Finding Their Way by Jadesfire2808 (Amnesty 2007, 38 minutes challenge, First Night challenge)

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

Title: Finding Their Way
Author: jadesfire2808
Rating: Gen
Characters: John, Elizabeth
Spoilers: Set directly after 'Rising' so only for that
Words: ~1,200
Notes: Yes, you are reading the subject line right. It is a 'First Night' story, but I wrote it in 38 minutes, using a plot bunny that I've had for a while.

Summary: "I have an office"



Finding Their Way

Elizabeth decided at once that she was going to have signs made. It was all very well for Marines and Air Force pilots with good senses of direction and an ability to notice details, but once she had a hundred or so distracted scientists wandering the halls of the city, they were going to start losing people. Okay, signage wasn't top of her priority list, and hopefully never would be, but if Rodney couldn't find where the coffee was kept, the whole city was going to suffer.

Of course, she herself wasn't lost at all. No. She was just exploring the hallways, wondering if she might find Major Sheppard in his office. Wherever that was.

It probably wasn't polite to peer into every room she passed, but it was, at least, effective.

"I take it your door is always open?"

Sheppard turned quickly, as though he hadn't just been idly staring out of the window at the starry Lantean sky. "Only until I figure out how to shut it. Oh." He hurried forwards as she jumped into the room, narrowly avoiding having the sliding doors close on her. "Sorry about that."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth gave him a mock-stern look. "Be careful what you think around here, Major."

"Yeah, I'm getting that." He hovered awkwardly, first tucking his hands in his pockets then folding his arms across his chest. "So," he said, leaning forwards semi-conspiratorially, "I have an office."

"I can see that." At the moment, it was pretty much just a room with a desk and chair in it, but since there wasn't a bed, it was more like an office than anything else. And it was convenient for the control room. "How's Sergeant Bates getting on with the room assignments?"

"Just fine." Retreating to his desk, Sheppard unfolded his arms to lean back against it. "He's given the Athosians their own section, the scientists all want quarters near their labs so I think he's assigning them on a 'who shouts the loudest basis' – McKay got his first, by the way – and most of the Marines can't believe their luck. Have you seen the size of these rooms?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Some of them. What about you?"

"I've got an office and Bates said he'd find me a bunk somewhere. I'll be fine." He shifted awkwardly, half-folding his arms again, before changing his mind and putting them back on the table. "Am I supposed to have stuff in here? Certificates, pictures, that kind of thing?"

Surprised by the question, Elizabeth found herself smiling. "I think it's up to you. Do you have any pictures?"

"I could probably get some from someone…" He trailed off, frowning. "They're maybe not the kind of thing I should put up in here."

Since she didn't particularly want to think about what they could be (she'd already decided that what the Marines put up in their private quarters was no one's business but theirs), Elizabeth leaned a shoulder against the wall, trying to match Sheppard's half-relaxed posture. "So, is there anything we need to talk about right now? Most matters of business can wait for regular meetings, but I wanted to check if there were any pressing problems that couldn't wait until we'd both had some sleep."

"I don't think so. Bates seems to have it all under control." Slowly, Sheppard got to his feet, circling the desk before carefully lowering himself into the chair. The desk definitely didn't suit him, and not just because of his slightly sideways view on the uniform regulations that made him seem out of place in such a formal setting. It looked too solid, too static for him, as though its weight was bearing down on him already.

Impulsively, Elizabeth asked, "Why did you say yes?" When he looked up at her, eyebrows raised, she went on, "To coming on the expedition. You didn't seem too keen."

"I talked to General O'Neill," came the flat reply, but his hands made lazy circles on the desk's surface, and he let his gaze drift away from her again.

"As much as I'm willing to believe in the General's powers of persuasion, you don't strike me as the kind of man to let anyone talk him into anything. And I know he didn't order you." She pushed off the wall, coming to stand at the end of the desk, looking down at his profile. "So why did you sign up? Or why didn't you want to?"

"I thought you were going to ground me." He was talking to his hands, and Elizabeth had to lean a little to hear him. "Doctor Beckett kept going on and on about the whole gene thing, and there's General O'Neill telling me it's a whole lot bigger than me and McKay looking like all his Christmases had come early. But if I said yes, no one could promise me that I was ever going to fly again." When he turned his head to look up at her, Elizabeth wondered how she could have thought his face was unreadable. It was all right there, in his eyes.

