A/N : For disclaimers and credits etc please see chapter 1. Thank You.
Later on in the afternoon …
… in the mess hall. At the table in the back, John sat talking to Radek, " The mission is the day after next. So I think we should go for tomorrow night because we may be away for a few nights."
Radek responded, " Alright. Then that will give me enough time to get everything ready. I just hope this works. I will need you to take Teyla across to the mainland in Jumper 1. Don't worry if you have a few problems on the way back. It's a very small act of necessary sabotage. I hope you don't mind."
John didn't quite know what to say to this. So his eyes widened somewhat and he kept silent for a minute trying to marshal his thoughts. There was no way he should condone this. It could be dangerous and yet Radek knew was he was doing. It was all for a good cause right? Still, he really was apprehensive about this.
" Is there any point in me asking what you've done?" John asked nervously.
"No, not really. I want it to come as a surprise. I can assure you though, it isn't anything life threatening." Radek replied with a mischievous grin.
John nodded anxiously, " Right."
" I just hope this is all worth it," he thought to himself, as he heaved a big sigh, " The things I do for Rodney."
The next day …
… the plan was put in to action. Major Lorne gave the kitchens the heads up as to the fact that the plan was happening.
The night before, Radek had taken everything to the place that he had chosen for the tryst to take place. He hoped that this would work. Only time would tell.
During the afternoon Radek gave John and Teyla the nod. With that, he and Teyla prepared for their journey. John was still feeling really uncomfortable about this. He didn't know what was going on and this was what he didn't like. Radek had asked him to trust him. As much as he hated to feel this way, he couldn't help but remember the last time anyone had asked him to do that. He and Rodney had ended up witnessing the destruction of five sixths of a solar system, at Rodney's hand. Although he had managed to put that behind him, he was still uneasy when people asked him to trust them. But for all that, he was inclined to believe Radek. He only wanted to have a convincing reason to be working on a jumper in the bay. So doing in major damage wouldn't be a good thing to do. Even so, the best laid plans of mice and men go wrong!
"Oh great. This is all I need. I hate to fly when I'm nervous. And why the hell am I nervous? I've been through worse."
John began to pace up and down the jumper bay, the sound of his boots echoing as his paced.
John knew that when Teyla arrived there was no turning back. He shouldn't be surprised that he was at this point. After all, operation Eye Opener was his idea. He was beginning to wonder if it was a case of ' It seemed like a good idea at the time.' Of course it was a good idea. It would at least stop him going crazy.
Teyla walked in to the jumper bay. She noticed John pacing up and down.
"Are you alright Colonel Sheppard?" she asked walking over to the jumper.
John swallowed and turned to follower her, " Yeah. I'm fine. Come on then. Let's go get this over with."
He only hoped that he looked a lot happier than he felt.
The journey out to the mainland was very uneventful. Teyla decided to use the unexpected trip to visit friends. John had to admit it was great to get out of the city. He decided to take this time to relax and have a chat with Halling. He didn't want to think about the about the trip back too much.
Later in the evening, Teyla came up to John. " It is time to go back." She saw the look on John's face. " Do not worry. I am sure Dr Zelenka knows what he is doing."
John looked at her and smiled. He knew that she was right. One of the things that he liked about Teyla was the way she could put him at ease with a few words or a look. Right now, this was very welcome.
John smiled back. "Yeah. I know. I have faith in him to!"
Saying goodbye to everyone, they headed towards the jumper.
John turned to Teyla and said, " Look. You'd better get comfortable in your seat and hold on. I have no idea what Radek has done, so this could end up being a bumpy ride."
Teyla looked at him and said, " I understand."
Back on Atlantis …
… in the lab. Radek was looking at some readings on his computer. Right on cue there was an energy spike coming from the far side of Atlantis.
"Rodney, come and look at this." he said as he watched the screen.
Rodney wandered over, a cup of coffee in one hand and power bar in the other.
"Yes. What seems to be the problem?" he asked.
"We are getting a strange energy reading from the far side of the city."
Rodney's brow furrowed. He couldn't think what would cause such a spike, but it was definitely there.
"This is unusual. It deserves an investigation." Rodney looked thoughtful. " Radek, would you go. I'm in the middle of something important. I can't spare the time!"
Normally this kind of attitude would drive Radek crazy. But today this was exactly what he wanted.
"Yes Rodney." he said with his usual air of resignation.
Getting his equipment together, he headed towards the source of the signal.
"So far, so good." thought Radek.
Back on the jumper …
… heading towards the city. Suddenly there was a loud bang from the rear of the jumper. It lurched to the left and John had to struggle hard to get it back on track.
"Wow." thought John, " Radek, I have no idea what you did. But you really did it well!"
" Jumper 1 to Atlantis Command. Come in please." John said, a sense of urgency in his voice.
