It was Teyla's idea to have a mixer for the people on Atlantis and the Ethosians. Dr. Wier wasn't one for partys but as the leader of the Atlantis mission she felt obligated to go. Then again she was the one who had to authorize this whole thing.

Elizabeth sat at the bar staring morosely at her drink. Teyla sat down next to her. "Why are you not dancing with someone?" Teyla looked at the slightly inebriated doctor.

"I think it's because people are afraid to ask me." Elizabeth looked down at her hands

"Then why don't you ask someone to dance?"

Teyla felt a light tap on her shoulder. "Would you care to dance?" She turned around to see Major Sheppard, a very well groomed, nice looking Major Sheppard in a Tux, but Major Sheppard all the same. He offered his hand and shrugged with a slight smile that told her that he wouldn't be offended if she refused.

"Of course." she responded with a slightly wider smile. Elizabeth went back to staring at her drink as John and Teyla walked out onto the dance floor. She began to smooth the material of her dress. It was an ankle length red satin Spahgetti-strap dress. The song ended and Teyla resumed her spot next to Wier as Sheppard started to dance with one of the Tech Sargaents. Another couple minutes of silence passed between the two women. Wier suddenly got a spark in her eye. She politely set down her drink and walked out onto the dance floor. She tapped on the woman that John was currently dancing with's shoulder.

"May I cut in?" The tech stopped dancing and let Elizabeth pick up the dance with John. He Put his hand on the small of her back and held hers in his own. She carefully put her other hand onto his shoulder and they began to waltz.

"You know, I never would have pegged you as the type of guy who knew how to dance."

"I never would have pegged you as the type either." He shrugged and gave her a half smile that said ' I just learned how yesterday'. They continued to sweep around the dance floor.

The music rapidly changed from a Waltz to a Tango. Sheppard smiled. "This is the first kind of dance that I ever learned to do." He twirled Elizabeth out, then back and into a dip.

"Funny," she said as he pulled her out of the dip "I first learned to waltz."

"I never thought of you as the Waltzing type." John twirled Elizabeth out again and brought her back. This time into a very close encounter of faces. Elizabeth blushed and they resumed the traditional dance form. A few moments later the song ended and Wier returned to the bar. John watched in horror as a tall broad-shouldered blonde woman who was six inches taller than him approached.

Elizabeth sat back down at the bar next to Teyla. "Major Sheppard looks unusually well-groomed tonight." Teyla spoke of seeing him in a tux with his hair combed.

"Yes, he cuts quite a good figure as a Penguin." Teyla gave her an estranged look. "A Penguin, it's a type of bird. But it's flightless." Sheppard sweeps by with a Tech named Mary

"Why is it called a bird if it cannot fly?"

Elizabeth prepared to launch into an explanation and then realized. "I have no idea, I think it's because they're related to puffins, but puffins can fly."Sheppard dances by with Lt. Valerie

"What are puffins?"

"They're another type of bird and they look a hell of a lot like penguins. Did you know that baby puffins are called pifflings?" she giggled at the name. (A/N Remember, at this point Wier is almost completely drunk.)

"No I did not." Teyla stated "What do these 'Puffins' look like?"

"Well, they're rather small, they have black backs and white fronts, and orange beaks with a red stripe where the beak meets the feathers."

"Oh" Teyla felt another tap on her shoulder. This time it was Lt. Ford.

"Would you like to dance?" not wanting to be rude she accepted the offer. Elizabeth finished her drink and went to find someone else to talk to. Finding no-one else she sat down next to McKay. His head was buried in his arms and an empty cup sat in front of him. Sheppard waltzed by with an Ethosian woman named Mika.

Not knowing who had just sat down next to him Rodney began to ramble on. "Ya know, my life sucks. No-one ever asks me on a date and none of the women even notice me. Well ya they notice me when they need help with something scientific, but none of them even notice me as a man. I mean I wish someone would notice me. Someone like Sam. What am I thinking, she's millions of lightyears away. She was hot. You know who's hot here, Teyla. And you know who else? Elizabeth. Elizabeth is so hot. I wish she would notice me, she's really hot. Especially tonight, in that dress. Man I wish I could work up enough courage to ask her out. No, just to dance. She looks really sexy tonight. That dress really shows off her figure. Man my life sucks." Sheppard swung by with Airmen Sung.

Elizabeth patted Rodneys shoulder "I'm glad you like me" He jumped up and sent his chair clattering behind him. He ducked down behind the other side of the table and peered out like a cornered animal. He quickly swept the pretty oriental physicist that always brought him his sandwiches out onto the dance floor.

As McKay and the tech swept out onto the dance floor they passed Teyla and Ford. Teyla was having a relatively good time although some of Aiden's jokes were a bit off colour. One of the Terran doctors who's name Teyla did not know cut in. He was the one with the ponytail who She found to be somewhat of an ass. Not wanting to be rude she decided to wait out the song then find someone else to talk to. He dipped her down and was coming in to try and kiss her. Not knowing what else to do Teyla punched him in the jaw, forgetting she was being supported. They both went down, she put her knee up and flipped him over her, as not to get squished. She stood up and brushed her dress off, leaving the scientist in a heap on the floor. Not knowing what else to do Teyla went and sat next Elizabeth at the table Rodney had abandoned.

"I am sorry Doctor Wier, I did not know what else to do." She hung her head in an apologetic manner.

"It's O.K., I've been meaning to do that for quite some time now."

Teyla brightened "Does that mean you are not angry with me."

"Far from it."

Teyla stood up with much more grace than she had sat down with. "I am glad that you are not angry with me, but I do not feel at all sorry for my actions." with that said she walked off to find some other social activity. As she stood up Teyla noted much to her suprise Major Sheppard was dancing with Peter Stebbings the gate operator. She also noted that he looked very uncomfortable. Extremely uncomfortable in fact.