Disclaimer: As every single other one of these has stated, none of the characters I play with are mine except for Lannie.
A/N: So, this is the longest chapter I have written so far, and I have to say it's one of my favorites. It took me a while to get it out the way I wanted, and I'm very happy with the result. I'll have another note down at the bottom so I don't give anything away here. All I can say up here is that there is plenty of Lannie/Lorne fluff. So, enjoy, and please review!
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Two days later Lannie was sitting in the Control Room helping her Canadian Technician friend run a Gate diagnostic. Colonel Caldwell was currently sitting in Dr. Weir's office, as neither she nor Colonel Sheppard had yet been released from the Infirmary. Things were slowly going back to normal after what Sheppard referred to as the 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' incident. Lannie had gone to visit both he and Dr. Weir in the Infirmary the day before to see how they were doing, as well as visited Ronon, who was slowly becoming Dr. Beckett's most disagreeable patient. However, Teyla had somehow managed to convince him that it would not be a sign of weakness to stay in the Infirmary to get better, so he was currently still there for the rest of the week.
Lannie felt hands on her shoulders and smiled. She turned her head and was greeted by Major Lorne's equally as happy face.
"What are you up to?" He leaned over her head to look at what she was doing while giving her a gentle shoulder massage. Lannie sighed happily at the massage.
"Doing a Gate Diagnostic. Interesting, but also incredibly boring. I wish I had my music with me, that would have kept me entertained."
"Hey now. I guess talking with me isn't good enough." The Tech said jokingly. Lannie laughed and looked over at him.
"Talking to you is always entertaining, however having music would have made time go by even faster. That's all I was trying to say." She told him. He nodded.
"I know. I have to go bring this in to Caldwell, I'll be right back." He told her, motioning to a report he was holding. Lannie nodded and then looked up at Lorne.
"So, what are you doing here? Not that I don't really appreciate you stopping by to give me a very wonderful shoulder massage, but aren't you supposed to be working?" She asked him. He chuckled slightly.
"It just so happens that it's lunchtime, and so I decided to drag you away from your 'work' to accompany me. If that's okay with you, of course." He said.
Lannie looked down at the computer to see the time. She disliked wearing jewelry, although Cadman had convinced her to pierce her ears a few weeks ago and so she now wore a simple pair of gold studs in her ears. Major Lorne had been very surprised to discover the piercing, but Lannie had assured him that she hadn't seen anything plus the fact that it was only skin and a little cartilage, not a vein.
"Besides," she had said, "I wanted to do something different, and for me this is different. And it's not like you don't like it."
"You know, lunch sounds really good right about now. Besides, I don't have to sit here watching the computer run the diagnostic, it can run itself. Let's go." Lannie stood up and followed Lorne out of the Control Room. As soon as they turned the first corner they nearly collided with two people.
"Whoops, I'm sorry." Lannie said, looking up at who they had run into. Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard's faces greeted her, and Lannie's own face lit up.
"Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard! Carson released you! I am so glad." She exclaimed. Sheppard chuckled slightly.
"Apparently you missed us. What, had enough of McKay and Caldwell running the show?" He joked. Lorne snickered slightly as Lannie nodded.
"McKay I can handle, but Caldwell….well let's just say that I am so glad to have you back Dr. Weir, and that he will be leaving in a few days. But I'll let you go take your office back, the Major and I were just headed for lunch." Lannie looked quickly at Lorne, who smiled at her.
"Actually, Lannie, why don't you go ahead, I have to speak with the Colonel and Dr. Weir for a moment. I'll be right there." Lorne said to her. Lannie raised her eyebrows at him, but then nodded and waved to Sheppard and Weir as she took off down the hall. Lorne smiled after her, then turned to face his superiors.
"I was wondering if I could speak to you both about something. Is it okay if I stop by your office after I finish lunch with Lannie, Dr. Weir?" He asked the two. Elizabeth nodded. "Of course Major."
"Is there a reason why you couldn't ask us in front of Lannie?" Sheppard inquired. Lorne shifted slightly. "Um, it kind of has to do a little with her. I'll explain more to you later, Sir. I should go now, I'm sure Lannie is wondering what I'm doing." With a slight nod, Lorne took off down the hallway towards the Mess. Elizabeth and John exchanged a look.
"I wonder what's going on?" John wondered. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll find out when the Major comes to speak with us. Until then, I think I have a job to take back." John grinned as the two continued their way towards the Control Room.
Lorne entered the Mess Hall to see Lannie standing in front of the sign listing the day's menu, frowning slightly. "Something the matter?" He asked her, standing behind her slightly. Lannie turned her head to look at him quickly, then looked back at the menu.
"There's nothing that I like. Now I don't know what to get." She answered. Lorne looked over the menu. There were a few items to choose from, two in particular that he knew he would enjoy. Lannie, however, was definitely a very picky eater, so he wasn't surprised that she didn't want what was on the menu.
