****DISCLAIMER: all characters belong to the rightful owners. My made up
characters are my own creation. I don't claim to own the characters from
Stargate SG1, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Farscape and JAG, nor do I make a
profit from this story. This was written purely for my own entertainment
and the entertainment of others.****
Nedlinger's, Washington DC - July 21, 2003: 0900 hours
Lee sat at the same bar stool he'd been at everyday since he arrived in DC. Ned didn't even ask if he wanted another drink he just filled the glass and sat it in front of Lee. He just nodded to Ned and started emptying the glass.
T.P. Aquantus walked in and spotted Lee at the bar. "Well thought I might find you here."
"Hey T.P." Lee said with a slight grin. "What brings you here?"
T.P. frowned. He could tell Lee was drunk and it pained him to see his friend like this. "Well came to check on you Lee."
"Me? Oh I'm fine T.P. Never better. Right Ned?"
Ned just nodded slightly and went about is business.
T.P. sat beside Lee and sighed. "Lee you're not ok."
"Sure I am T.P." Lee stated before he emptied his glass. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Lee I know about Elena."
Lee closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about that right now T.P."
T.P. nodded. "I had a feeling you'd say that."
"I'll talk when I'm ready and until then you and Billy can just get off my back!" T.P. stared at him and started to get up to leave but Lee stopped him. "T.P. I'm sorry I just..." Lee ran his fingers through his already messed up hair. "I just need time to think things out T.P. I really messed up this time."
"Well you know I'm here if you need anything Lee."
Lee smiled. "Thanks T.P."
"Don't mention it Lee."
"But now that you mention it T.P. could you do me a favor?"
"Sure what is it Lee?"
"Could you give me a ride home? I think I need to sober up and give my wife a call."
T.P. smiled and stood. "Gladly Lee." Lee stood and T.P. helped him out to the car.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 1100 hours
J.T. Hope sat on the porch swing with Hoss laying at his feet. The girls had gone to town for the week and Colt was getting reading to head into town.
As Shorty walked out to tell J.T. to come eat he spotted a Yellow convertible coming towards the house. "Hey boss."
J.T. looked at Shorty then stood to see what eh was pointing at. "Now who could that be?"
As Elena approached the house she put on her cowboy hat and pulled it down so her face was hidden. She parked the car and smiled as she heard footsteps. She didn't have to scan to know it was J.T. walking towards the car. She looked down making sure he wouldn't see her face until she was ready to show it.
"Can I help you two with something?" J.T. asked as he reached the car.
Elena got out of the car still hiding her face. "Well I don't know. You might be of some help, as long as you don't hit anyone again Johnathan Thomas Hope."
"Elena?"
She raised her head and pushed her hat back. "Howdy partner."
J.T. grinned from ear to ear and gave her a big hug.
Elena wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. When he lifted her off the ground and swung her around she laughed. "Whoa there cowboy."
J.T. placed her down. "Oh it's great to see you again!"
Elena smiled. "Hope you don't mind us stopping by for a while."
J.T. looked in the car and saw Haruka. "Where's Lee? He's not still mad about me hitting him is he?"
"Long story J.T. First I'd like you to meet Haruka."
"Well hello Haruka."
"Hi J.T." Haruka said as she got out of the car.
"Well are ya'll going to stay out here and talk or come eat?" Shorty called from the porch.
Elena smiled and walked over to him. "Hi Shorty."
"Hey kiddo."
"Aren't I a little old to be called kiddo?"
Shorty hugged her. "Not until I get another on like you to call kiddo."
"Well you might just get your wish soon." Elena said. "Shorty meet Haruka. Haruka this is Shorty."
"Hi Shorty." Haruka said as she and J.T. carried the bags to the house.
J.T. walked in the house and showed Haruka where to place the bags, while Elena helped Shorty put the food on the table.
"It's a good thing I fixed a lot of food." Shorty stated as he placed two more dishes on the table.
Just then Colt stepped inside. "Shorty I'm..." He stopped in mid sentence as he spotted Elena. "I think I'll just stay here and go to town later." He walked over to Elena and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I thought we'd come visit for a while." Elena replied
"We? So Lee's here too?"
"No I brought a friend with me."
About that time J.T. and Haruka walked back down stairs.
"Colt meet Haruka. Haruka this is Colt."
"Howdy Ma'am." Colt said tipping his hat.
"Well don't just stand there. Sit down and dig in everybody." Shorty said.
Everyone smiled and sat down and started eating.
"So Elena what brings you way out here?" J.T. asked as he grabbed a piece of chicken.
"What I can't just come visit my old friends?" Elena said sarcastically. "I just needed to get away for a while and I couldn't think of a better place to come and relax than here on the ranch."
"So where's that husband of yours?" J.T. asked.
"D.C. probably." Elena said before taking a sip of lemonade. "Just do me a favor."
"What?" Colt asked.
"If any one calls tell them I'm not here."
"Any reason for this?" J.T. inquired.
"I just don't want to be found for a while."
"Found by who?" Shorty asked.
"Anyone from work. I just want to be alone for a while. I was going to come alone but Haruka wouldn't let me leave with out her."
"You're in no condition to go anywhere alone." Haruka said.
"What do you mean?" J.T. asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"No you're not." Haruka said. "You could barley walk..."
"Kamikaze Nekoi!" Elena said in a firm voice.
"Elena what's going on? You can tell us?" Shorty said.
Elena sighed. "It's a long complicated story."
"Well why don't we take our dessert out on the porch and you can tell us all about it." Shorty suggested.
"Alright." Elena sighed. She really didn't want to talk about this yet.
Once they were all seated J.T. opened his cooler. "Any one want a drink to go with the pie?"
"I'll take one." Colt said.
J.T. tossed Colt a bottle and started to hand Elena one.
"No thanks." Elena said
"So what's this condition of yours?"
"Well...I'm with child."
"Congratulations!" Colt said with a smile.
"So you mean Lee actually let you out of his sight?" J.T. asked.
"Lee doesn't know yet."
