Sensitivity: Part Eight

Theories And Proofs

McKay had called it testosterone poisoning.

Aiden had objected, of course, although Zelenka insisted he was just oversensitive about any slurs on the military. That nearly started an argument over degrees of teasing and what counted as slurs - at least until Major Sheppard and McKay stepped in.

A few hours after the last group returned from hunting, Aiden wasn't so sure the terminology was wrong.

The returned men prowled around the complex, occasionally starting fights with each other. Words and blows were exchanged, and although someone usually stepped in before things got too heated, it wasn't always the case.

So when Mark Ellison ended up in the infirmary with a broken collarbone, Sheppard decided that enough was enough and called every man in Atlantis into the mess hall.

Aiden could feel the edginess in the crowd, the way the various groups of men eyed each other. A few days ago, there would have been chatter, jokes, and good-natured chaffing between them. Now, there were the tense, wary gazes of men who were waiting for their companion to strike the first blow.

To say it was worrying was like suggesting that the Wraith were a minor inconvenience.

"The city is going into lockdown," Sheppard announced. "You have thirty minutes to head to your quarters before a complete lockdown is initiated on the city. All transit doors and transporters will be shut down, and if you're not in your quarters when I enter my codes, you're going to be stuck where you are until dawn."

"Isn't that a bit overboard, sir?" Bates challenged, narrow-eyed.

"I don't know," Sheppard said with careful deliberation. "I'd say that 'a bit overboard' is punching Ellison because he didn't stand aside fast enough."

"With all due respect, sir..."

"Sergeant, don't argue the point. In the absence of Dr. Weir--"

"Her and all the women!"

Mentioning the women produced a shifting in the sea of men collected together in the room. Aiden glanced over the personnel, seeing more than a few slightly sullen expressions among them.

"In the absence of Dr. Weir, I'm in command of the base," Sheppard continued, ignoring the interjection. "And at the behest of Dr. Beckett, I'm giving you time to get to your quarters before locking down the city."

"The civilians are dictating security?"

John regarded the man with an implacable glare. "I'm giving the orders, Markham. And your orders are to get to your quarters in the next half-hour, or you'll be stuck wherever you are for the duration of the night."

Next to Aiden, Wes Haller leaned over. "Because he didn't stand aside fast enough?"

"That's what the doc said," said Aiden in the same undertones. He'd been there when Beckett confronted the Major about the situation in the city. The ensuing outburst had been so thickly accented, it was barely comprehensible.

"Shit," Haller muttered. "I hope Bec's okay." His wife was one of the technical specialists on the expedition, a trim redhead with a penchant for console games.

Up the front, the Major was looking around the room. "Lockdown in thirty minutes. No exceptions. Dismissed."

"And there goes the card game for the evening," Haller quipped as he eased himself off the table they'd been sitting on. He glanced at Aiden as the others began dispersing around them. "You really don't know where they've gone?"

Aiden had his suspicions, but he wasn't about to tell. The only man who knew for sure was Major Sheppard - or possibly McKay - but neither of them would be saying anything. "They'll be fine," he said, keeping his voice low.

"It's not your wife that's decided to hide out from you." The other Lieutenant was obviously disgruntled by the vanishing act pulled by the women, although not half as angry as some of the other men had been when they discovered Atlantis empty but for the male scientists.

"Wes, if I had a wife in Atlantis, I'd be glad she was out of the way. After the way the guys on Tabaasa reacted to Teyla - they're better off where we aren't." Aiden was very relieved that Dr. Weir had decided to take the women somewhere else. He'd been shocked at the reaction to Teyla on Tabaasa, and as the evening wore on, the possibility that something similar might happen in Atlantis was beginning to loom very large in his eyes.

But these weren't just strangers from another planet, they were colleagues, people Aiden had worked with - and would have to work with in future. The women probably felt the same way about it; he'd certainly caught enough glances from them while helping them prepare for their departure.

"And you really don't know where they are?"

"What do you want? Blood?" He was joking. Mostly.

Aiden had a feeling it might come to blood spilled if any of the guys found out exactly where the women were.

