Home
By Andie O'Neill
Summary: When Weir, Sheppard, and McKay are trapped on a planet that is pushed into another dimension, they are forced to live what could be the rest of their lives in a world cut off from everyone they knew.
A/N: Thanks guys for all the reviews! It's always nice to know someone is reading! And don't worry, I'm still working on my other stories! Especially "Just Married," "Sweet Regrets," and "Second Chances." No worries!!!!! ;)
Chapter Two "Year One"
John wandered through the forest with ease, having explored almost all of it during his time on the planet he'd once seen as just another mission… just another planet. Now it had become almost a second home to him, his first being Atlantis despite the fact that he'd lived most of his life on Earth. It'd now been a year since they were last on Atlantis, a year since they'd last seen their friends back home. A year since he'd spent hours looking out from the balcony with Elizabeth. He missed the ocean air, going through the gate on missions, not to mention flying… well SOMETHING. But his life wasn't all that bad; this planet had a lot to offer. He was content, even if he knew he'd never truly be as happy as he was on Atlantis. Although some people weren't taking being stranded and cut off from both Atlantis and Earth quite as well. John sighed, taking the straw he'd acquired earlier, while cutting through the wheat field to get to the forest, out of his mouth.
"You know, coming all the way here from the village may not be the way I'd LIKE to spend an hour, but it certainly is a good way to keep me fit," he told her, folding his arms after throwing away his chewed up straw.
"I'm almost done," she told him as she always did, her eyes glued to the rock with Ancient writing on it in the middle of the forest.
She had a book in her lap as she sat Indian style in the dirt, trying to make sense of the same sentence she'd been studying for almost a week.
"Still can't figure it out, huh?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I've gone through almost every book I have. I can't figure out what this one word is! I just can't get it!"
"Maybe you should just… give up," he told her, not for the first time, and probably not for the last.
Elizabeth smiled at that, still not even looking at him. "Yes well, we all know how stubborn I can be."
"Considering you've been at this translating for a year now, yeah, I'd say you're just a bit stubborn. Especially since we figured out LONG ago that there's no way off this planet until the Ancient's little 'gift' finally shuts off."
"John, you and I know that could be a hundred YEARS from now. I sincerely doubt you're willing to wait that long."
"Just get your stuff and come on. I've got a date tonight and I'm not gonna sit around here for another hour waiting for you to finish."
"Then why don't you just leave and stop trying to take me back to the village every damn day?"
"Because as it is you're already letting your life pass you by! I'd rather you NOT die from not talking care of yourself too."
"How… sweet… I think."
John rolled his eyes, gathering up the books all lying haphazardly around her and shoving them in her pack. Through the months John and Elizabeth's relationship had changed. Sometimes Rodney referred them as 'the old married couple,' simply because of how much they seemed to bicker. He knew that had a lot to do with the fact that Elizabeth had changed since being cut off from Atlantis. John knew she wasn't happy. She couldn't let go, and no matter how hard anyone tried to get her to stop fighting and just live her life, she couldn't seem to do it. She was never going to be happy if she wasted her life in a bunch of books and ruins. He just wished she'd figure that out herself. Once everything was in the pack, Elizabeth got to her feet and walked on ahead, pulling her pack on as she went.
John watched her go before walking on ahead to catch up. "So… you and Keri are going on another date, huh?"
Sheppard frowned. He wasn't even sure he could call it that considering what had happened on their last 'date.' Did wild sex even constitute a date? He would ask Elizabeth, but he figured that conversation probably would only lead to jokes about him being a 'man whore.' It didn't pay to be living in a cabin with Weir the judge, and McKay the… ah hell, might as well call him what he is… annoyance, a plague John has yet to be rid of. He seriously needed new friends. Still, even he knew his relationship with Keri was purely physical. Elizabeth spent all her time studying the ruins, and McKay spent all of his time with Saren falling head over heels for the women. At least it gave him a hobby… god, he needed help. "Yeah… another date," he finally said.
Elizabeth smiled. "Try to keep the door closed this time, will you? Not that seeing your naked posterior didn't exhilarate me!" she told him, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I was drunk!" he fought in his defense.
