fic: Deals With Weddings (1/4)
It's been too quiet around here. And I think we could use the diversion.
sga_newsletter folks - please don't link to this yet, ok? I'll send an email when it's complete with the link.
Title: Deals With Weddings, Part 1 of 4
Rating: PG-13 to be safe
Pairings: Carson/Laura, Weir/Sheppard, Sam/Jack, Kate/Marcus
Summary: A wedding, a proposal, a resolution, an election, and someone gets slapped in the face.
Warnings: WIP
Beta: none
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: The boys and girls of "Stargate: Atlantis" belong to a lot of people who are not me. No harm intended, just some not-for-profit fun.
Author's Notes: I know where the rest of this goes in my head, I just haven't written it out yet.
Chronology: Takes place between "Heaven's Field" and "After the Rain."
Feedback: Is like peanut butter and chocolate together
Carson Beckett took a deep breath. "I know we haven't spoken too much about the future, and that's my fault. I've been wanting to take things slowly between us, be sure we were compatible. The truth is, when you became ill I realized that I was being a fool, and that I was only waiting because of something I should have gotten over long ago. You see, when I was much younger, there was a girl, a fellow student of mine at university in fact. She was one of the brightest people I'd ever met-"
"Wait a minute," Rodney McKay interrupted him. "Do you honestly think while you're proposing marriage is the best time to talk about past loves?"
Carson scowled, but Rodney had a point. There was a reason why Carson had asked Rodney to let him rehearse the proposal before making it to Laura. Well, aside from the fact that Rodney was the only man in town who Carson felt comfortable enough making a fool out of himself in front of. "All right, fine. Let me start again."
***
Elizabeth Weir was reading when she heard the door in the kitchen open and close. She was already tucked into bed, despite the early hour. The lingering fatigue from the fever simply would not leave her, and she was exhausted at the end of nearly every day. She was growing deeply resentful of her own body's inability to simply buck up and get over it.
She refused to admit to herself or anyone else that her feelings were in any way connected to the fact that John Sheppard and his partner had left Atlantis three days ago.
Elizabeth had woken from the fever with John sitting next to her bed. He was asleep in the chair, looking tired and care-worn. He'd been more or less glued to her side since then, hovering in a way that, had he been any other man, would probably have earned him nothing but hostility from her. Elizabeth disliked admitting to frailty of any sort, even when she was physically as weak as a kitten. She enjoyed the attention from John, though, a fact that now irritated her all the more. He'd been waiting on her hand and foot, escorting her everywhere, even to Jacob Carter's funeral.
She wasn't even going to think about what Janet had told her, about how she'd come into Elizabeth's room the morning after John's return and found the two of them sharing a bed, Elizabeth asleep in John's arms, clad only in her nightgown. Thankfully Janet had sworn never to mention that to anyone, though that didn't spare Elizabeth merciless teasing in private. Janet also swore that John had been fully clothed and his hands had been in plain sight. Elizabeth hadn't indicated to John that she knew about any of that and he, thank the Lord, had not brought it up. Some humiliations were too much.
Despite all his hovering, John had ridden off to check on the latest rumor about a Wraith sighting without a backward glance.
She'd been fooling herself. His departure only confirmed it. All these years she had been wondering, daydreaming really, about what could happen if John were to give up his wandering ways. If he could let go of his quest to destroy the Wraith gang and stay in one place longer than a few weeks at a time.
For a few days, she'd found out. John's attentiveness during her convalescence had reminded her what it was like to have someone to lean on and trust, a partner to support her. All of those fanciful daydreams had come to vivid life, in spite of her constant tiredness and headaches.
But that was all it was. Daydreams. An exception, brought on by a crisis. It hadn't been real.
John Sheppard wasn't going to change. She had been indulging herself where he was concerned for far too long. It was time to face the hard truth that he would never be the partner she wanted.
She didn't need him, of course. She had never needed any man, and after Simon, she had vowed not to accept anything less than everything she desired in a partner.
John would never be able to give her what she needed. The sooner she accepted that, the better.
She folded up her book and realized there was a sound coming from the kitchen. It sounded for all the world like... humming. Laura had gone out for a walk with Carson Beckett this evening, their first chance to be alone for any period of time since the first case of the fever. After the last patient had passed through the critical stages, Carson had slept for nearly two full days. It was no small miracle he hadn't come down sick himself.
