"Well that could have gone worse." John commented as he led the others from the debrief to the mess hall.
"For clarification are we talking about the mission or the debrief?" Lorne asked.
"The debrief." John replied, not appreciating his second in command's sarcasm.
"That's probably because Woolsey thinks you made the whole thing up." Rodney commented. "When he realises it's not an April's fools joke then you're in for it."
"We're in for it. This is a team Rodney." John pointed out as he picked up a tray.
"What you were doing back there was not a team exercise." Rodney muttered.
"Look at that." Lorne said grinning, pointing to the far side of the mess hall. Following the Major's arm John, Teyla and Rodney saw Jennifer and Ronon sitting, sharing a meal. Looking longer they realised Ronon had an arm wrapped round Jennifer's shoulders and appeared to keep whispering in her ear.
"'Bout time." John commented as Rodney grimaced and said.
"Seriously? In the Mess Hall? Didn't I have to put up with enough of this on the mission? Is it too much to ask to go five minutes without someone trying to make you vomit?"
"Think we should say hello?" John asked, ignoring McKay.
"No." Teyla replied firmly.
"Could be considered rude if we didn't." Lorne countered.
"And an imposition if we did." Teyla argued.
"Ronon will want to know we got back safely." John pointed out. "I'm going over, just to say hello." With that he walked off, oblivious to Teyla's disapproving look.
"I should go to." Lorne said. "He may need back up."
"Hey guys." John smiled as he reached the table. As she sat down opposite them he asked. "You mind if I join you?"
"Yes." Ronon growled.
"How was the mission?" Jennifer asked, when the others reached the table and it became apparent there would be no more privacy.
"Nauseating." Rodney commented. Before he could launch into his tirade though Ronon noticed Lorne sitting grinning and the former runner gruffly asked.
"What?"
"What?" Lorne parroted innocently.
"You're grinning like a chimp." Jennifer pointed out.
"Can't I be happy that you two have finally stopped dancing round the issue?" Lorne asked, still grinning. "So when-"
"Shouldn't you be on a date?" Ronon interrupted.
"You're seeing someone?" Rodney asked incredulously.
"I do not have a date." Lorne stated, trying to side step the comments.
"You did the other night." Ronon pointed out.
"How exactly do you know that?" John asked, wondering when the Satedan had started caring about Atlantis gossip.
"He told me." Ronon shrugged.
"With who?" Rodney asked. "Please don't tell me it was Beth from comms."
"Beth?" John asked.
"The red head with the big…well defined figure." Rodney clarified, quickly changing his description when he saw Jennifer's glare.
"You mean Lisa." John stated before muttering. "Like you had a chance with her."
"Was it Lisa?" Rodney asked Ronon.
"Don't know. He didn't say."
"Why didn't you ask?" Rodney questioned.
"Didn't care." Ronon shrugged, frustrating his team mate.
"So who are you seeing?" Rodney asked Lorne, receiving a stony silence in response.
"You're asking the wrong person." John commented. "Lorne is trained not to crack. But she," he paused to point at Jennifer, "isn't and from the look on her face she clearly knows."
As all eyes turned to Jennifer she quickly tried to change the subject asking. "So how'd it go with Larrin?"
"Can we not talk about it? Having to relive the hours of shameless flirting will put me off my food." Rodney pleaded.
"I was not flirting." John countered.
"What would you call it then?" Rodney challenged.
"Negotiating."
"You know that when you negotiate you are meant to improve the deal?" McKay pointed out.
"We have her protection." John pointed out, cringing when he realised how lame that sounded.
"I rest my case." Rodney said smugly.
"Do any of you ever follow medical advice?" A stern voice said from behind John. Turning he saw Cole hovering behind him. Not waiting for a response the doctor went on. "Ronon, you are meant to be confined to quarters. Colonel, you were meant to report to the infirmary on your return, the same goes for you Major. And as for you," Cole said looking at Jennifer, "I can't believe you are encouraging this."
"We had to eat doc." John countered trying to look innocent.
"Flirting apparently works up an appetite." Rodney commented.
"Who was flirting?" Cole asked.
"Sheppard and Larrin." Rodney answered.
"Can we get back to the original topic?" John asked, before motioning to Cole to sit as he offered. "Sit down and join us."
"Of when they finally sorted themselves out?" Lorne asked pointing to Ronon and Jennifer. As the younger of the two scowled at Lorne Teyla intervened and said.
