Four months ago.
Laura hurried after him, having no choice as she was held in a vice like grip. "Dr Jackson! Daniel!" She pulled against his hold. "Jackson!"
He stopped and looked at her, huffing quietly. "What?"
She rolled her eyes. "Can you please explain to me what is happening? And perhaps loosen the grip?" She waved the wrist that was still held by his hand at him.
"No time"
"Uh.." She was yanked from her position. "For fuck's sake"
"Keep up Laura. Jack's leaving in ten minutes"
"The General hasn't been on time since his promotion" Upon becoming CO of the mountain base O'Neill seemed to have decided that most meetings weren't worth turning up for, and if people really wanted to see him that badly they'd come find him, or wait the obligatory half an hour before he deigned to show up.
"Insubordinate"
"Hey, you're the one being rude here" Dr Jackson suddenly stopped outside a door and she let out a small 'oof' sound as she collided with his back. "Jesus" She muttered. Without bothering to knock he pushed open the door and shoved her inside.
The General turned round from his coffee pot and raised his brows. "Uh, Lieutenant Cadman?'
"I'm sorry Sir but.."
"Jack.." O'Neill rolled his eyes, Dr Jackson didn't seem to notice as he strode in. "..before you go you need to put her on the Navi training list"
They both stared at him. "Uh.."
"She's got the gene Jack" He pointed at her, Laura decided to not be offended. He was a genius, and she'd come to the conclusion they were all a little nuts. "AND she just activated the Viper console I'm studying without even thinking about it. Just leant on it" He pointed again. "Leant on it!"
O'Neill shot Laura a look, she shrugged and then wondered if she should have saluted instead. He sighed. "Daniel.."
"You're away for two weeks Jack. She'll miss the next run if you faff about"
"Faff about?"
Laura tried not to grin.
"Yes, like you usually do" Jackson waved a hand. "Oh, just put it on my desk, yes, yes, I'll get on it straight away…in a hundred years if you're lucky"
She couldn't stop the small snort. Laura cleared her throat. "Sorry Sir"
The General pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have left you on PX9-385"
"384 Jack. And I've saved you a lot since then" Jackson folded his arms across his chest. "Now, I want to see you do it"
"Excuse me?"
"Add her to the list Jack" Daniel rolled his eyes. "Before you miss your flight and we all die of old age"
O'Neill narrowed his gaze at his friend then turned to Laura. "You want to fly Lieutenant?"
"Um, I don't know?" Laura offered.
"Do you want to go to Atlantis, get paired up with some crazy arse Pilot and get shot at for a living?"
"I already get shot at for a living Sir"
"Good point" He raised his brows. "Well?"
"Um" She furrowed her own brow. She'd heard the stories about the city, seen it in the digital reports, it was very beautiful. And from what she could gather they needed all the men they could get out there. She wasn't sure about the flying part but then Laura had never let a little doubt stop her before, probably why she was the youngest ever officer to be second in command of a gate team. Plus she'd also just ended a rather messy and very illicit affair with her team leader so perhaps it was time to move on. "Um, sure. Why not…Sir?"
Present Day.
Laura was sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, the papers from her briefing pack spread around her. She sifted through them looking for the one that detailed something that had her curious, had done since the moment she had joined the programme. It surprised her that there was only one A4 piece of paper dedicated to it plus one large computer print out of some schematics. She picked it up and studied it again, letting out a low whistle. "This thing was huge"
"Pardon?"
She looked up to see her Pilot frowning slightly at her. Laura waved the drawing at him. "The hybrid, it must have been nearly the size of the city"
"Oh" He dropped the file he had been holding back onto the desk. "Yes, yes it was. One of the theories was that it was almost like a city itself, held thousands of Krill"
"But it only took three Vipers to take it out?"
Steven raised a brow. "Apparently. One of our hits must have got past, connected with something vital. It seemed to explode from the inside out"
"Oh" She frowned at the picture again. The basic shape was similar to that of a Viper's, like an arrow-head but this was chunkier, lumpier, with the back-end squared off. Six long metallic arms protruded from the back and there were another two half way up the hull. These seemed to house the main firing mechanisms of the Krill weapons but also detached in an emergency, impaling enemy ships if they ran out of ammunition or the trigger jammed. It must have been a portion of one of these arms that had killed Anna's old Pilot. One of the only weaknesses of the Krill were their shielding but this looked a lot superior, it must have been one hell of a lucky hit.
"Laura?" Her Pilot was still watching her.
"Um, I was just thinking. I mean, the shielding on this thing. It was better?"
He nodded. "Yes, our usual tactics had no effect. If we hadn't been trying to collect data we would have gotten out of there a lot sooner"
"Shouldn't the mission have been aborted?"
"It was important Laura. And we were still holding out"
She nodded, chewing on her lip. "A big risk for intel though"
"Navi.."
"With only one squadron"
"Cadman.."
"And a big loss for the sake of it"
"That's enough Laura, you're close to crossing a line"
She looked at him. Steven's arms were crossed over his chest and his jaw was twitching. "Um, right. Of course. Sorry" She dipped her head back to her paperwork. Sometimes she forgot her Pilot had lost a good friend that day as well as a CO, and how much a part of that day he really was. He never spoke about it, she'd never heard him and Anna speak about it, or Chuck. She stared at the words in front of her, not really seeing them. "I..sometimes | forget. Sorry. It hurts to lose people"
"Yes it does" There was a quiet sigh and she felt the bed shift, looking up to see him perched on the edge. "And sometimes we forget that people want to know, are scared about it happening again"
Laura frowned. "But it hasn't?"
"Nothing like this has been seen since" He took it from her hands and stared at it. "An anomaly, a throwback..who knows. It was just coincidence we ran into it"
"But..you were sent to retrieve intel, from this ship?"
"Any ship, the Krill share information, operate as one being almost. This was the first one who's signal we picked up" He snorted quietly. "And we thought it was good luck when we caught one only ten hours into our flight"
"Oh" Laura chewed on her lip thoughtfully. Sometimes you could fly for three days straight and not even encounter a speck of space dust. "It must have been close to the city"
Her Pilot nodded and dropped the drawing. "Yes, that's what had the whole base up in arms, thinking an attack was around the corner. But it seemed we stopped the only ship to have ever gotten that near to Atlantis" She nodded silently again, now unsure as to what to say. Steven smiled sadly at her, placing the drawing back onto the bed. "I'm sorry I snapped honey, I guess that day..it's still a little raw. Shouldn't be but it is. The consequences travelled a long way down the line"
"Your squad?"
"Marshall's squad. And yes" Her Pilot propped his elbows on his knees, fingers clasping together. "Marshall believed the bonds between squadron members were as important as those between Pilots and Navi's. We're old school you see? Flew here before there were tests and matches and bonding. Don't matter how well you and your Navi work together, if you're let down by the person who's watching your six you're just as screwed. He built that squad with movie nights and group dinners, sparring matches, poker nights…"
"Like you do?" Laura tilted her had.
"I learnt a lot from him. He was the best"
"You must be pretty good"
Her Pilot's lips twitched. "I had good teachers, and of course I was always an awesome Pilot"
"Of course"
"But the only problem with Marshall's theory is when you lose a link in the chain, a crucial brick in the wall…the rest can crumble, break apart" Laura watched him. For the first time since they'd met Steven actually looked tired, and sad. "Apart from visiting Anna I kept myself locked away from the rest of the squad. Comforted my Navi, and took a lot of comfort from her. Never forget we need you as much as you supposedly need us" He released his own hands, reaching one out to tuck some hair behind her ear. "But I shouldn't have done. It was my job to step in, watch over them. Maybe if I'd done that, maybe the squad could have been repaired, gone back into the sky together"
She grabbed his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. "You were hurting"
"Everyone was" He smiled sadly again then returned kiss but this time to her lips before standing. "You want coffee honey?"