Elizabeth was about to get up when she heard Laura approach down the hall and knock. "Come in."
Laura opened the door. One look at her face told Elizabeth everything, though that didn't stop her young friend from beaming and bursting out with the news in a breathless voice. "Miss Weir, Doctor Beckett asked me to marry him!"
***
Given that the entire town had been anticipating Carson and Laura's wedding for literally years, it was slightly surprising how excited everyone got in the planning. Janet thought it had something to do with the fever. The deaths of a number of young people, as well as Sheriff Carter, had struck a deep blow to the town's morale. Everyone, it seemed, was in need of a happy occasion.
Janet watched her two closest friends carefully over the weeks following the announcement, under pretense of concern over their health. Elizabeth was still pale and easily tired. She was too stubborn for her own safety, that woman, up and about and insisting she could run her store without help regardless of the wasted look still haunting her. Elizabeth seemed in denial of just how close to death she had come from that illness. Janet wished fervently that John Sheppard would come back to Atlantis soon. He might be able to cajole Elizabeth into resting more. Also his mere presence might ease some of the sad look that Janet occasionally saw in Elizabeth's eyes.
Sam, to all outward appearances, was doing as well as could be expected. She and her father had been close these last few years, and Janet knew all too well the sense of loss that could permeate life when a loved one was taken away. Sam continued to putter around with her projects, to bicker with Rodney McKay, and generally carried on as before. Well, Dr. McKay was actually not quite up to full strength yet himself, and his usual combative attitude towards Sam had softened, whether from illness or compassion Janet didn't know. Though Janet suspected Sam was actually happy to be arguing with Dr. McKay just for the normalcy.
The only real change in Sam was the amount of time Jack O'Neill was spending with her. The Deputy Mayor had always been close with the Carters, but now he seemed reluctant to leave Sam alone for more than a few hours. Janet wondered if the aftermath of the fever was going to affect that little romance as well, but she said nothing aloud. Unlike her usual sarcasm whenever Jack was mentioned, now Sam went quiet and serious whenever Janet approached anything close to teasing on the subject.
Janet found herself grateful that Vala Mal Doran, the café owner, was still in fighting form. Atlantis was a bit dull with both of her friends so fragile and sensitive.
***
Kate Heightmeyer was taking in the evening air when Marcus Lorne joined her. They passed the Carter house, Kate waving and Marcus nodding to Samantha as they walked.
"So, how's Miss Cadman's dress coming along?" Marcus asked.
Kate's lips twitched. Marcus knew absolutely nothing about clothing fashions, but he always asked if he knew she was working on something for someone. It was endearing in his usual, slightly obvious way. "It's finished except for a final fitting. If it wasn't, I would hardly be out wandering the town aimlessly," she said with a smile. The wedding was in just over a week.
"What about your own dress?" he asked, his eyes glancing over her in a way that always made her heart speed up. It wasn't exactly proper, but Marcus Lorne was too forthright with everyone for her to take it insultingly.
Her reaction, on the other hand, was something that she should be controlling better. This was never a problem with Mr. Davis, but then, he was an Easterner, and far more used to social conventions than the blacksmith.
"My dress?" she asked, chastising herself silently because the truth was she preferred Marcus' bluntness over all the polished compliments Mr. Davis ever offered.
"You're standing up with Miss Cadman, aren't you?"
"Yes." They paused, having reached the edge of the town's buildings. There was nothing before them except the hitching post near the doctor's offices, and the sunset behind the foothills.
"You're not taking the opportunity to make a new dress for yourself?" Marcus teased her.
Kate shook her head. "It's not important how I look on that day, only that I don't overshadow the bride."
She startled when his fingers brushed her temple, pushing a stray hair back from her face. The warm touch made her shiver. "You'd overshadow any other woman if you were in a burlap sack," he said quietly.
In all the time they had spent together, Marcus had never pushed so blatantly beyond gentle flirting. The look in his eyes, the low tone of his voice, all made her stomach flutter and her heart ache. "Marcus-" she started.
He kissed her, cutting off what she had been going to say. One of his hands came up and gently cradled the back of her head and Kate's legs grew weak. He was such a strong man, physically, but he was so careful with her.
She pushed him away. "Marcus, please-" she tried again.
He caught her hands. "Kate, you know that I care about you. I've wanted you for a long time. I want to marry you. Please, if you think you could care for me that way, just give me the chance..."
