Tilt-A-Whirl

2:19AM - Stages of Love challenge fic: Romance - Rodney/Teyla

Romance is not something that Rodney McKay does well. He knows the motions, knows what most women-Earth women at least - expect: flowers, kind words, perhaps even a bit of poetry recited beneath a full moon.

Given that most of the women he's come into contact with in the last few years have been scientists, he throws in the possibility of differential equations discussed by the light of an LCD screen.

Rodney is not at a complete loss when it comes to women but he lacks Sheppard's easy charm or Ronon's gruff appeal. He's not exactly sure what he has to offer someone like Teyla Emmagan. She's a leader, his teammate and a skilled warrior. She’s of his league.

What Rodney does have is this: a memory of warm cinnamon skin beneath his fingers. The light press of her body against his own as they danced in the Suvassan Great Hall. Teyla’s stunned surprise when he told her she was beautiful. The blossoming of something terrifyingly wanton in his own heart.

And since this is Atlantis, where anything can happen, morning finds Rodney sitting next to Teyla on the balcony outside his room as the sun rises. A small round bodied porcelain tea pot sits next to a personal coffee press on a low table between them. Teyla is leaning back against her chair, eyes closed, her hands curved around the white porcelain tea cup that holds a generous serving of Gunpowder Green. She looks…peaceful and it occurs to him that he’s never actually seen her really relax. A secret part of him hopes that he had a part in helping her do so.

**

Impulse made him ask Cadman, of all people, to bring the tea ware back from Earth. All that was left was his bumbling invitation to Teyla to share a morning pot of tea. With him. He’s so sure that she’ll say no with her enigmatic smile firmly in place that he almost doesn’t hear her response.

“I would be honored to share the morning time with you, Rodney.”

He looks down at the brown fingers that rest lightly on his arm and then he looks at her face. She’s not laughing but she is smiling and he figures he’s done something right.

**

Rodney wants to ask her but he doesn’t want to be crass and he’s sure Teyla can hear his thoughts churning. Having tea together doesn’t necessarily mean that she wants anything more or even wants him. But for once, he wants to be the guy who asks, who takes a chance with the one person who may actually get him – or at least pretends to.

He’s screwing up his courage and he’s turning toward her, the words forming on his lips when her eyes open and she turns to look him. Her cup is on the table and she’s taking his hand and she’s saying the words, she’s asking. And he says the only thing that comes to mind.

“Yes.”

1:04AM - Firefly/BSG RPS: "Serenity Awaits" Gina/Katee (G)

Pt. 1.

Gina was flipping through her copy of the script and making notes.

It was good. No, scratch that, it was damned good. She had to admit, for all the Buffy hype, Joss was a crazy-assed loon. A *smart* crazy-assed loon.

"Cowboys in space, hookers, moral ambiguity; what's not to like?"

Gina looked up to see a blonde standing near the coffee table. The other woman tossed the contents of two sugar packets into a large styrofoam cup and then topped it off with a dash of cream. Young looking, pretty, with a shit-eating grin that Gina couldn't help but like, she sauntered over and dropped down in a chair next to the other actress.

Gina put her pen in the script to hold her place and cocked an eyebrow at her companion. "Sounds like you've got an inside track..." She let her voice drift off and the other woman picked up the cue.

"Oh, sorry, 'name's Katee. Katee Sackhoff." Katee put her coffee on a nearby table and thrust out her hand. Gina took it and was surprised by the firmness of her handshake. In her business, limp handshakes from other women were the norm. "No inside track but I read the script a bunch of times just to make sure it was for real." She still held on to Gina's hand. "You're Gina Torres."

A smile tugged at Gina's generous mouth. "Yeah," she said lightly.

"Of course this is the point where I gush that I've seen you on TV," Katee quipped back saucily.

Katee's good humor was infectious and she squeezed the pale hand in her own before she withdrew. "So, what part are you playing?" All of the others had been cast except for the aforementioned space hooker - whoops, Companion, and the pilot.

Katee's smile turned a bit sly. "The pilot."

Gina sat back and swallowed. This little girl (okay, she wasn't all that little but she was definitely a few years younger than Gina herself) was going to be Serenity's hot shot pilot and her...

"I'm you're wife."

One more look into those twinkling blue eyes and Gina knew she was in deep trouble.

