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: I'm back with a new chapter! I meant to post this a few days ago (and I totally thought I did), but I guess I forgot. Oh well, it doesn't matter now. Anyway, while this chapter is definitely not shorter than usual, it doesn't have too much action. Rather, I decided to focus a little more on some Lorne and John interactions. So, as you'll see there will be much needed one-on-one dialogue between the two.
But, let's not forget about Rodney! Who wrote Rodney's love letter? Was it serious or just a prank? Well, read on and you'll have all these answers and more! Enjoy!
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~
Lorne was startled awake from his nap when a loud knock sounded throughout his quarters. Yawning, he climbed out of bed and straightened his rumpled clothing. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he shuffed forward and opened the door.
"Evan, how are you?"
"I'm fine, Grace," Lorne smiled, all traces of sleep gone, and welcomed his friend into his room.
The linguist shuffled inside before stating, "I heard about what happened at lunch."
Lorne winced. "Really? Who from?"
"Radek, of course."
"Of course," the Major drawled, rolling his eyes. Glancing behind him, he willed the door to close before asking, "So what really brings you to my humble abode?"
Grace feigned a hurt expression, placing a hand over her heart in a scandalized manner. "What? I can't come see how my friend is doing?"
"I know you, Gracie. Something is definitely bothering you," Lorne held up a finger to silence his friend when she started to object, "and don't say you were worried about me. Your ear is twitching like it usually does when you're stressed."
She quickly slapped a hand over her right ear. "Is not!"
Crossing his arms, Lorne just stared at her.
"Okay, okay, you got me," Grace said, throwing her hands into the air. "I may have done something stupid."
"What kind of stupid?" the Major asked curiously.
"What do you mean what kind of stupid? Just stupid, okay!"
Lorne raised an eyebrow. "So what did you do?"
"I might have written a certain note, to a certain someone, about a certain something…"
"Wow, could you be more vague please?"
Grace bit back a laugh, playfully batting at Lorne's arm. "Stop, this is serious."
"No, I am serious. What did you write?"
"It may have been an admission of affection upon an individual of the most intimate nature."
"A love letter?" Lorne inquired, finally discifering the linguist's words. "Wait a minute," he tapped his chin, "McKay got a letter earlier today… Oh no, Gracie, please tell me you didn't…"
Grace blushed. "I did," she confessed.
"Whatever for? Don't tell me you actually have feelings for that man?!"
"Maybe…"
"Grace!"
"What! I can't help it. You know I have a weakness for smart guys," she defended. "The way they get all passionate about science and stuff turns me on."
"They're all assholes!"
Grace smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Funny how that seems to be a similar trait among geniuses."
"It's not funny at all," Lorne stated, frowning deeply. "You deserve better than McKay."
"I'm not really looking for a long term relationship anyway," Grace said. "Just someone to share my bed with."
"Please stop," Lorne cried, burying his face in his hands. "I don't need that kind of mental image. You're hurting my brain."
Wishing to push her friend further, Grace continued, "You know what they say about scientists…" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "They're experts in anatomy and always willing to experiment."
"I thought that was biologists..."
"Well, they're a type kind of scientist, aren't they?"
The Major rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Whatever."
"Come on, Evan," Grace sighed. "You can't tell me not to pursue this when you haven't made a move on your own sexy soldier."
"And I won't," Lorne adamantly stated. "We already talked about this."
"I know, but I still think you're wrong."
"It doesn't change the fact that he's my boss."
"And it doesn't change the fact that Rodney's an ass," Grace rebuttled, putting her hands on her hips. "See, I can make excuses too."
Lorne sighed and slumped down onto the edge of his unmade bed.
"Just talk to him," she told Lorne, taking a seat next to her friend. "You already know how he feels."
"I know," the Major sighed and shook his head. "I just don't want to fuck everything up."
Grace leaned her head on Lorne's shoulder. "I think you're already fucked up."
"Gee, thanks," he sniffed.
"You know what I mean, dummy," she soothed. "You can't hide from your feelings forever. They'll eat you up inside. And, after a while, you'll be worse off. You think it's bad now, just wait a week, a month, a year… it'll poison you until all you have left is a broken heart and a whole bunch of 'what ifs'."
"Since when did you become so wise?" he asked.
"Comes from experience," Grace answered sadly.
