A/N: Just to clarify, this is NOT a SheppardxOC romance. It is simply a way of expressing some of what goes on in Atlantis. It's basically how Sheppard befriends one of the 'little people' of the expedition, and how even though they might not be in the forefront, there are still other people around that are important to the success of the Atlantis expedition. Please forgive me if Captain Webb seems a little sue-ish at the moment, she's not, but I might not have her personality ironed out for a few chapters yet. To be honest, I don't think this story has gone the way I originally planned it, but I got the idea for it almost two years ago now, and while I'm pretty sure I wrote at least three chapters in one of my school books from a few years ago, I can't for the life of me find it so I decided t work from memory instead. Oh, and also note that when I began to plan this fic, we had just reached the end of season one. John's promotion should feature in about chapter three if you decide you want me to continue. If not, I'm afraid he'll have to be a Major until the end of time.

SGASGASGA

The view seen from any one of Atlantis' many balconies is always breathtaking. One can see the seamless blue ocean as it rises, swirls and falls around the city's piers, and the most beautiful architecture in two galaxies can be marvelled at while the planet's soft breeze mingles it's delicious coolness with the balcony's visitor.

It comes as no surprise, then, that most all of Atlantis' current inhabitants liked to visit the balconies as often as was possible. The best time to visit, it was known, was always at sunset, just as the last rays of the solar system's sun drift over the horizon, illuminating the skies with a rainbow of colours.

It was one such evening that Atlantis' ranking military officer, Major John Sheppard, decided to pay a visit to his favourite balcony after finishing a rather exhausting mission report regarding the loss of a ZPM to some crazy people who wanted to reform a secret brotherhood that had been destroyed hundreds of years before.

Sighing, he stepped out into the cool breeze. Relishing the gentle sounds of the ocean, he noticed that he was not alone on the balcony when he heard the small sobs which permeated the evening air. Looking around the corner he saw a young woman sitting with her back against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest wither arms locked around them. She was wearing standard issue Atlantis military BDU's, so he guessed she must have been one of the recruits he still hadn't gotten around to meeting yet.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked the crying woman. She jumped slightly, obviously not having realised someone was there. Looking up and seeing the face of her CO, she jumped to her feet and stood at attention, throwing him a shaky salute.

"Sorry sir, I didn't see you."

"That's alright. At ease, soldier," she shot him a thankful look, before wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Are you alright," he asked with concern.

She sniffled a little, but tried to hide it, "Yeah, I'm," she wiped her eyes again, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure, because you don't really seem fine to me. You want to talk about it?"

"Not really, sir. I'm just trying to deal with it for now…"

John understood. Sometimes you just had to take the time to get thinks through your own head first. How do you try to explain to other people when you don't even know what to think yourself? Realising they hadn't been introduced before, he held out his hand politely, "I'm Major John Sheppard, ma'am, it's nice to meet you."

That elected a small smile, "Captain Michelle Webb, sir. Pleasure's all mine."

"You can call me John."

"Thankyou sir – I mean, thankyou John. You can call me Michelle."

Pleasantries accounted for, the pair looked out over the ocean in companionable silence for a while, John lost in his thoughts and Michelle sniffling a little every now and then, occasionally wiping her eyes, but manages not to burst out into fully-fledged tears again.

"Me and James – Markham – we met at the Air Force Academy two years ago," She began after a while, feeling the need to get it off her chest, so to speak. Major Sheppard was much obliged to listen. He knew how hard it was to spill your guts to someone, especially someone you barely knew. He nodded for her to continue.

"He was a good man. Always tried to do the right thing, even if it wasn't always the best thing to do… I still can't believe he's gone. I just keep expecting him come waltzing out of the jumper bay with one of his stupid remarks about how he wished he could see the look on his old history teacher's face if she knew where he was now…but I know that it's not going to happen. It's never going to happen ever again, I'm never going to get to hear his voice or see him laugh, and it's just kills me, inside, to know he's gone and he's never coming back." Tears were winding their way down he cheeks again now, but she made no move to wipe them away.

"He was…we were…James and I were engaged. This is the balcony he proposed to me on," she fiddled tensely with the delicate gold and silver ring that graced the ring finger of her left hand. It was a beautiful little piece of art, with gold and silver marbled together and inset with gorgeous deep blue sapphires and pink diamonds. "It was the night after that 'Jumper had been lodged in the Stargate. He said he'd wanted to propose to me for ages, he'd even had the ring made before we left Earth, but he just couldn't work up the courage. After the 'Jumper got stuck he realised just how dangerous life in the Pegasus Galaxy was…" she roughly swiped away the tears with her sleeve. "Anyway, you probably have better things to do than listen to me whine. I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's ok. Markham was a good man and a good soldier. He deserves to be remembered," John comforted.

"I'm just having a hard time getting my head around it. Everything was going so well, now everything's gone." She looked out solemnly over the ocean.

