Chapter 27

"This is pretty serious accusations, Mr Buckley. Do you have anything to prove what you're saying?"

He sneers disdainfully. "I thought it was quite obvious, Ma'am. The facts speak for themselves. You only need to put two and two together," he says, bordering on insolence, implying she had not bothered to do so.

She almost flies into a rage – almost. It wouldn't do any good, only bring more suspicions her way, and she needs to look impartial too if she wants to get John and Louise out of this mess.

"Mr Buckley, you don't understand. If you send this report to the big brass back on Earth, they're going to laugh at you. So I advise you strongly to have more than rumors, suspicions and a few amateurish photos you've yourself taken without asking for permission first, might I add," she retorts curtly as she flips through his so-called file. "As for accusing people, you must know everyone has the right to be told why and by whom he's being accused. So, I'm going to ask Colonel Sheppard and Ms Léger to come and join me here, separately, and see what they have to say."

"That's all I'm asking for, Ma'am, that's all I'm asking for!" He replies triumphantly. If they are summoned to Dr Weir's office, they're one step closer to being officially suspected and that's all he needs to get the show on the road.

"Colonel Sheppard, come in."

He taps his headset and replies, pouting at Louise. They've for once settled down at a table and are playing a game of checkers. He's winning. Bummer! "Yes, Ma'am. What can I do for you?" he replies gracefully.

The voice that answers him is strained. "Please report to my office, Colonel. Weir out."

He lifts his eyebrows at Louise and shrugs. "Guess we'll have to call that one a draw, though I was definitely going to kick your ass, chef!"

She tucks her tongue at him. "You wish!"

He stands, chuckling. "Sorry, sweetie, got to go. Rain check tonight after your shift?"

She nods with a smile when she hears Dr Weir's voice in her communicator. "Ms Léger, come in." She glances at John briefly who waits for her to tell him what's going on. "Yes, Ma'am?"

"Please report to my office immediately. Weir out." The voice is curt.

Louise gives John a worried look. "What's going on? I've been summoned too..."

He sighs and motions for her to follow him. "We'll find out soon enough, I guess."

John is ushered into Elizabeth's office while Louise is asked to wait. She sits next to the door but can't help glancing from time to time towards the office. John is standing at attention in front of Weir's desk, his hands behind his back. At one point, she hears him bark a very angry "What?" and is ordered to sit down. She sees the side of his face. It seems his skin looks suddenly ashen. Louise fidgets in her chair. She sees Chuck eye her from the Control Room. No matter how much she tries to school herself, she can't help watching Sheppard and Weir intently. Something is definitely very wrong there. She sees Elizabeth push a file towards John which he opens, flips through briefly and hands back to her. He looks disdainful and white with rage. She seems to be warning him, leaning towards him across the desk as if wanting to caution him against doing something stupid. Then the interview is finally over and John heads for the door.

"We have an agreement, Colonel, remember?" Elizabeth calls after him.

He nods curtly and doesn't stop at the door but as he passes Louise, she feels his hand briefly brush hers. He heads for the conference room and the doors close behind him. Whatever happened there, he's going to want to let out some steam before round two.

"Please, come in, Ms Léger," Elizabeth beckons her all business-like. "And close the door."

She does as told and waits in front of her leader's desk. Elizabeth is not her partner in pictionary at their Friday night sessions today. She's her boss and apparently a very worried one. "Ms Léger, have a seat," she says, smiling briefly at her.

"If you don't mind, Ma'am, I'd prefer to remain standing." She doesn't know if her legs are going to support her for long though, seeing as she feels the worry bubbling inside her to a dangerous level, a sense of foreboding settling in her stomach.

Elizabeth nods her agreement. "Ms Léger. It's so appear you and Colonel Sheppard are the subjects of very serious accusations. I've asked you two to come here separately first to inform you and ask you a few questions. I'll try to be honest with you so I hope you'll return the favor."

Louise gulps and nods quietly.

"Ms Léger," she continues, pushing towards her the same file she's seen John flip through, "Mr Buckley is accusing you both of having improper conduct that might very well endanger the City." Louise gasps. Elizabeth lifts her hand. "Please, let me finish. He contends you've befriended a Wraith and has made an extended list of facts he reproaches you with, both in and out of the kitchen. As you can see, he must have worked on it from the start as there are entries to his "journal" from day one. He has also requested to add the videos from the kitchen and storage area to his report to prove his point – namely that you come and go as you like and allow too many people to roam around freely in that section of the City at any time of day or night. He's also made a list of things he reproaches you with as an under-cook, but we won't talk about that now because the point is, they're the least of our worries."

