Promise me

Dark side

Authors note: Some mention here of McKay/OC, if you want McKay to be with someone else in Atlantis, I guess unless your really fanatical about it, you can read on. It's only mentioned once.

Elizabeth Weir stared, confused at the man standing before her. He was making an outrageous demand, and the more confusing thing, was that Elizabeth was considering granting it.

Shaking her head from the cobwebs of doubt, she crossed her arms stubbornly and took up her most fear inspiring pose.

"There is no way, John."

John Sheppard, standing before her, slammed his hands into her desk, his eyes suddenly darkening with his mood. Elizabeth took a small step back.

"Why?" John asked in a soft, yet chillingly cold voice.

Elizabeth was way over her head here.

"Because. Because I'm not sending you to die like the others."

Major Sheppard closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"Why do you care?" He asked, eyes still clamped shut.

Doctor Weir shivered. Something was wrong with John. He wasn't acting as himself.

"Because you are an important member of Atlantis. Now John, are you going to tell me what's really wrong?"

John had arrived earlier into Elizabeth's office, with a determined look in his eyes, asking plainly that he be allowed to lead a mission to the Wraith home world to retrieve a team that was caught a few days before.

John slumped into the chair, his burning anger dissipating, and the black of his eyes clearing, allowing Liz to see the first hint of brown.

"You can't understand." He whispered weakly, twiddling his thumbs.

Sighing almost silently, Weir prepared herself and walked around the desk and kneeled on the floor in front of him, as she would a child, and took his hand.

"And I wont understand until you tell me."

John looked down.

"Olivia Person."

Olivia was one of the people taken. Elizabeth suddenly felt hurt and confused.

"You two were a couple?"

John shook his head.

"Olivia was with McKay."

Suddenly her feeling guilt with her thoughts about John, and jealousy about him being with Olivia were replaced with sorrow.

"Oh."

John nodded at her small assessment.

"I thought…I thought…"

Liz squeezed his hand supportively.

"You thought what John?"

"I thought I might be able to save her. Because I know how McKay must be feeling. And I know how I would feel if you were taken and how I would die to get you back."

He looked down guiltily and pulled his hand away from hers.

Shocked, she was rooted to the spot. They often flirted, but never had he admitted…never had he admitted what she felt inside all the time.

Too shocked to speak, she opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish.

"I thought," John continued, "If I got her back, McKay wouldn't feel like I do every time your in danger."

"And how do you feel?" She choked out.

John looked up, his eyes gloomy.

"When Kolya told me you were dead, I felt like murdering every one of the Genaii, then killing myself."

Elizabeth stared up into his eyes.

This was John Sheppard's dark side.

And she was a part of it.

"I can't promise you I won't get killed." Elizabeth said quietly, reaching up and placing the palm of her hand on his cheek.

He looked at her.

"But I can." He whispered. "I would rather die then lose you Elizabeth."

He said, reciting the words another man in love had said a long time before…

Stuck in the passion of his words, she subconsciously pulled his head towards hers and kissed him.

As they pulled apart, John's eyes had gone slightly green. A good sign.

"I need permission for the mission."

He whispered, resting his for head on hers. She nodded mutely.

"I know. And you have it." She kissed him lightly on the cheek before standing up and sitting lightly on his knee. "Just promise me you won't die."

He smiled ever so slightly and pulled her into a hug.

Moving his head so his mouth was just next to her ear, he whispered;

"I promise."

She nodded ever so slightly and rested her head on his chest, enjoying the feel of his arms wrapped protectively around her waist and his chin resting lightly on her shoulder.

"When do we leave?" He asked, not moving.

She sighed and checked her watch.

"Tomorrow. For now I want to spend as much time as I can get with you."

John smiled, eyes fading to twinkling brown as they always did when he was cheerful and kissed her cheek, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You know, it might not be original, but you know you make me the luckiest guy in the universe."

Elizabeth smiled.

"Lets just hope you take that luck with you tomorrow."

TBC…