(no subject)
Title: She Let Herself Go
Recipient: drewandian
Prompt: I've only seen season one, and don't mind fics related to that season. I prefer fluff or smut or humor...and first time/beginning of relationship fics. Angst is ok as long as there's a happy ending :)
Rating: PG
Beta: anuna_81
Author's Note: The quote at the beginning was my inspiration and is from an old Brooks and Dunn song. It made me think of how John would act if another man showed an interest in Elizabeth. It's set in S1 after BIS.
She let herself go to New York City
Spent a week at the spa
Came back knocked-out pretty.
Elizabeth Weir walked confidently out of the event horizon, head held high. After a quick glance about the gateroom, she handed her backpack over to a waiting expedition member and climbed the wide staircase to her office where she paused in the doorway.
The man sitting behind her desk had already been alerted by her approaching perfume but needed a moment to puzzle out what it meant. Moving only his eyes, he turned his attention from the mission report on his laptop to the woman standing a few feet away.
"You're back," he observed with a slight smile, which she returned.
"Yes, I am. But then you always were good at stating the obvious."
John Sheppard blinked and licked his lips. "Uh, so did you have a nice time off?"
"Yes actually, it was quite lovely and very relaxing." Her eyes flicked over the desktop briefly.
When she didn't offer any additional information, he licked his lips again and searched for something else to say. "Well, uh," he finally managed, "things have been pretty quiet here. Rodney and Radek managed to stay out of trouble, and all the away teams made it back safely."
Elizabeth nodded and moved further into the room. He started to rise, but she waved him back into the chair. "No hurry," she said as she slid bonelessly into a chair in front of the desk and stretched her arms above her head. "I think I'll go and unpack before I get back into the thick of things."
John fiddled with the items on the desk trying to put her figurines back where they had originally been before he put his own personal stamp on the workspace. The pot he had given her for her birthday still retained its spot on the corner of the desk, and the picture of Sedge along with her father's watch were still in place next to it. "So, uh, okay... you must have had a good time if you don't want to get right back to work."
Her smile widened, but her eyes held that secretive look John had seen before when women had no intention of telling him what they were thinking. "Indeed I did," she said. "I think I might just make visiting this particular planet a regular thing." Elizabeth rose from the chair in a fluid motion and left with a last look back over her shoulder. John watched her until she was out of sight.
"Huh?" he said aloud before being distracted by Rodney's voice in his ear. "What is it McKay?"
"We need you in my lab. There's an ancient device no one here can operate. Can you spare a few moments of your valuable time, or are you too busy playing video games on Elizabeth's laptop?"
"On my way." John was too distracted to snark back at McKay.
Rodney put down his datapad and furrowed his brow at John, who had entered the lab and stood waiting to be shown what to do. "Major?" the scientist seemed puzzled. "Hello, earth to Sheppard."
John smirked at him. "What do you want, McKay?"
"You seemed distracted. I was just wondering if everything was all right. You know I'd, uh, hate for Elizabeth to come back and find things in disarray. Any more than usual that is."
"She's back."
"Oh," Rodney brightened and handed a cylindrical metal object to John. "So, did she have fun?"
John turned the object about in his hands, but nothing happened. "It would seem so. She is, ah, very relaxed." The object suddenly started to glow pink.
"Relaxed? Elizabeth?" Rodney stared at the object which had now turned a dark shade of rose..
"Very." John’s hands began to get warm, so he set the thing down on the counter. "I'd say this is some kind of ancient hand warmer, Rodney. Now can I go?"
But Rodney seemed more interested in getting further information about Elizabeth's vacation. He bounced on his toes as he said, "Now let me get this straight. Elizabeth spent several days on a planet with an elaborate spa resort that caters to your every need, came back looking very relaxed, and that has somehow made you even crankier than usual."
John scowled at him. "I couldn't care less how Elizabeth spent her time off. It just seems...unusual, that's all."
"For her to have fun, you mean?" Rodney's smile was widening.
"No." John moved closer to the door. "For her to be so, so...and she smells different."
Rodney laughed out loud, and John clinched his fists. "Not so fast," Rodney said as he picked up the cylinder which had faded to a pale pink again and handed it back to John.
"Besides," John added, as he stood flipping the object from one hand to another, "why did she have to visit that planet anyway? We're not exactly enjoying a stretch of calm here."
"Maybe because she just watched herself die and scattered her own ashes." Rodney smirked and John shrugged in agreement. "Plus Carson insisted, and you know how he can get."
"True," John replied, "she really did need some time to herself."
"Precisely, I mean she was only gone what...a week?"
"Forty-one hours. It just seemed like a week."
"What? What was that last part?" Rodney had clearly stopped listening and begun to peer closely at the ancient device in John's hands, occasionally poking it as it changed to progressively darker shades of red.
"Nothing McKay. Can we please talk about something else?"
"I hear that the Aegle spa is quite sensuous." Rodney went on. "Aegle was a goddess of health on that planet, and it seems they really get into glorifying the physical sensations of the body on all levels. Fascinating really." Rodney took a breath to continue, but swallowed when he noticed that the object in John’s hands was now a bright red.
"Ow." Sheppard tossed the ancient device onto the table and cursed profusely. "Enough with the history lesson, McKay," he spat. "I have work to do."
John left in a rush. The device still lay where he had thrown it, but smoke was now curling from the ends. "Huh," McKay said, as he poked it gingerly.
Things quickly got back to what passed for normal in the ancient city. Elizabeth reclaimed her office and worked late catching up on mission reports, routine maintenance and personnel issues. John spent some time at the firing range shooting his pistol at paper targets and in the gym sparring with Teyla and the Marines. He was grateful when a few days later his team was assigned to make first contact with a planet accessible through the stargate to set up a possible trading alliance. Teyla's people had assured the Atlanteans that the inhabitants of the planet were peaceful fishermen who would welcome them. Thinking he had heard that before, John checked that his P-90 was loaded and readied his team for departure. Elizabeth came out as always to wave them off.
"Maybe this means fresh fish for all," Rodney remarked as they lined up to enter the stargate.
"Let's hope so, Rodney," Elizabeth laughed, "and let's hope they are a species that looks at least vaguely familiar and more edible than those we've managed to catch so far on this planet." She nodded to Teyla and Lt. Ford and glanced at John. "Stay safe," she said before turning back toward her office.
"Always," he replied to her departing back before entering the event horizon with a slight sense of disappointment that she hadn't stayed to watch them depart.
The team returned after dark from a successful mission. The Tonucrans had proven to be friendly and eager to trade their fish for grain and medical expertise from the Atlanteans. John was the first through the 'gate, and his abrupt halt almost caused his three team members to crash into him. Thinking something must be wrong, Teyla and Ford brought their weapons to alert, and Rodney quickly stepped behind them. They all relaxed, however, when they saw where John was looking so intensely. The door to Elizabeth's office was open, and her melodic laughter drifted down to them. She was standing in front of her desk with her hand on the arm of a very imposing man.
"Oh my," Teyla whispered before quickly closing her lips.
John glanced around at her and then back to the couple who had originally captured his attention.
"Huh?" Rodney said. "Wonder who that is?"
Lt. Ford removed his hat and stood watching the couple with a huge smile on his face.
"Stop grinning like a fool, Ford. It's not becoming on a US Marine," Sheppard barked.
"Yes sir," the young officer replied as he tried unsuccessfully to stop smiling.
"You guys go on to the infirmary and get checked out," John ordered. "I'll find out who our visitor is." He handed his P-90 to Ford and proceded up the staircase where he halted just outside Elizabeth's door.
"Major Sheppard." She turned at his approach and dropped her hand. "Come in and meet our guest."
John stepped inside and narrowed his eyes at the visitor. He was several inches taller than John, with a square jaw and impressive biceps. His method of dress was hard to gauge, but John got a vague sense of some earlier century on Earth when men wore tight leather pants and white shirts with flowing sleeves. John's frown deepened as he took in the blonde curls almost touching wide shoulders and caught a flash of an earring in one ear. Piercing blue eyes assessed him coolly as the stranger bowed slightly from the waist to acknowledge his presence.
"Minister Tam, may I present Major John Sheppard?" Elizabeth said. "The Major is our military commander."
Tam's handsome face broke into a smile. "My pleasure,Major. It is most interesting to meet you."
John nodded, and Elizabeth went on. "I met Tam at the Aegle spa. We shared meals, and he has been most gracious in sharing some of the history of his people. I invited him here to reciprocate."
"And I couldn't pass up such a generous invitation from such a beautiful and charming leader. Elizabeth was a most intriguing companion during our stay at the spa."
"Yes," John agreed, "she is very...generous. Dr. Weir, could I speak with you in private? Just for a moment."
"Of course." Elizabeth took her leave of Tam who busied himself looking over the artifacts in her office.
John led her a good distance away before turning to her and saying, "Do you think this is a good idea? I mean what do you know about this guy other than he likes the spa?" The last word was drawn out with more emphasis than Elizabeth thought necessary, but she let it go.
"First of all, John, he's a leader in their society. He seems intelligent and educated. They are a peaceful race that seems more interested in good health and fitness than waging war, so I figured we'd be safe. Besides, aren't you the one who's always saying that we need to make more friends?"
"Oh sure," he replied petulantly, "throw that in my face. Look, I'm not sure I trust the guy."
Elizabeth smiled in amusement. "John, you just met him."
John had no answer to that but put his hands on his hips and forged on, "And what kind of name is Tam anyway? Isn't a tam a kind of hat?"
"On earth yes, but on his planet I guess it's a name." Deciding that trying to be logical was futile, she just waited for him to wind down.
