Title: A step in the right direction (3/?)
Author: Brandy
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: Sheppard/OFC
Rating: G
Spoilers: Minor ones for Rising pt 2
Summary: Will Dr. Caldwell wake up, and how will Maj. Sheppard cope with almost losing the one he loves?
Sheppard had been with Abby a total of 10 hours when Dr. Beckett finally approached him. "Major?"
"Yeah?"
"Maybe you should get some sleep."
"I can't sleep." He rubbed his tired eyes; he couldn't sleep as long as Abby was in danger.
"I'll come and get you the minute her condition changes, but you really have to get some sleep."
"I'll sleep when I know she's all right Doc!" He didn't mean to shout and saw the doctor back away. "I'm sorry."
"I understand, major." Dr. Beckett said and smiled at the other man. He knew Beckett was concerned for Abby as well as himself. But he couldn't stand the thought that she might be hurt because of him. "If it's any consolation, it wasn't your fault."
"Still doesn't make me feel any less guilty."
"It never does." Sheppard could hear retreating footsteps and knew the doctor had gone to brief Weir on the situation.
John leaned down close to Abby's ear. "Hey, honey. I told you I wouldn't leave and I've kept my promise. I think I'm making Beckett a bit nervous by staying so long." he smiled, "I got into a fight with McKay, he just pissed me off. Said something about you that I can't remember right now, but I didn't take to it too kindly. I miss you Abby. Please come back." He felt her squeeze his hand, and he squeezed back. "Yeah, that's it. Come back to me Abby. Please. I don't think I can do this without you."
She felt John's breath on her ear and softly spoke, "That tickles you know."
He lifted his head to look at her. "Hey sleepy head."
"Hi." She gave him a soft smile and touched his face with her hand. He kissed her palm.
"You had us worried there."
"Don't you mean I had you worried?"
"Me? Worried? Nah. I knew you'd snap out of it sometime." He tried to joke.
"Yeah." She breathed, looking at him, with tears starting to brim around her eyes.
"Hey, what's this?" He moved his face closer to hers.
"When, the blasts came through the Stargate I..." She couldn't say it but knew that he would understand.
"Never happen. You'll never lose me." He wiped away a tear that had seeped out of the corner of her eye.
"Yeah." She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his.
Dr. Beckett came back 30 minutes later. "Dr. Caldwell, you're awake!" He said happily.
"What did you do to me, Carson?" I feel like I was thrown through a brick wall." She joked but tightened her grip on John's hand. He returned her squeeze and just smiled. He knew she wasn't back to her full strength but knew she'd get there quickly.
"I didn't do anything, Abby. I think it must've been the Major's steady commitment that brought you back."
"You were here, Johnny?" She teased.
"No, I was going around, looking at all the hot women."
"Yeah." She playfully hit him in the arm and he gave her a smile.
"How are you feeling Abby?" Carson asked.
"My whole body hurts."
"It will, for a couple of days at least."
"When can I leave?"
"Abby, you're not completely healed."
"I know that. This bed isn't that comfortable. I want my own." The doctor crossed his arms. "What?" Abby looked at Carson.
"I think you're almost back to being your old self. You need to recuperate; I mean it. Your wrist hasn't healed yet."
"So can I get outta here?" Abby perked up a little.
"Who'll take care of you? Surely you aren't planning on doing anything on your own until I clear you."
"Johnny will take care of me." She smiled up at Sheppard.
"Course I will."
"All right. I'm going to regret this. I just know it." Beckett whined.
"If anyone gives you any trouble Carson, I'll say I hit you over the head and ran off." Sheppard couldn't help laughing at that one. "As for you," He shut up, when she turned to him.
"I'll take good care of her, Doc." Sheppard promised before hoisting Abby up into his arms.
"I'll be by tomorrow to check your progress." Beckett said as he watched Sheppard carefully carry Abby out the door.
When they got to his quarters, he gently set her down on the bed. She smiled, patting the spot beside her. John sat down and kissed her temple. She laid her head on his shoulder. You okay?"
