Once Daniel had unpacked, Jack began to give him a proper tour of Atlantis, as last time Daniel had only been able to see the 'hologram room'.

It amazed Jack at the speed at which things could turn around. As the two of them wandered through the corridors of Atlantis, people smiled (mostly guilty and/or sheepish) at Jack, and to his surprise one marine even came up to them and initiated a conversation. Jack marveled at the obvious speed of Atlantis's gossip mill – it was even faster than the SGC's. What he was also pleasantly surprised at was the ease at which the personnel were able to accept him once there was no obvious threat to Atlantis, or its favourite son..

Finally, Jack and Daniel entered the gym in time to see Sheppard's feet being swept out from under him by Teyla.

"Kind reminds me of you," Daniel told Jack.

"Don't be silly. I would never be so silly as to fight Teyla with those Stick things." Jack said, gesturing toward the bantos sticks, "I actually do have something resembling self preservation."

Daniel raised his eyebrows and was about to retort, but was beaten to it by Teyla, "I have heard through the Atlantis personnel that your disposition is much like John's. That our co-workers even believe that John is trying to keep up with your ability to annoy and make enemies of many races you meet."

"It's not my fault" Jack and John, protested in unison.

"Yeah just like the flings with random alien priestesses and other aliens?" Daniel asked Jack dryly. At this, Teyla gave John a look that could only be read as 'sound familiar?'

At the same time Jack frowned at Daniel and replied "And who exactly was it who had a snake after him?" At this both Teyla and John looked at Jack quizzically.

"Snake?"

"A go'auld" Jack explained. "Danny here had a goa'uld after him."

"Yeah I think that takes the cake," John agreed.

Teyla put a hand on John's arm and been her forehead forward to in the Athosian greeting. John lowered his, to greet her. She turned to Jack and Daniel and suggested "Perhaps I could continue to show Daniel around Atlantis?"

John looked at her gratefully.

Jack raised an eyebrow, but nodded, "Sure. That sounds great," he told her. Turning to Daniel he said "Danny – "

"I know, I know. Don't go running off, and don't go touching anything."

"And yet you are still going to do it" Jack mumbled even after Daniel was out of earshot.

Jack turned to Sheppard. "So…"

"So…"

Silence reigned for a few minutes, until it was broken by Jack. "You want to talk, I take it."

John smiled awkwardly. "Yeah. Well the thing is for the past few weeks or so- "

"Your people have been ignoring me on the basis that they thought I was a bigot and against same-sex relationships?"

John looked at feet embarrassed "Yeah. Well I kinda wanted to tell you that it wasn't- I mean I – "

"I know," Jack interrupted, saving John. He scrutinized the younger man. "I tell you what though, it is amazing how loyal your people are"

John looked up, pleased to be hearing what he saw as due praise for Atlantis's personnel. "Yeah. They're really fantastic. The scientists save our butts on regular occasions, we try to protect them and so there is a great camaraderie spread throughout the expedition. I mean, some of the closest relationships are between a scientist and a marine."

"Or in you case, an airforce pilot."

John grinned, "Sir, if you knew Rodney and I were together, do you think others…" Sheppard drifted off.

"The thing is, Sheppard, I've spent the better part of seven years pretending to all but my closest friends that that I was not in love with an amazing person – that I was straight." Jack explained. "You cannot imagine my surprise when I saw a mirror image of us in two of the senior staff in Atlantis."

John grinned slightly, his gaze returning to his feet.

"You know it was Colonel Carter that got us together, right?"

"Carter, huh?" Jack smirked, "Yeah that sounds like her. How did she manage that?"

"She said that…" John looked up as realization dawned, "that she'd seen it before."

Jack laughed. "Yes that is definitely Carter. We even went so far as to pretend that Sam and I were – uh – cared for eachother, you know, more than we were supposed to. Now if you will excuse me, I will go find a certain wayward scientist, and I presume you will want to do the same," he continued as he and John headed down the corridor together.

"Yes sir. They're probably down at the science labs about now, tinkering with something dangerous."