Okay, I wasn't going to post this yet but I have very little will power when it come to fanfiction so here it is. I've borrowed some ideas from my other AU, Catalytic event, those of you who've read it will recognise them when you see them.

Disclaimer: I do not own Atlantis or any of its characters.

Broken Heaven

Chapter 1

They had met, they had fallen in love, they had got married and now they were paying the price for the speed at which it had all happened. The first few years had been pure bliss, sure they'd had their arguments like all married couples but in the end they always worked it. Things were different now though, after five years of marriage everything was falling apart.

For the first time in three months Elizabeth Sheppard awoke before her husband. For months now he had been leaving for work long before she even woke up and not coming home until late when she was already fast asleep in bed. They barely spoke to one another and when they did it was always in full blown arguments over whatever was at the forefront of their minds at the time.

She turned over to see John still sleeping beside her though he was facing away from her. There was as much distance between them as they could have without one of them falling out of the bed. She sighed quietly to herself as she sat up and got out of the bed and walked into the bathroom. She showered and dressed quickly before heading downstairs.

She was sitting at the counter in the kitchen scanning though the morning paper and finishing off her coffee when she heard the tell tale signs that John was awake coming from upstairs. Ten minutes later John walked into the kitchen ready to face another day at work. He glanced at her only for a moment before busying himself making his coffee.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked without turning to look at her.

"I have a few things to do before class this morning," she answered him quietly and silence once again filled the room as they both went about their business. After several minutes she'd had enough at the risk of staring another argument she broke the quiet.

"We need to talk," she stated simply and quietly as she put the paper down and looked at him.

"I know," John said as he stopped was he was doing and turned to look at her.

"I only have one class today so I should be home around midday," she told him.

"I'll pick you up at three, we'll go and get something to eat and…talk," he stated and she nodded her head before standing up and leaving the room. She grabbed her bag and her keys from the hall way and walked out of the house and to her car. Dropping her bag into the passenger seat next to her she started the engine and drove away.

- - -

John watched as Elizabeth's car pulled out of the drive way and disappeared down the street. It had been strange to wake up this morning without her asleep next to him. He had gotten used to it over the last few months; it was the only time he could spend a few moments looking at her with risking an argument. It was strange when he had first started leaving before she was awake it had felt strange then too, he had been so used to getting up with her and both of them leaving around the same time.

He didn't know why it had happened but things between them had gone from blissful to bad and from bad to terrible in a very short space of time. They argued about anything and everything, they'd always had a difference of opinion, opposite views on a lot of things whereas before it had served to balance each other out now it only caused massive arguments which ultimately ended with one of them storming out and neither of them talking again for days.

Avoiding each other seemed to be the only way to avoid arguing, he never meant to get into fights with her it just happened. Whilst Elizabeth had made no move to purposely avoid him he knew she didn't have to; he was doing all the avoiding for her.

He finished his coffee and headed out to his car, driving quickly to the police station and walking in. He found his partner, Ronon Dex, already sat at his desk and John took his seat opposite him. Ronon had been his partner for seven years and he was the one person John had felt comfortable talking about his problems to.

"You're later than usual," Ronon stated.

"Elizabeth left before me this morning; I didn't feel the need to rush."

"I take it things aren't getting any better."

"I'm taking her for dinner this afternoon to talk," John informed him though his voice held very little hope.

"Well good luck, I mean that," Ronon told him seriously.

"Thanks, I think I'll need it."

"You never know, things might start looking up, you could make it work, not that I can talk."

"How's that going anyway?" John asked knowing what Ronon was referring to.

"Is there more than one way for these things to go?"

"I suppose not."

- - -

Elizabeth dismissed her only class of the day with orders to study for a test at the end of the week. She waited until they had all filed out of the room before glancing at the clock, 11:30; she had plenty of time to get home before John picked her up for dinner. She knew why he had chosen to take her out to dinner rather than stay at home to talk, the public setting would minimise the amount of shouting and arguing they could do.

She picked up her files and the box full of essays she needed to look through tonight and made her way out of the class and through the halls of the university. She struggled to carry all the stuff and was relieved when she felt someone take the box from her.

"I'll take that," a voice said and she turned her head slightly to see the face of one of her colleagues looking back at her.

"David, thank you," she said gratefully and he just smiled and gestured for her to continue down the corridor.

"How are you today?" he asked as he fell in step beside her.

"Fine," she lied.

"I know that's a lie," he stated but then went silent indicating he was dropping the matter. They reached her car and David put the box into the back before turning to look at her. "If you ever need anything you know where to find me" he told her and she smiled gratefully before watching him walk away. She took a deep breath and got into the car to drive home.

- - -

"The lab results confirm it," Ronon said as he walked over to his partner. "Oliver Parsons is our killer, we already have the arrest warrant"

"Let's go get him then," John stated and walked out of the building with Ronon heading for their car and getting in the drivers seat. They drove to the address they were both so familiar with now having been there to question Parsons and search his apartment many times over the last few weeks.

Once there they both jumped out of the car and walked casually into the building going straight to Parsons apartment and knocking on the door. Parsons appeared a few moments later and a smug look filled his face as he saw the two detectives standing in his doorway, apparently he thought they were just here to question him or search his apartment again.

"What can I do for you this time detectives?" Parsons asked with an amused expression that John couldn't wait to wipe from his face.

"Oliver Parsons you are under arrest for the murders of Sarah Kyber and Melinda Tellerman," John stated as a look of horror replaced the amusement on Parson's face. John and Ronon made quick work of arresting him and reading him his rights before making their way down the stairs.

"You can't do this!" Parsons shouted. "You've got nothing on me."

Without a word to each other John and Ronon slammed Parsons back into the wall of the hallway. "We've got you're DNA on the knife used to murder Melinda Tellerman," John stated in a hushed tone.

"That's not possible," Parsons said.

"Got a little cocky with the second murder didn't you?" Ronon questioned rhetorically in the same hushed tone John had used "Made you sloppy and now you're going down for it."

Ronon pulled Parsons away from the wall allowing John to grab hold of his other arm again before continuing out of the apartment.

- - -

Elizabeth looked out of her window at the rain pouring down outside, it was now 15.30 and John still hadn't shown up. She knew his job meant that he would sometimes be late but at the same time she knew that this dinner was one of their last chances to save their marriage. She had hoped he would do anything in his power to make sure he was there for it but apparently something more important had come up.

She put on her coat and headed out of the house wrapping her arms tightly around herself to try and block out the cold. She needed to take a walk, clear her head and hopefully when she got back John would be there. They could go out to dinner even if she was dripping wet from the rain which seemed to be coming down harder now that she was in it.

She would have given anything at that moment to have had John show up for their dinner, she hated the thought that something was more important to him than their marriage. A tear escaped her eye despite her efforts to hold it back. It mixed with the rain that was also running down her face. She was so involved in her thought she didn't notice the car come around the corner.

It wasn't until she heard the car horn and the screeching of tires that she looked up and noticed its presence. It was too late though, the car had lost control and was heading straight for her. She barely even had time to register it before it hit her, she felt an explosion of pain in her side closely followed by other explosions of pain elsewhere in her body and then everything went black.

TBC