Bridge Over Troubled Water11
John sat on the bed. He was in Moira's room. Waiting. He checked his watch. It was getting late and he wondered where the hell she was. He had last seen her in the cafeteria, having dinner with Evan and Carson, their talk convivial and about everyday things. The men were easing her back into a normal routine, with ordinary concerns and ordinary conversation. Glossing over their reactions to her report, the stunning tale of survival and struggle now that she was back among them.
John still had questions.
He looked round room. It was cast into shadows and he leaned to turn on the lights. He liked the bed. It was bigger than his, softer, longer and he couldn't wait to have sex with her on this bed. Or the table. Or against the wall again. He smirked, considering his options.
Hearing voices he moved to his feet. Scowled, hearing a man's voice, then Moira's gentle laughter. He stalked to the door and stood, listening.
Moira laughed. "No way, Evan! No way! I don't believe you!"
"It's true, I swear!" Evan insisted, hand over his heart. "I am not kidding here, Moira not at all! They had fangs, I swear! Long fangs just like a vampire!"
Moira laughed again. "Come on! You really discovered vampire rabbits on the mainland?"
"Yes!" But he smiled, blue eyes twinkling as he stepped closer to her. "They had long fangs like vampires! Is there some kind of prehistoric vampire rodent?"
"No! And rabbits are not rodents, they are lagomorphs," she corrected, laughing at the pained expression on his face. "They have two sets of incisor teeth, one behind the other which is different from rodents which have—"
"Okay, okay, I surrender, doctor!" Evan laughed. "But I am telling you, Moira, these bunnies had fangs! Nasty big pointy teeth!" he said in a Scottish accent, quoting Monty Python and the Holy Grail. They laughed.
"Prove it, major! When I get rid of this cast take me to the mainland and we'll just see about this wild story of yours!"
"We will, doctor! And then you'll see I wasn't exaggerating."
Moira smiled. "I should get to bed. It's been a long day. Thank you, Evan."
Evan touched her arm. "Yes, it has. Moira, if you need to talk about it, you know. I know how hard that was for you. You were very professional, very calm." He glanced at the camcorder in her hand. "If you need me, Moira, I'm here."
"I know. Thank you, Evan. You are a good friend."
He stepped closer. He touched the scratches on her cheek. "You can trust me, Moira. With anything. You know that, right?"
Moira stared, uncomfortable. She stepped back and bumped her door. "Yes, I know, Evan. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Moira." He moved to brush his lips across hers. He smiled at her surprise. "You have no idea how glad I am that you are back here, safe and sound. Goodnight."
Moira gulped, staring after him as he walked up the hallway. She blushed, completely thrown by the sudden romantic interest Evan was exhibiting towards her. She turned and opened her door. She limped into the room, shut the door and froze. Two things caught her eye at almost the same time.
There was a vase of scarlet roses on the table.
John Sheppard was sitting on her bed, as if he had just moved there away from the door.
John was scowling at her. "Well? You didn't invite him in after your, what, your date? Did he kiss you? And you didn't invite him in after that?" He moved to his feet. "Did he kiss you?"
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" she snapped, grabbing onto the anger first.
He smiled. "What do you think?"
"Get out!"
"Not yet. So…answer my question! Did he?"
"What do you care, colonel? What are you doing here? Oh, let me guess…the roses? Were you planning on using my room for another conquest? Too bad, sweetie, I'm back now so you can take your roses and your libido and whatever woman you are expecting and get the hell out!"
John smiled. "The roses are for you, baby. And the only woman I am expecting was you. As for my libido, well, you are so fucking hot when you are pissed, baby." He moved to her, quick strides reaching her before she could move or react. He took the camcorder and set it on the table next to the roses. He turned to see her staring warily. "I have questions."
"About?" she asked. She limped to the bed and sat as her foot began to ache. She propped the crutch against the wall.
John stepped to her and sat next to her. His thigh pressed hers. "I want the unexpurgated version."
"Huh?" she asked, meeting his gaze but he was quite, quite serious now.
"You heard. I want the truth, Moira. The unvarnished, unedited truth. What aren't you telling us?"
"Everything is in the report."
"Bullshit."
Moira glared at him. "What do you want from me, John? I told you everything!"
"Bullshit," he repeated mildly.
