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: Sorry for the delay in posting. Although I have finished writing the next four chapters or so of this story, I haven't been able to sit down and edit it. I've been swamped over the past few weeks moving and interviewing for a new job. So expect these last few chapters of this story to be a little more spread out.
That being said, I received a few reviews about the subplot that has begun to develop. Some readers do not like the slow pace I am taking for the Sheppard/Lorne romance. These things do not happen overnight. Someone does not act on repressed feelings and self-doubt during some passing moment. John and Lorne have complicated pasts - points I have focused on to expand their characterization - and they must overcome their personal obstacles before they can be with someone else. SIDE COMMENT: I purposely said that there would be "Eventual Sheppard/Lorne" in the summary (that implies slowburn).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
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 lunchtime but the cafeteria was empty.
The monthly city-wide briefing was taking place. Sam always scheduled it during the usual break times so everyone could attend. Due to the size of the Atlantis expedition, Sam addressed everyone over the PA system before each department head, or their seconds, organized a separate meeting. Individual departments gave personalized briefings to establish cohesion and to ensure there was no miscommunication among the ranks about assignments. However, there were several new IOA protocols that needed to be covered, so combined with the increase in Wraith activity, the usual hour long briefings tripled in length.
Save for a few random maintenance personnel scattered about the room, the only group of people that remained in the cafeteria were the senior staff members who were excused from the meetings. John and Rodney, in particular, dumped their briefings on Lorne and Radek respectively. Teyla and Ronon also did not have to attend because they were not residents of Earth.
John smiled to himself, looking over his team. It was nice to have a quiet lunch for a change. Rodney and Ronon took advantage of the lack of line and grabbed all their favorite foods, piling their trays dangerously high. Teyla was doing her weekly cleanse so she only snacked on some Athosian fruits while John simply opted for a turkey sandwich and a cup of green jello.
"A dimensionless physical constant?" Rodney snorted as he devoured a plate of pasta. "You know that it's considered unsolvable."
John shrugged, lazily picking a tomato out of his sandwich. "Well, certainly people who have failed to solve it think that."
"We aren't even talking about whatever that is…" Ronon grumbled.
"Its simple really," Rodney claimed, "At the present time, the values of the dimensionless physical constants cannot be calculated. They are determined only by physical measurement. It has no units attached! But it has a numerical value that is independent of the system of units used. Perhaps the best-known example is the fine-structure constant-"
"McKay," Ronon interrupted, "I don't care." The scientist shot him a dark glare before snatching Ronon's chocolate cake from his tray. "Hey!" the Satedan barked. Rodney stuck out his tongue at Ronon before scooping up a forkful of cake and shoveling it into his mouth.
Teyla wrinkled her nose in disgust.
The Satedan warrior reached across the table and tried to reclaim his dessert. But Rodney was too fast. He pulled the rest of the chocolate cake close to his chest while eating it as fast as he could. Seeing that he wouldn't be able to get his cake back, Ronon grabbed Rodney by the throat. With the scientist in a headlock, Ronon tried to heave him over the table. In doing so, the two men's trays were pushed aside and toppled onto the floor. Rodney squealed as food and wrappers spilled across the ground.
"Guys!" John shouted, forcing himself between the grappling duo. "Guys! Calm down!"
It took a minute but Ronon finally released the floundering scientist.
"Rodney, you should know better than to steal Ronon's food," the Colonel scolded, shaking a finger at his teammate. "And Ronon, no fighting outside the gym. Now, clean up this mess," John ordered, pointing at the spilled trays. Rodney opened his mouth to protest but John folded his arms over his chest. "Now!"
The two men silently went to work on the floor. While they cleaned John sat back down and raised his eyebrows at Teyla in exasperation. She just smiled sweetly in response.
"What's all this?" Jennifer asked as she approached the table with her own tray of food.
"Just a little accident," Teyla replied. The Athosian slide her chair to the side to make room for the Doctor at the table. "Come, sit next to me, Dr. Keller."
"Thank you, Teyla."
"Finished with your briefing already?" John questioned, glancing at his watch.
"Yes," Jennifer said. "And I didn't have to palm off my duties to my subordinates."
