Elizabeth Weir/John Sheppard Appreciation/Ship/Discussion Thread

[Anuna]

Good morning, Sparkies! Happy Pretty Friday!



Ahhhhh! Do it, do it, doooooooo iiiiiiiittttttttt!



Well, crap. Though the good news is, if the plumber didn't do it right the first time, he shouldn't charge you again to fix his mistake. Grr!



Yay, problem tooth is gone! Good for you! Don't worry, it will get better; I had to have two stubborn baby teeth pulled when I was in high school, and I was eating soup and cream of wheat for the next couple of days. But I was back on solid food soon enough.

I have no problem being on diet - the tooth mishap might even help me fit into my bikini (I fit in it even now, but why not look better, eh? Something good has to come out of this tooth fiasco.) Which makes me think, is there a fic where either John or Elizabeth have similar teeth issues?

[Southern Red]

Back from the dentist, have survived the tooth pulling, the bugger is out, but OMG, smiling is so not an option. Also the pain stopped, but one half of my mouth won't be useful to chew with for awhile. I had no idea how fugly human canines are. Also how long. Now onto the fic reading!!

Good to hear. I had 4 teeth pulled at once when I got my braces. That was an interesting experience. LOL

About the fic, I got distracted by the Grey's Anatomy finale. OMG! They killed xxxxx. Those bastards!

Anyway, going to play with my fic now.

[Southern Red]

All righty, I am back and that didn't take very long.

Now this fic is a bit different. I got to thinking about the food service. The only time I recall really seeing any of the kitchen staff was in Michael. In my mind, the food is prepared and served by Air Force personnel. So, whoever is in charge must know a lot about everyone. Meet my cafeteria lady. Part one.

Spoiler:

Reflections From the Cafeteria Lady

“Stop it, John. I mean it!”

“What is it you want me to stop, Elizabeth?”

I froze in my tracks and grabbed onto the door frame to stop myself from going any further into the kitchen. I knew those voices, and it would not be a good thing for them to find out I had heard them. Peeking around the corner, I could barely make out the figures in the dim light, but I didn’t need the big overhead lights to be on to tell me who they were.

Doctor Elizabeth Weir, my boss--heck, everybody’s boss––and Colonel John Sheppard, Military Commander of Atlantis, were sneaking into the kitchen on another of their midnight forays. What could it be this time? Chocolate? Ice cream? That one time I had caught him licking a big dollop of butter cream frosting off her finger was still burned in my brain, and I didn’t know if I was ready for another session.

I stuck my head a little further in and squinted, trying to make out what they were up to this time, so I could replace whatever they had snitched in the morning.

Weir was reaching up into a cabinet above the back counter in the section of the kitchen that we use for baking, and Sheppard was standing behind her with his hands on her hips. He appeared to be kissing her on the neck, but I couldn’t tell for sure. All I know is they had started to whisper, and I couldn’t tell if she was still telling him to stop or begging for more. If I had been in her position, I’m pretty sure it would have been the latter, but that may just be me. The Colonel sure is one mighty fine man, but everyone on this base knows he has eyes only for the Doc. No matter how much he flirts with and teases the rest of us, we know he doesn’t mean a word of it and never has.

Wouldn’t you know that just when I had hurried back down here to get the big coffee urn set up and ready to go in the morning was the very time they had chosen to invade my domain for a little midnight snack? And I had planned to add a little bit of cinnamon to the coffee mix too because I know Doctor Weir likes it. Colonel Sheppard makes those funny faces of his when I doctor the coffee, but he still drinks it without complaint.

My domain is the Atlantis kitchen. I’m the chief cook or the kitchen manager or, as Doctor McKay sometimes calls me, the Culinary Goddess. At least he calls me that when I make his favorite Knock You Naked Brownies. I’m glad nobody takes my tongue-in-cheek recipe title literally, but one time when the Colonel bit into one and winked at me, I have to admit I felt a bit disappointed.

So, anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I was relating a little bit of my backstory. When my boss at the SGC called me into her office and told me about the Atlantis expedition, I thought for a moment that she had been sampling the cooking Sherry. But I had seen a lot of strange and wondrous things while working in the dining hall way down under Cheyenne Mountain, so I took a deep breath and let it soak in. I realized later that she must have picked me for this position because I had little to no family, and if I never came back to Earth, there would be few people who would miss me. My parents are gone. I was an only child and, as far as I know, the only living relatives are a few cousins out in California somewhere who barely know I exist. My main reason for joining the Air Force in the first place was so that I could find my own place and maybe, while traveling the world, find a few people who felt like family. Travel to another galaxy, however, was never really something I had considered, but I jumped at the chance and here I am.