She seemed so despondent that Lorne couldn't help but wonder who she had fallen in love with in the past. Someone she never approached. Someone who had poisoned her idea of love. Someone she lost. Someone who had left her so messed up that she couldn't even stand the thought of marriage.
Lorne hummed and rested his head on top of her own.
He was conflicted. He wanted to approach John. He really did. But something always stopped him. And it hurt. It hurt that he didn't have the courage to go after what he wanted because he was afraid of the consequences. It hurt that his love was within reach yet galaxies away. It hurt that he loved John so much.
Suddenly a gentle rapping echoed throughout the room. Not wanting to move, Lorne used his ATA gene to will the door open. "Come in," he called out.
As fate would have it, the very man who was on Lorne's mind sauntered into the room.
John greeted him, "Hey, Lorne…" but the Colonel stopped when he saw Grace. "Oh, I didn't know you had company."
John scrutinized the position in which he found his second in command. Lorne knew it how it looked. The friends' position on the bed could be seen as fairly intimate, but in no way sexual. But there was no way for John to know that. Lorne saw jealousy boil underneath the spiky-haired soldier's frozen visage. Grace also seemed to noticed the envious look that crossed the Colonel's face because she immediately lifted her head from Lorne's shoulder and said, "No problem. I was just leaving anyway."
The linguist stood and headed toward the door. "Remember was I told you, Evan," she called over her shoulder.
Lorne got up and followed her. "I will," he responded honestly. He caught her arm just as she was about to exit his room. And, leaning forward, he whispered into her ear, "Write McKay another letter. I know you don't need my permission, but you should go for it."
A grin spread across Grace's face. "Thanks, Evan," she cooed before planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. And, with one final goodbye, she left the room.
Lorne waved his hand over the sensor to close the door behind her. Turning back, he faced John. The Colonel's arms were folded over his chest and a slight frown tugged at the corner of his thin lips. Ignoring him, Lorne strolled past John to his dresser. He rummaged through some spare t-shirts before settling on a generic black one. Pulling his wrinkled, slept-in shirt over his head, he tossed it into his hamper. Grabbing the clean one, he turned to glance at the man behind him.
"What can I do for you, sir?"
John blinked. "Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to join me for dinner."
"It's dinner time already?" the Major asked, surprised he had slept for so long.
"Yeah."
Lorne watched as John's eyes lingered on his bare chest. The Colonel subconsciously licked his lips. "Sure, let's go," Lorne said as he quickly pulled on the clean t-shirt, removing the temptation from view. "I'm kind of hungry, I didn't really finish lunch."
"Great," John smiled.
After grabbing his uniform jacket and pulling on his boots, Lorne followed his commanding officer out into the hall. He left his headset in his room; after all, he technically wasn't on duty.
"You know what's on the menu?" Lorne inquired.
"Chicken, I think," John responded. "We just got some new supplies from the Athosians, so we're guaranteed from fresh fruits and vegetables too."
The Major nodded. "Sounds good."
The two soldiers grabbed the first available transporter and made their way to the cafeteria. The cafeteria was fairly empty despite the time. Most of the scientists, Lorne determined, must have been working through dinner to catch up on whatever projects they had to put aside for the three-hour long meetings that morning. Not that Lorne minded, more food for him.
True to John's word, chicken was the main course. There were several Earth-style side dishes available, such as mashed potatoes and green beans. Lorne also saw a few alien dishes being served. Feeling adventurous, he grabbed a plate of purple Athosian vegetables - they looked like beets but Lorne wasn't sure. Foregoing his usual mug of coffee, the Major snagged a cup of tea instead before following John out onto the balcony.
Lorne knew John loved the balcony, it was one of his favorite spots in Atlantis. When in doubt, the Colonel could be found there, eating or relaxing. The Major supposed it was because of the view, which was always spectacular.
Deciding to eat the mysterious alien dish first, Lorne dug in. Much to his surprise, the purple vegetable tasted like steamed broccoli. It was nice. And despite the odd coloring, it tasted just like how his mother used to make it. The Major hummed in appreciation while his mouth was still full.
"Is it good?" John asked. He was taking a bite of chicken from his own plate.
Swallowing, Lorne nodded before eating another forkful.
The duo sat in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying the food and the company. Lorne was in a much better mood than before. That morning he had been running on fumes. He supposed it was just unfortunate that he snapped in front of all his friends. But now he felt better - well rested and content.
