Title: Lost Among The Stars
Summary: When Major Evan Lorne is attacked on a mission off-world, a series of events is put into motion that reveals the very secret John Sheppard had worked so hard to keep hidden. Eventual Sheppard/Lorne. Spoilers for "Coup d'etat" and "Doppleganger".
A/N: MINI RANT:I find it so interesting that Lorne's first name has never been mentioned on screen, but was printed on his F-302 fighter-interceptor flight suit in "First Strike" - though it was later confirmed by Stargate SG-1 executive producer Joseph Mallozzi that it was Evan. I have read a few fanfics that call him Marcus or Stephen and such, but I would have to assume that was before the reveal of Lorne's first name in canon. As you can tell, I have, of course, decided to keep the official name in my story. Major Evan Lorne just seems to have a better ring to it.
In this chapter, Lorne goes through the motions of a typical day in Atlantis (emergencies and missions notwithstanding). It's a real slice-of-life kind of feel. I also added more secondary characters from canon to the story, such as Radek Zelenka and David Parrish.
On a side note, I just wanted to thank you all again for your reviews, I really enjoy reading them. They really inspire me to keep writing. Thank you again!
Characters: Evan Lorne, John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Ronon, Teyla, Elizabeth Weir, Sam Carter, Radek Zelenka, Jennifer Keller, and other minor characters and OCs.
Disclaimer: all rights belong to MGM.
Warning: mentions of non-consensual rape.
~o~o~
It was a new day.
Lorne rose with his alarm. And, after a quick but warm shower, the Major headed to the cafeteria for a simple breakfast before tackling some overdue reports in his office. Not feeling particularly hungry, he only grabbed a plain bowl of oatmeal and some Pegasus-native fruit. Tentatively taking a bite, he was pleased to learn the fruit tasted much like an apple, even though it looked more like a mango.
After only being detained once to settle a dispute about training equipment, Lorne made it to his office with little interference. Well, honestly speaking, it wasn't only his office. He shared the space with John. But his commanding officer was rarely there, opting to do his own paperwork in the confines of his private quarters.
As such, Lorne was glad when he arrived to find the office empty. He wasn't sure if he could face people just yet. The memory of his attack was still too fresh in his mind and he didn't need the constant reminders or well-wishes that small talk usually provided.
He also particularly didn't want to see John. The Colonel always knew the right thing to say to get the Major to open up. It was one of the many reasons that Lorne felt so comfortable around John. Most of his past commanding officers were stiff and unapproachable. John, on the other hand, defied all previous experience. The reluctant leader was laid-back, sarcastic, and open to suggestion. He never had a hard time striking up a conversation. While this trait was admirable, it also made John very good at interrogation and manipulation. Lorne witnessed friend and foe alike being lulled into a false sense of self-confidence, admitting to secrets or personal tidbits around the Colonel. And, right now, that was the last thing Lorne wanted to do. Who knows what he might let slip?
Two hours later, after rereading and editing reports for the IOA, Lorne sighed and leaned back. His hand was beginning to cramp. Standing and stretching, he circled the perimeter of the room. Making a final circuit, Lorne couldn't help but yawn. He didn't suffer from any nightmares the night before but, then again, he didn't really sleep too well to begin with. But no one needed to know that.
Figuring he just needed a cup of coffee, Lorne left the office and headed toward the labs. Radek's workspace had the best coffee maker in Atlantis. Even Rodney acknowledged the fact and was often found coming to "check up on his incompetent second in command. Oh, is that a fresh pot of coffee?" whenever he had the chance.
However, when he got there, the Major was surprised to find the lab empty. Assuming that Radek was in a meeting or exploring some sector of the city, Lorne helped himself the last cup of coffee before setting about to make a fresh pot for his friend.
Reaching down into the not-so-secret false drawer, Lorne pulled out the bag of fresh grounds. The were a special dark roast that the Czech scientist had shipped to him almost every Daedalus supply run. And, no matter how much people begged him, Radek would not reveal the source of the amazing coffee grounds. Lorne speculated that they were being sent by one of his many siblings.
As Lorne went to open it, he spied a note attached to the front. It was addressed to him. Lorne smiled when he recognized the Czech's handwriting. The note was simple. It read, "Lorne, have as much coffee as you want, you deserve it. I should be back from my meeting by lunchtime. If you're available I want your expertise on some device translations and activations. If you help me I'll make you dinner."
Lorne grinned. Believe it or not, the Czech was a very good cook. Those who were able to partake in his culinary excellence vowed they had never tasted anything more delicious. One of his meals was definitely worth the hours of being a guinea pig.
