A/N: Okay, Just posting what I wrote as per advice of foursilverarrows on SGAHC, my thanks to you for helping me cut through my writer's block.
Title: The Fuzzy Slipper Dilemma (Long Version )
Author: Lady Valmar
Genre: Humor/Reflection
Rating: T
Archive: FF, SGAHC, Gateworld etc.
Spoilers: None I can think of.
Summary: Sheppard thinks about why he took his fuzzy, bunny slippers with him to Atlantis and then gets a nasty surprise in the mess hall, after loosing them.
Warnings: A little reflective in some parts.
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis or any of the characters, So any other stuff not owned by Stargate Atlantis in this fic, is mine and therefore please ask and do not infringe nor steal my original themes, concepts, ideas or characters please.
... .LV. ...
The Fuzzy Slipper Dilemma
By Lady Valmar
He remembered that those slippers had been right at the side of his bed, last he checked. He had been rather careful with them since his stay in Atlantis. It wasn't like he was afraid that he would lose them, he was more concerned if one of his men or heaven for bid one of his team were to find out that he had fuzzy bunny slippers that he would never hear the end of it. As if that weren't bad enough they had cute little pink bows on the left corner near the floppy ears. He hadn't really thought about the prospect of what bunny slippers would say about him, if someone were to find them or worse yet if anyone saw him wearing them.
Which begs to differ why did he bring those darn things with him anyways?
Shuffling some of his dirty laundry into the make shift hamper, he remembered he had put them on his bed to wash, but Rodney's insistence on him activating a device, had made him hastily shove them back under the bed, forgetting to put them back in the box.
As Sheppard ruffled his hair, reaching for yet another piece of laundry, he thought for a few minutes. An image of a little girl with dark brown eyes came to mind.
Oh right it had been a sweet gift given to him for Christmas. His cute little niece, had been not more than eight years old, when she had given it to him. At first he had thought they were cute but he had tucked them back in box, not wanting to wear slippers with pink bows on them. When he realized how badly she wanted him to wear them, he found himself putting them on to show liked the gift.
It was kind of hard to say no to such a sweet little girl especially when she is your niece and has those lovely little chocolate brown eyes, welling up with tears. So he did the proper thing, and put them on to show his appreciation.
Smiling slightly, Sheppard, grabbed the silky, navy blue boxers sitting in a pile near the hamper and stuffed them into it. His hand ran across the surface of a wadded up pillowcase reminding him how he had nearly flipped after putting the darn slippers on.
Surprisingly, they had been as soft as butter, and had made his feet feel like they were floating on a cloud. Despite the fuzziness and the pink bows, he hadn't the heart to hide them away in his closet once he had gotten back home. He knew his niece would eventually ask, and he didn't want to have to lie to her. After all for a eight yr. old, she seemed to have the ability to pick up fast on whether you were fronting a lie to make her happy, or were telling her the truth.
Why he hadn't stop using them, he had no idea, except that they were comfortable, a bit silly, but comfortable. He also couldn't help thinking that the year he had gotten those slippers was the year he had been posted in Afghanistan.
Turning his head back up to the small picture he kept on his shelf, he felt a rush of tension hit him.
He had had to leave the little buggers back at home knowing that he would miss them, just as he would miss his niece. So down below his bed he had tucked them into the cute box, his niece had made for them. Just when he had arrived in Afghanistan the feel of the slippers and the laughter of his niece made his heart leap, he had missed her and those slippers dearly.
When he had returned, tarnished record and all, he had found out belatedly that his niece had been killed in a fatal car accident along with her mother and father. That news had made him sick inside, not only had he lost good men but now his own niece and her family too.
Wincing as he recalled the man who had given him the news, with neutral expression and tonation that was supposed to make you feel comforted but all it really did was make you feel worse and send dread into every fiber of your being. He had remembered that was the first time he had cried truly, though only in private, and only for a short time. After that day he had vowed never to let his emotions get in the way of his judgement, to never get close too close to anyone. He had requested post in the place farthest from human contact. The whole incident both in his post and while he had awaited his punishment, had left him distrustful of authority and bitter.
During his first tour of McMurdo, he had slowly felt the resentment, sadness and anger begin to dissipate. Of course finding the slippers had really been the turn around. He had found them sitting under his bed exactly where he had left them, before going to Afghanistan. The pain they brought back along with the joy was what had saved his sanity, his life really.
