Author's Note: This is a prequel to my series, Izzy on Atlantis. Basically it's shameless, (a small bit altered) self-insertion fluff. If you've read Izzy on Atlantis, you'll know that the story features John Sheppard's OC wife. This story is basically a horrible explanation of how she came to be on Atlantis. Pairings are Teyla/Ronon, John/OC.

As always, please enjoy and review!

"Stand down!" Those words were the first thing I heard when I stepped through the receiving end of the Stargate wormhole. The multitude of soldiers I saw arrayed around the Gate instantly lowered their weapons at the order. They still looked uncertain of me, but I guess you had to be suspicious of newcomers when you had the job they did. Oh well. At least they were no longer pointing their guns at my face. I shook my head a little to clear my muddled brain. I had been warned by a regular SGC team that even though you got used to it, a person's first trip through the Stargate was always a little disconcerting. They were right on that one. Ignoring the now dissipating group of soldiers, I tightened my grasp on the suitcase in my hand and took in my surroundings. All the messages John had sent me over the past two years about his new home did nothing to prepare me for the majesty of the city of Atlantis. The Gateroom itself was a huge chamber with ceilings several stories high. Stained glass windows adorned every outward wall of the room, sending patterns of multicolored light dancing across the tile floor. A huge flight of steps – glowing steps – led up to a row of balconies that rimmed the walls and joined to a control room on the right wall of the Gateroom. A network of catwalks and balconies stretched up above my head, conjoining numerous glass-walled rooms and doorways that I guessed leaded out into the city.

My appraisal of the Gateroom was cut short by a tall, brown haired woman coming down the steps to meet me. She had an air of authority about her, and from what I could tell she definitely had the respect of those serving on this base. It was obvious from the confident and capable way she carried herself that she was in charge, and good at her job. That was something I admired.

"Major Sheppard," she greeted me, "Welcome to the Pegasus Galaxy."

I saluted her respectfully. (Hey, what can I say. I'm a military girl.) "Thank you ma'am. I take it you're in charge around here?" She smiled.

"Yes, yes I am. I am Dr. Elizabeth Weir, in charge of the Atlantis Expedition. I must say your husband has been anxiously awaiting your arrival. You're all he has talked about in the past three days." She said kindly. I allowed myself a small smile. "Well then ma'am, permission to let him know I'm here?"

"Permission granted. Colonel Sheppard has already been informed of your arrival and is probably on his way here as we speak. I'm sure he'll help you get settled." She offered her hand to shake, "And please. Call me Elizabeth." I accepted her hand and shook it firmly.

"In that case, Elizabeth. Call me Isabeau."

SGA

A few minutes later I was walking through the hallways of Atlantis with Dr. Weir, listening to her explain Atlantis' current situation with the Wraith.

"-and during the last battle we were able to cloak the city at the same time we activated a nuclear explosive above so that it appeared that the city self-destructed. The ruse worked well enough on the Wraith, as we haven't had any more ships approach this planet since then-"

"Izzy!" a familiar voice cut through Doctor Weir's lecture. I looked up to see my husband, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard running down the corridor towards us. My face lit up like a kid in a candy store when I saw him. It had been three years since we had last seen each other. In my book, that was three years too long a time to be apart. John looked like he was going to barrel right into me, but he stopped well out of my personal space. That was probably for the best considering that his boss was standing next to me and that even in a different galaxy, the military had some pretty strict behavioural regulations.

"Doctor Weir, I see you've met my wife, Isabeau." John said. I could tell he was trying to be civil, but his impatience was evident to me by the adorable way he cocked his head and a slightly condescending undertone crept into his voice. It was hilarious to watch, but at the moment utterly aggravating to have to wait through. The first time I'd seen my husband in three years, and I'm stuck having to behave for his boss. When all I really wanted to do was go up to him then and there and kiss him senseless. Run my fingers through his hair, put my lips against his mouth. Oh god, the things he could do to me with that mouth- Snap out of it Sheppard, I reprimanded myself. Public place.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. I was just debriefing the Major on our current status pertaining to the Wraith. Seeing as you're here now, I'm sure you would be more than happy to show her around the city. I take it the Major will be sharing your quarters?"

