Twelve

"Good morning, Captain." She turns around again and murmurs something unintelligible into her pillow. Usually, he'd simply kiss the spot between her shoulder blades and let her sleep just a few minutes longer, but usually they're not on a mission when waking up in the same bed. And besides… he still feels like having to get back a little at her for the whole chewing-out-Simmons-thing. Which leads him to take drastic measures. "You got five seconds to get your lazy ass outta this bed, Marine!"

Immediately she's sitting upright on her side of the bed and glaring at him, which is quite a scary sight actually. Not even the messy hair and sleepy eyes can soften the mean look in her eyes. Holy crap. "If you ever do that again, you're toast and I'll have you for breakfast, Major Early Bird."

Note to self, he thinks, next time you bellow at your girlfriend in the morning be sure to be very far away. "Speaking of which… I think we already missed that. So, you've got… oh, ten minutes before appearing in front of that council again." And also be out of the bed before she can demonstrate why a number of female expedition members already refuse to spar with her.

Not able to withstand at least a grin he expertly ducks one of her favorite weapons, a pillow, and darts over to where his stuff is lying. Thankfully, no one told them they were required to wear local garments again and so he just assumes it's safe to wear BDUs again. True to her nature, Laura is pretty monosyllabic while dressing – in fact, she's silent, but he's used to that and knows he should better keep quiet now. He just hopes she can rein in her usual morning edginess enough as not to offend anyone.

"Okay, I'm off… be a good little zoomie while I bail you out." With that, she's out of the room… only to return and give him a short kiss on the lips before dashing off. Huh… what was that for? Oh wait… maybe for reminding him to keep true to his promise not to do anything rash about Lieutenant Simmons. But as it is… it's become pretty hard.

Come to think of it… he really doesn't want to go out there, because he truly has no idea what he's going to do once he sees Simmons again. Additionally to the whole thing with walking around and spouting crap about the origin of his and Laura's relationship, there's now also the strong suspicion that the Lieutenant's slip of tongue wasn't one. He really wants to believe that all of this roots in Simmons being mighty confused, but… he does remember the hints of satisfaction he saw in Simmons' eyes when the Lieutenant had blurted out the thing about Laura dressing him down.

A knock on the open door brings him back to the present. "Morning, sir."

"Morning, Sergeant. I take it you're here to take me back to detention?" He throws Meyers a look that must be almost weary, but the Sergeant just gives him a reassuring little grin.

"Nope. Colonel Sheppard wants you in the council antechamber. I think you're both supposed to wait there while the la… Teyla and Captain Cadman hash it… negotiate the terms of your release." Oh, great, at least he doesn't have to pass his wedding morning in a cell. For that alone he thinks he will ignore the slightly smug undertone of Meyers' voice.

He has something else than a reprimand up his sleeve anyway. "Still disappointed there was no bachelor bash, Sergeant?"

Ha. That did surprise the Sergeant, if only for a moment. He really misses a beat or two, as they walk over to the council building. But then he seems to have caught himself and clears his throat. "Quite so, sir. But at least I managed to get a few very nice pictures."

What the…? "How…" Beyond that he's actually speechless and the Sergeant uses that for a deadpan.

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to shoot you, sir." At least Meyers has the decency to say that totally straight faced and refrain from any smirking whatsoever.

Still, it's bordering on insolence… again. One day he will catch Meyers off-guard and overstepping a boundary, he's sure of that. For the time being he settles with saying grudgingly, "Very funny, Sergeant." And yeah, okay, his curiosity gets the better of him. "Anyway… can I see them at least?"

Meyers nods. "I'll send them to your account when we're back."

"Fair enough." Then he gets an afterthought. "And when you're done with that: Destroy all other copies of them."

The Sergeant rubs his neck and tries to give him something resembling puppy eyes. "Uh…"

Alright, that's the moment where he really should put a stop to this. Again, he's glad McPherson and Simmons are nowhere in sight. "Don't have me make it an order, Sergeant."

Meyers just nods again, now all serious. "Right, sir."

He risks another covert look at his Sergeant. Did he detect a note of hatching a plan to find a way out of having to delete the pictures in Meyers' face? "No loopholes, Sergeant."

"Of course, sir." He really wants to believe the Sergeant's sincere and dutiful expression, but he just has this feeling that whatever pictures Meyers took will resurface in Atlantis one way or another. But well… he'll deal with that when it happens, since they have arrived at the council building anyway.

"Well… good luck, sir." He turns to Meyers, his eyebrow raised. "I… uh… should refrain from saying "You're gonna need it." right?"

He nods. "Exactly. Unless you consider me Lando Calrissian and yourself Han Solo, that is."

For a moment, he has the pleasure of seeing ever cheerful, unfazed Sergeant Will Meyers actually gawk at his superior, but the Sergeant is able to get back his bearing fast enough. "Not for a second, sir. If anyone around here is Han Solo, it's certainly you." Actually… it would be Colonel Sheppard, as they both know. A reluctant little grin makes it onto his face.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sergeant. Anyway… I'm sure the local population can still use someone to help them clean up from last night." Meyers just grins and he suspects that it's actually not a bad thing that he just made himself known as someone who could recite Star Wars if the need arises. "Get going, Sergeant."

Meyers gives him a casual salute and a nod and is off to the site of yesterday's celebration. With a sigh, he enters the council building, only to find out he'll not have to wait alone in the antechamber. With his long legs outstretched and his eyes half-closed, Colonel Sheppard looks very much like he's dozing to catch up on the sleep he didn't have last night, but he knows better. Behind those sleepy eyes there's a man very much awake, and he'd really love to know how Sheppard does that.

