CHAPTER 5 – BREAKING THROUGH THE BARRIERS

After the security had taken her away he could still see the pain in those violet eyes and mentally berated himself, wondering whether he had done the right thing. Ronon found him – still standing in the middle of that room, head lowered, fingers pushing hard against his head as though it ached.

"Hey man! Alien huh? I have many wise ass remarks floating around in my head about now, and fully intended to come in here and use them all... but looking at your face, man – not such a good idea huh?"

"No, Ronon – not such a good idea... not right now. Maybe I'll laugh at this one day, hell, I'm sure everyone will have a damn good laugh at this one day, no doubt at my expense, but it still hurts a little man..."

"You were falling for her? It was weird Sheppard – you didn't happen to sense the 'weird' about her?"

"Yeah, and no... I guess it didn't matter – I was seeing past the 'weird' and there was something pretty special hidden away there, guess I'll never know now..."

Ronon clapped him on the shoulder and suggested that they go and do some sparring and John, thinking that he did in fact need a way to release some of this built up tension, agreed.

So not a good idea he told himself as he headed down to the area that housed the holding cells, the area where she was being held. Stay away John, you don't need to see her right now... except that he did, and he would and he had learned over the years, that when you really wanted something, you pretty much went all out to get it.

Two marines were in the room, weapons ready and when he entered he saw immediately that this had been a bad decision. She stood in the centre of the cell, head slightly lowered and he could see by the droop in her posture that she considered defeat a very real possibility. Why did his gut clench when he looked at the lights shining on her long dark hair, that fell softly across her lowered cheeks? Why did he feel ill, looking at her clenched fists, held tightly against the side of her body? And why did he feel that he had betrayed her when she finally lifted her head and saw the very real feelings that spilled out of those violet eyes as they gazed at his yearningly through the bars?

"Stand down..." he muttered to the marines. Damn it, she was a woman, and this was how he treated her? Had she shown any dangerous behaviour that was considered a threat to this base? So, she needed to mate? She had made her intentions clear, and also shown him that there would be no casualties in her quest. She would simply...leave... once her mission had been completed and who would have gotten hurt?

Me... thought John. I would have gotten hurt, 'cause I've developed feelings for her...

"John. I can sense in you the confusion. What will you do with me? Will you banish me?" Her voice had changed, yes it was soft, and damn it, he felt it right through to the tips of his toes, that sultry fizzle that made him want to step inside those bars and pull her tight against him. He glanced guiltilty at the marines that stood off to the side, trying to appear as though they were anywhere but here.

She came closer now, standing right at the bars and pushed her hands through. Unwillingly he reached out and took them, and heard the slide of weapons as the marines took their stance again.

"I said, stand down damn it!" and saw the confusion on their faces, having received orders from security that any form of physical contact would be considered a threat and was to be actioned accordingly. He keyed his ear comm now.

"Elizabeth. I need Andrea moved to normal quarters. She's not a physical threat, she doesn't need to be behind bars – put her in normal quarters with two marines at her door and she doesn't go in or out without an escort."

"John, I'm sorry about this, I really am – but until we know more about her and whether she can cause us physical harm, she needs to remain where she is. I have Kate Heitmeyer coming down shortly to do a pysch evaluation on her, on the entity inside her so that we can get a better picture of what we are dealing with. This is an unknown for us John, but I need to take the security of the base into first consideration – and so should you."

Her heard the reprimand in her voice, and knew that she was only following base protocol. Holding Andrea's hands lightly, he rubbed this thumbs gently on the inside of her wrists, using a little pressure to pull her closer to the bars.

"I'm sorry Andrea – you know why I had to do this don't you? You were charged with the task of protecting your people, your species – well, I am in charge of protecting mine. I don't like these..." he gestured at the bars that separated them "and once you have been checked over by both the base doctor and a pyschologist, perhaps we can look at lightening your security."

"You don't hate me John? For my actions?" Her voice was soft and whispered over him,and he leaned his forehead against the bars, just inches from her own.

"No sweetheart, I don't hate you, I just wish things could have been... different... for us."

Her forehead came to rest against his and he felt the sigh of her breath as it fanned across her cheek and knew that he was lost in the emotions that were running through him.

"I wish the same thing John." and lowering his head slightly, just slightly – he let his lips slide briefly across hers.