Okay, I blame SW for starting this, but we have had much too little Sparky fluff lately, and this one is so sweet you may have to take a shot of insulin after reading it. I get a lot of my plot bunnies from songs. This one jumped on me while I was driving down the parkway earlier on the way back from Safeway. It's unbeta'd so all errors are mine.
First of all, here's the song.
And the fic.
Dum da dum. Dum da dum. Dum da dum.
Time after time, John Sheppard strummed his guitar, nodding his head slightly with the beat, brow furrowed in concentration. His lips moved slightly, but none of his teammates could manage to catch the lyrics he was whispering.
Da da dum dum dum. Dum da dum. Dum da dum.
John was leaning back in his chair, balanced precariously on two of its legs, seemingly oblivious to everything but his music.
“Straw-ber-ry. Straw-ber-ry. Straw-ber-ry.” Rodney McKay bobbed his head with each note, having found a word that fit the slow waltz rhythm.
In the opposite corner, Ronon Dex stood leaning against the wall and polishing his sword with a piece of cloth. Somehow his slow strokes up and down the blade managed to pick up the rhythm of Sheppard’s playing.
Teyla Emmagan seemed to be suppressing a grimace as she sank gracefully to the floor and folded her legs into her usual posture for meditating. Eyes closed, she sighed and let her mind take her out of the room.
“Promise me that you will always…” John’s voice became a bit more distinct, and Rodney suddenly began snapping his fingers rapidly.
“Ooh, ooh, ooh, now I know what that song is. My grandma used to sing it when she was busy making strawberry jam. I knew it had something to do with fruit.”
John’s hands stilled and he let the front two legs of the chair fall with a thud. “That song has nothing whatsoever to do with fruit or jam or any other kind of food, McKay.”
“Well, not the lyrics obviously, but I’m just saying Gran used to sing it when she…oh, just forget it, she sang it a lot better than you do anyway.”
“How much longer do we have to wait?” Ronon interrupted the argument.
John looked at his watch and shrugged. “Don’t know. Elizabeth said the negotiations might take a while.” He eyed the closed door through which Elizabeth Weir had disappeared some time ago, along with three representatives of the government on RGX-496, the planet on which they were currently guests.
Ronon held his newly polished sword up so that it reflected the light and replied, “If it’s not soon, I may have to use this on somebody.”
Rodney winced and John frowned. Teyla rolled her shoulders and said, without opening her eyes. “Perhaps if you told me the words to your strawberry song, I could sing it for us to help pass the time.”
John’s eyes darted from side to side as if searching for a way to escape or maybe hoping he could pretend she wasn’t talking to him.
Rising from his seat on a small bench against the wall, Rodney stretched his arms above his head and did a few flexing exercises. “Anything would beat listening to ‘dum de dum dum’ over and over.”
“Now, let me see,” Rodney went on, ignoring John’s lack of enthusiasm and Ronon’s glare. “I think I know most of the words, something about being nobody’s darling but mine.”
Teyla took a seat on the bench Rodney had vacated and waited patiently.
“Ah, yes,” Rodney began, making a circular motion with his hand for John to resume playing.
Reluctantly, John obliged and Rodney sang along in a surprisingly good tenor.
Encouraged, John continued playing as Teyla joined her voice with Rodney’s and they repeated the first part. Ronon folded his arms and grinned at them.
The next few stanzas of the song were handled in a similar fashion, and this time John’s warm baritone joined in.
It wasn’t until the last notes had faded away that the inhabitants of the small room noticed they were no longer alone.
“That was beautiful,” Elizabeth stood grinning at her team and applauding softly. “Who knew we had such talent in our group?”
Teyla laughed and patted Rodney’s arm. “It is a most beautiful song and well performed.” She nodded at John to include him in her praise.
Rodney preened and tried to look modest. “Sheppard here was plunking away, going over and over the same few bars and driving us all to suicide when I suddenly remembered I had heard the song before.”
“Well, what I heard of it was lovely,” Elizabeth said, looking at John, who had jumped to his feet and was holding his guitar by the neck down by his side like he was trying to hide it.
“Thanks,” he shrugged, “just, you know, killing time.”
“Are we ready to go home?” Ronon asked.
“I think so,” Elizabeth zipped up her jacket and straightened her backpack. “They want me to return next week after they have had time to discuss our offer, but we’re done for now.”
Letting the others precede them out of the building and begin the short trek back to the stargate, Elizabeth fell into step beside John. He glanced over at her, briefly meeting her eyes and then letting his slide away.
“So, Colonel,” she said, “interesting choice of songs.”
“It’s an old one.” John looked all around as if searching for predators. “Easy to play.”
Elizabeth nodded. “And the lyrics?”
John seemed startled. “Oh, the lyrics. Well you know how those old songs are...sentimental in the extreme.”
Taking a step closer, Elizabeth nudged him with her shoulder and picked up her pace a bit. “And not entirely without truth.”
“There’s that too.” John smiled and caught her eyes for a long moment.
“What’s the hold up back there?” Rodney’s loud voice came back to them from a bend in the road. “I’m starving and my feet hurt. Let’s get a move on.”
“Keep your shirt on, McKay,” John replied and grinning, both he and Elizabeth jogged a bit to catch up, happy to be going home.
First of all, here's the song.
And the fic.
Spoiler:
Nobody’s Darlin’
Dum da dum. Dum da dum. Dum da dum.
Time after time, John Sheppard strummed his guitar, nodding his head slightly with the beat, brow furrowed in concentration. His lips moved slightly, but none of his teammates could manage to catch the lyrics he was whispering.
Da da dum dum dum. Dum da dum. Dum da dum.
