A/N: So, thank you to my lovely readers for still being with me. Please review.

Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 4

Rodney sat across from John in the Mess, a huge big ass grin on his face. "Out with it McKay."

He didn't fail, "You are such a Kirk."

That wasn't what he had expected, "What?"

The scientist rolled his eyes and pointed a fork at the Major, "You know, Kirk from Star Trek who would flirt with all of the women who crossed his path, counting how many he could get into bed with him."

John narrowed his eyes, "I don't count, and I don't flirt with every woman that crosses my path."

Ford and Teyla took that moment to join the table, both smiling earnestly at the Major. He rolled his eyes and continued with his food. "I see that you are feeling better Major," Teyla enquired.

He glared at her. The implication of that question made both Ford and Rodney smile even more so. "So Sir, no feelings to pounce on anymore women?"

"Can it Lieutenant. I can pull rank you know."

"Sir," he continued with his grin, tucking into his food.

Rodney opened his mouth next, "Typical anyway."

The three team mates stared at each other curiously, the man's comment not making any sense. "What is?" Ford asked.

"Him," he pointed to John. "Always getting himself into the situation where he gets to kiss a nice girl without any reason whatsoever." Curiosity turned to surprise as the three of them turned to look at him. "What?"

"Nice girl?" John mirrored.

"Well," Rodney began to fluster, "She is. I wouldn't of minded being in your position actually. Especially from what I saw."

John's eyebrows hiked even higher as Teyla turned away, "What did you see McKay?"

"I- well, you know, t- the just, n- n- nothing much but from," he cleared his throat. "From what I saw, she clearly knew what she was doing. Besides, she seems like a nice girl, if you know what I mean."

"Hmm," John offered noncommittally.

Ford glanced at Rodney, "Don't let her hear you say that McKay."

Now it was the scientists turn to frown, "Why not?"

The younger man smirked and gave a sidelong glance to the Major in the seat next to him. "You know Sir?"

"Know what?"

Teyla turned back to face the three men, surprise etching the corners of her face, "Even I have heard some…stories."

"Wh- what kind of stories?" Rodney asked.

Ford edged forward in his seat and put both arms on the table, "Her and men, bad news. Usually it's one of three scenarios. One, she kicks their ass. Two, someone else kicks their ass for her or three; they do something deserving of a stupid hat."

Both John and Rodney mirrored the same look of confusement. "What?" John asked.

The young Lieutenant grinned and picked his fork back up, "Most of the time, it's her kicking their asses."

A full minute of silence lapsed around the group before Rodney broke it, "This from… experience?"

Ford hastily shook his head, "No. We're just friends, that's it. I like my ass thank you very much."

Rodney's eyes frowned again, "How the hell did you become friends with her? You don't even work in the same area!"

He rolled his eyes in response, "Just casual talk, an odd mission here and there."

"Huh," he answered, his gaze going to the doors on the other side of the room. "Speaking of which." John turned his head to see what the scientist was staring at. He rolled his eyes when Linda walked in and went back to his food. It had been two days since they had been released and apparently, their little 'incident' was quickly getting around.

SGASGASGASGA

Linda frowned as she entered the Mess hall. She could feel the eyes staring at her and hated it. Rushing to the counter she quickly picked up a bottle of water, a quick snack and made a hasty retreat through to the balcony that opened up from the Mess, balancing her breakfast on top of some notes. It was usually a lot quieter and there were a good few places to sit where she would be out of sight.

"Hey Linda," a voice said behind her.

Craning her head back she looked back to see Dr Ryan Werner. "Hey Ryan." The dark skinned man, when he was stood up, towered over many of the soldiers and his large frame could intimidate most of the younger military personnel. She even heard of an occasion where he had scared General O'Neill at one point.

Looking past him she caught sight of Dr William Abbot, the third and final linguist in their very small department. "Will."

He nodded back to her, his thin wire framed glasses slipping down his nose as he ran a hand through his messy brown curls. "Parsons," he greeted, going back to some notes he had brought to the breakfast table with him.

