A/N

To Sheppardlover928 – Thank you for reading and commenting. As I can't reply to you directly, I'll reply here. First off, I promise that the Team (and John) will appear soon. I deliberately held back on having Tamsin meet them in person as I didn't want to fall into the 'Mary Sue' trap of them all becoming BFFs straight away. Their interactions will develop over time, but I can't say too much without ruining the story.

Chapter 7

The Atlantis stargate stood bathed in the afternoon light that streamed through tall windows. Patches of colour splashed on the floor, lending the gateroom the air of a great cathedral.

Though Tamsin had been through the Earth gate a few times, the experience had seemed more a means to an end than anything else. The concrete bunker under Cheyenne Mountain failed to compliment the Ancient design, but here in the Pegasus galaxy, she could begin to appreciate the reverence that many cultures held for the Ancestral Ring.

"Ready to go?"

Tamsin turned at the sound of Carson's voice.

"Of course, looking forward to it," she replied, returning his smile.

They were heading off-world, visiting a number of settlements where Atlantis regularly offered medical assistance to the inhabitants.

"Ready when you are, Amelia." Carson called up to the technician, who raised a hand in acknowledgement and began to dial. The event horizon splashed out with its signature ka-woosh, and settled back into the familiar blue puddle.

"Safe trip, doctors. See you in a week." They turned back to see Richard Woolsey, who'd come out onto the catwalk next to his office to see them off.

Carson made to pick up the cases of supplies at Tamsin's feet, but she waved him off with a hint of annoyance. "I can manage, thanks," she said. Hefting the cases, she turned and walked towards the puddle, Carson following close behind.

The momentary cold of the wormhole was replaced by the cold of mid-winter on *planet name*. The stargate was situated in a small treeless valley, surrounded by foothills. Several inches of snow glittered in the mid-morning sunshine.

"Oh, this is nice," Tamsin remarked, taking her sunglasses out of her jacket pocket. The cold-weather gear that had been stifling back on a balmy Atlantis would come into its own now.

"Aye, reminds me of the Cairngorms a little," Carson replied, gazing around. "The people are welcoming too."

"I used to spend a fair bit of time there."

At Carson's questioning glance she went on. "At university, one of my housemates had a van and the five of us used to pile in and head up to Glenshee for the skiing whenever we could. 'Course, that was one of the tamer things we did. Rock-climbing, Sky-diving, paragliding. You name it; we probably tried it at least once." She grinned as she caught the look of mild horror on Carson's face.

"Sounds like a bunch of bloody nutters to me," Carson muttered. He gestured towards the path that led away from the 'gate. "The village is about an hour's walk in that direction, so I suggest we get moving."

Picking up their luggage, they set off along the track.

SGA

Arriving at the settlement some time later, they were greeted by a slender blonde woman, clearly the village's leader.

"Dr. Beckett, it is good to see you again. We have missed you."

"Aye, it's good to see you too, Glenna. How are Tyrin and the boys?"

"They are well, thank you." Glenna turned her attention to Tamsin. "And I see you have brought a companion this time. Your partner, perhaps?" She teased, with a smile.

Carson coughed and flushed slightly. "Um, no, not as such," he managed to say.

Tamsin stepped in. "I'm Dr. Lucas. Tamsin. I'm not on Atlantis for long, but I hope I can help while I'm here."

"I am pleased to meet you, Dr. Lucas, we always appreciate assistance from our friends. Come, I will show you to your accommodation, I imagine you would like to settle in?"

Glenna began to walk towards a single-story stone building at the edge of the busy village square. As they walked, she waved to several of the villagers who smiled in greeting. Tamsin noticed that Carson also nodded to some of the residents.

"How long have you been visiting here?" she enquired.

"Must be a couple of years now, I suppose. They were some of the first people I met when we came back to Pegasus. So far, the plague hasn't affected them, but …"

Tamsin didn't miss the faint shadow that passed across the Scot's face as he spoke.

"Then let's hope they manage to stay clear," she said, firmly.

"Aye, let's hope. Anyway, this is us."

