Elizabeth watched Zelenka move his bishop across the board. She winced, unconsciously echoing Jon's thought.

Fatal.

And a reflection of her own, current, predicament. Although they had fallen into old habits, talking about work, watching the ocean, meeting for breakfast, in terms of a relationship they hadn't exactly proceeded very far, and she was conflicted over how she felt about that.

'So, why's Zelenka's sunk?' Jon asked quietly.

She explained, watching the game, until she'd looked up and caught his eye. He was grinning, trying his damndest not to, but grinning all the same, arms crossed over his chest, long legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned back, just watching her, listening to her voice, for no other reason than he wanted to.

God help her!, he looked so like the man she had left behind, his little ploy so familiar, that it made her ache inside. Torn by grief and love, guilt and desire, she caught her breath, overwhelmed by a sudden burning need.

Bloody hormones!

They weren't entirely to blame; but it was a start. She watched him through her lashes, a quiet survey. He was more relaxed than she ever remembered seeing him.

Then; his mood switched, like a snap of your fingers, he went from relaxed and happy, to tense. He had remembered something, and it wasn't good. Despite his outward careless and casual demeanour, Jon had a range of subtle emotions that he often worked his way through in short order. His sudden, mercurial mood changes were somewhat more abrupt than his counterpart's, and she wondered if it was something she could get used to.

It was a contrast between the two of them, sitting starkly next to the likeness she had seen only moments before.

'Jon?'

He took a breath, letting it out slowly, his eyes narrowing. 'Nothin',' he remarked, his words a lie.

'Liar. Tell me.'

He paused, and she didn't push, waiting for him to reply. He leant forward, elbows on the table, looking at her, 'Carter's organising the winter leave schedules. I'm due some time off; I should visit my family...' He didn't say the rest, so she did.

'And apprise them of the situation?'

'I guess. If your papers come through in time. What about you? Want to visit your family?'

She shrugged. 'I don't know. I mean, my mother's alive here, my cousin never existed and I apparently own a dog called Sedgewick, as well as an ex-boyfriend-we're-still-friends-Simon. I don't know how to fit any of that into my life, Jon.'

'But your mom's alive. Don't you want to see her?'

'I don't know. I mean, I do but... Did Elizabeth get on with her mother?'

'I think they were close, yeah. Actually McKay or Teyla might know better than me on that score.'

'I'll talk to them, I hope she did.' Score another point for the twins brigade, another thread of their lives coloured the same. 'What about you? Jon wasn't close to his family. He had a brother and a sister and his father was a bit of a hard-ass from what he would say, which wasn't a lot.'

'Hmm,' it was non-committal and Elizabeth chalked up another likeness. She'd never met her almost-in-laws.

'Want me to come with you?'

He shook his head, 'at least, not at first. If you come back to Earth, and I think Carter'll schedule us in together if we ask her, then we'll talk about it. I've started mending fencing since my dad died; I guess I should let them know I knocked up my boss.'

'Coarse, Jon. Thanks.' It was odd hearing that from him. Point two on the mismatch chart.

'No worse than hearing you say hard-ass,' he replied, smiling and picking up his coffee, 'what did you do? Hang around with too many marines?'

'I've worked with more than a few, but I find the flyboys are just a bad,' she teased, raising an eyebrow. He merely grinned and looked away, tactical withdrawal rather than engage her in open battle.

'So,' he changed to a safer subject, 'how's Jonathan? I haven't seen you most of the week, but I'm fairly sure you've squeezed some time in your schedule to see him.'

'Jennifer discharged him as a patient a few days ago, much later than she should have. She's been stalling, not that I blame her,' her own hand stole, unconsciously, to the gentle rise of her abdomen. Although Keller hadn't been keen on the idea of giving up Atlantis, now, if Carter were ordered to send him back to Earth, she'd quit and follow her son, anywhere across space if she had to.

I'll always be a medic, Elizabeth, no matter where I go. I love this place and the work we do, I don't regret a single moment I've spent here, not even when we lost Lizzie, it was a privilege to work alongside her, and to see the human spirit in action under the most terrible of circumstances. It wasn't pretty, but it was an honour. But if I let them take Jonathan, if I don't go with him, that'll be the single biggest regret of my life, more than giving up Atlantis. I won't do it.

And Elizabeth had understood; it had alleviated some of her own burdens too. She wasn't alone in this fight, and Jonathan had his mother back, he didn't need her now. She'd felt relief and dismay in equal measure over the thought.

'They haven't applied any pressure on Carter either way as of yet. If they leave Jonathan alone, they'll have to leave us alone too,' Jon replied. Us. It wasn't deliberate, it was automatic , and another thing he had shared with his counterpart in a different reality. He said it that way, because he thought that way. The concept burned inside her heart.

'How's McKay coping with being a father all of a sudden?'

'He'll be fine once he's over the shell-shock. And I have a picture to give his sister, the first time he held Jonathan; the expression on his face is priceless,' he grinned.

Oh yeah, so alike! And yet, she saw more of that playful side of his nature in this Jon Sheppard than in his counterpart. Oh, the photo incident was the same, sure, but it wasn't something he would have done if he hadn't been trying to keep the mood deliberately light. It was like he shed the more seasoned, harsher soldier side of him for that last day with her. This Jon Sheppard hadn't allowed the battles Pegasus to drown out the lighter side of his nature. Sometimes, she was almost more relaxed around this version of him than-

She halted there, that thought was a betrayal in itself. Not that it stopped the thought.

He walked her back to her quarters, and they lingered in the doorway like nervous teenagers before he realised he was being ridiculous and kissed her. Under his, her lips were soft, giving way to his demands. She wrapped her arms around him, fingers sliding into his hair, and he backed her up against the door, holding an arm around her waist as he waves the other over the control panel, keeping her up as the door slipped away.

It whispered shut behind them and he turned, pinning her back against it. She didn't break contact, not once, and he resisted the temptation to pull her tight against him, aware of the small but significant and fragile burden she carries.

Elizabeth, however, knew her limits far better, and pressed herself against him; melding soft curves against the hard lines of his body and for a moment he forgot to breathe. But she needed more space and time, so he pulled away, not failing to see the disappointment in her eyes.

'If I ask you to stay?' she asked gently.

'I've only got so much willpower, 'Liz'beth. You tryin' to kill me?' The moment the quip is out of his mouth, he realised it was a mistake, but the flicker of hurt in her eyes was gone almost before it was there, and he knew she was trying. He was insanely proud of her for that.

'Goodnight, Elizabeth.'

He brushed back a lock of hair from her face, his fingers trailing down across the small rise of her abdomen. He hadn't done that before and she was tempted to pull him back against her. But she resisted and he waved a hand over the control panel, slipping into the hallway.

'Goodnight, Jon.'

He nodded, not that he slept anytime soon, but then neither did she. She laid her forehead against the cool metal of the door and allowed the turmoil to settle.

Second impressions. They were a bitch.