12:55AM - WIP: SGA - Weir, Cadman, Emmagan - Amazons

Setting: post-The Long Goodbye

Elizabeth breathed then lunged, the silver knife slicing through the air at her imagined opponent. Her muscles were slightly stiff from overuse. It wasn't often that she was able to get away by herself to practice but her continued masquerade as the head of the Atlantis mission as well as her recent encounter with John provided a needed reminder that she couldn't let her own skills slide. She may not have been one of Themiscrya's best fighters but that didn't mean she was without means to defend herself.

8:44AM - SGA: Intentions Series: Vigilant (Lorne POV)

Title: Vigilant
POV: Lorne
Series: Intentions (Sequel to A Declaration of Intent, Special, and Edge)
Rating: G
Spoilers: Slightly for The Hive.
Summary: Lorne knows all about waiting.
A/N: the battle of Grenada (Operation Urgent Fury)took place from 23 October to 21 November 1983.

Vigilant


Marcus was a teenager when his mother shipped out to Grenada. One phone call in the middle of the night, a kiss to his forehead and she was gone. Jennifer Lorne was away for just over a month but to her son and her husband, it felt like forever.

Lorne lit the small votive candle in front of the picture and watched as the flame flickered into life.

The picture, an image of Teyla kitted out in her away team uniform with her staves tucked under one arm, rested against a tall glass enclosed candle on the altar. Other mementos decorated the altar's surface as did candles, sticks of incense, at least one Tibetan singing bowl and various icons and statues.

Situated in a far off corner in Atlantis' makeshift chapel, this was the soldiers' space. No one knew who started it. By the time Lorne arrived in Atlantis, the altar had sprouted into a kaleidiscope of belief that somehow managed to encompass even the self-identified athiests and agnostics in the expedition.

Pictures were an integral of the landscape. Over time, each and every soldier's picture had been posted on the altar itself or on the wall behind it. Some were new, others had dates written beneath the image. There were too many of those to look at comfortably.

**

They watched the network news only a few times during the conflict (it wasn't big enough to call a war) and instead opted to get their information from the shortwave radio. The BBC always had the best broadcast and Marcus and his father would leave it on for the better part of the evening.

Jennifer was out there, on a tiny Carribean island, probably working triage while her son and husband went on with their lives. It still amazed Marcus that his parents were together at all: she was Army, his father a former Marine. Somehow they worked. They had him and they were family even when Jennifer was gone.

Every night they lit a candle and put it in the window. "Always leave a light on," Thomas said. "That way she can find her way home."

**

Teyla's picture on the altar had been a surprise. The juxtaposition of her Atlantean uniform and her own weapons was not lost on him: Teyla bridged both worlds with a deft grace that Lorne admired. But he hadn't realized that many considered her a soldier like themselves and worthy of respect on that basis alone. The picture was evidence of that.

Lorne sat back on the hard metal chair and contemplated the candle's flicker against the image.

AR-1 was still missing. Somewhere in the black, on a Wraith ship. His stomach twisted as his mind supplied the "what ifs" and "maybes." He brutally stamped out the doubts and concentrated on the woman who had slowly settled in a safe place inside of him.

**


"How do you stand it?" Marcus asked his father late one Saturday night. "The waiting?"

They sat on the porch together watching the stars while Thomas puffed on a cigarette. A few moments passed before he finally answered.

"It's hard to wait," he began. "The news turns bad or we don't hear from her for a while; that's when it's really rough. The not knowing."

He stubbed his cigarette on the ground and flipped the butt into the ashtray. "I used to tell myself that your mom was safe, way behind the front lines. That no one would dare try and hit a hospital." Thomas didn't turn toward his son but looked out over the backyard towards the stand of trees that stood at the far end. "That's my mind talking. My heart knows different. I've been out there. I know what it's like. And I know that no one place is actually safe."

Moonlight glinted on his father's prematurely silver hair, still cut high and tight even after he'd left the Corps.

"When Jen and I got together, I knew this would be part of it. Waiting for her. And I knew that I wouldn't be able to fix it, to go out and find her if she ever got lost." Thomas looked at his Marcus then. "So all I can do is this. Wait. Pray. Keep you safe and keep us going while she's gone."

A cold breeze caressed Marcus' skin and he shivered. "Does it ever get easier?"

