Fic: Where We Live (1/?, Stargate: Atlantis)
Title: Where We Live (1/?)
Author:
thefrogg
Beta:
ohpuppies
Rating: PG13-ish
Disclaimer: Everyone but Webber belongs to other people. Damnit.
Summary: Lorne's team has long been responsible for Todd's security. When they take Todd out to investigate an abandoned Wraith base, their changing attitudes towards the captive Wraith sparks a series of events no one in Atlantis is ready for.
"Unscheduled gate activation!" Chuck announced, raising the shield.
Col. Carter dropped her pen and made her way into the Gate room. "Who is it?"
"It's Col. Sheppard's IDC, sir."
"John? You're early."
"We, uh, ran into an old friend," Sheppard's sardonically amused voice echoed from the speakers. "Figured he's a little more important than checking out some abandoned settlement."
Down on the steps leading to the Gate room floor, Lorne stiffened, gritting his teeth and thanking whoever was listening that neither Carter nor Sheppard could see him.
"You found Ford?" Carter asked.
"No, sorry. We kind of found Todd, though. Permission to come home?"
Carter paused, sharing a surprised and wary look with Chuck. "Permission granted. The shield is down, and you are clear to come home."
Neither of them noticed Lorne radio for his team to get to the Jumper Bay immediately.
~~~
"I still don't understand, it's like you were just *waiting* for us to come find you, and, oh, hi, Lorne." Rodney's rushed monologue ground to a halt.
Lorne nodded absently, all of his attention on Todd's too-tall form as he made his way stiffly out the rear hatch, one of Ronon's hands too heavy on the Wraith's shoulder.
"What's this, a welcoming committee?" Ronon rumbled, looking up as Miller, Webber and Parrish came to a skidding halt just inside the Bay doors.
"You could say that," Lorne said quietly. The words were for Ronon, but Lorne only had eyes for Todd. He'd, they'd waited months for this, and to have John, and Ronon-- "Welcome home."
"Major?" John's eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Todd?" Lorne held out a hand, watching in growing displeasure as Todd tried to come forward, only to have to tear himself forcibly out of Ronon's grip. "Let him go." He couldn't tell whether or not it was a good thing that Teyla wasn't here, her pregnancy too advanced for Sheppard to allow her to remain on active duty.
"He's a Wraith," Ronon muttered, implacable.
"He's a member of my team," Lorne said, finally taking his eyes off Todd to stare down Ronon. "Todd?" he said again, this time keeping his eyes on Ronon as the Wraith crossed the floor awkwardly, hands pinned at his sides once more. The scent of leather was hot and musty beneath his nose as Todd came to a stop beside and a little in front of him; he broke eye contact to concentrate on the buckles. "Colonel, I believe you and your team have an appointment with Keller," he said blandly, aware that the rest of his team had joined him, their presence behind him a quiet support.
"Major, what the hell are you doing?" Sheppard said, his tone making it an indignant almost-order.
"Sir, with all due respect?" Miller answered before Lorne could pry his clenched teeth apart. "He's doing what we all should have a long time ago."
Lorne made a mental note to thank his team for stepping up to the plate; he didn't think he could open his mouth without dealing Sheppard and Ronon an enraged lecture worthy of McKay's best.
Todd turned, silently cooperating with shifts of weight and position as Lorne unfastened his restraints, hackles rising beneath the thickening tension and knowing himself incapable of lessening it.
"All done." The belt fell away, and Lorne held it up one-handed. "It came in handy last time. You can decide what to do with it." And he handed it over.
Fingers brushed - Lorne's bare skin, Todd's covered in supple black leather, new gloves from somewhere - and then Lorne had Todd by the arm, gently guiding him back towards the Bay doors and relative freedom.
~~~
"This is not the way to the brig." Todd looked at the map of Atlantis on the transporter wall, staring at the point Lorne had stabbed.
"I made you a promise," Lorne said softly. "We're not going to the brig. I took the liberty of reserving you quarters near mine. I don't know what you like, but at least you'll have your own space while we look for something better." Baby steps, he told himself. Baby steps.
