Date : 16 July 2007

Title: Love's Jealous Way

Author: ElaineDex

Chapter: 3 of ?

Rating: M

Pairing: Lt. Col. John Sheppard/Lyssa Hunter

Dr. Ellie Harrison-Dex/Major Lorne

Archiving: None

Warnings: Sexual Content/Possibly Some Swearing Later In The Story

Spoilers: This story follows on from Love's Passionate Revenge

Feedback: Yes Please

Disclaimer: Ellie Harrison-Dex, Major James Reece, Lieutenant Franks and Carly are mine. Lyssa and Caleb Hunter belong to Kazavid, the rest of Atlantis and the SGC, unfortunately have nothing to do with me.

Summary: What will happen when everyone on Atlantis seems to get a touch of The Green Eyed Monster?

Caleb knew that Lyssa was off-world and he spied his chance to speak to Sheppard.

He caught up to him as he left the mess hall.

"Colonel Sheppard could I speak with you?", he asked and Sheppard turned and smiled when he saw it was Lyssa's brother.

"Sure….what's on your mind?", Sheppard asked thinking Caleb maybe wanted something to keep him occupied, a place on a team maybe or a job around the city and so his mouth fell open when Caleb replied,

"What's on my mind is the fact that there is no way I'm going to allow you to marry my sister".

"Excuse me?", Sheppard said, cocking his head to one side as he so often did when he wasn't sure he'd understood someone correctly.

"You are not the right man for Lyssa and there is no possible way as head of our family that I can allow the marriage to take place", Caleb said and Sheppard looked at him as though he had a screw loose.

"Now look here…", he began but Caleb cut him off,

"No you look Colonel, you break it off with my sister now and this goes no further but if you test me……..", he trailed off ominously but Sheppard laughed.

"Are you threatening me?", he asked and Caleb shrugged.

"Not threatening you exactly, merely warning you".

"Warning me about what?", Sheppard asked, folding his arms as Caleb said,

"Warning you to break it off with Lyssa or things are going to get decidedly sticky for you around here".

As Caleb walked off Sheppard scratched his head and pulled a face as he watched the other man's retreating back.

"Did I really just have that conversation?", he muttered to himself as he turned away and totally disregarded everything Caleb had just said.

Lyssa would make up her own mind about who she would marry and he certainly had nothing to worry about on that front.

OOoOO

Lorne and his team, plus Rodney, returned to Atlantis feeling disgruntled following the four hour walk which should have only been a two hour walk.

"What happened?", Weir asked as they headed up the steps toward her.

"We went the wrong way", Lyssa informed her and Weir looked to Ellie who said nothing, merely pointed at Rodney and threw an offended look in Lorne's direction.

"Okay….we've been over my slight error too many times now….can we just drop it?", Rodney spluttered.

"We got the artefact", Lorne said and Weir nodded.

"Great, well, briefing room in five minutes please".

As they all filed past her, Ronon approached Ellie and caught her arm. Lorne passed them trying not to listen but he couldn't help overhearing Ronon say,

"I want to see you later….there's something I need to talk to you about".

Lorne's jaw clenched at the thought of Ellie spending any time alone with Ronon and he left the gate room quickly to avoid seeing or hearing any more.

Ellie looked up at Ronon.

"What is it?", she asked but Ronon just smiled at her.

"Later?", he asked and she nodded, watching as he headed off.

The briefing went well and Ellie and Rodney managed to demonstrate the artefact without bickering but Ellie was painfully aware of Lorne's eyes on her the whole time, making her feel hot and very bothered.

A while later Ellie entered the bar area to meet Ronon, her eyes clashing with Lorne's as he stood with Lieutenant Sanders. Of all the women on Atlantis that he could choose from why did he have to pick her?

Ellie vividly remembered the cat-fight she'd had with Sanders in the mess hall and she cringed inwardly.

Trying to act un-phased Ellie headed across to where Ronon was sat and joined him.

"What's with you two?", Ronon asked, nodding his head in Lorne's direction but Ellie shook her head.

"Nothing. What did you want to see me about?", she asked and Ronon sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows upon the table.

"I think we should go and see the Athosian priest who married us", he said and Ellie blinked at him, not expecting to hear that.

"Right", she said bluntly, "You……..you want to end our marriage?", and even though she knew it was over it was still hard to hear the words spoken out loud.

"No……but I think you do and if you don't love me any more it's only fair that I let you go", Ronon replied and Ellie looked at him wondering how on earth she could have ever fallen out of love with him.

"I'm so sorry", she said, her hand closing over his and Ronon forced a smile.

"Me too……but don't you ever imagine you'll be totally free of me….not whilst Hope is around", he said and Ellie nodded.

"I wouldn't want it any other way".

Over by the bar, Lorne knocked his shot back and turned to Sanders who was grinning at him seductively.

