Chapter 6 – Offworld
They've been on the planet for over an hour now. Teyla and Hallin have made the introductions and the elders of the village they are meeting with today have offered them to take on a tour of their vegetables patches, fields and orchards before dinner is ready to be served later during the day. The celebration will be a way for them to show off what can be done with the food they grow and process.
They walk slowly, letting them admire the landscape, and tell them all about the different plants they grow and what they do with them as well as their agrarian techniques. Rodney makes notes on his tablet while Louise listens intently and John, who is walking right next to her, can almost see the cogs turning in her brain, a smile of content often appearing on her face as she is sampled and offered different vegetables, fruit and herbs as they walk.
"Like it here?" he asks, leaning towards her, seeing how she seems to thrive outside even though he was more than worried at first when she stepped through the gate, her uneasy look scurrying around. She nods silently. "They seem to be a decent, peaceful people. It's a nice change," he adds. He sees her glance at the P-90 he's cradled on his front with one arm while he's turning a blade of grass in the other, obviously relaxed. He laughs. "No need to worry, Ma'am, it's just standard procedure."
"Still..." she answers tentatively.
He shakes his head. "Never shot a gun in your life, uh?" She shakes her head. "You need to learn. I'm working on a protocole with Dr Weir right now. She's not very happy about it herself but she knows – given the circumstances – that all civilians on Atlantis must learn to defend themselves. See, you'll learn soon enough," he adds, winking and chuckles when he sees her look of apprehension. "Don't worry," he adds, "I'll be there every step of the way when you do."
She gives him a shy smile. "I would prefer not to," she replies.
"Not your call, Ma'am," he answers more briskly than he intended.
They are silent the rest of the way and he curses himself for not being more diplomatic. She is keeping at a safe distance from him and when they arrive and she's offered to take a look at the kitchens, scurries along, only too happy to have Dr Beckett replace him.
Carson smiles at her encouragingly as they enter a large room where the table is being laid and continue on to the back of the building and into the kitchen of gargantuan proportions that sports a majestic fireplace worthy of any major castle from the Renaissance. "He's not a violent man, our Major Sheppard, you know," he says and she knows it's connected to what John told her earlier. "He just knows that desperate situations call for desperate measures. I was like you before my first missions but you have to understand, love. Here it's a very different world than what you're probably used to."
She nods. "I guess so, Dr Beckett, but sometimes, he makes me uneasy," she confesses.
"You'll get used to him and he'll get used to you," he answers encouragingly. "And I'm Carson, by the way." She nods again but averts her eyes. These people tend to act like a close-knit family, most of the time calling each other by their first name and it makes her uncomfortable.
She's afraid they might call her stuck up but she's not used to that anymore, interracting with people but most of all, it worries her that these last few days have shattered her well-established routine of solitude. She's out of her comfort zone now and it scares her because the last thing she's wanted ever since becoming who she is now is to have a family, care for people again and then cry if she loses them and she knows they'll lose people to the Wraith and Genii and whatever other ugly thing is out there. They already have. It would be too much to take. She can't do that again.
She's borrowed Rodney's tablet and is currently trading recipes with the local cooks, taking pictures of the dishes when they're ready but also of the ingredients needed. One of the representatives for the village follows her around, making notes on the ingredients she likes or says she might need for her recipes. He listens with interest as she points out similarities between certain products and those she can find on Earth. There's that round-shaped nut that she realizes as she's offered to taste it she might be able to use to replace almonds or hazelnuts in her desserts. Many herbs ressemble the ones she knows so she asks Carson to test them. He doesn't find anything that might point to toxins so he gives his go ahead. The representative is so pleased so far with the trading that he offers to give her a sample of each herb for herself and quite a few similar medicinal plants for Beckett that they might be able to cultivate on Atlantis itself. She's very exited at the prospect of tending to her own garden. Beckett smiles at the simple pleasure she seems to be having today.
