There had been a fair bit of discussion about who was to travel with what team and Evy had prayed to be appointed to Colonel Sheppard's team but when Lorne finally waved her over, she felt drenched by a bucket of water when she saw Storm climbing into the Puddle jumper. He looked over his shoulder with a gleeful look in his eye before disappearing inside. Major Lorne cheerfully chatted on as he walked her into the craft, completely unaware of her muted responses and timid smiles at his excited jokes. She had been assigned to his team to explore the local area and record any additional information she could find.

The planet itself was a fine combination of terrifying peaks and deep, dark valleys, rolling hills and meadows that turned into arid spaces. On the foot of a mountain range their destination city loomed in the distance and while Colonel Sheppard had continued on, Major Lorne had veered the jumper off into the direction of the mountains, landing them near a line of dead trees that seemed strangely out of place compared to their otherwise rich and lush surroundings.

Soon Evy realised why.

They disembarked and as she followed the major and, to her utter dismay, Storm, they soon came up to a set of carved doors. One cracked and in pieces at their feet. The other half broken and hanging askew on its frame. The cave inside was a fascinating tableau of carved rocks and between images of, what Evy assumed were the Ancients, was delicate writing, flowing around the images and decorations. She set to work while Storm was set up as guard outside and Lorne took two other men to explore the area.

She'd been at work for nearly half an hour when she heard the crunch of heavy boots behind her and she quickly turned. 'Shouldn't you be keeping watch?'

'There's nothing out there but bugs and Lorne running around, playing survival.'

'Well,' completely intent on not giving him the time of day, she turned back to her work, 'don't distract me.'

The tall man in his bulky uniform snorted and started wandering around. Judging from the sound of his boots scraping the floor, he appeared to be inspecting the walls. Pausing occasionally to look at an image or pieces of text. 'Now that I think of it, this old writing looks quite pretty, all scribbled over the walls like this.'

'It's called Alteran.' She shook her head without looking up.

'Whatever.' He turned, his sturdy footstep sounded the charge into Evy's direction. From his determined pace it was clear he was intent on getting her attention. 'Where the hell do you even start with something like this?'

Evy shrugged, she noticed him watching her as she moved through the room. Keep him distracted, stay pleasant and talk about anything to keep him away from herself and the formula, she reminded herself. 'Well,' she cleared her throat and let her gaze glide over several of the carvings. 'When you start something like this, when there's this much information, you need to keep in mind that you're probably only looking at the tip of the iceberg. Chances are, when you unravel one secret, ten will take its place so I always try to keep my research as simple as possible.'

'And yet with all that insight and all that wisdom, you can't even seem to crack the database and find me that formula.'

He'd said it quietly but Evy had heard and queasiness swirled through her stomach. The floor suddenly felt more uneven than she'd calculated it to be and she braced herself. But Storm seemed uninterested in a fight for the time being.

'McKay and Sheppard are convinced these people are the key to battle the Wraith somehow but how the hell is that even possible, considering they are practically medieval and can't even read their own Ancient writing.' He snorted and gave her a challenging look.

'They aren't Lanteans and they may not speak Alteran but assuming they are less developed than we are is a big mistake and doesn't mean they can't learn, perhaps even faster than us. In comparison, we've been studying Alteran only for a short time now and we've barely begun to scratch the surface of what's out there. Doesn't that make us equally as underdeveloped?'

'A ridiculous skill to master. Learning them to speak proper English would be more beneficial.' He turned his back on her and stood still.

A temper she sometimes wished she could keep in check flared at him. 'You're incredibly narrow-minded. Did no one ever tell you that embracing linguistic diversity is essential to making a concerted effort in exploring scientific knowledge? It's never a given that we can converse with the locals. If we want to learn, we need to earn that knowledge by understanding, both their customs and their languages. If anything, you're the one that's ridiculous.' Heat had risen to her cheeks and not wanting to show him how much his myopic speech had affected her, she faced the wall.

