Title: Sweetly Broken
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Romance,
Fandom/Universe: StarGate:SG1
Characters: Evan Lorne
Pairings: Evan Lorne / Sawyer Guerra OC
Spoilers/Warning: NoNe
Disclaimer: StarGate:SG1 and all related characters are copyright Brad Wright, Jonathan Glassner, MGM television, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp. and Sony Pictures Television. No infringement intended.
Summary: This is before Sawyer went off to her adventures with John in the ancient city of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy…
Status: Complete
Author's Note: I had an idea that hit me rather late one night and I haven't been able to ignore it. So here is the story of how Sawyer met Evan Lorne before 'wandering' onto Atlantis with her cousin Judson and the two conspiracy nuts.
Chapter:Sweetly Broken
It's a nice sunny day and the grill is hot and sizzling. The hamburgers are pretty much done and there's plenty of chicken to satisfy his little sister that he's being an equal opportunity kind of guy. He shakes his head chuckling-
"People are going to think you're some kind of loon if you continue to laugh when there aren't people around to share the joke." Sawyer holds up the frosted beer and smiles at her brother. "I'll have a hard time convincing people you shouldn't be committed."
"Si, como no." Axell chuckles. If he could answer all those questions she can't help but ask him, Sawyer would be the one trying to get him committed. "Have you made any friends since I've been on duty?"
"I have friends." Sawyer huffs. "They just happen to live halfway across the world at any given time."
"Recluses, archeologist- a bunch of work-a-holics, Sawyer." Axell points out. "Those don't count because those are called…"
"Co-workers." They say in unison.
"I'm not going to waste brain cells on some random chics because your buddies want to see 'hot babes' when it's your turn to host them." Sawyer grumbles. She pulls out one of the deck chairs and sits with her smoothie, which is another thing she gets teased for.
"You can't be here all alone when I'm at work, Sawyer." He worries about her because it can't be normal.
"No empiezes con, the 'I'm worried' okay. I'm not sick. I'm not any of those things you look up on some medical site because I won't go to a shrink or doctor. This is my normal, Axell. You shouldn't want me to be like the rest of the population." She gets up when the doorbell chimes and thankfully, it puts a stop to the tired conversation they invariably have every couple of months. She's not a hermit and she doesn't have a phobia because she goes out. She'll catch a movie or spend a few hours sitting at the Starbucks on her laptop drinking hazelnut macchiatos or she'll have dinner at the pub in town. Its not like she spends all her time in the house doing nothing. Its always clean and everything is neat, and she likes to cook which means having to make a trip to the grocery store. All things she does regularly.
Sawyer opens the door expecting her brother's friends – the regulars.
"Hi, I'm Evan." Lorne has to drop his gaze seeing the sister he wasn't expecting to answer the door and smiles. "Axell…uh, am I the first one here?" he glances over his shoulder but there's no one coming up the path and she still hasn't said a word.
"Hey-."
Sawyer jerks at the sound of her brother's voice in the kitchen.
"Lorne. Come in." Axell spares his sister a glance. "You want a beer?"
"I'll get it." Sawyer hurries into the kitchen ignoring the funny look her brother gives her. 'He's gorgeous.' And she tells herself that Evan Lorne is not the only gorgeous man she's ever seen because there have been plenty of other gorgeous men and she's worked with a few. "Get the beer and ignore the other stuff."
SG1
It's a nice day, just a little chilly and its been a month since the Bar B Q. He'd cancelled before, due to work… but he didn't say what he did for the AirForce. Then again, Sawyer was used to her brother evading that same question. Now, here she was, going on a date with a soldier that worked with her brother. Evan, obviously, wasn't going to tell her anymore than her brother had about their job. Sawyer sneaks another glance and spots him smiling.
He'd been sneaking glances at her all afternoon and if he hadn't caught her staring at him on a few of those Lorne wouldn't have dared ask her out. As it was, she hadn't said yes or anything at all when he did ask her. At least, not until he started to apologize and she blurted out a yes.
