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sam_gamgeeTitle: Through the Looking Glass
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sam_gamgee
Disclaimer: So not mine in so many ways.
Spoilers: SGA – basic show knowledge, Eureka – through 5x04 “Friendly Fire”... I guess? (Basically through the main Astraeus plotline)
Word Count: 12,080
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Lorne/Zelenka
Summary: Evan and Radek hope their time away from Atlantis and San Francisco will be productive in more ways than one.
Note: It's really not necessary to know anything about Eureka, other than Deputy Andy is played by Kavan Smith and Steven is played by David Nykl. And, as far as I know, Kavanagh is still within the SG universe somewhere.
Note #2: Written for this year's SGA Reverse Bang. The artwork it's based on is here and done by the amazinggblvr.
“I don’t care! I’m not driving onto a fucking bridge that’s fucking out!” Evan exploded.
“I swear it’s not out!” Radek countered hotly. “You only have to drive a few yards and we’ll pass through the perception filter. I would have thought after this long, you would trust me.”
Evan sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and, closing his eyes, counted slowly to ten, before reopening them. “I do trust you, Radek. It’s just that –”
The air in front of them shimmered and a man dressed in a brown sheriff’s uniform appeared. “Howdy, folks!” he called cheerily with a big grin and a wave.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Evan asked, bewildered.
“I am,” Radek replied.
“Why does he look exactly like me?”
“I don’t – I, uh, I have no idea.”
Evan glanced at Radek, who looked as flabbergasted as he felt.
The man approached Evan’s window and Evan slowly lowered it. “Hello, Major Lorne, Dr. Zelenka,” the other man said cheerily. “My name is Deputy Andy and we’ve been expecting you. Sheriff Carter had hoped to meet you – he understands how unsettling this route can be for first-time visitors to Eureka. Unfortunately, he was called in to deal with a situation at Global Dynamics.”
“Okay, um, Deputy Andy,” Evan replied. “I take it the bridge really isn’t out?”
“Nope,” Andy replied with a shake of his head. “It’s a safety precaution. The work being done at GD is very sensitive and, in some cases, highly classified. But not far ahead, you’ll pass through the perception filter and you’ll see the rest of the bridge. From there, I’ll escort you into town.”
Evan nodded and Radek hissed, “Told you.”
“It’s kind of hard to argue with myself,” Evan said as Andy walked away and disappeared. “Even if I don’t understand it.”
They looked at each other and giggled, the first time they’d laughed together since they’d left San Francisco. Evan drove forward and, as promised, passed through the perception filter and saw Andy’s car and the rest of the bridge connecting to the other side and the road beyond.
“Where are the two of you staying?” Andy asked.
“Radek’s staying with Dr. Whitticus, and I’ll be staying at the bed and breakfast,” Evan told him.
Andy looked back and forth between them for a moment, confused, before saying, “Ah, okay. We had been under the assumption that identical arrangements had been made.”
“That had been the original plan,” Radek spoke up, “but it was a last minute decision to change.”
“Would you like to stop for something to eat first?”
“I think we’ll like to put our things away first,” Evan said.
Andy asked Radek, “Will you be going to the Whitticuses’ cabin or their home in town?”
“The cabin,” Radek replied.
“They have a cabin and a house in town?” Evan asked, surprised.
“You never asked,” Radek commented softly.
“Shall we get going?” Andy asked and they nodded.
The drive through town was quiet. Evan couldn’t get out of his head how quaint it looked. And thought it might be a nice place to retire – if he and Radek patched things up.
When they arrived at the Whitticuses’, Radek declined Evan’s offer of help to get his things out of the trunk and after a perfunctory goodbye and a promise to call about dinner, headed up to the cabin. The door opened quickly after his knock and Radek disappeared inside. Evan watched the door for a long moment, not sure what he was waiting for, until the honk of a horn diverted his attention. Evan looked over to Andy’s car and nodded at his questioning look. He followed the other car back into town to the bed and breakfast. Despite his insistence that he didn’t need it, Andy helped him take his things inside and, after he checked in, up to his room.
“Do you have all of the directions you need?” Andy asked, setting the bag down on the bed.
“Yep, thanks,” Evan replied. “Radek has our itinerary, however. So, I guess we’ll be seeing you around.”
“Of course,” Andy replied. “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to call.”
Evan found himself laughing in spite of himself. “Don’t worry, we won’t. Where’s a good place to eat around here?”
“Cafe Diem – Vincent is a master, or so I’ve been told. He can make you anything you can think of.”
“Thanks.”
Andy took his leave and once Evan closed the door behind him, he let out a breath and leaned back against the door. This was not how he’d expected things to go. He and Radek had been having a tough time since Atlantis had arrived back on Earth, but things had really gone to hell in recent weeks. So when it had come up that a number of Ancient tech was being taken to Global Dynamics for study, they’d jumped at the chance to go to help out with the set-up and for Evan to play light switch until they’d had a chance to find if anyone in Eurkea had the gene. They’d hoped the change of scenery would help them sort things out and come out stronger, but so far the whole trip up had been more of a disaster than they’d expected.
Evan pushed away from the door and began unpacking. When he was done, he laid down on the bed, hoping to take a nap, but he couldn’t fall asleep. After half an hour of staring at the ceiling, he got up and changed into his PT gear and, after checking the map at the front desk, headed out for a run.
He meandered through the town and into some of the surrounding countryside, enjoying the scenery and waving back to everyone he saw. On his way back to the hotel, he was stopped by a Jeep marked with the Sheriff’s Department symbol.
“You must be Major Lorne,” the other man said, leaning against the door frame, and Evan nodded.
“Evan,” he said, shaking hands.
“Sheriff Jack Carter,” Jack said. “This is creepy. You look and sound exactly like Andy.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” Evan replied with a wry smile, glad to put a face to a name. “Any idea how that happened?”
“Nope. But that’s par for the course around here. I can look into it, if you want.”
“Eh, some things are probably best left alone,” Evan replied.
“Are you and Dr. Zelenka settling in okay?”
“Yeah. Well, I guess so. He’s staying with the Whitticuses and I’m staying at the bed and breakfast.”
“Starting at GD tomorrow?”
Evan nodded.
“Good luck with that. It’s an... interesting place.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard. Will I need to bring my technobabble dictionary?”
“There’s a dictionary?” Jack asked in surprised amusement.
“Home-made. You get used to it after a while.”
“Yeah. Though every time I think I’ve got a handle on it, they change the terms on me.”
“On the plus side for me, where I’m coming from – it’s a pretty contained situation, so there’s only so many terms that can come up.”
“Lucky you. Everyone’s used to having me around, so they’ll translate if you look too confused or your scientist doesn’t. And if you need any other help, Jo Lupo is the head of security at GD. She can help you out with whatever you need.”
“Thanks.”
Jack’s cell phone rang. “Sorry, got to go. We’ll have to get together before you leave and swap stories.”
Evan nodded. “Sounds good.” It would be nice to talk to someone who could commerserate with the crazy sort of stuff he’d gone through.
He headed back to the bed and breakfast and quickly stripped and jumped into the shower, the cool water feeling good. His cell phone started ringing as he was toweling himself off and he went to get it. He smiled, seeing it was Radek.
“Hey,” he answered. “All settled in?”
“I am,” Radek answered. “Feel up to getting dinner?”
“You bet. Just need to get dressed. Want me to pick you up or are the Whitticuses joining us?”
“It’ll just be us. I’ve heard Cafe Diem is a great place to eat.”
