Inhibition4

Moira froze. Snapped out of her blissful reverie by the harsh words. The sarcastic tone. She whirled, stared in surprise as Evan approached her. Scowl on his face. "What?"

"You heard," he retorted, looking her up and down as if he had never seen her before. His gaze judgmental. "Or rather I heard. Repeatedly. I came by last night to talk to you. And just now. Does he ever stop fucking you, Moira? I'm surprised you can walk."

She stared in disbelief. Shock. Out of sorts. Evan was the very last person she would ever expect to talk to her like that. "I–" she began, having no idea how to respond.

"That is no way to speak to Colonel Sheppard's wife!" Moira whirled as Jason Reynolds intervened. Coming up behind her with quick strides. He stepped past her.

"I–" she tried again, startled and embarrassed.

"This is none of your business, Reynolds. I was having a private conversation with Moira if you don't mind," Evan stated.

"Private? In the hallway? And yes, I do mind," Jason retorted angrily. "Apologize to Doctor Sheppard."

"No. This is between me and her so keep walking. Moira," he said, dismissing the other man, "I can't believe how much you have changed."

"I...what? Evan, I don't–"

"You still need to apologize to her," Jason interrupted.

"No." Evan looked at Moira again. "You have! Condoning that slaughter? You? Has he turned your head around that much that you agree to whatever he says or does? Oh wait, I guess he turns more than your head, doesn't he?"

"I–" she tried again, but had no idea how to respond.

"That's enough, Lorne!" Jason snapped. "Don't speak to Doctor Sheppard like that!"

"I'll speak to her any damn way I want, Reynolds! She's a member of my team. Well, she used to be before she fell into the colonel's bed!"

"Evan! I'm still a member of–" she protested.

"You are pathetic! You sound like a jealous man! Sulking because you can't have what the colonel has and obviously enjoys!" Jason taunted.

"Oh, I've had that, and believe me, it was very enjoyable, but the constant–"

"Evan! You have not! We never–" she protested, stunned. Blushing at the way the men were talking about her. As if she wasn't even there.

"Very enjoyable," Evan continued, ignoring her, gaze locked with the other man's now, "and it's no surprise the colonel can't keep his dick out of her but she–"

"You fucking bastard!" Jason lunged, nearly knocking into Moira.

She scrambled aside as the two men traded punches. "Stop! Stop it! What the hell is wrong with you two? Please, stop! Stop!" She moved to intervene, but stopped. Hand on her abdomen as she realized she couldn't risk getting hit, couldn't risk the baby. She ran into her room, into John's adjoining room. Grabbed the spare 9mm handgun he kept in the dresser. She ran out into the hallway to see the two men viciously fighting. Blood was spurting. "Stop! Stop now!"

They ignored her. Fists flying as they grunted, hurling each other onto the floor, into the walls. Both men were armed but hadn't resorted to drawing their weapons. Not yet as each preferred the brute force of their bodies. But it was only a matter of time before one or the other drew their weapons to end the fight one way or another.

Moira fired the gun.

John scratched his head, scowling. Looking over Rodney's shoulder as he sat in the control room. He glanced at the scrolling data. Address after address after address of planets. Some with notations on the side. Some with nothing at all. "All of those?"

"Possibly," Rodney noted, studying the screen. "I've narrowed the search to planets we haven't been to yet, but even then the notes are sporadic and I can't quite get the–"

"What was that?" John turned, hearing a sound.

"What was what?"

"That!"

"What?"

"That!" John repeated, staring hard at nothing. "What the hell was that? It sounded like gunfire!"

"What? Here? In Atlantis?" Rodney questioned, looking round the control room. Everything seemed normal. In place. "I seriously doubt that, unless one of your marines got careless."

"Not likely. I could have sworn that sounded like a gunshot," he mused, looking round. But everything appeared normal. No one was running, or panicking, or shouting for aid.

"Please! You'll do anything to get out of this search!" Rodney stated, shaking his head. "Now look at this, John. If we narrow the parameters to possible ZPMs in somewhat advanced cultures possessing the John! Sheppard, focus!"

"What? Oh...okay, go on," John noted, looking at the screen. Looking up again as the noise nagged at him.

