Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with nor do I own any part of Stargate, Stargate SG1 or its' movies, Stargate Atlantis, or any of the characters. My stories are for purely entertainment purposes, with no monetary gain. No copyright infringement is intended. This story continues immediately after my 'Duet Missing Scenes'.

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Ronon and John were heading for the holding room, "Elizabeth said you can choose your own room and that she'd handle Caldwell if necessary, so there's no need to finish out the 2 days."

"Elizabeth has that much power?"

"Actually, you should probably call her Dr. Weir unless she says otherwise; but yes, she is in control of the city, I'm in charge of the military here but it's the IOA that is in charge of the expedition."

"Dr. Weir is part of this IOA, the same IOA that didn't want me to stay on Atlantis."

John squirmed, how did Dex know that? "Actually, she was appointed by my country's President to run the SGC, then when General O'Neill took over the President asked her to oversee the negotiations and treaties of the Antarctic site which led her indirectly here – so kind of. The expedition is technically a joint operation between the military and the IOA. Elizabeth is in a unique position since she was at the SGC when the IOA started to try and take over everything plus she obviously did a good job with the Antarctic site, so she's dealt with the IOA and speaks their language, but her foremost allegiance is to my country, the President, probably even General O'Neill … The IOA knows that, doesn't like it but considering the fact they didn't think anyone coming to Atlantis would survive none of them wanted to risk their own necks coming here plus they don't really trust each other, in short they'd rather have her here and in charge than anyone else. So, Elizabeth can use that in her favor with the military, in fact she did to keep me as Atlantis's military commander. On the other hand the bulk of the military here is from the US and as you obviously can tell we definitely need to be here, so the fact that our President and General O'Neill like her, means she's got the US and the US Military behind her which definitely gives her a way to push back on the IOA. Basically, she holds all the cards." John was hoping his long convoluted answer would confuse Ronon on who Elizabeth's employer was, no need for him to dislike Elizabeth on principle alone.

Ronon didn't understand half of what John said; what was a country, a President, an Antarctic site, an SGC, how did the IOA function if it didn't trust it's members, he had thought the IOA and the military where all from the same planet. He had much to learn and obviously, he had been wrong to think Elizabeth's approval of him did not matter.

John wasn't done; having cast Caldwell in a negative light maybe a plug for the military would be prudent. "Dr. Weir thinks very highly of General O'Neill and considering that she was antimilitary for a time in her life that says a lot. I'm pretty sure she consulted him before making her decision, because she said you were my responsibility – meaning you'll be a contractor on the military payroll not the IOA's and General O'Neill would have arranged that."

"This General O'Neill is the same one who got to keep the Teal'c?"

John looked at him funny and then shook his head, "Teyla, right? Teal'c is the first alien to come to Earth and work with us to fight off an intergalactic enemy. O'Neill recruited him, in fact O'Neill is responsible for most of Earth's intergalactic allies and in all honesty the fact that Earth still exists."

"I'm still learning about the whole Stargate program at least the Earth part, I kinda got swept up in all the chaos before I even knew anything about anything – Rodney was the one who thought of Teal'c and suggested we follow O'Neill's footsteps to get you authorization."

'So,' Ronon thought, 'he owed his acceptance on Atlantis to Dr. McKay as well as Elizabeth, Sheppard, and this O'Neill.'

They had been standing in the holding room when John realized he had been giving Dex time to gather his things, only there wasn't really anything for him to gather. "Uhm, we'll have to get you some BDUs and stuff."

"What are BDUs?"

"Our military's standard battle dress uniform, clothes like what we were all wearing on the planet."

Ronon was shaking his head, "By oath, I may only wear a Satedan uniform."

"Ok, sure… like I said you're more of a contractor with the military, it's not like you're signing up or anything, you can wear whatever you want."

"Teyla said Halling might have some clothes that would fit me until I can trade for some of my own, she also said when it was time for me to choose a room I might want to choose one by her, in the area reserved for when the Athosians need to take refuge in the city, as I could borrow some of their stuff while they weren't using it."

"You could do that or you could still borrow what you needed but have your room within the military quarters. I'm actually trying to get Teyla to move to the military quarters as well; at least when the Athosians aren't in the city, so she won't be so isolated."

They were in the transporter now and John could see Ronon wasn't sure, "Let's look at both areas, military quarters first." He was about to push the transporter screen when his radio activated.

