Story Notes: This little fic is the result of a songfic discussion on GW and the urgent need for fluff.
Something you couldn't hide on a shelf
But to me they no longer have to explain
Because I know for myself.
John Sheppard looked at himself in the mirror and grinned as he wiped the last of the shaving cream from his face. It was early, too early considering how little sleep he had had the night before, but John had never felt more awake and rested in his life. He tossed the towel back in the direction of the rack and picked up his comb. A few flicks through his mop of black hair and it was time to go.
Whistling as he left his room and moving down the corridor with a bounce in his step, John paused to look out a nearby expanse of glass at the rising sun. “Yes indeed,” he murmured to himself, “it's going to be a very good day.”
When a boy is in love
And the world to him is a beautiful place
When a boy is in love
Ronon Dex took one last swipe with the whetstone on his razor sharp sword and looked at the light reflecting off the blade. Satisfied, he slid the weapon into its sheath and turned to observe his teammates. They were in the gear-up room getting ready to embark on a mission to hopefully set up a trade alliance with the inhabitants of a planet called Garlon. Teyla Emmagan was clipping her P-90 to her vest and checking her pockets to make sure she had all the proper supplies. Rodney McKay was stuffing his vest with energy bars and antiseptic wet wipes while keeping up a running commentary about how he thought he was coming down with a cold and hoped there wasn't going to be much walking. And across the room, their leader Lt. Col. John Sheppard was, to Ronon's total surprise, sitting on a bench twirling his pistol and smiling at something only he could see.
“Sheppard.” Ronon took a step closer and getting no response, raised his voice. “Sheppard, I think we're about ready.”
Teyla also turned toward John and observing his inattention, touched his arm. “Colonel Sheppard,” she said quietly, “I do believe we are ready to depart.”
John looked in her direction as if noticing he wasn't alone. “Oh, all righty,” He stood and holstered his weapon. “Let's go make some new friends.”
Teyla and Ronon exchanged a look but followed him from the room silently with McKay trailing behind.
“You know,” John was saying as they lined up waiting for the wormhole to engage, “I hear this planet is a garden paradise. Maybe we can pick some flowers.”
“Flowers?” Rodney snapped to attention. “Nobody said anything about flowers. Great, my allergies are already acting up. Just what I need.”
“It'll be fine Rodney,” the voice of Dr. Elizabeth Weir drifted down from where she was leaning on the balcony rail. “Maybe these are non-allergenic flowers. Now go bring us back a new alliance.” Her voice was light and teasing and she gave each of them a big smile, lingering a bit on John before she tilted her head back and lowered her eyes.
Not giving McKay a chance to answer, Ronon grabbed the back of his vest and tugged him through the event horizon through which Teyla had just disappeared. John turned and lifted a hand in farewell, then walked backwards into the wormhole. Elizabeth returned the small gesture and stood watching until the stargate shut down before whispering “Be safe” and turning back toward her office.
'Cause he lives on the love of his sweet little gem
The days are through, though it's not very long
Before he must talk to his girl on the phone
That's how it is when a boy falls in love.
Garlon was indeed a garden paradise with tall trees and flowering bushes bordering a wide road that led to a distant village. Everything had a prosperous look. The air even smelled fresh and clean. Teyla took a deep breath and turned to observe the reaction of her teammates to the new world.
“This is most pleasing,” she said. “Visiting this world should make this an enjoyable day.”
“Hurmph,” Rodney had decided the trip through the wormhole needed to be capped off with a snack so he was stuffing his mouth with a food bar.
Ronon scanned the general area looking for danger while John shook his head to decline Rodney's offer of half his snack.
“What, you turn down food,” McKay commented. “Come to think of it I didn't see you at breakfast. Has that famous high metabolism caught up with you at last? You're not getting sick are you? Because if you are I'm staying as far away from you as possible until we get back.”
“I'm not sick, McKay,” John interrupted. “I'm just not hungry. So now can we please go?”
