Date : 14.07.2008
Title : The A.U. Series : Second Chance At Love
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 11 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?
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Ellie walked to the infirmary, Henry's offer of a new job whirling in her mind. It seemed ridiculous to leave Atlantis, to leave her friends…
She caught herself at that thought and let out a derisive snort.
"What friends?", she muttered to herself. "Lyssa hates me…or she will once she gets her memory back, Charlotte I cant really call a friend, Evan doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, John will have to concentrate on Lyssa from now on…but there's Teyla, Matthew and Rodney….and Ronon. Not that Ronon and I have a whole lot in common", she mused.
She entered the infirmary and saw that Teyla was sitting on Franks' bed and they were laughing and she frowned as she realised that Teyla would probably be busy with him from now on too…or at least until he too had his memory back and his and Teyla's relationship was back on firmer ground again.
But who knew how long that would take?
Ellie raised a hand as Teyla waved but she continued to walk by Franks' bed and headed for Lyssa.
ooo
Lyssa was tired of reading now, she put her book to one side, hoping that John might of returned with news that Dr Beckett had consented to release her by now, but she hadn't seen sight nor sound of him for some time now.
'He must have gotten caught up in something', she thought, looking up to see a petite brunette walking purposely toward her bed and unbidden, a flash of recognition hit her.
She knew this woman.
Ellie approached Lyssa's bed and began,
"Hi, I'm…", but trailed off as Lyssa interrupted her.
"You're Ellie", she stated and Ellie's eyes widened.
"You have your memory back?", she queried but Lyssa shook her head.
"No…but for some reason I know you", she answered and Ellie bit her lip.
"Is that good or bad?", she asked and Lyssa shrugged.
"You tell me", she said and Ellie couldn't help but smile.
"May I?", she asked, indicating to the chair by Lyssa's bed and the blonde nodded and Ellie dragged the chair closer.
"Has John been to see you?", she asked once she was seated and Lyssa nodded again.
"Lyssa…I want you to believe me when I say that I have no idea what the hell got into him these last weeks, he is no more in love with me than I am with him", Ellie said and Lyssa regarded her silently as she continued,
"You and I weren't exactly talking properly before you lost your memory but I have to tell you that I never had any intention of marrying John. There's…there's someone else", she let out her little derisive laugh again before she corrected herself, "I mean there 'was' someone else, but he just told me that it's over between us".
Again, Lyssa remained silent and Ellie glanced away before looking back at her.
"This is so hard because you don't know if I'm telling you the truth or not", she said and finally Lyssa said,
"That is exactly how I feel".
Ellie reached out and surprised Lyssa by taking her hands in her own.
"We were becoming good friends…I wouldn't lie to you, then or now. I know I cant force you to believe me but that's the truth", she said and Lyssa sighed, believing Ellie without knowing why.
There was just something about the brunette that called to Lyssa's senses and she knew, without knowing why or how, that she was right to trust this woman.
"I cant say how I'll feel when, and if, my memory returns but for now would you like to call a truce?", she asked and Ellie smiled.
"I would like that very much", she said.
"So tell me about your 'someone else' then", Lyssa said and Ellie took a deep breath as she thought about Lorne.
"Where to begin…", she stated.
OoOoO
Lorne raked a hand through his hair after tossing his T-shirt onto his bed and he sighed deeply as his doorbell chimed.
He wasn't in the mood for visitors. His intention had been to take a hot shower and then he had decided that he would maybe paint or take a nap…anything to escape from the thoughts of Ellie that were going around and around in his head.
As he crossed to the door, the image of Ellie in Sheppard's arms flashed through his head and he closed his eyes as he passed his hand over the control panel for the door, trying to quash down his anger.
Charlotte gasped as Lorne's door swished open and his half naked body was revealed to her.
She didn't see the disgruntled expression upon his face as she was too engrossed in his chest.
"Charlotte, what's up?", his voice jolted her back to the here and now and the red-head looked up at him and smiled, swallowing her desire…for now.
