Eleven

Done with it. Done, done, done, and never going to repeat it. Well, in that way, at least. Done with the walking around the fire thing and the handfasting thing and the promises to each other and – most of all – the kissing. She never felt so uncomfortable kissing someone ever before, not even during some stupid game of Truth or Dare or when kissing some boyfriend in front of her brothers.

Not that she didn't want to kiss Evan… she just didn't want to do it in front of his team and their CO. It was a very short, very light kiss… but still a kiss. The only comfort she has is that Simmons may have been the only one feeling more embarrassed than her and Evan. Well, and that the kiss felt a teeny tiny bit like only Evan's sense of duty held him back from deepening the kiss a little further.

However… the Evan that's now standing in front of her does not look like he wants to do anything in the way of kissing. In fact, he has his arms folded in front of chest and looks very much like he's expecting something from her. "Well, then… let me hear it."

Argh. "Hear… what?"

"Don't pretend to be clueless, Laura. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Okay, pretending she doesn't know what he wants to hear from her did not work to soothe the irritation on his face.

Still… "Yeah, well, but this isn't exactly what I'd call "a little more privacy"." Because, you know, outside everyone is straining to hear how the wedding night is going, she thinks a little sourly. She's also positive that already bets are being exchanged about various details of whatever people think they are doing in this room, just after the celebrations ended.

Evan doesn't look like he gives a damn about that, though. "It's enough privacy."

No it's not, dammit. "Hey, everyone out there is just dying to… erm… listen to us."

He unfolds his arms and takes a step towards her. The look on his face… scares her a little. She knows with unerring certainty that he would never hurt her physically, but that doesn't change the fact that even with everything that happened at the wedding – the kiss, the happiness at the celebration afterwards that was at least part real – the fight in the prison was a hard blow for him. "As far as I'm concerned, no one is listening out there. Now, do I get to hear something of substance or will it just be some more flimsy excuses? Because if it's the latter, I honestly don't know how much more time I can wait before considering suggesting we might pass our next nights in separate quarters."

He didn't just… did he? She feels her heart hammering at his only thinly veiled threat, because she knows he doesn't make empty threats. And it didn't serve to make her any more susceptible to telling him now, when the mission isn't over yet and where she doesn't know who else is listening, what exactly made her go toe to toe with Simmons. She folds her arms defiantly. "That's blackmail."

At first it looks like he's going to lose his patience and display a temper rivaling her own –something he really only rarely does – but then something else wins. Resigned and frustrated, he runs a hand through his hair and over his eyes. "Maybe. But it feels very much like this is the only way to get through your thick skull."

It dawns on her that maybe he wants to know the reason for her dressing down Simmons so desperately because he doesn't want to drag this all the way back to Atlantis and have it overshadowing everything they do for an infinite amount of time. If she's honest… she doesn't want that either. She just hopes he'll not let his agitation get the better of him when she finally tells him. "Alright. Just… promise me you will refrain from anything rash when I tell you, okay?"

An unnerved groan escapes his throat. "Laura, I told you, if you don't stop this cryptic crap…"

"Evan, if you want to know it, you got to promise first." If he thinks he can blackmail her, she can very well expect him to do this on her conditions.

Obviously the need to know what happened is surpassing his irritation at her demanding something in return for telling him. "Fine. I promise. Now do I finally get to find out why you chew out a Lieutenant on my team and try to keep it quiet?"

Well… now comes the… interesting part. She bites her lip. "Yeah. Okay… uh… where to start?"

"How about the beginning?" he states with sarcasm underlying his tone, but at least he seems to have gotten the anger inside of him under control again.

She makes a face at him. "Thanks for the hint, Major. Anyway… the morning after you told me about the I.O.A.'s decision I happened to stumble over Simmons telling your Sergeants over breakfast that he… erm… well…"

"That he what?" Impatience is starting to get to him, and of course he has every right to that, but all of a sudden she feels embarrassed by what Simmons implied back in the mess hall. Suddenly she's a little afraid that if she says it out loud now, Evan won't be furious at Simmons but start to think about it and maybe come to the same conclusion… Ah hell.

"That he… thoughtIsleptmywayupthechainofcommand." The last bit really came tumbling out of her mouth as if it was one word, nearly unintelligible.

"What? I didn't quite get that." Um, yeah, that was to be expected.

Taking a deep breath, she tries it a second time. "That he thinks the only reason I got promoted was that I'm sleeping with you."