A pause. "No."



**

He never thought he'd be in this place himself, waiting for news of someone he cared about. But the Pegaus Galaxy broke all the rules. It was one big front line.

His radio crackled to life. "Major Lorne, please report to the Daedalus."

"On my way."

His hand reached out and brushed the edge of Teyla's picture, taking in one last look before he left the room. As he walked towards the transport tube, Rodney joined him.

"Major."

He barely spared the other man a glance. "Dr. McKay."

The two men walked in silence. Just as they were about to step into the tube, Rodney turned to Lorne. "We'll get them back," he said fiercely, clutching his hands together to stop them from shaking. The forced withdrawl from the Wraith enzyme, though successful, was not without it's costs.

A myriad of emotions flickered across the scientist's face with the most dominant one being a calm determination. Lorne felt something shift inside him and he nodded at Rodney.

"Yeah, doc, we'll get them back."

Or die trying, he added to himself. Either way, the waiting was over.

12:18AM - NaNo - Day 1

It's not appallingly bad but, boy, it's gonna need editing.

1:58AM - And we're off

5:43PM - NaNoWriMo

Tilt-A-Whirl is my official NaNoWriMo headquarters this year. I'll be recording all of my progress, some WIPs, and word counts here.



Since I've dedicated myself to a fannish effort this time around, here are some details:

Fandom: SGA
Characters: Teyla Emmagan, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, original characters as needed.
Disclaimer: Characters owned by MGM, et. al. not mine. Just being used for fun. All original characters and situations are mine, however.

2:34PM - Success

The Teyla/Lorne fics now have a title, because I think they're actually becoming a series: Intentions

The stories are:

1. Declarations of Intent (used to be untitled)
2. Special
3. Edge (PWP interlude)

There may be more. In fact, I think there will be.

2:34AM - SGA fic: Edge - Teyla/Lorne NC-17

Title: Edge
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Teyla/Lorne
Genre: Het PWP
Spoilers: post-Trinity AU.
Notes: part of my Teyla/Lorne fandango which will someday have a name. Not my characters, only my situations. Probably squicky for some so don't read it if that's the case.
Summary: Teyla. Lorne. Fisting.

for blacksquirrel, ayodele, and others who thought this was possible.

~Edge~

Lorne likes the way Teyla moves with him when they make love. The slide of taut muscles beneath impossibly soft skin reminds him that she is a delightful contradiction. For a woman so seemingly small, Teyla has strength in abundance. There's something very sexy about that fact that turns Lorne on.

Propped against the pillows of her bed, Teyla is stretched out before him, her skin lightly skimmed with sweat. He's been playing with her for a while, the fingers of one hand stroking, bringing up her wetness. The other smoothing over the slight roundness of her belly. They have plenty of time since neither one of them is on duty and so they're taking things slow. Rushing will not do.

His fingers slide in and out of the warm silkiness of her; the walls of her cunt undulate against him. He knows the right moment to introduce a third finger, the hitch in her breathing reminding him to slow long enough to let her adjust to this new sensation.

"You tease me," she whispers before her voice cuts off in a soft 'oh' of surprise.

Lorne has four fingers inside her now, tucked into her wetness, sliding softly. The first time he'd done this, it had been with a waitress from a seedy little bar near Edwards. She'd taken him home with her and over the course of the evening showed him that not every woman needed a dick to satisfy her.

Brown skinned body rises and falls as he presses forward and withdraws, curling the tips of his fingers up just enough to touch the soft secret spot deep within Teyla's cunt. More wetness floods his hand as Teyla arches her back and presses her head into the pillows. Gutteral words fall from her lips in a language that Lorne doesn't recognize but somehow understands because he's probably said them himself.

God. God almighty.

He feels like a god or at least something like it knowing that he holds Teyla in this place with just this one hand. And she's clenching around him so tight that it's hard to pull his hand back. He slips his free hand up her body to tweak a nipple and it distracts her long enough for him to slide his hand out of her but not all the way.

Lorne tucks his thumb into his palm and begins to push forward. He whispers, "relax," and Teyla does.

He can feel her heat in the tips of his fingers as he pushes, pushes, collapes his hand so he can slip past the ring of bone that is the last barrier before he's in, and curling his hand back up until it's a fist and then pulling back to graze his knuckles against the bone and hearing Teyla shriek as he rotates and pushes back in to stroke and to pull and to push and to feel her clenching pulling him into her and pushing out light heat energy life all back into his hand.

