A/N: This chapter continues with Jennifer still on Earth. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG1 or it's wonderful characters.

Spoilers: Probably Everything SGA & SG1. If you are worried it may be better not to read – sorry.

On the timeline: SG1 Seasons Over, SGA Season 4 – Missing

11 - Mom

Cameron dried another dish and set it in the cupboard. There was something relaxing about doing a domestic task such as this.

“So, this doctor, Jennifer… she’s pretty special to you,” Wendy Mitchell ventured, hoping for a few details… anything. Her son was pretty closed mouth about women and she found it interesting that he’d told them about this one and made reference to their friendship while visiting during dinner.

“You could say that,” he said, striving for nonchalance as he helped his mom finish cleaning up the kitchen. He’d made it home in time for dinner after leaving Jennifer with her father at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. The transport had dropped him at McConnell Air Force Base and it was just a little over a two hour drive from there.

He had enjoyed meeting Jenn’s father and he knew from the looks the other man had given him that Jennifer probably would have had an interesting conversation with her father on the way home. Cam would’ve loved to hear that conversation.

Now he and his mom were visiting in the kitchen while his dad did a few chores outside. Cameron was beginning to wish he’d chosen to help his dad with chores instead.

“Are you two dating?” his mom asked as she washed the last dish and handed it to Cameron to rinse and dry.

“Mom,” Cam whined, not wanting to discuss this with his mom. He knew he was interested in Jennifer, but she had a valid point, and the last twenty-four hours had done nothing but proved her point. They were extremely long distance, so logistically…dating wasn’t possible and the likelihood of seeing each other was remote. They had jobs that put their lives in jeopardy constantly. Waiting for a day when they could feasibly date was not realistic.

“You’re my son, It’s not often I get to visit with you about what’s going on in your life. Besides,” she teased, “it’s not often you talk about a girl. So…” she prompted.

Cam laughed at her, “Don’t be knitting booties or anything. Jennifer and I aren’t dating. It’s not like that. She’s stationed pretty far away from here. I don’t see her very often, only when she comes states-side, like right now.”

“Oh,” Wendy said, giving her son a nod, “I understand. It’s that kind of relationship.” She drew out the word that and her son’s head whipped around to look at her. “Hey, like I said before, grew up in the sixties, I’m not as old fashioned as you think.”

“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with my mother,” he grumbled dragging his hands across his face before sitting down at the kitchen table. “Jenn and I don’t have that type of relationship either.”

Wendy grabbed a cup of coffee for them both and quickly sat down adjacent to her son. The fact he sat down rather than leaving let her know he wanted to talk, even needed to talk.

“Cam, why don’t you tell me about it? What could it hurt?” Wendy said gently, laying a hand on top of his for a moment before taking a drink of her coffee.

Cameron was quiet for a long time and Wendy began to wonder if he was going to open up.

“We met when I was on a mission at the base where she’s stationed. We got to talking the night before my team was scheduled to go home,” he began while quietly staring into his coffee.

Wendy let out the breath she was holding, happy her son was going to confide in her. It had been so long since he’d needed her for anything.

“We found we have similar backgrounds. She’s from Wisconsin, and we both enjoy family and all those other mid-west things like barbeques and inter-tubing.”

She saw a smile slowly form on his lips as he talked and it warmed her heart.

“We talked for hours and hours until we both realized that it was no longer evening and I had to… catch a transport home. Even though we both acknowledged there was a connection we agreed friends was about as far as the relationship could go.”

His face portrayed his sadness at this, but Wendy saw it transform into another small grin and she knew her son and this doctor were more than ‘friends’, despite their agreement.

“Several months later she was on base in Colorado, but I almost missed her. The night before she was scheduled to ship out I made it back from my mission. We again spent the whole night visiting and watching football. The woman is a Packer fan and loves macaroon cookies,” Cam said laughing.

“She sounds perfect, Cam,” his mother agreed, smiling at her son. He was completely taken by this woman and it was fun to see.

“Yeah, she really is,” he smiled in agreement, but Wendy noticed that he seemed to grow sad, lost in his own thoughts again.

Wendy caught, out of the corner of her eye, Frank Mitchell come around the corner and into the kitchen behind Cameron. She gave her husband a slight shake of her head and a nod at their son. She was thankful they’d always been in sync with each other. He gave her a brief nod and pointed to the living room where she knew he’d wait for them. Just before he disappeared from the kitchen he pointed at the pie sitting next to the coffee pot and winked at her before leaving the room… she so loved that man… as well as the one sitting in front of her now.