But it had been the wrong thing to say, she realised too late, feeling his hand fisting her hair. His pull was like sticking her head in a beehive and being stung by thousands of little needles. His hand covered her mouth as he dragged her into a narrow opening deeper in the cave and he pushed her up against the back wall before releasing her. A dark memory of hands beating her, crushing her windpipe and making her eyes water flooded her mind. The memories stifled her, like it had back in the library when Kavanagh had pressed her up against the wall and she feld her body go rigid. This wasn't the past, this wasn't the man from when she was younger, she reminded herself.

With his body Storm blocked most of the light and the outline of his bulky shoulders and thick neck made her shudder. Her breast rose wildly as she tried to catch her breath and thought of how to get out of there. Screaming would surely elicit another attack and so she shrunk back as he stepped close enough she could feel his breath on her cheek and his chest pushing against her shoulder. 'You may have all these men wound up around your little finger but you're stuck with me here, baby girl.' Storm sidled up closer and inhaled deeply as he ran his lips along her neck, up to her ear and pressed his lips against her temple.

Evy jerked away. 'Get off me.' She hissed at him and tried to inch as far away as possible from him but there wasn't enough space to even put an arm's length between them.

Storm pressed up against her even more, pinning her in place. 'Listen very carefully. I am sick and tired of waiting for you to fucking figure out where that goddamn formula is. Do your fucking job or you will pay for it' He took a step back.

Searing pain tore through her as she doubled over from the impact of his fist in her stomach. Heaving and gasping for breath she collapsed against the wall in front of her. Hard rock collided with the soft tissue of her forehead, tearing in as she slid slowly to the floor, clenching the tortured area around her abdomen that was throbbing with pain. With a wicked grin on his face, Storm squatted down and patted her hair. 'There, there. It'll be alright. Just get me what I want and no one else will get hurt.'

'Stop,' Evy managed to whisper, the wind still knocked out of her, feeling something hot and sticky sliding down her face. Though the small space had already been dark to begin with, dark edges crept around her vision.

'Then get to work.' His hands fisted the front of her jacket as he hauled her upright and shoved her against the wall. 'Now.'

Stepping into the clearing where he had landed the Puddle Jumper, Lorne's eyes flashed with concern when he saw Evy's blood covered cheek and neck as she sat in the opening, nursing the cut. He ran the final steps to the jumper while she tried wiping the accusing red fluid with bandages but her shaking hands worked clumsily, smearing it across her skin more than removing it. Behind him Storm stalked away and pushed through the thickets between the trees, making himself scarce.

'What happened?' He asked, putting down his pack and coming around her to inspect her forehead. 'Here, let me.' He said as he took out fresh bandages and alcohol, cleaning the broken and dirty skin with nimble fingers.

'Thanks.' She gladfully gave him control and dropped her hands on her lap, blood caking her fingertips.

'We'll have Dr. Beckett fix you up once we get back. Better to make it look a little less harrowing than it does now.' He carefully swept the alcohol around and across the broken skin to clean it and when Evy flinched, so did Lorne. 'Sorry.'

'Don't worry about it.' There was no other way, she knew, so she urged him to continue and sat stiffly as she let the man take care of her, grateful for his kind and careful touch. He worked fast and in silence, making sure to clear up as much of the stains as he could, though some of the blood had tricled onto her collar and had left a deep dark stain.

'You want to tell me what happened in there then?' He finally spoke as he pressed a clean bandage against the wound and took her hand to hold it in place.

Not really, Evy thought as she looked down but then switched to the story she'd spent the past hour coming up with. 'I tripped. I thought there was something in the back but when I stepped into the space, I fell. The wall was a bit harder than I expected, I guess.' It wasn't a complete lie, the wall had been hard, she told herself and she tried to joke but the look on major Lorne's face wiped her smile away. For the briefest of moments her eyes flicked towards the thickets Storm had disappeared into and wondered if he was watching them, hidden from view by the branches of the briar. She hesitated but then swallowed hard and raised her eyes at Lorne. 'I remember calling for some help but no one came.' She said softly.

