Stargate Atlantis: Cupid's Arrow5

John sauntered into the biology lab. The lights were low, casting amber pools between the shadows. Monitors softly beeped as if in greeting. He paused, finding himself alone. He strolled towards the back, towards Moira's station and smiled, seeing two bottles of beer lined up and just waiting for him. "Moira?"

"Heads up, Sheppard!"

He whirled, reaching up to grab a bag of chips that was flying towards his head. He smiled when Moira appeared, carrying her own bag of chips and a Coke. "I take it both of those are for me?" he asked, pointing to the beers and giving her his best little boy pout.

Moira smiled as she neared him. "Yes, John. Here." She led him to the work station and sat at her desk. She opened the bag of chips and began to eat them, sipping her Coke between bites. "I have been craving these for nearly a month now!"

John took the seat next to her and quickly mimicked her actions, imbibing the beer and munching on the chips. "Yeah, I've been craving some things too." His gaze roved over her plain gray t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was loose, a cascade of brown that curled softly at the ends.

"Like intel, I know." She set aside the Coke and primly wiped her messy fingers on a napkin. John merely licked his lips and wiped his messy fingers on his pants. Moira shook her head and set the book of Irish mythology in front of him. "It's all there, John."

"Could you break it down for me? Turnog and the rest?"

"Tir na nOg," she corrected, watching him. Apparently he taken her humorous jibes to heart and had shaved, combed his hair and was clad in a dry black t-shirt and black pants. There was a cut healing under one green eye and he still appeared weary. "As I said it's a mythical otherworld of the Celts. There are several of those and they have nothing to do with the four cities of the Tuatha De Danann."

John set his beer on the desk, settling back in the chair, crossing one long leg over the other. "It's the name of that lost city." He paused, but felt no answering rebuke, no sudden pain in his head. He relaxed. "Each section had one of those names…you know, the tootha names. One was destroyed and one was damaged in the flight home."

"From that other galaxy?" she asked. He nodded. "And how do you know all of this?"

"First tell me about those four cities, please."

"All right. From each of the four cities the Tuatha de Danann took a magical object. From Falias they took the Lia Fial, the Stone of Destiny that screams under the rightful king. From Findias they took the Sword of Nuada, from whom no one can escape. From Gorias they took the Gae Assail, the Spear of Lugh that guarantees victory. From Murias they took the Cauldron of the Dagda, which leaves everyone satisfied."

John considered, rubbing his chin. He sipped some beer. "Ah."

"You do know these are all myths, right, based on possibly historical events lost to us and only half-remembered by medieval scribes? Although the hell they got way out here is anyone's guess," she mused.

"Out here they would be metaphors, of course, but still…they were most protective of Gorias. Whatever they took from the fuglies they stored in Gorias. And if it's anything like this, this spear of Lugh, well…"

"There's an Irish city that is like this one?"

"Yes. There was. A sister city. It went against orders and ventured to that other galaxy. It encountered the fuglies and took something from them. There was a battle to get back to Pegasus and they made it, but the city was damaged and had to go underground. They were going to gate to Atlantis but I told them it wouldn't work. Atlantis had lost the war and was already at the bottom of the ocean, abandoned."

"You told them," she said softly. She sounded curious, not mocking him.

John nodded. "Yeah. Something weird happened to me. Was happening to me every time I connected to the city. The deeper I went the weirder it was…I mean…I was there. The city told me the name of that city and then took me there. I mean I was here, but unconscious while I was there and saw all of this. They kept calling me Seamus," he said, shaking his head.

Moira stared at him. "Huh. Go on."

"My original plan was to fly that city here to defend us against the fuglies, because, Moira, we won't stand a chance against them. We did a recon around one of their ships and it is the largest thing I have ever seen. I'm talking Star Destroyer size. But now I don't think I can fly Turnog here because it is damaged…but I can find whatever the fuglies want and have an ace up our sleeve. And who knows? Maybe I can get that city here if McKay can somehow fix it."

Moira scooted closer. She touched his hand on the desk as his fingers played across the book she had set there. "What's happening to you, John?"

"Me? Oh. I don't know. I mean…" He straightened suddenly, his knees knocking gently against hers as he leaned closer, voice lowering. "Apart from losing consciousness like that I keep getting these headaches and I…the city…it talks to me. It responds to me, Moira, and yes, I know how crazy that sounds but it is true. And I…one night when I was working I swear I heard…I heard her trying to say my name." He felt a shiver at the memory and his fingers caught hers to fold over them as if he needed the feel of living, warm flesh.

Moira frowned, finding his words improbable but knowing he was telling the truth. "You think the interface is, is connecting with you even when you are not actively touching a console or activating a system?"