" This is Atlantis Command. How's it going Colonel?" came the reply.
" I've got a problem. I have no idea what's happened, but it's making my life difficult."
As he spoke, John had to fight to keep the ship flying.
"Are you ok?" A voice came over the comm. It was Elizabeth.
"Yes. We're fine. No medical help required."
"And hopefully it's going to stay that way!" he thought.
Back in the city…
…Radek was walking through the corridors. It was early evening. He hoped John was ok. Maybe this was a little ambitious. But it was too late to worry about it now.
Suddenly there was a message over his comm link.
"Dr Zelenka. We going to need you at the jumper bay. We have a problem."
Radek responded, " Is there anyone else who can go?"
"Dr Zelenka, you have the most experience with the jumpers. From what Colonel Sheppard said it seems quite serious."
Radek looked a little worried, He hadn't meant the problem to be serious. He had better go and see what was going on. At least this hadn't ruined his plan, although he was a little worried he may have damaged the jumper.
"This is Dr Zelenka to Major Lorne."
Major Lorne was standing in the gate room. " Lorne here. What can I do for you?"
" I need you to do your part. I have to go to the jumper bay. I think this part of my plan may have gone a little too well." Radek said, a little worried.
" Don't worry, I'll do it. Will you be able to speak to Dr Weir?" Major Lorne asked.
"Yes, of course. I'll make sure that I speak to her. Let me know when you have spoken to Dr Mckay will you." Radek asked.
"Yes Dr. I have a scanner on me so I will be able to take him to the spot." The Major said.
" Best of luck Major." Radek replied.
" Same to you." he responded.
In the lab…
… Dr Mckay sat at his desk. He was studying his computer screen intently. He didn't notice Major Lorne come in to the lab.
"Dr Mckay, sorry to bother you. Dr Zelenka sent me."
Rodney looked up and looked at him in frustration.
"What on earth can he want? Is he not able to deal with it himself? He knows that I'm busy." Rodney said and he wasn't happy.
"He's really sorry. It's just that there has been a problem with one of the jumpers. He thinks that the problem may be connected to an Ancient device he's found. He wants you to have a look." The Major said.
" Do you know where the signal in coming from?" Rodney sounded intrigued.
"Yes. I will be able to show you the way." Major Lorne responded.
"Alright. Give me a few minutes and I will be with you." Rodney said going back to his computer.
Major Lorne slipped out of the lab. Operating his comm link he said, "Dr Zelenka. This is Major Lorne. Operation Eye Opener is going as planned."
Radek was in the jumper bay having a look at the jumper. " Thank you Major. Would you please carry on. I will speak to Dr Weir."
"This is Dr Zelenka to Dr Weir."
Elizabeth replied, "Dr Weir here. What can I do for you?"
"I know that this is a bit of an imposition, but there is something I could really use your help with. There is some text that I need translating. I believe it is in Ancient and I know that you are the best at translating such texts."
Elizabeth smiled, " Alright. What is this all about?"
" I found a signal in one of the outer reaches of the city. It is connected to an Ancient device. I believe that the text has something to do with it. It is also possible that it may be connected to the problem with the jumper." Radek said, hoping he sounded convincing.
"Alright. Will you be able to show me the way?" she asked him.
"Of course I will Dr Weir. I will be with you in a moment." he replied.
Somewhere in a corridor …
…on the way. Radek and Elizabeth bumped into Major Lorne and Rodney.
Rodney raised his eyebrows and looked at Elizabeth. She looked beautiful. A warm fuzzy feeling came over him. He felt the way that he had felt at the mission briefing. She turned to smile at him. Rodney felt his heart beat faster.
Elizabeth looked at Rodney. He looked so handsome as he walked down the corridor beside her. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked at his eyes and it was as if she was looking in to the bluest sky. She had never felt this way before. Not even with Simon.
They eventually made it to their destination.
" It's through here." Radek pointed in to a room and ushered Rodney and Elizabeth through it. Once they were in the room the door shut behind them. Major Lorne thought it shut.
Rodney and Elizabeth looked around them a little confused. They had no idea what was going on.
Rodney tried to open the door. Nothing happened.
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. " I think there is more to this meets the eye", she thought.
" Dr Zelenka. We can't seem to open the door. Can you do something about it?' she asked.
Radek couldn't help smiling at this. " I will see what I can do."
Rodney had a look around, trying to find the device Radek had been talking about. Walking through to the other room he noticed the chest and the box. He also couldn't help noticing the window that led to a balcony. Resting his hands on the railing, he looked out across the ocean. The sun was beginning to set and the sky and the clouds were tinged with Red. He had never realised how beautiful a sunset could be.
"Rodney. Are you ok?" Elizabeth called out from the room.
"Mmm." Rodney said, " Yes. I'm fine. I'm just watching the sunset. It's beautiful."
