It didn't take them long to pick up the laptop and files from Mitchell's quarters and then head to the lounge area, which would be better for their purposes. Melony could use the large screen for showing the video of the mission reports – what few time there was actual recordings of the places that had been checked out. While they were looking at the screen to see if any of the planets looked promising, Melony could flip through the files looking for other possibilities.

"You want a cup of coffee or anything?" She asked Kale as they settled in, the Light One sitting on the comfortable couch while Mitchell pulled a coffee table – or what they were using as a coffee table – over to set her laptop on.

Kale shook his head, watching with interest as she set things up, and leaning back.

She'd want one soon, but she could wait for a bit. Instead, she turned on the screen and got things going. They had hours of footage to look through, and although there wasn't really any hurry, she didn't want to waste any more time than necessary. She picked up the remote, turning on the TV, and settled beside Kale, who was fascinated with the technology he was seeing.

"Tell me when you get tired, and we'll take a break," she told him, knowing that he wasn't used to sitting around.

He nodded, and she hit the play button.

OOOOOOOOO

Kale didn't last all that long – a couplehours or so – before he needed to get up and move around. Melony understood completely, but she wasn't ready to stop just then. Luckily, she didn't need to. Sheppard and Ford had both come to join her and Kale in the lounge – and Ford had brought coffee, which was even better – and John offered to take Kale off and show him his quarters while Melony continued watching the videos with Ford, who was more than willing to help her choose which planets she might want to try first.

Kale and Sheppard returned an hour later, and Ford left them to take care of some things he needed to do. Sheppard left a while after that, and another hour after that, kale left once more to go to his quarters. The Light One wasn't used to a long day and they'd arrived in Atlantis only a few hours after sunrise – which made his day almost twice as long as he was accustomed to. Add to that the fact that he didn't have anything physical to do to keep his blood flowing, and Kale was ready for a nap long before Melony was.

She barely noticed the coming and going of those around her as she flipped through the files thru out the rest of the day. Mitchell was fairly single-minded on her own when it came to something like this, but when she was added in with Talon – who was equally single-minded, and well able to keep his host from getting sore and stiff from sitting for long periods of time – the Colonel was capable of going for hours without a break. And was more than ready to.

OOOOOOOOO

"Melony?"

She looked up from the screen of her laptop, just a bit annoyed at the interruption, and saw Carson standing next to her.

"Hmm?"

She looked back down at her screen once she was sure he wasn't bleeding or something.

"Are you going to be here all night?"

"What time is it?"

"It's the middle of the night. You should take a break and get some rest."

She nodded, not looking up.

"I will, Carson, as soon as I'm done with this mission report…"

"How about a cup of coffee, at least?" He asked.

"No, thanks."

"Melony…"

She looked up again at the exasperated tone of his voice, and sighed softly to herself when Talon told her she might as well take a quick break and get herself a cup of coffee while they mulled over what they'd already looked through.

"Fine…"

She closed the laptop – she'd long since turned off the big screen since there wasn't anyone to look with her and the laptop was just a easy for her to look at – and stretched, feeling a bit stiff even with Talon's help.

He smiled, glad that she was going to take a break.

"Your quarters?"

She stood up and nodded. It was closer, and she would only have to share her coffee with him that way.

Stingy bitch

She grinned. Although she was used to his little comments, every now and then he'd throw one out just to unbalance her, and it always worked.

Bastard.

I do what I can, he told her. Go spend some time with your doctor

Her doctor. She liked the sound of that.

"You okay?" He asked. "Or are you holding another one of those private conversations?" Meaning was she talking to Talon – which she was.

"Talon was just telling me I need a break."

"I told you that, too."

"Yeah, well, you're both right and I could use a cup of coffee – and maybe something to eat. Are you hungry?"

"Sure."

"You go get us something to eat, and I'll meet you in my quarters with a fresh pot of coffee brewing."

He agreed, and the two parted ways, Melony heading for her quarters and Carson going to get them a midnight snack.

OOOOOOOOO

"So…"

They were stretched out on her bed – fully dressed, although Melony had changed out of her uniform and into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt while she'd waited for the coffee to brew – with a couple of plates between them that held an assortment of the late night foods available to the Atlanteans.

She gave him a questioning look.

"Hmm?"

"Have you found any good planets, yet?"

She shook her head, ruefully.

"The problem with a planet that looks deserted when you get there is that there isn't anything to write down about it – which makes for a short and boring report to read and absolutely no detail of the planet. Besides 'we didn't see anything here'."

Carson smiled.

"So is that a no, then?"

She shrugged.

"Pretty much. We'll go check them out, and make a slightly more detailed report once we get there."

"Just you and Kale?"

She nodded.

"But not until I get a harness of some sort made up – so he can carry me a little easier."

"How long will that be?"

"I don't know, Carson… I'll have to rummage through stores to see what I have to work with."

She set her coffee cup down, and sighed, tiredly. Not only was she just a little tired from the last few days of snooping through the Sacred city of the Light Ones and the day of looking through the files, but she was well aware of the scope of the proposal ahead of her. This was the beginning of something that was going to take a long time, she was certain.

It's worth it

I know.

There was no debate on that.

"Tired?" Carson asked, moving their plates to the stand next to her bed, and scooting closer to her so he could pull her into his arms.

She nodded, cuddling close and resting her cheek against his chest.

"Just realizing what's ahead of me… it's daunting."

"You don't have to do it alone," he told her, running his hand along her shoulder as he held her. Her muscles were tight, and tense, and the caress turned into something of a backrub, which she accepted willingly, closing her eyes and pretty much melting against him.

"I know…" She said, almost asleep under his gentle touch. The best thing about loving a Doctor; his skilled fingers. "Kale is helping…"

She was too drowsy to feel him tense against her, and he didn't stop his gentle rubbing motion, but an almost familiar pained look crossed Carson expression just then, and he felt yet another stab of irrational jealousy. That hadn't been what he'd wanted to hear, but Melony fell asleep before he could remind her that he was there for her, too.