Apartment some where in Georgetown Virginia: 1400 hours
Lee hung up the phone for the tenth time. There was still no answer at home and no one at the base would tell him where she was. Frustrated he threw a pillow against the wall. "Billy was right I should have called earlier." He sighed. "No what I should have done was gone straight home to her." He stood and paced the room.
He nearly jumped when the phone rang. He only gave it time to start a second ring before he picked it up. "Hello." He flopped on the couch with a disappointed sigh when he didn't hear Elena's voice. "Yeah Billy I'm fine...uh you haven't heard from Elena have you?" He nodded at Billy's reply. "I've called Billy. There's no answer at home and no one at the base will tell anything....yeah alright Thanks Billy." Lee hung up the phone and went to the bedroom to lay down.
Lee laid on the bed and starred at the ceiling. "Oh I'm such an idiot." He rolled over on his side and looked at the picture on the night stand. It was a picture of Elena and their nephew Nathon. Lee picked the picture up and lightly touched Elena's face. "I've really messed up this time.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 1500 hours
Elena sat on the porch petting Hoss. She told J.T most of the details. She just didn't tell him who really killed Dr. Snider or why Lee went back to DC. She smiled as Hoss rolled over wanting his stomach rubbed. She gently rubbed his stomach and scratched behind his ear with her other hand.
"Spoiling my dog again I see." J.T. said as he came outside.
"What's wrong with that?"
J.T. sat beside her and looked at Hoss. "Nothing." He reached over and petted Hoss on the head. Hoss licked his hand and barked happily. "So how far along are you?"
"Not really sure. Haven't seen Dr. Fraiser's results."
"So how do you know if you haven't talked to a doc?"
"I just know and Kath confirmed it."
J.T. nodded. "Ok so why didn't you rush to DC to tell Lee?"
Elena sighed. Leave it to J.T. to ask the questions she didn't want to answer. "J.T. there's a few details I left out. Some are classified others I was avoiding."
"Elena you know I'm here for you. Whatever it is you can tell me."
"Well...first there's the journal."
"What journal?"
"Well as I told you the prosecuting Lt. Col. Present phony evidence. The evidence was Dr. Snider's journal. There were some things in there that made me sick to my stomach."
"What kinds of things?"
"Details of an affair that never happened. It sounded more like a trashy romance novel than a journal. But there were details that Dr. Snider couldn't have known without seeing my medical record."
"Isn't that classified?"
"Yeah it is. And Snider didn't have clearance."
"So what happened?"
Elena tried to fight the tears as images of the last time she saw Lee ran through her mind. "Lee read the journal." Elena turned her head hoping J.T. didn't see the tear that was making its way down her cheek. "He read that stupid journal and then he ran to DC." Elena tried but she couldn't fight the tears anymore. She buried her face in her hands.
J.T. placed his arms around her. "Hey, hey. Shh. It's ok." He whispered as he held her tight. "Did he talk to you first or just leave?"
Elena managed to stop crying long enough to say. "He came to see me but he wouldn't listen to me." She laid her head on J.T's shoulder as more tears made their way down her cheeks.
J.T. held her and rubbed her back gently. 'He ran off. I don't believe it.' J.T. thought to himself. 'He'd better keep running because if I find him I'll make him pay through the nose for hurting her.'
Apartment some where in Georgetown Virginia: 1800 hours
Lee awoke to the sound of someone banging on the door. He looked around noticing how late it was. 'I must have fallen asleep' he thought as he walked to answer the door. "Alright, alright I'm coming." He said as the person at the door continued to banging. Lee opened the door to see Jacob standing there. "Jacob what are you..."
Before Lee could finish his sentence Jacob pushed his way inside. "Pack your bag Lee."
"Whoa wait a minute Jacob. What's going on? Where's Elena?"
"You're coming back to the base with me." Jacob said.
"Is Elena at the base?"
"No she's gone."
"Gone! Where?"
Jacob sighed he could tell Lee wasn't going anywhere until his questions were answered. He sat down and looked at Lee. "She left the base with Haruka. Kath knows where she is but she won't tell any of us. She said Elena just wanted to be alone for a while."
Lee nodded. "I've been going nuts trying to call her."
"Lee there's more." Jacob said. "She's pregnant."
Lee flopped on the couch. "What?!"
"Yeah she didn't tell anyone and left before Janet got her test results."
"Well I've got to find her. Let's get going." Lee said as he grabbed his coat.
Jacob stood. "You know I expected this would have been harder."
"Well Billy and T.P. gave me a lot of talking to."
They headed out and got in the rental car. "So why didn't you go back?"
"I wasn't sure I could face Elena and everyone after what I did. I thought it would be easier to just call. But I waited too late."
Jacob looked over at Lee as they stopped at the red light. He could see the worry and fear in his eyes. "Don't worry Lee. Kath will get her and we'll straighten things out."
"Yeah just do me a favor Jacob."
"What?"
"Don't let Kath near me until Elena and I straighten things out."
Jacob laughed. "Alright." He knew what Lee was scared of and frankly he couldn't blame him a bit.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 2000 hours
After she calmed down J.T. walked Elena back to her room. As he walked back down stairs he saw Haruka sitting in the kitchen with Colt. "She ok?" Colt asked.
"Yeah I think so."
"She's been through a lot." Haruka stated.
"Haruka do you know where to find Lee?" J.T. asked
"If he's till in DC he'd be at the apartment, the Agency, or Nedlinger's. Why?"
"I want to find him." J.T. replied.
"Oh don't worry J.T. I'm sure Kath or one of the gang has gone to get him." Haruka said.
J.T. ran his fingers through his hair and walked outside. Hoss sat up and wagged his tail when the door opened. J.T. picked up a stick and threw it as hard as he could. Hoss barked and chased it all the way to the pond.
Watching from her window Elena could sense his frustration. She sighed knowing it was her fault. She hadn't planned on telling J.T. about Lee leaving but J.T. has a bad habit asking the wrong questions. She grabbed her sweater and walked down stairs. She smiled seeing Haruka talking with colt. By the look on Colt's face Elena could tell he like Haruka.
Slipping by them Elena walked outside to see a wet Hoss still chasing sticks. "Good thing he brings them back."
