Disclaimer: I don't own anyone from SGA. My first attempt at SGA fic so be kind. Nor do I own the Song, "In his Touch" which is sung my Celine Dion.

Author's Note: Just another one of my rambling fic that goes nowhere. (See 'She's Back Again' for the original rambling) Plus, thanks to Cindyz, CKO, and a few others who helped me on this fic, if it weren't for you guys, this would have taken another year to be finished and to my beta-reader for taking some time out for editing it.

Spoilers for: Rising, Part 1, Sanctuary, The Siege, Parts 2 and 3

In His Touch

By Silver Rider

The candles were already burning, the table was already set for two, the night was like every night, but with the glowing candles it made the evening special. The stars were shattered, the red gases in space that were millions of light years away looked extremely mysterious.

But the same could not be said for the man who – standing near the rail of the balcony – was looking at her with patience that melted her heart and brought color to her cheeks. Then he threw her a boyish grin, making her pulse beat faster. Looking at her those grey eyes, she could tell that he was up to some mischief since he was the one who called her here.

She took steps closer to him, his features barely unreadable. He wasn't about to give anything away, not yet. He would have when the mood strikes him.

"What are you up…." He had silenced her, by placing one finger on her lips.

"You will find out soon enough," he replied then swept her off and into his arms and kissing off the laughter that had threatened to abrupt from her mouth.

Forgive me
Don't know where to start
I guess we've come to
The serious part
I need to find out
If there's a chance
For us...

As he took her through the mazes of corridors, her mind wondered off. Right from the moment she had seen him lying on the Ancient chair in the Antartica post; dark and brooding, with a frown that made him very - irresistible. But it had been his hair that her fingers were itching to play with. She was meant to be in love with Simon; faithful to the man she had loved for so long; not feeling the attraction to the young Major. Yet her own feelings had surprised her at the time.

But her feeling for him grew as the months went by. She had done a pretty good job of hiding them, till Chaya Sar had come in between, in her view of what they had even if it was a working relationship. She knew after that, there was no way that she could see him, not have her heart pounding in her chest. Or not have her lips curled when he would say something that only she found amusing, while others either groaned or ignored his remarks. But at times she really did look forward to his mistakes, just so she could lay her eyes on him.

Don't give me that same old look
You won't win me over
Don't give me that same old speech
You don't have to speak at all

It had been her eyes; the way her smile gave them life, the way she looked at the person with such respect and passion, he didn't know one could possess or had the ability, to do so; had drawn him. One thing he promised himself he wouldn't get caught by.

Yet, with her things came naturally; the leadership, a friend in need, even a peacemaker among the expedition team, which was more between him and McKay, then anyone else. He admired her for standing against that other what's his name idiot in true military style. But it was the way, her eyes transmitted their messages, that he found at times amusing.

She was a woman of many talents.

Sometimes he wondered what was about him that had her drawn to him. It must have been his looks that what most women went for. When he had meet her he hadn't been looking for love, he had been simply following orders of General O'Neill, to bring the other man to Antarctica, but his trip had taken an odd twist, from military to commanding officers to the Ancient ship/city known as Atlantis.

This not only became an adventure of a lifetime but he also found a woman he thought he'd never meet. Her smile was always alive, not just for him but for most people in ten thousand year old city. He admired her for the way she carried the weight of all this, making the task seem easier than it was. As the adventures rolled on, his respect for her turned into something more; he hadn't known how one thing led to another overtime he had been under her command.

His feelings grew at a pace he wasn't aware of and without knowing he had fallen in love. Once he noticed his feeling, he couldn't go back to being a commanding officer around her. When she touched him lightly, she unknowingly would send his heart beating into wild rhythms.

They both were stubborn he knew that. Either told the other how they felt, but it had been the Scottish Doctor who had finally banged their heads together few months back.

So here he was trying to woo his woman.

His woman, his lips curled.

His woman was finally at the balcony where they had their very first meeting. Her eyes glowed in the candlelight, her face lit up with love. His own world he had known stopped, even his breathing.

She looked, breathtaking, but even that word didn't do justice for her, no words could really describe her beauty, it just didn't seem right.

