Strange Bedfellows

A/N: The turning point chapter! Yay! Sort of. In this chapter, I switch back and forth between Atlantis and the planet Klaan. I hope it's not too confusing. Anyway, grab your tissue boxes because I decided to be really sappy. Chocolate and Valentine's Day will do that to you. :)

bluelikethat: Wow, you are absolutely right. I didn't even catch that; thanks for the tip. I'll see if I can sneak that into a later chapter.

Spoilers: Tiny one for Hot Zone.

Chapter 15: Letting Go

It had been three days since anything of interest had happened - although gettingsliced in the arm doesn't exactly qualify as interesting, John Sheppard added to himself. In that time he and Elizabeth had remained in the cell with no interaction with Hergon or the Klaans. Their only visitor had been Tiny who had twice brought them a strange looking broth that Sheppard guessed qualified as food in the Klaans' culture. Of course, Tiny hadn't enjoyed bringing his captives any sort of relief or comfort, but Dr. Weir supposed Hergon had figured out dead prisoners were no good to him.

The broth, or what remained of it after Tiny had 'accidentally' spilled some of the bowls' contents in transit, tasted awful. They both smelled its putrid stench wafting in from down the hallway before they saw it, and when they did finally see it, they wished they hadn't. It was a greenish-brown color with chunks of God-knows-what in it. John imagined if every repulsive taste in the world was combined into one item, this would be it. Even Elizabeth agreed; she would gladly take her recently maligned Powerbars over this slop. But they had not eaten in days, and it would be this slop that kept them alive for the time being.

John downed his quickly, practically chugging it so as to have the awful taste in his mouth a short of a time as possible. Plus, he was starved. It's no turkey sandwich, but beggars can't be choosers, right? His actions earned him a disgusted look from Elizabeth who hadn't touched hers yet.

"What?" he asked. "It does a body good."

She looked like she was going to throw up.

"Come on, it's not nearly half as bad as it looks," he lied.

"It looks like shit."

"Okay… then it tastes exactly how it looks," he joked, but her unamused glare revealed she didn't appreciate his honesty. "Please, Liz. Eat something."

"Fine, but when we get home, you're buying me dinner."

"Deal." He smiled at the thought of taking her out to dinner, even if 'out' was still within the confines of Atlantis. But his smile quickly vanished as he remembered he wouldn't be going home. This would probably be the closest thing to a dinner date he would get with Elizabeth.

He watched her, amused, as she held her nose, closed her eyes, and quickly poured the contents of the bowl down her throat. After swallowing, she held still, not daring to move for fear of some sort of reaction. When none came, she declared it safe to sit back against the wall. John was entertained by her melodramatic antics.

"You know," she said after giving her stomach a few moments to settle down, "Rodney would probably love this, considering how he likes hospital and airline food. Remind me to Doggy Bag some for him."

His eyes lowered to the ground once more as the thought of never seeing his friends again crossed his mind. No, they were more than friends. They were his family, his only in his entire life. Since coming to Atlantis, he had felt appreciated and respected. And for the first time ever, John Sheppard had felt like he belonged.

Elizabeth didn't miss the look of despondency play across his features. She wondered why he had become so glum all of a sudden. Wasn't he the one who had told her everything was going to be okay, that they would get out of this wretched place soon enough? He was supposed to be the confident, optimistic one, and now…. She placed the thought in the back of her mind. Perhaps he was still upset over Doogie.

The remainder of the days passed without incident, leaving them in a state of limbo and uncertainty. John figured Hergon was mulling over the decision whether or not to let Elizabeth go. He still hadn't told her. He wondered how she would react if it worked in her favor.

Luckily for him, though, John had used the time to regain some of his strength and energy. The bleeding from his arm had stopped, thankfully. They had both spent the majority of the time sleeping, each in shifts. Elizabeth had let John sleep longer and of course he had caught her each time. Some part of him wished she hadn't let him sleep; each night he had the same dream of her being fed upon by a Wraith.

Finally, on the third day without any activity, they had their first real guest. Unfortunately, that guest was Hergon.

As the man walked up to the entrance of the cell, John tried to read his features for any clues as to his decision. There were none; his face was stone.

Hergon didn't say anything for the longest while and it was driving them insane. John was pretty sure he could handle hearing what would be their ultimate fate, but sitting there, just waiting for it was intolerable. He stood up defensively and was about to confront Hergon, but the Klaan commander spoke first.

