Title: Lines: Parting β Chapter 3: Things Unseen, Words Unspoken
Author: Marianne H. Stillie
Categories: AU Alternate Scenes and an Episode Tag for The Return Parts 1 & 2
Rating: T
Pairing: Ronon & Elizabeth
Series: The Lines Series β Story #12
Season: Season 3
Sequel To: Lines: Reconciling, Blending, Hoping, Grieving, Merging
Summary: On Earth, Elizabeth and John make life-altering decisions.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places for Stargate Atlantis are the property of MGM Worldwide Television Distribution, Sony Pictures Television and Acme Shark Cooper/Wright Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment, not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks are intended. Previously unrecognized characters, places and this story are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Archive: Please do not archive anywhere without the author's permission.
Copyright (c) 2007 Marianne H. Stillie
Lines: Parting
Chapter 3 β Things Unseen, Words Unspoken
There were eighteen steps around his desk. Add that to the sixteen to the door and back. Then figure in⦠John Sheppard stopped himself. He really needed to get rid of his Sudoku book addiction. He also needed to stop pacing every inch of concrete floor space in his office. Instead he went back to glancing at his watch every thirty or so seconds as he sat stiffly on the edge of his desk.
What the hell was taking McKay and Elizabeth so long? All they had to do was get Bill Lee out of the way so they could gerry rig an access code. How tough could that be? For McKay that techie stuff was a piece of cake. For Elizabeth, the diplomat who could cajole hardnosed politicians into signing treaties, it was pure intellectual charm. It also helped that she was so beautiful.
At dinner he'd noticed that her natural beauty was more than a little frayed, the unspoken sadness making her face drawn the way it had never been, even in their worst crises. She'd stayed in Colorado Springs for only one reason, to be as close to Ronon as it was possible to be a galaxy away. Seeing her nervously playing with the ring on her left hand while she talked had made the sweet dessert he was eating turn bitter as it slid down his throat. In contrast to Elizabeth's honest outward feelings, the memories he'd packed tightly away since he came back had turned him into a pissy-assed bastard to be around at the SGC. As he sat across the table from her, he'd asked himself which way of coping was better, hers or his.
He wouldn't admit to McKay or Beckett that he hadn't called Elizabeth during the six weeks since they got back. He hadn't been surprised that she never called him. The loves each of them had left behind were too deep, and too hard to avoid talking about if they'd met here on Earth. Her mate and his lover weren't topics for casual conversations. She still had to play the part of the tough expedition leader and he had to hang onto his image as the brave military commander. That underneath both of their facades it was all bullshit had to stay a secret, even from each other. Friends sometimes had to let friends cry alone.
The cell phone alerts had ended one simple awkward meeting and started a series of hectic, very tense ones. She'd insisted on going in his car, their mutual fears and hopes allowing that invisible bond between them to come through. He noticed that the ring twisting became more agitated along with the silence in the drive from the restaurant to the SGC. It gave him the creeps because it bordered on the funereal. Neither had wanted to speculate what news was waiting for them when they got to Cheyenne Mountain. He still wasn't quite sure how they'd gone from Landry's announcement that Atlantis would be obliterated by the Daedalus in a matter of days to their plan to shanghai a jumper and save the day. The really scary part had been how quickly they'd all agreed to do it.
A close look at his watch told him too many minutes had gone by and the antsyness got the better of him. He wanted to be on his way, back to Pegasus, back to his real home. He rummaged in his locker and found a small knapsack he'd dumped in there. Just as he opened a lower desk drawer, the door opened and a rush of sexy red shirt came through it. The smile on Elizabeth's face said all he needed to know.
Breathlessly she said, "We're in!"
"McKay and Beckett?" he asked as he dumped the drawer contents onto his desk. He picked up the small framed photograph on his desk and held it tightly in his hand.
"Changing into camo. They want us to get what we need from the armory and meet them there," she answered. Moving closer, Elizabeth looked at the photograph of him and Teyla.
John saw tears begin to well in Elizabeth's eyes. He remembered that the photo had been taken by her that very special day on the mainland when they'd celebrated the completion of her and Ronon's house.
He took her by the shoulders. "Why are you crying, Elizabeth? We're going home."
A shaky intake of breath stopped the flow of tears. That old familiar Weir look of determination lit up her face. "If I ever have to make a choice between Earth and the Pegasus Galaxy again, I will not leave Ronon!"
He squeezed her shoulders then let her go. Quickly, he finished sorting through the stuff on his desk. Waving two items, he said emphatically, "They'll have to court martial me in absentia before I'll ever leave Teyla again."
Elizabeth smiled teasingly. "Are you taking those back to Atlantis, John?"
Holding up a DVD and CD he said, "I promised Teyla I'd bring these back the next time I was on Earth."
"I Walk The Line and American V: A Hundred Highways. A little heavy on the Johnny Cash, don't you think?"
He stuffed the three items into the knapsack then held up one of those jumbo zip bags filled with popcorn kernels. "For movie nights, and as a new crop for the Athosians," he grinned. Slinging the knapsack over his shoulder he added, "Let's get the hell out of here."
XoX
It was a long way from Georgetown and her poly sci classes to this latest trip through a Stargate wormhole. Physics was never of much interest to her in college. The English language and what it could do in everyday life challenged and absorbed her on a much higher level than pure science. Elizabeth was glad it had been McKay's passion. They wouldn't be traversing millions of light years across two galaxies in such a short time thanks to his Intergalactic Gate Bridge if that hard science hadn't possessed him at an early age.
She was trying to keep focused on the dangerous job ahead of them. Defeating the possibly undefeatable Asurans scared the hell out of her. They could fail and die. Glancing at the three people in the jumper with her, she held tight to her trust and belief in her friends and comrades. They'd come through so much since their arrival in the Pegasus Galaxy. She hoped, and prayed their good fortune and karma would get them through another hopeless situation.
Very gently she let her deepest longing take over a spot in that hope. Being reunited with Ronon was worth any risk. Her parents had assumed her sudden interest in astronomy the summer after she'd turned ten was another of her intellectual pursuits. She never told them about her pre-adolescent fantasy life of traveling around a far away galaxy with her very own Han Solo piloting their intrepid space ship. She'd found the high adventure of space travel far more romantic than the angsty tragic lovers of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet or her girlfriends' squeals of glee over David Cassidy and Greg Brady. Ronon was no fictional sci fi hero. He was the real thing and she adored him. Whatever gods had been watching over them since he'd suddenly appeared in her life had to have something special in mind. She hoped a full life and a long future were on their agenda. If she had to create a new and stronger faith to support it, she'd give it a damn good try, or die in the attempt.
The jumper slipped through the gate and settled to the ground on New Athos. A brief ten minute trek brought them to the outskirts of the village. They must have seemed like ghostly apparitions suddenly appearing out of the darkness into the light of the campfire in front of Teyla's tent.
She knew she'd never remember what John said to make Teyla laugh. All she would remember were Ronon's eyes locking onto her face. Who smiled first didn't matter. Feeling that familiar warmth radiate around her was exhilarating after the cold dreariness of Earth. Both knew there was no time to talk. That was for later, after they'd taken back their city.
As they entered the tent, Elizabeth felt Ronon's strong hand firmly caress her lower back. The touch was too brief before they had to move apart, but it was enough. They were together again and that was all that mattered.
