Skirt challenge response - by lakester

[lakester.livejournal.com]

Title: The spaces between
Author: lakester
Rating: G
Spoilers: Runner
Summary: In short, they used to talk. They used to be a team.

There were always things they didn’t say. Not about Rodney searching Teyla’s belongings or Colonel Sumner. Home and family had been off-limits unless everyone was drunk enough to develop plausible amnesia the next morning.

Now there were more.

They didn't talk about death or capture - except for Rodney's surface babble. They didn’t talk about going home, or about plans for a future that John wasn’t sure he could see.

Teyla didn't talk about Athos. John didn't talk about his suicide run. Rodney talked too much but didn’t say anything. Ronon, well he didn't say much at all.

Mostly they didn't talk about Ford.

John didn't talk about Caldwell’s orders. He just sat with one hand on his gun and his mind counting bullets.

Rodney gave a clipped summary of his meeting with the lieutenant. He didn’t mention the hours he’d spent taking a jumper apart, trying to figure out how Ford had flown one.

Soon after Ford ‘left’ Teyla had mentioned a remembrance ritual. Sheppard had told her no, muttering about not holding a wake when Aiden wasn’t dead yet. Instead, she lit a candle to hold back the dark.

They weren’t a team. They were strangers bound by silence.

Comments

[burningchaos.livejournal.com]

*ouch*

[cybersyd.livejournal.com]

Wow. Angsty. But believable angst, which is always the hardest to write.

[rosewildeirish.livejournal.com]

Nice, packs a punch in a few short words.

...how do you do that? *g*

[tigs.livejournal.com]

Oh, ouch. But (as much as I'm hoping it's not) it could be so, so true. Very nice.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

You'd think everything they'd been through would bring them all closer together, but your scenario is just as plausible. Good job.

[the-moonmoth.livejournal.com]

Goodness, that hits all the hurty places. And the sad thing is, if I squint, I can see it happening.

[lamardeuse.livejournal.com]

Wow. You've put into words something I felt with the S2 team but couldn't put my finger on. Wow.

[fenris_wolf0]

Wow. I usually do not like drabbles, but this rings very true and is so expressive it does not require any more.

[kalikahuntress.livejournal.com]

Hurty but perfect and this is exactly why the team feels so off this season. I especially like how Weir wasn't included and not bcse I don't like her, she just seems seperated from all the friction and tension between the team members. To me its bcse she's the boss and has to be neutral. Anyway, thanks for this, this was something that I had been thinking about for some time and im glad someone wrote about it.

[morena-donn.livejournal.com]

They weren't a team. They were strangers bound by silence.

Oh, this was just perfect. It really explains what's going on. I just hope they find thier voices soon.

[valdjinn.livejournal.com]

This is nicely done. Good job.

[(Anonymous)]

Very nice. It's sad and it hurts, but a nice little piece.

In the "why do I know this trivia?" category, Ford didn't fly the Jumper. He can't, he doesn't have the Ancient gene. It was on auto pilot. Remember in Thirty Eight Minutes when the Jumper was approaching the Gate? Ford says to Markham "It's all automatic from here." Same thing when you're leaving Atlantis, it's on auto pilot. But when you get to the other side, it needs someone to direct it. That's why John said Ford was going to abandon the Jumper and gate somewhere else. And remember in Siege part 3 that Ford was in his usual seat on the right side of the Jumper, not the pilot's seat.

~anonymouse

[the-green-sheep.livejournal.com]

Ouch. The last line hurts a lot, but it's beautiful.