Date : 12.01.2008
Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 4 of ?
Rating : M
Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison
Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly
Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter
Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.
Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story - Loves Double Trouble.
Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.
Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.
Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?
Lorne sat up as Ellie continued to straddle him and his face became level with hers and only inches away.
"Dr Harrison what the hell are you doing?", he asked, the memory of him falling into the icy water returning to him and he had an idea that she had been trying to warm him up…..but nearly naked for Christ's sake?!
Ellie continued to stare at him, her shock being replaced by anger…
Of all the ungrateful bastards….
"Well I was saving your life…", she shot back at him and Lorne frowned and said for not the first time,
"Nearly naked?".
"For heaven's sake Major…our clothes were wet, how did you expect me to get you dry and warm out here…?", she replied, trying to get off of him without actually touching him too much and she pulled the blanket around her as she straightened and suddenly felt a little dizzy.
'Probably stood up too quickly', she thought, closing her eyes as Lorne continued to stare up at her.
"You have seen a woman in her underwear before haven't you?", she asked as she suddenly felt herself begin to struggle to breathe and she knew she needed some of her pills.
"Of course I have I just……Ellie…..?", Lorne said calling her by her name for the first time as he noticed she was swaying slightly.
He reached up and tugged on the blanket, bringing her down beside him with a thud.
"My…pills…", she managed, her eyes still closed as she concentrated on breathing.
Lorne moved onto his knees and rummaged around in the blankets and coats until he found his still damp combats and he reached for the pocket that her pot of pills were in.
He shook the pot and was relieved when they rattled. Thankfully the container must have been waterproof.
He opened it and looked at her,
"How many?", he asked and she stuck two fingers up at him instead of speaking and it looked deceptively like she was flicking him the 'V' but he ignored her and shook the pills onto his palm then pressed them into hers.
Ellie took them straight away and he replaced the lid and then sat back beside her, pulling another blanket around himself.
After a few minutes she opened her eyes and was breathing normally again.
"Don't you dare even try to say that this makes us remotely even", she said and Lorne raised his eyebrows at her.
"Thank you for what you did", he said looking at her, his eyes sincere and she nodded.
"We need to locate Franks and Lyssa", Lorne said eventually and Ellie nodded as he stood.
She followed suit and they both grimaced as they looked at their cold, damp clothing.
Ellie began to move the blankets and spare coats and they were just about to get dressed when the back of the jumper began to open and Lorne moved so quickly that Ellie only had time to blink as he put himself between her and the doors.
But it was only Franks and Lyssa and amazingly Lyssa still held the artefact.
"You're alive!", all four people said at the same time.
"And you still have the artefact", Ellie added glumly as the realisation that Lorne's hair-brained plan had actually worked seeing as they were all here, fine and dandy and they had the artefact to boot.
"And you two are half-dressed", Lyssa stated and Lorne cleared his throat gruffly.
"Are we okay to come in? Not interrupting are we?", Franks asked as he dithered in the jumpers' doorway.
"Get in here Lieutenant and close that damn door", Lorne said as Lyssa and Franks moved inside, shutting the jumpers doors behind them.
Lyssa looked at first Ellie and then Lorne as they quickly began to pull their clothes on and she shook her head.
'No way', she thought to herself. 'Ellie was surely only warming Lorne up to save his life…nothing more…nothing less. Body heat and all that...'.
As soon as they were ready, Lorne jumped into the pilots seat and said,
"Let's get out of here. I'll be glad if I never see a flake of snow ever again".
Franks and Lyssa nodded their agreement but Ellie looked at the snow as long as was possible as they left the planet.
Back on Atlantis they attended a briefing with Weir and McKay. Once that was over, McKay took the artefact to the lab, Lyssa and Franks following him from the room and they heard Mckay saying,
"Nice scarf Lieutenant", and then making a kind of yelling noise as Franks obviously retaliated in some way.
Ellie and Lorne were about to stand when Weir said,
"Could I have a word with you two?".
They both nodded and Weir sighed.
"You should both get Dr Beckett to check you over. Major, your dip in that icy water was a close call and Ellie…you should make sure that your heart is alright".
"We'll head to the infirmary now ma'am", Lorne said and Weir smiled at them both.
"Okay then. Well done in getting the artefact by the way".
"Thanks", Lorne said, ignoring Ellie's glare as they left the briefing room.
They headed to the infirmary, a stony silence between them and even though Lorne considered speaking to Ellie about what had happened the moment became lost as soon as they entered the infirmary and Beckett headed over to them shortly followed by Jessica.
