Elegance (Atlantis, John/Elizabeth, PG)
Title: Elegance
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Fic series/verse: "Much Abides" ( Previous stories)
Pairing: John/Elizabeth
Rating: PG
Spoilers: General season 4/5; AU after "The Ghost in the Machine"
Word count: 1000
fanfic100 prompt: #19. White. My prompt table.
Summary: The shindig wasn't really what John expected of the Genii.
Author's notes: Written for picfor1000 (photo prompt). Set in my "Much Abides" 'verse, but all you really need to know is that Elizabeth was gone and now she's back.
The shindig wasn't really what John expected of the Genii.
They'd been told "formal" and had dressed accordingly, but somehow he hadn't really believed it. These were the Genii -- the people who pretended to be simple farmers, who lived in dank, industrial, underground caves. Formal for them had to mean that the floors were swept and when they ate, they used plates with a design on them. Nothing fancy.
The elegance they stepped into actually made him wonder for a moment if they'd 'gated to the right world. But no, the path they'd taken to get to the hall had been familiar, and there were the typical green-and-brown uniforms mingling among the crowd. They were in the right place. It just... didn't look like it. There was nothing dank, dirty, or industrial about the ballroom. It was brilliantly lit, clean, decorated in pure whites and soft creams. The guests were all dressed as formally as John and Elizabeth were. The outfits weren't the gowns and tuxes they would have been on Earth, but the intent was the same.
He glanced at Elizabeth, restraining a smirk. She outshone all of them. Her dress wasn't from Earth, either -- she'd done some off-world shopping with Teyla and Dr. Keller -- but it suited her: dark gold, high-necked, form fitting, with a skirt that brushed the floor. The long gloves were a nice touch, too. She looked like a queen.
She caught his look and flushed, smiling a little. "Come on," she murmured, "we should find our host."
He grimaced, hiding it behind a cough. "Do we have to?"
"Yes." Her mouth quirked with amusement, and she squeezed his arm gently. "Try to be nice."
"I'm always nice."
They maneuvered through the crowd, making small talk here and there. John looked past the elegance of the party to watch for possible threats -- hostile guests, soldiers, guards. These people had been their enemies, once upon a time. They'd tried to kill both him and Elizabeth on more than one occasion. Making nice with them in a social setting was actually a little surreal.
They quickly found the leader of the Genii, surrounded by a knot of admirers. When he spotted the pair from Atlantis approaching, he broke away and came towards them with a broad smile. "Dr. Weir! Colonel Sheppard." The greeting for John was brief; the wattage of his smile was obviously for Elizabeth's benefit. He took her hand, bowing over it with surprising grace. "You outshine every other woman here. I'm so happy you were able to come."
"I was honored by the invitation. You throw a lovely party."
Ladon grinned a little, glancing at John. "It's not what you expected, I think."
"Not really," John replied frankly.
Elizabeth shot him a look, but Ladon's answering laugh was relaxed. "No, and you would be right not to have."
"No?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"A few years ago, we never would have put on something like this. Tonight's celebration is a mix of the old and the new for my people. An update to tradition, if you will. This night of the year has always been given to honoring Astrana, she who brought light to my people. The ball, though, is inspired by celebrations we've seen on other worlds."
Elizabeth smiled, glancing out at the guests. "Your people seem to be embracing the change."
"There are those who disapprove, but you'd find them in more traditional celebrations tonight. I'm not interested in forcing innovations on my people, just introducing them. Ah, Dahlia." He broke off, smiling as a woman approached them. "Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard, you remember my lovely sister?"
She was lovely, wearing a deep blue dress and radiating happiness. She was also healthy, a nice change from the last time they'd seen her. John nodded a greeting while Elizabeth clasped her hand warmly. "It's nice to see you again. You look wonderful."
She flushed slightly, smiling. "Thank you. I owe that to you. I'm grateful every day for the life you gave back to me. I wondered -- the women's dance will be happening soon, and I thought you might like to join us, Dr. Weir."
"One of the traditional aspects of tonight's celebration," Ladon supplied, nodding genially.
"The steps are simple," Dahlia added, "and we truly would be thrilled to have you."
Elizabeth, ever the diplomat, didn't hesitate. "I would be honored. Gentlemen." She offered them both a parting smile, squeezing John's arm gently before following Dahlia off to join the other Genii women.
John watched her go, acutely aware that beside him, Ladon was also watching her. "I will admit," the other man commented after a moment, "I am pleased that she has returned to your people."
"Trust me, we're pleased, too."
Quietly, Ladon said, "You truly believed her to be dead."
John's gut twisted. "We did."
"If I didn't properly convey my sympathies then, let me do so now. Along with my felicitations on finding her again." He sounded sincere. At John's surprised glance, Ladon smiled slightly. "It's always been obvious how much you two care for one another. Never more so than tonight." He was silent for a moment, watching the women. "I know what it is to think a loved one is lost to you, only to have her returned. Most people in this life aren't so fortunate."
John looked across the room at Elizabeth, remembering. "I'm grateful for it every day."
"Good." Ladon nodded. "Good."
John didn't like the man beside him. He didn't trust him. But right now, he felt a kind of kinship with him. They both fell silent, watching as the women laughingly took their place on the dance floor. John waved a little when Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at them. Gratitude wasn't the only thing he felt when he looked at her, but it was high on the list. He made a mental note properly express that gratitude when they got back to Atlantis -- and every day thereafter.