John, however, was finished. He just scowled at her and started to walk away. "Oh, in case you're interested," he said over his shoulder, "our mission was successful. We can now eat fish."
"Briefing at 0900," she called to his departing back.
John's team was in the process of being dismissed by Dr. Beckett when he made it down to the infirmary.
"Ah, Major," Beckett greeted him, "decided to join us?"
"I'm not in the mood to be poked and or prodded right now, Doc," John said, but Beckett ignored him and reached for his arm.
"Just a quick blood sample, lad. Then you can go."
"So," Rodney asked, "did you get the 411 on Fabio?"
Teyla gave them a puzzled look and Ford snickered. "I'm sorry, Dr. McKay," Teyla said, "I wasn't aware that you knew the stranger's name."
"His name is Tam," John explained.
"Tam?" Rodney looked confused. "Isn't that a hat?"
"Evidently only on Earth," John replied, "and I think Mr. Hat is up to no good."
"Gratuitous South Park reference aside," Rodney said, "who is the guy?"
Teyla's confusion grew, but the others ignored her. Carson finished collecting his blood sample and waited quietly, intrigued by the conversation.
"Elizabeth met him at the spa."
"Ah," Rodney tried in vain to keep his lips from curling into a huge smile.
"Oh," Carson offered, "you must be talking about our visitor. A fine figure of a man, that one. The nurses were all atwitter when he came in for his medical check."
John scowled at him. "Maybe we can set the two of you up later. Right now I want to know what he wants from us."
"Us, or...? Never mind." Rodney knew when it was best to shut up.
Teyla and Ford decided to leave the men to their appraisal of the visitor. The Major had had enough for one evening, and he too left Carson and Rodney alone to do any further speculation on the presence of their guest.
The next morning John headed, as was his custom, out to the balcony off the control room for what he thought of in his own mind as the "debriefing before the debriefing." Usually he would find Elizabeth out there enjoying the fresh air, and they would talk briefly about the highlights of the latest escapades of his team before proceeding into the conference room. Sometimes they would just look out over the ocean in companionable silence, but it was a time that he had grown to enjoy more than he was willing to admit. On this particular morning, however, Elizabeth was not alone. John stopped just outside the doors and stared openly at the couple standing by the railing. Tam was laughing at something Elizabeth had said, his head thrown back and one hand reaching out to touch her briefly on the arm. The wind was gently blowing his blonde curls, and both their faces were flushed. John hoped this was a direct result of the cool wind but had to suppress a growl of frustration nonetheless.
"Good morning," John said loudly.
"Oh, good morning Major." Elizabeth turned, a smile still on her lips. "Is it time for our meeting?"
"Yes it is." John nodded at Tam who returned his greeting before turning back to Elizabeth and giving her the full benefit of his twinkling blue eyes. John folded his arms and watched as the bigger man took one of her hands in both of his and did that same bow-from-the-waist trick he had done before.
"Most gracious lady, it has been an honor and a delight to meet you and your people of course." Tam spared John a quick glance. "I'm hoping," he continued, "that this is just the first of many visits I might be permitted. I feel there is so much we have in common, and of course, you will be returning to avail yourself of the hospitality of our spa."
John stopped listening. Elizabeth said something about exchange of ideas and blah, blah, blah. It was all diplomatic double talk to him. And besides, the guy was full of it. Who talks like that anyway? He moved aside and nodded politely as the couple preceded him into the gateroom, then watched as their visitor made his exit through the event horizon.
It took a moment for him to notice that after Tam's departure, Elizabeth had stopped smiling, and she was looking directly at him. Taking a few steps closer to where she was still standing a short distance from the stargate, John looked sideways at her. She was still staring, and there was no doubt now the smile had been replaced by a scowl.
"What?" he said, trying for his best innocent face.
She opened her mouth but quickly closed it again. "Nothing, it would be useless I know, so nothing." Elizabeth turned and headed up to her office to prepare for the meeting leaving John to wonder why he hadn't gotten the tongue lashing he knew she was capable of.
* * * *
"But Rodney I'm trying to tell you it is useless to keep having people touch this object. It is obviously not working." Radek Zelenka quickened his step to keep pace with Rodney McKay as they both hurried in the direction of the control room.
"Yes Radek, I heard you the first hundred times and yet I continue to ignore you. Besides, it worked when Sheppard touched it. All anyone else was able to do was make it give off a rosy glow for a second or two." McKay turned the silver cylinder over in his hands. It had become a dusty pink when he picked it up, occasionally pulsing a darker rose when he began to berate Radek before settling into a lighter shade of puce.
"See," Rodney said, "it heard you and agrees that your dismissal of its usefulness is indeed asinine."
"Now you are assigning it sentient behavior. Sometimes I worry about you, McKay."
Still bickering, the two scientists rounded the corner and stopped short.
"Uh oh," Rodney mumbled, "he's back."
"Who is back? What are you talking about now?"
Nodding toward Weir's office, McKay stopped in his tracks and considered his next move. Radek looked at the scene in front of them in puzzlement. A giant of a man with hair like a Viking warrior was sitting on the edge of Elizabeth's desk and laughing at something she had said while she held both of his hands in hers and blushed like a schoolgirl. On the other side of the room, a scowling John Sheppard stood with his arms crossed surveying the scene.
Never having been one to recognize an awkward social situation when one was right in front of him, McKay barged in while Radek followed timidly.
"Ah, you must be Elizabeth's new friend Minister Tam. I didn't get to meet you the last time you were here what with all my important scientific work taking up such a large portion of my time and all..." Rodney trailed off when a nudge from Radek turned his attention to the glowering Major who was now twitching his fingers in the direction of his sidearm.
Elizabeth released the Minister's hands and smiled in the direction of the two scientists. Tam stretched to his full height and bowed slightly from the waist.
"Minister Tam of Aegle, may I introduce Drs. Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka our two lead scientists," Weir said.
Rodney and Radek returned the Minister's greeting awkwardly.
"And is this one of your recent inventions?" Minister Tam looked toward the metal object that Rodney was still holding which had now subsided to a pearly pink.
"No no no," McKay explained. "This is actually an ancient device we found in a storage room that has Zelenka here a bit baffled."
Zelenka frowned at him but McKay was oblivious. "You see the ancient devices such as this require the ATA gene to activate and I was hoping to get the Major to give us some additional help in that area."
"Ah yes, Dr. Weir has explained this gene. I find it quite fascinating. And I understand that Major Sheppard possesses this power in great abundance."
"I wouldn't exactly call it a power," John protested weakly before straightening his spine and reaching out his hand to take the cylinder from Rodney. "But it does seem I am able to....OW."
As soon as the metal touched John's palm, the entire object became a dark red and started to burn his skin. Now it was lying on the floor where he had hurled it and emitting dark smoke from both ends.
Elizabeth hurried to take John's hand and examine the injury. "What in the world? You're going to need something on that before it blisters, John. Go down to see Carson at once and don't touch any more of Rodney's little toys until they get checked out."
"What do you think this is?" Rodney protested. "He's my head checker outer. No one else can get the stupid thing to do more than blush a little."
"Well it seems like this particular toy might be a bit dangerous." Elizabeth nodded for John to do as she had instructed and he left reluctantly, giving Rodney a dark look as he passed.
"You know I think I'm starting to see a pattern here." Rodney snapped his fingers several times in rapid succession and turned to leave. Radek shrugged in apology toward the other two occupants of the room and followed.
"I feel I must apologize for my staff," Elizabeth said to her visitor. "They sometimes get caught up in their work and forget their manners."
"No apology necessary dear lady," the Minister replied, "the scientific mind is sometimes a mystery to us all. Now tell me, how about we enjoy a bit of this fine Aeglean wine I have brought?"
"I'm telling you Sheppard, it's a mood ring. Or a mood cylinder if you will." McKay shrugged and continued trying to explain his suspicions about the mysterious ancient device.
John nodded in thanks to the blonde nurse who had just finished spreading a soothing balm on his burned palm and turned his full attention to the babbling scientist.
"I don't care what it is McKay. I am not touching that thing again. It's dangerous."
"Yeah, well," Rodney said with a grin as he turned the cylinder around in his hands. Once again it was only a faint pink. "It can tell that you are pushed out of shape about Elizabeth's new boyfriend, and that's why it goes berserk when you touch it."
"He is not her boyfriend and I am not pushed out of shape. I'm just concerned that's all. About the security of the city." John slid off the edge of the hospital bed and headed for the door.
"Hey some good came of this whole thing," Rodney replied.
John stopped in his tracks and waited for the punchline.
"At least we found out we have an ancient mood device. I'll just take this down to Heightmeyer. I'm sure she can make use of it." Rodney juggled his new toy from hand to hand as he passed John in the hall without looking at him.
John huffed a breath and went in the opposite direction toward the firing range.
****
"Now tell me again why we are doing this." Sheppard pulled the zipper of his tac vest closed with entirely too much force and clipped his P-90 in place.
The rest of his team plus Dr Weir were in the gearup room preparing themselves for an off world mission. His clipped question halted everyone in their tracks except Weir who calmly continued lacing up her boots. A glare from their team leader sent Ford, Teyla and McKay scurrying from the room leaving the two leaders alone.
"Because," Elizabeth replied patiently, "we were invited. It's a nice planet and I like it. And most importantly we need allies in this galaxy."
John grunted in reply. Weir, having completed her preparations, headed for the door without looking back.
"See you at the gate, Major," she said over her shoulder.
