--
Pacing in the control room Skyler watched Sheppard like a hawk as he spoke with Elizabeth in her office. He knew Sheppard already had a guard watching him but Skyler couldn't help keeping an extra eye on the man when he came anywhere near Elizabeth. He knew the colonel would never do anything to intentionally hurt Elizabeth but that didn't mean that the thing that was trying to take him over wouldn't.
As he watched the conversation continue he felt himself tensing up, things were starting to get heated and it made him edgy. When Sheppard smashed the glass wall of Elizabeth's office Skyler instantly reacted, without thinking about it he had his side arm out and was moving across the catwalk to his aunt's office.
"It's OK! Put it down." Elizabeth ordered the guard that had been watching John, while shooting Skyler a look that clearly said stay put.
Skyler stopped moving but didn't back away like those in the control room that had also moved forward to help. He lowered his side arm but didn't put it away just incase. He knew that Elizabeth loved Sheppard, and he really hoped it didn't come to it, but if he had to Skyler wouldn't hesitate to shoot Sheppard if necessary.
When Sheppard finally left her office Skyler approached Elizabeth to make sure she was okay.
"I'm fine." Elizabeth answered before Skyler could say anything.
"You sure?" He knew how his aunt usually put her own feelings aside, wanting to help others first.
"Yes. John's not himself right now." Elizabeth sat down at her desk planning to get some work done.
Not completely believing her but not sure what else he could do Skyler nodded his head and left her office.
--
Nodding to the guards standing outside Sheppard's door Skyler stepped into the darkened room. He'd received a call from one of Sheppard's guards earlier stating that Sheppard had wanted to see him as soon as possible.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Curious he stood just inside the door waiting patiently for Sheppard to say whatever it was he wanted to say.
"I want you to keep Elizabeth away from me." Sheppard's commanding voice came from somewhere to Skyler's right. "Out of everyone here she's more likely to listen to you."
"Sir, I don't think –."
"I'm serious Skyler," that told Skyler this request was personal not professional. "It's not safe for her to be around me…I…I don't want to hurt her."
"I seriously doubt that she'll listen to me any more than you, but I'll see what I can do…John." It felt weird calling his CO by his first name even if the man was unofficially dating his aunt but Skyler didn't think it was the time to be calling him sir.
--
"I wouldn't go in there, Ma'am." The guard advised remembering that both Colonel Sheppard and Major Cain had left instructions that Dr. Weir was to be kept out if at all possible.
Elizabeth glanced between the two guards, "I'll be fine." She had a pretty good idea that both John and Skyler had spoken with the men about her visiting John alone, but she wasn't going to stay away from the man she loved just because some alien virus was changing him.
When the door closed behind her one of the guards called Skyler to let him know that Elizabeth was there. They knew it wouldn't be long before the man came down there to find out what was going on.
Shortly after receiving a call from one of the guards that Elizabeth was visiting Sheppard, Skyler stepped off the transporter and had barely taken two steps when he was suddenly plowed over by what felt like a semi-truck. His head pounding from when it had smacked into the wall it took Skyler a moment to get his bearings back.
"This is Weir. We have a security breach! Colonel Sheppard's quarters!"
Skyler heard Elizabeth's call over the radio as well as her actual voice as she came out of Sheppard's now open door to check on the unconscious guards. "Med team to Sheppard's quarters." He called over his radio as he forced himself to his feet and hurried the last few feet to Elizabeth's side to make sure she was okay.
Getting a closer look at his aunt Skyler felt a moment of rage burn in him when he spotted the beginnings of a hand shaped bruise on her neck. "What happened?" He had a pretty good idea what had happened but didn't want to jump to conclusions.
"It was nothing," Elizabeth unconsciously rubbed her neck. "We need to get to the control room." She got to her feet and started for the transporter, but stopped when she felt Skyler grip her arm.
"Like hell it was nothing. He attacked you didn't he." It was a statement not a questioned. "Damn it Elizabeth! We both warned you to stay away."
"It wasn't him, it was that thing inside him." She met Skyler's gaze hoping for him to understand. "And there is no way in hell I'm going to let him go through this alone."
Letting it go for now Skyler released her arm, "Control room." Nodding her thanks Elizabeth started for the transporter again, Skyler following behind.
--
Standing in the control room with a group of Marines along with Elizabeth, Col. Caldwell, McKay, Teyla, and Ronon, Skyler watched the screen that showed the Biometric sensor readings.
"Four teams. Surround him and close in. I want him stopped. And gentlemen -- use whatever level force you deem necessary. Move out." Caldwell ordered his men.
"You will only use such force as a last resort." Elizabeth gave her own orders as the group of soldiers started to move out.