It took Lorne a moment to realise what she'd said but to her relief, realisation slowly dawned on the major's face and he pressed his lips in a hard line. 'Storm was right outside.' Though his touch was kind, Evy could tell he was seething on the inside as he taped the bandage in place on her forehead. 'Are you absolutely certain you called out?'

'One hundred percent,' she said, trying to sound innocent yet forceful at the same time. 'I guess he was too far away to hear me.'

'What the bloody hell happened?' Lorne had called in to Atlantis and had insisted Dr. Beckett met them at the jumperbay. His face was already grave when the ramp lowered and he peered into the cavity of the ship, his eyes searching for the one person he knew he wanted to see. Even with Lorne's careful ministrations, the blood had still seeped through the bandage slowly and had turned the fabric a thick deep red by the time Evy got up from her seat. Storm and the rest of the team except for Lorne disembarked quickly, leaving space for Evy on the ramp and Lorne wrapped an arm around her and nearly lifted her from the floor. She started to refuse his help but he insisted she not walk alone until safely in Carson's arms and expertise. She smiled at Carson when she met his eyes but he couldn't return her smile, no matter how hard he seemed to try. Behind him three nurses surrounded a gurney but when they tried to coax Evy onto it, she vehemently refused.

'It's a cut on my forehead, not a broken leg.' She backed away from the outstretched hands but Lorne was still holding onto her and blocked her way back into the ship.

'I checked for signs of a concussion but she seems fine, just a little shaken.' He nodded at Carson who sighed. Next to them the second jumper, carrying Colonel Sheppard and his team, found a snug parking spot and the team started to disembark. Colonel Sheppard jumped down the ramp and with a few fast strides he made his way to where the battle for Evy's mode of transport was in full swing.

Watching Evy visibly flinch at the sight of Sheppard's thunderous face, Carson sighed. 'Fine,' he said defeated, 'ye can walk but hold ma arm. Last thing we need is ye collapsing to the ground just because yer bein' stubborn.' He slipped one arm around her waist and Lorne released her into his grip, turning slightly to greet Sheppard.

'Thanks,' she acknowledged him quietly with a tilt of her head and felt how Carson was pulling her away from what was probably going to be a tense conversation. She would have paid dearly to have witnessed Lorne and Sheppard's confrontation with Storm but she would have to settle with a report afterwards. For now she was safely in Carson's arms and she took a deep breath as she picked up the pace.

'Calm down love,' Carson warned her. 'There's nae race to be won here.'

'I'm fine.' She said from where she leaned slightly into him, trying to block out prying eyes and ears. 'I'd love a little clean up and a good dinner but I promise you, there's nothing for you to worry about.'

'I'm the doctor here, I'll decide what to worry about.' Carson snapped, his mouth tight.

The sting of admonishment prickled on her cheeks as they kept on walking, the gurney jangling behind them. He led her through the hallways and she kept her eyes firmly on the ground whenever they passed someone, certain she got her fair share of raised eyebrows and questions that were left unspoken on lips. The infirmary was busy but Evy was quickly led to an empty bed. She refused to lie down and she let Carson do his check up while the rest of the team went their separate ways. When he removed the bandage and inspected the cut his bright blue eyes briefly met hers and she wanted to cry. It was a mix of anger and concern that he couldn't say out loud in front of their colleagues. He opened his mouth to say something but she shook her head to silence him. He clamped his lips tightly shut and she knew they'd have a discussion later.

'That will need some stitches.' His face filled with determination. 'I'll have one of the boys take care of that,' he said reluctantly. 'I've got some meetings I need to attend but will I see ye tonight?'

'Of course.' She answered softly and for the first time since he met her at the ramp, he looked a little lighter.

