Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of the characters from Stargate Atlantis. The primary original character and the minor original characters are my own creation.

The Colonel's Sister and the Major

Chapter 1: New Beginning, New Adventure

Yesterday. Yesterday had been a day like any other. A cold front had swept in, taking with it the last breath of fall. Snowflakes trickled down like a feather kissing the surface of a pond. Nature ran through its courses. Everything seemed right in the world. Children playing, trying to catch the snowflakes, the hub and bub of people hustling about their day, nothing changed. At least that is how it seemed to them.

For everything that didn't change, just as many things did. It was difficult to look at life with the same eyes when you're entire world gets flipped upside down. It should have been terrifying. It wasn't, it was exhilarating. Unlike anything I'd have expected, yet so much more.

Families decorated their homes in celebration of the holidays that were quickly approaching. So unaware. So blind to what was in front of them. I had been blind though. I hadn't wanted to see myself. Until my eyes were opened and I knew that I would never go back. I never wanted things to return to the way they were. I was granted a new life. Me, of all people, it was utterly unbelievable.

My half-brother would say that I was insane. That I should count my lucky stars that I was fortunate enough to be allotted the same privileges he was afforded. How could I be? Nicolette M. Kerrigan was actually going to be someone in some body's eyes. It was a surreal feeling that swept across me.

A co-worker of my brother's sat across from me now. It was hard to concentrate on what he was telling me. I was lost in his eyes. He was attentive, realization grew quickly in those breath taking blue eyes, and he had lost me… again. He sighed one of the most perfect sighs of exasperation that I have ever heard. I was totally smitten. Not my usual self. I was more like my half-brother. Quiet, attentive, I watched and studied people. I wasn't very social. That was easily explained by my lack of a proper up bringing. My father, though I received gifts on birthdays and holidays, hardly paid any mind to me. My mother, broken up by the affair she had with my father, the one that cost her. It had cost her, her not so perfect marriage. When she discovered she was pregnant with me, there was no way she could hide her secret anymore. I was damned from the moment that strip turned blue.

"Nikki, are you with me?" His voice drifted into my memories and I blinked. I looked at him and sighed.

"I am, sorry." I felt a blush crawling to settle onto my cheeks. I got flustered. I didn't like that this gorgeous specimen in front of me could make me feel embarrassed for not paying attention to him.

"Don't apologize. It's your head not mine. It'll be your fault if you aren't caught up to speed on things. I just figured on this 3 week trek that it would be easier for you to be told then have to read all those files."

"I thank you for that Major. I just…" I sighed. "I've wrapped my head around the idea of aliens, the Stargate, inter-planetary traveler, even the unthinkable; traveling to other galaxies. I don't have a problem with any of it. I guess I still don't understand why me?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure either Nikki. I'm just doing as ordered."

"It puzzles me though Major. I'm nothing. I have a doctorate in Psychology, yes, but I am nothing special and there are more qualified professionals in a field I no longer practice in."

"I told you to call me Evan. Listen, we've got 2 more weeks aboard ship, why not make something of it?" I smiled. I wasn't sure if he was still following orders or if he genuinely wanted to spend time with me.

Our frequencies of seeing each other were growing. Something I wasn't ashamed to admit, I was happy for. What did that mean though? He'd have his duties on Atlantis, how could I ever factor as more then just a friend? Not that this was the direction the new friendship was heading with him, it was still something to consider.

"What did you have in mind Evan?"

"Well…" He chuckled. God! The way his eyes looked when he was thinking about something that he shouldn't be thinking of made me quiver. He leaned in close, and in a whisper, his warm breath tingling against my cold ear. "We could get to know each other, better." With a peck on the cheek he was moving away from me. I was frozen to where I sat. I was thankful that the Commissary on the ship was empty. It was after all, late at night. I heard him chuckled softly as he walked further away.

Blinking, I rose to my feet; I grabbed the files that were before me. He had been telling me about the missions I was reading up on, so that I didn't have to read them. With a last swig of my coffee I caught up to him. He eyed me with a pleased expression. It wasn't the sort of lustful gaze I thought I had coming my way. It was a playful one. I felt an eyebrow rise in his direction.

"Relax Nikki; it'll be fun, if you are up for it." Still sort of cautious of his gaze, I followed him, but didn't look directly at him again. We reached the quarters we had been given. They were right next to each other. When I thought we were heading to his, he opened mine. "After you." He smirked. I still couldn't look at him as I stepped into my quarters.

I went to the make shift desk and set the files down on a pile of ones that I had already read. Evan was laughing from the door when he looked at the way things were organized.

"Neat freak?"

"Just a little bit. It's a comfort to know that you know exactly where everything is at all times. After the way I was raised, I couldn't help but be this way." I shrugged as I finally looked at him. He was looking a sketch book that was sitting on one of the bedside tables. I blushed.

"You're really good. Your portraits are amazing, though your landscapes could use a little work."

I gawked at him. My mouth open from shock. I took a moment to collect my thoughts and compose myself. "What would you know about it?"

"Oh, sorry. My mother was an art teacher and artist. I learned everything she knows, though painting is more my thing."