"You could always make a sandwich." He suggested. Lannie shrugged. "I suppose." She answered, slowly walking towards the food area. Lorne followed her and grabbed himself a tray. He went over to the food line and quickly got what he wanted, then turned to find where Lannie had gone. He found her standing over by the sandwich area.
"You going to make yourself a sandwich?" He asked her as he walked towards her. She looked blankly down at the food in front of her. "I don't know." She said. Lorne sighed. "Lannie, you have to eat something. Make a sandwich, or have cereal, or find something you know you'll eat. I know you skipped breakfast today, so you have to eat something now." He said sternly. Lannie often got so engrossed in what she was doing that she skipped meals. Lannie frowned, but grabbed two pieces of bread and started making herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Lorne smiled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Good girl." He teased slightly. Lannie turned and made a slight face back at him. She finished making her sandwich quickly, then grabbed a scoopful of potato chips and followed Lorne to the beverages. Once they had gotten their drinks, they found a table in a quiet corner.
"So," Lorne began speaking after eating a few bites of his food, "I have an idea. You know how I promised you the other day that we would have a date night?" Lannie nodded, slowly eating her sandwich. "Well, I was thinking that we have it tomorrow night. Does that sound good to you?" He asked her.
"Yes, that sounds fine. What do you have planned?" She asked him. Lorne smiled and shook his head. "That part is a surprise. And I'm trusting you to not read my mind and ruin it for you. Promise you won't?"
"I don't read your mind Evan. I never have and I never will. I trust you enough to not have to. So I promise." Lannie answered.
"Okay good. Oh, and you're probably going to have to raid Cadman's closet for something nice to wear. Or ask for her advice with clothes that you have. But that's all I'm telling you about tomorrow, you have to wear something nice." He told her. Lannie frowned slightly. "Okay, I'll ask her to help me later. But that's all you're telling me about tomorrow? I don't think that's fair." Lorne grinned and leaned in for a quick kiss.
"Too bad." He replied huskily. Lannie feigned anger and tossed a potato chip at his head, which he caught easily in his mouth. The two started laughing and finished their meal. After they had finished, the two walked hand in hand down the hall back towards the Control Room.
Lannie sank back into her chair in front of the computer, which was still running the Diagnostic. The Canadian Tech looked up from his own console and smiled at her.
"Hey, do you mind finishing this up for me while I go grab something to eat?" He asked. "Of course. Go for it, I have everything under control. Enjoy your meal." Lannie responded. The Tech smiled gratefully and took off. Lorne bent down towards Lannie slightly.
"Hey, I have to go talk to Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard for a few minutes, then I have some work I need to finish. I'll see you later?" Lannie looked quickly into Dr. Weir's office to see her and Sheppard discussing something. Lannie looked back up at Lorne.
"Okay, I'm probably going to finish up the Diagnostic here and then go find Cadman. I'll probably have to drag her away from Carson, but you know, you gave me a mission, and I have to oblige." She joked. Lorne chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later. And no listening in or reading minds, got it?" Lannie gave an exasperated sigh and smiled back at him. Lorne smiled and winked at her, then started for Dr. Weir's office. Lannie sighed happily and then turned back to her work.
"What about this shirt and these pants?" Lt. Cadman asked Lannie three hours later. Lannie's bed was a sea of clothing, her entire closet been pulled out and scrutinized. Lannie sighed tiredly. She and Laura had been debating outfits for Lannie to wear the next night for the last hour, and she couldn't find a single thing to wear. It didn't help that Lorne had only told her to look nice, and not told her what category of nice. Lannie stood in front of her almost bare closet, while Cadman was by the bed arranging different outfits for possible options.
"Laura, we need to take a step back. Ok, Evan said to look nice. So I'm assuming that doesn't mean jeans or casual shirts, so that eliminates the pile by my pillows." Lannie said. Laura nodded in agreement and pulled the pile off and dumped it onto the couch.
"Okay, I think also he didn't mean too formal, which is good because you don't have any formal gowns or anything like that. However, it could mean semi-formal, which is basically little black dress. That could work for anything, plus the fact that he's never seen you in a dress, and if Katie is giving you a haircut tomorrow as well then he'll definitely get a surprise." Cadman stated.
Lannie smiled and nodded. She had decided that her hair was a little too long, and so Dr. Katie Brown had offered to cut it for her. Lannie walked back over to the bed, where a selection of outfits was laid out in front of her. Laura had brought over a few choices, and Katie had offered some as well.
"Okay", Lannie said, "I don't think I want to wear the dress pants, as nice as they are. I definitely think I should wear a dress, but I don't know if I should wear a black dress or a different color."