Sawyer likes when Evan lightly places his hand on her back as they're about to cross the street. He makes sure to remove his hand as soon as they're on the other side, even though she wouldn't have minded if he'd kept it there. When they get to the restaurant, Evan holds the door open for her and then helps take her coat. Sawyer likes the little details she's picking up on and their meal isn't at all awkward. She finds him intelligent, easy to talk to and pleasantly surprised to have at least a few things in common.
When Evan drives her home, he walks her to the door and before she walks inside, asks for the 2nd date. This time, Sawyer smiles and agrees. He's not sure why that makes him happy and then he steals their first kiss.
Sawyer only has to wait a week before their 2nd date. No cancellations and no Axell waiting up. They went to a pub in town. Drank some beer that she didn't like and Evan switched it out for something better, a blended drink that was almost like a smoothie. Sawyer was just a little surprised that he remembered what she'd been drinking at the Bar B Q. They played darts, which they ended up tied. They played some pool, which left Evan believing Sawyer was more of a pool hustler than she let on. They walked to the coffee shop and Evan took half her chocolate peanut butter muffin. Then Sawyer swiped a piece of his chocolate chip cookie. By the time Evan walked her to the front step there was no need to steal their second kiss.
The next few months went along the same lines. Evan would make plans for another date, cancel if there was an off-world mission and then show up with a smoothie and flowers to surprise her.
SG1
Axell is going to do his brotherly duty. He finds Lorne in the training area with some of SG-3 and SG-5. They wave as he passes them and Rodgers bows out of the sparring match he's got going with Lorne.
"So…" Lorne grabs the towel and wipes the sweat from his face. "It's about that time for the big brother talk…"
Axell nods, a half smile on his face. "You know it." He grabs a pair of gloves and slips them on. "Walk with me Lorne."
There's good natured laughter from the others in the room. Lorne has put up with plenty of teasing from the guys about dating Axell's sister. Everyone who's been to the Guerra house gets the same warning before stepping past their front door; Sawyer Guerra is 'off limits' to any and all SGC.
"What's the pool at now, Rodgers?" Axell glances over his shoulder while Lorne hesitantly follows. The pool got started once the guys found out that Lorne had been on more than 2 dates with Sawyer and Axell hadn't run him off.
Then again, the guys didn't know that Sawyer had put her foot down and told Axell to leave Lorne alone or she'd make his life miserable. Axell did as told just because he knew exactly how bad his little sister could be when she put her mind to it.
"I think we can talk without using our fists, Axell. What do you say?" Lorne already knows by the laughter from the guys and Axell's shaking head he's not getting out of any 'warning'.
"I was real clear." Axell makes fists and then flexes his hands to get comfortable. "Les dije que no semetieran con mi hermanita."
"Oh," Rodgers leans towards the slowly circling pair. "That means, don't mess with his sister."
"Yeah," Lorne sort of scowls. "I got that." Just then, he sees the fist coming at his face and barely dodges. Unfortunately, Lorne still ends up on the mat from the kick Axell aimed at his gut. "Ooh-kay, I'm still taking her on that date Saturday."
Axell sighs with some frustration. "Then I better not mess up your face." He ignores the laughter at his back and spends the next 10minutes trading punches, kicks, elbows and some grappling moves. Once done, Axell sits back on the mat and stares at a sweaty Lorne. "She's nosy."
Lorne nods and leans back on his hands. "…noticed that…"
Axell shakes his head sighing. "…don't even know what you did…" he holds up a hand to stall whatever Lorne's about to say. "My sister hasn't dated any of the guys. Not a one." He chuckles and shakes his head again. "Solo tu." He points at Lorne. "Keep SG business out of your dating life with my sister." Then he laughs. "Suerte, my friend. Because that's going to be harder than even you know."
"Sawyer knows you can't talk about it." Lorne slowly gets up and grabs a clean towel to toss at Axell. "She'll know I can't either."
"Right…" Axell just shrugs as they start walking out of the training area. "Just so you know… if you even bruise her heart, Lorne…"
"You'll do more than bruise me." Lorne nods. "Read you loud and clear."
"Great." Axell smiles. "Now, about your next date…"
SG1
It's the conversation couples shouldn't ever have but somehow…there's always the few who do.
