Disclaimer: I wish I owned them, but sadly I don't
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! They are most definitely appreciated. Sorry this chapter's a wee bit short, the next one will be longer.
That night she dreamed about him again. This time she was walking down the street when she saw him, sitting in a restaurant with…her, his someone else. She found herself walking up to the window and watching the happy couple. As if her bleak thoughts had summoned it, rain began to fall, softly at first, but increasing in its intensity. As the precipitation reached torrential levels, the street began to flood. She pounded on the glass, hoping to catch his attention. "Help me!" she screamed as the cold water swirled about her feet.
He turned and looked at her, his face so devoid of emotion he could have been a corpse. Then he smiled, a cold heartless smile, crossed the room and pulled the window blinds down in her face. The water had reached her thighs and it was becoming increasingly difficult to stand. Horrified, she pounded the glass harder, attempting to break it with her fists. "Please!" she cried again, "Help!"
But no one came to her aid. The restaurant remained silent and still. Suddenly she heard a masculine voice calling, "Ariadne! Ariadne! Over here!"
She turned and saw someone, in the dark she couldn't tell who, beckoning to her from a shop across the street. "I'll help you," she heard the man call.
She pushed against the current, making for the stranger. She was almost there when she was swept off of her feet by a particularly strong surge. She tried to grab the man's outstretched hand, but missed. "Ariadne!" the stranger's voice, filled with anguish, was the last thing she heard before she was pulled under.
Elizabeth awoke with a start, sweat-soaked and shaking. She immediately became aware of what she thought was another presence in the room, but as she looked around she saw no one. The pounding in her heart slowly faded along with the feeling of being watched, and Elizabeth sank back into her pillows with a sigh. A glance at her watch revealed that it was a quarter to six, roughly an hour before the team was slated to leave. She sighed and pulled herself out from under the covers, idly wondering if she was doomed to never get a good night's sleep.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The ruins were quite a substantial trek away, and it took the better part of the morning to get there. When Elizabeth asked John why they hadn't taken the Jumper, he had replied with a smirk, "Because it's good for McKay to get some exercise."
And he hadn't been kidding the night before when he'd mentioned Ronon's early morning mood. The tall Satedan spent most of the hike glowering and snapping at those who got too close to him. Elizabeth passed the time by conversing with Teyla, something she rarely got a chance to do during her hectic days on Atlantis. "The crops are growing fairly well, although the gorlik plants have become afflicted by parasites," the graceful Athosian was saying.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to inquire about these gorlik plants when she heard McKay declare excitedly, "We're here!"
She looked up and caught her first glimpse of the Ancient ruins. As she did so she had to chuckle a little. Normally when one thought of ruins, the Anasazi cliff dwellings or Egyptian pyramids came to mind. This particular site looked more along the lines of the Acropolis in Greece. "What is so amusing Dr. Weir?" Teyla asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion.
Elizabeth shook her head, "It's nothing; I was just thinking about perception. This," she waved a hand toward the large structure, "wasn't what I had in mind."
At that point Rodney came bustling over. "Okay Elizabeth, here's what I've got so far," he said, pulling out his notes.
Elizabeth briefly glanced at them, "That's it?"
McKay actually looked sheepish. "Yeah, there wasn't much writing. It just took me a while to get the gist of it."
"How much writing is left?" she inquired.
"A couple of lines; and I'm not sure I translated the first lines correctly."
Elizabeth smiled as she acknowledged the irony of the situation; McKay was actually admitting he wasn't the expert on something. Granted, this wasn't scientific in nature, but still… She straightened and switched her brain into full work mode. "All right," she said, adjusting her vest, "Let's get started."
