Stargateland Five Things Challenge
Written for Stargateland's Five Things Challenge. Both Five Things fics are gen, PG. Total word count for both five things: 2532
FIVE TIMES JOHN SHEPPARD HATED BEING IN ELIZABETH WEIR'S OFFICE mentions events in "Hot Zone," "Trinity," "Conversion," "Sunday," and "Lifeline." Transcript quotes from Gateworld.com.
FIVE TIMES JOHN SHEPPARD HATED BEING IN ELIZABETH WEIR'S OFFICE
FIRST TIME
Sheppard left Elizabeth's office, heading for the gate room transporter, still fuming. Rodney and Carson were following him, so he picked up his pace reaching the transporter ahead of them. He stepped inside, and without turning around tapped the display, the closing doors silencing Rodney's yell to wait for them. The transporter deposited him on the southwest pier, and he started walking toward his favorite spot to hide. Purposely, until he arrived at the terrace that offered a magnificent view of the city, he fought against thinking about his conversation with Elizabeth.
The door to the building slid open as he approached; he bounded up the stairs in the lobby to the mezzanine and through familiar stained glassed doors. Collapsing on the stairs that led to the terrace, he chided himself.
"Way to go, John; even Elizabeth considers you a screw-up." He cradled his head in his hands, waiting for his nerves to calm, Weir's words swirling in his thoughts.
"…you are not the one who decides what is and what is not a military situation."
If he wasn't the one to decide what was a military situation, then who was, Elizabeth? Sheppard didn't believe that, Weir was a bureaucrat, a government lackey who attempted to negotiate her way out of conflict. Just she because she was good at it, didn't mean she was right. The government gave her the parameters she was to deal with and when she failed, they always turned to the military. He wasn't a fool; when people's lives were in danger, it was time to act; Elizabeth was too cautious.
Lifting his head, he gazed at the city. Although few lights were illuminated, the scene before him was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Atlantis floated in shadows, moonlight casting an eerie glow across the ocean that surrounded her.
"…both General O'Neill and Colonel Sumner warned me that you don't respect the proper chain of command."
Those words hurt. Those words had made him hate being in Elizabeth's office and want to escape. He had convinced himself that she knew him better than that. After what they had gone through with the Genii, only a few weeks before, he thought she understood, he would do what he had to do to protect them. Apparently, she didn't, anymore than she understood what had led him to defy orders so long ago. He had paid for that choice, but he would make the same choice again if necessary. When lives were at stake, he had to act. Elizabeth would have to understand.
SECOND TIME
John Sheppard had been avoiding, with some success, Rodney McKay in the forty-eight hours, since they had returned from Doranda. What he was finding difficult was avoiding Elizabeth Weir. He had found excuses for not answering her request to meet with her, but those excuses were beginning to wear thin. Time was up and he decided to meet her. He felt like he was being summoned to the principal's office.
Weir's head was down, peering at her laptop monitor when he walked in, quite stealthy; SO training came in handy. Dropping into a chair across from her desk, Sheppard stretched out his long legs, slouching in the seat. He waited for her to react to his presence, and when she didn't, he blurted, "You wanted to see me?'
She gasped, as her head snapped up, "You could have knocked, Lt. Colonel."
The snide tone she spoke when uttering his rank was not lost on him. "Okay, no 'John' today, so I apparently must be in trouble." He flashed his most charming grin, then allowed it to fade. Her demeanor clearly displayed her lack of amusement.
"We need to discuss Rodney; he's distressed that you are angry with him."
Sheppard snorted, "No, you want to discuss my convincing you to allow Rodney to return to Doranda when you didn't think it was a good idea."
"Well, it wasn't now, was it?"
Sheppard stared at her, his deep breath the only indication of his anger, "I told you at the time, Rodney asked me to trust him. I did."
"You should know by now that Rodney needs to be restrained, at times; his imagination usually moves at a faster pace than his judgment."
"That's your opinion; I think we need to let him make mistakes, he'll learn that 'better judgment' you think he needs that way."
"You'd risk him dying, or someone else dying, just so he could learn better judgment?"
Sheppard leaned forward, "I would never risk that, and you know it. That's why I went along and that's why he's alive."