"Umhmm, yes please" Laura stretched out her legs, flexing her toes. "What did happen to the rest of the squad? I know Anna went to the front line"
She saw him nod as he kept his back to her, pouring water into the coffee machine. "That's right, she wasn't sure if she would be able to fly again. Could be dangerous. When they started recruiting Chuck made the decision to join a gate team, I went back to Earth for a while"
"And Chuck's Pilot, your Navi?"
"Chuck's Pilot retired, he only had a couple more years left anyway and he struggled to get over Marshall's death. My Navi went back into the testing pool for a new Pilot"
"You didn't miss her? She wasn't upset you left?" He turned and raised a brow, two mugs clasped in his hands. Laura winced. "Uh, sorry. Too nosy?"
Her Pilot rolled his eyes. "Maybe. But yes, I did miss her desperately, and she was upset. But we talked about it, she knew the reasons. Agreed it was important"
"Do I get to know the reason?"
"No" He stretched out next to her and handed over a mug.
"Will you leave me?"
"I'll try not to"
"But it has to end sometime right?" Laura snuggled into his side, smiling into her mug as his arm curled round her shoulder, fingers running through her hair.
"Everything does Navi, eventually"
"That'll suck"
A kiss was pressed to her hair. "Yeah, it really will"
She took a sip of her coffee enjoying the warmth of her Pilot against her, the quiet calm he seemed to radiate. She wasn't quite sure why they'd been matched but maybe it was this, she'd always had a lot of energy, and a terrible attention span, but with Steven she could truly relax, was aware of her thoughts actually slowing, falling into order. Laura licked her lips. "Um, can I ask you something?"
"Of course" She felt him shift slightly as he drank form his own mug.
She stared into her drink. "Why did you leave? And why come back? Did you miss the creepy aliens shooting at you?"
Her Pilot snorted quietly. "It can be a little addictive, flying into battle..but no" He sighed. "I can't tell you why I left, I already said. It was confidential work, important. As to coming back..I'd thought about it but the idea I would be going back for some kind of revenge, retribution, put me off. Its dangerous to go into combat like that and I could do more harm than good. However then Jack got in touch, said Anna and Chuck were both back on the Navi list this run, it would be highly probable I would be matched with Anna or be placed on the same squadron as both of them. We were a good team, and he thought it may give Anna some help to see a few familiar faces"
"Oh" She chewed her lip. "Do you wish you had been matched with Anna?"
His fingers curled tighter into her arm. "No Laura, and don't ever think that. Marshall and I were pretty similar and the thought had crossed my mind but it also worried me"
She pulled from his hold and sat forward, turning so she could see him, crossing her legs again. "Why?"
Steven raised his brow again but smiled with it. "Because we have a lot of history. She was my best friend's Navi, and I'm pretty sure they loved each other, or got very close to it. That would be very difficult for me to step into, we could have pulled each other down again. But despite appearances I think Anna is very different from the girl who I first met. Her years spent flying, Marshall's death, her own injuries, they all altered whatever path she was on"
Laura nodded. "You could say that about anyone who has seen battle, lost people"
"Of course. But you asked about Anna" He smiled again. "It did change all of us. And it maybe revealed things that would have remained hidden if it had not happened"
"That sounds ominous"
"Not all of it"
Laura watched her Pilot calmly sip his drink, thinking on yesterday's events. "Is it the reason Chuck and Lorne are having problems?"
Her Pilot raised his eyes, a brief flicker of surprise crossing his face before it was pulled away. "Any problems are between Pilot and Navi Laura, unless they begin to affect their squad"
"I know. I spoke to Chuck yesterday"
"Huh" Steven eyed her. "He brought it up?"
"Um" She dropped her gaze. "I walked in on the rest of them, they had met up after breakfast"
"You weren't already with them? Are they cutting you out honey?" Her Pilot sat forward.
Laura looked back up and shook her head. "Oh, no. They're great. I..I had forgotten my radio, they couldn't find me"
Steven sighed. "Laura.."
"I know. I'm sorry. Still getting used to it"
"If theres an emergency Navi.."
"I know. I won't forget again I promise"
"Make sure you don't" Steven sat back. "And maybe, but that is for them to work out. At least until we get to our first run. You find any lingering doubts are usually removed during the final pairing process"
She nodded again. "And they weren't at dinner last night"
"A good sign, I agree"
"Unless Chuck has killed Lorne and buried him under the pier"
Her Pilot grinned at her. "Let's hope not sweetheart"
Chuck took the offered coffee and eyed the two manilla envelopes that had been delivered to his Pilot's room. "Ok, so my first question is how did they know I was here? It's a little creepy. And secondly why is yours so much bigger than mine?" His Pilot grinned and sat next to him on the floor, placing his mug on the table and reaching for his own briefing pack. Chuck rolled his eyes. "If we're not having sex yet you can't have wrong thoughts, or use innuendos"
"It was your innuendo baby"
"Not on purpose. And stop calling me baby"
"No" The Major pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You're cute when you're mad"
"I am not cute!"
"Uh huh"
"No, and I'm not mad"
"Well, sulking then" Chuck stuck his tongue out and got an eye roll in return. "Stop being a child and do your homework"
"I think I prefer you all broody and stoic"
"No you don't" His Pilot began to pull out wads of paper. "And mine's bigger because I'm in charge"
"Yeah right" Chuck practically inhaled half his coffee then grabbed his own envelope. "Hate this part, it's the same shit every run"
"Chuck, that's enough" A warm hand slid round the back of his neck. "And this one will have some new information in it" There was a brief squeeze.
He frowned then paused in his movements. "Oh"
"Want me to take it out?"
"No, no" He sighed. "I'll need to refresh my memory anyway"
"I'm sorry baby"
He shrugged. "It's ok. Was a long time ago"
"A year isn't that long ago" The envelope was removed from his hands and his Pilot spread a piece of paper out in front of them both on the table. "Can you tell me what you remember?"
Chuck eyed the schematic print out that the techs had pulled from the two Viper's, Marshall's one had been so badly damaged that they'd barely got any data from it. He moved to his knees so he could get a better view, finger reaching out to trace the outline of the ship. His vision narrowed, the craft seeming to lift off the page, spin slowly in a sudden darkening room. The drone of the Viper engines started to hum comfortingly in the background. "When we picked up it's signal we couldn't believe our luck, we had been scheduled for a four day flight and here was what we were looking for ten hours in" He licked his lips, seeing images he'd been trying to forget for the past year. "As soon as we had a visual we knew it was different, the thing was massive, my Viper felt like a fly buzzing round it. Marshall and Anna began the data raid, we were charged with recording as much as we could about the craft, and playing the distraction game"
"All of our radios were linked in as was standard procedure in a potentially dangerous situation. They usually remained silent until an emergency as you communicate through the connection to your Viper. It was starting to get a little hairy, our hits weren't getting through, our usual tactics not working. Then Anna's voice came over the comm, I'm not sure she was even aware she was doing it. She was telling Marshall they had to get out, practically begging him. Then he was counting down the data download, reassuring her, then….one of these.." He softly caressed the large arms protruding from the ship. "..it detached suddenly, it hadn't been firing for a while and I think they had a problem with their firing mechanism. It's a built in fail safe for their weaponry. It split apart and..part of it pierced the windscreen"
"The windows are like one foot square so it was the unluckiest hit ever" He smiled sadly. "Or luckiest if you're looking at it from the Krill's point of view I guess" Warm circles began to be rubbed across his back. He swallowed. "I often wondered if Anna could sense it you know? Maybe without really knowing herself, I mean we've all had that feeling, that uneasiness but not known why. Maybe hers is more accurate because of her empathic side"
"Maybe" His Pilot continued rubbing his back, pressed a light kiss to his neck. "Ok?"
