Disclaimer - MGM/Gekko/Double Secret own them.
A 'Homecoming' episode addition, containing spoilers for 'Metamorphosis', 'Forsaken', and 'Homecoming'. Jonas/female, Sam/Jack UST, suitable for all.
Feedback would be loved.
*
It was, in all probability, the last time he was ever going to see her. So he spent the time *she* spent treating him by watching her work; her fingers as they brushed over his skin, his bandages; the curve of her neck as she leant forward, the intricate style of her hair (how did she keep it up like that? No doubt it was part of a science he didn't fully understand).
He should say something. He felt the urge to say something but, frustratingly, his mouth remained shut. He'd thought he'd changed since coming here, joining the team, and exploring the universe.
But maybe he was wrong. Why was it so difficult to tell her how he felt? It wasn't as if he had no experience in this area. And yet...what he'd told Sam before was essentially the truth. It was pretty much the tradition on Kelowna to send a friend to check the lay of the land (as Colonel O'Neill might have put it).
But then...since when was he a big fan of tradition? He may have sometimes studied the past, but...
His attention was drawn away when he saw movement from the corner of his eye, turning his head as Sam and Colonel O'Neill walked into the infirmary. He smiled in greeting and noticed that the Colonel was just about to open his mouth to say something - sarcastic, no doubt - when Sam touched his arm. Stopping him walking and talking.
Frowning, Jonas was about to ask precisely what was going on, when Sam nodded towards him, then towards Lt Rush. Sam's eyes widened, as did her smile, encouraging.
Ohhh.
Sam's encouragement, however, did give him the final push to speak to the lieutenant.
He turned back to look at her. "You know Lieutenant..."
"Jonas," She sighed heavily, the sound of a woman who'd been through a particular conversation too many times before.
"Sorry," He grinned. "Lizzie. I was just thinking, as this will probably be the last time I see you - at least for a while - I wanted to say thank you."
Her head, her gaze; both still cast downwards as she tended to his injuries. Most of the work had initially been done the day before, when he'd come back from Kelowna, but she'd been here for most of today - keeping him comfortable, and as pain-free as possible. "What for?"
Jonas shrugged, and instantly regretted the pain it induced. Ow... "For doing such a good job of taking care of me."
Was it his imagination, or did she actually blush? "Dr Fraiser does most of the work."
"I think you give yourself too little credit. There's no doubt that Dr Fraiser's a brilliant physician, but *you're* the one taking care of me right now." In fact, he was actually starting to feel pretty good. Confident. Strong.
"Well," She shrugged, meeting his gaze and holding it. "It's my job. But...I won't say that I don't derive more satisfaction from it than I probably should."
Definitely blushing. Definitely. But that was now accompanied by the kind of grin that he *really* liked seeing. "Is that a fact?" There went his own grin.
She'd stopped working completely now, and said it: "I...like you, Jonas."
He smiled at her, sighing inside. "I like you too." His hand caught one of hers, touching it gently. "But I kind of wish we'd said something sooner."
Closing her eyes, Lizzie turned her head away. "We shouldn't be talking."
Understanding he nodded, even as his gaze fell. "I know. I mean you're standing there treating me. We're both on duty. It's not very professional of us to be discussing something like this right-"
His mouth was suddenly covered by one that hadn't been there a few moments before.
He remembered saying a few months ago that he didn't trust a girl who kissed on the first date.
For her, he was so utterly making an exception.
When she eventually pulled back, mere millimetres away - skin brushing, breath against flesh - she spoke. "You are *so* coming back to visit."
Jonas nodded enthusiastically, staring at her mouth, willing to accept absolutely any and all terms.
They both jumped apart, however, when Colonel O'Neill suddenly spoke. Oh. Yeah. He'd completely forgotten anyone else was there.
Whoops.
"All right!" The Colonel declared, waving a hand around. "I will choose to forget all about this little breach of professionalism, if you two *promise* never to be *so* cheesy, *ever* again."
Lizzie evidently had previously had no clue that he was there at all, as she rapidly stood to attention. "Colonel O'Neill sir!"
He waved her off as both he and Sam walked closer (Sam, at least, seemed amused). "Oh relax, Rush. I'm sure this isn't the kind of thing you do all the time."
"No sir. Not at all sir."
"And these are extenuating circumstances..."
"Sir?" Her frown matched Jonas'.
He paused at the other side of the bed. "Well it's not every day we're told our boy is gonna leave us."
Jonas was fairly sure - *fairly* sure - that the Colonel was making fun of him.
And something occurred to him.
He wasn't going to be working with him anymore. And though, as the months passed he'd felt more and more able to speak his mind, now, he could realistically say whatever the hell he wanted.
So he did.
"So Lizzie," Despite the Colonel's order to relax, she was still standing so much to attention that she was in danger of spraining something. "Speaking of missed opportunities, there's something I've noticed in my time here; I wonder if I could discuss it with you."
Frowning, she glanced towards him, her stance easing somewhat. "Discuss what?"
"Let's say you know two people - team mates, for example. Let's say these two people have feelings for each other - romantic feelings."
"Okay..."
"Jonas."
He continued, unperturbed, never turning his gaze away from Lizzie - who was definitely starting to smile. "Let's say they haven't got together because it breaks the rules, and maybe they've agreed that they're gonna wait until the Goa'uld are defeated before they do anything about it."
"All right."
"*Jonas*."
"Now you have to wonder - is that really going to happen anytime soon? I mean the Tok'ra have been fighting the Goa'uld for two *thousand* years." He gestured with his good arm as he spoke. "That's a long time. What says that the Goa'uld are going to be defeated during their lifetime?"
"Nothing. But maybe that's the point." She suggested.
"Maybe it is," Jonas nodded. "But what happens to these two people in the meantime? Do they fade away from each other? Meet someone else? Meet no one else? Look back and regret what wasn't, or are they simply thankful enough for what was?"
Lizzie sighed dramatically. "It is a puzzlement, there's no doubt about-"
"Okay," The Colonel interrupted. "I will promise never to be sarcastic to either one of you ever again, as long as you promise to *shut up*, *right* now."
Jonas looked at the Colonel (angry), Sam (embarrassed but amused), Lizzie (in danger of howling with laughter), and simply shrugged - this time not caring if it hurt, and deciding to adapt a few more of those handy Earth phrases for his own use.
He came, he saw; he embarrassed the hell out of Colonel O'Neill.
His work here was done.
~FINIS