dragojustine: (Rodney and Radek)
[personal profile] dragojustine
Apparently I am capable of writing everything except what I actually should be writing. You see, I was rewatching late Season 1 and early Season 2 for my Zelenka voice... and let me tell you, I had forgotten how utterly wonderful SGA was back then! I mean, fresh and exciting and shiny, before the regular contact with Earth managed to make a far away galaxy seem boring and routine and before the weird colonialism and genocide and crap started up. And the characters! Grodin! Kavanaugh! Beckett! Ford! (Oh, Ford. Young and fresh-faced and innocent and wet behind the ears, so much enthusiasm and sincerity and potential and sweetness. He breaks my heart) Zelenka! (Oh, Zelenka. My Rodney/Radek love has come roaring back. I was Rodney/Radek OTP for so long before I was sold on the John/Rodney)

So, anyway, I watched Duet and Laura Cadman wouldn't shut up. This is an AU of the episode. WIP warning- I'll probably come back to it, but I have deadline obligations!

Open like the Morning Glory
Part 1/?
650 words
Laura Cadman/Katie Brown
Still rated G...


"Raise," Katie said, shoving a few more bucks to the center of the table. That was nearly it, for her. Three seats around the table, Laura stared down at her hand to avoid staring at Katie.

Katie had two sevens. Possibly, just possibly, she held three. Laura fiddled with her three nines, then laid them down on the table.

"Got me," she said. "So tell me, what was that about the wildflowers on P6X-849?"

"Oh, nothing." Katie shrugged as she pulled the pot towards her. "I just see such interesting glimpses in the video footage, and I'm not allowed to go off world to collect specimens."

"Why not?" Laura asked, gathering up the deck and shuffling. "That planet was pretty safe."

"I don't have that basic firearms certification," Katie admitted, looking down awkwardly at her hands. Laura dealt.

On Laura's left, Sergeant Cathy Franks started picking up her hand. Laura still hadn't been able to break her of the habit of touching her cards before the dealer was finished. Katie caught Laura's gaze and then flicked her eyes to Cathy's fidgeting with a wry smile. Laura gave half a shrug and kept dealing.

"It's not hard, Katie," Cathy said, oblivious. "You could do it, no problem. Even Miko did it!"

Miko passed around the box of chocolate without a word and took another drink of wine.

"Maybe," Katie admitted, finally reaching for her cards. "It's just... it's a little scary."

"I'd teach you," Laura said. It came out brasher than she intended, louder because of the way she rushed to get it out before Cathy. Katie would have flinched a little at that voice coming from one of the male Marines, Laura knew-- pulled back into herself the way she seemed to feel obligated to do around men who took up space.

Katie didn't flinch.

"I just mean... I'd teach you, and if you went off-world, I'd go with you. Lorne's cool, he'd make it happen. You'd be safe."

"I know I would be," Katie said, instantly and without any uncertainty. "But I'd be safe out there with Dr. McKay, too..."

You'd be about a hundred times safer with me, Laura thought. She managed not to say it, just called the bet.

"Oooh!" That finally prompted Andrea, the nurse with the curly red hair, to perk up. "The date with McKay. Are you excited?"

"Yes. Really, I am." Katie sounded, just a little, like she was trying to convince herself. "He, you know, I think he might actually like me. You know, about as much as he likes anybody."

Across the table, Miko snorted. When everyone turned to look at her, she waved her hand evasively. "Better you than me. I mean. Ignore me. Sorry. I'm a little drunk. I raise."

You think he might possibly like you? Maybe? As much as he likes anybody? That's a rousing endorsement.

Andrea pushed on like no-one had spoken. "We should have a girl's night to get you all ready! The night before. I'll paint your nails."

Katie blushed and fiddled with her folded cards. "Nail polish? I'll feel like I'm in costume."

"Sure!" Andrea grinned just a little wickedly and caught Laura's eye. "Nothing wrong with that. I'll give you a makeover. Do you even own lipstick?"

That prompted Katie to laugh-- really laugh, head thrown back and mouth open, eyes crinkling, shoulders square and proud.

You never laugh like that in your lab, surrounded by them. You never laugh like that in front of him, Laura thought. Instead she shoved the pot to Miko and said, "Don't listen to her. You're beautiful."

Cathy finished shuffling and started to deal. "It'd be fun. We can get drunk and trade shoulder rubs."

Katie leaned across the table to catch Laura's arm. "Ooh, Laura. You should come. Sarah in the chemistry department said you give the best foot massages!"

You bet she did.

Laura sorted through about a thousand different things to say, then smiled sincerely. "I wouldn't miss it for the world," she said, and anted up.

***

Also, I have no appropriate girlslash icon. Some kickass women- Hermione, Sam Carter, CJ, Starbuck, Kaylee, Chuck- but I don't have a single "shameless objectification of a sexy woman or pair of women" icon. Help?

Date: 2008-12-09 05:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fakymcfakerson.livejournal.com
I like!

(one of these days, though, I really need to sit down and figure out which of these secondary characters is which. I'm terrible with tier-2s.)

I have no advice on the icon, but I wish you the best of luck, and hope you share your source when you find one. :)

Date: 2008-12-09 05:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragojustine.livejournal.com
If it helps, they're all OCs except Katie, Laura, and Miko. I think our other, recognizable female third-tiers weren't around yet back then... And I'm glad you like!

Date: 2008-12-09 05:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fakymcfakerson.livejournal.com
Oh, phew. I thought I was losing it. Miko and Laura I knew off the bat, and Katie I remembered with a bit of thinking, but the rest of them threw me.

I always think this is the best thing in fanfic, for me- the stories about tier-2s/3s and downward. I get to find out about the other characters- how they see the world, more bits of the world, new slants on the "main characters," that sort of thing. It's like an easter egg. Other fanficcy stuff- AUs, main character things- those are more wish-fulfillment sorts of things, exercises in "what-if."

I'm not sure that any of that makes sense, and I need to be up again in six hours, so I'm calling it a night. Goodnight!

Date: 2008-12-09 06:05 am (UTC)
ariadne83: cropped from official schematics (Default)
From: [personal profile] ariadne83
I love it. Cadman's internal monologue is intriguing. IDK Katie/Laura just might be my first girlslash OTP - I read a great post-Quarantine fic and it seemed so *right*

I'm glad there's going to be more :-)

Date: 2008-12-09 07:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragojustine.livejournal.com
yaay! This is my first girlslash fic (though not my first pairing... I really wish there was some decent Sam/Janet out there) and I'm really glad you find it intriguing. The rest is plotted, but I have so many fic obligations this month!

Date: 2008-12-09 09:10 am (UTC)
desertport: Kaneda on his bike (mcshep shoulders)
From: [personal profile] desertport
Oooh, I like! Just the idea of girl!bonding on Atlantis is excellent; it's a side we seldom if ever get to see on the show or even in fic (though maybe I'm just missing a thriving side of the fandom by focusing so much on the McShep....). I like how Laura notices so much about Katie, and how Katie acts differently here than when she's with the men on base. Looking forward to when you can get back to this!

Date: 2008-12-09 03:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dragojustine.livejournal.com
Oh, thank you! I like the girl bonding and I like the minor-character focus... I don't think either of us are missing a thriving side of fandom. But who knows?

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