Laney Jacobs swung her axe and watched the head of the last demon who stood her before slide from its body. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look for her sister. Her gaze swept over the piles of the fallen, their twisted and ugly bodies even more so in death. Her sharp eyes fell upon a pale hand, the silver band on its middle finger glinting in the pale light of dawn. Laney wrenched a demon with black skin and red eyes away from her sister. It was dead, fallen upon Angie's sword. She knelt down, her jeans soaking up blood.
"Ange" she whispered. She touched the side of her sister's throat. "Oh Angie"
Swallowing she slid her arms beneath her sisters body and lifted her away from the slain. Laney walked through the archway that she and her sister had been defending. Stepping over bodies and sliding in their blood she made her way to the Great Hall.
The five longest surviving, and most powerful, of the Slayers were there. They were the first line of defence.
Laney smelt it first. Blood, evil and pure, combining in sickly sweet. Then sweat, fear, adrenaline. And as she drew closer, urine, faeces.
She swallowed again and paused, clasping her sister to her chest. Closing her eyes she strained for sound. But there was none. Laney lay her sister outside of the hall, finding a spot that was slightly freer of blood. She slowly stepped inside.
The bodies of their enemies were piled higher here, a testament to the skill of those who had fought them.
Laney scrambled over them, tossing them to one side, sobbing out names. She slid on blood and went down, slamming her head on the floor. She lay there stunned for a moment then pushed herself up. Closing her eyes she opened up her other senses. This was how she'd been taught to track, to hunt.
She had lost count of the number of punches to the face she'd taken whilst Faith taught her how to fight blind.
"I have a scent Laney, I disturb the air, I breath, I move. Follow me"
It was her tutor, and closest friend, she found first. Faith did have a scent. Tobacco, strawberry shampoo and leather. Except now it was undercut with urine. When Faith's neck had been snapped her body had emptied itself. She carried Faith to her sister and returned to the hall.
When she finally carried Buffy out she knew she wouldn't find anybody alive.
Laney wasn't sure how long she had been here. She was certain there had been times of darkness and of light.
She had found a field where only a few demons lay dead. It had poppies and daisies growing in it. Ridding it of the demon bodies she went looking for a shovel. She had used three of the five she had found before she was done.
Looking out over the field 134 graves looked back at her. 134 silver rings weighed heavy in the weapons bag at her feet.
"What am I going to do now?" she whispered.
No one answered.
Nine months later, SGC Briefing Room 1
General O'Neill tapped the blurry image in front of him. "Wraith?"
"Yes Sir"
"Kicking your arse's huh?"
"Um, yes Sir"
He looked at the three men in front of him. "How strong is really strong Colonel Mitchell?"
"I'd say three or four men Sir. Quick too"
"Hmm. Strong, fast, suck the life from you, hard to kill" He grinned at them "Disturbing penchant for leather?"
"Um Sir?"
O'Neill lent forward over the table, still grinning. "What you have here gentlemen is a serious case of space vampires"
"Um, ok Sir"
He pointed his finger in the air and cried "To the Daedalus"
"Uh, have you considered a vacation Sir?"
Colonel Mitchell, Major Sheppard and Major Lorne stood by the control deck on board the Daedalus and eyed their General. The man who they answered to, the man who controlled the SGC and Atlantis, albeit from afar, the man who had the final say on all inter planetary exploration, and wondered if one day they'd end up as batshit crazy as he was.
"Hermoid?"
"Yes O'Neill"
"Please locate Miss Jacobs' signal and beam her arse up here"
"Do you not first wish to contact Miss Jacobs General O'Neill? On her previous visit there was talk of removal of certain important body parts if you didn't"
Major Sheppard choked back a laugh. "Sorry Sir"
"I believe there was also some questioning of your parentage General O'Neill"
Major Lorne grinned. O'Neill glared at him. "Sorry Sir"
"Fine" huffed O'Neill. He looked at the other men "Probably a good idea"
Colonel Mitchell's brows rose.
Hermoid pressed a button on the deck.
"Jack?"
"Laney. You have twenty seconds to be acceptably clothed"
She laughed.
"Yes Sir"
Then there was the bright white light of the transporter.
She was barefoot, shoes hanging from their straps between her fingers, in her other hand some kind of axe, black liquid dripping from its blade. The hem of her dress brushed the top of her knees. It was red silk and in the places splattered with the same liquid it clung to her body.