By now, they had reached the house where they were to stay for the next couple of days.

Glenna turned to them. "Dr Beckett, I trust you remember where everything is, so I will take my leave of you now and spread word that you have arrived."

"Thank you, Glenna, we'll be ready soon." The blonde woman waved in farewell and headed back to what Tamsin assumed was her own home.

Carson opened the heavy wooden door and stepped back to allow Tamsin in first. She smiled to herself – most of the men she'd known would have gone straight in without a second thought, but the gesture seemed to fit him.

The building consisted of one medium-sized room. Towards the back of the room, a fire smouldered in an iron grate. Two large wooden easy chairs sat in front of it, generously covered with woollen blankets in earthy tones. Several large woven rugs in similar tones covered the stone floor and an eating area with a table and two stools filled another corner. The far corner contained a sleeping pallet, piled with more of the blankets. Tamsin could immediately see it was only intended for one person.

"Ah, I forgot there's just the one bed." Carson looked slightly embarrassed again.

Tamsin shrugged. "It's fine, I've got my sleeping bag, I'll just find myself a corner and make a pile of blankets. Not a problem."

"No, you must take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

"Really, I don't mind – you'd be more comfortable in the bed, surely?"

"I wouldn't dream of letting a lady sleep on the floor."

Tamsin snorted. "You don't need to worry about that, I'm no lady. A sleeping bag on a pile of blankets is the height of luxury compared to some of the places I've slept, believe me."

"Oh, aye, what's the worst then?"

She thought for a moment, crossing her arms. "Picture a muddy trench in the dark, gale force winds, somewhere in the middle of the Brecon Beacons. Oh, it was raining most of the time as well."

Carson raised an eyebrow. "You've some strange ideas about fun."

"I never said it was for fun. Anyway, shouldn't we be setting up for the clinic?"

"Aye, we should." He seemed willing to let the subject drop, for now.

"So where do we set up shop. Hopefully not in here?" She gazed around the building. Although it was comfortable, it didn't appear to be geared up for consultations.

He shook his head with a slight smile. "No, there's another building next door I use for the clinics."

Tamsin felt some relief – she had half-expected to be conducting patient checks at the kitchen table. Although even that would be a step up from the time she'd had to repair a gunshot wound by flashlight in the back of a Land Rover in the Kenyan bush, but to have a space set aside for the clinic was perfect.

SGA

The light was fading as Tamsin and Carson returned to their home for the night. There had been a steady stream of patients, both from this village and some of the further away ones. General check-ups had determined that most of the villagers were in good health, although a few had needed treatment for lingering respiratory complaints. To both doctors' relief, the symptoms hadn't indicated the Hoffan plague.

The fire in the cottage had been stoked up at some point and now blazed in the grate. Carson busied himself lighting oil lamps, whilst Tamsin rummaged in a pack.

"Dinner is served!" she announced, placing several MRE pouches on the table with a flourish. "Take your pick."

"I don't mind, ladies first." Carson settled the last lamp on the table next to the ration packs.

"I told you earlier, I'm no lady. You don't need to stand on ceremony for me." Tamsin's voice was low, but there was an edge to it.

He shrugged, meeting her look. "It's the way I was raised; I'm not going to change now. You'll just have to accept it."

"I'm just used to being one of the boys." She sighed, dropping her arms from their folded position and reaching for the nearest MRE. "I've eaten so many of these things they all taste the same to me, anyway." Her voice was still low, but had lost its' edge.

Carson reached for his own meal, reading the label as he did so. "I know what you mean. 'Chilli Beef' – not sure why they bother putting flavours on them." He smirked, catching her eye again in an attempt to lighten the mood. Tamsin matched it with her own smirk.

"Aye, there we go, that's better. Can't be fighting now, can we?"

If he was honest with himself, he quite enjoyed their verbal sparring, but he would rather see her happy. She seemed to keep a tight check on her emotions, but just occasionally they appeared to escape and he would glimpse the woman underneath.

They ate the rest of their meal in comfortable silence, neither of them feeling the need for conversation.