Evan and Jason froze as the bullet flew over their heads, slammed into a wall. The reverberations of the shot echoing in the silent hallway. They both looked over at her.

Moira pointed the gun at them. "Stop! I don't know what's wrong with you two but something..." she paused, considering. "The pulse...the subsonic...of course! It must have accelerated your hormonal levels or...John...of course! No wonder he was so eager and able to keep it up for...oh shit, don't move!" she snapped as they moved to their feet. Glanced at each other as her rambling calmed them.

"Easy, Moira, there's no need to shoot," Evan soothed. Wiped blood off his mouth.

"It's all right, Doctor Sheppard. Lower the weapon," Jason said, stepping towards her. One eye purpling and swelling shut.

"No! Stay back! Stay away from me!" She clutched the gun in both hands. Finger sliding on the trigger. She heard running footsteps behind her. "Don't! Come any closer and I will shoot!" She heard the footsteps abruptly stop.

"Um, ma'am, is there a, a, a problem?" asked a very nervous marine.

"Tonner, go get Colonel Sheppard," Jason suggested.

"No!" Moira objected. "The last thing he needs is–"

"Doctor Sheppard, please lower the weapon." At the calm voice she glanced over to see a red-haired man slowly approaching. Empty hands in front of him. "Please. We won't bother Colonel Sheppard. I will take these two into custody for you."

Moira considered. Lowered the weapon. "Okay, um, lieutenant?" she guessed.

The man smiled. "Lieutenant Josh Peterson," he introduced himself. "Tonner, go on ahead of us. Majors Lorne, Reynolds, if you would?" He gestured. "Ma'am, you too, please. We will need to hear exactly what happened."

Moira nodded. Waited until the men moved past her, ahead of her. She kept a firm grip of the gun in her hand. "Okay, Lieutenant Peterson."

"Thank you, ma'am. Are you all right? You weren't harmed, were you?"

"No, I'm fine. That's why I grabbed the gun," she explained.

"Sir! Sir!" George Tonner skidded to a halt, saluted, stood nervously in the control room.

"Report, sergeant," John said, eying him. But looked past him to see a parade heading up the stairs and into the conference room. A bruised and battered Evan. Followed by a bruised and battered Jason. Followed by Moira, clutching a gun at her side. Followed by Josh. "What the..."

"Sir, sir, there was a shot! I ran to–"

"Told you that was gunfire," John commented to Rodney who had been staring at the odd procession as well. "Continue, sergeant," he stated, eying the sweating man in front of him.

"Sir. I ran to investigate. Apparently Lorne and Reynolds were fighting and your wife, sir, I mean, Doctor Sheppard fired a warning shot to make them stop. She had the gun trained on them, she wouldn't relinquish it. Then Lieutenant Peterson arrived and took, took charge of the, the situation. No one touched her, sir, I swear, no one laid a, a, a hand on your, your wife."

John nodded. Knowing the man's extreme agitation was due to the fate of the last man who had laid hands on Moira. Who had pushed her into a console. John had shot the man. Killed him instantly. "Oh."

"Oh? What the hell is going on, John?" Rodney flared. "Your wife is taking up target practice now?"

John shrugged. "No idea. Dismissed, Tonner. I'll go see what what's." He glanced at Rodney. "Just another day in Atlantis." He climbed the stairs, entered the conference room.

Josh nodded, standing near the doorway. At John's motion he departed. Evan sat at one end of the conference table. A bloody cut lip dribbled. His knuckles were raw. He was staring hard at the other man. Jason was sitting at the other end of the table. A purple bruise on his jaw. One eye swelling shut and turning black. He was glaring at Evan. Moira sat across from them, equidistant from both. She appeared fine, unharmed. Not a hair out of place. She was staring at nothing. Hands clasping the gun on the table. John recognized the 9mm. To his sudden consternation he saw the safety was off.

"Sir."

"Sir."

Moira broke from her thoughts, looked over as John moved to stand next to her. "John."

He met her gaze. Held out his hand. "Moira."

She stared. "Oh!" She handed him the gun. John clicked on the safety. Slipped it into the back of his pants. He touched her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, John, I'm fine. Fine. So is John junior. You?"

He almost smiled, caught himself. "Fine. Care to tell me what happened?"

She glanced at the men. "I...I don't know."