The pain was intolerable. Kate wiped her eyes and wanted to scream. "I'm sorry," she bit out, anguish making her choke. "I can't."
It took a moment for her words to sink in. He dropped her hand and stepped back. She could see the fury taking over him and was unable to do anything to stop it.
"It's him, isn't it," Marcus gritted out dangerously. "That banker. You're in love with him."
She shook her head, "No, it's not like that-"
But he turned and walked away from her.
***
Sam settled down on the porch, a heavy shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Selmac, her father's dog, curled up at her feet. The sun was going down, and the thin warmth of the day was fading as night came on. Autumn was coming on rapidly. Sam had found herself coming out to the porch every night, at least just for a minute or two, to think about her father.
It had been over a month now since the epidemic. Plans for Dr. Beckett's wedding were in full swing, though she, thankfully, had not been pressured to participate overmuch. Sam believed her father would have understood the tiny bit of relief she felt at having an excuse to bow out of some of the festivities. After all, she had inherited her private nature from him.
While she was honestly happy for the doctor and Miss Cadman, who Sam had always liked, the reaction of the town's old biddies to the upcoming wedding was grating on her nerves. It wasn't the wedding so much as the near-constant hints and leading questions about whose wedding would be next. Half the town seemed convinced that Jack O'Neill had suddenly changed so radically that he would be proposing to her any day.
Sam had known the man for a long time, and she just couldn't believe such a thing was happening. No matter what she might secretly wish in her heart, she guessed that Jack's deep concern for her welfare was more out of sympathy and loyalty to her father than some drastic change in his feelings.
Explaining that to the gossiping old ladies of the quilting circle was next to impossible, so Sam hid herself away. She was talking with Dr. McKay and his colleague, Dr. Zelenka, about the possibility of utilizing some form of windmill to power an irrigation system. She found watching the two men bicker endlessly amusing. Dr. Zelenka, who had all the courtly polish of a true European gentleman, could get downright profane when McKay pushed him. It was a relief to know she wasn't the only one who reacted that way. It was rather nice to have someone to share with when McKay was in one of his moods.
The sound of footsteps alerted her to the man approaching the porch. Selmac raised her head and wagged her tail, meaning it could only be one of two people. And Mayor Hammond was simply not as tall and much wider than the figure coming up the walk. "Deputy Mayor," she said politely.
Jack O'Neill took his hat off and leaned against the railing. "I think after all this time, we could drop the formal titles when we're alone, Miss Carter?"
He smiled at her and Sam fought not to smile back. She nodded graciously but said nothing.
Jack played with the brim of his hat for a minute. "There's going to be a meeting of the town council in two nights," he said slowly.
Sam felt the familiar pinch of grief around her heart, knowing what Jack would say next.
"I'm sure one of the items on the agenda will be replacing Jacob."
She nodded again. Life had to go on, and someone would have to take her father's place, at least on the council.
"I think it should be you," Jack said mildly. It was enough to startle Sam out of her thoughts.
"What?"
"I think you should take his place."
Sam sputtered for a moment. "I can think of half a dozen men who would be in line ahead of me, starting with Sheriff Caldwell."
Jack shrugged, irritating her with his nonchalance. "It'll be up to the town when the election is called next month. But I think you should run."
"Why?" she asked, standing up so that they were at eye level.
"You'd be a valuable asset."
Fury rose up inside of her. Sam couldn't have explained exactly where it came from, but she was lost in the grip of it immediately. "And this would have nothing to do with you wanting to make sure Kinsey can't get control of the Council by getting someone sympathetic to him on board, of course," she snapped sarcastically.
Jack's face closed down, and Sam knew that she was right. "Good night, Deputy Mayor," she said, turning and going into the house.
***
Elizabeth was at the café, working with Janet and Vala to prepare food for Laura's wedding shower. It was going to be that night, just the three of them, Sam, Kate and the happy bride. Sam had been stalking around all day, muttering to herself about Jack O'Neill. Even Janet was giving the tall blonde woman a wide berth in her current mood, focusing instead on Vala's teasing of Daniel. Daniel didn't seem to be minding the bantering nearly as much as usual.
The entire town had gone mad. It was the only explanation.
"Elizabeth," Janet murmured at her elbow. She looked up and followed Janet's gaze.
John was back, Ronon at his side. The enormous man nodded to them politely, then rolled his eyes as John eagerly climbed down from his horse and headed straight for Elizabeth.
