Homecoming Chapter 3
The dim half light of dawn filtered through the window, gradually waking me up. I was momentarily confused, before I recalled what had happened yesterday. I slipped out of bed, and walked down the hall. The fragrant aroma of coffee wafted past my nose. The kitchen door was already open, with Sheppard sitting at the breakfast bar, a mug in his hand. He grinned at me as I walked in.
"Sleep well?" He asked.
"Yeah, I did. How long was I asleep for?"
"You fell asleep before lunch yesterday, which was about 1300, it's now 0600, so you've been asleep about 17 hours. That doesn't take into account couple of hours you slept in the car yesterday. Not exactly a normal occurrence for you to sleep that much is it?"
I shrug, not wanting Sheppard to know just how badly I sleep normally. He does have the final say in the mission roster, after all, and also wouldn't think twice about telling Jen Keller that I generally only sleep for a maximum of six hours at a time.
He just looked at me for a moment, before he shook his head. He stood up and deposited his coffee mug in the sink.
"Help yourself to the coffee, and grab whatever you want for breakfast. Then go get changed into jeans and a pair of boots, and meet me out the back."
He disappeared before I could question him as to the day's activities.
I poured myself a cup of coffee and drank it quickly before scouting around the kitchen, looking for something edible. I found some muesli bars in the pantry, and took one. I wasn't all that hungry, I rarely am first thing in the morning, so I just nibbled at it until it was about half finished. As I walked out the door, to go and get changed I wrapped the remains back up, and, when I entered my room, put it on the chest of drawers. I shut the door, and quickly get changed, not wanting to know what the consequences would be if I disobeyed Sheppard's order. When I'm finished changing, I pull the curtains open. I can see Sheppard striding up the path that leads toward the back of the house. Pulling on my boots, I run for the back door, hoping to get there before him. I don't quite make it, but Sheppard's eyes betray his amusement at my attempt.
"Ready to go Lorne?"
"Yup"
No, I'm not ready, but I'd rather take a bullet than admit to my CO that not knowing what he has planned for the day scares the crap out of me. Back in Atlantis, I'm the organised one. I do the majority of the planning for the day to day running of the base, the military part at least. The rest, we do together. Unless I'm in the infirmary, then Sheppard has to do everything, but I always catch up with what he's planned as soon as I'm realised. So no, I'm not ready, because, suddenly Sheppard seems to be deliberately keeping me off balance, by changing the rules that we've played by for four years without telling me what the new ones are.
I trudge after him. Sheppard's bouncing around like Abbi did that first Christmas I met her, after I accidentally fed her too much sugar. Rounding a final corner in the path, I can see stables laid out in front of me. I stop and stare at them. Sheppard turns around, he must have heard me stop, his eyes questioning me. I grit my teeth a walk over to him. When I'm beside him, he puts a hand on my back, and then keeps walking. The message is clear, I'm not getting out of this, whatever this is. We finally leave the path and walk over to the corral.
When we get there, a man walks out of the stables, leading... No, no, no, no, no, no. There is no fucking chance in hell, that I'm doing that. Sheppard's inside the corral now, and gestures for me to join him. I cross my arms and glare at him. He just grins.
"I'm not doing this, Sir."
"It's John, and yes you are."
"There is no fucking way, John, that I am doing that."