Wes grimaced and held up his hands. "Okay, I won't ask any more." He glanced out over the room where the last few men were filing out, many of them grumbling at the curfew. "Guess we should be getting back to our quarters for the night." He turned to leave, but paused as Major Sheppard approached, gesturing him back. "Sir?"

"Lieutenants." He glanced from Aiden to Wes. "Got a few hours energy in you?"

"Sir?"

"I need a few men to patrol the city." Sheppard's grim words did nothing for Aiden's state of mind.

Wes looked confused. "Sir, if the city's in lockdown, why would we need patrols?"

"Call it instinct."

"How do you know you can trust us?" That was the more pressing question for Aiden.

He got a dry look for that. "If I can't trust my team, who can I trust? Besides, McKay has a theory about this."

"McKay always has theories about this stuff," Aiden noted.

"But this theory makes sense." Sheppard gestured them out of the mess hall. "He's in his lab - I think both he and Beckett are going to spend the night in their offices."

"And we're going to spend all night patrolling the city?" Not exactly how Aiden had planned the evening.

"Not all night," was the Major's blithe reply. "We'll do it in shifts."

Wes rolled his eyes behind the commander's back, and Aiden shook his head, but followed Sheppard.

Most of the men went peacefully although with black looks. Those who resisted were either manhandled off to their quarters, or stunned. Thirty minutes later, the only men not locked in their quarters were some twenty military personnel, thirty scientific personnel who'd opted to work all night, Drs. McKay and Beckett, and Major Sheppard.

They were assigned shifts in pairs, and sent out to walk a sector of the city for two hours, then rest for most of the rest of the time.

Aiden drew the second shift - from midnight until 0200. It felt like he'd just drowsed off amidst the other guys in the ready room when someone was shaking him awake and it was time to do his shift.

Beckett was working over culture slides in the infirmary when Aiden looked in and received a brief glare for his troubles.

"Just obeying orders," he defended.

"As long as you're not going to tell me I should be doing something else."

His assumption of command during the storm wasn't something that Beckett was going to forgive in a hurry. Privately, Aiden just wished Beckett would let it go. "Wouldn't dream of it," he said. "Major Sheppard asked me to check in on all the scientists working in the labs." He paused and eyed the stuff the other man had been poking at a minute earlier. "What are you doing, anyway?"

Beckett had just gone back to his machine. He now glanced up, "I doubt you'll understand the technical explanation, but I'm trying to determine if the pollen you brought back with you is the actual cause of the behaviour we're seeing around here."

"And this is...?"

"An electron microscope. I'm taking a look at the molecular structure of the pollen you brought back. Actually, it's quite interesting. It seems that this pollen is very similar in structure to the gonadotropin-releasing hormone emitted by the hypothalamus...and you don't really want to listen to this, do you?"

Aiden didn't. It wasn't making much sense to him at all, and he didn't particularly care to be drawn into a scientific discussion.

"I skipped the sciences for a reason, you know."

Beckett rolled his eyes and went back to his work. "Go on with your checking in, then. Don't let me stop you."

Everything was quiet around the inhabited portions of the base, the scientists were all working in twos or threes, and they seemed to be getting on fine.

"Nothing," Wes reported when he met up with Aiden at on of the intersections. "You'd never think we were...you know..."

"Suffering from testosterone poisoning?" So maybe he was a little touchy after that slur. As much as McKay complained about the military being insensitive to scientists, the street ran both ways - and neither McKay nor Zelenka were afraid to point out the shortcomings of Aiden - or any other military person on the base.

Wes choked. "Who said that?"

"McKay."

"Figures."

They continued through the darkened halls of the city, back to McKay's lab where an argument was in process.

"And this is going to help the women exactly how?"

The Major was talking in his 'I'm angry but being incredibly patient' tone of voice. "It'll provide a secondary ring of defence--"

"As well as let every man in the city know where the women are!" McKay stumped his way around Sheppard with a scowl.

"You said it yourself, McKay - we're not a danger to them like the others--"

"I said nothing of the sort! I said that the men who have strong emotional ties with specific women on the base are the least likely to go caveman. That doesn't mean they won't if they're given the opportunity."

