Vegas in Red: I Won't Back Down6

Moira couldn't concentrate. She stared dully at the fossil in front of her. Wishing it was something more exciting, like the Wraith DNA strands or a scan of the skeleton. A whole new species from another galaxy, a whole new evolution of a life form that she was only beginning to understand. To study.

But really she couldn't stop thinking of John. She couldn't stop thinking of all the exploring she had done along that long, lean body of his, strapped to her bed and at her mercy. She had never been so sexually adventurous with any man, not even her fiancé. Never wanted or needed not only the man but the sex so much. She had never trusted a man the way she trusted John. She knew no matter how kinky or rough or wild the sex got he would never, never hurt her.

She recalled his parting words to her. His voice had been husky, low. Promising retribution. Promising to discipline her even further than a mere spanking, so thoroughly she wouldn't be able to sit still for a week. He had taken a ruler off her desk and smacked it against his palm for emphasis. She felt a sensual shiver at the remembered words, actions. She could hardly wait for the day to end to see what he would do to her, with her. She could hardly keep still on the chair now as sexual images, feelings dominated. She felt so enamored, so happy it made her giddy.

But she frowned. Knowing it was too late. Knowing that she had fallen for him, fallen hard and wondered if he even felt the same. If he ever would. She knew she was heading for heartbreak but was helpless to stop it. It was impossible to stop seeing him, to stop wanting him.

He would have to initiate the break-up, because she couldn't. She wouldn't.

Carson filled the mug, placed it in front of Evan. "On the house."

"Thanks!"

"Just this once." The men smiled.

"Sheppard never quite explained how this would work, did he?" Evan complained. "I mean, if another case involving these Wraith or other ships or anything alien comes along will he send a bat signal into the sky?"

Carson laughed. "Probably nothing that exotic. I'm thinking a simple phone call."

"Huh. That's boring. We need a name." Evan sipped the beer.

"A what?" Carson asked.

"A name. Some code word, you know."

Carson shook his head. "I don't know. What would you call us, then? A ragtag group of people if there ever was one, aren't we? A washed-up detective, a disgraced doctor, a vilified paleontologist and a starving artist? Plus, of course, the shady lawyer and the OCD physicist." He chuckled. "What name could possibly encompass us?"

Evan smiled. Drank his beer, thinking. He watched Carson move along the bar, serving patrons and keeping a watchful eye on any drunk and disorderly conduct. It was odd being back in their regular lives. As if everything that had gone before was a dream, or a story, or some episode in a science fiction show. Evan shook his head, amused at the absurdity of it all. He waited until Carson had returned to him. "Got it."

"Got what? Och, the name? Let's have it, then."

"SGA."

"SGA? That's not a name, that's an acronym. What the bloody hell does that stand for?"

"Star Guardians of America," Evan said, voice serious.

Both men burst into laughter.

Jennifer was fussing, muttering to herself as she worked in the medical lab. She was shaking her head, blond ponytail shifting side to side against her white lab coat. Rodney stood watching her. Seeing why he had fallen for her, even how. Knowing apart from the natural attraction there had been vanity. That a woman like that would ever fall for a guy like him. Apart from the science in their lives they had little else in common. They seemed to be more divided than ever, over the Wraith, over everything.

"Problem?"

She turned to see him. "Are you spying on me now?" she snapped, whiny voice high in pitch. "Sorry!" she apologized, seeing his reaction. "It's just…how could you let that madman interrogate Todd like that? He's got a serious laceration to his face! A cut on his neck! He could have lost an eye! He could have been—"

"Sheppard knew what he was doing, but yes, he did go a little too far," Rodney's words were conciliatory as he neared her. Quiet footsteps on the tiled floor. "We needed answers, Jen. He's not human, you know."

"Which one? Sheppard or Todd?" she quipped. "That doesn't make it right! He's the last of his kind, Rodney. Alone on an alien planet! Never to be reunited with his own kind. For all we know he has a family."

"Do they even have families? I think Doctor O'Meara would disagree."

"Her? What does she know? Some two-bit paleontologist or biologist who has been here all of what, five seconds? Just because Sheppard is her lover doesn't mean that she knows anything about any of this!"

"Picked up on that, did you?" Rodney asked, smiling. More amused than angered. He couldn't be angry with this girl, not for long.

"Of course! It is so obvious!" She snorted, giggled. Touched his arm. "A little bird told me that they even did it here, in the women's restroom! Can you believe that?"

"No. I don't. It's just gossip or—"

"No, it's true! I have an impeachable source! Can you believe that?" she repeated, and Rodney got that junior high school feeling again. He hated that.

"Let's focus on the science at hand, shall we? Todd will fully recover, won't he? Jen?"

"What? Oh, you're no fun, Rodney." She sighed, moved to the microscope. "Yes, he will fully recover. In fact we will be able to see the regenerative power of the enzyme firsthand. It is truly remarkable. The advancement in their tissue structure alone is worth study."

"I'm sure Doctor Beckett would agree with you."

"That Scottish guy? I don't like him. He acts like I don't know anything! He treats me like a med student! This is my lab!"

"It was your lab," Rodney gently reminded. Wishing he was somewhere else, anywhere else. He wondered why had entered the lab in the first place. That diner way out of town beckoned. The isolation. The excellent food. The more excellent company in the person of Katie Brown.

God he was sick of the whining.

"Yes, it was…and is." She stepped to him. Ran her hands up his chest, looking up into his eyes. Expression pouty and sexy all at once. "I know I made a mistake, Rodney, and I am sorry. You can trust me know, I promise. You believe me, don't you?"

"Yes…" But doubt hovered at the edge of his mind.

As if sensing it Jennifer prettily frowned. Then smiled. She kissed him. Ran her hands along his chest. "Oh Rodney…you can. This is my lab. And you are my husband. Let's give Sheppard and his girlfriend a run for their money."

"Huh?"

She laughed. Kissed him again. "Oh Rodney! I love how dense you can be, at times. Let's do it in the lab!"