1Elizabeth wasn't surprised to find John lurking in the hall near her living quarters. In fact, it was more surprising she had quarters to go back to. Over a month had passed since she had ordered him to leave her behind on Asuras. Her office -- well, not her office anymore, had been cleared out, but her living space had been left intact. Something told her the man hovering at the end of the hall was the reason it remained undisturbed.

He was only visible in profile, but she could still see the worry lining his face. It quickly evaporated when she called softly to him, a wide smile melting it away completely.

"Hey, how was it?"

She sighed. "About what you'd expect from a meeting with Woolsey: uncomfortable, interminable, infuriating and inconclusive." Her lips curled into a wry smirk. "It's almost as if I never left."

John took a step closer, an unspoken question in his eyes.

"I can stay in Atlantis for now," she said. "However, they want Keller to conduct further testing. Once they're satisfied the nanites are indeed under control, I can stay indefinitely."

"Earth?" he asked softly.

With a small, sad smile, she shook her head.

"I'm sorry," he said, closing the distance to take her into his arms.

"No, I'm sorry." She buried her face against his chest. "Most likely there's a court-martial waiting for you and reprimands to be handed out to your team."

"I don't care. We couldn't -- I couldn't leave you there. Going back for you was the right thing to do. To hell with the IOA and the military if they don't agree."

Elizabeth looked up at him. "John, in their eyes I'm a danger to this city, an unknown factor. They don't trust that I can keep the nanites in check. They say I'm no longer human, and I can't say that I disagree. "

"I trust you." The fierceness in his voice and the fire in his eyes made her tremble. "I trust you with my life." His hand drifted up to cup her face, his thumb brushing gently over her cheek. "You are human."

"I didn't want this," she said almost in audibly.

"I know, but we're here and things are the way they are. There's no going back. We're going to get through this. You hear me? We've got a second chance and we're sticking together." Words failing him, John decided to convince her in another way kissing, her roughly but reassuringly.

She groaned softly as he pulled her to him, his strong arms encircling her possessively. Her hands fisted his shirt, her knuckles whitening with the effort. The kiss was searing, raw, full of unspoken emotion. Elizabeth was so preoccupied that he caught her totally off guard when he picked her up. She chuckled softly. "I totally forgot we were in the hall."

"Not anymore," he said as the doors to her quarters closed behind them. "Now I have you all to myself." John didn't stop until he reached the bed. Gently he laid her down and slid in beside her, his mouth finding hers as his hands slipped beneath the jacket of her uniform. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

She toed off her shoes, kicking them carelessly to the floor; her jacket joined them shortly. Eagerly, she tugged John's shirt over his head, pausing for a moment to thread her fingers through the thick thatch of hair on his chest, tracing along muscle and scar. With a hint of challenge in her eyes, Elizabeth shot him a coy smile. "Oh yeah? Why don't you show me?" She unbuttoned his pants with one quick flick of her wrist.

"I'd be happy to. I'm really good at 'Show and Tell'. It was my best subject in school." His hands traced along her sides, his breath catching as she arched up, allowing him to remove her shirt. Her skin was soft and smooth; he'd never imagined there could be such softness. In his mind's eye John had always pictured her as perfect, unblemished, now she truly was. Elizabeth was changed, but not in a way that mattered, at least not to him. Gone was the scar just above her left hip, along with the faint line that used to grace her upper arm. He found himself saying a silent word of thanks that the freckles he loved so much remained the same. His lips ghosted along her neck, following the curve of it to the delicious spot at the hollow of her throat while his hands drifted up to tease along the edges of her bra.

She bit her lip as his hands moved over her. John's hands were one of her favorite things about him. So strong, so powerful, yet (and she knew this first hand) capable of such amazing tenderness. A moan caught in her throat as he removed her bra and, for a moment, she lay there bared to him, breathing heavily reveling in the way he explored her body like it was the first time.

Regaining some of her senses, she finished undoing his pants, shoving them down over his hips, and helping him to shed them quickly. Hers were slipped off before she'd even realized they'd been undone. John's thumbs hooked in the waistband of her panties, peeling them from her in one long, fluid motion.

Her fingers dug into his back, pulling him to her, moaning throatily as she opened for him. She was almost desperate for his touch, for him to complete her. It had been so long since they had been together in this way.

Her hand wrapped around his length, stroking ever so slowly, before guiding him to her. "Not yet," he rasped, his hand covering hers, halting the motion. "I'm not done showing you."

Reluctantly, she released him, her breath catching as his mouth worked over her neck and his hands teased her breasts. John always did know just how to drive her crazy.

He took his time, his mouth ravenously latching on to first one nipple, then the other, working them in tandem until they were spit-slicked and so super-sensitive that his breath against them caused her to cry out.

One hand twisted in his hair, the other in the sheets, in anticipation as he kissed his way down her torso. When his tongue languidly circled her belly button, she thought she would die from sheer want. "John -- please."

The pleading edge got to him, shaking his resolve to draw this out, to make it last and he slid lower, settling himself between her thighs. "God, you're beautiful," he breathed and set to work bringing her to completion with his mouth, tongue, and hands.