And it's here that he knows what he holds; in the throb of her heartbeat against his knuckles, the deep hard clench of her muscles against him as he strokes and pushes and pulls. Until finally. Finally Teyla is up and over and shouting to the Ancients and he's thanking God for this woman who can take this from him, trust him and his power. His gift.

When she finally lets him go - and it's a good long while before she does, Lorne lays beside her, holding her against him. Teyla grasps his hand, still wet from her cum, and pulls it up until it rests against her heart. "That was," she begins but the words fail. Lorne smiles against her shoulder and pulls her closer.

"Rest," he says. The words will be there when they're ready.

12:41AM - SGA: Special - Teyla/Lorne

Title: Special
Rating: PG-ish
Pairing: Teyla/Lorne
Genre: Het
Spoilers: post-Trinity AU.
Notes: follow-up to my previous untitled Teyla/Lorne ficlet. Not beta'd. Killing time while I work out the Teyla/Lorne smutfic. Not my characters, only my situations.
Summary: John decides to find out Lorne's intentions. Lorne is amused.

Special~

John scanned the mess hall until he spotted Lorne sitting at a window-side table with two of Atlantis' Marines. Squaring his shoulders he walked over to the table and nodded at the three men before fixing his prey with a look.

"Lorne, got a minute?"

Lorne took one last bite of food then pushed his plate aside. "Sure." He nodded at his friends who had gotten up to leave. "Later guys." Once they were gone, he turned his attention back to John. "What can I do for you, Colonel?" he asked.

"You can tell me just what it is you're doing with a member of my team." The words tumbled out of John's mouth in a hot rush before he could stop them.

Lorne looked at John speculatively. "Sir," he said, "I think we ought to talk about this outside."

John nodded. "I think that would be a very good idea. Major."

The two men walked out to the far end of the balcony just outside of the mess, which guaranteed them a little privacy. Lorne leaned back against the railing and folded his arms over his chest and regarded John. The previous reminder of his rank was not lost on him. "What is it you want to ask me, sir?"

John shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Well," he began tentively, "I saw you and Teyla walking together recently."

"Really."

Lorne's deadpan delivery was a perfect match to the eyebrow that had crooked in an eerily familiar (at least it looked that way to John) fashion. He regrouped and tried to elaborate. "Yes. The day she came back from Belka, in fact."

"Mmm hmm."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

Lorne paused as if to think about it for a moment. "Not particularly, sir."

It suddenly occured to John that when he was doing all the talking. Lorne was being Lorne: polite to a fault, patient and, at that moment, utterly infuriating. Finally, he just decided to take the direct route. "Major, are you dating Teyla?"

Lorne's eyes flicked over his shoulder before resting back on John's face. "You might just want to ask her that yourself, sir," he replied casually.

John's blood froze as he realized what Lorne was telling him. "She's standing behind me, isn't she?" he muttered.

"Yes, Colonel."

I am so fucked, John thought. He hadn't even heard her come up behind him.

"Colonel Sheppard." Her tone was deceptively mild but he could hear the slight disapproval in her tone.

I am really, really fucked. John turned around and bravely faced his teammate with a smile. "Teyla, hey! How was the mainland?"

Teyla wasn't fooled by his false heartiness for a minute. "My people are fine as are the new crops," she replied. "I believe you asked Marcus a question."

That got his attention. John looked from Teyla to Lorne and back. "Marcus? You call him Marcus?"

"That is his name." Pause. "You wished to know if we were in a relationship, did you not?"

Feeling like the kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, John drew himself up and said, "Yes. I wanted to know if you two were involved." He heard an amused snort behind him and pressed on. "But it's just because I care, Teyla."

"I see." Teyla looked as though she were about to laugh but she quickly tamped it down in favor of her patented "I am a leader, do not mess with me" look. "Rest assured, Colonel, things are well under control."

She held out her hand and Lorne stepped around John to take it. He raised it briefly to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles before taking a step behind her to stand at her shoulder. If John could have harnessed the heat that seemed to flow between them, he'd be able to beat the Wraith with one hand behind his back.