My job on Atlantis got a lot easier when the Daedalus began making regular supply runs and I could run this place more like a restaurant and less like a field kitchen. Out here, locally grown produce and dairy meant you had to trade with another planet, but hey, I’m okay with that. So far, we have found a remarkable number of fruits and vegetables that at least partly resemble those from Earth, and the scientists down in the hydroponic garden are starting to see good results. Last week we had some fresh tomatoes that put a big smile on that nice Doctor Zelenka’s face.

But at the moment, I was stuck here watching my bosses playing cuddle in the kitchen and hoping I could slip away before they saw me. I looked around frantically and was just starting to turn around when I heard it. Giggling. Doctor Elizabeth Weir, the elegant, smart, look-the-Wraith-queen-in-the-eye-and-never-blink leader of Atlantis was giggling like a teenager on her first date.

When the moaning started, I slipped open the nearest door and plunged into the broom closet. It was lucky I did too, because not ten seconds later they came flying by me in an almighty hurry. He had her by the hand and was pulling her along behind him, and as they went by, I looked out the crack in the door and could just barely make out some sort of container in her hand. Then I realized what it was––chocolate frosting. Well here we go again.

I came out of the closet and walked to the back of the kitchen. Sure enough, one of the cabinet doors was slightly ajar. When I opened it I knew I had been correct. Cans of frosting were neatly lined up with one missing from the very middle.

I sighed and closed the cabinet door securely. I guess I’ll just increase my order next time and maybe add a few more cans of whipped cream just for good measure. At this rate, we might run out before the Daedalus makes another run.

--/--

I always like to be in the dining hall when the Colonel’s team eats, for a number of reasons. They are fun to watch for one. The whole team seems to really like and enjoy each other, and their teasing and laughing lifts the mood of the whole room. And another reason is that they love their food, especially Ronon and Doctor McKay, and always remember to thank us for serving them. Teyla seems to be like a mother hen to those men, and I’m willing to bet she keeps them straight out on missions also. As long as you keep anything citrus off the menu, McKay will eat just about anything and plenty of it. That’s always a good thing when you’re the one who plans the menus and have to deal with so many tastes, allergies and food preferences. Ronon would eat meat and potatoes every day of the week, but I’m seeing a lot of growth in him now that he’s mastered the art of dealing with our silverware and no longer turns up his nose at the salads.

You can tell a lot about people from watching them eat. Ronon, like I mentioned, has pretty basic tastes, but I’m willing to bet that has a lot to do with all those years he spent on the run without a lot of food choices. He still likes to get back to basics on occasion though, like the time he pulled some sort of furry dead mammal out of a sack and slung it up on the kitchen counter for me to cook. It reminded me of the times back in Alabama when my daddy went out rabbit hunting and brought several home for Mama and me. I told Ronon the same thing we used to tell Daddy. You clean it. I’ll cook it. That seemed to be a plan, and the darn thing turned out to be quite tasty.

Doctor McKay, though, doesn’t really want to know the origin of his food or see any of the process that gets it on the table. But once it’s there, he can put away an amazing amount for his body weight. He talks a lot about his allergies, but I’ve found that as long as he doesn’t know what’s in a dish, it doesn’t seem to bother him.

Teyla does love her tuttleroot soup, and she told me a story one time about making it with that sweet old lady who passed away here a few years ago. I thanked her for the recipe and only hope we do it justice. Other than that, she’s taken quite handily to Earth food and is especially fond of my apple cobbler. Or papple as my staff calls it, because whatever it is, it’s not an apple, but it’s close enough. And now that she has a family, I make sure there are a variety of healthy snacks on hand for little Torren, and the look on Kanaan’s face the first time he tasted chocolate just made me laugh out loud.

Now Colonel Sheppard, to look at him you’d think he could use a good meal, but the man does love to eat and puts away almost as much as McKay. He just burns it off I guess. Watching him eat my chocolate mousse cake is a joy to behold, and he always remembers to come by and thank me for it afterwards. You can tell he had a good upbringing because he has the manners of a Southern gentleman. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was from down home.

One night my former boss and I were alone in the kitchen at the SGC waiting for several teams to return and got to laughing about the people we serve and how they eat. She told me about a theory some therapist has about how you can tell what kind of lover a man is by how he eats. We almost wet ourselves speculating about some guys, but I can’t help but think of that night every time I’m lucky enough to watch Colonel Sheppard consume a meal.