Since the recent introduction of Minister Tam and his spa planet, John had been dreading just such an event. Sure enough in due time a formal invitation for a visit to Aegle by an Atlantis delegation came their way. Elizabeth, of course, had been thrilled at a chance to return to the spa and had eagerly begun making plans for John and his team to accompany her. The others were happy to be included but John had balked at the idea from the start. Now here they were about to embark on an exploratory mission that Elizabeth kept telling him would be relaxing.
"Relaxing hell," John mumbled to himself as he stepped through the stargate. "I'll relax when this ordeal is over."
The team walked through the event horizon and stepped into a garden that was almost jungle like. Tall trees, some with climbing vines that all seemed to be covered with large purple flowers, lined the pathways. Everywhere they looked were beds of blooming plants in all the colors of the rainbow and some they had never seen before. Everything was groomed carefully and the combined aromas of all the various flowers reminded Rodney of an expensive department store. Ford stared about him in awe and even Teyla seemed speechless. Elizabeth turned to gauge their reactions and smiled to let them know she had reacted much the same way when she had first visited.
This planet had originally been discovered in the Ancient data base and a prolonged series of video transmissions had occurred before Elizabeth had accepted their invitation to visit. Not thinking it to be of any importance and knowing she needed some time away from work, John had sent along Captain Hudson's team. Now he had grown to regret that decision but he couldn't quite figure out why.
Quickly, John glanced around and tried to arrange his face into a more pleasant expression as the welcoming delegation approached.
Minister Tam was out in front. Dressed in his official robes over the snug leather pants and loose shirt he had worn to Atlantis, Tam looked even taller with the scarlet garment billowing behind him. He was smiling broadly and leading several other Aegleans, both male and female. To Rodney's way of thinking the gene pool of this planet was quite impressive.
Tam went through the whole bowing, handholding ritual and "dear ladied" Elizabeth until John wanted to kick him. Finally when he had wound down he turned and gestured extravagantly to the three others behind him.
A stunningly beautiful woman with straw-colored hair that she could sit on stepped forward and bowed from the waist. She was dressed in a figure-hugging gown the color of a well fertilized lawn. It covered her from neck to ankles and the long sleeves fell over her small white hands. On Earth she would have been sought after by every movie producer in Hollywood.
"This is Ri, a member of our council," Tam said by way of introduction to John's team. Ri greeted Elizabeth like an old friend and then turned her large blue eyes on the others.
More bowing and handclasping followed which was repeated with a male whose name turned out to be Bar and another woman with the unfortunate name of Pe. John elbowed Ford when he snickered and Elizabeth sent a glare Rodney's way before he could even open his mouth. Pe and Bar turned out to be worthy of Mt. Olympus also and finally after much ado the team was led into the main facility.
The general architecture of the place was a mixture of tile and glass which gave it an airy openness. There were tall columns that resembled marble throughout the immense hall and the furniture was outsized and grand with well-padded sofas and chairs arranged in conversational groupings. In all it was much like the lobby of a large hotel on Earth.
As soon as they entered the building several women came and led Elizabeth away, followed by Ri and Pe. A little nervous, John insisted that Teyla accompany her. After the ladies had departed, Tam invited the men to retire to a nearby room where they were given a chance to freshen up for the banquet that was to follow. They were allowed to keep their weapons, but John decided that as long as Ford and Teyla remained fully armed he and Rodney could give up their P-90's, at least during dinner. A short time later, an attendant came for them and led them into the banquet room where seats were reserved for them on a small dais facing the rest of the room. Rodney looked around with interest, welcoming the attention. "Hmm," he remarked, "feels like a wedding reception. Hope there’s cake."
"Yeah, pretty impressive. Whoa!" John swallowed with an audible gulp.
Rodney turned to see what had interrupted their small talk. "Whoa," he added.
A small group of ladies was entering the room. The two beautiful young women they had met earlier were followed by a vision in emerald green. It took a moment for the men to fully comprehend that this was the leader of Atlantis. Elizabeth was dressed in an ankle length gown that made her eyes sparkle and shine in the well lit room. The dress had a square neckline that revealed just enough cleavage to make you wonder what it was concealing. The bodice was fairly tight, and the skirt fell in soft folds that swished when she walked. Teyla left the small group and rejoined the men.
"All is well Colonel," she reported. "I think we are expected to take our places."
Aiden glanced at her and frowned. "Why don't you have a nice new outfit?"
Teyla smiled and nudged him toward their table. "I did not think it appropriate as there would be no place to attach my weapon."
John smirked at her and gave Rodney a not so gentle push toward the front of the room.
As they had discovered on too many planets to count, the banquet seemed interminable. Platter after platter of rich foods were brought forth. Each was more elaborately prepared than the last and long before the final offering, some type of bird that had been roasted and redressed with its own feathers, John was wishing that antacid tablets were an essential part of their equipment. Beside him, Rodney spit out a feather and made appreciative noises.
It was just possible to get a glimpse of Elizabeth if John leaned forward a bit but doing so put him in the direct line of sight of the rather corpulent chief minister's wife who had been edging her chair closer to his all during the meal. Worried that she would topple over into his lap if she got any closer, John edged a bit in the other direction. The lady in question dabbed a bit of gravy that had dribbled onto her enormous expanse of cleavage and batted her eyelashes at him.
Pausing for a moment in his enjoyment of the feast, Rodney leaned toward John and whispered, "I guess they don't all spend hours in the gym everyday."
"Shut up, McKay," John hissed.
After the meal the entire team was led into what turned out to be the main area of the famous spa. They divided up by male and female and were taken into a luxurious changing area where they were given the garments they were expected to wear in the spa. For the men it amounted to little more than a short loincloth and for the women, a similar loincloth plus a tube top. Ford had been left to stand watch outside but Teyla chose to take part in the experience and, with Elizabeth, had been whisked away. John and Rodney glanced at each other and winced a bit before they were herded out of the dressing chamber.
"I swear to God, McKay," John muttered, "if you tell any of the Marines about this, I will rip your lungs out."
Looking down at his own state of undress, Rodney replied, "Believe me, your secret is safe with me."
The spa turned out to cover an area the size of a large ballroom. Steaming pools twisted and turned in a geometric pattern creating little nooks resembling hot tubs that were separated by tall potted plants and statues of what had to be some of the best specimens of Aeglean evolution. Rodney tripped slightly, unable to tear his eyes away from a particularly well-endowed example. John looked around in interest and was the first to see their approaching hostess.
The woman introduced as Ri was walking toward them. She had changed from the gown she had been wearing earlier and now was attired in a garment that seemed to be defying gravity in a number of ways. It fell in shimmering layers in an unearthly color that seemed to first be blue then green before settling somewhere in between. Ending at mid thigh, the silky material barely skimmed her body revealing more than it concealed from the observant eye.
"Major Sheppard, welcome," she said as she approached John and took his arm. "Please allow me to introduce you to our healing waters."
She indicated that John was to enter one of the small pools, on the surface of which appeared to be floating pink clovers. A pleasant herbal fragrance was drifting from the steaming water and John stepped in with only a slight bit of hesitation. Once settled, he turned to observe the other occupant of the soothing water. It was Elizabeth. Her arms were stretched out along the edge of the pool and her head was thrown back with her eyes closed.
John jerked a bit in surprise setting off a small wave which caused his companion to open her eyes and focus on him. By this time he was settled beneath the water and all that was visible was a good deal of bare chest with its covering of dark hair. Elizabeth closed her eyes again and sank lower in the water setting off a few waves of her own.
Ri appeared to be giving a little talk on the healing properties of the herbs in the water and the origin of the pink clovers. Most of it was lost on John due to the silent lecture he was giving himself not to make things worse by looking at his boss. It was mostly wasted because before he saw Elizabeth slip lower in the pool, John couldn't help but notice that the white garment she was wearing had been made nearly transparent by the water.
Knowing she had to open her eyes at some point, Elizabeth peeked through her lashes at John. Okay, he was lower in the water so the chest wasn't such a distraction. Much better.
"This is quite...um...soothing." Elizabeth trailed a hand through the water and gazed at a point somewhere over John's head.
"Yeah..uh...relaxing to the...um..ah...muscles." John's voice trailed off as he too found something fascinating just over her left shoulder.
Quiet tinkling music seemed to be coming from nowhere and subdued voices intermingled with an occasional splashing sound. The atmosphere began to have the desired effects on the couple in the water and after a few moments of silent contemplation, Elizabeth found her voice.
"This is ridiculous," she said suddenly.
"Excuse me?" John was trying to achieve a position of casual nonchalance and ultimately failing.
"This awkwardness between us," Elizabeth explained. "It's just a pool. There are people all around. There's no reason we should feel anything but natural."
"Natural, right." John's eyes fell on the shadow of her body beneath the water and bounced back up to hers. "Just like being at the beach."
The mood was broken by the sound and sight of Rodney McKay passing by, his bare feet making slapping sounds on the tile and an oversized towel trailing behind him. "That was truly refreshing," he was saying to his companion whose auburn curls and shapely form identified her as one of the attendants who had led them into the spa.
"Now tell me, is this a full body massage?" McKay's voice trailed off and thankfully they missed her answer as the pair disappeared through an archway.
John pulled a face and raised one eyebrow at Elizabeth who burst out laughing.
"It is wonderful to see you are having such a marvelous time together." Tam's booming voice drew their attention to the side of the pool where he had suddenly appeared.
John looked up and up the expanse of legs that reminded him of a statue he had seen in a famous museum once. His lip curled in a hint at a smile.
Tam stood with his hands on his hips which further exhibited his vast expanse of chest muscle and well-defined biceps. The loincloth which looked a bit more modest on John did little to cover his pelvis. With the fluid ease of someone who is used to displaying his unclad body, the minister reached out a hand and offered to assist Elizabeth from the pool.