"Marcus and I are...negotiating our terms," Teyla continued, her voice practically a purr. "In fact, we were going to continue doing that this afternoon."

"Oh." John nodded quickly as he quickly shunted away any thoughts of what those "negotiations" might entail. "I guess, um, you should get back to it then."

"Yes we should, especially since Marcus is on duty later this evening." Teyla reached up and back so that she could run her fingers down Lorne's jaw. "It would not do for him to be late."

John had never seen this side of Teyla before: very much in control and deliberately sexy. A lethal combination that Lorne seemed only too willing explore if the satisfied grin he shot at John was any indication.

Something about that grin made John want to grind his teeth but he suppressed the impulse. "Lorne?"

"Sir?"

"You know what'll happen if I hear about anything that makes her unhappy?"

Lorne nodded. "Death, dismemberment, hanging me off a balcony by my fingertips? Yes, Colonel, I understand."

"Good. See that you do."

"I doubt there would be much left of him if he did not please me, Colonel." Teyla threw in as she leaned against the Marine. "You would have to wait your turn."

John didn't miss her warning: she was big girl, she was working her mojo and he needed to back off. But Teyla was also a good friend and friends didn't let other friends skip merrily off with a man who both attractive and deadly. There were rules.

"Understood. I'll see you two later."

As the couple turned and walked away, John realized something. Teyla was wearing a dress. A simple linen sheath that dropped to her calves topped by a leather belt slung about her hips. It covered more skin than what she wore for sparring but he'd never see her wear one before now. Apparently, Major Marcus Lorne was special enough for Teyla to put one on.

12:30AM - Beginning - Teyla/Lorne follow-up

It's only a snippet. I'll be working on this one:

**

John scanned the mess hall until he saw Marcus Lorne sitting at a window-side table with two other Marines. Squaring his shoulders he walked over to the table and nodded at the three men.

"Lorne, got a minute?"

Lorne took one last bite of food then pushed his plate aside. "Sure." He nodded at his friends who had gotten up to leave. "Later guys." Once they were gone, he turned his attention back to John. "What can I do for you, Colonel?" he asked, a slight smile on his face.

"You can tell me just what it is you're doing with a member of my team." The words tumbled out of John's mouth in a hot rush before he could stop them.

The smile winked out of existence and was replaced by a tight frown. Lorne sat up a little straighter, leaned forward in his chair and said tightly, "Sir, I think we ought to talk about this outside."

5:33PM - SGA: Mercenary Hearts

Written for the sga_flashfic Harlequin Challenge on LJ:

Title: Mercenary Hearts
Rating: PG-ish
Pairing: Rodney McKay/Teyla Emmagan
Genre: Het
Summary: Elizabeth Weir is a woman always gets what she wants by fair means or foul. When the Emmagan family beats back her takeover bid for their company, she calls on Dr. Rodney McKay, internationally renowned physicist and gentleman mercenary, to kidnap a very special target.

Notes: not beta'd because I think most of my friends would hang me out to dry. Enjoy.


Synopsis:

This was to be Rodney's last job. Tired of his double life, he agrees to kidnap Teyla Emmagan and hold her long enough for Elizabeth to force the sale of her family's company. But when word comes for him to kill her, Rodney finds himself unable to pull the trigger.

Teyla is conflicted. The man she thought was a trusted employee turns out to someone hired to kidnap her. Only after he puts his own life on the line for her does she realize that there is more to Rodney McKay than she thought imaginable.


That was then:

Rodney looked at the laughing young woman in the picture. She was beautiful, no doubt about that - almond shaped eyes, cafe au lait skin, and a smile that literally jumped off the page. The two men with her were just as attractive. The accompanying article came from the society pages of the Pegasus Examiner and contained details about the recent charity ball thrown by the Emmagan family that benefitted hurricane relief.

He closed the file and tossed it on the desk before him. "You know my terms," he said.

"Four million. Two million in your account now, the remaining to be deposited after I've completed my...negotiations with the Emmagan brothers." Elizabeth turned away from the massive picture window that dominated her office and walked over to sit on the edge of her desk. There was little to detract from Elizabeth's beauty except for the cold, ruthless heart that beat in her chest. Rodney was always grateful that he'd never given into the momentary impulse to sleep with her. Rumor had it that at least one of her former "flings" had ended up dying slowly of something that resembled ebola but was a lot nastier. Rodney figured it helped to have someone like Dr. Kate Heightmeyer working on retainer at Atlantis Pharmaceuticals. Besides, he hadn't stayed in this business as long as he had by being stupid.

