Eight
Whoa… that was certainly not what she had expected when Sheppard had led her into the prison building. But yeah, it just figures. Of course things wouldn't go smoothly when Major Evan Lorne and Captain Laura Cadman are about to get married. She's just relieved that this isn't a real wedding. Maybe this could be seen as their dress rehearsal, and don't they say that the worse the rehearsal goes… Holy crap, what is she thinking? This is an assignment, there is no reason and no time to think anything else. Besides, she has a village council to speak to, a Lieutenant to hunt down and a scientist to beat… glare at.
Alright… what to do first? Oh yeah, the council. Swiftly, she makes her way over to the fairly large, official looking building Teyla and Colonel Sheppard are standing in front of. She's trying to look her usual cheerful self, but the argument with Evan keeps coming back at her and with it the dreadful feeling of being in serious trouble. She knew it had to come some day, but she would have liked it to be some time where they are alone and she has enough time to explain to him. But in there, where everyone can listen in on them… and she just has this feeling that if she had told him now what Simmons hinted at repeatedly and with no time to calm him down enough, the wedding would have been very… interesting.
A small sigh escapes her, and so the first thing Sheppard asks her when she arrives is, "Everything okay, Cadman?"
"'Course. Now, can we get started?" He doesn't say anything, because he realizes pretty fast that he won't get anything out of her anyway, but Teyla gives her a look that says "You may fool John, but I will make you talk." She's just grateful that this time it's only Teyla wanting to make her talk, and not also Jennifer Keller. One of them is already enough to handle.
"After you, Ladies." With that, they enter the building. Inside, they are led into a room lit by candles and torches, like everything here. Teyla and her are offered chairs opposite six other women, while Sheppard is simply… ignored and therefore takes to standing in a corner by the door, where he can still keep eye-contact with Teyla, but is unseen by the village council.
He had briefed her on what is expected of her on the way from the 'Gate to the village, so she knows what they will ask her now, after the introduction round is over. "You are the one who will take responsibility of the trespasser?" the oldest woman of the round says, and her first impulse is to tell her that "the trespasser" has a name and a rank. But a warning look from Sheppard makes her keep her tongue in check and simply nod.
"Yes." The old woman looks at her with stern eyes, and she feels awfully much like being measured.
"You decided to be joined with him on your own free will?" Yeah, uh, well… define free will.
"Yes." Did that sound convincing? According the looks two of the women throw her… no. Crap.
"Can you testify to this?" She throws Teyla a short look. The Athosian, though, doesn't waver or hesitate, just smiles.
"Yes. It was only a question of time until these two would be joined in matrimony." Don't overdo it, Teyla. And is that an amused smirk she gets from Sheppard? One day… she'll show him what zoomies get for smirking at Marines they think are blushing.
But obviously… the blushing seems to have helped, because almost all the women's faces all around the table change into a much more benign expression as they see her involuntary reaction to Teyla's statement. "I see. Now that we have settled this… we can move on to the heart of the matter."
Which turned out to be an exact account of how this wedding is going to proceed. It doesn't take her longer than five minutes into the discussion that she has firmly decided to keep her real wedding – should she ever marry – as small and as casual as possible. But at least she doesn't have to wait until the real wedding to find out that there's really not much that she hates more than all this ceremonial and celebratory planning crap. A few times she's just this short of giving up, running out of the room and freeing Evan the good old-fashioned way using her P90 and preferably a big packet of C4, but a few warning looks from Sheppard and at one point Teyla's foot on hers make her stay put.
When it's finally over, it takes all her strength not to exclaim how relieved she is to get out of this stuffy room and be able to move around again. She'd take a mission with lots of shooting and running every day above all this talking. How the diplomats can stand this on a nearly daily basis is really beyond her. And now she only has half an hour's break before it's all about dresses and hairstyles and why the hell couldn't she just marry him in her BDUs? Isn't it embarrassing enough that they have to this at all? Does it have to be the whole nine yards, complete with a dress she'll most probably look horrible in and the whole hair act? That will surely do wonders for her reputation as a kick-ass dynamite nut.
"So… got some helpful suggestions for the real deal?" Okay, that's it. If she has to hear just one more stupid joke about marriage, marrying or weddings, she'll scream. And then make whoever is to be the lucky one regret the joke in an instant. With a vengeance.
"Sir… just a humble request, but… would it be asking too much to please refrain from any more jokes, quips, puns, witty remarks and generally allusions to the m-word and the w-word for the time being?" she asks him in a tone that's just barely restrained.
Sheppard wants to answer her, no doubt with one of the things she just asked him to abstain from, but a pointed look from Teyla makes him reconsider. "Of course not, Captain." The look he passes back to Teyla has something of "Happy now, old spoilsport?"
"Thank you, sir. I'm sure Major Lorne will appreciate it as much as I do." In fact, she just has this feeling that Evan will appreciate it maybe even more than her, because if there's anything he doesn't like it's people having too much insight in his off-duty life, even if one of these people is his CO.
Now Sheppard does look a little rueful, maybe because he actually knows very well the deeper implications of all of this or at least has an inkling as to the fact that despite this being a mission there's more to the whole issue than simply being another way of rescuing one of their own from an unfortunate predicament. "Don't mention it. And… uh… Cadman? You need a break or something?"
