[fic] Ghost Stories in the Pegasus Galaxy (SGA/SPN; Laura/Jess/Jo) [NC-17]
Title: Ghost Stories in the Pegasus Galaxy
Author: havocthecat
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis/Supernatural
Pairing: Laura Cadman/Jess/Jo Harvelle
Rating: NC-17
Summary: "Laura, when you guys found me, I was unloading a shotgun full of rock salt at a poltergeist," says Jo. "I think I can deal with the life-sucking aliens."
Notes: Written sort of as a sequel to Every Girl's Got Her Own Ghost Story, which is Supernatural, Jess/Jo. I figure if there's a cliche "so and so has the ATA gene and is recruited for the Atlantis expedition," (and there so is that cliche amongst SGA fandom) it should be included in an alien_altars cliche fanfic challenge. This fic contains the following alien_altars comm cliches: We almost died, must have hot sex; voyeurism; and jealousy.
The whole thing is fairly cracky (I love crack, yes, I do), and medie takes a lot of the blame, plus gets many happy beta brownie points.
"So, this is where you'll be staying," says Laura, slumping against the wall as she palms the lock to Jo's room. "I'm right across the hall, so if you need something, I'm easy to find. Just do me a favor and call Kate Heightmeyer to make an appointment instead of waking me up when you get nightmares."
Jo snorts. "Why would people get nightmares here?"
"Life-sucking aliens," says Laura, and she's totally serious. The idea doesn't even seem to bother her. "Nightmares are pretty much a given."
"Laura, when you guys found me, I was unloading a shotgun full of rock salt at a poltergeist," says Jo. "I think I can deal with the life-sucking aliens."
"Poltergeists?" Laura laughs. "All the shit we see here, Harvelle, I wouldn't put it past you to be telling the truth." She grins and backs out the door. It closes on a sparkle in Laura's eye that Jo wasn't used to seeing in people on Earth.
"She's going to be awfully surprised," said Jess, suddenly visible from where she was sitting on Jo's bed. She stood, moving jerkily across the room, until she was looking out the window. "It's a beautiful planet."
Jo snorted. "I care? It gets me far enough away from Ellen. That's what I care about."
"The life sucking aliens are a side benefit?" asked Jess.
Jo crossed her arms and shrugged. "I don't think they want me leaving the city," she said. "I'm not military, remember?"
"I wonder if there are any other ghosts here?" asked Jess, turning around and glancing around the room.
"Lemme know what you find out," says Jo, tossing her duffel bag down on the bed. "I'm gonna get something to eat."
***
"So, ah, who's the new blonde?" Jo's sitting by herself, trying not to inhale the oddly-flavored mashed potatoes, when she hears it. She glances at the next table over, giving a balding, pudgy, old guy in a blue science shirt a scathing look. He grins cheerfully at her and waves, and Jo rolls her eyes and turns back to her food.
The soldier next to him is slouched back in his chair, arms crossed and hands stuck under his armpits. "Jo Harvelle," he says, and Jo can't believe a solider has hair that messy.
"Ah, yes," says the pudgy scientist. "One of the civilian recruits. With the gene?"
"She can hear us, Rodney," says the soldier, sounding irritated.
"She would like to eat in peace," says Jo, looking up at them, and irritated as all hell. A flash of cold air against her skin, and Jo can't see her, but Jess is there. Jo knows she's watching. Not much else to do when you're dead.
A black woman, and a huge man with dreds that would probably fit right in at the roadhouse come to sit down. He's looking at Jo curiously, and the woman's smiling indulgently at Jo. Something in her wants to like the woman, but she's already irritated by this Rodney guy, so Jo scowls back down at her food, then abruptly lets her fork drop down on her plate with a clatter, and stalks off.
"Bad attitude," drawls the soldier.
"If your first experience on Atlantis were such intense scrutiny, would you not have one as well?" asks the woman.
Then Jo's out the door, Jess showing up in her peripheral vision with a look of sympathy, before she blinks out again.
***
She spends the first week with an escort to show her the ropes. Thankfully, it's Laura, who can laugh at anything, and knows how to tease Jo out of a bad mood without making Jo snarl. E-mail gets delivered a couple weeks in, after they dial the 'gate to Earth. One from Ellen, telling her to be careful, wherever she is. Jo rolls her eyes, but doesn't delete it. There's an awkward one from Sam, one of her college friends writes to tell her about a party from last weekend, but there's nothing from Dean.
"Don't tell me you expected him to write," says Jess, propping her elbow on Jo's desk. "How's Sam?"
Jo pretends not to notice the wistful tone of Jess' voice. "Usual," she says. "They met up with a group of vampires last week."
"Blood-sucking, or life-sucking?" asks Jess.
"Garden variety blood-sucker," says Jo, with a wry grin. She turns and faces Jess, matching her pose, as they talk. "Who ever thought we'd have to specify?"
She hears the door open, watches Jess flicker away. "Specify what?" asks Laura, behind her. "Who're you talking to?"
Jo turns, blinks at Laura, and musters a smile. "My computer," she says. "Got an e-mail from someone back home. He was vampire hunting last week."
Laura snorts, and Jo pretends Jess isn't standing right behind Laura, giving her a disbelieving look. "Wooden stakes and all?"
"They work on the ones back home," Jo says. "Something tells me it wouldn't do much on the Wraith."
"I find blowing them up works better. More fun too," says Laura. She jerks her head at the door. "I got sent to drag you outta here. Turns out the contents of your e-mail drop is giving the computers all kinds of security fits."
"Oh, shit," says Jo. She blinks once, and Jess is gone again.
"Probably wouldn't be a big deal normally, but someone's been rearranging McKay's office in the middle of the night, and the cameras go on the fritz every time, so he's pissier than usual," says Laura. She sounds serious, but the gleam in her eyes is undeniably amused, so Jo can't resist cracking a grin at her.
***
"Vampires!" snaps Rodney, stalking around his lab and flinging his hands up in the air. "Of everything we have to worry about in this galaxy, the security software red flags your e-mail because your practical joking boyfriend writes you about fighting vampires?"
Dr. Zelenka's in the background, muttering to himself and giving Rodney dark looks. Like usual. Jo ignores him, and wonders how badly Jess is gonna trash Rodney's lab tonight.
A coffee mug shatters, and Jo winces. Oh. Jess isn't gonna wait until tonight. "He's not my boyfriend," snaps Jo. "Trust me, if I were gonna be interested in any guy on Earth, it wouldn't be Sam Winchester!"
"What just happened to my mug?" asks Rodney, whirling and looking accusatorily at Dr. Zelenka.
Dr. Zelenka shrugs. "I do not know," he says, on the other side of the room. "I am sitting here working, trying to drown out your very loud voice, and your mug just--" He makes a flickering gesture with his hands. "--shatters."
"Yes, well, don't let it happen again," says Rodney, and Dr. Zelenka--Jo got assigned to explore the city with him once, and he's pretty cool--just gives a disgusted exclamation and turns back to his work. Jo gets the feeling those two actually like being assholes to each other.
"Can I go now?" asks Jo, crossing her arms and glaring at Rodney.
"You may not," he says, turning back to her with an indignant huff, and Jo is treated to a shouted lecture about how she's apparently killed server resources for the entire city.