Satisfied with the fine stitches on her forehead and with a nod of approval from Carson, Evy made her way back to her quarters after she was released and deemed healthy to walk on her own. With a small squeeze of her hand, Carson had let her go but she knew his eyes watched her as she left the infirmary with her backpack over her shoulder. She passed the library and deposited her notes on her desk. Not much had changed in the past day but something felt slightly off as she let her gaze cross the table and the papers. Though still all exactly in the same place she had left them, they were definitely not as neatly stacked as she would have left them normally. She picked up a few pages. Someone had gone through them, she was sure of it, but whom she couldn't tell.

'Thanks to your little off-world hiccup with Lieutenant Storm, Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne are laying into him as we speak.' His voice sounded casual but surprised Evy whirled around and saw Kavanagh leaning against the door of her office, a maniacal grin spread over his face.

Already on high alert from their earlier encounters and a head that was starting to throb, she swallowed hard and steadily took a deep breath. If only she'd taken the painkillers in the infirmary, she chided herself, feeling the small packet pressed up against her leg.

'I hope he's ripping him a new asshole.' She said without looking away, hoping it would be a short visit today. She was not in the mood for another sparring match when she probably had another one to look forward to with Carson later on. She sat down and demonstrably started sorting her notes before her. Anything to make him feel less welcome, the better.

'You may not realise it,' Kavanagh continued, as if her working did nothing for him, 'but the team is actually happy that you called him out. If rumours are to be believed he's always pulling shit like this. Leaving his posts, messing around with locals. Even the Athossians from time to time whenever we visit the main land but no one ever dares to stand up to him.' He circled the table. 'Except you.' He stopped next to her, looking down on her working hands. 'I'm sure the Lieutenant was blind-sided by it but good for you.'

'I don't need you complimenting me. I just want to get back to my work.' His presence so close unnerved her and she needed him gone if she wanted to finish her notes before calling it a day. It took every ounce of her being not to freeze with rigidity and she forced her hands to continue but no matter how much she stared at the papers before her, she couldn't read a single word.

'Just the way you ratted him out, according to what the boys have been saying, it was a thing of beauty.'

'Don't you have something better to do than keep me from my work?'

'Even Dr. Weir believes she may have been mistaken about you.' Kavanagh sounded triumphantly, almost complimentary. 'She normally treats people like they are exchangeable but it's been high praise ever since she found out.'

Evy ignored him, willing herself not to look up at him. 'Don't care. Please leave.'

'Look', Kavanagh turned and walked to the opposite side of the desk and leaned in while sitting down on the seat across from her. 'I know it might not have come across that way but I really want to be your friend and I don't want to argue with you anymore.'

The preposterousness of the statement wasn't lost on Evy and for the first time since she'd started sorting the papers on the desk she stopped and stared at him in disbelief. He wanted to be her friend, after all that he had said, all the aggression he had displayed and the crap he had pulled on her? 'You want to be my friend?' She asked slowly.

Kavanagh took a moment to let her question sink in and stared at her. His stare made her feel like she was being stripped bare from her uniform but she shook the feeling off, took one of the papers still unsorted and tossed it to the side. It landed exactly where'd intended it to and she pressed her lips together, waiting for his answer, looking back and forth between the man before her and the papers on the table. 'Well?'

'Yes.' He ground out and almost managed a rigid smile. 'Like I said, I want us to be friends.'

'Then let me tell you something about trying to be someone's friend.' She dropped the pretense of being calm and pointed at him. 'It does not include threatening them. It does not include pushing them into walls. It does not include telling lies and trying to hurt anyone else around them who you don't like, with whatever intention you may or may not have. Being someone's friend is about honesty, about helping each other without wanting something in return, about having each other's back. Taking all of that into account, you have a long way to go before I would even consider letting you become a friend.'

Kavanagh's gaze rested on her angry face. Quite a few emotions crossed over his own as he seemed to make up his mind on what to say next and Evy held her ground, ready to add many more items to her list when he shifted in his seat.

