"You want to explain to me why the two of you were fighting in the jumper bay?"
John Sheppard glanced across at the poor excuse for an airman beside him. "No reason." he replied.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "From what I've heard, half the expedition was there to watch your little... display. I'm told there was even money bet."
Captain Dennis Mathers thrust his hands into his pockets and stared at his feet. "Minor disagreement," he mumbled.
"Minor?" John Sheppard turned and glared at him. Smug little bastard.
"What was the minor disagreement about. Captain Mathers?" Elizabeth asked calmly.
Dennis Mathers turned apprehensively to face John Sheppard. His commanding officer. The guy who never should have overheard the comments he was making to his workmates and hour before.
"It was... it was nothing..." he insisted nervously.
"Colonel?" Elizabeth asked.
"Nothing."
"Hmmm," Elizabeth started pacing a little in front of the two men, who looked decidedly like naughty schoolboys. "There was an awfully large crowd watching you fighting over nothing. Perhaps I should interview the spectators one by one. See what they know..."
"No," John sounded almost panicked and Elizabeth had to hide a smile, "you don't need to do that."
"I don't?" She smiled at him. The thought of catching more flies with honey crossed her mind, and she also granted Mathers a smile.
"It was about sport!" Mathers blurted out, looking to John for some sort of backup.
"Yeah, sport," John insisted.
"What kind of sport?"
Elizabeth tried not to laugh as the two men looked at each other, trying to figure out who was going to speak first.
"Football." John replied.
"Ah, and what is it about football that caused you to try to rip each other's heads off?"
"Well," John started, "Captain Mathers here thinks that soccer's the purest form of football, and I happen to disagree."
Elizabeth glanced towards Mathers, who looked disgusted at the thougth that he'd even watch soccer, let alone argue about it.
"Is that right, Captain Mathers?" Elizabeth asked.
He nodded, slowly.
"A man after my own heart. You follow the English Premier League?"
Mathers nodded again.
"I must say I'm a devout Chelsea fan. Nothing like watching the Red Devils play."
"Right," Mathers agreed. "Great team."
Elizabeth smiled, and looked from one man to the other. "You can go now, Captain Mathers," she said finally.
Mathers and John both moved to leave the room.
"John."
He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. One step away from freedom. One foot almost out the door. "Yes?" he gave her a pained smile.
"You do know that the Captain knows nothing about the English Premier League, don't you?"
John shrugged.
"And you do know that his mixing up Manchester United and Chelsea just gave your little lie away."
John rolled his eyes, "Okay, so you know we were fighting about something else. It's over. Forget it, you don't want to know"
"Actually, Rodney has quite a mouth on him. I already know."
John shot her a stunned look, "Then why..."
"Oh, I just wanted to see the two of you squirm." Elizabeth teased.
"If you know then you understand why I had to put him in his place!"
"John," she reached out to touch his arm. "You can't go physically attacking every man who makes... those sort of comments about me."
"Elizabeth," John was beginning to get frustrated, "you lead this expedition and he showed no respect for you. He was too busy telling his friends what he'd like to do to you..."
"I know, and it makes me sick to think about it. But you have to let it go. Or at least talk to him privately instead of making a spectacle out of yourselves."
John nodded, looking defeated. "Can I go now?" he asked meekly.
"Yes, you can go," Elizabeth told him with a smile.
John turned back to the door without even glancing at her.
"Oh, John?"
He shot a look over his shoulder.
"Thank you.."
He smiled back at his leader, "Think nothing of it."
John Sheppard glanced across at the poor excuse for an airman beside him. "No reason." he replied.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "From what I've heard, half the expedition was there to watch your little... display. I'm told there was even money bet."
Captain Dennis Mathers thrust his hands into his pockets and stared at his feet. "Minor disagreement," he mumbled.
"Minor?" John Sheppard turned and glared at him. Smug little bastard.
"What was the minor disagreement about. Captain Mathers?" Elizabeth asked calmly.
Dennis Mathers turned apprehensively to face John Sheppard. His commanding officer. The guy who never should have overheard the comments he was making to his workmates and hour before.
"It was... it was nothing..." he insisted nervously.
"Colonel?" Elizabeth asked.
"Nothing."
"Hmmm," Elizabeth started pacing a little in front of the two men, who looked decidedly like naughty schoolboys. "There was an awfully large crowd watching you fighting over nothing. Perhaps I should interview the spectators one by one. See what they know..."
"No," John sounded almost panicked and Elizabeth had to hide a smile, "you don't need to do that."
"I don't?" She smiled at him. The thought of catching more flies with honey crossed her mind, and she also granted Mathers a smile.
"It was about sport!" Mathers blurted out, looking to John for some sort of backup.
"Yeah, sport," John insisted.
"What kind of sport?"
Elizabeth tried not to laugh as the two men looked at each other, trying to figure out who was going to speak first.
"Football." John replied.
"Ah, and what is it about football that caused you to try to rip each other's heads off?"
"Well," John started, "Captain Mathers here thinks that soccer's the purest form of football, and I happen to disagree."
Elizabeth glanced towards Mathers, who looked disgusted at the thougth that he'd even watch soccer, let alone argue about it.
"Is that right, Captain Mathers?" Elizabeth asked.
He nodded, slowly.
"A man after my own heart. You follow the English Premier League?"
Mathers nodded again.
"I must say I'm a devout Chelsea fan. Nothing like watching the Red Devils play."
"Right," Mathers agreed. "Great team."
Elizabeth smiled, and looked from one man to the other. "You can go now, Captain Mathers," she said finally.
Mathers and John both moved to leave the room.
"John."
He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. One step away from freedom. One foot almost out the door. "Yes?" he gave her a pained smile.
"You do know that the Captain knows nothing about the English Premier League, don't you?"
John shrugged.
"And you do know that his mixing up Manchester United and Chelsea just gave your little lie away."
John rolled his eyes, "Okay, so you know we were fighting about something else. It's over. Forget it, you don't want to know"
"Actually, Rodney has quite a mouth on him. I already know."
John shot her a stunned look, "Then why..."
"Oh, I just wanted to see the two of you squirm." Elizabeth teased.
"If you know then you understand why I had to put him in his place!"
"John," she reached out to touch his arm. "You can't go physically attacking every man who makes... those sort of comments about me."
"Elizabeth," John was beginning to get frustrated, "you lead this expedition and he showed no respect for you. He was too busy telling his friends what he'd like to do to you..."
"I know, and it makes me sick to think about it. But you have to let it go. Or at least talk to him privately instead of making a spectacle out of yourselves."
John nodded, looking defeated. "Can I go now?" he asked meekly.
"Yes, you can go," Elizabeth told him with a smile.
John turned back to the door without even glancing at her.
"Oh, John?"
He shot a look over his shoulder.
"Thank you.."
He smiled back at his leader, "Think nothing of it."