Title: Christmas Magic
Author: Dorka
Summary: The Atlantis team spends their Christmas-vacation on earth (Liz/John and Teyla/Carson)
Spoiler: Plays after Critical Mass, but you also can read it without watching the episode ;-)
Disclaimer: The characters of Stargate don't belong to me, this was only written for fun
Authors Note: BIG thanks to my Beta Eclectic Trekker! Without her I couldn't have posted this fic cuz English is not my mother-language ;-) And merry Christmas to every Stargate Atlantis Fan ;-)
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John looked around at the people who were singing, being happy. This time of the year was a natural cheer up period for everyone, even if their lives weren't usually very kind to them. The Christmas fair was really beautifully done, with a big tree and lovely little booths where the vendors sold all kinds of things. On Christmas everyone was happy…except for a certain someone of course. McKay wasn't very happy about the whole idea, but since he was a team member too, John encouraged him to join them. They came back to Earth only yesterday, two days before Christmas time. It was his idea to show Teyla around the real Earth and introduce her to some of their world's traditions. Ronon had stayed on Atlantis instead of accompanying them.
"Colonel, shouldn't the girls already be here?" Beckett asked, since he was also waiting with them.
"I told you to call me John; we're on vacation, right?" Carson nodded. "Well you know women – they always need more time. I'm sure Teyla couldn't decide what she should wear!" he added with a grin.
Elizabeth had offered Teyla the chance to stay with her while they were on Earth so she would have the opportunity to see more of Earth then just Cheyenne Mountain. Teyla was really happy about it.
The Christmas fair was full of people. John was happy that they decided to meet at the big Christmas tree or there would have been no chance of finding each other in the crowd. It was cold, but John didn't mind; on Atlantis, the weather was constantly warm and balmy, except the major storm that had hit of course. John looked at the other two men, also bundled up in warm clothes, when he heard two familiar voices carrying an unfamiliar tone. They were actually giggling. He turned in their direction and saw Teyla, Elizabeth, and her dog heading their way. John really had to concentrate not to stare too much at Elizabeth. She looked so different, so beautiful. She was dressed in a dark green knee-long coat and a skirt, of which he could only see the hem because it was only as long as the coat. Her dark brown boots looked great with the outfit.
"Hello guys." She greeted them with a big smile on her face while Sedge started to wag his tail in excitement.
Carson stepped closer to Teyla. "You look very lovely tonight, my dear." Teyla was dressed just as casually as Elizabeth, but her coat was black and she was wearing jeans.
"Elizabeth and I went shopping this afternoon. I needed something warm that wasn't exactly military."
When Sedge went to lick Rodney's hand, he jerked away. "Did you have to bring your dog with you? I'm allergic!"
"You have a cat at home; you'll survive this dog too!" John rolled his eyes
"And you have to get used to it anyway, Rodney. I'm taking Sedge with me when we fly back to Atlantis, same as you being allowed to take your cat with you this time!"
"Cool! An Atlantis mascot!" John said cheerfully and stroked Sedge's head, as his eyes locked with Elizabeth's. They smiled at each other while Rodney grumbled something about Sedge being more of a monster than a dog.
"So what's the plan?" Elizabeth asked.
"I hope you have a plan!" Rodney added.
"A plan? This isn't a mission, this is a Christmas fair and we don't need a plan. We only have to have fun!"
"What about drinking a mulled wine for starters?" Carson suggested to the group.
"Yeah typical, the Scots always come up with the alcohol first," Rodney said sarcastically.
"I know about wine, but what is mulled wine exactly?" Teyla asked a little confused.
"It's regular wine but heated up with spices." Elizabeth explained to her.
"Yes, and it's a must to drink it at Christmas time!" Carson added
"Then I suppose I have to try it," Teyla offered bravely.
The group headed off to search for a mulled wine stand. Everything in the fair looked very inviting and the scents in the air were amazing. Elizabeth really missed such things on Atlantis – going out having fun. Seeing something other than the city walls. Atlantis was a really beautiful city, but she felt a little jailed from time to time, especially when John's team was somewhere far away in another galaxy fighting for their lives. This little excursion seemed like the best relaxation ever, even if she was a little worried about tomorrow, when she would visit her brother-in-law and his kids.
"Hey is anything bothering you?" John asked since he had fallen behind to walk by her side.
