Fic: Rites of Spring (2/2)
Title: Rites of Spring (2/2)
Author: lanna_kitty
Pairing: John/Elizabeth
For: angelqueen04
Rating: NC-17
Request: John/Elizabeth. NC-17 with John in charge, takes place on Mainland. Featuring the Athosian Village optional.
Note: Fluffy like a bunny! It ended up being, er, longish. Ok, really long. But it was fun! And I thought about cutting it down then decided, what the hey! I’ll just send it in long anyway. I hope its ok! :D
Click for part 1
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The next morning at 0700 hours he met her with a smile and no less than four chaperones. John did not trust himself to be alone in a jumper with Elizabeth, alone. He knew something would happen; she’d laugh or smile at him or, hell, breathe and he’d be all over her. They’d never make it to the mainland, Woolsey would be pissed the Athosians were disappointed and their currently spotless record of discretion would be shattered. He knew he wouldn’t give a damn either. So, chaperones it was. He’d even pulled Teyla aside, away from the scientists who’d shown up with her, and told her he was, under no circumstances, to be left alone with Elizabeth for more than a few moments. She’d grinned and rolled her eyes at his dramatic plea, but he knew she’d make sure he didn’t do anything stupid. Though, the Athosian woman did seem to have a rather earthy sense of humor.
Elizabeth looked gorgeous that morning, but he was fairly confident he was the only one to note that fact. She was once again playing the consummate diplomat and wasn’t letting anything show. He schooled his features and greeted her as he normally would, matching her example.
“Good morning,” Teyla greeted her as she stepped into the jumper.
“Good morning, Teyla.”
“Dr. Weir,” Dana Lindsay, one of the mission anthropologists greeted.
“Doctor. I take it by the cameras that you’re going to be doing some filming?” She asked. The anthropologists in the jumper smiled. Dr. Ramirez patted the case on his lap.
“Yes Ma’am. Teyla’s been nice enough to say we could film the preparations and festivities for our research into the culture of the Galaxy. We’re all excited.”
“Sounds like fun.” Elizabeth commented before settling into the empty co-pilots seat. Whitfield and Jenning were all new members of the expedition, chomping at the bit and eager to explore the Pegasus galaxy. Lindsay was an old hand She glanced over at John who was doing the preflight. He saw her appraisingly look then held up innocent hands.
“Don’t look at me,” he said quietly. “They were waiting with her when I got here.”
“uh, huh.”
“Really!” John protested. He’d been somewhat worried when they Scientists had shown up with video cameras. Teyla had explained that they’d approached her weeks before when the festival invitation had first been announced to the Expedition. John hoped that any video recordings of Elizabeth and himself wouldn’t come back to haunt him.
The trip to the mainland was short and the scientists bustled out of the puddlejumper almost as soon as John had touched down in the newly cleared landing field next to the Athosian ships. Halling and an older man and woman were waiting for them.
“Foran,” Elizabeth greeted the older man. “Deslida,” she greeted the older woman. They were two of the elders on the Athosian council; the eldest Athosians since Charin had died
“These are some of the new Tau’ri,” Teyla spoke up and introduced doctors Maria Ramirez and Harrison Jenning. The scientists greeted the Athosian leaders, Lindsay taking the lead and thanking them for allowing the team to film the village and interview the people. They then began rummaging around their equipment bags. The older Athosians then turned their attention to Weir and Sheppard.
“We understand you have obligations to your city, Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard, so we will try and do everything required and get you back before you’ve spent the full day here,” Foran said.
“Thank you. We appreciate it,” Elizabeth replied warmly.
“It is us who should be thanking you. This is the first time I’ve seen our children play without fear of the Wraith.” Desilda said. She slipped her arm across Elizabeth’s shoulders and began to draw her to one side while Foran indicated Sheppard should follow him. “We’re going to fit you both for outfits then go over the steps of the ritual then we have a lot of Sa’yia to apply.”
“A lot of what?” John asked.
“If I’m remembering correctly, you stain the skin with patterns and symbols.” They’d been to an Athosian wedding the year before. The entire wedding party had been decorated with elaborate designs. Teyla, who’d been painted as well since she’d been officiating, had explained that the dye came from the berries of one a basil-like plant they’d brought with them from Athos. The practice was similar to Mehndi, but the art itself reminded her more of a Maori or Polynesian design.
“That is correct, Dr. Weir. As the Avatar of the Earth you’ll be decorated with quite a bit. It can take some time and we’ve got considerable information to cover before then, so if you’ll follow me?” Desilda’s no non-sense tone brooked no argument and reminded Elizabeth very strongly of one of her gradeschool teachers.
“Certainly.” Elizabeth followed the woman, into one of the tents. leaving John to Foran. She paused at the entrance, letting her eyes adjust to the lower lighting and was startled to see practically the entire female part of the Athosian council. The older women smiled when she entered and quickly began bustling around her, chatting and joking with one another. Within moments Elizabeth had been undressed down to her undergarments, measured and then given a series of outfits to try on and generally made a fuss over. When the women were satisfied, she was given her normal clothes back and was ushered into a cleared area just off the center of the settlement. John joined her a moment later looking similarly manhandled. He greeted her with a broad grin which she returned. Elizabeth looked around the settlement for her other people and found Teyla expertly guiding the overexcited scientists around the rest of the settlement: and away from where she and John were. She was drawn from her thoughts when Halling handed her a pair of fighting sticks and a second set to John. The next two hours were spent in a whirlwind of dress rehearsal and explanation.
Finally she and John were released from their practice and they were once again ushered efficiently into tents. Elizabeth sat gratefully into a seat in her tent. She was in ok physical condition, but she wasn’t used to two hours of intense training like that.
“Lunch?” Elizabeth looked up to find Teyla offering her a plate with a friendly smile.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the proffered food and digging in.
“Hurry and eat, we need to paint your hands first.” Desilda bustled around the table, setting out a mortar and pestle as well as a small cloth bag and an assortment of brushed. A younger woman Elizabeth vaguely recalled was named Asila sat at the table and began to crush dried berries and add water and a fragrant oil that smelled like mint to the mixture. Elizabeth watched her and ate quietly while Teyla and the other Athosian women caught one another up on events. She watched as Asila finished mixing and held the contents out for Desilda’s inspection. The older woman nodded and, looking at Elizabeth then Teyla, “Strip!”
Elizabeth nearly choked on the water she was drinking, but years of diplomacy kept her from sputtering too badly. Desilda giggled and patted her hand. “Down to your under things again, dear.” Teyla chuckled, tossing Weir a sympathetic look. Soon she was sitting in her underwear again, one woman painting her back and two painting each of her hands. Teyla’s hands were being painted by Asila under the watchful eye of Desilda, who Elizabeth had learned was the young woman’s great aunt.
“I knew you’d agree” the older woman mused as she examined the intricate sunburst on the palm of Teyla’s hand.
“Excuse me?”
Desilda looked up from her examination with a smile. “I’ve always thought you two made a nicely balanced pair.” She pulled out long strips of something that resembled linen and began wrapping Teyla’s hands with it. “Teyla had her reservations,” she gave the young leader a cheerful smile, causing her to blush. “But I knew you’d be joined to one another if given the opportunity. When you came with him a few weeks ago? I knew then we should offer since you two seemed to be silly enough not to act on your own.” She finished wrapping Teyla’s fingers and was now working wider piece over her palm and wrist. Asila had moved on to Teyla’s other hand.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth finally said. It was slightly eerie that this woman had chosen to use the phrasing she had, but Elizabeth dismissed it as jitters. “We met on Earth in a place called Antarctica about three years ago.”
A number of hours later Elizabeth was wrapped nearly head to toe in the linen-like material with instructions not to remove the cover until after dark when she could wash off the berry juice exposing the stained skin. She met John at the puddlejumper.
“You’re wrapped up like a mummy too, huh?” John asked casually, waving a covered hand. She laughed lightly.
“Yes. It’s going to make getting work done the rest of the day interesting.”
“Well, as long as I can fly, we’re good,” he grinned. She took a seat in the co-pilots chair and folded her hands primly in her lap while John did the preflight. Teyla and Anthropologists arrived a moment later, laughing and chatting. Elizabeth settled into her seat and mentally reviewed the meetings she had remaining that day.
They landed in Atlantis and Elizabeth was able to leave the group easily. John watched her go from the back of the jumper and looked like he might follow before one of the anthropologists commented that he too had been painted. She smiled apologetically as he fended off their questions and beat a silent retreat. She had a meeting with Woolsey in an hour.
“Dr. Weir?” An hour later the Bureaucrat was at her door once more.
“Mr. Woolsey, please come in. I’ve just finished our monthly requisitions.” She folded her hands on her blotter. The bald man’s cheerful smile turned into a concerned frown when he saw her hands.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
“Oh, this. It’s fine.” She pulled her shirtsleeve back and pulled the wrapping to one side so he could see the painting underneath. “The Athosian’s painted this on me earlier today. I’m supposed to keep it covered while the stain sets.”
“Ah, so you’ll be participating then?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Well, congratulations.”
“We still have the small matter of making it legal back on Earth,” she said with a shrug.
“Well, I’m may be able to help you there. And, I might add, it’s a marvelous segue into our meeting this afternoon, I think.” She smiled.
“I guess it is. So, what are the IOA’s plans?”
“Well,” he set his laptop on the edge of her desk and took it out of hibernation mode. Woolsey turned his laptop so the screen faced her and began to go over the IOA’s plan for bringing in more people to her city so they’d have the infrastructure they’d need for earth’s first colony to succeed.
At the end of the meeting, night had fallen and Elizabeth was both exhausted and cautiously optimistic about the future. She yawned and the linen wrapped around her hands made her suddenly remember what she was going to do tomorrow. She stared at her hand for a moment as if it were a strange thing.
“Hey,” She nearly jumped out of her skin.
“John!” she rounded on him
“Hey, easy. I didn’t mean to startle you. I missed you in the commissary for dinner.” Elizabeth smiled an apology.
