Ancient History
Chapter Three: Sex and the Alien City Part 1
By Ddoskocil
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Okay, so I watch a little bit too much Sex and the City while I wrote this chapter. Little bit more Carson this time (Yea). Sorry this chapter is a little short, though. Hopefully the next one with be longer. Thanks for the reviews. Glad it's still holding interest. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well.

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Erika pushed her food around her plate with the spork. Across from her, John did the same. They talked for a while about his time in the air force, her time in college, her work at the SGC and his adventures in Atlantis. They talked about any topic that was safe. They ran out of safe topics ten minutes ago. The silence that filled the space was awkward and Erika desperately wanted to leave.

"Do you ever see Bridgett?" John suddenly asked. Erika's head popped up and she stared at him. It was the last thing she expected him to ask.

"Yeah, up until about three years ago," she replied, watching John carefully.

"Yeah, you guys always got a long well. How's she doing?" He did not meet her eyes as he spoke. Erika took a deep breath as she studied her cousin.

"John."

"Just tell me, Erika."

She sighed. "She got married. He owns his own business, he's good to her, and he's a great father. She's happier than I ever saw her before," she replied quickly. She watched as his expression flashed from anger to sadness to acceptance.

"Good for her," he finally replied slowly. Erika titled her head as she studied him. She parted her lips to say something, but decided against it when he smiled.

"How's your dad?" he asked, his jovially mood quickly returned. Erika dropped her utensil to her tray and stood violently.

"I don't want to do this now," she retorted, her voice tense. She noticed a few heads turn, most noticeably Elizabeth, Rodney, and Carson. Erika winced. She did not need an audience. Dealing with John tended to be stressful enough these days. But she was already up and the room suddenly seemed very small.

"I have work to finish. See ya later, Colonel," she said as she walked away. She heard John scramble after her but kept walking.

"Hey, what was that back there?' he asked as he grabbed her arm.

"He died," she replied coldly. She pulled her arm from his grip and continued down the hall. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Erika? Tomorrow?"

"The party," she yelled over her shoulder. She waved back at him and went to her office.

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Erika looked fabulous. Fab-U-Lous. She posed in front of the mirror for the third time. Her dress was dark hunter green with little straps the left little to the imagination. She fluffed her hair, worn curly for the first time in years, and checked her make-up one last time.

Abso-fucking-lutely fabulous.

There was a knock at her door. "Come in," she called as she pulled on a matching strappy sandal. She was surprised when Teyla entered. The other woman looked uncomfortable as she glanced around the room.

"Captain, I was wondering if you would help me?"

Erika nodded as she slipped on the other shoe. "Sure."

"I was wondering if," she paused. "Perhaps I should not be asking you for favors."

"No, it's okay. Anything for the gal that's saved John's sorry ass so many times." Teyla smiled.

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Carson sipped on punch as he looked around the room. He spotted John and Rodney and joined them on the balcony overlooking the Stargate. He looked over his friends, both in more formal clothes.

"This is such a waste of time," Rodney grumbled.

"Then why are you here?" John asked. Carson smiled into the Styrofoam cup. You could dress the lads up...

"Oh, it's not that bad, Rodney," he commented. He looked at his friends, but their attention was elsewhere. He followed Rodney's gaze to the staircase in the middle of the room. There stood three of the most gorgeous women Carson ever saw. He did a double take. Elizabeth, Teyla, and Erika.

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John almost fell off the balcony. His cousin. Little Erika Sheppard was wearing a dress that revealed way too much for his liking. He glanced around the room and what he saw he liked even less. Every head in the room was turned to her. Well maybe not every guy. John also noticed Elizabeth and Teyla and was sure a few men were gawking at them. But the fact was that men were gawking at his cousin. He could feel the vein in his forehead popping.

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Erika looked around. She smiled when she saw John, Rodney and Carson leaning on the balcony railing. She studied them as she walked toward them. Rodney in tan slacks and blazer. John in slacks and a polo. Her eyes roamed to Carson and nearly bugged out of her head. He looked amazing in black slacks and a colorful striped shirt. She lifted her hand to stroke at her neck while she looked him up and down. A definite improvement from the lab coat.

"You look good, Doctor," she said with a coy smile and a lifted eyebrow. He smiled back, but she thought she saw a faint splash of red across his cheeks.

"Oh. You look lovely as well, Captain," he replied with a little smile that Erika could not read.

"What the hell are you wearing?" John yelled as he slid beside her. He pushed her to the door. "Go change, Captain."

Erika turned to him, shocked by his response. "I'm off duty, Colonel. And I think I look fabulous." She did a little twirl and smirked at him.