"Yes!" John and I proclaimed in unison. Embarrassed, I blushed while John took a newfound interest in his shoes. It was relaxing to watch him behave like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I knew most of his coworkers probably only knew him as a rough tough, take charge, save the world kind of guy, but I've seen the side of him where he let his inner kid shine through. I know how capable he was of playing and goofing around, and it is unbelievably sexy. Dammit, still in a public place.

"Well," said Elizabeth, "I guess I'll leave you to it then. Like I said before Major, welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay in Atlantis." I smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you ma'-Elizabeth." I went to John's side and subtly squeezed his hand. His smile grew even bigger. We turned away and started down the hallway hand-in-hand, but Elizabeth's voice stopped us.

"Oh, and Colonel, I'm putting your team on standby for the next two days, until Isabeau gets acquainted with the city. Also, feel free to take the rest of today off." She smiled at us knowingly – and maybe a little suggestively? "Both of you, dismissed." Once she disappeared through a sliding door we had come through, John took the suitcase from my hand, then swooped down for a quick kiss. When we parted, he grinned down at me. "Mrs. Sheppard, care to accompany me to personnel quarters?"

I laughed aloud, "Indeed I would, Mr. Sheppard."

SGA

Five hours later I found myself standing out on the balcony of John's private quarters, a glass of champagne in my hand. To be honest I was a little surprised that they had champagne here. 3 million light years away from Earth, and one necessity people here needed for this mission to be a success? Fine liquor. Then again, I wasn't complaining.

John had spent the past five hours giving me a tour of all the major parts of Atlantis. He told me that the city was so large even the expedition team hadn't yet explored all of it yet, but he took his time showing me the rejoins of the city they had populated. I was absolutely gobsmacked by the enormity of Atlantis the first time I saw it from a balcony of the control room. Shining metal towers for miles and miles, then nothing but clear, blue ocean stretching out in every direction beyond the horizon, blurring the line between planet and sky. Since John had the day off, he took his time showing me his new home, which included having me visit the city's infirmary to get a check-up from the Chief Medical Officer, a friendly Scottish man named Dr. Carson Beckett. Finally, after a long day, we had unpacked my things into John's dresser and went out onto his balcony for a drink.

Bringing me back to present day, my husband leaned on the railing next to me, glass of champagne in hand. "So?" he asked, "What do you think?"

I gazed out over the vast ocean, marveling at the way Lantea's two moons turned the water into a rippling mirror. "I think it's absolutely beautiful. I never imagined seeing two moons in the sky."

"Actually, Lantea has five moons, but only two are visible to the naked eye." He corrected me. I turned to look at him, and before I knew it I was lost in his sparkling grey eyes. "Oh really? And who let you in on that one?" I snarked, desperately trying to make up some ground from looking like a schoolgirl with her first crush.

John smirked, "A certain Dr. Rodney McKay. He's the science officer on my team. Let me tell you, he's an asshole but he makes up for it by being a genius. However annoying his constantly flaunting it may be." I giggled a little at that, then mentally smacked myself. Dammit Sheppard, get it together. You're acting like a 13 year old. Oh, but god. His eyes… Dammit John, why do you have to be so sexy? I playfully hit his chest, an expression of mock-anger on my face.

"By the way mister, you should know I'm still mad at you. You tell me that you're going away to spend an unknown amount of time on a top secret mission in the field, and a year later I find out that that field happens to be on a different planet in a different galaxy millions of light years away from home? Is that any way to treat your wife?" I murmured in his ear. John growled seductively. "I know, and I'm sorry. I guess I'll just have to make it up to you." He pressed his body against mine, muttering to me. John pried the champagne glass from my limp hand and set it down on the railing along with his own. He grasped my wrists and trapped them against my sides, effectively pinning me against the railing. His sweet, rough lips hungrily claimed mine in a complicated pattern of kisses. He nibbled softly on my lower lip and I granted him entry. His tongue clashed with mine, scoping out the cave of my mouth. I shuddered as his body ground against mine, eliminating all limitation between us. I groaned and melted into him, gyrating my hips along with his. John's tongue exited my mouth and began expertly placing a trail of burning kisses down my neck and along my sensitive collar bone. I gasped at the feeling of his lips on my skin. God, I've missed this. Once he released my wrists in favour of groping my waist, I wasted no time in tangling my hands in his unruly hair. He shivered as I delicately mapped the curve of his slender, pointed ear with my tongue and kissed his face. Reluctantly ending his ministrations, I brought his lips back to mine and kissed him as passionately as I could. "What say you we take this inside, Mr. Sheppard?" I asked when I pulled away for air.