“Sorry. Chuck grabbed me something for us to eat when my meeting with Woolsey went through the dinner hour.” She palmed her door open and they went inside.
“Good meeting?” he asked. She nodded.
“Very good. I have some comments on the plan. It’s aggressive and I’m not sure I totally like that Iif they have their way, we’re really going to be expanding at a phenomenal rate over the next few years.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. They have a ten year plan with the first five years being an aggressive push to get the infrastructure we’d need to actually make this place a colony. Woolsey was keen to assure me that we’re not in danger of losing our jobs. Nor is Rodney as chief scientist apparently,” she chuckled.
“Area 51 isnt screaming to have him back?” John joked with a smirk.
“Be nice,” she lightly swatted his arm. “Anyway Mr. Woolsey also offered her services to make what we’re going to do tomorrow legal.”
“Really?”
“Really. Come to my office tomorrow before we fly over to the mainland?”
“The wraith couldn’t stop me,” he promised, drawing a smile from her. “Anyway,” he took his hands out of his pockets and took one of her hands in his, “I just wanted to say that Lorne’s going to fly you over tomorrow, and aside from a trip to your office you probably won’t see me too much.”
“Oh?” she asked archly, swinging their joined hands. He rubbed his free hand against the back of his neck.
“Yeah. I don’t trust myself alone with you.”
“Like we’re alone now?” she pointed out. He gulped dramatically and dropped her hand like it was a hot brand.
“Yes, and as much as I would really love to kiss you goodnight, I know that’s a bad, bad, bad idea. So I’ll just say goodnight and I’ll see you tomorrow?” He’d backed up by the doorway half joking. She rolled her eyes at his silliness and grabbed his hand again. With the other she cupped his cheek and pressed a chase kiss to his lips.
“Good night John,”
“Night Elizabeth.” He smiled genuinely without a trace of his normal smirk. John leaned forward and kissed her forehead then palmed the door and was gone. Elizabeth let the door close and began unwrapping the fabric from her hands.
***
The crowd settled down into the log seating that the Athosians and Marines had wrestled into place for the occasion. After the ceremony the seats would be rolled into a bonfire, he’d been told. Currently, most of the Athosians, Atlanteans and Daedalus crew were facing a large cleared area. Across the area were a number of seats Beckett recognized as belonging to the village council. The crowd grew silent as those seats were filled by six older Athosians, three men and three women.
“Who’re they?” Laura Cadman asked quietly. She’d not spent as much time on the mainland as he had and certainly not with the more senior part of the population.
“They’re the Elders of the Athosian council, if I’m not mistaken.” Beckett replied. She nodded. Telya walked out after them wearing a flowing dress of white and gold with a number of gold bangles on each wrist. She also wore a heavy choker with a pendant that looked like a stylized sun. Halling followed her wearing blacks and whites and an ornate robe. He wore a heavy silver chain with a round silver disk pendant. As he stood in the center of the cleared area, the last of the conversation stopped. Halling’s voice broke the silence as he began to start the ceremony.
“In the early times, there was no Athos. There was the great void of space, the lonely stars that drifted through it, the sun, the moon and the elements. Into this universe there was borne also the Sky,” He gestured to the audience’s right and everyone turned to look.
Cadman snickered quietly when she saw Sheppard. A couple of the other military personnel whistled good naturedly. The catcalls were primarily from the women though a few of the men decided to give the officer a hard time as well. Colonel Sheppard was dressed in Athosian clothing entirely in shades of blue. The pants were so dark they were nearly black.
“Well, those are tight in all the right places,” Cadman commented for his benefit. Carson rolled his eyes and nudged her. She grinned back unrepentant. Not only were the pants *tight*, they were laced up either side. The vest was a patchwork of blues and far more reasonable in Carson’s opinion. Beckett also noticed he seemed to be covered in painted symbols of some sort. They ones he could see flowed up and around his arms, following the curves of his muscles in a way that evoked the idea of clouds or perhaps wind. It was very striking, but Beckett only hoped the dye or whatever was used wouldn’t cause a rash or something worse. Just because the Athosians didn’t respond negatively didn’t mean that one of his patients wouldn’t. Sheppard moved through the crowd and stood at one edge of the cleared area.
“And there was also the Earth,” Halling gestured to the audience’s left. Predictably everyone turned. Laura squeezed his arm and let out a girly, though quiet, squeal when she saw Dr. Weir, or rather Elizabeth’s outfit, if Beckett was translating her actions properly.
The expedition leader was wearing a slit skirt much like the one Teyla wore when she was sparring in the gym. It was an earthy brown with many clear gems worked into the hem. It also showed an incredible amount of leg which assured that every male eye, and some of the female ones as well, were watching her stalk through the crowd. Laura’s elbow in his side drew his attention off her legs to the rest of Elizabeth. In addition to the skirt, she was also wearing a brown leather top, though he could see little of it because she was also wearing a cape of white fur which draped over her shoulders and ended mid-thigh. On her head she wore a circlet of silver. More clear gemstones trailed off into her hair and dangled, framing her face. She too was covered in intricate patterns painted our stained onto her skin. Her’s were of vines and flowers however. Except for the plants which twisted up her legs and arms, the outfit was evocative of winter and seemed to be a bit out of place in a springtime ceremony where the rest of the area was filled with green things and flowers.
Elizabeth took a place opposite John on the other side of Halling. She paused a moment before the two of them began to move towards the center of the clearing as Halling began to speak again.
“The first meeting of Earth and Sky was marked with conflict.” Sheppard and Weir began to circle one another with Halling in the center. The Athosian man stepped from between them and they each drew fighting sticks. The wood clacked as they each struck and parried in coordinated blows. Halling continued the narrative as they broke off. “Sky found the Earth cold and unyielding, wrapped in a perpetual winter. Earth found Sky to be too fickle in his passions, always changing his moods.” Weir and Sheppard mimed attacking one another again. “The two fought, equally matched and unable to gain the upper hand. The Sun stepped in between them and declared and end to the fight.”
Teyla stepped forward, blocking a stick from either party. Sheppard and Weir both froze as their sticks clacked with Teyla’s. “Your fighting will cease now,” She stated in a commanding tone. The two combatants withdrew to either side of her and made a show of plainly ignoring the other party. “There will come a day where you may need one another,” she said to “Sky”. “You should learn to value one another’s strengths,” she told “Earth”
“I don’t think so,” John sneered.
“Unlikely,” Elizabeth replied haughtily, drawing a ghost of a smile to Teyla’s lips and causing a number of people in the audience to laugh.
“You will see,” Teyla replied regally. She stepped back into the background as Sheppard and Weir began to warily circle one another once more. Halling took up the narrative again.
“One day a new force, dark and terrible, suddenly appeared in the Universe.”
Several Athosian children leap out from the crowd wearing dark feathered masks and yelling. A number of Atlantis and Daedalus crew jumped as the kids seemed to materialize. They ran around yelling and waving black scarves and generally carrying on.
“Chaos had appeared and began to rip apart the universe!” Halling called out above the din. “They took out the stars in the sky one by one!” The kids tossed black blankets over the seated elders who all seemed to be amused by their enthusiasm. “They struck down the Moon and the Elements until only the Sun, Earth and Sky remained.” Halling was dragged off by a bunch of giggling girls as some older boys mock fought with Teyla, Elizabeth and John. The children were allowed to get the upper hand on Teyla.
As she was shackled with black rope and led away, she called back to Elizabeth and John. “You are stronger together than you are apart. Remember my words!” The kids draped a cloth over her head and around the audience, the torches around the area were doused in water with a loud hiss. The area was plunged into the early evening darkness no one had noticed had crept up. The only remaining light sources were on the “stage” area, illuminating John and Elizabeth sparring with the kids.
“Perhaps she was right, perhaps we should work together,” Elizabeth called over to the other side of the clearing. John took an unexpected blow on his shoulder and winced. The girl giggled and loudly whispered “Sorry” before resuming her beating.
“I agree. We have to or we’ll be taken too,” John replied and the two began moving their fights to the center of the stage. When they joined the kids all suddenly darted away into a circle around them. John and Elizabeth looked at one another then each dropped a fighting stick and clasped hands. The kids all howled like banshees and a couple ran forward. Together Sheppard and Weir lashed out with their fighting sticks. Though they clearly missed the boy by a couple feet, he collapsed to his knees with a yell and then flopped to the ground in a dramatic death scene. The next two kids ran forward and met the same fate, each one taking longer than the last one to “die” and drawing not a few chuckles from the audience. The last boys to die thrashed on the ground miming spurting blood and gore into the air and seizing for a couple minutes before they finally lay still. Cadman and Beckett weren’t the only ones trying hard to keep from laughing and egging on the performance. Sheppard and Weir were trying desperately to keep straight faces through the whole event.
When the last chaos spirit was “dead” they removed the blankets from the Elders. “You must journey to the lands beyond the void,” the eldest told them when she’d been uncovered. “Beware the Spirits of Chaos and Darkness!” Two older kids stepped forward and were easily beaten in the same way the large group had been. When they had been dispatched, two teens stepped forward with Halling in black rope between them. The next battle was not won as easily. The four fought a short but impressive battle with the fighting sticks. When Elizabeth and Sheppard had won, they freed Halling.
“They have taken the Sun to the edge of the universe. If she is dragged into the realms of Chaos, all is lost,” he told them. They bowed and walked to the other side of the stage where Teyla was bound and blindfolded. Four young adults stood guard around her. This battle was by far the longest and most elaborate. Where before they had hardly touched the kids before they “died”, here the sticks made contact, clicking against one another in intricate patterns.
Most of the Atlantis and Daedalus military personnel had known Sheppard was becoming proficient in the Athosian martial art, but they were all surprised by Weir’s skill. This battle, they could see, was not entirely scripted. When they finally finished the Atlantis leaders were breathing hard, but hadn’t quite worked up a sweat. There was a smattering of applause as they finished the mock battle and released Teyla from her bonds.