"Yeah, much better now that I'm outta there." His hand moved to her hair, stroking through it. "I'm so tired."
"Then go to sleep."
"But..." She tired to protest.
"Sleep."
"Fine." She moved to lie down. "Lie down with me?"
"Sure." He got behind her and spooned with her, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Johnny?"
"Hmm."
"Don't leave." She whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
He kissed her neck. "I promised I wouldn't." He knew she didn't hear him but said it anyway, reaffirming his promise to her.
Abby awoke five hours later, still in John's arms. She smiled to herself and heard his even breathing behind her. A sure sign that he was fast asleep; she moved further into his embrace, remembering the days when they had lain in bed on a Saturday, all day. He'd watch football on the TV and she'd be pouring over formula papers or messing with equations on her laptop. He'd always teased her about that calling her workaholic. The truth was he wasn't a not a non-workaholic either.
"What?" John asked.
She froze. Had she actually said that out loud? "Nothing, go back to sleep Johnny."
"I know you said something, Abby."
"You know how I babble in my sleep. It was probably nothing of importance."
"Honey, everything with you is important."
She smiled. He had such a funny way of putting things, but she couldn't deny, that even that, made sense. "Is that a problem?"
"No, it's one of the things I love about you." Hold-on. Stop! Her mind screamed.
"You don't know what you're saying. You're half asleep." She scoffed.
"I haven't been asleep for exactly 3 hours and 37 minutes." John proclaimed.
She rolled over to face him and indeed his eyes were open and he was staring straight into her own. "Well, I'll be damned."
Sheppard smirked. "I deceived you. I made you think I was asleep, when I was actually awake."
"Yeah, Johnny. You're getting good at that."
"I'll take that as a complement."
"You may take it as whatever you wish." She smiled, and put her hand flat against his chest. Without thinking, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Her eyes closed, remembering his tenderness. He pulled back and laid his head back on his pillow. "You're nice and warm."
"So are you." John pulled her closer to his side, gently stroking unruly black locks. Her eyes closed once again. "You should sleep more
"It feels like I've been sleeping forever."
"Oh, I wish. I don't think I've gotten a good night's sleep since, well, since the night before last. When you were in bed with me."
She smiled. "Yeah, I know," she said wistfully. It was the one night, since they'd been in Atlantis, that'd he'd slept through the night. "Do you ever miss me?" she asked quietly.
"You have no idea." John whispered.
She closed her eyes and repeated the words over again in her head. 'He just said I had no idea how much he missed me' - her sub-consciousness told her. "Do you really mean that?"
"I mean it. Abby, you know..."
She rubbed her hand in circles on his chest. "Yeah, I know Johnny. I guess I've always known."
"I only wish I could go back and change things."
"Such as?"
"The divorce." She knew what he meant. It was clear by the tone in his voice, he blamed himself for their breakup.
"Johnny, that wasn't your fault."
"Of course it was, I pushed you away when I should've been letting you in. I just...I didn't know how to."
"I don't blame you, John."
"Come on, we both know you did."
"Okay I did. For like the first week. But then, I realized I didn't do anything to help. I made it worse by arguing with you."
"We did seem to do a lot of that." He admitted. It seemed to Abby that a lot of things were being confessed. "I remember the times we didn't fight."
"Few and far between."
"But there were times."
"There were also times when we'd spend the whole night making love, then going to work, looking like the crap got beat out of us." He laughed.
"Good times."
"Yeah, good times." He said softly.
"Shouldn't you be at work, Johnny?"
He shook his head, "Weir gave me all the time off I needed. And I'm not leaving you until you're better." She knew that look in his eyes, the one that meant he was dead serious.
"Oh."
"I thought you just asked me to stay,"
"I did."
"Then what's this all about?"
"Nothing, I just...."
"Abby,"
"I could get used to this. I mean...I am used to it. I mean us. Like this," she gave up on what she was trying to say.
"Abby, are you trying to say you want to give us another chance?"
She let out a breath. "Yeah, Johnny, that's exactly what I'm saying."
Sheppard smiled, big and bright. "Sounds good to me, Doc."
