Team Sheppard

Fic: Proposition+Espousal (A Reposting for the Isis Awards)

2008-10-20T14:22:45Z

(consolidated and x-posted from age)

Title: Proposition+Espousal
Fandom: SGA
Characters/Pairings: Sheppard/Teyla
Word Count: 4,320
Rating: PG-13 (one itty bitty swear word)
Summary: With the return of the Athosians comes a deeper grief for one of Sheppard's team, and after lots (and lots!) of reflection, he decides to do something about it.
Author's Notes: Jag wrote me a John-proposes-to-Inara fic and demanded I do the same. Or Teyla. She said it could be Teyla. Bastard Lt.-Colonel got me out of bed early in the morning just to write down one damned line (THE line), and then 3 hours later we had the fic to go with it. I've also been randomly making up Athosian courtship rites as a matter of course for Sheppard and Inara (don't ask) so it's only fitting that I attempt to make up something....wedding-y. Oh-so not canon, and if any of my speculation ends up being even remotely close I will be....something. Speechless, maybe. You never know with this show. Or with Athosians. ~~Or with Sheppard, for that matter.~~

Written to cross off #21 of our Big Damn SGA List.

Warning: Spoilers for SGA 04x04 (Doppelganger) through SGA 04x07 (Missing), SGA 04x10 and 04x11 (This Mortal Coil and BAMSR), along with the assumption of when and how the particular story-arc that began in "Missing" actually ends. Because I can. And I did. :p

Takes place sometime after 04x11 (Be All My Sins Remember'd)

----------

There were very few things in life that could erase jealousy. Time was the main one, but John knew that not nearly enough of it had passed to have that sort of effect on him. Seeing the one you cared about happy with the one that caused the jealousy was the other, but some odd twist of fate had ensured that the Lieutenant-Colonel would never get the chance to see that sight, that he'd never meet the man who had captured his teammate's heart. He supposed it was ironic, in a way, but mostly he supposed it was just business as usual in Pegasus. It was as if even this small scrap of joy was too much for it to handle at the moment, and the added exuberance at finding the Athosians safe and whole was the limit and anything else would be exceeding the Lanteans' expectations for life. Because yes, the Athosians had been found, and safely, too. But the word "whole" was a mockery to at least one Athosian, and she had spent many days curled around a pillow, lost in extraordinary grief.

John could never erase the image of Teyla's smile faltering and then failing as Halling had approached her, the only words from the exchange etched in his memory being "Teyla, I'm so very sorry" and "Kanaan was among them." He could still feel the warmth of her tears on his uniform as she had clutched the nearest body to keep from collapsing on the spot. Of course, John had been the one at her side the instant he saw her falter, and for once he had wrapped his arms around her without awkwardness. He had noted, idly, that whenever something occurred and Teyla needed someone to latch on to, she had always gone to him. When Heightmeyer had died, she had come to him, regardless of the fact that it was indirectly his fault that the psychologist was dead. When her people had gone missing, she had saved her most impassioned missives for him, as if he alone held the power to carry her to them so they could be rescued.

It was like he had become her hero, and ever since the day they had met - nearly four and a half years ago, now - she had worn an invisible "John Sheppard Fan Club" button on her shirt. Even when he was being the biggest ass in the universe, she would always smile at him in that fondly exasperated way after telling him very politely to fuck off and mind his own business. It was always a no harm, no foul deal with her, and he supposed that was one of the things he loved about her. They fought like the scrappiest pups in the litter, which amused everyone - especially Ronon - to no end, but it all boiled down to mutual respect and affection.

He felt like an ass now, for being jealous when she had finally told him of the pregnancy and that she had been seeing someone. Of course she had never told him about the relationship. Who the hell was he, that he had every right to her private life? Hell, he should be one to talk, when one considered the innumerable skeletons in his own closet. He knew something about intensely private information and now...now he could hardly fault her for keeping the relationship a secret. In light of the fact that he had just found out how new the whole thing had been for her and Kanaan, he would have expected nothing less. Hell, it had taken him six months to tell his own brother about the girlfriend who would eventually become his wife all those years ago.

Of course, in true John Sheppard fashion, it had taken him the two months since the Athosian's return to figure all this out, which now left him propped up in bed during an all-too-infrequent down-time, clothing crumpled from sitting so long, and Johnny Cash singing through round number three of the playlist on his laptop. He had seen a lot of Teyla during the waking hours of the last several weeks, holding her hand through her visits with Jennifer in the infirmary, making her smile as he made a big deal of feeling the first kicks from her belly. Ronon took over when John was needed elsewhere, and together they mitigated Rodney's crass personality, dragging him out of the room when either sensed he might say something unfortunate. Both John and Ronon pretended it was for Rodney's safety and that, pregnant or not, Teyla would kick his ass if the astrophysicist stepped out of line, but really they knew it was to protect Teyla and her fragile feelings. Hormones wreaked havoc with most women, but when added to the grief of losing the father of the child...yep, that right there would ensure that no Wraith would be left living once Teyla had that baby, and John planned to be beside her the whole time.

Tthat realization had him blinking. A comment made by Ronon nearly a year previous began bouncing around his head. (...It was funny how they never got a chance to finish that conversation.) He took a moment to really think about it now. How the hell would he even go about asking her such a thing? He figured the Athosians had some sort of cultural way of popping the question, but really that wasn't the point. Would he really be doing him or Teyla any favours with this? The last time he had tried, it didn't work too well, and could he really do that to Teyla? Or perhaps the problem with his previous marriage wasn't that he wasn't good at it? Maybe there was something else that he didn't quite pick up on? Either way, was his mind tripping down this line of thinking because he felt he somehow maybe owed it to Teyla? Or was this some whacked-out sense of duty to her and her unborn child that the military part of his mind was projecting?

Maybe it's just the fact that you have yet to really admit to yourself that you love her, you idiot, and that in spite of everything that's happened, you still want to take care of her and don't care that the kid's not yours. Okay, now he was really sitting up and blinking. Kid's gotta have a father, right? So it doesn't grow up with some sort of psychological complex? ...Then again, she has a village of male role-models that are possibly a lot more qualified than I am.

How his thoughts were getting so out of hand, he didn't know. That he was even contemplating...

He scrambled off the bed and headed to Teyla's room. One part of him hoped she was napping and wouldn't answer, another part hoped she wasn't napping because he didn't want to wake her if she was, and still another hoped she'd answer. He could question the sanity of this idea later, once Teyla had laughed at him and he had sufficient time to feel like an idiot. They'd move past this with grace and aplomb like they did that kiss way back when and nothing would change between them. (Except, then, everything would change between them, but he wouldn't let himself think of that just yet, either.)

He wrung his hands gently as he waited for an answer to the door chime, and he began to seriously question his state of mind as the seconds dragged on. Just as he was coming to the conclusion that yes, Teyla was napping and no, she wasn't getting up to answer, he turned on his heel to run back to the safety of other people. He got two steps away from her door, two steps towards the freedom of the mess hall, when the door slid open with a gentle hiss of hydraulics. The curious sounding "John?" had him stopping and turning back to take in the puffy eyes and the red and watery gaze of his dearest and best friend.

"Teyla, I...are you okay?" he asked, closing the distance between them and reaching out to her. Relief coursed through him when she didn't pull away.

"I'm fine," she lied, leaning into his touch. He smiled ruefully, letting her have that one tiny lie. Of course she wasn't fine. How could she be when she was reminded every day of the man she had loved by the gentle swell of her belly?

"Is this a bad time?" She shook her head and invited him inside silently. Of course, now that he was here, he had no idea what he was doing. Moron, you had no idea what you were doing before you got here. "Listen, I was thinking, and...and I don't think it's really fair that you have to go through all this alone."

She gave him the look she always gave him when she thought he was being nutty. "But I am not alone, John. I have my people, and I have you and Rodney and Ronon..."

He waved a dismissive hand, cutting her off. "That's not what I mean. What I mean is...hell, I don't know what I mean, but the thing is you and Kanaan would have eventually been married, and now you won't and that's just...not fair."

She smiled ruefully. "It is life. And life goes on. I cannot change what happened, though I wish with all my being that I could..."

"Neither can I, as much as I'd like to," he said as she trailed off. "Listen, what I'm trying to say is, I don't know how the Athosians do this sort of thing, but on Earth we have a custom that involves knees and rings and, well...I suppose what I'm ultimately getting at is that I'd be honoured if you would, um...you know..." it was his turn to trail off, and again with a weak wave of his hand, denoting that she should be able to inference the rest of the sentence from the conversation as a whole.

It took her several seconds to ponder his words when the meaning of them became clear. Her expression turned bemused and a little awestruck. "You would do such a thing? For me?" She took a step towards him.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair, noting with slight horror that he was a little shaky. "I...yeah. Yeah, I would." He shrugged as casually as he could, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels as his head dipped shyly. "I mean, I care about you. And not just because I have to, being a part of my team, and all. I just think it would be nice to know that you'll have someone to take care of you."

Her smile widened. It had to be the most off-handed and round-about proposal that she had ever heard. And somehow, coming from John Sheppard, she expected no less. She snorted softly in amusement, and he looked up at her with his hopeful-sixteen-year-old expression.

She closed the distance and slid her arms around his waist and hugged him tight, resting her cheek against his chest and soaking in the warmth of his body as his arms wrapped around her, awkward as ever. They would have to work on that, she thought with a grin. She tilted her head up to look at him, catching his eye. With a happy sigh, she settled back into the embrace.

"I would have no other father for my child," she said finally, giving him a gentle squeeze. "I accept your proposal."

She managed to contain her giggle as she felt his shoulders slump a little in relief and his hold on her became a little less awkward. He dropped a kiss on the crown of her head before sighing.

Yeah, that hadn't gone too badly. Now they just had to tell everyone else...

---

It had started off as a recon mission, a quick jaunt to verify the conflicting rumours of Wraith and Replicator activity. One source said Replicators, another said Wraith, and yet another said both. Atlantis eliminated the Replicators option, since they were now able to track them - with help from the Replicators themselves, no less - and there was no indication of any of the Aurora-class ships near the planet. John Sheppard knew that going on assumptions was the worst thing one could do in a situation like this, but he had no over-ruling gut-instinct on the subject and that worried him.

When the first team had called in for reinforcements so they could appropriate the abandoned camp, two more teams were sent with supplies and other assorted gear so the area could be surveyed properly. Everything had pointed to a serendipitous discovery of a possible beta-site on a world looted and picked clean by the Wraith. The location was prime, a world off the beaten path, as it were, as well as a place in which provisions could be naturally supplied in abundance for the length of time it would take a society to set down roots and rebuild or find better lodgings elsewhere.

John knew it was too good to be true, as did everyone else on the expedition, and it was with bated breath that they waited for the other shoe to drop. When nothing was forthcoming after several days, and those days turned into a week, everyone's heightened sense of doom began to abate ever so slightly. If they could make it from a week to two, they could convert the site into a slightly more substantial camp, and if two morphed into three...well, after three weeks they'd be golden and the newly dubbed beta-site would go operational. But they needed to get past one, first, and the senior officers of Atlantis stalked the control tower restlessly, waiting for reports to come in. It was telling, how much this meant to the expedition, when John's team stopped going on missions so they could be on-hand when the call came through.

When he wasn't on duty, John spent his time with Teyla, as they made preparations for their impending nuptials. While the idea of getting married again terrified him, he knew this time would be different; he and Teyla had worked and played together for a long time, and nothing would be changing between them, really. They would merely be bound in a different way; a way that would allow them to bring comfort and companionship to the other in a way that was wholly complicated outside of the bounds of marriage.

The reaction of their friends had been a mixture between shock and good-natured teasing, but in the end they had all agreed that a better union could not be made. The Athosians had expressed their gratitude and support in ways too numerous to count, and it ensured that John and Teyla's wedding would be done to Athosian standards. John, strangely enough, had no issues with that. He was never one for traditional Earth ceremonies, anyway, as he found them trite and empty. At least the traditions of the Athosians felt alive and sacred, simply because the ceremonies were living and breathing entities, steeped in beliefs handed down from generation to generation. In a galaxy where life was precious, and nothing was taken for granted, the little things that celebrated being alive and together became all the more beloved and priceless.

