Once Lorne had landed the jumper he lowered the back door. He had landed right next to the ruins. Seeing this Laura got out and walked towards them. Lorne had told her that he was going to stay in the jumper and that he would have a clear line of sight with her at all times in case someone came along. She had just nodded and not replied. Walking over to the ruins she kneeled on the soft ground and began working silently. She had remembered so she turned it on and continued to work.

Back in the jumper, Lorne was watching Laura like a hawk, when Goku startled him.

"DO YOU LIKE THIS PERSON?"

"What? No. What makes you think that?"

"JUST THE WAY YOU SEEM TO LOOK AT HER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN YOU LOOK AT ANOTHER HUMAN IN THE SAME WAY. ALSO I CAN READ YOUR MIND."

"Since when? Has Zelenka been updating your systems again? I really wish he would warn me." Lorne scowled and made a mental note to yell at the scientist about not telling him about the upgrade.

"YES. HE DID UPGRADE MY SYSTEMS. IF IT IS OF ANY HELP SHE LIKES YOU ALSO. IN FACT SHE SEEMS VERY ANGRY WITH YOU. SOMETHING ABOUT KATE SOMEONE?" enquired the jumper. Lorne groaned.

"Yeah well she has every reason to be angry." Lorne didn't elaborate after that. Both Lorne and the jumper fell silent. After an hour, his jumper said, "COLONEL. THERE IS SOMEONE COMING. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD CALL FOR YOUR LADY FRIEND TO COME BACK." Sighing Lorne got up and clicked his radio, "Laura come in. You need to get back to the jumper there's someone coming." He got no reply but he could see her walking back towards the jumper. Once she was back inside Lorne closed the door and walked back into the front of the jumper. "Anytime you want to leave Goku is fine with me." He told the jumper. "WE CANNOT LEAVE. THEY APPEAR TO BE SETTING UP A CAMP. WE WOULD MAKE TO MUCH NOISE."

"Great! So are we here for the rest of the night?" asked Lorne. "IT WOULD APPEAR TO BE THAT WAY. ARE YOU GOING TO TELL YOUR FRIEND? OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO?" asked his jumper. Lorne shook his head and said, "No. I'll do it. She is not going to be happy about this." He walked into the back of the jumper. The second he went in the bulkhead door slammed shut. Puzzled Lorne said, "Goku? Why did you close the door?"

"THERE APPEARS TO BE A MALFUNCTION. I CANNOT OPEN THE DOOR. I AM VERY SORRY."

"Ok. This isn't funny. You were fine a couple of seconds ago. Don't play games with me." He shouted at his jumper. Goku ignored him. Groaning Lorne turned to Laura and said, "Looks like we are gonna be here for a while. We can head back to Atlantis first thing in the morning. There are blankets under the seat so it's probably best to get some sleep." Not expecting an answer sat on the other side of the jumper when she said, "Fine." Shocked at her speaking he said, "Why are you pissed at me for? If anyone should be angry it's me!" he demanded. She merely rolled her eyes and pulled out a blanket for her head and one for her body and stretched out to try and get some sleep. Turning her back on him she tried to get comfy. He didn't give up trying to talk to her. "Hey! I asked you a question!" Laura rolled her eyes again. If he keeps this up I will swing for him she thought angrily to herself. He tried again this time ripping the blanket off her body. Sitting up angrily she met his stare. Before stating, "Give it back." Through gritted teeth, she made a grab for the blanket. Not expecting it Lorne toppled onto her as she had pulled the blanket. Pushing him off her she pulled the blanket around herself so that he couldn't do it again without seriously injuring her.

As I lay there in the stony silence in the back of the jumper, I tried to get some sleep but a voice kept saying Talk to him. Sort out this mess that you appear to be in. I knew this was not my voice. But I couldn't work out whose it was. I was really starting to get annoyed so I rounded on Lorne, "Could you please shut up!" I shouted at him. He looked up surprised, "What? I haven't said a thing." He shouted back. I was now on my feet baring my teeth at him, "You wanna talk? Fine! We'll talk. But I guarantee you're not gonna like what I have to say."

