Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I wish they were, but they aren't. This story is has Sparky undertones…..ok Sparky overtones- but if they could do it for Long Goodbye then I can do it for this!
Stargate Atlantis.
Sometime in season 3, perhaps the end of the season, maybe a cliff hanger.
A/N: 'thoughts' "dialogue" scene changes
Battle for Atlantis
Part 2
"John, John!" Elizabeth cried pounding on the door, and then in a flash of clarity she realised that she had to open in by using the small panel to the left of the door. With shaking hands she pried open the cover and began moving the crystals around, praying that each one she moved would open the door. 'Come one Elizabeth, you can do this.' Elizabeth chastised herself as each time it didn't work she got more and more panicked.
Finally Elizabeth managed to get the door open and she immediately ran into the small room with the stairs and saw John leaning up against the wall with the panel with the door with blood running down his head and out of his right shoulder.
"John," Elizabeth whispered in horror. "Oh my god."
Meanwhile, back in the cell Ronan, Rodney, Zelenka and Teyla heard shooting from outside.
"Someone's coming." Ronan stated standing up, prepared to fight.
"Hopefully it will be someone who can help us." Teyla stated with grim determination on her voice as well and unknowingly all held their breaths as the cell room door swung open and the person shooting was revealed.
"Ford!" Rodney exclaimed with shock.
"McKay," Aiden greeted. "Looks like I'm saving your butt."
"Look like." Rodney replied.
"Come on," Aiden ordered once the cell was open. "Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Weir are trapped."
"Together?" Carson asked worriedly.
"No," Aiden answered and watched as all the faces fell.
"How many bulkheads were between them?" Rodney asked, not wanting to know the answer.
"Only one." Aiden replied.
"Only one?" Rodney asked in shock.
"Then they may still be alive." Zelenka stated, his hope starting to grow.
"No, they will be alive." Rodney confirmed with joy.
"Where are they trapped?" Carson asked, concerned for his patients.
"This way," Aiden indicated. "But hurry, they may be hurt."
"You don't know?" Carson asked again.
"No," Aiden admitted. "Sheppard ordered me to come here and rescue you guys and on my way here I thought that I heard gun fire."
"You thought?" Ronan asked following Sheppard.
"Never mind this now." Teyla interjected, "Let us get to where they last were as quickly as possible."
"Right" Aiden agreed.
"Let's go." Ronan stated and together; Ronan, Rodney, Teyla, Zelenka, Carson and Aiden all retraced Aiden's path.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was still trying to get John to regain consciousness.
"Come on John," She begged bandaging his shoulder and pressing a cloth to his head to try and stop the bleeding. "John? John please…."
'Elizabeth?'
"John?" Elizabeth asked placing a hand on John's face which moved as he regained consciousness.
"I'm here." He muttered as he struggled to sit up, which Elizabeth helped him with after which she hugged him as tightly as she dared.
"Oh thank god." She muttered into his ear. "I thought I'd lost you….again."
"Again…?"
flashback
They had just gotten to Atlantis, John was going to rescue his people and above the gate the ceiling opened and the puddle jumper slowly descended until it was in line with the gate after which it moved forward through the event horizon and Elizabeth remembered standing with Rodney and whispering to them all, but John in particular "Be safe."
Then it was later and she was standing in the gateroom staring at the Stargate, her heart was fluttering in fear and she had a knot in her stomach and she wasn't even paying attention to Rodney and when he trailed off she spoke. "I should have never let them go."
"For what it's worth," Rodney replied sympathetically. "-you made the right decision. Give them time."
Then, later the gate started dialling in, "Off world activation" Grodin stated. "Raise the shield." Elizabeth ordered, the fear getting worse. Moments passes and Elizabeth found herself speaking again. "Do we have an identification code?"
"Nothing yet." Rodney replied as he checked his laptop.
And then moments later Rodney spoke the words that she wanted to hear. "I'm reading Lieutenant Ford's I.D.C."
"Let them in." Elizabeth ordered, the knot in her stomach unwinding a little as Grodin hit the control to lower the shield when suddenly they were under fire and though they were all diving under consoles Elizabeth found herself shouting over the noise "Give them a few more seconds" And a few seconds later, the puddle jumper came racing though the gate and stops and Elizabeth shouted, "Reactivate the shield." She looked down into the puddle jumper and smiled with relief as she saw John sitting there in the drivers seat.
It was weeks later and she was in the gateroom, the Stargate was open and the Atlantean alarms were sounding. "What's going on?" she asked, a horrible feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, one of her team was hurt and as the technician finished she asked for the technician to put on John and then she got the worse news that she could. "He's the one who's injured," once those words left the technicians mouth, her heart dropped to her stomach.
She was then patched through to the jumper, she asked what was the nature of the major's injury and she listened with a horrible growing feeling as Ford explained to her what it was. She found herself asking what it was doing to John and when Ford answered that they didn't know and that they couldn't get it off, even after trying everything she started to panic but she knew that once they were through the gate Carson would take care of him.
But then, they weren't coming through, the gate was active and everything indicated that they should have been through and she was left to watch and wait and when they finally got in touch with the jumper, she learned that they were stuck in the Stargate. Then while she was learning what was happening, she learned of the time limit.
"And we have less than thirty eight minutes" Rodney interrupted causing Elizabeth's heart to stop.
"Hold on," She stopped trying to understand. "Why thirty-eight minutes?"
Then she was told why and she scrambled her scientists and put them on the task. And she found herself trying to keep everyone up. "Let's not admit defeat just yet, Doctor. There are six people on that ship."
'Six people,' Elizabeth thought fearfully. 'Including John."
Elizabeth found herself getting back to work and she irritably had to break up a fight between Kavanagh and Simpson. She snapped at Kavanagh and while she was listening to his concerns her back became raised and she was near livid.
"I thought it was important to point out the risk." Kavanagh pointed out.
"Fine." Elizabeth snapped. "You did, now please- worry a little bit more about their lives and less about your own ass…" She checked her watch and updated the scientists on the time. "Twenty-three minutes."
Elizabeth left them and then was ambushed by Halling and he to got her irritable and she had to get away from his concerns. "I'm sorry. I can't have this conversation right now?"
"Why not?"
"Because we are wasting time!" Elizabeth stated turning back to Halling.
"This is time that Teyla could use to prepare."