"Okay well let's see. You have three black dresses to choose from, all about the same length but different cuts. Then there's a maroon one, a navy blue that might look really good with your hair color, another red one, a dark green that might work too, and a beige dress. I don't think the beige dress will look good, so let's nix it." Cadman stated, moving the clothes around.
"I think the red one might be too red. As much as I like the color, I want to wear something different, something that he's never really seen me in." Lannie said. Laura nodded in agreement.
"Yea, so that means the green, blue, and any of the black dresses. Well, there's only one thing to do." She pulled one of the dresses off of the bed and handed it to Lannie. "Start modeling." Lannie looked at her slightly puzzled. "Go try each one on and see how it looks. Go. I'll give an opinion when you come out." Laura explained. Lannie nodded and headed into her bathroom. Laura walked over to the couch and pulled a shoe box out from under the clothes lying there.
"Here, put the shoes on too. We need to see the whole picture." Lannie's hand reached out to take the box from Cadman. In the bathroom Lannie quickly changed into the dress Laura had handed her, which turned out to be one of the black dresses. It was spaghetti strapped and a straight cut across her chest, with an angled cut at the bottom. Lannie slipped the shoes on, which turned out to be three inch heels, and the stepped out of the bathroom.
"What do you think?" She asked Cadman. Laura studied her for a moment, then shook her head.
"I like the bottom of the dress, but the top is too straight. We need you in something showier. You have a great body, and Lorne needs to see that!" Laura joked. Lannie laughed and nodded her head. "Okay. Next dress?"
Laura handed her one of the other black dresses and Lannie went back into the bathroom. The new dress was a low V-neck with a slight wave along the bottom hem. It also had a sheer black overlay that came down a little further than the under layer. Lannie stepped out of the bathroom to Laura's nod of approval.
"I like this one, it's a definite possibility. I don't know how I feel about the third black dress, because it's a little too short for this type of date, so don't bother trying it on. Here, try the green one." She handed Lannie the dress. It was spaghetti strapped and V-necked, with a lighter green pattern running throughout. It also had an asymmetrical bottom. Lannie quickly changed and brought the two black dresses out with her to put back on the pile. Laura shrugged.
"It's nice, but I don't know if it's the one. Ok, last one, try the Navy." Laura handed Lannie the last dress and Lannie once again disappeared into the bathroom. She quickly changed into the blue dress, which was a very low cut halter dress with a large darker blue stripe going across the middle on an angle, ending in the point of the asymmetrical bottom. Lannie tied the strings to the halter around her neck the best she could and the stepped out into her room.
"Wow. That's it." Laura said excitedly. She moved behind Lannie and fixed the halter quickly for her, and then walked all around her nodding. "Yup, absolutely perfect. You look amazing in it, go see for yourself in the mirror." Lannie carefully walked over to the mirror, because she wasn't quite comfortable in heels yet, and looked at herself. The dress complimented her hair and skin tone perfectly. She smiled excitedly and turned back to Cadman.
"I agree. This dress is perfect. I can't wait to see the look on Evan's face." Cadman laughed. "Oh yea, his eyes are gonna pop out of his head. Okay, well go change out of the dress and give it to me, I'll put it on a hanger and everything for you. Then I'll help you clean up this clothes bomb that exploded in here." Lannie laughed and went back into the bathroom to change. She came out dressed once again in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and handed the dress to Cadman. The two then quickly went to work on cleaning the mess they had created.
A half an hour later the two girls were sitting on Lannie's bed looking at the next part of the preparation; makeup. Lannie had never worn makeup before, and so Cadman was giving her a crash course in the basics.
"Okay, now since the Ancient's decided to give you incredible skin, you don't need to wear concealer or foundation. However, I suggest you use this bronzing powder, eyeliner, eye shadow, and lip gloss." Laura began. "Now, I have a few colors to choose from for the eye shadow, however you are wearing a blue dress so I would suggest the blue eyeliner, which will definitely make your eyes seem browner, and also a silver shadow. For the lips, you don't need much color, however I have this gloss that will look fantastic. I like gloss better than regular lipstick, it feels nicer, and since you're used to using Chapstick it will be easier." She explained.
Lannie nodded and looked at the selection in front of her. She had seen Laura get ready for dates with Carson by putting some makeup on, but she had never attempted wearing anything other than chapstick. This would definitely be a date to remember.
"Well, what do you think?" Dr. Katie Brown took a step back as she handed Lannie a mirror. Lannie stared into it seriously, studying the image in front of her. Suddenly her mouth broke out into a wide smile.
"It's perfect, Katie, thank you so much!" She exclaimed. Lannie's auburn hair was now resting at her shoulders and angled slightly around her face. Katie had also curled the ends slightly, and it was parted neatly in the middle. Lannie couldn't be happier with how it looked. She stood up and gave Katie a quick hug.
