DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Stargate: Atlantis'. They're not my property.
She was not a light burden, but he managed to carry her through the tunnel and into the next room. He felt the tremors, saw the dust fly across from the shaken foundations, but afterwards he felt and heard nothing except silence. He saw this so-called room to be in a much poorer state than the others, but what he was concerned about now was to find a proper spot to place Elizabeth down on.
He found something decent next to a crooked pillar with faint images of a Protector and a serpent. John placed her down on the stone floor surrounded by small debris, whilst being extra careful with the way he cradled her head in his hands. He hesitated, not willing to place her head against the hard surface; instead, he sat down on the floor and offered the softer and warmer surface of his hip. The floor felt cold and John saw it as not the best idea to remain here long. In the meantime, he tried to catch his breath and rest. He looked down at Elizabeth's face with the smudges of dirt and somewhere paint on her soft skin; the unwashed hair which had lost its shine and softness; the visible, darker bags under her eyes showing her exhaustion.
John carefully removed a strain of hair away from her cheek and then another from her forehead. He pressed the back of his hand tenderly against her cheek – it felt warm. She was breathing and alive, but he had no idea what that thing had done to her. He felt somewhat relieved that the paralysis had worn off like that, because having to watch Elizabeth's mind being assaulted worked unwell on his helpless senses. His mind couldn't make proper sense of what his eyes had seen. Elizabeth had been right when she wasn't certain how to explain this place anymore. John was feeling the same.
That hall had fallen apart, and this little room appeared… damaged long ago. Again, he could feel the tension slowly reemerging. He saw a tunnel blocked by fallen rock, and next to it had been this room. The rocks were too heavy to move and this dusty, old, forgotten room presented no other entrance of exit to his tired eyes in such poor light.
An old man with a gray beard and deep, brown eyes emerged from his modest, wooden home next to the river. He felt something to be different this morning. His eyes focused on the distant forest to the east. He then hurried to the small hut where the helmet of an ancestor was placed. The old man sat down and lowered his head as he began praying. When he looked up at the helmet, he noticed how it began to slowly fall apart. His lip trembled and tears filled his eyes. Could it be true?
The pale and scarce light which had managed to reach this room had been coming from somewhere in the tunnel and through the several cracks in the wall. The cold from the stone beneath him pinched to open his eyes. John realized that he had briefly given into slumber as he tried to adjust to the strange increase of light. His hand softly touched the damp hair of Elizabeth. She hadn't moved since he placed her there. It worried him. He considered removing her jacket – or what remained of it – but thought against it when he saw that she could be cold. He took off his shirt instead and folded it. Lifting her head carefully, he then moved away, placed the folded shirt on the floor and then slowly lowered her head again on it. It was not exactly a lush pillow, but under these circumstances it was the best he could offer.
Despite being shirtless, John felt no cold, not even a breeze. He immediately began looking for some sort of exit – big or small – he didn't care. He lacked patience, much more than usual, and he wanted to leave this place desperately.
On some of the dusty walls he noticed faint images of the city's citizens; some near death with what looked like a ghostly image leaving their bodies, in the next section that same ghost entered and inhabited bodies of other living people for a time. Nothing like this was found anywhere else in the city, and once again it looked so much older than the other paintings. There were even writings but he could not understand them, not that he had wanted to or even tried to see how this strange story on the wall continued. All that was in John's head now was an exit and the thought of getting help for Elizabeth.
Next to the corner of the northern wall he noticed a significant crack. Visibility wasn't perfect but he could see something moving on the other side where he heard running water. Perhaps another river was there. Bare hands only wouldn't do much damage to this wall. John turned around to look for something that could help him. A sharp piece from a damaged pillar caught his attention. He grabbed it and used it to widen the crack. It took a while, but he succeeded. Not much light was before him but the small amounts that were there looked like those of the sun. They pierced through small openings of the cave – some high and some low – but neither appeared like a proper way out. When he looked down he saw the wide river with another dark tunnel on the other side. Stepping through the opening which he had made, John noticed an interesting rock formation to the left just above the river. It looked like a rough wall and its surface seemed suitable to climb on it and over the river.
