Thank you so much for the reviews everybody. You´ve totally earned another, a bit longer chapter, don´t you agree...
-----------
Lorne had listened to him, at first anyway. Something about not destroying the city while he was gone. Like he would do that. He was staring at the woman working with the other jumper. Her long, blonde hair tied up to her neck, her shirt showing the curves of her body and Lorne let out a soft sigh as she lifted her eyes to look at him before returning back to work.
John knew that the other man was probably only pretending to listening him, the major´s eyes settled on the beautiful technician who glanced at their direction every now and then, a shy smile on her lips.
"Why don´t you just ask her out?" John sighed.
"What?"
"Oh, come on, you have been staring at her like she´s the most beautiful thing on the galaxy."
"She probably is." Lorne replied grinning, his eyes shifting back to the young woman before turning back to look at his commanding officer.
Sheppard hadn´t obviously heard what he had just said. A pleased smile played on his lips as he started at the jumper bay doors. The major turned to look back where John was staring and chuckled softly, muttering something under his breath.
"What?" Sheppard asked confused, catching only the pot and kettle part.
Elizabeth Weir did not look like a diplomat when she walked to them. She didn´t look like the expedition leader they had used to have.
She was wearing a white tank top and a long red skirt that looked like those the gypsies wore. Her hair had grown longer over the months and the dark curls framed her smiling face. She was holding Lily up against her hip with one arm, holding Cora´s hand with the other.
"What was that cryptic message I got that said to get the girls and meet you down here?" She asked smiling, shifting Lily in a better position against her hip.
Cora let go off Elizabeth´s hand and reached her little hands up for John to pick her up in his arms. "We´re going to the mainland."
"I can´t just leave like that." She objected softly.
"Yeah you can." He grinned at her, pleased at his own plan. "Lorne here has promised to take care of the city for us."
She glanced at the major who stood between them, grinning at them both in turn. "Don´t worry, Doctor Weir, I think we will survive a day without you." The smile disappeared from his lips as he saw her questioning look. "What I meant was that..."
"It´s okay, major." She grinned. "I´m sure you will be just fine."
"Thank you, ma´am."
The look on her face was still hesitating. "Come on, Liz. Teyla and Ronon disappeared together through the gate over an hour ago and I really don´t even want to know where. McKay didn´t even look up from whatever he was doing when I told him that we would be gone."
"Fine, we´re going." She laughed softly and walked past the two men into the puddle jumper. John glanced after her grinning and then looked at the young major. "It´ll take us thirty minutes to get back if there is an emergency. And you do understand the meaning of the word ´emergency´, right?"
Lorne nodded his head chuckling. "Yes, sir."
"Just making sure." John said before turning and walking toward the jumper. "And for god´s sake, don´t sink the city." He called over his shoulder.
Lorne mock saluted and waved his hand to Cora who smiled at him over John´s shoulder, before turning around and casually walking toward the other jumper.
Elizabeth knew that everything that had happened in the past weeks had changed her. She had thought about having children in one day, but that day hadn´t been in the near future.
And now everything was different. Her days were filled not only negotiations and briefings and reports but so much more too. And she had started to like the idea of the family she had with John and the girls.
"Everything okay back there?" John´s voice brought her back from her thoughts.
"Yes, we´re fine." She replied smiling, watching the girls sitting opposite her, the excitement showing in their faces.
He landed the jumper smoothly on the opening he had seen the last time he had visited the mainland. Unbuckling the girls from their seats, he took Cora and the basket and blankets he had packed for them for their day.
"You´ve thought everything." She told him softly as they walked into the beach and put the children down on the sand.
"I´m a thoughtful man."
"Yes you are."
A little later, after they had eaten their lunch sitting on the blankets, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the sound of the ocean, she had walked into the shoreline, staring out to the horizon. She had taken off her slippers, enjoying the feel of warm, silky sand under her bare feet.
Cora and Lily were running on the shore, shrieking happily as the waves reached up to their feet. Elizabeth stood in the water watching the girls, the waves dancing around her feet. She lifted the hem of her skirt up a little as the water reached higher.