The team meandered down the path with Ronon in the lead and Teyla bringing up the rear. They passed carefully tended garden plots with oddly familiar looking vegetables and small groves of trees with heavily laden branches. The fruit looked like a cross between an apple and a pear and in places had dropped beneath the trees where bees buzzed in frantic pursuit of the ripe objects.
“Bees!” Rodney exclaimed as he tried to put John between himself and the offending insects.
“Yes, bees,” John grinned at the thought. “Can honey be far away?”
“What is with you today?” McKay wondered. “This 'oh look a pile of manure there's gotta be a pony here somewhere' optimism is not attractive.”
“Relax Rodney,” John ordered, gesturing around him expansively, “it's a beautiful day. We're in a beautiful place. Enjoy it.”
“If you say so.” Rodney continued swatting at imaginary bees. “But don't be surprised if flying monkeys suddenly appear and take us away to the wicked witch.”
“What?” Teyla sometimes didn't understand a thing Rodney was talking about.
“There are no witches, or monkeys for that matter,” John assured them. “And look, not a munchkin in sight.”
Teyla just shook her head and urged them to walk a bit faster. Ronon ignored everyone and kept his eyes on the road ahead.
On the outskirts of the village, John called a halt and pulled out his radio.
“I think we need to report in before we make contact.”
Surprised, the others waited expectantly. “Did Dr. Weir not say we were to report in after our meeting with the village elders?” Teyla wondered.
John was already dialing the Atlantis frequency and speaking to control. “Yeah, but it won't hurt to touch base.”
When a boy is in love
If there's been any darkness it all fades from sight
When a boy is in love.
Soon the voice of their leader came on the radio. “Colonel, this is a surprise. Is everything all right?”
John smiled and looked sheepishly up at the sky. “All's well. Great in fact. It's a beautiful place. Wish you were here and all that.”
They could hear the laugh in Elizabeth's voice. “Well that's good. Have you met the Garlonians?”
“Not yet. We're about to enter the village.”
“Keep me posted.”
“You know I will.” John clicked off the radio and looked around at the puzzled faces of his team.
“Well boys and girl, don't just stand there. We're burning daylight.” Then he turned and strode confidently into the center of town with the others scrambling to catch up.
“Garlon,” Rodney was mumbling, “sounds like a new miracle fabric that won't wrinkle.”
“Shut up McKay,” Ronon growled and turned to observe the small group that was headed their way.
“Oh great, the cast of Braveheart meets A Midsummer Night's Dream.”
“Rodney,” Teyla said sternly. She didn't understand the references but knowing Rodney it had to be insulting.
“Well they look friendly.” John grinned and lowered his weapon.
For he knows when he sees her, his day will be complete
When they're finally alone and he kisses her lips
The world sings a love song and his heart turns a flip
That's how it is when a boy falls in love.
“Move it McKay!” John turned around for at least the third time since leaving the village and gestured for Rodney to hurry up. They had been forced to sit through an interminable meal complete with flowery speeches and lingering goodbyes before their new friends allowed them to leave. Now they were on their way back to the stargate with John setting a grueling pace with little consideration for how the rest of them were to keep up.
“I didn't realize this was the 200 yard sprint back to the 'gate,” Rodney protested after taking out a hankie and wiping the sweat from his face.
“I must say John.” Even Teyla was breathing a bit heavier than usual. “You seem to be in a bit of a hurry to get home.”
“And nobody's even chasing us,” Ronon said.
“For once,” Rodney added.
John glanced around at them and just kept walking. “We don't want to be late,” he called back over his shoulder, “I told Elizabeth we'd be back by dark.”
Rodney stared at the small bunch of brilliant blue flowers peeking out of John's backpack and shook his head. “I'm sure she will forgive us if we arrive a few minutes late if we're still alive.” But John didn't reply and a silent plea to Ronon and Teyla for help only got shrugs as an answer. No one on the team had been able to figure out what was up with John. They agreed that he had been acting strangely all day and this unusually anxious behavior without there being any imminent danger was the latest manifestation.
After the luncheon at which John had picked at his food and spent a good deal of time staring into space, he had disappeared for a time with one of the Garlonian elders. When he returned he quickly shoved a small packet into his backpack alongside the bouquet of flowers he had picked earlier.