"Colonel Mitchell"
"Sir?"
O'Neill waved his hand at him. "Tell Miss Jacobs about the Wraith. Exactly what you just said to me"
"Um ok" Mitchell looked down at her and she tilted her head up, smiling at him. Folding his arms he cleared his throat.
"The Wraith are a huge threat to the base we currently occupy. They kill you by sucking the life from you through their hand, they're strong, fast and a son of a bitch to kill"
"Huh, suck the life you eh?"
"Yes"
"Strong, fast"
He sighed. "Yes"
They watched her turn to Jack, grinning. He grinned back at her. "They like leather too"
She licked her lips. "Space vampires?"
O'Neill pointed at her "See, she gets it!"
"Um, Sir"
"Shut up Mitchell. Laney tell them who you are"
She turned back to them still grinning. "I'm Laney, the Vampire Slayer"
Colonel Mitchell looked at the young woman sat at the table opposite him. A Slayer, whatever the fuck that was. And apparently she could help with the Wraith. He closed his eyes.
"I think Colonel Mitchell is broken"
John snorted next to him. He snapped his eyes open and glared at her. She smiled at him. He clenched his fists under the table.
Lorne cleared his throat. "Um, when you say powers..?"
"Strength, speed, stamina, heightened senses, high pain threshold, fast healing" She looked thoughtful "And a high possibility of not reaching your twenties"
"And you are?"
"Twenty-five"
"Right. So, that's um, good right? Survived your teens"
She laughed. "Yeah Major"
"Look, I'm sure you're pretty strong and I don't even want to know what the black shit was on that axe of yours…."
"Scythe"
Mitchell scowled at her "Whatever. But we're talking about hundreds of thousands of these fuckers, on spaceships, with stun guns. We need more weapons, another ship, preferably with more weapons on it. Not Supergirl"
"Mitchell!" Major Sheppard frowned at him.
"What?!"
Laney sighed. "Colonel Mitchell?"
"What?!"
She glared at him. "I'm pretty sure that Jack just explained why you can't have any of those things, but you can have me. Although I am a limited time offer"
Lorne grinned at her. She smiled back, then turned to the Colonel again. "I may not be able to blow their ships out of the sky but, if they're strength matches three men like you say, you get me on one of them and I'll tear it apart in a few hours" She leant forward, giving him an amazing view of her cleavage. "And did I mention my stamina? Because I can do that all day, every day, over and over and over again"
His mouth dropped open and she smirked at him.
Turning to Jack she winked. "I want out of here in an hour if he's still being a stubborn asshole" Then she got up and left the room.
O'Neill tipped back his chair and grinned at them. "I think that went well"
"Uh, it did…Sir"
"She gave you an hour to pull your head out your arse Mitchell. That's more than she gives most people. The way you spoke to her you're lucky you still have your balls attached to your body"
Major Lorne choked on his coffee.
"Now, I'm going to annoy Hermoid for an hour. I know he's stashing some big honking space guns somewhere and I want one"
"I like her"
"That's a surprise"
"Fuck off Mitchell"
"Bite me Sheppard"
Lorne rolled his eyes. He wished they'd go back to screwing each other. At least the bitching wasn't continuous then.
"Sirs!"
They looked at him. "What?!"
"If you could, for a moment, remember that you are the top ranking military officers of an alien outpost, and both over the age of twelve, perhaps we could make a decision? Personally I'm with Sheppard and, if she can do everything her and O'Neill have promised, she'd be an asset. She'd certainly be handy to have around when SGA-1 gets captured again"
"Fuck you Lorne. Your team gets captured too"
"Yes we do, but you're currently nine up on us"
Mitchell snorted. "You're counting?"
"Yep. If my team has to rescue his twice more before we get caught again I'm in for a healthy payout"
"Asshole"
He grinned at his CO. "So….we just need our great and powerful leader's agreement"
Mitchell flipped him off.
Three weeks later
"Where the fuck is she?"
"Right here Major"
Lorne spun round "I'm going to attach a fucking bell to you Jacobs"
She grinned at him. "Won't that warn the Wraith of my impending arrival?"
He glared at her. "Don't be a smartass. Now move it"
Laney went to follow him to the gate and was stopped by Colonel Mitchell stepping in front of her. She tilted her head up to him "Would you like to get me a bell too Colonel?"
Sheppard grinned behind his coffee.
Mitchell folded his arms and looked down at her. "Where is your uniform Miss Jacobs?"