"Got room for another?" she asked with a hopeful smile. They weren't the people to ask about missions and the like. They especially weren't the kind to ask about a certain Major John Sheppard as April had pestered her about since she had been released.

"Always," Ryan smiled back and patted the seat next to him. She quickly picked her stuff up and planted it on the table, giving a sheepish grin at the two questioning looks that were thrown her way. "That's all you're eating?"

Sometimes Ryan acted like the oldest out of the three of them, like a parent, despite being the youngest member. She shrugged her shoulders, yawned and looked down at the bottle of water, bag of grapes and couple of snack bars she'd been able to snag. "Yeah," she stretched out, slowly meeting his stern gaze, "It was," she struggled to find the word.

"Awkward?" She nodded and he nodded back and smiled, "I'll get you a proper meal and a cup of coffee." She muttered her thanks and slid back in her seat. She was glad that somebody was helping to sort her 'hatred of public gossip' out at the moment.

High school rang a bell when the first questions had been asked, How was he? Is he a good kisser? What was it like? Was it good? Did it make your stomach do flips? She gagged and took out a grape and popped it into her mouth.

Moments later, Werner was back with a Lieutenant Ford in tow. "Linda," he greeted, cheeky grin in place.

She rolled her eyes and took a firm hold of the coffee cup, uttering her thanks to the Dr. "Aiden. I know your work out schedule."

The comment sobered him up and he pulled up a chair next to her, "Sorry. Still funny as hell."

"I know your sparring sessions for the whole month and your workout sessions." The comment made him duck his head. She smiled and she watched Will shake his head with a smirk and Ryan trying not to laugh. They both knew she could scare some of the military personnel if she really wanted to.

"Just wanted to ask how you were doing."

"I've been better," she said, "I've also been worse so, 50, 50." He shook his head and she smiled. "Tell me, what's the Major thinking?"

The question had Ford's eyebrows meeting his hairline, then he shrugged. "Not too sure. I think he thinks it was good." She glared at him and he quickly wiped the smile off his face. "I don't know. I think he just wants to forget it."

She nodded, "Good. Me too." He nodded at that and they talked for another fifteen minutes before he left, something about a recon mission to scout out a new possible trading programme on a planet named 'Dagan'. She said goodbye and wished him that he got shot with an arrow.

He chuckled at the comment; a never ending ritual between them and answered back, "Only as a souvenir for you." As he left the balcony he heard the chuckling and smiled, making his way towards the exit and towards the 'gate room.

SGASGASGASGA

April slid into the room, that ever same grin in place that Linda was soon starting to hate. "What?" She ground out.

The Lieutenant sauntered over to the linguist's desk and planted her hands on top of it, leaning her upper body forward. "Major Sheppard just returned."

She quirked an eyebrow and peered up at her, "Good for him. What do I care?"

April raised her own eyebrows and put her lips together, smacking them together to kiss the air. Linda grabbed a pen and threw at her, making her stop with a "Hey!"

"Go away."

She pouted and Linda rolled her eyes. April stepped around the desk and placed her elbows onto it. "McKay figured out how to get some information back to Earth."

Linda focused on the picture in front of her, "I heard."

"And," she started. "Aiden is in charge of filming people's messages to send back."

She stomped down the eye roll and said, "Okay, good for him. He get's to see people crying to their families over and over."

April rolled her eyes and stole the photo from her friend's hand. "You are an idiot. Sometimes I wonder if you're like McKay."

"Hey!" Linda shot out, "I'm pissed at you okay. A few other people too, but you as well. Mostly you actually."

April rolled her eyes and handed the photo back. "Look, I came to apologise. It's been awkward for you and I haven't helped it any. Besides," the smile was back, "I know how to make it up to you."

She narrowed her eyes. "You do?"

She nodded and Linda signalled her to elaborate. "I put a Tac vest in your room." The linguist stared at the Lieutenant as if she had suddenly gone crazy. She rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at her friend, "A personal, just for you, Tac vest."

"Oh," Linda said, a smile growing. "How'd you manage that?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I have my ways."

Linda shook her head, "Don't tell me."

"Hey, not like that. You're the whore here, jumping the Major like that."