"Major Sheppard, you'll be pleased to hear we have decided to agree to your deal. You leave as soon as we can retrieve your gear." He walked away, with a hint of defeat to his step.

John was left staring after him, his mouth slightly agape. Did he really just hear what he thought he had? Inside he had always hoped Hergon would accept his offer, but no part of him ever truly believed he would. Was this some kind of ploy? A ruse? If so, he for the life of him couldn't figure out why. Apparently, the information they sought was invaluable to them.

Elizabeth was even more confused than John was. "John, what's he talking about? What 'deal?'"

He turned to her with a genuine smile. "We're getting out of here," he said, almost not believing he had actually uttered those words. It was the truth - the partial truth, but the truth nonetheless. They were getting out of there, only his leave would be temporary while hers permanent.

"What?" she breathed, rising slowly to her feet. She wanted to believe it, wanted so badly to believe it, but after all that had happened, how could she? But looking into John's eyes as he held her hands, she knew instantly he was telling her the truth. She was going home.

Elizabeth encircled him with her arms, hugging him tightly with joy. He returned her gesture just as enthusiastically. He was happy for her, happy that she could finally kiss this hellhole goodbye. But he would never see her again, and that was enough to tear his heart in two.

After several moments, Elizabeth made to pull away, but John kept her in his embrace, not able to let go. She wasn't alarmed by the act, only puzzled. When they finally did separate, his eyes were downcast, baffling her even more. Isn't he anxious to finally leave this place? she thought.

"John, what's wrong?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

He looked like he wanted to tell her something, something important, but couldn't find the words. John opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Then, finally, "Elizabeth… I -"

They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and an armada of Wraith entering. There had to be at least ten of them. They were accompanied by a handful of humans as well, including Hergon. John spotted the gear he requested being towed by two of the humans near the back of the group.

"Now if you're both quite ready," Hergon said, indicating they should step out of the cell. Cautiously, they did so. They were led out of the compound and flanked by no less than two Wraith on each side. With John's hands still bound in front of him, there wasn't much he could do anyway.

As they exited the outpost, the sunlight hit there eyes. After over a week in a dark, cold prison, the sudden contrast in atmosphere was a welcome change, even if the light did temporarily stun them. Although John had told her of their location - that they weren't on a Hive Ship - she still wasn't fully prepared to see it with her own eyes. It was indeed the planet Klaan: the same trees, the same bushes… did she see the same village in the distance?

After walking a few hundred meters, Elizabeth turned and looked at the complex from which they had came. From being on the inside, she had guessed it was mammoth, but it was barely visible from the outside. The structure was built into a rock formation, which explained its low temperature, and blended perfectly into its surroundings - probably a Klaan design. In fact, she guessed if one were not looking for it, one could easily pass it by. Anyone could be standing right on top of it and still not know he or she was on the doorstep of a Wraith outpost.

They walked for miles under the scorching sun, roughly in the direction of the village they had initially visited for the trade negotiations. No one uttered a word the entire time except for the occasional inquiry from John as to the condition of Elizabeth's knee. She noticed he seemed even more distant than usual, and that he had grown more morose than when they had been in their cell. She also caught him intentionally avoiding her questioning gaze.

The pace was grueling. After several miles, Elizabeth and John began to lag behind, unable to keep up with the lead group of a Wraith and two Klaans. This only earned them a shove from behind from Tiny and Number Two which caused them to stumble several times. John's protests that Elizabeth's knee was injured only succeeded in quickening the pace.

Finally, after hours and what Elizabeth estimated to be close to eight miles of marching, they arrived at the Stargate. Exhausted, she and John collapsed to the ground while the unaffected Wraith and Klaans stood watch. Not wanting to waste time, however, Hergon strode quickly up to John, grabbed his arm, and hauled him to his feet. The pressure on his arm wound was excruciating. Which is probably why he did it, genius, John added silently.

Hergon practically dragged him over to the DHD. "Dial the Gate," he commanded.

"I'm going to need my radio and my IDC device," John replied coolly. It was part of his terms; they had better have them.

Smiling knowingly, as if he somehow hoped to slip one past John, he called out to one of his men to bring him the gear. He inspected both pieces of equipment carefully.

John rolled his eyes. It's not like you know what to do with them, you jackass.