“Andy told me the same thing. Okay, I’ll be over shortly.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
When Evan pulled up in front of the Whitticuses’ cabin, Radek was sitting out on the front porch and Evan’s heart skipped a beat. Even with everything going on, he still loved him. Radek saw him and smiled as he stood.
Getting into the passenger seat, he said, “Good evening.”
“Hey,” Evan replied, leaning over to kiss him. It landed on Radek’s cheek, which was a bit disappointing, but Evan figured it was a start. “How was your afternoon?”
“Good. It’s great to see Steven and Wendy again.”
Turning back onto the road, Evan asked, “Now, how did you and Steven meet again?” There was a lengthy pause and Evan glanced over to Radek. “Radek?”
“I haven’t been entirely truthful, but it was for Steven’s sake,” Radek finally said. “He’s my brother.”
“Your *what*?” Evan asked, doing his best to override the instinct to slam on the breaks and turn his full attention to Radek.
“My brother,” Radek replied. “As you know, things in the Czech Republic have been quite tumultuous over the past few decades and it was hard enough for me – being a genius and a dissenter. But it was even harder for Steven – who was both of those things, as well as being quite vocal about it. He moved here and changed his identity for protection. Not long after, there was an accident and he lost most of his sight.”
“But you’ve been in touch. Didn’t you worry that would put him in danger?”
“We were careful and most of it was innocuous – nothing political. Who would care that I was corresponding with another scientist, who’s practically blind, when we only talked about our families and boring scientific experiments? There were some carefully worded things from time to time, but nothing anyone would be able to pick up on.”
After a long moment, Evan asked, “Can I meet him?”
“Sure. He’s a bit shy these days, but I’ll talk to him. Maybe after we’ve had a bit more time to catch up. It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to be together.”
“Sure.” Evan parked outside of Cafe Diem and they headed inside. It smelled heavenly and his stomach growled.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” a heavy-set man said jovially from behind the counter. “Please seat yourselves and we’ll be with you in a moment.”
They sat down at the counter. “Okay,” the man said a moment later. “What can I get – oh, this is odd.”
“What is it?” Evan asked.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say the two most unlikely people just walked into my restaurant. But you’re obviously not Deputy Andy and Dr. Whitticus.”
“No, of course not,” Evan replied, knowing this was going to get old very quickly. “I’m Major Evan Lorne, and this is Dr. Radek Zelenka. We just got in today.”
“Of course. My name’s Vincent. So, what can I get you gentlemen? I can make practically anything.”
They both thought for a moment, and Radek ordered first, asking for something Evan couldn’t pronounce, let alone guess what it was. Vincent wrote it down, looking like he’d won a prize for getting a challenge. Not sure what he wanted, Evan told Vincent to surprise him.
After Vincent left, Evan said, “I think we may just be his new favorite customers,” and they laughed.
They didn’t talk as they waited, but for the first time in a long time, it was completely comfortable. Evan observed the rest of the patrons and, if he didn’t know better, he would have assumed this was just another small town, not one made of the country’s smartest geniuses. When the food came, Radek looked like he hadn’t expected Vincent to pull it off and Evan didn’t know what he was getting, but it smelled delicious.
******
On the way back to Steven and Wendy’s, Radek let out a contented sigh. Dinner had been delicious. He hadn’t expected to get vepřo-knedlo-zelo, but Vincent had delivered and it had been almost as good as his mother’s. And he was finally starting to relax.
From the final battle with the Wraith – which had necessitated bringing Atlantis back to Earth, through all of the bureaucratic bullshit that kept it on Earth, and personnel being reassigned to other projects and Gate teams, everyone had been wound tighter than a top. Including himself and Evan, and their relationship had suffered significantly for it.
When the possibility had come up to bring some of the Ancient tech to Global Dynamics for study to determine long-term and future use, as well as ultimately the future of the Atlantis Expedition (it hadn’t been said, but everyone knew it), Radek had jumped at the chance to escort the tech and act as a liaison between the SGC and GD. And it seemed only logical that since he was Atlantis’ scientific number two, that Evan would go as well, as someone invested in Atlantis’ military presence. And if it helped their relationship, well, no one else needed to know that.
Seeing Steven had been both amazing and heartbreaking. They hadn’t seen each other since Steven had defected a few years before Radek. They’d kept in touch as much as possible, a lifetime of being careful dictating that they didn’t go too deep into what they were working on, but it had been hard to stay away – especially after the accident. Wendy had been a god-send during that time, acting as a go-between and keeping Radek apprised of what was going on.
When Evan parked in front of the Whitticuses’ cabin, Radek said, “Thank you for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Evan nodded, looking a little sad. Radek didn’t really like the forced separation either, but he selfishly wanted to keep his brother to himself for a little longer. And there was also the hope that by getting out of each other’s hair for a little while would help facilitate fixing things with Evan.
“I don’t like this very much either, milicku,” he said. “But I think it’s for the best. We talked about it and agreed it could help us fix things.”
“I know,” Evan replied. “And we both want it, so I’m not going to complain.”
“See you tomorrow at 8:30?”
Evan nodded. “Sounds good.”
Radek leaned in this time to kiss Evan good-night. When they pulled apart, they bade each other good night and he got out. He was aware of Evan watching him until he went inside, using the key Steven had given him, and he watched through the window as Evan drove off.
“How was dinner?” Steven asked from where he was reading.
“Good,” Radek replied. “Vincent was able to make vepřo-knedlo-zelo and it was almost as good as Mother used to make.”
Steven smiled. “Good. I haven’t been able to go to Carpe Diem in a long time.”
“I’m sure I could make something to help you,” Radek said, sitting in the chair next to Steven’s. “It’s not right that you’re cooped up in here most days.”
“Most days I’m happy enough,” Steven replied with a sad smile. “So what’s wrong with you?”
“What do you mean?” Radek asked in surprise.
“You don’t seem as happy as I’d expect you to be to have the backing of GD to work on your alien technology. It’s like seeing a kid in a candy store who doesn’t want it.”
“It’s, well,” Radek looked sheepish. “It’s Evan. He and I –”
“Are on the outs, and neither of you likes it.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“Wendy and I have had enough of our own problems. And you’re my twin brother.” His smile turned mischievous. “And I will admit – only to you – a certain fondness for daytime television.”
Radek laughed. “I doubt daytime television could be considered a good primer for human behavior.”
Wendy came in at that moment, all smiles. “Hello, you two!” she said and the men stood to greet her. “It’s so good to finally meet you, Radek!”
She hugged Radek and kissed him on the cheek before moving to Steven for a tight hug and a quick kiss on the lips. The three of them sat down, Wendy on the arm of Steven’s chair, their hands clasped together.
“How was your night, sweetheart?” Steven asked her.
“Good,” she replied. “We had a really good time.”
“Glad to hear it. Maybe you could take Radek out a time or two while he’s here and show him around.” He looked at Radek and said, “And maybe you could pretend to be me – like we did when we were kids.”
“Oh, you’re terrible,” she said, with a playful bat at his shoulder. “I’m glad you came, Radek. It’s obviously good for Steven – and you’ve only been here a few hours.”
“And I think it’ll be good for him too,” Steven told her. “I doubt he’ll ask for it, but I think he’ll like a woman’s advice on a matter of the heart.”
“Of course,” Wendy said to Radek. “Whatever you need – just ask.”
“I don’t know,” Radek demurred. “It’s not exactly something I’m comfortable discussing.”
