Sorry this took too long! I got a little caught up in my JLU fic! As a reward, a nice long chapter for you all!
I remember it well
There was wet in your hair
I was stood in the stairs
And time stopped moving
-Damien Rice, "I Remember"
The thing about avoiding someone is that in a close community like Atlantis, it's difficult. There were meetings where Elizabeth and Ronon had to be in together, not to mention they both were needed in the command center a lot. This basically meant that the week following that night was extremely uncomfortable for her.
She had an ally in this mess, and it was a surprise to even her. Teyla proved to want to avoid Sheppard as much as Elizabeth Ronon. The two spent days together, sometimes not talking, sometimes talking. Much to Elizabeth's chagrin, Teyla was friendly and proved to be a worthy confidante. It made her regret some of the things she'd thought of the curvy "alien" before. In fact, Elizabeth liked to think that Teyla was now her closest friend on the base, something nicely ironic.
Things hadn't started out smooth, however. Even traveling through the gate back to Atlantis from the Avarian's homeworld had it's share of awkward encounters. For their part, the men proved to be gentlemen, not mentioning anything about the night before. For their part, the women proved to be demented, sharing the same nervous tendencies that made it obvious that they remembered all too well.
Whilst leaning over to pick up her own bag which had been sent over earlier that morning, before the formal goodbye ceremony (the Avarians were a surprisingly posturing people), Elizabeth had stumbled into Sheppard, who'd been carrying several heavy bags already, sending him into Ronon, who fell at Elizabeth's feet, and Sheppard had been sent careening into Teyla, who'd, for all her grace and poise, and gone down like a rock beneath him.
Beneath a snort of laughter, Elizabeth managed a humble apology. The rest of the people around them did not. They laughed uproariously and managed to make the situation a touch lighter. Teyla was blushing beat red and Sheppard wasn't much better as he scrambled to hit feet, pulling Teyla up with him, only to do so too fast and cause her to stumble into him.
Throughout all this, Ronon lay on the ground and watched Elizabeth. While he found it slightly hard to believe he'd have come on to a "superior officer", he could see why he would have. When she wasn't tense or uncomfortable, she was quite attractive. The lines around her mouth eased, and her brow relaxed, and she seemed years younger. Not to mention that that long and lanky thing was really starting to do it for him. Then, Elizabeth remembered who was at her feet staring up at her. With a grin still on her face she looked down at him, and the look in his eyes made it slowly fade. He reached up a hand, clearly asking for assistance, and with all the bystanders, she couldn't really just walk away.
Reaching down, her long fingers took hold of his rough ones, and though he didn't need it, he gave it a tug as if he really needed the help as he stood up. He was standing too close, but suddenly he didn't care. "Feeling clumsy?"
"I didn't mean to...stumble," Elizabeth gasped out as the earthy scent that was all Ronon drifted into her nose. She felt a flush rising up her neck but she couldn't stop it.
"Next time, let's hope I'm there to catch you before you take down the entire room," Ronon tossed over his shoulder as he turned and started to pick up some of the now strewn everywhere bags. Just kneeling down pulled his shirt taut and Elizabeth was tempted for a moment to touch those strong muscles, ones that even now were shifting under his tawny skin...then she remembered who and what she was, and slipped back into the role that had finally become easy for her.
"Everyone, let's get this stuff put away. I want a staff meeting in my office in thirty. I want find out what's been happening while we've been gone." With that order ringing in the air, Elizabeth walked slowly, deliberately from the room. Behind her, Teyla disentangled herself from Sheppard, and followed.
"Elizabeth, if I might discuss something with you?"
The sound of Teyla catching up to her should have made her stop, but the thought of getting to her office, and far from Ronon was prevalent, so Elizabeth merely slowed so that Teyla could catch up. Together, they continued down the crowded hall.
"What can I do for you Teyla?"
"I was wondering if it would be alright for me to take some time to see my people? It has been several weeks since I'd been to the mainland. I would enjoy the chance."
"Sure. John is heading over there this afternoon for his weekly lesson on combat."
"Oh...never mind. I remember that I have things that I must do here."
Teyla turned to go, but Elizabeth grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You wouldn't be trying to avoid Sheppard for some reason, now would you?"