Chuck nodded. "Viper One was silent, Steven was trying to raise them over the comm, it must have only been five seconds or so but.." He felt the goosebumps rising on his skin, remembering sitting frozen in his Viper, waiting, waiting for confirmation his friends were alive. "It was like forever. Then.." He trailed off, he wasn't sure about sharing this. Even with his Pilot.
"Then what baby?"
"I.." He shivered, that sound, it still haunted his dreams.
"Chuck?" Evan cupped his chin, turning his eyes away from the memory, bringing him back to light, and warmth. "What happened next?"
"I..Anna, she…" He looked down at his shaking hands, and he couldn't believe this still affected him so much. "She started screaming" His voice was a mere whisper now. "It didn't sound human. It was so…angry, so full of pain. I've never…not with all the hell holes I've been to, all the battles I've fought ever heard something like that. That's when I knew Marshall was gone" He blinked back the threatening tears.
A thumb stroked over his cheek. "And then you took out the hybrid?"
"I don't know. It all got really confusing, we were still firing at the ship, still trying to communicate with Anna. Then she stopped screaming, or our connection was cut. We don't know, but it went silent and we couldn't get back through to them. Then the hybrid started to explode, seemed like it was being ripped apart from the middle. One of our hits must have snuck past their shielding. The blast radius was ridiculous, we had to retreat, as much as I hated it. Viper One was still not responding, there was nothing we could do to get it out of there"
"She sat through the blast?"
"Must have done" He took a shaky breath. "I just left my friend, floating there…"
"You had no choice Chuck. Any Pilot would order the same"
"Sometimes it's not about orders"
"I know" Evan's hand kneaded into his shoulder, strong, slow movements
Chuck nodded and took a breath. "Anna docked nearly two hours after we did. We thought we'd lost both of them, when Landry came to tell us she was home, alive..I've never been so fucking grateful"
"You didn't return to the blast zone?"
"Yes" He nodded then frowned. "She wasn't there"
"What?"
He felt little goosebumps raise on his skin, both with the memory of searching the wreckage for any trace of a Viper and finding nothing, and with the sudden feeling of being closer to realising something that perhaps he didn't want to know. "Anna, the Viper, it wasn't there. We thought it had been vaporised, but..then she shows up two hours after we did. Where the hell was she?"
"You didn't think about this before?"
He shook his head. "No, shit. I mean there was the relief she was back, Marshall's funeral, Anna's recovery, my Pilot…"
"Then your friend left and you blocked out everything you could"
"I just didn't want to think about it. None of us did" He reached for his coffee, moving to sit cross legged on the floor. "It took our leader, our friend, destroyed Anna and ripped apart our squadron"
"You think she's still destroyed baby?" Evan was looking at him curiously.
Chuck frowned at his Pilot. "Do you?"
"You knew her before"
"No" He shook his head. "Maybe still a little cracked.." He grinned at the other man. "..but not broken anymore. Your friend is helping too"
"Mitchell?"
"Yeah" Chuck took a sip of coffee. "And Rodney, Teyla…I'm not worried about Anna"
"You don't count yourself amongst those people?"
"Maybe once"
"And now?"
"Now I think I need as much therapy as she does"
Evan snorted. "We'll get there baby, and I'm right there with you remember?"
"Yeah, you crazy Pilot you"
Anna stood in front of the door, resisting the urge to twist her fingers round each other. It had been a hard habit to break, a nervous little twitch, a tell that she couldn't afford to display when talking to certain people or having certain conversations. Of course sometimes she did it deliberately, it also gave her a nice vulnerable look that came in handy in certain situations. Marshall had been proud when he'd realised she'd finally managed to conquer it.
The door slid open and she smiled. "Teyla, thank you for seeing me"
An elegant brow was raised. "It is never a problem, and thank you for remembering to thank me"
Anna rolled her eyes and slipped past the Athosian. "Cameron says I need to work on my manners"
"And Cameron is right"
She turned and scowled at her friend. "Hey, I have manners"
"Somewhere" Teyla smiled serenely at her. "Tea Anna?"
"Um yes..please" She peered around the room, Teyla's quarters always seemed warmer than the other parts of the city and she had always felt welcome here, and safe. "No Ro?"
"He is training with the new marines"
"Ah, poor marines" Anna turned and grinned at the other woman who remained steadfastly straight faced. She rolled her eyes again. "So, um, you sure this is ok?"
Teyla's brow furrowed a little as she gestured to the cushions laid out on her floor. The Athosian had refused all offers of couches or chairs. "Of course, you are worried?"
She sighed, moving to curl onto one opposite Teyla. "I just..I guess I was hoping you might say no or something"
"Why?"
"Because I know I need to do it, I just don't actually want to do it"
Another brow raise. "A confusing situation indeed" Teyla took a sip of tea. "And what do you hope to achieve through today?"
"Can't you just show me what to do?"
"You know it doesn't work like that Anna"
"Right" She stared into her drink. "Yeah, I know" Anna jumped as a warm hand rested over her arm.
"I was there, and now I am here. It is ok, you can trust me"
Anna nodded, chewing her lip. "I know" She raised her head. "Did I ever thank you for helping me to not be a crazy person?" Teyla's lips twitched. "Well, not an one hundred percent crazy person anyway"
"You did, and my reward is to see you so well, and for the most part happy" The hand squeezed briefly and was then taken away. "But the road to recovery is a long one, some say it is not something you can ever completely achieve, but we shall get you as close as we can yes?"
She nodded again. "Ok"
"So, our purpose today?"
Anna swallowed. "The pairing is soon" She took a sip of tea, the other woman waiting in silence for Anna to just spit it out. "I lied" She whispered.
"Sometimes lies are necessary"
She raised her gaze, looking into the kindest and deepest brown eyes she'd ever known on anyone. Anna closed her own against them. Teyla could also be a harsh judge when she put her mind to it. "I told everyone I couldn't remember anything from when Marshall was killed. I lied" She licked her lips. "I got into the Hybrids systems with my mind, tore it apart piece by piece…I could even hear the Krill screaming. I was so angry and it felt so good, it made me..happy"
"Anna.."
"I'm a monster" Her hands began to shake and she placed her mug on the floor.
"You are not a monster, merely a highly skilled Empath"
"That is not what being Empathic is about Tey" She met the other woman's eyes again. "You know that"
Teyla nodded. "You should have told me at least. We could have explored this, worked on your ability"
"I don't want to work on it!"
Teyla frowned. "Anna.."
"I just want to be able to block the memory"
"Perhaps you should consider letting it be seen?"
"No" Anna glared at her. "Do you know what the techs will do to me if they find out? And no friendship with Jack or Hank will save me from that, hell they'll probably never speak to me again if they find out"
"You underestimate your friends" Teyla placed her own mug on the floor between them. "However, you must have kept it hidden to have passed the matching process?"
She took a breath. "Yes, but with Cameron…"
"He is breaking down your walls"
Anna nodded. "He means well, and confronting my grief has helped, he was right. But this is something he shouldn't see, no one should"
"He cares a great deal for you"
"He has known me for less than a fortnight"
"In this case I do not think it matters" Teyla stood gracefully, taking both of their mugs. "I will help you to strengthen your walls but I ask you to seriously consider it first"
Anna watched as she poured more tea from the pot. "I have already considered"
She swore the other woman's shoulders actually slumped a fraction. "You are sure?"
"Yes"
"Perhaps this was not a wise lie" Teyla turned from her task.
Anna narrowed her gaze. "Perhaps I should go"
"Do not be childish"
"I'm not!" Anna glared at the expression on her old friends face. "And I am not the only one who's been lying, isn't that right Teyla?"