As Teyla retook her place, the torches around the area were re-lit. Halling stood in the center and Elizabeth and John both retreated to their sides of the stage.
“At their next meeting, the Earth and Sky were no longer enemies,” Halling stepped back beside Teyla as Sheppard and Weir met at the center.
“Lady of the Earth,”
“Lord of the Sky,”
“I’ve been thinking, maybe I shouldn’t change so often.”
“I’ve been thinking that maybe I should learn to change a little more.”
“Do you now see the wisdom of my words?” Teyla asked.
“We do,” they answered.
“We’re stronger together than we are apart,” John stated.
“Then we shouldn’t part.” Elizabeth held out her arms and John clasped them. They touched foreheads in an Athosian style embrace.
One of the Elders stood, in a clear voice issued a challenge. “Sky, The Earth is steadfast and enduring. She will tie you down,”
“She will ground me. I will be stronger for her support,” John replied.
The Elder was joined by a second, a man who stated his own challenge. “Earth, the Sky is ever changing and mercurial. He will weather you,”
“Then he will change me. I will be stronger for his challenge,” Elizabeth responded to the challenge. Satisfied the elders sat back in their seats. A third and fourth stood and issued their own challenges.
“You met as adversaries,” said the woman. “How can you wish to be joined forever now?” asked the man.
“We have fought many battles together,” Elizabeth began.
“And we have won them all through trusting one another,” John finished.
These two resumed their seats and a third woman stood. Carson recognized her as Desilda, the eldest woman in the village. “Elizabeth and John, what promises can you make to one another?” she asked. It was a moment before Carson registered that she hadn’t called them “Sky” or “Earth” but by their real names.
“Ohmygod,” Laura hissed in his ear. “Is this what I think it is?”
“I have no clue,” Beckett whispered. He tried to catch Teyla’s eye, but the Athosian woman was observing John and Elizabeth. He looked for Rodney and found him sitting with Radek, the beginnings of a confused frown on his face. Radek didn’t seem to see anything unusual. Looking around Beckett saw Caldwell frowning, but that wasn’t anything new. Woolsey was seated next to him and had a similar expression to Radek’s.
“I can only promise myself. I’ll try not to get into trouble off world, but we both know I’m not so great on that. I promise to be honest with you. To the best of my ability I’ll support you and fight with you again life-sucking aliens, evil nano-bots, wrathful bureaucracies and the other crazy stuff around this place. Even if I don’t always like it, I promise to follow where you lead. I promise to make you laugh.” John said sincerely. At this point, people were beginning to realize that John was breaking character.
“Oh. My. God.” Rodney McKay spoke up, loud enough for Carson and Laura to hear. Kate Heightmeyer scowled and put a hand over his mouth before the scientist could say anything further. He glared at her but didn’t say anything further. Radek’s jaw was somewhere on the floor near Lorne’s.
“I can only promise myself,” Elizabeth responded. Several of the women, Laura included, made little high pitched “squee” sounds. The diplomat ignored them and continued. “I’ll try daily to do the best job I can. I’ll worry when you go off world, but I promise to trust you and your judgment. I promise to be honest with you and try to keep us from having to fight life-sucking aliens and deranged ancient experiments gone awry. I promise to always listen to you even if I can’t do what you want. I promise to laugh with you.”
“I promise love and respect,” they said together, eliciting another “Aww” from Laura. By all now the Atlantis and Deadalus personnel realized what was going on. A few were looking around, confused while others were grinning. Woolsey, he was surprised to see, was one of the smiling ones. “I promise support and comfort, encouragement and acceptance.”
“As long as I live,”
“As long as I live,”
They were smiling at one another now, a bit shyly in the face of the growing murmurs from the crowd. Foran stood next to Desilda and the crowd grew quiet again. “Will you give a part of yourself wholly to the other, without reservation?”
“We will.”
The two elders resumed their seats and Teyla stepped forward, untying the gold colored sash from around her waist.
“You wish to be joined forever?” Teyla asked.
“We do,” they replied in unison once more.
They released one another’s forearms to clasp hands. Teyla tied a loose knot around their joined hands. “Then it is so,” she declared. She arched a wry brow at her friends. “Let it be known these two are joined. May their bond, forged in battle and peace, never break.” She removed the gold cloth to spontaneous applause as Halling walked forward again, holding his hands up for silence.
“Earth and Sky joined as one, equals and opposites, forever bound. The tumultuous sky calmed his violent storms and the ever present winter of Earth thawed to the first spring.” John grinned as he reached forward, undid the clasp on Elizabeth’s cloak and whisked it from her shoulders. She laughed then ducked to allow him to remove the icy looking tiara from her head as well. “Friends, let us celebrate by planting the first fields!”
There was a general yelling of consensus from the Athosians in the crowd since this meant the start of the real festivities. The kids who’d been quiet all this time, pretending to be dead all got up and removed their masks if they hadn’t already. Yelling and chasing one another they raced off into the falling darkness or towards their parents in the audience. The Atlantis and Daedalus crews looked around, unsure what to do, but got up at the urging of the Athosians who’d begun shifting the logs everyone was sitting on into a bonfire formation. Laura dragged Carson to his feet then along behind her and she hopped over the logs towards Sheppard and Weir. She was hardly the only one as people close to the couple pressed forward.
“Lizzie!” Laura hissed.
“Lizzie?” John asked dryly. Weir smacked him and rolled her eyes.
“Does this look like Poker Night?” she asked Laura in a low voice. The only time she was ever “Lizzie” was three drinks into the weekly poker night.
“No! It looks like you fraking got married!” Laura squealed. Elizabeth heaved a sigh as Heightmeyer, Brown, Kusanagi, Collins, Biro and a number of other women nodded vigorously in agreement and astonishment. Ronon seemed amused but unsurprised. Zalenka and Lorne seemed to be debating something off to the side. Rodney, who looked like he was working up to a really good bluster, pushed his way forward.
“Excuse me,” Teyla pressed forward as, interrupting whatever Elizabeth or Rodney had been about to say. “I need John and Elizabeth. They have some other duties to attend to.”
“Sorry, gotta go!” John said cheekily. He pulled Elizabeth by the hand, following Teyla.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of the full explanation!” Laura called after her.
“If you don’t tell us tonight, Wednesday’s only a few days away!” Heightmeyer added.
“What the hell just happened?” Rodney asked no one in particular.
“You know, for a smart man, you’re not that bright,” Ronon’s deep voice rumbled. He slapped the scientist on the shoulder and then wandered off in the direction of the rest of the crowd.
“C’mon lass,” Carson said, grabbing Laura’s hand and pulling her after him.
“Oh, she is so telling us everything!” Laura muttered. The marine hated to be left out of the loop, Carson had learned. He’d certainly gotten an earful when she’d returned to Atlantis.
“Aye, I’m sure you’ll make her. I want to know too, but right now I think there’s some beer with our names on it.”
***
“Thanks for the save,” John said as he hurried up to walk beside his teammate.
Teyla inclined her head regally. “You and Elizabeth have other things to do right now, I think.” Her words were full of naughty implications; Amusement danced in her eyes. John coughed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.
“Yeah, well,” he tried lamely. She chuckled at her friend’s loss of words. Elizabeth wisely stayed silent. They arrived at a hut a little ways from the center of the encampment. Teyla stood by the door.
“The outfits we’d like you to change into are already inside. I shall collect you a little before you’ll need to make your reappearance.” She inclined her head once more and walked back towards the where people were setting up the bonfire and finishing the dinner preparations while most everyone else was out playing in the dirt.
“We-“ Elizabeth was cut off but John’s lips descending on her own. He tore himself away and held aside the door for her, eyes burning. Elizabeth passed him, her arm brushing against his chest. He caught her hand and followed her into the dim light. The front area was blocked off by a heavy curtain, which Elizabeth pushed aside.
The bed, he noticed, was huge. Not just by Atlantean standards but by Athosian ones as well. Most of the beds in the inhabited parts of Atlantis, his included, were dorm like; this one was huge and looked especially inviting. Their clothing lay in neat piles on a chest against one wall. Like most Athosian structures, this place was lit by a combination of electric and candle light. It was cozy and romantic. When Elizabeth turned and flashed a small smile, her face haloed by curls and the low lighting, it was perfect. His lips captured hers in a deep kiss. When they finally broke apart, gasping for air, he felt her fingers nimbly trying to undo the laced closure of the vest he wore. He caught her hands and stilled them.
“Let me,” he asked. She smiled coyly and flattened her hands on his chest, waiting patiently. He loved she trusted him so much. John began by leaving light kisses at the corner of her mouth while he reached around and began to undo the lacing on her own top. The knots came undone and he pulled the suede straps from their holes as his lips worked their way up to her ear and then back down along her jaw to the elegant junction of her neck and shoulder. Here the Athosian’s had painted a cluster of flowers and leaves which spilled down her shoulders into vines that wound around her arms. He traced the pattern with kisses and soft nips as he worked the strap free of the top. The leather lace fell to the ground. Elizabeth sighed as John drew the straps off her shoulders and pulled the top away. It too fell to the ground. As John’s hands came up to cover her breasts, the sigh turned into a small moan. “Beautiful,” he whispered into her ear.
Elizabeth’s hands had wandered over his chest while he’d been undoing the top she wore. They’d settled onto his hips after he’d removed the garment. Her fingers began to play with the leather lacing on either side of his legs. The left side had been undone and she’d loosened the right when he caught her hands once more.
“Let me, please?” He placed a kiss on her nose. Elizabeth pouted.
“You’re wearing too much,” she protested. He kissed her soundly and unceremoniously shucked off the vest.
“Better?” he asked against her lips.