Okay. Not the kind of argument into which Aiden wanted to step. Although it did explain some things. "Uh, sir?"

"Lieutenants," Major Sheppard answered. "Patrol report?"

"All quiet, sir."

"Section?"

"B2, sir, not a peep," Wes replied, saluting. He paused. "Major?"

"Lieutenant?"

"Is what Dr. McKay said, true? About the men with strong emotional ties?"

McKay and the Major exchanged looks. "It's a theory," Sheppard said.

"Fairly accurate so far," McKay noted, before he shot a meaningful glare at the other man. "Although that's no reason to go testing it."

"Might I remind you that I am the commander--"

"Military commander, Sheppard."

"--in the absence of Dr. Weir--"

Wes glanced at Aiden. He shrugged. He'd become accustomed to the occasional arguments between superior officer and scientist while on missions. He'd even persuaded Teyla to look at it as a kind of game; how long could they go without an argument, who would start it, and whether they'd resolve it, or just silently sulk until conversation was necessary.

"Oh, please," McKay was saying, "Your excuses are getting more spurious by the minute, Sheppard. If you want to run and check on them, then don't expect a happy welcome. I'm pretty sure they took most of the Wraith stunners with them when they went, and I wouldn't be surprised if they shoot you on sight. I know I would."

"Major Sheppard!" The earpiece crackled into life, and the Major touched it with one finger. "Major Sheppard!"

"Go ahead."

"Sergeant Bryan Sampson here, scouting sector D1," Sampson spoke gravely. "Someone's been through this sector, sir."

Aiden felt his stomach twist slightly, and saw Wes' fingers clench a little more tightly around his P-90. While he didn't know for sure where the women had gone, the D-wing was one of the least-used wings of the city - a perfect area for the women to use as a hiding place.

A tic in the Major's jaw jumped, and the cords of his throat tightened. "What do you mean, 'been through' the sector, Lance-Corporal?"

"I mean someone's been jimmying the doors through this section. Looks like they were on a mission, sir."

Shit.

Five minutes later, Sheppard, Aiden, and Wes were all looking at a door that had been pried open by a very determined someone or someones.

"We have a problem," the Major said. "McKay?"

"What?"

"D-wing's been breached. Go around to the ready room and get the remaining men."

"You can't possibly be thinking of--"

"Going up against them?" Sheppard asked. "That's exactly what I'm thinking of. If you have a better option than leaving the women to fight them off--""

"Well, I can think of many better scenarios than the women having to fight you off as well as the men you're going after. Major, what I suggested to you about emotional attachments toning down the effects of the testosterone was a theory on my part with absolutely no proof."

Sheppard lifted an eyebrow. "You're admitting you're not absolutely certain of something?"

"Of course I'm admitting I'm not absolutely certain of something! When have I ever implied that I know everything?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm guessing that's not a trick question," Sheppard replied with heavy irony.

"Oh, very funny," McKay snapped.

"It's a theory. We're going to put it to the test now."

"Great," said McKay. "That's just...wonderful. So you still want me to send the other men in?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Fine."

Sheppard tapped the earpiece, switching it off transmission. "Anyone else got issues with us following after?"

Sergeant Sampson was a hefty man in his mid-thirties, and not one to beat about the bush. "My girlfriend's out there."

"What the Sergeant said," the other man said.

Aiden shrugged as Sheppard turned his gaze towards him, and Wes was practically champing at the bit.

"Right then, I'll take point, Haller, Sampson and Dwyers follow, Ford, you're rearguard. Keep your eyes and ears open, no rushing in. And try not to beat the shit out of them when we find them, okay?"

"Truthfully sir, I'm more worried about Kath beating the shit out of me for not being there if the guys attack them," Sampson said with dry humour. "She's a scary woman when she's got her dander up."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Sheppard grimly.

They moved through the corridors of D-wing with as much silence as they could without compromising speed. Half-opened doors hung off their tracks, pried or wrenched open by the man or men who'd been through here before, and each successive door twisted Aiden's stomach just a little more.