Wendy tsked affectionately. “I swear – men are so hard to get to talk about their feelings. And Slovak men are the worst!” She stood and kissed Steven on the forehead. “I’m going to get a shower. Join me tonight?”
“Of course,” Steven replied. “Let me make sure Radek is settled.”
“I’m good, if you want to go,” Radek replied as Wendy headed upstairs. “You’ve shown me where everything is.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. Go – be with your wife.”
Radek watched Steven go, not sure how to quantify how he felt. He was definitely jealous of their relationship. He didn’t know the details, but he knew they didn’t have a traditional marriage, but it worked for them. He was glad Steven had finally gained the happiness he so deserved.
Maybe that’s what he and Evan needed to get things back on track – something unconventional. He knew he wasn’t planning on giving up without a fight, and considering how easily Evan had agreed to be his escort of sorts, Radek knew he wanted to make it work too. He made a mental note to discuss it with Evan at breakfast before heading to bed.
The next morning, Radek was up early. He tried going back to sleep, but his mind was already raring to go. He sighed and got out of bed to grab his clothes and head into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he entered the kitchen to the smell of coffee brewing and breakfast cooking.
“Smells good,” he said to Wendy.
“Thank you,” she replied with a smile, handing him an empty mug. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did, thank you.” Radek filled his coffee mug and added some sugar. Joining her at the table, he asked, “So when will the sleepy-head be up?”
“Oh, he’s already up. He went out for a walk.”
“I didn’t think he could go outside because of his eyes.”
“Mornings aren’t too bad – especially in the woods around here. And after the... incident a couple of years ago, he’s been working on finding ways that will allow him to enjoy the outdoors.”
The outside door to the kitchen opened and Steven entered wearing a pair of driving goggles and grinning like a maniac. “They work!” he crowed.
“Congratulations, honey!” Wendy replied, joining him for an exuberant hug.
“My congratulations as well,” Radek replied.
“There are still many tests to do, but this is very promising,” Steven told him.
“There are always more tests to do.”
“If you’d like, there are some nice trails into the woods from here and there are some bikes in the garage,” Steven said, he and Wendy joining Radek at the kitchen table and Steven changed to his regular glasses. “We were going to use them regularly before the accident, but that was never meant to be. The one that follows the lake is very pretty.”
“I think I might just take you up on that.”
The doorbell rang and Radek stood. “That should be Evan. I’ll make the introductions, then we’ll be on our way.” Opening the front door, Radek smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Evan replied. “All set?”
“Sure, in a moment – I want to introduce you first.”
“Are you –”
“If you ask me if I’m sure, I will hurt you. And then make you walk to GD.” He pulled Evan inside and kissed him. “Good morning.”
“Hey,” Evan replied with a fond smile.
Radek led him into the kitchen. “Steven, Wendy, this is Major Evan Lorne – my partner. Evan, this is my brother Steven and his wife Wendy.”
“Nice to meet you,” Evan said as they shook hands.
“Likewise,” Steven replied. “Radek’s told us a lot about you.”
“Hopefully nothing too crazy.”
“Oh, it was all completely scandalous,” Wendy replied with a teasing smile. “Would you two like breakfast?”
“Maybe another time,” Radek replied. “We have some things we need to discuss before we head into Global Dynamics.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Wendy said. “Have a good day.”
Getting into the car, Radek asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
“I did, though it was weird not being on Atlantis and not having you next to me.”
“Same here. We need to fix this, milacku.”
“I know. Especially since every time I think about breaking up, I know there’s no way I’d be able to go through with it – and if you tried, I’d do everything I could to keep us together.”
“So what do we do? Do we take a break? See other people, but stay together? Bring in a third person?”‘
“I don’t know. But I don’t want to share you and I don’t want to take a break. Maybe we could treat this as much like a vacation as we can outside of Global Dynamics?”
“Sounds good.” Radek laughed. “Remember that time you convinced me to go off-world with you? The, um, third time.”
“The one with the beach?” Evan asked fondly.
Radek nodded. “There’s a lake near the cabin and there are trails in the woods. We could go hiking. Or Steven will let me borrow his bike and you could go for a run.”
“And there isn’t much of a nightlife in Eureka, but I’m sure we could find something to do,” Evan added.
They arrived at Global Dynamics and headed inside, to be met in the rotunda by a young man and woman.
“Whoa! This is creeeepy,” the man said, looking both freaked out and excited glanced between them.
“Be nice, Fargo,” the woman told him. Holding out her hand, she said, “I’m Jo Lupo – head of security here at GD and this,” she elbowed the other man, “is Dr. Douglas Fargo, head of GD.”
“Dr. Radek Zelenka,” Radek replied as he and Fargo shook hands.
“Major Evan Lorne,” Evan replied.
“We have you set up with special clearance badges and you’ll be set up with a lab in Section 5,” Fargo said. “We’re aware that your items aren’t strictly military-based, but since you’re coming from the SGC, it seemed appropriate.”
“As well as the fact that it’s the most secure section in the facility,” Jo added. “Here are your badges, please wear them at all times. I’ll take you down and introduce you to your GD counterpart.”
They eagerly followed her and Radek was surprised at how normal everything looked. He’d heard stories over the years of things that had been done at GD, some of which was fantastical, and was curious if anything was true. But everything seemed surprisingly normal.
“Watch out! Lemur on the loose!” a voice called from behind them and a gray and white blur shot past them, followed a few seconds later by a person.
Then again, maybe not.
******
As they were taken down to their lab space, Evan felt his apprehension over sharing their tech ease a bit. Even if the decor was different, there was still something familiar about this place that put him at ease. It was probably from spending so much time with scientists. By the time they stopped outside a lab door, Evan wondered if he should’ve left a trail of breadcrumbs so they could leave at the end of the day.
Jo showed them how to swipe their badges to enter and the door swept open. There were numerous gadgets and machines scattered about the room, some of which he couldn’t begin to describe, and others which were familiar and Evan guessed that their scientist had gotten started already. But a glance at Radek showed a kid in a candy store, and Evan couldn’t help but smile.
“Dr. Kavanagh,” she said as they entered, “your guests are here.”
“One second,” came a familiar, yet disembodied, voice and Evan and Radek looked at each other in surprise.
Glancing at her pad, Jo said to the room at large, “I have a note here that the three of you know each other and that I’ve been told to tell you to play nice.”
“I’ll play nice when McKay does,” retorted Kavanagh as he stood from behind the desk. “Oh, not who I was expecting.” Tightly, he continued, “Radek, Major Lorne.”
“We’re as surprised as you,” Evan replied. “We’d heard you’d left the SGC and gone to a private research company, but we weren’t expecting this.”
“It’s good to see you, Peter,” Radek said, holding out his hand.
Peter narrowed his eyes and glared at Radek for a moment before shaking his hand. Evan held out his hand too and Peter was only seconds quicker shaking it.
“I’ll let the three of you get to it, then,” Jo said and quickly left. Evan didn’t blame her if she was expecting fireworks to start.
“You must be why the SGC sent the Ancient tech here,” Evan commented as the door shut.
“Yes, well, the military isn’t exactly known for its smarts,” Peter replied. “You would have thought that sending this stuff to someone with an axe to grind would be the last thing they’d want to do.”
“Or someone still thinks positively of you,” Radek replied. “We were told this was going to be a set-up of sorts to see if Global Dynamics could partner with the SGC to work on the Ancient tech from Atlantis.”
“I’ve been told as much,” Peter replied.
“So, what do you need me to do?” Evan asked. “I went sent along on light switch duty.”
