Note: I was wrong about the length. I think this'll be more of a 6-parter. I'll be working on chapter 5 today. I'd like to finish by the end of the week. Again, thanks to Tria for her beta help, for making Sparky suggestions and keeping me on track with characterization.

-----------------------------------------------

Heart's Desire: Chapter 4

It was true that Colonel Sheppard was not only exceedingly handsome, but very charming and charismatic. To wrap up the fine package of all these traits, he was intelligent. Dangerous combinations, any two of these, but add them all together in one man? Devastating. Acknowledging these traits was like acknowledging that the sun was hot or the grass was green; it's a given, a fact of life. However, Elizabeth had made herself immune to John Sheppard's many charms by simply not allowing herself to be affected. She daily shored up her façade of professionalism with morning pep talks about how this was better for them and Atlantis. So, his charms bounced off the walls she had constructed. Those walls cracked once when she allowed herself to hug him, so happy she'd been to see him safe and well. Around him she prided herself in remaining professional and to cordon off any personal emotion. Okay, that roguish smile had made her agree to his schemes once or twice. Well, maybe more than once or twice, if she was being honest with herself.

All this flashed through her mind in the click of a second.

To keep her wall healthy and strong demanded that she not allow Atlantis' military commander to kiss her. It just wasn't the way things needed to be done.

She raised her hands and planted them on his shoulders to push him away; she didn't care what Ancient device held sway over his mind. She still had a full grip on all her facilities even if he obviously didn't, and kissing like teenagers in front of her chief scientist and lead medical doctor was inappropriate.

John closed his knees around her thighs, trapping her; she started to push away. Then her lips met his. She had kissed men, but this, this was like sharing one existence. A blending of souls.

Carson Beckett who?

Rodney McKay who?

There was only Colonel John Sheppard.

Warmth filled her entire being, gentle, soothing and as he deepened the kiss, it became the most natural thing in the world, melting away misgivings and doubts, fears and qualms. His free hand came up from the exam table and encircled her waist, pulling her closer to him, the other hand cradling her cheek.

Elizabeth's hands stopped pushing John away, they slid over his shoulders and instead gathered him closer, reveling in the strength she found in him, and finally she allowed herself to sink into the beautiful rhapsody that was this kiss.

And something told her it was the right thing to do.

On Rodney's hand, the marble ignited in a blue curtain of light that leaped over and surrounded John and Elizabeth.

Rodney stared.

Carson stared."I never knew," Carson finally managed to croak out. "I mean, but when you think about it, it makes sense. Maybe. I mean, they're relationship appeared professional, but I've seen sparks between them."

Rodney looked from the marble to the two leaders of Atlantis locked in an extremely passionate embrace.

"I get it," Rodney murmured.

"No, I think he's getting it," Carson corrected, then realized that wasn't what Rodney meant.

"I know what this is. Follow me."

"I think that would be best," Carson replied, looking over his shoulder at Sheppard and Elizabeth.

Outside the medical bay, Rodney held out the marble.

"I have a theory. Hold it."

"With my bare hands?" Carson hesitated. "You know what it does?"

"Oh for pity's sake." He tapped his ear mic. "Lt. Cadman, could you come down to medical bay please."

"What are you doing?" Carson said.

"I'm proving my point."

"With Cadman?"

"You like her, correct? You've been on dates, correct? There is something that you each find attractive about the other, let's put it to the test."

"I'm not sure about this, Rodney. Laura's a nice girl but I don't think I'm ready to do… that with her," Carson replied, jerking a thumb toward the medical bay. "My mum raised me to think these things over first."

Rodney grabbed Carson's hand and slapped the marble into it. "You're babbling. If my theories are correct, you'll soon know if you need to think anything over."

The blue marble ignited and Carson felt a warm trickle down his arm. His eyes widened.

"How do you feel?" Rodney asked, looking at the doctor as if he were a bug under a microscope.

"I feel good." Carson smiled. "Quite good, in fact, and warm." He closed his hand around the marble. "It's very soothing."

"That's what Sheppard said." He looked up the corridor at someone approaching. "Ah. Here she is."

Laura Cadman hurried down the corridor towards them. "Did you need me, Dr. McKay?"

Rodney clasped his hands behind his back and smiled hugely. "Yes, I did. We both did."

Laura came to a halt and nodded at Carson, her expression softening. "Good evening, Dr. Beckett."

"Ah yes, here it comes, the goofy besotted grin. I think we just saw that on Colonel Sheppard."

Carson wasn't listening. He had moved to Laura's side. "You look lovely tonight, my dear."

Cadman frowned in confusion and looked down at her regulation uniform and ran a hand down her blonde hair. Still, you could see she was flattered by Carson's attention. "Uh… I always wear this."