“Much,” she replied, restless hands roaming over the planes of his chest. John’s own hands went to her waist and began undoing the lacing on her skirt. He only bothered to loosen the laces this time and was quickly able to push the fabric off her hips. It fell to the ground in a soft rustle of fabric. While the top had been supportive enough he didn’t have to deal with a bra, she wore black panties under the skirt. He continued to kiss her while he batted her hands away from his pants. Deciding she needed to be distracted, he kissed his way down her chest then licked one taut nipple with little flicks of his tongue. She moaned and wove her fingers into his hair.
John kissed his way back up her body, ending up at her ear. “Bed,” he said huskily, tugging at her panties with two fingers.
“Yes,” she agreed between kisses, “Definitely.” They stumbled backwards to the bed, collapsing on it. John tugged off the black panties with a grin. He found the familiar Victoria’s Secret amid the exotic, unfamiliar Athosian surroundings very sexy. Sexy as they were, he forgot about them after roguishly tossing them over his shoulder. They landed somewhere in the vicinity of her skirt and top. He quickly got rid of his pants and joined her on the bed, clad only in his boxers.
Elizabeth sighed as he resumed his assault on her chest, slowly licking one taught peak then giving the same lavish attention to the other. She’d never understood the obsession men had with breasts, but she wasn’t going to complain when his touch felt so damn nice. He stopped abruptly and she lifted her head to see what he was doing. John offered her an impish grin before he started to kiss and lick his way along the vines and flowers painted on her skin. She hummed in pleasure, letting her eyes slide shut and her head fall back into the surprisingly soft pillows as he followed the twisting path down her body.
One of the vines had dainty flowers drawn every inch or so. It started near her collarbone and wound its way down her side then curled around her navel before curling around her opposite hip. He kissed each flower as he followed the trail downwards, smiling against her skin when her hands clenched briefly in his hair. His fingers brushed the inside of her thigh, following the pattern drawn there. He kissed her, the scent of her arousal mixing with the taste of her skin. Her legs moved, allowing him better access, but John had other ideas for now. A second vine covered with intricate flowers the size of half dollars twisted around her leg. He began kissing his way down that path, enjoying her natural beauty and the artistry of the designs. The patterns grew more intricate as he drew closer to her feet; small animals and birds joined depictions of what looked like what passed for wheat in Pegasus. John went to her other leg and followed another vine back up to her hips. He placed a kiss on her hipbone and her fingers went back into his hair, mussing it further.
Elizabeth shuddered against his touch as his fingers ghosted their own patterns on her thighs and through her dark curls. John teased, letting his fingers dance closer to her center then back again. Finally John brushed her clit with his thumb. Her breath caught in a little erotic hitch that he wanted to hear again. He moved his fingers over her and then in her and was rewarded with the same little sounds. She was hot and wet and he needed to taste her too. Tongue followed fingers making her moan in a needy way he’d never expected to hear from this woman. He reveled in the primal thrill for a moment as he worked her with increasing speed. Her hands left his hair and curled in the bedding. Her hips started to move under his assault as she neared climax. John needed to see her this first time. He sat up and watched her while he continued to stroke her with his fingers and thumb. He crooked his fingers trying to find that one spot he knew would send her over. She came with his name on her lips, back arching, hands clutching the bedding. She was exquisitely beautiful.
John quickly got rid of his boxers then rejoined her on the bed. Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered open, unfocused. She uttered a breathy “oh,” before John was assaulting her lips with his own. He needed to be in her now, needed to love her now. Every inch of his body screamed with need. He touched the side of her face with a tender hand, trying to focus on her rather than the storm of heat centered on his groin. He didn’t want this first time to be a quick fuck, but he was rapidly losing the will to restrain himself.
“John,” she moaned his name, pressing a kiss to his palm.
“Elizabeth,” he whispered, nibbling the shell of her ear. He slid into her then, head dropping to her shoulder with a groan. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders while his slid under hers. He rested on his elbows, cupping the back of her head with one hand.
“God…John,” she moaned and hooked one leg over his hip, drawing him deeper. He growled into her shoulder and swiveled his hips drawing a gasp. He rose up over her, looking down at with a heated expression. She smiled back at him through hazy, lust filled eyes. John darted down for a kiss then shifted in an out of her. She gasped against his mouth and rocked against his next thrust, shifting her hips this time. He moaned as she slid around him, slick and hot. One of her hands clutched at his shoulder while the other wound through his hair. Elizabeth buried her head against his neck, muffling the gasp he drew from her lips every time he thrust into her. He reached down to touch her as he moved. Her moans got louder as he thrust and rubbed with increasing speed. He pressed his fingers against her harder, rubbing in counter point to his thrusts and was rewarded when she came a second time, inner walls clenching around him, driving him insane. Her cry of release against his shoulder destroyed any thought he had left about drawing their first time together out any longer. His hips rocked into her powerfully, drawing her orgasm out and finally setting off his own release. He’d had good sex before, but this was truly mind blowing. Stars danced in his vision as he grunted her name and came into her.
When he regained some ability to think he realized her was lying heavily across her. He rolled them so she was on top, but that’s where his coherent thoughts ended. The sudden movement elicited a little moan from the back of her throat which made his dick still deep within her twitch slightly.
“God, Elizabeth,” he moaned. She practically purred her answering laugh. She shifted so she lay next to him on the bed. He pulled her close to him, tucking her head under his chin and felt her own rapid heartbeats begin to slow. She hummed a happy sound against his neck as she placed a kiss there. “I wanted that to last longer,” he told her, “I wanted to please you,” he half pouted. She chuckled languidly.
“You’re not going to get complaints from me for that,” she kissed his jaw. “We’ve got plenty of time to practice,” she purred into his ear.
“Mmm true,” he replied, kissing her. She made that happy humming sound again and he laughed lightly. “Never figured you for the sex kitten type,” She ducked her head under his chin so he couldn’t see her blush.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, yet,” She replied cheekily.
“Yet,”
“Mmm, yes. Yet.” He caught the fingers drawing lazy patterns on his chest and kissed them. “I think they’ll know what we’ve been up to,” she admitted, “I don’t think I’ll be able to stop smiling.”
“My ego loves you,” he told her. John rolled them so she was once again pinned under him. “I love you too.” He kissed her deeply to emphasize the point.
“John? Elizabeth?” They broke their kiss at the sound of Teyla’s voice. “We’ll need you back out here soon.”
“Thanks,” John called back.
“Drat,” Elizabeth said.
“Think we have time?” John asked.
Elizabeth thought it over for a moment before deciding no, they didn’t. “No,” she rubbed a hand up his chest. “We’ll have to pick this up later.” John sighed dramatically then rolled off the bed.
“I’ll hold you to that,” He grinned.
“I’m counting on it. So what’d you do with my underwear?”
They rejoined the festival wearing new clothing in the same cut but in softer spring colors. Elizabeth in a soft green that set off her eyes and wearing a garland of flowers in her hair and around her wrists and ankles. John wore soft suede in medium to light blues.
The food was being served and the freshly scrubbed kids were pouring out of various homes and making a beeline for the serving tables. People who weren’t quite ready to eat had started a dance circle around the bonfire while a lively band played. The Athosian Elders greeted them at the edge of the common area and embraced them. A receiving line of sorts began to form up behind them, the Athosians joining at a much more sedate pace than the Atlantis expedition members once they realized that their leaders had reappeared.
“Have a good time?” Desilda asked John as his forehead touched hers. He blushed deeply and went beat red, caught off guard. She released him and greeted Elizabeth the same way. “I’ll take that as a yes then?” she asked the other leader. Elizabeth actually giggled. The older woman smiled and, after giving john a matronly pat on the shoulder, wandered off into the crowd.
“I am happy for you both,” Teyla, the next person in line, said. Elizabeth was about to reply when she was interrupted.
“What the hell was that?” Rodney McKay asked loudly. He’d had nearly an hour to get up to a good bluster. He was a man who prided himself on knowing everything and this had truly surprised him. Rodney didn’t like surprises. He pushed his way through the crowd and offered each friend a scowl.
“Hi Rodney, nice to see you too,” John greeted his teammate. His hand went unconsciously to the small of Elizabeth’s back, a gesture that did not go unnoticed.
“You and she?” he pointed from one to the other. “So you really?” he paused, “you changed your clothes. And you were gone and awfully- Oh god! It’s like finding my parents were having sex. Oh god!”
“Rodney,” Elizabeth called him to task. He looked sorry for a moment but indignation at being left out overcame that.
“Rodney,” Teyla said in a soothing voice, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come dance with me?”
“Dance?”
“Please?” she asked offering him a warm smile and her hand. He took her hand after a moment but pointed an accusatory finger at Sheppard. Elizabeth arched an imperious brow and Rodney decided to let this one go for now. He followed Teyla to the dance circle, grumbling the entire way.
“Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Weir.” They turned and faced the next person who’d pushed their way into the front of the line.
“Colonel Caldwell,” Sheppard greeted the other officer, unconsciously straightening his posture.
“Stephen,” Weir greeted.
The commander looked at one then the other critically, then offered his hand to first John then Elizabeth. “Just don’t screw up,” He said folding his hands behind his back and wandering off into the crowd.
“That went well,” John commented sotto voice. Elizabeth swatted him and greeted the next person in line, a beaming Carson.
The party continued into the night. When the guests had greeted the new couple then eaten and drunk, the dancing had began in earnest. John found Elizabeth standing at the edge of the circle, finally free of her Poker night cohorts who’d quickly sussed out what exactly they’d been doing in the hour or so they’d disappeared.
“Did they flog you too badly for springing this on them?” he asked. She smiled and lopped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. The flowers in her hair crackled, releasing their delicate scent into the air.
“I’ll survive. The penance is apparently a bar of chocolate each.” He grinned at the pout in her voice.
“Ouch! Tough crowd.” He kissed her. “You’ll just have to win it all back.”
“Yep,” she smirked. They stood in silence for a few moments watching their friends and family dance around in the night, chuckling when Teyla got Rodney to do one of the more intricate dances.
“Think anyone would notice if we snuck off?” John whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. His hands rubbed the small of her back.
“No,” she replied with equal heat. Hand in hand they slipped out into the spring night.