Opening up the conversation, Lorne said, "Did I miss anything interesting after I left lunch?"
"Not really," John shrugged. "By the time I got back almost everyone had left. I did see Rodney a little while ago... he's still trying to figure out who left him that love letter."
"Really?" Lorne asked, holding back a knowing smile. "Any leads?"
"Nope," the Colonel smirked. "It's driving him crazy. He's been pulling out his hair trying to compare his admirer's handwriting to every sample he can find." John snickered, "With his luck he'll be bald by this time tomorrow."
"Who do you think it is?"
"I don't know," John answered honestly. "But I think it has to be one of the newer recruits, or else she would have written the letter sooner."
"How do you know it's not a he?" Lorne questioned, playing Devil's advocate.
"The letter was written on pick paper."
"So? Maybe he's trying to misdirect the search?"
John hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe, I hadn't thought of that. Though, I can't imagine how Rodney would react if his secret admirer was a guy."
Ignoring the remark, Lorne asked, "Did you ever read McKay's letter yourself?"
"Nope. And Rodney gets all flustered every time I ask." The Colonel laughed, "You should see how red he gets, Lorne! I can only imagine what was written if it makes Rodney so uncomfortable that we won't let me see it. I mean, I'm his best friend!"
Lorne smiled. He knew how leud Grace could be. She never did anything halfway. "I'm sure it's a sight to behold."
"I remember my first love note," John told him fondly, after taking another bite of chicken. "It was the eighth grade and there was this new girl in class. Mary Claire, I think her name was. Anyway, she sent me a drawing of us together with one of those little check boxes. You know, the ones that asked me to be her boyfriend. I checked 'yes', of course." He shook his head, as if saying that he would never turn down such an invitation. "She was absolutely obsessed with my hair. She was always playing with it and stuff. In the end, I had to break it off when I caught her trying to cut my hair while I was sleeping so she could keep some of it for herself." John's hand drifted up to touch his spiky mane, as if checking it was all there.
Lorne snorted. "You must had had impressive hair back then."
"It is one of my most redeeming qualities," John replied proudly, ignoring the backhanded compliment.
Lorne decided not to comment.
"What about you, Major?" John asked, taking another bite of his dinner.
Believe it or not, Lorne's first love letter was from Malcolm, Grace's brother. Malcolm had slipped a note into his locker. It was a wild confession, Lorne remembered. It was the first time Malcolm had admitted being gay to anyone, besides his sister that is. It was a call for help. The note didn't have Malcolm's name, it just expressed his interest. The letter said that if Lorne was also interested that he should meet him behind the bleachers after sixth period. Curious, Lorne did. And he wasn't disappointed. The letter had been the start of their secret relationship. It was shortly after their first meeting, when Lorne and Malcolm realized that what they had could be something pretty serious, that Grace volunteered to be his 'fake girlfriend'.
"I got one in high school," Lorne admitted, finishing his last forkful of purple vegetables. "We dated for a while but…" he shrugged. "It didn't end very well."
"Why's that?"
"Difference of opinion," he replied, thinking back to their break up. Malcolm had wanted to continue dating after high school, but he was traveling to the East coast for school. Lorne was staying in San Francisco for college and didn't want to try a long distance relationship. He liked Malcolm, he really did. But they didn't belong together. They only dated for so long because it was the comfortable thing to do. But he wasn't in love. Oh no, not love. And because of that Lorne initiated the break up. Malcolm wasn't happy. They didn't talk for almost two years until Malcolm reached out one day. He actually thanked Lorne for ending it. He admitted that he wanted to stay with Lorne because he was his first boyfriend. But, in college, he had really discovered himself. Malcolm came out to his friends and parents. He dated freely. He was happy. And Lorne was happy for him.
"Yeah, high school romances were always crazy." John said, interrupting the Major's thoughts. "So was this before or after Dr. Richards?"
"Before," Lorne lied.
John nodded.
Wanting the change the topic, the Major said, "Well, high school was nothing compared to my time at the AFROTC."
"Do tell," John stated, completely interested in hearing about Lorne's time in college and his early Air Force career.
Lorne laughed. "Nothing like that, sir. What I mean to say is that between all my classes and training I didn't have much time to date. When I wasn't in flight simulators I was learning about mining operations."