Elizabeth walked out and stood beside him. He was right. It was lovely.
How long had it been since she'd stood and watched a sunset? She couldn't remember the last time she had done this. And she especially didn't remember the last time she had done it in company.
At this thought, she lay her hand on Rodney's and squeezed gently. He turned to her, the look on his face one of contentment tinged with surprise. She was happy too.
Eventually, she decided to go back in to the room. The chest and the box intrigued her. As she looked at the box she saw a piece of paper lying on the top. Taking it she began to read. Suddenly she burst in to fits of giggles.
" Rodney. I think that we've been set up." she said.
Rodney walked in and stood beside her as she began to read. " Dear Rodney and Elizabeth, We thought you might like to spend some time alone. To that end we have arranged a meal for you…"
As Rodney listened, he looked in the chest, pulled out the pieces of the table and began to put them together.
" …We hope that you will enjoy your meal and the time that you will spend together. From your friends."
Rodney said, " I wonder who was involved in this? I guarantee that John was part of it. He came to speak to me you know." as he continued putting the table together.
"Teyla came to speak to me. And you can bet that Radek and the Major had a hand in it to!" she continued as she went to look in the chest.
Pulling out a tartan rug, she said, " Looking at this, I would say that Carson was involved as well!"
Rodney looked up as he set the table on to its legs. " What's that for?"
" A table cloth perhaps?" she said, laying it across the table top.
Rodney came to stand beside her as she reached in to the chest and pulled out the candles. Rodney set them on the table. Elizabeth pulled out the candle lighter and set it on the table beside them. Looking round her, she placed the candles around the room, leaving one small one on the table.
As she began to light them, Rodney thought the lights down to a more romantic brightness. Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at this. When she had finished, he looked at her. The light made her face shine and seemed to bring out her beauty in a way that he had never seen before. He felt his heart race as he looked at her.
Elizabeth returned his gaze. The candlelight was reflected in his eyes. He looked more handsome that ever. She wanted to reach out and touch him, to tell him how she felt. How did she feel? Light hearted, warm, content. It had been so long since she had felt like this.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Dr Zelenka, " Dr Weir, are you ready for dinner to be served?"
"Yes. And Radek, you and I are going to have to have a word sometime about Jumper 1 …" she left the sentence unfinished.
Radek swallowed hard. He suspected she was going to give him hell over this, but right now he didn't mind. Thinking of them both together, he decided it had all been worth it.
" Yes Dr Weir. Please let me know when."
As they sat and waited for the meal to be served they began to talk. As they did Elizabeth realised she couldn't imagine life without Rodney. Not just because of what he meant to the expedition, but because of what he meant to her.
Rodney began to realise that he wanted her to be a part of his life. For the first time he had found someone who he wanted to love. Someone who he really believed loved him back. He had never felt so scared. But it felt right.
The meal arrived and was accompanied by a bottle of wine.
" I wonder where that came from?" Rodney said with a smile, as he poured Elizabeth a glass.
" I don't know. You know, I haven't had wine for ages." she said as she took a sip.
As they enjoyed the meal they carried on talking. The more they talked, the more they relaxed. The more they relaxed, the more they realised how much they meant to each other.
When it came to dessert and coffee, Rodney looked at Elizabeth. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, or whether it was the fact that he was beginning to feel at ease with the situation, he wasn't sure. He just had to know, " Why now Elizabeth?"
She looked at him and said, " I've had feelings for you since the first time I met you. But I couldn't do anything about it. Now I can."
"What about Simon?" Rodney asked, apprehensively.
" We're finished. It's over." she replied, " It happened when I went back to Earth. He couldn't wait. Apparently, he found someone else."
" The guy's a moron. He has no idea what's he's given up." Rodney stated, "But then, he's not seen you the way I have."
" What do you mean?" she asked.
" The way that you stood up to Kolya. I never once saw you flinch in front of that man. The way you went back to the Genii to secure those nuclear bombs for us. Throughout everything, you have been a tower of strength. You are amazing!"
" As good as Sam?" she enquired, a wry smile on her face.
" No." Elizabeth tried not to look disappointed, as Rodney continued, " No, because you are better." he said as he took her hand across the table.
She smiled at Rodney. This time it was her turn to blush.
" You have had your moments too," she said, " Such as the time you saved us from the darkness and the time you stood in front of the gun for me. You have helped us time and time again. I don't think we would still be here if it wasn't for you"
" It's nice to know I'm appreciated." he said with a smile.
Elizabeth laughed at this. Then she said quietly, " I'm sorry I shouted at you after what happened on Doranda."
Rodney looked at her in confusion., " I deserved it."
"No. No you didn't. What I really wanted to say was that I was upset because I nearly lost you. I wanted to tell you how much meant to me, how awful I would have felt if you weren't there any more. But I couldn't so I just shouted at you. I'm sorry."
