[Stargate: Atlantis] Stray
Title: Stray
Genre: CRACK
Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: So very much not mine.
Summary: Lorne's running a pre-flight check on one of the jumpers when he notices it.
Notes: Hi. Okay, yes. This is me avoiding things I should be doing. Again. So I had this idea, right? About things that take place during Nine, such as people John runs into and how they might have gained his favor now that he is small and furry and in need of perches from which to watch the world. Or something. (Mainly I just wanted Lorne to catch John in the jumper bay when he's supposed to be in the lab where Rodney can keep an eye on him, so yay?)
Lorne's running a pre-flight check on one of the jumpers when he notices it. A flicker of black among the cargo crates that have been shunted off to the side before loading, nothing much.
Just enough.
He has Zelenka on the radio a moment later, lips quirking into a faint smile as McKay's voice comes through loud and clear in the background. "The Colonel around?" He's already out of the pilot's seat and making his way to the back of the jumper and into the jumper bay.
Zelenka sighs, and Lorne can picture the expression on his face, exasperation and frustration in his voice as he answers in the negative, although the sound of angry typing and McKay's swearing pretty much says it all.
Lorne nods at a passing technician and ducks around a pair of Marines helping load supplies in the waiting Puddlejumper. Pauses a moment to search the tangle of crates and equipment, figure out the best viewing angle and makes a hard right.
"Get McKay to take a break or something, would you? I think I know where Colonel Sheppard is."
A moment of silence and then Zelenka's quiet acknowledgement and he turns his radio off, squeezes between two packing containers and stops. Looks down to see a pair of eyes watching him.
Lorne knows that finding Sheppard was the easy part, knows that he wasn't making an active attempt to hide. He also knows that getting Sheppard out where he can grab him is going to be damn near impossible. Knows that Sheppard's waiting for him to move wrong before he bolts. Makes a break for it.
He knows there's no way he'll be able to catch Sheppard if he runs, he's too fast now, able to navigate Atlantis better than anyone in the entire city by virtue of his current form. The city's his more than ever now, and they all know it.
Lorne clears his throat and glances at the jumper bay. "Care to join me, sir? I've got a supply run to make to the mainland."
Sheppard's staring at him when he looks back, ears pricked forward, but he doesn't move from his hiding spot. Doesn't let anything show past that, holding himself completely still.
He raises an eyebrow as Sheppard continues to watch him, wary and expectant and Lorne can't blame him after the way everyone's been treating him. The way they look at him, something like pity in their eyes as though smaller automatically equals weaker in their minds. As if Sheppard hasn't proven himself perfectly capable of foiling fully armed Marines and evading capture when he feels like it over the past few days, like maybe they can't see Sheppard anymore.
"Sir?"
Sheppard steps out into the open, eyes still on Lorne, and waits to see what Lorne's next move is.
Lorne moves aside, clearly inviting Sheppard to lead the way. Doesn't say anything more, just stands there. Waiting.
Sheppard gives him a sidelong look as he walks past, and Lorne falls into step behind him like usual, like nothing's changed.
He can see that Sheppard's still tense, gait stiff and looking straight ahead as he heads toward the prepped jumper, but doesn't say anything. Gives the people with apparently nothing better to do than gawk a narrow-eyed look, telling them without words to get back to business and they do. Lorne shakes his head as they reach the Puddlejumper because for all that it's Atlantis, things like this aren't exactly routine.
Sheppard relaxes a little once they reach the cockpit, jumps into the co-pilot's chair, eyes moving over the control panel and Lorne almost smiles when he looks up, head tilted to the side.
It's barely there, but he can see it all the same, understands completely. Sheppard's taken to lurking around the Puddlejumper bay whenever he can get away with it, watching the jumpers arrive and depart and Lorne gets it, he does. Sheppard's a pilot, and until McKay and Zelenka can fix him, he can't fly. Shouldn't even be running around the city the way he does.
"I was thinking we might want to make a swing around the northern part of the mainland on our way back," he says as the HUD blinks into existence before them, information scrolling across the screen. "Check out weather patterns, gather data for the scientists, that sort of thing."
He can feel Sheppard watching him again, but doesn't look over as he completes the pre-flight checklist. Ten minutes later the jumper is fully loaded and Lorne's on the radio to the control room, the entry ramp locked into place. When he does look over at Sheppard, he's staring straight ahead, the tip of his tail twitching slightly, waiting.
Lorne smiles faintly when thy get flight clearance and the jumper bay roof opens, sky wide open above them. Sheppard glances at him, and he sees something like gratitude in his eyes as they lift off.
