She never usually drank during the day, but the lunchtime break found Elizabeth staring into a glass of gin and lemonade, hunched over, looking a little lost. She was perched atop one of the high stools of the main theatre bar, elbows on the bar top, refusing to catch the eye of Kate as she repeatedly wandered back and forth, placing glasses back on their shelves.

"Elizabeth?"

"Hmm?"

"Talking helps, you know," Kate insisted, leaning against the counter.

Elizabeth sighed, "…Talking brings confusion".

"Being an actress 24/7 causes confusion. Not talking," she shot back.

"Who have you been studying this time?"

"Nobody in particular," Kate lied.

Elizabeth looked up, "Say it," she stated.

"What?"

"Whatever you're going to say. I know you're dying to. So let's get it over with…"

Kate shrugged and started to pour herself a drink, "All I'm saying is that the last time you sat that long with a drink 'on duty' was when Simon left you…"

"He hardly 'left me'," she countered. She still clung to that argument, weak as it was.

"Its funny, you know 'cause, I saw John Sheppard wearing a very similar expression a couple of weeks ago…except he was staring at a turkey sandwich…" she tried to tease her companion into a better mood.

It didn't work, "Who says this has anything to do with John Sheppard?" Elizabeth snapped.

"Who indeed?"

She glared at the barkeeper for a second, then took a sip of her drink, "This has nothing to do with him."

"This has everything to do with him," Kate shot back.

"Don't you-"

"When you two are on stage together, the sparks fly. You have effortless chemistry with the man. I see him moping on the back steps and I see you nurse the same drink for over an hour and it just makes me wonder, would you both smile if it wasn't always on stage?"

Elizabeth held her gaze for a long moment, then abruptly knocked back the rest of her drink, jumping from her seat as if burnt, snatching her bag off the floor as she did so, "This has nothing to do with him," she quickly made her escape, letting the double doors slam behind her.

Kate shook her head and sighed, "…You keep telling yourself that…" she said softly, "…and I'm sure he'll keep saying it has nothing to do with you either…"


Why had he kissed her?

Why had the damned man kissed her?

What was he trying to prove? Was he deliberately messing with her mind? Take her down a peg or two? What?

What she found incredibly frustrating was that whatever he thought he had been doing, it had worked. They'd managed to pull of the scene without any trouble whatsoever, no hesitation, no worries, no awkwardness. And at the time she certainly hadn't been herself. She had been Rose through and through, the only part of her that had remained was the part of her that told her how to act, how to perform. That they had to make it look good, and convincing. But she hadn't been Elizabeth. Or hadn't been thinking as her, at least. She hadn't been aware of kissing John Sheppard again, repeatedly, she had been aware of wanting Rose to be believable, and it was all just another performance. Each of them hiding behind other eyes.

Though damn the man if he hadn't made her heart beat faster and the blush almost surface when they pulled away and the scene had finished. She had looked up at him, a question in her gaze, as he stared at her, not releasing her until the rest of the world came back again and the dash to start the next scene had started. He had stared as if studying her. Her, not Rose, not the actress, her, Elizabeth.

He had kissed her in the corridor as if it was nothing, but made it seem like everything at the same instant. Why, for the love of any gods that existed, was she analysing the moment over and over again? He had been so damned casual about it! Perhaps that was what unnerved her the most, that he could behave in such a manner and somehow make her feel hurt that he hadn't taking it more seriously.

Then again, they were both here to work. Anything to get a scene done. Both actors, both, it seemed, with a persona for every occasion.

…So why had had Kate seen him on the back steps behaving in the same fashion she was now?


"If you hate me so much, you should have said no," Elizabeth stood centre stage, arms folded, script gone. She deliberately looked in the opposite direction to her co-star, her anger not entirely affected. Her frustration had quickly become fury in the few hours that had passed, not that she dared truly show it, knowing she was more angry at herself, well, possibly more, than at him.

"You didn't ask me. Harmony did. She had every right to want her father to walk her down the aisle," John sighed deeply and walked a couple of paces from her, "and I don't hate you, Rose."

"You've got a damned interesting way of showing you clearly do."

"You really want to behave this way at your daughter's wedding? At our daughter's wedding?" he snapped.

"You walked out on me again," Elizabeth muttered, stubbornly.

"You walked out on me when it mattered most. You didn't give me the choice. And you took our daughter, whom, might I add, you failed to mention, with you."

"Well, everyone knows now," she closed her eyes and shook her head, "I hope you're happy."

"I'm happy to be acknowledged as Harmony's father. Though you clearly aren't as ecstatic about the situation," John began to pace back and forth.

She sighed and unfolded her arms, trying to follow his movements, watching him warily, "…I…" she shook her head again and stared at the floor, "…I'm glad you're her father," she exhaled slowly, "…I've never wanted another father for her than you. I never wanted more children that weren't your-…" Elizabeth cursed under her breath and began to storm away, "It doesn't matter."

John caught her arm, "It does matter," he insisted.

"No, it doesn't."

He released her arm, "Oh, go on then! Run away like you did before! Like you always do! Heaven forbid you should show some emotion to somebody in your life!" he shouted.

"You have no idea!" she shot back.

"I have a fair idea," John began to stalk her round the stage as she backed away, "I have a fair idea of what its like to love somebody, watch them marry somebody else, watch them raise their child and all the while never let on that you-"

"Still love them!" Elizabeth cried out.