Todd turned back around as the door opened on another corridor, across the city and several stories up. "I doubt that will be necessary; this is the first time I have had a place to come home to," he admitted somberly, fidgeting as Lorne nudged him out of the transporter.
Something inside Lorne trembled, making him inhale deeply to still it. "I'm glad you had someone, some people, to come home to."
"Hmmm, yes." The sounds were soft, just a purr and gentle hiss as they came to a stop in front of one of Atlantis' seemingly endless identical doors.
Lorne waved it open and stepped aside, biting the inside of his cheek.
Light streamed in through the windows on the far side of the room, casting the furniture in the main room in shadows, and the doors and the entrance to the kitchen in darkness.
Todd stepped carefully into the room, the carpet giving beneath his boots, his sharp eyes taking in personal effects: books stacked on the end tables; a datapad and stylus sitting on the couch cushions; photos of strangers hanging in frames from the wall. "These are your quarters," he whispered in amazement.
Lorne nodded. "A new section was opened shortly after you...were taken," he finally said, uncertain what to call Todd's unwilling but necessary absence. "I claimed this suite, hoping you'd be willing to stay here, at least for a little while. Not everyone's going to like your being free. You'll be safer here, with me, than you would be staying by yourself. At least until people understand you're not like the others." Only his military training kept him from fidgeting beneath that yellow gaze. "I've been told I'm a quiet and unimposing roommate, if that's--"
"Wraith...are not given a choice."
Lorne swallowed the rest of what he'd been about to say. "I...guess there's much I don't know about the Wraith." Deep breath. "And, if you don't mind my saying so, a lot of what I do know...makes me rather glad I'm not one."
"Hmmm. Yes. I do not mind. I find there is much to be envied about humans. And much I would bring to the Wraith, if given the chance."
"So...you'll stay?"
Seeming unable to answer verbally, Todd nodded.
"Well, then." Lorne felt his face heat at Todd's curious glance. "Welcome home."
Author:
thefrogg
Beta:
ohpuppies
Rating: PG13-ish
Disclaimer: Everyone but Webber belongs to other people. Damnit.
Summary: Lorne's team has long been responsible for Todd's security. When they take Todd out to investigate an abandoned Wraith base, their changing attitudes towards the captive Wraith sparks a series of events no one in Atlantis is ready for.
"Unscheduled gate activation!" Chuck announced, raising the shield.
Col. Carter dropped her pen and made her way into the Gate room. "Who is it?"
"It's Col. Sheppard's IDC, sir."
"John? You're early."
"We, uh, ran into an old friend," Sheppard's sardonically amused voice echoed from the speakers. "Figured he's a little more important than checking out some abandoned settlement."
Down on the steps leading to the Gate room floor, Lorne stiffened, gritting his teeth and thanking whoever was listening that neither Carter nor Sheppard could see him.
"You found Ford?" Carter asked.
"No, sorry. We kind of found Todd, though. Permission to come home?"
Carter paused, sharing a surprised and wary look with Chuck. "Permission granted. The shield is down, and you are clear to come home."
Neither of them noticed Lorne radio for his team to get to the Jumper Bay immediately.
~~~
"I still don't understand, it's like you were just *waiting* for us to come find you, and, oh, hi, Lorne." Rodney's rushed monologue ground to a halt.
Lorne nodded absently, all of his attention on Todd's too-tall form as he made his way stiffly out the rear hatch, one of Ronon's hands too heavy on the Wraith's shoulder.
"What's this, a welcoming committee?" Ronon rumbled, looking up as Miller, Webber and Parrish came to a skidding halt just inside the Bay doors.
"You could say that," Lorne said quietly. The words were for Ronon, but Lorne only had eyes for Todd. He'd, they'd waited months for this, and to have John, and Ronon-- "Welcome home."