"What do you see?" Rodney asked and snapped his fingers in front of Carson's face.

"I… I… Do you tap dance, Laura?" Carson asked, beaming, ignoring Rodney.

Laura actually blushed. "I do, doctor. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." Carson held his arm out. "How would you like to walk with me and tell me about it? Maybe we can take a quiet stroll on the east pier. It's a beautiful evening."

"Sure, I guess I would like that." She took his arm and--

"No, no, no, no, no." Rodney pulled Carson away from Laura. "I hate to break this up, but I need the doctor," he said, pulling Carson away from Laura. "Thank you so much."

"But—" Laura began.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Rodney said. "Don't you have a bomb or something to dismantle?" He turned to the doctor and pulled him to the side. "You look like you've been struck by a meteor. Focus, Carson. What did you see?"

Carson tried to look at Laura over Rodney's shoulder, but the scientist blocked his view. "Carson!"

Carson jumped.

"What did you see?"

"Why, she was wearing the loveliest tap dancing outfit, all sparkly and bonny. Really quite fetching."

Rodney crossed his arms and smiled smugly. "I'm right then."

"Right about what?"

Rodney plucked the orb from Carson's hand. "This shows you potential compatible mates. Do you realize what something like this could do for relationships on earth or anywhere for that matter? How many bad relationships could be avoided and how many more marriages would end in 'til death do us part instead of divorce court? It's absolute genius."

"You're telling me that… thing the Ancients created helps an individual choose--"

"A suitable partner. Oh, I'm not quite certain how it works at this point, but I'm almost positive I'm right."

Carson poked a thumb toward the medical bay. "Then… that meant Dr. Weir and the colonel--?"

"Are compatible, and case in point, the time we saw them they were looking pretty attuned to one another, wouldn't you agree?" Rodney frowned. "Although, I'm certain the Ancients didn't view potential spouses dressed up as Playboy bunnies or tap dancers. That's our modern brain working with a device 10,000 years old."

Carson looked longingly down the corridor where Cadman had disappeared. "Can I go now?"

"Oh, right. Just let me know if you see anyone else uh… looking unusually attractive." Carson hurried away and Rodney blathered on. "It would help me prove another theory I have that the device may reveal more than one potential mate so that you have a choice. But what are its criteria? Sexual compatibility as well as… what? Perhaps what it does is simply unveil a possibility or several possibilities? And I wonder if perhaps some attractions are only one way, meaning the holder of the device might see someone compatible but the other person–-"

The medical bay door swished open. Elizabeth looking rumpled and flushed stalked out.

"---is not similarly affected," Rodney trailed off at the look on Elizabeth's face.

"Dr. Weir," he greeted warily with an uncertain smile. She looked ready to slap someone.

"Dr. McKay. What is that thing?"

"It is a… compatibility device."

"Meaning what?"

"It helps those who touch it find a suitable partner by viewing said prospective partner in a different, attractive light. It would have helped to know what it was the Ancients themselves saw in a partner, but sadly that data is unavailable. What I would like to know is what percentage of the female population Sheppard will envision as Playboy bunnies or Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. Hm. Maybe if we get our hands on a Victorian Secrets catalogue that would stir the pot up and add a bit of interest, don't you think Dr. Weir. It could be that with the Colonel's predilection for attracting women, that suggestion is all we need." McKay smiled, pleased with that idea. "It may be necessary to gate out to several cities to test my theory and perhaps chart his--"

"McKay!" Elizabeth ground out. "Shut up!"

Rodney watched her stalk away. "Maybe I should consider my theory of one-way attraction—"

The door swished opened and Sheppard hurried out looking more rumpled than usual. There was a red mark on his cheek. "Where?"

"She went that way," Rodney said, and pointed up the hallway. "She looked a bit in shock. Not every day her commanding officer mauls her like a—"

John grabbed Rodney by the shirt collar and rammed him up against the wall. "Shut up, Rodney."

Sheppard was an easy going guy for being a Rambo-type, but Rodney knew he was capable of shedding that affable manner. He'd seen it happen several times and it wasn't a pleasant sight. This was one of those moments that the easy going colonel had vanished and a military badass surfaced that very much wanted to do some ass kicking. Rodney wasn't inclined to volunteer.

"Where did she go?"

Rodney pointed up the corridor, and John released him, turned and trotted quickly away after Elizabeth.

"Hm." Rodney straightened his jacket, then pulled the glove off and folded the device into his bare hand. "Ah. Yes. The warmth is very nice. I thought the Victoria Secret's catalogue idea was brilliant. I think a good place to start would be the rec room." He dropped the device into his pocket and hurried away, a bit of a spring to his stride.