"That's not Sheppard any more, ma'am." Skyler had to hand it to Caldwell, the man had guts trying to countermand Elizabeth on this issue – but then again he had no idea about the relation between her and Sheppard.
"You heard me." She addressed the soldiers ignoring Caldwell.
Giving Elizabeth an acknowledging nodded Skyler led the group of Marines out of the control room.
--
"Bravo Team, you're on deck. Tango is right below you."
Caldwell's voice came over the radio as Skyler led his team along with Ronon and Teyla down one of the darkened city corridors. "You heard the man, down the stairs."
"Ronon, where are you going?" Teyla questioned when the man broke away from the group heading in another direction.
"Let him go." Skyler ordered. He knew Ronon well enough to know that the man could look out for himself and that he rarely did anything without a reason.
Moving down the stairs into a high-ceilinged room the team looked around cautiously as Caldwell's voice came over the radio again.
"Stay sharp. He should be right in there with you."
"Anyone have a visual?" Skyler asked as he tried to see through the darkness of the room for their target.
"Above us!" Teyla's call had all the soldiers turning to look up.
Without warning Sheppard suddenly dropped into the middle of the group quickly backhanding two of the Marines to the ground before they could ready their weapons. Quickly Skyler and the third Marine fired their wraith stunners at Sheppard with little effect. Seeing that the stunners weren't working both soldiers went to reach for their side arms, but with a single, super-human bound, Sheppard threw himself at them smashing them to the ground.
"Colonel!" Teyla's shout was the last thing Skyler heard before darkness claimed him.
--
Standing outside the infirmary, head still slightly pounding from the hit he'd taken from Sheppard, Skyler waited for Elizabeth to escort Sheppard to the gate room. Even though there were already two guards assigned to watch Sheppard and two more waiting in the gate room Skyler was taking no chances this time, as long as Elizabeth insisted on being near Sheppard the two were not leaving his sight.
When Elizabeth and Sheppard, wearing a floor length gray cloak with the hood pulled up around his face, appeared Skyler quickly fell in step behind them as they made their way to the gate room. Out of respect Skyler halted at the entrance to the gate room, but never took his eyes off of Sheppard until the man had gone through the gate.
"Good luck." Moving to stand next to his aunt Skyler heard her softly spoken words.
"SG-1 of the Pegasus Galaxy, remember?" Skyler spoke loud enough for only Elizabeth to hear. Giving him a small, half hearted, sad smile Elizabeth nodded then turned to head for her office.
Skyler watched her go, hoping like hell that this crazy ass plan worked. If they lost Sheppard he knew that it would shatter Elizabeth and this was one time that Skyler didn't think he'd be able to help put her back together if that happened. That thought alone scared the shit out of Skyler; he didn't want to lose his aunt, the one person he'd been able to rely on, no matter what, his entire life, the one person that had been there for him every step of the way.
--
Making his way to Elizabeth's office John paused in the doorway watching as she went about her work, unnoticing of his presence. About to make his presence known John froze when Elizabeth moved stretching her neck, from his angle he could just see the bruise wrapping around her neck. He knew it would be there, but to actually see it still shocked him.
"Why did you lie to me?" the words were out of his mouth before he could think about it.
"John!" Elizabeth's head snapped up in surprise. "I didn't hear you come in," she stood up moving around to the other side of her desk.
"You lied to me." John stepped further into the room, letting the doors shut behind him. "I asked you if I'd hurt anyone and you said no."
"I said not seriously." She raised a hand to her neck without realizing it.
Stepping closer to her John lifted his hand planning to take hold of hers but paused when Elizabeth tensed. It was very subtle and would have gone unnoticed by any one else – with the exception of Skyler perhaps – but John wasn't just anybody, he'd made it a mission in life to learn every little detail about Elizabeth. Silently he dropped his hand and shuffled back a bit, giving her more space.
"John…" Elizabeth didn't miss the hurt that had flashed through John's eyes as he lowered his hand and moved away from her.
"I don't blame you for being afraid of me." It hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced in his life, but it was true he didn't blame her for being scared.
"I'm not afraid of you John. I could never be afraid of you." Elizabeth tried to make him believe her.
Body acting without conscious input from her brain, Elizabeth stepped back when John suddenly moved closer to her. "I'm sorry…"she stammered, lowering her gaze to the floor in guilt.
"DON'T…!" John burst out before he could rein his emotions in. Pausing he sighed before continuing in a softer voice. "Don't be sorry about the way you feel, never be sorry about that. I'm the one that should be sorry, you did nothing wrong."