And then they heard the fighting and the matter of 'no rushing in' became moot.

oOo

John cursed as his companions outpaced him. Any kind of sense - common or otherwise - had probably fled the minute they first heard the woman's shriek. Their womenfolk were in trouble and every hormonal urge in the body bellowed that they should run to the rescue.

Goddamn chivalry.

Yeah, he was feeling a lot more aggressive than was usual for him. But he could still think around the urge to wade in and crack a few heads together. Mostly.

He figured the girls would shoot anything that had a Y-chromosome. Or that looked like it did. Which was reason number one not to go running in there without checking out the situation first.

Of course, it was kind of hard to remember that as he got closer and heard the peculiar compression-wave sound that indicated someone had just used a stunner. There were thumps and shouts, cries for assistance, and the sound of fists hitting flesh.

And then the sound he least wanted to hear.

Gunfire.

Someone shrieked. Rage or horror? John didn't know.

He did know that his senses propelled him into the room. One glance gave him an immediate overview of the situation. Two steps brought him to the man who stood with the gun still pointed at the woman who lay on the ground, bleeding from her thigh.

Not arterial, his mind noted absently. His body was too busy swinging the butt of his P-90 into the other man's chin. A solid thunk indicated he'd hit his mark, and the man went down as John grabbed for his gun wrist. He didn't really care for a shot in the belly, thank you very much, and right now, he couldn't count on anyone's sense but his own.

Around him, he could hear the noise of someone using a stunner on another man. He hoped it wasn't one of the guys he'd arrived with. Someone was yelling. At him? At someone else?

Anger briefly flared in him. This was so incredibly stupid. And the man he'd downed was moving. He didn't want that. Once the man was down, he should have the sense to stay down. His instincts lifted his fist for a second blow, his emotion needing an outlet.

"Major!" A hand gripped his wrist, halting his blow and he turned on the person who'd intervened.

"What?"

Teyla regarded him warily. "I believe he is down, Major," she said with crisp briskness. "You do not need to continue." Behind her, one of the women trained a stunner on the downed man, while others were coming in to help the injured woman. She glanced around to ascertain what was happening, and John caught himself before he leaned in towards her.

One of the young women met her gaze and nodded, then slipped back to the next door. Teyla turned back to him. "I did not think that you were going to intrude on this part of the city."

He glanced around the open area, noting the number of men down and the number of women moving briskly about. "Yeah, well, we heard that some of the guys were trying to get out here and figured you could do with some help."

Given that this woman could kick his ass any day of the week, it wasn't all that likely that she was going to accept that as an answer.

Luckily for him, she wasn't given a choice.

Across the room, voices rose in conjugal disagreement.

"We came to protect you," Lieutenant Haller was saying to the petite redhead who was probably his wife.

It seemed that she, like more than a few other women, didn't seem to feel that they'd needed rescuing in the first place. "Wes, you know me - I need saving like I need a hole in the head!"

"Well, if you'd gotten hurt in the middle of that--"

"Says the man who's limping!"

His face creased in a flash of irritation. "You could at least show some appreciation!"

"For what? Playing Luke Skywalker and coming in to rescue the helpless lady who can take care of herself?"

John reflected that there was only so much concentrated aggravation a man could take. It seemed that the Lieutenant had just about reached his limit.

"Dammit, Bec," he roared, "if you'd been hurt because I wasn't there, I'd have walloped your ass!"

Not exactly the most tender of declarations. Then again, neither was her response:

"And you'd pee sitting down for the rest of your life!"

Someone chortled, suddenly drawing the pair's attention to their audience. Husband and wife flushed bright scarlet, and while she wouldn't accept his arm around her shoulder, she didn't lash out at him as he followed her, still muttering quietly at each other. Nothing like shared humiliation to draw people together.

"Okay," John said dryly. "Now that we've established why we're here, how about having someone see to..." He paused. While the drama had been going on in the background, a couple of women had already come out to do some basic field medicine on the shot woman. "Alright then," he tried again, "how about setting out a plan of defence?"

"We had a plan of defence," said Teyla as she walked over and picked up the weapon the man had dropped. Around them, the other dozen or so women were doing the same, dividing the weapons between them. Several were showing others how to use the weapons they were being handed. It didn't inspire John's confidence. "By and large, it worked. We would have managed without your assistance, Major."