Peter looked relieved to be focusing on the task at hand. “I’ve got everything unpacked. I tried sorting it out, but my gene isn’t the strongest, so some things turned on weakly and some didn’t turn on at all. There were a few things that did, however, though I wasn’t able to make heads or tails of them. So have at it and see what you can make of things.”
There were about thirty items of various sizes in the room. Evan sat down at the lab table and picked up the first item and thought ‘on’. It vibrated slightly in his hand, then lit up.
From there, the three of them slowly got into a rhythm of turning items on, Evan figuring out if it was something only gene carries could operate, and then passing it off to either Radek or Peter to work on. And by lunch, they’d gotten through preliminary information on half of the items. Radek decided to stay behind as Evan and Peter went to get food.
Heading out to Cafe Diem (“We could go to GD’s cafeteria, but Vincent’s food is *so* much better,” Peter had said), Evan asked, “Is there anything in place to get you a light switch of your own?”
“From the bits I’ve been told, the idea seems to be to see how this first shipment goes and see what sort of information I can glean from them and then we’ll go from there with more funding, help, etc. – all the fun bits of scientific research.”
Evan smiled out the window at Peter’s sarcastic tone of voice. “How’ve you been?” he asked.
“Once I got the bitter taste of the SGC out of my mouth, good,” Peter replied. “I like it here. And everyone seems to be as odd as I am, so it works out well. And since I don’t have to share lab space with anyone – even better. But Fargo – the guy in charge – is pretty decent and, while green when it comes to leadership abilities, he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
“Seeing anyone?”
“Not really. I’ve gone on a few dates, but nothing serious. Work always seems to get in the way. What about you and Radek? Still together?” They headed inside Cafe Diem.
“For the most part. Coming back to Earth has been hard for both of us.”
“I hope it works out for the two of you. I always thought if anyone could make it, it would be the two of you.”
“Thanks,” Evan replied. “And I hope you find someone too – you deserve some happiness.”
“Your sincerity is appreciated. Hey, Vincent.”
“Good afternoon,” Vincent said. “What can I get for the two of you?”
After they’d ordered, Peter telling Vincent to make him whatever and Evan saying the same, and Vincent had left, Evan grinned. “You like him.”
“Do not,” Peter retorted, blushing.
“Do too.” Evan studied Peter. “And you haven’t told him!”
“You’re right, I haven’t. Mainly because I don’t want him poisoning me.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“No. But I’d still rather not take that chance.”
“And why not? You said you’ve dated other guys. What makes him different?”
Peter studied the table. “Maybe because I really want it to work.”
“It won’t work, though, until you ask him!”
“Don’t ruin this with your logical arguments!”
Evan laughed. “If you don’t say something when he comes back, I will.”
Peter looked horrified. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“I just might. Either say something, or I won’t cooperate this afternoon.”
“You do that and you won’t be getting any sex for the rest of the week.”
“I’m hardly getting any as it is – won’t make that much of a difference.”
Vincent brought their plates out and, after a brief explanation of their sandwiches that left Evan’s mouth watering, turned to leave. “Hey, Vincent,” Peter said.
“Yes?” Vincent asked, turning back to them with a hopeful look.
“I, um,” Peter stalled and Evan kicked him under the table. “What time do you close tonight?”
“Nine,” Vincent replied. “Anything else?”
“No, we’re good.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Vincent said before heading back behind the counter, looking a bit crestfallen.
“Very smooth, Casanova,” Evan said drily.
“Thanks for putting me on the spot there,” Peter retorted.
“He is interested, though,” Evan said.
“He is not.”
“He is. He was totally expecting you to ask him something personal. And he’s been totally focusing on you since we walked in the door.”
Focusing on his own sandwich, Peter said, “Eat your food so we can get back.”
“Good to see there isn’t a scratch on either of you,” Radek commented when they returned.
“I know better,” Peter said as he went back to his part of the lab, “you both know more than one way to dispose of a body, and that’s not even including the ways you could do it using GD’s tech.”
“He was driving,” Evan offered as he joined Radek. “Besides, I have a feeling Vincent would have been very pissed if we’d gotten blood anywhere in his restaurant. And I was distracted.”
“Distracted? How?” Radek asked, concerned.
“Peter’s crushing on Vincent, and I think Vincent’s crushing on him too, and I was trying to get Peter to say something. Didn’t really work.”
“Peter and Vincent?” Radek asked, looking back at Peter. “Interesting. Time to get back to work, however.”
“Yes, boss,” Evan said with a smile and leaned in to kiss Radek. He pulled away, still smiling and went back to where the rest of the Ancient gadgets had been collected to get back to work. Glancing up at Radek, he smiled at the bemused expression on Radek’s face.
They finished the rest of the items just before dinner and Peter shooed them out of the lab. “Now that we don’t have the fate of the world breathing down our necks, I like keeping regular hours. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“What do you feel like doing?” Evan asked.
“I don’t know,” Radek replied. “I should spend some time with Steven. It’s been a long time. Do you want to drop me off before you head back to the bed and breakfast?”
“I’d like to get to know him too, if you don’t mind. He is your family, after all.” Evan turned mischievous. “If nothing else, I can get all those embarrassing family stories out of him.”
“You do, and I will kill you,” Radek replied.
“Then let me come with you and I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Radek let out a resigned sigh. “You don’t, and you’ll be getting your own ride back to San Francisco.”
“Fair enough. Scout’s honor.”
Evan drove them back to the Whitticuses’ and Radek called them on the way to say that Evan would be coming over with him.
“They’re both delighted. They want to spend more time with you as well,” Radek told him, shutting off the phone. “And you’re invited to dinner.”
Parking in front of the cabin, Evan turned off the car and, turning to Radek said, “Part of why we came here was so we could work things out between us, remember?”
“I remember,” Radek replied.
“Then why are you fighting me so hard? I get that you haven’t seen Steven in a long time and he is your family, but it’s not just that – it feels like it’s everything.”
Radek shrugged. “I’m tired of having to work so hard to make this work.”
“Remember you don’t have to work so hard,” Evan told him. “Let me do some of it too. I want to.” He put a finger under Radek’s chin and turned his head so Radek was looking at him. “Please.”
“You always make it sound so easy, but it’s not. This is the real world, Evan. Not Atlantis where everything is heightened because danger and destruction are lurking around every corner and through every wormhole. We don’t have the momentum we did then.”
“Then maybe we need to make some of our own momentum,” Evan replied. “We both want this to work, or we wouldn’t be here right now, having this conversation.”
“I know,” Radek replied softly, looking down again.
“Do you want to break up?” Evan asked. “Is there someone else?”
“What?” Radek’s gaze flicked back up to Evan. “Where did you get that idea?”
Evan shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought that with the way you’ve been saying you want to stay together, but not really *doing* anything about it, that maybe you were just saying it for my benefit and wanted to break up because you’d found someone else.”
“No, there’s no one else. You know me better than that, Evan Lorne. And if we weren’t sleeping in separate locations, I might be tempted to make you sleep on the couch!”
“Then maybe we shouldn’t be sleeping in separate locations,” Evan said wistfully.
“It was your idea,” Radek told him.
“I know. And it was a very stupid idea. Next time I mention it again, smack me and tell me no. What should we do about it?”
“Do you want to come stay here? Steven and Wendy won’t mind.”
“I would love to. Do you think they’ve noticed we’re here, or should we go get my things now?”
“I don’t think they have. Let’s take that chance and go get your things.”