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Fic series/verse: "Much Abides" ( Previous stories)
Pairing: John/Elizabeth
Rating: PG
Spoilers: General season 4/5; AU after "The Ghost in the Machine"
Word count: 1000
fanfic100 prompt: #19. White. My prompt table.
Summary: The shindig wasn't really what John expected of the Genii.
Author's notes: Written for picfor1000 (photo prompt). Set in my "Much Abides" 'verse, but all you really need to know is that Elizabeth was gone and now she's back.
The shindig wasn't really what John expected of the Genii.
They'd been told "formal" and had dressed accordingly, but somehow he hadn't really believed it. These were the Genii -- the people who pretended to be simple farmers, who lived in dank, industrial, underground caves. Formal for them had to mean that the floors were swept and when they ate, they used plates with a design on them. Nothing fancy.
The elegance they stepped into actually made him wonder for a moment if they'd 'gated to the right world. But no, the path they'd taken to get to the hall had been familiar, and there were the typical green-and-brown uniforms mingling among the crowd. They were in the right place. It just... didn't look like it. There was nothing dank, dirty, or industrial about the ballroom. It was brilliantly lit, clean, decorated in pure whites and soft creams. The guests were all dressed as formally as John and Elizabeth were. The outfits weren't the gowns and tuxes they would have been on Earth, but the intent was the same.
He glanced at Elizabeth, restraining a smirk. She outshone all of them. Her dress wasn't from Earth, either -- she'd done some off-world shopping with Teyla and Dr. Keller -- but it suited her: dark gold, high-necked, form fitting, with a skirt that brushed the floor. The long gloves were a nice touch, too. She looked like a queen.
She caught his look and flushed, smiling a little. "Come on," she murmured, "we should find our host."
He grimaced, hiding it behind a cough. "Do we have to?"
"Yes." Her mouth quirked with amusement, and she squeezed his arm gently. "Try to be nice."
"I'm always nice."
They maneuvered through the crowd, making small talk here and there. John looked past the elegance of the party to watch for possible threats -- hostile guests, soldiers, guards. These people had been their enemies, once upon a time. They'd tried to kill both him and Elizabeth on more than one occasion. Making nice with them in a social setting was actually a little surreal.
They quickly found the leader of the Genii, surrounded by a knot of admirers. When he spotted the pair from Atlantis approaching, he broke away and came towards them with a broad smile. "Dr. Weir! Colonel Sheppard." The greeting for John was brief; the wattage of his smile was obviously for Elizabeth's benefit. He took her hand, bowing over it with surprising grace. "You outshine every other woman here. I'm so happy you were able to come."
"I was honored by the invitation. You throw a lovely party."
Ladon grinned a little, glancing at John. "It's not what you expected, I think."
"Not really," John replied frankly.
Elizabeth shot him a look, but Ladon's answering laugh was relaxed. "No, and you would be right not to have."
"No?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"A few years ago, we never would have put on something like this. Tonight's celebration is a mix of the old and the new for my people. An update to tradition, if you will. This night of the year has always been given to honoring Astrana, she who brought light to my people. The ball, though, is inspired by celebrations we've seen on other worlds."
Elizabeth smiled, glancing out at the guests. "Your people seem to be embracing the change."
"There are those who disapprove, but you'd find them in more traditional celebrations tonight. I'm not interested in forcing innovations on my people, just introducing them. Ah, Dahlia." He broke off, smiling as a woman approached them. "Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard, you remember my lovely sister?"
She was lovely, wearing a deep blue dress and radiating happiness. She was also healthy, a nice change from the last time they'd seen her. John nodded a greeting while Elizabeth clasped her hand warmly. "It's nice to see you again. You look wonderful."
She flushed slightly, smiling. "Thank you. I owe that to you. I'm grateful every day for the life you gave back to me. I wondered -- the women's dance will be happening soon, and I thought you might like to join us, Dr. Weir."
"One of the traditional aspects of tonight's celebration," Ladon supplied, nodding genially.
"The steps are simple," Dahlia added, "and we truly would be thrilled to have you."
Elizabeth, ever the diplomat, didn't hesitate. "I would be honored. Gentlemen." She offered them both a parting smile, squeezing John's arm gently before following Dahlia off to join the other Genii women.
John watched her go, acutely aware that beside him, Ladon was also watching her. "I will admit," the other man commented after a moment, "I am pleased that she has returned to your people."
"Trust me, we're pleased, too."
Quietly, Ladon said, "You truly believed her to be dead."
John's gut twisted. "We did."
"If I didn't properly convey my sympathies then, let me do so now. Along with my felicitations on finding her again." He sounded sincere. At John's surprised glance, Ladon smiled slightly. "It's always been obvious how much you two care for one another. Never more so than tonight." He was silent for a moment, watching the women. "I know what it is to think a loved one is lost to you, only to have her returned. Most people in this life aren't so fortunate."
John looked across the room at Elizabeth, remembering. "I'm grateful for it every day."
"Good." Ladon nodded. "Good."
John didn't like the man beside him. He didn't trust him. But right now, he felt a kind of kinship with him. They both fell silent, watching as the women laughingly took their place on the dance floor. John waved a little when Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at them. Gratitude wasn't the only thing he felt when he looked at her, but it was high on the list. He made a mental note properly express that gratitude when they got back to Atlantis -- and every day thereafter.