Glancing at his watch, Lorne made his decision to stay until his friend returned. He put the note aside and picked up his abandoned mug of coffee. Glancing around the workspace he spotted an Ancient device he'd never seen before. Assuming it the be the device Radek mentioned in the note, he walked over to examine it. Standing at a safe distance, taking care not to touch it or think any 'on-like' thoughts, the Major began to read over some of the symbols. Humming to himself, he took a sip of his hot beverage before moving over to read the handwritten notations about the device. He was so immersed in reading Radek's theories that he didn't hear the door hiss open.
"Major Lorne? What are you doing in here?"
Lorne glanced up from the notebook to spy Rodney enter the room. "Hey," he gave a small smile in greeting, "I'm just waiting for Radek."
The scientist sniffed. "Whatever for?"
"He wants to borrow my gene for a while," the soldier shrugged.
Rodney opened his mouth to ask another question but was interrupted when John bounded into the lab. "Hey, Rodney! Were you just pulling my leg before, or did you really find a machine that can convert someone's thoughts into a solid object?"
"Of course I was joking. Honestly, the very idea is absurd. It's impossible! You can't make something from nothing."
"But you do it all the time!"
Lorne snorted, hardly able to contain his mirth at the two before him. John and Rodney turned their attention to the Major. The former slightly surprised to see him there, while the latter simply glared.
John grinned. "Lorne! Good to see you out of the infirmary."
"Good to be out, sir."
"You here for the coffee?" He nodded to the mug in the Major's hand.
Rodney shook his head and answered for him. "No, Zelenka wants to use his ATA gene."
"And you came willingly?" John asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, in exchange for my good genes, he did promise to cook me dinner."
Rodney frowned, his brow scrunched up in confusion. "Zelenka cooks?"
"Yes, he does," a new voice responded. The group turned around to witness Radek enter his workspace. "And you should know that Rodney. I have invited you to dinner many times."
Rodney folded his arms, shaking his head in disbelief. "Really? When?"
"Last night," the Czech scientist deadpanned.
John barked a quick laugh while Rodney looked put out. "Oh."
Radek shook his head. Placing his personal tablet on a stool, he announced, "Now, if you're here for coffee, please take some and get out. I have important work to do."
"Sure thing, doc!" John said as he beelined toward the fresh pot Lorne made. Topping off his cup with a generous amount of sugar, John waved and followed Rodney out of the lab.
Once they were alone, Lorne turned to his friend. "Did you really invite McKay to dinner last night?"
Radek snorted. "Of course not. He would eat all my food."
Lorne chuckled. Putting aside his mug, he asked, "So what do you need me to do, doc?"
The two labored for several hours. Miraculously, neither man was called away to handle any emergencies, so they were able to work undisturbed. As such, they forwent eating lunch knowing full well that their dinner would be filling enough. Radek, with Lorne's help, was eventually able to determine the purpose of the device. It was a clock. When voice activated it could tell someone the current time of any planet in it database. While it wasn't exactly what they were hoping for - Radek thought it to be a translator while Lorne hoped it to be a weapon - they chalked up the experiment to a success. Afterall, nothing exploded.
Turning off all the lights, Radek and Lorne left the lab by early evening. They swung by Lorne's office to pick up some paperwork before continuing to Radek's private quarters. While the Czech scientist busied himself with making dinner, the Major settled down at the kitchen table to finish the reports he had neglected earlier.
Just as Lorne signed the last form, the door chimed. Radek went over to admit Dr. David Parrish and Lieutenant Laura Cadman inside. Smiling, Lorne accepted the hug from the female soldier while he made due with a hearty handshake from the botanist.
"I invited them," Radek explained. "I hope you don't mind."
"The more, the merrier," the Major grinned.
The four settled down into a comfortable conversations about the goings-on around Atlantis. While they briefly asked Lorne about the events that happened on PXK-233, he was able to deflect most of the questions and answer as vaguely as possible. He laughed off the attack as best he could. But his friends could tell he just didn't want to talk about it. And so, respecting his wishes, they changed the topic. David excitedly told him about some new plant discoveries he made on the mainland that had properties to cure some forms of benign tumors. Laura was eager to discuss a new high velocity rocket that the engineering team built that was designed to take down a Wraith dart in one shot.
Eventually dinner was served. The food was delicious and the company enjoyable.
It was a nice, quiet evening until Rodney showed up. The balding scientist tried making excuses about needing Radek to check his calculations but they all knew he was just nosing about in an attempt to coerce an invitation to dinner.
"I know you need my help, Rodney," Radek sighed. "But can't it wait until tomorrow."