"Probably being worn by a giant Colonel"
He narrowed his gaze. "And you think this is appropriate to be going off world in?"
She tilted her head even further, exposing her throat. "You don't like it? I find the leather to be most practical. Easy to get the blood off"
"That is possibly the most disturbing thing anyone has ever said to me"
"Then you obviously need to expand your social circle Colonel"
Mitchell closed his eyes. "Get the fuck out my gateroom Jacobs"
Sheppard watched her rip off a salute that would make the hardest of CO's weep with pride and take her place by Major Lorne.
"You can open your eyes now Mitch"
The other man glared at him. He grinned back.
"Finding something funny Sheppard"
"Yeah, you"
"Really"
"Yep, haven't seen anyone drive you this nuts in years"
Laney walked a few steps behind Lorne and sighed inwardly. She was pushing her luck with Mitchell and she knew it. If she was anyone else he'd have had her in his office and flogged her arse several times over by now. But he didn't know what to do with her, none of them did. The last Dom she'd met who had understood was Dean, and he was currently about three billion light years away.
All Slayers were submissive, a side effect of the magic used to create them thousands of years ago. The Shadowmen had wanted a warrior they could control and a dominant Slayer would be deadly. But it was a tough dynamic to live with. She was stronger than any other human and used to working alone.
She rolled her shoulders. It wasn't physical dominance a Slayer needed, although there was something about letting someone take her, giving up her power, that flipped her switch. No, it was control, nurturing, rules to be obeyed, consequences if they weren't. A voice to cut through the memories and the pain and the nightmares.
Four months later
As the alarm sounded John Sheppard pushed himself off the wall of his cell and went to stand at the door. Ronan moved next to him.
"Think it's our lot?"
Ronan grinned at him as the scream of the Wraith echoed down the corridor. "Yeah"
John rolled his eyes. "Lorne's gonna be so fucking smug. I may have to shoot him"
"Now that wouldn't be very nice after I've come all this way to rescue you Sir"
He flipped him off. Lorne sighed and hit the lock on the opposite wall.
"Where's your team Major?"
"Davis and Parrish are covering the dart bay. Jacobs is currently demonstrating her annoyance at her CO being captured, and suggesting that they probably shouldn't do it again"
John smirked at him.
Laney swung the scythe and watched with satisfaction as the Queen's head slid off her shoulders. Standing still she reached out with her senses. There were still some Wraith, four levels down. She tilted her head, wondering if Lorne would let her go find them. The Slayer in her was still calling for blood, for the fight. Turning on her heels she ran out the room.
Her radio crackled "Jacobs"
Not stopping she tapped her ear "Sir?"
"Are you done"
"I can be, but there's still more here"
"Are they a threat?"
She sighed. "No"
"Then get your arse back to the Jumper"
"You spoil all my fun Sheppard"
Ronan eyed the young woman from his position, flat on his back on the mat in the training room.
"You are struggling to control yourself tonight"
She glared at him. "Sheppard should have let me finish"
He sat himself up and tapped the floor in front of him with his finger. Sighing she sat down and crossed her legs.
"You need to find someone here who can bring you down"
"I know Ro" Laney scraped a hand through her hair. "It's just hard. Dom's think that because physically I'm so much stronger than them my submission would never be complete"
"Have you ever found one who understood"
She nodded. "His name is Dean. He does what I do, hunts monsters. He told me my submission was not less but greater than other subs. To know that I would willingly give myself over when I could snap his neck with two fingers was a gift, one that should be treasured"
"And yet you did not stay with him?"
She shook her head. "His dynamic left him unable to cope with me knowingly walking into danger. He admired what I could do but he wanted me to stop"
"You do not want to stop?"
"I can't"
John Sheppard stood in the observation room and frowned.
One week later
"So…this is new"
"Uh huh"
"I mean for me, does this happen a lot here?"
"No"
"Ah"
Silence.
"Lorne?"
"Yeah"
"Why have you got your eyes closed?"
"Um, because your naked"
"Haven't you ever seen a naked woman before Evan?"
"Of course I fuc….hang on, you've got your eyes closed right?"
"Would you like me to say yes?"
He snapped his eyes open and glared at her. Then shut them again and groaned. "This is not good"
"I'm offended"
"You know perfectly well what I mean Jacobs. And why the hell aren't you breaking us out of here?"