"Alright," Elizabeth interrupted, her patience wearing thin. "You perceive death a certain way. I accept that. In fact, I respect that. But we do not prepare for dead. We do everything we can to stave it off. That is who we are.
It was later, when she had her run in with Kavanagh and she found herself giving the scientist an ultimatum. "No, your missing mine. If you waste one more minute which could be used to help the people trapped on that ship because of your ego, I promise you I will dial the coordinates of a very lonely plaent where you can be as self important as you want to be….You think I'm kidding?"
"You wouldn't do that."
"Kavanagh, get back in there!"
She couldn't stand his arrogance, not one bit and as she made her way to the control room again to check in with her front line team, her concern was evident by the way she reacted to the conversation that took place.
"How is Major Sheppard?" Elizabeth asked, looking into the event horizon as if she would see them.
"I'm still here." John replied, and Elizabeth could almost feel him grimacing in pain.
"Hang in there Major. We're working on the problem."
"I know you are. Listen- uh- I'd like to say something while I still can."
"DON'T!" Elizabeth ordered, her heart constricting at the thought of John leaving her. "You're going to get through this." He kept talking, something about the Wraith leaving him there and Elizabeth only clued into what John was leading up to when he cleared his throat.
"What I wanted to say was…"
"Save your strength John, and tell me in person." Elizabeth whispered.
"This is important."
"I'm listening."
But she didn't have to hear what John was going to say because her team figured out a solution. She didn't like it but it was John's best chance at survival and she waited with baited breath while they shocked him and when Ford replied that he they couldn't revive John her heart fell to the floor and she only hoped that Beckett would be able to save him. Then the waiting game started and she found herself telling Rodney to just pick a pathway at random and then after another couple of moments the Puddle Jumper appeared and rose to the Jumper bay. Elizabeth ran in and found McKay standing near the exit looking at Ford. "He's going to be fine." Elizabeth took Ford's hand for a moment, thanking him for what he was done and then turned her attention to John, who's heart was flat lining. She felt like she was on auto pilot and found herself turning to Rodney and telling him well done and she only barely heard him say "We'll see" Her attention was back on John with the medic pumping air into him and then, to her own heart's relief, the monitor began to beep regularly
"We've got a pulse…..Getting Stronger….. He's going to be OK."
Elizabeth heard Rodney sigh in relief and she herself felt like her legs would no longer support her and she sank to the bench and placed her hands to her face in the prayer position, thanking what ever divine being saved him.
Later, she was able to see him, and she asked him what he was going to say, and he told her- sort of.
"I was going to say, um………………take care if each other."
"That's nice"
"Yep."
"And- uh- indeed we did."
"Yes. You did. Thank you. Again!"
"You're welcome."
"Good night."
"You weren't really going to say that, were you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I didn't think so."
It was months later, during the largest storm that she had ever witnessed when they had just about had Kolya fooled when John was still in the hallway and there was the possibility that he would be electrocuted. She tired to stall, but it didn't work.
Minutes later she was being pulled towards the event horizon when John came into View. He and Kolya exchanged words and she just looked at him panicking. She was going to loose him, she knew it- she thought that he wouldn't risk firing on her, but he did, and she found that she was still with him.
It was later, during the siege, and she was about to give the order to evacuate when….
"Elizabeth wait!" He was stopped halfway up the stairs and he turned to look at her. Elizabeth turned to face him and in horror, she realised what he was going to do.
"You can't" She pleaded as if her own words alone could change his mind. She didn't want to loose him, after so many close calls, she knew that if she let him go she would not see him again. He, who and come to mean so much to her, he who had saved her and Atlantis countless times, he who-
"I have to…" John stated, not wanting to do this either, but he wanted to keep her safe. "…and you know it."
"John," Elizabeth protested shaking her head…there was so much that she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to share and as the moments passes and they stared at each other she realised that this was one negotiation that she would not be able to get out of. She knew in her heart that his plan was the bets way to save Atlantis and that she would have to let him go. "Go." With a sinking heart, she watched as John nodded and raced up the stairs. With all her strength forcing her self not to cry or to run after him she closed her eyes and bowed her head in an attempt to gather strength.
When Colonel Everett asked her the status of the Jumper, she could barely speak and yet she did. "It's on its way." And when Zelenka radioed that John was indeed taking the jumper out she wanted to tell Zelenka to stop him, but she knew that she couldn't and she radioed him back. "I'm aware of that Doctor Zelenka- start prepping Jumper Two." She had the gene therapy, and she had a basic knowledge of the Jumper, she would take the second one out. When Rodney stated that they had to evacuate she found her resolve grim and determined. "We're not going anywhere- not yet." 'Not until we see if John's plan work. We are not going to leave and let him die for an empty city."
"You know," John radioed in. "If this works, somebody might have to do it again."
"Understood." And she did understand, she would do it, she would not put anyone else's life in danger.
When Rodney finally figured it out, Elizabeth couldn't answer and ordered that they arm the self-destruct in case John's plan failed…and then he radioed in that he was going into the hive and Elizabeth couldn't watch the screen but she knew that his plan was successful when a bright light flashed in the sky and though Atlantis. A technician said that the target had been neutralised. And after bowing her head in respect she, with tears in her voice said "He did it." He was gone, he was real and truly gone and then her grief turned to panic when another ship approached, and then her panic turned to shock and relief when she heard…
"Atlantis, this is Sheppard."
"John!"
"What other Sheppard's do you know?"
Then, once the other hive ship had been destroyed, and the shield was up, he beamed down and once she saw him she just couldn't resist her feelings, she had been on edge for to long and she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him in a huge hug.
Nearly a month later, she almost lost him again, he was speeding away in a defective jumper and her lying was more to herself then it was to him. After all they had been through, she couldn't believe that she was going to loose him to a damn Wraith computer virus
Then, he disappeared with out a trace, he didn't check in- no one could figure out where he had gotten too and as she ordered the rescue teams, she kept hoping that he would be able to make it out of where ever he was on his own.
When the pictures were placed in front of her, she couldn't believe it- he had been targeted and now she had lost contact with him and she didn't know if she would ever see him again. Then she found out that it was Genii and she found herself bargaining for John's life. Cowen wanted 10 jumpers, they would be crippled with out them- and she only had 15 minutes. But she could save their people and she tried but Cowen still said that he was going to kill John, and then- there was nothing but static and she tried frantically to think of a plan- but nothing came to her…. Luckily the coup was real, and John came though the gate safe and sound.