"Oh, come on." After ten minutes of this, Jo's had enough, and Rodney looks like he's winding up for a lecture longer than anything Ellen would give. She stands, and Rodney splutters, while Dr. Zelenka's peering up at them, a grin on his face that's threatening to turn into a full-blown smirk. "You're more interested in listening to yourself talk than anything. I coulda gotten that back on Earth, easy."
"Yes, that's right, you were busy playing bartender when we approached you," says Rodney, his voice dripping with superiority.
Jo's eyes narrow, and her mouth tightens. Right now, she wouldn't give a damn if Jess threw a computer at Rodney's head. "You wanna listen to yourself talk, fine!" she snaps, shoving herself out of the chair she's in. "Do I even have to listen to you?"
"If you want to stay alive in this galaxy, you'd better--" starts Rodney.
Jo just rolls her eyes. "Heard that one a few dozen times or so," she snaps. Well, except for that galaxy part, but why ruin a good line? "You ever think that maybe your attitude is half the reason I hear the shit I do running around this city about you?"
She whirls around and stalks off, ignoring Rodney's sputtering.
***
Jo's in her room later, sprawled out on the bed and watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on her laptop and rolling her eyes at Willow. She wouldn't be that neurotic if she were a powerful witch. Of course, Jo had also given the Cordelia of her grade school a black eye early on. The week-long suspension and being read the riot act by Ellen had been totally worth it.
The door chimes, so she knows it's not Laura, who'll just walk right in. She glances over at Jess, who's laying next to her, one arm flung across Jo's waist. Jess blinks out of view with a wave, and Jo calls out to whoever it is. "What?" she asks. The door opens, and it's Teyla, so Jo sits up, and gives her kind of a surprised look. "Uh, hi?" Teyla's, like, big here on Atlantis. Jo doesn't hang with the big names here, and she's cool with that, mostly.
"Are you well, Jo?" asks Teyla, stepping into the room and letting the door close behind her.
"Peachy," she replies, grinning widely at Teyla.
Jo knows Teyla's not fooled when she gives Jo a stern look. "I heard that you and Dr. McKay had an altercation," she says.
Jo starts wondering just what Teyla's heard, and if maybe Dr. Weir asked Teyla to come and tell Jo to pack her stuff so she can head home. Jo's never done more than say hi to Dr. Weir. She seems awfully nice, but Jo's more at home around Laura and some of the other military. Except for when Jo starts cleaning up at ladies' poker night, but she grew up a bar rat, and she learned poker along with hunter lore, not just from her daddy, but anyone that would teach her. "Yeah, well, he's a jerk," she says shortly, and Jo can feel Jess' invisible hand rubbing soft circles on her back.
"Whether or not he is that," says Teyla, and her expression is just so damn long-suffering that Jo can't help but grin sympathetically at her. "He is the chief scientist on this expedition, and though he is--shall we say, lacking, somewhat, in manners?" Teyla chuckles before continuing, "He is often brusque, but Rodney is a good man."
"He bitched me out because Sam sent me an e-mail about vampire hunting," says Jo. "He blames me for using unnecessary server resources."
"Dr. Weir has had a discussion with Rodney about the sensitivity of our security software," says Teyla. Somehow Teyla manages to look even more long-suffering than she does at mealtimes, or just after she gets back from offworld.
"So basically you want me to play nice with the neurotic geek?" asks Jo.
"Yes," says Teyla firmly, with just an edge of relief to her voice. "And then neither Dr. Weir nor I will need to have these discussions with either of you."
"He could've just asked Dr. Zelenka to talk to me," grumbles Jo, much more lightheartedly now. "I like him."
"Everyone likes Dr. Zelenka," says Teyla. "It is part of why he is so overworked."
Jo nods. "He's frazzled." She leans forward, wondering something suddenly. "Hey, Teyla, do they have, like, ghost stories here?" Jess hand stills in its soothing circles, and Jo can feel the air around her chill a little.
"On Atlantis, you mean?" asks Teyla, looking confused at the abrupt subject change.
"Nah, this whole galaxy, I mean," says Jo. Jess hasn't found any ghosts, she says, but Atlantis is a big city, and Jess is only one dead girl. "I mean, seriously, this city's kind of on the creepy side, and what with the Wraith and all--" She pauses, trying to figure out how to word it that isn't awkward as all hell, but can't find one. "Back on Earth, if a spirit can't find rest, they become a ghost."
"I have heard such tales of your world," says Teyla cautiously. "But I had thought them to be fiction."
Jo shrugs. "Most people think they are," she says. "They're not, though."
"On Athos, before it was destroyed," says Teyla. "We had tales of spirits of the dead. Those killed by the Wraith before their lives could be drained, those whose souls were not laid to rest by ritual, they walked among the living. The stories said we should hope they did not grow jealous of the warmth of the living."
"Yeah, some of them on Earth are like that." Jo's laughter is short and sharp. "Some of them just can't admit they're dead. Some of them are pretty cool, though." A puff of air on the back of her neck is all that tells her Jess is laughing silently. Jo glances up at Teyla. "It'd be neat if you could tell me some more of them? I just--" Jo shrugs, glances away. "You probably don't have time."
"If you are truly interested," says Teyla, and Jo looks sharply back up at her, "then I shall make the time. Perhaps we could take our meals together once a week, and I will tell you the ghost stories of this galaxy."
A grin blossoms on Jo's face, a real one this time, brighter than the quiet smile Teyla's giving her. "That'd be cool," she says.
***
"Don't go into the light, Carol Anne!" exclaims Laura, laughing.
Jo takes aim and fires a perfect chest shot at the target before clicking the safety on, pointing her firearm down and away from Laura, then turning and rolling her eyes as she pulls off her earpieces. "You are such a pain in the ass, Laura," she snaps, no real heat in her voice.
"You bet," says Laura, earpieces dangling from her fingertips. She steps past Jo, studies the paper target appraisingly. "Looks like you shoot well enough, and I can tell Colonel Sheppard that you really do handle a gun like a pro. Means you might wanna get ready for your first offworld mission."
"Really?" Jo can't help but grin widely at that. Atlantis is pretty and all, but for a girl who was dragging her sorry ass on a cross-country road trip before she got recruited here, she's feeling kind of cooped up. Has been for a while now. "Neat!"
"You're probably not going to see any action," says Laura. "Which? Is a good thing. You're a civilian; you're not supposed to see any action." She smirks when Jo scowls at her. "Suck it up, finish your degree, and enlist as an officer, like I keep telling you, and Colonel Sheppard'll yank your ass back here so fast the ink on your commission will barely be dry."
"Yeah, yeah, I signed up for a correspondence course or two while I was out here," says Jo, rolling her eyes. Teyla and Jess have both been encouraging her to for months now. "You happy now?"
"You talk to Dr. Zelenka about that independent study?" asks Laura.
"Not yet," says Jo.
Laura just looks at her. "Do it, and then I'll be happy," she says. "Come on, it's nearly lunch time, and I saw Major Lorne pacing outside. He's gonna be unbearable if we make him late for his target practice."
"Every guy I ever meet is worried about firing off the biggest gun they can." Jo snickers and starts unloading her gun. "Why am I not surprised that hasn't changed out here?"
