Summary: He's not the only one who defended someone's honour...
Spoilers: 202:Intruder and 302:Misbegotten
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: As it is thought so let it be said, you make the toys, I play with them
AN: not often I actually follow up on story prompts, don't get used to it odakotarose ;)!
Stephen Caldwell walked into the Atlantis cafeteria, looking for something closer to coffee than his ship could offer. Seeing the city's military commander sitting in a dark corner looking perturbed, he assumed Woolsey had found a new target and decided to see if he could be of service. In this at least, his loyalty was definitely with Sheppard and Weir.
Taking a sip of his drink he came to stand behind the man's chair, somewhat surprised at the lack of reaction he got from the usually alert soldier. "You look disturbed colonel."
Sheppard's head whipped to him in shock, "Sir! Sorry." He started to get up, "Must have been deeper in thought than I usually get."
Stephen waved him back to his seat casually, taking the chair opposite. "Something bothering you?"
He could see the younger man hesitate, see him once again remember to switch to his version of 'good subordinate' mode. Wondering how he'd managed to reach the rank of major with his obvious habit of forgetting how to behave with superior officers. "Off the record, if you'd like, colonel."
"I..." Sheppard shook himself out of the discomfort and sat back down. "Woolsey was... being insulting."
Stephen blinked in mild surprise, "He came after you? For some reason I was pretty sure he was only after Dr. Weir this time."
"He was. Questioned every damned decision she's made, as though he had any idea what the Hell he was even talking about!" John looked up when Caldwell choked on a sip of coffee. His brows rose when he saw the mad glee rising in the usually stoic man's eyes, for a moment uncomfortably reminded of the goa'uld glow of a few months past.
"You two really are a matched pair, do you know that?"
"Sir?"
--
"You defended me in front of a roomful of colonels and general??"
Elizabeth jerked her head away from the water, fingers unconsciously tightening on the balcony railing before she turned, putting it behind her. She frowned at the combination of shock and happiness in John's eyes. "What are you talking about colonel?"
He grinned, slowly stalking up to her, too high from his discovery to listen to his good sense reminding him to keep his distance. "A year ago. You talked the military into making me a colonel. Just so I could stay in charge?" 'So you could keep me'; those words remained unspoken, though they probably shined out of his smirk pretty obviously. "You defended my honour, Dr. Weir?"
Her refusal to shrink back from him meant there was only an inch of space between them by the time his long arms gripped the railing on either side of her. She could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times they'd been remotely so close without deadly danger surrounding them. Could feel the smell of warm John-skin burrow into her lungs. Had to tighten her hands into hard fists to resist reaching out and pulling him that last little bit closer.
Instead she frowned repressively at him, "You deserved to be colonel. They were being dense. It's my job as your boss to make sure you are rewarded for your hard work and sacrifices." How she managed to pull that out of her hat so quickly and calmly she would never know, but she was rather proud of herself.
When he almost bent down and kissed her for her obvious obfuscating, John realized he was standing far too close for safety and pulled himself back; by almost a whole inch. "Whatever I deserved, those people would never have handed me silver leaves. I always wondered who had made them give." He smiled, "Thank you." He gave a quiet puff of laughter, "I can't remember the last time someone defended me. Let along to such a tough room. Thank you."
By the end, his voice was as soft as the smile in his eyes and Elizabeth couldn't help but return it. The need to touch him almost making her twitch in frustration. "You've done the same for me."
"Woolsey"
She shook her head, interrupting his self-deprecating words, "Not just Woolsey. I remember how you stood up to Everett when he tried to take over. I know you didn't place much value on your career before we met, but... I also know losing Atlantis would bother you as much as it would me. And that's what you risked when you disobeyed him."
They were too close. She could feel his arms tightening on either side of her with the same strained restraint digging her nails into her palms. Fought the tendency of her eyes to slip to his lips, and the too-clearly remembered feel of them. Used her year-old remembered fury to distract her, "You earned the post of military commander of Atlantis. And you are the best man for the job. I didn't say a word to those men that wasn't true. The fact that I had to threaten them is not a reflection on you, but on them." His finger coming to rest on her lips silenced her increasingly angry words.
"I believe you." He shrugged, smiling as he finally pulled back, making himself step away, "Doesn't matter anyway. You're right, what I want is on Atlantis, not in a rank. I just... needed to thank you." He grinned teasingly, "And to say that I wish I'd been half as good at defending your honour."
AN2: ugh, UST. sorry. I'll try to make it up to you (and myself) somehow ;)
