Usual disclaimers: If I owned them, Sheppard would be tied to my bed, Fenestrae!

Chapter 7

Something in the air…

Elizabeth stood contemplating the sea and the sky on the balcony outside her office. It was another beautiful day on Atlantis. She loved standing out here in the fresh air. The air on Atlantis was special; it always soothed her. Whenever she felt perturbed or upset, somehow standing on this balcony never failed to help dissolve the feelings of tension and anxiety that sometimes tied up her mind and body.

Standing here always helped her to get objective about whatever was plaguing her that day, whether it was an overdue team, blocked sewers or Rodney's latest gadget. She had come here after the conversation in the infirmary; her face had been hot and flushed but now she felt the breeze take the heat out of the capillaries on her face and with it the tension.

Cooler blood, cooler thoughts. For the first time, she managed to think calmly about what had happened. If everyone else on Atlantis had shared their extremely vivid dreams last night that meant that Sheppard had also dreamt about their passionate… episode.

She watched the sun shimmer and play on the ocean beneath her, hearing the gentle swell of the waves as they struck the city far below. Sometimes when she was here she fancied she could smell a hint of jasmine or lavender on the breeze, and she would smile at her fantasies. Today, all she could smell was the tang of salt and ozone. Leaning over the rail slightly she marveled at the city's beauty. The gleaming spires, the way the buildings seem to reach up and embrace the sky, the way light seemed not just to shine on it but shine from it.

She sighed.

She wasn't unduly surprised when she heard the doors open and his soft footsteps behind her, or when he moved to stand next to her, hands on the railing and stared out toward the horizon.

Neither said anything for a few minutes. Elizabeth was content just to let the breeze blowing off the blue ocean, whisper in her ear and just let her body and mind settle to the reality of his presence.

"Elizabeth," he said finally, "you didn't dream about nothing last night."

"No, I didn't," she said and looked down at their hands, hers white and small, his large and industrious, all four of them, neat in a row. "Neither did you."

"Yeah," she heard him sigh.

She felt, rather than saw him, turn toward her.

"I," he said, "I don't know what to say."

"Me neither." A small smile jerked at the corners of her mouth. She took a great interest in her hands clutching the rail in front of her, looking as the knuckles stretched the skin white above them.

The silence between them seemed to stretch as far as the purple-tinged horizon.

"I'm sorry," he blurted suddenly.

"Sorry?" she said, confused. She finally looked at him. Their eyes caught each other's for a moment, before he looked away, dismay and embarrassment drawn across his features.

"Yes," he said, looking out at the ocean. The wind was catching his hair, making it more chaotic than usual. "I was the one that started it. The dream must have come from my mind. I'm sorry."

Elizabeth wasn't sure that she was entirely happy with her ranking military officer taking the full blame, especially when he looked so miserable. "Well, I think I played my part," she said quietly.

He looked back at her and grinned. "You did," he said.

She couldn't help smiling at him, as something inside her uncoiled and spiked warmth through her body.

"Perhaps we're overreacting," she said, she turned so that her back faced the ocean. "It was just a dream."

"Yes," he said, looking a great deal more cheerful than he had a minute ago. "It was just in our heads." He pointed at his head. "Not, not that I make a habit of dreaming about you in those terms at all Elizabeth. I mean, you're a very attractive woman and all that… and I mean who wouldn't…"

"It's okay, Major, I understand." without thinking she put out her hand and placed it over his on the railing.

It was a mistake, because as she touched his warm skin, a thousand sensations exploded in her mind, Sheppard's hands moving over her, Sheppard's breath on her skin. She closed her eyes and swayed slightly. She felt her hand being taken and entwined in his, his thumb moving softly over her palm and she knew he was being assailed by the same memories.

"You were incredible," he said, so quietly it felt like a whisper in her ear.

She opened her eyes. "So were you."

He looked back at her with a slightly goofy smile. "I was?" He seemed surprised.

"Yes," she said simply.

For a moment they just stood and looked at each other. For the first time Elizabeth really looked at him, saw the fine lines belying his youthful demeanour and the first flecks of grey in his black hair. The look of uncertainty in his pupil-dark eyes. She took her free hand and stroked the rough bristle on his face, marveling at the difference in texture of his skin from her own. He closed his eyes and murmured in appreciation as her finger brushed against the corner of his mouth. Standing there, with his eyes closed, he suddenly looked vulnerable and she laughed softly. He opened his eyes and pouted at her.

"What?" he growled softly, and grabbed her hand pulling her towards him.

And she let him, closing her eyes, breathing in Sheppard, feeling his breath on her lips.

And then her eyes snapped wide open as she heard the door opening and excited footsteps clattering across the slate surface of the balcony.

Sheppard was suddenly six feet away from her, staring out to sea with crossed arms.

"Elizabeth.. Major… " Rodney said, holding up what looked like a bra with a string of dried seaweed attached to it. He was slightly out of breath. ".. those dreams? Only they weren't dreams, they actually happened!"

Thanks Melyanna for the beta, and for the extra commas!

Sinj, you asked for romance, and it was funny because I'd already written the chapter, great minds eh?

Thanks for bearing with me, I get busy in RL and I have to be in the mood or it's no good! But I'm hoping that Chapter 8 will be done soon.