“Sheppard is acting very unSheppardlike,” Rodney said behind his hand to Teyla and Ronon. “He and that guy whose name sounds like Mick Jagger just did some kind of deal.”
Teyla sighed and spoke distinctly. “His name is Michagor and he is their leading medal worker. I understand he creates some very beautiful pieces.”
“Hum. Maybe he's in the market for a new knife or two for Ronon's birthday.”
This earned him a shove from Ronon but he too was looking in John's direction with a furrowed brow.
“Well it's puzzling,” Rodney went on. “He didn't even react when Miss Cleavage over there almost sat in his lap when she was serving the soup.” He pointed to indicate a rather voluptuous young woman who was currently trying to catch John's eye and failing.
“Yeah, that was a surprise,” Ronon agreed.
“Shhh...here he comes,” Rodney hissed in a loud whisper.
At this point John had informed them that he had spoken on the radio once again to Elizabeth and it was time to move out. The lengthy goodbye ceremony delayed them for another good while and by the time they started in the direction of the stargate John was visibly anxious to get moving.
“What's with all the calls to Atlantis today?” Rodney asked as they formed up and started walking down the road. “Did Elizabeth think we couldn't handle this one or is she, as usual, expecting us to get in trouble?”
“She likes to stay informed, McKay. Now stop gabbing and walk.”
At Rodney's puzzled look, Ronon and Teyla just shrugged and prodded him forward. The trip down the road took considerably less time than it had earlier and they stepped through the wormhole just before sunset.
“We're home,” John called as he looked up in the direction of Elizabeth's office.
“So you are. And in one piece too,” Elizabeth joked as she quickly descended the stairs to meet them.
Rodney started taking rapidly, telling her about the Garlonians and the new trading alliance they had agreed to. He wound down when he realized she didn't appear to be listening because so far her eyes hadn't left John's face. He wasted a few seconds looking back and forth between them until Teyla pulled on his sleeve.
“Come Rodney,” she said. “Let us turn in our weapons and report for our post mission check up. You can fill Dr. Weir in on all that later.”
Rodney blinked at her, took another couple of glances at the man and woman that still hadn't spoken or moved, blinked several more times and followed his teammates from the room.
Their departure seemed to wake John from his stupor and dipping his head he gave Elizabeth a sheepish grin. “Dr. Weir, “ he said loudly for the benefit of the staff members that were still within hearing, “do you have a moment? I uh...have something of interest to show you.” He lifted his backpack in one hand and she caught sight of the blue blossoms just visible out of one corner.
“Why yes, Colonel, right this way.” She turned and preceded him up the stairs.
The strains of regret tear away at his heart
And late in the night, as he sleeps in his bed
Visions of her sweet charms, how they dance in his head
And before you know, he is buying a ring
To capture forever that sweet darling thing
That's how it is when a boy falls in love.
Reluctantly John entered his empty room and waved the lights on. The chill night air ruffled the curtain at the window he had forgotten to close earlier and a shaft of moonlight fell across the floor. Crossing to the window and pulling it closed, John looked out and across to the next tower with a wistful smile on his face. The small backpack he had abandoned shortly after his return from Garlon caught his attention and sitting on the edge of his bed, he reached inside. The bundle was still there, carefully wrapped in cloth and secured with twine. John untied it and held the object inside in his hand tightly. Almost reverently he opened the drawstring on the little bag and shook its contents into his hand. The circle of medal was cool on his palm and felt heavier than expected. Slipping it onto the tip of his finger, John held it up so that the green stone glittered in the light.
“With this ring,” John whispered, then looked around in embarrassment at his own sentimentality as if expecting to find himself suddenly not alone. Returning the ring to its pouch, John went about preparing to grab a few hours of precious sleep before having to resume his duties as military commander.
After all, tomorrow was going to be an important day. He needed to be well rested. John settled into his bed with a sigh and wiggled around to find a comfortable spot. The pillow was cold and he was lonely but recent memories and high hopes for tomorrow helped to relax his overtaxed brain and with one last smile he drifted off to what could only be very good dreams.