Laura waits until she's done, and bumps Jo with her hip. "Because they're men," she says, snickering.
A few minutes later, they walk out, red-faced and laughing so hard they have to hold each other up. Major Lorne chuckles wryly as they walk by, and they burst into fresh gales of laughter, until a box of ammo falls to the ground, and bullets scatter all over the place.
"Freaky," says Laura, straightening up and eying it.
Oh, shit, thinks Jo, but she doesn't say anything.
***
"You like her." Jess is standing in the middle of Jo's room when she gets back.
"Yeah." Jo shrugs and falls onto the bed, turning onto her stomach and kicking her legs in the air as she stares up at Jess. "So?"
"As more than a friend." Jess doesn't look happy, but she's not angry either, just--sad.
"She's, like, six years older than me," says Jo. "And a Marine. She's not interested."
"Yes, she is," says Jess.
Jo eyes Jess warily. "You been spying on her?"
"There's not much to do when you're dead," says Jess. "I've been spying on everyone."
"So aside from having all the good dirt, what's up?" asks Jo, ignoring the fact that hearing that Laura's interested is making her stomach fluttery. "You can't be jealous."
"I'm your dead girlfriend," says Jess, and she moves, jerky and like she's in fast-forward, until she's sitting on the bed next to Jo. "I'm not getting any older, but you're not going to be hunting forever."
"You're gonna move on eventually, right?" asks Jo, sitting up and frowning at Jess. "To wherever ghosts go when they're done being ghosts."
"It's hard to let go," says Jess softly. "I need to, but I can't."
"I guess Sam's a hard guy to forget," says Jo.
Jess shakes her head. "I'm not just hung up on him," she says.
Jo groans. "We're so fucked up," she tells Jess, who nods knowingly.
***
The sound of firearms discharging is nothing new to Jo, and neither is Laura's dead serious expression as she lobs a grenade over the farm wall they've taken shelter behind. Jo's been through a couple of crises on Atlantis by now. "So, we're screwed, huh?" she asks Laura, since there's a difference between crisis and crisis.
"If we can't get to the 'gate to dial in and radio for reinforcements, we are," says Laura, and she pops up to fire a burst of ammo at the Wraith surrounding them.
"And we're cut off from the 'gate." Jo's not matter of fact about this. Her eyes are wide, and her breath is coming fast, but she's keeping her cool. This was supposed to be a milk run, with the planet scouted as free of people, no signs of the Wraith, and no reason for the Wraith to suddenly arrive out of nowhere.
"We're gonna be late for dinner tonight," says Laura grimly, as she starts inventorying the C4 she's got stashed. "Got any plans?"
Jo's plans for today had been to get some offworld experience logged, help the scientists check out a shiny, too-big-to-move piece of Ancient technology that had already been cleared as safe by Major Lorne's team, and then 'gate home and get some work done on that stupid independent study with Dr. Zelenka that Laura had talked her into. "Not really," says Jo, since the Wraith have fucked her plans over hard. "You asking me out?"
"If we survive," says Laura.
The grip of Jo's Beretta abruptly turns ice cold, and she drops it, her palms dead white where they'd been gripping it. "Shit, goddamnit, Jess!" yelps Jo, diving for her gun.
"Who the hell is Jess?" asks Laura.
"She's my dead, jealous girlfriend," says Jo, fumbling the grip of her pistol and then firing at the Wraith.
Laura's boggling, but it's not stopping her from tossing another grenade at the Wraith. Jo grins quickly at her. She likes when Laura blows shit up.
"I'm her." Jess is there, blonde and in her bright white nightgown, and the Wraith all aim their stunners at her. She rolls her eyes as they pass harmlessly through her.
"Jess, I don't wanna die just yet!" snaps Jo. "Can you just go dial the 'gate so we can radio Atlantis, please?"
"Forget dialing the 'gate!" snaps Laura, and Jo is really glad Laura's not asking for details just now. "Get out there and distract them! Jo, you stay here and cover me."
Half an hour later, the Wraith are blasted to bits, Jo and Laura are limping for the 'gate, the only survivors left of the team, and Jess is moving, jerkily and fast, ahead of them. "Dead girlfriend, huh?" asks Laura.
"Yep," says Jo, sighing.
"You start dating her before she died?" asks Laura, giggling a little hysterically.
"Nope," says Jo, and they prop each other up a bit more.
"Still wanna get dinner after we debrief?" asks Laura. "Your girlfriend gonna be mad?"
"Oh, this is gonna be fun to explain, isn't it?" asks Jo.
"Nope," says Laura glumly, and they're at the 'gate, with Jess leaning on the DHD and glaring at them.
***
"You mean to tell me there's been a ghost on Atlantis, and I'm only finding out when she saved your ass from the Wraith?" Colonel Sheppard's voice is harsh, and Jo's getting glared at as he paces back and forth in front of them. Laura may be standing at attention next to Jo's slouched figure, but Jo's pretty sure Laura'd be slinking away if she could.
"Sir--" starts Laura, and she stops when Colonel Sheppard whirls on her.
"Did I give you permission to speak, Lieutenant?" he asks.
Jo's got no idea how she does it, but Laura pulls herself up even more. "Sir, no, sir!" she barks out.
Jo rolls her eyes.
"You have something to say, Harvelle?" asks Colonel Sheppard, glaring straight at her now. "Seeing as how it's your dead friend who's been wandering around this city as a security risk the whole time you've been here."
"I did tell you guys I was hunting ghosts when you found me," says Jo sullenly.
"Get the hell out of here, you two," snaps Colonel Sheppard, "and, Harvelle, you can talk to Dr. Weir and explain yourself first thing tomorrow morning."
Laura and Jo hurry off, not looking at each other until they're out of the room. "Damn, that's gonna suck," says Laura.
"You're telling me," grumbles Jo. "Jess is pissed too."
"How can you tell?" asks Laura curiously, looking around. "Is she here?"
"It's really damn cold," says Jo, shrugging. "So, yeah, Jess is here, and she's pissed."
"Yeah, I noticed the cold," says Laura, and while her gaze doesn't stray down to Jo's shirt, Jo blushes anyway.
The temperature drops another ten degrees.
***
"What about dinner?" mumbles Jo, her lips pressed against Laura's breast.
"Fuck dinner," says Laura, yanking open Jo's pants and tugging them down. A stack of Jo's books fall to the ground, and Laura and Jo glance over, mouths and hands never breaking contact with each other's skin. "Your girlfriend watching?"
"Pissed off and watching," says Jo, sucking hard on Laura's nipple as she shoves Laura's shirt over her head. Laura's skin is ordinary human warm, and Jo can feel a pulse beating under her fingers as she slides her hand over Laura's wrist.
Laura groans. "That's kinda hot," she says, sliding down Jo's body, licking down Jo's belly, to slide her tongue against Jo's folds.
Jo moans as she writhes against the bed. "Just don't stop," she says, arching her back. Jess is on the bed with them now, fiery lips on Jo's, one hand sliding underneath that stupid white nightgown she's stuck in to touch herself.
She hears Laura say something, feels Laura sliding two, then three fingers deep inside her, and Jo's world shatters for a minute when she comes, Jess swallowing her scream like it's the last thing in the world.
