Author's note: Wow… I slept almost all day, and I still feel like crap… I think I'm going to go back to bed.

OOOOOOO

"He started it."

Mitchell smiled, not at all annoyed at being pulled out of a sound sleep by Talon, who had woken her so she could listen in on what was being said in the hall. It had been a while since Melony had heard Jack chew someone out like that, and she had to admit he hadn't lost his touch.

"Uh huh."

"He did. He was waiting for me at my door," Jack said, scowling and looking back the way Kavanaugh had gone, as if to call him back so he could chew him out again.

"Have you had coffee?"

"No."

"Why don't we go get some?"

"Are you supposed to be out of bed?"

Melony smiled again. Some things never changed.

"Yes. Do you want some coffee or not? I'm starving and want something to eat."

It was a given that she wanted a cup of coffee, too.

"Yes."

"Major?"

Sheppard nodded.

"I'll come along."

If for no other reason than in hopes that O'Neill met up with Kavanaugh again in the commissary.

"Let me get dressed really quick."

She ducked into her quarters, and Jack turned to Sheppard. Normally, O'Neill wasn't one to let someone outside his circle of comfort see him acting quite so childish, but there were always times to make exceptions, and it'd been so long since he'd seen Melony looking healthy and cheerful that he just hadn't been able to help himself – even with Sheppard standing there watching.

"I don't know that we need to share with Doctor Weir just how little Doctor whatshisname thinks of her command ability, Major…"

Sheppard shook his head.

"No, Sir. I had no intention of telling her – although she probably has a fair idea of it already."

"Kavanaugh has been giving her a lot of trouble?" Jack asked, frowning.

Sheppard shrugged.

"He's questioned her a few times."

Of course, John had as well, but it was different when he did it, right?

"Should I send him back to Earth the next time we open the gate? Is he more trouble than he's worth?"

"He's a smart guy, Sir," Sheppard said. "We can use him here. Weir can control him."

Of course, even if Weir couldn't, it was obvious that O'Neill could – from the looks of things.

Jack nodded.

"Fine. But he'd better stay away from me, otherwise-"

He was interrupted when Mitchell reappeared, wearing a uniform similar to Jack's, although without her sidearm. She had yet to find anything in Atlantis that could threaten her – although when she'd first arrived she'd worn a gun and zat both at all times.

"That's better," Jack told her, smiling.

"You're just not a Packer's fan…"

Well, yeah, there was that…

"Come on, smart ass. You can tell me what you've been up to since you got here."

He slid his arm around her waist – to steady her, not because he'd missed her and wanted to hold her – and let her and Sheppard take him to the commissary.

"You wouldn't believe most of it," she told him, smiling.

And you're not going to tell him all of it, are you? Talon asked her, flashing a more mischievous memory of her and Carson through her mind just then.

Mitchell actually stumbled – more from amusement than anything else, although Jack didn't know the difference. His arm tightened around her, and his expression clouded.

"Are you sure you're supposed to be out of bed?"

She grinned, sending Talon a mental raspberry, and nodded.

"I'm really fine, Jack… must have tripped over… a bug or something…"

"Uh huh…"

Not at all surprisingly, he wasn't convinced, and Melony was quick to change the subject back to what they'd been discussing.

"My trip here wasn't so bad," she told him, squeezing his side with her hand to get his attention off her stumble. "But the reception wasn't something I'd ever care to repeat…"

"Oh?"

"Turns out the Ancients weren't all that fond of the idea of Goa'uld – or Tok'ra or Jaffa, presumably – coming into Atlantis."

"What do you mean?"

"She was attacked by a beam the minute she materialized through the gate," Sheppard said. He'd been there and had seen it, and really had a better memory of it than Melony had, since she'd been a little distracted at the time.

"Not me, so much as Talon was," Melony corrected. "It was bad, though."

"You disabled it?"

Obviously they must have, Jack realized, because Melony was wandering around just fine, and Teal'c hadn't been attacked when they'd emerged.

"I had to shoot it," Sheppard said. "We couldn't figure out how to turn it off, and even though Colonel Mitchell was down, the thing was still attacking her. Doctor Beckett said that any longer and it would have killed her."

Jack nodded, looking at Melony again, as if to make certain she was alright – although it was obvious she'd long since recovered from that.

"Talon's okay?"

"Of course."

It was nice of him to ask

He likes you.

Sheppard grinned, a little impishly.

"See? I sort of saved her life."

Jack looked over at the Major, and his hand tightened lightly on Melony's side, giving her warning that he was going to say something smart alecked, even though he probably didn't realize he'd done it.

"Is that why she puts up with that hair cut of yours?"

Melony grinned.