Survival of the Fittest
Pink.
Moira O'Meara focused on the twitching nose. It was a rounded triangle in shape. Slightly moist. A pale shade of pink surrounded by brown fur, by whiskers. She drew back the zoom lens on her camcorder. Stared at the elongated teeth protruding from either side of the rabbit's mouth. Watched it munch on short blades of grass, undisturbed.
"Wow. That is one impressive rodent," Evan Lorne commented, using his binoculars to watch the small animal several yards from their position.
"No."
"No?" he questioned her refusal. "You don't find those huge teeth impressive?"
"The teeth, yes. Very. But it's not a rodent. That's a common misconception."
"Oh oh," Evan groaned, lowered the binoculars. He rested his forehead on his arms.
"Rabbits and hares are not related to rodents," Moira launched into her explanation, oblivious to her companion's obvious disinterest. "They have their own order. Lagomorpha. Lagomorphs of the family Leporids. Rodents have only one pair of incisors. Rabbits have two pairs of incisors on each side of their jaws. The teeth grow throughout their lives. Their teeth also have enamel all the way around them, unlike rodents. So the two species are quite distinct and not the same."
"Okay, got it. Can we–" Evan tried to head her off, but Moira kept going.
"This particular rabbit has some extreme, or rather unusual dentition resulting in the oversized example we see here. An anomaly, unless we can discover more. It could be a genetic mutation, or aberration. Or an adaptation to the ecological niche it inhabits. You know, Evan, the history of evolution is told through the teeth. Each development in the long process of–"
"Enough, doctor, please!" Evan exclaimed, elbowing her. He stood, unfolding from his crouched position on the hillside. "Man I will be glad when Sheppard is back to take the edge off."
"What?" Moira nearly dropped the camcorder. She looked up to see his smirk. "Evan Lorne!"
He laughed at her expression, at once outraged and flustered. "I'm serious, Moira. I know it's been two weeks since he's been gone. Two long, long weeks," he exaggerated, making her frown. "You are still seeing him, right? I mean you didn't chase him out of Atlantis with one of your biological lectures?"
Moira smirked, but frowned. Moved to her feet. "No, I did not. Ha ha. I am still seeing him." She studied him. "Why would you...oh I get it." She pointed at him. "You think I'm just one of his lots, er some women, don't you? Well, I'm not. I mean...I mean, it doesn't feel like that." She brushed past him, embarrassed, oddly uncertain. She stared out across the fields. The grass swayed gently in the timid breeze.
"To you I'm sure it doesn't, Moira."
"And what does that mean?" she snapped, turning back to him.
"Nothing. Forget it. Let's go." He headed down the hill at a leisurely pace.
Moira sighed, followed him. Caught up to stroll beside him. "Evan...what is the duration?"
Evan nearly stumbled, found his footing. "Excuse me?"
Moira was serious. "The duration. Of his...um...relationships. I mean..." she faltered, swallowed. Recalling her drunken declaration of love she inwardly winced. "You know."
"I don't know," he retorted calmly. "The colonel's private life is like covert ops. No one knows. He's very...circumspect. In those things. I only know what I've overheard. Speculation. Talk. Um...a few days. Maybe a week. Maybe two. Do you think he's going to break up with you?
Moira, I didn't mean to upset you. Honestly, I don't know anything."
"No. I don't think that, I just..." She sighed. Considered. "We've been together longer than that...than two weeks, I mean. And I...said...and he...didn't...I...I shouldn't have let it go this..."
She sighed. "Forget it."
"I'm sorry, Moira," Evan said, touching her arm, stopping her. "I keep putting my foot in it, don't I? Let's go back to the city. Maybe we can convince Carson to place us back on active duty. These trips to the mainland must convince him that we are both fit for off-world travel."
"Growing restless, are we?" she asked, smiling. Pushing aside her own worries.
"Yeah. Very. There's nothing to do in the city."
"Not even your intern?"
"Moira!" he scolded. She laughed. He smiled. "Well, yes, there is that. But that's only at night, not during the day."
"You guess? Geez...maybe your duration is a few days too."