"Ah, well sketching is just a hobby for me. I much prefer composing music."

"Is there anything you can't do?" He laughed. He sat down in the chair by the desk. "I'm sorry if I caught you off guard in the comm. I just want to get to know you better, and let you get a chance to know me. Sort of a twenty questions, without the questions."

My eyes narrowed. I was uncomfortable. "Is this some sort of test? To make sure that I won't have a problem fitting in? Am I just an order to you?"

"What makes you think that?"

"You've been nicer then I have expected." I sighed. "Not much of a psychologist am I? I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm a little paranoid."

"Then you will fit nicely in Atlantis." He smiled. Damn it, why did he have to do that? There I go again, melting like cheese under a broiler. He must have noticed. A look of concern grew in his eyes. "You okay?"

I didn't know what to say. I just sat down on the edge of the bed and shrugged. I just watched my feet. Yes, my feet were more interesting. They had to be. I couldn't keep looking at him. Desire twinges dangerously in my eyes. I couldn't let him see it. I had to keep my focus elsewhere.

I must have been quiet for some time because I now felt the bed shift from his weight. He took me chin by two of his fingers, gently turning my face towards his. I still wouldn't look at him.

"Nikki?" He was now concerned. I did not want things to go this way. He was going to be a new co-worker and possibly a patient. It was unethical in my book. Still, I could not ignore the nagging feeling inside me to just throw my arms around him and kiss those lips. I felt tears begin to form in my eyes. I couldn't take it anymore and I looked directly into his eyes. "Oh…" Escaped from his lips as he saw what I was trying to hid in my expression, in my eyes.

I needed to get away from him. I stood, walking to the other side of the room. I get my back to him as I wrapped my arms around myself. The only real comfort I could rely on was my own. I felt warm arms envelope me. I thought I was dreaming. But then I felt the rise and fall of his chest against my back. I heard his gentle breathing, his closeness and warmth so inviting. His arms relaxed as he felt me turning to look at him. His arms never leaving me.

"This isn't right Evan."

"What isn't?"

"The unexplainable way I feel about you. You saw it in my eyes. I know you did. I mean, yes we've gotten to know each other over the past month…" I couldn't say anymore. His lips were on mine. I couldn't breathe; I was frozen from the sweet ecstasy of his lips on mine. I snapped out of it long enough to kiss him back before he pulled away. He stared at me through knowing eyes, his arms pulling me closer, just holding me as I sighed contentedly, resting my head against his chest. Though I had had the faintest whispers of cologne through out the day, I could finally smell what had intrigued me.

Knowing enough about men's products was enough to know that he wasn't wearing cologne. It was just ordinary soap, but it smelled like heaven to me. It reminded me of simpler times. Before I had let my life get so complicated. Times when I used to compose mediocre music of piano, violin and melodies.

"You do know that you aren't the only psychologist Atlantis has. So you don't have to worry about the possibility of me becoming a patient."

I laughed. He must think that my silence after his kissed me was thinking about all the reasons why this was wrong. That thought had come to me before he placed those soft lips on mine. I was just enjoying him.

"It seems you are little behind on the mind reading. To be honest I was thinking about that before you kissed me."

He smiled, looking at me with his gorgeous eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the most interesting and peculiar shade of hazel eyes I have ever seen?"

"Family curse on my father's side. While they are hazel, my eyes change with my mood. Most of the time they are blue or a blue-ish gray. Why?"

"They're green right now." I blinked. I stepped away from his warm and grabbed a mirror. I had to see for myself. I was dumbstruck when I saw that he was right. My eyes never turned green. Not once, something was definitely different.

I saw Evan go to say something and I looked at him puzzled. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just that my eyes have never turned green before. I'm curious, were my eyes green before you kissed me?"

A look of realization came into his eyes. "No, they were a mix of hazel and blue."

"Well then, my having green eyes right now is your entire fault then, Major Lorne." I smiled as I pretended to be accusing him of a wrong doing. He laughed a different sort of one then what I had heard from him. I liked this laugh much more. He seemed to express happiness through it.

The rest of that night we spent talking about our pasts. While I had mentioned both of my half-brothers, I was surprised when Evan didn't seem to have any recognition of my brother that got me into this mess in the first place.

Over the course of the next two weeks I grew closer to Evan. We spent all of his free time together. While most of the time he did use to help me ease through the files and start transitioning myself to a new life style, we did have our some what intimate moments. Neither of us knew what to expect of my when we reached Atlantis. We had decided not to let things progress further until I had all my answers.

That doesn't mean there weren't a few steamy kisses, mostly he helped me with my artwork. He was very good at landscapes and pointed out exactly what I had been doing wrong. One of the last nights aboard the Apollo, he had fallen asleep while we had been talking. I took the opportunity to do a portrait of him. While the portrait of him was a small one, I drew him lying in a forest clearing, on a patch of grass, a babbling brook mere feet away. After I had finished, I must have fallen asleep. I didn't remember much. I was moved from the place on the floor that I had fallen asleep to the bed in my quarters. I thought I heard him leave, but I couldn't be sure.