Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate or any of its characters, and I make no profit from writing this.
Spoilers: Everything up to The Runner (Season 2)
Summary: PR5-378 seems like such an unassuming planet, until the discovery of an old temple changes everything. Why? Written on the 10,000 year old murals are the names of John Sheppard and Elizabeth Weir.
Prologue
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"Trust me."
It's such a simple statement, really. Yet it implies so much, so much that frightens her, so much which is still beyond her scope of understanding.
There was John Sheppard, standing on the edge of god-knows-what with a hand extended to her, and all he says is "trust me". And then it's too late, and he leaves her, falling backwards over the precipice into a dark unknown. There's a feeling of such terror when she sees him fall, and she's not sure if its for his safety or if it is that she had not taken his outstretched hand. The terror grips her as she moves to the edge...
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And with a start, Elizabeth Weir opened her eyes.
It was that dream again. The one she'd been having quite often as of late.
It was deep in the night, and the rush of terror had left her wide awake. And of course, the only thing that could soothe her back to sleep after this particular dream was an outside walk and the deep, salty smell of the ocean.
The breeze was warm, and the sounds of the ocean was peaceful. Thoughts were scare as she moved slowly among the railing, her eyes only half open, just breathing in her surroundings. But the serenity of the moment just wouldn't last, and reality began to set in around her.
She was Elizabeth Weir, the leader of the Atlantis Expedition. They had essentially been at war with the Wraith...still were, really. Except the Wraith thought Atlantis had been destroyed, when in fact it was all just a very clever ruse.
She leaned forward on the railing, looking out at the dark ocean in front of her. There was a moon out, but it cast only a very dim light...and Elizabeth was almost grateful for the darkness, for the chance to disappear into a dark hallway for a moment. She brushed a few strands of hair out of her face.
She was in love with John Sheppard. Had been for quite a little while, actually.
"You can't!"
"I have to, and you know it."
"...Go."
Go. That one word had sealed her fate. That one word had changed her life. Never had any one word been so painful to utter. Never in her life had one word made her realize an absolute truth as clear as crystal. She had known from the moment she uttered that word that her life was undone, utterly destroyed.
And then he came home, back to Atlantis.
Her life was undone. And she still didn't have it back together yet.
The dream frightened her. It always happened the same way. John, standing on the edge of a precipice, holding out a hand to her. And he tells her to "Trust me". And no matter what, she cannot move in her dream, and looks on in panic. She wants to take his hand. She wants so desperately to trust him, to go with him.
Though, she isn't sure why he's falling over the edge of a cliff...and for that matter, why she would want to fall with him.
She sighed, and leaned back against the wall. It was rather cool, and the sensation bit at her skin through her clothing, but she felt so weary that she leaned back against it anyway.
Tired, but not sleepy.
God dammit.
She began the walk back to her room feeling considerably calmer than when she'd left it. She found her bed to be a bit cool after the warm breeze of her walk, and drew the covers close around her.
It was on nights like this that she felt unbearably alone.
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The morning came much too early. "You said you had big news, Dr. McKay?"
"Yes, yes. From the writings we obtained from our last offworld expedition, we think there could be a ZPM on PR5-378."
While, to his credit, Rodney had said 'big', she hadn't quite been expecting ZPM big. "A ZPM? How reliable are these writings?"
"Dr. Weir, they have not failed their people for many years. It is said they were conjured forth and written by one of the ancestors." Teyla's voice was warm, and her smile kind.
"Yes, well, more than likely it was an Ancient with a time-travel device of some sort. We've encountered that situation before." Rodney looked across the table at her. "Either way, we've been to PR5-378 before, the locals are friendly, and I think it's worth another look."
She glanced at all the people currently present, though her glance at John was short compared to the others. "Colonel Sheppard," she said, and finally locked eyes with him. "Take a team through the gate. See what you can find."
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AN: And thus the expedition sets out on a mystery as vast and strange as the Pegasus Galaxy itself.
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