Date : 27.05.2008
Title : The A.U. Series : Second Chance At Love
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 1 of ?
Rating : M
Pairings : Major Evan Lorne/Dr. Ellie Harrison
Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Angst, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.
Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - Ellie and The Major - which I would recommend you re-read the last chapter of, just to refresh your minds, as this story starts exactly where that left off.
Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.
Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.
Summary : Just when they thought that they had found happiness with one another they now have Charlotte to contend with, a declaration of love, a hot and bothered fire-fighter, a pregnancy and a crazy IOA agent on the loose. Things couldn't possibly get any more complicated for Ellie and The Major…could they?
--
After Charlotte's little bombshell where she had coolly informed them that she was dying, Major Lorne and Dr. Ellie Harrison stared at one another for the longest time.
"I don't believe her", Lorne said eventually.
"Surely she wouldn't lie about something as serious as dying though Evan", Ellie said sounding uncertain and Lorne frowned.
'Having a terminal illness was not something one could easily fake', he thought. 'But then again he wouldn't put anything past Charlotte'.
He glanced at Ellie and saw that she looked worried and he reached out and pulled her to him.
She wrapped her arms around his middle and lay her head against his chest.
"Just when we were so happy…", she said sounding glum and Lorne leant back slightly so that he could see her face.
"Hey, that sounds like you're actually considering us doing what she's asked of us", he said and Ellie looked up at him.
"Evan, if she wants to make amends….", Ellie trailed off as Lorne shook his head.
"I'm not going to believe a word she says until I get medical proof that she's telling the truth.
'And there is no way I am taking her back', he silently added to himself.
"Dr Beckett wont discuss Charlotte with us, her medical records will be confidential", Ellie said and Lorne sighed and they fell silent for a moment before Lorne had a brainwave.
"You could get into the infirmaries' records surely?", he said and Ellie looked at him, a shocked expression upon her face.
"I cant do that!", she cried, then added, "Well, I could…but it wouldn't be right".
"I know it wouldn't but we need to know if she's telling the truth don't we", Lorne said, squeezing Ellie's waist and she sighed and regarded him seriously.
"And what if we discover that she is telling the truth Evan? What then?", she asked and it was Lorne's turn to sigh.
"Then I don't know", he replied.
OoOoOo
Charlotte wrinkled her nose in distaste as she pushed one of Dr. Beckett's male nurses off of her and pulled down her skirt.
"You need to get my records 'updated' soon Simon, I have no doubt that Ellie will hack into the system very soon to check up on me and I don't want her to be disappointed", she said as Simon smirked at her and re-adjusted his trousers.
"You know my price for each update though don't you? You sure you're going to keep up your side of this deal?", he asked and she glared at him.
"Of course", she purred silkily, running a hand through his sand coloured hair as she pretended that she found him attractive.
'How hard could it be to sleep with this guy once a fortnight in return for him making it look like she had only months to live?', she thought to herself. If she ended up with Lorne at the end of it all then it would be well worth the effort….wouldn't it?
Simon grinned and moved over to his computer…
OoOoOo
"Are you ready?", Ellie asked nervously as her finger hovered over the button on her laptop that would open up Charlotte's medical records.
She and Lorne were in her room and Lorne moved in close behind her as he joined her on her bed.
He nodded, peering over her shoulder and Ellie closed her eyes, breathing in his scent and she prayed that Charlotte was lying. She didn't want to lose Lorne but…
"Press the button Ellie", Lorne's voice broke into her thoughts and her eyes snapped open as she pressed the Enter key and waited.
After a few moments silence, Ellie whispered,
"Charlotte has Chronic Leukaemia".
"Give me that", Lorne said, reaching around her and grabbing the laptop so that he could see the screen more closely for himself.
As he scanned Charlotte's records, Ellie pinched at the bridge of her nose as she said,
"She's had blood tests, bone marrow analysis, physical examinations…she's been through so much already".
Lorne placed the laptop beside him on the bed and twisted to look at Ellie. He didn't know what to say, for the first time it seemed that his scheming ex was telling them the truth for once.
"Did you see that it said that the leukaemia is too far progressed for any further treatment and that a bone marrow transplant is now out of the question?", Ellie asked and Lorne nodded once and went to reach for her but Ellie stood quickly and evaded his hand.