Seeing what he was about to do, John stood up and closed the area between them, taking her by the arm just above the elbow and pulling her to her feet.
"John, for heaven's sake," she protested, "give me a moment to get my feet under me."
"Sorry," John mumbled, darting a glare in Tam's direction.
Tam waved over an attendant and they were both given large warm towels in which to wrap their dripping bodies. Elizabeth tucked the towel around her to cover as much area as possible while John wrapped his around his waist, managing to look like he'd just stepped out of the shower. Their host gestured that they were to proceed him which Elizabeth did gladly. John squared his shoulders and inhaled to expand his chest before doing the same.
"Tell me Major," Tam held John back a bit until Elizabeth was out of sight, "is it customary on your planet for people who have a romantic interest in each other to be so reluctant to express it?"
"Uh...wha...I'm sorry?" John's stopped and turned toward the other man, deep lines furrowed his brow.
With a slight apologetic bow, Tam continued, "Please pardon my directness. I mean no offense. It's just that you and Dr. Weir seem to be avoiding the obvious attraction between you."
John tried to look confused but finally gave up and shifted his eyes away from Tam's. "Dr Weir is my boss."
Minister Tam smiled knowingly. "And a very beautiful woman who can't keep her eyes from finding you whenever you venture near. You, my dear Major, have been vibrating with barely suppressed jealousy since we first met."
John bristled. "You mistake jealousy for...concern for her safety. It is my job to..."
"Please Major Sheppard." Tam threw his head back and laughed heartily. "I see a lot of couples such as you and your...boss...here in Aegle. Believe me, we practice the utmost in discretion."
John licked his lips and hesitated slightly. "But there are rules. We can't...ah..have a relationship beyond friends."
"There are no rules here, Major. I have known since I first met Dr. Weir that you were a very important person in her life. When she speaks of you her voice takes on a different tonal quality and now that I have gotten to know you a bit, I find that yours does the same. Tell me Major, am I wrong in my belief that your feelings for your...boss...goes deeper than it appears on the surface?
"We are friends, yes," John agreed without elaborating.
"Friends." Tam repeated the word in a way that made it have a completely different meaning than John had intended.
"You know, Major," the Minister went on. "I find the lovely Dr. Weir to be a fascinating woman. But no matter the situation we have not progressed beyond mere acquaintances who enjoy discussing our very different cultures. You, on the other hand, are the one who puts the light in her eyes. Surely you see that."
John fiddled with his towel and met Tam's eyes squarely with great effort. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, you will Major. You will. Now if you will follow me, a chamber has been prepared for you."
John froze for a moment and then had to scurry to keep up with Tam's long strides as they made their way into another section of the spa.
The door clicked softly behind him as John walked into his assigned quarters. He paused for a moment to orient himself before moving any further into the spacious room. Done in soft shades of pale blue and sea green the furnishings were at once luxurious and comfortable. A huge bed in which several of his bunks back in his quarters on Atlantis would have fit took up most of one side of the room. The lighting was subdued and a soft breeze was coming from a set of double doors that opened onto a balcony.
John pulled open the heavy door of a large wardrobe to discover that Tam had been true to his word. All his belongings plus his weapons and radio were stored neatly on the shelves. Now he took a moment to contact Lieutenant Ford and tell him he could stand down for the evening. John retrieved his handgun and placed it on a nearby table before closing the cabinet and turning to examine his surroundings. The pull of the breeze and the open door led John out onto the small balcony where he found two large full moons and a view of landscaped gardens. He was deep into replaying the short conversation he had just had with Tam when the sound of the door closing drew his attention. John turned toward the sound just in time to see Elizabeth Weir walk into the room.
She had changed into a silky rose-colored robe from which poked one very long very shapely leg. Tentatively, she walked to the middle of the room and looked around in curiosity.
"Pretty fancy, huh?" John's voice startled her and Elizabeth jumped a bit before laughing and clutching the robe a bit tighter around her.
John took a step back into the room and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry to scare you. I really wasn't expecting...uh..."
"It looks like they expect us to share," Elizabeth said. "I'll just go and call someone." She started back toward the door but John stopped her.
"Wait a bit." His voice was low and a bit raspy. "I mean...we can't waste this beautiful view." He indicated the scene from the balcony with one hand and she glanced at it before continuing.
"I'm sure my room will have a similar view." Dr. Weir, commander of the Ancient city of Atlantis straightened her shoulders and turned back toward the door.
"Well, if I make you nervous..." It was a challenge and Elizabeth knew it but somehow she couldn't resist.
"Nervous? Surely, Major, you know me better than that by now."
John smiled in invitation and stretched out an arm toward the open door to the balcony. "Then why not stay for awhile and we'll...talk about our day."
Elizabeth gave him that look that usually made John's throat tighten but somehow this time only made him smirk a little on the inside. "After you Doctor."
Unable to back down gracefully, Elizabeth gave him a little gracious head tilt and brushed past him.
"It's beautiful," Elizabeth breathed as she took in the view from the small balcony. "What a marvelous place."
John stood beside her silently for a bit until she suddenly laughed aloud and shook her head as if in disbelief.
"What?" John wondered.
"It's just...doesn't this strike you as oddly familiar?" Elizabeth spread her hands to indicate the balcony and their proximity to each other.
John's mouth curled up on one side. "Yeah, but the view is a lot less..."
"Watery?"
John nodded. "And we're a lot less..."
"Dressed?" Elizabeth stepped back a space and looked him up and down.
John had almost forgotten that he too was wearing only a black silk dressing gown which he had been reluctant to put on but did out of fear of offending his hosts. Now it seemed like an even worse idea because here he was left feeling extremely vulnerable and the fact that Elizabeth seemed fascinated with the wedge of chest that was visible no matter how much he tugged at the fabric wasn't helping. Deciding that turnabout was fair play, John let his eyes drift down the pink fabric of Elizabeth's outfit. The way it clung to every curve and outlined her breasts told him that she was wearing little to nothing underneath.
"Maybe we should adopt these as the new Atlantis uniforms," John offered as a means of breaking the sudden tension.
"Well that would certainly change quite a few things." Elizabeth turned back toward the view.
"So," John began tentatively, causing Elizabeth to look at him sideways and raise one eyebrow, "so, I can see why you like it here."
"Really?" She added the other eyebrow. "It does tend to grow on you."
"Look, Elizabeth..."
"John, I..." They both began to speak at once and John gestured for her to continue. "I think I'd better leave."
His hand on her shoulder stopped Elizabeth in her tracks. "No, don't go."
They both didn't move for a long moment during which the warmth of his hand began to seep into her skin beneath the soft fabric of her robe.
Their eyes finally met in one of those long conversations without words that they were so good at. "Don't go," John repeated.
Elizabeth dropped her eyes and there was that tanned area of bare chest again just inches away and the warm hand on her shoulder was moving to tip her chin up with gentle fingers.
"Stay."
Desperately trying to think of a clever reply, Elizabeth parted her lips but no sound came out except a soft sigh as John lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was at once questioning and possessive. He was asking permission and staking a claim all at once and she had no intention of telling him to stop. Her hands slid over the silk of his robe and up around his neck as she opened her mouth under his and gave him her answer.
John's hands bracketed her face as he held her steady for a moment looking into her slightly unfocused eyes.
"So what did you find so fascinating about that guy?"
Startled by the abrupt change, Elizabeth blinked. "Guy? Oh, you mean Tam?"
Momentarily distracted by the sensation of her hands at the nape of his neck, John licked his lips before murmuring, "Yeah, that guy. You seemed to be, you know, a little smitten."
Elizabeth grasped the lapels of his robe and gave them a hard jerk, "There was no fascination. Well, aside from the obvious. And I certainly wasn't smitten."
John frowned. "Well if you like Greek gods, I guess he has a certain...presence."
"That's one way to put it."
John frowned again and Elizabeth relaxed her hold on his robe and smoothed her hands over his chest. "Actually, we talked about many things. Including you."
"Me?"
"Your name may have come up in the course of the conversation. A time or two."
"Really?" John's hands moved into her hair. "And did you tell him about how generally fascinating I am?"
Elizabeth nodded. "And handsome."
"Well that goes without saying."
"Tam is a very intuitive guy." Elizabeth's fingers were threading through John's hair.
"Meaning?" The squeak in John's voice brought an amused smile to Elizabeth's lips.
"Meaning that he figured out right away that you were an important part of my life and that there was not going to be any way that would change. So he...refocused his objective."
"Refocused?"
"He decided to give you a little nudge."
John's hands had moved to her waist and she found herself pulled flush against him. The thin material of the robe may as well not have been there because they could each feel every inch of the other's body.
"I kind of got the idea that he was playing matchmaker." John said next to her ear.
"He said something to you?" Elizabeth leaned back a bit and studied him.
John lifted his head from where he had been pressing tiny kisses on the side of her neck. "He said he thinks you like me."
Elizabeth snorted. "Like you? As in like like?" She felt John's smile against her skin.
"Maybe." John gave her the full puppy dog eyes. "Don't deny it, Elizabeth. You like like me."
"What is this? Junior...ah...high." The kisses had reached that spot beneath her ear that John knew he would return to again and again.
"Oh all right. I like you...just a little." The total inadequacy of this statement was proven when Elizabeth grabbed John by the ears and hauled his mouth back up to hers.
Encouraged and needing no further discussion, John used his lips and tongue and teeth to show her all the things he didn't have words to express.