"So much for male protectiveness," he muttered beneath his breath. "Where's Elizabeth?"

"I'm here," Elizabeth said, emerging from a nearby door and pushing her hair out of her eyes. She glanced at Teyla first, and the younger woman nodded. "Weren't you supposed to stay--?"

"In the main city," he finished for her. "Yes. We got word that some of the guys made their way through here..."

The cry drifted down from above - they'd posted a sentry? "Incoming!"

His senses went to full alert in an instant, and he pushed Elizabeth back, standing between her and whoever was arriving. The defence was automatic - as was the P-90 he raised to deal with the intruders.

"Major Sheppard?" The first man entered incautiously and was walloped by a stunner. The women were definitely playing hard-to-get.

"Okay," came a familiar voice from beyond the door. "That's not encouraging."

"McKay?" John demanded, feeling more than a little irked by the appearance - or non-appearance, as yet - of the scientist.

"No, it's the Wizard of Oz, actually," McKay retorted. "Are they going to shoot me when I walk in? I brought reinforcements."

John glanced back at Elizabeth who was smiling. "What kind of reinforcements did you bring, Rodney?"

"Safe ones. Well, reasonably safe given that my theory on the behavioural patterns differing according to emotional ties and background seems to be holding out."

"Ma'am?" Came another voice through the door. "Do you mind letting us in without shooting us? McKay's been going on since we started out through the city. I'm Captain Robert Saunders, United States marines; my wife is Christina, and I don't particularly like being shot at."

"I think it's safe to say you're in the wrong job for that, Captain," McKay was heard to say.

"They're clear," said John, easing his finger off the trigger.

"Says you," one of the women retorted, tossing back black curls over her fatigues. "Someone get Chris out here."

"Now wait a minute," John began at the same time as McKay exclaimed, "Oh, for goodness sake!"

Elizabeth cut him off with a wave of her hand and looked around the room, "I believe we can be reasonably sure that these gentlemen aren't going to attack us."

"Ma'am," the black curly-haired woman interrupted, "With all due respect, the difference between being reasonably sure and absolutely certain is how Abby got shot in the leg. I know I'd like a little more verification."

"A little more verification?" John was this close to calling up the woman for insubordination.

Another woman had arrived, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Rob?"

"Hey, hon, how are you?"

"I've been better," Christina Saunders said, blinking. "Not that I don't appreciate the past-midnight visit, but should you be here?"

"Well, that seems to be the matter up for debate. Major Sheppard?"

"We seem to have a slight impasse happening on this side of the door," John said "Ladies--"

"Don't 'ladies' us, Major," said the curly-haired woman, scowling. "How do we know this isn't a Trojan horse scenario?"

"I think I'd be a lot more subtle about a Trojan horse scenario," John retorted. "Every one of those men that Saunders brought with him has a girlfriend or wife in your ranks. They'll vouch for them."

"Well, I'll vouch for Rob," Christina said with a yawn. "Especially if it means I can go back to bed!"

One by one the new arrivals were vouched for - somewhat sleepily - by the women in their lives, and the gallery area grew crowded. McKay looked around with some satisfaction. "I was right. But then, I'm always right."

The satisfaction irked. "Remind me who was it who didn't want his theory tested?"

Rodney waved it away. "A momentary uncertainty, that was all. Now, what's the plan for the night? And, incidentally, since I'm not a combatant, I don't suppose you have somewhere that I can hole up for the evening?"

John glared all the harder at him, particularly because Elizabeth was attempting to hide a smile. "Why did you bother coming along at all?"

"Well, I was concerned, you know." The man had the audacity to look innocent. And to haul his laptop out of his backpack. "And I brought work."

John was feeling the urge to smack the scientist a little too strongly for his liking, so he turned away and went back through the gallery area, looking over people. The women gave him wary looks as he passed them and went to talk with Ford, who was standing alone by the door, rather like a lookout.

"You know, the women already have someone on watch," he noted.

"Well, now they have someone else," said Ford. After a moment, the young man grimaced. "Sorry, sir. It's just...they don't trust me much."

