AN: Thank you all my lovely reviewers. Here's a little reward for all the thunkers out there, you know who you are!!

Doctor Catherine Sheppard

Requests the company of

Lieutenant-Colonel John Sheppard

On the East Pier

Tonight at 7:30pm

Dress optional

Transport will be provided

John smiled at the invitation laying on his pillow as he woke up that morning. He had guessed she'd been planning something from her frequent absences over the last couple of days and knew better than to ask her what she was doing. There were always little clues in her invites; the thought of 'transport will be provided' was interesting and he knew darn well what she meant by 'dress optional'. Of course, he had his own surprise too. Not one to really revel in self-congratulation or to need the approval of others, he hadn't yet told anyone of his recent promotion, even Cat. He also knew that she would take greater pleasure in the news than he. Not that he wasn't pleasantly surprised and flattered but, if he were to think about it, he might have come to the conclusion that, for him, it was the job that mattered not the title. All those years ago, when Atlantis was threatened by The Wraith and he had been willing to sacrifice himself to save it, he knew that nothing else mattered above the security of this city and the people in it. But John Sheppard never dissected his reasons for being nor revelled in any ego-massaging thoughts. He might take with him a huge burden of responsibility and no small degree of guilt but it only served to feed his continuing desire to look after those who he commanded and anyone else who crossed his path. In any case, he had work to do before the evening. There was a meeting with Lorne to catch up with some of the minor trivia of command: who'd been caught doing what in his absence; which marine or pilot deserved a meeting with their commanding officer for praise or otherwise; and what was Maria Johnson's latest 'special' in the menu. He also had another, more awkward, matter that he needed to broach with his 2iC, something more personal and close to home. And then, he had to meet with Woolsey and General O'Neill. Although still not fit enough for active duty, he was being kept very determinedly in the loop about the Charel/Genii/Laden Radeen situation and was grateful for Jack O'Neill's sensitivity in doing so.

He rose from bed stiffly and smilingly propped the invite on Cat's dressing table, glancing in the mirror as he did. The lines at the corners of his eyes were definitely becoming more evident and he could swear that more white hairs had appeared in his sideburns since his encounter with Charel, but all-in-all he wasn't too displeased with the face that looked back at him. His cheekbone was a lovely shade of purple and yellow, but the swelling was going down and the hair was still rebellious: it took him a good ten minutes that morning to tease it into any form of neatness. With a wince, he stood up and attempted to stretch out his damaged side, lifting up his t-shirt to run his hand tentatively over the bandage and then across his healing ribs. He was still too thin, he knew, his normally slim but muscular stomach needing at least another inch and his ribs showing through the skin merely exaggerated the bruising. Slowly, he stripped off his jogging bottoms and lifted the t-shirt all the way off, then turned playfully to the full-length mirror on the wall and attempted a body-builder's pose, which he at once regretted, almost doubling up with pain and grimacing with an 'ouch!' before more carefully taking the black BDU's from the drawer. It took him another half an hour to fully dress, then he attached his radio to his ear and clicking it told Lorne that he was on his way.

This was John's first morning back on light duty since he had returned to the city. He'd been out and about a little, eating in the cafeteria and being firmly 'mothered' by Chief Maria Johnson who's hug had almost killed him, again. Wherever he went, well-wishers would shake his hand or smile as he passed and today they had particular cause to be happy. When news had come through that Colonel Sheppard was dead, the city had immediately fallen into a deep gloom which had only lifted at news of his return and his recovery. Seeing him walking down the corridors, if somewhat stiffly, dressed once again in his familiar black uniform, gave the city's inhabitants further cause to rejoice and it took him a good fifteen minutes to walk to his office, where it would normally have been a five minute walk, if that.

Lorne stood to relaxed attention as his commander walked into the office. 'Morning, sir. Nice to see you back.' Ever the master of under-statement, his casual greeting masked his delight at seeing John. They chatted at some length about various and may inconsequential matters, both just enjoying the feeling of normality, but both knowing there was another security matter that had to be broached. Finally, there was a pause in which both looked uncomfortably at their feet. Lorne began.

'There is the matter of our captive, Colonel.' All that needed to be said was contained in those words. Did John want to see her before she was shipped out? Did he need to talk about what had happened? How did he feel about learning that she was alive and sitting in a cell just below where they were sitting?

'I don't think it'd be a sensible idea for me to visit her,' John said after a pause. This wasn't really what was on his mind and they both knew it. 'I'm worried, Evan.' Whenever John used his first name, Lorne knew that 'official' business was off the table. 'It's not that she's said anything. In fact, that's most worrying because we haven't discussed Charel at all since I was in the infirmary. I know she promised me not to do anything stupid, but I know Cat; she allows grudges to fester and won't let them go. While that damn woman is here, my wife is quite capable of doing something stupid like taking revenge for what was done to me and I just can't let that happen. She might do something in anger that she'd have to live with for the rest of her life and she might just put herself and our child in danger in the process. I don't think she really understands how dangerous someone like Charel is.' The look in his commander's eyes was enough for Lorne to know how much he feared what Cat would do and he decided then and there that this needed to be his absolute priority until Charel was out of the way.