But it was impossible to carry her across it. John cursed to this. Looking intently, he saw no other way across it. He licked his lips and turned around to look at where she lay. John hoped those creatures wouldn't return. He hurried to the wall and climbed on it. Moving across its rugged surface, he could feel the sprinkling river so close beneath his feet. The rays of sunlight illuminated very little, so he was forced to move slowly as not to fall.
Sweat had started leaving his body long ago and he was thankful that his palms hadn't suffered so far as he finally stepped on the other side. John had to see if there truly was some kind of exit on this side.
He made his way inside the black tunnel. He didn't have to go far as a large, bright beam of sunlight soon fell before him, signaling the end of the vertical tunnel. Following it up, he saw a big hole. Yes! An exit. John stepped inside the beam and his eyes were immediately attacked by this natural light. Blocking some of it with his hand, he soon saw another problem. The rugged wall seemed yet again, possible to climb on; however, it also continued up with a great height that was obstructed by intense sunlight towards the top. John could climb up but, only he… she would not, not in her state. He did not wish to leave her here, not knowing himself how long it could take him to find help. Instead of feeling slightly hopeful, John felt even more frustrated. He ran back to the wall over the river.
Moving along its surface, his grip betrayed him for a moment and he slipped down, his right leg touching the water. The current was strong as he tried to hold on. He struggled to pull himself up on the higher surface. If he had waited a few more seconds, his grip would have betrayed him completely and he would have fallen into the river. Finally, he managed to get to the other side. Running back to the room, John then kneeled down to check on Elizabeth. Alive but unconscious… nothing had changed.
Sudden but powerful pains in his stomach then suddenly hit him. He tried to breathe in but they only became stronger. Soon enough they engulfed his consciousness as he fell on floor next to Elizabeth. He was not able to remain awake long enough to see the many large paws that approached him and Elizabeth.
Three men found them lying before the entrance of a familiar cave. There were many bruises and scratches on the exposed skin; their faces showed slumber but one induced by pain. "What's happened to them?" one asked.
"I don't know. Call the others. We must bring them back to the village," the other one said.
Among the rubble in this once great hall was silence. Dust had settled long ago and there was nothing to disturb the stillness, until the heavy weight of the once mighty Protectors crushed many of the remains. The ten felines approached the area where they could sense the remains of the finished battle. They easily removed the stone ruins to reveal the two lifeless bodies. A black cat sniffed the remains of the human and then quickly backed away from it in disgust. A white cat observed the feline shape of its former master. It brought its head closer and sniffed it. There was no more life here. It lifted its head and snarled at the others who watched the two bodies. He had fulfilled his task.
Then, one by one, each cat lifted its head high, standing almost proudly, and roared loudly towards the sky. The roars were frightening in their intensity but at the same time sounded like a calling melody to the heavens. A dark cloud was formed above that part of the city. Loud thunder echoed through the valley before lightning struck the, by now, fragile roof of the hall. As it opened the remains to the sky, repeated lightning struck each creature, killing it instantly. Falling down on the rubble, their deaths released a strong wind that hurried through each tunnel and room of the city; a last, dying call of a winged creature was heard before it quietly fell into the abyss. Every tapestry and scroll turned to ash; the torture chamber, the arena, the Protector's Hall… everything of a newer time crumbled and turned to worthless dust and sand. Only the older evidence of a truer age remained. The evil that plagued this city for so long was swallowed by time, buried forever from the eyes of the world, never to be seen again.
He saw two small faces leaning on two pair of hands, with two small eyes staring at him. Moving his gaze across, John saw the familiar flowers and patterns that adorned the walls of this small house. His nose picked up that delicious smell of a roasted fish he so adored and something to which his stomach immediately reacted. That welcomed sunlight that flowed through the opened doorway caressed the inner walls of this home; a special silk-like feel stroked his skin, tempting him to come outside into the daylight he hadn't seen for almost two weeks. His heart and mind wanted to, but his body was less willing.