Author: Brandy
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Pairing: Sheppard/OFC
Rating: G
Spoilers: Minor ones for Rising pt 2
Summary: Will Dr. Caldwell wake up, and how will Maj. Sheppard cope with almost losing the one he loves?
Sheppard had been with Abby a total of 10 hours when Dr. Beckett finally approached him. "Major?"
"Yeah?"
"Maybe you should get some sleep."
"I can't sleep." He rubbed his tired eyes; he couldn't sleep as long as Abby was in danger.
"I'll come and get you the minute her condition changes, but you really have to get some sleep."
"I'll sleep when I know she's all right Doc!" He didn't mean to shout and saw the doctor back away. "I'm sorry."
"I understand, major." Dr. Beckett said and smiled at the other man. He knew Beckett was concerned for Abby as well as himself. But he couldn't stand the thought that she might be hurt because of him. "If it's any consolation, it wasn't your fault."
"Still doesn't make me feel any less guilty."
"It never does." Sheppard could hear retreating footsteps and knew the doctor had gone to brief Weir on the situation.
John leaned down close to Abby's ear. "Hey, honey. I told you I wouldn't leave and I've kept my promise. I think I'm making Beckett a bit nervous by staying so long." he smiled, "I got into a fight with McKay, he just pissed me off. Said something about you that I can't remember right now, but I didn't take to it too kindly. I miss you Abby. Please come back." He felt her squeeze his hand, and he squeezed back. "Yeah, that's it. Come back to me Abby. Please. I don't think I can do this without you."
She felt John's breath on her ear and softly spoke, "That tickles you know."
He lifted his head to look at her. "Hey sleepy head."
"Hi." She gave him a soft smile and touched his face with her hand. He kissed her palm.
"You had us worried there."
"Don't you mean I had you worried?"
"Me? Worried? Nah. I knew you'd snap out of it sometime." He tried to joke.
"Yeah." She breathed, looking at him, with tears starting to brim around her eyes.
"Hey, what's this?" He moved his face closer to hers.
"When, the blasts came through the Stargate I..." She couldn't say it but knew that he would understand.
"Never happen. You'll never lose me." He wiped away a tear that had seeped out of the corner of her eye.
"Yeah." She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his.
Dr. Beckett came back 30 minutes later. "Dr. Caldwell, you're awake!" He said happily.
"What did you do to me, Carson?" I feel like I was thrown through a brick wall." She joked but tightened her grip on John's hand. He returned her squeeze and just smiled. He knew she wasn't back to her full strength but knew she'd get there quickly.
"I didn't do anything, Abby. I think it must've been the Major's steady commitment that brought you back."
"You were here, Johnny?" She teased.
"No, I was going around, looking at all the hot women."
"Yeah." She playfully hit him in the arm and he gave her a smile.
"How are you feeling Abby?" Carson asked.
"My whole body hurts."
"It will, for a couple of days at least."
"When can I leave?"
"Abby, you're not completely healed."
"I know that. This bed isn't that comfortable. I want my own." The doctor crossed his arms. "What?" Abby looked at Carson.
"I think you're almost back to being your old self. You need to recuperate; I mean it. Your wrist hasn't healed yet."
"So can I get outta here?" Abby perked up a little.
"Who'll take care of you? Surely you aren't planning on doing anything on your own until I clear you."
"Johnny will take care of me." She smiled up at Sheppard.
"Course I will."
"All right. I'm going to regret this. I just know it." Beckett whined.
"If anyone gives you any trouble Carson, I'll say I hit you over the head and ran off." Sheppard couldn't help laughing at that one. "As for you," He shut up, when she turned to him.
"I'll take good care of her, Doc." Sheppard promised before hoisting Abby up into his arms.
"I'll be by tomorrow to check your progress." Beckett said as he watched Sheppard carefully carry Abby out the door.
When they got to his quarters, he gently set her down on the bed. She smiled, patting the spot beside her. John sat down and kissed her temple. She laid her head on his shoulder. You okay?"