"I was busy!" John argued.
"Yeah," Rodney scoffed, "busy playing golf. At least I did work."
"Hey, my swing has suffered over the past few months," the Colonel asserted. "I needed to practice. And what did you do anyway? Try to decipher the unsolvable dimensionless physical constant?"
Rodney started to respond but the Doctor beat him to it. "Anyway," Jennifer stressed, "I finished early because the medical teams review their safety protocols weekly to prepare for emergencies. Our turnover is quadruple the amount of any other department. Here, on Atlantis, injuries abound."
Still frowning at Rodney, John shrugged and hummed, "That makes sense."
The group settled into a comfortable silence. Rodney and Ronon moved the dirty trays back to the kitchen before getting a second helping of dessert. Slowly other personnel trickled into the cafeteria. It seemed several of the departments were also being released from their meetings. Radek eventually joined the group. He threw Rodney a quick glare before settling into a conversation with Jennifer and Teyla. Meanwhile Ronon and John got to talking about guerilla military strategy but, as more and more Marines filtered into the room, the Colonel kept his eye on the door, waiting for Lorne to appear.
John knew he had been hard on his second in command over the past few weeks. He increased Lorne's workload in hopes that by keeping the Major busy he could prevent the soldier from hanging out with Dr. Grace Richards. He didn't like how much time the two former lovers were spending together. John knew his actions were petty - ruled by jealousy - but he couldn't help it. His feelings for the Major kept interfering with his work. John felt the need to protect Lorne by hiding him away. And, as much as he tried to prevent it, the Major kept getting in the line of fire. The crystalline nightmare creature being the most recent event.
"Oh, Rodney, I have this for you."
Rodney finished a spoonful of jello and looked over at the Czech scientist who addressed him. "What?"
Radek held out a sealed envelope. "Someone left this for you. I found it in my workspace this morning."
"Really?" Rodney reached across the table to snatch the letter out of Radek's proffered palm. "I wonder what it could be?" Everyone turned to watch as the balding scientist greedily ripped open the envelope and remove a pink slip of paper. As Rodney quickly read the letter his cheeks broke out into a blush and the tips of his ears reddened. "Well, um, this is… where did you say you found this?"
"My desk, why? What is it?"
Before Rodney could respond, Ronon stole the piece of paper right out of the scientist's weak grip. The Satedan read the first few lines silently before chortling. "It's a love letter," he gleefully told the group.
"What? No way!" John exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat to take a look.
"A very forward one at that," Ronon commented.
Rodney ripped the letter from the Satedan's hand and held it tightly to his chest. "Do you mind?" he nearly shouted. "That's private!"
"I wonder who wrote it?" Telya pondered aloud. "Is it signed?
Rodney shook his head.
Jennifer tapped her chin thoughtfully and asked, "Do you recognize the handwriting?"
"No," the balding scientist pursed his lips. "But I intend to find out who wrote it."
"Come on," John said, casually leaning back in his chair. "Why ruin the mystery? Maybe if you don't pursue it you'll get another one. Play hard to get."
"I know what I'm doing," Rodney sniffed. "This isn't the first love letter I ever received, you know. When I published my first article in the International Journal of Modern Physics, I was invited to spend the weekend at a bed and breakfast in Cambridge."
"Did you go?" Jennifer asked, curious.
"Ah, I was fourteen…" Rodney grumbled, "My mother had to break the news to a very embarrassed female professor at MIT."
John burst out laughing. He slapped his knee, nearly falling out of his chair in the process.
"It's not funny!" Rodney cried.
"No, it really is," the Colonel gasped between sniggers. "The mental image alone is priceless."
Rodney turned to the rest of the group. "Hey, guys, back me up."
"The story is quite humorous," Teyla grinned.
"Yeah," Ronon said. "I would pay good money to read that letter."
Rodney huffed and, taking on last look at the pink love letter, he shoved it in his pocket. Out of sight, out of mind. Most of the group settled down and continued on with their lunch, but John and Ronon were a completely different story. They continued to make a few more barbs at the scientist's expense.
The friends' discussion was eventually lost in the swell of noise that accompanied lunchtime.