He laughed. "Hmm...I don't think so. Even I couldn't keep it up for that long."
"Evan? You..." she stared, realizing what he implied. Hit his arm. "Men!"
He laughed heartily. "What?" he asked in complete innocence.
Once in the city they crossed along the 'Gate room. Evan caught her arm, stopping her as the wormhole engaged, shooting the matter stream into the air. "So....should I list this rodent, oh shit, I mean this rabbit as a creature of the night?"
"Come again?"she asked, as they resumed their walk. "Oh!" She laughed. "No! It is not a vampire rabbit!"
"A rabbit with fangs," he argued. "I rest my case."
She sighed. "Fine. Put vampire rabbit in your report if you dare. But don't come crying to me when Weir reads it and decides to put you..." Her words trailed off into silence as John Sheppard and his team emerged through the Stargate, stepping out of the shimmering pool of light. Her gaze locked onto John. Locked as he met her gaze. Locked as his smile changed in tenor. As his gaze had a smouldering, sensual intensity that roved over her. She stared at his unkempt dark hair. His full gear. TAC vest, P90 slung over his arm. The shadowy stubble lining his jaw. He briefly, oh so briefly licked his lips.
"Moira. Wall," Evan warned in an even voice.
Moira was riveted, had forgotten she was still walking. At the last moment she turned her head, put up her palm to brace herself as she smacked into the wall. "Wall. Yes, yes it is. It is a wall," she lamely covered, patting it. "Solid Lantean construction. Integral to the functioning of the city and this room, but I'm no architect. Well, I can't stand here all day talking about this wall, I've got things to do, to report, to, to, to...I'll just go,"she stammered, running out of things to say. Risked a glance. Everyone was staring at her. John's smile was full of mirth.
Quickly she strode out of the room. Evan followed. Out of earshot he finally released the laugh he had been holding. "Very nice, Moira. Very smooth. I'm sure no one suspects a thing."
"Shut up, Evan," she said mildly. Laughed. "It's only been two weeks! Why am I suddenly acting like a teenager with a crush? Like an idiot? No! Don't answer."
Back in the 'Gate room laughter erupted. Rodney McKay shook his head. "Wow...that was just...odd. Moira must have a lot on her mind. Being that distracted," he reasoned.
"Very distracted," John agreed, schooling his expression, dousing his merriment. Anticipation.
He hefted his P90. "Ordnance turn-in. Then we'll debrief in one hour. Not that there is much to say."
"That was the most boring place I have ever–" Ronon Dex began.
"I found it refreshing for once not being shot at, or viewed suspiciously," Teyla Emmagan countered, shaking her head. "For once we did not have to resort to violence."
"I know. Like I said. Boring," Ronon argued. Grinned at her.
Teyla rolled her eyes. "Men!"
John strolled along the hallway, quickening his steps once he was out of sight. He just missed Moira as she exited her room. Her fast stride took her round the corner, long ponytail swaying wildly back and forth in time to her hips. "Moira!" he called, lengthening his stride to catch her.
Moira turned, waited as people passed. "John." She smiled. "How was the mission?"
"Boring. How was the mainland?"
"Interesting." She began to walk towards a transporter. He walked beside her. "The animal life is varied but nothing even remotely prehistoric," she began, as they passed other people. "All of the animals were recognizable and more than likely from Earth. Do you know what is interesting, Colonel Sheppard?" she continued as they entered the transporter and she pressed the screen to choose her destination. "What is interesting is that we haven't found much evidence of original Pegasus fauna, apart from a few instances, like your Iratus bugs. You think there would be some kind of aboriginal inhabitants," she kept talking as they exited, found themselves alone in yet another hallway, "or life forms that we couldn't even imagine being in a different galaxy and all oh John!" She whirled, hugged him. Kissed him.
"Moira," he managed to say before another kiss engulfed his mouth. He eagerly returned her kisses, pulling her against him. But between his TAC vest and his holstered sidearm she could not get too close to him. He could not feel the press of her body against his.
