Some time later, the two wandered back up the path to the house, arms around each other's waists, Elizabeth's head resting on John's shoulder. As they climbed the steps to the porch, Sam, carrying a tray, opened the door and came outside, followed by Andrea, Rodney, and Kate.
With a smile, Sam nodded her head. "We were having some coffee."
"Lucas?" Elizabeth glanced at Kate.
"In bed." Kate smiled at Elizabeth, "Tired out from excitement. And since it's going to be another early morning…"
"I'm just going to go look in on him," Elizabeth turned toward John and brushed a kiss across his cheek. "Be right back." Turning to Kate Elizabeth angled her head towards the house, "Kate would you come up with me?"
"Do you want me to…" John, concerned, stopped as Elizabeth rested a finger on his lips.
"No," Elizabeth let her eyes slide to meet Kate's concerned gaze, before looking back at John. "We'll be back in a minute. You know how I like my coffee."
"If you're sure...?" With a slight squeeze, John released Elizabeth's waist, then watched her disappear through the door, followed by Kate.
"Are you all right?" Kate fell in step with Elizabeth as they crossed the foyer and moved to the staircase. She touched Elizabeth's arm, stopping her on the stairs. "Andrea said you seemed upset earlier."
"I don't entirely know...just something about seeing Lucas so happy set something off..." Elizabeth admitted softly.
"You saw what could have been…" Kate began.
"Should have been." Elizabeth stated bitterly, then sighed. "You have to understand Kate, I wouldn't trade who he is for anything in the world. I just wish…"
"I know." With a sigh, Kate glanced up the stairs toward the bedrooms, then back at the woman in front of her. "Elizabeth, I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything about you, about what kind of life you had growing up, but look at who you are now compared to who you were then."
"Point taken." Elizabeth smiled starting up the stairs again. "Still, I didn't realize that I could feel the way I did until this afternoon."
"That's normal, you've been through a lot in the last ten years...longer actually." Elizabeth shot Kate a look as they reached the top of the steps. "Remember I was there at the beginning of the Atlantis expedition, I saw what you had to go through and deal with from the very start." Kate elaborated. "It's understandable that you're going to come across these intense feelings from time to time, but I have faith that you'll get through this."
"Yeah but how long is it going to take?" Elizabeth leaned back against the wall next to Lucas' door.
"It's different for everyone." Kate gave Elizabeth's arm a reassuring squeeze then opened the door to Lucas' room.
As Kate held the door, Elizabeth moved silently into the bedroom and stopped next to the bed. Gazing down at Lucas, she smiled again and bent to kiss his forehead. "Good night, little man."
"Mom?" Lucas stirred slightly as he whispered.
"Shh..go back to sleep." Elizabeth traced Lucas' cheek. "I just came to say good night." Lucas mumbled something that resembled good night, already falling back to sleep.
With another kiss to Lucas' cheek, Elizabeth stood and returned to Kate's side. "Thank you for putting him to bed."
"My pleasure." Kate smiled and led the way back down the hall. "Can I make a suggestion before we go back downstairs?"
"Of course." Curious, Elizabeth paused and looked at Kate.
"You might want to pull a brush through your hair." Kate bit back the laugh at Elizabeth's expression. "You look like you've been up to something pleasantly strenuous."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and let out an embarrassed sigh. "Is it that obvious?"
"Well let's see, to put it mildly you look like you buttoned up that shirt in the dark, and you left the house with your hair pulled back and now it isn't." Kate's lips twitched. "And I'd suggest leaving the hair down for a few days if I was you, or wear something with a collar. A high one."
"Damn that man and his irresistiblely hot mouth." Elizabeth muttered, pulling the door to her room open.
"I guess it's a good thing I stopped Rodney from going out and searching for you two." Kate watched, amused as Elizabeth's face flushed.
"He was going to come looking for us?" Remembering what she and John had spent the last hour doing, pretty much out in the open, Elizabeth groaned and pulled the brush through her hair. "I owe you."
"After Andrea came in and told me you'd gone off and John had followed you, I figured you could use the time alone to talk after everything that had happened today." Kate shrugged.
"I am feeling better." Leaving her hair down, but now brushed out, Elizabeth turned towards Kate with a slight smile. "I'm just dealing with some emotions and feelings that even I didn't realize ran as deep as they do."
"One conversation isn't going to work through them." Kate stated softly as they returned to the hallway.
"I know." Elizabeth glanced at Kate. "But it was a start." She fell silent as they descended the staircase, until right before they went out onto the porch. "A very good start," she added with a sly smile as she pulled the door open, Kate's laugh finally escaping as they joined the others.