Title: No Such Thing, part 2
Summary: Nancy Sheppard arrives in Atlantis to review Mr Woolsey's good work. Remnants AU.
Characters: Everybody
Pairing: Sheppard/Nancy, Sheppard/Teyla, Teyla/Kanaan
Rating: T
Spoilers: Season 5.

The water beat down on him, scalding and unforgiving. He didn't know how long he'd been under the burning spray but as the water started to cool, he didn't think it was long enough. He hadn't scrubbed and the blue goo lingered in places unmentionable and when he did slide the bar of soap over his chest, down his legs, under his arms, it was with less enthusiasm than he'd ever imagined possible and the blue goo moved over his body, washing down the drain with the tepid water.

His skin burned as the cold water struck him but he didn't move from under it. The contrast was thrilling, sending jolts of electricity through his body that were almost pleasurable. His head against the wet tiles was throbbing at the city's insistence he let down his guard. His hands on either side of the shower head trembled as they held his weight against the wall. Water swam around his feet, scummy and foamy but he paid it little heed.

What the hell?

That one thought kept passing through his mind in great big shining letters, flashing insistently against his closed eyelids, reminding him that what he'd seen hadn't been a scene from last night's dreamscape. She was actually there, in Atlantis, assessing Woolsey's performance. She was actually there, in Atlantis, knowing his secret. She was actually there, in Atlantis. Period.

He turned, frustrated, and hit the shower off, stepping out into the cool, moist air of his bathroom. There were so many things wrong with her presence in the city that he couldn't even begin to name.

Ever since he'd come to Atlantis, the place had been like a sanctuary to him. A place where the happenings of his life before Atlantis didn't really matter because no one there knew him, no one there judged him. And certainly no one – until Ronon, almost two years ago – had known he'd been married, that he'd had a wife, that his marriage had failed and that he'd ended up divorced by the time he was twenty four.

And now she was in Atlantis.

And for the first time in five years, he'd felt cut off from the city. Because if he let himself feel what was going on, her presence flashed like a beacon in his mind and he was reminded of just why it was he was hiding out in his bathroom, under the pretence of showering.

"Colonel Sheppard," Woolsey said as his eyes flickered briefly to the woman sitting in front of him. "You look..."

"Yeah."

He didn't know what his response meant but at that moment, his brain refused to function. Her eyes travelled over him, almost playful – definitely assessing – and found the smirk that was playing around the corner of her lips annoyed him more than it should.

"So this is where you've been hiding, John."

He narrowed his eyes at her but didn't respond straight away.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with more venom than he'd initially meant. She wasn't startled, though Woolsey was, and John was suddenly reminded of why he'd liked her in the first place.

"Didn't you get my memo?" Woolsey asked and John tilted his head as he shifted his glare to his leader.

"Which one?"

The amused half-smile that cloyed around Woolsey's lips reminded John that the guy did actually have a sense of humour. John narrowed his eyes as Woolsey's gaze flicked over his blue-goo-covered slacks before his mask of professionalism slipped back into place.

"Both?"

At the tickling of amusement at the back of his mind, John pivoted on his heel and walked out of the office.

When the chimes sounded, he knew instantly that the other person on the side of the door was someone he didn't want to talk to. For the simple fact that he didn't want to talk to anyone. He waited a few moments, silent and stony in the bathroom as though the slightest movement would alert the person on the other side of the door outside that he was, in fact, inside. When the door didn't slide open, he knew it wasn't Rodney. When the chimes sounded again he knew it wasn't Teyla. When he heard the loud thud of fists against the door, followed by a gruff "Sheppard", he knew it wasn't Nancy.

When he opened the door, Ronon brushed past him, taking residence in the centre of the room. John stood there for a few moments, his chest prickling as the cool air hit his exposed chest.

"Come in, Ronon," he said redundantly, sarcastically, as he turned back into the room, making a bee-line for the bathroom and some clothes. In the bathroom, he dragged a towel through his hair and dried himself off, shuffling into a pair of jeans and an old tee he hardly ever wore and stood staring at his reflection for a good few minutes.

"That you just showering?"

He jumped slightly at the sound of Ronon's voice at his back and he met the Satedan's gaze in the mirror.

"Nancy's here." Ronon grunted and slid out of the bathroom, Sheppard following. "I..."