"How long do you want me to hold the lovely Miss Emmagan?" His disdainful tone had been carefully cultivated over the years, and it served him well now.

Elizabeth tapped a finger against her lips consideringly. "Long enough for her brothers to come around to my way of thinking." She laughed, a light happy sound with an undertone of cruelty. "Ronon and Aiden love their sister very much."

Rodney stood up and straightend his cuffs. "Is there anything else?"

She walked up to Rodney and brushed a piece of lint from the front of his Armani jacket. "I just need to know that if things turn sour that you'll carry through the entire contract." Elizabeth pressed a little closer. "Teyla is quite lovely."

He took a step back and smirked. "I've never been swayed by a pretty face, Elizabeth. I'm not about to start now."

This is now:

Rodney burst into the room and dodged out of the way of table leg swung at his head. "What the hell?!?"

Teyla held the table leg like she knew how to use it. The body laying on the ground was proof of that.

He held a hand up and stuck his gun in his waistband. "Hold on."

"You bastard!" Teyla hissed and raised the table leg again as she rushed him. He caught it with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist to stop her from struggling. "Damn it, Teyla, stop!"

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm here to help you," he hissed. "If you'll let me."

Wounded brown eyes looked into his and he could feel her begin to relent. Long moments passed before she finally dropped the table leg and sagged against him. "That man tried to kill me."

Rodney looked down at her and said gently, "I know. Give me a minute."

He let her go then got down on one knee and turned the body over. "Sheppard."

"Who?"

"John Sheppard. He works for Elizabeth Weir." Rodney checked John's pulse. Faint but strong. At best, he had a mild concussion but that wouldn't stop Sheppard for long once he came to. Rodney stood up and looked at Teyla. "Grab some clothes. We've got to go."

Teyla took a deep breath to calm herself. "And just what is it you propose we do, *Doctor* McKay?"

Rodney's eyes became hard as he looked at her. "We run," he replied grimly.

5:12PM - SGA: Declarations of Intent - Teyla/other

Title: Declarations of Intent
Pairing: Teyla/other (c'mon it's a surprise)
Genre: Pre-ship
Rating: T
Spoilers: post-Trinity


A/N - Atlantis is eating my brain. Just thought you'd want to know


Declarations of Intent

He entered her quarters and found her stretched out on her bed, barely beneath the covers. She was still dressed in her uniform pants and her own top while her jacket had been thrown haphazardly on a nearby chair. The sheer hangings on the walls fluttered from a breeze blowing through an open window.

Teyla turned on her side and smiled at him. "Hello."

He took her greeting for assent and sat on the side of the bed next to her. "Hey," he replied. "I saw you in the gate room earlier. You looked tired."

She propped her head up on one hand and rested the other hand on the bed. "My trip went a bit differently than I expected," she said slowly. "However, I was successful in getting the grain my people needed."

His hand hesitantly covered hers, one roughened thumb stroking the soft skin of her fingers. "Never had any doubt that you'd get the job done," he murmured. "Want to tell me what happened?"

Her fingers curled around his and squeezed gently. "No, not today."

The finality of her statement brooked no argument and he tamped down the urge to dig until he got the answer he wanted. During his stay in Atlantis, he'd observed many things about Teyla Emmagan and one of those things was when not to push her on something.

"I hear you." He slipped his hand away from hers and gently brushed a stray lock from her forehead before reaching down to rub her shoulder. Teyla's slight wince and the tenseness he felt beneath his fingers told him everything he needed to know about her day.

He got up and walked over to the low table that held a small incense burner. Recalling the times she'd used it when they meditated together, he took a small ball of sticky resin, put it on the charcoal and lit it. Smoke drifted upward filling the room with a soft, musky scent. When he was finished, he turned to find her sitting up, watching him.

"Some would say that you are presumptuous," Teyla said, her voice considering. "You know where I keep my things."

He ducked his head, oddly shy. "It's my job to notice things," he replied then paused. "Especially when I'm courting someone."

This merited one perfectly arched eyebrow. "Courting?"

"Yes."

"I see."

