So, so sorry for the delay! Life and I had a little disagreement, but I hope you enjoy this rushed installment. Major scene change to come next chapter, btw.

Also, I had a question about timeline. In answer, I will say that this occurs after the episode Sunday, but AU in that Carson is alive. (I can't stand that he died, so forgive me that.)

Thanks for those who reviewed, BOO to those who didn't! :D

Compromising Positions: Chapter 4
The Cupid Shuffle

Today seriously wasn't her day. In a vain attempt to ward of an oncoming migraine, Elizabeth rested her forehead in the palm of her hand and closed her eyes for a few blissful moments, allowing darkness to claim the vision of her stark office and the control room below. It hadn't taken too long for Atlantis to get used to her new appearance. There weren't even very many jokes now to make her life miserable. But today was an official day of rest for Atlantis, set in advance of Dr. Heightmeyer's sudden departure to Earth; the fourth after the fiasco the first had turned out to be, what with the exploding people and all. Carson had been stuck in his own infirmary for two weeks, but had, obviously, pulled through. Still, after that first day, Elizabeth hadn't taken more than three hours at a time for herself during any of the rest days, and today was no exception.

Today was, however, different. For one, it was the first rest day that had come about after the debacle at M51-237. Secondly, even though Anna's team was working hard, they still hadn't made a breakthrough. At least, they hadn't when she and John had gone to see them two days ago, after the Dr. Zimmerman incident, and they would have reported it if they had. And thirdly, today was the first day that Elizabeth actually cared that she was lonely.

It had all started when Dr. Beckett had announced that he was going fishing the night before. Feeling guilty about what had happened the last time he had said 'no', Rodney had jumped at the chance to go. And suddenly, everyone wanted to make plans. Popcorn rations were retrieved from storage, movies and board games erupted into some of the most sought-after items in Atlantis, parties were planned for the evenings, rooms were being booked and bickered over by groups of people hell-bent on spending their day of rest with friends… Quite literally everyone had found someone to spend his or her day with, except for one Dr. Elizabeth Weir.

She would have, of course, probably have declined any invitation to socialize anyways, but at least she would have known that someone wanted to spend time with her. Only to herself would Elizabeth ever admit how much it hurt that no one seemed to want to. Outwardly, she was all business, bustling around like she did almost every day and interacting with the skeleton crew when she needed to, but inwardly, she was pensive and sore. Everyone had someone, even on regulation-bound Atlantis. Rodney had Katie Brown, the marine who stood guard at transporter 12 had the girl from radiology, Teyla had great friends in both the expedition as well as her own people, especially in Ronan. And John… well, Elizabeth wasn't deaf. She heard the giggles and whispers among the females of the crew. If he felt so inclined, John could have any one of them jump in bed with him with very little wooing to do on his part. Even Beckett had options in his on-again off-again girlfriend Laura Cadman. And all of these people had close groups of friends to spend time with in addition to all of this.

Elizabeth really missed having what they had, both in friendship and in romance. She missed having friends who listened to what she said not because they had to, but they chose to. She missed having friends, for that matter. However much time she spent with them, it was never enough. However, she also missed having romantic relationships as well.

And it was of course on this morning, when Elizabeth had been feeling so terrible, that Mike had decided to show up and make her morning even worse. Rejecting his offer of another date in a non-confrontational way had taken a lot out of her, and she had soon retreated to her office, only to be found and berated by Colonel Caldwell about something that she couldn't even remember anymore. As soon as he had left, she'd had to deal with two bickering scientists who absolutely refused to compromise about anything at all down in the labs. It had been a long and drudging walk back to her office, where she sat now, head in her hands, eyes closed, headache pending, and almost wishing that someone else would blow up, just out of spite for humanity.

"Dr. Weir, are you feeling ill?"

Startled, Elizabeth jerked to attention, but relaxed a little when she saw that the person in the doorway of her office was only Teyla.

"I'm not ill," she reassured her, moving to clear up her desk a little. "Just tired."

Teyla appeared unconvinced, not moving from her place at the door. "If you require medical assistance, Dr. Weir, Dr. Keller is still on duty and it wouldn't be a problem for her at all to—"

"Teyla, I'm fine," Elizabeth restated firmly, still unused to the natural softness of her 'new' voice, but not wanting to hear any more out of Teyla, cutting the other woman off mid-sentence. "Was there something you needed?"

