Ace In The Hole
Chapter 20
Suddenly the entire scene around him changes and Sheppard finds himself standing at the foot of a grave, the sun is high in the sky a warm breeze blows in the air but there is no one else around except for Alex who his standing supportively by his side, Sheppard knows instantly where he is without even reading the grave stone, he sighs and kneels slowly placing his hand on the stone in front of him.
"I haven't been here since his funeral... We had known him since we were kid's Dave n me that is" John sighs "When Mike said he was going in to the Airforce growing up... I was in no doubt I wanted to follow him... of course Dave and my dad hated the idea of me joining up...but you know me" Sheppard grins at Alex weakly "I have to do it my own way"
"Captain Holland was a good friend?" Alex smiles sadly.
"He was unlike no one else I have known... brave, smart, funny, he never hid that he was gay but somehow no one ever pulled him up on it either... every single CO he had thought the world of him... he just seemed to win them over you know?" Sheppard watches Alex nod gently before continuing "Me on the other hand... he used to think it highly hilarious that I would get into so much grief for as much as a sneeze" Sheppard chuckles
"What happened?" Alex pushes gently
"I fell for him and couldn't deal... I always knew I was Bi but I kinda freaked out when I started falling for my best friend... I tried to tell my Dad... and he blew his top blaming the Airforce for turning his butch manly son into some sort of sissy" Sheppard rolls his eyes before continuing "So I ended up making an even bigger mistake by following my Dads advice... 'Get married... I don't care if she's old, young, fat, thin just marry a women and everything will be fine!'..."
"So what happened?"
"I married Nancy less than four months later... I loved her...so I thought... but... I still wondered what could have been... we stayed friends... good friends... I knew deep down he was in love with me... had been for years... but he died not knowing..." Sheppard trails off tears finally welling in his eyes "I was too much of a coward to tell him how I felt... when I heard he was trapped behind lines... I had no choice I had too get him out... but..."
"Are you so sure?"
"About what?"
"That he didn't know how you felt about him" Alex smiles warmly as he helps Sheppard back up to his feet, the world suddenly shifts once more and they are standing in the middle of a dimly lit dance floor, Sheppard instantly realises its his and Nancy's wedding reception.
"What is this? are you gonna bring on the ghost of Christmas past next?" Sheppard glares, he can see himself and Nancy talking happily to Nancy's brother Jeff and his wife Sarah and off to his left Dave is chatting to Holland quietly, Alex pushes him forward so that he can hear the conversation taking place.
"If I was stood all over there... how can I have possibly overheard and remembered a conversation whispered the other side of the room?" Sheppard asks frowning
"On a conscious level no you couldn't have... but the mind is so vast and complex... it can store the tiniest of details and with the right tools and of course technology centuries ahead of you its surprising what is possible John... you would be able to tell if this was a deception" Alex smiles nudging him closer still.
"Sad Dave... very Sad" Holland grins.
"No more sad than your pitiful speech... least I got more laughs... though I'm guessing Nancy is gonna be grilling my little brother about the whole hosepipe in the letter box fiasco for days" Both men grin causing Sheppard to grin also.
"They look happy though... Nancy is a good catch" Holland sighs.
"I give it two years tops... she's not the one he wants and you know it Mike... If dad had just butt out for once in his life then John would have finally made his move" Dave grins.
"Doubt it!... he knows how I feel about him... I think I made it pretty obvious... Jeez who am I kidding" Holland sighs rubbing his hand through his hair, Sheppard watches him silently wondering if that's where he had picked that particular habit up from.
"Mike... John is in love with you... I know it... you know it the only idiot who hasn't realised yet is?"
"John!" They both say together, then chuckle as they realise that John's eyes are glued firmly on Holland even thought he is across the other side of the room.
"See... wife on his arm... over 300 people in the room and my little brother still can't take his eyes off you... the Muppet!" Dave grins knowingly.
"He could be looking at his brother just as easily" Holland chuckles nudging Dave in the ribs playfully.
"Oh...he's ditched Nancy and he's heading this way... bet you fifty he blushes and asks you to go outside for some fresh air..." Dave smirks and Sheppard can't but help feel annoyed at the way his brother's enjoying the situation.
"Hey" John nods warmly but his eyes are fixed solidly on Holland, Sheppard blushes furiously at seeing his younger self blushing slightly and can't help feel a little embarrassed at the look of glee on his brothers face at being right... he can remember this happening but as an outsider looking in, the interactions look completely different to what he remembered.
"How's the groom" Holland asks with an almost sad smile.
"Kinda feeling a little overwhelmed... Say... I was gonna just go get some air" John hesitates fidgeting with the new wedding ring sitting on his finger before looking into Holland's eyes once more "Wanna come with me" John almost whispers.
"Sure... I need to get some air myself" Holland replies with an honest smile... Johns smile in return is dazzling and Sheppard can see straight away as clear as day Holland knew how much he had loved him... tears began to slide down his cheeks as he watches himself and Holland walk way chatting leaving his brother sat where he was still with a big grin on his face.
"Muppet's... pair of em" Dave chuckles as he heads towards his wife shaking his head.
Suddenly Sheppard is awake... he reaches over to turn off the alarm noting its 07:00 sitting up slowly trying to think if what had happened was real or a dream, he can't remember coming back to his quarters, last thing he remembers clearly is that Alex had sat him down in the Control chair and had gone all A Christmas Carol on him showing him his past... had it happened?... was it a dream?... he gets up slowly heading for the bathroom and looks at his reflection in the mirror and smiles sadly when he sees Holland also reflected behind him in the mirror.
"Its gonna be OK John... you can let go" Holland says smiling sweetly as his image fades, Sheppard slowly steps into the warmth of his shower and sighs as years of pent up grief and regret are finally washed away.