"You're both alive because Caldwell chose to play peeping tom and keep an eye out on the weapon."
It was then that Sheppard knew what was making her angry, "Oh, I get it; you're not mad at Rodney, or at me for believing in him or making him sweat a bit now. You're mad at the military, because you know damn well Caldwell was right; the Air Force would have a very strong interest in a weapon like the one on Doranda. The decision was out of your hands and you didn't like it."
Weir sat silently for a moment, then very quietly replied, "Yes, I'll admit that; I am in charge of Atlantis and I don't like the military throwing their weight around."
Sheppard stood up, "The last time the military threw their weight around, you stood up for me, and they promoted me. You regretting that, Dr. Weir? After all, I am military, and you don't seem to trust us."
She stood up, starting to speak, but Sheppard cut her off, "For the record, I am not mad at Rodney; I know he was only doing what he thought was the right thing to do. I'm letting him squirm a bit, so he’ll think about what happened and perhaps not rush into something without thinking next time. Maybe you should do the same."
He turned quickly, striding out of Weir's office, chastising himself for not continuing to avoid her. This was one time he hated walking into her office, and even more, hated walking out.
THIRD TIME
The Marines escorting him back to the infirmary were uneasy; he could sense it but he didn't blame them. He had just gone to Elizabeth's office and made a fool of himself. Shattering a glass wall wasn't exactly the way to convince her he was in control and capable of going on the mission.
Damn it, he did need to accompany his team to the planet where the Iratus bug lived. He was the one transforming into a bug; he should be the one risking his life, whatever life he had to risk. He couldn't ask his friends to risk their lives. Elizabeth didn't understand; no one could understand, he was changing into a bug. Slowly, his life, his existence, was slipping away
As they reached the infirmary, Sheppard realized he should have not gone to Elizabeth's office. If he had only waited until the gate opened, he could have slipped through with his team before the guards could react. Now, they were expecting him to try something. It was too late; he did the one thing he hated. The one thing that would prevent him from going on that mission, he had gone to Elizabeth's office.
FOURTH TIME
The Daedalus arrived at Atlantis, establishing orbit, and John Sheppard, and the others, who had accompanied Carson Beckett's body back to Earth, beamed into the gate room. Rodney, and Radek and immediately headed for the labs, Rodney muttering about what damage had been done while they were gone. Dr. Cole headed for the infirmary to prepare for the arrival of the new doctor, while Ronon headed for the mess hall and Lorne to his office. Sheppard stood in the middle of the gate room floor, well aware that Elizabeth Weir was watching him. The last thing he wanted to do was visit Elizabeth's office to discuss Carson. He was going to hate this, but knew he had to report.
As he walked through the control room, Chuck and the others nodded respectfully. From their somber expressions, Sheppard was certain that their arrival back o Atlantis had re-opened the pain of that Sunday afternoon. It certainly had for him.
Elizabeth was waiting for him, sitting at her desk staring at her computer screen, trying to act as if she didn't know he had arrived. He rapped on the doorframe and walked in her office. As she looked up, he smiled slightly and sat down across from her.
"Welcome back, John."
"Good to be home; being cooped up in a spaceship with McKay fretting about how much damaged the 'idiot so-called science staff' had caused while he was gone, was no fun."
As he was speaking, he placed a small envelop on her desk, prompting her to raise her eyebrow. "Carson's mother wanted you to have a copy of the program from Carson's funeral, and I think she included a note for you." He was looking down at his feet as he spoke.
"How is Mrs. Beckett doing?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
Sheppard looked up, but still would not look directly at her, "She's devastated, but strong; she helped us get through that horrible afternoon of his funeral. We stayed a couple of days with her, as much for us, as for her."
"You, Rodney, and the others; you did the right thing to take him home."
Sheppard sighed, "Yeah; it was." Quickly, he changed the subject, "Stargate Command sent a new doctor, her name is Jennifer Keller. She's quite young, but Landry said she is extremely smart. She's nervous; you probably need to keep an eye on her, help her settle in." He stood up, "I need to go, check with Lorne and see what's been going on."
"Good idea, John," she paused, "We should probably have a staff meeting so everyone can catch up." He nodded, and she added softy, "We'll get through this."
