Chapter 4

Samantha Carter had seen a lot in her time at Stargate Command and even more as a member of the elite SG-1 but even she found the sight of a 1960's British police box sitting in the Gate Room just a little on the strange side. Her study of the strange blue intruder was broken by the arrival of an jaw-clenched John Sheppard.

"Major Lorne is missing." Despite the frantic worry for his team-mate that was gnawing at his very soul, John fought the urge to growl out his report. He was more convinced than ever that this strange ship had done something to Evan. "Report!"

'Ahh, that explains everything.' Sam wanted to shake her head in exasperation; John was acting just like Jack had when Daniel had disappeared. 'Men in love and denying it are all the same! They're just overprotective babies who freak out when their loved ones go missing.'

Sam rolled her eyes; it was like watching Jack and Daniel all over again. 'I wonder which one of them will cave in first? This bizarre intruder could be the key to finally getting John and Evan to make a move.' A thought struck her; 'I need to place a new bet in the pool!'

Suddenly the doors to the blue box swung open and John's hand automatically fell to the gun at his side but before he could draw his weapon, a very familiar figure stepped out. John immediately forgot all about the gun at his side as he crossed the distant between them. Anxiety had him grasping Evan's arm a little tighter than he intended as John pulled his errant friend away from the blue box. "Are you all right? Did they hurt you in any way? How did you escape?" John fired question after question in rapid-fire succession as he looked Evan over from head to foot. "What do they want? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Aye, laddie, maybe you should let me give our Major a quick check-up." Carson's voice drifted over to them as he came to stand next to Sam. "It is my job after all."

Crossing his arms over his chest in an almost belligerent fashion, Rodney McKay did his best to look unimpressed as he stared at the blue box sitting innocently in Gate control. "This is what's got everyone so worked up about? It looks like a piece of junk." In spite of his nonchalant words, his minds was spinning as he tried to figure out 'how in the hell did something like that travel through space without using the gates? I have got to get inside that thing!'

Evan felt an indignant huff tingling at the back of his mind and he could tell that the TARDIS wasn't all that pleased with McKay's opinion of her and Evan wasn't sure but he would swear that she even blew a very unladylike raspberry back at the irreverent scientist. "Doc, I'd be careful what you say; she's alive and your attitude is pissing her off."

While Evan knew that Rodney was just being Rodney, he couldn't help but feel a little upset on behalf of the TARDIS. 'I'm sorry, sweetheart, he doesn't mean anything by it. He just thinks he's being cool.' Evan distinctly heard the ship chuckle and he hoped that if she ever let Rodney inside, that she wouldn't do anything too bad to him.

"She's sentient?" Sam, Radek and Rodney asked as one and their eyes lit up with excitement.

Evan nodded his head proudly. "Yes, and if you promise not to throw them in the brig..." this was directed at John in particular, "I can bring out her pilot and crew to meet you. They can explain her better than I possibly can."

Like children at Christmas, Radek and Rodney both turned to Sam their eyes pleading with her for permission to open the best present they'd ever been given. Sam, however, was too busy studying Evan and the ship to pay any attention to nosey scientists.

"Anyone who can not only find Atlantis without using the gate system and gain access to the city without setting off any alarms could be a much-needed ally against the Wraith." She nodded decisively; "All right, Major, bring your friends out but tell them to come unarmed." As far as she was concerned, if Evan trusted them then that was good enough for Sam.

With a reassuring smile, Evan gently pulled himself out of John's grasp and turned back towards the TARDIS. Just as he was starting to push open the door, one thing struck him and he stopped and looked back at the men and women standing around the Gate Room. "Ahh, very important, don't anyone try and flirt with the sexy Welshman in a suit; his boyfriend won't like that," he warned before ducking inside the TARDIS.

"How in the hell do they all fit in there?" Evan heard Rodney's voice echo as the TARDIS door shut behind him.

"Damn right I won't!" Jack growled under his breath; he'd clearly heard Evan's warning. 'Of course Atlantis had to be filled with gorgeous men and women; why can't it ever be the uggos and the dogs!?' Jack thought in annoyed frustration before turning his gaze on to Ianto. "You're not leaving my side, ever,' he warned

"I won't, Cariad," Ianto smiled indulgently. He was well aware of Jack's possessive side; he even found it a little endearing at times, to have someone care about him so deeply.

"And don't you dare make any of them a single drop of your coffee or they'll make it open season on trying to steal you away from me!" Jack knew how powerful Ianto's coffee was, and he wasn't taking any chances on someone in Atlantis trying to snatch Ianto away from him.

