This fic is looking to be about 4 or 5 chapters and wow, I'm having a blast writing this. Thanks for all the reviews. They're very motivating.
-Allykat
Chapter 2: Heart's Desire
John Sheppard looked at his watch and hurried down the corridor. He had a few minutes before the briefing.
As he drew by Carson's medical bay, the door slid open and Teyla and a young Athosian girl stepped out. He stopped and immediately noticed a little brown bunny cradled in the little girl's arms. It had a bandaged paw. Carson stood in the doorway looking a bit self-conscious.
"Teyla," John greeted. He looked at Carson. "I didn't know you were a veterinarian, doc."
"I'm not, but the girl's wee pet needing doctoring, and well, I'm a doctor."
Teyla laid a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Can you thank the doctor, Silvie?"
"Thank you, Dr. Beckett," Silvie said, then flashed John a grin. "Who are you?"
"This is Colonel Sheppard," Teyla answered.
"Hi. Do you want to pet my rabbit? Her name is Lilly."
"Very nice." He gave Lilly a cursory scratch on the head. Sure it was cute, but he wasn't a rodent kinda guy.
"You go on along now, love." Carson said to Silvie. The girl trotted away, hugging her pet and giving it a smooch on the head.
"Briefing, Carson," John said. "From what I understand, you're in on it, too."
"Ah, the Pashant people," Carson said, lacing his hands behind his back. "They seem decent. I'm eager to help. I know I can give them a leg up on their vaccinations."
John, flanked by Carson and Teyla, continued up the corridor.
"It's been many years since I've seen the Pashants," Teyla said. "I've heard that you have reservations dealing with them Colonel?"
"Yeah, sorry if I don't seem real excited. My past experiences with the Genii have me a bit on edge. Nice simple people on the outside, nukes and secret underground labs on the inside."
"These people are not like the Genii."
"Let's just say that after the Genii, I'm going to hold back comment until after it's all over."
The three walked in companionable silence for a few moments.
Teyla tilted her head at John. "I get a sense you didn't care for Silvie's rabbit. You don't like animals?"
"Oh, I like animals, but dogs are more my thing. There's more interaction there. In my 1st grade class we had a bunny that bit, so I learned to keep my fingers out of its cage." He paused, smirked as he reconsidered. There were some bunnies he liked, but they were the costumed kind of the Playboy persuasion.
The three of them strolled into the briefing room. John gave a nod to his team and took a chair next to Rodney. "Where's our fearless leader?"
"She said she'd be along in a moment," Rodney answered not looking up from his datapad. "Now please don't talk."
John ignored the scientist and lowered his voice.
"Have you had the chance to figure out what… that marble is?"
Rodney looked up from his datapad and regarded the Colonel like he would a slug on a log. "I'm sure you find it amazing that I haven't, seeing that I have so little to occupy my time—"
"Sorry I'm late," Elizabeth said as she walked into the room. The briefing room panels closed behind her.
John gave Rodney a half-hearted glare. "Well, when you get a chance in your copious spare time---". He swung around in his seat. His breath left his body.
Elizabeth was wearing a… playboy bunny outfit?
Satin pink. Long fuzzy ears.
John bolted from his chair, stumbled and almost fell.
Startled, the rest of the team swiveled in unison to stare at him.
Heat spread up under his face. He tried to breath but his chest felt constricted. He panted. Stared.
She looked… fabulous. No… amazing. Had her legs always looked that good? She turned to pull up a chair and he got a good look at the back of the costume.
John's knees wobbled. He closed his eyes. A strangled sound bubbled from his throat. He grabbed onto the back of the chair to keep from falling.
Holy Hail Marys. The costume had the fuzzy bunny tail.
Elizabeth returned his stare, one eyebrow raised in question. "Colonel?"
"I… I… p--pink," he stuttered and looked around the table. Everyone was staring at him. Were they all blind?
"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked. She leaned down to place her note pad on the table and John got a good look down the low cut front. His hand twitched. Cleavage. Damn! Why hadn't he noticed this before?
"Wha… Eliz… does… " John tried to speak. No one seemed to understand.
"Hm." Rodney leaned back, staring at John. "Articulate as always. Please continue, Colonel."
"Bunny…"
Major Lorne looked at his commander then at Elizabeth and Rodney. "Did he say bunny?"
"I believe he did," Rodney said. "So enlightening, isn't he?"
"One of my people brought her pet rabbit to Doctor Beckett," Teyla said, turning to the good doctor who stood and approached John.
Elizabeth came at John. Her hips swayed. He swallowed. Temptation.
"John?"
John's mouth went dry. He backed up because if he didn't, he'd have to pet that tail and a rapidly receding, coherent part of his brain told him that would be a bad idea.
"Pink… tail, fluffy. Can't you all see this?" He shouted. His boot heel jammed on the chair and he went down with a CLANG taking the chair with him! Everyone jumped up.
"John!" Elizabeth said. She and Carson ran over to him and knelt down next to him. "Are you okay?"
"My head," John said, face scrunched in pain.
"I'm sure it couldn't have hurt too much," Rodney commented. Elizabeth glared him into silence.
John opened one eye. Big mistake. Elizabeth's cleavage beckoned. He squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn't supposed to think this way about Atlantis' leader. What is wrong with you man? Stop it! He commanded his brain. STOP! He opened his eyes. The playboy bunny suit was gone replaced by her regular red and gray uniform. He blew out a long breath.
