A/N: Many, many thanks to DaniWilder for all of her suggestions and the Beta. Thanks also to lone-ranger1 for his Beta of the fight scene.

Gracias, JJ

Dis-Harmony

Chapter Three

Everything and Nothing

Looking into Jennifer's eyes, Harmony could see that the doctor loved Rodney beyond words. She had expected that John would have someone awaiting him on Atlantis but was surprised that Rodney did. Though she cared a great deal for him, he did not strike her as a man who would have hordes of women clamoring for his attention. Knowing Rodney as she did she was surprised that he had not mentioned Jennifer. Unless he did not know. Perhaps she has not told Rodney of her love.

The revelation that the man she'd chosen as her mate already had someone who loved him enough to fight for him changed everything. She no longer wished to fight but the challenge had been issued and a response was mandatory. To back down would make her look weak and she would not allow herself to look vulnerable in the eyes of her people. That meant the fight had to go on.

The sisters exchanged glances, Flora nodding imperceptibly. They stood, taking one step forward. Harmony's eyes roamed over the faces of the Atlanteans, stopping on Jennifer's.

"Jennifer, daughter of Grace and Jacob, I…accept the challenge for the hand of Rodney McKay."

Flora brought her eyes to Teyla's. Her mind burned with anger and jealousy but she was quite good at hiding her emotions. She had wanted John Sheppard since the first time he'd set foot in the castle when her mother, Queen Ardella, was still alive. Then several weeks ago her wish had come true. She'd finally gotten to make love to him and it was glorious! What he hadn't told her was that there was someone on Atlantis waiting for him. Well, there was something she didn't tell him either.

Teyla looked back without the least bit of trepidation or fear and Flora nearly leapt at her then and there. Her hands flexed and clenched into fists to keep from scratching the Athosian's eyes out. Her voice betrayed none of her emotions, "Teyla, daughter of Tagaan and Torren, I accept the challenge for the hand of John Sheppard."

Jennifer watched the young woman who had become queen at the age of 13. She was confident, poised and self-assured. She was also very attractive, well, for a teenager. There was also an air of intelligence, maturity, compassion, caring and wisdom surrounding her that usually came with age. When she looked into the girl's eyes it was as if she were seeing these qualities manifested in human form. On Earth she would have been said to have an "old soul." Jennifer could see why Rodney was drawn to her, even if it was as just a friend. No matter what he'd said to Sheppard, she knew with absolute certainty that the arrogant physicist had a good heart and would never take advantage of a young girl. She sighed quietly. If she had told Rodney her feelings long ago then this wouldn't even have happened. He would have been able to decline the offer without bringing dishonor upon himself, Atlantis or the Queen, but it was too late now. There was nothing to do but go forward.

Harmony continued. "The competition will begin tomorrow three hours after the mid-day meal. In keeping with the rules the challengers will remain within the walls of the residence until the contest has reached its conclusion. You will now be shown to sleeping chambers then, later, join my sister and myself for the evening meal."

The women exchanged glances. "We would be honored, Your Majesty." Teyla answered for them.

"Mr. Woolsey, you and your men are also welcome to stay however you will be shown to a separate wing of the residence. You will take your meals with the soldiers." The young queen motioned attendants forward.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Lorne started but Jennifer interrupted.

"We will be fine, Major. I'm sure no harm will come to us." She picked up her duffle then she and Teyla followed an attendant from the great hall. Her emergency medkit was being carried by one of Lorne's men and would stay with him. As they would always be nearby, she accepted that fact though it made her a little uneasy.

* * * * *

Jennifer had been so nervous at supper that she'd hardly been able to force enough food down to appear polite. She must have eaten enough to satisfy Harmony and Flora as neither of them had mentioned her lack of appetite. The four women had talked about many things. They did not, however, talk about Rodney, John or the upcoming competition. By the end of the meal Jennifer had relaxed enough to laugh with the others. Or maybe it was the two glasses of wine she'd had with her meal.

