Chapter Four
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"Rodney!" Lt. Col. John Sheppard jogged after his teammate as the scientist made his way toward his lab the following afternoon. They'd both been doing a pretty good job of ignoring each other. "Damn it, McKay! Could we talk about this, already?" With a harrumph, Dr. McKay turned to face him.
"Talk? You wanna talk? What could we possibly have to talk about?" he demanded.
"Look, I know you don't agree with what I did, but we are on the same team," Sheppard spoke firmly. "We still have to work together. You're overreacting! It's not like I..."
"It's not like you, what?" Rodney cut in. "You screwed up and you dragged Elizabeth down with you. End of story. Do you have any idea the sort of repercussions this will have on everyone in the city? What? Did you think that I'd apologize?! You've singlehandedly ruined Elizabeth's career, so forgive me if I don't have a little more sympathy for you when she's called back to Earth and you get court-martialed!"
"I thought that we might be able to salvage our friendship!" John spat back. "I know you're not happy with me, but I am in love with her!"
"No," the scientist countered, jabbing the officer in the chest with his finger, "you're in heat and can't tell the difference! She's your boss, colonel! You knew better, but you crossed the line, anyway... I thought better of you."
"So, I made a mistake!"
"That's right—YOU made a mistake, so deal with it! Don't expect me to hold your hand." McKay opened the door and stepped into his lab.
"You know what?" his CO shouted. "FINE! The only reason I even bothered was because Elizabeth asked me to!" With that, he stormed away. Rodney allowed the door to close behind him before venting his frustration on an innocent coffee cup. Damn, he thought belatedly. That had been one of his favorites.
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Three days later
"You're starting to show," Col. Sheppard casually remarked from where he slouched in the chair in front of Elizabeth's desk. She was getting together a few last minute items before leaving with Major Lorne and his team to complete a trade agreement with a world slightly less advanced than what the Hoffans had been. He briefly wondered if they were still alive.
Elizabeth glanced up at him. "That better not be your way of saying I'm fat," she teased. He grinned back.
"Well, in this case, I plead guilty," he said, then asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to come?"
"John, I'm sure," Weir told him. "I don't go with you on every mission you go on. Besides, you'd be bored out of your skull—you know how much you hate diplomacy. I'm just gonna go finish up this trade agreement with the Nasarans and then I'm coming straight back. Major Lorne and his team have been there dozens of times before. It'll be fine."
"Alright," John shrugged, "if you don't want the escort, there's not much I can do about it." She smiled at him.
"I'll see you tonight." Picking up her briefcase, she started out the door.
"Marry me."
"What?" Elizabeth turned to face him as he rose to his feet.
"Elizabeth, I love you," he began, his eyes locked with hers. "Nothing will ever change that. And you're—" She place her fingers across his lips, effectively silencing him.
"Yes," she whispered and John thought her smile had never been brighter. "I will marry you." He took her in his arms, entirely disregarding the regulations that prohibited him to do so. Unresisting, Elizabeth just let him hold her, thrilling in the closeness, breathing in the scent of the man she had grown to love so much.
"You take care of yourself," he murmured in her ear before pressing his lips against the side of her neck.
"I love you, John Sheppard," she told him, caressing his cheek as they pulled apart.
"I love you, too." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then watched as she crossed through the control room and descended the stairs to where Major Lorne and his team waited. Pausing before stepping through the event horizon, she waved back at him and then she was gone.
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"Admiral Morrhen!" Elizabeth greeted the man who awaited them on the other side. "I didn't think we would see you until we got into the city!"
"Dr. Weir," Morrhen, the elected official of the Nasaran population, returned. "It is good to finally meet you." They shook hands.
"It's an honor," she told him.
The admiral indicated the men and woman around him. "These are my personal guard. I felt it prudent to provide you with an appropriate escort." The Lanteans fell in step with the Nasarans as they led the way back to their main government building.
"That's very kind of you," Dr. Weir smiled. "Though, I'm surprised you have so many. From what Major Lorne has told me, your people really love you."
"I have been fortunate, but one can never be too cautious," he responded. "There are some who would just as soon see me dead as in power."
"I guess that is the risk of being in office." Morrhen looked at her.
"You are a very smart woman, Dr. Weir," he smiled. "I've decided that I like you."
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Dr. Carson Beckett sat at his desk working on the weekly report to be sent to Earth on the morrow. His hands hovered over the keyboard and he struggled with himself. As the Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis, it was his responsibility to report any changes in the health status of expedition personnel. He had delayed reporting Elizabeth's pregnancy at her request, but now that she was showing, he really had no excuse. The doctor knew that he had to report it, but also knew that doing so would likely lead to Elizabeth being recalled to Earth. With a sigh, he saved the document and went off to check on the small handful of patients that were in the infirmary.