"So why did you say yes?" she said softly, not looking away from him, and he smiled, more to himself than her.

"Because I figured if I didn't, General O'Neill was going to ground me anyway. Anyway, I flipped a coin and liked the answer. So I signed."

"You flipped a coin?" Despite herself, Elizabeth laughed, putting both hands on the table and shaking her head. "I've got to tell you, Major, that's not the most encouraging thing you could have told me."

He shrugged. "You wanted me, you got me. Although I'm not sure either one of us had this in mind." His nod took in the desk, the office, the city, the Pegasus galaxy and the whole situation that had landed him in command.

"Maybe not." Elizabeth shrugged, hoping her own gesture conveyed as much as his had. "But this is my expedition, Major, and I wanted you on it." She straightened up, giving his office a final look-round. "If you decide you want anything decorative in here, let me know. I'm sure we can scrounge you something. Otherwise, I think it's fine just as it is."

He met her eyes properly this time, acknowledging all she wasn't saying with another of those eloquent nods. "Goodnight, Doctor Weir."

"Elizabeth, please. Goodnight, Major."

"John."

"John." With a final nod she walked towards the doors, stopping just in front of them and looking back. He was still watching her, his hands resting easily now on the desk, fingers moving slowly as though already planning what they were going to do next. As she looked at him, she decided that no, he didn't look out of place there after all. He looked like someone who was going to shape the room to fit him, whether it liked it or not. She hoped that at least some of that was in her eyes, but that hadn't been why she'd looked back.

When she raised an eyebrow at him, he frowned.

"Is there..."

"You could open the door for me."

His grin of relief was swiftly followed by the sound of the door opening. "I'll get McKay to sort that out tomorrow."

"That sounds like a good start. Goodnight, John."

"Goodnight, Elizabeth."

Comments

[leesa_perrie]

Okay, signage wasn't top of her priority list, and hopefully never would be, but if Rodney couldn't find where the coffee was kept, the whole city was going to suffer.

and:
the scientists all want quarters near their labs so I think he's assigning them on a 'who shouts the loudest basis' – McKay got his first, by the way...

Are just two of my favourite bits!! LOL! I also love the conversation between John and Elizabeth, and the bits with the door are a nice touch.

Thanks for sharing.

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

Thanks - I thought it needed something to lighten it up a bit. Glad you enjoyed :)

[trystings.livejournal.com]

He hovered awkwardly, first tucking his hands in his pockets then folding his arms across his chest. "So," he said, leaning forwards semi-conspiratorially, "I have an office."

It's perfect. I can't believe you wrote this in only 38 minutes. It's like watching a scene in the show. Thanks.

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I could really *see* it when I was writing, so I'm glad that came across. Glad you enjoyed and thanks for commenting :)

[maxinemayer.livejournal.com]

Really enjoyed this story! Thank you for sharing! Love, mxm

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

This was wonderful! You made it so easy to picture Elizabeth and Sheppard, Sheppard especially. I especially loved this line...

"As she looked at him, she decided that no, he didn't look out of place there after all. He looked like someone who was going to shape the room to fit him, whether it liked it or not."

Very much Sheppard, I think.

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that line worked - I wasn't sure if it was a bit too much, but I'd run out of time to edit!

Thank you :D

[eliyes.livejournal.com]

Very nice. :3

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

Thanks :D

[tanaquiljall]

A great little vignette. Both John and Elizabeth are very well characterised, and I love how you included a lot of subtle use of gestures to convey mood and thoughts. As others have said, your descriptions conjured up a very clear scene without overloading the piece. Thanks for sharing.

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. I've been trying to find a way to write this conversation for ages, and I think having it so fully formed in my head definitely helped. I was a bit worried about the level of description, so it's great to know that that worked.

Glad you enjoyed!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

This is really lovely. In particular, I'm impressed with the way you've communicated the subtle things they say, don't say, and try to say.

[hajimebassaidai.livejournal.com]

I went to write a comment & caught what the first one said so...what lessa perrie said! *shrug*