Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Stargate: Atlantis or these great characters. All original characters, however, are my doing. Any similarity to another person, real or fictional, is purely coincidental and not the intent of the author.

Author's Note: So, this story came about while I was writing "Remnant of Fire." I needed a break from the intensity of the story and began this by freewriting. I story-boarded this one after "Remnant of Fire" ended. It is completely written and awaiting posting days. Also, I know a lot of you were looking for "Vantage Point." This is the SAME story. However, as I wrote it, I noticed that "Vantage Point" didn't fit the theme of the story. Therefore, I changed the title to "A Soldier's Girl." Don't be fooled, though. There's a lot of fluff in here, but it's not all fluff. A big thanks to theicemenace for her patient beta work and comments along the way. And to Shadows-of-Realm for technical advice. Those portions of the story wouldn't be as good if it wasn't for that. I know how to use my computer, but he helped me figure out how Rodney would use a computer. In addition, I have used some terminology that we all recognize, though this story is not at all intended to be a spin-off or cross-over of the CSI franchise. All that said, I hope you enjoy! ~lg

oOo

The poor woman never had a chance.

SaraLeigh Johnson stepped into the crime scene, wrinkling her nose at the coppery scent of blood. She wore a dark blue jumpsuit over her jeans and t-shirt, hiding all her womanly curves. And her hair had been slicked back into a bun. Good thing she had to wash it after this job or she would never be ready for the next one.

Trying not to look at the gruesome scene in the office, she slipped paper booties over her tennis shoes and began to work. Her job as a forensic photographer required her to be the first on scene after a crime had been reported and forensics called in. She often saw the things no one else wanted to see. The only job worse than hers had to be that of the medical pathologist. Or the serologist, depending on the case.

Lifting her camera, SaraLeigh pointed her lens and started shooting. She didn't stop until she reached the center of the crime scene. The deceased, a woman in her late forties, wore the attire of a secretary, and a scattered file rested near her right arm. Sara took numerous shots of the file, making sure to get a close up of every page. The next team to get the crime scene, the CSIs, waited impatiently at the door for her to finish her work, but she refused to be rushed. They'd get their chance to tell her where to point and click her camera soon enough. For now, she needed to take her time and respectfully document the dead woman's position so that justice could be served.

If it wasn't for the gaping hole in the back of the woman's head and the dark entrance wound in her forehead, Sara might have thought her asleep. But the gruesome evidence of murder, plus the jimmied lock she'd just noticed, told her that this woman hadn't died of an unfortunate heart attack. Someone wanted her dead, and that motive might still be in this room.

Finally finished documenting all she could, she nodded to the CSIs in the door, letting them begin telling her when and where to shoot her camera. She did her job well, and most of what they found that she hadn't already photographed were hidden clues, like fingerprints. Sara worried that this killer might be tougher to find than most when she overheard the others talking about not finding a shell casing. What kind of killer policed his brass? A good one, a professional one, and one that didn't need to be loose on the streets of San Francisco.

With her job mostly complete, SaraLeigh allowed herself to think about her next job. She buried her smile as she packed her camera and headed for her dark room in the crime lab. She'd use her own camera, not the department's. And she'd be photographing something infinitely happier.

She'd been hired to photograph a wedding. Well, the bride had offered to hire her, but SaraLeigh had refused payment. Jennifer Keller had been a scared kid back when the two of them graduated high school, and Sara happily planned to capture every perfect moment during this wedding. She didn't know what Jennifer had been doing all these years, and she didn't care. She'd heard on a trip back to Chippewa Falls that Jennifer had become a rather good doctor, and Sara had been thrilled for her. Now, she couldn't wait to shower, rest a bit, and then dress in such a way that no one noticed her. If she did her job well, the Keller-McKay wedding would be perfectly documented, and no one would even remember what she looked like. Just the way she wanted this kind of job to go.

oOo

That afternoon, after a few hours of rest, SaraLeigh slipped into the hotel rented for the wedding and looked around. Whoever had decorated had done a wonderful job, and she already saw touches of Jennifer in the bright flowers that fluttered in the breeze. An archway of wisteria led guests into the chairs, and another archway laden with roses stood at the front, waiting for a unity candle, an officiant, and the bride and groom.