~Fin.
Author: lanna_kitty
Pairing: John/Elizabeth
For: angelqueen04
Rating: NC-17
Request: John/Elizabeth. NC-17 with John in charge, takes place on Mainland. Featuring the Athosian Village optional.
Note: Fluffy like a bunny! It ended up being, er, longish. Ok, really long. But it was fun! And I thought about cutting it down then decided, what the hey! I’ll just send it in long anyway. I hope its ok! :D
Click for part 1
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The next morning at 0700 hours he met her with a smile and no less than four chaperones. John did not trust himself to be alone in a jumper with Elizabeth, alone. He knew something would happen; she’d laugh or smile at him or, hell, breathe and he’d be all over her. They’d never make it to the mainland, Woolsey would be pissed the Athosians were disappointed and their currently spotless record of discretion would be shattered. He knew he wouldn’t give a damn either. So, chaperones it was. He’d even pulled Teyla aside, away from the scientists who’d shown up with her, and told her he was, under no circumstances, to be left alone with Elizabeth for more than a few moments. She’d grinned and rolled her eyes at his dramatic plea, but he knew she’d make sure he didn’t do anything stupid. Though, the Athosian woman did seem to have a rather earthy sense of humor.
Elizabeth looked gorgeous that morning, but he was fairly confident he was the only one to note that fact. She was once again playing the consummate diplomat and wasn’t letting anything show. He schooled his features and greeted her as he normally would, matching her example.
“Good morning,” Teyla greeted her as she stepped into the jumper.
“Good morning, Teyla.”
“Dr. Weir,” Dana Lindsay, one of the mission anthropologists greeted.
“Doctor. I take it by the cameras that you’re going to be doing some filming?” She asked. The anthropologists in the jumper smiled. Dr. Ramirez patted the case on his lap.
“Yes Ma’am. Teyla’s been nice enough to say we could film the preparations and festivities for our research into the culture of the Galaxy. We’re all excited.”
“Sounds like fun.” Elizabeth commented before settling into the empty co-pilots seat. Whitfield and Jenning were all new members of the expedition, chomping at the bit and eager to explore the Pegasus galaxy. Lindsay was an old hand She glanced over at John who was doing the preflight. He saw her appraisingly look then held up innocent hands.
“Don’t look at me,” he said quietly. “They were waiting with her when I got here.”
“uh, huh.”
“Really!” John protested. He’d been somewhat worried when they Scientists had shown up with video cameras. Teyla had explained that they’d approached her weeks before when the festival invitation had first been announced to the Expedition. John hoped that any video recordings of Elizabeth and himself wouldn’t come back to haunt him.
The trip to the mainland was short and the scientists bustled out of the puddlejumper almost as soon as John had touched down in the newly cleared landing field next to the Athosian ships. Halling and an older man and woman were waiting for them.
“Foran,” Elizabeth greeted the older man. “Deslida,” she greeted the older woman. They were two of the elders on the Athosian council; the eldest Athosians since Charin had died
“These are some of the new Tau’ri,” Teyla spoke up and introduced doctors Maria Ramirez and Harrison Jenning. The scientists greeted the Athosian leaders, Lindsay taking the lead and thanking them for allowing the team to film the village and interview the people. They then began rummaging around their equipment bags. The older Athosians then turned their attention to Weir and Sheppard.
“We understand you have obligations to your city, Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard, so we will try and do everything required and get you back before you’ve spent the full day here,” Foran said.
“Thank you. We appreciate it,” Elizabeth replied warmly.
“It is us who should be thanking you. This is the first time I’ve seen our children play without fear of the Wraith.” Desilda said. She slipped her arm across Elizabeth’s shoulders and began to draw her to one side while Foran indicated Sheppard should follow him. “We’re going to fit you both for outfits then go over the steps of the ritual then we have a lot of Sa’yia to apply.”
“A lot of what?” John asked.
“If I’m remembering correctly, you stain the skin with patterns and symbols.” They’d been to an Athosian wedding the year before. The entire wedding party had been decorated with elaborate designs. Teyla, who’d been painted as well since she’d been officiating, had explained that the dye came from the berries of one a basil-like plant they’d brought with them from Athos. The practice was similar to Mehndi, but the art itself reminded her more of a Maori or Polynesian design.
“That is correct, Dr. Weir. As the Avatar of the Earth you’ll be decorated with quite a bit. It can take some time and we’ve got considerable information to cover before then, so if you’ll follow me?” Desilda’s no non-sense tone brooked no argument and reminded Elizabeth very strongly of one of her gradeschool teachers.
“Certainly.” Elizabeth followed the woman, into one of the tents. leaving John to Foran. She paused at the entrance, letting her eyes adjust to the lower lighting and was startled to see practically the entire female part of the Athosian council. The older women smiled when she entered and quickly began bustling around her, chatting and joking with one another. Within moments Elizabeth had been undressed down to her undergarments, measured and then given a series of outfits to try on and generally made a fuss over. When the women were satisfied, she was given her normal clothes back and was ushered into a cleared area just off the center of the settlement. John joined her a moment later looking similarly manhandled. He greeted her with a broad grin which she returned. Elizabeth looked around the settlement for her other people and found Teyla expertly guiding the overexcited scientists around the rest of the settlement: and away from where she and John were. She was drawn from her thoughts when Halling handed her a pair of fighting sticks and a second set to John. The next two hours were spent in a whirlwind of dress rehearsal and explanation.
Finally she and John were released from their practice and they were once again ushered efficiently into tents. Elizabeth sat gratefully into a seat in her tent. She was in ok physical condition, but she wasn’t used to two hours of intense training like that.
“Lunch?” Elizabeth looked up to find Teyla offering her a plate with a friendly smile.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the proffered food and digging in.
“Hurry and eat, we need to paint your hands first.” Desilda bustled around the table, setting out a mortar and pestle as well as a small cloth bag and an assortment of brushed. A younger woman Elizabeth vaguely recalled was named Asila sat at the table and began to crush dried berries and add water and a fragrant oil that smelled like mint to the mixture. Elizabeth watched her and ate quietly while Teyla and the other Athosian women caught one another up on events. She watched as Asila finished mixing and held the contents out for Desilda’s inspection. The older woman nodded and, looking at Elizabeth then Teyla, “Strip!”
Elizabeth nearly choked on the water she was drinking, but years of diplomacy kept her from sputtering too badly. Desilda giggled and patted her hand. “Down to your under things again, dear.” Teyla chuckled, tossing Weir a sympathetic look. Soon she was sitting in her underwear again, one woman painting her back and two painting each of her hands. Teyla’s hands were being painted by Asila under the watchful eye of Desilda, who Elizabeth had learned was the young woman’s great aunt.
“I knew you’d agree” the older woman mused as she examined the intricate sunburst on the palm of Teyla’s hand.
“Excuse me?”
Desilda looked up from her examination with a smile. “I’ve always thought you two made a nicely balanced pair.” She pulled out long strips of something that resembled linen and began wrapping Teyla’s hands with it. “Teyla had her reservations,” she gave the young leader a cheerful smile, causing her to blush. “But I knew you’d be joined to one another if given the opportunity. When you came with him a few weeks ago? I knew then we should offer since you two seemed to be silly enough not to act on your own.” She finished wrapping Teyla’s fingers and was now working wider piece over her palm and wrist. Asila had moved on to Teyla’s other hand.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth finally said. It was slightly eerie that this woman had chosen to use the phrasing she had, but Elizabeth dismissed it as jitters. “We met on Earth in a place called Antarctica about three years ago.”
A number of hours later Elizabeth was wrapped nearly head to toe in the linen-like material with instructions not to remove the cover until after dark when she could wash off the berry juice exposing the stained skin. She met John at the puddlejumper.
“You’re wrapped up like a mummy too, huh?” John asked casually, waving a covered hand. She laughed lightly.
“Yes. It’s going to make getting work done the rest of the day interesting.”
“Well, as long as I can fly, we’re good,” he grinned. She took a seat in the co-pilots chair and folded her hands primly in her lap while John did the preflight. Teyla and Anthropologists arrived a moment later, laughing and chatting. Elizabeth settled into her seat and mentally reviewed the meetings she had remaining that day.
They landed in Atlantis and Elizabeth was able to leave the group easily. John watched her go from the back of the jumper and looked like he might follow before one of the anthropologists commented that he too had been painted. She smiled apologetically as he fended off their questions and beat a silent retreat. She had a meeting with Woolsey in an hour.
“Dr. Weir?” An hour later the Bureaucrat was at her door once more.
“Mr. Woolsey, please come in. I’ve just finished our monthly requisitions.” She folded her hands on her blotter. The bald man’s cheerful smile turned into a concerned frown when he saw her hands.
“Is everything alright?” he asked.
“Oh, this. It’s fine.” She pulled her shirtsleeve back and pulled the wrapping to one side so he could see the painting underneath. “The Athosian’s painted this on me earlier today. I’m supposed to keep it covered while the stain sets.”
“Ah, so you’ll be participating then?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Well, congratulations.”
“We still have the small matter of making it legal back on Earth,” she said with a shrug.
“Well, I’m may be able to help you there. And, I might add, it’s a marvelous segue into our meeting this afternoon, I think.” She smiled.
“I guess it is. So, what are the IOA’s plans?”
“Well,” he set his laptop on the edge of her desk and took it out of hibernation mode. Woolsey turned his laptop so the screen faced her and began to go over the IOA’s plan for bringing in more people to her city so they’d have the infrastructure they’d need for earth’s first colony to succeed.
At the end of the meeting, night had fallen and Elizabeth was both exhausted and cautiously optimistic about the future. She yawned and the linen wrapped around her hands made her suddenly remember what she was going to do tomorrow. She stared at her hand for a moment as if it were a strange thing.
“Hey,” She nearly jumped out of her skin.
“John!” she rounded on him
“Hey, easy. I didn’t mean to startle you. I missed you in the commissary for dinner.” Elizabeth smiled an apology.
