Hello friends! It's been a little while since I updated, but I really wanted to focus on finishing another of my stories. It's all finished now. If you enjoy Supernatural check out my story Lies We Tell, I would love to hear what you think of it.
Back to Kai and John!
Happy Reading!
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John spent the rest of his day being irritable. His team figured it out pretty fast and since they weren't going off world they all steered clear of him. He ended up spending the day training some of the new recruits, running them through drills even Ronon would have considered extreme.
"All right, again!" He called and there was a collective groan. His comm activated in his ear. "Colonel Sheppard when you have a moment I would like to meet in my office."
"On my way," he responded. John blew out a frustrated sigh. "All right boys, that's it," he called and the relief in the room was palpable as he stalked towards the doors. He glanced back over his shoulder and they all quickly straightened. He snorted and shook his head as he left the gym.
Elizabeth was sitting behind her desk waiting for him. It wasn't a good sign. It meant whatever she had to discuss was serious. John closed the door behind him and took the seat across from her.
"What can I do for you?" He asked.
Elizabeth studied John's face carefully, trying to gauge his mood. When she had a meeting with Major Lorne earlier to discuss his next mission he had mentioned his concern that Sheppard was pushing the new recruits a little hard. It was unlike Sheppard to be emotional. One of the things she admired most about him was his ability to remain unflappable.
"Major Lorne and I had a conversation today," Elizabeth said, deciding to face the topic head on.
"Anything interesting?" John asked, because he knew that was what he was supposed to do.
"He mentioned that he thought you might be pushing the new recruits harder than usual today."
"Well the Pegasus galaxy is a rough place," John said a little sharper than he meant to. He didn't like the idea of his second in command going around him to tattle to Weir. It wasn't like Lorne. He was normally a straight shooter.
"Anything on your mind lately?" Elizabeth pushed. "Something we should talk about perhaps?"
John shook his head. "Can't think of anything."
"How about what I walked into this morning?" Elizabeth said a little sharply.
John arched his brows. "You didn't walk into anything."
"So a senior member of my staff and our most gifted mechanic yelling at one another in the hallway is nothing?" She asked.
John narrowed his eyes. "We weren't yelling." He growled defensively. He had seen Elizabeth in enough negotiations to know when she was trying to manipulate the situation to go her way and he wasn't going to play the game. "Let's skip the song and dance. Why don't you just ask me what you want to ask me?" John snapped.
Elizabeth arched her eyebrows but obliged. "Did something unprofessional occur between you and Kai last night?"
"No," he responded simply. Elizabeth paused for a beat and he could see her trying to decide if she was going to keep pushing or accept what he said. Either way she didn't look like she believed him.
John kept his face totally neutral. Had she asked the question in a different way she may have gotten the answer she was searching for, he had no intention of lying about it, but he also wasn't going to offer up anything he didn't need to.
Elizabeth bridged her fingers. "Than what is going on between the two of you?"
John hesitated. He honestly didn't know how to answer the question. "Look," he said. "Nothing, okay? Even if there was, she isn't a member of my team, she isn't a member of the United States military and if we are dead honest she isn't really even an employee of this expedition. She and I are friends okay?"
"Friends?" Weir pushed, her tone dripping with disbelief.
John's jaw tightened. He couldn't tell Weir what was going on between him and Kai because he honesty didn't know. Whatever it was however, he was protective of it, and Weir was pushing a little too hard for him to just take it. "Friends," John confirmed. And he used the one card he had left to play. "Just like you and Carson."
Elizabeth actually flinched at his words. Nothing had happened between herself and Carson, but the feelings were there. At least on her side. "I-" she started to stammer. She had been so sure no one had noticed, least of all Colonel Sheppard.
"Exactly," John said with a brisk nod. "Anything else?"
"No, that's it." Elizabeth said quickly, clearly still uncomfortable.
John turned and left the office. He felt a little bad for throwing her feelings about Carson in her face. But he wouldn't stand by and let her destroy whatever there was between him and Kai before it even began. He ran a hand over his eyes. He needed to find Kai.
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The search didn't take very long. He checked the gym, the lab and ended up finding her in the mess hall. The mess was nearly empty. She was sitting at a table in the back corner with her head in her hands, an untouched salad sitting in front of her. She probably had one hell of a hangover. He bit back a smile and went through the line. A salad wasn't anyone's idea of a hangover cure.
Five minutes later he set his tray down in front of Kai. "Best hangover cure in two galaxies."
Kai looked up, squinting against the bright fluorescent lights behind him. She turned back to the tray with a frown. "Those are French fries, and...is that a burrito?"