"Evan…I wanted to check that you were okay after your little…adventure", she said and Lorne rubbed the back of his neck, not realising how the movement made the muscles of his chest and arms flex and Charlotte had to swallow again and force her eyes to remain above his neck.
"I'm fine thanks…and shouldn't I be the one asking you how you are? You're looking well", he said, thinking that for someone so ill he still had yet to see her have an off day and she smiled demurely.
"Thanks…um, can I come in?", she asked and Lorne hid a grimace before stepping to one side to let her pass.
"I was gonna take a shower", he said hesitantly and Charlotte beamed.
"Don't let me stop you", she said and Lorne laughed edgily, reaching for his T-shirt again.
"It can wait", he said and she pouted.
"Spoilsport", she said and Lorne cleared his throat.
Charlotte could see that she was making Lorne nervous and not wanting to scare him away said,
"I was wondering if you would do me a favour".
"If I can", Lorne answered, wondering what it could be.
"I'd like you to paint my portrait…for my parents…for after I've gone", she said, hoping Lorne would bite. How could he refuse such a request?
Lorne raised his eyebrows and blew out a breath of air.
"You sure you want something like that done?", he asked and she smiled at him and nodded.
"Well…okay I guess", he agreed and her smile widened.
"When can we get started?", she asked and Lorne looked longingly toward his bathroom, the lure of a hot shower still strong.
"How about tomorrow evening?", he suggested and Charlotte nodded.
"Okay then, there's this pretty spot I know. I'll knock for you after the evening meal tomorrow and I'll take you there".
"Alright", Lorne said, following Charlotte as she thankfully headed for the door.
As she stepped out of his quarters and onto the corridor she saw Ellie turn the corner and took her opportunity whilst she could.
She swiftly turned to face Lorne as he stood in his doorway and wrapped her arms around his neck, covering his mouth with hers before he had a chance to see it coming, let alone stop it happening.
ooo
Ellie had left the infirmary after telling Lyssa everything that there was to know about her relationship with Lorne and she was now more determined than ever to tell him just how she felt about him.
Lyssa had proved to be the perfect sounding board. She had provided Ellie with an unbiased point of view and they had come to the conclusion that Lorne must be told how much Ellie wanted him…and in no uncertain terms.
"Get around there now and tell him straight!", Lyssa had advised her and Ellie smiled as she thought about how passionate her friend had sounded.
Her smile faded though as she turned onto the corridor where Lorne's quarters where and she saw him and Charlotte kissing in his doorway.
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and she felt her stomach clench as jealousy shot through her insides.
'How could he make love to her, not once but twice, the previous evening and then now…now he was kissing Charlotte and she was clinging to him as though there were only the two of them in the world?', she thought, gulping back tears.
She backed away silently, grateful that neither Lorne nor Charlotte had seen her and for the fact that she hadn't been to see Lorne before this had happened, because she would have obviously made a fool of herself and Lorne would have told her to get lost.
She raced to her room and let the tears fall where no-one could see her.
Over in his doorway, Lorne eased Charlotte away from him and she grinned up at him.
"Sorry about that", she offered and he frowned at her.
"I'll see you tomorrow", he replied, going back inside his quarters and Charlotte touched a finger to her lips and breathed,
"You sure will".
OoOo
The next morning Ellie went to the lab looking like she hadn't slept a wink all night - in fact that wasn't far from the truth. She had lain awake for hours, tossing and turning, thinking about Lorne and Charlotte, about John and Lyssa and about Henry Cavendish's job offer.
'Could I really leave here though?', she silently pondered as she watched Rodney pottering around the lab, having the odd disagreement with Zelenka and she realised that she wasn't sure that she could.
'Maybe given time she and Lorne could work through things and eventually be together again', she thought, then snorted derisively yet again, causing Rodney and Zelenka to glance at her.
"Something wrong?", McKay asked and Ellie shook her head absently and continued to stare blankly at her laptop screen.
Rodney and Zelenka exchanged a glance before carrying on with their own work.