Lying on that familiar woolen blanket, his back almost slumbered on the comfortable bundle, which allowed him to see what was happening. His exposed forearms revealed bruises and some healed scratches that he hadn't seen there before. John moved his hand on a long bow-like scratch. The moment his finger made contact with the healing mark, he felt a sting. It still needed time. But he didn't remember these being here before those dreadful stomach pains hit.
The two pair of eyes with their ever-so-curious gaze brought John's attention back to them. A boy and a girl he recognized; sitting cross-legged next to him, they simply kept staring at him. "We thought you were dead when they brought you here," the little boy told him.
"It was scary," the little girl added.
For kids their age, John could agree. But someone was missing. "Where's Elizabeth?" he wondered.
"She is with my mother and aunt," the little boy replied.
"How is she?" John asked.
The boy shrugged. He didn't know.
The little girl, with her hair in a single braid then suddenly embraced him. Her petite arms around his neck squeezed with what small might she had. "We are happy you are better," she told him.
Before he could respond, John was further surprised when the little boy embraced him as well. "Very happy," he said.
John wanted to smile to this. "Thanks, you two," he replied and slowly embraced them in return. Nice to know someone cares…
After they let go of him, an older woman entered the house and then sent the two away. John noticed a plate with a jug in her hands. Her gray, long hair was tucked modestly behind her shoulders, giving a chance for her red clothing to shine shyly in front of the entering sunlight. John recognized her as the wife of one of the village elders.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"Um…thirsty, very hungry…" he replied, feeling somewhat relieved to have those urges back once more. Elda walked over to him and handed him the heavy jug. They somehow knew he would have the need for food and water so quickly. Having it in his hands, John saw it to contain water and immediately began gulping it down. By now, he felt he could swallow down an entire river. When he finally emptied the jug and put it down, he saw the pregnant Maya barely making her way to him with a plate of roasted fish. He was happy to see another familiar face…and one who carried food. She smiled at him and handed him the plate. As he took it, John asked, "How is Elizabeth?" he asked the two women.
"Sleeping," Maya told him.
"So, she's okay?"
"She had many of the same markings on her body as you, but she appears to be in no danger."
"Oh…" John set the plate in his lap. "Did she wake up before?"
The women shook their heads. Not a very good sign in John's view. But the smell of food cut his thoughts briefly as he began eating the fish with such hunger that it even surprised the villagers.
He was later told how he and Elizabeth had been found by accident in front of the Protector's cave two days earlier… the one where he had first taken the archeologist. How they ended up there though, was not in his memory.
When he visited the hut where Elizabeth had been, he was surprised to see her awake, trying gently to communicate with one of the female villagers whilst lying on that soft woolen blanket. "Good to see someone finally awake," John said lightly and sat down next to her.
"Mm..." Elizabeth nodded slowly with brief closing of her eyes.
"How are you?" he asked her softly.
With the back of her hand on her forehead, Elizabeth exhaled and closed her eyes again. Her other hand pulled the woolen blanket further up over her chest, which still had the old clothes. The small mark on her punctured finger was still visible but looking to be already healing well. "Head is still spinning."
Those scars and bruises he recognized, but once again he remembered nothing of how most of them could have been inflicted on her. He looked back on her opening eyes in this naturally lit, little hut. At least she was awake at this moment – something he was content with seeing for now.
The young woman who sat on the other side then asked him something, to which John showed a sign of worry. "She said you were crying last night," he said to Elizabeth.
Bewildered, Elizabeth stared at the crooked ceiling, trying to remember. "I can't remember doing that…" she admitted.
After a few more words from the woman villager, John added, "she wondered if it was a bad dream."
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know," she responded weakly. "Last thing I remember was that big cat that leaped in front of us…" she exhaled sadly. "After that… nothing comes to mind…"
John licked his lips and then pressed them together. He saw the empty plate where only crumbs had remained sitting next to the villager, and a smaller jug which still had some water. "What did she do to you?" he asked.
"Juliana?" Elizabeth looked back at him.
"Yes."
Putting her hand back on her covered belly, Elizabeth swallowed. "Not really sure. It was strange… it felt like water was being poured inside my skull. It was so damn painful," she said and closed her eyes again.