"Major?" John's eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Todd?" Lorne held out a hand, watching in growing displeasure as Todd tried to come forward, only to have to tear himself forcibly out of Ronon's grip. "Let him go." He couldn't tell whether or not it was a good thing that Teyla wasn't here, her pregnancy too advanced for Sheppard to allow her to remain on active duty.
"He's a Wraith," Ronon muttered, implacable.
"He's a member of my team," Lorne said, finally taking his eyes off Todd to stare down Ronon. "Todd?" he said again, this time keeping his eyes on Ronon as the Wraith crossed the floor awkwardly, hands pinned at his sides once more. The scent of leather was hot and musty beneath his nose as Todd came to a stop beside and a little in front of him; he broke eye contact to concentrate on the buckles. "Colonel, I believe you and your team have an appointment with Keller," he said blandly, aware that the rest of his team had joined him, their presence behind him a quiet support.
"Major, what the hell are you doing?" Sheppard said, his tone making it an indignant almost-order.
"Sir, with all due respect?" Miller answered before Lorne could pry his clenched teeth apart. "He's doing what we all should have a long time ago."
Lorne made a mental note to thank his team for stepping up to the plate; he didn't think he could open his mouth without dealing Sheppard and Ronon an enraged lecture worthy of McKay's best.
Todd turned, silently cooperating with shifts of weight and position as Lorne unfastened his restraints, hackles rising beneath the thickening tension and knowing himself incapable of lessening it.
"All done." The belt fell away, and Lorne held it up one-handed. "It came in handy last time. You can decide what to do with it." And he handed it over.
Fingers brushed - Lorne's bare skin, Todd's covered in supple black leather, new gloves from somewhere - and then Lorne had Todd by the arm, gently guiding him back towards the Bay doors and relative freedom.
~~~
"This is not the way to the brig." Todd looked at the map of Atlantis on the transporter wall, staring at the point Lorne had stabbed.
"I made you a promise," Lorne said softly. "We're not going to the brig. I took the liberty of reserving you quarters near mine. I don't know what you like, but at least you'll have your own space while we look for something better." Baby steps, he told himself. Baby steps.
Todd turned back around as the door opened on another corridor, across the city and several stories up. "I doubt that will be necessary; this is the first time I have had a place to come home to," he admitted somberly, fidgeting as Lorne nudged him out of the transporter.
Something inside Lorne trembled, making him inhale deeply to still it. "I'm glad you had someone, some people, to come home to."
"Hmmm, yes." The sounds were soft, just a purr and gentle hiss as they came to a stop in front of one of Atlantis' seemingly endless identical doors.
Lorne waved it open and stepped aside, biting the inside of his cheek.
Light streamed in through the windows on the far side of the room, casting the furniture in the main room in shadows, and the doors and the entrance to the kitchen in darkness.
Todd stepped carefully into the room, the carpet giving beneath his boots, his sharp eyes taking in personal effects: books stacked on the end tables; a datapad and stylus sitting on the couch cushions; photos of strangers hanging in frames from the wall. "These are your quarters," he whispered in amazement.
Lorne nodded. "A new section was opened shortly after you...were taken," he finally said, uncertain what to call Todd's unwilling but necessary absence. "I claimed this suite, hoping you'd be willing to stay here, at least for a little while. Not everyone's going to like your being free. You'll be safer here, with me, than you would be staying by yourself. At least until people understand you're not like the others." Only his military training kept him from fidgeting beneath that yellow gaze. "I've been told I'm a quiet and unimposing roommate, if that's--"
"Wraith...are not given a choice."
Lorne swallowed the rest of what he'd been about to say. "I...guess there's much I don't know about the Wraith." Deep breath. "And, if you don't mind my saying so, a lot of what I do know...makes me rather glad I'm not one."
"Hmmm. Yes. I do not mind. I find there is much to be envied about humans. And much I would bring to the Wraith, if given the chance."
"So...you'll stay?"
Seeming unable to answer verbally, Todd nodded.
"Well, then." Lorne felt his face heat at Todd's curious glance. "Welcome home."