sparktober: 4 ficlets
So today is my day @ sparktober, and I decide to write fics for my Bingo Card. It doesn't follow a pattern on the card, just because I have planned to write a fic for each prompt, and they will form a series, still unnamed for the moment. So enjoy the first four fics of this new series.
Not beta'd yet!!!
Title: Starting over
Author: vickysg1
Type/Pairings: gen, hints of friendship
Summary: This facility was more of a labyrinth than a base, really.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: Rising (1-01)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card, to the prompt 'SGC'.
It was his first day at the SGC, and they expected him to find her office on his own. He had always been at the top of his class in orientation at the Academy, but this facility was more of a labyrinth than a base, really.
He rounded another corner - he had lost count sometime after the twentieth - and bumped into someone else. He had the presence of mind to grab them at the elbows to prevent both their falls. It was only when they both regained their balance that he noticed that he bumped into none other than the person he was looking for, one Doctor Elizabeth Weir.
"Major Sheppard! Nice to see you."
"Doctor Weir. I’m sorry about…," he started, but she interrupted him by holding a hand up.
"It's my own fault. I wasn't looking where I was going. And you can't let go now, I'm not going to fall anymore," she said, and it was only then that he realized that he was still holding onto her elbows. "Everything's fine?"
"I was actually coming to see you. I have just arrived on the base this morning, and I wanted to report for duty."
"My office is actually the other way," she replied, pointing in the direction he was coming from.
"Like I said, I've just arrived."
"Well, then follow me to my office. I think we have a lot to talk about."
Once there - and really he must have walked by this door at least twice - she gestured for him to take a seat on the couch, and offered him a cup of coffee he gladly accepted. She sat on the other end of the couch, and they drank in silence for a couple of minutes, before she asked what he wanted to see her for.
"I hope you're not thinking about changing your mind," she said, and he could see that she was really afraid of that.
"No, no, I don't. I'm looking forward going to Atlantis and working for you. I just wanted to thank you for the job offer, in spite of my record."
"Just let me be clear, Major. I've offered you this job because of your record. I've learned many things since I've first set foot at the SGC, some of them the hard way. One of the most important things I've learned is that you don't leave people behind. Yes, your record isn’t spotless, but it's only because you believe in that, too. I can only respect that. You're a valuable asset to this expedition, and I know you'll do a good job."
He didn't know what to say; no one had ever said that to him, and he was really touched that she thought that of him. He could see that she really meant it, and none of his previous commanding officers had ever expressed these kind thoughts about him. They had always said quite the opposite, actually, and to hear someone who barely knew him say that meant a lot to him.
"And I thought you only wanted me for my genes," he joked, but knowing that she could already see beyond the façade.
She smiled at him, and they finished their cup of coffee, with John asking more questions about the lost City of the Ancients. Like anybody else, he had heard about the myth of Atlantis before, but there was a lot he didn't know, and she was happy to provide answers to all of his questions.
He could already see that he was going to love working with her, for her, because she was passionate, something most people in his line of work lacked. He was too, and she didn't seem to mind it, as their conversation veered towards helicopters. He didn't really know how that happened, except that he had been saying he hoped that he would still be able to fly in Pegasus.
All in all, after what seemed like minutes but what had actually been hours, he noticed that it was already past dinner time. He wanted nothing more than to ask her to have dinner with him, in the mess hall, as colleagues, but he knew that it wasn't a good idea. Even though he would report directly to Colonel Summer, she would still be his boss, and he didn't want people to get the wrong idea if they were seen having dinner together.
Taking his leave from her, he walked down the unfamiliar halls of the SGC.
As he entered the quarters that had been assigned for him, he realized that in less than 36 hours, they would leave Earth for another planet, another galaxy, most likely for good. He would finally be able to start over his life, and all this because of one person.
Elizabeth Weir, leader of the expedition, trusted him, and he wasn't going to screw it up. Not this time.
Fin.
Title: Death is only a beginning
Author: vickysg1
Type/Pairing: angst, friendship
Summary: It wasn't the first time he came close to death.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: 38 minutes (1-04)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card to the prompt '38 minutes'. This wasn't what I had in mind when I first saw this prompt, but I decided to try writing a drabble, and I did it. 100 words exactly on the first try.
It wasn't the first time he came close to death. In his line of work, it happened quite often. But this time, for a few minutes, he was dead.