John tilted his head as he continued to observe her in this silence. He hoped this ordeal was over….
John sat at the entrance of Leko and Maya's house with a twig in his hand that he played with. He could only see the soft light that was emerging from the house where Elizabeth went. He watched because almost four hours had passed.
"Why do you wait here, Jon?" Maya's soft voice called him.
He glanced up at her before returning his eyes to the other house. "She's been in there for a while now."
"The female body needs more care," she told him, standing next to John.
He looked up at the night sky for a moment and saw the tiny stars resting on almost every spot, observing those on the ground. Looking back at the house, John exhaled.
Maya smiled at him even though he failed to notice. "You listened to her when she spoke."
"I had to so I could translate, Maya."
"No, you listened to her speak, but not the words from her lips and not with your ears. You were listening," she lowered her hand to his chest, allowing it to hover over his heart, "with this."
Knitting his eyebrows in confusion, John looked up at her.
"I know," she whispered and tapped his shoulder. Maya then entered the house again, leaving John to remain there and wonder what in the world she meant by that.
The sound of the cricket-like insects became quieter, not that he minded the interesting tones they created. "Why aren't you in bed?" a voice and sentence forced his eyes to open. He saw the green pants of pure silk around those tall legs and the slippers on her feet.
"Oh, uh, I was too tired to drag myself over to the blanket," he made an excuse not wanting to admit that he had been waiting for her to arrive.
Elizabeth chuckled and tapped his arm. "Well, move aside, I'm freezing out here," she told him.
John quickly got up, making enough room for Elizabeth to pass. Once she entered inside, her feet touching the beautifully thick and warm carpet, Elizabeth shivered from head to toe to shake away the cold from outside.
"That was one long bath," he said. John could feel the pleasant scent which left her skin. Only the women of this village had managed to disguise their natural scent in a sweet way like this. Usually, this was very appealing for the men….
She then spun around quickly and faced John. "And had it not been for this stupid headache, it would've been even more enjoyable."
He saw very little tiredness on her face, but it did not hide the minor annoyance. "It's that bad, huh?"
"Yes, it is." She sat down on the blanket. "Can't say that my body didn't enjoy the bath though. I could've stayed in that wooden tub for a very long time." She rubbed her temple and sighed. "How do you feel?" she asked.
"Oh, fine, I think…" he answered before closing the door. He hadn't felt that worrying feeling of agitation from before return as of late.
She nodded and then pulled the blanket away to cover herself with it. "At least one of us is feeling much better," she said.
"Look at it this way… we got out with only a few scratches and…you with a headache to go with it. Others weren't so lucky," he told her and pulled his blanket over him.
John had been right, and Elizabeth was extremity grateful that both survived the city. The grotesque scene of all those bodies sent repetitive shivers through her. It could have easily been them.
The candles were blown out and the darkness of the night prevailed. "You still can't remember how we left the city?" she asked in the silence.
"No."
"Okay…" She closed her eyes. "Sleep well, John."
"You, too, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if there was some kind of conspiracy amongst the chickens in this village, as one of them was again responsible for the early wake-up call… and a little too early for her taste, especially when the irritation of that agonizing headache was added to the mix.
Both were invited that morning to a small gathering of the village elders and some of the other villagers, who felt curious as to what John and Elizabeth had seen in the Bronze City. The chosen place had been in the open beneath the shade of a large tree, surrounded by flowers which released that pleasant smell Elizabeth remembered on her first visit here. Five older men and their wives sat on the small woolen bundles in a circle. The woolen clothes with green and red that they wore looked ordinary and modest, but it was the small black tattoo of a feline in battle on their left wrists that told of their status.
They reacted little to everything that was described to them, until John mentioned the battle he witnessed between the large cat and the possessed woman before he was forced to leave. "Was she killed?" one of the men asked.
"I wasn't around to witness that," John replied.
"She had to be; the helmet told us," the other man replied.
"The helmet?"
"The only possession our people have had that belonged to him. For the past 5,000 years our people have prayed to it to give Gord his strength … with every generation. Once it began falling to pieces… it meant his own life had deteriorated."
