“John!”

Teyla caught up with him just as he stepped out of the transporter. She had a computer pad in her hands and an anxious look on her face.

“Hey, what's up?” He asked casually then frowned slightly as her anxious look turned into a worried frown. “Something wrong?”

“I am not sure. Rae has not shown up for her shift and no one has seen her since last night. I even went by her quarters to check on her but there was no answer so I went to get this.” She held up the pad and smiled slightly. “Rodney is not the only one that knows how to break into someone's quarters.”

Now John looked worried. He hadn't really been able to get much time, hell, any, time with her, but the last time he had gotten a glimpse of her she'd looked pale and tired.

“Come on.” John stepped back into the transporter and Teyla followed him in. Thankfully there was another transporter just a floor below Rae's and it was no time before he and Teyla were standing outside the door to her quarters.

And after another couple of minutes of Teyla's tinkering with the controls, the doors slid open.

“Hello?” John poked his head into room, listening carefully. He took a step inside the room. The window shades were pulled tight and the only light in the room was coming from behind the half open door leading into the bathroom. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he looked around the room. He took another step, Teyla close behind him. He noted the rumpled sheets and his nose crinkled slightly at the sour smell of sweat.

“Rae?”

No answer. Carefully he moved toward the bathroom door and pushed it open and his heart skipped a beat. Rae was in the shower.

John stood in the door way and watched her as she bathed. A wicked little idea came into his mind and the died just as quickly when he remembered that Teyla was with him.

Damn it!

Carefully he started to back out of the room but as he put his hand on the door, something crashed with a loud bang in the bedroom and he froze.

Rae's head whipped around at the sound. She wiped the water out of her eyes and stood there staring at him. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened in perfect little O of surprise at the sight of him standing there then in the blink of an eye all hell broke loose.

Rae screamed, grabbed for the towel on the hamper, slipped and went sailing right out of the shower, catching her foot on the edge of the door.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Her eyes twisted up in pain. She moaned clutching at her leg. “Damn, my foot!”

“Oh, crap! Rae, I'm sorry! Are you alright?” John was on his knees beside her, not caring about the water soaking the knees of his pants. He heard the door rattle behind him and he grabbed the towel, draping it over Rae and trying to try and not make her face turn any redder when Teyla suddenly burst into the room.

5.

“You're doing it again.”

“What?”

“Hovering.”

“I am not hovering.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I'm not.”

Rae glanced at the man sitting not more than a couple of inches away from her and smiled. “You know you're even more cute when you're mad.”

“I'm not mad either.” He gave her a stern look though a wicked grin played around his lips. “And when am I ever gonna get past the 'cute' stage. I am not a puppy you know.”

“No,” She leaned her head against his shoulder. He was a lot warmer than the sunlight spilling down on them as they rested on the East pier and smelled better than the sea wind blowing across their skin. “But you are kind of cuddly.”

John laughed and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer. “You're certainly in a good mood today.”

“I'm just glad to be out of that damned infirmary.” She sighed and snuggled into his warmth. “Carson's sweet but he was starting to drive me nuts.”

“Kind of like me, huh?”

“Yeah,” she kissed the edge of his jaw and gently laid a hand high on his thigh, making him jump. “But your kind of nuts I don't mind.”

John laughed, a deep, rich laugh. When he looked at her, his eyes were twinkling with amusement.

“Okay, what's up?” She laughed at the sly look on his face. “And I don't mean that.”

“Then move your hand and it won't be.” He growled.

“You mean like that?”

Her fingers did a little dance on the inside of his thigh and more than just his back stiffened at her touch.

“What has gotten into you?” John asked when he was finally able to breathe.

“Maybe it's what hasn't gotten into me.” She grinned.

John snorted with laughter. “If you're gonna be like this after you've been sick then maybe you should get sick more often.” He gave her a questioning look. “Maybe that crack on the head did more damage than you think.”

“Are you complaining?”

“Not if you keep doing that.”

“Well, I can do more than that, you know.” She leaned in close, nipping at his ear with her teeth.

“If there weren't other people on this pier...” He glanced around. There was another couple enjoying their rare day off farther off down the pier but other than that there was no one else. But to John that was just another couple too many.

“You'd what?” She scratched at the stubble on his cheek with her teeth.

His face reddened slightly. A slight smile crossed his face and there was that snort of laughter again.

“Okay, Sheppard.” She leaned back slightly to look at him. “What is really up with you?”