"I'm enjoying the view"
"Fuck off Lane"
She laughed. "I'm waiting for the guard to come back so I can knock him out and steal his clothes. Unless you want to go find Parrish and Davis naked?"
"Um, no. Right, good plan"
"Gee, thanks Evan"
Silence.
"So, do you come here often?"
"Laney!"
Lt Colonel Sheppard stood next to Colonel Mitchell and looked at SGA-2 standing in the gateroom, half-dressed. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do I even want to know Major Lorne?"
"Um, well it seems that in his excitement at the discovery of a new specimen" Lorne glared at Parrish "the Doc here strayed onto sacred ground"
"Ah"
"Things became quite uh, tense quite quickly. The next thing we know we're being taken down by some kind of tranquilliser gun and out for the count. When we woke up Jacobs and I were locked in one cell, Davis and Parrish in another. After subduing our guard we managed to get back to the gate without raising the alarm"
"I believe you missed something out Major"
"I did?"
He sighed and looked at Laney, trying to ignore the fact she was wearing just a shirt that barely scraped her thighs. "How did they take you down? Aren't you immune to stuff like that"
She glared at him "To a point Colonel. The others only took one shot. I took seven"
He closed his eyes. "Seven?"
"Yep, they were most insistent that I become unconscious"
Davis snorted behind her.
"Don't you think it would have been better to drop when the first one hit, therefore being conscious when you were taken to the cell?"
She turned to Evan. "Now that would have been a good plan. I can see why he got a promotion"
Lorne glared at her, tightening his grip on the slightly too big pants he was wearing.
Mitchell cleared his throat. "Would anyone like to explain to me why you are minus your uniforms?"
"No idea Sir"
Sheppard looked at him. "You're kidding me right?"
"Nope, sorry. We didn't stick around long enough to find out"
"Maybe it was so we wouldn't escape. No one likes running through a forest naked. I mean they make it look good in films but in real life it just hurts like fuck"
"Miss Jacobs?"
"Colonel Mitchell?"
"Shut the hell up"
She stuck her tongue out at him.
Sheppard could feel a headache coming on. "Go away, shower, find some fucking clothes" He shucked his jacket "Laney come here"
She stepped in front of him and he tied it round her waist. "Weren't there any bloody women on this planet?"
"Yes, but they all had terrible fashion sense"
Davis snorted again.
"Get the fuck out my gateroom"
"Yes Colonel Sheppard Sir"
Five weeks later
"This is getting fucking ridiculous"
"I agree, we're catching up with Sheppard's lot on the 'being captured' front. Also, I'm a little tired of people drugging me"
"That's not what I meant and you know it"
"Hey, I'm not the one that keeps strolling off into sacred grounds, touching sacred stuff"
"No. But before you joined people just wanted to beat the crap out of us or shoot at us. They never wanted to steal our clothes"
"That's because Bates wasn't as pretty as me. Now you have the hottest SG team"
"Whatever Lane. This time, when we escape, you beat the shit out of them until we get our uniforms back"
She grinned at him. "Yes Sir"
Leaving the briefing room two hours later Evan allowed himself to breathe again. Sheppard and Mitchell didn't seem to have noticed that Parrish had his BDU's on inside out.
Sheppard swiveled his chair and raised a brow at Mitchell.
"Parrish had his pants on inside out"
"Yeah, I noticed"
"What the hell do they do out there?"
"Fuck knows. But at least they decided to get their uniforms back this time"
He snorted. "I don't know. I've been kinda looking forward to seeing what they come back wearing next"
Mitchell rolled his eyes at him. "You mean what SHE comes back wearing next"
"Don't be a bitch Mitchell"
"Don't be a pervert Sheppard"
"Excuse me?!"
"You've got nine years on her Shep"
"Fuck off, what the hell is your problem lately?"
"What the fuck does that mean?"
"It means that ever since you decided to start screwing around you've been an asshole"
"Screwing around?!"
"Yeah, and that hot little engineer you're fucking at the moment has to be ten years younger than you, if not more"
"None of your fucking business Sheppard"
"Yeah right, sorry, I forgot" He stood up.
"Shep?"
"Bite me Colonel"
Mitchell pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes "Fuck"
"I agree Colonel"
He snapped his eyes open. "You know I am going to get you that bell Jacobs"
She smirked at him.
"What do you want Princess?"
"Stop calling me that"
"Nope"
Laney glared at him. He rolled his eyes and waved a hand at her to continue.
