"Women's Shooting Club of Atlantis" by World_of_Blade PG 1/1
Author: world_of_blade
Title: Women's Shooting Club of Atlantis
Rating: PG
Pairing: For the most part, this is Gen, but it does have some Sheppard/Weir and Janet/Ronon.
Summery: It was time for the women of Atlantis to learn how to defend themselves.
Author Note: Huge thanks to peanutbutterer for being a Beta and an Editor. This story takes place a few weeks after Deals with Weddings.
“So they are really going through with it?”
Lorne looked over his shoulder as Cameron Mitchell came into view. “Seems like it,” he said, turning back toward all the commotion. Townspeople, mostly men, were milling about all around the church square, watching as the open area where Atlantis normally held picnics and other town meetings was slowly being transformed into a shooting range. The change in the scenery was drawing a sight of attention from the townsfolk - and not all of it good.
“Don’t just stand there and gawk! Someone come help us put up the targets!” Miss Janet Fraiser’s voice rang out clear and crisp, making it apparent that people should either move on or help out.
Most of the men looked away and scuffed their feet, avoiding participation of any kind. Heaving a heavy sigh, Lorne nodded to Mitchell and Dex and the three men made their way to the makeshift ring where O’Neill and Teal’c had already begun work.
A few members of the crowd jeered about true ladies not ever touching a gun, but a dark look from Ronon cowed them quickly enough. “Where do you want these?” Dex’s low voice rumbled across the square. He had no qualms about going against the other men of Atlantis; for the most part he didn’t respect them anyway.
Janet gave him a grateful smile and then got down to business pointing, ordering, and putting everyone within earshot to work.
The impetus for the present commotion had really started a few weeks ago after Atlantis had once again come under attack. This particular battle hadn’t been the result of a full-fledged attack by either Genii or the Wraith, but rather was one measly man who had single-handedly turned the town on its ear. The event with Miss Cadman had been the final straw for Janet Fraiser. She had taken it upon herself to pull together her friends and inform them in no uncertain terms that it was high time they took their safety into their own hands. The fervor with which she had laid out her concerns had convinced the group and culminated in this, the inaugural session of the Women’s Shooting Club of Atlantis.
“Here come Daniel and Vala!” Sam said excitedly, causing all eyes to turn toward the rising dust to the east.
“Well, let’s go greet our neighbors,” Janet said, making her way toward the wagon and the sound of the jingling harness.
Daniel Jackson had volunteered to go pick up what the town called the “mountain women” - those women that lived with their families outside of the town border. Usually of stronger stock than the city-folk that had been born and bred in the East and had only come to find Atlantis in their travels, most of these trail-hardened females already knew how to handle a gun. Janet could tell that there was a certain level of discomfort on the part of her friends, most of them having had very little contact with the out-of-town ladies. Surely the other women were feeling the same way. Always ready to diffuse a mite of tension, Janet raised her hand in a friendly wave and received a few waves in return. “Good morning! And welcome to the first meeting of the Women’s Shooting Club of Atlantis!”
***
“You’re going, aren’t you?” Laura asked, peering at Elizabeth across her mug. They had met to share coffee that morning and Laura had spent most of their time together so far waxing on about the excitement of the day. Her only objection was that it was all starting too early and she was still not strong enough to join in the adventure.
Elizabeth was quiet for a moment. She had been doing her best to avoid the subject all morning, but she couldn’t ignore such a direct question. “I don’t think I will go,” she answered finally, not meeting Laura’s eyes. “I’ve never had any use for guns.”
“Elizabeth,” Laura grasped her hand and waited for Elizabeth to look up before continuing, “You of all people have seen what knowing how to use a gun properly could do to protect the women of this town.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Yes, but I’ve also seen what it does to people,” she countered. “I’ve seen what it did to you, and to the others of this town who have been hurt. By picking up a gun you’re giving up on other ways of dealing with the conflict. There is always going to be a better way. You just have to have the faith that you can find it.”
“In a perfect world we could all sit down and talk through our problems.” Laura gave Elizabeth a small smile, knowing that she always wanted to talk out problems. “But the Wraith Gang, the Genii and men like Bertram Samuels don’t talk. You need to go to the club and get comfortable with handling a gun.”
