"How was the mission?" Jennifer asked, letting Cam into her quarters.
"Long, dull, very dull." Cam replied.
"So I take it you didn't find what you were looking for?"
"That depends. If we went out there hoping to become experts in rocks and temples, we're not far off. But in terms of the symbol, no. So you're stuck with me for a bit longer." The Colonel smiled, before picking up on Jennifer's tension. Misinterpreting the cause he said. "See I was kinda hoping you'd see that as a good thing."
"I do." Jennifer replied sincerely.
"Then what's up?" Cam asked.
"It's just that-" Jennifer started, only to be interrupted by her door chiming. "Give me a minute." She asked walking towards the door.
"Rodney." She said coldly when she saw the physicist on the other side.
"Jennifer." He replied nervously. "I came to apologise." With that he stopped and waited for Jennifer to respond, when she didn't he felt the need to fill the silence with a mumbled apology, paying more attention to his feet than Jennifer. "So I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it and it won't happen again. Although, I should point out that as the lead sci-" He suddenly stopped and noticed Jennifer's glare and decided to reconsider finishing his sentence. Instead he went back to apologising. "What I mean is I was wrong and I hope you can forgive me. What the hell was that?" He suddenly added when he heard a strange sneeze like noise coming from Jennifer's quarters. "He's here isn't he?"
"Rodney was there something else you wanted?" Jennifer asked.
"No." McKay replied distractedly trying to look round Jennifer.
"Well then I have things to do."
"But, I haven't finished yet. Perhaps I could buy you a drink as way of apology." He offered, desperate to get Jennifer away from Cameron.
"I can't Rodney." Jennifer said. "I'm busy and I really need to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She added closing the door, feeling guilty about dismissing him so abruptly, but still too angry to be more polite. With the door shut she turned and saw Cam who immediately apologised.
"Sorry, must have inhaled too much dust from the temple. Or I'm allergic to geology lectures. I didn't mean to cause any difficulties between you and McKay."
Jennifer looked at Cam blankly, before she remembered the sneeze that had alerted Rodney to the Colonel's presence.
"Don't worry, he does that all by himself." She finally said.
"Something happen?" Cam asked, wondering what Rodney had done to Jennifer.
"No, well yes, but it is just Rodney being Rodney."
"Yet you look kinda ticked."
"Yeah, well this time he has taken it a step too far."
"You want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Okay, come over here and sit." Cam said tugging her towards the couch. Once Jennifer had sat down Cam moved round the back and began to massage her shoulders. "Whatever he's done is bothering you and talking about it will help."
"He's been rifling round my personal file." Jennifer explained.
"He has? Why?" Cam immediately responded before adding. "You know I'm not really in a position to criticise that?"
"You're different." Jennifer replied. "And you didn't do it to poke around and gleam personal information. He did. And you didn't tell everyone what you'd read."
"What exactly did he share? I can't remember any skeletons in your closet."
"My birthday." Jennifer replied. Immediately picking up on Cam's bemused look she explained. "I know it's stupid, but it was a piece of information that I wanted to be kept private not spread round the mess hall."
Cam waited to see if Jennifer would explain why she wanted to keep her birthday quiet. When she didn't continue he assumed she was still not ready to confide in him so instead he played peacemaker. Jumping over the back of the sofa and landing next to Jennifer he said.
"Look the way I see it is he came in, saw a cake, realised he had no idea when your birthday was and felt he should know."
"He could have asked. Rather than going through my file."
"True, but I did kind of throw him out of here and the easiest way to get the answer was to look. I'm not saying what he did was right, but it is kind of understandable."
"Why are you defending Rodney?" Jennifer asked as Cam played with her hair.
"Firstly, he's your friend. Secondly, it would be hypocritical for me to criticise him for going through file. Finally, I feel sorry for him."
"You do? Why?"
"Well I can relate to what he's going through."
"You can?" Jennifer asked doubtfully.
"Sure, it wasn't that long ago I thought you'd reject me. And that doesn't feel good." Cam explained, causing Jennifer to silently consider his words.
"You're right." Jennifer finally said. "I should talk to him." As she started to move Cam grabbed her hand.
"See, I didn't mean talk to him now. I had other plans for you."
-00-
"You sort it?" John asked as Rodney sat at the table.
"I apologised." Rodney confirmed.
"And?"
"He was there."
"He?" Lorne asked.
"Mitchell." Rodney explained.
"As in Colonel Mitchell? Why's he with Jennifer?" Lorne questioned, completely unaware of recent events.
"Why do you think?" McKay asked scowling.
"I didn't think Jennifer knew anything about the symbol." Lorne said confused. Suddenly noticing how annoyed McKay looked he continued. "No. Wait, you're saying Jennifer and the Colonel are seeing each other?"
"Like you didn't know."
"Jennifer and the Colonel?" Lorne repeated.
"We don't know for sure." John said. "It could all be McKay's paranoia getting the better of him. But they are spending lots of time together."
"How much time?" Lorne asked.
"Every evening." McKay answered.
"I take it the doc hasn't mentioned anything to you?" John guessed.
"No Sir, but I haven't seen much of her recently. Although, she did say something was on her mind."
"More like someone." McKay added.
"But Jennifer has not said anything to any of you, you're just guessing?" Lorne asked ignoring Rodney.
"An educated guess. As I said they are spending lots of time together." John said.
"So what are we going to do?" Lorne asked.
"Get him off Atlantis." Rodney suggested.
"Not what I meant." Lorne said.
"There may be no need to worry, Mitchell's a good guy." John shrugged, also ignoring Rodney.
"But he won't be around for long." Lorne pointed out. "If things go wrong he can just disappear and if they don't when he's back on Earth there will be no one to keep an eye on him."
"You have a plan?" John asked.
"No, but the whole rank thing is getting in the way of my creativity. How about you?"
"Just plan R, but we'd have to wait until after he gets to the bottom of the symbol."
"What are you two talking about?" Rodney asked suspiciously.
"Nothing for you to worry about." John shrugged.
"What's plan R?" McKay pressed.
"It's best you don't know." John explained. "For now just work on narrowing down that list."
"So we can get rid of Mitchell?" McKay asked optimistically.
"No." John said. "Because it's your job."
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'll try to get the next chapter up in the next couple of days.