"How did you know?" she asked curiously.
"You had these little wrinkles between your eyebrows, which usually mean you are thinking about something very hard." He said with a slight grin. "So what's wrong?"
Elizabeth sighed. "It's a little complicated to explain…"
"It's one day before Christmas. There shouldn't be anything that worries you! But if you want to talk about it…"
"I…I received a card from my brother-in-law. He wants me to join them for Christmas."
"And that's not good because?" This time it was John who frowned.
"Last time I saw him, we had a big fight. That was 3 years ago, after my sister died."
"May I ask what that fight was about?" Maybe it wasn't the best place to talk about such things, but he felt that Elizabeth had to tell someone.
"My sister was very religious, mostly because of her husband – his father was a preacher. She was a representative of an anti-abortion campaign. We both knew that we had very different opinions on this topic, so we never talked about it until she was pregnant with her fourth child. The doctor found out that she had a serious heart-defect and that her chances to survive the birth of her child were 1 to 10. She and her husband refused to abort the child. They told me that God had his plans for her and if she died, they had to accept that. I told them that I would never accept that, but they didn't listen to me. This was the first time that I was happy our parents were already dead. They couldn't have dealt with seeing their older daughter practically kill herself. Jane, my sister, was so stuck in her beliefs. I just couldn't help her. Somehow I was even angrier at Thomas, her husband. He would rather see his wife kill herself than help her." She paused and tried to suppress her frustration which was still strong and fresh after so many years.
John saw, that the rest of the team had already found a place where they could drink Carson's mulled wine, so he gently took her upper arm and lead her into the space between two stands and sat down on the stairs. Sedge sat down in front of John and nudged the colonel until he contented him by scratching his head.
"What happened afterwards?" he asked with a smooth voice.
"We didn't see each other for the next five months. She told me that I either accept her decision or she didn't want to see me anymore, because we'd end up in the same discussion. One day I received a call from the housekeeper – my number was still in their address-book. She told me that my sister was in terrible shape and that she couldn't reach Thomas. I called the ambulance and drove to the hospital where they brought her. Her husband also arrived, and the doctor told us that she had lost her child, and that they would have to operate within the hour, but we could talk to her first. When we went to her room she looked horrible. She lost her child. I felt horrible, but the first thing she said to me was, that I could be happy because I had won. She lost her child, and she never wanted to see me again…never. I was shocked and speechless, that all I did was leave the room. I never thought that my own sister could accuse me of that – that I was happy she had lost her child. I really wasn't happy. I even admired her because of her decision to have the baby, but I couldn't lose her. She was the only family I had left."
Elizabeth wiped off the single tear that was rolling down her cheek.
"I should have gone back into that room and told her that I was everything but happy. That I didn't know what to do without her. But I didn't do that. I left the hospital and sat in my car for over 5 hours staring at the hospital. I called the doctor and asked about her condition. He told me that Jane's heart had been too weak already, and he couldn't do anything for her anymore. At the funeral my brother-in-law told me that it would be better if I left them alone. I got the message that they wanted me as the leader of the Antarctic expedition only a week later so I never saw my three nieces anymore."
John never saw Elizabeth as sad as she looked now. He thought that he had had a difficult life with his family, but it wasn't any easier for Elizabeth. John didn't know exactly what to tell her.
"I shouldn't have bothered you with that, John. I'm sorry!"
"Hey, don't even worry about it." He folded his arms around her to hold her close in a warm hug. They stayed like this for a time which seemed to be eternity. She didn't felt alone for the first time since her sister had died.
"Are you planning to go tomorrow?" He asked her while they still were hugging each other.
"Yes, I think I am. I really want to see her kids." Her voice sounded a bit more collected now.
"What would you say if I came with you? Maybe you'll feel better if you're not alone."
"You'd really do that, John?" she asked, bewildered.
"I wouldn't offer otherwise!" he said with a smile on his face.
Now it was Elizabeth who hugged him. "Thank you John! Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome." He whispered into her hair. "We should go find the others before they alert the police."
"Yeah, sure." She stood up and adjusted her coat.
John offered his arm and they walked out in search of the others.
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"Hey where have you two been? We almost went searching for you!" Rodney said as Elizabeth, John, and Sedge came to the table the other three were standing around.