Silence reigned for a few heartbeats as Teyla regarded her shrewdly, and Elizabeth looked back at her, her gaze even. Finally, the Athosian broke the silence. "It is a day of rest today, is it not? Doing paperwork and pounding sense into men doesn't seem restful, Dr. Weir."

Elizabeth's eyebrows climbed into her hairline.

"I was coming to see if you wanted to join the team for a movie because Rodney forgot that John told him to invite you when I passed Mike in the hall," Teyla admitted. "He appeared quite upset, and one of the men in the control room warned me not to disturb you when I arrived here. So, I brought chocolate." The little ration bar was proffered kindly, and Elizabeth had to admire classic female logic.

Instantly, Elizabeth released to rigid pose of professionalism and put her head back into her hands, feeling a sudden rush of affection for Teyla. She had been acting overdramatic all morning, and it wasn't fair of her to take out her personal issues on dear Teyla, who was just trying to be a good friend. "I'm sorry," she said softly as the woman came and sat at the chair on the other side of her desk. "It's been… a trying morning."

"I can see that," Teyla responded, her face flooded with empathy.

Surprising herself, and probably Teyla, Elizabeth found that the expression was all that was needed to shatter the thin shell that was keeping her in one piece. A few tears began to trickle down her face, and she wiped them away furiously, despite the fact that more replaced them almost instantly. She needed to get a grip.

For her part, Teyla appeared alarmed, and dropped the chocolate on the desk unceremoniously before grabbing Elizabeth's hand and gripping it tightly.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me today," Elizabeth apologized with a watery laugh and a sniffle, swiping up the last of her tears and using the hand holding hers as an anchor to the real world, pulling herself together as if the momentary lapse had never occurred. She was still miserable though.

Smiling softly, Teyla shook her head, moving her free hand to assist the other in holding onto Elizabeth's. "There is no need to apologize," she insisted kindly, brown ponytail bobbing when she moved. "I don't mind at all. Do you need to talk about it?"

Elizabeth offered a wry smile. "What's there to talk about? Nothing's changed. I still can't do what I've never been able to. I still don't have what I've never had. Caldwell's still pissy, geniuses are still the most stupid human beings I have yet to encounter and yet are still the only males who ever seem to find me attractive, and the things I want most are the things I can't have," she said bitterly. "It's me that's changed. I'm not as controlled as I once was. More... volatile." Speaking the words out loud felt wonderful, and Elizabeth was able to sit up a little straighter, inexplicably feeling a little bit better.

Appearing both confused and distressed, Teyla blinked. "I don't understand," she confessed. "You are only human, are you not?"

"Being only human just isn't good enough," Elizabeth responded sadly. "It never is."

Clearly, Teyla didn't know what to say, and they sat there in silence for a few long minutes, unmoving, before the woman suddenly stood, releasing Elizabeth's hand. "Come with me," she instructed, turning towards the door.

"Teyla, really, I don't have time for—"

"I will radio John and tell him to come over and get you himself," Teyla warned, without turning around. "But I'd rather not, seeing as we aren't going to watch the movie with them."

Surprised, Elizabeth blinked. "We're not?"

"No. We're doing something better."

"Teyla, this is ridiculous. I wasn't even invited!"

"Yes you were," the Athosian woman replied, her muffled voice somehow finding its way out of the crowded closet she'd stuck her torso into. "I distinctly remember Major Lorne saying that he'd be delighted if you came."

"Teyla, you walked up to him and told him that you weren't going with Ronon to the party, you were going with me," Elizabeth scolded her from her perch on the foot of Teyla's bed. "I'm not a military officer, Teyla, nor do I train with them. Therefore, I wasn't invited to their party tonight. Besides, I can't ruin your night with Ronon."

"Trust me, you won't. We were really only going together because I didn't want to have to go with Lt. Minnex," the woman laughed, finally emerging from the closet, eyeing a crude garment bag she had pulled with her. "I knew I still had it."

"And I definitely can't fit into any of your clothes," Elizabeth threw in for good measure, apprehensive.