The mugs were placed gently back on the drinks station. "Excuse me?"
She didn't think she'd ever seen Teyla anything other than calm but there was a definite drop in temperature in the room. Anna ploughed on anyway. "Chuck was my best friend and not one of you told me. Not one!"
"I do not understand"
"Yes you do" She hissed, the old feelings of betrayal rising up from where they had been forced down, shut away. "Beaten and bullied by his own Goddamn Pilot. The one person who was supposed to be there for him"
"Anna.."
"He even looked me in the eye and told me there was nothing wrong" She could feel the permanent flaming ball in her chest get a little bigger, burn a little brighter.
"He was trying to protect you"
"Then he should work on his own blocks" Anna sneered.
"It was a difficult time"
"But now isn't, how long have I been back hmm? And still..nothing. Even when he came to me about the problem with Evan" Anna could feel the tears pricking at her eyes, it had been bad enough when he'd lied to her all those months ago but she'd told herself that was because his Pilot was nearby, he was too afraid. But since she'd been back Anna had kept expecting him to come to her, explain and with every moment he didn't it hurt just a little more. She willed herself down, losing it here in front of the only Empath who could read her as easily as a bedtime story was not a good idea. Anna focused on the sadness rather than the rage.
"When did you find out?" Teyla had retrieved the drinks and was moving back towards her seat.
"When we said goodbye" Anna sniffed pathetically. "I'd picked up on something earlier but wasn't too sure, I was still a little all over the place but when he hugged me..he was in so much pain. It was all I could do to not burst into tears right there. When I said my goodbye's to Steven I gave him a little nudge, encouraged some suspicions"
A brow rose. "But not verbally?"
Anna shook her head.
"You influenced his actions?"
"Yes"
"Your ability is growing, changing"
"You are still stronger, I'm not a threat" Anna eyed her.
"That is not what I am suggesting Anna. But these things, they must be nurtured, guided. Remember what it was like before your Navi training helped with your Empath side? People fighting, becoming depressed, or um.." Teyla smiled a little at her.
Anna begrudgingly smiled back. The consequences of her little liaison with a young Lieutenant in her lab had made Jack's face go a really interesting shade of red. "Are you saying I could be that unpredictable again?"
"You are skilled, and have excellent control. Even more so since Marshall's death. But once back in the sky, the pressures, if anything happens to a member of your squadron..Cameron.."
She pressed the heel of her palms into her eyes. "I just want to be normal"
"You are normal" She shot a suspicious look over her hands at Teyla who smiled back. "For you"
"Gee, thanks for the wisdom"
"You are very welcome"
The Athosian offered her the refilled mug which Anna took, nodding her thanks. She took a long, slow breath. "I'm sorry Tey"
"It is ok. You are worried at the moment, and there is much that maybe needs to be out rather than in yes?"
"Um, yes?" Sometimes she had no idea what the woman was banging on about.
Teyla rolled her eyes, a rare gesture of her frustration. "Things must be talked about, between the people they concern. You can not fly with so much under the surface"
"You mean I have to talk to Chuck?"
She nodded. "And Steven, and Cameron"
"Tey.."
"I will not speak of your worries or fears but you have chosen to entrust him with more than you have anyone else, does this not tell you something?"
"That he's incredibly nosey and annoyingly persistent?" She was shot a reprimanding look. Anna sighed. "Right, ok. I'll think about it. But even if I tell Cameron I will still need to hide this from the techs, I won't be turned into a bloody experiment"
"With this, at least, I agree" Teyla opened the small box she had brought along with the mugs of tea, the small sweet traditional Athosian biscuits sat neatly in stacks. "Please…"
"Wow, even after I was bitchy Anna?"
"Yes, perhaps your sugar is low"
"Very funny. Thank you" Anna snagged one and took a small bite. "God, I love these"
"Do not speak with your mouth full" Teyla smirked into her glare. "Now, is the destruction of the Hybrid the only thing we are concealing?"
Anna nodded.
"Your Father?"
She swallowed her mouthful, careful not to choke. "He's been well-hidden for years. No bugger is getting past those walls"
"I see" Teyla delicately removed a treat from the box. "What about after the Hybrid was destroyed?"
"Now that I really don't remember"
"You are sure?"
"Yeah" Anna grabbed a second biscuit thoughtfully. "I have always wondered though. I mean, no one has ever said anything but I had to be somewhere right? And I swear it took me like three hours longer than usual to get back if my logs were correct. Weren't they curious as to where I had got to?"
"Perhaps they have not noticed. Your return brought a lot of chaos, and joy. Details can be overlooked"
"I guess"
"Your flight path was not recorded?"
Anna shook her head as she finished her food.
"A mystery indeed. Would you like to try…?"
"Uh uh" Anna swallowed. "No way. I'm quite happy not having a clue thank you very much"
"Maybe best for now" Murmured Teyla. "However I would suggest that we explore your ability to influence other's actions, this could…"
Anna shook her head violently. "No, no thank you. It was a one-time thing. I don't want to do it again, it felt weird, and I'm not even sure I could do it again. I mean, I was mixed up and upset about Chuck, maybe it was a one-off, a weird result of specific events coming together"
"That sounded almost coherent"
"You're mean today"
"And you are difficult, and quick tempered" Teyla closed the box, cutting off the delicious sweet smell. "But if this is what you believe to be best?"
Anna nodded. "I do"
"As you wish. Now finish your tea and then we shall begin"
John placed his hands on the desk either side of his Navi's laptop and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. "I'm heading down to the gym to meet Mitch baby. You ok?"
"Umhmm" Rodney's fingers flew over the keyboard.
"Will you miss me?"
"Uh huh"
He rolled his eyes and spun the chair, his Navi glowered up at him. "Hey"
"Whatcha doing?"
"Death glaring my annoying Pilot" John grinned at him and pressed another kiss to his lips. Rodney cursed and pulled back. "And yet he remains alive, and annoying"
"Did you hear what I just said?"
"You're going to meet another annoying Pilot"
"Baby, be nice"
"And yes I will miss you, kind of"
John frowned. "And?"
"And I'm loading the Hybrid schematics onto my computer so I can play around with them a bit"
He raised a brow. "Why?"
"Because knowing my luck it'll be us that will run into the first one to be seen in over a year, and I want to know how to blow it up"
"That's it?"
"Umhmm"
John eyed him suspiciously. "Ok baby, I'm giving you that one"
"I feel so honoured"
Moving away John went to grab his gym bag. "Make sure you remember lunch Rodney"
"I am not a child"
"Then stop forgetting meals"
"I'm a genius, we're allowed to forget stuff"
"Not vital nutritional intake baby, not when you train so much, and are sharing a bed with me" John turned and waggled his brows, he got an eye roll in response.
"Go away now"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be back in an hour, have the shower running" He smirked as his Navi flipped him off before going back to his work and headed for the door. "Be naked!"
"Bite me!"
"Will do!"
As the door slid shut behind him he turned left down the deserted corridor, with the pairing date looming closer and closer their floor was growing increasingly quieter, Navi's and Pilot's were taking time out together. Squadrons were trying to build relationship's, fine tune their already matched compatibility. He supposed he should be thankful that apart from Laura all of Squadron One had worked with at least one other member for a considerable amount of time in the past. They certainly seemed to fit nicely with each other, bar the odd disagreement. Even Lorne and Chuck appeared to be finally flourishing.
He rounded the corner and stopped as Anna stepped from the transporter, she was moving slowly, looked tired and drained. John frowned. "Anna?" She looked up at him then blinked before seeming to focus on him.
"Oh, Colonel" She smiled wearily. "Thought you were training with Cameron?"