Then of course he met the General Jack Oneill, who he still found rather confounding. And then there had been the meeting with Dr. Weir, she had personally requested he join the team going to Atlantis, that had been a real shocker. What had surprised him more was how he had finally agreed, with a flip of a coin. Well...besides the coin, it had been the fact that he really didn't have anything back home to worry about.
He had thought that maybe it could be a fresh start; something that he knew he really needed and that drone and the chair had his interest piqued. So he had figured why not?
He had cleaned prior to packing, during which he had tossed items that brought those memories back; it was time for a fresh start. When he had started cleaning out the underside of his bed and came a cross the box with the slippers, he found that he could not toss it. Pain and all, it was one thing he swore he would always cherish, in honor of the ones he had loved.
So in spite of everything, when he had finally gotten down to packing for Atlantis, among the many things he had taken it had been those slippers. They had been among the first things he had shoved into his bag. His only task was making sure that they were only worn in his room and when he knew no one would see them on him. He had been sure to keep them well hidden. After all, that was the very same reason he hadn't taken the slippers with him to Afghanistan, besides sand and fuzzy slippers didn't really go well together.
So now he stood beside his bed scratching his head, and hoping against everything that those slippers hadn't been seen by anyone or worse taken. He was not as concerned about Teyla or Ronon seeing them, even though he would still feel embarrased, he was more concerned about Dr. Mckay finding them… He knew that if Rodney had seen them, Sheppard would never be able to live with himself. The man enjoyed pissing Sheppard off at every turn and he would just snicker with delight to hold something like that against Sheppard.
After 2 hours of searching, Sheppard had come no nearer to finding them than those pair of lucky socks that he had once boosted to Ford, were life saving. He had even looked in the corners of his room, hoping by some miracle that maybe a little house-elf like in that Harry Potter movie...
Jeez, what had convinced him to see those movies in the first place? Oh right Lt. Cadman.
She had tried to excuse off her obsession with the books and movies as something she found stress relieving and fun. She had convinced him to watch them if only to say he had.
Dusting off his War and Peace book, Sheppard stretched, thoughts of house elves wearing bunny slippers coming to mind. Reluctantly he ceased his mission of finding his slippers, and pulled on his regular shoes to run with Ronon.
All throughout the run and even his practice with Teyla, he still felt as if he was probably going to go insane if he didn't find them. The slippers were his lifeline, and though embarrassing, they were sort of like a childhood piece that kept his memories alive and chased away the terrible nightmares he had at night. One look down at the slippers and his niece's voice would echo saying something sweet or a memory of other good times would slither into his mind, silencing the darker dreams or thoughts at the moment.
After he had been effectively kicked-in-the-butt by Teyla, he had realized that all his fussing had made him forget about getting breakfast. Shoving his hands into his pockets he meandered down to the mess hall, thinking of a turkey sandwich, the eruption of laughter made him freeze.
There was McKay, standing in the middle of the mess hall, with various scientists and military personnel standing around him, while he chatted about something very familiar, sending a wave of dread through Sheppard.
"Yes, and I hadn't of planned to but I just happened to notice the fuzzy fluff of something under his bed when I dropped by looking for him. It's kind of hard to miss the white fluffiness and all. . I couldn't help it I peeked under his bed and there they were, fuzzy bunny slippers complete with little pink bows. Here I even snuck them out, I just couldn't resist it. He has…" rambled McKay, the smug smile fading as his eyes trained on the pist off face of one, Lt. Col. John Sheppard.
The Col. simply stalked forward, trying his hardest to hide the blush creeping up his face, he yanked the slippers out of Rodney's hands. Making Rodney flinch and back away.
The look in Rodney's eyes is priceless and serves him right, thought Sheppard, narrowing his eyes and stomping off, never once looking back.
As he entered the hallway outside the mess, he heard laughter bellowing out. Some female voice announced, "And that gentlemen is one pissed off man. Did you see the look in his eyes, Ow that was priceless."
Sheppard winced, but soon felt the slight flush at his cheeks, as a marine passing by eyed him, stifling a laugh. He tried to shove the slippers under his arm but it only made him look silly. As he tapped the button on the transporter, and the doors slid shut, the last voice he heard was another female squealing, "Hey do you think he has a matching pink bow for his hair?"
A/N: Hehehe, I use to own fuzzy, cat slippers. The short version of this is posted on SGAHC.