“Sorry. Chuck grabbed me something for us to eat when my meeting with Woolsey went through the dinner hour.” She palmed her door open and they went inside.
“Good meeting?” he asked. She nodded.
“Very good. I have some comments on the plan. It’s aggressive and I’m not sure I totally like that Iif they have their way, we’re really going to be expanding at a phenomenal rate over the next few years.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. They have a ten year plan with the first five years being an aggressive push to get the infrastructure we’d need to actually make this place a colony. Woolsey was keen to assure me that we’re not in danger of losing our jobs. Nor is Rodney as chief scientist apparently,” she chuckled.
“Area 51 isnt screaming to have him back?” John joked with a smirk.
“Be nice,” she lightly swatted his arm. “Anyway Mr. Woolsey also offered her services to make what we’re going to do tomorrow legal.”
“Really?”
“Really. Come to my office tomorrow before we fly over to the mainland?”
“The wraith couldn’t stop me,” he promised, drawing a smile from her. “Anyway,” he took his hands out of his pockets and took one of her hands in his, “I just wanted to say that Lorne’s going to fly you over tomorrow, and aside from a trip to your office you probably won’t see me too much.”
“Oh?” she asked archly, swinging their joined hands. He rubbed his free hand against the back of his neck.
“Yeah. I don’t trust myself alone with you.”
“Like we’re alone now?” she pointed out. He gulped dramatically and dropped her hand like it was a hot brand.
“Yes, and as much as I would really love to kiss you goodnight, I know that’s a bad, bad, bad idea. So I’ll just say goodnight and I’ll see you tomorrow?” He’d backed up by the doorway half joking. She rolled her eyes at his silliness and grabbed his hand again. With the other she cupped his cheek and pressed a chase kiss to his lips.
“Good night John,”
“Night Elizabeth.” He smiled genuinely without a trace of his normal smirk. John leaned forward and kissed her forehead then palmed the door and was gone. Elizabeth let the door close and began unwrapping the fabric from her hands.
***
The crowd settled down into the log seating that the Athosians and Marines had wrestled into place for the occasion. After the ceremony the seats would be rolled into a bonfire, he’d been told. Currently, most of the Athosians, Atlanteans and Daedalus crew were facing a large cleared area. Across the area were a number of seats Beckett recognized as belonging to the village council. The crowd grew silent as those seats were filled by six older Athosians, three men and three women.
“Who’re they?” Laura Cadman asked quietly. She’d not spent as much time on the mainland as he had and certainly not with the more senior part of the population.
“They’re the Elders of the Athosian council, if I’m not mistaken.” Beckett replied. She nodded. Telya walked out after them wearing a flowing dress of white and gold with a number of gold bangles on each wrist. She also wore a heavy choker with a pendant that looked like a stylized sun. Halling followed her wearing blacks and whites and an ornate robe. He wore a heavy silver chain with a round silver disk pendant. As he stood in the center of the cleared area, the last of the conversation stopped. Halling’s voice broke the silence as he began to start the ceremony.
“In the early times, there was no Athos. There was the great void of space, the lonely stars that drifted through it, the sun, the moon and the elements. Into this universe there was borne also the Sky,” He gestured to the audience’s right and everyone turned to look.
Cadman snickered quietly when she saw Sheppard. A couple of the other military personnel whistled good naturedly. The catcalls were primarily from the women though a few of the men decided to give the officer a hard time as well. Colonel Sheppard was dressed in Athosian clothing entirely in shades of blue. The pants were so dark they were nearly black.
“Well, those are tight in all the right places,” Cadman commented for his benefit. Carson rolled his eyes and nudged her. She grinned back unrepentant. Not only were the pants *tight*, they were laced up either side. The vest was a patchwork of blues and far more reasonable in Carson’s opinion. Beckett also noticed he seemed to be covered in painted symbols of some sort. They ones he could see flowed up and around his arms, following the curves of his muscles in a way that evoked the idea of clouds or perhaps wind. It was very striking, but Beckett only hoped the dye or whatever was used wouldn’t cause a rash or something worse. Just because the Athosians didn’t respond negatively didn’t mean that one of his patients wouldn’t. Sheppard moved through the crowd and stood at one edge of the cleared area.
“And there was also the Earth,” Halling gestured to the audience’s left. Predictably everyone turned. Laura squeezed his arm and let out a girly, though quiet, squeal when she saw Dr. Weir, or rather Elizabeth’s outfit, if Beckett was translating her actions properly.
The expedition leader was wearing a slit skirt much like the one Teyla wore when she was sparring in the gym. It was an earthy brown with many clear gems worked into the hem. It also showed an incredible amount of leg which assured that every male eye, and some of the female ones as well, were watching her stalk through the crowd. Laura’s elbow in his side drew his attention off her legs to the rest of Elizabeth. In addition to the skirt, she was also wearing a brown leather top, though he could see little of it because she was also wearing a cape of white fur which draped over her shoulders and ended mid-thigh. On her head she wore a circlet of silver. More clear gemstones trailed off into her hair and dangled, framing her face. She too was covered in intricate patterns painted our stained onto her skin. Her’s were of vines and flowers however. Except for the plants which twisted up her legs and arms, the outfit was evocative of winter and seemed to be a bit out of place in a springtime ceremony where the rest of the area was filled with green things and flowers.
Elizabeth took a place opposite John on the other side of Halling. She paused a moment before the two of them began to move towards the center of the clearing as Halling began to speak again.
“The first meeting of Earth and Sky was marked with conflict.” Sheppard and Weir began to circle one another with Halling in the center. The Athosian man stepped from between them and they each drew fighting sticks. The wood clacked as they each struck and parried in coordinated blows. Halling continued the narrative as they broke off. “Sky found the Earth cold and unyielding, wrapped in a perpetual winter. Earth found Sky to be too fickle in his passions, always changing his moods.” Weir and Sheppard mimed attacking one another again. “The two fought, equally matched and unable to gain the upper hand. The Sun stepped in between them and declared and end to the fight.”
Teyla stepped forward, blocking a stick from either party. Sheppard and Weir both froze as their sticks clacked with Teyla’s. “Your fighting will cease now,” She stated in a commanding tone. The two combatants withdrew to either side of her and made a show of plainly ignoring the other party. “There will come a day where you may need one another,” she said to “Sky”. “You should learn to value one another’s strengths,” she told “Earth”
“I don’t think so,” John sneered.
“Unlikely,” Elizabeth replied haughtily, drawing a ghost of a smile to Teyla’s lips and causing a number of people in the audience to laugh.
“You will see,” Teyla replied regally. She stepped back into the background as Sheppard and Weir began to warily circle one another once more. Halling took up the narrative again.
“One day a new force, dark and terrible, suddenly appeared in the Universe.”
Several Athosian children leap out from the crowd wearing dark feathered masks and yelling. A number of Atlantis and Daedalus crew jumped as the kids seemed to materialize. They ran around yelling and waving black scarves and generally carrying on.
“Chaos had appeared and began to rip apart the universe!” Halling called out above the din. “They took out the stars in the sky one by one!” The kids tossed black blankets over the seated elders who all seemed to be amused by their enthusiasm. “They struck down the Moon and the Elements until only the Sun, Earth and Sky remained.” Halling was dragged off by a bunch of giggling girls as some older boys mock fought with Teyla, Elizabeth and John. The children were allowed to get the upper hand on Teyla.
As she was shackled with black rope and led away, she called back to Elizabeth and John. “You are stronger together than you are apart. Remember my words!” The kids draped a cloth over her head and around the audience, the torches around the area were doused in water with a loud hiss. The area was plunged into the early evening darkness no one had noticed had crept up. The only remaining light sources were on the “stage” area, illuminating John and Elizabeth sparring with the kids.
“Perhaps she was right, perhaps we should work together,” Elizabeth called over to the other side of the clearing. John took an unexpected blow on his shoulder and winced. The girl giggled and loudly whispered “Sorry” before resuming her beating.
“I agree. We have to or we’ll be taken too,” John replied and the two began moving their fights to the center of the stage. When they joined the kids all suddenly darted away into a circle around them. John and Elizabeth looked at one another then each dropped a fighting stick and clasped hands. The kids all howled like banshees and a couple ran forward. Together Sheppard and Weir lashed out with their fighting sticks. Though they clearly missed the boy by a couple feet, he collapsed to his knees with a yell and then flopped to the ground in a dramatic death scene. The next two kids ran forward and met the same fate, each one taking longer than the last one to “die” and drawing not a few chuckles from the audience. The last boys to die thrashed on the ground miming spurting blood and gore into the air and seizing for a couple minutes before they finally lay still. Cadman and Beckett weren’t the only ones trying hard to keep from laughing and egging on the performance. Sheppard and Weir were trying desperately to keep straight faces through the whole event.
When the last chaos spirit was “dead” they removed the blankets from the Elders. “You must journey to the lands beyond the void,” the eldest told them when she’d been uncovered. “Beware the Spirits of Chaos and Darkness!” Two older kids stepped forward and were easily beaten in the same way the large group had been. When they had been dispatched, two teens stepped forward with Halling in black rope between them. The next battle was not won as easily. The four fought a short but impressive battle with the fighting sticks. When Elizabeth and Sheppard had won, they freed Halling.
“They have taken the Sun to the edge of the universe. If she is dragged into the realms of Chaos, all is lost,” he told them. They bowed and walked to the other side of the stage where Teyla was bound and blindfolded. Four young adults stood guard around her. This battle was by far the longest and most elaborate. Where before they had hardly touched the kids before they “died”, here the sticks made contact, clicking against one another in intricate patterns.
Most of the Atlantis and Daedalus military personnel had known Sheppard was becoming proficient in the Athosian martial art, but they were all surprised by Weir’s skill. This battle, they could see, was not entirely scripted. When they finally finished the Atlantis leaders were breathing hard, but hadn’t quite worked up a sweat. There was a smattering of applause as they finished the mock battle and released Teyla from her bonds.
