The Best Thing About Military Towns

Disclaimer - I still don't own SG-1.

Rating – T

Episode – The Fourth Horseman II (911)

Summary – Cam and Carolyn spend some time together. Cam makes dinner.

Cam knocked on her office door and she barely twitched. These last two weeks – hell, these last six months – had been hard on Carolyn.

He'd first been taken with her when she fought so hard to save Jackson and Vala. Of course, that cooled ever so slightly when he found out she was the General's daughter. But he couldn't get her out of his head. She had a way around her that suggested he'd be flying with her. There was a stillness in her too that spoke of serenity and home.

Cam figured the only way to win her heart was with boldness. The same confidence and audacity that got him on the world's most elite team would win the respect of father and daughter; his easygoing charm would hopefully woo the amazing woman Carolyn Lam is.

Carolyn was holding herself in her "recharging batteries" posture. Cam stepped in quietly and leaned on the door, afraid any abrupt movements would shatter the calm she was obviously desperately seeking. It had to have been hell. Working so hard to find a cure for the Ori plague, so frantically to save everyone sick. Again.

Carolyn looked up at Cam with wounded eyes. "I almost lost him."

He didn't need an explanation of who 'him' was. "How is your dad?"

"Stubborn. Mom always said I got it from him." She smiled ironically. "I never believed her until recently."

"Why is that? Anyone knowing the two of you can see that similarity."

"I didn't want to be anything like my dad. Someone who would leave their family for causes that I didn't understand. I grew up thinking I wasn't all that important to him."

Cam almost scoffed at that idea. For six months he'd seen the General reach out to his daughter. He'd seen the longing and pride in his eyes. But Cam was also an outsider. An interested one, but an outsider nonetheless. "Have you figured it out just how important you are to him?"

She offered a rueful smile. "So I'm slow."

"In all your years as an Air Force brat, did you ever figure out the best part of living in military towns?" Cam let his eagerness sparkle through and slid his voice into his accent just a bit more.

Carolyn stared back at him with a perfectly blank, deer in the headlights look. "I guess I haven't. We just established I'm slow."

He held out a hand. "I'll show you," he invited with his most charming smile.

o0o

The whole way down the mountain and through town, he teased and charmed her into letting go of at least some of the stress of the last weeks. Cam's heart beat just a bit faster seeing her smile wider and relax more. He was getting a buzz at just that small bit of healing for her.

They were just across the street from Peterson AFB's south gate where Cam stopped at an unassuming little market.

"And what's here?" Carolyn asked as they parked in one of the five spaces in front of the store.

"This is just the perfect place to get the last ingredients to a stew. Probably one of the tastiest stews in the world. And the right bread to serve with it."

Carolyn still looked skeptical.

"Now see? You're doubting my judgment. I'm gonna have t' prove it to you." He jogged around his car before she could get out to hold her hand as she climbed out of the seat. "I didn't spend two tours in Afghanistan not learning the local recipes. Qorma happens to be about the favorite one over there."

He caught her hand in his and led her to the spice isle. He couldn't help but notice that her hand fit perfectly in his hand. "I'd keep some at home, but I try to buy specialty spices only when I need them. They'd go stale otherwise."

"You know how to use all of these?" she sounded incredulous.

"Oh yeah. Tasty eating. Take a deep breath." He proceeded to take his own advice. The air was pungent with the spice, Above it all, were the sweet, clean notes of her shampoo, and got a dizzy rush from the scent. "I'd bet your Momma taught you all about Vietnamese cooking. And I'll be picking your brain on that later," he winked.

"She did. And we'll see," Carolyn smiled. "I do fix some pretty good thit heo tau."

"Now that I've got to find out about."

At the meat counter, he picked out a smallish lamb roast. "The good thing about Qorma is it's better the next day. And now we just need some naan and then home."

The sun had already dipped behind Pikes Peak and the spring evening turned chilly on the way to Cam's apartment. He handed her the keys. "You hurry inside. I'll grab the food and be in right after you."

He wondered what she would think of his home. He hadn't been home – not really – for weeks. And there might be a box of books or two in the living room. Unpacking all the way just was not a priority when fighting intergalactic bad guys. He was hoping dinner would make up for any untidiness.

He hefted the bags of groceries into the kitchen and pulled out a bar stool for Carolyn to perch on. "So I know you peeked on the way in. Like the place?"

"It's not as austere as I would have guessed. I mean . . . " she started to backpedal. "The whole bachelor stereotype."

"I get it. But I've been moving around for a long time before I landed with the SGC. I figured I'd better learn how to be at least a little comfortable," Cam explained as he pulled out his cutting board and carving knife.

"Your kitchen is great," she grinned. "I'm already dreaming of what I can cook in here."

"Anytime you want," Cam winked at her as he diced and sliced the vegetables. Mom and Grandmaw are great cooks. I learned at their knee." He leaned closer to her conspiratorially. "I even have a KitchenAid tucked in the pantry for when I want to get some serious baking done." He quickly got the lamb browning and the veggies in a light saute.

Once everything got into a pot, he turned to her. "Beer or wine?"

"Wine, please."

oOo

Dinner finished, they settled down on his couch to finish their drinks. "You were right." Carolyn smiled at Cam. "Specialty foods are definitely a plus of living in military cities.

This mean you're going to teach me about that dish you mentioned earlier?"

Carolyn snuggled into the couch. "If the qorma turns out as good as the company, maybe," she offered with a coy grin and clinked her glass to his.

A/N - I've only been working on this fic for years. Decided for NaNoWriMo to clean out my WiP folder some. Anyone for mint chocolate chip ice cream?