He was stuck on the other side of a time barrier, where time was flying by and she could only hope that they rescued him before he died of old age. 'Dying of old age-' Elizabeth thought to herself in horror as she stepped through the gate to save him. 'Don't worry John, you saved me plenty of time, now it's my turn.'
He was turning into a Wraith, and she was loosing him. Each time she went to see him, she could feel it. Little by little John Sheppard was slipping away from her and turning into the very thing that she despised. She tried to comfort him, but even he knew that there was little she could do. And while her mind searched for a way to save him, her heart tried to find the words that she wanted so desperately to say.
She was ordering Teyla to kill him, she was screaming for Teyla to stop but Teyla couldn't hear her. Phoebes had taken control of her body and she was going to watch as the man she depended on so much died, by her orders. She prayed that something would stop Teyla, but as the seconds counted down and she actually raised her weapon to John Elizabeth's heart broke, knowing that she- or at least her body will have given the order to kill the man whom she loved.
When they came through the gate, and the shield was raised behind her, she knew that something was deadly wrong. And when she realised that they could not get a lock and that the gate had probably been swallowed by the magma, her mind raced to find a solution and once again she prayed that she would see John, her John alive.
There was something wrong from the very beginning, she knew that if she answered the Wraith that something would unravel that she would not be able to control, and she had been right- and now as Zelenka told her that it had been a trick all along- her mind went to John, and wondered, hoped and prayed that he was alright and had not done something stupid and heroic like he always did.
end of flashbacks
"I tend to do that a lot, don't I?" John asked with a weak laugh as he tried to process all the emotion that had flooded to him, from Elizabeth in the last few seconds.
"Yes." Elizabeth replied with a small smile breaking the hug and looking into his eyes. 'And every time I died a little inside.'
'Elizabeth.' John thought, letting her know that they were still connected
'Oh god.' She thought in horror as her feelings rose to the surface. "We're still connected."
"Apparently," John replied after which he coughed and a little blood appeared at the corner of his mouth causing Elizabeth to have a hard time controlling her thoughts and emotions.
'Oh god John, don't you dare die on me now. Not now- not like this.'
"I am not going to die on you." John replied out loud trying to show her that he was strong.
"Of course your not," Elizabeth confirmed trying to be strong herself, but even she knew deep down that he probably had pretty severe internal bleeding.
"Elizabeth…." John muttered after a coughing fit and his body seizing up in pain. "I need….I need to tell you something…"
"No John," Elizabeth ordered doing her best to not listen to his thoughts and blocking her own from him. "You don't have to tell me anything, because you are going to get though this."
"Elizabeth…" John muttered again and Elizabeth looked up at him and her heart nearly broke at the look of his face. She had never seen him so defeated and it scared her. "Elizabeth…wh-what did you mean when you said that you died a little inside…."
"Oh John I…." Elizabeth was going to think up of some excuse but after pausing for a moment she looked up again and found that John was slipping away from her. Not only could she see it in front of her eyes but she could feel it in her mind and heart. "John? John, wake up. John stay with me John!" Unable to help herself Elizabeth closed the small gap between them and kissed John on the lips, attempting to keep him in the land of the living. It was only when she felt him kiss her back and when his arms went around her as well that she broke the kiss, pulled away and looked down as if in shame.
"Elizabeth what-" John asked and when Elizabeth looked at him he didn't need to hear the answer from her mouth or her mind, he could feel it in his heart. "Oh,"
"I'm sorry John," Elizabeth apologized thinking that the shock on his face meant that he didn't feel for her the way she felt for him. "I shouldn't have done anything- you were slipping away and I didn't- I couldn't- I-"
"I never knew." John stated weakly. "I-"
"You weren't supposed too." Elizabeth answered moving back a bit. "You don't-"
"Elizabeth I-" John began as he took her hand and she was plunged into his memories as he was plunged into hers.
flashbacks
He was dying, he knew it. That damn bug was sucking the life from him and the only thing he wanted to say was how much he appreciated working with her and how he hoped that she would be strong with out him and she wasn't letting him speak. He wanted to get back to her, to protect her, but he didn't think that he could
It was the storm of the century, and Atlantis had been attacked in its weakest moment and as he went around trying to figure out a plan and disabling what he could he was contacted by Kolya with the most horrible news.
"Say good bye to Doctor Weir."
'NO!' John thought frantically and it was all he could do but yell into the radio and yell his name, as if that would stop him "Kolya! KOLYA! KOLYA! Don't do this!"
There was silence and John's heart was beating frantically. 'Can't loose her, not now, not like this.' And as he waited he didn't dare to move, as if by moving Koyla would actually kill her, 'But he can't, he needs her. He needs her, he-"
"Major Sheppard…" Kolya spoke into the radio stopping John's thought in mid-sentence. "How's this for credibility? Weir is dead."
'NO!' His mind screamed and he wanted to scream at Kolya too, but he wouldn't give that bastard the pleasure. He took a very deep breath to calm him voice and then slowly as he pronounced each word he gave Kolya his threat. "I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You."
Everything he was doing, he was doing for her. Disabling the generators, stopping from their men by putting up the shield, all of it was in revenge for her. He may have lost her, but he was going to make sure that Kolya would feel what he was feeling. That was when he was contacted again over radio.
"Major Sheppard, I have a proposition for you."
"Kolya, I'm having a hard time keeping up…" John gloated. "What's the score again?
"My men have informed that not only have you disabled some crucial generators….you've stolen key components that make it impossible to be restored."
"Yeah," John confirmed feeling a small bit of satisfaction. "I did that." 'For Elizabeth.'
"There are two flaws in your plan."
"Always open to constructive criticism." John taunted.
"One, the assumption that I would believe you would rather destroy the city than let it fall to us is childish."
"Doesn't sound like me." John replied.
"Second, if and when I determine Atlantis unsalvageable, Doctors Weir and McKay become obsolete."
That stopped John walking down the steps, and after a couple of moments of calming his breath he spoke. "……..Weir's alive?"
"Doctor McKay was able to make a strong case for keeping her alive…"
"Let me talk to her." John ordered, almost desperately and he waited for what seemed an eternity till she answered.
"Sheppard, we're both here!" She yelled over the force of the storm.
"It's good to hear you're voice." John replied, his voice oozing relief.
"Yeah, it's good to hear." Elizabeth agreed and then John heard Kolya saying that he had 10 minutes to fix grounding station 3 or else Elizabeth would die.