Sun was warming her face, the only sound around her was the gentle crash of the waves and the delighted laughter of the two small children. She watched a seagull like bird diving into the ocean only to get back up into the air a second later.
She felt happy.
John walked to her, fighting against the desire to wrap his arms around her from behind and snuggle against her neck, feeling the sun kissed skin under his lips. Instead he stopped right next to her to watch the playing girls.
She turned her head to look at him. "Thank you." He barely heard her quiet whisper as the waves crashed against the shore around them, but her green eyes told him the same.
"For what?" He asked even he knew her answer.
"For this." She glanced back to the girls who were now playing on the sand. "For all this. For making me come here with you."
He smiled and felt her hand brushing against his before she let their fingers entwine. And for a moment, there was nothing else in the world.
"Mommy!" Cora looked expectedly at Elizabeth who glanced at John surprised.
"I think she means you." He leaned to whisper her softly.
He followed her slowly to where the girls were on their knees on the warm sand, showing Elizabeth something hiding in the sand, probably trying avoid the little poking fingers.
"Okay, leave the poor creature alone." He grabbed Cora from the waist and lifted her sit on his shoulders. Lily, who thought that walking was over-rated, reached her arms up and Elizabeth lifted her into her arms smiling.
The sun was already setting, coloring the sky with different shades of red, when they started back home. The girls had fallen asleep in their seats, a blanket covering them.
She stood behind him, looking ahead, seeing Atlantis still on the far horizon. She leaned down closer to him, her warm breathing caressing his cheek as he turned his head slightly to her, never taking his eyes off the controls. "I really did have a wonderful time, John." Her voice was almost as soft as her lips as they touched the corner of his mouth. "Thank you."
"You´re welcome." He replied, his voice a little hoarser than intended and she pulled back, a pleased smile on her lips.
Both girls were still sleeping when he landed the jumper as smoothly as he could not wanting to wake them up. He unbuckled them carefully and lifted Cora from her seat.
"Liz." He grabbed her arm gently as she walked past him toward the door carrying Lily.
She turned around, his hold of her arm gentle. Taking a step closer to her they stood as close as possible with two sleeping girls in between them. He leaned in, and her eyes fell close as she felt his warm lips against hers. The kiss didn´t last long and he pulled back slowly.
A soft smile crept on her lips but she didn´t say anything. And he smiled a little smugly as he followed her out from the jumper.
Rodney McKay was waiting them a little further. "Nice landing, Sheppard." The scientist called out quietly. "Too bad I have never experienced one while flying with you."
"I´ve saved it to Elizabeth and the girls." He smirked back. "Whatcha doin´ here?"
Rodney´s eyes turned to Elizabeth. "It´s not an emergency, just a little misunderstanding with our new allies and Major Parker´s team. They are waiting you in your office."
"I have to take Lily into the bed first." She sighed and shifted the little girl in her arms.
"I´ll take her." Rodney offered, reaching to take the girl from her. "What? I know how to hold a child, colonel." He sighed at John´s doubting look. "And even though I don´t like children in general, I happen to like these girls."
He settled Lily against his shoulder and followed Sheppard out from the hangar and toward the infirmary. "You know." He started quietly. "You really should find bigger quarters so you and Elizabeth could stay there with the girls."
John stopped in his tracks, and turned around to look at the other man. "What the hell are you talking about, McKay?" He whispered, lowering his voice to barely an audible whisper when saying the curse word.
"I´m just saying that it would be a lot easier if you all would live together. Now you two are spending most of your free time at the infirmary, being there when the girls go to sleep and be back again before they wake up."
"Yeah, well, we don´t want them to be alone, that´s all." Even in his own ears the excuse sounded lame.
"Right." Rodney replied, and to John, he sounded a little too sarcastic.
It felt like hours had passed after their arrival when she finally walked into the infirmary to see the girls. She watched them for a while, smoothing back the curls of dark hair before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on their faces.
"Sweet dreams." She whispered and fixed the blankets around them before quietly leaving and heading back to her own quarters.
-----------
There, enough Shweir for you? What? No? Well, you just wait till the next chapter. Some serious Shweir fluff ahead. And just because you asked. Let me know if you liked... I´ll promise to update soon again.