"I can't imagine being above the Earth in the morning and underneath it in the afternoon," John spoke, shaking his head.
"It took some getting used to, but it was fun," Lorne asserted. "Geology made me respect the ground while the Air Force made me admire the sky. I became masters of both worlds, literally. It was a balance, an outlet for everything."
"Math was my outlet," John confessed, thoughtlessly stabbing at his last piece of chicken. "I could always trust numbers. They never lied or cheated. It was always fun to hide away with some equations when the training got too hard."
Lorne knew John was a math whiz, he heard McKay grumble about MENSA testing often enough. He had even witnessed John do some complex formulas in his head and play 'prime-not-prime' with the scientists; so while the content of the confession didn't surprise him too much, the fact that John would confess such a personal detail about himself left Lorne breathless. John was an extremely private person. He didn't bear his emotions on his sleeves and he certainly didn't talk about his past. His team, of course, occasionally saw a different side of John that no one else did. But Lorne wasn't officially part of the team. He was the Colonel's friend, sure. But first and foremost he was John's subordinate.
Unwilling to react to the weight of the soldier's admission, Lorne simply hummed in agreement before sipping at his cup of tea.
"I didn't really get to use my math degree in the field though," John sighed. "Not like you. Mining on alien planets around the galaxy. Now that's something to talk about."
"Not really, sir," the Major said, humbled by the praise. "Outside the SGC, my doctorate isn't recognized by the academic community. And mining for Naquadah isn't really something I can put on my resume."
"True, true," John conceded. "But it's still pretty cool. Everyone always thinks we're just dumb flyboys. But man, oh man, have we got them beat."
"It's always better for people to underestimate you," Lorne agreed.
"Colonel Sheppard?" a voice asked over John's headset.
Holding up a finger to stop their conversation, John tilted his head and tapped on his earpiece. "Go head," he responded.
"Colonel Carter requires you in her office."
"What for?" John asked, surprised Sam didn't call him herself.
"She didn't say, sir."
"Alright." John glanced at his watch. "I can be there in five minutes."
"I'll tell her you're on the way, sir," the voice responded before sounding off.
Sighing, John turned off his headset before turning back to Lorne. "I have to go," he said. "Rain check?"
"Of course, sir," Lorne smiled. John nodded before starting to gather his partially empty plate. "I got it, sir," the Major said, taking the tray from him.
"Thanks, Lorne. Catch you later." And, with one final goodbye, John made his way out of the cafeteria and to the nearest transporter.
~o~o~
John hated the fact he was called away from his dinner with Lorne.
The Colonel had been worrying about Lorne since lunchtime; his outburst in the cafeteria was most startling. The Major was usually very good at controlling his emotions. Though, John supposed that it was partially his fault for giving so many of his duties to Lorne in the first place. He knew he made the right decision by giving him the rest of the day off.
But still, the reveal about Lorne's high academic status was shocking. Then again, when reading the Major's files, John had skipped over that part. Schooling was never very important to John. It was all about the application of knowledge. If a highschool drop-out could fly a F-303 with immeasurable skill John would hire him or her in an instant.
But a doctorate! That was surprising. Once again John learned something new about his second in command. And, while the circumstances were regrettable, it only made John respect him more. People easily underestimated Lorne, thinking him to simply be an stuffy soldier blindly following his orders. But, yet again, Lorne proved everyone wrong. John could only guess how much authority Lorne must have held at the SGC before being whisked away to serve on Atlantis. He wondered if Lorne missed it at all. He had a life back on Earth. He had his own 'gate team. He was going places before he was taken away to another galaxy to serve under a newly appointed Lieutenant Colonel. It could not have been what he wanted. To anyone, Atlantis would seem like a dead end for any career.
Some days John regretted choosing Lorne to be his second in command. Not because he thought there was a better candidate, but because Lorne deserved so much more. It only made it worse that John had to go and fall in love with him.
And he couldn't shake those feeling either. John thought that being away from Lorne would make his crush go away, but it only made it stronger. When that didn't work he tried to find pitiful excuses and silly justifications so that he would fall out of love: a disgusting habit, evident interest in someone else, insecurities or neediness. But, in the end, he couldn't find any faults. He loved all of Lorne's little quirks - he was independant and confident and funny and loyal.
