Author's Note: Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who is reading and/or reviewing. I normally respond to reviews before I post, but my schedule today is such that eking out the time to just post took a bit of work. So, know that I appreciate all your kind words. Enjoy! ~lg
oOo
Friday passed quietly, and Carson had a difficult time believing it had been a week since his guest lecture in Albuquerque. He had a week left before Sheppard whisked him—and hopefully Alison—away to parts unknown. The colonel was quite adventurous, and Carson hoped the man would take everyone's idea of a good time into account. He still needed to ask Alison to accompany him and figured today's lunch would be a perfect time.
"Carson?" Katie's voice in the door, sounding somewhat concerned, brought his head up. He blinked tiredly, the dream from last night having kept him awake since two that morning. But he still realized that she'd broken her pattern of referring to him by his title.
"Aye?"
She slipped into the office. "Do you have a few moments? I really needed to talk to you, and. . . ." She shrugged sheepishly, though it did nothing to calm Carson's worry.
"Of course." He waved her into the room, his heart sinking when she closed the door behind her. "What's on your mind?"
She stood in front of him, her fingers twisted together as if she wasn't certain how to bring up the topic. "Well, thing is, I'm worried about you."
"Me?" Carson blinked. "I assure you, Katie, you have no need to worry about me."
She crossed the room suddenly and dropped into one of the chairs, scooting forward to take his hand. Carson barely resisted jerking his arm away as if burned. Something wasn't right here, and he didn't like what it said about his receptionist. She looked earnestly into his eyes. "Yes, I do, Carson." She frowned. "You are important to this town—to me. And even I can see that you're not sleeping. Is everything okay? Are you having problems with the diabetes that you don't want us knowing about?"
"Diabetes?" He frowned. "No, I promise my diabetes is quite under control. I'm keepin' track of everything I eat, an' things are good. Katie, I'm fine."
"Then why aren't you sleeping?"
He sighed and rubbed his eyes, knowing someone would eventually ask. He'd always hoped it would stop with Alison and Margaret worrying about him. "Katie, before I came here, I did work with the military. Work I can't talk about. Sometimes, that leaves you with things you'd rather forget and can't."
She broke eye contact for the first time, looking at the desk as realization crossed her face. "I'm sorry, Carson. I didn't mean to pry."
He forced himself to smile, not having anything to suspect her on beyond the idea that she wanted to push herself on him. That was enough to make him uncomfortable, but it wasn't enough to create a huge scene. "Don't worry about it."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" She glanced back up, a calculating look in her eyes. "Maybe I could come over and help you. . .relax."
The flush started at his neck and creep up. His ears felt as if they were on fire. He'd never been propositioned before, and having it happen in a professional setting galled him. As a doctor, Carson insisted on ethical behavior between himself and his patients and employees. He stood suddenly, his office chair rolling into the bookshelves behind him. Katie blinked at him as he stared down at her. "Ms. Summers, I assure you that I'll be fine. Now, if you don't mind, I've got plans for lunch."
Katie stood slowly. "I see." She frowned. "Carson, you're sure?"
"Aye, I'm sure." He nodded to the door in a not-so-subtle hint that she needed to leave. She took the hint and left him without a backward glance.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Carson let out a deep breath. His irritation faded along with one realization. In a town this small, Katie could conceivably create problems by simply talking. He didn't want Alison hearing about this from anyone else, especially since he planned to ask her to head off to parts unknown with him just next week. Pulling his lab coat off, he grabbed his jacket and let himself out the rear of the clinic. The more distance he put between himself and Katie, the better.
The coffee house was quiet, with only one other customer in the dining area. Margaret stood behind the counter, adding fresh Danishes to the glass case. She glanced up and smiled. "Carson. You're early."
"Aye." He met her eyes. "Is Alison here? I really need to talk with her."
"She's in the back." Margaret reached for the swinging door that separated the area behind the register from the dining room. "What happened?"
He stared back at her. "I'm not sure, an' I don't want to say anything until I speak with Alison." Movement outside the window caught his eye, and he turned to see Katie walking past.
