Almost an hour later, John smiled again, watching Elizabeth watch the performance. She was leaning forward, her upper arms resting on the railing in front of her, thoroughly entranced by the dancers on the stage. Reaching out, he laid his hand on her bare back, thumb stroking along her spine and causing her to glance back at him with a smile before returning her attention to the performance.
He chuckled softly, although he appreciated the ballet, he could never find the same level of enjoyment as she did the few times they'd attended one together. He supposed it was due to her background as a dancer and love for the theater - a fact not known by many people, Elizabeth hadn't always wanted to be a diplomat. The times they'd attended the theater or ballet together though, he found just as much enjoyment watching her as she did watching the stage. And, he had to admit, he was still a bit afraid that if he took his eyes off of her for too long, she would disappear again.
Suddenly, John blinked as Elizabeth straightened and applause filled the air. "Intermission?"
"Yes." Turning, Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Thank you for bringing me. It's beautiful."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it." He continued to rest his hand on her bare back. "Shall we go get a bite and some more wine?"
"I'd like that." She stood and waited for him, her eyes wandering the main floor and balcony of the theater, absently observing the people moving up the aisles, many of them casting looks up toward their box. Returning their gazes, she smiled slightly as he stood next to her. "I feel as though we should wave or grant them an audience."
John let his chuckle turn into a laugh as he slid his arm around her waist. "They're curious, it will die down. Everyone even remotely involved with the Stargate program went through the same thing, even me."
Elizabeth nodded slightly trusting John to know what he was talking about. "I'm hungry."
"Then let's go get you something to eat." Tightening his arm around her waist, he led her toward the door, and a few minutes later into the salon they'd entered through earlier. "I'll get you another glass of wine, you go on and get us a plateful."
"OK." Elizabeth wandered over to the buffet and after selecting a plate of different foods, turned to see John moving toward her. "Now where?"
His gaze swept the room then landed on a seating area in the corner. "Over here." Leading her, he crossed to the area, smiling as the man already seated in the corner stood. "Trevor."
"Uncle Johnny." A younger man, probably in his mid-twenties, smiled at them, giving John a brief hug. "And you must be Elizabeth. John has spoken very highly of you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Thank you." Elizabeth blinked as John indicated a chair, then seated herself and placed the plate on the table between them before taking the glass he handed her.
"And since these cretins won't introduce us," the woman facing her smiled warmly. "I am Helene, Trevor's wife."
"Hello." Nervously, Elizabeth glanced at John as he seated himself next to her.
"I've known Trevor his whole life. His dad, Justin, and I were best friends growing up, we even served together for a few years before he resigned so he could go have himself a family." John explained with a smile toward her. "This kid's a little hellion just like his old man."
The other man burst out laughing. "You're not so sweet and innocent yourself, old man." Seating himself, he relaxed back into his chair. "Are you enjoying the performance?"
Elizabeth glanced at John, who raised an eyebrow at her as he chewed a bite of something off their plate. Returning her attention to the other couple, she smiled. "Very much. It's beautiful…the dancers are quite talented."
"I agree." Helene nodded and leaned forward. "John has told us you have an interest in the theater."
"Yes, although it's the first time I've had…the opportunity to see anything in quite awhile." Elizabeth took a nervous sip of her wine and picked up a small piece of fruit.
"So I understand." Helene glanced at John then back at Elizabeth. "Will you and John be settling in Atlantis?"
"We haven't decided yet." John answered for Elizabeth as she took a bite of the fruit. "We'll be in Colorado for a little longer, then go from there."
"Have you had the chance to visit La Femme while you're in town?" Helene leaned toward Elizabeth. "You really must persuade John to send you while you're in town."
"La Femme?" Elizabeth blinked of all the time she'd spent in DC over her life time she'd never heard of the place.
"Yes it's a new spa in town, only been around for about a year now."
"Helene." Trevor groaned. "Elizabeth ignore her, please. For my financial state if for no other reason, as well as yours John."