"Yeah…sort of. I can't quite explain it. When we connect we have this…dialogue…the mind and machine thing, you know…like when you think of me and the systems respond faster?"

She smiled. "You've been having naughty thoughts, colonel? Such a naughty colonel," she teased in a breathy voice.

He smiled. "Yeah, baby, that's me…but no. Well…" He considered his voyeurism and shrugged. "Maybe. But mostly no, it's quicker than thought, sometimes."

"And you found out this new information at a cost. You can't be taking such risks, John."

"I have to, Moira, because we are well and truly screwed if I can't find a way to combat the fuglies. And I need you to come with me when I go to this city, in case there are any weird Irish things I won't be able to read or pronounce."

She nodded. "Okay, John. Have the Homo erectus responded at all to our messages?"

"Not yet. We've got a full scan of that ship, though. If there is any kind of language on that I will have Rodney forward it to you. There's something else."

She waited, but he had fallen silent. His fingers were caressing hers. "John? You can tell me."

"I know." He debated. "Um…about an Irish myth…the…um…the city. When I connect to the city it's easier for me to um, picture it as a woman, you know? Instead of a machine. And it's like the city, um…it's easier for me to talk to it like it was a human, not a machine or a thing and it responds sort of like that but not really and if I can just crack the code or say the right thing or find the right way I'll get…I'll get…"

Moira was trying not to smile. He was utterly charming when he was uncertain and stumbling with what he wanted to say. "Sovereignty. That's what you mean. That myth."

He blinked, staring at her. "Yes. I…do I?"

"Yes, John. Like the Irish kings of old that had to prove their worthiness by wooing the personification of Eire which would appear to them as a beautiful but elusive woman. It's like that?" she asked, tilting her head in disbelief and amusement. "Of course it would be that way for you now wouldn't it?"

John frowned at her gentle mockery. "As a matter of fact, yes, it is, and it made me think of one of those stories. I don't know why. It's weird." He rubbed his temple although no pain had intruded.

Moira drew her hand from his. "All right, John, I believe you. Just be careful, all right? And don't go too deep into the city on your own."

"Noted, doctor. I knew you would understand. I knew." He smiled at her, but then he looked round the room, suddenly uncomfortable. He fidgeted in his chair. There was something else that needed to be said, that had to be said.

"Was there something else, John?" He was silent, avoiding eye contact. He was looking at everything but her, lower lip slightly sticking out like a recalcitrant boy and she couldn't help but smile. Moira sighed. "Not again! John! For God's sake, are you going to tell me you had sex again?"

His gaze flew to her with relief and surprise. "How did you…actually, yeah." Moira drew back from him, turning to the monitor although it was blank. "It was just sex, I mean it didn't mean a thing! Years ago she had sex with me just to secure the throne and get my ATA gene and she used me for that and to get an heir, which she didn't get, by the way. So this time I used her the same way to get what I needed, to take their Ancient Chair and the ZPMs…I just…I mean…it was just sex…I wasn't really myself and I just…" he floundered.

Moira sighed again. "I guess you showed her, didn't you, colonel?"

"Yeah, well, I did and…hey! It was pleasurable for both of us, don't get me wrong, I didn't force her or anything but yeah I did lie to her like she lied to me and…okay, it was not my best moment, but I don't know why I—"

"I don't know why you feel the need to tell me these things, John!" she flared, turning to him. Anger shone in her brown eyes and John felt a guilt he hadn't felt until that moment, not even when he had been with Ann. "Shouldn't you be telling your girlfriend?"

"No. I mean..I just…it was nothing, all right?" he snapped. He watched her stand and step round the chair. She pushed it against the desk. "Where the hell are you going?"

"To bed. We're done here, right?"

"No." He stood, blocking her progress. "Moira, I just wanted to clear the air between us before…"

"Before what, John? Are you still seeing that, that major?"

"Yes, but now that you are here…look, Moira, I just…"

"What? What do you want from me, John?" she demanded, glaring as he towered over her.

He smiled at her. The answer danced in his green eyes.

Moira swore and shoved past him. She had to shove hard as he was bigger and stronger and planted in place, but he yielded and turned to follow after her. "Go to bed, Sheppard!"

"Say it, Moira. Just say it once, please? Say it," he growled, catching her and pulling her up against him. His arms slid around her waist as his breath tickled her ear. "Say it."

She squirmed, but froze, realizing that was exactly what he wanted. She was both intrigued and baffled by his behavior. He was warm, so warm and strong but gentle. She turned to him, sliding her body along his. She ran a hand across his jaw. She perched on tip-toe and whispered in his ear. "You've been a very, very naughty colonel."

Before he could react or reply she slid from his grasp and was gone.