"In fact, I don't think McKay was all too happy seeing it either. You come home after a beautiful day only to see your friend's ass stuck up in the air is not what he'd probably call a fitting end to his day."
John rolled his eyes, walking on ahead. "Maybe I just won't come home at all," he mumbled to himself, too tired of being ridiculed for the hundredth time just because HE had a sex life. "And for your information, at least I'M trying to move on with my life! Joke all you want at the choices I'm making in life, but at least I'm actually LIVING one!" he shouted, before walking ahead a little faster, unaware Elizabeth had stopped cold in her tracks.
Elizabeth sat beneath what had become her favorite tree, staring at the stars with the sounds of a rushing river nearby to calm her. It was the perfect spot. She'd found it months ago… more than once she found herself sneaking out when the cabin she shared became just a little too full. She hated the idea of giving up on Atlantis. Sometimes she'd dream about it, the ocean, the people, looking down at the Gateroom. She missed the excitement she got when they found out something new about the Ancients. John and Rodney may have been doing quite well, but she couldn't let go as easy. She couldn't just move on with her life and ignore the place she'd been happiest. She was tired of people encouraging her to move on, tired of people telling her she was wasting her life on what might never be. She missed her home.
In any other situation she'd probably just tell herself to deal with it, and keep trying, but she couldn't help the feelings swirling inside of her. Tears escaped her eyes and made a slow path down her face, dripping to the ground. She'd never felt as alone as she did on this world. Rodney spent his days with Saren, and John… well; he'd been making it a goal through out the year to sleep with as many women as possible. At least… sometimes it seemed that way. The man couldn't seem to go a month without someone, which only served to frustrate her even more. On Atlantis he'd always been there for her, he'd been her friend, but the man living with her on this world was not the same person she'd known back on Atlantis. This John Sheppard gave up, and began distracting himself from what he'd lost with women. She missed the John she'd once known. Sure, he'd still fallen for a few back there, but it hadn't mattered. In the end, they'd somehow always found their way back to each other. Their friendship had grown stronger than anything she'd ever experienced; now it seemed about as strong as grass.
Elizabeth finally wiped her tears, knowing she couldn't keep thinking about that, reminding herself of just how bad things were now. She needed to keep fighting, she would keep fighting. John Sheppard had told her she should be living her life, the thing was, she was living her life. Her life was Atlantis, and she'd be damned if she didn't lose it without a fight! Slowly Elizabeth got to her feet, grabbing the pack she'd set down nearby before heading into the woods, not bothering to tell anyone where she would be. What did they care anyway… they were all too busy moving on.
Three Days Later
"It's been THREE days, Kharis, she's got to be here somewhere. Are you seriously telling me no one's seen her at all?!" John asked, walking beside the village leader.
"John, you and I both know how stubborn Elizabeth is. Her heart lies in Atlantis; can you blame her for wanting to return to it?"
"Hey, don't get me wrong, it was my home too! I miss it, but this is getting out of hand! Kharis, just tell me where she is!"
Kharis sighed. "Did you not search the forest yourself?"
"She's usually by the ruins studying… but this time I didn't find her. I've spent everyday over there to look for her, and I always came back with nothing. She could be in trouble! It's not like Elizabeth to just disappear!"
"John, you said so yourself, you two haven't exactly been the best of friends as of late. The last time you spoke to her you were having an argument. Perhaps she simply needs space."
John sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "Look! She's my friend, and I'm not just going to shrug and hope she's okay! It's been three days, and no one knows where she could have gone!"
Kharis stopped, looking at John with a curiousness he always seemed to have. "Since the moment you've gotten here John, your one concern has been to forget the life you left behind. Doctor McKay's concern has been to Saren… a woman who brings him joy when he too has lost a home. Elizabeth's one concern has always been to go home, back to your city of the Ancients. Yet now… suddenly you notice just what standing alone can do to a person. You once told me, you were cut off from your home before. You said there was a great creature that would terrorize all of the villagers… leaving you standing alone to fight it. All they'd cared about at that moment, had been to protect their own lives that had been their concern, but that concern meant leaving you… alone to fight a formable enemy. If that had gone on continuously for an entire year… would you suddenly start to believe those villagers truly cared what happened to you?"