The call everyone had been waiting for came half-way through week two, while John and Teyla had been reviewing the particulars of the ceremony they were going to be following. After pressing a kiss to Teyla's temple and dropping a kiss on her belly for baby, he had headed down to the Control Room, where he came face-to-face with an impending crisis. The strike-force holding the camp was under attack by the Wraith, as was evidenced by the incoming fire dissipating on the raised shield. The reporting officer was abruptly cut off as the 'gate disengaged, and Carter began barking out orders. John geared up and led another three teams of Marines to extract their people. It was easily one of the worst battlegrounds John had ever stepped foot on, and he had been in-theatre in some pretty nasty ones in his lifetime.

It had started off as a recon mission. It was now a botched extraction and med-evac, which was quickly turning into a desperate fight for survival against an overwhelming force. John pushed all thoughts of Teyla and how he was going to fail extravagantly in his promise to take care of her if this went even further down the tubes, as it was threatening to. The rest of week two and the first days of week three were spent in trying to stay alive. No more reinforcements were coming from Atlantis, on John's orders; he didn't want to risk any more personnel, not when it was all the lot of them could do to keep hidden so they could rest. A quick raid of the Wraith guards at the 'Gate allowed a care package of rations and ammo to come through, and that went a long way to getting the entire group home.

One week of fighting and it was all over. John and his men were able to overcome enough Wraith to dial out and get everyone to safety.

They had lost two full Stargate teams and half-a-score of marines.

Teyla had clung to John tightly for a very long time. They moved into their new joint-quarters that very night, both afraid to sleep alone again. Everyone had thought that the wedding would be postponed, to let time pass after the tragedy, but John and Teyla had become dertermined. No more would the galaxy dictate when and how they celebrated or mourned. Life would go on and so would the wedding. John and Carter discussed the best way of approaching the situation, and with Teyla and Halling's help, they began the necessary preparations.

***

The day John and Teyla had originally set for the wedding ceremony dawned brightly, yet those in Atlantis wouldn't know it. All the windows had been covered with heavy cloths, and the lights had been dimmed. Thousands upon thousands of candles provided illumination for those gathered upon the stairs leading up from the embarkation floor, and for a brief moment, John wondered where they had all come from and how the Athosians had managed to accumulate them all in time for the memorial.

Carter and Halling stood before the group, the caskets for the fallen soldiers arrayed behind them. Around the caskets were the stones and bier of the Athosian Ring Ceremony. Though the Ceremony was used for those who had passed on naturally, it had been decided that the unity between the two groups of humans displayed by the symbolism of the elements joined with the Earth-style caskets was of greater importance. The eulogy had been divided between Carter and Halling, and once the words had been spoken, Teyla - resplendent in the gown she wore for the Ring Ceremony - stepped forward and sang, her voice washing over the mourners and bathing the walls of Atlantis with the hauntingly beautiful sound. The 'Gate was dialled so that the engaging wormhole coincided with the final notes of the song, punctuating the hall and the reverberating lyrics with its familiar kawhoosh, and all the candles went out, leaving them all in darkness save for the light from the 'Gate.

With that, those who had volunteered to carry their fallen friends and comrades back to Earth surrounded the caskets. John felt Teyla's hand slide into his and squeeze tight as he watched the procession disappear into the shimmering pool of iridescence. They were plunged into darkness as the wormhole disengaged, and John wrapped his arm around Teyla and held her close.

At sunset, just as the sun began to touch the horizon, the expedition gathered on one of the piers, each one holding an unlit candle. They formed a corridor along the pier's arm, the line unbroken around the curve of the platform. The entire line was four people deep. The Athosian elders stood in the center of the platform, with Halling once more presiding. John and Teyla walked the corridor of people together, he in his dress blues and she in her wedding gown of silk and gossamer. They did not touch as they walked, no hand-holding or arms hooked around each other. As they passed, the candles were lit, leaving a trail of fire behind them. They stopped in front of Halling and the elders just as the horizon cut the sun in half.

"On this day of mourning, we celebrate the continuation of life," Halling began, once the flames had met in the middle of the line, behind him. "As the flame thrives from the unity of wick and wax, so to do our lives thrive from the unity of family and friends. Separation cannot douse the flame, nor can death douse hope, so long as there are those to pass on the torch. As we have said goodbye to those that were dear to us, we now pass on the light of their contributions to our society in the union of these two people." He spread his arms to indicate John and Teyla. After a moment, he turned his attention from the crowd to the bride and groom.

"Teyla Emmagan, daughter of Tagan," Halling began. The two old friends exchanged a tiny smile. "You have come through hardships many of us cannot imagine. You have been a wise leader of our people and have done much to keep our ways and our lives intact. You have proven yourself time and again to be a true friend and courageous warrior."

Halling turned to John. "Lieutenant-Colonel John Sheppard, from Earth. A leader in your own right, and the means through which the alliance of our two peoples was forged. While your acts of heroism during your service on this expedition cannot be shared among the people of your world, they are widely spread amongst the stars of the Pegasus Galaxy, and my people sing your praises the loudest. You have proven yourself trustworthy and as a loyal friend to the Athosian people."

A moment of silence followed as the words settled, and Halling regarded them with a sad smile playing over his lips. "You have both loved and lost, as have we all, in this conflict and elsewhere. Today, you have chosen to put that behind you and rekindle the dying flames within your beings. Today you have chosen life and together you shall forge new strengths, discover new paths, and bring our people together in way that mere alliances can never achieve." Halling reached out and placed Teyla's hand in John's, the pair turned to face each other.

John gave Teyla an encouraging smile, which widened as her cheeks flushed and she dropped her gaze shyly. Looking up at him, her eyes finding his and gazing deeply, Teyla spoke, her voice clear in the evening air. "Since the day we met, John Sheppard, you have always supported me in all things. You have gone above and beyond and broken the barriers of mistrust where others would have chosen ignorance and deceit. You have been a solid foundation when I have found myself on the verge of sinking into the mires of despair; you have been a source of joy during times of sorrow, a pillar of strength during times of weakness, and above all, you have been my greatest friend." Teyla paused to collect herself, and John gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "And now, in what I thought to be my most desperate hour, you have once more shown the depth of your love and care for me, and I am honoured to call you my own."

It was John's turn to drop his gaze shyly, before recapturing hers. "When I first saw you, Teyla Emmagan, I was struck by your beauty and strength. You have always been steady in your convictions, even when faced with the difficult choices needed to be made by you and your people. Your dedication to them and the sacrifices you have made speak of a deeper understanding of faith, that I'm sure a lot of folks back home would be envious of. You have shown me a side of life that I had never known to exist before; you, in your passions and through your caring, have shown me what it means to live, and for that I will always be grateful. You are, and have always been, my best friend and my greatest love. Even when the military conventions of my people forbade me to say anything, I carried the flame of that love in my heart like a beacon. You are my guiding star, and you've helped me navigate through territory I never thought I'd pass through ever again. With your love and care for me, I know that we can be that guiding light, as we stand together to usher in a new and better world for those that come after us, and for that I am honoured to call you my own."

Halling smiled and nodded in approval and mild surprise at John's words. "With this promise, you are both pledged to uphold the sacred laws of matrimony, until the day you depart from this life. And we, your friends and family, will hold you accountable to your vows for all time."

With those words, Halling stepped back, and John pulled Teyla close. The newly-weds regarded each other for several moments before John leaned down to whisper softly, "I love you, Teyla."

The Athosian woman smiled, bemused, and raised a hand to cup his cheek. "I love you, too, John," she whispered, then leaned up to seal the proclamation with a kiss.

Resolutions

2008-10-10T15:35:58Z

He had spent the day shopping for the souvenirs on Inara's list. He didn't do too badly, if he said so himself. With the day's mission a success he decided to head back to the Bellagio.

He hadn't been there since the first night, wary of the woman from the blackjack table, but since he hadn't seen hide nor hair of his would-be stalker for the last week or so he figured it would be safe. Besides, none of the other casinos felt right. He suspected their lack of reference to Atlantis, though Caesar's Palace ran a very close second and Mandalay Bay came awfully close to third. There was a level of class that the Bellagio carried and the others didn't quite achieve. He was sure Heightmeyer would tell him it was because he had latched onto the Bellagio with a tenacity befitting a drowning man and his life-raft. Whatever. He wasn't here to be psychoanalyzed by imaginary shrinks.

John walked the gaming floor, observing the excitement - and desperation - that came with winning and losing gobs of money. The bustle of the patrons and the hum of conversations was nearly enough to trick him into thinking it was the main lunch hour on Atlantis and his colleagues were gathered for a short social respite from their duties. He liked it here, but it was almost time for him to go home. He was certain that he'd managed to reconnect with his birth-planet enough to realize that, while he did originate on Earth, his place was on Atlantis and he'd best not do anything more to put her at risk.

John shoved his hands into his pockets and discovered a stray quarter. He paused near an empty slot machine and dropped the coin in, smiling softly as the machine burped that he was a loser. Fair enough. Now he could honestly say he had lost all his money in Vegas and no one would have to know that it was merely what he had brought with him and not his life's savings.

With a final look around, John stored away the sights and sounds in his memory for the times when he was on the verge of doing something stupid; the remembrance would serve to remind him what he was truly putting at risk while instilling within him a sense of protectiveness that he seemed to have lost somewhere along the way. He suspected that damned Cafe with its rules on threats and violence. Yep, he wouldn't be spending too much time there anymore, you could be sure of that.

A scant hour later and he was heading for the exit, a light spring threatening to enter his step due to things being back in alignment for him. His instinct warned him a fraction too late for him to act, as someone grabbed his arm and dragged him down a random hallway. They didn't go very far before he was slammed up against the wall and his lips were assaulted with a rough kiss. He groped blindly, trying to catch hold of his assailant and push them away. As his eyes refocused, he caught the smirking visage of...

"You can call me Trisha, Major Flyboy," the woman whispered seductively.

"Why would I do that?" John said in disgust.

Trisha shrugged her hand dropping to the waistband of his jeans. "I just figured you'd like to know what name to scream when I finish-"

"Hold on there," he said, cutting her off. His fingers closed around her wrist and pulled her hand away from his zipper. His other hand grasped her shoulder and he spun her around, swapping their positions.

"Now that's the spirit," she purred, eyes fluttering shut as she tried to capture him for another kiss.

John held her against the wall at arm's length. "No, no it's not." His couldn't help his irritation from seeping into his voice. "I have no interest in sleeping with you. Hell, I have no interest in you, period."

Trisha pouted, though John doubted her sincerity. "But I want you, Flyboy..."

"That's just too bad for you. Now leave me alone and get the hell out of here," he pushed himself away and gave her a stern, no-nonsense look. She seemed to consider continuing her seduction for a moment, but whatever thoughts had been playing over her face resolved into anger and a small modicum of shame as she hastily drew herself together with indignation.

"Fine. Your loss, Flyboy, not mine," she ground out. She gave him a final, wistful, once-over before huffing and turning on her heel. John found himself once more staring at her retreating form as she melted back into the crowd.

"Whatever excuse helps you move on, sweetheart," he muttered. What crack-pot. Heaving a sigh, he said a silent prayer for the next poor sap she caught in her sights. Making sure his own clothing was put together and pausing by a drinking fountain to wash off whatever lipstick she may have tagged him with, John shook his head and headed back to his hotel to pack.

Atlantis was waiting.

Letters

2008-09-06T19:08:48Z

TO>UNITED STATES AIR FORCE>PETERSON>GENERAL LANDRY, HANK>FYO
FROM>UNITED STATES OF AMERICA>LAS VEGAS, NEVADA>LIEUTENANT-COLONEL SHEPPARD, JOHN

RE: MISSIONS REPORTS

Please find enclosed my reports for the next transmission to Pegasus.

John Sheppard, Lt.-Colonel.
USAF

(enc)

Elizabeth,

Figured I should let you know that your suggestion of taking some time off is actually paying off. Shocker, I know. We'll talk soon.

Take care,
John

Inara,

There are things I'd like to say, but I know the military's going to be reading this so suffice to say that I wish you were here. Maybe next time? Hopefully you have that list for me; if you do, then Elizabeth's probably already sent it in the data-burst and I'll be getting it shortly.

I miss you.

All my love,
John.

Thinking...

2008-09-06T18:54:33Z

Shortly after this.

John sat at the bar, a glass of un-touched whiskey rotating between his fingers absently as thoughts of Atlantis and how everyone was getting along without him filled his mind. It had taken him another forty-five minutes to kill the rest of his chips, as he kept the trend of making more then he could spend. In all, he was sure he ended up losing a lot more than that original hundred he had changed at the blackjack table.