Margaret clearly saw the distaste that crossed his face. "Use my office. It's not much, but it'll work."
"Thank you." Carson slipped into the kitchen area and found Alison finishing up with some dishes.
She glanced up, her dark hair plastered to her forehead as steam rose from the wash water. Reaching for the hand towel, she blinked. "Carson!"
"Hello, love." He had the urge to lean in and kiss her right then, but he realized that he wasn't in the right head space for something like that. Instead, he took her elbow gently. "Do you have a few moments?"
"Yeah." She allowed him to lead her into Margaret's office and close the door. "What is it?"
Carson paced away from her, rubbing the back of his neck. "How well do ye know Katie Summers?"
Alison floundered for a moment. "Not well. She's got a reputation in town, but she wasn't raised here. Why?"
He nodded. "Because she propositioned me this morning."
"She what?"
"Don't worry, love. I made certain she left my office right after the words left her mouth."
"Carson, I'm not worried about you." She ran a hand through her short hair. "I trust you. I'm just shocked that she'd do something like that. Wait. No, I'm not."
He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I didn't want ye to hear it from anyone else."
"Nothing happened?"
"No." He did approach her then, taking her by her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "When it comes to Katie Summers, nothing could be further from my mind than a romantic relationship. There's only one woman in town who I'm interested in."
Alison's smile blossomed as she draped her arms over his shoulders. She'd done the same thing the night they had dinner at his home, and he loved how it felt to have her so close to him. "Is that so?"
"Aye."
"And this woman. . .she wouldn't happen to be anyone I know, would she?"
Carson couldn't keep the grin from his face. He pulled her close and touched his forehead to hers. "I believe ye know her well."
"Oh, good." Her eyes sparkled. "As long as I know her and approve of her, then I'm happy."
He laughed, but his gaze was drawn to her lips. Though they'd only been around one another for just under two weeks, Carson had already realized that he would never forget Alison. Rather than saying anything else, he simply leaned in and brushed a soft kiss on her lips.
Alison smiled up at him when he pulled back. "Is that all you've got?" she asked coyly.
Taking that as the obvious invitation it was, Carson well and truly kissed Alison for the first time. She responded immediately, and he pulled her closer as he deepened the kiss. It wasn't the most ideal setting, and Margaret could walk in on them at any moment. But he couldn't allow himself to keep pretending. Alison needed to know how he truly felt, and he felt a ball in the pit of his stomach relax as she returned the kiss. Pulling away, he saw her eyes dilated and couldn't help grinning at the effect he'd had on her.
"Wow!"
"Aye." He leaned his forehead against hers. "Ali. . . ."
She put a finger on his lips. "No words, Carson. Just. . . .enjoy the moment."
He nodded and smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder. This woman was incredible, and the effect she had on his life changed everything. She'd caused his dreams of a family of his own to be resurrected, and he decided right then that he'd follow her wherever her job took her if necessary.
Then, another thought occurred to him, and he couldn't contain the rueful chuckle. Alison lifted her head to give him a questioning smile. "Och, it's nothin', love."
"You kiss me and then giggle?" She grinned. "I want to know why."
He felt the heat starting at his neck again, but it was different this time. "Well, I. . . ." Giving her a sheepish grin, he shrugged. "I remember kissin' other women, but it dawned on me that. . . ."
Her eyes widened. "This was your first kiss!"
"Aye," he said again, this time with a sheepish and somewhat embarrassed expression. Sometimes, being a clone had its advantages. He remembered things that the other Carson had done and was able to avoid those mistakes—primarily because he shared most of the other Carson's memories. At times, it was a disadvantage. He didn't remember things that his friends found utterly hilarious. Still other times proved embarrassing, and this was one of them. "I'm sorry. I just thought about somethin' that Colonel Sheppard would say, an' it struck me as amusing an' embarrassing all that the same time."
Alison put a hand on his face, her thumb brushing the corner of his lips. "Carson, you don't have to worry with me. I know what happened. And I'm. . . ." Her face colored, and he found it utterly adorable. "I'm just glad that it was me."
