The Commissary was crowded with people, something Melony didn't want to deal with just then. She looked over at Carson, wondering if he'd mind if they changed their venue. As if he was reading her mind, he spoke up before she could.

"You know, we could grab a snack and go to your quarters for the coffee..."

Mitchell smiled, and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

They headed for the buffet tables and saw that the menu was meatloaf with all the trimmings. Since Melony wasn't all that hungry – she'd really just wanted coffee and maybe a piece of cake – she took a small dish of the trimmings (potatoes and steamed veggies) and a couple of cookies, then waited for Beckett at the doorway while he filled a plate with far more food. Being killed made you hungry, after all. Especially if you're not used to it.

Lieutenant Ford came through the doorway as she was waiting, a small group six with him, mostly composed of medics – although there was one structural engineer in the group as well. Who apparently was quite the stalker according to Sheppard and Ford. Both men had discussed him with Mitchell, who'd agreed to take him into the more advanced group that she was in charge of. This group included Rodney McKay, who was picking things up fairly well on his own during missions with Sheppard and the others, but still lacked a few skills that would be vital to preserving his skin if they ran into serious trouble.

"No place to sit?" Ford asked, grinning.

Melony held up her plate and gestured with her chin towards Beckett, who was just finishing up and heading her way.

"We're going to go find peace and quiet. You need anything before I go?"

"Nah. I've done my killing for the day, I'm ready to eat."

Mitchell nodded.

"I'll talk to you later about that Daniel guy."

"Sounds good, Colonel." He walked off towards the buffet tables as Carson stopped next to her.

"Are you ready?

She nodded and Beckett looked critically at her plate.

"That's all you're eating?"

"I'm not hungry, Carson. I was just going to have coffee originally."

He harrumphed, but aside from that, he didn't nag her about it, and Melony smiled. If he would have, she might have grabbed more food just to make him happy – not something she'd do for just everyone. As it was, the two of them headed for her quarters and a pot of coffee that wouldn't take too long to make.

OOOOOOOO

"So, who's Daniel?" He asked her as he settled his plate in the middle of her bed a few minutes later.

Mitchell still didn't have any furniture in her room besides the large bed and the dresser that held her coffee pot (and clothes, although the coffee pot was far more important to her) so if you were going to sit in her room, you were going to sit on the bed, and if you were going to eat in her room, the bed magically became a table with blankets. At least she made it every morning, which made spilling the plate a bit less of a danger.

"Daniel?" She looked over at him from the coffee pot, which was already started.

"I heard you tell Lieutenant Ford you would talk to him later about Daniel..."

She wondered why his face was suddenly so unemotional. Not even curious... just blank.

Jealous?

No. You think? He doesn't have any reason to worry about this guy.

He doesn't know that, and won't until you tell him

"He's one of the guys in Lieutenant Ford's teaching group," she said. "Apparently, he's pretty good, and Ford and Sheppard both want me to move him into my group."

It was like turning on a light, she saw. Carson's face was suddenly animate again by the time she'd finished the explanation.

"Ah."

She came over and sat down on the bed across from him.

"Why did you want to know?"

He floundered, then, and Melony knew Talon had been right. He had been jealous – or maybe just a little worried. Probably more worried. It wasn't like their little relationship was moving all that quickly, after all.

"I was... you know, just curious."

Oh, God, when was the last time she'd seen someone so uncomfortable for that reason? Melony smiled, despite his discomfort, because damned if he didn't look cute trying to come up with an explanation.

"I'm told he's a structural engineer... probably some kind of genius or something – everyone here seems to be."

That's not nice, Talon chided. You're goading him to see his reaction

She'd wanted him to flounder a little more, because it was cute when he was like this, and it'd been a long time since someone had been so flustered because of her. But he was right, it was cruel and unbecoming, and Melony was instantly ashamed.

"I haven't met him," Carson was saying. "I-"

"Carson..." Melony reached out and touched his cheek, stopping him. "He's just going to be in my classes, nothing more."

He nodded, but the damage had been done, and she could see the discomfort in his eyes, and the desire to be anywhere but where he was. He confirmed it a second later.

"Maybe I should go..."

She shook her head, feeling like a heel, and knew that this was all her fault, and she was going to have to fix it now – before he left and it had a chance to grow into something bigger. Something that might actually affect their fledgling relationship adversely.

"No," she told him, moving his plate out of the way and setting it on the little stand next to her bed so there was no chance of her spilling meatloaf on her bed. "You need to stay."

"I didn't mean to sound like I was jealous," he said, looking down – anywhere but her eyes. "I know I don't have any claim on you, and that you're free to choose any-"

"Carson."

He stopped, looking up at her for a moment before his eyes went down to his hands. Melony shifted on the bed until she was close enough to take his hand without having to reach for it. Close enough that she could touch him without difficulty.

"I'm sorry, Carson." She told him, holding his one hand with both of hers, wishing he'd look up at her. "I could see you were jealous, and it looked so cute that I wanted to make you more jealous... it wasn't nice of me..."

He looked up at her, his blue eyes uncertain.

"You think I'm cute?"

She smiled.

"Haven't I said that before?"

He shook his head.

Melony let go of his hand and took his chin in her hand, feeling the softness of his facial hair against her fingers as she held his head still so he had to look at her.

"Yes, I think you're cute."