~o~o~
Lorne was in a foul mood. He didn't sleep very well and had to skip breakfast to attend to a fist fight that had broken out in the locker rooms. On top of it all, the Colonel had pulled rank and charged Lorne with leading the monthly briefing with the soldiers. He barely had an hour to review the binder full of new protocols and military strategies before rushing to the West Pier. The pier was the best place to address all the soldiers at once. There were several hundred of them after all. In his hurry, he forgot to grab a megaphone. As such, he almost completely lost his voice trying to yell over the wind in an attempt to be heard by everyone in attendance.
And so, three hours later, he finally found himself in the cafeteria; tired, hungry, and hoarse.
Grabbing a sandwich and a fruit cup, the Major quickly spotted Radek sitting at a table in the far corner of the room. As he approached the table he noticed that several of his other friends were enjoying lunch there too. He smiled weakly at the Czech scientist before plopping down next to his two female friends. Rodney, Ronon, and John offered him no salutation - they were too engrossed in some conversation about a letter - while Teyla and Jennifer greeted him warmly.
"How was your meeting, Major Lorne?" Teyla inquired.
"Long," the Major sighed, his voice cracking slightly.
"Are you getting sick?" Jennifer asked, squinting at him in concern.
"No, doc. I've just been doing a little too much yelling recently."
"Well, give the Marines a break," she advised. "Your vocal chords will thank you."
"I'll keep that in mind." Lorne picked up his sandwich and glanced over at his other friends. "So, did I miss anything important?"
"Rodney got a love letter," Radek deadpanned.
Lorne peered over his lunch. "Really? Who from?"
"We don't know," Jennifer commented. "But he plans to find out."
"Why bother?" the Major voiced, shrugging his shoulders, "Sometimes the mystery is more exciting than the actual admirer."
"Funny," the Doctor dryly commented, "Colonel Sheppard said the same thing."
Lorne took a bite of his sandwich and raised an eyebrow. Off to the side he heard the topic of conversation change from the clandestine letter to the incompetency of scientists - a personal favorite topic of Rodney. After all, the grumpy scientist had made complaining an art form. Ignoring John and Ronon's exasperated sigh, and Rodney's high pitched griping, Lorne turned to Teyla and asked, "How are the Athosians? I know you visited them recently."
Teyla smiled, she was always happy to talk about her people. "They are doing quite well," she told them. "Dr. Keller was kind enough to do free exams for the children. They, of course, enjoyed her lollipops."
Lorne smirked. "I'm assuming that's why I had a request form for more candy on my desk yesterday."
"I am in short supply," Jennifer defended, "and I need more."
"It was marked 'urgent'."
"It is! I am only as popular as my lollipops."
"Somehow I doubt that," the Major commented, hinting at the Doctor's excellent bedside manner. Jennifer was well-known for her reassurance and relaxing disposition. She only really yelled or threatened Rodney, John, and few other patients who actively downplayed their injuries or tried to leave the infirmary before being dismissed by the Doctor.
"Well," Radek interrupted, "I heard that Dr. Richards expressed some interest in meeting the Athosians, to learn more about their language."
While Lorne wasn't necessarily surprised with the request, he still inquired, "Really?"
"Yes," the Athosian warrior smiled, recalling her own conversation with the linguist about the same subject. "Perhaps you may both join me on your next free day?
"Maybe," Lorne nodded. He did enjoy playing with the children. They reminded him of his two nephews, his sister's sons. "I'll talk to Grace about it."
"Please do," Teyla said. "She is becoming a good friend."
"She always had a way with people. And, I suppose, being a linguist doesn't hurt."
Radek opened his mouth to comment but stopped when John's voice suddenly rose above the clamor of the cafeteria. Startled, Lorne and the others turned to hear the end of the Colonel's statement.
"...I was there, Rodney." John frowned in disapproval. "You stood up and called him an 'un-evolved, birdbrained dumbass' in front of a room full of people."
"Well, no. Now, you're exaggerating. That room could not have been more than half full. Besides, he wasn't even a scientist, he was geologist," Rodney snorted dismissively, "I mean, who would want to study rocks for a living? Talk about boring."