"On my way" He peered closer. "Babe, you alright?"
"Umhmm" She nodded. "Just a little meditation with Teyla, it helps my Empath side but it makes me sleepy"
"You want me to call off the session?"
"What?" She frowned. "Why?"
"You want Mitchell sweetheart?"
Anna wrinkled her nose. "No, I want to sleep. And he's handsy"
John snorted. "I have no doubt. As long as you're sure?"
"Uh huh. It's ok, he knows. I pre-warned him it was today"
"Ok Anna, you want me to keep him busy?"
"I will love you forever"
John grinned at her. "I'll see what I can do. And you at dinner"
"It's a date" Anna gave a half-hearted grin back then waved a hand. "Night"
"Night" He turned to watch her meander lazily down the hallway before disappearing round the corner, half tempted to go after her and make sure she actually made it to her quarter's. He wasn't sure Mitch would be too impressed to find her asleep propped against a wall somewhere. He stood indecisive for a minute then shook his head and moved to the transporter. She obviously did this on a regular basis, and he had yet to find her passed out anywhere, and he was sure Teyla wouldn't have let her leave if anything was wrong.
Five minutes later he jogged into the gym.
"Thought you'd chickened out Shep"
He flipped off his grinning friend. "For your information your Navi delayed me"
Mitchell raised a brow. "Is that so?"
John rolled his eyes and dropped his bag. "Met her coming back from her meditation thing"
"Oh, right yeah" His friend checked the balance of the sticks in his hands. "How'd she seem?"
"Ok, tired but as hilarious as always" John pulled his hoody over his head. "She do this a lot?"
"Once a week apparently"
"Well, I think once a week you're not gonna be welcome in her bed"
Mitchell frowned. "That bad?"
"She wants sleep Mitch, don't panic"
"I don't like it"
"You don't like anything when it comes to her"
"Hey"
"She's a grown woman Mitchell, despite the image she projects. And she's been taking care of herself just fine the past few years"
"Oh yeah, she's done a real bang up job"
"Dick" John grabbed his sticks. "And you've had a few not so smart moments in your life too"
"I'm so glad I'm gonna get to hit you in a minute" His fellow Pilot glared at him.
He grinned back. "You'll be lucky"
"Whatever"
"Awesome comeback"
Mitchell rolled his eyes. "No Lorne?"
"He's going over the briefing pack with Chuck"
"They seem ok now"
They stepped up to the mat and stood a few feet apart. "Appear to be. I don't like to ask to be honest"
"Changed your tune"
John ducked a blow. "Hey, watch the face"
"You're too pretty for your own good"
"Thanks honey" He grinned and easily held off a couple more swings. "And I think Rodney is right. It's their business, as long as it doesn't affect the flying"
His opponent nodded. "Guess so"
"You and Anna ready for next week?"
Mitchell frowned and missed his block, taking a hit to the leg. He hissed quietly. "Shit, no fair" John raised a brow. "I think so" He held his hand up to signal a break before running it through his hair. "I don't know, sometimes I think yes, sometimes I think I have no idea what's going on"
"She's hiding still?"
"Maybe"
John softened his gaze. "It'll come Cameron. Trust her"
"I do"
"You sure?"
"Yes. It's all the other fuckers I don't" John raised another questioning brow. His friend sighed. "You remember Afghanistan John, the monumental fuck-up" He nodded, swallowing, he tried not to remember if he could help it. "You throw bonds, and Empaths, and sex, and probably love into something like that…and they're trying to tell me they all walked away without a backward glance, with no consequences but Anna's grief. Bullshit. There's stuff there John, and we're gonna be flying with three of the survivors" His jaw twitched.
"We flew again Cameron"
"Yeah, and the first few missions were fucking scary, and skin of your teeth stuff" He threw a stick up and caught it again. "It's not even the flying really, it's..I'm worried and not just about Anna"
John eyed him. For as much as their conversations mostly consisted of insults or lewd comments hidden beneath were bonds of their own, a history stretching back over thousands of logged air miles, countless missions, lost friends. "It'll be ok Mitch, they won't let anyone in the air who has so much as a twitchy eye. As for Anna, trust her, give her a little room, she may surprise you"
"If they screw this up for her.."
"I know, heads will roll"
"The slightest hint of fucking with her head…"
"We get it Cam" John grinned at him. "We'll even help"
He watched the other man take a breath. "Right, right, I'm sorry.."
John frowned, his fellow Pilot seemed to be under more pressure than he'd realised. "Hey, it'll be alright. And talk to me or Ev if it gets too much, don't shut yourself away with your Navi ok?"
Mitchell closed his eyes briefly then nodded. "Yeah, sure, thanks" His shoulders straightened. "So, now you've successfully made me sound like a big girl can I get on with beating your arse?"
"In your dreams flyboy"
Steven looked down at the woman seemingly sleeping contentedly beside him, one of his arms was trapped beneath her and he couldn't feel it anymore but he was loathe to move it. Laura rarely slept for more than three or four hours at a time, he didn't think there was any big trauma or bad dreams waking her she just seemed to have so much energy, so many thoughts that sleep appeared to be a waste of her time. He smiled a little fondly, it was probably the one thing she had in common with his last Navi.
He'd cautiously checked out the list of Navi's on his arrival, she hadn't been on it and Landry had 'let slip' that she had left with her latest match when he was offered a posting back at the mountain. It seemed they were going to see if they worked outside of the Viper as well as they had in it. He sighed quietly, she had been his everything, or at least he thought she'd had but he'd turned his back on her really with not as much difficulty as he should have.
It had hurt, a real physical ache that started in his head and throbbed painfully all the way to his chest where it sat and burned, even more so when his work was completed and he'd wanted nothing more than to wrap himself around her, feel her body heat. But it had eased, as had the doubts and the guilt over his actions. He'd known it had to be done, and he knew why O'Neill had asked him. Neither could ever speak of it, not without destroying themselves in the process, and they both understood why it had to happen, had seen enough and felt enough to know it was right. It haunted him a little, when there wasn't enough to keep his mind occupied with other things but Steven believed that was right and true, if it didn't bother you there was something seriously wrong, in fact you should probably consider some kind of therapy, perhaps a new jacket with very long arms and some rolls of rubber wall paper. He took comfort in the fact that everyday he asked himself the same question as he had all those months ago and was still coming up with the same answer.
He shifted onto his side carefully and draped his other arm over his Navi, moving himself closer. When he'd found Chuck he'd nearly thrown up right alongside the poor beaten Navi, that had been different from engaging in battle, fighting for your life or your friends survival, that had been brutal and animalistic, unnecessary and cruel. If the boy had died Steven would have never forgiven himself, as it was he could barely stomach having missed the signs for so long to this day. Ronan had reached the Pilot first, taken him down, and Steven had focused on the Navi but in that blood and vomit splattered room he'd sworn to Chuck he would fix it, make it right, make him pay and he still wasn't sure if the other man had been able to hear him but Steven never broke a promise, ever.
There was a quiet murmur and soft hands slid up his bare chest, he refocused looking into his Navi's half-open eyes. Laura licked her lips then smiled. "I fell asleep?"
"Umhmm" He smiled gently back as her hands moved up and around his neck, finger's curling over that lovely sensitive spot. His eyes closed and he heard himself hum quietly.
His Navi giggled and he snapped his eyes open, Laura grinned back and rubbed firm circles with the pads of her fingers. "No public neck rubs for you"
Steven raised a brow. "You're questioning my control?"
"Uh huh" Another grin.
Using his non-numb arm Steven rolled her to the side freeing his trapped appendage, trying to massage some feeling back into it. "We need to cut down on your pie portions"
"Hey!" His Navi pouted and the blissful circling over his neck stopped. "I'll have you know many people consider me very hot"
"Do they now?"