He barely noticed when someone sat beside him and placed an order with the bartender, though the movements he could see out of the corner of his eye tipped him off to his impromptu companion. He was feeling unsociable, though, so he kept his attention on his drink and let the other person have their privacy.

"If I didn’t know any better," the voice of the woman from the blackjack table said, finally breaking the silence, "I’d think you lost on purpose."

John closed his eyes briefly and heaved a mental sigh. He shrugged lightly, still not giving in to the obvious demand that he look at her. "I woulda lost that hand either way."

"Yes, but staying on a seventeen would have left you some dignity." The smile in her words was palpable.

John dropped his head slightly in morbid amusement. "Couldn’t let Tex go down in flames all by his lonesome."

"A decision meant to assuage some residual guilt stemming from that 'never leave a man behind' flyboy idiom, or a genuine desire to debase yourself to the level of an over-paid rich-boy with nothing better to do with his money than gamble?"

John blinked, and finally gifted her with an irritated look. "Neither, actually," he replied in clipped tones. He downed his drink in one shot and moved to leave.

"Which means I’m right on both counts," she casually tossed over her shoulder with a triumphant smirk.

John hesitated for a split, a dozen responses each vying for the privilege of being uttered, before deciding to hold his tongue and continue on. Getting into a verbal sparring match with this woman wouldn’t be worth it.

He wandered around the casino in a seemingly random pattern, moving closer to the exit with each turn and switchback. How close to the mark had she hit, he wondered. Was this another one of those things that he needed to ponder while on this vacation? Were his decisions so cut-and-dry in being easily labelled, or was something more complex at work here? God, he didn’t know.

What he did know was that he had made a few too many snap decisions. This trip wasn’t meant as a form of repentance, he knew. Perhaps what he really ought to do was examine the items in question and go from there.

So, point of contention number one: Giving a virtual stranger not only the ‘Gate address to Atlantis and admitting that it still existed, but giving them the means to bypass security and infiltrate the base, leaving everyone unprotected and unaware of the real danger.

John admitted that he had been a little intoxicated by a pretty face in this, and his gut feelings about women in general had always been a little wonky. Hell, he’d be the first to admit that he tended to overlook the dangers that lurked behind a pretty visage. He was a guy, after all, and his natural reaction to a sexy woman was pretty much programmed into him from conception. But he was usually a lot more cautious when dealing with alien women.

He scrubbed hand over his face, recalling Chaya, recalling Mara. Both were perfect examples of both sides of the coin. One relationship was almost beneficial, before they found out the truth, and the other had almost been a disaster, and not just for him. Hell, it’s wasn’t even just his team that almost got into a bunch of trouble, he had Carson in on that one.

Then there was Teer. Possibly the healthiest relationship with the opposite sex he had ever had in his life – not including what passed as a relationship with Teyla and Elizabeth – and that wasn’t saying much. But the thing with Teer wasn’t exactly security breeching. It was babysitting and playing therapist for a bunch of Ascended wannabes.

So what, exactly, made Inara different. What made Mia different, for that matter?

Inara...Inara was an enigma. The fact that they had met in a place that was suspended from the normal laws of right and wrong allowed him to shut off that part of him that would have kept a respectable distance and would have turned flirtation into a defence mechanism, as it always did. Would she had been so taken with him had they met in the real world, where he was Lieutenant-Colonel John Sheppard, United States Airforce and Military Commander of Atlantis Base? He didn’t know. He didn’t think Inara had truly seen him in that light, even now.

Mia invoked something inside him that he had never felt before. Well, not in this particular way, at any rate. He recognized the Big Brother Complex that had manifested when they had stepped out of the Jumper and had taken in the situation. He had no idea how old Mia was, but it didn’t matter. She was injured, partly because of him, and defenceless and – the fact that those guys were bounty hunters aside – in real trouble. He had painted her as a kid-sister who had landed herself into a heap of trouble and now needed her older brother to bail her out.

John shook his head. He had no idea where that had come from, but at least he was honest to himself in naming his feelings. Was it enough to justify his actions to Elizabeth? No, probably not.

And this brought him to point of contention number two: bringing back not just one, but four virtual strangers to Atlantis without consulting Elizabeth. When the hell did he, John Sheppard, start doing that? He sighed heavily. What he should have done, he realized, was send in a call to Atlantis asking for a Marine backup and Carson’s presence. He should have established a camp and kept them all subdued in some way, shape or form. He should have questioned Mia and the others on the planet.

Then, and only then, should he have made a decision. God, he had screwed up.

John looked up and blinked, his thoughts halting for the moment. There was that woman again, leaning against a pillar as if she were waiting for him. The smile as she pushed off and blocked his way confirmed that suspicion. He stepped around her, but she spun around him in a way that left him with the pillar a few feet behind him and his exit vector blocked.

He frowned. "Are you stalking me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you intrigue me, flyboy." Her lips turned up in a tiny smile.

"Please stop calling me that," he...not exactly asked, so much as demanded with as much politeness his annoyance could muster.

She stepped closer, entering his personal space. "I don’t have anything else to call you," she said coyly, managing what John figured was her impression of a sexy pout.

"Yeah, I’d prefer to keep it that way," he replied, putting distance between them.

"Oh, c’mon," she insisted. "You’re no fun. Tell me your rank, then."

He raised a brow. "What, so you can figure out whether or not you should salute me?" A thought occurred to him. "And how can you be sure I’m still a current member of the flyboy elite? I could just be making it up, you know."

"Mmm, I’d thought of that. You don’t strike me as the pretending kind. C’mon, tell me what your rank is," she said, dropping her voice and stepping closer again.

"Fine," he replied, holding his hands up in submission. "I’m a Major."

"Was that so hard?" She grinned, placing her hands on his shoulders, laughing as he removed them and stepped away. "Alright, Major. Have it your way. I’ll get you, eventually. I always do."

"Yeah, good luck with that," he muttered as she walked away. He stood staring at the spot where she had disappeared into the crowd for a long moment before turning and heading for the exit.

To Be Continued...

Blowing Cash.

2008-09-03T02:45:13Z

Some time after this

"...Dealer's a bust," came the call, and John found himself with a handful more chips. He'd chosen a random Black Jack table, changed his cash and began to play. He was having a hard time losing that hundred bucks. Oh well, it wasn't his fault the cards were being dealt in his favour. He flashed a grin at the other two players at the table, an elder gentleman that looked like your stereotypical Texan - John had managed to supress a grin and a quiet laugh when he had first seen the man - and a woman who looked to be in her late thirties and dressed to impress. Just who she was trying to impress, however, John didn't know.

"Well done, flyboy" the woman offered, with a tiny grin of her own. John shrugged lightly and returned his attention to the table. The fact that she had pegged him as a pilot only unnerved him a bit. The fact that the dealer had gone with it just annoyed him.

John tossed his wager into the pot, and the others followed suit. The Texan upped the ante. I came here to blow some cash, not make it... John thought, before he called. The woman tossed her chips in and the dealer slid them their cards.

"Three for Tex," the dealer said, as he placed the cards. "Eight for the flyboy, a jack for the lady and a ten to the dealer."

John mentally crossed his fingers for a strong second card. As much as he was here to lose, he couldn't help his natural competativeness. It was something that reminded him of all those chess games with Rodney. God, he missed Atlantis.

"Four for Tex, nine for the flyboy and a ten for the lady," the dealer intoned, drawing his last card face down. He fixed his attention on Tex, who didn't hesitate to ask for another card. "Seven for Tex, fourteen on the table."

Tex glanced at John and grinned. "Defiinitely a crap-shoot, eh?" he asked, a twing of irony colouring his words. He looked up at the dealer. "Hit me."

"Queen. Tex is a bust."

"No kidding," John replied sympathetically, giving Tex a wry smile.

The dealer turned to John, next. "Seventeen on deck for the flyboy."

Seventeen. Do I play by the dealer's rules and stay, or take a chance? Oh, to hell with it... "Hit me," John replied, ignoring the looks from all present.

"A Lady for the flyboy. A bust with twenty-seven."

Speaking of ladies, "I'm going to split," she said, separating the jack and the ten. "Hit me."

"Seven on the jack, and three on the ten."

"Double down on the thirteen." She tapped the card.

"Six, for nineteen."

"I'll stand."

The dealer nodded and flipped his card.

"Eight for the dealer; the lady wins with nineteen."

John picked up his remaining chips and bowed out. "You win some, you lose some, eh?" he offered, sliding off the chair. He returned Tex's tip of the hat with a casual nod, and offered a guarded smile for the lady, who regarded him carefully.

"Take care of yourself, Flyboy," she said softly over her shoulder.

John glanced over at her as she turned to look at him. He answered her wink with a tight smile and headed off to blow the rest of his chips on a random slot machine.

To Be Continued....

a/n: I don't pretend to know the finer points of this game, so forgive me for any mistakes. For a reference, I used this site, and actually dealt out a hand with a deck of cards so I didn't have to make it up.

That Place Called Vegas...

2008-08-31T03:31:32Z

The bright lights of the Vegas strip and all the noises that went with it washed over him in a way that he was sure he was immune to. The lack of response inside to the beauty of many of the sights told him just how disconnected to this world he had become in the last 2 and a half years. He supposed that was why he chose Earth as his destination for this ~~retreat~~ vacation; deep down he had always known what Elizabeth had finally figured out in the last few days: John Sheppard's world has narrowed to Atlantis and the Pegasus galaxy, and the major reason he was there in the first place had been lost somewhere along the way. They had a term for it in the military. Target Fixation.

Target Fixation. The last time he had realized he was suffering from the affliction was shortly after Teyla and Ronon had gone missing and were presumed dead. He had nearly gotten half his team killed because of it then, and now he had put the entirity of Atlantis at risk because he was curious about these new people they had found. What he couldn't tell, was if his fixation was on Inara, or on trying to so desperately to make a ~~permanent~~ home for once in his life. Hell, he couldn't even figure out if it was merely the fact that the Milky Way had been shunted to the back burner for most of the Expedition, only though of when something directly threatened Earth or mankind.

What he did know, was that he needed a reality check, and fast. He really didn't want to have to relive handing in his resignation, or worse, be fired from the one assignment he actually wanted. Maybe his brother.......no. He wasn't going to go down that road. Those bridges had burned a long time ago, and he would not go slinking back to his brother on the heels of whatever military discharge followed whatever his last fatal command decision would be. With a sigh, he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and gazed at his surroudings, seeing everything and nothing all at once.

He had opted not to check out a firearm from the SGC, figuring that it would be hard to take a break from the whole military thing with a gun strapped to his hip. But he couldn't shut off the tactical part of his mind, and so, he was aware of the mugger over there waiting for a mark more distracted than him, he was aware of the undercover cop across the street trying to catch someone in the act of being naughty; he saw the bulge of a weapon under that pimp's jacket, and he heard the threatening growl of a pusher trying to intimidate his buyer down a random alley.

He was trying to pick a place to drop that promised hundred bucks, and found himself drawn to the sound of water cascading into a pool; it was an odd sound to pick out of the noise and bustle of commerce and tourism, but it just emphasized John's state of mind and how much he missed the sound of the ocean at night. He stopped in front of the Bellagio lake, taking in the fountains and the building that rose behind them. He was struck by a sudden longing to return to the SGC and demand that his vacation request be rescinded so he could go home.

To Atlantis.

...The Bellagio.

Close enough...

...to be continued...

Vacation

2008-08-16T18:00:20Z

Jumper One floated down into the Control Room and pivoted to line up with the Gate. The shimmering irridescence of the open wormhole greeted John's eyes, as he keyed the comm and said his final "see you soon"s. And then he settled in for the trip to Midway, as Jumper One breached the event horizon and propelled the Colonel half-way across the universe. Both legs of the trip were uneventful, and soon, the Embarkation Room at the SGC loomed in his viewport, the smiling faces of Walter and the other techs affirming a successful arrival.

He parked the Jumper and gathered his duffle, meeting General Landry at the base of the Jumper's ramp.

"Colonel, welcome back to Earth," the General said with a smile. "Didn't think I'd ever see you back on leave."