Louise turns the pages, barely seeing them but gasps again when she sees the photos. "Those," she points at them, pushing them towards Elizabeth, "must have been taken last night. Why?" she cries out in indignation. "Why would he stalk us? It doesn't make any sense!"

Elizabeth sighs. "Because he needed leverage and he's found it, I guess." Louise looks nonplussed so Elizabeth elaborates. "He's accusing you of having too much influence on Colonel Sheppard, which he contends could lead to a security breach."

Louise shakes her head. "What? But I don't see how I could have too much influence on a friend."

"Unfortunately, it's not what Mr Buckley says you are. And he's using those photos to make his point." Elizabeth looks sorry for her but most of all, helpless.

"Ma'am, are you telling us we might get under the scrutiny of the IOA for that?"

Elizabeth pouts. "If his report makes it back to Earth, yes."

"Are you going to let him do that?" Louise demands, dumbfounded.

"I might not have the choice, Louise. Look," she adds, seeing Louise waver on her feet. "why don't you sit down?"

"This is a nightmare," she says, dropping rather than sitting onto the chair. "This can't be happening. I've done everything he asked me – everything. God, he trampled on me time and again and I let him have his way so he would leave me be."

Elizabeth winces. "You should never have done that Ms Léger. Never. Why didn't you come to me? Or John?"

She shakes her head. "And let him know you knew, when he had specified I shouldn't talk about it to anyone? Now, come on, Ma'am. Why jeopardize everything I worked for for a little pride?"

"Because as you can now see, Louise, it was not enough. I'm sorry but you're going to have to find a line of defense against him and answer his accusations with the plain truth because he won't let go until he's won or lost the game."

"Why is he doing that to me? The guy is imcompetent. He won't last a week." The thoughts are swirling in her head, not making any sense.

"Because he must gather now you've trained everyone, replenished the stocks, gotten the trading part on cruise control, the thing can run smoothly without even him at the helm."

"Ma'am, it's complicated to explain to someone who's never worked in a kitchen but it's not as simple. He needs someone to do the job if he doesn't do it himself – someone who'll keep everyone busy, someone who'll mind the stock sensibly, not just tick boxes," she reasons, more for herself than for Elizabeth's sake.

"I know, Louise. He thinks Privates Wilson and Ridgeway can do it. He's asked for them to be promoted to the rank of under-cooks."

She shakes her head in disbelief and disgust. Not that it's Wilson's or Ridgeway's fault. They probably have nothing to do with that. They hate it being in charge when she's on leave. Say it's too much work and too much worry. But accusing her and John just to get rid of her? That's even below what she'd thought him capable of.

"Ms Léger, now, we're going to join John and Mr Buckley in the conference room. I've asked two witnesses to come as well, beside a secretary. Everything that is said in that room will be recorded and sent to the IOA. I advise you strongly against masking the truth or not answering. Direct answers. Keep it clear and simple even as to the whys of those photos. I'm sure nothing inappropriate will be found on the videos from the kitchen and storage area but the photos suggest things you two might want to come clean about." Elizabeth looks embarassed as she motions for Louise to follow her.

"Ma'am, I assure you..."

Elizabeth cuts her in. "As did Colonel Sheppard, yes. It's not me you want to convince. If I could, I would be on your side. Circumstances are, I need to remain impartial."

"Mr Buckley," Elizabeth greets him tersly. "Have a seat." John narrows his eyes at him as the guy walks into the room. He avoids eye contact and plops down in the chair beside Louise, making her flinch. "Not there," Elizabeth orders him. "Take a seat opposite Colonel Sheppard and Ms Léger. I need you to be facing the people you're accusing of such great offense when you're going to repeat everything you've written in that file."

He complies but looks nonplussed. "I don't get it. I thought you'd be the one conducting the interviews. I don't see what I'm doing here actually."

"You, Sir," John says through clenched teeth, "are going to have to look me and Louise in the eye as you repeat each and every one of your fat lies. Because don't get me wrong. When I'm done with you, you'll regret ever thinking you could come up with such accusations."

"Now, now, John," Elizabeth warns him. "No threats!"

"Oh, no, Ma'am, it's no threat at all..." he says, sneering, letting the meaning of it hang in there between them.

She clears her throat and begins, nodding at the secretary who switches on the recording device on his tablet and gets ready to make notes as well. "Let us begin, shall we? For the record, we are here today to determine the circumstances leading to grave accusations of treason against Ms Léger, the current under-cook to this expedition and thus Colonel John Sheppard, the City's 2IC..."