They stayed this way until it was time to call it a day.
"Should we get some dinner together?", Zelenka asked, looking from Ellie to Rodney and back again and Ellie nodded, realising just how hungry she was, seeing that they had all missed lunch, but Rodney shook his head.
"I'm sorry but I have other dinner plans this evening", he said and Zelenka raised an eyebrow at him.
"You have a date?", he queried and Rodney had the good grace to blush before making a hasty retreat for the door.
"It's none of your business", he managed before disappearing and Zelenka and Ellie shared a smile but Zelenka noticed that there wasn't much humour in the petite Doctor's eyes that evening.
"Are you sure that you're alright?", he asked as he watched her push herself up from her chair and she nodded and touched his arm.
"I'm fine…probably just still a little tired from all the excitement of the last couple of days", she assured him and the Czech nodded and held out his arm to her.
"Shall we dine then?", he asked and Ellie slid her arm through his.
"Let's", she agreed and they left the lab to head for the mess hall.
ooo
Lorne had forced down a sandwich earlier and had gathered his painting equipment together in readiness for Charlotte's arrival.
He wasn't looking forward to painting her portrait, it would be the last true likeness of her before her death and he wasn't sure that he felt okay with being the one to have captured such an image…but he couldn't back out now.
At that moment his door chimed and he opened it, his easel under one arm and his paints and brushes in a box under the other. He didn't want to have to invite Charlotte into his quarters again.
As his door swished open though, his breath caught as he took in the appearance of the woman that he had once asked to marry him…the woman who had once carried his child…the woman he had once loved more than life itself.
She was wearing an emerald green dress that brought out the startling colour of her eyes and contrasted prettily with her hair and Lorne had to concede that she looked stunning.
"Are you alright?", she asked, not missing the look he had given her before he had quickly caught himself and she beamed as he stepped out into the hallway.
"I'm fine…you look…nice", he offered and Charlotte thought that if she were indeed dying then she could now go happily. A compliment off Lorne after everything she had put him through was worth its weight in gold and she was now convinced that things could maybe work out for them just as she planned.
"Thanks. Shall I lead the way to the place I told you about?", she asked and Lorne nodded, trying to avoid glancing at her hips as they swayed enticingly at him as he followed behind her.
They went up to one of the lookout points where, Charlotte had been informed by Henry, Ellie liked to go of an evening…or at least she had been doing before she and Lorne had gone missing off world.
Charlotte could only hope that Ellie was still a creature of habit like she had been when they'd been friends and that she still came up here.
"How would you like me?", she asked Lorne as he began to set up his easel and he ignored the provocative tone of her voice and replied,
"Just find a seating position that you're comfortable in".
Time passed and Charlotte was becoming bored. She watched as Lorne worked behind the canvas in front of him. She had never really understood why he found painting so fascinating and she resolved that when they were together properly she would get him to give it up.
She began to fidget and wondered where the hell Ellie was, she was supposed to have walked by here twenty minutes ago.
Just when she began to fear that her plan was going to fail, she saw Ellie step out onto the walkway further along, behind Lorne.
A smile tipped the corners of Charlotte's mouth and she waited.
ooo
Ellie closed her eyes and breathed in the salty scent of the ocean way below and let it wash over her, calming her thoughts.
'She could do this', she told herself. 'She could remain on Atlantis and see Lorne everyday and Charlotte. Oh sure it'd be hard seeing them 'together' but it was only for a short while until Charlotte…passed away'.
She could do this.
She opened her eyes and turned to her right to continue along the balcony and stopped as she saw the nice, cosy scene before her.
Lorne was painting Charlotte and she looked beautiful.
She couldn't do this.
Tears filled her eyes and she spun on her heels, heading for the doorway that led back inside.
As fast as her feet could take her and before she lost her courage, she went to Henry's office and knocked on his open door.
As he looked up she didn't wait for him to speak and instead blurted.
"I'll take the job…I'll go back to earth with you".
Henry smiled…
End of chapter 11