'Leave it with me, sir. I'll double the guard and make sure that every soldier knows that Doctor Sheppard is not to be allowed anywhere near the cells or Charel. If memory serves me right, she can be quite 'persuasive' when she wants something.' Lorne clearly remembered other occasions when Cat had used her undoubted charms to 'get round' a poor innocent marine. 'I promise you, sir, that I will not let her put herself in danger.' John smiled at his friend. That, for the moment, would have to be enough and he knew that Lorne would do his best.

The meeting with The General and Richard Woolsey was fairly routine. There was some progress being made in locating Laden Radeen and Jack O'Neill was about to head out to a possible meeting with the Genii commander. John made a few noises about needing to go with him, quickly dismissed, which he wasn't unhappy about. He needed to be here to recover, here to keep an eye on Cat and here to enjoy his upcoming date. Shaking The General's hand, he left Woolsey's office with a spring in his step, glancing at his watch which showed that there were still five hours to go until the evening assignation. What to do now? He wasn't used to not being busy and he certainly couldn't spar with Teyla or Ronon yet.

'I know. McKay!' and he headed off towards Rodney's lab. A bit of McKay bating was just what he needed right now and he might even be able to persuade his friend to play on a computer game for a bit. With a renewed bounce in his steps, he almost ran towards the scientist's 'lair' where a happy several hours was spent getting under Rodney's feet. Rodney, in turn, protested loudly and as wordily as ever, but the smile in his eyes belied his grumpiness. He, too, was happy to have his closest and oldest friend back and would gladly waste as many hours as it took just to enjoy his company again, not that either would be prepared to admit what they meant to each other.

Cat was just about ready. The uniform she'd borrowed from the theatrical cupboard was perhaps a little over the top, but it'd serve its purpose, although it was a little uncomfortable. The inspiration had come from John's weakened condition and she saw nothing better than an evening of looking after him. A blue striped calf-length dress was gathered in at the waist with an elastic belt and she hoped it didn't make her look too much like a sack of potatoes, especially now her girth was beginning to expand. The little hat had been quite difficult to pin to her fine hair, but it just about sat there, if a little precariously. What was important was what she was hiding under her dress: something to complete the whole sexy nurse thing and a surprise for John. She had set up a make-shift couch in their secluded corner of the east pier, deep piled with cushions leant to her by Teyla. Ronon had agreed to bring John in the 'transport' that Amelia Banks had provided. It was nearly half past seven and she was a giddy mix of nervousness and excitement, patting her pocket at regular intervals just to check that her little gift was still there.

New Lantea was gracing them with a perfect evening, a warm breeze blowing across the pier and the light from the moons golden and iridescent, casting wonderful shapes across the pier. She took a quiet moment to look out across the beautiful city, sighing happily. Her world had felt like a jigsaw swept impatiently of a table and scattered into tiny pieces across the floor, and now she was piecing it back together again. Tonight she could begin to slot back the last few missing parts.

The door at the far end opened and she saw Ronon enter, pushing John in the old Bath chair she'd purloined from Amelia, along with her uniform, his legs covered with an old tartan blanket. She'd remembered it from a rather good production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' and thought it would be perfect for tonight. Ronon wore a very amused expression and John looked somewhat embarrassed, though she was certain he hadn't travelled far along Atlantis' corridors in the ancient chair. With a wave, Ronon left, leaving John smiling at her as she tottered and clicked her way over to him in her red stiletto heels, swaying her hips in as exaggerated way as she could, given the precarious nature of the shoes.

'Good evening, sir,' she said, keeping her English tones as clipped as possible. 'I've set up your couch at the end of the pier. I'll just wheel you over to it.' With this, she leant towards him to straighten the blanket, giving him a full view of her cleavage and the red lace bra she was wearing underneath the uniform. He smiled appreciatively, his right hand creeping up her leg and just touching the top of her stockings but she slapped his hand back and said, 'now, now, sir, consider your condition. We don't want to get you too excited,' at which he raised a quizzical eyebrow and allowed himself to be pushed towards the make-shift bed. As she pushed, she let her eyes wander down the nape of his neck, the little V as always pointing temptingly to what was below. He was wearing a very crumpled white shirt which set off his tanned skin perfectly. In the last few days, he'd taken as many opportunities as possible to sit out on their balcony, desperate to add some colour to the awful pallor that had come with such a near death experience, and now he was almost as brown as before. She also knew from experience that his aversion to the iron, and her unwillingness to do the ironing for him, meant that the buttons would not quite close the shirt at the front and she was looking forward to the little tempting glimpses of skin and tufts of chest hair that would inevitably be revealed as the shirt struggled to cover him.

She put the brakes on the ancient chair and leant forward against his back, allowing her breath to tease the back of his neck and was rewarded by what sounded remarkably like a pigeon cooing as the sound came from his lips involuntarily. Then she moved to the front, leaning forward again, and unwrapped his long legs from the blanket, trying not to spend too long lingering on the parts of his body which showed how much he was looking forward to what would come next. This was the bit that she would have to improvise, knowing that she mustn't pick him up in her condition.