He doesn't know her but she seems to be a far cry from the person depicted by Dr Weir. She looks at ease in this foreign environment but he remembers she comes from a different country too and has already had to adapt at least twice to a new place and a new culture. He figures that helps.
She is talking animatedly with the cooks and prep cooks that are scurrying around to have dinner ready on time.
Another representative approaches him and asks him about the medical improvements he could bring them. When he lifts his head a minute later, she's disappeared from his line of vision. He apologizes for the interruption and leaves the room but all he can see is people strolling in the city square on one side and fields of what ressembles corn on the other. He panics and calls Sheppard on his radio. "Sheppard, come in."
"Major, I'm sorry, I think I've lost her," he says hurriedly.
"Where are you?" Sheppard barks in his radio.
He cringes. "Still at the banquet hall."
"Will be right there. Sheppard out." John is standing on the other side of the village with Hallin, talking to a group of people. He leaves Hallin and runs to the city square, calling Teyla and Ford to join him there asap. Beckett is apologetic to say the least but Sheppard doesn't mince his words. Didn't Elizabeth specify to never let her out of their sight? Then again, he curses himself for not double-checking every few minutes and leaving Beckett in charge of her.
"Have you tried her radio?" Ford asks, remaining cooler than his boss but then again, it's not him who'll get his ass kicked by a certain Doctor if they get back to Atlantis without the chef. He sees the scowl on Sheppard's face. "Never mind," he apologizes. "Stupid idea."
Sheppard lifts his radio from his pocket, not bothering to reply. "Ms Léger, this is Sheppard, please respond." The radio only receives static. He growls and Beckett cringes again. "Louise, damn it, it's John, if you hear me, can you damn answer that. We're worried sick here," he yells in his radio.
"Louise here. Sorry Major, I didn't know how to turn it on," she finally replies sheepishly after what seems like an eternity.
He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Everyone sighs around him. "Sweetie," he answers more sedately, trying to atone for his previous anger flare. "Where are you?"
"I walked to the orchard with the village representative to show him what fruit we'd be interested in... I'll walk back towards you."
"Don't you move. I'll be right there. Sheppard out." He turns to the others. "Stay here. I'll be right back. Ford, with me." They walk briskly to the edge of the village. Sheppard is still fuming when they see them from afar.
"Sir, doesn't it look like he's trying to chat her up," Ford fumbles for words, embarrassed. The man has picked a flower from one of the trees and is pushing it behind her ear. She is looking everywhere but at him and is shuffling her feet uneasily.
John goes ballistic. "Hey, you, over there! Get your hands off her," he orders, grabbing his P-90.
"Sir, that won't be necessary, I think," Ford says as his commander takes it into a run. "I think she's OK."
They reach them a few seconds later and John puts himself between her and the man who looks at him in alarm. "I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't know she was spoken for. You didn't seem to be together when you arrived through the portal. I didn't mean any harm," he apologizes.
"No, no, he's not with me," she starts saying but John turns to her and frowns, making it clear she should shut up. She does and looks at her feet. Of all the things that could have happened, being caught by Atlantis' 2IC in a position that might suggest she'd had an inappropriate behavior! She's mortified.
"What the lady means is that she isn't yet but will soon be. Same, same, see?" Sheppard replies, silently begging her to play along. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to head back to the village for the banquet." He nods curtly, along with Ford and they walk away with her, each man on one side.
"Did he touch you?" John can't help asking, "I mean apart from the whole flower in the hair thing," he adds, sneering.
She blushes. "No, Sir. He just..." She fumbles for words.
"Tried to woo you?" Ford suggests, trying very hard not to snigger but failing poorly.
Sheppard glares at him. "Did he, Louise? Or was there more?" he growls.
She shakes her head. He sighs in relief then turns to Ford: "Get your butt to the village. We'll join you shortly."