“She’s going, don’t you worry.”
With surprised gasps, the women turned to find John Sheppard leaning casually against the doorframe, his eyes lazily taking in his surroundings. Elizabeth’s pulse sped up a notch, something that seemed to happen every time he was near her. This time, however, the source of the flush that crept into her cheeks was anger. “I believe I can make my own decisions, John Sheppard!”
***
“What about my mid-day meal, woman?”
“I already told you that it was in the ice house, you old coot!” Mrs. Luther pushed through the crowd, her white haired husband following close behind. Everyone smiled at the older couple’s show, it was always fun to see the Luther’s fight.
“I like my meals hot! Besides, you don’t need to practice shooting, I’ll protect you!”
“Ha!” Martha Luther turned to face her husband. Her silver-gray hair was pulled back into a smart bun and she was carrying an ancient rifle that looked almost taller than her. “You can’t even see straight! If we get attacked again you might shoot yourself in the foot, then I’ll have to push you around in one of those newfangled chairs from Boston.”
Everyone smiled at that statement. The wheelchair had been around longer than anyone could remember, but to old Mrs. Luther it was still “newfangled.” With a huff, the small woman marched her way onto the shooting range.
“Damn, fool woman!” Luther muttered after her once she was safely out of earshot.
Sam Carter smiled as the older woman joined them. Mrs. Luther was a spitfire and they were certainly happy to have her in favor of the shooting club. She and Catherine Langford were two of the few members of the quilting circle who had agreed with the idea that the women of the town should start to take a more active role in its protection. The remaining ladies of the circle stood staunchly opposed to any woman carrying a weapon for any reason. Instead they chose to voice their disapproval by standing in a huddle with Mrs. Kinsey, whispering and casting sour looks in their direction. Sam grinned at them, causing a wave of increased whispers and finger pointing.
Janet consulted her pocket watch and then surveyed the faces of the women before her. Those that had joined were truly the heart of Atlantis. It was what the city was all about: a joining of those who cared enough to stand behind a common goal. There were city-bred girls, mountain-hardened women, freed slaves, and Indian women who probably needed no instruction - but they came anyway. Atlantis needed to work together if they were going to defeat their enemies. This was the first step.
Later they could move on to the men.
***
“I’m not trying to run your life, Elizabeth,” John called after her as she continued to march down the street with her head held high, studiously ignoring the man behind her, “but when it comes to guns you don’t think straight all the time.”
“I don’t think straight?” Elizabeth stopped abruptly and spun on her heel, almost causing John to run into her. Unfazed, she continued to build up steam, “If you remember, I wasn’t the one who showed up in town a bloody mess. I haven’t been the one that was so gun-crazy that I had to run after every outlaw around.”
John waited; making sure that Elizabeth had said all she needed to say. When she finally dropped her head and released a shaky breath he took a step towards her. “You’re right,” he began calmly, “but you have been the one taken prisoner, and you have been held at gunpoint. You’ve been the one hiding with the other women because your only defense is to pray that the Wraith don’t break through the men and make it to you. You don’t have to carry it on your hip every day, but what I’m asking for you to do is have the security that comes with knowing how to shoot a gun properly. That way if, God forbid, the enemy does get through the men who are protecting this city, you will be able to protect yourself against them.”
Elizabeth looked up at John, taking a moment to let his words sink in. This man once again stunned her. Each time she thought she knew him, he showed her something deeper about himself. What he was saying made sense. She prided herself on being a thinker and a fairly persuasive speaker, but he had just thought and talked her right out of the debate.
“Guns scare me.” Elizabeth admitted softly, finally confessing her true fear.
John took another small step toward her and lightly brushed her arm, causing her to meet his eyes. “That’s why you need to learn how to shoot them,” he pleaded. “Knowledge dims fear. You don’t have to like guns, but you need to feel comfortable using them. This is the West, Elizabeth, and when the bad guys ride in using guns…the good guys have to use them too.”