"Umhmm, and would be honoured to have me as the cause of a numb arm"
Steven moved to hover over her. "I'm honoured"
Laura folded her arms across her breasts and pouted again, tangled red waves shifting on the pillow. "Liar"
"Never" Lowering his head he drew her into a soft kiss, enjoying the moment when his Navi relented and parted her lips under his, hands sliding up over his biceps. Pulling away he propped himself on one elbow, keeping the rest of him firmly nestled between her legs whilst the still tingling fingers of his other hand trailed over her toned stomach, under the soft curve of her breasts. "So beautiful" He murmured.
"And don't you forget it"
Steven brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Wouldn't dare" Running a hand back down, into the dip of her waist and then over the soft swell of her hips he curled his fingers into the flesh of her thigh, squeezing gently.
"Are you pinching an inch?"
He snorted and gripped harder, tugging so she wrapped around him once more before rolling to his back, her skin was always so soft and smooth and he loved the way it's paleness contrasted with his own more tanned colouring. His Navi blinked down at him. Steven licked his lips. "I did all the work last time"
"Old man" Laura smirked at him then dipped her head, mouth trailing down his throat, a gentle suck to his pulse point before sliding down lower, over his collarbone, across his chest before her lips wrapped around a nipple. Her tongue flickered lazily and she hummed quietly, a wayward hand wrapping round his rapidly hardening dick. He'd give his Navi one thing, she was doing great things to his recovery time. He made an appreciative noise as she moved to the other nipple and started performing slow, firm strokes up and down his length.
Steven closed his eyes, licking his lips as he felt the slick trail of her tongue run further down his body, tracing his abdominal muscles, circling his navel. He felt himself tighten up in anticipation. There was a beep, he ignored it. Soft kisses were pressed over the area above his dick, hair began to tickle his balls, he moaned quietly. Another beep, Steven clenched his jaw, concentrated on the lips now sliding over his head, tongue gathering his taste. His Navi hummed in pleasure and he groaned in response. Another beep, he cursed quietly and shot a hand out for his radio, trying to subtly search it out.
As the wonderful warmth disappeared from his dick he opened his eyes and frowned down at her. Laura rolled her eyes. "Answer it Steven"
"Keep going Navi"
"Fat chance"
He sighed and placed his radio in his ear. "What?"
"Steven?"
"Oh, uh, sorry Hank. Is there a problem?" He gestured to his crotch, Laura flipped him off, sitting back on her heels, her weight pressing down on his shins.
"The techs have moved the meeting up Steven, I'm sorry"
He let out a puff of exasperated air. "They don't run this fucking base Hank"
"Actually I think you'll find they do, at least for the next week and then you can tell them to piss off for another six months"
"Pricks" He muttered quietly. His Navi was grinning at him now.
"Steven..please, I have enough shit without you turning into a teenage girl"
He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose. His old friend had never let his rise up the ranks come between them, Hank Landry was still the same man he was when they'd stepped through the gate together all those years ago and, along with O'Neill, made sure he never forgot where he'd come from or those who had stood unwaveringly by his side in battle. Steven sighed quietly again. "Ok Hank, I'm sorry. When do I need to be there?"
"Thank you Steven.." There was a pause. "Fifteen minutes"
"Right, of course" He rolled his eyes at the world in general and terminated the conversation.
"Is everything ok?" His Navi was eyeing him.
Steven shot her a small smile. "Yes honey, just a rescheduled meeting"
"Now?"
"I'm afraid so" He sat up and slid his arms round her waist. "I'm going to grab a quick shower Laura then I have to go" Releasing his hold and using both hands he pushed her hair back from her face. "Get some rest, have some downtime. Whatever you want"
"Ok" Laura nodded, chewing her lip.
"I'm sorry Navi" He pressed a quick kiss to her lips then shifted, dislodging her from his legs. "How about dinner just the two of us tonight?"
Her eyes followed him around the room. "If you stand me up I'll kick you're arse"
Steven shot her a quick grin over his shoulder as he made his way to the bathroom. "Nineteen hundred, pack a blanket" A brow rose but his Navi nodded again before sliding back between the sheets and reaching for her tablet. He forced himself into the shower and turned the water on before he gave in to the urge to rejoin her.
Anna lay in the dark, surrounded by her makeshift cocoon made up from all of the pillows and the comforter that she had rolled herself into. The small clock softly projecting the time onto the ceiling told her she had only slept for an hour or so but she felt surprisingly good, rested and calm. Her sessions with Teyla had always left her drained and shaking but this, this was what had her coming back time and again, knowing that when that had passed Anna would feel, for a while at least, at peace, contented.
Unlike Anna's experience of her ability and other's reactions to it, Teyla's had been treated as an honour, a blessing and she had been guided with great care and skill from a young age. Because of this the Athosian was incredibly talented, very powerful and after Anna's second Bantos lesson had cautiously brought up the possibility of her also being an Empath, and wether she would accept an offer of help if she was. She had been a little suspicious at first, her Navi training had aided somewhat in the control of her Empathic side but most people, even Marshall, still seemed wary of it, scared almost that perhaps Anna could hurt them in some way. However she had picked up only genuine concern from her newest acquaintance and so had warily accepted, promising herself that if the slightest thing freaked her out she would put a stop to it.
Now, nearly three years down the line, Anna was oh so grateful that she had taken that chance, thanks to Teyla she was nearly as strong as her now and the Athosian was the only known Empath who could get inside Anna's head. Not that she would, unless she suddenly deemed Anna a threat, stating that trust and respect were the two most important aspects of their training. It was her who had taught Anna how to finally completely block other people and when she'd finally conquered that skill she had nearly wept with relief at the blissful quiet that echoed around her mind. Of course the battering she'd taken a year ago had caused that training to waver a little, probably explained why Chuck's feelings had nearly taken her breath away, why she'd briefly lost control.
She chewed on her lip, now she'd calmed down and her head felt a lot roomier Anna had to seriously consider talking to her friend. The issues swirling under the surface would probably not prevent them from taking to the sky but they could resurface, quite possibly at a very inopportune moment. And her old friend had never wavered from her bedside, had never given up on her and she felt she owed him an explanation also. Teyla was right, the consequences of that one day, that one decision on Marshall's behalf had rippled out, echoed down the time line and it was still messing with people.
Anna shifted slightly, prodding about in her brain. The memory of taking out the Hybrid was definitely fuzzier, and if you weren't looking for it as Anna was you'd probably never spot it but Teyla had recommended one more session a couple of days before the pairing process just to be sure. Cautiously moving around she explored the rest of her blocks, they all seemed to be in place and standing solid, except for Marshall who now stood tall and proud in her mind, the image of him no longer being marred by wide dead eyes and splatters of red. There was no need to hide him anymore, Cameron had seen to that and when she'd come round in Teyla's embrace the other woman had gently told her that her new Pilot had done an excellent job in helping Anna see through her grief and anger, that she should definitely consider trusting him with everything else.
Slowly easing herself back she snuggled in deeper. It had been a long time since she'd woken like that, Teyla's arms wrapped tight around her, it meant either she'd struggled coming back around or something had worried her friend. She chewed on her lip again, as gentle strokes had run over her hair Anna had blinked dazedly across at the figure sitting quietly on the cushion previously occupied by Teyla, Ronan looking back, expression blank, body still and seemingly relaxed. Anna liked the Satedan, he didn't waste time, or words, on anyone he thought wasn't worth it and he loved Teyla with all of his slightly bruised and battered heart. If you pissed him off you knew about it, if you did good you were treated to a rare grin and possibly a hearty slap on the back which would send you staggering forward. No bullshit, no lies, no false airs and graces, what you saw was what you got and Anna liked that, the world was confusing enough to her sometimes without having to try to figure out people's motives.