John smiled wryly. "Yes, Sir. I figured it was time to let myself take a breather from all the crazy." Elizabeth had sent in the official request for John's leave of absence, stating personal reasons as the grounds for the application. John appriciated the vote of confidence in that, knowing that Elizabeth knew that an LOA requisitioned due to lack of sound judgement on several command decisions would not endear the Colonel to anyone, from Landry right on up to the IOA.

Landry nodded knowingly. "Wish I could do that m'self. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a place far enough away to ensure success in that regard."

John chuckled. "I know how you feel, Sir. Please don't be offended if I turn my cell phone off, or ignore your phone calls."

"Why would I be offended, Colonel? I can just have whatever ship we have in orbit beam you into my office." Landry smiled in that lightly sardonic, I-am-all-powerful way of his and dismissed John, wishing him a happy vacation.

Several hours later saw John checking into a hotel in Vegas. He figured it'd be fun to lose a hundred bucks gambling, and then just chill and enjoy the night life for the next two weeks. He didn't bother unpacking his duffle just yet, deciding instead, to fall onto the bed and try and sleep off the Galaxy-lag.

He only hoped he'd be able to find sleep without the gentle sounds from Lantea's ocean and the subtle sway of the city - no matter how imagined - as it floated, rocking him into the blissful sensation of belonging he had found so far away from the planet he should be calling home, but couldn't.

[SH] Packing (for sevenvirtues)

2008-08-05T02:18:40Z

After his conversation with Elizabeth, John headed back to his office and put things in order there. He left detailed notes on everything, so Lorne - whom he assumed would be in charge while John was away - could find his way around. Once all his work responsibilities were taken care of, he headed to his quarters to pack.

"Hey, whatcha doing?" McKay asked, as he sauntered into the room several minutes later. The scientist eyed Sheppard the way one would eye a feral beast ready to strike.

"Going on vacation," John replied, matter-of-factly.

"Ah...wait, hold it," McKay began, pausing in his retreat. "Since when do you go on vacation?"

"Since Elizabeth made me." John's tone brooked no argument.

"Right," McKay said with a nod, apparently understanding that John didn't want to talk about it just yet. "Well, I suppose asking if you wanted to grab some lunch is out of the question, then?"

"Yeah, pretty much," John replied. He gave McKay a weary look. "I'm sorry, Rodney, it's just." He sighed. "Look, I'll take a raincheck, okay? You'll be the first person I have lunch with when I get back, deal?"

McKay thought about it for a moment. "Deal. I'm gonna hold you to that, you know," he promised, heading out the door to find someone else to nosh with.

John watched as the door closed behind his friend. "Yeah, I'm sure you will," he said to the empty room, with a wry grin.

He turned his attention back to packing, pondering where he might go for two weeks...

[SH] For the Record...

2008-08-05T02:08:00Z

(ooc: For the curious.)

(From here.)

WraithLead3: Shep wants to know how much trouble he's in for bring MIa and sundry back to Atlantis.without consulting Weir?

nicdorcha: Weir: *folds her arms over her chest* I'll think about it.

Shep: *is sheepish and contrite*

Weir; *sighs* Honestly, John, I can sort of understand why, but... why?

Shep: Because I'm morbidly curious?

Weir: Mmm. And how should that outweigh Atlantis security concerns?

Shep: *sighs* It doesn't. I figured the intel we could gather would be worth it. This kid didn't know anything about the Ancients, or the Stargate.

Weir: *sighs* That's something, anyway. And what do you know about her?

Shep: Just that she was being hunted by those other guys.

Weir: Mm-hmm. And what do you know about "those other guys"?

Shep: *shakes his head* Absolutely nothing. We knocked'em out before we could talk to'em. I killed the leader.

Weir: So, to re-cap. You went out. You found a conflict the particulars of which you know nothing about. You killed the leader of a group of which you know nothing about. And you brought home a girl, whom, again, you know nothing about.

Shep: *ponders* ....Yeah, that about sums it up.

Weir: ... *suddenly tired* Go... go write up your report and get some rest. I need to think about this.

Shep: *nods and doesn't complain* Yes ma'am. *refrains from saluting*

(Following this)

Shep: I think I should throw myself into the brig....

Weir: That won't be necessary. Yet.

Shep: Please don't kill me.

Weir: *folds arms over her chest*

Shep: *peers at her* You're going to make me beg, aren't you?

Weir: I've thought about it. *sighs* John, what you did was reckless and dangerous. She could have a disease we have no immunity to or knowledge of, she could be a spy, she could be a sleeper, she could be, for all we know, some sort of royalty or personage who will be missed and they'll come looking for her with an army.

Weir: I know you know better. What happened?

Shep: *sighs* She could be a Wraith worshipper, or a Replicator. I know. And...I don't know what happened. I made a snap decision. It's what I do, Elizabeth. We saw them and I tried to stop the chase so we could sort it all out. When we landed, it became apparent that they were the bad guys. They said she was their bounty, Elizabeth.

Weir: *dryly* Perhaps she's their bounty for a good reason, John.

Shep: *sighs again* She's had plenty of time and opportunity to do us harm. They said she'd given them more trouble than their last few bounties combined, and if that's true, then it would have been nothing for her to take us out, injured or not.

Weir: Be that as it may... You need to stop bringing home strays, John. First Inara, now this woman? *head tilting slightly* Did you know what she would do with the transponder code you gave her? For that matter, how did you know we wouldn't shoot Inara on sight when she walked in without you?

Shep: I knew Inara for a bit...not long, but enough to know that I could trust her. Hell, the way she goggled at the 'Gate.... *ignores the fact that Inara's schooled in making men believe what they want*...I figured the possibility of her having 'Gate access was slim to none.

Shep: And as for you not shooting at her...

Shep: *wry smile* I knew you wouldn't have. She could have been royalty, or personage who'd be missed enough to warrant an army for a search party.

Weir: Or she could have wandered in just when we were expecting an arrival from rebel Genii, Wraith sympathizers, even the Goa'uld. She certainly carries herself like she could be a Goa'uld, sometimes.

Shep: *toes the ground* Aaaaand, I was sorta hoping that maybe I'd be on-base when she arrived so I could prevent you from shooting her, if it came to that. Me not being there was just bad timing.

Weir: *sighs* You were hoping.

Shep: That was the original plan. If she found a 'Gate, she could dial Atlantis and enter with my IDC. I'd be here to blink and go nutty with all of you until the identity of our visitor would hit me and I'd vouch for her then and there. That Inara found and dialed her 'Gate while I was off-world really was bad timing. She comes from another universe, nearly. How cvould she know?

Weir: Why should she have the Gate code in the first place? Why couldn't she simply send you a message to say she'd found a Stargate and then you could work the details out beforehand?

Shep: *closes his eyes briefly*Yes, that would have been a better plan, but... I wasn't thinking. There was...I was riding out the tail end of an argument...well, not an argument, per se, but close enough...and my head wasn't in the right place. Giving her my IDC and our address....it just felt right at the time.

Weir: You're the military leader of this expedition John. *quietly* You can't afford to risk everyone's lives on what feels right at the time, not when you have alternatives available to you. Yes, that may fly under battlefield conditions, but you had time to think this one over, and you didn't. Just as from what it sounds like you had time to think over whether or not you were going to involve yourself in this conflict, and you didn't.

Shep: I know that. And I was only made the military commander on your reccomendations. Perhaps I'm not the only one who's misplaced my trust in the past.

Weir: Perhaps. *sighs, sitting down and rubbing her temples* Take two weeks, John. Take the vacation time, figure out if you can still do your job as well as you used to, and if my judgment was misplaced. *slight smile* Maybe Inara can help you figure that out. *is not being facetious, either, as she genuinely likes the woman* I'll see you in my office at 1000 in two weeks.

Shep: *blinks, attempts to say several things, but doesn't* *finally nods* Two weeks, then.

Weir: *nods, dismissing him with a sigh and slumping over*

Shep: *walks away, catching the slump out of the corner of his eye and sighing*

The Colonel and The Mechanic - Take Two (for strawberry_luve)

2008-03-27T02:32:06Z

This is in no way, shape or form connected with our Speciall Hell 'Verse. This is just Nic and Kat being insane girls who like to break each other's brain every once in a while. That is all.
-----

He's sitting alone, reading a comic book.

For once, it's his day off, and he has no fears of being interrupted during his down-time. Every now and then, he'll scope out the people milling around the cafe, eyeing the pretty girls and giving them the once-over. He gets plenty in return, although none seem to want to do more than flirt from afar.

Ah well, you win some you lose some.

Comic books it'll have to be...

[SH] Domestic Talk

2008-02-03T01:21:39Z

[ooc: this takes place shortly after "Sunday". For our purposes the role of Doctor Jennifer Keller will be played by Jessica Alba, and not Jewel Staite, because frankly, it's less head-hurty that way.]

John trudged down the hallways, trying to scrub the images burned into his visit to the infirmary just now. Carson was in somewhat stable condition and Teyla was sleeping peacefully. The new doctor, Jennifer Keller, was monitoring both of them, as well as taking care of the rest of the aftermath of recent events. While John was thankful that Carson managed to clear much of the blast, the poor Marine on the bomb-squad wasn't so lucky. The Colonel had yet another letter to write to another family, explaining without somehow managing to breach security clearance that their father-brother-husband-son had been killed in the line of duty.

He hated this part of his job and wished like hell that Elizabeth would do it. She had, during that first year, but only because he was too busy scouting out Alpha Sites and doing Recon missions to prep for the arrival of the Wraith. Since then, it had fallen to him, another pile of paperwork to go with all the beauracratic red-tape dodging that came with the job. Hence, the trudging, and the semi-shuffling of his feet as he made his way back to his room, hand trailing absently along a wall here or there, eyes unseeing as he passed friends and collegues. Everyone had been through the same torment and trauma as he had, and it showed. Repair teams were busy fixing both hallways, the Science Department was down closing off the room with the tumour-making machine so no one else would make the mistake of going in there and messing with things. Rodney said that the schematics were in the database, so they'd study the thing inside and out and find a way to dismantle it.

And outside of all that, life went on within the city. John had a feeling that Doctor Heightmeyer would be incredibly busy in the coming weeks, as folks began to deal with the on-set of post-traumatic stress. He knew it was only a matter of time before Elizabeth ordered him to do the same, so he had booked an appontment for early next week. No harm in being pro-active, after all. And it may just put him in Elizabeth's good graces for a while to come.

He stepped into his room and fell backwards onto his bed, not even bothering to change out of his uniform. Everything was still set up as he and Ronon had left it, and gosh that had seemed like years ago...

Sigh.

[SH] Confessions

2008-01-20T21:23:57Z

[ooc: this references this.]

One could almost call it coincidence, how the very diplomatic function they were supposed to attend just happened to be the same one that she was attending. With a client, no less. John had seen her across the room, her mask firmly in place. He could tell that she was play-acting, the smile spread across her lips not quite reching her eyes the way it did when she was with him; the rigid posture that reminded him more of a green military recruit in the constant presence of a Three-Star General than a loving, adoring woman who was absolutely delighted to be there with her companion. She hid it well, he had to admit, and if the gentleman was aware of her falsity he did a good job of concealing it.

Teyla had given him a concerned look, as had Ronon and - surprisingly - McKay, but he smiled and reassured them that all was well. They would simply keep to the side of the room farthest from Inara and her client, to lessen the chance that she break character and to make sure that both her night and theirs would remain smooth. He just wouldn't think about it when they finally left, to presumably get down to business, as it were. John knew that his team, as well as much of the rest of Atlantis, had only the vaguest notion of what it was Inara actually did for a living, and he did nothing to correct the rumours that flew about, because none of them were as questionable and possibly scandalizing as the truth. And now, he still had no desire to enlighten them further, allowing them to believe what they would. If they thought that it was merely jealousy for being someone else's date, then so be it. Besides, them knowing would make it worse, since he refused to have the how-could-you-stand-it conversation that he would be required to endure in triplicate immediately after the word got out, and then once every time someone else found out. Nope. Better to pretend that what was going to happen wasn't. It was the only way he could sleep at night.

The plan worked, for the most part. John found himself wandering a balcony alone, looking up at the stars as he trailed a hand over the railing. He paused to look out into the shadowed night, the new moon's feeble attempt at lighting the darkness lacking in lustre. He leaned against the railing, missing the sound of Atlantis' ocean and the salty air. It was a still night, he noted, the barest hint of a breeze playing over the landscape. Good night for covert ops. He hadn't realized his eyes had closed until they snapped open as a cry pierced the air. His head turned sharply in the direction of the sound, and he pushed away from the railing as the sounds of a struggle came to him. Another cry had his blood running cold, recognition hitting him hard as he broke into a run.