Genre: CRACK
Pairing: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: So very much not mine.
Summary: Lorne's running a pre-flight check on one of the jumpers when he notices it.
Notes: Hi. Okay, yes. This is me avoiding things I should be doing. Again. So I had this idea, right? About things that take place during Nine, such as people John runs into and how they might have gained his favor now that he is small and furry and in need of perches from which to watch the world. Or something. (Mainly I just wanted Lorne to catch John in the jumper bay when he's supposed to be in the lab where Rodney can keep an eye on him, so yay?)
Lorne's running a pre-flight check on one of the jumpers when he notices it. A flicker of black among the cargo crates that have been shunted off to the side before loading, nothing much.
Just enough.
He has Zelenka on the radio a moment later, lips quirking into a faint smile as McKay's voice comes through loud and clear in the background. "The Colonel around?" He's already out of the pilot's seat and making his way to the back of the jumper and into the jumper bay.
Zelenka sighs, and Lorne can picture the expression on his face, exasperation and frustration in his voice as he answers in the negative, although the sound of angry typing and McKay's swearing pretty much says it all.
Lorne nods at a passing technician and ducks around a pair of Marines helping load supplies in the waiting Puddlejumper. Pauses a moment to search the tangle of crates and equipment, figure out the best viewing angle and makes a hard right.
"Get McKay to take a break or something, would you? I think I know where Colonel Sheppard is."
A moment of silence and then Zelenka's quiet acknowledgement and he turns his radio off, squeezes between two packing containers and stops. Looks down to see a pair of eyes watching him.
Lorne knows that finding Sheppard was the easy part, knows that he wasn't making an active attempt to hide. He also knows that getting Sheppard out where he can grab him is going to be damn near impossible. Knows that Sheppard's waiting for him to move wrong before he bolts. Makes a break for it.
He knows there's no way he'll be able to catch Sheppard if he runs, he's too fast now, able to navigate Atlantis better than anyone in the entire city by virtue of his current form. The city's his more than ever now, and they all know it.
Lorne clears his throat and glances at the jumper bay. "Care to join me, sir? I've got a supply run to make to the mainland."
Sheppard's staring at him when he looks back, ears pricked forward, but he doesn't move from his hiding spot. Doesn't let anything show past that, holding himself completely still.
He raises an eyebrow as Sheppard continues to watch him, wary and expectant and Lorne can't blame him after the way everyone's been treating him. The way they look at him, something like pity in their eyes as though smaller automatically equals weaker in their minds. As if Sheppard hasn't proven himself perfectly capable of foiling fully armed Marines and evading capture when he feels like it over the past few days, like maybe they can't see Sheppard anymore.
"Sir?"
Sheppard steps out into the open, eyes still on Lorne, and waits to see what Lorne's next move is.
Lorne moves aside, clearly inviting Sheppard to lead the way. Doesn't say anything more, just stands there. Waiting.
Sheppard gives him a sidelong look as he walks past, and Lorne falls into step behind him like usual, like nothing's changed.
He can see that Sheppard's still tense, gait stiff and looking straight ahead as he heads toward the prepped jumper, but doesn't say anything. Gives the people with apparently nothing better to do than gawk a narrow-eyed look, telling them without words to get back to business and they do. Lorne shakes his head as they reach the Puddlejumper because for all that it's Atlantis, things like this aren't exactly routine.
Sheppard relaxes a little once they reach the cockpit, jumps into the co-pilot's chair, eyes moving over the control panel and Lorne almost smiles when he looks up, head tilted to the side.
It's barely there, but he can see it all the same, understands completely. Sheppard's taken to lurking around the Puddlejumper bay whenever he can get away with it, watching the jumpers arrive and depart and Lorne gets it, he does. Sheppard's a pilot, and until McKay and Zelenka can fix him, he can't fly. Shouldn't even be running around the city the way he does.
"I was thinking we might want to make a swing around the northern part of the mainland on our way back," he says as the HUD blinks into existence before them, information scrolling across the screen. "Check out weather patterns, gather data for the scientists, that sort of thing."
He can feel Sheppard watching him again, but doesn't look over as he completes the pre-flight checklist. Ten minutes later the jumper is fully loaded and Lorne's on the radio to the control room, the entry ramp locked into place. When he does look over at Sheppard, he's staring straight ahead, the tip of his tail twitching slightly, waiting.
Lorne smiles faintly when thy get flight clearance and the jumper bay roof opens, sky wide open above them. Sheppard glances at him, and he sees something like gratitude in his eyes as they lift off.