Title: Collide
Spoilers: Up to and including Coup D'etat
Pairing: Elizabeth/Lorne
Note: Sequel Gesture, blame this on Howie Day
Disclaimer: Well, obviously not mine

Elizabeth stretched out on her bed, her fingers played with the necklace which had seemed to have earned permanent residence on her neck.

She had thought today, for a brief amount of time, that Lorne was dead, she had seen a body she had thought to be his. Luckily it hadn't been his and the relief she'd felt when she'd discovered that had been overwhelming, but that had been nothing compared to the feeling of seeing him walk through that Stargate towards her, safe and well.

The smug bastard

He had promised her that he'd never make her worry, he'd promised her that he'd never go AWOL and leave her. He'd lied and what was worse was that he knew he'd lied the moment he told her that. There was nothing he could do to rule out the possibility that one day he would get killed, that he wouldn't be do damn lucky.

Elizabeth sighed and removed the necklace, placing it on the nightstand. She then stood up, removed her jacket and shoes and headed towards the bathroom and a long hot shower.

Elizabeth was in the shower longer then was strictly necessary but she couldn't tear herself away from the safety of the warm spray. After she dried herself and changed into a tank top and some tiny shorts (The summers in Atlantis were unbearably hot) she opened the door to her bedroom to see Lorne, his jacket and shows were over by her desk and he was laid out on the bed, waiting for her.

Elizabeth saw him and smiled, all be it, fake

"Jamie"

She crossed the room, sat on the edge of the bed and began to towel dry her hair, she found herself being distracted very quickly by Lorne who moved over to her and began kissing her neck. Elizabeth sighed and moved away from him slightly, causing Lorne to withdraw and stare at her.

"What's wrong?"

Elizabeth shrugged

"Nothing"

Lorne moved back to her and placed his head on her shoulder

"Lizzie"

Elizabeth moved away from him again and walked over to a small dresser and picked up her hairbrush.

Lorne sighed and watched her for a few minutes from the bed as she brushed her hair. Eventually he stopped watching her and stood up.

"Mind if I use your shower?"

Elizabeth shook her head

"Go ahead"

Lorne took one last look at her before heading into the bathroom.

Elizabeth was sat on the bed, typing into her laptop when Lorne emerged from the bathroom, his hair wet and wearing nothing except a pair of boxers. Elizabeth allowed herself a quick glance before going back to her typing. Lorne slid into the bed next to her and began to run his fingers over her knee slightly. Elizabeth stopped almost immediately on the contact. Sighing she turned to him.

"Jamie, I'm really not in the mood tonight"

She turned back to her work and continued the typing. Lorne rolled his eyes and pulled his hand back from her and just lay there for a few moments watching her type furiously on the keyboard, until the constant tapping pissed him off. When that happened he sat up, grabbed the lid of the laptop and shut it down, nearly trapping Elizabeth's hands in the process.

Elizabeth turned to him, obviously pissed

"Care to explain why you just did that?"

Lorne near threw the laptop onto the nightstand next to him and turned back to him.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a subordinate, not here"

Elizabeth sighed and tried to turn away from him, but he wouldn't let her. He wanted to know what the hell was going on and he wanted to know what he'd done to receive this kind of freeze out from Elizabeth.

"You're going to talk to me Elizabeth, you are going to tell me what I've done wrong so I can fix it"

Elizabeth looked at him and he stared back at her, he could see something in her eyes. Perhaps hurt or pain and he knew that he was the cause of it, he just wanted to know why.

Slowly he drew his hand down her cheek slightly

"Please Elizabeth."

Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes

"I thought you were dead"

And just like that, those five little words suddenly made Lorne realize why she hated him at the moment. But Elizabeth didn't stop, now that the floodgates were open she couldn't stop

"You said to me, not to long ago that you would never leave me. And you knew when you said it that you were lying. I'm not stupid Jamie, I know your job is a constant danger and I've come to a realization that..."

Elizabeth paused and Lorne knew what was coming next and he didn't want to hear it.

"Don't say it Elizabeth. Don't say what you're about to say. Please don't say it"

Elizabeth eyes closed, a single tear falling from underneath her eyelid

"We have to face facts Jamie. I don't think I can live everyday wondering if you're going to run out of luck. I don't think I can do that"

Lorne shook his head

"You'd still be doing that anyway. So why...why finish what we've got"

Elizabeth shrugged and opened her eyes

"It might be easier if we're not together. For me and for you. Let's face facts, sooner or later our personal relationship is going to screw up our professional relationship or vise versa"

Lorne shook his head and moved into her, so he was holding her slightly

"Only if we let it, and we won't let it. We're stronger then that."

Elizabeth sighed

"I don't think I am"

Lorne cupped her face and stared at her so much that she almost thought he was piercing right through her heart.

"I love you"

Elizabeth's eyes closed as she heard those words. Those words had betrayed her on so many occasions. So many times she'd been told she was loved, only then to have the speaker of those words leave her, betray her or walk all over her. She tried to decide what category those words fell into this time, they fell into the 'leave her' category.

"Loving someone and being in love are two completely separate things Jamie"

Lorne shook his head

"Not always. I love you, I'm in love with you"

Elizabeth broke his grip and walked to the open door which lead out onto her balcony.

She looked out at the stars for a moment until Lorne joined her, wrapping his arms around her waist and dropping his head on her shoulder.

"If you can say to me, right now, that you don't love me...I'll leave you alone for good. I won't even make reference to what we had. But if you can't...I'm sure as hell going to fight for you and what we have"

Elizabeth sighed and turned her head to him slightly.

"I...I don't..."

Elizabeth sighed and turned back round. She couldn't do it. Because he'd made her fall in love with him, so passionately and deeply in love that it hurt her to lie about her feelings. She did love him.

Elizabeth let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in as Lorne walked around to face her, staring deeply at her.

"You can't say it, can you?"

Elizabeth shook her head and looked down, as if ashamed that she was being beaten so easily by her feelings. Lorne slid his fingers under her chin and lifted her head back up so he could see her face.

He didn't say anything, he just simple placed his lips on hers and kissed her, just one simple kiss.

He placed his hand on her cheek and kept staring at her.

Neither said anything, neither of them knew what to say. Something big had happened, something completely unexpected. There was so much danger in their lives, so many possibilities as to what could happen, but both knew that they didn't want to lose the other person.

Fin...