No Place like Home
Chapter Three
A/N: Two bad days in a row. What are the chances of a third? Thanks for your patience guys – I'm still working on updating all of the fic's I've left unfinished.
"You don't see the connection? How can you not see the connection?"
Elizabeth smiled slightly, watching John try to explain his point to the small crowd which had gathered, all joining them at their table.
"It was nothing like the Stargate." Elizabeth interjected, looking in amusement as he looked outraged.
"Come on. You can't tell me wormhole x-treme wasn't a take off."
"It was a take off." Rodney said quickly, picking the hundred thousands off his strawberry donut, "But it was a flop. Cancelled after six episodes. Kavanagh is obsessed with it. He had a signed box set he got at a convention, he spouted off to everyone in the labs about how it showed how the Stargate should be handled. I think he had a thing for the guy impersonating O'Neill. And I know he brought the X-treme uniform to Atlantis when he first came. Although, if I can say for a minute, the woman impersonating Samantha Carter – a personal friend of mine – is nothing like her. Carter – I've always had a thing for the stereotypical dumb blonde-"
Elizabeth coughed slightly as Rodney stuttered to a halt, everyone around the table sporting smirks.
"Well, I've had fun. But I have some reports to finish, so I'll bid you all goodnight." Elizabeth said with a smile, climbing from her chair to her feet as John followed suit.
"I'll walk you to your quarters." He interjected at her questioning raised eyebrow. He smiled at the people gathered around the table and followed Elizabeth out as Rodney leaned forward amidst the group.
"Who's day was it today?" He asked quickly, as Carson, glancing at the doorway the leaders had just left through, pulled out a small black book and flipped through the pages.
"Uh, Jenson and Everard."
"How much money is in the pool?" Cadman asked, leaning over his shoulder. Carson smiled at her.
"One thousand, six hundred and forty two dollars."
"Well," Rodney said cockily, pulling a few notes from his pocket, "put me down for a hundred for today. There's no way that by the end of tonight, they won't end up sleeping together."
"Is it right to be betting on what day they get together?" Kate asked, a frown on her face.
Rodney scoffed.
"It's commerce. Anyway, no harm to foul."
"You mean no harm," Zelenka added in, "Unless Elizabeth and Sheppard find out what we have going. Then they will kill us all."
There were anxious murmurs among the crowd as Rodney snorted loudly.
"Oh come on. They won't find out unless someone blabs. And without Kavanagh here, what are the chances of that?" People began to shrug. "Exactly," McKay continued, "Now, back to business. I understand someone here is in the business of selling chocolate bars…"
John scuffed his feet slightly as he stood outside Elizabeth's quarters, Elizabeth herself leaning in the doorframe.
"Well…thanks for walking me back. Although I don't know what you felt you had to protect me from."
"Well," John said nervously, "You never know these days."
Elizabeth smiled fondly.
"Thanks John."
John smiled slightly.
"No problem. I'll be your bodyguard any day." Suddenly realised how it sounded, John's face paled. "Uh, I mean, uh, um…"
Elizabeth rested her hand on his arm.
"John, it's alright."
He smiled sheepishly.
"Well then, goodnight."
Elizabeth smiled, almost fondly.
"Goodnight."
As the door slid shut John let out a sigh, leaning back against the door, unaware on the inside, Elizabeth was doing the same.
The next morning dawned bright and cold as John pulled himself together, walking from his quarters to the control room wearing two shirts and thick jumper. Rodney had some how managed to shut down the heating system and had spent the night trying to repair it, but as a result, had only managed to get the Atlantis version of an air cooler stuck on freezing. The windows had been coated over in ice and every breath taken resulted in white mist.
John shivered, walking into Elizabeth's office to find her in a coat so thick it made her look vastly like a seal and thick woolen mittens on her hands as she tried to type in the small delicate buttons on her laptop.
"Morning." John said quickly, sitting down in the chair opposite her and tapping his slightly blue fingers against the desk. "How goes Rodney's repairs?"
Elizabeth shook her head slightly.
"He assures me he'll have it fixed in a few hours, but as a result of his fiddling, we have malfunctions all over he city. He insists it's nothing but the cafeteria is sealed and the balcony doors are locked."
"No one stuck there I hope. Although being locked outside would be warmer then being in here."
Elizabeth chuckled.
"Yes, well, luckily no one was particularly hungry when the doors to the cafeteria locked. We did a head count on the bio-sensors, no one is in any danger. However, I did sent all of the non essential personnel in the puddle jumpers to the mainland, I figure it has a be warmer over there then here."
"I'm going to kill Rodney once he fixes this." John said through chattering teeth. Elizabeth smiled.
"Yes well, apparently some people confronted him already, found a secret stash of chocolate he had been squirreling away. They took it all apparently. He was quite distressed."
John smiled.
"He deserves it."
Elizabeth shrugged, eyes twinkling.
"Yes, well, all I know is I'm freezing, even in this jacket."
John raised an eyebrow.
"Well then, I think it's time we do something about it. Are you doing anything besides freezing your mittens off?"
She cocked her head to the side and answered.
"Not really. There's nothing I can do unless the heat is put back on."
John grinned.
"Excellent." Getting up and walking from the room, he grinned. Before stopping and poking his head back in the doorframe to meet her confused gaze.
"I'll pick you up at six." He warned, "Don't get busy before then."
He backed from the room, various thoughts running through his mind. He had to work fast.
Elizabeth had just begun to drop into an uncomfortable nap at her desk when John Sheppard poked his head once more into her office, making her wrench open her eyes as his amused expression.
"What?" She asked, as he nodded his head in indication she should follow him to their 'date'.
"Nothing." He answered quickly. Just a little too quickly for her taste. She smiled slightly as he led her to one of the now many media rooms, stopping with him as he opened the door. As she moved to peer around him be blocked her, grabbing her hand and using it to cover her eyes.
"No peeking." He warned quickly. She obliged, more out of curiosity as he led her into the room. When he ducked down her head she was confused, until he pulled her hand away and she gasped. He had set up a tent around the television, in it filled with pillows and large blankets as Elizabeth smiled.
"This is brilliant." She whispered as he pulled from under the covers a cigar box filled with candy.
"You're the one who took all the candy from Rodney!" She accused, a smile hinting her voice. John looked at her, a mock outraged expression on his face.
"You can't prove anything."
Shivering slightly (it was still freezing) Elizabeth bunched her hands together and John, noticing, quickly ordered her to lose the polar jacket and wrapped several blankets around her shoulders.
She smiled in gratitude as he played "A nightmare on Elm Street" but it wasn't long before John noticed Elizabeth had fallen asleep halfway through the movie, curled up with her head in his lap and her arms wrapped around a stray pillow, he smiled fondly down at the expedition leader slept, watching the end of the movie before pulling her into his arms and carrying her back to her quarters, adding a few extra blankets to keep her warm as he returned to clean up the mess in the media room. As he tucked his head into the pillow well past midnight, he couldn't help the smile that drifted onto his face, as he drifted out.
The young man stretched, slinking around the halls of Atlantis un-noticed by all. He was no more then a shadow, as he had been trained by his human leaders among the Wraith. He had to finish this mission with success, or else 'home' would not be worth returning to. Feeling the chill seep through his thin clothing, he spared a quite thought to the impudence of the scientist who could not figure out that sabotage had been the result of the malfunctions among the city as he tried to repair the temperature unit that had also been sabotaged by the young man himself. It was time for his plan to come into fruitation. By tomorrow morning, another body would be found in the halls of Atlantis. Their leader. Elizabeth Weir. Slinking back into the shadows, he began his long wait.
To be Continued…(only one chapter to go!)