Moira broke the kiss, freed herself and turned to walk as people approached. Resumed smoothly
"or at least some kind of cross-breeding, you know, from interbreeding of species. Maybe a hybrid species. Like the Wraith. Well, not like the Wraith but a similar situation wherein a native species joins with a non-native species to create a new species. So far we haven't really encountered anything like that." She paused, finding herself alone. Turned to view him several feet away, staring. "Colonel? Are you coming?"
John broke from his stunned daze as her words flowed over him, through him, seemingly negating the brief moment of passionate exchange they had just shared. He glanced at the people passing him to enter the transporter. "I was," he laconically answered, stepping towards her.
Moira smiled, turned to lead him into the botany lab. "Doctor Parrish, I was just explaining to Colonel Sheppard about our findings on the mainland," she informed, moving to a microscope.
"Could you please elucidate your own discoveries?"
"With pleasure, Moira. Colonel Sheppard, there was nothing too extraordinary on the mainland. The plants mostly originated on Earth, are in fact the same species of plant life that we know so well. Proving once again that nearly all life was transplanted from our galaxy to this."
John had a pained expression on his face. "Like the animals there are few natives to Pegasus," he summarized. Glanced at Moira who was watching him, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"Yes, colonel!" Matthew Parrish warmed to his subject. "Several varieties, however, unlike the animals are native to this galaxy. But not on the mainland. On other planets. The fungus and lichen, for example, are almost universally different in structural composition to our–"
"Fascinating as that is, Doctor Parrish, weren't you going to show me something, Doctor O'Meara?" John hastily interrupted. He waited, expression impatient, ready to turn sour. But a suggestive glint flashed in his brilliant green eyes.
"Oh...was I?" she teased. "Oh yes! Yes! I'm afraid I left it upstairs, Colonel Sheppard. Could you accompany me back to...oh, you could wait here and Doctor Parrish could explain to you how the higher plants are not native."
"I'd be delighted, Moira! Yes, the higher plants forms, such as the ferns, the grasses, particularly the angiosperms are clearly from Earth and have no cross-cultivation with the–"
"I'll accompany you!" John stated, nearly shouting to drown out the botanist. "If you insist," he groused. Motioned with his hand. Moira nodded, quickly exited and walked back down the hall to the transporter. He followed, shaking his head. Scowled as they had to share the transporter with other scientists, all talking at once. He stood next to Moira, glanced at her. She was trying not to laugh, met his gaze and then stared ahead of them. He bit back his own smile.
Moira stepped out with the rest. They moved as one down the hallway. She glanced at John who walked beside her. "Which room?" she whispered.
"Yours," he replied, just as quietly.
She led him there, slowing her steps to let the others pass, ignore them. Quickly she opened her door, darted inside. He followed on her heels, closed the door with a wave of his hand over the panel. She turned to him, smiled. "John. Are you sure you don't want to hear about the evolutionary diversity of the plant life in this galaxy?"
"Positive, Moira, you–" he began, stepping towards her but she stepped back from him.
"Was your mission that boring? You were gone two weeks so I find it highly unlikely it was anything but boring. You must have found something to...what's this?" She stepped to him, touched his bare arm where a purplish bruise was fading.
"Nothing. I didn't come here to talk about the mission, Moira. Or the mainland." He pulled her into his arms, kissing her.
"Ow! Your gun!" she complained, drawing back from him.
"That's not my gun," he countered with a dazzling smile.
She laughed, pushed him. "It is, John." She touched his low slung holster on his thigh. The firearm protruded. "Unless your anatomy has significantly been altered."
He laughed, unbuckled the holster's twin straps on his thigh, the belt at his waist. Set the gun on the table. He removed his earpiece, set it there too as her hand ran up his back. "Sorry."
"Wait." She stepped back again as he turned to embrace her. "Aren't you even going to remove that?" She tapped the hard TAC vest. "Or at least shower?" She sniffed, wrinkling her nose "Two weeks, John. Come on."
He laughed, pulled her against him. "No." He kissed her. "I thought you liked me rough and ready, Moira. You did just walk into a wall."