Startled J.T. turned to face her. "What?"
"I said good thing Hoss brings those sticks back. Otherwise you'd run out of things to throw."
J.T. nodded "Yeah." He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You should be resting."
"I'm fine J.T." Elena said as she hugged him. "Thanks for caring though."
"You made that part easy." J.T. said as he hugged her back.
"Just promise me something." Elena said as she pulled out of his arms.
"Anything Elena."
"Promise you won't go after Lee."
"Elena I..."
"Johnathan please promise me."
J.T. sighed. "Alright I won't go after him."
"Thanks J.T." Elena hugged him again and then walked back inside.
J.T. just sighed and said. "Lee you better pray to God that she made me promise not to come after you." J.T. turned his head and looked at Hoss. "I promised not go after him but I said nothing about not hitting him if he found me." J.T. grinned and tossed Hoss another stick.
Denver Airport - July 22, 2003: 0800 hours
Lee and Jacob stepped off the plane and grabbed their luggage. "Alright Lee I'll drop you off at your house and then I'll check in with the gang at the base."
"Ok thanks."
They walked to the car and left.
Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain Base, Colorado: 0900 hours- Commissary
Kath and Jack were eating lunch when Daniel walked in. "Get you Jeep back Space Monkey?"
"Yeah Lizzy took me up there to get it." Daniel said as he sat down with his plate.
"Heard anything from Jacob?"
"Nothing yet." Jack said.
"He's got him." Kath stated.
"How do you know that Kath?" Jack asked in confusion as he looked over at his wife and noticed her little smirk.
"I just do." Kath said with a grin.
"Well do you know anything about Elena?" Daniel asked.
"She's fine. She's coming back very soon." Kath said before eating her sandwich.
Daniel looked at Jack and shrugged and then ate his food.
Captain Stetson's House, Colorado Springs, Colorado: 0930 hours
Lee walked in a searched the house hoping to find a note or anything that might give him a clue as to where Elena might have gone. After searching every room, every drawer, and every trash can Lee walked to the living room and checked the answering machine. There were twenty new messages but all were left by him. Frustrated he sighed and sat on the couch. He grabbed the phone and the book that always sat beside it. He flipped through it until he found the number to Hope Ranch. He carefully dialed the number and waited as the phone rang.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 0830 hours
Just as J.T. headed out the door he heard the phone and turned back and grabbed it. "Hello." J.T. clenched his fists when he heard Lee's voice. He hesitated a moment when Lee asked if he had seen Elena. Part of him wanted to tell Lee she was there just so he'd have a chance to hit him since he promised Elena he wouldn't go after Lee. "No afraid not Lee. Haven't seen her." J.T. lied. "Yeah sure I'll let you know if I hear from her. Bye."
J.T. hung up the phone and walked out on the porch. He just stood there and watched as Elena and Haruka enjoyed their morning ride. J.T. was still amazed at how fast Haruka had learned to ride a horse and how tame his normally spirited stallion was with Elena.
His thoughts were soon interrupted by "You going to tell her Boss?"
J.T. turned to see Shorty sitting on the swing. "Tell her what?"
"That he called."
"No." J.T. shook his head. "And you better not tell her either."
"I won't say a word. I'm just wondering if it's wise not to tell her."
"What?" J.T. asked. "What's wrong with not telling her?
"Well the way I see it, and I might be seeing things wrong and you tell me if I am. But I see things as she loves him more than life its self. She's just waiting for him to straighten things out and realize that for himself. If he's calling all the way out here he must have come to his senses by now. I'm just wondering what'll happen either way this could go by not telling her." Shorty explained.
"Either way?"
"Well she's bound to go home eventually and they'll probably patch things up and things will be back to normal. My guess is she won't be none too happy to hear you didn't tell her that he called."
"Yeah I guess you're right." J.T. said. "So what's the other way?"
"Well if Lee comes out here before she leaves she'll still be upset you didn't tell her. And well you hitting him again won't help. Remember how mad she was last time?" Shorty asked.
"Yeah I remember." J.T. sighed. "So in other words I have no choice?"
"You always have choices son. Just this time you might want to think about it and make sure you're making the right one."
Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain Base, Colorado: 1000 hours- briefing room
Hammond looked at the group. "Well I just spoke to Jacob and he's got Lee. He dropped him off at the house to change and get a shower. He's bringing him back here now. Now we just need to locate Captain Stetson." Hammond looked right at Kath when he said his last statement.
"She's coming back on her own General. Just give her a little time." Kath stated.
"And how much time is a little?" Sam asked.
"She'll be back before the end of the week."
"I really wish I knew how you do that." Lizzy said.
"Yeah me too." John added.
"Let ya'll in on a little secret this time she told me. Elena is much stronger now that she's with child. We've been able to communicate the entire time. I just haven't told her Lee's back. I don't want her to rush back if she's not ready to see him."
Hammond nodded. "Alright Col. But if she's not back by Friday I want to send someone after her."
"Understood Sir."
Captain Stetson's House, Colorado Springs, Colorado - July 25, 2003: 0800
Elena walked inside. She had the cab take Haruka back to the base. After a few days on the Ranch and riding horses, she realized she wasn't as alone as she wanted. So she headed back and now she was home, and all she wanted was a hot shower and a long nap. Noticing the Corvette was gone she sighed. Seeing she didn't come home before going to Hope Ranch she didn't know Lee had called a cab to take him to the airport. Locking the door behind her she took a long relaxing shower and then clothed in her comfortable two piece light blue pajamas with the hearts on them and her bath robe over that she laid on the bed and closed her eyes.
After tossing a few times she got up and went and laid on the couch. Her bed just didn't seem that comfortable when she was in it by herself, plus it still smelled like Lee's cologne, which just made her miss him even more. Snuggling against a pillow she soon drifted to sleep.
An hour later
Lee pulled into the drive and sighed. He'd been staying at the base every night since Jacob brought him back. He just couldn't get any sleep in that big bed by himself. But each day he'd return home in hopes of finding Elena waiting for him. And each day he sat alone in the house as miserable as he could be.
