When she walked into the infirmary, Melony frowned. The bed that she'd left Carson sleeping in was empty – and freshly made – meaning he wasn't going back to it. She looked around, checking out the other beds, in case he'd been moved to one that was more comfortable or something, but she didn't see him.

"Colonel Mitchell? Can I help you?"

A voice behind her caused her to turn, and she saw one of the medics standing there, a clipboard in her hand.

"I was looking for Doctor Beckett…"

"He's been moved to his quarters," she said, smiling. "It's more comfortable, and not all that far away."

"Thanks. Is he awake?"

She shrugged.

"He was."

One way to find out.

"Thanks again."

She left the infirmary, crossed the corridor to stop at the door across from it, and knocked softly on the door. No one answered, and there wasn't any sound from the other side, and she debated leaving and coming back later.

Just go in

I don't know if-

He's not going to care, Melony

Talon knew that better than she did, and his confidence was enough to get her to open the door and slip inside.

She was surprised to find him on the sofa. His quarters were one of the few that actually had one, and he used it all the time, but she'd expected to find him in the bed where he'd be able to stretch his leg out a bit more than the coffee table allowed. She noticed that the file on Kale was sitting on the table beside his propped up leg, and that it was open.

She went over and leaned over the back of the sofa, not wanting to hover over him if he wasn't really all that asleep – she didn't want to startle him – but wanting to get a look at him to make sure he didn't look like he was in all that much pain or anything, either.

"Carson?"

He opened his eyes at the sound of the last voice he'd really expected to hear, and found himself looking up into her pale eyes. Eyes that were beautiful and wonderful and attached to the face of a woman he loved more than he could ever have imagined loving someone. And had ruined that completely.

"Melony…"

He wondered what she was doing there.

She smiled, and he felt his heart skip a beat, even though the smile looked a little forced. Or afraid?

"How do you feel?" She asked him, reaching down and touching his cheek.

"I'm okay. Just a little sore. You?"

"I'm fine."

He reached up and took her hand with his, squeezing it lightly – and almost afraid she would pull away. She didn't, though, and the two of them stayed like that for a long moment, looking at each other, both of them trying to figure out what to say to the other.

"I read the report," he finally said.

She nodded.

"How did you know?"

"Talon figured it out."

"It's not an excuse for what I did to you…"

"It added to other things," she said, "But no, it's not an excuse…"

"I'm sorry…"

"I know, Carson."

"But it isn't enough, is it?" He asked her, bitterly, angry with himself for ruining his chance with her.

She shrugged.

"If you didn't love me, it'd never be enough."

"I do love you…"

"I know."

"I don't think you do, Melony…" he said, shaking his head. "I've loved you since I first saw you – since you came through the gate and ended up in my infirmary. The first time you opened your eyes and looked at me… I just… felt like I needed to be with you. To hold you. To protect you. To take care of you."

He squeezed her hand.

"And now… it's ruined, isn't it? Talon hates me, you can't possibly forgive me, and I-"

"I love you."

The three words cut off his tirade of self-loathing, and his eyebrows rose, his eyes surprised.

"You…"

"Love you. Okay? I should have told you earlier – it might have kept things from getting so out of cont-"

"No. It wasn't your fault," he said, shaking his head. "And it wasn't Kale's fault, either. I was in the wrong. I was jealous, and I felt left out, and I hurt you. The pheromones can't force people to do something that they don't want to do deep down, anyways, and I wanted to be with you. To make love to you – even though I promised you that I'd wait until you were ready. I didn't want to hurt you, though. I just wanted…"

"To be with me."

He nodded.

"To be with you. To be yours. To have you as mine."

And that was the need that was amplified by the pheromones and the alcohol. The desire to posses her. To have her for his own. He'd thought this through thoroughly, and had still been considering it when he'd fallen asleep.

She freed her hand from his, and ran her fingers along his cheek, her eyes unreadable.

"If I would have said something earlier, you wouldn't have been so uncertain," she told him. "You would have known that I cared for you. Wanted you. Wanted to be with you. But I was afraid to."

"And now…?" he asked.

"Now?"

"Do you still feel that way? Or did I ruin it?"

She shook her hand, feeling Talon detach himself as much as he could so she wouldn't feel an echo of his own thoughts – although the way Beckett had apologized and not tried to shift the blame had played well to the way the symbiote was regarding him just then.

"You can't stop loving someone…" Melony told Carson. It was what she'd been telling herself over and over, after all.

She saw the hope rise in his eyes, and smiled, gently. This time it wasn't so forced, and when she came around to the other side of the sofa to crouch down beside the couch so she could be on the same eye level as he was.

"I do love you, Carson."

"Enough to forgive me?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

"Can I hold you?"

He had to hold her. Wanted desperately to pull her into his arms and hug her tightly. And didn't dare try to without permission.

She nodded, leaning into his chest and feeling his arms wrap around her, pulling her even closer, and felt him press a kiss against her cheek, his short beard tickling the tender skin of her face. She slid an arm around his waist, not wanting to put her full weight against him in such an awkward position, and brushed a kiss against his cheek as well.

"I love you, Melony." He told her, raggedly.

"I love you, too."

She'd proven him wrong, Carson Beckett realized as he shifted on the sofa, making room for her to sit next to him, and feeling a warm relief spread through him as she took the invitation and cuddled beside him.

Love was enough.