Lorne frowned, offended that Rodney thought his major in college wasn't considered a hard science. "I did." Everyone turned to look at him. "I'm a mining engineer," he clarified.
"No way," Jennifer gasped, clearly shocked.
Rodney just pursed his lips. "Please," he scoffed and rolled his eyes, "You're an Air Force Major, why on Earth would get a degree in geology, the study of the ground?"
"A doctorate actually," Lorne smirked.
It was true. After high school, Lorne went to the College of Science and Engineering at the San Francisco State University in his hometown. He labored, working two jobs, to complete his geology degree. Lorne loved the classes, especially when he worked with remote sensing and modeling software to determine ground density and mineral detection. And, after four years of hard work, Lorne graduated at the top of his class. He had plans to enter the master's program for additional study in mining and the mining industry, but fate intervened. One of his boyfriends at the time had just earned his first set of wings in the Air Force. In celebration, he rented a small plane and took Lorne on a private flight. It was the first time Lorne had ever flown. He saw the Earth from an entirely new perspective - as a wondrous rock floating in space. He fell in love.
Lorne immediately joined the Air Force. The military kindly paid for his graduate degree in engineering while he went through the AFROTC training program. As he moved up in the ranks, and went to war for the United States of America in the Middle East, Lorne was recommended to join the Stargate Program. Shortly after entering the SGC he was promoted to Major. He was charged with base security. It was then - in a side comment much like the one that started the current conversation - that Colonel Martin Edwards became aware of Lorne's advanced engineering degree.
Lorne was reassigned to a 'gate team and joined the survey operation on P3X-403. There was a significant amount of Naquadah deposits that could be mined to meet the Pentagon's demand; they had plans to produce BC-303s and battle cruisers for the Earth fleet.
It was Lorne's first time off-world. It was amazing. He was able to put his schooling to work while exploring the universe, something he had wanted to do once he learned about the SCG's existence. Then there was an incident. A geological surveyor, Lieutenant Ritter, went missing. SG-1 was immediately called in. Dr. Daniel Jackson discovered that Unas - an alien race that was first host to the Goa'uld - lived on the planet. It turned out that Lorne's team had been mining on sacred ground and the Unas had retaliated, killing Ritter. But, thanks to the quick thinking of Daniel Jackson and Colonel Jack O'Neil, an all-out war was averted. Negotiations were established and the Unas volunteered to mine the Naquadah and send it to Earth in return for much needed food supplies.
Lorne was assigned to liaison between the Unas and the SGC. It was then that he discovered his linguistic prowess, effortlessly learning most of the Unas' language. He gained much respect for the alien race. They were a primitive tribal society held together in close knit community led by an alpha male, Kor Asek. After a few months Kor Asek formally accepted Lorne into his tribe, giving him special privileges among the Unas.
A year later, when the mining operation was finally finished, Lorne was gifted a necklace from the Unas. It was mainly ritualistic, used to prevent the Goa'uld from taking the Unas as hosts. But, as Daniel later explained, the necklace was a final testament of the tribe. They fully recognized Lorne as one of their own. In return, Lorne had gifted Kor Asek and his tribe with a generous amount of chocolate. The Unas happily accepted; they enjoyed the candy's sweet taste.
When Lorne returned from P3X-403 for the final time, necklace in hand, he was assigned to lead a secondary 'gate team, SG-11. His team continued their work with Naquadah. The rare, super-dense mineral was an important commodity in the fight against the Goa'uld. SG-11 was tasked to search for and trade Naquadah across the universe. Lorne, in particular, was charged with checking the purity of each deposit. It usually needed his seal of approval before the SGC would send a team to the mining site. It was dangerous work. Naquadah stores were highly sought after, due to their value. It wasn't uncommon for groups to fight for control over the mineral deposits.
Thanks to his good work, Lorne was awarded an honorary doctorate in mining engineering and geology. His field work easily substituted for all the necessary requirements. And while he couldn't really use his doctorate outside of the Stargate program, mostly due to the fact his work was extremely classified, he received all the official documentation: a diploma and a letter signed by the President.