She turned back to her work, ignoring the approaching footsteps until a hand brushed down her shoulder. She jumped at the intimate contact in such a public place, and then frowned when he used her given name, "Elizabeth, should you be on your feet?"
Janet had moved away to talk to Daniel, leaving them alone. Elizabeth could see over John's shoulder that Vala was offering Ronon something to eat. "I'm fine," she said calmly, working to keep her irritation out of her voice. As if she couldn't perform the simple task of helping prepare a meal!
"What is all this?" John asked curiously. Elizabeth realized he'd left before the big announcement.
"Dr. Beckett and Miss Cadman are getting married," she explained, focusing intently on the bread she was kneading. "We're giving Laura a wedding shower tonight."
"That's great!" John was beaming happily, and Elizabeth's mood darkened further. "When's the big day?"
"Next week."
"Isn't that kind of soon?"
"They've been courting for more or less three years, and the engagement was announced nearly three weeks ago," she said, failing this time to keep the hint of bitterness silent.
John had the decency to look slightly guilty. "I'm sorry I was gone so long."
She pulled her eyes away. She was not going to fall for his puppy dog expressions any more. "Did you learn anything useful?" As a member of the town council, it was a proper question for her to ask.
John looked annoyingly smug. "We found a trail, right where those miners said it would be. We managed to take out a small party of Wraith before they could do any more damage. Unfortunately we lost the main group four days ago, so we came back."
She nodded, covering the bread so it could rise and wiping her hands on her apron. "Well, you should go see the Sheriff and Mayor Hammond and tell them, then."
John hesitated, apparently finally realizing something was amiss. He reached out and touched her elbow. "I am sorry it took so long. I didn't mean to be gone for that many weeks, not with you still recovering."
"I'm fine," she snapped. "I don't need to be pampered or coddled. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
John looked bewildered. "I never suggested you couldn't."
She just glared, latching on to her anger to keep from feeling guilty at the surprise on his face. She'd made up her mind to end whatever foolishness was going on between them once and for all and she couldn't waver now.
John's voice dropped lower, and it took all her willpower not to shiver. "I was thinking about you every day I was gone, Elizabeth. I came back as soon as I could." He smiled in what she was sure he thought was a charming way. "How could a man not want to come back when he has you waiting for him?"
The image of Jacob Carter's pet dog flashed through Elizabeth's mind like lightning. Yes, that was her, faithful and loyal and utterly stupid to be waiting eternally for a man who would never stay. "So that's how you think of me?" she bit out angrily. "As some kind of amusing pet?"
John gaped but before he could speak, she lifted her hand and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.
Then she turned and marched away without looking back.
***
John stood in frozen shock for a long moment, his cheek stinging and his eyes actually watering from the force of the slap. He heard the gasp and the muttering behind him as the little tableau played out.
What in hell was going on?
He took two steps forward with every intention of chasing Elizabeth down and dragging her someplace private until she explained herself, but found his path blocked by the schoolteacher.
"I think Miss Weir made it very clear your company isn't welcome just now," Daniel Jackson said. His voice sounded calm, but John thought he detected a slightly smug quality to it. John felt his temper slip further.
"What's between me and Miss Weir is private, thanks," he said, starting to go around Jackson.
The other man caught his arm with a surprisingly strong grip and stopped him. "You'll leave her alone, Sheppard."
John blinked. He'd never thought of Jackson as much of a fighter, but there was an intense look on the man's face that warned him off. John recalled abruptly that there had been rumors about Elizabeth and Dr. Jackson once upon a time, which was the real reason why John had never liked the man much.
The expression on Jackson's face was clear. He wasn't going to let John pass.
John backed off, turning in the opposite direction from where Elizabeth had gone. He focused his gaze on his horse, ignoring the looks and whispers going on around him.
Ronon looked at him curiously. "What did you do?"
John glanced over his shoulder, but Elizabeth was no longer in sight. "I have no idea," he muttered crossly, mounting his horse.
For the past three weeks, he'd been hard pressed to think about anything other than Elizabeth, when waking or sleeping. He wouldn't have left Atlantis at all but when news of the Wraith hunting party had come, he had to follow up on it. This was a chance to strike at the Wraith gang, maybe find out what they were up to.
And in the back of his mind, defeating the Wraith had become tangled up with Elizabeth, being able to stay with her for good. So he'd gone, and something had happened during those three weeks to get her good and furious with him.