John nodded. "With extra cheese sauce. Trust me," he said with a boyish grin.
Kai was skeptical but reached for a fry. The salt and grease on the fries was somehow the greatest thing she had ever tasted. She ate five more before she finally conceded John was right. The greasy potato slices were in fact calming her stomach. She started in on the burrito and nearly moaned out loud, it tasted so good.
"So am I still in trouble?" John asked, reaching for a fry for himself.
Kai looked up at him. trying to stay mad at John was about as effective as being mad Carson. You just ended up feeling bad for it.
"I wasn't mad at you," Kai said, focusing a little too hard on the food in front of her. "I-" she started to say and stopped, she didn't know how to explain all she felt.
John shifted his weight and under the table his knee rested against hers. Kai flinched, but didn't pull away, her eyes snapped up to meet his. John's gaze was intense for a fleeting second before a smirk broke the moment. "So I'm forgiven?" He pressed teasingly.
Kai blew out a sigh. "Leave the fries," she advised begrudgingly.
John threw his head back and laughed. He rocked back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest watching as she finished the burrito. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He didn't want Kai mad at him anymore. Laying on the floor last night, while Kai slept in his bed, he had finally allowed himself to feel the relief that she was staying and to truly allow himself to believe it. It changed things, hell, it changed everything.
Kai finished the last of the fries and began packing up her stuff. John returned the tray and snagged a bottle of blue Gatorade. He had never seen Kai drink much aside from water and now alcohol but he offered it to her as they met at the doors. Kai looked down at the bottle in confusion.
"Sugar and electrolytes will help too," he promised waving the bottle at her temptingly. "Not everything is all carbs, grease and cheese sauce."
Kai shifted her messenger bag to her other shoulder and frowned at the bottle in his hand. "That looks like fluid I have added to the shuttles."
John looked down at it thoughtfully. "Kinda does," John agreed. "It will still help."
Kai took the bottle without further argument. She had witnessed enough other members of the expedition drinking it to be curious, and it was clear John was trying to make things right between them.
The truth was, Kai wasn't mad at all. She was mortified. She never lost control that way. She hated the idea that she didn't know what she could have said or done. She could have ruined everything in one stupid moment.
They stepped out into the hallway together and John tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked nervously up onto the balls of his feet. "Where you headed?" He asked.
Kai shrugged. "Zelenka gave me the day off, I was probably going to head up to the jumper bay."
John nodded and chewed on his lip, feeling a little like he was back in high school fumbling over his words in front of the prettiest girl in school. He had always been confident when it came to women, but Kai was different. She saw straight through him every time.
Kai swallowed as she stared at her feet. She was mortified over what had happened and she had to say something about it, but she didn't even know how to bring it up. She never should have lost control like that.
"About last night-" she started.
"Nothing happened!" John blurted out holding his hands up in surrender.
Kai reached out and grabbed his hands pulling them down. John flinched but didn't pull away as her fingers wound around his wrist and fingers.
"I know that," Kai promised him. "I'm sorry for dumping everything on you," she said quickly. She drew in a deep breath for courage and continued. "Thank you for...everything, for...taking care of me..." she clarified and she swallowed nervously as she dragged off worrying her lip in her teeth.
She seemed to realize in that moment that she was still holding onto him. She looked down and saw their joined hands and froze. When she raised her eyes he was staring down at her face just waiting, like he had all the time in the world. The truth was, John had always looked out for her and taken care of her, always been there no matter what.
She licked her lips and stared up at him as her heart pounded in her ears. "I-" she started to say and stopped. This was John, she didn't need to be nervous. Things had always been so simple between them, she just needed to stop overthinking everything.
His hazel eyes were incredibly intense as he stared down at her. The moment stretched between them. When Kai made the decision to stay something had shifted and everything changed. She had made the decision to be selfish and stay, she might as well be as selfish as she wanted. She had nearly lost him again yesterday, this time by her hand. It had shaken her, and she was sick of waiting. She drew in a breath and before she lost her nerve she pulled him towards her.
John let her pull him into her and Kai wound her hands around the back of his neck. She lifted up on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against his.
John froze for a second as though he couldn't believe this was happening. Then he dropped his hands to her hips and kissed her back. Kai made a noise low in her throat and John's fingers tightened around her hips, pulling her against him.
Around the corner the door of the mess hall slid open loud enough even John heard it. The two of them jumped back away from each other. John crossed his arms over his chest and Kai started digging in her bag as two scientists walked by talking about their current research project. They wouldn't have fooled anyone but the scientists were so wrapped up in their conversation they didn't notice. As they disappeared around the corner John and Kai looked up at each other.