Satisfied they couldn't be used against him in any way, Hergon handed the radio and GDO to John. Sheppard looked them over thoroughly, making sure neither was damaged. He noticed his radio's earpiece was missing. Great…. That meant everything he said to Atlantis would be heard by ten Wraith and six Klaans over the radio's speaker. To make matters worse, the group was situated around the DHD; they had a perfect view of the dialing device and therefore would have a perfect view of Atlantis's address once dialed. John made a mental note to keep the GDO device hidden when he entered his personal code.

Taking a deep breath, he dialed the Gate.

-

Atlantis was in complete disorder, and in the thick of it was Lt. Ford. Without Dr. Weir there to run it, the place was a mess. Daily tasks weren't being completed, briefings weren't taking place, the scientists were complaining about the lack of resources, the military contingent was concerned over the lapse in security, and to top it all off, they still had a food shortage problem that was growing worse by the day. Try as he might, Aiden was no Dr. Weir.

He slumped down in her chair, ready to address the problem of off world activities. Every since the Major and Dr. Weir had gone missing, Gate travel had been temporarily suspended, at least until matter at home had been resolved first. But with their food supply running low, they would have no choice but to soon Gate to another world. Maybe Athos has fields of wheat or something, he thought. Teyla should know. I'll ask-

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the open door. It was Rodney. His eyes shifted cagily around the room as if he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be here or not. He looked uncomfortable to say the least.

"McKay, come in," Ford greeted. The young lieutenant had noticed that the astrophysicist was unusually quiet the past few days, no doubt still upset from the recent loss of his friends. He had no idea the scientist was so sensitive. McKay no longer worked tirelessly in his lab, endlessly tinkering with Ancient technology. He now spent most of his days in his room, alone. In fact, he barely spoke to anyone. He always ate alone in the mess hall and made it a point to avoid the control room and Jumper bay. Ford guessed those places hit too close to home; they reminded him of his lost friends.

Rodney timidly walked in the room and up to the chair in front of Dr. Weir's - Aiden's - desk. He made a motion to sit down but changed his mind half way through the action, unsure of himself.

Ford eyed him suspiciously. "You can sit, you know. That's what chairs are for."

Rodney exhaled heavily and sat. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely audible. "It's just that… well, Teyla and I have been thinking - well, it was mostly my idea but Teyla did have some input and she fully agrees with me-"

Aiden rolled his eyes. At least that part of him hadn't changed. "McKay…" he prompted the doctor to continue.

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, some of us have been thinking: what of we return to M4H-213 with a small team and take some energy readings. I mean, who knows? Maybe it could point us in the right direction, maybe even lead us to where the Major and Dr. Weir were taken to-"

Ford stopped him with his hand. This was going to be hard to say. He couldn't even believe he was going to say it. "Rodney, we tried. We did everything we possibly could to get them back… but there's just no way we're ever going to find them. They could be across the galaxy by now."

McKay stared at him skeptically. Ford is starting to sound like Bates, for crying out loud.

"Look," Ford continued, "I miss them, too-"

"You're wrong. We haven't done everything just yet. All I'm asking is for is a small team - hell, I'll go by myself if I have to - and a couple of hours. It's a long shot, I admit, but we can't just sit here twiddling out thumbs and dancing jigs like nothing happened. Could you live with yourself knowing there was something you could have done?" he pleaded.

Ford put his head in his hands and sighed. No, he thought, I couldn't. McKay's right. "Okay, fine. But-"

The sound of the high pitched klaxons drowned out his voice. Both he and McKay rushed into the control room, McKay's self-implemented avoidance of the area temporarily forgotten.

"Unscheduled off world activation," Grodin dutifully announced as they approached him. His look of shock matched there own; there had been no Gate activity for almost a week now. Upon hearing the commotion, both Dr. Beckett and Teyla had made their way to the control room as well, curious as to what was happening.

"Raise the shield," Ford instructed. With their luck, it was probably the Genii or some other culture that was pissed off at them for God-knows-what.

Grodin did as instructed while McKay made his way over to his laptop.

"Any idea who it is?" Ford asked, voicing what was on all their minds.

"Just a second…" Rodney replied, typing in a few commands. He found the screen he was looking for… at least he thought it was the screen he was looking for. No, that can't be right…. McKay refreshed the screen, but the same information appeared. It's probably Kavanaugh, playing his idea of a clever joke on us all. Or Zelenka. I bet it's him. He always-

"McKay," Ford interrupted his thoughts. Everyone was staring at him with similar expressions, curiosity and anticipation registering on their faces. Ford cocked an eyebrow. "Who is it? Is there an IDC?"