He wasn't leaving Atlantis again until he found out what.
***
Part 2
sga_newsletter folks - please don't link to this yet, ok? I'll send an email when it's complete with the link.
Title: Deals With Weddings, Part 1 of 4
Rating: PG-13 to be safe
Pairings: Carson/Laura, Weir/Sheppard, Sam/Jack, Kate/Marcus
Summary: A wedding, a proposal, a resolution, an election, and someone gets slapped in the face.
Warnings: WIP
Beta: none
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: The boys and girls of "Stargate: Atlantis" belong to a lot of people who are not me. No harm intended, just some not-for-profit fun.
Author's Notes: I know where the rest of this goes in my head, I just haven't written it out yet.
Chronology: Takes place between "Heaven's Field" and "After the Rain."
Feedback: Is like peanut butter and chocolate together
Carson Beckett took a deep breath. "I know we haven't spoken too much about the future, and that's my fault. I've been wanting to take things slowly between us, be sure we were compatible. The truth is, when you became ill I realized that I was being a fool, and that I was only waiting because of something I should have gotten over long ago. You see, when I was much younger, there was a girl, a fellow student of mine at university in fact. She was one of the brightest people I'd ever met-"
"Wait a minute," Rodney McKay interrupted him. "Do you honestly think while you're proposing marriage is the best time to talk about past loves?"
Carson scowled, but Rodney had a point. There was a reason why Carson had asked Rodney to let him rehearse the proposal before making it to Laura. Well, aside from the fact that Rodney was the only man in town who Carson felt comfortable enough making a fool out of himself in front of. "All right, fine. Let me start again."
***
Elizabeth Weir was reading when she heard the door in the kitchen open and close. She was already tucked into bed, despite the early hour. The lingering fatigue from the fever simply would not leave her, and she was exhausted at the end of nearly every day. She was growing deeply resentful of her own body's inability to simply buck up and get over it.
She refused to admit to herself or anyone else that her feelings were in any way connected to the fact that John Sheppard and his partner had left Atlantis three days ago.
Elizabeth had woken from the fever with John sitting next to her bed. He was asleep in the chair, looking tired and care-worn. He'd been more or less glued to her side since then, hovering in a way that, had he been any other man, would probably have earned him nothing but hostility from her. Elizabeth disliked admitting to frailty of any sort, even when she was physically as weak as a kitten. She enjoyed the attention from John, though, a fact that now irritated her all the more. He'd been waiting on her hand and foot, escorting her everywhere, even to Jacob Carter's funeral.
She wasn't even going to think about what Janet had told her, about how she'd come into Elizabeth's room the morning after John's return and found the two of them sharing a bed, Elizabeth asleep in John's arms, clad only in her nightgown. Thankfully Janet had sworn never to mention that to anyone, though that didn't spare Elizabeth merciless teasing in private. Janet also swore that John had been fully clothed and his hands had been in plain sight. Elizabeth hadn't indicated to John that she knew about any of that and he, thank the Lord, had not brought it up. Some humiliations were too much.
Despite all his hovering, John had ridden off to check on the latest rumor about a Wraith sighting without a backward glance.
She'd been fooling herself. His departure only confirmed it. All these years she had been wondering, daydreaming really, about what could happen if John were to give up his wandering ways. If he could let go of his quest to destroy the Wraith gang and stay in one place longer than a few weeks at a time.
For a few days, she'd found out. John's attentiveness during her convalescence had reminded her what it was like to have someone to lean on and trust, a partner to support her. All of those fanciful daydreams had come to vivid life, in spite of her constant tiredness and headaches.
But that was all it was. Daydreams. An exception, brought on by a crisis. It hadn't been real.
John Sheppard wasn't going to change. She had been indulging herself where he was concerned for far too long. It was time to face the hard truth that he would never be the partner she wanted.
She didn't need him, of course. She had never needed any man, and after Simon, she had vowed not to accept anything less than everything she desired in a partner.
John would never be able to give her what she needed. The sooner she accepted that, the better.
She folded up her book and realized there was a sound coming from the kitchen. It sounded for all the world like... humming. Laura had gone out for a walk with Carson Beckett this evening, their first chance to be alone for any period of time since the first case of the fever. After the last patient had passed through the critical stages, Carson had slept for nearly two full days. It was no small miracle he hadn't come down sick himself.
Elizabeth was about to get up when she heard Laura approach down the hall and knock. "Come in."