And the Major never expressed any interest in anyone on Atlantis. Of course, Grace changed that. But at that point John was too far gone for it to have an effect on his love for Lorne. It hurt, sure. But the Colonel could handle it. And despite the initial shock of finding Grace in Lorne's private quarters some time ago, he quickly overcame his jealousy by simply talking to the Major. Lorne seemed more cheerful and rested since that morning. And if Grace had had something to do with that, then so be it. If Lorne was happy, John was happy.
When John finally arrived in Sam's office he was greeted by a very angry Colonel and a stack of overdue IOA evaluations. It seemed he wasn't the first person to finally notice that he had been giving away too many of his assigned duties to Lorne. After a solid fifteen minutes lecture from Sam, and a non-too gentle smack on the head for one of his snarky comments, he was sent to his own office under the order to finish all the forms by tomorrow morning.
Paperwork. John hated paperwork. It was so rigid and bureaucratic and everything that was wrong with the military. He knew he would be up half the night trying to finish it all. And he couldn't just ask Lorne to help because that is what got him into the mess in the first place. Needless to say, John had painted himself into a corner and the only way out was for the paint to dry.
Deciding he wouldn't suffer alone, John passed his office and headed for the labs. After a few minutes of searching, he found Rodney tinkering away with an Ancient device in Radek's workspace. The faint aroma of freshly made coffee surround the scientist as he worked. Dropping the files on a stool, the Colonel went to go pour himself a cup of coffee before settling down across from his best friend.
"Hey, McKay," he smiled.
"Sheppard," the scientist nodded in greeting. "What are you doing up so late?"
"Sam wants me to finish these evaluations by tomorrow," he pointed at the stack of papers he brought with him, "and I thought I would be less likely to fall asleep if I had someone to talk to while I worked."
"I'm kind of busy, Sheppard," Rodney deadpanned, picking up an electronic scanner and waving it over the Ancient device. "Can't you go bother someone else? Zelenka, maybe?"
"Well, I'm here, aren't I?" John responded, referring to the fact he technically was in Radek's lab. "Why are you working in here, anyway?"
"I'm trying to work without everyone looking over my shoulder."
"What do you mean?"
"I may have been a little too cavalier in my attempts to find the author of the letter I received. And it seems my admirer is amused I was hunting for her. So she left another note for me," Rodney said. "Everyone kept trying to read the letter, so I staged a strategic retreat."
"How do you know it's a she?" John inquired, mimicking Lorne's similar question from earlier.
"Because she gave me hints as to who she was."
"Oh," John nodded. "So do you know who it is yet?"
"No," Rodney pursed his lips. "All the clues are fairly personal," he shook his head, "I don't know everyone in the science contingent well enough to narrow it down."
"It can't be that hard," John scoffed.
"Oh yeah?" Rodney sneered. "It's not like you know every soldier's favorite sport or where their favorite vacation spot is?"
"I have Lorne for that," the Colonel waved his hand dismissively. "So just ask around. I'm sure Zelenka will help."
"I already tried! He says I'm on my own unless I let him read the letters, which is not going to happen!"
"Then I guess you're out of luck," John shrugged. He paused before asking, "Have you tried writing back?"
"But I don't know who it is? How would I deliver the letter?"
"Well, where do the letters keep getting dropped off? Maybe you can leave a letter there too, and the next time she delivers one she'll find yours."
"You know," Rodney tapped his chin thoughtfully, "that's not a bad idea."
John grinned. "I know," he smugly said before finally turning to his paperwork.
The two friends labored in relative silence for a while. When Rodney hit a dead end with the Ancient device he was working on, he decided to take John's advice and started to draft his own love letter. But it was harder than he originally imagined. Finally, after much frustration, Rodney reluctantly asked the soldier for help. John was more than happy to oblige.
"This is horrible," John announced, reading over the rough copy Rodney had given him.
"It's not that bad!"
"Yes, it is. You compared her to 'cosmic inflation'," he read, squinting at the letter. "What does that mean anyway?"
"It's the theory of exponential expansion of space in the early universe," Rodney explained. "It is one of the few unsolved problems in cosmology. The reference is that she is a mystery to me, a puzzle I have to solve."
"Well, what if she's not a physicist? How is she supposed to know that? Maybe she'll think you're calling her fat."
"What? No!"
"You know, McKay, for all your smarts you are really quite ignorant."
Rodney gaped at him. "Are you calling me stupid?"