John smirked, looking maybe a little smug and Kai chuckled, cupping her forehead in her hand. She didn't know what had come over her and didn't know what to say now. She didn't regret it and he certainly didn't look like he had either.
The comm in her ear activated and she flinched as the real world caught up to them. "Kai are you available to come to the gate room for a consultation?" Major Lorne's voice came in her ear.
She cleared her throat and touched her comm. "I'll be there in five minutes." She responded.
When she turned back around John was watching her. "I need to-" she dragged off gesturing down the hall.
"Right, of course," John agreed and he watched as Kai headed off down the hall. He exhaled and scrubbed a hand through his messy hair. "Good going John," he muttered to himself. "Five minutes after telling Weir nothing is going on," he turned headed to the gym. He needed to burn off some energy so he could focus and figure out what in the hell he was going to do.
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Coup D'etat
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Weir hated to be the bearer of bad news and she knew what this was going to mean for the Colonel. It was just two days after their talk in her office and even though there was nothing unprofessional between them, he still cared for Kai.
She found Sheppard and Teyla sparring in the gym. She could have called him to her office, or notified him over the radios, but that all felt too impersonal. She had to tell him herself. She and Major Lorne had made the call and she would stare him in the eyes when she told him what was happening.
The doors slid open to show John and Teyla pacing around one another on the mats. Teyla saw her and straightened, immediately disengaging from the fight. "Doctor Weir," she greeted, bowing her head respectfully.
"Elizabeth," John said turning around. His smile stilled on his face when he saw her expression. "What happened?" he asked without her having to say anything.
Elizabeth swallowed nervously and tangled her fingers together. "We've lost contact with Major Lourne's team on M1K-177," she reported clinically.
John tossed the bantos rod aside turning to fully face her. He racked his brain to try and remember what Lorne's mission had been. It couldn't have been too risky of one if it wasn't coming to him. "How long ago?" he asked, all business.
"It's been an hour since they were due to check in," she reported.
He nodded not quite following why Elizabeth was so worked up and why she would have come down herself instead of calling it in. "All right, well that's not too bad. Sometimes things happen," he allowed, although they both knew Lorne never missed a check-in. The man was meticulous when it came to running his ops. "Let's send Brown's team in and they-"
Elizabeth cleared her throat and John stopped, looking down at her in confusion. "I thought you might want to check on them yourself," she said. Her eyes flickered to Teyla. Sheppard wasn't getting it and she wondered if perhaps the Athosian had. Teyla was frowning suspiciously, but hadn't quite seemed to grasp what was happening.
"What was the mission?" Teyla asked gently. Elizabeth was behaving oddly for a routine late check in and Teyla could practically feel the nervous energy coming off the other woman.
"Major Lorne's team was there doing a route medicine drop. The villagers alluded to some kind of ancient structure with technology inside..." she dragged off. "It was my suggestion," she quickly confessed but it did little to make her feel better.
A bad feeling went over John. He knew McKay was still on Atlantis. He had seen Radek playing chess in the mess that morning. Which left only one other person Lorne would have thought to ask along to look over the technology.
He locked down his muscles as worry became an ugly pit in his stomach. He hadn't seen Kai since the other day in the hall, he had been assuming she was avoiding him after their kiss. It hadn't occurred to him that she had gone off world.
He reached up and touched his comm. "Ronon, McKay gear up," he told them. "We're leaving in ten." He turned to face Teyla who nodded once sharply and strode quickly out of the room.
Elizabeth was still watching him with a mixture of guilt and concern. "Tell me everything about their mission," he ordered.
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By the time AR-1 was geared up and reached the control room a message had come through the Stargate from Doctor Lindsey Novak. Major Lorne's team was in trouble. They were under fire and needed backup.
John led his team across the event horizon without hesitation. It surprised him when all was quiet on the other side of the gate. It was night, the gate was in a small clearing outside of the town.
Doctor Lindsey was waiting for them wringing her hands nervously. "Thank God you're here, this way!" She called and she led the way back towards the town.
"How much further?" John asked as he strode purposefully through the village. The others were actually struggling to keep up and Lindsey was almost jogging beside him. He didn't like how quiet it was. With Lorne and Kai here being attacked it should have looked like a war zone.
"It's just up ahead," Novak told him, breathing hard.
Teyla glanced at the Colonel and then back at Lindsey as she stretched her legs to maintain the pace. She wasn't sure she understood why the Colonel was so upset. She knew he cared about his men and their wellbeing but a response like this was most unlike him.