Laura opened the door. One look at her face told Elizabeth everything, though that didn't stop her young friend from beaming and bursting out with the news in a breathless voice. "Miss Weir, Doctor Beckett asked me to marry him!"
***
Given that the entire town had been anticipating Carson and Laura's wedding for literally years, it was slightly surprising how excited everyone got in the planning. Janet thought it had something to do with the fever. The deaths of a number of young people, as well as Sheriff Carter, had struck a deep blow to the town's morale. Everyone, it seemed, was in need of a happy occasion.
Janet watched her two closest friends carefully over the weeks following the announcement, under pretense of concern over their health. Elizabeth was still pale and easily tired. She was too stubborn for her own safety, that woman, up and about and insisting she could run her store without help regardless of the wasted look still haunting her. Elizabeth seemed in denial of just how close to death she had come from that illness. Janet wished fervently that John Sheppard would come back to Atlantis soon. He might be able to cajole Elizabeth into resting more. Also his mere presence might ease some of the sad look that Janet occasionally saw in Elizabeth's eyes.
Sam, to all outward appearances, was doing as well as could be expected. She and her father had been close these last few years, and Janet knew all too well the sense of loss that could permeate life when a loved one was taken away. Sam continued to putter around with her projects, to bicker with Rodney McKay, and generally carried on as before. Well, Dr. McKay was actually not quite up to full strength yet himself, and his usual combative attitude towards Sam had softened, whether from illness or compassion Janet didn't know. Though Janet suspected Sam was actually happy to be arguing with Dr. McKay just for the normalcy.
The only real change in Sam was the amount of time Jack O'Neill was spending with her. The Deputy Mayor had always been close with the Carters, but now he seemed reluctant to leave Sam alone for more than a few hours. Janet wondered if the aftermath of the fever was going to affect that little romance as well, but she said nothing aloud. Unlike her usual sarcasm whenever Jack was mentioned, now Sam went quiet and serious whenever Janet approached anything close to teasing on the subject.
Janet found herself grateful that Vala Mal Doran, the café owner, was still in fighting form. Atlantis was a bit dull with both of her friends so fragile and sensitive.
***
Kate Heightmeyer was taking in the evening air when Marcus Lorne joined her. They passed the Carter house, Kate waving and Marcus nodding to Samantha as they walked.
"So, how's Miss Cadman's dress coming along?" Marcus asked.
Kate's lips twitched. Marcus knew absolutely nothing about clothing fashions, but he always asked if he knew she was working on something for someone. It was endearing in his usual, slightly obvious way. "It's finished except for a final fitting. If it wasn't, I would hardly be out wandering the town aimlessly," she said with a smile. The wedding was in just over a week.
"What about your own dress?" he asked, his eyes glancing over her in a way that always made her heart speed up. It wasn't exactly proper, but Marcus Lorne was too forthright with everyone for her to take it insultingly.
Her reaction, on the other hand, was something that she should be controlling better. This was never a problem with Mr. Davis, but then, he was an Easterner, and far more used to social conventions than the blacksmith.
"My dress?" she asked, chastising herself silently because the truth was she preferred Marcus' bluntness over all the polished compliments Mr. Davis ever offered.
"You're standing up with Miss Cadman, aren't you?"
"Yes." They paused, having reached the edge of the town's buildings. There was nothing before them except the hitching post near the doctor's offices, and the sunset behind the foothills.
"You're not taking the opportunity to make a new dress for yourself?" Marcus teased her.
Kate shook her head. "It's not important how I look on that day, only that I don't overshadow the bride."
She startled when his fingers brushed her temple, pushing a stray hair back from her face. The warm touch made her shiver. "You'd overshadow any other woman if you were in a burlap sack," he said quietly.
In all the time they had spent together, Marcus had never pushed so blatantly beyond gentle flirting. The look in his eyes, the low tone of his voice, all made her stomach flutter and her heart ache. "Marcus-" she started.
He kissed her, cutting off what she had been going to say. One of his hands came up and gently cradled the back of her head and Kate's legs grew weak. He was such a strong man, physically, but he was so careful with her.
She pushed him away. "Marcus, please-" she tried again.
He caught her hands. "Kate, you know that I care about you. I've wanted you for a long time. I want to marry you. Please, if you think you could care for me that way, just give me the chance..."
The pain was intolerable. Kate wiped her eyes and wanted to scream. "I'm sorry," she bit out, anguish making her choke. "I can't."
