Days had past since Carson had returned to Atlantis, he had slept happily that night in his own bed that night. He had crawled out of bed that morning and when he had arrived at the mess was quickly waved over by Shepperd to the table he was sitting at with Ronan, Rodney and Teyla. He placed his coffee and apple on the table and sat down with a kind smile and greeting at each member
"Doc" smiled Shepperd
"Colonal" he politely smiled
"We were thinking of watching a movie tonight, you in?"
"What movie"
"Wizard of Oz" he answered
"If I don't have anyone appear in the infirmitary then sure"
"Bring a date" Shepperd smiled
"Nay" Carson smiled
"You do not have a partner Dr. Beckett" Teyla asked ignoring the look Ronan was giving her after there talk a few days earlier when Ronan had stated he did not understand the relationship customs of the Earth people
"Nay" Carson answered
"On your home world do your people not get assigned partners from birth?"
"Nay lassie, we chose them ourselves and sometimes it does not end like you want"
"I do not understand"
"It's a little confusing even for me lass, what do your people do?"
"Well my people usually have their partners chosen for them from birth by their families. Ronans people are different"
Carson looked at Ronan expectantly
"Ronan?" he asked when the larger man did not answer
"Our life loves are pre determined when we are born, the stars align the two souls that will be the best for each other at birth. We do not know who they are but when we come of age we receive visions that tell us about our future love"
"Visions lad?" he pushed
"Yes, for some it is the face of the one, a smell, sound, picture or place, a feeling it depends on the person. We seach for the person that matches our vision and once we find them we have the greatest happiness we will ever have"
"Huh" Carson answered
"We do not do either. We find people and we try, if it doesn't work and they are not the one we try again until we find ours"
"That sounds very messy" Teyla answered
"Yes it can be it can be very distressing when you think it is the right person and then they leave you"
"You have been hurt Doctor?" Teyla asks for her friend Ronan
"Nay, I've hurt someone because I couldn't be who she wanted me to be"
"She thought you were the one?"
"Aye, and I tried to be but it didn't feel right for me. I found myself wishing she was different and that wasn't fair to her, she found out I was not being honest and she has hated me ever since." He continued getting worked up
"She was my best friend and it was expected that I married her but I couldn't, it wasn't fair and she had been my closest frend for years, I told her all my greatest secret too betrayled me and told the whole town that I preferred her to be a he"
"He" teyla asked as the table went silent and Shepperd and Rodney stared at the Scot.
Colour flooded his cheeks, anger flashed on his usual gentle features and a cold angry and harsh voice swore
"Fuck, I aint gay. She just told everyone that. I AM NOT GAY" and without looking at the people sitting at the table Carson stood and rushed out of the mess.
"I do not understand, did I upset him?"
"No Teyla" Shepperd answered "Back home some people who not approve of men being with other men"
"Why?" She asked concerned for the larger man sitting near her
"If that is who they are destined to be with who are they to deny them happiness" she pushed angrily
"I completely agree Teyla but some people back home do not"
"He is worried we will not want to know him now" he added in explaination