John was leaning back in his chair, balanced precariously on two of its legs, seemingly oblivious to everything but his music.
“Straw-ber-ry. Straw-ber-ry. Straw-ber-ry.” Rodney McKay bobbed his head with each note, having found a word that fit the slow waltz rhythm.
In the opposite corner, Ronon Dex stood leaning against the wall and polishing his sword with a piece of cloth. Somehow his slow strokes up and down the blade managed to pick up the rhythm of Sheppard’s playing.
Teyla Emmagan seemed to be suppressing a grimace as she sank gracefully to the floor and folded her legs into her usual posture for meditating. Eyes closed, she sighed and let her mind take her out of the room.
“Promise me that you will always…” John’s voice became a bit more distinct, and Rodney suddenly began snapping his fingers rapidly.
“Ooh, ooh, ooh, now I know what that song is. My grandma used to sing it when she was busy making strawberry jam. I knew it had something to do with fruit.”
John’s hands stilled and he let the front two legs of the chair fall with a thud. “That song has nothing whatsoever to do with fruit or jam or any other kind of food, McKay.”
“Well, not the lyrics obviously, but I’m just saying Gran used to sing it when she…oh, just forget it, she sang it a lot better than you do anyway.”
“How much longer do we have to wait?” Ronon interrupted the argument.
John looked at his watch and shrugged. “Don’t know. Elizabeth said the negotiations might take a while.” He eyed the closed door through which Elizabeth Weir had disappeared some time ago, along with three representatives of the government on RGX-496, the planet on which they were currently guests.
Ronon held his newly polished sword up so that it reflected the light and replied, “If it’s not soon, I may have to use this on somebody.”
Rodney winced and John frowned. Teyla rolled her shoulders and said, without opening her eyes. “Perhaps if you told me the words to your strawberry song, I could sing it for us to help pass the time.”
John’s eyes darted from side to side as if searching for a way to escape or maybe hoping he could pretend she wasn’t talking to him.
Rising from his seat on a small bench against the wall, Rodney stretched his arms above his head and did a few flexing exercises. “Anything would beat listening to ‘dum de dum dum’ over and over.”
“Now, let me see,” Rodney went on, ignoring John’s lack of enthusiasm and Ronon’s glare. “I think I know most of the words, something about being nobody’s darling but mine.”
Teyla took a seat on the bench Rodney had vacated and waited patiently.
“Ah, yes,” Rodney began, making a circular motion with his hand for John to resume playing.
Reluctantly, John obliged and Rodney sang along in a surprisingly good tenor.
Come lay by my side, little darlin'
Come lay your cool hand on my brow
Promise me that you will always
Be nobody's darlin' but mine
Come lay your cool hand on my brow
Promise me that you will always
Be nobody's darlin' but mine
Encouraged, John continued playing as Teyla joined her voice with Rodney’s and they repeated the first part. Ronon folded his arms and grinned at them.
The next few stanzas of the song were handled in a similar fashion, and this time John’s warm baritone joined in.
You're as sweet as the flowers of springtime
You're as pure as the dew from the rose
I'd rather be somebody's, darlin'
Than a poor boy nobody knows
Be nobody's darlin' but mine, love
Be honest, be faithful, be kind
And promise me that you will always
Be nobody's darlin' but mine
You're as pure as the dew from the rose
I'd rather be somebody's, darlin'
Than a poor boy nobody knows
Be nobody's darlin' but mine, love
Be honest, be faithful, be kind
And promise me that you will always
Be nobody's darlin' but mine
It wasn’t until the last notes had faded away that the inhabitants of the small room noticed they were no longer alone.
“That was beautiful,” Elizabeth stood grinning at her team and applauding softly. “Who knew we had such talent in our group?”
Teyla laughed and patted Rodney’s arm. “It is a most beautiful song and well performed.” She nodded at John to include him in her praise.
Rodney preened and tried to look modest. “Sheppard here was plunking away, going over and over the same few bars and driving us all to suicide when I suddenly remembered I had heard the song before.”
“Well, what I heard of it was lovely,” Elizabeth said, looking at John, who had jumped to his feet and was holding his guitar by the neck down by his side like he was trying to hide it.
“Thanks,” he shrugged, “just, you know, killing time.”
“Are we ready to go home?” Ronon asked.
“I think so,” Elizabeth zipped up her jacket and straightened her backpack. “They want me to return next week after they have had time to discuss our offer, but we’re done for now.”
Letting the others precede them out of the building and begin the short trek back to the stargate, Elizabeth fell into step beside John. He glanced over at her, briefly meeting her eyes and then letting his slide away.
“So, Colonel,” she said, “interesting choice of songs.”
“It’s an old one.” John looked all around as if searching for predators. “Easy to play.”
Elizabeth nodded. “And the lyrics?”
John seemed startled. “Oh, the lyrics. Well you know how those old songs are...sentimental in the extreme.”
Taking a step closer, Elizabeth nudged him with her shoulder and picked up her pace a bit. “And not entirely without truth.”
“There’s that too.” John smiled and caught her eyes for a long moment.
“What’s the hold up back there?” Rodney’s loud voice came back to them from a bend in the road. “I’m starving and my feet hurt. Let’s get a move on.”
“Keep your shirt on, McKay,” John replied and grinning, both he and Elizabeth jogged a bit to catch up, happy to be going home.
How do you suppose Ronon and Teyla got so high up in that tree?
What I'm wondering is how they got in that position so high up in that tree.
I tell you Teal'c, hockey is the coolest game on Earth!
Did you not say it is played on ice, O'Neill?
That particular shot of John just begged to be iconned with that line.
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