Date : 03.06.2008
Title : The A.U. Series : Second Chance At Love
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 4 of ?
Rating : M
Pairings : Major Evan Lorne/Dr. Ellie Harrison
Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Angst, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.
Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from my last story - Ellie and The Major - which I would recommend you re-read the last chapter of, just to refresh your minds, as this story starts exactly where that left off.
Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.
Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.
Summary : Just when they thought that they had found happiness with one another they now have Charlotte to contend with, a declaration of love, a hot and bothered fire-fighter, a pregnancy and a crazy IOA agent on the loose. Things couldn't possibly get any more complicated for Ellie and The Major…could they?
--
"Ellie? Are you okay? You've gone awfully pale", Charlotte said and Ellie swallowed hard, backing away from the other woman but only succeeding in jarring her back against the wall of the hallway.
Frowning, Charlotte spotted Sheppard further along.
"Colonel Sheppard!", she called out and he turned and headed toward them and Ellie closed her eyes as she heard Charlotte saying loudly,
"I don't think Ellie is feeling very well, she's gone very pale…maybe you should take care of her".
Sheppard was immediately at Ellie's side, his hand at her elbow and she tried to shake her head and move away but he wouldn't let her.
"Don't move…do you need your pills?", he asked.
"No, John I'm fine, really…I just want to go to my quarters", Ellie managed to say but it was Sheppard's turn to shake his head.
"No way, you need to see Beckett", he argued and Charlotte agreed, wanting Sheppard to make a fuss over Ellie.
"I agree with the Colonel, Ellie, you should go to the infirmary…your heart…", she said, seeing how stressed Ellie was becoming and biting back a wicked smile.
"I don't need to see Dr Beckett…", Ellie tried to argue but Sheppard was already trying to guide her away.
"Well I think you do", he answered and suddenly it was all too much for her and just as Lorne and Franks exited the briefing room she totally lost it.
She dragged her arm out of Sheppard's grasp and reeled away from him.
"Just back off John, please", she cried. "There's nothing wrong with me and I don't need to see a doctor…just leave me alone", and colour stained her cheeks as her eyes met Lorne's before she dashed off leaving everyone looking at each other.
"It's okay…I have this effect on all the women I know", Sheppard said, trying to make a joke as he turned to follow Ellie and he totally missed the glowering look that Lorne sent his way…but Charlotte didn't.
She sidled up to him and smiled sweetly at him.
"Never a dull moment is there", she said and Lorne shook his head.
"What are you doing up and about?", he asked, "I thought you were going to rest today".
A thrill went through Charlotte at what she believed to be his obvious concern for her and she linked her arm through his as Franks excused himself and left them alone.
"I wanted to ask you if you'd have dinner with me tonight…in my quarters?", she asked, lowering her eyes demurely and Lorne's brain scrambled to think of an excuse but nothing plausible would come to his mind.
"I er…I guess", he heard himself saying and then he felt Charlotte squeezing his arm.
"That's great. Why don't you come around at about seven?", she asked and he nodded as she headed away from him.
When he was alone he raked a hand through his hair and blew out a breath of air as he tried to calm himself.
Why did he suddenly feel like he was in an F-302 that was stuck in a flat spin that he couldn't get out of?
Since Charlotte had told him and Ellie that she was dying, his life had seemed to go into high speed and he felt like he couldn't get off of the ride he was on.
Losing Ellie, getting 'involved' with Charlotte again…it was all happening too quickly but he didn't know how to stop it all.
OOO
As soon as Ellie got to her quarters she hit the shower, washing off the grime from her fall down the hole off-world.
She closed her eyes as the water sluiced over her and she groaned inwardly as she realised what an idiot she must have just looked like in front of Lorne, Charlotte, Franks and Sheppard.
Shaking her head she snapped off the water and grabbed her towel. She dried herself and putting on her robe, headed back into the other room.
She cried out in shock as she saw Sheppard lounging on her bed.
"Christ John, are you trying to kill me?", she asked, her hand going to her chest and Sheppard sat up.
"Sorry Ellie, I thought you knew I'd come after you", he said, looking hurt and Ellie sighed as her heart relaxed.
She approached the bed and sat by his side.
"Look, John, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I didn't mean to, its just well…", she paused as she tried to think of an excuse for biting his head off like she had.
"I fell down a hole off-world and I feel a bit stupid…I just didn't want any fuss is all", she blurted eventually and Sheppard touched her shoulder.