No doubt about it. There were no rules in Aegle.
Recipient: drewandian
Prompt: I've only seen season one, and don't mind fics related to that season. I prefer fluff or smut or humor...and first time/beginning of relationship fics. Angst is ok as long as there's a happy ending :)
Rating: PG
Beta: anuna_81
Author's Note: The quote at the beginning was my inspiration and is from an old Brooks and Dunn song. It made me think of how John would act if another man showed an interest in Elizabeth. It's set in S1 after BIS.
She let herself go to New York City
Spent a week at the spa
Came back knocked-out pretty.
Elizabeth Weir walked confidently out of the event horizon, head held high. After a quick glance about the gateroom, she handed her backpack over to a waiting expedition member and climbed the wide staircase to her office where she paused in the doorway.
The man sitting behind her desk had already been alerted by her approaching perfume but needed a moment to puzzle out what it meant. Moving only his eyes, he turned his attention from the mission report on his laptop to the woman standing a few feet away.
"You're back," he observed with a slight smile, which she returned.
"Yes, I am. But then you always were good at stating the obvious."
John Sheppard blinked and licked his lips. "Uh, so did you have a nice time off?"
"Yes actually, it was quite lovely and very relaxing." Her eyes flicked over the desktop briefly.
When she didn't offer any additional information, he licked his lips again and searched for something else to say. "Well, uh," he finally managed, "things have been pretty quiet here. Rodney and Radek managed to stay out of trouble, and all the away teams made it back safely."
Elizabeth nodded and moved further into the room. He started to rise, but she waved him back into the chair. "No hurry," she said as she slid bonelessly into a chair in front of the desk and stretched her arms above her head. "I think I'll go and unpack before I get back into the thick of things."
John fiddled with the items on the desk trying to put her figurines back where they had originally been before he put his own personal stamp on the workspace. The pot he had given her for her birthday still retained its spot on the corner of the desk, and the picture of Sedge along with her father's watch were still in place next to it. "So, uh, okay... you must have had a good time if you don't want to get right back to work."
Her smile widened, but her eyes held that secretive look John had seen before when women had no intention of telling him what they were thinking. "Indeed I did," she said. "I think I might just make visiting this particular planet a regular thing." Elizabeth rose from the chair in a fluid motion and left with a last look back over her shoulder. John watched her until she was out of sight.
"Huh?" he said aloud before being distracted by Rodney's voice in his ear. "What is it McKay?"
"We need you in my lab. There's an ancient device no one here can operate. Can you spare a few moments of your valuable time, or are you too busy playing video games on Elizabeth's laptop?"
"On my way." John was too distracted to snark back at McKay.
Rodney put down his datapad and furrowed his brow at John, who had entered the lab and stood waiting to be shown what to do. "Major?" the scientist seemed puzzled. "Hello, earth to Sheppard."
John smirked at him. "What do you want, McKay?"
"You seemed distracted. I was just wondering if everything was all right. You know I'd, uh, hate for Elizabeth to come back and find things in disarray. Any more than usual that is."
"She's back."
"Oh," Rodney brightened and handed a cylindrical metal object to John. "So, did she have fun?"
John turned the object about in his hands, but nothing happened. "It would seem so. She is, ah, very relaxed." The object suddenly started to glow pink.
"Relaxed? Elizabeth?" Rodney stared at the object which had now turned a dark shade of rose..
"Very." John’s hands began to get warm, so he set the thing down on the counter. "I'd say this is some kind of ancient hand warmer, Rodney. Now can I go?"
But Rodney seemed more interested in getting further information about Elizabeth's vacation. He bounced on his toes as he said, "Now let me get this straight. Elizabeth spent several days on a planet with an elaborate spa resort that caters to your every need, came back looking very relaxed, and that has somehow made you even crankier than usual."
John scowled at him. "I couldn't care less how Elizabeth spent her time off. It just seems...unusual, that's all."
"For her to have fun, you mean?" Rodney's smile was widening.
"No." John moved closer to the door. "For her to be so, so...and she smells different."
Rodney laughed out loud, and John clinched his fists. "Not so fast," Rodney said as he picked up the cylinder which had faded to a pale pink again and handed it back to John.
"Besides," John added, as he stood flipping the object from one hand to another, "why did she have to visit that planet anyway? We're not exactly enjoying a stretch of calm here."
"Maybe because she just watched herself die and scattered her own ashes." Rodney smirked and John shrugged in agreement. "Plus Carson insisted, and you know how he can get."
"True," John replied, "she really did need some time to herself."
"Precisely, I mean she was only gone what...a week?"
"Forty-one hours. It just seemed like a week."
"What? What was that last part?" Rodney had clearly stopped listening and begun to peer closely at the ancient device in John's hands, occasionally poking it as it changed to progressively darker shades of red.
"Nothing McKay. Can we please talk about something else?"
"I hear that the Aegle spa is quite sensuous." Rodney went on. "Aegle was a goddess of health on that planet, and it seems they really get into glorifying the physical sensations of the body on all levels. Fascinating really." Rodney took a breath to continue, but swallowed when he noticed that the object in John’s hands was now a bright red.
"Ow." Sheppard tossed the ancient device onto the table and cursed profusely. "Enough with the history lesson, McKay," he spat. "I have work to do."
John left in a rush. The device still lay where he had thrown it, but smoke was now curling from the ends. "Huh," McKay said, as he poked it gingerly.
Things quickly got back to what passed for normal in the ancient city. Elizabeth reclaimed her office and worked late catching up on mission reports, routine maintenance and personnel issues. John spent some time at the firing range shooting his pistol at paper targets and in the gym sparring with Teyla and the Marines. He was grateful when a few days later his team was assigned to make first contact with a planet accessible through the stargate to set up a possible trading alliance. Teyla's people had assured the Atlanteans that the inhabitants of the planet were peaceful fishermen who would welcome them. Thinking he had heard that before, John checked that his P-90 was loaded and readied his team for departure. Elizabeth came out as always to wave them off.
"Maybe this means fresh fish for all," Rodney remarked as they lined up to enter the stargate.
"Let's hope so, Rodney," Elizabeth laughed, "and let's hope they are a species that looks at least vaguely familiar and more edible than those we've managed to catch so far on this planet." She nodded to Teyla and Lt. Ford and glanced at John. "Stay safe," she said before turning back toward her office.
"Always," he replied to her departing back before entering the event horizon with a slight sense of disappointment that she hadn't stayed to watch them depart.
The team returned after dark from a successful mission. The Tonucrans had proven to be friendly and eager to trade their fish for grain and medical expertise from the Atlanteans. John was the first through the 'gate, and his abrupt halt almost caused his three team members to crash into him. Thinking something must be wrong, Teyla and Ford brought their weapons to alert, and Rodney quickly stepped behind them. They all relaxed, however, when they saw where John was looking so intensely. The door to Elizabeth's office was open, and her melodic laughter drifted down to them. She was standing in front of her desk with her hand on the arm of a very imposing man.
"Oh my," Teyla whispered before quickly closing her lips.
John glanced around at her and then back to the couple who had originally captured his attention.
"Huh?" Rodney said. "Wonder who that is?"
Lt. Ford removed his hat and stood watching the couple with a huge smile on his face.
"Stop grinning like a fool, Ford. It's not becoming on a US Marine," Sheppard barked.
"Yes sir," the young officer replied as he tried unsuccessfully to stop smiling.
"You guys go on to the infirmary and get checked out," John ordered. "I'll find out who our visitor is." He handed his P-90 to Ford and proceded up the staircase where he halted just outside Elizabeth's door.
"Major Sheppard." She turned at his approach and dropped her hand. "Come in and meet our guest."
John stepped inside and narrowed his eyes at the visitor. He was several inches taller than John, with a square jaw and impressive biceps. His method of dress was hard to gauge, but John got a vague sense of some earlier century on Earth when men wore tight leather pants and white shirts with flowing sleeves. John's frown deepened as he took in the blonde curls almost touching wide shoulders and caught a flash of an earring in one ear. Piercing blue eyes assessed him coolly as the stranger bowed slightly from the waist to acknowledge his presence.
"Minister Tam, may I present Major John Sheppard?" Elizabeth said. "The Major is our military commander."
Tam's handsome face broke into a smile. "My pleasure,Major. It is most interesting to meet you."
John nodded, and Elizabeth went on. "I met Tam at the Aegle spa. We shared meals, and he has been most gracious in sharing some of the history of his people. I invited him here to reciprocate."
"And I couldn't pass up such a generous invitation from such a beautiful and charming leader. Elizabeth was a most intriguing companion during our stay at the spa."
"Yes," John agreed, "she is very...generous. Dr. Weir, could I speak with you in private? Just for a moment."
"Of course." Elizabeth took her leave of Tam who busied himself looking over the artifacts in her office.
John led her a good distance away before turning to her and saying, "Do you think this is a good idea? I mean what do you know about this guy other than he likes the spa?" The last word was drawn out with more emphasis than Elizabeth thought necessary, but she let it go.
"First of all, John, he's a leader in their society. He seems intelligent and educated. They are a peaceful race that seems more interested in good health and fitness than waging war, so I figured we'd be safe. Besides, aren't you the one who's always saying that we need to make more friends?"
"Oh sure," he replied petulantly, "throw that in my face. Look, I'm not sure I trust the guy."
Elizabeth smiled in amusement. "John, you just met him."
John had no answer to that but put his hands on his hips and forged on, "And what kind of name is Tam anyway? Isn't a tam a kind of hat?"
"On earth yes, but on his planet I guess it's a name." Deciding that trying to be logical was futile, she just waited for him to wind down.