SGA

Tamsin woke early the next morning, as usual. She glanced across at Carson – he still seemed to be asleep, turned towards the wall. At some point in the night, she had woken to hear him muttering and shifting restlessly in his blankets. She had debated whether to check on him, but he had settled before she had made a decision. God knew she had experienced more than a fair share of bad dreams, even nightmares in her time, but she could only guess at the things that haunted Carson's dreams.

Normally she would run first thing in the morning, often crossing routes with other personnel. She had seen Colonel Sheppard once or twice, though fortunately he hadn't recognised her, only nodding a brief greeting as he passed by. Other staff, mainly military, were familiar faces as well.

It would be a bad idea to try and run alone here on an unfamiliar planet, so she settled for quietly tidying up her sleeping area. Carson had tried again to offer her the bed, but she had assured him she didn't need it. He hadn't said anything in reply, but the pinched look on his face had told her he wasn't happy about the situation.

Tidying finished, Tamsin noticed that the fire was almost out and the croft was cooler than was comfortable. Recalling there was a pile of firewood stacked outside near the door, she reached for her boots, upending and shaking each before putting them on.

"Lost something?" She turned at the sound of Carson's voice, flushing slightly. He looked younger, lines eased, dark hair standing on end, with an amused expression than showed the dimple in his cheek.

"I'm checking for scorpions, if you must know."

He chuckled, propping himself on one elbow. "I'd say it was a wee bit cold for those beasties."

"Force of habit. The one morning I didn't check my boots…," Tamsin said, meeting his eyes with a half-smile of her own.

"I think I can guess."

"Exactly. Not an experience I wish to repeat."

Carson shifted, throwing off the blankets and rising to his feet. Realising he was only partially clothed, Tamsin quickly turned away, blushing slightly again. Not that it was the first time she'd seen a man in underwear or less, she was a doctor, for god's sake. But this was Carson, a colleague and the man she'd nearly thrown herself at in the recreation room last week.

She could hear rustling and zips being pulled behind her. A thump that suggested Carson was putting on his own boots.

"I'll just step out for a wee while, get some air." His accent had thickened slightly, and Tamsin wondered if he was equally embarrassed by her presence.

"Okay," she replied, not looking round as the door opened and shut in the background.

She let out a breath, sitting back on her heels. She hoped he hadn't noticed her blushing. Here she was - a mature, experienced surgeon acting like a silly teenager. Should she ask Glenna if there was somewhere else she could stay? But that would be admitting that her feelings and hormones had gotten the better of her. Squaring her shoulders, she told herself she wouldn't mention it unless Carson did.

SGA

Their second day progressed much as the first had, though today's patients had mainly travelled from much further away and in greater numbers. When Carson and Tamsin returned to the croft that evening, the lamps had already been lit and there was an earthenware pot keeping warm by the fire.

Carson passed a bowl across to Tamsin, who smiled her thanks and settled in the easy chair by the fire. He noticed that she sat cross-legged and couldn't imagine how she could be comfortable. With her dark hair loose and an oversized sweater over her uniform, he was surprised again at how much softer she looked, much like that night in her quarters. He wasn't sure exactly how old she was, and he would never ask a lady her age, but he would guess at mid-thirties. Despite her protests the previous evening, Carson did consider Tamsin a lady – he couldn't think of her any other way. She could be prickly and rather blunt at times back on Atlantis, but she wasn't the first surgeon he'd met who didn't have the greatest bedside manner. Having seen her with the villagers today, though, she had become much more open and friendly. He was beginning to realise that she put up a front a lot of the time and he wondered what caused her to do that.

"Carson, are you okay?"

He started, realising he'd been staring at Tamsin. "What?"

"Are you okay? You were miles away."

"Oh, aye, just thinking."

"Sounds dangerous. Could get you into trouble." That half-smile again, as if she knew what he was thinking.

All sorts of trouble, he thought, trying to come up with a suitable reply.

"Actually, I was just thinking this reminded me of a pub I used to visit in the Highlands. They used to serve the most wonderful stew. Perfect with a pint and a chunk of crusty bread."