She slept very well in the extremely comfortable bed in the enormous room she'd been assigned. She awoke when an attendant knocked on the door and served her breakfast in bed. The eggs looked a bit odd but were quite tasty. It was the same with the toast. The juice looked like orange and tasted like a cross between tangerine and pomegranate. She made a mental note to stop consuming citrus so she wouldn't accidentally cause an anaphylactic reaction in Rodney when they finally got together. And they would eventually. She would see to it.

Setting the tray aside, she climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom to emerge a short time later in her usual workout gear. An hour later Teyla knocked on her door. They used the large open area of Jennifer's chambers to go over a few routines and get in some light practice then changed into their uniforms for lunch. They returned to their chambers to rest before the challenge.

* * * * *

Once again Jennifer was looking at herself in the mirror. Her usual workout gear was a Coolmax tank, long pants and cross-trainers. Now she was wearing the outfit Teyla had given her: a sleeveless top that laced up the back and left her midriff bare to just below her navel, form-fitting slacks that ended just above her ankles and her black cross trainers. The material felt like leather but was as soft and as supple as satin moving as she moved without pinching or restricting, just as Teyla had told her it would. The earth tones of sienna, russet and burgundy with touches of bronze and carnelian made her look almost wild until she braided her hair and secured it with an elastic band.

Someone knocked on her door and she jumped when Teyla entered without an invitation. She was wearing a similar outfit but with shades of green and copper. Though she usually sparred barefoot, today she was also in cross trainers.

"Are you ready for this, Jennifer?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

An attendant knocked on the door and escorted them to the workout room. The only people in attendance were the four combatants, Woolsey, Lorne and his team plus several of the many attendants they'd seen walking the halls of the castle. The royal council had demanded that they be allowed to attend but were summarily denied by the queen though they loitered in the throne room awaiting the outcome of the challenge.

Flora and Harmony were already there when Teyla and Jennifer arrived. The women from Atlantis were directed to stand with them. The sisters were also dressed in clothing suitable for the events that were about to take place, Flora in burgundy and Harmony in her favorite purple.

A young man stepped forward. "I am Joran, son of General Keelan and a Captain in the royal army. It is my task to officiate this event.

"The first to engage will be Flora, sister to the queen, and Teyla Emmagan. At the conclusion, the battle between Her Majesty, Queen Harmony and Jennifer Keller will begin.

"The fighting will end when someone either is unable or unwilling to continue. If the battle ends in a draw, we will adjourn for the night and begin again in the morning. Either party may concede at any time. If the spectators interfere in any way with these proceedings, they will be escorted back to the Ring of the Ancestors and asked to leave." He gestured and the women bowed first to him then to the audience. Harmony and Jennifer moved to the far side of the room where rows of chairs were set up and they had a good view of the fight area.

Flora and Teyla

The arena was heavily padded and approximately six meters on a side surrounded with many different weapons in stands or on the walls. None had blades of any kind and most appeared to be similar to those used on Earth and Atlantis such as the quarterstaff and Bantos rods.

The women faced each other across the open area of the arena and bowed.

Teyla waited for Flora to make the first move as the woman circled out of reach. Finally Flora lunged forward trying to take the Athosian by surprise and the next thing she knew she was looking up at her from the mat. She rolled quickly to her feet and they began circling again.

Watching from the sidelines, Jennifer thought smugly, she obviously never learned rule number one according to Shane Wolfe: never be too eager to rush your opponent.

Subtly, Teyla began to move closer to the other woman. When Flora's eyes flicked to the side for a split second, Teyla stepped forward and punched her in the solar plexus doubling her over. While she recovered, Teyla reached for a quarterstaff, swinging it side to side and spinning it expertly. The whooshing sound brought Flora's head up and she also reached for a staff.

Flora kept her eyes on Teyla as they circled each other warily. Finally, she stepped forward swinging right, left, right, left, spin, up, down. Teyla parried each of her swings with very little effort then went on the offensive.

