Title: Before I Forget

Author: OXBastetXO

Rating: PG
Archive: Please ask first
Status: complete
Category: Missing Scene, Ship - McWeir
Summary: A little talk with herself teaches Elizabeth a lot about herself.
Spoilers: The Eye, Hot Zone, Before I Sleep
Sequel/Season: Season One
Authors Note: I don't own them, Gecko and Scifi does. I'm just borrowing them for while and promise to give them back when I'm done, though I might just keep Rodney for little longer ;-)

I'm not a ship writer. This is the first ship story I have EVER written that wasn't a cannon relationship. Please don't shoot me! This was written to show Alliesings that I can write ship if I put my mind to it. ;-)

Before I Forget

By
OXBastetXO

Elizabeth Weir looked down at the sleeping form in front of her. The sleeping form of herself. Her very aged self. What was it that Major Sheppard had said? "Your own mortality staring you right in your face."

She sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. She turned a little and glanced at the two men who had decided to stay with her, with them. John had claimed the chair and Rodney had curled up on a free bed. She smiled a little and shook her head, grateful for their company.

"Jonas reminded me of Rodney," a soft voice said from beside her.

Elizabeth turned to look down at her counterpart. "Hello," she said quietly in return. "The man who helped you."

The elder Weir nodded and chuckled dryly. "He had that same puppy dog enthusiasm Rodney does when he tackles a new challenge." Her eyes grew distant and sad. "He died trying to save us." She sighed softly. "Rodney would have loved to have seen how the Ancients used the equipment." Her smile grew a little sardonic. "Though he would have been jealous, not being able to do that himself."

Elizabeth smiled a little. "He can. Our Rodney. Carson developed a gene therapy to impose the ATA gene and Rodney volunteered to be the first test subject. It's only forty-nine percent effective, but it worked on Rodney."

"I bet he loves that," the elder Weir said with a smile and then she started to cough.

Elizabeth reached for a glass of water and the older version of herself took a sip and then smiled again. "Thank you."

"How are you feeling?"

The old woman smiled, her dim eyes fixing on her. "Old, but happy. Happy to see you and them," her eyes drifted over to the sleeping forms of Sheppard and McKay. "To see them alive and well and strong." She shook her head a little. "They're different from the men I knew."

Elizabeth nodded. "A lot has happened since we left Earth."

"Don't let this slip away from you," the older version of herself told her. "He loves you. You know it in your heart even if your mind denies it."

"Who?" Elizabeth said in confusion.

The Elder Weir took her head. "Rodney, silly. You've known it since Antarctica and you know he'll never be the one to admit it. He's been hurt too many times do that. You'll have to be the one to make the first move."

"But—" she started to protest.

"Simon," the other woman said. "I know, but Simon isn't here. You don't know if you'll ever get home again. You can't waste your life on a maybe. Live now, in this moment. You don't know how long you have or how long he does," she said softly, reaching up to touch Elizabeth's face, her aged eyes drifting over to Rodney's sleeping form on the exam bed. "He gave his life for us and he'd do it again without a thought."

Elizabeth bit her lip, thinking of how Rodney had jumped in front of her, putting himself between her and Koyla's gun. He could have been killed and he didn't even think about it. He had just thought of her.

The elder Weir smiled. "You know, I'm right, don't you?"

Reluctantly, Elizabeth nodded.

The older woman's eyes slid closed again and her hand fell limply at her side as she drifted back to sleep.

Elizabeth sighed and looked back over at Rodney. She knew there was something there. She had seen it in his eyes. She had felt it when he held her on the pier as they waited with Koyla for Sheppard to turn the power back on. She felt it in a thousand tiny ways as they worked side by side.

She closed her eyes. The other Elizabeth was right. She had felt a connection with him since she had met him at the Ancient outpost in Antarctica on Earth. She had felt that something grow into more, and her counterpart was right. She would have to be the one to make the first move. He was waiting for her.

She smiled to herself. She wouldn't make him wait much longer.