"Thank you so much. I have to go finish getting ready now, but thank you so much for this." Lannie said. Katie smiled warmly. "Of course Lannie. Have an amazing evening." Katie watched as Lannie left the room quickly. Luckily Katie's room was right down the hall from Lannie's, so she made it back without anyone seeing her. Cadman was sitting at Lannie's desk looking at something on her computer.
"Wow, Katie did an amazing job! You look great, Lannie. Now we have to get some makeup on you and get you into your dress, because your Major will be here in less than an hour." Cadman said, standing up and leading Lannie over to the bathroom. Lannie looked at Cadman slightly puzzled.
"I though you were busy today and weren't going to be able to help me." She said. Laura smiled and winked at Lannie.
"Now why would I miss this? Actually, all it took was going up to McKay and asking him a question. He got all flustered and told me to take the rest of the day off. So here I am! Now, sit down here and let me work my magic." Cadman responded as she began applying makeup to Lannie's face.
Fifteen minutes later Cadman had finished. Lannie only had a few seconds to stare in wonder at the job Laura had done before having the dress and shoes thrust at her.
"Here, finish changing and then you can stare at yourself a little more. And hurry up, knowing Lorne he'll be right on time, and I don't think I can keep him waiting a few minutes." Cadman said to her, stepping out into Lannie's main room. Lannie quickly but carefully changed out of her normal clothes and slipped into the dress. She then carefully put her heels on and then stood and smoothed everything out. Taking a deep breath, she left the bathroom.
"Oh my goodness. Lannie, you look like a totally different person. You look absolutely gorgeous, Lorne is going to totally flip out when he sees you. Here, look at yourself, what do you think?" Laura pushed Lannie over to her large mirror. Lannie was stunned at the woman in front of her. She smiled broadly and looked at Cadman.
"I have to admit, Laura, I've never felt so much like a girl before. But I totally agree that Evan is definitely going to freak out." She said, and the two began laughing. A few minutes later Lannie was still standing in front of the mirror fixing her hair slightly when her doorbell rang. Laura quickly pushed Lannie into the bathroom and went to let Major Lorne in.
"Hello, sir." She greeted him. Lorne smiled quickly at her and entered Lannie's quarters. He was visibly nervous, with a small handful of flowers in his hands. He was wearing dark navy slacks, black dress shoes, and a white shirt with thin blue pinstripes. Laura couldn't help but laugh to herself. Lorne and Lannie had dated for almost five months now including the two week break-up, and it was as if they were going on their very first date tonight. But then again, this was no regular date, Laura reminded herself.
Lorne looked over at Cadman carefully. In a low voice, he said, "You'll take care of everything once we leave, right?" Cadman nodded, then raised her voice.
"Lannie's just in the bathroom, so she'll be out in a minute. Let me go hurry her along for you, Sir." Cadman walked into the bathroom where a very nervous Lannie was pacing around.
"Hey, calm down, he's just as nervous as you are. The two of you are so funny, you're acting like this is your first date or something. Relax! You've done this before." Lannie raised her eyebrows at Cadman. "Okay, you've never done something this formal before, but it'll be fine, it's just like a regular date. Now go out there." Lannie took a deep breath and stepped out into her room.
Major Lorne's breath caught as he saw Lannie enter the room. She was absolutely stunning, and he couldn't believe how lucky he was that he was in love with such an amazing person. Lannie was also very impressed with Lorne. He definitely cleaned up nicely, and the shirt he was wearing made his eyes even bluer than normal. Lannie walked over and stood in front of the stunned Major.
"Wow, Lannie, you look…" Lorne couldn't even finish the sentence, so he gently leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. Remembering the flowers in his hands, he handed them to her.
"These are for you, I thought you'd like them." Lannie smiled warmly. "Thank you, Evan, they're beautiful. You did make sure that Katie knew you were taking them, right?" She joked. He chuckled.
"Actually, I asked Parrish for them, and since he owed me one he was more than happy to give them to me. So, are you ready to go?" He asked her. Lannie nodded, and then turned to Cadman, who was standing in the doorway to the bathroom.
"Um, Laura, do you think you can put these in water for me?" She asked. Cadman quickly walked over and took the bouquet from Lannie.
"Not a problem. You two kids have fun, and be home at a decent hour, you hear?" She joked. Lannie smiled and started for the door. Lorne shot Cadman a quick look, which was met by a slight nod, and then Lorne followed Lannie out the door.
"Okay." Cadman said, looking around the room. "Let's get started."
"So." Lannie said as they walked down the hallway. "Where are you taking me?" Lorne smiled. "Where do you think?" He responded. Lannie grinned. "Ah, the balcony. How predictable." She quipped. Lorne smirked. "Where else? But don't worry, I have a surprise for later also." He said as the two entered the transporter. "I see." Lannie answered as the doors opened to the hallway leading to the balcony. Lorne held Lannie's hand as the two walked down the deserted hallway. Because of the 28 hour days on Atlantis, the sun was just setting as the two stepped onto the balcony. Lannie gasped in amazement.