"I think we were discussing who your mysterious date was." The comment causing Cole's water to go down the wrong way.
"I couldn't believe he was seeing someone either." Rodney said oblivious to the looks Teyla and Sheppard were giving Cole and Lorne. "Of course there is no proof this person is real."
"Oh I'm sure they're real." John smirked at Cole.
Before Lorne could respond his radio bleeped. Happy for the distraction he immediately answered it. After a few monosyllabic words he stood and looked round the table. "Gotta run, Blake's team have run into problems."
"Do they need medical help?" Cole asked, happy for an excuse to escape.
"Not that type of problem." Lorne responded immediately before adding, "sorry." He then looked at Rodney and said. "McKay, you might be needed, you too Teyla."
"Typical." Rodney said putting down his sandwich. "Is it too much to ask people not to cause problems during meal times?"
"Seeing for you every time is a meal time it'd definitely make life more peaceful." John agreed earning a glare form Rodney as the trio left.
John waited for a moment then looked at Cole and said.
"Now I understand why Lorne gets an easier ride during medicals and gets signed off for less time than me."
"If you actually followed medical advice you'd recover quicker." Jennifer pointed out, taking the scrutiny off her friend. John was about to argue when Ronon chipped in.
"Like your ankle."
"Et tu, Brute?" John asked the former runner who just looked back at him confused. The Colonel then looked back at Cole and was about to speak when Jennifer stepped in.
"When did you become such a gossip?"
"When I got bored. Besides it is in my interest to look out for Lorne. So how long have you two been seeing each other?" He asked Cole, when he got silence in response he asked. "Hours, days, weeks?"
"Months." Cole eventually conceded.
"Months?" John asked in disbelief. "I can't believe you've managed to keep it hidden for so long round here. I'm impressed. Why did you keep it hidden?"
"To avoid conversations like these." The doctor shot back.
"Point taken." John said. "I won't mention it again, well for awhile anyway."
"Thanks I think." Cole said as her radio suddenly summoned her to the infirmary.
"Problem?" Jennifer asked.
"Nothing for you to worry about." Cole assured her. "But I need to go. Make sure you all get some rest. And Colonel I want to see you in the infirmary when you're done here."
"Yes ma'am." John responded as Cole stood. Just as the doctor was walking away John called.
"Doc, take care of him, he deserves to be happy."
"I intend to." Cole assured him before walking off.
As John turned back to face Ronon and Jennifer he noticed a confused look on the Satedan and said. "I wouldn't want to break in a new second in command." In response the Satedan shrugged before looking to Jennifer and asking.
"Want to go?"
Noticing Jennifer's nodding agreement John muttered. "Should I take my new found ability to clear a table personally?" He then turned serious and said. "Before you go I need to ask something."
Partly from fear of an interrogation Jennifer was tempted to leave anyway, but something in John's tone convinced her to stay. So she leaned forward and waited for John to speak.
Focusing his attention on Jennifer he asked.
"How are you doing? And before you answer notice the lack of caveats in the question."
"I'm getting there." Jennifer said after a long pause. Having heard the answer John's eyes flicked to the former runner and saw him nod in agreement. Turning his focus back to Jennifer he commented.
"My offer is always there if you need it."
"I appreciate that and thank you." Jennifer replied warmly as Ronon sat back looking confused.
"Relax Chewie I wasn't asking her to elope with me or anything." The comment only increasing the Satedan's confusion. Before John even considered explaining a large pile of papers was dropped in front of him. Whipping his head round he saw Woolsey hovering by his side.
"Where did you learn to move so stealthily?" John asked before growing serious and asking. "Is everything okay with Blake?"
"It is not a serious problem and I believe it will all be fine, it'll just take a few hours. Dr McKay is working on something to help. In the mean time there is nothing for me to do so I thought I'd see you."
"We'll leave you to it." Jennifer said.
"I didn't mean to interrupt." Woolsey apologised.
"We were leaving anyway." Ronon stated as he stood. Giving himself a moment to catch his breath from the exertion he then took Jennifer's hand and started to lead her away. They had barely gone a foot when John called.
"Remember doc he's meant to be resting. No strenuous activity." The comment causing Jennifer to blush, but neither of the couple dignified the remark with a response.
Turning back to Woolsey John saw his brow scrunched in confusion as the bureaucrat looked at retreating pair. Eventually he asked.
"Are they holding hands?"
"Yes." John replied.
"Are they seeing each other?"
"Yes."