Evan had to admit that Jack had a smart idea; all of Atlantis lived on coffee. He'd been treated to a taste of Ianto's magical brew and it was like nothing he'd ever tasted before. Compared to the swill produced in the Atlantic mess hall, Ianto's coffee was pure heaven in a cup, but he wasn't going to say that out loud; no need to set Jack even more on guard than he already was.

"Colonel Carter has asked you to come unarmed." He looked around and saw agreement on everyone's faces, although it took Jack a bit longer than the rest to accept the colonel's terms. "I think she's hoping to form an alliance with you and the scientist side of her wants to find out more about this amazing little blue box of yours."

Evan smiled as a feeling of well-deserved smugness emanated from the TARDIS while the Doctor simply rolled his eyes.

"Now you've done it, Major now she's going to have a swelled head for centuries!" The Time Lord could count on one hand how many people his ship had loved right off the bat. First among them were Jack and Ianto, and now it looked like Evan Lorne was on that list. "Well, there's no need to worry about me; I never carry a weapon and neither does Martha. There's only two among us who think that guns are useful and... well... their weapons are safely tucked away." The Doctor looked directly at Jack as he said this, hoping that Jack would get the message.

He accidentally forgot to t mention his sonic screwdriver because technically it wasn't a weapon; it was a simple sonic device that could do everything from opening a locked door to destroying an entire computer network. Being a weapon was merely incidental to its primary function, looking and sounding really cool.

"Thank you, Doctor, I appreciate your cooperation." Evan smiled gratefully at the Doctor. "Well, come along then and I'll introduce you to Atlantis." Reaching out impulsively, Evan snagged the Doctor by the arm, pulled him close, and dragged him out of the TARDIS.

Jack snagged Ianto's hand and linked their fingers together; 'I'm going to make damn sure that everyone knows that my Ianto is a very taken man!' Rolling his eyes fondly, Ianto placed a gentle kiss on Jack's lips.

"You daft man, of course I'm yours! Nothing will ever change that." The Welshman had to admit it was rather sweet to see Jack so worried losing him to someone else. "We'll be together forever, Cariad, I promise."

Jack gave Ianto a rueful little smile. "I guess I'm just waiting for the moment you come to your senses and realize that you could do so much better than me." The immortal found it difficult to admit his biggest fear to the man he loved.

"Never going to happen," Ianto declared without any hesitation. "You're stuck with me, Jack. Now what do you say we actually help the TARDIS with her matchmaking plans?" Ianto thoroughly enjoyed the gobsmacked looks on both Jack and Martha's faces and judging by the by the musical laughter that brushed against his mind, so did the TARDIS.

Oh, yes, the TARDIS loved Ianto Jones so very much and she knew how fortunate she was to have found a trusted ally in the young Welshman.

"I think it's time we joined the Doctor; who knows what kind of trouble he could be causing in Atlantis on his own." Always the gentleman, Ianto offered his free arm to Martha who favoured him with a smile as she slipped her arm through his.

The moment the Doctor laid eyes on the sheer beauty of Atlantis, he was awe-struck. "This is brilliant!" he declared as he feasted his eyes on his first glance of the city. Much to the amusement of all those present, he began bounding around, dashing from place to place. He alternated between using his horn-rimmed spectacles and a pair of 3-D cardboard glasses to study each and everything her saw for a moment before bouncing off to the next fascinating thing that caught his eye.

Rodney shook his head in disgust. "That hyper-active child is the pilot of this strange ship?" He watched as the Doctor licked the side of the gate and then smacked his lips appreciatively before running over to the control panel. "Huh, I guess it does make sense," he muttered with a sad shake of his head. "Weird ship like this need a weird pilot."

The Doctor stopped in mid-stride and he whirled around to face Rodney with an incensed glare on his face. "Do you have any idea who I am, you stupid ape?!" His voice was a low roar. "I have seen things your puny mind would never be able to understand. You've barely begun to crack the knowledge of the Ancients! Your simplistic human mind would burn at the first hint of the knowledge I have." The Doctor would not stand for anyone to insult his beloved TARDIS.

A gentle hand on his shoulder and it was as if a switch had been flipped; the Doctor felt all tension leave his body as he turned to stare into the warm, understanding eyes of Evan Lorne. "Please don't take what Doctor McKay said personally, Doctor, that's just the way he is. I've only spent a little time in the TARDIS but I know she is the most brilliant thing in the known universe," Evan quickly reassured the angry Time Lord.

Already feeling a bit giddy over the intense heat soaking into his shoulder from the touch of Evan's hand, he looked deeply into Evan's eyes. Seeing nothing but pure honesty shining back at him, the Doctor felt his hearts skip a beat at how much already loved his ship. "Thank you, Evan. After getting to know you at least I know that not everyone on Atlantis is an overly-caffeinated ape with a huge ego."