"My first …." She sighs and snuggles into the pillow beside him. "I was in Cairo. It was an exhibition and my parents were… its was another job." She amends and turns to drape her arm across his chest, her cheek resting against his arm. "We were left to ourselves and … you know, boredom really does result in some … very foolish behavior." She laughs and shakes her head. "He hadn't ever … I'd only been kissed before. I'm still not sure it counted as a kiss since it was on a dare and I wasn't-. You know, that's another story."
"I want to hear that one too." Evan assures trying to wipe off the smile on his face because he really should be jealous. He kind of is, sort of, but she's making it difficult. "Who was this kid?"
"Oh, Al?" she looks up at him and Evan laughs.
"His name was 'Al'?" he's picturing some pimply, skinny kid with glasses. "Really?" because Evan's not sure he can wrap his mind around that, not with the girl in his bed…
"Allaric." Sawyer corrects. "But yes, Al for short." She ignores his guffaw and continues. "So, we kissed and that was nice. Then we just figured, why not get to the point?"
"The point?" Evan is incredulous. He really shouldn't be surprised, its not the most outrageous thing she's ever said.
"Hey, we hadn't ever so yeah." She rolls her eyes and turns to look up at him. "Why not see what the fuss was all about and no one was going to come looking for us. We had the house to ourselves that weekend."
"Weekend?" Evan isn't liking the sound of that.
"There were servants, of course. But my parents weren't due until the day after and his Father was out on business. That's not the point, Evan." She smacks his chest and frowns. "Maybe I shouldn't be telling you-."
"No, no." Evan protests. "I can take it. Go ahead." He settles down, a frown on his face.
"Fine." She sighs and after a pause picks up the story. "We decided there should be a plan, we had an idea of what to do… but, I mean he had an instruction manual! I made him get it from the library-."
"A manual?" he regrets the sort of question as soon as its said.
"Yeah, the Kama Sutra." Sawyer looks at him again. "Even you have to know what-."
"You two-. You …" Evan can't even verbalize his amazement at what she's saying. "I don't believe this."
"You asked." Sawyer stops talking. She just lays there quietly and lets him digest, thinking she should've gone with her first instinct and just refused to go there. But she's thinking about it, about Al and that day of discovery. After the initial discomfort and the abrupt conclusion, they'd had fun selecting what page was the next attempt. That shy embarrassment hadn't lasted long and they had both learned enough to get 'the point'.
SG1
The first time four-eyes in a suit came to her door, Sawyer turned down his very uppity offer to join their group of egg heads. She showed the nerdy little man out the same door and shut it in his face as he insisted it was in her best interest to accept considering they were practically doing her a favor. That was definitely not the way to convince her.
"Hello-."
"I told 4-eyes to eat shit and get lost." Sawyer glares at her book and pushes her now ruined macchiato away from her wile 4-eyes decides to walk right out and leave them alone.
"Uh," not sure whether to sit or walk away, the gray suit stood uncertainly for just a moment before deciding to take the seat across from her. "I-."
"Wasn't invited." Sawyer turns her glare on him and sits up, her book snapping shut. "How does eat-shit, get-lost, translate to 'please take a seat, lets have a chat'?"
"Well, I just-."
"Did you pay to join MENSA?" Sawyer cuts him off again. "No means No. And I'll gladly scream it while accusing you of trying to grab a feel." She waits to see if he's going to speak but when he only blinks at her, Sawyer grabs her bag and stands. "Thanks for ruining my coffee. Lets not 'run into' each other ever." She stops by the counter on her way out and grabs a chocolate peanut butter muffin and bottle of water. She turns and points at him, smiling. "Don't forget to pay for these." She smiles at the guy at the counter and leaves.
SG1
Evan hasn't lost his smile the entire trip to San Francisco. Beside him, Sawyer smacks his side lightly. "Ya esta bueno. You're getting kinda creepy with that Cheshire grin of yours."
"I think I'm a little jealous of this … 'thing' … you have for that cat." Lorne takes her hand, fingers laced. "You're a little too invested in that game-."
"American McGee's Alice is not a game." Sawyer turns her frown on him. "It's a way of life."
Lorne chuckles. "Ok, but this week is all about 'our' life."