"I don't want to feel like this." Elizabeth cautiously lifted a hand to caress John's face. "I love you John, really I do, but I…I just need some time."
"Right," he nodded sadly then turned to leave her office.
--
In the darkened and empty mess hall John sat staring into his full glass of home made hooch that he'd managed to swindle of off Zelenka. He'd been sitting alone for the last hour letting his mind wander to the point that he'd been too distracted to get drunk like he'd planed.
'How could I have been so stupid to think that things would be normal between us?' He thought to himself as he finally took the first drink of his glass.
"You look like someone who just lost their best friend."
The unexpected appearance of Skyler startled John into almost dropping his glass. He quickly recovered, "You're not too far off the mark."
"Things didn't go too well between you and Elizabeth I take it." Skyler slipped into the seat across from his CO.
"How did…?" John set his glass down then shook his head. "…Never mind. I'm sure you have your sources when it involves Elizabeth." John lowered his head not sure what to say next. This was new territory for him, he wasn't used to feeling so out of whack over a woman.
The two fell silent for a moment before John raised his gaze again, "I owe you an apology."
"For what?" Skyler raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I failed to keep Elizabeth safe. You trusted me to look out for her and instead I ended up hurting her…hell I'm surprised you haven't kicked my ass from one end of this city to the other and back yet."
"Under normal circumstances, yeah I would have kicked your ass by now, but these weren't normal circumstances." He sat back in his chair. "Sure it was your body, your hand but I know that it wasn't you…Elizabeth knows it too."
"She doesn't trust me anymore." John lowered his gaze again.
"That's bullshit and you know it." Skyler straightened up. "Elizabeth trusts you with her life…hell I'd almost go as far as saying she trusts you more than me." He leaned forward getting right up in John's face. "She loves you with her entire heart, body, and soul, her trust is something you will never lose. She's just a little shaken up that's all, go talk to her."
"I already tried that, remember?" John ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Then try again and keep trying 'til you get through to her." Standing up Skyler left John alone to think about what he'd said.
--
Standing in front of Elizabeth's quarters John stood staring at the door. He'd been standing there for the last five minutes trying to work up the nerve to knock but couldn't seem to force his hand to move. When the door suddenly opened both John and Elizabeth startled on finding each other on the other side.
"John?" Elizabeth recovered her voice first.
"Can we talk?" John's voice was low, as he lowered his gaze to the ground.
Elizabeth nodded slightly, turning away from him and moving to sit on her bed. Stepping into the room just far enough for the door to close behind him John studied her room. He'd been in her room dozens of times before, but he'd never actually taken the time to really look the place over, there were all kinds of personal effects scattered here and there as well as work piled up everywhere.
"John, what is it?"
He turned his gaze back to Elizabeth. She looked as if she wanted to say something to him but wasn't sure how to do it. He knew that feeling.
"I don't know how to do this, how to fix this." He finally admitted. "I hurt you and there's nothing I can do to change that."
"No you didn't," she stood up and in determined strides, walked over to him. He looked away and she frowned as she raised her hand, placing it on his cheek and insistently moved it so he was looking at her. "It wasn't you."
"Elizabeth –."
"No John, listen to me. You can't hold yourself responsible for what happened." She gazed into his eyes imploringly.
"Can't I? It was me, it was my hand on your throat." John's breathing quickened slightly. "I saw the fear in your eyes, Elizabeth." He held her gaze as Elizabeth slowly nodded.
She walked a few steps away from him, only to turn back and face him. "I won't lie to you, I was scared, but not of you. It was of that…thing trying to consume you." She sighed and shook her head before walking back to him. "But, I'm still here. You didn't let that thing kill me, John."
"I'm still sorry that I hurt you." His gazed lowered to the bruise around her neck. John reached a hand out trailing his fingertips over the colored areas. He felt her tremble beneath his touch and withdrew his hand quickly. "Sorry…I…I –."
"John," she interrupted him, taking hold of his hand with hers, reveling in the fact that it was human once more and not the alien hand that had tried to strangle her. "You don't need to apologizes to me."
"I could have killed you!" He said, tersely, his hand gripping hers tightly. "I felt myself wanting to kill you simply because you wouldn't do what I asked." He felt tears begin to fill his eyes but didn't care.
"But you didn't," she said, softly, gently stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.
"You should have killed me when I told you to… I told you it would be better for the both of us." He pulled away from Elizabeth, turning away from her.
"I don't ever want to hear you say that again!" Elizabeth griped John's arm forcing him to turn back and face her. "There are no circumstances under which losing you would be good for me!" She wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face into his shoulder. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered so softly that John almost didn't hear her.
"You won't, not if I have anything to say about it." He returned the embrace.