John, however, was finished. He just scowled at her and started to walk away. "Oh, in case you're interested," he said over his shoulder, "our mission was successful. We can now eat fish."
"Briefing at 0900," she called to his departing back.
John's team was in the process of being dismissed by Dr. Beckett when he made it down to the infirmary.
"Ah, Major," Beckett greeted him, "decided to join us?"
"I'm not in the mood to be poked and or prodded right now, Doc," John said, but Beckett ignored him and reached for his arm.
"Just a quick blood sample, lad. Then you can go."
"So," Rodney asked, "did you get the 411 on Fabio?"
Teyla gave them a puzzled look and Ford snickered. "I'm sorry, Dr. McKay," Teyla said, "I wasn't aware that you knew the stranger's name."
"His name is Tam," John explained.
"Tam?" Rodney looked confused. "Isn't that a hat?"
"Evidently only on Earth," John replied, "and I think Mr. Hat is up to no good."
"Gratuitous South Park reference aside," Rodney said, "who is the guy?"
Teyla's confusion grew, but the others ignored her. Carson finished collecting his blood sample and waited quietly, intrigued by the conversation.
"Elizabeth met him at the spa."
"Ah," Rodney tried in vain to keep his lips from curling into a huge smile.
"Oh," Carson offered, "you must be talking about our visitor. A fine figure of a man, that one. The nurses were all atwitter when he came in for his medical check."
John scowled at him. "Maybe we can set the two of you up later. Right now I want to know what he wants from us."
"Us, or...? Never mind." Rodney knew when it was best to shut up.
Teyla and Ford decided to leave the men to their appraisal of the visitor. The Major had had enough for one evening, and he too left Carson and Rodney alone to do any further speculation on the presence of their guest.
The next morning John headed, as was his custom, out to the balcony off the control room for what he thought of in his own mind as the "debriefing before the debriefing." Usually he would find Elizabeth out there enjoying the fresh air, and they would talk briefly about the highlights of the latest escapades of his team before proceeding into the conference room. Sometimes they would just look out over the ocean in companionable silence, but it was a time that he had grown to enjoy more than he was willing to admit. On this particular morning, however, Elizabeth was not alone. John stopped just outside the doors and stared openly at the couple standing by the railing. Tam was laughing at something Elizabeth had said, his head thrown back and one hand reaching out to touch her briefly on the arm. The wind was gently blowing his blonde curls, and both their faces were flushed. John hoped this was a direct result of the cool wind but had to suppress a growl of frustration nonetheless.
"Good morning," John said loudly.
"Oh, good morning Major." Elizabeth turned, a smile still on her lips. "Is it time for our meeting?"
"Yes it is." John nodded at Tam who returned his greeting before turning back to Elizabeth and giving her the full benefit of his twinkling blue eyes. John folded his arms and watched as the bigger man took one of her hands in both of his and did that same bow-from-the-waist trick he had done before.
"Most gracious lady, it has been an honor and a delight to meet you and your people of course." Tam spared John a quick glance. "I'm hoping," he continued, "that this is just the first of many visits I might be permitted. I feel there is so much we have in common, and of course, you will be returning to avail yourself of the hospitality of our spa."
John stopped listening. Elizabeth said something about exchange of ideas and blah, blah, blah. It was all diplomatic double talk to him. And besides, the guy was full of it. Who talks like that anyway? He moved aside and nodded politely as the couple preceded him into the gateroom, then watched as their visitor made his exit through the event horizon.
It took a moment for him to notice that after Tam's departure, Elizabeth had stopped smiling, and she was looking directly at him. Taking a few steps closer to where she was still standing a short distance from the stargate, John looked sideways at her. She was still staring, and there was no doubt now the smile had been replaced by a scowl.
"What?" he said, trying for his best innocent face.
She opened her mouth but quickly closed it again. "Nothing, it would be useless I know, so nothing." Elizabeth turned and headed up to her office to prepare for the meeting leaving John to wonder why he hadn't gotten the tongue lashing he knew she was capable of.
* * * *
"But Rodney I'm trying to tell you it is useless to keep having people touch this object. It is obviously not working." Radek Zelenka quickened his step to keep pace with Rodney McKay as they both hurried in the direction of the control room.
"Yes Radek, I heard you the first hundred times and yet I continue to ignore you. Besides, it worked when Sheppard touched it. All anyone else was able to do was make it give off a rosy glow for a second or two." McKay turned the silver cylinder over in his hands. It had become a dusty pink when he picked it up, occasionally pulsing a darker rose when he began to berate Radek before settling into a lighter shade of puce.
"See," Rodney said, "it heard you and agrees that your dismissal of its usefulness is indeed asinine."
"Now you are assigning it sentient behavior. Sometimes I worry about you, McKay."
Still bickering, the two scientists rounded the corner and stopped short.
"Uh oh," Rodney mumbled, "he's back."
"Who is back? What are you talking about now?"
Nodding toward Weir's office, McKay stopped in his tracks and considered his next move. Radek looked at the scene in front of them in puzzlement. A giant of a man with hair like a Viking warrior was sitting on the edge of Elizabeth's desk and laughing at something she had said while she held both of his hands in hers and blushed like a schoolgirl. On the other side of the room, a scowling John Sheppard stood with his arms crossed surveying the scene.
Never having been one to recognize an awkward social situation when one was right in front of him, McKay barged in while Radek followed timidly.
"Ah, you must be Elizabeth's new friend Minister Tam. I didn't get to meet you the last time you were here what with all my important scientific work taking up such a large portion of my time and all..." Rodney trailed off when a nudge from Radek turned his attention to the glowering Major who was now twitching his fingers in the direction of his sidearm.
Elizabeth released the Minister's hands and smiled in the direction of the two scientists. Tam stretched to his full height and bowed slightly from the waist.
"Minister Tam of Aegle, may I introduce Drs. Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka our two lead scientists," Weir said.
Rodney and Radek returned the Minister's greeting awkwardly.
"And is this one of your recent inventions?" Minister Tam looked toward the metal object that Rodney was still holding which had now subsided to a pearly pink.
"No no no," McKay explained. "This is actually an ancient device we found in a storage room that has Zelenka here a bit baffled."
Zelenka frowned at him but McKay was oblivious. "You see the ancient devices such as this require the ATA gene to activate and I was hoping to get the Major to give us some additional help in that area."
"Ah yes, Dr. Weir has explained this gene. I find it quite fascinating. And I understand that Major Sheppard possesses this power in great abundance."
"I wouldn't exactly call it a power," John protested weakly before straightening his spine and reaching out his hand to take the cylinder from Rodney. "But it does seem I am able to....OW."
As soon as the metal touched John's palm, the entire object became a dark red and started to burn his skin. Now it was lying on the floor where he had hurled it and emitting dark smoke from both ends.
Elizabeth hurried to take John's hand and examine the injury. "What in the world? You're going to need something on that before it blisters, John. Go down to see Carson at once and don't touch any more of Rodney's little toys until they get checked out."
"What do you think this is?" Rodney protested. "He's my head checker outer. No one else can get the stupid thing to do more than blush a little."
"Well it seems like this particular toy might be a bit dangerous." Elizabeth nodded for John to do as she had instructed and he left reluctantly, giving Rodney a dark look as he passed.
"You know I think I'm starting to see a pattern here." Rodney snapped his fingers several times in rapid succession and turned to leave. Radek shrugged in apology toward the other two occupants of the room and followed.
"I feel I must apologize for my staff," Elizabeth said to her visitor. "They sometimes get caught up in their work and forget their manners."
"No apology necessary dear lady," the Minister replied, "the scientific mind is sometimes a mystery to us all. Now tell me, how about we enjoy a bit of this fine Aeglean wine I have brought?"
"I'm telling you Sheppard, it's a mood ring. Or a mood cylinder if you will." McKay shrugged and continued trying to explain his suspicions about the mysterious ancient device.
John nodded in thanks to the blonde nurse who had just finished spreading a soothing balm on his burned palm and turned his full attention to the babbling scientist.
"I don't care what it is McKay. I am not touching that thing again. It's dangerous."
"Yeah, well," Rodney said with a grin as he turned the cylinder around in his hands. Once again it was only a faint pink. "It can tell that you are pushed out of shape about Elizabeth's new boyfriend, and that's why it goes berserk when you touch it."
"He is not her boyfriend and I am not pushed out of shape. I'm just concerned that's all. About the security of the city." John slid off the edge of the hospital bed and headed for the door.
"Hey some good came of this whole thing," Rodney replied.
John stopped in his tracks and waited for the punchline.
"At least we found out we have an ancient mood device. I'll just take this down to Heightmeyer. I'm sure she can make use of it." Rodney juggled his new toy from hand to hand as he passed John in the hall without looking at him.
John huffed a breath and went in the opposite direction toward the firing range.
****
"Now tell me again why we are doing this." Sheppard pulled the zipper of his tac vest closed with entirely too much force and clipped his P-90 in place.
The rest of his team plus Dr Weir were in the gearup room preparing themselves for an off world mission. His clipped question halted everyone in their tracks except Weir who calmly continued lacing up her boots. A glare from their team leader sent Ford, Teyla and McKay scurrying from the room leaving the two leaders alone.
"Because," Elizabeth replied patiently, "we were invited. It's a nice planet and I like it. And most importantly we need allies in this galaxy."
John grunted in reply. Weir, having completed her preparations, headed for the door without looking back.
"See you at the gate, Major," she said over her shoulder.