"Again you mean?" John asked fearfully but doubting that he would kill her because he still needed her.
"Her death will…" John barely heard the rest and when Kolya was finished he realised that the time that he had been given wasn't enough and when Kolya let him know that he was serious he ran trying to save her…again.
He had succeeded, and when he and his team finally made it to the gate room, he found that he was about to loose her to Kolya through the gate.
"You're not going anywhere." John stated out loud as Kolya edged closer to the event horizon with Weir. "I will shoot you if you don't let her go."
"And risk hurting Dr. Weir?" Kolya asked, not buying the thread.
"I'm not aiming at her." John stated after standing and he fired a single shot and Elizabeth fell to the floor and he ran over to her and apologised. "Sorry about that I had to ermm…" He stopped realising that she looked very shaken up. "You okay?"
"uh- no." Elizabeth replied shaking her head.
"You will be." John promised. "Come on." And he took her hand and together they ran up the steps to the control room to save their city
It was later, during the siege, and she was about to give the order to evacuate when….
"Elizabeth wait!" He was stopped halfway up the stairs and he turned to look at her. He couldn't leave her without saying goodbye. And as he looked at her, he almost changed his mind when he saw her face.
"You can't" She pleaded as if her own words alone could change his mind.
"I have to…" John stated, not wanting to do this either, but he wanted to keep her safe. It was all he could do, he had to keep her safe and he had to convince her that letting him go was going to be the only way. "…and you know it."
"John," Elizabeth protested shaking her head… and in that moment he just stared at her, trying to tell her with out words that he cared what happened to her and that to save her and Atlantis this was the only way. He tried to tell her that giving up his life would not be the worst thing, loosing her was by far the worst thing he knew that he would have to deal with and that she had to let him do his duty. "Go." Elizabeth replied and with a nod he ran up the stares feeling her eyes in his back, pleading with him to come back and he wanted to, he really did but his sense of duty was driving him. His protective instinct was driving him to save her the only way he knew how.
Zelenka radioed that he was taking the jumper and he heard her tell Zelenka that she knew and that he had to prep Jumper two. At the sound of his voice he again almost changed his mind but he knew that he had to do this, so he took the jumper up and aimed it right down the throat of the hive ship. After a couple of minutes he suddenly thought of something and wondered what Elizabeth was going to do about it.
"You know," John radioed in, his own voice not near as calm as he wanted it to be. "If this works, somebody might have to do it again."
"Understood." Elizabeth radioed back and he wondered what that tone in her voice was. 'What is she going to do?'
Minutes later, he was saved, and after the first hive ship was destroyed he thought that he better radio in that he was alright.
"Atlantis, this is Sheppard."
"John!" Elizabeth radioed back in shock.
"What other Sheppard's do you know?"
Minutes later after the second hive had been destroyed John realised that Atlantis had a huge problem.
"Elizabeth, you've got a problem."
"We see that, Major."
"We're moving to intercept but I don't think we can get there in time."
There was chatter and John realised that he was going to loose her again if Rodney didn't get that shield up. "You'd better get the damned shield up!" He ordered frantically and he waited. And once the darts were clearly there he tried to radio Atlantis.
"Atlantis, this is Sheppard, come in." There was silence. "Atlantis….Elizabeth….I repeat. This. Is. Sheppard. What is your status?"
"We're still here." Came Elizabeth's reply. "That's our status."
"Don't scare me like that!" John pleaded after a sigh of relief.
Caldwell offered him a change to go back to Atlantis and he was beamed down. Once he was oriented, which took a couple of seconds he ordered the marines who had beamed down with him to secure Stargate operations. He then saw Elizabeth coming down the steps to meet him and he stated, rather clichéd that he was home. To his great surprise, Elizabeth walked to him and then after a moment she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. After a moment of shock, John reciprocated the hug and embraced her back. His hesitation was not because he wasn't relieved to see her, he just t embraced him in a huge hug.
Nearly a month later, he almost lost her. He was speeding away into space in a defective jumper. He knew that she was lying to him and he tried to remain positive. After all they had been through with the Wraith, he didn't want to leave her like this- luckily he didn't have too.
He was turning into a Wraith, and she was loosing him. Each time she went to see him, she could feel it, he knew that she could. He was changing, he was scared and little by little the John Sheppard that he knew was slipping away. He was turning into the very thing that they both hated and if this went to far, he wouldn't be able to communicate at all. He told her to stay away from him, but she didn't listen and as he realised that he was holding her by the throat he realised that he had to get away, before it was too late.
Ford had kidnapped him as his team and they were missing for a long time while McKay tried to implement Aiden's plan. All the time that it took, he thought of Elizabeth and tried to find a way to get back to her. He was not going to let her think that he had abandoned her- or worse that he was dead. He was going to get back to her. He was.
He was stuck, he couldn't get back to the other side and he waited a long time and his team only sent little supplies though. He left the cave to look for shelter and there he lived for months. Each day the hurt burying deeper and deeper, they had left him behind. She had left him behind. For months he tried to fit in, but the people he was with were not the same as the people of Atlantis. Even the girl, was not the same as Elizabeth and when she told him that they were near and that the beast was after them, he went to save them- even though she had taken so long to find him.
Phoebes was ordering Teyla to kill him. He didn't think that Teyla was going to do it. They had much to deep a respect to do it. When Thalen told Teyla a version of this, he couldn't help but cringe. He and Teyla had a respect, and he cared for her as a friend, companion and warrior but nothing more. He cared much deeper for someone else and he couldn't believe that he was hearing her voice order Teyla to kill him. He was going to leave her without ever telling her how he felt. He was screaming, screaming for her to hear her. But it was no use.
He had been taken by the Genii, he couldn't believe it. And his life was being bargained for jumpers. He knew that she was never going to give in, and yet while his mind tried to figure out a plan- he thought about how she was handling it- and if Cowen would actually kill him.
The volcano was exploding, and he didn't know that he would survive it. With the gate buried in lava and the Dedalaus still away, John could only hope that he would get out of his situation. All he could do is pray that they made it out of the bowls of the Ancients science station alive. There was just too much at stake, the Wraith were coming- and he had to be there to protect her. He just had to be.
end of flashbacks
"-do." John finished, slightly shocked as he released her hand. The link between them was clearly growing stronger and Elizabeth just looked at her hand for a moment and then looked at him with wonder in her eyes.
"John," She whispered her voice soft yet secure. "Why did you never tell me that you felt the same?"