John looked around. "You're not the only one."

Logic told him it was because he wasn't designated 'safe' by the women. All the other men had lovers from the women in Atlantis; otherwise most of the operational military personnel were male, and tended to work in all-male teams. He and Ford worked closely with both Elizabeth and Teyla, and McKay had hypothesised that the near-constant contact with the two women had brought down the 'aggression factor' - but it wouldn't make them 'safe' in the same way that the other men were.

John was just relieved that he wasn't a danger to the people he was supposed to protect, male or female.

He glanced at Ford, checking for signs of tiredness. "If you need a break, take one. McKay's going to be holed up somewhere around here - you can probably kick him out if you get too tired."

"You, too, sir."

He didn't think that was too likely; he'd sneaked stimulants from Beckett's office while the other man was dealing with Ellison. He'd figured that he wasn't likely to get much sleep tonight, between walking patrols of the city.

He certainly wasn't going to get much sleep around here - not while the women were arguing defences.

Elizabeth and the other non-combatants had gone back into the main room where the women were gathered - the inner sanctum from which the men were denied entry. They would stay out here and work with the dozen or so women willing to hold these galleries through the night. Or they might be sent further out to patrol the corridors leading towards this wing. Judging by the words being exchanged, that matter was being argued among the largest group now.

Time to put in his two cents worth.

He'd just started towards them when Teyla clattered down the stairs that led from a tower position. She paused to speak with a woman at the bottom of the stairs, then started towards the main group of arguing men and women with her easy, feline grace.

John watched the shift of leg and thigh, hip and abdomen, noting the curve of throat and shoulder, breast and waist. Something unfurled within his psyche, suddenly hyperaware of her presence. It was with slight shock that he realised he wasn't the only man watching her move. Every male eye was upon her as she crossed the room, and he could feel the atavistic prickle of the hairs at his nape.

He reined in his thoughts sharply and turned to intercept her. The tension in the room rose by notches as he caught her arm and hauled her away by pure force.

Dark eyes met his, angry at his manhandling. "Major?"

There was little time to explain. If they'd been a pack of wolves, then at this moment, the other men would be growling, ready to spring. "Teyla, get into the other room."

She frowned. "Major, I am needed--"

John stopped himself just short of shoving her against the wall. At this moment, the dominant sexual implications of such a move both terrified and excited him. His instincts were shouting that this was a woman who'd never yet been possessed by a man. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. He could feel it in his bones - in his balls. Whatever had taken hold of him was whispering serpentine in his ear; he could be the first if he let himself go, if he only let his control ease a little.

He wasn't about to let it drop even the tiniest fraction.

But the effort of reining himself in was taking its toll. He could feel himself slipping by degrees - and her refusal to see the danger she was in wasn't making things any easier on him or the other men. "Teyla, you need to get into the other room, right now!"

A moment later, Rodney was there, interposing himself between them and pushing Teyla towards the door. "Teyla, go inside!"

"But--"

"Remember Tabaasa?" Rodney snapped. "Just go!"

Teyla glanced around the room, more than a little angry. It was obviously she still didn't fully understanding her danger, and John made a move that he aborted before he'd gotten any further than the shift of weight from one foot to the other. Rodney followed the movement, the heavyset form shielding Teyla from him, consciously or unconsciously.

The movement drew her gaze back to John. His lips formed her name in what was both a plea and a curse, and her eyes widened fractionally. She turned on her heel and went. Behind her, the doors hissed shut, and he felt the tension in him relax - just a little.

Still, he stared at the door through which she'd gone for a few seconds longer, before he met McKay's gaze.

"You know, this probably isn't the time to mention it, but I did say that it was just a theory," the scientist reminded him, more than a little shaken in his triumph.

John's vocal chords worked for a moment before any sound came out. "You did." That was the only concession McKay was going to get from him.

Deliberately, he turned away from the door and headed over to the main group. He met the eyes that watched him, male and female, and they looked away after a moment, acknowledging his dominance.

He ignored what the submission implied, what he'd come perilously close to doing. He wasn't going to think about that until later - if ever.

In the meantime, they had a defence plan to draw up.

oOo

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