As Teyla retook her place, the torches around the area were re-lit. Halling stood in the center and Elizabeth and John both retreated to their sides of the stage.
“At their next meeting, the Earth and Sky were no longer enemies,” Halling stepped back beside Teyla as Sheppard and Weir met at the center.
“Lady of the Earth,”
“Lord of the Sky,”
“I’ve been thinking, maybe I shouldn’t change so often.”
“I’ve been thinking that maybe I should learn to change a little more.”
“Do you now see the wisdom of my words?” Teyla asked.
“We do,” they answered.
“We’re stronger together than we are apart,” John stated.
“Then we shouldn’t part.” Elizabeth held out her arms and John clasped them. They touched foreheads in an Athosian style embrace.
One of the Elders stood, in a clear voice issued a challenge. “Sky, The Earth is steadfast and enduring. She will tie you down,”
“She will ground me. I will be stronger for her support,” John replied.
The Elder was joined by a second, a man who stated his own challenge. “Earth, the Sky is ever changing and mercurial. He will weather you,”
“Then he will change me. I will be stronger for his challenge,” Elizabeth responded to the challenge. Satisfied the elders sat back in their seats. A third and fourth stood and issued their own challenges.
“You met as adversaries,” said the woman. “How can you wish to be joined forever now?” asked the man.
“We have fought many battles together,” Elizabeth began.
“And we have won them all through trusting one another,” John finished.
These two resumed their seats and a third woman stood. Carson recognized her as Desilda, the eldest woman in the village. “Elizabeth and John, what promises can you make to one another?” she asked. It was a moment before Carson registered that she hadn’t called them “Sky” or “Earth” but by their real names.
“Ohmygod,” Laura hissed in his ear. “Is this what I think it is?”
“I have no clue,” Beckett whispered. He tried to catch Teyla’s eye, but the Athosian woman was observing John and Elizabeth. He looked for Rodney and found him sitting with Radek, the beginnings of a confused frown on his face. Radek didn’t seem to see anything unusual. Looking around Beckett saw Caldwell frowning, but that wasn’t anything new. Woolsey was seated next to him and had a similar expression to Radek’s.
“I can only promise myself. I’ll try not to get into trouble off world, but we both know I’m not so great on that. I promise to be honest with you. To the best of my ability I’ll support you and fight with you again life-sucking aliens, evil nano-bots, wrathful bureaucracies and the other crazy stuff around this place. Even if I don’t always like it, I promise to follow where you lead. I promise to make you laugh.” John said sincerely. At this point, people were beginning to realize that John was breaking character.
“Oh. My. God.” Rodney McKay spoke up, loud enough for Carson and Laura to hear. Kate Heightmeyer scowled and put a hand over his mouth before the scientist could say anything further. He glared at her but didn’t say anything further. Radek’s jaw was somewhere on the floor near Lorne’s.
“I can only promise myself,” Elizabeth responded. Several of the women, Laura included, made little high pitched “squee” sounds. The diplomat ignored them and continued. “I’ll try daily to do the best job I can. I’ll worry when you go off world, but I promise to trust you and your judgment. I promise to be honest with you and try to keep us from having to fight life-sucking aliens and deranged ancient experiments gone awry. I promise to always listen to you even if I can’t do what you want. I promise to laugh with you.”
“I promise love and respect,” they said together, eliciting another “Aww” from Laura. By all now the Atlantis and Deadalus personnel realized what was going on. A few were looking around, confused while others were grinning. Woolsey, he was surprised to see, was one of the smiling ones. “I promise support and comfort, encouragement and acceptance.”
“As long as I live,”
“As long as I live,”
They were smiling at one another now, a bit shyly in the face of the growing murmurs from the crowd. Foran stood next to Desilda and the crowd grew quiet again. “Will you give a part of yourself wholly to the other, without reservation?”
“We will.”
The two elders resumed their seats and Teyla stepped forward, untying the gold colored sash from around her waist.
“You wish to be joined forever?” Teyla asked.
“We do,” they replied in unison once more.
They released one another’s forearms to clasp hands. Teyla tied a loose knot around their joined hands. “Then it is so,” she declared. She arched a wry brow at her friends. “Let it be known these two are joined. May their bond, forged in battle and peace, never break.” She removed the gold cloth to spontaneous applause as Halling walked forward again, holding his hands up for silence.
“Earth and Sky joined as one, equals and opposites, forever bound. The tumultuous sky calmed his violent storms and the ever present winter of Earth thawed to the first spring.” John grinned as he reached forward, undid the clasp on Elizabeth’s cloak and whisked it from her shoulders. She laughed then ducked to allow him to remove the icy looking tiara from her head as well. “Friends, let us celebrate by planting the first fields!”
There was a general yelling of consensus from the Athosians in the crowd since this meant the start of the real festivities. The kids who’d been quiet all this time, pretending to be dead all got up and removed their masks if they hadn’t already. Yelling and chasing one another they raced off into the falling darkness or towards their parents in the audience. The Atlantis and Daedalus crews looked around, unsure what to do, but got up at the urging of the Athosians who’d begun shifting the logs everyone was sitting on into a bonfire formation. Laura dragged Carson to his feet then along behind her and she hopped over the logs towards Sheppard and Weir. She was hardly the only one as people close to the couple pressed forward.
“Lizzie!” Laura hissed.
“Lizzie?” John asked dryly. Weir smacked him and rolled her eyes.
“Does this look like Poker Night?” she asked Laura in a low voice. The only time she was ever “Lizzie” was three drinks into the weekly poker night.
“No! It looks like you fraking got married!” Laura squealed. Elizabeth heaved a sigh as Heightmeyer, Brown, Kusanagi, Collins, Biro and a number of other women nodded vigorously in agreement and astonishment. Ronon seemed amused but unsurprised. Zalenka and Lorne seemed to be debating something off to the side. Rodney, who looked like he was working up to a really good bluster, pushed his way forward.
“Excuse me,” Teyla pressed forward as, interrupting whatever Elizabeth or Rodney had been about to say. “I need John and Elizabeth. They have some other duties to attend to.”
“Sorry, gotta go!” John said cheekily. He pulled Elizabeth by the hand, following Teyla.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of the full explanation!” Laura called after her.
“If you don’t tell us tonight, Wednesday’s only a few days away!” Heightmeyer added.
“What the hell just happened?” Rodney asked no one in particular.
“You know, for a smart man, you’re not that bright,” Ronon’s deep voice rumbled. He slapped the scientist on the shoulder and then wandered off in the direction of the rest of the crowd.
“C’mon lass,” Carson said, grabbing Laura’s hand and pulling her after him.
“Oh, she is so telling us everything!” Laura muttered. The marine hated to be left out of the loop, Carson had learned. He’d certainly gotten an earful when she’d returned to Atlantis.
“Aye, I’m sure you’ll make her. I want to know too, but right now I think there’s some beer with our names on it.”
***
“Thanks for the save,” John said as he hurried up to walk beside his teammate.
Teyla inclined her head regally. “You and Elizabeth have other things to do right now, I think.” Her words were full of naughty implications; Amusement danced in her eyes. John coughed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.
“Yeah, well,” he tried lamely. She chuckled at her friend’s loss of words. Elizabeth wisely stayed silent. They arrived at a hut a little ways from the center of the encampment. Teyla stood by the door.
“The outfits we’d like you to change into are already inside. I shall collect you a little before you’ll need to make your reappearance.” She inclined her head once more and walked back towards the where people were setting up the bonfire and finishing the dinner preparations while most everyone else was out playing in the dirt.
“We-“ Elizabeth was cut off but John’s lips descending on her own. He tore himself away and held aside the door for her, eyes burning. Elizabeth passed him, her arm brushing against his chest. He caught her hand and followed her into the dim light. The front area was blocked off by a heavy curtain, which Elizabeth pushed aside.
The bed, he noticed, was huge. Not just by Atlantean standards but by Athosian ones as well. Most of the beds in the inhabited parts of Atlantis, his included, were dorm like; this one was huge and looked especially inviting. Their clothing lay in neat piles on a chest against one wall. Like most Athosian structures, this place was lit by a combination of electric and candle light. It was cozy and romantic. When Elizabeth turned and flashed a small smile, her face haloed by curls and the low lighting, it was perfect. His lips captured hers in a deep kiss. When they finally broke apart, gasping for air, he felt her fingers nimbly trying to undo the laced closure of the vest he wore. He caught her hands and stilled them.
“Let me,” he asked. She smiled coyly and flattened her hands on his chest, waiting patiently. He loved she trusted him so much. John began by leaving light kisses at the corner of her mouth while he reached around and began to undo the lacing on her own top. The knots came undone and he pulled the suede straps from their holes as his lips worked their way up to her ear and then back down along her jaw to the elegant junction of her neck and shoulder. Here the Athosian’s had painted a cluster of flowers and leaves which spilled down her shoulders into vines that wound around her arms. He traced the pattern with kisses and soft nips as he worked the strap free of the top. The leather lace fell to the ground. Elizabeth sighed as John drew the straps off her shoulders and pulled the top away. It too fell to the ground. As John’s hands came up to cover her breasts, the sigh turned into a small moan. “Beautiful,” he whispered into her ear.
Elizabeth’s hands had wandered over his chest while he’d been undoing the top she wore. They’d settled onto his hips after he’d removed the garment. Her fingers began to play with the leather lacing on either side of his legs. The left side had been undone and she’d loosened the right when he caught her hands once more.
“Let me, please?” He placed a kiss on her nose. Elizabeth pouted.
“You’re wearing too much,” she protested. He kissed her soundly and unceremoniously shucked off the vest.
“Better?” he asked against her lips.
“Much,” she replied, restless hands roaming over the planes of his chest. John’s own hands went to her waist and began undoing the lacing on her skirt. He only bothered to loosen the laces this time and was quickly able to push the fabric off her hips. It fell to the ground in a soft rustle of fabric. While the top had been supportive enough he didn’t have to deal with a bra, she wore black panties under the skirt. He continued to kiss her while he batted her hands away from his pants. Deciding she needed to be distracted, he kissed his way down her chest then licked one taut nipple with little flicks of his tongue. She moaned and wove her fingers into his hair.