McKay swallowed, the realization dawning on his that this wasn't a joke. "Yes," he breathed. "Yes there is." He looked Ford squarely in the eye. "It's Major Sheppard."

-

He had dialed the Gate, watching out of the corner of his eye as no less than two Wraith and two Klaans observed the coordinates he selected. So much for not telling them the location of Atlantis, he thought. John knew it didn't matter, however; as long as they didn't have his IDC code, they couldn't lower the shield on Atlantis, which was why he was careful to keep the GDO device hidden as he entered his code: 3195347.

John waited a few moments before trying his radio, putting it on VOX. He wanted nothing more than to say, "Hey, anyone there? It's me, John!" but his training kicked in. He instead cleared his throat and formally said, "Atlantis, this is Major Sheppard. Do you copy?"

Atlantis was in an uproar. Papers flew in the air in celebration as they all realized at least one of their own was still alive. McKay had picked up Teyla and was spinning her around (before he realized he wasn't fit enough to be doing so and placed her back down), Grodin was standing and cheering, the military members were all clapping at the sound of their boss's voice… even Bates and Kavanaugh each cracked a smile. At any other time, Ford would try to squelch the pandemonium, but he, too, was just as excited to hear his CO's - his friend's - voice over his radio. He had to restrain himself from screaming like a little girl.

The lieutenant put on his best senior officer face and replied, his radio on VOX as well so everyone could share in the good news. "Major, this is Atlantis, be advised you are on VOX. We read you loud and clear, and let me just say it's good to hear your voice, sir. Is Dr. Weir there with you?"

"Yeah, she's right here next to me, Lieutenant," Sheppard replied. He could here another burst of cheers erupt over the radio and wished he was there to see it. John couldn't keep a smile from forming on his face.

By now the Gate room was filled to capacity with nearly all the members of Atlantis eagerly awaiting the return of two dearly missed colleagues. Ford had to shout over the applause and cries of joy. "Sir, we've lowered the shield. You're all clear to come through." He covered his mouth piece and shouted to Beckett to get a medical team assembled in the Gate room, just in case.

"Copy that, Lieutenant." John walked back over to where Elizabeth was sitting and being closely guarded by Wraith Number Two. She had heard the entire conversation and laughed at everyone's enthusiasm. Everyone except John, she noted, wondering what it meant. She allowed him to help her to her feet and guide her to the Gate. Elizabeth had never liked Gate travel. Somehow the thought of being chopped up into tiny pieces of energy and being reassembled light years away thoroughly disturbed her, but now she couldn't wait to walk through the event horizon.

John cast a knowing look to Hergon. The Klaan leader didn't entirely trust him, however, and ordered the Wraith to take aim at the two prisoners. Just in case the Major tried anything… funny.

Elizabeth immediately noticed ten Stunners being raised and pointed in their direction and instinctively started in alarm. She looked to John for an explanation, but he didn't react to their presence. In fact, she dared to think he had expected the action.

"John, what's going on?" she asked. Why did she suddenly feel like she shouldn't walk through the Gate, like something was suspiciously… wrong?

He stopped her just before the Gate and turned her to him with a hand on her arm. There was so much he wanted to tell her: how he had enjoyed every minute of time spent with her, especially their covert late night ice cream feasts, how she had made his a better person, a better man…. God, she's beautiful, he thought. She had to go through the Gate. There were people who needed her more than he did. The scientists, the military, the Athosians… Simon. I'm such a fool, he thought. How could he ever hope that there was anything between them when she had Simon? He had no one. He was no one, just another expendable grunt who could be replaced. Elizabeth, though… she was the flawless leader they all needed.

John stood staring at her, her hands in his, trying to figure a way to voice what he wanted to say to her. Elizabeth remained silent, expecting.

He had insisted on coming to the Gate not only to enter his IDC, but to say goodbye to her as well. Now, however, when the time was actually upon him, he realized he didn't know how. John realized he didn't even want to; he couldn't bring himself to do it. It would be easier for them both if she simply stepped through the puddle without so much as a look back.

Elizabeth cocked her head and smiled. He would miss that smile. "What is it?" she asked.

John smiled himself, one full of sadness and regret, but also filled with a sense of responsibility and duty. "Nothing," he replied with a small shake of his head. He walked her the remaining few feet to the surface of the puddle and encouraged her to walk through.

Slowly, she closed the distance to the shimmering blue surface of the pool that would take her back home. As she was about to step through, she paused, suddenly unsure of herself.