Teyla shot her an amused glance. "Dr. Weir, the party is being thrown by Major Lorne and a few marines, yes, but that does not prohibit those invited from selecting someone with which to attend. It's our day off and besides, Major Lorne doesn't mind," she said smugly. "And this dress isn't mine," she added. "I intended it as a gift to a friend I once knew, but only after trading for it did I remember that she hated the color, so I never gave it to her."

Elizabeth eyed Teyla, in her green (and quite revealing) Athosian dress with tangible skepticism. She so didn't have time for this! She didn't want to go to some half-baked drinking binge, (Let's face it, that was her expedition's definition of 'party' and everyone knew it.) But every time she tried to make her excuses and leave, Teyla just gave her that 'Are you seriously trying to get out of this?' look, and Elizabeth didn't have the strength to argue it out with her. However, she drew the line at letting Teyla dress her.

"I'll let you do my makeup," Teyla offered with her most winsome smile, holding out the burlap bag that held the offending item of clothing.

"… You have to do my hair," Elizabeth stipulated, grumpily grabbing the bag, reluctant to admit that Teyla's distractions were working, and she didn't feel quite as miserable anymore.

Her line-drawing skills really needed work.

"Dr. Weir! I didn't know you were coming; I thought you were busy! You look wonderful! And you do too, Teyla!" Laura Cadman gushed, running up to them as best she could in her high heels and grinning her greetings.

Elizabeth couldn't help but grin back. She liked Laura quite a bit, although at times her boundless energy could be a bit tiring.

"Ay, lass, is it really Elizabeth in there, or am I living out one of Sheppard's fantasies?" Carson called out to her, rounding the corner behind Cadman, who snorted in amusement. He was dressed up as well, and Elizabeth assumed he was attending the impromptu celebration with Laura.

Heat flooded beneath her skin as Elizabeth reddened. "Shut up, Carson," she muttered, deciding that she wasn't going to ask him about his fishing trip after that comment.

The Scottish doctor just laughed at her and turned to Teyla. "My, my, Teyla, you look lovely tonight," he told her warmly. "You'll have no shortage of dancing partners." Teyla made a witty remark about 1600 technically being afternoon, and all four of them were soon laughing and joking.

"Come on!" Cadman called, pulling off her heels and strutting down the hall with a swoosh of red fabric. "Let's get to the party."

Still chatting, Carson and Teyla followed and Elizabeth quietly hastened to catch up to them. Her shoes were far easier to move about in than Cadman's or Teyla's, being a pair white flats that Elizabeth had rarely had occasion to wear before, but the blue-grey dress was rather form-fitting and caught about her knees if she took to large of steps, so she was careful not to fall behind.

True to Laura's word, it didn't take long to get there. The party was being held in a large empty room just down the hall that was open along one side to a fantastic view of Atlantis, the large balcony providing half the room's space. They were right on time, and people were filing in from the other end of the hallway as well, all dressed as nicely as they could muster from the limited supplies on Atlantis. It was rather sweet, if slightly haphazard.

As Elizabeth had anticipated, most of those present were members of the military. However, she and Carson weren't the only civilians attending, as dates or otherwise, and so she felt a little bit better being there as she stepped in the door, grinning at the sight before her. The room was decorated jointly by hanging scraps of randomly-colored Athosian cloth and sealed class tubes of glowing… well, glowing something. Elizabeth chose to assume it wasn't dangerous. A cheap boombox was set up at one end of the room on a folding table, blasting ABBA songs (Lorne was written all over that one) and tables with snacks and red onsie cups of Radek's moonshine were situated at the other. People were dancing and chatting and laughing, dressed up in brightly colored blazers (Elizabeth didn't want to know about the marine in a neon green suit.) dresses, and blouses from all cultures of the Earth and the Pegasus Galaxy. Together, it was home.

"That color looks lovely on you, Dr. Weir. I'm glad Teyla convinced you to come."

Turning, Elizabeth smiled widely at the man who had complemented her. "Why thank you, Major Lorne. I'm glad she did too," she laughed, struck by how the first thing people seemed to notice was the fact that, for once, she wasn't wearing red. Well, that and the fact that Major Lorne himself was a little red. She was struck by that too.

"Erm… Ronon and Dr. McKay are over there, by the food, if you wanted to say hi…" Lorne trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck and grinning sheepishly.