John frowned, suddenly disturbed by what he was hearing. "So what your saying is-"
"What I'm saying is, keep looking and perhaps you may get a second chance to prove you have not left her to fight alone. If she truly is your friend, fight along side her, as that woman from among the villagers did. You are not the only one who has lost something dear to you. Elizabeth may be the only other person here that can truly understand the pain that comes when you lose your home," he interrupted before walking away towards his house. John watched him leave, knowing what he had said to be true. Damn, he'd screwed up bad this time round….
"Elizabeth!" he called, just before the branch he'd pushed away slapped him in the face, making him swear. John pushed the tree branch away and walked on ahead. "ELIZABETH!"
"John?" someone said from behind him, making him jump before he turned to see it was Elizabeth.
He tried to stop himself, but at the sight of her, alive and okay he couldn't help but let his frustrations out. "I've been looking EVERYWHERE for you! Damn it Elizabeth, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"
Elizabeth took a step back, looking a little startled by his anger. "I was… uh… searching the forest for any more ruins that could lead to the information I'm looking for. I found out what the word I was trying to translate was. It's the name of a city. They were trying to build a city on this world that would help them defeat the Wraith. Apparently this was where they built most of their cities… including Atlantis."
"Why? Why here?" John asked, not sure where she was going with her explanation.
"Because of the 'gift,' John. Don't you get it?! When we stayed to watch this great phenomenon we had no idea what we were getting into. This planet is protected by a portal beneath the earth. The city is underground."
"A portal? What kind of portal?"
"That night, after the 'gift' appeared, the sky rippled and the stars changed. Some of them disappeared completely."
"Yeah, so?"
"We're in a different dimension in a parallel universe."
"What?"
"The Ancients were working on a way to conceal themselves as they worked on weapons and technology to fight the Wraith. As long as they did this in their cities, they would be dealing with the same problems Atlantis went through thousands of years ago when the Wraith began a continuous attack against the city. This planet would be free from such attacks. Not only was it pushed into a universe completely devoid of life, but then it was pushed into a different dimension of this universe. Not even the Replicators would be able to find them."
John's eyes widened. "That's why we couldn't open a connection to their gate. We're not even in the same universe! But how come we were able to gate to this world in the first place? Why wasn't the 'gift,' not in place then?"
"Apparently this device needs a lot of power to continually operate. This planet has a natural and safe power source at its disposal. No harm to the planet and it provides a continual flow of power, enough to keep this process going forever. This process is stalled at certain times. Sometimes a year, sometimes ten, sometimes a hundred. The stall is to allow the machine they use to regenerate; all that power can overwhelm the device and destroy it after so much time in use. It also allows the Ancients time to send off their findings so that everyone can benefit from the knowledge they've acquired," Elizabeth told him, unable to keep her excitement under control.
John looked away, his mind shifting in purpose as he realized he couldn't keep making the same mistakes. "I'm sorry," he finally said.
Elizabeth frowned in confusion. "For what?"
"For telling you to quit. I was wrong to tell you that. Elizabeth, it hasn't been easy for any of us… losing Atlantis the way we did. I should have supported you. Maybe the things you're learning because of these ruins might very well be the thing that gets us home. I'm sorry, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth's frown slowly melted away, a smile taking its place. "Come on, you can help me look for more of the ruins. From what I've learned so far, they may be able to tell us just what happened to the city they were building."
John smiled, relived that things would be okay between them. "Sounds like fun."
"So," she began as she walked forward. "How was your date? I've been a little busy these couple of days."
John sighed, rolling his eyes. "We never ended up getting to the date. I was too busy worrying about you… she broke up with me. Something about me having screwed up priorities."
"Pity… she was a keeper," Elizabeth joked, walking ahead.
"No, not really," he assured her, walking behind her, enjoying the view. "Your friendship meant more."
Elizabeth stopped, looking back at him. "Come on, we have ruins to find," she whispered, putting an arm around John as the two continued on.
To Be Continued….