"I never thought my life could get weirder," says Jo, after she recovers. She lifts her head up and watches Jess and Laura eyeing each other warily. "Oh, for God's sake, just kiss each other already. You may as well."
"This is such a security risk," grumbles Laura, rolling her eyes, but she doesn't complain when Jess shifts, lightning quick, and pushes up against her. "Damn, your skin is too warm. Shouldn't it be cold?"
"I burned alive," says Jess, her voice a sultrier whisper than anyone's should be when they talk about how they die.
Jo sits up, tucks her legs underneath her, and settles back to watch.
"Freaky," says Laura, grimacing.
"Don't bring it up," says Jo. She licks her lips when they both glance over at her. "I get weirded too."
"This is all too freaky." Jess says it as she strips off Laura's shirt, and Jo sits up for a minute, pulling Laura down onto the bed.
"But you're getting off on it," says Jo, smirking, and both Jess and Laura roll their eyes at her.
Just as Jess brushes her mouth against Laura's skin, their earpieces are blaring with reports of an unscheduled 'gate activation, and Laura groans in frustration. "Goddamn it," she says, pushing Jess gently off to the side and standing reaching for her shirt. "Someone's gonna suffer."
***
It turned out no one was suffering, but Colonel Sheppard was having a little problem with being captured by Kolya, which meant that pretty much all of Atlantis had shut down until he'd been brought back safe and sound.
"It's all okay?" asks Jo, standing in her doorway. She can feel Jess standing behind her, one arm around her waist, but she's not sure if Jess is visible or not.
Laura turns from her door and shrugs. "Got him back safe and sound," she says. "You two bored or keyed up?"
Guess that answered that question. "Bored," says Jess, and Jo can just hear the shit-eating grin on Jess' face.
"Come on in," says Jo, jerking her head back at her room.
All Laura can do right now is collapse on Jo's bed, rub at her eyes, and then stare as Jo straddles her. "You're disgustingly sweaty," she tells Laura.
"Had to hold the 'gate and take out a bunch of Kolya's forces," says Laura, laughing sharply. "There was a Wraith in the fucking jumper with us. A Wraith, and Sheppard let it go."
She's not telling them everything, but Jo lets it go. For now. She bends down over Laura, tugging up the black, form-fitting shirt, and tossing it off to the side. Jess catches it and grimaces. "Couldn't she have showered first?"
"Less fun that way," says Jo, unbuttoning Laura's pants and pushing them down. "Just chill, Laura. Try not to move."
"Too tired to move anyway," grumbles Laura, but she draws in a deep breath and her back arches when Jo puts her hands on Laura's thighs and licks at her. "Or maybe not."
Jo doesn't answer, just takes her time discovering how Laura tastes. Jess is up on the bed, not moving too fast to see, and she's kissing Laura, flicking her fingers idly over Laura's breast. From where she's crouched, she can hear Jess whispering for Laura to be quiet and take it easy, so Jo keeps taking it easy. She only speeds up when she thinks Laura's ready.
Too soon, though, Laura's panting turns to cursing and grows louder, so Jo drags her tongue along Laura's clit. Laura comes so hard she has to clamp one hand over her mouth to muffle the scream. Jess sits up then and looks smug, one finger over her mouth, as Jo sits back and wipes off her mouth.
"You guys should can the attitude," says Laura, chuckling. "Our asses are gonna be in an even worse sling tomorrow. Kolya got away and Colonel Sheppard was cursing a blue streak when he got back to the 'gate."
"Can we possibly deal with that tomorrow?" asks Jo.
"We should tell her about the ghosts," says Jess, flickering over to the computer and booting it up.
"More ghosts?" Laura sits up and looks curious.
"I didn't go offworld with Jo because I was curious," says Jess.
"Yeah, you did," says Jo, tugging Laura back down. "Get over the other ghost obsession for a few minutes, Jess. You get to apologize for sneaking into Laura's quarters and watching her shower."
Laura turns beet red. "Oh, God, you didn't," she says. "Do you know what kinds of things I--"
"Yes," says Jess, standing up and moving jerkily back to the bed. "You look so innocent most of the time."
"What ghosts?" asks Laura, and Jo knows she's changing the subject.
"On that planet where the Wraith ambushed us," says Jo. "Jess thinks she found some other ghosts. I was gonna talk to Teyla and Ronon, see if they'd heard any folklore on that planet."
"I think you have more Athosian and Satedan folklore than any of the anthropologists," says Jess, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I'm gonna be working the kitchens for a month," says Laura. "Two. No, ten. Plus they're gonna kick me out if they find out I just slept with two women. And refer me for meds if I say one of them is dead."
"Fun," says Jo dryly. "Come on, we can talk to Teyla in the morning. Maybe she'll be in a good mood."
***
"You are telling me that there is a spirit walking the halls of Atlantis?" snaps Teyla. "And you did not see fit to inform anyone of this before now? Those who cannot rest when their bodies move into death will draw the Wraith to us."
"Thought you said she was gonna be in a good mood," muttered Laura.
"I said maybe she would be," says Jo, slouching down farther in her chair.
"I can't move on," says Jess. Her eyes are wide, and she looks almost afraid. "I can't. Do think I haven't tried?"
Jo knew she had. Not that they'd resorted to exorcisms, but Jess had tried. "You know, I usually just shut the hell up because no one believes me," she says. "Which happened when I got here. Plus, who's that guy that recruited me? Glasses, huge geek?"
"That describes half the people here," says Laura, who shrugs when Teyla glares. "It's true."
"Fine, the guy who went on and on about the Egyptian afterlife," says Jo, with a heavy sigh. "When I told him I avoid the mummy exhibits for damn good reason, he just blinked at me and looked over his glasses."
"Dr. Jackson," says Laura, nodding knowingly. "He didn't believe you?"
"He said ghosts were probably stories of Ascension that had been corrupted over the years," says Jo.
"She nearly brained him with her shotgun," adds Jess.
"All right!" says Teyla, her hands on her temples, and Jo looks sheepishly at her. "I understand. I have made Dr. Jackson's acquaintance. He is very--enthusiastic."
"That's one way of putting it, ma'am," says Laura, her eyes bright, and her voice shaking with held-in laughter.
Teyla takes a deep breath, eyeing all three of them, and then shakes her head. "In all honesty, none of us expected that we would find such a thing," she says. "The stories have held in my people so long because of the city of the Ancestors on Athos. In many places, they are faded entirely from memory. I believe Colonel Sheppard was upset, Jo, because your friend--" She pauses and glances up. "What is your name?"
"Jess," she murmurs, her nightgown wrinkling slightly as she shifts uncomfortably.
"It seems that we have more adjusting to do," says Teyla. "You will all have to go through this again with Dr. Weir, but I will recommend that you remain on Atlantis for now, Jo."
"Can you recommend that Dr. McKay stop giving me weird looks when he sees me, please?" asks Jo. She winces as she hears her voice shift into a plaintive almost-whine.
Teyla chuckles. "I believe that is beyond even my powers of persuasion," she says. "I do not know what this discovery will bring us."
"Can you just do me one favor when you talk to Dr. Weir?" asks Jo, grimacing.
"That depends on what the favor is," says Teyla warily.