Sheppard was nearly at the door; without turning back, he replied, "We go on, Elizabeth."
FIFTH TIME
It was 0314 hours as he wandered through the darkened gate room; the only illumination coming from sconces scattered around the area. The squad on gate duty, quietly acknowledged him, but the banter they usually exchanged with him when he visited at that hour, was absent.
Climbing the stairs toward the control room, he paused at the sight of the large expanse of clear glass that had hurriedly been installed in the huge window. They hadn't had time to replace the broken glass with the Ancient panels they had discovered months ago in a storage chamber. He shook his head, just another reminder.
Crossing the quiet control room, the night gate tech nodded, asking him if he wanted coffee. He shook his head and kept walking, walking toward the one place he didn't want to go, but felt compelled to go; Elizabeth Weir's office.
It had been two days, since he had flown Atlantis onto the surface of the ocean on the new planet. Two days since they lost her; two days, since she gave him the order to leave the Replicator planet, leaving her behind. As he walked into the familiar space, he wondered what more could they lose.
The office was bare; Teyla had packed up Elizabeth's belongings, refusing anyone's help. He smiled; Ronon refused to allow her do that task alone and had remained with her. He sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, her desk…no longer.
Reminiscing about times spent in this office, he thought how the relationship between them had developed. He knew at the beginning, that she looked at him as a sort of renegade, someone who she needed on the mission, but had to control his rebellious nature. Eventually, she learned he wasn't rebellious, just pragmatic. He would do what he had to ensure the safety of the people he was charged to protect. At first, she didn't understand that, anymore than she really understood what Rodney was about at first. She had wanted to protect Rodney from himself, but he knew that Rodney had to learn to protect himself.
They had clashed, especially early on. Elizabeth didn't trust the military, and he understood she had reason to distrust some of the decisions made regarding Atlantis. However, Elizabeth had one problem; she was a negotiator, a diplomat, not an administrator, at least, not at the beginning. She wanted to talk her way out of everything and when he objected, she accused him of wanting to fight his way out of everything thing. She didn't understand that neither he nor the military went looking for a fight, but they would damn sure fight when the need arose.
Eventually, he and Elizabeth both learned how to compromise, and trust each other. They both loved Atlantis and they would both give their lives to protect her. Only, he always assumed it would be his life sacrificed for Atlantis, not hers.
"If you don’t leave right now, none of us will get out of here, so go. THAT’S AN ORDER!"
He sucked in a deep breath as her last words flooded his brain. That moment would never leave him, but she was right, it was the right thing to do. He rose from the chair taking a long look around the vacant office. He considered how much time he had spent there, sometimes hating what was happening to bring him there, but none, more than this time.
John Sheppard paused at the doorway, glancing back at the desk, whispering, "Elizabeth, I'll keep Atlantis safe for you."
FIVE THINGS RADEK ZELENKA VOWED NEVER TO DO AGAIN…
1. Zelenka vowed never to reprogram the new voice-response requisition program with a sultry female voice again. Woolsey was still yelling about the amount of supplies the Marines ordered.
2. Zelenka vowed not to replace Sergeant Johnston's favorite Black Eyed Peas DVD with a DVD of Michael Bolton's greatest hits, ever again. It wasn't smart to piss off a 6'5", 250-pound Marine; the man liked his Fergie.
3. Zelenka vowed never again to rig Rodney's lab door to play Ruffles and Flourishes every time Rodney entered. He vowed never to do it again, because Rodney enjoyed it far too much; even requesting to have it installed in his quarters, as well. Zelenka realized that Rodney's ego knew no bounds.
4. Zelenka vowed never again to add blue dye to the blue jello. The dye was harmless, causing only a slight skin stain that wore off in a couple of days. However, in the case of one Major Evan Lorne, who had an allergic reaction to the dye; unfortunately, the color lasted for a couple of weeks. Lorne quickly became tired of being called Major Smurf, mostly by Colonel Sheppard, and vowed revenge. No, Zelenka would not do that again.
5. Zelenka vowed never to replace Colonel Sheppard's hair gel with liquid starch ever again…ever. He also learned that he could not outrun an angry colonel, who was brandishing the 'fake hair gel' container. Zelenka was still picking dried flakes of starch out of his own hair.