Lorne frowned.
"Ellie…", he began but she cut him off.
"I think we have to give her the chance to put right what she's done wrong Evan. If she wants to be my friend again then what's the harm?", she asked, looking at him and Lorne's eyes widened.
"She wants me to be 'with her' again though…not just be her best buddy", he said and Ellie gulped.
"It's only for a few months…", she began, stopping when Lorne shot to his feet and looked at her incredulously.
"You mean to tell me that you want me to get back with her? Sleep with her…and stuff? Are you mad?".
"Maybe she'd be happy with you just being her friend", Ellie said, folding her arms defensively as she purposely ignored his questions.
"Fat chance. Ellie you heard what she said…that she still loves me and she wants us to try again because she knows that she can make me happy…that didn't sound to me like she'd settle for 'just friends', did it to you?", Lorne said and Ellie took a deep, shaky breath.
"I…I guess not", she agreed and Lorne stepped closer to her and cupped her face with his hands.
"And what about us in all of this? We could be really good together and I…I really like you…", he said and Ellie blushed.
"I never thought I'd hear you say that to me…what happened to the days when you hated me?", she asked and Lorne smiled.
"Hate's a strong word…I wouldn't say that I ever hated you…exactly", he said and Ellie smiled softly.
"You couldn't stand me though", she pressed and Lorne sighed.
"Yeah, and now I don't think I could stand to be without you", he said and Ellie's heart banged painfully and she pulled away from him.
"Don't Evan…don't make this any harder than it has to be", she said and Lorne frowned.
"Don't make what any harder? What are you saying Ellie?", he asked and Ellie closed her eyes and turned her back to him.
"No-one knows that we've been seeing one another, it'd be easy to just break it off now…", she said, gasping as Lorne grabbed her and spun her back to face him.
"No Ellie…I don't believe that's what you really want", he said sounding angry and she pulled away from him and steeled herself.
"It's for the best", she said and Lorne threw his hands into the air.
"Best for who? Charlotte? Because it certainly isn't what I want", he ranted and Ellie cringed, not daring to admit that breaking up wasn't exactly what she had had planned for them either.
Despite her better judgment though, she knew that she had made her mind up.
"I think Charlotte deserves another chance in light of the fact that she is dying and I am going to let her know that I am prepared to be friends with her again…", she trailed off though as Lorne seemed to lose whatever grip he had on his self-control.
"You do what you feel you have to do Ellie but I'm not so sure that I can do what she asks, especially if it means losing you", he grated and Ellie had to stop herself from going to him.
"Evan…like I said, it's not for long…if you wont do it for Charlotte, then do it for me…", she began but Lorne shook his head.
"I cant believe I am hearing this…", he said, heading toward the door and Ellie went to follow him.
"Evan?", she said but he held out a hand to stop her before wafting it over the access panel.
"If you change your mind about this before the morning then you know where my quarters are", he told her before he disappeared out of her sight and Ellie bit back tears of frustration.
It wasn't Charlotte's fault that she was terminally ill but damn the woman for her inconsiderate timing!
Ooo
That night proved a sleepless one for the three of them.
Charlotte was nervous as to whether her plan had worked, Lorne couldn't believe that Ellie hadn't arrived at his room yet to tell him that she didn't want to break up with him and Ellie had been wondering what on earth was the matter with her.
Why did she have to be the one who felt like she should do right by everyone?
Why did she have to sacrifice her own happiness to make someone else happy?
Because that was the type of person she was she guessed.
Sighing deeply she moved away from Lorne's quarters' door without knocking.
She had been right earlier when she had told him that it would be easier to break up now seeing as no-one even knew that they had even been together. Neither of them had told a soul that they had begun dating - if dating is what you could call spending all of their free time in bed together over the last few days.
Yes, this way was definitely the best way. No awkward questions to answer as to why they had broken up so soon etc. etc.
She would put her feelings for Lorne on hold and be a good friend to Charlotte in her last months of life. What Lorne decided to do was, of course, up to him. She would not be jealous if he were to spend any time with Charlotte she told herself firmly. She would not hold it against him…she had made the decision to break up after all.
Letting herself back into her own quarters she gasped in fright as she saw Sheppard sat on her bed, waiting for her.
End of Chapter 1