LEAVE IT TO HIM

By Enola Jones

Response to Challenge: Team Building --- use the letters of the word "Christmas" to describe a member of their team as part of a team building exercise.

To say John was startled when he looked up from his paperwork to see Kate Heightmeyer standing there smirking at him -- smiling? No, that was definitely a smirk -- was a gross understatement. "I nearly shot you."

"You wouldn't have. You have better control than that."

He tilted his head. "So what do I owe this visit to?"

"I was going over your team-building exercise of two days ago--"

John groaned. "Oh, don't remind me."

"And I think you'd like to see this one." She put the flash drive into his laptop and called up the file.

"Concerned about one of my team?"

"No, no. Amused is more like it. I think you'll enjoy this." She turned the laptop around and John looked, intrigued despite himself.

~*~

I think this is a bunch of crap, but since I'm here and required to do this -- thank you ever so much, Carson and Heightmeyer, remind me to drop you off my Gift List -- here we go.

Oh, these were supposed to be one word? Okay -- Ronon. Ronon does one words. Hm.

C - Calm. Freakishly so.

H - Hair. What? Look at the man!

R - Razor-sharp knives. Everywhere.

I - Intelligent.

S - Surprising. Just when you think you know him...

T - Towering.

M - Muscles. And the guy barely works out. That's hardly fair.

A - Amusing. The sense of humour was one thing I did not expect.

S - Sentinel. I always feel better knowing he's on watch.

~*~

John looked up.

"He did more. Keep reading."

John looked back at the file.

~*~

Teyla now.

C - Calm. Must be something about raised in Pegasus.

H - Headstrong. Don't let the diplomatic facade fool you -- that woman is stubbourn. (John chuckled. He'd run up against that a few times himself.)

R - Responsible. I don't know how she does it. Leading her people and helping us here.

I - Independent.

S - Small. But don't make the mistake of thinking she's weak.

T - Teyla. That's how to sum her up. She's just....Teyla.

M - Maternal. Sometimes I wonder what she'll be like if she ever has kids. She's definitely maternal with her Team.

A - Amazing. I admire her. I really do.

S - Strong. In every way, she's strong.

~*~

"She certainly is," John whispered. "He's got them pegged pretty well." She smiled and pulled the drive, pocketing it and moving to the doorway. "Thought you'd like to see how he sees them, since this isn't strictly confidential. He's making tremendous growth strides and I'm proud of him."

John let his smile speak for him as she left.

Then he turned to the computer and called back the automatically saved file. Rodney had installed it this ability on his laptop in secret because he was always deleting reports by accident. He scrolled down, eager to see what Rodney had said about him.

He was expecting sarcasm. He was expecting teasing.

~*~

Colonel Sheppard.

C - Command. I've never seen a man more born to lead in my life.

H - Humour. He makes me laugh more than anyone else on the base -- excepting Carson.

R - Reserved. He keeps so much of himself locked away that it's an honour when we get to see the man behind the mask.

I - Intelligent. Incredibly so. But he hides it and I want to just shake him sometimes and tell him it's okay to let it out.

S - Suave. The man could charm the icicles off of an Antarctic cavern.

T - Trust. There is no one I trust more. No one.

M - Maths. He's faster in head-calculations than anyone on this base. And yes, shockingly, I'm including myself in that estimation. He's faster and more accurate than I am when it comes to doing it in your head. And I will deny that if asked directly. (John blinked, then smirked at the last sentence.)

A - Atlantis. John belongs here. More than any of us.

S - Safe. I feel safe with him -- no matter what.

~*~

John sat there, blinking in surprise. He closed the file and erased it.

Leave it to Rodney to simultaneously warm your heart and shock the hell out of you.

THE END




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