Lee cut the car off and pulled the keys out of the ignition and walked to the door. He unlocked the door and walked in with out even glancing in the living room. Slowly he made his way to the bed room and sat on the bed. He pulled off his shoes and took off his jacket.
Meanwhile Elena was fast asleep on the couch dreaming of the very man who had just walked in. As her pleasant dream started to become a nightmare she started mumbling, "No, no Lee no don't go."
Hearing the mumbling Lee quickly raced to the living room. He was overjoyed to see his wife asleep there. He slowly knelt on the floor beside her and smiled. Never in his life had the urge to kiss her been so strong. Unsure of how she would react to that after all that had happened he forced him self to resist. He gently caressed her cheek and whispered, "Shh its ok love I'm not going anywhere ever again."
Hearing his voice Elena smiled slightly and although she was still asleep she responded to his touch. "Mmm stay."
Lee shook her gently. "Elena. Come on love wake up." When she just moaned a little, he leaned over and placed a gently but tender kiss on her lips.
Feeling his kiss Elena slowly opened her eyes. "Lee?" She asked praying that she wasn't still dreaming.
"Yeah it's me." Lee whispered as he watched her reactions to see if she was going to hit him or kiss him.
Elena sat up and threw her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could. "It's you? it's really you?"
Lee smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah Elena it's me. I'm home and I'm never leaving you again."
Elena let him go just enough so she could look him in the eyes. She tried hard but soon tears of joy made their way down her face. "I thought I'd lost you." She choked out.
Lee sat on the couch beside her and pulled her into his arms. "Oh Elena I'm so sorry for running out on you like that. I should have believed you and stuck by you through all of this. I was just so confused. I wanted to believe you and I tried but part of me threw all those walls up again and I..."
Elena placed her finger on his lips. "It's ok love. All that matters is that you're here now. We're together again. I have something to tell you."
"I already know. Jacob told me." Lee placed his hand on her stomach and gently rubbed. "I can't believe I'm going to be a father." He was smiling from ear to ear yet his eyes were tearing up.
Elena placed her head on his shoulder. "That was the hardest part of all of this. I wasn't sure I wanted this child if you were gone."
Lee kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'm so sorry I put you through all of this. Everything's ok with the baby right?"
"As far as I know."
"As far as you know?" Lee asked.
"Well I haven't exactly seen the test results or talked to Janet. I was going to go see her tomorrow. I just wanted to be alone today. But now you're home and everything's going to be alright."
"I love you." Lee whispered before covering her lips with his in a tender kiss that told her all she needed to know.
Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and her finger tips lightly played with the hairs on the back of his neck sending shivers down his spine. Lee wrapped his arms tighter around her waist as a moan escaped from the back of his throat. When Lee pulled back breaking the kiss he stood keeping Elena in his arms and carried her to the bed room. He placed her down gently and then climbed on the bed beside her and pulled her back into his arms. Elena placed her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Lee held her close and just savored the feel of having the woman he loved in his arms again and thought of how lucky he was to have a loving and forgiving wife. She was more than he deserved and he knew it, he just prayed he never lost her.
The rest of the day and that night Lee showed her how much he cared and made sure that she knew he'd never leave her again, but not everything was as wonderful as it seemed.
Captain Stetson's House, Colorado Springs, Colorado - July 26, 2003: 0600
When Elena woke up the next morning the pains in her stomach were more than she could handle. Lee rushed her to the base and took her to see Janet. While Janet and the nurses took care of her they made Lee wait outside. He paced the floor back and forth.
"Lee what's going on?" Steph asked as she and the rest of the gang arrived at the door.
"I don't know she was having severe pains in her stomach. I got her here as soon as I could." Lee said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I think there's something wrong with the baby."
The gang tried their best to convince Lee everything was ok. That it was something as simple as a large gas pocket, but he could tell it was more, and he blamed himself.
Two hours later
Janet walked out and looked at everyone. "Elena's blood pressure was way too high. It's back down to normal now...."
"What about the baby? Is the baby ok?" Lee asked.
Janet saw the desperate hope in his eyes. She closed her own and shook her head. "I'm sorry Lee. She lost the baby."
Lee dropped in the chair placed his head in his hands.
"With all the stress of the trial and the battle with the Goa'lud its no surprise her blood pressure went up. If she had just come to me sooner or waited until I had the results of her tests..."
"Is she ok?" Jack asked.
"Physically she'll be ok. Emotionally I'm not sure." Janet replied. "Lee she could really use you right now."
"This is all my fault."
"Lee now stop that. You don't know that. She might have lost the baby even if you had stayed."
"No she wouldn't have. I ran off and left her when she needed me the most and now its costs us the life of our child."
"Lee if anyone's to blame it's me." Kath stated. "I knew before anyone else that she was with child. I kept it a secret because she asked me to even though I knew she was having pains and I even helped her to block the pain."
"Lee no matter who's at fault she needs you. Don't walk away for the second time." Jacob stated.
Lee looked at Jacob and the others then stood and looked in through the glass window at Elena. Her back was to them and she was curled in a ball. He slowly walked in and stood beside the bed. "Elena."
She turned and looked at him. "Oh Lee the baby...."
He sat on the bed and held her tight. "Shh it's ok. We'll get through this. I'm sorry for all the stress I caused if I had...."
"Lee don't you dare!"
Lee pulled back thinking she was going to yell about him leaving. "Elena I..."
"Scarecrow." Elena said firmly as she wiped her eyes. Lee gulped. He knew he was in for it now. She never called him by his codename unless he was in the dog house or she was in a playful teasing mood. He knew it was the first of the two. "Don't you even start to blame yourself for this!"
"If I hadn't left..."
"I still would have had the stress of the trial and killing Eva." Elena took Lee's hand in hers. "Lee we lost the baby, not each other. If we blame our selves and each other how will that help?" She wiped her eyes again and the hugged him. "As much as I wanted this baby I want you in my life a lot more."
Lee kissed her gently then held her tight as they both cried for the loss of their unborn child.
It wouldn't be easy and no matter how hard he tried to forget it, Lee still blamed him self for months. But after all they went through their love saw them through it all. For unforgiving misunderstandings can sink ships, but true love can weather any storm.