Carson helped him to a sitting position. John rubbed the back of his head where a big lump was forming. "I think I'm okay."
Carson inspected his head. "You've got a bad bump there, lad."
"I'm fine. I think."
Ronon , standing above them, leaned down and offered a hand and John took it. Ronon pulled him easily to his feet. "Colonel?"
"I'm fine. Really. You can all stop looking at me like that." He cleared his throat, trying to cover his embarrassment.
"Well, I for one wish I had all this on disk. It's not everyday I get to witness the commanding officer of this facility flail about the floor like a fish. Hm." Rodney smiled.
"Glad I could provide some amusement," John said, tipping his chair back up and sitting down.
"There's so little of it here, that one has to take what's offered." Rodney crossed his arms and smiled hugely.
John looked around at the faces staring intently at him. "Would everyone just stop?"
"Shall we get started?" Elizabeth said to the team, but her eyes were on John, worried, as she returned to her chair. "I think after this you should see Carson."
"No really—"
"I insist. You've been down in parts of the city we've never explored and there are dangers."
"Especially when you touch things I tell you not to touch," Rodney muttered.
Elizabeth sat down and started the briefing. John and his team had discovered a world so far untouched by the Wraith during the recent cullings. The Pashant people, as they called themselves, had abundant food supplies they were willing to trade along with livestock that the Athosian's could raise on the mainland. John liked the idea of a good steak, maybe the possibility of a cheeseburger. The people were, so far, friendly and cooperative, their technology fairly advanced. In trade, they wanted some of Carson's time in their hospital and some medical supplies. Carson was happy to help.
John listened to the briefing all the while staring at his hands. Usually he paid more attention since any off world excursion included elements of danger, but this time is mind was busy grappling with the improbable vision of pink Playboy bunny Elizabeth. A part of him wanted to look up, but he wasn't sure if he could… control himself.
"That's it," Elizabeth said. "The team will leave tomorrow at 0800 hours. Major Lorne, Carson and Colonel Sheppard, I'd like you to stay for a moment."
Here it comes, John thought. Sometimes Elizabeth was a bit too protective.
When everyone had gone, Elizabeth looked closely at John, then turned to Lorne. "Major, you'll spearhead this trade for us. John, I want Carson to give you a thorough checkup tonight and keep you for observation until he leaves tomorrow."
"You're letting Lorne go?" John asked, bristling. "Wait a minute. You're relieving me of duty! You can't do that."
"For now, I can and I am. Don't give me a hard time about this John or I will have you confined to quarters until I'm certain you are fit for duty."
"I'm fit! Look at me." He spread out his arms. "Fit as a fiddle." In fact, he felt great, except for the throbbing bump on his head, but he'd had much worse.
"I think I should be the judge of that, laddie. That wasn't normal you falling on the floor like that. It scared us all."
"Listen to Carson if you won't listen to me," Elizabeth said. "All I'm asking is that you to stay behind until Carson gives you a clean bill of health, I don't think that's unreasonable." She stepped closer and touched his arm, a feather light touch. "Please do this for me, John."
Major mistake.
Bunny Elizabeth appeared in all her pink curvy glory.
Damn!
John stared. His gaze slide down, then up from fine feet encased in pink heels, to the bunny ears on top of her head with a stop at the cleavage on the way up. Jesus. Did she always look this good under her clothes? He had to wonder if his sex deprived body was telling his brain to get with the program. But with Elizabeth? He liked her. Respected her. She was smart as hell, and attractive, but he couldn't imagine her putting up with any amorous advances from him. Well… He'd never know if he didn't try.
"John?" Elizabeth said.
He gently grasped her wrist and a marvelous warmth flooded his entire body, much stronger than when he touched the marble. Yes. She was what he needed.
Elizabeth filled his sight and the room and everyone in it faded away until it was only her. Large beautiful eyes blinking at him. "Pink bunny," he muttered and began to pull her closer.
"Have you been…. drinking, John?" Elizabeth, brows together, searched his face and stepped close as if to sniff his breath. He focused on those lips. And oh, they were nice lips. Her scent. Wonderful. He closed his eyes.
Major Lorne stepped in between them and snapped his fingers in front of John's face. "Colonel, sir?"
"He was fine earlier," Carson said. "He did touch a rabbit, but if it was something the rabbit was carrying, I would be affected."
"Rabbit?" Elizabeth asked.
"Aye, I doctored it for an Athosian lass."
John tried to dodge around Lorne, but Lorne kept getting in his way. Elizabeth pulled away and the warmth left John's body. It was like the sun had been covered with clouds.
"Uh, Dr. Weir, the Colonel's drooling," Major Lorne commented.
In some far part of John's brain, the words registered but he couldn't find the voice to disagree. He didn't drool, but frankly, he was beyond caring if he was drooling. He wanted to… touch Pink Bunny Elizabeth.
Fluffy bunny tail, his brain said and he groaned out loud.
"Come on, Colonel," Carson said gently taking John's arm and pulling him. Lorne took the other arm. John didn't want to go and tried to shake them off.
"No…"
"Sorry, laddie. You're coming with us," Carson insisted.
On the way out, John couldn't help but turn to get a look at that fuzzy bunny tail. "I think I like rabbits."
"He's delirious," Lorne said.
(TBC)