Elizabeth was intrigued. Despite the annoying headache that made it harder for her, she asked for them to tell her more.
"Not many know of what we tell you, and not many are supposed to… but you have already seen so much. She was the downfall of our great city," the old man told her. "She abandoned the peaceful traditions and wanted to wage war against the other people with the help of the Protectors. Her subjects were not pleased with her decision."
"I can see why… from everything we saw, I got the impression that their main role was to guard the city."
"Yes, only to guard it, but never, never to begin wars. Some of the other peoples at the time had great respect for us because of that. But she… changed the city. In a few years it became a place of death instead of life."
The bald man next to him nodded. "When her subjects rebelled against her and how she was using the Protectors as nothing but weapons to kill… Destvia used those magnificent creatures against her own people… she slaughtered everyone but a few adults and the children, which were orphaned."
Remembering the chaos in the beginning of her exploration of the city, Elizabeth was saddened by this. She listened to them and how the survivors fled the city. She learned how the villagers of today were the direct descendants of the Ancient Krolevans. "What about this warrior Gord?" she asked.
"Gord was a close friend of the queen. He succeeded in stopping her from doing even more harm… only, we don't know how. She was not defeated, but merely put to slumber. However, from legend we know that he sacrificed his mortal soul for immortality so if she was to ever awaken once more, he would make certain she could never do evil on this Earth again."
"Immortality was not favored among your ancestors from what we learned…" Elizabeth said.
"Yes. Our ancestors despised immortality. They believed whatever time Nature gives you on this earth is enough."
Elda, sitting next to her husband revealed a small, red bundle. She soon revealed pieces of a helmet. "This crumbled four days earlier. We believe Gord had finally vanquished the evil from Kroleva and Delonia," Mudra the chief elder said. He then took two pieces and gave one to John and then Elizabeth.
Neither was certain if it was right to accept this, but Mudra assured them that it was. They had been responsible for much of what had happened in the city, and in the elders' view, they deserved this.
"Now, we will pray that the heavens will accept Gord's soul, because he defeated that evil spirit," Mudra told them.
"Had he not done that," the bald man next to him said, "his soul would have been forever cursed."
"He was that black cat in the arena…" John said wistfully.
"You saw him one last time and what he had become," Elda said. "Such an honor. We wish we could have been as fortunate. After so many centuries we did not know that he himself had turned into a Protector until you told us. But we are content now with knowing that his noble sacrifice saved the city and our land."
Elizabeth and John exchanged a look and then sincerely thanked them for their kindness.
They were accompanied by Leko and two other villagers back to the city the next morning. Passing the mountains on horseback, Elizabeth observed the much whiter fog that covered the valley. Both she and John were given new, warm clothing…something for which she was once again grateful. She wished to gather all the events together and make some kind of conclusion out of them, but her throbbing headache was making it nearly impossible for her. She was given a remedy from a plant by the Mountain Krolevans for it but it did nothing. They were surprised by this, as it had always cured headaches. It was beginning to get frustrating.
When they stopped to get some rest, John helped with the horses while Elizabeth walked over at that same edge as the first time. "Still having the headache?" he asked when he joined her.
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. It's irritating." She then wrapped her arms around her and shook her head. "They will not be happy when they find out that half of the city is in ruins by now…" They were told by the villagers of the loud thunder that had echoed throughout the valley before, and how much of the city fell afterwards, to the shock of many.
"Uh, 5,000 years have gone by. After what had happened… maybe that was how it was supposed to be," he said with his hands in his pockets. He saw her look at him, her hair hidden behind a black scarf. Some of the tiredness had gone away from her face but not all of it. She tried to smile as much as the headache would allow her.
"I wish I could be as optimistic as you, John…" Elizabeth pressed her lips and shook her head. Her lips then parted to release a sot sigh. "It's sad in a way," she then said with a low voice. "But it was too good to be true, I guess."