The entire balcony was sprinkled with flower petals. At table had been set up with Athosian candles and dinnerware. There were also small tea-lights lining the balcony railing. Lannie turned to Lorne in amazement.
"I told you Parrish owed me one." He said, shrugging his shoulders. Lannie shook her head in disbelief as Lorne led her over to the table. Ever the gentleman, he pulled out her chair for her and with a quick kiss on the cheek went over to a small cooler next to the table and pulled out a small bottle of champagne. Lannie looked at it inquisitively.
"It's champagne. Kind of like wine, but with carbonation. I figured it was appropriate for this evening." He explained, as he popped the cork and quickly filled two champagne flutes that were on the table. Lannie took the glass from Lorne as he sat down and raised the other one in the air. Lannie raised hers as well and met Lorne's gaze.
"To us," he began, "and to whatever the future holds, good or bad, and that as long as we know that we love each other nothing can ever break us apart. Again." He toasted. Lannie smiled and took a small sip of her champagne. It was a different taste, but she enjoyed it. She put her glass down and leaned forward towards Lorne.
"So, what exactly are we celebrating tonight?" She asked him. Lorne smiled and shook his head. "Nice try, Lannie. You'll get the surprise later. For now, let's just enjoy our dinner. Which, I know that you will eat, because not only is it what I know you do eat, I made it myself, so you automatically have to eat it." He said, standing and going over to a tray resting on another small table. He removed two plates and carried them back, placing one in front of Lannie. Lannie looked down to see Chicken Parmesan with linguine. She looked up at Lorne shocked.
"You took over the kitchen again?" Lorne laughed.
"I didn't completely take it over. You know how my mom made sure of it so that when I went to college I wouldn't starve, because believe it or not I used to be a picky eater like you are. Thankfully I grew out of that really quickly, but it's always a good skill to have. Plus, being nice to the kitchen staff as well helps, which is how I was able to get the supplies and make everything. They were kind enough to keep it all warm and bring it out here before we got here. I hope you like it." He explained to her. Lannie looked at Lorne in amazement and then began cutting into her food. She tentatively took a first bite.
"Evan. This is really good." She managed as soon as she had swallowed. Lorne chuckled and the two continued to eat their meal.
"So, who cut and did your hair for you? I know that Cadman managed to get some makeup on you, and it looks really nice." Lorne asked her. Lannie smiled. "Katie Brown. She's actually very good at it, she said she used to cut all her friends' hair in College. I think she's so good because she has to prune flowers and plants as her job, but that's my theory." Lannie said. "Well she did an amazing job. I know you wanted to cut your hair for a little while now." Lorne responded. Lannie nodded and took another sip of her champagne.
After a while they had both finished their dinner. Lorne stood quickly and cleared both plates from the table. He then quickly took something from the cooler and began arranging two smaller plates. He brought them over to the table.
"Is this cheesecake?" Lannie asked. Lorne nodded as he sat down. "Yes, it is, and no, I didn't make it. The kitchen ordered some for some reason and I managed to snag two pieces for tonight. I hope you like it." Lannie nodded enthusiastically as she took her first bite. The two quickly finished their desserts and sat back with their champagne.
Lannie looked out over the water. The sun had just set and the sky was a violet color. She could hear the water below lapping up against the lower levels of the City. She was so engrossed in the scenery that she didn't notice Lorne stand up and walk over to a small device. Quiet music started up, and Lannie looked up to see Lorne's hand extended to her and a smile in his eyes.
"Care to dance?" He asked her. Lannie took his hand and stood up. "I don't really know how." She responded. The two walked over to a clear area and Lorne put his free hand around Lannie's waist, motioning her to put her own hand on his shoulder.
"Just let me guide you." He said softly, squeezing Lannie's other hand gently and pulling it, and her, closer to him. The two gently swayed to the music, lost in each other's eyes. Once Lorne knew that Lannie was comfortable, he started gently moving her around their pseudo-dance floor.
"This is just a simple waltz." He said to her. Lannie looked at him with a smirk.
"Your mom?" She asked. He smiled and nodded. "My brother, sister, and I are probably the most well rounded people you will ever meet. Mom made sure that we were very cultured, as she called it." He said, gently pushing her away from him and giving her a spin. Lannie giggled as he did this. The two gently twirled around the balcony for a few more songs, then another very slow song came on. Lorne pulled Lannie close to him with both arms around her waist, and she draped her arms around his neck, nuzzling her head into his shoulder, silently grateful for the height her heels gave her. The two held each other close, barely swaying to the music. Lorne gently lifted Lannie's head to meet his as he kissed her gently. They continued kissing until the song ended and they slowly broke apart. Lorne pulled Lannie closer to him again in a hug, Lannie sighing contently.
Lorne gently pulled away from Lannie after a moment and looked into her eyes.
