Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis or the awesome characters but I enjoy keeping the series alive.

A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who've taken the time to read and especially those who've reviewed. Your input and suggestions have been extremely helpful and very much appreciated. And … thank you again to bailey1ak, you're my inspiration!

Chapter 4

"Good morning Dr. Keller," John greeted setting his tray on the table. "Did you sleep well?" he asked grinning,

"For most of the night," she blushed. "Sorry I kept you up so late," she apologized shyly.

"Best sleep I've had in weeks," he informed her. "So… what's our agenda for today?"

"Aren't you getting sick of me?" she smirked rolling her eyes.

"Come on, this is our last day before we put on our uniforms and assume our super hero roles," he whined.

"In other words, our last day till we go back to work," she gently corrected.

"I think my description sounded better," John teased. "So, what do you want to do on our last day of freedom?"

"I hadn't thought about it but I'm open for suggestions.

"How bout a game of H.O.R.S.E. instead of poker and the winner gets to pick a reward?" he asked innocently.

"Looks like you're stacking the deck. I'm not much of a basketball player," she grumbled.

"I thought surgeons had to have precision hands?"

"Oh, my hands are skilled … in and out of the operating room," she laughed wiggling her fingers.

"Then it should be a fair match," John declared. Thinking about all the light-hearted banter they exchanged during their late breakfast, he realized they were both bordering on the flirtatious side of things and wondered if their relationship was changing as they got to know each other better. Or maybe it was just that they were becoming more comfortable, after all, Jen and Lorne flirted a lot and they were just good friends.

"I have to turn in my weekly report to Dr. Weir and then I'm free for the rest of the day so why don't we meet in the gym in an hour?"

"Sounds good. Bring your running shoes and we'll go for a run before dinner," he suggested. Spending time together was beginning to feel more than natural. He was more than content to spend the rest of the day together.

Jennifer dropped her report off to Elizabeth then left for the gym arriving right on time. She watched John warm up while changing her shoes. After a few stretches she joined Sheppard on the court and the game began.

H and O went almost immediately to Sheppard and Jennifer was playing catch up the rest of the game. She continued to trail but did a good job at making it interesting. At one point Jen was actually ahead for all of five seconds when she won the letter S just before John sunk his own S then dunked a spectacular shot to win an E and the game.

"Best two out of three?" she asked.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's my turn to chose a reward," he said raising his eyebrows.

"Name it," she conceded.

"I think it's time for a little golf lesson," he explained grinning.

"I wondered when we'd get around to that."

Throwing the ball one last time through the hoop, John took her hand and lead her out of the gym. They stopped at his quarters long enough for him to grab his golf clubs then proceeded to the balcony they used as a driving range.

Jennifer was a bit nervous as John put his arms around her once again to correct her hand placement on the driver as she lined up the ball on the grass mat. She was enjoying John's reward but having his arms around her was too unsettling and there were those pesky butterflies to deal with again. Hopefully she'd be able to keep from blushing.

They spent just over an hour hitting golf balls into the ocean before changing into running shoes and jogged along one of Sheppard's favorite routes. Afterwards they parted company agreeing to meet for dinner one last time.

It'd been a good day and John was disappointed their vacation time was nearly over. He'd had the best vacation just hanging out in the city and wondered if it was just timing or if Jennifer could be part of the equation. He'd never really thought much about the young doctor other than her being an extremely talented physician and surgeon. He'd always been grateful she'd given up any thoughts of striving for a prestigious lucrative career some place back on Earth to take care of his men and others in the expedition. He'd never had to second-guess about medical decisions knowing they all had the best care available.

But this past week had him thinking more and more about her as a woman wishing she were maybe a few years older. It wasn't that he was elderly but technically speaking, he could be considered middle aged. Wow … that was a factor he didn't even want to consider but he figured Jen had probably contemplated it if she'd even given him a romantic thought at all. Regardless, the man in him enjoyed everything about Dr. Jennifer Keller and the boy in him had a blast the past couple of weeks and was sad to see it draw to a close.

After wasting more time than necessary on his melancholy moments he headed to the dining hall to meet the object of his contemplation as agreed. They were going to play their game after dinner and maybe even finish the jigsaw puzzle if time permitted.

Jennifer entered the mess hall finding herself a bit disappointed at the absence of Colonel Sheppard. She'd come to desire his company more than she wanted. She'd developed such a crush on the handsome military man, captured by his little boy charm and love for anything playful. This was a side of John Sheppard she'd never seen before. He'd already established himself as her hero and protector as he demonstrated toward everyone in the expedition. Atlantis was his city from the beginning and he was extremely possessive doing whatever was needed to keep the city safe as he worked to eliminate the threats in the galaxy.