"Will you just go away, colonel? My foot hurts and I am tired and I just want to go to bed."
"We will, baby, but first I need answers."
"We? What the hell is this, John? You—"
"What aren't you telling me, Moira? About the sub-Wraith. What did they want with you anyway? Since they didn't kill you right away they must have wanted you for something. And this smilidon cat came along at just the right time to rescue you?"
She squirmed under his scrutiny. "Yes!"
"Bullshit."
She sighed. Stood awkwardly and limped to the table. She breathed in the scent of the red, red roses. Curious as to why he would give her roses when he hadn't tendered an apology. Instead he was interrogating her. He had seen through her words when no one else had. "You really want to know?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because the only way to get past this is to talk about it. To tell me. Me. No one else. And I won't tell a soul. Moira?"
She was staring at the roses, feeling tears. She wanted to believe him. She wanted him to be like the man on the camcorder but she had to keep reminding herself he wasn't. Wasn't he? She shook her head. "You don't want to know, John. You may think you know me, but you don't. You really don't."
"Then let me get to know you, Moira. You don't really know me either, but we will correct that. I need to know what you aren't telling me. What you aren't telling anyone. Come here." He patted the bed but her back was to him. "Moira, please. Come here."
She turned. She limped to the bed, sat near him. He scooted so his thigh was pressed to hers again. She studied him, uncertain. He touched her cheek, the scratches on her face. His touch as gentle as Evan's, yet it created a completely different reaction in her. He leaned close and kissed her. A gentle kiss. It was a loving kiss as he ran his fingers through her hair and tilted her head to guide her mouth for a more passionate embrace. Her hands slid along his arms, up to his shoulders as he drew her closer, closer.
She drew back suddenly, brown eyes wide. "John?"
"I'm sorry, Moira. I didn't mean to hurt you, but you…I…I'm not good at this kind of thing. Emotions. Tiptoeing around what we both want, we both feel. But I do need to know what you aren't saying, because I think it's important. For you and for me and maybe for the whole mission out here, I don't know."
"You, you mean my theories about the origin of the Wraith?" she asked softly, enchanted by his soft kisses, caresses. His warmth and the sincerity sparkling in his green, green eyes were captivating. Even his clumsy admission of not being good at this sort of thing was.
"Yes, that too. Why didn't they kill you outright, like they did Bath?" he asked gently.
Moira swallowed. She looked at her cast as her hands slid down his arms to his hands. His fingers closed over hers. Comforting. Warm. Giving her something to hold onto. Someone. "Because they, they needed me."
"Needed you? For what?"
"For, for the propagation of the species. For breeding." She glanced at him. He was staring at her, alarm on his handsome face. "Not like that! I mean…they…they were trying to, um, to insert their eggs into my foot, like an incubator, and were inflicting other scratches, rips on me to put more in…but I fought. I knew. Once the eggs were in me they would have to be, um, fertilized. Yes, exactly the way you are thinking," she said to his astonished gaze. She felt a wave of tears and looked down as if ashamed. "Two methods of, of reproduction, one insect, one human, as it were, I guess. When I got away I had to, I had to dig the eggs out of my foot with a stick…I had to dig them out and they tried to, I mean they tried to fertilize them by, by, they tried…they…"
"Ssh." John drew her against him as she dissolved. She clung to him, sobbing but only a few tears spilled from her eyes. The upheaval of emotion dry, causing deep breaths and a panic that John erased by just holding her. "And then you got away? The smilidon."
"Yes. Thank God it appeared when it did because I was fighting them but there were so many and their chittering voices were making me sick, making me dizzy! I, I couldn't tell anyone that because it…I mean…they…I mean…John, John, John, you have no idea how horrible it was!"
John kissed her brow. "All right, sweetheart. I'm sorry, but I had to know. I had to know if those things are a viable threat in this galaxy. Do you think they could ever access the Stargate?"
"No. They aren't advanced enough. But they…they could evolve. It is possible. The Hive mind could reach them, I guess. I don't know. There's…there's something else, John." She sat back a little to meet his gaze. She saw concern, distress and thoughtfulness. A warmth that she was afraid to put a word to but his lips suddenly brushed against hers as if in confirmation.
"What else, Moira?" He brushed a strand of hair from her rosy face.
Her fingers tightened on his. "I…I wasn't the only one there."