It was late that evening when Teyla sat in the mess hall with Sam, "Have you always liked Ronon?" asked Sam breaking the silence

"I'm sorry?" replied Teyla

"You don't need to hide it I know exactly how you're feeling I've been there, I know that look"

Teyla blushed "I have feelings for Ronon that I can't control" her voice was careful as she searched for the correct words, Sam smiled and said

"What's stopping you?"

"I could never, Atlantis is very important if we wish to defeat the wraith the team has to stay on a basis of friendship if we become anything more our decisions would be clouded" Teyla shook her head, sighing silently. Mitchell wandered and poured himself a cup of hot chocolate.

"Well spirits are low here, it's Christmas in a couple of weeks be happy!", he sat down "Ah I know that look" he said looking at Teyla "you can't sleep so you've come down here to think" Teyla raised an eyebrow

"is that why you're here?" she asked

"no, I just came of duty"

"off duty?" asked Sam "isn't this meant to be a holiday?"

"I tried, I couldn't do nothing"

"we've been here less than 24 hours" Sam stated a smirk on her face

"I love my job, what more can I say?"

John was perched on the corner of Elizabeth's desk, trying to win a game of chess

"Elizabeth you'll have to accept no matter how many times we play chess I'm going to lose, even if it is on the computer" Elizabeth smiled and said

"checkmate" John grinned and said

"I told you so!" he took his hand up to her face and pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes "I like you like this, relaxed" Elizabeth smiled

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything" said Daniel moving further into her office, John's hand shot from her face back to his person. Daniel handed a stack of papers over to Elizabeth and said

"These are from the translation you wanted doing"

"Wow! That was fast" she exclaimed

"Anyway I'll see you tomorrow"

"Goodnight" replied Elizabeth

"night" replied Daniel walking out into the corridor

"You should go to bed too" said John concerned

"I will"

"Let's go, my quarters are only minutes from yours, I'll walk with you"

"Fine" said Elizabeth reluctantly dragging herself off her chair, John placed his hand round her back leading her through the control room and down the stairs.

"Daniel" Vala whispered as she entered Daniels room, he opened and eye wearily

"What?" he said grouchily

"I can't sleep, I keep hearing noises and it's awfully dark"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Keep me company, on the SGC my guard makes me feel safe, I don't have one here"

"Uh, fine you can stay with me here, just for tonight" she tiptoed over to his double bed and slipped inside, when something suddenly dawned on Daniel "Did you walk down the hall in your underwear?"

"Yes, why?"

"nothing" he said closing his eyes to drop back off, Vala snuggled into his arm and let out a pleasing sigh.

Light flooded in through the large windows behind Daniels bed, Valas head lay on Daniels chest covered by his soft cotton t shirt,

"Vala? What are you doing here?" she opened her eyes and said

"I couldn't sleep remember?" Daniel ran a hand across his face

"Yeah I remember, I'm going to have shower you should go back to your quarters"

"Daniel" she shouted after him as he headed into the bathroom "um, thank you for keeping me company" he smiled and gestured her to the door "whoops" she said with her huge smile clambering out of the bed and into the hall, she checked to see if anyone was coming and began running down the hall to reach her quarters

"Vala" said Sam as she walked up the hall in her uniform "why are you running up the hall in your underwear?"

"uh, I couldn't sleep, so Daniel kept me company" Sam looked at her "oh no nothing like that"

"OK" said Sam eager to escape "some marines are shorty behind me, try not to be seen" she said with a smile and carried on walking. Vala slipped into her room and herd the marines walk past her door, smiling to herself for the first time in a long time she felt very close to someone.

"Jack!" Sam called from the corridor to get his attention

"Sam? Come in" Jack replied a little confused, she opened his door with the panel on the wall and quickly closed it again when she was on the other side. Jack sat in his bed covered solely by a double duvet his bare chest visible as he sat up, his laptop placed on his lap. Sam kicked off her shoes and sat down next to him.

"You didn't come for breakfast" said Sam trying to produce a conversation

"Actually I did, just at 1 o'clock this morning" Sam smiled and ran her soft hand across his cheek, moving in to place a kiss on his lips. Jack pushed the laptop of his lap taking her over his lap, she looked into his eyes and smiled, there lips met sensations burning up her spine. A knock at the door interrupted the thoughts going through her head, they both looked towards it, Sam sliding of Jack's lap as he shouted

"Who is it?"

"err, Mckay" he said uncertainly

"What do you want?"

"err, well...um you wouldn't have seen Col. Carter" Rodney mumbled from the other side of the door, Jack looked at Sam she gestured him to let Rodney in

"Yeah, come in" he said sounding awfully grouchy he entered the room, closing the door behind him

"What do you want Mckay?" asked Sam a slight chill to her voice

"uh Radek wants your help", Rodney hated asking for help and generally put the blame on Radek, Sam smiled knowing what he meant

"I'll see you later Ja err Sir" he nodded hating being called sir by Sam but understanding her reasons.

"Tell me this is important John" said Elizabeth as she sat at her desk

"It is, you're coming to eat something and be sociable"

"John I can't I have a lot of work to do"

"And you can do it after" he said truly concerned for her well being "Lizzy..." he said tauntingly, she smiled

"Fine" she said not able to resist his charm.

Several of the senior members and SGC personnel sat around a large table chatting and eating, Elizabeth and John sat at the end of the table there trays surprisingly full. Teyla also approached behind them Ronon noticing there were no seats, pulled one from the table next to there's and placed it next to his

"Thanks" said Teyla with a smile sitting down next to him

"That was awfully gentleman like" said John, Teyla blushed at the implication he was making

"John" Elizabeth said firmly and quietly so only he could hear it.

"Elizabeth" he said back in a soft voice that she couldn't help but smile to.