"Well, at first there was Simon…"
I met someone else…
"Simon left me a long time ago John." Elizabeth whispered, shaking away the memory of his rejection. At the time, she had been hurt- but not because she loved Simon that much but because she thought that she could trust him- but Elizabeth had already learned to trust someone else.
"I know." John nodded his head weakly. "But I thought that you-"
"Still carried a torch for him?" Elizabeth asked turning to John who nodded his head. "No, I left him back on Earth John….. I was just afraid before. I didn't want to get hurt again."
"I swear to you Elizabeth." John stated reaching out his hand and placing it lovingly on her cheek. "I will never hurt you."
"I know that." Elizabeth nodded, a small smile on her face. "But we can't-"
"Oh my god." Came a familiar voice behind them.
"Carson?" John asked weakly and Elizabeth turned around to see the gang. Rodney, Zelenka, Teyla, Ronan, Aiden, Carson and several Athosians behind them
"What happened to the Colonel?" He asked running over to John, his doctor instincts kicking in.
"Got into a shooting match with a couple of Wraith." John muttered weakly.
"And it looks like you lost." Rodney stated, his anxiety sounding like giddiness.
"Rodney for heavens sake," Carson chastised Rodney before turning back to his patient. "Now Colonel Sheppard, we have to get you to the Infirmary."
"No."
"No?" Carson asked looking confused.
"We- we have too…" John stuttered trying to make his point known and he turned his head to Elizabeth who had been crouching on John's left side to finish the sentence. After a second or too, she nodded and stood facing her team.
"We have to save Atlantis first."
"What?" Rodney asked out loud. "How?"
"Ch-Chair?"
"What?" Rodney asked again pointing to Sheppard. "What did he say?"
"I believe that he said chair?" Zelenka asked looking to Elizabeth for confirmation and Rodney snapped his hands together in amazement.
"Your brilliant." Rodney remarked to John, who was fighting to stay conscious. "You know that right?"
"What are you talking about Rodney?" Carson asked not understanding.
"Sheppard's going to power the chair, use the hive drones and destroy the hive ship."
"Now that's a plan." Ronan approved.
"Indeed." Teyla agreed.
"And because the chair needs the gene to work," Zelenka began with a smile on his face. "It means that it won't have been locked down like the rest of the systems."
"So now all we have to do is get to the chair room." Rodney pointed out.
"I'm sorry." Carson interrupted. "But Colonel Sheppard is not going anywhere, let alone operating that damn thing. He probably has a concussion, a severe wound to his shoulder and he probably has internal bleeding. I have to get him to the infirmary."
'No!' John cried out weakly to Elizabeth. 'No, you can't let him to this! I- I have to save Atlantis.'
'We can save Atlantis with out you John,' Elizabeth thought as she knelt beside her fallen soldier, ignoring the questions and arguments of the others.
'No.' John argued, his mental voice getting weak. 'I- I have to save me.'
'You've saved me enough times John.'
'O-one last time then.'
"No!" Elizabeth cried out loud, bringing all the focus onto her. After a split second of embarrassment Elizabeth composed herself and turned to Carson. "Carson, I know that you are the doctor but this is one instance where I have to over ride your authority."
"But-"
"Carson, John is dying." Elizabeth snapped, trying to keep control. "He doesn't have time and if he- if we can't get to the chair in time we will all follow. We need to go now."
"Very well." Carson replied with a resigned sigh. "But we will have to hurry."
"Don't worry." Ronan replied helping Elizabeth get John to his feet. "If we are too slow, it won't matter for us now, will it?"
"No." Elizabeth confirmed shaking her head. "Now, lets save Atlantis…shall we?"
Meanwhile back in space, out side the Wraith armada's sensors both the Dedalaus and the Orion were waiting.
"Caldwell to Lorne, do you read me?" Caldwell called the commander of the Orion for this mission.
"Loud and clear sir," Lorne answered.
"Any word from Atlantis?" Caldwell asked, hoping that the Orion's sensors would have picked something up that he had missed.
"No sir." Lorne replied. "However, our sensors are detecting many life forms in the chair room- if it is our people…."
"Then we should be in for one hell of a light show." Caldwell finished. "Good work Major Lorne."
They all arrived in the chair room. The Athosians, along with Ronan, Teyla created a perimeter while Rodney and Zelenka made sure that all the chairs systems were functioning properly. While this was going on, John was being lowered into the chair by Elizabeth and Carson.
"I still don't think that this is a good idea Elizabeth." Carson stated. "Sheppard is in too weak a state right now, I don't think that he will be able to operate the chair."
"Then you can do it." Elizabeth replied distantly as she took John's hand in her own. 'John, hang in there.'
'I'm trying.' John thought back, his mind weak.
"No." Carson stated shaking his head. "No way, I'm just saying that I can't operate this thing on the best of days, there is no way that I would be able to do it now."
"Then we let John do what he has been trained to do." Elizabeth sated, her voice cold and strained. "Rodney, Zelenka- are you almost finished?"
"Yes." Zelenka agreed.
"The chair, thank god, has remained undamaged by our little lockdown virus. Sheppard should be able to power it up." Rodney finished.
"Do you hear that John?" Elizabeth asked turning to John. 'It's your turn to save the day.'
'Elizabeth…' John whispered as the chair lit up and Elizabeth found that she had to back away while the chair rotated.
Suddenly there was gun fire, and the sound of wraith stunners. The Athosians, Ronan, Teyla, Carson, Rodney and Zelenka all dove for cover but Elizabeth was too shocked to do anything. She just stood there frozen, looking at John who was looking at her and in a moment, she thought that she was dead. She turned and saw the Wraith firing a P-90 at her, yet the bullets didn't hit her. They hit a purple force field that suddenly sprang up.
"The chair has a shield?" Rodney asked coming out of hiding.
"Apparently." Ronan stated looking face to face with a Wraith who was banging his hands on the shield. "A good one too."
"He saved your life Elizabeth." Rodney pointed out, pointing to John.
"Elizabeth…" John muttered.
"I'm here." Elizabeth answered kneeling beside the chair, placing her hand over his left one- the one that wasn't controlling the chair. 'Thank you for saving me.'
"I will always save you…" John whispered turning his head to Elizabeth and then the chair disengaged and John fell completely conscious.
"John? John!" Elizabeth cried standing up to look at his face, but in the process- she too felt nauseated and she fainted to the ground.