Anyway… he sits down beside his CO. "Morning, sir."

Sheppard just nods. "Morning, Major." His CO falls silent again, and he's actually glad for that, because as great as Laura's little plan had been he'd fervently hoped that Sheppard hadn't been one of the people lounging around their bedroom door or windows. "So… did you really violate regulations last night or did you two just do the Sally Albright?"

Holy… what? "Uh… excuse me, sir?"

Now Sheppard drops the pretense of dozing and gives him a smirk. "Oh, you know, "When Harry met Sally", the scene in the deli." Oh. Oooh, that scene. Dammit, Sheppard had been listening. And it wouldn't even be of any use to make his CO aware of the fact that listening in is not exactly polite because he'd just claim he had to make sure everything was going according to the rules and he'd be right.

So he just settles with, "Oh yeah, right, get it."

Again: Silence. That is, until Sheppard decides that he does want an answer. "You still owe me an answer, Major." Well… he knows Laura would have teased the Colonel just a little while longer, but he isn't Laura.

"We… did the Sally, sir." He looks at Sheppard, and for a moment the Colonel looks absolutely serious, but then both of them break out in a grin.

"Your plan or Cadman's? No… wait, I know you won't give me a straight answer to that. I do have my suspicions anyway, so just let me say… you were pretty convincing. I swear Rodney actually went a little green around the gills." The image alone makes them both snort.

"That's what you get for listening in." Both shrug, and he's desperate to change the topic. "Speaking of which: You didn't get allowed inside this time, sir?"

Sheppard heaves a little sigh. "Nope. Seems they have finally noticed Teyla and I have other means to communicate than just talking." He throws his CO a look that's something between bewildered and questioning. Sheppard chooses not to look directly at him when adding, "I know what you're thinking, Evan. But she's made her decision. And I'm not the one to try and change her mind."

Whoa, that's… really some kind of admission. He doesn't have to ask who "she" is, because everyone knows already anyway. He wishes he could tell his CO that he has the feeling that Teyla – like Laura all these months ago – hasn't made any real decision at all, but he also knows Sheppard well enough to keep this all to himself. However, Sheppard isn't just his CO, he's also something very close to a friend, and so he decides to take the diplomatic medium. "Maybe she'll surprise us all, sir."

The Colonel doesn't comment on that, but the way he presses his lips together and looks away again tells him that his CO doesn't believe in that particular surprise and doesn't intend to do anything to force it, either. He knows it isn't his business and that Sheppard detests people meddling with his life as much as he does, but he wishes he had Laura's way of just steamrolling any reservations and say what's on his mind anyway. At least that would probably resolve the whole "Do they or don't they?"-thing. He's just this close to add something a little less diplomatic when Sheppard speaks up again, "You know there's one good thing about this."

He raises his eyebrows. "There is?"

"Yep." A smug half-grin appears on Sheppard's face, and he isn't really sure if he wants to know what this one good thing is. "You'll finally get to write "Aliens made us do it." in one of your mission reports."

He knew it. He and Laura will never live this one down. It's worse than Laura being stuck in Rodney's head or him becoming a little too competitive with Zelenka with the Ancient's version of "The Settlers". Everyone will remember this forever and use it on them in every possible and impossible moment. At least, he thinks, there won't be pictures floating around of this. He tries not to look too disgruntled when he replies, "Wow, dream of a lifetime come true."

"Yeah, isn't it? Honestly, what's a tour on Atlantis worth if you don't get to write that at least once?" He wants to reply that this is just another thing he could have done without – like broken legs, broken ribs, injured girlfriends… – but the door to the council chamber opens and Laura and Teyla come out, followed by the rest of the village council. Immediately Sheppard and he get up, but he's still strangely reluctant to meet the councilwomen's eyes. There's just something in them – some kind of very serious bearing, like they know they are meant to be better than men by their gods – that irritates and intimidates him.

So instead he throws Laura a look and she just gives him a short rolling of her eyes. Seems to have been some tough talk. It's Teyla, though, who speaks up first, slightly bowing and addressing the eldest councilwoman, "We are most pleased over the successful and constructive negotiations and thank you for your patience." He takes another look at Laura, and her face says very clearly "Their patience? None of them were in a cell… or forced to wear a dress." A little smirk grazes his face at that.

"And we are pleased that you were so cooperative." Teyla bows again. He throws a look at Sheppard who looks very much like "Can we go now?" and he feels himself strongly mirroring that feeling. And he's pretty sure Teyla must have seen that as well, but she really takes her time with saying goodbye, and he just has this feeling… that she's doing it intentionally. Like she still has to settle an account with Colonel Sheppard.

Then, finally, they are allowed to leave the building. When they get back in the open, he can actually feel a collective silent sigh of relief going through their little group. "Well… time to lead your bride home, Major." He and Laura turn around to Sheppard who seems to be mighty pleased he could catch them off-guard with that little remark. He wants to say something, but Laura beats him to it.

"Actually, sir, I think it's me leading the Major home, at least according to the rules here." Sheppard grins.

"Either way, it's home now. Major?" He looks up. "Round the troops up. Although I've got the feeling that at least Sergeant McPherson will be a little disappointed at having to leave here." Huh? Did the Colonel see something he didn't? Anyway, he just gave him an order.

"Yes, sir." Well… off to home it is, then.

A/N: See, I haven't given up on this story. In fact... I just managed to finish it. There's one more chapter and the Epilogue to go. And thanks to mac who betaed it and found herself reminded of her very strange relationship with "Whe Harry me Sally" ;)