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Colorado Springs, mid-2009. . . .

"Thank you, Sir."

"No problem. I'll have the rest of your stuff delivered soon."

"Yes, Sir." Major Evan Lorne grabbed the duffel bag from the back seat of his CO's car.

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard waved. "Enjoy your leave."

"Yes, Sir," Lorne muttered again as he watched the car drive away. Two months of leave. Two months away from Atlantis, Rodney McKay, and the bad guys that the Milky Way had to offer.

He stared at the front of the house and considered his approach. Four years ago, he left for his "overseas" posting, and his landlord agreed to maintain the apartment for an indefinite amount of time. He'd been back once, during the incident where General O'Neill and Mr. Woolsey had been trapped by the Replicators, but he hadn't stayed here. His assignment to one of the SGC's teams happened almost immediately, resulting in his use of on-base quarters.

The house had changed. Lorne allowed his gaze to roam over the property. His apartment, a converted garage, peeked from behind the house, and it appeared that Mark had installed a gravel walkway between the front door and the rear drive. Lorne knew his truck waited for him, and he wondered if it would even run. Then, he shook his head. Of course the truck still ran. Before he left, he made arrangements with Mark to drive the truck occasionally as well as care for the property. And he increased his rent to compensate. After all, he barely made it home between missions with the SGC anyway.

The front door opened, and a woman stepped outside. Lorne blinked, barely remembering the day Mark informed him that he'd missed the wedding. The woman blinked at him as if she'd been awakened from a sound sleep. "Can I help you?"

"Ah. . . ." He pasted a grin on his face. "Evan Lorne."

She blinked again, this time in surprise. "Oh. Right. Sorry." She slipped some sandals on her feet and stepped off the porch to shake his hand. "Lea Davies."

Lorne shook her hand and motioned to the apartment. "I know I'm arriving unannounced, but. . . ."

"Right," she said again. "You have a key?"

"Right here." Lorne hated the awkwardness. He hadn't felt this awkward around a woman in years.

She escorted him to the apartment and waited while he unlocked the door. In spite of the awkwardness, Lorne smiled as he entered the apartment. He was home. The comfort in that thought helped the residual tension to fade from his mind.

The apartment was terribly bland. The garage had been built to accommodate a large RV. The vaulted ceilings met high windows that ran along the entirety of the one room acting as kitchen, dining area, and living area. Carpet and furniture in shades of gray accented glass-and-metal tables and stainless steel appliances. The white walls waited for color to fill them. The neutral palette had appealed to his inner artist years ago. Now, it begged for him to paint something and break the monotony. He had become accustomed to colorful walls while on Atlantis.

"Welcome home," Lea said politely. Lorne took the time to really look at her. She had long blond hair so smooth it seemed to fold over her shoulders, a round pixie face, and eyes that couldn't decide if they were blue or green. Right now, they settled on a shade somewhere between the two. She stood no higher than his nose, and her denim skirt and tailored blouse accented her slender curves to perfection. She noticed his scrutiny and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"No." He smiled reassuringly. "It's just a little overwhelming. I've been out of the country for years, so being here is a little like culture shock."

"I can imagine."

He glanced at her left hand as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She wasn't wearing a wedding ring. He decided to probe a little. "How's Mark doing?"

Her face fell, and her eyes turned blue. The instantaneous change surprised him. "He's dead," she said in a sad voice. "Hostage situation gone bad."

"I'm sorry." He really was. He'd liked Mark Davies, and he'd been thrilled that the man had found his match. Now, he wondered if he had blundered by mentioning the man's name.

Lea let out a deep breath. "Well, I should let you settle in."

"Thanks." Lorne smiled again and watched her leave. She kept her chin up and moved gracefully around the front of her home. He wondered how he would fare with a lady that pretty nearby. The knowledge that she'd been married to a good friend would probably keep things from getting too serious.

Once Lea disappeared, Lorne pulled the radio from his pocket. "This is Lorne. The area's secure." A moment later, brilliant light filled the room. It faded, leaving a stack of crates and a few paintings. Lorne moved quickly, catching his landscape before it hit the floor. The sunset over the Golden Gate bridge was one of his favorites. He'd painted it several months ago, intending to hang it on the large wall of his living room. The warm reds and oranges reminded him of Atlantis, and he needed that bit of familiarity.

As he unpacked the remainder of his belongings, he thought over the last several months. Atlantis arrived on Earth in the middle of January, splashing down just outside of San Francisco Bay. At first, none of the Atlantis expedition had been allowed to leave the city. Being that close to home had irritated him. He'd never struggled with severe homesickness until then. Seeing the Golden Gate bridge and the skyline of his home city stirred something in him. When he'd finally been allowed to leave Atlantis, he never wanted to go back.

