The best part about this place, Connor muses as the water pounds down over him and his skin absorbs the heat, is the water pressure.
The last time he had a real shower with soap he hadn't made himself was the world with the creepy ass tongue-tentacle vampire things (1). He'd left that world pretty fast after realizing Eve and the Senior Partners had absolutely nothing to do with the budding apocalypse. That and the fact that he'd watched one of the newly turned thing's genitalia fall off.
Needless to say, it had been a traumatizing event.
Connor stays in the shower until his skin wrinkles and he can barely see through the steam.
His escorts lead him into the mess hall after convincing Connor that 1) no, he does not need to take a shower every hour and 2) they were hungry which meant he was hungry too. Connor is reluctant and irritated and reminds himself that humans are off limits (the only line he's yet to cross) and goes with them.
Rocking on his heels, he decides that the shower was okay but the best part of being here was the food.
Lots and lots of food.
Glancing at the surlier of his guards, he silently waits for permission to join the line, swearing that if this was some kind of game, heads were going to roll. The man inclines his head and Connor shoots towards the line. He moves faster than he means to and faster than they expected and doesn't realize it until the room gets quiet and the people in front of him start dropping out of the line.
It puts him on edge and he suddenly misses his shower. He frowns down at the tray he picked up, debating the pros and cons of staying. Just as Connor decides that he'd rather go back to the room a hand slides across his vision and takes the tray.
"Doctor Beckett says you have to eat the food, not just stare at it," the new arrival chides.
He blinks up at Major Lorne then scowls at the mention of the Doctor.
The Major ignores him, "Come, I'll show you what to stay away from."
By the time they make it to an empty table, his tray is filled to the brim and the Major's commentary has him at ease to the point that all the stares and whispers are all just background noise.
He tucks into the food (with a fork at the Major's insistence) and its bliss.
What's better than food that someone else killed and cooked?
The moment he's back into his room, he strips and it's back into the shower.
"I take it back. You're definitely the best part," he mummers.
The next day, Connor finds himself sitting in a sinfully comfortable chair in Dr. Weir's office. The woman in question sits across from him with a pleasant smile that does nothing to hide the coolness of her gaze.
He gets the feeling that she doesn't like him much.
"Mr. Sheppard, how are you finding your stay in our city?"
"It's… shiny," he mummers watching the light reflect of the glass trinket on her desk, "and its just Connor."
He shifts under her gaze; not intimidated but still highly uncomfortable with talking to people who weren't actively trying to kill him. That and the way these people insist on calling him Mr. Sheppard and the knowing looks were …grating.
"Goddess below, you really are your father's child," Darla shakes her head in exasperation.
Connor ignores her.
"Connor, then. You may call me Elizabeth."
Silence stretches between them as they observe each other.
"Thank you for having me," Connor finally offers, making an attempt at using his manners. He wasn't completely uncivilized after all and he thinks he catches a flash of amusement in her eyes.
"Doctor Beckett has informed me that all your wounds have healed."
"Yup," he sounds out, popping the 'p', "good as new."
"He also discovered something quite interesting when he ran your blood work."
"And what would that be?"
"Doctor Beckett discovered that you are not from Olaf."
Connor raises and eyebrow, "No, I'm not"
"In fact," Elizabeth continues evenly, "you are not from the Pegasus Galaxy.
Connor's nose scrunches up in confusion.
"Pegasus- is there a question in there somewhere?"
"When this expedition arrived, it was in essence a one way trip. Deep down no one expected to ever make it back home. In the three years we have been here, we have had to fight tooth and nail to survive. We have lost good people and betrayal seems to be an everyday occurrence," Elizabeth said whilst she rests her elbows on the table and looks at him with an earnest expression, "that being said, we have made plenty of friends. It hasn't been easy but we protect our allies. I protect my family."
"And that's what this?" Connor waves his hand around vaguely, "A family?"
"It is," she isn't out right hostile but he was sure that saying the woman was suspicious was putting it lightly.
It also bothers him that Darla is astonishingly quiet.
Elizabeth lets the silence drag on until she's sure their new acquisition understands her meaning.
"Where were you before you arrived on Olaf?" Elizabeth meets his gaze and refuses to let go. It's a question that should have been asked days ago but John has never been good at dealing with emotional situations.
Especially if he was in anyway involved. Left to his own devices, it'll be years before she got any answers.
"Lots of places. I don't remember all the names," It's not a particular intrusive question. Connor knows he is an unknown element. It is only practical that they would be curious. It should be simple to just lie or give a twisted version of the truth but for some reason he finds himself oddly defensive.
Obviously, I'm going to have to be straight forward with this one. Elizabeth thinks to herself. "In Dr. Beckett's findings, he found certain markers in your blood that… surprised us. Markers found only on Earth."
Connor relaxes back into the chair with a shrug. It's not the first time he's been to an Earth.
From her perch on Elizabeth's desk, Darla rolls her eye, "The extent of your self denial is awe-inspiring. Truly."
Connor frowns at her, incredulous, noting Elizabeth frowns slightly at his inattention.
"When he brought that to our attention, along with the name you provided Colonel Sheppard, it brought up some questions. Interesting questions with impossible answers but we have learned nothings impossible in Pegasus."
"What are you getting at," Connor asks wry as a notion tickles the back of his mind and he ruthlessly squelches it.
"Colonel Sheppard received a message a little more than a year ago from his brother," Elizabeth leans forward intently, waiting for any hint of reaction, "David Sheppard."
She doesn't anticipate how ashen his face turns.
(1) Anyone want to take a guess about where the vampires that completely freaked Connor out are from?