Sawyer looks at him in surprise and quickly turns her face out the passenger window. "I guess I'll just have to miss my Cheshire…"
'Where the heck did 'our' come from?'
Sawyer absently fiddles with the letters on the gold chain hanging from her neck. It was an anniversary gift from Evan. He surprised her with it about a month ago, 2 B's and Q, because they'd first met at the Bar B Q. She'd thought it was cute and she liked that he listened, he paid attention and remembered. There weren't many people who bothered to do that anymore…
'Oooh, so because we've been dating more than a year?' she sneaks another glance at him and smiles. 'Its probably the sleep-overs.'
"Now you're the one smiling." Evan leans across and gets a quick kiss for his trouble.
"I'm happy, Evan." And Sawyer is going to ignore that knot of anxiety in her gut trying to get her to upchuck what she hasn't eaten because she's minutes away from meeting the woman who raised such an amazing guy.
SG1
Axell has been waiting for Sawyer to tell him about Judson's offer. Its been a week and in two days he has to go back to work. He makes dinner and once they've finished, she's had enough of his staring at her but still doesn't say anything.
"Come on, Sawyer." Axell pushes the plate aside and leans his arms on the table.
"Where?" Sawyer locks eyes with her brother. "Am I getting a tour of your mountain?"
Axell doesn't even crack a smile. "I can find out where and what Judson got himself into. Or you can just tell me." When she doesn't say anything he glares. "I know he's called you, Sawyer. Whatever he's gotten into-."
"Isn't your problem, Ax." Sawyer stands up and takes their plates to the sink. "Just like your mountain is top secret, just like your job-."
"Dude, enough!" Axell slams his hand on the table. "No es lo mismo-."
"You're right!" Sawyer turns to him. "Because Jud tells me what he's doing. He's not keeping government secrets. He, at least, trusts me enough-."
"Its not about trust, Sawyer." Axell gets up and has a sponge thrown at his face.
"It's a dig." She says before Axell has a chance to yell at her. "Under water wreck, he's got some rocks with scribbles that need deciphering. His boss-."
"Its another fucking treasure hunt and that boss is someone Jud owes money." Axell knows his cousin tends to get in trouble. "He probably hacked into some database and needs someone to bail him out. I'm gonna break his-."
"That's why he asked me and not you." Sawyer cuts in. "I don't care, Axell!" because she knows her brother warned their cousin not to involve either of them, not again. He'd used his last Get Out Of Jail card. "He's the only other family that I have."
"Pero necia," Axell sighs in frustration. "Las Tias…"
"If you even say 'they mean well'…" Sawyer warns.
"They're jealous hags y chismosas." Axell agrees. "They're also your family… I'm not going to argue about them with you, Sawyer. If you don't want to see or talk to them, that's on you. But I'm telling you not to get involved with Judson's latest-."
"I am an adult. I don't need your permission and you know what happens when someone tries to order me around." Sawyer leaves the dishes in the sink and goes out for a walk. She'd already told Judson she'd help him with his rocks and scolded him for getting in trouble, yet again. But now, Sawyer was more inclined to get on a plane and spend a few weeks on a sunny beach as her cousin had asked.
SG1
Lorne meets up with Axell on an off-world mission. It's a simple mission to re-establish contact and remind the Lord Governor they haven't been forgotten.
"So." Axell strolls through the market, an eye on the people around.
"She's…" Lorne just shakes his head.
"On some damn beach with my cousin." Axell glares at Lorne. "And the criminals my cousin is indebted to. At least this time."
"Criminals?" Lorne frowns. "She didn't say-."
"No, she sure as hell didn't tell you about the criminals." Axell stops and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I told you about this, Lorne and . You were supposed to convince her to stay." He'd even given Lorne his blessing to do the convincing.
"Why didn't you tell me about the criminals?" Lorne demands. "Why would your cousin get her involved? Why didn't you do something about it?"
"Oh," Axell laughs. "You think I didn't threaten Judson with some kind of pain? My sister takes his side in any fight or argument and he knows it. That's why Jud calls her and not me." Which is frustrating and Axell hasn't found a way around it, yet. He focuses on Lorne. "What the hell happened on your vacation?"