She slipped off the bed and walked up to him. Teyla, though petite, had a presence which made her seem so much larger. "Those times we have spent together meditating, you have had other motives." Her eyes swept over him before landing once more on his face. "You think to play the hunter with me."

He could hear the amused undercurrent in her words. "Maybe."

"You will find that I am no easy prey, Marcus."

"Didn't think you would be." Marcus grinned at her. "I was sort of counting on that."

Teyla's lips twitched as she worked to hold back a smile, the day's cares seeming to drop from her. "I did not realize that you would be this...clever." She stepped in until they were almost touching and her voice dropped to a low growl. "Now that I know, I will have to be more careful around you."

Marcus chuckled. "You do that, ma'am. In the meantime, I came by to see if you'd like to get some dinner in the mess or I could bring some back here and share it with you."

Teyla grinned back at him. "I think we should go to the mess hall lest you get other ideas." Stepping back, she gestured towards the door. "If you would wait for me while I change?"

"Of course."

Marcus slipped into the hallway. A few minutes later, Teyla came out, having changed from her mission clothes to some soft leather pants and a linen shirt. "Shall we go?" she asked.

He nodded and they walked down the hall together talking. Neither of them saw Ronon step out from behind a nearby pillar. Just as he was about to follow the couple, a weary voice stopped him.

"You might want to leave that alone."

Ronan turned to find John standing behind him, having just stepped out from the transporter. From what Ronon had heard, his commander had had a fairly hard day himself and it showed. "I was just..." Ronon began.

John stepped up to him, his eyes hard. "You were just nothing. I don't know what happened today but I saw how Teyla looked when you two got back. I think you need to let her be for now. Understand?"

The faint undertone of command was enough for Ronon. He nodded at John and walked the other way.

John stuck his hands in his pockets and then followed in the wake of Teyla and Major Marcus Lorne. It looked like he'd be having a talk with the Major about his intentions at some point. Discretely of course.

Endnote: I'd seen Lorne referred to as Marcus on one particular site so that's what I went with.

1:11AM - SGA: Compline (T)

Title: Compline
Fandom: SGA
Catagorie(s): OT4, Team fic, AU
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex
Summary: The team is on the run but sometimes they get to rest.

A/N: A word or two about "Compline": The Office of Compline originated and developed in Southern Europe and the Middle East during the first six centuries of the Christian era. It was the last of the monastic “offices” of the day, “completing” the work of the day that had already gathered the community for worship at six specific times over its course. The quietness of the late evening hour, reflection on the course of the day, anticipation of the opportunities or threat of the coming day, and perhaps anxiety about the darkness and possible dangers of the night itself were all addressed by scripture, prayer, and hymns.
from The Chapel of the Cross Compline web page.

Compline~

John likes watching them sleep.

By the low light of the oil lamp, he sees that Rodney has one arm slung around Teyla's waist keeping her close to him while the other is folded beneath his head. Teyla's head rests beneath his chin, arms tucked in close to her chest making her seem even smaller than she actually is.

Rodney and Teyla are surprisingly gentle with each other in slumber, a far cry from their waking relationship which John can only characterize as caustically affectionate. There is a protectiveness in the way Rodney curls around Teyla. Early in their exile, Teyla told them that she doesn't dream of the Wraith when Rodney holds her, a fact which alternately pleased and embarassed the physicist. John likes to think that somehow Rodney is able to provide a type of protection he could not normally during a mission. The thought makes him smile.

A cool brush of air across his naked back alterts him that someone has come into the lodge and then a warm, slightly wet body presses against him even as strong arms slip around his waist. John tips his head back so he can rest it on Ronon's shoulder.

"Ramble done for the night?" he asks softly so as not wake the pair in the bed.

Ronon's beard scratches John lightly as the other man plants a kiss on John's throat. "Mmm, yeah, I'm done." The rolling timbre of Ronon's voice warms him. "Come to bed."

"In a minute."

One last kiss and Ronon slips around him to grab a towel and dry off. It's raining outside but not cold; when they arrive in Hellas it's high summer and periodic rain storms are part of the package. Ronon's nightly perimeter sweeps, a habit left over from his years as a runner, serve the dual purpose of helping him burn off energy in addition to making sure that nothing is lurking in the woods surrounding the village. The Hellans say nothing about this habit except to ask Ronon to teach some of their villagers how to track by night. It's a solid trade, one which benefits both parties: the Hellans learn a valuable skill and his people get a lodge of their own within the village proper.

