[Stargate] "Fair Winds" [John/Rodney, G]
Title: Fair Winds
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: 100_tales 010 wind
Rating: G
Word Count: 792
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Setting: part of my Alternate Lives series
Summary: Atlantis is becalmed, but her crew isn’t worried.
Fair Winds
“I thought we were making for that island,” said Meredith, blinking at the distant rocky shore. “Why aren’t we moving?”
John turned to look at her. “There’s no wind.”
“Hmm,” she said. “Is that normal?”
“Somewhat,” he replied, resisting the urge to smile - his wife knew everything about ships and their construction that one could learn from books, but had not one ounce of practical seamanship.
“And what are we doing about this?” Meredith asked.
“Nothing to be done, ma’am,” said Ford. “We’ll just have to wait for the wind to pick up again.”
She scowled, “That’s nonsense,” and marched back into the cabin.
“Uh, captain…” said Ford.
John shrugged. “If anyone can summon the wind for a becalmed ship, it would be her.”
“Aye, sir,” the other man agreed.
The captain continued his tour of the deck, stopping to check in with each member of his crew. They were frustrated at having been becalmed, but were all holding up well. Lorne was using the time to go over their logbooks and update their maps. Ronon was steadily carving himself a zoo of palm-sized wooden figures, and Parrish’s flower boxes were flourishing under his undivided care.
John had just come back around to the door of his cabin when Meredith’s voice yelled, “Sheppard!”
“Mr. Lorne,” said John, mildly, “I’ll be in my quarters.”
“Yes, sir,” his first mate replied. He was clearly trying not to laugh - on account of his own professionalism, John knew, not out of fear of upsetting his captain.
The way Meredith had repaired their mast in her first days aboard the Atlantis had earned her the good-will of John’s crew, and young Ford had confided to him that they very much approved of how happy she made their captain.
The door to his cabin had been left open and John just stood there for a moment, watching.
Meredith had not entirely given up wearing dresses, but she was just as often seen wearing breeches now, especially if there was repair work to be done. Her hands were becoming callused from that work and freckles were beginning to dot her face.
John thought she was more beautiful every day.
Meredith turned, clearly about to shout for him again, and spotted him standing there. “How long have you been lurking?” she demanded.
John grinned. “Long enough.”
“Well, stop that and come help me.”
She had several large sheets of paper spread over his desk, charts of the area held down with her science books for weights. A smaller page bore Meredith’s own handwriting, notations around a blob that John would not have recognized as the island they were approaching had she not labeled it.
“I’m not sure I can help with this,” said John. “What are you doing?”
“Charting the weather.” Scowling, she shuffled her papers. “This would be so much easier if I could have a three-dimensional representation of the data. Or if I could have the image move.”
“I would say those things were impossible,” said John. “But I have learned never to doubt you, my love.”
Meredith’s ears flushed pink but she ignored him. “If you had chosen a respectable career, become a banker or a lawyer, you wouldn’t have these problems, captain.”
“If I had become a lawyer or a banker,” said John, “I wouldn’t have been the one to pull you from the ocean and I would have regretted that for the rest of my days.”
She snorted. “You’d never have met me, Sheppard, so you wouldn’t know what you were missing.
John took her hand. “There would have been an aching chasm in my heart,” he said, with a straight face. “I would have forever been looking toward the horizon, unfulfilled.
Meredith yanked her hand away, “That is poetic drivel, Sheppard, and you know it, “ but when he reached for it again, she didn’t pull away.
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me,” John told her, seriously. “I love you with all my heart.”
Her expression softened. “You did promise me a lovesick captain,” she said, and kissed him.
“Captain! Oh, excuse me,” said Parrish, turning his back to give them privacy, as though John did not regularly kiss his wife out on the deck where anyone could see them. “Begging your pardon, sir. Mr. Lorne’s compliments, and the wind seems to be picking up.”
A gentle breeze ruffled the lacings of John’s shirt. “So it is, Mr. Parrish,” he agreed. “Tell Mr. Lorne to make sail as soon as he’s able.”
“Yes, sir,” said Parrish. “And, sir? There’s those who believe it’s bad luck to have a woman aboard ship, but I think our luck has never been better than since Mrs. Sheppard joined us.”
John grinned. “I agree.”