Tamsin grinned. "You read my mind. I was just thinking all this needed was a pint of ale and a couple of dogs asleep in front of the fire."

Although Carson found himself doing most of the talking, he was enjoying this time with Tamsin. He was telling a story about a family camping trip where he and his brothers had spent most of their time teasing their sister with various woodland creatures.

"Sounds wonderful. Chaotic, but wonderful." Carson was surprised at the wistful tone in Tamsin's voice.

"Och, listen to me going on." Carson huffed at himself. He looked over at Tamsin, who was staring into the fire, chin in hand. "Tell me about your family, love," he continued, softly. She would probably tell him where to get off, but he thought it was worth a try.

She glanced briefly at him, then returned her gaze to the fire.

"Not much to tell, really. Just myself and my younger brother."

"What's he like?"

"Drew? Well, he's … Drew. My little brother. " She snorted. "Actually he's six foot two and built like a brick … outhouse, so not really little anymore. But he's six years younger than me, so he'll always be the baby."

Carson smiled to himself; he knew Tamsin had meant to use another word to describe her brother.

"I haven't seen him for months – he's away a lot for work and I rarely know where he is in the world. We were supposed to meet before I started at the SGC, but he was deployed before I left Kenya. I'm not even sure he knows I'm not in Africa anymore. Talk about missed connections."

He could sympathise; after all, he knew what it was like not to be able to reach family, although it was permanent in his case.

"Is he military?"

"Yes, he's a medic with the Royal Marines. It scared the hell out of me when he joined up, but I knew I couldn't protect him forever."

Tamsin paused, biting her lip. She seemed to want to say more, but was struggling. She glanced into the fire again.

"Our parents died when I was thirteen. A lorry hit their car, head on. Complete wreck. Turned out the driver was drunk. Drew and I lived with our gran after that, but she never really got over losing Dad. Her health wasn't great, so I pretty much ended up looking after all of us."

"I'm so sorry, love."

"Why are you sorry? You didn't kill my parents. This is why I don't tell anyone personal things. I just get platitudes." Tamsin rose abruptly from the chair, stalking over to the window and leaning her forehead against the rippled glass.

Carson sighed. How was he supposed to make her realise he really was sorry? Though she clearly cared when it came to other people, she seemed unable to believe anyone would actually care about her.

He stood from his own chair, joining Tamsin at the window.

"I'm sorry because I'd like to think we're friends and I care that something like that happened to you."

She looked at him then, surprise in her eyes. "Really?"

"Aye."

"Well, okay … thanks, I guess."

That brief glimpse of vulnerability nearly broke Carson's heart. His protective instincts went into overdrive and all he wanted to do at that moment was to wrap her in his arms and keep her safe. He managed to hold back, sensing it wasn't the right time.

"I think I'm going to turn in. Good night." Tamsin offered a brittle smile.

She turned away from the window, heading towards her corner. As she did so, her fingers briefly brushed against his. Was that her way of saying thanks? He didn't know. What he did know was that he was now more confused than ever. Carson returned to his seat by the fire, intending to head to his own bed once he thought Tamsin was settled.

SGA

Tamsin wriggled into her sleeping bag, trying to get comfortable. She felt tense and angry with herself. Carson had offered friendship and she'd all but thrown it back in his face. Why did she find it so hard to accept that he cared about her?

She was aware of the lamps being extinguished and the sounds of Carson getting ready for bed. She wasn't sure she would sleep tonight, but she hoped he could find some peace.

SGA

Carson jumped awake. Someone was hammering on the door of the croft.

"Dr Beckett! We need your help!"

He hurried to the door, sliding the bolts back. A young woman stood, clutching a blanket around her shoulders.

"It's Ayla. Her baby is coming, but it's too soon!"

Carson nodded, fully awake. "Give me a minute."

He turned to find Tamsin standing ready with her field kit, holding his own out to him. Glad that he'd slept fully dressed, he struggled into boots stiff with cold and grabbed the kit from Tamsin.

Without a word, they followed the woman into the night.