"Happ-. What?" Lorne shifts uncomfortably. "Nothing happened." And the question is still there, because Lorne wants to ask Sawyer something very important. He's just having trouble finding the moment.
"Yeah, I noticed." Axell starts walking. "You ask me and I grudgingly give you my blessing as her older brother, expecting my little sister will come home from San Francisco with a shiny rock on her left hand, and what the hell?" he turns to Lorne. "Nada. So you didn't ask her?"
Lorne reached to the back of his neck and rubbed. He'd almost asked a bunch of times but someone always interrupted them. He'd snuck into the guest room 3days into their vacation and had been… distracted. The next morning, Lorne realized he'd forgotten the ring in his room. "…not yet."
Axell clenched his jaw and took a step towards Lorne. "You remember what I said about hurting my sister?"
"Its not like that, Axell." Lorne glared. "I've got a plan."
SG1
They're on a hike, it's the perfect spot with the sun setting behind them and the sound of the rushing stream… This time, Evan has the ring on a cord around his neck. Just to make sure it doesn't get lost. Or forgotten…
"Sawyer…" Evan takes her hand and pulls her towards him. She's already smiling, rising on her toes to kiss him.
"I like this place." Sawyer rests her chin on his chest and wraps her arms around his waist.
"…It's the perfect place to do this." Evan tugs the cord out of his shirt and lets the ring drop right on her nose.
Sawyer pulls back, her brow furrowed as she stares at the shiny rock.
"Last time I tried to ask you this, you…" Evan grins. "…had a different plan. Not that I minded." He assured, quickly.
"…uh-huh…" Sawyer looks up at him. "…you rather enjoyed my plan that night."
"I did." Evan agrees. "I'd like to be surprised by more of your …plans."
Sawyer looks at the ring again and steps back from him. She knows what he's asking her even if he hasn't said the words. Its not that she hadn't thought about it during their week in San Francisco. But she hadn't come to a decision about what the answer would be and since Evan hadn't really given any indication that would happen on their trip, Sawyer figured she didn't have to worry about having the answer.
"There's something about you …" Evan cups her face in both hands. "I miss you when we're apart. Sometimes I even miss you when we're together." He chuckles, shaking his head at the nonsense he's saying.
"Evan…" Sawyer smiles. "I miss you too." The smile fades and she takes another step away from him and Evan's hands drop to her shoulders. "I haven't let myself think about what's ahead, for us. Because I already have a man in my life that leaves for days or weeks at a time, with no explanation about where he goes or does."
"Sawyer, you kno-."
"Other than its classified, no." Sawyer cuts in. "I don't know. And I can't have another man in my life that's going to pull 'its classified' when I ask about where he's been and what he's done."
Evan feels like he's been kicked in the gut. His hands slide down her arms and Sawyer feels his slack grip trying to hold her hands but she lets him go.
"So… that's it?" Evan can't quite wrap his mind around what's happening. "Either… I tell you. …Or… what?"
"No, not either / or." She shakes her head but even she can't deny that's what it sounds like. "Why can't you guys trust me enough to include me?" because that's all she's asking them to do.
"That's my job, Sawyer. Its not about trusting you." Evan looks off into the sunset and this is not how he'd planned their day to end. "Or about being included-."
"You've been talking to Axell." Sawyer glares. "You sound just like him." She walks away, heading down the path they came from.
"About this, yes!" Evan starts after her. "Listen, Sawyer!" he grabs her arm and stops her on the path.
"I know the tired speech by heart, Evan." She jerks her arm out of his grip. "I've heard it from my brother ever since he got transferred to that fucking mountain."
From that moment, Sawyer hadn't let herself admit she'd lost her brother. He'd been the only one that didn't make her feel like some crazy weirdo just because she was smarter than most people they met. She felt like an outsider in her own family and it didn't help that they whispered and snickered behind her back. At least the aunts had some sort of balls and would say it to her face…
"Sawyer…"
"You can have your mountain, Evan." Sawyer shakes her head and turns her face away from him to hide the tears burning in her eyes. "I'm… I'm not the girl for you…"
SG1