"You fell down a hole? Geez are you alright?", he asked and she nodded.
"My pride was more injured than I was", she assured him and Sheppard smiled and she was reminded of just how good-looking he was as he massaged her shoulder gently.
"What is it about you and McKay, always injuring your butts?", he laughed and Ellie punched his arm.
"At least I don't get mine shot at", she said and Sheppard nodded.
"No, getting shot in the ass is Rodney's speciality".
Ellie smiled and Sheppard regarded her, thinking how pretty she was.
"Why don't you get dressed and we'll go get something to eat?", he asked and she nodded, thinking that she really should eat something proper, she had hardly touched a thing since Charlotte had told her and Lorne about her news and she wanted to talk to John, let him know that them getting back together wasn't really on her agenda.
By the time she had dried her hair and gotten ready (throughout all of which Sheppard had watched her whilst pretending to be asleep on her bed) it was almost seven and both of their stomach's were growling.
"I'm ready", Ellie said, prodding Sheppard and he sat up and stretched before springing to his feet.
As they left Ellie's quarters, they were greeted by the sight of Lorne, just about to enter Charlotte's room further down the hallway and as their eyes clashed once more, Ellie felt her appetite begin to wane once again.
OOO
As Lorne entered Charlotte's quarters he couldn't trust himself to speak at first, just in case he let fly about his anger at seeing Ellie, obviously just off on a date with his C/O.
"Hey", Charlotte greeted him and he offered her a half-smile.
"What's got you so tense?", she asked, guiding him over to her couch.
Once he was sat down she moved around the back of him and began to massage his shoulders and it took Lorne a moment to realise what she was doing as he was so lost in his thoughts. As soon as he did though, he moved forward out of her reach and twisted to look back up at her.
"Charlie…", he began but she merely smiled wistfully at him.
"You used to like it when I massaged you", she said coyly and he remembered how she used to always start at his shoulders and gradually work lower…
He stood abruptly.
"Look, Charlotte…I don't know what you expect of me…", he stopped as she moved back around the sofa to stand before him.
"Calm down Evan…listen, do you mind if we eat in the mess hall only I was a little too tired to try and get us something ready?".
"That's fine", he replied, wondering what on earth he was doing here anyway.
As he waited for her to get her bag, he glanced around the room, looking for something to tell him that she was sick, but there was nothing, no medication, nothing. If he hadn't known that she was dying then he would never have been able to guess merely by looking around her quarters…but then again, what was he expecting to see?
As they made their way to the mess hall, he turned to her and said,
"How come you haven't headed home Charlotte? You have told your parents and your sister about….it, haven't you?".
He noticed that Charlotte looked a little uncomfortable as she replied,
"Ahh, no, I haven't told them yet. You and Ellie are the only people that know so far".
"Charlie…you have to tell them", he said, deciding to hide the fact for now that Sheppard also knew about her illness.
"I will…I promise", she said, linking her arm through his and Lorne sighed deeply.
OoOoO
Meanwhile, Ellie was having a living nightmare.
Since she and Sheppard had arrived in the mess hall and gotten a table, he had proceeded to go on and on about how happy he felt and how he was glad that he had finally come to a decision about his future, he hadn't even paused to ask her how she felt on the matter, he seemed to be assuming that them getting back together was what she wanted, in fact, what she had been waiting for since they had split up.
He couldn't be more wrong.
As Sheppard finally took a breath to take a sip of his water, she noticed Lorne and Charlotte entering the hall and her heart skipped at beat at the sight of the man that she was really longing to get back together with.
She watched as Charlotte said something to him before taking her seat and then Lorne headed off to the food counter. Jealousy stirred in her belly and she silently berated herself.
She had no right to be jealous. She had pushed Lorne into this.
Just then, Sheppard standing up before her caught her attention and she blinked up at him, wondering what she had missed and what he was doing as he called for hush around the nearby tables.
"I wanted everyone to witness this", he said in a loud voice and people turned to look over at their table and Ellie frowned at him as he pulled her to her feet.
"Ellie Harrison…I want you to be my wife", Sheppard announced and as silence descended in the hall as everyone awaited her response, Ellie looked around blindly for help.
It came in the sound of a tray crashing to the floor as Lorne's fingers lost their grip on it and Ellie took the opportunity to do the only thing that she could think of that would prevent her from having to turn Sheppard down in front of a hall full of people.
She pretended to faint.
End of Chapter 4