When she saw him lying, lifeless, on the floor of the Jumper, her breath caught in her throat. It was only when she heard his heart beat that she breathed again.
She hadn't realized it before this moment, but in the two weeks they worked together, she had come to rely on him. She didn't know if she could do it without him.
And frankly, she didn't want to imagine it.
Fin
Title: Unlikely Friends
Author: vicksg1
Type/Pairing: angst, friendship
Summary: Weren't it for the Stargate Program, their paths would have never crossed.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: Poisoning the Well (1-06)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card, for the prompt 'friendship'.
Under different circumstances, they wouldn't be friends, they both knew that. Despite his upbringing, they didn't run in the same circles back on Earth. Weren't it for the Stargate Program, their paths would have never crossed.
But still, from day one, they just clicked. They understood each other, and sometimes, they didn't even need words to communicate. Usually, this kind of silent conversations came from years of working around each other. But with them, it took less than a month.
It was so sudden for them that they even managed to freak Rodney out, once.
Sometimes, you're just destined to meet some people, and maybe for them, it was one of those times. Sometimes, you just have to meet the person who would help you grow up, change. And changed they did since they have known each other, even though neither of them meant to.
They had learned over the years that friends were always there for you when you needed them the most. And tonight, she needed him. He sought her out, knowing that he had to be there for her.
He finally found her on a secluded balcony, far from the inhabited parts of the City. He wanted to berate her for coming to a still unexplored part of Atlantis on her own, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so. And deep down, even though he didn't know the City well enough, yet, he was sure that Atlantis wouldn't have allowed Elizabeth's presence in this part if it was dangerous.
Now that he found her, he wondered for a second if he was right to be here, if she even wanted him to be here. But then, he remembered that friendship also meant that you have to be there, even if you feel like you're unwanted.
Crossing the threshold, he let the door close behind him, and walked towards her.
"You ok?" he asked, as he sat down beside her on the balcony floor.
"No."
"Listen..."
"I shouldn't have allowed this," she interrupted him before he could try and comfort her. "I shouldn't have just ignored all my principles, all my beliefs, only because we're on our own, completely cut off from Earth. No matter what, the Geneva convention should always apply, even where the Wraiths are concerned."
She paused, trying to keep the tremors out of her voice, even though she knew he heard them already. He didn't say anything though, and she appreciated it more than ever.
"I don't know who I am anymore, John," she whispered.
"You're Elizabeth Weir, a woman who questions her decisions," he replied without hesitation. "A woman who isn't afraid to lead an entire expedition into the unknown, leaving everything and everyone she knows behind. A woman who chose to trust an Air Force Major whose superiors said he wouldn't listen to direct orders. And this Air Force officer couldn't be more grateful for the second chance you granted him," he concluded.
She looked up at him at this moment, and she could see that he meant every single word he said.
She felt her heart constrict in her chest for the man sitting beside her. She hoped for the day she would finally be able to tell someone on Earth how much she owed him.
"Everyone deserves a second chance, John."
"Exactly," he said, smiling widely at her words. "You deserve a second change, too. You're allowed to make mistakes, too. It happens to even the best of us. No one is immune, and certainly not you."
She took a deep breath. She knew that he was right, but it was hard to admit, even to herself, that she had the right to be wrong, too. But as the leader of the expedition, the one person everybody else looked up too, she wanted to hold herself at a higher standard. But she found out the hard way that she couldn't.
Still, maybe all wasn't lost, and there was still hope for her. Maybe she could still be the same woman she was on Earth.
"Thank you, John. For being here. For being a friend to me."
"Always."
She had thought when she agreed to lead the expedition that it would prevent her from making friends. She thought she wouldn't have someone to talk to, someone to share her burden with, given her position at the head of the expedition.
But what she didn't count on was John. He proved to her that it was possible for her to forge bonds, have friends.
Even though they didn't know each other for long, she knew she could call him a friend. And there was no doubt in her mind that the bond between them would last. She knew that, even though it would be tried by challenges, they would walk through them, and they would remain friends.
Fin.
Title: New Friends and New Enemies
Author: vickysg1
Type/Pairing: angst, friendship
Summary: He wondered what would have happened if they hadn't stumbled onto the Genii's true nature.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: Underground (1-09)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card, for the prompt 'Underground'.
