer of a classified military base. "I mean. . . ."

"I know what you meant." He pushed himself up on his elbow. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Good." He pulled her to him and into a morning kiss. Jennifer let an arm wrap around his neck, and she purposefully ignored every reservation about taking a step toward an intimate relationship as he lowered her onto the bed. They had never really talked about this, and she knew she should stop him. But he could be so overwhelming that her thoughts flew right out the window. Evan seemed to have the same reservations, however, and he pulled away when his fingers brushed skin around her waist. Then, she noticed his labored breathing and how his eyes had darkened to a deep shade of blue. He freed a hand from beneath her and ran a thumb over her cheek. "I. . .ah. . .should probably go."

"Okay." She couldn't think of anything else to say. Not after that kiss.

He sat up in the bed and reached for his boots, laughing as he did so. "I found the TV remote."

She climbed to her hands and knees to peek over the edge of the bed. The TV remote had fallen sometime during the night and landed inside his left boot. She chuckled. "You have impeccable aim."

"Well, I knew that," he said with a cheeky grin.

As he pulled on his boots, she rose and walked to the window. Maybe the cold coming from outside would cool a bit of the heat he'd stirred with that kiss. When she opened the window, heavy snow shrouded the parking lot, and her heart sank. "Hey, Evan?"

"Yeah?" He turned from the door.

"Check the weather." She pointed out the window. "I don't know that roads are going to be open."

His face sobered in an instant. He reached for the TV remote and found a weather report. Jennifer watched as he perched on the edge of her bed and settled next to him as the reporter stood in front of an image similar to the one out the window. "Roads into and out of the city are closed until the storm lifts and plows can make their way through. If you do have to be out in the weather, please take extra time and caution as you travel to your destination."

Jennifer's heart sank. "Oh, no."

Evan glanced at her. "You're not happy to be stuck here with me?"

"I didn't mean that!" She stared at him and realized he tried to lift her spirits with some good natured teasing. "For the record, I'll stay stuck with you any time. Just say the word. But, I know you like to get on the road early, and. . . ." She let her voice trail off as she motioned to the TV.

He never looked away from her. "Thanksgiving isn't for another five days. Six, if you count today. We'll make it. We've just got to sit tight and wait for the weather to allow us out of Denver."

She nodded. "Sorry. I just like to worry."

"I've noticed." He gave her a quick kiss. "Why don't you call your dad while I go get cleaned up for the day? After that, we'll find some breakfast and see what we can do while we're stuck."

Her mind went back to that "Good morning" kiss a few minutes ago, and she flushed. "O-okay."

He grinned at her. "I don't know where your mind went, but I'm pretty sure your face says I would enjoy it."

Her face darkened. "Go. Now."

"Yes, ma'am." He left her sitting on the bed and trying to breathe after another kiss.

Jennifer pushed herself to her feet and headed for the shower. The water took a while to heat up, and she gathered her clothes while trying to figure out this new thing with Evan. Would things stay like this when they returned to Atlantis? She could definitely handle him coming to the infirmary for stolen kisses, the warmth of his presence after a long day patching up Sheppard's team, and the comfort of knowing he'd protect her no matter where she went. Right now, they seemed so far removed from the stresses of life on Atlantis. She hesitated to bring up the topic, but she knew they'd have to discuss it sooner or later. She wanted to say this was more than a momentary romance born of isolation on their trip. But she couldn't be sure if he thought the same thing.

Tiring of her thoughts, she dressed in a deep purple sweater and jeans before calling her father. She needed to hear Richard's voice, just for a moment. He grounded her like very few people could.

After the obligatory greetings, Richard asked, "So, where are you today.?"

"Denver." Jennifer walked over to the window. "Snowed in."

"I heard on the news that a pretty big storm hit that area." He sounded concerned. "You two take it slow. Don't push to get out here."

"We're not." She glanced at the TV, which still showed weather reports. "The roads are closed, anyway."

"That's what I heard." Richard clearly heard the discouragement in her voice because he changed the subject. "How's that young man treating you?"