It was a good life for Lorne. He was leading his own team and, because of his doctorate, he was an authority on Naquadah at the SGC. His authority even surpassed some of the actually doctors and experts working for the Stargate Program. Due to his field experience and position in the Air Force, he was usually the first person called upon to test the rare mineral on site.
But then the SGC finally got word from the Atlantis expedition months after their original departure. Lorne, like all the other soldiers, was tested for the ATA gene. Surprisingly he was natural gene holder, scoring very high in all the trials. And, in no time at all, he was shipped off to Atlantis to aid in the fight against the Wraith. He joined Colonel Dillon Everett to defend the city as it was currently under siege. The defense of Atlantis was crucial, the soldiers had to hold the Wraith at bay until the Daedalus could arrive with an extra ZPM for the city's failed shields.
After the battle, Lorne remained in the Pegasus galaxy. Colonel Everett had been attacked by a Wraith, barely surviving, and most of the senior staff had left to report about the success of the Atlantis expedition to the SGC and IOA. Therefore, because Lorne was the highest ranking soldier remaining on Atlantis, he was temporarily giving command over the city's protection until the senior staff returned from Earth.
When Dr. Elizabeth Weir and the others returned to Atlantis on the Daedalus several weeks later, the Major was introduced to his new boss, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. The newly promoted Colonel immediately informed Lorne that he had been hand selected to become the new second in command of Atlantis' military contingency.
With a new job and new responsibilities, Lorne no longer needed to utilize his geology degree. Atlantis needed a soldier, not a mining engineer. The Major didn't even know if Naquadah existed in the Pegasus galaxy. On all his off-world missions he never came across any type of stone that closely resembled the dense, conductive properties of the rare mineral. Lorne fell back into his role as a soldier with little effort. And while he missed the work, Lorne's doctorate simply became a source of pride as opposed to a testament to his authority.
"You're a doctor?" Radek squawked, drawing Lorne out of his musings.
The Major nodded while Rodney laughed. Smug bastard. "Tell me, McKay, how many times where you saved by a Naquadah generator? Or an earth-class battleship?" Lorne inquired through clenched teeth, his previous good mood completely gone.
The scientist looked annoyed. "I don't know, a few times I guess."
Lorne knew it was more than a few times. His temper flared. He could usually handle Rodney's arrogance but he wasn't having it today. He was tired and sore and ready to bite off someone's head. "Good," he sneered. "Most of the material was mined by my team while at the SGC. And I'm sure if you looked closely enough at their seal of approval, you'll see my signature. Now, before you go about belittling someone's livelihood, you should consider just how much their job affects your comfortable, pathetic life."
Not waiting to hear the scientist's rebuttal, Lorne stood up and stalked away from the table, completely abandoning the rest of his meal. He made it to the hallway unhindered before he heard the clomp of booted feet rush behind him.
"Lorne!"
It was John.
The Major ignored him. He continued to stomp down the hall. People quickly parted before him, desperate to get out of the way of the fuming soldier.
A warm hand snagged his shoulder and spun him around. "Lorne!"
"WHAT!" the Major shouted in John's face. The Colonel looked startled, his eyes widened and his face paled. Immediately Lorne regretted snapping at him. So, in an attempt to reign in his temper, he quietly asked, "What is it, sir?"
"I, uh," John stuttered, clearly taken aback by the Major's abrupt outburst. Shaking his head slightly, he dropped his hand from Lorne's shoulder. "I wanted to apologize."
"What for?"
John's brow furrowed in confusion. "For McKay."
Lorne scoffed and, turning back around, continued down the hall. "He should apologize himself," he said over his shoulder. "I worked hard to get my degree, and while I'm not a genius, I'm not stupid either."
"No one said you were," John spoke, jogging to keep up with Lorne's fast pace.
The Major rolled his eyes. "Are you sure you were even listening to same conversation as me?"
John bit his lip. "Well, yeah… But Rodney wasn't really-"
"Please don't make excuses for him, sir."