But many a night lately she'd found herself thinking more about the charming side of the Colonel and wishing they'd shared more than a few meals while trapped together in this unusual situation. She also knew it was unreal to think that this rare specimen of masculinity would ever look at her as anything other than someone to stave off the boredom of forced down time. Even so, if this was her last night of wishing then she planned to make the most of it

Jennifer slowly walked around the serving table scrutinizing the pasta dish they were serving for dinner trying to identify the ingredients. Suddenly she got a great idea for a reward if she won a hand at their game tonight. Deciding she'd take a chance, she placed a scoop of the mystery noodle surprise on her tray just as John quietly walked up behind her and kneed the back of her legs causing her knees to buckle.

"Hey," she yelped catching herself. "Are we back in grade school?" she asked playfully slapping his shoulder.

"Couldn't resist, you looked so deep in concentration," he grinned. "What's that stuff you've piled on your tray?" he asked frowning.

"I'm not sure but I feel sort of adventurous tonight so I'm giving it a try," she chuckled.

"Okay, I don't feel so lucky so I think I'll stick with the pot roast."

"Scardy Cat," she challenged.

"We'll see how you feel about it once you've tried it," he reasoned smirking.

They'd arrived for dinner a bit later than usual finding the dining hall practically empty. The few diners lingering around the tables seemed to be watching the actions of the couple closely. Sheppard led them out onto the balcony with full trays of food and drink finding himself rewarded with having the terrace all to themselves. They ate and joked and shared more intimate details of their lives while eating off each other's plates as if they'd been together for years.

"So Doc, did you break a few hearts before landing in this galaxy?" he asked wondering if anyone was waiting for her back home.

"Oh my … you're too kind," she answered blushing. "I'll admit to having broken a heart once or twice but the heart was always my own. My judgment isn't as good as my diagnostic skills," she frowned sarcastically.

"I find that hard to believe," he stated sincerely.

"I tend to believe all men are sincere and have no hidden agendas," she laughed sarcastically. "After a while it was just easier to throw myself into my work which I love."

"Have you thought of giving it another try?" he asked curiously.

"Colonel, have you seen me with anyone since I've been here … not that you're keeping track of me," she stuttered blushing, realizing how that must have sounded to him. "That probably didn't come out right. What I meant was I'm not exactly what the men on Atlantis are looking for … I think I'm too much of a romantic."

"You're selling yourself short, Doc," he said reaching across the table to swirl another mouthful of her pasta onto his fork. "The men on base are idiots if they aren't knocking on your door," he added.

"What about you Colonel, did you leave anyone back home?" she asked hoping he wasn't pining for someone special waiting patiently for his return. "I pretty much know how things are here on Atlantis what with our efficient gossip network," she giggled.

"Well, don't believe everything you hear. I'm sure it's grossly exaggerated," he grumbled. "But no one is leaving the light on back home. I was married once but didn't do very well keeping it together. The job was always in the way, too many secrets," he explained regretfully.

"I think I understand," she sympathized. "My hours working as a doctor back on Earth made for hard relationships too and dating doctors was awful, they tend to be full of themselves," she said sadly. "I must admit it'd be nice once in a while to unwind and talk with someone at the end of the day."

"Whenever you feel that need, come find me. Maybe we'll have a couple of beers and play our game," he offered smiling.

"Be careful, Colonel, I might take you up on the offer," she warned teasingly.

"I might just surprise you and show up at your door sometime," he said returning her warning.

"Speaking of beer and games, we'd better get at it if we're going to get one more round in before bed," she mentioned collecting their trays and trash.

"Why don't you grab us some dessert and I'll go get the cards and we'll meet back here, it's really nice out here tonight," he suggested.

Jennifer went to the dessert table and picked a piece of chocolate cake and a cherry cobbler to share. She put both desserts in the middle of the table placing a fork on each dish. Shortly John arrived with the deck of cards and they agreed to eat and watch the sun set before they started the game.

"Did you enjoy your vacation?" John asked as they sat with their feet propped on the railing.

"I had a wonderful time with you … thanks for keeping me company," she said shyly.

"It was very enjoyable and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have spent it with," he agreed smiling. "Maybe we should do this again sometime."

"Sounds good to me," she smiled. "I think it might be your deal," Jen said as she handed John the cards.

John quickly dealt and lost the hand immediately to Jennifer who tried her hardest not to gloat.

"I'm feeling a bit guilty for winning the last round so after my reward let's play one more round of whatever you choose," Jen offered.

"Sounds good to me," he agreed liking the idea of spending more time together. "So, what're we going to do?" John asked grinning.

"I use to watch a lot of cooking challenges and there was one I've always wanted to try myself. Let's go in the kitchen and pick out four things and we have to guess what the item is blindfolded by the taste. So I'll pick out four items and you pick out four items and see who has the better taste buds," she explained. "I talked to the cook earlier and he was going to set some little prep bowls out to use in case I won and there should be a large cotton drying towel to use as a blindfold. Are you up for the challenge?" she asked.

"Sounds easy enough," he laughed,

"Yeah, that's what the chefs on the cooking shows say every year," she smirked.

They picked up the dessert dishes making their way back into the mess hall depositing them in the dirty dish tub and continuing into the kitchen. Looking around, Jennifer found the small bowls and blindfold before giving final instructions.

"You go first, find your four items and bring them to our coffee table and I'll go put the blindfold on," Jen instructed.

