A/N: I forgot to put a disclaimer in the first chapter so I'm going to add here that I don't own anything other than the plot and anything that came from my crazy brain. Also I'm going to say that there could be spoilers in here for all of season one so beware, you never know what's going to slip out. This is a Sheppard/Weir story.

Chapter 3

Elizabeth had made it to the briefing room just before Major John Sheppard and the rest of his team entered.

Rodney McKay, the astrophysicist on the team, had been pushing for this mission ever since Captain Hunter's team had returned from the planet a week ago. Apparently there were some ruins in the middle of a forest close to the Stargate; that appeared to have some writing that resembled Ancient on the surface. Normally Rodney would rather go play with a new piece of technology they'd discovered, but with the threat of attack hanging over their heads, ZPMs were needed.

Typically, Elizabeth didn't have a problem with sending Sheppard's team after a lead on a ZPM. This time was different though, everyone that was with Hunter had reported a distinct sense of unease on the planet, as if someone was watching them the whole time. The information wouldn't have been nearly as unnerving if the planet had appeared inhabited, and she hadn't had her own recent experience with the phenomenon. And after ignoring Rodney's pleas for the past week, she'd finally given him this briefing to convince her that there was something worth risking her flagship team for.

Rodney was looking at her, as if waiting for some sign to begin his presentation. She gave a small nod before surveying the rest of the team. Lieutenant Aiden Ford was sitting to her right, his eyes already glazed over as McKay began to talk. Elizabeth had gotten the impression that the young marine didn't care one way or the other if they went to the planet as long as he was back in time to catch the weekly showing of a football game. They'd found out about a month after arriving on Atlantis that the major wasn't the only one who had brought a treasured football game to the Pegasus galaxy, now they were shown in rotation every Sunday night at 2000 hours.

Sitting next to Ford was Teyla Emmagan, the resident Athosian leader, gave the appearance that she was paying close attention to the scientist. Somehow Teyla always appeared to be paying rapt attention to whoever was speaking, no matter how boring. Elizabeth envied this ability greatly when it came to the briefings with two or more of the scientists, because once they began to play off each other anyone else was doomed.

Next she turned her attention to her immediate left, where Major John Sheppard was sitting not even pretending to pay attention. Instead he'd managed to find a pen and paper and was drawing rather enthusiastically. Frowning at him and briefly considering the maturity of her senior military officer, she turned her attention back to the presentation that she had requested.

McKay had moved onto talking about how high the energy readings on the planet were compared to the readings they'd taken on the planets where the other ZPMs had been found. The calculations and formulas that Rodney was spouting off sounded like absolute gibberish to her, someone who can speak five languages in her sleep. Blinking, she looked around at the team again to see if they understood it any better. Ford had lent back in his chair and tipped his hat over his eyes, clearly sleeping. Teyla still looked as if she was paying attention, but upon closer inspection had a glazed look to her eyes.

A loud rip from the left drew her gaze. Major Sheppard was attempting to fold part of the paper into the shape of an airplane. Glancing quickly to make sure that McKay's attention was diverted; Elizabeth reached over and snatched the plane from John's hands, earning a glare from the man in question.

"Elizabeth?" looking up to see McKay's look, somewhere between hurt and confusion. Not quite understanding until she looked and saw that the paper airplane she happened to be holding, was high in the air and poised in the perfect throwing position.

"Um…right, continue with the presentation. I'm listening," Elizabeth quickly pulled the plane out of site from the rest of the team, throwing a quick glare at Sheppard, which he returned with a smirk.

She turned back to the man in front of her once again, as she crumpled up the airplane under the table, determined to give him her full attention. However, when he started to go off onto the reports given to him by the resident geologist about how the type of rock in the ruins was similar to other structures they'd found, she drifted off again. This time her mind was drawn back to the events of the morning.

Without warning the unseen eyes closed in on her sucking all of the air from the room. Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly fighting back the urge to run out the door, willing the watchers to go back into the shadows. It only partially worked, they were still there hanging in the recesses of her mind, but it wasn't overbearing.