"I cannot think of a reason that I would be. Is there some reason you can think of?" Teyla replied with a slight smile. "You were quite flushed in there with Ronon, were you not?"
"No more flushed than you were with John on top of you."
"I...correct," Teyla admitted. The sound of Ronon and Sheppard heading their way echoed down the hallway to the ladies ears, and with a slightly panicked look on their faces, they simultaneously ducked into the empty room just a few feet away. The doors hissed shut and the two ladies crowded the wall just inside the door, in case one of the men glanced in as they walked by. They didn't and within seconds the over-anxiety of the two women made them feel slightly idiotic. And defensive.
Elizabeth whirled around to Teyla, who'd been behind her in their huddling position. Finally, the truth was to come out. "You slept with Sheppard."
"You slept with Ronon."
"We should forget it ever happened."
"And rally against them."
"Deal," they agreed simultaneously and left the room together, walking together in complete synchronicity until they reached Elizabeth's office. An unholy alliance had been forged that day, and everyone benefited from it. With one another as a constant companion at any time they needed to be near Ronon or Sheppard, any possible tension or approaches were headed off. At eating time, the two women sat together, and though it wasn't there, the sign that screamed "STAY AWAY" was clearly acknowledged. In clear defense from the situation, both Sheppard and Ronon were sticking to each other as well.
"I think they're plotting something."
Ronon looked up from his jello at Sheppard's sudden comment. Unlike the women, who'd spent a lot of the last week becoming best friends since females in such close quarters didn't like silence and felt the need to fill it often enough, Sheppard and Ronon didn't feel that compulsion. Other than being around each other seven of the nine hours of the day they were "on duty", they didn't talk much at all. "Who?"
"Elizabeth and Teyla. They've been together all week, talking, laughing, plotting. They're up to something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. I just don't know," Sheppard said solemnly. When McKay and Beckett took the only seats left in the cafeteria, which happened to be at their table, the silence was broken. They'd clearly been having a discussion, and didn't bother filling in Ronon or Sheppard as to what it was about.
"...it has amazing properties! It can't be frozen, and the microbes in it stimulate certain areas of the brain to evoke an aroused reaction! It's not so amazing that there was an increase in birth control." McKay took a break from his lecture to take a bite of mashed potatoes, but before he could speak again, Sheppard cut in.
"What are you two talking about?"
Beckett, that sexy Scot, explained. "I was commenting that after last weeks trip to Avaria, there'd been an increase in birth control requests. I wondered aloud if there'd been something in the air. Rodney thinks it has to do with the special liqueur they had there."
"The Lick Toe Knot stuff? Yeah, I had some," Sheppard commented as he pushed half-finished meat loaf away.
"Lechto Niote, and did you get laid?" McKay asked, startling everyone at the table.
Sheppard just grinned. "I'm not answering that."
"I wouldn't expect you to understand scientific objectivity. The point is, I didn't go around imbibing unknown liquids all helter skelter like most of us. I took a sample and when I got back I tested it. It has ingredients and strains of microbes specially designed to arouse the body and stifle the part of the brain responsible for impulse control. It's quite interesting, and also explains why it's a traditional drink at weddings, birthdays, coming of age ceremonies, pre-battle ceremonies, and funerals."
"Funerals?" Ronon asked with the appropriate note of derision.
McKay shrugged. "Who wouldn't want a pick-me-up after that kind of experience?"
"Moving on..." Beckett prompted, before returning his attention to his foods.
"I'm just saying, there's connection. I wonder if the effect is long lasting. I don't think anyone has been imbibing it while on Atlantis but there must be a lasting effect if the increase of birth control is still ongoing." McKay appeared thoughtful. "I'm gonna go run some more tests."
The trio left behind didn't miss his presence. Rodney had never been good at leaving work in the workplace...though since technically he worked in Atlantis, anywhere he went was the workplace, but no one wanted to talk work while eating. Ronon grinned and looked at Sheppard. "Laid?"
"What?"
"Did you?"
"Did you?"
"No comment."
"None here either."
In the back of the room, Teyla and Elizabeth rose to leave. Both Sheppard and Ronon took notice, but didn't move to follow. Probably too desperate looking. Neither would be caught dead chasing after a girl. Let them come to the boys...if they ever did. Yep, there was definitely a flaw in that plan.