His next few moves were blurry; he didn't even remember walking down the hallways of Atlantis, towards Elizabeth's room.

You can say you love me
That I'm your perfect crush
How it hurts to need someone that much
You can swear you mean it
But that ain't good enough
Cuz when a man loves a woman it is all
In his touch

It had been weeks, since the night on the balcony, they had shared glances, secret smiles, whenever the chance would allow it. Keep the whole thing between them; they enjoyed the bemused looks of their fellow friends and expedition members. But there was only one person who knew what was going on, and he would give his big goofy grin whenever she was in the room with him. She would give him a mock glare and have doctor in fits of laughter.

Aside from that, she knew he was a loyal friend who wouldn't say it, but keep the secret to himself. Even when he enjoyed teasing them about it much to her dismay, but she knew he was glad that he was a part of getting her and man she loved together.

Even they were different as day and night, but still surprisingly manage to work together, despite clashing more times then she cared to count. She worked by the way she was taught from early age, to go by the rule book. But for him, he went the way he saw fit, overriding the orders given. The way she saw it, it wasn't a done deal, for him it had made perfect sense to do how he felt like it and the how the situation progressed.

She knew she ought to understand since she was opened minded; that she herself was going with the flow of things with caution, but with him he just went in head on, with no warning of the dangers ahead.

While she did want to, but she had to admit that in the end, things did work out.

I wish you could see yeah
Just how simple
It's supposed to be

They might have had their differences, but he still loved her for who she was. For being a strong independent woman, for the brain she had in that thick skull of hers. Loved her with all of his heart, but for them the next two weeks, just two damn weeks before the Wraith showed up, making their first year in Atlantis more likely to be their last.

But for tonight, it was about them.

Only them.

No one was to interrupt their time together, of that he had made sure, their last night before they took a war upon the two surviving hive ships that were gaining speed towards Atlantis.

He had planned this night in a rush; it may not be the perfect, but it all he could do in the give time and place and the situation.

"John…" her voice trembled, as he stole a kiss from her lips, leaving her feeling dizzy and aroused.

He looked in her eyes, already knowing what she wanted. He pulled her towards him, making what would be their last night together a memory she will never forget.

He made her reach for the stars.

'Cause now that we've come this far
We don't want to lose it
If you wanna win my heart
Baby just shut your mouth

She watched him leave, her heart breaking into thousands of pieces. The thought of never seeing him again, brought a fresh wave of pain. She would miss his smile, his eagerness, and most of all she would miss all their secret meetings that happened late at night.

Not having him holding her gave her a feeling of loneliness and it scared her to think of a life without him. Her future on her own looked dark and bleak.

She looked at Carson; the CMO gave a squeeze on the shoulder for support, knowing the untold future not only of all of them, but for Atlantis as well. She took a deep breath and looked on.

It didn't matter what happened next, but what was happening must count if they had to defeat their enemy, and show it was a fight to the end.

Things happened rather fast, even though the time stool still, as the Puddle Jumper in which John was in went closer and closer, but before she knew it, Colonel Caldwell's voice buzzed in her ear telling her that they had arrived and John was safe.

She blinked, John was safe?

As the words sank in, she let out a gasp, her heart beated faster than she had ever known, in joy that she couldn't describe.

Her gaze traveled to his team, who looked relieved to hear the news. She, herself wanted to shout out, but as the head of the Atlantis Expedition, she had to remain calm and wait out till she saw him, right in front of her in flesh.

Once she got all the information she needed, she put herself right into the task of getting Atlantis safe from the Wraith. When it was over she only had few minutes to herself before being swamped with relieved teams congratulating her and everyone around her, but her mind was only one person.

John.

Just as she thought of him, he was beamed out, smiling to herself, she made her way to him. Her eyes looked at no one but him.

At first she surprised him with a hug, that wasn't noticed by anyone around them, but it was the deep kiss she planted on his lips right in front of everyone that had a few hoots coming towards them, she blushed, "Sorry"

When she saw him frown, she allowed a giggle to escape. But it was Rodney's mumbling that took notice, "It's about time" he shouted earning a glare from Carson and few applauses from people around him.

My first SGA fic...please be kind and leave a review.