She laughed. "Yes...but now you–"
He kissed her again. Hands sliding down to grab her rear, lift her off her feet. She yelped in surprise. He placed her on the bed. "I want you like this," he informed her, pushing her gently backwards, fingers flying to the zipper on her navy pants. "I want you naked beneath me, while I am like this." He unbuttoned her pants, unzipped. Yanked them down, down off her moving legs. Eyed the lacy navy panties.
"John, you, you..." she squirmed but he was on top of her now, kissing her deeply. Thrusting against her. Her body rose to meet his. She gasped as his fingers slid up her navy shirt. His mouth wandering across her skin now, to tease the scar on her side. To go lower. Lower. Fingers playing at her panties, making her squirm, moan, rock up and down. "John, oh John," she breathed when his earpiece crackled to life on the table.
"Colonel Sheppard? Copy?"
John moved quickly, as his fingers had slipped into the panties to probe. To make Moira arch, squirm, nearly cry out in a rush of desire. Her breathless exclamation of pleasure was swallowed as John slid up to capture her mouth with his. To silence her ecstatic cries and swallow his own moan of impending arousal. He freed her, rolled, scooted to the edge of the bed to grab the earpiece as the voice sounded again. "Copy, sargent What is it?" he asked, trying to sound annoyed but his voice was strained.
Moira gasped, just now realizing what had interrupted them. She closed her legs, senses whirling. She had been lost in his seductions. The smell of him. The sweat, the maleness, the musk of desire, the trace of cologne. The feel of his hungry mouth. The scratch of his stubbly face against her skin. The persistent probing of his fingers. The heat of his body on hers.
"Doctor Weir wants to debrief in thirty, sir."
"Fine. In thirty," John acknowledged, able to put the annoyance back into his voice. "Copy." He shut off the earpiece, set it aside. "Shit. I forgot I left that on." He scowled, fixing his pants.
She laughed behind him, sat up to pull down her shirt. "And you laugh at me, John. Well, at least you can shower now. And take off that damn vest. It's so hard!"
He smirked, met her gaze. "That's not the only thing, baby." He sighed. "Fine. This mission was very, very boring, despite the two weeks. Very routine. So the debrief won't last long."
"Hmm. This one better take longer," she coyly informed.
He laughed. Ran his hand up her bare thigh. "It will. Trust me." He kissed her, stood. Grabbed the holster, the gun, the earpiece.
"John...you don't have to come armed to my bed next time. At least not with that little ordnance," she teased. "As long as you come."
He smiled, met her gaze as she sat demurely on the bed, thighs pressed together now. "I'll remember that, Moira. And don't you worry. Only the big ordnance for you, doctor." As she laughed he moved to the door, left.
Moira reclined on the bed, anticipating the evening. Happy to have him back at last. She ran her hands down her body, still vibrant from their interrupted reunion. The door abruptly opened. She colored, sat up quickly, moving her hands off her body.
John smiled broadly. "Hey, no cheating. Unless I get to watch, of course."
She frowned at him. "Hilarious, John! What do you–"
"Cafeteria." He glanced at his watch. "Eighteen hundred." At her puzzled stare he sighed. Translated. "Six o'clock. Oh, and Moira," he grinned, " keep it in your pants, will you? Until ordered otherwise."
"I would, colonel, if I was wearing pants."
He laughed. Closed the door once more.
John strolled into the conference room, took a seat. Early for once he drummed his fingers on the table. Rubbed his stubbly chin. Dropped his hand to the table as voices floated up the stairs ahead of the speakers. Hearing Rodney's fast-paced ranting he smirked, sighed. Settled.
"And of course we had to investigate that," Rodney was saying as he led the others into the room, data pad under his arm, "because any excuse to go look for a new weapon is like candy to Sheppard. Oh, wow, he's here for once. So, where was I?" Rodney asked, taking his seat and resuming his narrative before anyone could answer. Or stop him. "And then we did have to go see if those ZPMs were in fact ZPMs which they were, by the way, but completely useless, completely irrelevant. Smashed in some cases and totally depleted. That trek took three days. I wonder why none of these societies have even managed to develop even the most rudimentary of vehicles. Heck, even a bicycle would have been an improvement over any–"
"Rodney," Elizabeth tried to intervene, exchanging an amused glance with John as she took her seat.
