He now looks out at the fading sunlight as the day gives over to the night. He knows when Dr. Weir or others are out here they remember their home, the ones they left behind. This man though, he left nothing behind so he thinks about the family he's made. As he looks out at the sea a smile forms on his face.
"Major."
John turns around and smiles at Rodney. Sure he won't call him by his first name, at least not in public, but he is part of John's new family.
"Rodney."
The door had closed again behind him and the Major turns back around to look at the sea again. He stands there only for a second when Rodney walks up beside him and mirrors John's stance. Their elbows rest on the railing and Rodney stands close enough for their shoulders to touch.
"What are you thinking about?"
John looks over at him, his eyes shining. He looks at Rodney like he does when he's alone.
"You, me, everyone..."
John trails off, his smile blocking out any sadness that might have been there. Rodney knew better than try to read John's face, knew John a lot more than anyone else in Atlantis.
"What about home?" Rodney asks innocently.
John shakes his head and turns around, now leaning back against the railing taking the view of Atlantis over the view of the sea.
"This is home Rodney."
Rodney turns his head a little, than spins around to look at their new city. John was right; this had become his home too. They all had defended the city as if it was their own city, and that was what it had become.
"It's our home, John."
And there the two stood, gazing at Atlantis, their savior and their town. The place they had grown to love and found love in. When Elizabeth made her way to the part of the balcony where the two stood she didn't see two men thinking about the past. She had seen the look on too many of her people to know that this wasn't it. What she saw instead was the faces of two men looking at the future.
The End