Jo draws herself up and leans forward. She's really glad right now that Teyla likes her. "Don't recruit anyone named Winchester. Please?"
--end--
Author: havocthecat
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis/Supernatural
Pairing: Laura Cadman/Jess/Jo Harvelle
Rating: NC-17
Summary: "Laura, when you guys found me, I was unloading a shotgun full of rock salt at a poltergeist," says Jo. "I think I can deal with the life-sucking aliens."
Notes: Written sort of as a sequel to Every Girl's Got Her Own Ghost Story, which is Supernatural, Jess/Jo. I figure if there's a cliche "so and so has the ATA gene and is recruited for the Atlantis expedition," (and there so is that cliche amongst SGA fandom) it should be included in an alien_altars cliche fanfic challenge. This fic contains the following alien_altars comm cliches: We almost died, must have hot sex; voyeurism; and jealousy.
The whole thing is fairly cracky (I love crack, yes, I do), and medie takes a lot of the blame, plus gets many happy beta brownie points.
"So, this is where you'll be staying," says Laura, slumping against the wall as she palms the lock to Jo's room. "I'm right across the hall, so if you need something, I'm easy to find. Just do me a favor and call Kate Heightmeyer to make an appointment instead of waking me up when you get nightmares."
Jo snorts. "Why would people get nightmares here?"
"Life-sucking aliens," says Laura, and she's totally serious. The idea doesn't even seem to bother her. "Nightmares are pretty much a given."
"Laura, when you guys found me, I was unloading a shotgun full of rock salt at a poltergeist," says Jo. "I think I can deal with the life-sucking aliens."
"Poltergeists?" Laura laughs. "All the shit we see here, Harvelle, I wouldn't put it past you to be telling the truth." She grins and backs out the door. It closes on a sparkle in Laura's eye that Jo wasn't used to seeing in people on Earth.
"She's going to be awfully surprised," said Jess, suddenly visible from where she was sitting on Jo's bed. She stood, moving jerkily across the room, until she was looking out the window. "It's a beautiful planet."
Jo snorted. "I care? It gets me far enough away from Ellen. That's what I care about."
"The life sucking aliens are a side benefit?" asked Jess.
Jo crossed her arms and shrugged. "I don't think they want me leaving the city," she said. "I'm not military, remember?"
"I wonder if there are any other ghosts here?" asked Jess, turning around and glancing around the room.
"Lemme know what you find out," says Jo, tossing her duffel bag down on the bed. "I'm gonna get something to eat."
***
"So, ah, who's the new blonde?" Jo's sitting by herself, trying not to inhale the oddly-flavored mashed potatoes, when she hears it. She glances at the next table over, giving a balding, pudgy, old guy in a blue science shirt a scathing look. He grins cheerfully at her and waves, and Jo rolls her eyes and turns back to her food.
The soldier next to him is slouched back in his chair, arms crossed and hands stuck under his armpits. "Jo Harvelle," he says, and Jo can't believe a solider has hair that messy.
"Ah, yes," says the pudgy scientist. "One of the civilian recruits. With the gene?"
"She can hear us, Rodney," says the soldier, sounding irritated.
"She would like to eat in peace," says Jo, looking up at them, and irritated as all hell. A flash of cold air against her skin, and Jo can't see her, but Jess is there. Jo knows she's watching. Not much else to do when you're dead.
A black woman, and a huge man with dreds that would probably fit right in at the roadhouse come to sit down. He's looking at Jo curiously, and the woman's smiling indulgently at Jo. Something in her wants to like the woman, but she's already irritated by this Rodney guy, so Jo scowls back down at her food, then abruptly lets her fork drop down on her plate with a clatter, and stalks off.
"Bad attitude," drawls the soldier.
"If your first experience on Atlantis were such intense scrutiny, would you not have one as well?" asks the woman.
Then Jo's out the door, Jess showing up in her peripheral vision with a look of sympathy, before she blinks out again.
***
She spends the first week with an escort to show her the ropes. Thankfully, it's Laura, who can laugh at anything, and knows how to tease Jo out of a bad mood without making Jo snarl. E-mail gets delivered a couple weeks in, after they dial the 'gate to Earth. One from Ellen, telling her to be careful, wherever she is. Jo rolls her eyes, but doesn't delete it. There's an awkward one from Sam, one of her college friends writes to tell her about a party from last weekend, but there's nothing from Dean.
"Don't tell me you expected him to write," says Jess, propping her elbow on Jo's desk. "How's Sam?"
Jo pretends not to notice the wistful tone of Jess' voice. "Usual," she says. "They met up with a group of vampires last week."
"Blood-sucking, or life-sucking?" asks Jess.
"Garden variety blood-sucker," says Jo, with a wry grin. She turns and faces Jess, matching her pose, as they talk. "Who ever thought we'd have to specify?"
She hears the door open, watches Jess flicker away. "Specify what?" asks Laura, behind her. "Who're you talking to?"
Jo turns, blinks at Laura, and musters a smile. "My computer," she says. "Got an e-mail from someone back home. He was vampire hunting last week."
Laura snorts, and Jo pretends Jess isn't standing right behind Laura, giving her a disbelieving look. "Wooden stakes and all?"
"They work on the ones back home," Jo says. "Something tells me it wouldn't do much on the Wraith."
"I find blowing them up works better. More fun too," says Laura. She jerks her head at the door. "I got sent to drag you outta here. Turns out the contents of your e-mail drop is giving the computers all kinds of security fits."
"Oh, shit," says Jo. She blinks once, and Jess is gone again.
"Probably wouldn't be a big deal normally, but someone's been rearranging McKay's office in the middle of the night, and the cameras go on the fritz every time, so he's pissier than usual," says Laura. She sounds serious, but the gleam in her eyes is undeniably amused, so Jo can't resist cracking a grin at her.
***
"Vampires!" snaps Rodney, stalking around his lab and flinging his hands up in the air. "Of everything we have to worry about in this galaxy, the security software red flags your e-mail because your practical joking boyfriend writes you about fighting vampires?"
Dr. Zelenka's in the background, muttering to himself and giving Rodney dark looks. Like usual. Jo ignores him, and wonders how badly Jess is gonna trash Rodney's lab tonight.
A coffee mug shatters, and Jo winces. Oh. Jess isn't gonna wait until tonight. "He's not my boyfriend," snaps Jo. "Trust me, if I were gonna be interested in any guy on Earth, it wouldn't be Sam Winchester!"
"What just happened to my mug?" asks Rodney, whirling and looking accusatorily at Dr. Zelenka.
Dr. Zelenka shrugs. "I do not know," he says, on the other side of the room. "I am sitting here working, trying to drown out your very loud voice, and your mug just--" He makes a flickering gesture with his hands. "--shatters."
"Yes, well, don't let it happen again," says Rodney, and Dr. Zelenka--Jo got assigned to explore the city with him once, and he's pretty cool--just gives a disgusted exclamation and turns back to his work. Jo gets the feeling those two actually like being assholes to each other.
"Can I go now?" asks Jo, crossing her arms and glaring at Rodney.
"You may not," he says, turning back to her with an indignant huff, and Jo is treated to a shouted lecture about how she's apparently killed server resources for the entire city.
