Even though she was one of the last to go to bed the night before, Melony was one of the first to wake up. She and Carson had taken their blankets off to the side a little and had fallen asleep cuddled together. More because of the desire to be close to each other than for any need for warmth, because the cavern and the tunnel that led to the ravine were both out of the rain and not too chilled. When she woke, she was still wrapped in his arms, with her own hand under his shirt and resting lightly on his bare stomach.

Which made it difficult for her to get up without waking him, even though she tried. His grip on her tightened when she moved beside him and he rolled closer to her, one hand sliding under her shirt and caressing her in a fashion that definitely would have led elsewhere if they'd been in quarters on Atlantis – but couldn't lead anywhere in the circumstances they were in just then.

She wasn't above holding still for just a moment, though, and enjoying the touch, before she gently moved his hand – moving her own from his bare skin in the process. And that woke him up a little more.

"Hmmm?"

She could see his eyes open, even in the very dim light given off from the string of bulbs that had been stretched along the tunnel, and her hand went out to touch his cheek, her fingers lightly brushing the soft facial hair.

"I need to get up…"

"Already?"

She nodded, and felt him cuddle her a little closer. While it was nice, it didn't help her get up and going – and she really had a lot to do that day.

She wriggled free, and brushed a gentle kiss against his lips – which made him open his eyes again – and then very reluctantly slid out of their blankets.

"Go back to sleep, Carson. Just because I'm up early doesn't mean you have to be."

Had it not been for the fact that he'd gone to bed just as late as she had, and was really tired still, he might have argued. As it was, he nodded, and almost instantly went back to sleep. Mitchell waited with him long enough to be sure he was asleep, and then got up and went off in search of a cup of coffee.

OOOOOOOO

She wasn't the first one up. To her surprise, Rodney McKay was in the main cavern, looking slightly rumpled – as if he'd only recently woken up himself – and holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee in his hand as he ran a check of one of the diagnostic machines that were going to be installed that day.

"Did you sleep last night?" Mitchell asked as she walked over to the coffee pot that was sitting on yet another empty crate turned upside down.

The good thing about having McKay there – aside from the fact that he was a genius – was that of all the people on Atlantis, he was probably the only one that matched her when it came to the need for coffee. Which meant that a coffee pot had been the first thing he'd brought with him and the first thing that had been plugged in once the power had been strung and the lights had been tuned on.

He looked over when she spoke up. Surprising neither of them, he hadn't heard her come into the room. Not only was she normally quiet on her feet, but he'd been involved in what he'd been doing.

"For a few hours," he answered. "But there's a lot I need to do today, and I thought I'd get a jump on it before everyone woke up and got in my way."

Typical.

Mitchell smiled, because it was also one of the reasons she was up early. Because there wouldn't be any interruptions for at least another hour or so.

"What's the schedule for today?" She asked him, coming over and sitting in the chair next to the one he was in. One of only three that they'd brought over.

"Diagnostic tools will be installed today," McKay told her. "They've been in mothballs on Atlantis – aside from this one, which is one that we took from one of the Ancient's labs in the lower levels. I'll show you how to use it, but it's pretty easy."

Mitchell nodded; it didn't look all that complicated. She might not be the genius he was – and who was, really? – but she could figure it out.

"Good. So what's left once they go up?"

McKay shrugged, looking around. Really, the cavern looked far more like a giant lab than he'd ever really expected it to, and he'd only been there two days.

"A table or two for equipment, and then you need to decide whether you want to put a bridge across that river you found – for that matter, you need to decide if you want us to try to figure out where that water goes and if you want us to lay piping to bring it closer so you might be able to use it."

"I'll do that today," she told him, taking a sip of coffee. It was good, and she noticed it was made from their first batch of the new beans they'd discovered. "As soon as Major Sheppard is up and we get a few more people moving around, I'm going to take a group of men down the tunnel, find out where it ends, and then send up a marker so Sheppard can find me in the Jumper and save me the walk back."

"And if you find more than just some of these Mok things?"

She shrugged.

"I doubt anything too sinister lives around the Moks. If they're at all like bears like Talon says they are, then they can be riled when they are upset, and as large as this thing was, I wouldn't want to mess with it – and I doubt anything else would, either."

"And if the one last night was abnormally nice?" He asked.

She smiled, obviously not worried about that.

"Then I hope they don't run as fast as I do, or climb trees."

He shook his head, unable to understand how she could face some new creature so nonchalantly. He hated new things – unless it was mechanical, of course, and then only because he liked to take them apart and see what made them work before putting them back together better than it had been before.

"Let's hope."

"They're pretty big and bulky – and Talon says they're not dangerous. I'll have to take his word for it until I find out otherwise."

"Good luck," he told her. "If you need me – for something other than rounding up Moks – then I'll be here."

She nodded, and stood up, still holding her coffee cup. And to his surprise, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"You're doing a great job, Rodney. Thanks."

Without waiting for a response, she squeezed his shoulder and left, heading back down the lava tube towards the ravine – and presumably some clean clothes.

McKay watched her go, unable to hide the smile on his face and wishing that there had been a million people there to hear what she'd just said.