"Great." Rodney muttered watching as Teyla went to check on John as Carson monitored Elizabeth.
"Did he do it?" Ronan asked looking around. "Did he get the ships?"
"Rodney." Zelenka began but Rodney cut him off.
"I-" Rodney began when suddenly large explosions could be heard.
'Rodney." Zelenka began again but once again Rodney cut him off.
"I think he did." Rodney stated proudly.
"Rodney!" Zelenka yelled.
"What?" Rodney asked turning to his fellow scientist. But Zelenka didn't have to tell him, Rodney's eyes just went wide in terror and in a flash he was out of the room.
"What was that all about?" Ronan asked.
"The shield, it will need to be up." Zelenka explained. "With out it, the pieces of the Wraith ships have a high probability of falling into Atlantis."
"We better help him then." Ronan stated running off, motioning for half the Athosians to follow with Aiden close behind. Teyla and the rest stayed behind and guard Zelenka, Carson and their fallen leaders.
Meanwhile up aboard the Dedalaus and Orion, cheers erupted as they saw bright flashes across their sensors. The location of the flashed indicated to all that indeed, the Wraith had been destroyed and that once again Atlantis was safe from harm and invasion.
"Novak to Caldwell?"
"Yes Novak?" Caldwell answered over the comm. Link
"Uh- Sir, Hermoid predicts that unless Dr. McKay was able to get the shield up on time, Atlantis- well it would have been destroyed by the falling Wraith ships.
"Sir-" Major Lorne stated over the ship to ship communications channel. "We have a hundreds of hostiles, incoming."
"It is probably just the darts leaving-" Caldwell predicted. "Stay where you are and wait, do not engage the enemy unless they engage you, understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Now, Novak, what were you saying?"
"Dr. Novak was relating the fact that unless Dr. McKay got the shield up, the debris from the hive ships and wraith Cruisers would have destroyed Atlantis." Hermoid answered in his straight and un-feeling tone. There was silence across the bridge of the Dedalaus and eventually across both ships as the realisation of what might have happened began to sink in.
"Well, let's just hope that didn't happen." Caldwell stated after a few moments. He waited a couple of more seconds and then he addressed his helmswomen. "Lieutenant- Are there any more hostiles incoming?"
"No sir." The female Lieutenant answered. "The explosions of the hive ships are blocking our sensors, but from what I have been reading, it looks like no more darts are coming from that area that Atlantis is supposed to occupy."
"Can you get a read out on whether Atlantis is still there?"
"No, sir- I cannot."
"Then take us in Lieutenant." Caldwell ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
"Major Lorne?" Caldwell asked, contacting the other ship.
"Yes Colonel?"
"We're going in, assume that there are hostiles in the city if it is still standing."
"Yes sir."
All communication between the ships fell silent as they approached the planet to get a visual on the city. As they drew closer, and their sensors began to clear up and they soon realised that they would be able to get a reading on if the city was destroyed or if it was still standing. The ships dipped below the cloud line and a sigh of relief swept through the ship as they saw that Atlantis was indeed still standing. The only question that remained un answered at this point was if the personal were still alive.
"Atlantis. This is Colonel Caldwell. Come in Atlantis." They had a visual, the city was standing. The shield must have been in place when the chair was activated and Caldwell just prayed that the expedition members survived. "Atlantis, this is Colonel Caldwell. If anyone is reading this transmission please respond." The line crackled for a moment and then there was a response.
"Colonel, this is Teyla." Another sigh of relief swept through the bridge crew.
"Teyla," Caldwell responded, relief evident in his voice. If she had survived, the rest of the senior staff probably survived as well. "It is good to hear your voice!"
"There can be pleasantries later Colonel, but first I insist that you transport Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Weir to the infirmary along with Dr. Becket."
"Why?" Caldwell asked, the fear starting to rise again. "What happened?"
"Colonel," Carson interrupted. "I have two patients who are dying here in the chair room- so please stop asking questions and transport us and some of your med people to my infirmary."
"Yes of course, but the shield will have to be down for us to do anything." Caldwell answered after a Lieutenant whispered in his ear.
"RODNEY!" Carson yelled through the city communicator.
"Yes, yes." Rodney replied. "I heard, shield down….now."
"Please Colonel." Teyla pleaded through the transmission. "Now." There was a flash of bright light and Teyla found herself alone in the chair room. "Thank you." She replied to Caldwell. "You an the Orion can dock on your respective piers. East and North- we desperately need your help to exterminate the remainder of the Wraith who are still in this city."
"Right away Teyla." Caldwell replied, preparing to do another clean up job.
It was hours later- all the Wraith had been eradicated from Atlantis and the med personal had gathered enough enzyme to ensure that Aiden's remaining de-toxing period would be as smooth and as painless as humanly possible. And hours later, all the remaining senior staff, with the exception of Carson, Elizabeth and John were stood over the beds in the surgical room and watched as Carson operated on John.
John, to everyone's dismay had sustained several serious injuries as a result of his battle with the Wraith. He had a few cracked ribs which had punctured a lung, a severe concussions, a large gash at his hairline and a bullet through his shoulder. Normally, Carson would have been seriously worried at the amount of damage that his patient had taken but the fact that John had used his remaining energy up with his heroics in the chair room worried him even further.
It seemed that he was slipping away and every so often Carson took his eyes away from John to look towards his other patient Elizabeth and trying to gage John's vitals by how well Elizabeth was doing.
The sun was setting and the golden light bounced off their faces as they stood on their balcony overlooking the piers of Atlantis, the sea and the horizon. Their world was idyllic and peaceful and neither of them wanted to break the silence for they were both lost in their own worlds. It was when Elizabeth felt a presence beside her that she broke the silence.
"John?" Elizabeth asked, feeling the presence of someone beside her.
"Elizabeth!" John replied shock emanating from his voice while his body and face was looking as healthy as ever. "I did it didn't I?"
"Did you?" Elizabeth asked, the memories of what had transpired in the chair room. :I don't really remember- it's so fuzzy. You collapsed and then I, I-"
"Fainted," John finished, as he himself remembered what had happened. "Yeah, I was vaguely aware of that….but I defiantly remember sending a drone to each of the hive ships, and most of the cruisers as well. I know that there is no way anything bigger than a dart could have survived our attack in fact-" John paused as if lost in his own thoughts. "Carson, Carson is-"
"Operating on you." Elizabeth finished feeling John's life slipping away from her and she didn't know if it was the link dissipating or if he really was dying. "Oh God John!" She exclaimed taking John by the hand. "You're slipping away from me, I can feel it I-"
"Shhh," John soothed placing his other hand over Elizabeth's. "It's alright."