"So, are you ready for the surprise yet?" He asked her. Lannie's eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. He chuckled and threaded her arm through his, and the two left the darkening balcony. "One of the kitchen staff is coming up here to clean the dishes off for us in a little while, and I'll come back here tomorrow to clean everything else." He reassured her as they walked down the hall. They stopped in front of the transporter, as Lorne stood in front of Lannie, taking both of her hands in his.
"Okay. This is a pretty major thing I have planned now, so I'm going to need to blindfold you. Is that all right?" Lannie nodded. "I trust you Evan." She replied. Lorne kissed her quickly and then pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket. He gently tied the blindfold tightly over Lannie's eyes, then took her hand.
"Okay, let's get going." He said, and led her into the transporter. He quickly pressed the area of their destination and in an instant they were standing in a quiet hallway. Lorne led Lannie down a short way to just in front of a door. He took a deep breath. "You ready?" He asked her. Lannie nodded and giggled uncomfortably. Lorne waved his free hand over the crystals and the door opened. He led Lannie into the room and the doors swished closed behind them.
"Okay," Lorne said, moving behind Lannie. "You ready?" "Yes, Evan, I'm ready." Lannie responded, growing more nervous now that they were wherever the surprise was. Lorne began untying the knot holding the blindfold. "Now," he began, "You have to keep your eyes closed until I say so. Promise?" Lannie shifted on her feet in anticipation.
"I promise. Come on Evan, show me!" She said. Lorne chuckled and took the blindfold off, checking to make sure that Lannie's eyes were tightly closed. Lorne took a quick look around where they were standing, and nodded in approval. "Okay, Lannie, open your eyes." He said, taking a step back from her.
Lannie slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times to focus. She was standing in what was apparently a living room. There were a few couches around a center coffee table, with a small rug underneath. Closer to the door was a desk set up with what appeared to be Lannie's laptop and some framed pictures that Lannie recognized as Lorne's. To the left of the door was a small kitchen area with a table for two. Off to one side was another doorway which Lannie guessed led to a bedroom, and another to the bathroom. Lannie took a few steps forward as she looked around the room with wide eyes. Across from Lannie were large windows that opened to a small balcony facing the West, and the wall to her right had the tapestry from Lannie's room hanging on it. The other wall had some of the posters that Lorne had had in his room. Lannie turned slowly to face Lorne.
"Evan, where are we, and why are our things in here?" She asked him, slightly bewildered. Lorne smiled and stepped forward and took Lannie's hands.
"Well, if you want it, this can be our place. I found these quarters a few weeks ago and well, I couldn't pass this opportunity up. So I've been fixing up the place for the last few weeks, and a few days ago I started moving some of my things in here, which is why I've been staying with you lately. I asked Dr. Weir's and Colonel Sheppard's permission yesterday to move in together, and I had Cadman move a few of your things down here while we were having dinner. Lannie." He paused slightly, looking into her eyes. "Lannie, you know how much I love you. And you know how we always end up staying over each other's rooms. This would be a much better situation for us, and I really want this. So, Atlanteá, Lannie, do you want to move in together?"
Lannie looked once more around the living area. Smirking, she looked back at Lorne. "Well, my things being here is a little presumptuous of you, Evan." She said. He grinned sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. Lannie looked up at the ceiling in mock thought, then looked back into Lorne's eyes beaming.
"I would absolutely love to move in with you Evan Lorne." She answered him, giggling as he let out a whoop of joy and grabbed her into a bear hug and swung her around. He set her down and planted an intense kiss on her. The kiss ended a few minutes later as they both broke apart gasping for air. They had moved over to the couch area, and so Lannie dropped onto one of them and looked around in wonder.
"So you've really been working on this for a while, huh?" Lannie asked him. Lorne sat down next to her and nodded. "Yea, whenever I had a chance. There was some water damage, and I thought it needed a paint job, so I've been fixing it up. I started moving my things in here a few days ago. I told Cadman about the idea when I asked her to help move some of your things in here, which is why she was there tonight to help you finish getting ready. I hope you don't mind."
Lannie smiled and shook her head. "And the reason why you had to talk to Dr. Weir and John yesterday was to ask permission to do all of this?" She asked. Lorne nodded again. "Let's just say that I appealed to their hopeless romantic sides. But they're supporting this, and us, so I'm grateful." Lannie smiled and looked around. She once again noticed the doorway to the one room she had yet to see. Realizing that her feet were throbbing in the heels, she quickly took them off and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Lorne asked. Lannie looked at him slyly. "I'm going to check out the bedroom." She answered, walking towards the door. Lorne grinned and jumped up from the couch to follow her into the room.