"Oh, come on." After ten minutes of this, Jo's had enough, and Rodney looks like he's winding up for a lecture longer than anything Ellen would give. She stands, and Rodney splutters, while Dr. Zelenka's peering up at them, a grin on his face that's threatening to turn into a full-blown smirk. "You're more interested in listening to yourself talk than anything. I coulda gotten that back on Earth, easy."
"Yes, that's right, you were busy playing bartender when we approached you," says Rodney, his voice dripping with superiority.
Jo's eyes narrow, and her mouth tightens. Right now, she wouldn't give a damn if Jess threw a computer at Rodney's head. "You wanna listen to yourself talk, fine!" she snaps, shoving herself out of the chair she's in. "Do I even have to listen to you?"
"If you want to stay alive in this galaxy, you'd better--" starts Rodney.
Jo just rolls her eyes. "Heard that one a few dozen times or so," she snaps. Well, except for that galaxy part, but why ruin a good line? "You ever think that maybe your attitude is half the reason I hear the shit I do running around this city about you?"
She whirls around and stalks off, ignoring Rodney's sputtering.
***
Jo's in her room later, sprawled out on the bed and watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on her laptop and rolling her eyes at Willow. She wouldn't be that neurotic if she were a powerful witch. Of course, Jo had also given the Cordelia of her grade school a black eye early on. The week-long suspension and being read the riot act by Ellen had been totally worth it.
The door chimes, so she knows it's not Laura, who'll just walk right in. She glances over at Jess, who's laying next to her, one arm flung across Jo's waist. Jess blinks out of view with a wave, and Jo calls out to whoever it is. "What?" she asks. The door opens, and it's Teyla, so Jo sits up, and gives her kind of a surprised look. "Uh, hi?" Teyla's, like, big here on Atlantis. Jo doesn't hang with the big names here, and she's cool with that, mostly.
"Are you well, Jo?" asks Teyla, stepping into the room and letting the door close behind her.
"Peachy," she replies, grinning widely at Teyla.
Jo knows Teyla's not fooled when she gives Jo a stern look. "I heard that you and Dr. McKay had an altercation," she says.
Jo starts wondering just what Teyla's heard, and if maybe Dr. Weir asked Teyla to come and tell Jo to pack her stuff so she can head home. Jo's never done more than say hi to Dr. Weir. She seems awfully nice, but Jo's more at home around Laura and some of the other military. Except for when Jo starts cleaning up at ladies' poker night, but she grew up a bar rat, and she learned poker along with hunter lore, not just from her daddy, but anyone that would teach her. "Yeah, well, he's a jerk," she says shortly, and Jo can feel Jess' invisible hand rubbing soft circles on her back.
"Whether or not he is that," says Teyla, and her expression is just so damn long-suffering that Jo can't help but grin sympathetically at her. "He is the chief scientist on this expedition, and though he is--shall we say, lacking, somewhat, in manners?" Teyla chuckles before continuing, "He is often brusque, but Rodney is a good man."
"He bitched me out because Sam sent me an e-mail about vampire hunting," says Jo. "He blames me for using unnecessary server resources."
"Dr. Weir has had a discussion with Rodney about the sensitivity of our security software," says Teyla. Somehow Teyla manages to look even more long-suffering than she does at mealtimes, or just after she gets back from offworld.
"So basically you want me to play nice with the neurotic geek?" asks Jo.
"Yes," says Teyla firmly, with just an edge of relief to her voice. "And then neither Dr. Weir nor I will need to have these discussions with either of you."
"He could've just asked Dr. Zelenka to talk to me," grumbles Jo, much more lightheartedly now. "I like him."
"Everyone likes Dr. Zelenka," says Teyla. "It is part of why he is so overworked."
Jo nods. "He's frazzled." She leans forward, wondering something suddenly. "Hey, Teyla, do they have, like, ghost stories here?" Jess hand stills in its soothing circles, and Jo can feel the air around her chill a little.
"On Atlantis, you mean?" asks Teyla, looking confused at the abrupt subject change.
"Nah, this whole galaxy, I mean," says Jo. Jess hasn't found any ghosts, she says, but Atlantis is a big city, and Jess is only one dead girl. "I mean, seriously, this city's kind of on the creepy side, and what with the Wraith and all--" She pauses, trying to figure out how to word it that isn't awkward as all hell, but can't find one. "Back on Earth, if a spirit can't find rest, they become a ghost."
"I have heard such tales of your world," says Teyla cautiously. "But I had thought them to be fiction."
Jo shrugs. "Most people think they are," she says. "They're not, though."
"On Athos, before it was destroyed," says Teyla. "We had tales of spirits of the dead. Those killed by the Wraith before their lives could be drained, those whose souls were not laid to rest by ritual, they walked among the living. The stories said we should hope they did not grow jealous of the warmth of the living."
"Yeah, some of them on Earth are like that." Jo's laughter is short and sharp. "Some of them just can't admit they're dead. Some of them are pretty cool, though." A puff of air on the back of her neck is all that tells her Jess is laughing silently. Jo glances up at Teyla. "It'd be neat if you could tell me some more of them? I just--" Jo shrugs, glances away. "You probably don't have time."
"If you are truly interested," says Teyla, and Jo looks sharply back up at her, "then I shall make the time. Perhaps we could take our meals together once a week, and I will tell you the ghost stories of this galaxy."
A grin blossoms on Jo's face, a real one this time, brighter than the quiet smile Teyla's giving her. "That'd be cool," she says.
***
"Don't go into the light, Carol Anne!" exclaims Laura, laughing.
Jo takes aim and fires a perfect chest shot at the target before clicking the safety on, pointing her firearm down and away from Laura, then turning and rolling her eyes as she pulls off her earpieces. "You are such a pain in the ass, Laura," she snaps, no real heat in her voice.
"You bet," says Laura, earpieces dangling from her fingertips. She steps past Jo, studies the paper target appraisingly. "Looks like you shoot well enough, and I can tell Colonel Sheppard that you really do handle a gun like a pro. Means you might wanna get ready for your first offworld mission."
"Really?" Jo can't help but grin widely at that. Atlantis is pretty and all, but for a girl who was dragging her sorry ass on a cross-country road trip before she got recruited here, she's feeling kind of cooped up. Has been for a while now. "Neat!"
"You're probably not going to see any action," says Laura. "Which? Is a good thing. You're a civilian; you're not supposed to see any action." She smirks when Jo scowls at her. "Suck it up, finish your degree, and enlist as an officer, like I keep telling you, and Colonel Sheppard'll yank your ass back here so fast the ink on your commission will barely be dry."
"Yeah, yeah, I signed up for a correspondence course or two while I was out here," says Jo, rolling her eyes. Teyla and Jess have both been encouraging her to for months now. "You happy now?"
"You talk to Dr. Zelenka about that independent study?" asks Laura.
"Not yet," says Jo.
Laura just looks at her. "Do it, and then I'll be happy," she says. "Come on, it's nearly lunch time, and I saw Major Lorne pacing outside. He's gonna be unbearable if we make him late for his target practice."
"Every guy I ever meet is worried about firing off the biggest gun they can." Jo snickers and starts unloading her gun. "Why am I not surprised that hasn't changed out here?"
Laura waits until she's done, and bumps Jo with her hip. "Because they're men," she says, snickering.