"With pleasure," He whispered in my ear. His hands slid much, much lower down my back and pulled me towards the doorway. We stumbled through the room, kissing and groping as we went until my knees hit his bedframe and John pushed me down onto the mattress. Once he had straddled my waist, John fixed me with the sexiest look I had ever seen on a man.

"You, my dear wife, are wearing far too many clothes."

Oh boy.

SGA

I woke up the next morning encircled in my husband's arms. Carefully shifting my body to face him, I traced lazy circles on his bare chest while I watched him sleep. John's face was so peaceful when he slept, I had missed waking up next to him terribly the past three years he had been off exploring the stars. But I guess, now I was too. I chuckled softly. Imagine that! Me, a simple Air Force major, was lying in my husband's bedroom in the lost city of Atlantis, on a different planet! I wonder if this makes me an astronaut. The thought was so random and preposterous that it made me laugh out loud. My laughter seemed to awaken John. He cracked his eyelids open and peered at me sleepily as I ran my fingers through his sticky up-y hair. I knew it seemed weird, but one of the things I had missed the most about John was his ridiculous bed head. Sleep and sex made his hair stick up even more than usual, making him look like an irritated porcupine.

"Morning sleepyhead." I grinned widely. John smiled at me impishly. Ignoring my squeak of protest, he tightened his arms around me, nuzzling my neck like I was some sort of giant teddy bear. "Hey! What am I, a stuffie?" when he didn't reply, I started poking his bicep repeatedly. "Come on John, I wanna meet your friends!" I whined. My husband groaned , burying his face in my hair.

"Five more minutes, mom." He joked. I smacked him again. "Ughh! Alright, fine. I'm up." He moved stiffly, sitting up in bed and stretching his arms wide. "Come on love, let's go shower." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Together?"

"Oh yes." I grinned and flung off the covers. After stretching my own limbs, I hurried to join him in the ensuite bathroom.

One hour later saw us down in the mess hall, with John introducing me to his teammates and friends on Atlantis. Being the Chief Military Officer on Atlantis, my husband headed the flagship team of the Atlantis Expedition, SGA-1. John's team consisted of the Dr. Rodney McKay he had told me about earlier, a pompous, arrogant, brilliant man who was, unfortunately, as irritating as he was smart, and two – technically speaking – aliens. One was a tall, intimidating man named Ronon Dex, a war veteran from a planet called Sateda. With his heavy dreadlocks, dark looks, and habit of carrying around half the Atlantis armoury strapped to his person, I was sure Ronon must make a terrifying enemy. But I'm also unnaturally good at reading people. I could tell that underneath all those weapons and muscles and battle scars, he was really a kind and caring person. Not to mention he had a pretty good sense of humor. It was obvious he was highly loyal to John. I found myself feeling understandably proud that my husband had earned the respect of so formidable a warrior.

The other "alien", and final member of SGA-1, was a woman named Teyla. She told me she was the leader of a people called the Athosians. She also was a strong, capable fighter, as well as being quite kind and almost motherly towards the rest of the team. Despite the Satedan's protests, John revealed to me that she was Ronon's wife. I could tell Ronon loved Teyla very much, but was unused to displaying it. Once Dr. Beckett had joined SGA-1 and myself at our table, they told me all about their adventures in Pegasus, and in turn I told them what it was like being married to Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard.

"Hey, has Sheppard told you yet about the time he got turned into a bug?" Rodney asked between bites of food.

I turned to John, disbelief written all over my face, "No he has not! Pray tell, when were you a bug?!"

"Well, I wasn't exactly a bug, it was more my DNA had been altered a little bit by a disease so I looked like a bug."

"Yep, he did. Pincers, exoskeleton, antennas, the works." Rodney said. Teyla and Ronon chuckled while Carson nodded in affirmation. "Aye, it's true. You're bloody 'usband 'here was lucky 'nough to find a cure on 'is own, otherwise 'e would 'ave been all purple 'n bug-eyed for life." John was trying and failing at ignoring them. "Beckett, McKay," he growled warningly. "Are you two done yet?" Carson smiled into his coffee whilst Dr. McKay snickered.

