Steph7085 - Yep, I think I got that, thanks for the review, I hate David too but that's the way I wrote him I guess. What makes you think John and Liz get back together, oh well I guess you'll have to wait and see lol.

Jeanette – I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I figured it was about time this story had a happy moment in it, especially for poor Teyla I've been torturing her in this fic. Fingers crossed for John and Liz and thanks for the review.

Fyd818 – I do jump and down squeeing all the time and I get those looks too lol. I'm glad you liked the Ronon and Teyla scene and as for David, I'd like to hurt him too. John has a reason for not talking g to Liz straight away and as for the Sparky ever after, well you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for the review and I'm rely glad you liked the last chapter.

Jannickie Nordlie – Fingers crossed for the talk between John and Elizabeth, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Manah – Welcome to the world of SG Fics! Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like the story and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Izzles – (joins in squeeing) I'm glad you liked the Ronon and Teyla scene and you'll just have to keep your fingers crossed for John and Liz. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Whirlwind-2005 – John has a reason for not talking to Elizabeth right away and fingers crossed for that conversation. I'm glad you liked the Ronon and Teyla scene and thanks for the review.

- - -

Chapter 21

John had spent the entire day trying to figure out exactly what to do about his failing relationship with Elizabeth. He had battled over whether to call it quits and end it now or whether he should continue fighting for it. He knew he should have talked to her yesterday but he wanted to get his thoughts sorted out in his head first, this could quite possible be the most important conversation of his life, there was no way he was going to risk screwing it up. After thinking it over instead of doing the paperwork he should have been doing he knew exactly what he was going to do. It was doing neither of them any good the way the were now but at the same time he wasn't ready to just give up. He would make one last big effort to reach out to Elizabeth and start putting things right, if she didn't want to know then he would leave it at that. He'd almost tried to talk to her last night but when she'd arrived him she had very obviously not been in the mood to talk.

He had left work an hour early and headed to the university knowing he would get there just in time for Elizabeth finishing work. Sure enough as he pulled the car into the parking lot she was heading to her own vehicle. He watched her for a moment as she put the box she was carrying into the passenger side. He briefly considered waiting to have this conversation when they were home especially since it looked like it was about to rain but he needed to do this before he lost his nerve.

He got out of the car and Elizabeth must have heard him close the car door because she immediately looked up at him. She was very obviously surprised to see him there but she didn't say anything as he walked over to her.

"I need to talk to you," he stated.

"Can't it wait until I get home?" she questioned glancing quickly at the sky apparently she didn't plan to get stuck in the rain. Given what happened last time she went out when it was pouring it down he couldn't blame her but he needed to get this done.

"No," he replied simply and she looked at him curiously for a moment before taking a few steps toward him.

"Okay," she said slowly as she stopped and John couldn't help but notice the space still between them, it seemed to reflect the current state of their marriage.

"We're a mess aren't we?" he questioned sadly but she didn't respond in all honesty he hadn't expected her to. "God, what happened to us, we used to be so happy, completely inseparable and now we're uncomfortable just being in the same place."

"John…" Elizabeth said quietly.

"I love you," he stated "I know I haven't told you that anywhere near as often as I should. I hate the way we are now, I hate not being able to talk to you or to hold you in my arms. I miss you."

Elizabeth stared at him a moment the tears in her eyes threatening to fall. She stood there silently seeming to consider his words but he couldn't get any reading from her. Usually he could tell exactly what she was thinking, what she was feeling but in that moment he had nothing.

"Elizabeth," a voice said and they both turned to see a man standing there, John recognised him as her colleague David. He had a meaningful look in his eyes that was concentrated completely on Elizabeth as if trying to send her a silent message. John turned to look at Elizabeth and she slowly turned her eyes to him before looking back at David. She was clearly fighting some inner battle over her decision.

She turned away from them both and walked toward the university without another word and John watched her go figuring that was her decision. He had his answer and now he would have to deal with it, he was walking back to his car when the first drops of rain began to fall and within seconds it was pouring it down.

He got into his car already soaking wet and started the engine. He didn't even look at David as he drove away, he knew that man showing up and somehow affected Elizabeth's decision.

When he got home he didn't know what to do, should he pack his bags and leave? If this was the end of their relationship he wanted her to have the house, at least that way he'd know she had somewhere safe to live. He couldn't bring himself to do it yet though, hopefully he would have some time before Elizabeth got home.

- - -

Elizabeth made it as far as the doors to the university before she stopped and looked back to where she had left John standing. She couldn't believe she had just done that, she had just walked way from him without a word. She didn't even know why she'd done it, her mind had been so confused that she had done it without thinking, she'd just wanted to get away from it. David had been messing with her head for days and whilst she didn't think that had been his intention he had left her completely confused.

John probably thought the worst, he had probably taken her sudden and wordless departure as a decision regarding their marriage. That wasn't it at all, in fact if David hadn't shown up when he did she probably would have told John that she loved him too. That she did want to try and make things right between them again.

She doubted she'd be able to get out of this one though, she was just glad she hadn't been able to see his face when she'd walked away. It was then that she saw David walking toward her and she felt a sudden irrational wave of anger hit her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her as he stopped in front of her.

"No, no I'm not okay," she replied "I shouldn't have walked away like that, I just left him standing there so no, I'm not okay." She was angry at him but mostly she was angry at herself.

"Maybe this is better for both of you, now you don't have to keep trying to hold on," he told her.

"Well maybe I want to hold on, maybe I'm not ready to let go of this yet, I love John."

"Is loving him really going to be enough?" David questioned.

"I hope so," she said as she walked back toward her car, hopefully John would be able to forgive her for walking away from him.

- - -

Ronon was on his way back to his apartment after spending several hours doing paperwork. John had left early to go and talk to Elizabeth and he couldn't help but wonder how his friend was doing. His cell phone rung and he picked it up from the passenger seat beside him.

The called ID read 'Teyla' and he smiled slightly as he pressed the small button to answer it. "Dex," he answered out of habit.

"Hey it's me," Teyla said just before the loud horn of the lorry behind him sounded out. "Where are you?" she asked the horn obviously sounding as loud as on her end of the line as his. The lorry started to speed up the larger vehicle clearly trying to overtake him at a ridiculous speed. If he wasn't concentrating on not getting into an accident he would have made the idiot pull over and arrested him.

"Trying not to get run down by the idiot lorry driver behind me," he told her as he drove his car nearer the side of the road and let the driver past. He waited until the vehicle was a safe distance ahead of him before turning his attention back to Teyla. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you were doing anything tonight," she questioned.

"Other than the usual paperwork and staring at a wall, no," he answered "Want me to take you out to dinner?"

"Yeah" she replied and he could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke. It was a sound he had missed more than he'd realized until that moment.

"I'll pick you up at 7?" he asked her.

"Sounds like a plan, I'll see you then."

"Bye," he said as he hung up the phone and tossed into the seat next to him. Turning his full attention on to the road in front of him as he neared his apartment. He felt better than he had in months, like his life was finally getting back to the way it should be. The only thing he needed now was to get a call from John saying that things had gone well and his life would be well on its way to being perfect again.

TBC