FIVE TIMES JOHN SHEPPARD HATED BEING IN ELIZABETH WEIR'S OFFICE mentions events in "Hot Zone," "Trinity," "Conversion," "Sunday," and "Lifeline." Transcript quotes from Gateworld.com.
FIVE TIMES JOHN SHEPPARD HATED BEING IN ELIZABETH WEIR'S OFFICE
FIRST TIME
Sheppard left Elizabeth's office, heading for the gate room transporter, still fuming. Rodney and Carson were following him, so he picked up his pace reaching the transporter ahead of them. He stepped inside, and without turning around tapped the display, the closing doors silencing Rodney's yell to wait for them. The transporter deposited him on the southwest pier, and he started walking toward his favorite spot to hide. Purposely, until he arrived at the terrace that offered a magnificent view of the city, he fought against thinking about his conversation with Elizabeth.
The door to the building slid open as he approached; he bounded up the stairs in the lobby to the mezzanine and through familiar stained glassed doors. Collapsing on the stairs that led to the terrace, he chided himself.
"Way to go, John; even Elizabeth considers you a screw-up." He cradled his head in his hands, waiting for his nerves to calm, Weir's words swirling in his thoughts.
"…you are not the one who decides what is and what is not a military situation."
If he wasn't the one to decide what was a military situation, then who was, Elizabeth? Sheppard didn't believe that, Weir was a bureaucrat, a government lackey who attempted to negotiate her way out of conflict. Just she because she was good at it, didn't mean she was right. The government gave her the parameters she was to deal with and when she failed, they always turned to the military. He wasn't a fool; when people's lives were in danger, it was time to act; Elizabeth was too cautious.
Lifting his head, he gazed at the city. Although few lights were illuminated, the scene before him was the most beautiful he had ever seen. Atlantis floated in shadows, moonlight casting an eerie glow across the ocean that surrounded her.
"…both General O'Neill and Colonel Sumner warned me that you don't respect the proper chain of command."
Those words hurt. Those words had made him hate being in Elizabeth's office and want to escape. He had convinced himself that she knew him better than that. After what they had gone through with the Genii, only a few weeks before, he thought she understood, he would do what he had to do to protect them. Apparently, she didn't, anymore than she understood what had led him to defy orders so long ago. He had paid for that choice, but he would make the same choice again if necessary. When lives were at stake, he had to act. Elizabeth would have to understand.
SECOND TIME
John Sheppard had been avoiding, with some success, Rodney McKay in the forty-eight hours, since they had returned from Doranda. What he was finding difficult was avoiding Elizabeth Weir. He had found excuses for not answering her request to meet with her, but those excuses were beginning to wear thin. Time was up and he decided to meet her. He felt like he was being summoned to the principal's office.
Weir's head was down, peering at her laptop monitor when he walked in, quite stealthy; SO training came in handy. Dropping into a chair across from her desk, Sheppard stretched out his long legs, slouching in the seat. He waited for her to react to his presence, and when she didn't, he blurted, "You wanted to see me?'
She gasped, as her head snapped up, "You could have knocked, Lt. Colonel."
The snide tone she spoke when uttering his rank was not lost on him. "Okay, no 'John' today, so I apparently must be in trouble." He flashed his most charming grin, then allowed it to fade. Her demeanor clearly displayed her lack of amusement.
"We need to discuss Rodney; he's distressed that you are angry with him."
Sheppard snorted, "No, you want to discuss my convincing you to allow Rodney to return to Doranda when you didn't think it was a good idea."
"Well, it wasn't now, was it?"
Sheppard stared at her, his deep breath the only indication of his anger, "I told you at the time, Rodney asked me to trust him. I did."
"You should know by now that Rodney needs to be restrained, at times; his imagination usually moves at a faster pace than his judgment."
"That's your opinion; I think we need to let him make mistakes, he'll learn that 'better judgment' you think he needs that way."
"You'd risk him dying, or someone else dying, just so he could learn better judgment?"
Sheppard leaned forward, "I would never risk that, and you know it. That's why I went along and that's why he's alive."
"You're both alive because Caldwell chose to play peeping tom and keep an eye out on the weapon."