"We just took a look at the Christmas tree. It's really beautiful!" John told them before they could ask more questions.
Carson poured wine into two more cups and gave it to them.
"I was just explaining to Teyla the Advent traditions in Scotland and Europe."
"Well maybe it's time to explain what mistletoes are for in America." John pointed above Carson and Teyla. "Now you two have to kiss each other!"
Teyla looked very confused. "Why is that?"
"I don't know exactly why this is a tradition, but it is, and you wanted to learn more about Earth." He looked at them in a way that didn't allow for objection.
Carson and Teyla turned toward each other. "Well, I guess we have to, my dear." He leaned forward until their lips met tenderly. Normally such a kiss would have stopped after a few seconds, but instead of parting they actually deepened the kiss.
Rodney just rolled his eyes and turned away. Elizabeth had a bright knowing smile on her face. "You knew this would happen, right?" she whispered to John.
"Well I had a guess!" He whispered back with a grin. "We should leave them alone; they have some things to clarify." He said to Elizabeth and Rodney.
"I can't watch this any longer anyway!" Rodney muttered. "I'm hungry… let's go eat something."
Elizabeth and John just glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed him. Rodney stopped by an apple-cake stand.
"How will you celebrate Christmas?" Elizabeth asked, while she took a bite from her cake with extra cinnamon.
"Well, I've decided to go visit my sister. We've never been close before, but since I'm on this mission things have changed a little."
"That sounds good Rodney!" John remarked.
"Yeah, I think so! So you are sure we can take our pets to Atlantis, Elizabeth?"
"Yes, Rodney. First it's only for the head staff because otherwise there would be too many. But I could convince those in charge that it's also a good psychological therapy for those who have been in Atlantis for such a long time. They agreed." She explained to him. She didn't say that it was certainly a hell of a long discussion, but at least she got what she wanted. She missed her dog terribly even if she knew that Sedge had a good place with her best friend. She didn't want Simon to have him any longer since they broke up. She wanted a clean break, but if Sedge stayed there, such a thing would have been impossible.
"So that means I can bring my hamster with me too?" John asked with a big grin on his face.
"As if you have one!" Rodney said around his full mouth.
"Well not now but when I was ten."
"That doesn't count!"
Carson and Teyla arrived arm in arm with matching smiles on their faces.
"You left so quickly!"
"We thought we'd give you two a little time alone to figure some things out!" John winked.
"Thank you!" Teyla said.
John nodded in their direction. "What are you two doing on Christmas Eve?"
"I asked Teyla to join me and my mum for dinner. She'll arrive tomorrow from Scotland!" Carson explained to the others while smiling at Teyla.
"Good. Then I guess we should continue our tour through the fair." John suggested.
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It was 7:30 PM the next day, when John drove out of the city with his truck. The houses became farther apart. He wondered how Elizabeth decided to live in such an isolated area. John took a quick look at his map and turned right. He had to look twice, because there only was one house standing on the street – it had to be Elizabeth's. It was a simple log cabin. John had never seen a diplomat living in a cabin, but Elizabeth wasn't a usual diplomat, which was one thing he admired about her. He parked his car in the driveway and experienced the second surprise. There was a green Hummer H3 parked beside his car.
He left his car and took a closer look at the massive car as the door opened and Elizabeth stepped out.
"Hi, Elizabeth." She looked just as beautiful as yesterday in a black skirt and dark red velvet top.
"Hello, John," she said with a smile.
"You realize that you have a H3 in your driveway?" He asked her, still a little shocked.
"Yes, it's mine. Want to drive it?" She pulled the keys out of her bag and threw them to John.
She didn't have to ask John twice. They got in, and John started to drive.
"So, want to explain to me why you have a car like this?" he asked after a few kilometres.
"You know that you'll sound like Heightmeyer if you continue like this?"
"I'll take that risk." He didn't give up.
"Well, my Ex – Simon – was a big fan of old cabriolets. I bought a BMW a few years ago, so he could have some fun with working on it too. When we separated I realised that I wasn't a fan of convertibles at all. I wanted to buy the opposite of what Simon liked. But I love this car. It's comfortable!"
John made a grimace. "Well this car is far more than only comfortable. It's just about the coolest cross country vehicle on the world."
"If you say so," she smirked.
"Are you nervous about this evening?"