Since the recent introduction of Minister Tam and his spa planet, John had been dreading just such an event. Sure enough in due time a formal invitation for a visit to Aegle by an Atlantis delegation came their way. Elizabeth, of course, had been thrilled at a chance to return to the spa and had eagerly begun making plans for John and his team to accompany her. The others were happy to be included but John had balked at the idea from the start. Now here they were about to embark on an exploratory mission that Elizabeth kept telling him would be relaxing.
"Relaxing hell," John mumbled to himself as he stepped through the stargate. "I'll relax when this ordeal is over."
The team walked through the event horizon and stepped into a garden that was almost jungle like. Tall trees, some with climbing vines that all seemed to be covered with large purple flowers, lined the pathways. Everywhere they looked were beds of blooming plants in all the colors of the rainbow and some they had never seen before. Everything was groomed carefully and the combined aromas of all the various flowers reminded Rodney of an expensive department store. Ford stared about him in awe and even Teyla seemed speechless. Elizabeth turned to gauge their reactions and smiled to let them know she had reacted much the same way when she had first visited.
This planet had originally been discovered in the Ancient data base and a prolonged series of video transmissions had occurred before Elizabeth had accepted their invitation to visit. Not thinking it to be of any importance and knowing she needed some time away from work, John had sent along Captain Hudson's team. Now he had grown to regret that decision but he couldn't quite figure out why.
Quickly, John glanced around and tried to arrange his face into a more pleasant expression as the welcoming delegation approached.
Minister Tam was out in front. Dressed in his official robes over the snug leather pants and loose shirt he had worn to Atlantis, Tam looked even taller with the scarlet garment billowing behind him. He was smiling broadly and leading several other Aegleans, both male and female. To Rodney's way of thinking the gene pool of this planet was quite impressive.
Tam went through the whole bowing, handholding ritual and "dear ladied" Elizabeth until John wanted to kick him. Finally when he had wound down he turned and gestured extravagantly to the three others behind him.
A stunningly beautiful woman with straw-colored hair that she could sit on stepped forward and bowed from the waist. She was dressed in a figure-hugging gown the color of a well fertilized lawn. It covered her from neck to ankles and the long sleeves fell over her small white hands. On Earth she would have been sought after by every movie producer in Hollywood.
"This is Ri, a member of our council," Tam said by way of introduction to John's team. Ri greeted Elizabeth like an old friend and then turned her large blue eyes on the others.
More bowing and handclasping followed which was repeated with a male whose name turned out to be Bar and another woman with the unfortunate name of Pe. John elbowed Ford when he snickered and Elizabeth sent a glare Rodney's way before he could even open his mouth. Pe and Bar turned out to be worthy of Mt. Olympus also and finally after much ado the team was led into the main facility.
The general architecture of the place was a mixture of tile and glass which gave it an airy openness. There were tall columns that resembled marble throughout the immense hall and the furniture was outsized and grand with well-padded sofas and chairs arranged in conversational groupings. In all it was much like the lobby of a large hotel on Earth.
As soon as they entered the building several women came and led Elizabeth away, followed by Ri and Pe. A little nervous, John insisted that Teyla accompany her. After the ladies had departed, Tam invited the men to retire to a nearby room where they were given a chance to freshen up for the banquet that was to follow. They were allowed to keep their weapons, but John decided that as long as Ford and Teyla remained fully armed he and Rodney could give up their P-90's, at least during dinner. A short time later, an attendant came for them and led them into the banquet room where seats were reserved for them on a small dais facing the rest of the room. Rodney looked around with interest, welcoming the attention. "Hmm," he remarked, "feels like a wedding reception. Hope there’s cake."
"Yeah, pretty impressive. Whoa!" John swallowed with an audible gulp.
Rodney turned to see what had interrupted their small talk. "Whoa," he added.
A small group of ladies was entering the room. The two beautiful young women they had met earlier were followed by a vision in emerald green. It took a moment for the men to fully comprehend that this was the leader of Atlantis. Elizabeth was dressed in an ankle length gown that made her eyes sparkle and shine in the well lit room. The dress had a square neckline that revealed just enough cleavage to make you wonder what it was concealing. The bodice was fairly tight, and the skirt fell in soft folds that swished when she walked. Teyla left the small group and rejoined the men.
"All is well Colonel," she reported. "I think we are expected to take our places."
Aiden glanced at her and frowned. "Why don't you have a nice new outfit?"
Teyla smiled and nudged him toward their table. "I did not think it appropriate as there would be no place to attach my weapon."
John smirked at her and gave Rodney a not so gentle push toward the front of the room.
As they had discovered on too many planets to count, the banquet seemed interminable. Platter after platter of rich foods were brought forth. Each was more elaborately prepared than the last and long before the final offering, some type of bird that had been roasted and redressed with its own feathers, John was wishing that antacid tablets were an essential part of their equipment. Beside him, Rodney spit out a feather and made appreciative noises.
It was just possible to get a glimpse of Elizabeth if John leaned forward a bit but doing so put him in the direct line of sight of the rather corpulent chief minister's wife who had been edging her chair closer to his all during the meal. Worried that she would topple over into his lap if she got any closer, John edged a bit in the other direction. The lady in question dabbed a bit of gravy that had dribbled onto her enormous expanse of cleavage and batted her eyelashes at him.
Pausing for a moment in his enjoyment of the feast, Rodney leaned toward John and whispered, "I guess they don't all spend hours in the gym everyday."
"Shut up, McKay," John hissed.
After the meal the entire team was led into what turned out to be the main area of the famous spa. They divided up by male and female and were taken into a luxurious changing area where they were given the garments they were expected to wear in the spa. For the men it amounted to little more than a short loincloth and for the women, a similar loincloth plus a tube top. Ford had been left to stand watch outside but Teyla chose to take part in the experience and, with Elizabeth, had been whisked away. John and Rodney glanced at each other and winced a bit before they were herded out of the dressing chamber.
"I swear to God, McKay," John muttered, "if you tell any of the Marines about this, I will rip your lungs out."
Looking down at his own state of undress, Rodney replied, "Believe me, your secret is safe with me."
The spa turned out to cover an area the size of a large ballroom. Steaming pools twisted and turned in a geometric pattern creating little nooks resembling hot tubs that were separated by tall potted plants and statues of what had to be some of the best specimens of Aeglean evolution. Rodney tripped slightly, unable to tear his eyes away from a particularly well-endowed example. John looked around in interest and was the first to see their approaching hostess.
The woman introduced as Ri was walking toward them. She had changed from the gown she had been wearing earlier and now was attired in a garment that seemed to be defying gravity in a number of ways. It fell in shimmering layers in an unearthly color that seemed to first be blue then green before settling somewhere in between. Ending at mid thigh, the silky material barely skimmed her body revealing more than it concealed from the observant eye.
"Major Sheppard, welcome," she said as she approached John and took his arm. "Please allow me to introduce you to our healing waters."
She indicated that John was to enter one of the small pools, on the surface of which appeared to be floating pink clovers. A pleasant herbal fragrance was drifting from the steaming water and John stepped in with only a slight bit of hesitation. Once settled, he turned to observe the other occupant of the soothing water. It was Elizabeth. Her arms were stretched out along the edge of the pool and her head was thrown back with her eyes closed.
John jerked a bit in surprise setting off a small wave which caused his companion to open her eyes and focus on him. By this time he was settled beneath the water and all that was visible was a good deal of bare chest with its covering of dark hair. Elizabeth closed her eyes again and sank lower in the water setting off a few waves of her own.
Ri appeared to be giving a little talk on the healing properties of the herbs in the water and the origin of the pink clovers. Most of it was lost on John due to the silent lecture he was giving himself not to make things worse by looking at his boss. It was mostly wasted because before he saw Elizabeth slip lower in the pool, John couldn't help but notice that the white garment she was wearing had been made nearly transparent by the water.
Knowing she had to open her eyes at some point, Elizabeth peeked through her lashes at John. Okay, he was lower in the water so the chest wasn't such a distraction. Much better.
"This is quite...um...soothing." Elizabeth trailed a hand through the water and gazed at a point somewhere over John's head.
"Yeah..uh...relaxing to the...um..ah...muscles." John's voice trailed off as he too found something fascinating just over her left shoulder.
Quiet tinkling music seemed to be coming from nowhere and subdued voices intermingled with an occasional splashing sound. The atmosphere began to have the desired effects on the couple in the water and after a few moments of silent contemplation, Elizabeth found her voice.
"This is ridiculous," she said suddenly.
"Excuse me?" John was trying to achieve a position of casual nonchalance and ultimately failing.
"This awkwardness between us," Elizabeth explained. "It's just a pool. There are people all around. There's no reason we should feel anything but natural."
"Natural, right." John's eyes fell on the shadow of her body beneath the water and bounced back up to hers. "Just like being at the beach."
The mood was broken by the sound and sight of Rodney McKay passing by, his bare feet making slapping sounds on the tile and an oversized towel trailing behind him. "That was truly refreshing," he was saying to his companion whose auburn curls and shapely form identified her as one of the attendants who had led them into the spa.
"Now tell me, is this a full body massage?" McKay's voice trailed off and thankfully they missed her answer as the pair disappeared through an archway.
John pulled a face and raised one eyebrow at Elizabeth who burst out laughing.
"It is wonderful to see you are having such a marvelous time together." Tam's booming voice drew their attention to the side of the pool where he had suddenly appeared.
John looked up and up the expanse of legs that reminded him of a statue he had seen in a famous museum once. His lip curled in a hint at a smile.
Tam stood with his hands on his hips which further exhibited his vast expanse of chest muscle and well-defined biceps. The loincloth which looked a bit more modest on John did little to cover his pelvis. With the fluid ease of someone who is used to displaying his unclad body, the minister reached out a hand and offered to assist Elizabeth from the pool.
