'Thank you all for being here', Dr. Weir began as she sat down at the conference room table.

Evy looked around the participants, smiling when she locked eyes with Dr Beckett, giving a curt nod to Dr. Mackay and as her eyes travelled past the people at the table she couldn't help but linger for a while, inspecting a thin, tall man with glasses and a ponytail, looking at Dr. Weir severely. He had a cross look on his face and grimaced nearly every time she opened her mouth, snorting and shaking his head in disapproval. Having met many, but surely not all, team members, Evy concluded that this must be the famous Dr. Peter Kavanagh and judging from the look on his face, he was not prepared to make nice during this meeting.

'First of all, as you all know, Dr. Crawley has been helping me these past weeks', Dr. Weir lifted her hand at Evy and she nodded to some of the people at the table. She caught Dr. Kavanagh looking at her. The look in his eyes made her uncomfortable but she quickly shook it off.

'During the search of an isolated area of the city last month, the team came across several tablets of script. I am now convinced we know what they say and if true, this discovery could change the world as we know it.' She paused for a moment. 'It speaks of a formula that helps regenerate human life. What that means and how it works we don't know yet but several tablets speak of the formula being recorded in the library. And so', she looked up at Evy, 'our aim is to find the tablet and find out what the formula exactly entails.'

'If true', Rodney added, 'if the formula can truly regenerate humans, it could mean a radical change in healthcare. An end to hospitalization!' He laughed triumphantly.

'Ye want te get rid of me that badly Rodney?' Carson laughed at his friend, who had the decency to look a little ashamed.

'No of course not, that's not what I…'

Dr. Weir cut in. 'What it means is that we can move our research to the next level and who knows what other technologies we will find. I hope you will all support Dr. Crawley in her efforts.'

Heads nodded, smiles were exchanged and Dr. Weir went on with business. When the meeting was finally over Evy waited for Dr. Beckett but was surprised when Dr. Kavanagh approached her. He held out his hand and she shook it. 'We've not been introduced yet.' He said curtly.

'Must have been an oversight, I'm sure', Evy responded kindly. She was in no rush to make an enemy out of this man, no matter how many times she'd overheard people complaining about the severity of his temper and general disposition. 'I hear you are working with the off-world analysis teams on the remains of an Ancient shelter on KX-1278?' She tried to see if Dr. Weir was ready to release Carson yet but was blocked by Kavanagh.

'You're well informed.' He replied, looking down on her.

'Am I?' She asked, turning to the side and heading for the stairs. Kavanagh followed her down.

'Not many people care about what I do', Kavanagh commented as he caught up with her, 'but I don't mind. I do what I have to do and whatever Weir tells me to do. She can be quite the tyrant when it comes down to it. You better sleep with one eye open once she's got her arrows aimed firmly at you. One step out of line and you're back on the Deadalus heading home.' He laughed and for a moment he seemed lighter, the darkness lifted from his face.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Evy turned to the tall man. 'Why are you telling me this?'

Kavanagh stepped closer and nearly automatically Evy backed away. 'You seem like someone who will listen to what I need to say. Someone I can talk to.' He paused and knitted his eyebrows together. 'Can I?'

'Talk to me?' Evy asked.

'Yes. In private. This afternoon.' He lowered his voice and the menacing look in his eyes returned. 'It's urgent.'

'Dr. Crawley?' At the top of the stairs Carson waved and Evy nodded at him.

'Be right there', she called at him and then in a lower voice, turning back to Kavanagh, 'alright, if you insist. This afternoon in the library.' She quickly passed him by and made her way back up the stairs where Carson and Dr. Weir were waiting for her.

'Everything alright over there?' Elizabeth inquired. 'It seemed a little tense.'

Evy smiled and shook her head. 'Everything's fine. Just getting to know Dr. Kavanagh a bit better.'

Both Elizabeth and Carson laughed. 'I'd be careful if I were you. Peter Kavanagh is a man on a mission and in this case his bark is as bad as his bite.' Dr. Weir patted Evy on the shoulder and walked back into her office. 'Oh before I forget,' she turned for a moment, 'all new arrivals are given self-defense classes with major Lorne and Teyla. Classes are this afternoon. Be sure to attend?' And she was gone.

'That wasn't really a question now was it?' Evy asked as she and Carson stared at each other.

'No. Definitely not.'

'So if you take the hand of your opponent like this', Teyla Emmagan explained as she easily maneuvered Lorne into turning around by holding his wrist, 'and you lift the arm, they will be unable to move.' She held major Lorne for a few moments longer until he grunted and she released him. He ended up on his knees in front of Evy, who helped him up.

'Why don't you all try it?' Teyla urged the group and Evy turned to major Lorne.

'Please be gentle on me.' She laughed as they stepped into position.

'Don't worry, I'll be the one in pain for sure.' The man laughed as he made a dive for her and Evy grabbed his arm the way she'd seen Teyla do before. Within a few seconds she had the major on the floor. 'This is way too easy for you.' He grunted as he got up, holding Evy's hand. 'How about we do a different move?'

The door to the training room was open and from the other side of the room Evy had spotted Rodney and Carson observing the class, although she couldn't help but feeling a little self-conscious whenever her eyes met Carson's, which seemed to be burning a hole in her head. She tried to concentrate on what Lorne was telling her but before she knew it, the man had moved into position, had attacked and she was enveloped in his arms on the floor. 'Jesus.' She snapped back to the class and stared up into the major's eyes. 'Sorry, I was distracted.'

