The Bar - Chapter 4

"Christ, Grodin! Why did you let Ford name the bar?"

"Sorry major, I guess I just wasn't thinking," Peter smothered a grin as he stood next to the scowling Sheppard. "It's not that bad… it could be worse."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at the lettering scrawled in what looked like crayon over the entrance. "You sure about that?"

With a smile, Peter turned and entered the slowly filling bar, making his way to his coveted new job – bartender. He'd wanted to start a bar since he watched 'Cocktail' on the flight to Cheyenne Mountain.

Aiden was there already, mixing a few drinks for the cute giggling scientists that were seated along the bar.

"Hey Ford," he tattled as he reached for a bottle of sourpuss, "Sheppard doesn't think too much of your choice of name."

The young marine laughed, "I figured that one out at the christening."

The bar filled and someone started pumping the music.

A party was underway.

Sheppard finally decided to relax, making his way out to the dance floor and started putting the moves on Teyla who was enjoying not only the dancing and music, but also the margarita someone had mixed for her.

Rodney, who had been dragged up to the bar by one of his lab assistants, was in a corner with Zelenka, fiddling with the stereo to increase the sound quality.

"If we could use the intercom system somehow that'd make the sound quality crystal clear," Radek suggested.

"You're right, I just thought of that too," Rodney moved to the intercom panel and they started fiddling with the crystals.

Aiden and Peter were happily mixing all kinds of drinks for anyone that had something to trade – coffee rations, chocolate, there were even a few people with off world currency!

"What are we going to use this stuff for," Aiden waved some strange purple and orange paper money at Peter. "I don't even know which planet its from!"

"Keep if for a souvenir, I dono."

Suddenly the room went silent and the music seemed very quiet.

Standing in the doorway was Dr Weir with an incredulous look on her face.

"WHAT is going on here?"

Sheppard coughed and looked over at the two thunderstruck bartenders.

"Well, um, Dr Weir," he started nervously, "there's a good explanation for that and, um, Rodney would love to tell you all about it."

The scientist yelped as he was pushed forwards, "what?"

Weir looked at him with a stern glare.

"What? I didn't find out about this place until Lieutenant Forbes dragged me here! But I'm sure Teyla could tell you what's going on."

Now it was the Athosian woman's turn to gulp.

"Oh, Dr Weir… I believe that Lieutenant Ford should be the one to tell you."

"How did you find us," Aiden mumbled as he shrunk under Weir's imperious glower.

To everyone's surprise the leader of Atlantis grinned widely and pointed to the ceiling, "the music came over the intercom."

Back in the corner, Zelenka and McKay inconspicuously replaced the cover on the intercom and moved slowly away from it.

Grodin and Ford shifted awkwardly.

"So… you're not mad?"

The crowd held its breath,

Weir smiled.

"Not really…."

The crowd let out its breath with a simultaneous whoosh.

"But I would like to know why the hell you named it the Flaming Weir?"

Sheppard, Zelenka, McKay, Teyla, and nearly everyone else in the room broke out in fake coughs as Ford avoided eye contact and said, "cause it's the hottest thing on Atlantis."