New Home (Stargate Atlantis fanfiction)

17 Dark times

Everything was perfect. Even more than perfect. Too perfect to last much longer. At least that was what Ronon thought before stepping from the armory with Sheppard. Girls were waiting for them in the gateroom.

"So when were you going to tell me that you bought an apartment in town?" Asked John with a wide grin. "Thank god I heard you talking to Beckett."

"I was going to tell you."

"Right, buddy, you certainly were." John punched his friend lightly in the arm. "It doesn't happen to be because your temporary quarters here are not really suitable for guests, does it?" Ronon growled quietly. "Or with certain gate technician..."

"Sheppard!"

"Ok, no more words, I know everything I wanted to."

"And what would that be?" Asked Cadman with smile. "What were you two talking about?"

"Are you not a little too... " Started John.

"Open, sir?"

"Yeah, that's the word." He laughed just like the rest of the team. "Just don't show it in front of the general, will you?"

Hailey doubted general's opinion could change. Sheppard's laid back style of command was widely known throughout the SGC and it was unlikely anyone on base had a problem with that. Especially not Landry, who was able to see how quickly the SGC returned to its happy normalty that was ruined by losing Carter to command of the Hammond.

"Ok, team, you have a go!" they heard Landry on the speakers. "Godspeed." Then they looked, saw a smile from a young gate technician and started another off-world mission.

The planet looked very friendly. The plants reminded John of Athos and he suddenly wished he had been in Atlantis for Teyla's little celebration. She got her first Earth job and he didn't even know yet what it was. Then he remembered he had a great weekend with his family and Elizabeth and that he would have had to leave Elizabeth alone, since she was no longer part of their little close-knit group. She had no clearance and, what's more, no knowledge of those people.

"Colonel Sheppard?" Asked Hailey awaiting his decisions after the gate closed on their end. "Where now?"

"Ah, right..." He cleared his mind and concentrated on their mission. "Let's see what we can find in those bushes in front of us." He pointed forward lifting his P90 to be prepared for any problem that might arise. "UAV showed some ruins somewhere in that direction."

"Any clue for the distance?" Asked Porter.

"Four klicks, so prepare for a nice walk, kids." John put on his sunglasses and started forward. "Porter, you're with me, fighting machines watching our six."

All of them started smiling. 'Fighting machines' became a well known abbreviation for naming the three of them – Ronon, Cadman and Hailey. The title was well deserved since they scored maximum grades during their quals lest month. They were the best on base in all possible tests, including shooting range, physicals and hand to hand combat. While Ronon was sure to beat everyone else, two small women were not really perceived a threat. Porter was not really great, but she was classified much better than at the beginning – John supposed it had something to do with some nights she spent with Ronon in the gym. The biggest surprise was probably John, who scored well, but not really great, considering he was supposed to be one of the best. Mitchell, who scored somewhere in the first ten, teased John about it for almost two weeks after that.

"So, Liz" a blond woman entered her small office with a mischievous smile "who was that man who drove you here today?"

"Emma..." Elizabeth tried to think of something.