All sorts of nasty scenarios flashed through his mind, at least one of them being true as he rounded a corner and watched as she landed on the ground hard. Before the man towering above her could descend, John grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around, a right hook following and connecting with the man's jaw in a sickening crack. The man stumbled back, eyes radiating fury at the intrusion. He rubbed his jaw, then pointed at John.

"How dare you. You will pay dearly for interrupting my rightful time with..."

"Your time with her is done," John said, cutting him off. The vehemence in his voice stopped the protest forming on Inara's lips, and she stared up at Atlantis' Military Commander as if finally seeing him for the first time. "You have no right-"

"She has been bought and paid for, son, I can do what I damn well please..."

John paused only a moment before continuing as if the man had never spoken, "No right to treat a woman like that, regardless of whether she has been paid for or not."

"John, please. I can take care of my-"

"Like hell you can," he said, helping her up from the ground. "C'mon. We're leaving."

"But my contract with-"

"Is now broken."

"The Guild will hear of his, girl, make no mistake!"

John stopped and rounded on the man. "You better check your rules again, mister. Last time I heard it was the Guild and the Companion that had the power to make or break someone's future with being hired or not. If anyone's gonna be in trouble, it's you. Say good-bye to the last Companion you'll ever have." And with that, John Sheppard brokered no argument as he pulled Inara back inside, and headed to the saftey of his room.

***

"How dare you," Inara spat as soon as the door closed behind them.

"How dare I? Inara, that man was going to hurt you. Hell, he may have even tried to rape you if I hadn't stepped in."

"A situation in which I have been trained to handle. I have survived just fine in similar situations without you, John Sheppard, and your presence in my life makes no difference in that regard." ...Oh dear, had that last part been out loud? She thought it may have, given the look on his face.

"...What do you mean, 'similar situations'?" he said slowly, his voice low in that dangerous way. She knew it was the tone he affected when he was deeply hurt or betrayed, and ready to lose all compassion towards the person in question, and with what she had just said, she didn't blame him. Not really.

"A Companion is trained to deal with...with clients who like to play a little too roughly," she said quietly, putting it as delicately as possible, lest she provoke him further. She had seen him like this from the outside-looking-in once or twice, when she happened to be on Atlantis when something bad happened to an expedition member or one of his teammates. Never had she ever thought to be on the receiving end of it...

"And so, what? You expect me to just stand aside and let someone beat you, simply because you've been trained to deal with it?" His voice had started to rise in that argumentative way, and something about it pissed her off more than it scared her.

"I am a grown woman," she said, squaring her shoulders. "I know the risks that my job involves, just as you know the risks of your own. You don't see me taking up arms and beating down every situation that you have under control, now, do you?"

He stared at her, jaw hanging open. "Inara, that is hardly the same thing! Me risking my ass to shoot someone in the head is nowhere near you taking on a client who has every intention of desecrating your body and ripping into your emotional well-being and tearing both to shreds. I can live with the thought that my foolish actions may get me into worse trouble or hell, someday kill me. What I can't live with, is knowing that you have been violated in a way that no person should ever be. Being afraid that something I may say or do can push you away because of the memories it would invoke is not something that I can think about!"

It was her turn to stare, her jaw haging open in that undignified way. Her mouth worked a few times as she tried several sentences, deeming each to be inadequate before they could pass her lips. She sat down heavily on the bed with an inelegant "huh" instead, hands falling lifelessly in her lap.

He fell to his knees in front of her, folding her hands in his. "Inara, you are the strongest woman I know. I understand that you can take care of yourself, but I will damned if I ever stand by and watch as someone else attempts to take advantage of you."

Her eyes finally found his as he spoke, and any anger she may have felt at his interference vanished. Her shoulders slumped a little, and the smile she gave him was truly pitiful. "I wish the Guild was as fervent in their declaration of that very same promise," she whispered.

He raised a brow. "I thought we liked the Guild? Regulations and all? Keeping you safe?"

She snorted derisively, turning her face away so he couldn't see the hot tears welling up in her eyes. She knew she was going to have to tell him at some point, she just never thought it was going to be like this. Slowly, haltingly, the words fell from her lips. She could still feel the shame and she hated herself for it. She wasn't sure at what point he got up from the floor to sit beside her, but she was suddenly aware of the fact that she was wrapped in his arms, and her face was buried in his shoulder as she forced out the final sentences between quiet sobs.

Once it was out, though, she felt lighter, calmer. And he was still holding her, which was something. Good. Great. Wonderfull. All that and more.

"So that's it, then?" he asked softly, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You're leaving the Guild and striking out on your own?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak anymore.

"Am I allowed to insist on running thorough backgrond checks on each and every guy you plan on contracting with?"

She had to chuckle and poke him playfully. "Goof," she whispered, raising her head to look up at him. She could see seriousness behind the twinkle of mirth in his eyes, and she knew that he so totally would make good on that insistance, should she allow it. Something told her he'd do it even if she didn't.

He smiled sadly. "A goof who loves you and doesn't want to see you hurt," he replied. "Believe me, that guy got off light. You really don't want to know what I do to people who hurt the ones I love and care for."

"I believe you."

"Good." He kissed her softly. "Now, is there gonna be a problem with that guy?"

She shook her head. "No. You were right, there's nothing he can do to touch me. I'm still bound to the Guild and my resignation won't be official until the end of the next quarter."

"And if he comes near me, I'll just deck'im again."

She smiled. "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't think I can be alone right now..."

He hugged her close. "You're never alone, Inara. And you most definitely don't have to ask..."

"Good," she said. Despite the slight hiccup to the night, she had a feeling it was going to end as well as it had started. And somehow, knowing that she had John Sheppard on her side made everything seem like it was truly going to be okay.

[SH -- Ep. 2: The Heist] Armed and Dangerous

2008-01-01T18:18:13Z

[continued from here]

He had just finished telling Sharra about the Ancients, and how incongruous it was for the images on the walls to look like them. As far as they knew, the Ancients were only Pegasus-Milky Way denizens, but he had to admit that the presence of a 'Gate on Haven did speak to the fact that the Ancients had to have been around, even for a little while.

The conversation and speculation came to an end when they heard the 'Gate dialing. It was John's automatic reaction to shuffle Sharra into a hiding spot as he pulled his gun from his pack, crouching low behind cover. As the wormhole engaged, he held the firearm ready.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Atlantis," came the familiar tones of Elizabeth's voice. John relaxed and put away the gun, calling Sharra back out.

"Sheppard here. That was a little longer than ten minutes," he replied.

"Well, you know us," Elizabeth said, and John could her the smile in her voice. "MacKenzie decided that your usual combat gear might not be enough, so he and Cadmen loaded a Jumper and are coming through to assist with bolstering defenses."

"Well, isn't that nice. Tell them that they have a tight fit over here, but they can make it through with a light and steady hand on the controls."

"Understood. They're heading through now. Good luck John."

"You too." He turned back to Sharra. "C'mon, let's get clear so they don't run us over."

"Why?" She asked. "What's a Jumper."

"You'll see."

Several moments later, Jumper Three emerged and the event horizon disappeared. Sharra's eyes went wide. "It's a ship," she said. "None as I've ever seen before, mind, but..."

"Cool, huh? Inara loves them as much as I do. Let's get on baord and get back to Haven."

"John? I take it this is s'posed to be a secret, too?"

"Not all of it. The only secret is where it came from. We'll just say I send a distress beacon and they've come to lend a hand in getting me unstuck."

Sharra nodded and they followed the Jumper out of the Temple, where it landed and the hatch opened. The pair squeezed through the gear, John making quick introductions as he took the controls. They set down just outside of the settlement's outskirts a few moments later, Sharra running back to the house to make sure everyone was keeping to schedules as John, MacKenzie and Cadmen began unloading. They had help not too long after, as word of John's friends quickly spread. The menfolk that had experience in such things as military were keen on lending a hand, and John welcomed their insights into the Reavers as well as key locations around the town.

Together, the three Lanteans and the citizens of Haven used the supplies to build up the perimeter defenses. John was happy to note that the good folks had safe places for the non-combatants to hide safely in the event of an attack, and they made sure those were well fortified, too. The final box of supplies in the Jumper turned out to be non-military related. Enough food rrations for several solid meals for everyone in town, as well as a boost of medical supplies was unpacked and handed out. The medical things were stored in the tiny building that served as an infirmary, and the food was divided amongst everyone equally.

By the time it was all done, night had fallen and MacKenzie and Cadmen joined everyone for the evening meal before finally taking their leave. They couldn't stay and risk their presence in this new galaxy being detected and spread, which would surely happen if they stayed and the Reavers attacked. John stood and watched until the Jumper was out of sight, P-90 slung over one shoulder, tac-vest in one hand and stuffed gear bag in the other. He would have stood there all night if the girls that had adopted him from the local whorehouse hadn't come to shoo him inside, each fussing over him and his gear until both Lt.-Colonel and his things were tucked away in a room for the night.

(to be continued)

[SH -- Ep. 2: The Heist] Supply and Demand

2007-12-31T03:37:37Z

[a/n: this is merely a piece of fic and not intended as an RP thread. Comments and suggestions on changes welcomed, specially in the areas of characters I may have needed to pilfer for my purposes.]

After the novelty of his presence wore off some - and judging by the effect he caused on the settlement, the novelty of his presence wouldn't abate entirely for quite a while, really - John was finally able to lend a hand with some of the more labour-intensive tasks. He worked along-side the men and woman of Haven, helping to erect buldings, dig wells and other tasks necessary to the forging of a community. Each night, he joined everyone for dinner and the communal time around the campfire, the way the original settlers had done prior to the attack on the planet.

It was during these times when the story of Haven, as well as the galaxy's most recent history regarding Miranda, was told to him. Pieces of Inara's private life were starting to fall into place; the sadness she had so clearly felt the few times the subject was brought up briefly made more sense, and coupled with what he heard of Serenity and her crew, he totally understood. He also found out that Mal had managed to find someone to provide the settlement with an early warning system, in case the Reavers decided to come and pillage. It was a simple sattelite system that contained a trip-wire of a sort: if a Reaver ship passed across a certain point it would set off the alarm in the monitoring outpost and the folks would have time to find shelter.

It was a good system, but he felt under-protected with only his 9mm with him. If the Reavers decided to pay a visit while he was there, he wanted a P-90, hands down, to visit right back. He didn't go back to the Temple for another day or so, opting instead to take stock of the supplies and make note of what was needed and in what priority. Inara had promised to give him a list, but they hadn't had the chance to see each other since she had gone back to Serenity after his return from Kolya's charming hospitality. He had a list now, and what a list it was. He hoped that at least the top priority items, such as medical supplies and food rations, would be able to be at least partially met by Atlantis' stores.

Expecting to hear from Major Lorne any day now, with a report on how the mission had gone - or a distress call, in the worst case scenario - John packed up his things for another hike back to the Temple. Sharra watched him with a tinge of sorrow.

"You havin' t'go already?" she had asked, making sure none of the others could hear. He had been staying with them ever since the day he showed up on the horizon, and they had all gotten used to having him around.

He smiled at her and shook his head. "Not yet," he reassured her. "Just want to take a hike back out towards my transport, see if I have any messages waiting for me."

She visibly relaxed and nodded. She glanced around quickly, then crept closer. "C'in I come with ya? I promise not be holdin' ya up, and I'm good fer hikin'."

He considered it for a moment, noting with amusement how he would have automatically said no four days ago. Working and living beside someone, even in a short amount of time, did wonders for a man to get the measure of someone. He nodded. "All right. But you'll need to hurry and get your things together. It's a half-day's walk and we'll need to leave soon if we're goind to make it back to town before dark."

Sharra had nodded and was joining him outside a short time later. The two walked in silence, only remarking on things like the weather or the landscape. Sharra was fascinated with the country-side and John found it refreshing to be around someone so free. Elizabeth would have a field day if she knew her Military Commander was actually enjoying his vacation.

They only stopped to rest once, and only long enough to take some water and a bit of food that Sharra had packed for them. The sun was high in the sky by the time the mountains came into view, and Sharra's gasp at the Temple had John smiling once more.

"Thought you said your ship was stuck?" she said, turning her wide-eyed gaze on him.

