Title: Exception to The Rule

Author: Angel Leviathan

Spoilers: Anything, everything, season 1. Set a month after, "Before I Sleep".

Season: 1

Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine.

Notes: Had my final lecture and my final Greekexam today and am finally feeling Christmassy! Woo! Merry Christmas everyone!

-

"What day is it?"

"…Thursday…" Elizabeth didn't look up from the report she was reading, replying without thinking.
"And?"

"And what?" this time she did look up and at John Sheppard, who was standing just inside the doors, only enough so they'd close on their own. From the look on his face she was suddenly sorry she'd missed his entrance; she was sure it would have had a great similarity to the behaviour of an excited puppy.

"And are you really going to sit there and pretend you forgot its two days 'til Christmas?" John raised an eyebrow.

She sighed, "No, I haven't forgotten. I just didn't think it was appropriate to have a big celebration that focuses so much around family and togetherness…" she looked away, "I don't want it to keep hitting everyone that we just might not see everyone back home again."

"But that's the whole point!" John countered, "Come on, we're our own family out here! Its either that or have people walking around going, 'Ssssh, don't mention the C word!'! Next you'll want us to start forgetting birthdays…"

"I already tried that one, if you remember correctly," Weir mock glared at him, "and I still want to know how you found out."
"And you're still not going to," he grinned, "Come on, Liz-" he caught the look on her face and hastily corrected himself, "Elizabeth, what's the harm?"

She gazed back at him, mulling the idea over.

"Please?"

"…You're going to do this even if I say 'no', aren't you…" she accused.

He shrugged, boyish grin still in place, "Pretty much."

Elizabeth let a smile creep across her face, "…Go on then…but whatever goes on, you're organising it, and if chaos ensues you're the first person I'm looking for!"

John smirked, "Didn't think you were like that-"

"Major Sheppard, get through that 'Gate, you should've been there five minutes ago!" she couldn't quite stop the blush that covered her cheeks.

"Yes, M'am," he threw her a mock salute and promptly vanished

-

When the 'Gate engaged four hours later and only half of her main team appeared, save for a collection of twigs clinging to them, she knew she'd made a mistake.

"Just what is-" Weir began, just as Sheppard appeared through the 'Gate, dragging something behind him, Teyla a few seconds behind, looking most unimpressed.

"Nobody here but us-"

"Trees?" Elizabeth finished for him, eyes wide, staring down from the control room.

"Told you she'd be angry," McKay stated.

"It's a tree!" John called up.

"I can see that!" she answered, "Where, when and how?"

"Uninhabited planet, just now, and with a collection of USAF issue knives," he shrugged, unrepentant.

"…You spent the past four hours hacking a tree down…?"

"Two hours, Doctor Weir. Major Sheppard did at least engage in the reconnaissance for some of the mission," Teyla provided her with that answer.

"Now we just need to swing by somewhere and pick up some lights," Ford grinned.

"I'll just log on to amazon dot comand order some, shall I?" McKay snapped.

"Come on, Scrooge, where's the harm? Its just a tree."

"McScrooge!" John grinned, "Happy holidays, Rodney."

"Its your funeral," the Doctor stormed from the 'Gate room, head held high.

"…Somebody steal his presents last year or something?" he frowned.

"Maybe he didn't get any," Ford shrugged.

"Boys," Weir glared down at them, "You can get away with bringing a tree back, but I'd at least like to hold a briefing sometime soon," she walked from their sight, evidently ordering to get their backsides to the conference room.

"…What are you going to do with this tree?" Teyla questioned.

"We're gonna decorate it," John grinned.

"With what?"

He frowned, "Good point…"

"Now, Major!" Elizabeth's voice echoed down from the control room.

"She's seems more mad that we brought a tree back than when we brought the Wraith…" Ford reluctantly began to walk away.

John shrugged, "Maybe she doesn't like green."

-

Okay, so when all was said and done, she had to admit he was right. And that he could throw a damn good Christmas party with what little resources they had. He'd even kept relatively quiet for the two days until Christmas day, and then, and only then, had all hell broken loose. Elizabeth smiled; she should never have revealed that a crate of alcohol had been included in their supplies.

It didn't matter that their Christmas dinner had been a hash of whatever they could throw together to resemble the original, including a mystery meat that Carson had declared most likely to be dangerous for human consumption.

It didn't matter that the tree wasn't decorated in the normal fashion, and that it seemed to be covered in a collection of small national flags; patches from uniforms people had donated and promised on their honour to reclaim when Christmas was over.

And it didn't matter that they were oh so alone out there. Sure, she had seem several glum faces, herself included at one point, but what was she to expect? Of course everybody missed their families. But then, John had been right. They had a family here too, and, in the great tradition, were all busy getting thoroughly trashed and singing in catastrophically out of tune voices. Now all they needed was the usual well below average Christmas programming from the local network, but she was sure somebody would throw on the worst DVD they possessed later, and everybody would still find it wonderful.

"Well, was I right or was I right?" John's voice at the door to the balcony revealed he had found her hiding place. She had been standing at the door watching her people, more content to know that they were having a good time than to get involved herself.

"And so modest about it too," Elizabeth replied, smiling, "Though if anyone tries to throw a party in the 'Gate room again…"

"There's always an exception to the rule."

"You certainly proved that."

"I think its turned out quite nicely," he grinned again, "Ford is dancing with Teyla, Carson's trying to remember the lyrics of some Scottish song nobody's ever heard of, and we've discovered that alcohol consumption actually allows McKay to talk to women without making an ass of himself. But that might have something to do with the fact that they've drunk just as much as him. Who knows?"

She smiled, silent for several moments, "…Thank you, John."

"For what?" he frowned.

"For showing us home isn't as far away as we thought," she walked through the control room to the outcropping above the 'Gate room, "Just look at them," she laughed softly, "We could be on Earth."

John leant against the railings, "Aside from the giant metal ring behind them," he smirked.

She nodded, "Aside from the giant metal ring behind them," she echoed. Elizabeth frowned when she realised he was still smirking, "What's going on…?"

He held a sprig of green above them innocently.

Weir folded her arms across her chest, "That's not mistletoe."

"You're right. It's a twig of Christmas tree. Just play along," he dared, grinning.

She remained absolutely still for several moments, debating whether or not to follow tradition and just get on with it. So she stepped forward, on her tiptoes, arms still folded, and kissed him on the cheek, "That's all you're getting, Major," she teased, shocked when she heard clapping below them and found most of her staff staring up.

"Spoilsport," John replied, ever so softly. He opted to drop the twig as another song started up, grabbing her hand, "Come on, Liz, time to dance."

"Oh no," she struggled against him as he pulled her along, "I don't dance."

"You do today."

And she did.

-

Fin

(Okay, there is another ending to this, a proper shippy one, but I didn't really want to go that way just yet. If anyone wants to see it, I'll write it and add it as a second chapter at some point.)