A/N
Inspired to do a Halloween piece after reading the one recently posted by Erin87
I was so tempted by the darker possibilities of Halloween, but this lighthearted piece just started flowing. Set before Atlantis was able to contact Earth. Maybe a little A/U because I am setting it as Atlantis's first Halloween, but assuming that Epiphany had already taken place.
John peered down at the scene below from Elizabeth's balcony. He reflected that it didn't really take much to decorate Atlantis for this party. Somehow just dimming the lights was enough to remind the crew of how little they still knew about the mysterious ancient city. Most found it creepy after dark on a normal night. On this evening, the shadows seemed to loom about the exterior decking more ominously. The sky even seemed to sense it was Halloween and contributed to the desired effect. It had molted into the darkest blue possible before the blackness, light from the moon feathering through tiny crevices of the forming storm clouds.
Long before anyone even remembered Halloween was around the corner, there had been numerous sightings of an apparition that appeared to float gently along the floor of the control room late at night. She was described as a luminous woman with pale skin and dark hair wearing a white flowing gown. Sightings were more numerously reported on nights when a team was overdue and the city of Atlantis resisted sleep, anxiously awaiting the return of their friends. She was most often referred to as the Lady of the Night. There was a reason he never permitted McKay to name anything, the man had no imagination. Not unless it involved blonde scientists that was, John chuckled to himself.
"What's so funny? Good costume?" Elizabeth appeared at his side and nodded towards the crowd below. "My god, someone even managed to find the ten thousand year plants and drag them out."
John turned towards her, his eyes rising from the crowd below. The first thing he noticed was polished red toe nails emerging from the strapiest pair of sandals he'd ever seen on her. On Atlantis for that matter. His eyes travelled leisurely from there up her deliciously bare legs. Up and up and up, he had no idea her legs were so long or so…well, he'd had no idea they would look even better than he had imagined.
He'd stopped denying to himself a long time ago that he was attracted to her. That had been the easy part. What had come next was the hard part, admitting to himself he cared for her. Seeing her, quite vividly he smirked, actually made things a little easier. It allowed his attraction to her physically, temporarily at least, overpower his surging affection for her.
"Hey! What was that for?" John protested the sudden whack to his head.
"Taking the scenic route Major?" Elizabeth's eyebrow arched pointedly.
John knew the hazy lighting probably concealed his immediate blush, but he fought for a comeback all the same. He quickly noted the amazingly short shorts, tight fitted short sleeved top, and …. low set pigtails? Then he spotted the towel in her hand. It had been taped up to look like one of those circular life saving floatation devices. And in duct tape he could see the words "S.S. Minnow." "Just trying to read the lettering- Mary Ann?"
"You know you are the first person who figured it out. Maybe I'm giving away my age, but I remember watching Gilligan's Island reruns at my grandparents as a child. Seemed appropriate considering the circumstances. "Elizabeth said.
"Appropriate in a sick and twisted kind of way, they never got off the island." John pointed out.
"Speaking of sick and twisted, what on earth happened to your hair? It's...bigger than normal." Elizabeth said reaching a hand out to touch it. "Uh, John? I think someone did something to your hair gel." She looked around for something to wipe her fingers on before deciding on his black t-shirt.
"Hey! That was a clean shirt! And for your information, my hair is supposed to be gooey. It's grease. Grease? "John took a step back motioning up and down his body.
"Grease…" Elizabeth broke out into delicious pearls of laughter. "I thought you had forgotten it was a costume party. And to do your laundry. Whose pants are those anyway?"
"I don't know and I don't want to know. McKay borrowed them from someone and to be honest with you, I think they may be women's pants. Not too many men on board look like the type to own black leather pants." John said.
"How exactly did this happen?" Elizabeth was still laughing.
"I lost a bet. With McKay. I had a choice between "Danny" and "Captain Kirk". What would you have chosen?" John said, beginning to feel a bit foolish.
"For starters, I make it a point to never bet with McKay. " Elizabeth seemed to recognize John's distress and he could see her struggle to reign in her laughter. "Second, you chose well. The pants, well, much sexier than Kirks uniform. If any ascended women are around, I'm sure they'll be swooning in no …John? John, I'm sorry, please come back."
Her soft intoxicating laughter seemed to float around him as he fled the room. John wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but the second she mentioned ascended women his feet were moving. It wasn't quite anger or even embarrassment. It was that she didn't see it, she didn't feel the same. Or why would she have said that? He wasn't exactly proud of the things he'd done when he'd been in denial.
He had meant to head back to his quarters, but he found himself standing below the balcony he'd just stood upon. Everyone in Atlantis seemed to be milling about him, enjoying the party. He looked up to meet Elizabeth's eyes and he felt his smirk return. She'd said sexy, he realized suddenly.
Suddenly the crew he'd been avoiding in his ridiculous get up seemed to become aware of his presence. He heard cat calls and whistles cast from the far side of the outdoor room. He glanced over to see Lorne and Ford not even trying to pretend it wasn't them. Rodney was standing in between them, beaming with joy.
"Thank you, thank you very much." He said, deciding to play it off. It was kind of funny. He slid his thumb through a belt loop and hitched the side of the pants up as he continued. "Let me just get my guitar now, this costume could do double duty for Elvis."