'Now then, sir. You are a little heavy for me and I know you would not want me to hurt my back, so if you are able, would you mind standing up so that I can help you over to the couch.' John smiled and stood rather stiffly and not just because of his healing injuries, and hobbled over to the couch, allowing her to pretend to guide him by the arm. As they reached it, she stood in front of him and ran her hands down his pert rear before allowing him to settle back into the cushions, then she stood in front of him and smiled. 'Now for your medicine, sir,' she said as she clicked the button on the portable i-pod player.

To the strains of 'The Stripper' she performed the most seductive striptease she could manage, throwing off the elastic belt and unbuttoning her starched dress one button at a time, before pushing it off her shoulders and shrugging it to the floor, revealing his 'present' underneath: a matching pair of red lace knickers to go with the bra, both of which barely covered her expanding assets and a black suspender belt attached to black, sheer stockings. Somehow, she managed to keep the little nurse's hat on as she swayed over to him, bumping and grinding for all her worth. She was just in mid-grind, wiggling her rear end at him, when he grabbed her and gently, but firmly, pulled her towards him, sitting her down on his lap and laughing huskily as he did. She continued to wriggle, feeling the tightness of his jeans under her as his hands undid the clasp of her bra, allowing it to fall off loosely before he threw it into the darkness. As much as her befuddled brain could think, she inwardly chuckled at the thought of yet another piece of her underwear disappearing into the shadows of the east pier, one day, maybe, to be discovered by some unsuspecting visitor, then all coherent thought vanished as he divested her of the rest of her underwear, leaving only the suspender belt, stockings and hat in place. His hands covered her, stroking her and teasing her, until she didn't know how much more pleasure she could take.

It was her turn now. Turning round and straddling his knees, she undid the untidy shirt and pushed it back from his shoulders, running her hands over his firm chest and down his belly to the belt of his trousers. God, he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen and best of all, he was all hers. Then, she slowly peeled off his trousers, taking off the loosely tied trainers as she did, before moving back up his body and pushing down his boxers. For a moment she stood back to admire her handiwork, before pouncing on him, unable to resist him anymore. And in between the laughing and the suppressed shouts of pleasure, some more of those jigsaw pieces flew back to their proper places.

Afterwards, bathed in a soft glow of ecstasy a well as that coming from the moons, they huddled together amongst the cushions, speechless but enjoying the feel of each other's skin. John knew that this was what mattered, this was real, and he finally pushed away the memories of some of the recent horrors. This seemed the right moment for his little announcement. 'I've some news,' he whispered in her ear. 'You're now married to a full-blood colonel of the United States Air Force.'

Cat jumped and squealed much more loudly than she'd intended, causing him to playfully poke his finger in his right ear and exclaim 'ouch!', before she jumped on him and rained kisses all over his face and neck, forgetting momentarily that she was almost stark naked and causing him to start to move his hands over her rear again.

She leapt back and said excitedly, 'no, not yet naughty boy. I've a little present for you too!' She had to bend forward to reach the nurse's dress, aware of his eyes roving over her body as she did, one hand still touching her with the tips of his long fingers as she pulled out the little packet and then allowed him to reel her back in again. 'Here, I think this is something you might have lost' and she opened the tissue paper to reveal the gold Athosian ring given to him in this very place. The look of delighted surprise in his eyes was enough to reward her as she slipped the ring onto his index finger, kissing it once it was in place. 'I know you usually wear it around your neck, but just for once let me see it on your finger,' she murmured tearfully, the emotion of the moment too much for her, responding to the deep feelings showing in his hazel eyes.

'How...how did you find it?'

'Teyla spotted it in the floor just before they brought you back. She gave it to me while you were still in the infirmary. I thought it needed a special moment to give it back.'

For a moment he held her gaze before gathering her into his arms, tenderly caressing her belly. Even now, he needed to bite his tongue, fearful that she would still do something stupid with Charel on the base and wanting to break the silence between them on the subject, but then he forgot all his worries as she moved closer to him again, kissing him all along his chin and down his Adam's apple to the little tufts of pepper and salt hair at the top of his chest. They stayed for much longer than usual that night, making love and dozing among the piles of cushions, only sneaking out in the early hours as the suns began to rise, she wrapped in the tartan blanket, the only other evidence of their night-time adventures the red stiletto heels clicking along the corridors.

***

In the cell, Charel was readying herself to leave Atlantis and The Pegasus Galaxy for good. The Earth ship had arrived to take her and she had no doubt that what was to come for the rest of her life wouldn't be pleasant. Still, to have escaped from here with her life was a small victory in itself. All the time she'd been here, every noise, every footfall had seemed like the precursor of the assassin's knife and within the next few hours she would finally be away from those who would do her harm. Inwardly, she sneered at the cowardice of these people who clearly had no comprehension of familial duty and justifiable revenge.

TBC

Please R&R. You know I Iike positive criticism. I mean, do you want retribution??