Nedlinger's, Washington DC - July 21, 2003: 0900 hours
Lee sat at the same bar stool he'd been at everyday since he arrived in DC. Ned didn't even ask if he wanted another drink he just filled the glass and sat it in front of Lee. He just nodded to Ned and started emptying the glass.
T.P. Aquantus walked in and spotted Lee at the bar. "Well thought I might find you here."
"Hey T.P." Lee said with a slight grin. "What brings you here?"
T.P. frowned. He could tell Lee was drunk and it pained him to see his friend like this. "Well came to check on you Lee."
"Me? Oh I'm fine T.P. Never better. Right Ned?"
Ned just nodded slightly and went about is business.
T.P. sat beside Lee and sighed. "Lee you're not ok."
"Sure I am T.P." Lee stated before he emptied his glass. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Lee I know about Elena."
Lee closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about that right now T.P."
T.P. nodded. "I had a feeling you'd say that."
"I'll talk when I'm ready and until then you and Billy can just get off my back!" T.P. stared at him and started to get up to leave but Lee stopped him. "T.P. I'm sorry I just..." Lee ran his fingers through his already messed up hair. "I just need time to think things out T.P. I really messed up this time."
"Well you know I'm here if you need anything Lee."
Lee smiled. "Thanks T.P."
"Don't mention it Lee."
"But now that you mention it T.P. could you do me a favor?"
"Sure what is it Lee?"
"Could you give me a ride home? I think I need to sober up and give my wife a call."
T.P. smiled and stood. "Gladly Lee." Lee stood and T.P. helped him out to the car.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 1100 hours
J.T. Hope sat on the porch swing with Hoss laying at his feet. The girls had gone to town for the week and Colt was getting reading to head into town.
As Shorty walked out to tell J.T. to come eat he spotted a Yellow convertible coming towards the house. "Hey boss."
J.T. looked at Shorty then stood to see what eh was pointing at. "Now who could that be?"
As Elena approached the house she put on her cowboy hat and pulled it down so her face was hidden. She parked the car and smiled as she heard footsteps. She didn't have to scan to know it was J.T. walking towards the car. She looked down making sure he wouldn't see her face until she was ready to show it.
"Can I help you two with something?" J.T. asked as he reached the car.
Elena got out of the car still hiding her face. "Well I don't know. You might be of some help, as long as you don't hit anyone again Johnathan Thomas Hope."
"Elena?"
She raised her head and pushed her hat back. "Howdy partner."
J.T. grinned from ear to ear and gave her a big hug.
Elena wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. When he lifted her off the ground and swung her around she laughed. "Whoa there cowboy."
J.T. placed her down. "Oh it's great to see you again!"
Elena smiled. "Hope you don't mind us stopping by for a while."
J.T. looked in the car and saw Haruka. "Where's Lee? He's not still mad about me hitting him is he?"
"Long story J.T. First I'd like you to meet Haruka."
"Well hello Haruka."
"Hi J.T." Haruka said as she got out of the car.
"Well are ya'll going to stay out here and talk or come eat?" Shorty called from the porch.
Elena smiled and walked over to him. "Hi Shorty."
"Hey kiddo."
"Aren't I a little old to be called kiddo?"
Shorty hugged her. "Not until I get another on like you to call kiddo."
"Well you might just get your wish soon." Elena said. "Shorty meet Haruka. Haruka this is Shorty."
"Hi Shorty." Haruka said as she and J.T. carried the bags to the house.
J.T. walked in the house and showed Haruka where to place the bags, while Elena helped Shorty put the food on the table.
"It's a good thing I fixed a lot of food." Shorty stated as he placed two more dishes on the table.
Just then Colt stepped inside. "Shorty I'm..." He stopped in mid sentence as he spotted Elena. "I think I'll just stay here and go to town later." He walked over to Elena and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I thought we'd come visit for a while." Elena replied
"We? So Lee's here too?"
"No I brought a friend with me."
About that time J.T. and Haruka walked back down stairs.
"Colt meet Haruka. Haruka this is Colt."
"Howdy Ma'am." Colt said tipping his hat.
"Well don't just stand there. Sit down and dig in everybody." Shorty said.
Everyone smiled and sat down and started eating.
"So Elena what brings you way out here?" J.T. asked as he grabbed a piece of chicken.
"What I can't just come visit my old friends?" Elena said sarcastically. "I just needed to get away for a while and I couldn't think of a better place to come and relax than here on the ranch."
"So where's that husband of yours?" J.T. asked.
"D.C. probably." Elena said before taking a sip of lemonade. "Just do me a favor."
"What?" Colt asked.
"If any one calls tell them I'm not here."
"Any reason for this?" J.T. inquired.
"I just don't want to be found for a while."
"Found by who?" Shorty asked.
"Anyone from work. I just want to be alone for a while. I was going to come alone but Haruka wouldn't let me leave with out her."
"You're in no condition to go anywhere alone." Haruka said.
"What do you mean?" J.T. asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"No you're not." Haruka said. "You could barley walk..."
"Kamikaze Nekoi!" Elena said in a firm voice.
"Elena what's going on? You can tell us?" Shorty said.
Elena sighed. "It's a long complicated story."
"Well why don't we take our dessert out on the porch and you can tell us all about it." Shorty suggested.
"Alright." Elena sighed. She really didn't want to talk about this yet.
Once they were all seated J.T. opened his cooler. "Any one want a drink to go with the pie?"
"I'll take one." Colt said.
J.T. tossed Colt a bottle and started to hand Elena one.
"No thanks." Elena said
"So what's this condition of yours?"
"Well...I'm with child."
"Congratulations!" Colt said with a smile.
"So you mean Lee actually let you out of his sight?" J.T. asked.
"Lee doesn't know yet."
Apartment some where in Georgetown Virginia: 1400 hours
Lee hung up the phone for the tenth time. There was still no answer at home and no one at the base would tell him where she was. Frustrated he threw a pillow against the wall. "Billy was right I should have called earlier." He sighed. "No what I should have done was gone straight home to her." He stood and paced the room.