For a moment, the silence in the room is so thick that it's nearly palpable. Then… Evan literally explodes. "What the…? He called you a whore? Okay, where's that little son of a bi…"

He's already on his way to the door, ready to find Simmons, drag his ass out of his bed and beat the guy into submission. Quickly, she reaches out and gets hold of his arm. "You promised, Evan!"

The firm hand on his arm and the determination in her voice luckily get through to him. Taking a deep breath, he squeezes his eyes shut and rubs his neck. "Right. Right, I did. But why didn't you tell me, Laura?"

The only thing she does is put her hand to her hip and looking at him very incredulous, impatient and irritated. "Because this is exactly how you would have reacted. I just know that the moment I told you, Simmons would have been dead. I wanted him to stop this before you got your hands on him. And besides… he insulted me in my presence. I had to react."

"Yeah, but coming to me and telling me would have been a reaction as well." Finally they're back to a sensible discussion.

"Right, and you know how it would have looked to Simmons? Like he was right. Because it would have appeared like I lack the authority to chew someone out who behaved insolently to me and had to run crying into my lover's arms."

Evan still isn't fully convinced, though. "You don't know about that."

"Yes, I do. Evan, he had no qualms about backbiting and bitching about his CO in front of the two Sergeants you are commanding. Someone had to set this kid's head right, before any of this got to you. Because I just know that he would have never made it out alive of your office. I did this to save both your asses, because even you come to a point where you let your professional decisions be influenced by personal feelings. And I know that you'd deeply regret overreacting afterwards and that you'd probably beat yourself up about it for the rest of your life." He would. Both of them know that.

He's really taken aback for a few seconds. When he finally answers her, his tone has changed drastically from agitated to humbled and a little disbelieving. "I… honestly don't know what to say."

She gives him a reluctant little smile. "How about telling me if I'm wrong or right?"

Evan mirrors her smile and says resignedly, "Much as I hate to say it… you know me far too well." Then he closes the gap between them, but doesn't touch her yet… as if he's a little afraid she won't let him. "Laura… for what it's worth… I'm sorry."

She feels a little ashamed at his admission, because after all it was her who let it get this far. "For what it's worth… I'm sorry, too. I should have cleared that up with you before you went on the mission. It's just… I was so…"

Before she can say anything more, he reaches out and cups her cheek. "Ssh, it's okay." She leans into his hand, glad, that this whole stupid affair is over now, at least for them. For Simmons, though… no, she won't think of that now. She has done her utmost to protect that man from his own stupidity but she just reached the point where he is on his own again. Meanwhile, Evan is very intent on repeating that kiss from the wedding ceremony, only without all the awkwardness. But before that… he obviously has to say something. "After all, this is supposed to be our wedding night, and we're supposed to make it worthwhile."

With that, he kisses her lightly, although they both know which activity is totally out of bounds for them tonight. However… "About that… I think I've got an idea…"

He grins. "Do tell." She leans in to whisper it to him, partly because she still suspects people listening in on them, but also because she just wants to be as close as possible to him after this stupid and horrible and exhausting day.

When she's done, he grins at her again and says, "Such an evil plan. I love it." Then… he leans in to whisper something to her. "By the way… like the blue, Buttercup. And the dress."

The only answer that comes to her is something she nearly always does when someone pays her a compliment, even him. She scrunches her forehead and says, "You're just saying that out of pity."

By now, he's used to her slight inability to accept a serious compliment about her looks enough not to take offence by her comparatively brush answer. He just looks at her, serious enough to tell her he really means what he just said and affirms his statement, "I'm saying it because I like the blue and the dress. On you, I mean."

He doesn't give her time to answer, just captures her mouth again with his, this time with a little more force behind it and she really starts regretting they clearly aren't allowed to let this kiss follow the appropriate continuation. So she breaks the kiss to gently remind him, "We have a plan to fulfill, farm boy."

A little disappointed and defeated he nods. However, he can't fully keep from any fooling around and suddenly picks her up to carry her over to the bed. It makes both of them laugh out loud, and she's relieved that Simmons and his slip of tongue have done no permanent harm to this wonderful thing she has with Evan.

A/N: Okay, I know you were all dying for the wedding scene, but you know... I just had this feeling that I should save this for a real wedding, should I ever get that far ;) Another thing: mac (who did a wonderful job with beta-reading this chapter) and I felt that I wrapped up the whole thing with chewing out a member of Evan's team behind his back too fast. What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Tell me :)