"Ms. Johnson?" The direct yet kind voice drew her attention, and she turned to stare into the bluest set of eyes she'd ever seen. The usher wore the Class A uniform of the Air Force, and Sara's lips turned upward of their own volition. The usher smiled at her, his eyes sparkling. "Ah. . .The Doc asked me to show you to her when you arrived."

"Oh, okay." SaraLeigh hefted the case with her extra lenses and film, flushing a little at getting caught staring at him. "I'm ready."

He smiled and stuck out his hand, clearly seeing her momentary distraction. "Major Evan Lorne."

Juggling things around, she managed to shake his hand. "SaraLeigh Johnson. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." He took the case from her hand, ignored her protests, and promptly carried it down a short hall. As she followed him, SaraLeigh considered his photogenic qualities. His dark hair, spiking just a touch at the front, and his blue eyes made her want to grab her camera and hire him as a model. She might have to sneak a few shots of him to round out the wedding album.

He stopped at a door and knocked. A minute later, a woman with caramel colored skin and auburn hair appeared. "Yes? Oh, Major, thank you." She reached out and tugged Sara inside.

Jennifer Keller made a beautiful bride. She stood in front of a mirror, surveying herself as a woman with short brown hair fastened several dozen tiny pearl buttons up the back of her dress. The dress itself looked like a classic princess gown. An A-line, off-the-shoulder gown that barely brushed the ground, it hugged Jennifer's hourglass figure while preserving her demure, girl-next-door beauty. Her hair had been curled and pinned on top of her head, with a few curls falling loosely from the messy pile. A single strand of pearls circled Jennifer's neck and matched the pearl drop earrings she wore. A pair of long white gloves waited next to a pair of plain white flats. SaraLeigh suddenly felt dowdy next to her stunning friend.

Jennifer turned before the other woman finished buttoning the gown, and a brilliant smile covered her face. "Sara!" She moved to hug her, and SaraLeigh gladly returned the embrace. "You came!"

"Of course I came." SaraLeigh stepped back to survey Jennifer's appearance. "You look great!"

"So do you."

"Yeah, right." SaraLeigh snorted at the notion. She'd wore a navy blue dress that ended at her ankles, loose enough that she'd be able to squat and kneel for her photography but still look nice. She'd also dressed to seem invisible to most of the wedding guests. She wore no jewelry save the bracelet around her left wrist. And her long hair had been pulled into an elegant but subdued ponytail for the duration of the wedding. Instead of continuing that line of thought, she motioned to Jennifer's gown. "When you said Sleeping Beauty-type gown, you weren't kidding."

"I know, but I love it." Jennifer smiled softly. "And I think Rodney will love it, too."

The woman who had been buttoning the back of the gown choked out a laugh. "Are you kidding? That man worships the ground you walk on."

As if remembering that they weren't alone, Jennifer turned and motioned to the woman. "Dr. Amanda Cole, one of my colleagues on base. And, behind you, is Teyla Emmagan."

SaraLeigh wanted to ask where Teyla was from based on her unusual name and coloring, but she refrained as she shook both women's hands. She turned back to Jennifer. "Do you have everything you're supposed to have?" When Jennifer looked blankly at her, she rolled her eyes. "'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?'"

Jennifer's blank looked faded into understanding while Teyla's face dissolved into confusion. "Let's see, I have my mother's pearls and a new dress. I have a little blue flower on my. . . .Never mind." Her face turned a bright red. "And I borrowed. . . . ." Her eyes grew wide. "I don't have anything borrowed."

SaraLeigh grinned. "Give me a few moments to think."

As she turned to pull out her camera out of its case, someone knocked on the door. Teyla again answered it, this time admitting the very attractive Major masquerading as an usher. Jennifer moved to his side, and SaraLeigh vaguely wondered why her friend wasn't with him. They made a very striking pair. Then, Jennifer's face paled, and she blinked.

SaraLeigh set down her camera and moved to Jennifer's side. "What is it?"

