Scum of the Galaxy: Chapter 3

Sep 03, 2006 20:31

Title: Scum of the Galaxy
Author: rhin_ariel
Rating: R overall, PG13 for the chapter
Notes: Atlantis AU
Pairings: Sheppard/Weir, mentions of Ford/Teyla and Ronon/Teyla
Summary: It's the morning after the night before, and there's a familiar figure waiting in the bar.


John woke up quickly and glanced around the room. He was glad to see there was nothing suspicious to report. It was a force of habit for John now to check any room he was in. There had been too many close calls in the past, some of which had lead to a few nasty scars.

He looked down to find Elizabeth still asleep. Her head was rested on his chest, with one arm across his waist. He debated about waking her up, but instead he just watched her. He watched her rise and fall as she breathed softly, he could feel her breath on his skin. He watched her face for a while. Her mouth was pulled into a slight smile and her eyelids flickered slightly every so often.

‘Must be a good dream,’ thought John.

Her arm shifted slightly and her hand came to rest on John’s side. Her fingers were moving slowly and seemed to ghost patterns across his skin. John tried to concentrate on what the patterns could be. When he realised what they were, he had to smile.

In her sleep, Elizabeth Weir was drawing out the gate address to the planet they were on.

“Trying to make sure I don’t forget.”

“Excuse me?”

John jumped slightly and looked back at Elizabeth’s face. Her eyes were open and she was smiling up at him, though she looked a little confused.

“Did I say what I said out loud?”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at John’s slightly bizarre question, but she obliged with a reply.

“Yes. Why?”

“I was just thinking, didn’t realise I’d said it. Sorry if I woke you.”

“I was awake anyway.”

Elizabeth shifted up the bed slightly and kissed John lightly on the lips.

“Good morning John.”

“Good morning Elizabeth.”

They kissed again, this time for a little longer. When they broke apart, Elizabeth turned and clambered out of the bed. She walked across towards her drawer.

“Where are you going?”

She turned her head slightly as she pulled open a couple of draws.

“Some of us have a bar to run John.”

Suddenly, she felt a set of arms wrap their way around her waist. A head was resting on her shoulder and there was a voice next to her ear.

“You could take the day off.”

He began to kiss her shoulder, and then moved up to her neck.

For a moment, Elizabeth was lost as her mind clouded over. It had been so long since she’d seen him, and last night had been amazing. She could take one day off, couldn’t she?

“That’s not how things work around here John, and you know it.”

“Fine.”

John pulled away and went to find his underwear. He knew it was somewhere in her bedroom.

This time it was John who felt a set of arms around his waist and a head on his shoulder.

“I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

Turning his head, John kissed Elizabeth lightly on the lips.

“You better.”

At last, Elizabeth and John entered the bar. John had managed to find his clothes from the night before, though he had vowed to Elizabeth he would go out and buy some new clothes soon. Elizabeth had settled on a long skirt and shirt. It was very rare that she would wear trousers regardless of what she was doing.

Both were taken aback to find a new arrival sat at the bar.

“Teyla?”

The new arrival looked up and smiled.

“Yes?”

Teyla was a friend of both John and Elizabeth, but both knew she wasn’t here just to visit them. They watched as she turned on her stool to face them. She wore a pair of dark trousers and a purple top. Her dark jacket was lying on the bar. Behind her, Ronon was sitting looking solemn. They both shared well-tanned skin, making Elizabeth look even paler.

“You got a hair cut.”

Teyla let out a slight laugh at John’s seemingly pointless comment.

“Yes I did,” she said holding some strands of hair in front of her face. “Shorter hair is easier when you’re on a job and trying to remain hidden. Long hair gets caught on things.”

Being caught was the last thing Teyla needed. Teyla was one of the few female assassins in the Pegasus Galaxy. She was also one of the best out of the women and the men.

“You’re looking well Teyla.”

“Thank you Elizabeth. You do as well. I’m sorry I haven’t been around for a while, I’ve had quite a few jobs on.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure you and John have things you want to discuss.”

Everyone knew what Elizabeth meant, but no one wanted to say it out loud.

“Thank you. Is there anywhere we could talk privately?”

“You can use my rooms. John, you know where they are.”

“Sure, thanks.”

