Disclaimer: The characters of Stargate: Atlantis do not belong to me and no copyright infringement ins intended. I still own Miguel, though.
Spoilers: General ones up to now in Season 2; specific ones for "Before I Sleep," "Intruder," and "Duet."
Pairing: None, really, just friendships. If you squint and look sideways you might see Shep/Weir or McKay/Weir.
Rating: K
Author's Note: Well, I never intended to write another story, but then this started writing itself in my head last night. It wouldn't let me sleep - everytime I closed my eyes I saw Atlantis. So around 1:00 am I finally got up and wrote it out. Thanks to my brother for giving it a brief once over (the first bit of fanfic he's read!), but I have no beta, so all mistakes are mine.
Elizabeth Weir was a night owl. Out of necessity, she had trained herself to go to bed before dawn, and to rise early, but there were still nights when she simply couldn't sleep, and on those nights she found herself in search of a sanctuary, a place where she could escape from the worries and concerns of the coming day and think about nothing.
In Washington, she had found that sanctuary on the third floor of her house, where she could drown out the city sounds with soft music on the stereo and admire the lights of her nation's capital. In Antarctica, needing escape from the frenetic pace of research and discovery, she had sequestered herself in the corner of an unused room, data pad in hand. Sitting there with an Ancient text, immersing herself in the familiar task of conquering an unknown language, she was able to forget about her duties for a while.
On Atlantis, she quickly came to view the balcony as her place of refuge. Ever since she had chosen that spot to spread the ashes of her ancient self, she had felt a connection to the place. Out there she could escape the noises of the city, the constant murmur of conversation, the twangs and buzzes and dings of scientists working on technology. Out there the only sound was the faint hum of the city's power and the gentle splashing of waves on the piers far below. It was her place for peace and quiet.
Of course, it wasn't always quiet. Occasionally, Rodney would find his way out there, looking for fresh air to keep sleep at bay as he worked on solving a complicated equation. The first time he did so, he immediately launched into a detailed account of his progress so far.
Elizabeth waited patiently for him to wrap up and leave her in peace, but it soon became clear that he was on a roll. Speaking up enough to be heard over his monologue, she said, "Rodney!"
He paused, disconcerted, and Elizabeth wondered if he even remembered she was there. "Yes, Elizabeth?"
"Do I really need to know all this right now?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"This is a very important equation, Elizabeth, and sometimes I think better out loud for an audience. I'm on the verge of an important breakthrough in making the city more energy efficient…" he broke off. Something in her expression must have clued him in to the fact that she was not in the mood for a science briefing.
From that point on, whenever he ventured out on the balcony, he usually treated her to only a brief statement about his work. He might comment on something that had happened that day, and, on rare occasions, he stood silent, watching the night sky with her. Despite his predilection for chatter, Elizabeth found herself enjoying those times she could be with him without the daily concerns of the city intruding.
Other visitors to her balcony were not so intrusive. John found her out there on numerous occasions; it was only natural as they had many of their daytime conversations on this balcony. The first time he came there during her night-time vigil, she mentally braced herself for a round of twenty-questions. John could be a tad overprotective at times, and he had lately developed an obsession with making sure she got enough sleep.
To her surprise, he had merely smiled and joined her at the balcony's edge. They stood that way for perhaps twenty minutes, in companionable silence, before he offered her another smile and left. Sometimes he would touch her arm and gesture to the wall, and they would sit propped up side by side, lost in their thoughts. She knew all his thoughts weren't happy – she could see it on his face. Once or twice she even thought he might speak about what bothered him, but he never did. Words were for the day, when he could retreat behind his masks. Still, Elizabeth came to cherish these moments, when her military commander let down his guard enough to let her see something of the man inside.
Sometimes her sanctuary was broken with harsh reminders of the day's events. Once, shortly after discovering her connection to the Wraith, Teyla had come to the balcony, looking for reassurance and companionship. They had talked for a long time, eventually ending up comparing the concepts of good and evil in Earth and Athosian cultures. Sometimes, Elizabeth felt that was the night she had first gotten to know the other woman.
