Oursonguimauve/NotAllWhoWander - Thank you very much. :) I love getting into the heads of characters and while some are easy enough to do, others can be quite difficult. I'm glad you enjoy this so far. :) Well I've watched numerous Stargate Atlantis-related things on youtube, along with interviews with Joe Flanigan and Torri Higginson, so that probably helped. Actually, I can't watch SGA anymore, because it's not on here, and I don't have cable to watch the reruns. I watch the most recent season 5 episodes on youtube, so... But I do have to agree, by far I was quite impressed with Torri Higginson as Elizabeth Weir.
Well, currently, my muse is on Twilight, but I am still trying to finish up some of my Atlantis fictions. I'm almost done this one, as far as I know, but I aim to keep an eye out for any more ideas on what I can do.
Charlie Blue - Yes, John seems like the type to be observant and wary. He takes his time to watch for any suspicious things, but when it comes to pretty females, I have noticed he's a little more easily trusting, hmm? I can totally see John opening up more to Elizabeth than anyone else, they have a lot in common and they're there for each other. The only reason I didn't like Common Ground was because I wanted to hit Ladon for not offering himself up (or did he, I don't remember?), I wanted to hit Kolya for kidnapping John and torturing him, and I wanted to hit half of the Control Room staff for not doing a better job finding him.
John pulling an Elizabeth? I an see that scene going similar both ways.
Erin87 - Thank you :) Well, I'm trying to find as many angles as I can to write about.
Sparklyshimmer2010 - I do like the saucy attitude, so whenever it hits me, I try to play up on it. LOL. Well, I was reading over it quickly and the muse hit me, so...
Fifitrixiebelle - Oh I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) I never really put much thought into what episode I was writing for (if it was a tag of any sort to an existing episode), just the moments with John and Elizabeth.
Rinoax - The thing with Common Ground showed they were more than just military soldier and civilian leader. They cared for each other, and their priorities were kept straight. I loved the passion she showed when trying to get the others to locate John quicker.
Ok, so far two chapters left and I'll be switching the story to 'complete'. That doesn't mean it's the end, but as far as I know, until my muse comes back, that's all I've got. I've got about a dozen possible ideas for more chapters, but I need the focus and muse to work on it and my mind's solely on Edward Cullen of Twilight. *sighs*
I don't know how to spell the Terranin's name, so... O.o Correct me if I'm wrong? Also, has anyone seen the episode 'Vegas' for season 5? Is it me or does it look like John dies in the end? I'm not sure, but I didn't care for the ending. :S
If I make any spelling mistakes, sorry, I tend to write a lot on computers with really crappy spelling checks. Some go by American spell checks and some by Canadian, so....
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John can be really cocky, you know? When he first came to Atlantis, he was a little more calm and quiet, but that was probably from the overwhelming burst of information and the sudden change in his job description. One minute he's a pilot, and the next he's finding out he's got a mutant gene that allowed him to control alien technology, and he's learning about the Stargate program and it's being insisted that he participates in the Atlantis expedition. Then again, it probably didn't help that Sumner was making it clear he didn't want Sheppard there, and Bates wasn't all that friendly, either.
But the more time he spent on Atlantis and got used to the whole thing, the cockier he got. He began to get confident, don't get me wrong, but it turned into a full blown cockiness that I was beginning to find a little irritating. Once, he disobeyed my orders… Oh, who am I kidding, I've lost count of the times he's disobeyed my orders, but that time in particular, he exposed a lot of innocent people to a severe alien sickness, because of it.
Just because what…? He was trying to protect me…?
I guess that was kind of sweet...
I was a little touched, but more than that, I was irritated that he so blatantly ignored my direct orders. I think…maybe I was a little too harsh on him, looking back, but I can't regret my words because somehow I knew they were right, even if I could understand his reasons.
Things weren't too bad, really, until the first major Wraith attack, and loosing Aiden Ford during it. Maybe John blamed himself more than anything, but he started acting a little more recklessly. When asked, he always said "We don't leave our people behind", but I think it was more of his way of saying "I can't loose another person". He started acting out more on his own, trying to single-handedly take on our enemies. He ran what seemed like suicide missions just to save our people, when I would have said no.
Was I wrong on those respects? He always did manage to save a majority of them, in the end. If we hadn't tried…
But I could have lost him.
It was a little overwhelming at times. I didn't know if John was suicidal, schizophrenic, or heroic. Hearing others talk, you'd think heroic, but it's beyond scary when he doesn't show up with the rest of the team. That, or he's 'been captured', 'gone mysteriously missing', or been 'injured'.
This time it was the Terranins. He wanted to save as many as he possible could from the volcano threatening to decimate their world. I figured once we'd convinced their leader to cooperate, it was all a matter of getting everyone through the gate as fast as we possibly could. Instead, only about half the first group got through before the ground below the gate collapsed and buried it in magma.