He nearly jumped when the phone rang. He only gave it time to start a second ring before he picked it up. "Hello." He flopped on the couch with a disappointed sigh when he didn't hear Elena's voice. "Yeah Billy I'm fine...uh you haven't heard from Elena have you?" He nodded at Billy's reply. "I've called Billy. There's no answer at home and no one at the base will tell anything....yeah alright Thanks Billy." Lee hung up the phone and went to the bedroom to lay down.
Lee laid on the bed and starred at the ceiling. "Oh I'm such an idiot." He rolled over on his side and looked at the picture on the night stand. It was a picture of Elena and their nephew Nathon. Lee picked the picture up and lightly touched Elena's face. "I've really messed up this time.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 1500 hours
Elena sat on the porch petting Hoss. She told J.T most of the details. She just didn't tell him who really killed Dr. Snider or why Lee went back to DC. She smiled as Hoss rolled over wanting his stomach rubbed. She gently rubbed his stomach and scratched behind his ear with her other hand.
"Spoiling my dog again I see." J.T. said as he came outside.
"What's wrong with that?"
J.T. sat beside her and looked at Hoss. "Nothing." He reached over and petted Hoss on the head. Hoss licked his hand and barked happily. "So how far along are you?"
"Not really sure. Haven't seen Dr. Fraiser's results."
"So how do you know if you haven't talked to a doc?"
"I just know and Kath confirmed it."
J.T. nodded. "Ok so why didn't you rush to DC to tell Lee?"
Elena sighed. Leave it to J.T. to ask the questions she didn't want to answer. "J.T. there's a few details I left out. Some are classified others I was avoiding."
"Elena you know I'm here for you. Whatever it is you can tell me."
"Well...first there's the journal."
"What journal?"
"Well as I told you the prosecuting Lt. Col. Present phony evidence. The evidence was Dr. Snider's journal. There were some things in there that made me sick to my stomach."
"What kinds of things?"
"Details of an affair that never happened. It sounded more like a trashy romance novel than a journal. But there were details that Dr. Snider couldn't have known without seeing my medical record."
"Isn't that classified?"
"Yeah it is. And Snider didn't have clearance."
"So what happened?"
Elena tried to fight the tears as images of the last time she saw Lee ran through her mind. "Lee read the journal." Elena turned her head hoping J.T. didn't see the tear that was making its way down her cheek. "He read that stupid journal and then he ran to DC." Elena tried but she couldn't fight the tears anymore. She buried her face in her hands.
J.T. placed his arms around her. "Hey, hey. Shh. It's ok." He whispered as he held her tight. "Did he talk to you first or just leave?"
Elena managed to stop crying long enough to say. "He came to see me but he wouldn't listen to me." She laid her head on J.T's shoulder as more tears made their way down her cheeks.
J.T. held her and rubbed her back gently. 'He ran off. I don't believe it.' J.T. thought to himself. 'He'd better keep running because if I find him I'll make him pay through the nose for hurting her.'
Apartment some where in Georgetown Virginia: 1800 hours
Lee awoke to the sound of someone banging on the door. He looked around noticing how late it was. 'I must have fallen asleep' he thought as he walked to answer the door. "Alright, alright I'm coming." He said as the person at the door continued to banging. Lee opened the door to see Jacob standing there. "Jacob what are you..."
Before Lee could finish his sentence Jacob pushed his way inside. "Pack your bag Lee."
"Whoa wait a minute Jacob. What's going on? Where's Elena?"
"You're coming back to the base with me." Jacob said.
"Is Elena at the base?"
"No she's gone."
"Gone! Where?"
Jacob sighed he could tell Lee wasn't going anywhere until his questions were answered. He sat down and looked at Lee. "She left the base with Haruka. Kath knows where she is but she won't tell any of us. She said Elena just wanted to be alone for a while."
Lee nodded. "I've been going nuts trying to call her."
"Lee there's more." Jacob said. "She's pregnant."
Lee flopped on the couch. "What?!"
"Yeah she didn't tell anyone and left before Janet got her test results."
"Well I've got to find her. Let's get going." Lee said as he grabbed his coat.
Jacob stood. "You know I expected this would have been harder."
"Well Billy and T.P. gave me a lot of talking to."
They headed out and got in the rental car. "So why didn't you go back?"
"I wasn't sure I could face Elena and everyone after what I did. I thought it would be easier to just call. But I waited too late."
Jacob looked over at Lee as they stopped at the red light. He could see the worry and fear in his eyes. "Don't worry Lee. Kath will get her and we'll straighten things out."
"Yeah just do me a favor Jacob."
"What?"
"Don't let Kath near me until Elena and I straighten things out."
Jacob laughed. "Alright." He knew what Lee was scared of and frankly he couldn't blame him a bit.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 2000 hours
After she calmed down J.T. walked Elena back to her room. As he walked back down stairs he saw Haruka sitting in the kitchen with Colt. "She ok?" Colt asked.
"Yeah I think so."
"She's been through a lot." Haruka stated.
"Haruka do you know where to find Lee?" J.T. asked
"If he's till in DC he'd be at the apartment, the Agency, or Nedlinger's. Why?"
"I want to find him." J.T. replied.
"Oh don't worry J.T. I'm sure Kath or one of the gang has gone to get him." Haruka said.
J.T. ran his fingers through his hair and walked outside. Hoss sat up and wagged his tail when the door opened. J.T. picked up a stick and threw it as hard as he could. Hoss barked and chased it all the way to the pond.
Watching from her window Elena could sense his frustration. She sighed knowing it was her fault. She hadn't planned on telling J.T. about Lee leaving but J.T. has a bad habit asking the wrong questions. She grabbed her sweater and walked down stairs. She smiled seeing Haruka talking with colt. By the look on Colt's face Elena could tell he like Haruka.
Slipping by them Elena walked outside to see a wet Hoss still chasing sticks. "Good thing he brings them back."
Startled J.T. turned to face her. "What?"
"I said good thing Hoss brings those sticks back. Otherwise you'd run out of things to throw."