Tears began to well up in her eyes. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it gently, " Look. I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so arrogant. I shouldn't have taken the risk. But that's behind us. What matters is now and what matters now is us."
Elizabeth looked at him as he reached over and wiped the tears gently from her eyes. She was so in love with this man and there was no way that she could avoid it.
Looking over at the top of the chest, she saw the box sitting on it. " I wonder what's in there?" she said as she got up to fetch it.
Opening it, she found a piece of paper. Slowly she unfolded it. " Oh. It's a poem." she said, as she read it a smiled.
Showing it to Rodney she said, " Would you read it to me?"
Looking at the poem, he said, "This had to be Carson's choice."
Elizabeth said, " Yes. You're right." as she smiled at him.
Rodney began to read, " O my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my luve's like a melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
As Rodney continued reading, Elizabeth sat enthralled.
"And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!"
As Rodney finished reading, he looked at Elizabeth. He swallowed hard and said, " I would travel across two galaxies to be with you. I have never felt this way about anyone before and it scares me. I've never been much good at relationships. They've all gone wrong. So this is hard for me. I want this to work, I really do. … It's just that…"
Elizabeth cut him off, " We'll make this work. I really want this to! You have no idea how long I've wanted this. I promise that I will do everything in my power not to hurt you."
With that, she got up from her seat and moved towards Rodney. He in turn moved towards her, the poem still in his hands.
As he did, he noticed the writing at the bottom, " Elizabeth, what does this mean?"
He showed it to Elizabeth. Her eyes lit up. She recognised the first one straight away. It was Czech. The second one she wasn't sure of. However, she noted there was a translation there.
Gently, she eased the paper out of Rodney's hand, " The first one says 'Miluji te.' That's Czech for ' I love you.'"
Rodney smiled, his heart beating faster than it had done before.
She then had a stab at pronouncing the second one, " 'Ta gra agam ort'. This appears to be Gaelic for ' I love you'"
As Elizabeth dropped the poem on the table and slipped her hands round Rodney's waist, he said, " Radek and Carson no doubt!"
"Mmm. Probably," Elizabeth said, as she lay her head on his shoulder. " This is good."
Rodney's heart began to flutter. He had never believed this could happen to him. Especially, with someone like Dr Elizabeth Weir. And yet…here he was. This was real. He gently kissed the top of her head. She smelt wonderful. Rodney lost himself in the moment.
He felt Elizabeth move and pull away a little. Rodney and Elizabeth looked at each other. Moving his hand to the back of her head, Rodney pulled her towards him for their first kiss. As the moment approached Rodney realised he had no idea what he was doing. So instead of kissing her on the lips he gave her a peck on the cheek.
"Oh that's just great." he thought, " I can't even kiss right so how on Earth am I going to cope with the rest of the relationship?"
There was a part of Rodney's mind that was telling him to run. When is came to relationships he was a novice. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him something. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him he would always be single. He was beginning to panic.
Sensing his discomfort, Elizabeth decided to take charge of the situation. " Don't worry Rodney. Everything's going to be ok. Let's try that again shall we?"
This time she was in control. Placing her hand at the nape of his neck, she leaned towards him. Gently she let her lips brush his. Rodney let out an involuntary gasp. This was beyond his wildest dreams, (and he had had a few of those, mostly about Sam!) As he gradually came to his senses, he began to respond to the touch of her lips on his. Hesitantly at first, then as he relaxed more and more passionately. As they kissed, Rodney felt Elizabeth run her fingers through his hair. It was a lovely sensation that he had never experienced before. He loved the taste of her lips and the softness of their feel on his. He revelled in the feeling of her fingers, as she ran them through the hair on the back of his head.
Elizabeth lost herself in the moment as well. The feeling of contact with another human being was something that she had missed so much. Being held was something that she wanted, needed. Rodney's lips felt so soft against hers. She loved the feeling of his hair beneath her fingers. This moment was everything she had hoped for and more.
Rodney was the first to break the kiss.
"That was wonderful." he said, a look of blissful contentment on his face. He never believed that he could be so happy.
Elizabeth returned his smile. She was beaming. " Thank you. It was rather good wasn't it."
Rodney led Elizabeth on to the balcony. It was bathed in moonlight. Putting his arm round her shoulders, he gently pulled her towards him. She responded to this by putting her arm around his waist. Looking out across the ocean, they stood in silence.
Later on …
… in Rodney's quarters. He and Elizabeth lay together responding to a need to hold and to be held by someone. They revelled in the warmth of each other's bodies as they lay together on his bed
Elizabeth ran her hand across his chest dreamily, " I love you Doctor Rodney Mckay."
Rodney ran his hand through her hair, as her head lay against his shoulder, " I love you too Doctor Elizabeth Weir."
He smiled as they both drifted in to a restful sleep.
TBC – for Epilogue.