John shuffled nervously. Elizabeth was staring at him with a look that seemed a mix of confusion, anger and frustration.
He looked on apprehensively as she turned back towards the leader of the Zimara people, switching her expression immediately to a business-like, professional response.
"If you'll excuse me," she said, smiling, "I need to speak to Colonel Sheppard alone for a moment."
The leader nodded, his bright blue eyes darting from Elizabeth to John, and back again, "Of course," he replied, "you may speak here. I shall return to my office."
Elizabeth turned to glare at John as soon as the man had left the room.
"What?" He asked, once again, shuffling around, wringing his hands nervously.
"What the hell are you doing?"
John cringed. She was angry. Definitely angry.
"Well?"
John closed his eyes, took a breath and started to formulate his answer. "He was... you saw what he was doing... he was blatantly hitting on you, Elizabeth. He needed to be put in his place..."
"And you think I can't do that myself?"
"When he's doing it right in front of me when he thinks I'm your husband? Come on, Elizabeth..."
"He only thinks you're my husband because that's what's necessary to negotiate with these people. It's the ultimate in patriarchal societies, John, we have to adapt if we're going to trade with them.."
He shot her a bitter look, "Why you want to trade with people who don't accept you for who you are... who see you as nothing without a husband.. it's beyond me."
Elizabeth sighed, and took a step towards him, running a hand gently up and down his right arm. She could feel the tension in him. She could feel how frustrating this situation was for him. "Sometimes," she said softly, "we have to compromise. I don't like the way he's treating me any more than you do. But we need what they have. If this is the way to get it, so be it."
"I don't like these people," John told her firmly. "I don't like the way he looks at you."
Elizabeth gave his arm a squeeze, "He's not going to do anything."
"You bet he's not, because if he does, I'll have to make sure he doesn't have the anatomy to try anything with anyone else."
Elizabeth laughed.
"What?" John asked indignantly. "You think I'd let him get away with it? The sexist, chauvinist bastard."
"You're such a feminist, John Sheppard," Elizabeth smirked.
"Only since I met you," he confessed.
She smiled at that, "Then I'm flattered... let's go and meet the sexist pig in his office, shall we?" she asked, walking towards the door.
John turned and followed her, resting a hand on her back.
If he survived this trip without getting thrown in a prison cell for insulting the community and its leaders for having such archaic customs, he was going to get Elizabeth in to the gym.
He had plans to show her exactly how to hit a man where it hurt the most.
He looked on apprehensively as she turned back towards the leader of the Zimara people, switching her expression immediately to a business-like, professional response.
"If you'll excuse me," she said, smiling, "I need to speak to Colonel Sheppard alone for a moment."
The leader nodded, his bright blue eyes darting from Elizabeth to John, and back again, "Of course," he replied, "you may speak here. I shall return to my office."
Elizabeth turned to glare at John as soon as the man had left the room.
"What?" He asked, once again, shuffling around, wringing his hands nervously.
"What the hell are you doing?"
John cringed. She was angry. Definitely angry.
"Well?"
John closed his eyes, took a breath and started to formulate his answer. "He was... you saw what he was doing... he was blatantly hitting on you, Elizabeth. He needed to be put in his place..."
"And you think I can't do that myself?"
"When he's doing it right in front of me when he thinks I'm your husband? Come on, Elizabeth..."
"He only thinks you're my husband because that's what's necessary to negotiate with these people. It's the ultimate in patriarchal societies, John, we have to adapt if we're going to trade with them.."
He shot her a bitter look, "Why you want to trade with people who don't accept you for who you are... who see you as nothing without a husband.. it's beyond me."
Elizabeth sighed, and took a step towards him, running a hand gently up and down his right arm. She could feel the tension in him. She could feel how frustrating this situation was for him. "Sometimes," she said softly, "we have to compromise. I don't like the way he's treating me any more than you do. But we need what they have. If this is the way to get it, so be it."
"I don't like these people," John told her firmly. "I don't like the way he looks at you."
Elizabeth gave his arm a squeeze, "He's not going to do anything."
"You bet he's not, because if he does, I'll have to make sure he doesn't have the anatomy to try anything with anyone else."
Elizabeth laughed.
"What?" John asked indignantly. "You think I'd let him get away with it? The sexist, chauvinist bastard."
"You're such a feminist, John Sheppard," Elizabeth smirked.
"Only since I met you," he confessed.
She smiled at that, "Then I'm flattered... let's go and meet the sexist pig in his office, shall we?" she asked, walking towards the door.
John turned and followed her, resting a hand on her back.
If he survived this trip without getting thrown in a prison cell for insulting the community and its leaders for having such archaic customs, he was going to get Elizabeth in to the gym.
He had plans to show her exactly how to hit a man where it hurt the most.