Silence fell upon them, but John could almost hear the wheels turning in Elizabeth's head. He didn't call her on it immediately, though, as a lot was going on in his mind as well.
He wondered what would have happened if they hadn't stumbled onto the Genii's true nature. They had certainly been fooled by their farmers' appearance, and they had been fooling everyone, including the Athosians, for years. Now that the facade had fallen, he couldn't help but wonder what it would mean for the Galaxy.
"Do you think we'll see them again?" Elizabeth asked, jolting him out of his thoughts.
"I'd be really surprised if we don't. If I believe Cowen's words, we're enemies, now. And we have one up on them. I don't think they'll just try and settle the score. They'll want to take from us more than what they lost."
"That's not a reassuring thought."
"No, but it's the truth."
"You should be even more careful when you're off-world. And we should brief the other teams on the Genii as well, just to be on the safe side."
"We will. I hope that the little we know of them will be enough to prevent an off-world attack. Though I have to say that I wouldn't be surprised if they lied low for a while, and wait for the perfect opportunity to attack one of our teams."
"You might be right. I guess that the saying is wrong, and that having a common enemy doesn't make us be friends."
They stayed silent for a long while, musing over Elizabeth's words. They had their hopes up with the Genii, once they had found out who they really were. They had thought that they found a useful ally against the Wraith. They had been wrong, they had been deceived. Now they were back to square one; they were the only people, as far as they knew, powerful enough to take on the Wraith.
"We seem to do this a lot," Elizabeth's voice break the comfortable silence that had surrounded them.
"Do what?" he asked, confused by her words, and pretty sure that they didn't have a link to their previous conversation.
"Find ourselves on the balcony after long days," she clarified her meaning.
"Oh that! Yes, we do. Even though the first time we came out here isn't the best memory."
"Oh, I don't know," she started, surprising him. "It was a first for us. The first time we went on the balcony, and our first fight. These are important milestones, I think."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Though, I have to say that I definitely prefer tonight to this first day."
"So do I."
They smiled at each other, before returning their gazes to the night sky.
Today had just been like any other day in Pegasus, with new friends and new enemies. Today, they had learned that be wary of those who appear to be the weakest, because they could turn out to be one of your worst enemies.
But for tonight, they would be able to get a few hours of rest, and put behind them the fiasco with the Genii.
Fin.
Not beta'd yet!!!
Title: Starting over
Author: vickysg1
Type/Pairings: gen, hints of friendship
Summary: This facility was more of a labyrinth than a base, really.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: Rising (1-01)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card, to the prompt 'SGC'.
It was his first day at the SGC, and they expected him to find her office on his own. He had always been at the top of his class in orientation at the Academy, but this facility was more of a labyrinth than a base, really.
He rounded another corner - he had lost count sometime after the twentieth - and bumped into someone else. He had the presence of mind to grab them at the elbows to prevent both their falls. It was only when they both regained their balance that he noticed that he bumped into none other than the person he was looking for, one Doctor Elizabeth Weir.
"Major Sheppard! Nice to see you."
"Doctor Weir. I’m sorry about…," he started, but she interrupted him by holding a hand up.
"It's my own fault. I wasn't looking where I was going. And you can't let go now, I'm not going to fall anymore," she said, and it was only then that he realized that he was still holding onto her elbows. "Everything's fine?"
"I was actually coming to see you. I have just arrived on the base this morning, and I wanted to report for duty."
"My office is actually the other way," she replied, pointing in the direction he was coming from.
"Like I said, I've just arrived."
"Well, then follow me to my office. I think we have a lot to talk about."
Once there - and really he must have walked by this door at least twice - she gestured for him to take a seat on the couch, and offered him a cup of coffee he gladly accepted. She sat on the other end of the couch, and they drank in silence for a couple of minutes, before she asked what he wanted to see her for.
"I hope you're not thinking about changing your mind," she said, and he could see that she was really afraid of that.
"No, no, I don't. I'm looking forward going to Atlantis and working for you. I just wanted to thank you for the job offer, in spite of my record."
"Just let me be clear, Major. I've offered you this job because of your record. I've learned many things since I've first set foot at the SGC, some of them the hard way. One of the most important things I've learned is that you don't leave people behind. Yes, your record isn’t spotless, but it's only because you believe in that, too. I can only respect that. You're a valuable asset to this expedition, and I know you'll do a good job."