"I have an idea. It might not be much, but I can guarantee it'll make you feel a little better. Why don't we go down to the mess hall, grab some food and chat a bit?" she turned to look at him and he could see the gratitude shining in her eyes.

"Thankyou sir. You have no idea how grateful I am. For everything."

The walk to the commissary was an amicable one, full of light-hearted banter in Sheppard's effort to help cheer the Captain up a little. Neither of them had any idea exactly how it happened, but the next thing they knew they were engaged in a no-holds-barred game of '20 Questions'.

"So, real age?" she asked, smirking, as they both munched on turkey sandwiches.

"Aww, now that would be telling!" he grinned as she slapped his arm gently.

"Come on! If I have to tell, you do too!"

"Fine then, you go first!"

"I'm twenty two. Now you?"

"I'm…not telling!"

"Hey! That's not fair!" she poked her tongue out at him with a mock scowl.

"Well, life not fair!" he commented, returning the gesture. "Besides, I'm the ranking military officer here, and what I say goes," he said with a very serious air. Unfortunately he only managed to hold it for a matter of seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Fine then, but you have to answer the next one, and I reserve the right to skip a question later."

"Sounds fair to me. Shoot."

Michelle grinned evilly, "What's a secret you would hate for people to know about you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It wouldn't be a secret if I told you! And if I have to answer this question then so do you!"

"Alright. But you first."

Major Sheppard to a deep breath, then mumbled something completely unintelligible.

"What was that, John? I didn't quite get it, you'll have to speak up."

He glared at her looking very disgruntled, but spoke up eventually, "I completed a PhD in Mathematics, but I didn't accept the diploma. And if that ever gets out, you are so out of a job!"

Michelle smiled, "Alright, as long as you don't tell anyone my secret," she looked around as if to check that no-one was listening, before whispering, "I have a degree Applied Sciences. If anyone knew that it would totally be the end of my career. It's hard enough to be respected as it is, and that's without people knowing that I'm a nerd in disguise."

"I know exactly how you feel. So, worse habit or personality trait?"

"I love t fade into the woodwork. It's great; you never know what you're gonna hear when you're a random gate room techie. Higher ups tend to forget that we have ears. We know a lot more than you guys think we do."

He raised an eyebrow, "I'll have to remember that next time I'm having an important discussion in the gate room."

The game continued in a very light manner for a while, before turning to some more serious topics. By that time both of them had finished their food, and were now engaged in a game of with a deck of cards they managed to snag of one of the scientists.

Sheppard chanced a glance over at Michelle, gauging whether or not his next question would be relevant. He could see it though, a little speck in the corner of her eyes that told him what he needed to know.

"You been a POW?" he asked, keeping his eyes lowered to his cards.

She too kept her eyes down, and for a moment he thought she wasn't going to answer. "Three months. Iraq. Unpleasant," she replied finally.

"Fourteen weeks. Afghanistan. Equally unpleasant."

"We took some fire, my co-pilot was killed and I was forced to eject. Right in the middle of enemy territory. I ended up stealing a few components to build a small homing beacon device and set it to the last frequency I knew the USAF to be using. Did you…Did you count every minute of it? Even without a watch, just listening to the seconds tick by?"

"Fourteen weeks, two days, twelve hours and six minutes. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say about 26 seconds. You never forget how long it was. Ended up having to get myself out. After two months I gave up on the hope of a rescue mission. When I was finally free they told me that they were still waiting on authorisation for a rescue mission. It would have been at least another two weeks before they had even begun to put one together. Since then I've never really respected the proper chain of command."

"That's why you never leave people behind. Because you know what it's like to be the one left behind," John nodded.

They would have talked longer, but Major Sheppard's comm. went off, Dr Zelenka had something he wanted to clear with Sheppard about the hive ships approaching Atlantis, hoping that if John thought the plan was alright they could then take it to Dr Weir. Michelle volunteered to take his tray, allowing him to go 'save Atlantis', as she put it.

As she and Sheppard were getting up to leave, Michelle spoke up again, "Just one thing, sir? Can I request to be placed on the active duty roster? Since being here I've been a techie, but we're going to need all the manpower we can get if we're going to save Atlantis. That means more people in the field."

John nodded, "I'll set you up with a team as soon as I can. You're right. If we're going to win this thing we're going to need all hands on deck. Thanks."

She just smiled and waved him off. With a last glance, they both moved off to continue their day's duties. What they had, had been a brief reprieve. Both of them knew that it was probably the last respite they would have for weeks. The Wraith were on their doorstep, and from here on in they had a war to attend to.

SGASGASGA

Like it? Hate it? Think I should continue, or spare you by giving it up now? REVIEW and tell me. I do have the second chapter written up, and I think I'll post it if I get to, say…ten reviews. Does that sound reasonable?

Coming up:

Chapter 2 – Breaking

"Dr Beckett, I'm going to need a medical team to the East Pier. We have two officers down, both with possible head injuries and one with possible internal bleeding. Also, if you can manage it please send a stretcher. We haven't ruled out the possibility of spinal damage."