Author's Note: I am issuing another warning for this chapter. It deals with some very intense topics, and I mean no disrespect to anyone who has ever been in or is currently in this type of situation. I've been there, too. As always, I hope you enjoy! ~lg

oOo

Two days after his arrival on Earth, Evan sat in the ICU waiting room, using his sister's laptop. Erica had taken a much-needed break to run to the nearest Starbucks for coffee. Evan wasn't a fan of Starbucks, having been spoiled to Jennifer's amazing brew, but he refused to argue when Erica offered to go. Now, he spent those precious few moments staring at the computer screen.

Should he? His finger hovered above the mouse pad even as his cursor hovered over the "Add to Cart" button. He'd heard nightmare stories of pilot buddies who spent hours searching for the perfect engagement ring for their girlfriends, and he'd always been grateful that he wasn't that man. Now, however, he'd found the perfect ring for Jennifer, and he froze at the act of actually buying it.

The last two days hadn't exactly been the easiest. Evan sat back, closing his eyes and rubbing them as he thought over his decision. When he'd decided to propose to Jennifer for Valentine's Day, he had planned a surprise trip back to Earth. Both of them had received leave for two weeks during the summer, and he wanted to shop with Jennifer for her ring then. His proposal plans included a day-long trip off world. Now that he'd missed Valentine's Day, he decided that he'd surprise her with a ring when he returned to Atlantis. Still, the actual moment of purchasing that ring drove home just how committed he actually was to Jennifer. If he bought this ring, it was, in his mind, the moment he bound himself to her for life. To him, the wedding was merely a formality.

Could he make this decision with his life in such chaos right now? Evan dropped his hand to his lap. Setting aside the laptop, he rose and paced across the room. His mother lay in a coma, the result of severe head trauma sustained during her accident. One of her ribs had punctured a lung, and she'd had severe internal bleeding that required emergency surgery. The doctor had told Erica and Evan that she could pull through with minimal effects from the head trauma. Or she could be mentally impaired for life. Or she could die. With such weighty responsibilities on his shoulders right now, could he make this decision concerning Jennifer?

Erica appeared right then, interrupting his thoughts with a tired, "Hey."

Evan accepted his coffee from her and smiled. "Thank you." He took a whiff of the aroma and realized that it would be too strong. Jennifer liked light coffees, and he'd become accustomed to that. "You should get some rest."

"I know." She dropped her purse on the floor and flopped onto the couch, melting into the cushions. "Every time I go back to the hotel, I can't sleep."

He understood that. He'd rented a hotel room for the two of them to share, but, so far, he'd only used it to shower and change clothes. Taking a sip of the strong coffee, he turned back to the window as he resumed his thoughts, hoping she didn't see his grimace of distaste.

"What's this?" Erica's voice went from tired to intrigued in the space of two seconds. "Engagement rings?"

Evan whirled. He'd forgotten about the laptop and hadn't closed out the page he'd been studying. "Ah. . .yeah."

She blinked at him, her blue eyes so similar to his own. "Jennifer?" she guessed.

"Ah. . .yeah," he said again.

"Wow." Erica stared for a moment and shook her head. "I knew you two were serious, but I didn't know you were this serious."

"We've been together for over a year." Evan knew his sister would understand the significance of that. His longest relationship before Jennifer had lasted three months. Somehow, he always managed to break a girl's heart by getting orders just as the relationship got intense. After the second time, he decided that he preferred being alone. It had worked until Jennifer Keller walked into his life.

"So what's the problem?" Erica had inherited their mother's ability to see through his mask.

"Ah. . .I'm not sure." He let out a deep breath and sat on the edge of the couch. "I mean, I love her. With all my heart. But can I really do this right now? Even if Mom pulls through, there may be decisions I'm required to make. I can't ask you to take on that weight with your family. But is it fair to Jennifer to ask her to make this commitment knowing that I could be called away at any time?"

"Is that any different than now with the military?"

"No." He chuckled. "Leave it to you to see to the heart of the matter."

"Evan, think about something." Erica leaned forward. "If you were to receive a call, right now, that Jennifer was missing or critically injured, what would you do?"

He blinked at her. If that call came in, he'd move heaven and Earth to get back to Atlantis. Jennifer mattered more to him than anything. He knew he could make it through losing his mother because Jennifer was there to anchor him. But, if he lost his anchor. . . . "I'll buy the ring."

"Good man." Erica handed the computer to him and stayed silent while he finished the transaction.

As soon as he clicked the purchase button, opting for the fastest shipping available, Evan sat back in his chair and let out a deep breath. It was done. He couldn't turn back now. All that remained was that one, excruciating moment when he would wait for Jennifer's response. They'd talked about marriage once before, and she'd been open to the idea. Of course, she'd been open to anything since they were lying in bed after one particularly difficult mission in which she thought she'd lost him. But Jennifer had settled into their domestic relationship with such ease that he believed her answer would be "Yes."

The waiting room door opened, and the doctor stepped through. Even after three days, Evan still couldn't remember his name. The man closed the door and took a deep breath. "Major Lorne, Mrs. Bryant, I need to speak with you."