A few minutes later, they walk out, red-faced and laughing so hard they have to hold each other up. Major Lorne chuckles wryly as they walk by, and they burst into fresh gales of laughter, until a box of ammo falls to the ground, and bullets scatter all over the place.
"Freaky," says Laura, straightening up and eying it.
Oh, shit, thinks Jo, but she doesn't say anything.
***
"You like her." Jess is standing in the middle of Jo's room when she gets back.
"Yeah." Jo shrugs and falls onto the bed, turning onto her stomach and kicking her legs in the air as she stares up at Jess. "So?"
"As more than a friend." Jess doesn't look happy, but she's not angry either, just--sad.
"She's, like, six years older than me," says Jo. "And a Marine. She's not interested."
"Yes, she is," says Jess.
Jo eyes Jess warily. "You been spying on her?"
"There's not much to do when you're dead," says Jess. "I've been spying on everyone."
"So aside from having all the good dirt, what's up?" asks Jo, ignoring the fact that hearing that Laura's interested is making her stomach fluttery. "You can't be jealous."
"I'm your dead girlfriend," says Jess, and she moves, jerky and like she's in fast-forward, until she's sitting on the bed next to Jo. "I'm not getting any older, but you're not going to be hunting forever."
"You're gonna move on eventually, right?" asks Jo, sitting up and frowning at Jess. "To wherever ghosts go when they're done being ghosts."
"It's hard to let go," says Jess softly. "I need to, but I can't."
"I guess Sam's a hard guy to forget," says Jo.
Jess shakes her head. "I'm not just hung up on him," she says.
Jo groans. "We're so fucked up," she tells Jess, who nods knowingly.
***
The sound of firearms discharging is nothing new to Jo, and neither is Laura's dead serious expression as she lobs a grenade over the farm wall they've taken shelter behind. Jo's been through a couple of crises on Atlantis by now. "So, we're screwed, huh?" she asks Laura, since there's a difference between crisis and crisis.
"If we can't get to the 'gate to dial in and radio for reinforcements, we are," says Laura, and she pops up to fire a burst of ammo at the Wraith surrounding them.
"And we're cut off from the 'gate." Jo's not matter of fact about this. Her eyes are wide, and her breath is coming fast, but she's keeping her cool. This was supposed to be a milk run, with the planet scouted as free of people, no signs of the Wraith, and no reason for the Wraith to suddenly arrive out of nowhere.
"We're gonna be late for dinner tonight," says Laura grimly, as she starts inventorying the C4 she's got stashed. "Got any plans?"
Jo's plans for today had been to get some offworld experience logged, help the scientists check out a shiny, too-big-to-move piece of Ancient technology that had already been cleared as safe by Major Lorne's team, and then 'gate home and get some work done on that stupid independent study with Dr. Zelenka that Laura had talked her into. "Not really," says Jo, since the Wraith have fucked her plans over hard. "You asking me out?"
"If we survive," says Laura.
The grip of Jo's Beretta abruptly turns ice cold, and she drops it, her palms dead white where they'd been gripping it. "Shit, goddamnit, Jess!" yelps Jo, diving for her gun.
"Who the hell is Jess?" asks Laura.
"She's my dead, jealous girlfriend," says Jo, fumbling the grip of her pistol and then firing at the Wraith.
Laura's boggling, but it's not stopping her from tossing another grenade at the Wraith. Jo grins quickly at her. She likes when Laura blows shit up.
"I'm her." Jess is there, blonde and in her bright white nightgown, and the Wraith all aim their stunners at her. She rolls her eyes as they pass harmlessly through her.
"Jess, I don't wanna die just yet!" snaps Jo. "Can you just go dial the 'gate so we can radio Atlantis, please?"
"Forget dialing the 'gate!" snaps Laura, and Jo is really glad Laura's not asking for details just now. "Get out there and distract them! Jo, you stay here and cover me."
Half an hour later, the Wraith are blasted to bits, Jo and Laura are limping for the 'gate, the only survivors left of the team, and Jess is moving, jerkily and fast, ahead of them. "Dead girlfriend, huh?" asks Laura.
"Yep," says Jo, sighing.
"You start dating her before she died?" asks Laura, giggling a little hysterically.
"Nope," says Jo, and they prop each other up a bit more.
"Still wanna get dinner after we debrief?" asks Laura. "Your girlfriend gonna be mad?"
"Oh, this is gonna be fun to explain, isn't it?" asks Jo.
"Nope," says Laura glumly, and they're at the 'gate, with Jess leaning on the DHD and glaring at them.
***
"You mean to tell me there's been a ghost on Atlantis, and I'm only finding out when she saved your ass from the Wraith?" Colonel Sheppard's voice is harsh, and Jo's getting glared at as he paces back and forth in front of them. Laura may be standing at attention next to Jo's slouched figure, but Jo's pretty sure Laura'd be slinking away if she could.
"Sir--" starts Laura, and she stops when Colonel Sheppard whirls on her.
"Did I give you permission to speak, Lieutenant?" he asks.
Jo's got no idea how she does it, but Laura pulls herself up even more. "Sir, no, sir!" she barks out.
Jo rolls her eyes.
"You have something to say, Harvelle?" asks Colonel Sheppard, glaring straight at her now. "Seeing as how it's your dead friend who's been wandering around this city as a security risk the whole time you've been here."
"I did tell you guys I was hunting ghosts when you found me," says Jo sullenly.
"Get the hell out of here, you two," snaps Colonel Sheppard, "and, Harvelle, you can talk to Dr. Weir and explain yourself first thing tomorrow morning."
Laura and Jo hurry off, not looking at each other until they're out of the room. "Damn, that's gonna suck," says Laura.
"You're telling me," grumbles Jo. "Jess is pissed too."
"How can you tell?" asks Laura curiously, looking around. "Is she here?"
"It's really damn cold," says Jo, shrugging. "So, yeah, Jess is here, and she's pissed."
"Yeah, I noticed the cold," says Laura, and while her gaze doesn't stray down to Jo's shirt, Jo blushes anyway.
The temperature drops another ten degrees.
***
"What about dinner?" mumbles Jo, her lips pressed against Laura's breast.
"Fuck dinner," says Laura, yanking open Jo's pants and tugging them down. A stack of Jo's books fall to the ground, and Laura and Jo glance over, mouths and hands never breaking contact with each other's skin. "Your girlfriend watching?"
"Pissed off and watching," says Jo, sucking hard on Laura's nipple as she shoves Laura's shirt over her head. Laura's skin is ordinary human warm, and Jo can feel a pulse beating under her fingers as she slides her hand over Laura's wrist.
Laura groans. "That's kinda hot," she says, sliding down Jo's body, licking down Jo's belly, to slide her tongue against Jo's folds.
Jo moans as she writhes against the bed. "Just don't stop," she says, arching her back. Jess is on the bed with them now, fiery lips on Jo's, one hand sliding underneath that stupid white nightgown she's stuck in to touch herself.
She hears Laura say something, feels Laura sliding two, then three fingers deep inside her, and Jo's world shatters for a minute when she comes, Jess swallowing her scream like it's the last thing in the world.
"I never thought my life could get weirder," says Jo, after she recovers. She lifts her head up and watches Jess and Laura eyeing each other warily. "Oh, for God's sake, just kiss each other already. You may as well."