Seeing what he was about to do, John stood up and closed the area between them, taking her by the arm just above the elbow and pulling her to her feet.
"John, for heaven's sake," she protested, "give me a moment to get my feet under me."
"Sorry," John mumbled, darting a glare in Tam's direction.
Tam waved over an attendant and they were both given large warm towels in which to wrap their dripping bodies. Elizabeth tucked the towel around her to cover as much area as possible while John wrapped his around his waist, managing to look like he'd just stepped out of the shower. Their host gestured that they were to proceed him which Elizabeth did gladly. John squared his shoulders and inhaled to expand his chest before doing the same.
"Tell me Major," Tam held John back a bit until Elizabeth was out of sight, "is it customary on your planet for people who have a romantic interest in each other to be so reluctant to express it?"
"Uh...wha...I'm sorry?" John's stopped and turned toward the other man, deep lines furrowed his brow.
With a slight apologetic bow, Tam continued, "Please pardon my directness. I mean no offense. It's just that you and Dr. Weir seem to be avoiding the obvious attraction between you."
John tried to look confused but finally gave up and shifted his eyes away from Tam's. "Dr Weir is my boss."
Minister Tam smiled knowingly. "And a very beautiful woman who can't keep her eyes from finding you whenever you venture near. You, my dear Major, have been vibrating with barely suppressed jealousy since we first met."
John bristled. "You mistake jealousy for...concern for her safety. It is my job to..."
"Please Major Sheppard." Tam threw his head back and laughed heartily. "I see a lot of couples such as you and your...boss...here in Aegle. Believe me, we practice the utmost in discretion."
John licked his lips and hesitated slightly. "But there are rules. We can't...ah..have a relationship beyond friends."
"There are no rules here, Major. I have known since I first met Dr. Weir that you were a very important person in her life. When she speaks of you her voice takes on a different tonal quality and now that I have gotten to know you a bit, I find that yours does the same. Tell me Major, am I wrong in my belief that your feelings for your...boss...goes deeper than it appears on the surface?
"We are friends, yes," John agreed without elaborating.
"Friends." Tam repeated the word in a way that made it have a completely different meaning than John had intended.
"You know, Major," the Minister went on. "I find the lovely Dr. Weir to be a fascinating woman. But no matter the situation we have not progressed beyond mere acquaintances who enjoy discussing our very different cultures. You, on the other hand, are the one who puts the light in her eyes. Surely you see that."
John fiddled with his towel and met Tam's eyes squarely with great effort. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, you will Major. You will. Now if you will follow me, a chamber has been prepared for you."
John froze for a moment and then had to scurry to keep up with Tam's long strides as they made their way into another section of the spa.
The door clicked softly behind him as John walked into his assigned quarters. He paused for a moment to orient himself before moving any further into the spacious room. Done in soft shades of pale blue and sea green the furnishings were at once luxurious and comfortable. A huge bed in which several of his bunks back in his quarters on Atlantis would have fit took up most of one side of the room. The lighting was subdued and a soft breeze was coming from a set of double doors that opened onto a balcony.
John pulled open the heavy door of a large wardrobe to discover that Tam had been true to his word. All his belongings plus his weapons and radio were stored neatly on the shelves. Now he took a moment to contact Lieutenant Ford and tell him he could stand down for the evening. John retrieved his handgun and placed it on a nearby table before closing the cabinet and turning to examine his surroundings. The pull of the breeze and the open door led John out onto the small balcony where he found two large full moons and a view of landscaped gardens. He was deep into replaying the short conversation he had just had with Tam when the sound of the door closing drew his attention. John turned toward the sound just in time to see Elizabeth Weir walk into the room.
She had changed into a silky rose-colored robe from which poked one very long very shapely leg. Tentatively, she walked to the middle of the room and looked around in curiosity.
"Pretty fancy, huh?" John's voice startled her and Elizabeth jumped a bit before laughing and clutching the robe a bit tighter around her.
John took a step back into the room and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry to scare you. I really wasn't expecting...uh..."
"It looks like they expect us to share," Elizabeth said. "I'll just go and call someone." She started back toward the door but John stopped her.
"Wait a bit." His voice was low and a bit raspy. "I mean...we can't waste this beautiful view." He indicated the scene from the balcony with one hand and she glanced at it before continuing.
"I'm sure my room will have a similar view." Dr. Weir, commander of the Ancient city of Atlantis straightened her shoulders and turned back toward the door.
"Well, if I make you nervous..." It was a challenge and Elizabeth knew it but somehow she couldn't resist.
"Nervous? Surely, Major, you know me better than that by now."
John smiled in invitation and stretched out an arm toward the open door to the balcony. "Then why not stay for awhile and we'll...talk about our day."
Elizabeth gave him that look that usually made John's throat tighten but somehow this time only made him smirk a little on the inside. "After you Doctor."
Unable to back down gracefully, Elizabeth gave him a little gracious head tilt and brushed past him.
"It's beautiful," Elizabeth breathed as she took in the view from the small balcony. "What a marvelous place."
John stood beside her silently for a bit until she suddenly laughed aloud and shook her head as if in disbelief.
"What?" John wondered.
"It's just...doesn't this strike you as oddly familiar?" Elizabeth spread her hands to indicate the balcony and their proximity to each other.
John's mouth curled up on one side. "Yeah, but the view is a lot less..."
"Watery?"
John nodded. "And we're a lot less..."
"Dressed?" Elizabeth stepped back a space and looked him up and down.
John had almost forgotten that he too was wearing only a black silk dressing gown which he had been reluctant to put on but did out of fear of offending his hosts. Now it seemed like an even worse idea because here he was left feeling extremely vulnerable and the fact that Elizabeth seemed fascinated with the wedge of chest that was visible no matter how much he tugged at the fabric wasn't helping. Deciding that turnabout was fair play, John let his eyes drift down the pink fabric of Elizabeth's outfit. The way it clung to every curve and outlined her breasts told him that she was wearing little to nothing underneath.
"Maybe we should adopt these as the new Atlantis uniforms," John offered as a means of breaking the sudden tension.
"Well that would certainly change quite a few things." Elizabeth turned back toward the view.
"So," John began tentatively, causing Elizabeth to look at him sideways and raise one eyebrow, "so, I can see why you like it here."
"Really?" She added the other eyebrow. "It does tend to grow on you."
"Look, Elizabeth..."
"John, I..." They both began to speak at once and John gestured for her to continue. "I think I'd better leave."
His hand on her shoulder stopped Elizabeth in her tracks. "No, don't go."
They both didn't move for a long moment during which the warmth of his hand began to seep into her skin beneath the soft fabric of her robe.
Their eyes finally met in one of those long conversations without words that they were so good at. "Don't go," John repeated.
Elizabeth dropped her eyes and there was that tanned area of bare chest again just inches away and the warm hand on her shoulder was moving to tip her chin up with gentle fingers.
"Stay."
Desperately trying to think of a clever reply, Elizabeth parted her lips but no sound came out except a soft sigh as John lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was at once questioning and possessive. He was asking permission and staking a claim all at once and she had no intention of telling him to stop. Her hands slid over the silk of his robe and up around his neck as she opened her mouth under his and gave him her answer.
John's hands bracketed her face as he held her steady for a moment looking into her slightly unfocused eyes.
"So what did you find so fascinating about that guy?"
Startled by the abrupt change, Elizabeth blinked. "Guy? Oh, you mean Tam?"
Momentarily distracted by the sensation of her hands at the nape of his neck, John licked his lips before murmuring, "Yeah, that guy. You seemed to be, you know, a little smitten."
Elizabeth grasped the lapels of his robe and gave them a hard jerk, "There was no fascination. Well, aside from the obvious. And I certainly wasn't smitten."
John frowned. "Well if you like Greek gods, I guess he has a certain...presence."
"That's one way to put it."
John frowned again and Elizabeth relaxed her hold on his robe and smoothed her hands over his chest. "Actually, we talked about many things. Including you."
"Me?"
"Your name may have come up in the course of the conversation. A time or two."
"Really?" John's hands moved into her hair. "And did you tell him about how generally fascinating I am?"
Elizabeth nodded. "And handsome."
"Well that goes without saying."
"Tam is a very intuitive guy." Elizabeth's fingers were threading through John's hair.
"Meaning?" The squeak in John's voice brought an amused smile to Elizabeth's lips.
"Meaning that he figured out right away that you were an important part of my life and that there was not going to be any way that would change. So he...refocused his objective."
"Refocused?"
"He decided to give you a little nudge."
John's hands had moved to her waist and she found herself pulled flush against him. The thin material of the robe may as well not have been there because they could each feel every inch of the other's body.
"I kind of got the idea that he was playing matchmaker." John said next to her ear.
"He said something to you?" Elizabeth leaned back a bit and studied him.
John lifted his head from where he had been pressing tiny kisses on the side of her neck. "He said he thinks you like me."
Elizabeth snorted. "Like you? As in like like?" She felt John's smile against her skin.
"Maybe." John gave her the full puppy dog eyes. "Don't deny it, Elizabeth. You like like me."
"What is this? Junior...ah...high." The kisses had reached that spot beneath her ear that John knew he would return to again and again.
"Oh all right. I like you...just a little." The total inadequacy of this statement was proven when Elizabeth grabbed John by the ears and hauled his mouth back up to hers.
Encouraged and needing no further discussion, John used his lips and tongue and teeth to show her all the things he didn't have words to express.
No doubt about it. There were no rules in Aegle.