J.T. nodded "Yeah." He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You should be resting."
"I'm fine J.T." Elena said as she hugged him. "Thanks for caring though."
"You made that part easy." J.T. said as he hugged her back.
"Just promise me something." Elena said as she pulled out of his arms.
"Anything Elena."
"Promise you won't go after Lee."
"Elena I..."
"Johnathan please promise me."
J.T. sighed. "Alright I won't go after him."
"Thanks J.T." Elena hugged him again and then walked back inside.
J.T. just sighed and said. "Lee you better pray to God that she made me promise not to come after you." J.T. turned his head and looked at Hoss. "I promised not go after him but I said nothing about not hitting him if he found me." J.T. grinned and tossed Hoss another stick.
Denver Airport - July 22, 2003: 0800 hours
Lee and Jacob stepped off the plane and grabbed their luggage. "Alright Lee I'll drop you off at your house and then I'll check in with the gang at the base."
"Ok thanks."
They walked to the car and left.
Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain Base, Colorado: 0900 hours- Commissary
Kath and Jack were eating lunch when Daniel walked in. "Get you Jeep back Space Monkey?"
"Yeah Lizzy took me up there to get it." Daniel said as he sat down with his plate.
"Heard anything from Jacob?"
"Nothing yet." Jack said.
"He's got him." Kath stated.
"How do you know that Kath?" Jack asked in confusion as he looked over at his wife and noticed her little smirk.
"I just do." Kath said with a grin.
"Well do you know anything about Elena?" Daniel asked.
"She's fine. She's coming back very soon." Kath said before eating her sandwich.
Daniel looked at Jack and shrugged and then ate his food.
Captain Stetson's House, Colorado Springs, Colorado: 0930 hours
Lee walked in a searched the house hoping to find a note or anything that might give him a clue as to where Elena might have gone. After searching every room, every drawer, and every trash can Lee walked to the living room and checked the answering machine. There were twenty new messages but all were left by him. Frustrated he sighed and sat on the couch. He grabbed the phone and the book that always sat beside it. He flipped through it until he found the number to Hope Ranch. He carefully dialed the number and waited as the phone rang.
Circle Hope Ranch, California- 0830 hours
Just as J.T. headed out the door he heard the phone and turned back and grabbed it. "Hello." J.T. clenched his fists when he heard Lee's voice. He hesitated a moment when Lee asked if he had seen Elena. Part of him wanted to tell Lee she was there just so he'd have a chance to hit him since he promised Elena he wouldn't go after Lee. "No afraid not Lee. Haven't seen her." J.T. lied. "Yeah sure I'll let you know if I hear from her. Bye."
J.T. hung up the phone and walked out on the porch. He just stood there and watched as Elena and Haruka enjoyed their morning ride. J.T. was still amazed at how fast Haruka had learned to ride a horse and how tame his normally spirited stallion was with Elena.
His thoughts were soon interrupted by "You going to tell her Boss?"
J.T. turned to see Shorty sitting on the swing. "Tell her what?"
"That he called."
"No." J.T. shook his head. "And you better not tell her either."
"I won't say a word. I'm just wondering if it's wise not to tell her."
"What?" J.T. asked. "What's wrong with not telling her?
"Well the way I see it, and I might be seeing things wrong and you tell me if I am. But I see things as she loves him more than life its self. She's just waiting for him to straighten things out and realize that for himself. If he's calling all the way out here he must have come to his senses by now. I'm just wondering what'll happen either way this could go by not telling her." Shorty explained.
"Either way?"
"Well she's bound to go home eventually and they'll probably patch things up and things will be back to normal. My guess is she won't be none too happy to hear you didn't tell her that he called."
"Yeah I guess you're right." J.T. said. "So what's the other way?"
"Well if Lee comes out here before she leaves she'll still be upset you didn't tell her. And well you hitting him again won't help. Remember how mad she was last time?" Shorty asked.
"Yeah I remember." J.T. sighed. "So in other words I have no choice?"
"You always have choices son. Just this time you might want to think about it and make sure you're making the right one."
Stargate Command, Cheyenne Mountain Base, Colorado: 1000 hours- briefing room
Hammond looked at the group. "Well I just spoke to Jacob and he's got Lee. He dropped him off at the house to change and get a shower. He's bringing him back here now. Now we just need to locate Captain Stetson." Hammond looked right at Kath when he said his last statement.
"She's coming back on her own General. Just give her a little time." Kath stated.
"And how much time is a little?" Sam asked.
"She'll be back before the end of the week."
"I really wish I knew how you do that." Lizzy said.
"Yeah me too." John added.
"Let ya'll in on a little secret this time she told me. Elena is much stronger now that she's with child. We've been able to communicate the entire time. I just haven't told her Lee's back. I don't want her to rush back if she's not ready to see him."
Hammond nodded. "Alright Col. But if she's not back by Friday I want to send someone after her."
"Understood Sir."
Captain Stetson's House, Colorado Springs, Colorado - July 25, 2003: 0800
Elena walked inside. She had the cab take Haruka back to the base. After a few days on the Ranch and riding horses, she realized she wasn't as alone as she wanted. So she headed back and now she was home, and all she wanted was a hot shower and a long nap. Noticing the Corvette was gone she sighed. Seeing she didn't come home before going to Hope Ranch she didn't know Lee had called a cab to take him to the airport. Locking the door behind her she took a long relaxing shower and then clothed in her comfortable two piece light blue pajamas with the hearts on them and her bath robe over that she laid on the bed and closed her eyes.
After tossing a few times she got up and went and laid on the couch. Her bed just didn't seem that comfortable when she was in it by herself, plus it still smelled like Lee's cologne, which just made her miss him even more. Snuggling against a pillow she soon drifted to sleep.
An hour later
Lee pulled into the drive and sighed. He'd been staying at the base every night since Jacob brought him back. He just couldn't get any sleep in that big bed by himself. But each day he'd return home in hopes of finding Elena waiting for him. And each day he sat alone in the house as miserable as he could be.
