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Elizabeth tried to sit up but she could feel her muscles protesting something severe. Her whole body ached with the pain that had been inflicted on her. The last thing she remembered was someone carrying her back to the cell, John. Where was he? Mere minutes had passed since he had placed her on the floor but it seemed so much longer than that.

"John?" she called out softly, eyes darting around for him.

"Over here." she heard the reply come from the other side of the cell.

Propping herself up against the cold wall she watched as he crawled over towards her. Sitting directly in front of her he reached towards her face and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She caught his eyes and what she saw shocked her. John Sheppard looked defeated.

"John?" she questioned, "What is it?"

"I…We…This is my fault!" he finally choked out. He needed to tell her everything, plead with her to forgive him. Ten minutes had already become eight.

"What sort of military commander am I? I can't even protect the one person in my life that means the most?" he got out slowly.

Elizabeth looked at him helplessly but knew she needed to reassure him that what he did made a difference.

"I tried John; I tried everything I could possibly think of to put you out of my mind. I thought that if I did, my decisions couldn't be influenced by personal feelings. Did it help? No, I still felt everything…" She broke off and gave a cough, inflaming the pain in her middle. John looked at her worriedly.

"I'm okay," Elizabeth whispered to him. "Let me finish?"

When John nodded Elizabeth continued. " I realize now that I was wrong, that pushing you away was wrong. I just needed you to understand that we just can't," she paused.

"It's because of our relationship that we're here now! Our enemy is using it against us," she whispered to him as she reached up to run a hand through his hair. It was the first time she had done it since their night together and it felt right, so right.

"I understand now," John nodded. He knew that as the two commanders of Atlantis that they were extremely vunerable normally but if they were to have a relationship it could only get worse. He realized that enemies such as Kolya would continue to use her against him.

John knew that time was running out for them and even if they got ot of this mess, things couldn't progress between them. For now though, he had to let her know and for the life of him he couldn't find the right words.

"Elizabeth…I…I love you." he finally stammered out. It hadn't been as hard as he had thought to murmur his feelings and he felt a big weight life off his shoulders.

She smiled and said quietly, "I know!"

All of the words John had wanted to say rushed out in one big sentence.

"I can't help it, one day it just appeared, i realised i saw you as more than my boss but I don't think i really realised how much more until now." he finally finished

"Am I making any sense?" he asked.

"Perfect." Elizabeth smiled before grabbing the back of his head and pulling him towards her. Their lips touched and Elizabeth knew that all of her fantasies could never live up to the real thing, could never live up to what she remembered. Deepening the kiss, Elizabeth felt John's hands playing with her curls and she cupped the side of his face, liking how the stubble felt beneath her fingertips.

John knew that this might be the last time he had to hold Elizabeth like this so he took time to memorize the texture of her lips, the feel of her hair and any other fact that he could remember.

Ten minutes had easily passed and John knew Kolya would be back any second to inflict more pain. The only thing left was a confession from Elizabeth, he had told her how he felt but she had never said she reciprocated. He knew she did, but knowing and hearing it were two different things.

A noise behind him caused John to pull back from Elizabeth, her eyes sparkled and her face flushed.

"Time to go, Colonel." Kolya's raspy voice drawled.

"Now!"

Two guards made there way towards John and Elizabeth. John watched as fear sparked in Elizabeth's eyes.

"I'll be okay," he whispered as they grabbed him off the floor.

"Wait," she whispered frantically.

The guards stopped shortly, questioning Elizabeth's words.

She looked up at John, "I..I love you too," she whispered.

A smile lit John's face, one that Elizabeth hadn't seen in a long time. All her reservations seemed insignificant at this second but doubts about their situation still niggled. "Be Safe, John." she let him go after whispering her trademark words.

Licking his lips John allowed the guards to take him out of her cell but hoped he would be seeing her soon.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Atlantis

"We think we have something!" one of the technicians exclaimed excitedly.

Ronon bounded up to him, "What?" he demanded gruffly.

The man looked from Ronon to the approaching Rodney, seeking permission to talk.

"Go ahead." Rodney ordered.

"We think there is a good chance that Colonel Sheppard and Dr Weir are on M4X 887," the technician informed the group.

"And you think this because?" Rodney asked.

"Over the last 24 hours numerous planets have been crossed off the list. M4X 887 is the latest planet we have explored. Major Lorne took a team in a cloaked jumper and what they discovered was extremely interesting."

"Well?" Rodney questioned becoming impatient.

"Genii spies were crawling the countryside. An increased presence of Genii Military was present at a fortress about 5 clicks south of the gate. This is where we think the Colonel and Dr are being held!" the technician finished.

"Good, Good." Rodney mumbled.

"Lets go now!" Ronon broke in suddenly.

"We cannot just go now," Teyla spoke up, "We need more information about the planet and how many Genii we may encounter."

"Teyla's right," Rodney agreed.

"We are way ahead of you Doc." A voice from behind them spoke.

"Major Lorne of what are you speaking?" Teyla questioned.

"When we realized that this planet may be the one we were looking for we used the Jumper to take additional scans of terrain and population. We have a fair idea of what we are up against, I'll show you," Lorne told everybody.

"Its beginning to sound like a plan" Rodney said starting to sound hopeful.

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John was curled up on the floor in his cell going over everything that had happened recently. Hours had passed since he had last seen her but what she said kept repeating in his head. Elizabeth loved him. He just hoped they got out of this and were able to be together. He needed her, would do anything to protect her.

A noise made John move into a sitting position as two guards entered. Unchaining him, John was taken out of the room.

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Elizabeth was uncomfortable. She had again been placed in the chains hanging from the roof of the interrogation room. Still in pain from the last time she was in this room she winced slightly.

A door opened behind her and she waited for whoever it was to make themselves known. She did not have to wait long as two guards pushed John in front of her and chained him back into the seat.

Kolya walked stalked in and stood between them.

"I hope that you are willing to give me answers this time?"

Both John and Elizabeth remained silent.

"Sheppard, if I do not get what I want today, Weir will be the only one not leaving this room." he threatened softly.

John gulped knowing this was not an empty threat. He knew that they would get through this, they just had to remain strong so he shook his head.

"Have it your way then!"

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