"Me, too."
They stayed in one another's arms for a few more moments before Alison caught sight of the clock. She frowned. "It's almost lunch time. Do you need to get back to the office?"
Suddenly remembering why he'd come to the coffee house in such a rush, Carson let out a deep breath. "No." He shook his head. "I saw Katie wander past when I first got here. She likely won't come around until next week. I'll sit down and have a talk with her as soon as she gets in. Let her know what I expect from a professional working in the clinic."
Alison nodded sagely. "I could always come around more," she offered.
He grinned. "I'd like that. A lot."
"Good."
They left the office a short time later, and Carson grinned unrepentantly at Margaret when the older woman gave him a confused look. Letting Alison shed the apron she'd been wearing, he moved to her mother's side. "I'm sorry about that, Margaret. I had an employee situation I needed to work out."
"I noticed," Margaret said wryly. She sobered a bit. "Katie Summers is a wild card, Carson. Be prepared for some backlash."
He nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."
Alison reappeared, and the two of them picked an out of the way table to share lunch. Rather than keeping up appearances for the sake of others, Carson reached across the table to hold her hand. She dimpled at that, and he remembered what he'd originally been considering when Katie interrupted him. "So, Alison, do ye mind a trip next weekend?"
oOo
The weekend passed pleasantly for everyone. Carson contacted Sheppard, adding his and Alison's names to the list of those attending the John Sheppard Christmas Gala, as it had become known. He also received instructions: pack incredibly warm, bring passports, and be at a set beam-out site at six on Friday morning. When he asked where the group was going, he received a vague "You'll see." Not satisfied, he passed the message on to Alison.
On Sunday evening, he again joined Alison and Margaret for Sunday dinner. He hadn't returned to the church, not wanting to deal with the questions still in his mind. For right now, it was enough that Alison had answered a few of them. Her acceptance of who he was—and what he was—meant the world. She pulled him aside while her mother cleared the table for an impromptu game of poker and asked about his wry thought the day he'd first kissed her. He rolled his eyes and shared what Sheppard would likely say in the situation. My God, I'm the Forty-Year-Old Virgin! Alison laughed with him, admitting that it was an unusual situation and one they likely would laugh about for a long time to come. Her thoughts on the future thrilled him, and he forgot about any awkwardness that might have crept into their relationship. By just laughing with him, Alison had told him that it was okay to be open about the dichotomy of his life.
Monday morning, he greeted Jorge as the nurse appeared for work. Still planning to have a talk with Katie, Carson wasn't dreading it like he had before. He figured he'd wait until she arrived, talk with her, and then open the office. When she arrived wearing too-tight jeans, a low-cut blouse, and platform heels, he realized he needed to make certain no one could say anything about their relationship beyond that they worked together.
A patient arrived before he could pull Katie aside. Seeing the concerned mother with her son outside the front door got to Carson, and he gently let them in. The boy was having an asthma attack that hadn't started until they'd left the house, so his mother had driven him to the clinic rather than to school. Carson quickly escorted them to the patient room and set up a breathing treatment. With her son's attack starting to calm, the mother dropped into a stool. Carson sent Jorge for coffee for himself and the mother and spent much of the morning overseeing the child's recovery.
By lunch time, Carson had sent the mother and son on their way. Standing next to the patient files, he made a note in the boy's chart and glanced over at Katie. She was watching him, and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Deciding that there was no better time than the present, he leaned against the filing cabinet and folded his arms. "Katie."
"Yes?"
"We need to talk about what happened on Friday." He met her eyes. "It cannot happen again."
Her gaze dropped, and she had the good sense to look slightly embarrassed. "I know. I just. . . ." She pushed to her feet and moved to his side. Carson stepped back a bit as she continued, "You don't feel this?"
He blinked at her. "Feel what?"
"This drawing between us." Her hands moved between them, and she took another step toward him as she tried to gaze deeply into his eyes.