Go to Part 2
Author:
sam_gamgeeDisclaimer: So not mine in so many ways.
Spoilers: SGA – basic show knowledge, Eureka – through 5x04 “Friendly Fire”... I guess? (Basically through the main Astraeus plotline)
Word Count: 12,080
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Lorne/Zelenka
Summary: Evan and Radek hope their time away from Atlantis and San Francisco will be productive in more ways than one.
Note: It's really not necessary to know anything about Eureka, other than Deputy Andy is played by Kavan Smith and Steven is played by David Nykl. And, as far as I know, Kavanagh is still within the SG universe somewhere.
Note #2: Written for this year's SGA Reverse Bang. The artwork it's based on is here and done by the amazing
gblvr.“I don’t care! I’m not driving onto a fucking bridge that’s fucking out!” Evan exploded.
“I swear it’s not out!” Radek countered hotly. “You only have to drive a few yards and we’ll pass through the perception filter. I would have thought after this long, you would trust me.”
Evan sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and, closing his eyes, counted slowly to ten, before reopening them. “I do trust you, Radek. It’s just that –”
The air in front of them shimmered and a man dressed in a brown sheriff’s uniform appeared. “Howdy, folks!” he called cheerily with a big grin and a wave.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Evan asked, bewildered.
“I am,” Radek replied.
“Why does he look exactly like me?”
“I don’t – I, uh, I have no idea.”
Evan glanced at Radek, who looked as flabbergasted as he felt.
The man approached Evan’s window and Evan slowly lowered it. “Hello, Major Lorne, Dr. Zelenka,” the other man said cheerily. “My name is Deputy Andy and we’ve been expecting you. Sheriff Carter had hoped to meet you – he understands how unsettling this route can be for first-time visitors to Eureka. Unfortunately, he was called in to deal with a situation at Global Dynamics.”
“Okay, um, Deputy Andy,” Evan replied. “I take it the bridge really isn’t out?”
“Nope,” Andy replied with a shake of his head. “It’s a safety precaution. The work being done at GD is very sensitive and, in some cases, highly classified. But not far ahead, you’ll pass through the perception filter and you’ll see the rest of the bridge. From there, I’ll escort you into town.”
Evan nodded and Radek hissed, “Told you.”
“It’s kind of hard to argue with myself,” Evan said as Andy walked away and disappeared. “Even if I don’t understand it.”
They looked at each other and giggled, the first time they’d laughed together since they’d left San Francisco. Evan drove forward and, as promised, passed through the perception filter and saw Andy’s car and the rest of the bridge connecting to the other side and the road beyond.
“Where are the two of you staying?” Andy asked.
“Radek’s staying with Dr. Whitticus, and I’ll be staying at the bed and breakfast,” Evan told him.
Andy looked back and forth between them for a moment, confused, before saying, “Ah, okay. We had been under the assumption that identical arrangements had been made.”
“That had been the original plan,” Radek spoke up, “but it was a last minute decision to change.”
“Would you like to stop for something to eat first?”
“I think we’ll like to put our things away first,” Evan said.
Andy asked Radek, “Will you be going to the Whitticuses’ cabin or their home in town?”
“The cabin,” Radek replied.
“They have a cabin and a house in town?” Evan asked, surprised.
“You never asked,” Radek commented softly.
“Shall we get going?” Andy asked and they nodded.
The drive through town was quiet. Evan couldn’t get out of his head how quaint it looked. And thought it might be a nice place to retire – if he and Radek patched things up.
When they arrived at the Whitticuses’, Radek declined Evan’s offer of help to get his things out of the trunk and after a perfunctory goodbye and a promise to call about dinner, headed up to the cabin. The door opened quickly after his knock and Radek disappeared inside. Evan watched the door for a long moment, not sure what he was waiting for, until the honk of a horn diverted his attention. Evan looked over to Andy’s car and nodded at his questioning look. He followed the other car back into town to the bed and breakfast. Despite his insistence that he didn’t need it, Andy helped him take his things inside and, after he checked in, up to his room.
“Do you have all of the directions you need?” Andy asked, setting the bag down on the bed.
“Yep, thanks,” Evan replied. “Radek has our itinerary, however. So, I guess we’ll be seeing you around.”
“Of course,” Andy replied. “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to call.”
Evan found himself laughing in spite of himself. “Don’t worry, we won’t. Where’s a good place to eat around here?”
“Cafe Diem – Vincent is a master, or so I’ve been told. He can make you anything you can think of.”
“Thanks.”
Andy took his leave and once Evan closed the door behind him, he let out a breath and leaned back against the door. This was not how he’d expected things to go. He and Radek had been having a tough time since Atlantis had arrived back on Earth, but things had really gone to hell in recent weeks. So when it had come up that a number of Ancient tech was being taken to Global Dynamics for study, they’d jumped at the chance to go to help out with the set-up and for Evan to play light switch until they’d had a chance to find if anyone in Eurkea had the gene. They’d hoped the change of scenery would help them sort things out and come out stronger, but so far the whole trip up had been more of a disaster than they’d expected.
Evan pushed away from the door and began unpacking. When he was done, he laid down on the bed, hoping to take a nap, but he couldn’t fall asleep. After half an hour of staring at the ceiling, he got up and changed into his PT gear and, after checking the map at the front desk, headed out for a run.
He meandered through the town and into some of the surrounding countryside, enjoying the scenery and waving back to everyone he saw. On his way back to the hotel, he was stopped by a Jeep marked with the Sheriff’s Department symbol.
“You must be Major Lorne,” the other man said, leaning against the door frame, and Evan nodded.
“Evan,” he said, shaking hands.
“Sheriff Jack Carter,” Jack said. “This is creepy. You look and sound exactly like Andy.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” Evan replied with a wry smile, glad to put a face to a name. “Any idea how that happened?”
“Nope. But that’s par for the course around here. I can look into it, if you want.”
“Eh, some things are probably best left alone,” Evan replied.
“Are you and Dr. Zelenka settling in okay?”
“Yeah. Well, I guess so. He’s staying with the Whitticuses and I’m staying at the bed and breakfast.”
“Starting at GD tomorrow?”
Evan nodded.
“Good luck with that. It’s an... interesting place.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard. Will I need to bring my technobabble dictionary?”
“There’s a dictionary?” Jack asked in surprised amusement.
“Home-made. You get used to it after a while.”
“Yeah. Though every time I think I’ve got a handle on it, they change the terms on me.”
“On the plus side for me, where I’m coming from – it’s a pretty contained situation, so there’s only so many terms that can come up.”
“Lucky you. Everyone’s used to having me around, so they’ll translate if you look too confused or your scientist doesn’t. And if you need any other help, Jo Lupo is the head of security at GD. She can help you out with whatever you need.”
“Thanks.”
Jack’s cell phone rang. “Sorry, got to go. We’ll have to get together before you leave and swap stories.”
Evan nodded. “Sounds good.” It would be nice to talk to someone who could commerserate with the crazy sort of stuff he’d gone through.
He headed back to the bed and breakfast and quickly stripped and jumped into the shower, the cool water feeling good. His cell phone started ringing as he was toweling himself off and he went to get it. He smiled, seeing it was Radek.
“Hey,” he answered. “All settled in?”
“I am,” Radek answered. “Feel up to getting dinner?”
“You bet. Just need to get dressed. Want me to pick you up or are the Whitticuses joining us?”
“It’ll just be us. I’ve heard Cafe Diem is a great place to eat.”