Now, he wasn't so sure of his future. Lorne carried the crates of clothing to the bedroom built onto the garage and set about arranging his closet. After a week with his family, he'd been recalled to the SGC for debriefing. He spent a month telling every detail he could remember of his time in Pegasus, as well as his role in the recent Wraith defeat above Earth. Those events caused him to remember Pegasus with fondness. At least he'd been a galaxy away from the pencil-pushing politicians.

Several members of the IOA hinted at a promotion during his debrief. Lorne shook his head. At one time, he'd wanted to become a general in the Air Force. He still did. His ambitions for his career had shifted slightly, though. He knew what dangers awaited Earth. He'd faced them and won. Now, he wanted to become a general that actually did something to protect his planet rather than allowing himself to be drawn into the politics of defense.

The desire to return to Pegasus surprised him. He'd spent all that time missing his family and wishing to be back home for momentous occasions. He had made it for one cousin's wedding, but her marriage to an Air Force colonel working for the SGC helped a little. His other cousin, however, had received a taped video containing congratulations. His sister returned to school and became a nurse. And his mother retired from teaching college-level art. All of these changes happened while he'd been stuck on Atlantis. At those times, he'd almost driven himself crazy with the homesickness. Now, he realized that he wasn't missing Earth. He missed his family. "Home" was Atlantis. "Home" was where he was needed.

Would they ever return to Pegasus? Now that the IOA had Atlantis on Earth, the desire for a quick return lost itself in the maze of politics, ambition, and desires. Most of the crew liked Earth and wanted to stay here. Lorne knew he fell into a small percentage of those who wanted to return. Every scientist of the expedition had complained in some form or fashion. Even Rodney McKay, who loved saving everyone's behinds multiple times over, pined for Earth.

Tired of the questions and his thoughts, Lorne checked his wallet and found his keys. He'd spent so much time in Atlantis flying Puddle Jumpers that he wasn't sure how to feel about needing keys to drive his truck. Or the speed limits. Several times on their short drive from the SGC, Sheppard had slowed down in order to stay under the legal limit. Lorne grinned as he realized he'd now have the same problem. He'd never been a speed demon, but flying through the atmosphere at extreme speeds dulled one's sensitivity. As he climbed into his truck, he sighed. He had two months to paint, think, and decide what his future held. Once those two months ended, he'd return to Atlantis with a clear picture of himself. Or so he hoped.

oOo

Lea watched from her kitchen window as Lorne backed his truck from the rear driveway. She'd always liked the private entrance to the property, thankful that he wouldn't have to walk near the house every time he went somewhere. And he probably appreciated the private entrance as well.

Evan Lorne wasn't what she'd pictured when Mark told her about their tenant. She'd always pictured someone taller, close to if not over six feet tall, muscular, and with a hard expression on his face. She couldn't have been further from the truth. Lorne was muscular, but he only stood about five-nine. She liked the fact that she wouldn't have to crane her neck to look at him. His blue eyes sparkled with amusement most of the time, and he'd seemed genuinely troubled by news of Mark's death. Lea breathed a prayer of gratefulness that he hadn't been blessed with light curly hair. She would have dissolved into tears right then. Mark's hair had been a nightmare to cut, and she remembered many heated arguments about his hairstyle.

Lorne's arrival changed things, she realized. Lea moved away from the window and set her coffee cup in the sink. She'd been sipping the coffee when he first arrived. Her stomach tied itself in knots after their brief conversation, and she chose to forego coffee for the rest of the day. She was too wound up, anyway.

A knock sounded shortly after Lorne drove away. Lea answered the door and blinked. "Samuel. Come in."

Her friend, tall with dark hair, slipped past her and frowned. "I was on my way past and noticed that someone is home," he said, motioning toward the back of the house as he did so.

"Yeah." Lea turned to sit in her favorite chair, hating the blush that covered her face. "That's Major Evan Lorne, USAF. I'd never met him until today."

Samuel settled on the couch. "You okay?"

"I don't know." Lea decided to be honest. Samuel had been the one to hold her when she received news of Mark's death. Since then, he'd become a close friend. "I mean, it'll be nice to see those windows lit up at night. But I'm not entirely sure I'm ready to have another man around the house."

He nodded even as his eyes roved the living room. "I don't want to sound callous, but you could use it."

"I know." She let out a deep sigh. "There's only so much I can do, and I realize that. It's just that. . . ."

"What?"

She closed her eyes, hating how her next words would sound. "I'm lonely. It's been three years. And I'm not sure. . . ."

Samuel smiled gently as he realized what she tried to say. "I understand." He looked around again. "So, where's Jessie?"

"With Marissa." Lea smiled. "We got the day off because Marissa wanted to take Jessie to the zoo. I think it has something to do with her own little one coming soon."

"Really? Marissa's expecting?"

"Yep."

"Good for them."

The two sat a chatted about their lives in general. By the time Samuel left, Lea managed to recover some of her normal calm. God, help me, she prayed as she prepared to pick up her daughter. Keep me from making a colossal mistake where the major is concerned.

~TBC