She went to her rooms to gather up what she thought she might need, although really there was very little she figured she'd have to take.
The Farmers and the Light Ones will both be more than willing to feed you, I imagine, Talon said.
Melony nodded her agreement.
"I won't take emergency rations, but nothing more..."
And your weapons"Of course..."
Duh.
She picked up her empty pack, pulling a couple of uniforms out of her dresser and putting them into the bag. Then she grabbed up a couple of odds and ends she thought she might need – and some toiletries – and added them to the bag. The finishing touch was a few MREs – which held packets of instant coffee that would be welcomed since the Farmers usually only drank tea, and that wickedly strong brew that had knocked most of the team out on their last visit. She'd avoid both if she could – although tea wasn't so terrible.
It just wasn't coffee.
A knock sounded on her door as she was fastening the pack's buckles.
"Come in!"
She turned as the door swooshed open, and saw Carson coming through. Melony smiled, although he looked far too serious for her liking.
"Hey," she said, tossing the pack on the bed, and leaning against the dresser, watching him.
"Hi."
"Social visit?" She asked him, figuring otherwise when he didn't come stand closer. Usually he was more than willing to be close to her – and she was definitely willing to be close to him, but at the moment he was still closer to the door than he was to her.
He shrugged.
"Why didn't you tell me you were still thinking about going after the Wraith?"
"Why did I have to?" She asked, surprised. "I assumed you knew. They're still a threat, after all."
"They're still dangerous," Beckett said, walking closer to her, now. "Last time that Wraith nearly killed-"
"Carson, stop." She wasn't going to argue with him. Not this time. Not the next time, and not the time after that. Better to nip this now, before he made it into a routine – because she knew she was going to be coming and going a lot in the next however long it took, and she didn't want to go through the same argument again and again. "The Wraith need to be dealt with – and I'm going to see if I can find a way to do it – or at least a way to slow them down. I'm not going to do anything that's too crazy, but I'm not going to allow you or anyone else to keep me from doing it. It needs doing."
"But it's dange-"
"Dangerous, yes." She nodded her head. "So is staying here and doing nothing. So is going through the Stargate every time we go to another planet to look for a ZPM. You haven't said anything to me about going on missions – and you haven't had this argument with Major Sheppard or Teyla or any of the others, I'll bet."
"But that's because I..." he trailed off, not just ready to say those words, and knowing if he did say them, she wouldn't be able to reciprocate with the words of her own. "Because I... care about you..."
"So you think you have to worry more about me than about the others?"
"I don't have to... I just... do..."
Melony stepped forward, close enough that she could put her arms around him, and she did. It was still something she wasn't entirely good at – sometimes it felt like holding him was the most natural thing in the world, and other times it felt like she was tramping all over Brad's memory by seeking comfort in another's embrace – but when he put his arms around her immediately, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being held for a moment.
"It's fine to worry," she told him, softly. "It's normal... but you can't let your concern stop you from seeing the big picture."
"Which is?"
"The Wraith have to be stopped. Methods have to be found, and since the Ancients didn't find any here in Atlantis, I have to assume there's no way here to do it. Which means we need to go looking elsewhere. Only in this case 'we' is me."
And me"And Talon," she added.
"I don't like it..." he said, his arms holding her even closer.
"I know."
"Why don't you take someone else with you? Major Sheppard wouldn't mind going. I'd feel better if you had some help."
Melony turned her head and pressed a gentle kiss against his cheek – just above the trimmed line of his beard.
"Because Major Sheppard is going to be busy here – working on the other big picture, and that's figuring out a way to get back home, or at least contacting them. We can't have him and the others abandon that job to go do something I can probably accomplish with just the help of the Light Ones."
"You're not going to go looking for the Wraith, are you?"
The last time had been so awful, and she'd been hurt so badly – terrifying him.
She shook her head.
"Not without careful planning. This isn't like the last time, Carson," she assured him. "Then we needed to see what they were capable of doing to me, personally. Now I need to see what I can find to stop them. All at once, if we can."
"You'll come back soon?"
"As soon as I can."
He kiss her softly, knowing that there wasn't anything he could do to stop her from going – and knowing that if he told her he wanted to go she'd tell him he couldn't.
"Don't get hurt..."
"I'll try not to."
"Watch out for those Dark Ones..."
"I will..."
He sighed, and hugged her tightly once more.
You two are going to have to have a long talk, Talon told Melony as she held Carson just as tightly, knowing he needed to be reassured.
He's not Military, Talon, she said. He's not used to this. He'll get better.
Talon grumbled, but he didn't say anything, pulling his awareness back a bit so Melony could have as much privacy as he could give her, but she felt the thread of his final pondering as he did so... How much worse would the good doctor be once he and Melony actually moved into a more physical relationship? And she couldn't help but wonder that herself.