He watched in fascination as she came undone. The sounds she made the pleasurable spasms of her body, that he could cause such a reaction -- well he could scarcely believe it. He lived in awe of this woman; the power she had over him was exhilarating. It was just as heady to realize he had a bit of a hold on her too.

Breathing heavily, she pulled him to her, her mouth plundering his hotly. She moaned at the taste of herself on his tongue and John grunted loudly. It turned him on even more that she didn't shy away from his sticky lips. Her tongue swiped over his chin and he bit his lip. "Oh god, that's hot," he gasped.

This time when her hand found him, he didn't protest. His hips pressed against her as she stroked him, his breathing going ragged at her delicious teasing. By the time she guided him to her, he was ready to explode.

His eyes rolled back as their bodies merged. "Oh, Liz'beth ..." he groaned, moving slowly at first. She clung to him as they fell into a steady rhythm which became more intense with each passing moment. Their time apart had seemed endless. Their desire was heightened at the thought that they could've easily lost this; that they'd come within a heartbeat of this moment never existing. Now that it was here, he wanted to take full advantage of it, to show her just how much she was loved and missed and so much more.

"John..." Elizabeth murmured. Her voice was stolen as their love making reached a fever pitch, neither of them holding back, both giving in to their primal desires. She took great pleasure and comfort in his body moving above hers. For a time she had believed she would never see him again. Now being here in his arms was almost overwhelming.

The energy between them was raw and powerful. In this moment, she was his world; nothing else mattered, nothing else existed. Elizabeth trembled beneath him and he shuddered, his body reaching its peak mere seconds behind hers.

For a long while there was no sound, save their labored breathing. Gently he kissed her, his fingers playing through her hair in soft, slow strokes. "I'm glad you're back here with me," he murmured. "I love you."

Elizabeth returned the kisses unhurried, as if they had all the time in the world. They rolled over and she snuggled against him, her head pillowed on his shoulder. "I love you, too," she replied tears stinging her eyes. "It's so good to be home." She looked at him, sheepishly dabbing at her tears. "Sorry, all my emotions seem to be catching up with me."

"Hey, it's okay. You've been through a lot." Tenderly, he wiped away her tears. She hadn't had much of an opportunity since her return to talk about her time in the hands of the Asurans. She didn't have to. The haunted look in her eyes said it all. "You're safe now. In my arms nothing can hurt you." Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he tightened his arms around her.

She melted into his embrace truly relaxing for the first time in -- well she couldn't remember the last time she was this relaxed and unguarded, so certain of reality. It was wonderful! Elizabeth smiled, brushing her lips across his chest. "I was so afraid that no one would come for me." She glanced, up her eyes locking with his. "Should've known you wouldn't leave me there." Propping herself up on her elbow, she leaned up and kissed him deeply. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

"Of course I'd come for you. Can't be a white knight, if I don't protect my lady." John smiled and brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. He never ceased to be amazed by her beauty. "I can't take all the credit, though. I had a lot of help." He nudged her nose with his, coaxing her into a gentle kiss. "Now that I have you, I don't think I'll be letting you go anytime soon."

"I don't recall asking to be let go." Elizabeth smirked and draped herself atop him, her hands resting on his upper arms to hold him down. "Who's got who now?" she challenged playfully.

John struggled half heartedly, and then stopped. Elizabeth was much stronger now, he wasn't sure he could shrug off her grip. Even if he could easily break her hold, why would he want to? He could think of far worse things than being pinned to the bed by a naked and horny Elizabeth Weir. "I surrender," he said. "I'm at your mercy; do what you want with me."

An impish smile tugged at the corners of her lips "Actually it's more like what I want to do to you." Elizabeth shifted so even more of her weight was pressing down on him. Flashing him a sultry look, she leaned forward, whispering her rather lewd intentions in his ear. For good measure, she gave his earlobe an emphatic tug with her teeth when she pulled away.

A warm flush spread over his skin as she spoke, her breath hot against his ear. The words themselves were suggestive enough, but combined with the sultry tone of her voice, and the fact she was now strong enough to control him if that was her desire, he was immediately aroused. He'd fantasized about scenarios like this. "Sounds like a plan," he said a bit hoarsely. She kissed him hard and he responded in kind. "Thought you were tired," he teased as she released his arms.

"Hmmm, earlier maybe. Now, not so much." Elizabeth wiggled her bare body against him while brushing her lips teasingly over his. "It seems I've more stamina than you realize. I believe I've gotten my second wind." She nipped at his bottom lip, moaning at the feel of his hands moving over her back. Yep, tired was the farthest thing from her mind right at the moment. If she had her way, they wouldn't be sleeping any time soon and from the look in John's eyes he wouldn't mind one bit.

"That makes two of us," he said. Elizabeth slid just a bit lower, causing him to gasp. "Not to mention we've got to make up for lost time." His hands moved slowly down her sides, gently mapping her curves, becoming lost in her once more. It was early morning before they finally settled into sleep spent and sated, their bodies tangled together in the sheets. John didn't care that he had to be up in a few short hours; as long as he had Elizabeth he didn't need anything -- not even sleep.