He didn't know what to say; no one had ever said that to him, and he was really touched that she thought that of him. He could see that she really meant it, and none of his previous commanding officers had ever expressed these kind thoughts about him. They had always said quite the opposite, actually, and to hear someone who barely knew him say that meant a lot to him.
"And I thought you only wanted me for my genes," he joked, but knowing that she could already see beyond the façade.
She smiled at him, and they finished their cup of coffee, with John asking more questions about the lost City of the Ancients. Like anybody else, he had heard about the myth of Atlantis before, but there was a lot he didn't know, and she was happy to provide answers to all of his questions.
He could already see that he was going to love working with her, for her, because she was passionate, something most people in his line of work lacked. He was too, and she didn't seem to mind it, as their conversation veered towards helicopters. He didn't really know how that happened, except that he had been saying he hoped that he would still be able to fly in Pegasus.
All in all, after what seemed like minutes but what had actually been hours, he noticed that it was already past dinner time. He wanted nothing more than to ask her to have dinner with him, in the mess hall, as colleagues, but he knew that it wasn't a good idea. Even though he would report directly to Colonel Summer, she would still be his boss, and he didn't want people to get the wrong idea if they were seen having dinner together.
Taking his leave from her, he walked down the unfamiliar halls of the SGC.
As he entered the quarters that had been assigned for him, he realized that in less than 36 hours, they would leave Earth for another planet, another galaxy, most likely for good. He would finally be able to start over his life, and all this because of one person.
Elizabeth Weir, leader of the expedition, trusted him, and he wasn't going to screw it up. Not this time.
Fin.
Title: Death is only a beginning
Author: vickysg1
Type/Pairing: angst, friendship
Summary: It wasn't the first time he came close to death.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: 38 minutes (1-04)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card to the prompt '38 minutes'. This wasn't what I had in mind when I first saw this prompt, but I decided to try writing a drabble, and I did it. 100 words exactly on the first try.
It wasn't the first time he came close to death. In his line of work, it happened quite often. But this time, for a few minutes, he was dead.
When she saw him lying, lifeless, on the floor of the Jumper, her breath caught in her throat. It was only when she heard his heart beat that she breathed again.
She hadn't realized it before this moment, but in the two weeks they worked together, she had come to rely on him. She didn't know if she could do it without him.
And frankly, she didn't want to imagine it.
Fin
Title: Unlikely Friends
Author: vicksg1
Type/Pairing: angst, friendship
Summary: Weren't it for the Stargate Program, their paths would have never crossed.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: Poisoning the Well (1-06)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card, for the prompt 'friendship'.
Under different circumstances, they wouldn't be friends, they both knew that. Despite his upbringing, they didn't run in the same circles back on Earth. Weren't it for the Stargate Program, their paths would have never crossed.
But still, from day one, they just clicked. They understood each other, and sometimes, they didn't even need words to communicate. Usually, this kind of silent conversations came from years of working around each other. But with them, it took less than a month.
It was so sudden for them that they even managed to freak Rodney out, once.
Sometimes, you're just destined to meet some people, and maybe for them, it was one of those times. Sometimes, you just have to meet the person who would help you grow up, change. And changed they did since they have known each other, even though neither of them meant to.
They had learned over the years that friends were always there for you when you needed them the most. And tonight, she needed him. He sought her out, knowing that he had to be there for her.
He finally found her on a secluded balcony, far from the inhabited parts of the City. He wanted to berate her for coming to a still unexplored part of Atlantis on her own, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so. And deep down, even though he didn't know the City well enough, yet, he was sure that Atlantis wouldn't have allowed Elizabeth's presence in this part if it was dangerous.
Now that he found her, he wondered for a second if he was right to be here, if she even wanted him to be here. But then, he remembered that friendship also meant that you have to be there, even if you feel like you're unwanted.
Crossing the threshold, he let the door close behind him, and walked towards her.
"You ok?" he asked, as he sat down beside her on the balcony floor.
"No."
"Listen..."
"I shouldn't have allowed this," she interrupted him before he could try and comfort her. "I shouldn't have just ignored all my principles, all my beliefs, only because we're on our own, completely cut off from Earth. No matter what, the Geneva convention should always apply, even where the Wraiths are concerned."
She paused, trying to keep the tremors out of her voice, even though she knew he heard them already. He didn't say anything though, and she appreciated it more than ever.
