Title: I'm the voice you never listen to

Rating: T for safety's sake

Spoilers: None

Pairings: Weir/Zelenka

Summary: Elizabeth and Radek find a room where the Ancients made 'That little voice in your head' come to life.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters blah, blah, blah. Etc etc

Authors Notes: Thanks to Allestian for the plot bunny

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Elizabeth read the letter again, Simon wanted her back, he'd realised he'd been a fool to start afresh with someone else when she was so far away doing so much good for mankind, he was proud of her and now he wanted to join her on Atlantis. What puzzled her was his sudden change of heart, part of her wanted him back, she had wanted to share all this with him but he'd turned it down when she offered him the opportunity, the more cynical side of her suspected that he was jumping on the bandwagon. Now that he had security clearance, the International Committee had employed him to do research on the medicines they'd discovered so now he wanted to bask second hand glory. Did she really want him back? She had so used to being free again, she'd flirted with John and Rodney and some of the others and she'd enjoyed it, could she do that with Simon breathing down her neck? What about him? She'd only been away for 3 months before Simon had found someone else. Would Simon think it sour grapes if she refused his application to join the expedition? Elizabeth sighed and wished the little voice in her head would shut up.

"Dr Weir I need you," said Zelenka's heavily accented voice in her ear. I need you too she though briefly, then shook her head, that damn voice again.

"Where are you Dr Zelenka?" she asked

"Two floors below you, I need translations of Ancient" he replied

"Ok I'll be down in a minute" she replied. She ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed down her shirt. "shut up" she muttered as she left her office

Radek Zelenka was calmly trying to rationalise why he had called Elizabeth down, he didn't really need the Ancient writing translated. When they'd first started exploring Atlantis, back in the early days, it had been decided that this room wasn't important to the running of the city. Now they were going to dismantle it for spare parts, he'd discovered the writing as he was unscrewing a panel and wondered what it said. Had he called for Elizabeth simply to have her here with him? he'd been doing that a lot recently, he enjoyed her company and she seemed to enjoy his, well she never left straight away after her tasks were finished. That little voice in his head would always be just about to ask her for a date when he reminded himself that hitting on your boss was a very bad idea. He liked being alone with Elizabeth but nothing would ever come of it, no, tonight would be different.

"Mlč" he muttered as he waited.

"What have you got for me Radek?" said Elizabeth as she entered the room.

"Over there" he said pointing "We're dismantling this room to use for spare parts, I want to make sure that I'm not destroying anything that I shouldn't" Elizabeth smiled

"Don't want Rodney saying 'I told you so' even though this is his idea" she said with a smirk, Radek nodded

"My life would be hell" he replied, he was beginning to get uncomfortable now "so...ah...what does it say?"

"Well this bit says something about resolving a conflict of the soul and this says that this room will make the other voice heard so you can talk it out" she said shrugging "what do you think?"

"I have a picture of one of those cartoon characters with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other and they're both trying to persuade the character their way is right," he said. She nodded slowly as she thought it over

"It makes sense, if you were having a crisis of conscious you'd come here and the other voice would appear in human. well...ancient form and you'd talk it over and try and sort the problem out" she replied", I wonder if it still works". As she finished speaking a wave of energy washed over them and they fell to the ground.

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"Lizzie, Lizzie, come on wake up I haven't got all day," said a voice. Elizabeth sat up slowly; she looked around and saw herself sitting on a balcony rail somewhere in Atlantis.

"Are you my conscious?" Elizabeth asked

"No I'm that little voice in your head that keeps reminding you that you should have some fun occasionally, the voice you never listen to, well not since university anyway. Remember that Irish exchange student? the one with the red hair, he was gorgeous. That was the last time you listened to me" said the Voice. Elizabeth smiled at the memories

"Yes I remember. So this room really does make the voices real, but why are you here, I've got nothing on my mind" she replied. The Voice laughed

"Come on Lizzie I'm you remember, I've spent the last couple of hours trying to talk you out of letting that patronizing ex boyfriend of yours back into our lives" said the Voice. Elizabeth frowned, Simon was a little patronizing, the way he used to pat her on the head and talk to her as if he was explaining something to a child. She nodded grudgingly

"He was wasn't he, I never noticed before, so you think I should tell him he can't come to Atlantis" said Elizabeth

"No I didn't say that, I said don't let him back into our lives. He's the past; you need to concentrate on the future. Find someone who loves you, someone who'll put you first once in a while, and someone who actually respects you." Replied the Voice, then she smiled "you have found that someone you just won't do anything about it" Elizabeth found herself turning red. The Voice smiled "yes I'm talking about him, Radek Zelenka. Come on Lizzie you can't fool me, his accent makes you go weak at the knees, accents always did and don't deny you've been thinking about him at night either, why not make a few wishes come true". Elizabeth put her head in her hands

"I can't, what if he says no, what if I make a fool of myself, what if he already has someone, he's a good friend and I don't want to lose that" she pleaded.