“Andy told me the same thing. Okay, I’ll be over shortly.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
When Evan pulled up in front of the Whitticuses’ cabin, Radek was sitting out on the front porch and Evan’s heart skipped a beat. Even with everything going on, he still loved him. Radek saw him and smiled as he stood.
Getting into the passenger seat, he said, “Good evening.”
“Hey,” Evan replied, leaning over to kiss him. It landed on Radek’s cheek, which was a bit disappointing, but Evan figured it was a start. “How was your afternoon?”
“Good. It’s great to see Steven and Wendy again.”
Turning back onto the road, Evan asked, “Now, how did you and Steven meet again?” There was a lengthy pause and Evan glanced over to Radek. “Radek?”
“I haven’t been entirely truthful, but it was for Steven’s sake,” Radek finally said. “He’s my brother.”
“Your *what*?” Evan asked, doing his best to override the instinct to slam on the breaks and turn his full attention to Radek.
“My brother,” Radek replied. “As you know, things in the Czech Republic have been quite tumultuous over the past few decades and it was hard enough for me – being a genius and a dissenter. But it was even harder for Steven – who was both of those things, as well as being quite vocal about it. He moved here and changed his identity for protection. Not long after, there was an accident and he lost most of his sight.”
“But you’ve been in touch. Didn’t you worry that would put him in danger?”
“We were careful and most of it was innocuous – nothing political. Who would care that I was corresponding with another scientist, who’s practically blind, when we only talked about our families and boring scientific experiments? There were some carefully worded things from time to time, but nothing anyone would be able to pick up on.”
After a long moment, Evan asked, “Can I meet him?”
“Sure. He’s a bit shy these days, but I’ll talk to him. Maybe after we’ve had a bit more time to catch up. It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to be together.”
“Sure.” Evan parked outside of Cafe Diem and they headed inside. It smelled heavenly and his stomach growled.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” a heavy-set man said jovially from behind the counter. “Please seat yourselves and we’ll be with you in a moment.”
They sat down at the counter. “Okay,” the man said a moment later. “What can I get – oh, this is odd.”
“What is it?” Evan asked.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say the two most unlikely people just walked into my restaurant. But you’re obviously not Deputy Andy and Dr. Whitticus.”
“No, of course not,” Evan replied, knowing this was going to get old very quickly. “I’m Major Evan Lorne, and this is Dr. Radek Zelenka. We just got in today.”
“Of course. My name’s Vincent. So, what can I get you gentlemen? I can make practically anything.”
They both thought for a moment, and Radek ordered first, asking for something Evan couldn’t pronounce, let alone guess what it was. Vincent wrote it down, looking like he’d won a prize for getting a challenge. Not sure what he wanted, Evan told Vincent to surprise him.
After Vincent left, Evan said, “I think we may just be his new favorite customers,” and they laughed.
They didn’t talk as they waited, but for the first time in a long time, it was completely comfortable. Evan observed the rest of the patrons and, if he didn’t know better, he would have assumed this was just another small town, not one made of the country’s smartest geniuses. When the food came, Radek looked like he hadn’t expected Vincent to pull it off and Evan didn’t know what he was getting, but it smelled delicious.
******
On the way back to Steven and Wendy’s, Radek let out a contented sigh. Dinner had been delicious. He hadn’t expected to get vepřo-knedlo-zelo, but Vincent had delivered and it had been almost as good as his mother’s. And he was finally starting to relax.
From the final battle with the Wraith – which had necessitated bringing Atlantis back to Earth, through all of the bureaucratic bullshit that kept it on Earth, and personnel being reassigned to other projects and Gate teams, everyone had been wound tighter than a top. Including himself and Evan, and their relationship had suffered significantly for it.
When the possibility had come up to bring some of the Ancient tech to Global Dynamics for study to determine long-term and future use, as well as ultimately the future of the Atlantis Expedition (it hadn’t been said, but everyone knew it), Radek had jumped at the chance to escort the tech and act as a liaison between the SGC and GD. And it seemed only logical that since he was Atlantis’ scientific number two, that Evan would go as well, as someone invested in Atlantis’ military presence. And if it helped their relationship, well, no one else needed to know that.
Seeing Steven had been both amazing and heartbreaking. They hadn’t seen each other since Steven had defected a few years before Radek. They’d kept in touch as much as possible, a lifetime of being careful dictating that they didn’t go too deep into what they were working on, but it had been hard to stay away – especially after the accident. Wendy had been a god-send during that time, acting as a go-between and keeping Radek apprised of what was going on.
When Evan parked in front of the Whitticuses’ cabin, Radek said, “Thank you for dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Evan nodded, looking a little sad. Radek didn’t really like the forced separation either, but he selfishly wanted to keep his brother to himself for a little longer. And there was also the hope that by getting out of each other’s hair for a little while would help facilitate fixing things with Evan.
“I don’t like this very much either, milicku,” he said. “But I think it’s for the best. We talked about it and agreed it could help us fix things.”
“I know,” Evan replied. “And we both want it, so I’m not going to complain.”
“See you tomorrow at 8:30?”
Evan nodded. “Sounds good.”
Radek leaned in this time to kiss Evan good-night. When they pulled apart, they bade each other good night and he got out. He was aware of Evan watching him until he went inside, using the key Steven had given him, and he watched through the window as Evan drove off.
“How was dinner?” Steven asked from where he was reading.
“Good,” Radek replied. “Vincent was able to make vepřo-knedlo-zelo and it was almost as good as Mother used to make.”
Steven smiled. “Good. I haven’t been able to go to Carpe Diem in a long time.”
“I’m sure I could make something to help you,” Radek said, sitting in the chair next to Steven’s. “It’s not right that you’re cooped up in here most days.”
“Most days I’m happy enough,” Steven replied with a sad smile. “So what’s wrong with you?”
“What do you mean?” Radek asked in surprise.
“You don’t seem as happy as I’d expect you to be to have the backing of GD to work on your alien technology. It’s like seeing a kid in a candy store who doesn’t want it.”
“It’s, well,” Radek looked sheepish. “It’s Evan. He and I –”
“Are on the outs, and neither of you likes it.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“Wendy and I have had enough of our own problems. And you’re my twin brother.” His smile turned mischievous. “And I will admit – only to you – a certain fondness for daytime television.”
Radek laughed. “I doubt daytime television could be considered a good primer for human behavior.”
Wendy came in at that moment, all smiles. “Hello, you two!” she said and the men stood to greet her. “It’s so good to finally meet you, Radek!”
She hugged Radek and kissed him on the cheek before moving to Steven for a tight hug and a quick kiss on the lips. The three of them sat down, Wendy on the arm of Steven’s chair, their hands clasped together.
“How was your night, sweetheart?” Steven asked her.
“Good,” she replied. “We had a really good time.”
“Glad to hear it. Maybe you could take Radek out a time or two while he’s here and show him around.” He looked at Radek and said, “And maybe you could pretend to be me – like we did when we were kids.”
“Oh, you’re terrible,” she said, with a playful bat at his shoulder. “I’m glad you came, Radek. It’s obviously good for Steven – and you’ve only been here a few hours.”
“And I think it’ll be good for him too,” Steven told her. “I doubt he’ll ask for it, but I think he’ll like a woman’s advice on a matter of the heart.”
“Of course,” Wendy said to Radek. “Whatever you need – just ask.”
“I don’t know,” Radek demurred. “It’s not exactly something I’m comfortable discussing.”