They stood there shoulder to shoulder, looking at what was on display before them: those unusual shapes that emerged from the mist - each different and unique to the eye. The wind and the occasional whisper from the other villagers were the only sounds they heard here. Both were comforted that the other got out of this ordeal alive and well… to some extent, at least.
She was brought to him during the night, the remains of her body placed carefully on the floor. Romeo stood there, looking at his former partner, his friend, lover, everything. "Did you find anyone else?" he asked.
"No," one of the men replied. "Only her."
"Leave," he then said. When the door closed, Romeo kneeled down next to the remains. He slowly touched the peaceful face of Juliana. He imagined this to be done by an animal, as no wound on her appeared to have been inflicted by a human being. He never saw the blackness which had devoured her body and covered her skin before; he never witnessed the life that had drained away from her so quickly. All he saw now was a sad sight of a mutilated body that was a woman he once loved. He broke down and wept in silence.
He had finished his shower just when he heard a knock on the door. John hurried to put on a pair of pants and then ran up to the door. He was surprised to find her standing there with a small backpack and a small smile on her face.
"Had a nice shower?" she asked, noticing that he hadn't managed to dry himself completely.
"Yes, I did. Thanks for asking." John leaned against the doorframe. "So you found the right address this time."
"And it was painstaking work, let me tell you," Elizabeth reminded him. "I'm sure the secret service would be easier to find than your house around here."
John smirked. "How's the…" he pointed to his head.
"The same."
"Oh, saw a doctor?"
"Yeah… apparently nothing is wrong. Gonna go see another one when I get home."
John nodded. "Looks like you could use a second opinion."
Elizabeth pursed her lips as she saw him leaning against the doorframe like that. Apparently this was the first time she saw what nice built this man had, something to be admired… despite the forest that was his chest hair. "Aren't you going to reward my hard work of locating your house with permission to come inside?" she asked.
Keeping his gaze on her, John pushed himself off and with his arm draped on the door he stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. The thought of rewarding her in other ways as well would have crossed his mind if the circumstances had been different.
After the small hallway, she walked inside the living room. The dark yellow walls that welcomed her were covered with wooden shelves with quite a few artifacts upon them. John was not kidding when he told her he collected these little ancient treasures. On the left side she saw a small kitchen with another door on the other side, and on the right another short corridor, no doubt leading to the bedroom. Being the polite guest that she usually was, Elizabeth would have either continued standing here, or sit down on one of the two yellow and quite comfortable-looking chairs separated by a small wooden table. In this case however, she simply walked out of the living room, to John's amazement, and allowed her curiosity to take her through the right, short corridor and inside the smaller room which she correctly guessed to be the bedroom: the bright sunshine falling on the untidy but welcoming bed, two abstract paintings which hung above the bed, and a table with a thick book on it.
Despite the presence of sunlight through the single window, the shadows that occupied the rest of the room gave it a nice, intimate feel. Elizabeth cursed her headache as it gave a hard time for her more special thoughts to play in her mind.
It wasn't just Elizabeth who was unhappy with the presence of her headache though, as John watched her silently from behind.
"Can I see the rest?" she then asked.
"That would be the… bathroom and garden." John waved towards her. Elizabeth hurried after her host, but declined the offer to see the bathroom. When she stepped out in the garden, she stopped in the shade where she was pleasantly surprised. "Wow, very nice…" she said.
"It's even better at night."
"I can imagine." After a while, she looked down at her backpack. "Um, look, the reason why I came here…" she said as she turned to him, seemingly disappointed by her original intention for her visit. "I wanted to show you something." She pulled out a couple of blank prints from her bag and gave them to John.
"And these are…"
"The photos I took of the city."
John wasn't quite sure if Elizabeth was joking by this, even more so after she showed him a blank recording on her camera…easier to carry than the files with her laptop, as she had put it. "I thought they turned out," John said.
"They did. But even the copies I gave to George became like these." When he opened his mouth to ask, she immediately replied, "I don't know why."
"Much of the Bronze City falls to ruins and these… images, just, what, vanish?" Having not seen anything with his own eyes on these photographs or video, John wasn't certain what to believe.
Elizabeth bit her lower lip. "Looks insane, doesn't it?"