It was then that Sheppard knew what was making her angry, "Oh, I get it; you're not mad at Rodney, or at me for believing in him or making him sweat a bit now. You're mad at the military, because you know damn well Caldwell was right; the Air Force would have a very strong interest in a weapon like the one on Doranda. The decision was out of your hands and you didn't like it."
Weir sat silently for a moment, then very quietly replied, "Yes, I'll admit that; I am in charge of Atlantis and I don't like the military throwing their weight around."
Sheppard stood up, "The last time the military threw their weight around, you stood up for me, and they promoted me. You regretting that, Dr. Weir? After all, I am military, and you don't seem to trust us."
She stood up, starting to speak, but Sheppard cut her off, "For the record, I am not mad at Rodney; I know he was only doing what he thought was the right thing to do. I'm letting him squirm a bit, so he’ll think about what happened and perhaps not rush into something without thinking next time. Maybe you should do the same."
He turned quickly, striding out of Weir's office, chastising himself for not continuing to avoid her. This was one time he hated walking into her office, and even more, hated walking out.
THIRD TIME
The Marines escorting him back to the infirmary were uneasy; he could sense it but he didn't blame them. He had just gone to Elizabeth's office and made a fool of himself. Shattering a glass wall wasn't exactly the way to convince her he was in control and capable of going on the mission.
Damn it, he did need to accompany his team to the planet where the Iratus bug lived. He was the one transforming into a bug; he should be the one risking his life, whatever life he had to risk. He couldn't ask his friends to risk their lives. Elizabeth didn't understand; no one could understand, he was changing into a bug. Slowly, his life, his existence, was slipping away
As they reached the infirmary, Sheppard realized he should have not gone to Elizabeth's office. If he had only waited until the gate opened, he could have slipped through with his team before the guards could react. Now, they were expecting him to try something. It was too late; he did the one thing he hated. The one thing that would prevent him from going on that mission, he had gone to Elizabeth's office.
FOURTH TIME
The Daedalus arrived at Atlantis, establishing orbit, and John Sheppard, and the others, who had accompanied Carson Beckett's body back to Earth, beamed into the gate room. Rodney, and Radek and immediately headed for the labs, Rodney muttering about what damage had been done while they were gone. Dr. Cole headed for the infirmary to prepare for the arrival of the new doctor, while Ronon headed for the mess hall and Lorne to his office. Sheppard stood in the middle of the gate room floor, well aware that Elizabeth Weir was watching him. The last thing he wanted to do was visit Elizabeth's office to discuss Carson. He was going to hate this, but knew he had to report.
As he walked through the control room, Chuck and the others nodded respectfully. From their somber expressions, Sheppard was certain that their arrival back o Atlantis had re-opened the pain of that Sunday afternoon. It certainly had for him.
Elizabeth was waiting for him, sitting at her desk staring at her computer screen, trying to act as if she didn't know he had arrived. He rapped on the doorframe and walked in her office. As she looked up, he smiled slightly and sat down across from her.
"Welcome back, John."
"Good to be home; being cooped up in a spaceship with McKay fretting about how much damaged the 'idiot so-called science staff' had caused while he was gone, was no fun."
As he was speaking, he placed a small envelop on her desk, prompting her to raise her eyebrow. "Carson's mother wanted you to have a copy of the program from Carson's funeral, and I think she included a note for you." He was looking down at his feet as he spoke.
"How is Mrs. Beckett doing?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
Sheppard looked up, but still would not look directly at her, "She's devastated, but strong; she helped us get through that horrible afternoon of his funeral. We stayed a couple of days with her, as much for us, as for her."
"You, Rodney, and the others; you did the right thing to take him home."
Sheppard sighed, "Yeah; it was." Quickly, he changed the subject, "Stargate Command sent a new doctor, her name is Jennifer Keller. She's quite young, but Landry said she is extremely smart. She's nervous; you probably need to keep an eye on her, help her settle in." He stood up, "I need to go, check with Lorne and see what's been going on."
"Good idea, John," she paused, "We should probably have a staff meeting so everyone can catch up." He nodded, and she added softy, "We'll get through this."
Sheppard was nearly at the door; without turning back, he replied, "We go on, Elizabeth."
