We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree.

And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!

Loop in Time

By Hannah554

Chapter 5

John had absolutely no idea how many loops he and Rodney had been through now; he'd stopped keeping track a long time ago. John knew he could probably go a few hundred more loops with the amount of pranks and various other antics he could pull without having to worry about consequences but he also knew that sooner or later they had to put a stop to this, they weren't the only ones trapped in a time loop, everyone else was too, even if they couldn't remember it.

For that reason he had dragged Rodney away from his attempt at pulling a prank on Laura, he wasn't sure what the scientist had been trying to do but he was sure that he'd probably saved him from whatever Laura would do in retaliation.

"We should get back to work," John told him and Rodney looked at him incredulously.

"That's easy for you to say, all you do is sit there and annoy me," Rodney muttered but John got no real protest from him so he assumed his team mate was in agreement with him. The two of them headed to the lab where the device was being kept, Rodney getting to work and John taking a seat nearby. "You don't have to stay here you know," Rodney told him. "All you'll do is distract me, go make out with Elizabeth or something."

"Quit saying that," John said though he couldn't muster up the anger he'd wanted to put into the order.

"Why?" Rodney questioned. "We both know you want to and now you can do it without getting smacked for it."

"Rodney I don't know what you're... you think she'd smack me for it?" John asked it was the first time he'd gotten beyond the initial thought of kissing her and the knowledge that it was probably a bad idea, for a million different reasons he wouldn't risk it.

"I don't know," Rodney shrugged barely paying attention now. "But now's a good time to find out, you're not risking anything if she won't remember it later."

John was ashamed to admit that the thought hadn't even crossed his mind, of all the things he could do, all the things he wanted to do, that one should have been at the top of the list. Rodney wasn't even paying him the slightest bit of attention now, he was focused completely on the ancient device and John took the opportunity to slip out of the room.

It had taken him forever to track her down; Elizabeth had been running around the city like a mad woman in this loop, every time he got to where she was she'd moved on. He finally found her in her office, sat with her paperwork and a cup of coffee. When he got out of this loop he'd have to make sure she had lunch, it just had to get to lunch time first. He walked in and took his usual seat waiting for her to finish what she was doing and look up offering him a warm smile, oblivious to the fact that she was stuck in a time loop.

"John, what can I do for you?" she asked "Or are you just bored?"

"Boredom isn't really an issue for me right now, trust me I have a million ways to entertain myself today," he told her and she gave him an odd look but he shrugged it off. "I just came to talk to you."

In all his wondering around the city trying to find her he hadn't actually figured out what he was going to say to her. Now he was left sitting there feeling awkward, he stood up trying to shake off the feeling as he turned his back to her, she wouldn't even remember this. He was obviously worrying Elizabeth, he heard her stand up, heard her footsteps as she walked around the desk.

"John, are you alright?" she questioned and John took a deep breath and turned around. He hadn't realised how close to him she was, neither had she by the look on her face which at the moment was only inches from his.

"What would you do if I kissed you right now?" he asked her surprising himself and resisting the overwhelming urge to just do it. Her eyes widened and he was fairly sure she'd stopped breathing but then he wasn't entirely sure he was breathing either. She stood there frozen for several seconds and he didn't have it in him to be the one to move and break this moment, she hadn't answered yet which meant she hadn't told him she'd smack him all the way back to earth yet.

She open and closed her mouth, whatever response she had died before she could make a sound. He wanted so much to do it, to just close the small distance between them and kiss her, find out for sure what she'd do, what her response would be. They were in an office with see through windows though, a busy control room outside and the gate room below. If anyone needed anything then this is where they'd come, especially since both of the city's leaders were in here.

Elizabeth finally seemed to regain enough of her partially stunned senses to respond, she blinked several times as though she was trying to shake herself back to reality. John braced himself for whatever she was about to say, it felt like his entire being, his sanity all relied on this moment. "I'd..."

The loop started again.

"Damn it," John cursed as he sat up in bed, punching the bed sheets.

TBC