"P-robably."
"So much for my evidence."
"Ah, they'll share most of what they find with you guys, like they usually do…" He saw no response to this. "Right?"
"That's another reason why I came here…to say goodbye," Elizabeth told him. She took her prints and camera, then put them back in her backpack.
This hit him unexpectedly. "Leaving already?"
"Yes… I was 'kindly' asked by the authorities to do so."
"They thought it was your fault –"
"I doubt it, to be honest. George even mentioned that it was more of them waiting for the slightest chance for me to screw up so they could send me packing."
"The would-be negotiator didn't manage to talk herself into staying longer?"
"Not this time."
He was as disappointed in this as she was. "Sorry to hear that… I know how much this expedition meant to you."
"Yes, so am I. But… I did learn more about the ancient Krolevans than I ever dreamt I would. I'm just a bit short of evidence to back up what I've discovered."
John watched the disappointment so clear on her face despite her best attempt to hide it. "When's your plane leaving?" he asked.
"In four hours."
John blinked in response to this. "Didn't waste much time, did they…"
"No." Elizabeth approached him. She pulled out a card with her name and phone number. "In case you're ever in the neighborhood."
He took it, scanned it quickly with his gaze and looked up at her. John hadn't expected for her to leave only two days after they had returned to the city.
"Thanks," she then told him. "For…your help."
John smiled. "It's my job."
Elizabeth chuckled. She knew better. "How much do I owe you?" she asked as she pulled out her wallet.
"Ah… nothing," he told her. At her considerably confused look he added, "I got you expelled, after all."
She smiled briefly. "Actually, I discovered many unexpected things during my…'short' stay here, thanks to you." Elizabeth wished to add 'friendship' to her words but she refrained from it, knowing that both had been long aware of that.
This appeared more difficult than Elizabeth had imagined. Instead, she then embraced him. "Take care of yourself, John," she told him.
With his warm arms around her, her briefly closed his eyes. "Frankly, I think you need that more than I do," he said and heard her quiet chuckle.
Despite his offer for her to remain longer, Elizabeth declined and left shortly after. John saw the small taxi waiting outside, her bags there – less than what she had come with. "Have a safe trip."
"Thanks," she replied and sat down in the small carriage. Elizabeth gave him one last wave before the taxi disappeared behind the dust from the road. She even declined for him to escort her to the airport. He found it strange as he closed the door slowly behind him. Leaning back, he looked at the card with her name on it. He would miss this woman.
Sitting down with her left leg on the yellow chair, Gloria was handed a cold beer. "When did she leave?" she asked and leaned back.
"Yesterday," John replied and sat on the opposite chair.
Leaning her head on her finger, Gloria's emerald eyes studied him. "If I didn't know you better, John, I would say that you miss her a little."
John smirked. "Maybe. She grew on me."
"She must have." She smiled. "You wouldn't have asked me to come otherwise and share this with me." Gloria knew his history with the women here well.
Looking at the beer in his hands, John licked his lips. "Actually, I was thinking of leaving Kroleva."
This was something that caught the woman by surprise. "Seriously?" She saw his gaze and his nod. "Oh, why?"
"I think five years has been enough for me…"
She stared at him with astonishment as she slowly shook her head at his decision. "She really did a number on you…"
John laughed. "I'd say it was more that she reminded me of how I've missed going to places."
His voice sounded sentimental, his gaze almost sad. "I thought Kroleva was your home now," she said.
"I thought so, too… now, I'm not so sure."
"You'll be going back to America then?"
"No. That's not my home anymore."
"Canada?" she guessed.
He laughed again. "Nope."
Gloria lifted her shoulders as she waited. "Well?"
"I don't know. I think I'll go visit some friends in Asia…"
She watched him silently. He seemed determined. "You'll always have a home here, John," she reminded him.
"Yeah, I know…" He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Thanks, Gloria."
She kissed his cheek. "Good luck to you," she told him.
John nodded and touched his bottle to hers. "Same to you."
End of Part 1
Author's note: Thank you for your reviews! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. :) Also, a special thank you to Jess. :-)