***
“Welcome, ladies, to the Women’s Shooting Club of Atlantis.” Janet and Sam stood at the front of the group, finally getting things going. “A lot of you already know how to shoot guns, and just want to have a place to practice. Some of you have never fired a gun in your life and are here to learn. Either way, this is a place for the women of Atlantis to come together to learn how to defend themselves and our city from enemies.”
“We plan on meeting once a month, here in the church square, to practice and train,” Sam continued. “We know that most of you have families, so we want to be efficient with our time. For this first session, we are going to split into pairs. We will learn the correct position in which to hold our guns, how to reload our guns, and we will probably take a shot or two.”
Sam and Janet went around the group placing people into pairs, with one advanced marksman and one beginner in each couple. There was a bit of hesitation from some of the women at first, but after a few introductions and false starts, everyone was able to say a few nice words to each other. “Alright, everyone have a partner?” Janet asked.
“I still need one!” Elizabeth’s voice came from behind the crowd, causing everyone to turn. The mercantile owner walked side by side with John Sheppard through the now dwindling crowd of disapproving onlookers. Her face was pale, but she had a firm set to her shoulders. She also held what looked like one of John’s pistols in her hand.
“Does anyone else need a partner?” Janet asked after giving Elizabeth a bright smile.
“I will be honored to be Miss Weir’s partner,” Teyla said, stepping forward from the group.
“Thank you, Teyla.” Elizabeth smiled and received a nod in return. She took a deep breath and then glanced back behind her at John. Giving her a quick wink, he moved to stand beside Ronon and the others.
“Let’s get started,” Janet called out and an anxious hush fell over the group.
As Samantha began their first lesson, Janet gazed out over the women who stood before her in the square - a sea of different colors, ages and backgrounds. This was more than just a shooting lesson. It was the beginning of something much bigger. It was Atlantis citizens putting aside deeply ingrained prejudices and banding together for the greater good.
Janet felt a prickle at the back of her neck and was certain that someone was staring at her. Glancing around, she found herself looking into a pair of deep brown eyes. Ronon Dex inclined his head to her, and she could have sworn he had a small smile on his face.
The End
Title: Women's Shooting Club of Atlantis
Rating: PG
Pairing: For the most part, this is Gen, but it does have some Sheppard/Weir and Janet/Ronon.
Summery: It was time for the women of Atlantis to learn how to defend themselves.
Author Note: Huge thanks to peanutbutterer for being a Beta and an Editor. This story takes place a few weeks after Deals with Weddings.
“So they are really going through with it?”
Lorne looked over his shoulder as Cameron Mitchell came into view. “Seems like it,” he said, turning back toward all the commotion. Townspeople, mostly men, were milling about all around the church square, watching as the open area where Atlantis normally held picnics and other town meetings was slowly being transformed into a shooting range. The change in the scenery was drawing a sight of attention from the townsfolk - and not all of it good.
“Don’t just stand there and gawk! Someone come help us put up the targets!” Miss Janet Fraiser’s voice rang out clear and crisp, making it apparent that people should either move on or help out.
Most of the men looked away and scuffed their feet, avoiding participation of any kind. Heaving a heavy sigh, Lorne nodded to Mitchell and Dex and the three men made their way to the makeshift ring where O’Neill and Teal’c had already begun work.
A few members of the crowd jeered about true ladies not ever touching a gun, but a dark look from Ronon cowed them quickly enough. “Where do you want these?” Dex’s low voice rumbled across the square. He had no qualms about going against the other men of Atlantis; for the most part he didn’t respect them anyway.
Janet gave him a grateful smile and then got down to business pointing, ordering, and putting everyone within earshot to work.
The impetus for the present commotion had really started a few weeks ago after Atlantis had once again come under attack. This particular battle hadn’t been the result of a full-fledged attack by either Genii or the Wraith, but rather was one measly man who had single-handedly turned the town on its ear. The event with Miss Cadman had been the final straw for Janet Fraiser. She had taken it upon herself to pull together her friends and inform them in no uncertain terms that it was high time they took their safety into their own hands. The fervor with which she had laid out her concerns had convinced the group and culminated in this, the inaugural session of the Women’s Shooting Club of Atlantis.