Wendy tsked affectionately. “I swear – men are so hard to get to talk about their feelings. And Slovak men are the worst!” She stood and kissed Steven on the forehead. “I’m going to get a shower. Join me tonight?”
“Of course,” Steven replied. “Let me make sure Radek is settled.”
“I’m good, if you want to go,” Radek replied as Wendy headed upstairs. “You’ve shown me where everything is.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. Go – be with your wife.”
Radek watched Steven go, not sure how to quantify how he felt. He was definitely jealous of their relationship. He didn’t know the details, but he knew they didn’t have a traditional marriage, but it worked for them. He was glad Steven had finally gained the happiness he so deserved.
Maybe that’s what he and Evan needed to get things back on track – something unconventional. He knew he wasn’t planning on giving up without a fight, and considering how easily Evan had agreed to be his escort of sorts, Radek knew he wanted to make it work too. He made a mental note to discuss it with Evan at breakfast before heading to bed.
The next morning, Radek was up early. He tried going back to sleep, but his mind was already raring to go. He sighed and got out of bed to grab his clothes and head into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he entered the kitchen to the smell of coffee brewing and breakfast cooking.
“Smells good,” he said to Wendy.
“Thank you,” she replied with a smile, handing him an empty mug. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did, thank you.” Radek filled his coffee mug and added some sugar. Joining her at the table, he asked, “So when will the sleepy-head be up?”
“Oh, he’s already up. He went out for a walk.”
“I didn’t think he could go outside because of his eyes.”
“Mornings aren’t too bad – especially in the woods around here. And after the... incident a couple of years ago, he’s been working on finding ways that will allow him to enjoy the outdoors.”
The outside door to the kitchen opened and Steven entered wearing a pair of driving goggles and grinning like a maniac. “They work!” he crowed.
“Congratulations, honey!” Wendy replied, joining him for an exuberant hug.
“My congratulations as well,” Radek replied.
“There are still many tests to do, but this is very promising,” Steven told him.
“There are always more tests to do.”
“If you’d like, there are some nice trails into the woods from here and there are some bikes in the garage,” Steven said, he and Wendy joining Radek at the kitchen table and Steven changed to his regular glasses. “We were going to use them regularly before the accident, but that was never meant to be. The one that follows the lake is very pretty.”
“I think I might just take you up on that.”
The doorbell rang and Radek stood. “That should be Evan. I’ll make the introductions, then we’ll be on our way.” Opening the front door, Radek smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” Evan replied. “All set?”
“Sure, in a moment – I want to introduce you first.”
“Are you –”
“If you ask me if I’m sure, I will hurt you. And then make you walk to GD.” He pulled Evan inside and kissed him. “Good morning.”
“Hey,” Evan replied with a fond smile.
Radek led him into the kitchen. “Steven, Wendy, this is Major Evan Lorne – my partner. Evan, this is my brother Steven and his wife Wendy.”
“Nice to meet you,” Evan said as they shook hands.
“Likewise,” Steven replied. “Radek’s told us a lot about you.”
“Hopefully nothing too crazy.”
“Oh, it was all completely scandalous,” Wendy replied with a teasing smile. “Would you two like breakfast?”
“Maybe another time,” Radek replied. “We have some things we need to discuss before we head into Global Dynamics.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Wendy said. “Have a good day.”
Getting into the car, Radek asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”
“I did, though it was weird not being on Atlantis and not having you next to me.”
“Same here. We need to fix this, milacku.”
“I know. Especially since every time I think about breaking up, I know there’s no way I’d be able to go through with it – and if you tried, I’d do everything I could to keep us together.”
“So what do we do? Do we take a break? See other people, but stay together? Bring in a third person?”‘
“I don’t know. But I don’t want to share you and I don’t want to take a break. Maybe we could treat this as much like a vacation as we can outside of Global Dynamics?”
“Sounds good.” Radek laughed. “Remember that time you convinced me to go off-world with you? The, um, third time.”
“The one with the beach?” Evan asked fondly.
Radek nodded. “There’s a lake near the cabin and there are trails in the woods. We could go hiking. Or Steven will let me borrow his bike and you could go for a run.”
“And there isn’t much of a nightlife in Eureka, but I’m sure we could find something to do,” Evan added.
They arrived at Global Dynamics and headed inside, to be met in the rotunda by a young man and woman.
“Whoa! This is creeeepy,” the man said, looking both freaked out and excited glanced between them.
“Be nice, Fargo,” the woman told him. Holding out her hand, she said, “I’m Jo Lupo – head of security here at GD and this,” she elbowed the other man, “is Dr. Douglas Fargo, head of GD.”
“Dr. Radek Zelenka,” Radek replied as he and Fargo shook hands.
“Major Evan Lorne,” Evan replied.
“We have you set up with special clearance badges and you’ll be set up with a lab in Section 5,” Fargo said. “We’re aware that your items aren’t strictly military-based, but since you’re coming from the SGC, it seemed appropriate.”
“As well as the fact that it’s the most secure section in the facility,” Jo added. “Here are your badges, please wear them at all times. I’ll take you down and introduce you to your GD counterpart.”
They eagerly followed her and Radek was surprised at how normal everything looked. He’d heard stories over the years of things that had been done at GD, some of which was fantastical, and was curious if anything was true. But everything seemed surprisingly normal.
“Watch out! Lemur on the loose!” a voice called from behind them and a gray and white blur shot past them, followed a few seconds later by a person.
Then again, maybe not.
******
As they were taken down to their lab space, Evan felt his apprehension over sharing their tech ease a bit. Even if the decor was different, there was still something familiar about this place that put him at ease. It was probably from spending so much time with scientists. By the time they stopped outside a lab door, Evan wondered if he should’ve left a trail of breadcrumbs so they could leave at the end of the day.
Jo showed them how to swipe their badges to enter and the door swept open. There were numerous gadgets and machines scattered about the room, some of which he couldn’t begin to describe, and others which were familiar and Evan guessed that their scientist had gotten started already. But a glance at Radek showed a kid in a candy store, and Evan couldn’t help but smile.
“Dr. Kavanagh,” she said as they entered, “your guests are here.”
“One second,” came a familiar, yet disembodied, voice and Evan and Radek looked at each other in surprise.
Glancing at her pad, Jo said to the room at large, “I have a note here that the three of you know each other and that I’ve been told to tell you to play nice.”
“I’ll play nice when McKay does,” retorted Kavanagh as he stood from behind the desk. “Oh, not who I was expecting.” Tightly, he continued, “Radek, Major Lorne.”
“We’re as surprised as you,” Evan replied. “We’d heard you’d left the SGC and gone to a private research company, but we weren’t expecting this.”
“It’s good to see you, Peter,” Radek said, holding out his hand.
Peter narrowed his eyes and glared at Radek for a moment before shaking his hand. Evan held out his hand too and Peter was only seconds quicker shaking it.
“I’ll let the three of you get to it, then,” Jo said and quickly left. Evan didn’t blame her if she was expecting fireworks to start.
“You must be why the SGC sent the Ancient tech here,” Evan commented as the door shut.
“Yes, well, the military isn’t exactly known for its smarts,” Peter replied. “You would have thought that sending this stuff to someone with an axe to grind would be the last thing they’d want to do.”
“Or someone still thinks positively of you,” Radek replied. “We were told this was going to be a set-up of sorts to see if Global Dynamics could partner with the SGC to work on the Ancient tech from Atlantis.”
“I’ve been told as much,” Peter replied.
“So, what do you need me to do?” Evan asked. “I went sent along on light switch duty.”