Yes, goddammit. She doesn't want to admit it, but she could really use some minutes for herself to get her act together, what with the slight information overload from the wedding-briefing and the awful argument with Evan that won't stop bugging her and everything. Without waiting for her answer, Sheppard adds: "Anyway, you got until the team briefing in ten minutes. See you at the Major's cell." At first she wants to make a remark about the bride seeing the bridegroom before the wedding and bad luck, but remembers her own request not to make any more of these.
"Yes, sir. Mind if I take a little walk outside the village?" Please let me go, she thinks, because she desperately needs to get away from the curious gazes and the prying eyes, not only of the villagers but of her teammates as well.
"No, go ahead. Just don't blow anything up by accident." At least it was a Dynamite Laura joke, and these she can handle.
"Wouldn't dream of it, sir." For good measure, she adds a smirk, and he just nods and dismisses her.
She turns around to leave the village's premises, but just as she's about to get out of ear-shot, she hears him say to Teyla, "Try and make her talk, will you. Something happened between her and Lorne. Don't want them to do something stupid." Oh yeah, great, thank you, sir. She'd love to turn around and tell him that she's not amused about him thinking they would let personal difficulties get in the way of their performance, but that would tell him she listened in. And so she just walks on with long forceful steps.
After a few more steps, she's at the edge of the forest. But instead of finding herself alone, she sees someone else. Just at the edge of the forest, a lone figure in Atlantis BDUs is sitting on a tree trunk. Simmons. Huh? She wants to walk by and leave him alone, because quite frankly right now she can't guarantee keeping to her promise to Evan, but unfortunately he has already spotted her.
For a moment it looks like he'll spare her, but then he seems to have decided to get on her nerves. Great. So much for "having a few moments to herself". As he reaches her, he clears his throat and says, "Ma'am… can I have a word with you?"
Straining not to bellow at him that no, he fucking can't, she takes a deep breath and replies, "What is it?"
Obviously, some of her impatience still shone through, because he even ducks his head a little in deference. "I just wanted to say… that I didn't say it on purpose. It just… kind of slipped out. I'm sorry."
She studies him, searching for any sign of him not being wholly truthful, and thinks there might have been a little hesitation and a little wavering in his voice… but maybe she'd imagined it because she wants him to have done it on purpose. She decides to give him the benefit of doubt. "Yeah, you better. Because now it's up to me to save my relationship and your ass in the same course. You owe me a big one for that, Lieutenant."
She sees him wince a little at her so openly and naturally using the r-word. Serves him right. But then he straightens up, maybe telling himself that he needs to defend his officer's honor. "I always pay my dues, ma'am."
After a moment of consideration as to how serious this is and how much she can trust him, she reluctantly nods. "I hope so. One way to repay me would be finally taking up the Major's offer and talk to him." Simmons wants to say something, but she isn't done yet. Some of this mess is his fault, and he could have prevented it if he had just gotten over all his prejudice and misplaced pride and taken up Evan's offer. Until he hasn't done it, this story isn't over, at least not for her. "If he still wants to talk to you after I tell him how this mess started, that is. Oh, and if I ever find out you did this on purpose…"
"I'd have to make sure to be very far away, ma'am." Huh. Totally straight-faced. Either McPherson gave him some coaching on keeping a perfect poker face or he has really understood that messing with her isn't a good idea.
"You have no idea how far away you would have to run." Evan just said not to actually shove him into the next wall. He never said anything about not threatening to do it. And anyway… another idea how to teach Simmons a lesson about interpersonal relationships on Atlantis and not get in Evan's way while doing it suddenly starts forming in her head.
Thankfully, Simmons isn't as good as reading her as others are yet and doesn't see his doom already lurking behind her face. So he just nods. "Understood, ma'am."
"Good. Get back to the prison building. Colonel Sheppards wants to see the team for a briefing in eight minutes." And don't you dare pretend you didn't realize that I just told you very plainly to get lost and give me at least a few more minutes of fucking peace.
For a moment, it looks like he wants to give her some excuse for not heading to the prison building immediately, but something in her face must have been scary enough that he simply says, "Yes, ma'am." and walks back into the village. Finally. And as she sees him scampering off, the vague idea she just had starts forming into a nice little plan. Be afraid, Joe Simmons, she thinks. Be very afraid.
A/N: A-HA! Yes, the story's still very much alive. It's just a little slow going at the moment, so I hope I get it done before Christmas. But at least it means that mac can take her time with beta-reading and find all the little mistakes ;) Oh, and before I forget it: A while ago asugar was so nice as to tell me about some of my stories being nominated for the Isis Award (along with EvaFlack's awesome story "Coming back home" and a few other Cadman/Lorne-stories). I'd love to give you the link to the Cadman/Lorne-category, but ff-net still doesn't permit that, so everyone interested in voting please just google it. It's really very easy to find, and I'm sure all of us nominees would love to get your vote ;)
And just one more thing: Obviously fanfic100 are still having trouble with their BDT, so it'll probably take ages until my claim gets accepted, which is really a shame since I have three Christmas stories already finished and have some ideas for a fourth. I'd just love to get them online... but that's life, I guess.