"You won't know till you try, if you don't do something about it someone else might, could you live with that, seeing him with someone else knowing that could have been you but you were too frightened to make a move on him." The Voice smiled "you never know, underneath the geek there could be passion, I've seen that spark in his eye when he looks at you, I bet he's got a wild streak that can put a smile on your face, those Slavic types often do. I'll bet you a month's leave that once you get into his bed you won't want to leave." Elizabeth couldn't argue back because she'd often thought about Radek that way and the voice was right, you never know until you try. She'd been making excuses for not dealing with her feelings for him for too long, it was time for action. The Voice smiled "so, we're agreed when you wake up you'll start getting closer to him, I'm not talking about a fling here, you need to do things properly, which reminds me you've got me to thank for talking you out of jumping into bed with John Sheppard." Elizabeth blushed

"Thank you that would have been a big mistake" she said.

"Don't screw this up Lizzie, I'm not going to offer you this chance again" said the Voice. Elizabeth nodded

"I won't" she replied. The Voice started to fade "what's happening?"

"Your medics are reviving you, don't forget, this is your last chance".

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"Hey wake up, I don't have long" said a voice. Radek sat up and shook his head; he remembered being with Elizabeth in the room he was working in and then being hit by a wave of energy. He managed to focus his eyes and saw himself leaning against the rails of a balcony in the North Pier.

"Are you my nitro?" he asked, the other Radek shook his head

"No I am the Voice you never listen to, the one you ignore when you should know better" the Other said

"So the Ancients did talk to Voices in the head, but why are you here, I have nothing on my mind" Radek replied, the Other laughed

"No, I spend three days last week trying to talk you into asking Elizabeth to share that bottle of Schnapps with you but no you were more worried about Rodney finding out" the Other remarked. Radek sat down and put his head in his hands.

"She would have said no anyway, she doesn't have anything to do with geeks like me, Sheppard is more her type" he groaned.

"How do you know, you've never asked her, she always comes to you when you ask? A smart woman like her knows to stay away from Romeos like Sheppard, if she wasn't smart she'd be in Sheppard's bed by now." said the Other, Radek nodded slowly; the Other was right "so what's stopping you from making Elizabeth yours? fear of rejection? having to face rest of city when they find out? thinking she is too good for you?". Radek nodded miserably

"All" he replied

"So take a risk" said the Other. Radek shook his head

"I can't" he replied. The Other sighed

"Apart from coming here through Stargate, when was the last time you took risk" he asked, Radek thought and then hung his head. "Yes, seventeen years ago when you were on the streets during Revolution"

"That was different that was for freedom" retorted Radek

"Is it? Is Elizabeth not worth the risk" said the Other

"She'll say no" said Radek

"How do you know" the Other said. Radek had no answer "Go to her, tell her, take the risk, she is worth it. Tell me could you see her with Sheppard and be happy?" Radek shook his head. "She needs someone like you, I've seen it in the way she looks at you, she's not the type who needs an affair with the likes of Sheppard she needs something steady and loving, you can give her that" Radek nodded slowly

"I can and I will" he replied. The Other smiled

"I knew you'd see it my way" he said "you know as well as I do she's a passionate woman, you've seen it spark in her eyes. Nights can get cold in Atlantis, she'll keep you warm", the other grinned "I know you think the same, don't mess this up, if you leave it too long she will find someone else." Radek nodded

"I will" he replied. The Other started to fade

"Dr Beckett is waking you up, don't let us down"

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Carson's face swam into focus as Elizabeth opened her eyes.

"Oh God that was the strangest thing" she put her hands to her head "ow my head" she blinked a couple of times "is Dr Zelenka ok?" Carson smiled

"Aye lass he's fine" he replied

"I have hangover the size of the city" said Radek groaning

"I'm going to have to get the pair of you down to med lab just to see if there are any after effects of whatever hit you" Carson said

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Elizabeth was finishing the last of her paperwork, a letter to the SGC saying she was approving Dr Wallis' application to join the Atlantis staff and a private note to Simon saying their relationship from now on was purely professional. She stretched, now to other business.

Radek heard her footsteps approaching, it was now or never, he thought.

"Oh, Radek I didn't realise you were here" Elizabeth said

"I sometimes come here to...think, to be alone, no-one else knows about this place" he replied

"Oh, do you want me to go?" she asked

"No, no please stay" he replied "You like coffee?" he indicated the flask he'd bought with him

"Thank you I'd like that" she replied "I've decided to keep that room as it is and hand it over to Dr Heightmeyer, she could probably do some good with it" Radek nodded

"Seems like best idea" he replied

"So did you meet that Voice in your head?" she asked. He nodded

"It made a lot of sense" he replied. Elizabeth laid her head on his shoulder

"Mine nagged but she was right" she said, he put his arm around her and started to twist a lock of her hair around his finger. "But I'm glad I finally listened to her"

"I was told not to mess things up" he said. Elizabeth straightened up and turned to face him

"Mine said the same thing" she replied. He put his hand on her cheek and began to stroke it.

"I'm not, not this time" he said softly. He leaned forward and kissed her; she wrapped her arm around him and pushed her hand into his hair.

"I don't care what anyone thinks" said Elizabeth when she finally got her breath back

"Good" said Radek as he grabbed her hand began to lead her down the corridor.

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The next morning Rodney saw a rather dishevelled looking Elizabeth walking away from Radek's room, he looked at Elizabeth and then at Radek's door which was closing. He shook his head, Elizabeth and Radek. Never.

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Trans: mlč Shut Up

nitro Soul