FIFTH TIME
It was 0314 hours as he wandered through the darkened gate room; the only illumination coming from sconces scattered around the area. The squad on gate duty, quietly acknowledged him, but the banter they usually exchanged with him when he visited at that hour, was absent.
Climbing the stairs toward the control room, he paused at the sight of the large expanse of clear glass that had hurriedly been installed in the huge window. They hadn't had time to replace the broken glass with the Ancient panels they had discovered months ago in a storage chamber. He shook his head, just another reminder.
Crossing the quiet control room, the night gate tech nodded, asking him if he wanted coffee. He shook his head and kept walking, walking toward the one place he didn't want to go, but felt compelled to go; Elizabeth Weir's office.
It had been two days, since he had flown Atlantis onto the surface of the ocean on the new planet. Two days since they lost her; two days, since she gave him the order to leave the Replicator planet, leaving her behind. As he walked into the familiar space, he wondered what more could they lose.
The office was bare; Teyla had packed up Elizabeth's belongings, refusing anyone's help. He smiled; Ronon refused to allow her do that task alone and had remained with her. He sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, her desk…no longer.
Reminiscing about times spent in this office, he thought how the relationship between them had developed. He knew at the beginning, that she looked at him as a sort of renegade, someone who she needed on the mission, but had to control his rebellious nature. Eventually, she learned he wasn't rebellious, just pragmatic. He would do what he had to ensure the safety of the people he was charged to protect. At first, she didn't understand that, anymore than she really understood what Rodney was about at first. She had wanted to protect Rodney from himself, but he knew that Rodney had to learn to protect himself.
They had clashed, especially early on. Elizabeth didn't trust the military, and he understood she had reason to distrust some of the decisions made regarding Atlantis. However, Elizabeth had one problem; she was a negotiator, a diplomat, not an administrator, at least, not at the beginning. She wanted to talk her way out of everything and when he objected, she accused him of wanting to fight his way out of everything thing. She didn't understand that neither he nor the military went looking for a fight, but they would damn sure fight when the need arose.
Eventually, he and Elizabeth both learned how to compromise, and trust each other. They both loved Atlantis and they would both give their lives to protect her. Only, he always assumed it would be his life sacrificed for Atlantis, not hers.
"If you don’t leave right now, none of us will get out of here, so go. THAT’S AN ORDER!"
He sucked in a deep breath as her last words flooded his brain. That moment would never leave him, but she was right, it was the right thing to do. He rose from the chair taking a long look around the vacant office. He considered how much time he had spent there, sometimes hating what was happening to bring him there, but none, more than this time.
John Sheppard paused at the doorway, glancing back at the desk, whispering, "Elizabeth, I'll keep Atlantis safe for you."
FIVE THINGS RADEK ZELENKA VOWED NEVER TO DO AGAIN…
1. Zelenka vowed never to reprogram the new voice-response requisition program with a sultry female voice again. Woolsey was still yelling about the amount of supplies the Marines ordered.
2. Zelenka vowed not to replace Sergeant Johnston's favorite Black Eyed Peas DVD with a DVD of Michael Bolton's greatest hits, ever again. It wasn't smart to piss off a 6'5", 250-pound Marine; the man liked his Fergie.
3. Zelenka vowed never again to rig Rodney's lab door to play Ruffles and Flourishes every time Rodney entered. He vowed never to do it again, because Rodney enjoyed it far too much; even requesting to have it installed in his quarters, as well. Zelenka realized that Rodney's ego knew no bounds.
4. Zelenka vowed never again to add blue dye to the blue jello. The dye was harmless, causing only a slight skin stain that wore off in a couple of days. However, in the case of one Major Evan Lorne, who had an allergic reaction to the dye; unfortunately, the color lasted for a couple of weeks. Lorne quickly became tired of being called Major Smurf, mostly by Colonel Sheppard, and vowed revenge. No, Zelenka would not do that again.
5. Zelenka vowed never to replace Colonel Sheppard's hair gel with liquid starch ever again…ever. He also learned that he could not outrun an angry colonel, who was brandishing the 'fake hair gel' container. Zelenka was still picking dried flakes of starch out of his own hair.