A/N Hi, John Carter fans! First off, I want to apologize for the state of my previous John Carter fanfiction, John Carter and His Princess. It was just terrible. I realized that a while ago, but haven't gotten around to doing anything about it. Until now.

This came about because I watched the movie again and couldn't help noticing again the loaded looks that Dejah gives John in the movies (specifically the ones involving the wedding rings). I was originally going to write a one-shot about those moments, but then I got carried away and started writing for this scene too. So this is the scene titled 'Dotar Sojat' told from Dejah's point of view and what I think she was thinking during these times. The only regret I have about this scene in the movie is that in the book they'd both already realized they loved each other and you had that brilliant moment when John calls Dejah his 'princess' and she gets mad and offended. Anyway, here's the first chapter. There will eventually be ones about the wedding ring looks, I promise. Please leave a review, if you can!

"No. I don't fight for anyone." Virginia's ornamental trappings thudded to the ground.

Dejah, from her spot in Sola's grip, locked eyes with the strange white man. Maybe he wasn't just a Thark's lackey. Maybe he would fight for Helium.

"Virginia," Tars Tarkas advanced on him. "Reject this honor," Tars's hand landed heavily on Virginia's shoulder as he glanced towards Dejah, "And I cannot guarantee the safety of your red girl."

Even though he spoke softly, the Thark Jeddak's words carried to Dejah, who did not react, even though her life lay in the balance. The look Virginia was guarded and regretful.

Finally, he proclaimed slowly, "I am Dotar Sojat."

Dejah studied his face. He was sad, so sad, about something. Obviously, if it wasn't for the threat to her, he would not have agreed to become a living weapon. She wasn't quite sure why a stranger was so willing to save her. It wasn't quite the way of Barsoom.

~o0o~

"War is a shameful thing." That, too, wasn't the way of Barsoom. Dejah wiped her face, trying to hide her tears for her fallen friends.

"Not when a noble cause is taken up by those who can make a difference." Dejah turned to him. "You made a difference today, Virginia."

He looked exasperated, "Okay, see, my name is John Carter. Virginia is where I'm from."

Dejah took this information in without hesitation. What he was called was not important. "Where did you lean to jump that way?"

"I don't know. How'd you learn to fly?"

That, however, threw her off. "Your ships do not sail on light in Virginia?"

John smiled slightly, which Dejah found inexplicably endearing.

"No, Professor. See, our ships sail the seas." Dejah didn't speak, moving a little farther away from him. "Endless water everywhere?" John elaborated, speaking to her as if she did not know what a sea was.

Dejah ignored that for the time being, bringing her gaze to his well-muscled chest. She walked around him, muttering to herself, "Skeletal structure: normal."

"What are you doing?" John spun halfway around.

"Must be the density of your bones," Dejah decided. She smacked his butt, ordering, "Jump for me!"

"Enough!" Sola's voice cut through, preventing John from responding to Dejah's actions. "There will be time for playfulness later!"

Dejah waved Sola off, "I want no playfulness from him!" In the back of her mind, she realized that the Thark thought of her as John Carter's property, which could prove to be a very bad situation in the future. But she also realized that John wasn't the type of man to take advantage of it.

"I want his help," she continued, words addressed to Sola, but directed at John. "Explain to me how you do it. If it's a skill, teach it to Helium! Name your price."

John took a step toward her, "I'm not for hire." Dejah felt all her sudden hopes sink. "I've a cave of my own. Somewhere." John started to walk away.

"Only a madman would rave about the time of oceans," Dejah called to keep him from leaving. It worked, because he turned.

"Is that your expert view?" John asked scornfully. "I'm mad?"

"Or a liar," Dejah added cooly.

"She is a good match for you, Dotar Sojat," Sola once again interrupted.

John held up a hand. "Don't call me that," he told her, but he kept his grey eyes on Dejah.

"There are no seas on the planet," Dejah said, in order to keep from addressing the possible compatibility between herself and a man that claimed to be an alien.

John looked at her as if he was wrestling with something, "When you say 'planet'?"

~o0o~

"Sun," Dejah pointed with a stick at the hastily drawn diagram. "Then Rasoom."

"Mercury," John corrected.

"Then Cosoom," Dejah ignored his incorrect astronomy.

John looked at her like she was crazy, "Venus." He knocked her stick out of the way, "Then Earth. Us."

What was he talking about? "That is Jasoom," she tried not to sound like she was talking to an idiot, but she didn't succeed. "You are on Barsoom, John Carter," she said, tapping the correct rock.

"Mars?" John stood. "I'm on Mars?" he muttered. Dejah looked up at him as he gazed at the sky as if he was seeing Thuros and Cluria for the first time. She stood slowly and followed his gaze. "Good God. I'm on Mars."