"No." Elizabeth replied shaking her head watching in horror. "I can see it now. John, you're fading," John took his hands back and put them in front of his face and saw that he was indeed fading. "You're fading away from me, John. You can't leave me. Not now, not like this!"
"Elizabeth…" John stated, his voice starting to have a hint of worry in it as he faded away more. He put his hand out to touch Elizabeth's face but his hand went right though it.
"No, John-" Elizabeth pleaded. "No, you can't leave me!"
"Elizabeth-" His voice was more frantic, he was almost completely translucent and his panic made Elizabeth's grow tenfold.
"You said that you'd never hurt me." Elizabeth cried, tears falling down her face as John faded from her sight bit by bit. "You said, you swore…"
"Elizabeth- I love you."
"John I-" Elizabeth began but she never got to finish her sentence. He was gone, vanished before her very eyes and as the realization sunk in, and the horror at not being able to feel his presence any more was understood by her mind and her broken heart, her idyllic world crumbled around her and she screamed. "NO!"
"John!" Elizabeth cried sitting up in a medical bed. At first disorientation struck her, 'Wasn't I on the balcony?' but then she heard Carson's voice calling her and she turned to look at him.
"Elizabeth?" Carson asked again as he left the nurses and surgeons to finish up the operation on John. "What happened?"
"I don't know." Elizabeth answered honestly as she placed a hand to her head which felt so empty with out the constant stream of John's thoughts. "John and I were linked and then he- he disappeared. Vanished- Oh god Carson, he's not-?"
"No." Carson interrupted with a shake of his head, watching as Elizabeth's eyes closed and a sigh flow from her body and he knew that he had to tell her what had happened during the operation. "No. He's not dead, thank heavens. But he is extremely weak and unfortunately the medically induced coma that I put him in for the operation may have taken a more permanent effect."
"What!" Elizabeth cried out in horror. "How could-"
"I am very positive that, that is not the case Elizabeth but we will just have to wait and give it time."
"Time? Time? Carson how in the world could you have done this…?"
"Wow," Ronan remarked watching as Elizabeth's body language showed that she was most upset at the doctor. "She's upset."
"You're telling me." Rodney agreed. "I don't think I've ever seen her that upset."
"Colonel Sheppard is in a coma." Teyla interrupted trying to give the boys a women's perspective. "He and Dr. Weir have been linked for the past twelve hours, such things do not happen without the people involved getting-close. I would not be surprised if they were able to work through many things- most of which hinge on Colonel Sheppard getting better."
"What?" Rodney asked looking from Elizabeth, who was still yelling at Carson to Teyla. "What are you talking about."
"Have you not seen it?" Teyla asked, shocked that they had noticed it. "Have you not felt it? The way they look at each other? How close they are together both physically and mentally? Have you been blind to the feelings that they both share for each other and the absolute worry and despair that they both go through when the other is in trouble."
"Teyla, what are you talking about?" Caldwell asked stepping forward, even though he had an idea of what she was saying.
"What I am saying Colonel Caldwell is that Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard are in love."
"With each other?" Rodney asked shocked.
"Are you blind McKay?" Ronan agreeing with Teyla, "Think of all the times when they have been separated from each other."
"Well I always knew that they were close but…. oh my god." Rodney muttered. "You're right."
"Of course I am right." Teyla answered back. "So let us hope, for Doctor Weir's sake that John gets better soon."
"A happy leader is a strong leader." Caldwell muttered, reciting something an admiral had told him a long time ago.
"What?" Rodney asked, not catching what he had said.
"A happy leader is a strong leader."
"Indeed." Teyla agreed turning her attention back to Elizabeth who had finally settled down. 'I pray to the ancestors for you Dr. Weir. May he whom you love return to you, and make you happy. You are both stronger together.'
It was three days after the Battle for Atlantis, Carson had tried giving John a number of stimulants to break him out of the coma that he had slipped into however none of them were working. Caldwell and Major Lorne had taken over the day to day operations of Atlantis while their leader kept a constant vigil over John Sheppard.
Not one of the Atlantis expedition members questioned her choice. They all knew what Shepard and Weir had been through together in the past few years and since their two leaders had just been linked together for twelve hours, they all knew not to ask questions or to bother her unless it was an emergency and fortunately nothing tragic had happened to that point.
"You should get some sleep lass," Carson suggested as he was preparing to leave the infirmary for the night.
"I've slept Carson." Elizabeth whispered though her hands which were to her face. "I have slept."
"A couple of hours each night for three days straight will not do your body any good Elizabeth."
"You know what Carson, I don't really care." Elizabeth argued. "I can't leave him. Not after all he's done."
"Elizabeth…."
"Goodnight Carson." Elizabeth stated and there was such a finality to her tone that Carson didn't dare to argue with. Therefore with a sigh, he left and after several moments of silence with Elizabeth just staring at John's sleeping form she spoke up, trying to brightly cover up her emotions. "John? John you did it. You saved Atlantis, the Wraith were destroyed, and they don't seem to be coming back. John?" Elizabeth paused to take John's hand in her own. "John, you saved me." She whispered her voice softening and her true emotions coming to the surface. "John, you said that you would never hurt me. John you swore that you would never hurt me and you are hurting me. John please wake up." Elizabeth pleaded, tears coming to her eyes and small sobs interrupting her speech. "You're hurting me. You're hurting me John and you swore that you wouldn't. Oh, John, p-please wake up. Please John. Please." Elizabeth sobbed. 'You're hurting me John, please wake up and make the pain go away.' Her mind echoed.
'I'll never hurt you.' John's voice floated though her head.
"John?" Elizabeth asked out loud, her tears stopping in surprise at hearing John's voice/ "John?" She asked again staring at him however after what seemed like an eternity she realised that she must have been imaging his voi9ce. 'Oh John,' She sighed in her head, tears coming to her eyes again.
'Elizabeth?' His voice was soft, distant and confused yet it was strong at the same time, as if it was looking/ searching for something.
"Ok, this time I know I heard something." Elizabeth muttered looking around when all of a sudden from the corner of her eye she saw a little bit of movement. "John?" She asked thinking as if she was loosing her mind and when John moved again and she saw that he seemed to be in a nightmare. 'Oh having a seizure….oh god…' "CARSON!" Elizabeth called into her communicator.
