Authors Note:
WARNING: This chapter contains some sexual references ... and fluff ...
Chapter 10: A Johnny Cash Ring of Fire wedding.
I was all for consummating our newly engaged relationship right there and then but John vetoed that, insisting it was too soon and that I needed more time to recover physically. I let it go only because I was still tired and I wanted to know more about what he had planned.
"I'm surprised you did this so soon," I admitted. "We really only talked about it a few weeks ago."
"We've spent enough time building up to this," John said insistently. "Besides, it's not like we can just come back to Earth any time we like and the opportunity was there right now."
"So how were you going to do the big proposal?" I asked with a cheeky grin.
"We were gonna be in Vegas instead of here," John waited for me to make the obvious conclusion in my head before laughingly continuing. "And no, not because I was planning an Elvis Chapel of Love quickie wedding!"
"I wasn't thinking that!" I denied insistently.
"You so were," John retorted. "I'm kind of insulted that no one thinks I've got more class than that."
"I wasn't," I insisted. "I was thinking more a Johnny Cash Ring of Fire wedding actually!"
"Funny," John smiled, amused at my quick come back.
"So what were you planning then, Mr Class?" I raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"Did you know that the reason you can do a shotgun wedding in Vegas is because they can approve a marriage license in less than fifteen minutes?" John asked.
"Ah, no," I admitted. "Checking out marriage laws hasn't exactly been on my list of things to do."
"Well you can," John continued. "I was going to take you there, present you with the paperwork and ask if you would sign up for a life with me ... of course there would have been the romantic dinner and all of that as well," John shrugged as he glossed over the planning he'd done for this. "Once we have the legal stuff done we get a year to make if official – although I sincerely hope you won't want to wait that long."
"Wow," I hoped my expression looked as impressed as I was feeling. "That's pretty good."
"It would have been," John muttered, "if the IOA hadn't gotten in the way."
"Remind me again why you had to even speak to them," I demanded.
"Because Atlantis is classed as foreign soil," John explained. "We might both be US citizens but the air force may still expect a pretty hefty load of paperwork before they can approve us getting married there. General Landry made it quite clear we couldn't do anything official like that without the IOA approving it too."
"Did you have to do all this the last time you got married?" I asked curiously.
"No – don't need to if you're on US soil," John frowned before looking at me worriedly. "Does that bother you?" John had never really talked about that aspect of his past before so I could see where that question was coming from.
"That you were married before?" I asked, waiting until John nodded. "Nope," I replied earnestly. "I'm not sorry it didn't last and that you had to go though that either – selfish as that sounds. This will last."
"Fair enough," John didn't take offense I'd basically said I was glad he'd had such a tough time because it meant he was free to marry me. "I think I should tell you that Rodney, Ronon and Teyla all know I was going to ask you too."
"So I really was the last to know?" I shook my head at just how screwed up things had gotten.
"Pretty much," John agreed glumly. "Sorry."
"We got there in the end and that's all that matters," I excused.
oOo
"You ready to catch up with the others," John asked me once I'd showered and gotten myself looking somewhat back to normal. The Air force was ever efficient ... John and I had our luggage and instead of the helicopter we had a four wheel drive waiting for us when we were ready to leave.
"I guess," I said reluctantly. "I don't suppose you could tell them not to ask me questions about what happened?"
"They won't do that," John promised.
"Can we not tell them about the engagement either?" I asked. "I'd like to enjoy the secret for just a little while."
"I don't have a problem with that," John agreed with a grin. He was such a child sometimes – looking forward to hoarding a secret because he knew it would drive Rodney – "Mr I have to know everything!" – mad when he found out we'd kept it to ourselves.
"Let's go then," I said resolutely, moving to walk beside him. Halfway across the parking lot I stopped suddenly, pulling John to a stop beside me.
"What?" he looked at me worriedly.
"I forgot something," I said, frowning in disbelief at my omission. "At the end, when I was out of it and Walker was tormenting me verbally, he mentioned the IOA. John - he said he owned one of the committee members ... that I was deliberately targetted because someone on the IOA has a personal grudge against me."
John put an arm around me, rubbing his hand over my back as he pulled out his cell phone. I listened, feeling something clenched relax inside as he spoke with General Landry personally, reporting what I'd revealed and getting confirmation that the SGC would investigate immediately."
"Was there anything else?" John asked once he'd finished his call.
"Not that I can recall," I replied. "They'll find who did this?"
"Don't worry," John reassured me. "I have a feeling IOA membership is about to get shuffled."
"Thank you," I smiled gratefully, falling back into step with John as he got us heading towards dinner with his team.
oOo
"You are looking well Sabina," Teyla greeted me first when we arrived at their table in the motel restaurant. John and I sat down together, everything looking just like a dinner back on Atlantis ... apart from the unfamiliar surrounds.