The Doctor wasn't sure why the TARDIS thought they should come back to meet such a backwards group of explores, but he hoped she had a very good reason, especially after hearing the way Atlantis' residents were insulting her.

As he watched the intimate moment between Evan the odd stranger who'd invaded his Gate room, John's hands clenched into fists. It took all his willpower and training to remain where he was as he fought the urge to rip his Evan away from the Doctor's dubious clutches. 'I wonder if he's being brainwashed in some way by this whack-job?'

Ronon crossed his arms over his chest and smirked broadly; Rodney looked lit a fish out of water as he stood gaping at the Doctor with his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. "I like him; anyone who can shut McKay up like that is okay in my books."

Quietly, Teyla studied the scene before her; the passionate jealousy on John's face did not go unnoticed, nor did the confused affection the new arrival obviously had for Evan. 'John, my friend, for so long you have hidden your true feelings from Evan and now you have a rival. I sense something different about this man and his ship, but I do not believe he is a rival for Major Lorne's affections. In fact, I believe he is going to be a powerful advocate for your romantic relationship. I have a feeling nothing will be the same again.'

An amused voice cut through the air. "Doc! Already making friends I see!" Jack took one look at Evan's hand still resting on the Doctor's shoulder and he wondered what the hell he and Ianto had missed.

Standing next to Ronon, Teyla was the only one to feel his body suddenly stiffen and to hear him growl low his throat. She followed his unwavering gaze to the dark-skinned female that had arrived in the blue box, and she saw that his eyes never left her face. She immediately realised what was happening and she smiled. 'It would seem, my friend, that you have found your other half.' Teyla was deeply happy for her friend; the mighty warrior had been alone for far too long.

Martha gulped in shock as she saw and more importantly, felt, the look the tall and very handsome man was giving her; never before had a man looked at her as if she was his whole world. It filled her with such an incredible sense of wonder, warmth and belonging. At the back of her mind, she heard the TARDIS' soft encouraging whisper, 'Go to him, child; he is yours just as you are his.'

It was as if an invisible cord was irresistibly drawing Martha and Ronon to one another. Slowly Martha slipped her arm from Ianto's and took a step forward; her eyes perceived only Ronon and nothing else. The moment he saw Martha move, Ronon took his own step forward.

Jack was thankful for Ianto's comforting hand in his; his young lover was the only thing that kept him in place as Martha moved towards the handsome man. Jack's eyes narrowed suspiciously; ever since The Year That Never Was, he'd become very protective over those who held a special place in his heart and that extended to Martha and her family. After seeing the way the Doctor's oblivious blindness had to her feelings broken her heart, he'd been worried about her getting hurt again.

"No, Jack," Ianto whispered softly to Jack as he tightened his grip. "Martha's okay." Despite how short a time he'd travelled with them, he knew that the TARDIS would never do anything to hurt them.

Trying not to be too obvious about it, everyone watched as Martha and Ronon stopped mere inches from one another. Shyly Martha offered Ronon a small smile as she held out her hand. "Hello, I'm Martha Jones."

"Ronon Dax," Ronon mumbled as he took Martha's hand in his own, and they both gasped audibly at the powerful surge of electricity and the absolute feeling of pure rightness that passed between them as their hands touched.

Ianto smiled knowingly while the Doctor and Jack glowered at the big man and Ronon's friends looked on with confusion. It took them all a few minutes before their own knowing looks appeared and they too realised what had happened; Ronon and Martha were soul mates.

"So I guess the old girl really did have a reason for bringing us here." The Doctor's glower faded away to a maniacal grin as he bounced on his feet; he was happy for Martha. He wasn't as blind as others thought he was and he knew that Martha had fallen for him. True, he adored Martha; he'd always and found her courage, compassion and honesty to be wonderful traits, but he saw her as nothing more than a dear friend.

'Even though this is great news for Martha, I can't help but wonder if my sneaky and mysterious ship has yet another reason for bringing me here.' The Time Lord found his gaze returning to Lorne and as he caught the good major's eye, he felt both his hearts speed up as the smile Evan favoured him with warmed him to the core.

The special smile that Evan gave the Doctor did not go unnoticed by Sheppard and he was less happy to see the looks this so-called Doctor was giving his Evan. "I'd still like some answer! Just who the hell are you people and why did you have my major on your ship?" John crossed his arms over his chest and glared daggers at the Doctor. "How did you get that ship in here without using the gate?"