He'd given an almost imperceptible nod as his wife was talking about Cameron and Anna had given a small smile back, by being validated by Teyla and Ronan her Pilot had earned himself a rare honour, and Anna's final and complete trust. So she may still be zoning out every now and then but that wasn't Marshall, that was Anna being stressed about the pairing, the memory of the Hybrid worrying at her already worn thin nerves but now that was nearly gone and for at least a little while she didn't need to think about anything other than flying, her friends and her Pilot. Rodney was monitoring the city for her, his programmes running quietly and unheeded but Atlantis seemed happy enough to leave her in peace again for now. She nodded to herself and unwrapped the comforter, a shower then coffee and one of her remaining contraband brownies. Cameron would be back soon, Colonel Sheppard had already kept him away for an extra half hour or so, whatever he was doing wouldn't last much longer, unless he'd tied him up and shoved him in a storage cupboard somewhere. Anna grinned at the image as she padded over to her bathroom, she may even crack open that posh body wash Jack had brought her in celebration.
Stepping into their bedroom Cameron dumped his gym bag on the floor and eyed the rumpled bed, it looked like his Navi had been dreaming again, and not good ones if the disarray of the sheets were anything to go by. He sighed quietly, perhaps he should have asked more questions about this meditation thing she did with Teyla but he'd wanted to build on the trust that was slowly forming and not turn himself into some complete tyrant. He could hear the shower running, debated wether he'd be welcome or not, he was sweaty from his workout which had somehow overrun by forty-five minutes and his muscles ached.
He pursed his lips in thought then a brow rose as the sounds of quiet singing reached his ears. Anna was singing, in the shower. This was a new one. Cam strained to hear the exact tune but it was lost under the splashing of water, occasionally stopping completely as his Navi probably washed her face or rinsed her hair. His lips twitched, the basic melody seemed pretty upbeat and there was no sign of any sobbing so he was chalking this one up as a good thing. He stripped off his sticky sweats and tee and padded towards the bathroom, carefully picking his way through the steam that had filled the entirety of the small space. Slipping into the shower he grinned as the entertainment got a little louder, and clearer, then slid his arms round her waist.
Anna gave a surprised shout and dropped the bottle she was holding. "Hey!"
"Room for one more?" Cam nipped at her ear.
"This is very presumptuous of you Colonel Mitchell" His Navi turned and raised a brow.
He grinned. "I can hear you better in here"
She wrinkled her nose. "And I can smell you worse"
Cam rolled his eyes before shifting them so the water hit his back. "My turn then Princess" He reached for his own shower gel, ensuring he didn't end up smelling like a girl and popped open the top, it was taken from his hands. "Anna.."
"Let me, please"
He raised a brow, this afternoon was getting more and more interesting. His Navi was kind, loyal and generous but no one appeared to have ever bothered to teach her any manners, or the concept of sharing. "Maybe we should make this Teyla thing twice a week" She stuck her tongue out and he grinned. "Ah, there you are"
"Shut up Cameron, before I change my mind"
He smirked at her but kept his mouth firmly closed.
Half an hour later.
Cam groaned quietly into the pillow, keeping his eyes closed. Apparently Anna Rayne's diverse range of skills also included being able to give quite awesome massages. After taking the body wash from his hands and giving him one last pointed look she had gone to her knees, meticulously washing every part of him with strong deliberate circling movements, turning him so she could go on tiptoes and treat his hair and scalp to the same attention. His definitely interested dick had been given a cursory clean down which he was now glad he hadn't bitched about.
After his Navi had shut off the water he'd been silently led from the bathroom, towel running gently over him to capture most of the water and then he'd been quietly ordered to lay on his front on the bed. Staying silent he'd complied, this was unlike anything Anna had done before and Cameron had been curious about what was to happen next, half-suspecting he'd be found in a couple of hours time stark bollock naked and tied to her bed.
The first drops of liquid had made him twitch slightly before surprisingly strong hands had worked over the back of his body, pressure increasing over the tight spots and the hard knots in his shoulders, whatever oil she was using warming as it made contact with his skin, seeping into his tired muscles and joints. His aching thighs and tight calves had been treated to the same rub down, the wonderful firm strokes kneading him into submission. He'd actually nearly fallen asleep but then she'd replaced the strokes of her hands with her whole body, full slides up and down his back, slick skin and full breasts never breaking contact.
Anna slid back up his body again and he began to gently rock his hips, pushing his erection down into the mattress seeking out a bit of much needed friction. The wonderful body contact disappeared, Cameron gave a quiet disgruntled growl and got a light slap to the arse. He twisted his head and frowned. "Careful Princess.." It was a half-arsed warning, the work on his back had taken the last of his worries and anger away. His Navi smiled serenely and murmured quietly for him to turn over.
He shifted carefully, keeping her knelt between his legs as he settled back down and lazily ran his eyes over her. Anna had pinned her hair up, presumably to keep it free from the oil she was using but a couple of strands had escaped and were stuck to her neck and shoulders, her whole body glistened and Cameron felt himself lick his lips, heard an almost imperceptible appreciative sound escape his throat. Anna appeared not to hear, leaning to the side, dipping her hands into a bowl and bringing out more oil, he hadn't seen anything of the process when he'd been on his front and now he noticed it was almost stringy in appearance. Cam eyed it suspiciously.
She smiled at him again. "Its specialist" Hands slid down his arms and back up, stroking over his chest and across his stomach. More oil was gathered and his Navi shuffled lower, coating his thighs and then down to his feet.
"You missed a bit" His hips instinctively rose off the bed a little as long firm strokes travelled up his right leg. "And what do you mean specialist?" Fingers brushed the inside of his thigh and his dick noticeably twitched before they disappeared, seeking out the tightness around his knee instead.
Anna started on the other leg. "It means its used for 'special' types of massage" Deep pressure over his thigh. She leant forward slightly and her breasts grazed his leg, the lower part of her arm ghosting over his balls.
He moaned quietly. "Baby girl.." His skin was starting to warm even more and he was sure it wasn't just the oil.
"Be quiet now"
Cam subtly flipped her off but kept his mouth shut, lids growing heavy as he watched her move over him, never quite the contact he wanted but pretty awesome all the same. He still hadn't a clue as to what had brought this on but his Navi obviously felt the need to do it and Cameron didn't want to interfere or deny her, and himself, the presumed reward. He allowed himself to relax a little more as she began to work on his arms, strong circles over his biceps, then down, even small movements focusing on his wrists, palms and fingers. His eyes slid completely shut as she moved her attentions to his other arm.
Then her hands were running over his chest, curling around his sides, always the same firm pressure, until every muscle in his body had been worked into blissful relaxation. Except one. There was a gentle grip on his dick and a slow smooth stroke down. Cameron snapped his eyes open. "Anna.." Too much of that on top of the past hour or so would mean this was going to have a very happy ending way too soon.
She smiled up at him, another slick hand cupping his balls, rolling them slightly before slipping below them. And now his dick was being treated to a lovely strong rhythm whilst his balls were massaged, the odd firm swipe over the outside of his prostate bringing him dangerously close. He closed his eyes to the sight of her before him, naked and slick, straddling his thighs whilst her hands ran over him, lips slightly parted. He tried to think of anything else but his own imagination was working against him, and Anna now had the added benefit on top of her already quite impressive skills of knowing just how tight to grip, just where to rub the pad of her thumb on every downstroke.
Her hand stopped at the bottom of another lovely stroke and his head was instantly engulfed in warm and wet. He moaned and opened his eyes again, his Navi was sucking gently, hand wrapped around his base keeping him in place, the fingers of the other softly playing with his balls. She slid her mouth down a little further and he resisted the urge to thrust up, remembering her recently bruised throat, instead murmuring his appreciativeness, spreading his legs a little wider.