"Trevor, one day at the spa is nothing compared to some of the things you've purchased. Besides I don't seem to recall you ever complaining after I've come home from a day at the spa all nice and relaxed." Helene teased then returned her attention to the other woman, leaning even closer as her voice dropped to an intimate level as she spoke to Elizabeth.
John watched the two women for a moment then looked at Trevor as the man touched his arm, his voice pitched low. "She's nervous?"
"Very. This is the first time we've been out socially since her…return." John matched the other man's vocal level.
"Helene will be good for her." Trevor smiled slightly. "As soon as she realized you were here, she wanted to come visit your box. I persuaded her to wait, hoping you would be here during the intermission."
John chuckled. "Elizabeth nearly bolted before the performance after she realized how many people were staring at us."
Trevor snorted. "Helene would love the attention." He glanced back at the women. "You may be financing a trip to that damned spa."
"Anything she'd like." John smiled as he watched Elizabeth speaking with the other woman. "She's taken to Helene despite the age difference, I'm not surprised."
"Helene will take care of her, she can be very protective." Trevor nodded then returned his attention to John. "So what's this rumor I hear about you having a kid?" Laughing John patted Trevor on the shoulder as he started telling Trevor all about Lucas, knowing he could trust the younger man to keep his mouth shut if the press came snooping around.
The two couples continued their conversations until a soft tone sounded and the lights flickered, causing Elizabeth to look up, startled, and John and Trevor to stand. "Ladies?" John held out his hand to Elizabeth.
"John, Elizabeth and I have decided that I will fetch her in the morning." Helene smiled at the other woman as they stood. "You and Trevor may entertain yourselves...just don't get arrested." She directed the last part towards John, who scowled.
"Jeeze you make one little mistake and it haunts you for the rest of your life." John mumbled under his breath. OK so maybe stealing the principal's car, dismantling it, and trying to re-mantle it in the guys office all because they'd gotten bored one weekend - try being the key word there, the car had only been about half way re-mantled when they'd been caught - hadn't been the smartest thing John and Justin had done in their youth.
"You don't mind, do you?" Elizabeth questioned. "Helene seems to think that no trip to DC is complete without a trip to the spa."
"Whatever you'd like." He brushed a kiss across her cheek. "If you wish to go, you shall."
"I'll take care of her John." Helene tucked her arm through Trevor's. "Ask him, I'm quite protective."
"And, I'd like to, unless you had plans for us." Elizabeth relaxed slightly. She'd taken a liking to the other woman, Helene had not asked about her time with the Genii, although she clearly knew about it. She'd treated Elizabeth not as someone who was to be questioned, or as someone who'd been through something very few others had survived, but simply as another woman out for a night on the town with their husband. There was also something genuine about the woman, and based on both her intuition and the fact that John had selected this couple to sit with, Elizabeth felt comfortable with her.
"No, I'd thought we could just wait and see what tomorrow would bring." He smiled at the other couple. "Perhaps you would like to join us for breakfast before disappearing for the day?"
"Eight thirty tomorrow?" Trevor returned the smile and sighed. "Then I can enlighten you to how much my wife will convince yours to spend tomorrow, and we can spend the day discussing our future bankruptcies."
"At our hotel." John nodded, then led Elizabeth out of the salon, the other couple following, then turning to go to their box. "You didn't feel pressured into going, did you?"
"No." Elizabeth paused as an usher opened the door to their box then continued as she stepped inside. "I liked them, and you trust them or we wouldn't have gone over to sit with them."
"Indeed I do." He led her back around to the couch and waited as she sat and moved into his arms, leaning against him as they faced the stage. "I've gone to Trevor lots of times over the years just to talk, he may have only been fifteen at the time, but I don't think I would have survived losing you if he hadn't been there for me. The guys back in Atlantis tried to help but they were dealing with the same kinds of things I was. And Trevor's come to me numerous times in his life when there was no one else he thought he could talk too, especially when his dad pasted away a few years ago. I became friends with Helene along the way."
Gaining a whole new level of respect and liking for Trevor, Elizabeth stayed silent as the curtain raised, the second half starting.