"To be honest? Yes, more than nervous!"
"It'll be okay," John reassured her.
After ten more minutes of driving, they finally reached their destination. John stopped the motor and looked over to Elizabeth who was staring at the house.
"Just tell me when you're ready."
"I'm ready."
John stepped outside and opened the door for Elizabeth. They walked to the door together and rang the bell. Elizabeth stepped nervously from one foot to the other, so John grabbed her hand to try to calm her down. The door opened and a man around John's age stepped out. Elizabeth and he just looked at each other for a long, pregnant moment.
"Liz..." Thomas suddenly said as he stepped closer to her and pulled her into a hug. Elizabeth clearly needed more time, and John could see that she was a little uneasy. Thomas only noticed John when he let go of Elizabeth.
"Oh, you brought someone with you!"
"Ah yes. This is Colonel John Sheppard." She introduced him. Since she had forgotten that she wasn't in Atlantis anymore, she forgot to leave out his rank, so Thomas instantly made a surprised face, while he shook John's hand.
"You're involved with a military person?"
Before Elizabeth could tell him that they weren't involved but merely friends, John answered, "Well, she couldn't resist my charm!"
That earned a smile from Thomas. "Come in! The girls are very much looking forward to seeing you again, Liz!"
Elizabeth was still a little confused about John's statement. She hadn't yet figured out why John wanted to pretend they were together, but Elizabeth didn't particularly mind.
When they stepped inside, three girls ages four to eight ran in their direction.
"Aunt Lizzie!" They cried, all hugging her around the middle. Elizabeth knelt down, so she can greet each of them better. John saw her watery eyes, but this time her tears were from happiness. She looked up at John who only smiled.
"And that is John!" She explained to the girls.
"Hello Kiddies, having fun?" They all nodded.
"Please step inside!" Thomas pointed toward the huge sofas in the living room.
John decided that Elizabeth and Thomas may need some time alone to speak about some things.
"Hey girls what about showing me your rooms?" He asked the children who were thrilled by that idea.
Elizabeth looked into John's eyes for a moment to silently thank him for the gesture.
She sat down with Thomas while the others left the room.
"He's very good with children," he remarked.
"Yes he is," she confirmed a little uncertainly.
"Liz, I'm really happy you decided to accept my invitation. I wanted to talk to you for such a long time but never really had the courage to do the first step. We really missed you." He looked at his hands for a moment while he paused. "You know, in the weeks after Jane died, I had a lot of time to think about what happened. I realised that you were right with everything. I realised that only because of my recklessness…I killed my wife. I should have supported you in convincing Jane that it was more important that she should live, but I was encouraging her to do the wrong thing. I'm sorry how we treated you Elizabeth, I really am. I hope you can forgive us sometimes. I think the kids really need you. You are really all they have left of their mother. They keep asking me about you."
"Thomas I…." She didn't exactly know what she should say. She was so overwhelmed by her feelings. Three years with not one message from them and now a full apology.
"I know it's difficult for you to trust me again. I'm not asking you to do it so fast. All I'm asking from you is a chance. That you come visit us more often for the girls' sake."
"I'm glad you feel that way, Thomas. I really missed you and the kids. I'd like to visit you whenever I can. I'm not in the area very often, but when I am I'll be sure to make an effort to visit."
Thomas' face brightened, and he hugged Elizabeth a second time.
"Thank you Liz! What have you been doing in the last few years? Are you gonna marry this John? He seems to be a nice guy…very caring. The way you two are looking at each other would have made even me and Jane jealous!"
Elizabeth blushed and didn't quite know what to say. Was it so obvious that even her brother-in-law saw something between her and John? She had tried to deny it for a long time, convincing herself that there connection was only one of friendship. But deep inside, she knew it was more.
"Well, I…I…don't know!" she said a little uncertainly.
In that instant they heard the sound of footsteps, and John came back downstairs with the girls, his expression clearly asking if it was okay to interrupt. She nodded in his direction with a smile.
"I guess we should eat dinner. I made some turkey – I hope you like it John."