"Now, I never said I came in a ship. I only said my transportation was stuck. And it is. C'mon, I'll show you." He held out his hand to her, and after a moment or two, she took it in her own and let the man take her inside the Temple. She gawked at the images and wondered aloud at what they meant. John had to admit that, sadly, he had no idea. And if her reaction to the Temple itself was one of surprise, then her first glimps of the Stargate was one of shock and a bit of fear. She stopped in her tracks, forcing John to stop as well.

"It's okay, Sharra. This is how I got here. It's called a Stargate," he said, voice low and soothing. He stood behind her, hands resting reassuringly on her shoulders. He kept his mouth close to her ear, hoping his presence would calm her. "That is what we call the Dial-Home-Deivce," he said, pointing to the console. "Or the DHD for short. When I press the pictures in the right order, it makes the 'Gate turn on and it forms a doorway back to my home."

He could feel her swallow thickly, and her head bobbed beneath his chin.

"Would you like me to show you?" he asked. There was a hesitation before her head bobbed again, and he slowly moved the two of them closer to the DHD. "Here, why don't you dial for me?" He pointed out the symbols in order then, with his hand atop hers, they both pressed the center button, and the wormhole burst into existance. John felt Sharra jump at the suddeness of it, and he wrapped a protective arm around her as he keyed his radio.

"Atlantis, this is John Sheppard."

"We read you loud and clear, Colonel," Elizabeth's voice replied. "How's everything going?"

"Pretty well, so far," he replied. He briefly outlined what he had learned so far, his grip on Sharra falling away as the girl ventured forth to examine the 'Gate and the Even Horizon. She looked back up at him sharply as he told Weir of the settlement's needed provisions, an amazed sort of look taking hold of her features. He merely smiled sadly at her in a I don't expect much, but I'm going to try way.

"I'll see what I can do about that list, John. ...You haven't promised any of this to anyone, have you?"

"No, ma'am. I didn't even tell them I was compiling the list. I didn't want to get their hopes up."

Elizabeth sounded amused as she said, "Well, well. You are learning. I never though I'd see the day that you'd think before you promised."

He blushed at that. "What about my combat gear?"

"We'll have that ready for you shortly and will send it through ten minutes after we hang up."

"Understood. Talk to you soon, then. Sheppard out." And with that, the wormhole disengaged and Sharra jumped back with a gasp.

Her fascination with the 'Gate was overshadowed by her very eager, "You really lookin' to get us supplies?"

"I am," he admited. "And hopefully, I can make it a regular shipment. Say, once a month to send you stuff you're running low on, for instance. But I don't see that happening any time soon."

She bounced over to him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight and planting a kiss on his cheek before bouncing away again. "Oh that'd be swell! I know th'folks back in town'd love to..."

"Sharra, hold on a sec," he said, cutting her off. He caught her hands in his and he fixed his eyes on hers. "We can't let anyone know. Like I told Elizabeth, I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. This - all this," he gestured to the 'Gate and the Temple, "needs to be a secret for a while, okay? I brought you out here because I know I can trust you."

The serious look in his eyes was one she'd never seen in the short time she had known him, so it did much to dampen her spirits. His words cut deep, but she understood, a little, what he was getting at. "I promise, then. Fer th' good of Haven."

"Thank you," he said, smiling. "Now, let's go take a look around while we wait for my gear to arrive."

(continued...)

[SH] The First Time - Part the Second (NC-17)

2007-12-25T02:27:09Z

[We uh...we kinda broke the customized comment pages comment buffer. And I like having the custom comment pages because they look better. So, um, yes. Continued from here.]

He's beaming at her until she catches the slight slip of the tongue and the smile turns into an 'aw shucks/so busted look'.

Oops.

He can't lie to her now. It was easy to pretend when she had first arrived, since she had no reason to believe otherwise, and he was nervous enough that his body language masked the lie.

But now..."You, uh. You weren't supposed to find out until I took you back there. To uh...to check on the status of the paint drying."

She may or may not be suppressing a giggle; since she does it successfully it's hard to tell. But she is grinning. "Well, since you've managed to keep me out of your room, the surprise is still intact, even if the knowledge that there is a surprise isn't."

And he's being adorable again. Although, really, he's almost always adorable now, so it sort of goes without saying. So she smiles softly, brilliantly.

"Well, I hope it doesn't lose too much of its impact, now that you know there's another surprise," he says, grinning sheepishly.

And that's about the time when the music being played turns into a fair rendition of the song they first danced to. It's also when he stands and moves to her side of the table.

"May I have this dance?" he asks, holding a hand out to her.

"I can't imagine it..." Oh. Oh. "... would."

Oh.

So she stands and takes his hand, because the answer is "Of course." but it comes out in barely a whisper between smiles and shy blushing. She was way more poised when they first danced.

And then again, when they first danced, she had no idea with whom she was dancing, or what it would turn into. Knowing, now, she wonders what it will turn into this time. If she could possibly love him any more than she does at this moment, as she keeps her eyes on his and she smiles, blissfully happy.

He returns the smile as his fingers close round hers, and he tugs her away from the table. She may or may not notice Lorne call someone over so they can remove the chairs, along with the table and its contents so the couple can have the entire balcony to move around. And that marks the end of Lorne's part in tonight's festivities.

John's eyes never leave Inara's as he pulls her into the opening steps of the dance, holding her slightly closer than he had the first time.

[SH] The First Time

2007-12-19T04:41:42Z

This was it, he decided. They'd been together long enough for him to be certain of a few things, and, also? It just felt right.

He had nothing planned save for the where, and the presentation of the where. He decided that several candles on the dresser - the surface of which had been cleared of just about everything - would suffice for lighting. Not too many, because that was over-kill, and besides, he had no idea how candles played a role in those rituals she mentioned and the last thing he wanted was for her to be reminded of that. Somehow, he didn't think it would matter, but still. The thought was there. And he banished it.

The awkward part came when Teyla discovered him smuggling the candles to his room. She raised a brow and he stammered something incoherent and fled for the sanctuary of his room. He had gone for lunch with McKay, and when he had returned, his modest supply of candles had been augmented to provide an artful, yet sensual display, and a bowl sat in the middle of a semi-circle of candles of various sizes on the dresser, with a bottle of scented rose-water and a strange flower that reminded him of a lily on a lilypad. Peeking out from under the bowl was a folded piece of paper, which he snatched up and read eagerly.

The proper Athosian custom for this particular event of courtship requires candles placed in a specific array around the room. The centerpiece of a floating flower is to represent the eternalness of your union, as the flames represent the strength of your passion.

I will be by to light the candles and set the flower when the time comes.

I wish you both the best.

T.

He smiled and pocketed the note. He looked around his room and figured that, incongruous as the candles would be with the rest of the decor, it was somehow fitting. Thanks, Teyla. I owe you one.

Now, all he had to do was wait for Inara to arrive for her visit and reherse the excuse he had to force her to use the guest chambers to freshen up.

...He just wished he wasn't so damned nervous.

[SH: Episode 1.5 - Common Ground]

2007-12-14T15:04:20Z

The buzzing of his radio broke through the fog of sleep, and he instinctively gave Inara a gentle squeeze as he buried his head in her shoulder, trying to drown out the sound. He wasn't supposed to be given a wake-up call until about 11am, and seeing as how he was on Atlantis, there was no way this could be McKay, and therefore meant that Weir had something urgent she needed him for.

That, or else she just wanted to screw with him, but that was unlikely. ...Right?

Making sure that Inara wasn't disturbed by any of this, he reached behind him to grope for his headset. He clicked it on and offered a very sleepy sounding "Sheppard".

"I'm sorry, John. I know I promised you your next mission wouldn't be until this afternoon, but we have an urgent request that supercedes your standing orders and all missions."

"I'll be right there, Sheppard out."

Sigh.

He knew that this was his life, that even when the Powers That Be gave him a reprieve something could always come along and snatch it away. He should be used to this now. He hoped it wouldn't piss off Inara, but he suspected that she would understand. He carefully extracated himself from her embrace and quickly washed and dressed. He made a quick stop to the mess hall for something to eat followed by a detour to the botany epartment, where a very charming Katie Brown helped him pick a lovely bloom that they could part with.

He paused back in his room, grabbed the notepad and pen siting on his desk and scribbled a note, leaving it and the flower on the pillow next to her.

Inara,

I'm sorry, but something urgent has come up. Hopefully it's nothing and I'll be back to see you off, but if not, I hope you can forgive me for leaving without waking you.

I love you,
John.

P.S. Make sure you remind Elizabeth to give you that IDC before you leave. I don't want to have to come home to find you sitting in the brig again ;)

With a kiss to her temple and a last, longing look at the sleeping Companion, he slipped out and headed down to the control room.

----------

"If we make a stand here, we can take 'em!" Ronon yelled as they ran through the forest, dodging fire.

Sheppard fired off a quick round or two in the general direction of their attackers before replying, "Negative! We don't how many we're up against!" Another flurry of fire erupted from his P-90 and he added, "Rodney, dial the damned Gate. Don't wait for us!"

In the distance he could hear the 'Gate engaging and he turned to make a run for it. He saw Teyla, McKay and then Ronon disappear, and then he was falling onto his back hard and the smirking face of Kolya hovered above him.

"It's good to see you again, Colonel."

He tried to put as much contempt into the word as possible as he replied, "Kolya."

----------

He hoped like hell that Elizabeth had seen Inara off. Her not being around for this was the only thing that gave him the strength to defy his captors. That and the fact that he had been trained for this sort of thing.

When the guards pulled the gag from his mouth, he took the opportunity to yell, " On my command authority, whatever he asks, don't do it, even ..." but then the gag was replaced. Dammit.

He tuned out the conversation, and managed to not even react when they brought the Wraith in. He knew what was coming, and he braced himself for it, even though he knew no amount of bracing could possibly prepare a person for what was to come next.

As the Wraith's hand landed on his chest, he forced himself not to cry out, forced himself not to think of anything except Inara and the hours they had spent together...

----------

He never thought he'd be making nice with a Wraith. Not since the Michael fiasco. But then again, he knew Mike could be a pretty nice guy when he wanted to, so he decided to go out on a limb and trust this one. He shouldn't have been surprised when the bastard turned on him and drained him almost completely of his life. But he was. Ah well, live and learn, John. Live and learn.

And speaking of learning, he blinked up at the Wraith unbelievingly as the Marines crashed into the clearing. Sheppard leapt to his feet and called them down. Whatever the hell had happened, this Wraith had just given him his life back.

Huh. No amout of therapy in the world was going to help him through this one...

[LC/SH] Heart to Heart

2007-12-10T20:18:59Z

[this takes place some time during Inara's visit, but before this thread. And Management would like to note that this is so not what we were expecting to happen.]

Funnily enough, it was he that sought out her. One would expect it to be the other way around, given his penchant for not being able to express feelings and avoiding them all together. And he certainly was never one to explain himself, insofar as descisions made based on personal feelings and not gut-feeling or his incredible sense of duty and loyalty went.

However it had been gnawing at him since he first saw her with him...hell, even the fact that he was a lot more squishy than his kind ever had a right to be...well, it took a lot to squick John Sheppard, and a docile and tamed Michael seemed to encompasse the term a lot very well. But when he heard from Ronon what had occured after the Satedan had left his CO to his inner musings outside the Cafe, he was blanketed with...with something. He couldn't tell what it was, his blindness to just about everything that stemmed from the proverbial rose-coloured glasses he now wore thanks to Inara, having clouded things he had never really admitted to in the first place.

And because he was the one who had pulled such an extreme one-eighty in the feelings department (heaven knew if she had ever returned his feelings, or knew how he had felt about her, in the first place) he figured it was his duty to be the one to initiate the conversation. Because she had to know. And he needed to say it, just to make sure that his current feelings on everything else weren't just a means of striking back at her for not choosing him.

He noted how interesting it was that she'd picked the same balcony that Rodney did once, after a hellish mission in which the dear astrophysicist had his sensibilities and entire belief system challenged very, very sorely. He pondered dubbing it Their Balcony, a place for Team Sheppard to meet one-on-one out of the way of Atlantis' population and talk each other out of his or her respective tree. And she looked like she needed talking down, if her slightly rigid posture and the way she gripped the handrail was any indication.