Rodney sneered. "I don't need your help…"
"Then why are you even asking?"
Laura giggled while David and Lorne shared an amused look.
Finally noticing that the dinner party had grown, the scientist huffed. "Cadman? Parrish? What are you doing here?"
"We were invited," Laura slyly spoke.
"Yes, well, I-"
"Rodney?"
He turned back to face Radek. "Hmm?"
"See you tomorrow," the Czech said before promptly closing the door in his superior's face.
It wasn't before they heard a squawk of indignation and the sound of stomping feet through the door that the group of friends burst into a fit of laughter.
"Did you see his face!"
"Like he'd ever admit he needs your help!"
"Absolutely childish!"
Radek's shoulders shook with mirth. "Oh, my." He whipped away a tear. "That was worth all the trouble I'll be getting in the morning."
They continued to make jokes at Rodney's expense while they helped clear the table and wash the dishes. Radek packed up the extra food into containers for each person to take with them. While Laura and David left, Lorne picked up his finished paperwork and thanked Radek a second time.
"Thanks for dinner, doc," he smiled. "I really needed it."
Knowing the Major was referring to more than just the food, the scientist nodded. "Anytime, my friend."
And so, sharing a final pat on the back, Lorne left the room and headed down the corridor toward the nearest transporter. Hitting the desired button, he was instantly taken to the other side of the tower. A few minutes later he found himself in front of John's door. And, ringing the bell, he waited.
The door easily slide open, revealing the relaxed Colonel. "Lorne?"
"Sir," he nodded.
"Come on in," his commanding officer said, moving aside to let him in.
The door hissed closed behind them.
"I have some paperwork you should look over before tomorrow's meeting with Dr. Weir. I filled out all the appropriate forms," he passed over the stack of papers to John. "You just need to sign them, sir."
"Oh, I could kiss you!" John exclaimed as he went to put the paperwork on his already overcrowded desk.
Luckily the Colonel's back was turned or he would have witnessed the deep blush that sprouted on Lorne's cheeks. The very thought of kissing the handsome soldier made the Major tingly. He had suffered for nearly a year with a crush on John. And for the man to suggest making out, even in jest, was almost too much for Lorne.
Attempting to compose himself, Lorne retorted, "If you insist, sir. But people will talk."
John snorted. "People do little else."
"Yes, sir. Good night, sir."
"G'night, Lorne."
Entering the hallway the Major almost ran into a very flustered Rodney. The scientist looked haggard and overworked. Lorne didn't notice it before, but then again he had been too busy trying not the laugh. Feeling sorry for the man, Lorne gave Rodney his leftovers. "Next time," he advised, "just ask."
Rodney gapped. "I- well, you see…" he sputtered.
"You're welcome," the Major smirked before strutting down the corridor and round the corner until he arrived at his own private quarters.
Locking the door behind him, Lorne slumped over to his dresser and picked out a worn pair of sweatpants and t-shirt to wear to bed. After changing out of the BDUs, he brushed his teeth and washed his face. He stumbled out of the bathroom and turned off the lights. Collapsing into his bed, exhaustion hit him full force. It had been a long day.
Lorne settled down in his bed, snuggling into the warm covers. Taking out his earpiece he turned it to full volume and placed it on his nightstand. He prayed he wouldn't be needed until the morning.
Soon he was fast asleep.
~o~o~
"You're different from the others…"
Lorne woke with a gasp.
The Major shivered. He was wet and cold. Why was he wet? Blinking away the fogginess of sleep, Lorne looked about. He wasn't in his room. No, he was on a balcony overlooking the grand spires of Atlantis. How did he get outside?
A harsh wind whipped at his short hair, blowing rain into his face.
Lorne breathed in shakily. He glanced down at his watch. Three hours had passed. Three short hours since he had fallen asleep in his room. Panic coiled in his gut. What had happened? Was he drugged again? No, impossible. He would have remembered.
He grimaced. There was only one other explanation: he had started sleepwalking again. Lorne signed. He hadn't sleepwalked since he was ten-years-old. It stopped shortly after the death of his father.
Lorne didn't remember what he had been dreaming about. Though when sleepwalking was involved he never did. It must have been a nightmare, he deduced. Why else would he have suddenly started wandering about in his sleep again?
The Major shook his head, clearing the water from his eyes. Tears or rain, he didn't really know. Nor did it really matter.
He'd better go see Kate. He promised to visit her if he had any nightmares or flashbacks. Maybe, if he asked, she could get Jennifer to prescribe him some sleeping pills.
Moving carefully, as not to slip of the wet surface in his bare feet, Lorne exited the balcony.