John kissed his way back up her body, ending up at her ear. “Bed,” he said huskily, tugging at her panties with two fingers.
“Yes,” she agreed between kisses, “Definitely.” They stumbled backwards to the bed, collapsing on it. John tugged off the black panties with a grin. He found the familiar Victoria’s Secret amid the exotic, unfamiliar Athosian surroundings very sexy. Sexy as they were, he forgot about them after roguishly tossing them over his shoulder. They landed somewhere in the vicinity of her skirt and top. He quickly got rid of his pants and joined her on the bed, clad only in his boxers.
Elizabeth sighed as he resumed his assault on her chest, slowly licking one taught peak then giving the same lavish attention to the other. She’d never understood the obsession men had with breasts, but she wasn’t going to complain when his touch felt so damn nice. He stopped abruptly and she lifted her head to see what he was doing. John offered her an impish grin before he started to kiss and lick his way along the vines and flowers painted on her skin. She hummed in pleasure, letting her eyes slide shut and her head fall back into the surprisingly soft pillows as he followed the twisting path down her body.
One of the vines had dainty flowers drawn every inch or so. It started near her collarbone and wound its way down her side then curled around her navel before curling around her opposite hip. He kissed each flower as he followed the trail downwards, smiling against her skin when her hands clenched briefly in his hair. His fingers brushed the inside of her thigh, following the pattern drawn there. He kissed her, the scent of her arousal mixing with the taste of her skin. Her legs moved, allowing him better access, but John had other ideas for now. A second vine covered with intricate flowers the size of half dollars twisted around her leg. He began kissing his way down that path, enjoying her natural beauty and the artistry of the designs. The patterns grew more intricate as he drew closer to her feet; small animals and birds joined depictions of what looked like what passed for wheat in Pegasus. John went to her other leg and followed another vine back up to her hips. He placed a kiss on her hipbone and her fingers went back into his hair, mussing it further.
Elizabeth shuddered against his touch as his fingers ghosted their own patterns on her thighs and through her dark curls. John teased, letting his fingers dance closer to her center then back again. Finally John brushed her clit with his thumb. Her breath caught in a little erotic hitch that he wanted to hear again. He moved his fingers over her and then in her and was rewarded with the same little sounds. She was hot and wet and he needed to taste her too. Tongue followed fingers making her moan in a needy way he’d never expected to hear from this woman. He reveled in the primal thrill for a moment as he worked her with increasing speed. Her hands left his hair and curled in the bedding. Her hips started to move under his assault as she neared climax. John needed to see her this first time. He sat up and watched her while he continued to stroke her with his fingers and thumb. He crooked his fingers trying to find that one spot he knew would send her over. She came with his name on her lips, back arching, hands clutching the bedding. She was exquisitely beautiful.
John quickly got rid of his boxers then rejoined her on the bed. Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered open, unfocused. She uttered a breathy “oh,” before John was assaulting her lips with his own. He needed to be in her now, needed to love her now. Every inch of his body screamed with need. He touched the side of her face with a tender hand, trying to focus on her rather than the storm of heat centered on his groin. He didn’t want this first time to be a quick fuck, but he was rapidly losing the will to restrain himself.
“John,” she moaned his name, pressing a kiss to his palm.
“Elizabeth,” he whispered, nibbling the shell of her ear. He slid into her then, head dropping to her shoulder with a groan. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders while his slid under hers. He rested on his elbows, cupping the back of her head with one hand.
“God…John,” she moaned and hooked one leg over his hip, drawing him deeper. He growled into her shoulder and swiveled his hips drawing a gasp. He rose up over her, looking down at with a heated expression. She smiled back at him through hazy, lust filled eyes. John darted down for a kiss then shifted in an out of her. She gasped against his mouth and rocked against his next thrust, shifting her hips this time. He moaned as she slid around him, slick and hot. One of her hands clutched at his shoulder while the other wound through his hair. Elizabeth buried her head against his neck, muffling the gasp he drew from her lips every time he thrust into her. He reached down to touch her as he moved. Her moans got louder as he thrust and rubbed with increasing speed. He pressed his fingers against her harder, rubbing in counter point to his thrusts and was rewarded when she came a second time, inner walls clenching around him, driving him insane. Her cry of release against his shoulder destroyed any thought he had left about drawing their first time together out any longer. His hips rocked into her powerfully, drawing her orgasm out and finally setting off his own release. He’d had good sex before, but this was truly mind blowing. Stars danced in his vision as he grunted her name and came into her.
When he regained some ability to think he realized her was lying heavily across her. He rolled them so she was on top, but that’s where his coherent thoughts ended. The sudden movement elicited a little moan from the back of her throat which made his dick still deep within her twitch slightly.
“God, Elizabeth,” he moaned. She practically purred her answering laugh. She shifted so she lay next to him on the bed. He pulled her close to him, tucking her head under his chin and felt her own rapid heartbeats begin to slow. She hummed a happy sound against his neck as she placed a kiss there. “I wanted that to last longer,” he told her, “I wanted to please you,” he half pouted. She chuckled languidly.
“You’re not going to get complaints from me for that,” she kissed his jaw. “We’ve got plenty of time to practice,” she purred into his ear.
“Mmm true,” he replied, kissing her. She made that happy humming sound again and he laughed lightly. “Never figured you for the sex kitten type,” She ducked her head under his chin so he couldn’t see her blush.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, yet,” She replied cheekily.
“Yet,”
“Mmm, yes. Yet.” He caught the fingers drawing lazy patterns on his chest and kissed them. “I think they’ll know what we’ve been up to,” she admitted, “I don’t think I’ll be able to stop smiling.”
“My ego loves you,” he told her. John rolled them so she was once again pinned under him. “I love you too.” He kissed her deeply to emphasize the point.
“John? Elizabeth?” They broke their kiss at the sound of Teyla’s voice. “We’ll need you back out here soon.”
“Thanks,” John called back.
“Drat,” Elizabeth said.
“Think we have time?” John asked.
Elizabeth thought it over for a moment before deciding no, they didn’t. “No,” she rubbed a hand up his chest. “We’ll have to pick this up later.” John sighed dramatically then rolled off the bed.
“I’ll hold you to that,” He grinned.
“I’m counting on it. So what’d you do with my underwear?”
They rejoined the festival wearing new clothing in the same cut but in softer spring colors. Elizabeth in a soft green that set off her eyes and wearing a garland of flowers in her hair and around her wrists and ankles. John wore soft suede in medium to light blues.
The food was being served and the freshly scrubbed kids were pouring out of various homes and making a beeline for the serving tables. People who weren’t quite ready to eat had started a dance circle around the bonfire while a lively band played. The Athosian Elders greeted them at the edge of the common area and embraced them. A receiving line of sorts began to form up behind them, the Athosians joining at a much more sedate pace than the Atlantis expedition members once they realized that their leaders had reappeared.
“Have a good time?” Desilda asked John as his forehead touched hers. He blushed deeply and went beat red, caught off guard. She released him and greeted Elizabeth the same way. “I’ll take that as a yes then?” she asked the other leader. Elizabeth actually giggled. The older woman smiled and, after giving john a matronly pat on the shoulder, wandered off into the crowd.
“I am happy for you both,” Teyla, the next person in line, said. Elizabeth was about to reply when she was interrupted.
“What the hell was that?” Rodney McKay asked loudly. He’d had nearly an hour to get up to a good bluster. He was a man who prided himself on knowing everything and this had truly surprised him. Rodney didn’t like surprises. He pushed his way through the crowd and offered each friend a scowl.
“Hi Rodney, nice to see you too,” John greeted his teammate. His hand went unconsciously to the small of Elizabeth’s back, a gesture that did not go unnoticed.
“You and she?” he pointed from one to the other. “So you really?” he paused, “you changed your clothes. And you were gone and awfully- Oh god! It’s like finding my parents were having sex. Oh god!”
“Rodney,” Elizabeth called him to task. He looked sorry for a moment but indignation at being left out overcame that.
“Rodney,” Teyla said in a soothing voice, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come dance with me?”
“Dance?”
“Please?” she asked offering him a warm smile and her hand. He took her hand after a moment but pointed an accusatory finger at Sheppard. Elizabeth arched an imperious brow and Rodney decided to let this one go for now. He followed Teyla to the dance circle, grumbling the entire way.
“Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Weir.” They turned and faced the next person who’d pushed their way into the front of the line.
“Colonel Caldwell,” Sheppard greeted the other officer, unconsciously straightening his posture.
“Stephen,” Weir greeted.
The commander looked at one then the other critically, then offered his hand to first John then Elizabeth. “Just don’t screw up,” He said folding his hands behind his back and wandering off into the crowd.
“That went well,” John commented sotto voice. Elizabeth swatted him and greeted the next person in line, a beaming Carson.
The party continued into the night. When the guests had greeted the new couple then eaten and drunk, the dancing had began in earnest. John found Elizabeth standing at the edge of the circle, finally free of her Poker night cohorts who’d quickly sussed out what exactly they’d been doing in the hour or so they’d disappeared.
“Did they flog you too badly for springing this on them?” he asked. She smiled and lopped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. The flowers in her hair crackled, releasing their delicate scent into the air.
“I’ll survive. The penance is apparently a bar of chocolate each.” He grinned at the pout in her voice.
“Ouch! Tough crowd.” He kissed her. “You’ll just have to win it all back.”
“Yep,” she smirked. They stood in silence for a few moments watching their friends and family dance around in the night, chuckling when Teyla got Rodney to do one of the more intricate dances.
“Think anyone would notice if we snuck off?” John whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. His hands rubbed the small of her back.
“No,” she replied with equal heat. Hand in hand they slipped out into the spring night.
~Fin.