Cam lost himself in the feeling of sliding in and out of her mouth then her tongue flickered over him and he felt himself twitch in her hold. Now he was getting dangerously near to the point of no return and he so desperately wanted inside her. "Baby girl, thats enough" He licked his lips, taking a breath and looking down to meet her gaze. Her eyes met his and he swore there was a half-smile quirked at him before she removed her hand from his dick and took him all into her mouth. He felt the resistance of her throat before it opened up, letting him slide inside. "Fuck" He whispered.
She hummed around him then swallowed. Cam groaned and thunked his head back onto the pillow, sliding a hand into her hair as she released him and slipped back up his length. "Princess, your throat.." He felt her shake her head slightly under his palm then Anna took him back down, a finger running over the outside of his prostate again before slipping between his arse cheeks. "Anna.." He could hear the slight growl in his voice, this wasn't something he usually allowed. Giving another quiet hum she slid inside him and curled her finger, seeking out the place that was probably going to make him cum right there at the first touch wether he liked it or not.
He swallowed, licking his suddenly dry lips, this always felt weird and he didn't particularly like the loss of control when someone located your…his Navi brushed over his prostate as her mouth slid down his dick, strong suction and wet heat, he groaned, felt everything tighten. Circling gently Anna kept up the wonderful rhythm she'd settled into on his dick, occasionally letting him slip deep down, swallowing around his head, and Cameron decided to just go with it, could feel what he was sure was going to be a very nice orgasm building. His lips parted in anticipation of the inevitable waves that would knock him sideways for a few blissful moments.
Then Anna pulled off and removed her finger. He growled again, which turned into a strange strangled noise as Anna quickly rose up and seated herself fully on his dick. She stayed still and he focused his eyes on her, trying to regather his brain cells. "Just what has gotten into you today baby girl?" Cam slid his hands over her stomach up to caress her breasts, enjoying her oiled skin slide under his palms.
"You" She smiled at him from under her lashes.
He raised a brow then grinned and slapped her arse. "You gonna move?"
"You gonna cum in the first five seconds?"
"Possibly" He kneaded the cheek in his hand.
She smiled down at him and began small little thrusts, eyes sliding shut as her own hand slipped between her legs, finger circling her clit. Cam lay back and enjoyed the view, and concentrated on not cumming in the first five seconds. As soon as his Navi began to ripple around his dick he gripped her hips raising her slightly, pushing up so he could hit deep then slipping back out until he was nearly free of her. With him controlling the thrusting the hand that she had been supporting herself with moved from his chest and ran over her breasts, tugging lightly at her nipples.
Cameron moaned at the view above him and sped up his movements, it was now clear that this was obviously some kind of genius plan to kill him. Or at least put him out of action him for a few days. His stomach began to swirl and his balls tightened up, and now he was slamming up into her, vaguely aware of her quickening breath, the beautiful little sounds she always made as her body crept closer and closer to climax. He grit his teeth, trying to hold out for the last few moments that she needed. His hands kept sliding free of their grip because of their slickness and he pulled her down into a kiss, giving him room to keep up his thrusting. His fingers twisted in her hair as her muscles clenched around him and then everything tensed, verging on almost painful before it released and wave after wave of pure bliss hit him bodily, momentarily taking his breath away.
He quietly swore as his dick slid from her, the oversensitized skin twitching at the faintest of contact. Anna was still sprawled over him, head pillowed on his chest, legs curling between his now he wasn't inside of her. He ran his hands over her back. "Ok my baby girl?" His voice sounded lazy and he could feel his eyes getting heavy again.
"Umhmm"
"Your throat.."
"It's fine Cameron"
He forced his eyes to stay open. "Is everything ok Anna?"
She nodded, escaped tendrils of hair getting stuck to his chest. "I just..thank you. Thank you for helping me with Marshall. I know you've been under a lot of pressure from the techs and I haven't made it any easier, so, thank you" Cam stared at the top of her head, suddenly feeling a little more awake. Her fingers trailed through his body hair. "I can see him properly now, like I should, and that's because of you. You gave him back to me"
He refused to believe his throat was tightening up for any other reason than that he was thirsty.
"I think..I think we're going to be ok"
Cam stayed quiet but reached down and rubbed soft circles over her shoulders.
"There's other stuff I want to tell you but I can't, not until after the pairing, I can hide it but you can't" He frowned and opened his mouth but she spoke before he could protest. "It won't affect the flying but I think it will help" His Navi slithered up his body, bringing the comforter with her, but didn't meet his eyes, instead tucking her head under his chin. "I trust you Cameron"
He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms round her. "Thank you Princess. I trust you too"
She nodded.
"You sleeping there?"
"Umhmm"
He huffed a quiet, weary laugh. "Just don't drool on me ok baby girl?"
There was a light pinch to his side but she didn't move. Giving in to exhaustion Cam let his body sink deeper into the mattress, content that for now everything was…ok.
Teyla smiled as her husband pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "You felt that Ronan?"
He raised a brow. "Yes"
"Anna is projecting"
The other brow met it's fellow. "She has lost control"
"No" She reached up, rubbing his pendant between her thumb and forefinger before trailing her hand over his bare chest. "She is still blocking the important things but her feelings, the good ones, they are being sent outwards"
"What does this mean?"
"It means that she is growing stronger my love, and that she is changing once more"
"For good?"
She nodded. "She is not ready to withstand another loss but it is almost there, if things remain as they are Anna will continue to flourish. I hope Colonel Mitchell stays by her side"
"And us"
"Umhmm" Teyla rolled to her side so she could face him. "I feel more at ease today than for many months"
"You were worried earlier"
"I could not bring her home" She tilted her head thoughtfully. "I did not need to" Teyla nodded. "I was concerned but now I have had time to think upon it I believe it was a good response. Anna can bring herself home now"
He smiled. "Do you feel better after your rest?"
"Yes, thank you Ronan"
"I am sorry to have interrupted your sleep"
Teyla smiled back. "It was a welcome distraction"
"The..projection was very powerful"
Her smile slipped into a smirk. "Yes it was. There will be many others who shall be wondering on what caused their actions today"
Her husband snorted and pressed a kiss to her forehead before rolling out of bed. "I shall begin the shower"
Rodney shifted slightly under his Pilot's weight, they were both on their hands and knees, John draped over his back, fingers laced with his own, the breaths moistening the skin on his neck beginning to slow. He licked his dry lips. "I think I may need another shower"
There was a huffed laugh, muffled slightly from the way the other man's face was still buried in the crook of his neck.
"Are you ok?"
His Pilot came out of his hiding place. "Yeah" John cleared his throat. "Yeah, you?"
"Um, I think so"
"I'm uh, I'm sorry baby. I didn't hurt you did I?"
Rodney shook his head.
"Rodney?"
"No, no you didn't. I promise"
"Ok, good"
They stayed locked in their positions, a thoughtful silence filling the room.
"What the fuck was that?"
Rodney snorted quietly.
"It's not funny baby"
"It is kinda"
"No, its really not" John slid gently from him, grunting quietly before rolling onto his back and looking up at Rodney. "Seriously is it just me or was there…you know?" He waved a vague hand.
He nodded and lowered himself to the bed, not bothering to turn over, content to sprawl face downwards. "There was" He mumbled into the pillow.
"That's weird right?"
Rodney gave a half-hearted shrug. "I thought it was quite awesome" There was a poke to his ribs, he twisted his head to the side. "Hey!"
"It was weird"
"Awesome"
"Weird"
"Awesome" Rodney grinned as his Pilot's lips twitched.
"Weirdly awesome"
"Deal"
"Shower?"
"Oh yeah"