"What is it Elizabeth?" Carson asked his voice sounding tiered and weak through the communications channel.
'Elizabeth?' John's voice echoed through her head.
"John?" Elizabeth asked leaning over the bed.
"Elizabeth?" John moaned out his eyes fluttering.
"Elizabeth?" Carson asked through the communications channel. "Is everything-"
"He's awake!" Elizabeth shrieked with joy. "Carson, he's awake!"
"Alright, I'll be right down."
"Of course I am awake." John muttered opening his eyes further. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well-"
"Good heaven's colonel." Carson replied entering the room and interrupting Elizabeth who sank into her seat and took John's hand in her own. "You gave us all quite a scare."
"Scare?" John asked pulling himself to a sitting position while Carson checked all of his vitals. "What do you mean, scare…Elizabeth what is going on here? I heard you calling my name- or something directed towards me I don't really remember and then-"
"Pardon?" Elizabeth asked taking her hand away. "You heard me talking to you?"
"No." John replied as if that was the most ridiculous thing that she had ever said and that he had ever heard. "I heard you- up here." He answered tapping his head to indicate that it was not through his ears that he heard her but through her mind.
"But the link…" Carson muttered re-checking his vitals.
"Carson, you said that we lost the link three days ago, twelve hours after it had bonded us together in the first place."
"Three days?" John asked, not understanding the three days comment. "Would someone please tell me what is going on?"
"John," Elizabeth began softly taking his hand again. "You've been in a coma for three days."
"Three days? That can't be right! I was in the chair, hours have passed maybe but days and… Elizabeth. The Wraith?"
"Totally defeated Colonel," Carson interjected. "With no sign of returning."
"Really?" John asked turning from Carson to Elizabeth with a smile on his face. "You mean I did it?"
"Yes," Elizabeth replied her voice soft and her eyes misting up with tears. "You were quite the hero back there."
"Uh, Carson, could you leave us alone?" John asked turning to Carson. "We, have a lot to talk about."
"Oh, very well Colonel." Carson sighed. "Your vitals are normal, and I suppose that you've had enough sleep over the last couple days- heaven knows that I haven't- so if you'll both excuse me, I am going to bed….and you should think of doing the same Elizabeth."
"What do you mean Carson?" John asked looking concerned.
"It's nothing." Elizabeth interjected.
"It is certainly not nothing lass…" Carson interrupted. "She's been keeping a constant vigil at your side Colonel…she's hardly slept herself."
"Well then, I won't keep her long." John promised. "Thank you and goodnight Carson."
"Goodnight Carson." Elizabeth echoed.
"Goodnight Elizabeth, Colonel." Carson stated, and with that he was finally gone leaving Elizabeth and John alone. For several seconds they just stared at each other in complete silence until Elizabeth could not take it anymore and she reached out to John and embraced him in a huge hug,
"Elizabeth…" John whispered returning the embrace. "I-"
"Oh John," Elizabeth interrupted, sighing into his shoulder as she sat herself down on the side of the bed and hugging John tighter. "I thought that I had lost you."
"Again," John stated with a smile.
"Again," Elizabeth agreed pulling out of the embrace and looking down at the bed.
"Elizabeth," John stated taking her hand in one of his and using the other to move her chine so he could look into her eyes. "I told you before and I'll tell you again, you will never loose me."
"But-" Elizabeth protested thinking of all the potentially horrible circumstances that could take him away from her forever.
"You'll never loose me," John continued. "Because I will always be here-" He stated pointing to her forehead, "-and here-" he continued, his voice softening as he pointed to her heart. "You'll never loose me."
"When did you become such a romantic?" Elizabeth asked, laughing through the tears that were spilling over her eyes.
"When I fell in love with you, I guess." John replied, throwing all caution to the wind and telling Elizabeth exactly how he felt.
"Oh-" Elizabeth choked out though a sob and she threw her arms around his neck again. "I've fallen in love with you too." She whispered into his ear.
John pushed her back to look at her and he saw that tears were falling out of her eyes. After he had wiped them off her cheeks he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Several breathless moments later, they pulled apart and a horrible and soul-crushing thought struck her.
"Oh God John," Elizabeth began, her tears drying up out of fear. "What are we going to do now? Regulations state that-"
"They state that a leader cannot get involved with a subordinate officer, but Elizabeth, that is for the military. You are not military." John pointed out taking her hand to comfort her.
"But John," Elizabeth began. "You are and-"
"And besides," John continued. "I always thought that we were co-leaders of Atlantis."
"Un-officially yes," Elizabeth agreed. "But officially I am the sole person in charge of this expedition, and if the military ever found out, they might ask for your re-assignment."
"So what?" John asked, not thinking things through. "Do you want to wait until we are both free of this expedition? Come on Elizabeth, you're the smart on here. The Stargate program has been going on for ten- no eleven years now with no sign of stopping. Do you want to wait that long?"
"No." Elizabeth agreed shaking her head. "There is no way I could wait that long with out ever directly showing you how I felt about you."
"Good." John replied with a relieved sigh. "I mean, I would have- if you had asked me too, but now…after hearing you tell me- well let's just say it was going to be the hardest assignment that I have ever undertaken."
"But now what?" Elizabeth asked, her reasoning brining them both back to square one. "Now what are we going to do?"
"Now," John began choosing his words carefully. "We explore this relationship, see where it takes us… we'll worry about the military and regulations later."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Elizabeth asked making sure that they were both on the same page.
"Elizabeth, I love you and I want to start a relationship with you….if you'll have me."
"Of course I'll have you." Elizabeth whispered placing a hand on his cheek. "I love you."
"And I love you Elizabeth."
The End
A/N- Yay! So I decded to forgo studying to finish this up (I thought that you loyal readers deserved that much). I know that a lot of this chapter was flashbacks but it was kinda important for the context of the story. So, The Link is over, but I think there might, and I stress, might be a sequel...but if there is a sequel it will not be out for a long time (I mean there is no concept at all, well, sorta...) If any of you have any ideas, feel free to put them in your reviews, who knows, maybe I will use one of them! Hope you enjoyed reading this, I know I enjoyed writing it and I hope that you all like this ending... Go and read some of the other Atlantis Fanfic for the time being and don't forget to REVIEW! Please! Thanks- Anjirika