After Lorne briefly explained to Beckett what had happened, the Doctor made them change out of their still damp uniforms and into infirmary scrubs and then examined them both and then headed off to get them both a shot of an antibiotic that would hopefully ward off a cold or the flu.
As they waited for Beckett's return, Ellie tried not to listen as Jessica leaned in close to Lorne.
"Are you okay baby?", she cooed and Ellie rolled her eyes and put her back to Lorne and the nurse whom he was obviously having some kind of relationship with.
'He'd kept that quiet', she thought. 'Still, it was hardly likely that he would tell her who he was dating'.
"I'm fine", she heard Lorne reply, noting that he sounded a little uncomfortable and the thought made her smile.
Just then Sheppard entered the infirmary and unbeknownst to Ellie, Jessica moved away from Lorne and back to her duties.
"You okay?", Sheppard asked as he approached her and it was her turn to feel uncomfortable as he hugged her, nodding to Lorne over her shoulder.
As he pulled away from her Sheppard said a grin upon his face,
"So Major…I hear you've been getting naked with my girlfriend".
Ellie's jaw dropped open and Lorne shook his head,
"Nearly naked…Sir", he managed to choke out.
"John……", Ellie began but Sheppard just laughed at them.
"It's okay…really…I'd do the same myself if it were Teyla that had fallen into some icy water…not Ronon or Mckay though…they'd have to freeze to death for obvious reasons…", he said and Ellie frowned at him and Lorne remained silent.
Luckily at that moment Beckett returned with their shots and Sheppard stood to one side as the Doctor administered their jabs.
"I think you two should stay here just for a couple of hours for observation and to warm up properly", Beckett said, trying to pull a blanket higher up Ellie's legs and she and Lorne groaned inwardly at the thought of being stuck there together even for a couple of hours.
"Well guys I have work to do. So you…", Sheppard paused to kiss Ellie before he continued, "rest up and I'll see you later".
Ellie didn't reply, merely flopped back against the pillows as Lorne said,
"See you Sir".
From that mission onwards, Ellie and Lorne's working relationship became one long row and became famous around the Atlantis gossips' grape vine.
They had more arguments than Dr Weir cared to know about but behind all that they had become a good team, although Lorne swore he would never admit that to Ellie because he knew she would ram his words down his neck!
He had also never admitted to her that he knew he had been wrong about the artefact being rigged and all she had ever received was the pathetic 'thanks for what you did' for saving his life.
She battled on though, still trying to get her points across and Lorne grudgingly began to admire her persistence.
Neither ever mentioned the 'nearly naked' experience in the jumper.
One afternoon Ellie was cataloguing her finds from their latest mission when Lorne ambled into the lab.
"Hey Doc", he said, picking up one of her note books and flicking absently through the pages.
Ellie put down her pen and glared at him.
"Did you want something?", she asked, reaching out and snatching the book out of his hands.
Lorne's lips quirked in a smile which he quickly hid as he replied,
"Yeah…I come bearing glad tidings".
Ellie raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to elaborate.
"You're going to be out of my hair for a few days", he said and Ellie's interest was piqued enough for her to twist in her chair and she looked up at him properly as she faced him.
"And who do I thank for this fantastic piece of news?", she asked watching as Lorne folded his arms, his muscles flexing as he did so and she looked away, trying to forget that she new exactly how those arms looked without his top on.
Lorne, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort leant against the desk and replied,
"Dr Weir just informed me that McKay has requested you accompany Colonel Sheppard's team back to PX8 119. She has given it the go-ahead so you'll be leaving in two hours and it's a three day mission".
"Great!", Ellie replied, briefly wondering why Sheppard hadn't come to tell her, but then again she had been avoiding him lately as she was still uncertain about her relationship with him.
She knew she should make her mind up. It was only fair to Sheppard. She didn't for one minute think that he was serious about her or their relationship but that didn't mean that she could drag it on if she weren't happy with the way things were.
Lorne regarded her for a moment, wondering what she was thinking and then pushed away from her desk.
As he went to leave Ellie said,
"Oh, Major…try not to miss me too much".
Lorne paused in the doorway and turned back to face her.
"I'll do my best Doctor, but it'll be hard", he replied dryly and Ellie pointedly didn't look at him and it was only when she saw out of the corner of her eye and knew he had gone that she let herself relax.
She sat for a couple of minutes and then stood abruptly.
Two hours to get ready for a three day mission…she needed to start preparing.
End of Chapter 4