"Aye, I agree." Carson mumbled. John shot him a cold glare, but Carson just shrugged.

"Thank you, Carson," Erika said smugly. She turned back to John with her smug little smile. "Do you like Teyla's dress?" she changed the subject. John startled.

"What?" Erika watched as his eyes found the Athosian. "Yes. She's looks very nice."

"Really?'

"Yes. What does this have to do with you?"

"She's wearing one of my dresses." At that moment a young sergeant in his formal uniform approached. He looked tentatively at John before he smiled at Erika.

"Why aren't you wearing your formals, Erika?" John mumbled.

"I don't' see you in your formals, John," she whispered back. She smiled back at the sergeant. "What can I do for you, soldier?" she asked in a flirtatious manner. She saw John wince out of the corner of her eye.

"Would you like to dance?" the sergeant asked. His eyes darted to John as he asked it. Erika rolled her eyes at her cousin and took the sergeant by the arm.

"I would love to dance," she responded. She linked her arm through his. "Gentlemen," she said over her shoulder as he led her to the dance floor.

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Carson looked up, startled as Erika dropped gracefully into the chair next to him and took a sip out of her cup. She crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand, re-crossed her legs. Carson watched her out of the corner of his eye, amused by her restlessness.

"Yes, Captain," he finally asked when it became apparent that she would not speak first. She turned at last to look at him with a small sexy smirk. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips before she pursed them together. Carson lifted the corner of his mouth in a grin.

"All right, Doctor Beckett." she said as she leaned forward. She tossed her hair over her shoulder with a little shake of her head. "What's your game?"

"Excuse me," he said, confused by her question.

"You've just sat here all night watching everyone else. Why are you just sitting here? Come dance with me. I think I've danced with just about everyone here but you."

"Oh, what about Rodney?" he asked, a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Oh, I've asked. He's too chicken." She beamed a smile at Carson. He chuckled at her response. He could not imagine the astrophysicists on the dance floor with the sexy captain.

"I don't think I've seen you dance with John," Carson pointed out. She scrunched her nose.

"Have you ever seen John dance?"

Carson thought about it for a second. "No."

"There's a good reason for that. Come on. I refuse to believe you can't dance." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. Although he admitted that he did not put up much of a fight. Truth be told he wanted to dance with her, but decided early in the evening that he was too old.

"I don't think-," he started.

"Well, that's the problem. You think too much. What's the worst that would happen? You have a good time?"

"All right, Captain," he gave in.

"All right, Doctor Beckett." She linked her arm through his. "Oh, and Doctor Beckett."

"Aye, Captain?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't tell John I said he can't dance." Carson laughed.

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John sat with his arms crossed over his chest. He was in a bad mood. A horrible mood. And worst, he could not figure out what was irritating him so much. He scanned the makeshift dance floor and spotted Erika dancing with Carson. On second though, he knew exactly what was irritating him. And she was having the time of her life dancing with every man on the base. For some reason, it irked him.

"Hey," Elizabeth said as she sat down next to him. John broke his glare of the dance floor and glanced at his boss. She looked beautiful in her black dress and John felt that twinge of nervous he always felt around Elizabeth.

"Hey," he replied, trying to keep his scowl off his face.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed and returned an icy stare to the dance floor. "Nothing. I'm fine." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at him. He should have known he could not fool her. Of course, he probably could not have fooled Rodney at the moment.

"John," she insisted, "if something is bothering you, you know you can talk to me."

"It's just...weird." He saw her turn her head. Then she nodded in understanding.

"You haven't seen her in a long time," she observed quietly. He nodded slowly. It had been a long time, too long, since the last time he saw Erika.

"Yeah. She was a kid when I left for Afghanistan," he admitted. Elizabeth placed a comforting hand on his arm. He smiled at her, but the smile faded when he caught Erika leaving out of the corner of his eye.

"What the hell?" he yelled when he turned to find Carson leaving with Erika on his arm. Elizabeth stood with him, her hand still on his arm, although it was more holding than comforting. He turned to lock her gaze with his. "Where the hell does she think she's going?"

"John," Elizabeth called, but he did not listen to her. He roughly pulled out of her grip and spirited after his cousin. She was just a kid. And while John respected Carson as a doctor, even if that doctor did stick him with needles, he had no business being with Erika. She was only, he did the mental calculations, twenty-six. He stopped mid-stride, but the pause only lasted a brief second. It did not matter how old she was; she was his baby cousin.

He turned a corner and his eyes almost bugged out of his head. Carson was kissing Erika.