John stands up, stretches then flexes his shoulders to get the kinks out. He blows out the oil lamp and makes his way to the side of the bed where Ronon is standing. John slides beneath the covers and shimmies close to Teyla's body, capturing some of her warmth. Ronon, in turn, wraps his arms around John and buries his face in his neck. His breath, warm and soft, tickles across John's skin.

This is home for now. Home for all of them until they can one day return to their beloved City. John Sheppard slides into sleep with his family all about him and dreams of a distant future.

(edit - 10/20/05)

11:36PM - Tilt-A-Whirl is open for bizness

Yep, I'm finally dedicating a journal just to my writing thang. Although I had a NaNoWriMo journal of the same name over on LJ, I never used it. So I'm giving it a go again. This will be a mix of fan fic as well as other things I'm working on.

Here's to hoping I actually stick to it.

11:10PM - SGA: Queens of the Spaceways pt.1 (WIP)

Tentative title: Queens of the Space Ways
Pairing: Teyla Emmagan, Elizabeth Weir
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis

Pt. 1

Elizabeth Weir rubbed her temples as the voices rose around her.

"...and I'm telling you, Colonel, you don't know jack shit about what I'm trying to do..."

"...well, maybe if you got off your high horse, *Doctor,* and explained things in a way that the rest of us understood then maybe we could figure out what to do."

"Well, excuse me if you don't have the capacity to think higher than..."

"Rodney, John, both of you should just calm down..."

"This isn't getting us anywhere, gentlemen."

"Please, this is just an exercise in futility. I know this will work and if you can't see that then too bad." Rodney snorted. "It's not like we have a brain trust in this room."

It was the snort that sent her over the edge. The next thing Elizabeth knew, her hands slammed down on the conference table and she growled, "Enough."

Several startled male faces turned towards her. It was worth it just to see Caldwell sit back a little in his chair.

"I don't care how you solve this problem but I do expect you to treat each other respectfully. Do you understand?"

Rodney had the temerity to raise his hand and begin to speak, "I was just..." but he promptly shut up when her hand snapped in the air cutting him off.

"I said," Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as she looked at McKay, "Do you understand?"

It might have been her tone or the fact that she was leaning on the table towards Rodney in way that did not bode well for his health. In any case, McKay ducked his head and said, "Yes, yes, of course. I understand."

Elizabeth let her hot gaze travel over all her department heads, making sure that they were all compliant (at least for the moment) before she caught Teyla's eye.

Teyla sat back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest as she watched everything unfold. When their eyes met, she could see that Teyla was about as fed up as she was; a rare occurance since the other woman tended to keep her feelings under control even in the most unpleasant of circumstances. But today's bitchfest was enough to drive anyone mad. Elizabeth was surprised she'd let it go on this long.

"Now," and her eyes swept over every man at the table. "We need answers. Rodney, work with John and Colonel Caldwell and figure out how to make this work. Agreed?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I trust that you can work this out." Elizabeth sat back down and rested her folded hands on the table. "Anything else?"

"Actually, Dr. Weir, I have a matter I would like to discuss."

Teyla's voice carried in the quiet room. Elizabeth nodded towards the other woman. "Go ahead."

"I recently heard from a contact on the planet Rahdya. Their harvest this year was quite large and it is my belief that they could become another source for supplementing our food stuffs."

"Really? Do you have a trade relationship with them?"

Teyla nodded. "Yes, my people have traded with them for many seasons. The Rahdyans always eager for new trading partners."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "Outstanding. If you'd be willing to work up a possible plan, we can go over it before I authorize your team to go through the gate to meet with them."

"Actually, Dr. Weir, it was my hope that you would go on this trip with me."

Sheppard looked at his teammate. "Teyla, I don't know if that's such a good idea."

She sent him what Elizabeth could only describe as a whithering look. "And why would that be, Colonel?"

"I, uh, well...guards should go with you."

"We are perfectly able to take care of ourselves. Rahdya is a fairly safe planet and I think it would be appropriate for Dr. Weir to conduct this negotiation herself." Teyla turned back to Elizabeth. "Do you not agree, Dr. Weir?"