"There's a problem with the tuxes." Jennifer seemed a little frazzled, all the joy of a few moments ago fading away. "I thought we had everything under control. I mean, Laura's late thanks to that fender-bender, and Carson went to get her. But everything else was okay! The tuxes were delivered last night, and John's wearing his dress blues. And. . . . Give me a few moments, Evan. I'll. . . ."

"You'll stay here," SaraLeigh announced. As both Jennifer and Major Lorne blinked at her in surprise, she touched Jennifer's arm. "I've done a few weddings in the last couple months. I can probably help resolve the issue. And, if you've got a cell phone somewhere in here, I can communicate with you."

Jennifer let out a relieved sigh. "Would you? I mean, Amanda's got a digital camera and can take pictures back here."

"I'd love to." At that moment, Sara caught sight of her arm and had an idea. "And I solved the borrowed." She started to take off the diamond and sapphire tennis bracelet she wore.

Jennifer shook her head. "I can't. It was your mother's."

"And she'd be thrilled that you wore it to your wedding." SaraLeigh touched her arm. "Just get it back to me before you leave for your honeymoon." Not giving Jennifer a chance to argue, she nodded toward the door and stepped back out into the hallway with Major Lorne.

He grinned at her as they headed down the hall toward the groom's room. "Nicely done."

"If I'd stayed, she would have argued until I felt bad about it." SaraLeigh shook her head. "Not about to happen today."

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded once and opened a door, stepping into the room ahead of her. "I have Jennifer's emissary."

"Is she okay?" The panicky voice went with a slightly plump, older man with a crooked bow tie. "I mean, she's fine, right? She's not thinking about. . . ."

Another guy, this one in dress blues, touched his shoulder. "McKay, relax." He turned to her. "I'm John Sheppard. And this," he said as he motioned to the older man, "is Dr. Rodney McKay. The groom."

Sara shook their hands and repeated her name. "I hear there's a problem."

"Yeah." The answer came from a massive guy with dreadlocks who stood next to the window. He wore a white button-down shirt and black pants, a tuxedo jacket hanging from his hand. "This is too small."

She wanted to say she wasn't surprised but nodded instead. "I see."

John stepped forward. "My idea was for him to wear the suit jacket he wore last night, along with the bow tie."

SaraLeigh shrugged. "That might work. Let me see what that looks like next to Rodney." A moment later, she had the massive guy, named Ronon, standing next to McKay. Nodding her head, she said, "That should work. I can photograph things in such a way that it won't seem out of place. Just don't let Jennifer know that its a different jacket. She probably won't even notice."

"Speaking of, can you get a message to her?" Rodney held up a finger.

Sara shook her head. "I would love to, but I'm going to say no. I'll let her know you're thinking about her, though."

Rodney accepted that and went back to pacing in front of the window, momentarily panicking when John asked if he'd forgotten the wedding ring. SaraLeigh waved to a smirking John and a confused Ronon and left the room. As the door closed, she heard Ronon say, "I look dumb."

She couldn't help it. The snicker just wouldn't stay contained. After a few laughs, she saw Major Lorne grinning at her again. She flushed "Sorry. He just sounded. . .put out."

The major nodded. "Yeah, he. . .ah. . .sounds like that a lot."

"You work with him?"

"He's a private contractor working with our outfit." Lorne shrugged. "Thank you for handling this, Ms. Johnson."

"You're a good friend of Jennifer's, so my name is 'SaraLeigh.'" She smiled at him, not minding the way his blue eyes lingered on her face and caused her to flush again. "'Sara,' for short."

"I'm 'Evan.'" His smile again covered his face.

"Nice to meet you, Evan." She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at the door to the bride's room. "I have work, but I'll see you around."

She stepped into the room, closing the door in time to hear another muttered comment from behind her. Sure that Evan hadn't meant for her to hear him, she still flushed when he said, "Yes, you will."

Finding Jennifer fully dressed, including gloves, shoes, and borrowed bracelet, SaraLeigh grinned. "It's now ten minutes after the time that the service was supposed to start. Shall we get this show on the road?"

~TBC