Had he not been so close to the situation, Carson might have laughed at the absurdity of it. Now, he felt like a cornered animal just trying to get away. Stepping backwards again, he spied Jorge watching the entire exchange. "No." Being subtle hadn't worked thus far, so he decided to be blunt. "Katie, you work here. Nothing more."
"But we could have more." She shook her head. "Carson, I don't know how else to tell you this, but I'm falling in love with you. I spent the weekend thinking about it, and I can't just let this go anymore."
Several things happened next. While Katie had been speaking, Alison had walked to the front of the clinic. The sigh of relief that Carson let out wasn't obvious, and he was suddenly grateful he'd told Alison about what was really happening. Katie reached out to take his hand and place it on her chest, babbling on about how he had her heart or some such thing. He tried to pull away, but her grip tightened to the point he'd have to pull her toward him to get out of it.
Alison, however, had no such inhibitions. She reached out and, with a strong move that only Dusty Mehra could have taught her, disengaged Katie's hand from Carson's wrist. "Get your hands off of him!" She stepped between the pair, her back to Carson as she glared at Katie.
Surprised, Katie glared back. "You have no idea what's going on here, little girl. You should leave."
Carson covered a snort with a cough. Out of the pair of women facing one another in his clinic, Katie was the most naïve one of the two. Alison had seen things that would send Katie into hiding and came out on top. Without glancing at him, Alison nodded. "Oh, I know what's going on here. You're trying to seduce my boyfriend!"
"Your boyfriend? You don't have a clue what that word means. It's not just sitting around and talking. There's a lot more to it than that."
"I'm well aware of that." Alison never lifted her voice, but she folded her arms and spoke directly to Katie. "I'm also aware that you haven't had a steady relationship since you came to town. You bounce between men, cheating on those you consider your 'boyfriend' just so you can get some piece of jewelry or whatever it is you want. I don't know what it is you want with Carson, but he's not yours. He never was, and you need to learn to keep your hands to yourself."
"Or what?"
"You don't want to find out."
Katie laughed. "What could you do to me?"
Alison's voice dropped an octave. "You don't want to know what I could do to you and get away with."
Realizing that this could spiral out of control, Carson stepped between the two. He'd been stunned by Alison's arrival and subsequent intervention, choosing to stay in the background while the two women glared at one another. However, they were on the verge of a cat fight and, as much as he'd love to see Alison put the other woman in her place, he couldn't allow that to happen. "Ladies." He gave Alison a cheeky grin, trying to let her know that he wasn't angry at her. She never saw it. Turning to Katie, he said, "I think you should leave."
Katie blinked at him. "Are you firing me?"
"No, not unless you intend to continue this behavior." He lowered his chin and met her eyes. "Katie, I'm not interested. I'm dating Alison and very happy in the relationship. Please don't make this scene any worse than it already is. You'll only be embarrassed further."
Katie stared at him, apparently trying to summon some fake tears until he frowned. Then, she straightened. "Fine." Flouncing to her desk, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. As she passed Alison, she leaned over and whispered, "Until next time, little girl."
Alison glared. "Looking forward to it."
No one spoke until the door closed behind Katie. Jorge took his cue and left the couple alone, and Carson grinned at Alison. "Taking a few lessons from Sergeant Mehra?"
Alison covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, Carson. It's just that, when I saw what was happening, I couldn't. . . ." Her voice trailed off when he pulled her into his arms.
"You have nothing to be worried about, love." Giving her the same cheeky grin from earlier, he leaned down and whispered into her ear. "That was hot!"
The comment, while true, broke the tension. Alison flushed and smacked his arm as she laughed at him. Rather than following through on his initial desire to kiss her right then, he stepped back. "Let me get rid of this lab coat, and we'll get some lunch. Maybe take a walk instead of eating at the coffee house?"
"I'd like that, Carson."
"Good." He headed for his office and pulled off the lab coat, ironically musing that it would be an interesting few days when they got to wherever Sheppard was taking them for Christmas. Others might have thought his relationship with Alison was moving too quickly, but he knew what he wanted when it came to a long-term relationship. And he decided he wouldn't be afraid to find out if he could have it.
~TBC