"Yeah, much better now that I'm outta there." His hand moved to her hair, stroking through it. "I'm so tired."
"Then go to sleep."
"But..." She tired to protest.
"Sleep."
"Fine." She moved to lie down. "Lie down with me?"
"Sure." He got behind her and spooned with her, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Johnny?"
"Hmm."
"Don't leave." She whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
He kissed her neck. "I promised I wouldn't." He knew she didn't hear him but said it anyway, reaffirming his promise to her.
Abby awoke five hours later, still in John's arms. She smiled to herself and heard his even breathing behind her. A sure sign that he was fast asleep; she moved further into his embrace, remembering the days when they had lain in bed on a Saturday, all day. He'd watch football on the TV and she'd be pouring over formula papers or messing with equations on her laptop. He'd always teased her about that calling her workaholic. The truth was he wasn't a not a non-workaholic either.
"What?" John asked.
She froze. Had she actually said that out loud? "Nothing, go back to sleep Johnny."
"I know you said something, Abby."
"You know how I babble in my sleep. It was probably nothing of importance."
"Honey, everything with you is important."
She smiled. He had such a funny way of putting things, but she couldn't deny, that even that, made sense. "Is that a problem?"
"No, it's one of the things I love about you." Hold-on. Stop! Her mind screamed.
"You don't know what you're saying. You're half asleep." She scoffed.
"I haven't been asleep for exactly 3 hours and 37 minutes." John proclaimed.
She rolled over to face him and indeed his eyes were open and he was staring straight into her own. "Well, I'll be damned."
Sheppard smirked. "I deceived you. I made you think I was asleep, when I was actually awake."
"Yeah, Johnny. You're getting good at that."
"I'll take that as a complement."
"You may take it as whatever you wish." She smiled, and put her hand flat against his chest. Without thinking, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Her eyes closed, remembering his tenderness. He pulled back and laid his head back on his pillow. "You're nice and warm."
"So are you." John pulled her closer to his side, gently stroking unruly black locks. Her eyes closed once again. "You should sleep more
"It feels like I've been sleeping forever."
"Oh, I wish. I don't think I've gotten a good night's sleep since, well, since the night before last. When you were in bed with me."
She smiled. "Yeah, I know," she said wistfully. It was the one night, since they'd been in Atlantis, that'd he'd slept through the night. "Do you ever miss me?" she asked quietly.
"You have no idea." John whispered.
She closed her eyes and repeated the words over again in her head. 'He just said I had no idea how much he missed me' - her sub-consciousness told her. "Do you really mean that?"
"I mean it. Abby, you know..."
She rubbed her hand in circles on his chest. "Yeah, I know Johnny. I guess I've always known."
"I only wish I could go back and change things."
"Such as?"
"The divorce." She knew what he meant. It was clear by the tone in his voice, he blamed himself for their breakup.
"Johnny, that wasn't your fault."
"Of course it was, I pushed you away when I should've been letting you in. I just...I didn't know how to."
"I don't blame you, John."
"Come on, we both know you did."
"Okay I did. For like the first week. But then, I realized I didn't do anything to help. I made it worse by arguing with you."
"We did seem to do a lot of that." He admitted. It seemed to Abby that a lot of things were being confessed. "I remember the times we didn't fight."
"Few and far between."
"But there were times."
"There were also times when we'd spend the whole night making love, then going to work, looking like the crap got beat out of us." He laughed.
"Good times."
"Yeah, good times." He said softly.
"Shouldn't you be at work, Johnny?"
He shook his head, "Weir gave me all the time off I needed. And I'm not leaving you until you're better." She knew that look in his eyes, the one that meant he was dead serious.
"Oh."
"I thought you just asked me to stay,"
"I did."
"Then what's this all about?"
"Nothing, I just...."
"Abby,"
"I could get used to this. I mean...I am used to it. I mean us. Like this," she gave up on what she was trying to say.
"Abby, are you trying to say you want to give us another chance?"
She let out a breath. "Yeah, Johnny, that's exactly what I'm saying."
Sheppard smiled, big and bright. "Sounds good to me, Doc."