"Good." She couldn't keep the smile from her face.

"I really need to meet his guy if he puts that tone into your voice!"

"Dad." Her protest sounded weak even to her own ears.

"You're not going to tell me it's not like that?"

Jennifer flushed and stared out the window. "Well. . .it wasn't."

"So it is, now?"

She couldn't keep the truth from him forever. "Maybe."

In an instant, Richard sobered. "He's treating you right, isn't he?"

She thought that first sizzling kiss that morning. Of his arm gently snaking around her waist. Of how he'd pulled back when his hands met skin and sent shivers down her spine. "Yes, Dad, he's treating me like. . . ."

"A princess?"

"I was going to say 'a queen.'"

"As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Richard's smile came through the line. "I still want to talk to him."

"You're not going to scare him off!"

"If he feels the same about you, I won't be able to." He let out a deep breath. "Now, enjoy your day in the snow. You'll get home in time. Just don't put yourselves in danger to get here."

"Of course." She hung up the phone a few minutes later, already feeling better about being stuck. However, her mind returned to Evan, and she wished she could shake the feeling in the pit of her stomach that left her hesitant to face him again. They needed to talk, but that talk could end the most wonderful week of her life.

oOo

After leaving Jennifer's room, Evan went directly to his own hotel room and climbed into a cold shower. He desperately needed to talk to her about this change. They'd shared their first kiss barely twenty-four hours ago, and they had already progressed to heated kisses and innuendo conversations. Before their desires took control, they needed to establish some ground rules for this relationship.

Late the previous night, he'd awakened to find the TV off and Jennifer asleep on his chest. Her rhythmic breathing sounded in the stillness, and he'd glared at the ceiling. He'd had no intentions of falling asleep. Not when she struggled to relax at every new stop. He'd should have stayed awake at least until the end of the movie.

Then, she turned, curling into a ball while still using his arm as a pillow. He reached for the blanket he'd tucked around her that evening and cocooned her as carefully as possible. Realization began to dawn on him, and he shook his head. He'd fallen asleep because he was tired, not because anything suspicious had happened. He'd been pushing himself just as much as he'd pushed her, and he needed the sleep. Jennifer's presence beside him, the contented way she snuggled close as she watched the movie, had only soothed nerves frazzled by too many crises on Atlantis. During those dark hours of the night, Evan realized that he trusted Jennifer. Completely. Enough to let her see beneath the guard he kept up at all times. Enough to kick off his boots and settle in until morning.

Later that morning, as he woke, he'd smiled when her hair tickled his nose. She had turned in the night-again-and he reached across her to wrap the blanket tighter around her. Then, he allowed himself to doze until she woke. This level of familiarity, this trust, was new. He wanted to be in her presence, no matter if things were good or not. Then, she woke and squeaked when he moved, and he stopped thinking for several minutes. Instead, he acted on impulse. His kiss brought a wonderful flush to her face and made it so difficult to pull away.

As he dried and dressed, he took the time to consider what Jennifer might want. He knew she hadn't come to California out of a desire to seduce him. If anything, her innocence and genuine smile had wormed their ways into his heart quicker than seductive glances and sensual behavior. She was herself, and that appealed on so many levels. But he needed some boundaries. When did she want to have sex? Did she even want to have sex before they found out if this would work? What about her family? Her desires for the future in terms of their relationship? Did she see a future with him? Or did she even know what she wanted? He wanted to arrive at her family home comfortable with his role in her life, not afraid that her father would shoot him for taking a few too many liberties.

Evan arrived at her door after a quick call to the hotel's front desk for information about breakfast. He knocked, and Jennifer called for him to enter. He stepped inside and saw that she'd straightened the room and had taken the time to clean up for the day. Now, she stood in front of the window, glaring at the storm outside. He crossed the room and slipped his arms around her, loving how she relaxed into his embrace so naturally. She pulled his arms closer and tucked her head under his chin.

After a few moments, he glanced down at her. "Are we going to talk about this?" he asked softly, his breath stirring the hair around her ear.