She insists on the word "treason" and Buckley's head snaps up. "Ma'am, if I may..." She nods. "Since I'm the one making the accusations here, I have to correct your previous statement. I have never accused Colonel Sheppard of anything except being too lenient to Ms Léger and maybe being under her influence. It's only Ms Léger I suspect of not being a trust-worthy element on this base."

Elizabeth's eyebrows shoot to her hairline. "It's either one or the other! You can't have it both ways. Either Ms Léger has a harmful influence on Colonel Sheppard and in that case they're both eligible for the IOA's scrutiny or she doesn't, in which case you can only accuse her of having questionable behavior towards the Wraith we call Michael and being inefficient at work, as I have gathered from your "journal"," she points out, reclining in her chair and joining her hands together.

It's a gesture John knows quite well by now. She does it every time she starts a negociation and knows she has a fair chance of winning. He smirks. He wants to wink at Louise, reassure her somehow, but it would not be wise. They need to be strictly professional for the moment.

"Which one is it, then?" she insists, seeing Buckley scowl.

He huffs. "The second," he mumbles.

"I'm sorry, Mr Buckley. Can you repeat that louder, please? I don't think the microphone has picked your answer," she tells him with a smirk.

He leans towards the tablet. "I said I'm not accusing Colonel Sheppard of being under the harmful influence of Ms Léger. But I still think she shouldn't be friends with him," he adds hurriedly and gets a reproving look from Elizabeth.

"What you think is of no interest to the IOA, Mr Buckley. I gather they have other fish to fry but listen to anyone rambling on who is acceptable as a friend for our 2IC. We're not in the playground, here," she adds nastily.

He's fuming but knows he has no choice but to suck it up. "Very well, Ma'am. Still, I believe the IOA needs to be told about the questionable relationship between my under-cook and that Wraith! I'm sure they'll be very interested to know he was allowed through her to roam almost freely around the City, collecting data about our base!"

John sits straight, glaring at him. "Now, wait a minute! She never allowed for that to happen because she has no power over military decisions as you've just agreed! Besides," he adds, glancing at Elizabeth to make sure he's not overstepping the boundaries, speaking before her. She smiles briefly, letting him know it's OK. "You seem to forget a little too rapidly this was part of the plan all along. Louise – I mean Ms Léger – had no idea at the time he was Wraith. She was asked to help a seemingly amnesiac soldier recover his memory. Dr Beckett and Dr Heightmeyer discussed it beforehand with Dr Weir, as the files we've sent to Homeworld Security will show."

Louise breathes in, then out slowly. She can't believe the nerve of the guy.

"Well, yes, but she voiced out her disapproval about the project. And she was very vocal about it, if I well remember," Buckley plods on, feeling he's on slippery ground. It's not going as well as he had anticipated. He's already had to lose one battle – one he was determined to win because of the anger that bubbles up inside of him every time he sees Sheppard and Louise together. He needs her lonely, not pampered by no less than Captain Kirk himself.

"That too is none of your concern. We, in the City, have rights and one of them is the most important ever granted upon Man – our freedom of speech. She never jeopardized the project by saying so – only gave her opinion, as she's allowed to." Elizabeth's tone is final.

Buckley breathes in and out, trying to keep his anger at bay. This is not going well at all! "Well, Ma'am, in that case, let's talk about Ms Léger's attitude. As the IOA will probably be interested to learn," he says, leaning again towards the microphone, "I have listed quite a few unacceptable behaviorable patterns that I contend are not in keeping with this base's strict protocol of obedience and respect to one's superiors as well as a demanding enforcement of such rules towards one's subordinates. The list of Ms Léger's infringements of these rules is endless. She has repeatedly challenged my authority, in front of our subordinates, might I add, and in return, let them become lazy and disrespectful towards herself and I as well. This is unacceptable, not only in my line of business but also and above all in a military contingent." He smiles at Louise sweetly and falls silent, knowing he's struck a nerve there and won half of the battle, finally.

Louise rakes her mind for any incident that might lean towards what he's accusing her of. She's clueless and feels the situation is slipping away from them. "You're twisting the truth," she says meekly, not wanting to give away too much in front of John who might go berseck if he learns Buckley is the one who's too lenient with the staff and disrespectful to her.

Elizabeth sees she won't defend herself and decides to put an end to the meeting, knowing they've reached a dead end. ""Do you have anything to add, Mr Buckley?"

"I think I've made my point, don't you think?" he replies smugly.

"Yes, you have. Do you wish to keep the videos and photos on the file before I send them along with the interview? Because I wouldn't want you to be asked embarassing questions as to the whys and hows..." she asks innocently and sees John snigger silently from the corner of her eye. Louise cringes at the thought of said photos. What will the IOA think of John if they see them?

