My Own Kind of Freedom by Tielan (G)

[mific.livejournal.com]

Show: SGA

Rec Category: Alternate Universe [Historical C19th USA (~1870s)]
Characters: John Sheppard, Laura Cadman, Teyla Emmagan, Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay, Kate Heightmeyer, Katie Brown, Acastus Kolya
Categories: Gen
Warnings: None
Author on LJ: tielan
Author's Website: see the AO3
Link: My Own Kind of Freedom on AO3

Why This Must Be Read: I love Wild West AUs, and this one's excellent. It's from John's POV and as Tielan's the writer, there are plenty of strong women in the story. It's an engaging tale with great period details and an interesting and well-researched back-story for Teyla.


Movement out in the street caught his eye. A woman in neat brown calico walked briskly past the smithy, a large, rectangular package tucked firmly beneath her arm. John caught a glimpse of the face beneath the elegant straw hat with its dark blue ribbon and was startled by the darkness of the skin beneath, the impression of strong bones.

That was all he glimpsed. She passed the smithy with never a look to right or left; a small, trim body stepping along in small, trim boots whose toes peeped out from beneath the hem of her dress.

“You’re looking for Laura Cadman?” The murmur came soft from the blacksmith’s assistant, swift words with a bite. The man gave a quick, wary glance at his master, before he jerked his head at the passing woman. “You’ll want to ask madam there.”

Madam. John’s eye turned measuring as the slim figure encountered a gentleman who tipped his hat to her in a familiar and friendly way. He noted the way two other women walking down the street narrowed their eyes and tilted their noses up, and the set of his mouth turned grim.

He turned back to the blacksmith who was watching him watch the woman. “An hour, you said?”

“An hour,” the smith confirmed, carefully neutral. “But if I were you, I’d tread careful, son. The lady’s small, but she’s got bite.”

John smiled, somewhat grimly. “So do I.”