She shivered, and it made him grin. "We need to."

"Okay." He turned to look out the window. "I. . .ah. . .guess the first question would be where you think this is going."

She stiffened slightly and brought a frown to his face. "I know what you're thinking."

"What am I thinking?"

"That I had this in mind when I came to California."

He chuckled. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

She turned just enough to look him in the eye. "You don't have to be nice just for me, Evan."

"I'm not." He narrowed his eyes and took her face in his hands. "Why do you do this? Put off your own desires until you know what I want?" When she stared at him, he shook his head slightly. "I want to make you happy. I want to find out if this. . .connection we have can last. I want to know if I'm falling in love with you simply because of the vacation or because of who you are. I want to know if what we have is a long-term, no matter what comes our way, everyone else be. . . ." He bit off the curse words that rose to mind and softened his voice. "I want this to last forever. No questions asked."

Tears came to her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. "I want that, too," she whispered. One tear managed to escape, and he caught it with his thumb, wiping it away as she let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I don't have a lot of experience with relationships. I skipped three grades in school, went to college young, and went to medical school as the youngest to ever get a doctorate. All the guys I knew either wanted to get in my pants or simply ignored me. I don't know what it's like to have a stable relationship. I barely feel like I'm finding my place on Atlantis-outside of the infirmary, I mean. And I'm afraid that I'll mess this up."

The admission tore at him. He smiled at her. "If anyone can mess this up, I nearly did a little while ago." He pulled her back into his arms. "We need to think about Atlantis, too."

"What about it?"

"Do we want to keep this secret?"

She lifted her head from his chest to look him in the eye. "I don't think we'll be able to keep this a secret. My insides turn to jelly every time you look at me, and it makes it hard to think."

He laughed, delighted at the blunt honesty. "I'll keep that in mind the next time you send Dr. Biro over to do my annual physical."

Her face flamed at the thought. "That's coming up, isn't it?"

"Jennifer!" He tried but failed to hold the laughter. "Leave it to you to think literally when I'm trying to be romantic and think of what you might want to hear!"

She laughed with him. "You have a point."

"So, are we saying this is more than just the vacation?"

She smiled, and her eyes glinted mischievously. "I like the idea of having you as a boyfriend."

He grinned. "Then we need to set some ground rules." He nodded to the bed. "Like no falling asleep next to each other until we're ready to take some pretty big steps."

She glanced over to the bed, and the memory of their kiss that morning clearly crossed her mind because she flushed yet again. "That's a good idea." She glanced at him. "Not that I don't think of you that way, because I do. It's just that. . .well. . .I mean. . . .I don't have. . . ."

"I understand." He relaxed when she laid her head back on his shoulder. The shift in his priorities had happened quickly, but he liked the change. Thinking about what she might want instead of what he wanted definitely had its benefits. But, if he was to be her first-and only-he needed to do things right. "So, Atlantis?"

She nodded against his chest. "I think we have a chance. If Katie and Rodney can make it work, I think we can."

He let a massive grin spread across his face that even the weather couldn't dim. "I'm glad to hear it."

Her stomach growled and broke the spell. She buried her face in his chest, and he let the sound of her laughter wash over him. A few moments later, he helped her into her jacket, and they headed for the same restaurant they'd eaten at the night before. The hotel had worked out a deal so that guests who wanted more than a continental breakfast could eat a warm meal before braving the snowy streets. Then, they spent the day in Jennifer's hotel room. Evan brought out his sketch book and drew a few scenes from memory as she finished the novel she'd started the day before. He enjoyed the pleasure of simply being in her presence and took the liberty of sketching her profile as she read.

By two that afternoon, the storm had lifted enough for them to drive out of Denver. He turned the car toward Chippewa Falls and let his mind settle for the first time in the trip. While they asked each other silly questions like favorite colors and dream vacations, he smiled. When Jennifer confessed that this had been her dream vacation, his grin widened. He was taking his girl to her home, and he loved the confidence that acknowledging their relationship brought. Now, he only hoped to survive the introduction to her family.

~TBC