Lorne leapt to his feet and pulled her up. 'No worries, let's try it again. Focus on me.' He said as he walked her through the steps again. 'You'll need to get real up close for the move to work but if done well, I'll be the one on the floor.'

It took a few tries for Evy to get the move under control. Major Lorne hadn't been lying when he said the move required her to become up close and personal with him. Body to body contact was not what she had been expecting but when she finally managed to overpower him, she felt victorious. With a beaming smile she turned to the group and then she spotted Carson who was leaning against the door frame, a big frown on his face. The happy feeling inside evaporated as he turned on his heel and left without looking at her.

The class ended there and she thanked Lorne for the help. 'You did well.' He complimented her. 'If you want to do practice one on one some more, let me know. Always happy to help out the newbies.' He laughed and winked at her.

'Yeah, sounds good.' Evy replied, grabbing her bag. She felt nervous when she thought of the look Carson gave her before he left and she wanted nothing more than to go see him. Explain herself.

But her t-shirt clung to her back and feeling utterly disgusted with herself, a shower was her first priority. She was halfway to her room when she remembered Dr. Kavanagh. She quickly turned around and made her way back to the library. The lights were on but Kavanagh was nowhere to be seen until she stepped inside and he appeared behind her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when his menacing frame came up close.

'Why are you so late', he demanded, 'I've been waiting here for nearly two hours.' He took a step closer and got up into Evy's face. He was pissed and she could tell.

'Dr. Weir told me to follow self-defence classes with major Lorne and Tayla. I tried finding you but there's no way I could've known what lab you were in. I figured I would go and apologize in case you had been waiting.'

'My lab is next to the training rooms.' He backed away and rubbed his face with his hand. 'Clearly you really didn't want to talk to me.'

Evy didn't want to admit that this last statement was in fact true but she kept it to herself. She watched as Kavanagh paced around the room and looked at her angrily, clenching his fists.

'Look', Evy started, 'you asked to talk to me and I'm here now. I'm sorry I'm late but I did look for you. If you're not in the mood to talk anymore you are welcome to leave.' She waved her hand at the open door. 'Or you can get over yourself and tell me what it is you so desperately needed to talk to me about.' She was getting annoyed with his attitude and his aggressive pacing. And while she wished he would just leave, she decided it would be better to hear him out as opposed to kicking him out.

Kavanagh regarded her for a moment and then walked up to the door of the library. With a wave of his hand over the panel he closed it and locked it.

'What are you doing?' She asked.

He ignored her protest and leaned against the door, barring her only exit. 'Do you remember me telling you how I do whatever Doctor Weir tells me to do?' He had a smug look on his face.

'I remember, yes.' Evy replied cautiously.

'And do you remember me telling you that Dr. Weir targets people?'

Evy frowned. 'You said I should sleep with one eye open once she has an arrow pointed at my head.

'Good girl.' Kavanagh replied. 'Now let me tell you this. Dr. Weir may not admit it but that regenerative formula that you are working on is the only thing that matters to her. It is her sole purpose and she doesn't just have an arrow but a laser pointed at your head. If you do not succeed in finding the formula as quickly as possible, she is not someone known for holding back.'

'I don't particularly like threats.' Evy replied, feeling her heart starting to beat faster. 'She only told me about the formula tablets yesterday. How does she expect me to find something that for one, I have no idea what it looks like and two, where I should be looking for it?'

Kavanagh held up his hand in feigned innocence. 'I'm just the messenger.' He paused. 'And the guard dog.' He finally added.

'Guard dog?'

'She's asked me to keep an eye on you and your progress.' He explained, pushing away from the door but not moving any further. 'Make sure that you are doing what you should be doing and not getting distracted by other projects or... people.'

'Which is supposed to mean.. what?' She stared at him defiantly.

'Let's just say that the people here in Atlantis are not as blind as you might think they are. And major Lorne is an attractive man to many women... and men.'

'What are you talking about?' She shook her head in confusion. Major Lorne was furthest from her mind and the suggestion caught her off-guard.

'He's a one trick pony', Kavanagh grinned, 'I've seen him pull the same shit a hundred times. Lures newbies in with his skills, does a little hand to hand combat, invites them for some one on one training and just like that people spread their legs to him. I wouldn't waste my time on him if I were you.'

Anger rose in her chest. 'So I should waste my time on someone like you instead then?' Evy snapped at him.

This was clearly the wrong thing to say and Kavanagh's nostrils flared as he crossed the room in an instance and slammed her against the wall, grabbing her by the throat and squeezing it tightly. She struggled in his grip and the shock of what was happening and lack of air started to make her dizzy. The anger she had felt before was now replaced with fear.

He pressed his mouth against her ear and hissed. 'You better be careful what you say to me, you wouldn't want to anger me or Dr Weir. Together she and I rule this city. Now get to work.' He let go of her throat and she sank to the floor coughing. With one final glance Kavanagh unlocked the door and disappeared. The door closed with a hum.

Evy sat on the floor rubbing her throat and shaking slightly. After what felt like an eternity she managed to get up. On the way to her bedroom she managed to go unnoticed by both Radek and Dr. Mackay who were having yet another of their famous arguments but once the door was locked behind her, she curled up into bed and pulled the blanket over her head.