Title: Dreams vs. Nightmares
Author: Drey'auc475
STARGATE: ATLATIS
Rating: K+
Spoilers: none
Genre: general
Setting/Season: Season 2, AU
Summary: Seen through the eyes of a coffee boy, we find out a little more about John's new friend.
A/N: this one skips to before John arrives, then to after. (Briefinterlude before next big chap)

-----Luck, Coffee and Sandwiches-----
Luke looked up from the sandwich he was making. He saw a girl at the counter ordering a cappuccino and a plate of bacon and eggs. Her eyes never seemed to leave the floor. As she passed the other customers on her way to the back of the tiny café she drew many sympathetic looks. She took a seat with her back facing the door. Luke turned to his boss.

"Hey Jazz, who's that chick in the corner over there?"

Jazz looked up from the cappuccino machine.

"That's Arahnia Peters. Everyone calls her 'Rahni'. She's in here every morning. Always by herself." Jazz gave a sad smile as he sprinkled cocoa onto of the foam. "Got no one to sit with."

Luke had a puzzled expression on his face when Jazz looked up again. He placed the cappuccino on a tray and grabbed another cup.

"A month ago her parents had a car crash," Jazz explained. "Rahni, her parents, and her brother were in the car. Late at night; drunk driver; a high-speed crash. She was the only one to walk away alive."

"God…" Luke said. He cut the sandwich and wrapped it in paper.

Jazz nodded and passed the tray to the waiting customer. "She never leaves the house, only to come here for breakfast, and then goes home again."

"Doesn't she have anyone to talk to? Friends, relatives?"

Jazz shook his head. "She won't talk to anyone about it. Always keeps it bottled up. Any visitors she gets, she turns away pretty quickly."

"Poor kid…" Luke said as he looked at the next order. Jazz nodded his head sadly.


Two Weeks Later…

Luke looked up as he saw Rahni walk into the café. He hadn't seen her come in for a couple of days and had hoped she was OK.

Luke blinked as he saw a man follow her through the door. At first he thought he was a separate customer, but when they reached the counter she turned to ask him what he wanted.

As he leaned in close to tell her, Luke elbowed Jazz as he walked past.

"Pssst. Look."

Luke pointed at Rahni, who was now laughing at something that the older man had said. "Who do ya think he is?" Luke asked.

Jazz shrugged. "How the hell should I know? Get back to work." And with that he strolled off again to the other end of the counter.

Luke watched as Rahni and her friend took a seat near the front of the café. They raised their glasses of juice in a toast and knocked them together. The man gave the girl a smile that would have melted any normal girl. But Rahni was no normal girl.

Luke smiled to himself and silently wished them better luck for the future.


up next is the humor chap, forgot that i changed the line up. apologies...