John watched her slip slowly away from him, soon to be forever gone from his life. He then saw her stop right before entering the even horizon. No… no, no, no…. What is she doing? He started to panic. If she didn't go now, she could lose the opportunity. What if the Klaans change their minds?

Attempting to make the illusion as believable as possible, John walked up and stood next to her. The Wraith raised their Stunners higher. He prayed they weren't going to shoot.

Once again, Elizabeth became more confused at their act of hostility, but didn't link it to John's increasing proximity to the Gate. Something is definitely wrong, she decided, looking to John for his reaction.

This time he completely ignored the blatant threat from the Wraith. Instead, he reached a hand up and brushed his thumb gently across her cheek, just as he had when she had been hurt. "It's okay," he assured. "I'll be right behind you."

Elizabeth nodded. Though her strong sense foreboding had not eased, she trusted him. She had trusted him ever since coming to Atlantis with her very life, and there was no reason not to now. She offered him one last reassured smile and slid through the even horizon.

He watched her go. That was it; she was gone. It was harder than he had thought it would be, letting go. He reached a hand up and touched the cool, pristine surface of the puddle. Here he was, merely inches away from home, from safety…. If he just stepped through…. John immediately expelled the thought from his mind. The Wraith would be on his heels and would be in Atlantis before they could raise the shield. The deaths of hundreds of people would be on his hands, not to mention that the safety of Earth would be jeopardized as well. This simple matter of not stepping forward a mere inch or so was the single hardest decision of his life.

Elizabeth stepped through the other side of the wormhole and was immediately greeted by what looked to be the entire population of the city applauding. She could not help but laugh as a torrent of relief washed over her. She was home.

Ford, Teyla, Rodney instantly rushed down the stairs from the control room and ran to her side, followed closely by Beckett and his team of medics.

"Ma'am, it's good to have you back," Ford greeted honestly. He didn't know if he could take one more day of running this place.

"It's good to be back, Lieutenant," she replied just as sincerely.

"The city had become a 'zoo' since you have left, Doctor," Teyla told her, struggling with her newly-learned Earth word.

"Yes, I can see that," she observed with a grin. There would be a lot of work to be done once Beckett, who was now helping her sit on a gurney, released her from the infirmary. Elizabeth looked forward to getting back into the routine of things.

"Where's Sheppard?" McKay asked suddenly.

The words hit Elizabeth like a ton of bricks. Her heart stopped cold and the room seemed to die with it. McKay's question seemed to echo in the now silent room. Hadn't he been right behind me? she thought.

Ford looked from the still active wormhole to her. It was obvious from her look of shock she didn't know either. "Major," he keyed his radio once more. "This is Ford, come in."

On the other side of the event horizon, John looked at his radio. He didn't want to answer it; it was just making things more difficult than they had to be. But he supposed he owed them, owed her, an explanation at the very least. He didn't want his friends to worry needlessly.

"This is Sheppard," he responded reluctantly. He knew what was next.

"Sir, the shield is still down. You're still good to come through."

John took a deep breath and rubbed his hands over his eyes. "I'm not coming through, Lieutenant."

It seemed as if all motion in the entire city stopped at once. Everyone stopped breathing as hearts were caught in throats and pens dropped in disbelief.

Elizabeth's shock quickly evolved into dread. Suddenly, it dawned on her: the deal, the deal Hergon had talked about. Oh God…. John's staying. That's his part of the deal, to stay so that I can go…. She leapt from her position of the gurney, ignoring Doctor Beckett's protests, and made her way to Ford.

"I'm sorry, sir?" the lieutenant asked. "I thought-"

Aiden didn't get to finish his statement because at that moment a very agitated Dr. Weir stormed up to him and wrenched the radio from his hands. "John Sheppard, you step through that wormhole right now!" she directed. There was no way this was happening. No, they had gotten through the ordeal together; he couldn't just abandon her like this.

John sighed. She was only making this harder on herself and on him. "Elizabeth, I can't…." Why couldn't she see he was doing this for her?

"No, John. Do it right now."

"Liz, I'm sorry-"

"Dammit, Major, that's an order!"

John paused. He could hear the death-like silence that had overtaken Atlantis, a stark contrast to the jubilation of mere minutes ago. He wished he could say goodbye to them all, wished he could tell McKay that he thought hospital food wasn't that bad either, wished he could tell Teyla to go easy on Ford in their sparring practices, and wished he could tell the lieutenant that he would make a fine, upstanding commander someday - but he couldn't. He could, however, say goodbye to the one person her cared the most for.

