She tried not to stare. Sitting at her desk, she had dozens of reports that clamored for her attention, but her eyes kept drifting down to the Gateroom.
Elizabeth wasn't a woman prone to jealousy. If a man wasn't interested in her, she could usually let go of her feelings or at least hide them deep enough that even she wasn't fully aware of them anymore. Her job - whether back on Earth or here on Atlantis - had always been too important for her to get caught up in such petty emotions.
As she watched Danni and John, though, something in her chest ached. His smile and laugh came easily whenever he was around the younger woman, and there was an understanding there that didn't require words. She knew that they went running together almost every morning and that he had become quite protective of her out in the field. Danni seemed to fill a void in his life that no one had known was there, and the two of them just...clicked.
Maybe that was what was bothering her. She and John were good friends - she could even admit that he was probably her best friend at this point. They had been on the same page almost from the beginning, and she could tell with one look what was going on inside his head. They kept each other steady when the entire universe seemed like it was trying to cast them out.
And now he had found someone else that kept him steady, too. Elizabeth muttered a curse under her breath - she should be happy for him instead of staring like a lovesick teenager.
Looking up again, she saw that Danni and John had made their way up the stairs, turning towards her office. Danni had promised her a report on potential allies, and it looked as though she was ready to outline them. Moving her shoulders back, Elizabeth wiped away her earlier thoughts and greeted the two of them with a smile as they came in.
"Good morning," she said.
John flashed her a smile and placed a steaming cup on her desk. "Morning, 'Lizabeth. Look who I ran into on my way up."
She took the cup gratefully, the coffee warming more than just her stomach. "Does this mean you have that list for me?" she asked.
Danni nodded. "There are three or four good places to start." She hesitated slightly, and Elizabeth realized that this was the first time she had seen her look even remotely unsure of herself. "One in particular," she finally finished.
Elizabeth sat forward. "That sounds promising. What can you tell us?"
John took a seat in front of her desk, but Danni opted to stand instead. Leaning forward, she placed her hands on the back of a chair, taking in a quiet breath.
"The planet is called Skandar. It's an old civilization - according to the database, they've been around since before the Wraith even came into existence."
John let out a low whistle. "That's an accomplishment. How did they manage to survive the Wraith?"
"They fought them. When the Wraith started out, they weren't as technologically advanced as they are now. They traveled through the Stargate on foot and on horses...or, you know...big things that look like horses. The Skandarians fought them, and they pretty much kicked their asses."
Elizabeth's eyes narrowed even as her heart sped up in excitement. "How?"
Danni shrugged. "They're a warrior people. Always have been. Fiercely proud, and damn good fighters," she replied, her voice firm and certain.
John looked over at Elizabeth, words passing between them silently. They had both reached the same conclusion, though Elizabeth was the one to say it aloud.
"They certainly sound like the type of people we'd like to make friends with." She paused. "Any questionable practices we should know about?"
Danni thought for a second. "Their society is ruled by a monarchy. They have a class system, including serfs. But no slaves. No weird religious mumbo-jumbo. They believe in honor, strength and loyalty." Her eyes slid over to John. "I think they'll like you quite a bit, Colonel."
"That would be a nice change," Elizabeth quipped. "Alright, John. Get your team ready, and -"
Danni held up one finger. "Actually...you should come too, Dr. Weir."
One eyebrow rose slowly. "Oh, really?"
"Like I said, the Skandarians are big on honor...and they're also big on ceremony. They won't make an alliance with anyone but the leader of the expedition. And we need to look strong and controlled - they need to know that they're going to get a good deal out of the alliance."
Elizabeth nodded slowly. "I see. Well, in that case, we'll hold off for a few days. I'll join you, but I need to make sure that things are a bit more settled here with Colonel Caldwell and the injured. Danni, I want you to work with John and put together a team that will impress the Skandarians enough. We desperately need competent allies."
Danni nodded. "Consider it done."
Pushing off from the back of the chair, she left without another word. Elizabeth half-expected John to leave as well, but he just sat there drinking his coffee and smiling at her.
"So how are you?" he asked.
She couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit relieved.
