Author's Note: I finally wrote this. Aren't you proud of me:D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in Stargate Atlantis. None of the characters, none of the technologies, none of the settings... nothing. Got it? Okay, good, but just remember that anything here that isn't part of the actual Stargate Atlantis series is copyrighted to me, so no stealing. ;)

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"How long have we been here?" His breath was growing shallow.

"I don't know," she whispered back. She was trying not to breathe too deeply. "Maybe an hour."

He started to sigh, but stopped himself.

"We shouldn't talk too much, it's wasting air."

She nodded, swallowing her fear.

A moment of silence passed.

"John?"

He looked up. "Elizabeth?" he responded, his voice holding a touch of his accustomed sarcasm.

"We're going to die here, aren't we?"

"No," John said positively, laying a reassuring hand on what he hoped was her leg – it was too dark to see for certain. "We'll be rescued. They won't give up."

"I know, but there isn't much air left," Elizabeth whispered. "The chances of our being alive when they find us are very slim."

"It's still a chance," John reminded her, drawing his knees up a little closer to his chest to give her more room.

Elizabeth swallowed again and nodded.

"It's just hard," she said after a moment, trying to sound more normal, "to imagine being rescued when you're trapped in a cave hundreds of feet below the surface of the planet, with very little air and even less room to move."

"I know," said John gently. "But don't give up hope! Come on, Elizabeth, you're usually the one sitting there telling us that we're gonna make it through."

Elizabeth laughed hollowly. "I'm not usually the one in danger," she pointed out. "I'm a diplomat, not a military leader. But I trust you to get out of situations like this."

John smirked. "I'm here now," he said.

She gave him a look, though he couldn't see it. "John…"

"All right, all right." The colonel leaned back against the side of the cave and closed his eyes.

There was a long silence. The only sounds came from their breathing and the rustling of clothing whenever one of them shifted position.

John opened his eyes slowly as he gradually became aware of another quiet sound breaking the silence.

"Elizabeth?" he whispered. "You all right?"

Elizabeth, who was sitting with her legs pulled up and her head between her knees, shook her head without looking up. "No," she responded, her voice giving away her state of mind.

"It's all right," said John gently, shifting so that he could put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't cry, you're wasting air."

"I can't help it," she said quietly, looking up and wiping her eyes with her sleeve, even as more tears leaked out. "I haven't had a good cry in years. Somehow, sitting in a tiny cave, about to die, set me off." She gave him a watery smile that he couldn't see.

"You wanna die crying?" John murmured into her hair. "Doesn't sound very pleasant."

"John, that's not what I mean!" Elizabeth protested.

"I know, I know." John found one of her hands in the dark and squeezed it.

Elizabeth rested her head on her knees. "I only wish –"

"Don't," John interrupted, stroking her hair with his free hand. "I've got you."

They sat like that for several long minutes. Finally, Elizabeth let out a breath and gave in, leaning against him and resting her head on his chest.

"I can't breathe," she whispered into his shirt.

John pressed his lips against her hair. "Neither can I," he admitted. "I'm starting to think you're right about the dying thing."

Elizabeth looked up at him, surprised.

"And that's why," John continued, smiling invisibly down at her, "I feel at liberty to express my feelings for you." Before she could protest, he leaned down his head and pressed his lips against her cheek, then making his way to her lips.

It took only a few seconds for Elizabeth to recover. She returned the kiss passionately, pressing her hands against the sides of his face.

A loud cracking sound from above startled them out of their intimacy. John stared up at the ceiling of the cave.

"It's moving," he whispered.

Elizabeth's breath was coming in gasps. "Is it caving in?" she murmured, only half-conscious.

They both shielded their eyes as the ceiling was suddenly lifted, exposing them to bright sunlight. Groaning softly, John squinted up at the hole, trying to make out the figure who was standing there.

"Teyla?"

The woman smiled down at him, then turned and called out, "They are here!"

Moments later, two stretchers and a harried-looking Dr. Beckett were lowered into the hole. John, whose deprived brain was still trying to comprehend the situation, started to stand up, but the doctor placed a hand on his chest.

"Easy, Colonel. We'll get you out of here in just a sec."

He helped John onto one of the stretchers before turning to the now-unconscious Elizabeth. The colonel felt himself slipping into oblivion…