The walls were painted a deep blue color, and there were windows facing the South with two comfortable chairs in front of them. There was a large bed in the middle of the room, much bigger than the regular beds in everyone else's quarters, with cream colored sheets. The headboard of the bed was wide, and on top of it were a few books, a light, and Lannie's favorite picture of her and Lorne. Across from the bed was a double dresser with a large mirror, and two closets on either side. The majority of Lorne's clothing was already hanging in the closet, with only a few of Lannie's things in the other.
"I figured you'd want to move your own things in here, so Cadman just brought a few things over." Lorne said to her. Lannie slowly walked around the room, but looked back up at Lorne.
"How far away are we from our old rooms?" She asked.
"Actually, we're only a floor down. There's no one really living on this level yet, so there wasn't much power, but when I spoke with Dr. Weir yesterday I convinced her to reroute just enough power for us." Lorne explained. Lannie nodded. She knew that there were these larger quarters here in the City, but for whatever reason most people stayed in the smaller rooms. She sat down on the bed as she finally started to adapt to her new surroundings. She and Lorne were going to live together. And Lannie had to admit, their new quarters were impressive. Lorne had really taken the time to make the place comfortable for both of them. The thought put into both this and the date was impressive, and Lannie couldn't believe that Lorne was such a romantic person. Sure, he always showed her signs of affection, but this was totally new.
Lannie lay back on the bed and tried to get comfortable, but she quickly remembered that she was wearing a dress. "Did Cadman bring over a few pairs of my pajamas?" Lannie asked, sitting up again. Lorne nodded and pointed over to the dresser. "Your side is the right." He said. He followed her over to the dresser and wrapped his arms around her.
"Hey." He said softly. "Can I just have one more minute to admire how beautiful you look in this dress?" Lannie blushed and turned around in his arms. Grinning slyly, she took a step back and slowly twirled around.
"Oh, yea. Gorgeous." Lorne murmured. Lannie giggled and then moved back over to the dresser. She opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. Throwing a quick look at Lorne, she left the bedroom and headed to the bathroom.
The bathroom was fairly large, with a wide shower and two basin sinks. Lannie was once again impressed. Lorne had found the perfect quarters for them. Lannie quickly slipped out of her dress and sighed in relief as she pulled her pajama pants on and pulled the tank top over her head. Seeing as how she had never worn a dress before, it was definitely something she would have to get used to. She walked back into the living area, and with a thought dimmed the lights down.
When she entered the bedroom she saw that Lorne was lying on the bed and had also changed out of his dress clothes. He was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt with sleeves that barely covered his shoulders, revealing his muscular arms and a few tattoos. Lannie had been very surprised to see that Lorne had tattoos, but he had explained that it was 'the thing to do' when he was in basic and in other trainings. Lannie moved over to her closet and hung her dress up on an empty hanger that was there. Lannie turned back towards the bed and stood at the foot, looking at Lorne.
"So, I guess you've already picked your side?" She asked teasingly. Sighing dramatically, Lorne sat up and reached out to grab Lannie and pull her onto the bed. The two fell back into the middle of the bed, and Lannie instantly curled up in Lorne's arms.
"So." He said quietly, playing with her hair. "Did you have a good evening?"
Lannie looked up into Lorne's now grey-blue eyes. "I had the most amazing night of my life. Thus far." Lorne chuckled and kissed Lannie's forehead and pulled her closer to him. Within minutes, the two were fast asleep.
"Well, it's a good thing that I started your moving process, otherwise we'd be at it all day long, and that's definitely not fun." Cadman said, folding some of Lannie's shirts and putting them into a box. Lannie was sitting at her desk sorting through papers she had found in a drawer, deciding if they were important enough to keep or not. There was already a large trash bag full of things that she no longer wanted. Lannie sighed slightly and threw all the papers in the bag, not even reading all of them.
"It is a good thing, and I guess it's helpful also that I get to clean this place up, because I never realized how much stuff I have. How many boxes do I have already?" Lannie replied.
"Only four at the moment, but with the rest of your clothes and a few other things, you might have three more, maybe four. Do you want to start moving them down to your new place?" Cadman asked, winking at Lannie. Lannie had radioed Cadman once she had woken up that morning to ask for help in moving all her things. Lorne had a few boxes left in his room, which was already cleaned out and pretty much empty, so he was going to get his things moved in and then help Lannie unpack all of her belongings. Even though Cadman had known about the surprise, she still gushed over it with Lannie when she had arrived.
"No, Evan said that he would be by soon to help bring everything down. So let me help you fill the rest of the boxes. I have a feeling though that we're not going to have enough room and half of this is going to end up staying in the boxes." Lannie said. "For someone who's only been alive not even seven months, I have accumulated an impressive amount of possessions."
Cadman laughed. "Well that's what happens when people are excited about showing their culture to a person, especially when that person is you and you're always excited about everything. Don't worry about things ending up in boxes, it always happens. It's a good thing you have closet space for it all."