"As a matter of fact I love turkey!" John said with a grin
They all sat down at the kitchen table and proceeded to make their way through the meal. The kids tried to ask many questions about Elizabeth and John's work, so the two of them had to manipulate their answers a bit to keep the girls appeased. Elizabeth was more than happy. She had the feeling of a real family. The kids, Thomas, and the man she loved, even if she wasn't quite ready to admit it to herself. John himself seemed to feel right at home. She could see how much he enjoyed the kids, and he was even finding some topics to talk to Thomas about.
The evening quickly came to an end. Before they left, Elizabeth gave the girls her gift. Each of them received a little angel statue with her name engraved.
"These are your personal guardian angels. They will bring you luck!" She explained to their happy faces. Elizabeth gave all of them a goodbye-kiss and hugged Thomas one more time before they left.
On the way home Elizabeth couldn't stop smiling.
"That went well," John noted.
"Yes! Thank you John for your support. I'm not sure this evening would have turned out like it did without you."
"Anything that makes you happy," John whispered.
This made Elizabeth rapidly turn in John's direction, though he continued to watch the street.
The rest of the way back to Elizabeth's house they sat in silence. He turned off the motor in the driveway and glanced at her.
"Do you want to come in and have some coffee? You probably should or else you'll fall asleep while driving home!"
"Sure, why not. I still have to give you your Christmas gift!" He said while he looked at her in a manner that sent a pleasant chill through her.
"I thought we agreed along with the team, that we won't give presents to each other."
"It's something I bought a long time ago, but it was never the right moment to give it to you."
They looked at each other for a long moment before John stepped outside and opened the other door for Elizabeth. They went into the house.
"Every time I think I know you, you surprise me even more! This house is really special!" John exclaimed.
"Yes, I know. My dad built it with his own hands. He was a carpenter, so he loved working with wood. When I finished college, my dad built me this house. It's not as modern or trendy as other people in my position have, but it's warm, and I feel closer to my dad here." She paused. "Sorry, that sounded silly."
"No, absolutely not! I wish my dad would have made me something like this. All he did was drink and leave our family when I was eight. I never saw him again, but a few years ago I heard that ended up dead." He felt like he had to tell her such an important part of his past but feared that she'd take it negatively.
"I'm so sorry!" She really was. He could see it in her eyes. She pointed at the sofa. "Have a seat. I'll be right back with the coffee."
After a few minutes she reappeared with two cups of heavenly smelling coffee. She sat down and handed him one cup. After a sip, he placed it on the table and reached into his pocket from which he removed a small box.
"Merry Christmas, Liz." He gave her the box.
"I knew you wouldn't miss the opportunity to call me like that." She started to open the box. First she found only cotton, but when she lifted it, there was a beautiful silver Pegasus pendant.
"Last year you had a pendant on, but after we returned from Earth last time, I didn't see it on you anymore. I thought that you look beautiful wearing necklaces. I, um, hope you like it," he finished with a nervous tone.
"John, it's so beautiful," she told him, still overwhelmed.
He took the necklace out of the box and moved closer until he could set it around her neck. When he clasped it, she didn't move away. His face was only inches from hers. They looked into each other's eyes and couldn't stop themselves from leaning towards each other until their lips met, first only testing, but the passion quickly grew. They felt like they had waited for this moment their entire lives. When they parted, both smiled happily.
"I love you, Elizabeth. I loved you since the day we first came to Atlantis, and you told me that I did a good job. You have the gift, of making me feel better, no matter what situation I'm in." He stroked her cheek gently.
"And I love you, John, for the same reason. You are there for me when I need you. It's something no one else has managed to do in my life. Not even my father." There was no way of turning back. She already knew how it felt to be together with John, and now she knew she could never again be without him.
They leaned in to share a second passionate kiss for the next few minutes.
"You know what my mum did with us every Christmas Eve?" he asked her when they finally managed to stop kissing.
"No, tell me!" she said laughing.
"We put on every piece of warm clothing we had, gathered a bunch of blankets, and went out on the porch to watch out for Santa."
"And I suppose you want us to do the same thing?"
"Do you have a porch?"
"Yes, behind the house. I'll go get some blankets, and you can take the coffee outside." She would have done anything for him at that moment considering how happy she was.
Ten minutes later they were lying together in each others' arms on the huge bench on the back porch. It had just begun snowing and was freezing cold, but as they cuddled together under the huge blanket, neither of them really cared. As she fell asleep in John's arms, Elizabeth decided that it was the most beautiful Christmas she ever had.
The end
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