"So your home is Jasoom? And you came on one of your sailing ships across millions of karads of empty space?" Dejah asked scornfully, waving a hand out the stars.

"No," John said vehemently. "Not like that."

"Go on. Shock me. How?"

"That," John pointed directly as Tars Tarkas and Dejah couldn't help but notice John's hand on the small of her back. "Brought me here," Dejah stepped forward, partly to get a better look at Tars's ornament and partly to remove John's hand from her body. She looked at John and back at the medallion, a plan forming.

"Oh, well that explains everything then."

John looked confused. "It does?"

"Yes! You're a thern," Dejah explained with feeling. "And you simply wish to return to your rightful place. Isn't that it?" She asked, giving him a pointed look.

"Yes," he responded, not sounding like he had a clue what she meant.

"Then let's sort this out right now. Come along!" Dejah headed purposefully to where she expected the Thark's temple was, John a step behind her and Sola and Woola trailing.

"Where are you going?" Sola demanded.

"To your temple," Dejah said with a confidence she didn't quite feel.

"No. No, you cannot enter here!" Sola pleaded, "It's forbidden! You are not Thark." Woola barked, capturing Sola's attention briefly, allowing Dejah and John to get farther ahead. "Woola, stay."

Dejah somehow managed to stroll into the Thark's temple as if she owned the place and knew exactly what she was doing. What she did know was that they'd probably be killed if they were caught in there. She spun around to face John as he gazed wonderingly at the temple.

"Dotar Sojat, it is forbidden," Sola whispered fervently. "It's forbidden!"

"Well. You speak for the goddess. What does she say?" Dejah asked John, knowing full well he had no idea.

"You called me a thern. Is that what she is?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"No! She is Issus. Therns are holy messengers of the goddess. In the time of oceans they walked among us, guiding us. We must not offend. Let us go!" Sola explained entreatingly.

Dejah watched John to see if he was buying it, but he was too busy studying the carvings. "There's some kind of writing up there," he said.

Taking a small breath, John scooped her up suddenly and leaped for the wall. A scream escaped her lips as they flew through the air, but she cried out in pain when they hit the wall. She could tell that John tried his hardest to cushion the landing for her so she wasn't slammed too hard, but his groan told her that that effort was at his own expense. She'd barely had time to react, but now she was acutely aware of the fact that she was in John's arms, pressed between him and a wall.

John put her down as Sola dropped to her knees, praying for their blasphemy. He took the torch from Dejah as she tried to right herself. Enthralled in the carvings, she tried to move farther away from him, but he moved with her.

"Can you read it?" He stood directly behind her, his breath ruffling her hair.

"It's old scripture. I-I"

"There it is again," John interrupted, "What's it mean?"

"Don't rush me," Dejah took the torch back. "Let those who seek the solace of eternity . . . may journey down the river through the sacred gates of Iss . . . and find everlasting peace in the bosom of Issus," she read.

"The gates of Iss," John repeated. Dejah turned her head to the side as John stepped much closer to her. Her plan evolved.

"What if I could take you there?"

John moved so that his nose brushed her hair, "What if I didn't trust you?" His body was near enough to hers that she felt it, even though they weren't touching. He snatched the torch back.

"Then we'd be even," Dejah countered, praying he went along with it. "I can take you to the gates. To the answers you seek. A way back to Jasoom."

"Earth," John corrected.

"Earth," she amended, annoyed. "It's the least I can do to repay you for getting us out of here," Dejah challenged, knowing that few men can ignore a challenge laid by a beautiful woman. She spun around to face him. "Assuming that you can."

John raised an eyebrow, which told Dejah that he either saw through her or he accepted the challenge. "Deal," he stuck out a hand toward her.

She leaned backwards against the wall, looking balefully at his hand. John smiled that small smile again, the one that told Dejah that he was amused by her, the one that made her want to smile back.

"Go on. You shake it. It's a sign of trust." Dejah grabbed his thumb and shook his hand all around, making his smile grow. "Good enough." John leaned forward to touch the wall behind Dejah's shoulder, sending her back against the wall again. "Now, all we need to do is get the medallion from Tars Tarkas."

"Dotar Sojat?"

Dejah jumped away from John. Sarkoja stood with a radium gun pressed against Sola's head. "Useless she-calot!" Other Tharks had guns pointed at John and Dejah.

"I told you," Sola said, "It's forbidden."

A/N What do you think? I know it's only a scene from the movie with nothing else, but I had fun adding thoughts and motivations to Dejah. I have original stuff planned for the end, if people like this. Please leave a review!