"Thanks Teyla," I said, smiling as I added "it's amazing what fourteen hours of sleep will do for you. How was your day? I hope it hasn't been too boring for you."
"Not at all," Teyla reassured me. "There are many interesting aspects of this region. Isn't that right Rodney?"
"Oh ... sure, sure," Rodney smiled unconvincingly. "It's been none stop entertainment the entire day."
"You never could lie very well Rodney," I pointed out in amusement, "but I appreciate the effort none the less."
"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Ronon's expression was stern ... of the three of them he was the only one not glossing over prior events.
"I'm sure," I said softly, putting a hand over where his rested on the table.
"Because I can always go back and punish those guys some more," Ronon offered, looking at me almost hopefully.
"And that would be to make me feel better, right?" I asked, genuinely touched at his obvious show of concern.
"Wouldn't hurt me either," Ronon admitted, finally showing a hint of relaxed amusement.
"Well I'm good for now," I promised. "If that changes you'll be the first ... no wait, the third person I call in, okay?"
John had remained silent, letting his team greet me in their own way. At that comment he actually laughed. "Yeah buddy, get in line ... if anyone gets to beat on Walker's men some more it'll be me - you had more than your fair share as I recall."
Nodding his agreement of John's 'head count', Ronon settled back in his seat ... he seemed more relaxed but I knew he'd be keeping a closer eye on me for a while - they all would. Strangely I didn't mind, the thought comforting me instead of making me feel they didn't trust me to take care of myself anymore.
The ice broken with those opening remarks, dinner turned out to be more relaxing than I could have hoped for as team Sheppard settled into that routine of easy banter they'd perfected years ago. I laughed as Rodney regaled us all with the story of their sightseeing trip, replete with sarcastic remarks about the lack of anything resembling progress and his complete abhorrence for livestock of any description. It felt like any other dinner ... I felt like myself for the first time in days.
oOo
After an afternoon of difficult conversations, not to mention the excitement of getting engaged (the very thought of which still sent my heart racing) I was actually glad when it was time for bed. The night before I'd literally shut down ... so exhausted, if I dreamt I wasn't aware of it. So it really shouldn't have surprised me when I dropped into nightmare territory so quickly after John switched off the lights.
I'm not sure I even really understood what I was dreaming although the images were clear enough.
In the first Walker was standing over me laughing sadistically with dripping syringe held aloft. "This serum will guarantee your eventual death," he promised gleefully.
The scene shifted sharply.
"And now you die," John's face was a mask of grim certainty as he held the gun to Walker's temple, eager to pull the trigger. "No John ... don't do it," I cried.
And then it was me holding the gun, only this time no one stopped me and I pulled the trigger, feeling the pleasure in taking Walker's life. Blood sprayed, colouring the whole world red.
And then I was back to the injection again - I felt the pain as the serum coursed through me, searing a path of destruction over my body. I screamed in agony, fighting to get away from the fire that burned me from the inside out.
I woke up screaming and crying. John was already awake and turning on the light to help me. Bolting up from the bed I sprinted to the bathroom and vomited until the dry heaves had my stomach muscles clenched and aching. I wasn't even aware of John kneeling behind me, holding my hair back and rubbing circles on my back, until I was done. Wordlessly John helped me to the sink, watching me wash out my mouth and scrub at my face. All the time I carefully avoided my own eyes, not wanting to see the weakness and torment reflected there. I was still twitching and shivering, just like I had coming down from that drug. In the end John picked me up and carried me back to bed, tucking us both back in and pulling me up tightly against him. He'd spooned us, his front to my back, an arrangement too familiar from all the other times I'd needed his comfort in the dark.
"You want to talk about it?" he asked softly.
"What if there was something in that serum?" I asked hoarsely. "Something that's killing me only we just don't know it yet?"
"You spoke to Dr Lam tonight yourself," John reminded me simply. "She seemed pretty convinced your blood work was back to normal."
"I know," I said harshly. Taking a moment to calm down I began again. "I know ... but Walker was so smug, so knowing when he said you weren't in time to save me."
"The guy was just pulling my chain," John discounted my worries. "He wanted me to react without thinking, to make a mistake so he could save himself."
"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly. "Are you really, really sure?"
"I'm sure," John promised. "But if you want to talk to Dr Lam again tomorrow, if you want to go back to the SGC for more tests, I'd be right behind you."
"No!" I clutched at the arm John had wrapped around my waist. "I don't ... I'm not ready to go back there just yet. Even just being with Ronon, Rodney and Teyla today was ... difficult to handle."
"They care about you," John offered. "They want to help."
"I care about them too," I sniffed as tears started bubbling to the surface again. It made no sense. The worst of the nightmare was over, I'd calmed down - what the hell was I crying over?
"Hey," John turned me around so he could look at me. "I promise you that everything is all right. We'll get past this ... you just need some time."