"Can I get you another drink?", he asked and she nodded.

Ellie tried to ignore the fact Lorne was buying the Lieutenant another drink and she turned to Ronon as he said,

"We'll go to the mainland on tomorrow's jumper run then".

"That's fine", Ellie said sounding distracted and Ronon regarded her.

"Is he messing with you?", he asked glancing at Lorne and Ellie shook her head, turning away from the 'if looks could kill' glare that Sanders was throwing at her.

"No….it's fine", she replied and Ronon nodded uncertainly as he stood.

"I'll go get Hope. I'll drop her off with you later", he said, dropping a kiss on her cheek before leaving her.

Ellie watched as a marine approached Lorne and he excused himself from Sanders for a minute whilst he moved to where a group of marines were sitting.

Slowly Sanders ambled over to her, her glass in her hand as she stopped in front of Ellie.

"So…it looks like I was right….you've messed with Lorne's head. It's just lucky that I'm here to help him pick up the pieces and I know I'll be able to do that sooooo well", Sanders drawled and Ellie stood, forcing the marine to back up a step.

"So now who's the slut?", Ellie asked, turning to walk away but feeling Sanders hand clamp around her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

"Look….if Evan wants you then good luck to him", Ellie said trying to twist her arm out of Sanders grip but the marine tightened her hold and Ellie winced as Sanders said,

"You little bitch….".

"Just leave me alone", Ellie said, shoving at Sanders. She didn't want to fight with the woman…..she wasn't riled up enough to even have a fair first shot, not like the last time.

Sanders dropped her glass and it smashed on the floor, drawing peoples gazes as she slapped Ellie around the face and then went for her throat.

Lorne glanced up from his conversation with the marines and groaned as he saw Sanders slap Ellie who would have fallen over but for the fact that Sanders grabbed her by the throat, effectively keeping her upright.

Ellie dug her finger nails into Sanders arms as she tried to release the other woman's grip on her throat.

Stars began to pop before her eyes and she closed them, fighting for breath.

Lorne ran over to them at the same time as Sheppard, who had just entered the room.

Sheppard grabbed Sanders arms and wrenched her away from Ellie.

"Lieutenant what the hell is going on here?", he asked as Ellie coughed and all but slumped against Lorne in relief.

"She is annoying me", Sanders griped, glaring at Ellie who was fast becoming aware that she was clinging a little too needily onto Lorne's T-shirt.

She tried to move away but found she was shaking too much and so decided to stay put for now.

"Well McKay annoys me but I don't try and strangle him", Sheppard said.

"Did Dr. Harrison provoke you?", Lorne asked and Sanders looked at him.

"Well, no. I did it for you…..Sir", Sanders said and Sheppard laughed.

"Oh boy", he said, pulling Sanders away, "Holding cells for you until you calm down and are ready to apologise".

When Ellie and Lorne were alone she managed to move away from him but felt bereft at the loss of contact with his body.

"Did I provoke her? What kind of question was that?", she asked and Lorne looked at her.

"Well did you?", he asked and Ellie glared at him.

"Of course not….she's just a maniac. Your choice of new girlfriend isn't exactly a good one".

"Well my ex-girlfriend wasn't one of my best ideas either", Lorne shot back and Ellie gasped as his words sent a sliver of ice through her heart.

"I didn't mean…..", Lorne began but Ellie held up a hand to stop him.

"Forget it", she said, turning and walking away from him.

OOoOO

The next day Ellie and Ronon went and saw the Athosian priest who reluctantly performed a ceremony to separate them in which they had to remove one another's wedding bands. It was at that point that Ellie cried, despite her determination that this was the right thing to do.

She clung to Ronon and they both felt the finality of what they'd done hit them harshly.

"If you change your mind……..", Ronon said and Ellie laughed, swiping at her tears.

"What? We'll just get married again?", she joked but her face straightened when Ronon nodded.

"Sure…..", he said and Ellie shook her head, smiling at him.

They held hands as they returned to the jumper, strangely feeling closer to one another than they had in a very long time.

OOoOO

The next day Sheppard waved Lyssa off in the gate room as she left with Lorne and the rest of her team and then he jumped as he turned to find Carly stood extremely close to him.

"Whoa…..Hey…..Carly", he said thinking that this girl was seriously weird.

He moved away from her, feeling un-nerved as she continued to merely grin at him.

"Can I help you?", he asked but she shook her head.

"Not just now Colonel".

"Right", Sheppard said, edging away from her. What the hell Ronon had been thinking about when he'd slept with her was beyond him.

In his opinion both Caleb and Carly deserved each other and only for Caleb being Lyssa's brother he would have insisted that the pair of them move on by now.

Still, for Lyssa's sake he'd put up with them…for now.

End of Chapter 3