"Well, if you weren't, you wouldn't have to ask."
The scientist frowned and snatched the paper from John's grip. "You know what, I don't need you mocking me. I'll just ask someone else for advice."
"Oh yeah? Like who? Ronon? Teyla? Zelenka? Come on, I'm your best bet."
Grumbling, Rodney reluctantly placed the rough draft back into the open hand of the Colonel. "Fine, but instead of making fun of me, could you just help?" he sighed.
"Sure, McKay," John nodded. "Okay, let's start at the beginning. Start with a simple greeting, something like 'to my secret admirer' or 'dear mystery woman'. Then write that you're flattered with the attention… What are you doing? Why aren't you taking notes? This is valuable stuff!" While the scientist scrambled to find a pencil, John continued, "So after the opener and the compliment, you should write about yourself. You don't need to introduce yourself or anything, she already knows who you are, so you should talk about your feelings."
"My feelings?" Rodney asked, looking up from the paper he was writing on.
"Yeah," John nodded. "For example, and write this down, 'I'm writing to you to let you know how I feel. I don't know how to tell you face-to-face' - now you could probably make a joke here about her secrecy or something - 'so I'm going to put my feelings into words'."
John paused so Rodney could catch up. "Then say something along the lines, 'I can't stop thinking about you. I can't get you out of my mind. When I was younger, I dreamed of the one person with whom I would share the rest of my life with. I could not see her face, but she was there. I always felt she was out there, somewhere, waiting for me to find her. And I have been looking all these years, feeling my way through life, learning lessons that later on would prepare me to become the person I am now. I've been sad and alone. Then I got your letter and I knew that day was finally here: the woman that I had dreamed of, and had hoped I would not miss meeting, reached out and found me first. And that woman is you…"
As he trailed off the soldier looked over at Rodney who was staring at him oddly. "What?"
"Don't you think that's kind of sappy?" he asked skeptically.
"It's not sappy if it's the truth. Plus women love that sort of stuff."
"Okay," Rodney hummed to himself before finishing the draft. "Here, can you look this over?"
John took the letter from his friend and read it. It was beautiful, really. Rodney of course added his own little flair. It was heartfelt and personal. Deep and sincere. Poetic and profound. Reading it for a second time John couldn't help but realize his dictation to Rodney was close to a confession for his own problem. Just replace the gender article and it could be a love letter to Lorne.
For a moment, John pondered the idea of sending Lorne an anonymous note. It would be therapeutic, he guessed, getting all the emotions out in the air. But if Lorne ever figured out it was John that sent the love letter, the Colonel could only imagine how he would react. Certainly it wouldn't end well. Shaking the thought from his head, John handed the letter back to Rodney. "It looks great. You should definitely leave that for your secret admirer to find."
Rodney bit his lip nervously. "You really think I should be doing this?"
"McKay, you should be assertive," John encouraged him. "You don't know what will happen unless you deliver it. I mean, she already says she likes you, right? What's the worse that could happen?"
Rodney nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."
"Good man," the soldier congratulated his friend, slapping the scientist on the back.
"Thanks, John," Rodney said, and he meant it.
The Colonel grinned. "No problem, Rodney. Let me know what happens, yeah?"
"Of course."
John stood and picked up his completed IOA evaluations. "Don't stay up too late working."
Rodney nodded. "Okay, see you tomorrow."
With one finally wave, John stalked back toward his private quarters. During the walk his mind drifted back to his second in command. It seemed like forever ago that they had been eating dinner together. John couldn't help but smile at the thought of having Lorne all to himself, simply enjoying his company on the cafeteria's balcony. He still regretted being called away by Sam. Maybe he could find Lorne in the morning and ask him to breakfast and pick up where their conversation left off. And, with that thought in mind, he settle down for the night, dreaming of the Major who had stolen his heart.
~o~o~
A/N: Not a very climactic chapter, I admit. But it was fun to write nonetheless. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Don't worry, A LOT of action packed chapters are coming up. They're taking me a little bit longer to write because of all the detailed fight scenes. But trust me, they're worth the wait.
Just a heads up but I will be unable to access a computer over the next two weeks. As such, I will not be able to update Lost Among The Stars until I get back from vacation. But you know what I'd love? I would love to come back and see my inbox full of reviews, favorites, and follows. *hint hint*
Anyway, see you guys in a couple of weeks!