"Colonel, ya were supposed to bring the lad here."

John pointed to his headset and said, "Dr. Beckett." so Ronon wouldn't think he was crazy. Then hitting the transporter screen to route them to the infirmary, "I thought you'd be tied up for a while, we were going apartment hunting."

"I have a staff Colonel."

John smiled as he thought about some of Carson's nurses, "Ah, yes, yes you do. And here we are."

Ronon looked at John, "You sick?"

"No." Ronon was looking at him with a 'Well?' look, "You were stunned twice, Dr. Beckett has to check you out." Now, Ronon was giving him the 'you lost your marbles look', "Seriously, Carson has to check you out, SOP not to mention your escort says you were puking last night and haven't eaten anything all day."

"Change into these, son." Carson was holding out a pair of scrubs, "After all yer running about I'll need to check those stitches, too." Ronon was looking warily at the thin hospital clothes, "You'll need these for the bone scan, ye can't be having any medal on for that."

To John's eyes Ronon's clothes looked like cloth, leather, maybe some bone... but apparently the Doc must think otherwise, "That's not a suggestion Big Man, you have to follow my orders as well as John's."

Ronon gave John another look, "Yep, medical orders trump rank, not to mention the sooner Beckett's happy the sooner we can get out of here."

Ronon's eyes took in the infirmary; it wasn't that full except for the medical staff. It seemed as if Rodney and the red headed girl where the only patients, he looked back to Beckett and John.

"Those two are fine, just a little mishap with a Wraith dart." John shrugged and ignored Rodney's outrage at having his Steve Martin reenactment called a little mishap.

By now none of his staff was even trying to look as if they were busy, so Carson just took Ronon's sword and gimpy bag and put them on the bed then he started removing Ronon's leather as he did back on the planet. Ronon stopped him when Carson was down to his brown t-shirt type thing and reached for the scrubs. Carson nodded and stepped back.

Ronon had started to pull his shirt over his head when he paused and tried one more time, "You know I'm fine Doc." Beckett would not be moved.

Ronon's shirt was just about over his head when a female voice was heard, "Oh yeah, you're definitely fine."

Becket whirled and glared at his staff, John's mouth gapping stared at Cadman who's eyes were wide with amusement but was shaking her head vehemently that it had not been her. John didn't think it was possible but Cadman's eyes got wider just as Rodney's aghast, "Whoa, Stop, leave that on!" caused John to turn his attention back to Ronon who had already removed his shoes and had started unlacing his pants.

At Rodney's cry, Carson stopped trying to determine which of his staff had acted so inappropriately, he suspected Dr. Biro who had just come on shift, so with a final glare in her direction he turned back to Ronon just in the nick of time, "Hold on lad, let me get the privacy curtain up, then you can finish changing."

Ronon looked up and took in Cadman's wide eyed grin, Rodney's horror, and the suddenly extremely attentive female staff, he held his pants up in a death grip and John could have sworn he was blushing as Carson pulled the curtains.

"Sorry, about the audience son, I should have pulled the curtain before I started removing your shirt."

Ronon nodded and had just started reaching for the scrub pants when Dr. Biro peeked her head inside of the curtain, "You're off shift Carson, I can take over from here."

Carson looked at his patient whose current facial expression was a combination of: 'no way in …' , with a little of 'I'm out of here', and quite possibly as Carson watched one hand let go of his pants and inch toward the discarded sword, a whole lot of 'come near me and I'll behead you!'

Apparently Dr. Biro thought the same thing, "What, are you going to do, behead me? Don't you touch that sword." Dr. Biro had her finger lifted as if she was scolding a child. Ronon growled barring his teeth and Dr. Biro jumped out of the curtained area with an actual smile.

"Ronon we'll leave you to finish changing." Once both doctors were outside the privacy curtain, Dr. Beckett calmly continued. "Nay, Dr. Biro. I'll go off shift after I've seen to Specialist Dex. I think that might be best, don't you?"

Dr. Biro never got to answer as a red pulse of light hit her and she crumbled to the floor.

Carson was aghast his staff scattering amidst screams, Rodney silently cheered (he'd never really liked Biro), only a miracle was keeping Cadman's eyes in her head, and John was grinning as Dex came out bare foot, in too short scrub bottoms and a gun belt, twirling his blaster. "Oh, yeah sessions with Heightmeyer are really going to be interesting."