"I am all right," I buried my head in John's chest, muffling those words against his shirt. Snapping my head back up I shot a determined glance straight into his eyes. "You know what I need?"
"What?" John looked just a bit suspicious at my abrupt change of mood.
"Sex," I said abruptly. "Really intense and hopefully mindless sex. You know the kind I'm talking about."
"Sabina," John frowned at my demanding request, obviously still worried I wasn't physically up to it.
"That's always what they do in the movies when something traumatic happens and right about now I'm thinking I understand why," I said lightly. "I won't break."
"It's not just your physical injuries and you know it," John countered. "We can't make light of the mental impact of what you've been through!"
"Please," I kept my eyes on his, watching the thoughts whizzing through his head. I smiled when I realised he'd decided what the hell – he might as well go along with me.
"Fine," John agreed abruptly, rolling us over so he was stretched out on top of me. He carefully avoided my injured leg but otherwise treated me no differently than usual. "I'll give you some intense ...," he leant down, skipping all the usual gentle beginning kisses and moving straight into a heated devouring kiss that went on for several moments until he broke away, each of us panting harshly.
"... mindless," John trapped my eyes with his as he used his hands and his body to imprint himself upon me ... my pulse was racing out of control as I felt each touch magnified by our ATA connection, our emotional connection, and the single minded purpose he was devoting entirely to me.
"... love." I smiled at him replacing my word for his own, all the while gasping as he kissed a heated trail down my neck and onwards, wrecking havoc on my system as he aroused me despite the barrier of clothing between us
"You are such a romantic," I teased, running my hands through his hair and pulling his lips back to mine. "I love that I know that about you," I pressed up, trying to get another kiss as he held himself back just enough to get me really hot for more. "John ..." I demanded, delighting in the game, enjoying the frustration of not being the one in control.
"Do you want more?" John shifted away suddenly, throwing his shirt and boxers off before moving to take care of my clothes. Then he was back, stretched out on top of me, making my awareness fuzzy around the edges because all I could focus on was him and how he was making me feel.
"Yes," I breathed out, shifting impatiently, wanting him to complete me.
"Then say it," John rocked himself against that part of me that really wanted him even closer. I knew immediately what he was asking for and it had my mind abruptly back into focus, but not in a bad way. He wanted that declaration of love, the one I so seldom gifted him with. I was the classic "me too" person, rarely taking the initiative, preferring to ride on the coat tails of his own declarations. Everything froze between us as he waited for me to speak. Raising both hands I enclosed his face, bringing his eyes to mine.
"I love you John Sheppard," I intoned feelingly. "I love your hair, your eyes, your mind, your heart. I love everything about you."
"And you say you're no good at this kind of thing," John raised an eyebrow in surprise, face flushed beyond the physical exertion. I smiled that I'd gotten to him ... I didn't need him to declare anything in return. I wanted my words to be the only ones occupying his mind.
"You inspire me," I pulled his lips down to mine, getting that heated kiss I'd wanted moments before. "Now inspire me some more," I ordered, shifting my hands from his face so that I could use them to pull his lower half closer, making what I wanted next perfectly clear.
"Yes ma'am," John, ever careful of my injuries, still made it as rough and fast and heated as I needed. Again that pause once we were joined ... John leaned down, planting those gentle kisses over my face we'd skipped at the start. "I love you too Sabina Scott," he grinned teasingly before adding "going to be Sheppard."
"We haven't even talked about that part yet," I reminded him breathlessly, somewhat distracted with ... physical concerns.
"I'm sure I can convince you," John shifted back and surged forward just the once ... pausing again he smiled smugly at the glazed expression on my face. "With the right incentive."
"John," I seemed to have lost the power of speech at that point ... just as well because I didn't have any words beyond the feelings that were all screaming Now!
And then the teasing was over ... John led the dance and I reciprocated, neither of us holding anything back until finally John succeeded in short circuiting my mind as I'd asked.
"Thank you," I got out as soon as I'd returned to myself enough to compose a coherent thought. I wasn't in the habit of thanking him for sex but in the circumstances it seemed appropriate.
"Glad to be of service," John arranged us back into the spooned position that was so comforting to me. "Do you think you can sleep now?"
"I'm already half way there," I admitted, yawning tiredly.
"Good," John hugged me close, pressed a kiss into my hair and then fell silent. A moment later we were both asleep.
Author's Note:
Excuse me while I indulge my fluff loving self *grins*.
Also apologies there wasn't a chapter posted yesterday ... my babies started school today and I had lots to do to prepare for that. It was highly emotional seeing them looking so grown up and yet at the same time so small in their school uniforms ... but I got through it and I didn't even cry ... well not until I got back to the car anyway LOL. I should be able to get back to the mostly one chapter a day posting now.
Next Up? Fortunate Journey Season 4 Chapter 11