Peter looked relieved to be focusing on the task at hand. “I’ve got everything unpacked. I tried sorting it out, but my gene isn’t the strongest, so some things turned on weakly and some didn’t turn on at all. There were a few things that did, however, though I wasn’t able to make heads or tails of them. So have at it and see what you can make of things.”
There were about thirty items of various sizes in the room. Evan sat down at the lab table and picked up the first item and thought ‘on’. It vibrated slightly in his hand, then lit up.
From there, the three of them slowly got into a rhythm of turning items on, Evan figuring out if it was something only gene carries could operate, and then passing it off to either Radek or Peter to work on. And by lunch, they’d gotten through preliminary information on half of the items. Radek decided to stay behind as Evan and Peter went to get food.
Heading out to Cafe Diem (“We could go to GD’s cafeteria, but Vincent’s food is *so* much better,” Peter had said), Evan asked, “Is there anything in place to get you a light switch of your own?”
“From the bits I’ve been told, the idea seems to be to see how this first shipment goes and see what sort of information I can glean from them and then we’ll go from there with more funding, help, etc. – all the fun bits of scientific research.”
Evan smiled out the window at Peter’s sarcastic tone of voice. “How’ve you been?” he asked.
“Once I got the bitter taste of the SGC out of my mouth, good,” Peter replied. “I like it here. And everyone seems to be as odd as I am, so it works out well. And since I don’t have to share lab space with anyone – even better. But Fargo – the guy in charge – is pretty decent and, while green when it comes to leadership abilities, he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
“Seeing anyone?”
“Not really. I’ve gone on a few dates, but nothing serious. Work always seems to get in the way. What about you and Radek? Still together?” They headed inside Cafe Diem.
“For the most part. Coming back to Earth has been hard for both of us.”
“I hope it works out for the two of you. I always thought if anyone could make it, it would be the two of you.”
“Thanks,” Evan replied. “And I hope you find someone too – you deserve some happiness.”
“Your sincerity is appreciated. Hey, Vincent.”
“Good afternoon,” Vincent said. “What can I get for the two of you?”
After they’d ordered, Peter telling Vincent to make him whatever and Evan saying the same, and Vincent had left, Evan grinned. “You like him.”
“Do not,” Peter retorted, blushing.
“Do too.” Evan studied Peter. “And you haven’t told him!”
“You’re right, I haven’t. Mainly because I don’t want him poisoning me.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“No. But I’d still rather not take that chance.”
“And why not? You said you’ve dated other guys. What makes him different?”
Peter studied the table. “Maybe because I really want it to work.”
“It won’t work, though, until you ask him!”
“Don’t ruin this with your logical arguments!”
Evan laughed. “If you don’t say something when he comes back, I will.”
Peter looked horrified. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“I just might. Either say something, or I won’t cooperate this afternoon.”
“You do that and you won’t be getting any sex for the rest of the week.”
“I’m hardly getting any as it is – won’t make that much of a difference.”
Vincent brought their plates out and, after a brief explanation of their sandwiches that left Evan’s mouth watering, turned to leave. “Hey, Vincent,” Peter said.
“Yes?” Vincent asked, turning back to them with a hopeful look.
“I, um,” Peter stalled and Evan kicked him under the table. “What time do you close tonight?”
“Nine,” Vincent replied. “Anything else?”
“No, we’re good.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Vincent said before heading back behind the counter, looking a bit crestfallen.
“Very smooth, Casanova,” Evan said drily.
“Thanks for putting me on the spot there,” Peter retorted.
“He is interested, though,” Evan said.
“He is not.”
“He is. He was totally expecting you to ask him something personal. And he’s been totally focusing on you since we walked in the door.”
Focusing on his own sandwich, Peter said, “Eat your food so we can get back.”
“Good to see there isn’t a scratch on either of you,” Radek commented when they returned.
“I know better,” Peter said as he went back to his part of the lab, “you both know more than one way to dispose of a body, and that’s not even including the ways you could do it using GD’s tech.”
“He was driving,” Evan offered as he joined Radek. “Besides, I have a feeling Vincent would have been very pissed if we’d gotten blood anywhere in his restaurant. And I was distracted.”
“Distracted? How?” Radek asked, concerned.
“Peter’s crushing on Vincent, and I think Vincent’s crushing on him too, and I was trying to get Peter to say something. Didn’t really work.”
“Peter and Vincent?” Radek asked, looking back at Peter. “Interesting. Time to get back to work, however.”
“Yes, boss,” Evan said with a smile and leaned in to kiss Radek. He pulled away, still smiling and went back to where the rest of the Ancient gadgets had been collected to get back to work. Glancing up at Radek, he smiled at the bemused expression on Radek’s face.
They finished the rest of the items just before dinner and Peter shooed them out of the lab. “Now that we don’t have the fate of the world breathing down our necks, I like keeping regular hours. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
“What do you feel like doing?” Evan asked.
“I don’t know,” Radek replied. “I should spend some time with Steven. It’s been a long time. Do you want to drop me off before you head back to the bed and breakfast?”
“I’d like to get to know him too, if you don’t mind. He is your family, after all.” Evan turned mischievous. “If nothing else, I can get all those embarrassing family stories out of him.”
“You do, and I will kill you,” Radek replied.
“Then let me come with you and I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Radek let out a resigned sigh. “You don’t, and you’ll be getting your own ride back to San Francisco.”
“Fair enough. Scout’s honor.”
Evan drove them back to the Whitticuses’ and Radek called them on the way to say that Evan would be coming over with him.
“They’re both delighted. They want to spend more time with you as well,” Radek told him, shutting off the phone. “And you’re invited to dinner.”
Parking in front of the cabin, Evan turned off the car and, turning to Radek said, “Part of why we came here was so we could work things out between us, remember?”
“I remember,” Radek replied.
“Then why are you fighting me so hard? I get that you haven’t seen Steven in a long time and he is your family, but it’s not just that – it feels like it’s everything.”
Radek shrugged. “I’m tired of having to work so hard to make this work.”
“Remember you don’t have to work so hard,” Evan told him. “Let me do some of it too. I want to.” He put a finger under Radek’s chin and turned his head so Radek was looking at him. “Please.”
“You always make it sound so easy, but it’s not. This is the real world, Evan. Not Atlantis where everything is heightened because danger and destruction are lurking around every corner and through every wormhole. We don’t have the momentum we did then.”
“Then maybe we need to make some of our own momentum,” Evan replied. “We both want this to work, or we wouldn’t be here right now, having this conversation.”
“I know,” Radek replied softly, looking down again.
“Do you want to break up?” Evan asked. “Is there someone else?”
“What?” Radek’s gaze flicked back up to Evan. “Where did you get that idea?”
Evan shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought that with the way you’ve been saying you want to stay together, but not really *doing* anything about it, that maybe you were just saying it for my benefit and wanted to break up because you’d found someone else.”
“No, there’s no one else. You know me better than that, Evan Lorne. And if we weren’t sleeping in separate locations, I might be tempted to make you sleep on the couch!”
“Then maybe we shouldn’t be sleeping in separate locations,” Evan said wistfully.
“It was your idea,” Radek told him.
“I know. And it was a very stupid idea. Next time I mention it again, smack me and tell me no. What should we do about it?”
“Do you want to come stay here? Steven and Wendy won’t mind.”
“I would love to. Do you think they’ve noticed we’re here, or should we go get my things now?”
“I don’t think they have. Let’s take that chance and go get your things.”
Go to Part 2