"I wasn't-" the Colonel started to say. He stopped, however, when he saw the pinched expression on Lorne's face. Scratching the back of his head shyly, John tried again, "Yeah, well, you're right. Rodney should apologize himself." And holding up his hands in the universal sign of surrender, he continued, "And not to make excuses, but Rodney sometimes forgets that we're all on Atlantis for one reason or another. The SGC doesn't hire idiots. Jerks and assholes, sure. But not idiots."
Lorne's lip twitched.
The Colonel persisted. "I just hope that the opinion of one man doesn't make you think that everyone thinks the same. I sure as hell don't! And I'm sure anyone else at that table would say the same."
The two soldiers paused outside one of the transporters at the end of the hallway. Turning to peer at John, Lorne couldn't help but notice a seemingly familiar sight. It was that look of love. The one that Lorne had continuously seen over the past few weeks. John's eyebrows were arched, lacking their usual tension. His lips were slightly parted, allowing his words to have a breathy quality when he talked. His cheeks were rosy, giving off the illusion that he was blushing. His face was open, a litany of emotions flitting across the visage. His eyes shone, as if they were looking upon the hidden wonders of the universe.
Lorne blinked slowly. Nope, the look was still there. "I know, sir," he honestly replied.
There was a pause before a grin began to creep onto John's face. "So, a doctorate, huh?" he asked, raising one of his eyebrows.
Lorne felt his chest swell with pride. "Yes, sir!"
"So what's your official title? Major Doctor or Doctor Major?"
"I don't know," Lorne shrugged. "I usually just responded to Kor 'Uman back at the SGC," he said, referring to the honorary title he received while working with the Unas.
"Kor 'Uman? What does that mean?"
While it literally meant 'metal human' in the language of the Unas, Lorne decided to give the more liberal translation used by some of his former teammates on SG-11. "Roughly translated, it means Iron Man."
John threw back his head and laughed. "Iron Man! HA!" He shook his head in disbelief. "I'll have to use that sometime," he chortled. "You're a regular superhero, huh Lorne?"
The Major smiled. "If you say so, sir."
"Why not? You're always saving my ass."
"Well, when you put it that way…"
"Honestly, I can't count the amount of times you've appeared at the last moment to save the day. Running into danger. Bullets ringing through the haze," the Colonel praised while miming the action of firing a P-90, "descending into battle like an avenging angel."
Lorne raised an eyebrow. No one had ever referred to him as an angel before. "How very poetic, sir."
"What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic."
"Hopeless, maybe. But definitely not romantic."
"Hey! I can be romantic."
The Major rolled his eyes. "Yeah, as romantic as a bull in heat."
John gasped, placing a hand over his heart. "I take offense to that."
"Uh huh," Lorne yawned before he could stop himself.
"Am I boring you, Major?"
"I've just had a really long day."
"Well, take the rest of the day for yourself," John said dismissively. "I'm sure Sam will approve it. You haven't had a day off in a while anyhow, you deserve it."
"Thank you, sir."
"No problem, Lorne."
Just then the transporter hissed open and let out several scientists. Taking that as his cue to leave, Lorne hopped in. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow, sir?"
The Colonel broke out into a huge grin, teeth and all. "Count on it!" he laughed. "Take care," John waved before turning back toward the cafeteria.
The door finally closed and the transported whisked Lorne away to the other side of Atlantis.
~o~o~
A/N: Another chapter finished. This one took a while to edit because I kept adding onto the dialogue. I have always loved the playful banter between John and Rodney. It's so much fun to write. Thier chemistry is very evident throughout the Stargate: Atlantis series as a testament to their friendship.
Also, I enjoyed expanding on more of Lorne's background - both before and during his time at the Stargate Command. I obviously combined some canonical fact (Lorne meeting the Unas) with some of my own creation (Lorne's doctorate and his reasons for joining the Air Force, et cetera). While it is a fairly short exposition into the motivation behind the man, I hoped to demonstrate that Lorne was not just another mindless soldier following orders. He is smart and competent and creative.
Oh, who do you think wrote that risqué love letter? While Rodney ever find out? Was it serious or just a prank? I guess we'll find out next time. Until then, have an awesome week!
Review, review, review.
(EDIT: my idea for making Lorne a mining engineer came from Ayama-chi 4's story Crossing The Line. Although in my story I elevated him to doctorate level.)