Across the city Alex smiles too himself finally sensing Sheppard's emotional release, he can't help but feel a little lighter today as he heads purposefully to Dr. Cairns quarters not hesitating to ring the bell repetitively, Cairns eyebrows rise in surprise seeing the young handsome Lieutenant standing in his doorway, a lieutenant that has been the object of his fantasies for a few weeks now he can feel his cheeks blushing and takes a deep breath trying to calm himself down slightly.
"Lieutenant?..."
"Doc... I hope I'm not disturbing you?" Alex notices the young scientist shake his head slightly before he continues "I was just wondering if you would care to join me for breakfast before your meeting..." Alex smile's at the young scientist.
"Me?... I um...sure just gimmi a second to grab my laptop and notes... Lieutenant"
"Please... call me Alex... Doc" he nods waiting at the door.
"Oh...OK... then... I'm um David..." Cairns blushes again as he heads out with the young officer.
"So... how are you finding your time in the city?... settling in aright?" Alex asks cheerfully as they walk to the mess hall.
"The city is amazing... I mean don't get me wrong I've read tonnes of reports and seen the SGC intro videos but to actually be here... I mean well... she sings" Cairns glances at Alex almost embarrassed at his revelation but relaxes when he sees Alex smiling in return.
"You hear her sing?" Alex grins "I'm not sure that anyone else has mentioned singing"
"Don't tell anyone I said that... they will probably think I'm a nutter!"
"Nutter?"
"You know crazy" Cairns shrugs with a smile
"Maybe it means she likes you Doc..." Alex nudges his arm playfully and can't help smile as he notices Cairns blushing again, they enter the mess hall and Alex points for the young scientist to take a seat "White... two sugar and a blueberry muffin I believe?" Alex grins as Cairns stops and stares open mouthed.
"How do you?"
"I'm observant..." Alex grins... then grabs the items plus a coffee for himself before sitting opposite the young scientist with a smile.
"So 304 shielding... ouch drew the tough one there hey doc?" Alex states before sipping his coffee.
"No... not really... I have got a bad feeling that there is no simple fix on this one though... the data is pretty conclusive"
"Still I'm sure that you will think of something but in the mean time at least we are safe" Alex offers a genuine innocent smile.
"How so"
"Well I remember Dr Zelenka saying that the Ancients managed to hold off the wraith from Lantia for a whole year with only 4 Lagrangian satellites spread throughout the system... and they hadn't even got a ZPM to power them... we have 12 sitting in orbit... I think we are fairly safe for now" Alex shrugs but can see the cogs turning in the young man's mind.
"So... How long have you been here then Alex?"
"Feels like forever sometimes" Alex jokes looking around the room his eyes coming to stop on seeing Colonel Grainger looking their direction, feeling someone staring David looks over his shoulder and sighs at seeing his best friends knowing smirk.
"Sorry" he sighs gently
"Sorry about what doc?"
"Seems Dom might think that you and I are... you know?"
"Let him" Alex grins but suddenly he feels his heart beat a little faster at seeing the young scientists cheeky grin, putting the feeling aside for a moment he will corner Evan on that one later, he pushes ahead "So... the other reason I wanted to see you before your meeting was to give you this"
Alex hands him a flash drive which Cairns takes and on instinct he immediately opens his laptop inserting the drive.
"I was doing some research in the data base I found something that could be related to your current problem" Alex knows he is playing a dangerous game here and he knows that it is only because the young scientist is distracted that he is completely missing the fact that he is being guided so blatantly.
"You have access to the data base?" Cairns asks never once taking his eyes from his laptop.
"Yeh... I have access" Alex smiles
"You can read Ancient?" he asks glancing up before returning to the screen once more.
"Yeh... I can read Ancient... I've helped Dr McKaye a few times he called me a walking google"
"Well if you find information as relevant for him as this is for me that is no wonder... have you read it all?" David is beaming a huge smile at the moment.
"Just the basics... the heavy stuff gets a bit dull but the weapon it describes seems too fit the profile of what you were looking for" Alex shrugs before smiling "Anyway doc I have to go see Colonel Lorne about our next mission and you have a meeting in 20 minutes so I will have to run on you... hope you don't mind?" Alex pouts playfully then smiles "Thank you for a lovely breakfast David" David can't help stare into the young Lieutenants eyes and smile.
"No Alex... its me that should thank you for breakfast and for this" Cairns points to his laptop in awe.
"My pleasure doc" David watches as the young lieutenant leaves the mess hall and finally takes a deep breath once he disappears from sight.
"Well..." David spins to see his best friend standing behind him with a huge grin on his face "You know in all the time I have known you I don't think I have seen you quite so smitten... watch it David... looks like Cupid is aiming at your ass again" Grainger chuckles as he sits down in the seat Alex had just vacated.
"Come on what would a Greek god like that see in me" he sighs glancing at his laptop as he chats.
"David... you know for such a smart guy... you can be such a twat!" Grainger shakes his head "Do you even look in a mirror? …. for a scientist you are kinda fit looking" Grainger grins before continuing "If it weren't for the fact I know you so well and I know you snore"
"I do not snore!"
"Do so snore... and don't give me.."
"I had a cold!" David protests then relaxes at Graingers playful grin.
"Dave... any man... Lieutenant Weir included should count themselves lucky to have you in their life... let alone in their bed" Grainger fondly ruffles the young scientists hair as he gets up to leave "I gotta go... meeting with one of the Traveller ship captains... lunch?"
"Sure" Grainger turns to leave "Dom..." Grainger glances back "Thanks" both men smile warmly to each other before heading their separate ways.