He knew she was completely lost in thought when she didn't notice him come to a stop in the doorway to her office. He leaned against the frame and just watched her for a minute. Chin resting in the palm of her hand, she stared down at her father's watch, idly moving the chain around with one finger. John knew that whenever the watch came out, there was something weighing on her mind, something that she wasn't sure how to put into words.
"Careful," he said quietly, not wanting to startle her. "Thinking that hard can be hazardous to your health."
Elizabeth looked over at him and smirked. "I think you might have a bias against forethought, Colonel."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you accusing me of acting without thinking first?"
She leaned back in her chair, and he could see that she was already relaxing a little. "I never accuse. It's not polite."
"They teach you that in leadership school?"
"Negotiation school."
John chuckled at that and came the rest of the way into the room. Perching himself on the corner of her desk, he looked down at her with a concerned expression.
"You okay?"
She shrugged. "We're cut off from Earth again."
"Not sure that's such a bad thing," he pointed out. "At least the IOA isn't an issue."
"Trust me, that thought has crossed my mind." She let out a long breath. "Makes other things more difficult, though."
"Supplies."
"Exactly. Not to mention losing the Daedalus hurts us if the Wraith decide to attack again."
"At least Caldwell kept them from getting to Earth, though. And he kept a lot of our people alive."
Elizabeth nodded. "He's a good man. A good leader." Her eyes slid up to him warily. "I just hope his extended stay here doesn't mean he'll try to usurp your job again."
John shrugged, taking the opportunity to inspect the pot he'd gotten her for her first birthday on Atlantis. "Like you said, he's a good leader. He's certainly got more experience than me -"
She held up a hand. "Stop right there, John. As long as I have anything to say about it, Colonel Caldwell will not take your place."
He gave her a grateful smile, but his eyes were still uncertain. "You sure?"
"I wouldn't do this job with anyone but you," she said quietly, her voice earnest. "Sometimes I think we've only gotten this far because of how well we work together."
She was saying all those things that he could never get out properly. Swallowing back an unexpected lump in his throat, he nodded once.
"You know that goes both ways, right?"
"I do."
"Good." Clearing his throat and hoping that the heat in his cheeks wasn't turning them pink, he decided to shift the subject a little. "You think you'll be ready to head to Skandar at the end of the week?"
She sat up a little straighter and nodded. "Yes." She made a wry face. "That little speech I just gave you, and Caldwell is going to be in charge while we're gone. I would have chosen Major Lorne, but..."
"But Danni put him on the list of people that should go." He shrugged. "It'll only be a few days. And you keep saying we need friends, so..."
"Hopefully the Skandarians will be a step in the right direction." Elizabeth pushed her chair back. "I don't suppose you'd like to get dinner."
Both eyebrows shot up. "You dragging me to a meal? That's a first."
She gave him a playful smile. "Come on, Colonel. I might even be able to snag you a piece of chocolate cake."
"Do we really need all these people?" Rodney asked, looking at the soldiers filling up the two jumpers.
Teyla shrugged. "If strength is truly important to these people, then they need to see that we are made up of people willing to fight."
"Think of them as an honor guard, McKay," Danni said. "We're bringing them the leader of Atlantis. It wouldn't look good to bring her without a protection detail."
He sighed. "Okay, but what about me and Carson?"
She shrugged. "Every leader needs advisers. Science and medicine...shows them that we're advanced, too. Remember - we're trying to sell ourselves a little here."
"Like cheap harlots?"
"I'd like to think I'm a little more high-end than that, Rodney," she admonished.
John stepped up to join them, taking a seat at the controls while Elizabeth took the seat behind him. "You gonna tell us what's in the crates we just loaded into the second jumper?"
Danni shook her head. "You'll see soon enough."
"I'm not really a big fan of surprises."
She patted his shoulder. "Sucks to be you, then." She handed him a piece of paper. "Here's the Gate address. Just make sure you land the jumper as soon as we get there."
He frowned. "You haven't explained that, either."
"Not to you," Elizabeth replied, a smug and knowing expression on her face.
He glared at her, but Danni just rolled her eyes.
"Trust me. Unless you want to crash us, just land once we're through."
"Alright. Fine. Keep your secrets." He turned to look at the others. "Everyone buckled? Let's rock and roll."
