Title: How I Feel About You

Author: CosmicalMadison

Rating: K+

Pairing: SamCam

Summary/Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

AN: So, you all asked so nicely for me to continue this story and I did. I doubt it's what you expect, though. :-P Please still read to the end, 'cause it might not end up like you think.

Chapter Two: Confession

Colonel Cameron Mitchell took a deep breath. He was on his way to Samantha Carter's lab and couldn't have been more nervous. After stewing over it for so long, he had finally decided to tell her how he really felt about her. He figured that that at least would give him some relief from just keeping it to himself. Now the only thing he dreaded was her reaction.

Just because he told her he loved her didn't mean she had to return the feelings. What if she didn't? Or, worse yet, what if she was already seeing someone? Rumors had been flying around since his arrival that Sam was involved with SG-1's former leader, Jack O'Neill. Oh, how Cameron hoped that wasn't true. But there was only one way to find out for sure, and this was it.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into her office. Sam sat at a table peering through her microscope at one thing or another. As he approached, she looked up with a smile and said, "Hey, Cam. What's up?" She turned back to her work as she awaited his answer.

"Sam, I need to talk to you," he answered.

Sensing the seriousness in his voice, she looked up and swiveled her chair around to face him. Voice a mixture of curiosity and concern she asked, "What about?"

Cameron didn't know how to respond to that. This was so awkward. What was he supposed to say? Hey, I've been your team leader for a year now, and I just popped in to say I love you? Of course not. Surely he could think of something better than that. "Well, Sam..." he said nervously, stalling now, "the truth is, I..."

Seeing his apprehension, Sam's lips quirked into a smile again. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

"No!" he cried, face reddening. If he didn't get this over soon, he was going to regret it. "The truth is, Sam...I-" All right, he demanded of himself suddenly. You came here with a mission, so are you going to complete it or not? With a final sigh, he blurted, "Okay, the truth is, I care about you. More than I should."

Her eyes widened, as if she couldn't quite believe what she had just heard. "You mean-"

But he cut her off before she could finish, fearing that if he didn't speak now he would soon back down again, permanently this time. "I guess what I mean to say is that I love you. I have for a while now, and...there, I've finally said it."

Sam just sat there for a moment, digesting what he had told her. "Well," she said slowly, "I certainly wasn't expecting that."

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," Cameron said quickly, self-consciousness setting in again. "I can leave now if you want." He made a move toward the door, but she stopped him.

"No, wait a minute." She looked at him appraisingly. "How long have you felt this way?"

He shrugged, feeling his cheeks growing warmer by the second. "I'm not sure. Since I met you, I guess." Immediately, he regretted saying that. Putting it that way made it seem like he had a childlike crush on her, instead of conveying how he really felt.

Sam smiled again, but in his state Cameron was sure he could see something condescending in it. "That's nice, it really is, but you do know this could never work between us, right? I mean, even if the regs didn't apply, you're the leader of my team, and us...being together would totally mess up your objectiveness if we ever got into a dangerous situation, which you know will happen sooner rather than later."

He had been afraid she would say that. SG-1 had never completely played by the rules, but Cameron knew Sam would never directly disobey a rule like that. But there was still one thing he had to know. "Fine. But I still have a question for you. Do you really believe that, or are you telling me this because you're already with someone else?"

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "What would have given you that idea?"

"I've heard rumors."

She shook her head. "About General O'Neill and I? They're not true. Cam, you're my friend, and I wouldn't lie to you. I understand the way you feel, but I just don't think it can work right now, okay? I've got a lot on my plate with studying all the devices other SG teams have been bringing back from their missions and I just don't have time to pursue a relationship." She grinned up at him playfully. "Don't lose hope, though. I'm sure you can find someone else who's just as good as I am."

I doubt that, Cameron thought to himself. There was no woman on this planet or any other who came even close to Samantha Carter. "Right. I guess I should probably be going then," he said as he walked toward the door. "See you later." His voice sounded a lot more dejected than he would have liked.

"Hey."

He turned around, a questioning look on his face. Half of him was expecting her to recant what she had said, to tell him that she returned his love, but he knew that that was foolish. She had made her choice and now he had to live with it.

"I hope I didn't hurt your feelings," she said carefully. "You're a sweet guy, Cameron, and I'm glad to have you on my team, but I'm just not ready to go any farther than that, okay?"

"Okay," he said dismally as he left the room.

On the way back to his office, he didn't know what to think. Had he really expected her to jump up and say I love you too! and ride off into the sunset with him? That was absurd. How could he have been thinking she would return his feelings? It was stupid to even bring it up. Of course it wouldn't work out. The regulations forbade it, and she didn't even feel the same way about him to begin with, so why did he even bother?

Plopping down into his chair, he suddenly realized that he felt much more like crying than finishing yesterday's mission report.

AN: So, how was that for chapter two? Not what you anticipated, eh? Don't worry, though, the pairing isn't listed as Sam/Cam for nothing. There will be at least one chapter, if not two, but I don't know when I'll post them. As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget to drop me a review on your way out.

Also, I'm not sure if I got Sam's character right here. I think she would have probably been a little more surprised, but oh, well. You'll see more of her reaction in the next chapter.

-CM