"When was the last time you had contact with them?" Teyla asked in a soothing voice. The Colonel hadn't asked any other questions. He had absolute target fixation and the rest of them needed to know what they were walking into.
"They came under fire about half an hour before I got to the gate. Ah, the Major told me to head to the gate and radio for backup. I haven't heard from them since," she said, tangling her fingers together.
"They were under fire and you didn't go back to help?" Ronon asked, his disgust with the scientist clear.
"The Major told me to stay by the gate," she defended weakly.
"You did the right thing," Teyla soothed.
They turned the last corner and pulled up as Lindsey stared up at the building in shock. Steam and smoke were still billowing from the burned out windows.
"Oh my god," Lindsey muttered.
"Is that the building you were in?" John asked tightly. He was shutting himself down piece by piece as it became painfully apparent something terrible had happened.
Lindsey turned to him, nodding. Her eyes wide with shock.
McKay looked around in disgust. "Shouldn't there be villagers? Trying to put out the fire?"
Ronon glanced back at the building his gun in his hand. "The fires already out, that's just steam and smoke."
John looked at Teyla and Ronon. He lifted his gun checking the slide to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber. "Let's take a look," he turned to McKay. "You stay here with Lindsey."
"Oh hey sure," McKay snapped his eyes running over the dark buildings surrounding them. The village felt hostile. "Just know that if you hear gunfire it's me olding back our attackers all on my own, huh?"
John ignored him as they approached the building. He didn't have the energy to deal with McKay right now. Not when he was so sure something had gone wrong.
He held his hand against the front door, when it was only warm he opened it. They were hit by a rush of heat but there was still no sign of actual flames. Everything was wet, and the rising steam soaked into their clothes.
"A fire like this would have burned the whole village had someone not dealt with it," Teyla observed. She coughed once as she and Ronon chatted. Sheppard still hadn't spoken.
"Somebody put it out," Ronon agreed. "They just didn't stick around and talk about it."
The three of them moved up the stairs. As they entered the main room a beam collapsed nearly taking out Ronon. Ronon and Teyla flinched back. "Ah, it's not safe to be up here," Ronon said.
John shot him an incredulous look. "Thanks for that," he snapped sarcastically. He didn't want to endanger anyone else, but he had to know.
John prowled through the room and crouched near the far wall. "I got something," he called to them. He pulled his knife and dug through the wreckage. "Damn it," he muttered .
"What?" Ronon called.
Sheppard lifted a chain free from the body with his knife, holding it up to the light. "Dog tags, These are Lorne's." He said pinching his lips together. "Spread out," he ordered them. "We need to know what happened to the others."
"Who was on this mission?" Teyla asked after a moment.
"Novak obviously. Lorne, Johnson, Markham and Zian," John reported emotionlessly, but even saying her name felt like he had been stabbed in the chest. He knew something was wrong. He couldn't feel...well anything. Whatever that feeling was that he felt sometimes when she was around wasn't here. Which meant she wasn't here.
"I believe I have found another," Teyla called. She crouched beside the body, muttering a prayer for peace over the remains. She recognized what was left of the uniform to be from Atlantis. She lifted the necklace out from under the man's clothing and turned it so she could see the small etched writing. "It is Johnson," she said gravely.
Ronon moved towards the wall and froze. He reached down and grunted as he lifted a burnt out piece of timber. He tossed aside the beam and when it crashed the whole floor shuddered dangerously beneath their feet, but he didn't care.
"What's that?" Teyla asked, coming up behind him with a frown. "The bones of a child? A teenager?" she asked, her voice filled with emotion. She could not imagine what would have possessed these people to hurt one of their own children. Major Lorne would have never allowed such a thing.
Ronon dropped to his knees. "No," he said harshly.
"Then-" Teyla started to say.
John stepped up beside her and his whole body locked down at he stared down at the small skeleton. It had always been startling to him to see the size difference in a male and female skeleton and Kai was small. Had been small. He tried to swallow as his mouth turned to ash.
"It's Kai," John said. His voice was firm and didn't convey any of the emotions that were raging through his body. He turned to the others. "Head back to the jumper and radio to Atlantis to send a team."
Teyla exchanged a worried look with Ronon. She didn't want to leave the Colonel alone right now. His face was an emotionless mask, but she knew how he felt about Kai. Or at least she suspected how he felt, it was impossible to know staring at his cold face.
"Go," John snapped.
Both Ronon and Teyla did as they were told, leaving John standing over the skeleton alone amid the wreckage.
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Hope you enjoyed the update!