Collecting his bearings, Lorne was surprised to notice that he was on the East Pier. Without using a transporter, it would have taken him at least an hour to walk to the balcony he woke up on. Violently shivering, he wrapped his arms around his wet torso and shuffled down Atlantis' long corridor. It was still late at night and the hallways were empty. At any other time Lorne would have been concerned by the lack of night patrol. But now, he didn't mind.
Eventually finding a transporter, Lorne stepped in. The wetness on his face was back. Definitely tears. Sniffing, and scrubbing at his face, he stepped out on his appointed floor. Not bothering to look around, he started to make his way back to his quarters.
Then a bang suddenly sounded behind him. Lorne quickly spun around, his hand flying to his thigh in search of this firearm. Of course, it wasn't there. Heart pounding and eyes wide, Lorne looked for the source of the noise.
"H-hello?" He winced, his voice sounded raw and breathy.
The Major waited. And, when no one responded and the noise echoed back into silence, Lorne relaxed and continued on his way. Once in his room he quickly stripped down and hopped into the shower. The warm water rolled off his back, down his legs, and curled around his toes. Grabbing a washcloth, Lorne roughly scrubbed his neck and chest, trying to wipe away any memories that tried to force their way to the surface.
Wrinkled and red skinned, the Major finally redressed himself in dry clothing. Knowing Kate wouldn't be up for several more hours, Lorne settle back into his bed.
But sleep refused to come. The blankets felt too heavy on his waist. The darkness was suffocating. The slight breeze felt like breathe on his exposed cheek. The rustle of fabric on his skin felt like wandering fingers.
So he just lay there, staring at the ceiling until the sun came up.
~o~o~
"Sleepwalking? Are you sure?"
"It hasn't happened in years, but I recognize the feeling."
"You had these problems in the past?"
"Yeah, when I was a kid."
Kate nodded, making a note on her pad. "And you don't remember your dream?"
"No," Lorne sighed. "Though it's not surprising, I could never remember anything in the past."
"Well, despite your previous history, it's interesting that you would begin sleepwalking again. Usually sleepwalking is connected to sleep deprivation, stress, depression, and anxiety," Kate examplined, "not traumatic events."
Lorne peered at her and pursed his lips. Noting his expression, the Doctor continued, "Not to say your experience on PXK-233 wasn't a factor... it's just probably not a symptom."
"If you say so."
"Now, have you been sleeping well? Or been experiencing any personal or work-related stress?"
"No, and I'm not depressed either," Lorne all but snapped.
Kate raised her eyebrows in slight apprehension. "No need to be defensive, Major."
He frowned. "I'm not defensive, just frustrated." Lorne roughly ran his hands through his hair and down his face.
The Doctor hummed, turning back to her notepad. "Now, I can have Dr. Keller prescribe you a mild sedative, possibly mixed with a muscle relaxant, to help you sleep."
"I would appreciate that, Dr. Heightmeyer."
She smiled, scratching out the medical request. "Sleeping pills can only do so much. I want you to come back if you continue sleepwalking. Sometimes medicine can aggravate an already present condition." Receiving a nod in confirmation, Kate continued, "Alright, now take this to the infirmary." She handed him a prescription form from her notepad. "Let's give it a try for three nights. If the pills don't work then we might have to try something else, including more counseling."
Lorne sighed heavily, "I understand."
"Off you go," she smiled, shooing him out of her office. "I hope I don't have to see you again for a long while."
The Major laughed. "That makes two of us!" he called over his shoulder.
Lorne swung by the control room on his way to the infirmary. He arrived just time time to see the Stargate shut down. There were no new arrivals on the platform so the Major had to assume that there had been an unscheduled check-in or that a team had just departed. Furrowing his brow in confusion, he addressed one of the Marines on guard. "Unscheduled check-in?"
"Yes, sir," the Marine responded. "Colonel Sheppard reported in and requested backup to aid in a search and rescue."
"Did he lose McKay again?"
The soldier suppressed a smirk. "No, sir. The village they were visiting was abandoned. There was no sign of Wraith activity so they needed help locating the locals."
Lorne grunted, dismayed that he wasn't notified that a team was being put together. Usually he was called to aid John and his team. But, according to regulation, he wasn't supposed to be off-world whenever John was. It was his job as second in command to stay on Atlantis and oversee the military contingent. Emergencies were the only exception.
Lorne thanked the Marine before continuing on to see Jennifer. She prescribed him the proper drugs and sent him on his way. Lorne appreciated that she didn't ask too many questions.