Lee cut the car off and pulled the keys out of the ignition and walked to the door. He unlocked the door and walked in with out even glancing in the living room. Slowly he made his way to the bed room and sat on the bed. He pulled off his shoes and took off his jacket.
Meanwhile Elena was fast asleep on the couch dreaming of the very man who had just walked in. As her pleasant dream started to become a nightmare she started mumbling, "No, no Lee no don't go."
Hearing the mumbling Lee quickly raced to the living room. He was overjoyed to see his wife asleep there. He slowly knelt on the floor beside her and smiled. Never in his life had the urge to kiss her been so strong. Unsure of how she would react to that after all that had happened he forced him self to resist. He gently caressed her cheek and whispered, "Shh its ok love I'm not going anywhere ever again."
Hearing his voice Elena smiled slightly and although she was still asleep she responded to his touch. "Mmm stay."
Lee shook her gently. "Elena. Come on love wake up." When she just moaned a little, he leaned over and placed a gently but tender kiss on her lips.
Feeling his kiss Elena slowly opened her eyes. "Lee?" She asked praying that she wasn't still dreaming.
"Yeah it's me." Lee whispered as he watched her reactions to see if she was going to hit him or kiss him.
Elena sat up and threw her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could. "It's you? it's really you?"
Lee smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah Elena it's me. I'm home and I'm never leaving you again."
Elena let him go just enough so she could look him in the eyes. She tried hard but soon tears of joy made their way down her face. "I thought I'd lost you." She choked out.
Lee sat on the couch beside her and pulled her into his arms. "Oh Elena I'm so sorry for running out on you like that. I should have believed you and stuck by you through all of this. I was just so confused. I wanted to believe you and I tried but part of me threw all those walls up again and I..."
Elena placed her finger on his lips. "It's ok love. All that matters is that you're here now. We're together again. I have something to tell you."
"I already know. Jacob told me." Lee placed his hand on her stomach and gently rubbed. "I can't believe I'm going to be a father." He was smiling from ear to ear yet his eyes were tearing up.
Elena placed her head on his shoulder. "That was the hardest part of all of this. I wasn't sure I wanted this child if you were gone."
Lee kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'm so sorry I put you through all of this. Everything's ok with the baby right?"
"As far as I know."
"As far as you know?" Lee asked.
"Well I haven't exactly seen the test results or talked to Janet. I was going to go see her tomorrow. I just wanted to be alone today. But now you're home and everything's going to be alright."
"I love you." Lee whispered before covering her lips with his in a tender kiss that told her all she needed to know.
Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and her finger tips lightly played with the hairs on the back of his neck sending shivers down his spine. Lee wrapped his arms tighter around her waist as a moan escaped from the back of his throat. When Lee pulled back breaking the kiss he stood keeping Elena in his arms and carried her to the bed room. He placed her down gently and then climbed on the bed beside her and pulled her back into his arms. Elena placed her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Lee held her close and just savored the feel of having the woman he loved in his arms again and thought of how lucky he was to have a loving and forgiving wife. She was more than he deserved and he knew it, he just prayed he never lost her.
The rest of the day and that night Lee showed her how much he cared and made sure that she knew he'd never leave her again, but not everything was as wonderful as it seemed.
Captain Stetson's House, Colorado Springs, Colorado - July 26, 2003: 0600
When Elena woke up the next morning the pains in her stomach were more than she could handle. Lee rushed her to the base and took her to see Janet. While Janet and the nurses took care of her they made Lee wait outside. He paced the floor back and forth.
"Lee what's going on?" Steph asked as she and the rest of the gang arrived at the door.
"I don't know she was having severe pains in her stomach. I got her here as soon as I could." Lee said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I think there's something wrong with the baby."
The gang tried their best to convince Lee everything was ok. That it was something as simple as a large gas pocket, but he could tell it was more, and he blamed himself.
Two hours later
Janet walked out and looked at everyone. "Elena's blood pressure was way too high. It's back down to normal now...."
"What about the baby? Is the baby ok?" Lee asked.
Janet saw the desperate hope in his eyes. She closed her own and shook her head. "I'm sorry Lee. She lost the baby."
Lee dropped in the chair placed his head in his hands.
"With all the stress of the trial and the battle with the Goa'lud its no surprise her blood pressure went up. If she had just come to me sooner or waited until I had the results of her tests..."
"Is she ok?" Jack asked.
"Physically she'll be ok. Emotionally I'm not sure." Janet replied. "Lee she could really use you right now."
"This is all my fault."
"Lee now stop that. You don't know that. She might have lost the baby even if you had stayed."
"No she wouldn't have. I ran off and left her when she needed me the most and now its costs us the life of our child."
"Lee if anyone's to blame it's me." Kath stated. "I knew before anyone else that she was with child. I kept it a secret because she asked me to even though I knew she was having pains and I even helped her to block the pain."
"Lee no matter who's at fault she needs you. Don't walk away for the second time." Jacob stated.
Lee looked at Jacob and the others then stood and looked in through the glass window at Elena. Her back was to them and she was curled in a ball. He slowly walked in and stood beside the bed. "Elena."
She turned and looked at him. "Oh Lee the baby...."
He sat on the bed and held her tight. "Shh it's ok. We'll get through this. I'm sorry for all the stress I caused if I had...."
"Lee don't you dare!"
Lee pulled back thinking she was going to yell about him leaving. "Elena I..."
"Scarecrow." Elena said firmly as she wiped her eyes. Lee gulped. He knew he was in for it now. She never called him by his codename unless he was in the dog house or she was in a playful teasing mood. He knew it was the first of the two. "Don't you even start to blame yourself for this!"
"If I hadn't left..."
"I still would have had the stress of the trial and killing Eva." Elena took Lee's hand in hers. "Lee we lost the baby, not each other. If we blame our selves and each other how will that help?" She wiped her eyes again and the hugged him. "As much as I wanted this baby I want you in my life a lot more."
Lee kissed her gently then held her tight as they both cried for the loss of their unborn child.
It wouldn't be easy and no matter how hard he tried to forget it, Lee still blamed him self for months. But after all they went through their love saw them through it all. For unforgiving misunderstandings can sink ships, but true love can weather any storm.