Teyla jumped off her stool, grabbing her jacket as she did. She hurried over to John and they quickly disappeared out of the bar.

Elizabeth watched them go before turning her attention back to the bar. Carson was pouring out a large slug of something into the glass before Ronon. She walked across and sat herself on the stool that Teyla had just vacated.

“Something wrong?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

“You realise that I know you’re lying?”

“Yep.”

“So, are you really going to tell me what’s wrong?”

Ronon sighed loudly. He picked up his glass, downed half of it and then turned to face Elizabeth.

“I like her. I’ve always liked her. But there was all that stuff about her and Ford. I mean, she took it really hard when he disappeared. I helped her through it though. And things seemed to be going well. Things weren’t perfect, but we were getting closer. But now Sheppard’s back from his search and all she talk about is ‘Aiden’. I’m worried that everything’s going to go back to square one.”

When he’d finished speaking, he downed the other half of his glass and motioned for Carson to fill it up again.

“So quite simply, you don’t want to lose what you have with Teyla because you like her.”

“Exactly.”

“And you’re worried that if John’s found Aiden, it’s over for you two.”

“Yep.”

Elizabeth sighed and looked down at the bar top.

“If he’d found him, he would have brought him home. He hasn’t found him Ronon.”

“Oh.”

Ronon didn’t know whether to feel sad for Teyla or happy that things weren’t over.

“So stop feeling jealous. And stop drinking, I need you sober!”

Elizabeth turned to Ronon and smiled. She was glad to see him smile back at her.

----------

John ignored some of the looks he got off the girls as he ushered Teyla into Elizabeth’s quarters. Mostly they were smirking, clearly knowing everything that had happened the night before. A few seemed to be glaring however. After all, he was with another woman. In fact, one of the girls in the corridor looked as though she was about to kill him, so John quickly stepped into the room and shut the door.

“So, how have things been Teyla?”

Teyla turned to look at John sadly.

“You haven’t found him, have you?”

John sighed and tried to meet Teyla’s eyes, but he couldn’t. She had been the last person he’d seen before he’d left a year ago. He’d made a promise to her, and now he’d broken it.

“I looked. I followed every lead to every planet. I couldn’t find him. I’m sorry.”

“Then why did you come back?”

The look on her face nearly broke John’s heart. The pair had been in love, it had been plain to see. And then, he’d gone. No note. No message. Nothing. One day he was there, the next day he’d gone. Everyone who knew him was worried. After a month, John had decided to try to find him. He’d left late at night to avoid attracting attention, but Teyla had followed him to the Gate.

“I promise I’ll find him and I won’t come back until I’ve found him Teyla.”

That was the last thing he’d said to her. And yet, he’d come back.

“I can’t search for him forever Teyla. I have my own life to think about. I haven’t done a job in a year, so I’ve gotten no money in a year. I need to live my life for a while before I start any start of hunt for him again. I’m so sorry Teyla.”

“I understand John. He was your friend too.”

It was true; she knew that John and Aiden had been close. They had been friends for a number of years, and it had been John who had introduced her to Aiden.

Teyla had always been sceptical about love, and she had definitely never believed in love at first sight. But the minute she had met Aiden’s eyes, she had fallen for him. They both knew a relationship would be difficult, considering their work. Aiden was a weapons expert; it was his job to provide any type of weapon to any person who requested it. They could be in any part of the galaxy at any time, usually in very dangerous situations. But they managed it.

And then, one night he’d left on a job and never come back. Teyla had been on a job of her own at the time, but she had arrived back just a few days later. It had broken her heart when she realised he was missing without a trace. She had turned to Ronon for support, and things had developed from there. She cared deeply about Ronon, but Aiden was…different.

“We still have no idea why he went missing.”

John’s voice suddenly broke through Teyla’s train of thought.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, he went on a job and he never came back. He’s either been captured, which I doubt, or he’s gone on the run. But, we still have no idea why he would go missing.”

“I don’t know either.”

Tears were welling up in her eyes, but she fought them down. She was a ruthless assassin not a mourning widow.

“I’m sure he’ll come back Teyla. He has to, he loves you.”

A smile spread across Teyla’s face slightly as she met John’s eyes.

“I hope so John. I really do.”

ronon/teyla, sheppard/weir, ford/teyla, scum of the galaxy

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