She sighed and licked her lips. "I want to apologise"
He raised his brows. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me Colonel. I've been pushing my luck, speaking out of turn to you. I'm sorry"
He peered at her. "Are you a replicator? Cause if so you suck at being Laney Jacobs"
"For fuck's sake Mitchell. Get your head out your arse"
"Ah, there she is"
She flipped him off. "Look, this isn't exactly easy for me and you're not helping. I know it's not just me that's making you act like a complete prick but I'm some of the reason. I can't help with whatever else is fucking with you but I promise I will make more of an effort to keep my mouth shut, be respectful" She held out a finger "But I want something in return"
"That isn't how it works Princess"
"It is for now. This isn't an offer of my submission, or a request that you take me to your bed…"
He gaped at her.
"BUT it is a promise that I will try to treat you as what you are. Commander of this expedition and a Dom" She sighed. "Close your mouth Colonel, that is unattractive"
He snapped his jaw shut. "And in return?"
"You speak to Sheppard, without bitching, without putting your giant foot in it. And you sort out whatever the fuck it is that's going on between you two"
"Now, you listen to me…."
"No, you listen to me. I don't know what it is about you two but your constant bitching is making me antsy and a little nervous. It's not just my five senses that are off the scale Colonel. I pick up other stuff as well. Usually I'd take it out on some unsuspecting bad guys but things have been a little quiet lately. Think I've got them on the run" She grinned at him.
He looked her over. Still hot, still coiled ready for a fight, but there were hints of dark circles under her eyes, a slight tremor to her hands. Her face seemed a little thinner than when he'd first met her.
"Princess, you not sleeping properly?"
"I never sleep properly Colonel"
Mitchell frowned at her. "And eating?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure I went through the whole not submitting thing which means neither of those are your concern. But I would appreciate it if my CO's could find their way to getting along. I see hints of how you used to be with each other, kinda makes what you are now a little sad"
Laney jogged to the end of the east pier and stopped, stretching out her muscles. A two hour run and she still felt restless.
It had been a few weeks since she'd last encountered a Wraith and they were the only thing in this bloody galaxy that were nearly capable of giving her a good fight. She'd passed on her sparring session with Ronan tonight, worried she would seriously hurt him, and decided to try to run her frustration out instead.
It wasn't working. Laney clenched her fists. Then the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She tensed and turned around.
Lt Colonel Sheppard was stood on a balcony, looking down at her.
Exhaling gently she jogged back down the pier and turned south. Another hour, then she'd try for some sleep.
Colonel Sheppard stepped inside and rubbed his hands over his face.
Since the night he'd listened to her talk to Ronan in the sparring room he'd been watching her. She was good, her control almost complete. But there were a few small tells. She was struggling. And tonight had confirmed to him that she was hardly sleeping.
He closed his eyes. If Mitchell wasn't being such a prick at the moment he'd have suggested to him they take her on. But ever since they had lost Elizabeth the man didn't know what to do with himself. Separating from John and taking any willing sub he could find to bed seemed to be his way of dealing with it. It had been nearly a year now and John figured that Mitchell wasn't coming back. Didn't want what they'd had with Elizabeth with anyone else.
He sighed and opened his eyes. Then his door chimed.
"Come in"
He eyed the man in front of him. "What do you want Colonel?"
Mitchell sighed. "Sheppard we need to talk"
"No"
"Ok, lets put it this way, I have been ordered to talk to you on pain of death, a VERY painful death if her description was anything to go by"
"Uh, excuse me?"
"It seems our, in her words, constant bitching is upsetting our resident Slayer"
Sheppard raised a brow. "And this bothers you why?"
Mitchell scowled at him. "Well, Lt Colonel, for a start I have no desire to 'wake up on fire' anytime soon. And I don't want a fucking antsy super-powered sub wandering around my city"
"And?"
"And she looks like shit. She's useless to me if she's not 100%"
"Fuck off Mitchell"
"What?"
"You heard me. All of those reasons suck, and you sound like an arse. It's becoming a hard habit for you to break"
The other man sighed. "Fine. I hate acting like a prick, I hate that we argue all the time and I'm worried about Laney. Satisfied now I sound like a girl?"