He takes small bites and chews each one thoroughly before he swallows. Then he seems to think about the next bite. Sometimes he licks crumbs off his lips and other times he licks the last of the gravy off his fork very slowly. I don’t know how Doctor Weir can sit there and watch all this without crawling over the table. Personally, I have to turn around and head back into the walk-in freezer before I embarrass myself.

Doctor Weir seems to enjoy her food when she’s comes around to eat, but we don’t see her in here much. The Colonel usually takes her a tray for breakfast, and I always try to have something that I know she will like ready to go so he won’t have to ask. I see them having lunch together occasionally, which they seem to really enjoy, but I know she doesn’t eat enough for a bird on a daily basis. The stress of running this place has got to put anybody off their feed, not to mention dealing with that stick-up-the-behind bunch from the IOA.

The IOA, pffft. I don’t look forward to their infrequent visits to Atlantis. All of them seem to need a good cleansing if you ask me. They turn up their noses at the local foods and want to know the exact ingredients and their nutritional value for everything. I’m tempted to get one of those Iratus bugs from Doc Beckett’s lab and throw him in the soup just to see their reaction. Tempted, but I love my job too much to actually do it.

Speaking of the Doc, just about the sweetest man I have ever met is Doctor Carson Beckett. I don’t care that he got cloned and isn’t our original, he’s all right by me, and he dearly loves my shortbread cookies.

Doctor Keller started out as a skittish little thing, but she seems to have settled down a lot. I don’t quite get her relationship with Doctor McKay. But I guess there is somebody for everybody as the song says. She’s a lovely girl and never complains about the food. I know she’s particularly fond of my lemon meringue pie, so I try to always have some on hand for her. McKay doesn’t even complain when she eats it right in front of him, so it must be true love.

[Southern Red]

Part two.

Spoiler:

I know the names and positions of everybody in this city and really like most of them. We try to keep something out for them twenty-four seven due to the fact that most of the scientists don’t seem to have a regular schedule and work at all hours of the day and night. The military guys need lots of coffee to keep them awake while they stand guard waiting for all hell to break loose, and we also make special treats we know they will like for when the tension eases a bit.

Things got right bad around here after we had been in the city for about a year, and then they got better again. But that fourth year. I thought we’d never get over that one and was particularly worried about the Colonel. Watching him grieve like he did when Doctor Weir was missing and presumed dead was almost more than you could stand. I tried to tempt him with brownies and cookies and all the things I know he loves, but all I got was a nod of thanks and those sad puppy eyes.

Then we got her back and things started to look up. Now he’s as happy as I’ve ever seen him and so is she. In fact the whole place is lighter with Doctor Weir back in her office where she belongs. I liked Mister Woolsey just fine, but he was no Elizabeth Weir. I will admit though, he insisted on a higher quality of food than we were used to. All his pull with the IOA got us filet mignon and lobster tails on a couple of occasions. Granted it was frozen, but he seemed to think we did a fine job of preparing it to his liking. And thanks to him, what we laughingly call the Atlantis wine cellar is still going strong. That room that used to be the reading library turned out to be useful after all. Now that everybody is poking away at computer tablets, you almost never see a paper book around here. Well, except that old copy of War and Peace that the Colonel sometimes leaves behind. I snuck a peak at his bookmark the last time I saved it for him. He’s up to page 653, right on schedule according to him.

The IOA made one right decision, in my opinion, when they let Doctor Weir return to her job as leader of this expedition. And the fact that they and the Air Force put their heads together and agreed to give Colonel Sheppard equal authority was just about the best thing they could have done under the circumstances. That freed them up to get together on a personal level, if you know what I mean, and just tickled all of us to death. After all we’ve been through, and all the times so many folks here have been modified by aliens in some shape or form, what else could they do? I’m one of the few old timers who has all her original parts, I’m thinking, and considering some of the strange foods I’ve eaten, I’m not so sure I’m still 100 percent me. But it comes with the territory, as does death and destruction and worrying about those who might not come back. I don’t know how Doctor Weir got through all those times when the Colonel was missing or held prisoner or tortured by various and sundry bad guys. Every time we lose somebody, my staff and I just have to take a few moments and think about how much we will miss them and make up a batch of their favorite foods in honor of their passing.