"Hey, he jumped me from what I remember. Besides," she shrugged her shoulders and went back to her work. "I slapped him."

April rolled her eyes, "Before he pounced on you. Maybe I should've gone on that mission instead."

Linda held a picture up to the other woman, "What does that say?"

Taking the picture in hand she studied the carvings for a full minute before smiling and handing it back. "It says that Linda is a whore who doesn't know it and owes me a whole bar of chocolate and a pot of ice cream."

"No," Linda said with a smile. "It says bite me." Laughter filled the room and she pushed the Lieutenant away. "Go, shoo, go planet hunting."

SGASGASGASGA

Lieutenant Ford appeared in the doorway to the linguists lab. He was slowly working his way around the base and this stop put him at about half way through his recordings. Knocking on the door Linda glanced up to look at him, smiling when she recognised who it was. "Aiden."

"Linda," he said. Stepping into the room he swept an arm around the room, "I've already done Werner and Abbot, asked where I could find you."

"Oh, right the video." He smiled and set it up as she stepped around her desk to sit on top of it. "Is it on?"

He nodded, "Ready when you are."

Nodding she smiled into the camera and paused. Who to start with? What to say? Damn it. "Hi… Mom. And Dad, it's me. Linda." She coughed and looked back up, "Erm. I love you, I guess," she paused and frowned, trying to think of what to say. "I-I," she stopped and looked away, a frown on her face. When she turned back to the camera all she could muster was a small, "I love you," her face fixed in a frown.

Taking a moment to collect herself she blinked away the frown. "Vince." Her face scowled ever so slightly and she stopped. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she settled for, "Hi. Erm, I guess sorry doesn't exactly help for anything," she frowned for a split second, the look disappearing. "I-" she paused again and sighed. "Hi, guess I do miss you after all." A tight smile flitted across her face for a brief second.

She sighed and steadied herself as she began her next message, a grin lighting up her face, a new bounce in her voice. "Eddie! Atlantis? It's amazing, brilliant, fantastic and beautiful. I don't want you getting shot at when you go off world, that's my job and I still manage to get myself shot at out here in the Pegasus galaxy." She pointed a finger at the camera, "Don't say it either. I didn't ask to be pulled into a pond of goop. Seriously, three weeks ago I was pulled in by Major John Sheppard. Stupid flyboy."

Ford sniggered behind the camera and Linda threw him a smirk, "Tell him that Lieutenant, John I mean. Anyway, I hope you and Anne are doing well. Eight months and counting, even in Pegasus we have calendars, look." She pointed to the calendar that sat on her wall, a picture of sugary sweets filling the top page. "Oh, erm, if you see what's it, tell him I said hi. And I wish you two would get along already."

From behind the camera Ford shot her a silent question but she waved him off. "Beef between a good friend of mine and my dear brother. Anyway, two more quick notes. General O'Neill? Thanks for 'asking' me to come. I'm glad you did because I'm having a blast. Nothing like P3X - 709, but I'm working my way up to it. And finally Dr Jackson." She paused and allowed a cheeky grin to fill her face, "I hope you're jealous. The city is beautiful, it's amazing and a treasure trove of Ancient artefacts. I've sent some pictures for you to look at anyway." She gave a wave to the camera, "Adios Earth."

Ford pressed stop and smiled at her, "Not the typical messages."

"Nah," she waved him off, "With death around the corner we need a little fun."

"We're not going to die," he reassured her.

She nodded, "I know. It's fun thinking it then making fun of that situation. You know, the 'worst way to die at the moment' game." He laughed at the mention of it. On the odd occasions they'd gone on missions together during their time at the SGC, they'd played that 'game' often when they'd been captured.

"Death by rat infestation," she had said, staring at the mould collecting in the corner of their cell.

He laughed, "Falling ceiling." The ceiling was full of large cracks and sometimes dust drifted down onto them and the floor.

"Splinter infection," she had said and he queried it. "Well, if we get a splinter," she motioned to the wooden pole they were tied to, "Which then gets infected and we're here for more then a week, we could die from infection."