John starting walking back inside and he saw Rodney's jaw drop. He could practically read the scientists mind, hmm take one John Sheppard add leather pants and guitar. Ascended women be damned, John was sure he'd find plenty of other interested women of the flesh and blood variety. John felt an immature rush of joy to realize how easily he could turn this lost bet back against Rodney. But there was only one woman here whose attention he craved. John's eyes turned to the balcony again. It was empty, Elizabeth had gone.
John shrugged it off. Just another day of cat and mouse. And then he had to stop to let a pair of scientists dressed up as cat and mouse scamper by. He had to smile again. There wasn't exactly a store for costumes in their neighborhood, so the costumes had all been homemade and scrapped together. But there were some good ones. He quickly checked his watch and stepped up his pace. He wanted to hurry up and grab the guitar and get back. It was about time for the costume contest and he was one of the judges. He was about to rejoin the party when he felt her breath on his neck.
"What exactly is McKay's costume supposed to be? I think he's just wearing his everyday clothes." Elizabeth whispered, as Rodney was not quite four feet away. Her eyes were wide with unspoken question, wondering if he'd forgiven her for poking fun at him.
He recognized that she was giving him an easy out too, no explanation required for his silly behavior earlier. "I'll tell you, if you tell me who Beckett is. I don't get the top hat and the bow tie. And he has candy; I've never seen Beckett eat candy. That's just what I'd call a little strange."
"Seriously John? You get Mary Ann, but not Willy Wonka? Now McKay."
"He's a tourist. Maybe you too could have coordinated. He would have made a great professor. Or Gilligan." John said earnestly.
Elizabeth had just taken a sip of the lethal punch and almost lost it through her nose as she snorted with laughter.
John smiled as he looked down on her, allowing the tension from before to fall away. It was rare that they enjoyed moments such as these, moments without impending doom on the horizon. It made him happy to see her so relaxed.
"So, shall we? " Elizabeth offered her elbow. "I believe we have a contest in need of judges?"
"You've got to try this punch! It's seriously amazing!" McKay's voice slurring ever so slightly as he appeared before them, offering John a cup. "Here, I'll take the case." He motioned towards John's guitar.
"I think I can manage." John glared at him, trying to scare him, though he was only amused by McKay's behavior. He wouldn't be surprised if the guitar didn't turn back up for days if he released it into his care.
"I'll take his cup." Elizabeth shook her head back and forth between the two men as she removed her arm from John's and took the cup. She proceeded across the floor to the table set up for the judges.
John paused for a moment, enjoying the view as she sashayed away. He had no doubt she realized they were watching her. He noticed Rodney's eyes, almost mesmerized, swaying back and forth with her hips.
"Ow! What'd you do that for?" McKay protested the whack to the back of his head and now it was John's head shaking back in forth as he looked at the scientist.
"Enjoying the view?" John asked.
"Well if you must know I was wondering where she got those shorts, they are incredible! Do you think we can make those standard issue uniform for all the women on Atlantis?" McKay said, never taking his eyes off Elizabeth.
John cocked his head to the side and his eyes turned back to watch Elizabeth as she sauntered up to the table. "McKay for once, you have an idea I would be in total agreement with." John said.
"Wow, really? That's amazing because-Ow! Will you stop doing that!"
John had whacked the back of his head again. "No, not really. My men would never be able to concentrate if they all wore shorts that…that…."
"Wow." McKay said. Elizabeth had just bent down to pick up a white bow that had fallen from one of her pigtails.
"Yeah. Where is that punch bowl?" John said looking around. He needed something; he couldn't sit next to her now for the next hour without…something to dull his senses.
McKay began snapping his fingers rapidly. "Yes, yes, yes, more punch! Right this way."
"You!" John pointed at a nearby marine. "Lady Liberty."
"Lady?" The marine asked in horror, looking down at his costume.
"Didn't you go to high school? " John asked him. "Never mind, move that drink table right over there." John pointed towards the judges table.
A nearby Alice from Wonderland and her White Rabbit grabbed one end of the table and a creature that remarkably looked like a Garthim from the Dark Crystal grabbed the other along with Lady Liberty. John stopped them long enough to grab a cup of punch. He wanted one under his belt before he got anywhere near Elizabeth. He downed it in one long slow sip, feeling the heat from the potent beverage burn into his chest.
He followed the motley crew carrying the massive table which was laden with the punch and other potent Athosian liquors. As urns began to tilt and sway the characters holding the table began wildly trying to correct the balance of the table. The White Rabbit's ears were bobbing in circles and the Garthim's beak was clattering together. John was shaking his head as he trotted along in their haphazard wake as they wove unevenly and erratically throughout the crowd. He should have given them a sobriety test first.
Just as Lady Liberty's headpiece fell into the punch bowl, John was struck with the notion he'd fallen into a Monty Python film. Laughter at the absurdity of the scene was bubbling through his chest and he looked to see if Elizabeth was enjoying the side show. He instantly sobered again as his eyes fell over her.
Elizabeth leaned back against the table as they approached, looking like she was posing for a centerfold. Her long legs were stretched out before her, crossed casually at her ankles. Her hands extended back on the table behind her, bracing her upper body. Which now seemed thrust out in his direction. Damn it! This would be the longest hour of his life, John thought as he approached. Not paying attention, he clumsily stumbled into Lady Liberty, not missing Elizabeth's eyebrow arching smugly. John realized then that Elizabeth knew exactly what she was doing to him.
Hope you enjoyed, next and last chapter coming soon!