"I don't know who I am anymore, John," she whispered.
"You're Elizabeth Weir, a woman who questions her decisions," he replied without hesitation. "A woman who isn't afraid to lead an entire expedition into the unknown, leaving everything and everyone she knows behind. A woman who chose to trust an Air Force Major whose superiors said he wouldn't listen to direct orders. And this Air Force officer couldn't be more grateful for the second chance you granted him," he concluded.
She looked up at him at this moment, and she could see that he meant every single word he said.
She felt her heart constrict in her chest for the man sitting beside her. She hoped for the day she would finally be able to tell someone on Earth how much she owed him.
"Everyone deserves a second chance, John."
"Exactly," he said, smiling widely at her words. "You deserve a second change, too. You're allowed to make mistakes, too. It happens to even the best of us. No one is immune, and certainly not you."
She took a deep breath. She knew that he was right, but it was hard to admit, even to herself, that she had the right to be wrong, too. But as the leader of the expedition, the one person everybody else looked up too, she wanted to hold herself at a higher standard. But she found out the hard way that she couldn't.
Still, maybe all wasn't lost, and there was still hope for her. Maybe she could still be the same woman she was on Earth.
"Thank you, John. For being here. For being a friend to me."
"Always."
She had thought when she agreed to lead the expedition that it would prevent her from making friends. She thought she wouldn't have someone to talk to, someone to share her burden with, given her position at the head of the expedition.
But what she didn't count on was John. He proved to her that it was possible for her to forge bonds, have friends.
Even though they didn't know each other for long, she knew she could call him a friend. And there was no doubt in her mind that the bond between them would last. She knew that, even though it would be tried by challenges, they would walk through them, and they would remain friends.
Fin.
Title: New Friends and New Enemies
Author: vickysg1
Type/Pairing: angst, friendship
Summary: He wondered what would have happened if they hadn't stumbled onto the Genii's true nature.
Season/Sequel: season 1
Spoilers: Underground (1-09)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: Written for my Sparktober Bingo Card, for the prompt 'Underground'.
Silence fell upon them, but John could almost hear the wheels turning in Elizabeth's head. He didn't call her on it immediately, though, as a lot was going on in his mind as well.
He wondered what would have happened if they hadn't stumbled onto the Genii's true nature. They had certainly been fooled by their farmers' appearance, and they had been fooling everyone, including the Athosians, for years. Now that the facade had fallen, he couldn't help but wonder what it would mean for the Galaxy.
"Do you think we'll see them again?" Elizabeth asked, jolting him out of his thoughts.
"I'd be really surprised if we don't. If I believe Cowen's words, we're enemies, now. And we have one up on them. I don't think they'll just try and settle the score. They'll want to take from us more than what they lost."
"That's not a reassuring thought."
"No, but it's the truth."
"You should be even more careful when you're off-world. And we should brief the other teams on the Genii as well, just to be on the safe side."
"We will. I hope that the little we know of them will be enough to prevent an off-world attack. Though I have to say that I wouldn't be surprised if they lied low for a while, and wait for the perfect opportunity to attack one of our teams."
"You might be right. I guess that the saying is wrong, and that having a common enemy doesn't make us be friends."
They stayed silent for a long while, musing over Elizabeth's words. They had their hopes up with the Genii, once they had found out who they really were. They had thought that they found a useful ally against the Wraith. They had been wrong, they had been deceived. Now they were back to square one; they were the only people, as far as they knew, powerful enough to take on the Wraith.
"We seem to do this a lot," Elizabeth's voice break the comfortable silence that had surrounded them.
"Do what?" he asked, confused by her words, and pretty sure that they didn't have a link to their previous conversation.
"Find ourselves on the balcony after long days," she clarified her meaning.
"Oh that! Yes, we do. Even though the first time we came out here isn't the best memory."
"Oh, I don't know," she started, surprising him. "It was a first for us. The first time we went on the balcony, and our first fight. These are important milestones, I think."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Though, I have to say that I definitely prefer tonight to this first day."
"So do I."
They smiled at each other, before returning their gazes to the night sky.
Today had just been like any other day in Pegasus, with new friends and new enemies. Today, they had learned that be wary of those who appear to be the weakest, because they could turn out to be one of your worst enemies.
But for tonight, they would be able to get a few hours of rest, and put behind them the fiasco with the Genii.
Fin.