"I'd thought you'd handled the news a little too well."

"What?" Sheppard asked incredulously.

"Now I know it's 'cause you didn't get the memo." Sheppard raised his eyebrow, questioning and Ronon shrugged. "It's not my fault."

"You could have told me!"

"I didn't think you'd have wanted to talk about it," he said with a shrug as he prowled around the room and Sheppard watched him, bemused.

"What you doing here?" Ronon shrugged but didn't say anything, casting his gaze out of the window to the view beyond. "I still don't want to talk about it."

"She wants interviews with all heads of department." Sheppard groaned and dragged his hand down his face, scrubbing tiredly at his eyes and hair and skin. "And us."

Sheppard grunted again.

"And that, I imagine, has lots to do with Woolsey's appraisal."

Ronon grunted again and clapped Sheppard on the shoulder as he passed by him.

"You should read some of your memos, Sheppard." Sheppard rolled his eyes and rolled his shoulder after Ronon's 'friendly pat'. "Come on," he continued as he made his way to the door, "they're showing Die Hard down in the rec. room."

--

The movie did little to ease Sheppard's discomfort and as the others in the room stared at the television screen, Sheppard stared into space, almost brooding. He'd never admit it, if asked, but he knew that the others could probably see the indignant pout on his lips.

Nancy had never known the rules of the line. When to cross it and when to leave well enough alone; those thoughts had never been ones to cross her mind when she wanted something. She was like a dog, sometimes; once she got her teeth into something that was it. He wondered when it was she'd learned that he was on Atlantis – before or after she had been commissioned to go there. Had his presence been a defining factor, or had she not had a choice in the matter? Sheppard knew her though and knew well enough that she'd had a choice – that she'd made the choice – regardless of the consequences.

The darkness was broken by a shaft of light and Sheppard glanced to the door and groaned at the sight, sliding further down in his seat. Ronon cast him a sideways glance and Sheppard glared back at him, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly.

Of course, the only space big enough for another person was beside Sheppard and when Kanaan sat beside him, Sheppard couldn't help shifting away from him slightly. Ronon grunted a hello and Sheppard nodded in response to Kanaan's nod of greeting.

"Have I missed much?"

Sheppard had forgotten – somehow, idiotically – that Kanaan enjoyed movies. Teyla had been the same when she'd first arrived in Atlantis before she'd discovered music, books and yoga. He wondered how long it would take for Kanaan to get just as fed up with the little tidbit of Earth culture and really rather hoped it was soon.

Sheppard had never liked the guy; even back when they'd first met the Athosians, Kanaan had been one of the first on Sheppard's 'Keep An Eye On List'. Since his run in with Michael, Sheppard felt he was entirely justified in his actions. Granted, it had caused a few arguments between him and Teyla and Woolsey – Sheppard may have accused Teyla of compromising the base's security by trying to weedle Kanaan a place in the city, to which she had threatened him with her resignation – but he still felt that he was right.

And Kanaan's convenient absence during Michael's rule of the city had only piqued Sheppard's mistrust.

But who was he to say, really, when all he had was his gut instincts? It wasn't like they were worth anything anymore these days.

"Not much," Ronon said and Sheppard turned to him when the Satedan's elbow nudged his shoulder. He glared up at Ronon who simply glared back and Sheppard shifted in his seat.

He was being immature. He knew he was being immature. But he just didn't care.

"I heard you had..." he trailed off and Sheppard to Kanaan curiously. "What is it you say – a blast from the past?"

Sheppard closed his eyes, sighed and shook his head slightly in frustration at Ronon's snort.

"Something like that," he muttered in response as he cast a sideways glance to a few of the military men who were pretending not to listen in.

"It must be comforting," he continued and John turned back to him, "to have someone from your own world in Atlantis."

John snorted.

"There are plenty of people from my world here," he said, not unkindly, with a smile and a quick glance around the room.

Kanaan smiled and ducked his head slightly and John could imagine the man was blushing. He rolled his eyes slightly at that. Immature, his mind supplied but he shrugged off the thought.

"I meant someone from your past – someone you care about."

Sheppard looked away, suddenly quiet. He rolled his neck and looked down at his hands. Kanaan, he could sense, turned to the movie and he was thankful.

"It must be comforting."

Sheppard shook his head.

There was no such thing as a comforting blast from his past.