"Oh really? What would you like say to me? That your sorry for lying to me for god knows how long? Or maybe that you love me?" he laughed scornfully, he had also jumped to his feet.

"You would like that wouldn't you? Do you honestly think that I would love someone like you? I really don't think so. And as for the lying it seems it was well justified. I mean look at the way you handled the situation. You went in a fucking huff without letting me even try and explain the reason why I kept it a secret. Oh and do you really think I want to be stuck in the back of a goddamn jumper with you of all people? I can't believe I retired. At least if I was still in the air force I could order you to shut the hell up!" I was rambling and I knew it. I was saying anything to try and hurt him. Hoping to hurt him as much as he had hurt me. I knew there was no way I could turn back the clock and change what had happened before I left for Earth. If I could I would go back to the day that we had met on the Daedalus and tell him the truth. But what's done is done and now I can't change that. Lorne looked at her in surprise.

"Wait a second. You retired? Why? And I know you don't mean a word of what you just said."

"Stop trying to take the fucking high road. Yes I retired and before you go and think that I did it for you. You'd be sadly mistaken. You really don't know me very well if you think I didn't mean what I said. Remember when I told Caldwell that I would get kicked out of the air force?" Lorne nodded his head. "Why do you think there is new commander of the Daedalus?" I said. If it was possible he looked even more confused, "You didn't." I nodded my head, "I never say anything I don't mean." I spat at him.

"You really are a bitch."

"What your only realising this now?" I said mockingly, "You really are stupid." I turned away from him and lay back on the seat facing the wall of the jumper. We had been standing nose to nose, neither one wanting to back down. I had moved because if I hadn't I would have either smacked him or kissed him, and I couldn't have that. Yet. Added a little voice. Ignoring it I went to sleep.

Lorne listened to her breathing. In and out, in and out. She looked so peaceful. He knew she hadn't meant what she said. All of a sudden her body went rigid and she scowled slightly. Then she mumbled something that he didn't quite catch. "What did you say?" he asked her.

"I wasn't talking to you." Laura replied. Lorne looked up and walked to the other side of the jumper. She was definitely asleep. Hm. Maybe she talks in her sleep he thought to himself maybe I can find out what she really thinks. Deciding to test his theory, he asked, "Who were you talking to then?"

"Kate."

"What did you say to her?"

"I told her to stay away from you." Confused Lorne said, "Why?"

"Because I love you." Shocked at this revelation he decided to change tack, asking, "Why did you retire?"

"To be with you."

"What?" he exclaimed. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I wanted to."

"How did you know I even liked you?"

"I don't. I took a chance." She scowled slightly and rolled over. She rolled to far and fell off the seat before Lorne could catch her. She woke up with a start. "What the hell?" she said groggily. Lorne offered his hand to help her up. She looked at him wearily. He had a strange expression on his face, deciding it was better not knowing what he was doing so close to her she took his hand and stood up. When he didn't let go of her hand she tried to pull it back but he pulled her closer to him instead. He tilted his head to the side and with his free hand pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. She tried to step back but couldn't. He had dropped her hand and had put his hand on her waist so that she couldn't move away from him.

"Did you really retire for me?" he asked her.

"Wha…what did you say?" she demanded.

"You heard me. So for once tell the truth." He could feel her stiffening her back as she tried to regain some composure.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Your never gonna find out. Besides why would you care? Aren't you with the shrink?"

"Well that depends." She raised an eyebrow, "On whether you retired for me or not." Taking a deep breath she said, "No. I didn't retire for you. So does that mean you're with the shrink?"

"Yes. That means I'm with the…Kate." He dropped his hand from her waist. She grabbed his hand and said, "Listen. I'm really sorry for lying to you. Can we at least try and be friends?" she asked him softly. "Please forgive me." Lorne looked at her and said, "Yeah. We can be friends. I forgave you a long time ago. I understand the reasons why you lied." Even if I don't understand why you just lied about retiring he added to himself. "Get some sleep." He added out loud. Nodding she headed for her seat and went back to sleep. He blatantly didn't believe that was the last thought she had that night.