"Okay." Evan didn't like the serious tone of the man's voice, and he closed the computer. "What's happening?"

"I've just completed Mrs. Lorne's latest round of testing." The doctor met their eyes. "I have to say that I'm not entirely sure what to do next. She's on a ventilator, and tests indicate that she could either live or die without it. At this point, we're not sure if the machines are keeping her alive, or if she's living on her own."

"You want to disconnect life support." Evan's blunt statement brought a gasp from Erica.

The doctor nodded. "Yes." He glanced between the two of them. "I know this is a difficult decision, but we have done all we know to do. Your mother could continue in her vegetative state, or she could wake up."

"Can you give us a few minutes to decide?" Evan glanced at Erica, seeing her pinched features and watery eyes.

"Of course." The doctor headed for the door. "I'll be at the nurse's station when you're ready. If I'm not there, have one of them page me."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Evan moved to pull his sister into his arms. Erica shuddered against him, and her tears followed that shudder in a torrent that soaked the front of his shirt. He allowed a few to escape as well, knowing that he could be making the final decision for his mother. The woman had taught him to paint, loved him when he'd been a rebellious teenager, cried when he entered the Air Force, stood proudly beside him when he'd been promoted to major, and wept when she received his father's folded flag. He didn't want to let go of her just yet. Not now, when he had the best news of his life to give to her.

Twenty minutes later, he and Erica emerged from the waiting room. Neither of them were happy with their decision, but their choices, quite frankly, sucked. They could either allow their mother to continue in this state, or they could let her go. It boiled down to that one fact. The emotions that would follow could be handled. But they had no right to make the decision for her. If she wanted to die, she would go when they removed the life support. They couldn't hold her back.

Seeing their faces, the doctor headed their way. "You're absolutely sure?"

Evan spared one last glance at Erica and caught her nod. He turned to the doctor. "We're sure."

oOo

For two days, Jennifer's desk remained ominously candy-free. After that first message, she looked for Evan's little note daily. Then, she figured he'd likely dropped it onto her desk on his way out of the office the last time. That was a more reasonable explanation. Still. . . .

Toward the end of the third day, Evan's team appeared, followed by Sheppard's team. The two teams had run a joint mission that day, and Parrish managed to find the one steep hill to fall down. He sprained a wrist and left a pretty deep scratch on Rodney's arm, who tried to catch him. Jennifer tended to Parrish while the rest of her staff saw to the post-mission physicals.

When the infirmary finally cleared, she headed back for her office. She needed to write a report on Parrish's injuries and figured she had the time. In the last year, she'd started eating better than she had before, and Evan had finally stopped coming into the infirmary to check on her. Now, with Evan on Earth, she reverted to her old ways, grabbing a bite when she could.

A yellow spot caught her eye, and Jennifer smiled. Another candy heart. Another message from Evan. This one said "Ever After." She narrowed her eyes. Clearly he'd pulled someone into his little game, and she wondered just which one of her nurses had been bribed into this. And how had Evan bribed him or her?

"Ever After." As in "happily ever after?" Her concentration shattered, Jennifer sat back in her chair and stared at the candy heart on her desk. She and Evan had discussed forever once. But, since he'd brought it up after a difficult mission and their rather heated reunion, she hadn't put much thought into the matter. Just thinking of that night brought a flush to her face. They had stayed up way too late, reacquainting themselves with one another and talking about nothing in particular. Then, Evan had propped himself on one elbow, gazed deeply into her eyes, and asked her what she thought about marriage. The question so surprised her that she'd wondered if he was proposing. She'd given a favorable answer, and he hadn't mentioned it since then.

Did Evan want forever? She did. She wasn't sure she could handle John or Woolsey coming to her door to tell her that Evan had died while off world. With Evan, everything was right. Without him, her life fell apart.

Yes, she wanted happily ever after. Maybe, when he got back home, she'd learn whether or not he wanted it, too.

oOo

Watching the doctor and nurses disconnect the machines keeping his mother alive, Evan held his sister close and wished for Jennifer. Not only was she a doctor, she offered a tender support that most doctors never mastered. Even though she'd been very young when she went to medical school, she understood the value of a bedside manner.

"That's it," the doctor announced, and Evan stopped breathing.

Next to Evan, Erica drew in a whimpered breath. Had their mother just died? The beep of the heart monitor never wavered, however, and a nurse checked her vitals. Evan held back his tears and worries, determined to allow his mother to make the decision.

"She's breathing!" The doctor's stunned statement sent a shiver of relief through him, and he let out the breath he'd held. "It looks like she'll make it a little while longer. But I should caution you. Her condition could change throughout the next few days."

In other words, don't get their hopes up. Evan nodded once as he acknowledged the warning while Erica rushed to their mother's side. Evan waited, knowing his turn would come. That night, as he held his mother's hand, he started talking.

"Mom, you gotta pull through," he urged her. "I have someone for you to meet. You gotta wake up to meet your future daughter-in-law."

~TBC