Caldwell had breached her balcony as well, on the first night after they returned with the Daedalus from Earth. He had waited in the doorway for her to recognize his presence, but when it became clear she was not aware of him he spoke up.
"Dr. Weir." When she turned towards him, surprised, he continued. "I wanted to say that I hope the discussion we had on Earth regarding military command of this expedition will not prevent our working together."
She paused, assessing his earnestness. "I don't see how it could," she finally replied, "so long as we are all aware of what our duties and responsibilities are." They had talked for a while longer, ending with an uneasy truce that did little to reassure either party.
Tonight, Elizabeth didn't even bother heading towards her quarters. She was too keyed up to sleep. The day had begun quietly enough, but was soon interrupted when one of the offworld teams reported that their allies had news of a Genii plan to attack the city. The ensuing hours were tense, full of plans and tempers and accusations – how had the Genii known the city wasn't destroyed, who had let the information slip, how long before the Wraith found out – and by the time they learned the report was a false alarm the military weren't talking to civilians who went offworld, the civilians were coming to her demanding better treatment, she'd had harsh words with first Rodney, then John, and finally Caldwell, and Elizabeth had a headache the size of Antarctica.
With her emotions still in turmoil, Elizabeth didn't want to venture out to her sanctuary just yet. She needed some time to calm herself down, move beyond the day's events; she didn't want to bring her anger out there. Instead, she decided to wander the city a bit.
She paid little attention to where she walked; she was familiar enough with the city that her feet didn't need conscious guiding. In one corridor she saw Lieutenant Cadman, running at a steady pace and working off the day's frustrations. The rhythmic pounding of her shoes on the floor was strangely soothing, and Elizabeth found herself offering the younger woman a small smile that grew bigger as she remembered Rodney's complaints when the lieutenant had subjected his body to this exercise. Cadman looked startled at first, but then offered a friendly smile and wave of her own before she disappeared around a corner.
Before the beat of Cadman's running had completely faded from hearing, Elizabeth found herself outside the recreation room. Inside a couple was sitting on the couch, paying no attention to the movie playing on the screen. Instead, they sat side-by-side, heads together, murmuring quietly. Elizabeth paused for a moment, watching them. They were both scientists, she remembered, Miguel Hernandez and a physicist whose name always escaped her. She admired the sight of his dark head outlined against his companion's lighter curls, silhouetted by the flickering light from the screen. The occasional giggle she heard made her a little nostalgic, remembering when she'd had time to sit and ignore a movie with a special someone.
Moving on before she became melancholy, she soon reached the gym. Through the open door she could hear the slap of fist on punching bag, and quick one-two beat followed by several slower ones. She knew without looking that it was Ronon, taking refuge in the only part of the city he felt truly comfortable in without Teyla's supporting presence.
In his lab, Rodney was working on his laptop, muttering to himself and occasionally whacking a snoring Zelenka to argue about a calculation. Nearby, two botanists were arguing about the optimal temperature for some plant to thrive. A few soldiers passed on their way to their quarters, having been relieved for the night by a group of their fellows.
Elizabeth's feet soon took her back to the gateroom, now relatively quiet after the excitement of the day. A couple of scientists worked on the gate itself, struggling to undo the effects of an aborted plan to utilize the gate's power as a weapon. They spoke in terse sentences, berating each other, but to a woman used to Rodney McKay's diatribes the sound was comforting and familiar.
On the steps up to the control room she paused, suddenly struck by a thought. These sounds – the slap of shoes on floor, the cadences of conversation, the bangs and beeps of technology – were those she usually tried to escape. But tonight, the sounds of night on Atlantis had helped soothe away her anger and frustration. These sounds meant that the Genii hadn't taken the city – hadn't even come close. These were the sounds of her city, she realized. Smiling, she slid to a seat on the gateroom stairs, closing her eyes to better listen. Tonight she wouldn't go to her balcony. Tonight, Atlantis was all the sanctuary she needed.