“She thinks we should find someone, you know… closer to where we are… to date and things. That it wouldn’t be good for us to get involved with each other because of the distance,” he continued after a few moments.

“That’s why you dated Amy,” his mom exclaimed. When Cam looked at her startled she tried to tone it down. “It’s just that I never really understood why you were spending time with her. In my opinion the girl isn’t right for you.”

“It wasn’t a date, Mom. I just wanted to visit with her, kind of catch up with her.” Cameron couldn’t tell his mom about the commotion at the High School Reunion and that he was just making sure Amy was ok. “Amy’s a nice girl, mom. I had this huge crush on her forever in school,” he admitted.

That was the problem she thought – Amy was a girl he met in high school and he probably saw her as that girl still.

“Amy is a nice girl and all, but she doesn’t have the… depth that you need. What you see is what you get, no surprise of character, moment of courage…” Wendy knew she wasn’t explaining this right. “You’ve always enjoyed the challenge that the Air Force gives you… that your job requires of you. I would think that to capture your attention and keep it, the girl would have to offer the same thing.” She let that sink in for a moment. “It sounds like this doctor has that.”

“She sure does,” he said, smirking at memories of the things he knew she’d experienced while being in the Pegasus.

“Cameron, sometimes we meet the right person at the wrong time,” Wendy said wisely. “The tricky part is finding a way to hang in there and not lose that person before the right time finally arrives.”

Cam looked at his Mom and nodded solemnly.

“But sometimes,” she continued, “we meet the right person, but the obstacles make us believe it’s not the right time or person. Cameron, you need to figure out if Jennifer is the right person. Then you need to figure out if it’s the wrong time or if the obstacles just make it easier to think that.”

“She believes we need to keep this platonic because waiting for the right time puts our lives on hold for something that may never materialize. I find it hard not to see the logic in that. Who wants to put their heart in jeopardy by hoping for something unattainable?” Cam asked.

Wendy found that she really wanted to meet this woman. Jennifer seemed to make her son extremely happy as well as confused and sad at the same time.

“When will I get to meet this woman who has my son baring his soul to his mother?” she teased him, hoping to lighten his thoughts. He had dwelled on this enough for one night.

Cam got up from his chair and leaned over to kiss his mother on the head, “Eventually,” he turned and began to stroll from the room. “Don’t you think dad’s waited long enough for his pie?”

Wendy laughed as she went to dish up the pie. Nothing got past her son, she thought shaking her head in amusement. As her thoughts sobered she realized that if this girl was the right one, she would indeed meet her eventually.

As was always the case when working in the Stargate program, nothing went as planned and there were always many fires to put out.

When Jennifer arrived with the transport at McConnell Air Force Base she was ushered off the transport and into a waiting vehicle that took her to a briefing room on the base. As she entered the room she saw Cam and smiled as she made her way toward him.

Jennifer had talked with Cam last night making arrangements for time and place of the transport back to the SGC. They’d also made plans to spend her remaining time together and she’d been looking forward to it since. Seeing him now just made her anxious for them to get back to the SGC.

“Dr. Keller, I’m Colonel Anderson,” said a distinguished man stepping next to Cameron as she arrived at his side. “Sorry to pull you from the transport but there’s been a slight change of plans.” An airman hurried to her side and handed her bag to her. “I have been informed that instead of riding the transport to Peterson, the Apollo will be beaming you up moment…”

The Colonel didn’t get to finish his statement before Jennifer found herself standing in the control room of the Apollo.

“Colonel Mitchell.”

“Colonel Ellis,” Cam nodded at the man.

Ellis turned toward Jennifer. “Nice to see you again, Dr. Keller” he greeted.

“You too, Colonel Ellis.”

Colonel Ellis tapped the communications button on his console, “Stargate Command standby for transport of Colonel Mitchell and Dr. Keller.”

Before Jennifer could blink they were in the Gateroom at the SGC.

“Welcome back to the SGC, Dr. Keller,” General Landry called down from the control room. “I have been assured that a room has been set up for you to use for the night. I was asked to tell you it is the same quarters that were at your disposal during your last visit. Your departure time will be 0600. Colonel Carter has assured me there’ll be someone waiting for you at the Midway station to wait out the twenty-four hours with you.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied smiling thankfully up at the General.

“Colonel Mitchell,” Landry began again, “Get changed and suited up, you’re leading a search and rescue mission, briefing in ten.”

“Yes, sir,” Cam responded before ushering Jennifer from the room.