"–kind of pathetic cart or horse. Most of the time we end up walking. I think we need to institute a new policy of using our Jumpers more often on these kinds of missions where we know that we are going to be stuck in some backwater agricultural society with only the barest beginnings of what one could call civilization."
"So there was nothing," Elizabeth tried again as the physicist finally took a breath. "Just like your call-ins from the planet there was nothing."
"Yes," Ronon answered. Sat next to Teyla. "Nothing."
"The people were friendly, however, and did the best that they could. They have very little in the way of resources and–" Teyla tried to ameliorate.
"Very little? Try nothing!" Rodney objected. "I'm telling you, Elizabeth, we need to re-think our strategies in terms of these missions! I can't be pulled from my lab on these wild goose chases after mythical ZPMs that turn out to be nothing!"
"There is more to these missions than the acquiring of ZPMs," Elizabeth reminded. "We are also trying to make new friends, new allies in our fight against the Wraith. And every ally is important to us, no matter how underdeveloped their technology may be." Teyla gave her a graceful nod, a smile.
"Maybe," Rodney admitted, not entirely convinced. "But what I'm saying is–"
"What you're saying is we don't need to be wasting our time on backwater worlds when another team could have gone to M19532 and completed this mission just as well as we did," John finally intervened.
"No! What I'm saying is that a lower echelon team could as easily completed this...oh. Yes. That is what I'm saying," Rodney realized.
Elizabeth sighed. "Did you at least establish a trading accord with these people?"
"Yes," Teyla answered, glancing at Rodney before he could reply. "They can provide us with some of their crops in return for better tools and medicines. And more importantly they are allies now and will keep us informed of any Wraith in the area."
"They have more to gain from this alliance then we do," Ronon remarked.
"That may be true, but an alliance is not always about what we can get, or how much. It is more important to establish harmonious relations with as many planets as we can," Elizabeth lectured.
"So says the diplomat," John quipped. Smiled. "So...does this qualify as a success?"
"No. I mean, yes, for the diplomacy part," Rodney acceded, "but no for the rest. Frankly, it was a waste of my time. I'm sorry, but it was. As I said, a lower echelon team could have and should have been handed this particular mission."
"I hate to admit it, but Rodney does have a point." All eyes shot to John as he spoke. He shrugged. "I'm just saying...we need to weigh our options. Divide our teams according to the specifics of each mission. Keep the specialists busy with their jobs unless they are needed on a mission."
"You see? John agrees with me." Rodney sat back, folded his arms across his chest.
"But I don't," Elizabeth stated, arching a brow. "Is there some reason the two of you want to remain behind in the city? Besides the obvious?"
"The obvious?" John asked, straightening in his chair. He glanced at his teammates. Ronon had a quick smirk on his face. Teyla still appeared annoyed. Rodney smug.
"Yes," Elizabeth answered. "Rodney wants to stay in his lab."
"Or the cafeteria," Ronon quipped. Laughter.
"Ha ha," Rodney flared. Stood. "That does remind me...I haven't had a proper meal in two weeks! You're lucky I haven't passed out or fallen into a comatose state or–"
"Don't you mean unlucky?" John asked. More laughter.
"By all means, go. We can't have you passing out, can we?" Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm sorry you felt you were wasting your time. Next mission we will find you a more exciting planet, all right?"
"Sounds good to me," Ronon agreed, following Rodney out of the room.
"It was not a waste of time," Teyla argued behind him.
"Were you serious, John? About reassessing mission specs?" Elizabeth asked. "Surely you see the value of allies, no matter what their level of development."
"Yes. I mean yes I see the value. But Rodney's points were valid, I have to admit." He glanced at his watch. "And he does have a point about transportation. I wish just one of these villages would have progressed to the point where they have a car."
She smiled. "Maybe Rodney and you can build one. I can only guess why you want to stay in the city."
"You can?" John asked, meeting her gaze.
"No doubt you want to push the Jumpers to their limits to see what they can do. Especially the underwater tests?"
"Oh. Yes," he agreed, feeling a sense of relief. "I bet we boost the power on those ships to–"
"Never mind. Go get some dinner."