Ford knows he needs to have a private conversation with Louise. She's mortified enough as it is, no need for someone she doesn't know yet to hear it when she's going to get a licking because she is, for sure, knowing his boss. He nods and squeezes her hand gently. "I'm glad you're safe," he simply says before jogging to the village.
She stops and looks up at John. "You're going to bawl me out, aren't you?" she says in a small voice.
"Yes, I was, but there's no point if you punish yourself by looking so miserable. Look, I agree with Aiden. I'm relieved nothing bad happened to you but you can't be so fickle with your own safety again. From now on, you will not leave my side until we return to Atlantis. Understood?"
She can hear he's trying to keep calm for her own sake. "I'm sorry," she says, "and I'm sorry too you had to pretend to be my fiancé," she adds, shamefaced.
"Yeah, about that... I wouldn't like to have to write it in my report so I know Aiden will mum the word and I'd appreciate if you did too," he asks.
"No problem, Major. I'm not very proud of myself here so I wouldn't mind not having it mentioned either," she agrees. They walk in silence for a minute then she adds: "I don't think Dr Weir would like to hear about it either..."
He tilts his head, pondering his answer. "About you and me? No, she won't mind. The rules of non-fraternization do not apply to military and civilians, only to military."
"That's not what I mean, Major," she says, uncomfortable. "I didn't mean we could because we won't. Tell me if I'm wrong but neither you nor I would ever look at each other that way, right? I only meant these rules you're talking about, they don't apply to you and her either and I already told Rodney calling you Kirk could be hurtful to more than you but I'm afraid he never listens."
She sees him startle but he chooses to ignore her remark and go for his usual playful part. "So, as I gather, I might have made a mistake when I stopped that impromptu courting earlier..." he teases her.
She looks horrified. "Hell, no, Major. I'm sure glad you intervened when you did. If I had known he had ulterior motives, I would never have agreed to come with him."
"Only my point of view, of course, but he is not bad-looking if I recall properly," he teases her, finding the occasion too good not to try and know a little more about her.
"He's not," she replies. "I would be lying if I told you the contrary. I'm sure he won't have any problem finding his match."
"So you're spoken for," he concludes, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
She shakes her head, her eyes suddenly lost in the distance. "No Sir and neither do I wish to be, ever," she adds as they reach the village square.
As they have dinner that night with the village elders, John notices she does not take part in the conversation so easily as when she arrived. It seems she is galaxies away, not paying attention to the food she pushes around on her plate. Hallin remarks it to John, leaning towards him: "She is worried," he says.
John shakes his head. "More like sad, waddling in her pain, but trying hard not to show it," he replies, seeing her answer a question asked by one of the elders. Rodney is on his other side. "Did Louise ever share anything private with you? She hints at things but never opens up. It's frustrating."
Rodney sniggers. "Well, you're one to talk, Mr I scurry along every time someone talks about my past! You and her are two peas in a pod when it comes to that. And no, indeed, she never said anything and I never asked. I let her talk about what makes her happy, not push her to reminisce about what makes her sad," he points out wickedly.
"And what makes her happy, Rodney?" John teases him but already knows the answer.
"Hey, Léger," he calls her from the other side of the table. "Have you found any interesting new food you might want to experiment on?"
She looks surprised first but then the subject is too tempting. "Fruit that ressemble apples, Sir. I think we could bake them."
"...make apple pie," Rodney adds, grinning.
"...apple sauce," Beckett says, smiling.
"...apple crumble," Ford replies.
She smiles wistfully. "Ah yes, I poach the apples slices in a sweet, caramelized syrup. It's delicious," she tells her neighbor, the leader of the village.
His eyes twinkle. "It sounds enticing. Surely, my dear, it's plain obvious both our nations can benefit from this trading negociation."
"And us, too, Sir," Ford adds. "I didn't think we had a cordon bleu on our expedition. Now I do, Ma'am," he warns her, "I'm never gonna leave your kitchen."
TBC