CHAPTER 5 – NO PHOTOGRAPHS ALLOWED

"So how do you stand it? Look but not touch..."

She stood out on the east pier, back to the water and face turned to looked at the majestic view that rose tall and beautiful in front of her. Atlantis. From it's tallest spire all the way down to the east pier where they now stood. Nicole could not get enough of the vista, and held out her arms to encompass the view that held her so mesmerised.

John's eyes were on the woman who stood before him, not on the view. "Look but not touch? I'm kinda getting that about now..."

It took a couple of seconds for his comment to sink in and she looked at him sharply. "Colonel Sheppard? Are you attempting to flirt with me?"

"Attempting... ouch... that kinda hurt..."

"I'm glad it did, that was the intention. Here I am – arrived somehow? From earth to here, neither of us have any idea. I'm standing in an alien city, beneath a sky that is more than a hundred light years from where I woke up two days ago, and you attempt to flirt with me? Forgive me if it seems a little trite from where I'm standing..."

John huffed a breath, then laughed. "Yeah, well... put like that ..."

"My hands itch to hold a camera and take just a tiny snapshot of this beauty. Can you imagine what that feels like?" Her voice held wonder.

"Oh yeah... I can most certainly imagine... what that feels like."

Again that sharp glance was slanted his way, this time he was prepared for it and widened his eyes innocently at her.

"Where are my cameras, Colonel Sheppard? Please... this is torture."

"No cameras Nicole, I explained that to you. And as to torture... well, join the damn club." He said this last a little huffily and she couldn't resist a small laugh. He really was rather cute – once she got past the fact that she was more or less being held here against her will, although taking in this stunning view, even that did not seem such a hardship. Perhaps she could take up painting and capture the picture in her mind, before going home and recreating it in oils or watercolours. Her fingers itched to play with a shutter and set up a tripod, and it was a somewhat sulky face she turned on the Colonel.

He had taken her through the city and given her the abbreviated foot tour before culminating out here on the east pier. It was one of his favourite places. He came out here to run, to be alone, to think – sometimes just to be... A small part of him was glad that she had felt the same way when she had first stepped out onto it. He thought briefly, then touched her hand to get her attention.

"Fancy a trip into space...?"

He watched the excitement bloom on her face and those chocolate brown eyes took on the consistency of warm treacle and he found himself staring into them a little longer than was possibly deemed polite.

"Are you kidding? You can go up there?" She pointed a finger upward and his own hand reached out to curl a stand of hair behind her ears, watching as her eyes sharpened just a little at the action. He pulled his hand away quickly, not even sure what had driven him to do it and smiled.

"A little ship we call a jumper... flies up and into space... way into space. I can take you for a little spin, if you're up to it?"

"I won't get air sick... or space sick?"

"Inertial dampeners, we don't feel the G's even when we're pulling them... let's go." It was natural to reach down and take her hand, and she didn't protest, barely flicked her eyes to their joined hands. Excitement radiated from her and he thought of the different woman who had come through the gate not several hours earlier. Angry, like a tiny warrior – compared to this warm, exciteable childlike version. And wasn't sure which one he preferred.

He explained to her how the jumper worked with a mind interface and also explained that all Lantien systems required the ATA or ancient gene in order to activate them. She was a captive audience and knew that it was her natural curiousity as well as her reporter instincts that made her hang onto every word that he said. She watched carefully what he did when they stepped into the jumper and asked him to remove his hands, placing her own there. He watched in fascination as the jumper immediately reacted to her and acknowledged that she carried the ancient gene and stored that information away. Definitely information that he'd be passing on to Sam when he got back. Subsconsciously he began filing away pertinent information about her and it was in the process of doing just that he began to wonder if perhaps it was how she had managed to use the energy in the Bermuda Triangle to get from one galaxy to another.

"So – can I fly?" Her eyes were alight now and he took a moment to just stare at her, before shaking his head.

"That would be a no! A very definite no..."

"Afraid I'd show you up, Colonel?"

"I've flown every aircraft known to mankind, and many not known. So, that would also be a no!"

"Spoilsport... can I at least steer?"

"Doesn't work like that Nicole. I control this with my mind. Do you see any steering wheel or accelerator? Hmmm? So, do you want to take a quick trip into space or sit down here in the jumper bay arguing about who has the biggest balls...?"

She quirked her eyebrow at him, unsure how to take his humour.

"Well seeing as I don't have any, that would be you..."

"Hhmphhh... not so sure about that!" He opened the jumper bay doors and gently brought the craft up so that it rose gracefully toward the roof and out the top. He deliberately punched it, so that the craft accelerated fast and took them up into space where she gasped with something a little more than awe.

"Oh Colonel... words and pictures.. they are my life, my reason to be... but this? I can't find the words, and I don't need the pictures... I'll carry them here..." she touched her heart and her head. "...forever... thank you. Even if I go home tomorrow, I'll never forget this – ever."

He made a decision and lifted his hands from the controls, watching as her eyes widened.

"Fly her, Nicole."

She squeaked and lifted her hands, unsure where to put them.

"Come here. Sit in this seat." He got up and allowed her to sit down, coming in behind her and placing her hands onto the controls, and placing his own hands on top of hers. He felt the shaking and knew that she was nervous, but keeping his hands soft on hers, he leaned down and spoke softly into her ear.

"Simply think about what you want the jumper to do. She's a finely tuned woman – treat her with disrespect and she'll give you the proverbial finger. Treat her softly and well, and you'll be friends for life. Just think..."

And she did just that, laughing as his hands stayed firm on hers and the jumper went into a tight spin that had John gasping a little for breath, then laughing himself.

"Ok, so that was just showing off..."

"Yep... sure was. Oh, this is incredible, beyond anything I could have imagined. I have spent my life Colonel, looking for the perfect picture, that perfect moment in time to capture. And out here, like this? I think perhaps I have found it. How can I go back to earth after experiencing this? Tell me that..."

"Not my decision Nicole... the powers that be pretty much hold your future in their hands. But you have the gene... that's pretty good currency out here... You really wanna stay? You've only been here a few hours, and this? This is the beautiful and the best... there's that, and more. Lots of crap out here, different crap than you find on earth. An alien race that sucks the life out of humans... the worst sort of enemy that you could possibly imagine. It's a hard life out here – different rules than what you are used to on earth. And the decision? It'll be made based on what you can bring to the programme."

Her eyes were focused out the front viewing window, wide and excited and he knew they were taking in everything right down to the most minute detail. She dragged her eyes away to look over her shoulder at him, his face close to hers and saw the warm look in his eyes. "Maybe they'll decide to document it, for posterity.. one day it will be released to the public. They won't be able to keep it a secret forever."

"Maybe Nicole... maybe. Let's go back. Let me fly her in...I've got a reputation to maintain." He removed his hands so that she could move back to her own chair, and felt a little bereft at the loss of contact.

"Hot damn Colonel Sheppard... I just flew a space ship."

"That you did..." And couldn't help laughing at the wide grin that had appeared on her face. The same smile that he himself had had the first time he flew this very same ship.