Whack!

Whack! Whack!

Whack!

Whack! Whack!

Whack! Whack! Whack!

Out of the corner of her eye, Teyla could see the soldiers conversing with the attendants and money changing hands. She rolled her eyes and concentrated on the fight.

Flora defended herself but just barely. Teyla pressed forward relentlessly pursuing her around the floor. Up, down, left, right, circle, spin, back. Then they came at each other, their staffs connecting between them. With her superior knowledge and strength, Teyla made the decision to allow Flora a small victory to build her confidence. She pretended to stumble. With the pressure of Teyla's staff gone, Flora stumbled herself then surged upright as she backpedalled and began spinning the staff, obviously showing off.

A collective moan went through the soldiers but was silenced by a sharp look from their commander. Nash and Brackman looked sheepishly back at him with a shrug. The others just closed their mouths and resumed their seats.

Teyla now let her features show less confidence than she felt and was gratified to see Flora's eyes shine with triumph. Overconfidence was as much a hindrance as the lack of it.

Running at the Athosian, Flora swung her staff around obviously aiming to knock Teyla's feet from under her but she jumped at the last second. She swung left and right as her feet hit the mat smacking Flora on the fingers of each hand causing her drop the length of wood.

Teyla kicked the staff out of Flora's reach and began stalking her in earnest. With a taunting smile, she tossed her own staff away and prowled toward the dark-haired woman. Both women now had their hands up in the fighting ready position, watching each other warily.

Flora stepped forward shooting out a fist that was meant to connect with Teyla's jaw but was easily blocked. She punched left, right, left, right, over and over but again was easily blocked. On one punch, Teyla grabbed her wrist, spun and slammed her face first into the nearest wall stunning her for a moment and eliciting a gasp from the crowd.

Jennifer heard whispering among Lorne's men and the attendants. She smiled when she saw money changing hands. She was certain that Teyla was favored to win by the men from Atlantis. They knew her abilities well and many had even gone up against her, some with disastrous results.

The queen's sister recovered quicker than expected. She turned, raised her right knee, turned her hip over and lashed out leading with her heel in an attempt to kick Teyla in the abdomen. Teyla jumped back and the shot missed with Flora now facing Teyla's right. In retaliation, Teyla turned slightly to the left, drew her right arm across her body, stepped forward and backhanded her. She spun around and fell to the mat with a hard thump that knocked all the wind out of her.

While Flora lay there gasping, Teyla flipped her onto her stomach, straddled her hips, hooked both feet over her thighs to restrict the use of her legs, twisted one arm behind her and pressed her forearm against the back of her neck. Unable to get leverage to throw the other woman off, Flora sagged to the mat in defeat.

A cheer went up from the soldiers from Atlantis, including Lorne. Jennifer did a double-take when she saw Woolsey reach into his inside pocket and pass several bills to the military SIC. Lorne crossed his arms and looked supremely satisfied.

Teyla climbed off of Flora and stood. When the defeated woman rolled to her back, Teyla stepped forward and offered her hand. Accepting defeat gracefully, Flora stretched out a hand allowing Teyla to pull her up. The Athosian kept an arm around her waist until she could lower her to a chair then took the seat next to her. Both women were breathing hard and perspiring. An attendant approached with goblets of sparkling water and cool wet towels. Flora put a hand to her head and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Teyla spoke quietly to her, a hand on her arm in question and a frown crossing her features. Flora pushed Teyla's hand away and shook her head.

Joran stepped forward, stating formally, "The winner for the hand of John Sheppard is…Teyla Emmagan. We shall take a few minutes respite before the beginning of the next challenge." He made a small bow and moved toward the exit.

Jennifer watched Harmony watch the young man walk away. She recognized the look on her face. The same expression looked back at her from the mirror when she thought about Rodney. Harmony was in love with Joran but didn't realize it yet. Jennifer drummed her fingers on her thigh as she developed a new strategy. She caught Teyla's eye and the two women went out the exit then down the hall to the facilities where they had a quick whispered conversation.