It took a moment for her words to sink in. He dropped her hand and stepped back. She could see the fury taking over him and was unable to do anything to stop it.
"It's him, isn't it," Marcus gritted out dangerously. "That banker. You're in love with him."
She shook her head, "No, it's not like that-"
But he turned and walked away from her.
***
Sam settled down on the porch, a heavy shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Selmac, her father's dog, curled up at her feet. The sun was going down, and the thin warmth of the day was fading as night came on. Autumn was coming on rapidly. Sam had found herself coming out to the porch every night, at least just for a minute or two, to think about her father.
It had been over a month now since the epidemic. Plans for Dr. Beckett's wedding were in full swing, though she, thankfully, had not been pressured to participate overmuch. Sam believed her father would have understood the tiny bit of relief she felt at having an excuse to bow out of some of the festivities. After all, she had inherited her private nature from him.
While she was honestly happy for the doctor and Miss Cadman, who Sam had always liked, the reaction of the town's old biddies to the upcoming wedding was grating on her nerves. It wasn't the wedding so much as the near-constant hints and leading questions about whose wedding would be next. Half the town seemed convinced that Jack O'Neill had suddenly changed so radically that he would be proposing to her any day.
Sam had known the man for a long time, and she just couldn't believe such a thing was happening. No matter what she might secretly wish in her heart, she guessed that Jack's deep concern for her welfare was more out of sympathy and loyalty to her father than some drastic change in his feelings.
Explaining that to the gossiping old ladies of the quilting circle was next to impossible, so Sam hid herself away. She was talking with Dr. McKay and his colleague, Dr. Zelenka, about the possibility of utilizing some form of windmill to power an irrigation system. She found watching the two men bicker endlessly amusing. Dr. Zelenka, who had all the courtly polish of a true European gentleman, could get downright profane when McKay pushed him. It was a relief to know she wasn't the only one who reacted that way. It was rather nice to have someone to share with when McKay was in one of his moods.
The sound of footsteps alerted her to the man approaching the porch. Selmac raised her head and wagged her tail, meaning it could only be one of two people. And Mayor Hammond was simply not as tall and much wider than the figure coming up the walk. "Deputy Mayor," she said politely.
Jack O'Neill took his hat off and leaned against the railing. "I think after all this time, we could drop the formal titles when we're alone, Miss Carter?"
He smiled at her and Sam fought not to smile back. She nodded graciously but said nothing.
Jack played with the brim of his hat for a minute. "There's going to be a meeting of the town council in two nights," he said slowly.
Sam felt the familiar pinch of grief around her heart, knowing what Jack would say next.
"I'm sure one of the items on the agenda will be replacing Jacob."
She nodded again. Life had to go on, and someone would have to take her father's place, at least on the council.
"I think it should be you," Jack said mildly. It was enough to startle Sam out of her thoughts.
"What?"
"I think you should take his place."
Sam sputtered for a moment. "I can think of half a dozen men who would be in line ahead of me, starting with Sheriff Caldwell."
Jack shrugged, irritating her with his nonchalance. "It'll be up to the town when the election is called next month. But I think you should run."
"Why?" she asked, standing up so that they were at eye level.
"You'd be a valuable asset."
Fury rose up inside of her. Sam couldn't have explained exactly where it came from, but she was lost in the grip of it immediately. "And this would have nothing to do with you wanting to make sure Kinsey can't get control of the Council by getting someone sympathetic to him on board, of course," she snapped sarcastically.
Jack's face closed down, and Sam knew that she was right. "Good night, Deputy Mayor," she said, turning and going into the house.
***
Elizabeth was at the café, working with Janet and Vala to prepare food for Laura's wedding shower. It was going to be that night, just the three of them, Sam, Kate and the happy bride. Sam had been stalking around all day, muttering to herself about Jack O'Neill. Even Janet was giving the tall blonde woman a wide berth in her current mood, focusing instead on Vala's teasing of Daniel. Daniel didn't seem to be minding the bantering nearly as much as usual.
The entire town had gone mad. It was the only explanation.
"Elizabeth," Janet murmured at her elbow. She looked up and followed Janet's gaze.
John was back, Ronon at his side. The enormous man nodded to them politely, then rolled his eyes as John eagerly climbed down from his horse and headed straight for Elizabeth.