'Fine.' Kavanagh finally sat up straight. 'So I've got some work to do.'

'And then some.' She quickly said, a little sharper than she had intended and as if bitten Kavanagh jumped from his seat and with a cry of frustration he slammed his hand against the wall.

'God damnit. Can you for once not do that?'

Taken aback by his outburst Evy sat back, angling her chair to the side, ready to leap for the door. 'Do what?' She asked.

'Be a fucking smart ass every time I talk to you? Can you? Can you not be a sarcastic bitch every time we talk?'

For the briefest of moments Evy wished she could just down a shot of whisky with a prozac and let it all fly but she kept her mouth shut and let Kavanagh's rage settle for a while. Bright red patches flared up in his neck and a vein had started to throb across his temple. He looked in serious agony for a moment, clutching his head and breathing hard but he quickly recovered and made a guttural cry in obvious frustration. Running away or arguing, Evy figured, was only going to be like throwing gasoline on a fire and he was clearly anticipating something because he kept pacing through the library like a bull looking for a red flag, scraping his hooves, ready to attack. But when the aforementioned flag did not appear, he slowly cooled.

'You seriously need to keep that temper in check.' She spoke when he leaned against the wall and ran his hand over his hair exasperated. She'd said it as carefully as she could not to spark any more anger and it was a gamble but he only nodded. The fire had been doused.

'Yeah I know.' He paused for a moment, searching for what to say next. 'I just want to get the benefit of the doubt for once.'

The words came out sadder than Evy had expected and for a moment she almost felt sorry for him. Living a life so angrily all the time and feeling on the attack every time you spoke to someone must be tiring, she figured. 'Without you flaring up again, let me say that you've not exactly done anything to deserve the benefit of the doubt with me just yet. You do realize that right?'

No answer. Approaching him with the slightest empathy could possibly make a difference but Evy wasn't sure what the right amount was and she watched him cautiously.

'I'm trying to change.' He finally said. 'I'm trying not to let the little things get to me. I know antagonise people but I'm just trying to stick up for myself and what I believe. It's just that… no one ever appreciates it. They tend to side with whomever I am up against. Can you understand how frustrating that is?'

'You might not like to hear it but you reap what you sow.' Evy waited for him to yell at her but he didn't say a word. 'But yes', she continued, 'I can see how that would bother you.'

She wasn't sure what had gone through his head but one moment Kavanagh was leaning against the wall, looking like he was about to collapse in agony and the next moment he sprang to his feet, his energy renewed as he crossed the room in her direction. Evy braced herself.

'Let's call a truce. Right here, right now.' With a snap he extended his hand and bore down on her.

'Hold up there, Kavanagh', Evy finally got up out of her chair and ignored the outstretched hand. She put a good three steps between them towards the door before turning back at him. He had retracted his arm and was now staring at her. 'I'm going to need a minute to think about this before I call a truce with you.'

'What will it take for you to accept this truce then?' He asked.

'Well,' she considered her words carefully. The last thing she needed was another explosion. 'Before anything else, I'd like an apology.'

'I am very sorry.' He replied instantly.

'A genuine one. It doesn't have to be now, but when you're ready. And if I feel it's genuine, you have my word, I will accept it. Also,' Evy continued, 'If you want to be my friend, you'll need to deal with my snarky comments. It's literally the foundation of my friendship with Radek and it's part of who I am. And finally, you have to admit we did not get off to a great start, which I think entitles me to treat you in whatever way I see fit until I think you have truly changed. If you can accept that, then I'll call a trial truce with you.'

'So, if I say I can do all of that, you're accepting my offer of truce?' He sounded almost hopeful and Evy took one final deep breath before giving him a curt nod.

'I'm saying that, if you can do all of that, we can move on and let's consider this a trial. How's that?' And while Kavanagh walked away satisfied, Evy wondered for how long their truce would last.