He was able to drop off the pill bottle in his room before he was needed to give gun lecture and training to the newest batch of recruits. While everyone carried handguns, P-90s were their weapon of choice against the Wraith. And some of the soldiers were inexperienced with using P-90s. The semi-automatic machine gun was fairly light but had a severe kick-back. When he arrived at the firing range he was pleased to see everyone was in attendance. Lieutenant Abrams, a member of his own team, just finished handing out the safety gear and assigning everyone a partner for the duration of the exercise.
Two hours later Lorne dismissed the group. He felt confident that the new soldiers were now competent enough to use the powerful weapon. After seeing all the equipment was properly stowed away, the Major swung by the labs to grab Radek for lunch. The Czech scientist gladly went with him. They made small talk during their walk to the cafeteria. Radek was happy that Rodney was off-world and not bothering him. Lorne smiled at his friend while loading his tray with some fruit and an egg-salad sandwich.
Lorne was eventually called away to respond to a small fire that broke out in the lower levels. Luckily, the flames were easily put out. A cigarette butt was found to be the source of the blaze. Someone hadn't put it out properly and it had set some dirty rags on fire.
The Major reported the incident to Elizabeth over his headset. Cigarettes were banned on Atlantis while other substances, like beer, were tightly regulated. They couldn't have their personnel incapacitated or unhealthy while the Wraith lurked about. Elizabeth speculated the likelihood of contraband entering the city, possibly with other supplies from the Daedalus. She immediately tasked Lorne to investigate the matter.
And so, for the rest of the day, Lorne poured over inventory files in his office. David was able to pull him away for a brief dinner but in no time he was back. Lorne was frustrated. All the paperwork seemed to be in order. Lorne assumed that either someone had listed contraband under different name or an individual simply had a stash from Earth that they were partaking in. After dinner Lorne decided to cover all his bases and sent a city-wide notice to all personnel, reminding them of certain banned items. He made it perfectly clear that if someone stepped forward about the fire they would not be punished.
Not a half hour later a squirrelly looking female scientist knocked on his door. Lorne didn't recognize the women, so he guessed her to be one of Rodney's newest recruits. Without so much as an introduction the scientist promptly began to apologize. She claimed ownership of the wayward cigarette. She was crying and blubbering, begging not to be sent back to Earth. Lorne was speechless. He finally collected himself and passed her a box of tissues and asked her to sit down and explain. The woman told him that she was trying to quit but she found a half smoked pack in her bag a few days ago. She meant to throw them out but Rodney got to her first. He had yelled at her for shoddy work, bringing her to tears - not an impossible, or even an uncommon, occurrence. In her stressed state she snuck out to smoke in the lower levels. The scientist claimed she she didn't mean to start a fire. In fact, she didn't even know what happened until she received Lorne's email. She couldn't express just how regretful she was.
Lorne, feeling sorry for the woman, immediately forgave her. The fire wasn't too big and had been easily put out. He promised not to sent her back on the Daedalus. Her tears of shame quickly turned into tears of joy. Lorne asked for the remaining cigarettes and the scientist promptly handed them over. Thanking him again and again, the scientist left shortly after, the tissue box tucked underneath her arm.
Mystery solved.
Glad that it was an isolated event, Lorne sent his final report to Elizabeth.
Later that evening, long after the stars had come out, the Major finally made his way back to his private quarters. He was exhausted. Quickly changing, Lorne fell into bed. He dropped his earpiece on the side table. Reaching over, he grabbed the sleeping pills he had put there earlier. Dry swallowing two, Lorne rolled over until falling into a dreamless sleep.
~o~o~
A/N: Another chapter done! As I continue to write, the chapters seem be be getting longer and longer. As such, I have started to split them up, this chapter used to be almost double in length but then I chopped it in half to make it more manageable.
As you probably noticed, I focus a lot on Lorne's everyday life on Atlantis. I really wanted to exhibit of some of his duties that he would encounter when not off-world or on missions, including some of the not-so-exciting responsibilities (such as paperwork).
I also wanted to establish a friend-base for Lorne, including characters such as Radek Zelenka, Laura Cadman, and David Parrish. It' safe to say that Lorne, a secondary character in the series, would be friends with other such secondary characters. Besides, all of these characters all have at least one interaction on screen together, particularly Radek and Lorne. It's important that Lorne have a life outside his job - he has friends, he is his own person (I don't want him to be a cliche character in my story). These characters, along with a few of my OCs, will be sprinkled throughout my whole story. I want Lost Among The Stars to not only focus on Lorne and John, but to have a more slice-of-life feel to it.
Anyway, I'll be sure to update soon! Favorite and review! XOXO