"Ronon and Dr Keller?"
"Yes, unless one or both of them are replicators or doppelgängers."
"Please don't even joke about such things." Woolsey warned. "Have they been together long?"
"No, it's recent." John asked, wondering if Woolsey was about to come up with some IOA rule to upset his friend, instead the expedition leader surprised him by smiling and saying.
"Good for them."
John then glanced at the stack at paper before him and joked. "Death by paperwork?"
"Yes." Woolsey replied surprising the Colonel once more. Noticing the confusion on John's face Woolsey went on. "It is the solution to the problem you created regarding the survival training."
"I'm listening." John said leaning forward.
"It contains all the problems the plan has run into since being implemented."
"It hasn't been implemented." John pointed out.
"Technically it has. From the moment we received the mandate in fact."
"Apart from making me public enemy number one what problems has it caused?" John asked.
"For example," Woolsey started, "Section three describes the resourcing issues that would be caused by sending all the civilians on several days training. I can't risk Atlantis being understaffed so the IOA would have to send more staff. They'd also have to pay those staff as well as feed them, transport them etc. Factoring in all these costs would increase the cost of the mission by fifty one million dollars."
"Per year?" John asked surprised.
"Per quarter." Woolsey responded. "Then we go to section four, which describes the costs involved on setting up a base on the planet chosen for survival training, which as you imagine is a significant outlay. Then section five outlines the need for a permanent ship to be placed in orbit over the chosen planet, not only for protection but also emergency evacuations in times of emergency on Atlantis."
"At another significant cost?" John guessed.
"Yes, but more importantly the next one to be built, which has not already been assigned, is not due for completion for two years. So even if the costs are approved, which seems unlikely, we'll have to wait until the base and ship is ready."
"Nice." John commented before asking. "What's in section one and two?"
"One is the summary and two is why the IOA should pay more attention to who is submitting requests."
"Who me?" John asked suddenly flicking his way through the papers. Woolsey gave John a moment to skim read until John commented.
"You called me a criminal mastermind."
"No, I merely gave that as a possible option. I said that you either had no idea of the costs and logistical problems of the new mandate or were using intelligence akin to a criminal mastermind to secure extra funding. Due to your rank I suggested the former."
"Thanks, I think." John said not sounding convinced.
"You're welcome. I will submit the report with the next data feed and we should here back in a few months. Until then I have called a temporary halt to the mandate."
"Thank you."
"Your welcome." Woolsey said standing. "But Colonel next time please remember that the IOA is like a giant boulder. Stopping it is far harder than starting it."
-00-
"Your quarters are that way." Jennifer said when Ronon headed down a different corridor than she was expecting.
"I know." Ronon said.
"You going to tell me where we're going?" Jennifer pressed as she let Ronon guide her down the corridor.
"Somewhere quiet."
"Not the mess hall then." Jennifer guessed.
"No." Ronon agreed stepping into a transporter.
"But you're not telling me where?" Jennifer asked.
"You like it." Ronon assured her as the doors opened once more and he once again led her down the corridors of Atlantis.
"So I've been there before?" Jennifer guessed.
"Yes." Ronon agreed as Jennifer started to get her bearings and realised they were heading for the balcony where Ronon had made her talk a few days earlier.
As they stepped onto the balcony Ronon said. "It's better at night."
Looking at the darkened moonlit sky, decorated by distant burning stars Jennifer commented.
"It's beautiful out here."
For a while Ronon watched Jennifer stare at the sky, smiling at how easy she was captivated by the scene. Eventually though he asked.
"You okay?" Ronon asked.
"I am." Sensing the doubt in Ronon's mind Jennifer went on. "Really, I'm okay."
"What about with us and people talking?"
"They'll move onto something else sooner or later." Jennifer replied pragmatically.
"Sheppard won't." Ronon pointed out.
"You can always stun him." Jennifer pointed out, but on seeing the grin spread across Ronon's face she added. "That was a joke. No stunning."
For a moment the two stared out at the ocean watching the moonlight shimmer off the surface.
"What're you thinking?" Ronon eventually asked. The question causing Jennifer to turn and face the Satedan.
"That I'm finally starting to feel like I belong somewhere."
"Know the feeling." Ronon smiled as he pushed a stray strand of Jennifer's hair behind her ear.
"And that I'm lucky to be here, to have you."
"You'll always have me." Ronon assured her before bending down and kissing her.
-The End-
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you've enjoyed it.