I’ve heard it said that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and that rule also seems to apply here in Atlantis. As long as I am in charge of this place, everyone will be welcome at any time to come in, have a bite and stay as long as they want. Even after the kitchen is officially shut down, we keep sandwiches, fruit and drinks ready to be picked up. Atlantis never sleeps and neither does the kitchen.

Well, I’ve chatted long enough. It’s time I got some rest because tomorrow is a busy day. Major Lorne’s team is due back from a mission and I know
they will want hot food and plenty of it. I hear the guys down in hydroponics have some eggplants ready to pick, and I want to make sure we have everything we need on hand to make eggplant parmesan. And I can’t forget to make up a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Sargeant Campbell. If I take him a few while they are still warm, he might just give me the low down on what’s going on with Ronon and that cute Amelia.

Yep, just another average day in the Pegasus Galaxy.

[Scary Kitty]

I have no problem being on diet - the tooth mishap might even help me fit into my bikini (I fit in it even now, but why not look better, eh? Something good has to come out of this tooth fiasco.) Which makes me think, is there a fic where either John or Elizabeth have similar teeth issues?

That's the spirit! Gotta see the silver lining!

All righty, I am back and that didn't take very long.

Now this fic is a bit different. I got to thinking about the food service. The only time I recall really seeing any of the kitchen staff was in Michael. In my mind, the food is prepared and served by Air Force personnel. So, whoever is in charge must know a lot about everyone. Meet my cafeteria lady. Part one.

<snippage for space>

ZOMG! Another instant classic is born! All hail the Cafeteria Lady! I loved that bit with Ronon bringing back his hunting kills, and ain't that hilarious how Rodney doesn't complain about his citrus allergy when Jen's eating lemon meringue pie? As is the bit about Woolsey getting a wine cellar. Though I would think that they'd be getting filet mignon and lobster a lot more often; I see the Stargate program (especially the longer off-world assignments like Atlantis) as being akin to the submarine service in terms of the perks to offset the danger of the duty. Those guys are always getting the lobster and filets. And nothing on John's favorite turkey sandwiches? Time for a sequel!

[poundpuppy29]

[Scary Kitty]

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w254/poundpuppy29/have_a_great_weekend__by_nekorra-d4tw29k.gif
http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w...rkyAllies1.jpg

: Oh boy, I hope Lizzeh doesn't figure out that I'm the one who sabotaged her computer so she could spend more time with me.



Have a good weekend, poundpuppy!

[mandogater]

I have a sneakin' suspicion that will be included in the trip. Now I'm even more determined to figure out a way to get me a seat on this trip... Argh!!

Hopefully it will all work out for you, FH. I hear Florida is a nice place to visit.

[Falcon Horus]

Hopefully it will all work out for you, FH. I hear Florida is a nice place to visit.

It all depends on my employer who will have to consent giving me at least 8 days of unpaid vacation (cause I have no paid vacation left since we have a compulsary 3-week vacation when the company closes in the summer - not when this trip will happen of course ). If they agree to let me go then all I have to do is say yes to the invitation (and then get all my stuff in order to be able to fly to the US - like passports and official documents).

Or it might all fall through and I have to wait a little while longer before I visit the US of A.

[Sparky She-Demon]

Hey everbody, I'm back! Sorry about being gone for such a long time, school and then exams got in the way among other things. Now I'm on summer break and am free to write many things, including Sparky!

[mandogater]

That's the one, and they actually held part of it here in Stockholm (I can actually see the arena from my kitchen window) and part of it in Finland and I love hockey as well and it's been a fun run.

Yeah, it's always sad but sometimes your team is the best and sometimes some other team is better.

I'm jealous you are so close to a hockey rink. The closest ones to me are around two hours away. Refresh my memory which team or teams from the Swedish Elite League play in Stockholm.

If I remember right, Team USA doesn't tend to do all that well in the World Championships, so I wasn't expecting all that much. But as a Columbus Blue Jackets fan, I know all about other teams being better than the one you pull for.

[mandogater]

Part two.

Spoiler:

I know the names and positions of everybody in this city and really like most of them. We try to keep something out for them twenty-four seven due to the fact that most of the scientists don’t seem to have a regular schedule and work at all hours of the day and night. The military guys need lots of coffee to keep them awake while they stand guard waiting for all hell to break loose, and we also make special treats we know they will like for when the tension eases a bit.

