Well here it is the folks. The one you've all been waiting for. Is John going to stop it or is it too late for Elizabeth? Well...you're gonna have to read it and find out.
Just to annoy you all, this is the last update till Monday, as I'm away from tomorrow. I think after this chapter, you may kill me for not updating, so I'm going to hide now. Cya on Monday.

Chapter 27:Nightmares can come true

The part of the city that Meecha eventually stopped in was dimly lit. Neither he nor Elizabeth had the gene, so the lights didn't change. Elizabeth was glad of it in a way.

John was also glad as he stalked further forward. There was still a bit of distance between them, but he was close.

Meecha knelt down in front of Elizabeth and pulled the gag down.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"I said, I don't know. I haven't gotten around to exploring the city yet."

Meecha glared angrily and pulled the gag back up roughly. He pulled her hands forward to check the ties on her wrists. There were spots of red on the rope and her arms.

"What a shame, I appear to have made you bleed."

Meecha stood up smiling, turning the gun his hands.

"Quite an impressive weapon. I believe these can do a great deal of damage at short range."

Looking down, he watched Elizabeth's still calm face. He couldn't understand why she didn't cry or scream or struggle. He had had no reaction since he'd begun to drag her away from their last rest point. She'd given up doing that after a while though.

Moving back down to her level, he looked straight at her.

"Perhaps you should come with me when we escape. You are a very beautiful woman. I could find many uses for you. Though it would be less painful for you if you co-operated with me, my dear."

Reaching out he brushed some loose strands of hair from Elizabeth's face. She tried to pull away, looking at him with disgust.

Meecha's smile twisted. He'd got his reaction.

John, who had heard all this wanted to jump out and fire at Meecha, but instead he held back in the shadows. He was only a few meters from Elizabeth. As Meecha stood and turned away, John stuck his head out of the shadows. Elizabeth noticed him out of the corner of her eye and smiled. John smiled back, before ducking back into the shadows. Elizabeth turned her head away, so as to not draw attention.

This part of the plan had been discussed with Ford before they'd come down. Reaching up, he turned his headset on and whispered into it.

"Now."

Down the corridor, Aiden began to fire blanks into the air.

Meecha instantly darted forward out into the next corridor. Seizing his chance, John knelt down and slid out a penknife towards Elizabeth.

Elizabeth's bound hands darted out, grabbing it as it slid past. Pulling it in, she set about cutting loose her ties.

Meecha was still distracted by the gunshots.

Taking his chance, John moved out of the shadows towards Elizabeth.

Suddenly, the shots stopped. John darted back into the shadows. Elizabeth, who had cut through the binds, dropped the untied gag to the floor, but pulled the ropes around her wrists. Meecha turned back to face her.

"I think we should move."

Grabbing her arm, he once again dragged her roughly out into the next corridor. Elizabeth let out a little cry of pain as his grip tightened. Meecha stopped in his tracks.

"Where's your gag?"

Elizabeth decided to take her chances. Turning, she punched him in the face with her freed hands. Then she turned to run. Meecha growled angrily and pulled out the gun.

"You're going to regret that."

With that he fired the gun into Elizabeth's leg.

John moved forward swiftly from the shadows. It was happening.

It wasn't until he looked down and seen the penknife that he realised it, and now, as he heard the shot, he realised he was too late.

Elizabeth turned slowly, clutching a hand to her bleeding leg. She was biting her lip to hold back tears, but it was barely working.

Meecha raised the gun a little higher. Now it was level with her chest. Meecha was aiming to kill now and she knew it.

John edged forward a little more, Meecha clearly in his sight. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elizabeth. John felt physically sick.

"If I can't get what I want the decent way, I'll just have to seize it when you're dead!"

Elizabeth looked at him in absolute terror. There was no escape. He was going to kill her.

"I don't think so."

John's voice startled Meecha, causing his hand to move slightly.

The shot rang out.

Elizabeth's scream of pain echoed in John's ears.

He'd failed.

As Elizabeth fell, John opened fire with everything he had. Meecha's body was flung back against the wall. Trails of red stained it as he slid down.

John kept on firing, though he knew Meecha was dead.

His nightmare had come true.

All the anger of the past weeks was released as he riddled Meecha with bullets. John no longer cared.

A cry brought him to his senses.

Turning, he could see Elizabeth lying on the floor. Blood was pooling around her. But she was gasping out in pain.

She wasn't dead.

John quickly moved to her side.

"Ford! Get down here!"

Looking at her face, John can see she's in pain.

"It's ok, we're gonna get help."

"You better John."

Reaching up, John flicks his headset to emergency frequency.

"Beckett, we need a medical team down here fast as."

"Right, who's injured?"

"Elizabeth."

"Oh God."

With that, the line went dead.

When Aiden reached Sheppard, he couldn't believe the scene. There was no time though.

Aiden came across quickly and knelt down on Elizabeth's other side.

"What do you want me to do Sir?"

"Put pressure on the leg wound with something."

"Right."

Aiden pulled of his jacket and pressed it to the wound. John was doing the same thing with the wound on her stomach.

John looked up at her face again.

"See everything's gonna be…Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth's eyes were closed and her face was deathly pale. John was terrified.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth? Lizzie?"

"Don't you dare call me Lizzie again!"

Elizabeth's eyes opened a little and she glared at John. He had to smile, even with the state she was in.

"Look, your hairs all out of place."

John reached up to brush back some stray strands of hair from her face. Pulling his hand back sharply, he looked at the bright red line he'd left across her pale skin.

Looking down at his own hands, John began to panic. They were covered in blood.

"Beckett! You better be on your way down here!"

"We're coming as fast as we can Major!"

"John."

Elizabeth's voice was soft. John didn't hear it as he continued to yell into the radio.

"That's not good enough, we need you now!"

"John."

"Sir."

"Shut up Ford! Beckett, this is serious. She's been hit tw…"

John stopped mid sentence. Elizabeth, who had grown tired of waiting, had reached up and lay a hand on his face. The touch caused him to freeze.

"I need to say something to you."

John didn't move for a few moments, and then eventually turned to look at her face. Reaching up, he turned off the headset and put his hand on hers.

"John, you knew this was going to happen, didn't you? It was a dream, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I should have told you then this…"

"Stop it. I'm glad you kept your word John. You don't always listen to me, I know, but when you do, I'm happy. I'm also happy to know that you're safe. I know you, you would have stepped in front of the gun, had you the chance. It's better this way."

"Don't say…"

"Let me finish. I want to thank you John. I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. For coming to Atlantis in the first place. And, for making my time here so amazing. You are a wonderful person John Sheppard, whether you realise it or not. Thank you for being there for me. It has certainly been an experience. Goodbye John."

Elizabeth's eyes closed slowly.

"No."

John's eyes filled with tears as Elizabeth's hand began to slip from his face.

"Please don't go. Stay here, with me. Please Elizabeth. Please don't go."