"This is such a security risk," grumbles Laura, rolling her eyes, but she doesn't complain when Jess shifts, lightning quick, and pushes up against her. "Damn, your skin is too warm. Shouldn't it be cold?"
"I burned alive," says Jess, her voice a sultrier whisper than anyone's should be when they talk about how they die.
Jo sits up, tucks her legs underneath her, and settles back to watch.
"Freaky," says Laura, grimacing.
"Don't bring it up," says Jo. She licks her lips when they both glance over at her. "I get weirded too."
"This is all too freaky." Jess says it as she strips off Laura's shirt, and Jo sits up for a minute, pulling Laura down onto the bed.
"But you're getting off on it," says Jo, smirking, and both Jess and Laura roll their eyes at her.
Just as Jess brushes her mouth against Laura's skin, their earpieces are blaring with reports of an unscheduled 'gate activation, and Laura groans in frustration. "Goddamn it," she says, pushing Jess gently off to the side and standing reaching for her shirt. "Someone's gonna suffer."
***
It turned out no one was suffering, but Colonel Sheppard was having a little problem with being captured by Kolya, which meant that pretty much all of Atlantis had shut down until he'd been brought back safe and sound.
"It's all okay?" asks Jo, standing in her doorway. She can feel Jess standing behind her, one arm around her waist, but she's not sure if Jess is visible or not.
Laura turns from her door and shrugs. "Got him back safe and sound," she says. "You two bored or keyed up?"
Guess that answered that question. "Bored," says Jess, and Jo can just hear the shit-eating grin on Jess' face.
"Come on in," says Jo, jerking her head back at her room.
All Laura can do right now is collapse on Jo's bed, rub at her eyes, and then stare as Jo straddles her. "You're disgustingly sweaty," she tells Laura.
"Had to hold the 'gate and take out a bunch of Kolya's forces," says Laura, laughing sharply. "There was a Wraith in the fucking jumper with us. A Wraith, and Sheppard let it go."
She's not telling them everything, but Jo lets it go. For now. She bends down over Laura, tugging up the black, form-fitting shirt, and tossing it off to the side. Jess catches it and grimaces. "Couldn't she have showered first?"
"Less fun that way," says Jo, unbuttoning Laura's pants and pushing them down. "Just chill, Laura. Try not to move."
"Too tired to move anyway," grumbles Laura, but she draws in a deep breath and her back arches when Jo puts her hands on Laura's thighs and licks at her. "Or maybe not."
Jo doesn't answer, just takes her time discovering how Laura tastes. Jess is up on the bed, not moving too fast to see, and she's kissing Laura, flicking her fingers idly over Laura's breast. From where she's crouched, she can hear Jess whispering for Laura to be quiet and take it easy, so Jo keeps taking it easy. She only speeds up when she thinks Laura's ready.
Too soon, though, Laura's panting turns to cursing and grows louder, so Jo drags her tongue along Laura's clit. Laura comes so hard she has to clamp one hand over her mouth to muffle the scream. Jess sits up then and looks smug, one finger over her mouth, as Jo sits back and wipes off her mouth.
"You guys should can the attitude," says Laura, chuckling. "Our asses are gonna be in an even worse sling tomorrow. Kolya got away and Colonel Sheppard was cursing a blue streak when he got back to the 'gate."
"Can we possibly deal with that tomorrow?" asks Jo.
"We should tell her about the ghosts," says Jess, flickering over to the computer and booting it up.
"More ghosts?" Laura sits up and looks curious.
"I didn't go offworld with Jo because I was curious," says Jess.
"Yeah, you did," says Jo, tugging Laura back down. "Get over the other ghost obsession for a few minutes, Jess. You get to apologize for sneaking into Laura's quarters and watching her shower."
Laura turns beet red. "Oh, God, you didn't," she says. "Do you know what kinds of things I--"
"Yes," says Jess, standing up and moving jerkily back to the bed. "You look so innocent most of the time."
"What ghosts?" asks Laura, and Jo knows she's changing the subject.
"On that planet where the Wraith ambushed us," says Jo. "Jess thinks she found some other ghosts. I was gonna talk to Teyla and Ronon, see if they'd heard any folklore on that planet."
"I think you have more Athosian and Satedan folklore than any of the anthropologists," says Jess, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I'm gonna be working the kitchens for a month," says Laura. "Two. No, ten. Plus they're gonna kick me out if they find out I just slept with two women. And refer me for meds if I say one of them is dead."
"Fun," says Jo dryly. "Come on, we can talk to Teyla in the morning. Maybe she'll be in a good mood."
***
"You are telling me that there is a spirit walking the halls of Atlantis?" snaps Teyla. "And you did not see fit to inform anyone of this before now? Those who cannot rest when their bodies move into death will draw the Wraith to us."
"Thought you said she was gonna be in a good mood," muttered Laura.
"I said maybe she would be," says Jo, slouching down farther in her chair.
"I can't move on," says Jess. Her eyes are wide, and she looks almost afraid. "I can't. Do think I haven't tried?"
Jo knew she had. Not that they'd resorted to exorcisms, but Jess had tried. "You know, I usually just shut the hell up because no one believes me," she says. "Which happened when I got here. Plus, who's that guy that recruited me? Glasses, huge geek?"
"That describes half the people here," says Laura, who shrugs when Teyla glares. "It's true."
"Fine, the guy who went on and on about the Egyptian afterlife," says Jo, with a heavy sigh. "When I told him I avoid the mummy exhibits for damn good reason, he just blinked at me and looked over his glasses."
"Dr. Jackson," says Laura, nodding knowingly. "He didn't believe you?"
"He said ghosts were probably stories of Ascension that had been corrupted over the years," says Jo.
"She nearly brained him with her shotgun," adds Jess.
"All right!" says Teyla, her hands on her temples, and Jo looks sheepishly at her. "I understand. I have made Dr. Jackson's acquaintance. He is very--enthusiastic."
"That's one way of putting it, ma'am," says Laura, her eyes bright, and her voice shaking with held-in laughter.
Teyla takes a deep breath, eyeing all three of them, and then shakes her head. "In all honesty, none of us expected that we would find such a thing," she says. "The stories have held in my people so long because of the city of the Ancestors on Athos. In many places, they are faded entirely from memory. I believe Colonel Sheppard was upset, Jo, because your friend--" She pauses and glances up. "What is your name?"
"Jess," she murmurs, her nightgown wrinkling slightly as she shifts uncomfortably.
"It seems that we have more adjusting to do," says Teyla. "You will all have to go through this again with Dr. Weir, but I will recommend that you remain on Atlantis for now, Jo."
"Can you recommend that Dr. McKay stop giving me weird looks when he sees me, please?" asks Jo. She winces as she hears her voice shift into a plaintive almost-whine.
Teyla chuckles. "I believe that is beyond even my powers of persuasion," she says. "I do not know what this discovery will bring us."
"Can you just do me one favor when you talk to Dr. Weir?" asks Jo, grimacing.
"That depends on what the favor is," says Teyla warily.
Jo draws herself up and leans forward. She's really glad right now that Teyla likes her. "Don't recruit anyone named Winchester. Please?"
--end--