Teyla caught up with Joran a few minutes later as he was returning to the arena and spoke with him. The questions she asked were designed to get him to reveal his feelings for Harmony, if any. Back in the arena she met Jennifer's eye and nodded once.

Lorne and Woolsey noticed the byplay but said nothing.

Atlantis

Sheppard strode purposefully up to Amelia's Ops workstation. She was tapping at the keyboard at an incredible rate, nearly as fast as McKay.

"Amelia, where is Woolsey?"

"He's offworld, sir."

"I know but offworld where?" She looked at him, her eyes flicked down and to the left. Not exactly a lie but she was hiding something.

"I…can't say."

He rubbed his neck. The smell that had been pervasive since he'd spent the night with Flora was a little more tolerable now. At least women weren't running from him in disgust. "Do you know where Major Lorne and his team are?"

"They're, uh, offworld as well."

The Colonel huffed in frustration as Rodney approached Ops. "John, have you seen Jennifer? She wasn't in the Infirmary when I went there to pick up a new supply of allergy meds. I can't find Teyla either."

John rubbed the top of his head as he paced back and forth in front of the DHD. On his third lap he stopped suddenly, turned and stared at Rodney his forehead wrinkled in thought.

"Your Spidey-sense again?" The scientist asked.

He gestured as he spoke. "Yes. Its putting the pieces together and I don't like the picture I'm seeing."

Rodney thought a few minutes then understanding dawned. "No! Why would they…?"

"Not sure but it can't be good." John touched his headset. "Sheppard to Ronon."

"Ronon."

"Come to Ops. There's a situation and I need your help." A few minutes later the Satedan appeared taking the last few steps in one stride.

"What's up?"

"McKay and I have to make a quick trip and need you to be in charge until we return."

"What about…?"

"Offworld."

"And…"

"Her, too."

"But…"

Sheppard ignored him and turned to Amelia. "Dial M84-414. We're taking a Jumper."

"But sir, I have orders from Mr. Woolsey…"

He turned to Rodney in frustration but the physicist was already on the move. He went to the DHD, dialed the address of Harmony's world then locked the controls so no one could shut it down before they could leave. That done he followed Sheppard up the stairs to the Jumper Bay. The small ship lowered into the Gate Room and shot through the Stargate a few moments later.

"I have a feeling…" Ronon's voice was impassive but his words were not. "Dial M84-414 again."

She did as requested but the address was locked out. The Satedan sighed in resignation. For the first time ever he was in command of Atlantis.

* * * * *

John landed the Jumper outside the settlement and the two men hurried to the castle's main entrance. "We have to see the queen immediately!" He told the sentries.

One, a thirty-ish man with blonde hair, stated in a bored voice, "Her Majesty is unavailable at this time. Come back tomorrow."

"We have to see her now! Let us in or…"

"John," Rodney interrupted his friend, "please, let me handle this before you get us thrown in the dungeon."

The Colonel stepped back waving the physicist forward. "By all means…"

Rodney drew himself up, puffed out his chest and, in his most arrogant voice said, "Don't you know who I am? I am Dr. Rodney McKay, hero to the crown and…" he paused for a deep breath, his fingers crossed behind his back, "…betrothed to Queen Harmony. That makes me your future king! Now stand aside and let us pass or I will see to it that you are thrown in prison and never again see the light of day!"

The two men bowed, lowering their eyes. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I did not recognize you. Please, enter. The queen and her sister are still engaged in the challenge. One of the attendants will show you the way."

Inside, John looked at Rodney with a mixture of awe and admiration. "Wow! You know, you'd make a great king, Rodney."

"Oh, you think so?" Rodney smiled at the compliment then snorted at John's next comment.

"Yeah. You're arrogant, pompous, condescending, and patronizing. All trademarks of a first-rate king."

TBC