Buckley thinks about it but then, to everyone's relief, shakes his head.

Once again, Elizabeth makes sure the IOA hears the answer. "No, Ma'am. I think they won't be useful to bring light to the matter at hand."

"All right, then, meeting's adjourned." She nods her thanks to the secretary as well as Chuck and another tech who've served as witnesses. "I will send you all the transcript from this interview. Kindly review it and sign it. I'll need to send it to the SGC asap. Mr Buckley, you're dismissed. Ms Léger and Colonel Sheppard, a word before you go..." John and Louise sit back in their chairs, wincing. They're both drained and only need to get the hell out of there – John to vent off his anger and Louise to hole up in her quarters and cry. "Oh, and Mr Buckley, since you think your under-cook is not up to her task, I think you won't find fault in her taking a leave of absence for a few days. I briefly went through the logs after you left my office and have noticed she, as well as Privates Wilson and Ridgeway, have worked double-shifts these last few weeks on more than one occasion. They've earned to have several days off."

Buckley blanches. "But I need them here, Ma'am. How am I suppose to fare if you remove all essential personnel from my staff?"

Elizabeth plods on, unforgiving. "But I'm sure you'll manage somehow. Ms Léger used to on her own and never complained about it..."

"Very well," he says through clenched teeth and glares at Louise before leaving.

John sniggers but Louise can't help the shudder from creeping up her spine. The situation has gone from frustrating and humiliating to downright nightmarish. "Well done, Elizabeth," John rewards his boss and friend with his trademark grin.

Louise doesn't contradict him but asks to be allowed to leave. "I'm not done yet, Ms Léger," Elizabeth tells her, looking her straight in the eye. She looks annoyed. "I asked you to stay for two reasons, the first one being that I need to make things clear for you. It is my belief that your inability to draw the line with Mr Buckley or come to us when we could have done something has led to this disastrous situation. We're already under the scrutiny of Homeworld Security and the IOA. Some of our decisions are regularly being questioned and John and I both know it'll be difficult in the near future to find a balance with those who make the decisions back on Earth but have no clue as to what's going on here. Your attitude towards your superior is really not helping," she chides her. John opens his mouth to voice out his disapproval at the way Elizabeth is treating Louise. She silences him with a glare. "I'm not finished, John. There is a huge difference, Ms Léger, between being compassionate and patient and letting others trample you and the second choice is clearly not the right one. You will not get anything from being bullied except more bullying. If you don't learn how to behave around both your subordinates and superiors alike, I might have no choice but to remove you from active duty. Is that clear?"

Louise fights back the tears. Dr Weir is showing her a side of herself she would gladly not encounter twice. She understands better why she was chosen of all people to lead the expedition. She's not military but she's a born leader. Louise hangs her head. "Yes, Ma'am."

Elizabeth smiles at her and approaches her. She rubs her arm affectionately. "There, there, Louise. Don't cry. It needed to be said."

John growls. "You could have said it differently."

She turns to him ans stares him down. "And she would not have listened to a word I would have said. Thanks but no thanks. I think Louise now knows where I stand and will act accordingly." Louise nods and breathes out. "But it won't be that simple, Ma'am. Now, they're all used to me being what I am." She winces knowing Elizabeth has set an impossible task for her.

"Not if I teach them a lesson they won't forget. I'm sorry to say things are gonna get hectic in the mess hall for a while. People might not get the food they take for granted or eat on time and I'm sorry about that. But when I'm done with Buckley and his unruly staff, they'll come crawling at your feet, Louise." Elizabeth looks smugly at John, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I see... So you're ordering them to take a few days off so Buckley realizes his mistake..." He smirks then sobers up. "Boy, I'm gonna have to live on power bars!" He pouts. "And Rodney... I don't want to be there when he learns about it."

Elizabeth smirks. "Exactly! But as for you, John, you won't be there. I'll call you back if something comes up but for now, you're flying Ms Léger and Privates Wilson and Ridgeway to the mainland. And staying there, I might add." She looks very pleased with her plan.

Louise looks at her dumbfounded. "Why do you want me to go to the mainland? I already brought supplies to them with Dr Beckett not a week ago."

"I know Ms Léger. But the logs will testify to the need of the Athosians to get extra help from Atlantis in rebuilding shelters and stocking up food before they can fend for themselves after harvest time. And you, your faithful cooks and Colonel Sheppard will do just that. Now dismissed. I need you to inform your team and gear up."

TBC