Jack hiked an eyebrow as he cautiously tugged Ianto behind him; he easily recognized the look in Sheppard's eyes as that of an alpha male whose mate was being threatened. He'd had that look in his own eyes more than a few times when someone had gotten too close to his Ianto. 'Just what are you up to, old girl?' He waited for a moment, but there was no response from the TARDIS other than a sense of self-satisfaction.

Looking closely at the Time Lord Jack became aware of the fact that hadn't seen such a predatory gleam in the Doctor's eyes since Rose had been with them. Jack knew that even as much as he had loved her, Rose wasn't destined to be the Doctor's other half. Looking back and forth between the two men, Jack considered the fact that maybe this Evan was the one, 'although, it would appear that the Doc has some competition.'

A naughty thought crossed the immortal's mind. 'I've always wanted to see a Gallifreyan mating ritual! This is going to be good,' Jack thought with a wicked grin.

Ianto's eyes narrowed as he spotted the gleeful look in his lover's eyes. 'I'll have to keep a close eye on Jack; I don't need to be soothing over things in another galaxy!' Ianto knew he was going to have to either keep his lover occupied so he wouldn't cause any mischief, 'or I'll have to lock him in our bedroom on the TARDIS. Both options really suck cos I so want to see Atlantis!'

The Doctor wanted to groan as he watched Jack watch Ianto; the immortal had a gleam in his eyes that just screamed, 'I'm going to have some amazing sex!' The Doctor wanted to pout and he could actually feel his lower lip quivering just a little; while he was happy for Jack for finally finding his soul mate, he just didn't need to be reminded that Jack and Ianto were dancing all the time. And from the looks Martha and Ronon were giving each other he was pretty sure they soon would be doing dancing of some their own. 'It's just not fair!' he stuck his lip out and pouted slightly to himself.

Sheppard wasn't one who liked to be ignored and he cleared his throat rather aggressively. "You know, I really don't like repeating myself. So, I'll ask this nicely one more time, what are you doing here? And why was Major Evan Lorne with you?" It took all his self-control and self-respect not to march over and drag Evan away from the man who was bouncing on his feet and grinning like an idiot.

Reluctant to leave the strange comfort he got from Evan's touch, the Doctor nonetheless hurried over to John, grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. "I'm the Doctor and it's a pleasure to meet you. To answer your questions, I have no idea why my ship brought us here. The TARDIS does what she wants when she wants which brings us to why Evan is with us, and that's because something about him called to the TARDIS and I offered him a chance to travel with us for a bit to see the universe the way I do." The Doctor found himself explaining with rapid-fire speed even though he didn't really like Sheppard all that much.

Sam bit her lips to hide the smile that wanted to break free; she knew that Janet would have a field day with the idea of a matchmaking ship. 'I doubt John is going to set aside his feelings so easily. I honestly think they may be worse than Jack and Daniel!' Deciding it would be better if she took control of the situation before it escalated she took a step towards the Doctor and offered her hand in greeting. "I'm Colonel Samantha Carter, welcome to Atlantis, Doctor."

The Doctor's grin grew even more pronounced as he griped Sam's hand and pumped it eagerly. "The Samantha Carter? It's an honour to meet you! I'm a big fan of your work. I'm the Doctor and these are my companions, Jack Harkness and his partner, Ianto Jones, and you already know Martha." The Doctor cast a glance at Martha who was too busy talking to Ronon to pay any attention to anything else going on.

Sam's forehead crinkled in concentration. 'The Doctor? Where have I heard that name before?' It only took Sam a moment to realise that she was in the presence of the Time Lord she'd only ever heard rumours about. "Doctor, the honor is truly mine. Would you like a tour of Atlantis?" She could not wait to get the Doctor's take on the Ancient's technology; the man was a genius.

"That would be brilliant!" The Doctor whirled around to face Evan. "Come along, Evan, I want to see more of your city!"

To Sheppard's growing jealousy, his Evan favoured the Doctor with a shy smile, one that was normally meant for him alone. 'Oh hell! There is no way I am letting my Evan go anywhere alone with this Doctor!' John growled to himself. Plastering a fake smile on his face, he tried to take control of the situation. "I'd be happy to help Major Lorne show our guests around."

For a moment Evan's heart sped up as he realised he would be spending time alone with his CO, a man on whom he had a massive crush, and the Time Lord he'd just met and was quickly developing feelings for. "That would be wonderful, Sir."

The Doctor and John's eyes met and the air crackled around them, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation and hostility. Everyone shared a look that clearly said, 'the battle for Evan's heart is on and he has no clue.'

Jack chuckled. 'This is going to be an interesting visit.'

TBC...