He stopped dead, staring, "…You…"

She whirled away from him, "You always make it so damned difficult! Do you know the number of times I nearly told you Harmony was yours? When you took her to the park, picked her up from school, let her cry on your shoulder, tell you things that she'd never tell me? You never once let me believe that I had a chance-"

"You had every chance in the world!" John advanced toward her again, "You were always brave, stronger, until it came to you and me! You going to run now, Rose?" he invaded her personal space, "Are you?" he glared down at her, lips suddenly hovering above hers as he gripped her upper arms tightly, "…Well…?" he whispered.

Damn his eyes. Elizabeth had to blink several times and resisted the urge to shake her head in an attempt to remain in character. It shouldn't be like that, she told herself, she shouldn't want him to kiss her, not Rose. And he shouldn't be looking at her like that. Because, she was somehow very aware of the fact that he was John again, and not Mark.

"…Well…?" he repeated, as if taunting her.

"Guys, guys, I've got the photos back!" Laura Cadman ran down the aisle of the front rows of seats, waving an envelope.

A collective groan went round backstage, several wincing, knowing an attack from Caldwell was imminent.

John and Elizabeth remained frozen, stunned, refusing to move, as if trying to make each other back down.

"Miss Cadman, I'd appreciate it if next time you waited until we've finished a scene…" Caldwell frowned.

"…Wow, that was tame…" Rodney mumbled.

"Has he nothing else to say?" Teyla stared.

"I say we rush him if he continues…" Lorne proposed.

Teyla nodded her agreement, "I would not hesitate…"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," Cadman clambered up onto the stage, "but you have to see these. They're brilliant. Explosive, even."

It was John who backed away, still staring at Elizabeth, who glared at him in an almost accusing manner. He was tempted to step forward again and reach for her, to see how she'd react, but wasn't feeling quite so brave, seeing the look on her face.

Carson walked out onto the stage to meet her, "…I wouldn't risk that again…" he kept his voice low, "Next time he could have you thrown out. And I'd hate to have to threaten the man…" he smiled slightly.

Laura raised an eyebrow, "Might be worth it just to see you try…" she leant into him for a moment and kissed him on the cheek, "Anyway!" she raised her voice, "Come and take a look!" she started opening the envelope.

Aiden reached her first, eyes widening and a shocked laugh escaping him as he caught sight of the first shot, "Woah."

"They're cute, aren't they?" Laura grinned.

"Know what you mean when you said explosive," Carson mumbled.

John and Elizabeth still seemed to be in a world of their own, oblivious, engaged in a silent, mystery, battle, until Teyla, Lorne and Rodney rushed past them to take a look at the photos.

"Now that's a publicity shot!" McKay exclaimed. He glanced back at Laura, "…Good work on the graphics…" he begrudgingly complimented.

"Thanks, Rodney!" she beamed, ruffling his hair as if he were a child, just to provoke him.

"Stop it!"

"Aw, you love me really."

"No, that's Carson. C-a-r-s-o-n," he repeated mockingly slowly, stepping away from her.

"These have come out well," Teyla passed some of the group shots round.

"You look around ten in this one, Bessie!" Lorne yelled, teasing her.

"Hey!" she shouted back, mock outraged, from backstage. The young woman ran to join them, "You'll be envious when I'm sixty and look thirty!"

"What's this all about?" Ronon's voice was heard in the vicinity, "Cadman, you breach security like that again and I will have to kill you."

"Slowly and painfully?" she smiled sweetly.

"Slowly and incredibly painfully…"

Teyla shot him a smile, "I thought you only defended women's honour."

He folded his arms and peered up at the stage, "Maybe I'm selective…"

"Perhaps we will be sparring sooner than you think then…"

"Whenever you want to be taught a few things…"

"We shall see…"

"I feel so safe and warm," Rodney sarcastically commented.

"Yeah, feeling the love…" John decisively turned form Elizabeth and moved to join them. He found himself with the promotional shot of the two of them kissing, and sighed. But damn, they did look good together. He knew that was the shot they had been talking about.

"Maybe I should walk you home this evening…" Ronon continued.

"I can defend myself, thank you," Teyla replied, goading him on.

"Oh, I know. But who from?"

Caldwell sighed deeply, "If you intend to continue this childish behaviour, do it on your own time. We have a schedule here, let's get back to it."

Ronon looked as if he was itching to harm the director, but remained silent.

"Wow, you guys look like you've know each other forever in this one," Bessie handed Elizabeth one of the group shots, of them laughing, as the lead actress reluctantly wandered over.

Elizabeth took a long look at it and handed it back, "We must be good at our jobs then…" she said, voice cold, "Its just acting," she stated. She coughed and glanced at Caldwell, "Excuse me for a moment. I don't feel so well," she walked from the group, headed backstage.

John gazed after her, his action noticed by most of the group.

Rodney glared at him, accusingly, "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing!" he held his hands up in self defence.

"Maybe the lass needs a break…" Carson proposed.

"What did you do?" McKay repeated.

"Nothing!" John snapped. He sighed and shook his head, "You don't need me for the next few scenes. Or her. Excuse me too," he headed off stage, after her, ignoring Caldwell's bark of a protest. He found her along one of the main corridors headed back into the theatre itself, of wardrobe and dressing rooms.

Elizabeth was leaning against the wall, and glared at him as he stopped beside her.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, "You okay? Everyone's worried."

With surprising speed, she lunged and pinned him against the opposite wall, kissing him with a rough urgency. She tore herself away and moved to whisper in his hear, voice deadly even, "Don't you dare try to mess with my head, John Sheppard. Because two can play at that game." Elizabeth released him and stormed off down the corridor, leaving him stunned in her wake.