"You're getting there"
Mitchell glared at him. Taking a seat on one of the chairs at the table he rubbed his hand over his face. "It still hurts like a son of a bitch"
"Yeah, I know"
"You seem to be doing ok"
"That's because instead of being an asshole and separating myself from all my friends I actually took the help offered and let myself grieve" John held out a hand. "And yes, that does make me sound like a girl, but at least now I'm not being a dick. You should have let me help. If not me then Lorne or Ronan, and I know Teyla tried to speak with you"
"You know I used to be the sensible one"
John snorted and took a seat in the other chair. "She runs for miles round the city at night"
"Does she now?"
"Yeah. Just seen her heading round to the south pier"
"Hm. You stalking her Shep?"
He glared at him. "Just keeping an eye out. Saw her in the sparring room a while back with Ro. They were talking about her needing someone out here"
"I'm sure she wouldn't be short of offers"
"Apparently Slayers struggle to find a Dom who can understand them"
"Why?"
John rolled his eyes. "Uh well there's the super powers, the stunning wit of her backchat and the fact she sends herself off on suicidal missions. She said most Dom's believe a Slayers submission isn't total. Somehow lesser than other subs"
"Well, that's fucking ridiculous"
"Is it? You seen or heard about anyone approach her here? She's hot and available yet she hasn't been in anyone's bed to my knowledge"
"Huh" Mitchell looked at him. "You were thinking of going to her?"
John shrugged. "Lately? Yeah. I wanted her pretty much from the moment she got her pretty little arse beamed up onto the Daedalus but it's a big decision. It wouldn't be a one night, or few weeks thing. She needs someone who is constant, consistent"
Mitchell nodded. "You think you're ready for that?"
"I miss Elizabeth, and yeah it still hurts like fuck. Probably always will in some ways but I'm not twenty-five anymore Mitch. I don't want to be screwing around. I like her, a lot. And she's struggling, which makes me want to hit stuff. Or give her a good meal and then take her to bed"
The other mans brows rose. "She's young"
"She's twenty-six soon. And she's been a Slayer for eleven years. She may look young, and act it just to drive you nuts, but there's maturity there and, if I'm reading her right, a hell of a lot of pain"
"Ok Shep. If you're sure. Just let me know if you need any advice and shit"
John snorted. "I don't need your advice and shit Mitchell. I want you in on this"
"Uh, what?"
"You heard me. Our dynamics together would be perfect for her. BUT, you're not ready yet"
"Bite me. And who says I want in on this"
"Please, you're practically fighting down erections every time she strolls in the gateroom wearing those damn leather tops of hers"
Mitchell gaped at him.
"But first you need help to stop being a complete dick and let go of some that hurt. And that's where I come in"
"I don't fucking think so"
"Oh but I do. It's time to let go Cameron and they do say all Dom's should feel the bliss submission can bring at least once" John smirked at him. "Now, be a good boy and strip"
Colonel Mitchell shifted in his office chair and hissed.
Bastard, Sheppard was going to pay for this. What made it worse was that he'd been right. Bound and blindfolded on the Military Commander's bed while he'd drawn slick patterns over Cameron's chest and lazily thrust in and out of him, he'd found his world dropping away. He'd handed over control to the other man and he'd woken this morning feeling relaxed and happier than he had been for months.
He was pretty sure he'd have a ridiculously blissed out look on his face if his arse didn't burn like a son of a bitch.
Major Lorne watched her settle on his couch between his sub's legs and lie her back against his chest. He smiled.
"What is it today Laney?" He gestured to the book in her hands.
She smiled back at him "Oliver Twist"
"Well, I look forward to explaining that one later"
She laughed. Ronan tapped her leg and she opened the book. "'Treats of the place where Oliver Twist was born, and of the circumstances attending his birth. Among other public buildings in a certain town, which for many reasons it will be prudent to refrain from mentioning, and to which I will assign no fictitious name, there is one anciently common to most towns, great or small: to wit, a workhouse'…"
Evan closed his eyes and tipped back in his chair. When Ronan had first mentioned that she was struggling he'd been surprised that she hadn't been getting what she needed. She was a good-looking sub and her dynamic was rare and special. She reminded him a little of Ronan. A warrior with the need of security, domination, someone to help with the memories. He couldn't give her everything she craved but he could help. He'd offered her the couch in his office as a place of sanctuary.
The first time she had come she'd brought Great Expectations. Smiling whilst trying to explain the story to Ronan, she'd then offered to read to him. He'd expected to find it an annoying distraction but the soft sound of her voice mixed in with his sub's occasionally rumbled questions was surprisingly relaxing.
