Stargate Atlantis
A Long and Lonely Night
BeautifulAlice
Summary: Tag to 'The Storm/The Eye'. Elizabeth wasn't okay. Not by a long shot. Gen fic, implied Sheppard/Weir.
Elizabeth sat down wearily on her bed, feeling utterly spent and exhausted to the point where she just didn't care about whatever happened next. It had been a long, long day, and now that it was finally over, she was...
Well...
She wasn't all right.
Not in the slightest.
Shivers broke out as she thought about how close she (and Rodney) had become permanent prisoners to the Genii. What would Kolya be doing with them right now if he'd succeeded? Where would they be? Would the city have even stood if they'd been taken?
These thoughts trailed through her mind, and she couldn't help but start to cry as the shivers grew progressively worse. She was cold, but no longer wet thanks to having taken a quick hot shower before sitting on her bed. She just...
Was being leader of Atlantis worth this much uncertainty and fear?
"Elizabeth? Are you up?" Rodney's quiet voice came over the radio. Despite everyone returning to the city, and the emergencies being over, she still had her radio on. She struggled to calm down, and managed to talk in a normal tone as she pressed her radio button to connect her to Rodney's frequency.
"I'm just about to go to sleep, Rodney,"
"Well, don't. At least, not yet. Listen, come to Teyla's quarters. Me, Teyla, Sheppard, Ford, and Carson are all going to be here...as a kind of...aftermath party."
"I don't know that we'd call it a party, Rodney," Carson's amused but exhausted voice leaked through the background, and she could hear Ford and Teyla talking to one another as well. Sheppard, she didn't hear.
"I will be there," Elizabeth promised, glad that they could be close to one another. She grabbed her slippers, and put them on and was just reaching her door when it opened and revealed Sheppard. "John? What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised.
"Bringing you to the party," John said with a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I also promised to talk to you about...earlier,"
Her heart pounded at the memory. John must've seen something because he was suddenly gathering her into his arms, and she was letting out sobs, hugging him tightly and feeling warmth for the first time since morning as he cradled her against his body.
"Shh...Elizabeth you're safe. It's over," John whispered, and Elizabeth couldn't help but sniffle and say,
"I was so scared..."
"I know," John reassured her softly. "I know, believe me. It about tore me to pieces, seeing you in his arms like that..."
Elizabeth stayed in his arms like that for a few moments, and then John sighed.
"As much as I hate to say it," He said regretfully. "But if we don't start heading over there, then they're going to talk."
Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle.
"Would it be such a bad thing if they did talk?" She asked, amused in spite of herself. John grinned down at her.
"Are you kidding? McKay wouldn't shut up whining about it, Ford will probably bet on how long we'd last..." John's cheerful chatter continued down the hall all the way to Teyla's quarters.
Elizabeth paused just outside as John was walking into Teyla's quarters, to look back down the hallway with its softly glowing lights, and felt a smile pass as she realized that wouldn't have to have a long and lonely night after all.
End