Opening her eyes again to see if anyone had noticed her moment of panic and it seemed that everyone was doing as they had been before. Momentarily checking on Rodney's report she went back to thinking about the night before, this time about the dream.

Brian had tried to get her to remember her dreams when she was younger, saying that it may help her get them under control. Leaning forward in her chair, to look as if she was simply shifting positions, she ran her hands through her hair and focused on the dream. Slowly it came back to her in flashes.

Fire, running through the trees, screams, eyes, black eyes…

Elizabeth shifted again looking up at Rodney, no longer hearing what he was saying, and she blinked.

Fire…pain lacing through her body…people dancing around a fire…bodies hanging in the air…

Opening her eyes she couldn't hear McKay, couldn't get any air to her lungs.

Running through the forest…fire…pain…screams…fire…black eyes…grey all around…fire…

"Elizabeth?" opening her eyes she put a face to the voice, John Sheppard was looking at her with concern. From the looks of it Rodney had finished his speech and he was looking at her, everyone was.

"What? I'm fine," shaking the after effects of the dream off she looked into John's eyes and still saw concern, "really."

"Okay," he still looked concerned, but didn't say anything about it.

"So can we go?" returning her gaze to the scientist she lowered her eyes.

"Are you sure there is a ZPM there?"

"As sure as I can be from what I have here."

"Alright, you have a go."

Rodney looked as if Christmas had come early, giving her a quick thank you before running off to gather his equipment. Ford and Teyla followed him, presumably on their way to get suited up. John stuck around a moment longer watching her as if she was some specimen under a microscope.

"What!" already on edge she snapped at him, not something that Dr. Elizabeth Weir would do. She didn't lash out at people; she was always in control and supposed to be the one that calmed other people down.

"Sorry," the major held his hands up slightly in defense, "I just wanted to make sure that you're alright, you looked pretty shaken up."

"I'm sorry, too," sighing softly and scrubbing a hand down her face tiredly, "I just…I don't know. I haven't been sleeping well lately and I kind of just…zoned out."

"Alright, but if you need to talk to somebody you know you can come to me, right?" John looked so cute with his hair ruffled and the pure concern in his expression…wait when did I start to think he was cute? Elizabeth sighed trying to hide a little smile.

"I know John, really I do. You had better go get geared up or McKay might just make them leave without you," John gave her a smile before turning to leave, "John? Thank you."

He gave her a full blown grin and exited the briefing room.

"Oh my God," she groaned finally letting her head bang down on the table. She had never had a dream that intense before and had never been able to recall it as vividly as she did in the briefing.

Sometimes she wished that her brothers were here to help her figure it out, in one way or another. Troy would probably tell her that she was too stressed and it was all a figment of her imagination, he had always been the practical one. Kyle would say that she needed to go out and have some fun, get a beer, go out on a date, anything that would take her mind off work. He'd try to get her to open up and tell him what was bothering her, while not really believing a word of it. Brian on the other hand would tell her to start from the beginning and tell him everything, then help her analyze it.

After spending a couple of minutes in blissful solitude she headed out to the control center to watch Major Sheppard's team depart.

When she got there John was standing over Williams' shoulder watching him put in the coordinates for the planet, McKay and the rest were already down by the Stargate. John turned and gave her a smile as she walked up next to him, returning the gesture.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, but thanks."

John smiled one more time before moving toward the stairs to join his team, gently resting his hand on her arm as he passed her. Suddenly she reached out and grabbed his arm, startling both of them.

"If you see a tall man with long grey hair and black eyes, run, run as fast as you can,"

Elizabeth was shaking but her grip was firm.

"Elizabeth, what?"

"Just promise me John," she let go of him as McKay called for Sheppard to hurry up, "just run."

John gave her an odd look before nodding and making his way down the stairs to join his team. He looked back up at Elizabeth before stepping through the Stargate after the others.

"Just run," Elizabeth murmured wrapping her arms around herself against the sudden chill, the watchers were back.