Title: Butterscotch
Author: Mlle Lambert
Rating: K/PG
Genre: Fluff/General
Pairing: Sparky friendship/flirting
Season/Sequel: At least Season 2 because he's a Colonel
Spoilers: None
Summary: Elizabeth. John. Butterscotch.
Disclaimer: Whoever owns them owns them! If I did, I'd be writing the scripts, not the fanfic!
Author's Note: Special thanks to my friend, Alisha, for giving me the word "butterscotch" to jump start my writing.
Written: January 20, 2006

She'd always liked butterscotch. The smoothness and the sweet flavour had always been the hallmark of eating one. She remembered her grandparents giving her butterscotch candies as a treat when she was a young girl.

Elizabeth leaned forward in her hair. It had been a long time since she'd had butterscotch -- even longer since she had visited her grandparents as a child. It was amazing how easily she could remember the tast of those smooth yellow candies even thought it had been years.

Why was she thinking about this? The reason sat directly across the desk from her, toying with a figuring, his breath smelling of the heavenly candy.

"John," Elizabeth said finally.

He promptly placed the figuring back on her desk guiltily. "Elizabeth?" John met her gaze. "What?"

Weir's lips twitched. "Nothing."

Sheppard smirked. "Okay..."

They shared a moment of quiet before Weir got down to business concerning the mission from which he'd just returned. There had already been a debrief, but Weir needed a few more details before she let Sheppard go this time.

After he had left, Elizabeth stepped out onto the balcony. For once Sheppard and his team had come back unscathed. In fact, they may have made friends with the people they'd met on this mission.

The wind ruffled Elizabeth's hair. She closed her eyes for a long while, unmoving. Someone leaned on the railing besider her. She smiled in greeting without looking at him. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. He still smelled of butterscotch.

"So, what's on your mind?" John asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Turning to him, she said simply. "Butterscotch."

"Butterscotch?" He smirked.

She nodded, smiling. "Butterscotch."

"As in this kind of butterscotch?" John held up a candly wrapped in transparent orange plastic, and evil look in his eyes.

Elizabeth reached for it, but he pulled it away. Quickly unwrapping it, he popped it into his mouth. She raised an eyebrow.

"Butterscotch," John said, grinning. "Gotta love it."

"You're a very cruel man, Colonel Sheppard."

The grin didn't falter as he shook his head and placed something in her palm. She knew what it was without looking. She smiled up and him and he squeezed her shoulder. "Enjoy," he said before heading back inside.

"John!" she called out. He stopped. "Thanks," she said when he turned his gaze to her.

"You're welcome."

She watched as he disappeared inside. Once he was gone, she lifted the candy to eye level. Slowly unwrapping it, Elizabeth placed it on her tongue and savoured it. John was right. You just had to love butterscotch.