"Liz, I need to tell you something," he began softly. He didn't care that there were hundreds of people listening to him on both sides of the Gate.

"John, please don't…." She dropped her assertive tone and was now pleading with him. Tears began to flow from her eyes.

"Please, just listen." It was hard enough for him already. His thoughts drifted back to the time the nanovirus was loose in the city. He had never apologized to her for undermining her authority, something that had hurt her very deeply. "I want… I want you to know that I've never doubted you, not once. And I'm sorry for all those times I made you feel like I did. There's no one better or more qualified to run this expedition. You're perfect, Elizabeth Weir," he said with a smile. And he meant it in more ways than one. No, this wasn't the most difficult decision of his life. It was the easiest one he ever made.

"Take care of her, McKay," he said. John knew the two had grown to be close friends, like brother and sister. And despite his bumbling nature, John trusted him.

"You got it," Rodney tried, but the words got caught in his throat and came out as a barely audible whisper. He turned away from the group, hiding the moisture that was beginning to collect in the corner of his eyes.

Sensing he was about to leave her for good, Elizabeth began to instinctively run toward the Gate. Matter could only travel one way through a wormhole, but that little fact didn't seem to bother her at the moment. She was determined to find a way back to him.

Ford and Teyla saw what she was about to do and blocked her path. Elizabeth tried to dodge them, but the two restrained her. She struggled against them, but it was useless.

John could hear the tussle over the radio, and it was killing him. He had to break the connection. Closing his eyes, he reached out once more to the even horizon. It was almost like touching her; it was his last connection to her. "Bye, Liz…" he muttered.

No, this can't be happening, it's not happening, it can't be happening, she thought. Elizabeth was hysterical now, fighting with renewed strength against the two people holding her back. She was screaming madly at the Gate.

"John, no! You can't! Don't go, John!"

He couldn't listen to this anymore. It was breaking his heart. John turned his back to the puddle and began walking to the DHD.

"John, please!" she begged, still yelling at the top of her lungs as warm tears cascaded down her face.

John reached the dialing device and looked at the large red button that would forever cut him off from his friends, his family, his home, from her. He closed his eyes and bit his lip. "Don't come back for me," he uttered quietly. And with that he disconnected the Gate.

Elizabeth watched in horror as the puddle vanished in front of her eyes. She sank to the floor, sobbing. Hundreds of eyes bored into the back of her, but she didn't care. He was gone, and that was all that mattered.

Teyla and Ford released their hold on her and backed away, giving her some space. Beckett made a move to gather her up and secure her on a gurney, but McKay stopped him with his arm. "Just… give her some time," he asked. "Please."

Beckett nodded reluctantly. He couldn't believe what he and the other inhabitants had just witnessed. They all had just lost a dear friend, a good person. He still could not come to terms with the fact that Sheppard would no longer be there to question his advice, to disobey his orders… or to boost his confidence when he needed it the most. He was gone.

Teyla stared at the now inactive Gate. A special mentor, a tutor, and a fellow leader was gone. Who would spar with her with the Athosian staffs? Who would explain to her the intricacies of football? Who would be there to support her when a leader needed encouragement? He was gone.

Ford couldn't look at the Stargate any longer. He didn't know if it had actually sunken it yet that his friend, his brother, his CO, his fellow troublemaker was no longer going to be pitching him ideas for the next prank, for the next wager, or for the next strategy. He was gone.

Rodney closed his eyes, not wanting to face the grim reality that was now upon them. He would no longer be able to pester his friend with "touch this," trade insults with him, share his stash of Powerbars with him, or earn a good ribbing over his hatred of citrus-flavored food from him. Rodney would miss John, more than he realized he would. He was gone.

Most of the expedition members began to file out of the room, sensing their leader needed to be alone. Her close friends, however, stayed at a distance to support her. They all watched Elizabeth wept openly in the middle of the floor. It was the only sound in the entire complex. If anyone had listened closely, they would have heard her murmuring "don't leave me" until her voice became hoarse.

He was gone.

TBC


OMG, that was so sad, even for me to write. Cry.Yes, this was the big something I told you all was coming. And look, no cliffie! Again! Those couple of line of Grodin's were my little tribute to him. :( Carson will get a few more lines here and there, so don't worry Beckett fans. I'll try not to butcher the accent. Review please!