THE END
Current Mood:
need coffee
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: 100_tales 010 wind
Rating: G
Word Count: 792
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Setting: part of my Alternate Lives series
Summary: Atlantis is becalmed, but her crew isn’t worried.
Fair Winds
“I thought we were making for that island,” said Meredith, blinking at the distant rocky shore. “Why aren’t we moving?”
John turned to look at her. “There’s no wind.”
“Hmm,” she said. “Is that normal?”
“Somewhat,” he replied, resisting the urge to smile - his wife knew everything about ships and their construction that one could learn from books, but had not one ounce of practical seamanship.
“And what are we doing about this?” Meredith asked.
“Nothing to be done, ma’am,” said Ford. “We’ll just have to wait for the wind to pick up again.”
She scowled, “That’s nonsense,” and marched back into the cabin.
“Uh, captain…” said Ford.
John shrugged. “If anyone can summon the wind for a becalmed ship, it would be her.”
“Aye, sir,” the other man agreed.
The captain continued his tour of the deck, stopping to check in with each member of his crew. They were frustrated at having been becalmed, but were all holding up well. Lorne was using the time to go over their logbooks and update their maps. Ronon was steadily carving himself a zoo of palm-sized wooden figures, and Parrish’s flower boxes were flourishing under his undivided care.
John had just come back around to the door of his cabin when Meredith’s voice yelled, “Sheppard!”
“Mr. Lorne,” said John, mildly, “I’ll be in my quarters.”
“Yes, sir,” his first mate replied. He was clearly trying not to laugh - on account of his own professionalism, John knew, not out of fear of upsetting his captain.
The way Meredith had repaired their mast in her first days aboard the Atlantis had earned her the good-will of John’s crew, and young Ford had confided to him that they very much approved of how happy she made their captain.
The door to his cabin had been left open and John just stood there for a moment, watching.
Meredith had not entirely given up wearing dresses, but she was just as often seen wearing breeches now, especially if there was repair work to be done. Her hands were becoming callused from that work and freckles were beginning to dot her face.
John thought she was more beautiful every day.
Meredith turned, clearly about to shout for him again, and spotted him standing there. “How long have you been lurking?” she demanded.
John grinned. “Long enough.”
“Well, stop that and come help me.”
She had several large sheets of paper spread over his desk, charts of the area held down with her science books for weights. A smaller page bore Meredith’s own handwriting, notations around a blob that John would not have recognized as the island they were approaching had she not labeled it.
“I’m not sure I can help with this,” said John. “What are you doing?”
“Charting the weather.” Scowling, she shuffled her papers. “This would be so much easier if I could have a three-dimensional representation of the data. Or if I could have the image move.”
“I would say those things were impossible,” said John. “But I have learned never to doubt you, my love.”
Meredith’s ears flushed pink but she ignored him. “If you had chosen a respectable career, become a banker or a lawyer, you wouldn’t have these problems, captain.”
“If I had become a lawyer or a banker,” said John, “I wouldn’t have been the one to pull you from the ocean and I would have regretted that for the rest of my days.”
She snorted. “You’d never have met me, Sheppard, so you wouldn’t know what you were missing.
John took her hand. “There would have been an aching chasm in my heart,” he said, with a straight face. “I would have forever been looking toward the horizon, unfulfilled.
Meredith yanked her hand away, “That is poetic drivel, Sheppard, and you know it, “ but when he reached for it again, she didn’t pull away.
“You are the best thing that ever happened to me,” John told her, seriously. “I love you with all my heart.”
Her expression softened. “You did promise me a lovesick captain,” she said, and kissed him.
“Captain! Oh, excuse me,” said Parrish, turning his back to give them privacy, as though John did not regularly kiss his wife out on the deck where anyone could see them. “Begging your pardon, sir. Mr. Lorne’s compliments, and the wind seems to be picking up.”
A gentle breeze ruffled the lacings of John’s shirt. “So it is, Mr. Parrish,” he agreed. “Tell Mr. Lorne to make sail as soon as he’s able.”
“Yes, sir,” said Parrish. “And, sir? There’s those who believe it’s bad luck to have a woman aboard ship, but I think our luck has never been better than since Mrs. Sheppard joined us.”
John grinned. “I agree.”
THE END
Current Mood:
need coffee