Things got right bad around here after we had been in the city for about a year, and then they got better again. But that fourth year. I thought we’d never get over that one and was particularly worried about the Colonel. Watching him grieve like he did when Doctor Weir was missing and presumed dead was almost more than you could stand. I tried to tempt him with brownies and cookies and all the things I know he loves, but all I got was a nod of thanks and those sad puppy eyes.

Then we got her back and things started to look up. Now he’s as happy as I’ve ever seen him and so is she. In fact the whole place is lighter with Doctor Weir back in her office where she belongs. I liked Mister Woolsey just fine, but he was no Elizabeth Weir. I will admit though, he insisted on a higher quality of food than we were used to. All his pull with the IOA got us filet mignon and lobster tails on a couple of occasions. Granted it was frozen, but he seemed to think we did a fine job of preparing it to his liking. And thanks to him, what we laughingly call the Atlantis wine cellar is still going strong. That room that used to be the reading library turned out to be useful after all. Now that everybody is poking away at computer tablets, you almost never see a paper book around here. Well, except that old copy of War and Peace that the Colonel sometimes leaves behind. I snuck a peak at his bookmark the last time I saved it for him. He’s up to page 653, right on schedule according to him.

The IOA made one right decision, in my opinion, when they let Doctor Weir return to her job as leader of this expedition. And the fact that they and the Air Force put their heads together and agreed to give Colonel Sheppard equal authority was just about the best thing they could have done under the circumstances. That freed them up to get together on a personal level, if you know what I mean, and just tickled all of us to death. After all we’ve been through, and all the times so many folks here have been modified by aliens in some shape or form, what else could they do? I’m one of the few old timers who has all her original parts, I’m thinking, and considering some of the strange foods I’ve eaten, I’m not so sure I’m still 100 percent me. But it comes with the territory, as does death and destruction and worrying about those who might not come back. I don’t know how Doctor Weir got through all those times when the Colonel was missing or held prisoner or tortured by various and sundry bad guys. Every time we lose somebody, my staff and I just have to take a few moments and think about how much we will miss them and make up a batch of their favorite foods in honor of their passing.

I’ve heard it said that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and that rule also seems to apply here in Atlantis. As long as I am in charge of this place, everyone will be welcome at any time to come in, have a bite and stay as long as they want. Even after the kitchen is officially shut down, we keep sandwiches, fruit and drinks ready to be picked up. Atlantis never sleeps and neither does the kitchen.

Well, I’ve chatted long enough. It’s time I got some rest because tomorrow is a busy day. Major Lorne’s team is due back from a mission and I know
they will want hot food and plenty of it. I hear the guys down in hydroponics have some eggplants ready to pick, and I want to make sure we have everything we need on hand to make eggplant parmesan. And I can’t forget to make up a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Sargeant Campbell. If I take him a few while they are still warm, he might just give me the low down on what’s going on with Ronon and that cute Amelia.

Yep, just another average day in the Pegasus Galaxy.

Great story SR!!!! Only problem is I now have a craving for eggplant parmesan and chocolate chip cookies.

[mandogater]

It all depends on my employer who will have to consent giving me at least 8 days of unpaid vacation (cause I have no paid vacation left since we have a compulsary 3-week vacation when the company closes in the summer - not when this trip will happen of course ). If they agree to let me go then all I have to do is say yes to the invitation (and then get all my stuff in order to be able to fly to the US - like passports and official documents).

Or it might all fall through and I have to wait a little while longer before I visit the US of A.

Hopefully the Force will be with you.

[Sparky She-Demon]

Great story SR!!!! Only problem is I now have a craving for eggplant parmesan and chocolate chip cookies.

Strange combination. But to each their own. Do you have a fanfiction.net account mandogater?

[Scary Kitty]

It all depends on my employer who will have to consent giving me at least 8 days of unpaid vacation (cause I have no paid vacation left since we have a compulsary 3-week vacation when the company closes in the summer - not when this trip will happen of course ). If they agree to let me go then all I have to do is say yes to the invitation (and then get all my stuff in order to be able to fly to the US - like passports and official documents).

Or it might all fall through and I have to wait a little while longer before I visit the US of A.

*sends some good luck vibes and hopes everything works out*

Hopefully the Force will be with you.

Indeed!

Great story SR!!!! Only problem is I now have a craving for eggplant parmesan and chocolate chip cookies.

I know, right? SR always manages to make me hungry, whether it's when she's writing about food in her fics or telling us about the yummy meals she has when she and Mr. SR go on adventures. Good times!

And on that note, I'm going to go eat a chocolate chunk cookie.