"It's quiet today," Dr. Jennifer Keller observed. She sat cross-legged on one of the empty beds, working on her laptop.
"Aye," Carson agreed. "That it is."
"It's kind of peaceful," the woman said. Carson sat down in a nearby chair. "Have you decided, yet?"
"Decided what, lass?"
"If you're going to report Elizabeth." The Scot couldn't help but smile—Jenn was always up on her game.
"I wish I didn't have to, but I don't think I have a choice," Carson sighed. Jennifer nodded in understanding.
"It doesn't seem fair," she murmured softly. Silently, her colleague agreed.
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Upon reaching the city, the small diplomatic group was joined by a throng of citizens, all trying to catch a glimpse of Admiral Morrhen.
"Long live the Admiral!" shouted some children.
"Admiral, I would speak to you! Please hear me!"
"Look! Look—it's Admiral Morrhen and the visitors!" As the crowd followed them, Morrhen's guards pulled in closer around him. After several more minutes, they reached the government building. They climbed a long staircase in order to reach the main entrance on the second floor. From the balcony which connected the stairs with the main building, the Lanteans were able to glimpse almost the whole city.
"Come, Dr. Weir," Morrhen beckoned. "Let's make official the friendship between our worlds." As they moved towards the doors to go inside, a new sound rose over the murmur of the crowd and several people screamed. Elizabeth spun about, certain she'd heard... gunshots.
Blinding pain ripped through her spleen causing her to let out a stunned cry. Something slammed into her chest and she felt herself stumbling backwards. Her lungs cried for air and she realized she was having difficulty drawing in a breath. Elizabeth felt the banister connect with her thigh and she grasped at it, attempting to stop her backwards motion, but her grip was too weak to counter the force of gravity in combination with the momentum her body had already gained.
The building dropped out of sight, replaced by the blue of the sky, as the thought struck her—she'd been shot. She was in an entirely different galaxy and she'd been shot. She wanted to laugh at the mere irony of it all... and then she thought of John.
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"We have an incoming transmission," Chuck announced as John entered the control room.
"What's going on?" Rodney asked, walking into the room seconds later.
"Incoming transmission," Sheppard answered, then said, "Patch it through."
"We need a medical team here, now!" Lt. Cadman exclaimed, not waiting to be acknowledged, panic edging her tone.
"What's happening, lieutenant?" John demanded, his heart instinctively skipping a beat.
"Dr. Weir's been shot! And she fell—we're not sure we should move her," Laura answered. "We need Carson and a stretcher here, now!" Col. Sheppard froze, his breath catching in his throat, his mind suddenly numb. Elizabeth! his mind screamed, but he seemed unable to move or even blink. Someone was talking, but he couldn't understand what they were saying.
"Sheppard. ...Colonel Sheppard! John!" Rodney tried to get through to his friend, but failed. He'd never seen the man like this before. He activated his radio. "Carson, we need a medical team off-world ASAP, Elizabeth's been injured..." It took but a moment for the Scot and his team to arrive prepared and ready to embark in the gate room. As they started through to Nasara, John finally overcame his initial shock, running to follow them through.
"Colonel, I need you to stay here," Dr. Beckett told him.
"Doc, I'm..." Sheppard began to protest.
"Stay, Colonel!" The doctor departed through the event horizon and John reluctantly allowed it to close behind him. Rodney stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at his friend in concern. A gurney waited by the gate, ready to wheel Elizabeth to the infirmary the moment the medical team returned. It seemed an eternity before they came back, but neither the Air Force officer nor the scientist budged. Finally, the Stargate came to life.
"I'm reading Major Lorne's IDC!" Chuck confirmed.
"Lower the shield!" the two in the gate room shouted in unison. Carson and his team rushed through, slowing to carefully place the stretcher on the gurney before picking up the frantic pace.
"Elizabeth!" John cried, running forward. He couldn't see through the people surrounding her.
"Keep him back!" Beckett ordered. Evan Lorne moved to obey the doctor's command. Sheppard struggled against him.
"Let me go, major!" he snapped.
"I can't do that, sir," Lorne replied. The medical team disappeared down the corridor as John finally pulled himself free.
"I will deal with you later!" he threatened, hurrying towards the infirmary. Lorne didn't take it personally.
"What happened?" a pale Rodney asked from where he'd watched from the staircase. The Air Force major scrubbed a hand over his face.
"There was an attempted assassination on Admiral Morrhen," he answered. "Some stray bullets hit Dr. Weir and then she stumbled and fell from a second story balcony. Two of the admiral's guards were killed, another has a bullet in his leg. The admiral's untouched... I tried to get to her—to protect her—but by the time I got to her, she was already falling. I..." Evan trailed off. "I knew it was too easy." Sadly shaking his head, he trudged from the room.
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To be continued...