She turned back to her work, ignoring the approaching footsteps until a hand brushed down her shoulder. She jumped at the intimate contact in such a public place, and then frowned when he used her given name, "Elizabeth, should you be on your feet?"
Janet had moved away to talk to Daniel, leaving them alone. Elizabeth could see over John's shoulder that Vala was offering Ronon something to eat. "I'm fine," she said calmly, working to keep her irritation out of her voice. As if she couldn't perform the simple task of helping prepare a meal!
"What is all this?" John asked curiously. Elizabeth realized he'd left before the big announcement.
"Dr. Beckett and Miss Cadman are getting married," she explained, focusing intently on the bread she was kneading. "We're giving Laura a wedding shower tonight."
"That's great!" John was beaming happily, and Elizabeth's mood darkened further. "When's the big day?"
"Next week."
"Isn't that kind of soon?"
"They've been courting for more or less three years, and the engagement was announced nearly three weeks ago," she said, failing this time to keep the hint of bitterness silent.
John had the decency to look slightly guilty. "I'm sorry I was gone so long."
She pulled her eyes away. She was not going to fall for his puppy dog expressions any more. "Did you learn anything useful?" As a member of the town council, it was a proper question for her to ask.
John looked annoyingly smug. "We found a trail, right where those miners said it would be. We managed to take out a small party of Wraith before they could do any more damage. Unfortunately we lost the main group four days ago, so we came back."
She nodded, covering the bread so it could rise and wiping her hands on her apron. "Well, you should go see the Sheriff and Mayor Hammond and tell them, then."
John hesitated, apparently finally realizing something was amiss. He reached out and touched her elbow. "I am sorry it took so long. I didn't mean to be gone for that many weeks, not with you still recovering."
"I'm fine," she snapped. "I don't need to be pampered or coddled. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
John looked bewildered. "I never suggested you couldn't."
She just glared, latching on to her anger to keep from feeling guilty at the surprise on his face. She'd made up her mind to end whatever foolishness was going on between them once and for all and she couldn't waver now.
John's voice dropped lower, and it took all her willpower not to shiver. "I was thinking about you every day I was gone, Elizabeth. I came back as soon as I could." He smiled in what she was sure he thought was a charming way. "How could a man not want to come back when he has you waiting for him?"
The image of Jacob Carter's pet dog flashed through Elizabeth's mind like lightning. Yes, that was her, faithful and loyal and utterly stupid to be waiting eternally for a man who would never stay. "So that's how you think of me?" she bit out angrily. "As some kind of amusing pet?"
John gaped but before he could speak, she lifted her hand and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.
Then she turned and marched away without looking back.
***
John stood in frozen shock for a long moment, his cheek stinging and his eyes actually watering from the force of the slap. He heard the gasp and the muttering behind him as the little tableau played out.
What in hell was going on?
He took two steps forward with every intention of chasing Elizabeth down and dragging her someplace private until she explained herself, but found his path blocked by the schoolteacher.
"I think Miss Weir made it very clear your company isn't welcome just now," Daniel Jackson said. His voice sounded calm, but John thought he detected a slightly smug quality to it. John felt his temper slip further.
"What's between me and Miss Weir is private, thanks," he said, starting to go around Jackson.
The other man caught his arm with a surprisingly strong grip and stopped him. "You'll leave her alone, Sheppard."
John blinked. He'd never thought of Jackson as much of a fighter, but there was an intense look on the man's face that warned him off. John recalled abruptly that there had been rumors about Elizabeth and Dr. Jackson once upon a time, which was the real reason why John had never liked the man much.
The expression on Jackson's face was clear. He wasn't going to let John pass.
John backed off, turning in the opposite direction from where Elizabeth had gone. He focused his gaze on his horse, ignoring the looks and whispers going on around him.
Ronon looked at him curiously. "What did you do?"
John glanced over his shoulder, but Elizabeth was no longer in sight. "I have no idea," he muttered crossly, mounting his horse.
For the past three weeks, he'd been hard pressed to think about anything other than Elizabeth, when waking or sleeping. He wouldn't have left Atlantis at all but when news of the Wraith hunting party had come, he had to follow up on it. This was a chance to strike at the Wraith gang, maybe find out what they were up to.
And in the back of his mind, defeating the Wraith had become tangled up with Elizabeth, being able to stay with her for good. So he'd gone, and something had happened during those three weeks to get her good and furious with him.
He wasn't leaving Atlantis again until he found out what.
***
Part 2