“Will you come with me while I get ready?” he asked her as they moved down the hall.

“Yes, of course,” she said keeping up with him as he moved quickly towards his quarters.

Cameron was barely in the door of his quarters before his tennis shoes were off and his t-shirt was over his head. Jennifer was unprepared for the sight of Cameron sans shirt as she watched him grab his field bdu’s and head toward his bathroom. Once he was out of sight she found herself holding her breath and quickly expelled it, mentally slapping herself for getting so mesmerized by the sight of dog tags hanging against a muscled chest.

“This is not how I pictured today going at all,” he called out through the partially opened door in exasperation.

“You pictured today?” she teased back, as he walked out of the bathroom and made his way quickly to his bed, sitting down. This time to keep from embarrassing herself, she busied herself looking around his room and feigning interest in his décor, which was actually non-existant.

He pulled his black t-shirt over his head before looking quickly up at her. He was so glad to hear life in her voice again. He stood up and pulled her closer to him so she was directly in front of him. He took her chin in his hand, angling her head to the side as he looked at her lip, and the fading bruises on her face.

This was his first real look at her since he left her with her father a week ago. His eyes slid up and met hers, causing him to smirk at the merriment in her eyes. She held out her wrists for his inspection, not able to keep the answering smirk from her face.

“Do you want to see my teeth too?” she asked as she playfully pushed against his chest causing him to sit back on the bed again. This protective, caring side of him had her heart doing flips in her chest.

He laughed as he quickly put socks on while pointing to the boots over by his closet.

Understanding his silent request she grabbed his boots and brought them to his side.

“What did you have planned for tonight?” she asked while watching him lace up the boots.

“Nothing fancy, just hanging out. Maybe watch some movies… some Chinese take-out… just spending time together,” he replied while finishing with his boots.

“Extra fortune cookies?” she asked smirking, knowing she was flirting with danger, but unable to stop herself.

His eyes slid to her’s and he arched his brow smirking back at her. “Don’t think we’d need extras, sweetheart,” he drawled.

“I have been practicing with the ones you sent me,” she shot back, laughing at him.

His hand snaked out and pulled her laughing down to his lap. “Do you have any left?”

“A few…” she hedged, waiting… knowing that he would kiss her was so unsettling. The thrill of it was messing with her breathing.

“You should email me the results of a couple,” he suggested, grinning at her.

“I don’t think so,” she returned, trying to use a disapproving voice. “What if it’s like birthday candles and wishes?”

She watched a serious look come over his face and the anticipation had her holding her breath.

“If you tell me what each fortune says, I’ll make it come true.” He reached out his hand and ran a finger over what remained of the split in her lip before leaning in and replacing his finger with his lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on, emotions overwhelming her senses. She hated goodbyes… hated to see him go, knowing he’d be in harms way. Most of all, she didn’t want to step through the Stargate in the morning, not knowing when she’d see him again. When he gently pulled at her bottom lip with his, a moan escaped her throat.

Cameron’s chest tightened at the sound of her moan and he pulled back to take a breath.

“Cameron,” she said in a breathless warning.

“I know, I know,” he captured her lips for a moment in a hard kiss. “I have to go.”

Jennifer leaned in and kissed the side of his lips before laying a soft kiss against his temple. “Please be careful out there.”

“Always,” he replied without opening his eyes as he tried to breathe deeply and gain some control.

Jenn fidgeted with his dog tags chain at the back of his neck, willing the tears not to fall, a slight tremor in her lips.

Cameron laid his finger against her lip, again tracing the ghost of the split still there, “You be careful out there too.”

She gave him a slight nod, not trusting her voice.

“You’re going to be the death of me, woman. First Atlantis gets lost on it’s way to it’s new home. Then you get yourself captured by a gang of barbaric Kiss wannabe’s.” He smiled at her. “Maybe you should stay in the infirmary.”

“Be careful, Mitchell,” she warned with a smirk, “next you’re going to say a woman’s place is in the kitchen.”

“I’ve know a lot of very strong, military women, scientists and doctors in my day, enough to know that it’s a good thing they’re not all in the kitchen still.” He stood up and set her on her feet. “I just care about one of them staying safe.” He tilted her chin back up and kissed her softly. “I’m counting on seeing you again.”

“Me too,” she agreed softly.

“Now you , darlin’, are going to make this soldier late,” he grumbled as he grabbed his jacket and gear and moved toward the door with her.

When they reached his door he turned toward her. “You can stay in here as long as you like.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss. “Bye, Jenn.”

“Bye, Cam.”