John quickly looked around the kitchen picking mustard, vanilla pudding, a chunk of radish and a chunk of raw potato. Filling a small serving tray with his bowls he walked out to the coffee table placing his tray on the end closest to Jennifer.

Jennifer had positioned herself on the floor leaning back against the couch with the table to her side. The mess hall was currently empty giving them lots of privacy. She hated the idea of having to explain their game to anyone who might witness their odd behavior.

"Okay, are you ready?" John asked.

"I'm ready," she assured him smiling.

"Here's your first item," John announced as he put a chunk of potato on a spoon and gently held the side of her face touching the spoon to her lips.

"Is it a turnip?" she asked after careful consideration.

"Wrong … I get the first point, it was a raw potato," John said laughing. "This is kind of fun.

"Sure it is when you're winning. Let me try another one." She had a hard time concentrating on the taste when he had his hand on her face. Did he know how distracting and good it felt all at the same time?

Next he fed her the mustard, which she guessed right away and then he tried the radish, which took her quite a while before she labeled it correctly.

It was down to the last of her foods and he fed her several small bites before she wrongly guessed vanilla yogurt.

"Wow, this is a lot harder than it looks," she grumbled letting her competitive side rear it's ugly head.

"Okay, it's my turn to guess. How about we make a small wager … the winner gets to collect the other's dessert for a week," John dared her.

"You're on," Jennifer said accepting the challenge. She handed the Colonel the blindfold as she headed toward the kitchen to find the perfect items to stump his taste buds and give her the win. Jen quickly filled the first bowl with a small chunk of turkey. Rummaging through the cooler she found a container of cheese wiz squeezing a dollop in the next bowl. For her last two bowls she chose the cream out of an Oreo cookie and a peeled grape.

When she arrived back in the lounge area with her tray of goodies she found John sitting on the couch with his blindfold firmly in place. Sitting down next to him she placed the tray of bowls on the coffee table arranging them in the order of presentation.

"Are you ready?" she asked grinning to herself.

"Whenever you are."

Jennifer likewise placed her hand on the side of his face holding him still while she placed a spoonful of cheese whiz in his mouth. John made a sour face and asked for his water bottle before guessing.

"That was nasty but I lived on it in college and swore I'd never touch the stuff again after graduation…it's got to be cheese whiz," he announced wrinkling his nose once again.

"I'm impressed," she marveled. "Here's number two." Jen spooned a small bite of turkey into his mouth and watched him nibble on it for quite a while before guessing chicken. Now the score was one win to two wins her favor with two guesses to go. Jennifer looked at her remaining bowls containing the Oreo cream and the peeled grape trying to determine which one to try next.

John was enjoying the game but finding it a bit hard to concentrate. Feeding each other food proved to be a bit sensual causing his mind to wander in other directions. He needed to get this blindfold off soon before he did something he might be sorry for later. Every time she touched his face he found it hard to breathe let alone keep his mind on the game.

Jen took the peeled grape and fed it to him using her fingers which just about put John over the top. Is she doing this intentionally just to drive me crazy? He rolled the soft nugget around in his mouth and quickly guessed kiwi.

"Wrong, it's a grape and now we're tied. You have to get this last one right for a tie but if you guess wrong then I win and you'll owe me all your sweets for a week. The pressure's on … don't blow it!" she teased.

Jennifer picked up the last bowl then quietly placed it back on the tray. She turned and looked John fully in the face and wondered if she could summon the courage to act on an impulse. Her track record hadn't been the greatest in matters of the heart but she so wanted to take a chance with John. But if she were once again proved wrong it would be hard to carry on as if nothing had happened especially stuck on a floating city in the middle of another galaxy. Oh hell, she thought to herself, time to ante up or get out of the game.

Jennifer put her hand back on the side of his face and leaning in she kissed him softly on the lips taking her time and enjoying the moment completely. As she began to pull back she took an extra moment planting several additional kisses at the corner of his mouth.

"I've always wanted to do that," she whispered in his ear as she sat herself back on the couch beside him.

John ripped off his blindfold and stared at her stunned for the briefest of moments before reaching for her and pulling her onto his lap. "I've been wanting to do this myself lately," he replied as he took hold of her face and pulled her closer to return the kiss with much more urgency and desire.

Jennifer sat straddled across his lap lost in his touch and the sweetness of the moment. Coming up for air she ran her hand through some wild hairs that'd fallen on his forehead before trailing her hands along the side of his face down to the gentle slope of his collar bone. As she prepared to declare their time was up she covered his mouth with one final kiss but John turned the kiss into an experience unlike any she'd had before.

"I'm pretty sure my time's up and it's your turn to pick our next activity," she announced breathlessly, losing the ability to think. "So what are we going to do?" she asked between ceaseless kisses he planted up the side of her neck.

"I think we're about to break rule number three," he declared claiming her lips once again.

The End

Hope you all enjoyed this little bit of fluff. I'm rolling around the idea of a sequel later this year if time allows and inspiration flows.