Lannie nodded slightly, biting her lip. She didn't want to let on the one secret about the room that she didn't even think Lorne knew about. There was another room attached to their quarters, one that was currently hidden behind the large tapestry of Lannie's. Lannie figured that she would use the small room to store things for the moment.
The door swished open and Major Lorne entered the room. He stepped over to Lannie and gave her a quick kiss.
"Hey Hun. Hello Cadman, how's the packing going?" Laura gestured around the room. "How do you think? Want to give us a hand?" She quipped back. He chuckled and grabbed an empty box.
"Why not. I'll pack up all your decorations and you and Cadman can finish packing your clothes." He said to Lannie.
"How is it possible that I have so many clothes? I wear a uniform most of the time!" Lannie bemoaned. Laura laughed.
"Because people wanted you to be comfortable, and since you're not really part of the expedition you don't always need to wear a uniform. And it's not like you don't enjoy wearing all your clothes. Be grateful, I have like 3 outfits that aren't regulation, and I would kill to have civvies to wear all the time. Besides, it just looks like you have a lot because the boxes are small." She said. Lannie shrugged.
"I guess so. I suppose it just looks like I have so much stuff because I'm moving it all. But hey, we're almost done, which is good." Lannie commented. The three quickly managed to finish all the packing within the next twenty minutes, and then started loading everything onto the cart that Lorne had brought with him into the room.
"Well, my part is done. I expect a housewarming invitation as soon as you two are completely settled in. I'll see you later." With that, Cadman left the two in Lannie's room. Lorne turned to Lannie and pulled her to him.
"So, you ready to say goodbye to your room?" He asked her. Lannie took one more look around her room. Everything was removed from the walls, the books were gone, and her closet was empty. It looked eerily empty, and Lannie sighed.
"Yes, I think I'm ready. This was a nice place to live, but I look forward more to the future." She grinned and looked up at Lorne, who leaned down and kissed her happily. The two turned and Lorne pushed the cart out of the door.
Two exhausting hours later, Lannie collapsed onto one of the couches in her and Lorne's new quarters. She had unpacked the majority of her things, but there were still two boxes left over. Currently they were at the bottom of her closet, which had been filled with her clothes, as well as the three drawers in the dresser that were hers. Lorne had left her to unpack her clothing as he tackled all of the trinkets and decorations that she had. There were now a few more pictures up on the walls, and decorations around the room as well. The coffee table held a small assortment of Athosian candles and a book or two, and the shelves that were on one part of a wall were full of books collected both by Lannie and Lorne.
Lorne came over and sat down next to Lannie. "Well, you're all moved in." He said, smiling at her. Lannie turned her head and smiled tiredly back at him.
"Yes, I am. But I am also very tired because of it." She lay down on the couch and put her legs across Lorne's. Lorne rubbed her calves and smiled at her.
"Well, as tiring as I'm sure it was, I'm glad you're finally here. Hey, do you really want to have a housewarming, like Cadman suggested?" He asked her. Lannie shrugged.
"Well, seeing as how you asked Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard permission to do all of this, I figure we owe it to them to invite them over to see the place. And because they know, McKay, Teyla, Ronon, and Carson also know about it. It might be a nice idea, actually. We could cook a dinner and have everyone over at once. We have the space, and the couches. It's up to you, though, if you feel comfortable having them over and cooking a meal for them." Lannie said.
"Or we could always do a potluck. That's when everyone brings one thing of food over. But then again, there's no guarantee that they'd bring over anything decent, so maybe I should cook. You want to help me and learn if I do that?" He asked her. Lannie smiled.
"Sure. I do want to learn how to cook. Right now I only know how to boil water for tea, which is actually what I would love right now. And since we have a kitchen, I can make some." Lannie made to move off of the couch, but Lorne stopped her.
"I'll go make us some tea, you relax." He said, standing and walking to the kitchen area. As he went about getting the water set, he said, "So, when would you want to have this housewarming? I have a mission the day after next to escort Dr. Lindsay to her weekly check in with the people on 177, so we could have it after that, if you want. It would also give us a few days just to ourselves to adjust to everything. What do you think?"
Lannie nodded. "That sounds good. I definitely think we need some alone time together before we have company." She grinned wickedly, as Lorne left the kitchen to come over to kiss Lannie.
"I completely agree." He said. Lannie grinned as Lorne kissed her again, then went back to get their cups of tea. He walked back over to the couch, and the two sat comfortably together in their new quarters.
----------TBC------------
Thoughts? I tried to describe the quarters as best as I could, I have this image in my mind of the perfect space, but for some reason it's a little tricky for me to express it. Also, I thought it 'gentlemanly' of Lorne to ask permission to move in with Lannie. And obviously, there's a lead in to Coup D'Etat, which will probably be my next chapter. I don't know when I'll have a chance to write it, but I have some really good ideas for ways to parallel it. So, I really hope you enjoyed it, and please review!