"What is a workhouse?"
Evan grinned.
Twenty minutes later his door chimed. Waving at Laney to continue he called out. "Come in"
Lt Colonel Sheppard stepped in. Taking in the two people on the couch Evan noticed him flinch slightly. "Sorry to disturb you Major but I need the list of the next people for Jumper training"
"Of course Sir" He handed him a piece of paper.
"Thank you Lorne" Nodding to him and turning his back on the couch he left.
Evan grinned. There was nothing like seeing a sub you wanted on another Dom's couch to get you to pull your head out your arse.
Colonel Mitchell eyed the man who had just thrown himself in the chair across his desk and raised his brows.
"No witty remarks about last night Lt Colonel, no comments about my currently burning arse?"
Sheppard smirked at him then looked serious. "Just seen Lane"
"Oh yes?"
"She's reading to Ronan, on Evan's couch"
"Huh, well that's interesting"
Sheppard scowled at him.
Two weeks later
With their arms propped on the balcony over-looking the gateroom Colonel Mitchell and Lt Colonel Sheppard watched SGA-2 come back through the gate.
Lieutenant Davis dipped his head to say something to Laney and she shook her head. He frowned and said something else. She tilted her head until there were only a couple of inches between their faces and smiled, then nodded. He grinned at her and led her out the room.
"Huh"
"Fuck"
Laney ran her hand over the door chime and it slid open, she smiled at her friend. "Teyla, I hope you don't mind us calling on you?"
The other woman returned the smile and looked at Laney and Lieutenant Davis. "Of course not, please come in. I shall make some tea"
"Please let me Teyla, you relax. Davis asked me to accompany him"
She nodded at Laney, a Dom visiting her alone would be unacceptable despite her collar and pregnancy. "Thank you" Looking at Davis she raised an eyebrow. "There is something that you wished to discuss with me Matthew?"
He shifted in his seat on her couch and cleared his throat. "We have just returned from New Athos"
Teyla frowned. "Is all well?"
"Yes, please don't worry. There is something that I wished to ask you though"
She waved at him to continue.
"I was introduced to a submissive named Kellen, we spent some time speaking with each other. I have found myself drawn to him"
Teyla smiled. "He is a very beautiful young man Matthew, and an excellent submissive"
He nodded and grinned. "Yeah, to be honest I was loath to leave him when it was time to return to the city. I'm hoping to be able to visit him again soon but I wanted to know exactly how this would work. What is acceptable among your people when it comes to courting a submissive"
Laney dropped onto the floor by Teyla, handing Davis his tea. "Matthew is wonderfully old-fashioned"
"Bite me Lane"
Teyla laughed. "Do not be offended Matthew. The fact that you have come to me to ask how things should be done tell's me you are more than worthy to pursue Kellen. You may spend as much time with him as you wish but you must not touch, or initiate touch, until you have met his parents"
"Shit"
"Matthew!" Laney glared at him.
"Sorry Teyla"
"This makes you nervous?"
"Meeting parents? Oh yeah"
"Do not be. They are good people, and as long as you continue to show the same respect and understanding you have shown today, I am sure they would be honoured for you to lay with their son"
Laney choked on her tea. "Lay with their son! Bloody hell Teyla"
The other woman grinned at her and winked.
Two days later
Laney slipped through the transporter doors and turned to the two men inside.
"Good evening Colonels"
"Will you stop calling us that?"
She grinned at them. "Nope"
Mitchell rolled his eyes. "Actually Jacobs I've been meaning to speak with you"
"And there goes my happy vibe"
"Shut up"
She rolled her eyes and faced them as the doors slid open. "Well?"
Mitchell cleared his throat "You do know that a Dom and a uncollared sub who have any form of physical relationship may not serve on the same team"
"Uh, yes"
"So, do you think that you or Davis may need to think about transferring?"
"Uh, why?"
He sighed. "Laney…"
Then she got it, and laughed. "You think that me and ….oh my God, I take it back, you do have a sense of humour"
"Hey!"
"Me and Davis" She grinned at him and stepped backwards out the open door. "I think you'll find my lack of a penis would mean that'd never happen"
Laney grinned at the closed door, the look on their faces would amuse her for hours. She tapped her radio.
"Jacobs to Davis"
"Ok Lane?"
"Yeah. Did you know the Colonels thought we were fucking?"
In the gateroom Chuck spat out his coffee.