sga_flashfic | Comfort Challenge by elementalv

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Title: Orientation
Author:

elementalv
Rating: PG
Notes: Gen, roughly 900 words. It’s comfort fic, of a sort.
Spoilers: Post-ep tag for Whispers (5x07) with added authorial speculation about the whys and wherefores of staffing on Atlantis.
Summary: All she planned to do was pop her head in to inform Major Lorne that her AAR was ready for review.

~*~*~
All she planned to do was pop her head in to inform Major Lorne that her AAR was ready for review. That was it, and never mind that she could have just as easily sent him an e-mail and trusted that he would read it, which was irrelevant, because she happened to be passing by his office on her way to — someplace. She just hadn’t figured out where.

Only — “Have a seat, Major,” he said, not looking away from his monitor.

“I don’t want to interrupt. You still have a lot to do before the Daedalus departs.” The protest was pro forma, and they both would have known that even if she hadn’t sat down as soon as he issued the invitation.

He set his screensaver and turned to look at her, his face a careful mask of bland curiosity. “How did your first mission with the Colonel go?”

“You have my report,” she said stiffly. One of these days, she might actually be able to slip into the relaxed informality that other officers seemed to share, but then again, one of these days, she might also be named President of the United States of America by general acclamation.

“And I’m sure it’s absolutely accurate in its particulars.” He paused. “Vega was a good officer. She’ll be missed.”

Teldy stiffened her back and reminded herself that no one, not Woolsey and not the Colonel, blamed her for that. If anything, Sheppard blamed himself, but she didn’t know him well enough to say for certain. After a moment, she forced herself to relax her muscles and answered, “I hardly knew her.”

“That’s a shame.” Lorne stared at her for a moment longer, then asked, “What else happened?”

She’d had no intention — no conscious intention of saying it — but once Lorne opened the floor for discussion, she couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out.

“He sent us to safety,” she said. “He went down into the mist and made us stay high!”

One of Lorne’s eyebrows went up. “Was C4 involved?”

“I — what?”

“C4,” Lorne said patiently. “Was C4 part of his plan?”

“Well, yes. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Sheppard never leaves home without it. And for the record, if it had been me and my team, he would have done exactly the same thing,” he told her, answering the complaint she hadn’t issued.

Not that she believed him for a moment.

“Right.” She didn’t make much of an effort to keep the skepticism out of her voice.

“You haven’t met Teyla yet, have you?”

Teldy tried to place the name with a face. She’d been on Atlantis for ten days and spent most of her time learning what would be expected of her as Sheppard’s new XO. Normally, she would have met him long before now, but normal was as far away as the Milky Way. In fact, she’d only met Sheppard for the first time on the planet. Though she would have preferred a more formal introduction, there hadn’t been a chance — he’d only returned from R&R the night before her first mission.

“She’s —”

“Sheppard’s 2IC on his team and the aboriginal liaison between Atlantis and every other planet in Pegasus. She’s also the only person on base who can kick Ronon’s ass from here to Sunday without breaking a sweat.”

At that, Teldy blinked. She’d seen Ronon systematically mow down twenty Marines in hand-to-hand training before announcing he was hungry and wandering off to the mess. After he left, a woman stepped onto the mat and announced that she would continue their training, which elicited at least one whimper.

“The one with the sticks?”

Lorne grinned. “That’s the one.”

“Jesus.” So maybe Lorne was right about it, about Sheppard not sending her to safety because she’s a woman. On the other hand — “Okay, I take your point. But he still shouldn’t have been the one to set the charge.”

Lorne’s response was to look over Teldy’s shoulder and raise an eyebrow. “You see, Sir? I’m not the only one who thinks the commanding officer shouldn’t put his ass on the line.”

Against her better judgment, Teldy turned around to see Sheppard slouching in the doorway. Her face flamed, and she was ready to kill Lorne for setting her up this way. Christ. If he didn’t want her to take over as XO, why the hell did he recommend her to Sheppard?

“Yeah, yeah. Tell it to the Marines.” Sheppard smirked at her and said, “Oh wait — you already did.” Teldy started to rise, but Sheppard waved her down. “Don’t stand on my account, Major. It sounds like Lorne still has a way to go with your orientation, and I don’t want to interrupt class.” To Lorne, he said, “Have you warned her about my unholy love for nukes?”

“Not yet, Sir. We’ve only gotten to the point where you won’t share your toys with anyone.”

“I’m surprised,” Sheppard said. “Shouldn’t that have been a day-one topic?”

“No, Sir,” Lorne said with a perfectly straight face. “Some things need to be seen to be believed.”

“Understood.” Sheppard gave them both a casual salute and said, “I’ll leave you to it, then. Don’t forget to warn her about McKay.”

Sheppard left, and Teldy turned back to Lorne. “He has an unholy love for nukes?”

Lorne shrugged. “Everyone has their little quirks.”

Current Music: Whispers - Stargate Atlantis

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From:

meekosan.livejournal.com

LMAO!!! I love it!! You sooo need to continue this orientation!

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