"I have a question," Ronon stated, "How is it you two are married? I though Earth had fraternization regulations. Isn't it that soldiers aren't allowed to marry one another?" John was already answering him before I even had a chance to open my mouth. "Kind of. You see, officers in the same chain of command aren't allowed to have relationships, but those rules don't apply to officers from separate chains of command. Like, a commanding and subordinate officer can't hook up, but otherwise it's alright." Ronon nodded.

"I see. So, did you two meet in the military?"

This time I beat John to the punch. "Yes we did. But we were working under different superior officers at the time, so there were no frat regs to get in the way." I smiled.

"Interesting. Well, It must be very nice for you, Isabeau, to get to see John again after such a long time apart." Teyla said. I nodded slowly, my good mood quickly dissipating. "It is, it really is, it's just… I'm here just for a visit. There's no position for me here, so in a few days I'll have to leave again. Who knows how long we're going to have to wait after that." I said forlornly, directing my words at John. He quietly agreed. The entire table looked a little more somber at this, but we continued to joke and chat until everyone was done their breakfast. Suddenly, John's comm buzzed with static, and we heard Dr. Weir's voice come through.

Colonel Sheppard, Come in.

John tapped his ear, "Colonel Sheppard here."

I want you in my office ASAP. And bring Major Sheppard with you. I have a proposition for her to consider. Weir out.

The entire table shared a glance, then simultaneously rose and tore out of the mess hall. I was incredibly anxious to hear what Elizabeth had to say, and it warmed my heart that after only knowing me for an hour or two, all of my husband's friends were too. Within minutes we were back in the Gateroom, all piling into Elizabeth's glass-walled office. I noticed the Stargate had been active, it had shut down a few seconds after the six of us entered the Gateroom. Once we were all gathered around Elizabeth's desk, she looked up at me and clasped her hands.

"Major Sheppard, it has come to my attention that you have expressed interest in staying on Atlantis for longer than your designated visiting period."

I swallowed nervously, "Yes ma'am."

"Well, as of today one of our officers, Major Evan Lorne was seriously injured on a routine mission turned ambush. Although his team were able to eliminate all of their opposition, the major suffered severe damage to his spine. He has already returned to Earth for treatment and should regain use of his entire body after surgery and physical therapy, but he is no longer suitable for active duty. I was wondering if you might consider replacing him fulltime as the commander of SGA-2." I gaped at her, my mouth probably inappropriately wide, but I didn't care. "Ar-are you serious? M-ma'am?" She smiled. "Yes, I am.'

I was blown away. This was incredible. This was more that incredible, it was the chance of a lifetime! Screw that, of several lifetimes! Then, suddenly, a horrible realization struck me.

"But wait, what about the fraternization regulations?" I asked. "It's illegal for me to take that job, my husband would be my commanding officer. It's not allowed." Elizabeth smiled.

"In any other situation, no, it wouldn't be. But I just got off the phone with the Joint Chiefs on Earth," she said, gesturing to the Stargate, "and they agreed that given the uncertainty and danger of what we are doing out here, it's understandable that the people of this expedition will form strong bonds that occasionally go beyond platonic. So, with their permission, as of today I am officially declaring the Atlantis Expedition devoid of any and all fraternization regulations."

Oh. My. God. I couldn't believe it! I felt like jumping up and down with excitement, but restrained myself in the presence of the woman who was now my boss. "Yes, yes of course I accept! I'm happy to lead SGA-2 ma'am – I mean, Elizabeth!" A wide smile split my face. I was going to live in the city of Atlantis, on an alien planet, in a different galaxy, fighting alien bad guys! It was amazing! And judging by the laughter and merry expressions on the faces of the people around me, I took it my mood was infectious. Even Elizabeth was smiling.

"Very good. I'll have Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Beckett fill you in on everything you need to know, as well as give you a fitness exam, then I'll take you to meet your team." I nodded, still feeling giddy. At that moment John gave up on self-restraint. He let out a loud whoop and picked me up, twirling me around a couple of times. When he was done, he set me down and kissed me right there in front of everyone. And frankly? I didn't care.

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