“Here come Daniel and Vala!” Sam said excitedly, causing all eyes to turn toward the rising dust to the east.
“Well, let’s go greet our neighbors,” Janet said, making her way toward the wagon and the sound of the jingling harness.
Daniel Jackson had volunteered to go pick up what the town called the “mountain women” - those women that lived with their families outside of the town border. Usually of stronger stock than the city-folk that had been born and bred in the East and had only come to find Atlantis in their travels, most of these trail-hardened females already knew how to handle a gun. Janet could tell that there was a certain level of discomfort on the part of her friends, most of them having had very little contact with the out-of-town ladies. Surely the other women were feeling the same way. Always ready to diffuse a mite of tension, Janet raised her hand in a friendly wave and received a few waves in return. “Good morning! And welcome to the first meeting of the Women’s Shooting Club of Atlantis!”
***
“You’re going, aren’t you?” Laura asked, peering at Elizabeth across her mug. They had met to share coffee that morning and Laura had spent most of their time together so far waxing on about the excitement of the day. Her only objection was that it was all starting too early and she was still not strong enough to join in the adventure.
Elizabeth was quiet for a moment. She had been doing her best to avoid the subject all morning, but she couldn’t ignore such a direct question. “I don’t think I will go,” she answered finally, not meeting Laura’s eyes. “I’ve never had any use for guns.”
“Elizabeth,” Laura grasped her hand and waited for Elizabeth to look up before continuing, “You of all people have seen what knowing how to use a gun properly could do to protect the women of this town.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Yes, but I’ve also seen what it does to people,” she countered. “I’ve seen what it did to you, and to the others of this town who have been hurt. By picking up a gun you’re giving up on other ways of dealing with the conflict. There is always going to be a better way. You just have to have the faith that you can find it.”
“In a perfect world we could all sit down and talk through our problems.” Laura gave Elizabeth a small smile, knowing that she always wanted to talk out problems. “But the Wraith Gang, the Genii and men like Bertram Samuels don’t talk. You need to go to the club and get comfortable with handling a gun.”
“She’s going, don’t you worry.”
With surprised gasps, the women turned to find John Sheppard leaning casually against the doorframe, his eyes lazily taking in his surroundings. Elizabeth’s pulse sped up a notch, something that seemed to happen every time he was near her. This time, however, the source of the flush that crept into her cheeks was anger. “I believe I can make my own decisions, John Sheppard!”
***
“What about my mid-day meal, woman?”
“I already told you that it was in the ice house, you old coot!” Mrs. Luther pushed through the crowd, her white haired husband following close behind. Everyone smiled at the older couple’s show, it was always fun to see the Luther’s fight.
“I like my meals hot! Besides, you don’t need to practice shooting, I’ll protect you!”
“Ha!” Martha Luther turned to face her husband. Her silver-gray hair was pulled back into a smart bun and she was carrying an ancient rifle that looked almost taller than her. “You can’t even see straight! If we get attacked again you might shoot yourself in the foot, then I’ll have to push you around in one of those newfangled chairs from Boston.”
Everyone smiled at that statement. The wheelchair had been around longer than anyone could remember, but to old Mrs. Luther it was still “newfangled.” With a huff, the small woman marched her way onto the shooting range.
“Damn, fool woman!” Luther muttered after her once she was safely out of earshot.
Sam Carter smiled as the older woman joined them. Mrs. Luther was a spitfire and they were certainly happy to have her in favor of the shooting club. She and Catherine Langford were two of the few members of the quilting circle who had agreed with the idea that the women of the town should start to take a more active role in its protection. The remaining ladies of the circle stood staunchly opposed to any woman carrying a weapon for any reason. Instead they chose to voice their disapproval by standing in a huddle with Mrs. Kinsey, whispering and casting sour looks in their direction. Sam grinned at them, causing a wave of increased whispers and finger pointing.