He said nothing as he leaned against the railing beside her, propping one foot up on the bottom railing and letting the breeze play over his face as he watched the waves crash over the pier below. After several moments of silence, she let go of the railing and slid her arms out, effecting the same pose as him. Relaxing. Once he was sure that she was comfortable, and the silenced had stretched to the verge of becoming uncomfortable, he finally glanced at her, a question in his eyes.

"Ronon told me," he said, once more looking out at the white caps dotting the endless blue spread before them. The sounds of the water crashing against the city and the tang of salt did much to keep him calm.

She stiffened slightly at his words, but then relaxed as the manner in which the words were spoken registered, and the expected rebuke did not come. "And?" she asked, prompting him to continue.

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother the hell out of me."

Teyla merely nodded.

"But not for the reasons you may think."

The admission had her looking at him sharply, a frown firmly in place. "And what reasons might those be, Colonel?"

Ouch. He winced at the formal title and finally gave her his full attention. "Hey, now. That's uncalled for," he said, his look betraying a bit of the hurt her comment produced. He continued when she visibly calmed. "Yeah, I know I'm supposed to run the gamut of reasons such as he's a security risk-blah-blah-blah. It's my job. But considering the fact that he's not our Michael, and he's actually managed to grow some manners," he ignored the flash of anger in her eyes and pressed on, "I have to say the risk from him, specifically, is minimal, at best. So long as he doesn't try to come visit, I'm willing to not book him for an intimate appointment with my P-90 and Ronon."

Her expression softened, but only a fraction. "Thank you," she said quietly. But then she was giving him a puzzled look. "Er, you said that the reasons were not ones that would be evident. And seeing as how you have touched upon the reasons I was expecting..." she trailed off.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He scrubbed a hand through his eternally mussed hair.

"John?"

"Teyla..." hell. He had had it all rehersed and could say the words in his head without flinching. They were good words, too! But somehow, now that the moment was here, he was second guessing himself. Was it really fair to Teyla, that he tell her this now? Expecially considering their respective situations? He sighed again, this time averting his gaze. "Crap," he muttered, prompting her to place a gentle hand on his arm.

"John, please tell me."

What the hell. Dragging this out would only make it worse. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but um...the things I feel for you...let's just say that what you have with Michael makes me jealous." There. He said it. He didn't really say it, say it, but he said it.

Her eyes went wide as his implied meaning hit her, and thankfully, she didn't withdraw her hand from his arm. "I...suspected..." but what she suspected even she didn't know. Certainly not this.

"Why did you not say something before?" she said finally, voice thick with emotion. Her wounded tone, the accusation in the words and the thickness of her voice had him looking up at her, and he noted tears in her eyes. His face fell.

"Teyla. I'm...I'm sorry," he said softly.

Her face twisted into anger, as the first droplets of moisture rolled down her cheeks and she punched him in the arm, hard enough to leave a bruise. He let her strike him in her frustration until he was able to get his arms around her, and then he held her close as she buried her face in his chest.

He knew then that he was an idiot. They had shared the same feelings for each other, and now they had each chosen someone else because they had thought the other was a lost cause.

"If he hurts you...if he breaks your heart, I'll kill him," he whispred. It was as much of a blessing as anyone would get from John Sheppard.

He felt her swallow hard, and he couldn't help but smile ruefully at the muffled words, "And if she does the same to you, I will see to it that she is unable to find work again."

A large wave crashed against the pier below, its impact against the structure and the sound of the spray hitting the deck loud in the silence that followed. They held each other tightly, bleeding feelings they could no longer harbour without putting their budding relationships into jeopardy. They allowed themselve to finally love each other fiercely for these few short moments, before the embers cooled and the constant glow of the closest of friendships resumed its place.

They had each other's back in this, as in all things, and for that, Sheppard was eternally grateful.

[LC] Boy Talk

2007-12-03T05:16:01Z

[After this, but before this...]

He didn't look up until Ronon's share of the gear landed beside him, nearly clipping him in the process. John looked askance at the Satedan, but his towering friend was as silent and stoic as ever. John was grateful for the silence, and the pair continued to sort packs.

John was in the middle of mentally cataloguing what was missing and cross-checking it with what he knew Teyla and McKay were in charge of when Ronon finally said something. "Do I want to know what happened back there?"

John smiled ruefully. "He just hit a little too close to the mark," he replied, and Ronon knew he was refering to [PLANET]. "I'll be fine."

"And her?"

John took a ragged breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I uh...I'm not righfully sure."

Something in the Colonel's eyes made the Satedan give him a hard, appraising look. He merely raised a brow at the statement.

Jon continued when Ronon wasn't forthcoming with a remark. "I mean, I just met her. I barely know her, and I know we talked and...and..." slight shrug. "I suppose if her and Mal are...I guess I'll just have to get over it."

"She liked you better."

"She what? No. She can't like me better. She doesn't know anything-" he trailed off as Ronon shook his head.

"Listen, she might love that Mal guy, but she feels something just as strong for you. You could see it in the way she moved around you two. I would't give up on her just yet."

"Right. This from a guy who has a bigger fan club than I do." John grinned.

Ronon grinned back. "Hey, they'd all be yours if I weren't around."

"I know! And, you know, I can handle that..." vague gesture toward his friend, "having you as my competition. You know what? We'll have a Ronon Appreciation Day, how's that? A day dedicated to just you. And you can invite my fan club to the party, too." As he spoke, he resumed work, and Ronon chuckled.

He knew that whatever happened, Sheppard would be okay. Losing someone you loved stung, but it went away. If not completely, then enough to live with. Ronon knew from first hand experience.

The Satedan pointed over his shoulder towards the door. "I'm gonna go back and make sure everything's settled. If you need..."

"I'll call."

The two men exchanged smiles and Ronon pat John on the back affectionately before he headed back into the cafe...

[LC] Outside by the 'Gate (for sevenvirtues)

2007-12-02T00:21:36Z

After leaving the gorup and grabbing his share of the gear, John's by the DHD sorting through the packs and making sure he's got everything. He's distracted by random thoughts and trying to not think about things by going through the packs yet again.

Ronon's already come and gone, presumably headed back into the cafe to help out McKay.

He's here for someone to find him, if they so chose...

[LC] Parting Was Such Sweet Sorrow...

2007-11-25T20:40:36Z

They found him slouched in a chair at their table in the mess hall, tray of food untouched. Actually, untouched was the wrong word. The food was being touched, sure. As his fork was pushing it around the plate absently.

"What a waste of perfectly good food," McKay said by way of greeting as the trio sat down around him. "What's with you?"

"You look like you just lost your best friend," Ronon added.

Teyla remained silent. She had seen the look on his face before, and she knew what it meant to a certain extent. She knew cajoling him would not be the answer to coaxing him out of his funk. She smiled softly at the quiet gratitude in his expression as his eyes darted up to meet hers at her continued silence.

"Perhaps," she said, mostly to the other two than to him, "we should mind our own business. You recalled the last time you tried to engage John in conversation when he was not in the mood to talk." This last was said with a pointed look at McKay.

McKay winced. "I ended up on every detestable mission this side of Pegasus," the astrophysicist stated ruefully. "As well as earned a three week vacation at the Caveman and Warrior Princess Resort; Combat training all day every day. See brochure for details and booking information."

Teyla was pleased to see the tiny twitch in the corner of Sheppard's mouth at McKay's words. She turned to Ronon with an uplifted brow. "And you?"

Ronon grinned, ripping into a piece of bread. "He made everyone force me to play golf during our last base-wide day off."

Teyla nodded sagely. "So, I hope you have both learned your lessons. When he is ready to speak to you, he will."

They all tucked into their dinners then, while Sheppard continued to push his food around the plate absently. "And even after all that," he said fifteen minutes later, as everyone was reaching the half-way point of their hitherto silent meal. Well, half0way for Ronon and Teyla. Rodney was already tucking into dessert. "You still suck at golf." He only spoke to see the collective reaction of stunned silence and mid-motion stops, really. It amused him.

McKay peered at him suspiciously, opening his mouth as if to say something in reply, but then thinking better of it and asking instead, "Are you going to eat that anytime soon?"

Sheppard dropped the fork onto the tray with a sigh and pushed it over to McKay. "No." He had half a mind to get up and leave them to the rest of their meal, but he didn't. Instead, he folded his hands across his stomach and got comfortable.

"Oh, good," McKay said, pulling the tray closer. "They were all out of this when we got to the line-up and I was really looking forward to it..."

Sheppard smiled sadly, taking in the team as they resumed eating, this time the usual chatter and conversation starting up. He didn't join in, but he knew they were still including him in the talk. It was as much a collective declaration of support and friendship as it was an effort to ignore his bad mood.

He had his friends, his family. That was all that mattered. He would deal with the rest of it some other time.

RP: Visiting New Athos

2007-11-19T18:39:25Z

[some time after this and this.]

She's still stinging from the conversation she had with John following the Marine sweep of Michael's base of operations. She had expected it to be unpleasant, but never had one of their arguments been so violent. She tried to reconcile his uncharacteristic behaviour during the mission with the aftermath as she waited for Chuck to dial the 'Gate. She was returned to her people for several days, a subtle request granted by a concerned Doctor Beckett.

That John was hurt and betrayed by her lies was no surprise; still, why a part of her had underestimated his ire was beyond her. She should know better.

The wormhole sprang into being, and Teyla barely registered the sounds. She repositioned her pack on her shoulder, double checked to make sure she had her GDO and then stepped into the glistening puddle.

She was met by her people as she stepped out on the other side. She forced a smile and allowed them to escort her back to the settlement, giving vague answers to their questions. She smiled at Rane, the young Athosian man she had decided would be the go-between for her and Michael, and headed to the tent her people had set up for her.

Once she had refreshed herself, she took a solo-hike out to the drop-point to make sure the place was still as hidden as she had remembered it. Satisified that all was in place, she sat down to meditate, hoping that the solitude would help calm her already frayed nerves.

[Um, I just realized that we forgot to do the "Beckett's dead bit" in the other RP, so, um, he'll be alive and we can kill him when Atlantis flees Lantea. Keller's presence is easily explained by stating that she was there for field experience and to work under Beckett so she could be more effective in her stint at the SGC and ends up being permanently stationed on Atlantis as Beckett's replacement.]

RP: The Colonel and The Mechanic -- For strawberry_luve

2007-10-31T13:31:24Z

((au that takes place in the LC. This has no bearing on either Shep's or Kaylee's canon. Unless we change our minds, of course.))

A Kaylee was sitting at the bar with her hair up in short pigtails. A pink foral dress and simple white shoes were her attire as she causal sipped on a strawberry shake as her eyes scan the new place she just discovered.

He's in full gear, having just entered what he thought was the inn on the planet they were on, sunglasses in place, P-90 at his side. He left his jacket behind in the jumper, deeming the planet too warm for his liking, opting for just his t-shirt and his tac-vest. He scans the room, looking over the rim of the glasses. "Well, this place is unassuming from the outside. I though you said these folks were farmers, McKay?" As he says the name he turns to look at the man and freezes as he notices that he is very much alone. ...Weird. "McKay?"

Kaylee tilts her head as she observes the man that just walked in. He didn't look Alliance......hmm.......he looked cute......men with sunglasses are sexy. She giggles to herself.

"Dammit, McKay, this isn't funny." He's looking around, clearly getting agitated. He opens the door and sticks his head out, but obviously turns up nothing. He lets the door close. "Huh." He turns back to the room-at-large. The glasses come off and get tucked into a pocket and he starts to slowly walk through the place.

Kaylee watches him with a small smile as he walks slowly into the cafe. He was even more good looking without the glasses. Well only one thing to do! She hops off the stool and fixes her dress before she walks over to him. "Hey. Ya look lost." she states kindly when she was close enough to him

He stops as the woman approaches him. He notes with mild amusement that she's fairly attractive. Why me? "You could say that. I'm just hoping my friends aren't playing a practical joke on me." He looks around, then leans in a little closer. "They are playing a joke on me, right? Ronon put you up to this? Or Teyla! She snuck in when I wasn't looking and set this all up, right?"

She shakes her head. "Would be hard fer 'em t'do that cause I've never met 'em before." She sticks out her hand. "I'm Kaylee."

"Darn. I was hoping to get the drop on them for once." He takes her hand in his free one and shakes it. "John."

Her smile is bright as she shakes his hand. "Pleasure t'meet ya, John an' maybe ya can if they haven' been t'th' Lunatic Cafe b'fore."