Do you know how difficult it was to think straight, realizing John was trapped on a world that seemed about ready to self-destruct, and to listen to their leader complaining that we'd done this on purpose, just to get at their ancient ship?
Stupid Terranin leader! Stupid volcano! Stupid John!
...Ok, maybe not stupid John...
My mind ran through all kinds of scenarios. The planet had exploded and everyone was dead. Something, obviously, happened to the gate, and they were trapped. Maybe they were still alive, but how long before the air turned toxic, or the volcano exploded, and what if people were trapped outside? What if John was injured, or trapped?!
"Ma'am?"
Turning, I found Chuck standing in my office doorway. Nodding to him, I sighed internally as he handed me a small data pad. Frowning, I read over it's contents and closed my eyes, reaching up to my forehead to try and massage away the growing headache. "Still just the one…?"
Chuck nodded worriedly. "The leader of the Terranins is looking after his people, and he sends up an apology." Chuck's face morphed into one of confusion, showing he didn't understand what there was to be sorry about. "Dr. Zelenka is still running scans, and it's just showing the one ship heading in our direction."
I nodded to him and he nodded back before leaving. Turning back to my window, I stared down at the hundreds of gathered Terranins who were yet waiting to be placed in quarters until we could get more of their people back.
All of this, and on top of it all, a Wraith ship is on it's way…?
Colonel Caldwell had reported waiting for any signs of Colonel Sheppard, but other than Teyla and Ronon and a small handful of Terranins, there were no life signs for him to lock on to and evacuate. He was obviously steamed, to put it nicely, and I could understand. John was alive, but he was risking everyone's lives on getting a ten thousand year old Ancient ship to work.
What if it didn't? What if his cockiness was going to end up causing him his life this time, and the lives of thousands of people, too?
No… Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and took a moment to gather control of myself before turning and walking slowly to the door of my office. John might be cocky, and it can be scary at times, but more often than not he's been right. He believed Rodney McKay could get the ship flying. It wasn't just John I was beginning to doubt, but Rodney, too. The two of them together, I had to believe they could pull this off.
After all, wasn't it John who once said Rodney worked best under the threat of impending death?
Putting the pad on my desk on the way by, I went to the control room to see Radek staring intently at a screen. Chuck was talking on his headset and nodding, and a few straggling Terranins were looking around in fear and confusion. I knew that a lot of them still had family back on Terranus, and they were worried for them, but at the moment, I was too worried about my own people to even think of words of encouragement. Instead, I walked over to them and took one woman's shoulder, giving it a bit of a squeeze and smiling as encouragingly as I could.
She gave a small, tremulous smile in return and nodded.
"Elizabeth…?"
Hearing that familiar voice, I felt my eyes widen and spun to see Chuck and Radek both looking at me with something akin to worried astonishment…if that made any sense. I hesitated a moment, and then moved as if I was on autopilot, tapping my ear piece. "John…? Is that…. Is that you?" Oh god, please say it is!
I could hear his sigh on the other end and a small chuckle. "Yep, the one and only. We're entering orbit around Atlantis now, the Daedalus and Orion."
"Orion…" Oh, right… "The Ancient ship? You got it flying?" Why did I ever doubt them.
Rodney's voice came over, sounding irritated at best. "I got it flying, albeit barely. We're low on energy, but through one of my ever genius plans, we managed to get off Terranus before it exploded."
I hesitated a moment, torn between scolding John for scaring the hell out of me, and just being plain old thankful to have him back. I kind of settled for being thankful now and scolding him later. "And the Terranins?" I was aware of eyes on me and turned to find the Terranin leader staring at me hopefully.
"We got all but a dozen from a separate village." John sighed. "They didn't trust us and chose to leave and make their way to the river's edge. Colonel Caldwell informed me he didn't pick up their life signs upon reentering Terranus' orbit."
Frowning for a moment, I mourned the lives lost and quietly sighed to myself. Then I plastered a small smile on my face for the Terranin leader, who's own face broke out into a broad smile. "I'm glad you're alright." I let slip before blinking, feeling my feat heat up and adding, "All of you."
There was another chuckle on John's end. "Aww come on, you never really doubted us for a second, did you?"
"John." I let the warning slip into my voice, really not feeling like playing around right now. I saw Radek moving in the corner of my eye and looked to see him waving at me and nodding as he pointed to the screen. Walking over, I saw the two ships in orbit and let out a silent sigh of relief.
John was silent for a moment, and I wondered what was coursing through his mind. "Elizabeth…" There was a sigh when he said my name. I heard movement on his end and words being spoken in the background, though I could make them out. "We're alright." He added in a strangely soothing voice. Then he spoke louder and with more purpose. "And we're ready to find a place to land this bird."
I tried to remain serious but hearing the cheerfulness in his voice, I couldn't fight the small smile. "Alright, you have a go. And John…? Welcome back."
Cocky or not, he really could be quite the hero, sometimes.
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Written November 11, 2008
R+R please
Thank you
Tenshi