Janet consulted her pocket watch and then surveyed the faces of the women before her. Those that had joined were truly the heart of Atlantis. It was what the city was all about: a joining of those who cared enough to stand behind a common goal. There were city-bred girls, mountain-hardened women, freed slaves, and Indian women who probably needed no instruction - but they came anyway. Atlantis needed to work together if they were going to defeat their enemies. This was the first step.
Later they could move on to the men.
***
“I’m not trying to run your life, Elizabeth,” John called after her as she continued to march down the street with her head held high, studiously ignoring the man behind her, “but when it comes to guns you don’t think straight all the time.”
“I don’t think straight?” Elizabeth stopped abruptly and spun on her heel, almost causing John to run into her. Unfazed, she continued to build up steam, “If you remember, I wasn’t the one who showed up in town a bloody mess. I haven’t been the one that was so gun-crazy that I had to run after every outlaw around.”
John waited; making sure that Elizabeth had said all she needed to say. When she finally dropped her head and released a shaky breath he took a step towards her. “You’re right,” he began calmly, “but you have been the one taken prisoner, and you have been held at gunpoint. You’ve been the one hiding with the other women because your only defense is to pray that the Wraith don’t break through the men and make it to you. You don’t have to carry it on your hip every day, but what I’m asking for you to do is have the security that comes with knowing how to shoot a gun properly. That way if, God forbid, the enemy does get through the men who are protecting this city, you will be able to protect yourself against them.”
Elizabeth looked up at John, taking a moment to let his words sink in. This man once again stunned her. Each time she thought she knew him, he showed her something deeper about himself. What he was saying made sense. She prided herself on being a thinker and a fairly persuasive speaker, but he had just thought and talked her right out of the debate.
“Guns scare me.” Elizabeth admitted softly, finally confessing her true fear.
John took another small step toward her and lightly brushed her arm, causing her to meet his eyes. “That’s why you need to learn how to shoot them,” he pleaded. “Knowledge dims fear. You don’t have to like guns, but you need to feel comfortable using them. This is the West, Elizabeth, and when the bad guys ride in using guns…the good guys have to use them too.”
***
“Welcome, ladies, to the Women’s Shooting Club of Atlantis.” Janet and Sam stood at the front of the group, finally getting things going. “A lot of you already know how to shoot guns, and just want to have a place to practice. Some of you have never fired a gun in your life and are here to learn. Either way, this is a place for the women of Atlantis to come together to learn how to defend themselves and our city from enemies.”
“We plan on meeting once a month, here in the church square, to practice and train,” Sam continued. “We know that most of you have families, so we want to be efficient with our time. For this first session, we are going to split into pairs. We will learn the correct position in which to hold our guns, how to reload our guns, and we will probably take a shot or two.”
Sam and Janet went around the group placing people into pairs, with one advanced marksman and one beginner in each couple. There was a bit of hesitation from some of the women at first, but after a few introductions and false starts, everyone was able to say a few nice words to each other. “Alright, everyone have a partner?” Janet asked.
“I still need one!” Elizabeth’s voice came from behind the crowd, causing everyone to turn. The mercantile owner walked side by side with John Sheppard through the now dwindling crowd of disapproving onlookers. Her face was pale, but she had a firm set to her shoulders. She also held what looked like one of John’s pistols in her hand.
“Does anyone else need a partner?” Janet asked after giving Elizabeth a bright smile.
“I will be honored to be Miss Weir’s partner,” Teyla said, stepping forward from the group.
“Thank you, Teyla.” Elizabeth smiled and received a nod in return. She took a deep breath and then glanced back behind her at John. Giving her a quick wink, he moved to stand beside Ronon and the others.
“Let’s get started,” Janet called out and an anxious hush fell over the group.
As Samantha began their first lesson, Janet gazed out over the women who stood before her in the square - a sea of different colors, ages and backgrounds. This was more than just a shooting lesson. It was the beginning of something much bigger. It was Atlantis citizens putting aside deeply ingrained prejudices and banding together for the greater good.
Janet felt a prickle at the back of her neck and was certain that someone was staring at her. Glancing around, she found herself looking into a pair of deep brown eyes. Ronon Dex inclined his head to her, and she could have sworn he had a small smile on his face.
The End