He raises a brow at that. "The Lunatic Cafe? Didn't think an agricultural planet would have a place called 'the lunatic cafe'. Then again, this galaxy has had some fairly nutty things in it."

Kaylee has to giggle at that and her hand comes up to cover it. "Nah silly!" she says playfully nudging him in the shoulder with her hand that was covering her mouth. "We're inna nexus! A different 'verse than ya planet or whatever."

He smiles as she nudges him, and he indulges her by rocking a little, as if she could budge him. "Okay, now I know McKay had something to do with this. Only he would be qualified in nexus...stuff." Off-handed wave.

She pouts a bit. "Who's McKay?" she asks tilting her head.

"He's my scientist buddy and a member of my team."

"Oh." she says with a slight nod. "Well, if I meet 'im I'll tell 'im it was very mean of 'im t'play this joke on ya." she says smiling so the joke would be present

He smiles at that, and even manages a chuckle. "Okay, so no joke being played on the old Lieutenant-Colonel. Gotcha."

She shakes her head again. "Nope." she says rocking a bit on her heels. "So, ya in th'......" she says to think a moment as she tries to think of what it would be called in his verse or wherever he was from.

Grin. "Air Force. It's a division of the military where I come from."

"Ah!" she says snapping her fingers. "I knew it! Th'stuff ya wearin' gives it away." she grins. "Cap would think it fancy though."

"If he thinks my combat gear is fancy, then he'd best not see my dress blues." He smiles wryly.

Head tilt. "Ya gotta wear a blue dress?"

He does that adorable amused snort of his, eyes dropping to the floor for an instant. "No, that's what they call the uniform we use for formal things, like award ceremonies and funerals and diplomatic events."

Kaylee smiles brightly. He had a very cute laugh. "Oh." she says simply. "Than....I'm guessin' ya were fightin'?" she motions to his gear.

He looks down at the kit and shakes his head. "No, it's just standard gear for missions. We were just scouting the planet I came from for resources and intelligent life. Found both, and we were about to meet them, but I ended up here instead."

Her face falls a bit as she realizes that she might have been keeping him from something very important. "Oh, well, if ya gotta get back all you gotta do is walk back through th'door an' think of th'place ya wanna be. I....I didn' mean t'keep you or anythin'...." she trails off a bit

"Nah, it's okay," he replies, quick to reassure her. "I am in the exploring-new-places business, and this would count, I'd think. Besides, if I didn't come back with any sort of Intel, McKay would kill me."

Her smile is back. "Well, I c'n show ya about if ya want. I've been 'ere a couple a times."

"That would be great," he says. And he means it. having a guide is inifintely easier. And having an attractive guide was a bonus

She takes his arm. "Okay than." she says simply and starts to pull him around the cafe. Introducing him to the people that she has met in the past and also to the bartender. They only stay a few minutes with each person since Kaylee had a lot of show John. She went to the arcade and showed the video games, yet he didn't have time to drool since she was pulling him again to the stage and thans showing the stairs to the rooms. "I've never been up there." she says as they stand at the base of the stairs. "Would be kinda silly t'go up there by yourself."

He takes it all in, making a mental note to swing by the arcade later on to get his hands on some of those games. When they finally make it to the bottom of the stairs, he lifts his shoulders in a shrug. "Not if you were tired and needed a place to stay."

Kaylee nods. "True." she says simply. "So, ya thirsty?" she asks absently hugging his arm a bit

He's bemused at the arm hugging, but says nothing. "I could use a drink, sure."

Bright smile and she tugs him to a booth and than finally lets him go as she slides into one side. "Th'waitress should be wit'us soon."

He takes the other side so he can look at her. He's comfortable enough to unstrap the P-90, but not so comfortable that it doesn't get put far away. In fact, it gets put right next to him on the seat within easy reach.

She watches him and his gun with a little bit of wonder. "Cap said I should learn." she says pointing to his gun. "It's just.....I'm not t'sure if I c'n you know....if th'time ever came."

He offers her a comforting smile. "It's okay. Knowing how to use one and actually using it to...you know...are two different things. Sometimes missing someone is better than hurting them. Good distraction technique if you can get good enough."

FIC: Guardians of Atlantis - Part 7

2007-10-10T00:45:27Z

Rating: PG (for now)
Warnings: If you're not up on at least the first 2 seasons, you may be spoiled something aweful. Be warned.
Disclaimer: MGM owns the franchise, Lionsgate owns the film. I? Own nothing. Except Alysia, since she's an OC and therefore belongs to me.
Summary: Alysia is stuck at a desk job on Atlantis when she should be out in the field. Her chance to prove herself comes with an unexpected discovery that could either save Atlantis, or destroy it.
Author's Notes: Yeah, sounds cliche and it probably is. I blame this plot bunny on having recently watched Atlantis: The Lost Empire after so many years. I make no apologies. Also, this story takes place very early on in Season 3. So key things that are now the norm for the Expedition that weren't at the start of the series are firmly in place and it may confuse you if you're not up on everything.

"Okay, let's see what we've got here..." Alysia mumbled at the screen. She tapped idly at the keys, waiting for Atlantis's system to run the modifications to the translation matrix. She had been at her computer since the moment they stepped back through the gate, trusting Sheppard's assurances that Dr. Weir wouldn't be upset if the young archaeologist missed the debriefing on the mission to P3M-597. That had been... She glanced at her watch and stifled a yawn. Cripes, that had been over six hours ago.

"Anything interesting?"

Alysia looked up into the smiling face of Atlantis's Administrator, as Elizabeth Weir slid a cup of coffee over to the young woman and pulled up a chair. The archaeologist gave her a tired smile and sighed. "Not yet. I'm just now getting to test the additions I made to the translation matrix on the already transcribed text."

"Ah. So, what are we hoping to translate, if it works?"

"This," Alysia replied, bringing up another window:

Elizabeth skimmed the text a few times, clearly baffled. "Well, I'll bite. And if Sheppard informed me correctly, you say that this text pre-dates the Ancients?"

"It does. But that's going solely on the fact that the carvings were less...new. They looked a lot more weather-worn than the chiselled Ancient runes that we found with it. So it's either a more primitive and artistic off-shoot of the Ancients, or another race entirely."

Elizabeth raised a brow at that. "Oh? And here McKay has been going on that this was an alien race."

"Well, that was my first impression, but as I was going over my data, something struck me; why would the Ancients go through all the trouble of transcribing portions of old, alien runes and not drop anything about them in the database, unless the aliens in question were the Ancients themselves?"

"Which would make a sort of sense, when you think of it," Elizabeth mused. "Every other friendly race out there is in the database, why would they omit these people? Especially if these aliens were worshipers of the Ancients, and believed them to be the creators of the heavens."

"Precisely. Now, if you don't call them aliens, and instead label them as the Elders of the Ancients, the generations that preceded the Ancients we keep reading about, then it makes perfect sense to leave them out of the database to protect the origins of the Ancestors."

"But why transcribe their own runes, then?"

"Why convert Old English poems into Modern English?" Alysia gave Elizabeth a bemused smile.

The elder woman smiled back and nodded. "Point taken. They wanted to preserve the records on-site and not risk anyone hacking their database to find...whatever it is they left behind."

"And they only translated enough for their descendants to be able to do what we're doing right now."

At that moment, the computer beeped and drew both women from their speculation. Alysia skimmed through some data and frowned. "Damn. So close, yet so far away."

"Didn't work?"

"Not exactly. I ran the Ancient text through the matrix to verify my own translation, and I was fairly accurate. This? This is a hack-job that would have McKay in tears."

Elizabeth fought back a laugh, but couldn't stifle the giggle that emerged. "I'll leave you to it, then. And just ping me when you run out of coffee and I'll send McKay down with more."

Alysia beamed. "Will do! I bet the rest of the Science Department will pay to see McKay reduced to such servitude."

Elizabeth's parting remark was simply, "Oh, Sheppard's already sold a bunch of tickets to the event..."

The young archaeologist dissolved in a fit of giggles, her fatigue finally forgotten for a brief moment.

FIC: Guardians of Atlantis - Part 6

2007-10-10T00:40:55Z

Rating: PG (for now)
Warnings: If you're not up on at least the first 2 seasons, you may be spoiled something aweful. Be warned.
Disclaimer: MGM owns the franchise, Lionsgate owns the film. I? Own nothing. Except Alysia, since she's an OC and therefore belongs to me.
Summary: Alysia is stuck at a desk job on Atlantis when she should be out in the field. Her chance to prove herself comes with an unexpected discovery that could either save Atlantis, or destroy it.
Author's Notes: Yeah, sounds cliche and it probably is. I blame this plot bunny on having recently watched Atlantis: The Lost Empire after so many years. I make no apologies. Also, this story takes place very early on in Season 3. So key things that are now the norm for the Expedition that weren't at the start of the series are firmly in place and it may confuse you if you're not up on everything.

Alysia spent several hours snapping digital pictures and capturing video of just about everything. Then, sketchbook in hand, she began to tackle McKay's pillar.

"A scientist with an artistic streak...That's a new one," Sheppard said behind her.

"Hardly," Alysia replied with a smile. "I just like having a personal rendition of any runes I have to translate so I can look back on my first impressions. I'll compare my drawings and interpretations of the symbols I see with the photos I took, later." She tilted the notebook so Sheppard could take a peek.

"Saves you a world of trouble in the case of dropped words from crap images, eh?"

Alysia gave him an impressed look. "Yes, exactly."

Sheppard grinned and moved off to continue his rounds. Alysia had only a few moments of peace before McKay took Sheppard's place at her shoulder. "So," he said, hands jammed in his pockets. "Has the guru of ancient gibberish stumbled upon any breakthroughs yet?"

With a roll of her eyes, she replied, "Yes, actually, I think I might have."

That caused McKay to start in surprise. "Really?" he intoned, crowding her to take a look at her notes. "What sort of breakthrough?"

She yanked the book away from him and took a couple of steps back. "Hey, there is such a thing as personal space, you know!" she said irritably.

"Hey, guys, play nice," Sheppard called, striding back towards them. "Don't make me send you to your rooms."

"Oh, you're hilarious." McKay sniffed loftily.

Alysia took a second to calm down before continuing. "Now, as I was saying, yes. I made a breakthrough. It looks like this new script is a direct translation of the Ancient text here." She gestured to the runes in question. "By making a comparison, I think I can possibly make out a crude sort of alphabet with the swirl-symbols."

"Yes, yes. That's all well and good, but what does it say?" McKay asked, impatient. "That is why we brought you along, after all."

"We brought her along to do the work of an archaeologist, Rodney," Sheppard replied, stepping into the conversation before the physicist pissed off said archaeologist any further.

"So far, all it says is that this was a place dedicated to an ancient race. The natives or at least the people that built this – for lack of a better word – temple, believed this ancient race to have seeded the night sky with the stars."

"Almost like a creation myth," Sheppard commented.

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Now, based on the depth and wear of the text, it looks like our standard Ancient text was written much, much later than the swirls, which means that the native populace predates them by a good many years."

"How many years, precisely?" McKay asked.

Alysia shrugged. "Without the proper equipment, it'll be hard to tell. But if I had to take a guess, I'd day at least a thousand."

Sheppard let out a low whistle. "That means the Ancients didn't bring the natives here, like they did with most of the other planets."

"Correction," McKay interjected. "The Ancients only brought humans to the worlds they created."

"This means, gentlemen that we are finally dealing with a truly alien race that could very well have been our allies if they had survived."

Sheppard and McKay exchanged a look. This was really big news, and for obvious reasons.

"So," Sheppard ventured, "Did these aliens happen to leave any notes on some cool and interesting toys they might have left behind?"

"I'm working on it," Alysia replied, turning back to the pillar. "See, it looks like the Ancients transcribed everything except this," she pointed to a block of writing. "It's almost like they added the translations so that those with the knowledge could use it as a Rosetta stone, of a sort. Always assuming, of course, that those with the know-how would be allies and that their enemies would be unable to decipher what was written here."

"So once you get that alphabet or whatever working, you'll be able to translate that stuff?" Sheppard asked.

"Yep. It'll take several hours of checking and cross-checking to make absolutely sure my theory is correct, but it shouldn't be an issue for the computers back home to cut the time in half."

"Right, so we head back at our scheduled check-in time and return in the morning."

Alysia nodded and McKay let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank God. I hate camping out."