"I will," Elizabeth said pleasantly, her mood soaring. "You've done a wonderful job, Major Lorne. Thank you." With that, she set off towards the food tables. They would be there, she thought to herself, shaking her head. But she was happy that they were there. "Rodney! Ronon!" she called out when she was close enough, waving a little and sending many 'excuse me's and 'pardon's into the group of people she was weaving around to get to them.

"Elizabeth! Thank God, have you brought any food?" Rodney immediately said as she drew up next to their little trio, focused completely on his stomach, as always.

"Nooo," she replied, making the word two syllables and smiling a little. "Have you been cut off already?"

Rodney sniffed disdainfully. "Of course not, I just—" The man did a double take, staring at her with wide eyes. "I… You…"

"He thinks you look hot," Ronon finished bluntly, taking a bite out of a chicken wing as if that were the most normal thing in the world to say.

"I meant no such thing!" Rodney protested, but halted in his tracks as he saw Elizabeth raise an eyebrow at him, the younger version of her death glare no less intimidating than it had always been. "Not… not that you don't look absolutely stunning Elizabeth, really," he backpedalled quickly and Ronon just watched on in amusement. "It's just that I am not capable of intending to say something so… so… cavemanish!" The sentence was finished with a glare at his large companion, who was pulling a stubborn bit of meat off of the bone of the chicken wing with his teeth, not paying any attention anymore.

Clasping her hands in front of her, Elizabeth fought to hide how amused she was. "In that case, thank you Rodney. How sweet. I'm just going to go…" She gestured vaguely to another area and pulled herself out of the conversation, chuckling to herself as she did so. Over the next thirty minutes, she socialized quite a bit. Almost eighty people were in attendance (much to Lorne and his marine friends' surprise, as they hadn't figured people liked them that much) and they all wanted to talk to her. It was fun, and Elizabeth found that her spirit soared with each smile and complement, vowing every time that she would never again work through an entire rest day. But she was also tired.

Finally extracting herself from a conversation with a very inebriated young marine who was very nice (but also too nice), Elizabeth made her way to the edge of the balcony and away from the dance floor, flushed with the heat of so many people. Leaning against the rail, knees clinking against the glowing vials lining it, she let out a little sigh and took a tentative sip out of the cup she had picked up a while ago but never started on. It was very good, if strong, but Elizabeth decided that one cup was probably good enough for her. She'd never been able to hold her liquor well.

"May I join you?"

Turning, Elizabeth didn't fight the way her face lit up when she saw John standing behind her, in jeans with a formal top and jacket, hair tousled as always and looking... very nice. "You'd still do it even if I said no," she pointed out teasingly.

John laughed easily (probably because of the plastic cup in his hand). "You look absolutely beautiful, you know," he told her, moving to her side and turning to face her. "I think you had half the guys at the party sweating."

"Really?" Elizabeth blurted before she could control herself, eyes wide.

John grinned roguishly. "The janitors won't have to clean your office for two weeks, after the comments I caught a few of those flyboys making not 10 minutes ago. And…" he checked his watch, "in approximately six hours, you should have apology letters waiting for you on your desk."

"You didn't," gasped Elizabeth, clapping a hand to her mouth to hide her ever-widening smile.

"And if I did?"

"John Sheppard, are you defending my honor?" she laughed, a question she had asked him once before with no answer.

He looked at her for a moment, his jovial manner instantly replaced by one that was very somber. "Yes, I am."

For the first time in a very long while, there was a silence between them that Elizabeth felt should have been filled, but wasn't. Not with anything her mind could (or would) translate into coherency, that is. They just looked at each other, green on hazel. Suddenly, she very much regretted wearing the smoky grey backless dress that Teyla had leant her. It suddenly seemed much too… small. The look on John's face as he looked at her… it made heat claw it's way up her spine in a way that was most definitively not conducive to keeping her job.

"John…" His name came out as a whisper, just barely escaping her throat and the chaos of her eternal battle. She could see it on his face as well, as well as his own effort to overcome the sudden, inexplicable confusion that seemed to have ensnared the both of them.

It was John who first succeeded in breaking the silence. "Come on, 'Lizabeth," he said, giving her a sad smile and offering his hand. "Dance with me?"

