Title: Leaders
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Summary: Before Atlantis, neither of them were really leaders.
Rating: G
Pairings/Characters: Weir, Sheppard
Length: 300 words
Genres: general, kind of character studies

A/N: Written for a friend, who won herself a fic from me. Being totally new to the 'lantis fandom, she wanted to know something about the chars, so I picked the ones I feel like I know the best--Shep and Weir. I totally planned to give her more than small backgrounds and kind of their motivations, but my brain ran away with things, as usual. Also, if any of my facts/statements are wrong, somebody smack and correct me. Because I've been very... forgetful towards Atlantis lately.

Leaders

Before Atlantis, Doctor Elizabeth Weir was a diplomat. A negotiator in hundreds of important international treaties and agreements. No real power, just a mediator and voice of common sense where one was needed.

Now, though, things were very different.

She was still a diplomat, of course, but a different one entirely. And she was so much more than she had been. Not just a negotiator and mediator. She was a leader of a galaxy-changing group of people.

Many times, it was burden because she hadn't been trained for this. She wasn't a true leader by nature, and she was used to being the mediator—an authoritative one sometimes, but still only a mediator. She was learning, though, to become a leader.

And the people of Atlantis were following.

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Before Atlantis, Major John Sheppard was just an insubordinate, stagnant Air Force officer. A random pilot in the service whose talents were being wasted on routine assignments that took him nowhere.

Then, by chance, luck, and perhaps fate, he'd become a part of the Atlantis expedition. And then suddenly leadership—yes, leadership!—was thrust upon him. Suddenly, he was so much more than just another Air Force pilot. He was making a real difference in not just the world, not just the galaxy, but the universe.

Yes, it was difficult for him leading a group like this one. It was stressful, hard to handle, and sometimes he questioned why he, of all people, was helping lead them. But he was also finding out quickly that he had more leadership qualities than he'd ever thought he had.

And the people of Atlantis were behind him.

END