Putting her cup on the railing, Elizabeth took his hand and squeezed it softly, hoping her eyes conveyed the bittersweet feeling filling her chest cavity. "There is nothing I'd like to do more," she told him honestly.

"Do you know the Cupid Shuffle?" he asked.

"How could I not?" she scoffed.

John grinned at her. "I'll talk to DJ Lorne. He's gotta give the ABBA a rest."

It was a recurring pattern in Elizabeth's life that whenever something good happened to her, something blew up. Some people might claim this to be an utterly ridiculous assumption, but she didn't even question it anymore. It just was. Living how and where she did, Elizabeth wasn't given to complaining much about this fact either, considering that she was still alive. It was bad karma to whine: she didn't want to risk it. But she never was a lucky sort of person. Conforming perfectly to this pattern of her life, as soon as Elizabeth had decided that she never wanted to leave the party (She hadn't had as much fun in months as she was having during those hours, dancing with John and her other friends) the few technicians left in the 'gate room were all babbling into her earpiece at once. With a single anxious look exchanged between them that conveyed an entire conversation, she and John took off towards the nearest transporter, half the party at their heels.

As it turned out, there had actually been a literal explosion. (John had pointed out the déjà-vu factor while in the transporter, and Elizabeth had just looked at him with horror.)

Swearing most unprofessionally once she smelled the smoke, Elizabeth had sprinted as best she could into the 'gate room, grateful for John's arm at her back propelling her faster. The smoke had only just started to clear, and the woman forced herself to stand still for a moment, close her eyes, count to ten, and go to her happy place in an attempt to block out the shouting and hiss of fire extinguishers as those people who had come with her from the party ran off to see what was going on.

The exercise hadn't really helped, but at least Elizabeth was now capable of forming coherent sentences.

"Dr. Weir! Don't worry, we have everything under control here," a nervous night tech insisted, running up to her looking harried, his hair mussed on one side as if he had been pulling at it. "Just a minor equipment malfunction."

"Report. My desk. Two hours," Elizabeth muttered, ability to form coherent sentences disappearing in a flash, before stepping gracefully into her glass-walled office, shutting the door, and sitting down for the long haul, unwilling to go to bed with all of the chaos.

Some nights, it just didn't pay to interfere.

"Oh Eliiiizabeeeth…" the singsong voice intruded upon Elizabeth's dreams, and she let loose an incoherent mumble.

"Wakey-wakey Elizabeth," it insisted. "Or I'll have to carry you back to your quarters and find a way to get you out of that dress so you don't ruin it!"

That did it. Elizabeth jumped awake in an instant, shooting upright in her chair quickly and brushing away a bit of paper that had stuck to her cheek.

"Falling asleep at your desk doesn't exactly inspire much faith, 'Lizabeth," John pointed out, dropping a set of manila folders in front of her. The clock read that it was 0100, and personally, Elizabeth thought that this fact alone warranted the whole falling-asleep-at-her-desk thing.

Blinking blearily, Elizabeth made a valiant effort at re-orienting herself. Sucky day, Teyla making her feel better, Major Lorne's party, the ill-timed explosion… "I'll sleep when things stop blowing up," she mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose and making to sort out the mess she'd made of her desk by falling asleep on it. "Why didn't any of the personnel in the 'gate room wake me? Are they still busy with repairs?"

"Nah, they finished those an hour ago," John answered easily, trying to help her with the papers but stopping when she just slapped his hands away. Pointing to the folders he had brought to her, he added, "Those apologies I promised, and the report on the explosion, half an hour overdue. McKay. Artificial citrus flavorings he was testing for authenticity on the crew after he got too drunk to party, that reacted with someone else's midnight snack, some sort of cleaner someone was using, and one of those unused control panels. I don't even want to know," he summarized, shrugging. "McKay's back in the labs now, trying to make flash bombs out of it. Well… after he sleeps it off, that is."

Elizabeth blinked, trying to process the information John had just given her as well as his inexplicable perkiness. Eventually, she gave up, swearing off thinking entirely. "I'm going to bed," she finally muttered. John just grinned.

Like it? Hate it? Don't care? Want to discuss the merits of pig bacon versus turkey bacon? Review. I'm always open to criticism or suggestions, and I send imaginary cakes and cookies and Ben&Jerry's to those that choose to share their thoughts with the class! :)